Feast One Hundred & Fifty Six
August 17th, 2007
Appetizer--Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?
Wash running clothes--shorts, shirts, socks, various ankle/knee braces--a couple times a week. For general washing, clothes are sorted into whites, darks, and blacks. Dress clothes are sorted in a similar fashion and washed separately from jeans, t-shirts, etc.
Soup--In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?
70? I don't know. I'll be forty in a few months and still don't feel anything like "old". Old is a state of mind, I suspect.
Salad--What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?
Short term: clean up a couple small debts, new laptop for STK. Long term: tenure.
Main Course--Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.
In the unbelievable--"I'm amazed!" category: It's a comet! Wait, it's a star!
In the unbelievable--are you freaking kidding me?!--category: Pentagon Spends $998,798 to Ship Two Washers.
Dessert--On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?
5. Not enough sleep ::grumble::
Friday, August 17, 2007
Letting Go
During my high school and college years, I earned much needed money as a lifeguard, instructor, and swim team coach. One of the most stressed lessons during Water Safety Instructor training was one of the most difficult to swallow: if the rescue gets too difficult or looks too dangerous, let the victim drown. That's good advice, really. One drowning is better than two.
Tonight, I can't help but think that same icy logic applies to the Utah mining situation. My heart aches for the lost miners and their respective friends and families, but are their lives worth the loss of others?
Rescue Disaster
Realistically, the statistical probability that the lost miners are still alive is slim to none. If/when the mine authorities decide to call off the recovery operation, they will no doubt be demonized by some factions for leaving the lost miners to their fate. I'd argue, however, that their current responsibility is to the living rather than the might be living. That position brings no amount of solace to those who face the loss of a loved one, I'm sure, but when does one say "Enough. It's time to say goodbye"?
Tonight, I can't help but think that same icy logic applies to the Utah mining situation. My heart aches for the lost miners and their respective friends and families, but are their lives worth the loss of others?
Rescue Disaster
Realistically, the statistical probability that the lost miners are still alive is slim to none. If/when the mine authorities decide to call off the recovery operation, they will no doubt be demonized by some factions for leaving the lost miners to their fate. I'd argue, however, that their current responsibility is to the living rather than the might be living. That position brings no amount of solace to those who face the loss of a loved one, I'm sure, but when does one say "Enough. It's time to say goodbye"?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Best of Intentions
Despite my desire to do some serious blogging during the recent Colorado getaway--we arrived back at the Fortress of Little to No Solitude around 6 PM--I obviously wasn't up to the task. What started as a "last hurrah" before the start of school mutated into something much less celebratory. Rather than spending time strolling through the Denver Botanic Gardens or the newly expanded/remodeled art museum, our time consisted of hospital visits and convalescence.
Just before leaving for our trip, we learned that STK's grandmother had encountered some health difficulties requiring a hospital stay. Somewhere on the plains of Nebraska the cell phone rang and we received awful news: pancreatic cancer. She's lived a good long life but it's still difficult to see a loved one facing a terminal illness. While in Denver, STK visited her grandmother daily. The final farewell from the hospital proved particularly difficult as we realize we may not see Grandma J when we return for the holidays.
As we said our goodbyes Tuesday afternoon, our trip took another wrong turn at Albuquerque. Early Tuesday morning, I awoke at the horrifying hour of 6 AM to go for a 10 mile run (I've been training for a half marathon at the end of the month). At about 2.5 miles I noticed I wasn't running particularly well. I typically don't run all that well in the mornings so I'm used to a few extra aches and pains for the first fifteen minutes or so. No matter how hard I tried to push my lethargy aside, I couldn't do it. I hit the five mile mark and quit. This is extremely unusual behavior for me; when I set out to run, I typically set a target: five miles, forty-five minutes, etc. Sprained ankle, heat, stomach cramps--nothing stops me from completing a run. A week ago Tuesday I packed it in, walked home, and felt off the entire morning. I ate breakfast and my bagel just sat in my stomach. And sat. And sat. My condition worsened at the hospital. I finally pulled STK aside and said, "I hate to do this, but I don't feel so great."
We hopped in the car and started the hour drive to my parents. And that's when the bug hit in full force. By the time we reached my parents, I collapsed in the spare bedroom and shivered uncontrollably. With the assistance of copious amounts of ibuprofen, I managed to keep my temperature at 102.5. Tuesday was shot, Wednesday was a day of sleep and the intermittent foray out into the world to try and spend time with my family. While I didn't have vertigo and wasn't sick to my stomach, I couldn't eat anything. Food sat in my stomach like an indigestible croquet ball. I swear I could feel the damn thing just sitting there. Anything more exotic than toast or Malt O Meal resulted in stomach cramps and other effects that I'd rather not reveal on a public blog. Let's just say that at one point we had several scented candles burning in the spare bedroom. By Friday, when the rest of the family arrived (Aunt J, Uncle G, Cousin K, Cousin-in-Law T), I was finally well enough to interact with the living. I didn't feel terrific--far from the top of my game, in fact--but I could hang out.
Friday and Saturday were spent catching up, laughing, and reminiscing, the usual family stuff. Given the cramped quarters of my parents' spacious abode (eight people living under the same rough), a good time was had by all. I think.
Despite the detours and speed bumps, the trip was worth the effort and there were many most excellent moments. A leisurely dinner with all of our Denver alternafriends was definitely one of the hight lights, as was our last minute descent into the Denver goth scene for a couple hours of dancing. While at my parents, I managed to spend a couple hours with J, a friend from high school. No matter how much time slips by, that friendship will always be one of those that survives. If you're reading, J, thanks for the Hendrix! Excellent stuff for the journey home. I even hugged my father as we said goodbye (we never hug) . . . and he returned the hug. That moment has been 20+ years in the making. We might not see eye to eye on a great many things, but seem to be able to enjoy each other's company as more time goes by. As much as I hate to admit it, that's probably a result of my maturity more than anything else.
And that brings us to the point where I need a vacation to recover from my vacation. And that isn't going to happen. As STK commences the 2007-2008 school year tomorrow (teacher in-service and what not through the end of the week), I'm back on primary care patrol with TLO. My mornings will once again be filled with talk of "bulldozers," "ghosts," and "milk!" and filled with images of Handy Manny, Elmo, and Caillou.
What the heck happened to my summer?
Just before leaving for our trip, we learned that STK's grandmother had encountered some health difficulties requiring a hospital stay. Somewhere on the plains of Nebraska the cell phone rang and we received awful news: pancreatic cancer. She's lived a good long life but it's still difficult to see a loved one facing a terminal illness. While in Denver, STK visited her grandmother daily. The final farewell from the hospital proved particularly difficult as we realize we may not see Grandma J when we return for the holidays.
As we said our goodbyes Tuesday afternoon, our trip took another wrong turn at Albuquerque. Early Tuesday morning, I awoke at the horrifying hour of 6 AM to go for a 10 mile run (I've been training for a half marathon at the end of the month). At about 2.5 miles I noticed I wasn't running particularly well. I typically don't run all that well in the mornings so I'm used to a few extra aches and pains for the first fifteen minutes or so. No matter how hard I tried to push my lethargy aside, I couldn't do it. I hit the five mile mark and quit. This is extremely unusual behavior for me; when I set out to run, I typically set a target: five miles, forty-five minutes, etc. Sprained ankle, heat, stomach cramps--nothing stops me from completing a run. A week ago Tuesday I packed it in, walked home, and felt off the entire morning. I ate breakfast and my bagel just sat in my stomach. And sat. And sat. My condition worsened at the hospital. I finally pulled STK aside and said, "I hate to do this, but I don't feel so great."
We hopped in the car and started the hour drive to my parents. And that's when the bug hit in full force. By the time we reached my parents, I collapsed in the spare bedroom and shivered uncontrollably. With the assistance of copious amounts of ibuprofen, I managed to keep my temperature at 102.5. Tuesday was shot, Wednesday was a day of sleep and the intermittent foray out into the world to try and spend time with my family. While I didn't have vertigo and wasn't sick to my stomach, I couldn't eat anything. Food sat in my stomach like an indigestible croquet ball. I swear I could feel the damn thing just sitting there. Anything more exotic than toast or Malt O Meal resulted in stomach cramps and other effects that I'd rather not reveal on a public blog. Let's just say that at one point we had several scented candles burning in the spare bedroom. By Friday, when the rest of the family arrived (Aunt J, Uncle G, Cousin K, Cousin-in-Law T), I was finally well enough to interact with the living. I didn't feel terrific--far from the top of my game, in fact--but I could hang out.
Friday and Saturday were spent catching up, laughing, and reminiscing, the usual family stuff. Given the cramped quarters of my parents' spacious abode (eight people living under the same rough), a good time was had by all. I think.
Despite the detours and speed bumps, the trip was worth the effort and there were many most excellent moments. A leisurely dinner with all of our Denver alternafriends was definitely one of the hight lights, as was our last minute descent into the Denver goth scene for a couple hours of dancing. While at my parents, I managed to spend a couple hours with J, a friend from high school. No matter how much time slips by, that friendship will always be one of those that survives. If you're reading, J, thanks for the Hendrix! Excellent stuff for the journey home. I even hugged my father as we said goodbye (we never hug) . . . and he returned the hug. That moment has been 20+ years in the making. We might not see eye to eye on a great many things, but seem to be able to enjoy each other's company as more time goes by. As much as I hate to admit it, that's probably a result of my maturity more than anything else.
And that brings us to the point where I need a vacation to recover from my vacation. And that isn't going to happen. As STK commences the 2007-2008 school year tomorrow (teacher in-service and what not through the end of the week), I'm back on primary care patrol with TLO. My mornings will once again be filled with talk of "bulldozers," "ghosts," and "milk!" and filled with images of Handy Manny, Elmo, and Caillou.
What the heck happened to my summer?
Monday, August 06, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Thoughts Like Breezes
Body impermanent like spring mist;
mind insubstantial like empty sky;
thoughts unestablished like breezes in space.
Think about these three points over and over.
-Adept Godrakpa, "Hermit of Go Cliffs"
mind insubstantial like empty sky;
thoughts unestablished like breezes in space.
Think about these three points over and over.
-Adept Godrakpa, "Hermit of Go Cliffs"
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Silent Running
It's been awfully quiet around here, eh? I finally finished up all my summer teaching on Thursday and I'm almost certain I won't teach again next summer. STK, who also did some teaching this summer, echoes the sentiment. Next year, we take the summer off to spend time together as a family, rest, and rejuvenate.
To celebrate the completion of another round of teaching, we participated in what I hope will be an on-going family tradition. As part of a local ethnic festival, I ran the 15K and STK & TLO walked the 5K. Considering I spent most of the last year treating a screwed up ankle and didn't really get into honest to goodness training until the last week of May, I did pretty well. Last year, I ran the race in 1:12, placed 4th in the 30-39 age group, and 44th overall. This this year, I ran the race in 1:07, placed 2nd in the 30-39 age bracket (yes, next year I'll bump up to the 40-49 group--there are some nasty fast runners in that group), and 27th overall. Next year, I'm hoping to improve my time again.
What's in store for the rest of the running season? Provided I avoid any training difficulties, I'm shooting for a half marathon at the end of August. There's also a really flat 8K at a local Oktoberfest that Dr. OneDink and I ran last year; we've talked about participating in that race again this year. More than anything, I'm thankful the previous year's ankle difficulties appear to be a thing of the past. Oh, I'll always have a little bit of pain, but nothing that should keep me on the sideline. Thank the Maker for orthotics. In other words, molded plastic kicks ass.
To celebrate the completion of another round of teaching, we participated in what I hope will be an on-going family tradition. As part of a local ethnic festival, I ran the 15K and STK & TLO walked the 5K. Considering I spent most of the last year treating a screwed up ankle and didn't really get into honest to goodness training until the last week of May, I did pretty well. Last year, I ran the race in 1:12, placed 4th in the 30-39 age group, and 44th overall. This this year, I ran the race in 1:07, placed 2nd in the 30-39 age bracket (yes, next year I'll bump up to the 40-49 group--there are some nasty fast runners in that group), and 27th overall. Next year, I'm hoping to improve my time again.
What's in store for the rest of the running season? Provided I avoid any training difficulties, I'm shooting for a half marathon at the end of August. There's also a really flat 8K at a local Oktoberfest that Dr. OneDink and I ran last year; we've talked about participating in that race again this year. More than anything, I'm thankful the previous year's ankle difficulties appear to be a thing of the past. Oh, I'll always have a little bit of pain, but nothing that should keep me on the sideline. Thank the Maker for orthotics. In other words, molded plastic kicks ass.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Fallacies!
For the better part of the afternoon I've been surfing the web, trolling library databases, and thumbing through books, all in an attempt to pull together a rhetorical theory course that meets my approval. The major problem, as I've blogged before, is the lack of a good textbook. So, I essentially make my own textbook using all the resources at my disposal. The process is incredibly time consuming, not to mention boring, but I don't know any other way to pull together the class I want to teach. Several colleagues suggested I write a textbook of my own. Great idea . . . if I had three years to spare. Someday? Maybe.
Despite the nature of the task, I manage to run across some engaging stuff (for a rhetoric geek, I suppose). I found, for example, a digital copy of Plato's Gorgias. I also stumbled across the following site--anyone who engages in public debate, of any kind, should bookmark this handy resource.
Fallacies.
This is an excellent page listing most of the major fallacies a person is likely to encounter. The format of the site is handy, too. Read it. Memorize it. Use it.
Despite the nature of the task, I manage to run across some engaging stuff (for a rhetoric geek, I suppose). I found, for example, a digital copy of Plato's Gorgias. I also stumbled across the following site--anyone who engages in public debate, of any kind, should bookmark this handy resource.
Fallacies.
This is an excellent page listing most of the major fallacies a person is likely to encounter. The format of the site is handy, too. Read it. Memorize it. Use it.
Updated Predictions
As promised, here's a run down of the predictions.
Michael has his predictions posted on All Now Mysterious...
---
Lord Mhoram offered the following:
Okay - and some are similiar to yours.
Harry's scar is a horcrux. The fabled last word of the book being scar will be something like "And Harry looked into a mirror and saw no scar"
Snape is in fact a deep cover agent, and will have a rather unpleasent death, saving the cause, but the same actions will save Harry, making Harry feel even worse about him and Snape (as after getting Snapes memory of his father).
One of the twins, and at lest 1 other of the Weasly clan will kick off. It would be pure continuing symbolism if it is dear old Dad, and Harry marries Ginny. Harry has beeen thrice orphaned, and loves the Weaslys - if Mr Weasly dies before Harry joins the family it would be sad, put fitting.
One of the major supporting cast (other than the inner circle) kicks it - I'm going for Hagrid or MgGonnigle. It could also be Ginny - depends on how depressing JKR wants to make it - but one of the closest people to Harry goes. Although Lupin just doesn't feel right for this.
---
The Alabama Hick predicts:
I hope the last Harry Potter doesn't degenerate into a shoot-em-up at the end with the "good" guys triumphant and the "bad" guys dead. We'll see if JKR really is another JRRT. I hope the "good" people realize that being "good" means they don't go around killing people - even "bad" ones. Otherwise, what, really, is the difference between the two groups?
Aside from that aside, here are my predictions.
Easy - Arthur Weasley will be the new Minister of Magic. Honest, hardworking, many years of service to the magical community.
Harder - Draco saves Harry or some other major character. Surely we are not destined to repeat the mistakes of our parents. Furthermore, he doesn't die either, but survives and tries to heal the rift between the pure and mud bloods.
Hardest - Snape. I have no idea. Damn that JKR is good!
Seeing as how I've punted on Snape, I'll have to make another prediction. Harry dies in the end. In fact, he never really lived. Harry Potter, the baby, was killed by Voldemort. Voldemort "inadvertently" created a horcrux out of Harry. The spirt of Harry is actually the good nature of Voldemort himself. That is why "neither can live while the other survives." They are the same person and they need to be made whole again. Dumbledore, of course, knew this the whole time. He sincerely cared for young Tom Riddle and wanted to help him. He also cared for older Tom Riddle AKA Voldemort, even after all the trouble.
---
Bob makes a rather cryptic prognostication:
Harry sits at a Dinner. Screen goes black, most think that the cable has "gone Out"
---
I should have my copy of the book in hand a little after midnight. We have to drive an hour away to attend one of the late night book premieres. Has there ever been a midnight release for a book before the Harry Potter series? With a little luck, and perseverance, I should be finished by Sunday. I'd probably be finished Saturday night if I could get up Saturday morning and read straight on through. With a kid and puppy in the house, that's not very likely.
Michael has his predictions posted on All Now Mysterious...
---
Lord Mhoram offered the following:
Okay - and some are similiar to yours.
Harry's scar is a horcrux. The fabled last word of the book being scar will be something like "And Harry looked into a mirror and saw no scar"
Snape is in fact a deep cover agent, and will have a rather unpleasent death, saving the cause, but the same actions will save Harry, making Harry feel even worse about him and Snape (as after getting Snapes memory of his father).
One of the twins, and at lest 1 other of the Weasly clan will kick off. It would be pure continuing symbolism if it is dear old Dad, and Harry marries Ginny. Harry has beeen thrice orphaned, and loves the Weaslys - if Mr Weasly dies before Harry joins the family it would be sad, put fitting.
One of the major supporting cast (other than the inner circle) kicks it - I'm going for Hagrid or MgGonnigle. It could also be Ginny - depends on how depressing JKR wants to make it - but one of the closest people to Harry goes. Although Lupin just doesn't feel right for this.
---
The Alabama Hick predicts:
I hope the last Harry Potter doesn't degenerate into a shoot-em-up at the end with the "good" guys triumphant and the "bad" guys dead. We'll see if JKR really is another JRRT. I hope the "good" people realize that being "good" means they don't go around killing people - even "bad" ones. Otherwise, what, really, is the difference between the two groups?
Aside from that aside, here are my predictions.
Easy - Arthur Weasley will be the new Minister of Magic. Honest, hardworking, many years of service to the magical community.
Harder - Draco saves Harry or some other major character. Surely we are not destined to repeat the mistakes of our parents. Furthermore, he doesn't die either, but survives and tries to heal the rift between the pure and mud bloods.
Hardest - Snape. I have no idea. Damn that JKR is good!
Seeing as how I've punted on Snape, I'll have to make another prediction. Harry dies in the end. In fact, he never really lived. Harry Potter, the baby, was killed by Voldemort. Voldemort "inadvertently" created a horcrux out of Harry. The spirt of Harry is actually the good nature of Voldemort himself. That is why "neither can live while the other survives." They are the same person and they need to be made whole again. Dumbledore, of course, knew this the whole time. He sincerely cared for young Tom Riddle and wanted to help him. He also cared for older Tom Riddle AKA Voldemort, even after all the trouble.
---
Bob makes a rather cryptic prognostication:
Harry sits at a Dinner. Screen goes black, most think that the cable has "gone Out"
---
I should have my copy of the book in hand a little after midnight. We have to drive an hour away to attend one of the late night book premieres. Has there ever been a midnight release for a book before the Harry Potter series? With a little luck, and perseverance, I should be finished by Sunday. I'd probably be finished Saturday night if I could get up Saturday morning and read straight on through. With a kid and puppy in the house, that's not very likely.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Predicting Harry
The latest movie just debuted, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows hits bookstores in roughly 72 hours, and spoilers have already hit the web. There's only one thing to do: offer our own fearless predictions. I'm inviting everyone to play along. There are only two rules.
1. Make a prediction regarding Harry's ultimate fate.
2. Offer up to three additional predictions for supporting characters, unresolved plot lines, etc.
If you offer your predictions on your own blog, please make note of the prediction in the comments and I'll post a direct link. If you don't have a blog, or don't want to clutter your own cyberspace with Harry Potter predictions, offer your thoughts in the comments and I'll copy/paste to my blog.
For the record, I'm a Harry Potter fan but not a raving lunatic who has read every book a dozen times. I'm read each book once and I'm not about to go back and look at a single thing when making my predictions. Harry Potter is fun for me, not an obsession. Here goes.
The Fate of Harry Potter. It seems crystal clear to me that Harry is actually a horcrux. At the very least, the infamous scar is a horcrux. Voldemort intended to use Harry's murder to create a final horcrux, the spell was disrupted, and V rushed the spell to completion using the materials at hand: Harry Potter. This isn't a very original; I've seen tons of people make a similar observation. Here's my twist: Voldemort's spell had an unintended effect. While Harry is a horcrux of Voldemort, Voldemort is a horcrux of Harry. In the final book, Voldemort will ultimately destroy Harry (with the intention of fixing the spell gone bad and creating a new horcrux via his murder). As Voldemort is a horcrux of Harry, Harry can't be destroyed. Harry's essence springs forth from Voldemort, vanquishing the Dark Lord in the process. Voldemort's desire for immortality turns out to be his downfall.
Fred or George Weasley Must Die. One, but not both, will meet his doom in the final book. The death will be an act of selflessness, an act of sacrifice to protect others. This is what it means to be a Weasley (except for that weasel Percy--what's up with that guy?)
Redeeming Severus Snape. Snape hasn't returned to the Dark Side and he hasn't been a double agent since Voldemort's disappearance. Snape has remained in faithful service to Dumbledore and, in fact, will play a crucial role in defeating the minions of Voldemort. Operating from the inside, Snape will be the crucial piece of grit in the gears. At the end of the book, Snape will be appointed the permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Until a few days ago, I predicted Snape as the the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dr. OneDink and STK convinced me to moderate my position.
Mad Eye Mayhem. A soldier to the very end, Moody won't be around to enjoy the conclusion of the story. He goes down with his eye spinning and his wand blazing.
1. Make a prediction regarding Harry's ultimate fate.
2. Offer up to three additional predictions for supporting characters, unresolved plot lines, etc.
If you offer your predictions on your own blog, please make note of the prediction in the comments and I'll post a direct link. If you don't have a blog, or don't want to clutter your own cyberspace with Harry Potter predictions, offer your thoughts in the comments and I'll copy/paste to my blog.
For the record, I'm a Harry Potter fan but not a raving lunatic who has read every book a dozen times. I'm read each book once and I'm not about to go back and look at a single thing when making my predictions. Harry Potter is fun for me, not an obsession. Here goes.
The Fate of Harry Potter. It seems crystal clear to me that Harry is actually a horcrux. At the very least, the infamous scar is a horcrux. Voldemort intended to use Harry's murder to create a final horcrux, the spell was disrupted, and V rushed the spell to completion using the materials at hand: Harry Potter. This isn't a very original; I've seen tons of people make a similar observation. Here's my twist: Voldemort's spell had an unintended effect. While Harry is a horcrux of Voldemort, Voldemort is a horcrux of Harry. In the final book, Voldemort will ultimately destroy Harry (with the intention of fixing the spell gone bad and creating a new horcrux via his murder). As Voldemort is a horcrux of Harry, Harry can't be destroyed. Harry's essence springs forth from Voldemort, vanquishing the Dark Lord in the process. Voldemort's desire for immortality turns out to be his downfall.
Fred or George Weasley Must Die. One, but not both, will meet his doom in the final book. The death will be an act of selflessness, an act of sacrifice to protect others. This is what it means to be a Weasley (except for that weasel Percy--what's up with that guy?)
Redeeming Severus Snape. Snape hasn't returned to the Dark Side and he hasn't been a double agent since Voldemort's disappearance. Snape has remained in faithful service to Dumbledore and, in fact, will play a crucial role in defeating the minions of Voldemort. Operating from the inside, Snape will be the crucial piece of grit in the gears. At the end of the book, Snape will be appointed the permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Until a few days ago, I predicted Snape as the the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dr. OneDink and STK convinced me to moderate my position.
Mad Eye Mayhem. A soldier to the very end, Moody won't be around to enjoy the conclusion of the story. He goes down with his eye spinning and his wand blazing.
Careful Out There
For all you geek types who frequent geek websites: the end of Harry Potter has apparently been spoiled on the Intertubes. This is not the same spoiler rumor floating around a few weeks back. At least one "spoiler" has scanned, and made available as proof of authenticity, a few pages from the final chapter/epilogue. I'm not going to post the link to the site that's linking to the spoilers. That would be like, well, offering booze to an alcoholic.
I didn't look at the spoilers as we're picking our copy up on Saturday. Any guesses as to what I'll be doing on Saturday and Sunday?
I didn't look at the spoilers as we're picking our copy up on Saturday. Any guesses as to what I'll be doing on Saturday and Sunday?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Focus
Focus,
not on the rudenesses of others,
not on what they've done
or left undone,
but on what you
have & haven't done
yourself.
-Dhammapada, 4, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
not on the rudenesses of others,
not on what they've done
or left undone,
but on what you
have & haven't done
yourself.
-Dhammapada, 4, translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Feast: 151
Friday's Feast: 151*
Appetizer: What is your favorite fruit?
This is a really tough question as I love fruit. Bananas are probably my favorite, but I could also make a case for pears, apples (braeburns or granny smith), or a crunchy peach (crunchy, like an apple. I don't like the consistency of smushy peaches).
Soup: Who is someone you consider as a great role model?
Obi-wan Kenobi. Seriously. Someday, I'll spend an hour or so and put together an essay on why I admire Kenobi so much. He's spiritual, decisive, reflexive, and fallible.
Salad: If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?
In a corn or soybean field, most likely. There's really not much within an hour. We could camp at any number of riverside campgrounds.
Main Course: Name something you do too often.
Complain. I've become the most negative people I know. Not sure what that's about but it needs to change.
Dessert: Fill in the blank: I really like ___________ because ____________.
I really like running because it's the only time I stop thinking.
Appetizer: What is your favorite fruit?
This is a really tough question as I love fruit. Bananas are probably my favorite, but I could also make a case for pears, apples (braeburns or granny smith), or a crunchy peach (crunchy, like an apple. I don't like the consistency of smushy peaches).
Soup: Who is someone you consider as a great role model?
Obi-wan Kenobi. Seriously. Someday, I'll spend an hour or so and put together an essay on why I admire Kenobi so much. He's spiritual, decisive, reflexive, and fallible.
Salad: If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?
In a corn or soybean field, most likely. There's really not much within an hour. We could camp at any number of riverside campgrounds.
Main Course: Name something you do too often.
Complain. I've become the most negative people I know. Not sure what that's about but it needs to change.
Dessert: Fill in the blank: I really like ___________ because ____________.
I really like running because it's the only time I stop thinking.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Indentured Servitude
I read the following quip in a discussion thread at Crooked Timber:
"Grad students are of course subject to feudal rather than modern conceptions of authority."
That is so unbelievably true. When I was a first year graduate student, the department chair approached me and asked me to serve drinks and hors douvres at our school sponsored national convention party. For those not familiar with national academic conventions: it's not unusual for schools of note to throw parties for former graduates, friends of the program, etc. A savvy grad student convention goer can avoid paying a single penny on food if he or she concentrates on getting invites to these exclusive gigs. There aren't many breakfast or lunch parties (or any), but if you can survive on cheese, crackers, fruit, and veggies (maybe even a dessert of some kind) once a day, you'll be a frugal traveler. * Yes, many of the parties have a door person who checks your invite. Unbeknownst to me at the time is that it's common practice to have graduate students act as waitpersons for these events. So, I looked at the department chair and said, "Uh, no." I didn't realize it at the time, but saying "no" is something of a faux pas. As I would discover over the years, graduate students are cheap labor for departments.
Grad students often take on a variety of roles: babysitter, taxi driver, mover, and what not. There's always the role of "research team member." What this means is that graduate students lucky enough to be on a research team spend inordinate amounts of unpaid time--as if they don't have their own research and grading--conducting interviews, administering surveys, and coding texts for a faculty member. Said faculty member than takes the work of the graduate students, writes it up, and publishes it. The grad students get a gratify passing mention in a footnote. I even received mention in an "Acknowledgment."
I think my most vivid memory of grad students as beasts of burden occurred, once again, at a National Convention. Dr OneDink and I were trying to rhetoric our way into some of the big parties when we heard quite a commotion from the other end of the hall. Approaching a rather raucous room (the parties are often held in hotel suites), we were almost run down as a rather distinguished scholar did his best Ben-Hur imitation atop a chariot, er, luggage cart propelled by a handful of giggling female grad students. I may be embellishing the memory, but I believe Ben-Hur tossed his head back and howled with laughter as he zoomed down the hall. I'm almost certain there was a drink in one hand. Or did that go without saying?
*If you're lucky enough to smoke and drink coffee, this is no problem.
"Grad students are of course subject to feudal rather than modern conceptions of authority."
That is so unbelievably true. When I was a first year graduate student, the department chair approached me and asked me to serve drinks and hors douvres at our school sponsored national convention party. For those not familiar with national academic conventions: it's not unusual for schools of note to throw parties for former graduates, friends of the program, etc. A savvy grad student convention goer can avoid paying a single penny on food if he or she concentrates on getting invites to these exclusive gigs. There aren't many breakfast or lunch parties (or any), but if you can survive on cheese, crackers, fruit, and veggies (maybe even a dessert of some kind) once a day, you'll be a frugal traveler. * Yes, many of the parties have a door person who checks your invite. Unbeknownst to me at the time is that it's common practice to have graduate students act as waitpersons for these events. So, I looked at the department chair and said, "Uh, no." I didn't realize it at the time, but saying "no" is something of a faux pas. As I would discover over the years, graduate students are cheap labor for departments.
Grad students often take on a variety of roles: babysitter, taxi driver, mover, and what not. There's always the role of "research team member." What this means is that graduate students lucky enough to be on a research team spend inordinate amounts of unpaid time--as if they don't have their own research and grading--conducting interviews, administering surveys, and coding texts for a faculty member. Said faculty member than takes the work of the graduate students, writes it up, and publishes it. The grad students get a gratify passing mention in a footnote. I even received mention in an "Acknowledgment."
I think my most vivid memory of grad students as beasts of burden occurred, once again, at a National Convention. Dr OneDink and I were trying to rhetoric our way into some of the big parties when we heard quite a commotion from the other end of the hall. Approaching a rather raucous room (the parties are often held in hotel suites), we were almost run down as a rather distinguished scholar did his best Ben-Hur imitation atop a chariot, er, luggage cart propelled by a handful of giggling female grad students. I may be embellishing the memory, but I believe Ben-Hur tossed his head back and howled with laughter as he zoomed down the hall. I'm almost certain there was a drink in one hand. Or did that go without saying?
*If you're lucky enough to smoke and drink coffee, this is no problem.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
On the Road Again . . .
A few odds and end I've been meaning to post.
*We're headed out of town tomorrow for a "quick" jaunt to Bismarck, ND. A is heading off to Iraq later this month and is home visiting his mother, my ex-wife, who now lives in ND. So, 9 hour drive tomorrow, spend the day with A on Saturday, 9 hour drive Sunday to return home. Good thing I love to drive.
*Remember that ankle problem about which I've been complaining for the better part of a year? After cortisone, physical therapy, and reduced impact exercise provided little relief, we finally went with orthotics. I'm running again with very little pain. Do I still hurt a bit after a 7 mile run? Yes, but it's totally manageable. Switching my running schedule to no more than every other day--cross training & weights on "off" days--is also helping. I do have early onset of osteoarthritis in the ankle and there's not a whole heck of a lot that can be done about that. Thankfully, Naproxen takes the edge off on the days when the pain becomes an annoying distraction. My doc has given me the preliminary okay to run a 15K in July and a half marathon in late August. I'm presently up to the 7 mile mark on my long run day and I'm cruising 5-6 miles on moderate days. STK and I are also walking for roughly on hour every morning.
*I finally decided to take the reliable Civic in for some serious preventative maintenance. I'm replacing the clutch (it's been slipping a tiny bit for several years and I finally decided to replace the thing before STK gets stranded during her commute)and a couple valves that may be contributing to an undetermined idle problem (car is still running smoothly but does a slight idle surge at times--the problem has the Honda tech guys stumped). I think there may be a problem with the exhaust system, too. I noticed a new sound a couple days ago that smacks of "hole in muffler" or something. I crawled under the car but couldn't locate the problem myself. Time to leave it up to the pros. All told, I'm probably looking at $1500-2000 in maintenance. Love those cars, eh? Actually, I can't really complain. I've had the car for 12 years and it has 176,000 miles. Would you believe it still gets 45+ miles per gallon? Considering the car has had no serious mechanical problems beyond routine maintenance (belts, hoses, brakes, etc), I'd say I'm still running way in the black ::knocks on wood::
*The puppy, who we pick up on July 23, will be named Malcolm. That's the name TLO seems to like the best. Every time we give him the list of options, he usually says that he likes Mal. Mal it is. I bought Mal a brown collar a few days back. Geek world! Geek world. Party time! Excellent!
*Looks like we're making another run to Colorado around the 2nd of August or so. We need another shot of urban living before heading into the school year.
And with that, I'd better head off to bed. Lot's of driving tomorrow and we can't hit the road until around 3 PM. That means at least a few hours of late night driving. With a bit of luck, we should arrive at our hotel around midnight. I'm not sure we'll have internet access in the hotel so I may be out of internet contact for a couple days. I know all of you are just dying to reach me.
*We're headed out of town tomorrow for a "quick" jaunt to Bismarck, ND. A is heading off to Iraq later this month and is home visiting his mother, my ex-wife, who now lives in ND. So, 9 hour drive tomorrow, spend the day with A on Saturday, 9 hour drive Sunday to return home. Good thing I love to drive.
*Remember that ankle problem about which I've been complaining for the better part of a year? After cortisone, physical therapy, and reduced impact exercise provided little relief, we finally went with orthotics. I'm running again with very little pain. Do I still hurt a bit after a 7 mile run? Yes, but it's totally manageable. Switching my running schedule to no more than every other day--cross training & weights on "off" days--is also helping. I do have early onset of osteoarthritis in the ankle and there's not a whole heck of a lot that can be done about that. Thankfully, Naproxen takes the edge off on the days when the pain becomes an annoying distraction. My doc has given me the preliminary okay to run a 15K in July and a half marathon in late August. I'm presently up to the 7 mile mark on my long run day and I'm cruising 5-6 miles on moderate days. STK and I are also walking for roughly on hour every morning.
*I finally decided to take the reliable Civic in for some serious preventative maintenance. I'm replacing the clutch (it's been slipping a tiny bit for several years and I finally decided to replace the thing before STK gets stranded during her commute)and a couple valves that may be contributing to an undetermined idle problem (car is still running smoothly but does a slight idle surge at times--the problem has the Honda tech guys stumped). I think there may be a problem with the exhaust system, too. I noticed a new sound a couple days ago that smacks of "hole in muffler" or something. I crawled under the car but couldn't locate the problem myself. Time to leave it up to the pros. All told, I'm probably looking at $1500-2000 in maintenance. Love those cars, eh? Actually, I can't really complain. I've had the car for 12 years and it has 176,000 miles. Would you believe it still gets 45+ miles per gallon? Considering the car has had no serious mechanical problems beyond routine maintenance (belts, hoses, brakes, etc), I'd say I'm still running way in the black ::knocks on wood::
*The puppy, who we pick up on July 23, will be named Malcolm. That's the name TLO seems to like the best. Every time we give him the list of options, he usually says that he likes Mal. Mal it is. I bought Mal a brown collar a few days back. Geek world! Geek world. Party time! Excellent!
*Looks like we're making another run to Colorado around the 2nd of August or so. We need another shot of urban living before heading into the school year.
And with that, I'd better head off to bed. Lot's of driving tomorrow and we can't hit the road until around 3 PM. That means at least a few hours of late night driving. With a bit of luck, we should arrive at our hotel around midnight. I'm not sure we'll have internet access in the hotel so I may be out of internet contact for a couple days. I know all of you are just dying to reach me.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Weekly Reader: Mikhail, Mammoths, and Movie Merchandising
Mikhail Bakhtin. Good read on Bakhtin, a theorist who popped up frequently in my dissertation. The guy rolled cigarettes with some of his philosophical musings. Now that's an addiction.
Mammoths to Return? Paleolithic Park, anyone?
Movie Merchandising. Check out the #1 great moment in merchandising history. You don't know the power of the dark side! Speaking of merchandising, STK and I took in the 2.5 hour Transformers commercial over the 4th . . . and freaking loved it! Plot was light, effects were fantastic, and the entire experience was fun, fun, fun. We had so much fun that we'll probably see this in the theater for a second time. I haven't done that since a Star Wars movie. Would you believe I even got a little weepy eyed when Optimus talked about the importance of protecting humanity?
Mammoths to Return? Paleolithic Park, anyone?
Movie Merchandising. Check out the #1 great moment in merchandising history. You don't know the power of the dark side! Speaking of merchandising, STK and I took in the 2.5 hour Transformers commercial over the 4th . . . and freaking loved it! Plot was light, effects were fantastic, and the entire experience was fun, fun, fun. We had so much fun that we'll probably see this in the theater for a second time. I haven't done that since a Star Wars movie. Would you believe I even got a little weepy eyed when Optimus talked about the importance of protecting humanity?
No Respect
Just when I thought I couldn't despise this president any more, he pulls yet another freakin' stunt.
Commuting Libby.
Paris Hilton serves three weeks for violating parole. Libby serves zero time for committing perjury in a case involving the intentional leak of a CIA operative's identity. Unfreakinbelievable.
Commuting Libby.
Paris Hilton serves three weeks for violating parole. Libby serves zero time for committing perjury in a case involving the intentional leak of a CIA operative's identity. Unfreakinbelievable.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Uh, No
Had a student request a Saturday meeting as a result of her poor planning. Any guesses as to my response?
Feast
Friday's Feast for Friday, 29 June 2007
Appetizer--How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
Varies from day to day but on a light day I wear 14 pieces of jewelry: 9 piercings, 4 rings, and a necklace. I'm not counting my wrist jellies--I typically wear 3 on the left wrist and 7 on the right.
Soup--What is your favorite instrumental song?
Great question. I'll skip the classics and go with something more poppy: the theme from Star Trek: DS9.
Salad--Who has a last name that you like?
Obi-wan Kenobi.
Main Course--Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.
Titanic. I won't see anything that unseated Star Wars as the biggest money maker of all time. Want to know how it ends? The boat sinks.
Dessert--Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________.
Nothing makes me excited like finding out about new Star Wars projects.
Appetizer--How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
Varies from day to day but on a light day I wear 14 pieces of jewelry: 9 piercings, 4 rings, and a necklace. I'm not counting my wrist jellies--I typically wear 3 on the left wrist and 7 on the right.
Soup--What is your favorite instrumental song?
Great question. I'll skip the classics and go with something more poppy: the theme from Star Trek: DS9.
Salad--Who has a last name that you like?
Obi-wan Kenobi.
Main Course--Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.
Titanic. I won't see anything that unseated Star Wars as the biggest money maker of all time. Want to know how it ends? The boat sinks.
Dessert--Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________.
Nothing makes me excited like finding out about new Star Wars projects.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Dog Days
I've been suffering from a great deal of guilt the last couple weeks. Dargo, the dog we rescued a few months back, made it quite clear that we weren't the family for him. Despite months of trying to help him feel more at home--months of kitchen messes, chewed toys, and wrecked crates--it finally became apparent he needed a home with an outdoor kennel or people who are home most of the time. A couple months ago everything seemed to be going well. Within the last six weeks, however, his destructive behavior escalated to the point that we were concerned he was going to tear up the kitchen floor, chew the cabinets, etc. So, Dargo returned to the rescue from whence he came. And I feel awful about it. I know it was the right thing to do, but I just feel terrible. He was an awesome dog . . . when we were home. The foster person at the rescue reminded me that they'd find him a more appropriate home and that he won't be euthanized. Thank goodness for folks who care, I suppose.
On a far more positive note, we stumbled across a new puppy. One of my students heard about the recent dog difficulties and connected us with a local family trying to get rid of puppies. The puppies--yellow lab and black farm dog mutt mix--will be ready for pick up in a little under a month. While puppies are definitely frustrating, we'll at least have a hand in training this dog from the outset and the kind of long term destructiveness issues we encountered with Dargo are highly unlikely. Yes, we'll have to deal with house training, a chewed shoe or two, and dominance issues with TLO. After a full year, however, most of those problems will dissipate with consistent training. That's something we couldn't provide Dargo; at two years of age, there were some behavioral issues that weren't ever going to change.
So, while we're sad at one departure we're looking forward to a new arrival. We picked a male puppy that has a black coat with just a wisp of white on his chest and chin (kind of looks like my tiny little soul patch). Leading contenders for names include:
Malcolm (he'd be called Mal)
Kaladi (Kal, for short. A nod to my favorite coffee house and Superman's Kryptonian name)
Severus (my present favorite)
On a far more positive note, we stumbled across a new puppy. One of my students heard about the recent dog difficulties and connected us with a local family trying to get rid of puppies. The puppies--yellow lab and black farm dog mutt mix--will be ready for pick up in a little under a month. While puppies are definitely frustrating, we'll at least have a hand in training this dog from the outset and the kind of long term destructiveness issues we encountered with Dargo are highly unlikely. Yes, we'll have to deal with house training, a chewed shoe or two, and dominance issues with TLO. After a full year, however, most of those problems will dissipate with consistent training. That's something we couldn't provide Dargo; at two years of age, there were some behavioral issues that weren't ever going to change.
So, while we're sad at one departure we're looking forward to a new arrival. We picked a male puppy that has a black coat with just a wisp of white on his chest and chin (kind of looks like my tiny little soul patch). Leading contenders for names include:
Malcolm (he'd be called Mal)
Kaladi (Kal, for short. A nod to my favorite coffee house and Superman's Kryptonian name)
Severus (my present favorite)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Listen up, you primitive screwheads.
Bruce Campbell alert! Bruce is co-starring in a new show on USA Network:*
Burn Notice.
While I'm a huge fan of USA programming--Monk, Psych, 4400, Dead Zone--I really didn't have much interest in this show until I found out, just minutes ago, that Bruce Campbell is part of the cast. This has now risen to "Must See" status.
Hail to the king, baby.
Burn Notice.
While I'm a huge fan of USA programming--Monk, Psych, 4400, Dead Zone--I really didn't have much interest in this show until I found out, just minutes ago, that Bruce Campbell is part of the cast. This has now risen to "Must See" status.
Hail to the king, baby.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Returned
We drove into the garage around 4 AM this morning, thus completing our two week Colorado journey. This is probably the last time we'll do the 16 hour drive straight through. I don't know if we're getting old or what, but we were really dragging the last couple hours. Would you believe two weeks wasn't enough time to do everything we wanted to do? Despite missing out on Fashion Nation, the new location of the Tattered Cover/Twist & Shout, the Botanic Gardens, and the newly renovated art museum, we did spend tons of time with friends and family. Some of the highlights of the trip follow.
- Kaladi Bros, Kaladi Bros, and more Kaladi Bros. As STK's folks live less than five minutes from the coffee house, you can bet I made multiple stops every single day.
- Finally meeting Nancy, Michael's wife. Michael finally meeting TLO. TLO's middle name is Michael. The connection is intentional.
- Spending a ton of time with M, C, and their little one, R. If anything happens to STK and I--knock on wood--TLO will live with M & C.
- Quality family time. No major disagreements. This trip was, without a doubt, the most pleasant time I've spent with my family as an adult.
- The VNV Nation show. I will never understand why people find the "live" performance of computerized electronic music all that engaging--three songs into the show I was kicking myself for not bring a book--but it was awesome to see all our long lost friends. Totally worth the price of admission. For the record: I really like listening/dancing to VNV Nation, but I won't ever see them "live" again. It's too much like watching the lead singer do karaoke to his own album.
- TLO's birthday and Father's Day fell on the same day. For Father's Day, I went for a long 7.5 mile run and then shuffled off to--you guessed it--Kaladi Bros! By the time I returned home from Kaladi Bros, TLO's birthday brunch was set to begin. STK's family showered TLO with good food, gifts, and more attention than he could handle. We repeated the ritual later that afternoon with my folks. Birthday cake twice in one day? Heaven!
- Tattoos. STK and I made what has become our annual pilgrimage to see Jen at Mantra Tattoo. STK finally took the plunge and inked a piece she designed over the course of the last year. Stretching across the top of her back, the piece took almost three hours. My piece, a small triskele on my left wrist, took less than an hour. I'll post pics when the healing process if finishing.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Bushwhacked!
Yes, it's been even longer than usual in terms of my sporadic updates. The lack of posts is not without reason, however. First, we're in the middle of a two week foray to the homeland: Colorful Colorado! Second, and this is really why I haven't been able to post for several days, is that I had a rather stupid accident roughly nine days ago.
While trimming the hedges with an electric trimmer, I somehow managed to mistake my left index finger and thumb for a piece of shrubbery. For the record, human flesh does not provide the same amount of resistance as wood. When the accident occured, I leapt out of the shrubs shouting a very loud "frak!", peered down at my mangled fingers, and shouted to STK that we should head to the Emergency Room post haste. Unfortunately, I do not do well with my own blood. I'll save all the gory details but I came extremely close to passing out while STK raced us to the hospital.
No permanent damage, but a bunch of painful stitches. I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing my fingers will be--they were pretty torn up--but they will be fully functional.* And that's what counts. When I sat in the emergency room, not knowing the full extent of the damage, I feared some kind of long-lasting damage. I'm damn lucky I didn't lose a finger.
As we left the Emergency Room, my fingers pieced together and wrapped up in pressure bandages that looked like white dill pickes, I turned to STK and said, "If this isn't an excellent argument for hiring someone to do the hedgues, I don't know what is."
*I could finally type with no pain yesterday. Stitches will come out in a little under a week.
While trimming the hedges with an electric trimmer, I somehow managed to mistake my left index finger and thumb for a piece of shrubbery. For the record, human flesh does not provide the same amount of resistance as wood. When the accident occured, I leapt out of the shrubs shouting a very loud "frak!", peered down at my mangled fingers, and shouted to STK that we should head to the Emergency Room post haste. Unfortunately, I do not do well with my own blood. I'll save all the gory details but I came extremely close to passing out while STK raced us to the hospital.
No permanent damage, but a bunch of painful stitches. I'm not sure how aesthetically pleasing my fingers will be--they were pretty torn up--but they will be fully functional.* And that's what counts. When I sat in the emergency room, not knowing the full extent of the damage, I feared some kind of long-lasting damage. I'm damn lucky I didn't lose a finger.
As we left the Emergency Room, my fingers pieced together and wrapped up in pressure bandages that looked like white dill pickes, I turned to STK and said, "If this isn't an excellent argument for hiring someone to do the hedgues, I don't know what is."
*I could finally type with no pain yesterday. Stitches will come out in a little under a week.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Revvin up the Powerful Mach 5
Anyone remember the old Speed Racer cartoon? I used to love this show!
The Wachowski brothers, of Matrix fame, are apparently making a live action version of the gig. Check out the cool photo of the Mach 5.
I'm not a huge fan of this recycle all the old movies/television shows trend we're seeing in Hollywood, but I have to admit I'm intrigued enough by this idea to give it a look see.
Go, Speed Racer! Go!
The Wachowski brothers, of Matrix fame, are apparently making a live action version of the gig. Check out the cool photo of the Mach 5.
I'm not a huge fan of this recycle all the old movies/television shows trend we're seeing in Hollywood, but I have to admit I'm intrigued enough by this idea to give it a look see.
Go, Speed Racer! Go!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
iTunage
Here's a question for all the music geeks: what's the dealio on burning copies of an album purchased from iTunes? Once I "buy" the digital copy, do I have unfettered access to making CD copies for my car? Can I burn a "regular" audio CD that will play in my car? The reason I ask is that I'm pretty tough on car CDs and it's not uncommon to trash a CD within a year or two. I'd rather buy my music via CD, but we live in a remote location and if you want anything other than pretty mainstream stuff it's mail order only. Given that theStart is putting out a new CD on Tuesday and I have no way of getting the album here in town, I thought I'd check out the iTunes thing.
UPDATE: Nevermind. I checked the iTunes Help file and found my answer. Seems like a pretty easy process and I can burn the album 7 times. What's to keep me from burning an audio disc, then taking the disc and ripping a copy on another computer? Will that copy have some kind of anti-copying protection? This is all so ridiculous to me. If I buy the album, I should be able to burn as many personal copies as I see fit. Whatever happened to the days of recording a vinyl album to cassette tape?
UPDATE: Nevermind. I checked the iTunes Help file and found my answer. Seems like a pretty easy process and I can burn the album 7 times. What's to keep me from burning an audio disc, then taking the disc and ripping a copy on another computer? Will that copy have some kind of anti-copying protection? This is all so ridiculous to me. If I buy the album, I should be able to burn as many personal copies as I see fit. Whatever happened to the days of recording a vinyl album to cassette tape?
Monday, May 28, 2007
Conversation Realities: Nuts
Me: I've had just about enough of this behavior. You're driving me nuts!
TLO: Peanuts!
Me: No, not peanuts. Not the kind of nuts you can eat, but nuts as in insane.
TLO: Peanuts!
::STK just laughs at the entire exchange::
TLO: Peanuts!
Me: No, not peanuts. Not the kind of nuts you can eat, but nuts as in insane.
TLO: Peanuts!
::STK just laughs at the entire exchange::
Monday, May 21, 2007
Worst 416 Weeks Ever
Carter, a Democrat, said on Saturday in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that "as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history."
Are the Democrats paying attention to Carter? This is how you go about taking a President to task. Carter may have been a below average President, but I'd say he's achieved the "Excellent" level as a humanitarian.
UPDATE: After reflecting on this article further, I can't believe the White House is characterizing a Nobel Peace Prize winner as "increasingly irrelevant." Typical. Anybody who disagrees with or criticizes this administration is apparently irrelevant, including the majority of US American citizens.
Are the Democrats paying attention to Carter? This is how you go about taking a President to task. Carter may have been a below average President, but I'd say he's achieved the "Excellent" level as a humanitarian.
UPDATE: After reflecting on this article further, I can't believe the White House is characterizing a Nobel Peace Prize winner as "increasingly irrelevant." Typical. Anybody who disagrees with or criticizes this administration is apparently irrelevant, including the majority of US American citizens.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Pitching, Peruvian Calendar, and Pop Culture Prof
Pitching. Why wouldn't major league owners, managers, and pitching coaches be all over this guy? A significant reduction in pitching injures would benefit everyone. Something doesn't align correctly.
Peruvian Calendar. More proof that we're not as advanced as we like to think. Ancient civilizations were far more advanced than we give credit. We have some fancy new gadgets with which to do the calculations, but an understanding of the science has been around for millennia. Peru, particularly Machu Picchu, is on my Must See In This Lifetime list.
Popular Culture Ambassador. I'm not sure if I'd love or hate being this popular. While it would be cool to be viewed as the expert in a given field, who the heck wouldn't go crazy from 80 phone calls a day? Yikes.
Peruvian Calendar. More proof that we're not as advanced as we like to think. Ancient civilizations were far more advanced than we give credit. We have some fancy new gadgets with which to do the calculations, but an understanding of the science has been around for millennia. Peru, particularly Machu Picchu, is on my Must See In This Lifetime list.
Popular Culture Ambassador. I'm not sure if I'd love or hate being this popular. While it would be cool to be viewed as the expert in a given field, who the heck wouldn't go crazy from 80 phone calls a day? Yikes.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Mr. Adams, dear Mr. Adams
The new John Adams coin entered circulation today.
Guess who's going to the bank tomorrow to pick up a $25 roll?
Guess who's going to the bank tomorrow to pick up a $25 roll?
The Case of the Suspicious File
Team teaching presents some interesting challenges. For instance, a student who is notorious for missing deadlines claims a missing paper was submitted to my colleague. Said college says the paper was never submitted. Good guy that I am, I approach the student in class and ask that another copy of the paper be sent to me via email attachment. Immediately. A day goes by and still no paper. I email said student with a friendly reminder. Nothing.* Four days after the final exam, nine days from the original request, I receive an email attachment of the paper. Typically, I'd just enter a zero in the grade book for a late paper. But, seeing that I'm team teaching and I don't know whether said colleague really received paper (and proceeded to misplace it--something that has happened with some regularity this semester) or not, I'm in something of a quandry. The stuff with my colleague aside, something doesn't feel right about the paper; I don my sleuth hat and get to work.
A quick check of the paper's electronic "Properties" reveals potential evidence of chicanery. According to the "Properties" of the file, the paper was created yesterday and edit time was roughly two hours. The elapsed editing time from moment of creation to moment of last modification and emailing to me matches up perfectly. I suspect this paper was written the day it was emailed to me.
Do I enter the zero, accept the paper as late and dock it points, or simply accept the paper as legit and grade accordingly? I'm almost positive this thing was written yesterday, but I suppose I could be wrong. If the student wrote the paper in another format and converted the file all the "Properties" data would change. Still, the edit time would apply to the newly created/converted file, right?
With the exception of this remaining file, all my grading is complete. I'm waiting to here from another colleague with whom I team taught--not the one from the above narrative--to make sure we're in agreement on final grades. I'm essentially finished one day ahead of schedule. w00t!
*This is atypical behavior for me. I believe students are adults and should be treated as such. Don't heed my call for another copy? Fine. Natural consequences = zero.
A quick check of the paper's electronic "Properties" reveals potential evidence of chicanery. According to the "Properties" of the file, the paper was created yesterday and edit time was roughly two hours. The elapsed editing time from moment of creation to moment of last modification and emailing to me matches up perfectly. I suspect this paper was written the day it was emailed to me.
Do I enter the zero, accept the paper as late and dock it points, or simply accept the paper as legit and grade accordingly? I'm almost positive this thing was written yesterday, but I suppose I could be wrong. If the student wrote the paper in another format and converted the file all the "Properties" data would change. Still, the edit time would apply to the newly created/converted file, right?
With the exception of this remaining file, all my grading is complete. I'm waiting to here from another colleague with whom I team taught--not the one from the above narrative--to make sure we're in agreement on final grades. I'm essentially finished one day ahead of schedule. w00t!
*This is atypical behavior for me. I believe students are adults and should be treated as such. Don't heed my call for another copy? Fine. Natural consequences = zero.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Fragments
I'm scattered every which way for the next few days. This post reflects that state of mind.
Another semester should be in the books by no later than Friday. Two sections of final exams graded--one left tomorrow AM. For any number of reasons this has been a semester to put behind me. Starting in the fall, I focus all my attention on teaching classes in my area of specialization.
A colleague defined me as little more than a novelty yesterday afternoon. I'm the new guy on campus, according to this particular prof, and my current popular status will soon wane. In five years, when my classes are still drawing students at the same rate, I plan on serving a big ol' platter of crow.
I unleashed the rhetorical black boot on a neighbor two days ago. While walking the dog, our neighbor's yellow lab came flying out the garage, down the driveway, into the street, went straight for Dargo*, and landed a couple substantial bites. I immediately went at the lab and managed to back him down. By that time, the neighbor ran out of the house and grabbed the dog. My response: "Jesus Christ! Get your dog on a goddamn leash. Fucking A!" Neighbor: "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
*Dargo is chocolate lab/Chesapeake retriever mix that we adopted in February. I haven't blogged about him because, quite frankly, we didn't know whether he would remain a member of our household. He was easy enough to house train, but he's a real pistol when it comes to confinement. We tried crate training and he ripped the metal door right off the crate. We finally figured out how to barricade him in the kitchen without too much trouble. If we leave anything within his reach--a newspaper, a paper bag, a plastic water jug--it's destroyed when we return home. When we're at home, not a problem. Go figure. Anyway, we've decided we'll work out any remaining problems over time. He's great with G and that's the most important thing.
Another semester should be in the books by no later than Friday. Two sections of final exams graded--one left tomorrow AM. For any number of reasons this has been a semester to put behind me. Starting in the fall, I focus all my attention on teaching classes in my area of specialization.
A colleague defined me as little more than a novelty yesterday afternoon. I'm the new guy on campus, according to this particular prof, and my current popular status will soon wane. In five years, when my classes are still drawing students at the same rate, I plan on serving a big ol' platter of crow.
I unleashed the rhetorical black boot on a neighbor two days ago. While walking the dog, our neighbor's yellow lab came flying out the garage, down the driveway, into the street, went straight for Dargo*, and landed a couple substantial bites. I immediately went at the lab and managed to back him down. By that time, the neighbor ran out of the house and grabbed the dog. My response: "Jesus Christ! Get your dog on a goddamn leash. Fucking A!" Neighbor: "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
*Dargo is chocolate lab/Chesapeake retriever mix that we adopted in February. I haven't blogged about him because, quite frankly, we didn't know whether he would remain a member of our household. He was easy enough to house train, but he's a real pistol when it comes to confinement. We tried crate training and he ripped the metal door right off the crate. We finally figured out how to barricade him in the kitchen without too much trouble. If we leave anything within his reach--a newspaper, a paper bag, a plastic water jug--it's destroyed when we return home. When we're at home, not a problem. Go figure. Anyway, we've decided we'll work out any remaining problems over time. He's great with G and that's the most important thing.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Tiger, You Just Hit the Jackpot . . .
And then some.
I absolutely love comic books but this kind of blatant sexism drives me up a frelling wall. Seriously. Shall we count the problems with this maquette?
1. Objectification. MJ has always been sexually objectified but this takes the cake. Check out those low ride jeans! If they were any lower on MJ's hips we'd have intimate knowledge of her shaving habits. Do I even need to make a comment about the thong? She has enough cleavage to set off Peter's spider-sense. Those things would be a real danger when Peter and MJ . . . Do I need to spell it out?
2. Trivialization. Good to know that a strong character like MJ knows her place: in the laundry room. Way to wash out those Spider-tights. Did you catch the June Cleaver pearls around her neck. Torn hip huggers and pearls? Who comes up with this crap?
3. Dehumanization. That pose suggests doing something and it ain't laundry. For all you minors out there, that's what we call a porno pose. Is MJ starring in adult films, now? There's nothing human about MJ--she's a sex toy.
I could go on and on and on but others have been doing so for days. Suffice it to say that when I see something like this, I give some real thought to whether or not this is an industry I wish to support with my money.
I absolutely love comic books but this kind of blatant sexism drives me up a frelling wall. Seriously. Shall we count the problems with this maquette?
1. Objectification. MJ has always been sexually objectified but this takes the cake. Check out those low ride jeans! If they were any lower on MJ's hips we'd have intimate knowledge of her shaving habits. Do I even need to make a comment about the thong? She has enough cleavage to set off Peter's spider-sense. Those things would be a real danger when Peter and MJ . . . Do I need to spell it out?
2. Trivialization. Good to know that a strong character like MJ knows her place: in the laundry room. Way to wash out those Spider-tights. Did you catch the June Cleaver pearls around her neck. Torn hip huggers and pearls? Who comes up with this crap?
3. Dehumanization. That pose suggests doing something and it ain't laundry. For all you minors out there, that's what we call a porno pose. Is MJ starring in adult films, now? There's nothing human about MJ--she's a sex toy.
I could go on and on and on but others have been doing so for days. Suffice it to say that when I see something like this, I give some real thought to whether or not this is an industry I wish to support with my money.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Weekly Reader: Cubs, Commander Guy, and Cool Looking Phones
Cubs. Watch out! The Chicago Cubs are above .500 and ready to pounce on their National League Central rivals the Milwaukee Brewers. Of course, the Cubs will probably lose the next five straight just to make my life miserable. Still, the five game winning streak has been a nice salve to the nasty wound I received from the Nuggets. Freakin' team. I hate how they break my heart every. damn. year. Give me the summer to recuperate and I'll be praising Kenyon Martin's return as the move that will vault the Nuggets into true contender status. I'm such a sucker.
Commander Guy. Decider guy. Commander guy. I have no clue guy. I've been trying to avoid the realm of politics and the Iraq war these days. My son, A, heads for his tour of duty in late July and every time I read a report about casualties, I wince a little. Whenever I think about Commander Guy running the show . . . man, I don't know what to think. Fuck war. What a stupid way to solve problems.
Cool Looking Phones. A phone as a fashion accessory, eh? I am so behind the times. I use my cell phone to make myself available to TLO's daycare and STK, not to look cool. I can't take pictures, surf the web, or any of that fancy stuff. I have to admit, though, that when I flip my phone open I sometimes make the Star Trek communicator sound in my head and have an overwhelming urge to say, "Stevens to Valiant. One to beam up."
Commander Guy. Decider guy. Commander guy. I have no clue guy. I've been trying to avoid the realm of politics and the Iraq war these days. My son, A, heads for his tour of duty in late July and every time I read a report about casualties, I wince a little. Whenever I think about Commander Guy running the show . . . man, I don't know what to think. Fuck war. What a stupid way to solve problems.
Cool Looking Phones. A phone as a fashion accessory, eh? I am so behind the times. I use my cell phone to make myself available to TLO's daycare and STK, not to look cool. I can't take pictures, surf the web, or any of that fancy stuff. I have to admit, though, that when I flip my phone open I sometimes make the Star Trek communicator sound in my head and have an overwhelming urge to say, "Stevens to Valiant. One to beam up."
Friday, May 04, 2007
What does it Mean?
Yesterday, while TLO and I were taking our morning nap, I had a weird dream. The fact that I even remembered a dream is weird enough--I rarely remember my dreams--but the content made absolutely no sense.
The dream took place in our present abode. As TLO and I walked up the stairs to the second floor, Gene leaned over the rail and said, "hello." He was holding a cheap bakery cake (chocolate, white frosting, chocolate sprinkles sitting on a black plastic plate and covered with a clear plastic shield) in one hand and a black stealth cell phone in the other. The cell phone looked like it was made out of the material from a stealth fighter, complete with all the non-right angles.
And that was the dream. I'm still scratching my head over that one.
The dream took place in our present abode. As TLO and I walked up the stairs to the second floor, Gene leaned over the rail and said, "hello." He was holding a cheap bakery cake (chocolate, white frosting, chocolate sprinkles sitting on a black plastic plate and covered with a clear plastic shield) in one hand and a black stealth cell phone in the other. The cell phone looked like it was made out of the material from a stealth fighter, complete with all the non-right angles.
And that was the dream. I'm still scratching my head over that one.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Avalanche!
Ever have a week or two where everything comes crashing down at once? Not in a bad way, but just so much going on that you feel like you absolutely cannot get caught up in any facet of your life? That's me. It started last week with Episode III: Revenge of TLO's Pneumonia--he stayed sick for the better part of a week. STK and I scrambled to make work arrangements that minimized our absence from the classroom. Thankfully, I'm team teaching two classes this semester and only had to cancel one class despite the fact that I was home with TLO for two full days.
With classes wrapping up a week from Thursday, I'm swamped at school. The moment I finish grading papers, another wave comes crashing into my office. 50 papers and 16 speeches will need grading this weekend. Yippee! Time to earn my pay, I suppose. With the exception of midterm, the rest of the semester is very manageable. Four weeks of craziness and eleven weeks of manageable. Not all that bad. If everything goes as planned, I should be finished with final grades and all by Friday, May 18.
Back to the grading!
Before I forget, Happy Beltane!
With classes wrapping up a week from Thursday, I'm swamped at school. The moment I finish grading papers, another wave comes crashing into my office. 50 papers and 16 speeches will need grading this weekend. Yippee! Time to earn my pay, I suppose. With the exception of midterm, the rest of the semester is very manageable. Four weeks of craziness and eleven weeks of manageable. Not all that bad. If everything goes as planned, I should be finished with final grades and all by Friday, May 18.
Back to the grading!
Before I forget, Happy Beltane!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
WTF Department: Drive Cancelled?
While cruising my normal popular culture websites, I ran into a disturbing article: the lovely dolts at Fox have given Drive the ax after what amounts to four episodes. Let me repeat that: four episodes. Another halfway smart and engaging television series thrown on the scrap heap before it can gain any momentum. What is wrong with people? How is it that crap like American Idol and Dancing with the Has Beens can pull in the ratings and anything that's remotely interesting can't? Seriously, I'm not that out of touch with the rest of our culture, but I just can't figure out the viewing tastes, or lack thereof, of the US American audience. I think I'll quit trying to watch shows on a first run basis and do everything via Netflix. It's not even worth my time to try and support anything new on the major networks.
UPDATE: Found the following while perusing the Talk Back at Ain't it Cool News. Read 'em. Memorize 'em. chromedome speaks nothing but the truth.
1) Fox doesn't care about you
2) Fox will screw you over every chance they get
3) Never EVER pay attention to a new Fox show until it is well into its second season
4) Watch other networks at every opportunity
5) Support Sponsors of Shows that are given a fair shot (these will NOT be on Fox)
6) Post your concerns on Message Boards, sign petitions for your own venting, but see rule 1 above
7) Minear should read these rules. ANYONE ELSE BUT FOX, TIM!!*
*Minear, the man behind Drive, was also involved with Angel and Wonderfalls. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know how much I've enjoyed all his projects. Sorry, Tim.
UPDATE: Found the following while perusing the Talk Back at Ain't it Cool News. Read 'em. Memorize 'em. chromedome speaks nothing but the truth.
1) Fox doesn't care about you
2) Fox will screw you over every chance they get
3) Never EVER pay attention to a new Fox show until it is well into its second season
4) Watch other networks at every opportunity
5) Support Sponsors of Shows that are given a fair shot (these will NOT be on Fox)
6) Post your concerns on Message Boards, sign petitions for your own venting, but see rule 1 above
7) Minear should read these rules. ANYONE ELSE BUT FOX, TIM!!*
*Minear, the man behind Drive, was also involved with Angel and Wonderfalls. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know how much I've enjoyed all his projects. Sorry, Tim.
Freeze Meister
A student emailed and asked for an extension on a paper. A friend from high school died and the student was rather shocked to hear the news. No travel to a funeral or anything, but not able to do any work. I rejected the request for an extension. Am I being cold and callous or are there times in our lives when we need to deal with tragedy and continue on with our day to day affairs?
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Thoughts of Death
Infected with the plague that incapacitated my family a few days earlier, I spent Monday night tossing, turning, trying to sleep. Sweating, yet wracked with the chills, I spent a good two hours half listening to the Coast to Coast AM discussion of the Virginia Tech tragedy. As if that wasn't enough death for one day, STK and I had watched the concluding episode of Six Feet Under just a few hours earlier. Somewhere in the intersecting chaos of my thoughts regarding Virginia Tech, Six Feet Under, and death in general, inspiration struck. This kind of thing happens to me from time to time, particularly in terms of academics. I'm in that state where I'm not really asleep, but not totally awake. I'm tossing/turning/making myself hold still/breathing deeply, not really aware of exactly what's going on except for the fact that I can't sleep, and the idea/solution pops into my head. 12 years ago I solved a major case of writer's block on my MA thesis. Three years ago I fixed an an organizational problem with a dissertation chapter. A few nights back, I think I stumbled on a book worthy idea.
The idea revolves around the way we conceptualize, and engage in public discourse (not the rhetoric focus), about death. According to a number of philosophers/theorists (Derrida, Levinas, Heidegger, etc.), our beliefs regarding death influence our subjectivity significantly. In other words, the way we interpret/constitute notions of death will significantly influence the way we live; the way we live will significantly influence our beliefs regarding death. I'm not doing the concept of subjectivity, or death, justice with my current musings but I'll get it down in time. So, the theory part of the book would concentrate on unpacking various theorists (Starhawk and The Pagan Book of Living and Dying will make an appearance somewhere along the line) and their thoughts on the relationship between death and subjectivity. My role as a theorist/academic becomes prominent when I take these philosophical musings and illuminate the implications for the way we communicate subjectivity in various and sundry ways. If my work continues its current direction, I'll likely pursue a discussion of how our public discourses regarding death implicate a communicative ethic.
Having put forth the basic theory, the subsequent chapters would explore several case studies of public discussions of death. One chapter might focus on the constitution of death/dying/life in television shows, another might focus on the refusal on the part of the Bush administration to allow photographs of soldiers' coffins. One of the chapters would definitely focus on public discourse surrounding major tragedy (Virginia Tech or Columbine).
Inspiration strikes, maybe? Once the semester is finished--only fourteen days of class remain--I'll seek out the advice of a mentor or two and see what happens.
In the mean time, my department chair is encouraging me to submit one of my present research projects as a potential presentation for a campus wide lecture series. The series revolves around the question: "What is a text?" Typically, lectures in this series revolve around literary works, classic and contemporary. My work suggests a need to redefine text, or at least consider why some texts are designated "legitimate" while others or not. I'm sure some of the English folks on our campus would roll their eyes at the idea of my work being included in the series, which is why I'll probably submit a proposal. I'll write something up this week and see what happens.
The idea revolves around the way we conceptualize, and engage in public discourse (not the rhetoric focus), about death. According to a number of philosophers/theorists (Derrida, Levinas, Heidegger, etc.), our beliefs regarding death influence our subjectivity significantly. In other words, the way we interpret/constitute notions of death will significantly influence the way we live; the way we live will significantly influence our beliefs regarding death. I'm not doing the concept of subjectivity, or death, justice with my current musings but I'll get it down in time. So, the theory part of the book would concentrate on unpacking various theorists (Starhawk and The Pagan Book of Living and Dying will make an appearance somewhere along the line) and their thoughts on the relationship between death and subjectivity. My role as a theorist/academic becomes prominent when I take these philosophical musings and illuminate the implications for the way we communicate subjectivity in various and sundry ways. If my work continues its current direction, I'll likely pursue a discussion of how our public discourses regarding death implicate a communicative ethic.
Having put forth the basic theory, the subsequent chapters would explore several case studies of public discussions of death. One chapter might focus on the constitution of death/dying/life in television shows, another might focus on the refusal on the part of the Bush administration to allow photographs of soldiers' coffins. One of the chapters would definitely focus on public discourse surrounding major tragedy (Virginia Tech or Columbine).
Inspiration strikes, maybe? Once the semester is finished--only fourteen days of class remain--I'll seek out the advice of a mentor or two and see what happens.
In the mean time, my department chair is encouraging me to submit one of my present research projects as a potential presentation for a campus wide lecture series. The series revolves around the question: "What is a text?" Typically, lectures in this series revolve around literary works, classic and contemporary. My work suggests a need to redefine text, or at least consider why some texts are designated "legitimate" while others or not. I'm sure some of the English folks on our campus would roll their eyes at the idea of my work being included in the series, which is why I'll probably submit a proposal. I'll write something up this week and see what happens.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Are You Kidding Me?
So, I'm reading through a draft of a major research project for one of my students who's doing some work on contemporary spectacular subcultures. I finish the introduction and think to myself, "That's an excellent thesis and preview paragraph. Very well written. And oddly familiar. Wait a minute, that's my thesis and preview! That's the preview for my journal article!"
This student used all my signposts "First," "In the second section," etc., as well as the basic sentence structure, and inserted their own research topics in place of my own. I'm always telling students to look at journal articles as a template for their own writing. This is taking it a bit too far. At least have the sense to pilfer someone else's work, for Pete's sake.
::bangs head on desk::
This student used all my signposts "First," "In the second section," etc., as well as the basic sentence structure, and inserted their own research topics in place of my own. I'm always telling students to look at journal articles as a template for their own writing. This is taking it a bit too far. At least have the sense to pilfer someone else's work, for Pete's sake.
::bangs head on desk::
Monday, April 16, 2007
What Weekend?
Saturday and Sunday flew by in a blur. Friday started the weekend out on a crazy note with the dreaded phone call from daycare: "TLO isn't feeling well and is running a fever of 102.5 degrees." Commence scramble to figure out how to: A) Get him home and offer comfort; and B) Juggle schedules so that STK and I honor our responsibilities as both parents and educators. I went home until 1 PM and STK covered from that point forward. Yes, we both missed a half day of work which is normally a good thing, but isn't so great when every minute of the half day "off" is spent ministering to an obviously sick child. What really sucks is that a 22 month old can only express that he hurts ("ouch, dada" & "owie, mama"), but can't yet pinpoint the exact nature of the hurt. We're pretty sure he had a headache and sore throat. STK confirmed our diagnosis as she contracted the same illness and the symptoms really revved up to speed on Saturday night. So, we spent much of the weekend in self-imposed quarantine. And that means tons of DVDs!
Superman: The Animated Series. TLO's latest obsession is "Supey." He loves his "Supey" action figure, "Supey" Thank You card (received just after Christmas and still considered a prized possession), and the animated series. We watched a couple episodes each day--I'd forgotten how much I like this version of Superman. Definitely my favorite of all the mediated incarnations. I love this version of Supergirl, too. Damn glad I invested in the series on DVD.
Six Feet Under. For the last few months, we've been making our way through this series. This weekend, we watched the six episodes leading up to the series finale (which we should receive in the mail tomorrow--yay, Netflix!). For the most part, I like the balance of dark humor and drama permeating the series. This last season, though, is short on humor and long on drama. Even though I managed to predict most of the major plot turns, much to STK's continued amazement, I still wasn't prepared for the collective descent into negativity by most of the characters. I don't know that I've ever said this about a series I've enjoyed so much--this series is right up there with my favorites--but I'm glad only one episode remains. I just can't take watching any more pain and misery for characters with whom I relate so much.
Drive. This one obviously isn't out on DVD yet as it just premiered a few hours ago. With Nathan Fillon in the starring role, we had to check out Captain Mal in an earthbound series. The series centers around a motley collection of characters who get sucked into a cross country road race. The twist is that they have no idea how long the race is in either time or distance. They receive a clue via cell phone indicating the next destination, race to that spot, and wait for the next clue. The other twist is that each of the "teams" has a different motivation for being in the race; some of those motivations are known to the viewers and some aren't. Fillon's character, for example, gets forced into the race as he searches for his missing wife. All he knows is that the organizers of the race have his wife. That's it. Some involved in the race are there for the $30 million dollar payoff. Fearless prediction: Fillon's character is hiding a secret. He's a former government agent, maybe a criminal informant in a witness protection program, or something. He's definitely not a garden variety landscaper. We'll be watching episode three Monday night. It's fun, dramatic, and has just enough quirkiness to keep us interested. Did I mention that Tim Minear of X-files, Angel, and Wonderfalls is one of the creators? That's a draw, too.
Superman: The Animated Series. TLO's latest obsession is "Supey." He loves his "Supey" action figure, "Supey" Thank You card (received just after Christmas and still considered a prized possession), and the animated series. We watched a couple episodes each day--I'd forgotten how much I like this version of Superman. Definitely my favorite of all the mediated incarnations. I love this version of Supergirl, too. Damn glad I invested in the series on DVD.
Six Feet Under. For the last few months, we've been making our way through this series. This weekend, we watched the six episodes leading up to the series finale (which we should receive in the mail tomorrow--yay, Netflix!). For the most part, I like the balance of dark humor and drama permeating the series. This last season, though, is short on humor and long on drama. Even though I managed to predict most of the major plot turns, much to STK's continued amazement, I still wasn't prepared for the collective descent into negativity by most of the characters. I don't know that I've ever said this about a series I've enjoyed so much--this series is right up there with my favorites--but I'm glad only one episode remains. I just can't take watching any more pain and misery for characters with whom I relate so much.
Drive. This one obviously isn't out on DVD yet as it just premiered a few hours ago. With Nathan Fillon in the starring role, we had to check out Captain Mal in an earthbound series. The series centers around a motley collection of characters who get sucked into a cross country road race. The twist is that they have no idea how long the race is in either time or distance. They receive a clue via cell phone indicating the next destination, race to that spot, and wait for the next clue. The other twist is that each of the "teams" has a different motivation for being in the race; some of those motivations are known to the viewers and some aren't. Fillon's character, for example, gets forced into the race as he searches for his missing wife. All he knows is that the organizers of the race have his wife. That's it. Some involved in the race are there for the $30 million dollar payoff. Fearless prediction: Fillon's character is hiding a secret. He's a former government agent, maybe a criminal informant in a witness protection program, or something. He's definitely not a garden variety landscaper. We'll be watching episode three Monday night. It's fun, dramatic, and has just enough quirkiness to keep us interested. Did I mention that Tim Minear of X-files, Angel, and Wonderfalls is one of the creators? That's a draw, too.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Textbooks? Already?
The Fall semester doesn't start for nearly five months and I received the dreaded "Order Your Textbooks for Fall or Else" paperwork from the campus bookstore. Pikcing texts isn't a problem for two of my classes. I'm really struggling with a text for my Rhetorical Theory course, though. The choices stand at three: Rhetoric and Human Consciousness, Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction or The Rhetoric of Western Thought. None of the texts strike me as particularly remarkable. Rhetoric and Human Consciousness and The Rhetoric of Western Thought--both move forward in a chronological order--offer extremely detailed discussions of various approaches the rhetoric and the theorists related to that approach. The problem is that both texts read like an encyclopedia moving from one theorist to the next without linking the theorists together in a broader sense. Rhetorical Theory: An Introduction works from the opposite direction: lots of broad discussion of approaches to rhetoric and passing references to theorists (bonus points for taking a non-chronological approach, too).
All things considered, the Rhetorical Theory text makes more sense for the class; I'm teaching topics rather than history, per se. The problem is that the text is $73, a ridiculous amount for a 328 page undergraduate textbook. Add this text with two other books for the course--The Rhetoric of Rhetoric and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance--and the $100 threshold is a thing of the past. Ouch. That's a lot of cash for one class, even an upper division theory course. The first two texts I mentioned sell for $40-50.
Do I go for a cheaper, $40-50 text that doesn't work as well with the course but could do the trick or, cost be damned, go for broke? I know the money isn't an issue for a lot of the students at my school but there are some who struggle to make ends meet. I would have blown a gasket at $100 for a single course back in the day. Multiple, and reliable, used bookstores across the internets carry all three texts I'd like to use; the savvy student could procure all three for $50-70.
All things considered, the Rhetorical Theory text makes more sense for the class; I'm teaching topics rather than history, per se. The problem is that the text is $73, a ridiculous amount for a 328 page undergraduate textbook. Add this text with two other books for the course--The Rhetoric of Rhetoric and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance--and the $100 threshold is a thing of the past. Ouch. That's a lot of cash for one class, even an upper division theory course. The first two texts I mentioned sell for $40-50.
Do I go for a cheaper, $40-50 text that doesn't work as well with the course but could do the trick or, cost be damned, go for broke? I know the money isn't an issue for a lot of the students at my school but there are some who struggle to make ends meet. I would have blown a gasket at $100 for a single course back in the day. Multiple, and reliable, used bookstores across the internets carry all three texts I'd like to use; the savvy student could procure all three for $50-70.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Imus in Deep Yogurt: Here Comes Oprah!
As if Imus' problems weren't bad enough, Oprah is preparing to kick his ass. I've been debating Imus' comments on another forum I frequent. Some of the posters, a handful really, seem to think Imus isn't all that out of line. The sentiment among these folks is that Imus does this stuff all the time, it was just a joke, people are too sensitive, etc. One poster even argues we should be able to say anything we want to anyone. That's freedom of speech, dammit! That is freedom of speech. Freedom of speech, however, does not guarantee freedom from consequences. Oh, the institutionalized powers-that-be can't come crashing down on you, but the rest of those who comprise a culture can certainly offer their critique of your free speech. The real trick with freedom of speech is that everyone else gets to take advantage of that same right. Imus is learning that lesson the hard way.
My thoughts on the matter: Imus was out of line and should pay whatever price his employer decides to impose. He may be suspended, he may lose his job. If I made the same comments, I'd be out the door. And rightfully so. Any way you slice it, his comments were insensitive, sexist, and racist. When did it become okay to call a woman a "ho"? And don't blame that on hip hop music. While not innocent of all charges, the use of "ho" in hip hop has a particular context. Hip hop did not force mainstream America to make the word part of our everyday vernacular--that's a choice made by individuals. It's a choice that trivializes women, by the way, and that's part of the reason why Imus is in hot water. The "nappy-headed" comment brings race into the mix, obviously. I'd also suggest there's a whiff of classism wafting from Imus comments, too. Sexism, racism, classism: Imus hit the trifecta! WTF are people thinking when they make comments like this? And don't tell me they're "not thinking," because at some level they have to believe these kinds of comments are appropriate. Comedy or no, how did it ever become okay to make jokes at the expense of others?*
You can bet Imus is going to take some lumps during Oprah's conversation with the Rutger's basketball team. I need to see if I can catch this episode. Go Oprah!
*For the record, I am opposed to blond jokes. If any of my faithful readers, all five of you, ever decide to send out a "Best of Blond Jokes" email please omit me from that mass mailing. Blond jokes diminish women. Period. Blond jokes, which might seem innocuous at first glance, contribute to a culture of oppression that seems to take pleasure in stereotyping women as stupid.
My thoughts on the matter: Imus was out of line and should pay whatever price his employer decides to impose. He may be suspended, he may lose his job. If I made the same comments, I'd be out the door. And rightfully so. Any way you slice it, his comments were insensitive, sexist, and racist. When did it become okay to call a woman a "ho"? And don't blame that on hip hop music. While not innocent of all charges, the use of "ho" in hip hop has a particular context. Hip hop did not force mainstream America to make the word part of our everyday vernacular--that's a choice made by individuals. It's a choice that trivializes women, by the way, and that's part of the reason why Imus is in hot water. The "nappy-headed" comment brings race into the mix, obviously. I'd also suggest there's a whiff of classism wafting from Imus comments, too. Sexism, racism, classism: Imus hit the trifecta! WTF are people thinking when they make comments like this? And don't tell me they're "not thinking," because at some level they have to believe these kinds of comments are appropriate. Comedy or no, how did it ever become okay to make jokes at the expense of others?*
You can bet Imus is going to take some lumps during Oprah's conversation with the Rutger's basketball team. I need to see if I can catch this episode. Go Oprah!
*For the record, I am opposed to blond jokes. If any of my faithful readers, all five of you, ever decide to send out a "Best of Blond Jokes" email please omit me from that mass mailing. Blond jokes diminish women. Period. Blond jokes, which might seem innocuous at first glance, contribute to a culture of oppression that seems to take pleasure in stereotyping women as stupid.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Weekly Reader: Easter Island, Energy Efficiency, and Easter Eggs
Easter Island. I've always loved the mystery of Easter Island. I think I first heard of the place on an old episode of In Search Of . . . with Leonard Nimoy.
Energy Efficiency. STK and I have been talking about ways to increase our energy efficiency. With gas prices on the rise, the Civic Hybrid is looking more and more like a good investment. We're also thinking about getting an electric lawn mower. We have an old gas one that could be used a couple times a year when the mowing gets really tough. The rest of the time, though, an electric or even a reel mower would probably do the trick. We even talked for a few minutes about exploring the possibility of solar panels sometime in the future. Every little bit helps, right?
Easter Eggs. Our tax dollars hard at work. Geez. I'm all about tradition and everything, but do we really need designer Easter eggs? As an Iowa native, I'm embarrassed to be associated with that egg. Talk about hideous.
Energy Efficiency. STK and I have been talking about ways to increase our energy efficiency. With gas prices on the rise, the Civic Hybrid is looking more and more like a good investment. We're also thinking about getting an electric lawn mower. We have an old gas one that could be used a couple times a year when the mowing gets really tough. The rest of the time, though, an electric or even a reel mower would probably do the trick. We even talked for a few minutes about exploring the possibility of solar panels sometime in the future. Every little bit helps, right?
Easter Eggs. Our tax dollars hard at work. Geez. I'm all about tradition and everything, but do we really need designer Easter eggs? As an Iowa native, I'm embarrassed to be associated with that egg. Talk about hideous.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Feastolicious
Friday's Feast #138
Appetizer--When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?
Plane, please. Air travel is by far the easiest way to get around.
Soup--Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?
Well, we weren't blogging when we met but we did meet each other via the Intertubes. I've known T from Chickeny Goodness since the days of vTrek on the MSN Network. I met the entire Chickeny Goodness clan at Star Wars Celebration I. I've known Michael at All Now Mysterious for over 25 years. So, I met him long before we started blogging.
Salad--When was the last time you were really, really tired?
Yesterday (Thursday). TLO had a horrible night of sleep and that means we had a horrible night of sleep, too. Funny how that works.
Main Course--If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Everything he went through, all the mistakes he made, and he still continued down the path of the Jedi. I think I could learn a great deal over lunch.
Dessert--Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see _______________.
a high quality Star Wars live action series.
Appetizer--When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?
Plane, please. Air travel is by far the easiest way to get around.
Soup--Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?
Well, we weren't blogging when we met but we did meet each other via the Intertubes. I've known T from Chickeny Goodness since the days of vTrek on the MSN Network. I met the entire Chickeny Goodness clan at Star Wars Celebration I. I've known Michael at All Now Mysterious for over 25 years. So, I met him long before we started blogging.
Salad--When was the last time you were really, really tired?
Yesterday (Thursday). TLO had a horrible night of sleep and that means we had a horrible night of sleep, too. Funny how that works.
Main Course--If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Everything he went through, all the mistakes he made, and he still continued down the path of the Jedi. I think I could learn a great deal over lunch.
Dessert--Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see _______________.
a high quality Star Wars live action series.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Conversational Realities: The Dark Side
Me ::imitating Darth Vader:: You don't know the power of the dark side!
TLO: I like Bobo*
*Months ago, TLO discovered one of my Star Wars books with an image of Boba Fett on the cover. I informed him that the helmeted figure was Boba Fett. Being the little one that he his, he pronounced "Boba" as "Bobo." Recently, he became obsessed with Darth Vader. Alas, anyone with a helmet is now "bobo." Lord Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, has been demoted to "Bobo." Give me time, I'll get him straightened out. The good news is that he's already fixated on Star Wars. Brings a tear to my eye ::sniff::
TLO: I like Bobo*
*Months ago, TLO discovered one of my Star Wars books with an image of Boba Fett on the cover. I informed him that the helmeted figure was Boba Fett. Being the little one that he his, he pronounced "Boba" as "Bobo." Recently, he became obsessed with Darth Vader. Alas, anyone with a helmet is now "bobo." Lord Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, has been demoted to "Bobo." Give me time, I'll get him straightened out. The good news is that he's already fixated on Star Wars. Brings a tear to my eye ::sniff::
Weekly Reader: Hexagons, History, and Honeybees
Hexagon Weather Formation on Saturn? You know, our solar system is a really cool place. How long before someone suggests an advanced civilization is behind the odd shape?
300 Heroes. I've yet to see the film but I found this review, one that compares the theatrical adaptation to the actual historical events, particularly interesting. Can you imagine agreeing to be part of a delaying action in the face of tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of armed invaders? I'd pee my leather thong, for sure.
Honeybees in Significant Decline. I've been following this story for a couple of months. I heard a couple bee specialists on NPR two weeks back and the situation sounds dire indeed. What the heck could cause entire colonies to just up and disappear? I realize the agricultural implications but my reason for concern is more selfish in nature: I love honey. Not just a little, but a lot. A raw honey and peanut butter sandwich is my lunch of choice almost every other day. Save the bees! A man's gotta eat.
300 Heroes. I've yet to see the film but I found this review, one that compares the theatrical adaptation to the actual historical events, particularly interesting. Can you imagine agreeing to be part of a delaying action in the face of tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of armed invaders? I'd pee my leather thong, for sure.
Honeybees in Significant Decline. I've been following this story for a couple of months. I heard a couple bee specialists on NPR two weeks back and the situation sounds dire indeed. What the heck could cause entire colonies to just up and disappear? I realize the agricultural implications but my reason for concern is more selfish in nature: I love honey. Not just a little, but a lot. A raw honey and peanut butter sandwich is my lunch of choice almost every other day. Save the bees! A man's gotta eat.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Hope Springs Eternal
This is the year the Cubs win it all, I just know it. Go Cubbies!
UPDATE: Cubs lose their opening game with the Reds, 5-1. The bubble is burst. Cub fans drift back to earth. Wait 'til next year!
UPDATE: Cubs lose their opening game with the Reds, 5-1. The bubble is burst. Cub fans drift back to earth. Wait 'til next year!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Harry Potter and the Hallowed Halls
CFP: Harry Potter (4/30/07; MPCA/MACA, 10/12/07-10/14/07)
The Harry Potter area of the Midwest Popular Culture and Midwest American Culture Association is now accepting proposals for its upcoming conference. The MPCA/MACA conference will be held Friday-Sunday, October 12-14, 2007 at the Radisson Hotel & Suites Kansas City-City Center, Kansas City, MO.
Please send proposals on any aspect of Harry Potter Studies to the area chair via email or mail.
So, I've been looking for another regional conference to attend on a regular basis. I have some travel money as a faculty member and I generally don't use a $500 chunk of that change. I've also been looking to branch out beyond the Communication Studies conferences; might as well see what the popular culture folks are up to, wot?
Now the trick is coming up with an interesting proposal regarding Harry Potter. Rather than going the traditional route and analyzing the specific characters, narratives, etc. I'm thinking I ought to do try and pull together a proposal on something unique. What about examining the intersection of the Muggle/Magickal world? Does the break between The Muggle World and The Wizarding World represent anything in particular? Given the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, it strikes me that this might be another example of the way in which significant numbers of people in our culture are clamouring for the extraordinary. With the Enlightenment shift toward the scientific method and human reason, the magickal, mystical, and mysterious have become prized commodities. The Wizarding World, with it's complexity, diversity, and novelty, particularly when contrasted with the simplicity and mundanity of the Muggle World, offers a critique of contemporary urban life. Having lost the inability to experience magick and mystery, we've become Muggles: stupid, boring, and glum. I'll have to come up with some witty theory to apply but that shouldn't be much of a problem.
The Harry Potter area of the Midwest Popular Culture and Midwest American Culture Association is now accepting proposals for its upcoming conference. The MPCA/MACA conference will be held Friday-Sunday, October 12-14, 2007 at the Radisson Hotel & Suites Kansas City-City Center, Kansas City, MO.
Please send proposals on any aspect of Harry Potter Studies to the area chair via email or mail.
So, I've been looking for another regional conference to attend on a regular basis. I have some travel money as a faculty member and I generally don't use a $500 chunk of that change. I've also been looking to branch out beyond the Communication Studies conferences; might as well see what the popular culture folks are up to, wot?
Now the trick is coming up with an interesting proposal regarding Harry Potter. Rather than going the traditional route and analyzing the specific characters, narratives, etc. I'm thinking I ought to do try and pull together a proposal on something unique. What about examining the intersection of the Muggle/Magickal world? Does the break between The Muggle World and The Wizarding World represent anything in particular? Given the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, it strikes me that this might be another example of the way in which significant numbers of people in our culture are clamouring for the extraordinary. With the Enlightenment shift toward the scientific method and human reason, the magickal, mystical, and mysterious have become prized commodities. The Wizarding World, with it's complexity, diversity, and novelty, particularly when contrasted with the simplicity and mundanity of the Muggle World, offers a critique of contemporary urban life. Having lost the inability to experience magick and mystery, we've become Muggles: stupid, boring, and glum. I'll have to come up with some witty theory to apply but that shouldn't be much of a problem.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Weekly Reader: Bongs, Burrows, and Badmouthers
Bong Hits 4 Jesus. I know a lot of people find this sign offensive, but can you really ban a kid from a bit of tomfoolery? Read the transcript carefully: he wasn't even on school property at the time. Even if you're not interested in the case, you should read the account of the exchange. The Supreme Court judges were in rare form. Very amusing.
Burrowing Dinosaurs. 39 years old and I'm still fascinated by dinosaurs.
Online Anonymity = Badmouthing Brouhaha. Is this really a surprise to anyone? As I've said frequently: everyone's brave on the internet. The flip side of this is that it's really easy to ignore the idiots online. That's not always so easy in face to face situations.
Burrowing Dinosaurs. 39 years old and I'm still fascinated by dinosaurs.
Online Anonymity = Badmouthing Brouhaha. Is this really a surprise to anyone? As I've said frequently: everyone's brave on the internet. The flip side of this is that it's really easy to ignore the idiots online. That's not always so easy in face to face situations.
Drawing Shots
Schultz also insisted Wednesday that Starbucks will not back down from its growth plan, which calls for eventually having 40,000 stores worldwide, up from around 14,000 today.
And not a single one in our little neck of the Midwest. We have a locally owned coffee house where the goods are above average, as are the prices, but the service is exceptionally slow. Part of the problem is their equipment--they can't draw several shots of espresso at the same time.
What the owners really need to do is invest in some new equipment and send all staff off to a formal Barista seminar. I'd love to attend one of these weekend sessions. I know a bit about coffee but it's all self taught. A little formal training would put me in that special category of connoisseur, right? Can you imagine sipping and sniffing coffee drinks all weekend? Pure heaven.
And not a single one in our little neck of the Midwest. We have a locally owned coffee house where the goods are above average, as are the prices, but the service is exceptionally slow. Part of the problem is their equipment--they can't draw several shots of espresso at the same time.
What the owners really need to do is invest in some new equipment and send all staff off to a formal Barista seminar. I'd love to attend one of these weekend sessions. I know a bit about coffee but it's all self taught. A little formal training would put me in that special category of connoisseur, right? Can you imagine sipping and sniffing coffee drinks all weekend? Pure heaven.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Life Update
It's been some time since I actually did any kind of life update post. If you're not into that kind of thing, move along. If so, read on.
*I spent all of last week spring breaking. I used to spend spring break down at Hohokam park watching the Cubs in spring training. This spring break consisted of hanging with TLO and spending a couple hours each day in my office. Not quite as exciting ("exciting" translates to: shitfaced for a week), but much more relaxing. Most of my office time consisted of working on the much discussed Battlestar Galactica article. The piece got rejected--AGAIN--as part of an edited collection. Maybe I'm not articulating the basic argument well enough? Regardless, I've decided to write the whole damn piece and start the journal process. While I don't have the time for a marathon writing session, I'm trying to spend an hour a day putting all relevant ideas/quotes into outline form. Once the extensive outline is complete, I'll find some time to crank out the formal piece. The last week of May looks promising. Tentative deadline: June 1.
*STK and I took a few minutes out of our monthly shopping spree to gaze longingly at the 2007 Honda Civic. My old Civic has almost 170,000 miles on it; sooner or later, we'll need a new commuter car for STK. She puts 100 miles a day on the car and we want something that's comfortable, safe, and fuel conscious. The new Civic is all of those things. We glanced at a couple used models but decided that saving a couple thousand bucks over the life of a loan isn't worth the risk (not knowing the maintenance schedule of the vehicle, the already piling up mileage, etc.). We'd love to go with the hybrid but can't justify the additional $8000. Maybe the next time we're in the market for new wheels. We're targeting late this summer as the "buy" date.
*STK and I both received significant raises for next year (that's in addition to our usual step advancement for each year), hence the new car talk. Hard work does pay off. Eventually, it does pay off. Graduate degrees certainly don't hurt the situation either.
*I'm running outdoors, with the permission of my physical therapist, in the gorgeous 70 degree weather. Can't get enough of this beautiful weather. We opened all the windows in the house this morning and gave the place the first good airing out of the spring.
*The ankle continues to hurt. Not as bad as way back when, but it's still an annoyance. After a brief consult with PT, I'm going to continue increasing mileage/time over the next few weeks and see what happens. I'm up to 30 minutes every other day. If the pain continues, custom orthotics and acupuncture are on the horizon. If those treatments--coupled with my "there is no pain" mind over matter meditations--fail, surgery is next.
*We had dinner tonight with a young couple here in town who just had a baby. This is significant for two reasons. First, we don't hang with that many people who have infants and careers. It’s nice to have a place that’s TLO friendly. Second, since moving to SMC we haven’t really made any friends and we miss that part of our lives in Colorado. Dr. OneDink and J are awesome--we spent time with them on Saturday--but we have no idea if they’ll be here beyond the 2007-2008 school year. So, cool kid friendly dinner with a main course of newborn baby stories and a side dish of school talk.
*STK faces her busiest week of the school year. Between conferences, a special art program, and art show, she’ll be getting home late three nights this week. TLO and I on our own! Bring on the ice cream and chocolate for dinner!
We now return to our periodic posting.
*I spent all of last week spring breaking. I used to spend spring break down at Hohokam park watching the Cubs in spring training. This spring break consisted of hanging with TLO and spending a couple hours each day in my office. Not quite as exciting ("exciting" translates to: shitfaced for a week), but much more relaxing. Most of my office time consisted of working on the much discussed Battlestar Galactica article. The piece got rejected--AGAIN--as part of an edited collection. Maybe I'm not articulating the basic argument well enough? Regardless, I've decided to write the whole damn piece and start the journal process. While I don't have the time for a marathon writing session, I'm trying to spend an hour a day putting all relevant ideas/quotes into outline form. Once the extensive outline is complete, I'll find some time to crank out the formal piece. The last week of May looks promising. Tentative deadline: June 1.
*STK and I took a few minutes out of our monthly shopping spree to gaze longingly at the 2007 Honda Civic. My old Civic has almost 170,000 miles on it; sooner or later, we'll need a new commuter car for STK. She puts 100 miles a day on the car and we want something that's comfortable, safe, and fuel conscious. The new Civic is all of those things. We glanced at a couple used models but decided that saving a couple thousand bucks over the life of a loan isn't worth the risk (not knowing the maintenance schedule of the vehicle, the already piling up mileage, etc.). We'd love to go with the hybrid but can't justify the additional $8000. Maybe the next time we're in the market for new wheels. We're targeting late this summer as the "buy" date.
*STK and I both received significant raises for next year (that's in addition to our usual step advancement for each year), hence the new car talk. Hard work does pay off. Eventually, it does pay off. Graduate degrees certainly don't hurt the situation either.
*I'm running outdoors, with the permission of my physical therapist, in the gorgeous 70 degree weather. Can't get enough of this beautiful weather. We opened all the windows in the house this morning and gave the place the first good airing out of the spring.
*The ankle continues to hurt. Not as bad as way back when, but it's still an annoyance. After a brief consult with PT, I'm going to continue increasing mileage/time over the next few weeks and see what happens. I'm up to 30 minutes every other day. If the pain continues, custom orthotics and acupuncture are on the horizon. If those treatments--coupled with my "there is no pain" mind over matter meditations--fail, surgery is next.
*We had dinner tonight with a young couple here in town who just had a baby. This is significant for two reasons. First, we don't hang with that many people who have infants and careers. It’s nice to have a place that’s TLO friendly. Second, since moving to SMC we haven’t really made any friends and we miss that part of our lives in Colorado. Dr. OneDink and J are awesome--we spent time with them on Saturday--but we have no idea if they’ll be here beyond the 2007-2008 school year. So, cool kid friendly dinner with a main course of newborn baby stories and a side dish of school talk.
*STK faces her busiest week of the school year. Between conferences, a special art program, and art show, she’ll be getting home late three nights this week. TLO and I on our own! Bring on the ice cream and chocolate for dinner!
We now return to our periodic posting.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Friday's Feast
Friday's Feast, One Hundred & Thirty Six
Appetizer--Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
Stephen Colbert, hands down.
Soup--Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
Kaladi Coffee, Boca Burgers, Edamame
Salad--If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
Capadieu, a nod to the recent passing of Steve Rogers.
Main Course--What will most likely be the next book you read?
I have a whole list of books on my "To Read" list. One of the following three will be the next book I tackle.
1. John Quincy Adams' Lectures on Rhetoric and Oratory. This is the book I'm reading presently. I'll hit the second volume sometime in the next couple weeks.
2. Binding Words
3. Star Wars: Exile
Dessert--What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
I'd have to say an alternative appearance (dyed hair, tattoos, piercings, etc.). When I first saw STK, the thing that caught my attention was the platinum blonde hair contrasted with her black apparel.
Appetizer--Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
Stephen Colbert, hands down.
Soup--Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
Kaladi Coffee, Boca Burgers, Edamame
Salad--If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
Capadieu, a nod to the recent passing of Steve Rogers.
Main Course--What will most likely be the next book you read?
I have a whole list of books on my "To Read" list. One of the following three will be the next book I tackle.
1. John Quincy Adams' Lectures on Rhetoric and Oratory. This is the book I'm reading presently. I'll hit the second volume sometime in the next couple weeks.
2. Binding Words
3. Star Wars: Exile
Dessert--What's the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
I'd have to say an alternative appearance (dyed hair, tattoos, piercings, etc.). When I first saw STK, the thing that caught my attention was the platinum blonde hair contrasted with her black apparel.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Instant Irony
Anyone who spends even a bit of time with me will soon realize that I love camouflage . . . as a fashion print. I'm a peace activist so I don't have much use for the military or sport applications of the pattern. I just like the way it looks. I have a traditional camouflage jacket ($10 army surplus), several pairs of camouflage pants (urban, ultraviolet, blue tiger), and a couple camouflage bandannas. When I tuck my camouflage BDUs in my doc martens, which is not an uncommon look for me when I'm away from school, I'd like to think I'm making some kind of statement against military action. There's a bit of irony in a pacifist sporting military fashion, don't you think?
Anyway, I'd love to see the Camouflage exhibit showing at the Imperial War Museum, London. I think I need a pair of those camouflage Doc Martens. I wonder if they come in steel toe?
Is it weird that I'm fascinated by the history of modern warfare? I could watch documentaries on WWI & WWII all day. I'm particularly interested in WWII, the last conflict for which I think I could make a reasonable case for military action. Although I should add that I believe WWII could have been avoided had Hitler encountered fierce diplomatic resistance.
Anyway, I'd love to see the Camouflage exhibit showing at the Imperial War Museum, London. I think I need a pair of those camouflage Doc Martens. I wonder if they come in steel toe?
Is it weird that I'm fascinated by the history of modern warfare? I could watch documentaries on WWI & WWII all day. I'm particularly interested in WWII, the last conflict for which I think I could make a reasonable case for military action. Although I should add that I believe WWII could have been avoided had Hitler encountered fierce diplomatic resistance.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Weekly Reader: Coins, Cap, and Cassini
Scrap the Greenback. Why haven't folks here in the US taken to $1 coins? I think I'll buy some of these and start using them. While I rarely carry cash--I'm a debit card junky--I can certainly do my part and buy the odd cup of java with a golden John Adams. Check out how "In God we Trust" and the year are stamped on the edge of the coin. Cool.
RIP Captain America. I've been ranting about this move by Marvel for a couple weeks now. I like this author's take, though. In essence, he argues that the symbol of Captain America no longer accurately represents the ideals of our nation. Steve Rogers represents truth and justice, two values that are in short supply when it comes to US American politics. There might be a convention paper in this argument.
Surf's Up . . . On Titan! Have I ever mentioned how much I love to read about space exploration? The probability of methane/ethane lakes on Titan increases with some of the latest radar imagery. What the heck would a methane/ethane lake look like or feel like? It's mind boggling that we can discover this kind of stuff from a distance of 800,000,000 miles.
RIP Captain America. I've been ranting about this move by Marvel for a couple weeks now. I like this author's take, though. In essence, he argues that the symbol of Captain America no longer accurately represents the ideals of our nation. Steve Rogers represents truth and justice, two values that are in short supply when it comes to US American politics. There might be a convention paper in this argument.
Surf's Up . . . On Titan! Have I ever mentioned how much I love to read about space exploration? The probability of methane/ethane lakes on Titan increases with some of the latest radar imagery. What the heck would a methane/ethane lake look like or feel like? It's mind boggling that we can discover this kind of stuff from a distance of 800,000,000 miles.
Tuck
More rants about women and comic book art. This time, the cover dissected features Black Canary, Power Girl, and the most ridiculous costume in comics. Did someone sit around one day and suddenly exclaim, "I know, I'll give Power Girl a boob window! I'm so freaking brilliant" ::draws like a sex deprived fanboy because that's the only person who could think up something that ridiculous::
Comment of the day:
Of course, I always wonder why comic book hero males will have huge muscles, inhuman proportions in all areas but one... why do we have no "baskets" on the men? I mean, for any of these poor guys to mate they'd have to be able to protrude beyond their thigh and abdominal muscles... yet it seems all superhero males wear dance belts and tuck.
Comment of the day:
Of course, I always wonder why comic book hero males will have huge muscles, inhuman proportions in all areas but one... why do we have no "baskets" on the men? I mean, for any of these poor guys to mate they'd have to be able to protrude beyond their thigh and abdominal muscles... yet it seems all superhero males wear dance belts and tuck.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Electrofying!
Normally, I make most of my comic book related commentary over at Army of Dorkness. I couldn't pass up this little gem for my personal blog--it's just too damn funny (and serious, at the same time). In an upcoming DC comics storyline Mary Marvel. the twin sister of Captain Marvel (Shazam), gets seduced to the dark side--Eclipso is supposedly involved. Anyway, cover art for her turn to the dark side has hit the intertubes:
The traditional, modest costume is out! The could-it-be-any-shorter skirt, combined with what appears to be curve hugging latex, is in. Thank goodness for that latex, though, as it might insulate her breasts enough to avoid any kind of serious electrical burn. The image kicked off a number of discussions on various comic related blogs. If you check out the links, make sure you read the comments.
Seriously, why is it that when a male character gets turned to the dark side, goes all evil, or just plain nuts, he goes about trying to destroy the world. When a female character turns to the dark side, goes all evil, or just plain nuts, she goes about getting all sexy. And then, when she tires of all the boy toys, decides to see if she can destroy the world. It's like evil just unleashes the inner nympho hiding deep inside every woman.
One of the posters at one diverse comic book nation had the comment of the day:
#19. Sleestak | March 18th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Comic books needs more smexy art of wimmin getting hit in the rack by lightnings.
Excellent post. Excellent pop culturey name, too. Loved those sleestaks when I was a kid.
If you can't tell, this is one of the things about comics that really irks me. I love comic books but can't stand the way most women are drawn or characterized. Can you imagine Superman, Batman, or Green Lantern wearing a banana hammock?
The traditional, modest costume is out! The could-it-be-any-shorter skirt, combined with what appears to be curve hugging latex, is in. Thank goodness for that latex, though, as it might insulate her breasts enough to avoid any kind of serious electrical burn. The image kicked off a number of discussions on various comic related blogs. If you check out the links, make sure you read the comments.
Seriously, why is it that when a male character gets turned to the dark side, goes all evil, or just plain nuts, he goes about trying to destroy the world. When a female character turns to the dark side, goes all evil, or just plain nuts, she goes about getting all sexy. And then, when she tires of all the boy toys, decides to see if she can destroy the world. It's like evil just unleashes the inner nympho hiding deep inside every woman.
One of the posters at one diverse comic book nation had the comment of the day:
#19. Sleestak | March 18th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Comic books needs more smexy art of wimmin getting hit in the rack by lightnings.
Excellent post. Excellent pop culturey name, too. Loved those sleestaks when I was a kid.
If you can't tell, this is one of the things about comics that really irks me. I love comic books but can't stand the way most women are drawn or characterized. Can you imagine Superman, Batman, or Green Lantern wearing a banana hammock?
Frustration
Cortizone, two months of rest, a full month of rehab, a new pair of motion control shoes, and I finally returned to running a couple weeks back. I started with 20 minutes every other day and, following the ten percent increase rule, went to a whopping 22 minutes this week. According to the plan, I increase to 25 minutes tomorrow. Except for one problem: the pain is back, almost to previous levels. Drat.
I'll give my podiatrist and physical therapist a call tomorrow. X-ray and MRI show no evidence of serious damage; the ankle is structurally sound, but I have a severe overpronation problem that puts wicked stress on the joint, in general, and the post-tibial tendon, more specifically. I also have a very small bone spur, small enough that the podiatrist doesn't think it's causing any of the problem. The dilemma: do I continue to follow through with a more conservative treatment (more PT, custom orthotics, etc.) or should I bite the bullet and go for a more aggressive diagnosis/treatment (arthroscopic surgery)? The conservative route may, or may not, put an end to my trouble. Ankle arthroscopy would allow the podiatrist to clean out the joint, remove as many "floaters" as possible (all joints have small amounts of bone, tendon, ligament floating around and if these floaters work themselves into a sensitive area you wind up with ankle pain), and take a closer look at the interior workings of my ankle. The conservative therapies could be pursued during my recovery, obviously. So, do I take it slow and see what happens or take the leap and submit to the knife? I should also note that the surgical solution does not guarantee a cessation of pain.
If I'm reading their respective tones correctly, my podiatrist thinks we should go in there, clean out the joint, and get into recovery phase; my physical therapist thinks we should pursue all non-invasive avenues before resorting to surgery. Either way, I'm not getting back into the regular running groove anytime soon.
I cannot begin to express how frustrating this entire situation has become. Running is a meditative practice for me and is an integral dimension of my sobriety and general mental wellbeing. Swimming, biking, elliptical machining don't produce the same meditative space. They're all good exercise alternatives but they don't do the same thing in terms of mental wellness.
I keep reminding myself that even this kind of suffering is temporary, that there is a solution out there somewhere.
I'll give my podiatrist and physical therapist a call tomorrow. X-ray and MRI show no evidence of serious damage; the ankle is structurally sound, but I have a severe overpronation problem that puts wicked stress on the joint, in general, and the post-tibial tendon, more specifically. I also have a very small bone spur, small enough that the podiatrist doesn't think it's causing any of the problem. The dilemma: do I continue to follow through with a more conservative treatment (more PT, custom orthotics, etc.) or should I bite the bullet and go for a more aggressive diagnosis/treatment (arthroscopic surgery)? The conservative route may, or may not, put an end to my trouble. Ankle arthroscopy would allow the podiatrist to clean out the joint, remove as many "floaters" as possible (all joints have small amounts of bone, tendon, ligament floating around and if these floaters work themselves into a sensitive area you wind up with ankle pain), and take a closer look at the interior workings of my ankle. The conservative therapies could be pursued during my recovery, obviously. So, do I take it slow and see what happens or take the leap and submit to the knife? I should also note that the surgical solution does not guarantee a cessation of pain.
If I'm reading their respective tones correctly, my podiatrist thinks we should go in there, clean out the joint, and get into recovery phase; my physical therapist thinks we should pursue all non-invasive avenues before resorting to surgery. Either way, I'm not getting back into the regular running groove anytime soon.
I cannot begin to express how frustrating this entire situation has become. Running is a meditative practice for me and is an integral dimension of my sobriety and general mental wellbeing. Swimming, biking, elliptical machining don't produce the same meditative space. They're all good exercise alternatives but they don't do the same thing in terms of mental wellness.
I keep reminding myself that even this kind of suffering is temporary, that there is a solution out there somewhere.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Suffering is Temporary
All the faults of our mind – our selfishness, ignorance, anger, attachment, guilt, and other disturbing thoughts – are temporary, not permanent and everlasting. And since the cause of our suffering – our disturbing thoughts and obscurations – is temporary, our suffering is also temporary.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Ultimate Healing."
Why is this so difficult to remember? In AA, there's a saying that's very similar: "Our problems, we find, are of our own making." Now, that's not to say there aren't moments when people wrong us (although I'd argue most of those wrongs are unintentional), but the way we respond to those wrongs is absolutely our responsibility. I can be pissed because someone cut me off in traffic (not that I have to worry about traffic in our town), that a student wrote a snide remark on a paper (How dare you not take me seriously! Don't you know who I am?), or that I didn't get invited to the latest gathering of the young hipsters (They think they're cooler and hipper than me?! Wait, I wouldn't attend anyway. I don't drink and don't enjoy socializing with the buzzed and beautiful). Or, I can choose to let all of that stuff go. It's the way I interpret and react to these events that's the problem, not the events (or people) themselves.
Odd that I should feel motivated to write about this today--there's really nothing irritating me at the moment.
-Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "Ultimate Healing."
Why is this so difficult to remember? In AA, there's a saying that's very similar: "Our problems, we find, are of our own making." Now, that's not to say there aren't moments when people wrong us (although I'd argue most of those wrongs are unintentional), but the way we respond to those wrongs is absolutely our responsibility. I can be pissed because someone cut me off in traffic (not that I have to worry about traffic in our town), that a student wrote a snide remark on a paper (How dare you not take me seriously! Don't you know who I am?), or that I didn't get invited to the latest gathering of the young hipsters (They think they're cooler and hipper than me?! Wait, I wouldn't attend anyway. I don't drink and don't enjoy socializing with the buzzed and beautiful). Or, I can choose to let all of that stuff go. It's the way I interpret and react to these events that's the problem, not the events (or people) themselves.
Odd that I should feel motivated to write about this today--there's really nothing irritating me at the moment.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
39
Slept late, cleaned bathrooms, did a little school work, took a nap, took a walk with STK & TLO, watched the Nuggets win a game going away, had a nice dinner with friends, and ate copious amounts of dark chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. Oh, and plenty of ice cream. Not bad for a birthday, I'd say. A low key affair surrounded by the people I care about most. That's the way I like 'em.
For the record, I still feel like I'm 29 (and I think I act 19 now and again).
For the record, I still feel like I'm 29 (and I think I act 19 now and again).
Friday, March 09, 2007
Children's Literature
I had a friend, who also happens to be a parent, send me the following via email. Twisted, but good. I've actually mumbled #s 9 & 25 under my breath.*
Little Golden Children's Books That Never Made It
1. You Are Different and That's Bad
2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
3. Dad's New Wife Robert
4. Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share
5. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her
6. Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence
7. All Cats Go to Hell
8. Some Kittens Can Fly
9. That's It, I'm Putting You Up for Adoption
10. Grandpa Gets a Casket
11. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
12. Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia
13. The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
14. Strangers Have the Best Candy
15. Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way
16. You Were an Accident
17. Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
18. Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games
19. The Man in the Moon Is Actually Satan
20. Your Nightmares Are Real
21. Where Would You Like to Be Buried?
22. Eggs, Toilet Paper, and Your School
23. Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
24. Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things
25. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry
*Okay, I mumbled a modified version of #25: "Kid, your crying is going to drive me to drink. That's bad. Very bad. Trust me on this."
Little Golden Children's Books That Never Made It
1. You Are Different and That's Bad
2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
3. Dad's New Wife Robert
4. Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share
5. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her
6. Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence
7. All Cats Go to Hell
8. Some Kittens Can Fly
9. That's It, I'm Putting You Up for Adoption
10. Grandpa Gets a Casket
11. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
12. Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia
13. The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
14. Strangers Have the Best Candy
15. Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way
16. You Were an Accident
17. Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
18. Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games
19. The Man in the Moon Is Actually Satan
20. Your Nightmares Are Real
21. Where Would You Like to Be Buried?
22. Eggs, Toilet Paper, and Your School
23. Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
24. Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things
25. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry
*Okay, I mumbled a modified version of #25: "Kid, your crying is going to drive me to drink. That's bad. Very bad. Trust me on this."
Monday, March 05, 2007
The Feast
Friday Feast: One Hundred & Thirty Three
Appetizer--What does the color pink make you think of?
Hmmmm . . . Legally Blonde? A cute, underappreciated movie.
Soup--Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.
Sanity. Seriously. Circa 2002.
Salad--In 3 words, describe this past week.
Snowy. Good reading.
Main Course--What are you obsessed with?
Coffee, Star Wars, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Six Feet Under, blog reading, email checking, STK, running (when healthy).
Dessert--What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?
Fahrenheit, Bulgari, Lolita Lempicka, Silver, Sensual Amber
Appetizer--What does the color pink make you think of?
Hmmmm . . . Legally Blonde? A cute, underappreciated movie.
Soup--Name something you thought you had lost, but later found.
Sanity. Seriously. Circa 2002.
Salad--In 3 words, describe this past week.
Snowy. Good reading.
Main Course--What are you obsessed with?
Coffee, Star Wars, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Six Feet Under, blog reading, email checking, STK, running (when healthy).
Dessert--What kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear?
Fahrenheit, Bulgari, Lolita Lempicka, Silver, Sensual Amber
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Will the Real Gwen Please Stand Up
A sign that there may be a divine presence in the universe?
Gwen Confirms New No Doubt Album
::pulls out bullhorn::
Gwen Stefani, please step away from the solo career. I repeat, please step away from the solo career. Drop the divaness, return to your band mates, and produce another album of skapoprock goodness. You've done enough damage.
Gwen Confirms New No Doubt Album
::pulls out bullhorn::
Gwen Stefani, please step away from the solo career. I repeat, please step away from the solo career. Drop the divaness, return to your band mates, and produce another album of skapoprock goodness. You've done enough damage.
Boba Yawn?
Please tell me Lucas can up with something better than Young Boba Fett for the new Star Wars live action show. Am I the only Star Wars fan who finds the whole bounty hunter thing boring? Seriously, what's the attraction to Boba Fett? The guy appears in what, 15 minutes of the original trilogy?*
I think my anthology idea is way better than what I fear will be Bounty Hunter Fest 2009. The series will reportedly run 100 episodes spanning Episodes III & IV. If I were putting together this series, I do something like this. The series starts out with a Jedi on the run from the Imperials, follows her around for a couple episodes, and, when her story concludes (she dies, goes underground, whatever), the story refocuses on another character who had some sort interaction with the Jedi. The interaction may have been significant (helping the Jedi while on the run) or maybe not (a character simply walking by as the Jedi renounces the Order and fades into the masses of a crowded space port). A few episodes later, another shift occurs. Perhaps another arc could follow the life of a particular clone, er, stormtrooper. I'm even be up for a Young Boba Fett arc (please keep it short). The idea is that the story is continuing, shifting, and evolving. At some time or another, maybe a couple of the characters featured in earlier arcs cross paths again. In the end, the series would be comprised of a series of three, five, ten episode story arcs. Heck, a one episode stand alone would even work.
I should so be in on the development of this new series.
*Jango Fett, BTW, is way cooler than Boba Fett.
I think my anthology idea is way better than what I fear will be Bounty Hunter Fest 2009. The series will reportedly run 100 episodes spanning Episodes III & IV. If I were putting together this series, I do something like this. The series starts out with a Jedi on the run from the Imperials, follows her around for a couple episodes, and, when her story concludes (she dies, goes underground, whatever), the story refocuses on another character who had some sort interaction with the Jedi. The interaction may have been significant (helping the Jedi while on the run) or maybe not (a character simply walking by as the Jedi renounces the Order and fades into the masses of a crowded space port). A few episodes later, another shift occurs. Perhaps another arc could follow the life of a particular clone, er, stormtrooper. I'm even be up for a Young Boba Fett arc (please keep it short). The idea is that the story is continuing, shifting, and evolving. At some time or another, maybe a couple of the characters featured in earlier arcs cross paths again. In the end, the series would be comprised of a series of three, five, ten episode story arcs. Heck, a one episode stand alone would even work.
I should so be in on the development of this new series.
*Jango Fett, BTW, is way cooler than Boba Fett.
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