I think I will need to catch up on the missed week of work during the break (April 2-8). The weather is beautiful today and the last thing I feel like doing is focus on evaluating student work...but this has been a very busy week and this is the first day I have been able to get to the backlog, so oh well, I have no choice. The computer is still working fine, but I have not bothered to reinstall everything. That's something that will have to wait until break, after I am caught up.

I taught my first graduate class last night, as a favor to a colleague who had to go out of town. It was great, and really makes me want to teach at that level.

My Netvista computer crashed on Monday. It was frozen when I went to use it in the morning and then it wouldn't boot. Nothing obvious was wrong when I ran diagnostics, but I didn't want to reformat/reinstall Windows XP because we have a lot of files on that machine. Were they backed up? Of course not.

I borrowed a Windows XP disk from someone (my recovery disk is on the hard drive, and it doesn't allow anything except diagnostics, or reformat/reinstall) and backed up/replaced registry files, then I managed to get the PC into safe mode. That was 3 am, late Tuesday/early Wednesday. The good news was, all the files were there. The bad news was it wasn't seeing the floppy drive or network, it couldn't get on the internet, or write to the CD drive.

After playing around the next day, I got the floppy drive back. However, I figured it would take about 5000 disks and the rest of my life to copy all the data. So, we went to Staples and got a zip drive. {An aside, it is a neat toy.} I installed that, and successfully copied the files.

Then I reformatted and reinstalled Windows. Everything worked, except for three things (audio, ethernet, sm bus). So, now I have the zip drive plugged into Old Faithful (the Aptiva) and I am downloading the drivers. It is a very (!)slow process over a dial-up connection. I can't believe it has taken me 4 days to get this far, and still I cannot use my cable modem.

I am using my dial-up connection to check email etc., but for my university Outlook account, access that way is slow and unreliable. So I am only responding to the most critical email. It will probably take me another week to catch up on all the work I have neglected.

All in the Timing (the play we saw on Saturday) was great, I think it was the best we've seen this season at the campus.

On Sunday we went to see The Passion of the Christ. It was a wonderful, powerful movie. Something I liked a lot was that it was subtitled, which was so appropriate. It was not at all anti-Semitic, I believe that controversy was generated by people who did not see the movie, or maybe they are anti-Christian/anti-Catholic, or perhaps just plain ignorant. It brought tears to my eyes twice. There were some very violent scenes, and for that reason I was hesitant to see it, but I just averted my eyes a few times. It was not gratuitous violence. My sister remarked that it made her want to read the Bible, something she had not done in quite a while, and it had that impact on me, too. Some have asked, for a non-Christian is it worthwhile to see? I am not sure; I think it may be of interest to someone who is of a different religion, but I am not sure whether atheists would appreciate it. I know some reviewers have praised it on technical grounds, but as it is very much a spiritual experience I am not sure whether it would be appealing to non-believers. Something to think about.

Since I worked so much last weekend, and my classes are in fairly good shape, I managed to fit in some reading for fun: I just finished Margaret Atwood's The Robber Bride. No surprise here - a good read, as usual.

Tonight we are going to the third play of the season at the university.

Today, after it stopped pouring rain, I looked outside, and most of the snow and ice were gone, even in the fenced area of the yard, where it lasts the longest. The condition of the yard has been really bothering me -- it always does in the spring. Snow is predicted for tomorrow and Monday - so this was a window of opportunity. I love to do yardwork, but with two dogs, the yard really is disgusting after the winter. I keep up with it in good weather, but once it is freezing, there is snow cover and it is dark at 4 pm, I don't bother.

My annual Spring task is so awful, that a new vocabulary would have to be invented to describe it. I gave it a try last year. I am so relieved to be done, breaking my last year's earliest-ever record. I feel quite accomplished. Ha! Should I add the bullet to my CV? Seriously, Rudy is a good dog, and he deserves a nice yard (not that Sophie doesn't, but she cares less about such things. Rudy is very fastidious).

Anyway, as I worked on my words-are-inadequate-to-do-it-justice task, I was thinking, this might be a good punishment for Martha Stewart. She can come to my house annually each Spring, and apply her vast skills to making turd patrol a "good thing."

Yesterday, Preservation magazine arrived in the mail. I love Preservation, but the cover story really irritated me.

For the record, I oppose the new cement plant. My feelings come not because of the various environmental impacts regarding pollution that are being debated. I don't know whose science is best, and it doesn't matter to me. I oppose the plant because of something aesthetic: the impact on the view of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains from Frederick Church's Olana. (That view is what I use as the logo image on Gully Brook Press - both the actual photograph on the homepage, and the graphic I made from it for this journal). My reason agrees with the viewpoint of the Preservation writer, so why am I irritated?

A few weeks ago Bob and I were talking about another environmental controversy, that in some ways mirrors the tensions generated by the cement plant. In this case, it is the proposed construction of a big resort on a mountainside in Shandaken, Ulster County. We both lean toward being opposed to that project as well. However, I was reading aloud some letters to the editor in the local paper, and Bob commented, "I dislike the corporate opposition as much as a I dislike the corporate support for it," and that really hits the nail on the head for me. The big environmental groups, and outsider opponents to these projects alienate me every bit as much as the big business interests that are pushing for approval.

In the case of Preservation's article, I am not angry that the issue was covered, I believe the publicity is good. I am not against Preservation taking a position opposed to the plant. I think they should be against it. What bothers me is that the article is so slanted - it does not make any effort at all to cover the other side; it is as if the other side was solely the cement company, that no local person or town government official wanted the plant to be built, and that there would be no reason for support. This isn't exactly stated - but supporters are just ignored. I guess Preservation is proud to be elitist.

Yet here are just a few excerpts from other sources that detail the issue is a contentious one, with various and dearly-held beliefs on both sides:

"It is sometimes hard to remember what Columbia County looked like without the red and blue signs now spattered across the landscape, people?s front yards, windows, and storefronts." Joseph A. Brill, Chronogram, 2002.

"...drive through any community near Hudson and you'll see placards in dozens of front yards--red for those against the plant, blue for those in favor." Patrick Smith, Business Week online, July 1, 2002.

"Hundreds of supporters wearing bright blue T-shirts and opponents clad in dusty rose T-shirts, packed into the un-airconditioned gymnasium..." William Tuthill, the Business Review, June 20, 2001

"The petition signature, the bumper sticker, T-shirt or casual comment became shorthand for who you were and what you believed about all sorts of unrelated issues, as if the totality of a person's life could be summarized on a lawn sign. " Editorial from October 26, 2001 Independent.

"Travel any road in the county and you can see red STOP THE PLANT or blue SUPPORT THE PLANT signs on front lawns," Ralph Gardner, Cry them a river, New York Magazine.

The first story, from the Chronogram, is the best of the bunch - it is fair, balanced, covers the issue in appropriate and accessible detail. The Preservation writer could take a lesson from this piece.

On the other hand, I suppose I should be happy that Preservation decided ignoring the alternative viewpoints would be better than using a quote like this one (from Cry Them a River) that characterizes it this way:

"It's really sad," says a local antiques dealer. "Every dilapidated house has a blue sign in front of it. And every beautiful, well-maintained house has a red sign in front of it."

I believe it is ignorant to describe the two sides this way, but I think the perception may hit the nail on the head - Preservation always pays lip service to historic issues that celebrate the lower classes, folks who have been under-represented, and unfairly represented in the past. So how do you champion the romantic Hudson River School, wealthy darlings of the artsy set, without mentioning the less advantaged -- both from those times, and today? Better to hold a hanky over your nose and keep your pinky in the air and pretend to not notice. Ahem.

It was probably better to overlook this view (also from Cry Them a River):

One weekender sees the locals' support for the project as a failure of American public education. "I think we're generally better-educated and more sophisticated than the locals," he says, explaining why they can't see through St. Lawrence's P.R. offensive. "I don't want to discuss the intelligence of the locals; that's terrible. But look at the schools in Columbia County. They're awful.

Now there's a quote that really makes the blood of this here local boil!

Two observations; maybe I just see things in a different way (wouldn't be the only time), but...first, the media's reporting about California passing the bond issues by 2/3 majority as a surprise because not long ago the polls were showing low support strikes me as missing the point. To me it says, wake up. Media often is so biased and out of touch, and opinion polls are not very accurate.

Second, we watched the DVD Beijing Bicycle last night (it was very good). The sleeve of the DVD had a sticker with a brief description. It said something about "a 16 year-old-boy learning the value of sharing." Huh. Could've fooled me. I thought it was about a boy (finally!!) taking charge, growing up, becoming an adult.

On the subject of DVDs -- been too busy to watch very many, but we have seen Pirates of the Caribbean (which was great! And that's saying a lot, because it is not at all my type of movie...in fact - I'm sure Sean Penn was excellent in Mystic River (I didn't see it yet), but I was rooting for Johnny Depp) and Pirates of Penzance (umm...I love live musicals, but it was hard to sit through on DVD). Elephant Man we had already seen anyway, but the DVD was damaged and would only play half (a serious criticism of this mostly wonderful technology).

And we went to the movies to see 50 First Dates, which was kind of sad, but great.

Do you know, I completely forgot. Monday was the two year anniversary of this online journal!

We are studying philosophy of education in social foundations. Students took a quiz to help determine which of five major philosophies they prefer. In the day class, about half the students (there are 39) favored progressivism, and the other half favored essentialism. I think there was one student who preferred existentialism, and one who was about evenly divided in terms of essentialism and progressivism. In the night class (37 students), one student was evenly divided between essentialism and progressivism, two students preferred essentialism, one preferred behaviorism, and all the rest favored progressivism. In the online class (17 students), it is harder to determine, because even though the quiz is available and there is a discussion question about it, not all students choose to address that question. But, so far, the students who are sharing thoughts about educational philosophy seem to favor progressivism.

All of which got me thinking. Sometimes in class I despair about the lack of discussion and participation, and it seems that chalk-and-talk is way too dominant. Then there are classes when the students are so involved that it is not possible to cover all the planned material. It varies from semester to semester, and class to class. The night class is very interactive, The day class is quieter, and I spend a lot of time thinking about how to encourage participation. After the quiz results, I was thinking, the greater number of essentialists than usual in the day class means that for at least half of the class, lecture is preferred much of the time. On the other hand, the strong majority of progressives in the night class means they are probably less satisfied on those days when I "deliver" a lecture. Something to keep in mind.

I agree with this article, I definitely get less telemarketing calls since I signed up for Do Not Call. I signed up for the New York list when it first came out. That was quite a while ago, and although it took a little while, it was effective. I guess now it has been converted to a Federal registry, I know it was automatic if you were already signed up at the State level.

In terms of spam, I am not sure. I still get too many, but I think the number may have decreased. Whether that is because of the registry, or spam blocking features in email, who knows?

I should sign up for paper junk mail elimination too, although I think that is still cumbersome, not an easy website process like Do Not Call. Hmmm. Something to investigate. Every two weeks we have curbside pickup of paper for recycling, and I can never believe how much of the bin is junk mail, especially annoying credit card offers. Such waste!

I am teaching right now...actually the students are working in groups on a project so I decided to run up to my office rather than pace the classroom, my other alternative (and usual method).

I often wonder about the dynamics of groups - not just the small-ish ones that are working in my class, but the entire cohort, the night class compared to the day class compared to the online course, compared to last semester's, compared to summer session, compared to last year. My night class this semester is so interactive - if I lecture for two sentences - hands are up, questions asked, comments made...if I ask a question there is a field of hands in the air. If we do a group project, during the reporting out session, we barely cover half the material because there is so much discussion.

Then there are cohorts where row after row of students sit there with blank stares, or closed eyes, or fidgeting, hoping to get out five minutes early. What gives, it is the same instructor, similar curriculum, just the times of day and delivery mode differ, and it is never the same cohort that is engaged (sometimes it is the online class, sometimes it is the day class, sometimes it is the night class). I speculated that course size has something to do with it, but that doesn't seem to account for it either. I conclude that peer influences are very powerful. Several engaged students lead and that translates to a good class -- on the other hand, several bored students drag it down and that makes for a poor one.

Back by popular demand? After an eight month hiatus, there is a new virtual museum over at Gully Brook Press.

When I was updating the pages, I decided to delete the references to a tracking service I added last year. It was more hassle than it was worth, I hated the banners it inserted, and I can't even remember the password - it wasn't something of my choosing. I only removed it on a couple of pages, I will get to the rest eventually. Anyway, in the process, I deleted the background colors. But I may keep it transparent - I so rarely make changes, that this one, although unintentional, is refreshing!

We saw another DVD, "Frida," and cut short the recent loser movie trend. It was interesting, as are most artist-biographies.

Almost forgot! The next movie up was "Confidence." Another loser! It was terrible.

Two weeks ago (a long time in the land of ejournals), I promised over at Sya's to get to this eventually, and finally, I am.

Two writers shared different perspectives on the following question asked by prospective students:

"Should I get a PhD?"

The original comes from an English professor, who believes the response is in three parts; the follow up is from a biology professor. Both agree that the first part of the answer is "probably not."

I say, the answer is completely individual, and you shouldn't let anyone extinguish your dreams. You can consider the source of this perspective; I'm a former academic administrator, currently an adjunct in the education field, and in that role one of my duties (besides a significant teaching load) is advising prospective and new graduate students. Once I finished my bachelor's degree, I knew that someday, I would get a master's degree. Then, after that degree was in hand, my new goal became a doctorate - eventually.

Did I link that up with some sort of economic calculus? Only in the most general way. I do encounter students for whom that is the only consideration, the "I must get an A or my future is ruined because I won't be able to go to the best graduate school, which means I won't get the job I want," type, and I shake my head. (I understand in some places such a calculation is taking place at the nursery school level. Sad.) I think it's great to get an A, if it is a gauge of your level of learning. Otherwise, what is the point?

Now, this is not to say that graduate school - and the dissertation stage of getting a doctorate - is easy, or always pleasant. Sometimes it is awful, mostly it is tiring, and it seems endless. There will be years of missing television programs (not a bad thing, actually), social events (including important ones), and pleasure reading. Holidays arrive, and instead of being enjoyable, they are one more task to get through. Laundry and dishes pile up, and money is often scarce. But you know what? Eventually it becomes a pleasant memory. It takes a while, but it happens.

On the next part of the answer, there was some disagreement. The first professor believes "before you get yourself into a PhD program, go get a job for a year or two." The second professor has mixed feelings, among them the thought that "it takes a long time to get where you're going [in academe], and putting it off for another year or two to work on something else just means you'll be a year or two closer to geezerhood..."

Hmm. I guess I have mixed feelings about this too. It is another personal decision, there is only so much a mentor can tell you. Some people are able to breeze through undergraduate, to graduate, and be done in a remarkably short time. Others don't have that inclination - or that financial support (or desire to shoulder that level of loan burden, or that much delay in the accumulation of material possessions). On the other hand, life is a process, and a journey, not a destination. So what's the hurry? (A geezer or a sprout, who cares?)

I think it is always a good idea to get a job for a while, but unlike the first professor's view, whether that job requires a college degree doesn't matter so much. I think nonprofessional jobs can have important lessons to teach, as well. And I don't think it is necessary to take time off from school to do it. Working while going to school at the same time is valuable. It raises the appreciation for the luxury of just working, or just going to school. It makes me think of something my father said to me when I complained about a fairly good job I had years ago: "it's not a bad way to make a living." I remembered waitressing in a bowling alley, and working as a temp secretary in an insurance company, and a stint at Burger King (yes, I did all three and more), and I knew what he said was true. Juggling translates to the development of wonderful time management and organizational skills. I've done school part-time and full-time, I worked between my bachelor's degree and master's degree, and I worked full-time while in the Ph.D. program, until I was at the dissertation stage. Twenty-two years after I stepped on a college campus as a freshman I walked across a stage and received my doctorate. Was it worth it? Yes.

For the third part of the answer, the first professor admonishes to "remember the laws of supply and demand," while the second professor warns about having to yank up roots while wandering around the country for jobs.

Both of those things are true. Most academics do nationwide job searches, worried about finding a position at all, and land in places they may not have chosen if the market was more open. I have deep roots in upstate New York, and I am not leaving here. That decision - well, I guess it wasn't a decision, because it was never on the table - but that life choice did not stand in the way of me doing what I want. I have never found a shortage of opportunity. You just need to know what is important to you, and how to get it. That long 22 year journey, from 16 year old college freshman to Dr. Gina clarified a lot of things for me. I'm simply not willing to rip up my roots. There is such a thing as "enough money." At the same time, I have not had to resort to working in a job I did not want, or that did not require a doctorate, to stay here. And believe me, I have plenty of material things - actually, much more than I really need.

I love learning. I love teaching, and I really, really like college students. I like to wear many hats, and I like not being too tied down to a position. I did that, as an administrator, and it was enjoyable for a while. Then I got tenure, and shortly afterwards, I resigned! Now I am an adjunct, somewhat, but not completely invisible. And guess what? I love it!

So that was my take, for what it is worth (about three cents).

I am caught up for the moment!

Except for a couple of (very) minor details, the education book is a wrap today. The classes are going OK - I think I will wind up being on campus three days per week, and at home two. And I think every so often, I might be able to do my old schedule of two days on campus, three days at home. It is interesting to see how big classes run - the last time I was in a lecture center was when I was a freshman in college. Even then, I only had two classes that size: biology 100, and an intro. history class. I hated both.

These education classes aren't in the biggest of the big rooms - I think the assiged LC holds 120, and there are about 70 students enrolled. But that is twice as big as my usual class when at its peak size (most semesters I have had about 30). I want it to be a good experience, and I'm hoping that is possible in a class that size.

I'm wondering, what do I do with a caught-up afternoon? Wash dishes? Read the Sandra Dallas book I have chosen as next in line? Watch a DVD (we have now seen Nicholas Nickleby [which was great!] and Sweet Home Alabama [which was awful!]). I think "write a query letter" is the winner. I have a wonderful idea. Stay tuned.

Well, this is going to be a very busy semester, but I think it will be less hectic once the details are ironed out. On the first day of classes, the online registration system crashed -- meaning not only could students not register, there were no class rosters either. That might not have been so bad if my classes had space available -- but as far as I know they are all closed and there were about a dozen desperate students at each, asking to get in. Now, since I have taken on a lot this semester, I really cannot go any bigger than they are already, there just is no time -- and I don't care for huge classes anyway, but I don't like turning students away either. However, without access to the system, there was no easy way to tell who is in the class, who has dropped, who hasn't shown up, whether the room is big enough or needs to be changed. So that was a nightmare!

On a very good note, all the students who I supervise are top notch, very impressive, and that takes a huge burden from me.

On another subject, some time ago we got a DVD player - we both like technology but in the entertainment arena it usually takes us a while to jump on the bandwagon. Bob finally hooked it up several weeks ago (this involved completely reworking the entertainment center, it was quite a job and a tangle of wires). Then we joined netflix, which is a wonderful service! No more video stores, and more important, no more late fees. So far, we have rented Chicago, Gangs of New York, Terminator 3, A Mighty Wind, Bend it Like Beckham, Real Women Have Curves, and Living Outloud. Turns out we had already seen Living Outloud, and just didn't remember - which says it all. It was OK, but not all that memorable. All the movies we chose so far were enjoyable, but my very favorites were Bend it Like Beckham and Chicago, with A Mighty Wind and Real Women Have Curves running a close second.

A few days ago I wondered why I wasn't having an anxiety attack over all the undone work. This hasn't been much of a "break" and still it seemed like it wasn't enough time to prepare. However, as the weekend approaches, I am beginning to think I will be ready for the semester when it starts on Wednesday. It will be a combination of winging it and having it together, but I'll manage.

We have been in the deep freeze. With diligence - fawcets dripping, supplemental heaters going, closet doors open - we have managed to preserve the pipes! It is supposed to be a little better this weekend, which means we may actually get to spend at least some of it in Samsonville.

More on the recent train accident.

After spending the day on campus, Bob and I stopped at Stewart's - our much-appreciated local convenience store - on Main Street in Castleton. There were cops everywhere, an ambulance, and several television trucks. It turns out that a man was hit and killed by a train. He was the same age as Bob. Such tragedies happen every year or so, as Amtrak runs next to the Hudson River, only yards from buildings on Main Street, and when it goes through Castleton, it is at speeds of about 100 miles per hour, and more.

I am a big supporter of train travel, and so I rarely criticise the trains that whip through the village, but while following the story, I have learned that of the communities near the Hudson between Albany and New York City, Castleton is the closest to the tracks. In Westchester County, the train slows to 60 mph when it cruises through Croton.

PS Today is my mother's birthday; happy birthday Ma!

Happy New Year! Hard to believe that number, '04. I remember looking ahead to Y2K, and it didn't seem possible that the 19s would be over and 20s would be here. Mimmie was born 100 years ago this year, at the beginning of the 20th century. I had planned -- hoped -- to get some work done on that book, during this intercession. But I have so many things pending, and it really isn't easy, getting back into routine. I have a long list of things to do, and I think I should start with reorganizing my office.

We did First Night in Albany for New Year's. I think it was the fifth time we did it? Last time was '99 turning to '00, and it wasn't that great, compared to the other times we participated. Everyone was in such a panic about the change in the year, and what it would do to the infrastructure. But this year it was good, with warmer weather than any other year when we did it, I think. We managed four events, in addition to dinner out: the Van Trapp great-grandchildren singing at the Palace theatre, the Adirondack Baroque concert at St. Mary's, an improv act, Mission Improvable, at Capital Rep, and a dance troupe, Bamboche Lakay, back at the Palace.

Today is Bob's 44th birthday. He says he wants to have it changed, to not be so close to Christmas and New Year's.