Whig Hill

All uphill from here

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Originally uploaded by natmaconjr.

Last night I pulled my power cord out from under the desk and the cord itself came apart from the power block, or whatever they’re called. See the picture. I’ve had three Apple computers in the last ten years and each of them have been hardware disasters. I don’t know why I keep returning. Oh, the coolness. So I stormed into the Apple store this morning ready to be indignant and outraged at what they would charge me to replace it and they just up and gave me a new one. A better one, too. I couldn’t believe it and ran out of the store so fast I didn’t even to check if it worked. It does. Well...then.

Also last night, in class, I had the lights turned off so we could look at something on the screen. We began discussing the “Great Transformation,” and those students were on fire, which I like because I’m getting good at the “GT” talk; so the discussion was fabulous. About half way through the screen saver came on and only the outside streetlights provided any light. So we talked for about an hour in the dark. Just added to the specialness. It was awesome.

NCMC conference this weekend went great. I served on the local arrangements committee but I did nothing compared to the two conference organizers. But being on the committee gave me an excuse meant I couldn’t attend any sessions so I could stand by to move tables and chairs around. Good panels, too, so I regret that. Saw a bunch of DCR folks and it just reminded me that I miss everyone and miss working with them in museums, but also that I’m glad to be not working there anymore. When I got jacked back in 2004 (2005?) some people told me the Secretary had probably done me a favor and some day I would look back and appreciate the “opportunity.” I’m still pissed about that whole thing, but those people were right.

Getting so that running four miles straight is the new baseline for me. I remember in October when I couldn’t run 200 yards without … well, I just couldn’t. The weekend runs are getting into the 8-10 mile range and I’m still struggling with that, but it’s coming along. If you are just joining us, I’m doing a half marathon in Nashville at the end of April to support the Lukemia and Lymphoma Society. I have almost reached my fundraising goal, but still need a couple of more dollars. Please consider.

North Carolina is Best Carolina

Hi. I’ve got a secret. I’ll deny I said this if anyone asks, but here goes. Through no fault of my own, I ended up in South Carolina this weekend. I ate their barbecue and I kind of liked it. I even put a little of that mustard sauce on one forkful and, it was ok. I still think, however, that mustard on barbecue is a crime against Nature and Nature’s God, but…. there you go.

Anyhow, the Daniel Morgan monument in Sparkle City is incredible on the pimpin’ scale. I love it. It almost rates a Nathaniel Greene on awesomeness of hat and pose. It also has an interesting phrase: “One People: No North, No South, No East, No West. A Common Interest. One Country-One Destiny.” This is a bit more elaborate than the marble stump here at Guilford that has the same sentiment: “No North, No South, Washington, Greene.” Apparently this is a theme on late Nineteenth Century Revolutionary War monuments in the south…reconciliation and all. I did wonder if Rev. War monuments in the northeastern states from the same period have the same phrasing, or if they were even aware that the Rev. War happened south of the Susquehanna (or did they know that reconciliation was even a thing at the time.)

I’ve been grading papers for my classes. So far I give myself a D. Here’s what I want, no, what I’m going to tell the students:

Dear Students,

I haven’t been clear. The purpose of this class is to learn historical thinking skills. Your papers need to be well-articulated arguments about why something in the past happened the way it did, supported by evidence, rhetoric, etc. This way, you become critical as thinkers in the modern world and you don’t take what we have in this world as universal or for granted. The purpose of this class is NOT to tell feel-good stories. Your papers should not be simple morality tales about how personal struggle can result in saccharine self-actualization and a happier world. Bleh. Stop it.

Thanks.

One class has done Wikipedia editing projects. I haven’t looked at all the results yet, but I’m intrigued by the few I have seen so far. Their attention (again, so far) to editing, clarifying, judging good information, and adding relevant data has been promising and is absolutely something we can build on in their own papers.

My first world problems, part ?

I can’t say this is a problem because I’m glad to have the job(s), but here is what it’s like. Three classes. They are Western Civ II (@1500-now), American History II (1865-now), and World History 1900-1945. All cover the same ground, particularly in the 1900-1945 time period. Some of the big themes, like, say industrialization, or capitalism, or middle-classiness, I go over three different times from three different angles. So I can’t keep track of are we on emergence of the middle class? or middle class as dynamic consumers? In yesterday’s discussion about post World War I Europe, especially Russia, I kept interjecting items about how much this resembles the French Revolution because I had talked about that the night before in a different class. It blends. It’s made a morass of my … ability to think straight. Plus I’ve spent the last three weeks busting ass on a conference paper that may or may not be a complete piece of shit.

And this week I’ve got the crud so I’ve been a zombie going through the motions. Latest theory is that it’s just allergies with the warm weather and blooming trees. Hope so. I did run this morning, because I can’t let y’all down.

All to say this is the life. I couldn’t be happier.