This Thesis May NOT Be Copied

Did you think I was going to forget to blog this week? Bwah ha! I triumph again. Anywho, for the last three days I have been spending all my spare moments at work on a new "special" project. Special for two reasons: one because I work in Special Collections of the Harold B. Lee Library and thus everything I do there is "special" and second, because I'm doing the job no one else wanted to do. I have been going through all the dusty old theses in the stacks labeling ones with copyright restrictions. However, there are some benefits to this seemingly tedious assignment. The most important one is that I get to jam to my own ipod tunes while I'm doing it. Seriously...I am getting paid to listen to my music and move my hand mechanically. Another added bonus are the fascinating subjects I get to ponder after reading theses titles. I even stumbled across one with a typo! It read "A radiographic study of the large vowel in 25 normal children" when it SHOULD have read "A radiographic study of the large BOWEL in 25 normal children." Amazing what one letter can mean eh? Like I said, riveting stuff. So overall, I really think all the other chumps at work are missing out on a good time. My life is good, REAL good.

On another completely unrelated topic, I am now going to rant about some literature. Right now I am reading Emma as part of an assignment for my Jane Austen class. Since beginning the class, I've learned to appreciate Austen's writing from a more scholarly view. Thus, I held out hope that although I couldn't stand Emma when I read it a few years ago, all the critical hype about it would prove something worthwhile. Sadly, I am disappointed. While I am still an avid Austen fan and I love her wit, I cannot look upon Emma Woodhouse with anything less than loathing. She one of the most egocentric, ignorant, and conceited characters I have ever read. At least with villains they know they are bad, but Emma is supposed to be the heroine! What kind of person butts into everyone's business, screws everybody's lives up, and then gets the awesome guy? I hate hate hate it! In this instance I really wish fiction wasn't like real life, but alas Austen has it right. It's the story we all know and hate to hear. So here's a thesis statement for you: Emma teaches us one thing only (yes I'm being hyperbolic but just roll with it), and that is that money and good looks can secure you a happily ever after. Thank you fairy godmother.