doublexgeeks

Going to school online certainly has its benefits. I wrote my last exam in my PJs, with a purring kitten in my lap, and I don’t have to spend time being bored to death by things I already know. The pros of going to school online really don’t need to be mentioned, we have them drove into our brains by TV.

But how bad are the negatives? You hear a lot of people say they don’t have the will power or self control for self directed learning, and need the structure of class. As a poster child for distractibility, I think I am a near worst case scenario for someone trying to be self directed! But really, all it has taken is planning. I keep three copies of my schedule, each sorted slightly different. Once a week I go through my courses and ensure that my schedules are still accurate.

It can be a little difficult trying to understand some concepts, and of course some instructors are better than others. But with all the technology out now, it’s still better than being in a lecture with 400 other students! Where I’m taking my program ( College of the North Atlantic) they’ve put a lot into their DLS program, and it’s very clear what needs to be done by when. Readings are assigned for every week, and even though I don’t always do them, that’s my own problem.

As a geek, me and technology have a pretty good relationship… usually. I’m convinced my printer is possessed. At least the spooler service anyway. I’m sure that makes doing a program online a lot easier.

It’s never too late to learn something new, and I know a number of things in my program (which, granted, is website admin) have helped me with my blog and just keeping my computer working. Like exorcising my spooler.

I tried to find a picture of a possessed printer, but we’ll have to make do with one on fire. Poor thing, looks like it’s trying to run away.

Thanks all the great feedback on my Wikipedia article! I still think it’s no worse than citing a paper encyclopaedia (or CD version… I can’t remember the last time I saw a paper version) as long as you keep an eye open for misinformation. But shouldn’t you do that anyway?

I have a secret. Don’t tell my profs, tho I think one of my former ones reads this blog. If not him, his wife (Hi Mom!) does for sure.

I do most of my primary research on Wikipedia.

Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with it in most cases. When I was doing a number of biochem classes, I used it for almost every lab. It was better explained and had nicer diagrams than my text book, and made more sense than most of my lab instructors. When dealing with scientific articles of little consequence to the public, odds are it’s accurate.

Lets look at my favourite mathematical concept - the Hairy Ball Theorem. Despite my basic knowledge of mathematics, I can get the gist of what is happening here!

Wikipedia also gives information on how to cite the article, just click on the “cite this page” on the right there! An important thing to note is that they include the date accessed. One major criticism of Wikipedia is that anyone can alter it. However, since all changes are saved (generally) a person can go back and access the page you were viewing.

But no, I never cite Wikipedia directly, but it is still a highly useful tool. Beyond its assistance in making me understand the sources I already have, it’s a great place to find sources! Looking a more general article - Plato’s Theory of Forms - we can see they have a long list of cites sources.

Obviously if you are going to quote the Wikipedia article directly, you will have to cite them. As well, be sure you actually take the time to check the sources yourself before blindly citing. Most profs will know when you’re BSing.

So, the age old (well, old) question.

Ask your prof before you do. Some profs have started allowing students to cite Wikipedia articles as long as they also have other sources to back them up. Way back when there were questions about citing websites as well, but now it’s common place. At this point, odds are they will say no and look at you funny for asking, but it is still an invaluable source of information.

Wow! 100 posts since October 4th when I first started this blog, amazing!

I’m constantly astounded by how many regulars I have. It makes me feel really good knowing people enjoy my writing… especially since I have a book coming out soon!

I want to thank all my readers. Yes the dollar a post and the30 odd cents I get from traffic is nice, but focusing on that makes for some poor quality posts. I’m always thinking about what might interest you, I’m sure my friend have gotten sick of me bouncing ideas off them. While my work has been a bit more sporadic lately - bronchitis and a 7 course load have certainly impacted my free time - I hope the quality hasn’t suffered too much.

Ok, enough back patting… onto the back patting!

I’m currently waiting on a shipment of three hundred books. I was lying in bed this morning trying to do the math on how much space three hundred books would take up. Ok, so it turns out only to be like 2 square feet - 3, maybe 4, boxes. If you’re interested, check it out here.

So, recapping: 7 courses, 1 bronchitis, 300 books, 0.0003 free time :)

But…

I finally got a bunch of stuff cleared off my desk, and was able to open my lovely package from The Ring Lord!

It was extremely well packaged, so armed with a key a dug into my new treasure! I had ordered an assorted kit, as well as two sets of pliers. They weren’t much more expensive, even with shipping, to buy from them than to find my own, and I figured I’d have a better chance of getting what I need direct from them!

Yay ziplocks!

And as an added bonus my pliers have their logo on it. Neat!

I decided that the easiest thing to start with would be a 4-in-1. I found a great tutorial over at from CG Maille that really helped me get the hang of what I was doing… sort of.

My intention was to have the blue rings around the edge, with silver in the middle. Not sure how I ended up not doing that…

The necklace is a pattern from from Art of Chainmail.

Under the category of strange but true… and most I still wouldn’t try… some supposed cold remedies!

Wet Socks
I can hear you now - Don’t wet socks CAUSE colds? Well first of all, no, they don’t. Being cold and damp can make you more susceptible to illness by lowering your immune system, but you still need exposure to the germs. Still, how does this one work?

First, soak your feet in warm water. Then soak some thin socks in cold water and put them on, followed by a pair of thick dry socks. The theory is it boosts circulation by drawing blood to your feet, which helps clear congestion.

Chocolate for Coughs
Again, not so sure about this one. One of the ingredients in cocoa is theobromine, which can suppress sensory nerves. This will sooth your throat, and might get rid of that tickle. However, I know that when I have a bad throat the last thing I want is something creamy.

Hot Tatty
This one might be better known; at least it is in my family. Dad suggest this one earlier today, and swears by it. Boil water and poor into a cup. Add a tablespoon of honey, a squirt of lemon juice, and a shot of rum, and breathe in the mix while drinking. Of course there’s a million and one ways to make this!

Chicken Soup
Full of warmth, fluids, vitamins, and salts, chicken soup is the ultimate cure for a cold. Most colds are viral and therefore antibiotics are useless. All you can do is keep your body strong so it can fight the bug for you.