http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/us/29prison.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
My very favorite student since I started teaching at the college level was about my age. Let's call him B. B left school for a while and then came back.
B came to my office once to talk about a speech he was giving, and let me know he might not be the most dependable student. I thought that was an odd thing to tell me. But, B explained, he was an alcoholic. He had been to rehab, just got out, and was trying to adjust to college life again. I was really taken back by this information. But, B was intelligent, witty, and fascinating - we talked for hours at a time in my office.
So, when B made a presentation (a damn good one) about the difference between rehab and incarceration, I listened. It made so much sense to me - he talked about alcoholism as something that needed to be addressed because locking an alcoholic away for a while was just a bandaid - that person would eventually get out and get into worse trouble - of all kinds of varieties. It was provocative and interesting. And he never mentioned his personal experience with the issue in his presentation - just made the pitch.
I have often looked back on him and wondered if he didn't have a lot of good ideas. What if we addressed problems? The question of course, being how? And that's where all my fiscally responsible friends will jump down my throat. But I can't help but think it would, in the long run, be more economically sensible to get rid of the problem itself, whatever that problem is, than just punish those who illustrate it.
The last time I heard from B he was doing very well. He has been published by the Times at least once, and I am so very proud of him. He's an example to me - we can do just about anything, as long as we're willing to accept some help.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Really? What logic could you possibly have?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022702635.html?wpisrc=newsletter
I fail to see how anybody can want to defend oil companies from taxes in lieu of money for renewable energy without first announcing, "Oh...and by the way, I am completely in the pocket of the very, very rich. If you are not very, very rich - I couldn't care less about you."
I fail to see how anybody can want to defend oil companies from taxes in lieu of money for renewable energy without first announcing, "Oh...and by the way, I am completely in the pocket of the very, very rich. If you are not very, very rich - I couldn't care less about you."
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Mourning
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/business/media/27cnd-buckley.html?_r=1&ex=1361854800&en=c3500b8c6124758b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Yes, he was a conservative. And could be a bit of a bastard. But I will not say he wasn't a great mind. And it is always sad when we lose great minds.
Yes, he was a conservative. And could be a bit of a bastard. But I will not say he wasn't a great mind. And it is always sad when we lose great minds.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Is this really that big of a deal, or do I have a case of post-Watergate cynicism?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202634.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Friday, February 22, 2008
just read it
This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company
Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets
rolling after the first paragraph... PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for
best webmail-award-winning letter....
Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years
and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the Leak Guard
Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding
or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and
down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to
be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company
smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be
aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month
knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.
Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered
from the curse? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month
is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces
violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my
body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes
to call an inbred hillbilly with knife skills. Isn't the human body
amazing?
As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt
seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your
customers monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know
about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our
intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You
surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last
week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her
boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he
told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps.
Crazy!
The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is
just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants...Which brings me
to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of
cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my
uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the
adhesive backing, were these words:
'Have a Happy Period.'
Are you fu*ing kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny
middle-manager brain really think happiness -- actual smiling,
laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did
anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did
it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl,
there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to
jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house
just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a
hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of
glory.
For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to
slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to
say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer'
or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective
immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have
chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will
certainly miss your Flexi-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your
brand of condescending bullsh*t.
And that's a promise I will keep. Always....
Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin, TX
Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets
rolling after the first paragraph... PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for
best webmail-award-winning letter....
Dear Mr. Thatcher,
I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years
and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the Leak Guard
Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding
or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and
down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to
be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company
smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be
aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month
knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.
Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered
from the curse? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month
is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces
violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my
body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes
to call an inbred hillbilly with knife skills. Isn't the human body
amazing?
As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt
seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your
customers monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know
about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our
intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You
surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last
week, my friend Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her
boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he
told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written by drunken chimps.
Crazy!
The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is
just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants...Which brings me
to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of
cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my
uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the
adhesive backing, were these words:
'Have a Happy Period.'
Are you fu*ing kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny
middle-manager brain really think happiness -- actual smiling,
laughing happiness is possible during a menstrual period? Did
anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did
it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl,
there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to
jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house
just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a
hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of
glory.
For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you just have to
slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to
say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer'
or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective
immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have
chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will
certainly miss your Flexi-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your
brand of condescending bullsh*t.
And that's a promise I will keep. Always....
Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin, TX
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Scandal!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/us/politics/21cnd-mccain.html?ex=1361336400&en=c95fd83e31c4fdc5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Monday, February 18, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
How long have I been saying this?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/15/kaye.ohioracegender/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Yes, sexism is acceptable in public discourse. Racism, not so much.
Finally, somebody listened to me!!
Yes, sexism is acceptable in public discourse. Racism, not so much.
Finally, somebody listened to me!!
sad
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/14/AR2008021401992.html?wpisrc=newsletter
You may not know of my love for the sea, but in my mind there is nothing more romantic and awe-inspiring than the ocean. So this story upsets me on a more emotional level than a political one.
Also, I think this says something about our priorities. For example, take government support of NASA. We should be interested in scientific inquiry, no doubt, and space is going to become more and more important to us in the future. However, if NASA were really about the advancement of knowledge, it wouldn't have as much money. But there is the capability of weapons development there, so we make excuses about human progress, but really we just want to blow shit up. If we were that interested in knowledge and furthering understanding, the ocean would get as much attention as NASA. It has endless energy, if we can figure out how to responsibly harvest it, and in the ocean are the answers to the history of the world. Answers about who we are and where we came from are underwater. Unfortunately, big guns are not. And so, we leave the hometown mystery alone in favor of moving outward.
The legislature is fighting w/ the White House about wire-tapping right now, but what else is new. ONly thing noteworthy about that is considering the Meirs, et al. events, it looks as if they might actually be growing a pair now that it seems there might be a viable Democratic candidate.
You may not know of my love for the sea, but in my mind there is nothing more romantic and awe-inspiring than the ocean. So this story upsets me on a more emotional level than a political one.
Also, I think this says something about our priorities. For example, take government support of NASA. We should be interested in scientific inquiry, no doubt, and space is going to become more and more important to us in the future. However, if NASA were really about the advancement of knowledge, it wouldn't have as much money. But there is the capability of weapons development there, so we make excuses about human progress, but really we just want to blow shit up. If we were that interested in knowledge and furthering understanding, the ocean would get as much attention as NASA. It has endless energy, if we can figure out how to responsibly harvest it, and in the ocean are the answers to the history of the world. Answers about who we are and where we came from are underwater. Unfortunately, big guns are not. And so, we leave the hometown mystery alone in favor of moving outward.
The legislature is fighting w/ the White House about wire-tapping right now, but what else is new. ONly thing noteworthy about that is considering the Meirs, et al. events, it looks as if they might actually be growing a pair now that it seems there might be a viable Democratic candidate.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Terror
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021201202.html?wpisrc=newsletter
How wrong is it that I am more afraid of my own government than I am of threats from abroad?
Or, conversely, how right?
How wrong is it that I am more afraid of my own government than I am of threats from abroad?
Or, conversely, how right?
Current favorite song lyrics
Bodacious fun-bags are a must!
Gotta be C or D or better,
got to pose a threat to the sweater! OWWW!
She got the goods!
- OBC, The Full Monte, "The Goods"
I know you got another jockey at home
but let me ride until the real man come.
Whip me, baby, lie like a dog!
I really don't care if you do.
You got to lie to me, baby.
- Tom Waits, "Lie to me"
Gotta be C or D or better,
got to pose a threat to the sweater! OWWW!
She got the goods!
- OBC, The Full Monte, "The Goods"
I know you got another jockey at home
but let me ride until the real man come.
Whip me, baby, lie like a dog!
I really don't care if you do.
You got to lie to me, baby.
- Tom Waits, "Lie to me"
From Brad DeLong, via the Blogora
A prof's dress should serve to:
1. To make the appropriate people envy, in an appropriate way, the professor's (actual or counterfactual) spouse.
2. To make the professor comfortable.
3. To make the students more willing and eager to learn.
4.To take a particular stand on the great debate between the courtier Lord Chesterfield on the one hand and the intellectual Samuel Johnson on the other, summed up in Johnson's remark that Chesterfield's fashion-centered advice to his illegitimate son taught the boy "the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing master."
1. - done
2. - done
3. - done
4. ????
I have found that dressing up does not help my ethos. I run a casual classroom, so casual usually does it. I don't wear my work-out clothes, but I don't wear a suit, either.
Besides, my students wouldn't buy it if I wore a suit. I swear like a sailor, I have an eyebrow piercing, a pair of librarian glasses that I am told "look like trouble," and a penchant for very bright color. A business suit would just be strange. When I present at conferences I wear more formal attire - and in no way does this get respect. In fact, that is where I get hit on the most. I think I come across as a domminatrix when when I dress so severe. Honestly, I have no idea why that is. But that's the rumor.
1. To make the appropriate people envy, in an appropriate way, the professor's (actual or counterfactual) spouse.
2. To make the professor comfortable.
3. To make the students more willing and eager to learn.
4.To take a particular stand on the great debate between the courtier Lord Chesterfield on the one hand and the intellectual Samuel Johnson on the other, summed up in Johnson's remark that Chesterfield's fashion-centered advice to his illegitimate son taught the boy "the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing master."
1. - done
2. - done
3. - done
4. ????
I have found that dressing up does not help my ethos. I run a casual classroom, so casual usually does it. I don't wear my work-out clothes, but I don't wear a suit, either.
Besides, my students wouldn't buy it if I wore a suit. I swear like a sailor, I have an eyebrow piercing, a pair of librarian glasses that I am told "look like trouble," and a penchant for very bright color. A business suit would just be strange. When I present at conferences I wear more formal attire - and in no way does this get respect. In fact, that is where I get hit on the most. I think I come across as a domminatrix when when I dress so severe. Honestly, I have no idea why that is. But that's the rumor.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
It's true
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/10/AR2008021001197.html?nav=rss_email/components&sid=ST2008021001199
Women will not sleep with somebody who is a bad kisser. If they can't control their tongue and mouth in a pleasing way when it is just on the lips, why on earth would we let you put that, or anything other part of your anatomy, anywhere else?
Lesson: don't be shy. Ask your wives/girlfriends/buddy-w/-a-good-sense-of-humor/ for pointers.
Women will not sleep with somebody who is a bad kisser. If they can't control their tongue and mouth in a pleasing way when it is just on the lips, why on earth would we let you put that, or anything other part of your anatomy, anywhere else?
Lesson: don't be shy. Ask your wives/girlfriends/buddy-w/-a-good-sense-of-humor/ for pointers.
Reagan voodoo liberal economics
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/opinion/10cox.html?th&emc=th
I remain, unsurprisingly, unconvinced. You know my thoughts on economics and the class divide. Andybody care to retaliate?
I remain, unsurprisingly, unconvinced. You know my thoughts on economics and the class divide. Andybody care to retaliate?
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Is it too early to say "I told you so?"
Huckabee won Kansas, today.
But, more personal to me, Obama won Washington and Nebraska.
But, more personal to me, Obama won Washington and Nebraska.
Maybe I'll finally get to see new episodes of Scrubs
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/business/media/10strike.html?ex=1360299600&en=140025c336a3b22f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Equality NOW
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/09/AR2008020901324.html?nav=rss_email/components
Hey, I think they are talking about me!
Hey, I think they are talking about me!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Seriously, what the crap are we supposed to do?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/07/AR2008020704230.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Is this a good enough reason NOT to vote for McCain?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020800964.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter
The Cold War
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7234817.stm
In my class today we discussed the Cold War, and why it was cold. I think many of them honestly did not know we have not been in a war since WWII. This is our Pax Romana...how does that make you feel?
In my class today we discussed the Cold War, and why it was cold. I think many of them honestly did not know we have not been in a war since WWII. This is our Pax Romana...how does that make you feel?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday
It is both Super Tuesday and Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday/Fat Tuesday. We live an exciting life.
See the post at mosaicme for more.
See the post at mosaicme for more.
Monday, February 4, 2008
for sale
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/education/04endowment.html?th&emc=th
There is a push amongst those of us in academics to fight the "education as purchasable commodity" model that so many students have. The notion that they pay my salary, so they can treat me as they wish. I wonder how we are supposed to counteract that when it appears that education really IS for sale to those who can afford it?
There is a push amongst those of us in academics to fight the "education as purchasable commodity" model that so many students have. The notion that they pay my salary, so they can treat me as they wish. I wonder how we are supposed to counteract that when it appears that education really IS for sale to those who can afford it?
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