Stupid Hotmail...

I know I avoid Hotmail at all costs, but I DO use it if I need to for stuff that could potentially involve spam. So I decided that I should make use of my extra Gmail invites and invite myself to create a 1 GB bobo account. I can use it for all things that might involve getting junk mail, and I guess I can keep those really big emails that I don't feel like getting rid of and would take up too much space in my archive (like the 100 MB of pictures that was sent to me recently). So if anyone wants to send me e-mails about retrieving lost millions in Nigeria, send 'em to larley@gmail.com This was all prompted by two particularly annoying incidents. The first incident involved my posting an ad to sell stuff on McGill classifieds. I checked my e-mail and there were like 20 new e-mails and 5 or so in the spam folder. The 20 e-mails were from this same spam group that has been e-mailing me for a long time (and they always change their e-mail (Dai.ly.sav.ers@www.gdsesisjdkjf.com becoming D.ail.ysav.ers@www.dshfjkdgnjk.com, etc.) even though I've been telling hotmail every time that they are junk. In my junk mail folder, however, I found e-mails regarding the ad. And one piece of spam. I KNOW I deserve it for using hotmail, but still!!! The second incident was on my birthday. I had been told by Zach that he had send me a gift certificate from Amazon.ca. Not knowing of my allegiance to Gmail, he had sent it to my usual hotmail address, where I RARELY get spam (I never understood how it managed to stay so clean for such a long time). I don't get the e-mail. I can't access the gift certificate. He has to contact amazon.ca to void the old one and send me a new one. I don't get it. In desperation I start going through my nearly empty spam folder. Not there. Guess where it was? THE FUCKING TRASH! Argh! I shall repeat my mantra: "Stupid Hotmail... Stupid Microsoft..." Rant #2: My "Molecular Biology of the Gene" midterm exam was postponed from Oct. 14 to Oct. 21... This was apparently due to the Biology department intelligently making the exam conflict with two or three OTHER exams in the Biology department. Now, normally I'd be jumping for joy if an exam was postponed, being a major practitioner of procrastination. However, the exam now happens to be in direct conflict with my "Mathematical Models in Biology" midterm - ANOTHER EXAM IN THE BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT!!! Kind of ridiculous, no? So I sent an angry letter to the Chair of the Biology department, and discussed the matter with my teacher, and they will TRY to come up with a more convenient date for the makeup exam. Though I know they will somehow screw it up. Can't they come up with a system that has all the course information for all students and works out midterm schedules based on what has the least conflict for everything? I mean, I'm sure they have one for organizing the times and locations for classes (though I often find myself doubting that too...) I wish I were a CompSci major - I'd be working on a viable, open source solution to be implemented by all universities. :P On another, more calming note, I started taking Tai Chi classes last week, and it's turned out to be quite enjoyable. I mean, I will always need more practice, and you can't expect to fully learn something as soon as you walk out of the class. I have to work at it and spend much time trying to get it almost right, only to go to class and be shown a more fine-tuned version which I must try to emulate. Along with the forms, I have learned a lot of different exercises and stretches that are good for those days (i.e: every day) where a lot of time is spent sitting down, and there are some great ones to relieve stress. I'm very happy I finally worked up the initiative to sign up and apply myself to Tai Chi. Soon enough I'll be out there on the mountain doing Tai Chi amongst the trees... ;) Now Reading : Letter Perfect, The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet From A to Z Now Playing : Rhapsody - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II