you don't want us to learn, you want us to think exactly like you

Another professor (if you can call her that) has added to my increasing distrust of our educational system. Now don't get me wrong, I have had some amazing teachers and professors. However, my current Art History professor is NOT one of these.

To begin, why bother coming to class when the lectures are taken VERBATIM from the course textbook. Sure, she shuffles around a few terms, but it's all there in the text. She has yet to even reference anything other than "Hart." Also, anytime a question is asked regarding topics not included in the text, the answer is either "because it is," or a scolding glare. I'm sorry, but have you read anything else, woman? Apparently not.

Exam essays are another thing. She expects everyone in the class to come up with the specific thesis topic that she alone came up with. okaaayyyy. (Can we say ego-trip here? anyone?) Compare and contrast essays in Art History exams are pretty much standard, but this professor is demanding mini-me-esque thesis topics followed by "pretty much any form" of support for it. So as long as we come up with her view, nothing else matters. What happened to learning how see Art? Oh, and I must mention her rant on how we should all know how to write a thesis. There's not a freshmen in the room people, and she talks to us like 5 year olds one minute, and grad students the next. There ARE a few grad students in the class.

Also, one must beware one's questions. If she doesn't know the answer (from Hart) or she doesn't agree with the viewpoint. Duck . . . fast.

I want my tuition money back! Second to that though, would be seeing Dr. Simon kick the crap out of this woman.

At least the summer is going by quickly.

drunk slugs

it worked!!!! The little buggers took the bait and met their demise.

This year I decided to try a veggie patch in the back yard. The tomato plans are taller than I am now, and everything else has been coming along. Except that the plants keep getting chewed up. The biggest culprits seem to have been the slug and snails, so I tried an old gardening trick - set out a shallow pan of beer overnight. The beer attracts the snails and slugs; they get drunk(?), and drown. The first round died on Blue Moon, but the next group will not be so lucky.

helping out

The ONE Campaign, this may not be the latest thing as far as news, but it's important.

It's really great to see celebrities get out there and use the spotlight for something other than their exploits. I mean, who ever thought we would see Bono, Brad Pitt, and Michael W. Smith all promoting the same thing together? (not me) Sixteen dollars to send a child in Africa to school for a year, and that's including the books and uniforms. That's less than a cd in most stores - I should know, as I've bought enough. What we're talking aout here isn't just a handout, either. If the kids get educated, then they have a chance to turn their countries around, and the loans given to families have already yeilded amazing results in the communities. Simple medicines will save countless lives, and the AIDS medications given to the kids in South Africa are already given them a chance.

Some Americans are still going to rant about how we have problems here too. We do, and I'm not going to try to convince anyone otherwise. HOWEVER, if you're objecting, what have you done WHERE YOU ARE AT? When was the last time you volunteered with some kids, or donated some time? well . . . ?

At least go check out the petition, and see what it's about. You might even want to sign it.

reflections on nocturnal blogging

There's a novel written by Madeleine L'Engle in which Katherine, her main character, explains herself as a woman, and therefore irrational, but also an artist, so therefore doubly irrational. When I find the page, I'll quote it exactly. Looking over the entry that I wrote last night reminded me of the excerpt.

I'll leave it up for now.

entry one

Have you ever felt like you woke up from a really bad dream that happened to be your life? You look back and wonder what happened, who that person was? It's happened to me before, and it happened again. Not that the past year wasn't amazing, but it was also strange, and I can't help but feel that I just wasn't myself for a good portion of it. I guess that's what happens when you forget who you are. Looking back, I was a little obsessive, compulsive, and maybe manic at times. I got too caught up in some things, and not enough in others. BUT, you can't change the past.

So what am I going to do about this?

For starters, it's back to what I care about, and forward to who, what, and where I want to be. So if you're curious, you might find out some things you didn't know. I can't make any promises, but hopefully there will be some fun. And stories - lots of stories.

-Mer