If you are unhappy with how are doing in the class, don’t leave at the break.

It’s bad form, especially when the whole reason why you’re not doing well on the assignments is that you can’t explain what we’ve covered in lecture.

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »

Bless their hearts, at least they believed me when I told them to go ahead and submit an essay.

Else they would not know how I grade.

Else they would feel bitch-slapped at the end of the semester, when there’s nothing they could do about it.  Rather than now, when at least there’s an opportunity to come back with “what the h*ll?” in all its various iterations:

- “But I’m a good writer!” (No, you are not.  Whoever told you you were a good writer lied.  I know.  I was once in your position.  It was painful.  In fact, it prevented me from getting Phi Betta Kappa.  But I got over it. You will too.)

- “But I meant to say X!” (Too bad.  You said Y.  Re-read what you wrote.)

- “But I just explained to you what I meant” (That’s nice, sweetie.  Now put it down in words on a page, and submit it to me in writing).

- “But I’ve never been asked to do this kind of writing before!” (Here.  Take 500 milligrams of IDontGiveACrap and call me in the morning.)

- “You’re so mean!” (I’m not paid enough to be nice.  You want nice?  Go to Santa Clara.)

Here a couple of hints about how to do better next time: read the text.  Quote from the text.  Tell me what the text meant.  Tell me how the text helps you to understand the world.  Use the text to explain a problem to me.  If one text doesn’t seem useful, find a different one – only tell me where I can get a copy too. 

I have never felt so damnably Protestant as when I teach.

Oh, and one final thing.  Don’t ever tell me how hard it is to be white.  As an upper-middle class white male, I have precisely zero sympathy.

4 Reactie’s »

So I went to steward training this weekend.

It was fine.  I could see the theory behind what they were doing, and it’s a pretty good theory.  It was also a relatively decent execution of the model they had derived from that theory.

That said, I have one thing to say to the people who put it together: if you yourself are shit-scared to talk talk to someone about religion, that’s about you.  Just because talkin’ ’bout Da Jesus raises your hackles does not mean it makes me uncomfortable.  And for you to tell me to shut up when someone mentions it is (a) patronizing, (b) shitty strategizing. 

Just sayin’

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »

From The Mask of Sanity (Cleckley, 1964 [4th ed.]):

“It impresses me as inaccurate to asume that homosexuals as a class show the general life pattern of gratuitous folly and purposelessness so typical of the psychopath.”

This is then followed by chapters entitled “The erratic man of genius,” and “The injudicious hedonist and some other drinkers.”

Now see here, Dr. Cleckley: I think you just might be a wee bit jealous of us homosexshuls.

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »

This is a pretty good example.

Rick Perry, you will burn in hell for this.

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »

Pandering.

No, literally.

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »

I know someone whom I absolutely would NOT recommend, under any circumstances, for anything.

But if what you need is some painting done, I know a guy.

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »

I work far harder here than I ever did in Texas.  Between two jobs, trying to start a non-profit, volunteering as the editor for a quarterly professional newsletter, plus all my, you know, fun stuff, it’s a wonder I’m not more stressed out.

Just sayin’.

Geen reactie’s, je kan de eerste zijn »