Reverberating Whitemen

I have had strong reactions recently to various posts on how to be an academic, and to one on leaving the “fast track” and finding fulfillment. I reacted to the latter post because it reflected the trajectory Reeducation thought appropriate for me, when my own nature is research oriented even though I was told throughout … More Reverberating Whitemen

Fashion Zero

I Most of my nice clothes now are not very conservative. I need blazers and suits, which are terribly expensive if you buy the only kind that really do the job. I also need some more casual conservative options. For my most recent talk I was wearing a straight black skirt, black heels and off … More Fashion Zero

Faubourg Treme

This is the first part of a series of excerpts from a PBS documentary, whose later segments will cover Hurricane Katrina. Faubourg Treme was, as we know, a barrio of free people of color. This video talks about how slavery in New Orleans (as in Latin America) was different from slavery in the English speaking … More Faubourg Treme

Meyer Lemonade

People would be excited by many more foods than they are now if they had ever had them fresh, unpreserved, and made from scratch. This lemonade will protect you from pollen and zing you. 6-7 large ripe local organic lemons local organic honey water pitcher ice optional: ginger root optional: mint leaves Juice the lemons, … More Meyer Lemonade

Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

I want to rescind my voter registration so as to escape jury duty. I do not like it because the jurors are also treated like prisoners – summoned, searched, questioned, and sequestered. In the past year I have begged off once, been dismissed once, and forgotten once. Now I have been subpoenaed for it. This … More Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

Not Last Night, But the Night Before [so to speak]…

…I was tagged by Geoffrey Philp for the 25 writers meme, in which you name 25 writers who have influenced you. These are not necessarily your favorite writers or those you most admire, but writers who have influenced you. Then you tag 25 people. I will choose the writers and tagged people as quickly as … More Not Last Night, But the Night Before [so to speak]…

Pot Roast

February 28, 2006, was Mardi Gras. It had been a stellar weekend and I posted three times that day: A Cinza das Horas, Demander la Charité, and Lundi Gras (this was originally posted February 27). This evening I almost turned into a pot roast because one of my tires blew out on a busy bridge … More Pot Roast

Piano Lesson

It is no longer Carnival time, but it is the weekend, so we will sing! This song contains a piano lesson. We will not sing the song I heard on the radio while driving, by a famous singer from the fifties, in which the speaker said he had told his driller he was quitting, but … More Piano Lesson