Do Epic Shit: A Moto I Can Get Behind
Because there might not be enough coffee in the world to jumpstart this morning, here’s an inspirational gem I found recently. If only this could’ve been in my elementary classrooms!
Thoughts
Recent Jams: The Civil Wars’s “The One That Got Away”
Don’t mind me. I’m just having a joy-induced fit over here after listening to The Civil Wars‘s new song, “The One That Got Away.” I’ve got a thing for the duo’s folksy harmonizing, and I love this particular song’s hard edge. Can’t wait for the new self-titled album, out August 6th. Listen here or go to … [Read more…]
Beer Begins In The Dirt
Passing this along because Rogue is one of my favorite breweries. Their Dead Guy Ale was one of the few good beers I could find on tap when we lived in Mississippi. I also like the post’s tribute to…well…dirt. To its geological heritage and, implicitly, to how we imbibe that heritage through the hops in … [Read more…]
Prom Night and Sex…But Not In the Way You’re Thinking
Prom season wrapped up a while back, marking an end to the parade of couples taking pictures down at our local park. On a few particular Saturdays in April, instead of the walkers, runners, and families enjoying the outdoors, you’d witness groupings of youths, clad in any manner of fancy dress precariously positioned near the … [Read more…]
Yet Another Reason Why Sir Patrick Stewart Rocks My World: On Taking a Stand Against Domestic Violence
Sir Patrick Stewart ranks highly on my list of excellent actors and all-around damned-good people. I remember his beautiful, shining head and liquid voice when he played Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: TNG. As a Shakespeare scholar, I have immense respect for him on the stage; his various portrayals of Macbeth, as well as his Claudius to … [Read more…]
Happy Moter’s Day…er…Mother’s Day. Oh dear.
This is what happens when you try to make a Mother’s Day card while also looking after a toddler. It might also indicate the sorry state of my spelling and proofreading skills. There I was, happily coloring at the table whilst listening to the Beastie play in the living room. Perhaps I was imagining the sweet … [Read more…]
On Moving Back Home, Finding a Place, and Trying Not to Be an Asshole
Almost exactly a year ago, Austin and I closed on our fabulous 1960s basement rancher in Knoxville, TN, fully solidifying the fact that I was moving back to my hometown. Hell, I was moving within two miles of where I grew up. We’d lived six of the last seven years in Jackson, MS, and while … [Read more…]
Doctor Who, “The Rings of Akhaten”: the Miraculousness of Being (and Cabbages and Kings)
I finally got around to watching the “The Rings of Akhaten,” the most recent episode of BBC’s Doctor Who. Overall, I thought it was entertaining and provided a compelling look into Clara’s past. Some reviewers characterize the episode as just ho-hum. I wouldn’t go that far. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was far from dull. … [Read more…]
On Dying an Unbeliever – Roger Ebert’s Thoughts on Death
Roger Ebert died today after a long battle with thyroid cancer. I was honestly too young to have paid much attention to his movie reviews, but he and Gene Siskel’s iconic “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” method of critique has become ingrained in our cultural imagination. Indeed, it has outlived them both. I found Ebert’s … [Read more…]
Nothing is Inevitable, Not Even America: David McCullough’s 1776
As a Victorianist, I honestly don’t read much American literature (or literature about America), which is odd since I’m American. My recent nighttime reading, however, included David McCullough’s 1776, an informative, engaging, and masterfully written exploration of this crucial year in America’s history. First published in 2005, I’m obviously a little behind the times in finding … [Read more…]