We’re experiencing something of a bizarre heat wave, coming on the heels of a cold snap. So we’ve gone from highs of low 50s to mid 90s in only a few days (yet, ironically, some of my students still believe global warming is an evil conspiracy/hoax). Sadly, the air conditioning in our building doesn’t kick on until May 15 (?!—but I’m trying to push them to do it sooner) even as our elevator’s been broken for most of the past month or two. Frustrating.
I’m into my last week at Mount St. Mary’s (not including finals week & other administrative duties). It’s been a good run, overall. And there are certainly a number of good students I’ll miss (as well as quite a number of fun colleagues). But I won’t miss the 2½–3 hour commutes (I spent almost as many hours per week in a car as in a classroom). The plan is to catch up on some writing during the next few weeks; maybe even have some time to haunt the JHU library.
Meanwhile, my fall syllabi are nearly finished (and I’ll post them soon). I’m adjuncting at Ole Miss (K8 has the tenure track). I’m teaching a Latin American politics course. I’ve taught it before, so I’m not worried. And I’ve actually decided to streamline it significantly. We’re reading only two books: John Peeler’s Building Democracy in Latin America and the Castañeda/Morales Leftovers: Tales of the Two Latin American Lefts. I’m also assigning a number of journal articles.
The other course is a first-year seminar, taught through the English department. My two sections are titled “On the Road: Travel as a Method of Inquiry.” That syllabus still needs a bit of work (setting up the assignments). But I’m pleased w/ the books: Patrick Symmes’ Chasing Che, Emma Larkin’s Finding George Orwell in Burma, Tim Mackintosh-Smith’s Travels with a Tangerine, and Eddy Harris’s Mississippi Solo. The whole purpose of the course is to learn about writing, critical thinking, and research at the college level, but to approach it from the perspective of travel. I want students to think about other ways of “doing” research, beyond just using the library. Since these are only first-semester freshmen, it’s a great opportunity to have them think about future majors, areas of study, study abroad (they’ll write a paper on an Ole Miss study abroad program), etc. I’m very excited to tackle this new course. If you have any suggestions for other things (I’m probably going to use some Anthony Bourdain, as well some Dhani Jones and Art Attack), please let me know.
Not much else is new in Baltimore. Javi has a few more words (“hi-hi” & “thank you”) and he can now brush his teeth by himself. K8 still commutes to Delaware for another month. And we’ve decided to buy Madden NFL 09 so we can have a two-player game for our Xbox (thanks, again, John & Kristine!). Also, I want to catch at least one Orioles home game before we move.
I don't believe that global warming is a hoax, but believing that you can feel global warming in a warm particular day seems wrong too. Temperature increase over the last 100 years has been 0.74 °C. Its the effects on your local climate that's the problem (climate zones migrate), plus the 1 to 6 °C coming this century.
@DV: I'm not claiming that this particular heat wave is specific "evidence" to support/confirm global warming. But my understanding of what the broader implications of "global climate change" is that such wide swings of unreasonably hot/cold snaps are part of the kind of climate disruptions global warming produces.
I'm very sceptical as well. Looking at the geological history of the planet, we've gone from being a complete ice cube, to much warmer temperatures that we have now, to the ice age - mild weather pattern that we have enjoyed the past few 100Ks years. From the very orbit of the planet, sun cycles, and even volcanic eruptions, there's far too many variables. That being said, I'm an environmentalist because like a good boy scout I would like to leave the earth in better shape than I found it, but not necessarily because I think the ice caps are melting.
And if given a choice, I think humanity would be better off with a warmer planet than another ice age. Besides, isn't the world supposed to end on 12/21/2012?
How do you define unreasonably cold snaps in April? Temperatures are balanced out by the movement of bodies air from the cold north and from the warm south. We call these "fronts". In April, as the seasons change, you get weather like this. My sister who recently moved to Vermont to teach at a college up there, said that its not unheard of to get snow in June. I have not heard research that says that climate change happens on the scale you are talking about (day to day).
Is that a 3 hour commute both ways?? I could commute from Alexandria, Louisiana to my college in New Orleans in that time.
Agree with chasqui. Industrial emissions, we are led/forced to believe, are the main -- if not only -- reason "global warming" is happening. The industrial revolution is less than 200 years old, and there was plenty of "warming" and "cooling" much before man made emissions appeared. How to explain that?
By the way, how does one determine "global warming" or "global cooling" is happening? That is, which is the zero point where it's neither "warming" nor "cooling?"
finally read your blog. Javi's eye look straighter wwearing the patch. His vocabulary is certainly growing! How are you approaching the bilingualism? curious. He certainly looks like he's ready for fun! Can't wait!
Thanks, mom! Yes, it seems to have improved his eye already. So we're very optimistic.
About bilingualism. It's interesting that he does clearly understand both Spanish & English words, in their context. His current vocabulary tilts more towards English, but that's mostly because he seems to prefer monosyllabic words (he prefers "agua" to "water" and "cat" to "gato"). But I try to talk to him in Spanish as much as possible, as does K8.
BTW, we're also seriously wanting to teach him Hindi as a third language, once he's about five or so. We figured either Chinese or Hindi would be important/useful. Hindi is currently winning because it is an Indo-European language and might be easier. But there is a children's show (on Nickelodian) called "Ni Hao, Kai Lan" that's a Chinese-English show similar to "Dora the Exploradora" that we also think is cute (for a 4+ year old). So we'll see.
Chacaltaya (glacier) is gone?
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/story/1030126.html
I recommend any of Pico Iyer's books on perspective and travel. He's got beautiful and sensitive writing.