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January 22, 2007
I need the answers to 2 really big questions
This blog has almost 200 comments right now. When Heidi announced that she would give a prize to the reader who wrote her blog's 300th comment, she was flooded with words of wisdom like "yup" and "didu". So my rules are: the 200th comment gets some sort of reward (though what this actually is will depend on who wins, as I don't meet everyone offline), but I can delete any comment I want to, and I would like the answers to these questions:
1. What kind of computer should I buy?
I've never had to worry about this before. I grew up surrounded by computers. They were named after characters in the Lord of the Rings. I'm not kidding. You'd think I would have learned enough geekiness in that kind of environment to be able to make this kind of decision on my own by now, but no. Geeky I may be, but not in that way. I've never had to choose a computer because there was always one (or two) around that I could use. I've asked some individual people about this and everyone just tells me to buy whatever they have themselves. This brings me to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter. So I go and find an ok-looking laptop with plenty of disk space and a low price. And then everyone starts saying: "NO! Get what I have!" And then the whole Apple/Windows discussion starts, but no one has ever been able to explain to me why it really matters, especially since I'm not going to play around with music or pictures or anything; I just want to store stuff and write stuff and use the internet. But I have people saying: "I want you to have a Mac because they're prettier." (What is it about guys? They won't notice a new haircut and they couldn't care less what you're wearing, but they care whether your laptop is pretty or not.) I know that the Apple/Windows debate is huge, but what are they really fighting about, and is it worth the extra cash?
2. What should my bachelor thesis be about?
I'm writing a bachelor thesis this semester. It's 10 credits (30 credits is a full semester; I'm taking 40 now), and should be 15 pages. So it isn't huge, but it's still the conversation topic with my classmates. It can be about pretty much anything within international economics, political science, history, globalization, international relations, international law etc. I have a few ideas, but none that really stand out as the one perfect idea. So is there anything you'd like me to figure out? I'm serious; I ued to have a list of questions I wanted a psychologist to answer (no, not about my own head, I mean research I would have sponsored if I had money). So maybe someone who doesn't talk about globalization and foreign policy every day can still come up with a good suggestion for what I should write about.
PS. Rambukk wrote the 100th comment. If you're still reading, you can suggest your own prize if you want.
PPS. The people who write Tversover, Applied Abstractions and Lena's Knits and Pieces (my parents) are disqualified, since they can see how many comments are on this blog.
Posted by Julie at January 22, 2007 7:47 PM
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Comments
1) Let me try to explain why it really matters - by cortados at Georg. Tomorrow. I have my reasons ten minsten...
2) When your chase after a BAthesis has been met with a satisfying reply - care to let me roam around the left over suggestions? I am utterly desperat.
3) Reward: coffee
Posted by: per ivar at January 23, 2007 12:33 AM
Hei hopp
Skriv om noe som har tilknytning til det du vil jobbe med senere. Vil du jobbe i NyStatoil, skriv om korupsjon i Iran, vil du jobbe i media, skriv noe de kan bruke senere.
Det er mitt eneste tips, jeg tror jeg har min oppgave, men jeg gir den ikke bort :p
Posted by: Yohv at January 23, 2007 5:31 PM
1) Buy the computer you like. It doesn´t really matter as long as it satisfy your needs. The important thing is what comes out of it, like blog-posts and bachelor thesis. I use Windows at work and Apple at home, both work. Personally I prefer Mac, I think it´s more "friendly", less fuzz, it just works. For me, a computer is just a tool, it has no value in itself. I don´t want to spend hours figuring out what the PC want me to do.
2) I couldn´t possibly give you a good advice here. But one subject I would like to read more about, is the relationship between Belarus/Russia/Lukashenka/Putin regarding Lukashenka´s ambitions/dependencies/alliance with Russia and Putins interest in Lukashenkas Belarus vs. the opposition´s focus on the West. Anyway, is it possible to order a copy on email, when it is written?
3) I´m still reading. Wow, suggest my own price?! Ok. Comments in my blog are always appreciated, or an email with your bachelor thesis, or maybe a coffe at La Sosta. Well, the honour of being the 100th is a reward in itself...
Posted by: Rambukk at January 23, 2007 9:58 PM
Bella - du finner ikke den perfekte oppgaven Såder bare. Du velger den tingen på lista di som du digger mest, og så kommer du til å lese uforskammet mye interessant om det, og så endrer du problemstilling tjue ganger underveis, og så, den 20. mai, dagen før levering, har du, kjære venn, Den Perfekte Oppgaven. Sett igang! Ikke kast bort tida! Dette er det gøyeste du kommer til å gjøre på Blindern. Husker du meg? Jeg skrev min grøvlende på gulvet på PU-konoret. Jeg kunne ha valgt å vente, jeg kunne senket ambisjonene og tenkt litt mer på den stakkars ryggen, men det var likevel fullstendig uaktuelt, for INTER3090 ER HELT SUPERDUPERT! Nyt det. Puss.
Posted by: Anna at January 25, 2007 11:29 PM
Per Ivar - thanks for a long (and good) coffee break and an explanation.
Yohv - det var akkurat det jeg var redd noen skulle si. Jeg vet jo ikke hva jeg vil jobbe med.
Rambukk - my thesis will be available online, but of course I'll e-mail it if you want me to. I know I'm not the best at commenting other people's blogs (despite my complaints that my friends don't commment mine), but I hope my constant linking to your blog makes up for this. As Per Ivar has already suggested, coffee is always a good reward.
Anna - jeg vet det, og det er likevel godt å høre det igjen. Jeg gleder meg, men det er litt skummelt at folk foreslår på pu-kontoret at 3090 bør være et 20-poengsfag, og jeg tenker: "hjelp,| dette er bare en fjerdedel av det jeg skal gjøre på blindern nå, og da har vi ikke engang regnet med pu."
Everyone - if I write the 200th comment, it won't count. That would be cheating.
Posted by: Julie at January 25, 2007 11:45 PM
Have you found a thesis for your bachelor?
I wrote about international cooperation on environmental issues last semester!
It was more interesting than it sounds like.
Posted by: thea at January 30, 2007 3:40 AM
By now you've probably decided, and maybe already made your purchase. But I hope you got yourself a MacBook - that is, if you can afford to spend the extra cash - NOK 9-10000 (with a student discount) is pretty steep for a computer with its average (yet good enough for most purposes) specs.
"For me, a computer is just a tool, it has no value in itself. I don´t want to spend hours figuring out what the PC want me to do." Using a computer never was a means in itself for me, so I tend to agree with Rambukk, but only under the condition that tools aren't _just_ tools - there are certain pleasures (tactile, aesthetical, the mastering) to using a good, solid tool. And the Macs feel as good as they look. They are still nothing more than computers, that is stupid, erring, and at times annoying, but probably somewhat less so than their Windows counterparts. Subtle functionality like (almost) never having to reboot (open lid and it's instantly on) makes a big difference to me.
And thanks for the free coffee shop-story.
Posted by: i1277 at February 9, 2007 1:14 PM
girl, just pick whatever you want. I would go with a notebook laptop.
Posted by: skaterchick at October 4, 2007 4:47 PM