Joshua Goode says Spain attributed its 1898 defeat to the racial inferiority of its soldiers — they were not mixed enough. Mixing the blood of Spaniards would also help dissolve regional divisions in the country. They reasoned that when you choose the most robust youths for soldiers, you then remove their genes from the general … More Insufficient mestizaje
2 eggs, 1 cup of kefir, 2 cups of sugar = mix them all well together 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 1 tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil = add to the mix and mix very well 2 cups of flour = add to the mix and mix well to create … More That kefir cake
I was out walking and came upon one of the bailes de cuna Villaverde describes taking place in Havana, but that we also have here. A grandfather in a green silk suit waved me in. Another one grabbed me to dance. I like your step was his first salida. Caribbean men. He was one of … More Call for contributions
This looks a little more modern than it does when you see it in person, but yes — we do have concentration camps with slave labor doing factory work for corporations. I still say work on this is the most important of the things I do, and I really wish I were empowered to work … More Angola bound
This is of course the 82d anniversary of the founding of the 2d Spanish Republic on 14 April 1931. In Madrid today it is sunny and there are crowds at the Puerta del Sol and elsewhere waving Republican flags. Here is a photograph uploaded to Facebook seven minutes ago by my friend, República Española: It … More Salud y República
If I am awakened from really deep sleep, the dreams that are interrupted are different, slower, and more mythical than the ones I have in the morning, when I am in the process of waking up anyway. Here is a recent dream that I have actually had several times — for all I know, I … More Dreams
At the market I ran into a former co-worker and friendly acquaintance with whom I struck up a lively conversation on current events. We were so interesting that a yet more eccentric shopper joined in. Some of this shopper’s initial remarks indicated he was schizophrenic, that is, a visionary. Later on he said the reason people … More Revelation in Rouse’s
It really is true that administrators create unnecessary meetings. I even have one that has meetings to plan meetings. They want to plan meetings so that nothing unscripted can happen in them. Why meet, then? Every time they create a new administrative post, they also eliminate a tenure track or tenured position and replace it … More On work
If the president of academic senate is reelected the workload in it will be as onerous as it was this year. I get certain perks for my role in this organization but it is not entirely clear to me that they will be worth it. Should I stay or should I go? Full professor in … More Decision(s), being planned for in the absence of sufficient information
Now the Prose Doctor has spoken in my class and it took some valiance. What the students said: he is a “cool teacher” and they are now more interested in Spanish literature than they have been. They have agreed at last to actually read García Lorca. Causing this takes real skill and also real effort. … More La universidad virtualizada
coldhearted scientist وداد 