It has been a month since my last blog entry … too long for an active blog. So I sit down to write and start to wonder what I should write about. I've reviewed the past few weeks of my life and a few things stand out: Google introducing a presentation (or "PowerPoint") aspect to their online documents program, the start of the new fall TV season, and The Book.
The past four weeks of my life have mainly been filled with writing and organizing my tenure book. The Book (capitalized out of respect - this one weighs in at 9.2lbs - not counting the 5+lbs of supporting and previously reviewed student evaluations) is basically a written case to keep me employed at Northern Kentucky University. And this is the biggie - if this one goes through I'll be employed for as long as I'd like to be employed. Yes, tenure is the "job for life" thing that appeals to many in academic life. But it is also more than that.
Guaranteed employment is not the most important thing about tenure for me. It is an affirmation that I'm doing Good Work for the university and community. Good enough work to want me around, and I like what the university is all about. Groucho Marks once quipped, "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." I have to admit in most aspects of my life I'm right there with Groucho. I don't join groups or organizations easily. I wasn't in a fraternity in college. I like to work with people I know and trust. I am active in a couple of professional organizations (the Southern Ohio Filmmakers Association and the Broadcast Education Association) but that's about it. So why do I want to join this organization on a 'for life' basis?
It's funny, but it really became clear to me when I was making a call back to my grad school - The American University in DC. I love that school. Great place, great city. The only school of which I've thought, "yeah, if they called I'd be interested." But in looking over the curriculum there, the focus, the mission … it's not here. The SOC at AU does a great job in a wide-net liberal arts and politics school with well-connected people in a well-connected city. An expensive school in an expensive city. And of course that limits access.
Russ Proctor (from the SPE program) is fond of saying that NKU provides a "private school experience at public school prices" - I'm slightly paraphrasing there. But he's right. Our focus is on providing the best education we possibly can with the resources we have available. And I hope we continue to do so as we become more well-funded and outfitted in the new building. I like being available for most anyone who wants to learn how to tell stories with media. That's why I want to join this group for life.
Some thoughts on the new television season. "Life" is excellent. Nice twist on the 'wronged cop' storyline. Of course, the Zen aspect is interesting to me. "Dirty Sexy Money" is surprisingly good for such a sleazy title. "Chuck" has potential, but feels so slapped together and tries to be so cool that I feel it might implode. "Bionic Woman" and "Moonlight" look to be mildly interesting reincarnations of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" - just with high-tech gizmos and a darker palate. This week brings "Pushing Daisies" and "Cavemen" to ABC's lineup. The former looks to have a great chance at being the best new series and if they embrace the ability to make social commentary on race and social stratus the latter has a chance at being better than the literally-a-commercial-spin-off that it is. But from their advance press I fear "Cavemen" will shy away from controversy and try to be mainstream.
Oh, the third season of "The Unit" has started extremely strong. It's the only show my wife and I agree upon - and that says a ton. Especially since it's David Mamet - she severely dislikes most of his work, and I love it. "Boston Legal" has some additional promise with a reconfigured cast too.
Just a quick thought on Google's online "Documents" tools: high-quality programs are now becoming available online. The cost of creating word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations is now, if you're enterprising and live near a library with free internet access - absolutely free. And if you own a computer you can do so much without ever touching Office. I love Office, don't get me wrong. Outlook schedules my life. But Google's tools are extremely strong for free, online programs. When they get the "Google Gears" (offline use of their programs) operational it'll be a great tool for students and small businesses.
Combine those programs with the
XO laptop (the fabled $100 laptop for developing countries) and you have more informational and educational power in "everyday" hands than ever before. At risk of sounding overly grand, I believe these kind of developments bode well for humanity. To help the cause, you can donate a laptop at the One Laptop website. Or, for two weeks in November they're doing a "give one, get one" promotion. You give a laptop to a child in a developing country and get one for your own child. Two computers for $400. Yes, they're limited computers compared to even the cheapest PC, but they are incredibly well-engineered for the purpose they serve. The networking power is great - and the power-control technology is incredible. How many computers can be energized by a foot pump? Just a great concept.
On a less good-for-the-future-of-mankind-but-still-very-cool note,
Celtx is an open source screenwriting and scheduling program. Totally free, Windows, Mac and Unix, and works extremely well. There are some niceties in Screenwriter and Final Draft, but at NKU we generally use Celtx because of the cost factor - even though The Lab is outfitted with Final Draft 7 and AV. Open source rocks.
Now I go back to grading. Teaching I love. Grading … not so much.