My first year teaching — ever — was in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Illinois. The course was SpCom 111-112, a year long speaking and writing course. One of those “skills” courses with no official content, though students had to read a minimal amount of stuff. I still remember the first …
Category Archives: Text
File Under Banal: Pittsburgh Shopping List
My trip to Pittsburgh will be a whirlwind affair — about 48 hours in all, with two defenses and a lot of catching up to do. Given the short trip, I’m prioritizing time with friends over places to go, but one can’t help thinking about it. I won’t have a real chance to take advantage …
Continue reading “File Under Banal: Pittsburgh Shopping List”
Deep Thoughts on Jet Lag Upon the Return From Europe
This is what it must be like to be a morning person.
It turns out that it’s not a compliment. . .
. . . when the customs agent at Dorval looks at all the stamps on my passport and says “you sure are a busy guy.” But hey, what’s a little extra search on your way home? Maastricht was wonderful. Mr. Bean’s Holiday on the flight home was so terrible that I almost broke my “always …
Continue reading “It turns out that it’s not a compliment. . .”
Things that start with M: More Radiohead + Maastricht
So it took me this long to actually listen to the new Radiohead CD since downloading it. Well, I started listening to it about a day ago and haven’t really stoppped since then. It’s excellent. So all I have to say is this: anyone who is complaining about the sound quality simply isn’t listening to …
Continue reading “Things that start with M: More Radiohead + Maastricht”
Forgetting
As I may have mentioned somewhere below, writing has been my most daunting task since becoming chair (to be fair, this was complicated in the summer by virtue of moving). Mostly it’s a time issue, but though it is also something of a concentration issue. To write well and creatively, one must forget (if momentarily) …
Surprise rule, part II
Okay, I know I’m probably the only person who reads this blog who likes anything approaching heavy metal (well, except for Carrie, except she doesn’t often read this blog). But hey, Steven always writes about TV even though half his readers don’t watch any, so I guess it’s fair play in blogland. Anyway:the best rock …