Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
sunday night
it's 1:12 am, just finished writing an article to cap out a deliciously long sunday. a gluttonous, home-made brunch to begin the day, Flight of the Conchords and a nap to soak up the time in the middle, and a good amount of reading and writing to fill out my evening. first time since the end of the week that i've gotten to sit down and have a good, long chat with the boy too, which i'm quite happy about -- i was feeling a guilty that we hadn't talked much the past few days.
this week promises to be another long one. each week i try to align my priorities -- what i want to accomplish, things i will focus on over the next seven days. i gotta cough up money for a new membership, i'll be correcting papers every day this week (and into the weekend), i have to book a much delayed trip to the Philippines, not to mention start planning my tour of the US in January. basically, the theme for this week will be sorting shite out.
at the beginning of each month, i usually try to set a singular focus -- something i particularly want to improve on or dedicate myself to for the next thirty days. in past months i've thrown myself into budgeting, hitting the gym regularly, photography, and minimizing my wardrobe. i'm still debating as to how i want to spend this october: i've been guilting myself for some time now over my lack of commitment to regular writing and reading, though there's an opportunity a friend recently offered to get involved in meditation, which typically isn't my thing but she managed to sell me on it. there's also the issue of budgeting for the coming months and learning vietnamese -- which i still haven't done, though it's been a year since i've been in the country.
it's been a year since i've experienced autumn -- my favorite season, most likely because it merges life and death in such a dramatic, sensory way. the brilliance of red apples and the swollen spheres of golden pumpkins, the crunch of dead leaves on concrete, the crispness of the air. in the permanent summer of the tropics, these sights, sounds, and smells sit outside of daily life, though they remain vivid in my memory.
regardless, even without the sensations of autumn, i find this time of year to be, more than any other, the most introspective.
this week promises to be another long one. each week i try to align my priorities -- what i want to accomplish, things i will focus on over the next seven days. i gotta cough up money for a new membership, i'll be correcting papers every day this week (and into the weekend), i have to book a much delayed trip to the Philippines, not to mention start planning my tour of the US in January. basically, the theme for this week will be sorting shite out.
at the beginning of each month, i usually try to set a singular focus -- something i particularly want to improve on or dedicate myself to for the next thirty days. in past months i've thrown myself into budgeting, hitting the gym regularly, photography, and minimizing my wardrobe. i'm still debating as to how i want to spend this october: i've been guilting myself for some time now over my lack of commitment to regular writing and reading, though there's an opportunity a friend recently offered to get involved in meditation, which typically isn't my thing but she managed to sell me on it. there's also the issue of budgeting for the coming months and learning vietnamese -- which i still haven't done, though it's been a year since i've been in the country.
it's been a year since i've experienced autumn -- my favorite season, most likely because it merges life and death in such a dramatic, sensory way. the brilliance of red apples and the swollen spheres of golden pumpkins, the crunch of dead leaves on concrete, the crispness of the air. in the permanent summer of the tropics, these sights, sounds, and smells sit outside of daily life, though they remain vivid in my memory.
regardless, even without the sensations of autumn, i find this time of year to be, more than any other, the most introspective.
Friday, September 26, 2008
a delicious end to a long week
i have cheesecake in the fridge
i've marked all the papers i've taken home for the weekend.
still have half a bottle of wine left.
there's lightning flashing outside my window.
methinks i like how this weekend is shaping up so far...
i've marked all the papers i've taken home for the weekend.
still have half a bottle of wine left.
there's lightning flashing outside my window.
methinks i like how this weekend is shaping up so far...
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
as a lover of language...
...this slaaays me. i have vietnamese students that can answer questions more directly, succinctly, and/or eloquently.
"Palin has an odd tendency to use the same word twice in a sentence, as in, 'The people of American realize that inherently all political power is inherent in the people,' or, about John McCain, 'He can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this.' Or, combining word repetition with another Palin verbal tic, word dropping, this about the economic meltdown: 'Well, you know, first Fannie and Freddie, different because quasi-government agencies there where government had to step in because the adverse impact all across our nation, especially with homeowners, is just too impacting.'"
late september resolution
I've been quite pathetic on the updating and blogging tip this month.
I could blame it on work.
The second half of a semester is always a bigger time-sucker. The writing gets more intensive, which means I'm marking more student writing and spending a bit more time in school preparing lessons. I also am quite lucky to have a class that I really, really enjoy teaching, and I work harder in making the lessons more interesting and engaging for them.
I'm also experimenting with some new approaches in teaching. Nothing radical, but things that are more student centered, where they really are directing the focus and energy of the classroom in a more organic and natural way. For the first time in a while, I'm truly excited about the actual method of teaching.
I could also blame it on my ambitions to write outside of blogging.
I've been a bit better about keeping a journal, and for one week there in early September, I was alloting a set amount of time each day dedicated solely to writing. Not journaling or blogging, but throwing myself into creative work.
As I said, that lasted a week.
So here's my late September resolution, to be more dedicated to this space.
Pinkie swear & shit.
I could blame it on work.
The second half of a semester is always a bigger time-sucker. The writing gets more intensive, which means I'm marking more student writing and spending a bit more time in school preparing lessons. I also am quite lucky to have a class that I really, really enjoy teaching, and I work harder in making the lessons more interesting and engaging for them.
I'm also experimenting with some new approaches in teaching. Nothing radical, but things that are more student centered, where they really are directing the focus and energy of the classroom in a more organic and natural way. For the first time in a while, I'm truly excited about the actual method of teaching.
I could also blame it on my ambitions to write outside of blogging.
I've been a bit better about keeping a journal, and for one week there in early September, I was alloting a set amount of time each day dedicated solely to writing. Not journaling or blogging, but throwing myself into creative work.
As I said, that lasted a week.
So here's my late September resolution, to be more dedicated to this space.
Pinkie swear & shit.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
the seconds, the minutes, the hours
waiting...preparing...gathering & arranging our littlest hopes...
fashioning a life.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
It is hugely unfortunate that the first big story about Palin -- other than questions raised about whether she fired the head of the Alaska state police for refusing to dismiss her former brother-in-law -- concerned her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy. It's not just that Bristol Palin should be left alone, but also that the intense interest in this story gave McCain's bullies an excuse to push aside legitimate questions about Palin's record and knowledge.
...[W]hat matters is not Palin's personal life but whether she is prepared to assume the presidency if called upon. The actions of McCain's lieutenants suggest that they know the answer. And they are doing everything they can to keep the media from finding it.full article, by E.J. Dionne Jr., here
intellectual dishonesty & the evil, evil media
I am concerned with what columnist Leonard J. Pitts has, rightfully, called intellectual dishonesty. All campaigns are at fault for this, particularly during election season, but sweet Jesus, the RNC really brought intellectual dishonesty to new levels.
From Palin's speech (well delivered, but more snark than substance), to the revision of recent history (McCain's courageous "outsider" position wasn't on the surge, but on IMMIGRATION), to Mitt Romney's "errr, what?" inducing comments, intellectual dishonesty was everywhere.
The most disturbing of all this, however, is the full call to arms against the media. To illustrate this point of the "evil, elitist media," the RNC rolled out a Reagan video, showcasing the conflict between Regan and the video.
Except...there was no conflict between the media and Reagan. Reagan was a media DARLING. As was John McCain the Maverick....before he became John McCain the Reformer, Re-Forming his opinions on all the things the Former John McCain stood for.
And now, shuffling Palin off until she receives "respect and deference" from the press? Respect, I understand. Aretha could tell you, we all want respect, but DEFERENCE? When have we known the press to defer to any political candidate, especially when they were running for office? Moreover, when would that ever be a good thing?
The British media doesn't even show deference to the bloody Royal Family, for God's sake. If you really want to show you're ready for this job, and that gender really isn't an issue, then go out there and take your press beating like a man, Ms. Palin.
From Palin's speech (well delivered, but more snark than substance), to the revision of recent history (McCain's courageous "outsider" position wasn't on the surge, but on IMMIGRATION), to Mitt Romney's "errr, what?" inducing comments, intellectual dishonesty was everywhere.
The most disturbing of all this, however, is the full call to arms against the media. To illustrate this point of the "evil, elitist media," the RNC rolled out a Reagan video, showcasing the conflict between Regan and the video.
Except...there was no conflict between the media and Reagan. Reagan was a media DARLING. As was John McCain the Maverick....before he became John McCain the Reformer, Re-Forming his opinions on all the things the Former John McCain stood for.
And now, shuffling Palin off until she receives "respect and deference" from the press? Respect, I understand. Aretha could tell you, we all want respect, but DEFERENCE? When have we known the press to defer to any political candidate, especially when they were running for office? Moreover, when would that ever be a good thing?
The British media doesn't even show deference to the bloody Royal Family, for God's sake. If you really want to show you're ready for this job, and that gender really isn't an issue, then go out there and take your press beating like a man, Ms. Palin.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
the games we play
this is inspired by an article i recently read in a magazine called, "the games we play," which talks about the little games that we carry on from childhood to adulthood.
full disclosure on the games i still play:
i lip sync all the time. not just discreet mouthing of the words while i'm on my computer, either. i mean, full on hairbrush-as-a-microphone, facial contortion, i am woman hear me convincingly-mimic-a-roar splendor.
i play with my hair in the shower, using shampoo to sculpt my hair into sudsy masterpieces. my favorites include: anne as a rooster, anne as elvis, anne as a hard core punk, anne as a tsunami, and anne as alfalfa.
i choreograph dance routines in the shower and in my bedroom, and will usually act out some of the moves until i realize i have neither the skill nor the know-how to perform my routines. oh, but they're so dope!
i have conversations with myself all the time, though usually not out loud. i'll essentially run through an entire dialogue with someone in my mind -- sometimes a close friend, sometimes a casual acquaintance with whom i'd like to have such a conversation one day. the convo will usually be about politics or sex or memories or love or relationships, all those things that knead my thoughts, that i hope to one day be wise about though i'm still, clearly, a novice.
i thumb-war when there's a lull in conversation.
i used to pretend i was some sort of woodland animal before i went to bed and when i woke up: that i had to burrow deep inside the covers to sleep and protect myself from all manner of evil night time villains (panthers, ghosts, cougars, robbers, etc). i still feel this way when i wake up in the morning, except the evil villain is work.
on occasion, i still try to see if i can move things with my mind. or will somebody to do something, like call me.
on nights when i'm home alone, i sometimes put on lipstick -- a color i haven't put on in a while, like a deep hibiscus red or my glossiest, stickiest cotton candy pink. lipstick melts off my lips like ice cream down a waffle cone, so i never really get to enjoy lipstick at work or out in public. but at home, poring over a book or a fresh piece of writing, or even just watching a movie, my lipstick becomes a naughty secret held between the walls, a pop of glamour, evidence that i'm still my favorite audience to play dress-up for.
full disclosure on the games i still play:
i lip sync all the time. not just discreet mouthing of the words while i'm on my computer, either. i mean, full on hairbrush-as-a-microphone, facial contortion, i am woman hear me convincingly-mimic-a-roar splendor.
i play with my hair in the shower, using shampoo to sculpt my hair into sudsy masterpieces. my favorites include: anne as a rooster, anne as elvis, anne as a hard core punk, anne as a tsunami, and anne as alfalfa.
i choreograph dance routines in the shower and in my bedroom, and will usually act out some of the moves until i realize i have neither the skill nor the know-how to perform my routines. oh, but they're so dope!
i have conversations with myself all the time, though usually not out loud. i'll essentially run through an entire dialogue with someone in my mind -- sometimes a close friend, sometimes a casual acquaintance with whom i'd like to have such a conversation one day. the convo will usually be about politics or sex or memories or love or relationships, all those things that knead my thoughts, that i hope to one day be wise about though i'm still, clearly, a novice.
i thumb-war when there's a lull in conversation.
i used to pretend i was some sort of woodland animal before i went to bed and when i woke up: that i had to burrow deep inside the covers to sleep and protect myself from all manner of evil night time villains (panthers, ghosts, cougars, robbers, etc). i still feel this way when i wake up in the morning, except the evil villain is work.
on occasion, i still try to see if i can move things with my mind. or will somebody to do something, like call me.
on nights when i'm home alone, i sometimes put on lipstick -- a color i haven't put on in a while, like a deep hibiscus red or my glossiest, stickiest cotton candy pink. lipstick melts off my lips like ice cream down a waffle cone, so i never really get to enjoy lipstick at work or out in public. but at home, poring over a book or a fresh piece of writing, or even just watching a movie, my lipstick becomes a naughty secret held between the walls, a pop of glamour, evidence that i'm still my favorite audience to play dress-up for.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Memo To Sarah Palin
[originally published here, by Michael Kinsley]
"Our son Track is 19. And one week from tomorrow…he’ll deploy to Iraq…. My nephew Kasey also enslisted…. My family is proud of both of them…. In our family, it’s two boys and three girls…. From the inside, no family seems typical. That’s how it is with us. Our family has the same ups and downs as any other…. Todd is a story all by himself…. We met in high school and two decades and five children later he’s still my guy…. My parents are here tonight, and I am so proud to be the daughter of….”
Did someone forget to tell Sarah Palin that families are off-limits?
ooOOooo, it's ON bitch! (part II)
A list of books that Palin supposedly wanted banned during her tenure as Mayor of Wassi-whogivesadamn. This list hasn't been verified, though several sources have been cited in regard to Palin's desire to ban certain books from Alaska's public libraries.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Canterbury Tales by Chaucer
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Forever by Judy Blume
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Collective
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff
[(via librarian.net) via rach]
ooOOooo, it's ON bitch!
Dear John McCain,
You were right. Women support other women, because most women can empathize with most other women. For this reason, a lot of women vote for other women. Some women will vote for another woman, just because she's a woman. Some women won't care if this actually benefits them.
But you forgot one thing. It's kind of important.
Women love supporting other women.
But not as much as they love hating other bitches.
You were right. Women support other women, because most women can empathize with most other women. For this reason, a lot of women vote for other women. Some women will vote for another woman, just because she's a woman. Some women won't care if this actually benefits them.
But you forgot one thing. It's kind of important.
Women love supporting other women.
But not as much as they love hating other bitches.
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