Travel makes the headlines hit home

(I was going to post on some recent headlines that hit me kind of hard. When I started to write about them, I realized I was just rewriting something I had written already. This is that something. I wrote it 5 years ago, but it’s still how I feel.)

Visiting a friend who is a fine wine and cheese kind of guy, he asks me, “What’s your favorite cheese to eat with red wine?”

I turn the question over in my head searching for the perfect cheese or at least one that sounds like it: American, Swiss, French (is there French cheese or only dressing?), Colby, cheddar, smoked cheddar with bacon, Velveeta. “I don’t know? I’m just a simple small town kinda of fella. I actually…

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Yesterday, what a laugh

Yesterday I was asked about the theoretical structure of “Where Am I Wearing?” I gave an answer that involved my underwear. I don’t think that plays well in Academia. What I wanted to say was this…

“WAIW isn’t an academic work…people actually enjoy reading it!”

And in bigger news…

Harper laughed!

I’m out of town for one night and I miss her first laugh. Annie gave me the news last night. I’m not sure what time she laughed, but I wonder if at that exact moment her father was being asked about the theoretical structure of his book….

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David Sedaris Ball State recap

Last week I saw David Sedaris speak at Ball State University here in Muncie.

Nothing is off limits for his wit. Israeli-Palestinian conflict – cracked me up. His family’s love for off-beat taxidermy – killed. At one point he was talking about the preserved severed head of a South American girl from the 15th century and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in my struggle to keep from laughing aloud.

One of the stories he read was about his decision to put out a tip jar during a book tour. He did it to be funny, but soon he was pulling down $200 – $400 per night and, regardless of how great the crowd was, he started to judge them on the amount they tipped him. I…

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You know that you've made it when…

…you are a local cake judge. That’s what I am today at Kennedy Library in Muncie.

I’m one of the judges in the libraries annual Edible Books Festival:

Entirely edible creations should feature books, a literary theme, stories, authors and/or characters. That’s right, all entries must be created of edible materials. Cakes, pies, vegetables, nuts, bread, popcorn, juices, candy and other food stuffs are great. Just make sure it doesn’t melt or get yucky before the Festival is over at 4 p.m.

This should be fun. Unfortunately, because of health code stuff, there will be no eating of the cakes. So I’ll be judging books that can’t be read and cakes that can’t be eaten.

Last night Annie made an Edible Book based on Where Am I Wearing?. (I…

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Bangladesh to ban begging

Bangladesh Beggar

From the Guardian. (I saw the link on Relevantmagazine.com)

Bangladesh’s newly elected government plans to eradicate begging from the streets of Dhaka and five regional cities during the next five years, after pushing an anti-begging bill through parliament this week.

The heart of the issue:

Farah Kabir, ActionAid Bangladesh’s country director, said: “The [Bangladeshi] government needs to spell out how it will achieve the ambitious target of eliminating begging in five years. We need to see the plan. We will welcome it if the plan is to move people out of poverty, to provide beggars with an alternative livelihood. But the question is, will it just be a measure to make the poor invisible? This was tried in the 1980s when beggars were moved to…

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Where Am I Wearing Wednesday: PJ's

It’s neither one hour before bed nor one hour after, and I’m wearing pajamas. I realize that this is totally unacceptable.

Like drinking alcohol before noon, wearing pajamas after noon is a sign that you have a problem.

I have a problem.

Or do I? Maybe it’s these darn social norms, these social sensibilities regarding fashion, that are the problem. Why is it that I can’t be at my most comfortable all the time?

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone just wore pajamas?

Think about it. Folks would be happier because they are more comfortable. Crime would go down because most pajamas don’t have pockets to conceal, say, a switchblade. I was going to say that we would all be more equal without expensive suits and…

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Mission Accomplished

I received this email yesterday. It made my day. This is exactly why I wrote WAIW?. (Thanks for letting me post this Jake!)

kelsey,

I am a college junior at Rutgers and I just read your book for a research paper. I figured i could read your book and extract some quotes that would provide a scathing critique of globalization and working conditions in developing countries. While it immediately became clear that your book would offer very little along those lines and would not be of very much use in my paper I was unable to stop reading it. I have long struggled to cope with the realities under which my clothes were made. I found your account to be very refreshing. The…

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