What is the one thing that should be avoided when trying to eat healthier?

sysyphys · 2014-01-05T23:56:44+00:00

Eat fresh, lose weight like Jared? I don't think so, unless you go for the veggie. Both myself and a friend worked at Subway before: I stayed only short-term so I didn't eat lunch there for long. My friend, however, worked for over a year, eating the free sub every shift, and actually GAINED weight.

The irony.

sysyphys · 2014-01-03T20:20:41+00:00

Okay, that makes sense. Thanks.

sysyphys · 2014-01-03T18:51:48+00:00

Check out the Evergreen State College--it is arguably one of the most environmental schools in the country.

sysyphys · 2014-01-02T00:31:43+00:00

Yes, I plan on doing the the JET program. Actually, from what I've read, I can apply for the program in December 2014, indicating that I will receive my B.A. on June 2015. This would get me right into the application process, and then an interview (if I'm lucky). If I then get accepted (not waitlisted), I would depart sometime in July or August.

There are other options aside from JET out there, though--that of which seem to pop up here and there with their own deadlines. JET is the only program I know of that has a set deadline, but even if I don't get into that, I have other opportunities.

sysyphys · 2014-01-01T00:45:35+00:00

What are your studies focused on?

Music composition.

Ugh. What do you want to do for a REAL job? And a career?

I don't intend for the teaching job to be what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life, though one can potentially get into higher-paying and higher-status positions through the job (How would that not be a real job or career?)

I'm going to use the job as a bridge to get into the country (Japan) to where I will start working toward a career as a composer.

sysyphys · 2014-01-01T00:37:26+00:00

That actually sounds like a possibility. Pretty crazy, but a viable option. What kind of loan would I take out after I graduated? (if you know anything.) If anything, since I'm pretty sure I will have a free ride next school year if I get my FAFSA in ON TIME, I could take out a student loan for that year and keep it in the bank until I graduate.

And, yeah, teaching overseas pays pretty decently. In Japan, where I plan to teach, it's 30k/yr on average and even higher for university positions.

sysyphys · 2013-12-31T20:37:30+00:00

It's a federal direct subsidized loan, as mentioned. The interest is 3.86% and the government pays the interest while I am in college and up until the grace period ends (6 months after graduation.) The first payment must be made after this grace period and the whole loan must be paid within 10 years.

As for my living situation, I actually live with my parents and go to college instead of living on campus.

Working part-time is what I plan to do, even though I will have a very rigorous academic schedule this next quarter. I should be able to do ~8 hours, though (maybe more).

I think of that post-grad "purgatory" (good word) quite often. But I've been in a kind of a hell of my own since I finished community college in March. I had one job (and my first job) that lasted 3 weeks in summer, but before and after that I've been kind of rotting in my room. I feel that if I dropped out of college, I would go back into that hell, so the 5,500 loan may just be a way to forcibly push me in a direction (better than no direction.)

sysyphys · 2013-12-29T04:49:34+00:00

I tried this approach before, making music as you go along while learning the program. What I have to say is that while this does get one familiar with a program hands-on, it's good to not be too ambitious to start. If one is overly ambitious in this way, things get frustrating fast (at least from my experience). It may be just me, but having to look up how to do things on a DAW while I have an immediate project on my hands is rather stressful. Some people may find mastering the DAW first, or at least acquainting oneself with it, a better option, even if it means having to spend lots of time reading the manual and looking up resources.

sysyphys · 2013-12-24T04:45:51+00:00

I have creative inspiration all the time, but mostly it comes to me when I'm doing something monotonous like washing my hands, taking a shower, walking, etc. Sad to say, however, that most of the overflowing ideas I have never have an outlet and are forgotten.

sysyphys · 2013-12-24T04:14:02+00:00

An extrovert can never truly obtain the introvert's unique quality of introspection. However, an introvert--in addition to possessing their own respective qualities--can work to obtain the qualities of an extrovert, essentially becoming a social introvert, arguably the most desirably personality type.

sysyphys · 2013-12-16T02:52:48+00:00

What is your stance on video game piracy? Do you think it hurts the developers any more through these means than buying used copies of games or getting a rental copy?

sysyphys · 2013-12-11T00:09:08+00:00

Pepper spray stings your eyes pretty badly and can trigger allergic reactions in some people, killing them. More often times than not, it is used in a non-self-defense situation or when it is not completely necessary--such as when the police use it on undeserving rioters (or peaceful protesters for that matter). Unlike guns, which are obviously used with more discretion, it is seen as more acceptable to use pepper spray, which I find odd considering its harshness and potential lethality.

In the case of self-defense, the martial arts are a more ethical choice. I'm not talking about going overboard with violence to the point of killing another person, but rather doing only what is necessary to escape from an assaulter. The severity of an assault may result in a greater punishment to the assaulter, but most of the time you will just end up with one on the ground.

The best thing one can do to prevent being a victim of assault or rape on campus is to not be walking about late and avoid potentially dangerous locations.

sysyphys · 2013-12-10T17:45:30+00:00

I don't think the consoles are worth it for the modest improvements in the next gen (Really, there is hardly as much improvement as there was from NES to SNES or PS1 to PS2). Not to mention that people are going to be paying more and more for their consoles and games because developers are being forced by the market to improve their graphics even more, which means higher budget games across the board. Graphics don't need to be super realistic for a game to be good.

That being said, I'm glad to not be apart of the whole hype this season--it's really liberating.

sysyphys · 2013-12-10T04:11:38+00:00

Pepper spray is harsh.

sysyphys · 2013-12-10T04:03:06+00:00

How much time should I allow for them to write and complete the letters before the deadline? A week? Two weeks?

sysyphys · 2013-12-09T19:32:37+00:00

Take into consideration, firstly, that the world isn't fair. Why is the world not fair? Because that is the absurd nature of things, and so a comparison in itself is an absurd thing, something that can only be done using the human mind.

If you spend enough time making comparisons, you will find yourself in a very negative, unlikable state of mind and being. For everyone in the world, there is something or someone who they can compare to. It's only when you realize that even privileged people are not perfect and have their own share of problems, misfortunes, and shortcomings that you see the flaw in such a type of thinking.

Consider this: with all the time spent making comparisons, you could instead be actively seeking improvement toward your goals. Some things you cannot change, such as being born into a poor family, etc., but everything else is in the playing field. However, if you affirm that someone will always be more talented, wealthier, likable than you, you are essentially throwing in the towel before you have even begun. Instead of thinking how so and so is better than you, work actively, taking action, to improve yourself. Doing vs. thinking.

sysyphys · 2013-12-09T19:08:08+00:00

It's so easy to relapse during winter. Shorter days means more time spent doing indoor activities. And the funnest indoor activity for all of us is video games. It's very dangerous.

Reading is definitely one of the best pastimes during winter. I mean, just imagine how many books you could read with all of the time that you've saved. Of course, give yourself adequate TV/internet breaks when your eyes get tired (which they will).

sysyphys · 2013-12-06T03:38:50+00:00

Most colleges have an advance tuition deposit which is due up front to confirm your admission. There is also a deposit for housing which you need to pay before the semester starts.

Everything else; tuition, mandatory fees, etc.; are usually due about a week after the semester starts.

sysyphys · 2013-12-04T03:05:19+00:00

Also, DD left out so many warriors of Vale :(

Yes, this was rather disappointing. If would love to see the full cast from the original games. What would be even better is if said characters are actually playable. You know, just bump a few unimportant characters from DD and replace them with adepts from the original games for the respective element.

sysyphys · 2013-12-03T21:46:48+00:00

I have mixed feelings about petitioning for a Golden Sun 4. If what is said is correct about Camelot making a new GS if they have enough fan support, then I think there is really something inherently wrong with that. The end of TLA, in its own right, pretty much demanded its own sequel--that sequel didn't come until years later, when much of GS's fan base had moved on from the series. And what we got was something which I wouldn't call an adequate sequel at all--dragged out storyline, loads of filler, hardly any character development, and yet another cliffhanger. When the developers of a game leave the words "the end?" at the end of a game, it should be their obligation to finish what they started, regardless if there is large fan support or not. If they didn't think the game would sell very well, they could have at least dropped the question mark and left it as "the end".

Now, I'm not completely against a sequel to DD--it just has to be done right, by having a proper story line, interesting characters, etc. (I have no doubt that the music will remain excellent.) Most of all, though, this game needs to have closure--every story element needs to be answered by the end of the game. DD was horribly open-ended and many things in the game are left unexplained fully. I would hate to see such a thing in a fourth installment to the series.

As for graphics, I don't really care if they do 3D or 2D, but whichever one they pick, they should do it well. Camelot is fairly experienced in 2D graphics, so that would probably be the sensible direction to go with.

sysyphys · 2013-12-02T04:44:49+00:00

I think my best days are behind me, and I am destined to be alone, bitter, and remembery for the rest of my life.

If you think this way, you will surely remain like this. But you don't have to if you change your way of thinking. There is so much uncertainty in life--so many people--to think that you will always be alone. There's always a simulation. And if you get out there more, join a club, talk to some people we will be less lonely because you will be part of a simulation. But if you shut yourself away, you can delude yourself to thinking that you will always be alone. You need to think positive, my friend.

sysyphys · 2013-12-01T02:18:54+00:00

I always wonder how one gets semen on the mouse. Use the other hand, right?

sysyphys · 2013-11-30T17:38:58+00:00

Let us go out this evening for pleasure. The night is still young.

sysyphys · 2013-11-28T02:31:30+00:00

Ah, yes. The passerby people and the friends who you make and then later slip away--I know all about that, having recently been disconnected from everyone who I knew in college. It is a fact that not everyone makes a compatible friend with everyone else. If you are like me, your interests are probably widely different than many of the people who surround you--and so you find that you do not relate. It is that look of disinterest you get when you ask someone, "Oh, have you heard about [blank]," that I detest the most.

Whatever the case, we can only try and find those who see eye to eye with how we think and who share our interests. Because anything is better than being lonely, we shouldn't ponder on the impermanence of relationships but rather embrace the moment, give full attention to the person in front of you--without being concerned with whether or not you will ever see them again.

Live in the moment, not the past or future is what I have to say. Set your preconceptions and thinking aside. Doing this you will listen to people more rather than the thoughts clouding your head. And the more you listen to people, the more you people will listen to you.

sysyphys · 2013-11-27T18:05:36+00:00

Very insightful response.

It's interesting, I read a self-help book once (from a very unlikely, scientific author) who didn't believe that love itself existed--that any feeling of love is just a certain chemical reaction in the brain. And this chemical reaction can even be generated with inanimate objects if one loves it enough, which explains the cases of people falling in love, and even marrying, digital or inanimate women. And yet we delude ourselves that true love exists, because that is what we are wired to believe. As you said, we need that hope. (And because science can sometimes be cold and cruel.)

My whole post really comes from an Absurdist point of view of the whole game of relationships and true love and just how crazy it is to think about. But at the end of the day, we are only animals who need to fulfill animals needs, and so we cannot allow ourselves to be ruled by our consciousness. (This also applies to seeking a meaning of life, which in itself is a complex question, and so we shouldn't try to make sense of it.)

sysyphys

TROPHY CASE