Newsbreak: sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero

I'm not starting my wheelbarrow full of homework until I see zero's on the clock, so I may as well update this thing!

I had a ton of fun supervising a midterm exam last week...in fact, I volunteered to do it for any prof who doesn't want to do it. I felt so empowered. I gave out precise instructions to the class and told them when they were allowed to start the exam. I wrote the time left on the board every 15 minutes. I looked up everytime I heard a cough or distinct rustle. I was the one who determined whether or not people went to the bathroom. Oh, the power...and the 15 dollars an hour I get paid to sit there in a quiet environment and do much needed reading!

I hate it when profs ambush me. I had a presentation on a book about Al Qaeda the previous week and we had talked about it at length in the class, so I figured I was done with it...and I was wrong. I'm not the best question-and-answer guy even when I'm prepared, so imagine my surprise yesteday when he peppers me with more questions when I had walked away from this whole thing. This isn't my area of specialty, but I made it out of there with minimal cuts and bruises. At least I got a 78 out of the whole deal.

It's just hitting me about how much work my thesis involves...and that the department really wants me to think about it now even though I really should'nt have to worry about it until well into the new year. I have to have a proposal ready in 2 weeks, and I just started researching the bloody thing. At least I know what I'll be doing, to some degree: a study of citizenship programming in Canada, especially in regards to education, from after World War II until the present. Approximately 200,000 people apply to become citizens of Canada each year...so how have immigrants learned (or not learned) about the roles and responsibilties that come with being a Canadian citizen? I might get to travel down to Ottawa to look at the National Archives to get more information, but that depends on whose dime would be paying for this trip! LOL

Didn't get to go to the Rider game on Sunday because we couldn't get a hold of the girl who had our free tickets. She lived in Moose Jaw, and since we couldn't get a hold of her, we decided not to risk missing the game entirely on a whim. I knew it was too good to be true. But after watching the game on TV, I'm glad we didn't go down there! Even if we make the playoffs, we'll be out right away. I'd rather we miss the playoffs and that Ottawa gets in; this way, it'll force the Riders to make some much-needed changes in the offseason and to hopefully get that QB we so desperately neeed. If we get in, we'll stay with the status quo like we always do...

I get to dress up for Halloween at work on Monday. I hate Halloween, but it's for charity, and normally I'll do anything not to wear a tie and dress pants...but oddly enough, the tie and dress pants are a part of my costume this year. I found a Donald Trump wig at Value Village, so all I need to do is slap on a suit jacket and I'm all set. I was going to wear my Flames jersey and a hockey helmet while wearing a sign that said "Will play for 2 million dollars", but now that the lockout is over I can't do that. My friend Rhiannon suggested a costume where I dress up all in black and tape socks to myself, claiming that I would be the monster that steals your socks from the dryer. I personally love the idea, but it may require much more work then I would like...

I also ordered a T-shirt off of Ebay that has a cool logo with the words "Captain Charisma". It reeks of awesomeness. I've always wanted to be a captain.

Now I get to read a chapter about writing a research project whilst listening to some Rage Against the Machine. Good times.