Roger Ebert Kicks Ass

I'm all for cynicism. A healthy cynicism born of rational thinking, born of thoughtfulness. However, cynicism that amounts to conspiracy-theorism and politico-bullshit jabs, cynicism that is born of a lack of compassion, a lack of thoughtfulness, well that just pisses me off. And apparently it pisses off Roger Ebert, too.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100114/OPINION/100119985

Update: Stardate: March 10, 2010
I've read a bit more by and about Mr. Ebert since discovering his blog back in January. (Rather late, I know. My internet superhero fiance's powers have not rubbed off.) And he continues to be kick-ass . . . and also inspiring and lovely and awesome. I submit for your consideration:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/02/the_gathering_storm.html#more

We're in for some hard times. We need to pull in our belts, pay more taxes, demand more value for our taxes, and say no to an ideology that requires converting our health money into corporate profits. We should to raise the lowest wages, and lower the highest ones. We have to return to the saying my father quoted to me a hundred times: "A fair day's work for fair day's pay." No, I don't think everyone should be paid the same wage. If you earn a lot of money, you have a right to a lot of money. If you earn it. But when Wall Street bosses are paid millions in bonuses for bankrupting their firms, and their political tools in Congress oppose a better minimum wage, that's plain wrong. It's rotten.

Teachers

Wonderful, wonderful people.

I just spoke with a woman who was my English teacher in high school and who has been my mentor and friend for many years now, and it is amazing how good she makes me feel every time I talk to her--no matter how long it has been. As she did when I was in her class, she always makes me feel that I have something important to contribute, that she is interested in what I have to say, in what I'm doing, and that she gets as much as I do out of our interactions. I call that one of the hallmarks of a good teacher and good person and something I aspire to in my daily life (with mixed results).

The other thing, I note now, that made her a great teacher and that makes her such an awesome person is her interest in and curiosity about a wide range of things. Proclamation: Intellectually curious people make the best teachers. Their classes are interesting and constantly in flux. They aren't afraid to be asked questions that go beyond their knowledge. They challenge you and like to be challenged in return.

I'm going to go do a little spinny dance now.

Sea Change, or strange things are afoot at the Circle K

I left my job a few months ago. It was something I had pursued for several years but that, toward the end, made me miserable--immovable, staring, empty miserable, crying every day miserable. I didn't get out of it what I expected: It didn't bring the sense of fulfillment I had hoped, I wasn't helping anyone except my boss, and the money sure as hell didn't make up for the fact that I had no life.

I found myself reading literary and teaching blogs, fantasizing about doing something else, something more creative, something in which the bottom line wasn't a transfer of money between often equally-culpable actors... something more me. So, I decided that I wanted to write and I wanted to teach. I decided I was done with law.

And I left.

Turns out, grand gestures like leaving a career without future direction don't necessarily create momentum. Who'da thunk?

The problem is a simultaneous surfeit and dearth of options. Nothing jumps out, and I don't know where to look first. I feel like a cartoon trying to run in seven directions at once and getting snapped back, painfully, onto himself. I know it happened to that lech-y wolf a few times.

The solution is crafts. And cooking. And reading. And... writing. All of which I am going to do more of, some of which I may write about here. Or not. Really, I just hope to chronicle what really are wonderful changes coming about in my life!