Yay! Philadelphia Reporters Willing To Pay For Their Ethics. Stories like this one not only make me happy to be a journalism major, but happy to want to stay in Philadelphia for most of my life.
by krisis
Archives for 2000
I’d also like to add that any idiot can see that Gore won Florida regardless of what the official election results said. Ironically, this election will make a greater mark on history books in half a century than any silly thing Bill Clinton did. But, life goes on. Hopefully America won’t be too fucked up in four years to fix. Not that it isn’t already…
Speaking of elections… i don’t really care anymore. I think i totally lost any firm belief in the American political system when the Supreme Court split exactly along party lines in their decision. While the court often breaks in such a fashion, the issue at hand was totally constitutional and legal, and not at all political. I almost think it’s a foregone conclusion that the court would have voted exactly the opposite way if Gore and Bush had their roles in this drama equally reversed. And so, now, the President of the United States is George W. Bush. And, i have one less reason to cover my heart when i salute our flag.
Final completed: 2 of 4
Preparedness: 5/10
Difficulty: 7/10
Philosophy. I was dreading this final like nothing else because i feel as though i just don’t know the material. Sure, i’d listened to the lectures and went to almost all of the classes; in fact, i even read almost all of the many reading materials assigned to us. However, i was left with this aching lack of knowledge that would surely come back to bite me in the ass during the final.
Surprisingly, my ass is fine. The final was a comprehensive series of three essays, but in all but one case i was entirely well prepared to choose a position and defend it. I was a tad bit alarmed to find myself the last student to still be writing at the end of the final period, but my essay writing skills are entirely based on my experience with Advanced Placement tests, which means i come ready to write for the full amount of time allowed and more if i can manage it! When i brought up my test booklet my professor handed me my last paper, simply stating “Very good.” I figured this equated at least to a B, so i just left the empty lecture hall reading his commentary on my dissection of Sartre’s “The Wall.” Halfway back to the apartment i made it to the last page to see a bold “A” in black pen with the word “Excellent” written underneath.
I might get a B. My election results could actually turn out good.
Picking out a Christmas tree is the single tradition that my mom and i have. Every year we go out together to pick out a tree, with me always looking for an imposing one and she always looking for one she won’t need a ladder to decorate (and as short as my mother is, that isn’t a very exciting tree). The two of us made a comic pair; both grasping lattés from the coffee shop with scarves cast intrepidly over our shoulders, me gabbing away about having to study for my philosophy final and she worried that either none of or all of her extended family would meet me at the airport in Florida.
The first two tree lots were awful, without a single tree that either of us were particularly inspired by. However, the third lot proved to be exactly the mix of good trees and comic genius that usually makes our tradition. I did a waltz with the tree, there was a discussion of market economy as it related to purchasing dead evergreens, and my mom thought the tree-guy looked like Peter Mulvey until i pointed out his prominent herpes sore.
As if tree shopping isn’t fun enough, afterwards i got dragged to Walmart to look for “the perfect garland,” which my mother had only bought two strands of on her previous trip. Why, oh why, did she only buy two strands if it was perfect? Of course, Walmart had sold out of it since she’d been there last. Also, she is insistent on doing the tree in gold and silver ornaments (classy) and color lights (trashy). I say, either go in the direction of total kitsch, or get some goddamned white lights.
But, what would Christmas be if we could agree on anything related to the tree? I almost bought a 6′ fake tree for $20 to have at the apartment, but after i got over the amount of hilarity that would ensue from me bringing it back with me i gained control of my senses and put my $20 back into my pocket. I liberated my stereo from the house and brought it back with me instead! Go me!