December 7, 2006

Mission Accomplished!

So I closed the semester with a short essay assignment–in less than 800 words, tell me what you got from the class.  I seriously wanted to know that, and I figured doing that would help them crystallize some of the course’s abstraction into something useful for non-majors.

What follows is one student’s submission.  With her permission, here is proof that I did everything this semester a good professor should do.  Even the last part.

What have I learned in ECO 201?

            Before the tax multiplier and comparative advantage, the most important thing that I have learned in Principles of Economics is to always read the assigned chapters before class!  Not only for the sake of my grade on pop quizzes, but also because it is impossible to understand what is going on during lectures without having some sort basic knowledge about the course material.  Too many times in the first half of the semester did I think I could skip out on the reading before class as if it would not matter.  Well, the two times it took me to learn my lesson were the two times Bomani decided to give pop quizzes.  Even worse, because I did not study as the semester progressed I had to cram right before the mid-term.   I am hoping that my study and preparation habits have changed significantly since and studying for the final will be comparably less stressful.  And because of my negligence, my final grade is probably going to suffer. 

            In addition to reading the book and preparing for class, I learned that it is crucial to pay attention in class!  Making my notes look pretty is the last thing I should be worrying about during a lecture.  Being legible is all that really matters.  In reference to paying attention in class, Bomani CAN tell when a student is text messaging, regardless of how slick he or she thinks they are. 

            Finally, I learned that I want nothing to do with economics after this course is complete.  Even though I understand more about supply and demand and how prices are determined, I think I will stick to my communications major.

What can I say, I’m an educational genius!

December 7, 2006

Attention Bloggers

It’s been a while since we’ve had to talk about the Code.  Anyway, I’m gonna keep this quick and simple.

Anyone that chooses to roast me and my work is welcome to.  Disagreement is part of this game, and that’s fine with me.  I think it would be best if people weren’t personal about things, but I can live with that, too.  It’s foolish for me to think that I can get paid to comment and criticize people and not expect to receive the same in return.  Game recognizes game, and the game is to be respected.

But I’ll make this request–should any blogger choose to appropriate pictures uploaded on this blog for theirs, I ask that they be kind enough to only use pictures of me.  Currently, there’s a blogger using a picture I took with my nephew at his high school graduation for a post trashing my piece on the BCS.

The trashing of the piece is fine.  But that has nothing to do with my nephew, nor does any piece I write have to do with anyone but me and whoever or whatever I’m writing about.

So please leave civilians out of it.  If Michael Corleone could walk around the first half of The Godfather as a civilian, my friends and family should be able to do the same.

And to make your life easy, here are a few photos you’re welcome to use, some of which are far from flattering.

Here’s me with my legs wide open on a hotel bed in London.  That’ll make me look real foolish.

You can cut Fred out of this one and just use me.  Ohhhh, I look like I’m high!

Hey, here’s me in a throwback on the EuroStar.  And I need a haircut in it???  Briiliant!
But show some respect for my folks.  It’s bad enough that they gotta hang out with me.  Anything more than that’s just unfair.