NPR is the GREATEST THING EVAAAA

This week at work I am reading "A View from Saturday." Yes I know that this is a kids book, but I love it so you can shove it. Anyway one of the main character's grandfather's friends says that the ballpoint pen is the lead cause behind the decline of the Western Civilization. I personally disagree, and love my ballpoint pens but it got me thinking, what is the causing the decline of Western Civilization and how do we fix it? Well I'm not sure exactly what the cause, or causes of this apparent decline is, although I can think of a few, for example an apathetic youth and general mistrust of one person of everyone else around them, an in depth look at our societies failings is for another post. I have however decided that western civilization would be greatly improved by everyone listening to something aired on National Public Radio aka NPR. It is, in my humble opinion, the greatest thing ever. I am currently subscribed to This American Life, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and RadioLab. I plan on adding Fresh Air and Talk of the Nation to this list. They are fabulous for people who have no car and must walk to school, namely me. You put on a pod cast and listen while you walk. It's a beautiful system. I think if people listened western civilization might make a recovery, but maybe that's just me. At any rate I figured what's the point of having a blog if I can't occasionally shamelessly promote my favorite things? So the moral is, NPR is great, and you, dear reader, whoever you may be, should check it out. It might just change your life.

Online classes might be a joke but...

Memo to all bloggers if any of you are college aged students, oh wait, that basically describes my demographic of three, anyway I encourage you to take online classes. But not just any online classes, you should take online classes that sound like they would be really easy in a classroom, online. Because there is nowhere for the ease to go but down. Exhibit A, my online human exceptionality class. It's fantastic. Basically the class has 4 basic parts. Part 1, "required" reading. Translation, "skim when and if you need it for the assignments" reading. Part 2, "quizzes." Translation, "give your opinion on a question that is vaguely related to the related to the reading, with some sketch quotes and support thrown in." Part 3 "discussions" with your peers. Translation, look at the "quiz" or "answer" that someone gave to a question of another person wise enough to take the online class, and give your opinion, oh and you can support it, if you want. Part 4 "group projects." Translation, "sit back while everyone does the work and still get hailed as the master of the" project. This is my favorite part of the class. I always expect it to be hard, and then its not. I believe the main reason for this is that the other people in my class are stupid. Let me explain. The "group projects" there are two roles, the "scribe" and the "everyone else." Translation the "person who puts together the work that everyone else does with the addition of a few commas," and the "people who do all the work." For some reason people in my groups always chose to be the later, leaving me, the good person that I am, to take on the grueling and challenging role of "scribe." So basically I sit back, don't do the reading, don't do the research, don't do much of anything, and wait for people to give me the information. Then I throw it in a slide show, or a snappy word document, make sure that people you they're instead of there and presto whamo, I get 100 points. It is fantastic. And I don't even have to feel bad because no one else want to do it. Then I'm left with a whole evening that was scheduled for group project work that takes me an hour leaving me to time to focus on my other studies, or watch Psych. In short, online classes might be a joke but as long as they still think we're laughing with them and not at them, I am totally fine with it.

Tolstoy Shmolstoy

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That ladies and gentlemen of the blogging world is my triumphant laugh. I, Jessica Swensen, after two and a half summers, and one do over have FINALLY finished Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace." Yes that's right I read all 1215 pages, even the epilogue. Gee Jessica, proud and braggy much? Well yes, yes I am, and I think I have the right to be. Tolstoy may be one of the best novelists of all time, he may have an incredible mind and a gift for creating a vivid story, a picture of the human condition, and a philosophy on the meaning of history all in one powerful and moving novel, but heavens above that man was long winded. So I am going to strut around like a proud peacock for the next few days, because that book was the hardest thing I have ever read. I think I'm also going to put the fact that I finished it on my resume. Ok, that's it, I just had to let all you people who do and don't read my blog know of my mental and literary moment of joy.