Friends,
I had just succeeded in convincing my wife that we did not NEED to have babies right away. We are both young and just struggling to get by. Babies are wonderful, and I love them. I want a couple of my own some day soon. However, this whole message becomes difficult to support and hold to when you al keep getting pregnant and having babies.
At first, I was upset at myself and others, but I have realized that the real fault lies with the procreating pals (PP). While some might say that you are doing nothing wrong, I argue that the pressures to have children at remotely the same time is of vital interest in maintaining the myths that we have learned through "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". Groups of friends must at least have the potential for their kids to be friends.
Not only does it give us all something to talk about, but it give us the option of producing a sequel with younger, smarter, and prettier versions of us. Think of the montages, people! They are beautiful. Our children grow up all around the country and the world not knowing that they are the inheritors of our legacy. Some day they will have to assume the mantel of troublemaking. They too will have to chain doors shut, burn pizzas, and waste hours watching television shows about a man in space and his robot pals.
Think of the Future! Unless I give up this dream, I will have no choice but to join the PP's.
Thank you.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Keep on keepin' on...
Well, all. As Brandon says, I am still working on my dissertation. I would really like to get a complete draft done by the end of summer, and I think that is possible. Unfortunately, I have two writing modes:
1. Staccato: In this writing mode, I must just put little ideas down here and there throughout the day whenever I think of it. This is a great way to get started and still do the work that I need for teaching, living, and loving. However, progress is very slow and can end up being very disjointed.
2. Largo: The other option is for me to just lock myself to my keyboard and write for 8 hours/day. This is incredibly effective but also very unpleasant. I wrote my thesis this way, and in addition to getting a bit crazy, I got nasty carpal tunnel, especially in my right wrist.
I am hoping to merge these two styles for my dissertation. My plan is to have a three month period of gathering ideas, reading, watching my films, putting down general ideas and thoughts, and having deep discussions over pints at Beckett's or Grumpy Dave's. Then, I will spend the summer writing a lot and meeting with my advisor once a week to go over things and keep fresh and interested. Finally, next fall, begins the clean-up phase, which I'm quite good at. All I have to do is to do rewrites and fix little errors.
So that is the plan. I was going to write something deep comparing Christian fundamentalists and those Islamic Imams who are calling for the prosecution of the journalists who printed and reprinted the Muhammed cartoon, but frankly, it is too easier and will just make me mad.
I hope that you are all doing well and are content.
1. Staccato: In this writing mode, I must just put little ideas down here and there throughout the day whenever I think of it. This is a great way to get started and still do the work that I need for teaching, living, and loving. However, progress is very slow and can end up being very disjointed.
2. Largo: The other option is for me to just lock myself to my keyboard and write for 8 hours/day. This is incredibly effective but also very unpleasant. I wrote my thesis this way, and in addition to getting a bit crazy, I got nasty carpal tunnel, especially in my right wrist.
I am hoping to merge these two styles for my dissertation. My plan is to have a three month period of gathering ideas, reading, watching my films, putting down general ideas and thoughts, and having deep discussions over pints at Beckett's or Grumpy Dave's. Then, I will spend the summer writing a lot and meeting with my advisor once a week to go over things and keep fresh and interested. Finally, next fall, begins the clean-up phase, which I'm quite good at. All I have to do is to do rewrites and fix little errors.
So that is the plan. I was going to write something deep comparing Christian fundamentalists and those Islamic Imams who are calling for the prosecution of the journalists who printed and reprinted the Muhammed cartoon, but frankly, it is too easier and will just make me mad.
I hope that you are all doing well and are content.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Spring Break...yadda yadda yadda
I love Spring Break although I have never gone anywhere at all. I love it because, for me, it comes at just the right moment in the semester. I've been running on all cylinders for eight weeks now, and I've just been getting to the point where the engine starts glowing white-hot. Then, magically, there are a few days where I can run a little slower.
I've never had a "break" per se since I've been working from the time I was 14, but it is nice to take a bit extra time and do something different.
Yesterday, my wife and I went to drive around the area in the city where we are moving to. It was fun for me because I could just not think about getting copies made or coming up with a creative activity that the students would enjoy. I could just drive, look out the window, and keep on the search for a good bar somewhere near my house. (not much luck, by the way)
On a side note, I've been reading the book of Jeremiah recently because I heard an evangelical minister using passages from this book to blame the homosexuals and liberals for Katrina. Anyway, there is a large quantity of time spent in the book talking about how the fault for the coming disaster comes from the chosen peoples of Israel and Judea pretending that they are doing nothing wrong and pointing the finger elsewhere.
I think that the more significant parallel (if one is actually to believe that God uses hurricanes to punish people in the active way that many fundies and evangelicals seem to believe) would be to the way the Church and its leaders are doing the same thing as Israel and Judea were when threatened by outside powers. They pointed their fingers at each other and did whatever they needed to in order to maintain physical, earthly power.
It seems that the prophet is trying to communicate that God desparately wanted to avoid punishments but that the leaders of the Hebrew people prefer to trust in the strength of their swords and their alliances with other nations rather that trusting in God to protect them.
Just a thought.
On still another note, I had the last day of classes at the CC that I teach at PT. It was so cute. One of my students broke down and started crying because class was going to be over. I will miss that class. It was honestly the best class that I ever had. For the most part, they worked hard and came to class mostly prepared. I hope that this summer tha tI can get another good class.
I've never had a "break" per se since I've been working from the time I was 14, but it is nice to take a bit extra time and do something different.
Yesterday, my wife and I went to drive around the area in the city where we are moving to. It was fun for me because I could just not think about getting copies made or coming up with a creative activity that the students would enjoy. I could just drive, look out the window, and keep on the search for a good bar somewhere near my house. (not much luck, by the way)
On a side note, I've been reading the book of Jeremiah recently because I heard an evangelical minister using passages from this book to blame the homosexuals and liberals for Katrina. Anyway, there is a large quantity of time spent in the book talking about how the fault for the coming disaster comes from the chosen peoples of Israel and Judea pretending that they are doing nothing wrong and pointing the finger elsewhere.
I think that the more significant parallel (if one is actually to believe that God uses hurricanes to punish people in the active way that many fundies and evangelicals seem to believe) would be to the way the Church and its leaders are doing the same thing as Israel and Judea were when threatened by outside powers. They pointed their fingers at each other and did whatever they needed to in order to maintain physical, earthly power.
It seems that the prophet is trying to communicate that God desparately wanted to avoid punishments but that the leaders of the Hebrew people prefer to trust in the strength of their swords and their alliances with other nations rather that trusting in God to protect them.
Just a thought.
On still another note, I had the last day of classes at the CC that I teach at PT. It was so cute. One of my students broke down and started crying because class was going to be over. I will miss that class. It was honestly the best class that I ever had. For the most part, they worked hard and came to class mostly prepared. I hope that this summer tha tI can get another good class.
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