stephenschrum

Why Still These?

The world has been taken over by the Computer Age and the Information Age. Except for those barred from participating by technological or financial barriers, almost everyone has some access to technology. And certainly those who work in university settings use technology constantly. So why are we still seeing these? Pet Peeve Alert! #1: There’sContinue reading “Why Still These?”

Bye Bye, Scammers, Bye Bye!

Well, some of them anyway. Frequent readers of this blog have seen my mentions of the scammers who start with an innocent text, such as, “Hello, Lisa, it’s Grace, we met at the conference, would you like to meet for lunch?” The recipient is supposed to reply denying being the intended recipient, so the senderContinue reading “Bye Bye, Scammers, Bye Bye!”

Cats That Look Like Hitler

Back in the early, fun, and exploratory days of the Internet, there was a site that collected photos of “cats that looked like Hitler.” Also known as Kitlers, there were cute and kind of ironic. I just thought of this as I was washing dishes, since someone gave me a mug with cats on it,Continue reading “Cats That Look Like Hitler”

Trustworthy, Loyal, Brave, and True?

Tell us one thing you hope people say about you. Isn’t that the motto of the Boy Scouts? Of course, I mean the scouts themselves and not those predators who, under the guise of guiding young boys, led them astray. My, it sounds too much like members of the Catholic clergy! If people were toContinue reading “Trustworthy, Loyal, Brave, and True?”

On the First Day of…Oh, God, It’s a Cult

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc. I worked as a faculty member for three university campuses. I only recall my first day at one of them because it included something quite bizarre. There were the usual welcome speeches from lower level administrators and upper level staff,Continue reading “On the First Day of…Oh, God, It’s a Cult”

Swimming Fish, Catholic Popes

Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech? Recently, StoryZ, my new theatre/performance group, gave a Free Improv Workshop. For the 8 people registered, we scheduled 1.5 hours of a little bit of talking and a lot of doing. At one point, someone said, as if she was drowning, “Is this an advancedContinue reading “Swimming Fish, Catholic Popes”

A Tale of Lost “Love”

I suddenly thought about K. last night while waiting to go to sleep. The memories—good and bad—entered my mind like those songs that just start playing in my head even though I haven’t heard them for awhile. I hadn’t thought about her in a long time, and then, suddenly, there she was. I met herContinue reading “A Tale of Lost “Love””

From the Ace Novelty Co. of Walla Walla, WA

What’s your favorite cartoon? I’ve watched a lot of cartoons over the years, from the classic cartoons from before I was born to an occasional sampling of more modern animated entertainment. Of course I have some favorites, and others I look at and think, “Who would watch this?” But then I think there are bandsContinue reading “From the Ace Novelty Co. of Walla Walla, WA”

The Bigger Threat

I read this in the online version of The New York Times and felt the need to comment. Powerful tech leaders — including [Sam] Altman, Elon Musk and the Google co-founder Larry Page — were developing A.I. systems for years before the technology went mainstream. The men bickered over whether it would end up harmingContinue reading “The Bigger Threat”

Telling Tales Out of School

What could you do less of? When I announced my retirement, people asked, “What are you going to do with your time?” My answer was always, “Travel and creative projects.” Since retirement, there’s been a little travel, but I thought there’d be more, and I’m hoping there is in the new year. Also, I haveContinue reading “Telling Tales Out of School”