Monthly Archives: February 2023

Sunday Afternoon Potpourri: Us and “Them” Edition

Posted on February 26, 2023 by profmondo

I’ve spent the afternoon doing lesson planning, but I thought I’d take a break to get caught up on the blogging end of things. But first… *** Remember the ’50s Big Bug movie Them!, with its tale of giant mutated … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Literature, Music, Pixel-stained Wretchery | 2 Comments

A Blast from My Past, or a Bullet Dodged?

Posted on February 21, 2023 by profmondo

Because I’ve always thrived on standardized tests, I qualified as a National Merit Scholar in my late high school years. As part of that, I was invited to apply for a program sponsored by the Telluride Foundation the summer before … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Politics | Leave a comment

Gulping Down a Bloody Martini

Posted on February 18, 2023 by profmondo

No, I haven’t abandoned my teetotaling ways. Bloody Martini is the new novel from William Kotzwinkle, the second in a series that started with Felonious Monk. Tommy Martini, descended from a family of mobsters in Pennsylvania, was a college athlete … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Faith, Literature | 1 Comment

Cut Me Open; Count the Rings

Posted on February 14, 2023 by profmondo

We’re getting ready to start looking at each other’s work in my creative writing class, and for a run-through, I decided to let them practice on something I wrote around 1985 or ’86, at about the age of 20. (I … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Pixel-stained Wretchery, Why I Do What I Do | Leave a comment

Sunday Afternoon Potpourri: Coronation Edition

Posted on February 12, 2023 by profmondo

No, not that guy in England — nothing against him, but this one’s closer to home. *** A public schoolteacher’s career is like an iceberg; most people never see most of it. Yes, there’s the grading, lesson planning, and assorted … Continue reading →

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Sunday Afternoon Potpourri: “Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die” Edition

Posted on February 5, 2023 by profmondo

I’m in the office, doing a bit of planning for the week’s classes. But of course, that’s always a good incentive to do something else, so here we are. *** I’ve noticed in the past that I seem in many … Continue reading →

Posted in Broken Glass Waltzes, Culture, Education, Literature, Music, Pixel-stained Wretchery, Why I Do What I Do | Leave a comment

Counting Blessings

Posted on February 3, 2023 by profmondo

I’ve said before that my sense of humor is so dark it veers into the ultraviolet. As is often the case, I think it’s a counterweight to the fact that I’m a melancholic sort most of the time, with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Literature, Pixel-stained Wretchery | 1 Comment