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cainteoir's Journal
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
10:52AM - For your consideration. . . Irish Conference!
ACIS (American Conference for Irish Studies) Mid-Atlantic Regional conference
Enabling/Disabling Ireland: Law, Literature, Politics, and Historical Change.
When the Republic of Ireland joined the European Union in 1973, the nation was required to enact human rights legislation ensuring equal protection and equal access for all its citizens. As such, this legislation focused attention on the various ways Ireland enables and supports its citizens. This conference investigates the various ways Irish culture, literature, law and society enable identity and politics. We seek to examine both the positive and negative aspects of enabling, raising the following questions: In what ways does literature empower, or reinforce, issues of social identity? How might historical events and practices be seen through the lens of enabling? What effect does legislation have on altering the social perceptions of disabled individuals or even political identity? In what ways do nostalgia, historical perspective, or social critique serve as enablers, or negative influences, perpetuating stereotypes? How might global forces—multinational capital, transnational human rights movements, supra-state mechanisms—shape and be shaped by Irish constructions of disability? How might projections of Irish identity seek healing for the disenfranchised or offer succor to those in need?
Abstracts of no more than 250 words to Ken Monteith by August 15, 2008.
Although the conference does have the above theme, other topics are welcome. The conference will take place from October 10-11, 2008 at LaGuardia Community College. Part of the City University of New York, LaGuardia Community College boasts one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and was recognized as one of the top three community colleges in the United States. A pioneer in e-Portfolio and collaborative teaching practices, LaGuardia not only serves the borough of Queens and the greater New York metropolitan area, but also stands as the world’s community college, with over 15000 full-time students enrolled, originating from more than 160 different countries.
LaGuardia Community College is located 15 minutes away from Grand Central Station and is easily accessible from all major airports.
Send abstracts to: enable.irish@gmail.com
Ken Monteith
Department of English
LaGuardia Community College
31-10 Thomson Avenue, Room E-103
Long Island City, NY 11101
Questions to: kmonteith@aol.com or kmonteith@lagcc.cuny.edu
When e-mailing your abstract, please include your last name and a condensed topic title in your subject heading.
Monday, June 16, 2008
11:11AM - Folks who do Irish stuff, or related stuff
Hey everyone!
Spread the Word -- I am on the steering committee for the Columbia University Irish Studies Seminar, and we are looking for people to present work at our monthly meet, discuss, then eat and drink lovely things afterwards.
If you have something that can be presented in about 40 minutes, then let me know!
This would also be great "job talk" practice, and would provide valuable feedback and networking. :)
You get a free dinner out of it, and the admiration of Irish scholars in the Tri-state area.
--Ken
Saturday, June 14, 2008
7:41AM - Let the summer begin!
Grades are submitted,
Seminars have been attended,
papers are stacked in office,
said goodbye to co-workers moving on to other places
Hove bought guidebook for Portugal. . .
Let the summer begin!
Wahoooo!
--K
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
7:59PM - Hey, Monster conference people. .. .
Have folks filled out their booking form yet? The original e-mail suggested that we could e-mail the form to the organizer, but the form itself does not seem to be set up to be filled out on screen and then sent as an attachment.
And it is a four page print out, so faxing is going to be awkward.
--suggestions?
---K
Sunday, June 1, 2008
9:33AM - One small victory!
My cross-grader for composition e-mailed me, letting me know that all my students passed their exit exam!
Much happiness on my end, since either the grader is easier than I am, or, the students actually learned how to write a researched essay, written in two hours time.
All but one of my students included a work cited!
much more happiness, since they thought it was for extra credit.
--K
Friday, May 30, 2008
2:04PM - Hilarious!
The AARP sent me an application in the mail, with a card to use while my application is being processed.
the AARP.
Suck it monkeys! I am making "the most of my life over 50!"
Next on the list: track suit, mobile home, and preparation H.
not in that order.
--K
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
8:35PM - Need your thinking caps. . .
Feedback Please!
I proposed an international course to my department head, who loved my idea, but wants me to think of ways to offer the course as an internship rather than an elective -- apparently it would be too much of a pain to write up a new elective course description, but the internship is already written.
So, how can I spin two weeks of intensive Irish literature as an internship?
Ideas?
--K
Thursday, February 14, 2008
8:36AM - Unexpected!
I asked academic affairs if they would consider reimbursing the 40% travel expenses they offer if faculty present a paper at a conference. It was a conference in Belgium, on Irish Women writers, so I was not sure how it would fly.
Their counter offer -- we will pay for your entire trip (100%!)if you would present something you learned at the conference to a college audience, either in your department, or, the college community at large.
Ummm....
YES!
Am making sock puppets as we speak.
--K
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
11:46AM - Yeah Puppies!
The beagle wone best in show at the Westminster Dog Show.
YEAH! My favourite breed won! The last two dogs my parents had were beagles (well, one was a beagle mix, but still) so I feel vindicated in a way. Not sure how or why, but vindicated nonetheless!
--K
I should get a cute beagle user pic -- or a superbeagle user pic, but uggg. Am at work.
Monday, February 11, 2008
1:43PM - Oporto!
I just checked my spam folder and found that my paper proposal has been accepted for this summer's IASIL conference! Not sure why Irish conference was forwarded to the spam folder, though.
But in any case -- Yeah! Good news about something! Finally!
Am most happy . ..
--K
accomplishedFriday, February 1, 2008
11:02AM - Laugh of the day.
My obsession with occultism led me to type in
"http://www.fate.com"
And the result was a blank page with the text:
"Page left intentionally blank."
Ha! best thing ever! Or at least this morning.
--K
Friday, January 25, 2008
11:45AM - Quandry . . .
Here's my issue --
I have two articles I want to revise and send out. I have been checking the usual Irish journals, yet these seem to be putting out special topic editions with guest editors. Should I just send the articles to the journals and hope that they fit a special issue in the future? Or should I look other places?
Your thoughts?
--K
Friday, January 18, 2008
2:25PM - To Miami to see the Minies (and the other hobbits too!)
Yeah!
We are off to see the minies, mini-hobbit B and C!
Because, because, because, because . . .!
Because of the wonderful things they does.
And, we are also going to visit the mommy and daddy hobbit. . .
And 85 degree Miami, let's not forget!
Have had much coffee before typing this --can you tell?
--K
Saturday, December 22, 2007
9:36AM - Yeah! Binge with me!
O.k.
So it is that time of year again when, lo, the angel of the bow flex appears in both infomercial and advertisement form. And, yea, though thou shalt rejoice in the holidays, thou shalt feel major guilt about thy heathenish fat assness. And lack of abs. The lord's chosen people apparently have abs.
AS much as I enjoy a good bow flex commercial, I am also realizing that I have been binge eating like some sort of locust (must keep the religious analogy/conceit going after all). IN other words, I am eating my own weight in not so good foods daily. And I weigh enough already.
I am thinking this points to deep psychological issues so deep I can't even see them. And all the while I am thinking I am detoxing with large amounts of water and diet soda between candy, pie, and other treats.
All I want for christmas?
A personality enima. They must sell those somewhere, yes?
But, at least I can recognize the problem. Yes?
--K
Thursday, December 20, 2007
12:36PM - happy psychotropic Christmas
IN a gift wrapping frenzy, I had to run around the corner to the dollar store to get gift paper -- I grabbed what seemed like a cutesy and inexpensive paper with santas on it.
Upon closer reading -- this is what Santa is saying on the gift wrap.
Merry Christmas
Good luck and happy with egg friend.
It is funny and amusing story for you.
WE show you the real friendship.
Come an join us quickly
and feel us what you want.
It either sounds like the copy editors where stoned out of their minds, or, the gift wrap is recruiting for some kind of cult.
Or is it a really, really, deep poem?
--K
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
4:26PM
the grades are in.
The forms are filled.
the final exams are filed with the department.
The sylllabus has been resubmitted.
The final exam has been submitted, even though it was already aprouved earlier in the semester.
All the students exit exams from basic writing have been submitted, since some how they are the property of the university. (even though I created them, gave them, and others corrected them)
The webgrades have been printed and turned in to registrar and department (yes, even though they are web grades)
The grade book has been photocopied and submitted
and finally, I have met with all the students who I can meet with to tell them there grade before posting it via web grading.
now, my friends, the semester is over.
the whiskey, she is open!
--K
8:53AM - Irish Whiskey Christmas cake
Leafing through my Irish Echo newspaper this morning, I came across a recipe for "Irish Whiskey Christmas cake." I am intrigued, and may attempt it for Christmas, yet, in the fine print it says it takes weeks to make! Apparently, you bake the cake, with whiskey, then you wrap it in "cling film" letting it rest in a cool place. Then each week leading up to Christmas you unwrap said cake and douse it in more whiskey.
I guess this is what one does when there is no refrigeration! I am thinking of adapting the recipe and dousing myself with whiskey each day before christmas all the while eating cake.
Plus, the directions want you to make marzipan from scratch. I did not know that you could make marzipan! I see a whole new cottage industry sprouting up.
But speaking of desserts and booze -- has anyone ever made Guinesse cake? I remember someone telling about it, and I am in a baking mood.
--K
Saturday, November 17, 2007
8:35AM - a post that has nothing to do with my job. . .
Tired of posting rants about my current position. . .
So --
Yeah! I ordered my tickets for Amsterdam! Will be spending about four days in Amsterdam, staying with my friend Joyce, who works at University of Amsterdam, and, who also in in charge of a lecture series there. So I will be lecturing about my book!
Much excited, and am thinking of the best way to spend my time.
Have already done the canal tour thing, but that might be fun again.
Maybe rent a bicycle and test my wits against Dutch traffic?
Rembrant Museam -- in the off season, maybe it won't be crowded beyond belief?
Anne Frank house. see above.
find some "happy, happy, house musik" and pretend I know how to dance?
Originally, I was going to leave 12/11 and come back 12/15 to make an appointment (and work related blah blah blah) but the ticket was going to be nearly 2,000 dollars. OUch! Coming back the 17th means that the ticket is about a forth as expensive. So yeah! Extra days. And screw appointment.
Anyone need/want anything from the Netherlands? (keeping it legal folks.)
--K
Friday, November 16, 2007
4:29PM
I had a student come to my office hours this past week, and I should add that this student has given me attitude several time during the semester. Basically, she was "confused" about an assignment and had not even started it, even though it was due several days before. And, in the course of our conversation, she told me that the writer center tutor she worked with thought that MY assignment was "stupid" and a "waste of time."
I doubt that tutors actually say that, but O.k. I was annoyed enough to follow up.
It turns out, not only have the English faculty been having a hard time with students, but the writing center has had to call security, or has been tempted to call security, several times this semester. It also turns out that this student of mine is a royal pain in the ass, demanding that she be scheduled for several hours of tutoring, when the limit is one hour at a time. They have not had to call security on her, however. The center is completely understaffed, and the administration continues to cut their funding.
So, it turns out that this student has been saying bad things about me to them, and bad things about them to me. Of course, we all got together (without students knowledge) and had a good ol' time.
It's too late in the semester to really do anything, though.
When I win the lotto -- two million dollars to the writing center.
--K
Friday, November 2, 2007
10:44AM - dipshit, table for one?
I just realized that I sent out 8 letters of application that said I defended the dissertation in 2007, not 2005. But it says 2005 on the C.V. . . . and it says that the project is now a book.
Do you think folks will notice?
--K
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