I have three students who have been caught with nickel bags and are now court ordered to attend Twelve Step meetings. Two have been adversely affected by it and are now failing my class. I am angry about this for their sakes and for my own reasons. I was assigned to attend Al-Anon when, at … More Nickel Bag
When I first took a job in Louisiana, several white liberals in Berkeley, California, accused me of racism. “You must be truly racist if you can go there. It would be too racist for me.” These people, of course, had never been here. I had never seen them hanging with any nonwhite people in California, … More On Racism in Louisiana
There is a lively secession movement in Vermont, and one I do not like in northern California and southern Oregon. People in New Orleans are flying pirate flags from their houses in reference to Federal neglect, and Jack Moss has an amusing argument for secession. A friend used to say that South Louisiana should secede … More On Secession
New faculty blog about the eccentricities of old faculty, but I would also like to blog about their eccentricities. Many seem to want to be exotic. They are willing to be agressive, even belligerent, about it. We have a young man who wants to be not only the first gay person we ever hired, but … More New Faculty
I was tagged for a meme in which one reveals eight random things about oneself, with the additional suggestion that since I am not in my usual location, I may be learning new things about myself. I said that I had already completed a similar meme; that this blog already reveals more about its author … More On Sleeping at Home
Every once in a while it is time to sing Woody Guthrie’s Do Re Mi. Now singing is John Mellencamp as he sang and commented on this song in the 1988 documentary on Leadbelly and Guthrie, A Vision Shared. We are watching on YouTube, because the clip does not want to be embedded here. The … More Do Re Mi
Years ago I would go out in the neighborhood to hear Trombone Shorty, who was short because he was a little boy. Now he is taller. This is an astute article about the New Orleans Jazzfest, and about him, to which I was tipped off by the Changeseeker. Axé.
According to this quiz, these are my candidates: 1. Theoretical Ideal (100%) 2. Dennis Kucinich (84%) 3. Alan Augustson (80%) 4. Barack Obama (77%) 5. Joseph Biden (72%) 6. Hillary Clinton (71%) 7. Wesley Clark (66%) 8. Al Gore (66%) 9. Christopher Dodd (65%) 10. John Edwards (64%) 11. Mike Gravel (58%) 12. Bill Richardson … More Presidential Candidate Selector
Start with cold chicken which has previously been cooked, and not overcooked, with garlic and lemons and/or limes. Chop it in irregular cubes. Then add, in the proportions you prefer: Anaheim Chile, minced. Chopped or finely sliced Pippin or other Green Apple(s). Fresh Basil Leaves, roughly chopped. Garlic, very well minced. Ginger, fresh, peeled and … More Chicken Salad
This is my post from a year ago today. I did not realize then that what was actually happening looked more like Liz’ highly recommended post on verbal abuse, which I am featuring and which everyone should read. One useful point to be gleaned from reading in and around the post are that the abuser’s … More An Anniversary of Sorts
coldhearted scientist وداد 