Geeky Mom

It’s vacation time! We’re headed to somewhere hot and humid to lie around, drink pina coladas and cook ourselves. We’ll be gone for a couple of weeks and it’s doubtful we’ll have access to the internets. If we do, I’ll try to post a time or two. In the meantime, puruse the archives or check out the many wonderful blogs on the blogroll.

Eric pointed me to this article that shows that women would prefer to receive tech gadgets rather than the “typical girl” luxury gifts. Geek girls unite!

New Kid tagged me and I’m too exhausted to think. I spent the day outside at a theme park. Yes, I know. It was 103. I know. Besides, I love books.

1. A book that changed my life.

I can’t really name just one, but The Sound and the Fury is definitely a biggie. Also, Love in the Time of Cholera was one of the best books I’ve ever read and probably corrupted my idea of romance forever. Both of these books were books I couldn’t put down and though I’d experienced the need to read to the end before, somehow these were different.

2. One book I’ve read more than once.

I’ve read both the above books more than once and I’d read them again. Okay, I read Great Expectations twice, both required. The second time I fell in love with it so much I read sections of it to my students. I just think there’s something cool about reading a book the second time and having it be a completely different book because you are now a different person with different experiences. Maybe I’ll read it again and hate it. Who knows.

3. One book I’d want on a desert island.

I think I’d want the collected works of Shakespeare. There’s a lot to read. We could act out some of the stuff when we got bored (and maybe loopy). And we could later use the pages as kindling. Hey, we’re talking survival here.

4. One book that made you laugh.

Richard Russo’s Straight Man. Seriously, if you haven’t read it, you have to. I’ve read it three times now and laughed every time. It. is. so. funny.

5. One book that made you cry.

The Sound and the Fury. I was reading it during History class, hiding it behind my history book. I wasn’t reading it because I was late or anything. I’d just gotten that hooked that I needed to keep reading through history. And then I got toward the end and started crying. Not a good thing to do in the middle of a lecture on American history.

6. One book you wish had been written.

My biography. Seriously. I used to puruse the biographies in the library in 3rd grade and I assumed one day, mine would be there. Gradually over the years, I realized I was just a slightly smarter than the average person and probably wouldn’t end up on the book shelf with those other people. Yeah, there’s still time, but I don’t think it’s happening and I’m okay with that.

7. One book you wish had never been written.

There’s so many. I’ve read some pretty bad books in my day. There was a book Mr. Geeky and I listened to on tape once. It was given to us I think. It was The Yellow Eye or something like that. It was a detective novel and it was sexist and horrible. We kept listening because at some point, it became entertainment to point out how bad it was.

8. One book you’re currently reading.

I’m nearly done with White Noise. I’m hoping to read a couple more from my class reading list in the next few weeks. Is there a service where you can look a book up online and then see which nearby bookstore is selling it? If there isn’t, there should be. And if some Web 2.0 entrepreneur takes this and runs with it, all I ask is a little nod of the head (and maybe a stock option or two).

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read.

There are so many. I remember when I realized I would never be able to read all the books in the world. So distressing. But I really want to read The World is Flat. I purchased it, in hardback, and have only read the first 5 pages or so. Damn, it’s long.

10. I’m not tagging anyone. Just comment here if you want.

I’ve been tagged to write five weird things about myself. Only five?!

1. If I have to run to catch a plane or a train, it’s highly likely I will come very close to wetting my pants. This makes me always early for flights and trains.

2. I sleep with socks on in the winter and if the air conditioning is too low.

3. I don’t really like cereal or sandwiches, but I eat them because they’re easy and ubiquitous.

4. I hum when I eat a really good meal, usually unconsciously.

5. I have to read before I go to sleep, even if I’m exhausted.

So, now I’m supposed to tag 5 people. Has anyone not done this?

Julie
Profgrrrrl
Phantom
New Kid (since she tagged for the book meme, which I promise to do asap)
Elizabeth
Laura at 11D

I know, that’s more than five!

I’m still sorting all this out, but I thought I’d give it a stab. Why do I feel it important to sort through everything? Well, because Blogher was a conference supposedly for women who blog, a place to make them feel safe and free to discuss whatever they wanted. Only, I’m not entirely sure it was a conference for me. I wasn’t the right kind of woman blogger. I think. Whatever you do, don’t call me a mommyblogger, no offense to those who are okay with that term.

I was describing the conference to people here, who are academics, and they asked me who underwrote it, suggesting perhaps the ACM or some other professional technical organization. I said, uh, no, Microsoft, GM, and Johnson & Johnson. Shiver. The whole conference was really all about capitalism and since I’m a little unsure about how I feel about capitalism, at least so blatantly displayed, I felt a little uncomfortable at times. But it made me think about the relationship between education and capitalism. I mean, I go to conferences that are sponsored by Blackboard or WebCT or any number of other technology companies. They’re less blatant but they’re there. And we have a Microsoft Campus Agreement and Blackboard and purcase all our computers from Dell. I’m wondering what the relationship should be between education and corporations. Should we try our best not to succumb to using their products or taking their money? I mean, we’re wary of drug company funded research. Should we be wary of the effect using a particular company’s product has on teaching, research and learning? Ask yourself if having only certain products available changes what you do in the classroom.

I don’t have answers for these questions, but as someone who tries to use open source software as much as possible (including writing my diss in Open Office despite having access to Word), I chafe against the idea of having only one option and that that option is really the only one available in the marketplace. Ideally, educational institutions would create their own tools, but most institutions lack the resources for that and so we turn to the corporations. I even heard on NPR that many school districts are turning to developers to build buildings and then they rent those from them. Yikes.

I think what it boils down to is that I’m tired of being marketed to. I’m tired of being looked at as a certain demographic and being told that a company understands my needs because they’ve done the market research. Let me make my own decisions, damn it. I’ll watch your ads, but I’m going to turn to the internet and do my own research, thank you very much.