Loons!

Un-chatty loons on Lac Carriere that refused to make loon noises despite prompting.

Going camping

I am going canoe camping with CC tomorrow for like, a whole week. Wow! Ok, for 4 days. She is packing right now. I am supposed to be packing right now also. I was in charge of packing the food. CC likes to bag each meal separatly (example: for "dinner #2" the pasta, sauce, olive oil, veggies, etc. are all in a labeled bag). But I told her not to worry because I would pack the food. Then when she left the kitchen I threw all the food in a barrel. I did not individually wrap each meal. In fact, I did not individually wrap anything. She may not be so into this when she notices tomorrow. But by then, we will be like 6 kilometers up a lake in northern Quebec with only loons to witness.

THE GAYS

I came out to my class. This is maybe the first time I've done this (there maybe was one other time?) but certainly the first time I've been crystal-clear to the class that yes, I'm A GAY.

(The class is on imperialism, so maybe you are thinking, how did this happen? Was it like the world's most helpful accused witches?) It happened like this.

We were reading this anti-immigration piece by Margaret Thatcher where she says that immigration and 'the growth of the permissive society' or something both threaten Britain. (Oh no!)

Student: What's she mean by the permissive society?
Me: Class, what's she mean?
People in class: Loosening morals, etc.
Me: That's right! She means THE GAYS.
(People in class look confused.)
Me: (Hopping around happily) THE GAYS, that's what she's talking about. She's like, 'Oh no, watch out, spooky immigrants and GAYS!'
Me: (Spooky hand motions)
Student: What? 'The gaze"?

(We talk a lot in class about 'the European gaze.')

Me: (Merrily writing it in huge letters on the board) No, not 'the gaze', THE GAYS.
Me: (Circling 'THE GAYS' on the board)
Me: (Realizing that I've got to tell them I'm a lezzie or they'll think I'm gay bashing) I call it this because I'm one of them. I'm A GAY!
Me: (Realizing that this is super funny to me and my buddies, but my poor dear students are lost, lonely and turning bright red.)
Me: I can call it this because I'm one of them. You don't have to. You can call it gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trans folks, etc. Or queer.

Then we had a big discussion about what "queer" means, how it offends some people, and whether to use it.

Anyway, well, my excuse for not coming out to my classes is that it never comes up, and I don't like to talk about my personal life. But today it came up. Not that they were surprised, I hope.

"Ah, thank you for clearing that up." World's most helpful accused witches.

"Oh, why yes Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, now that we're all here, you're probably wondering, 'What are the names of their familiars?' and why--yes!--here they are, speak of the devil (ha ha!)"

(Note: familiars are obligingly self-arrayed in front of Hopkins, and are even conveniently numbered in some cases.)

(Unrelated: The familiars are so cute! Jamaras' one of those fluffy high-society dogs, how could she/it drink blood etc.?)

(Enormous thanks, naturally, to CBAM for the image.)

Tiger vs. Great White Shark!!!

Some really loyal readers who were reading even before DY went on the air may remember the epic electoral contest TIGER VERSUS GREAT WHITE SHARK!! which was fought online to a tie vote. Today in class when one student pointed out an apparent shark fin (likely a rock, in reality) in a 18th C painting of Captain Cook getting whacked by Hawaiians, I got really excited and it was because I remembered TIGER VERSUS GREAT WHITE SHARK!!!

WHO WILL WIN???!! VOTE!!!!

Ovar-rated

Before you vote for Hillary Clinton just because she has ovaries, harken back to other famous ovary-possessing politicians, like Margaret Thatcher, Indira Ghandi, Angela Merkel. Not ladies known for their progressive politics, peoples.

Ladies only get elected when they're able to overcome the stereotypes about women by proving that they're just as pro-military, anti-social welfare, rabidly nationalist and authoritarian as any dude. Overcoming stereotypes, yay! Yay, feminism!

Exam project 2

(Thanks to JM for more exam answers)

The ideology of _________________claimed that women were fit only for working in the home and was supported by scientists such as the early sociologist August Comte.

1) one answer I got was "suffrage" because the kid later said that he heard it "had something to do with women"

2) another answer I got was "realism"