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Bad dates, or, when can I leave?

By Stephanie Trembath

is comprised of selfish indulgences and

easily accessible pleasures. The fast-
paced attitude most Vancouverites have
adopted extends to almost every area of
our lives, which unfortunately includes our
relationships.

In 2009 alone an estimated 2.9 million
British Colombians used online dating
services on a monthly basis to connect and
meet singles much like themselves. With
hundreds of different dating sites to choose
from, and thousands of different dating tips
offered on the internet, our North American
culture has embraced an attitude that makes
the most of our precious time regardless of
the other person involved.

Dating, defined as a social appointment,
engagement, or occasion arranged
beforehand with another person, has come
to mean so much more in our society.
Getting ready for a date may take hours.

For women, an appropriate outfit that isn’t
too sexy but still attractively alluring may
be changed multiple times and charged on
numerous credit cards. Choosing exactly
where to go and what to do on a date is just
as troublesome, which is why online dating
took over.

I however do not believe in online
dating. I think it is as helpful as it is
deceptive. Dating should be fun and exciting,
especially for students to assist in relieving
ourselves of the stress surrounding school.

I embrace the fast-paced attitude of
most Vancouverites and the busy schedule
of a working student, which makes dating
a little bit harder. Dating is time consuming
and if you’re on a terrifically bad date, it is a
complete waste of time. This leads me to my
question: if you happen to be on a bad date
exactly how long do you have to stay?

Saturday night I had changed my outfit
the expected million times, spent an hour
touching up my hair, and worried about
wearing too much makeup or too high heels.
Finally, I set out to Vancouver to meet up
with my date, where we compromised: I had

8

E today’s modern world, our generation

 

to watch a sporting event and he had to meet
my friends.

It took me exactly two hours to realize
that this person was definitely not my type
and that I never wanted to see him again,
but I had absolutely no idea how to politely
leave without pulling the typical “I forgot
to feed my dog” line. When free time is so
rare and Saturday night only comes once a
week, spending it with someone you barely
know to NOT enjoy yourself is absolutely
unnecessary and absurd. No matter how rude
it was, I left; it was only nine o’clock and I
was free to enjoy the remainder of my night.

I realize this was incredibly selfish, but
without initiating in online dating how else
is it possible to get to know a person and
meet someone you like? Everyone is busy,
everyone has commitments, but really, if I
am not having a good time should I have to
sit and endure my date much like getting a
tooth pulled at the dentist? If you know right
away that things are not going to work, is it
that wrong to say so and go your separate
ways? You're doing the other person a
favour as well.

OOM OB COM NES
Do not pick up the bill and announce,
“God, your drink was expensive” and then
put it face up in front of your date, especially
if you have consumed three beers compared
Com Tormey ome TMOE

Do not spend the entire night talking
about man’s descent from outer space and
the evolution of aliens. The discussion of
Scientology is a bit heavy for a first date,

unless you look like Tom Cruise.

And do not leave all your sweaty gym
gear in the car and then sit and talk about
how badly it smells. ] know how badly it

smells—I am sitting night beside it!

 

 

Fuming? Nodding? Tell us what you think;
contact opinions@ theotherpress.ca with your
opinions about this or any other article

 

 

 

 

 

Kindle now available in Canada

Could electronic books replace textbooks?

     

Trevor Doré

opinions editor

ast week, Amazon announced that
the Kindle, its popular electronic
book would now be available
in Canada. This announcement got
me thinking: what is the potential for
electronic books to someday replace
traditional books in an academic context?

Any and every student is familiar with
the textbook burdens that are inherent to
student life. Every semester we shell out
copious amounts of money for brand new
textbooks that we use over the course of
the semester and then proceed to lumber
them around from class to class. Once
finals are finished, so are the books.
Traditional books have been around
for ages and they go hand in hand with
education. We don’t often stop to ponder
their necessity because it is common sense.
But is there a more suitable alternative?

This is where the Kindle comes in.
The Kindle was originally released in the
United States two years ago. The electronic
book is comparable in thickness to that of
a magazine and lighter than the average
paperback. Amazon offers over 360,000
books to choose from and one Kindle
can hold up to 1,500 books at a time.

The battery allows for up to one week of
reading on a single charge.

Could electronic books replace
traditional books, making traditional paper
and ink a thing of the past? Electronic
books are lighter than traditional books
and because one book can store thousands

 

 

of books, you only need one. Educational
textbooks can be distributed at a lower cost
than print versions, resulting in a financial
benefit for students. Note taking, passage
highlighting and a built in dictionary make
great study features.

While electronic books do not
consume paper or ink in their production,
they are constructed of resources that can
be environmentally hazardous and non-
biodegradable. They also require energy
to charge. Whether or not electronic books
have an environmental advantage will
have to be left for further extensive study.
Environmental issues aside, electronic
books seem to have some advantages in an
academic context.

Although I have never used an
electronic book, I imagine they lack

' tangibility. There is something to be said

for being able to flip through the pages of
a book and truly get a feel for it. There is
also something about relaxing with a good
“traditional” book or walking through the
rows upon rows of books at the library. It
is in these tangible aspects, offered by the
traditional book, that I feel the electronic
book may fall short.

Perhaps, one day there will be an
incorporation of the electronic book in
academia. However, I don’t foresee a
total replacement anytime soon. So, until
e-books are college issue, save money and
the environment and buy used books by
taking advantage of the campus bookstore
buy back period, December 14-18 this
semester.

 

 

Fuming? Nodding? Tell us what you think;
contact opinions@ theotherpress.ca with your
opinions about this or any other article