Stephen Hawking says we have to colonize space:

HONG KONG (AP) - The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there's an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.

The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years.

"We won't find anywhere as nice as Earth unless we go to another star system," added Hawking, who arrived to a rock star's welcome Monday. Tickets for his lecture planned for Wednesday were sold out.

He added that if humans can avoid killing themselves in the next 100 years, they should have space settlements that can continue without support from Earth.

"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," Hawking said. "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of."

Hil, won't they be easier to plan once you're already "inside things", know what you need better, how the lessons actually work, and the like?

Yeah, that's why I'm figuring on only really doing the first week's worth now. I taught at the same program last summer, so I know the basics of how it works, but I was working with older students then, so I don't really have a good sense of what level the students I'll be working with this year will be at. For the rest, I think I'm just going to have general ideas, and then work them out more fully once I get to know the kids.

Dear lord, asve me from Bureacracy....

I work for a Division, inside a school, inside a University.

My division has a "policy" that no one can audit our classes. We also have a refund policy that there are no refunds after the start of a class.

We are now being told that we cannot call it a policy, we have to call it a procedure (which to me is the entirely wrong word for a one sentance rule).

The reason is that it has not been voted on by the faculty. That is, we are welcome to do it, but we have to publish it in our brochures as a procedure, not a policy.

Now, if you saw the words "Refund Procedure" wouldn't you expect to see directions on how to get a refund, not a sentance saying "There are no refunds after the start of class".

Now, if you saw the words "Refund Procedure" wouldn't you expect to see directions on how to get a refund, not a sentance saying "There are no refunds after the start of class".

Yeah, that's dumb.

How about "Non-refund procedure"?

"Refund-request procedure"?

You may request a refund. However, you will not get it.

Um, use scare-quotes?

"Refund" procedure.

In technical writing, a procedure is a series of steps that you do to complete a task. Your people are crazy, Sophia.

What they all said, Sophia.

Yeah. That's not a "procedure."

Nilly, have you seen these photos of early Israel? [link] Some of them are really stunning.

I think you should call it a Division Custom. "It is not our custom to give refunds after classes have started" has a nice ring to it.

Now, if you saw the words "Refund Procedure" wouldn't you expect to see directions on how to get a refund, not a sentance saying "There are no refunds after the start of class".

Rule no. 6: There is NO rule no. 6.

And of course

The first rule of Fight Club...

The thing is, if we can't call it a policy because it hasn't been voted on by faculty, isn't there a better synonym for the word policy than the word procedure? Like, rule.

Of course, I just looked up policy in a thesaurus, and procedure was listed as a synonym...

ETA- I like "Custom"