Special thanks to David, who knew how I could get that image off of my cellphone and onto my computer. He's my tech go-to guy.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"The Black Cat" Presentation...
If you are wondering what the image below could possibly have to do with Poe's "The Black Cat," you'll have to come to my presentation tomorrow.
Special thanks to David, who knew how I could get that image off of my cellphone and onto my computer. He's my tech go-to guy.
Special thanks to David, who knew how I could get that image off of my cellphone and onto my computer. He's my tech go-to guy.
Friday, November 13, 2009
That's about right...
My friend Bethany forwarded this cartoon to me. It's perfect, right?
On a related note, as several of my friends know, I hate text messaging. Some of that is because I am so darn slow that it takes me 2o minutes to type a line. Some of it is because it costs me anywhere from 10 to 30 cents to send or receive messages and I don't like that I don't have choice about whether or not I want to receive them. But a whole lot of it is because I hate "text speak"--the abbreviations and general butchery it does to language. Similarly, I can't send emails without salutations and proper closing, much less without punctuation or capitalization. I know that I have issues...
Imagine my horror, by the way, when someone (I have no idea who!) taught my 60-something year old father to send text messages and he took to it a like a fish to water. I mean, he texts with the enthusiasm and frequency of a 17 year old girl. The other day, I got this message from him: "How r u". Seriously?
On a related note, as several of my friends know, I hate text messaging. Some of that is because I am so darn slow that it takes me 2o minutes to type a line. Some of it is because it costs me anywhere from 10 to 30 cents to send or receive messages and I don't like that I don't have choice about whether or not I want to receive them. But a whole lot of it is because I hate "text speak"--the abbreviations and general butchery it does to language. Similarly, I can't send emails without salutations and proper closing, much less without punctuation or capitalization. I know that I have issues...
Imagine my horror, by the way, when someone (I have no idea who!) taught my 60-something year old father to send text messages and he took to it a like a fish to water. I mean, he texts with the enthusiasm and frequency of a 17 year old girl. The other day, I got this message from him: "How r u". Seriously?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Canceled...
So long, Dollhouse. For what it's worth, the show never really took off for me--lots of promise and potential, but always several steps from greatness.
Veteran's Day Links
Just in time for Veteran's Day, take a look at "Ian Fisher, American Soldier," a photo essay capturing 27 months in the life of a young serviceman.
After that, you know you'll want to check out this collection of soldiers' dogs welcoming their owners home from overseas. (I've linked to one of them back in October 2008).
After that, you know you'll want to check out this collection of soldiers' dogs welcoming their owners home from overseas. (I've linked to one of them back in October 2008).
Random Link Dumping...
...because my bookmark file is getting unruly.
1) Awesome collection of photos, courtesy of The Big Picture, marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The before and after ones are pretty amazing.
2) Metaphors people use to describe their lives. Most days, I'll go with "a journey," although sometimes it feels like "a battle" (yes, I am being dramatic), and when I am teaching, a lot like "a performance."
3) A blog of bank robbery notes. This one is a bit addictive. And lord help me, some of these read like little found poems. I love how some are so short and simple (one simply says "$250,000"). Others are (perhaps not surprisingly) marked by some serious spelling/grammar mistakes. And who knew so many robbers were concerned about dye packs? Finally, gotta love how many of them say please or thank you.
4) Are the Dexter fans out there aware of these animated webisodes about our favorite serial killer's early adventures? Very cool.
5) Poor Dollhouse. It's probably too late to do anything to save this show, but that doesn't mean people won't try viral marketing campaigns.
6) In better Whedonesque news, check out what Nathan Fillion has to say about more Dr. Horrible.
1) Awesome collection of photos, courtesy of The Big Picture, marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The before and after ones are pretty amazing.
2) Metaphors people use to describe their lives. Most days, I'll go with "a journey," although sometimes it feels like "a battle" (yes, I am being dramatic), and when I am teaching, a lot like "a performance."
3) A blog of bank robbery notes. This one is a bit addictive. And lord help me, some of these read like little found poems. I love how some are so short and simple (one simply says "$250,000"). Others are (perhaps not surprisingly) marked by some serious spelling/grammar mistakes. And who knew so many robbers were concerned about dye packs? Finally, gotta love how many of them say please or thank you.
4) Are the Dexter fans out there aware of these animated webisodes about our favorite serial killer's early adventures? Very cool.
5) Poor Dollhouse. It's probably too late to do anything to save this show, but that doesn't mean people won't try viral marketing campaigns.
6) In better Whedonesque news, check out what Nathan Fillion has to say about more Dr. Horrible.
Poe links
Last weekend found me in Atlanta for SAMLA (which went very well--a picture or two will follow in a subsequent post). Now that that's done, I can move onto the next item on my busy semester's to-do list: getting ready for my presentation at the Faculty Research Forum on November 18 (in one week!). The subject: that "The Black Cat" paper I've been kicking around in various forms for quite awhile.
Now the paper itself is done--has been for a very long time, but I need to make it a bit longer and want to make it more general-audience friendly (in other words, not just for a bunch of English PhDs). Plus, I've got a to make a powerpoint presentation, something I am not very good at doing. It's the aesthetics of the thing that always trip me up--mine never look as sleek or polished as I want them to look.
Anyway, I've got Poe on the brain, so figured I'd link to a couple of recent "Poe in the News" sites. Incidentally, I think I'll reference both of the stories in the beginning of my talk, since they speak to people's continuing fascination with Poe.
1) "Edgar Allan Poe Finally Getting Proper Burial." I found this one all sorts of creepy--and totally appropriate for Poe.
2) "Quoth the Raven: 'Baltimore.'" This recent NPR story discusses an exhibit of works inspired by Poe. Anyone up for a roadtrip to Baltimore to check it out?
Now the paper itself is done--has been for a very long time, but I need to make it a bit longer and want to make it more general-audience friendly (in other words, not just for a bunch of English PhDs). Plus, I've got a to make a powerpoint presentation, something I am not very good at doing. It's the aesthetics of the thing that always trip me up--mine never look as sleek or polished as I want them to look.
Anyway, I've got Poe on the brain, so figured I'd link to a couple of recent "Poe in the News" sites. Incidentally, I think I'll reference both of the stories in the beginning of my talk, since they speak to people's continuing fascination with Poe.
1) "Edgar Allan Poe Finally Getting Proper Burial." I found this one all sorts of creepy--and totally appropriate for Poe.
2) "Quoth the Raven: 'Baltimore.'" This recent NPR story discusses an exhibit of works inspired by Poe. Anyone up for a roadtrip to Baltimore to check it out?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Two quick (completely unrelated) links...
1) Remember this post about Tamara, who graduated from Roanoke with me? Short recap: she wrote a blog about 31 dates in 31 days. Well, how about an ending straight out of a movie? Love it!
2) Via Andrew Sullivan, a really cool chart that helps you understand cell size.
2) Via Andrew Sullivan, a really cool chart that helps you understand cell size.
Monday, October 26, 2009
More TV heaven...
So right now, Castle is on, always a fun TV treat given my love for Nathan Fillion. But my heart skipped a bunch of extra beats when A) Rick Castle put on a Mal Reynolds costume (he looks so good in that get-up), B) a few bars of the Firefly theme played, and C) he made a Buffy reference. So much geeky Joss Whedon love!
Here's the youtube clip (that is sure to vanish soon):
Here's the youtube clip (that is sure to vanish soon):
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Common reading suggestions?
I put this on Facebook, too, but I am now on the FYEX (first-year experience) Taskforce (sounds official, right?) and one of our jobs is to select the common reading for Shepherd.
Some guidelines: the book should appeal to lots of different groups (not just freshman, not just English-major types), should be in paperback (or at least an affordable hardcover), and should be no more than 300 pages. You can read about this year's book and the events we've held around it here.
Any suggestions, oh wonderful readers?
Some guidelines: the book should appeal to lots of different groups (not just freshman, not just English-major types), should be in paperback (or at least an affordable hardcover), and should be no more than 300 pages. You can read about this year's book and the events we've held around it here.
Any suggestions, oh wonderful readers?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Portfolio: done!
For those of you keeping score at home, check another item off my huge Fall 2009 semester to-do list. This morning I handed in my pre-tenure review portfolio (also known as "third-year review portfolio").
It actually was a pretty easy process--time-consuming, I suppose, but not all that difficult since I've been saving and organizing all the materials from day one here at Shepherd. (That's a piece of advice to all my friends who are also in new academic jobs--be pack-rats! Save thank-you notes and emails, fliers with your name on them, write-ups in local papers, etc.)
Incidentally, I think part of the reason the process was relatively pain-free is because at UNCG, we were encouraged to create and constantly update our teaching portfolios. The pre-tenure portfolio is a lot like a teaching portfolio, but with sections about your scholarship and service, as well. Anyway, just another reason I am glad to have gotten my degrees at UNCG.
Now...back to work on that SSAWW paper!
Also, someone please explain to me why in the last week or so I agreed to A) serve as a reader for a manuscript submitted to a journal (I can't say which journal) and B) write two introductory essays for an anthology? I might never get out of this hole...but that's okay.
It actually was a pretty easy process--time-consuming, I suppose, but not all that difficult since I've been saving and organizing all the materials from day one here at Shepherd. (That's a piece of advice to all my friends who are also in new academic jobs--be pack-rats! Save thank-you notes and emails, fliers with your name on them, write-ups in local papers, etc.)
Incidentally, I think part of the reason the process was relatively pain-free is because at UNCG, we were encouraged to create and constantly update our teaching portfolios. The pre-tenure portfolio is a lot like a teaching portfolio, but with sections about your scholarship and service, as well. Anyway, just another reason I am glad to have gotten my degrees at UNCG.
Now...back to work on that SSAWW paper!
Also, someone please explain to me why in the last week or so I agreed to A) serve as a reader for a manuscript submitted to a journal (I can't say which journal) and B) write two introductory essays for an anthology? I might never get out of this hole...but that's okay.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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