Thanksgiving was pretty good to me this year.
I had to work from the butt-crack of dawn till it was dark again, but since everyone else who has a normal job over here had it off there was a lot of foot traffic coming through the gate and everybody was in a good mood and smiling.
Total strangers started bringing us food around noon or so, and plates just kept arriving up until I left for the day. There was so much food we didn't know what to do with it all. The Japanese Civilian Police who work with us couldn't believe that these same people who cuss us out one day were bringing us hot turkey, and ham, and Cajun chicken, and sweet potato pie, and corn, and stuffing, and salad, and curried chicken wings, and more stuffing, and some sort of cornbread-chili-pie-thingy that was actually quite tasty if I do say so myself, and rice, and beans, and more stuffing, and more turkey... but i digress.
So, to answer MadChatthew's question from the previous post, I did have a great Thanksgiving, but not because of the food, it was more the happy people that kept coming in and going out. Nobody has extended family over here, so around the holiday times everybody welcomes everybody, and total strangers will open their homes and invite you on over for a feast you didn't contribute to in any way.
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Homework :/
| Homework I loathe you
for you make me think, you question and frustrate and move me to drink. Another large latte instead of the gym, my waist isn't shrinking but my pocketbook's thin. If you've ever had coffee on the town in Japan, you know what I mean how they long for your ¥en. | In the same way they long
I too have a yen, for a night without homework and a day to sleep in. Yet instead of my homework my English, my Psych, I find myself waxing profusely tonight. Which isn't so bad except as I've said I have two assignments before I hit bed. |
Saturday, November 20, 2004
I found out today that I did extremely well on my advancement exam!
I still won't advance because I don't have enough time in rate and my command doesn't believe in giving out awards. The good news is that I get to take the exam again in March. The bad news is that I don't stand a chance of advancing then for the same reason I didn't this time. The testing cycle they have in place discourages rate specific knowledge in favor of sitting there like a lump until you've built up enough time in the navy to advance at the expense of someone who's test score doubled yours.
What can I say, tomorrow's another day.
I still won't advance because I don't have enough time in rate and my command doesn't believe in giving out awards. The good news is that I get to take the exam again in March. The bad news is that I don't stand a chance of advancing then for the same reason I didn't this time. The testing cycle they have in place discourages rate specific knowledge in favor of sitting there like a lump until you've built up enough time in the navy to advance at the expense of someone who's test score doubled yours.
What can I say, tomorrow's another day.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
I found out today that I didn't make the advancement to MA2.
To be fair to myself, there were only 17 openings in the probably 500 people who took the exam. Still that's like 3.4% which means all I would have had to do is score in the top 96.6 percentile.
I have to say I'm not used to not succeeding, so for a few hours there I was really in a pretty bad mood. Then I talked with a friend who's missed making first class three times now, and they're percentile is a bit larger than 3.4%. The way he handled the news really put things into perspective for me and even though I'm now at a disadvantage for taking the test this spring, life goes on and I'll just have to study more this time than I did last time.
Just what I need, more homework...
To be fair to myself, there were only 17 openings in the probably 500 people who took the exam. Still that's like 3.4% which means all I would have had to do is score in the top 96.6 percentile.
I have to say I'm not used to not succeeding, so for a few hours there I was really in a pretty bad mood. Then I talked with a friend who's missed making first class three times now, and they're percentile is a bit larger than 3.4%. The way he handled the news really put things into perspective for me and even though I'm now at a disadvantage for taking the test this spring, life goes on and I'll just have to study more this time than I did last time.
Just what I need, more homework...
Monday, November 15, 2004
My mind has turned to mush. I've been reading to much and not playing nearly enough Halo2 or Battlefront. My T.V. sits in the corner quietly giving me the evil eye of neglected solitude while I curl up with this blog and a copy of the sound and the fury, which reads like it was written by Benjy instead of about him; but which also, when compared to Steven Kings treatment of Duddits in the Dream Catcher, seems like he straight up kicked Faulkner in the literary nuts and stole the character of Benjy while he was writhing on the ground in agony.
But i digress...
But i digress...
Friday, November 12, 2004
The Homework Question...
5)We hypothesize that people in a good mood are more likely than those in a bad (or sad) mood to help another in need. Plan and design an experiment to test this hypothesis. Include enough detail to show you understand the essential steps for constructing an experiment. Be sure to identify the independent and the dependent variables. What extraneous factors do you need to control for?
_____________________________________________________
My answer....
Experiment Overview:
College Students in a 100 person lecture were asked if they would like to help a psychology professor by filling out an anonymous 20 question multiple choice survey dealing with their adjustment to college life. Those who agreed were randomly assigned to three groups.
Group A: Would be induced to a good mood with the promise of 25 dollars cash (they would see a stack of five dollar bills in the researchers hand) paid in full upon the completion of their survey. Additionally the researcher would have a second survey which he would claim was his own and explain that he was an undergraduate psychology student who would really appreciate some help with a study of his own. On a totally voluntary basis, if they would fill out the second survey upon turning in the first it would really help him out.
Group B: Would be induced to a bad mood with the promise of 25 dollars cash paid in full upon the completion of their survey. Additionally the researcher would have a second survey which he would claim was his own and explain that he was an undergraduate psychology student who would really appreciate some help with a study of his own. On a totally voluntary basis, if they would fill out the second survey upon turning in the first it would really help him out. As soon as they began the first survey, another researcher would enter the room, have a word or two privately with the first researcher, and then address the group claiming that due to overwhelming volunteer response, there was only enough money to pay two groups of volunteers, and their group had "picked the short straw, as it were."
Group C: Would have no mention made of the 25 dollars, however the researcher would have a second survey which he would claim was his own and explain that he was an undergraduate psychology student who would really appreciate some help with a study of his own. On a totally voluntary basis, if they would fill out the second survey upon turning in the first it would really help him out.
Independent Variable: Payment of the 25 dollar reward.
Dependent Variable: Helping the undergrad with the second survey.
Extraneous Variables: Time of Day, Location, amount of time between when they enter the room and when the survey is handed out. Gender and attire of the researcher administering the survey, Time of year, Questions on survey 1, Survey 1 and 2 need to both be 1 page. Layout of the room, adherence to script by the researchers.
5)We hypothesize that people in a good mood are more likely than those in a bad (or sad) mood to help another in need. Plan and design an experiment to test this hypothesis. Include enough detail to show you understand the essential steps for constructing an experiment. Be sure to identify the independent and the dependent variables. What extraneous factors do you need to control for?
_____________________________________________________
My answer....
Experiment Overview:
College Students in a 100 person lecture were asked if they would like to help a psychology professor by filling out an anonymous 20 question multiple choice survey dealing with their adjustment to college life. Those who agreed were randomly assigned to three groups.
Group A: Would be induced to a good mood with the promise of 25 dollars cash (they would see a stack of five dollar bills in the researchers hand) paid in full upon the completion of their survey. Additionally the researcher would have a second survey which he would claim was his own and explain that he was an undergraduate psychology student who would really appreciate some help with a study of his own. On a totally voluntary basis, if they would fill out the second survey upon turning in the first it would really help him out.
Group B: Would be induced to a bad mood with the promise of 25 dollars cash paid in full upon the completion of their survey. Additionally the researcher would have a second survey which he would claim was his own and explain that he was an undergraduate psychology student who would really appreciate some help with a study of his own. On a totally voluntary basis, if they would fill out the second survey upon turning in the first it would really help him out. As soon as they began the first survey, another researcher would enter the room, have a word or two privately with the first researcher, and then address the group claiming that due to overwhelming volunteer response, there was only enough money to pay two groups of volunteers, and their group had "picked the short straw, as it were."
Group C: Would have no mention made of the 25 dollars, however the researcher would have a second survey which he would claim was his own and explain that he was an undergraduate psychology student who would really appreciate some help with a study of his own. On a totally voluntary basis, if they would fill out the second survey upon turning in the first it would really help him out.
Independent Variable: Payment of the 25 dollar reward.
Dependent Variable: Helping the undergrad with the second survey.
Extraneous Variables: Time of Day, Location, amount of time between when they enter the room and when the survey is handed out. Gender and attire of the researcher administering the survey, Time of year, Questions on survey 1, Survey 1 and 2 need to both be 1 page. Layout of the room, adherence to script by the researchers.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
What a day...
Military spouses really get to me some days.
We impounded a car last night and the drivers husband was a Chief.
He came down for an appology today and I had to sit there for an hour while myself, another patrolman and our Chief explained to him how his wife had broken a number of laws, became extremely irate when cited for it. He was pissed and wanted to file a complaint against one of the other MA's because of what had happened out there. In the end he ended up not filing a grievance, mostly because his wife kept telling him she didn't want that to happen. I think that she finally realized what would happen to her if her actions were to come out in any sort of formal inquiry. After all, if we were to have done things by the book, she should have been aprehended,searched and brought to the staion for simple assault on a police officer. The reason we didn't is basically that while it is within the boundaries of the law to apprehend someone for getting out of controll pissed-off over two traffic tickets to the point where they threaten their safety and ours, it's also a bit punative.
Military spouses really get to me some days.
We impounded a car last night and the drivers husband was a Chief.
He came down for an appology today and I had to sit there for an hour while myself, another patrolman and our Chief explained to him how his wife had broken a number of laws, became extremely irate when cited for it. He was pissed and wanted to file a complaint against one of the other MA's because of what had happened out there. In the end he ended up not filing a grievance, mostly because his wife kept telling him she didn't want that to happen. I think that she finally realized what would happen to her if her actions were to come out in any sort of formal inquiry. After all, if we were to have done things by the book, she should have been aprehended,searched and brought to the staion for simple assault on a police officer. The reason we didn't is basically that while it is within the boundaries of the law to apprehend someone for getting out of controll pissed-off over two traffic tickets to the point where they threaten their safety and ours, it's also a bit punative.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
So I'm looking at my blog with a friend "Jon" who for the purposes of anonymity will otherwise known as C-Love. He doesn't understand the appeal of publishing a blog, so I figured I'd introduce him to it and thereby record our conversation for posterity.
Ace: C-Love, is there anything you'd like to tell the whole wide world?
C-Love: umm, hee hee hee, grin... no.
Ace: C-Love, is there anything you'd like to tell the whole wide world?
C-Love: umm, hee hee hee, grin... no.
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