Bearshorty's musings

Happy First Night of Hanukkah!

Today was lighting our electric candles and listening to my Hanukkah play list on iTunes. Last year I discovered “Ocho Kandelikas” song and it is just perfect for the next eight days. And on to YouTube to listen to Adam Sandler’ Hanukkah songs. And most importantly making potato pancakes with Mama. I grated (my arm muscles got a workout) the potatoes and she mixed in flour, salt and eggs and fried them in lots of oil. With sour cream it was very delicious. One of my favorite foods ever! I’m linking my post from last year’s Hanukkah where I talk about my history with this holiday, just for fun.

Went to Local College today to meet with Professor S. She is teaching one section of the “Global Encounters to 1600” class, and I’m teaching two sections. So we decided to collaborate on this class and we talked about what we wanted to do and agreed to coordinate on the books. We also decided to have one five-page paper that will use El Cid and maybe Marco Polo. And five or so, small open-book response papers about the primary sources in class. And a movie/book small two page response paper on Marco Polo book and documentary. And a final exam. Here are the books we will request from the publisher to see if we want them:

1. Sanders ed., Encounters in World History: Sources and Themes from the Global Past, Volume One: To 1500
2. World Map book (either Rand McNally’s Historical Atlas of the World” or “Atlas of World History”, ed by Patrick O’Brian.)
3. El Cid
4. Travels of Marco Polo (Everyman edition)
5.. Silk Road in World History by Xinru Liu

We will also assign some articles in the online class website. I have a chapter from “The Columbian Exchange” that I want them to read – probably on syphilis. It was a really good meeting, I do like this part – figuring out my themes and the narrative of the class and picking books. Plus I got a copy of “El Cid” so that is what I will read now, in addition to my book of Highlander short stories that I want to finish.

Coldplay has a new single out called “Christmas Lights” so, of course, I had to buy it. I love them.

As I’m watching the first season of Six Feet Under, I realize that I probably won’t check out later season. I don’t like most of the characters, especially Billy and Brenda, and I don’t care about many storylines. I like David but it is not worth it to watch just for him. It is an ok show and I like some parts of it, like the opening of every episode but I’m just not feeling it. “True Blood” it isn’t.

I gave the first part of the midterm today (it is a two day midterm – a rough draft day and a final draft day) and it seemed to go ok. I’m still surprised by the number of times the students ask me stupid questions to which I gave the answer to a week ago when I specifically told them all they needed to know about the midterm. But they still need to ask if they get the rough draft day. It is like if I don’t repeat it three times, it would not go into their heads. I managed to grade some papers while I proctored.

The afternoon wasn’t as productive, mostly because I was tired.

I ordered “Dollhouse Season 2” today since a friend of mine gave me a Barnes and Noble gift card for my birthday a while ago. Now I will have all of “Dollhouse” and all of it is a gift that I don’t have to feel guilty for spending the money for. I might do a rewatch after the semester ends.

“An Evening at Joe’s” ed by Gillian Horvath, a collection of “Highlander” short stories came today. My library cancelled my hold since they couldn’t find an actual copy, and I just ordered a used one for one cent. (well, four dollars with shipping) It looks like brand new copy. I started “Postcards from Alexa” already, since this is why I wanted to read this book in the first place. I also want to see what backstory Jim Byrnes wrote for Joe. I do like when actors actually write about their characters.

Another fun development today for my fannish heart: a bunch of new stories are up from VAMB 2010 drabble exchange and this makes my J/C heart happy.

( Caprica S1E11 )

I tried watching the episode of “House” that was taped for me, but I am not in a TV mood, and this is weird for me. I fast forwarded through the medical case to House –Wilson-Cuddy scenes. I’ll watch the actual episode later. Now, sleep. Lots of grading to do tomorrow – my folder review is on Friday so I need to finish grading all of them.