None of the many people who have informed me that Spanish is easier than the Romance and Germanic languages they speak, speak Spanish well; in many cases they also do not speak the Romance and Germanic languages they speak as well as I do. When I inform them that the actually more-difficult Romance language is … More After diversity training
In shorthand. Important to note for this week is how I was taught that normalcy was a façade. In reality we were barely tolerated: we hadn’t been wanted, we were not liked, and it was wished that we would go away. Our successes were events carefully arranged for our amusement by our parents, and if … More Education and Reeducation
Having a bad day today. Maybe the hangover from being denied tenure by the right-wing stooge John Silber, the then president of Boston University, in 1981 still stings. Since those dark days, I have always had some hope in the university, recognizing that it was an important site of struggle and filled with contradictions. I … More Henry Giroux Today
I have it and should pay more serious attention to it. I need shiatsu massage and reasonable control of my schedule and space, regardless of the chaos other people may have in their lives. I am not talking about control over others or rigid defensiveness. I am talking about not being imposed upon, and about … More On anxiety
Nowhere is the abuse as frightening as in Louisiana—with the exception, perhaps, of its neighbor to the east (“Thank God for Mississippi!” is the unofficial state motto). Louisiana is the second-poorest state and second-to-last in human development, which is a measure of individual freedom. The state’s rate of fatal cancers is about 30 percent higher … More The sacrifice zone
Stupid motivational tricks published some spiritual exercises from which I learned that the fear and fretting que me aquejan desde la Reeducación simply must be put aside. Meanwhile, I got hooked on a truly trashy tv series of the kind set in European courts. I like these as palace politics resemble politics at work. In … More Things learned from surfing
A colleague said: It is not a university, it is A PLANTATION. It is not a department, it is SOMEONE’S PSYCHIC SCENARIO. Therefore, DO NOT HOPE FOR RATIONALITY. Axé.
Person: I do not want children. I feel guilty about this as it is my responsibility to have them. Z: Studies show that every U.S. child born is highly detrimental to the environment no matter how green their lifestyle. There is no reason to feel guilty about not having them. Person brightens. Bystander (to Person): How can … More In which I am outspoken in ways that I do not even realize
Now my problem is named, I spend too much time in survival mode. I have learned there are the things you love, and the things you must do to support the things you love, and the things you should not do, or should not do too much of as they are not in your best … More Survival mode
Today I shopped for, but ultimately did not buy an item I will need. I did not buy it because it was above budget for me and I also did not fall in love with it. This, you will say, is a sensible choice: I gathered information, narrowed down, and resisted both extravagance and salesmanship. … More On time and money
coldhearted scientist وداد 