Ramble On

The Search for authenticity as related by one of the greatest bands you've maybe never heard of and by one of my favorite writers.  The song starts at 8 minutes in and is one of my favorite covers.... ever. I was leaving a show last week and they were playing this song as I walked out the door of the club.  It stuck in my head.  I listened to it at work the next day and for the first time really heard the lyrics.  This is probably because when I heard Marah play it, my ears were close to bleeding.  They spend the entire first half of every set I've ever seen them play trying to get the sound guy to make everything louder. If you don't have 11 minutes to listen to the entire essay and the song that follows, I will include some of the best points from Nick Hornby's essay below: "I would have paid good money out of my grant for a little authenticity and credibility but now I was selling and I didn't know how to buy it anyway... " "I didn't ...

A something in a summer’s Day As slow her flambeaux burn away Which solemnizes me. A something in a summer’s noon — A depth — an Azure — a perfume — Transcending ecstasy. And still within a summer’s night A something so transporting bright I clap my hands to see — Then veil my too inspecting face Lets such a subtle — shimmering grace Flutter too far for me — The wizard fingers never rest — The purple brook within the breast Still chafes it narrow bed — Still rears the East her amber Flag — Guides still the sun along the Crag His Caravan of Red — So looking on — the night — the morn Conclude the wonder gay — And I meet, coming thro’ the dews Another summer’s Day! ---Emily Dickinson Happy Summer everyone.  May your days be long, languorous and lovely.

This was parked outside work when I left earlier this week.  I would hate to be caught next to it on a sunny day because it could probably cause temporary blindness if the sun reflected at the right angle.   My students are so awesome.  As soon as they get to the US they all buy expensive cars (Shelby Cobra Mustangs are most popular) and do all kinds of custom work to them.  I've seen a group of four students congregated outside and literally revving their engines in a sort of contest.  You think Lexus is rolling with something like this on the showroom floor?  Oh no.  This kind of flash isn't automatic, baby.  And it raises an excellent question: Why stop with the bumpers when you can chrome out the ENTIRE CAR.   You guys just keep livin' the dream.  

Friday Friday, gotta get down on Friday!  It was a lovely last day at the conference. After dancing until the wee hours the night before, we took it easy in the morning and then got to the expo hall to break down the booth.  It didn't take too long, but the weather was starting to swell.  They had been calling for big storms all week and after eating a delicious sushi lunch, we knew it was coming.  I decided that I couldn't let the opportunity to see the world-famous St. Louis zoo slip through my grasp because of a little rain, though.  So I headed to Forest Park to see what I could see, still not caving in and buying an umbrella.  It rained while I was on the train to the park but as soon as I stepped off it was sunny and warm, albeit very humid and still building.  Forest Park is gorgeous!  Expansive manicured green lawns, boathouses, running and biking trails, some sort of pavilion where they were setting up for what I'm sure was a BALLER w...

I didn't have any sessions Thursday morning and had left time to catch up on e-mails.  I went to a session in the afternoon about liberal arts colleges and why they are important for international students.  Basically just some marketing points that would be good for representatives to highlight on their recruitment trips. I had some time to kill before an alumni reception downtown after my session so I walked to go get Cardinals tickets for the evening, then walked back downtown and still had a bit of time so I stopped to get some frozen yogurt. I will note here that I will stop any time, anywhere to get frozen yogurt.  It is the perfect snack.  I have tried over 11 different places in the DC metro area alone.  This frozen yogurt, at Bella's on Washington Ave was the best frozen yogurt I have ever had.  My strategy for the self-serve yogurt shop:  no toppings, just straight yogurt, small dollops of as many flavors that interest me or as will fit in ...