JonathanLB
Feb 7th, 2003, 02:48:04 AM
Ok as usual I have nobody to complain at because I'm ticked at the people on AIM right now, thus my rant, and it has a lot to do with philosophy today. Feel free to add your rant below mine, maybe it would make me feel like other people have been similarly TICKED OFF lately.
Ok so I get this stupid ethics paper back, truly a paper I put a lot of effort into and wrote two days early (impressive because I usually start things late, haha) and then I read it over twice, once the night I wrote it, once the next day, and well, once as I was writing it I guess too, so really three times. Anyway it was very well written, I'll say that, and the teacher agreed, only he called it somewhat off topic, which for NUMEROUS reasons that I spelled out in a huge e-mail to him (and got a reply) is utter BULL. The paper was entirely on topic and relevant and I think he was very unclear about what he wanted if he thinks that my paper strayed from that.
Anyway, worst grade I've ever gotten on a paper in college, needless to say, but I think it's the worst score on a major paper since about sophomore year. Even then, I do not remember any bad papers I wrote sophomore year because I had 13 A's and 1 B, and that was in computer science, which had nothing to do with writing. That would put me back to Freshman year, yet I had a 4.0 first semester, though a B in English and Religion 2nd semester. I think maybe I wrote a B paper that semester, but B-? I don't know, doesn't seem like it. I do not think I have ever gotten a B- on a paper in my life, actually.
Ugg, it was very frustrating, not because of the grade, but because I am such an interested writer and philosophy student that it is a knock to BOTH of those, and that's just unfair, especially because it accomplished the goals that I was being asked to write about, then it was also well written (he even wrote "great structure," "clear and concise," and "well written," but "slightly off topic," whatever).
That was only the first part of a terrible day. I had a midterm next in PHL 201, my intro class, which is hella easy. I mean REALLY EASY. I studied 20 minutes for that test. If I didn't get a 49 out of 47 (there were two bonus questions), then I really will be shocked and VERY mad, lol. It was seriously that easy. I'd say there is no way I could have missed a point, really. I'd probably bet on it straight across if given the chance, haha
So that was nice, I guess, but I felt nothing about it. I have never felt so little about a test. I didn't feel nervous for one minute before I took it, I was not hardly even thinking about it when I was taking it, let alone was I nervous, and I just simply felt nothing, not even the normal good feeling of acing a test. It was very blank. Perhaps because when you don't really have to study for something, there is no joy or gratification in doing well at it.
These philosophy classes lead to the next point, so I'm going to make a nice little transition here. Philosopher Immanuel Kant, who was a supporter of duty-ethics (and the main founder of these ideas), made up a rule called "The Categorical (Primary) Imperitive," which basically says "Treat people as ends, not as means." In other words, people are ends in and of themselves, not means to your own ends, for instance. That goes along with using someone for homework but not really showing any interest in them as a person (I've had this happen to me 100 times at least, lol), or whatever else you can imagine, like my next example.
So Ben, supposedly one of my best friends and my quadmate down at OSU, I think I have mentioned that the guy smokes weed like mad. We're not talking 2-3 times a week here people, we're talking 4-5 times per DAY. He is high ALL OF THE TIME. He set a goal to be high constantly before he started this term. Now I have before defended the use of marijuana (I believe it should be legal), but when you smoke 4-5 hits a day or whatever, that is the equivalent of about 20 cigs per day, very dangerous for your lungs. Anyway, it just isn't good, he is always just weird and rambling on and sleeps 12 hours a day or whatever. It's very disappointing, in my opinion, but does not affect his grades at all so there's no real reason to be concerned on his part at least.
Ok, so I have to go back a few days here. When I left for college again on Monday (I go home every four-day weekend; my classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays), my sister wanted to me buy her cigarettes and I refused because I said that although I believe she has the right to do what she will with her life, I will not help her in a habit that I think is not just disgusting but unhealty and dangerous. I don't think she should be smoking like she does, plain and simple, but if she wants to do it than she can find someone else to help her with that. Not me. So of course, I leave the bad guy. I made the ethical decision, there is almost no question abou that, but she sees things from her perspective, not from an ethical perspective, and has little use for ethical considerations anyway as she has already proven. So I'm the bad guy, but whatever.
Now last night, Ben gives me this package that is wrapped, a little one, to give to my sister and my sister had given me $20 to give to him. She told me she was paying him back for something. I didn't know any better, so I took it, and I gave it to him. That's when he gave me that package. I didn't know what was in it and he refused to tell me. Then he said it was cigarettes and I was NOT happy about this at all, but not wanting to be an <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont> I was like, "Well I will bring it back with me this weekend but what gives here, seriously, I don't really like this." So I bring it back, and of course, it isn't cigarettes at all, need I even mention that? I don't know how i could be so naive except that she had just asked me for cigs, so I thought that is what they were and I still disliked the idea of basically being part of this transaction.
I told Ben tonight and my sister that I will not be doing any more of that nonsense. No matter what it is, he can send it via mail or drive it himself if he wants, but I better not know about it and I will not be part of it. I blocked 'em both on AIM, including my sister, I don't need to see her online anyway. Same goes with Ben. I'm sure I'll unblock them soon but not right now.
I just feel very much used by the whole situation. My sister only was anxious for me to come home so that I could give her what Ben gave to me, and then Ben didn't consider my safety or my ethical concerns in making me party to a CRIME, basically, and instead just thought about himself. I got nothing out of the whole matter, nor was I told about it, which is an even further disrespect to me, and I feel just lousy about the whole thing. It is insulting and rude and frankly makes me EXTREMELY angry at Ben, mostly, and my sister less so because I honestly don't think she knows better, but Ben does. My sister SHOULD know better. Ben DOES know better. There's a difference.
Anyway I guess that ends my rant, so I think I'm going to watch a movie. Sorry for airing my problems here, but maybe someone will find it amusing at least, hehe. It's always funny if it doesn't happen to you, that's a comedy principle. :)
I got Strike today from NetFlix (Eisenstein's first movie before The Battleship Potemkin) and also the special edition Starship Troopers two-disc DVD set (I bought it, finally).
Ok so I get this stupid ethics paper back, truly a paper I put a lot of effort into and wrote two days early (impressive because I usually start things late, haha) and then I read it over twice, once the night I wrote it, once the next day, and well, once as I was writing it I guess too, so really three times. Anyway it was very well written, I'll say that, and the teacher agreed, only he called it somewhat off topic, which for NUMEROUS reasons that I spelled out in a huge e-mail to him (and got a reply) is utter BULL. The paper was entirely on topic and relevant and I think he was very unclear about what he wanted if he thinks that my paper strayed from that.
Anyway, worst grade I've ever gotten on a paper in college, needless to say, but I think it's the worst score on a major paper since about sophomore year. Even then, I do not remember any bad papers I wrote sophomore year because I had 13 A's and 1 B, and that was in computer science, which had nothing to do with writing. That would put me back to Freshman year, yet I had a 4.0 first semester, though a B in English and Religion 2nd semester. I think maybe I wrote a B paper that semester, but B-? I don't know, doesn't seem like it. I do not think I have ever gotten a B- on a paper in my life, actually.
Ugg, it was very frustrating, not because of the grade, but because I am such an interested writer and philosophy student that it is a knock to BOTH of those, and that's just unfair, especially because it accomplished the goals that I was being asked to write about, then it was also well written (he even wrote "great structure," "clear and concise," and "well written," but "slightly off topic," whatever).
That was only the first part of a terrible day. I had a midterm next in PHL 201, my intro class, which is hella easy. I mean REALLY EASY. I studied 20 minutes for that test. If I didn't get a 49 out of 47 (there were two bonus questions), then I really will be shocked and VERY mad, lol. It was seriously that easy. I'd say there is no way I could have missed a point, really. I'd probably bet on it straight across if given the chance, haha
So that was nice, I guess, but I felt nothing about it. I have never felt so little about a test. I didn't feel nervous for one minute before I took it, I was not hardly even thinking about it when I was taking it, let alone was I nervous, and I just simply felt nothing, not even the normal good feeling of acing a test. It was very blank. Perhaps because when you don't really have to study for something, there is no joy or gratification in doing well at it.
These philosophy classes lead to the next point, so I'm going to make a nice little transition here. Philosopher Immanuel Kant, who was a supporter of duty-ethics (and the main founder of these ideas), made up a rule called "The Categorical (Primary) Imperitive," which basically says "Treat people as ends, not as means." In other words, people are ends in and of themselves, not means to your own ends, for instance. That goes along with using someone for homework but not really showing any interest in them as a person (I've had this happen to me 100 times at least, lol), or whatever else you can imagine, like my next example.
So Ben, supposedly one of my best friends and my quadmate down at OSU, I think I have mentioned that the guy smokes weed like mad. We're not talking 2-3 times a week here people, we're talking 4-5 times per DAY. He is high ALL OF THE TIME. He set a goal to be high constantly before he started this term. Now I have before defended the use of marijuana (I believe it should be legal), but when you smoke 4-5 hits a day or whatever, that is the equivalent of about 20 cigs per day, very dangerous for your lungs. Anyway, it just isn't good, he is always just weird and rambling on and sleeps 12 hours a day or whatever. It's very disappointing, in my opinion, but does not affect his grades at all so there's no real reason to be concerned on his part at least.
Ok, so I have to go back a few days here. When I left for college again on Monday (I go home every four-day weekend; my classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays), my sister wanted to me buy her cigarettes and I refused because I said that although I believe she has the right to do what she will with her life, I will not help her in a habit that I think is not just disgusting but unhealty and dangerous. I don't think she should be smoking like she does, plain and simple, but if she wants to do it than she can find someone else to help her with that. Not me. So of course, I leave the bad guy. I made the ethical decision, there is almost no question abou that, but she sees things from her perspective, not from an ethical perspective, and has little use for ethical considerations anyway as she has already proven. So I'm the bad guy, but whatever.
Now last night, Ben gives me this package that is wrapped, a little one, to give to my sister and my sister had given me $20 to give to him. She told me she was paying him back for something. I didn't know any better, so I took it, and I gave it to him. That's when he gave me that package. I didn't know what was in it and he refused to tell me. Then he said it was cigarettes and I was NOT happy about this at all, but not wanting to be an <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont> I was like, "Well I will bring it back with me this weekend but what gives here, seriously, I don't really like this." So I bring it back, and of course, it isn't cigarettes at all, need I even mention that? I don't know how i could be so naive except that she had just asked me for cigs, so I thought that is what they were and I still disliked the idea of basically being part of this transaction.
I told Ben tonight and my sister that I will not be doing any more of that nonsense. No matter what it is, he can send it via mail or drive it himself if he wants, but I better not know about it and I will not be part of it. I blocked 'em both on AIM, including my sister, I don't need to see her online anyway. Same goes with Ben. I'm sure I'll unblock them soon but not right now.
I just feel very much used by the whole situation. My sister only was anxious for me to come home so that I could give her what Ben gave to me, and then Ben didn't consider my safety or my ethical concerns in making me party to a CRIME, basically, and instead just thought about himself. I got nothing out of the whole matter, nor was I told about it, which is an even further disrespect to me, and I feel just lousy about the whole thing. It is insulting and rude and frankly makes me EXTREMELY angry at Ben, mostly, and my sister less so because I honestly don't think she knows better, but Ben does. My sister SHOULD know better. Ben DOES know better. There's a difference.
Anyway I guess that ends my rant, so I think I'm going to watch a movie. Sorry for airing my problems here, but maybe someone will find it amusing at least, hehe. It's always funny if it doesn't happen to you, that's a comedy principle. :)
I got Strike today from NetFlix (Eisenstein's first movie before The Battleship Potemkin) and also the special edition Starship Troopers two-disc DVD set (I bought it, finally).