When the spring weather is this nice, I don't feel like sitting in front of the computer. But I have three end-of-semester assignments to write: two finals and an essay, so today I don't have a choice. Hard to believe that in a week, the urban ed stuff is over. I witnessed the last of the forums (big debates), and since that was the part of those classes that I most enjoyed, I'll admit it was bittersweet.

The latest cheater sobbed in my side chair -- and then, after my speech about the importance of learning the lesson, she went away. I did report her to the undergraduate dean's office. Whenever this subject comes up, I'm amazed at the plagiarism stories from others. Two students caught cheating in a class this semester handed in identical essays - to the same professor - with only one word changed. The assignment was writing about a life-changing event. The professor was especially upset because of the nature of the assignment. Not only did the students obviously think the professor doesn't bother to read the work - but fabricating a story seems even more of an insult. It's really a shame that these incidents sometimes overshadow the majority of students - who are serious, diligent, a joy to teach, ask for very little, and as a result, probably don't get the attention from faculty and administrators that they deserve.

A few weeks ago, I bought a new printer, and took my old one to S'ville. I took the Lexmark inkjet I had there back to Castleton, and connected it locally to my old computer, rather than printing through the network, which often causes problems. My old network printer (HP Officejet 1170cse) had been giving me trouble off and on for almost a year. I had tried to print on paper with a curved top, and ever since then, I have been getting an intermittent error message "Cartridge Carrier Blocked" whenever I print more than a page or so.

It could be corrected by turning it on and off, and reaching inside to push the cartridges, but it was annoying, and lots of paper was wasted. I tried everything on the HP website several times, but had no luck. It is seven years old, and doesn't owe me a dime, so I got a new one (HP 6110). It's nice, but I know it won't be a match for the old one. Anyway, I scoured the Internet for suggestions on what to do about the 1170's problem, because occasionally in S'ville I want to print more than a page or two, and yesterday I finally tried it -- oiling the cartridge rod. I used 3-in-1 oil, and was not at all optimistic, it seemed way too easy - but it worked like a charm!!