the world is your acorn

I went to try and give blood this afternoon, but was deferred due to a mosquito bite on my arm vein. The lady asking me the “is your blood good enough for us” questions saw it, then looked at my other arm, and decided she needed to consult with someone else to see if they could do it today. I was paranoid that they think I’m shooting up, since it is a weird looking mosquito bite that I’ve been scratching pretty relentlessly all week. After two more ladies came in to look at my bite and squeeze and tap my other arm, they decided they couldn’t poke the bite arm or coax the vein to the surface of my other arm. I was sent home with a gi-normous t-shirt which I tried to decline but got peer pressured into taking anyway. I hope my file isn’t red flagged with “junkie” now.

I went to a panel on the vote no on 1 issue at the medical school yesterday. It was packed, the response mostly positive, and it was neat to see how the other half lives for an hour. However, I came away with this weird feeling of dissatisfaction with education programs as compared to medical schools.

Maybe I’m generalizing, but it really seems that doctors are trained as care-takers in their schooling, not just as health professionals. When the doctors on the panel spoke they really talked to the med students as future doctors who concern themselves with not just physical health, but social justice as well. It seems obvious to me that teachers should be prepaired in the same way, with social issues as a central concern in the curriculum. However, that isn’t how it is. Future teachers are expected to be competent in disciplinary content and pedagogical strategies. Somehow the humanity of what we do is de-emphasized and forgotten along the way.

I’m sure some of the folk in the business of teacher preparation will disagree with me, but there was definitely a vibe at this medical school panel that I never get across the street in the education departments.

Let’s just say you are a student in a class with, oh let’s say, 6 people in it. Hypothetically speaking. This hypothetical class might take place in a small classroom, and everyone might sit around a table. I don’t care what your issue is, it is RUDE and distracting for everyone else if you decide to start a loudly whispered conversation with your neighbor. Especially if said loud whispers are actually low voices that we can all hear. If you have a question about what is going on, ask so we all get the benefit of your ignorance. There are only 7 people in the whole room, for crying out loud.
Jeeze.

So what if I have mounds of reading and other work to do? I can’t stop doing this.

This Saturday, September 16th is statewide Wear your Vote No On 1 Button day! There’s no easier way to help the cause than just wear the button. You can get one at the office at 1709 Church St. in Nashville. There are tons of people who just don’t know what is going on. If you’re one of those people, here is my quick take on it:

• There is a proposed amendment defining marriage as strictly between a man and a woman for the state constitution of TN. The amendment will be on the ballot this September.
• Gay marriage is already illegal in the state of TN. This amendment simply makes it a constitutional issue, which is inappropriate. Really, gay marriage is being treated as a political toy.
• Without even debating the issue of gay marriage, we have to consider whether we want the first amendment ever to the state constitution of Tennessee to reflect discrimination and a restriction of rights. Whether we want the first amendment ever to the state constitution of Tennessee to be one that targets a certain group of people, to be one that dictates morality, to be one that defines a largely religious, economic, and cultural institution.

Obviously there is more. You can learn more about it at the Vote No on 1 website. You can also join the MySpace group, or search Groups for “Vote No on 1 TN” on Facebook.

4 years ago today I rushed home from work, showered, changed, and, against my better Boston-driver-judgement, drove to Newbury Street. I was meeting a friend of my roommate, a woman with whom I’d nervously made a date 5 days before. I was working Dykenight at the Midway that night, so we only had time for a quick dinner. Good thing too, because I was so nervous that I barely looked up from my burger the entire time, and I certainly didn’t carry my share of the conversation. Miraculously The Little Red Haired Girl stuck it out with me, and here we are 4 years later in Nashville with a home, a dog, and a life together. I couldn’t be luckier.
Happy Anniversary, babybaby!

An email I received from a friend today:

if you want a kitten or know someone who wants a kitten, plllleeeaaasssseeee pass this along
These three adorable kittens (photos attached — CUTE!) live in our yard (and sometimes in our house) and are friendly and sweet and playful and will be spayed and have their shots and are ready for adoption in the next few days! YAY!

It has come to my attention in the past few years as a graduate student that I am a bad reader. In particular, I skip footnotes and endnotes. It’s like those little superscripts are invisible to me. I don’t know when that habit started, but I’m trying to correct it. Unfortunately that usually means that I get to the bottom of the page, realize that there is a footnote, then waste 5 minutes scanning the page to find where it came from. This is, of course, difficult for me, since those little superscripts are invisible to me. When there are endnotes, I just miss them entirely. But I chastise myself for that less, because anyone who uses endnotes is not thinking about the experience of the reader.

Well, depends on what your work is, I guess.
Just click on it.
Via Boing Boing

It’s been so crazy lately that I haven’t been able post or read very much. Here are some things that have happened in the last few weeks:

• Birthday Bowling: A tradition started last year when we’d just moved here and didn’t know anyone. The few people we invited then were kind enough to come, but I can’t for the life of me imagine what we talked about. This year we had enough people for 2 lanes, and it was a blast. I don’t know why we don’t go bowling more often.
• Birthday Cake: The Little Red Haired Girl made me a delicious 3-layer white cake with mocha frosting, all from scratch. Delicious.
• School: Classes are in full swing. I’m already feeling totally overwhelmed, and I haven’t even been asked to do work for my assistantship yet. I’m enjoying all my classes though, which is great. I’ve also been getting my work done ahead of time. I’m better at staying ahead when I’m really busy.
• Homeownership: We bought a lawnmower with the gift card that my brother sent for my birthday. I tried to mow the lawn yesterday morning, but I couldn’t start the mower. I knew that it wasn’t broken, I am just weak. When we came home from work/school in the evening, The Little Red Haired Girl started it for me. I was right, I am weak. And pathetic. Next, we need a weed wacker.
• New Little Buddies: We are really enjoying hanging out with them. Everything Guy makes fun of me for not being able to think of better names for them. I will, eventually.

That’s it for now. I won’t say anything about Oliver, because he’s pretty much all I’ve posted about lately. But he’s fab. Just sayin’.