Monthly Archives: November 2013

“Y — Because We Like You”…

The last couple of bands I’ve been in have covered “Dirty Water” by The Standells, one of the first wave of bands that played what would variously be known as garage or 60’s-punk music. As Allmusic observes, however, they weren’t … Continue reading

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In Which the Spawn Alienates Her Audience

So, today the Spawn and one of her friends thought it would be neat to go to Real City and dip toes into the pool of insanity that is Black Friday. However, as the Spawn is not yet cleared for … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Family | 1 Comment

Happy Thanksgiving

I’m not really sure why I’m awake this early, but I am. Since I am awake, I went ahead and let the Hound of the Basketballs out, and she’s now back in the living room with me, and asleep in … Continue reading

Posted in Broken Glass Waltzes, Culture, Family, Music, Why I Do What I Do | 1 Comment

More Overthinking from the Prof

I was at a restaurant not long ago, and I saw that the menu boasted of the establishment’s “free-range chicken.” This puzzles me. When in the history of man were chickens free-range to start with? I don’t remember hearing of … Continue reading

Posted in Culture | 4 Comments

“I Thought You Were On Sabbatical!”

… Well, that’s what Mrs. M said this morning. But there are sabbaticals and sabbaticals. I’ve still been going to departmental, committee, and faculty meetings, taking care of student advising, cleaning up some incompletes, and looking over student papers for … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Family, Literature, Music | 2 Comments

A Very Special Episode

Thirty years ago this evening, I was playing D&D with some of my classmates at Transylvania University. Someone had brought a portable TV into the study lounge, though, because there was a movie we wanted to see. The movie was … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Education, Family | 6 Comments

In Which the Prof Proves Superfluous — Almost

So half an hour ago, I was sitting here on my sofa, reading a bit about the English Civil War, when my phone rang. I saw it was the Spawn, so I answered, “Hey, kid! What’s up?” “I’ve got a … Continue reading

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Sales Pitches

At The New Criterion, Emory’s Mark Bauerlein offers an essay on the challenges facing the humanities in higher ed these days. The essay is optimistically subtitled “How the humanities can come out on top in the education debate”, and he suggests … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Education, Politics | Leave a comment

Kindness on a Tuesday Night

As I grew up in the Cincinnati burbs, I was fond of LaRosa’s, a local pizza chain that is part of the fabric of the area. The chain is known for its support of local sports (especially on the high … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Family, Why I Do What I Do | 3 Comments

A Night With a Chance of Snow

I’m in Northern Kentucky tonight. My brother is about six or seven miles from me right now, in the Boone County Jail. Tomorrow, if the judge follows the jury’s recommendation (which I am told he has always done in the … Continue reading

Posted in Family | 5 Comments