Photos and update

New photos on my flickr site of our lovely home town and the visit by the Family of Wife this past weekend. Check them out. There are a bunch of pictures of alligators. There is a post about it to follow when I'm not up past my bedtime.

School is going well so far. Still pretty early in the semester. The production class is coming along, some days good and some days could be better. But the more time I spend working myself on the projects they'll have to do (yes I am doing much of what I expect them to do) the more comfortable I feel with it. What has been most amazing is that although I haven't been in a tv or radio studio in at least 16 years, I still know what I am doing pretty much. I mean I wouldn't hire me to direct the nightly news or anything but I still have some skills that could pay some bills. In fact I'm making myself available to a fellow faculty member who does freelance production work and he might have some things for me to do. I'm also planning on doing some dj-ing on the campus station this summer. My first time on air since I got booted for on air obscenity in 91. Guess that deserves its own post soon too.

I can overanalyze anything

Returning to that whole too smart for my own good idea, I have the amazing ability to overthink any decision I need to make. I can see too many sides to it and feel strongly for and against something, going over them in my head. I end up doing nothing because I can't determine enough of an advantage to one or the other. Makes Wife nuts.

As a counter to this I will often get so frustrated with not being able to decide that I will do something impulsive and irrational. Like get a tattoo whether I can afford it or not. Or buy a scooter or motorcycle I possibly don't need. This, also, makes Wife nuts.

Case in point, what to do about the car situation. I can keep the one we have now, paying it off and getting a better trade in next year (after fixing the exhaust). Or I can decide that it will slowly get more beat up and cost more in the long run than I'll get in total trade in value by letting it depreciate more. Which to do? And on top of that, what car do I get to replace it?

The front runners:

Honda Element
Pros: Decent but not great gas mileage, looks cool, can haul scooter when needed, can be cleaned easily if dog makes sick in it.
Cons: Most expensive realistic option.

Toyota Tacoma
Pros: Decent gas mileage, for a pickup truck, can haul scooter at any time, dog never really got sick in old pickup, boderline affordable.
Cons: Wife doesn't want one, would need to get more expensive crew cab model, harder to park when not hauling scooter.

Honda Fit
Pros: Best gas mileage, best price, Mom-in-Law works for Honda.
Cons: Small, no hauling scooter, dog got sick in last car from time to time so risk here.

Mini Cooper
Pros: Looks coolest, competitive price, second best gas mileage. Did I mention looks coolest?
Cons: Even smaller especially for long distance, no hauling luggage?, dog sick in tiny car so no room for smell?, Mom-in-Law does not work for BMW, only two doors.

So there you go, sort that one out.

I bet this doesn't happen to math professors

Some time last semester I was working in my office and a staff employee asked me about a comic strip on my door. It pokes fun at the career options of people who pursue higher degrees in the humanities. So he asked me what I studied. I told him media.

Here is the thing about studying media. Everyone has an opinion about it. And most of them that feel they need to share their opinions do not think happy thoughts.

He proceeded to tell me what was wrong with the news. I think it was mainly that they ruined Howard Dean in the last election or something. And I made a crucial error. I tried to argue logically. And play devil's advocate a little. I mentioned that if enough folks don't watch something they dislike its ratings will suffer and it will be replaced. Wrong tactic to explain things so simply.

He began ranting at me about other issues wrong with the news. Apparently a common misconception is that I have some level of pull with the networks and can get them to fix things if you complain to me. And I tried to point out that he was trying to argue several different points. And he got more worked up about things stating he was doing no such thing. Then I realized in his mind he wasn't. He was basically making one big argument and that is "Media is bad and you must agree with me about that."

He was was basically hoping I would say, "You're right, media is terrible." And I wasn't doing that. Which just made him more aggressive. I finally told him I really needed to get back to work since I had class in five minutes and I don't really even watch American news programs. I watch BBC America (remember that thing early about if you don't like it, avoid it? I follow my own advice) and pursue news online.

He went away and then came back three minutes later and made what he thought was some sort of sweeping finishing statement that was kind of sad considering he probably spent the whole time thinking it up. "The root word of news is new." Yeah, great. Except like I tried to tell him, finding new gets hard when you have 24 hours of news day to fill. Which means you turn to fluff to get something novel but he hated fluff news too. Way to argue for and against yourself at the same time.

And just in case you were wondering, this sort of thing happens semi-regularly to me. People find out what I study and suddenly they have a face for their harsh opinions about everything wrong with the media. I bet there are other academic fields that inspire similar reactions but I bet physics professors don't ever hear "You know what's wrong with gravity? It's incompatibility with quantum mechanics."




Written while listening to the Replacements. Good times.

New Semester

It starts up again in one week. And I'm teaching a production course. I feel so not ready for it. Though I have gone from feeling terrified to just a general sense of impending doom, so I have that going for me. It's not that I'm not smart and can't figure out how to use all the equipment. I need to figure out the equipment and then teach it to them before they need to use it to complete their projects. And since I don't have a production studio in my office (or in my office building since there aren't currently any available in the Comm Building) I can't really work on it too much during my office hours.

I'll get through it, somehow. Mainly because I always do. I'm mostly worried that the lack of confidence will leak into my demeanor during class. I'm sarcastic/caustic enough in the class room.

Actually it appears that I'm so sarcastic that some of my students from last semester hated one of my classes. I got some of the lowest evaluations I've gotten in years. I got good ones in two classes, average in a third and then the bad ones. The two lower ones were different sections of the same class. And I agree with some of the comments about how to improve the class. It needs an overhaul during the summer. Not that it does much for the students who will be taking it next semester.

But one student even went so far as to say they'll never take another class with me and recommend all their friends avoid me. Someone else in that same class said they loved my teaching. Go figure. I'll give you three guess which comment will stick with me over the next few days. Funny thing, if the person who said they hated me was the student I think it is, they might have gotten a B in the class.

Something else for those of you who read this and have finished your own college experience, you would not believe how often students whine and moan if you don't create study guides. Like it's my job to tell you what is going to be on the test. What next, complaining because I don't take it for them?

The Turning Point

I have a few ideas for blogs in the pipeline so those of you still reading have that to look forward to.

But how about a traumatizing story from my childhood in light of the holiday season?

The other day I realized just when I lost my chance to be cool as a child. In sixth grade I sat in the back of the bus. There were three of us who sat back there, Dean, Robbie, and myself. And those of you who rode buses to school understand the importance of the back seat. For those of you who don't, the back seat was reserved for the coolest kids on your bus route. Nobody messed with them, nobody bullied them. It was the top of the pecking order and those below you had to move up if they tried to take your place. All this despite transferring to my grade school from Catholic school and being a relative nerd (I was in my schools enrichment program for example). I had managed to work my way to the back. I can't recall even particularly liking Robbie and Dean.

Our next door neighbors at that time had two children, Jeff and Michelle. Jeff was three years younger than me. Michelle was about two years older. Jeff and I had been friends but the age difference was becoming pronounced. One day while walking home from the bus, Jeff started making fun of my younger sister who was the same age as Jeff. Now to be honest, I often participated in this activity. I'm her older brother, not a saint.

But today it was really hurting her feelings and something familial stirred in me. I told him to stop. He didn't. So I hit him in the arm. Yet he kept it up. So I punched him in the stomach. Not surprisingly he stopped. And I realized what I had done, basically beat up a little kid. So I did the only thing a big brother does when he has heroically stood up for his little sister. I ran home and started crying to my mother.

Guess who she was sitting around having coffee with. Yep, Jeff's mom. I have no idea what affect this had on their relationship but at least I was crying about it, not bragging. I don't recall being punished by adults over this. My sister was quick to confirm that Jeff had been rather mean to her and all. But the real impact on me was yet to come. Remember what I said about Jeff having an older sister? Well, by this point she was a burner in training. And Robbie and Dean were burner hopefuls. It wasn't long before word was out among the burner grapevine that I was to be shunned by them. And if the burners reject you and you aren't sporty or rich enough, it isn't long before the "cool" kids reject you as well. And that was it, my fate was sealed. No more back of the bus. No more in crowd. Heck, younger kids started realizing my new status in the pecking order and even some of them started hassling me. Especially the ones bigger than me.

Jeff, Michelle, and their family moved away not too long after the punching incident. But the damage would follow me for years. Eventually I managed to get ignored most of the time. I found social circles of similar damaged goods. And the bus became a place to nap if I wasn't stuck sitting in front of someone who might try to hassle or bully me. My senior year I had a car, though I drove to school alone. And by that time I found punk rock and freaked out the cliques by not caring that I wasn't in a clique. And escaping to college. Ahh, college. Maybe that's part of the reason I became a professor. My life was reborn there.

Not surprisingly I haven't made it to any of my high school reunions. Class of 1988 Moon Senior High. Let's see if they somehow track me down through this.

Dear student:

Sometimes I want to respond to an email and not be diplomatic:

"Dear complaining student,

I realize you were not paying attention when I explained this assignment. Or when I re-explained it. Or when I suggested to the class for the 20th time that if they didn't understand to come to my office hours and I would try to help. With that in mind, the last week of class is probably too late to ask me what you can do to improve your grade. Or if I give extra credit. When you get your first job ask your boss if she gives extra credit. Or your loan officer.

I'm also already aware that you have 7 other finals all due on the same day. And that you work three jobs. Find me a student who doesn't. What you fail to realize is that pretty much every one of your teachers went through the same thing. I worked and put myself through school at the same time. And I'm not so impressed when you complain about having five days to do a take home exam with 4 questions on it. During my PhD I once wrote 36 pages in 72 hours. I also wrote a six chapter dissertation of over 200 pages in six months while starting a new full time tenure track job. (Yes, I'm bragging there a little).

Any professor who decides things are too tough for you because you can't do the same work every other student has to do isn't doing you any favors.

And another thing, I don't grade anybody harsher because I hate them. I don't know any of my students well enough to hate them. Sure, there are a lot that don't make a good impression on me. Perhaps I even dislike them. But I grade on performance, not personality."

Man, did that feel good to write. Sometimes I really wonder why a student thinks their rhetorical approach of insulting or whining is going to work. Did it work on a different professor? I can't believe it did but then again I've also heard some bizarre stories over the years.

I have had times where I didn't perform to my full ability or turned something in late or had a teacher that really sucked. But you know what? I still took responsibility for my actions. Sure, that graduate student had no business teaching Comp Sci 101 but I shouldn't have blown off so many classes or slept so much when I did go. So it was my fault I failed. Actually, I never should have taken the class in the first place but again, my fault for not doing the research about the class or not dropping when I could have. Not crazy graduate student instructor who got mad when I asked for help.

How about you? You ever get a bad grade that wasn't your fault? Not even a little?

Just don't try to tell me you have a 4.0 except that now you're getting a D in my class. We can look that sort of thing up.

Guitar Hero

That is why I'm not posting more. Guitar Hero. If you play it, you know the joy it brings.

If you don't, well, what are you waiting for? It is awesome and terrible in its power to addict and enslave. Don't say I didn't warn you. I taught my department head how to play last week. I'll be taking my system in for the last day of lecture in my class on video gaming and she's asked to "observe" the class that day. I'm pretty sure I could talk her into getting it so we can have it around our offices. For research purposes of course.

At this point I'm starting to almost get comfortable with medium difficulty. But I'm still not ready to attempt to tackle hard. Soon hopefully, but not yet. I also really wish Wife would play but she's a little intimidated by it. She's from the Genesis/ Super Nintendo era of controllers. Anything more than three buttons starts to overwhelm her a little. I wish it wasn't so because I'd like to share this with her, but such is life. She is willing to hang out with me and read while I play, something she doesn't do with a lot of other games.

By the way, if you didn't pick up on it in the second paragraph, yes I get paid to talk about and play video games. My job is cool.

Spooky

An unnamed fast food company (known as "royalty" among ground beef grillers) screwed up Wife's sandwich last night. They included pickles and american cheese and made it a junior sized version of their regular sized hamburger sammich.

So on the plus side it meant I had lunch for today already made for me. After eating it I realized it had an abundance of mayonnaise. It was only then that Wife reminded me of my predictions.

Could the Prophecy be fulfilled? Is this the end of days? Will the world worship me even as it fears me?

Now that would be cool.

Meow

Sorry about the length between posts. I have a bunch of topics, so the next few days should be a whirlwind comparatively. I hope folks are still checking in.

So, to follow up on the next great disaster post, if you guessed a neighborhood semi-feral cat would use one of our scooters as a springboard to jump a fence and in the process rip great holes in one of our 40+ dollar scooter covers, you'd be right. Our neighborhood has a large number of wandering cats. They're semi-domesticated, some more than others. And a large number of them like to hang out in our backyard and sleep under our car. And under our apartment. And walk on our car and leave footprints.

I realize that cats are a common critter in many parts of our country. But down here there are few rivals or predators. No rats big enough to fight back for example. And no winter cold snap to send them for cover. Or kill them or whatever. And little enough traffic so that's not a threat either. So they lounge around our yard. And crap in it from time to time.

This isn't the first time I've had a less than happy interaction with neighborhood cats either. Back a few years I lived in a townhouse. We were in the middle one of a row of five. And there was a space underneath that was about 2 feet deep that ran the entire length of the row. So a feral cat chose to have her liter of kittens down there. My roommate at the time decided we needed to save them. Or adopt one at least. So I stupidly climbed under the townhouse and spent a half an hour sweating underneath, trying not to bang my head and trying to corner one of them even though they were much quicker and more agile than I was. I finally gave up. Twenty minutes later they were on the back porch and I managed to throw a towel over one and scoop it up. I am well aware of how stupid this is, thank you. Not surprisingly it came out angry and defensive, all claws and hissing and teeth. And that tiny, tiny little bastard wiggled free and clamped down on my thumb hard enough to bite through the nail.

I had to physically shake it off cause it did not want to let go. Amazingly enough, it didn't draw blood due to the angle of the bite even though it was near the bed. That was some comfort but let me tell you if you've never had an animal bite through your thumb nail, it really hurts.

Don't get me wrong, I like cats. We have one of our own after all. But I also don't try so hard to keep the dog from chasing them away any more. Hey, I don't see the one who ripped up my cover coming forward to apologize or chip in to help replace it.

When it rains, it punches you in the mouth

I think that's how that cliche goes. Something like that.

At least that's the way it feels around the old homestead right now. Wife has broken leg. We had to take her for more check ups today. The Ultrasound revealed she didn't have a blood clot. Just pain. So that's sort of good. Except she's still uncomfortable. And we have a CT scheduled for next week to find out if she needs surgery.

On the way there we learned the noise I was suspicious the car was making is in fact some sort of rubbing/grinding coming from the transmission or drive train or something. Something expensive I'm sure. Something I can't afford to fix on a car I was hoping to pay down for another six months so we can get close to value on a trade in. At this point with this noise and the banged in door from a hit and run I'm going to have to eat around three thousand bucks that will get folded in to the value of whatever I trade it in on.

And Wife's scooter is having trouble. Hopefully that will only be a few hundred bucks to fix. Plus my PDA isn't really working in any truly useful way. And my digital camera broke. While my parents were visiting. I have next to no pictures from their trip. My scooter may be leaking oil. And all of this means no money to repair my vintage motorcycle.

Part of me is wondering what else will be dished out. So I'm predicting the next disaster:

-Cobra in my underwear drawer
-Visigoth attack
-Iceberg
-Religious cult decides I am the evil one they are required to stop but only by mayonnaise based methods
-People magazine singles me out as one of America's least sexy males
-East Timor claims our bedroom as their sovereign territory
-Cat suffers genetic mutation, takes over world, refuses to loan me money
-Mr T decides I am fool but refuses to pity me claiming excessive jibber-jabber
-Unwanted pregnancy for Dog, despite the fact she's spayed
-Mum-ra

Which do you think will happen? Or suggest your own possible thing I need to be worrying about that I'm not.