Fall 2009 Semester

ah, the dodekatheon. Do you incorporate the Moirae in your lectures?

I will mention them today when I talk about Zeus, of course, since he may be the king of the gods but is in no way omnipotent.

isn't omnipotence a contradiction in terms?

How can it be a contradiction in terms when it's only one word?

ok, grammar nazi, a contradiction in itself? :)

I guess so. Perhaps it's more of a paradox than a contradiction...

so why do you think your lecture is so popular with the students?

I really don't know. Maybe because I try to respect the students and provide them with quality lessons. I try to teach them interesting things that they've never been exposed to before.

I didn't get nearly as far as I wanted to in today's lecture. I guess sometimes I just get carried away on certain points. Like in today's class, the kids were pretty interested to hear more about why Zeus has so many lovers. I explained it as the Greeks co-opting other local father-gods which already had their own wives. Well, you can't just do away with other people's gods, but Zeus already has a wife, Hera. So, what do you do? Easy, take the wives of the local father-gods and make them Zeus' lovers. Problem solved--and you've got a ton of story potential. ;)

Just finished Grease in my Musicals lecture course....moving on to Rocky Horror Picture Show next, but I'm worried. I have warned the kids to look up any and all info they could about RHPS, to learn about it and see if it's something they can handle. If not, drop the course before week 6 rolls around. I'm worried about the shut-in, shy Japanese girls and the group of 5 Malaysian Muslims who sit in the back of the class...

With all these threads your posting about your work and chirch exploits, you should just start up a blog and post there :P

(though the extra discussion could go here)

but you can comment on the blog and have a discussion that way...

If I wrote a blog, no one would read it. lol

One of us. One of us. One... oh fine.

you would be surprised who would read it.  Between the photo's and odd stories you would have at least me following it :P

Good point, Vulture. I'll think about it, but I'd prefer it if what people read of me was my novels. That's what I'm busy working on. ;)

EDIT: On-topic -- I don't take not shit from my students. I've walked by Japanese professors' lecture classes and seen (no joke) scores of kids with their heads on their desks--dead asleep. W.T.F.? And the professor just drones on into the microphone, seemingly not aware. Bullshit! There's no way they can't see everyone sleeping! So, I tell my students on the first day of a new semester, "Look at my eyes. What color are they?"

"Blue."

"Exactly, which makes me.....?"

"......"

"Not Japanese! You sleep in my class, you fail. You will get no points for the day, and God have mercy on your soul!"

So, second class today, what happens? One student is late, three don't have books, and five are asleep. Out of a class of 40. They all got zeros today. Fuck 'em.

Last semester, one of my students was pissed about his grade and bitched to me about it. I checked my attendance record and, sure enough, he might as well be a fucking narcoleptic. I tell him, and he says, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because I'm not your baby-sitter. Now get the fuck out of my face!" And I literally flicked his grade sheet back in his face.

Assholes.

/rant