Teaching thought of the day

Marking student's final essay proposals is a lot like playing the old-school computer game "Lemmings." Every time I turn around, somebody is cheerfully walking off a cliff. And by the time I've finished an email saying "oh no! Don't do that!" a student whose course I just corrected is cheerfully walking off a completely different academic cliff.

Oh nose!

Random history moment

I like/fear Lousia May Alcott much more after discovering that,she was a cult leader at six years old.

Apparently, she convinced the other kids in her neighbourhood of the existence of a fearsome Cat Demon, "KittyMousey." She then claimed to be the chosen avatar of said demon. The demon, speaking through Alcott, convinced the kids to worship her, do "naughty deeds" and appease her with sacrifices.

Apparently the neighbourhood parents found out and put a stop to this after Alcott persuaded the terrified kids to burn their favourite toys in a sacrificial bonfire.

</things you didn't see in Little Women>