you never can tell (or the jack rabbit slims twist contest)

[theladyrose]

I am tempted to toss away every plan I've had so far of getting work done because something totally unexpected ends up delaying the best of my intentions.

Initially I planned to go to Lamont Library after lunch to look up a chapter in a biography on B.F. Skinner for my behaviorism oral presentation tomorrow. Originally I had planned to meet Danielle over there, but the lines were horrifically long and I couldn't find her anywhere. I ended up checking for mail and then looking at LJ friends' updates before it struck me that I ought to get some food. Unfortunately that really nice guy who gives me free pizza wasn't by the Science Center cafe today so I actually had to pay.

It's 1:30 PM at this point, so I figure that I'll head back towards my room to get my laptop and then go over to the library. Just outside my dorm, though, I spotted a lost looking middle-aged guy. What started out as a "Do you know where Mather Hall is?" turned into a lecture on wealth redistribution, housing subsidies, the conservative bias in American politics, problems with the New York City transportation system, public transport security in preventing terrorism, the Iraq war, joining the military, and getting into Harvard (his views, at least), roughly in that order. The guy turned out to be one of the union organizers for the NYC MBTA bus and subway division (he showed me his membership card, and it looked realistic enough) whose wife was attending her class reunion at Harvard; hence, he was searching for her old dorm while she was hobnobbing with her former classmates. His views on politics and conservatism struck me as being rather simplistic (populistic, even, but he's a union member after all), but it was entertaining enough to hear him rant and give me "the insider's perspective" on security in mass public transportation. And thanks to him, I now know how to get decent rates for dental coverage and discounts for subway tickets. I couldn't figure out whether or not he thought I was much smarter or much dumber than I look; after awhile I think it was the former when I scolded him for ingesting all of the phosphoric acid in diet beverages. He, Larry, seemed to take a mildly creepy interest in the fact that I am Asian and hinted that he couldn't share a computer with his wife because of "certain kinds of images she might accidentally discover." I gave him my e-mail address anyway because he intrigues me and seems harmless enough.

I really do love meeting all of the various eccentrics around Harvard Yard/Square. Perhaps it's because I'm equally bizzare?

I kept trying to muster up the energy to go over to the library, but various friends kept stopping by to talk and convince me to do something with them. Not that I mind the distraction, but I really did need to get my report done. Finally by 9 this evening I went over to the library to start my brief report and randomly lectured about Skinner's baby tender/air crib to Sophia as we were doing laundry.

I don't want to go back home for some time; I'm approaching my third week here at Harvard, and already I can't stand to think about leaving. God forbid I become bored of a less absurd existence in Pleasantview and regret all of the times I could have done something with someone and didn't this summer.

Comments

[horosha.livejournal.com]

You could always tell your teacher you were trapped in a Skinner Box. As a matter of fact, you could make the claim that Harvard is its own Skinner Box, operantly conditioning you through the pleasure of friends (your primary reinforcer) in order to avoid your work (your conditioned response).

[lacesilkvinyl.livejournal.com]

*shakes head* ... see, this is how you're going to get raped someday. I know it.... creepy guys....... *sigh*

And..... EDIT: At... er... sometime o'clock, I barged into my friend's dorm room and chatted for a really long time [er... okay, that was a little bit of exaggeration there] because she was really, really tired......

And the laundry..... that's why you didn't come get Bubble Tea with us! Awwww.... well, we ended up going to Herrell's instead for ice cream. Mine was good... but really expensive. Don't they have a Dairy Queen around here? Nothing beats $2 soft-serve with hot fudge.

Maybe Friday?

[a-mire.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeeeeee!

I read an article recently about Everquest as a Skinner box. I was actually reading it because I use a modified Maslow's hierarchy quite a bit at work and I'm always looking for new angles.

Anyway, I couldn't help thinking of LJ. Make post, get yummy comment, get yummy comment get yummy comment.

*click*
*click*
*click*

[theladyrose.livejournal.com]

I really must try that sometime, although I'm not too keen on being compared to
a lab rat. Vaguely random trivia fact: Skinner stopped using rats after 1948 when he discovered that pigeons were far superior for experimentation. He also taught his own Walter Pigeon to play the piano.

And how do you know that my avoidance of work isn't an unconditioned response?

LOL!

[theladyrose.livejournal.com]

Scary...I had never thought of LJ as a positive reinforcer. At last I can attempt to explain my addiction! Mmmm, feedback.

Perhaps I could use my compulsive LJ-posting as my target behavior for my self-modification report later on.

[theladyrose.livejournal.com]

Psssht, I can take care of myself. I have assertiveness training and therefore can theoretically shake off said creeps! But he was pretty nice and did show me ID that looked pretty damned realistic.

Heh, I'm surprised that I didn't add that. To the edit button we go...

I haven't seen any Dairy Queens around, but I'd probably ask Mekkie as she knows more about these things.

Friday sounds good...let's figure out times when we get boba tonight :)