OK, so the already limited number of people reading my blog has probably dwindled to nothing. But I need to explain my absence. While it has been over a month since last I wrote, I never intended to give up the blog. I just got really, truly, insanely busy. Something had to give, and my blog simply had to fall by the wayside. Now I have more time.
Here's what I accomplished: I finished my dissertation, defended it, and moved almost all the way across the country. Plus I organized my lectures for the two courses I'm going to teach this summer. Sound like a lot? No? How about if I mention that we moved all of our stuff out of our house to a storage unit and made lots of repairs on the house itself? I thought you might agree.
I'm a bit tuckered out from the 2.5 day, 2400 mile journey we finished last night, so I'm going to end here for now. I promise to give more details in the next few days, though. I'll just leave you with this thought: I think that the Comfort Suites is a great hotel. We arrived at the one in St. Joseph, MO around 10:00 PM on Wednesday night, and their pool was still open. Each room had a sitting area, and the continental breakfast was much better than most.
Her Nibs's New Pastime
Her Nibs loves to be naked. She's started a new hobby. When her clothes come off in preparation for bedtime, she bolts away from whichever one of us is changing her clothes and runs around in circles shouting, "Nakedy, nakedy, nakedy. . . ." It's actually pretty hilarious.
Cavemen on TV?
I read a little bit about the fall television schedules today, and I've got to say that I'm less than impressed. I tend to watch more TV than I should, but there are only a few television shows that I specifically make time for, and none of them are on ABC, which, regardless of its popularity right now, actually makes what I consider to be the worst shows. This fall appears to be no exception. They've created a spinoff of Grey's Anatomy, which I personally hate, and to top it all off, there's a show about those cavemen from the Geico ads.
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with cavemen, per se (I loved Phil Hartman as Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer), but this show just seems like a bad idea. Geico makes the worst commercials.I just want to step on the stupid gecko with the accent, and the cavemen are just too creepy. For some reason I shiver whenever they come on my television, and I instinctively change the channel. I really don't think I could possibly watch an entire episode of them. It would weird me out too much. I know Plainbellied agrees with me on this one, but are we the only ones?
In related, sad news, it looks like Andy Barker, P.I., was not picked up by NBC. That's sad, because it was a really clever show. It was one of very few shows that I looked forward to each week during its short run (kind of like Psych on USA, which we download from iTunes whenever there is a new episode). Raines appears to be gone as well. I do have high hopes for the new Bionic Woman show, though I have found myself somewhat uninterested by Heroes.
Anyway, I guess that's enough of that. It's probably good there aren't a lot of shows I like. Maybe I'll stop watching so many shows that I don't.
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't have a problem with cavemen, per se (I loved Phil Hartman as Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer), but this show just seems like a bad idea. Geico makes the worst commercials.I just want to step on the stupid gecko with the accent, and the cavemen are just too creepy. For some reason I shiver whenever they come on my television, and I instinctively change the channel. I really don't think I could possibly watch an entire episode of them. It would weird me out too much. I know Plainbellied agrees with me on this one, but are we the only ones?
In related, sad news, it looks like Andy Barker, P.I., was not picked up by NBC. That's sad, because it was a really clever show. It was one of very few shows that I looked forward to each week during its short run (kind of like Psych on USA, which we download from iTunes whenever there is a new episode). Raines appears to be gone as well. I do have high hopes for the new Bionic Woman show, though I have found myself somewhat uninterested by Heroes.
Anyway, I guess that's enough of that. It's probably good there aren't a lot of shows I like. Maybe I'll stop watching so many shows that I don't.
One other thing
While I'm talking about reality television, I should mention this. I'm not a fan of "The Bachelor." It's a really horrible idea for a show, and the few episodes I've seen were some of the worst television ever (although "Joe Millionaire" was worse). However, if you either love or hate the show, you might be interested in the "Sports Gal" blog about the show.
For those who aren't familiar, the Sports Gal is the wife of ESPN's Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, who writes about sports from a fan's perspective (he's from Boston, so I naturally gravitate toward his opinions on a lot of issues). Last season he decided that he wanted to put a theory about predicting football outcomes to the test, so when he wrote his weekly picks column, where he predicted who would win each of the coming weeks' games, he had his wife (who he claims knows nothing about football) pick as well. In return, his wife (they claim) demanded to be given a column of her own without restrictions. It turned out to be hilarious and insightful, and Plainbellied and I looked forward to her column every week. At the end of the season, she actually had a better record than her husband, essentially proving his point that the people picking winners have no better chance than a novice.
Well, I guess ABC liked what it had seen in her column (since they own ESPN), and the fact that she made occasional references to "The Bachelor," and they asked her to write a column about that show this season. It's really funny, and she doesn't pull any punches. I even admit to watching about ten minutes of the show one week in preparation for her column. ABC should give her a medal just for that.
For those who aren't familiar, the Sports Gal is the wife of ESPN's Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, who writes about sports from a fan's perspective (he's from Boston, so I naturally gravitate toward his opinions on a lot of issues). Last season he decided that he wanted to put a theory about predicting football outcomes to the test, so when he wrote his weekly picks column, where he predicted who would win each of the coming weeks' games, he had his wife (who he claims knows nothing about football) pick as well. In return, his wife (they claim) demanded to be given a column of her own without restrictions. It turned out to be hilarious and insightful, and Plainbellied and I looked forward to her column every week. At the end of the season, she actually had a better record than her husband, essentially proving his point that the people picking winners have no better chance than a novice.
Well, I guess ABC liked what it had seen in her column (since they own ESPN), and the fact that she made occasional references to "The Bachelor," and they asked her to write a column about that show this season. It's really funny, and she doesn't pull any punches. I even admit to watching about ten minutes of the show one week in preparation for her column. ABC should give her a medal just for that.
Lawsuits and "Reality"
I've mentioned before that Plainbellied really likes "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," and that I think its smarmy and lame. I'm more of a "This Old House" kind of person, not a "Queen for a Day" type. Well, it looks like "Extreme Makeover" is getting sued by some of the people it featured on an episode of the show. I actually remember the episode pretty well, and I have an idea of what's going on in the case (I heard about it when they first sued a year or two ago). It's an interesting case that deals with two issues: our litigation-happy society and "reality" television.
Here's the gist of what's going on. A group of five siblings lost both of their parents and were taken in by another family. The kids nominated their new caregivers for the "Home Edition" makeover, and ABC signed a contract to rebuild the house. They sent the family on vacation and got to work, putting together a massive house for all of them to live in (the older kids got cars and stuff, too). This all took place in a short time, then ABC basically left. Within a short time, the kids had been kicked out of the house and separated, living among friends. Then they sued ABC the family that they had been living with, and the builder.
The specifics of the case are disputed, but the kids say they were intimidated and bullied in a deliberate campaign to get them to move out of the house. The family they had been living with says that after the show, the kids stopped respecting the rules they had agreed to when they moved in, which led to fights and ultimately to the kids moving out. One key point of contention is that the parents had asked the two oldest siblings to get jobs to help pay for expenses.
Now, I'm not a legal expert (or even a fan of big companies), but I'm a little confused about how ABC is responsible for this. The company didn't sign a contract to build a home for the kids. They agreed to build a home for the people who took them in. Obviously the details will be hammered out in court, but I think it's a tragic situation, made worse by the fact that it played out on reality television. Money really changes people. The way that reality television portrays things makes it seem as though they can somehow swoop in, drop a ton of stuff on people, then leave and expect everything to be fine and dandy. I've seen what they give to people, and often, it seems like they are only trying to give lots of stuff, without a real thought about how it might be used. For example, they built a house for another group of siblings who had lost their parents. In an effort to give them "together" time, they put in a wall of televisions, and each kid got a headset, so they could all be watching different things, lost in their own little world, but since they were in the same place, it somehow counted as "family time" (TV as family time is another issue, and I don't have the space or time to cover that here).
The kicker in all of this, though, is that ABC knew the kids had been kicked out when they re-ran the episode a few months later, but they left it exactly as it originally aired. This is hard for me to fathom. I guess it's just one more way that they manipulate the "reality" to get ratings and advertising dollars. Well, maybe "Pirate Captain" will be better.
Here's the gist of what's going on. A group of five siblings lost both of their parents and were taken in by another family. The kids nominated their new caregivers for the "Home Edition" makeover, and ABC signed a contract to rebuild the house. They sent the family on vacation and got to work, putting together a massive house for all of them to live in (the older kids got cars and stuff, too). This all took place in a short time, then ABC basically left. Within a short time, the kids had been kicked out of the house and separated, living among friends. Then they sued ABC the family that they had been living with, and the builder.
The specifics of the case are disputed, but the kids say they were intimidated and bullied in a deliberate campaign to get them to move out of the house. The family they had been living with says that after the show, the kids stopped respecting the rules they had agreed to when they moved in, which led to fights and ultimately to the kids moving out. One key point of contention is that the parents had asked the two oldest siblings to get jobs to help pay for expenses.
Now, I'm not a legal expert (or even a fan of big companies), but I'm a little confused about how ABC is responsible for this. The company didn't sign a contract to build a home for the kids. They agreed to build a home for the people who took them in. Obviously the details will be hammered out in court, but I think it's a tragic situation, made worse by the fact that it played out on reality television. Money really changes people. The way that reality television portrays things makes it seem as though they can somehow swoop in, drop a ton of stuff on people, then leave and expect everything to be fine and dandy. I've seen what they give to people, and often, it seems like they are only trying to give lots of stuff, without a real thought about how it might be used. For example, they built a house for another group of siblings who had lost their parents. In an effort to give them "together" time, they put in a wall of televisions, and each kid got a headset, so they could all be watching different things, lost in their own little world, but since they were in the same place, it somehow counted as "family time" (TV as family time is another issue, and I don't have the space or time to cover that here).
The kicker in all of this, though, is that ABC knew the kids had been kicked out when they re-ran the episode a few months later, but they left it exactly as it originally aired. This is hard for me to fathom. I guess it's just one more way that they manipulate the "reality" to get ratings and advertising dollars. Well, maybe "Pirate Captain" will be better.
Kids and Secrets
I suppose I'm making up for a lack of entries over the past week by writing a bunch today. In fact, I almost forgot a classic story about Her Nibs.
I was talking to her the other day when she told me that "we got you a present, but it's a secret." When I related it to Plainbellied, thinking Her Nibs had totally made it up, she looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. So I pressed a little bit and got a confession. Ha! I still like surprises, though, so I didn't ask what it was. My birthday is less than a month away, so I figured that's what it was.
Last night I found out I was wrong. Plainbellied had gotten new wheels for my rollerblades, which I haven't been able to use for a while. She also replaced her own wheels, so as long as we can get someone to watch Her Nibs (this summer we'll be really close to Grandma), we can go blading. We used to go a lot before we got married and before Her Nibs came along. Since I'm teaching at our alma mater this summer, we can go on the trails we used to take in the mountains. Pretty cool.
I was talking to her the other day when she told me that "we got you a present, but it's a secret." When I related it to Plainbellied, thinking Her Nibs had totally made it up, she looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. So I pressed a little bit and got a confession. Ha! I still like surprises, though, so I didn't ask what it was. My birthday is less than a month away, so I figured that's what it was.
Last night I found out I was wrong. Plainbellied had gotten new wheels for my rollerblades, which I haven't been able to use for a while. She also replaced her own wheels, so as long as we can get someone to watch Her Nibs (this summer we'll be really close to Grandma), we can go blading. We used to go a lot before we got married and before Her Nibs came along. Since I'm teaching at our alma mater this summer, we can go on the trails we used to take in the mountains. Pretty cool.
Anniversaries
Today is my fifth anniversary. So far, we've never been able to do anything nice (well, we went to Busch Gardens one year). I'm really looking forward to our tenth, when I have an actual job and can afford to take Plainbellied somewhere nice. I'll never be a rich man (history professors just aren't--assuming I can get a job in my chosen field), but I have a great family, and the last five years have been the best of my life so far. I hope they only get better.
We are going on a date tonight, though. Plainbellied even gave me an invitation. She put it in the mailbox with the rest of the mail. Got a sitter and everything. How cool is that?
We are going on a date tonight, though. Plainbellied even gave me an invitation. She put it in the mailbox with the rest of the mail. Got a sitter and everything. How cool is that?
Antiques Roadshow and the Beatles
I learned something really disturbing on "Antiques Roadshow." Someone brought in a copy of the Beatles' "Yesterday and Today" with its original cover. I had never heard of this before, but it turns out that the album cover offended a lot of people, and it got pulled from Sears shelves after only a day. The record company, instead of re-wrapping all of the records, pasted an alternate cover on it. The woman who brought her copy in had bought it the day they sold it with the original cover. Apparently, it's worth like 10,000 dollars.
I've elected not to show the cover here, because I agree that it's wicked disturbing. Let's just say they call it the "Butcher Cover" and it involves dismembered baby dolls, raw meat, and eerie grins. I always knew the Beatles were a bit freaky, but this is ridiculous. Not cool guys . . . not cool. And by the way, Pete Townshend was right, your music isn't really that good.
I've elected not to show the cover here, because I agree that it's wicked disturbing. Let's just say they call it the "Butcher Cover" and it involves dismembered baby dolls, raw meat, and eerie grins. I always knew the Beatles were a bit freaky, but this is ridiculous. Not cool guys . . . not cool. And by the way, Pete Townshend was right, your music isn't really that good.
LPs, CDs, and MP3s
I've been thinking about music a lot lately. I picked up the new Rush album this week, and I think I like it. The songs sound good, but the mastering is pretty bad (see "Loudness War" at Wikipedia). The lyrics, as usual, are kind of hit-or-miss. Neil Peart isn't the intellectual a lot of people think, but I usually don't pay attention to the lyrics, anyway. Occasionally he'll write something I really like, as in this line from "Far Cry" on the new album: "One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel/And the next it's rolling over me." I don't know why I like this line, but it feel both playful and profound. The melodies and rhythms are what get me, though. Rush has always done a good job at constructing songs. I'm even more excited to see them this summer.
But I've drifted from the topic I intended to discuss. the two albums I've been listening to the most recently are Cheap Trick "At Budokan" and the new Rush, and it has made me think of how CDs changed the way we listen to music, and how the iPod is doing the same again. Let me stick with the "At Budokan" disc. I mainly listen to just a couple of tracks, but I listened to the whole thing the other day. What I realized is that when I was a kid, I only ever listened to side 2 of the record. I don't even recognize the songs from side 1 of the album. Then I started thinking about other albums from when I was a kid, like "2112" by Rush and Led Zeppelin IV and others, and I realized that I only listened to one side of many of them. I remember "2112" distinctly because one of my brother's friends made me listen to side 2 in the 1990s, and I had never heard some of the songs there. Other albums, like "Who's Next" by the Who were more likely to get a listen on both sides.
In any case, it was perfectly possible to have a favorite side of an album or cassette. With the advent of the CD, that became a thing of the past. Bands could now put more songs on albums, and no decision had to be made about which side to put them on. Of course, the difference was now that instead of moving the needle to skip a song or having to fast-forward all the way through a track, you could skip songs with the push of a button.
Then along came the MP3, which made it possible to choose songs a-la-carte. The Apple iTunes store is a perfect example of this. You can now simply download the song you want (for free if you are that kind of person) and not have to get the entire album. With the iPod and other digital music players, you can create playlists easily (without having to go to crazy lengths to tape a record), so albums are becoming less and less relevant.
I'm not trying to pass judgement on this, but I think it's an interesting development. Changes in technology are really influencing how we listen to music.
But I've drifted from the topic I intended to discuss. the two albums I've been listening to the most recently are Cheap Trick "At Budokan" and the new Rush, and it has made me think of how CDs changed the way we listen to music, and how the iPod is doing the same again. Let me stick with the "At Budokan" disc. I mainly listen to just a couple of tracks, but I listened to the whole thing the other day. What I realized is that when I was a kid, I only ever listened to side 2 of the record. I don't even recognize the songs from side 1 of the album. Then I started thinking about other albums from when I was a kid, like "2112" by Rush and Led Zeppelin IV and others, and I realized that I only listened to one side of many of them. I remember "2112" distinctly because one of my brother's friends made me listen to side 2 in the 1990s, and I had never heard some of the songs there. Other albums, like "Who's Next" by the Who were more likely to get a listen on both sides.
In any case, it was perfectly possible to have a favorite side of an album or cassette. With the advent of the CD, that became a thing of the past. Bands could now put more songs on albums, and no decision had to be made about which side to put them on. Of course, the difference was now that instead of moving the needle to skip a song or having to fast-forward all the way through a track, you could skip songs with the push of a button.
Then along came the MP3, which made it possible to choose songs a-la-carte. The Apple iTunes store is a perfect example of this. You can now simply download the song you want (for free if you are that kind of person) and not have to get the entire album. With the iPod and other digital music players, you can create playlists easily (without having to go to crazy lengths to tape a record), so albums are becoming less and less relevant.
I'm not trying to pass judgement on this, but I think it's an interesting development. Changes in technology are really influencing how we listen to music.
PBS Documentary
Last week, PBS showed a documentary on Mormons over two nights. I've been thinking about this for a few days, so now I'd like to share some thoughts. A lot of people have been asking me about it. My doctoral advisor, who knows I am Mormon, asked me what I thought, and I told him mostly what I will say here. It's very rare that we even speak about non-academic issues, so that really told me how significant this documentary was.
As members of a church long regarded as on the fringes of American society, one might understand why our community was a bit apprehensive. Recent events involving polygamous split-off groups and Mitt Romney's political aspirations have put a spotlight on us in ways we may or may not be comfortable with. Add to that a Mormon persecution complex and a general fear among us of learning too much about our past, and our fears becomes even more understandable. I think this is the best review of the documentary. It does a good job of highlighting the good and bad aspects.
There was a big build-up during the week before the airing. The Church actually posted an article about it on the official website, clarifying that the Church itself had cooperated with the filmmakers but had not had any control over the final product. Then the NY Times and other major newspapers reviewed it rather favorably. I resolved to watch it before passing any sort of judgment.
Well, I thought it was good overall. I appreciated that they spoke candidly about many issues, and I liked that they allowed both friend and foe alike to speak. I think that it gave a generally good view of the complexity of Mormon life. Many Church members were upset at the portrayal of modern polygamy, but I thought that the documentary did a good job of distancing the official Church from that problem, and I especially liked how they portrayed the difficulties some face in trying to find a place in our culture.
The only major issue I have is the coverage of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and this comes from my training as an historian. The documentary devoted 20 minutes to this topic, giving it a separate segment all to itself. While this was a heinous act perpetrated by a group of Mormons, looking at the MMM out of context is quite problematic. The documentary gave much more space to this single incident than they did to the persecutions the church suffered in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Also, they relied too much on the work of the "historian" Will Bagley (actually a newspaper columnist), who can't actually find evidence to back up his assertions of complicity among Church leadership (because there isn't any). The massacre, perpetrated by a relatively small group of isolated Mormons and Native Americans in the context of the Utah War, really deserved better treatment than it received.
Other than that, I found it relatively fair and insightful, if uncomfortable for some members of the Church.
As members of a church long regarded as on the fringes of American society, one might understand why our community was a bit apprehensive. Recent events involving polygamous split-off groups and Mitt Romney's political aspirations have put a spotlight on us in ways we may or may not be comfortable with. Add to that a Mormon persecution complex and a general fear among us of learning too much about our past, and our fears becomes even more understandable. I think this is the best review of the documentary. It does a good job of highlighting the good and bad aspects.
There was a big build-up during the week before the airing. The Church actually posted an article about it on the official website, clarifying that the Church itself had cooperated with the filmmakers but had not had any control over the final product. Then the NY Times and other major newspapers reviewed it rather favorably. I resolved to watch it before passing any sort of judgment.
Well, I thought it was good overall. I appreciated that they spoke candidly about many issues, and I liked that they allowed both friend and foe alike to speak. I think that it gave a generally good view of the complexity of Mormon life. Many Church members were upset at the portrayal of modern polygamy, but I thought that the documentary did a good job of distancing the official Church from that problem, and I especially liked how they portrayed the difficulties some face in trying to find a place in our culture.
The only major issue I have is the coverage of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and this comes from my training as an historian. The documentary devoted 20 minutes to this topic, giving it a separate segment all to itself. While this was a heinous act perpetrated by a group of Mormons, looking at the MMM out of context is quite problematic. The documentary gave much more space to this single incident than they did to the persecutions the church suffered in New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Also, they relied too much on the work of the "historian" Will Bagley (actually a newspaper columnist), who can't actually find evidence to back up his assertions of complicity among Church leadership (because there isn't any). The massacre, perpetrated by a relatively small group of isolated Mormons and Native Americans in the context of the Utah War, really deserved better treatment than it received.
Other than that, I found it relatively fair and insightful, if uncomfortable for some members of the Church.
Cheap Trick
In a nod to Rhonda, I had to put this up. Yesterday we went to Lowe's to pick up some stuff, and as we were driving, Plainbellied actually requested that I put on "I Want You To Want Me" from Cheap Trick's At Budokan album that I bought not too long ago. It was a very exciting moment. Her Nibs even demanded that we all sing along with the song, which she also enjoyed very much, even if she didn't know the words.
Laptops in Education
In Friday's NY Times, they had an article on the introduction of laptop computers into school classrooms. It's interesting because it discusses the fact that many schools are now giving up the programs they started, even while many other schools are still developing their programs. You may recall that I have issues with the over-focus of American schools on test scores. I don't think they do much good for students, and they are playing a key role in the dumbing-down of American children (I think).
Well, I look at the laptop issue in a similar fashion. There are those who think that cutting edge is always best, and that technology can cure all problems, so long as it is used properly. I personally applaud the schools for getting rid of the computers. I think they do more harm than good. Often, people claim that poorer schools are somehow technologically deficient and that explains the disparities in test scores, when in reality it isn't a technological problem. It is a social problem. Studies are now showing that students in the laptop programs don't do any better on tests.
In fact, it looks like students are becoming complacent, using the computers for recreational purposes, and even taking advantage of the laptops to cheat in school. Laptops are useless in helping students learn how to read or write well. Technological savvy should not be a goal. It should be a tool, and putting it above learning how to think does our children a disservice.
I am particularly disturbed by the conclusions of one researcher who, after concluding that the computers did not affect test scores, argued the following:
Frankly, I don't buy it. Creativity can be taught just as well with a pencil and paper as with a laptop. There are larger problems at work, and the following quote from the article summarizes my feelings on the matter (especially since I teach history):
My students recently submitted a term paper for an advanced college-level history course, and I found that many of them were reluctant to actually go to the library to find books. They thought (wrongly) that everything they needed was on the Internet. Because of this attitude, a number of them did quite poorly on the paper, because they misunderstood fundamental issues.
Now that I've written this, I need to clarify that I am not against teaching technology. I use my computer for much of what I do. However, it is only a tool. There are things for which it is quite unsuited. Even when I do find relevant articles online (many academic journals now publish online, through subscription services like JStor), I usually print them up to read and to mark up. The computer is just a tool for finding them.
I do think that schools should conduct computer classes (we had to take a typing class), and classes should have access to computers for relevant projects, but they really need to focus on what is most important. That should be teaching our children to think. Unfortunately, they're so set on test scores and technology that many seem to have lost track of that.
I wish I had something pithy to say at the end of this post, but I don't. Oh well. At least I got through it without saying "puke." (oops, there it is.)
Well, I look at the laptop issue in a similar fashion. There are those who think that cutting edge is always best, and that technology can cure all problems, so long as it is used properly. I personally applaud the schools for getting rid of the computers. I think they do more harm than good. Often, people claim that poorer schools are somehow technologically deficient and that explains the disparities in test scores, when in reality it isn't a technological problem. It is a social problem. Studies are now showing that students in the laptop programs don't do any better on tests.
In fact, it looks like students are becoming complacent, using the computers for recreational purposes, and even taking advantage of the laptops to cheat in school. Laptops are useless in helping students learn how to read or write well. Technological savvy should not be a goal. It should be a tool, and putting it above learning how to think does our children a disservice.
I am particularly disturbed by the conclusions of one researcher who, after concluding that the computers did not affect test scores, argued the following:
“Where laptops and Internet use make a difference are in innovation, creativity, autonomy and independent research,” he said. “If the goal is to get kids up to basic standard levels, then maybe laptops are not the tool. But if the goal is to create the George Lucas and Steve Jobs of the future, then laptops are extremely useful.”
Frankly, I don't buy it. Creativity can be taught just as well with a pencil and paper as with a laptop. There are larger problems at work, and the following quote from the article summarizes my feelings on the matter (especially since I teach history):
In the school library, an 11th-grade history class was working on research papers. Many carried laptops in their hands or in backpacks even as their teacher, Tom McCarthy, encouraged them not to overlook books, newspapers and academic journals.
“The art of thinking is being lost,” he said. “Because people can type in a word and find a source and think that’s the be all end all.”
My students recently submitted a term paper for an advanced college-level history course, and I found that many of them were reluctant to actually go to the library to find books. They thought (wrongly) that everything they needed was on the Internet. Because of this attitude, a number of them did quite poorly on the paper, because they misunderstood fundamental issues.
Now that I've written this, I need to clarify that I am not against teaching technology. I use my computer for much of what I do. However, it is only a tool. There are things for which it is quite unsuited. Even when I do find relevant articles online (many academic journals now publish online, through subscription services like JStor), I usually print them up to read and to mark up. The computer is just a tool for finding them.
I do think that schools should conduct computer classes (we had to take a typing class), and classes should have access to computers for relevant projects, but they really need to focus on what is most important. That should be teaching our children to think. Unfortunately, they're so set on test scores and technology that many seem to have lost track of that.
I wish I had something pithy to say at the end of this post, but I don't. Oh well. At least I got through it without saying "puke." (oops, there it is.)
Movie weekend
This weekend, Plainbellied and I saw three new movies. On Friday night, we watched "Rocky Balboa." Plainbellied had never seen "Rocky" until after we got married, and she's not very familiar with the earlier movies. I really like the first four, though (usually I pretend "Rocky V" never happened). Well, I'm not really into "Rocky II," but I really like "Rocky," "Rocky III," and "Rocky IV." I have to say that I enjoyed "Rocky Balboa." If you're not familiar, it follows the same basic storyline of "Rocky," but it's about life after Adrian and how Rocky tries to relate to his kid. It's a schmarmy, feel-good kind of movie, and I am not ashamed to say that I liked it. There are even a few memorable scenes where Rocky talks sense into his son. If I had a choice, though, I'd probably watch I, III, or IV before renting this one again.
On Saturday we saw "Hot Fuzz." It was amazing. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. If you've ever seen an action movie, then you may love it (noticeable influences are "Point Break" and "Bad Boys II"). The plot itself is engaging, if absurd, but it's really the dialogue that makes the film. It does start off a bit slow, but that's all right, because once it gets going, it doesn't really stop. There are a number of running gags, but they aren't annoying. The only caveats I'll make is that it is incredibly graphic in its depiction of violence, and there is a fair amount of cursing. It is definitely not a family movie. If you have a weak stomach, don't go. If that's not a problem for you, then you may have the same experience we did when we saw it in a filled theater where everyone was absolutely laughing their head off.
When we got home that night, we popped in "The Queen," which Plainbellied got from Netflix. Frankly, I didn't like it. It isn't my kind of film. I didn't like any of the characters. I never had any sympathy for Diana, even. More than anything, watching everyone interact made me wonder why the British would maintain the monarchy for so long. I'm not a fan of bowing and scraping. It particularly bothers me that when the Prime Minister, elected by the British people, goes to meet the Queen, he has to bow and he can't turn his back to walk out of the room, and he actually has to ask her permission to form a government. I realize these are all simply formalities, but come on! Why biology should be considered a reasonable way to choose a head of state is beyond me.
Plainbellied later confessed that she didn't realize that the whole movie was about Diana's death. She thought it was a biopic of Elizabeth II. I don't think she'll make that mistake again.
On Saturday we saw "Hot Fuzz." It was amazing. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. If you've ever seen an action movie, then you may love it (noticeable influences are "Point Break" and "Bad Boys II"). The plot itself is engaging, if absurd, but it's really the dialogue that makes the film. It does start off a bit slow, but that's all right, because once it gets going, it doesn't really stop. There are a number of running gags, but they aren't annoying. The only caveats I'll make is that it is incredibly graphic in its depiction of violence, and there is a fair amount of cursing. It is definitely not a family movie. If you have a weak stomach, don't go. If that's not a problem for you, then you may have the same experience we did when we saw it in a filled theater where everyone was absolutely laughing their head off.
When we got home that night, we popped in "The Queen," which Plainbellied got from Netflix. Frankly, I didn't like it. It isn't my kind of film. I didn't like any of the characters. I never had any sympathy for Diana, even. More than anything, watching everyone interact made me wonder why the British would maintain the monarchy for so long. I'm not a fan of bowing and scraping. It particularly bothers me that when the Prime Minister, elected by the British people, goes to meet the Queen, he has to bow and he can't turn his back to walk out of the room, and he actually has to ask her permission to form a government. I realize these are all simply formalities, but come on! Why biology should be considered a reasonable way to choose a head of state is beyond me.
Plainbellied later confessed that she didn't realize that the whole movie was about Diana's death. She thought it was a biopic of Elizabeth II. I don't think she'll make that mistake again.
If you don't like vomit. . .
. . . stop reading now. Also, keep in mind that I'm exhausted, so this might not be the stellar writing quality you're used to on this blog.
Imagine this scene: a child lies asleep on the living room floor, at her mother's feet (literally between the chair and the ottoman). The mother sits, half-watching "Pride and Prejudice" (with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle), and nodding off to sleep. The father, tired, sits to write a blog entry.
As you have guessed, that's what our house looks like right now. While I normally spend my nights working on either my dissertation or my teaching responsibilities, last night was different. Plainbellied and I got a baby-sitter and went to the movies with some friends. We saw "Hot Fuzz" (loved it! look for a review soon). After we came home, things seemed great. Her Nibs was in bed and had eaten a lot for a change. Plainbellied and I watched "The Queen" (not my kind of movie), then she went to bed and I sat down to grade papers at 1:00 AM.
That was the end of the good times. Usually, it's my job to put Her Nibs back in bed if she wakes up at night. Around 3:00 AM, I heard her start crying, so I went upstairs to put her back to sleep. She seemed fine, but as I started to put her down, she started crying again, so I picked her up. As I did so, she puked all over me. I've seen vomit, but this was more than I had seen go on a single person. My shirt and pants were soaked, and it reeked. Frankly, it made me want to vomit.
Since I was already soaked, I got Her Nibs into the bathroom and turned on the water. This is when I realized I couldn't do it alone. So I yelled for Plainbellied, who had only been asleep for two hours, to wake up and help me. My plan was to start Her Nibs in the bath and turn her over to Plainbellied while I went and cleaned up the mess left on the carpet. Things went well, but we took her downstairs while I cleaned to make sure that everything had come up.
After about an hour, I had finished cleaning, and Her Nibs was ready to go back to bed. I started rinsing off our clothes when I heard Plainbellied cry out, "Come help me!" When I went back, Her Nibs had puked on Plainbellied, and we now had a new mess to clean up. So we put Her Nibs back in the bathtub to clean her up, and I worked on the clothes and carpet. After a while, she really wanted to go to bed, because she was so tired. But, as she walked to the stairs, she yakked on the carpet. Another bath and now there were no clean nightgowns. More cleaning. At around 5:00, things had calmed down, so we finally got to put her back to bed.
You probably know what happened next. Her Nibs puked on the bed. At least we had figured out that we shouldn't give her anything to eat or drink by now, so she only had a little bit left. Plainbellied took her into the shower while I cleaned up the bed. I learned that it's much easier to clean up a plastic-covered bed than to clean up carpet, and I was happy about that. We put her in bed again, and she finally started to go to sleep, even though her pig was now in the wash, a casualty of the previous attempt to put Her Nibs in bed. Thirty seconds later, she came out of her room and said, "I have to puke." She likes to use that word. She also says things like, "I'm not pukey anymore," or "I got puke all over!"
From then on, we knew how to play it. Since we caught it, no bath was needed. But now she was staying with us for good. She sat on Plainbellied's lap for a while, and we came up with a system: Plainbellied held a cup, and I had a wet paper towel ready. Every half hour or so, Her Nibs said, "I have to puke," so we put up the cup, and she puked in it, then I wiped her up, rinsed out the cup, and replaced it with a clean one. She actually got a little sleep on Plainbellied's lap, and then she crawled onto the floor and fell asleep there. And there we stand. I'm about to go to the store for ginger ale, Plainbellied is going in and out of sleep on the chair watching "Pride and Prejudice," and Her Nibs is asleep on the floor (at least until she has to vomit again).
By now, you're grossed out, and you wonder why I told you all of this. I'm not trying to set us up as a pair of martyrs. I've learned something tonight. I'm at the point now where I am way past my bedtime, and I didn't get much sleep yesterday. Plainbellied only got a few hours of sleep last night. We're exhausted. But neither of us got grouchy. It is frustrating and maddening to watch your child get sick, but neither of us resents it. When Her Nibs first threw up on me, I felt like I was doing exactly what a parent is supposed to do. Our kid throws up on us, we clean it, and we don't complain.
Don't get me wrong, it's not fun. It sucks (and smells). But it's what parents do. If you'll excuse me, I need to go clean up some more vomit.
Imagine this scene: a child lies asleep on the living room floor, at her mother's feet (literally between the chair and the ottoman). The mother sits, half-watching "Pride and Prejudice" (with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle), and nodding off to sleep. The father, tired, sits to write a blog entry.
As you have guessed, that's what our house looks like right now. While I normally spend my nights working on either my dissertation or my teaching responsibilities, last night was different. Plainbellied and I got a baby-sitter and went to the movies with some friends. We saw "Hot Fuzz" (loved it! look for a review soon). After we came home, things seemed great. Her Nibs was in bed and had eaten a lot for a change. Plainbellied and I watched "The Queen" (not my kind of movie), then she went to bed and I sat down to grade papers at 1:00 AM.
That was the end of the good times. Usually, it's my job to put Her Nibs back in bed if she wakes up at night. Around 3:00 AM, I heard her start crying, so I went upstairs to put her back to sleep. She seemed fine, but as I started to put her down, she started crying again, so I picked her up. As I did so, she puked all over me. I've seen vomit, but this was more than I had seen go on a single person. My shirt and pants were soaked, and it reeked. Frankly, it made me want to vomit.
Since I was already soaked, I got Her Nibs into the bathroom and turned on the water. This is when I realized I couldn't do it alone. So I yelled for Plainbellied, who had only been asleep for two hours, to wake up and help me. My plan was to start Her Nibs in the bath and turn her over to Plainbellied while I went and cleaned up the mess left on the carpet. Things went well, but we took her downstairs while I cleaned to make sure that everything had come up.
After about an hour, I had finished cleaning, and Her Nibs was ready to go back to bed. I started rinsing off our clothes when I heard Plainbellied cry out, "Come help me!" When I went back, Her Nibs had puked on Plainbellied, and we now had a new mess to clean up. So we put Her Nibs back in the bathtub to clean her up, and I worked on the clothes and carpet. After a while, she really wanted to go to bed, because she was so tired. But, as she walked to the stairs, she yakked on the carpet. Another bath and now there were no clean nightgowns. More cleaning. At around 5:00, things had calmed down, so we finally got to put her back to bed.
You probably know what happened next. Her Nibs puked on the bed. At least we had figured out that we shouldn't give her anything to eat or drink by now, so she only had a little bit left. Plainbellied took her into the shower while I cleaned up the bed. I learned that it's much easier to clean up a plastic-covered bed than to clean up carpet, and I was happy about that. We put her in bed again, and she finally started to go to sleep, even though her pig was now in the wash, a casualty of the previous attempt to put Her Nibs in bed. Thirty seconds later, she came out of her room and said, "I have to puke." She likes to use that word. She also says things like, "I'm not pukey anymore," or "I got puke all over!"
From then on, we knew how to play it. Since we caught it, no bath was needed. But now she was staying with us for good. She sat on Plainbellied's lap for a while, and we came up with a system: Plainbellied held a cup, and I had a wet paper towel ready. Every half hour or so, Her Nibs said, "I have to puke," so we put up the cup, and she puked in it, then I wiped her up, rinsed out the cup, and replaced it with a clean one. She actually got a little sleep on Plainbellied's lap, and then she crawled onto the floor and fell asleep there. And there we stand. I'm about to go to the store for ginger ale, Plainbellied is going in and out of sleep on the chair watching "Pride and Prejudice," and Her Nibs is asleep on the floor (at least until she has to vomit again).
By now, you're grossed out, and you wonder why I told you all of this. I'm not trying to set us up as a pair of martyrs. I've learned something tonight. I'm at the point now where I am way past my bedtime, and I didn't get much sleep yesterday. Plainbellied only got a few hours of sleep last night. We're exhausted. But neither of us got grouchy. It is frustrating and maddening to watch your child get sick, but neither of us resents it. When Her Nibs first threw up on me, I felt like I was doing exactly what a parent is supposed to do. Our kid throws up on us, we clean it, and we don't complain.
Don't get me wrong, it's not fun. It sucks (and smells). But it's what parents do. If you'll excuse me, I need to go clean up some more vomit.
I'm just amazed. . .
This entire post is the work of a relatively young father bragging incessantly about his incredible daughter. You've been warned.
Her Nibs has discovered a new talent. Recently, she's started drawing (sort of) recognizable faces on drawings. She does it on her own, too. I know I'm an incredibly biased observer, but for some reason it seems to me that she's a bit advanced with her small motor skills.
There. My bragging impulse has been satisfied. I included one of her faces below. I know it's not high art, but hey, she's not even three yet.
Her Nibs has discovered a new talent. Recently, she's started drawing (sort of) recognizable faces on drawings. She does it on her own, too. I know I'm an incredibly biased observer, but for some reason it seems to me that she's a bit advanced with her small motor skills.
There. My bragging impulse has been satisfied. I included one of her faces below. I know it's not high art, but hey, she's not even three yet.
Whose room is it, anyway?
When I arrived to teach my class today, my students were all congregated in the hallway. It was a couple of minutes before we were scheduled to begin, and the previous class still hadn't left. This is not unusual, but since there's a fifteen-minute break between classes I don't sweat it. There's plenty of time for me to get set up.
Well, today was different. Class time came, and the other group was still in the room. through the window on the door, it was clear that they were doing class presentations, and as today is the last day of classes, I decided to cut them some slack. After five minutes, though, it was time to put an end to things, because it was getting ridiculous. We needed to have class, too.
I knocked and stuck my head in the door, announcing, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but my class needs this room." Some of you may not believe me, but I was quite polite about it. I totally channelled my "diplomatic" brother, assuming that they simply had lost track of time. Well, I was wrong. The other instructor came over to the door and said, "We came in here because our classroom is not available. Is there another room you could take your class to?" At this point, I got a little angry (I still wasn't rude, though--you can ask my students), and I told her, "No." Inside, I thought (but did not say), "We've been in this room every Tuesday this semester. What makes you think we should go somewhere else? Get out!" Then she had the gall to say, "We'll be done in five minutes." Remember, class was already supposed to begin five minutes ago. Luckily, her students had already begun leaving, so disaster was averted.
I'm still shaking my head fifteen hours later. At least I got a good laugh with my students after the other group left. They couldn't believe it either.
Well, today was different. Class time came, and the other group was still in the room. through the window on the door, it was clear that they were doing class presentations, and as today is the last day of classes, I decided to cut them some slack. After five minutes, though, it was time to put an end to things, because it was getting ridiculous. We needed to have class, too.
I knocked and stuck my head in the door, announcing, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but my class needs this room." Some of you may not believe me, but I was quite polite about it. I totally channelled my "diplomatic" brother, assuming that they simply had lost track of time. Well, I was wrong. The other instructor came over to the door and said, "We came in here because our classroom is not available. Is there another room you could take your class to?" At this point, I got a little angry (I still wasn't rude, though--you can ask my students), and I told her, "No." Inside, I thought (but did not say), "We've been in this room every Tuesday this semester. What makes you think we should go somewhere else? Get out!" Then she had the gall to say, "We'll be done in five minutes." Remember, class was already supposed to begin five minutes ago. Luckily, her students had already begun leaving, so disaster was averted.
I'm still shaking my head fifteen hours later. At least I got a good laugh with my students after the other group left. They couldn't believe it either.
"Bienvenidos a Miami"
I think that it's only fair to warn you up front that this is going to be a pretty long entry about our trip to Miami Beach. You might want to make yourself comfortable. It's been a busy few days and I have a lot to say (you may judge for yourself whether any of it is worth reading).
In order to prepare for our trip, we downloaded the pilot of 'Miami Vice' from iTunes. I hadn't seen the show for a very long time, and I don't think Plainbellied had ever seen it. I thought it would be fun to find some of the places where they filmed and re-enact scenes, like when Crockett told his partner's wife that he had been killed. Luckily, there was not time for that on this trip.
You may have already read Plainbellied's blog about the drive down, so I'm not going to repeat what she has already said. I will just point out that I generally prefer Mapquest directions, because they tend to send you on a shorter route than other services, and they actually get the time right. Once, I checked it against Google Maps, and Google wanted to send us about 100 miles out of our way (Google does have a better interface, though). I used Mapquest again this time, and we arrived at the door of our hotel within five minutes of the time it had predicted. Making good time is very important to me, and this made me feel pretty good.
It turns out that we made a really good decision on the hotel. Instead of a dive, we stayed in a renovated Art Deco hotel right on Ocean Drive, across the street from the beach. It was a little away from the clubs, so where we were was pretty quiet at night, thank goodness. The room was small, but it was clean, and it had a really nice shower. Normally I hate hotel showers, but I actually felt clean coming out of this one. It had nice marble tile, so it really was nice. That was the best part of the room, though. Mostly, it reminded me of almost every hotel I had stayed at in Spain, which is to say that it had tile floors, adequate beds, and nothing else. The only noticeable difference from a Spanish hotel was the price. My goodness. It should be illegal to charge that much for a tiny hotel room. I'm lucky it was for a conference and my department is footing part of the bill. Otherwise, there is no way we could have done it.
We went to the beach both mornings we were there, and Her Nibs liked it a lot. She wouldn't put her feet in the water by herself, but she would ride the waves with me if I held her. We didn't go very far in, since I'm afraid of sharks, but the water was clear and warm. It was fun. I don't usually like the beach, but since we went early, the sun still wasn't shining, and there weren't crowds. Actually, I saw a guy wake up after a night on the beach when the water started licking his feet. I thought that only happened in the movies. It actually took him a while to realize the water was at his feet. I think he had a good time the night before.
The conference itself was pretty good. The first session I had wanted to go to was cancelled, so I had a chance to catch up with some of the other people there, some of whom I hadn't seen for several years. My session, in the afternoon, was well attended, but unfortunately the other two panelists had more "interesting" topics than I did, so no one bothered to ask me any questions or make comments about my work. Luckily, a few people spoke with me later and I got a few helpful comments. If they hadn't it would have kind of ruined the conference for me, because the whole point is to get input on your work (well, and "network" with people in your discipline). The sessions on Saturday were pretty good, too.
Friday night we went out to dinner, and we found a nice Spanish restaurant just down the street from where the conference was. It is run by an actual Spanish family, and the chef, along with much of the waitstaff, is from Spain as well. Good Spanish food is tough to find in this country, and we were really lucky. When we walked in, it felt Spanish, with tile that looked as though it had come straight from Seville. When the waiters switched to Spanish, they spoke with Madrid accents, and it reminded us of our time there. It also reminded us of a time when we went to a restaurant in Seville with my parents during the Feria de Abril. Everyone was at the fair, so we were almost the only ones in the restaurant. There were like three waiters just for us. The same thing happened in Miami. Because of Her Nibs, we eat early, so we were the first ones in the restaurant. They were all so friendly, and the service was great. The food was even better. We got a sampler of appetizers, so we each got some tortilla española, jamón serrano on bruschetta, and croquetas de jamón. Then Plainbellied got a barbecue pork tenderloin and I got paella valenciana.* Her Nibs nibbled on a salad (salad is her favorite food right now). We got gelato afterward, and I'm sure Plainbellied will tell all about that.
As we walked back to the hotel (the long way), a guy came up to us with a huge snake and asked if we wanted to pet it. Her Nibs was really scared, so the guy asked me if I wanted to hold it. I resisted, but he put it around my neck anyway, and then Her Nibs touched it and laughed. Well, I'm not stupid, and I know that when something like this happens they're going to ask for money. I'm thinking he'll ask for five bucks or something like that as a "donation." But he said, "I take Polaroid pictures of you with the snake for a donation of 20 dollars." He actually said it with a straight face. I know Polaroid makes its money on film, but 20 bucks for a single photo? Not on your life. I turned him down and he move on to the next sucker. It was almost as weird as the time a girl wearing a clown nose (and no makeup) got right up in my face as I walked home one night in Madrid and said, "Oooooooooooooo" while doing some strange dance. Of course, it also reminded me of Hulk Hogan's "24-inch pythons."
The trip was really great, but I should add a couple of caveats. I'm not sure I would have liked it so much if I had just gone there to hang out. I'm not a beach person. An hour in the morning is enough for me, because there were no crowds and the sun wasn't shining. I burn easily, so the beach is not for me. I think I was lucky to have a conference to go to, so I really only had to fill short periods of time with stuff to do, mostly the mornings and dinner time. I'm not into partying either, so most of what the beach has to offer isn't really my style. Also, if I had to pay for the whole thing myself, it would have been too expensive.
Even so, it took the bad taste of my last Miami trip out of my mouth. Maybe there'll be another conference there sometime.
*Tortilla española is basically a potato omelet. Jamón serrano is a Spanish cured ham, kind of like prosciutto but better (second only to jamón ibérico, which is incredible), and Croquetas de jamón are kind of like savory hush puppies with bits of jamón serrano in them. What they called paella valenciana was really paella mixta, which has both chicken and seafood in it. Paella valenciana should have rabbit and spanish chorizo in it, and maybe chicken, but no seafood. I've never had good paella at a restaurant in the US before. It was absolutely great.
In order to prepare for our trip, we downloaded the pilot of 'Miami Vice' from iTunes. I hadn't seen the show for a very long time, and I don't think Plainbellied had ever seen it. I thought it would be fun to find some of the places where they filmed and re-enact scenes, like when Crockett told his partner's wife that he had been killed. Luckily, there was not time for that on this trip.
You may have already read Plainbellied's blog about the drive down, so I'm not going to repeat what she has already said. I will just point out that I generally prefer Mapquest directions, because they tend to send you on a shorter route than other services, and they actually get the time right. Once, I checked it against Google Maps, and Google wanted to send us about 100 miles out of our way (Google does have a better interface, though). I used Mapquest again this time, and we arrived at the door of our hotel within five minutes of the time it had predicted. Making good time is very important to me, and this made me feel pretty good.
It turns out that we made a really good decision on the hotel. Instead of a dive, we stayed in a renovated Art Deco hotel right on Ocean Drive, across the street from the beach. It was a little away from the clubs, so where we were was pretty quiet at night, thank goodness. The room was small, but it was clean, and it had a really nice shower. Normally I hate hotel showers, but I actually felt clean coming out of this one. It had nice marble tile, so it really was nice. That was the best part of the room, though. Mostly, it reminded me of almost every hotel I had stayed at in Spain, which is to say that it had tile floors, adequate beds, and nothing else. The only noticeable difference from a Spanish hotel was the price. My goodness. It should be illegal to charge that much for a tiny hotel room. I'm lucky it was for a conference and my department is footing part of the bill. Otherwise, there is no way we could have done it.
We went to the beach both mornings we were there, and Her Nibs liked it a lot. She wouldn't put her feet in the water by herself, but she would ride the waves with me if I held her. We didn't go very far in, since I'm afraid of sharks, but the water was clear and warm. It was fun. I don't usually like the beach, but since we went early, the sun still wasn't shining, and there weren't crowds. Actually, I saw a guy wake up after a night on the beach when the water started licking his feet. I thought that only happened in the movies. It actually took him a while to realize the water was at his feet. I think he had a good time the night before.
The conference itself was pretty good. The first session I had wanted to go to was cancelled, so I had a chance to catch up with some of the other people there, some of whom I hadn't seen for several years. My session, in the afternoon, was well attended, but unfortunately the other two panelists had more "interesting" topics than I did, so no one bothered to ask me any questions or make comments about my work. Luckily, a few people spoke with me later and I got a few helpful comments. If they hadn't it would have kind of ruined the conference for me, because the whole point is to get input on your work (well, and "network" with people in your discipline). The sessions on Saturday were pretty good, too.
Friday night we went out to dinner, and we found a nice Spanish restaurant just down the street from where the conference was. It is run by an actual Spanish family, and the chef, along with much of the waitstaff, is from Spain as well. Good Spanish food is tough to find in this country, and we were really lucky. When we walked in, it felt Spanish, with tile that looked as though it had come straight from Seville. When the waiters switched to Spanish, they spoke with Madrid accents, and it reminded us of our time there. It also reminded us of a time when we went to a restaurant in Seville with my parents during the Feria de Abril. Everyone was at the fair, so we were almost the only ones in the restaurant. There were like three waiters just for us. The same thing happened in Miami. Because of Her Nibs, we eat early, so we were the first ones in the restaurant. They were all so friendly, and the service was great. The food was even better. We got a sampler of appetizers, so we each got some tortilla española, jamón serrano on bruschetta, and croquetas de jamón. Then Plainbellied got a barbecue pork tenderloin and I got paella valenciana.* Her Nibs nibbled on a salad (salad is her favorite food right now). We got gelato afterward, and I'm sure Plainbellied will tell all about that.
As we walked back to the hotel (the long way), a guy came up to us with a huge snake and asked if we wanted to pet it. Her Nibs was really scared, so the guy asked me if I wanted to hold it. I resisted, but he put it around my neck anyway, and then Her Nibs touched it and laughed. Well, I'm not stupid, and I know that when something like this happens they're going to ask for money. I'm thinking he'll ask for five bucks or something like that as a "donation." But he said, "I take Polaroid pictures of you with the snake for a donation of 20 dollars." He actually said it with a straight face. I know Polaroid makes its money on film, but 20 bucks for a single photo? Not on your life. I turned him down and he move on to the next sucker. It was almost as weird as the time a girl wearing a clown nose (and no makeup) got right up in my face as I walked home one night in Madrid and said, "Oooooooooooooo" while doing some strange dance. Of course, it also reminded me of Hulk Hogan's "24-inch pythons."
The trip was really great, but I should add a couple of caveats. I'm not sure I would have liked it so much if I had just gone there to hang out. I'm not a beach person. An hour in the morning is enough for me, because there were no crowds and the sun wasn't shining. I burn easily, so the beach is not for me. I think I was lucky to have a conference to go to, so I really only had to fill short periods of time with stuff to do, mostly the mornings and dinner time. I'm not into partying either, so most of what the beach has to offer isn't really my style. Also, if I had to pay for the whole thing myself, it would have been too expensive.
Even so, it took the bad taste of my last Miami trip out of my mouth. Maybe there'll be another conference there sometime.
*Tortilla española is basically a potato omelet. Jamón serrano is a Spanish cured ham, kind of like prosciutto but better (second only to jamón ibérico, which is incredible), and Croquetas de jamón are kind of like savory hush puppies with bits of jamón serrano in them. What they called paella valenciana was really paella mixta, which has both chicken and seafood in it. Paella valenciana should have rabbit and spanish chorizo in it, and maybe chicken, but no seafood. I've never had good paella at a restaurant in the US before. It was absolutely great.
SoBe
As Plainbellied mentioned, we're off to Miami Beach this weekend so I can attend a conference. Finding a hotel was the most recent adventure. A few years ago we went to Miami to get our visas for Spain, and it was a rather unpleasant experience. The highlight was getting room service at the Fairfield Inn (only time we've ever done room service). This time, though, we're going to stay in South Beach (SoBe), which is within walking distance of the conference site. I've heard lots of good things about it, but what people don't tell you is how expensive it is. I learned that in order to get decent accommodations there, it is required to sign away one's firstborn child.
I know Plainbellied covered this in her post, but I'd like to give my perspective on our search for hotel accommodations. I jumped on the first "reasonable" rate I found without clearly thinking it through because the conference hotel rate seemed excessive (from someone who never wants to pay more than 60 dollars a night). Last night, when I went looking for directions, etc., I discovered that people passionately despise the hotel I had booked. I've stayed in dives before, so I was prepared for the worst, and if I were going alone it would have been all right. However, since Plainbellied and Her Nibs are coming, I had second thoughts. As you can see from Plainbellied's description, there were some serious problems with the other place. I can tell the difference between a crank who simply didn't like the hotel and serious problems. Since multiple reviewers kept bringing up the same issues, it raised a major red flag. Instead of gutting it out, we decided to swallow our pride and chalk up the one-night cancellation penalty to a "learning experience."
There are still a few minor issues about the new place, but it looks to be sanitary, safe, and friendly (if possibly a bit loud). Apart from a few of the usual crusty reviewers, most people really like it. As long as we're not looking for luxury accommodations, it should be all right. And since it's one of the old Art Deco hotels, it will at least be interesting to look at.
We'll definitely give a solid write-up about the trip when we return. I'm still a bit intimidated by Miami, but hopefully things will turn out for the best.
I know Plainbellied covered this in her post, but I'd like to give my perspective on our search for hotel accommodations. I jumped on the first "reasonable" rate I found without clearly thinking it through because the conference hotel rate seemed excessive (from someone who never wants to pay more than 60 dollars a night). Last night, when I went looking for directions, etc., I discovered that people passionately despise the hotel I had booked. I've stayed in dives before, so I was prepared for the worst, and if I were going alone it would have been all right. However, since Plainbellied and Her Nibs are coming, I had second thoughts. As you can see from Plainbellied's description, there were some serious problems with the other place. I can tell the difference between a crank who simply didn't like the hotel and serious problems. Since multiple reviewers kept bringing up the same issues, it raised a major red flag. Instead of gutting it out, we decided to swallow our pride and chalk up the one-night cancellation penalty to a "learning experience."
There are still a few minor issues about the new place, but it looks to be sanitary, safe, and friendly (if possibly a bit loud). Apart from a few of the usual crusty reviewers, most people really like it. As long as we're not looking for luxury accommodations, it should be all right. And since it's one of the old Art Deco hotels, it will at least be interesting to look at.
We'll definitely give a solid write-up about the trip when we return. I'm still a bit intimidated by Miami, but hopefully things will turn out for the best.
Startling New Study
I like to read The Onion online. As a parent, I found this recent article to be one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. I hope you enjoy it.
Who's Drinking the Kool-Aid Now?
Apparently, Kirsten Dunst has a high opinion of herself. Here's the short version. There is talk that Sam Raimi won't make the next Spiderman movie, and that Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Mcguire might not be in it. Dunst thinks that this is "disrespectful" to her and that "audiences aren't stupid. It'd be a big flop without me, Tobey, or Sam."
What do I think? I kind of liked the first two movies. I like a lot of comic-book type films (they're a guilty pleasure). Overall, though, I think the Spiderman movies would have been better without Mcguire and Dunst. I like what Raimi has done, but neither of the lead actors has done a particularly memorable job. Mcguire is OK, but I don't really like his delivery very much. I'm at the point now where I don't actually care if I see the next movie. I've liked the story lines, but the acting is problematic.
Dunst, in particular, has really been terrible. If they dropped her from the films, I would actually be more likely to see it. Take the second film, for example. Dunst's character, Mary Jane, is supposed to be some wonderful actress. But the scenes they show of her onstage in "The Importance of Being Earnest" are terrible. Add to that her bad teeth, and you have the makings of a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I thought that Dunst was solid in "Drop Dead Gorgeous," but I think she's had the same experience as a lot of other actresses. She gets into some serious films and somehow thinks she's a serious actress.
I think it's awfully pretentious of her to think she's somehow indispensable. Somebody needs to give her a reality check.
What do I think? I kind of liked the first two movies. I like a lot of comic-book type films (they're a guilty pleasure). Overall, though, I think the Spiderman movies would have been better without Mcguire and Dunst. I like what Raimi has done, but neither of the lead actors has done a particularly memorable job. Mcguire is OK, but I don't really like his delivery very much. I'm at the point now where I don't actually care if I see the next movie. I've liked the story lines, but the acting is problematic.
Dunst, in particular, has really been terrible. If they dropped her from the films, I would actually be more likely to see it. Take the second film, for example. Dunst's character, Mary Jane, is supposed to be some wonderful actress. But the scenes they show of her onstage in "The Importance of Being Earnest" are terrible. Add to that her bad teeth, and you have the makings of a disaster. Don't get me wrong, I thought that Dunst was solid in "Drop Dead Gorgeous," but I think she's had the same experience as a lot of other actresses. She gets into some serious films and somehow thinks she's a serious actress.
I think it's awfully pretentious of her to think she's somehow indispensable. Somebody needs to give her a reality check.
Maverick and Goose at the Airshow
Plainbellied and I have made a concerted effort to be more connected to the community where we live. There are a number of things we either didn't know about or simply never went to before. We started with the camping trip we took recently. Since then, we found a nice little pizza place in town that everyone else already seemed to know about and a fifties-style diner in a town about twenty minutes north (that other people already knew as well).
Last weekend, we took another leap and went to the airshow that came to town. Let me give a little background to this. When I was a kid, I had a friend whose family invited me to do things with them occasionally. They took me to a Patriots game against the Jets once and professional wrestling another time (back when it was real). :) Well, at one point they invited me to an airshow. I must have been about ten years old at the time. The problem with the airshow was that they planned to go on a Sunday, which is problematic for religious reasons. While I understand my parents' reasons now, I was very upset at the time. To top it all off, my friends who went came to school the next day to tell me all about their helicopter ride at the airshow.
I have been jealous ever since, and I never got to an airshow until now. We were unable to go a year and a half ago for some reason, so this time we decided that we would go no matter what. We took Her Nibs and our friend Don't Mess with Texas came along, too, after Plainbellied's game. It was a great time. We saw biplanes doing things that should be against the law (of gravity--ha ha ha). They brought out an F-18 fighter jet, and it was absolutely crazy what that thing was capable of. Other than high-speed maneuvers, it actually stayed in the air at under 100 MPH, and it weighs 40,000 lbs. Later they had an F-16 and a wing-walker as well, but watching the F-18 alone was worth the price of admission.
To top it all off, we got to go up in a helicopter. Plainbellied's father flew helicopters in Vietnam, so she's always wanted to go up in one, too. We made sure to take Her Nibs, who had a great time. Plainbellied went in a different helicopter than Her Nibs and I, and hers did some crazy stunts with her in it. I kind of wish I had gotten to go in that one, but I had my ride. I'll probably never get to do it again, and it was totally worth it.
Even though we had a great time, we quickly learned that we were airshow neophytes. It turns out that they don't actually provide seating at these things. I expected bleachers or something, but when we got there everyone else had brought camping chairs. There was also only limited shade. Most people had gotten there early and staked out positions under the wings of airplanes. Luckily, Don't Mess with Texas brought some SPF 50 and we got only very mild sunburns. We also realized immediately that we should have brought the camera.
We also learned that airshows are really loud. Her Nibs got very adept at covering her ears. Jets make a ton of noise, and since we were really close to the runway it was more than I had ever experienced. Every time the F-18 turned away from us, we got a roar from the engines. Anyway, it was an incredible afternoon. We all wanted to immediately rent Top Gun. Luckily, none of us had the energy to follow through on that.
Next up: we're taking a trip to Miami Beach so I can go to a conference. Since I had to get a hotel anyway, we thought we'd make a family trip of it. Should be fun.
Last weekend, we took another leap and went to the airshow that came to town. Let me give a little background to this. When I was a kid, I had a friend whose family invited me to do things with them occasionally. They took me to a Patriots game against the Jets once and professional wrestling another time (back when it was real). :) Well, at one point they invited me to an airshow. I must have been about ten years old at the time. The problem with the airshow was that they planned to go on a Sunday, which is problematic for religious reasons. While I understand my parents' reasons now, I was very upset at the time. To top it all off, my friends who went came to school the next day to tell me all about their helicopter ride at the airshow.
I have been jealous ever since, and I never got to an airshow until now. We were unable to go a year and a half ago for some reason, so this time we decided that we would go no matter what. We took Her Nibs and our friend Don't Mess with Texas came along, too, after Plainbellied's game. It was a great time. We saw biplanes doing things that should be against the law (of gravity--ha ha ha). They brought out an F-18 fighter jet, and it was absolutely crazy what that thing was capable of. Other than high-speed maneuvers, it actually stayed in the air at under 100 MPH, and it weighs 40,000 lbs. Later they had an F-16 and a wing-walker as well, but watching the F-18 alone was worth the price of admission.
To top it all off, we got to go up in a helicopter. Plainbellied's father flew helicopters in Vietnam, so she's always wanted to go up in one, too. We made sure to take Her Nibs, who had a great time. Plainbellied went in a different helicopter than Her Nibs and I, and hers did some crazy stunts with her in it. I kind of wish I had gotten to go in that one, but I had my ride. I'll probably never get to do it again, and it was totally worth it.
Even though we had a great time, we quickly learned that we were airshow neophytes. It turns out that they don't actually provide seating at these things. I expected bleachers or something, but when we got there everyone else had brought camping chairs. There was also only limited shade. Most people had gotten there early and staked out positions under the wings of airplanes. Luckily, Don't Mess with Texas brought some SPF 50 and we got only very mild sunburns. We also realized immediately that we should have brought the camera.
We also learned that airshows are really loud. Her Nibs got very adept at covering her ears. Jets make a ton of noise, and since we were really close to the runway it was more than I had ever experienced. Every time the F-18 turned away from us, we got a roar from the engines. Anyway, it was an incredible afternoon. We all wanted to immediately rent Top Gun. Luckily, none of us had the energy to follow through on that.
Next up: we're taking a trip to Miami Beach so I can go to a conference. Since I had to get a hotel anyway, we thought we'd make a family trip of it. Should be fun.
Playoff Time
Plainbellied asked me to write a piece on her game this weekend, because she would prefer that I give my "disinterested" take on it (quotes used for irony). Plainbellied's team lost, 2-0, which most likely means that they are now out of the playoffs for good. About the only highlight of the game for the good guys was Plainbellied in goal. Even though the other team scored twice, the problems lay with the defense, not the keeper. In case you think I'm just showing favoritism, I should point out that I played soccer for years--defense. One fundamental issue Plainbellied's team had was that the defense tended to bunch up and chase the ball, leaving opposing players open to take shots. Plainbellied did the best she could, but they kept shooting, and a couple got past. On offense, Orange Crush simply couldn't shoot. They had a few opportunities, but they missed the goal. Anyway, it was frustrating to watch.
Highlights of the game
One sequence in the second half where Plainbellied's defense completely abandoned her and she had to come out of the goal. She blocked three hard shots in quick succession, leading the crowd (me) to scream, "Nice!!" at the top of its lungs. She had a few other great saves, but that stands out more than any other.
The ref didn't seem to understand what his whistle was for. He tended to wait about thirty seconds to blow it after a foul was committed. I don't think he really knew what he was doing. Seriously, the players got to the point where they had to tell him to blow it when the ball went out of bounds and such. The other team started yelling, "Play the whistle!" because one never could tell if he planned to blow it at all. Absolutely amazing.
One of the opposing players is a friend of ours, and after her team's first game, she complained about how violent the other team played. She even had a scratch across her face to prove it. Well, yesterday, she took on the enforcer role. It was ironic. On one play, she totally tripped one of Plainbellied's teammates who was just about to break a big run past the defense. I screamed, "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" really loudly, expressing my displeasure. Probably she should have gotten a red card for the tackle, which seemed pretty malicious. She made two more tackles just like it. One of them sent a player off with a possible ankle sprain. I give her a big thumbs down for her Wayne Rooney imitation (on the link, scroll down to "Disciplinary issues").
Plainbellied's team only had one sub, so when one person went down, neither team had subs. So in the second half, the ref actually called a water break. I couldn't believe it. They only play 25-minute halves. He actually called a water break??!!!
Finally, I got to play the hero. I mentioned that Rooney, Jr. had injured another player. Well, no one had any ice to put on her ankle (it was so hot the ice in their water coolers was melted). Plainbellied asked me, "Don't we have an ice pack in the car first-aid kit?" In fact, we did. Plainbellied deserves the credit for remembering it, but I was the one who ran the 100 yards to the car and brought it back. Of course, one of Plainbellied's teammates is married to a doctor, who happened to be there and could check out the ankle, but I got the ice pack, dang it! That should count for something.
Highlights of the game
One sequence in the second half where Plainbellied's defense completely abandoned her and she had to come out of the goal. She blocked three hard shots in quick succession, leading the crowd (me) to scream, "Nice!!" at the top of its lungs. She had a few other great saves, but that stands out more than any other.
The ref didn't seem to understand what his whistle was for. He tended to wait about thirty seconds to blow it after a foul was committed. I don't think he really knew what he was doing. Seriously, the players got to the point where they had to tell him to blow it when the ball went out of bounds and such. The other team started yelling, "Play the whistle!" because one never could tell if he planned to blow it at all. Absolutely amazing.
One of the opposing players is a friend of ours, and after her team's first game, she complained about how violent the other team played. She even had a scratch across her face to prove it. Well, yesterday, she took on the enforcer role. It was ironic. On one play, she totally tripped one of Plainbellied's teammates who was just about to break a big run past the defense. I screamed, "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH!" really loudly, expressing my displeasure. Probably she should have gotten a red card for the tackle, which seemed pretty malicious. She made two more tackles just like it. One of them sent a player off with a possible ankle sprain. I give her a big thumbs down for her Wayne Rooney imitation (on the link, scroll down to "Disciplinary issues").
Plainbellied's team only had one sub, so when one person went down, neither team had subs. So in the second half, the ref actually called a water break. I couldn't believe it. They only play 25-minute halves. He actually called a water break??!!!
Finally, I got to play the hero. I mentioned that Rooney, Jr. had injured another player. Well, no one had any ice to put on her ankle (it was so hot the ice in their water coolers was melted). Plainbellied asked me, "Don't we have an ice pack in the car first-aid kit?" In fact, we did. Plainbellied deserves the credit for remembering it, but I was the one who ran the 100 yards to the car and brought it back. Of course, one of Plainbellied's teammates is married to a doctor, who happened to be there and could check out the ankle, but I got the ice pack, dang it! That should count for something.
Pseudonyms in History
The recent hubbub about the blogger code of conduct got me thinking about pseudonyms, which the "code" condones. I like pseudonyms. That's one of my favorite things about the blogosphere. Many historical figures have used pseudonyms, and I think it is a long and noble tradition: Silas Dogood (Ben Franklin), Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), and Publius (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay in the Federalist Papers) to name a few.
Bigfoot
I used to think that Bigfoot was just a monster truck. Now I find out that they call Sasquatch by that name, too. I had no idea.
Actually, I did know that, and I was just trying to find a witty opening for this post. Now that I have your attention, I'm going to talk about my feet. I don't have very large feet, but I have a very hard time finding shoes. The problem is that I have very wide feet (2E). The problem with having wide feet is that unless a manufacturer makes shoes in several widths, you have to make up for the width by buying up a size. So you have to get long shoes that look a little funny.
I've overcome the problem in running shoes by switching to New Balance, which does offer varying widths (and arch support, etc). I now wear my running shoes most of the time. However, since I teach, I've decided that I should wear nicer shoes sometimes so that I can actually look the part.
Tonight we went to the mall so my wife could have her eyes checked out (needed new contacts--paint me jealous), and so we stopped in Sears, which was having a sale. Well, there were several very nice looking pairs of shoes, but none of them fit me (well one did, but it had really thin soles, and I could imagine having painful feet at the end of the day). So here I am, without brown shoes. Several years ago, I actually bought a brown belt to wear with the brown shoes I planned to buy. I still haven't bought them. Needless to say, the belt sits unused in my closet. Of course, now it's too small for me to wear, which is a totally separate problem.
Actually, I did know that, and I was just trying to find a witty opening for this post. Now that I have your attention, I'm going to talk about my feet. I don't have very large feet, but I have a very hard time finding shoes. The problem is that I have very wide feet (2E). The problem with having wide feet is that unless a manufacturer makes shoes in several widths, you have to make up for the width by buying up a size. So you have to get long shoes that look a little funny.
I've overcome the problem in running shoes by switching to New Balance, which does offer varying widths (and arch support, etc). I now wear my running shoes most of the time. However, since I teach, I've decided that I should wear nicer shoes sometimes so that I can actually look the part.
Tonight we went to the mall so my wife could have her eyes checked out (needed new contacts--paint me jealous), and so we stopped in Sears, which was having a sale. Well, there were several very nice looking pairs of shoes, but none of them fit me (well one did, but it had really thin soles, and I could imagine having painful feet at the end of the day). So here I am, without brown shoes. Several years ago, I actually bought a brown belt to wear with the brown shoes I planned to buy. I still haven't bought them. Needless to say, the belt sits unused in my closet. Of course, now it's too small for me to wear, which is a totally separate problem.
Lasik
I found out today that my brother is getting Lasik surgery. I have to admit that I'm very jealous. I wear thick glasses to correct a terrible astigmatism. Even if I wanted to wear contact lenses, they would have to special fit them. The standard Toric lenses they sell don't work for someone like me. Lasik isn't an option either (even if I had the money). They can only reshape your cornea so much.
On the plus side of this equation . . . Never mind. There is no plus side to this.
On the plus side of this equation . . . Never mind. There is no plus side to this.
Subtitles or Dubbed?
Plainbellied's recent post on movie remakes made me think of a related issue: subtitles on foreign films. There are a number of different opinions on this issue. Some people prefer dubbing because it means they don't have to read the bottom of the screen to know what's going on. Others prefer subtitles because they want to hear the cadence of the people speaking. For example, watch "Life is Beautiful" in Italian, then try it in English. Roberto Benigni's delivery really makes the film in a lot of ways, and the dubbed English version is a tragedy.
Personally, I prefer subtitles unless it's an action movie or something where I feel they will be too distracting. I get the feeling I'm missing something when I watch dubbed films. Sometimes, if a film has bad audio, we'll put on the subtitles anyway. That's one great thing about DVDs--you can change the audio or subtitle track to what you want. One fun thing to do is to compare the subtitles with the dubbed dialogue. Often they don't match up. It's pretty funny.
I really like watching kung fu movies. They translate all of the special moves each fighter is known for directly, so you get things like the "Flying crane maneuverable death kick" and the "Buddha palm hurricane fist." I think that's fun.
When I watching Spanish films with my wife, I tend to critique their translations. She gets tired of hearing things like, "That's not quite what he said." I'm naturally a know-it-all.
Personally, I prefer subtitles unless it's an action movie or something where I feel they will be too distracting. I get the feeling I'm missing something when I watch dubbed films. Sometimes, if a film has bad audio, we'll put on the subtitles anyway. That's one great thing about DVDs--you can change the audio or subtitle track to what you want. One fun thing to do is to compare the subtitles with the dubbed dialogue. Often they don't match up. It's pretty funny.
I really like watching kung fu movies. They translate all of the special moves each fighter is known for directly, so you get things like the "Flying crane maneuverable death kick" and the "Buddha palm hurricane fist." I think that's fun.
When I watching Spanish films with my wife, I tend to critique their translations. She gets tired of hearing things like, "That's not quite what he said." I'm naturally a know-it-all.
Salad bowl and cups
I'm posting these images in response to a question from a friend, who wondered what the bowl and cups Plainbellied traded her pig for looked like. Again, my photographs aren't very good, but you can see that the bowl has a motif of birds attacking worms. I've included shots of the inside and the outside of the bowl. We originally had four cups, but I could only find three right now. But you get the idea that they are made with raised designs on the outside. We use them a lot. So now you know.
Well, lookee here!
Plainbellied located a photograph of the pig I mentioned in my previous post. She also gave me permission to put it up. Of course, she pointed out the technical deficiencies of the piece. I just like it. Note the Salvador Dalà lip couch. I think it's very whimsical.
Plainbellied back in action
While we are out west this summer, Plainbellied is going to take a ceramics studio class. I'm very excited for her. While I've been doing my PhD, she's put a lot of things on hold, including ceramics. Over the past five years, she's focused more on 2-D art, when she is really much more comfortable molding clay. I am definitely not an expert, but I've seen some of her work, and I really like it. I've posted a few of her earlier pieces below (stuff I like), along with a description of what I know about them.
These three pieces are part of a series Plainbellied did. She has helped me learn to appreciate abstract art. It doesn't always have to make a statement. Sometimes it's all right for art just to look cool. I think she succeeded here. I should apologize for the picture quality. I took them all myself, and I am not very gifted with a camera. These are in my sister-in-law's New York apartment, so we tell people that they're on display in New York.
This photo probably requires more explanation. Apparently, the art department where Plainbellied studied had experimented with a flexible mold material some years ago. They had molds of baby heads and celery bunches. Plainbellied stuck them together. These are on top of the bookshelf in my home office (hence the dust I should have noticed when I took the picture). While admittedly weird, they look cool when put together like this. It's like a bunch of baby comets or something.
I wish I still had a photo of another piece she made of a reclining pig with pearl necklace. Basically, it was a parody of the reclining nude portraits so many artists seem compelled to paint. Sadly, Plainbellied traded it for a nice set of a salad bowl and cups made by a friend (sad that we don't have her piece, the bowl and cups are very nice).
These three pieces are part of a series Plainbellied did. She has helped me learn to appreciate abstract art. It doesn't always have to make a statement. Sometimes it's all right for art just to look cool. I think she succeeded here. I should apologize for the picture quality. I took them all myself, and I am not very gifted with a camera. These are in my sister-in-law's New York apartment, so we tell people that they're on display in New York.
This photo probably requires more explanation. Apparently, the art department where Plainbellied studied had experimented with a flexible mold material some years ago. They had molds of baby heads and celery bunches. Plainbellied stuck them together. These are on top of the bookshelf in my home office (hence the dust I should have noticed when I took the picture). While admittedly weird, they look cool when put together like this. It's like a bunch of baby comets or something.I wish I still had a photo of another piece she made of a reclining pig with pearl necklace. Basically, it was a parody of the reclining nude portraits so many artists seem compelled to paint. Sadly, Plainbellied traded it for a nice set of a salad bowl and cups made by a friend (sad that we don't have her piece, the bowl and cups are very nice).
New Music
Today I purchased two new CDs: "Fly by Night" by Rush and "At Budokan" by Cheap Trick. I'm very happy with them. "Fly by Night" was the first Rush album to feature Neil Peart on drums (John Rutsey, their original drummer, refused to tour). Apart from the fact that he's an amazing drummer, he pushed the band into much more interesting musical directions. They started using 5- and 7-beat patterns and longer melodic arcs. While there are still weak spots on this album, it has "Anthem" and "Fly by Night" on it, and both are great tracks. They've got a new album coming out soon, and the one track I've heard from it gives me hope that it will be good. Plainbellied has agreed to go with me to see them live this summer. It will be a major milestone in her life, as she's never been to a rock concert before. This is a pretty good place to start, since Rush has been around for 33 years and has an older following. It will be much mellower than when I went to the Lollapalooza tour in 1993 and Ministry threatened to stop playing because people were throwing sod patches onto the stage. I was on the lawn, and people started ripping the wood fence apart and lighting bonfires. The next year, the venue (Great Woods in Mansfield, MA--now the Tweeter Center), banned the tour.
As I write this, I'm listening to Cheap Trick, and the lead singer just announced that "This next one is the first song on our new AL-bum. It just came out this week, and the song is called 'Surrender.'" Classic. We used to listen to this all the time when I was a kid. Unfortunately, the remastered version has lost a lot of character and made the vocals difficult to distinguish. I'm a bit disappointed. This live album, recorded in Japan, actually pushed the band into popularity. I think that's pretty cool.
As I write this, I'm listening to Cheap Trick, and the lead singer just announced that "This next one is the first song on our new AL-bum. It just came out this week, and the song is called 'Surrender.'" Classic. We used to listen to this all the time when I was a kid. Unfortunately, the remastered version has lost a lot of character and made the vocals difficult to distinguish. I'm a bit disappointed. This live album, recorded in Japan, actually pushed the band into popularity. I think that's pretty cool.
Campout!!!!
Well, we finally took Her Nibs camping. It was really fun. We did foil packs for dinner and roasted marshmallows for dessert s'mores. In the morning, our friends made us breakfast, and we all scarfed down eggs, bacon, and pancakes. As if that wasn't enough, then we had a barbecue and an Easter egg hunt for the young 'uns. Her Nibs got 10 candy-filled eggs and had a blast doing it.
There were only two minor glitches: it got down into the 30s at night, and the ground we slept on felt like concrete. The temperature wasn't a problem except that the county has a burn ban on now because of dry conditions, so we could only light charcoal, which isn't as fun as a full-on fire. And the ground wouldn't have been a problem if we owned an air mattress. We don't, so Plainbellied and I both woke up with sore backs. I also have a cut on my knuckle that I don't remember getting. Overall, though it was a great trial campout. I think we're going to try the beach soon.
I'm sure Plainbellied will have more to say on her blog.
There were only two minor glitches: it got down into the 30s at night, and the ground we slept on felt like concrete. The temperature wasn't a problem except that the county has a burn ban on now because of dry conditions, so we could only light charcoal, which isn't as fun as a full-on fire. And the ground wouldn't have been a problem if we owned an air mattress. We don't, so Plainbellied and I both woke up with sore backs. I also have a cut on my knuckle that I don't remember getting. Overall, though it was a great trial campout. I think we're going to try the beach soon.
I'm sure Plainbellied will have more to say on her blog.
On Greg Oden, Billy Packer, and the Florida Gators
If you aren't really interested in sports, go ahead and skip to the last paragraph. One of my brothers took issue with my comments about Greg Oden and Billy Packer. He wrote:
As for Florida's team, I have to admit I'm a little sick of Joakim Noah. It was kind of fun to hear him talk last year, and I think he's a great player, but lately he's been getting under my skin. Living in the Sunshine State we get a lot of coverage, and I really wish he sounded more educated. I do like Al Horford and some of the other players though. I wish them luck in the NBA, since there is no way that they are going back to college now. Next year will be a down year for the Gators, since the football team was decimated after last season, and now the basketball team will have to regroup. Maybe they'll make another run on a couple of titles again in a few years (if Billy Donovan stays).
Anyway, this is the last you'll hear about this topic, and I probably won't be back to sports for a while. I tend to watch sports only when I'm rooting for a team in the playoffs, so you might hear more if the Red Sox make a run on the playoffs.
I do not agree with your assessments of Greg Oden and Billy Packer. Oden is the next dominant NBA center, and if anything, opponents seem to get away with fouling him quite often. As for Packer, my take is that OSU was making a little bit of a run at that point, and it might have been a good idea for Florida to call time out and get everybody calmed down, remind them that they're the favorite, and then send them back out there.I totally agree that Oden might be the next big thing in the NBA (I'm hedging my bets because I'm a wimp). My point in the previous post was that in last night's game, I think Oden got away with a lot. I don't think the refs called too many fouls on Florida. I just think that if they were going to call it tight against Florida, they should use the same standard on Oden. Apart from that, Oden was a monster last night. If the other members of his team had played like he did, I have no doubt that they could have won the game. Fortunately for those of us in the Gator Nation (I know, it sounds stupid), they didn't, and Florida won. As for Packer, my point was that I think he was over-dramatizing what was happening. Yes, OSU put together a decent little run, but I don't think it was time for Florida to panic.
As for Florida's team, I have to admit I'm a little sick of Joakim Noah. It was kind of fun to hear him talk last year, and I think he's a great player, but lately he's been getting under my skin. Living in the Sunshine State we get a lot of coverage, and I really wish he sounded more educated. I do like Al Horford and some of the other players though. I wish them luck in the NBA, since there is no way that they are going back to college now. Next year will be a down year for the Gators, since the football team was decimated after last season, and now the basketball team will have to regroup. Maybe they'll make another run on a couple of titles again in a few years (if Billy Donovan stays).
Anyway, this is the last you'll hear about this topic, and I probably won't be back to sports for a while. I tend to watch sports only when I'm rooting for a team in the playoffs, so you might hear more if the Red Sox make a run on the playoffs.
The Surreal Life
Tonight we watched part of 'Dancing with the Stars.' Mostly, I wanted to see Heather Mills dance with her prosthetic leg. It seems unreal that she can do that. Well, the game started before she came on, so we missed it. Her Nibs had a great time, so we let her stay up late to watch until 9:00.
Well, as we were watching, I felt as though I was having an out of body experience when Cliff Claven started dancing the tango. I couldn't help myself, and I burst out laughing. I like John Ratzenberger, but he's still Cliff to me. Later, one of the guys from Nsync danced a tango to the 'Star Wars' theme. What a dork. I don't know if I can ever take that show seriously again.
I also have to say that Billy Packer, who is one of the NCAA championship announcers, needs to work on his delivery. By all accounts, Florida was the favorite to win (if you're not a Gator, you're Gator Bait!). At one point of the game, they went up 12 points. After a few plays, Ohio State cut the lead to 8, and Packer says, "The Gators are really in trouble here. They need to call a timeout." He was trying to inject a little drama into what was getting to look like a done deal, but he really needed to try harder than that. I forgot that teams had to win by at least 8 for it to count, I guess.
Also, I think there might have been some sort of payola going on, because the referees seemed incapable of calling fouls on Greg Oden. He should have fouled out early in the second half, but he lasted the whole game. Maybe they were trying to keep it a close game. But as they say, it's now water under the bridge.
Well, as we were watching, I felt as though I was having an out of body experience when Cliff Claven started dancing the tango. I couldn't help myself, and I burst out laughing. I like John Ratzenberger, but he's still Cliff to me. Later, one of the guys from Nsync danced a tango to the 'Star Wars' theme. What a dork. I don't know if I can ever take that show seriously again.
I also have to say that Billy Packer, who is one of the NCAA championship announcers, needs to work on his delivery. By all accounts, Florida was the favorite to win (if you're not a Gator, you're Gator Bait!). At one point of the game, they went up 12 points. After a few plays, Ohio State cut the lead to 8, and Packer says, "The Gators are really in trouble here. They need to call a timeout." He was trying to inject a little drama into what was getting to look like a done deal, but he really needed to try harder than that. I forgot that teams had to win by at least 8 for it to count, I guess.
Also, I think there might have been some sort of payola going on, because the referees seemed incapable of calling fouls on Greg Oden. He should have fouled out early in the second half, but he lasted the whole game. Maybe they were trying to keep it a close game. But as they say, it's now water under the bridge.
Time Killer
Right now I should be hard at work revising my introduction, but I'd rather write a blog entry. Perhaps I should write about sports? I haven't really touched on that before.
Living in Florida, I am currently enthralled by the University of Florida men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament. I like sports, but I don't usually watch them on television unless a team I like is in the playoffs (college football is a bit different, because 'every game is a playoff'). Well, now the Gators have a chance at winning back-to-back national championships, and to be the first school ever to be basketball and football champions in the same year. The ironic part? For that to happen, they have to beat the same team the football team steamrolled in January. Boy, a lot could really go wrong here. . . .
Actually, I have a real problem with the way college sports are now. People talk about how much money sports programs bring to universities, but that is only true in a handful of cases. Usually, the best they do is pay for the other sports teams, bringing little or no benefit to academic programs. I'm in favor of college sports, but I think people have forgotten the point. It used to be that an athletic scholarship was an opportunity to get an education. Now education has nothing to do with it. This is especially true here in Florida, where big-time college sports (FSU, UF, and Miami) seems more important to people than fixing our public school system (I said seems for a reason--I know people care about the school problems). I'm not sure there is a way to fix things, but surely someone much smarter than me has some ideas?
Anyway, I've said my piece. I need to get back to work. Go Gators!
Living in Florida, I am currently enthralled by the University of Florida men's basketball team in the NCAA tournament. I like sports, but I don't usually watch them on television unless a team I like is in the playoffs (college football is a bit different, because 'every game is a playoff'). Well, now the Gators have a chance at winning back-to-back national championships, and to be the first school ever to be basketball and football champions in the same year. The ironic part? For that to happen, they have to beat the same team the football team steamrolled in January. Boy, a lot could really go wrong here. . . .
Actually, I have a real problem with the way college sports are now. People talk about how much money sports programs bring to universities, but that is only true in a handful of cases. Usually, the best they do is pay for the other sports teams, bringing little or no benefit to academic programs. I'm in favor of college sports, but I think people have forgotten the point. It used to be that an athletic scholarship was an opportunity to get an education. Now education has nothing to do with it. This is especially true here in Florida, where big-time college sports (FSU, UF, and Miami) seems more important to people than fixing our public school system (I said seems for a reason--I know people care about the school problems). I'm not sure there is a way to fix things, but surely someone much smarter than me has some ideas?
Anyway, I've said my piece. I need to get back to work. Go Gators!
Am I an April Fool?
Today is April Fool's Day. In Spain, the equivalent day is December 28, the 'DÃa de los Inocentes.' Instead of pranks, people pull 'inocentadas.' My favorite story comes from the 1930s, when a newspaper reported that a particular politician had changed party, even though he hadn't. It took about a week for them to sort things out. Someday I'll think of a great prank, and someone is really going to get it.
Here at our house, we simply had fun painting nails today. These are the lengths to which a father will go to please his favorite (read: only) daughter. Her Nibs really wanted me to color my nails, too, so I agreed to let Plainbellied paint my toes. Well, as you can see from the picture, my hands ended up being included, too. Her Nibs picked all of the colors. Does that make me an April fool?
Her Nibs
Here at our house, we simply had fun painting nails today. These are the lengths to which a father will go to please his favorite (read: only) daughter. Her Nibs really wanted me to color my nails, too, so I agreed to let Plainbellied paint my toes. Well, as you can see from the picture, my hands ended up being included, too. Her Nibs picked all of the colors. Does that make me an April fool?
Me
Her Nibs
Twilight Samurai
I just finished watching a wonderful movie, and I have to write about it. The film, 'Twilight Samurai,' follows the experiences of a low-level samurai who is a widower with two young daughters and a senile mother. I won't give away the details, but the plot revolves around how he gets another chance with the girl he has always loved, but complications arise. His clan becomes involved in a leadership conflict, and he is ordered to fulfill a dangerous and morally suspect task. The film, released in 2003, is very different from most samurai movies because it isn't about fighting. And rather than express a reverence for bushido, it portrays a man who puts his family above honor.*
There are two main things that make 'Twilight Samurai' so good. First, the romantic relationship 'feels right.' One can recognize the feelings that Seibei and Tomoe have for one another without any sappy melodrama. Second, the tension that builds throughout the film is excruciating. Only a few movies draw me in like this (once Plainbellied came home while I was screaming at Alec Guinness in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'). While I kept my composure tonight, I felt nervous and genuinely 'pulled' for Seibei to come out on top.
The only thing I would say detracts from this film is a weak epilogue. Other than that, it is a fabulous film with great acting and a compelling story.
* Bushido is the samurai code of honor. When I say that Seibei put his family above honor, I'm speaking specifically about this exaggerated code to which samurai adhered. I would definitely call him an honorable man by today's standards.
There are two main things that make 'Twilight Samurai' so good. First, the romantic relationship 'feels right.' One can recognize the feelings that Seibei and Tomoe have for one another without any sappy melodrama. Second, the tension that builds throughout the film is excruciating. Only a few movies draw me in like this (once Plainbellied came home while I was screaming at Alec Guinness in 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'). While I kept my composure tonight, I felt nervous and genuinely 'pulled' for Seibei to come out on top.
The only thing I would say detracts from this film is a weak epilogue. Other than that, it is a fabulous film with great acting and a compelling story.
* Bushido is the samurai code of honor. When I say that Seibei put his family above honor, I'm speaking specifically about this exaggerated code to which samurai adhered. I would definitely call him an honorable man by today's standards.
Her Nibs Week Continues
Her Nibs has been on a roll this week, so I have to tell another story about her. Tonight, we decided to try a new restaurant nearby. We tend to have dinner relatively early (it's an easier schedule for getting Her Nibs to bed), so we got there around 5:30. After we got settled and ordered our food, an older couple approached us and said, "We'd like to compliment you on your child. She has been so well behaved this whole time. We usually go out to dinner early to avoid the family crowd, but your daughter has been wonderful." After a few moments of trying to get Her Nibs to say hello, they left.
I have to say that I was awestruck by their comments. I'm not writing this to brag about my daughter (though she is wonderful!). In fact, my initial reply was almost, "Just wait around a few minutes, and you'll see what she's capable of." Instead, we simply said thank you and left it at that. It was nice of them to say something, though. Often, we only hear about our kids when they are acting up.
Which leads me to my next anecdote. On the way home, Her Nibs was cranky, and she wanted us to change the song on the CD. I told her, "It's not all about you." Her response? "But it is all about me." Imagine that in a two-year-old's halting voice. All I could do was laugh, which caught her off guard, effectively ending the tantrum.
By the way, Her Nibs is usually an incredibly sweet little girl. The credit for that goes to Plainbellied, who is an incredibly sweet and affectionate mother. I think the patience she learned from dealing with me has paid dividends. :-)
I have to say that I was awestruck by their comments. I'm not writing this to brag about my daughter (though she is wonderful!). In fact, my initial reply was almost, "Just wait around a few minutes, and you'll see what she's capable of." Instead, we simply said thank you and left it at that. It was nice of them to say something, though. Often, we only hear about our kids when they are acting up.
Which leads me to my next anecdote. On the way home, Her Nibs was cranky, and she wanted us to change the song on the CD. I told her, "It's not all about you." Her response? "But it is all about me." Imagine that in a two-year-old's halting voice. All I could do was laugh, which caught her off guard, effectively ending the tantrum.
By the way, Her Nibs is usually an incredibly sweet little girl. The credit for that goes to Plainbellied, who is an incredibly sweet and affectionate mother. I think the patience she learned from dealing with me has paid dividends. :-)
Is the Bed Really That Uncomfortable?
Her Nibs has had a hard time going to bed lately. She has given us grief for the past week or so, and a couple of times it has taken her several hours to go to sleep. In response, we would take the time to put her back in bed, with accompanying timeouts to make the idea stick that she needed to stay in bed. We really only do anything when she comes downstairs. Our guiding principle is that if she's upstairs and quiet, things are all right.
Well, she has changed her habits over the past two nights. Last night, when we went upstairs she was sprawled in the hallway—asleep. She had brought out her pillow and blanket, plus her stuffed pig and water-filled sippy cup. Tonight she did the same thing. It was so adorable, but it's a little disconcerting. We might have to do something about it eventually. But for now, we're just glad she's going to sleep.
One more anecdote: the other day, Her Nibs turned to me and said, "Daddy, you're my best friend ever." It was one of those moments fathers live for.
Well, she has changed her habits over the past two nights. Last night, when we went upstairs she was sprawled in the hallway—asleep. She had brought out her pillow and blanket, plus her stuffed pig and water-filled sippy cup. Tonight she did the same thing. It was so adorable, but it's a little disconcerting. We might have to do something about it eventually. But for now, we're just glad she's going to sleep.
One more anecdote: the other day, Her Nibs turned to me and said, "Daddy, you're my best friend ever." It was one of those moments fathers live for.
Two Important Lessons
I learned an important lesson tonight: trust my instincts. Several years ago I tried to watch "Taxi Driver," but I stopped about halfway in because it was boring and offensive. Recently, I had heard good things about it, so I watched it again. Long story short, I was right the first time. Here's my verdict on the film. It's frickin' weird. The only redeeming value is the "Are you talkin' to me?" scene in front of the mirror.
Second lesson: never watch Martin Scorsese films (with the exception of the Bob Dylan documentary). Basically, his M.O. is to make movies that shock people. I remember liking "Goodfellas" when I saw it many years ago, but I have a feeling I wouldn't like it again. I don't think I'll ever see "The Departed." I mean, putting Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio together was a good idea because . . .
Martin Scorsese, you are now officially dead to me.
CLARIFICATION
Upon further reflection, I've decided that Scorsese is not completely dead to me. I had forgotten that he did Kundun and Raging Bull (as well as the Dylan documentary), so he is capable of making good films. He does, however, have a group of films that trouble me, including Taxi Driver, Casino, and The Departed, not to mention the fact that he seems to enjoy working with Leonardo DeCaprio (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed). Taken as a whole, I don't think I like his work, but I should recognize here that there are some good films in there, too.
Second lesson: never watch Martin Scorsese films (with the exception of the Bob Dylan documentary). Basically, his M.O. is to make movies that shock people. I remember liking "Goodfellas" when I saw it many years ago, but I have a feeling I wouldn't like it again. I don't think I'll ever see "The Departed." I mean, putting Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio together was a good idea because . . .
Martin Scorsese, you are now officially dead to me.
CLARIFICATION
Upon further reflection, I've decided that Scorsese is not completely dead to me. I had forgotten that he did Kundun and Raging Bull (as well as the Dylan documentary), so he is capable of making good films. He does, however, have a group of films that trouble me, including Taxi Driver, Casino, and The Departed, not to mention the fact that he seems to enjoy working with Leonardo DeCaprio (Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed). Taken as a whole, I don't think I like his work, but I should recognize here that there are some good films in there, too.
Talk to the Beard
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I'm going to be teaching a couple of courses this summer at my alma mater. Well, I just realized the other day that this means I have to shave off my beard. You see, the school has a very strict "dress and grooming" standard. No short shorts or facial hair (for men or women). It's actually a very sad realization for me. I've had the beard for a year and a half. I started it when I broke my hand in an embarrassing incident involving a refrigerator and cupboard. I had a cast on my right hand, and my left is essentially useless for intricate tasks, so I stopped shaving. By the time the cast came off, I had a decent beard going, so I kept it. Well, now it's going to come off.
I suppose I could argue about it or get on my high horse and not take the job, but let's face it, taking the classes is a good career move (and good summer money), and if the only thing I have to sacrifice is my beard, I'll do it. I mean, I did it for the three years I was in college. I can always start growing it back on August 16.
I suppose I could argue about it or get on my high horse and not take the job, but let's face it, taking the classes is a good career move (and good summer money), and if the only thing I have to sacrifice is my beard, I'll do it. I mean, I did it for the three years I was in college. I can always start growing it back on August 16.
I'm a little embarassed, but. . .
Tonight Plainbellied had soccer practice, so I was in charge of Her Nibs. Well, after dinner, we decided to watch a little television. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on the couch as Plainbellied came home. I had been asleep for at least half an hour, and I desperately hope that Her Nibs didn't get into any trouble. The killer is that even when Plainbellied came home, I went back to sleep, and by the time I got up, she was in bed, so I couldn't ask her about it.
Just so nobody thinks I'm lazy, I should explain. Because I'm trying to finish my dissertation right now, I spend my nights editing and my days sleeping (working at night eliminates distractions and makes me much more effective). Since I teach on Tuesday and Thursday, my sleep schedule gets screwed up, and I have to take evening naps before I get to work. Normally I would have waited until after Plainbellied came home, though. I should ask her what happened when she wakes up.
Just so nobody thinks I'm lazy, I should explain. Because I'm trying to finish my dissertation right now, I spend my nights editing and my days sleeping (working at night eliminates distractions and makes me much more effective). Since I teach on Tuesday and Thursday, my sleep schedule gets screwed up, and I have to take evening naps before I get to work. Normally I would have waited until after Plainbellied came home, though. I should ask her what happened when she wakes up.
Suddenly, the Blogosphere Feels Crowded
I thought I would mention a few blogs that I've just added to my "Nice Blogs" list. My brother and his wife have just initiated their own blog, called "conmigo-contigo." Currently, they are in Colombia, where my brother works for the US Foreign Service. They are much more witty and urbane than I am, so I hope you enjoy reading about their exploits. One thing you might notice when you read their blog is that I gave some misinformation about them recently. It turns out that my brother didn't meet the President, but his wife and kids did. I never fixed my blog, though, because I was too lazy. I never figured anyone would notice.
I put "Indigenous Beliefs" on my list as well. I announced not too long ago that this blog would be discontinued, but it turns out that it just took a hiatus (blogging can be exhausting, don'cha know). Well, it's back. I especially like the current post on Netflix and Blockbuster. We do Netflix right now and have considered switching, but maybe we'll stick with what we have.
I also finally added "Rhonda's Blog" to my list. Rhonda is one of our blog buddies from the Great White North. I always like reading her comments.
I put "Indigenous Beliefs" on my list as well. I announced not too long ago that this blog would be discontinued, but it turns out that it just took a hiatus (blogging can be exhausting, don'cha know). Well, it's back. I especially like the current post on Netflix and Blockbuster. We do Netflix right now and have considered switching, but maybe we'll stick with what we have.
I also finally added "Rhonda's Blog" to my list. Rhonda is one of our blog buddies from the Great White North. I always like reading her comments.
What's Next? Dunkin Donut Brakes?
I took my car in for an oil change today, and I learned something new about it. Recently, our car developed a squeal in the brakes (it's a 2006 Toyota Matrix), I asked the mechanic to look at it today when I took it in. He told me that the brakes were "glazed." This meant that the rotor had been worn smooth when it should be rough. They outlined the procedure for fixing the issue, and it sounded wicked expensive to me. So I asked, in my inimitable way, "Is it a safety issue?" They said, "No. It's just a comfort issue." I think you know what I did. . . . I can live with the squeal.
Speaking of glazed, a new Dunkin' Donuts will soon open around the corner. I am partial to their donuts, and I don't like Krispy Kreme, which is all we can get here. I have fond memories of Dunkin' Donuts as a kid. My brothers and I all had paper routes as kids, and one of the best parts of it was being able to get donuts on the morning route. Early on, we went to a local bakery or Cumberland Farms (a convenience store) for donuts. Then they opened a Dunkin' Donuts in a nearby town, and we would drive all the way over there for donuts. They didn't open a shop in my hometown until just before I moved out of town for college. I don't tend to eat sweets, but I am very partial to Dunkin' Donuts and Ring Dings, neither of which is available where I live.
Isn't it just like them to open just before I (hopefully) move somewhere else? Jerks.
Speaking of glazed, a new Dunkin' Donuts will soon open around the corner. I am partial to their donuts, and I don't like Krispy Kreme, which is all we can get here. I have fond memories of Dunkin' Donuts as a kid. My brothers and I all had paper routes as kids, and one of the best parts of it was being able to get donuts on the morning route. Early on, we went to a local bakery or Cumberland Farms (a convenience store) for donuts. Then they opened a Dunkin' Donuts in a nearby town, and we would drive all the way over there for donuts. They didn't open a shop in my hometown until just before I moved out of town for college. I don't tend to eat sweets, but I am very partial to Dunkin' Donuts and Ring Dings, neither of which is available where I live.
Isn't it just like them to open just before I (hopefully) move somewhere else? Jerks.
Odds and ends
Here are a few random thoughts:
I've now watched two episodes of "Andy Barker, P.I.," and I think I like it. It's a quirky little detective show with a pudgy accountant playing the lead. "Raines," a new show with Jeff Goldblum, seems to hold promise, but I've had a hard time getting into the episodes. I may give it one more chance and then bail.
We're going camping in a few weeks, and I'm pretty excited. We are slowly picking up the supplies we need. Next up is a tent. The only thing that scares me is that the place we are going to camp has alligators. I hope they stay near the water.
This summer, we're heading out west for two months. My alma mater asked me to teach two summer courses. The money is good, so we're going.
I recently discovered the Cuban sub (sandwich). I like it.
Her Nibs is teaching me that a 2-year-old has a hard time distinguishing between "want" and "need." She also tends to answer questions like, "Why did you do that?" with "Because I did."
The longer I drink diet soda, the less disgusting it tastes.
I've now watched two episodes of "Andy Barker, P.I.," and I think I like it. It's a quirky little detective show with a pudgy accountant playing the lead. "Raines," a new show with Jeff Goldblum, seems to hold promise, but I've had a hard time getting into the episodes. I may give it one more chance and then bail.
We're going camping in a few weeks, and I'm pretty excited. We are slowly picking up the supplies we need. Next up is a tent. The only thing that scares me is that the place we are going to camp has alligators. I hope they stay near the water.
This summer, we're heading out west for two months. My alma mater asked me to teach two summer courses. The money is good, so we're going.
I recently discovered the Cuban sub (sandwich). I like it.
Her Nibs is teaching me that a 2-year-old has a hard time distinguishing between "want" and "need." She also tends to answer questions like, "Why did you do that?" with "Because I did."
The longer I drink diet soda, the less disgusting it tastes.
Would Tylenol Help?
I read a CNN.com article about Al Gore testifying before Congress about climate change. He said that the earth has a fever. He went on to say, "If your baby has a fever, you go to the doctor. If the doctor says you need to intervene here, you don't say, 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that told me it's not a problem.' If the crib's on fire, you don't speculate that the baby is flame retardant. You take action." Well, I'm calling a foul on Mr. Gore for poor use of imagery.
As a parent, I have some experience with childrens' fevers. A slight fever requires no medical intervention. In fact, the fever is indicative of the body's healing response and is a sign that the body can protect itself. Only an obsessive parent would go to a doctor with a child running a fever of 99.6 or even 100 unless the child exhibited other symptoms. I am not trying to say anything about global warming. I just think Mr. Gore needs to think through his imagery more clearly. His statement about the earth having a fever, if taken to a logical conclusion, could be taken to mean that the earth is protecting itself from an infection and that we should leave it alone until it gets out of control (so far temperatures have only risen about 1 degree). Then we should throw some Tylenol on it until it cools down.
Even though I just called a foul on "You can call me" Al, I kind of hope he runs for president now. We might get more choice quotes about lockboxes and non-flame-retardant babies. That would be so AWESOME!!!! I can't wait.
As a parent, I have some experience with childrens' fevers. A slight fever requires no medical intervention. In fact, the fever is indicative of the body's healing response and is a sign that the body can protect itself. Only an obsessive parent would go to a doctor with a child running a fever of 99.6 or even 100 unless the child exhibited other symptoms. I am not trying to say anything about global warming. I just think Mr. Gore needs to think through his imagery more clearly. His statement about the earth having a fever, if taken to a logical conclusion, could be taken to mean that the earth is protecting itself from an infection and that we should leave it alone until it gets out of control (so far temperatures have only risen about 1 degree). Then we should throw some Tylenol on it until it cools down.
Even though I just called a foul on "You can call me" Al, I kind of hope he runs for president now. We might get more choice quotes about lockboxes and non-flame-retardant babies. That would be so AWESOME!!!! I can't wait.
Larry Bird video
As a lifelong Celtics fan, I found this video really fascinating. It's a compilation of Larry Bird buzzer-beating shots. I hope you like it, too.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Plainbellied is a big fan of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." I used to like it, but now I think it's just sappy drivel that rots my brain. I bring this up because Plainbellied just got the first season on DVD from Netflix. I watched an episode with her, and I realized two things that have changed significantly. First, they no longer actually do a "makeover." Now they completely demolish the house and start from scratch. Second, they spend much more time talking about the family and less on the actual building of the house. While I do care about their stories, I'd rather see what they've done with the house.
I'm more of a "This Old House" kind of person. They take the time to make the house really shine, and they show you what they've done, in detail. Lots of the houses on "Extreme Makeover" are just not the sort of thing I would ever want. I prefer understated elegance to over-the-top extravagance. "Hometime" is another one that I kind of like. They sometimes take on smaller projects, and I really like to learn how to do things. Someday I'll have my own house, and I'm sure I'll want to do something to it.
I'm more of a "This Old House" kind of person. They take the time to make the house really shine, and they show you what they've done, in detail. Lots of the houses on "Extreme Makeover" are just not the sort of thing I would ever want. I prefer understated elegance to over-the-top extravagance. "Hometime" is another one that I kind of like. They sometimes take on smaller projects, and I really like to learn how to do things. Someday I'll have my own house, and I'm sure I'll want to do something to it.
Alligators and lions and bears, oh my!
Here in Florida, we have a lot of very dangerous creatures. Probably the most dangerous is the alligator. A few years ago, we visited the local botanical gardens with my parents when they came to visit. At the gardens, there is a stream, and an alligator lived in the stream. It was very exciting for my parents to see it. Well, about a year later, it turns out that the gator attacked one of the workers. I think he ripped off the worker's arm, but I can't remember if the man lived (I'm a little hazy on the details).
Yet for some reason, we aren't content with the vicious animals we already have. We have to import more. A friend of ours worked at a theme park with animal attractions, and he gave us free passes. We asked for a "behind-the-scenes" tour, but that wasn't allowed. The reason? A keeper at another theme park had brought friends behind the scenes to see the lions. Well, she got careless and the animal ripped her arm off (I'm certain about this one). So those tours were banned from all of the parks.
It makes me wonder about our fascination with animals that would kill us if given the chance. Think about Grizzly Man. He went to live with Kodiak bears and they killed him and his girlfriend. Maybe it has something to do with a need to dominate the things we most fear. Who knows?
Actually, I think it would be fun to play with a grizzly bear. . . if I knew it wouldn't hurt me.
Yet for some reason, we aren't content with the vicious animals we already have. We have to import more. A friend of ours worked at a theme park with animal attractions, and he gave us free passes. We asked for a "behind-the-scenes" tour, but that wasn't allowed. The reason? A keeper at another theme park had brought friends behind the scenes to see the lions. Well, she got careless and the animal ripped her arm off (I'm certain about this one). So those tours were banned from all of the parks.
It makes me wonder about our fascination with animals that would kill us if given the chance. Think about Grizzly Man. He went to live with Kodiak bears and they killed him and his girlfriend. Maybe it has something to do with a need to dominate the things we most fear. Who knows?
Actually, I think it would be fun to play with a grizzly bear. . . if I knew it wouldn't hurt me.
Meeting the President
My brother, who works in the US Foreign Service, is currently stationed in Colombia. He just met the President, and I think that's pretty cool. I'd like to meet the President, too. I may not agree with the man, but he's still the freakin' President. Actually, I think it would be even cooler to meet his wife. Laura Bush is a remarkable woman.
Apparently, my brother's wife took their kids to some sort of meet and greet at the embassy, and Mrs. Bush wanted to take a picture with their daughter, but the young 'un didn't want a picture with the strange woman, and it didn't happen. That's too bad. Knowing my family, she's still going to get teased about it in college. :)
In other news, Plainbellied and Her Nibs remain at my parents' house. Today is my father's birthday, and we got him some chocolate coins. We thought it would be nice to combine his birthday and St. Patrick's Day, so we decided to give him a pot of gold. Well, it turns out that he's received chocolate coins like three times in the past week. I guess it'll have to be four now.
Apparently, my brother's wife took their kids to some sort of meet and greet at the embassy, and Mrs. Bush wanted to take a picture with their daughter, but the young 'un didn't want a picture with the strange woman, and it didn't happen. That's too bad. Knowing my family, she's still going to get teased about it in college. :)
In other news, Plainbellied and Her Nibs remain at my parents' house. Today is my father's birthday, and we got him some chocolate coins. We thought it would be nice to combine his birthday and St. Patrick's Day, so we decided to give him a pot of gold. Well, it turns out that he's received chocolate coins like three times in the past week. I guess it'll have to be four now.
Estoy de Rodrigo
Plainbellied and Her Nibs left town this morning, and I am now alone at home, getting on with revising my dissertation. In Spain, they have an expression for this: "estar de Rodrigo." I don't know why they use those exact words, but it comes from the old days, when families left the cities during the summer to spend time in the country. Spain gets very hot in the summer, and before modern sanitation, leaving the city was the best thing you could do. If a husband was "de Rodrigo," it meant that he was staying behind to attend to business in the city. Often, the men would use the time to act as though they were free from the "ball and chain." Anyway, since Plainbellied and Her Nibs are away, I'm technically "de Rodrigo." I like how the expression sounds, but rest assured that there is no play this week. I have lots and tons of work to do.
I even started by cleaning up my office, which looked like a war zone. Now I'm ready to get down to the business of revision. Maybe I'll even make it a revisionist history. . . .
I even started by cleaning up my office, which looked like a war zone. Now I'm ready to get down to the business of revision. Maybe I'll even make it a revisionist history. . . .
Fun Russia Journal
I was looking through some of my old papers the other day, and I came across a journal I kept when I went to Russia (seven years ago). I was part of my university's chamber orchestra, and we went there on tour for three weeks. It was great fun. We stayed on a boat for the first week or so, and we floated from one city to another along the Volga. We went from Samara to Saratov to Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), then by train to Rostov and on to Moscow. What I call a journal is actually a list of stuff I had done or seen, and I thought I would share a couple of choice tidbits.
"Seen a real Russian parade, complete with tanks and soldiers." We happened to be there for a national holiday. Here in the US, our parades usually involve huge balloons and cotton candy. They like to march soldiers around city squares and put military hardware on display.
"Saw real Cossacks doing real Cossack dancing." We went to a performance in one of the cities we stopped in, and they were pretty amazing. I've never seen anything quite like it.
"Was bothered by a drunk who yelled, 'Saratov! Saratov! It's land! It's land! The Volga! The Volga!" One of the Russian people who helped us organize things translated for me. As an American, one tends to stick out (especially wearing the regulation orchestra blazer).
"Got a standing ovation and played two encores after our concert in the Rostov Philharmonic Hall." This is a very good feeling. Standing ovations are great, and encores are even better.
Russia is a very fascinating country, but I have to admit to being a little intimidated by it still. It fit my Cold War preconceptions pretty closely. I felt like I was in Rocky IV when we stepped off the plane in Samara in the middle of an empty field. But overall it was a great experience, and it taught me a lot. Perhaps some day I'll go back. . . .
"Seen a real Russian parade, complete with tanks and soldiers." We happened to be there for a national holiday. Here in the US, our parades usually involve huge balloons and cotton candy. They like to march soldiers around city squares and put military hardware on display.
"Saw real Cossacks doing real Cossack dancing." We went to a performance in one of the cities we stopped in, and they were pretty amazing. I've never seen anything quite like it.
"Was bothered by a drunk who yelled, 'Saratov! Saratov! It's land! It's land! The Volga! The Volga!" One of the Russian people who helped us organize things translated for me. As an American, one tends to stick out (especially wearing the regulation orchestra blazer).
"Got a standing ovation and played two encores after our concert in the Rostov Philharmonic Hall." This is a very good feeling. Standing ovations are great, and encores are even better.
Russia is a very fascinating country, but I have to admit to being a little intimidated by it still. It fit my Cold War preconceptions pretty closely. I felt like I was in Rocky IV when we stepped off the plane in Samara in the middle of an empty field. But overall it was a great experience, and it taught me a lot. Perhaps some day I'll go back. . . .
Committee Implosion
I had a very interesting experience yesterday. As part of the final semester of graduate school, I needed to make sure that everything was correct in the system, including what courses I've taken and the composition of my dissertation committee. Many schools have different guidelines for such committees, but at my university, the committee must consist of five professors: the advisor, three other members from one's department (two from one's major field, and one from the minor field), and an "external" faculty member from a different department.
One of my committee members is a former faculty member teaching at a different university now but "grandfathered" into my committee. I found out yesterday that such things are not really acceptable under the rules, and I had been misled by a former administrator in my department (who left under somewhat unpleasant circumstances). What this meant was that I had to find a new committee member to replace him. Luckily, my advisor was around, we talked about possible replacements, the best choice happened to be around as well, and he agreed to join my committee for the last leg.
I felt very good about that change. Then something even more curious happened. I had not heard back from the "external" member of my committee, so I called her department to find out what was going on, and it turns out that she is sick and on sabbatical. This meant that I needed to find another committee member. Well, another faculty member from that department graciously agreed to fill in, but said, "I can't promise to do more than read the introduction and conclusion." Of course, that is not a problem, because the last thing I need is to have a new committee member join at the last moment, after everything is basically done, then tell me I have to change something. That would really stink.
So now I have changed 3/5 of my committee in the last two semesters of graduate school (I had to replace another faculty member last semester). How cool is that? Not very. Now I have to try to get five academics (one of whom is in England--he can teleconference) to meet at the same time for a defense. Wish me luck. . . .
One of my committee members is a former faculty member teaching at a different university now but "grandfathered" into my committee. I found out yesterday that such things are not really acceptable under the rules, and I had been misled by a former administrator in my department (who left under somewhat unpleasant circumstances). What this meant was that I had to find a new committee member to replace him. Luckily, my advisor was around, we talked about possible replacements, the best choice happened to be around as well, and he agreed to join my committee for the last leg.
I felt very good about that change. Then something even more curious happened. I had not heard back from the "external" member of my committee, so I called her department to find out what was going on, and it turns out that she is sick and on sabbatical. This meant that I needed to find another committee member. Well, another faculty member from that department graciously agreed to fill in, but said, "I can't promise to do more than read the introduction and conclusion." Of course, that is not a problem, because the last thing I need is to have a new committee member join at the last moment, after everything is basically done, then tell me I have to change something. That would really stink.
So now I have changed 3/5 of my committee in the last two semesters of graduate school (I had to replace another faculty member last semester). How cool is that? Not very. Now I have to try to get five academics (one of whom is in England--he can teleconference) to meet at the same time for a defense. Wish me luck. . . .
Snakes & Arrows
I have been a big fan of the band Rush for many years now. I am especially fond of their early music (like 2112), but I have a soft spot for what they did in the first half of the 1990s as well. The first concert I ever went to was a Who concert in 1989 when I was 12 years old. The second was a Rush concert the next year. I've now been to four Rush tours, the most recent a couple of years ago just before we went to Spain.
Well, they are putting out a new album in May, called Snakes & Arrows. They have a very brief clip from the single they're going to release in March on their website, and I think it bodes very well. The best news is that they're going to tour again this summer, and Plainbellied has said she'll go with me. To give an idea of what this means: she never liked Rush until I played her some more stuff last year. They are still not her favorite, but she will tolerate them, and it will be the first time she's ever been to a big rock show. She saw James Taylor once, but that's not the same. I used to go to concerts all the time (the Who, Rush, Lollapalooza, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan), but I haven't done much the past few years. Well, this summer we'll go see a good show (Rush is great live), and we'll have a good time. How cool is that?
Well, they are putting out a new album in May, called Snakes & Arrows. They have a very brief clip from the single they're going to release in March on their website, and I think it bodes very well. The best news is that they're going to tour again this summer, and Plainbellied has said she'll go with me. To give an idea of what this means: she never liked Rush until I played her some more stuff last year. They are still not her favorite, but she will tolerate them, and it will be the first time she's ever been to a big rock show. She saw James Taylor once, but that's not the same. I used to go to concerts all the time (the Who, Rush, Lollapalooza, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan), but I haven't done much the past few years. Well, this summer we'll go see a good show (Rush is great live), and we'll have a good time. How cool is that?
Trouble in paradise
I had an experience the other day that I hope will have the effect of preparing me for the inevitable day when Her Nibs becomes a teenager. When she took her bath, it was already past her bedtime, so she needed to finish quickly and get to bed. Well, she doesn't enjoy the part where I have to dump water over her head to get the soap and shampoo off. She took it especially hard this time, and when I asked her to get out of the tub, she freaked out. In a voice I will not soon forget, she said, "I'm not your daughter. I'm mummy's daughter. You don't love me." You can imagine how terrifying it was for me to hear that. I know she's just a little girl and doesn't really understand, but it cut like a knife. After a frank discussion, in which I explained that she IS my daughter and that I love her, she decided that it was all right, and that she loved me, too. Of course, she fell down just before going to bed, so she hated me again, and we had the same conversation again (with the same conclusion).
This is the lesson I've taken from it: I have a healthy relationship with Her Nibs. We can talk about things, and problems can be resolved peacefully (usually). I think it bodes well for the future. However, it also made me realize something: I'm terrified that someday she's going to say she doesn't love me and mean it. I think I'm going to have nightmares about that.
This is the lesson I've taken from it: I have a healthy relationship with Her Nibs. We can talk about things, and problems can be resolved peacefully (usually). I think it bodes well for the future. However, it also made me realize something: I'm terrified that someday she's going to say she doesn't love me and mean it. I think I'm going to have nightmares about that.
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