Current System Configuration: Aaaargh...
BGM: The Roar to Tomorrow (Asu he no Houkou) by JAM Project. Heroic, valiant and passionate.
Breakfast: Longganisa, scrambled eggs and rice
Lunch: Pasta Arrabiata
Dinner: Prawns with feta cheese, chateubriand, potato salad, brocolli au gratin
And so this schoolyear has ended. For some of my students, this is the last time I will be your teacher. For others, I may meet you again in the future. I really want to thank you for all the wonderful experiences you've given me. Thank you for all the support, all the patience and all the praise. It's been a fun yet brutal year, with all the burdens and blessings we've given each other. I can't thank you enough.
You all know the farewell message I gave you in class before perio week. John 3:16, John 10:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Revelation 3:20. I have more to say.
Now this may seem silly, but they're best expressed by a couple of anime songs.
Tachiagare, kedakaku mae, sadame wo uketa senshi yo!
Rise and wheel valiantly, o warrior who has received his destiny!
Tatoe kizutsuite, chikara tsukitemo!
Even if you're hurt, even if your power runs out!
Atsuku nare, ookiku sake, ten ni sasageshi inochi yo!
Let that life that you've offered up to heaven heat up and blossom!
Asu no heiwa he no ishizue to nare!
Become the foundation of tomorrow's peace
Akaku moe, migoto ni chitte, hoshi ni natta inochi yo!
Let the star of your life burn red and scatter magnificently!
Toki wo koe, sono namae wo! Mune ni kizamou, JUST FOREVER!
Let that name surpass time, carve it on your chest, JUST FOREVER!
That's the ending chorus from The Roar to Tomorrow by JAM Project. Here's another one, from Aim for the Top! Gunbuster.
Ai wo tomenai de! Hashiri tsuzukeru ｙｏ! Mune ni dakishimeta! Hikari tomosu made, RIDE ON!
Don't stop love! Let it keep running before the light you hold within your chest burns out, RIDE ON!
Goodbye, batch 09. See you in the future. Be the future.
~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#1103AD20062326
ー黒獅子アスラン
Showing posts with label Teacher to Students. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teacher to Students. Show all posts
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Curtain Call
Current System Configuration: Hating Valentine's Day
BGM: Lithium Flower by Scott Matthew. The ending theme to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. A rare all-English (good English, not Engrish) song featured in a Japanese anime series. I really don't know how to describe this song, but I guess it echoes how I feel right now.
Breakfast: Cereal (Chocochino Crisp)
Lunch: Chicken strips and rice plus linguine in bolognese sauce
Dinner: Nothing, had too much at lunch. Unless you count this tall valencia mocha frappuccino I'm drinking right now.
I should've written this entry a long time ago, or at least soon after my classes finished staging their plays last week. My last entry entitled "Black, White and Shades of Gray" has somehow disappeared. Whether it was a simple technical hiccup or a deliberate act of censorship, I do not know.
Anyway, I'd like to congratulate my classes again for the plays they've staged. Not all of them were successful and none of them were perfect, but I think you guys know what I kept saying in the past. You cannot cram a play.
I've told my students of a story I heard from my cousin and my younger brother, who both used to go to the same elementary school. My cousin's classmates had a skit to perform that they forgot all about until the day of the performance itself. It was about the Garden of Eden, so what they ended up doing was emptying their school folders, drawing animal faces on them, and using those as masks. Abominable.
It doesn't stop there---Adam, of course, had to have a realistic costume. So one of the poor kids was told to take everything off except his underwear---which was colored brown with a crayon and had private parts drawn on it. That must have looked so silly in real life. I don't know how I'd have reacted if I saw it.
Anyway, the moral of the story is, there really are some things that cannot be crammed. If you do manage to cram them, the quality will definitely suffer.
Now, on to the topic of Valentine's Day. I hate Valentine's Day. It may be partly because I'm bitter that I don't have a date. Perhaps. But I also think the whole thing is just a materialistic sham of a celebration. Why would we confine the celebration of love and passion to just one day each year?
I know, I know, it\s idealistic to say that we should celebrate love each and every day of our lives together. But when I saw the streets today (I went to pick up my mom from a little date she had with her female friends, then we went to Starbucks together to take advantage of that coupon that was only valid on Valentine's Day), I couldn't help but see everyone on the street as a victim of today's commercialism.
Valentine's Day is perhaps the second most commercialized special occassion behind Christmas. While Christmas is the single most commercialized special occassion, at least it has a good side to it---it can still be celebrated no matter how little you have. I've had Christmases that saw plenty of gifts, and some that have seen few. I've still been able to enjoy them either way.
V-Day, on the other hand, is cruel. I can see straight through the farce and shallowness of the whole affair, but it can still make me feel jealous of all those couples who get to go out and hold hands and look in each other's eyes, share laughs and good food together. It's very difficult for me, a 22-year-old employed guy, to not feel lonely. What makes it worse is that people do take advantage of this day to take advantage of their dates. Sickening.
Oh God, I know that there is no love that is more satisfying than yours. But you know how I feel---when you walked this earth two millennia ago, you were a Man of Sorrows too. I think it's fair to say that you were among the loneliest men to have ever lived---and yet you were God Almighty, creator of the Universe. You know how it is to love someone and not be loved back---sometimes I myself do things that show I don't love you as much as I should. I guess it's sort of an honor to share the same feelings that my God has. Teach me to delight in you, O Lord. I need to find my heart's rest in you, lest I never find it at all.
~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#1402AD20062210
ー黒獅子アスラン
BGM: Lithium Flower by Scott Matthew. The ending theme to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. A rare all-English (good English, not Engrish) song featured in a Japanese anime series. I really don't know how to describe this song, but I guess it echoes how I feel right now.
Breakfast: Cereal (Chocochino Crisp)
Lunch: Chicken strips and rice plus linguine in bolognese sauce
Dinner: Nothing, had too much at lunch. Unless you count this tall valencia mocha frappuccino I'm drinking right now.
I should've written this entry a long time ago, or at least soon after my classes finished staging their plays last week. My last entry entitled "Black, White and Shades of Gray" has somehow disappeared. Whether it was a simple technical hiccup or a deliberate act of censorship, I do not know.
Anyway, I'd like to congratulate my classes again for the plays they've staged. Not all of them were successful and none of them were perfect, but I think you guys know what I kept saying in the past. You cannot cram a play.
I've told my students of a story I heard from my cousin and my younger brother, who both used to go to the same elementary school. My cousin's classmates had a skit to perform that they forgot all about until the day of the performance itself. It was about the Garden of Eden, so what they ended up doing was emptying their school folders, drawing animal faces on them, and using those as masks. Abominable.
It doesn't stop there---Adam, of course, had to have a realistic costume. So one of the poor kids was told to take everything off except his underwear---which was colored brown with a crayon and had private parts drawn on it. That must have looked so silly in real life. I don't know how I'd have reacted if I saw it.
Anyway, the moral of the story is, there really are some things that cannot be crammed. If you do manage to cram them, the quality will definitely suffer.
Now, on to the topic of Valentine's Day. I hate Valentine's Day. It may be partly because I'm bitter that I don't have a date. Perhaps. But I also think the whole thing is just a materialistic sham of a celebration. Why would we confine the celebration of love and passion to just one day each year?
I know, I know, it\s idealistic to say that we should celebrate love each and every day of our lives together. But when I saw the streets today (I went to pick up my mom from a little date she had with her female friends, then we went to Starbucks together to take advantage of that coupon that was only valid on Valentine's Day), I couldn't help but see everyone on the street as a victim of today's commercialism.
Valentine's Day is perhaps the second most commercialized special occassion behind Christmas. While Christmas is the single most commercialized special occassion, at least it has a good side to it---it can still be celebrated no matter how little you have. I've had Christmases that saw plenty of gifts, and some that have seen few. I've still been able to enjoy them either way.
V-Day, on the other hand, is cruel. I can see straight through the farce and shallowness of the whole affair, but it can still make me feel jealous of all those couples who get to go out and hold hands and look in each other's eyes, share laughs and good food together. It's very difficult for me, a 22-year-old employed guy, to not feel lonely. What makes it worse is that people do take advantage of this day to take advantage of their dates. Sickening.
Oh God, I know that there is no love that is more satisfying than yours. But you know how I feel---when you walked this earth two millennia ago, you were a Man of Sorrows too. I think it's fair to say that you were among the loneliest men to have ever lived---and yet you were God Almighty, creator of the Universe. You know how it is to love someone and not be loved back---sometimes I myself do things that show I don't love you as much as I should. I guess it's sort of an honor to share the same feelings that my God has. Teach me to delight in you, O Lord. I need to find my heart's rest in you, lest I never find it at all.
~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#1402AD20062210
ー黒獅子アスラン
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Setting the Stage
Current System Configuration: Ruthless Oppressor and Dictator of Sapphire, Topaz and Ruby
BGM: 星空のレクイエム Hoshizora no Requiem (Starry Sky Requiem) by JAM Project. The closing theme of the last episode of SRW Original Generation: The Animation. One of JAM Project's best ballads. Mournful, solemn and passionate.
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Lemon-butter tuna, cottage cheese, lettuce and pesto dressing on whole wheat bread
Dinner: Nothing yet, it's mid-afternoon.
The reason I'm ruthlessly oppressing my three classes is that their plays are going to show in about a week's time, and none of them are even 75% complete. (This includes props, line memorization, and blocking.) Their tech rehearsals are tomorrow, and the dress rehearsals are on Thursday. All of them are going to end up cramming, which is disappointing to say the least. Nevertheless, I believe that somehow they'll pull it off. That somehow might of course involve me using a Roman flagrum to drive them, with me using espresso as fuel, or maybe it will just involve me threatening them with grades. Of course, I'm just kidding, but I really hope they actually get things done during our last few practice sessions.
Also, a message to all of my classes: Just because I'm Sapphire's advisor doesn't mean I'm playing favorites with them. The schedule was not my idea---it was Sir Arghs's. He only asked me which one I wanted to go first and which one last, and then he did the actual slot scheduling. It wasn't my intention to make Sapphire stage their play at the very end of the playfest. I just meant that they should be the last of my classes. Nevertheless, the schedule stands. Also, after seeing all three classes at their rehearsals today, the one that has progressed the most is still Topaz. The other two still need to work a lot since their plays involve more elaborate props/costumes. Also, if it might seem that I'm helping Sapphire more is because they need it more. By far their play requires the most elaborate setup, and they constantly kept coming to me for help. If you need my help, please please ask me. That's something I've been repeating since the schoolyear started, even for concerns other than the play. Also, I have done a lot of pestering to all my classes, reminding you all that "the play is so and so weeks from now." I know you have other subjects, but please remember that this is a rather large requirement. Don't waste it.
I hope, however, that you have come to know that plays are no laughing matter when you're organizing them yourselves. Directors have to contend with scriptwriters who don't meet deadlines, actors have to get the scripts right away so that they can start memorizing their lines, as well as take criticism for their stilted language and/or wooden acting. In general, everyone has to contend with everyone else who is stubborn or uninterested.
I'm not doing this to be harsh, guys. This is just the way it is. I know that the Pisay work ethic usually involves lots of cramming, but a play is not something you can cram. With that, may God bless you as your time for preparation comes to a close.
Actors, may you internalize, not just memorize, your lines.
Production, may you paint and craft and sweat your world into being.
Lights and tech people, may your timing never falter, and your power supply never get cut.
Propsmen and women, may your arms never fail you, and may your legs never buckle beneath the weight of your burden.
Directors, may you be tough but loving, firm but understanding, patient but unwavering.
And, dear students, may your plays be wonderful works of art that you will remember for the rest of your lives. I know I will.
~~~+++~~~
Now for something totally off-topic. As many of you know, my favorite musical group is a very, very obscure group of aging male and female Japanese singers---JAM (Japanese Animation Song Makers) Project. Even dedicated anime fans may not have heard of them, having heard only of bishounen bands/singers like TM Revolution, L'Arc-En-Ciel and the like.
The original JAM Project consisted of the following:
-水木一郎「アニキ」 Ichirou "Big Brother" Mizuki. If you're Filipino and you've seen Voltes V, you've definitely heard him sing before. Where, you ask? He sang the closing theme of Voltes V, "Searching for Father." He's that old. He founded JAM Project along with Hironobu Kageyama. Big Brother is now only a part-time member of JAM Project.
-影山ヒロノブ Hironobu Kageyama. Another singer you've definitely heard before. He sang the opening song to Dragonball Z, "Chala Head-Cha-La." Kageyama is in his mid-40s, if I'm not mistaken, and has been singing since he was a teenager. If you've heard the closing theme of Maskman (most likely dubbed in Tagalog---"Ang Maskman, tanod ng kapayapaan~"), you've also heard another Kageyama song. He sang the original Japanese version, "Love Soldier."
-遠藤正明 Masaaki Endou. Another popular anime song artist in Japan, but off the top of my head I can't think of any mainstream anime (meaning stuff that everybody has watched or has at least heard about) he sang for. He sang the opening theme of GaoGaiGar, though.
-松本梨香 Rika Matsumoto. I don't really know where else she sang, but I do know she's a voice actress too.
-さかもとえいぞうEizou Sakamoto. This guy I know nothing about other than that he's left JAM Project to go solo.
The current JAM Project (ver 2) has 奥井雅美 Masami Okui (She's sung quite a number of anime songs) and 福山芳樹 Yoshiki Fukuyama (the hair-metal screaming lead vocalist of the Hummingbirds best known for his role in Macross 7 as Basara Nekki's singing voice) in place of Ichirou Mizuki and Eizou Sakamoto.
JAM Project's overall sound is sort of a Japanese mix of Aerosmith and Queen. They sound very old-school compared to most Japanese artists who tend to use synthesizers a lot. What really makes me like JAM Project, however, is their tendency to use classical instrumentation and complex arrangement that makes their metal almost sound classical. I'm no music expert (I don't even know how to play an instrument other than a few simple songs on the piano), but I do know what sounds I like.
Unfortunately I can't upload stuff on this blog, but here's a review of my favorite tracks (which I burned onto a CD).
1. GONG
The opening theme of the apocalyptic finale to Super Robot Wars' Alpha Saga---SRW Alpha 3: To the End of the Galaxy. In my opinion, this is JAM Project at its best, combining the vocal power of metal singers with contemporary instrumentation and arrangement that almost sounds classical, this song just shines. It starts out with pounding percussion and an upbeat keyboard intro, then it segues to a mellower melody with Kageyama's crooning---then the whole song keeps picking up until it reaches a wonderful climactic yell at the end of the chorus (which is one of the best things about JAM Project) "TOWA HE!" (TO ETERNITY!) The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but hot-blooded warrior spirit is what JAM Project is all about. Similar songs are SKILL (the opening of SRW Alpha 2: The Earthseal War) and Hagane no Kyuuseishuu (Messiah of Steel, the opening of SRW Alpha Gaiden).
2. Cry for the Earth
While this song actually sounds nothing like JAM Project's usual fare (it sounds like Japanese Linkin Park), its instrumentation and vocals are superb. I never liked Linkin Park, but this song's just really cool. It sounds a lot darker and angstier than GONG, but it's still a good piece of music and shows how versatile JAM Project can be.
3. Hoshizora no Requiem (Starry Sky Requiem)
This is JAM Project's standard "ending theme" fare taken to another level. It's mellow and sad (as seen in my header for today's entry), and for most of the track the only instrumentation is a single acoustic guitar with strings (mostly violins) in the background. The bridge is just fantastic, with both the vocals and violins picking up. I wish the female singers' voices were more pronounced, but this song is still a magnificent piece.
Okay, I know it's hard to appreciate something you've never heard, let alone something you aren't interested in. But if you want to sample JAM Project's goodness and can stand listening to a song whose lyrics you can't understand (I can understand some of the lyrics, so I don't mind), feel free to ask me and I'll find a way to send 'em to you. :D
Anyway, that's about it for now.
~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#3101AD20061757
ー黒獅子アスラン
BGM: 星空のレクイエム Hoshizora no Requiem (Starry Sky Requiem) by JAM Project. The closing theme of the last episode of SRW Original Generation: The Animation. One of JAM Project's best ballads. Mournful, solemn and passionate.
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Lemon-butter tuna, cottage cheese, lettuce and pesto dressing on whole wheat bread
Dinner: Nothing yet, it's mid-afternoon.
The reason I'm ruthlessly oppressing my three classes is that their plays are going to show in about a week's time, and none of them are even 75% complete. (This includes props, line memorization, and blocking.) Their tech rehearsals are tomorrow, and the dress rehearsals are on Thursday. All of them are going to end up cramming, which is disappointing to say the least. Nevertheless, I believe that somehow they'll pull it off. That somehow might of course involve me using a Roman flagrum to drive them, with me using espresso as fuel, or maybe it will just involve me threatening them with grades. Of course, I'm just kidding, but I really hope they actually get things done during our last few practice sessions.
Also, a message to all of my classes: Just because I'm Sapphire's advisor doesn't mean I'm playing favorites with them. The schedule was not my idea---it was Sir Arghs's. He only asked me which one I wanted to go first and which one last, and then he did the actual slot scheduling. It wasn't my intention to make Sapphire stage their play at the very end of the playfest. I just meant that they should be the last of my classes. Nevertheless, the schedule stands. Also, after seeing all three classes at their rehearsals today, the one that has progressed the most is still Topaz. The other two still need to work a lot since their plays involve more elaborate props/costumes. Also, if it might seem that I'm helping Sapphire more is because they need it more. By far their play requires the most elaborate setup, and they constantly kept coming to me for help. If you need my help, please please ask me. That's something I've been repeating since the schoolyear started, even for concerns other than the play. Also, I have done a lot of pestering to all my classes, reminding you all that "the play is so and so weeks from now." I know you have other subjects, but please remember that this is a rather large requirement. Don't waste it.
I hope, however, that you have come to know that plays are no laughing matter when you're organizing them yourselves. Directors have to contend with scriptwriters who don't meet deadlines, actors have to get the scripts right away so that they can start memorizing their lines, as well as take criticism for their stilted language and/or wooden acting. In general, everyone has to contend with everyone else who is stubborn or uninterested.
I'm not doing this to be harsh, guys. This is just the way it is. I know that the Pisay work ethic usually involves lots of cramming, but a play is not something you can cram. With that, may God bless you as your time for preparation comes to a close.
Actors, may you internalize, not just memorize, your lines.
Production, may you paint and craft and sweat your world into being.
Lights and tech people, may your timing never falter, and your power supply never get cut.
Propsmen and women, may your arms never fail you, and may your legs never buckle beneath the weight of your burden.
Directors, may you be tough but loving, firm but understanding, patient but unwavering.
And, dear students, may your plays be wonderful works of art that you will remember for the rest of your lives. I know I will.
~~~+++~~~
Now for something totally off-topic. As many of you know, my favorite musical group is a very, very obscure group of aging male and female Japanese singers---JAM (Japanese Animation Song Makers) Project. Even dedicated anime fans may not have heard of them, having heard only of bishounen bands/singers like TM Revolution, L'Arc-En-Ciel and the like.
The original JAM Project consisted of the following:
-水木一郎「アニキ」 Ichirou "Big Brother" Mizuki. If you're Filipino and you've seen Voltes V, you've definitely heard him sing before. Where, you ask? He sang the closing theme of Voltes V, "Searching for Father." He's that old. He founded JAM Project along with Hironobu Kageyama. Big Brother is now only a part-time member of JAM Project.
-影山ヒロノブ Hironobu Kageyama. Another singer you've definitely heard before. He sang the opening song to Dragonball Z, "Chala Head-Cha-La." Kageyama is in his mid-40s, if I'm not mistaken, and has been singing since he was a teenager. If you've heard the closing theme of Maskman (most likely dubbed in Tagalog---"Ang Maskman, tanod ng kapayapaan~"), you've also heard another Kageyama song. He sang the original Japanese version, "Love Soldier."
-遠藤正明 Masaaki Endou. Another popular anime song artist in Japan, but off the top of my head I can't think of any mainstream anime (meaning stuff that everybody has watched or has at least heard about) he sang for. He sang the opening theme of GaoGaiGar, though.
-松本梨香 Rika Matsumoto. I don't really know where else she sang, but I do know she's a voice actress too.
-さかもとえいぞうEizou Sakamoto. This guy I know nothing about other than that he's left JAM Project to go solo.
The current JAM Project (ver 2) has 奥井雅美 Masami Okui (She's sung quite a number of anime songs) and 福山芳樹 Yoshiki Fukuyama (the hair-metal screaming lead vocalist of the Hummingbirds best known for his role in Macross 7 as Basara Nekki's singing voice) in place of Ichirou Mizuki and Eizou Sakamoto.
JAM Project's overall sound is sort of a Japanese mix of Aerosmith and Queen. They sound very old-school compared to most Japanese artists who tend to use synthesizers a lot. What really makes me like JAM Project, however, is their tendency to use classical instrumentation and complex arrangement that makes their metal almost sound classical. I'm no music expert (I don't even know how to play an instrument other than a few simple songs on the piano), but I do know what sounds I like.
Unfortunately I can't upload stuff on this blog, but here's a review of my favorite tracks (which I burned onto a CD).
1. GONG
The opening theme of the apocalyptic finale to Super Robot Wars' Alpha Saga---SRW Alpha 3: To the End of the Galaxy. In my opinion, this is JAM Project at its best, combining the vocal power of metal singers with contemporary instrumentation and arrangement that almost sounds classical, this song just shines. It starts out with pounding percussion and an upbeat keyboard intro, then it segues to a mellower melody with Kageyama's crooning---then the whole song keeps picking up until it reaches a wonderful climactic yell at the end of the chorus (which is one of the best things about JAM Project) "TOWA HE!" (TO ETERNITY!) The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but hot-blooded warrior spirit is what JAM Project is all about. Similar songs are SKILL (the opening of SRW Alpha 2: The Earthseal War) and Hagane no Kyuuseishuu (Messiah of Steel, the opening of SRW Alpha Gaiden).
2. Cry for the Earth
While this song actually sounds nothing like JAM Project's usual fare (it sounds like Japanese Linkin Park), its instrumentation and vocals are superb. I never liked Linkin Park, but this song's just really cool. It sounds a lot darker and angstier than GONG, but it's still a good piece of music and shows how versatile JAM Project can be.
3. Hoshizora no Requiem (Starry Sky Requiem)
This is JAM Project's standard "ending theme" fare taken to another level. It's mellow and sad (as seen in my header for today's entry), and for most of the track the only instrumentation is a single acoustic guitar with strings (mostly violins) in the background. The bridge is just fantastic, with both the vocals and violins picking up. I wish the female singers' voices were more pronounced, but this song is still a magnificent piece.
Okay, I know it's hard to appreciate something you've never heard, let alone something you aren't interested in. But if you want to sample JAM Project's goodness and can stand listening to a song whose lyrics you can't understand (I can understand some of the lyrics, so I don't mind), feel free to ask me and I'll find a way to send 'em to you. :D
Anyway, that's about it for now.
~Be Just Or Be Dead~
#3101AD20061757
ー黒獅子アスラン
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
The Crackdown
Current System Configuration: Criminal Investigator
BGM: Sarani Tatakau Mono Tachi（更 に戦う者たち）Advent Children Version by Nobuo Uematsu. A hard rocking remix of the Final Fantasy VII boss theme used in the Advent Children movie when Avalanche fights the bug-like Bahamut. Edgy, hardcore and heart rate stimulating.
Breakfast: Muesli with pineapple-flavored yoghurt
Lunch: Beef shawarma and nachos
Dinner: None yet, most likely foccacia bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (If you've noticed, this is the food I eat when I'm too lazy for a full meal)---Actually, I had Yellow Cab Pizza. For the win.
With grades finally submitted and the scholarship committe meetings done, I'm pretty much going to coast along for the last three days before the long vacation we'll be having from October 29 to November 6. Teachers and students alike are stressed to their limits and are barely clinging on to the threads of sanity. (Though some students had no sanity to begin with. You know who you are. <_<) style="font-style: italic;">Non sequitur. Gundam: The 8th MS Team is a great anime. It came out in 1995 (around the same time as Gundam Wing, which might explain why it's not so popular, being overshadowed by the winning formula of bishounen-and-angst) and is pretty much considered a side story. It has no direct relation to the plot of the original Mobile Suit Gundam (0079), which is supposed to happen at the same time.
The 8th MS Team is a well-executed departure from the Gundam many of us are used to: massively-souped up robots piloted by incredibly talented (and often good-looking) young men who easily annihilate all opposition with a serving of angst and reluctance on the side. In the 8th MS Team you instead have an idealistic and oft careless (but incredibly resourceful) team leader, Shiro Amada; a hot-blooded and tomboyish red-headed lady, Karen Joshua; Sanders, a dreadlocked soldier who believes himself to be a jinx; Eledore, a wannabe musician who has a weakness for a particular blonde centerfold; and Michel, a boy who is perpetually found writing to his girlfriend. Their Mobile Suits are still Gundams---but generic, grunt-issue units that can barely fly and never pose flashily (unlike practically everything in Gundam SEED -_-). The 8th MS team does not soar through the blue skies or starry heavens blowing up enemy units---no, they fight in hot, steamy jungles infested with leeches. They get bored while stalking enemy units in the desert to the point of bickering pettily. Their units get trashed, after which they have to actually pull that ejection lever and end up forsaken on some mountain peak in the middle of nowhere, and use their wits to survive the bitter cold.
The 8th MS Team is grittily realistic but nonetheless entertaining. Some people may complain about the lack of continuity when it comes to technology, but really, that's completely fine with me. 4.5 stars out of 5.
Back to reality. Here is a nauseatingly cute caricature of my advisory class, I-Sapphire. (Drawn by Yana)
First Row, starting from upper left: Neon, who appeared in a TV ad for a milk formula for "gifted children"; Mike, who is sleeping with his I-Pod; John; MJ, whose fascination with cattle I still do not understand; Gabby, who loves chess; Zaldy, who is drawing in the grass; Jocel; and Francis, who cannot be seen very clearly. He is standing on the globe and is known for his aptitude in math and Earth sciences.
Second Row: King, who claims to be some sort of universal monarch; Jut, whose soul appears to be trapped in a cellular phone; Kit, who seems to be enjoying himself here; Vince, who was somehow transmuted into a goat; Patti(Cor), who is blooming here; Dianne and Belsha, who are holding hands and flashing creepy grins; and Darrwin, who is erasing the board.
Third Row: The Inseparable Trio/Tres Marias/The Tiger Girls: Inna (the Genie), Trish (the Fairy) and Marga (the Angel); Cesar; Paolo, who seems to have more than adequate funding and an obsession with fish; Manuel and JM, whose souls seem to be trapped inside a Gameboy Advance; Prince, who seems to be more regally-clad than King; Paul, who believes silence is a virtue; Ingrid, who for some unknown reason here is reading a "men's interests" magazine (ahem); Patti (yes, two Pattis), said to be our resident genius; and Kate, who lost her sanity a loooooooooong time ago.
In the lower right corner is Yana, the artist behind this wonderful work of art, and the Syaoran lookalike in the middle is myself. Why she drew me as a Syaoran lookalike I have no idea.
What deeply saddens me is that one of these students is behind the sequence of thefts that has occured since the start of the schoolyear. We have narrowed down the suspects to the 20 boys, as the most recent theft occured in the absence of the girls. (During swimming class---the girls have theirs separate from the boys, for obvious reasons) I'm normally a very merciful person, but I have to say that I will not tolerate thefts in class. Whoever is responsible will have to pay dearly and most likely be dismissed dishonorably from our school. The crackdown itself will happen soon enough. It will be sad to see one of these guys go, but it would be even sadder if he gets all the way through high school, college and professional life without kicking this habit.
May God grant me the wisdom to discern who it is.
さらばだ。
BGM: Sarani Tatakau Mono Tachi（更 に戦う者たち）Advent Children Version by Nobuo Uematsu. A hard rocking remix of the Final Fantasy VII boss theme used in the Advent Children movie when Avalanche fights the bug-like Bahamut. Edgy, hardcore and heart rate stimulating.
Breakfast: Muesli with pineapple-flavored yoghurt
Lunch: Beef shawarma and nachos
Dinner: None yet, most likely foccacia bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (If you've noticed, this is the food I eat when I'm too lazy for a full meal)---Actually, I had Yellow Cab Pizza. For the win.
With grades finally submitted and the scholarship committe meetings done, I'm pretty much going to coast along for the last three days before the long vacation we'll be having from October 29 to November 6. Teachers and students alike are stressed to their limits and are barely clinging on to the threads of sanity. (Though some students had no sanity to begin with. You know who you are. <_<) style="font-style: italic;">Non sequitur. Gundam: The 8th MS Team is a great anime. It came out in 1995 (around the same time as Gundam Wing, which might explain why it's not so popular, being overshadowed by the winning formula of bishounen-and-angst) and is pretty much considered a side story. It has no direct relation to the plot of the original Mobile Suit Gundam (0079), which is supposed to happen at the same time.
The 8th MS Team is a well-executed departure from the Gundam many of us are used to: massively-souped up robots piloted by incredibly talented (and often good-looking) young men who easily annihilate all opposition with a serving of angst and reluctance on the side. In the 8th MS Team you instead have an idealistic and oft careless (but incredibly resourceful) team leader, Shiro Amada; a hot-blooded and tomboyish red-headed lady, Karen Joshua; Sanders, a dreadlocked soldier who believes himself to be a jinx; Eledore, a wannabe musician who has a weakness for a particular blonde centerfold; and Michel, a boy who is perpetually found writing to his girlfriend. Their Mobile Suits are still Gundams---but generic, grunt-issue units that can barely fly and never pose flashily (unlike practically everything in Gundam SEED -_-). The 8th MS team does not soar through the blue skies or starry heavens blowing up enemy units---no, they fight in hot, steamy jungles infested with leeches. They get bored while stalking enemy units in the desert to the point of bickering pettily. Their units get trashed, after which they have to actually pull that ejection lever and end up forsaken on some mountain peak in the middle of nowhere, and use their wits to survive the bitter cold.
The 8th MS Team is grittily realistic but nonetheless entertaining. Some people may complain about the lack of continuity when it comes to technology, but really, that's completely fine with me. 4.5 stars out of 5.
Back to reality. Here is a nauseatingly cute caricature of my advisory class, I-Sapphire. (Drawn by Yana)
First Row, starting from upper left: Neon, who appeared in a TV ad for a milk formula for "gifted children"; Mike, who is sleeping with his I-Pod; John; MJ, whose fascination with cattle I still do not understand; Gabby, who loves chess; Zaldy, who is drawing in the grass; Jocel; and Francis, who cannot be seen very clearly. He is standing on the globe and is known for his aptitude in math and Earth sciences.
Second Row: King, who claims to be some sort of universal monarch; Jut, whose soul appears to be trapped in a cellular phone; Kit, who seems to be enjoying himself here; Vince, who was somehow transmuted into a goat; Patti(Cor), who is blooming here; Dianne and Belsha, who are holding hands and flashing creepy grins; and Darrwin, who is erasing the board.
Third Row: The Inseparable Trio/Tres Marias/The Tiger Girls: Inna (the Genie), Trish (the Fairy) and Marga (the Angel); Cesar; Paolo, who seems to have more than adequate funding and an obsession with fish; Manuel and JM, whose souls seem to be trapped inside a Gameboy Advance; Prince, who seems to be more regally-clad than King; Paul, who believes silence is a virtue; Ingrid, who for some unknown reason here is reading a "men's interests" magazine (ahem); Patti (yes, two Pattis), said to be our resident genius; and Kate, who lost her sanity a loooooooooong time ago.
In the lower right corner is Yana, the artist behind this wonderful work of art, and the Syaoran lookalike in the middle is myself. Why she drew me as a Syaoran lookalike I have no idea.
What deeply saddens me is that one of these students is behind the sequence of thefts that has occured since the start of the schoolyear. We have narrowed down the suspects to the 20 boys, as the most recent theft occured in the absence of the girls. (During swimming class---the girls have theirs separate from the boys, for obvious reasons) I'm normally a very merciful person, but I have to say that I will not tolerate thefts in class. Whoever is responsible will have to pay dearly and most likely be dismissed dishonorably from our school. The crackdown itself will happen soon enough. It will be sad to see one of these guys go, but it would be even sadder if he gets all the way through high school, college and professional life without kicking this habit.
May God grant me the wisdom to discern who it is.
さらばだ。
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Of One I'll Come Many
Current System Configuration: Time Management/Chronology and Reality -Adaptative Manipulation (CRAM) Device with Plagiarism Search-and-Destroy Module.Background Music: To the End of the Galaxy by Salamander Factory (from SRW Alpha 3: To the End of the Galaxy) Maleficient, grandiose and apocalyptic. "To the End of the Galaxy" (Shuuen no Ginga he/終焉の銀河へ）is the said game's final boss theme. It's a dramatic march that has the effect of bringing down the entire galaxy on your head. Listen to when stressed or angry, or during periods of catharsis.
Breakfast: Pancakes and Cheez Whiz
Lunch: Salami sandwich and beef taco-stuffed breadsticks
Dinner: None yet--probably foccacia bread and olive oil again
Today I had to postpone my introductory lecture for this quarter because of a student I caught plagiarizing. Students may think that their teachers are killjoy slave drivers who exist to torment them with endless requirements. While some teachers may be sadists, I'd like to think that I'm not one. I can't stand failing students, but of course, it's my duty to give these guys and girls the grades they deserve. Failing students because of laziness is one thing---failing them because of plagiarism is another thing altogether.
Of course, we all know what makes plagiarism bad---it's basically denying your teacher his or her responsibility---making students think. This is in addition to the fact that plagiarisim is lying, cheating and stealing all at once. What's bad is when your students actually think they can get away with it---I've proven to them more than once that with my broadband connection and Google I can easily detect and expose plagiarism. Nevertheless, I still found one student's paper to be 50% plagiarized---which is no better than 100%. Student Z jumped from his/her distinctive rancorous "I'll kill you because you're disgusting" writing to clipped and precise journalism language. Of course I was easily able to spot the plagiarized article online, taken from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I had to harangue them the entire period to hopefully help them kick the habit, because I didn't want them to suffer from stricter teachers later on. The sermon eventually segued from plagiarism to how our individual actions contribute to the entire country's condition.
Now, for those not familiar with the condition of the Philippines: We are a highly social race, very clannish (read: nepotistic), loyal (fiercely so, which is often not a good thing) and hospitable (sometimes falsely) people. Being the way we are, I tend to think that our individual actions tend to affect others more than in generally individualistic societies found in the West. Sadly, many of these actions are selfish and inconsiderate.
I went to the nearby Starbucks today to resume my daily paper checking routine (which is daily this week only because grades are due on Monday and my boss wants to see the grades by Friday) with the usual drink (tall mocha frappuccino with a single shot of espresso) to stimulate my protesting neurons and lower my core body temperature (because my ailing car's air conditioning unit seems to have passed away, emitting a hot, toxic-smelling gas whenever I turn it on). Now usually there aren't that many cars parked there at 2:00 pm. Usually.
Today the parking lot was full, and one car---a cherry-red lowered Hyundai coupe---was parked diagonally across two parking slots. When I inquired with the guard, he said that it was parked that way because if the car was parked straight, it would've hit the pavement. (Which I really don't buy---the car was able to park easily later on) Because of this I had to park a good distance away along West Avenue. Not really a problem, but I wanted to smack the car's driver.
Now I have nothing against lowered cars, apart from the fact that by some unfortunate coincidence, their drivers do not seem to have very good manners. I prefer to get rid of stereotypes, but this time I could not. The driver was a rather attractive lady who did not seem to care that she was inconveniencing the other paying customers of the coffee shop. The hot-blooded warrior in me wanted to flick out my Swiss knife blade and give that gleaming paint job a nice long racing stripe down the side. The Christian in me was grinning and bearing it. Of course I didn't want to be a jerk, so the Holy Spirit won this time and I sat down to enjoy my drink and get distressed by my students' papers.
Now, what on earth is my point? We're social beings. Even the most antisocial humans tend to stick together, as seen in this rather disturbing picture:
This is the infamous Otaku Slumber Party image, which has been edited at least one time to carry a very vulgar and offensive message. Anyway, even individuals who are labeled as outcasts (as otaku usually are) are capable of forming groups. And whenever individuals form a group, there is always an intricate web of cause/effect relationships. If students never get caught plagiarizing and continue to do throughout the rest of their lives, they affect they families, friends and co-workers in one way or another. The same is true for people who do not park responsibly (the effect is of course, making other patrons of whatever establishment they may be in to become irate). Whether we live in an individualistic society or otherwise, forgetting that one's actions affect others is a very good way to grow a hate group.Enough has been said for the day. さらばだ。
#1019AD20051737
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Saa, hajimaru da ze. ~So it begins.~
Current System Configuration: Number-Crunching Grade Machine with built in Grammar Corrector and Logical Fallacy Disposal Unit. (Checking information reports.)
Background Music: GONG by JAM Project from Super Robot Wars Alpha 3: To the End of the Galaxy. Heroic, hot-blooded and valiant. (which would make an awesome description of coffee flavor if Starbucks used it)
Breakfast: Muesli and yogurt
Lunch: Salami sandwich, Twister fries and cake
Dinner: Foccacia bread and olive oil
Greetings, dear readers, flamers and stalkers. Since this is my first post, I'd just like to make sure that it's clear what I want this blog to be. If ever I deviate from this "mission-vision", feel free to let me know so I can get back on track. Now since I have a lot to say, telling you what I don't want to say is the best way to narrow the scope of what you should expect in this blog.
The last thing I want this blog to be is an adolescent angst-o-matic through which I pour out my disgust at how weak Starbucks' espresso is or how little I'm paid for the work that I do. I'm no longer a teenager, so I guess that strikes out the "adolescent" part. However, the combination of being single and professional tends to brew a particularly nasty form of bitterness. I'd like to avoid this. Oh, the world is dark and evil, I'll give you that. But as early as now I'd like to hold onto my hope that there is something better at the end of it all, except for the purpose of sharing this hope with others.
Another thing I don't want this blog to be is a mushy collection of poetry meant to unburden myself of pleasant yet unspeakable sentinments regarding a member of the opposite sex. Don't get me wrong---catharsis is good, and so is falling in love. Nevertheless, you see enough of this online. I'd like to spare you from any more of that dangerously infectious substance called . I may mention the object of my affection once in a while, but if I begin waxing mushily poetic, please feel free to smite me with the Sword of Flame. I'd greatly appreciate it.
One more thing I don't want to anyone to catch me writing: religious condemnation. I want to eradicate the stereotype of practicing Christians as judgmental, oppressive/repressive and generally nasty people. I may be much more conservative than most of the souls who lurk on the Intercontinental Information Cluster, but I shouldn't force that on others. Of course I will become preachy from time to time, but anyone who reads such an article is free to accept or reject what I say. No hard feelings. If I go too far and seem to attack a particular school of thought, please apply slashing and burn damage by using the Sword of Flame.
Apart from these three taboos that I set for myself, you can expect pretty much anything from personal theological reflections to giant robot diagrams to anime reviews to silly anecdotes about my experience as a teacher.
Now, you might be asking yourself "what kind of freak is this guy, anyway?"
I go by the net nick "Aslan J. Cross," which is actually the name of the protagonist of a story I'm writing, Sackcloth Sun. Now please don't ask me to publish the story yet. In its current form it's decidedly horrible and cliche, and I don't want to embarrass myself by displaying it online. Nevertheless, Aslan is Turkish for "lion," and was taken from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. (a marvelous piece of literature). Neither my real life person nor my character are anything close to the original Narnian Aslan, a divine Lion possessing perfect strength, compassion, love and beauty. I'm nothing like that, though that's what I'd like to be.
The same is true for my character, who has been recently recharacterized to be a dark yet hopeful figure, a man of blood seeking redemption in a time of great distress. This is to make him radically different from my real life self. I learned from my Creative Writing classes more than once that writing oneself into one's literary characters is not a good way to start. Hence the saying "Kill your babies." The "J" stands for "Josiah," the name of a righteous king of ancient Judah. He was instrumental in the revival of the nation and remembered as one of their greatest kings ever, though unfortunately the end of that era was not so rosy. But I'm digressing here.
I am one of the 80 or so million inhabitants of a marvelous group of 7,107 islands in Southeast Asia known as the Philippines. A great country, if you'll ask me---though we admittedly suffer from Chronic Government Incompetency (CGI) and Social Bi-Polar Disorder (SBPD, which is characterized by either complete apathy toward the system or total militant activism). We are a country with great potential but little unity. That's one of the things I'd like to help change within my lifetime.
Of course, I shouldn't go knocking on the government as much as I'd like to, since I'm on their payroll. I teach English in a reputable government-run High School. It's my first year to teach, and though at first it was quite overwhelming, I've been getting the hang of it by the grace of Elyon. I tell everyone that it's a hard job, but ultimately fun and rewarding. Hopefully this will give you an insight as to why your childhood nemesis (your English teacher) acted the way he or she did.
I'd like to go on, but I have papers to check and grades to compute. Before I end, I'd like to leave a few quotes from the information reports my students have been writing. Thankfully the problem isn't so much grammatical as it is logical. Wait, that can't be good.
Student X says, in a report about illegal logging (a rampant environmetal problem plaguing my beloved country):
"So next time we log illegally, think of the consequence [sic] that might be given to you..."
Okay, first off: I am not an illegal logger, neither do I own an illegal logging operation. To my knowledge, none of my family owns any logging ventures, legal or otherwise.
Second: My dear student, I sincerely hope that you aren't involved in illegal logging yourself.
Third: It's highly unlikely that any illegal loggers will be reading your paper anytime soon---which is unfortunate. They really need to get a clue.
Student Y says, in a "report" about littering within our campus (also a rampant problem, much to my chagrin. In a science school no less.):
"These litters [sic] also cause acid or dirty rains. When these litters still have fluids inside them (examples are the koolee cups and Coke cans) these fluids evaporate and cause dirty rains, and some students like bathing in the rain. Imagine the germs they might get, and these germs can cause some serious diseases."
My comments: "Only the water evaporates. The sugary concentrate is left behind as sticky residue....ACID RAIN IS CAUSED BY SULFUR DIOXIDE, NOT CARBONIC ACID FOUND IN COKE!" What's sad is that I'm not a science teacher and yet I have to correct "facts" like this. Student Y goes on to say...
"Even the toilets in the dormitory, which you expect to find clean are also dirty. This causes some people to prevent the urge to urinate, and not urinating causes the build-up of kidney stones in the body, which is again dangerous to your health."
At this I was aghast. Okay, Y has some logic to what he/she was saying, but there are just so many factors contributing to the development of kidney stones that you can't simply blame their formation on stinky toilets. I for one still use the toilets, as icky as they sometimes are. My comment: "You're really laying it on thick, Student Y. -_-;"
Students X and Y, my apologies for writing about your papers. I'm sure you're embarrassed--it's up to you whether or not you want to let your friends know that I was talking about you. I just think that letting the rest of the world know what NOT to write in their papers is beneficial to you, to other students and to teachers alike. To the two of you, so that you learn from your mistakes; to other students, to keep them from making bad papers; and to teachers, to spare them the agony of having to contend with papers like this.
Aaaanywaaaaay, I've gone on long enough. Expect another entry within the week, if I manage to defeat the beast called Dead Line by Friday. Saraba da. さらばだ。
＃1018AD20051808
-Aslan+J+Cross-
Background Music: GONG by JAM Project from Super Robot Wars Alpha 3: To the End of the Galaxy. Heroic, hot-blooded and valiant. (which would make an awesome description of coffee flavor if Starbucks used it)
Breakfast: Muesli and yogurt
Lunch: Salami sandwich, Twister fries and cake
Dinner: Foccacia bread and olive oil
Greetings, dear readers, flamers and stalkers. Since this is my first post, I'd just like to make sure that it's clear what I want this blog to be. If ever I deviate from this "mission-vision", feel free to let me know so I can get back on track. Now since I have a lot to say, telling you what I don't want to say is the best way to narrow the scope of what you should expect in this blog.
The last thing I want this blog to be is an adolescent angst-o-matic through which I pour out my disgust at how weak Starbucks' espresso is or how little I'm paid for the work that I do. I'm no longer a teenager, so I guess that strikes out the "adolescent" part. However, the combination of being single and professional tends to brew a particularly nasty form of bitterness. I'd like to avoid this. Oh, the world is dark and evil, I'll give you that. But as early as now I'd like to hold onto my hope that there is something better at the end of it all, except for the purpose of sharing this hope with others.
Another thing I don't want this blog to be is a mushy collection of poetry meant to unburden myself of pleasant yet unspeakable sentinments regarding a member of the opposite sex. Don't get me wrong---catharsis is good, and so is falling in love. Nevertheless, you see enough of this online. I'd like to spare you from any more of that dangerously infectious substance called . I may mention the object of my affection once in a while, but if I begin waxing mushily poetic, please feel free to smite me with the Sword of Flame. I'd greatly appreciate it.
One more thing I don't want to anyone to catch me writing: religious condemnation. I want to eradicate the stereotype of practicing Christians as judgmental, oppressive/repressive and generally nasty people. I may be much more conservative than most of the souls who lurk on the Intercontinental Information Cluster, but I shouldn't force that on others. Of course I will become preachy from time to time, but anyone who reads such an article is free to accept or reject what I say. No hard feelings. If I go too far and seem to attack a particular school of thought, please apply slashing and burn damage by using the Sword of Flame.
Apart from these three taboos that I set for myself, you can expect pretty much anything from personal theological reflections to giant robot diagrams to anime reviews to silly anecdotes about my experience as a teacher.
Now, you might be asking yourself "what kind of freak is this guy, anyway?"
I go by the net nick "Aslan J. Cross," which is actually the name of the protagonist of a story I'm writing, Sackcloth Sun. Now please don't ask me to publish the story yet. In its current form it's decidedly horrible and cliche, and I don't want to embarrass myself by displaying it online. Nevertheless, Aslan is Turkish for "lion," and was taken from C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. (a marvelous piece of literature). Neither my real life person nor my character are anything close to the original Narnian Aslan, a divine Lion possessing perfect strength, compassion, love and beauty. I'm nothing like that, though that's what I'd like to be.
The same is true for my character, who has been recently recharacterized to be a dark yet hopeful figure, a man of blood seeking redemption in a time of great distress. This is to make him radically different from my real life self. I learned from my Creative Writing classes more than once that writing oneself into one's literary characters is not a good way to start. Hence the saying "Kill your babies." The "J" stands for "Josiah," the name of a righteous king of ancient Judah. He was instrumental in the revival of the nation and remembered as one of their greatest kings ever, though unfortunately the end of that era was not so rosy. But I'm digressing here.
I am one of the 80 or so million inhabitants of a marvelous group of 7,107 islands in Southeast Asia known as the Philippines. A great country, if you'll ask me---though we admittedly suffer from Chronic Government Incompetency (CGI) and Social Bi-Polar Disorder (SBPD, which is characterized by either complete apathy toward the system or total militant activism). We are a country with great potential but little unity. That's one of the things I'd like to help change within my lifetime.
Of course, I shouldn't go knocking on the government as much as I'd like to, since I'm on their payroll. I teach English in a reputable government-run High School. It's my first year to teach, and though at first it was quite overwhelming, I've been getting the hang of it by the grace of Elyon. I tell everyone that it's a hard job, but ultimately fun and rewarding. Hopefully this will give you an insight as to why your childhood nemesis (your English teacher) acted the way he or she did.
I'd like to go on, but I have papers to check and grades to compute. Before I end, I'd like to leave a few quotes from the information reports my students have been writing. Thankfully the problem isn't so much grammatical as it is logical. Wait, that can't be good.
Student X says, in a report about illegal logging (a rampant environmetal problem plaguing my beloved country):
"So next time we log illegally, think of the consequence [sic] that might be given to you..."
Okay, first off: I am not an illegal logger, neither do I own an illegal logging operation. To my knowledge, none of my family owns any logging ventures, legal or otherwise.
Second: My dear student, I sincerely hope that you aren't involved in illegal logging yourself.
Third: It's highly unlikely that any illegal loggers will be reading your paper anytime soon---which is unfortunate. They really need to get a clue.
Student Y says, in a "report" about littering within our campus (also a rampant problem, much to my chagrin. In a science school no less.):
"These litters [sic] also cause acid or dirty rains. When these litters still have fluids inside them (examples are the koolee cups and Coke cans) these fluids evaporate and cause dirty rains, and some students like bathing in the rain. Imagine the germs they might get, and these germs can cause some serious diseases."
My comments: "Only the water evaporates. The sugary concentrate is left behind as sticky residue....ACID RAIN IS CAUSED BY SULFUR DIOXIDE, NOT CARBONIC ACID FOUND IN COKE!" What's sad is that I'm not a science teacher and yet I have to correct "facts" like this. Student Y goes on to say...
"Even the toilets in the dormitory, which you expect to find clean are also dirty. This causes some people to prevent the urge to urinate, and not urinating causes the build-up of kidney stones in the body, which is again dangerous to your health."
At this I was aghast. Okay, Y has some logic to what he/she was saying, but there are just so many factors contributing to the development of kidney stones that you can't simply blame their formation on stinky toilets. I for one still use the toilets, as icky as they sometimes are. My comment: "You're really laying it on thick, Student Y. -_-;"
Students X and Y, my apologies for writing about your papers. I'm sure you're embarrassed--it's up to you whether or not you want to let your friends know that I was talking about you. I just think that letting the rest of the world know what NOT to write in their papers is beneficial to you, to other students and to teachers alike. To the two of you, so that you learn from your mistakes; to other students, to keep them from making bad papers; and to teachers, to spare them the agony of having to contend with papers like this.
Aaaanywaaaaay, I've gone on long enough. Expect another entry within the week, if I manage to defeat the beast called Dead Line by Friday. Saraba da. さらばだ。
＃1018AD20051808
-Aslan+J+Cross-
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