I’m gonna close down my blog, effective right now. I can’t say enough how awesome it is to have people read my incessant ramblings. Living in the public eye in any capacity is a lot of work - especially trying to take boring stuff and make it less boring.
I’ll more than likely start writing somewhere anonymously once I get back to Dallas. If you’re interested in reading it, you’ll more than likely get info on where it will be.
Thanks Internet. It’s fun to read you.
I’m sitting in a hotwel room in Chattanooga, TN on a recruiting trip right now. The travel day yesterday consisted of a 5am airport call, a flight to Memphis, a six-hour layover in Memphis, a short flight to Huntsville, AL where we then rented a car and drove two hours to Chattanooga. The real kicker? I found out today (well, yesterday) that I didn’t have to be here really until Friday, and even then, nothing to do until Saturday.
When your company wants to save money, you get to travel for 16 hours.
I have publicly started announcing my resignation. What really sucks about this is that there are others in my company who have not resigned their position on their own recognizance and are not being renewed - and hate to I think that people are lumping me in with that crowd. I dropped my letter in about a month ago - long before any of the bullshit started.
What I am looking forward to more than anything in my life right now is some peace for my wife and I.
In a week, we’re going to Denver to see Jason and Julie - AWESOME! We’re gonna check out Estes Park, Garden of the Gods, play some disc golf, and drink some freaking beer. Oh, I am so excited! Mountains are among my favorite things, and I can never get enough of them.
When I first started to open up Firefox to write this post, I felt like bitching about the things that were irking me about this week. Now I really don’t care about that shit, and I’d like to get back to peace and happiness. I think when I get back to Dallas I am going to look into learning Yoga.
I haven’t blogged in a while. P-shaw. Obviously.
Lots of stuff is happening. I resigned my teaching gig yesterday. We’re moving on from this place - it’s been bitter-sweet, with meeting new friends and having some good experiences.
I’m going back to full-time lighting design and consulting action. So, if you feel like pimping out my skills, let me know.
If anyone still reads this blog, hiya. I hope you’re doing great!
http://itlu.ownz.ch/wordpress/
That’s cool. Winamp has this feature, ITUNES.
But seriously, iTunes - why can’t you be more like Winamp? Damn!
I’m teaching my Lighting Design I course material in the Spring; this semester is coming to a close, and I’m starting to get a jump on preparing lectures, labs, and project details for next semester over Christmas Break.
I have to say that I don’t remember being this excited about a group of students learning together.
I am fine-tuning the lecture materials for next semester, and making the projects very challenging. I am very much looking forward to the journey together! I am thinking of an opening statement or some kind of motivational paragraph for the first class - I typically give one of these for each class section of the semester I teach, and I feel that it gives the students a little initial boost of wind to begin the semester. Whereas you might think these are stupid and cheesy, I find that, when teaching a design class, it helps to instill safety in the minds of the classroom - each student will only learn to their full potential when the classroom environment is a safe place to fail and succeed without hesitation. Experimentation, trial and error, and conversation are all only possible when the student finds sanctuary in the Temple of Learning aspect of the classroom. Now keep in mind, in the Design and Production world of study, we all work in both mounting productions together in the Theatre as well as classroom work. We get to become very familiar with their learning processes, and can anticipate and expect when concepts haven’t quite sunk in yet.
What I am thinking of for an end-of-day the first day lecture after introductions kind of goes something like this (when I work it out in my head):
“I am thrilled to be taking this next 16 week journey together - we will both learn a massive amount of things from each other, and our processes - where they might be on different planes, they will both be in the same direction. We’re going to work together on many concepts and methods in this course, and as we explore all of the details of a specific principle or idea, we will discuss them and come to a group understanding of each major idea. This next 16 weeks when we meet, this room is a temple or learning; ideas are all valid, and can be spoke. Even if you believe you have a missed understanding of something, a fellow classmate might have just the same confusion that we can all work out together. This place is safe for both our successes, and for our failures - both equally as important.
What I expect from you:
- A professional attitude and demeanor - we will all have fun together, and we will all work equally hard together. No one carries lighting designers.
- I expect each of you to show the same respect for each other that you would like to see received - your criticisms must be constructive, and you must learn how to do make them that way.
- I expect you to not attempt to perform your project work the night before it’s due - that’s a waste of time for you and I both, as our time is precious.
- I expect that, for the next 16 weeks at least, you give this material an honest and dedicated go It requires your respect.”
Or something like that.