illocutionary's blog

Which friend or acquaintance most influenced your taste in music? 
Submitted by Rev Stan.

When I was an impressionable young lass, my neighbor Nancy was the major influence in my life.  Four years older than I was she knew all the cool stuff, and at the time, that was Billy Joel, Toto, and Wang Chung.

What was your favorite road-trip of all time? 
Submitted by bodhibound. 

Oh sweet Moses....  there's alot to chose from.  If you mean a trip where the goal was to drive around, rather than drive to a destination, it's a tossup between the road trip with T my senior year of college during spring break through NY and NE (despite the INCESSANT ICP being played) or the trip from Rochester to Bar Harbor, ME then down to RI. 

I haven't done a good road trip in a while.  I should fix that.

What clothing item do you wish could be banned?
Submitted by Mike E.

Thong underpants.  But those little ruffle skirts are a close second.

Well, *I* am! In March, for a brief vacation during spring break.  The boy is checking out an art school and I'm along for the ride.  A few days in Lake Tahoe are in the cards too.  Any San Franciscans who can recommend some great places for sushi in the city?

How have people mispronounced your name?  How is it supposed to sound? 
Submitted by Lorie.   

Funny, my name is  pretty much pronounced exactly how it is spelled, but I haven't really heard all that many people say it.  It turns out learning terms like perlocutionary and illocutionary are merely academic.  In real life it's boiled down to expressive and receptive, which isn't very detailed, but it does the job when you have 60 kids on your caseload.

Show us some macro photography.
Submitted by NomDeCocon.

totally unprofessional and taken with a camera phone, but it's macro! :)

I smell ya.

What method do you use to prepare your coffee or tea? 
Submitted by AgentBouche.

I use a french press to prepare coffee.  Since I live by myself, it's far more economical than a whole pot and I find the flavor more robust.  It leaves me with enough for the next day (stored safely in a thermos) which is a plus on those those days I'm running late.

Tea, I'm afraid to say, is by the bag.  Usually green, sometimes Earl Gray and if it's after 2pm, almost always mint.

Do you read the Sunday paper?  Which one(s)?

I read the Boston Sunday Globe, when I happen to go to the cafe on the weekend with the better half.

What did you dream about last night?  

I dreampt that I was trying to find the perfect treatment for a gentleman I see who has severe apraxia of speech following a stroke.

Unfortunately I was unsuccessful in my dream.

It's been a long time since I've considered myself a member of any kind of religion.  While in high school I was involved in the CYO and did retreats and community service type things because I saw the good that group did; the belonging and the caring that went into our activities brought me joy and a sense of purpose.  Through the whole time, however, I knew I believed more in the message than the doctrine, if that somehow makes sense.  It doesn't take long for a budding feminist to butt heads with the Catholic church and so it and I parted ways.

In the meantime I've been paying close attention to what is spiritually important to me.  It's so hard to describe, but I know it when I feel it.  There are very distinct moments where my place in the world (universe?) is very concrete, defined, and meaningful.  They are very different; in the arms of my lover while outside on a crisp winter day, nestled in my parent's house eating dinner, while meditating, when one of my students takes my hand and asks, "You my friend too?"  Not exactly church-like moments, if you will.  But these moments are important and I find that the Buddhist belief that all religions and all people are to be equally respected means alot to me, because by extension we acknowledge that all our experiences and beliefs are equally important.  Nobody is going to hell for believing one thing or another; it is important that we do good in the world.