Pilgrim's Progress was second only to the Bible in terms of availability and popularity in the 19th century. So while it may not be fun for you, that would not have been an unimaginable bore to Alcott's intended audience. I get not liking a book, but culture changes in the course of 150 years. Swap out "Pilgrim's…

This is one of my favorite books, and the movie was just ok for me. So much of the narrative (both content and structure) was missing. As Yoga Fire says above, it really is a montage. (I did not leave the film thinking that Eva was the monster, although my interpretation may have been pre-set based on the novel. I…

My student was a non-white male involved in an interracial relationship. Truer love has never been witnessed! He cried in my office when I explained why his arguments not only didn't meet the assignment criteria but didn't reflect reality as most Americans experience it.

Found a rotten apple in the work fridge before I went on maternity leave. After my leave, the fruit was still there. Threw it out, discovered it was a pear. People get used to anything.

I taught freshmen English at a somewhat selective university. I had a student write a paper arguing that interracial love is a truer love than same-race love because it isn't based on something as superficial as looks or race. He said that racism in America ended "about 100 years ago," and that MLK's "I HAD a Dream"…

While I agree with you in a broad sense, I think the divided reactions to tonight's episode are more complicated than the divided reactions to "The Fly," for example. Viewers are asking whether Carrie and Brody should continue to exist within the show's universe, and how the show emerges from this seemingly…

There was a great piece in The New Yorker earlier this year about the Tower of David and the slums in Caracas ("Slumlord" by Jon Lee Anderson). It was terrifying, and the idea of the Tower of David as Brody's only safe haven says more about his character's position than anything else in last night's episode.

All of Milwaukee was rooting for the Pirates.

Fuck the Cardinals! 
 -A Brewers fan

Her husband called her one day to lecture her about spending too much money. (She bought two meals a day at various restaurants and spent a lot of money on clothes; her husband is a public school teacher and she worked at a nonprofit—not exactly raking in money, plus they had a lot of expenses.) She was pissed at him.…

It doesn't bolster much faith for his future work.

Greetings from a fellow alumna!

One of my friends looked up a bitchy, spendy coworker's mortgage at the county courthouse. The coworker shopped every day at lunch, paid for her the entirety of her daughter's wedding and college education, and just took a vacation to Hawaii. Her household cannot sustain that kind of living, but she's been living that…

I feel the same way. My husband and I met with a financial advisor, and he basically laughed at us (in a nice way, I don't mean he was dickish about it). He told us to relax—we may feel like we have nothing left, but putting money toward retirement, investments, and a mortgage aren't the same as being broke (which is…

Just closed out all my WF accounts last week (paid off a student loan, shut my checking and savings account, and transferred my HSA). It was a new fee every month. I'm a much happier credit union customer now.

My former boss has three kids under 4, is building a new home, has a new car payment and student loans, and her household income is at least $35k less than mine. Super depressing. Then I remembered she doesn't believe in putting money away for retirement or owning life insurance. It's gambling. I'm feeling better, but…

To me, he looks at least 15 years younger than Assange.

If you're financing, check out a credit union or other non-dealership financing options. That was the worst part of my recent car-buying purchase. Also, don't dick around. Know what (reasonable) price you want to pay, and be willing to walk out if they won't meet it. I knew what I wanted to pay but sucked at the…

I saw the same figures/explanation on NPR. I get that the Republicans don't like the ACA, and that they think they were elected to the House to control our budgetary priorities/obligations/choices, which means they should have a say on the ACA (in their view). However, Obama and the Democratic Senate were re-elected,…

THANK YOU.