A really pseudo ecstatic post...

Well at the moment, I'm trying to decide whether to post a beer and skittles post with some random way out photo or whether to post a really depressing thing that radiates how I'm feeling at the moment. Anyway, fun and games at the moment, we'll try to make it a good day. Hit the pool table a few beers a recipe for good times, maybe a bit of cards.

I suppose that is me. Bury my head in absurdity. And hope I feel as little as possible... It's safer that way.

Well I guess it's that depressing post.

Anyway... an appropriate use for a cat. Storing nuclear waste. There's always a solution if you're willing to look in the wrong place.

Thoughts

Well, I've been having a bit of a squiz at Bill Muelhenberg's site. He writes some beefy Christian articles that are more often than not thought provoking, and the responses are also stimulating.

One of the things that has gotten my mind ticking over is the whole issue of the separation of church and state. It seems to be linked to a separation of belief and action. In one comment, a lady said that she respects peoples right to believe what they like, it is when they put it into action that she has a problem with it.

It is because of people like this that we have a really gutless society. We have a society that is so full of platitudes, but there is no substance to it. We have the best thoughts, but nothing is moving forward.

We have politicians who believe one thing, but they do not dare to put what they believe into action. And when they do, we jump down their throats. We have religious leaders who preach humanism, a complete non-belief to a large degree, and when an imam makes a stand for his religion, he is shot down as bigotted and disgraceful.

If we want to have freedom of thought, surely we should make an effort to understand the thoughts of others.

They've got a complaints commissioner...

Well what's the goss?

I have a meeting with a university complaints commissioner in Launceston on Monday. That is still to do with our wonderful Heat Transfer lecturer. I penned a letter expressing my dissatisfaction at his actions. The result of said letter was that our marks were doctored so that virtually everybody passed. That was a good start, but there was nothing to admit any wrong-doing on the part of the lecturer, there was nothing to suggest that there would not be a repeat performance. As a direct result of that, I submitted a formal complaint to the university just before new years. It is worth noting that the university website is well equipped to deal with complaints. The up-shot is that I have a meeting with a bloke by the name of Maurice Todd.

It's all a bit scary, because my complaint has the power to completely discredit the lecturer - a professor who has been at UTAS for the last 30 years. By the same token, someone who has been there for that long is a) surely close to retirement and b) set in their ways. And if their ways aren't good, it's probably a good thing for them to get a tap on the shoulder.

However.

There have been ongoing complaints against this lecturer since I have known of his existence, back in second year. The year above me had one of their subjects rejigged so that people would pass because nobody passed the exam. Similar things happened for the class below us. And my class... well things weren't pretty. I get the feeling that nobody has actually bothered with a formal complaint to date, because all the people that care enough were happy enough with the (scaled) mark that they received in the end.

I don't want it to happen again. The faculty of engineering appears to be too gutless to make the necessary changes, but one way or another, I intend to see a change for the better, to leave the uni in a better state than I found it. Gee, that is a moral high horse, isn't it? Oh well.

I also went for a dive today. Couldn't get hold of any abalone, but I speared 4 trumpeter (I'm a master of the gut shot, except for one, whose head I mauled with one sweet strike) and Nicolas got 3. It made my Saturday worthwhile.