Could just be a hoax, though. I fake some headaches, everyone gets used to poor helpless Spike. Then one day, no warning, I snap a spine, bend a head back, drain 'em dry. Brilliant.

Spike ,'Potential'


Natter 72: We Were Unprepared for This  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


billytea - Jan 05, 2014 9:11:41 am PST #16427 of 30000
You were a wrong baby who grew up wrong. The wrong kind of wrong. It's better you hear it from a friend.

It's generally no more than two or three minutes of video before it asks a question for you to answer, and then goes over the answer.

That's something I liked about the Dino 101 course, that they had all the lecture material broken up into easy to manage chunks. The China course is good here too, with a lot of segments only 2-3 minutes long, though I'd like more assessment questions (usually there's just one or two multiple choice deals). And it uses Harvard's own collection of artefacts and such like. The Intro to Computer Science course, conversely, looks like it's just recordings of actual lectures delivered at Harvard to a room full of students. (Good lectures, with lots of use of problems and multimedia, but still 50 minutes at a time.)

I did a course though Coursera on how to teach online, and I was really not happy with it -- it was one of the worst examples of Death by Powerpoint that I've ever seen.

I remember you mentioning that at the time, which is breathtaking in its way, that they should both tell and show that they don't really get their own topic. I feel fortunate so far, the Dino and China courses have been high quality. I've been particularly impressed with the insights in the China course. These professors know their stuff.

That Chinese history course sounds super interesting, maybe I can get myself together enough to take it when it starts again...

If you're interested, I'd recommend jumping in now. Module 2 has just started. You'll have access to all of Module 1 as well whenever you want to go back over it. The entire course of nine modules takes something like 15 months, so it might take a while for the whole thing to start up again.


Sophia Brooks - Jan 05, 2014 9:17:00 am PST #16428 of 30000
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

I can't stop watching the bulldog puppycam.


Connie Neil - Jan 05, 2014 9:17:22 am PST #16429 of 30000
brillig

The history of architecture course was filmed lectures, but fascinating. There's not a lot of hands-on you can do with buildings.


aurelia - Jan 05, 2014 9:19:17 am PST #16430 of 30000
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.

I really hope someone is gathering up the homeless today. I'd also really like the snow to stop now so I can clean my car off before the temps bottom out. The climate change deniers are having quite the party commenting on every news story on this "polar vortex". IOW, don't read the comments.

I'm thinking of re-arranging my bedroom today. I wonder if that (like my recent need to constantly be eating) is some sort of instinct to help stay warm.


Jesse - Jan 05, 2014 9:38:59 am PST #16431 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

In other accomplishments of today, I changed the lightbulb in my bedroom and put up hooks for curtain tie-backs. Soon, I will make biscuits for dinner!


-t - Jan 05, 2014 9:42:14 am PST #16432 of 30000
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

If you're interested, I'd recommend jumping in now. Module 2 has just started. You'll have access to all of Module 1 as well whenever you want to go back over it.

Oh, yeah? I don't know if I can manage it right now. Waiting a year or so 'til it comes around again might actually be about right for me.

Just found out that my uncle is in the hospital after having some kind of seizure - they've had him cooled down (I think?) and unconscious for a few days, apparently. He was brought in as a John Doe (people he knew called the ambulance, but I guess that information didn't make it to the hospital), which makes finding out exactly what's up a little more complicated. He's my dad's brother, they aren't really close and he and I barely have any relationship at all, but it's still kind of shocking news.


-t - Jan 05, 2014 9:51:59 am PST #16433 of 30000
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

ION: that broccoli soup really is delicious.


Jesse - Jan 05, 2014 9:54:06 am PST #16434 of 30000
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.

Oh jeez, -t! Your poor uncle.


-t - Jan 05, 2014 10:08:35 am PST #16435 of 30000
I am a woman of various inclinations and only some of the time are they to burn everything down in frustration

Yeah. He was hanging out with people from his church when it happened, so I think he was probably having a pretty good time before, which is comforting.


Anne W. - Jan 05, 2014 10:26:37 am PST #16436 of 30000
The lost sheep grow teeth, forsake their lambs, and lie with the lions.

-t, yikes! I hope he'll be okay.

In other news, they have revised tonight's low to -13.

cries