Olivia Sutton's Fanfic Journal

Hi all,

I'm very perturbed and I don't know what to do!  I just found my ex-boss has been badmouthing me when new potential employers call him for a reference.

Here's a copy of the e-mail (forwarded by FACEBOOK, names removed.  Yep, he didn't even e-mail me directly!)

Quote:  "I've thought about this (hince my delay in responding). I cannot endorse you for teaching positions. I think you have the technical aptitute for IT and the personal-level approach to help students, but the complete package is lacking. There is a disconnect that enhibits you from being a competent teacher. You are unable to successfully teach the students what they need to know. Some of it is tied to your meekness. You and I had discussions about how to improve your stage presence in class and command more authority in your classroom. We tried hard to shape you into a good instructor, but it just didn't pan out for you. I hope you find something fullfilling that draws on your strengths."

I don't know what this means - but I AM PISSED! (excuse the language but God!)

When I left the job in Sept, this same supervisor, who's now calling me incompetent, said he'd  "be glad to recommend me", and he even wrote a recommendation letter, which I still have a soft copy of (.pdf).  I feel betrayed, hurt, and angry!

And the worse part is I didn't DO anything wrong!  I showed up, I put in double the hours I was required to, at no extra pay I might add, and I thought I was fairly successful.  Yeah, I had students who didn't pass my classes - but it was because THEY didn't do homework, or study for quizzes, or heck, even show UP sometimes!  How is that MY fault?  I reviewed the material, I booked extra help lab time, I even extended deadlines.

And the worse part  is, I just applied for a job in Baltimore (I'm currently in the Midwest), where I'd be teaching inner city kids.  It's a summer of training, then they drop you in a classroom in the Fall.  I looked at a similar program once before, but it didn't quite work out for a bunch of reasons (mostly financial).  AND for the Baltimore job - they don't want experienced teachers.  I mean, this is nuts!

What do I do?

--Olivia

The good news is it looks like I might have a temp job that starts on Monday.  It's low pay, pretty basic, and only for 3 months, but it's something (and I've had nada since Sept.)

Hiya -

Just a brief post today.  I'm house & dog sitting, with my folks in Florida (lucky them), but I finally got a chance to sit down and work on, well, my *work* -- catching up on lesson plans and other stuff for my classes next week (that I teach).  Including, finally, the long-awaited bibliography for my IT students.
But my computer is in the basement and I could feel cold air coming in from the sliding glass door to the deck.  And it was bright and sunny, which was nice, but definately COLD.

Here's the official weather:

CURRENT CONDITIONS:

Grand Rapids, Gerald R. Ford International Airport
Lat: 42.89   Lon: -85.52   Elev: 793
Last Update on Feb 10, 7:53 pm EST

Light Snow Blowing Snow 3°F (-16°C)

Humidity: 76 % Wind Speed: W 15 MPH Barometer: 30.28" (1027.6 mb) Dewpoint: -3°F (-19°C) Wind Chill: -16°F (-27°C) Visibility: 1.50 mi. More Local Wx: 3 Day History:

From NOAA.org.

Can you say -- COLD!
But at least it was sunny, and if I can get myself moving early tomorrow, I should be right on top of things for my class.

--Olivia

PS -- I just watched an AGILITY competion on Animal Planet - it was awesome!  Especially the Weinerminer that won the 24" class.   (Hey, if they're not going to have a Newf compete...)

Well, I did the weather report this morning, so I won't tonight.  I have decided that, at least during the winter season, I'm going to post a brief summary of the weather in my journal, and also try to update this journal frequently.  (We'll see, I've never been successful in keeping a diary.)

Oh, and about work.  Yes, I had class tonight.  Windows XP OS - lots of geeks in the class including TWO girl geeks!  In a class of 11, two is phenonmenal.  One wants to get her MSCE, which is like, incredibly ambitious, and also totally cool!

I did actually feel bad about class tonight tho' because I was DONE teaching at 9pm.  Like totally done, way done.  And I had to keep the students, in a lecture hall, without student computers for another hour and twenty minutes.   I reminded them about homework - which a lot of the students started on in class, which was kinda' ok and kinda not - since in turned into a group project which I did NOT want.  I also showed some of the actual applets for Windows XP and what the various options were - my recommendations, etc.  I mostly concentrated on the help and support applet and the security applet.

The thing is I seem to have the worst sense of timing on the planet when it comes to teaching my classes.  Monday I didn't get thru' everything - tonight I had a lot of extra time (and even worse I could have used more time in lab).
--Olivia
_________________________________________

Now on to fun Quotes

*Max Headroom:  20 Minutes into the Future* (1987) was a science-fiction action/drama that ran for two short seasons on ABC (US).  Season one had 9 eps, and I'm not sure of season 2.  The episode "Raking" (about violence on television) was, get this, ironically pulled from the repeats because it was quote "too violent" unquote.  This is of course, ironic, because the entire episode was about violence, and especially televised violence.  The entire first season (except "Raking") was re-run before season 2 started.
The show had a fantastic cast:  Matt Frewer as Network 23 news reporter (and TV-generated Max Headroom), Amanda Pays as Theora Jones - Edison's controller at Network 23, George Coe as Ben Cheviot head of Net 23, Jeffrey Tambor as Murray - Theora's direct boss at Net 23, Chris Young as Bryce - the resident computer geek but without a  conscience at first, William Morgan Sheppard (as Blank Reg) and Concetti Tomei (as Dominque, another Blank) and Charles Rockett as the head of Network 66.

*Max Headroom* was set in a dystopia future, where  television ruled all and huge television network/corporations ruled television.  Even elections were held by television, and ratings were taken every second.  Frewer, as Edison, is a decent reporter, trying to bring the truth to viewers - even if his bosses or the owners of other networks object.
Blanks are people who have "blanked" their names from all computerised systems and databases - so they have more freedom, but at the cost of not being able to work, receive government aid, etc.
Episodes tended to be about *something* (literacy, security companies vs. privacy, etc) which is good but the scripts also were witty, ironic, etc.  *Max Headroom* was cyberpunk before most people knew what cyber-anything meant.  (Most of the "computer" graphics were hand-drawn and animated, including Max himself).   Max was a computer-generated person based on Edison Carter.

Quotes from Max Headroom 20 Minutes into the Future

By episode

Episode 3: Body Bank

"We are the unlucky generation, we are the children who have to play in the poisonous back yard our parents decided not to tell us about." Edison Carter (o.s.- as part of his "I Want to Know" show)

"Losing a vidicam is a hanging offense at 23."
-- Carter

(Note: by my count, he loses four vidicams during the series 13-episode run. One, here in "Body Bank", which he gets back. One in "Security Systems"- he ditches it to avoid the Metrocops. One in "Blipverts". And he leaves one at the Zik Zak restaurant after using the "neurostim" device in "Neurostim".)

"If that’s simple, Bryce, complexity must be awesome." Ben Cheviot (Network 23 chairman)

"Welcome to Big Time television, all day, every day, making tomorrow seem like yesterday. And remember when we said there was no future? Well, this is it."
--Blank Reg

 

"You want me to choose between a girl’s life and a job? (long pause) You know my answer already. With respect, Mr. Cheviot, the priority is clear." Edison

"With respect, my priority is Max Headroom, and this network." Cheviot

 

"Asking is just polite demanding." Max Headroom (tho' he claims to be quoting "one of Edison's")

"Don’t be clever, Bryce." –Julia Fromby
"Sorry, I thought that was why I was here." –Bryce

"Sit down, we haven’t had a ratings battle for a couple of minutes.'
--Cheviot, last line of ep.

 

Episode 4: Security Systems (AKA. “A-7”)

 

“In today’s world your inalienable rights are: consumer credit, unlimited television, and personal security. In your home, in your place of work—you can count on Security Systems. Security Systems wherever you go, there we are.”
--Security Systems commercial on Network 23

 

“Security Systems is the largest and most powerful corporation of its kind in the world, it has access to more privileged information than any single government, and in the wrong hands it could be used to destroy businesses and lives.”- Edison

“Credit fraud? My God, that’s worse than murder.” Ben Cheviot

Episode 6: The Blanks (AKA “Simon Peller”)

 
"Smother technology and it rebels."—Max Headroom

“We’re going to go critical if we don’t act soon.”- Board member Julia Fromby
“We’re going to have riots out there, we should distribute emergency video players, immediately.” –Board member Mr. Edwards
--On the computer failures preventing Network 23 and others from broadcasting

 

“Simon, we all know the votes are computer-enhanced. My question is, whether your opponent isn’t sabotaging your victory.”—Mr. Cheviot
“Of course not, we negotiated election results weeks ago.”—Peller, in response.

 

“Without regular picture transmissions, thousands are swarming the streets desperately buying black market tapes from video vendors.”—Janie Crane (Network 23 reporter, introduced in “War”)

“Simon Peller’s ordered all the Blanks arrested. He says it’s untidy not having people on the computers-- makes them hard to catch.”—Metrocop, Blank Girl’s apt.

“Edison—an off switch.” Janie (pointing to the TV)
“She’ll get years for that, off switches are illegal.”—Metrocop

“Without televisions, this city would be ungovernable.”—Julia Fromby

“Reg, I believe in the principal, but the method stinks.”—Edison, to Blank Reg, on the program.

Episode 7: Academy

“Head sysop? Does it teach or devour maidens?”— Edison, to himself.

 

“Grey areas are quite useless to a computer specilist. We don’t deal in guilt, we deal in information. That is why the appropriate party will be with us shortly. You will see.”
--Headmaster, ACS (Head Sysop) to Edison

 

“What about right and wrong?”—Edison
“Non-empirical concepts.”—Bryce

 

“I’m used to logic, not opinion.”—Bryce

 

“Sometimes I think I could use some legs and you could use some conscience.”—Max Headroom (sounding very much like Edison)
“What file is it in?” –Bryce, in reply to Max

 

“The last resort of the innocent is always publicity.”—Edison

 

“You remind me of myself.”—Bryce
“Should I take that as a compliment?”—Nicholas (ACS student & hacker)
“No.”—Bryce

Episode 11: Whacketts (w/ guest star Bill Maher)

"There's a nice irony in that, in a crisis, they watch a game show, television before life." -Murray

"He had something to tell me about the extra-ordinary events of this morning's apartment collapse tragedy --where people ignored victims and watched television." --Edison

"Whacketts is a video narcotic!" --Edison

I need to go through all the episodes and finish the quote list, but the show is awesome.  It needs to be on DVD!

--Olivia