After today's U.S. credit worthiness downgrade by S&P (now a rating agency is running the country?), the likely 2012 presidential candidates were out in force. I was particularly struck by an oft repeated, though varied, refrain of Ms. Bachmann, the latest Sarah Palin wannabe:

This President has

… Read full post »

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio, and the Public Broadcasting Service offer overwhelmingly fine and thoughtful programming. Thus, the idea of slashing the pittance in public funding they receive over the ouster of Juan Williams from NPR should defy logic.

Williams claim… Read full post »

...Well, not THEY. She, actually. The lovely and talented VR. I have been shunning the blogosphere lately—yes, shunning. I got e-fatigue. But then, it happened. Something amazing; the hard work finally paid off (oops, a cliché!), the thing happened. I, yes, me, I, well whatever, I was re… Read full post »

As a product of the television generation, I need the box going in the background—the soothing murmur of voices, the flicker of moving images—the constant drone of my childhood. Thus my love for Turner Classic Movies, with its line-up of frequently black and white movies and its lack of c… Read full post »

Today is Valentine’s Day, but Valentine is not the saint of the day, according to the Catholic Church, arbiter of all things saintly. Well, at least not according to Catholic Online, though I’m not sure whether to trust the online versions of religions yet, just like I’m not sure wh/… Read full post »

Tonight I created a banner for my blog here. Nice, huh? It felt like making a commitment, like moving in. Nipping images and photoshopping them into homepage accessories may be the virtual equivalent of decorating a room or engaging in some sort of nesting behavior. I browsed the web for the… Read full post »

My mother went home last week after visiting for two months. I’m still decompressing, except for the boils—disgusting skin eruptions that I thought resulted from stress but now suspect are MRSA. Peat says I’m obsessing, that I’m a hypochondriac. I’m not. I have “le… Read full post »

  I feel better already. Read full post »

Recently on a listserve for writing teachers, a number of people were lamenting their students' insistence on using clichés and worn out expressions. Maybe we just read too many student papers; everything starts sounding trite and one tends to lose compassion for the children who are our futur… Read full post »