I keep meaning to write about my elective this semester. There were a couple of choices (War in Society, History of Technology, Video Game Culture) but in the end I chose Creative Thinking. The write-up for the class was:

“Today’s workplace is built on teamwork, flexibility and collaboration. This course develops thinking skills that many traditional business processes based on efficiency, logic, and control can’t achieve. It enables students to use their full range of human abilities, from the logical, to the intuitive, to the interactive. Students will develop skills in decision making, communication, creativity and leadership by employing artistic processes such as improvisation, performance, visual media. Creative Thinking puts art back into business. It gives students transformative skills - the ability to evolve along with a rapidly changing world.”

It sounded interesting, however, it’s turned out just plain weird. Last Friday we had to write about a painful memory and then have others critique them (in small groups). Most wrote about death, I wrote about being lost. In the end, simple participation got you 4/4 (being 4% of the overall grade). This Friday we had to listen to music clips, pick one, and do some type of improv to it. We did an imaginary patrol (with one group member sneaking up), then some imaginary sword fighting, with his death at the end. Again, participation gets you 4/4, so I’m now sitting 8/8 for the class. Basically showing up on the Friday class, and doing something silly (and creative) will get you 32%.

The rest of the marks will be two small presentations (30%), which she’s already said she’s going to be very generous with since we’re a group of strangers (ie. we’re all from different programs). Although the first presentation is supposed to be film/video and she’s talking about making us upload them on YouTube, so I’m not so sure about that. I will make a point to get any video that I do have put into electronic format in the next week or so. I’ve probably got enough old camcorder stuff that I can probably come up with something (once I know what the idea is supposed to be). There will be two take-home projects (no clue, 10% + 15%), and one test (again, no clue - 15%). And yes, that adds up to 102%.  

I think it will be a fun course overall, just not sure how much work that the take-home stuff will take.

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So I was enjoying the nice warmth of the fire last night and didn’t come back to enter my food. So, I’ll do that now, and then I’m off to get some of my homework done before I come back to the internet. In fact I might to do the non-computer stuff just so I’m not tempted. 

Food for yesterday:

Total: 2291 (18% fat, 39% carbs, 34% protein, 9% alcohol)

Breakfast: protein shake with oatmeal & sour cherries, pecans (441)
AM Snack: none (0)
Lunch: whole wheat tortillas, mustard, eye of round, apple (438)
PM Snack: beer (300)
Post-WO: protein shake (179)
Dinner: turkey sausage sauce, cheese, whole wheat pasta, salad w/dressing (657)
Late Snack: protein shake, fruit salad (275)