We drank this nero d’avola, a wine from a grape I did not know about. It is grown, made, and bottled on a fief that calls itself a fief (the Feudo Principi di Butera) and has existed since at least 1543. We toasted research, which we are now undertaking in rebellion against some of the … More To Research
This was not a good week, due to post-hurricane teaching, service and administrative avalanches; research was accomplished but goals were not met. These avalanches will continue, however. The coming two weeks will be as bad as the last. The plan this week is, one work block per day, first thing, every day but Sunday and … More That Writing Group
This is 12th century Occitan, and it resembles Catalan. It is part of a Cathar ritual. (The Middle Ages are such a strange country, I find.) [2.1] Nos em vengut denant Deu, e denant vos, e denant l’azordenament de santa Gleisa per recebre servisi, e perdo, e penedensia de tuit li nostri pecat li qual … More Occitan
Je vais faire un poème sur le pur néant : Ce ne sera pas sur moi ni sur d’autres gens, Ce ne sera pas sur l’amour, sur la jeunesse, Ni sur rien d’autre, Il vient d’être trouvé tandis que je dormais Sur mon cheval. Here is the original in langue d’oc, with a good deal … More Guillaume de Poitiers, prince d’Aquitaine and forerunner of Mallarmé
At last I put the bicycle together and rode it back and forth from work. I have not had a bicycle with good gears except for a few hours once, decades ago, before it was stolen and I can now say that bicycles with good gears are an entirely superior experience. It is stressful to … More En bicicleta
For Labor Day I worked on repairing my deck, and then went kayaking in a lake. After that, I fixed bicycles. I called a neighbor to borrow a tool, and gave him a beer. All of this was very American, with that Indian summer feeling of water and sun and and exercise and sweat. Now … More An American day
I am very much opposed to the idea of for a fee credit cards. However, there is this one. For $95 after the first year, should I want its benefits? They seem to be worth the money, and the first year is free. Also, I could consider canceling after the first year — if they … More An airline credit card for a fee?
I forgot to post answers to some questions to that writing group’s page. Now the post has no more commenting room, so I am posting the answers here. Where are you in your career? Mid-career tenured faculty. What sort of institution(s) do you work for or study at? Carnegie “research intensive” state university, Doctoral-1 under … More That writing group
Do you love to read? I do not. I like to do research, but I do not love reading as an activity and I have not done since the age of twelve or thirteen. I rarely relax by reading or lose myself in a book the way I did as a child, and literature is … More One of my famous questions
I have a lot more time in the day now that I do not spend time dealing with self doubt or handling harrassment at work. Harrassment at work was ended because someone finally took my complaint seriously and acted on it. But this was a matter of luck, not a matter of hard work on … More Mediodía estancado entre relentes
