Male upspeak…
…is on the upswing. I’ve noticed it among the young. I’m a woman, but I’m not an upspeaker. That’s because I’m old. And very opinionated. Polite, but opinionated. And I don’t like upspeak, in men or women.
Continue reading →Category Archives: Me, myself, and I
Arms are pretty important things
Here’s an interesting article by Miles O’Brien about what it’s like living with only one arm after his had to be amputated. Fortunately I haven’t had that experience. But readers of this blog may be aware that about 25 years … Continue reading →
You may have noticed…
…that for the last couple of days I haven’t put up any of those lighter posts I often write. I have been so tremendously upset by what has been happening during the trifecta of doom—the Bergdahl exchange, the border children, … Continue reading →
Lactose and me
People often claim they’re lactose intolerant. But few people know for sure because few people have been tested for it. I am one of those lucky, lucky few. For some reason (sadism?), a doctor subjected me to the test many … Continue reading →
Another oldie but goodie
Lesley Stahl interviews her mother. How old do you think her mother is?: She’s 95. Astounding. What a lovely woman! My mother, born a few years earlier than Ruthy Stahl, also called the refrigerator the icebox. And I, quite a … Continue reading →
The boy she loves is a Romeo
Want a break from politics? Let’s take a look at that 1965 song “Back in My Arms Again,” one of my favorites by the Supremes. Note how subtle and classy the sexuality of their performance is compared to today’s pop … Continue reading →
You had me at hello
I remember reading decades ago about how quickly we judge people when we first meet them. Yes or no, stay or move on? This 1986 book said the judgments all happen within four minutes, but my impression is that it’s … Continue reading →
Why dance films and videos don’t really work all that well
Whenever I write about dance, I’m handicapped by the fact that all I can offer is a video and some words, and perhaps a few still photos. That’s better than nothing. But it doesn’t even begin to compare with seeing … Continue reading →
New math
Ace writes about Common Core math pedagogy: Common Core needlessly complicates the simple. They complicate the simple, supposedly, to impart “number sense” to kids, to get them to understand not just that 9 +3 = 12, but why 9 + … Continue reading →
The war on e-cigarettes…
…reminds me of the war on little schoolkids making gun gestures with their hands. Instead of worrying about the thing itself, people are worrying about a simulacrum of the thing. Why would people who are against smoking because of its … Continue reading →
Are you hangry?
Nothing much happens to me when I get hungry except that I get hungry. But some people are different: they get angry and pick fights. Indeed. I know that quite well because I’ve been closely and even at times intimately … Continue reading →
The perfect jelly bean
There is only one jelly bean worth eating at Easter or any other time of year. No, not those weirdly flavored “gourmet” Jelly Bellys (I consider the term “gourmet jelly bean” to be an oxymoron). The traditionalist in me abhors … Continue reading →