Math is not my strength

So, I go for placement next week in Teacher's College, and I've been asked to teach mathematics for the Grade 7 class. Specifically, I will be attempting to teach Data Management. The key word being "attempting". I'm not really nervous, but I just don't think that math is my strongest point as far as teaching is concerned. The good thing about it is that the classes are really only about 30-40 minutes long, so it's not like I'm standing there trying to do an hour lesson or longer.

Anyways, I'm sure I'll screw up somewhere and probably quite often, but I guess little kids don't really care all that much. I know that if I was in a math class with a student teacher teaching me, I wouldn't care at all if they said 2+2 was 5.

We will see how it goes...

Believing in the Laws of Attraction

Just about everyone has heard about the concept of the law of attraction. This isn't like bees being attracted to honey... It's more like negativity feeds negativity, positive feeds positive.
But does this concept truly exist?

I suppose a perfect example would be someone who is in a terrible mood. Everything that could possibly go wrong that day will indeed go wrong, but is it because of the law of attraction, or is it because that person brought the problems upon themselves? It could be a bit of both. A person in a bad mood can take a happy room and turn it down in less than ten seconds. Wouldn't this be feeding the negativity just through vibes, rather than attracting bad things with a bad mood?

I don't really believe in all the wholistic healing junk, which may be something that is really affecting my opinion on this whole concept. No one really knows how stuff works, or how Murphy's Law ever came to be true, although many people claim to know.

A bad day, in my opinion, settles down into bad luck and stupid decisions.

Homework - What's the Point?

Studies have shown that homework actually has detrimental effects on the student, especially when the student is very young (as in kindergarten age). Homework causes stress, lack of sleep, lack of a personal life, and plenty of negativity (google it).

Sure, the idea behind homework possesses the greatest of intentions. After eight hours at school, of course a student would want to study and learn more!
Mmhmm.

Personally, when I'm done school my brain is pretty bogged down. I know that, as a college student, I should be prepared to settle onto my couch for the night to write out circuit diagrams and explanations about relays; unfortunately, I'm just not prepared to do that. Class is hard enough to get through with giving my full attention, so when it comes to homework... Well, I'm screwed.
I'm a really good student, and I cringe at anything that's below an 'A', but it happens. Part of that is my lack of will to avoid procrastination and to just get homework done. Do I learn anything from all this extra work?
Nope.

What makes this worse is that I have a part-time job to support my lazy butt while I'm in school, and this means not getting home until around 10:30 some nights.
Bust out the books and be prepared for an all-nighter!

Which actually leads me to my next point.
Ever had a teacher or advisor tell you that you shouldn't be working while you're in post-secondary education, because school is supposed to be your full-time job?
That just drives me nuts. Every time I hear those words I want to hold out my hand and ask for money.

Anyway, I'm starting to go all over the place, so I'll end it with two last words: Homework sucks!

Homeland Housewares - An Update on Stupidity

I'm not too sure whether I'm referring to my own stupidity or to that of the company, Homeland Housewares, but I suppose that it could apply to both.

Anyway, if you've read the previous post about this little episode, you'll know all about what I'm discussing here.

On Wednesday, the day after my credit card was charged, the stupid package arrives with the damn blender. I was so angry... I had been told that the order had been canceled, but then there it was. WABAM! Just like that.

So I sent it back.

I got yet another notice from the post office that the stupid blender was there, so I went in and told them to send it back again.
At long last, Homeland Housewares gets the idea, and refunds my money....
Minus all the shipping and handling.

I'm so ticked about that. Over $60 for a product that I canceled the order for four days before it was even shipped, and I had to pay for all the shipping to me, and the shipping back to them! Talk about ridiculous.

Spread the word... don't shop with these clowns.

Flour Weevils!

Oh, what a joy to open a box of pancake mix, only to find..... WEEVILS!

What the hell is a weevil?

I didn't know until about two minutes ago. They're nasty looking little bugs that like grain products. Yep.
The only way to prevent/kill them off is to freeze all grain products for about forty eight hours to guarantee that the eggs won't hatch, and then bleach the cupboards. Lovely.

So, how would one get weevils (what a stupid name for a gross bug... sounds like a disease!)?

You buy grain products.
I'm totally serious.
Just stop on by at your local grocery store and scoop up some flour, or pancake mix, or even cereal. Enjoy your new e-coli infection.

Oh lord.

I feel so disgusted knowing that it's very common to ingest these bugs and their eggs without even knowing it. Blech.

To be honest, I didn't think much about those stupid little beetles at first, but then a neighbour asked if I noticed any little bugs in grain products that I purchase.

Well, now that you mention it...
Yes, I have, actually.

A little bit of Google, a little bit of Wikipedia... Voila! Weevil Haven 'R' Us.

I would post a picture, but it made my stomach turn just looking at them, so we'll forget that idea.

Bug Magnet

That's right... that's what I am: a bug magnet.

I keep wondering what the hell I've done to sudden get infested by every stupid bug on the planet. My place is clean, I have good hygiene, and no pets that run around outside. Yet, I have suffered the wrath of hungry bed bugs, weird little beetles that seemed to grow out of instant pancake mix (not kidding... absolutely disgusting), typical spiders all over, and all of the miscellaneous little bugs that come with life. Let's not forget that last night I bought a frozen pie, only to find that it was all moldy.
Argh.

Would moving away help this trouble, or am I just doomed to be followed by the bugs?
I think it's the latter.

Kanye West = Jackass

No, I didn't watch the MTV VMAs last night because I don't give a damn. However, I heard about Kanye West's douchebaggery stunt that he pulled on Taylor Swift, and it was ridiculous. I watched it on YouTube and thought, "what an idiot!"

For those who don't know, Taylor Swift won an award last night for the best video of 2009 or something, and Kanye interrupted her speech only to tell her that Beyoncé's video deserved to win. Now, I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift's music really, but she didn't even know what to say. All she could do was stand there after being insulted.

I respect people who don't shy away from what they want to say, but you don't interrupt a teenage girl's speech after winning something all on her own.

People may say it's a publicity stunt or whatever, but if that's true, then what a disgrace to music to have artists participating in this kind of childish behaviour. Especially on a night when they were celebrating Michael Jackson's life and career. So, whether it was staged or not, it's a shame to see this kind of garbage.