I'm taking Hebrew this semester. The vowel patterns drive me *nuts*, there are so many exceptions.
I think it's the type of language where you'd have to read in it forever to become comfortable with it, before you ever began to even think of teaching a beginning language course in it.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Remembered advice from my (former) (escort) friend...
When I was jobless and had mentioned to him that I was looking at all my options, he said to start drinking light beer and vodka and tonics, because that way I could get a flat stomach and escort.
If I was really keeping all my options open.
This was before I found out he was an escort.
If I was really keeping all my options open.
This was before I found out he was an escort.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Old newspapers.
I'm reading old newspapers from across the U.S. at the very end of the 18th century.
I'm really shocked at how many ads are descriptions of escaped slaves, or of slaves for sale.
I'm really shocked at how many ads are descriptions of escaped slaves, or of slaves for sale.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Protest!
I wanted to go to the "Occupy [my city]" protest afterwards, so I folded up my "Exploit-o-nomics" sign from the Madison protests into my backpack, and brought it along.
As it turns out, the (Mexican) guy is super pissed off, so after running 26.2 miles, he hobbled over to the protests with me - though not before I just pulled out my sign and leaned against a wall downtown in a park by the marathon traffic, so all the people going by could see it!
Most looked confused, one (late 30s) (really fit) (black) lady smiled broadly, and one older (white) guy in khaki shorts and with a big paunch shook his head and grimaced when I wasn't looking, the (Mexican) guy said later.
In any case, I was "that eccentric guy at a big event"!
Anyhow, on the walk over to the protest the (Mexican) guy said he's super pissed, since the U.S. is becoming more and more like Mexico, with everything for the super rich, and nothing for everyone else - health care is becoming too expensive, education is becoming too expensive, etc.
He said he moved here for opportunity (he's an engineer, and works in the suburbs), and he sees less and less of it...
He said the only thing preferable to Mexico vs. the U.S. is the free college education there.
He also said that he thinks back a lot to a class in college in Mexico about social change, where a professor asked people what they thought about this systemic problem, that systemic problem, etc. After it was all done, she asked people to raise their hands to see who would protest to the point of getting hurt and even getting killed, and no one did.
"You see, there is no hope for our country," she said.
"You know," the (Mexican) guy said, "I realized she is right, that is why I moved."
As it turns out, the (Mexican) guy is super pissed off, so after running 26.2 miles, he hobbled over to the protests with me - though not before I just pulled out my sign and leaned against a wall downtown in a park by the marathon traffic, so all the people going by could see it!
Most looked confused, one (late 30s) (really fit) (black) lady smiled broadly, and one older (white) guy in khaki shorts and with a big paunch shook his head and grimaced when I wasn't looking, the (Mexican) guy said later.
In any case, I was "that eccentric guy at a big event"!
Anyhow, on the walk over to the protest the (Mexican) guy said he's super pissed, since the U.S. is becoming more and more like Mexico, with everything for the super rich, and nothing for everyone else - health care is becoming too expensive, education is becoming too expensive, etc.
He said he moved here for opportunity (he's an engineer, and works in the suburbs), and he sees less and less of it...
He said the only thing preferable to Mexico vs. the U.S. is the free college education there.
He also said that he thinks back a lot to a class in college in Mexico about social change, where a professor asked people what they thought about this systemic problem, that systemic problem, etc. After it was all done, she asked people to raise their hands to see who would protest to the point of getting hurt and even getting killed, and no one did.
"You see, there is no hope for our country," she said.
"You know," the (Mexican) guy said, "I realized she is right, that is why I moved."
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Cheering at the marathon.
The other weekend I went to cheer at the marathon for a (Mexican) guy my one lawyer friend from Missouri used to date, and her neighbor as well.
Part of the marathon course was like 2 blocks from her house, so I woke up at 7am and had breakfast at home and then biked down to cheer...
The streets were pretty packed 2-3 deep, and people had speakers set up, and there were some Japanese drummers keeping up a beat on native drums.
Later, we biked down to the finish line and found a place in the bleachers. Behind us was a(n Asian) couple, and the husband saw their son go by but the mom didn't.
The (Mexican) guy my one lawyer friend from Missouri used to date slipped by us as well!
I think my favorite part of the day earlier was being out cheering with her one friend from the same town in Missouri... She had a decently tight top on, and when she raised her sign it showed her gazongas. I actually saw 2 runners look back and give her the once over, after they ran by!
Part of the marathon course was like 2 blocks from her house, so I woke up at 7am and had breakfast at home and then biked down to cheer...
The streets were pretty packed 2-3 deep, and people had speakers set up, and there were some Japanese drummers keeping up a beat on native drums.
Later, we biked down to the finish line and found a place in the bleachers. Behind us was a(n Asian) couple, and the husband saw their son go by but the mom didn't.
The (Mexican) guy my one lawyer friend from Missouri used to date slipped by us as well!
I think my favorite part of the day earlier was being out cheering with her one friend from the same town in Missouri... She had a decently tight top on, and when she raised her sign it showed her gazongas. I actually saw 2 runners look back and give her the once over, after they ran by!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Hipsters suck.
So a few weekends ago I went to this giant music club block party that almost made me like hipsters - under $30 entrance for a day of good acts (including 2 I really wanted to see; all the performers did at least an hour's set), then reasonable event prices (e.g. $2 cups of good coffee, which was nice, since it was getting cold).
After the last act I wanted to see, I went to go get some food from these foodtrucks they had lined up behind the performance area, but it was hard to see where the lines to the separate foodtrucks were, because people were so clustered up.
So, I followed the line back from the foodtruck I wanted to go to, and right where it ended in a crowd, I asked this (early 20s) (white) (hipster) girl who looked nice enough if that was the end of the line.
"I don't know," she was like.
"Oh," I was like. "Are you waiting?"
"Yeah," she was like.
"Oh," I was like, "So how far back does this go?", since it wasn't obvious.
She looked me in the eyes and shrugged. "As far back as it goes."
...I really need to have a good response to hipster bullshit like that... I just said, "Bitch," and walked away. Maybe I should have said "cunt", or, "you know something, you're really a rude cunt"...?
After the last act I wanted to see, I went to go get some food from these foodtrucks they had lined up behind the performance area, but it was hard to see where the lines to the separate foodtrucks were, because people were so clustered up.
So, I followed the line back from the foodtruck I wanted to go to, and right where it ended in a crowd, I asked this (early 20s) (white) (hipster) girl who looked nice enough if that was the end of the line.
"I don't know," she was like.
"Oh," I was like. "Are you waiting?"
"Yeah," she was like.
"Oh," I was like, "So how far back does this go?", since it wasn't obvious.
She looked me in the eyes and shrugged. "As far back as it goes."
...I really need to have a good response to hipster bullshit like that... I just said, "Bitch," and walked away. Maybe I should have said "cunt", or, "you know something, you're really a rude cunt"...?
Sunday, October 9, 2011
A day downtown.
On Thursday I was downtown.
I walked by the Apple store, and was surprised that there were flowers and apples and cards out front and post-it notes above them on the store's window, and so many people taking photos of them that a policeman was stationed there to remind people to keep in so the sidewalk was clear for pedestrians.
After that, I strolled up to this ritzy downtown neighborhood park to study outside, and I arrived at an intersection when the "stop" hand was blinking, so I said to the (older, but with plastic surgery) (white) woman with a shopping bag standing there, "C'mon, we can get across!", and as soon as we stepped into the street the light turned yellow and we had to dash across.
"If anything happens I'll sue you!", she joked, jogging up behind me.
At the park I got a coffee, but there were few places to sit, so I went up to this (white) girl in a black halter top and big sunglasses who was studying by herself at a table, and was like, "Excuse me, can I study here?" - and it turned out to be a ph.d. student I know from another institution, I didn't recognize her because of the sunglasses!
We talked a bit, and it turns out she and her boyfriend had moved into the neighborhood recently. She says the weirdest thing is that a lot of rich people from the place on Sundays do one-day rentals from the nearby Mercedes-Benz dealership, and do that just to take the car to brunch at restaurants within walking distance, so they can have them parked outside.
She also pointed out the cougar bars in the area, and we decided that we should go to "cougar night" specials (= drink discounts for guys under 25 and women over 40) at different bars, just for the scene and the fun.
I walked by the Apple store, and was surprised that there were flowers and apples and cards out front and post-it notes above them on the store's window, and so many people taking photos of them that a policeman was stationed there to remind people to keep in so the sidewalk was clear for pedestrians.
After that, I strolled up to this ritzy downtown neighborhood park to study outside, and I arrived at an intersection when the "stop" hand was blinking, so I said to the (older, but with plastic surgery) (white) woman with a shopping bag standing there, "C'mon, we can get across!", and as soon as we stepped into the street the light turned yellow and we had to dash across.
"If anything happens I'll sue you!", she joked, jogging up behind me.
At the park I got a coffee, but there were few places to sit, so I went up to this (white) girl in a black halter top and big sunglasses who was studying by herself at a table, and was like, "Excuse me, can I study here?" - and it turned out to be a ph.d. student I know from another institution, I didn't recognize her because of the sunglasses!
We talked a bit, and it turns out she and her boyfriend had moved into the neighborhood recently. She says the weirdest thing is that a lot of rich people from the place on Sundays do one-day rentals from the nearby Mercedes-Benz dealership, and do that just to take the car to brunch at restaurants within walking distance, so they can have them parked outside.
She also pointed out the cougar bars in the area, and we decided that we should go to "cougar night" specials (= drink discounts for guys under 25 and women over 40) at different bars, just for the scene and the fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
