Friday Mixed Nuts

Salty selections for your enjoyment:

• Diether H. Haenicke, interim president of Western Michigan University, has this advice: "Helicopter Parents -- Stop Hovering!"
• How many "visible" and "invisible" tasks make up your day? Carolyn Foster Segal, a professor of English, examines the amount of observed and solitary work that faculty perform in her essay "Invisible Hours."
• In "The Treadmill of Tenure," a tenure-track professor explains the no-pain-no-gain mentality that one must have as he analyzes washouts and successes in the tenure process.
• The creative writing faculty of Virginia Tech now have guidelines to identify and respond to disturbing writing. Read what the red flags are and what to do if you see them.
• With a new academic year come email woes and advice:
  • We Always Love the Give and Take of an Email Exchange
  • Another Entry into the "Let's All Communicate Better" Sweepstakes
  • To: Professor@University.edu Subject: Why It's All About Me
  • Young Workers: U Nd 2 Improve Ur Writing Skills
  • 12 Tips for Better E-mail Etiquette
• If a student tries to make excuses for missing work, you might want to say something like, "I'll need the bloody keyboard as proof that you did indeed try." The animation, not necessarily the post, is worth the visit.

Comedian/cynic George Carlin--with some especially salty language--takes on education in this week's YouTube fun: