This Is Why I Teach

He's only seven.

You Know You' re Single When...

Saturday Night at Fridays

I was a little disappointed that I didn't get the photo with Ira Glass so I decided to drown my sorrows at TGI Fridays. While at the bar sipping a Mojito I sit next to this guy and his lady friend. To say the least, the woman was very entertaining and offered a lot of perspectives on life, love and what to do if you are pulled over by the cops and everyone in the car just happens to be high (I'm pretty sure the driver was sober, hopefully). Anyway, she makes this statement that kind of stuck with me. I don't know if it was the Mojito or it was actually really profound but she says, "boys do what they can; men do what they want."

Is this statement profound or do I need to stop over analyzing when drinking?

Sorry, No Pictures.

Mission impossible. I couldn't get the picture. However, he gave a great talk. He previewed the "This American Life" television show. It looked really good. Too bad I don't get Showtime.

On a Mission...

Ira Glass is coming to D.C. tonight. My mission- get a picture with Ira after his talk. Stay tuned to see if it happens.

I'm Changing My Blog Address and Title

I'm changing the title of my Blog. After much consideration and looking at numerous Blogs over the last few months, I've decided I need a change. I'll have the same stuff but different address and name. Come to the new site to find out what "living by the soul" means.

www.livingbythesoul.blogspot.com

Stacie

Sex, Money and Lies: Shame Parade

Last night I was watching "The Daily Show" and they had this clip (click on the title to watch the clip) about the wives who seem to stand by their men in the face of scandals. While I contend that none of us knows what happens behind closed doors, it amazes me how these women dutifully support their men in the face of trouble.

There could be a lot of explanations for this: loyalty, commitment and love. However, where do we draw the line in relationships? Maybe there isn't a line. Is this why I'm single?

Anyway, I say relationships because it extends both ways. I'm pretty sure that women have just as many indiscretions as men, however the "good old media" seems to always play up the idea of the morally loose man and the wife that stands by his side, which is problematic in a 100 different ways. We have the wife as the victim, the man taking the "high ground" by going on national T.V. and being "honest" about his wrongdoing and society looking on wondering whether or not their partner is doing the same thing to them.

Watch the clip, if anything it's funny.

What Not To Wear-The Black Edition

Two of my students put me on blast (I don't know if "blast" is still used. Forgive me. I'm old.) today. They said they were going to turn me in to the T.V. show "What Not To Wear" because of my wardrobe selections. While I consider myself to be a pretty up to date dresser, they commented that I always seem to "dress in black" and "don't you have some pink in your wardrobe?"

Well after this comment, I went home and looked in my closet. No, I don't own anything pink and yes probably 75% of what I own could be considered "dark". I'm not sure when this started, but I'm sure at one time I had more color in my wardrobe. I'm thinking mid 80's when neon was in.

The bottom line is that I like black. It's classy, hides certain flaws and it's one color you can wear after Labor Day. Maybe for the spring I'll try some color, but for now black is in...

I Know I'm a Nerd

The word nerd has been thrown around for ages. Some see it as a negative term; some see it as a positive. I for one see the word as a positive. While I can't ascribe to be the traditional textbook case, I can say some behaviors that I have exhibited over the years could be considered "nerdy". Take for example my love of books. While lately I've learned that many people as teenagers wanted books on their birthday, I can't help remembering getting the "side eye" from a few family members and friends about this request. I'm not sure this would officially make me a nerd or just someone who loves books.

Anyway, I say all of this to put in a plug for This American Life. I absolutely love this show! It's a radio broadcast that's on NPR and over the last year or so has became one of the top podcast on itunes. Each week they choose a theme and do different stories on those themes. For example, one of my favorites is on Chicago's first African-American mayor (see podcast 11/9/07 "Harold") or the podcast "Houses of Ill Repute" (see podcast 2/2/07). The show has become so popular that it is now a show on Showtime.

I guess the appeal for me is that it is story telling at its best. We not only hear the story from the author but from the author's characters as well. In a world so caught up with "scripted reality," here is an example of reality in the purest sense of the word. So check it out, let me know what you think.

Here is the info for the web-site: www.thislife.org. You can catch a new podcast every week on their web-site or itunes. The best part is that it's free!!!!

So does this officially make me a nerd?