How is it possible that I find myself with LESS time to get work done, chill, post on the blog, etc. now that I have no classes, no papers, etc.? Ugh.
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I'm sitting around this morning waiting for the folks from ACTFL to call so I can take my Arabic pre-test. (I have to take a post-test when I get back from Egypt in the fall of '09.) Not feeling too psyched about it, since I haven't been very disciplined about making myself practice my Arabic, review vocab., etc. That, and I'm not entirely sure what format this little interview will take. Oh, well.
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We pack up and head out for Mammoth Cave tonight. The thought is to drive overnight so's to minimize the disruption to C.J.'s schedule, which is great in principle. In practice, that means I'm gonna be up all day running around taking care of crap, and then need to drive 9.5 hours through the night. Here's hoping that my caffeine fast of the last couple weeks will render anything I can get on the road SUPER effective, and that the podcasts I download for my iPod will be interesting enough to keep me engaged throughout. (I can now listen to my iPod in the car when the NPR shows I *don't* like--such as the People's Pharmacy, reruns of Day to Day, or WUNC's Back Porch Music--are on. Or, as I anticipate will be the case on this drive, we can't find the local NPR affiliate on the dial.)
One I HIGHLY recommend is the Big Ideas podcast. The show is dedicated to "Celebrating the art of the lecture," and I've heard some fascinating stuff on it. Ry, the current one they have up features an architect discussing modernism and post-modernism as "an integral part of the cultural landscape." To paraphrase Jessica Simpson from those High-Def TV ads, "I totally don't know what that means, but I want to listen to it." (Not really. I don't think a discussion of the aesthetics of architecture will be terribly engaging. However, that IS somebody who might be able to use 'post-modernism' correctly, which would be a surprise for you, right? :-D)
No, the great podcast I just heard from Big Ideas starred Margaret MacMillan expounding on the topic "History: The Next Secular Religion?" If you can find two 47-minute chunks in your day while walking the dog, on a treadmill, or the like, you've GOT to listen to her. She's really sharp, weaves together a fascinating (and to me utterly new) look at the various world wars, Vietnam, colonialism, the emergence of nationalism in the Balkans, etc. into a cautionary tale about world leaders believing they have "learned the lessons of history." It's amazing.
If I can just find a few more like that, I'll be listening in rapt attention throughout the drive.
The other article I wanted to link to briefly (one of many I've been reading recently, although I've forgotten the rest--count yourselves lucky! :-D ) is entitled "Understanding Black Patriotism," by Michael Eric Dyson. I like it because it touches on one of my major pet peeves: the tendency on the part of either unthinking Johnny Q. Publics or the talking heads in the media to conflate blind nationalism with patriotism. The former is dangerous, and does a disservice to the country; the latter can be critical, but calls the country to a fuller realization of its greatness. You know -- it's like the difference between good parenting (latter) and poor parenting (former): do you WANT your kid to never hear "No!" from you? If so, what kind of adult is he gonna grow up to be?
On a slightly less-serious note, you've also gotta check out this really brief article lamenting the end of the age of "playing doctor." Niiice! Well, that's not QUITE it, but it is a good article about childhood sexual exploration and development, and our current tendency to overreact to everything and label it sexual harrassment. An excerpt from "The Doctor Will See You Now," by Kathleen Deveny:
I grew up in the 1960s, believing that playing doctor was practically an entitlement of childhood. I don't remember anybody's getting upset about it. Adults seemed to think it was to be expected. Kids thought it was fascinating...
The story noted that a few years earlier, a teacher's aide in Texas accused a 4-year-old of sexual harassment for pressing his face into her breasts when he hugged her. A similarly crazy example seems to pop up in the news every few months.
We need to relax a little. Children are little explorers; it's their job to figure out how the world works and how they're different from their siblings and friends. As most parents can attest, babies begin to touch themselves as soon as their diapers come off. [Amen! The kid's amazingly quick!] Many toddlers are dedicated nudists.
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In other news, Grant has posted a link to an interesting alternative to the Myers-Briggs personality test on his blog.
Anyway, that's all for now. Enjoy your weekends! Laurethie and Miz-nitch, here we come!
P.S. One last thing: http://xkcd.com/117/
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