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Mar. 2nd, 2010 08:07 am
State of the Mahdi
First, I think I may be changing my LJName. Not sure yet, but the title of
Mahdi no longer really seems appropriate. It hides me from my students well
enough, but it's started to seem a little disrespectful to muslims. I mean,
I'm using it in the sense of the Dune books, but my surname is no
longer Atreides, and I'm certainly not the "savior" of anything.
Another option, and one I may do in addition to a namechange, is to
start a new LJ which I would use for only posts having to do with writing.
Again, not sure of that, but it's an option--that way, if I ever do get
something published, there's a ready-made author blog to plug in to a
website. On the other hand, there are better ways of doing blogs that I'd
probably use if I were to "go pro," as it were. But starting a new blog
that people interested in my writing can follow might be a good idea. I
certainly won't want fans reading this LJ; it's got way too much
personal stuff, and I'm not combing through 10 years of posts to ferret out
the ones where I'm talking about things I might not want fans to know.
Probably premature to think of this at all, but there it is. I have to
admit, after my two of my alpha-readers gave me feedback on chapter 1, I'm a
little more enthusiastic about this story's chances. Both of you gave very
useful feedback I will work into the chapter.
On that note, there are three alpha readers currently, which I think is just
fine. Two have replied, the third hasn't. The third had the chapter sent
to her LJ email, so it may not have gotten there. I'm being this
circumspect about the ID for reasons I don't want to go into. I'm hoping
she knows who she is, and if she doesn't, here's a hint for her: One of her
alter egos once commanded a star destroyer with a very powerful prototype
weapon on board. (That was a great game!)
As to non-book and -lj related stuff: I'm ok. My teaching is alternately
happy- and miserable-making. I am currently a little peeved, though. Why?
Budget.
My former administrator gave us whatever we needed in terms of "office
supplies," by which I mean printer ink, pens, paper. It was controlled, but
not too much. The current office manager, however, has given each of us a
budget. And my yearly supplies budget has about $20 left. Which means I
can't afford to get the printer ink I need with what the school will pay
for.
This is one of the problems with teaching--we often need more than the
district can or will supply. I'm an English teacher, for crap's sake! I
need to print an inordinate amount of material for the simple reason that
most of our curriculum is not pre-packaged crap. So now I'm forced to buy
my own ink for the printer or go without for the rest of the school year.
Of course, I have a key to the supply closet (our receptionist, guardian of
the supply chest doesn't seem to get that the same cupboard keys for the
classrooms work on the office cupboards), and I'm tempted to just open one
up when nobody's around and get what I need. But then I cause someone
else to have problems. And I throw off the school's bookkeeping,
which could cause further budget problems later. It's a no-win scenario.
And Kirk notwithstanding, no-win scenarios suck.
Not to mention layoffs are coming, and in the next two weeks I could get
very bad news. If I do get a pink slip, I'll probably still be ok (many end
up rescinded), but I'll be not only fighting for my job in the district,
I'll be looking outside teaching. Because in this economy, you can't afford
to stick with your preferred career if you lose it.
Mahdi no longer really seems appropriate. It hides me from my students well
enough, but it's started to seem a little disrespectful to muslims. I mean,
I'm using it in the sense of the Dune books, but my surname is no
longer Atreides, and I'm certainly not the "savior" of anything.
Another option, and one I may do in addition to a namechange, is to
start a new LJ which I would use for only posts having to do with writing.
Again, not sure of that, but it's an option--that way, if I ever do get
something published, there's a ready-made author blog to plug in to a
website. On the other hand, there are better ways of doing blogs that I'd
probably use if I were to "go pro," as it were. But starting a new blog
that people interested in my writing can follow might be a good idea. I
certainly won't want fans reading this LJ; it's got way too much
personal stuff, and I'm not combing through 10 years of posts to ferret out
the ones where I'm talking about things I might not want fans to know.
Probably premature to think of this at all, but there it is. I have to
admit, after my two of my alpha-readers gave me feedback on chapter 1, I'm a
little more enthusiastic about this story's chances. Both of you gave very
useful feedback I will work into the chapter.
On that note, there are three alpha readers currently, which I think is just
fine. Two have replied, the third hasn't. The third had the chapter sent
to her LJ email, so it may not have gotten there. I'm being this
circumspect about the ID for reasons I don't want to go into. I'm hoping
she knows who she is, and if she doesn't, here's a hint for her: One of her
alter egos once commanded a star destroyer with a very powerful prototype
weapon on board. (That was a great game!)
As to non-book and -lj related stuff: I'm ok. My teaching is alternately
happy- and miserable-making. I am currently a little peeved, though. Why?
Budget.
My former administrator gave us whatever we needed in terms of "office
supplies," by which I mean printer ink, pens, paper. It was controlled, but
not too much. The current office manager, however, has given each of us a
budget. And my yearly supplies budget has about $20 left. Which means I
can't afford to get the printer ink I need with what the school will pay
for.
This is one of the problems with teaching--we often need more than the
district can or will supply. I'm an English teacher, for crap's sake! I
need to print an inordinate amount of material for the simple reason that
most of our curriculum is not pre-packaged crap. So now I'm forced to buy
my own ink for the printer or go without for the rest of the school year.
Of course, I have a key to the supply closet (our receptionist, guardian of
the supply chest doesn't seem to get that the same cupboard keys for the
classrooms work on the office cupboards), and I'm tempted to just open one
up when nobody's around and get what I need. But then I cause someone
else to have problems. And I throw off the school's bookkeeping,
which could cause further budget problems later. It's a no-win scenario.
And Kirk notwithstanding, no-win scenarios suck.
Not to mention layoffs are coming, and in the next two weeks I could get
very bad news. If I do get a pink slip, I'll probably still be ok (many end
up rescinded), but I'll be not only fighting for my job in the district,
I'll be looking outside teaching. Because in this economy, you can't afford
to stick with your preferred career if you lose it.