So! I haven't been around because I've been seriously, soul-crushingly depressed. Yeah. BUT. I just had to stop in because a cool thing just happened! One of my students -- I had him in three different courses, starting when he was a sophomore and, um, wanted to be a rock star when he grew up, and hated renaissance literature, and finishing up when ( Read more... )

Soooooo....

I am teaching literary theory this semester! And for our segment on post-structuralism and deconstruction,1 I've decided that our text is going to be an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (as I feel it is ripe for such ( Read more... )

So... how about this whole Egypt thing, huh ( Read more... )

You know, a lot of people don't understand why professors should get tenure. But this is why: because without it, there is no academic freedom. Of course, for us grad students, this isn't even an issue. We have no protection; we just get fired. This is one of my classmates! I am so appalled.

This post brought to you by ProcrastinationTM.

~ via azriona, The Shadow Scholar: the man who writes your students' papers tells his story.
"You've never heard of me, but there's a good chance that you've read some of my work. I'm a hired gun, a doctor of everything, an academic mercenary. My customers are your students. I promise you that. Somebody in ( Read more... )

~ OMG it is so hot, I think I might die. Today in my office between classes, I literally had to take off my shirt while at my desk. (No students were harmed in the making of this movie ( Read more... )

~ ugh, school has started again. I am full of hate. My comp. kids actually look okay... but my kidlit kids! So boring OMG. I am really freaking sick of teaching kidlit to education majors. I know this is unfair, but I cannot help myself. A prejudice, I haz it! Just, look, I am not going to tell you about anything you can use in a sixth grade ( Read more... )

~ I am deathly ill. This could stop any time now, kthanxbai!

~NOT SAFE FOR WORK. From the world of sex toys, we have The Vamp. It... sparkles. In sunlight. Also "toss in the fridge for that authentic effect." AHHHHHHHHH. I am scarred for life ( Read more... )

It is only a couple of weeks into the semester, and I'm already completely exhausted and I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYMORE. I hate teaching. (Question: Why am I putting in all this effort to get a job doing something I hate? And for which, the market isn't exactly hopping, so I might not even get that? On the other hand, can I think of something I would ( Read more... )

Rest in peace, Teddy Kennedy.

I don't know why... but this death made me really sad. I know the world can't stop, nor should it. Change is good. Or at least inevitable. And it should be met with grace. But I am so tired of death. And... there's an American mythform that is just a bit poorer today. It was a myth I was fond of ( Read more... )