Malapropisms

In  Podcast Episode #53, I talk about malapropisms. This term comes from Mrs. Malaprop, a character in  Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1775 play The Rivals. Another character says of her that she uses “words so ingeniously misapplied, without being mispronounced.” We have seen this with comedians, such as Norm Crosby. I used to show a RedContinue reading Malapropisms

Abandon Perfection

Buckle up: this is a long one. And it might be my TED Talk. People in my circle have often heard me assert this statement: Abandon perfection. You can never achieve perfection. But you can always strive for excellence. I have seen so many people trying to achieve the perfect result. Usually what happens isContinue reading “Abandon Perfection”

Independent-Thinking Scholar

At conferences, I would sometimes see the title, “Independent Scholar” and, in my snobby way, I would think, “Well, that person can’t find a real job.” Of course, maybe they chose that route. The title of this blog post suggest a scholar who thinks independently of what he or she has been taught. In myContinue reading “Independent-Thinking Scholar”

Podcasts 51 and 52 Part 2

In my previous blog entry I talked about podcast episodes number 51 and 52. Here is a postscript to one aspect of that story. In episode 51 I talked a bit about the comprehensive exams. For those, we were placed in a room for four days, three hours each day, and were expected to writeContinue reading “Podcasts 51 and 52 Part 2”

Completing the Deck

For Season Five, I’ve been using a lot of non-scripted material. For episode 51, I decided to just sit down and talk about the difficulties I had getting my PhD at Berkeley. I then went on so long I had to break it up and make it into two podcast episodes. It’s a story I’veContinue reading “Completing the Deck”

Oberammergau: The Review!

I mentioned Oberammergau in a previous post about my cruise experience; here’s some extra info. Back in a theatrical history course early in my theatre days I heard about Oberammergau: to avoid being decimated by the Black Plague, the townspeople pledged to perform the Passion Play every ten years (starting in 1634). They followed thatContinue reading “Oberammergau: The Review!”

The Cruise (Part 1)

When you choose a cruise line for a vacation, you do your research and find one that will be ideal. A river cruise? Great! A floating hotel in which to relax for however long the trip is. You do not expect to spend so much time riding in buses, staying in hotels, or paying forContinue reading “The Cruise (Part 1)”

Almost There…

I did some rearranging in the home office, and now have close to my professional mic set-up once again. This is in preparation for more Kid Again episodes as well as the last two episodes of Audio Chimera season 4. I’m currently editing episode 46: “Migration” (about immigration, but of course I range beyond that.)Continue reading “Almost There…”