...I still refer to our neighbor across the street, who has lived there since we moved in when I was seven, as "Mister Jones". I don't even know what his first name is. I'm 31 years old now. He's gotta be like, seventy or eighty now. He was a massive figure growing up, because we really WERE keeping up with the Joneses--he retired early, and was always keeping his lawn very nice, and he always kept an eye out on us--if he knew we were home alone, he'd call up and be like "I saw someone knock on the door, who was that?"

Okay, WHY do I let my students drag me into this shit? Most of them have never met anyone outside of their little town and the very idea of the term "white privilege" is likely to make their heads explode (not to mention their minds lock tight shut)*.

[Redacted because I got WAY too ranty. Probably emailed to vw so we can be righteously outraged together.]

What with one thing and another, I am actually feeling increasingly pessimistic about the election. I'm thrilled by the poll numbers, but I really feel like the majority of the country may want exactly what Bush represented: a friendly, paternalistic everyman and REAL American (as denoted by his accent, I guess) who'll defend American business interests over everything else, because somehow the free market must work, and foreigners mostly want to kill us anyway. And I can't believe I'm saying that, because it makes me feel like I'm a total snob.

Deep breath, reminder that not all the world is a rural Southern town (or 16-year-old boys, for that matter), and relax. Whew.

(*ETA: God, that sounds condescending and judgmental. They're actually very smart, and the one today is honestly thoughtful and well-informed and I think he's going to do great things. I just mean they've been sort of inoculated with the idea of "playing the race card" and are likely to hear it as "whiny liberal blah blah blah" and not listen to anything else.)

I am up from extremely sketch sleep -- I am coughing and hacking like mad -- to drink something hot and try to get tmy throat clear for a second. Ugh.

From my experience, sir/ma'am is definitely a southern thang; Missouri is a weird state, because i's not Southern, but Southern Mo is NOT wholly Midwestern, and a lot of people with Southern roots have migrated here, so you get a real mix of mannerisms.

I always Mrs./Mr. and sir/ma'am old people -- I mean grandma/grandpa-type people. I sometimes sir/ma'am people my parents age, always Mr./Mrs. unless I know them well.

Other than that? I refered to my students as ladies and gentlemen, and downgraded to boys and girls, to let them know they were acting immature. Sometimes, I bellowed ninas y ninos, and a couple of times I got to SPERM! OVA! which had them benefit of startling them enough that they actually listened to me.

...maybe we can get John Travolta to play him in the TV movie!

Emily, this article might give you some hints on your students' mindset.

I went to an alternative school where we called our teachers by their first name. We even called the principal by his first name. And we were taught to teach authority figures with respect, with of course the understanding that we should question authority too.

Great Kerfuffle Bunny today, Mister Joe. I did try to reply on the website but I'm having issues again, possibly pebcak related. If I could have a KB t-shirt it would be The Bunny himself saying only, "Discuss." But I don't have t-shirt money at the moment.

If I could have a KB t-shirt it would be The Bunny himself saying only, "Discuss."

Hm. Maybe that would be better.

OMG, I am so fucking menstrual.

Someone tell me to quit eating sugar and googling exes.

Someone tell me to quit eating sugar and googling exes.

Back away slowly from the sweetness and pain.