Idea Warehouse

Germs Catching Up with Me

Unfortunately, I've been sick most of this week, battling an upper respiratory infection that leaves me super exhausted, if possible even more so than usual. Good health is something a lot of people take for granted until it leaves them. Nevertheless, besides resting, I am using this time to communicate with my students and colleagues via email, and catch up with grading, along with adjusting the two course calendars so they are back to being up-to-date after these small glitches.

Even so, I'm pleased to be asked to be a reviewer for a First Monday publication, which coincidentally is where I have planned to send my most recent article early this summer.

If you are a cat lover or a fan of Tiger (he has his own "Catbook" page!), please say a prayer for him! He is losing weight too much and seems to be more depressed and inactive than usual. He is 14 years old, but shouldn't be declining this fast. We are worried. He used to be so fat, and now you can feel every little bone in his skeleton. His backbone feels more raised than normal or knobby, so I wonder if he has cat arthritis. Poor Tiger. I sure love that cat. He is in Boston now, so he can't catch any of his favorite critters, like voles. He used to get one for us (like a present--ewww!) practically every day! He'd leave it right outside the back sliding door so you couldn't miss it when you tried to step out. I may bring him back here next week to see if that helps any. Nicer whether always makes him happier.

 Meanwhile, here's one of my latest favorite songs: "King of Anything" 

Songs

One of the things I like best about teaching college students is that they know all the current music! Lately, I've had this song in my head, partly because it's a great tune, and partly because the words remind me of how I feel about my husband (and how much I miss him when I'm not with him). Yesterday as class was over, I asked anybody if they knew who sang that song (remembered a few phrases from it) or knew its title. Several people knew it, but Jordan Baughman sang a few lines right away--right in tune, I might add--and told me its title and artist! Congratulations, Jordan! You also have a pretty good voice.  It's Matt Nathanson's "Come On Get Higher."

 

To Dan

Lady Gaga's Everywhere--you go girls!

Scanning the news/Salon articles this morning, I came across this video on YouTube where these flight attendants on a Phillipines airline decided to mix it up a little while showing those boring instructions. They DANCED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO A LADY GAGA SONG, "Just Dance!" How cool was that! As you noticed, Salon writer whose name I forget, the passengers paid attention and CLAPPED at the end of it. When was the last time THAT happened??

Crazy Apps and Taylor Swift

Joachim's off to college now--wow, hard to believe all of the kids are officially out of the house. With Dan's new Droid X, I'm getting a few pictures along the way even, which is kind of neat. I was just reading about some neuroscientist who wants to explore whether technology makes us dumber (hasn't he read Nicholas Carr?) This information revolution is simply making things different; why can't people accept that? At any rate, it seems to be for me. I read about 5 apps that help make us healthier: opower, imoveyou, glowcaps, withings, and hybrid cars. I'll investigate those in my so-called free time. But as soon as I exercise with my ipod, I have it set up so that it will automatically go to twitter (my stats). It'll be pitifully bad at first, but I think I'll appreciate it. I didn't feel so good today because I took my shot last night, and I felt sick all night and all day. But now it's easing off, so tomorrow I'll try to exercise in the morning. On another note: I can't believe I have been listening over and over and over to Taylor Swift's Fearless album. It is really good and/or I must have a hidden country-western music gene. Maybe it was those 8 years in Texas. Confession: I actually had some cowboy boots and a hat and went to a Moe Bandy concert. Still, I love "The Best Day" and "Breathe" and "Fifteen." Wild.

Neil Young Concert

Dan recorded this concert on TV of Neil Young, that he said was made in 2006, but on TV a few weeks ago. Very good concert!!! Neil Young looks so much younger than he did when he really WAS  younger. I wonder if  he recorded this at SXSW?  He mentioned a song that he sang with Nicolette Larsen...would have liked to see that. I love Nicolette Larsen.

Wear Yellow

Started biking for more exercise, and Dan was talking about Lance Armstrong. So I go, "who the heck is he?" (I don't pay much attention to news anymore..., but sometimes I do). Well, after I got back, I checked it out on the Slate website, and found out he had proposed to Sheryl Crow after his race, plus I looked at all of his web sites, and have quite the high opinion of him now. 'Course Sheryl Crow is my absolute favorite singer, too, so I know he has good taste as well as an admirable mission in life.