Eleanor Arnason's Blog, page 115

November

Today is bright and sunny. Patrick and I are going up to Duluth to watch the Arthur Anderson -- Pat's favorite lake boat -- come in through the shipping canal.

I have trouble with November, because the days are getting short and there is a fair amount of overcast weather. The darkness tends to pull my mood down. This week has been difficult, even though it's sunny today. Pat and I have both been unemployed for six months, and neither of us is seeing any good job prospects at the moment.

I had...

A Rainy Day

Yesterday was gray. I stayed inside and read: Valiant by Holly Black, which I liked, and Old Man's War by John Scalzi, which I did not like. I am not a fan of military sf, except for The Forever War. I also read The Essential Immanuel Wallerstein, though not all of it. Wallerstein is a distinguished sociologist, an interesting thinker, but not easy reading.

Today it's raining, a steady all-day rain. I have stayed inside thus far, working on the new Lydia Duluth story, then making a Mexican be...

Weather Report

Autumn is progressing. A lot of leaves have fallen and some trees are entirely bare. The leaves that remain are muted. We had a warm September and a cold, rainy October, not good for colors.

There have been several snow falls, none lasting in the Cities.

I continue to look for work and work on my writing -- a new Lydia Duluth story, the Wiscon essay and the sequel to Ring of Swords.

I have a job interview next week, after a long dry spell.

Fall

No news. Autumn is progressing. A lot of leaves have fallen and some trees are entirely bare. The leaves that remain are muted. We had a warm September and a cold, rainy October, not good for colors.

There have been several snow falls, none lasting in the Cities.

I continue to look for work and work on my writing -- a new Lydia Duluth story, the Wiscon essay and the sequel to Ring of Swords.

I have a job interview next week, after a long dry spell.

Hoya

Our hoya is blooming again -- four clusters of flowers this time.

Mid October

It's cold and grey in Minnesota. There was mixed rain and snow in the morning, turning to rain. The snow that fell on Monday is gone.

I exercised this morning, then got my flu shot, then came home and made baked apples. I am now making baked winter squash.

Patrick is going to the annual meeting of a homeless shelter. Last year the shelter gave an award for the outstanding participant in their family program. The award went to a six year boy, homeless with his family. He got up and gave a speec...

G20 Meeting in Pittsburgh

I found this on the Internet.

From the Thomas Merton Center/Twin Cities Pittsburgh and Indymedia/Glassbead Collective NYC

Pittsburgh, PA, September 27th, 2009:

On the first day of the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, residents and visitors arriving in the downtown area of the two time "Most Livable City" winner were greeted with a town locked down with security fences, barricades, and checkpoints staffed by security forces in camouflage standing next to armored vehicles typically seen in TV ...

Weather Report

There is a slight chance of snow Friday night.

The Walker

I went to a dance performance at the Walker Art Center on Sunday. It was a combination of South Indian and Balinese dance with two orchestras, one Indian and one Balinese. I liked it, though I know so little about both traditions that I had trouble figuring out how the two traditions were being used.

My friend and I came early and went through the museum. I have complicated responses to the Walker, since I grew up in the old museum, which no longer exists. The permanent collection is on exhib...

Funny Story

I ran across this story in one of the political blogs I read. I think it's true. I hope it's true.

You may have seen the photo of Obama as a witch doctor. It was made by adding Obama's face to a picture of a dark skinned man in some kind of traditional tribal dress, including a feather through his nose. Rightwingers think the photo is funny. To me it was obviously racist -- so racist that it made me feel queasy. Many people felt the same.

The picture caused a stir when it first surfaced, then v...