Iowa has much better rest areas than Wisconsin or Illinois...
Illinois is "illegitimate".
A small town near the Wisconsin border is destined for destruction, according to my team -- we decided it was filled with ghouls and should be flattened to make a huge rest area.
It pays to complain -- after all of our hotel problems we got 25% off the bill. I used it to apply to Girl and Dude's room, since they pay for it themselves and the school can afford to pay for craptastic rooms at the Best Western.
With my team, a stop at Denny's for a huge breakfast is a great investment in time. With fully tummies they sleep longer and we can actually drive quite a ways without a request for a potty or a smoke.
I like the groups "Flogging Nellie" and "Tenacious D" -- who knew. I'm still not a fan of "Tool", "Nine Inch Nails" or "Rage Against the Machine".
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Tournament update... touranment #2
Ok... so, the place itself isn't bad -- although it is just another crummy midwest city with a decent sized college...
The hotel itself sucks -- we don't have one of our 4 rooms where everything works properly.
It was also Homecoming weekend, so the hotel party scene was pretty intense last night and my debaters didn't get much sleep. I didn't have a problem, but the smoking rooms were where the night life was. Next time we'll stay at the Super 8 with the rest of the teams who knew better this year.
Tournament wise it has been ok--- both teams are 2-3 going into the last round, so nobody will get an elimination round in this time out... but, the girls are speaking well and the boys are learning to work together. These early tournaments are all about learning, not winning -- so I feel good about putting them into open and not novice.
Speaking of that -- I had to have a little chat with a judge today -- that judge told my female team -- AND the team they were debating -- that neither of them belonged in the open division. That just isn't cool -- you don't tell a team who has to debate two more rounds that they don't belong there.
I was going to take it up with his DOF later -- but the other team's coach confronted him in the hall and I supported him -- bottom line, the judge is supposed to watch the round not pass judgment about the competitors -- I really f-ing hope that my girls are 3/3 today, because that will show that I was right in putting them into this round and that he was wrong.
What really got me, on another note, is that the kid (and he is young, so kid works) told my debaters he had all kinds of experience, yadda, yadda, yadda --- which is a lie -- because I know who had experience and I didn't know him. Additionally, he wasn't even competing in 'big people parli' -- he was in the 2-year honor society version, which sucks so badly I won't take our students there -- and this little jerk is telling my students where they should be... I don't think so.
I don't think it hurt them for this round -- they seemed to brush it off and get on with prepping their case -- but, it is inappropriate and I'm planning to let his DOF know that he needs to chat with this person before they are sent out again. It shouldn't be a problem -- as the DOF has been my friend for 7 or 8 years -- since before he had his own program etc...
I'll also forgive the little jerk and not hold it against his teams -- I'm guessing it was him that told a team I judged last night that they should run a really bad case...
On the good news -- there is a fancy-pants school we've managed to beat at least twice now ---same team -- one more time and Sunshine 'owns their soul'. Swear Jar is debating them now, going for the 'soul kill' now as well -- this is the team that eliminated Sunshine and Swear Jar from competition a couple of weeks ago... and they want revenge good.
I am kind of sad that Swear Jar and Sunshine couldn't get along. I really do think she'd be the best partner for him in the end... but, he wasn't mature enough to deal with her high-maintenence personality, so he lost a good partner... It was nice to see Brain agree with me :).
I'm looking forward to getting home at a decent time tomorrow. I'm going to tell them to pack tonight and I'll call them when I wake up. We'll check out and head out of town -- they can all sleep and I'll drive. We'll be home in the late afternoon at the latest and I'll actually get to have a Sunday night. Wow.
The hotel itself sucks -- we don't have one of our 4 rooms where everything works properly.
It was also Homecoming weekend, so the hotel party scene was pretty intense last night and my debaters didn't get much sleep. I didn't have a problem, but the smoking rooms were where the night life was. Next time we'll stay at the Super 8 with the rest of the teams who knew better this year.
Tournament wise it has been ok--- both teams are 2-3 going into the last round, so nobody will get an elimination round in this time out... but, the girls are speaking well and the boys are learning to work together. These early tournaments are all about learning, not winning -- so I feel good about putting them into open and not novice.
Speaking of that -- I had to have a little chat with a judge today -- that judge told my female team -- AND the team they were debating -- that neither of them belonged in the open division. That just isn't cool -- you don't tell a team who has to debate two more rounds that they don't belong there.
I was going to take it up with his DOF later -- but the other team's coach confronted him in the hall and I supported him -- bottom line, the judge is supposed to watch the round not pass judgment about the competitors -- I really f-ing hope that my girls are 3/3 today, because that will show that I was right in putting them into this round and that he was wrong.
What really got me, on another note, is that the kid (and he is young, so kid works) told my debaters he had all kinds of experience, yadda, yadda, yadda --- which is a lie -- because I know who had experience and I didn't know him. Additionally, he wasn't even competing in 'big people parli' -- he was in the 2-year honor society version, which sucks so badly I won't take our students there -- and this little jerk is telling my students where they should be... I don't think so.
I don't think it hurt them for this round -- they seemed to brush it off and get on with prepping their case -- but, it is inappropriate and I'm planning to let his DOF know that he needs to chat with this person before they are sent out again. It shouldn't be a problem -- as the DOF has been my friend for 7 or 8 years -- since before he had his own program etc...
I'll also forgive the little jerk and not hold it against his teams -- I'm guessing it was him that told a team I judged last night that they should run a really bad case...
On the good news -- there is a fancy-pants school we've managed to beat at least twice now ---same team -- one more time and Sunshine 'owns their soul'. Swear Jar is debating them now, going for the 'soul kill' now as well -- this is the team that eliminated Sunshine and Swear Jar from competition a couple of weeks ago... and they want revenge good.
I am kind of sad that Swear Jar and Sunshine couldn't get along. I really do think she'd be the best partner for him in the end... but, he wasn't mature enough to deal with her high-maintenence personality, so he lost a good partner... It was nice to see Brain agree with me :).
I'm looking forward to getting home at a decent time tomorrow. I'm going to tell them to pack tonight and I'll call them when I wake up. We'll check out and head out of town -- they can all sleep and I'll drive. We'll be home in the late afternoon at the latest and I'll actually get to have a Sunday night. Wow.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Insights from the library
1) Philosophy of Language sucks... really...
2) I think that writing/research is considered important because it is harder to do than teaching. It is hard to write a good paper, easy to teach a class --- or, at least easy to teach classes when you have a TA to do the grading, students with decent ACT scores and can actually read.
Even with my high teaching load (5/5 baby..) I still think it is easier to teach than to write.
Of course, #1 may explain that as well.
2) I think that writing/research is considered important because it is harder to do than teaching. It is hard to write a good paper, easy to teach a class --- or, at least easy to teach classes when you have a TA to do the grading, students with decent ACT scores and can actually read.
Even with my high teaching load (5/5 baby..) I still think it is easier to teach than to write.
Of course, #1 may explain that as well.
A snapshot of my afternoon...
Me with my ipod playing Ben Folds "Philosophy" (thanks D2 -- I'd have never heard Ben Folds without you...).
Writing on my PowerBook G4 (12 inch, small and silver :) -- hubby's idea for me, I love it -- he was right again, both about the computer AND the ipod AND the nice headphones...).
At my favorite library, across town near where I grew-up. .....I managed to snag my favorite seat... a view of the changing leaves, gray sky and an outlet nearby. This was the library where we'd go in high school to finish 'humanities' projects, converging on the place as a group to borrow books, laugh and read eachother's work...
Revising (some more) my Philosophy of Language paper.
In spite of the fact that I woke at 4:30 AM (thanks extra-toed cat... NOT), had a rough class this morning and a kind of dull philosophy department meeting at noon, this is a good day.
back to work for me --
Writing on my PowerBook G4 (12 inch, small and silver :) -- hubby's idea for me, I love it -- he was right again, both about the computer AND the ipod AND the nice headphones...).
At my favorite library, across town near where I grew-up. .....I managed to snag my favorite seat... a view of the changing leaves, gray sky and an outlet nearby. This was the library where we'd go in high school to finish 'humanities' projects, converging on the place as a group to borrow books, laugh and read eachother's work...
Revising (some more) my Philosophy of Language paper.
In spite of the fact that I woke at 4:30 AM (thanks extra-toed cat... NOT), had a rough class this morning and a kind of dull philosophy department meeting at noon, this is a good day.
back to work for me --
Monday, October 02, 2006
Debate Practice
Tonight we did 6 rounds... seriously... well, each speech was only 1 minute long and the rebuttals were 30 seconds with 5 minute prep... but, we did them.
Sometimes it is hard for me to help debaters develop because I didn't have a traditional debate education myself... so I don't know how others do things. The coaches I worked with generally only did practice rounds to prepare. The problem with that is that it isn't always the most efficient way to do things.
After talking with Brain, I came up with the idea of doing 'stop and go' (i.e. I stop them when they mess up...) rounds with mini-rounds instead of full rounds. This gets each student experience doing the thinking on their feet part a lot more often than normal. The shortened time shows them that they can do it...
Most of the team did very well with this, although Sunshine had some troubles. I really love her, she's a very nice person who tries really hard. The trouble with her is that she can't decide what she wants in a partner. When she was with swear jar she wanted more input and more help from him -- that he didn't realy want to give --- now she doesn't want the responsibility of being in the responsive positions, but she doesn't think she has the opportunity to frame arguments... yep, that's right. She also wants to be with a more experienced partner -- but, Swear Jar is all there is for more experienced people, and she really didn't get along with him.
I'm really having a hard time with her helplessness. She wants to be an independent thinker, but she also wants me to tell her what to say. I can't do that -- she has to do the hard work of learning how to formulate the arguments --- because I can't tell her all the things she needs to know in every round. I can come close and guess at the topics, but I'm not at all perfect in that regard.
It was also pretty funny tonight when I asked Swear Jar where he thought our case structure came from. He gives so much credibility to stuff he learned at camp, he doesn't realize that hubby and I developed a lot of the stuff he uses... he thinks we got it from someplace else.
Sometimes it is hard for me to help debaters develop because I didn't have a traditional debate education myself... so I don't know how others do things. The coaches I worked with generally only did practice rounds to prepare. The problem with that is that it isn't always the most efficient way to do things.
After talking with Brain, I came up with the idea of doing 'stop and go' (i.e. I stop them when they mess up...) rounds with mini-rounds instead of full rounds. This gets each student experience doing the thinking on their feet part a lot more often than normal. The shortened time shows them that they can do it...
Most of the team did very well with this, although Sunshine had some troubles. I really love her, she's a very nice person who tries really hard. The trouble with her is that she can't decide what she wants in a partner. When she was with swear jar she wanted more input and more help from him -- that he didn't realy want to give --- now she doesn't want the responsibility of being in the responsive positions, but she doesn't think she has the opportunity to frame arguments... yep, that's right. She also wants to be with a more experienced partner -- but, Swear Jar is all there is for more experienced people, and she really didn't get along with him.
I'm really having a hard time with her helplessness. She wants to be an independent thinker, but she also wants me to tell her what to say. I can't do that -- she has to do the hard work of learning how to formulate the arguments --- because I can't tell her all the things she needs to know in every round. I can come close and guess at the topics, but I'm not at all perfect in that regard.
It was also pretty funny tonight when I asked Swear Jar where he thought our case structure came from. He gives so much credibility to stuff he learned at camp, he doesn't realize that hubby and I developed a lot of the stuff he uses... he thinks we got it from someplace else.
Funnies on the radio...
So, I listen to 'chick talk' radio... i.e. talk radio that is mostly women...
Neither of these stories is about my family, although they could just have easily been my parents or grandparents.....
A while back one of the radio hosts was talking about a time when her father was in emergency surgury and the mom chose to call from a pay phone because she was concerned about using her minutes. The daughter, after the emergency had passed, explained to mom that she really should have used the cell phone for this kind of situation -- that is why they have it. At a minimum, the mom should have left the phone on so the daughter could reach her immediately. The mother responded that she didn't know when the daughter would call her back, and she didn't want to use her minutes waiting for the call back...
Mom thought minutes were used when the phone was ON...
and then there is this one...
Daughter convinces parents to buy a DVD player. Parents finally buy the DVD player and rent their favorite movie. Daughter calls the next day to see how they liked their new DVD player.... only to be told that the DVD player was defective in that it was French. Mom was irate that this store in Iowa would sell them a French speaking DVD player. She thought they'd unloaded it on them because they were old.
Neither of these stories is about my family, although they could just have easily been my parents or grandparents.....
A while back one of the radio hosts was talking about a time when her father was in emergency surgury and the mom chose to call from a pay phone because she was concerned about using her minutes. The daughter, after the emergency had passed, explained to mom that she really should have used the cell phone for this kind of situation -- that is why they have it. At a minimum, the mom should have left the phone on so the daughter could reach her immediately. The mother responded that she didn't know when the daughter would call her back, and she didn't want to use her minutes waiting for the call back...
Mom thought minutes were used when the phone was ON...
and then there is this one...
Daughter convinces parents to buy a DVD player. Parents finally buy the DVD player and rent their favorite movie. Daughter calls the next day to see how they liked their new DVD player.... only to be told that the DVD player was defective in that it was French. Mom was irate that this store in Iowa would sell them a French speaking DVD player. She thought they'd unloaded it on them because they were old.
Next stop, fall break
I seem to be ok in 2 week spurts... we can do these sprints when we are separated without a lot of trauma.
Hubby leaves on an early flight this morning --be at the airport at 6:00 AM is icky no matter what. I'm going to come home and take a nap before I head to school.... I have afternoon classes and coaching tonight, I need my rest.
The nice thing is that hubby will be home for fall break in two weeks. He'll drive up, so he can have a car, and then we'll drive down to Red State the following week for their debate tournament. I'll go back with the team when they are eliminaed from the tournament on Sunday sometime.
Since we'll stay with hubby, we'll get to be together for the week... YEA!
Next weekend we go to a tournament I've never been to -- it should be a decent tournament for us, as several of the teams we've beaten so far are pretty close and expecte to attend -- and we don't anticipate the really hard competition showing up for that one... :). Kind of like a kinky Snow White, we like it hard enough, but not too hard :).
I'm looking forward to fall break, although I'm not sure hubby completely understands my schedule -- it ought to be fun to hear him groan when my T/Th alarm goes off at 5:00 AM....
Hubby leaves on an early flight this morning --be at the airport at 6:00 AM is icky no matter what. I'm going to come home and take a nap before I head to school.... I have afternoon classes and coaching tonight, I need my rest.
The nice thing is that hubby will be home for fall break in two weeks. He'll drive up, so he can have a car, and then we'll drive down to Red State the following week for their debate tournament. I'll go back with the team when they are eliminaed from the tournament on Sunday sometime.
Since we'll stay with hubby, we'll get to be together for the week... YEA!
Next weekend we go to a tournament I've never been to -- it should be a decent tournament for us, as several of the teams we've beaten so far are pretty close and expecte to attend -- and we don't anticipate the really hard competition showing up for that one... :). Kind of like a kinky Snow White, we like it hard enough, but not too hard :).
I'm looking forward to fall break, although I'm not sure hubby completely understands my schedule -- it ought to be fun to hear him groan when my T/Th alarm goes off at 5:00 AM....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)