in which schoolsmelt truly becomes a blog

When you're steeped in the web, you forget that not everyone is privy to the same sites as you are. Perhaps one day, you might even make an under-your-breath reference to some concept (such as the difference between the post-cheap-oil economies of North Korea and Cuba), leaving your fellow companions bewildered as to your meaning. Upon receiving a query, I explained the above sparse reference more fully, and so launched an interesting and amusing discussion about the above concept, as well as about certain friends' experience of my approach to information dissemination, and my interpretation of why that might be.

The unfortunate conclusion I reached is that, in trying to remain somewhat invisible,  here and elsewhere, I have also been selfish.

If the people I'm with don't pick up on my muttering, or follow up on a non-sequitor, I keep that information all to myself. It might not be all that interesting, or it could be the very thing someone needed to learn. It's also experienced as quirky, if not deeply weird. But the thing is, this is my blog, an officially designated space for information sharing. Nobody's forcing anyone to come here, as my site stats can attest . But seriously, the real thing is, I've got lots of things to share that haven't made it on here because they didn't fall under the rubric of research and writing and academics. But they're kind of cool anyway.

You may have seen them, or they may be completely new, but for at least the month of June, I'll include at least one cool link per post.

Here is the most beautiful commercial I've ever seen. Enjoy!

posted by: schoolsmelt at 22:38 | link | comments (3) |

ugh.

Ants like Pernod, too.

posted by: schoolsmelt at 06:52 | link | comments |

summertime

Today, the weather finally warmed up, I took a long walk with a friend, then lunch, more walking, gelato, an excellent nap, a barbeque with different friends, and a glass of pastis.  The only bummer is the mosquito bites.

posted by: schoolsmelt at 22:43 | link | comments |

restaurant chivalry.

Dinner last night was wood-fired-oven pizza, a basil-infused vodka lemonade, and good company, including a new person who might become a local friend at some point. My mood, unfortunately, careened between pleasant, peckish, and plum-irritated.

I am not taken in by, nor do I feel special when I am finally seated in, restaurants that do not take reservations.

The owner and I got into a little altercation about the nature of chivalry while waiting for the bathroom. He was there first, but decreed that I should go next. I demurred, stating that chivalry goes both ways, and I'd gladly open the door for him if the situation came up. He "won" the argument by stating that as the owner of the restaurant, he couldn't allow me to wait for him, and then leaving before the bathroom opened up. Which was weird, but whatever.

It was only later that I realized what bugged me so much about his faux sacrifice (gender implications notwithstanding). Sure, he let me go first. But to my mind, true chivalry would have been implementing a reservations system so that none of his guests would need to wait for an hour before being seated.

posted by: schoolsmelt at 08:26 | link | comments (1) |
gender issues

upside to procrastination

You can't be in violation of the research on human subjects contract if you haven't actually done anything on that part of your research.  Yay?

posted by: schoolsmelt at 15:02 | link | comments |