alcyone8

It's break time! I still have off until the beginning of Feb, so I've had to construct projects for myself, besides watching Dr. Who, which I've been doing alot of. David Tennant kicked it last night and I think I'm satisfied for now - it's amazing how attached you get to an actor and how resistant we are to see a new one take his place in the same role so abruptly.

Even when I go back to "work" it's not going to be intense this semester - I've only got 1 class to teach this semester, but I have alot more that I should be doing - publishing, professional projects, studying for my candidacy exams at IUP (which means ALOT of reading), and I present 3 papers at conferences this semester, which actually intimidates me alot.

The problem is that self-discipline has never been one of my strengths - Brian can pick up a huge volume of Heidigger or whoever and breeze through it just because he feels like he should, but I find very little motivation to hop on Joyce or Faulkner if they aren't assigned in a class or something. If it's a contest, a course, or to impress a professor, I'm all about it, but this semester I'm lacking in the motivator department. Which doesn't mean I don't want to do this reading/writing stuff - I very much do - it's just so much easier with a task master. So I've got to break my dependency issues this semester, because as a prof I won't have it either. Got to get used to it.

Today, as a bit of a start, I made a professional website: http://sleonard.yolasite.com/
It uses a super easy site-builder, and restricts some creativity (I hate the font), but I don't have to pay for a domain name and there's no ads. Any suggestions?

So, a girl comes into my class today that I've never seen before. She came in late, so I didn't interrupt the lecture, but at the end of class she comes up to talk to me. Instantly, I notice that she is very high. Her eyes are a racoon haze of red and her hair looks like she got it out of the shower drain at a frat house. She tells me, "Isn't this British Literature?" I say nooooo...and she proceeds to argue with me that British Literature has always been in this classroom at this time and why did it change rooms? (we've been in this classroom all semester), but mid-argue she looks around as if waking up and bolts out of the room.

In other news, I have another plagiarist. I've decided to mess with her, since she didn't come to the last class and the class only meets once a week and she's emailing me about making up work as if she were a responsible student. I sent her a couple online videos on plagiarism that I said I thought would be of "great interest to her" and I've been calling her by the name of the author she plagiarized most heavily. (But I don't think she gets the message yet - "my name isn't Susan!")

To top it all off, one of the students I mentioned in my last post (the one I kicked out of class) went nuts and brought a knife to class. She had already been an annoyance, no more than that - a disruption in class, and it kinda came to a head last week, when she came in late (again) went up to my desk and slapped down her assignment: "This is on time!" (It was actually 2 weeks late) after she decided to carry on for a bit I stopped her and told her calmly but so the whole class could hear: You are not acting like a responsible college student right now.

This shut her up for a while but she was ansy during class - she got up and walked out of class about 3 times and then, at the end of class, she came up and while I was looking elsewhere, flipped open and looked inside my gradebook. This has all the grades for the class in it so is private and is a real concern for a student to mess with it so after I told her to stop immediately she screeched that "This is BS!" and left in a huff. As I was walking out of class a few students called me over and told me that during my lecture, when my back was turned to write on the board she had pulled out a knife and made stabbing motions and said something to effect off "I'm going to take her out." I didn't see any of this but I drug the students down to the security office and, a couple a forms, reports, phone calls, and meetings later, the student is kicked out of the school, all her classes are dropped with no refund for this semester.

Oddly, all of my problem students are female. I'm wondering why this is. In fact, all but two of my plagiarists were female too (this mean it's about 80% female). I don't usually pay attention to gender or other factors to generalize, but I wonder if this trend means anything.

Oh, I'm starting to hate teenagers in addition to my regular children-phobia.

Today was a bit rough on the scale of freshman-shenanigans. Right now, a gaggle of idiot teens are at panaera wasting valuble oxygen by setting off eachother's cell phones, saying nonsensicles, and knocking over chairs without any awareness of other people. But, this isn't at all the rudest thing that I've seen today...

In class today I was teaching really basic argument structure: how to pick out the conclusion and premises in an argument, the difference between arguments that are completely irrefutable if the premises are true, and those that converge to form a 'probably' statement. Sure, this is a bit dense for freshman English, but, since one of the goals is to teach students not to make stupid logical errors in writing, it seems necessary to point out what logic actually is. (I regularly get statements like 'As a result of the draft, the war occurred' or 'Stereotyping is harmful when it causes harm to others' or most commonly, 'This is a bad essay because I can't understand it'). Anyway, all throughout this class, a girl was gabbing like this was homeroom in middle school, leaning over, leaning back, disrupting other students, the works. I give her the "excuse me?" and the teachery classic "do you have something to add?" so after a while she turns her shiny blond head to the board and chimes in with an answer. It is wrong, and I'm nice about it, but she says defiantly, 'No, that's true!' I explain patiently why this inductive logical proof isn't absolute, but is more of a 'probably' statement. She replies with 'None of this makes any sense - I don't get any of it!' I tell her that she should probably see me after class to discuss this and she replies with something like 'You should probably teach this better.' Last straw - I tell her she should leave. This is a first for me - I've never had to kick a student out of class, and it felt very high schoolish - I hate that sort of confrontation. She, of course, slammed the door on the way out.

I Am A: Lawful Good Half-Elf Wizard/Sorcerer (3rd/2nd Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-10

Dexterity-10

Constitution-12

Intelligence-15

Wisdom-13

Charisma-15


Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.


Race:
Half-Elves have the curiosity and ambition for their human parent and the refined senses and love of nature of their elven parent, although they are outsiders among both cultures. To humans, half-elves are paler, fairer and smoother-skinned than their human parents, but their actual skin tones and other details vary just as human features do. Half-elves tend to have green, elven eyes. They live to about 180.


Primary Class:
Wizards are arcane spellcasters who depend on intensive study to create their magic. To wizards, magic is not a talent but a difficult, rewarding art. When they are prepared for battle, wizards can use their spells to devastating effect. When caught by surprise, they are vulnerable. The wizard's strength is her spells, everything else is secondary. She learns new spells as she experiments and grows in experience, and she can also learn them from other wizards. In addition, over time a wizard learns to manipulate her spells so they go farther, work better, or are improved in some other way. A wizard can call a familiar- a small, magical, animal companion that serves her. With a high Intelligence, wizards are capable of casting very high levels of spells.


Secondary Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Greetings fellow web-travelers!

I haven't posted in oh so many months, but I woke up this morning with an urge to post everything that's been going on with me lately.

The Canal
I got a root canal on Thursday. I've mentioned this to several people and have gotten the somewhat non-concerned response: "oh yeah, I've gotten __#__ of these." Not that I want sympathy, but, for me, this was a freaking big deal. Never have I felt such pain and mouth violation. The novacaine helped, but the dentist kept having to shoot me with it, like 10 times. That's not an exaggeration. 10 times! After each he would say, "now, you shouldn't feel a thing." But I certainly did. It wasn't that it wore off; in fact my mouth still felt numb Friday morning, but that the numb wasn't in the right spot. I couldn't feel my eyebrows on the left side of my face, but I could certainly feel that needle-drill. Anyway, I feel mostly better now. A little achey, but I think that's going away.

Teaching
The break was over way too soon. DCCC started last week and though I was prepared for thoes classes, preparing for them in advance of the others, has left me underprepared for the ones I have to start this week. I'll be teaching alot this semester in comparison to last: 2 English Composition II courses at DCCC, 1 English Composition I hybrid course at MCCC, and 1 English Composition I course at UDel. This wouldn't be so bad, but I'll also be doing 15 hours a week of writing tutoring at MCCC, and doing the litmag advisor thing. I acually like the busy schedule, and though it'll be hectic at the time, I'm looking forward to being in the thick of it.

Quest for Glory
I've put all my eggs in one basket and have only applied to one PhD program this year: IUP. Went to visit the school not long ago and talk to the director and some teachers. It's a very differently structured program than most any other out there, with summers-only schedules, more emphasis on classes rather than working with an advisor, no TAing, and a very small department, but I think I like all those things. The campus is pretty far away, in Indiana PA, but I think I can cope. It would be my camp replacement. I should hear back sometime in Feburary if I'm accepted.

The Beach
Who wants in? Here's the scoop: We can get the house from the first year, 824 Plymouth Place, for August 14-21. Earlier weeks might conflict with my grad school, so I hope everyone can make it this week. We could get the following week, but Aaron probably wouldn't be able to make it. To refresh your memory, this was the place with the two upper floors with a front pouch and back deck, big TV and living room, nice dining room, and 5 bedrooms. The bedroom upstairs has it's own bathroom, there's another bathroom downstairs, and a shower outside. Additionally, there are 2 reserved parking spaces. The house maxes out at about 11 people, with beds for all. If there's a few extras, there's a couch bed and I think a cot stashed somewhere. If 11 people come, it's $230 per person. I'm thinking: Brian, Sandi, Shrub, maybe Nicole, Bancroft, maybe Sonia, maybe Jim and Lauren for a weekend, has anyone heard from Yocum?, Rick, Aaron, Kat?, Bob, Skunk?, Kevin? If all of these people come, we'll have a mighty full house of 15, but I think it's more likely we get about 11. Keep in mind the price may go up if there are less people going - and in this case, we should probably get a smaller house. Please let me know soon if you are a yes, no, or maybe. Definite answers will be required in February or so. It's ok if you want to do a partial week, but if this is the case, you need to tell me how many days up front, so then we can do a good switcheroo of rooms and calculate how much everyone will owe. I hope we can keep this place - many good memories!

Are you excited about the beach yet? I am.

Since we don't seem to have the min people for the old place, I've made some executive, last minute, but hopefully well-thought out decisions. Here's the details:

Where:891 Fifth Street, 2nd Floor


This place is really close to the beach, and even has an ocean view.


When: August 22nd-29th

Cost: $210 per person (Including taxes, but not including security deposit. If you break something big, you'll owe me $250) This is based on 10 people going. If there are more people, (the couch bed is still open) you'll get a refund or money for communal food. If less, then we invite more people or you may owe somewhat more (but so far it looks like: Sandi, Brian, Rick, Bob, Luke, Yocum, Shrub, Bancroft Maybes: Sara, Kevin, Nicole, Aaron and Kat (for a weekend?) Erin - friend from England). The price based on only 8 people is $262pp. If people can only come up for a few nights, that's fine. It'll be $30 a night, per person. However: this must be declared prior to June 20th. This is especially if you are on the for-sure list.

Due: $210 due to me perferred by June 20th. As with previous years, first ones to pay get first dibs on beds/rooms. Later is ok, but if you don't want to get stuck on the top bunk, schedule accordingly.

Room situations: Bring your own sheets and blankets. There are 2 twin beds, 4 people on bunk beds, two queen beds, and a sofa bed. There are four rooms so there'll be alot of room sharing in this house.

Parking: Find your own spot. This could get tricky, as there's only one parking spot included in this place.

So, I hope this works out for everybody! If you have any misgivings, let me know now. I haven't signed the lease yet, but plan on doing so soon.

I post in spirts. Sorry about that. I'm probably taking up your entire friends page. But I only have the urge to post sometimes, and then I want to say all of what's been going on for awhile.

Maybe this also has something to do with the fact that today, May 19th, I have one month off. Yep, no work for a month: no classes, no literary magazine, no money-making responsibilities until June 20th, when I go off to be the Lake Director at Camp Greeley. So, what ever am I going to do in a month? If I had money, I'd travel, but since I don't I have a few goals I've lined up anyhow.

1. Study for the English Literature GRE. Having a chance at getting into grad school next year hinges on getting a good score on this. My general GRE score isn't great, but if I can rock this, it may cancel it out. This test encompasses the entire cannon of Literature written in English (and, oddly, some that is not). This sounds easy; was I not a English major in my undergrad? But, unfortunately, the cannon of English Lit. is huge. Sure, I've covered the old standards: Beowulf, Chaucer, Shakespere, Donne, Keats, Dickens, the Brontes, Whitman.... But it's the obscure names that catch me. Have you ever heard of Sir George Etherege, Thomas Otway, Algernon Swinburne, or Stevie Smith? I certainly hadn't. And there are a whole lot of African American, Latino, and women authors on the list that I'm pretty sure were just stuck in for EO sake. The test is in September, but I figure I can read a whole lot of Virginia Woolf by the end of the month.

2. Work out. In order to be not beat to hell during camp, I need to get a head start on retraining, particularly in swimming as I will be expected to be able to save lives and stuff like that.

3. Send something out for publication. Academic stuff.

4. Look for a house in the vicinity of University of Delaware. Not sure if it's fesible to get a house now, but there's no harm in looking especially as there's that economic slump and the 8,000 tax credit going on.

So, that's my plan. And, oh yeah, next Tuesday I can stop over in York for the game. Are people doing anything for memorial day?

Your results:
You are Geordi LaForge

Geordi LaForge 80% Jean-Luc Picard 75% James T. Kirk (Captain) 70% An Expendable Character (Redshirt) 60% Will Riker 55% Spock 50% Chekov 50% Mr. Sulu 45% Deanna Troi 45% Mr. Scott 40% Data 32% Worf 30% Beverly Crusher 25% Leonard McCoy (Bones) 20% Uhura 10%

You work well with others and often fix problems quickly. Your romantic relationships are often bungled.

Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test

Guess what? The beach house from the first year opened up! I remember it beging a really great house, nice table, great porch, a back porch as well, and two floors.
...
However, it may be too big for the amount of people coming. Counting all the maybes, we would have room for one (or a couple) more and the price per person is $250. But if the maybes (Bancroft, Yocum, Kevin) drop out then we have a couple empty rooms and the price per person goes up to $358 per person. One of the reasons the house was so cheap the first year was because we filled it up (that, and the house next door set fire so they reduced the price).

I sorta have the temptation of, "if we get it, they will come" but I don't want to have to pay a bunch if I'm wrong on this. Help me out guys: how are the maybes looking? Be brutally honest. Also, can we get subs if people fall through? Does Nicole want to come this year? Can we convince Mike and family to make it up? (The upstairs was quite large and had its own bathroom with an ajoining tiny baby cot room.) Jon Barron and Erica and Val: are you guys interested in coming up this year? Does Yocum have a special friend he wants to bring? Karen?

Anyways, lemme know. If we want it, we've got to jump on it.

Our people count has changed somewhat. Therefore, we are looking for a slightly different house. As much as the living room of house four from the last place looks neat, in the interest of sanity and people not having to spend the week on the floor, I opting out on that one. Has anyone heard from Luke or Yocum, by the way? I'm assuming that they're in. I'm taking Kevin and Bancroft as both maybes, which means the last one to give me the money gets the couch bed. The prices below are based on everyone showing up.

So, our new options:

891 5th Street, Top floor. This has the right amount of beds even if everyone comes but some are bunks. Super close to beach. All new stuff. Porch. Air conditioning. Not big on space. Only one TV. Good place on boardwalk. $200 per person.


833 5th Street, bottom floor. One person on couchbed, two on bunks, one on a cot but otherwise all good on beds. Super close to beach. All new stuff. Porch. Air Conditioning. 2 TVs unknown size. A little better on space. Good boardwalk. $200 per person.


907 5th Street, bottom floor. One person on couchbed, no bunks. Super close to beach. Porch. Air conditioning. Retro 80s stuff. Not big on space. One TV, unknown size, no DVD player. Good boardwalk. $220 per person.


1115 Central Ave, bottom floor. One person on couchbed, 2 on bunks. 3 blocks from beach. Central air. Slightly retro stuff. Good on space. two bathrooms. 5 TVs, the one in living room looks good size. Good boardwalk. $220 per person.



So, what do you think? My vote's actually for number 1 for the value and bed situation.