The highest point in Pennsylvania (which is supposedly a "mountain") is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
I learn all of these interesting tidbits in Uncle John's Bathroom Readers, but it is rare that I remember to post them here. One a day should keep y'all happy, right?
I do like to use the word "y'all." I'm not sure why. I wasn't as fond of it when I lived in Texas.
Today was a good day. I slept in. When I got to work, I took care of some phone calls and e-mails, ran around and talked to people, did work work, and then finished my homework. Analyzing "how to" articles was a lot of fun. When I analyzed the book and music reviews, my brother said, "you're analyzing an analysis." Well, yeah. That's what silly English majors do. We thrive on that kind of thing. I'm more in the mood to create actually NEW knowledge, but it helps to understand what's already there, know the conventions, that sort of thing.
Class was good, working out was good, and dinner at my husband's store was good. We'll be going to our favorite local restaurant Friday. His plan is to just have a few tapas and margaritas; we'll see how hungry I am and if my parents are coming. Steve sort of wants to get sloshed so we will be walking instead of driving
Potential assignments for the weekend: write a restaurant review on our favorite place. Pros: it's awesome and tasty and I can read lots of Ruth Reichl for "research." Cons: everybody in my class has been there, so it won't be as fun when it is critiqued in class. I could alternately do a book review. Pros: I like books. Cons: I haven't read any really new books lately. Hey, I could do ER's Jew Girl, which all of you should think about reading But Mama did a pretty good job of that already. I could review other books, but what would be my commercial audience if reviews have already been written? We shall see.
Alternately, I could write a "how-to" essay. Pros: they're really fun to read. Cons: I have no idea what to write about. Any ideas?
The verdant mist this evening as I walked across campus was absolutely gorgeous. I felt very alive. My canteloupe are doing well, and my zucchini seeds have finally germinated and poked their heads out of the soil. I was afraid I had drowned them, but they are hardy (hearty?) plants. I talked to them, breathing right into the soil, telling them I was sorry and hoping they would come up. I guess the carbon dioxide and/or the positive energy helped. I want to get them in the ground between tomorrow and Sunday. We'll see how that goes when Stevie mows the lawn.
Other weekendish projects: finish moving the garage into the basement, hack at the shrubbery, organize the last two semesters of graduate school stuff into free binders. Or not.
Sounds tooo much like my own country ten years ago....
Was that Bald Mike Gotta love the yes-it's-probably-a-smear-campaign line, then she goes on to say he's probably a Muslim and goes on to follow the party line...Fox "news" party, that is As for the dude who says he comes from a long line of Democrats...they were called DIXIEcrats in my day, from a long line of lynchers who wasn't for freeing the slaves in the first place.
My boyfriend is from PA and I am originally from CO and I make fun of the "mountains" up in PA all the time :P
The heck you say! I do too live on a Mountain in Pennsylvania! N'yah! lol
Considering you just bought and set up your house not too long ago, you could write a how-to on that. I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in something like that.
Ask if it really needs to be your favorite place and see if the prof won't allow you to do a review on a restaurant you have never been to before. It could be the start of something.
Those mountains in PA are in the same chain as those we have in TN. What they lack in height has been taken away by age. Geologists say the Appalachian are the oldest mountains in the country.
"Analyzing 'how to' articles was a lot of fun. When I analyzed the book and music reviews, my brother said, 'you're analyzing an analysis.' Well, yeah. That's what silly English majors do." You just analyzed your analysis of the analysis ;) Books? How about the stellar semi-comedic writings of P.J. O'Rourke? He's pretty good. A good how-to would be one of writing web-journals that don't suck, and what makes them good. Write what you know. It's very sad, but that's one reason that particular state is only worth 3 electoral votes. p.s. it's hardy. The meal you make of them will be hearty (I bet).
These Were Expensive
That video is very sad. It's ridiculous and it makes me feel like idiocracy made me feel.
I think it would be interesting to review an album because then you could get something new that you've never heard before and have no preconceived notions about. Listen a few times and then write. It could be interesting.
As far as how-to essays go, my friend Matt used to write yoga how-to descriptions for job interviews for technical writing jobs. He never got one, but it always seemed like a great way to distinguish yourself as able to write about complex things.
I enjoy thinking about coming to your house to go to the delicious restaurant near you. It sounds delightful. I also enjoy remembering your husband sloshed. He's so fun.
I just wrote your brother another book on his post.... it's a good thing I have at least one or two friends on here that aren't members of your family else I'd seem like a wannabe!
I suppose I have a lot of expertise in packing and moving, but... people have been asking me "how's your house coming along?" and I don't know what to say. It didn't need a lot of work when we moved in. We moved our furniture in, we're slowly collecting artwork and replacing furniture, and the big thing that I'll be "working on" is the garden. Other than that, it's all done. People told me to take my time, but it doesn't feel like I've rushed things. We're just settled.
I can definitely look at a restaurant I've never been to. There's a newish restaurant I went to once, but the research won't be as "fun." Despite the Appalachians being ancient babies that I like to softly laugh at, I do think they're gorgeous hills PA is one of my favorite states to drive through.
*and Steve stumbles around the house, threatening to crash into things made of glass* I like writing novels to my brother, too. He's a good egg.
I thinking more along the lines of the whole house buying and utilities set up. Many of the people in your class might still be living in apartments or living with their parents. You could go through how you found your house, what steps you had to go through to buy it, setting up your utilities, and finally moving in.
" La fin justifie les moyens " !!!
don't know what's going on tomorrow yet. i hit that pottery store again, got more herbs and vegies. no yarn store, so i was sort of good! gotta go make fake enchileda's then play in the dirt. and try to move my music - all by myself!
Oy, check out the busybody in the yellow t-shirt. We're all free to choose who we want, but making a choice based on that kind of determined ignorance and hypocrisy frightens me.
How about a how-to recipe? or better yet, go for the humor and write a silly "how to royally screw up a recipe for [dish of your choice]".
Yum, tapas!!! <3
Good gravy the racism the still exists is coming out full force these days. I just hope it doesn't come to the point that if you don't go Obama then you're a racist type of thing. That would terrible. But I saw a vid on Digg too that made it mighty clear that a ton of folks aren't being shy about their ignorance. It's going to be a very interesting election. At least the neo-cons are going to be unhappy. Hee!
How-to essay hunh? Those are fun when done with whimsy. How to avoid exercise? I don't need help there though
The evening sounds very good over there.
I have had the alarming realization that two people in my life are racist. I can only think that it stems from the inability to fully love themselves.
Dear Emily,
I'm at work so have the speakers off. Looks like a newsbite. I don't watch television news at all, and I have only read about the campaigns on the newsfeeds and in the paper. I can ascertain from the comments that the newsbite is about racism, which will never go away, sad to say. Believe it or not, we were all "born black". The human race began in an area around east Tanzania. Since the area is near the equator, pigmentation was darker. As people migrated to colder and higher areas on the globe like England, Europe, and Scandinavia, skin color lightened. This is a real simplistic retelling of migratory patterns, but essentially, we are all "one race". As you know, racial tensions are so bitter between "tribal humans" that we have situations like what happened in Rwanda in the early 90s.
I use the word "y'all" as well. I also greet people with "howdy". And I've lived in Los Angeles for almost all of my life.
By the way, I absolutely loved that you wrote me "I can't say I've made the time to watch this latest video." That's how I would phrase it, not "I don't have the time...." a phrase which I absolutely hate. I know you pay attention. It's just a video of lots of old cars, but I am a bit upset that more people didn't check it out. More people were interested in seeing my exhaust myself walking around Silver Lake on the public staircases. Perhaps the next video (another Renaissance Faire entry) will be more popular.
I have an old textbook from one of my English Lit classes back in college about "criticism" in it's most pure sense, and basically, it's all analysis. And as you say, that's what "silly English majors do."
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
1,000 eProps!
psst, present for you, i'm unloading some stupid survey credits : )
But Mama did a pretty good job of that already. I could review other books, but what would be my commercial audience if reviews have already been written? We shall see. 
Comments (16)
Was that Bald Mike
Gotta love the yes-it's-probably-a-smear-campaign line, then she goes on to say he's probably a Muslim and goes on to follow the party line...Fox "news" party, that is
As for the dude who says he comes from a long line of Democrats...they were called DIXIEcrats in my day, from a long line of lynchers who wasn't for freeing the slaves in the first place.
As for your mother's criticism...it's always at the top of my site: and Newbies CLICK THIS (for the serious writing)...
Considering you just bought and set up your house not too long ago, you could write a how-to on that. I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in something like that.
Those mountains in PA are in the same chain as those we have in TN. What they lack in height has been taken away by age. Geologists say the Appalachian are the oldest mountains in the country.
You just analyzed your analysis of the analysis ;)
Books? How about the stellar semi-comedic writings of P.J. O'Rourke? He's pretty good.
A good how-to would be one of writing web-journals that don't suck, and what makes them good. Write what you know.
It's very sad, but that's one reason that particular state is only worth 3 electoral votes.
p.s. it's hardy. The meal you make of them will be hearty (I bet).
@EminemsRevenge -
Nah, the "Meeper" is a friend from college.@harmony0stars -
I suppose I have a lot of expertise in packing and moving, but... people have been asking me "how's your house coming along?" and I don't know what to say. It didn't need a lot of work when we moved in. We moved our furniture in, we're slowly collecting artwork and replacing furniture, and the big thing that I'll be "working on" is the garden. Other than that, it's all done. People told me to take my time, but it doesn't feel like I've rushed things. We're just settled.@History_Nut -
I can definitely look at a restaurant I've never been to. There's a newish restaurant I went to once, but the research won't be as "fun." Despite the Appalachians being ancient babies that I like to softly laugh at, I do think they're gorgeous hills@aliashope -
*and Steve stumbles around the house, threatening to crash into things made of glass* I like writing novels to my brother, too. He's a good egg." La fin justifie les moyens " !!!
How about a how-to recipe? or better yet, go for the humor and write a silly "how to royally screw up a recipe for [dish of your choice]".
Yum, tapas!!! <3
How-to essay hunh? Those are fun when done with whimsy. How to avoid exercise? I don't need help there though
The evening sounds very good over there.
Dear Emily,
I'm at work so have the speakers off. Looks like a newsbite. I don't watch television news at all, and I have only read about the campaigns on the newsfeeds and in the paper. I can ascertain from the comments that the newsbite is about racism, which will never go away, sad to say. Believe it or not, we were all "born black". The human race began in an area around east Tanzania. Since the area is near the equator, pigmentation was darker. As people migrated to colder and higher areas on the globe like England, Europe, and Scandinavia, skin color lightened. This is a real simplistic retelling of migratory patterns, but essentially, we are all "one race". As you know, racial tensions are so bitter between "tribal humans" that we have situations like what happened in Rwanda in the early 90s.
I use the word "y'all" as well. I also greet people with "howdy". And I've lived in Los Angeles for almost all of my life.
By the way, I absolutely loved that you wrote me "I can't say I've made the time to watch this latest video." That's how I would phrase it, not "I don't have the time...." a phrase which I absolutely hate. I know you pay attention. It's just a video of lots of old cars, but I am a bit upset that more people didn't check it out. More people were interested in seeing my exhaust myself walking around Silver Lake on the public staircases. Perhaps the next video (another Renaissance Faire entry) will be more popular.
I have an old textbook from one of my English Lit classes back in college about "criticism" in it's most pure sense, and basically, it's all analysis. And as you say, that's what "silly English majors do."
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool