Randomosity

• I have one student, bless her heart (yes that's a southern epithet), who asks me the most minute, detailed questions. I want to pull out my hair. It's not that I mind saying "I don't know," but that I resent saying it to questions like "What new Roman technologocal developments allowed them to beat the Carthaginian navy?" (I'm not kidding).
• My cab driver the weekend of the conference (was that really a month ago?!!) was Sudanese. He asked me had I ever been to Africa and I said no. He asked me did I want to go and I said, "Yes, I feel like I have to." He then asked me had I heard of Sudan. I nodded. He sighed and siad, "You've heard of Darfur?" I told him yes. Then, I asked, "Have you been to the area?" And he shut down on me, told me yes and it was somewhat bad, but it's getting better and that there is some new agreement that will end the trouble. I was stunned. The more I thought about it though, I began to wonder, what is it about nationalism that makes us dismiss and defend atrocities?
• Today, I heard some men inviting one of the history profs here to lunch. "Oh no," he said, "I'm on a budget, hence the fifteen cent ramen noodles." And I thought, "What the hell do you mean?!! The fat salary of a history prof won't rescue me from budgets and debt?" I had such high expectations. [/sarcasm]
• How invested in this world history class am I, that, when I jotted myself a note of what I wanted to include in this post, I wrote "Roman" noodles?
• I'm feeling all misty and stereotypically motherly today. My son is in Texas with my sister--he had to go to summer school for math. They come home every weekend and he always looks so sad on Sunday evenings when it's time to head back. Usually, I am the most unsypmathetic figure: "Next year, you're going to have to try. You're going to have to be responsible. Sorry you're missing all the summer fun!" But last night I got a bit teary when I talked to him and I missed him fiercely. He was all ready to get off the phone and I was asking the same questions in different ways. Ah, well.
• Belle will be 5 on June 21. Her mom is contemplating relaxing her hair. I started to elbow her in the face when she said that but 1) I've seen her fight two guys and beat the hell out of them and 2) I'm more of the "talk a lot of shit then say, 'just please don't hit my head or scratch my face,' school. We did talk about it though. Belle has excessively dry skin and we already have to wash her hair with medicated shampoo. On top of it, she has a temper and when she's mad, she pulls out her barettes or scratches her scalp until it bleeds. Her mom says it's getting harder to comb. To be fair, I don't comb her hair--I can't even make a straight part. I simply "brush it up" and reattach the barettes when she stays with me. But I don't think relaxing is the right answer.
• I love the camraderie between petit and bfp. It makes me feel good.
• Did elle ever say thanks to Quinn for all the links and book ideas for world history? Oh, nooooooo. elle is too shallow and self-absorbed. Thanks, friend.
• Zan tagged me. I'm getting to it!