My Own Thoughts

Is it true? It was here, half a dozen years ago, that Cope put Emmy to sleep. She was just a software program, a jumble of code he’d originally dubbed Experiments in Musical Intelligence (EMI, hence “Emmy”). Still — though Cope struggles not to anthropomorphize her — he speaks of Emmy wistfully, as if she [...]

Just saw a CFP for a topic that would help my publications and my chances of being accepted for that job I have an interview for… But it’s due next week. Could I get it written that fast? Probably not. But I might could… If I had my books with me. But I don’t, because [...]

Does it make any sense that people send you email and say, “In order to ensure that you receive this mail…” and then they tell you what to do? If you didn’t get the email, you aren’t going to know what to do. If you do get the mail, do they not understand how annoying [...]

Wall Street Journal on a woman who has autism and is making a good life for herself. She’s published ten books. She sends kids to college.

I decided that since there is not a written limit to proposal numbers that I would apply to the three or four that are due at the beginning of March. Then I will wait and see if I hear anything from them before I apply to the ones in the middle of March. I have [...]

I am looking at the largest English conference (MLA) in the US. It takes place next January; however, proposals are due in March. I cannot find anywhere in the CFPs that says you can only submit two proposals. However, you can only participate in two sessions. So, is it legitimate to apply for four or [...]

I am working on regaining my Spanish. It is very lost and I am having to search long and hard for it. This evening I read two short stories for intermediate Spanish students and it took me somewhere between half an hour and an hour to get through twelve pages. However, I did learn some [...]

Yesterday I received a phone call for a phone interview, but I could never reach the person. (She called when I was in class, so thankfully she could not reach me.) I did call early this morning and I have a phone interview on Thursday afternoon on my home phone (supposedly) at 2:40. I hope [...]

And for Lent, I am giving up procrastination. I am struggling with what that means, but I think that God called me to that, so I am going there. We will see how it goes. Last year’s giving up of romance novels was much easier to begin with, at least. I knew what a romance [...]

so goes the country. I doubt that seriously, though our education system has offered something to the nation. Joanne Jacobs sent me to this NYT article. It is inconsistent, inaccurate, and biased. Other than that though (seriously), there are some interesting things in it. I love my state, so I’m a little prejudiced. But, let [...]

I went to a conference this last week and enjoyed it immensely. My talk was at 8 am on Friday and there was a full room. I’d say at least 60 people. We had four people on the panel and everyone showed up. The papers were very disparate, though they did sort of orbit around [...]

Abstinence education makes a difference. In Dr. Jemmott’s research, only about a third of the students who participated in a weekend abstinence-only class started having sex within the next 24 months, compared with about half who were randomly assigned instead to general health information classes, or classes teaching only safer sex. Among those assigned to [...]

transcript of Rick Santelli’s discussion Market Ticker Business Week said: The U.S. Treasury and Labor Departments will ask for public comment as soon as next week on ways to promote the conversion of 401(k) savings and Individual Retirement Accounts into annuities or other steady payment streams, according to Assistant Labor Secretary Phyllis C. Borzi and [...]

[O]n March 14, 2008, then Sen. Obama voted in favor of the 2009 budget which authorized $3.1 trillion in federal outlays along with a projected $400 billion deficit. The 51-44 vote that morning was strongly along party lines with only two Republicans saying “Yes.” When the final conference report was presented to the House on [...]

4/9 Paula’s birthday.

I am thoroughly depressed about the truthful and painful talk I got from the chair today. No hiring for lit. Probably won’t hire at all. I am definitely too old. I should think of doing something else. I feel like my students. I don’t know what to do. I should, however, have been grading rather [...]