tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51886352011-04-21T14:39:38.452-05:00Kitchen Sink Realism, the Dangers of Domesticity, Clever Monkeys and Other Wild Animals, thirtysomething Ennui, and MoreMelissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.comBlogger3011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1151184284354859922006-06-24T16:20:00.000-05:002006-06-24T16:24:44.356-05:00

Reported by Adam:He and the kids were watching a tape of the Ultimate Avengers movie yesterday. At the beginning, there's a scene in which Captain America is leading a raid on a Nazi base. Just as the head Nazi was revealed as a shape-shifting monster, Drew (9) exclaimed, "Dad! Look! SPACE NAZIS! And they're reptoids!"Alec (2 1/2): "CAP'N AMEHCA KILL SPACE NAZIS! I YIKE CAP'N AMEHCA!"Franny (6)

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1151184011652763072006-06-20T16:12:00.000-05:002006-06-24T16:20:11.663-05:00

I was driving home from work today (in rush hour traffic), and a couple pulled up beside me and honked loudly and repeatedly. I was on the phone (using my headset - don't give me grief!) and trying to drive, and also peering through my window and theirs to read the sign/note they were holding up (I thought there might be something wrong with my car), and damn near had an accident in the process

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1138419694465350652006-01-27T21:36:00.000-06:002006-01-27T21:41:34.483-06:00

Torture, trafficking in women, holding prisoners indefinitely without trials, illegal spying on our own citizens. Still "proud to be an American"? Read this: "Documents Show Army Seized Wives As Tactic"In one documented instance, a mother of 3 young children, including a nursing 6-month-old, was detained for 2 days. For those of you who've never nursed, if you have a nursing infant, your

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1134273343220443612005-12-10T21:52:00.000-06:002005-12-10T21:59:35.263-06:00

I know I'm behind the times, but I can't stop boggling about this article from last week's Salon about Total 180, the new magazine for mothers who've chosen to stay at home with their kids (if you're not a subscriber, you'll have to watch a short ad). I should say that I haven't read the magazine, so of course, I don't have the full picture, but just the remarks from co-founder Debbie Klett made

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1132585737195389022005-11-21T09:01:00.000-06:002005-11-21T09:08:57.196-06:00

Looks like Bush and Co. may be upping their surveillance of journalists and others who have been criticial of the administration. And the "free world" isn't as free as it used to be. Does that make you feel safer? (Hey, don't blame me, I didn't vote for him!)I've said this many times, and I'm going to keep saying it: dissent is an essential part of the democratic process. Criticism of the

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1132585192012110492005-11-21T08:56:00.000-06:002005-11-21T08:59:52.023-06:00

Because Adam tagged me for this:Two Names You Go By1. Melissa2. MelTwo Parts of Your Heritage1. Greek2. IrishTwo Things That Scare You1. My kids getting hurt (this was Adam's answer as well)2. FailureTwo Everyday Essentials1. Hot tea (also one of his answers)2. Time to readTwo Things You Are Wearing Right Now1. Glasses (black, rectangle-shaped plastic frames)2. One of Adam's wool sweatersTwo of

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1131646990697676392005-11-10T12:20:00.000-06:002005-11-10T12:23:10.700-06:00

I haven't read Maureen Dowd's new book, but I have read the excerpt that was posted in the New York Times last week. Reading it was like reading an anthropological study about life on another planet -- it had that little to do with my real life experiences. Dowd's complaint seems to be that feminism didn't cure all the world's ills and instantaneously raise every woman in America's consciousness

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1131334440242994822005-11-06T21:27:00.000-06:002005-11-06T21:34:00.243-06:00

We busily busied all weekend. The summary:Watched: On Friday night, the big kids and I watched The Mask of Zorro - Drew and I had seen it before, but it was Fran's first time. We all enjoyed it immensely - the fight scenes are really wonderful, and I have to admit I really like Banderas as Zorro. I've heard mixed things about the sequel (Salon gave it a glowing review, but other reviewers were

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1131334036092542132005-10-30T21:25:00.000-06:002005-11-06T21:27:16.093-06:00

It's been a busy weekend - Fran had a soccer game bright -n- early yesterday morning, and Will and Merideth and their kids came over in the afternoon. and we made pizza and caramel apples. Today my mom took me and the big kids to see Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Wererabbit (which was hysterical) and we carved our jack o'lantern and roasted pumpkin seeds (mmmmm) and now I'm getting

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1131333873488581542005-10-21T21:18:00.000-05:002005-11-06T21:24:33.500-06:00

I think my microwave (a late 70's built in model) is dead - I just tried to heat up a leftover quesadilla and, while it came on as normal, the usual whrrrr sound it makes was much louder, and almost immediately I started smelling an ozone-y burning smell. So I turned it off, and sure enough the quesadilla was still stone cold. I guess it's a good thing I only ever use it for heating up

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1129138576557778472005-10-12T12:27:00.000-05:002005-10-12T13:09:48.790-05:00

My October column is up at austinmama.com.I just took two loaves of bread out of the oven, and there's applesauce cooking in the crockpot. In a bit, I'm going to start the turkey broth for the turkey and rice soup we're having for dinner. . .(But before that, there willl be a big pot of Earl Grey tea and bread and butter and honey.)Outside my window, there's an enormous gossamer spider's web

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1128619450738062592005-10-06T12:15:00.000-05:002005-10-06T12:24:22.470-05:00

Yeah, there are finally a few leaves falling, although what passes for "fall color" in Austin leaves a lot to be desired. But the sidewalks are strewn with acorns and pecans, and today the high is 76, so it must be fall! (After several late September days well over 100, I'll take whatever I can get.)I've been engaging in a frenzy of fall cleaning, converting the back half of our living room,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1128618839654848702005-09-20T12:11:00.000-05:002005-10-12T12:25:21.176-05:00

Last week, we let the big kids stay up and watch Survivor: Guatemala (the first season they've been allowed to watch it). Franny kept getting it confused with Lost (which they are most emphatically not allowed to watch). When it was over, she asked, "Next week, can we watch more Lost Guacamole? Last night, on the way to Cub Scouts, Drew was talking about how he wanted to do archery. He stopped

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1127167328676410242005-09-19T16:56:00.000-05:002005-09-19T17:02:08.683-05:00

Adam went back to work today, so my convalescence is officially over, although I'm still trying to take it easy. I actually feel so much better than I expected to at this point - I'm still sore, and I think my synthroid dose needs some tweaking (good thing I have an appointment with the endocrinologist tomorrow!), but I already feel so much better than I did before the surgery. I'm still having

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1126615883533709922005-09-13T07:28:00.000-05:002005-09-13T07:56:14.330-05:00

Adam tagged me for this meme a million years ago. Since I'm trying to sit down and not do too much, I thought I'd finally post it here. . .1. Where I was ten years ago:Starting my third year of graduate school. My marriage was rocky and we were both drinking way too much. I'd had a miscarriage the previous spring, and a close friend from grad school had been killed in a car accident 2 months

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1126557337069484622005-09-12T14:47:00.000-05:002005-09-12T15:36:43.826-05:00

I've been collecting links for a while and this is a general omnibus of good information on what happened and how you can help. . .Ways to helpAdam posted a pretty comprehensive list of reputable charities A few additional ones I like:Modest Needs (an organization that provides help to the working poor/those who make too much to qualify for other aid but who experience short term financial

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1126554435922456302005-09-12T14:32:00.000-05:002005-09-12T14:47:15.926-05:00

I had my throat slit last week, and I'm only just beginning to recover. No worries - it was a planned procedure. I've been having problems with my thyroid for years (it tended towards high, but would occasionally swing low, so it was difficult to treat), and after some kind of dicey test results, my endocrinologist reccomended that I have it out. The procedure itself isn't particularly

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1124276868491785792005-08-17T06:00:00.000-05:002005-08-17T06:07:48.493-05:00

My August column is out - about growing up bookish. . .Due in part to extra prep the night before (I am learning), the first day of school went very smoothly. Everyone got up, got dressed, and ate breakfast with a minimum of fuss. We only left about 5 minutes late and made it about 5 minutes before the tardy bell (so 20 minutes or so of walking). Got Franny settled, dropped by and met Drew's

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1124126973228449312005-08-15T12:28:00.000-05:002005-08-15T12:29:33.233-05:00

Phone calls with doctors' office and Adam, trying to get insurance sorted for dr. visit tomorrow: 7Hours since the first kid woke up: 6Spats/squabbles broken up: 5Spills and messes mopped/wiped up: 4 (milk [twice], chocolate syrup, and muddy water)Changes of clothes for Alec (who just today learned how to take off all his clothes and his diaper): 3Changes of clothes for Franny: 2Calls to poison

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1124115935265113072005-08-15T09:14:00.000-05:002005-08-17T06:00:10.736-05:00

Ayelet Waldman tells (Attachment) parents to Mind your own kids. Waldman must have been missing the hate mail. . .Honestly, although (like Waldman) I lean more towards the AP end of the parenting spectrum, I agree with her: we all have to make our own choices, based on what's best for our families, and (barring true abuse or neglect) everyone else should just keep their noses out of it. I've

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1124036962862003162005-08-14T11:22:00.000-05:002005-08-14T11:29:22.870-05:00

AKA, first world problems of the highest order. . .When I got my laptop (a hand-me-down from one of Adam's gaming friends), there was an intermittent problem with it recognizing the power cord. Occasionally it would switch to battery, but if you jiggled the cord a bit, it would switch back and all was well. Adam's friend said there was a loose connector that needed to be soldered - he figured

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1123989435819541092005-08-13T22:14:00.000-05:002005-08-13T22:17:15.826-05:00

On Thursday night, after Drew and Fran's back to school night (which went well - Fram has the same fabulous kindergarten teacher Drew had, and Drew's teacher seems nice), I went for a walk. I got a wild hair and started walking toward the school. In the past when I've tried to walk to the school, I've taken a different route, and it's appeared to be at least 30 minutes one way, walking fast.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1123779553110298892005-08-11T11:56:00.000-05:002005-08-11T11:59:13.110-05:00

Alec is two years old today, although it hardly seems possible. He's in full-on toddler mode - talking and running and bailing toilet water onto the bathroom floor every chance he gets.This means it's been nearly two years since I regularly updated this blog. Several times I've said that I was going to make more of an effort to post here, but it always falls by the wayside. But I think I'm

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1123779358261657532005-08-10T10:25:00.000-05:002005-08-11T11:55:58.263-05:00

In my continued fight against my sedentary lifestyle, after dinner, Fran and I walked to the store to get a loaf of bread. It was slower going at a 5 year old's pace, but it gave us some much needed one on one time.Franny is starting to live in a "named world." She's moved beyond general categories (flower, bird, tree) into more specific labels - she recognizes the more common plants we see and

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1123779208693521122005-08-09T22:52:00.000-05:002005-08-11T11:53:28.693-05:00

Went out for a latish walk, and it was actually Not Hot. While I walked, the stars and the fireflies came out, and I could smell barbecue and sliced watermelon and freshly-mown grass. But when the wind blew the right way, I could hear the marching band practicing at the high school; football season's right around the corner. This morning was cool and damp, and foggy around Town Lake. It'll be

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1123779081725902362005-08-09T11:49:00.000-05:002005-08-11T11:51:21.726-05:00

My car is still in the shop, awaiting a new alternator, so I spent several hours in the car today, driving Adam to and from work (so that I'd have use of his car while he was gone). My chatty daughter loves it when this happens, because we're a captive audience for her monologues. This afternoon, she got on a kick about how she was going to start a band called Vampires Rock. Their first song

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1123778911582050062005-08-08T11:47:00.000-05:002005-08-11T11:52:14.140-05:00

Things I've lost (not a complete list):1. The Austin Public library book, Snake, due 8/2/2005 (it's got to be here somewhere!)2. My Madeleine Peyroux cd with "Dance Me to the End of Love" on it3. The silver and amber bracelet Adam bought in Montreal and gave me for Christmas in 19994. The name of the first boy I kissed5. The locket that once belonged to my father's only sister, who died when

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1112475668310082662005-04-02T14:56:00.000-06:002005-04-02T15:01:08.313-06:00

After having his head buried in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for a couple of days, Drew finished it late on Tuesday night (after getting a dispensation from me and Adam to stay up late - we know what it's like to be almost done with a book). Instead of going to bed, he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, handed the book to me and said, "Can I have book 2?" I promised he could have it

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1097760552445082792004-10-14T08:09:00.000-05:002004-10-14T08:29:12.446-05:00

It's been a crazy week. Drew's better (apparently it was some kind of intestinal parasite, because he hasn't had any problems with his stomach since he started the medicine), but Alec was sick on Tuesday (we haven't had one week since school started that at least one kid wasn't home sick from school). And Adam and I had an stupid little spat on Monday night that colored my whole day on Tuesday

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1097162431105167062004-10-07T10:12:00.000-05:002004-10-07T10:26:22.530-05:00

Let's try this again, shall we? I've been a bit overwhelmed and this blog has fallen by the wayside, but I'd like to try to revive it. But I feel like I've lost the trick of summing up my life in pithy little posts, so bear with me. Since the last time I posted, Alec has turned one, gotten lots of teeth and learned to walk. Franny's started pre-kindergarten and is learning to read, and Drew's

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1077035269484523682004-02-17T10:27:00.000-06:002004-10-07T10:11:47.760-05:00

Friday Five From Roganda: So Valentine's Day is coming up, and my impulse to be timely has overcome my dislike of mush, so today's question concerns love. "Love is omni-inclusive, progressively exquisite, understanding and tender and compassionately attuned to other than self." R. Buckminster Fuller. What are five ways that people in your life (any relation: child, parent, spiritual advisor,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1076459316287447322004-02-10T18:28:00.000-06:002004-02-10T18:31:02.483-06:00

Why Feminism Is Still Necessary Drew brought home a reader for his homework recently - it was a short book, published in 1998, about jobs, with typical children's book illustrations. The plot: A classroom of primary school age children make a list on the blackboard of their parents' jobs. Jobs and genders described or implied: 1. Primary school teacher (of the class making the list) - woman

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1076458315989961702004-02-10T18:11:00.000-06:002004-02-10T18:14:22.403-06:00

I'm Not Dead Well, here I am, back at last. Sorry for the long absence. I've been ten kinds of busy, and also kind of in retreat from my real life. Anyway, I'm going to try again to update my blog more regularly and do the Friday Fives. Not a lot of news since my last post - Franny had her birthday and is now 4, Alec is rolling over both ways and looks like he'll be crawling soon, and Drew's

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1071618344133498642003-12-16T17:45:00.000-06:002003-12-16T18:14:49.356-06:00

It Can't Happen Here I don't care if you're conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Green, all Americans need to take a long hard look at the Bush adminsitration and it's handling of political protests. There have been many reports of anti-war demonstrators being targeted by the Bush administration. Now there's This article from Salon about the police response to protests at

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1071594370574565432003-12-16T11:06:00.000-06:002003-12-16T11:07:22.780-06:00

Friday Five, On Tuesday Laura asked: What are your five most popular (or common, rather) home cures, Granny's Recipes or magic tricks even for curing or preventing any old disease? 1. Hot Salt Water - swished around in my mouth for canker sores, gargled for a sore throat. The trick is to get the water as hot as you can stand it, and very salty. I don't know if it actually cures anything,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1071184584689790342003-12-11T17:16:00.000-06:002003-12-11T17:17:30.576-06:00

Denial Two weeks to go until Christmas and I'm in deep denial. You see, we were counting on a big lump sum payment from Adam's job to pay for our Christmas this year, and due to some problems with the paperwork, it won't be here until early January. Meanwhile, we've had quite a few unexpected expenses in the past few months, so there's not a lot of fat in our budget to cover extras like

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1070986009071161912003-12-09T10:14:00.000-06:002003-12-09T10:14:46.700-06:00

Catch Up Between the holidays and Adam's vasectomy (warning potential tmi), I haven't been blogging as much as I'd like. So, a roundup of recommended links from the past week or so: Good stuff in Austinmama the past few weeks, including several articles from Friday Fivers: Last week, Adrienne had a wonderful article about family photographs and memories. This week, Merideth has a poignant

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1070640955063843132003-12-09T09:57:00.000-06:002003-12-09T09:57:15.233-06:00

Friday Five Rob's topic: Which five 'toys' at any time of your life have meant the most to you and why? (I stupidly posted this in draft form on Friday, and didn't realize it - sorry for the delay) Here's the thing, I really don't remember playing with toys that much as a kid. I learned to read when I was 3 and I pretty much read all the time from that point on. I remember playing with toys,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1070149831631991122003-11-29T17:50:00.000-06:002003-11-29T17:51:43.233-06:00

Friday Five Yeah, yeah, I'm late again. What can I say - it was a busy week. The special Thanksgiving Version of the Friday Five suggested by Marvin. 1. You've just sat down for you favorite holiday meal and you hear a knock on the door. It's Freddie Mercury in a tight white T-shirt and a gold lame halo—he offers to sing for his supper. What song(s) do you request and why? (Not necessarily

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069808523032268552003-11-25T19:02:00.000-06:002003-11-25T19:02:48.123-06:00

The Holiday Ramp Up This is the part where I admit that, for me, the holiday season begins on August 2 with my birthday, followed by: Alec's birthday, Adam's birthday, my mom's birthday, and Halloween. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're already deep into the holiday season (which is not a justification for the Christmas decorations that have been up since well before Halloween.) Anyway,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069534527894655772003-11-22T14:55:00.000-06:002003-11-22T14:56:07.030-06:00

New Friday Fivers Welcome to: Morgaine - Eclectic Waves Rik - Grey Area's Journal Fionna - Fionna's Journal

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069428334561777112003-11-21T09:25:00.000-06:002003-11-21T09:28:03.076-06:00

Survivor Spoilers They voted Rupert off! I can't believe it. I'm still going to watch, but now my motivation is to see how badly those lying jerks can be humiliated. I do hope that the "girls alliance" gets off the ground. Anyone who would trust Burton or Jon is an idiot. I'd love to see Christa or Sandra win it all, even though Sandra stupidly voted for Jon (what was she thinking? Even

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069420450767930862003-11-21T08:48:00.000-06:002003-11-21T08:48:57.110-06:00

Friday Five Nanette's Topic: "I work in the music business. Glamorous as this may sound, we are actually just two women in a home office in South Austin. Hipness, youth and cool factor are a common topic of conversation between me and my boss, i'm 35 and she's 39. We often remenisce about our cool groovy old days when we actually went out to see the kind of bands we work with and go to the

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069367506237653522003-11-20T16:31:00.000-06:002003-11-20T16:32:23.153-06:00

Angel 5.8 Spoilers! I'm so glad I wasn't spoiled for this. I can't believe they brought Lindsey back! And he's in cahoots with Eve. Wow. Not nearly enough of the flashbacks. If they're going to bring back Juliet Landau, I want to see her do more than play beard for Angel and Spike. The present day plot was dopey. Did anybody not get that Angel and Spike were being set up? Angel's

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069279908860084442003-11-19T16:11:00.000-06:002003-11-19T16:12:24.716-06:00

Stop the World. . . I want to get off. There's just too much to do, and not enough time to do it in, and it just keeps piling up, and I just want to stop everything until I get caught up. There's house stuff, and stuff for my job, and writing I want to get done, and It. Just. Never. Ends. Ok, taking a deep breath now. I'm going to try and take Ann Lamott's advice and take it "bird by bird."

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069265402410105012003-11-19T12:10:00.000-06:002003-11-19T12:10:38.076-06:00

Austin Mama This week's AustinMama.com is fabulous. In keeping with last week's Friday Five theme, C. Jeanette Tyson writes evocatively about food, family and the holidays. There's also a moving essay by Michelle Peterson about single parenthood which manages to perfectly convey the absolute terror you feel when your child goes missing, even for a few minutes.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069209472641380102003-11-18T20:37:00.000-06:002003-11-18T20:38:27.060-06:00

Alec, the Baby of the World As I write this, Alec is lying on a blanket next to me, staring up at the fan and cooing and laughing. On Sunday I saw a friend's baby who's 3 weeks old - the difference between that tiny newborn, and big, fat, alert Alec was astounding. Today's big news is that he's found his thumb, and it appears to make him very happy (for those keeping statistics, we had 1

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1069018327894852372003-11-16T15:32:00.000-06:002003-11-16T15:35:10.780-06:00

List-a-palooza Visit A List a Day for links to media lists. Recent lists include 40 Best Directors from The Guardian, a list of Edmonton drivers who've accumulated an excessive number of speeding tickets, and 25 tips for better tv watching. Great fun if you enjoy lists.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068921868448074152003-11-15T12:45:00.000-06:002003-11-15T12:45:12.483-06:00

This Comes as No Surprise I believe you belong in Pride and Prejudice; aworld of satire and true love. A world whereeverything is crystal clear to the reader, andyet where new things seem to be happening allthe time. You belong in a world where yourfree-thought puts you above the silly masses,and where bright eyes and intelligence areenough to attract the arrogantmillionaire/prejudiced young

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068915116030884792003-11-15T11:32:00.000-06:002003-11-15T11:32:41.996-06:00

The Campaign to Lynch Jessica Lynch In one of it's most scurrilous moves yet, the right wing has rushed to blackball former POW Jessica Lynch after it became common knowledge that the details of her capture and imprisonment were manufactured to boost support for the war. Subsequently, several important things have been revealed: 1. Lynch, while she did not behave inappropriately, did not

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068867318406776322003-11-14T21:35:00.000-06:002003-11-15T11:02:01.733-06:00

Welcome Julie! Rock and roll diva and provider of good links, Julie, now has her own blog and will be participating in the Friday Five. Check it out!

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068822071979455422003-11-14T09:44:00.000-06:002003-11-14T09:45:11.996-06:00

Friday Five Adrienne's Question: Lately, I've been thinking about food. It's something I think about a lot, granted, but this is more about food and place. For me, these conenctions are intense and evocative. The question: if you could travel back to any place you've lived (or, in a pinch, visited) and have just one meal in each location that reminded you of the time you spent there, what would

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068814463836161112003-11-14T06:54:00.000-06:002003-11-14T07:43:37.653-06:00

Survivor Spoilers! Every time I think Jon couldn't get more obnoxious, he does. On the other hand, Jeff Probst clearly dislikes him every bit as much as the rest of us do, and he can't even be bothered to try and hide it, so there's that. What was the line last night? "And another challenge Jon can't finish." Hee! Of course, nothing will ever be as funny as "Are you loaded?" delivered in

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068764734939033912003-11-13T17:05:00.000-06:002003-11-13T23:20:35.200-06:00

Random Thoughts About Angel 5.7 Spoilers for those who aren't caught up in the ME timeline! Avert your eyes, Will and Merideth! After my mild grousing yesterday? I loved this episode. Of course, I love Wesley so much that I'm bound to enjoy any episode that focuses on him. Alexis Denisof gave a really wonderful, subtle performance. It's amazing to think about what the writers have done

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068678350102903332003-11-12T17:05:00.000-06:002003-11-12T17:06:16.966-06:00

It's All My Fault Merideth's a fangirl and apparently it's all my fault. . . .

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068673388644990202003-11-12T15:43:00.000-06:002003-11-12T15:44:04.093-06:00

Grab Bag A little bit of this and that: Al Gore's speech in response to the limits Bush has placed on civil liberties. A very articulate, well-reasoned, and terrifying presentation. Check out this very cool new on-line literary magazine, Literary Mama, it reminds me of the old Salon section "Mothers Who Think," in that it's ostensibly for / about mothers, but it's actual appeal will extend

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068501301403618612003-11-10T15:55:00.000-06:002003-11-10T16:13:28.263-06:00

Snapshot of my Life I think I may have broken something in my foot. My ankle doesn't really feel sprained anymore, but there's an ugly bruise across the top of my foot, and when I put weight on it, I feel this sort of sickening, not-right, pain. Let's hope it's just a bad sprain, shall we? I'm spending way too much time writing and not enough time maintaining my life. I think Adam's about to

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068500764908636352003-11-10T15:46:00.000-06:002003-11-10T15:46:28.546-06:00

Obligatory Self Promotion My November column is up at Austinmama.com. I'm really pleased with this one - I think it captures the Southern Gothic atmosphere of my disfunctional family rather well. As always, your comments are commanded appreciated.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068500527193698012003-11-10T15:42:00.000-06:002003-11-10T15:42:30.873-06:00

New Friday Fivers A hearty welcome to Ritu and a belated but sincere welcome to Jon and Laura. It's great to have so many people participating. Except that I don't think I'll ever get to suggest a topic again. . . .

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1068304431710222762003-11-08T09:13:00.000-06:002003-11-08T09:29:10.343-06:00

Friday Five Gord's turn to suggest the topic: I've just thought of this question, and perhaps it will be torturously difficult to answer, but... I've been reading Kim Stanley Robinson's The Years of Rice and Salt, a stunning alternate history that raises many questions about history, religion, culture, meaning (and how humans make or find it)... and offers some beautifully thought-out answers

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1067996021940965592003-11-04T19:33:00.000-06:002003-11-04T19:35:07.326-06:00

The Agony and the Ecstasy Crazy day. As I was about to walk out the door to pick up Fran from school, carrying Alec in my arms, I tripped over a shoe someone had left in the middle of the floor and took a bad fall. It was one of those terrifying slow motion tumbles where I kept jerking around, trying to keep from dropping Alec. In the end, he bumped his head a bit on the bottom step of the

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1067642403820028552003-10-31T17:20:00.000-06:002003-10-31T17:20:14.810-06:00

Friday Five Craig's topic: "The biggest advantage to being a teacher is the time off in the summer. Yeah, the annual salary isn’t the best, but I get two friggin’ months off a year! Not to mention two weeks for Christmas, a week for Thanksgiving, Spring Break, and other assorted days off. If you were paid for two months of not going to work, what are five things you would do with your time off

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1067641710350869232003-10-31T17:08:00.000-06:002003-10-31T17:08:41.483-06:00

Update Sorry for my recent absence (and thanks to those who sent very kind emails). My grandfather died last week. The funeral was over the weekend, in East Texas, and between getting ready, the weekend itself, recovering from the weekend away from home, and, oh yeah, sick kids, I haven't had much blogging time. I really want to write about my grandfather, who was a truly wonderful man, but I

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1066400702866911442003-10-17T09:30:00.000-05:002003-10-17T09:31:34.496-05:00

Friday Five Gina asks: I don't have children myself, but I love to hear the knee-slappers that my godson, his siblings, and my nieces come out with. Or, for that matter, the "logic" espoused by the adults around them when speaking to them. To whit, what are the most amusing things you've ever heard in a household with children? 1. Drew: "It's against the law to eat people. Even in Paris,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1066134931968135762003-10-14T07:35:00.000-05:002003-10-14T07:35:31.796-05:00

Formula feeding guilt, or the lack thereof Interesting article from Dr. Jack Newman about why formula feeding gets a pass from doctors and healthcare professionals, who are usually very quick to guilt trip mothers for real or perceived parenting inadequacies, like smoking during pregnancy or co-sleeping. Newman has some very good points about how much the formula companies have invested in the

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1066074949977625162003-10-13T14:55:00.000-05:002003-10-13T14:55:50.173-05:00

Domestic Disturbance My October column is up at Austinmama.com. Go. Read. Comment. Also an excellent feature article by one of my favorite mama-writers, Katie Allison Granju.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1066052223759387872003-10-13T08:37:00.000-05:002003-10-13T08:37:03.436-05:00

Signs of the Coming Apocalypse? Ah-nuld elected governor of California. Redistricting passed by the Texas legislature. The continued career (even if it's just in those damn phone commercials) of Carrot Top. It's a scary world, boys and girls. Speculative Fiction authors comment on the new governor of CA - link courtesy of Bookslut. Harlan Ellison and Ursula Le Guin have the best responses.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065800862286387182003-10-10T11:21:00.000-05:002003-10-13T14:28:12.400-05:00

Friday Five Chris' Topic: "I want to expose my son to the very best literature as he grows up -- "best" being defined as "engaging his interest, challenging his intellect, and building his character." Based on your own life experiences, what five books would you recommend?" This question is problematic (and not because of any gender implications - I am quite certain that, aside from personal

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065619376913846752003-10-08T10:17:00.000-05:002003-10-08T10:17:20.490-05:00

Bar Baby Update I got an email from the owner of Casino el Camino yesterday, asking me to call him so he could apologize for the incident on Friday night. When we talked on the phone he was very apologetic and explained that it was the waitress' last day, so she no longer works there. The bartender had already let him know about what had happened on Friday night, and he was glad to hear from

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065616085436922182003-10-08T08:22:00.000-05:002003-10-08T08:22:04.533-05:00

New Book Slut After a month hiatus, Book Slut is back with a new issue. Highlights include an interview with Scott McCloud (See Merideth. See Merideth squee. Squee, Merideth, squee.), Jessa Crispin on Stranger in a Strange Land, the debut of a new column which will focus on banned or challenged books, and an open letter to mainstream reviewers of comics.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065442039357202752003-10-06T07:53:00.000-05:002003-10-06T08:04:03.186-05:00

You have a baby! In a bar. One of the things I enjoy about Austin is the laid back attitude towards infants and children. When my kids are babies I tend to take them everywhere with me under the theory that babies are just noisy luggage until about 9 months - they can't exactly get into trouble or make a scene, and if they start fussing you can always quiet them down by nursing them. Also, if

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065192645670732812003-10-03T11:14:00.000-05:002003-10-03T11:18:43.743-05:00

Friday Five Will's turn to suggest a topic: "Heinlein's Number of the Beast theorizes that all realities, even ours, come from someone else's imagination. And therefore, if you could learn to travel across dimensions it would be possible to find the worlds where every story occurred. The more fully realized story (and the better the story-teller) the more fully realized the world. So, What

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065130157412496332003-10-02T17:24:00.000-05:002003-10-02T19:02:15.290-05:00

Feminism Responsible for Bad Sex? It is according to a recent Salon article by Ann Marlowe (watch the ads, read the article, you know the drill). Marlow argues that feminism has triumphed, resulting in wimpy, feminized men who are incapable of sexually exciting women. She also claims that, because of feminism, couples no longer have intercourse, instead settling for oral sex in order to keep a

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1065130097780825072003-10-02T16:28:00.000-05:002003-10-02T16:28:17.550-05:00

I'm a Schmuck Due to the chaos in my life, I missed my dear friend Gina's birthday. I'm the Worst. Friend. Ever. Happy belated birthday, Gina - I'm glad it was a good one.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064922285892617532003-09-30T07:46:00.000-05:002003-09-30T08:05:31.233-05:00

The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay What a wonderful and readable book. It's rare to see a novel of such epic scope handled so deftly - the characters are beautifully drawn, the details are perfect, and the various themes, recurring images and metaphors are woven expertly into the story. I finished the novel last night, but I'm still half living in that world and wondering what

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064922263177014662003-09-30T07:37:00.000-05:002003-09-30T07:37:17.786-05:00

Congratulations to Austinmama.com! Voted "Best Local Webzine" by the Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064779568499762542003-09-28T15:06:00.000-05:002003-09-28T15:07:22.136-05:00

Cut Scene from Pirates of the Caribbean This is an interesting comment from one of the writers about a cut scene from PotC. The scene was designed to make Norrington's character more sympathetic and was cut due to post-production issues. I'm sorry the scene got cut - I agree that it would have added a lot to the movie.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064672770086133842003-09-27T09:26:00.000-05:002003-09-27T09:27:06.840-05:00

Welcome Nanette! Nanette has a new blog - Hello? Hello? Is there anybody there? She'll be joining us for the Friday Five, starting with this week's topic.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064598138106929332003-09-26T12:42:00.000-05:002003-09-26T12:45:06.113-05:00

Taking Control of My Life (Again) About this time last year, I made a decision to take control of my life and made some grand plans to organize the house, start exercising, get serious about my writing, etc. As a reward for my hubris, I got pregnant and all plans fell by the wayside. I did eventually get this blog started, and I'm writing more consistently than I ever have, so it wasn't a

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064581959455029522003-09-26T09:45:00.000-05:002003-09-26T12:46:54.410-05:00

Friday Five Everything starts somewhere Five things that are such an integral part of your life, you can't believe someone else introduced them to you. Topic suggested by Merideth 1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and by extension the work of Joss Whedon. I had seen the movie and thought it was funny, but had no interest in a weekly tv show, especially not on the WB network, notorious for it's

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064543816072106462003-09-25T21:36:00.000-05:002003-09-25T21:36:55.920-05:00

Adrienne's Been Holding Out On Us Some of you may remember that several months ago, Adrienne mentioned in the comments to some post or other that her house was going to be on a Do It Yourself show. Well, it was and she went a wrote an article about it and then didn't tell us. It's almost like she doesn't realize that Adam and I are stalking her. . . . Seriously, this article is a hoot - go

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-106454293743207392003-09-25T21:22:00.000-05:002003-09-25T21:22:17.430-05:00

Spiritual Leader or Evil Wizard? Separated at birth? Link courtesy of Andrew Sullivan's Daily Dish.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064535833348657492003-09-25T19:23:00.000-05:002003-09-25T20:50:43.816-05:00

More on Marriage The Top 10 Reasons Men Avoid Marriage according to a new report from the National Marriage Project of Rutgers University. How come nobody ever asks women why they don't want to get married?

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064519230129157972003-09-25T14:47:00.000-05:002003-09-26T01:58:54.446-05:00

martinimade Notorious Austinmama.com columnist and well-known commentatory on this and many other fine blogs, Adrienne Martini, now has a blog. Rumor has it she'll also be participating in the infamous Friday Five.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064496530623967722003-09-25T14:39:00.000-05:002003-09-25T15:00:17.163-05:00

This Thing Called Love In response to recent posts about love, Gina posts eloquently and sincerely about her soul mate, leading me to feel like the most cynical of old married ladies. Do the realities of day to day life chip away at our grand passions? Or do they pull us closer together? I suppose for most couples, both answers are true. In the 15 years Adam and I have been together, our

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064437935381123232003-09-24T16:12:00.000-05:002003-09-24T16:12:15.376-05:00

Serendipity in c Dave is having a rather romantic day at work. . . . And it appears that Dave's blog also has a permalink problem - must be something with blogger. Anyway, take the time to scroll down to Dave's entry entitled Ho Hum - it's hysterical.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064437276022047472003-09-24T16:01:00.000-05:002003-09-24T16:03:36.070-05:00

In Just Seven Days, I Can Get You a Man According to this yahoo article, single professional women are rushing to buy this new bestselling book - Find a Husband After 35 Using What I Learned at Harvard Business School - which offers 15 steps guaranteed to help women find a mate, all based on the author's experience in marketing. Maybe I'm the wrong person to comment on this, since I'm married

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064435814815771242003-09-24T15:36:00.000-05:002003-09-24T15:45:58.520-05:00

Agency and Influence Great post from Merideth today regarding memory lapses and the contradictory impulses to be independent in our own lives and yet exert great influence on others. (For some reason I'm having a hard time linking directly to the post - Merideth is there something wrong with your permalinks?)

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064416962378050542003-09-24T10:22:00.000-05:002003-09-24T10:22:45.336-05:00

I fear for our future Craig's list of things he's "learned" during his students speeches scares me - how old are these kids? Of course, when I taught Acting for Nonmajors at the University of Texas, I had some equally clueless students, and they were in college. I had an entire class who not only didn't know, but refused to believe me when I told them, that the father's contribution of an X

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064359111615264532003-09-23T18:18:00.000-05:002003-09-23T18:18:31.616-05:00

Lessons Learned from my Study of Literature This McSweeney's list is hysterical. . . .

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-106435902417608672003-09-23T18:17:00.000-05:002003-09-23T18:17:04.193-05:00

Fall I'm probably going to jinx us all to another month of hot weather by saying this, but it's beginning to feel like fall. We've had the windows open for several days and the mornings have been cool enough that I've wished I wasn't wearing shorts. By this point in the year, I'm always ready for cooler weather, but I'm more than ready this year. I spent all of last winter, spring and summer

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-106425345285203582003-09-22T12:57:00.000-05:002003-09-22T15:05:59.560-05:00

Shaken and Stirred Adrienne's new column is up at Austinmama.com. While you're there read this week's feature article - Where the Hell's My Village? - about the author's recent move to Austin and the isolation she feels trying to meet other cool moms. I'm tempted to email her and see if she wants to get together, but, based on her description of the moms she's "stalking," I'm afraid I'm not

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064250601644764722003-09-22T12:10:00.000-05:002003-09-22T12:10:01.730-05:00

One more Friday Five Response Gord has joined us for last Friday's topic (and I hope he'll continue to do so - you don't need an engraved invitation, Gord!).

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064238347456462332003-09-22T08:45:00.000-05:002003-09-22T12:11:26.836-05:00

Cliches and Stereotypes and Magical Black Men, Oh My! Craig recently wrote an interesting post about "Magical Black Men" movies. He seems to feel that they're a well-intentioned if slightly boneheaded attempt on Hollywood's part to make up for our racist past. Adam replied with a reminder that Hollywood is focused on profits rather than social commentary and that he thinks the genre is so

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064234988770498982003-09-22T07:49:00.000-05:002003-09-22T07:49:48.416-05:00

Joss Whedon Info The fine folks at Whedonesque (a group blog devoted to the work of Joss Whedon) have put together a WhedonWiki. It's chock full of useful information about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and the Fray comic book.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064137128378456612003-09-21T04:38:00.000-05:002003-09-21T04:38:48.186-05:00

More Poetry Will's response to Merideth's poem.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064135514634727922003-09-21T04:11:00.000-05:002003-09-21T04:12:34.800-05:00

Speaking of Heinlein. . . . You belong in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Youvalue freedom above all else. You would fightand die for your family and your home. Which Heinlein Book Should You Have Been A Character In? brought to you by Quizilla

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064086524358202252003-09-20T14:35:00.000-05:002003-09-20T14:46:41.636-05:00

Stories "A word after a word after a word is power." -Margaret Atwood I've been thinking about the ways the stories we tell ourselves create and change the meaning of our lives. Humans are by nature narrative creatures - it's nigh unto impossible for any of us to simply say "this happened." We have to add why we think it happened and what happened before and after, and, as likely as not, a

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064070537286974932003-09-20T10:08:00.000-05:002003-09-20T10:08:57.376-05:00

Renovations Adam took the big kids to the YMCA so he could workout, and Alec is snoozing, so I'm taking a few moments to add some features and links to my blog. Here's what's new: You can now rate this blog with bloghop. The green smiley face on the left is "love it," the red sad face on the right is "hate it," and the stuff in between is gradations between the two. Please take a moment to

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5188635.post-1064017058909085252003-09-19T19:17:00.000-05:002003-09-19T19:17:38.850-05:00

Recent Searches That Led to This Blog your words (Yahoo) - #10 words pirates use (Google) - #5 use of words 'in' and 'on " (Google) - #1 theatre OR theater "blog" playwright (Google) - #10 +episcopal +reason +rationalization +feeling (Google) - #7 baby sandmans sleep secret (CNN Websearch )

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11948117154340851149noreply@blogger.com0