Thoughts of a Genius
This is a post where I share my latest thoughts. They are out of context, unrelated, disjointed and somewhat dumb.
1) I thought about writing a fictional tale about family dynamics--specifically in-laws--using the following names, which I thought up while laying in bed last night: Mildred and Philip (the parents), Silvia (the daughter), Hugh (the brother/husband) and Dillon (the wife/daughter-in-law). Dillon is Gaelic for "faithful."
2) If I were a photographer, I would take pictures of the contents of random peoples' trunks. Then I would speculate about what the shit they drove around with meant. The photos and commentaries would be shown as a collection in a local gallery. It would have a witty title.
3) Sometimes I think I might have OCD. I watched a special about kids with it and how some have to touch things in a specific order (right arm of the chair, left arm, etc.). Then I think about how sometimes, when I'm driving, I like to keep track of light posts I pass or count the seconds between the grooves in the pavement, or...now you all think I'm nuts.
4) I've decided I don't like teaching the engineering students as much as the photogs because the engineers NEVER laugh at my bad jokes.
5) I am _absolutely_ sure that the right side of my body had a few cells' worth of a developmental head-start back in my fetal days. This is not to say that I am freakishly asymmetrical, but it would explain a lot.
End of thoughts.
1) I thought about writing a fictional tale about family dynamics--specifically in-laws--using the following names, which I thought up while laying in bed last night: Mildred and Philip (the parents), Silvia (the daughter), Hugh (the brother/husband) and Dillon (the wife/daughter-in-law). Dillon is Gaelic for "faithful."
2) If I were a photographer, I would take pictures of the contents of random peoples' trunks. Then I would speculate about what the shit they drove around with meant. The photos and commentaries would be shown as a collection in a local gallery. It would have a witty title.
3) Sometimes I think I might have OCD. I watched a special about kids with it and how some have to touch things in a specific order (right arm of the chair, left arm, etc.). Then I think about how sometimes, when I'm driving, I like to keep track of light posts I pass or count the seconds between the grooves in the pavement, or...now you all think I'm nuts.
4) I've decided I don't like teaching the engineering students as much as the photogs because the engineers NEVER laugh at my bad jokes.
5) I am _absolutely_ sure that the right side of my body had a few cells' worth of a developmental head-start back in my fetal days. This is not to say that I am freakishly asymmetrical, but it would explain a lot.
End of thoughts.
posted by Hootah at 11:25 PM
6 Comments:
no, engineers won't laugh at your jokes because of the coffee, they get addicted to it as a necessity in the first year. And I don't mean floofy lattes, I'm talking hardcore jolt inducing mud. They'll snap out of it a year or two after they graduate.
Russ--good to know because I worry about them. They have no lives, don't know how to deal with/talk to/interact among women and are _way_ too serious about shit. Picture this: 26 first year engineering students in a technical writing course, taught by a semi-attractive under thirty female who thinks she's witty. A laugh a minute, my class is.
youth and geekiness do not co-habitate well, I must say. I'd give you advice on how to deal with them, but I have none. You're right, they're way too serious, but man, I've taken a couple of those courses and those semesters only had a sprinkling of sleep.
Oh wait, I do have some advice. Bring in some cool cutting edge gadget. If you want to drop some cash on it, a stirling engine is always cool, although it's been around for 180 years. Maybe on the cheap you could make one in class and have the writing assignment be to write an instruction manual or process description.
You'd get them to open up as well as impress them with your technical prowess. Although, a word of note: getting them to open up exposes you to their world. It's an uncomfortable area, so be sure to bring a camera.
Appreciate the ideas. I checked out those websites you mentioned and thought, I never _did_ learn how to program my VCR, back when I had one. *Sigh* But I try to use my inexperience to my advantage, asking them to complete writing assignments for an audience of average consumers (like the manual you suggested). It frustrates them. They don't like talking about their ideas with someone who doesn't know the language. Anyway, thanks.
You speak from experience? Don't suppose russ in wy is techie geek? :)
yes, a bit of a tech geek. I'm computer science, though I don't fit in well. I'm too social. I work in the college of engineering at the University of Wyoming. I really want out of the industry. I've always had a thing for electronics and other nifty gadgets, although I've never owned much. I used to be the neighborhood kid that would set the new digital watches for the elderly folks. I especially like technologies that promote a cleaner environment (hence the stirling engine), but I digress...
I have a friend that is an incredible programmer, but a horrible documenter. He has a piece of software that is used by this university that I told him he should sell. I ended up writing the help manuals for it because he has no concept for a low-end user. That's where most tech folks are at. They can't understand why something isn't intuitive for someone else and have little use in explaining it. Honestly, I don't care for it much myself, although if you've read much, you know I'm in the process of a tech writing class as we speak. My last one. The funny thing is that my project has absolutely nothing to do with technology.
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