The end of summer is always hell in SoCal, especially when the Santa Ana season is protracted. We did have two cool days, and even a bit of rainfall, but it wasn't measurable, and we went right back to blazing temps and now the sky is orange and the air full of drifting ash and smoke from the fires local to here. (We're safe because of urban ( Read more... )

Well, my flist is full of everybody exhorting everybody else to vote, and I say everybody because even the non-USAns are reminding USAns they should get out and vote ( Read more... )

Many on my flist have such fascinating jobs. (In fact, that would make a very cool thing, I think--people posting about what they do.) But anyway, I wanted to link to this post by branna about the dayjob.

blackhandpants offers a look at homeschooling from the perspective of a stay-at-home homeschooling mom.

Do people--young people--still say 'beastly' as an adjective, and if so, who uses it?

And if they don't, what would, say, a well educated Oxonian say instead?

It's wearyingly hot, too hot to think but I can read. blackhandpants has a wonderful anecdote about her daughters and a ballet recital. I've been following the adventures of these girls since the first one was a toddler, and the second went through her difficult birth. We've met once, and they are darlings.

If you've a few moments, go here

I love contemplating the evolution of terms, and what's implied behind. (If I can ( Read more... )

madrobins says it so very well here:
http://madrobins.livejournal.com/191374.html

I am an extremely fast reader, but wow, I am more behind every day.  I resort to cheating on my timer, then am furious with myself for not getting to my list of tasks, but people are so fascinating, and it's all right ( Read more... )

Most of you have probably already seen makinglight's link to this street art (to which kateelliott also linked today, reminding me. But that and this recent post about Sacred Harp Singing made me think of all the opportunities we ordinary folk have of participating in living art. I've been listening to Sacred Harp singing for a couple of days, courtesy of asakiyume*. I ( Read more... )

I wondered if everyone who journals so much kept diaries when young. I don't think anyone knows how rare or not rare diary keeping is. Back in the seventies I read one supposed scholarly take on diaries, in which the author decreed that historically, few kept diaries. First, his references were all to men, and second, how could he possibly know ( Read more... )