Saturday, August 23, 2008

New Ventures in Old Virginia

Ok, now I may have some time to blog. This is my first post in I don't know how long. That's both good and bad. Bad in the sense that the reason that I was unable to blog was that I was with my family and now I am living in a small room in Norfolk with my roommates. Yes, I miss my wife and my family in a terrible fashion. There is no substitute for the loving business that family provides. I couldn't blog much, if at all this summer, but I did get a lot of love.

However, it is a gift. I have a job, a good one at that, with a great set of colleagues whom I admire and seem to get along with. Also, unlike some past gigs, Old Dominion is intensely multicultural and, well, the weather is good (for now!). The university has a sense of mission, the likes of which I have never experienced and everyone has been very helpful so far. Frankly, I am very lucky. My classes start on Monday and I will be doing some things I have never done before. I can hardly wait.

One new venture will be something I am working that is titled "The Lion's Share" for now. I won't go too far into it other than to say it will be good fun and intended to build a scholarly community. My research will begin to blossom unless something terrible happens and, well, if that happens then that is life. And, finally, I am getting to live in the South, which is something I have always wanted to try. All and all it is a good thing.

As for media: well, the best thing I have heard this year is the new Girl Talk release (is it a CD, LP, Album... who knows?),Feed the Animals. Not profound, but over-the-top in terms of pleasure. The best concert I have seen all year, in fact the best one I have seen in probably 20 years was Gogol Bordello at the Newport in Columbus, Ohio. I won't even try to describe it other than to say it is a gypsy rock spiritual that everyone should see at least once. And the best dance... well, it was the Chicken Dance I did with my wife at our wedding.

Surprise movies: Be Kind, Rewind and Speed Racer.
Movies I saw that I enjoyed a ton: The Dark Knight and The Lady from Shanghai.
Movies I look forward to: Wall-E, Water Lillies and Tropic Thunder.

TV: Learned to love The Deadliest Catch and Dr. Phil; Learned to Loathe The Price is Right (Drew Carey is just horrific on that show); Still love those Sonic Drive-In Commercials and the Menard's guy.

Will miss: Mike Ricordati and constant Buckeye football coverage (even if you don't love the Bucks, it becomes the way you follow the seasons in Central Ohio); Massey's and Ange's Pizza; Studio 35 and the Wexner; The Wiggles (but they will be in my life soon).

Ok, will post on some actual issues that are pertinent to you all soon!

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