Monthly Archives: September 2010

A Dose of Poetry

Posted on September 30, 2010 by profmondo

For a variety of reasons, this is one of my favorite poems. Some days I think I understand it perfectly, while other days it comes through to me only in fragments, like a radio broadcasting from another country, in another … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Leave a comment

P.J.

Posted on September 30, 2010 by profmondo

I’ve been reading P.J. O’Rourke since before he was writing about politics — or at least before I knew he was, as I read my dad’s old National Lampoons. P.J. has a new book out, and the folks at RightNetwork … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Literature, Politics | 4 Comments

… And Speaking of the Garage Revival…

Posted on September 29, 2010 by profmondo

… One of the niftier things I picked up for my birthday last weekend was a DVD compilation/documentary/sampler/300-page book called The Knights of Fuzz, which offers a sampling of videos from revivalists like the Chesterfield Kings and filmmaker Timothy Gassen’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Why I Don’t Like Weezer

Posted on September 29, 2010 by profmondo

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m on the bleeding edge of the Gen-X demographic, having turned 45 a couple of days ago, and as I’ve also mentioned, I’m increasingly weary of the smirking, meta-meta ethos of irony that has metastasized through … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Literature, Music | 3 Comments

News from a Former Hometown

Posted on September 28, 2010 by profmondo

From today’s Muncie (IN) Star-Press, a report of a car crashing into a daycare center. Fortunately, no one was injured, but I was struck by this line: No one was injured, but the wall of the office was knocked in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | 2 Comments

“Solution Unsatisfactory”

Posted on September 28, 2010 by profmondo

The Major’s favorite writer, Jonah Goldberg, riffs a bit on education today at the Corner, calling the appalling performance of many of our public schools “Liberalism’s greatest failure.” I don’t entirely agree, but only because I think there’s enough blame … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Politics | 2 Comments

*Sigh*

Posted on September 27, 2010 by profmondo

I’m happily married, yet still somehow feel a sense of loss.

Posted in Culture | 6 Comments

Radical Teaching and Repressive Tolerance

Posted on September 26, 2010 by profmondo

Mark Bauerlein is an English professor at Emory, and I’d describe him as center-to-mostly-right. He blogs over at the CHE and draws a fair amount of flak from the commenters. But his writing pops up at other online sites, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Literature, Politics, Why I Do What I Do | 6 Comments

A Musical Interlude

Posted on September 25, 2010 by profmondo

The Masters’ Apprentices — Wars or Hands of Time. I’ve loved this one since the first time I heard it, not least because of the tight, almost closed feel of the drum fills (probably just high-hat sizzle, but still a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

Words We Lack

Posted on September 25, 2010 by profmondo

It’s no secret that English is the slut of the linguistic village. A writer whose name I have forgotten said that although all languages borrow words from other languages, English will actually drag other languages into alleyways, beat them up … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Education, Literature | 2 Comments