Month: April 2008

Al grano (On my article which says actual “procrastination” may be far less prevalent than it is rumored to be)

30/04/2008

I am revising my paper on “procrastination” which has been accepted by a non-refereed journal after being rejected by one competitive refereed one and one non-competitive refereed one. I think it is a good paper but apparently it is hard to understand and not obedient enough. The non-refereed journal thought the same thing but I … More Al grano (On my article which says actual “procrastination” may be far less prevalent than it is rumored to be)

Still More Tenure

29/04/2008

My complaint about being tenured is that it puts one in a position to be so exploited by the university. The new people, the instructors and the adjuncts must be protected, mentored, developed and maintained; the full professors and administrators have rights; the plain old tenured faculty has to serve them all. I think part … More Still More Tenure

Why I Am For Obama…

28/04/2008

…despite the similarities between his centrism and the Clintons’, despite everything, despite his saber rattling over Iran. Belacqua Jones writes: “[I]t was during hubby BillHill’s administration that the coup de grace was administered to whatever integrity remained in our economic reporting system. As one critic explained it, ‘Unemployment was redefined to eliminate five million discouraged … More Why I Am For Obama…

The Hot Eight

26/04/2008

It is the weekend, so we are singing. Today we rather incongruously practiced danzón behind the stage while waiting for the Hot 8. Resignation is not one the Hot 8′s strong points. I, however, have discovered that resignation, that machine to reproduce ideology and the social order, is all the rage. People call it “acceptance” … More The Hot Eight

Breaking Glass

25/04/2008

When I was under the influence of Reeducation it seemed that research, teaching, and my real self had been placed in a glass case, where they were now static mementos I could not touch. I would look at them through the impregnable glass and try to break it with my head. I would turn my … More Breaking Glass

Ashley Morris

24/04/2008

Please remember Ashley Morris. That is Ashley Morris, of the late, great Ashley Morris blog which did so very much to get us through the storm. Ashley might be on his way to Jazzfest tomorrow, but nous-autres allons à Lafayette to attend Festival International, a free festival not inside any gates, less touristy and and … More Ashley Morris

¡Adentro!

22/04/2008

Now the drums and charangos begin playing and someone shouts ¡adentro! just before the flutes come in with the melody. I am dreaming of summer on the altiplano and beginning to sing the huayno, “Mujer andina, te vengo a contar / mis penas y mis dolores.” I wrote some time ago: “In this novel the … More ¡Adentro!

On Defeating McCain

21/04/2008

There is another primary tomorrow. I want a President who would do something about this: The New York Times lectured Haiti on April 18 that “Haiti, its agriculture industry in shambles, needs to better feed itself.” Unfortunately, the article did not talk at all about one of the main causes of the shortages – the … More On Defeating McCain