Nora, phooey! Get better soon. We need you in fine form this weekend.

I set up my new electric keyboard! (Birthday present from parents.) I think I need to rearrange my furniture to make room for it. Also, after setting it up, I'm kind of too tired to really learn how to use it. I played a few songs to get the feel of it, but even though I've played piano since I was in first grade or so, I've never really played a keyboard before, so there are all these new buttons and features to figure out. Also, good thing recycling day is tomorrow, because this thing has a ton of packaging.

Cool!

I was forced to take piano lessons as a kid but kinda rebelled against it. I've been working on this song commission for the past week and having to do it (rather than just having to find the discipline to practice just on principle) has really helped me learn the keyboard/software and get a bit more dextrous.

I'm glad you got such a cool present, Hil. I hope you have a lot of fun with it.

I found the box where I'd put my piano books. I want to learn more music theory, though -- I don't really know what most of the chords actually mean beyond major and minor, and while I've got no problem picking out the melody to a song I've heard, I really have no idea how to go from that to figuring out what to do with my left hand to make it sound like a song.

Daniel, I am so sorry for your family's loss. I sure that he went in peace and knowing that he was surrounded by his loved ones.

{{{{Daniel}}}}

And now to present The Continuing Adventures of The Douchebag Professor!!!

So, we have a project due tonight. Our assignment was to "Re-create a style guide" like Strunk and White and Joseph Wiliiams. Five rules, good written examples, non-textual element. Fine. Good. I post my draft for peer-review. The ONE thing BOTH of my peer reviewers said to me was, "You don't have a common theme. You need a common theme." Now, these two women wrote on specific things, both were parodies. One created a style guide based on how to write like the Mad Hatter. The other woman created her style guide for how to translate DnD adventures into actual stories. So, when both of them told me that my style guide had no common theme, it gave me pause enough to a) write a new style guide and b) want to make sure that I understood the discussion (where it said no made up rules), the assignment, etc. I'm so glad he didn't dissapoint me in keeping with his douche-baggery.

My email to him:

I'm in a bit of a quandry. The main criticism I got on my peer review was that I didn't have a distinct theme like the two that reviewed me. One did "Write like the Mad Hatter" and the other did "Write for Dungeons and Dragons". I do have an idea for a theme like this, but it has made up rules that go against the "real" style guides. I didn't think that we could just make-up rules, but maybe I just misunderstood the directions.

Can the rules we create be made up, so long as they work within the context of the style guide I'm rewriting. By which I mean, can our re-made style guides look like the parodies that we read for class?

I know that the draft is due tonight, and I am prepared to post both, I just wanted to ask to reassure myself about the assignment.

His Reply:

Well, you are posting and asking about this a tad late, right?

I think the discussion and the assignment was pointing folks to more a "style of x" kind of assignment, and I said a number of times that you can't just "make up" rules that are not actual rules, as in "IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO WRITE IN CAPS" or "the proper way to spell khildren is with a K."

But regardless, you should just post one draft and we'll see what happens. You can always revise this, of course.

I need to let this go, I know. I need to stop emailing him questions because all I get is slapped at. But seriously? What the hell? I have never had this happen with a prof before. EVER. And while I know I need to let it go, I just ... it's hard. I am needy. I need good grades and I need professors to like me. Hell, I need everyone to like me. See above re: needy. But this guy WILL NOT LIKE ME and fuck it bothers me.

Sigh.

It's just ONE class, ONE prof. I'm getting a B, I don't need a 4.0 to be something. I don't need all A's to be something. This man will not devoid all of my hard work and desires and goals and successes. He is not that powerful. But fuck, it sometimes feels like he is.

t / being totally self-involved

Aims, don't you get to review him at the end of the semester? Live for that, I say.

Oh, I've been making notes like whoa for that. Found out his average score for my class on Rate my Professor is "Poor Quality".

Found out his average score for my class on Rate my Professor is "Poor Quality".

That sounds a little too generous, if you ask me.

(((Daniel)) I'm sorry for you and your Mother's loss.