Monthly Archives: March 2013

A Day of Celebrations

Posted on March 31, 2013 by profmondo

I think that one of the signs of growing older may be when Easter makes you happier than Christmas does. Since the murder of my parents, Christmas tends to leave me feeling more wistful than merry, as I find myself … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Family | 2 Comments

“Extra Credit”

Posted on March 30, 2013 by profmondo

It’s a variation on an old joke, but done with panache. A tip of the Mondo Mortarboard to Bob Gusky!

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

Yes, I’m Still Here…

Posted on March 30, 2013 by profmondo

… but since the semester is heading into the home stretch, the distant rumblings of Gradeapalooza are audible, and so I must propitiate the paperwork demiurges ahead of time. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a tasty garage revival … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Music | Leave a comment

Social Constructs?

Posted on March 28, 2013 by profmondo

Smith College, of course, is one of the Seven Sisters, and the well known women’s college has a certain reputation for feminism and identity politics — alumnae include Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Sylvia Plath and Rachel Maddow. (An aside — … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education | 4 Comments

Ou Sont les Neiges and All That (Demolition Edition)

Posted on March 26, 2013 by profmondo

The last eighteen hours or so have offered their small reminders of mortality a bit more thickly than usual. First of all, a Facebook friend posted a shot of the marquee of the suburban theater nearest my high school — … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Family, Why I Do What I Do | Leave a comment

Embracing the Shame

Posted on March 24, 2013 by profmondo

From the first time I read Cat’s Cradle (which I read because it provided the lyrics to a 70s prog song I liked a lot — I mention it in Broken Glass Waltzes [and did I mention it’s available for … Continue reading →

Posted in Broken Glass Waltzes, Culture, Education, Literature, Medievalia, Why I Do What I Do | 4 Comments

Joe Weider, R.I.P.

Posted on March 23, 2013 by profmondo

From his teenage years on, my dad was interested in weightlifting and body building (along with outdoorsy stuff, music, science fiction, and darned near anything else you could imagine. He never stopped, either — his fascination with virtually every field … Continue reading →

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Why We Can’t Have Nice Things…

Posted on March 23, 2013 by profmondo

Sometimes things appear to be beautiful and a Really Good Idea until you actually commit to them, at which point you find that you’re in a world of danger and may not escape with your life, limbs or sanity. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | 1 Comment

Seasonal Anticipation

Posted on March 22, 2013 by profmondo

For the last few days, as the Spawn and I have traveled to and from Mondoville High, we’ve noticed the marquee at the Burger King, which sits across from the school. All week, it has informed us that the “Festival … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Family | 5 Comments

Two Data Points Do Not Make a Trend…

Posted on March 21, 2013 by profmondo

… but they do allow us to construct a line. Point one: Over at the Gormogons, Ghettoputer reports the following passage from his local school district’s recent budget presentation: “The educational paradigm has shifted from guaranteeing universal access to guaranteeing … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education | 4 Comments