Dan

I recall from somewhere that York provides some sort of legal advice or help for students. I was wondering if anyone would be able to point me in the right direction.

Basically, the situation is this: Two weeks ago, I was informed by my roommates, "It's not working out. We've started looking for a new roommate." Their choice of words made me assume I had to find somewhere new sooner rather than later. So, I found one within two weeks (moving tomorrow morning). However, not only am I not getting my damage deposit back because they "need the money to pay for November, since we didn't get anyone to replace you", but I'm looking at a rusted bike that's been forced to sit outside all summer, a broken blender, missing movies and a potentially missing digital camera.

I was tempted to write a letter and leave it for them when I leave, stating that they have a week to return the damage deposit or I'll seek legal action. However, that sort of warning may not hold up in court, so I want to try and do this as officially as possible. Again, I understand that York provides...something of legal matters.

Any suggestions?

Our heating system broke down. After dropping an incalculable sum on fixing it last year, the ancient machine started spewing out carbon monoxide. On Monday, the gas company will come and install a brand spankin' new system that will heat our radiators and water at a cost I'd rather not divulge since it's pretty much beyond our budget (yay parents!), and at that point we won't have to resort to multiple blankets and that crappy electric radiator for the girls' room.

In other news, I'm not getting kicked out of school this year. Yay! While I expertly failed my pharmacology exam miserably (sitting down in front of two self-important professors and doing an oral exam? great way to wipe one's memory), I managed to pass the gastro/endocrine nursing exam with a 71. As such, my school year this year consists finishing second year courses and a few third year courses that fit into my schedule. First semester pharmacology, gas exchange nursing, ethics (from 3rd year), and clinical work, then second semester clinical work, emergency nursing (from 3rd year), and another dreaded communications course (3rd year).

Also, the Yankees won. This is infinitely teh suck, since any time the Yankees win, baseball loses, but at least House will be back on the air. Yes, my priorities are very straight.

The girls are everywhere. They're both crawling (Bracha on fours, Eliana military-style), and spend much of the day exploring the apartment. Babyproofing is still in the works, and one may find the wild Eliana in her natural habitat, grabbing a clump of dust and chomping down on it. For serious, we're working on it. With thanks to the in-laws for getting a new vacuum cleaner, and the brother-in-law for letting us borrow the old one.

Eli's got her two bottom front teeth, Bracha's got one with the other not far behind. They both suck at eating solids, but last week we discovered the magic that is breadsticks. At a shul kiddush, they had breadsticks, and given our exasperation with trying to get the girls to do more than drink formula, they were handed breadsticks, and lo and behold, they hath verily taken to gumming them and probably spitting out more than they bite off, but it is nutritious nonetheless. We have since bought stocks in various stick-like foods that they can grasp and chew. Next up: carrots, softened by boiling.

That is all I have time for now. Enjoy your day. (Yankees suck.)

This was just posted about 15 minutes ago on twitter -

Another bomb threat @ York U at Vari Hall, just dispatched. Expect TTC Delays! #ttcu

and this -

Not again!? (30 sec ago) via tofireN: NY Police Assist - Bomb Standby York Blvd / York Common P112CR P141 P143 A142 HZ145 S143 C41 #ttcu

York University Campus for Christ is going to hold a special "Prayer for the Homosexual Community at York" tomorrow from 12:30 to 2:30, location TBD

Their blurb: (since removed from their website)

Join us in prayer as we pray for lives to be changed on the York University campus! One aspect of that change will be dedicated towards the homosexuality community. Let us pray in love for those who seek freedom from this bondage that they may find Jesus and turn away from temptation. Let us earnestly, get on our knees and fight a battle in prayer for their victory.

I think I may throw up. Anyone have a line on a counter-protest?

Hello fellow yorkers,

Question - how much of my student tution fees need to be paid down before I can enroll in another course? Rather, what amount does my student account need to be at before I can enroll in the next course? I'm a part-time graduate student!

Thanks!

Although I don't have any plans for the Halloween evening, it is perfect weather!  It's not too cold, the sky is dark and ominous (but not raining!).  There's a wind that catches the leaves, swirling them up and around you as you walk, and it just adds to the whole mood of the day!

Also, I'm watching Simplre Fresh Delicious, and these chocolate pots sound exceptionally yummy!  I think I may just have to make some for tomorrow's dessert.

I didn't catch the amount of chocolate, but she said to use the best quality chocolate you could get - and it looked like a lindt chocolate bar (I saw the Lindt on it), so I imagine it was one of those specialty chocolate bars, probably the 200 gram ones that are a little more expensive.

Here is the recipe based on what she was saying while she made it:

1 cup cream

70 % dark chocolate – Lindt chocolate bar amount

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

¼  cup liquer (the show had hazelnut liquer, but I’d use my chocolate and mint liquers)

½ tsp vanilla

 

1. Heat cream over low – ready once bubbles appear on the side, but isn’t boiling
2. While heating, separate the egg yolks from the whites into a wide bottomed measuring cup for easy pouring
3. Add the dark chocolate to the cream and mix it until the chocolate melts
4. Add the sugar to the egg yolk, and whisk
5. Add some of the melted chocolate mix to the measuring cup and mix it all up
6. Add the rest of the chocolate and mix
7. Add the liquer and vanilla to the egg mix, and whisk
8. Pour the mix into 6 ramekins that are in a baking dish  – you’ll get around 1/3 cup in each ramekin from what I recall hearing
9. Pour hot water (not boiling) around the ramekins (it should come up ½ way on the sides of them)
10. The oven should be at 325 degrees
11. Put this into the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm on the outside, and it can be jiggly in the centre.
12. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 6 hours, or overnight

It looked so yummy on the TV! 

A treat from Shabbat:
"Hashem gave Avraham 10 testes."

Yes, our forefather was quite a man.

From earlier in the week:
"We learned how turtles get married today in science."
"How?"
"I'll show you! Sefi climb on my back."
"Nooo!"

There really is no way to describe the beauty and intrigue of this place. I feel like I've walked into Emily Bronte's unwritten novel, plus 400 years and the internet. Walking around just looking is stunning enough, but I've also had ridiculously good luck in meeting cool people since I hopped off the bus in the middle of a rain storm on Sunday night, without a place to go.

Molly said hello to me just as I was shouldering my pack and setting off into the village of Grasmere. She's an intern for the Wordsworth Trust and, along with about ten other literary-minded types in their 20s, helps to run Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum in return for room and board. They're a highly creative and intelligent, volatile lot, who remind me in many ways of my old posse. Watching them interact with each-other puts me very strongly in mind of the guys and me, this time two years ago. Molly herself is about as lovely a girl as you could hope to meet, and over several nights' worth of food and drink, we've worked out plans to road-trip to both the Bronte Parsonage and Crow Cragg. I can't wait. In the mean time, we're headed to see some of her friends and colleagues in a production of Frankenstein over in Ambleside tonight; tomorrow, the interns are throwing a massive Hallowe'en party which promises to be highly entertaining and may even bubble over into the dramatic.

Nikki works here at Broadrayne Farm and Hostel. She's been on the road for almost her whole life - even lived with Romani for two years - and I'm learning lots just talking to her and hanging out. Last night we went on a pub crawl up through the hills and over to Langdale Valley. I think we must've walked about seven miles total, covering three isolated rural pubs that seem to have been serving their respective communities for hundreds of years. Nikki seems to know everyone she sees, so by the time we got to our final stop at Dungeon Ghyll, we were surrounded by all kinds of craziness. Guys who work all day up on the hillsides, repairing the fells; bike messengers; a whole collection of people who live in caravans around the valleys; pub workers on their nights off; old farmers with loud dogs; a few lost-looking tourists; a crazy poacher dude in a mac and a Crocodile Dundee hat, talking about shooting this and that and his dog Mr Boots who kills roe deer with a single bite; mushroom harvesters and drug dealers. Being a cheap drunk, it only took four ciders before I was curled up next to a burn barrel with the rest of the party around me, asleep.

Tonight is Devil's Night, but I doubt I'll get a chance to watch the Crow, as is my tradition. The strangely familiar yet totally exciting atmosphere of this place is making me weirdly pensive; or maybe it's the time of year. Historically, this season is always one of extremes for me, painful change and exhilarating highs. And I'm looking over my shoulder a lot. I can feel certain memories and deep losses sneaking up on me as Hallowe'en approaches. Ever an emotionally-charged time of year enhanced by various inebriates, it could get messy...

When I first arrived in Grasmere, I had no idea what I was in for. It was pouring, dark, windy, and none of the hostels or guesthouses or pubs had any room for me. I ended up blowing like sixty quid on a hotel room, even though, as I learned later, two separate parties were out looking for me in order to offer me free accommodation. Normally that kind of financially devastating mishap would totally piss me off but, like everything that's happened since I've been in England, it just didn't manage to ruin my good mood. Even managing to get myself hung up on a boy - in spite of all my best efforts and intentions, promises to myself, he was just too cool to not fall into - who I will likely never see again, who is likely not really interested in seeing me even given the chance - has only gotten me down enough to cast a bittersweet glow over everything since. And as we all know, bittersweet is my favorite flavor of life.

I'm looking at getting insurance through BMO for "Female Cancer" protection.  Because I'm under 26, my premium would be $11.90 a month, and would cover me for up to $50K if I were to get any type of their included list of cancers that predominantly hit women (well, only breast cancer could hit men of the list).

On top of that, if I never make a claim, I'll get all my money back when I decide I no longer need the policy (or turn 70), as long as I haven't made a claim. I hope I never actually require it, but I think it makes sense to apply for it.  I do need to confirm that I can hold the policy for more than 20 years though.  44 isn't young enough to have my money returned.  I want coverage as long as I can.

I need to consider getting all my insurance put in place, since rates go up as we get older.  I turn 25 in February, so if 25 is the cut off point for more expensive insurance, I guess now is my time to get it.  I just need to figure out good plans that give my premiums back.  I'm sure it's more expensive that way, but now is the time to get things lined up.  I don't want silly insurance that you have to jump through hoops to make a claim.  I want insurance that will be there when you need it, cover you the way you need it, and pay you if you don't need it!  Is that so much to ask?

(More information can be found here for the Well Woman insurance I'm looking into getting.  I just need to confirm the policy terms before I sign up for anything:  www4.bmo.com/insurance/0,5038,35649_85244773,00.html - I had them send me a package though)

Can anyone access their MyMail?

I have four MyMail accounts and I can't seem to log into ANY of them...so I'm just checking to see if anyone else is having the same problems.

Oh wait, I think it's definitely down...my Mail App can't retrieve it either.

Hi!

I am making an application for Winter 2010 entry through OUAC right now, and it asks what sort of degree program in the Faculty of Arts I am going after. What would be the consequences of choosing "Undecided major"? Will I be stuck with that title until second year?

Second, can anybody tell me if I am accepted for next January, and something happens and I choose not to attend, how will this go about? WillI simply lose the deposit and that would be it? Will it somehow negatively affect my academic record if I don't register for classes for the semester?

To be honest I am going through quite the dilemma. I am currently in the UK on a working holiday visa and have been here for 4 months now. I've been thinking hard on whether or not I should go back to university next January. Specifically York. However, I feel quite torn because I have been in the UK for 4 months and haven't yet had the chance to see the rest of Europe as I had planned. If I go back to university in January that would only give me two months' time to save up and do a very short (and not so satisfying) day trip to Paris and Rome, two places I have wanted to visit since forever.

I should have started this whole job search thing earlier; it was a mistake, but what's done is done! =(

This is why I am considering applying for January entry at York. I will do a few daytrips to the rest of Europe and see if I will fall absolutely in love with the idea of spending a longer period of time there. If I can't bear the thought of going back to Canada then I will use the semester I would be spending at York to travel in earnest. But if I find that a few daytrips are sufficient to quell my "wanderlust' then I can go back to school in peace knowing I have not left anything behind undone! I am also all too aware that I will only be this young once (I am about to turn 24) and I feel like I spent a lot of my youth being miserable. Now that I am coming out of my shell do I really want to spend it in school? Will I look back on this time and wished I'd spent it travelling Europe or  be glad that I had used it to study?

I know I have the option of starting in the Summer term rather than next January, but I want to apply to some UK universities next Fall and having only 5 months worth of university schooling might not allow me to make a good impression to the admissions committee. (In case you are wondering, this is allowed as proper entrance requirements to many UK unis because I am a mature student.) I also dont know exactly what I want to major in and want to use the time to explore different subjects. The more time the better. UK uni's require that you choose your degree subject from the very beginning. If they see that I have spent one (summer) semester taking a smattering of unrelated courses, only one of which may be related to my degree choice then that could be a big problem!

What does everyone think? Any advice and comments would be much appreciated!

Where can I receive information about getting grad pics taken for this June 2010? I didn't receive any information from my college. Please let me know & thanks.

I'm back... again.

You guys are so helpful, I just can't help myself.

My question is this:

I am an English Major.
I was kicked out of honours after a particularly emotionally traumatic year.
I am attempting to get back into honours this year.
I am taking NO English credits this year, as my English requirements are finished except for the fourth year ones which I cannot take yet.
I am taking credits for my History minor (which is so far undeclared) and my NATS course.

My question is:

Is it a problem that I am an Engilsh major and thus far taking NO English credits this year? 'Cause.. I don't wanna just slap on another English course that I don't need just so that I can be taking an English course...

I do have an academic advising appointment set up for next week, but I am a very neurotic and anxious person so I thought I'd ask you all here too... thank you.. :)

What's going on around the main part of campus? Another fire alarm? There are a zillion people standing in the Commons...

The spa package scammers are back on campus. Remember, JUST SAY NO!!! Or tell them it's a scam to their face and revel in their defeat, like I did this morning.

Hey all.. quick question. What exactly is a credit course exclusion? Does that mean that you don't get credit for taking the course at ALL (as in, the number of credits you have do not change if you take that course) or you still get x number of credits, it just doesn't count towards your degree or anything?

So, to clarify, if I am taking, say, HIST1000 .. and HIST1001 is a credit course exclusion course for that.. and I've taken HIST1001... and I take HIST1000... do I just get that replacing my HIST1000 grade OR do I get another six credits on TOP of that?.... I hope that made sense, lol

So, I have a presentation tomorrow in my James Joyce class. The essay/presentation itself is pretty good, in my opinion. However, resulting from frustration and bitterness on writing the damned thing (spent most of today in the lirbary working on it), I think I went mad when I wrote the outline. See, the assignment asks to write an outline of our presentation, such as our thesis/argument and how we're going to prove it, works cited, discussion questions to the class, etc. Frankly speaking, the presentations thus far have been rather dull - but I've also been going through bad bouts of depression, which didn't help with my outlook of them - so in rebellion, for just the outline...

Well...let's just say that I hope Professor Clements has as good a humour as I believe she has. I've e-mailed her a copy of this and hope to hear back from her tomorrow morning so I have time to write something that's all boring, serious and appropriate. Honestly, I don't think there's any grey area for this. It's either going to be viewed as ridiculously brilliant/unique...or utterly inappropriate for a fourth year course. My largest concern isn't that we have to give a copy to classmates, but that I must hand in the OUTLINE, not the presentation essay.

Okay, enough ranting. Let me put a part of the outline behind a cut, go to bed and check in the morning to hear what you guys think.

( ThatNickGuy's proof that he's gone insane. )

Apologies if this seems really random...

Is anyone here a journalism student at York?

I live in Etobicoke and we just had a guy ring our doorbell (at 8:30 p.m.). He said he was a Journalism student from York, and that he would be delivering the Toronto Star paper to our house, then asked us to not yell at him for that. To which we told him we are already subscribers and that we get the paper every day already. He apologized and told us that "they don't give subscription lists to us students". Then he got into his car and drove away (he didn't go to any other houses).

Is this...normal???

It just makes no sense to me at all. I am a York alumni, so at first I thought it had something to do with that...but it just makes no sense.

Has anyone else noticed all the ants in Vari hall?? I just came here and within minutes of sitting down, my laptop case and papers had a bunch of them crawling all over them.

Is a possible infestation at hand?

Fall '09 Exam schedule is up:

w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.woa/wa/curexam