The Pleasure of Admitting There's a Bad Taste in your Mouth

It seems that my partner and I have both been holding some negative feelings in and we kind of had a breakthrough the other day. You see, apparently we both actually hate it here. It was actually kind of funny when we admitted it to each other and it really felt like a big weight off my chest.

This all came to a head, I think, because things have not been going exactly as expected up here lately and it's been getting to us. Actually, over the last couple months we keep experiencing really bipolar career news. I want to believe that's what happens when your career is finally about to take off in good ways, but I'm also pretty sure I'm trying to make myself feel better.

But, anyway I guess now that we've admitted this, we can move forward to acceptance and planning for the next stage. Unless something dramatic happens, I'm pretty sure we won't be in this city anymore next year. Hopefully, we'll be heading to Boston, Milwaukee, or somewhere else wonderful.

I'm also reminded on the fact that when we lived in this state the last time, we pretty much hated it. Hmmm...maybe we're just allergic.

So, here's so all of us (who are looking) getting amazing, wonderful, well-paying jobs in cities we love next year!

Cheers and miss you all lots...

Finally! - Update on Campus Violence

So, yesterday I got an email from a faculty member on BG's campus through a listserve. I will just refer to her by her initials (J.L.) and those of you that know anything about BG, I'm sure will know who this is. She is perhaps the most activist person on that campus.

Anyway, the email said that several faculty members are quite upset by the lack of discourse occurring regarding the assaults and that she is gathering responses from students to take to the administration in hopes of getting some type of response or action started. The email also included several questions that she hoped students would answer. If you are interested in seeing the email or giving her your input, please let me know and I will forward you the email. She asked for it to be forwarded on, but I didn't want to just post it here.

So, hopefully some good will occur from this horrific madness. And, once again, thank the Universe for people like J.L.!

A Dream Becomes an Obsession.

Okay, so you all probably know by now that my partner and I fell in love with Boston last year when we vacationed there. I have never really wanted to live in a big city and have pretty much always felt they were all the same. This is no longer the case after Boston. All I can think about is moving there and settling down.

I have been hunting for jobs in the area, but those of you in academia know how fruitful this might prove to be. The other stress factor is that my partner and I are really getting to a point where we need to settle down. We want a family and if this doesn't happen soon, it isn't going to happen. And, we can't do it until we actually have the jobs and $ to do it. No $, no getting "knocked up" - savvy?

I'm trying to relax and just go with the flow, but it's unfortunately becoming a little obsessive. I look at Boston web sites and books, watch films set in Boston, drink Sam Adams and eat beans... :). I know it's still really early in the academic year and it could totally still happen, but I just keep trying to think of new or creative ways to make it so. I'm tired of waiting around and hoping for dreams that never happen. I've let some of my hopes die over the years and I don't want this one to pass me by too.

Sorry, didn't mean to bum y'all out. But, if anyone has any connections or ideas of how we might get there and survive...I'd love to hear them!

Pomp and Criticism

First of all, I didn't think this woman could get any hotter...clearly I was wrong! I have finally been able to watch 30 Rock now that I have regular channels on my Directv and it's really quite brilliant! Clearly SNL was holding this woman back from her true political comedy calling. And now, to see her in a picket line...ahhh, warms my soul!

Anyway, so this writer's strike is obviously getting lots of press and rightly so. It's a pretty incredible moment for television and filmic popular culture. I have to say, I'm siding with the writers (although I usually do side with the union workers) and the number of non-writers (actors, techies, etc.) who are doing the same have been impressive. Hope the solidarity lasts. True, it could mean the demise of much of my beloved television and film, but I'm also a bit intrigued by what could happen to our popular culture if this continues. Writers do A LOT for the industry and I'd actually like to see a little shake up. Now if the SAG members also go on strike in a few months, which from what I've heard is also a distinct possibility, Hollywood might never be the same. What could this mean for big film corps vs independent film? Bring it on, baby!

On the other hand, I wish something this dramatic was happening to my other favorite popular culture industry: music. Why the hell doesn't that damn thing have unions?! There have been a ton of articles over the last few years about how the music industry sales keep suffering quarter after quarter. Down the toilet they go! Over and over, the industry officials blame the Internet for slumping CD sales and they keep looking for a way to tap into this technology to save their souls (and bank accounts!).

Hmmm...perhaps this is not the answer or even the problem?? Have they even considered that the industry hasn't "discovered" any music worth listening to in like a decade?! There is a ton of awesome stuff being done out there on a local and independent level that the major labels aren't even looking at. Of course, a lot of these artists aren't even interested in major labels anymore because they can't offer them much that they can't get on their own now. But still, why does the industry think we'd rather have another freaking "Nickelback/Earnest Rock" clone than something refreshing and original? I haven't heard something on the radio (not including satellite radio, of course) that I was excited about in a long time.

Not to mention the fact that the industry doesn't develop the artists it has anymore. Instead, it promotes an artist to death for one big album and then dumps them by the side of the road. Artists like U2, Springsteen, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and a ton of other big money makers wouldn't have ever made their best or biggest albums if the industry was structured the way it is now when they were coming up. A world with no Joshua Tree, Born to Run, Dark Side of the Moon, Highway to Hell??? This is a sad thought. I wonder what great music we've already lost because they killed a young band's soul before it was ripe...

It's clearly time to rethink the music industry in order to salvage something from it. Don't spend so much time restructuring the way you do business with your customers, spend it restructuring how you do business with your artists! And, don't worry so much about the Internet, worry about the music! We haven't stopped buying CDs just because they're all online, we've stopped buying CDs because they suck!

Welcome to the Pop Culture Revolution!

What's in a Name?

Okay, so you may have noticed that my profile name has changed. Well, I used Dex, because when I created this I couldn't really think of anything. But, the name Dex is really the name I hope to name my kid someday, so it really wasn't accurate for me to use it anymore. So, I decided to go with another nickname of mine - well a twist on that nickname that has recently developed anyway.

This one is for you, thswoon!

-thmarn

Introducing..."The Adventures of Wick and Bucket!"

So my faithful readers, as you know - I have two awesome cats. I also know that many of you miss them (and their shenanigans) very much since we have moved. So, they have asked me to promote to you their brand new blog - Adventures of Wick and Bucket. Yes, yes, those aren't their real names, but many of you will recognize those as their "given alter-egos" (you know who you are). Now you can follow their trials, tribulations, fun, and politics from the safety of the blogosphere. It will be just like they are in your own living room, only much less destructive. So, they are located at adventuresofwickandbucket.blogspot.com, but you will always be able to follow the link at the right. Oh, and they wanted me to let you know that there isn't much there yet, but that they promise to keep posting.

[Suddenly, you are all wondering if I have too much time on my hands, or not enough dissertation done, right?]

OK, What the *%&@! is Going on in BG?!!?

So, yesterday I received the third email notice in two months that there was an assault on campus. Of these three assaults, two of the women escaped their attacker but, the other one resulted in a rape. The first (the rape) happened around 4am on the corner of College and Wooster, the second in a dorm parking lot around 3am, and the last one happened at 7:30 in the evening in THE MIDDLE OF CAMPUS!!! Obviously, this last one is most disturbing because I can't even fathom how this occurred in this location at this time of day and no one has any information???

What really freaks me out is that there doesn't seem to be much discussion about this. There is very little info on the BGNews website, nothing in the Journal-Sentinel, and a brief clip about the last attack can be found on ABC news' site, but it doesn't even mention the first attack! This is crazy and outrageous to me! As far as I'm concerned, BGSU has a serial rapist and the F%&8in' police don't seem to think it's a big deal. What does someone have to end up dead? Why the Hell does BGSU even have police (as opposed to simply campus security like many Universities) if they aren't going to be useful in these types of situations? Oh, sure they can pull you over and give you a freakin' ticket for rolling through the stop sign outside of East Hall, but they can't protect the students from being raped or killed!!!

Meanwhile they simply send out these "police blotter" emails "urging students to be careful and be aware of their surroundings." This is bullshit! Isn't that what the police are for - isn't it their job to keep us safe? Why is it the victim's job to take care of this?! They might as well say: "Well, clearly the women assaulted were not paying attention and it's really their fault this happened." Grrrr! I hate this mentality. Let's do something about it after the fact, not prevent it in the first place! It's really too bad it isn't men that are being assaulted, because no doubt, the damn perpetrator would be in custody by now.

Perhaps my outrage is unwarranted. After all, I am not even on campus right now, so I don't know what the atmosphere is actually like. Maybe more is being done than I know about. If so, I urge my BG friends to reply to this and calm me down, cuz right now I'm about to blow a gasket over this!