Dear Blogger,
I slipped these new photos from the Halloween Parade in, just under the monthly time limit. I hope you like them.
They're not scary. You won't get the plague...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10959363@N05/sets/72157602818742370/
But you might get the organizational fatigue.
Happy Halloween,
Steve
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Of The Holy Apostles And Of All Saints, Martyrs And Confessors, Of All The Just Made Perfect Who Are At Rest Throughout The World
Dear Blogger,
It's Halloween! We're going to a parade tonight up in Belmont. I'm hoping it will be almost as exciting and bizarre as The Big Parade, but I'm not holding out. How could I?
I had a meeting with my supervisor and my internship adivsor from the CC. Everything went o-kay. I'm apparently going to learn how to write grants, sometime soon. If my boss, who is still gone, gives Ahmad her permission. Meaning I'm probably not going to learn how to write grants soon. She's notoriously stubborn. (She fired a girl once because the girl's mother died, and she thought the girl was lying to her to get out of work. Although, that might not be stubborn, that might be insane...)
I have a presentation for class tomorrow on a writer for The Chicago Defender, and an outline for my directed study on Friday. Things are getting even busier. It'll get done if I can motivate myself.
Mazel Tov,
Steve
Monday, October 29, 2007
George Steinbrenner vs. George Steinbrenn-ah
Dear Blogger,
I have nothing to say, but the Red Sox won the World Series last night.
For eighty-some years, the Red Sox were defined as the team that fought the Yankees tooth and nail. Even if they still lost, we loved them because they did what no one else could: stood up to the Yanks. The good ol' Red Sox.
Not anymore. They've won the World Series twice in four years, and more importantly, they've broken that damn curse.
Stop it.
There's no curse.
God doesn't curse baseball, and, if there was, why would God curse the Red Sox?
Listen:
The Red Sox are just like the rest of the shmucks in the major leagues after they broke that curse. No, wait. They're not! The Yankees have the highest payroll, the Red Sox have the second. They're not just like the rest of us! They're just like the Yankees.
And everyone in baseball thinks the Yankees are evil, right?
Go, Team,
Steve
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Mannheim Steamroller Rolls On Through
Dear Blogger,
A whole lot of nothing happened this weekend. Friday morning we had our directed study class. Our assignment due on Friday was to think of a topic we might want to research. I was initially interested in researching the infamous Chicago Democrat Machine. (There was, I think, a thirty year period where little, or maybe there were none, Republicans elected to public office... how did this come about?) I decided at the last moment, though, to research what circumstances led to hate groups in the Chicago area to forming.
Of course, when I told the class about this, The Formation Of Hate Groups, they thought I said The Formation Of Eight Groups. Meaning that when the class was supposed to be helping me to form an idea for my project, there were a few confusing minutes when they were telling me that I should narrow my topic down to maybe two groups.
Then there were a few more embarassing moments when people asked me how I was going to get interviews with hate groups. (We hadn't learned until three minutes earlier that interviews were necessary. I'm interested to see how that will work out.) The end result is that I've never ever in my life gotten helpful advice from any group on any project. I don't think they're stupid, I just don't think people should be giving me ideas on an idea that I'm still forming, unless they're the professor. Things just don't work that way.
On Saturday, nothing happened at all. Ani and I watched Robert Altman's MASH. If you haven't seen it, it's very dark and consequentially, very, very funny. Highly recommended. (Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye doesn't quite have the natural charisma of Alan Alda's Hawkeye, but Alan Alda's Hawkeye doesn't have the twisted sense of humor as Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye.)
Halloween is right around the corner! I got my costume this weekend. Not a word on what it will be. Pictures, eventually.
It's hard to get anything done around here on the weekends, but what is the point, really?
Arches And An After Thought,
Steve
A whole lot of nothing happened this weekend. Friday morning we had our directed study class. Our assignment due on Friday was to think of a topic we might want to research. I was initially interested in researching the infamous Chicago Democrat Machine. (There was, I think, a thirty year period where little, or maybe there were none, Republicans elected to public office... how did this come about?) I decided at the last moment, though, to research what circumstances led to hate groups in the Chicago area to forming.
Of course, when I told the class about this, The Formation Of Hate Groups, they thought I said The Formation Of Eight Groups. Meaning that when the class was supposed to be helping me to form an idea for my project, there were a few confusing minutes when they were telling me that I should narrow my topic down to maybe two groups.
Then there were a few more embarassing moments when people asked me how I was going to get interviews with hate groups. (We hadn't learned until three minutes earlier that interviews were necessary. I'm interested to see how that will work out.) The end result is that I've never ever in my life gotten helpful advice from any group on any project. I don't think they're stupid, I just don't think people should be giving me ideas on an idea that I'm still forming, unless they're the professor. Things just don't work that way.
On Saturday, nothing happened at all. Ani and I watched Robert Altman's MASH. If you haven't seen it, it's very dark and consequentially, very, very funny. Highly recommended. (Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye doesn't quite have the natural charisma of Alan Alda's Hawkeye, but Alan Alda's Hawkeye doesn't have the twisted sense of humor as Donald Sutherland's Hawkeye.)
Halloween is right around the corner! I got my costume this weekend. Not a word on what it will be. Pictures, eventually.
It's hard to get anything done around here on the weekends, but what is the point, really?
Arches And An After Thought,
Steve
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
IT'S A BOY! IT'S A BOY!
Dear Blogger,
I just talked to Mareike Wieth on the phone, and I'm all set. Registration on 11/6, 3:30 EST.
I'm apparently one class away from getting a minor in Psychology. A minor used to require RDA II, which is a big no-no in my eyes, just to get a minor something that seems like it only exists on paper... but apparently only RDA I is required. I guess I could be excited, but since I ran out of time to finish the Sociology/Psychology major, receiving a Psychology minor feels like going for the lowest bar. (But isn't a minor kind of about making yourself look good on an otherwise useless piece of paper?)
And here's what's been happening elsewhere:
I just spoke to the previous owner of my phone number, who Googled their name and came across this blog. After an exchange on AIM, we came to understand a few misunderstandings, made some small-talk, and the person asked me to remove the post that was previously here. It was a good story about miscommunications, but I really do need to respect the privacy of people-- especially that of people I don't know at all. So, I've removed the story, but I remember all the good details and will probably tell you if you ask me.
Your Federal Offender Friend,
Steve
I just talked to Mareike Wieth on the phone, and I'm all set. Registration on 11/6, 3:30 EST.
I'm apparently one class away from getting a minor in Psychology. A minor used to require RDA II, which is a big no-no in my eyes, just to get a minor something that seems like it only exists on paper... but apparently only RDA I is required. I guess I could be excited, but since I ran out of time to finish the Sociology/Psychology major, receiving a Psychology minor feels like going for the lowest bar. (But isn't a minor kind of about making yourself look good on an otherwise useless piece of paper?)
And here's what's been happening elsewhere:
I just spoke to the previous owner of my phone number, who Googled their name and came across this blog. After an exchange on AIM, we came to understand a few misunderstandings, made some small-talk, and the person asked me to remove the post that was previously here. It was a good story about miscommunications, but I really do need to respect the privacy of people-- especially that of people I don't know at all. So, I've removed the story, but I remember all the good details and will probably tell you if you ask me.
Your Federal Offender Friend,
Steve
Monday, October 22, 2007
I Wasn't Able To Save Mine...
Dear Blogger,
It has been a while, hasn't it?
This weekend was fairly busy. Friday we had our mural presentation at our teacher's house where he made us blueberry pancakes and we watched everyone's presentations. Then Scott, our teacher, talked about segregation in Hyde Park for a long time. Apparently the university considered abandoning its campus during the early fifties when the neighborhood was beginning to change. (Imagine leaving all those beautiful gothic buildings to rot!) They decided to stay, eventually becoming the saving grace of this neighborhood. But of course, since no segregation story at all is pretty to listen to, Hyde Park's integration comes at a price. This neighborhood, being different (affluent) from the other neighborhoods, they try to keep themselves separate. Meaning that I never noticed it, but there are NO public basketball hoops anywhere in Hyde Park, except in a park near a high school somewhere southeast of where I live... and these hoops are taken down at night. Why? Because the Hyde Park community is taking precautions to keep younger people who might be wandering into the neighborhood with no strong ambitions at the moment, who might then start playing basketball, which might then stand around, which then lead them to become bored, which might then lead them to start trouble. In Hyde Park.
Friday I went to the Great American Six Flags, in Waukegan where my friend Ashly works and didn't have to spend any money, and was in a Zabel Sandwich most of that time. Saturday, I came back into Chicago on the Metra, got back to 1447 at one, left at 6:30 to see The Darjeeling Limited. (Pretty good, no Royal Tenenbaums, of couse. But there were some really touching moments) Got stuck in the middle of downtown Chicago on a Saturday night along with the rest of everyone else in the city, and the trip home on the 6 took forty minutes longer than it usually does.
And because I'm off-campus this semester, and because Drew is also off-campus (sabbatical), I have a stand-in advisor, Mareike Weith. Now, the problem here is that I'm not really a psychology major at all anymore. (I forgot/made a last minute decision to drop that major and didn't have time to switch to Sociology.) So now I have to explain to this woman that I don't really need her advice, and why I was to dumb to change my major.
But here's my potential schedule:
Social Research (MWRF, 9-10) Dimeji Togunde (Required for sociology majors)
Men & Masculinities (TR, 3-4:30) Scott Melzer
Introductory Geology (MWF, 12-1) Beth Lincoln (Science requirement)
LAB (W, 2-5) Also with Beth Lincoln
Social Psych: Soc Perspectives (TR, 10-12) Scott Melzer
Badminton & Tennis (TR, 1-2) Scott Frew
Now, I realize that I have two classes with Scott Melzer. Okay, I do like Scott Melzer. But is it really worth it? I have these modes and categories things to fill, after all. At the same time as Melzer's Men & Masculinities, my old friend in the anthropology department, Hadley Renkin is teaching:
Environmental Anthropology (TR, 3-4:30)
It fulfills the mysterious Environmental category. But it also seems interesting. I have to make that decision.
And Keith also talked me into applying for Summer FURSCA. I have to e-mail someone in the A&S department, probably Scott Melzer, and ask if they'll have me. I'm at a loss, I don't really know what I want to research but that I want to do it. The best thing is to just jump on it, I guess. I'm going to e-mail him very very soon.
Rock & Roll For Toopy,
Steve
It has been a while, hasn't it?
This weekend was fairly busy. Friday we had our mural presentation at our teacher's house where he made us blueberry pancakes and we watched everyone's presentations. Then Scott, our teacher, talked about segregation in Hyde Park for a long time. Apparently the university considered abandoning its campus during the early fifties when the neighborhood was beginning to change. (Imagine leaving all those beautiful gothic buildings to rot!) They decided to stay, eventually becoming the saving grace of this neighborhood. But of course, since no segregation story at all is pretty to listen to, Hyde Park's integration comes at a price. This neighborhood, being different (affluent) from the other neighborhoods, they try to keep themselves separate. Meaning that I never noticed it, but there are NO public basketball hoops anywhere in Hyde Park, except in a park near a high school somewhere southeast of where I live... and these hoops are taken down at night. Why? Because the Hyde Park community is taking precautions to keep younger people who might be wandering into the neighborhood with no strong ambitions at the moment, who might then start playing basketball, which might then stand around, which then lead them to become bored, which might then lead them to start trouble. In Hyde Park.
Friday I went to the Great American Six Flags, in Waukegan where my friend Ashly works and didn't have to spend any money, and was in a Zabel Sandwich most of that time. Saturday, I came back into Chicago on the Metra, got back to 1447 at one, left at 6:30 to see The Darjeeling Limited. (Pretty good, no Royal Tenenbaums, of couse. But there were some really touching moments) Got stuck in the middle of downtown Chicago on a Saturday night along with the rest of everyone else in the city, and the trip home on the 6 took forty minutes longer than it usually does.
And because I'm off-campus this semester, and because Drew is also off-campus (sabbatical), I have a stand-in advisor, Mareike Weith. Now, the problem here is that I'm not really a psychology major at all anymore. (I forgot/made a last minute decision to drop that major and didn't have time to switch to Sociology.) So now I have to explain to this woman that I don't really need her advice, and why I was to dumb to change my major.
But here's my potential schedule:
Social Research (MWRF, 9-10) Dimeji Togunde (Required for sociology majors)
Men & Masculinities (TR, 3-4:30) Scott Melzer
Introductory Geology (MWF, 12-1) Beth Lincoln (Science requirement)
LAB (W, 2-5) Also with Beth Lincoln
Social Psych: Soc Perspectives (TR, 10-12) Scott Melzer
Badminton & Tennis (TR, 1-2) Scott Frew
Now, I realize that I have two classes with Scott Melzer. Okay, I do like Scott Melzer. But is it really worth it? I have these modes and categories things to fill, after all. At the same time as Melzer's Men & Masculinities, my old friend in the anthropology department, Hadley Renkin is teaching:
Environmental Anthropology (TR, 3-4:30)
It fulfills the mysterious Environmental category. But it also seems interesting. I have to make that decision.
And Keith also talked me into applying for Summer FURSCA. I have to e-mail someone in the A&S department, probably Scott Melzer, and ask if they'll have me. I'm at a loss, I don't really know what I want to research but that I want to do it. The best thing is to just jump on it, I guess. I'm going to e-mail him very very soon.
Rock & Roll For Toopy,
Steve
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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