The Fora: A Higher Education Community

Quote from: apl68 on Today at 08:02:03 AMMy father wanted to be an engineer, but was called to preach and studied for the ministry instead.  He continued to support the family as a mason.  When I worked for him in the summers, he was very insistent on paying attention and doing a proper job in every aspect of the work.  That was an education in itself that carried over into my college career and my work today.

My father was an engineer, and his obsession for detail was legendary. The house he supervised construction of is standing unscathed almost 40 years later, while other structures around develop leaks, cracks, tilts, whatnot. At the time however, his meticulousness and refusal to budge an iota drove the contractor and my mother crazy and prolonged the construction time greatly.

I am sorry to say I am way more slapdash (I am not an engineer thankfully), but off and on, his meticulous ways re-emerge in me (and siblings), and we never regret it when we follow that path.

Many of my students mix up 'in lieu of' and 'in view of', using them interchangeably

Quote from: treeoflife on Today at 12:55:36 PMMy second year student did not know what peer reviewed is.

Undergraduate student, not graduate student, I hope.

Quote from: ciao_yall on February 19, 2024, 03:18:40 PMHad a dream last night about $1,000 sweatpants. Woke up thinking "no way those exist" and not only do they exist, there is news about them.

In fact, one can spend a lot more than $1,000 for sweatpants. Is the market that big for people willing to pay that much? I have a pair from Sweaty Betty I thought were stupid expensive but... they are flattering. And comfortable. They are my nice sweatpants.

Were the kilo-sweatpants at least washable and wearable, unlike some high priced designer skirts that can't be washed or dry cleaned or anything, apparently, and some exorbitant jeans seemingly pre-worn and dirtied and 'destroyed'  to save you the bother.
Outsource authenticity.

Quote from: ciao_yall on March 26, 2024, 08:44:19 AMI bought a car online over dinner with my phone. Signing the paperwork on my phone and picking it up today.

Price and mileage were right and it's a cute color!

(Okay, slight exaggeration. Truth is I picked it out, then had to save the purchase while I moved some money around.)

That's outstanding @ciao_y'all!  Especially finding one with the right price in this day and age. Congratulations!

My second year student did not know what peer reviewed is.

New Jersey City College is beyond saving. I wonder if the campus will have some value.

Quote from: Parasaurolophus on March 18, 2024, 03:52:43 PMThe hatchling is three. Three!

Belated happy birthday to the hatchling!  Was the birthday the day you posted?

Thank you so much for your kind words, @hegemony, @ciao_yall, @apl6, @little bongo, @aside, @clean.

Yes, as I am sure many of you have felt, or may feel, grief will be a lifelong companion, changing shape and weight and features, and will come and go. Right now it's all around the unfinished conversations and missed opportunities and [my] undutiful actions. Later on I hope the happy memories will show their faces more. I am sure I will be caught off guard many times.

I am planning to take up [challenging new hobby] in their memory and hope I can succeed. Right now however I am neck deep in grading, writing, summer teaching, fall planning, etc.   

Thank you again for the kindness. 

The White House is impressive-looking and all, but it is a pretty old house.  You'd be shocked at how much work the plumbing needs.  Unfortunately the necessary appropriation has been stalled in Congress, like so much else.