This weekend marked the unofficial end of cruise (this week marks the official end) - the captain's reception and it's coinciding with the TSGB's custom's port. This year, they stopped in San Diego, and it being my hometown, me and some shipmates made our way to the newly renovated cruise ship terminal and enjoyed the wonderful reception. Granted, it was the same as it always is - roast beast of mysterious age and origin, rolls which have been hidden from the students all cruise, and a bevy of frozen tropical fruits, all of which are smothered in pineapple juice making them deadly for consumption. Also, open wine and beer bar - huzzah! It was the usual schmoozing of parents/alumni/teachers who couldnt get out of it, as well as the captain's long drawn out boring speech.

But you dont want to hear about the speech, you want to hear gossip, right? So hear it is:

There's a new commandant in town, his name rhymes with Spumoni and everyone seems to be damned happy about it. I could fill volumes with the ills and frustrations and awful stories of the era of the previous Frau Kommandante, but needless to say, a change was desperately needed and the right change has been made. The man taking over (who I hear has plans to restore the old corps - thank every deity there may be) is a retired Master Chief of the USCG and by all accounts is very firm and strict but evenhanded in his justice. He also supposedly dislikes all of the previous commandants' appointments into corps positions.

We like the guy already. Why does all the good change happen once we've gone? Jeeez.

Busy weekend on campus - Friday was the deadline for Global Studies and Maritime Affairs Senior Thesis, which is our equivalent of the mates exam, and so Thursday night we were all up late trying to get it done. Mine, a whopping 57 pages, was turned it at approximately 0635 hours Friday morning. To celebrate, there were a number of parties, but pretty much everyone showed up at Heather and Alicia's post thesis/birthday party which merged with the last rugby social of the year at Brett's place. It was an amazing party, probably one of the last big "college parties" i'll really get to, so I'm glad I decided to go.

And now....it is Saturday. Which means that it is changeover. I don't know if I've blogged about changeover before, but it's a longstanding tradition around here. The idea is this: At the end of the year, right before mates exams, the graduating seniors (1st class cadets or midshipmen) are relieved of their duties to the corps, and to celebrate this, they have a big formal dance. It's kind of like prom around here. It's a big deal, and we get kicked out of almost every place we have it since you know how sailors party. I say almost because we actually managed to reserve the same place this year. SHOCK. At any rate, the actual changeover represents the changing over of the corps of cadets leadership to new people, and everyone collectively rising in rank. The ceremony was at the beginning of march, but since the corps is lame, we are having the dance now instead of then.

I have been sleeping in curlers, y'all. This is serious business - I didn't even do that for prom!

In equally exciting but less positive news, the secret service raided a certain pair of cadets today for counterfeiting and for cocaine sales. Way to give us a good name guys. While I hate to see any body's life ruined, I'm not unhappy that this happened - people like that can't be trusted and frankly, I don't want them in the industry. That behaviour gets people killed. We already have the most dangerous industry in America; more people die a year in the maritime industry than even in mining. I read a statistic once about the cost of life for every ton of cargo brought into this country, and it was chilling. Safety is fucking paramount because lives are at risk and there is only so much you can control when you are at the mercy of the sea. People who you can't trust, who make decisions like that, quite literally get people killed. It isn't a joke, it's not funny, it's the lives of the people you are with and that isn't something that should be taken lightly.

Holy crap, academia. We were blessed today by the presence of Dr. Heather Smith of the University of Northern British Columbia. She gave a talk - to a full Peachman Hall - on "Canada, the US and Climate Change: A Perspective from the Northern Neighbour." She was delightful - funny, informative, and thought provoking. She took our questions well, and although the northwest passage isn't her expertise, she answered our questions damned well. Her lectures very much reminded me of Dr Nincic's - real lectures with real information and not the droning snoozefests i've become accustomed to during her sabbatical. Definitely gave me a moral boost!

We're a small university, so we dont get much by way of speakers or guest lecturers, and we definitely dont generate much interest - nobody wants to speak here and fewer people attend guest lectures, but this one turned out fabulously.

In other news, I actually read the Jamestown Foundation's Terrorism Focus email (i get the digest and i usually skip through it) this afternoon and imagine my surprise to read the following:

FATWA IN TRIBAL PAKISTAN DECLARES TALIBAN “OUT OF ISLAM”

A new fatwa (religious ruling) issued in the Pashtun Darra Adam Khel region of Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province declares the Taliban to be “out of Islam” as a result of their violence, failure to follow Islamic teachings and takfiri ideology (the latter referring to the Salafist-jihadi practice of declaring fellow Muslims “infidels” if they oppose jihadist dogma). According to the fatwa’s author, Mufti Zainul Abidin, “The Taleban leaders consider themselves and their directives as superior to true Islamic principles and directives as ordained by Almighty Allah” (The Nation [Islamabad], March 23). The Mufti invites other members of the ulama (scholars of Shari’a law) to denounce the “inhuman and immoral” acts of the Taliban.

The fatwa singled out the pronouncements of Mufti Khalid Shah, a Taliban religious leader of dubious credentials who has attacked established Islamic scholars in a series of Taliban-issued CDs. Khalid Shah issued a statement in December 2006 urging attacks on local NGOs “promoting the agenda of the Jews and Christians” (Dawn [Karachi], December 23, 2006). This was followed by an Urdu language fatwa pasted at night on the walls of Darra Adam Khel declaring a jihad against the Pakistan government (Daily Times [Lahore], May 3, 2007). Darra Adam Khel is notorious for its thriving arms bazaar and was the scene of heavy fighting between Taliban militants and the Pakistan military earlier this year (see Terrorism Focus, February 13).

Islamic scholars in the region have been reluctant to oppose the Taliban publicly since the still unsolved assassination of Maulana Hassan Jan in 2007 after he declared the practice of suicide-bombing “un-Islamic” (The News [Karachi], September 16, 2007; PakTribune, September 15, 2007).

Something to nosh on over dinner, you guys. Take a think on it.

It's been quite the productive past few days!

First off, I finished presenting my thesis and finished the bulk of the writing. As it stands, im going through the last revision process - but essentially my thesis is done. I kind of feel anticlimactic about it!

I also finished my Waterloose Socks (pattern by Randi Knudsen) and they came out beautifully. the shades are a bit off between the two, different dye lots, but still, they are fabulous. My Secret pal is going to love them; they are in her favorite color! I'll post pictures once she receives them, don't worry.

i also took care of that blood glucose test I've been putting off. 121 - high, but not awful. so we're okay for now.

Oh - and i finished watching season 2 of Little Mosque on the Prairie. Why did they have to leave it on a cliffhanger? Is Rayyan gonna pick JJ or Amaar? Will Amaar tell Rayyan that hes in love with her? AUGH. This is why i cant watch soaps, people. it drives me nuts. I need to find where I put season 3 of Corner Gas while im at it. >.>

The thesis gets officially submitted on Friday, and the big changeover dance is Saturday! I'm really excited, y'all. You do not even know.

We're officially a month away from graduation too - it all goes by so quickly, doesn't it?

More than you know

Despite my insistence that i wasnt going to buy any more yarn until I used up what I already have...Jimmy Beans was having a sale on Lornas Laces, so I gave in and bought 2 skeins of LL Shepard Sock in Argyle (I love that colourway) which im not sure qualifies for the earth section of Project spectrum or not, but we'll see. I've been working my way through my socks - I'm officially on the cuff of my first toe-up sock, which would have probably been done by now if school hadn't gotten in the way. My seecond skein of Avanti is coming in so that I can finish the socks im knitting for my secret pal, and also some soft soft soft yarn for her >3

Mates Exams are this week. Good luck everyone!!! This is the culmination of our four years and the beginning of our careers....very scary. Well, it is for the deck guys, anyway. My culmination is this friggin thesis - still not done. I think I'd rather take mates!

Also, I decided to eat healthier over break - fruit, yogurt, pot pies, and not so much sugar. And work out. We'll see how it works out.

Also: I have grapes. YAY

About a hundred years ago

This morning I met two lovely gentlemen who were on campus for the memorial service for a classmate from the class of 1948. We shared some stories about the academy; and it's nice to know that no matter how much this place has changed, some things are pretty constant.

There also used to be barracks where the tennis courts are now. Not a bad idea, if you ask me.