John Mc

This is a collection of my thoughts. Some of the thoughts that I once had, I no longer do. Some thoughts I have now I have never had. Yet none shal be discounted. This blog is soley for the enjoyment of the author and the readers. On occasion the views expressed are overly exagerated in order to prove a point. Also there may be a dirty word or thought in some of the posts. Grow up and take this for what it's worth - a blog that barely anyone will ever see.

5/06/2008

Under Pressure

We have been able to do great things as a human race. In the past hundred years, look at our advancements. From the invention of the car to the air plane to spaceships that have put men on the moon. We have hours of information, entertainment and everything else at our fingertips on our TV's and computers. Computers have revolutionized how we live life. From our purchasing at stores with UPC codes to judging how much pressure to put on the shocks of your car due to the bumps that it runs over. Why, however, is water pressure such a difficult task to accomplish?
Once upon a water fountain, whether in an office building or a public park, the question looms, what will be this water frequency? Usually only one of two options occur. Either the water barely trickles out and you ask yourself is your thirst worth getting that close to the fountain? Or it shoots out as if it were designed to water a baseball outfield.
Surely, after long-term continual experience with a water fountain, the water pressure can be predicted and life becomes comfortable. However, the new fountain always creates that eternal question of "how much?" Compounded upon this is the fountain that is not visited frequently. The one in the park by your home changes with the seasons. What once was a stream that could be felt two towns over could have become a trickle this summer.
Plus, you pray that you aren't the first to come across this necessary source of liquid nourishment in several months. For at this point, the warm feeling on the back of your throat lets you know that you have just gotten more rust than water.
Is water pressure that much of a mystery still? Do the unknown forces of gravity, Z Particles and Quarks effect the flow of water? Even though we have entire "Water Departments" they still fail at maintaining just enough water to reach the end of the bowl and glide gracefully in it's spiral toward the drain. Otherwise we gather the much needed quenching of our thirst whilst also any other disease that can be picked up with a weak stream. Or we drench the poor unsuspecting toddler next to us. Either way, the technology necessary to control this common element of everyday life has given yield to government funded research of the mating habits of the tsetse fly. Damn tsetse fly! I'm thirsty!

Last Day

Tonight was the last day of class. I have never seen my students work so diligently. After a short intro, we went across the hall so the students could get their final projects done and then hastily put together something that resembles a previous project that they hadn't turned in yet.
Like I said earlier, the people left are the ones who actually try and want to do well while learn how to use this editing program to further their careers. Well, nearly everyone.
Our friend who had issues with "Caucasian" made an appearance for the first time since her outbursts. I saw this and thought of the great joy I was going to experience for the next three and a half hours.
I also took a look at her grade. After all my figuring, there was no way she was going to pass this class. Even if she got 100% on the final two projects, she would get a failing grade. Unless she had worked her ass off in the past few weeks making all of these projects that I had assigned and was willing to take partial credit, there was no way she was going to pass.
I pulled her aside at the beginning of class and mentioned to her that I hadn't received ANY assignments from her. She told me that she did them and just didn't show me. (I then had a flashback to her involvement in the class and unless my assignments were text messaging and leaving class early, I didn't think that she had done any assignments.) I encouraged her to do so or she wouldn't pass the class. I knew she just lied to me, but I was slightly interested to see how she would try to pull this off.
Shortly into the class session, students began calling me over to their computers to evaluate their work. I was running back and forth across the room listening and grading. She had convinced a student next to her to assist her with her project. Of course I noticed this. I'm not an idiot. Despite my running around the room, I was able to see this assistance. The point of the project is for the students to master the program. Not master manipulation, seduction and flirting.
She then became very upset that I wouldn't evaluate her material first. She had difficulty waiting her turn. I realized that she was just wasting time. She was wasting her time, my time and the time of her fellow students. Her new interest in passing the class came 15 weeks too late. Had she been dedicated like those who shared the room with her, perhaps I would have done a bit more with her.
She showed me the assignment she got the assist from. Then she put together some awful attempts at commercials and other assignments that she had failed to do in the ample time that was given to her. I don't know if she thought that I wouldn't notice or just assumed that I was on the same intelligence level with her and would think that these projects were done when they were assigned.
At the end of class I was wishing the dedicated students the best of luck and a great deal of success. I let them know that I looked forward to seeing them again in the Fall. She was asking if she could stay after to continue working. I let her know that the bell has rung and I would no longer be accepting any work. I'm assuming she realized that instead of staying late this week, perhaps she shouldn't have left early the previous weeks. Or, hell, showed up to class more.
The unfortunate thing is that because I was listening to so many projects, I didn't get to wish well some of those who I wanted to. What these students will never know is that I learned A GREAT DEAL from them. I will be revamping my class for next semester and buffing it up greatly. I now have better time-frames for projects and know how to space out assignments and quizzes better.
Now I have to put all my grades into my spread sheet and head back into the school to turn in my final papers of the semester. Then I may find out about the summer intensive that I have been selected to run.

5/05/2008

5th Of May Update

I finally did it. For the past few years I have wanted to sign up for Second City classes. I would always miss the deadline and then say that I would sign up next time classes are offered. Well, I finally caught the registration dates today and signed up for Monday night classes.
(If anyone from the area wants to take 'em with me, the classes are already starting to fill up. Sign up now and we can go together!)
Today also marks the last session of my college class. While I'm glad to have the freedom back, I'm going to miss my students. Well, most of them. Pretty much just the ones that are still enrolled in the class. They are the only ones who cared enough to learn and stick it out. I don't know what I'm going to say to them on the last day, but I think that this may be posted about at a later date.
You may have noticed that not much has been posted about Libby. I don't know if I mentioned that she meets with her father, sister and grandmother for dinner every Sunday. This is very important to her and can never be missed. Even for one week.
She was at a birthday party two or three Sundays ago that incorporated all of these people, so she was free to go out for a drink or two and 8pm church that evening. Now she did have to be up at 5am the next day for work, so she tells me that she needs to leave at 9pm. It seems like she needs an incredible amount of sleep to function, but whatever.
I call my folks, the Friday prior, and tell them that I would meet them for dinner next week since I am seeing her. They were fine with it.
On Sunday at about 6pm, I have just opened my car door to leave to meet up with her when I get a text message. (You may recall that she LOVES communication via text message. Why she avoids phone conversation is beyond me. But, whatever.) Her text message lets me know that they just sung "Happy Birthday" and it would be a while for her to finish cake. So, instead of meeting up before church, we would go straight to mass.
A last minute cancellation due to a Jewel sheet cake? I was pissed. I sent her a text message letting her know that I had sacrificed dinner with my folks (Who must be more understanding of missing dinner than others) in order to meet up with her at that time.
She then recommended I go see them as usual. I let her know that it was too late for that. She then sent "Don't make me feel guilty. I didn't tell u to blow ur parents off!" I let her know that there was a difference between "blowing someone off" and "cancelling a previous engagement with ample notice to those involved in the meeting."
I also wanted her to see the similarities in what I have sacrificed when compared to that which she didn't. I think I got to her due to her showing of guilt, but I'm not positive.
We went to church and I told her of my friend's 30th Birthday celebration the next weekend. (He is actually a former classmate of hers from Jr. High. Small world, huh?) She let me know that her sister's birthday was that day and she may be able to go, but maybe not and that she would get back to me.
I thought about everything for a few days and called her. I got her voice mail and let her know that it just didn't seem like she was ready for a relationship. She was vested in finding a new home, finding a new job, finishing up this semester's class, meeting with friends and family and whatever else and didn't have the time to prioritize a new relationship. I also let her know that it seemed that we connected on our first few dates very well, that is until we began focusing more on the differences between us instead of the similarities. It was then that the connection seemed lost.
Essentially I told her everything that I felt and left nothing out. I also let her know that I wished her well and if she ever wanted to actually pursue something meaningful, maybe over the summer we'd talk.
However, something tells me that seeing her this summer is rather unlikely.
I must run. I have proposed a new class to add to the curriculum this upcoming semester and I should find out what notes and thoughts the board has given it today before I have my final class. If it passes, I will get to teach it, which would be awesome.