Feed the REAL World

The holidays are fast approaching; the Boss and I have had our annual debate over colored or white lights (he won colored for the outside, and I won white lights on the tree). Moustache Man and Sharpie Boy have been helping me bake cookies (we have to bake more of them because, um, well, the reindeer must be reallllllly hungry and keep eating them all). Ebay is all nestled all snug in my pocket book. My virtual home is decorated; my real home is getting there.

Then I think of my friends, Vicki and Thom, who are working with the poorest in the world. In Sierra Leone, there will be no lights for Christmas because electricity is a whim and not a constant. At the Kabala Community School, the children will not be thinking of Batman toys or Barbie Dream Homes. They will wonder, again, if rice is for dinner, and whether the water used to boil it is filled with disease. The picture above shows their reality...their first lives...

I know money is tight. I pay the same high gas prices, and we have the same nasty bills. But, we are blessed by those things when these little children a world away have so little.

In your holiday giving, if you can even spare a buck, the kids at the Kabala Community School can use it to buy rice, to purchase a generator for their school, and to buy a water purifying system.

I know it is a lot to ask. You have to trust that Thom and Vicki Hicks are not scam artists. But, I can truly tell you - these are two of the kindest and most generous people on this earth. They give ALL of themselves to the service of others.

So, for a few linden converted to real money, you can help a child this holiday season. Please open your hearts (and your paypal accounts) and consider making a donation. And, yes, all donations are tax deductible.

Let's join together and spread some holiday cheer to those that have only one reality. You can learn about their work on their website (the PayPal button is on the bottom left). If you prefer to donate linden dollars, I will convert it and send it (IM Desideria Stockton). Please send an IM with your real name and email address so you can receive a receipt. Include the amount of Linden and the date you sent it, so I can accurately convert it to USD.

Sadly, the hungry and poor have been around a long time; this video (back when rock stars worked together for good) is a reminder of all that is needed:

Spoon River

I am totally EXCITED! The Spoon River Anthology is online! You should totally skip this post and go there...it is awesome. After we are done with Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I think the next project will be a virtual Spoon River.

If you want to gather some good stuff, head over to the other place where I write...the Stingy Scholar. There are some wicked awesome resources there. It hasn't been updated lately, but I am on the ball. If you have any free free free tools that you want me to review...send me an email at BethRitterGuth@gmail.com and I will gladly take a look and do a review for the Stingy Scholar.

A New Spin on Awesome

In the throes of research paper grading, it is hard to imagine using that word to describe anything. As I bang my head against the 456th comma splice, I am challenged to remember what it even means...and how it can possibly apply to my life.

Then a light clicks on in a student brain....light beaming from the ears...a passion forms...a fire starts....

The students in English 104 are there...they are where they need to be....finally....and they got their on their own; they got there by being curious, by being frustrated, by, um, learning to think independently.

The easiest way to teach is to spoon feed. I could just tell them the answers...but what fun would that be? How will they use that skill (being spoon fed) in their lives? They have already mastered it, truly. I give them the answers...they spit them out on an exam or in an essay. This is the way they were trained.

It is awesome to see them come to grips with what they don't know; it is awesome to see them struggle through their beliefs...wading through mush...drifting through clouds of the ideas they have never considered...teaching becomes an awesome vocation.

The word awesome has been tainted by the valley girls, and, in this sense, I don't mean it in the OMG...that is, like, omg soooo awesome! In this case, I mean it in its literal sense. The lights turning on, slowly but surely, are awesome...and I am in awe of their abilities and the struggles that helped them get there.

I had the excellent fortune to travel to a New England boarding school this week and meet a group of dedicated people working toward the same goal of student self reliance. Evidence surrounded me at every turn that these kids were not part of the "feed me" generation...they are independent thinkers...they are creative...they are passionate...they serve others. The experience was awesome in that non-valley girl way.

We are blessed to be part of that process.

Traditions

Sooo..Thanksgiving is here once again. Today kicks off our traditions for the holiday season...

We ate dinner at my Dad's house and then went to the Thanksgiving Eve Mass at Moustache Man's school.

Tomorrow, we will wake up and watch the Macy's Parade from inside our warm house (remembering the days when my high school band played in it - remembering how I wore three layers of panty hose under my kilt to stay warm [um ,yes, I played the bagpipes in the HS band]).

The Boss will make bacon (lots and lots of bacon) and cheesy omelets and listen to crazy Christmas tunes like "Father Christmas" by that rock band from the 80s (whose name escapes me).

At noon, we will turn on all the radios in the house and listen to Alice's Restaurant and attempt to sing along in sixteen part harmony.

Then we will hunt for treats left by the magical turkey fairy (well, if the fairy can bring cash for bloody teeth, one can bring yummy snacks at Thanksgiving, too).

I will spend the next two hours planning out my Hunting for Women Extravaganza (black Friday shopping).

At 3ish, we will all pack into the Mamamobile and head over to pick up Ruthie the Grandma and then unleash ourselves upon my brother, Uggie, and his family. We will stuff ourselves silly and then pause and stuff again. Then we will choose among the 789 desserts made by my chef-to-be niece, and then we will pick at more turkey.

Sometime after dark, we will make an insane amount of buttered popcorn and watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and laugh as if it were the first time.



We will then drive around and look at houses that are lit up for the first time before returning home. I will check the ads one last time and set my alarm for 3AM. And, thus begins my Holiday :-)

A Capella a Day - Reprise

Today's a Capella clip from the Nassoons at Princeton...a total riot!

Spirit of Thankfulness

(Picture Source)

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that I both love and wonder about. While I am not so thankful that we displaced the culture of a great people to acquire this land, it is a time to be reminded of the grace we receive daily.

Whilst I don't want to sound preachy, I do want to take a second to be thankful for the many gifts I receive. There are so many things to be thankful for, and I am not sure any list can be complete, but it is important to reflect on those things which we are truly thankful for in our lives.

I try to be thankful on a daily basis for the many blessings that come my way. These blessings include my family, friends, coworkers, collaborators, etc. These blessings include shelter, food, gas money, and other worldly goods. These blessings include music, art, poetry, literature, and drama.

Of the many blessings, I consider the blessings of the spirit the most compelling. As a Christian, I believe these blessings come from God through the life and death of Christ. So, I am eternally thankful for that grace which, I believe, saves us and the mercy that allows everyone to come to his or her own convictions and conclusions.

Humility is another gift that is truly amazing. There are people who are truly humble, and I hope - each and every day - to be like them. So, I strive, daily, to work toward humility. It's funny that not all people value humility - in general or their own (or, in a few cases, my attempts). We are supposed to run around championing our successes, right? I would argue that our successes champion themselves, and there is no need to run about calling from roof tops. In any event, no success is singular; they are always crafted by many hands. So, if pride should exist, it should be shared.

The spirit of giving is another incredible gift...the ability to give and not to take. The homeless of Washington could give nothing back for the meals they received; some could not even speak to offer a shy thank you. But, to give the food with a spirit of love and not expecting a thing in return was more valuable than any object. Serving others allows us to remember that we are only a short space away from being in the line, and we have every obligation to be thankful for the distance.

As we move toward Thanksgiving and the holidays, may we all be blessed with the gifts of humility and sharing.

Here is wonderful video from one of my favorite bands - the Trans Siberian Orchestra

A Capella a Day

Ok, so if you know me well, you know that I am a HUGE fan of a capella groups. My favorites are the Nassoons and the Tiger Tones at Princeton. But, I found this great video today of these folks.

HYSTERICAL!!!

Web 2.0, Sliver Ivory & Wood, and Chris Ruch: New Memories from a Distant Past

The power of Web 2.0 amazes me daily. Not to be all cheese doodle and all, but, REALLY, it has connected me with lots of super duper awesome peeps (you all know who you are) and reconnected me with super duper awesome peeps from my past.

For example, way back in the dark days of teenagerdom, I knew a kid named Chris Ruch. Well, I think we knew each other in grade school, too. Chris was kinda quiet, and I was unduly obnoxious in a variety of ways. We didn't talk much to each other, but we were in a lot of classes together. He grew up to marry a great girl and have a beautiful family, and I grew up, too, and was less obnoxious (oh stop), got married to the boss, and had my little band of super heroes. Our high school class, a true representative of the X generation, is not big on reunions...we have really only had 1 in the course of at least 3 cycles (you have to do the math, sorry ;p). But, Chris found me on Facebook or MySpace or somewhere and we actually (omg) became friends after all those years of teenage angst. He sends reports about his amazingly cool family, and it is just great to connect with him after all these years.

What I didn't know about Chris during the years of spandex, arm bangles, and Madonna hair is that he is this incredible photographer and artist. He sent an email this morning with some of his art work (one is pictured above) and a shout out for some work he is doing. I love the music, and I love the art work, so I am going to shout it out here, too, for those of you looking for a wicked cool holiday gift:

I just did some photography for the Silver Wood & Ivory holiday concert at Hershey theatre over the past two days.... and I must say I was floored by the quality and creativity in this group of musicians, producers, cast & crew. I wish I could have been a casual observer for part or all of it to really soak it all in. Thankfully, they have a cd and dvd of most of the music from the concert (both of which I designed the covers for)... and they are hoping to do a tour of this show in the near future. The dvd is from the first performance of this show that they did last year... and the cd is all done in-studio with the production help of the multi-talented Jeff King. They have a number of other cd's (and tracks on itunes if you prefer), and a variety of nice packages (lotion candles with cd's) that would make really nice Christmas presents. I've included a few photos from the rehearsal and performance, and some images showing the interior of (the very lovely) Hershey theater. Happy holidays to everyone! Talk to you all soon!

Second Life and NCTE

What happens when 14,000 English teachers and professors gather in New York City for a conference?

I can't think of a good punch line. I am taking punch line donations down there in the comments tab ;p

In any case, I just returned from that National Council of Teachers of English conference, and of those 14,000 participants and over 300+ presentations, there was only ONE presentation on Second Life. Many thanks to Rob Rozema for organizing a panel with Laura Nicosia and I on teaching literature/English in SL. Rob talked about the history of gaming in English, I talked about Literature Alive!, and Laura talked about student responses. It was a great mix.

By far, Amy Tan was my favorite speaker. She is just REALLY funny but touching, as well.

And, of course, I LOVED THE EXHIBITORS!!!! I can only say that it is like Trick or Treat for English teachers. There are so many cool resources. I only got through two aisles, and then I had to stop. I was loaded up with all sorts of goodies, and simply had no more hands left.

My favorite workshop/presentation was on graphic novels. I think they are so wicked cool in general, but am now thinking of ways to get them mashed up with SL.

Conferences always energize me, but more than that, my students energize me. Before leaving Thursday, my students wanted a lounge discussion on Truth. For extra credit, 7 students met for two hours and talked about truth and justice and what it means to be an American. Their thoughts drifted with me as I met teachers from all over the world who were concerned that this generation has nothing important to say. I suspect they have a lot of stuff to say, but they need a place to say it and they need people to listen.

Crazy Little Thing Called Land

Building projects for Literature Alive! is just an absolute blast. Our current build, Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner is, truly, a wonderful experience.

First, Marcius Downing from Finger Lakes Community College in New York is SUCH a generous supporter of Literature Alive! He has provided land for the Progressive Era Amusement Park, for the World University Exchange, for Contemporary Fiction, and, now, for Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Without people like him, Literature Alive! could not exist.

Second, Eloise Pasteur is, once again, volunteering her time to help script and build the environment. Eloise has become such an integral part of Literature Alive! that it is impossible to imagine a build without her, but, truthfully, he real life work is in Second Life, so - at any time - I could lose her generosity to employment. I am so thankful to have her help on these projects because she and I just share an incredible vision for what SL can do in the classroom.

Third, Daliah and Neveah and just super duper staffers. Daliah earns her weight in gold by stuffing things like pumpkins or gold nuggets. When she isn't shopping for a build, she is helping students get dressed or giving tours. But her newest job...sorting my inventory...is probably the most daunting! So, if I am logged in and she replies...it is because she is me and I am her. I am not sure which of us will have an identity crisis first!

James Blunt and You're Beautiful

I love this song, and wanted to get it posted somewhere.



I am working on a new plot for Literature Alive! on teaching Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This is a new challenge and one that I am truly excited to start!

DD Boy Says a Wee Prayer

In his second star moment, 5 year old Giddy Up Man recites some prayers he learned at Notre Dame Preschool.

Mp3

DD Boy Hits the Waves

Today, Moustache Man makes his Podcasting Debut with some hits he learned at school...first up...The Pledge of Allegiance!

Mp3

These are African roses that I bought for myself (trust me - no one else round there here parts has a clue that the Giant sells roses!).

Creating Culture

There are some days when teaching is a frustrating mess, and I leave the classroom thinking about how I would look in a black suits working the world of all things corporate. Today was not one of those days.

The students in English 104 at DeSales have been struggling. They have no idea why an English class is doing this whole SL thing. They didn't get it.

Today was the day we all hope for...today was the AH HA moment day...

In addition to the World University Exchange program, my students are charged with using SL to create a culture. But, as we all know, culture is not created in a vacuum. Culture is a culmination of events and experiences, good and bad, that make up a fabric. Second Life provides a safe place to challenge students.

Back at the beginning of the semester, students tossed one shoe into the center of the room. Two team captains were picked, and they took turns picking a shoe. At the end, one sneaker was left. The owner of the sneaker became the "king" and the two groups were formed. Various challenges have happened; several assignments have taken place. But, over the weekend, Eloise and I worked magic to change the whole fabric. We took land away from the smaller group; they could either join the other group as servants or they could try to make it on their own.

Today's discussion was AMAZING! They discussed whether a community is made up of land and people or if it is made up of ideals and philosophy. It was a good chat, and one I wish you could have heard.

35 Things

My friend, Tess, told me that in order to earn my birthday present, I had to come up with 35 things I am thankful for...I am not allowed to list any "standards" (house, home, kids, hub, God, Twinkies, her).

So, Tess...this BETTER be some kickin present...

1. I am thankful that I wore my Wonder Woman bathing suit when I had a body to make it look cute;

2. I am thankful for them-there chicken pot pies that can be made in the microwave and that they have crust on the top AND on the bottom;

3. I am thankful that tattoos and piercings were not popular when I was a kid;

4. I am thankful for the makers of the Cracker Barrel;

5. I am thankful for all that tea that landed in the ocean and wish there were some more to toss in for a good reminder;

6. I am thankful for Cocoa Pebbles;

7. I am thankful for Mary Shelley;

8. I am thankful for the new tab tops of cat food; it is less time that my cats scratch me to get food, seeing as they weigh in at at least 100 pounds each;

9. I am thankful for tote bags made of sturdy canvas;

10. I am thankful for Lard;

11. I am thankful that I didn't turn 50 because I am running out of witty things to say;

12. I am thankful for Satellite radio;

13. I am thankful for GPS;

14. I am thankful for Second Life and all the people in it, especially Eloise, Daliah, and Neveah;

15. I am thankful for funnel cake;

16. I am thankful for popcorn and butter;

17. I am thankful that spandex and leg warmers are no longer popular;

18. I am thankful that my career as a rock star lasted exactly 13 seconds;

19. I am thankful for math tutors;

20. I am thankful for cheese wiz and other cheese food products;

21. I am thankful for Aloe plants and neosporin;

22. I am thankful for Pogo;

23. I am thankful for all living creatures, great and small;

24. I am thankful for stick shift cars;

25. I am thankful that they releases retro Atari;

26. I am thankful for those little cardboard coffee holder thingies at WaWa;

27. I am thankful for fudge;

28. I am thankful that the neighbor's dog is scared of pooping in my lawn and that the fear factor is a 16 year old declawed cat named Bertie;

29. I am thankful for the change counter at Giant;

30. I am thankful for being a libertarian, so I can be thankful for my family and friends (the Boss, Moustache Man, and Sharpie Boy especially) and God.

31. I am thankful for bacon;

32. I am thankful for smart people;

33. I am thankful for each breath I take;

34. I am thankful for technology, and

35. I am thankful that you read this whole list.



SO GIMME MY DANG PRESENT!

A Good Look Back

Right. So, I turned 35 on the 26th. WHEN DID I GET OLD??? Omg...omg...omg...I think I slept through the past 10 years because I still FEEL 25.

As it happened, my birthday also fell on trick or treat night. Despite the down pour and the Mayor's inability to make a wise choice, we went out anyhow...jumping in puddles...doing the hardcore Halloween experience. Moustache Man was Super Man AND Spider man AND Bat Man. Don't ask; it defied physics. Sharpie Boy was not in the mood for dressing up and simply wore is Spidey poncho.

To celebrate the Great State of Halloween, Desi and the Pussycats are hosting a special Halloween Buzz for NMC tomorrow night at 6 SLT. Not into the whole Halloween thing? Never fear...there is a Harvest Festival over at the Literature Alive! HQ. Don't have a costume? No worries - we even have those. We are giving out tons of freebies...and there are cash prizes for best costume!

Many many many thanks to my gorgeous and talented staff..Eloise, Daliah, and Neveah. They have really helped create a kickin' exhibit! And, of course, many thanks to our sponsors:

Alliance Library System
Eloise Pasteur Educational Designs
The V3 Group
The Foundation for Rich Content

The Muffin Slam

Today was our day to bring snack. Each day, a different child is selected to be the bearer of the snack...the child marches in and announces with the voice of King Richard the III (or Elizabeth the I), "I, Moustache Man (or Princess Carpathia), bear the gifts of Food and Drink; ye all shall be impressed with my Mother's Good Sense and Godly choice of Snack. May you marvel in her Betty Crockerdom and wish you, too, had the Greatest Mother on Earth!"

...and they give you like a month's notice and all....and then I worried for an entire month...what snack should we take? Bottle of juice or juice boxes? Juice baggies? Donuts for the week of the letter D? Healthy? Junk food? My son wouldn't eat it unless it came in the form of a nugget or hot dog, so it didn't much matter to him. If I picked the WRONG snack, will he become a drug addict? Need therapy? Write a book called "My Mommy Messed up Snack Day and Other Twice Told Tales"?

What happens when he finds out that I actually forgot snack day was today after worrying about it non-stop for the past moon...only remembering at the very last possible second and grabbing a new pack of Double Stuffed Oreos and Welch's grape juice...and yesterday I forgot Sharpie Boy's picture day (and he was wearing a HORRIBLE shirt...ugh)....and I took him to school today wearing two different colored socks?

And, then, while driving the Mama van, I realized that World Peace is a problem and not snack day, but, still and all, I am a perfectionist. I can only hope they write something like this on my grave stone:

Here lies our Mama
She loved cats and llamas
She sometimes forgot snack day
but then let us build with clay
our lives so they would be full of wonda

Well, they are 5 and can't spell yet, and it was better than using the word DRAMA!

Def Poetry

I often spend my free time looking for material for my students. I came across this live poem by Suheir Hammad, and was so incredibly moved by it, I had to post it.

Warning: Adult Language

Bring on the Jeans

So, I have been paying attention to the Web 2.0 Summit this week over there on the other side of the country. There was a GREAT interview with Mark Zuckerberg (you know, the kid that created Facebook) and I was so insanely impressed. Why? Other than liking his shoes, I am just totally impressed with this generation of "Ivy League dropouts" (as the announcer called him).

I get the same good feeling about Mark that I get from listing to Sergey Brin or Phillip Linden or even Howard Stern. No, they don't hold PhDs in whatever-it-is-you-major-in-to-be-important. They each took a concept, made it happen, and, holy pete, they are brilliant!

Let's take a look at each of these guys. They wear what they want. They are doing what they love. They have nothing to prove.

Whatever you may think about the content of the Howard Stern show, you have to admit the guy is totally brilliant. He has over the past 20 years, with his team of loyal employees and fans, revolutionized the radio industry. He didn't sit back and say, "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have said THAT...I will be more careful next time. " He said, "Look, this is AMERICA...if I can't say THAT here, where on earth can I say it??? And, then he went to Sirius...and I, along with millions of other people, bought the radios, the subscriptions, and tuned in to hear what he would say in a world with no boundaries. Do I like all the stuff I hear there? Nope. But, I don't like a lot of what I hear anywhere. I DO like that he has the freedom to talk about what he wants in the way he wants to talk about it. I like the idea that he has, through all of the fines and bad press, championed free speech and, truly, has done more for the amendment than ANY other media personality. I don't have to like the strippers to appreciate the trailblazing he has done. And, the beauty of freedom is that I can as easily tune out as in, and make my own choices about what is edifying.

In many ways, Howard Stern was the pre-cursor to the freedom we see on the web. Facebook, started by Mark-the-Kid-from-Harvard (who is, in my opinion, way more "seasoned" than CEOs of big-ole stuffy corporations) celebrates that same kind of freedom. You have the FREEDOM to post stupid pics of yourself doing stupid and illegal things. Having the platform doesn't mean you have to do bad things with it. It can ALSO be used for other cool things like getting your band's name out there or meeting new folks at your school. Can it be used for ill? Sure it can. All things can be used for ill, but we don't need big brother telling us what we should and shouldn't use.

Linden Lab is based on that same principle. We are bound only by the physics of SL. Sure, bad things happen in SL. But, hey, bad things happen everywhere and GOOD things happen everywhere. Eliminating an environment like Second Life doesn't lessen the number of crazy people out there. When I met Philip Linden, I was just impressed with how kind and down to earth he was. Like Mark and Sergey, he is a guy doing what he loves and a lot of people love it along with him.

The Google Boys, Sergey being just one of those Stanford crew, have that same energy and light. Let's see what happens when people can be creative. You don't need a degree to do that. You don't need a stamp that says you have jumped through hoops. You prove your worth by the effectiveness of your product. And, by golly, Google has done that. They allow people to be creative.

So, what happens to all the scrambling academics? Nothing changes. We have all known, or should know, that the most brilliant kids didn't and don't need degrees. Just because Stern doesn't have a PhD in Communications doesn't mean he is any less qualified to speak about it. If anything, he is MORE qualified to speak about it because he has been out there on the front lines championing free speech for decades. Facebook is working, and Mark doesn't need to speak the lingo of a CEO to make it work. He doesn't need an MBA from Harvard to do what he is already doing. Second Life works...it isn't perfect...but nothing is...and Philip doesn't need a star from Stanford anymore than Sergey does. They are revolutionizing the world and our job is to watch and participate.

I love the new freedom of satellite radio, the freedom of the social web, and the freedom of virtual worlds.

Why I love Teaching

You would think that students in a Saturday morning class would be bitter. It is hard to get outta bed on a Saturday morning to go chat about Huck Finn and the Progressive Era...but, somehow, I manage.

The students are simply AWESOME, and that really helps me get out of bed. They are working on the Progressive Era Plot and have just been AMAZING! Eloise and I can hardly keep up! They designed an amusement park theme to tie together their three projects: sweat shops, rail history, and the rise of (local) Dorney Park.

The student showcase is THIS COMING Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 8:00 AM SLT http://slurl.com/secondlife/Finger%20Lakes%20Island/221/27/23

Please come and VOTE for the best student project!

Wicked Cool Slideshare Shows!

I am an impulse shopper. Ask Daliah, Eloise, and Neveah (hereafter called "Desi and the Pussycats")...I bought a covered wagon yesterday...ya know...just in case we decide to recreate Laura Ingalls books.

Anywho.

I went over to Slideshare to upload slides from my Friday presentation on Web 2.0 applications. Before leaving, I found these wicked cool slideshare shows.

Desi's List of Wicked Cool Slideshare Shows

Catching Up 2.0

Adey immed me...when are you going to blog again? Sheesh....I just blogged...omg...over a MONTH ago! Okay. you can all take away gold stars. I am a sucky blog hostess. I will offer to you my lame excuses, and hope they measure up :-)

Desi''s Top 10 Reason for blog Neglect

Reason 1: GiddyUp Man Started School
Whomever said that life gets easier AFTER the kids start school LIED. As Super-Mom, I now have to worry about school fundraisers, the Marathon, chaperoning the wee trip to the Pumpkin farm, and making sure my son's unruly hair stays down. Then there is remembering that he likes to go 15 minutes early so that he can run around in a big circle with his bestest friends in the entire world...the whole pre-K class. After school, it is mandatory that we go to the park or the nature trail or to Aunt Kerri's house or for Ice Cream or to the Comic Book Store. Sharpie Boy, the accomplice, has been in the IU for his third year now, and they don't have fundraisers. He also passes out from exhaustion once he his strapped into his car seat. If he could talk, he would say, "Mama, lets go home and chill." I can read his mind; it's one of the 7 super secret powers we get at Motherhood School. It isn't as handy as the MAMA VISION we are all given upon graduation (yes, I DO know who sent that blue matchbox down the toilet...MAMA Vision...it is everywhere). Anyway, Sharpie Boy spoiled me...but Giddy Up Man has been waiting his whole wee life to go to school and then drive me crazy with post-academic adventures. His Tae Kwon Do class, of course, has hit parade season. And, as he rode the float today tossing Smarties at the free world, the parents huffed and puffed behind it for 5 miles, I thought that my next book would be titled "The Fat Girls Guide to Gittin' Skinny." Strategy 1: Follow the Tae Kwon Do Cart in a Halloween parade.

Reason 2: The Boss shifted to Middles and the Phillies Made the Playoffs (but lost it all)
It is no secret to anyone living in a 30 mile radius that The Boss likes Baseball and NASCAR. On the day I delivered GiddyUp Man, The Boss watched NASCAR in my hospital room. Feeling lucky that he wasn't castrated after 24 hours of labor resulting in a C-Section, he felt entitled to watch the race and then suggested we name the boy after the winning driver. If I coulda moved...
So, the Phillies, his all time favorite team. made it to the Superbowl or whatever it is they get to before they get to the World Series, and we had to watch every game. Tivo was simply not good enough. On the days he had to work, many a cardiac patient was tortured as he oggled their TV screens. When the Philles lost in the playoffs, he moped around like a sad puppy. GiddyUp Man added insult to injury by chanting "Hey Ho Baseball is OVER!!!!!" ( I secretly sang along).

Reason 3: My Virtual Life has Picked Up
Not wanting to be bored this semester, I decided to take all of my classes into Second Life. That adds up to over 200 students. I can only THANK ME LUCKY STARS for the Dream Team: Eloise, Daliah, and my newest addition, an intern named Neveah. Desi and the Pussycats are always busy inworld, but we are working on some AWESOME projects. The students in Progressive Era Literature have built this incredible environment that looks like a theme park. There is a working train, a sweat shop disguised as a Fun House, and a working carousel, Ferris wheel, and cups ride. They students have added lots of great information about literature and social history of the era, and - truly - have gone above and beyond. Many thanks to Eloise Pasteur for her tireless volunteerism in building for the students. Check it out at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Finger%20Lakes%20Island/218/46/276
The rest of my students are involved with the World University Exchange (see Reason 4).

Reason 4: World University Exchange
What happens when you take a boat load of faculty from around the world and all their students and stick them into Second Life in a virtual Survivor-meets-College activity? Life gets busy! The WUE is an AWESOME project, but it involves daily work and planning. Check it out at http://worlduniversityexchange.wikispaces.com/ As far as we know, this is the largest multi-national virtual project for college students in SL.

Reason 5: People Invite me to Chat
There are so few people in this area doing virtual worlds and Web 2.0 stuff that I get lots of requests to speak. Meeting new people is lots of fun, and it is really rewarding to see people have their AH HA moments right there in front of you. There are lots of opportunities..some near...some far...but I love to travel, so there you have it.

Reason 6: Texas Tech
In the midst of pulling toys out of the loo and correcting the nine BILLIONTH comma splice, I am also taking a class toward that coveted PhD. At the rate I am going, I ought to have it when I am 97. Anywho, the class is interesting, but there is loads of reading, writing, massaging, weeping, and writing some more. The class is a theory one, and my self-diagnosed ADD kicks in when I have to sit still enough to read anything with the word "Thus" in it. It is a lot of work, but it is useful, and I am learning a lot. Plus, it helps to BE a student while teaching students.

Reason 7: Minnie May
The problem with being the family pushover is that when someone finds a stray kitty, it is high time to pick up the phone and call Aunt Beth for a rescue recon mission. I got a call to rescue a cat in the sister-in-law's basement at her apartment building, and after two hours of coaxing, this little sweet kitty emerged and was rescued. Little sweet kitty has claws and teeth of sharpened steel, though. Sadly, she must have been abused and, to make life even more interesting, no one taught her how to keep her paws crossed, so it looks like I am going to be a Grandma. So, since this kitty is not-so-friendly, we have her on the sun porch, and I spend too much time feeding, talking, and trying not to get sliced up by her. I have been giving her mothering lessons and trying to get her to notice that not all humans are jerks.

Reason 8: Addiction to Pogo
The first step in dealing with addiction is admitting the weakness. So, there you have it, I am addicted to Pogo. Specifically, I am addicted to games called Lottso, Zuma, and the Wedding Planner. I am also addicted to the game WeBoggle (thanks, Jean-Claude) and to Tetris on GiddyUp Man's Advanced Color GameBoy. I used to think best when driving, but then a bunch of jerks were given driving licenses, so now I think whilst matching wee little shapes and shooting colored balls into oblivion.

Reason 9: It's Fall
I love Autumn. It is my favorite season, and I like to be out among the leaves and not in front of my laptop. So, lame as it is, I am out and about and not in and glued to my keyboard.

Reason 10: Grading Papers
Believe it or not, I read every assignment twice before grading it. This takes up a lot of time and energy (let alone mood). As papers swing in, I try to have them back within a week. So, grading takes up a large chunk of time.

I realize these are all lame excuses, but it least paints a picture of why I am sooooo busy :-) But, I promise to repent and write faithfully :-)

Professor, Avatar, Student, Writer, Editor, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, and Friend

It is wicked exciting to see your name in print; it is even MORE wicked exciting to see it in the Chronicle of Higher Ed. Andrea Foster did a nice job of writing up a ditty about some awesome work going on in Second Life. Balancing out the article from last week, I thought Andrea did a nice balance...she didn't sugar coat life in virtual space, but she didn't slam dunk our efforts.

What strikes me about the article, though, isn't about what she wrote, but about who she wrote about. These folks are some of the most talented folk around, and they are super busy. I know - for a fact - that Intellagirl must be busy; she has THREE wee ones, and I merely have two. All of the people represented there are super crazy busy, but all of them take their time to do an excellent job in this life and their virtual lives.

So, that lead me to think of the roles we all play. In real life, I am NERD...FT professor to students at a community college and PT professor to students at an awesome 4-year private Catholic college. NERD is a nickname that the honors students tapped me with a few years back, and is, evidently, easier to say than Professor Ritter-Guth. In this role, I am zany, unconventional, fair, but tough.

In real life, I am a student in the Tech Comm and Rhet doctoral program at Texas Tech University. I read volumes, write volumes, and discuss all sorts of theory. I am not as zany or unconventional, but I do my best and act like a nerd.

In real life, I am a writer. Mostly, I blog, but I do other sorts of academic research and writing, and I am working on creative things that aren't public. I also write lots of notes to teachers, therapists, and government officials. I write lists that I lose. I write cards that I forget to send.

In real life, I edit things. Most recently, I accepted a guest co-editorship for Innovate on a special issue about Second Life. I also do reviews and other editing work for journals and student conferences.

But the best roles, are the ones that don't involve work. While I am not so domestic, and only roughly know the makings of an oven, I enjoy my role as Mom. It helps that my kids are wicked cool and creative, but still at an age where Mommy is awesome, and all other girls have cooties. My husband tells me that this Mama worship will end soon, and I have seen my five year old eyeing up Daisy Duke...so, it must be true. In the mail today, two packages arrived...one with 50 Spider man toothbrushes and the other with 25 Superman spinny toothbrushes. We have to give them out, you seem in the impending birthday bags...because we simply can't let our friends wander around with yucky breath. In the washing machine is the purple sheet used to create the Bat Cave in the living room...the polar bear flashlight has fresh batteries, and the AWESOME new batman costumes are hanging near the door - waiting for their owners to slip into them for another day of fighting the bad guys and saving the day.

In my email bin are recipes from my mother who is convinced that I can still learn domesticity, an email from my brother begging me to bid on a paintball part for his birthday, and a bunch of emails from my best friend from college who is having her very first baby (do I have any advice? Yes..get the epidural...screw Lamaze...bathe alone now as you never will again...remove all sharpies from the house...lock the toilet...invest in Magic Erasers).

So, we all play many roles...we mix and match, and some of us run to virtual worlds to do all that we can there that we can't in real life. The most important thing, of course, is to love all your roles and realities.

Busasaurus

Students in Tech writing talked about the use of virtual worlds in technical fields; we ended class with a visit to IBM's codestation Labyrinth.



My kids have these tapes - you remember them....the Magic School Bus? Well, Sharpie Boy has an addiction to the Busasaurus tape. We have watched it at least 568 times (exactly). Fortunately, his fearless accomplice, Giddy-Up Man, is currently addicted to Smallville, and we ALL know how cute Bo Duke is at any age.

Sadly, you can not watch both Smallville and Busasaurus at the exact same time. Even though we have multiple DVD players, everyone has to be in the exact same room. Generally, this is the same room I am in.

So, as I was stopping WW3 in my living room today, I was thinking about manners in virtual worlds. I am amazed by how many people do things in SL that they would never ever ever do in real life. For example, in real life, no one would ever walk into your classroom and start chatting about your shoes. Now, I only wear sandals or hiking boots, so maybe they WOULD talk about my shoes if they were at all interesting, but I doubt they would do it in my classroom. In real life, no one gets bent outta shape when you say, "sorry, I gotta run - I have class in 3 seconds." In virtual worlds, some folks think you are blowing them off when you say that. As a person with 6 classes inworld and 176 students, I can honestly say that if I say "I'm in class" or "I'm with students" - It is very likely true. It doesn't mean that the person isn't important; it just means that we have to catch up at a different time. Finally, no one would run up to me at the start of a class, tell me 10000 important things and then say, ok, gotta run. I have no way to focus on that kind of information. Email or a notecard is WAY WAY WAY better :-)

Anywho. In stopping the fight over Busasaurus and Smallville, I had some sort of epiphany. I am not sure what...but something...something creeping up and saying that in addition to everything else my students need to learn in SL, they need to learn manners. Manners are transcendent.




As we remember the vicitims of 9-11, please visit Liam Kanno's memorial inworld (search for 911 Memorial). May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in Peace and rise in Glory.

BLOG NEGLECT!

OMG! I am guilty of blog neglect!!!!

The last few weeks have been a landslide of various things, so please accept my dear apologies for leaving you hanging around for new news.

The most important of the "busies" happened yesterday, as my little dude, dressed like Superman, walked into his first day of school. He, of course, was not at all sentimental. I, however, had two cameras and 3 boxes of Kleenex. Things were pretty bad when his wee little self poised himself in the Car-Seat-of-Wonder (we know it works, but none of us truly understands how - though we ALL adore the cup holders) and said quite frankly, "Mom. I am going to be just fine; you just wait and see. I promise...I will come home to eat." So, off he went in his cape to save the day.

All of the other Moms (the good Moms), waited at the door looking perfect; they were wearing cute pickly matched coordinates, glorious up-dos, and purses. They were all dressed up for the Biggest Day of The Child's Life. I, on the other hand, was wearing a ripped up Harley Davidson t-shirt, scrapply jeans, and sandals (the only thing a woman can do when she cries is wash the kitchen floor on her hands and feet...it is true). Smelling like lemon and sponges and something none of us should try to identify, I smiled weakly as the other Mommies got out their cameras and tissue boxes. Praise be! There is justice in the world.

Giddyup Man (this is his own creation and designated super hero name) loved (LOVED) school, and brought home his very first picture...a picture of a gun, 2 police cars and the General Lee. Written nicely above it, the teacher wrote "The Duke Boys chasing the bad guys and being chased by the cops." Ah, my boy...his first act of brilliance involved the Dukes of Hazzard and a pistol. I need to talk to The Boss about educational programming. He even got homework....the beauty of private school...to which he profoundly said "Mom. I am 5. I simply DON'T DO homework." Ye gads. It starts already.

In any case, I think I will need to buy MORE tissues for when he starts Kindergarten next year (oh yeah - I DID mention that this was just preschool, right???).

So, this major event comes at the end of a rush of things. Starting with the SLCC inworld education conference (which was a blast), moving toward the start of classes (and 176 immersed SL students), and now this...life has been hectic.

I am sad to report that in the time since I last wrote I have lost some RL friends (Jeanne and Mr. Gloss), and an SL friend, Billy Hartmann. I have also parted ways with my SL partner, a wonderful and kind man that deserves the world. As he moves on his SL, I wish him all the very best of both worlds. We parted with a beautiful friendship and some excellent memories, and it was with a sad heart that I watched him teleport away. We both knew it was coming; education is now my major focus in SL. But, he was with me back in the Days of Noob. And, as I remember him stumbling in from the snow wearing, um, well, a Noobie outfit, I remember fondly what it was like when SL was about exploration. I hope that my students, all 176 of them, find amazing friends like him.

Choosing her OWN Adventure

On Wednesday night, the Contemporary Fiction class at DeSales wrapped up. I am always a bit sad when classes end, and this group, my little literary pioneers, are special. They were my first "fully immersed" class. Other classes did unique lessons in SL but didn't spend EVERY lesson there.



I was a bit worried. I have to admit. The builds were going up...but the content just wasn't there. The students knew that they were being graded on content....they HAD to know...I only nagged them like a billion times.

And then...like magic....the content starting popping up...here and there...and then everywhere. Desperate calls from the library on main campus from one student...she was sitting with the librarian....where do we go next? Another student sending up flair guns to my Gmail...PLEASE help me figure out how to cite this and such....

All of a sudden...it was working....

On the first night of class, Vodka4 Babii, a former Miller Light Girl and Senior in Pharma Marketing, announced that she hated reading and there was not one single thing I could do to make her like it. No offense, of course...

On the last night of class, there she stood in RL and in SL, next to her Choose Your Own Adventure maze, prouder than spit when she won the 50 USD Visa Cash Card for the People's Choice Award. Her maze taught the concepts of the genre, cited her sources, and used the design to immerse the audience.

Overall, the 8 week class went well; I learned a lot from the students, and - hopefully- they learned a thing or two, as well.

MANY MANY MANY thanks to Marcius Downing and Finger Lakes Community College for hosting our student plots this summer, and MANY MANY MANY thanks to Eloise Pasteur for donating her time as a builder/scripter for the students. Also, many thanks to Daliah Carter for helping students get dressed in bling and introducing them to SL social life and to Laura Nicosia for her help with the Gloria Naylor novels.

Three Boys and a Bad Kitty

Right, that title could be taken any number of ways....but, no, it is not an adult film...

I just returned home from conducting a two-day training at Indiana University of PA. The 25 or so faculty were incredibly refreshing! They were enthusiastic, kind, funny, and FUN!!!!! Watermelon launching, anvil attacks, and a Princess sim-crashing moon bounce were all mixed into creating immersive interactive content.

The NMC studio session is going GREAT, as well. The students are engaging, refreshing, funny, and FUN!!!!

It must be a disease....virtual "students" (with PhDs) and real "students" (with PhDs) all engaging an environment at various levels....and being incredibly AWESOME!

Many thanks to the amazing Komputer Merlin (RL Lloyd Oynet) and his lovely wife, the Goddess Estelle, for their warm hospitality (and the world's MOST incredible wine, book, and cottage collections). Many thanks to DrPartridge Allen (RL Al Partridge), his hilarious wife, Mary, and their wicked cool daughter, Lilly, for entertaining me with hilarious stories about STD costumes, steak, and peas. Honest to Pete, that was the best dinner party I have been to in a long time!!!

So....

I returned home after a daunting 6 hour journey through Eastern PA construction (if they would just build the damn roads RIGHT in the first place - - we wouldn't have to fix them every 4 years). The boys....oh, dear....well, it is no wonder I don't travel much.

My husband seems to think that cheese is as good a meal as any...so the first thing DD asked for was food..."Mommy, can you feed me?" Now, The Boss-Man assures me that he did, in fact, feed them hot dogs and cereal, and gave them milk with their cookies, all 50000 that they ate, so, they got wheat AND dairy....

The boys - all three of them - were shirtless. This is common with the boss, but, generally speaking, we like to dress the children, ya know, just in case they have to go outside to fetch a wayward power ranger. The Boss says that they didn't want to wear shirts and that they were practicing being REAL men....confirmation from the Mother-in-Law suggests that they did, in fact, have shirts on when she left an hour before...so, the manly hour must be after 7 but before 9 (or when I walked in and said, ummmmm, clothing?? I was only gone TWO days; certainly the laundry isn't ALL dirty?)

And then there is the Bad Kitty...and her brothers, Bert and Mikey, who were circling the food dish and meowing as if they had been starved for a month. The cat dshes (all 16 of them) were all on the floor, so that proves that - at some point - they were given food. Evidently, they invited friends because the math doesn't work out (3 cats - wet food twice a day...I fed them before I left Sunday, so that SHOULD equal 9 dishes - MAYBE 12 if he had fed them tonight...but he admits that he forgot...which is incredible to believe since you can't walk in our kitchen without the beck and call of the BK...). Of course, the Iams dispenser was full, but the Princess Bad Kitty prefers wet to anything she has to crunch upon....

and then there are the dishes....I got them paper products because Moms know that boys and bad kitties don't do dishes...and, well, the pack stayed closed, but my sink was full...of cereal bowls and cheese plates....

I would like some tools from SL....a teleporter and the ability to send back dirty dishes. Oh, and mute....

No more BOOKS????

I almost had a heart attack when I received Jeremy Hunsicker's email to SLed....some dude invented a Literature Factory. WOOT!!!! Then I read the fine print...this word-bot-thinger CREATES literature...without ANY human input.

Um.

Hmmmm...


Someone best wake up Walt Whitman, cuz' I think he is dying all over again...


So, I met Ciemaar Flintoff inworld and took a tour of the Literature Factory. It is actually VERY cool....it DOES work without human interaction, but the POINT is that the literature isn't all that good. What make Literature worthwhile to love?

SOUL...

and machines ain't got no soul...

BUT, it does show that language CAN use the same sort of computational structure as numbers...and that is a worthwhile lesson.

I was very impressed by Ciemaar Flintoff and the Literature Factory. Literature Alive! in Second Life endorses the project, as it makes students think about the HEART of writing...is it words on a page...or is about soul?

Wanna check it out yerself? The grand opening is Saturday 4pm to 6pm SLT at the Literature Factory at Kula 2 (189,9,25). Check out the wee bloggy, too: http://channel3b.wordpress.com

Summer Lovin'

What I did on my summer vacation:

1. Taught my kids Green Grow the Rushes, Ho!, London Bridge, and Kumasaka.

2. Left hot dogs on the grill for 3 hours.

3. Lost my cell phone 6 times (not yet recovered it).

4. Watched Superman Returns 3000 times.

5. Watched Batman Returns 3000 times.

6. Bought my son a tuxedo so he could be a Blues Brother.

7. Got chased down by the beach police for walking with my husband along the shore line (um, how did I know that it was illegal after 11? Ok, there were signs. But, I sincerely didn't see them. cough).

8. Watched fireworks from the beach with my kids, and then built a three foot Volcano in the night sand. Then played every stupid boardwalk game out there. Had to carry the 3 foot Nemo for at least 17 miles back to the hotel.

9. Collected 75000000000 (so it seemed when they fell out in the van) soda tabs for the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey.

10. Tried Escargot.

11. Counted Dolphins with my kids on a morning excursion

12. Fetched my sandal from the same water when the 4 year old "Curious Jugi" tossed it overboard.

13. Converted the entire living room into the BatCave.

14. Rescued my son from the clenches of an angry goose.

15. Created Ubieye JuJuFruit (the family Neopet)

16. Built Hell with Eloise

17. Watched the sunrise in my bathrobe at a restore Victorian B and B (after setting of the fire alarm 3 times from the shower)

18. Watched Curious George 20000 times

19. Watched I Love Toy Trains 60000000 times.

20. Got a Slip and Slide Injury

21. Hired my niece to be a Mommy's Helper

22. Co-Chaired the BPE conference

23. Flew 6 hours to San Francisco

24. Beat 6 guys at poker at the paint ball trip (yeah - told ya so)

25. Enrolled my son in Tai Kwon Do

25. Played pinball

26. Picked cherries with my kids

27. Met lots of great new people in SL

28. Met some Lindens

29. Found my junior high diary - laughed so hard, I snorted

30. Fell in love with teaching (again)

The DNA Test

Right. So. I was always the annoying girl in the car whipping out the latest Cosmo quiz and grilling everyone in the car about their personal manifestas.

This one wasn't my fault. Blame Chris Hambly. He posted his scores on Facebook; he is an Advocating Leader. He turned me on to this DNA quizzer thing, and I now know that I am a:



You can read all about me and my personality on the graduation page.

Desi's got Dumbo

Today was one of those days where I was jumping for joy, but trying not to jump too-too much because I gotta double ear infection from swimming at the lake.

For one, I am getting ready to send an avatar over to the Teen Grid. This is soooo exciting because it is a chance to build literary content over there. The down side is that I have to have her packed and ready for Tuesday, and that means I seriously need to get cracking. If you have good educational content, and wish to share it with the teen grid, please send it with full permissions to Literature Binder inworld. Send an im, too, so I can give you credit for being super duper awesome.

Second, we heard word today that Dr. Nancy Trun's National Science Foundation grant aimed at working with the feral cat population was approved. Why do I care? Well, part of the grant supports the work of my students in technical writing. More importantly, though, this says that the NSF is looking at science and writing and are not opposed to funding projects that match writers with scientists. What can be more awesome that that? Well, working with Nancy! She is smart, funny, and TOTALLY addicted to cats (just like that OTHER scientist I love working with down there at Drexel (yeah, Jean-Claude - you). It is amazing to be surrounded by super smart people all of the time. Some get all nervous or threatened, but, truly, it is an inspiration.

Third, Eloise and I will be running a workshop for the up and coming NMC Symposium on Creativity. Working with Elo is always great, but I am reminded of our similar passion when we put together resources. Eloise is a scientist in RL and and educator, so she has the right combination of uber know-how. Watching her work is like sitting on the ledge watching Gaia.

Fourth, the land at the Educator's Co Op is finally open for visitors! I had my student there today and guests. It was exciting. It is called Desi and Eloise's Educational Chop Shop. More exciting? Laura Nicosia is getting a parcel there, too. When she and I get our literary brains a-flowing, just watch out! Yet another brilliant brain to be around! My SL is gooooood!

Fifth, I will be meeting with a Chronicle reporter next week to chat about SL. Of course, I am still all over glowing about USA Today and the Philadelphia Inquirer. It is exciting to get positive press for educators in SL. It is a little weird, though, as I always think that THIS brilliant or THAT brilliant person should also be mentioned.

Sixth, Adrian has built a wicked cool flying saucer, and I want a day to fly around in it using voice chat. I need to hear him say mauve incorrectly.

Finally, I am ready to launch out the Literary V-Canon project; this works in conjunction with the Literary Holodeck project, but is meant to be a gathering of all literature landmarks in SL. It is exciting to go around and search. But, more exciting, is the opportunity to meet MORE brilliant people!!!

So - in all, it was a good day. My throbbing ear drums and the antibiotics are making me a little icky feeling. My ears appear normal looking (so says the boss), but feel like Dumbo swapped heads with me. Went to the gentle and kind Dr. Glenn Kaye, who, despite an icky profession of looking up noses all day, is an interesting dude. He put this loooonnnnnng thinger in each ear - and - I SWEAR - it was attached to a Hoover power sucker on the other end. In any case, he was cleaning something brilliant out of there.

Immersion and Other Twice Told Tales

The Literature Alive! world is spinning at uber speed. Daily, requests pour in for literary builds (Moby Dick was the request yesterday). If I had all the free land in SL, I still don't think we could find room for all the builds! What an awesome challenge!

Of course, it would be wicked cool if folks built their own literary builds. But, most folks can't build or script (big hint, Eloise is the Goddess in these areas - - I am her mere servant). And most folks don't have Daliah-the-Former-Student as Executive Lucky Chair Gift and Freebie Grabber (AKA Executive Assistant).

Literature Alive! is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing open access literary content. Eloise and Daliah work for scraps (literally) and volunteer their time. Every donation goes to land rentals and texture uploads.

But, you have heard this all before :-)

Why do it? Why bother?

The other day, I met with some nay sayers. They don't think literature should be digitized. Literature can not be immersive. Literature comes from books, stays in books, and people like me will ruin reading.

Quite the contrary, I argued. The use of immersive technology FOSTERS a lifelong love of reading. Examples? Look at Vodka - she hates reading, but remembered loving Choose Your Own Adventure Books. She is creating a virtual CYOA book in SL based on the THREE she is reading (she only needed one). Take Fifelc - she hated the technology on the first day...she now has a car submerged in water to highlight her short story.

There are no right answers when it comes to teaching. There are some wrong answers, but I am not qualified to know what those are (wellll.....). I just know that the classes I remember most from those blurry days of undergraduatehood are the ones that had experiential activities.

So, Twice Told Tales.... Literature Alive! isn't just about teaching my students; it is open access and is meant to be a grid wide community service. Fostering a life long love of reading is the goal....and we are getting there...one prim at a time.

Literature Alive! in USA Today

What a busy day!

The day started with a lovely brekkie with my good friend. I have decided that I am at the age when cranberry juice, while seemingly delicious, should be avoided (especially before a presentation). This is a shame, as, yum, cranberry juice is totally yummy. Perhaps I overdosed on it LAST summer when I spent a week in Cranberry, PA. They serve it with everything, and, well, I just could't say no. It is true; I am a cranberriholic.

Anywho; after I met with my 12 step, just say NO to cranberry committee, I headed over to the Lehigh Valley Technology in the Classroom Symposium. I had 45 minutes to wow the masses on the uses of Second Life in Education. You can see the slides over at SlideShare.

I returned home to find that my proposal to the Open Education 2007 conference in Utah was accepted. I think I am out of travel funds (sheesh Louise, I KNOW I am outta funds), so I am going to see if they will allow me to present virtually (that IS the bennie of Virtual Worlds, eh?).

Well, after a class discussion on Ursula LeGuin's depressing but telling short story, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, I came home to find this link waiting for me from USA Today. OF COURSE I sent it to my mother, father, neighbor, neighbor's dog walker, and neighbor's dog walker's great aunt Rosie. It isn't EVERY day that Schnecksville filters its way to a national paper!

It was a great day. Now, I need to go dream about all those cranberries I can't squash ad drink up :)

Wonkies

The last few days in SL have been wonky. I had never heard that term before SL, but I am pretty sure there is no other word that can describe life in SL on a hack-day.

It started fairly innocent...the hair and shoes went up my butt. Generally, this says "clean cache." I do all that, relog, and poof, Desi is Barbie once again. 5 minutes later, I go to grab a steaming hot cup of tea, double bagged, 2 glorious Splenda, and I return to a message "you have been logged out by an administrator."

OH NO!!!! They FINALLY discovered that my inventory, near 37,000 objects, is causing the lag in SL and are revoking my fishing privileges! WHAT TO DO!?

A quick phone call from Daliah, then my next door neighbor, and then a Gchat from Elo confirms that, no, indeed, it is a grid-wide problem. Whew. I hadn't unpacked the glamour-pink thigh high studded boots yet. Whew.

We finally get in, but I am stuck at home. Can't TP anywhere. So I sit (above) on the couch thingy and do other things. I read my daily dose of blogs, SL Insider, and SLNN. I played some games with the kids on our newly released vintage Atari while listening to old Rolling Stones 45s on my newly released record player thinger-ma-bob. I explained the meaning of life and did an in-depth comparative study with my 5 year old convincing him the Cocoa Pebbles are way better than Cocoa Puffs. Folded laundry, fixed dinner, and then played 3 rounds of Texas Hold Em (NOT in SL...NOT in SL....NOT in SL). Returned to see Desi sitting on her pillow thingy, and, lo, she STILL couldn't move. Decided to use the down time to sort my Grid Crashing inventory before Phillip Linden revoked my SLibrary card. No go. I had neither an inventory nor friends to complain about it to...

Weekends in SL are wonky. There just ain't no better way to say it!