Monthly Archives: June 2017

Heeling Our Political Wounds

As a kid in Nashville, I used to watch Championship Wrestling on Saturdays after the cartoons were over, or perhaps as a continuation of those cartoons. Although I lost interest as the years went on, I still pay a little … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Politics | 1 Comment

Merry Blockmas, and Other Potpourri

I’d like to lead this post off by wishing a happy 79th birthday to Lawrence Block. In the course of a writing career that spans six decades, he has inspired plenty of writers (including Your Genial Host), and through his … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Education, Literature, Music, Why I Do What I Do | 1 Comment

A Barber in an Orange Room

I get my hair cut two to four times a year on average, and when I do, it’s at one of those unisex salons down in Real City, part of a chain known for quickness and fairly low prices. But … Continue reading

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

Housman and the Gaps

As I’ve mentioned, I live in the virtual buckle of the Bible Belt — about an hour from Bob Jones U, for example. And of course, I teach at a religiously affiliated institution — not the “required statement of faith” … Continue reading

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HeroesCon 2017: Addenda

Woke up at 8:30 today and thought I’d let the Spawn sleep in a bit, since we didn’t have to check out til noon. At ten, I thought I’d check and make sure I was right about the time, so … Continue reading

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HeroesCon 2017: Day 2

So I woke up about 8:30 this morning, but the Spawn didn’t show much sign of life until 10, and it was 10:40 when we walked over to the nearby breakfast place. It was busy (as one might epxect the … Continue reading

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HeroesCon 2017: Day 1

The Spawn and I left Mondoville a little after noon today for our annual pilgrimage to Charlotte for the HeroesCon comic convention. We took a different route to get here, going out of our way in order to have lunch … Continue reading

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In Which the Prof Revisits His Past and Turns Surly

I came downstairs this evening after dinner to good news and bad news. The good news was that Mrs. M, chafing under the oppressive relaxation of her summer break, had cleaned the downstairs — thanks, dear! The bad news was … Continue reading

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Eight Years Later

I mis-set my alarm this morning, getting up at 6:30, an hour later than I usually do on workdays. It was probably just as well — I had a restless night, in part because I knew what today is. I’ve … Continue reading

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Of Quilts and Face-Plants: Saturday Potpourri

Just got home from a day trip, in more ways than one. But first things first… *** Last night, Mrs. M and I were fortunate enough to go to Mondoville’s historic Ritz Theater, where we saw the local community players … Continue reading

Posted in Alternating Feet, Culture, Family, Literature, Music | 1 Comment