music

  • Isn't it nuts how Christmas music can bring you to tears... and make you hopeful all at once? It's as if it doesn't matter why we celebrate this holiday; we need to be reminded of why we're here. And these two holidays, Thanksgiving & Christmas, come in the fall/winter when everything is freezing and/or dying. Nature hibernates to be reborn later. The days darken, and while we still have lots going on, we stop.

    We slow down.
    The lack of sun almost forces us inside to others.
    To cozy up on couches. To think and dwell and cherish.

    "The only blind person at Christmastime is he who has not Christmas in his heart." --- Helen Keller

    "Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space." --- Dave Barry

  • Listening to the Redeye Holiday Sampler. Thirteen (13) songs for $1.99.
    This IS Christmas, yo.
    Gotta love iTunes.

  • "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus last night." Turns out, it was Tiger Woods.

    Anyhow...
    New desks in the office. Oooh la la. I get easily distracted when there are things to be put back together. Re-arranging to be completed. Oh well. Thus far, I've kept up with grading. Stuff was turned in Saturday & Monday; those items were assessed last night. Right now, a few assignment have come in at midnight last night and I had a 10am deadline today for my English 110ers. So, yea. I should get to those things before my 4pm deadline today (for my English 120 on-campus students).

    This morning, while getting ready, I cranked some Christmas tunes. Then, I wondered... could I really get in trouble for blasting Holiday music? I mean, REALLY? Even late at night... blasting "Silent Night" would be ironic right? And funny to me. Hmph. Perhaps. Something to try out. An experiment.

    "So, this is Christmas; I hope you have fun."

  • First non-academic project: Sort through CDs and put music from CDs on iMac that isn't already there. Then recycle CDs I don't absolutely have to have forever and/or make a chandelier out of them?
    First academic project: Place final grades into PeopleSoft this afternoon.

  • A brunch treat (since I only had coffee for breakfast): Diet Coke & peanut M&Ms. You know how long it's been since I had either? Months. Seemed like the thing to have this cold, cold morning - celebrating mundane days is fun.

    And have you ever noticed how a great song, with uplifting lyrics, can take you out of a funk?

    I was thinking last night how I should devote certain days to fun activities. Like have Yoga Wednesdays. I already "celebrate" Simpsons Sundays. Hmph...

  • One of my favorite devices near me (iBook) producing Sade's "By Your Side" (and other just downloaded songs) around my head via my massive earphones (the only way to get good bass, in my opinion) so as to not bother Roxie...

    After getting treated to lunch today, I'll start on preparations for next spring... as well as reworking that Online English 120 class (may leave some of that for next week?). I have ideas, too many probably, so I just need to put them on the screen/onto paper. Much of the same is on the agenda for tomorrow's 10am to 6pm schedule.

  • So far, a few students have had troubles with getting their song to play in the PPT. Most of those who had problems, thus far, haven't placed a copy of the song file in the same folder as their PPT. Others have odd song files to begin with (.m3u or .mp4) which they should convert into .mp3 or .wav. It looks like we may have to use part of Monday's class to watch those who either need to reconfigure their PPT due to the lack of sound or watch those who won't fit into the 50 min on Friday. It's tough to not get frustrated along with the students. I assumed many of them were more tech-savvy than I, and I think I am incorrect in that assumption. Plus, I thought I had explained the whole "putting it all in the same folder" thing enough times, but many didn't listen or didn't grasp what I meant. The next time I assign this, I need to create an additional sheet of Q&A as well as a link to that media-convert site. Maybe I need to draw pictures too?

    This is your computer with the song on it.
    This is the computer at school without your song on it.
    This is why you need to put a copy of the song on your USB device.

  • Last night, I decorated my place... watched the not-so-corny lighting of the NYC tree, played around with more PowerPoint possiblities (killing two birds = creating samples of projects while also creating ones that can be used in my online English 120 class themed in controversy), read a few more papers, and... searched for my stupid cell phone charger.

    "You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one." - John Lennon

    "Instant karma's gonna get you; gonna knock you right on your head." - John Lennon

    Today: Create Interview Assignment for English 105's class tomorrow, grade a few more 110 papers, send out an announcement to World Lit students on what we'll be reading for the Open Topic next week, and get some cider/cookies downstairs from 2-4pm. Oh, and we have a dept meeting in about 30 min.

  • Weee... downloading podcasts and music in the office. And, yes, I did nab a subscription to "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips to Better Writing." I should have my students subscribe. On that note, I did try to find world literature podcasts for my online class next spring... no such luck.

    Why am I downloading stuff today? Easy. On the 2 hour plane ride from Minneapolis to Nashville this Friday morning (and on the return flight Monday night), I'll have NEW things to listen to. That's thinking ahead... and as for the teeny flight from Fargo to Mpls? Books... yes, books. I have really thought this all through, haven't I?

    No worries - it's not all academic... I subscribed to Dane Cook's podcast as well as one called the Dance Department.

  • [Think of OK Go's "Do What You Want" as the theme song.] There's something a bit calming about spending a weekend alone. I need some quiet now and then. I finished reading one book and continued with another (recreational ones based in psychology/sociolinguistics), I ventured to the cities to do some real shopping (found some new running shoes), and I watched Vikings football yesterday while reading the Fargo Forum. (Bison beat UC-Davis!)

    This week could end up being a calm one... or it could end up chaotic. I have writing conferences with my English 110 students, English 105 students will finish up their Survey Reports, I am sure a few advisees will want to meet with me, and then Thursday afternoon, I take off for Mankato to present a collaborative essay on blogging.

    Oh... and Election Day is tomorrow; I had better figure out where to go - I don't think I have ever voted in Wahpeton before.

    p.s. A little sidenote to the first paragraph - NDSU offers a Gender & Communication course during the summer (well, they did last summer anyhow) that I may want to consider. I'd also like to take a drawing class too.