Isle Royale

Isle Royale is an island in Lake Superior that is a National Park. No wheels are allowed on the island--cars, bikes, etc.--and as a result it is very pristine wilderness, probably very similar to what it was like over a hundred years ago.

To get there, you have to take a ferry, which was fun for the first half hour, but the next three hours were not. It was very, very turbulent; a third of the passengers were throwing up, and most of those who weren't were trying not to.

We hiked everywhere, staying at a different place every night. We obviously carried everything we needed for the four days on the island, packing out our garbage, etc. No campfires are allowed, so we had a little proprane tank and a camping stove.

In the middle of the trip, I woke up with my left eye nearly swollen shut. I'd gotten a bug bite on my eye lid during the night. It took a few days, but eventually it went away, though hiking was strange with impaired vision.


Our biggest day was 10.5 miles along the center ridge of the island with a lunch stop at an observation tower at the highest point. Our weather was perfect--no rain, sunny and 70s during the day. The nights were a little cold (in the 40s), which made our tents wet by morning because of condensation from our breath.

All in all it was a fun time; lots of pretty scenery and snazy wildflowers. Nathan saw a wolf, and he and I think we saw a moose swimming on the other end of a lake we were camped near. Nothing close or prolonged, but still wild kingdom-y.

Ratatouille

Okay, I've got lots that I want to say about my two vacations in the past two weeks (one to Isle Royale and the other to Cornerstone), but I want to quickly tell the world how excited I am to see Ratatouille. I loved the concept, the location, etc., but all my hopes for greatness were confirmed when I saw the trailer that used "Hello, Hello" by one of my favorite bands The Cat Empire. If it's in the film too, I may have a conniption in the theater.

I Think DM and I Would Make an Awesome Couple

Last night I heard Donald Miller speak "Let Story Guide You" at Willow Creek. He is amazing. I feel like everything he says is a slicker, funnier version of the feelings I have. He is able to articulate the importance of story beyond what I have cognizantly recognized, but I know to the core of my being is why I have dedicated my life to it. Perhaps it's a cop out, but I don't want to even try to explain his ideas because my version would not do justice to his presentation. Looking around at his website, I see that the message seems to be in the same vein as what his new book is going to be. So, if I see you soon, I'll play you the cd I have of his message, if not, then read his book when it comes out. But, I will say that a quote that opens Neil Gaiman's Coraline is perfectly in keeping with the theme (though not really what he spoke about).

Fairy tales are more than true: not because
they tell us that dragons exist, but because
they tell us that dragons can be beaten.
—G. K. Chesterton

Incidentally, worshiping with The David Crowder Band was far more energizing and satisfying than any of the True Colors artists, even Erasure.

Waiting for the Starting Gun

There is nothing that stands in the way between me and studying. I have compiled the list in the chronological order in which I will read the primary sources, with the secondary sources inserted in a different color where their subject matter most directly applies. I have the first four books that I'm reading ready to go (Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim (1900) and The Heart of Darkness (1902), and The Twentieth-Century Novel in Britain and The Edwardian Turn of Mind). I have created templates to fill out after every book: author, title, summary, characters, major themes, pedagogical implications. I am set.

And yet, I have every night of this week filled with social engagements: True Colors concert, Donald Miller/David Crowder Band, small group leaders bonfire, scrapbooking 'crop club', and Q101 Block Party. I am never, ever this busy; hopefully, I will soon be able to go back to my hermit-like existence that supports good studying. Plus, I still have three HP books to re-read before the release (39 days, 4 hours, 12 minutes, 29 seconds) of book seven. I thought not teaching was going to free up time...

The End.

Of two books that is.

1. Special Topics in Calamity Physics. I realize that I just recently complained about this book, but as I was set to shoulder through the final two hundred pages, I broke through the boring section and the final 150 pages flew by. While I stand by my previous observation that it could be shorter, ultimately, it was fantastic--a fairly satisfying read that satiated all the narrative curiosity I had. I was finishing it in a coffee shop when a friend that I was meeting there showed up, on time the nerve, so I spent three hours playing chess and talking with a mere eight pages to go waiting for me!

2. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart. This was a quick read that was highly enjoyable. Not much on character development, but it wonderfully encapsulates a place and time: New York City, Summer 1945. It seemed like a fairy tale (of sorts), but also made me think about the differences between how war affects a nation. There were tons of off-hand remarks about rations, curfews, and daily details of life that were changed because of the war. Beyond the higher gas prices, I don't feel as though my day-to-day life has been altered because of the war. While I realize that soldiers have died, no one I know or even no one I know knows anyone that has. I'd like to think that there will be an end to our war that will be celebrated as joyously as they did in Times Square on VJ Day.

It Amuses Me

I realize that those hip to the internet may already have seen this picture, but tonight was my first encounter, and I wanted to share it with the peoples because it makes me laugh.




In addition to this, there are a number of other walrus (walri?) and bucket (or lack thereof) pictures that others have contributed to the story, which can all be found here.

A Little Late?

I realize that The Prestige came out a long time ago, but I didn't see it until now. And in case anyone was wondering, it's really good! I loved David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. Christian Bale is amazing; my little boy from Empire of the Sun, Henry V, Newsies, and Swing Kids is all grown up. I'm quite intrigued to read the book, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to wait. I'm trying to finish Special Topics in Calamity Physics before I really start reading for exams. I will admit that the book is quite interesting, but it's just too long. I'm 300 page in--far too much to quit--but there are still 214 to go, and my interest is waning. This woman needed an editor to be a little more insistent.

The Plan

So, in light of the previous instability of my life, I've decided what to do this summer (I think). I'm planning on not working unless some acceptable job falls into my lap and studying for my field exams. There does seem to be a light at the end of this tunnel of school. I have finished all but one of my courses, which I'll be taking in the fall and will help me study for exams as it is a seminar on British Literature from 1880-1920; I've passed my reading requirements in two foreign languages; now, I've just got to pass field exams and write the dissertation.

I'm not so much worried about the dissertation. I have an idea that I think is interesting and mildly innovative, and I know I can write. It's these field exams that are scaring me. I'm planning on taking them in January, where there will be two days with a four hour block in which I answer three questions which proves that I fully understand and can teach my fields. If ever there was a this-test-determines-the-rest-of-my-life sort of moment, it's this one. You can retake the tests once, but after that, if you don't pass, you're finished. Thanks for playing the past three years of your life were wasted. So, in order to avoid that, I'm starting the studying now.

First up on the menu: Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim and Heart of Darkness, which will perhaps prove to be a bit more intellectually demanding than 28 Weeks Later and Knocked Up, which I saw last night. Sometimes I wonder at the trashiness of my taste...

Where's the Rug?

So, whenever I get my pics uploaded, I'll post my Bostonian pictures, and I'll share my experience serving on a jury this past week, but there is a much more grave issue at hand. I read my email this morning for the first time in a few days and learned that the class I was teaching this summer has canceled! What do I do now? Find some ridiculous, not related to my field, drudge job (a la the mall)? Not work and live off of my savings while I read?

I will definitely not be taking the class that I was signed up for; it didn't meet any requirements, just looked interesting. So, I'm left with a lot more free time than I'd anticipated. I guess that's good because I'll have more time to study for my field exams. But, there's even more free time to manage, and I'm much more productive when I'm busy.

But, since I'm in vacation mode (I was waiting for the summer term to start), I've been reading Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. I quite like it. I think I could be friends with the protagonist and narrator Blue. According to her father's advice, the book is "exquisitely annotated" (12), which I can see being grating for some people, but is the life that I live.

A Moment of Silence.

Last night, my U2 special-edition ipod was pronounced dead at my local (ish) apple store. I had little time to mourn, since I'm travelling to Boston today and I am not ready to have an ipod-less existence. As I bought my new ipod, I had to give up my old one. I know there's probably nothing that I could/would have done with it, but it was sad--especially since I was too cheap to spring for the U2 one this time (the last one was a gift). So, my grieving continues and today is Bono's birthday, which keeps the sting of loss fresh (not that yesterday wouldn't be fresh on its own).

Huh

I have become a professional academic because I get excited about reading and then writing and talking about said read (or watched) texts. I'd like to think that I am not without some skills in the field. Yesterday confused me.

I received grades back on the two big papers that I wrote this semester. Granted neither subject (Milton and the Renaissance Essay) are the reason that I have stayed in school so long, but at least for my RenEss paper, I was sort of excited about my topic, which was theoretically tangential to what I do in my particular field. For my Milton paper I chose the topic as something I might like to read, but nothing that I was going be invested in for the larger picture of my research agenda. Why then, did the throw away (and a little bit of a nod to the teacher's interests) topic get a better grade than the far more original, interesting to me one? Why am I a better academic when I care less?

I find it rather disconcerting that I perform better when I care less about my subject.

I Think I See a Light and Why I Love Reading

Well, I was up until 2am writing a final for my class, then I got up at 7:20 to make cupcakes for my friend's birthday lunch. I'm beat. My two big papers are done, now I just have tons of grading and reading to do. I was doing an awesome independent study this semester, but I think I had an overly ambitious reading list and I know I should have somehow (I'm not sure when) done more on it during the semester. I've got six books left that I want to read--most of them are over 300 pages. Blurg. But, on the bright side just when I was completely disconnected and a little bored with my book Oscar and Lucinda (Peter Carey, 1988), I came across this amazing passage:

"...he had an idea involving it, an idea that involved such a dreadful laceration of his own feelings that it is really hard to credit. And yet it was all born out of habits of mind produced by Christianity: that if you sacrificed yourself you would somehow attain the object of your desires. It was a knife of an idea, a cruel instrument of sacrifice, but also one of great beauty, silvery, curved, dancing with light. The odds were surely stacked against him, and had it been a horse rather than a woman's heart he would never have bet on it, not even for a place."

Those last two sentences make me want to weep; they are so beautiful.

A List.

In an attempt to excite me to finish the semester quickly and complete all the work I need to do before the freedom of summer break (all three weeks of it), I'm posting a list of the books I hope to read during that time. Most of them are not especially academic, but these are the final books I'll be reading for fun before I start studying for my field exams (a six month+ process):

• All six Harry Potter books.
• Special Topics in Calamity Physics, Marisha Pessl
• Bibliophilia: A Novella and Stories, Michael Griffith
• Having finished Paradise Lost, it seems appropriate to read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
• Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart
• Masquerade, sequel to Blue Bloods, Melissa de la Cruz
• and while I might not read it cover to cover, I'll be perusing Bollywood: A Guidebook to Popular Hindi Cinema.

If anybody's read any of these, how did you like them? This list is not necessarily in order of importance, and I probably won't get to them all, so I'd like help prioritizing!

Xenophobic Bravo*?

Already I like Shear Genius in it's single episode more than the whole of Top Design--apparently others agree, there wasn't a reunion episode, nor the drawing out of the finale into two episodes. Sadly, the cute, sassy, and French Paul-Jean was the first one cut, following the disturbing trend of Bravo's reality series first kicking off the foreigners. In the first season of Top Chef, the first to go was Irish, in the second season, it was British. Coincidence?

*I don't really think Bravo's xenophobic; I'm mostly sad that I don't have the foreign accents to listen to--thank goodness for BBC America!

Commenting on Student Papers

As I am spending a lot of time grading papers of late, I was highly amused by my google quote of the day

I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top.
- An English Professor

and this McSweeney's list.

And while I would sometimes like to write things along the lines of "You have managed to coldly and persistently rape the English language for 17 pages. Congratulations" more often than not I end up with more of the "You had some nice details" variety.

Tonight I'm sleeping with the window open!!

Not That I Ever Denied It...

...but was pointed out to me twice yesterday, that I make rather nerdy jokes. I mean, clearly, I had my audience pegged because they understood them and recognized them for what they were. Are puns that require knowledge of Roanoke and Stanley Fish so crazy that fellow nerds need to highlight that I used them? I'm not sure.

But, perhaps there is something to it, as I sit here listening to "Brand New Lover" by Dead or Alive and I think it's hilarious that their album is titled Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know. Caroline Lamb anyone?

More Timberlake

Okay, two posts on JT may seem like overkill, but I promise I'm not that into him, I mean I don't have any posters up. But, I recently saw Black Snake Moan and I have to give him credit for doing a pretty good job as the screwed up, taciturn boyfriend to Christiana Ricci's nymphomaniac. The whole movie was amazing. Yes, there are some raw scenes, but I don't think they were gratuitous (as say, the sex in 300). Ultimately the film was a story of redemption, and what sinner doesn't like to see that? Yes, Samuel L. Jackson does tie Ricci up to a radiator with a chain, but he's also the first person to care enough about her to try to help her. A smart narrative that blossoms naturally rather than explaining every detail at the beginning--there were times when I had to work a little to put the story (or rather some of the characters) together, which I think is a good thing. This is the kind of film that would be awesome for discussion/teaching at a church, but some people would probably take offense. If you know that you can handle some harshness, then make the effort for this life affirming film.

Truly a Pleasure.

I'm willing to admit it. Justin Timberlake is no longer a guilty pleasure; I am not ashamed to say I enjoy him. That being said, I found an acoustic version of "Sexyback" by a local Chicagoan that is awesome:

A Quote and A Question

Something that I read in Milton's Areopagitica and liked:
“He that can apprehend and consider vice with all her baits and seeming pleasures, and yet abstain, and yet distinguish, and yet prefer that which is truly better, he is the true warfaring Christian. I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat.”

One of my students said she was talking about me with someone from the writing center where I used to work, they were able to discern that they were referring to the same person because they both described me as "jolly." Is that a complement because I'm normally upbeat or an oddly kind way of describing me as overweight?

Synergy

Boy, I love school this semester. Not every semester do I feel this way; sometimes there are classes that are requirements but just not fun; sometimes there are classes that I have to teach that I dislike. This semester has been awesome. Throughout my season in grad school, I've often struggled with the selfishness of it. Continually pouring into myself and spending an immense amount of time to develop my skills. However, it is necessary if I want to be a college professor, and there's no better time in my life to do this. I've also struggled with the research aspect of the profession, feeling as though I'm not giving anything back or doing anything useful with the time and energy spent to write yet another paper. Teaching benefits society and the individuals with whom I have contact, but research--no way...until this semester.

As I've been teaching our "Experience of Fiction" course (sometimes jokingly referred to as the "My Seven Favorite Novels" class), I've found myself spending a ridiculous amount of time researching for it. I've been drawn into the academic conversation around my texts and am seeing, for the first time in my academic life, the practicalities of how research supports teaching and how they are interdependent. Similar to the first time that I truly understood how theory functions (yes, it really is a lens that helps us understand a text), I feel as though my eyes have been opened, and I can clearly see a new level in the world of academia. And the view is spectacular, spectacular.

...The Book!

Okay, so my department has a list serve for announcements, information, argumentation, etc. Of late, an oft visited topic on the Canon vs. new forms of literature (condensed classics, blogs, graphic novels) has been making the rounds. Amongst the bickering was a link for this video (I'm not cool enough to know how to embed it) about the technology problems one encounters nowa, -er yesterdays.

Speaking of books, what have I been reading lately, you ask?
Well, while I've read the introduction to Jean Rhys 's (of Wide Sargasso Sea fame) first novel Quartet, I've not so much actually started the text, perhaps tonight, definitely by Thursday. I've been reading Milton (whose early life story feels eerily similar to my own), some of his Prolusions and the essay "Of Education." Mostly I've been doing a close reading Dracula for the class I'm teaching. What a great novel!

Today, my literary focus will include a few Renaissance essays on Friendship, but primarily will entail creating my own essay. Look for "Of Oscars" in the near future!

Anita and Me

I love finding myself in books. This weekend I finished reading Meera Syal's Anita and Me for my independent study. By the by, the movie is wonderful fun, I encourage everyone to see it, you won't regret it. But, this passage perfectly nails what I have often been troubled about, but never been able to put words to:

"My mind drifted into practical overdrive, as it did with all my daydreams. It was never enough to have a vague picture, such as 'I save Donny Osmond from near death and win a medal'. I had to know what I was wearing, whether it was a fire in a top London hotel or a runaway horse in a summer meadow, what the weather was like, who was watching and how my hair looked at the moment of rescue.

It was an annoying trait, I admit, and often I got bored with the fantasy halfway through, bogged down by stylistic detail when I should really have been concentrating on the emotion and wish-fulfilment side of things." (202)

Grr.

The Bears lost. I didn't expect them to win, but then the first quarter was so exciting--they taught me to hope.

It's very very cold. My mom's school is canceled but mine remains on. At least the class I teach isn't meeting in the morning per usual, but in the afternoon to watch The Innocents. And the students that can't come are sending me cranky emails, despite my repeated warnings that this film was hard to find, so they should borrow my copy. I refuse to let it be my fault, even though inside I feel like apologizing.

So, I give you a grumpy " 'airy co' " and the home of an extremely annoying French soldier.

Sorry...

I know I've been terrible about posting. For some reason it just seems like so much energy; I'm not sure why. Topics often go through my head for posts, plus there's still European adventures to share. I know that my audience isn't large, so there's not pressure to post. I don't know...and I'm sure reading apologies are ridiculous and boring, so...

I've been reading a lot of and thinking about British literature. I'm starting to prep for studying for my field exams, which I'll take in a year. I've already started having panic dreams. But, I've been in the British mindset, so I'm including a shot from the top of the London Eye, where we had one of the two days of sunshine my entire trip, and Brighton pier (at night and in the day) where we spent a night, dreaming of the Regency Era.

Top Chef Finale and Belgian Waffles

I am incredibly stoked. The man that I have rooted for from the beginning made to the final two. Is it the hair? Possibly. The cool name? Probably. The fact that his arrogance is hot because he actually is super talented, so it's not really hubris, but confidence? That he didn't personally attack people even when unfairly villanized? That he's clearly a geek in his field? Definitely. Marcel, I love you; if we get married, we'll be able to have amazing dinner parties for the English department, and I promise I will eat anything you make me...even if it's something gross with peas, mushrooms, olives, or green peppers.

And now, a foodie moment from Brussels.

Sunday Comics

Sunday is the best day for comics, well I don't get a paper anymore, but that's what I remember from being a kid. Brussels takes their comics seriously; they were continually refered to as the 'ninth art'. (I don't know what the first eight are, but I'm sure it's they are the more accepted classic ones.) Katie and I went to the Comic Strip Centre, which has history of comics, production of, etc. Most of the exhibits didn't have English explanations, and though we had a book from the desk that had the English translations, it was incomplete and difficult to follow at times. But, Belgium is the home to Tintin, the Smurfs, and the guy with a red mask (sadly, Katie has those pics, so you won't see him).

Beyond the obvious coolness of the Museum, it was housed in a former department store that was designed by Victor Horta, one of the first architects to encorporate the principles of Art Nouveau into buildings. It was wonder-bar, but there'll be more on him later.

So I Went to Europe...

The past few weeks have been extremely busy. Once school ended, I had a few days off before going to Boston to be with my family for Christmas. Since my brother and sister -in-law recently moved into a new house we spent most of the time moving boxes, painting walls, and doing other general home repair (well, my dad did, I just stuck to painting and carrying things). It was nice that I got to see the Family Roomie while in Boston.
On the 27th , I flew to Chicago to fly to London to get on a bus to Coventry to get on another bus to get to Birmingham to see Katie. It was an exhausting day-plus of travel, but worth it! I was abroad until Jan 14th . Katie and I spent time in London, Brussels, Brighton, and, of course, Birmingham, until Eden showed up on the 10th when we trekked up to and all around Scotland, where we saw Nessy!At the beginning of December, I received a lover-ly Olympus Stylus 750 digital campus for my birthday/Christmas. I have since taken hundreds of pictures, some more of which I will post, describing my travel adventures as the spirit leads. I assure in no way will I attempt to follow a linear narrative of events because that is too daunting a task that would surely fall by the wayside in light of my extremely busy semester that is just starting, but more on that later.

My Shame

I literally asked the Blockbuster checkout girl not to judge me by movie choice this evening: Step Up and Alex Rider. I generally am fairly free about owning up to my low brow proclivities--I vehemently argue for the inclusion of pop culture in education--but, I guess I was feeling guilty about putting A Scanner Darkly and Don't Come Knocking back on the shelf in favor of these.

I've watched Step Up, and I'll admit to enjoying it quite a bit. The exciting/interesting/disturbing? portion of the film came when I noticed that Nora's (female protagonist's) mother was wearing a shirt that I have hanging in my closet. This was the first time that I've ever had that experience hence the excitement. It made me wonder, gee, whose job is it to go to Ann Taylor Loft to shop for movies, how interesting. But, seriously, I'm 26, should I be wearing the same thing as the mother of a high schooler? That I find slightly disturbing.

Most Exciting Thing Ever?

The first day of break is always wonderful, especially when I already cleaned my room amongst the height of finals week becasue I needed a break from writing my papers! So, that leaves the not-to-be-taken-lightly task of choosing the first book to read for fun. Right now contenders are:

• Small World by David Lodge "a post-structuralist parodying academic comedy," basically it's supposed to be a smart, funny, book about academics. It was short-listed for the Booker Prize and will probably be on my field exam list.
• Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes, whom I've met! Interestingly, this was short-listed for the Booker the very same year (1984) as Lodge's and will also probably be on my field exam list.
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, a teen fantasy novel about vampires.

In the mean time, I've done a little de-tox by watching Mindhunters and Love the Hard Way. I also am extremely excited about seeing Eragon, forget that I haven't seen any of the probably Oscar contenders like The Departed, The Queen, or Babel yet. Bring on the dragons!

1.9 Miles Close to Home

Because it's such a 'breaking news story' and because it's right down the road from me, I'll draw your attention to this associated press article.

"A man who authorities said wanted to commit acts of "violent jihad" against civilians was charged Friday in a plot to set off hand grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall, authorities said." You can read the rest of the article here.

That shopping mall is my mall. The one I go to for coffee on my way to school, the one I worked at last year, the one that is my mall. He was planning to attack on Friday the 22nd when the mall would be chock full with all the holiday shoppers in this, the second largest city in the state.

There are times that I get frustrated with the current war on terror and by no means do I claim to be up-to-date on what's going on with the politics of the day; however, this does make me realize that there is a threat, that people do want to kill lots of other people for religious reasons. Now this man was acting alone and is not affiliated with an organization, so there's no clear group enemy just a single extremist. I'm not sure what that would mean for national politics.

However, for locals, it makes me wish that this guy had been loved more. A person who is truly loved and accepted can't do these sorts of things, can he? I love my church here, and I am excited by its mission, by its message. They (We!) believe that people matter to God and they should be loved like Jesus loved. Is it naive to hope that a difference can be made through this institution? That the community can becoming more loving and accepting, so that hate won't drive people to actions like setting of grenades in a crowded mall?

Robert Altman (1925-2006)

An amazing and innovative director.




Obituary

Crisis Averted?

The stress knot in my spirit has been gradually increasing in regards to The Future. I often struggle with perceived implications of importance. Case in point: what I do next semester in regards to both the classes I take and teach will determine what my dissertation looks like, and what I do for my dissertation takes up the next two and a half years of my life, determines my academic persona, which is how I can present myself on the job market, thus affecting the kind of job (if any) that I get and decides the entire rest of my future and any career happiness and satisfaction I may wish to have. The fact that I haven't yet published an article (to get into the profession, they expect that you are already a functioning member of the academy) seems to indicate that I will never have anything of interest to say in this my chosen field. See how simple, logical, and tortuous?

Yesterday, however, I had an hour and a half conversation with my professor/mentor/hopefully-dissertation-chair about The Future (at least my academic one), which was comforting. I feel as though I'm on the right track with the course I'm planning for next semester (it's actually literature, not comp!), and we set up a plan for an independent study that will allow me an official time and space to explore what I want to do with my dissertation, rather than me needing to do that undirected and in addition to the rest of my load.

I feel better. At least, I know what next semester is going to look like. Although, I still have to put together an independent study proposal, which means research to find a book list, etc. Plus, finish this semester, I have a paper due in two weeks that has not been started yet, egads.

A Different Kind of Flood

Of late, I feel like I haven't had much to post about, but then all in a rush, I'm so overwhelmed with options and such little time that I again I fail to post. A minute sampling:

David Sedaris. We all know and love him, but now I've seen him live and loved him, though still from afar. I didn't wait in line to meet him; Liz's long ago blog about how chatty he was frightened me. I really don't want to meet and talk to famous people, especially ones that I like. I seriously doubt my ability to be unique and engaging, and I'd rather be anoynmous than ordinary.

Marie Antoinette. I enjoyed it a lot. I love the 80s glam-rock and anachornisms (Converse sneakers in 18th century Versaille?!), but my complete and udder lack of knowledge about the history hurt the impact the film could have made. So, I recommend a bit (seriously, I'm sure whatever wikipedia has will do just fine) of research to give the film a little context. Otherwise, the movie is like Lost in Translation, pointless.

For My People...

Because I know that my (albeit small) readership is heavy on the English nerd scale, I submit a fun grammar website that I actually found because there's a podcast--Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. Uber-cool.

Jump Start

Being well on top of things that I need to do is not my normal state of being. I've set today aside to work on a presentation that I have to do in two weeks, but all I can seem to do is watch Food Tv (with the occasional foray into Style and BBC America) and stare at the piles of books and articles in a semi-circle about me. I've gotten brand-spankin' new post-it page markers and index cards, so I've got everything I could possibly need. Except being engaged in my topic--you, clever reader, are correct in assuming this blog seems to be yet another procrastination technique. I think I'm going to abandon the presentation work and work on next week's class work...

On a completely unrelated theme, I watched The Singing Detective yesterday. Now, Robert Downey, Jr. is one of my boyfriends; Jeremy Northam and Adrien Brody are nice as well; I love the noir and modern takes on it; I enjoy complex narrative structures; I'm a sucker for musicals; so, keeping all this in mind, why didn't I like it especially well?

Ernie, Why Do You Have a Pot on Your Head?*

This weekend I switched desks in my room, which turned out to be a much larger project than I had originally anticipated. One issue was that I was going from a computer desk with a couple of shelves to a desk (I think a bureau, actually) that belonged to my grandmother. So, the organization of materials was different. Because I intended to do a minimal amount of work, I put everything on my bed, pulled the desk out, vacuumed and put the new one in.

But that's just the beginning, then I decided to move where the desk was to the corner that had my entertainment center. So, piece by pice I moved out the clutter that lined the wall, pushed the 800 pound center (without moving any of the electronics out of it--those things are a pain to connect) to its new home, put the desk it the now vacant corner, and painstakingly recreated the precarious balancing along the wall with the remainder of stuff because attempting to go through all that is definitely another day's project.

*The entire time I felt like the Seaseme Street sketch where Ernie broke the cookie jar so he had to put the cookies in the flower jar and had to put the flowers in the milk jug and put the milk in the fish bowl and had to keep the fish in his hat, so he had to wear the cooking pot on his head--or something like that...

Stilling Running in the Same Hamster Wheel

My Google homepage quote of the day struck me as dreadfully apropos:

Someone's boring me. I think it's me.

Dylan Thomas, in Rayner Heppenstall, Four Absentees (1960)

Man Movies

Last night, I watched She's the Man and Inside Man. The first was, eh, just okay. I think Amanda Bynes is quite talented in general, but not especially brilliant in this. True, the boy was beautiful, but I really didn't see their relationship develop at all. As far as the Shakespearian adaptation, it was interesting enough, but no where near the dead on meld of teen and Bard as in 10 Things I Hate About You.

The second film was interesting. I didn't see much of Spike Lee, the auteur in it however, which was a little disappointing. Of course, my boyfriend, Clive Owen was wonderful--when isn't he? (oh right, Derailed), and I enjoyed the clever aspects of the heist--who doesn't? Samuel L. Jackson's character was interesting, more nuanced than one might expect; I guess that belongs to Mr. Lee. All in all, a nice film.

Some Quotes From This Week's Reading

For a classic Hollywood cinema presentation:
"Few people recognize opportunity because it comes disguised as hard work and application." Cary Grant

For American literature 1830-1865:
"No reason can be asked or given why the soul seeks beauty. Beauty, in its largest and profoundest sense, is one expression for the universe. God is the all-fair. Truth, and goodness, and beauty, are but different faces of the same All." Emerson from "Nature"

And last, but not least, from Old English:
"Nu tod[ae]g Godes gela[th]ung geond ealne ymbhwyrft m[ae]rsa[th] p[ae]ra eadigra cildra freolstide,..." King [Ae]lfric circa 1000. Pretend that all the [th] have one of two interchangable symbols (thorn or eth) and that all the [ae]'s are smooshed together into the symbol for the a, as in bath, sound. I spent about three or four hours translating ten lines. Blah-dy-blah.

Diluvian Rain

We had a lot of rain on Monday, or rather it all came in a short period of time. This picture from The Rockford Register Star (am I going to get into trouble for using it?) is about two miles from my house. Coming home from a church function with my parents, our car stalled in the middle of three feet of water a block from home. We got out (the water filling the car), waded home, and waited a few hours until we could walk back and get the car, which--thankfully--started!

Some Media

Angels & Insects (A.S. Byatt): I just finished reading it, knowing that if it didn't happen this weekend, I wouldn't get to it until next summer or so. It's scary to know that I will have very little time to read anything other than school stuff for the next semester and that Christmas break will be so busy that I won't be able to handle capital L Literature.

Anyway, the book is two novellas: "Morphia Eugenia" which, I'll confess I 'read' the movie first, is visually sumptuous but somewhat redundant to the movie (meaning the adaptation well-portrayed the text and didn't interpret it). But, I hadn't seen the film in years, so this was a nice repetition of story. Not to spoil the story, but the switching of letters around in "INSECT" makes for a wonderful connection to the natural world. A poor natural scholar gets caught up in a too-perfect family system that, of course, must be revealed.

"The Conjugial Angel" is interesting in how this follows up the impeccable Possession. This time the historical poets and poems that intertwine with our story are real. Alfred Tennyson's sister tries to contact, through seances in a lovely Victorian setting, the man (Arthur Hallstum)she was to marry years ago who died that Tennyson wrote In Memoriam about. Very interesting in how it weaves together Romantic and Victorian poetry with spirits in a type of ghost story. Basically, Byatt can do no wrong in my eyes, but it doesn't rival her magnum opus.

Katie and I saw a last movie together before she jetted off to London--The Illusionist, and I have to reaffirm for those in doubt that yes, I am available to have Edward Norton's babies. It was wonderful, the story, the acting (at least by Norton, Sewell, and Giamatti), the illusions (cinematography and cg)! While not being particularly impressive, Jessica Biel does a fine enough job and, most importantly, does not distract from or ruin the film. Katie and I were clever enough to figure out most of the story, but even 'knowing' what was happening didn't make the film any less enjoyable. Turn of the century Vienna is becoming more and more interesting to me as a time period; modern Western Europe, but tinged with Eastern influence (as this movie is). Especially interesting is Norton's show which is not just a magic show, but somehow a philosophic exploration on big issues: time, life, death. If it's showing near you, run don't walk!

New Post

So, school's starting. Grad school is fun because every day is different, since classes generally only meet once a week. Rather than having a first day of school, I get a first week!

I'm not teaching this semester because I'm working in our writing center and our computer lab. While excited about both of those assignments, I'm missing teaching this semester. I was sad that I didn't get to design a syllabus and schedule, print out a class list, make out the new page in my gradebook. All of that.

I did end up replacing my laptop. The combination of a failing computer and a week and a half of actual vacation between summer school and the semester weaned me from my daily habit of spending hours online, which thus increased my email return speed and blog posting regularity. Now that I'm back to school and working a job where I'm supposed to sit in front of the computer, I'm sure I'll be plugging into the world of the virtual fairly quickly.

Of Computers and London

So, I've been having computer issues lately that may result in a new laptop (hopefully not though). I've done a little bit of looking at new ones, and they have about four times the power of mine for about a third of the cost. Maybe a new one wouldn't be so bad... However, I'm not sure I have the budget for it because I just bought tickets to London!!!

I'm going to see Katie over New Year's! I'll be there for two and a half weeks, and I'm dead excited. Already we have plans to go to Scotland and Mount St-Michael (in France, where I can utilize my nearly useless French skills from this summer--provided no one tries to speak with me and writes doewn whatever he/she is trying to communicate!). I hope we can eat curry in Brick Lane, go to the British Museum (can you believe I didn't go when I was in London before?), and ride the Eye--strange touristy phenomenon that it is.

So, until I get to go do all that I'll have to content myself with being an anglophile in the USA, reading British authors like AS Byatt (I'm in the middle of Angels and Insects), watching BBC America (Life on Mars and The Kumars at No. 42 are fantastic), and planning my travels.

Fantasy--About and Actually

First, I just finished reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Sigh. It's absolutely genius, having many of the qualities that I appreciate most in fiction: a high amount of symbolism/mythology that borders on allegory (at parts); humor, I mean it's fun to read; lots of clues/foreshadowing, if you're clever enough to catch on early (sadly, for the most part, I wasn't); truth and love triumphant. If this guy wasn't already married, I'd being driving around WI right now looking for him to throw myself at.

That said, who wants to go see House on the Rock and Rock City?

Second, I was on my department's homepage, where we have a "Quote of the Moment," when I saw this:

Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker. -- [J.R.R. Tolkien]

Not only is it cool, but I can't believe that it was coming from my rather secular department. Nifty, says I.

Ho-hum

So, one week of summer school, then about a week and a half before the fall semester starts. It's starting to feel rather weird because I won't be teaching. I'm working as a tutor in the writing center and then helping in the nwr (networked writing resources...computer lab stuff). Well, hopefully, I'll be teaching literature in the spring and not just another composition course.

I finally succumbed and joined myspace today. Interesting, very interesting. I just hope that I can keep myself from spending (actually, wasting) too much time on it.

Over the weekend I saw two excellent movies: the first, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and the second, The Exorcism of Emily Rose. The former had a fresh narrative technique and Robert Downey Jr. being oh so talented and charming. The latter blew me away. While I occasionally indulge in scary films, I am no connoisseur; however, I do find the spiritual messages, symbolism, etc. often thought provoking. This one seemed downright evangelical. If all my dreams come true and I am one day teaching film at a Christian college, this will be on my syllabus.

Just In Case There Was Any Doubt

You Should Drive a Saturn Sky

You're sleek and smooth, and you need a car to match your hot persona. Besides, sometimes you want your top up - and sometimes you want it down.

What 2007 Car Should You Drive?

It's Nice to Know...

...that M. Night Shyamalan and I would totally be friends (based on his iTunes Celebrity Playlist and his American Express commercial/magazine ads). And he'd be understanding that I haven't seen his movie yet, because, you know, he's cool like that.

Overwhelmed

I am always and forever composing blog posts in my head when I'm not near a computer but am not as strong following through and actually typing and posting them. Now, that I've got a moment to sit down, I'm overwhelmed by the possibilities in the backlog. Perhaps I'll just give a couple sentences (or fragments) highlighting them.

1. Two weeks ago, I went to Cornerstone, which is a huge Christian festival with lots of bands--P.O.D., MXPX, David Crowder Band, Reliant K, The Roosevelts (a new fav) to name a few. They also were showing movies, having seminars, and other happenings. Example, I listened to a lecture entitled "Literature of the Oppressed: British Women Writers" and watched Donnie Darko.

2. I went white water rafting and rock climbing with my junior high youth group. Lots of fun. Only slight sunburn; a large accomplishment for me.

3. Cheerleading camp at my school. Large droves of girls in the exact same outfit with the exact same hairstyle. Creepy.

4. Crazy excitement over the fact that I can drill my countries in an online map quiz. Amazingly fun.

Yee-ow! Boom shak!

The Cat Empire is some of the happiest music I've ever heard. I first saw them in LA, then again the following week in Chicago. I wanted to go to Milwaukee this week for a third concert, but I couldn't really make it work. As much as I love their cd--and believe me, I've not listened this much to an album since U2's latest, maybe even more than that--seeing them live is why I love them. They are indescribably incredible, but I'll try.

Their musical style is reggae/latin/brassy/rap/spoken word/dance. It's upbeat and impossible to sit still to, but very laid back (a la their Australian nature). There are six of them, and they play together in a seamless manner, mixing all these genres with ease. When they perform live they actually perform, not just play what you hear on the cd. They spin their songs differently, but they also do a lot of improv and jamming. It's incredible--I heard a five minute bass solo and loved it!

Lyrically, they're hippies, and I love the positive attitudes. The idea that their way of waging war is through music, dance, and being good friends is refreshing and encouraging. An abridged sample from my favorite song "The Chariot":

This is a song that came upon me one night
when the news it had been telling me
about one more war and one more fight
and 'aeh' I sighed but then I thought about my friends
then I wrote this declaration
just in case the world end
Our guns
we shot them in the things we said
ah we didn't need no bullets
cos we rely on some words instead
kill someone in argument
outwit them with our brains
and we'd kill ourselves laughing
at the funny things we'd say
And bombs
we had them saved for special times
when the crew would call a shakedown
we break down a party landmine
women that so sexy
they explode us with their looks
ah we blowing up some speakers
jumping round till the ground shook
[...]
Our weapons were our instruments
made from timber and steel
we never yielded to conformity
but stood like kings
in a chariot that's riding on a record wheel
[...]
Then our allies grew
wherever we would roam
see whenever we're together
any stranger feel at home [...]

I know their music is a little expensive (imported), but it is well worth it. Or better yet, go to one of their concerts, where a musical crush will turn to obsession, and buy it from them directly!

Hchello, hchello

Boy, it has been a long time. I've been super-busy learning to read French in the most unnatural way possible. Katie's been up to see me. We watched the final season of Home Movies (sniff) and the premiere of The Venture Brothers (Go Team Venture!). I went to see a minor league baseball game (and am going to another--different team--Monday). The past day and a half I've been finishing two quilt tops that have been languishing about unfinished for months. I've been reading (American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Ghosts by Paul Auster, re-reading some HP) and watching (finished Angel, Fritz Lang's M, re-watching HP, and Pirates of the Caribbean and Pride & Prejudice--it was a Keira Knightly day). I'm going to be going to Cornerstone (a Christian music festival) this weekend and then on a rock climbing/white water rafting trip with my youth group the next. Busy, busy.

Soon, I shall sit down and write anecdotally about things that have been happening (an interesting night of 'bar-hopping') and the group The Cat Empire, which I am powerless against. I can't stop listening to their cd, going to their concerts, and watching their dvd.

But, not tonight.

Learn Something

"Wherefore" means why, not where.

Okay, because nearly everyone is subjected to Romeo and Juliet at some point in his/her high school education, I would think that this is common-ish knowledge. However, this is apparently not the case. I suppose this is fine for the general public, but there's no reason for professionals to perpetuate the misconception.

Yesterday, I watched a bizarre show on Animal Planet called Romeo and Juliet: A Monkey's Tale*, which documented a feud between two groups of monkeys in Thailand that escalated when a female from the temple group got it on with a male from the market group. The voice over narration was "from" the point of view of Tybalt, cousin to the female monkey, Juliet. While I seriously question the reality of this documentary--it seems to fit too perfectly with Shakespeare's narrative to be truly captured on film--it was amusing to see how Animal Planet adapted the classic story. I was enjoying the terrible puns on the famous lines penned by the Bard until "Tybalt" explained that Juliet would go to the train tracks where Romeo had skipped town and wonder "Wherefore was her Romeo?" Unacceptable.

I'm sure someone was paid good money to write the script, so why would he/she not spend some time learning about the play they're riffing rather than relying unchecked on the sketchy, general facts that reside in the public conscious? The issue Shakespeare's Juliet is pondering is not where did that hunky Romeo disappear to after the party, but why oh why is he a Montague--the one boy she can't (or rather shouldn't) have. So when she laments "Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?" she is bemoaning his connections, not his location.

Okay, then? Got that Animal Planet? All clear?

*Sorry, after more than five minutes of internet searching, I can find no suitable link to point readers to for more information, ergo, you'll have to take my word for it!

Sinking From Reality Into Fiction

So, yesterday was my chance to have Sarah time and not have to interact with a bunch of people (though I did go to church). I finished the second book in the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. I read Queen of Babble, Meg Cabot's latest, which was great fun. I watched discs two and three of Angel season five (ohmygosh, Lindsey's back! with sexy tattoos! just like me!!) I watched the movie Blue Car resultantly had a probably inappropriate dream (but can you really control those?) about an unavailable gentleman.

Today, after doing a bunch of errands and meeting with a leader from the youth group I work with, I watched It Takes Two, which is a Parent Trap meets the Prince and the Pauper mid-90s flick starring (who else?) the Olsen twins, Kirstie Alley, and, of course, the undeniably charming Steve Guttenberg. I don't know which is worse: admitting I watched the entire thing, or that I enjoyed it? In fact, it seemed so familiar I wonder if I haven't seen it before, rather than being an excellent judge of genres and filmic conventions.

I Got Inked!

Finally, after--no joke--seven years of contemplation, I got a tattoo! I love it and am already excited for the next one! It didn't hurt much at all (it is rather small, so that probably helps with the low pain issue) and has given me a feeling of empowerment.

All in all LA was a great time (I miss Eden). Now only one week until summer school starts and Harry Potter Camp!

L.A.

While it seems mostly ridiculuous to be blogging, because I'm with half of my blog's audience, I'm spending time on the internet for the first time in a little while, and I've been missing interacting with my blog world. Katie and I are in LA visiting Eden (and my brother). We have been busy! Today is the first day we've had some down time, which is generally the majority of my time. We went to a club (Katie's account should be more intriguing than mine), went to the beach, went to many stores (I spent more money on a single pair of jeans than my last three pairs combined, I'm still mulling over the purchase), have eaten at some fine establishments (yummy Cuban food for one), and have generally just been having fun being together. I'm sure I'll be more anecedotal when I get back.

In media land, I finished reading A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick. It was quite interesting; I don't know if I can say that I liked it, but I'm glad I read it. The author's afterword that dealt with his personal experience dealing with drugs that inspired much of the book was rather poignant. I'd like to talk about it with someone though. The book seems to be an interesting result of the culture of the sixties in regards to lifestyles, government, etc. Somewhat cynical and despairing at the same time. I think there's a movie coming out soon, so hopefully that'll give me a forum to discuss this with some other thinking souls.

Discerning Cub Scout

On Monday, I went to a Memorial Day parade with Katie and her family (her mother, I think correctly, asserts that Memorial Day is the best parade--brief, candy, not too hot--rather than the fourth of July). Katie and I were bemoaning the fact that we didn't have young nieces and nephews to gather candy because people usually throw to the little 'uns. We didn't really want to make spectacles of ourselves, but consider--it's free candy! However, we were spared the dilemma because of the various boy/girl scout troops who did throw us the goods.

One of the little boys gleefully singing, "Get your candy from the candy man" gave us some suckers. My favorite, though, is the cub scout (five or six year old cutie) who, looking directly at us, reaching into his bag, said, "Here, you guys can share" and threw us a single Tootsie roll.

Sleepover

I had a small group sleepover last night. Not too many girls came, but those that did had a good time. We choreographed a dance to Ashlee Simpson's "L-O-V-E," painted our nails crazy (I currently have dark purple with white tips), made smores, watched Clueless (well, those who stayed awake). Lots o' junior high fun. What we didn't do was have any deep meaningful conversations or discussions. Part of me feels like I should have been shepherding/teaching/imparting Biblical truth (other than telling onscreen Dionne she should "stay that way until you're married" when she remarks "technically, I am a virgin"). On the other hand, I don't know these girls super-well and some bonding time was probably in order. Hopefully, I've laid the ground work for future conversations, rather than just missing an opportunity to have one.

Crazy Fears Or Fear of Crazies?

What do you think about serial killers? I find them creepily fascinating. What causes a person to become that depraved? I go through bursts of watching The History Channel's Perfect Crime? and reading CrimeLibrary until I get too freaked out and have to stop.

A couple of days ago as I was listening to Sufjan Stevens, I realized I don't really know anything about John Wayne Gacy and went into research mode. Two days ago, I saw Resurrection Man a film with Stuart Townsend as a psychotic IRA-ish thug/killer during the Troubles. Yesterday, I watched Suspect Zero, a fantastic film with Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart, and Carrie-Anne Moss about a serial killer that hunts serial killers using remote viewing (psychic abilities). It was amazing, right up there with Seven, truly that good.

But now, I'm creeped out. Yesterday, I went for a walk in the woods and was furtively glancing off the trail, wondering how I would react if I found a body. And when I was driving, I pulled up next to a middle-aged, over-weight, white guy wearing thick glasses, and worried if I fit the profile of his victims because that's the type of person that I imagine serial killers generally are.

This probably isn't healthy.

You Should Be A Poet

You craft words well, in creative and unexpected ways.And you have a great talent for evoking beautiful imagery...Or describing the most intense heartbreak ever.You're already naturally a poet, even if you've never written a poem.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Nashville Without Altman

I'm in Nashville, TN on a mostly impromptu visit. Dad is at a business conference, so I'm amusing myself around town. It's been fun to be able to choose exactly what to see and when without having to consider anyone else's predilections. While finding things that are especially Nashvillelian but aren't centered around country music or horse racing has been a challenge, I'm gamely venturing about and finding things and activities with which to occupy myself. Tomorrow, I'm likely to give up on the touristy type stuff and head to the mall, but I have done the following things that I couldn't do anywhere else:

Visited the Belmont Mansion. Big pretty house built by this uber-rich woman, Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham, in the second half of the 19th century; she got even richer playing both sides of the Civil War so she could sell cotton to the English for nearly a million dollars (in 1865 money!). I was there before the place opened and was waiting on the doorstep for a little while. Rather than walking in however, there's a bell that's rung and I felt like Willie Lohman hoping to get in and be accepted. Then while on the tour it was me and the college aged tour guide. It was rather awkward; I didn't know how much eye contact was appropriate, how much I should look at the room, etc. Although I tried to laugh at the scripted jokes, I was more often amused and giggling by other, apparently non-funny, very serious, parts, which prompted Charles (my tour guide) to give me strange looks. All in all though, opulent house (it had indoor plumbing before the White House!) filled with lots of marble statues and china bought on the Grand European Tour.

Ate lunch at Centennial Park by the Parthenon, the world's only life size replica. I thought it was pretty hokey until I learned that it was built in 1897 for the Centennial Fair. Since most people, Adelicia excepted, didn't have money to travel the world and the technology/spread of information (no Discovery or History channel) was far less advanced, it was probably actually very cool and culturey to go see. At that festival they also had recreations of the pyramids, street in Morocco and a bunch of other places around the world. Now there's an art gallery in the basement and 41 foot statue of Athena on the top level, crazy.

I wanted to continue my day of simulacra by seeing The Nashville King, an Elvis impersonator, but Dad was scheduled until late, and there're just some things you can't do on your own.

That was yesterday, today I went to the Frist Center for Visual Arts (the art gallery), which was okay. Half the gallery was closed because they're preparing for a new exhibit, so there were only four rooms open, each containing approximately 6-8 pictures. Ho hum, although one Monet (pretty much the only artist I recognized) was rather nice. What was rather cool was their exhibit (the one other room open in the gallery) of martele silver. This line of silver is American Art Nouveau that was shown at the 1900 Paris Exhibition! Supposedly, it is significant enough to rival Tiffany glass in America's contribution to and execution of Art Nouveau. That was lots of fun to see. Sadly the only tangible, take-homeable thing about it was a ninety dollar book in the gift shop , so I have nothing, no postcard, no pamphlet, to remember it by. I couldn't even take any pictures. Sad, because I do love all things Art Nouveau.

Two Books

Monday I turned my grades in and was officially free! It's been wonderful and the books I've read have rocked my docs, so I'm here to tell you about them in the hopes that they will, one day, rock your docs as well.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley
I love Robin McKinley, and I love vampire fiction, so how could I go wrong? What I find most interesting about this is I see the prequel coming. Like with her book the Blue Sword, which alluded to prior events (Aerin, the dragon killer) subsequently explained by the publication of The Hero and the Crown, I am curious about Onyx Blaise (her dad), what his story is, how he met her mom, and what happened in the Wars that made the family, especially Sunshine's grandmother, disappear. Hopefully, McKinley's working on that right now (goodness, how old is she? I hope she writes books forever!).

City of Glass by Paul Auster
A wonderful piece of post-modern fiction that is a spiritual detective story (think I Heart Huckabees) that deals with doubles, layers of identity, and enough walking to drive Michel de Certeau (one of the more interesting city theorists that I read in class this summer) to delirium. Plus very interesting thoughts on the Tower of Babel and language. If the fall of man precipitated the fall of language (think Lacan), would regaining true language return us to paradise?

My Dad Rocks!

Because after hearing me complain about the region problems that prohibit me from buying/watching British DVD's, he bought me a regionless DVD player! (Online and cheaply.) So, now I can watch the copy of Byron that my professor saw when she was in London over Christmas break (and shop on the UK Amazon)!

This cinematic version of Byron is supposed to paint him as his lover Caroline Lamb described him--"mad, bad, and dangerous to know"--while showing how Byron was indeed the first rock star. And who better to play that than Jonny Lee Miller?

New Music

Tuesday Snow Patrol's new album Eyes Open came out; you may be familiar with the single "Hands Open" that has been playing for a little while. I like them, thought the song was catchy, ergo the purchase, but I had no idea the excitement that awaited me in the full album. Are you ready?

Track eight, "Set Fire to the Third Bar," is sung with...Martha Wainwright! And it rocks!

Enjoy the Silence, Not Really

It was silent, but I didn't enjoy it. Yesterday was quite possibly one of the ickiest days ever. Cold, wind, rain. Just the day for staying inside by the fireplace and reading. Not really the day for dolling up to go to a rock concert, but I did anyway; Depeche Mode tickets are not especially cheap. There was excessive make-up, there was hairspray, there was a custom-made scarf--all for this occasion.

Driving there was something. Broken windshield wiper beginning to scratch the glass and limiting visibility on the highway to a dangerous level. Skipping a fun dinner, ending up at Burger King to get it replaced and still make it on time. Only to learn:

Show's been canceled.

Maybe I'm Not the Best Person to Have in a Crisis

Yesterday was terrifying. I'd been up for no more than twenty minutes, when I heard my dad yelling, "Sarah, I've cut myself." I flew downstairs to the garage where my dad was holding his hand in a towel and looking for the top portion of his thumb. He'd been using the table saw when his hand slipped. I called 911 and, after a disturbing three rings and a bored "Is this an emergency?," got an ambulance to come. I'd gotten my dad to sit still, rather than crawling around on the sawdust covered garage floor, so I ran back up stairs to put on jeans (I was still in my pajamas). About five emergency personnel showed up in three vehicles. They found the severed piece, ultimately to no avail, there was no reattaching it, it was not a clean cut. Emergency room, lots of phone calls. My dad ended up having outpatient surgery last night and is at home, doing okay today. The cut was on his left hand, below his nail, above his knuckle. He still has use of the joint, etc. Praise the Lord, it could have been much worse.

My dad had good, I would almost say jovial, spirits the entire time, partially, I think, so I wouldn't panic any more than I already was. I couldn't look at his hand or the piece of thumb they found, and the doctor at the emergency room made me stay sitting in case I fainted. Number one, not good with blood, etc. Number two, completely unaware of the medical system. When I was talking to the fire chief (or who ever he was), he asked if I wanted to go to this specific hospital. I had no idea which one we "usually use;" we don't use them at all really. Do people actually have 'regular' hospitals? I had to get directions to the place and then ask what I should do when I got there! I guess I'll be better prepared for next time, though I sure hope there isn't one!

I'll Have My Day in Court!

And it was almost that dramatic of a morning, but I didn't feel very triumphant. A few weeks ago, I received a speeding ticket. Being that I was very busy, I forgot about it and didn't send in the payment (I was very guilty). I knew/thought that the court date was mid-May, so on Monday when I pulled out the ticket to deal with, I was shocked to see that my court date was Tuesday at 9am. Yipe.

Tuesday morning, I was a bundle of nerves, scared to death of standing in front of a judge, desperately trying to explain that I didn't belong here and I just wanted to pay, leave, and never come back. No idea how long it would take, I called the writing center (where I work) to ask if they could rearrange my schedule. This is no easy feat; its a super busy time of the year, and appointments are made. Though sometimes these appointments can be moved to other people, often tutors just have to be there. I felt awful that something I could have taken care of meant that I was going to be late.

Frightened of the legal system, guilty over possibly missing work at the worst possible time--this is the emotional state I was in as I walked out to my car to find the driver's window broken and my stereo gone. My dad's window was also broken, but they didn't get the stereo. Though I waited for a little while for the police, I didn't want to be late for court, so I drove the pick-up (in high heels). It turns out that court was nothing--I went into a room in the back of the court, sat down at a table with a guy (nice tie), talked for ninety seconds, and paid the ticket. It took me the rest of the day to relax I was so wound up. Being so tense is not my normal state, nor fun may I add.

But, that was a few days ago, since then I've finished most of my work. All I've got left is one take home final and a bunch of grading. I've spent today cleaning my room, purging it of all the books for finished papers, and watching season five of Gilmore Girls.

Encourage Me!

Because I'd much rather think about this summer than the last two weeks of the semester, I'm turning my attention to my summer school courses. PhD requirements include reading knowledge of two foreign languages. I am hoping to take French this summer, but am number five on the waiting list (yipes!). I am currently enrolled in German, and while not particularly excited about it, there must be something useful in having a basic understanding of the language (sadly, the six weeks of German I had in my 7th grade "Experiencing Language" course has not left much of an imprint). But, rather than being whiny and despondent about the issue, which I might be if I had more energy, I'd like to think of what good will come from this summer's education. So far I'm excited because:

• I like the German movies: Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior, and Wings of Desire.
• Heidelberg was pretty when I was there; I visited my first castle.
• German Chocolate cake is awesome.

As you can see my list needs more, is anyone aware of popular media and/or culture that might help raise my interest in the German language? Or Germanness in general, say if I had theme music to do my homework to?

Distract Me!

Okay, so I don't feel as though I have anything amusing or new to share, but I am actively looking for something to distract me from my paper, but that I don't have to feel too guilty about. I mean, I am still sitting at my computer sitting in the piled semi-circle of open and marked books. I'm done with my paper in the sense that I've just about said all there is to say, but I'm not quite to fifteen pages and my professor asked for twenty. I'm slightly annoyed because I had a broader topic that she made me narrow, and now I don't have the books, nor have I done the reading to go back to my original idea. Oh yeah, and its due Wednesday. I wanted to be done with a draft tonight, so I could just be editing--she's a grammatical Nazi, but strangely puts in all the extraneous 'that's' that I try to cut out. I wonder if E&E Editing services include 25% increase in material length...

Esotaric Juvenalia

In my Middle English Literature class, we're giving 'conference' presentations--basically reading aloud a twenty minute version (8-10 pages) of your term paper. Let's be honest. What we write in those things belongs on the printed page, not the human tongue. While writing, we revel in long, complex sentences, seamless insertion of quotes, and unpronouncable vocabulary. By the fifth one of these in an afternoon, my attention was...let's just say waning. So, with the help of a complicit classmate, we embarked on Medieval MASH!* And so I give you my Medieval future:

Living in a mansion...
I will own four books.
I will be an lady, wench, evil fairy, anchoress.
I will marry Gawain, King Olaf, lovesick lyric poet, Piers Plowman.
He will work as a merchant, field hand, priest, knight.
The language I know will be French, none/illiterate, vulgar English, Latin.
My favorite deadly sin will be gluttony, jealousy, wrath, sloth.
My favorite sermon topic will be chastity, levels of the estates, generosity, joining a convent.



*I will say we actually have played this before with other topics, the best of which is Harry Potter MASH.

The End is Nigh

Only two weeks of classes and then finals week left. Wow, as I write that I think about the two papers I still have to write (probably only 20 pages total, so not as bad as it could be), and the research papers I have to grade--rough and final drafts. Eek! Finals week used to be the best week of the school year, we'd watch movies--often the whole of the BBC Pride and Prejudice-- and enjoy the sunshine (usually). Sadly, now that I'm a teacher it means doing lots of grading, no matter how hard I try to front-load my syllabus, and making tough decisions like, should I fail (meaning give less than a C, which requires the repeat of the course) the senior taking my required gen-ed along with 24 other hours this semester who is planning on graduating, but really walks that D/C line?

More Personal Connections

In an attempt to seriously and intently not do my paper (eek, I need ten pages by Wednesday, conference ready!), I watched In the Company of Men, which is directed by Neil LaBute and stars Aaron Eckhart. It's quite interesting, very little action, just lots of talking, but I haven't seen anything so horrific in a very long time. Two corporate alpha males play a game of revenge against women that have wronged them by toying with a deaf girl's emotions. It's terrifying to think that men exist like this. Its disturbing to get such a close look at a character like Eckhart's Chad that may in fact not have a soul.

The personal connection is that it was shot in Fort Wayne, with special thanks to the Pfieffer House--a coffee house that I've known and loved. In fact, I think they shot a scene there, but I'd need a second opinion...

Ok, on to Medieval drama.

Once Again Hollywood Reaches Out to Me

I was watching season three of Angel (the episode "Billy" where the guy passes on misogynistic urges to other guys was awesome...of course, they kicked his ass) and there was another reference to a town in my life. (Like the Wheaton/Veronica Mars connection.) At one point, as the gang is foiling the evil plans of evil-doers, an evil guy ticks off some key cities of operation that they'll need to contact, "Berlin, Singapore, Paris, Muncie." Indeed, Muncie being a center of maniacal machinations would explain some things, like how it took me three years to learn how to find my way home from there in any sort of reliable way.

Fortunately, Harry and the Potters will be playing played there April 7th. (Dang, I was going to make Lij go.) I'm sure they made the town safe with their Wizard Rock that vanquishes evil foes.

For Once,

I shall be the cool one, who knows the hep internet sites. Check out dinosaur comics. This guy's been doing them every weekday for three or so years, always using the same six panels of art. They're pretty great.

Gulp

That's me swallowing my pride. I had to apologize for saying some things that unintentionally made one of my friends feel devalued about a past relationship. I don't know how well it went; I've been wanting to say something for a week, but didn't figure it was appropriate in an email, or even a telephone conversation, though that's where it ended up happening. I wanted to speak to him in person, but its awkward when there are always other people about. I don't really want the entire office/department to know what I'm saying.

So, I ended up calling him because I was just feeling awful whenever I thought about that situation. The problem is I don't know how well it was received. I'm not great at reading people's facial expressions and body language, but I'm better at that than I am at voice inflection. I don't really know what I was expecting in return, not that he said much, but I hope that I was able to clearly communicate my regret for making him feel bad because that was clearly not my intention.

Could it be? A Research Agenda?

I presented my "award-winning" paper today. I was unnecessarily nervous; all went well.

Lots of papers have yet to be written this semester. I'm rather excited about one that I'm going to write that deals with Dirty Pretty Things, which I just re-watched this weekend and realized how fantastic it's going to be. And exactly how fantastic is that, you ask? We're talking leading into dissertation fantastic, that's how much!