Blog

A "blog" is a weblog -- basically a notebook online. It may contain the hidden thoughts of a person or it may just be drivel. It might include all his angry ideas -- or the "popcorn" opinions of a genius -- or the active meanderings of a typical person on a "moronic" kind of day. Or all of the above.

Garbage, or genius? Considered opinion, or random thought? And what's the difference to you the reader?

Does the blog entertain -- even just sometimes? Or is it always dull. If it IS dull to you --- stop reading it. If it sometimes hits a deeper strain -- keep at it, and hope for the best.

I like blogs like I like other people's "twitter" accounts -- sometimes raunchy, sometimes telling secrets, sometimes filling in the blanks or collecting the dots! I don't want to be on twitter myself, mind you; but I like peeking at the inside of someone I know just a little -- especially if they are active "tweeters."  

Pain, Learning, Growth

Have you ever asked yourself: "What have I learned today?" It's a difficult but important question. We can and should learn something every day -- without fail, without omission, without even consciously thinking about it.

Learning is what human beings do!  Sometimes that learning is incidental to something else -- sometimes it is essential. Today I had my students give an impromptu speech about their "opinion on public nudity, fashion, and dress codes in work/school situations!"  This is a relatively "light" topic but it is a key indicator into what generation each student identifies with. The opinion also comes from: career choice and profession, whether one has kids or not, whether one is in a relationship or not, what one's religious background consists of.

It's fascinating to see how many zealots and puritans we have in the South.  They make exceptions for Miley Cyrus (VMA Awards last night) but not for other people -- or for themselves.  

Shooting and Death

There was an "argument" in the Student Union at Savannah State University late last night -- resulted in the shooting and death of a student at the hands of another student, who has yet to be found.  Even though there were a number of people near the incident it appears the "shooter" may be hiding in the Campus Commons apartment complex on campus, in plain sight of everyone.

Perhaps the students nearby don't want to "give him up" to police? Perhaps the "shooter" has people terrified of what might happen to them if they reveal his location? For God's sake people -- give him up! A death by gunfire in a simple student argument is only a precursor of what could happen in the future. Don't let life on campus become like a Charles Bronson revenge movie!

Stock Market

Hopefully people did not "sell everything they had" during the recent downturn in the stock market, because if they did so, they lost a lot of money.  Market corrections must be endured and not be the cause of "panic selling."

Learn to be patient; learn to be smart; learn to be vigilant without being afraid -- too much.

Erika Coming

Next week Savannah is likely to get lots of rain from either Hurricane Erika or Tropical Storm Erika.
It is approaching Florida this weekend and then will make the turn left or right to the Gulf or along the Atlantic Florida coast. If it picks the Florida coast side we in Savannah will see tons of rain from it (rain just like the past three days only more constant) and/or hopefully no wind or tidal damage.

This is the time of year I don't really like -- the time everyone in Savannah worries about landfalling hurricanes.

The US Stock Market and China

There are lots of poor fools who think that China "owns" the US because it has bought a lot of US "paper" -- government bonds, T-Bills, and even property in the US. That does not mean we are in any way dependent on China -- except to pay our payout dates on bonds, and be good stewards of our own economic growth.  When the US market is so nervous it drops 2000 points over several weeks because China's economy is finally "slowing down" from its "artificial rate of growth" (Shanghai Composite, etc.) and is devaluing its own currency (to catch up with the "truth" of its own growth or lack thereof) then the US market is being run by thieves for fools!!!

Our markets are strong -- our workforce is working well -- our businesses are mixed: some are working brilliantly (Apple, Tesla, Pixar, Chevron, etc. etc. etc.) and some are just working very well (Google, Johnson and Johnson, Exxon, etc. etc. etc.) ---- but, and this is a big but, none of them is in "trouble."  

Morning Glory

Yes, I could be a "morning person" if I really had to be.  When I ran my bed-and-breakfast I was up well before six AM to prep and cook breakfast, make the coffee, make sure the table and front parlor were set up, etc. Now that I am a teacher again (stuck with an 8:00 AM class) I can still get up at 5:30 and do all the necessary things before I head off to class.

When I quit working and finally retire -- I will probably want to get up early just to enjoy every minute of the day -- we have so few days in our limited lifespans. But, right now sometimes getting up early is really a pain in the "tuchus" (except for coffee).

This morning as I stopped for coffee at Parker's Downtown -- I hung back for a moment and just witnessed how many people were up and about -- stopping for breakfast just like I was, even sitting at outdoor tables in the pre-dawn darkness, and certainly looking up at a newly born blue sky (as I was).
It was all so very reassuring.

The "Rush" is On

Second day of classes but first day of Tuesday-Thursday classes and the "rush" is on: to get textbooks, to get a parking spot close to the school, to get to classes when you don't know the buildings and you think "this is just like high school, isn't it; all in one building?"  Students will wander around looking at room numbers and be totally confused -- then ask you: "excuse me, but do you know where they are teaching English?"

I would suggest Poland, or Sweden maybe. "What class are you looking for?" English! What's the number? Like I think it's 100 or something!  There is no English 100!  No, you sure?

Did they give you a slip of paper with your registration? Yup. What does it say? M7000! That's the building number. It's also go 7311 on it -- oh, I get it; that's the room number right? Yup. So where is 7311?  Third floor this building. Thanks!

First Day of Classes

So far -- the classes look varied, vibrant, and fun. They have wide backgrounds in all sorts of things:
lots of military, an artist or two, an opera singer, etc. etc.

I am looking forward to a fun semester. More to come.

Market Maelstrom

The stock market is down "big" today, after a full week last week of being down!  And the panic among the sheep is on.

401k's are sliding, ETF's are sliding, Stocks are sliding!!

And all because China is "slowing down"?  How ridiculous! How inane!!

Continuing Misery...

Upper level administration at our institution (which shall go nameless) is once again haranguing underlings and menials for the steady drop in enrolment.  Even though our "advertising" efforts have been lacklustre at best and simply not there at worst.

What are the obvious reasons for a downturn in enrolment at a technical college?  Competition from other technical colleges would be #1. Competition from four-year institutions would be another. An increasingly stable and even improving job market would be a third. Lack of "image penetration" and a "marketing plan" suitable for the current generation would be a fourth. Lack of consistent "forward thinking" approaches to programming and faculty/staff satisfaction would be a fifth. And the list goes on and on. And this list has not even delved into "student reviews" on Yelp! and other media.

We have lost three full-time faculty in General Studies, and twice that number in part-time and adjunct faculty, just this term. Why so many? Work load is outrageous; concern for faculty welfare is non-existent; mismanagement is at its height!!!

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

There is a stance we all take, as individuals, to our own lives. We decide our own value in the world; we determine our worth by our effort and consistency in fulfilling our own chosen breathless goals.

We are our own "makers." We have free will; given by God  (or god), or fate, or our own inkling of life's incredible value. We are responsible -- for all of it.  No blame on our "corrupt nature" (born in sin?); or our simplistic brains ("I'm only human, after all"); or on some imagined place in the "chain of being" -- is a worthy-enough excuse for our ridiculous pretentious claim of no-responsibility.  If you are a sinner -- own up to it. If you are a disciple of Machiavelli -- be true to it. If you are a hateful bitch -- be that. And then take whatever consequences will come.

We are not "masters of our future" no matter how hard we pretend to be -- unless we live the present as fully as we live the future  and as we live our origins. We are wonderfully human -- enjoy it!

Pheromones?

Several companies sell "body wash" for men that is "infused with pheromones" guaranteed to interest members of the opposite sex. The stuff works.

It doesn't do "all" the work for you but it certainly begins the process of meeting, responding, and/or talking to members of the opposite sex. I am amazed that the stuff actually works.

Registration a Disaster

Once again the computers we were supposed to be using were not updated; the software programs (Banner INB and Degreeworks) had both been "reconfigured" the previous weekend and were not quite ready; all our Passwords had to be "reset" because our Java Script was the wrong type: etc. etc. etc. Thank you STC for increased stress, anger, and disappointment -- as well as wasting the time of a lot of professionals who could better be preparing for classes.

I can honestly chronicle that we have not had a semester "open registration" without these kinds of disasters -- 15 straight semester (or quarters)-- a continuing shame and embarrassment.  

Dinner with Tosha and Dawn at Crab Shack

Had dinner with "the girls" still in their bikinis and cotton cover-up's. They of course were a bit sunburned (5 hours on Tybee Beach) -- and "sticky."

We did have a great conversation -- lots of seafood, shrimp, and ambiance.  Dawn is indeed divorced (as of May of 2015) and it hurts -- her eyes were teary as she talked about it, while Tosha told her "how well she was doing" (it's what a friend tells a friend no matter what).  Dawn has her real estate license and has moved in with her Mom -- I have no contact information (Tosha is promising to get "that stuff" to me -- she never remembers).

Tosha is teaching 2 classes at DePaul and one at Green Shirt Theatre (school?) -- the latter being a scene class. No bar work for Tosha in September (though she'll still stop by since Chris is working there now).

Dawn is trying to do "stand-up comedy" in Atlanta -- I'd actually like to see her do that, she is a very funny improvisational actress; I think she could do a good Amy Schumer type act in stand-up.  Maybe I'll get a chance on one of my trips near Atlanta.  

Ukraine, USA, Russia?

Saw a small report -- maybe on Reuters -- that American advisers were training Ukrainian forces.
That plus new "night goggle" equipment has given the Ukrainian forces some leeway in the "who rules the night" mode of fighting made famous by American forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

Putin is noticeably upset by the specter of Americans anywhere near the Russian border, but especially inside the borders of "conquered" territory adjacent to  Donetsk, or along the Crimean border, etc. Could Putin actually be the spark of a new cold war; a new faceoff between Russia and the US? Is he that audacious, that risky, that stupid? Probably!

Since my friend Matthew has switched schools and is now ensconced at Savannah State University -- I don't get to discuss the "war-non-war" in Ukraine much anymore. It is still the firing line of a new reality that does not include the Muslim question, but supersedes the jihadist "revolution" and the crazy Christian desire for "end times" politics. Russia is still our biggest potential enemy!    

Tosha and Dawn

Rumor has it that Tosha and Dawn are in town on a "girl's night out." Originally Tosha mentioned that I should "meet them for dinner" at the Crab Shack (Tosha's favorite 'missing home' restaurant).
The time is now 2:30 PM in the afternoon and I haven't heard whether the above is still the plan, or whether the plan has changed, or more likely --- there is no plan.

I figure that Tosha never cleared "going out to dinner" with Mel as a highlight of Dawn's trip to the Beach (2015), so probably Dawn just convinced Tosha to "blow it off" and stay at the Beach until late, and then maybe troll for men somewhere.

I understand more about both of them then they will ever know. And so it goes.

Condolences...Again

I sent a short email to Maureen Flora, a poet and English Teacher (and former friend)  who lives in Cardington, Ohio.  Her Mom Patricia passed away earlier this year, and even though Maureen and I are no longer "in touch" -- I just felt she might need a word of comfort and remembrance just these few months after her Mom died.

Maureen is probably now "taking care" of her Dad, a role she fully expected to step into once her Mom passed away.  They live on adjacent farms in Cardington -- but I'm sure Maureen has become a "second Mom" to her own Dad by now. It is the way of things in that family.

In the Morning...

The sky glows with distant color. The breeze freshens and cools homes through open windows. The birds flicker through dappled leaves outstretched and dew wet.

The sun almost refuses to rise and then reluctantly pokes above the skyline.  The warming air signals the start of a new day and marches onto the land. The day begins on a smooth outbreath.

The ocean stirs and the fish rise to break their fast. The tiny waves bristle over rocking pebbles in thin brine. The sand rolls back and forth, like sighs. And a child dips its clumsy foot in.

In distant soft beds -- we move in tandem with our own breathing.  

"Trophy Wife?"

What kind of ego does it take for a young woman to consider herself a "future trophy wife?" I am not sure but I do see such women "acting out" in my classes all the time.

It seems that the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter universes have given us -- many of us -- an incredibly inflated view of our own beauty, intelligence, and future value to the real universe.  While I do think that a healthy ego is the key to a successful life -- I don't really think that Twitter or Instagram gives us a true reflection of our value as contributing humans.

Being on Twitter or one of the other social media confines and delimits the universe of experiences we should be getting.  This limitation is a like a "mirrored fun house" all reflecting our own image(s) back to us, and creating a sense of importance and beauty that far outstrips reality. A blonde slightly overweight single Mother considers herself a "trophy" wife because she has survived childbirth, has a coterie of middle-class friends like herself, and is spoiled ruthlessly both by her child and her parents --- who continue to take care of their little darling just as if she were still in high school. This slightly self-dazzled child somehow considers herself special -- just because she is spoiled and lucky.

She is special, but not for any of the reasons she thinks. She is special because she bears the burdens of expectation, but lacks the real will to work for it. She is special because she doesn't understand failure -- and so is doomed to experience the worst of it. Her own inflated ego destines her for failure.

Tosha, My Gosh-s, Tosha

Tosha is still struggling with the Managing Director problem at COR.  At a meeting last night she wasn't quite able to get him to resign immediately (he would like to stay until Jan and on the Board for a year after that).  Tough situation.

He's blaming Tosha in an open meeting for what "she did" and yet she knows all the things he "didn't do" which caused a raft of problems.

Yikes.

Sometimes you just have to be ruthless and get the person "out"; no matter how unpleasant that can be. I say that now, but I remember how difficult in was during my "halcyon days."

What's Up Tosha?

I don't think that my surrogate daughter, Tosha, reads my blog.  Nonetheless let this short note serve as a "subliminal, virtual, psycho-hypnotic message to her --- "let's connect."

What's up Tosha of COR Theatre, Chicago, Illinois?

Dawn's Dreary Light

Much to my chagrin, I have become a morning person. Before the sun, before the first cool pre-dawn breezes -- my eyes open to a grey and unforgiving truth.  I have become a morning person.

It was never something I sought; never something I desired. But it has happened nonetheless.  I have become a morning person.

Are there "perks" to this condition? Does one's life span increase dramatically? Does the body say --"yes, you are doing well; live longer than your "slugabed" neighbors!" "Much longer!" Nope! Nothing changes except you find yourself groping in the dark as you rise; stumbling a bit more than usual because of the shadows in the room; struggling to turn on the damn bathroom light! I have become a morning person. 

It was never my fondest dream -- but here it is. I have become a morning person.  

Buzzkill

Some people are just "buzzkills!"  They drain the life's blood out of all activities; they hinder all happy moments; they suck the life out of beautiful day.  Buzzkill!

I could name a number of people I now know who are consummate buzzkill. But I won't.  It would be hurtful and probably wrong (to say nothing of self-destructive). But I can certainly "think" it -- and I do.

Buzzkill!

Candidates (GOP) Forum in New Hampshire

Watched the bulk of the Republican field try to win the hearts of voters last night on Hearst/ABC stations. Questions came from the audience via a pretty good moderator and each candidate had two rounds of questions, and a 30 sec. "this is me" presentation to the audience both live and on tv.

Kasich probably came off as the most rational; Cruz the most delusional!  Rand Paul seemed a tolerable choice -- none of them will "get the nod." Carly Fiorina (?) the one time leader of HP seemed to out-male the males; while poor Jeb Bush just seemed tongue-tied at times. Too slow; too out of it; too behind the times. Most of the others -- including Pataki, Walker, Perry, etc. just seemed egotistical morons.

Ah, what an election this is going to be --- 16 months out and counting!!!!

Finished -- Self Appraisal

Today, Monday, I finished my "self-appraisal" -- which fortunately isn't due until tomorrow.  I was honest, thorough, and complete -- none of which will be much appreciated by anyone who might read it.

It is after all a "grading scale" with little regard for personality, achievement, or success. It is just a "quantifiable" instrument for keeping everyone motivated: numbers can't be too high or the person will just "relax" and do nothing {the anti-tenure argument}; numbers can't be too low or the person will get angry at the self-improvement regimen they will get.

The instrument in use by STC is slightly short of a 1980's business self-appraisal that you might give to warehouse workers at your plant in Reading, PA. It is not a form nor a format for professional self- appraisal.  And so it goes.

Taking Stock...

I am an introspective geek at times.  I constantly "take stock" of where I am, what I am doing, and how well I feel about the whole process.

I look closely at my life and times as a teacher, as a husband, as a boyfriend, and as a person. In most areas I could only give myself a grade of "adequate" -- if grades were the thing that determined success or failure. I know I should have done better -- but for many, many reasons -- I just didn't.