Hello

So anyways, I still haven't been back to work. I went back last Monday (or was it Thursday?) and my boss asked me if I felt well enough to be back at work, and I said no. So she sent me home. I have had some more panic attacks (for the treatment of which I am on this medication) so I didn't feel like going to work as busy, stressful situations seem to set off panicky episodes. They are not sever, but are certainly uncomfortable and undesirable.

On a brighter note however, I received my marks from last semester's modules and was so happy/excited by them that I did not know what to do with myself.

Basically, I am the top student on my course, which, as I just said, makes me so happy I don't know what to do with myself. My overall marks were as follows:

Europe, Exclusion, and Ethnicity - 68%
Introduction to Marx and Marxism - 75%
Philosophy of the Social Sciences - 70%
Political Theory - 75%

So overall, that's about a 72%, which is a 'First'. While these marks don't seem good by North American standards, in the UK the top mark achievable is usually 75%, and most tutors won't give a mark higher than this. So while these would be very average marks in Canada, they are extraordinary marks in the UK.

Thank you for indulging me this opportunity to boast unashamedly. I am soooooo happy about this. Just absolutely thrilled.

Also, I found out yesterday that my dog, Toby, ate a bag of chicken fat which he found in the neighbours garbage and as a result suffered liver trauma and pancreatitis. He had to spend a 600$ weekend in the hospital but is now apparently doing okay (ie. he is happy and back at home). There is some concern that he may have a tumor on his liver so he is going to get some more bloodwork done in a few weeks after his pancreas gets better. Please pray that my little puppy is okay. Here is his picture:




I finished The Pyschopathology of Everyday life a couple days ago and enjoyed it immensely. Basically, Freud's idea is that things like forgetting names, slips of the tongue, and other such mental screw-ups which happen to everyone so often are not the results of random chance but have their origin in unconscious mental activities and if analysed can reveal unconscious activities to the observer. All very interesting. Also, I'm almost done The Interpretation of Dreams, I'll probably finish it tonight. It has been extremely enjoyable as well and I must say that Freud is quite the genius when it comes to philosophy of the mind.

I have to present a seminar on the concept of Oedipus as used figuratively by Freud and which was over-exaggerated by subsequent critiques (ie. taken literally as an assertion that all men are planning to kill their fathers and sleep with their mothers if the opportunity presents itself). I chose this question because it presents the opportunity to read the Theban Plays of Sophocles (Antigone, Oedipus the King, and Oedipus at something-something), which are supposed to be quite interesting. I will also get to re-read Hamlet, as Freud also draws a point from this play. I will let you know how this progresses.

Well, there it is, a big juicy update for my blog. But who will read it?

-dj