Fringe Musings

So I made a video? ...

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Introduction to my “Thoughts on…” Series:  Before I get into the real meat (or kale for the vegans out there) of this post I’d like to introduce a new series of articles that I’d like to start here on fringe musings. I won’t call it a book club because I hate clubs, but basically on the concluding Sunday of every month I’m going to write down  (and subsequently type up) my thoughts on a book that I’ve read that month.  At the end of each article, I’ll introduce the book for the following month with a convenient link...

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As it turns out, I really hate to work. I didn’t grow up thinking I’d be lazy, but then I really should have; all the telltale signs were there.  I very easily abandon unfinished tasks without so much as a shred of guilt, all the while reminding myself that I am perfectly capable of finishing said tasks and am simply choosing not to out of some sort of obligation to a new, more important, undertaking.  During my undergraduate degree I switched majors several times, in the end returning to my original venture as it turned out to be...

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I’ll preface this by saying that I’m not, and have never been, a political science major.  I’m not even one of those people who’s “always been interested in politics”; I’ll shamefully admit that I’ve had to Google ‘libertarianism’ more times than I’m proud of.  They say you should write what you know, so I guess things are really going off the rails here. Despite all of these, very good, reasons for why I probably should NOT be writing this; here we are. First of all, if you are Canadian watching American political debates for the first time, get...

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By now we’ve all heard about the tragic water situation in Flint.  To very briefly summarize, after a switch in water sources in Flint, Michigan, there was an increase in leaching of lead from old pipes in flint into the water, resulting in a massive exposure to dangerous levels of lead across the area. Unfortunately, for many of this a situation like this could hit closer to home than we realize, with many older homes containing lead in the pipe infrastructure that, depending on the situation, could/is leaching lead. What’s the Problem with Lead? Most of us (hopefully) know...

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It's that time of year again, you've just recovered from the whirlwind of Groundhog Day and you find yourself in a bind for the so-called 'holiday of love' (does anyone call it that?). Fortunately, I've put together a comprehensive guide to Valentine's Day regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or political leanings (but please, no conservatives…). Scroll down for the only gift guide you'll ever need: ...

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Personally, I’ve always lamented the loss of Pluto as a ‘real’ planet.  Losing Pluto is like losing a close friend who, despite knowing they weren’t good for you, you wanted to hold on to for ‘old times’ sake’. Fortunately, just as we find ourselves moving on from our weird planet-human relationship with ex-Planet 9, a new prospect emerges on the horizon. Or rather, a prospective prospect. Researchers believe that they have evidence of a new, better, larger Planet 9, one that would (for the sake of our gentle hearts) not be torn away from us the way Pluto...

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Academic integrity is important. Obviously. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who would argue otherwise. Unfortunately, our collective loss of academic integrity is ever-growing and more commonplace than you might expect.  Let me explain. Whether it is intentional or not, a lack of academic integrity is overlooked by your peers, teaching assistants, and even professors everyday.  I’m not talking about forgetting to reference something in your report or essay. This, albeit careless and erroneous, is not an act of moral negligence in my opinion. The academic integrity I’m concerned with is the overall loss of interest in...

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1. Be Healthy This one is really unique (!). Let’s face it, most of us probably have some intention of being healthier, becoming more fit, eating more vegetables (yuck), eating fewer pizzas (yum), etc. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the fact that I am currently eating my way through a tin of cookies, and indulged in a greasy hangover-curing breakfast, I’ve already failed at this one.  2. Drink More Water I really struggle with this one. I don’t know why, but I really hate drinking water. The only reason I haven’t passed out from dehydration (recently) is the obscene...

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