Fingerprints

So the other day I signed up to drive on one of my daughter's field trips. In order to drive on the trip, I had to go to the court house and get fingerprinted. So now the FBI (or whoever) has my fingerprints. Not that I have anything to hide -- in fact, my friend Patsy used to say that I am the only person she knows who could ever run for office because my background is so squeaky clean.

But it is the fear of the slippery-slope that worries me. I just agreed to give up a fairly big chunk of my privacy in order to gain "security" for my daughter and her fellow first-graders. I can't help but hear Bush's words echoing in my ears: we need to tap your phones without anybody's permission so that we can make you safer. That argument just does not sit well with me. It smacks of the kinds of things I imagine Hitler telling German citizens in the late 1930's: just trust me with more and more power/information so that I can protect you.

This security argument is just too convenient, y'know. Suddenly, when Bush gets caught, he's all about protecting us from terrorists. But instead of looking for BinLaden, Bush is throwing trillions of dollars into his pet invasion of Iraq. How is that protecting us anyway? It isn't. The Iraq travesty is just putting us further in debt and making more people in the world mad at us. So, in some twisted Orwellian logic, Bush has put us at greater danger by invading Iraq, and now--to "protect" us from that danger, he's spying on Americans.

What's next? Sending the fingerprints of honest parents to the FBI . . .

What the hell is happening in our country and what can us little guys do about it?

i, Podius

I continue to dig my 18-month old iPod! I began by using it just to go running -- I need music to keep my going when I run -- "It's got a good beat and I can jog to it, I give it a 95!"

Lately, I have discovered podcasting. I downloaded my first podcast the other day: a segment from The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. Very cool! Now I can listen to Mark Shields and David Brooks (the Friday night political commentators) on the go! I am on the go more often now since have started riding the train to work. Despite my graying hair, I'm sure I look like quite the hipster with my iPod on the train.

I've got iTunes playing on my PC as I type this entry. I just listened to "Bed, Bed, Bed" from the They Might Be Giants kids' album. Then came "Bitter Pill" by Annie Lennox, and now I've got some vintage B-52's playing ("Good Stuff").

What's playing on your iPod right now? Have you podcasted (excellent new verb, eh?) yet? Any tips or recommendations?

Bad, Bad Bloggie

I have violated the cardinal rule of blogging: I have let my blog lie dormant for two months! I was busy with end-of-the-semester grading and such. But what about during the break, you ask, wasn't there free time then? Yes, of course, but since this is a kind of "teaching log blog," I did not post while I did not teach.

But, alas, I am back! On Monday, a new semester starts and with it a new crop of Advanced Composition students. Did they read the catalog? Do they know this section will focus on electronic writing? Or did they just want to take the class because of the time of day?

Will my students have a lot of technological experience? Will they have interest in electronic writing spaces? Or will they resist? Resist they may, but they all come around - at least somewhat.

Whereas last semester, I entered this class with equal parts excitement and trepidation, this semester, I am much more confident. I have worked out the kinks in the class -- established a much more reasonable workload and such.

So, stay tuned, here comes another semester of teacher blogging!!!