October 12, 2006

Taekwondo test haiku

Let's do some high kicks
in a nice white uniform,
on my period.

I have a midterm in Stone Age of Africa tomorrow, for which I have of course been attempting and intending to study. Let's review my success over the last week.

  • Friday: baked (not metaphorically, I mean I made fruit and nut tarts), attended house Music and Story Night, drank beer.
  • Saturday: read half of an article, blogged about australopithecines, watched Edward Scissorhands.
  • Sunday: made silkscreens, played Yinsh, made pie.
  • Monday: I have no idea, but I know I wasn't studying.
  • Tuesday: spontaneous board game party in dining room, experimental identity theft (i.e., teaching a housemate how to forge my handwriting) until 2 am.
  • Wednesday: fell asleep in library, fell asleep on housemate's beanbag chair, fell asleep in bed.
  • Today: self-diagnosed with senioritis, co-opitis, narcolepsy, and total absence of motivation. Note that this is also not equivalent to studying.

My only defense is that most of the recent readings for this class have been about carcasses. Scavenging, to be specific. There have been detailed studies of how long it takes for partially dismembered animal remains to become too putrified for consumption. It's not that it isn't interesting, but I'm starting to wonder if it's possible to claim conscientious-objector status and reduce the amount of viscera that I have to read about. At the very least I should probably consider revising my habit of snacking while reading.

Posted by dianna at October 12, 2006 12:27 PM
Comments

You should do what I do: goof off in ways that are at least tangentially related to what you're supposed to be studying. For example, your mention of carcasses reminded me of Carcassonne, which in turn reminds me of Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers, the stone age spin-off of Carcassonne. You could be playing that! It won't actually cause you to do any better on your midterm, but it will make you feel better about all the studying you're not doing.

This is why, despite the fact that I had never watched a full episode of Law and Order before coming to law school, I now find myself watching three episodes a day.

Posted by: Zach at October 12, 2006 01:25 PM

I would submit that my blogging about australopithecines falls into that category. In fact, as it contains a few actual facts learned from the class, it could even be classified as a review exercise. And yet (since it contains only facts which I already know quite well and don't need to review), it doesn't actually help at all.

And since I don't have Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers, I will shut my ears to that particular suggestion which is likely to deprive me of both productive time and rather scarce finances. Shhh. I'm totally studying.

Posted by: Dianna at October 12, 2006 08:32 PM

I would also recommend, if you ever get the impulse to practice for taekwondo, that you watch The Karate Kid instead. Or, alternatively, Big Trouble in Little China. They're what got me through first-degree brown belt in shaolin kempo!

Posted by: Zach at October 12, 2006 08:47 PM

Big Trouble in Little China only taught me to be wary of translucent chinese men. A lesson that has served me well over the years.

Dianna: you should email me back about Saturday so I know whether we'll have six for dinner or not.

Posted by: Jacob at October 12, 2006 09:26 PM

Hah. The second I posted that comment, I received an email from you. My powers of prognostication are mighty.

Posted by: Jacob at October 12, 2006 09:31 PM

More mighty than your powers of prognathism, which are reasonably well-developed nasally but poorly-developed on the subnasal level. Hah! Back to hominins!

Posted by: Dianna at October 12, 2006 10:10 PM
Cementhorizon