Movie Palace Encounters

At the beginning of the academic year, there are a string of receptions, luncheons and dinners to welcome new and returning faculty to campus.  Most of these events are, to be frank, dull and tense.  First, academics are not the most socially gifted demographic, and in the days before the semester starts they are all nervous and strained about getting their courses organized.  This combination of factors rarely makes for a good party.  Still, when my friend invited me to one of these events, I tagged along, thinking that at the very least I'd get a free dinner.  Against all expectations, I came away with much more.  

The dinner was at the Fox Theatre, an Atlanta institution that started life as a Shriners Temple, became a movie palace with an Egyptomania aesthetic, and now hosts concerts, parties, and the occasional film screening.  Early in the evening we went on a tour - it was great fun to hear about the Orientalist decor, the early air-conditioning system, the huge cinema organ, and the elaborate fire-control systems (since the building dates from the era when film was extremely flammable - explosive, actually).  If I teach "Intro to Film" in Atlanta I plan to take my students there so they will know how fabulous a movie theatre can be. 

After the tour I got in line for the bar, and started chatting with a guy who, like me, had been invited by a friend to come along for a free dinner.  He told me that he works for the local newspaper, but I soon discovered his real profession:  magician.   We hit it off, and had dinner together courtesy of Georgia Tech.  Since then we've taken Atlanta by storm - swing dancing, the drive-in, and this weekend we're going to a laser show about the history of Georgia.  He has promised to teach Mollie a magic trick so she can show up all the other therapy dogs.  

Walk/Watch

When I go to the gym, I often watch tv on the treadmill, as it helps pass the time and distracts me from the absurdism of running to nowhere.  Yesterday I observed an application of this idea that I had never anticipated.  I was walking Mollie in the park when I heard the sound of recorded dialogue.  I thought it was a radio at first, but then I saw a man walking along the path while watching television - not on a little iPod, mind you, but a full dvd player with a laptop-sized screen.  What was he watching that either couldn't wait until after his walk, or which provided such terrific motivation while walking?  Married With Children.  I find it remarkable that someone would own a dvd of Married With Children, much less take it for a walk.

Labyrinth Report

A nice family is renting my property in Canada, and the lady of the house has a blog.  Her latest post about the labyrinth that my father built years ago makes me nostalgic.  Also, it's nice to see the place represented by someone who is a better photographer than I am.

Mollie Career Update

Mollie has passed her therapy dog assessment - in fact, she out-performed some of the experienced therapy dogs who were among the examiners.  One of the tests involved my approaching another person with a dog and greeting her, but ensuring that our dogs don't interact directly.  Mollie sat patiently, while the tester's therapy dog got all giddy and silly.  Some have suggested that the dog was intimidated by Mollie's therapy-dog prowess.  Next weekend I'll be going on an observation visit (without Mollie) to watch a therapy dog team at a children's psychiatric hospital.  I suspect that will be even more interesting than I can imagine.  After that, I'll get a list of teams that need new members and we can get to work.  

At the volunteer training session I was told that the organization has a few cats in their membership, and one therapy bunny named Hershey.  How cute is that?  

Magic Shadows

Yesterday my friend and I kept trying to see a movie.  We've heard a lot of buzz about a French thriller called Tell No One, so we decided to go to a matinee.  Apparently, everyone else in Atlanta had the same idea, so the afternoon show was sold out.  We got tickets for the 7pm show and returned early to get a good seat.  All of Atlanta's French cinema enthusiasts were lined up outside, nervously, as a dramatic thunderstorm was fast approaching.  They let us inside just before we got drenched, but the moment we settled into our seats, the power went out.  Foiled again!  Most of the audience decided to wait it out, and soon everyone took out their cell phones to use their illuminated screens as flashlights.  It looked like the theatre was full of digital fireflies. Somebody produced an actual flashlight, and before long a shadow puppet show was being performed on the movie screen, to everyone's amusement.  The narrative involved an encounter between a giraffe and a crocodile, and it concluded to thunderous applause.  After half an hour they kicked us out because there was no sign of the power returning, so we went back to my house to drink cheap wine and marvel at the tree that had fallen through my neighbour's roof in the storm.  He was in good spirits about it, saying "the roof was old anyway...everything happens for a reason."  

Cajun Dancing

My latest internet-facilitated date was with Larry the Mortgage Guy, who has introduced me to cajun dancing.  Last night's dance was held at the Knights of Columbus hall, where the dance floor is illuminated by Christmas lights and each corner is equipped with a fan to keep the dancers cool.  I had asked Larry about the dress code, and he said he was going to wear his cowboy boots.  I was thrilled at the prospect of wearing mine, and they turned out to be well suited to the waltz and 2-step.  Between dances we would sit at the tables among people enjoying bowls of gumbo and plates of bread pudding and talk about exotic cajun dance venues - assorted barns, restaurants, and clubs throughout the South.  My favorite story was about a club in Louisiana where the dance floor is on a platform over a swamp, with alligators prowling below.  No alligators at the Knights of Columbus hall, but the all-ages crowd provided plenty of visual interest.  The band was genius - the fiddler introduced the accordionist as the best in Louisiana, and therefore, the world.  The guitarist, whose instrument was covered in patriotic stickers detailing his military career, told corny jokes between sets and complimented the crowd on their fine dancing.  

Intelegent Design

I have spent the weekend rating diagnostic writing tests.  The prompt posed a question about whether or not the Georgia Tech administration should have the right to read students' email. Here are some highlights:

College is about no control.

If you don't like people checking your bags, buy your own plane.

Administrative access to emails would create an environment of senseless snooping, wasted taxes, mistrust and schizophrenia.

Have we not shown a consitent thrive for excelence?

The right to privacy has become a prominent issue in the recent technological error.

Privacy is a sense of being private.

The internet is constantly eveloving.

Email exists as the backbone of modern society.

And the winner is:

The fact is, Georgia Tech students are intelegent.