Teach for America?

So, Shannon has convinced me to join her at a Teach for America presentation thing tomorrow. My first line of defense, “they don’t pay enough”, turned out to be not quite true. It’s not a luxury salary, certainly, but it’s a good cause, and enough money to get me wholly out of debt with some left over at the end of a two year stint. It’d look good on grad school apps. If they don’t place me in one of three areas I’d be willing to work, I can give them the finger. I’m looking in to it. As per usual with me, no guarantees.

GRE score report

Grrr. So, when asked for a summary of my gre scores, I sent in the percentiles from when I took the test. Apparently, the score reports send out the current percentile for your score at the time. So, my 98th percentile (perfect) math score is now 92nd. 99th verbal now 98th, and 89th analytical now 79th. (how they figure that one given that they are no longer offering the analytical section I’d love to know.) I just hope the percentile inconsistency doesn’t make me look like I’m trying to inflate my performance. Stupid.

developing empathy for conservatives

So, post dinner with Luke, Chad, and Ro I was on my way to Raleigh’s for the dean meetup/berkeley students for dean meeting which was on Chad’s way home, and we were talking about dean and liberals in general. And specifically how liberals tend to be less coherent than conservatives. And further, how this is completely logical given that, using the original meanings of the words, conservatives wish to maintain the status quo, while liberals wish to change it. Maintaining something is a singular goal. Change does not, however, specify what sort of change one desires, and hence, the lack of uniformity in those desiring change. Even agreement on the goals doesn’t imply agreement in methodology.

Ro put an interesting spin on it at work today. He suggested the conservative motivation was love and the liberal motivation was hate … for the status quo. And that love is inherently more unifying than hate.

It’s a sign of how liberal I am that it is difficult for me to conceive of love for the status quo. But the notion does reframe things in a very different perspective. (not that it changes my politics in the slightest, just my attitude. More like ‘poor lost little doves’ rather than ‘selfish raging assholes’).

Near Death by big truck smash into little scu

So, on the way to work today I pulled up to university on shattuck, waited until the light turned green, then went. Fortunately, I heard the rumbling noise that warned me of a multiple ton truck hurtling through the intersection after the light turned red. And the asshat had the nerve to glare at for having started into the intersection. Anyone who wishes to lecture me about how cyclists disobey traffic laws can shove it. =)

Relationships starting abruptly

An interesting point came out while chatting with All of my relationships started rather abruptly. In all cases, I went from not knowing who the person was to sleeping with them most nights within a one or two week span. This would provide a partial explanation for my discomfort with the early/dating stages of relationships. I dunno. How has it worked for you, gentle reader? How have your initial dating/courtships/whatever gone?

Gymnastics

No original gymnastics mentor today. I have a feeling that telling him on Monday I’d found someone I was interested in may have been a big let down for him. He’s a sweet guy. Plus, I’m sure that he’ll be fine. He has a bf to provide comfort and what not, should he need it. =)

Cut it short to go do housemate bonding stuff at Thelassa (local pool hall). Except that the roommates there were the ones I’m already well bonded to. =) Ah well. My leg was feeling twonky anyway. Did cartwheels on the diagonal for the first time today. It was cool, and yet dizzying.

The calorie curfew does good things for me, but is starting to seem fairly incompatible with gymnastics. And full days are also incompatible with keeping up on lj. Excuse me if I don’t mourn too long.