tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77150142011-08-21T08:38:43.062-04:00Thinking For A Living is Serious BusinessDr. Crazynoreply@blogger.comBlogger2121100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1136390424017259352006-01-04T10:57:00.000-05:002006-01-05T16:31:45.873-05:00

“To make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”- T.S. EliotOnce upon a time, a girl decided to call herself Dr. Crazy and to create a blog to chronicle her experiences in a tenure-track job at a regional comprehensive university. She was new to the blogosphere, and she didn’t really know what she was getting into. She thought it would be an experiment in constructing a

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1134746325973148552005-12-16T09:52:00.000-05:002005-12-16T10:33:29.510-05:00

The day begins when the little man jumps onto the headboard of the bed and peers from above at his Mama, meowing until she awakens.As disconcerting as it may be for his Mama to wake up to the upside-down kitty-cat (and to take a picture first thing in the morning), it is a cheerful way to awaken, or so the Man-Kitty believes. Finally having roused his Mama, the Man-Kitty persuades her to feed him

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1134411013318721882005-12-12T12:03:00.000-05:002006-10-14T12:33:45.156-04:00

Or, I suppose, on remaining "named" in my current fashion. I've been promising this post for a couple of weeks, and I've had a few false starts on it. Normally, I abandon posts that I can't start and finish in one go. It has something to do with the kind of writing that I want to do on the blog. I like the immediacy of blogging, and if I'm agonizing over a post I lose some of that immediacy.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1133379329907717652005-11-30T14:35:00.000-05:002005-11-30T14:54:53.670-05:00

It Makes Me Want to Slit My Wrists...And How I Do It, Too.I thought I'd actually do a post about this after I actually got comments on my last one. And I think that it relates to teaching of any citation style, so perhaps others will be interested even if MLA Style is not their own?Why I Teach MLA StyleJo(e) noted in her comment to my last post that she doesn't do it because it's so painful.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1132254888250297882005-11-17T12:57:00.000-05:002007-06-01T19:58:15.916-04:00

I was inspired to post about this after reading Dean Dad's advice to a reader over at his blog today about whether she should go to graduate school in History. First of all, I think Dean Dad gives really good advice. But that's not really what I want to discuss in this post. What I want to discuss is 1) generally, what are the ethics that guide our decisions about advising students toward or

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1131478145815902682005-11-08T14:20:00.000-05:002005-11-08T14:29:05.826-05:00

You realize that conferences are perhaps the most important part of what you do.I just had a conference with a student - I think I blogged about him at the beginning of the semester because I suspected him of plagiarism but I'm too lazy to find the link. He didn't plagiarize, incidentally. He's just really fucking bright.And for the past 3 weeks, he'd pretty much disappeared. He's not the sort

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1129151941254832592005-10-12T16:05:00.000-04:002006-02-24T12:39:21.866-05:00

That is, of course, the question. (And God, another really long post follows. My apologies!)In case you haven't noticed, there is a bit of talk out there about what a bad idea it is for academics - and particularly the untenured ones or the masses on the market looking for tenure-track jobs - to blog. After reading the latest cautionary tale about what happened to Daniel Drezner, I thought to

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1129126157835085982005-10-12T09:46:00.000-04:002007-06-01T19:58:15.916-04:00

(A VEEERRRRYYY long post – as you might imagine)I’m writing this post in direct response to a request from a reader, who wanted to know how I decided to do the professing thing – whether this was always what I wanted to be when I grew up and how I came to this point. Now, on the one hand I’m flattered that anybody would be interested, and so of course I’m going to post in response. But I

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1128956906396880352005-10-10T10:18:00.000-04:002006-02-20T16:28:36.116-05:00

This is a promised response to Ryan over at Raining Cats and Dogma to his post "Song and Dance," in which he considers whether it's good that he's as much of an entertainer as he is when he teaches. He asks, "How entertaining a teacher are you? Why/not?" and rather than respond in comments (which had I done so, I would have hijacked them in a wild and conspicuous manner) I decided to write

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1128020376289204052005-09-29T14:48:00.000-04:002005-09-29T14:59:36.323-04:00

Well, obviously this is via Jo(e), but I decided that I couldn't think of 7 surprising things about myself without effort, whereas the little Man-Kitty surprises me every day. His favorite toy, despite the extravagant gifts lavished upon him by his mama, is the little plastic circle thingie that comes off of a plastic bottle of milk when you open it. In a pinch a good back-up toy is a pony-tail

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1127840096816366742005-09-27T12:53:00.000-04:002006-02-20T16:25:59.196-05:00

This is a long one, so be forewarned. I’m thinking about what it means to be a teacher. In a very real way – and perhaps this is because of the kind of institution at which I am employed – teaching and not research is more and more the means through which I define myself as an academic. It’s strange, because one of the reasons I chose graduate school over becoming a high school English teacher

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1126027568559206522005-09-06T13:26:00.000-04:002005-09-06T13:27:10.533-04:00

There was a sweet little Man-Kitty who had only a chair to call his own.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1126027548161373772005-09-06T13:25:00.000-04:002005-09-06T13:28:36.780-04:00

He did the best he could with his chair. He leapt onto it from behind, he chased his tail while balancing precariously on its back. But, still, he was a forlorn kitty.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1126027425119428832005-09-06T13:22:00.000-04:002005-09-06T13:33:17.470-04:00

And now he has realized his dream of touching the ceiling. If only we all had it so great!

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1126027513667541582005-09-06T13:21:00.001-04:002005-09-06T13:30:07.036-04:00

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1126027490174238842005-09-06T13:21:00.000-04:002005-09-06T13:33:57.583-04:00

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1126027351686610632005-09-06T13:20:00.000-04:002005-09-06T13:34:31.823-04:00

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1122650971436871742005-07-29T11:29:00.000-04:002005-07-29T11:42:22.443-04:00

I was forced to use an old picture because a certain someone (somecat?) has been refusing to model for me of late. It seems that he resents how much of a social butterfly I've been being this summer, and, even though his only job around the house is to look cute in pictures, he seems to think that even that is now too much. You will notice in the above photo that the little man has taken my keys

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1122037693688809412005-07-22T09:08:00.000-04:002005-07-22T09:08:13.696-04:00

Man-Kitty surveying the wide world beyond his favorite window. 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1121983818958101512005-07-21T17:58:00.000-04:002006-05-09T08:50:47.140-04:00

which I've pretty much missed the boat on the whole discussion, but nevertheless I'd like to contribute having read Prof. B's post.I don't prefer assholes, but if you believe you are "nice" and you believe that's the reason that I don't like you, you're an idiot. "Niceness," won't make me dislike you, but it won't make me like you either. No, if you're nice and I'm not into you? It's probably

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1121431164488637602005-07-15T08:42:00.000-04:002005-07-15T08:43:33.886-04:00

Man-Kitty being very Kittenish with his favorite toy, the balls connected by a string.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1121431225820195972005-07-15T08:40:00.000-04:002005-07-15T08:40:25.826-04:00

Man-Kitty doing his favorite acrobatics routine on the back of his chair. Incidentally, this is a favorite location for tail-chasing. 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1121431286037331922005-07-15T08:38:00.000-04:002005-07-15T08:42:03.136-04:00

But when all is said and done, all of this playful kittenishness can be very tiring indeed.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1120232509704542332005-07-01T11:45:00.000-04:002005-07-01T11:43:57.586-04:00

Look at Him Then!

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1120232553536569292005-07-01T11:42:00.000-04:002005-07-01T11:42:33.540-04:00

And Now He's So Big! 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1115414404239160492005-06-14T14:27:00.000-04:002005-06-14T14:30:48.760-04:00

Lots of people have been writing about class, and I actually started to write this post at the beginning of May (it was one sentence long) and it sat in the box until now. However, having read Profgrrl's post and New Kid's post, among others (and yes, I'm going to be a bad blogger and not link to the posts in part because if I were doing the linking thing I don't think I'd actually get around to

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1118252482202608742005-06-08T13:41:00.000-04:002005-06-08T13:42:55.693-04:00

Look at how sweet he is! And also, I think, thoughtful looking. And very good about posing for the camera.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1118252388719854562005-06-08T13:39:00.000-04:002005-06-08T13:39:48.726-04:00

Getting Ready for His Mid-Morning Nap 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1118252334922630872005-06-08T13:38:00.000-04:002005-06-08T13:42:19.666-04:00

Man-Kitty Standing like a Human Man (albeit one with very short legs and a very long torso)

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1116946361039789442005-05-24T10:52:00.000-04:002005-05-24T10:52:41.046-04:00

Handsome Kitty! 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1116946287822897342005-05-24T10:51:00.000-04:002005-05-24T10:51:27.830-04:00

Sweet Man-Kitty on his Favorite Chair 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1112372743983039272005-04-01T11:45:00.000-05:002005-04-01T11:29:56.646-05:00

My Little Man loves this hang-out.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1112372840615039752005-04-01T11:44:00.000-05:002005-04-01T11:30:40.056-05:00

He's also a great companion while his Mama writes. (This photo also features the Dining Room Table of Anxiety.)

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1112372944446443652005-04-01T11:29:00.000-05:002005-04-01T11:29:04.446-05:00

But the Little Man is not all work and no play. Nothing is more fun than putting one's head in a paper bag. And no, I can't see him if he can't see me.  

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1110909727712204032005-03-15T13:02:00.000-05:002005-03-15T13:02:07.713-05:00

He's so funny the way he sprawls out these days.... Do you think he's posing for me? 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1110909656965778592005-03-15T13:00:00.000-05:002005-03-15T13:00:56.966-05:00

Sweet Little Kitty-Cat 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1109705896189847822005-03-01T14:25:00.000-05:002005-03-01T14:38:16.193-05:00

I haven't posted much, if at all, about the war. Last spring, I failed a student for plagiarism. He went to Iraq at the end of May, his second time over there. I don't know whether he's alive or dead.Yesterday, one of my favorite students came to my office to apologize for missing so many classes. He's in the Reserves. He expects to be sent to Iraq at the beginning of the summer.Today, a

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1107362294752801352005-02-02T11:38:00.000-05:002005-02-02T11:38:14.753-05:00

My darling little Man-Kitty (who appears to be getting bigger by the second). 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1106848041252290652005-01-27T12:47:00.000-05:002005-01-27T12:47:21.253-05:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } January 2004 011, originally uploaded by drcrazy. The little Man-kitty is doing fantastic. Isn't he sweet in this picture, climbing around in the closet? I wonder if I'll be able to refrain from buying him a big kitty

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1105732711642037782005-01-14T14:58:00.000-05:002005-01-14T14:58:31.643-05:00

He's so handsome! 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1105732665341836352005-01-14T14:57:00.000-05:002005-01-14T14:57:45.340-05:00

The Man-Kitty  

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104947731079252482005-01-05T12:55:00.000-05:002005-01-05T12:55:31.080-05:00

The Magnificent Tail 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104943042477834702005-01-05T10:22:00.000-05:002005-01-05T12:34:58.806-05:00

This post couldn't come at a more auspicious time, as many others are considering all of this "state of the humanities/literary studies" stuff as well. To begin, I'm going to pick up to some extent where I left off yesterday and assert that the papers presented at MLA are not at all the main point of the gathering and that, in fact, it is telling that MLA is called a convention and not a

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104855104315183522005-01-04T11:15:00.000-05:002005-01-04T11:14:11.516-05:00

More pictures of the sweet man-kitty...

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104855206518406522005-01-04T11:13:00.000-05:002005-01-04T11:13:26.516-05:00

Because I'm a Crazy Cat Lady and am in love with my digital camera. And yes, his tail is magnificent. I may need to do a series of pictures of only his tail.... 

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104854540816544172005-01-04T10:11:00.000-05:002005-01-04T11:02:20.816-05:00

As far as I can tell, MLA is, at its best, all about the art of the schmooze. Yes, there are panels where people present papers about their research, about teaching, or about the profession generally (and I will post on this later in the week). But let's be clear: the point of MLA is not attending these panels or presenting on them. These panels exist not as the central point of MLA but rather

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104766583688134672005-01-03T10:50:00.000-05:002005-01-03T11:44:34.076-05:00

Once upon a time there was a little baby man-kitty

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104766662202559472005-01-03T10:49:00.000-05:002005-01-03T11:45:17.510-05:00

As time passed, he began to get bigger...

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104769656469370922005-01-03T10:48:00.001-05:002005-01-03T11:27:36.470-05:00

This will be the first of my posts related to the MLA Convention. I think there will need to be more than one because as I've been thinking about what I want to write there is no way to separate it out from broader issues related to the humanities and to academe, and so basically talking about MLA will be a launching pad for me to talk about a lot of other things that have been floating around

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104766815007533382005-01-03T10:48:00.000-05:002005-01-03T11:45:53.576-05:00

Until finally, at the time of his first Christmas, he started to look positively cat-sized. And he's only about 5 1/2 months old. (But isn't he the most handsome boy ever??!)

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104598698759978662005-01-01T11:49:00.000-05:002005-01-01T11:58:18.760-05:00

that took place yesterday. Crazy's mom looks at what Crazy is looking at on the computer. It just so happens to be Crazy's very own blog. Crazy's mom: "Dr. Crazy, huh? That sounds like you." Crazy: "Oh, I'm not Dr. Crazy." The question is, why did I lie? It was like that reflex reaction of lying when somebody calls you while you're sleeping and they ask, "Are you sleeping?" and you

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104500013453907842004-12-31T08:27:00.000-05:002004-12-31T13:36:00.466-05:00

With my man-kitty and the family. SO happy that MLA is done, although I did have an awesome time. I'm very pleased with the professional part of my trip, and I saw a lot of people whom I haven't seen in years. I have a big long post about MLA generally in me - in fact, it may need to be a multi-part post - but I don't really have the time or solitude to do that until I'm back in my own home and

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104351936144530482004-12-29T15:21:00.000-05:002004-12-29T15:25:36.146-05:00

But not long to write because a big long line of people are waiting. Here's a recap since last I checked in: 3:30-4:45 - my panel; paper went fantastically and got an email today asking me to submit the paper to Fancy Peer-Reviewed Journal! Woohoo! Yippee! Hooray! 5:00 - with two pals from grad school in tow, met Dr. G for a drink. 5:30 - society drinks/business meeting - am chairing panel

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104255372554361302004-12-28T13:30:00.000-05:002004-12-28T12:36:12.556-05:00

Well, if anybody were at the computer bank in the exhibit hall who reads this blog, I would be utterly outed, but I wanted to do a report from the field in spite of the risks to my pseudonymity. This afternoon, my paper, and tonight the crazy whirlwind of socializing begins. I found out that my (jerk of an) adviser is having a party in his room tonight to which he didn't bother to invite me,

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1104094065498281582004-12-26T15:39:00.000-05:002004-12-26T16:10:16.373-05:00

Merry Christmas, oh friends in the blogosphere! This will be quick as I'm visiting with the parents and attempting to ready myself for the trip to Philadelphia tomorrow. I'm looking forward to an MLA without interview anxiety, and I'm looking forward to wearing all of the new clothes that I bought for myself today (new brown suit, 2 great pairs of new shoes, sweaters, a skirt, etc. etc.). I'm

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103740090711791552004-12-22T13:20:00.000-05:002004-12-22T13:28:10.710-05:00

Well, this will probably be my last regular post until after the New Year - I'm not sure how much time I'll have to blog over the holidays (though I will try to check in). Question for the day: Why do I live in a place where a mere 5-9 inches of snow can turn everything upside down as if it were the snowstorm in that (horrible) movie The Day After Tomorrow? It took me 30 minutes to drive to

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103645590414635732004-12-21T10:48:00.000-05:002004-12-21T11:13:10.413-05:00

It's true. With only 72 minutes before the final grade posting deadline, I have posted my grades and I am done with this crazy semester. Now, this feels slightly anticlimactic since I posted grades for my two non-writing classes before now - always much more exciting to post all grades at once - but nevertheless, I feel a monumental sense of relief. I may have gotten a couple of the grades

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103566440389158012004-12-20T13:10:00.000-05:002004-12-20T13:14:00.390-05:00

Because really, I am ridiculous. I need to take care of business. I've found most of the papers that I had misplaced and I have every confidence that I can find the 2 or 3 that seem to be missing. Must streamline for next semester so that this does not happen again. Perhaps later will work on Spring syllabi? Now I'm off to Christmas-shop before all of the 9-5-ers swarm the stores. I've got

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103299021190829232004-12-17T10:55:00.000-05:002004-12-17T10:59:30.216-05:00

That a person called Dr. Crazy would - after taking an incredibly scientific quiz - be deemed a fruitcake. (Found via Cheeky.) You Are a Fruitcake!You taste like nothing else in this world.And get ready, you're about to get tossed! What Crappy Gift Are You?

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103295448830551032004-12-17T09:06:00.000-05:002004-12-17T09:58:42.190-05:00

I know, you're all thinking that I have some dramatic boy-related thing that I'm going to talk about in this post, but once again I've resorted to using the metaphor of romantic relationships to talk about the profession. I know it's an imperfect metaphor, but for me it's one that resonates because, at the end of the day, I think that it allows me to put some of my professional anxieties and

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103057100346488282004-12-14T15:40:00.000-05:002004-12-14T15:45:00.346-05:00

Here's his website. It turns out that he's a comedian by trade, which makes me think that maybe he thought the whole "he's just not that into you" thing was a joke until idiotic fans of Oprah took it seriously? But the exciting thing is that we can email him. As it says on the contact page of the website: "Gotta question for GREG? Put "QUESTION" in the subject and send it to:fans@

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1103056397648794772004-12-14T15:17:00.000-05:002004-12-14T15:33:17.646-05:00

I just got word that the panel that Ahab, Stella, and I proposed for Big Fancy Conference in April has been accepted! Yippee! I'm not just a drudge of a teacher, slaving away for no acclaim, no intellectual stimulation, and no social life! I shall be presenting a paper at a conference in April - I will get to cancel classes for two days because of this conference - and people will think that

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102791107625013032004-12-11T13:26:00.000-05:002004-12-11T13:51:47.626-05:00

So last night I had a quiet evening in with my Man-Kitty, I took a nap, I took a bubble bath, and then I watched Before Sunrise and Before Sunset in a kind of intellectual-thinking-about-love-and-what-it-all-means reverie. I'm not sure whether I actually came to any relevant or interesting conclusions (except for that Ethan Hawke was dreamier 10 years ago than he is now... he just looks so

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102699841761764092004-12-10T13:09:00.000-05:002004-12-10T12:30:41.760-05:00

And no, I'm not talking about boys. I'm talking about the anxiety that's been lurking beneath the surface about not having heard a peep (other than acknowledgment of having received materials - not a request for additional crap, not an interview request, not a rejection) regarding the handful of jobs for which I applied. I know I'm being stupid. I know, sensibly, that my field is beyond

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102693920134214232004-12-10T10:37:00.000-05:002004-12-10T10:52:00.136-05:00

So I've got this assignment that I give to my freshmen. Part of this assignment (the only part that really matters to me, incidentally, though the other part of it is good for them and they get something out of it) asks them to write a self-analysis about how they've progressed throughout the semester and about the course in general. I designed this part of the assignment for the express

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102617484603572082004-12-09T13:34:00.000-05:002004-12-09T13:38:04.603-05:00

Do not assign books that you've never read before, particularly at the end of the semester.Do not procrastinate about reading said books until the day that you will discuss them.Do not forget whether the book is at school or home, assume it is at school, go to school and realize it's not there, and then read blogs for one hour.Oh, am I in trouble. I wonder if I can read 150-ish pages in 2 hours?

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102528826923391382004-12-08T11:25:00.000-05:002004-12-08T13:00:26.923-05:00

Ok, so in the comments to my break-up post, some commenters seemed interested in hearing what I have to say about how grad school and/or the profession affects the whole dating/fucking/liking/loving lives of academic people. For example, Blurt asks: "Freud is a grad student, yes? As a grad student and a dater of grad students, I wonder: do features of the profession turn certain intelligent men

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102446871670644622004-12-07T14:04:00.000-05:002004-12-07T14:14:31.670-05:00

I think I blew my blogging wad on replying to comments to yesterday's post. Suffice it to say that I don't have much to report. Last night I graded papers that I must return today. (My favorite sentence in an actual student paper: "Sometimes insecurity exists in the mind." My comment: "Where else would it exist?") I saw my favorite hot student from last year (not the one that I talked about

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102356109763343732004-12-06T11:39:00.000-05:002004-12-06T13:02:28.673-05:00

So, after hours of procrastination-driven reflection (as well as listening to a soundtrack that included, among other things, PJ Harvey's Rid of Me (whole CD), Fiona Apple's "Shadowboxer," "Criminal," "Never is a Promise," "Limp," and "Get Gone," and the Magnetic Fields' "Meaningless") I had a moment of clarity in which I realized that I could not continue on with this nonsense with Freud in its

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102173735005288572004-12-04T09:37:00.000-05:002004-12-04T10:22:15.006-05:00

What would Crazy do, on the Friday of Freud's defense of his diss proposal, when she did not have plans with Freud - tentative or otherwise? Instead of writing letters of recommendation and taking care of business during the three hour break between the end of her office hours and the beginning of her committee meeting, she would go to the mall ('tis the season to be selfish) and buy a new pair

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102092103292786032004-12-03T10:53:00.000-05:002004-12-03T11:41:43.293-05:00

Having let this series rest for a day I'm not entirely sure how to pick up where I left off. I know that I wanted to talk about the relationship of talking about work to intimacy (or fear of intimacy) but I'm not sure how to get where I want to go with that. I guess, although it is kind of far afield, I'm going to start with the opposite of intimacy - teaching. In the comment thread to Part II

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1102035541658543502004-12-02T19:33:00.000-05:002004-12-02T19:59:01.656-05:00

Please read carefully and pay attention, as the title advises, because I'm not going to say this again, and I'm sick of being misread or misinterpreted or whatever. 1. Nowhere on my blog does it say that people who get engaged quickly are losers. Nowhere on my blog do I take issue with people who get involved quickly. I take issue with a particular loser (who did not work for two of the three

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101921399549335052004-12-01T11:13:00.000-05:002004-12-01T13:26:20.306-05:00

To continue on this topic of talking about work. First, congratulations to New Kid for immediately catching the Raymond Carver reference of yesterday's title and for mentioning it. (There is also a great Old 97s song called "What We Talk About" on their album Fight Songs that carries with it the same dark edge as it alludes to the Carver story - worth checking out.) I chose that title for the

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101842410421741762004-11-30T14:04:00.000-05:002004-11-30T15:17:43.133-05:00

Or don't talk about it, as the case may be. You see, I should be doing work right now, but my brain is fried and so I've decided instead to begin this whole meditation on talking/not-talking about my work. I'll begin first with a theory of Jerk's (for just because he's married it doesn't mean I can't write about his ideas when they serve my purposes- hehe!) which I think may be where the whole

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101834159732007872004-11-30T13:01:00.000-05:002004-11-30T12:04:28.553-05:00

Found via Profgrrrl.... And if it were a party I could potentially make an exception to my no drinking and blogging rule.... You Are Tequilla When you drink, you're serious about getting drunk! You'll take any shot that's offered up to you... Even if it tastes like sock sweat! And you're never afraid of eating the worm. What alcoholic drink are you?

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101833584779790562004-11-30T11:33:00.000-05:002004-11-30T14:00:36.146-05:00

I'm fucking crazy, fucking like crazy, take your pick. I promise I'll get back to the talking about my work business of yesterday (because it sort of relates, and I do want to talk about it) this afternoon or tomorrow, but for now, there are more pressing matters. Namely, that I went over to Freud's last night (he's freaking out about something that he's "mulling over" and doesn't yet want to

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101756185015901012004-11-29T14:07:00.000-05:002004-11-29T14:23:05.016-05:00

Ok, so I was rereading some of my recent posts, and it occurs to me that while my blogging is "academic" - in the sense of "being marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects (syn: donnish, pedantic)" - I don't blog very much about work at all. I don't really blog about grading (other than to shoot off a quick complaint or a quick mention that I'm not getting

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101747564192601092004-11-29T11:07:00.000-05:002004-11-29T11:59:24.193-05:00

How much I wanted to cancel my classes today in order to stay in the warm bed with the man-kitty: 8How boring my classes this morning were because of a) the material, b) my lack of enthusiasm, c) my students' lack of enthusiasm, and d) my lack of preparation: 10How much academic work I accomplished this weekend: 4How much cooking I accomplished since Thanksgiving Eve: 8How clean my kitchen is

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101255306392889642004-11-23T19:09:00.000-05:002004-11-23T19:15:06.393-05:00

Taking a holiday from the blog for the holiday weekend. I love thanksgiving. It is my absolute favorite holiday, even if it is colonialist, etc. Love cooking the meal (because I vowed not to travel over thanksgiving about five years ago) and love how relaxing it is (no gift-giving obligations, no obligations to visit 47,000 relatives like at Christmas). So. The parental types arrive tomorrow

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101243570280018662004-11-23T15:41:00.000-05:002004-11-23T15:59:30.280-05:00

Jerk is married. Yeah, that's right, the ex that I had lived with, had been in a relationship with for just over three years, has, just one-and-a-half years later married somebody. I do not know who this person is other than the cryptic description offered to Stella by the Bearer of Bad Tidings: "I don't know. Some dumb girl from that little town he's from." Ultimately, it doesn't really matter

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101136683350001862004-11-22T10:15:00.000-05:002004-11-22T10:19:52.943-05:00

found this via Prof. Goose and I got the following: You Are the Investigator5 You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker. You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does. Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations. You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it. What number are you? The interesting thing is

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1101130903696680952004-11-22T08:26:00.000-05:002004-11-22T08:41:43.696-05:00

When she's exhausted from a week of conferences, in her pajamas reading at 7:00-ish Friday night, when the phone rings and Freud calls her and asks her if she wants to hang out for a couple of hours while he packs to go to Florida? You guessed it, I went over there. Figured it would smooth things over after the drama of the early part of the week. Also, he promised I'd be home by 10:30. The

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100810335578003102004-11-18T15:33:00.000-05:002004-11-18T15:38:55.576-05:00

Well, after all of the drama of the beginning of the week, I feel somewhat spent and at a loss for how to write an interesting blog post. Conference week is almost over (yay! Only 10 more conferences tomorrow and I shall be finished!) and that's about it. Feeling good re: the Stupid Freud situation. Haven't given it much real thought since the whole thing went down, though I did tell First

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100707125783192912004-11-17T10:54:00.000-05:002004-11-17T10:58:45.783-05:00

Rather than compose a brand-spanking-new post regarding the events of last night, I believe that instead it would be advantageous to quote my drunken, journal-writing self: "Stupid Freud sucks. He "forgot" to call me, we had a nothing [squiggle] conversation + then we had a fight and then it was left up to me. And then I called Stella and then we drunkenly decided she should call him + she

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100706843350529682004-11-17T10:46:00.000-05:002004-11-17T11:08:58.533-05:00

Here is your (w)hor(e)oscope for Wednesday, November 17: A certain someone you're just fascinated with is acting a little too detached for your tastes. It might be tempting to throw a tantrum to get a reaction, but aren't you above all that? You're the lion. Stalk off proudly. Such good advice. Was tempted to email Freud earlier but resisted by emailing my (I've now decided hot) pseudo-ex the

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100633677106522492004-11-16T13:57:00.000-05:002004-11-16T14:34:37.106-05:00

Sort of Like WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) though not, as while a good person I'm not exactly... Jesus-like. So yes, this will be my replacement for the "Insight for the Weekend" series. Each week I will answer a question (you can, of course, make requests if you would like, or I can just come up with them on my own) - sort of like a little advice and/or informational column. Got the idea from

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100624073118608882004-11-16T11:48:00.000-05:002004-11-16T13:16:59.256-05:00

The house of cards that is my life, that is. I won't even get into the professional part of this. The personal is as follows: Friday: Freud called, I was on the other line with Stella, he said he'd call back, he didn't call back. Saturday: Freud called, chit-chat, his grandma died, bla bla bla, I ask Freud what he's doing that night, he announces that he's going on a first date with some girl he

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100293901973868202004-11-12T15:39:00.000-05:002004-11-12T16:11:41.973-05:00

Well, I just didn't have it in me to get the email drama going, so instead I fled my office (instead of working during my two free hours) and went out into the world where people buy things. What I purchased: awesome mid-calf nine west black high-heeled boots (which would have originally cost about $100 more than the $20 I paid for them - can't find a picture easily online because I think they're

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100270735571738642004-11-12T09:31:00.000-05:002004-11-12T10:52:06.246-05:00

Well, folks, as you know, I've been sick, stressed out, and kind of down this week, but upon waking this morning, after I stopped being irritated at the man-kitty for waking me before the alarm was set to go off, I am in an awesome, awesome mood. I'm feeling better, which I'm sure has a lot to do with this, but also I feel like I'm heading into the weekend in a much more settled place than I've

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100217388198016992004-11-11T18:43:00.000-05:002004-11-11T18:57:29.216-05:00

found over at newkid... and this does explain, perhaps, why Freud is so inconsistent. YOU ARE MANDRAKE What herb are you? brought to you by

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100208833557161972004-11-11T16:27:00.000-05:002004-11-11T16:33:53.556-05:00

Should I post about Things In The World and not just my own stupid life? Because I feel like I'm kind of a self-absorbed spaz when I read others' blogs and they post about books or movies or current events or whatever. Then, on the other hand, I think to myself that my audience comes to me for precisely that - my pathetic self-absorbed ramblings - and so maybe I'm doing you all a service?

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100208259320643372004-11-11T16:10:00.000-05:002004-11-11T16:24:19.320-05:00

Which means, as I'm sure you know, that I'm just not preparing and I'm trying to justify it by saying that I don't want to over-prepare. Feel like crap. Had a Nyquil-related thought that the reason Freud hasn't called me is that he, too, is sick. I quickly put that from my mind, though, as who cares, really? I'll talk to him sooner or later - he never goes away for good. In other news,

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100106286319670052004-11-10T13:00:00.000-05:002004-11-10T12:04:46.320-05:00

"Invite someone over tonight whose company you just adore, and let the machine get the phone. You won't want to waste this energy on telemarketers, wrong numbers or long-winded coworkers who feel the need to gossip. " Given that I feel like shit, I suppose I will have to attempt to thwart the stars on this one, unless someone whose "company you just adore" happens to have four legs, sweet kitten

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1100095016801658612004-11-10T08:49:00.000-05:002004-11-10T08:56:56.800-05:00

I feel like crap (physically, not emotionally/mentally).Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an awesome TV show (it's on FX at 7 and 8 AM, which means I've not been watching any news since the election).Would it really be that big of a deal if I missed my faculty meeting at 3 PM? Because hanging around for it keeps me on campus 4 extra hours when I'd rather be in bed with my man-kitty. I could just go

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1099935728157849962004-11-09T02:56:00.000-05:002004-11-09T14:51:36.576-05:00

Ok, so I've had a moment of clarity and reading over what I wrote yesterday it occurs to me that I'm a total asshole. You don't believe me? Well, first I'll let you read what I wrote yesterday, and then I will describe the crystal-clear insight that I had this morning. Dr. Crazy's Relationship Issues (yesterday's aborted post) In comments to the last post, Profgrrrl asks why I'm freaked out

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1099936387769799392004-11-08T13:43:00.000-05:002004-11-08T12:53:07.770-05:00

I just composed a big, long, detailed post about my relationship issues, but I don't think I feel comfortable posting it - at least not yet. I fear that I come off as completely fucked up, and while I realize that I may already come off that way, this might really make you all evaluate me as a complete lunatic instead of a slightly crazy person. Suffice it to say that at the bottom of my

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1099919925262379272004-11-08T08:11:00.000-05:002004-11-08T08:57:04.120-05:00

Summary of weekend: I did no work of any kind and I spent both Friday and Saturday night with Freud. Extended analysis of weekend: First, related to the not working aspect of things, I'm feeling pretty good. I think that Freud was a vehicle for some productive procrastination, i.e., that I needed to avoid responsibilities in order to return to said responsibilities excited to deal with them.

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1099679194349004022004-11-05T13:12:00.001-05:002004-11-05T13:26:34.350-05:00

Well, it may not actually be so much an insight as a quote taken out of context that seems to fit my mood after the election.... Or if it is an insight it's a pretty cynical one. Make of it what you will. "These phrases run trippingly off the tongues of the extremely respectable. They think in terms of a sentimental ballad. And that's what terrifies you about them. It isn't their cruelty, it

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1099675677496330272004-11-05T13:12:00.000-05:002004-11-05T12:27:57.496-05:00

You got it - me! I need to grade. Very badly. I also need to clean my desk. And it wouldn't hurt to do some other things as well. But since Wednesday I have slipped into a sad state of laziness and irresponsibility, the shining example of which is that I a) spent the night at Stupid Freud's on Wednesday night, even though I knew that doing so would pretty much mean I was fucking myself for

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715014.post-1099488761623322092004-11-03T08:19:00.000-05:002004-11-03T08:32:41.623-05:00

As I suspect you all have heard, the Bush campaign is giving Kerry "time to reflect" on the numbers in Ohio. I, too, have taken time to reflect, and I have noted the following: I live in a country where the potential for life (call it an unborn child, call it a fetus, whatever) has more value than the lives of those walking, talking, and breathing - especially if those people are poor.I live in

Dr. Crazynoreply@blogger.com0