1. I had my very first parent-teacher conferences this week. They went pretty well overall; the parents were supportive and engaged, and we had a few fruitful conversations about what their children can do to improve. Though more often I just had to say "yes, Offspring is doing well in my class and not causing … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: PT Conferences and Some Other Stuff
Movies
Saturday Flotsam: Sick Again and Kung Fu
1. I came down with another cold this week and ended up staying home from yesterday. As I told a colleague the other day, my body is just not used to being around all these little germ factories all the time. 2. If I could work my will, there would be a moratorium on making … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Sick Again and Kung Fu
Friday Flotsam: Sick Again, Snow White, and RIP James Earl Jones
1. My cold returned with a vengeance this week. I ended up having to go get prescribed antibiotics and taking two days off from work right in the middle of the week. But I'm recovering (again) and at least I was able to go in to work today. 2. Part of my class schedule is … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Sick Again, Snow White, and RIP James Earl Jones
Friday Flotsam: Rand, Tucker, ‘The Crow’
1. Have a much-needed four-day weekend ahead of me. I'm starting to get more into the routine of teaching full-time, at least so that it's less like I'm building a railroad as the train is rolling over it and more like I'm building it as the train is within sight. 2. In my US History … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Rand, Tucker, ‘The Crow’
Friday Flotsam: Teaching, Napoleon, and Oz
1. Well, I made it through my first week of the new teaching job. It was overall easier than I expected; it felt like slipping back into a somewhat familiar routine, the same sense of just standing up and talking to the class. 2. That said, it did feel a bit like building a railroad … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Teaching, Napoleon, and Oz
Friday Flotsam: Melancholy and Random Thoughts
1. I had my first teacher meetings this week. Next week starts classes, though with shortened days. 2. In a rather melancholy mood for one reason or another. 3. Reading Dickens, I occasionally stumble across moments that show how masterfully understated he could be, when he took the trouble. Most of the time, when he … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Melancholy and Random Thoughts
Thursday Flotsam: Moving, Politics, and Bueller
1. Tomorrow I leave for the desert of 48, so this week's flotsam comes a day early. 2. Yesterday was moving (out) day, when men came to cart all my worldly goods off into a truck. It also just so happened to be the day that Michigan was hit by the tail-end of a hurricane. … Continue reading Thursday Flotsam: Moving, Politics, and Bueller
Annual Praise for ‘Independence Day’
For newcomers, I watch 'Independence Day' every year on the Fourth of July: the following is (mostly) an old post on my great fondness for the film. When Independence Day came out, it was a huge hit, but ever since then it’s kind of become the poster-child for the big, dumb, CGI-fueled blockbusters of … Continue reading Annual Praise for ‘Independence Day’
Saturday Flotsam: Moving, A Book, A Film, and Economics
1. Was packing yesterday and lost track of the time, so this is Saturday Flotsam again. 2. As of this writing, I still haven't gotten final confirmation on my apartment. Last time I spoke to them the application is in the final stages, but that was a day or so ago. I don't anticipate it … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Moving, A Book, A Film, and Economics
The End of an Era
Roger Corman, the King of the B-Movies, has passed away on May 9, 2024 at the ripe age of 98, and with him has died an entire epoch of film making. It would take a book - a multi-volume book - to fully describe Corman's career and impact on the film industry. He produced his … Continue reading The End of an Era
Serpent's Den 