The lazy days of summer just evaporated before my eyes. The "endlless summer" feeling that comes in early August has morphed into Chicago conference trip next week. I managed to keep that to a 4 day trip.
But the best laid plans of laziness are cut short. Now, I return from Chicago for about six hours - enough time to repack and sleep for a couple hours. Then it is off to the Utah and Wyoming. The lure of joining my sister traveling there for a few days was irresistible. With some strategically placed phone calls, I have managed to get a cabin at Mammouth Hot Springs for two nights and a cabin at the Old Faithful geyser complex for a night.
Yeah for seeing Yellowstone again!
I will return the day I go back to a full time contract and the school year begins again.
Somewhere in the next 24 hours, I have to fire off a paper proposal to a Nov. conference in.... MELBOURNE! Looking for travel companions as I could squeeze out about 9 days of travel after the conference if anyone is willing to do emu, or kangaroo or crocodile for Thanksgiving dinner.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
**Makes you wonder**
I was poking around on line this morning, procrastinating to avoid the piles of filing I need to do. I googled "Montana wildfires" to check out the fire season as all we hear about is California these days. I found the wildfire report released on Friday the 23rd. Nothing atypical except at the bottom of the report (available to the public, mind you), is a set of "talking points" for officials to use when talking to the media about Montana wildfires....
I am struck by the irony of such an effort to manipulate public perception and then, at the same time, release the document on line that discusses the agency's effort to manipulate the public perceptions.
Here are the talking points:
I am struck by the irony of such an effort to manipulate public perception and then, at the same time, release the document on line that discusses the agency's effort to manipulate the public perceptions.
Here are the talking points:
- When speaking with the media regarding facts:
- Use non-threatening terminology such as “precautionary evacuation” or “temporary closure”.
- When talking about size of the fire or number of acres involved use percentages rather than numbers.
- If evacuations are in place, distinguish between “voluntary evacuations” and “mandatory evacuations”
- Stress that any closures are “temporary” or “only partial closures”
- Accentuate the positive. Fire does have a natural role in ecology.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
**Early Summer in NY**
It is lunchtime and I am poking around the net. I have found a live videocam of Old Faithful geyser and am watching as it is about to erupt. Skies are clear, brilliant blue. I have sat there many times watching this very scene. Wish I was there.
I am VERY slowly going through photographs taken this summer (including Australia). I found some pictures (... there goes Old Faithful....!) of the house after returning from a month of travel. When I left there were the leaves were just emerging on the trees. The bulbs were blooming and the grass was cut just before leaving (barely needed it but we wanted to try the new tractor).
This is what I cam home to:
A jungle. Beautiful, but nevertheless.
We have never had to water once this summer. We have been told it is an unusually wet summer - mostly torrential downpours each day and then nice weather around it. But everything is so lush here.... Did I mention, things grow quickly?
We decided to leave the back 4 acres or so natural and the local flora and fauna have moved in quickly. The tall grasses, conifers and maple are home to all sorts of birds. We see them at our feeders next to the porch. There are the same feeders that attracted a local bear about a month ago. Still waiting on the cell phone picture taken by a friend of E.'s when they came home and interrupted the bear's seedfest.
The field also is growing all sorts of wildflowers, wild rasberries and strawberries. We are thinking if we become survivalists, we might just be about to graze the land during the summer months and do quite well.
I am VERY slowly going through photographs taken this summer (including Australia). I found some pictures (... there goes Old Faithful....!) of the house after returning from a month of travel. When I left there were the leaves were just emerging on the trees. The bulbs were blooming and the grass was cut just before leaving (barely needed it but we wanted to try the new tractor).
This is what I cam home to:
A jungle. Beautiful, but nevertheless.
We have never had to water once this summer. We have been told it is an unusually wet summer - mostly torrential downpours each day and then nice weather around it. But everything is so lush here.... Did I mention, things grow quickly?
We decided to leave the back 4 acres or so natural and the local flora and fauna have moved in quickly. The tall grasses, conifers and maple are home to all sorts of birds. We see them at our feeders next to the porch. There are the same feeders that attracted a local bear about a month ago. Still waiting on the cell phone picture taken by a friend of E.'s when they came home and interrupted the bear's seedfest.
The field also is growing all sorts of wildflowers, wild rasberries and strawberries. We are thinking if we become survivalists, we might just be about to graze the land during the summer months and do quite well.
Monday, July 21, 2008
**On The Fence About This One**
I just read a quick review and excerpt from David Carr's new book. Carr is the media critic for the NY Times. His book is autobiographical. A memoir. To quote the beginning of the Washington Post story on the book,
David Carr's latest subject is a pathetic human being, a thug, a manipulative jerk who uses people and puts his own kids in danger. [...] He is unsparing as he rips the protective bark off his life, baring his past addictions to crack and alcohol and the utter depths to which he sank.
I am unsure how I feel about this "bares all" story. He says he did it in part to finance his daughter's college education. But there are a lot of people's lives exposes and wounds ripped open by the decision to publish this memoir. By all indications, he is harsh, but most harsh on himself. I think I am especially intrigued by how he learns his memory of events past is so completely wrong at times. Something we all should keep in mind.
I will probably read it as the excerpt suggests some fine writing. But will it just be a well written spin on a theme we have heard before? Is there nothing new in the story of redemption?
There is an except in the NYT magazine here.
David Carr's latest subject is a pathetic human being, a thug, a manipulative jerk who uses people and puts his own kids in danger. [...] He is unsparing as he rips the protective bark off his life, baring his past addictions to crack and alcohol and the utter depths to which he sank.
I am unsure how I feel about this "bares all" story. He says he did it in part to finance his daughter's college education. But there are a lot of people's lives exposes and wounds ripped open by the decision to publish this memoir. By all indications, he is harsh, but most harsh on himself. I think I am especially intrigued by how he learns his memory of events past is so completely wrong at times. Something we all should keep in mind.
I will probably read it as the excerpt suggests some fine writing. But will it just be a well written spin on a theme we have heard before? Is there nothing new in the story of redemption?
There is an except in the NYT magazine here.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
"Where is the Summer Going?"
So much going on, it is hard to post, which may be why I am not. I almost don't know where to begin.
I am still sorting through the Australia pictures and a trip report is long overdue.
I have this wonderful series of pictures of a robin's nest and the eggs hatching. Haven't even downloaded those from my camera.
I am waiting for my daughter's friend to email her cell picture of the bear the two stumbled upon in our yard, feasting on the bird feeders.
Tons of stuff to write about.
I will try.
In the meantime, I perused the Chronicle of Higher Education today. CHE released a study of the best colleges and universities to work for. There were probably 20 different parameters, from compensation to retirement, to professional support, to facilities..... Consistently on the list was Stanford U. Would love to teach there someday. There is a position in my area, but I suspect, like the guys (and I do mean guys) who teach at University of Vermont and University of Colorado, I will have to wait for a retirement cause no one in their right mind would voluntarily leave those places.
I also was impressed by how often Cornell appeared on the list. Mentioned in almost every category, except work/life balance & job satisfaction. Lot's of resources and compensation, but like many ivys, high stress. University of Michigan made regular appearances. A surprising name in numerous categories: State University of New York at Buffalo. Although, it would take lots of job incentives to get someone to live there so maybe the listing does make sense.
Of course I can sit here and comment on institutions like this from the comfort of my secure position. How quickly one forgets applying for ANY job that seems remotely relevant, prepared to move just about anywhere. Well, almost anywhere, I did turn down an interview offer at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. I think the reasons are self-evident, although maybe premature as living near oil refineries might might mean cheaper gas.
I also remember a phone interview with Berry College. I though it went exceedingly well as measured by the fact my children in the background were successfully bribed with candy and never interrupted. I was confident of a campus interview, but alas it never came. I found out later that they called my references and my adviser in his enthusiasm to talk about what a hard worker I was, explained how I had progressed through all my graduate studies and research assistantships while raising two young children as a SINGLE PARENT. Check out the Berry College overview, mission and history on their website and you will get a sense why they were NOT impressed.
I am still sorting through the Australia pictures and a trip report is long overdue.
I have this wonderful series of pictures of a robin's nest and the eggs hatching. Haven't even downloaded those from my camera.
I am waiting for my daughter's friend to email her cell picture of the bear the two stumbled upon in our yard, feasting on the bird feeders.
Tons of stuff to write about.
I will try.
In the meantime, I perused the Chronicle of Higher Education today. CHE released a study of the best colleges and universities to work for. There were probably 20 different parameters, from compensation to retirement, to professional support, to facilities..... Consistently on the list was Stanford U. Would love to teach there someday. There is a position in my area, but I suspect, like the guys (and I do mean guys) who teach at University of Vermont and University of Colorado, I will have to wait for a retirement cause no one in their right mind would voluntarily leave those places.
I also was impressed by how often Cornell appeared on the list. Mentioned in almost every category, except work/life balance & job satisfaction. Lot's of resources and compensation, but like many ivys, high stress. University of Michigan made regular appearances. A surprising name in numerous categories: State University of New York at Buffalo. Although, it would take lots of job incentives to get someone to live there so maybe the listing does make sense.
Of course I can sit here and comment on institutions like this from the comfort of my secure position. How quickly one forgets applying for ANY job that seems remotely relevant, prepared to move just about anywhere. Well, almost anywhere, I did turn down an interview offer at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. I think the reasons are self-evident, although maybe premature as living near oil refineries might might mean cheaper gas.
I also remember a phone interview with Berry College. I though it went exceedingly well as measured by the fact my children in the background were successfully bribed with candy and never interrupted. I was confident of a campus interview, but alas it never came. I found out later that they called my references and my adviser in his enthusiasm to talk about what a hard worker I was, explained how I had progressed through all my graduate studies and research assistantships while raising two young children as a SINGLE PARENT. Check out the Berry College overview, mission and history on their website and you will get a sense why they were NOT impressed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
