Overheard: Salon

During a break from the titillating stimulation of dead white men like Sir Francis Bacon and Mr. Winston Smith*, a side conversation at the salon:

Him: "So, what's your favorite male, angry dance moment in an 80's movie?"

Me: (inquisitive, befuddled brow, clearly (though I couldn't see myself) since he had to give a patient example)

Him: "For example, mine's Kevin Bacon - when he does that angry gymnastics dance in the warehouse in the movie Footloose."

Her: "Right. And mine is Emilio Estevez's detention dance in The Breakfast Club."

Me: (smiling) You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you. That's why I love you both, dearly. "I'm not sure.."

**Technically Winston Smith isn't dead, but come on! The bullet's coming any day now, right?

My week, summed up in a clip:

Salon!

What do you think?:

1. Should convictions become more or less settled with increasing age?

2. Orwell’s Big Brother—still watching 25 years later: how’s He doing?

3. Is business a “calling”?

Jubilation Awry

After a day of begging for money patron gathering for the latest edition of In the Margins (the most amazing magazine in the history of the known YOUniverse and probably beyond), the LitMag navel gazers convene for a time of sharing.

navel gazer 1: We're, like, so excited! Our group got two patrons!!!

navel gazer 2: Yeah. We got $20 from a bakery, AND we got a little something from Golden Chick.

[Navel gazer 2 hands a check to the head navel gazer, a.k.a. their teacher, a.k.a. me.]

head navel gazer: (shocked, with a smudge of disbelief) What? Am I reading this correctly? Is that a 3?

navel gazers 1 and 2: (Nodding, their smiles exploding off of their faces) Can you believe it?

head navel gazer: Oh my gosh! We got a $350.00 patron!!! With the rest of our account, we finally have enough money to publish this semester's magazine!!!

all: (various expressions of gratitude and god praising and glee and jubilation)Wow! Golden Chick is our muse! Our golden, platinum, muse!!!

navel gazer 3: This calls for a group jumping hug!!

all: (run a little too enthusiastically to each other, form a group hug and begin jumping and giggling together. Then there is awkward silence as they realize what they are, in fact, doing. They separate awkwardly)

[a pause in the space/time continuum]

navel gazer 4: Let's promise to never do that again, ok?

all: Ok.

The Advent Conspiracy

The story of Christ's birth is a subversive story of an upside-down kingdom. It's a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love that is still changing the world to this day. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling that we somehow missed its purpose.

Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again by turning our focus back to the birth of Christ? What could happen to your family if this focus was celebrated in loud, bold and totally unexpected ways? What if you could actually trade your season of stress for a season celebration and unbelievable memories with your friends and family? What if all of this could save a life at the same time? It can.

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy
Learn more at www.adventconspiracy.org

Worrisome

on Predator Drone Missle Attacks, in our own words:

Anticapatory self-defense,
"Virtuless killing"
Cubicle warriors
"Squirters" (the targeted people who run for cover as seen on a computer screen)
Rubble and charred stuff
Extrajudicial killings
"The only game in town"
worryingly seductive war, perceived as "costless"
[not] an honorable way of combat

* all phrases are from "The Predator War: What are the risks of the CIS's covert drone program?" by Jane Mayer. The New Yorker Magazine. October 26, 2009.

Rich

Happy birthday, Wratch!!! You're the best husband on the planet!! Thank you for choosing me daily.