RIP Farah Fawcett

RIP Michael Jackson

Wow, two huge icons gone within the span of a few hours on the same day.

And Ed McMahon died yesterday…

These were all entertainment staples at some point in my childhood and young adulthood.

for writing that I prefer living in MI over NYC: this morning, I was awoken by LOUD drilling on my street.  The city (and by this I mean the town I live in) is replacing the sidewalks in my neighborhood.  It was 7:15 AM.  I know, I know.  That’s the normal time that normal people wake up.  Not me.  I am usually up by 9 or 9:30 AM.  I’m so spoiled.  I usually am up until midnight or 1 AM, but I have NO children so why not be selfish!?!?!?

But the city I live in doesn’t understand that. Now, its silent.  Drilling at 7 AM and nothing at 10:34. Of course, I realize I am several hours behind normal people in sleeping and waking habits but still.

I got an ‘early bird’ start to me day at least.  Wooo!

OK, so I don’t live in a real big city anymore and it isn’t so warm here now.  Its been in the 60s here the past few days.  Um it should be warmer.  It should at least be in the low to mid 70s by now. But this isn’t a weather blog because that would be boring.

I survived my first year of grad school which makes me very happy.  It hasn’t been easy or perfect by any means.  This last semester has been particularly hard because I realized some things I DON’T want to focus my dissertation on.  The problem is that I need to figure out what I want to focus on.  Everyone keeps giving me advice which I appreciate, but sometimes I need less noise and more of own personal focus.  I tend to discover more through looking at the larger picture than focusing on a smaller strand. I am taking this summer to do a lot of reading in my areas of interest (under the guise of a directed reading/independent study.) My mind is opening up a lot more regarding possible project ideas.

My husband and I have been away for the last few weekends: in Illinois for a conference over Memorial Day and visiting family in Northern MI.  This weekend I return to NYC.  This will be my second time back after moving almost a year ago. Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t been back more. I didn’t have a specific amount of trips I’d be taking back in my mind when I moved.  I’m sad that this may be my only time there this summer but perhaps I’ll be back more than I think.

I’m learning the hard way that summers in academia don’t mean “summers off.”  I knew this but I am not getting as much time as I had hopefully, originally anticipated.  In the future, I just need to take time for me and my husband for just us.

I have lofty goals for this summer like cleaning the bathroom–really cleaning it with bleach and staying on top of laundry.

oh and blogging more.

Just a thought-

Coreligionist seems like an awkward way to say “an adherent of the same religion as another person.” via the dictionary on my mac

The first soap opera I remember watching Guiding Light is getting canceled. I am not surprised in the slightest, but it is a sign of the times.  There is a sustained loss of interest in the genre lately due to a few reasons (1) who has time to watch tv in the middle of the day (2) crappy storytelling.  Sure, the storytelling has always been hokey but it has gotten especially bad in the past several years.

For awhile, I contemplated doing a history of social issues on soap operas, and I think there is a lot to it.  However, after a few conference presentations, I decided it wasn’t for me.  Still this is pretty sad…..it feels like the end of an era and the slow downfall of a beloved television genre.

whose commonality is the NYTimes

1. Bat Mitzvah’s at age 90 Plus: My commentary on this could go on and on but I won’t for now…
2. Integrating Obama into textbooks…THis article really point to the hesitancy of addressing changing history when it can be accesses so easily via the web.

Numerous updates as a tool of evasion for writing paper about migration and gender…

(And how did I not have a “religion” tag until today?)

File this under Religion and News

New England surpasses West Coast as least religious region in America, study finds (via LATimes)
Wonder what the Puritans would have thought of that! And what does “least religious” really mean?

Bruhahahha over Big Love Temple episode and subsequent media coverage
I’m totally watching the season finale tonight and ignoring my work for an hour.

And in stuff I like this week:

Teaching The Handmaid’s Tale by Atwood:

Doesn’t the guy kinda look like representations of Henry the 8th?

This “crisis” is premature, but I am currently dealing with a quandary regarding potential research ideas.  I have a the opportunity to apply for research/language funding through my department this summer which is great.  However, the language that I will choose to learn is deeply wrapped up with the research I will pursue.   I’m only required to learn one as an Americanist BUT I am not opposed to learning two.

Here is the further conundrum, I also have the opportunity to do research in the archives in lieue of a language.  I feel more comfortable with this choice but many people have told me that (1) its better to get the language out of the way and (2) archives can be daunting when you don’t know what you’re looking for.  My issue is that learning the language I am thinking of can be so specific that if I spend a summer doing that and don’t pursue that further  it would be a waste.  Whereas visiting an archival respository will be beneficial because it is good experience even if I walk away with material that I won’t use.  As one can tell, I am leading toward the archival option.  I want to be 100% sure I am learning a language that I will be using.  If I do go look at archives this summer, I will be mostly be looking at documents in English.

I’m glad I wrote this out… Of course, there is a WHOLE other side to this I am not writing about which mostly pertains to WHAT my dissertation topic will exactly be.

Well, its March, and Spring Break is on Friday.  I’m on a 7:30 AM flight out of here! I don’t really need to get away, but I am excited to see a friend I haven’t seen in almost a year…wah!

Spring break is only one week which is a bummer, since when I was in undergrad it was TWO whole weeks!  A week to go somewhere and then a week to get something done.

Some links:

An excellent interview with the cast of Big Love. I didn’t get to watch last Sunday’s episode until Friday night.  OK, that episode was written for me!  I loved how it just focused on family dynamics and they did the Mormon trail in reverse!  I want to do that trip.

I did have issue with one section. At one point, Bill refers to a book about Mormonism by a historian. He tells this one guy to go read it. However, Bill, as a Mormon follower, wouldn’t have thought that book held value since it questioned his faith.  I have to rewatch the episode to see if I get that right.

Can’t wait for tonight’s show!

DOUBT Now, we don’t get as many movies here in the Midwest like one does in NYC/LA. I finally saw this and liked it a lot.  And I want to watch it again to make sure I picked up on everything.

Meryl Streep does a MEAN Bronx accent!

I haven’t updated in over a month, mostly because when I attempt to update I am unsure of what to say.  How do I explain a month long absence beside gradschool, gradschool, gradschool.

Things are moving along swimmingly this semester. Some of my plans are to

- do a quick research trip over spring break
- apply to a grad student conference
- and maybe attend another conference

I have a new dissertation idea every 5 minutes but it all fits in the realm of my larger research topics of gender, religion, migration and US history.

And, of course, the house is NEVER clean enough.

What have you been up to?