« June 2004 | Main | August 2004 »
July 29, 2004
frustration and yearning for JUST ONE hour
This is my third attempt at this post. I began this two days ago, after reading Collin’s post about his new website. I followed him over to Abi Station to see if they had a match for my eyebrows (they don’t).
Other people have the opportunity to spend hours (or, an hour anyway) on messing and playing and learning this stuff. I cannot sit for more than 5 minutes without something/one requiring my attention.
As I type, the kitchen sink sends me a streaming litany of curses and EVEN AS I WRITE, the youngest stirs behind me in the pack-n-play, threatening to demand removal and my hands to hold, nurse, carry and otherwise provide him with everything.
He awakes. My life ends. I can’t even check to see if my trackbacks worked.
Posted by mryonker at 06:22 PM | Comments (1)
July 24, 2004
blog-without-the-net
I forgot to mention in my post on perseverence that an investment, while for some people provides motivation (like--if I buy this membership to this gym, I'll go because I can't waste the money), for me, I can easily remind myself that money means very little to me and losing or wasting it is something I do ALL THE TIME whether I try to avoid it or not.
So the fact that I pay for this blog simply is not enough motivation for me to post daily.
However, I did want to comment on a recent article in our local paper, in which a staff writer publishes an article, meant to discuss "generation y," its fleeting attention span, and how marketers must pursue such a highly fickle target. The article looks and "feels" like a blog.
Missing, of course, is the ability for readers to comment directly to the blog (so that the comment becomes part of the blog).
If I could comment, it would go something like this:
This is an interesting genre: the "blog-without-the-net," the "old-person-impersonates-the-young," and both of those squished into the project of portraying a culture of quick-is-cool marketing. I am inconvinced by the overabundance of IM phrasing (like LOL and BBL, for instance) and the forced-sounding wit (refering to a woman named Bagby as "bag-lady").
More importantly, though, this article made me wonder at the blog as an exclusive gen y medium. My reactions are mostly borne out of my indignance that all blogs don't look like that (not that I fault or venerate writing based on, say, whether conventional capitalization rules are employed). My blogroll (still not up, I know) is made mostly of people at least my age or older, whose posts work to connect and engage sustained productive conversation--who are not, for the most part, stricken with media-induced attention deficit.
Lastly, the author here doesn't give gen y credit for integrating fast-paced thinking into a functional, useful existence--something that I envy. I feel like the article is mostly a parody of the blog and of a culture--esp that culture's language use--a parody that could be more reflexive and critical.
Posted by mryonker at 10:48 AM | Comments (2)
July 11, 2004
Let's try this...
Here, Mr BS discusses something that I often pine for: a life without teaching and academia. I would, on certain days, much rather drive a delivery truck (my dad, uncle, aunt, and brother all work for various and sundry delivery businesses, including fed ex and ups) than have to worry about whether or not to really use the horrific grammar worksheets I've cooked up.
Posted by mryonker at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)
On the Home Again
It's fabulous to be home. I love the midwest, I love traveling, but oohh, I love my own bed. And though my house seems like a shabby, horribly cluttered hovel compared to my aunt's in Wheaton and my dad's in Iowa, it's MINE and I can sit on the couch sideways with my feet on the arm and only worry marginally about the crumbs the kids track around. At my dad's I have to follow everyone around with a damn dustbuster.
Back to work this week. Teaching a summer session of writing--a small group of new HS grads who are energetic and fun. I am always trying to find a new teaching persona, one that isn't a tap-dancing comedienne. Two days, and I'm already going for the easy laughs (like, "Anyone know what the word 'dude' *really* means?").
I'm realizing that a blog isn't a live journal--it's more of a record of visited websites with commentary. I'm going about this completely wrong!! And the one time I tried to blog a site (palmer's) I effed it up. Urhg. I guess I should learn how to link correctly!!
Posted by mryonker at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)
July 02, 2004
Iowa Notes, Part II
A fun day at Henry Doorly, a fun day at the Omaha Children's Museum, a meal at Valentino's, and I'm all set. The highlight yesterday was Brian showing Penny Jack's funky rash crap on his head, and her RN self recognizing it immediately as ringworm. Urgh. Why--why do I, with my constant fear/paranoia of being seen as trash by the rest of my dad's family, have to have a kid with RINGWORM? I am crushed and embarrassed. I'm hoping that no one notices at the fourth of July bash on Sunday. Normally the Dahlkes drink enough, and wait until it's dark enough for fireworks, that I should be OK that no one sees. He is getting pretty bald in that one patch behind his ear, though.
Other embarrassing news: dad sent me a check for $100 that I didn't cash before we left. Now I have his check, and for some reason, am too embarrassed to ask him to cash it!? So I'm feverishly and sneakily looking through the phone books to find a branch of his bank to cash it at so we have gas money to get home. All the branches are over in Omaha, and I get lost in Omaha--even with the streets all so neatly numbered and lettered.
And a hurrah: I made it up dad's crazy hill today at the end of my run. I think I put a hurtin' on myself doing it, though.
Posted by mryonker at 11:46 AM | Comments (0)