I forgot -
I also was telling that emeritus (German) professor and a current (German) professor about how some friend got an email about Rahm Emmanuel's missing the tip of one of his fingers, and the email said that he was born with "666" on it, and his mom saw it and cut it off with a knife," and when they raised an eyebrow, I was like, "Really!"
"Ah," the one (current) German professor was like, "The e-mail does exist, I believe you, but it is another matter if its contents are true."
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Conversation w/an Emeritus Professor.
When I was at a presentation the other day, I struck up conversation with this kindly old (German) (emeritus) professor before it started.
"What have you been working on anything lately, Professor [last name removed]?", I was likely.
"Work?", he was like. "I only play golf nowadays, except when I take time off to play shuffleboard."
"Or wear bright pink pants!", I was like, and he laughed.
"What have you been working on anything lately, Professor [last name removed]?", I was likely.
"Work?", he was like. "I only play golf nowadays, except when I take time off to play shuffleboard."
"Or wear bright pink pants!", I was like, and he laughed.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Barley and a Bug.
I made some beef barley soup the other night with some very reasonable, very high-quality hallal stew-beef I got at that one convenience store in my new neighborhood that I go to, but, just like when I made barley soup last time, I forgot how big barley gets in water, and dumped in 2lbs of dry barley... The recipe ended up being more a barley mash, with big beef chunks and pieces of fresh carrot, celery, and corn, with no broth, but tasty!
Later that night, as I was in bed, I saw something skitter under my upright IKEA lamp - a silverfish so big that its back end hung out, and the tips of its legs touched the udnerside of the lamp, which is almost a half-inch off the floor.
So, I got out of bed, knelt down with a sandal in my hand, picked up the light, and got ready - and because it was a big silverfish, it didn't move very fast, and kind of ran into the cord and got confused, and I smashed it with my sandal.
Later that night, as I was in bed, I saw something skitter under my upright IKEA lamp - a silverfish so big that its back end hung out, and the tips of its legs touched the udnerside of the lamp, which is almost a half-inch off the floor.
So, I got out of bed, knelt down with a sandal in my hand, picked up the light, and got ready - and because it was a big silverfish, it didn't move very fast, and kind of ran into the cord and got confused, and I smashed it with my sandal.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Successes and Failures of Monday.
1) I sent out my article to a different journal (this one in Belgium).
2) I ran into this slightly pompous grad student I know, and, like I have been, I talked to him about a union. I sounded him out on whether students should have a negotiated contract, and he said they should, but a union wasn't the right way, so I filled him in on the failure of the committees etc., and then he said people sign up and know what they're getting into, so I nicely explained about how the committee I was on said there was a lack of transparency and recommended that every dept. put up official "time-to-degree" and drop-out rate statistics, but the provost eviscerated that rec and made it optional and to my knowledge no dept. had done it, and then when he said unions still weren't a good way, I asked him what the other options were, then.
"Don't go to grad school," he was like.
What a cock. People like that are so small inside and condescending, and even though I tried my best, somehow the conversation turned into a pissing match that impeded on his cynicism, which seems to be an important part of his personality.
2) I ran into this slightly pompous grad student I know, and, like I have been, I talked to him about a union. I sounded him out on whether students should have a negotiated contract, and he said they should, but a union wasn't the right way, so I filled him in on the failure of the committees etc., and then he said people sign up and know what they're getting into, so I nicely explained about how the committee I was on said there was a lack of transparency and recommended that every dept. put up official "time-to-degree" and drop-out rate statistics, but the provost eviscerated that rec and made it optional and to my knowledge no dept. had done it, and then when he said unions still weren't a good way, I asked him what the other options were, then.
"Don't go to grad school," he was like.
What a cock. People like that are so small inside and condescending, and even though I tried my best, somehow the conversation turned into a pissing match that impeded on his cynicism, which seems to be an important part of his personality.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Addendum.
I forgot -
After the meeting, I stopped through a bar in the (formally Swedish) neighborhood on my way home, and had a beer as I did a crossword.
Bars sure are different on this part of town...
This cook off of work, a young (white) guy, was talking with the (gay) (white) (male) bartender, and was saying how nice it is to have a bar where they know people, and he was sitting like right next to me, and the bartender within my hearing range invited him to the back to sample from a sample batch of a variant of their famous mulled wine they were cooking up, made with white wine vanilla beans etc.
Later, a (black) UPS worker who was off of work came through and was sitting on my other side, and the younger middle-aged (white) (female) bartender , who had a gravelly voice seemed and called me "honey", also invited him in my hearing range to try some of the new mulled wine recipe.
After that guy left, too, the 1st bartender asked the 2nd, "What is his name again?".
None of that made me want to go back... Forgetful to regulars, unwelcoming to me while they invite people on both sides of me to sample the wine... If I was a bartender, I would have invited me to sample, that's the sort of thoughtfulness and hospitality that creates customers.
After the meeting, I stopped through a bar in the (formally Swedish) neighborhood on my way home, and had a beer as I did a crossword.
Bars sure are different on this part of town...
This cook off of work, a young (white) guy, was talking with the (gay) (white) (male) bartender, and was saying how nice it is to have a bar where they know people, and he was sitting like right next to me, and the bartender within my hearing range invited him to the back to sample from a sample batch of a variant of their famous mulled wine they were cooking up, made with white wine vanilla beans etc.
Later, a (black) UPS worker who was off of work came through and was sitting on my other side, and the younger middle-aged (white) (female) bartender , who had a gravelly voice seemed and called me "honey", also invited him in my hearing range to try some of the new mulled wine recipe.
After that guy left, too, the 1st bartender asked the 2nd, "What is his name again?".
None of that made me want to go back... Forgetful to regulars, unwelcoming to me while they invite people on both sides of me to sample the wine... If I was a bartender, I would have invited me to sample, that's the sort of thoughtfulness and hospitality that creates customers.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Community Organizing Meeting.
So, the other Thursday I went to a post-election "where do we go from here?" meeting put on by that local community organizing group that I had gotten invited to, which was in a church basement and included free dinner (cheese ravioli and salad)...
Like 50 people where there, and it was already pretty packed, but I managed to find a seat next to 2 later middle-aged (black) women.
One was the present of the tenants association for her building ("Aquila").
"Oh," I was like, "Like in Acts?", and at that she smiled, and was like, "And Corinthians!"
(The other's name was Pam.)
We had a good conversation before the meeting started about the upcoming alderman election for our district, and Aquila was saying that she feared some of the candidates, because everyone is concerned about crime, but sometimes that gets "twisted for other purposes", and when I asked her what she meant, exactly, she said that it was turned against all low-income housing by new condo owners.
"I've lived in this neighborhood for 27 years," Pam was like, "And I've tried to raise my sons good, when it's tough on black young men from two sides - if they go on the straight and narrow the gangs have it out for them, and then the police have it out for them no matter what. But they don't understand that."
I then told them about how the condo owners next to me were a piece of work, and had a consumers mentality, and the 1st time that the one (white) woman ever talked to me she said not to lock up my bike on a sign outside in front of her building since it was an eyesore.
"An eyesore?", Aquila was like.
"Yep," I was like, "And you know, her building has tulips outfront, and I had noticed that, and I hate tulips, they're a dumb flower; they look ugly when they're flowering, and then uglier when they die and there's just spikes and leaves left, and I wanted to tell her, 'Know what, change those plants in front of your house, I have to look at them whenver I go in and out of my front door,' but I didn't."
"Ha," Aquila was like, and just shook her head and was like, "Tulips," and then smiled and laughed some more and looked at Pam and was like, "Tulips!".
...
Overall, the meeting went well, the community organizing group had focused on turning out the vote in the low-turnout precincts, and improved it 5-8% over 4 years ago (turnout then had been in the low 50s in the low-turnout precincts; this time it was in the high 50s). Now they're going to shop that fact around to alderpeople and other politicians so they'll listen to the group's agenda.
Also, they're sponsoring/organizing a debate for the new alderman's race, and getting busloads of people to the limited-seating mayorial debate in Dec., which I signed up for!
I think Aquila and Pam are going too.
Like 50 people where there, and it was already pretty packed, but I managed to find a seat next to 2 later middle-aged (black) women.
One was the present of the tenants association for her building ("Aquila").
"Oh," I was like, "Like in Acts?", and at that she smiled, and was like, "And Corinthians!"
(The other's name was Pam.)
We had a good conversation before the meeting started about the upcoming alderman election for our district, and Aquila was saying that she feared some of the candidates, because everyone is concerned about crime, but sometimes that gets "twisted for other purposes", and when I asked her what she meant, exactly, she said that it was turned against all low-income housing by new condo owners.
"I've lived in this neighborhood for 27 years," Pam was like, "And I've tried to raise my sons good, when it's tough on black young men from two sides - if they go on the straight and narrow the gangs have it out for them, and then the police have it out for them no matter what. But they don't understand that."
I then told them about how the condo owners next to me were a piece of work, and had a consumers mentality, and the 1st time that the one (white) woman ever talked to me she said not to lock up my bike on a sign outside in front of her building since it was an eyesore.
"An eyesore?", Aquila was like.
"Yep," I was like, "And you know, her building has tulips outfront, and I had noticed that, and I hate tulips, they're a dumb flower; they look ugly when they're flowering, and then uglier when they die and there's just spikes and leaves left, and I wanted to tell her, 'Know what, change those plants in front of your house, I have to look at them whenver I go in and out of my front door,' but I didn't."
"Ha," Aquila was like, and just shook her head and was like, "Tulips," and then smiled and laughed some more and looked at Pam and was like, "Tulips!".
...
Overall, the meeting went well, the community organizing group had focused on turning out the vote in the low-turnout precincts, and improved it 5-8% over 4 years ago (turnout then had been in the low 50s in the low-turnout precincts; this time it was in the high 50s). Now they're going to shop that fact around to alderpeople and other politicians so they'll listen to the group's agenda.
Also, they're sponsoring/organizing a debate for the new alderman's race, and getting busloads of people to the limited-seating mayorial debate in Dec., which I signed up for!
I think Aquila and Pam are going too.
Ricky Martin's new memoir.
Yesterday I saw a picture of the cover of Ricky Martin's new memoir -
And I thought, "Yo?, isn't that a little bit macho?" -
And then I realized the book was in Spanish.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Addendum addendum.
Also also -
My one lawyer friend from Missouri's neighbor's Brazilian coworker also said this kid in her high school had a foreskin that was too tight and every time he had an erection he'd really really hurt since the head of his dick couldn't poke out, so when he was 14 he had to go in for corrective surgery, and everyone in school made fun of him.
My one lawyer friend from Missouri's neighbor's Brazilian coworker also said this kid in her high school had a foreskin that was too tight and every time he had an erection he'd really really hurt since the head of his dick couldn't poke out, so when he was 14 he had to go in for corrective surgery, and everyone in school made fun of him.
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