Crossing over to the dark side

Consider Mark, an idealistic graduate of a college social work program who acquires a job with a social services agency. Mark loves helping people but hates the bureaucratic red tape and reams of paperwork that is necessary to accomplish this goal. However, to acquire the approval of his boss and co-workers and to avoid trouble, he follows the rules to the letter of the law. This is pure compliance. Over time, however, Mark begins to identify with his boss and more experienced co-workers because they are in the enviable position of controlling those very rewards and punishments that are so important to him. Obviously, if he is to be one of them, he must begin to think and feel like them. Finally, Mark is promoted to a supervisory position, partly because he is so cooperative. Breaking in a new social worker, Mark is heard to say, "Our rules and forms are very important. You don't understand now, but you will." The metamorphosis is complete - Mark has internalized the beliefs and values that support the bureaucratic norms of this agency.

Point of the story? Simple compliance with norms and rules that are against your values is the first step towards an internalization of said rules and values or in other words becoming one of them!

Poutte poutte gnagnagna

Eh qu'c'est donc belle une fiiiillllleeee....NOT! But the song is hilarious hahaha! And yes I know, I'm late with the quote of the month, but I'm still trying to figure out what to put. I'll probably put it after I finish my exams. In the mean time I leave you with François Perusse. Later kiki!



Aujourd'hui j'vais vous parler de quelque chose qui est un peu touché
Ça peut être mal interprété ça dépend de quel bord tu t'es levé
C'est quelque chose qui est drôle à dire
T'entends ça tu penses au pire
Mais c'est pas si pire que ça
La preuve c'est que j'en parle fait que ça doit pas être si pire que ça pis de toute façon t'as rien qu'à enlever le disque.

Mais c'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (foudududu)
À côté d'elles, un gars
Ça a d'l'air d'être faite pour tenir une pelle (hidelidadao)

Eh qu'c'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (poutte poutte gnagnagna)
Pourquoi faut il que je me trouve des talents d'épais
Quand je me trouve près d'elles

Ça a commencé à l'école, dans ma classe, y avait une p'tite bolle
Son prénom, c'était Carole, et j'l'avais remarqué en étole (kiki)
J'en étais fou
Jusqu'au jour où à récréation, on mangeait notre collation
Elle a toussé un p'tit brin pis elle a vomi toute ses raisins (kiki)
Oh là, j'l'aimais moins

Mais c'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (shlibidibishli)
Quand qu'à te regarde dans les yeux
Tu viens toute melle (yapapadiha)

Eh qu'c'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (foudoudoudoudoudou)
Pourquoi faut il que mon quotient baisse à 12
Quand je me trouve près d'elles

Un jour au bal des finissants, j'tais déguisé en achigan
Assis juste à côté d'une fille que je regardais depuis un an (kiki)
J'tais ben parti
J'ai décidé de le lui dire, et ça a sorti à peu près comme suit
"Toé en tout cas, gasoudezoutésatcadeslidebeld estie" (kiki)
Fait qu'est partie

Mais c'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (adeladohaha)
C'est pour elles que furent inventées
Les dentiers (dentelles!), dentelles

C'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (swidapotwidle)
Pourquoi faut il que j'aie du blé-d'Inde entre les dents
Quand je me trouve près d'elles

Une fois j'étais à l'épicerie pis la caissière m'avait séduit
Mais j'achetais rien qu'trois pétaques pis j'les ai mis sur Interac (kiki)
C'tait loin d'être dans l'sac
Une fois, y a une fille qui est venue chez nous, j'l'avais toujours trouvée d'mon goût
Mais quand à m'a arraché mon linge, me semble qu'elle avait d'l'air d'un singe (kiki)
C'tu moé qui est pas correct?

Mais c'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (hedel,dahahey)
Près d'un feu, en pyjama
Dans l'temps d'Noël (fudeludeludeludelu)

C'est donc belle une fille
Eh qu'c'est donc belle (yes yes, yo yo, yes yes)
Pourquoi faut il que la chaîne à tire pu
La première fois que j'vais chez elle

C'est donc belle une fille
Yodeliyodedohahaoyadlidohahahooweee
C'est donc belle une fille
Hehelehedodolodohidelododoldodohoho

C'est donc belle une fille
Fododipapaditatadado, fododidodokipapatitouta
C'est donc belle une fille
Hileruritourmisanteridapoudtpounidkouato

C'est donc belle une fille
Teriyikasokounemangibenoumandekebandonananagabachokounandaporita
C'est donc belle une fille
Laradadadadadada dadadadadadadadada

C'est donc belle une fille
Dadlidadidadadodadlidadidadada
C'est donc belle une fille
Wadadadadada...

And I believe I'm procrastinating too much

And song number 3 that has been on repeat for the past two days on my player. And now I really need to go back to statistics...gahhh so don't feel like it!

I also believe in angels

Ok it seems that during exam periods I can only post songs. And I've been listening to this one almost non stop since yesterday hahaha.

I believe in nothing but the beating of our hearts

30 Seconds to Mars always have such good songs. Probably one of the best bands for getting shivers down your spine while listening to a song.



A warning to the people
The good and the evil
This is war
To the soldier, the civilian
The martyr, the victim
This is war

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie
The moment to live and the moment to die
The moment to fight, the moment to fight, to fight, to fight, to fight

To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the Edge of the Earth
It's a brave new world from the last to the first

To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the Edge of the Earth
It's a brave new world
It's a brave new world

A warning to the prophet,
The liar, the honest
This is war
To the leader, the pariah,
The victim, the messiah
This is war

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie
The moment to live and the moment to die
The moment to fight, the moment to fight, to fight, to fight, to fight

To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world from the last to the first

To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world
It's a brave new world
It's a brave new world

I do believe in the light
Raise your hands to the sky
The fight is done
The war is won
Lift your hands
Towards the sun
Towards the sun
Towards the sun
Towards the sun
The war is won

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie
The moment to live and the moment to die
The moment to fight, the moment to fight, to fight, to fight, to fight

To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world from the last to the first

To the right, to the left
We will fight to the death
To the edge of the earth
It's a brave new world
It's a brave new world
It's a brave new world

A brave new world
The war is won
The war is won
A brave new world

I believe in nothing
Not the end and not the start
I believe in nothing
Not the earth and not the stars
I believe in nothing
Not the day and not the dark
I believe in nothing
But the beating of our hearts
I believe in nothing
One hundred suns until we part
I believe in nothing
Not in Satan, not in God
I believe in nothing
Not in peace and not in war
I believe in nothing
But the truth of who we are

Quote of the (last) month

I kind of realized that I forgot to put a quote last month (bad bad me). So I thought I'd just put an extra one this month. Kind of like a two-for-one deal. Except I'm not trying to sell you anything. Unless you might consider that through this blog I'm selling my ideas, but that's more of a metaphor than anything else cause I'm not getting any money nor other benefits from this, other than the narcissistic pleasure of seeing my "thoughts" on a screen. And I am rambling...again...

I've been reading this book called First you build a cloud: and other reflections on physics as a way of life on and off for about 2 years now (I'll end up finishing it eventually) and it really is a wonderful piece of literature for the amateur physicist in you (or scientist in general). It is a very vague introduction to physics as it relates to our everyday life, but it is written in such a way as everyone can understand and I consider it to be a very pleasurable read (not to mention that it boosts up my ego when I discover all the stuff that I already know about physics...yes yes I'm an arrogant narcissist...shoot me).

This is a quote I discovered a couple of hours ago when I was reading in the metro on my way home and it struck me because it represents the epitome of my vision of the world (I think I was trying to explain this concept to my boyfriend at one point but it really didn't come out as great as this hahaha). And it's sort of poetic-ish...

"Whenever an infant is born, the dice, in the shape of genes and enzymes and the intangibles of chance environment, are being rolled again... Each one of us is a statistical impossibility around which hover a million other lives that were never destined to be born - but who, nevertheless, are being unmanifest, a lurking potential in the dark storehouse of the void."

Loren Eiseley

Doesn't it just contrast so nicely with Einstein's whole "God doesn't play dice with the universe"? Well, take that All! God DOES play dice with the universe (and when I say God, I mean the personification of all the natural forces and laws that make up our world, and not some invisible man in the sky watching our every move to make sure we're all good kids). Yes, as far as I see it, the world is merely one probability after another with the chances slightly tipped into one direction or another by natural laws and forces.

However, if the universe is simply a statistically determined chain reaction, we come to a sort of cause and effect vision of the world. And in that case, if everything has a physical cause, that had another physical cause, that had another physical cause and so forth until the beginning of time, up to what point is free will an actual part of our life?

I shall leave you with that question until my next post (because I'm frankly falling asleep in front of my monitor and I feel this might be a long discussion).

Special salute we aim high in the air

I'm turning too soft. I think I need to redeem myself a bit.



Shhh… be quiet you might piss somebody off
Like me motherfucker you've been at it for too long
While you feed off others' insecurities
You stand in front of me and bite the hand that feeds

Self-righteousness is wearing thin
(Lies inside your head, your best friend)
Heart bleeds but not for fellow men
(Broken glass, your fake reflection)

I've had enough
It's time for something real
I don't respect the words you're speaking
Gone too far
A clone

So how does it feel to know that someone's kid
in the heart of America has blood on their hands
fighting to defend your rights
so you can maintain a lifestyle
that insults his family's existence
Well, where I'm from we have a special
salute that we aim high in the air
towards all those pompous assholes
who spend their days pointing fingers
(Fuck You)

Shhh… be quiet you might piss somebody off
Like the heartbeat of this country when antagonized too long
I'll be damned if you count me in as part of your generous hypocrisy
collecting enemies

Tabloid gossip queen worthless man
(There's no need for us to bury you)
Selfish agenda once again
(Right this way you've dug your own grave)

I've had enough
It's time for something real
I don't respect the words you're speaking
Gone too far
A clone

All the way from the east to the west we
got this high society
looking down on their very foundation
constantly reminding us that our actions
are the cause of all their problems
Pointing their fingers in every
direction and blaming their
own nation for who wins the elections
They've never contributed a fucking thing to the
country they love to criticize

Excuse the obscene, ignore the untrue
Depictions we see try and get through
Admitting mistakes can hurt
I'm not the last but I sure ain't the first

Shhh… be quiet you might piss somebody off

Self-righteousness is wearing thin
(Lies inside your head your best friend)
Heart bleeds but not for fellow men
(Broken glass your fake reflection)

I've had enough
It's time for something real
I don't respect the words you're speaking
Gone too far
A clone

Attack of the killer shrimp

Collateral Damage (aka Oups we shot some innocent civilians, oh well better luck next time)

Humans are such assholes.



Well it's their fault for bringing their kids into a battle??? It's your fucking fault for shooting them in the first place you imbecilic and idiotic moron!!

ABBA reinvented

Haven't seen so many metaphors in a music video in a long time (even though I don't get half of them, but that's just a minor detail hahaha)

The reinvention of the wheel

Still very very cool video. I'm starting to like this guy more and more.



Though am I the only one here who feels like this is a bit like the starting point of The Matrix? Yes yes I seem to be talking a lot about The Matrix (and 1984 for that matter) but I guess this is why it is such a classic: you can always relate to it (can't believe I waited all these years to actually see it).

The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds

Really really really awesome video even though it has been transformed into a commercial. Picasso has nothing on this guy hahaha. THIS is art!

The uses of a marketing class

Ok ok I know I really should be studying, but just before I forget, I wanted to post these hilarious commercials that I discovered this week.

Philosophically critical dissection of a human heart

This post is specifically dedicated to Alice (Pumpkin, if you're reading this, I'm sure you're pulling your hairs out right now hahaha)

How do you know you're in love? No seriously, how do you know? I mean, I've heard this so many times that by now that I'm starting to hate the expression, but, every love is different. So by considering that premise, you can't base yourself on past experiences to know.

Sometimes love is explosive and hits you like a ton of bricks. You're strolling down the sidewalk and suddenly divine inspiration strikes you and you realize that you are madly in love with the idiot. And the realization somehow forces you to stop dead in your tracks and, depending on how emotionally unstable you are, you start to cry.

And other times, love creeps on you slowly and without you actually knowing what the hell is happening to you. It is so gradual that you barely notice the difference in your state of mind and you just end up very very confused. All you know is that you go to bed thinking about him and when you wake up, he's the first thing on your mind (after the mandatory, oh no I don't want to get out of bed can't I just sleep for 5-10-30 more minutes?). And you become needy and bitchy (though you try your hardest not to show it) and you want to bash his skull in if he doesn't write or call for a full 24 hours (ha who am I kidding, even 12 hours and you are starting to go crazy). And sometimes it's better and you feel almost like a normal human being and you can go through your day and get your things done without having to wonder what he's doing (unless you're in a mind-blowingly boring marketing class and then you really can't help yourself from texting him to come over to "study" later). And when he's there, you just want to hug him and kiss him and touch him and make him laugh. You'd do anything just to see him laugh. And when you kiss him you keep your eyes open, not wanting to miss the moment when he opens his eyes, not wanting to miss the dazed look in those gorgeous green orbs. And when you're in his arms, you just want to stay there forever (well ok let's not use forever, cause past experiences have taught me to be wary of that word). And sometimes he can be very thick and insensitive (though that could be the princess in me speaking....oh well, we can't change who we are now can we?) and you just want to slap him, but you will refrain because that will reveal the needy bitch that you are trying so hard to conceal. And you're not an innocent lamb either. Sometimes you wonder if you made the right choice, sometimes you wonder what it would be like if you were dating that guy or the other (always question everything hahaha). And you desperately want this to be special, and you desperately want to be special in his life, but you really have no way of knowing. To begin with you started out as friends and slowly moved from there and so very often you're scared of being just a convenience for him. And the summum of hypocrisy is that while you have compared him countless times to your ex, you're deathly afraid that he might be doing the same thing (and that she might somehow be better than you). And maybe the most important thing of all, he's never specifically told you that he loves you.

So all that to say that I have no clue what this is... Is it love, is it lust, is it emotional dependence, is it loneliness, is it convenience, is it routine? The more you think about it and the more you try to analyze it, the more confused you end up. Though have no fear, I'm sure that one day (with enough discoveries being made about the brain and its inner workings), I'll find the physical equations that will explain the human heart and I'll win a Nobel Prize for it mwahahaha!! Ok maybe not. In the mean time, I'm stuck dissecting and analyzing. Robot over and out.

Be a man!

It's very funny how society has a way to get into your head. How stereotypes end up ingrained into your system without you even noticing that they're there.

A couple of days ago, I was taking the metro to go to school and there was this guy walking in front of me and he was wearing this sort of furry black sweater that you could only possibly imagine one of the characters in Legally Blonde to wear. And the thought that sprung up in my head as a reaction was "How gay". And that made me stop and think.

I've always felt uncomfortable when other people used that expression because, one, I find it pejorative for homosexuals and, two, it makes assumptions about stereotypes and about what you should look like if you want to fit into a category or another.

And here I am using it myself. And just to make it clear, while I don't have homosexual tendencies myself, I have nothing against them (I mean I've been going to the Gay Pride for two years in a row now and I have gay, lesbian and bisexual friends). So how did I get here? Three years ago, I went into an incredible furry because I heard someone in school insult an emo and then a friend told me about the "Hit an emo day" circulating on the Internet. How did I go from defender of social justice to a member of society following the unwritten rules and adopting the prescribed stereotypes?

Is that a part of the process of growing up? I really hope not. Is it because of the people I've been spending time with in the past few years? I doubt it, since I always ended up chastising them whenever they used this expression. Maybe their influence was to trivialize the expression in my eyes (a bit like the fact that hearing about war, death and destruction on the news all the time has the effect of making them seem commonplace..."Oh another soldier died in Afghanistan today, ok what else is new?"). Maybe. Somehow, I slightly feel like I'm slipping into the world of 1984 and that my mind is being taken over by Big Brother. Or maybe I'm just a bit too paranoid. Maybe.

But what intrigues me even more is the stereotypes themselves and how they seem to be harsher on men in general. A woman can act and dress like a man, but besides being seen as tough or, worse come to worse, a dyke, it will never be seen as something pejorative (that's another thing I don't get...why is it a lesbian can call herself a dyke, but when anyone else uses it, it's all of a sudden offensive?...anyway going back on topic). However, if a man starts using skin creams and wearing scarfs and bags, he is gay. In a way, I think that this is an indication of the fact that we still live in highly patriarchal societies where everything that exudes masculinity is good (unless it brings to confusion about the person's gender, but that's another story), but femininity can only be displayed in certain cases and even there, with moderation (best example, Legally Blonde). I think that might also explain why lesbians are more accepted in society than gays.

Anyway, and all that has been brought about by a sweater! My mind really overreacts sometimes hahaha.