Algunas nanas

My cat disappeared four months ago today. I have become convinced that the true purpose of lullabies is to calm the parents of children who have died. Dastan is the Persian word for story or oral tale, and I will find out what a dandini is. My cat had an Eastern Mediterranean air — Turkish … More Algunas nanas

Mictlantecuhtli

This is Mictlantecuhtli as seen in the Codex Borgia and uploaded to Wikipedia on a Creative Commons license. I do not know whether I will like the cropped version of his gravatar, so I may change it still. Everything I do gon be funky from now on so I have become Mictlantecuhtli on the suggestion … More Mictlantecuhtli

TS Arlene

Our Mayan ancestors, says the Popul Vuh – that sacred text of which this weblog is but a performance – were all great sacrificers and penitents.  “Sacrifice and penitence are not for mortals, but for the gods,” says one of my old post-it notes, and I would like to reaffirm this right now. “Everything I … More TS Arlene

An Idea

I have wondered about all these posts put up by people who did not get or have not yet gotten tenure track jobs and are disappointed because they were told they surely would. We, of course, were told we surely wouldn’t and I have wondered who is now telling people they surely will. It occurs … More An Idea

Oppose Vitter’s 3-D: The Domestic Jobs, Domestic Energy, and Deficit Reduction Act

Him, by e-mail: Dear Friend, Last week, the Obama administration announced it would release 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR).  The SPR is normally only used during true emergencies, most recently after Hurricane Katrina and the 1991 Gulf War disrupted our oil supplies – but as the New Orleans Times-Picayune … More Oppose Vitter’s 3-D: The Domestic Jobs, Domestic Energy, and Deficit Reduction Act

Tree of Life

A. Tree of Life does a good job of filming the dreamlike experience of childhood. It is set in the fifties, but I experienced the world that way, in clips and images, in the sixties. I remember very clearly the day JFK was killed. We prayed and saluted the flag in school. The teachers and … More Tree of Life

Post Cards

Dear Professor Zero, It is time once again to remind you to bring _______ in for his yearly vaccination. You may reach our office at ______. Yours, Veterinarian One. Dear Veterinarian One, Thank you for your post card. I regret to say that _______ went out on 2 March of this year and did not … More Post Cards