10 June 2017: "Is that the emergency loon call?" --Donnie, on Orphan Black.
Orphan Black's final season premiered tonight and it's so nice to have it back. I still have a hard time keeping track of the mythology sometimes, but Tatiana Maslany is just a goddess. And Donnie, married to the best clone, always makes me laugh.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Friday, June 9, 2017
"When To Break Up With Culture And Advice With Mallory Ortberg"
9 June 2017: "When you watch soap operas, it will make you forgive decline and shark-jumping... Soap operas basically come in on a shark." --Audie Cornish, on Pop Culture Happy Hour, discussing sticking with a piece of entertainment versus quitting.
Though it doesn't follow the usual episode format, this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour is pretty darn terrific, featuring both the wonderful Audie Cornish and the amazing Mallory Ortberg. Give it a listen.
Though it doesn't follow the usual episode format, this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour is pretty darn terrific, featuring both the wonderful Audie Cornish and the amazing Mallory Ortberg. Give it a listen.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Off it goes!
8 June 2017: "All done." --my friend Amy today, as she hit the button submitting the final version of our article, accepted for publication in Feminist Teacher.
Always a sweet moment to hit "send" on that final version of a publication, but this one--in a great journal, on a topic I really love, written with a fantastic colleague and friend--is a different flavor of sweet. And working with someone else like this--when writing is so often a solitary activity for me--involved so much listening, so today's post really hits this year's theme.
Always a sweet moment to hit "send" on that final version of a publication, but this one--in a great journal, on a topic I really love, written with a fantastic colleague and friend--is a different flavor of sweet. And working with someone else like this--when writing is so often a solitary activity for me--involved so much listening, so today's post really hits this year's theme.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Bing in quarantine!
7 June 2017: "Anytime there's a cat bite, I prescribe antibiotics, even without this redness." --the doctor I saw today at urgent care.
So remember yesterday's "happy" post, which had a throw-away comment about Bing biting me? Well, that bite got kind of nasty looking over the past 24 hours and some friends convinced me to go to urgent care. This launched a whole series of consequences, including a visit from animal control and Bing under (home) quarantine for the next ten days. But the good thing is that I got some medicine and I learned (again) to be a bit aggressive with these things. And my hand is all wrapped up, which sometimes looks bad-ass to me--until I remember that it's from a silly cat bite.
So remember yesterday's "happy" post, which had a throw-away comment about Bing biting me? Well, that bite got kind of nasty looking over the past 24 hours and some friends convinced me to go to urgent care. This launched a whole series of consequences, including a visit from animal control and Bing under (home) quarantine for the next ten days. But the good thing is that I got some medicine and I learned (again) to be a bit aggressive with these things. And my hand is all wrapped up, which sometimes looks bad-ass to me--until I remember that it's from a silly cat bite.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
"Bright"
6 June 2017:
"I think the universe is on my side
Heaven and Earth have finally aligned
Days are good and that's they way it should be" --Echosmith, "Bright"
A couple of good days around here, I think: an accepted publication, a successful advising and registration session, and just some other stuff that makes me happy. And this song, which just came on, had actually been running through my head, so it will work just fine for today's entry.
My good mood is even pushing me through a literally painful experience I just finished...Bing misbehaved quite a bit at the vet, including biting the heck out of my hand, something he's never done before. I don't think the vet tech realized how bad it was because I played it tough. Ha. But he got his shots and all still seems pretty healthy. (There was an attempt to do blood work, but they gave up, so let's just hope it's all okay...)
"I think the universe is on my side
Heaven and Earth have finally aligned
Days are good and that's they way it should be" --Echosmith, "Bright"
A couple of good days around here, I think: an accepted publication, a successful advising and registration session, and just some other stuff that makes me happy. And this song, which just came on, had actually been running through my head, so it will work just fine for today's entry.
My good mood is even pushing me through a literally painful experience I just finished...Bing misbehaved quite a bit at the vet, including biting the heck out of my hand, something he's never done before. I don't think the vet tech realized how bad it was because I played it tough. Ha. But he got his shots and all still seems pretty healthy. (There was an attempt to do blood work, but they gave up, so let's just hope it's all okay...)
Monday, June 5, 2017
Let the Dead Bury Their Dead
5 June 2017: "I just don't understand what we're supposed to do with these...how they all fit together..." --a student in my ENGL 355 class today, opening up our last day of discussing Randall Kenan's Let the Dead Bury Their Dead.
Let the Dead Bury Their Dead might be the most difficult text we read in ENGL 355. It's dark and disturbing at times, full of different voices and styles. And these interconnected stories of the fictional town Kenan creates operate one way individually, but other ways in conversation with one another. But how they connect and what we are supposed to do with those connections...I always have a hard time articulating it. So I was glad that this student made explicit what is so difficult about this work. It led us to keep working on coming up with answers during class...I think we got somewhere, but even if we didn't, the attempts were fun and rewarding.
Let the Dead Bury Their Dead might be the most difficult text we read in ENGL 355. It's dark and disturbing at times, full of different voices and styles. And these interconnected stories of the fictional town Kenan creates operate one way individually, but other ways in conversation with one another. But how they connect and what we are supposed to do with those connections...I always have a hard time articulating it. So I was glad that this student made explicit what is so difficult about this work. It led us to keep working on coming up with answers during class...I think we got somewhere, but even if we didn't, the attempts were fun and rewarding.
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Bangka Island Massacre
4 June 2017: "Chin up girls. I'm proud of you and I love you all." --Matron Irene Drummond, to the 21 nurses she supervised, right before all were killed in the Bangka Island Massacre.
I had never heard of this event, or of Vivian Bullwinkle, the surviving nurse, subject of one of the recent "Six Impossible Episodes" of Stuff You Missed in History Class, but I sure am glad to have heard of her and Drummond. You really should listen to the episode and the way that the host's voice pauses with emotion as she shares Drummond's words (about 18 1/2 minutes in). And what amazing words they were--words of love and encouragement and support to these women as they walked to their deaths. It's one of those stories that gives you hope even as it devastates you.
I had never heard of this event, or of Vivian Bullwinkle, the surviving nurse, subject of one of the recent "Six Impossible Episodes" of Stuff You Missed in History Class, but I sure am glad to have heard of her and Drummond. You really should listen to the episode and the way that the host's voice pauses with emotion as she shares Drummond's words (about 18 1/2 minutes in). And what amazing words they were--words of love and encouragement and support to these women as they walked to their deaths. It's one of those stories that gives you hope even as it devastates you.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Wonder Woman
3 June 2017: "You should be honored!" --Wonder Woman, the first time she has ice cream, to the vendor who sells it.
What a fun movie this was--and I don't usually go for these sorts of films. But this silly line quoted above actually captures some of what I liked about it: the gorgeous and captivating Gal Godot kicked some serious butt, but also played "newcomer to this world" scenes in such sweet ways. Even the romance had me swooning a bit. Fun stuff.
What a fun movie this was--and I don't usually go for these sorts of films. But this silly line quoted above actually captures some of what I liked about it: the gorgeous and captivating Gal Godot kicked some serious butt, but also played "newcomer to this world" scenes in such sweet ways. Even the romance had me swooning a bit. Fun stuff.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Happy hour with crayons...
2 June 2017: "Ummm...we prefer 'gay-liens,' thank you!" --my friend Jonathan, joking about what to call the gay aliens we added to a picture we were drawing at a local bar tonight. Other highlights included an orange cat roasting a marshmallow, a squirrel drinking wine, an escaping handmaid, and a Ghost of Shepherdstown. Trust me: they all make sense.
Our friends Mark and Erin are moving (sad!), so we were saying good-bye to them. Erin suggested using the crayons to make them a drawing for their new refrigerator and we were happy to comply. Yes, I realize this all sounds ridiculous and silly, but it sure was fun.
Our friends Mark and Erin are moving (sad!), so we were saying good-bye to them. Erin suggested using the crayons to make them a drawing for their new refrigerator and we were happy to comply. Yes, I realize this all sounds ridiculous and silly, but it sure was fun.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
More on The Handmaid's Tale
1 June 2017: “If this is a story I’m telling, I must be telling it to someone. There’s always someone, even when there’s no one.” --June, in episode 8 of The Handmaid's Tale.
Though some episodes are better than others, this show continues to give me so much to think about. Right now I keep thinking over this interesting comment on storytelling and audience--who June imagines herself talking to and why...
Though some episodes are better than others, this show continues to give me so much to think about. Right now I keep thinking over this interesting comment on storytelling and audience--who June imagines herself talking to and why...
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
More on Cover Stories
31 May 2017: "The Pearl Jam performance of 'Again Today,' it's just got such an urgency to it. It says that complacency will catch up with us. There's a new urgency to it because they did it in the style of The Ramones. It was like a power ballad before, when I did it, and now it's so fast and such a call to arms. That's a potent performance that reminds me of why we made the record in this way." --Brandi Carlile talking about one of my favorite tracks on this terrific album.
Listen to the whole interview with Brandi here.
Listen to the whole interview with Brandi here.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
"The Human Voice"
30 May 2017: "So I say 'Sir or Madam' to the baby, 'What is your opinion of the human species?' Well what does a baby do? Baby starts giggling! I say, 'Thank God for the sound of a human voice!'" --Studs Terkel in a StoryCorps interview.
Monday, May 29, 2017
It's back!
29 May 2017: "So yeah: the world is in turmoil. I think we can all safely say that's true. But one shining light is Belinda." --Jamie, one of the wonderful hosts of My Dad Wrote a Porno, opening up the new season.
One of my absolute favorite podcasts is back, as hilarious and filthy as ever. And as silly as it sounds, Jamie is right: this brilliant little show always raises my spirits.
One of my absolute favorite podcasts is back, as hilarious and filthy as ever. And as silly as it sounds, Jamie is right: this brilliant little show always raises my spirits.
Good Cop, Bad Cop
28 May 2017: "Girl, get you a gun!" --my friend Hannah, giving me advice as we played a new game, Good Cop, Bad Cop.
Another day, another fun get-together, this time at Tim's house. We were there basically all day long and could have stayed even longer, if not for a long-ish drive home.
Another day, another fun get-together, this time at Tim's house. We were there basically all day long and could have stayed even longer, if not for a long-ish drive home.
Saturday night cook-out...
27 May 2017: "My ants tasted like chocolate..." --my friend Adam, participating in a strange and hilarious conversation about eating bugs (both accidentally and on purpose).
On Saturday night, I hosted a get-together for some former students/current friends, some of whom I haven't seen in quite a while. Though the weather didn't cooperate completely, it a nice night and a lovely reminder of how lucky I've been to have so many wonderful people in my life.
On Saturday night, I hosted a get-together for some former students/current friends, some of whom I haven't seen in quite a while. Though the weather didn't cooperate completely, it a nice night and a lovely reminder of how lucky I've been to have so many wonderful people in my life.
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