This winter break has among other things given me time to watch standard-fare network TV. I must say it's gotten even worse than 10 years ago. The mainstream shows are pretty awful. There are however a couple sit-coms that can pass, but alas it is not a good harbinger that the producers of these are all on the other side of 60 and in the definite minority in terms of producing palatable stuff.
But lest you think that ALL my days in limbo here are spent watching tube and sleeping until 1:00 PM, etc. (and indeed a good many are), at least I am not blowing all my pocket money on such pursuits as drinking, fisticuffs, and whoring but mostly enjoying the kitties, web-surfing and of course, sleeping at odd times and for various lengths of time. [I have also hired a couple contractors to work on my basement. They have been as considerate as they can be, but sometimes they have had to use loud electrical tools as early as... as.... 11 AM... egad, the pains I must suffer! >)]. But I have taken on a pet project, the championing of the use of full-spectrum lights at my school. Rochester, as everyone who lives here knows, is drab, dreary, and downright depressing during the winter, and this is largely due to sunlight deprivation. One way people can survive this 6-month (or more) period of upstate-NY-darkness is to use full-spectrum lights around their home and offices. So I went to talk to the asst. to the provost today about the matter and she seemed genuinely interested in the idea. They are as cheap if not cheaper than ordinary lights, use less energy and most importantly would help keep students from falling asleep all the time during those looonnnggg lectures in cool, dark auditoriums that do little to energize the brain much less the body. I have mentioned this to professors, students, and staff and they all seem very into the idea.
Who knows, maybe one day it will come to pass that simply because of a change in lighting, students will no longer view classes in the main auditoriums as simply another opportunity to catch up on their sleep.
But lest you think that ALL my days in limbo here are spent watching tube and sleeping until 1:00 PM, etc. (and indeed a good many are), at least I am not blowing all my pocket money on such pursuits as drinking, fisticuffs, and whoring but mostly enjoying the kitties, web-surfing and of course, sleeping at odd times and for various lengths of time. [I have also hired a couple contractors to work on my basement. They have been as considerate as they can be, but sometimes they have had to use loud electrical tools as early as... as.... 11 AM... egad, the pains I must suffer! >)]. But I have taken on a pet project, the championing of the use of full-spectrum lights at my school. Rochester, as everyone who lives here knows, is drab, dreary, and downright depressing during the winter, and this is largely due to sunlight deprivation. One way people can survive this 6-month (or more) period of upstate-NY-darkness is to use full-spectrum lights around their home and offices. So I went to talk to the asst. to the provost today about the matter and she seemed genuinely interested in the idea. They are as cheap if not cheaper than ordinary lights, use less energy and most importantly would help keep students from falling asleep all the time during those looonnnggg lectures in cool, dark auditoriums that do little to energize the brain much less the body. I have mentioned this to professors, students, and staff and they all seem very into the idea.
Who knows, maybe one day it will come to pass that simply because of a change in lighting, students will no longer view classes in the main auditoriums as simply another opportunity to catch up on their sleep.
posted by Matt Campbell at 10:10 PM
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