Now That's Entertainment . . . Issue # 19
 
[[ WARNING: The following piece contains material and/or language that 
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"Random Musings Returns!"

Perhaps this should be an ongoing thing... It's been a month since my 
last issue and for that I must apologize.  However, you must realize 
that I haven't exactly had all that much free time, with PNE taking up the 
last two weeks of summer, and with the beginning of school and all.  On 
to the musings!

University life vs. High school life.  Quite a transition, more so in 
some respects, less so in others.  The first thing that anybody notices 
is the newfound freedom of being, get this, a "young adult" pursuing a 
post-secondary education.  Everyone's schedule of classes is different, 
as opposed to the strict 8:30 - 3:00 thing we had at Tupper.  With days 
off, short days, long days.... you set your schedule to whatever you 
want it to be.  You can have all night classes for all they care.  Me, my 
schedule fits me quite well.  No morning classes.  My earliest class is 
at 10:00, so it ain't that bad.  Next thing I noticed was, of course, 
the larger class sizes.  My english class is exactly like High school, 
sizewise, and the prof teaches like a high school teacher.  Get this 
people from Tupper, do y'all remember Parth Lodhia?  Well, he's in my 
English class!  Ha, good ol' Parth and his cricket and shit.  Next thing is 
that in high school, they pick you apart for talking while the teacher 
is teaching.  What appears to me now is that nearing the end of class, 
a lot of profs just give up 'cause everyone has already packed up and 
caused such a ruckus.  And oh yeah, frat guys are a little too wild.  Go 
to a varsity football game or something, and you're sure to see a group 
of drunk frat guys trying to rile up the crowd.

The Olympics started last week.  I've watched a total of, maybe, an 
hour or so.  I should be cheering on the people with a maple leaf on their 
uniform, but with a mere four medals (I think) so far, Canada is 
becoming a disgrace.  I was quite pleasantly surprised to see the number of 
medals that China is racking up, though.  I knew that they were good at 
gymnastics and stuff, but wow!  I think they are second or third in the 
medal count... and of course our neighbours to the South (The South 
shall rise again! :) are on top of the medal count with like 300 or 
something.  The thing that really caught my attention, though, is the 
performance of the Canadian Men's basketball team with Victoria's-own Steve 
Nash.  I believe they are 3-0 or 4-0 or something, atop the B Pool.  They 
actually have a chance at a medal, albeit not Gold (predetermined to 
belong to the red white and blue).

Well, the Sopranos has debuted across Canadian airwaves, after a year's 
absence, airing only on HBO.  I myself have not watched it, but with 
the all the hype and attention this show has been getting, I'm sure I'll 
catch an episode or two eventually.  I am not an avid primetime drama 
viewer.  I'm no fan of E.R., Chicago Hope, or NYPD Blue, but I like 
Mafia flicks, and well, Sopranos is.  I loved the Godfather trilogy, Donnie 
Brasco, and all of those movies, so I'm sure that The Sopranos should 
fit right in.  Joseph has been ranting and raving over this thing, as 
has the rest of the entertainment industry.

HAVE YOU SEEN THE GAS PRICES?!?!  Driving 30km roundtrip to/from UBC 
each day, one starts to notice gas prices just a little more.  I was 
upset over the summer when gas prices hit the high 60's.  I was thrown out 
of my seat when I saw it break the 70 mark.  I was on my hands and 
knees bawling my eyes out when it hit 75.  And now, now, I cannot even 
start to describe how I feel about gasoline for my vehicle that costs 79.9 
cents a litre.  I remember, in a time not that long ago, that you 
didn't even need 20 bucks to fill up the tank and last a week or two.  Now, 
$25 barely lasts a week.  I suppose I shouldn't be complaining too 
much.  Jason Yang told me the other day that with almost 70km roundtrip to 
SFU from Richmond, on premium gas for his Accord, he dishes out a 
whooping fifty smackers each week.  The truckers are blockading roads and 
refusing to do their service, trying to force the government into 
lowering the taxes on this stuff.  I think the oil industry and the 
governments of the world have had it in for us from the start.  They are both 
stealing the green straight out of our gradually-lighter wallets.  These 
damn people introduce the idea of cars, addicting us to the idea that we 
can transport ourselves to anywhere anytime on our own accord, then 
they jack up the prices of fuel so high... we've become their slaves, 
helpless.

Well, time for me to go back and hit the books.  Not much "official" 
homework in university, but there is sure is a helluva lot of reading.  
You are expected to do your homework, but it's never handed in.  I've 
got like 50 pages of Philosophy to read regarding the existence or the 
non-existence of God.  These philosophers hundreds of years ago put up a 
rather poor argument for the existence of God, but they sure can 
babble.... reminds you of someone doesn't it?

Till next time kids.

============================ 
© 2000 Michael Kwan.  Reproduction, exhibition or distribution of the 
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