my virtual notebook

Barbie goes Barvarian...

Here's a link to an article describing a new look for Barbie.  Also if you scroll down a bit you can see a "Barbie" version of Angela Merkel, looking very proper in a dark pant suit.

In other news: summer is almost over and the week of meetings and gatherings before classes start begins. I have finished editing the article and now just need to check footnotes and send it out. I am working on my tenure file, which is due Sept, 14. I am still working on my syllabei, but feel pretty good about what I've done so far and what remains to be done.

We might be getting a new kitty temporarily (till December)  this week.

Sunday, September 30, 2007: Class Record Book: Project 365: #337

Class Record Book: Project 365: #337
Originally uploaded by cathie.

A Sunday shot.

Thursday, September 20, 2007: Class prep: Project 365: #327

Class prep: Project 365: #327
Originally uploaded by cathie.

Class prep photo for my Honors class on Romanticism and Transcendentalism.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007: Melanie, French Native Speaker T.A. 2007- 08: Project 365: #304

Tuesday, August 28, 2007: Melanie, French Native Speaker T.A. 2007-08: Project 365: #304
Originally uploaded by cathie.

Another picture that feels "old" simply because we now have a new French T.A. along with new T.A.'s from Germany and Mexico. Recently Melanie came back to Albion and Michigan for a visit.

The reason I took this picture is that being the main faculty person to do web-stuff (although now our wonderful secretary does most of it() I take pictures of the T.A.'s and post them to our homepage. Here's the link to the 2007-2008 T.A.'s

Monday, August 20, 2007: New textbook for German 301: Project365: #296

New textbook for German301: Project365: #296
Originally uploaded by cathie.

Now, as I write this blog entry in December 2008, this textbook is not so new, except we are now going to use it for the fourth and fifth semesters: so I get to teach the exact same chapters back to back, since last Fall I taught 301 with it and now in the Spring I'll teach 202 with the same chapters.  And then next Fall the 301 class will get taught the second half of the book. I might have to slow it down a bit for 202 this time.

Sunday 03/18/07: Movie still: Project 365 #139

Sunday, 03/18/07: Project 365 #139 
Originally uploaded by cathie.

This is an odd scene from one of the first German movies made after World War II: The Murderers are among us/Die Mörder sind unter uns. It features a very young, very pretty Hildegard Knef looking wistful among the ruins and trying to hell the psychically wounded doctor, who is at the center of the film.  I was previewing the movie on a Sunday morning, as was my routine when I taught my Introduction to German film course.

Monday, 02/26/07:Project 365 #119

Monday, 02/26/07: Project 365 # 119 
Originally uploaded by cathie.

An interesting early Fassbinder movie I previewed before deciding NOT to show it in my film course. That's a young Hanna Schygulla on the left.

Sunday, 02/04/07: Project 365 # 97

Sunday, 02/04/07: Project 365 # 97 
Originally uploaded by cathie.

Work work work--this was course prep for my honors course--trying to figure out how best to present Early German Romanticism (in English translation) to American undergraduates...

On the way to the Albion College library: project 365 #44

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Taken on Tuesday, December 12, 2006.

Not much to say about this one. I was on my way to pick up some MelCat  (regional interlibrary loan) books and some films to preview for my German film course. The campus has emptied out and everything is very quiet...

Austrian T.A. showing off his juggling skills: Project 365 #31

Taken on Wednesday, November 29, 2006.

This was the finale of the short play my 301 students performed at the Holiday Foreign Language Department Gathering. It was an updated version of "Hänsel and Gretel" complete with a "cookie house" and Rammstein songs. The picture shows our male Austrian T.A. Stefan showing off his juggling skills, while the students read out the final part of the play (in German and English).  To the left you can see "Hansel" with a long blond wig and Hansel's dad.  The students had fun and they did a good job.