Suddenly I feel euphoria regarding my final term, a sudden rush of well being. Where did it come from? Don't care. Going to enjoy my last term in the classroom ... and enjoy retirement even more. Begin tomorrow!
"You can't fix it. You can't make it go away.
I don't know what you're going to do about it,
But I know what I'm going to do about it. I'm just
going to walk away from it. Maybe
A small part of it will die if I'm not around
feeding it anymore."
--Lew Welch
How to tell a story
Monday, March 31, 2014
Last class
I think I'll go beyond the class limit if students want in ... last chance and all. Getting excited!
Fighting the Militarized State | Common Dreams
Fighting the Militarized State | Common Dreams:
"I spent 20 years as a foreign correspondent, 15 of them with The New York Times. I interviewed numerous individuals deemed by the U.S. government to be terrorists and traveled with armed groups, including units of al-Qaida, labeled as terrorist organizations. When I reported the statements and activities of these individuals and groups, U.S. officialdom often made little distinction between them and me. This was true during the wars in Central America. It was true in the Middle East. And it was true when I covered global terrorism. There was no law at the time that permitted the government, because of my work as a reporter, to order the military to seize and detain me. Now there is. This law, if it is not struck down, will essentially replace our civilian judiciary with a military one." Chris Hedges
'via Blog this'
"I spent 20 years as a foreign correspondent, 15 of them with The New York Times. I interviewed numerous individuals deemed by the U.S. government to be terrorists and traveled with armed groups, including units of al-Qaida, labeled as terrorist organizations. When I reported the statements and activities of these individuals and groups, U.S. officialdom often made little distinction between them and me. This was true during the wars in Central America. It was true in the Middle East. And it was true when I covered global terrorism. There was no law at the time that permitted the government, because of my work as a reporter, to order the military to seize and detain me. Now there is. This law, if it is not struck down, will essentially replace our civilian judiciary with a military one." Chris Hedges
'via Blog this'
In Memoriam: Jonathan Schell (1943-2014) | The Nation
In Memoriam: Jonathan Schell (1943-2014) | The Nation:
"His final great work on climate change, on which he spent years of research, provisionally titled The Human Shadow, will sadly never be written. In the end, the lens simply grew too wide for a single lifetime—and we will all be the poorer for it."
"His final great work on climate change, on which he spent years of research, provisionally titled The Human Shadow, will sadly never be written. In the end, the lens simply grew too wide for a single lifetime—and we will all be the poorer for it."
America, China And Saudi Arabia Among The Few Remaining Countries That Executed Anyone In 2013 | ThinkProgress
America, China And Saudi Arabia Among The Few Remaining Countries That Executed Anyone In 2013 | ThinkProgress:
Ah, the company we keep ...
Ah, the company we keep ...
Sunday, March 30, 2014
New UN climate report
The expected bad news.
"And the worst is yet to come, the scientists said in the second of three reports that are expected to carry considerable weight next year as nations try to agree on a new global climate treaty. In particular, the report emphasized that the world’s food supply is at considerable risk — a threat that could have serious consequences for the poorest nations."
The worse the news, the louder the deniers. Science, to them, is a left wing conspiracy because, after all, America is Exceptional.
"And the worst is yet to come, the scientists said in the second of three reports that are expected to carry considerable weight next year as nations try to agree on a new global climate treaty. In particular, the report emphasized that the world’s food supply is at considerable risk — a threat that could have serious consequences for the poorest nations."
The worse the news, the louder the deniers. Science, to them, is a left wing conspiracy because, after all, America is Exceptional.
Sunday vegetation
Hanging out, strumming ukulele, watching bball (Stanford looked great, won by 25). Calm before teaching begins. Looks like a strike to me but anything can happen. My clsss not affected. But will change rhythm of everything. Some students may strike.
Good games
...at women's dance today. Go, Stanford! I smell an upset: Maryland over Tennessee.
Dodgers open season tonight. Might have to check it out.
Dodgers open season tonight. Might have to check it out.
Play ball!
King Felix takes the mound tomorrow night, and the season begins. Hopefully it's better than last year.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
I don't believe this
Halftime ... UConn 30 BYU 29
UConn hasn't made a 3 ... Stewart 0 for 7 before she scored in last minute of half.
UConn hasn't made a 3 ... Stewart 0 for 7 before she scored in last minute of half.
Faculty strike
FT faculty may strike, starting Wed. Will be a first. Adjuncts, like myself, with a different union, are not striking. But if it happens, these affairs are never simple and can get ugly. I'd prefer to have a "normal" goodbye term but we'll have to wait and see. My first concern is my students. What do they think about this?
Friday, March 28, 2014
Pie
My dad was a pie hound. He had favorite spots, usually cafes in small towns, mentally mapped all across the country.
I love pie but actually don't eat a lot if it. But I had two slices to die for on our trip: peanut butter pie at Mo's and coconut cream at the Otis Cafe (to go, not for breakfast ha ha).
I love pie but actually don't eat a lot if it. But I had two slices to die for on our trip: peanut butter pie at Mo's and coconut cream at the Otis Cafe (to go, not for breakfast ha ha).
Battery charge
Nice not to think of school for a few days. Most of today, still in vacation mode ... then back to the grind. But the end is in sight ... and my last class deserves to be special.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Practicing jazz
Working on a couple tunes. Chords are the easy part; hard part is creating an arrangement that sounds good.
Stanford about to play. Will peek in.
Stanford about to play. Will peek in.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Hyperdrama and good vibes
Snooping around the net to see if anything new in hyperdrama is going on. Not that I found. However, I'm delighted to see that my work is still required reading at a number of university classes on hypertext, esp my intro essay and one act hyperdrama. A typical citation (by Canadian professor):
Even theater has also been influenced by hypertext, resulting in hyperdrama. In this world, Charles Deemer’s work is especially relevant6. He was the first one in conceiving a play in which several scenes are performed at the same time.
Well, this is not true at all. That Tamara guy in Canada was before me, and maybe others were before him. But my literary reputation is nowhere stronger than here, hyperdrama, esp in Canada, Spain and the Scandanavian countries. A bit strange but I'll take it ha ha. Being required reading has a nice ring to it.
Even theater has also been influenced by hypertext, resulting in hyperdrama. In this world, Charles Deemer’s work is especially relevant6. He was the first one in conceiving a play in which several scenes are performed at the same time.
Well, this is not true at all. That Tamara guy in Canada was before me, and maybe others were before him. But my literary reputation is nowhere stronger than here, hyperdrama, esp in Canada, Spain and the Scandanavian countries. A bit strange but I'll take it ha ha. Being required reading has a nice ring to it.
Finito
Looked over matchups at men's dance ... not even UCLA-Florida gets me excited. If Stanford won, I might follow their next game under the assumption they have more than usual brain power on the team.
Still watching women, though (is it smaller egos or less media?), hoping for UConn-ND showdown ... which I expect UConn to win with surprising ease.
Yes, the first two rounds at the dance always interest me most, rooting for the little guy.
Still watching women, though (is it smaller egos or less media?), hoping for UConn-ND showdown ... which I expect UConn to win with surprising ease.
Yes, the first two rounds at the dance always interest me most, rooting for the little guy.
Bernie Sanders for President in 2016? | Common Dreams
Bernie Sanders for President in 2016? | Common Dreams:
I've become too cynical to get excited about things like this any more. Pissing against the wind. I think it will take a Latino progressive candidate, blue collar, if anyone, a somewhat Marxist turn of sensibility, to get rid of the plutocrats. Won't happen in my lifetime.
I've become too cynical to get excited about things like this any more. Pissing against the wind. I think it will take a Latino progressive candidate, blue collar, if anyone, a somewhat Marxist turn of sensibility, to get rid of the plutocrats. Won't happen in my lifetime.
In the office
My basement office, that is. Catching up on various online chores. Listening to the Emerson Quartet.
The rain is back. It always is. At least I got caught up with yard work while the sun was out.
Ready to go for next term! Not a bad feeling. MY LAST TERM. Rather a profound time in the rhythm of my life, I think. Meanwhile I am making real progress on ukulele, steady, sure, but still a long ways to go. I want to record two songs today. The third isn't quite ready yet.
I downloaded a jazz workbook, well two volumes, by jazz ukulele guru Glen Rose, big on the net and YouTube ... he has a less formal approach than I am taking, former math major and all, but it will be supplementary material for me and a very user friendly presentation. I want to soak up all I can. I need to find a signature way to do my songs, once I get the instrument down .... I' m not a jazz singer but the lyrics are so important, so well crafted, that I can't neglect them ... almost thinking of a poetry reading approach, where I READ the lyrics to a jazz accompaniment, as if Cole Porter were a beat poet in SF in the fifties. Might be an experiment worth trying. But all that is down the road. I am still learning tech things and hand technique. But loving every minute of it.
And I definitely want to write a music drama. That has been my dream ... music drama, chamber opera, call it what you want ... for years now, since I wrote the libretto for Nugent, I think. Opera is the ultimate narrative form but I don't like its social context ... I like the Brecht tradition. A political music drama with ukulele jazz music. It could be very far out and, in fact, very effective, if done with dramatic and musical skill. A goal, at any rate. Keeps me from jumping off bridges ha ha.
Well, H is not up yet. I'll stay down here a while.
The rain is back. It always is. At least I got caught up with yard work while the sun was out.
Ready to go for next term! Not a bad feeling. MY LAST TERM. Rather a profound time in the rhythm of my life, I think. Meanwhile I am making real progress on ukulele, steady, sure, but still a long ways to go. I want to record two songs today. The third isn't quite ready yet.
I downloaded a jazz workbook, well two volumes, by jazz ukulele guru Glen Rose, big on the net and YouTube ... he has a less formal approach than I am taking, former math major and all, but it will be supplementary material for me and a very user friendly presentation. I want to soak up all I can. I need to find a signature way to do my songs, once I get the instrument down .... I' m not a jazz singer but the lyrics are so important, so well crafted, that I can't neglect them ... almost thinking of a poetry reading approach, where I READ the lyrics to a jazz accompaniment, as if Cole Porter were a beat poet in SF in the fifties. Might be an experiment worth trying. But all that is down the road. I am still learning tech things and hand technique. But loving every minute of it.
And I definitely want to write a music drama. That has been my dream ... music drama, chamber opera, call it what you want ... for years now, since I wrote the libretto for Nugent, I think. Opera is the ultimate narrative form but I don't like its social context ... I like the Brecht tradition. A political music drama with ukulele jazz music. It could be very far out and, in fact, very effective, if done with dramatic and musical skill. A goal, at any rate. Keeps me from jumping off bridges ha ha.
Well, H is not up yet. I'll stay down here a while.
Monday, March 24, 2014
BYU only 3rd #12 to advance ...
... to Sweet 16 at women's dance. Tried hard to give it away, though, with turnovers and missed freebies ... blew huge lead in closing mins. Fewer upsets at lady dance. Now they play UConn ha ha ha.
Literary Criticism
Literary Criticism
now and again
in a moment of weakness
driven by delusions of grandeur
I give someone the gift
of one of my books
having seen in their thinking
a reason to believe my work
would resonate with them
but as often as not
the gift is never acknowledged
good manners apparently out of fashion
so I never find out
if they liked the book or not
and weeks later, seeing them
down the street
I go out of my way
to avoid them
so I don't have to
find out
now and again
in a moment of weakness
driven by delusions of grandeur
I give someone the gift
of one of my books
having seen in their thinking
a reason to believe my work
would resonate with them
but as often as not
the gift is never acknowledged
good manners apparently out of fashion
so I never find out
if they liked the book or not
and weeks later, seeing them
down the street
I go out of my way
to avoid them
so I don't have to
find out
Talent poems
Terry Simons is on to something with his series of poems set in Talent, Oregon, and its chronicle of residents and small town life. This strikes me as the perfect antidote to all the poorly written, over-written novels flooding the marketplace, storytelling that is clean, tight, true. If he keeps going, a book will result. Go, Terry!
And you go here:
http://roundbendpress.blogspot.com
And you go here:
http://roundbendpress.blogspot.com
Climate Change Dangers Here Now, Will Worsen Many Human Ills, UN Panel Warns
Climate Change Dangers Here Now, Will Worsen Many Human Ills, UN Panel Warns:
""The polar bear is us," says Patricia Romero Lankao of the federally financed National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., referring to the first species to be listed as threatened by global warming due to melting sea ice."
""The polar bear is us," says Patricia Romero Lankao of the federally financed National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., referring to the first species to be listed as threatened by global warming due to melting sea ice."
To the office
My basement office, I mean. I may miss my university office ... great hiding place from all the noise and nonsense in the culture.
A tweaked syllabus is the morning goal .. and an auditing script to look at ... etc. Onward.
A tweaked syllabus is the morning goal .. and an auditing script to look at ... etc. Onward.
The Big Picture
The Big Picture
Whenever I consider the possibility
my life has been a failure
because I embraced values
my culture doesn't share,
I try to remember that
the world isn't here
and time isn't now
and nothing should be taken
for granted, not even
Failure.
Whenever I consider the possibility
my life has been a failure
because I embraced values
my culture doesn't share,
I try to remember that
the world isn't here
and time isn't now
and nothing should be taken
for granted, not even
Failure.
Getting serious
Busy schedule ... double check grades ... revise syllabus ... bread ... yard work ... ukulele ... Sketch ...
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Quack quack
TS has had enough.
http://roundbendpress.blogspot.com/2014/03/post-mortem-on-nike-u.html
I'm losing interest in the men's dance ... no really low seeds left ... I want to see ND and UConn in women's final ... Oregon State women still alive but Idaho and Gonzaga are gone ... the early games always interest me more because now and again I get to see an endangered species, the student-athlete ...
Harvard's comeback was as exciting as anything I've seen this dance and it doesn't matter that they lost. That was worth it for me. Hard to top that for giving me a rush.
Yeah, think I'm near the end. The pro's are rising to the top and I've never been a pro bball fan.
TS is right about hot air, including mine and his. We should all shut up.
Back to the ukulele.
http://roundbendpress.blogspot.com/2014/03/post-mortem-on-nike-u.html
I'm losing interest in the men's dance ... no really low seeds left ... I want to see ND and UConn in women's final ... Oregon State women still alive but Idaho and Gonzaga are gone ... the early games always interest me more because now and again I get to see an endangered species, the student-athlete ...
Harvard's comeback was as exciting as anything I've seen this dance and it doesn't matter that they lost. That was worth it for me. Hard to top that for giving me a rush.
Yeah, think I'm near the end. The pro's are rising to the top and I've never been a pro bball fan.
TS is right about hot air, including mine and his. We should all shut up.
Back to the ukulele.
Indoor track
Here is where Oregon shines! Had recorded indoor championship, both men and women won, coming from behind to win in final relay ... women won relay by .02 sec and meet by half a point!
These jocks, unlike the bad sports of bball, are inspiring' Track rules!
These jocks, unlike the bad sports of bball, are inspiring' Track rules!
Hey, Mariners
Score 4 in bottom of 9th to beat Athletics. Nice change of pace.
Sore hands ... too much ukulele. Time to rest. Maybe a nap.
Sore hands ... too much ukulele. Time to rest. Maybe a nap.
Why UConn rocks
Here's the deal ... Breanna Stewart did this with a 30-9 lead at the time!
Stanford upsets Kansas!
Stress city: almost blew 7 pt lead with under a minute. Great win and some needed respect for Pac 12.
Retirement = heaven
It's a short flirtation, only yesterday and today, but I can feel how nice it will be to have no teaching responsibilities. Tomorrow I have to work on my syllabus ... but today feels relaxed. I'll enjoy it.
Lady Ducks still breathing ...
... in NIT, play Washington tomorrow.
Headline got it right
"Nasty Finish For Ducks"
Not as if this is unusual today, with top teams filled with talented kids feeling entitled. Bad sportsmanship, rape culture, any number of atrocities begin here, and some coaches let players "do their thing" if talented enough. Not a lot of character in this atmosphere.
Ban sports scholarships. That will start a fix. And who has balls to do that? The trend is the other way and in a few years Harvard may be as corrupt as the rest. Very sad, esp if you remember what it used to be like.
Canzano:
Not as if this is unusual today, with top teams filled with talented kids feeling entitled. Bad sportsmanship, rape culture, any number of atrocities begin here, and some coaches let players "do their thing" if talented enough. Not a lot of character in this atmosphere.
Ban sports scholarships. That will start a fix. And who has balls to do that? The trend is the other way and in a few years Harvard may be as corrupt as the rest. Very sad, esp if you remember what it used to be like.
Canzano:
Clearly when Ducks recruit both bball and fball kids, "character" is irrelevant. That's a Nike bottom-line mentality.Oregon stomped all over the cardinal rule of team sport --- it stopped being a team --- and left Milwaukee with an ingredient that every successful program needs at some point before the top: Total heartbreak.Anyone who watched Oregon's 85-77 loss to Wisconsin (and that's what it was, a loss, rather than a Badgers' victory) knows that the more gifted, more athletic group of players did not advance to the Sweet 16. Oregon was robbed... by itself. Nobody in the Ducks locker room would say exactly that, but when the door opened, heads were down, faces were long, and it was everywhere.Calliste was in the corner, fuming, "You guys stay away from me I'm not talking." Johnathan Loyd was across the locker room, face buried in his hands, searching for words. Richard Amardi was just shaking his head, staring off. At one point, Calliste pulled on a "CANADA" beanie cap and tried to leave the locker room but a Ducks support staffer told him, "Jason, you can't leave."
Great American Songbook
These are the songs, by Cole Porter and such, I want to learn. I still have 3 chord types to add to what I now am comfortable with, which is 7, m7 and o; need to add M7, m7b5 and +... and others as song demands. But these in all keys will give me a basic jazz vocabulary. I'm actually surprised how quickly it's going, helped considerably by the tools/apps I have.
Onward! Oh yes, I need to record 3 songs during break: a new clawhammer, my first classical and a fingerpicking rag, my fav to date.
I turned a student onto learning clawhammer ukulele.
What would clawhammer jazz sound like?
Signed up for April workshop to replace snow cancelled one.
Forecast ... is there a ukulele jazz music drama far down the road?
Onward! Oh yes, I need to record 3 songs during break: a new clawhammer, my first classical and a fingerpicking rag, my fav to date.
I turned a student onto learning clawhammer ukulele.
What would clawhammer jazz sound like?
Signed up for April workshop to replace snow cancelled one.
Forecast ... is there a ukulele jazz music drama far down the road?
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Odd team out
Seeing Harvard come from 17 pts down in second half to take a brief lead almost renewed my faith in college athletics. Harvard! Real student-athletes! Then Oregon did its end of game blatant mean technical foul and I got my bearings back. But how nice teams like Harvard still exist.
Bad losers
Nike Ducks have no class. Arrogant assholes. Poor way to end a season, with a mean-spirited tech foul - they must be crying all the way to the bank.
Meanwhile Harvard is giving Mich St a game.
Meanwhile Harvard is giving Mich St a game.
Balancing the Books
Balancing the Books
The work in my literary archive
came at a significant cost
and the question I ask myself
in my old age is whether
the price was worth it.
I don't know the answer.
And the answer may well change
through time. At the time,
of course it was worth it
and perhaps that's all
that can be said on the matter.
But unlike Dorothy Parker
I much prefer writing
to having written.
The work in my literary archive
came at a significant cost
and the question I ask myself
in my old age is whether
the price was worth it.
I don't know the answer.
And the answer may well change
through time. At the time,
of course it was worth it
and perhaps that's all
that can be said on the matter.
But unlike Dorothy Parker
I much prefer writing
to having written.
ESPN hiss boo
Why show the Baylor game in NW instead of Stanford? Women's coverage sucks. On to Gamecast.
A retirement sort of day
Watched some bball, played some chords, mowed some yard, ran some errands, came home and did the cycle all over again. Best results, mowing the worst of our lot. More tomorrow but easier. I still use my trusted Scotts push mower, which sounded better after I oiled away the squeaks. Gives me a workout, esp in long grass.
Outrageous
Women's dance starts, tv old style, we see what ESPN wants us to see. A drag. However, there is a DTV option: you can choose a specific game for ... ready for this?... $16! Are you kidding me? I'm going to Gamecast.
Yard work today!
Yard work today!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Teasing retirement
My grades are in ... a few days without thinking of class before I tweak my new syllabus - my last one! Lawn work tomorrow, weather permiting.
Women NCAA starts tomorrow.
Pretty much have 7th chord families in all 12 keys down. Amazing actually. Next working on maj7 and m7b5, used in jazz. I have down 7, m7 and dim for all keys. That app I found is great for substitutions for a few stretches my small hands can't do.
All of this will pay dividends down the road. Like building a vocabulary in a foreign language.
Somehow I suspect CJ will get involved in this.
Women NCAA starts tomorrow.
Pretty much have 7th chord families in all 12 keys down. Amazing actually. Next working on maj7 and m7b5, used in jazz. I have down 7, m7 and dim for all keys. That app I found is great for substitutions for a few stretches my small hands can't do.
All of this will pay dividends down the road. Like building a vocabulary in a foreign language.
Somehow I suspect CJ will get involved in this.
Skills
What ever happened to free throwing drills? I've never seen so many missed free throws as at the dance this year. When I played as a college freshman, the coach drilled us WEEKLY ... we had to make 7 of 10 or stay after regular practice for more repetitions. Probably too demanding for future millionaires today ha ha, puke.
Companions
Companions
Sketch wakes me up
but doesn't want out.
He wants me reading
in the living room
so he can hop up
on the divan and
go back to sleep.
Sketch wakes me up
but doesn't want out.
He wants me reading
in the living room
so he can hop up
on the divan and
go back to sleep.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
#12 reversal
N Dak St, too, blew a big lead and went to OT. But a freshman came off the bench and helped secure the upset.
#12 blows it
NC State had 16pt lead - lost in OT. Turnovers, missed freebies, all the usual suspects.
Harvard women
In NIT, also underdogs, also winners - 90-89 over Ione.
Navy women lose.
Navy women lose.
Harvard despite itself
#12 over #5, 61-57 ... but so many turnovers, I feared they'd blow it.
Two upsets this morn!
Two upsets this morn!
#11seed wins
Dayton 60, Ohio State 59 ... this is why March Madness is so great. On to Harvard...
Advanced students
They get my focus today ... four to evaluate. Try to finish before 11 when Harvard plays, followed by the Ducks at noon.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Cal Poly wins
Losing record and all ... love it. Bring on Witchita State ha ha.
Great start
A lot of grades done today. Looking good to finish Friday.
Figured chord families for 2 of the 4 voicings of 7th chords I'm working with. If I have families for all keys, that's 84 chords! And doesn't include many jazz variants. But 84 is a good start. My goal before summer.
Figured chord families for 2 of the 4 voicings of 7th chords I'm working with. If I have families for all keys, that's 84 chords! And doesn't include many jazz variants. But 84 is a good start. My goal before summer.
Yes, I actually can
I admit I'm a bit taken aback by my ability now to play a standard 3-chord progression IN ALL 12 KEYS. I never have come close to this proficiency on guitar, where I could play in G, C, D, A, E and F pretty much, and banjo, where I played in G and C fingering with a capo for other keys. This is remarkable in my musical history. And I've just begun! Who would have thought that the ukulele might become "my instrument"?
As soon as my grades are in, by Friday I hope, I am adding the ii and vi to the mix. Onward.
As soon as my grades are in, by Friday I hope, I am adding the ii and vi to the mix. Onward.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
2 hrs to the dance!
Man, I am ready for the dance to begin ... eager to split the office in 30 min, grab lunch and get ready for some bball action ... esp ready tomorrow, rooting for Cal Poly, losing record and all, to get lucky and win a game or two ... love this aspect of it, the unpredictable, computer is wrong stuff.
A little jazz
A bit of low-volume jazz in the office as I collect finals from students trickling by ... here until 2 and then, gone! Using the Radio Jazz app, which lets you select/create stations to taste ... playing a "vibes station" now, for example, all tunes featuring this instrument.
Apps sure have changed how I entertain myself.
Apps sure have changed how I entertain myself.
Chord study
I've never made this much "formal" progress on a musical instrument. I can now play, without too much hesitation, these 36 7th chords: the I IV V progression in all 12 keys, using 4 voicings. This is a significant accomplishment for me, compared to what I do on guitar and banjo. I'm adding the ii and vi chords, 7ths of course (jazz), next.
I can play different voicings of any 7th chord up and down the fretboard.
Practice, practice, practice. And I can't wait until retirement when I can really get into this.
I can play different voicings of any 7th chord up and down the fretboard.
Practice, practice, practice. And I can't wait until retirement when I can really get into this.
Kurt Vonnegut Once Sent This Amazing Letter To A High School
Kurt Vonnegut Once Sent This Amazing Letter To A High School:
"Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you're Count Dracula."
"Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you're Count Dracula."
50,000 Activists Demand Sexual Assault Reform At Dartmouth After Student Publishes A 'Rape Guide' | ThinkProgress
50,000 Activists Demand Sexual Assault Reform At Dartmouth After Student Publishes A 'Rape Guide' | ThinkProgress:
"“Dartmouth has had a problem with rape and sexual assault for decades. They have a long history with this issue, and student groups on campus are finally fed up and are leading the charge,” Roland said. “With the help of an online network of members at Ultraviolet to capture the grassroots outrage, we can really make change on this right now.”"
'via Blog this'
"“Dartmouth has had a problem with rape and sexual assault for decades. They have a long history with this issue, and student groups on campus are finally fed up and are leading the charge,” Roland said. “With the help of an online network of members at Ultraviolet to capture the grassroots outrage, we can really make change on this right now.”"
'via Blog this'
Scientists: Wake Up, America! Climate Inaction Threatens Earth | Common Dreams
Scientists: Wake Up, America! Climate Inaction Threatens Earth | Common Dreams:
"Once and for all, prominent U.S. scientists are saying, Americans need to wake up, get a grip, and face the reality that not only will human-caused climate change continue to noticeably impact local weather patterns from time to time but that it could also lead to "abrupt, unpredictable and potentially irreversible" changes that will dramatically alter the lives of billions of people and the life systems supported by Earth."
I'm not taking any bets.
"Once and for all, prominent U.S. scientists are saying, Americans need to wake up, get a grip, and face the reality that not only will human-caused climate change continue to noticeably impact local weather patterns from time to time but that it could also lead to "abrupt, unpredictable and potentially irreversible" changes that will dramatically alter the lives of billions of people and the life systems supported by Earth."
I'm not taking any bets.
Ukulele fretboard
Found an app so good, so useful, I can't believe it took me this long to find it. Saw it mentioned in a blog as the best of the type, and he's right. Select a chord, and the app shows all appropriate notes on the keyboard with the standard chord shape highlighted. The beauty of this app is you can quickly reshape the chord any way you like. It also shows the four repeated patterns for 7th chords, for example, down the fretboard. This is an incredible learning tool and a rescue tool -- need a different Ebm7? Punch it and select the notes best suited for your needs and your hand reach. An incredible app! And, of course, it's free. What a world.
Watch out for Stanford women
They come to the dance with a chip on their shoulder, feeling disrespected. A #2 seed. Worse, sent away from LA and Seattle, where they have large fan bases, to play in Iowa. The coach says that will cost them 3000 fans. Stanford is not happy. They want the NCAA to eat crow. I hope it happens.
Also rooting for Oregon State, Cal, Army. And wanting to see ND-UConn.
Also rooting for Oregon State, Cal, Army. And wanting to see ND-UConn.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Catching my breath
Feels good to get rid of that pile of scripts ... 4 advanced students yet to look at but don't need them tomorrow ... collect finals but these are much easier to read and evaluate than scripts. Looking good for grades in Friday.
Waiting for women's brackets. Hope a ND-UConn final is possible. Both would be undefeated.
One term left! I am going to be overjoyed to be released from the responsibility of teaching. It takes a lot out of me.
Waiting for women's brackets. Hope a ND-UConn final is possible. Both would be undefeated.
One term left! I am going to be overjoyed to be released from the responsibility of teaching. It takes a lot out of me.
Women as 2nd class citizens
I have a great March Madness Live app that will let me watch every game on my Kindle Fire - but it's for the men's dance only. How hard can it be to duplicate the app for the women's dance?
March Madness
March Madness
Here we go again,
this wonderful diversion
from a world gone mad
from weather gone wild
where underdogs and cinderellas
still exist, Davids slewing Goliaths
a nation gone bracket crazy
company pools everywhere
two weeks of diversion
from the year-round madness
with more serious consequences
and little chance for overtime
Nature quite without mercy
you're gonna reap
just what you sow
but later, after the tip offs
after the brackets get filled out
when we go back to our routines
avoiding the real madness
and believing freedom is
insulting the president
on talk radio
Here we go again,
this wonderful diversion
from a world gone mad
from weather gone wild
where underdogs and cinderellas
still exist, Davids slewing Goliaths
a nation gone bracket crazy
company pools everywhere
two weeks of diversion
from the year-round madness
with more serious consequences
and little chance for overtime
Nature quite without mercy
you're gonna reap
just what you sow
but later, after the tip offs
after the brackets get filled out
when we go back to our routines
avoiding the real madness
and believing freedom is
insulting the president
on talk radio
Women's bracket today
Oregon and Idaho should be in. Will Stanford be a #1? Notre Dame and UConn arrive undefeated.
C
C
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Lady Vandals go dancing
Over Seattle 75-67 ... but I'm a nervous wreck.
Stress city
March madness feels more stressful than usual in these championship week games. Can I take close games in my old age?
Security blanket
I have clawhammer style down, man. I am a clawhammer ukulele player. A long way to go to become a jazz player. I'll get there.
Self-congratulation
What good iced coffee I make. What good bread I make. (What good scrapple I - used to - make.)
This is great!
Idaho women WAC final on TV!
LATER. Men, too! Amazing.
LATER. Men, too! Amazing.
Endless variation
History eventually gets dramatically boring, an endless cycle of repeated and predictable actions. One way this might work, one engine that drives it, is in Norman O. Brown's remarkable LOVE'S BODY. "There is only poetry," Brown concludes. You can save yourself but no one else, and you have to "drop out" to do that. Meditation trumps politics.
I consider retirement "a new life" - downsizing and dropping out, and I can't wait to begin.
I consider retirement "a new life" - downsizing and dropping out, and I can't wait to begin.
Ukulele studies
Working on polishing the basics, esp barre chords all over the fretboard and diff chord voicings. Uunderground has new chord exercise, elementary but challenging if I add different barre voicings. Not worrying too much about more songs until retirement. Do have a couple new ones to record, however. Meanwhile, try to get major chords in all 12 keys smooth and automatic.
Bread therapy
Rye waiting for the oven ... Greek olive in the hopper.
1, 3, 7
Idaho women at 1, UCLA men at 3, Idaho men at 7 ... if only all would win!
Bruins playing their best ball ... shot 65% last night. Big test against Arizona, however. Only way Idaho men dance is with their biggest upset yet, against ranked N Dak team.
Scripts to grade. Many. Need to do many this morning.
Bruins playing their best ball ... shot 65% last night. Big test against Arizona, however. Only way Idaho men dance is with their biggest upset yet, against ranked N Dak team.
Scripts to grade. Many. Need to do many this morning.
Friday, March 14, 2014
NCAAW Gamecast
3OT Colo St 95. Wyo 92
Like watching through a knothole in the fence.
Like watching through a knothole in the fence.
The Daily News
The Daily News
The headlines in today's SF Chronicle
give a picture of our world
Tribal gunman slaughter 103
villagers in land dispute
Gunmen attack army bus in Cairo
Threat of civil war looms with
militias
that fails to
mention the joy I feel
seeing Sketch
curled up on a chair
Baby attacked, dad arrested
a nap before
playing tug of war
where his
determined energy
always makes me
laugh in wonder
Sit-in takes a violent turn
Driver plows into music festival
and all the noise
of the world
and all the horror
of the world
disappear in his
loving growls
Americans spend record amount on
pets in 2013
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Highlights
UCLA wins big ... PSU upsets Montana ... Wyoming almost beats UNLV.
Gets worse every year
Watching a Mountain West playoff game on a court redone as a kind of ad billboard in the fashion of Nike's obnoxious court in Eugene. Soon every program in the country will be running back and forth over ads! Maybe somebody will get sick and puke on them, a touch of poetic commentary.
Changing Key: an introduction to hyperdrama
My video introduction to hyperdrama, in my eternal, so far futile quest to turn on young writers to this new dynamic way of telling stories on stage. I prepared this lecture-demonstration for the annual hypertext convention in 2008. I had attended the first at Yale University over a decade earlier but none since. I was invited to make a hyperdrama presentation, being one of the very few practitioners of the form in the U.S.
- Overview
- In "Changing Key" I will introduce the dramatic principles of hyperdrama, illustrate them with a short dramatic video, and discuss the "nuts & bolts" of writing and producing hyperdrama both for live performance and for film. The entire package will be a structured video accessed at this website with embedded videos that are hosted at YouTube.
- Outline of the video:
- Introduction
- I'll begin the video by comparing the differences between traditional dramatic storytelling and storytelling driven by the new dramaturgy of hyperdrama.
- Hyperdrama story
- The new dramaturgy will be illustrated by a short video drama called "Changing Key." It's the story of an aging and addicted jazz pianist who has placed himself under house arrest at his sister's home in order to get straight but then decides he must escape in order to participate in a special gig in New York. The story features 7 actors, each with a unique narrative path through the hyperdrama.
- Nuts and Bolts
- I'll conclude the video with a discussion of the techniques of planning, writing, directing and producing hyperdrama, including the use of specialized software.
First lines
There's a growing trend to publish the first lines of books as a kind of filler in newspapers and magazines, even at blog sites. So here are a few of my first lines from short stories.
The Thing at 34-03-15N, 118-15-23W (The Colorado Quarterly): "I can hear them out there."
Fragments Before the Fall (The Literary Review): "I WALK a tightrope between two mountain tops over the Valley of the Waters of Fire."
PRESENTING THE ANNUAL INTERRACIAL PIG ROAST (Prism International): "GROOVY, THE WHOLE SCENE, even better than his short-timer's party in Baumholder, Germany, a year ago: the roast pig, which Tee was still carving, his large black hands glistening with fat; the colossal supply of beer and booze, which Phil was serving from behind the portable bar in the back comer of the yard (grass was verboten, Tee being straight); the huge happy crowd, predominantly black, predominantly middle-aged, incredibly friendly; and the sounds, out of sight, of the jazz combo on the patio; and the dancing, which Roy dug most of all, that sensuous and rhythmic elasticity which was theirs alone (man, how they could dance!)."
The Idaho Jacket (Prism International): "RICHARD, realize one thing: I am beginning to wear the Idaho jacket comfortably now. "
Lessons from the Cockroach Graveyard (Expression): "THE OLDER I GET, the less I understand women."
The Wallowa County Who-Who (The Portland Review): "No one knows when the first spotted owls alighted in Wallowa County."
The Teacher (The Colorado Quarterly): "If I were a menial clerk, to whose gloom a Dostoevski or a Melville could give cosmic importance, then readily would I win your understanding. "
The Sextant (Northwest Review): "In grade school the teachers always asked us what our fathers did, and I had learned to reply simply, My father is at sea."
Find short stories here.
The Thing at 34-03-15N, 118-15-23W (The Colorado Quarterly): "I can hear them out there."
Fragments Before the Fall (The Literary Review): "I WALK a tightrope between two mountain tops over the Valley of the Waters of Fire."
PRESENTING THE ANNUAL INTERRACIAL PIG ROAST (Prism International): "GROOVY, THE WHOLE SCENE, even better than his short-timer's party in Baumholder, Germany, a year ago: the roast pig, which Tee was still carving, his large black hands glistening with fat; the colossal supply of beer and booze, which Phil was serving from behind the portable bar in the back comer of the yard (grass was verboten, Tee being straight); the huge happy crowd, predominantly black, predominantly middle-aged, incredibly friendly; and the sounds, out of sight, of the jazz combo on the patio; and the dancing, which Roy dug most of all, that sensuous and rhythmic elasticity which was theirs alone (man, how they could dance!)."
The Idaho Jacket (Prism International): "RICHARD, realize one thing: I am beginning to wear the Idaho jacket comfortably now. "
Lessons from the Cockroach Graveyard (Expression): "THE OLDER I GET, the less I understand women."
The Wallowa County Who-Who (The Portland Review): "No one knows when the first spotted owls alighted in Wallowa County."
The Teacher (The Colorado Quarterly): "If I were a menial clerk, to whose gloom a Dostoevski or a Melville could give cosmic importance, then readily would I win your understanding. "
The Sextant (Northwest Review): "In grade school the teachers always asked us what our fathers did, and I had learned to reply simply, My father is at sea."
Find short stories here.
Last day of class, winter term
Iced coffee ... a maple bar ... sunshine on the hobble to campus ... a short class to collect projects, watch a student video, deliver my closing words (a pitch for hyperdrama and stories in overdrive, i.e. new narrative forms) ... and I leave with a stack of scripts to evaluate, prelude to a very busy weekend. And back Tuesday to collect the take-home final exams.
Turn, turn, turn.
Turn, turn, turn.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Spring fever
Sunny mid 60s ... sitting on the deck, Sketch stretched out nearby ... listening to Pac 12 bball on app ... ah, too bad rain is on its way. But that's life in Puddle City.
Pac 12 playoffs
My radio app gets the Pac 12 network games. Cool.
Greensboro
Watching an ACC playoff game and remembering a wonderful visit to Greensboro.
My play Juniper Tav was being done and it became a week long visit for the opening, with talks at 3 different colleges in the area. To my surprise and delight, the theater was in the same huge complex as the basketball court, which I insisted on seeing - they had to fetch a janitor to let me in! Now and again, playwrights get treated like bigshots.
Also saw the Woolworth's of the sit-in and where O. Henry lived. A really great visit at the height of the sunlight part of my career.
My play Juniper Tav was being done and it became a week long visit for the opening, with talks at 3 different colleges in the area. To my surprise and delight, the theater was in the same huge complex as the basketball court, which I insisted on seeing - they had to fetch a janitor to let me in! Now and again, playwrights get treated like bigshots.
Also saw the Woolworth's of the sit-in and where O. Henry lived. A really great visit at the height of the sunlight part of my career.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Robert Coover: “Going for a Beer” : The New Yorker
Robert Coover: “Going for a Beer” : The New Yorker:
One of the most remarkable short stories I've ever read. I know of nothing that better captures the consciousness of a boozer. (Takes one to know one ha ha).
One of the most remarkable short stories I've ever read. I know of nothing that better captures the consciousness of a boozer. (Takes one to know one ha ha).
Robert Coover |
My most popular book
This thin booklet wins the Amazon sales prize among my Kindle books.
Typical review ...
Wish one of my literary works won this prize, of course. But it's a practical world, and it's not clear that literature actually is PRACTICAL in this culture ha ha. This booklet is very practical indeed.
BTW, the full title is ... How to stay sober without AA or religion, ideology, dogma, peer pressure, spousal ultimatums, deals, trade-offs, wagers, false promises, fear, loneliness, self-delusion and other popular crutches.
Typical review ...
It boils down to an existentialist's view of addiction ... and denies the "powerless" assumption of AA. Check it out.By MollyFormat:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified PurchaseWow. Perfect! I've been sober 65 days but have been going to AA for years. This message has got to get out there!!Comment |
Wish one of my literary works won this prize, of course. But it's a practical world, and it's not clear that literature actually is PRACTICAL in this culture ha ha. This booklet is very practical indeed.
BTW, the full title is ... How to stay sober without AA or religion, ideology, dogma, peer pressure, spousal ultimatums, deals, trade-offs, wagers, false promises, fear, loneliness, self-delusion and other popular crutches.
The Haunted Life by Jack Kerouac – extract from a lost novella | Books | theguardian.com
The Haunted Life by Jack Kerouac – extract from a lost novella | Books | theguardian.com:
"Long thought lost – supposedly in a New York cab – The Haunted Life was written when Kerouac was 22, in 1944. Being published for the first time, the semi-autobiographical story follows a young man hoping for one last idle summer. Here is a taste"
See my novel Kerouac's Scroll.. KEROUAC'S SCROLL is a dark comedy about aging, friendship, and end of life issues.
"Long thought lost – supposedly in a New York cab – The Haunted Life was written when Kerouac was 22, in 1944. Being published for the first time, the semi-autobiographical story follows a young man hoping for one last idle summer. Here is a taste"
See my novel Kerouac's Scroll.. KEROUAC'S SCROLL is a dark comedy about aging, friendship, and end of life issues.
"What an achievement!...a story so generous to the enduring human spirit."
Home stretch
Last week ... show Dreams On Spec documentary today ... collect projects, short class on Thurs.
Tons of grading but about 10 days from getting grades in. ... Short break and "one more time."
Personally I hope there's no strike ... like my last term to be simple, routine. We'll see.
It's been quite a run ... retiring before I burn out ... smart!
Tons of grading but about 10 days from getting grades in. ... Short break and "one more time."
Personally I hope there's no strike ... like my last term to be simple, routine. We'll see.
It's been quite a run ... retiring before I burn out ... smart!
Monday, March 10, 2014
Applause
20 senators up all night to bring attention to climate crisis.
The following senators are participating: Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray, (D-Wash.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Barbara Boxer, (D-Calif.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
The following senators are participating: Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Patty Murray, (D-Wash.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Barbara Boxer, (D-Calif.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
And now #3 Louisville ...
.. tries UConn ... 90 secs later, 8-0, UConn ...
My compliments to the chef
Just had a slice of rye toast and of olive toast ... damn, I make good bread!
Watch every game live ...
... at www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live
Not long now!
Not long now!
Big brothers
The bigger Big Brother - corporations - must love the recent focus on govt snoops. What better distraction from their own more complete and insidious snooping? It's like the old pick pocket trick: distract them to the left and rob them to the right. By the time we catch on, it's too late.
PSU Faculty Considers Whether To Authorize Strike » News » OPB
PSU Faculty Considers Whether To Authorize Strike » News » OPB:
My last term could get very interesting indeed.
My last term could get very interesting indeed.
What's happening to this country?
Hey, how come I haven't heard a report that the missing airliner was abducted by a UFO?
***
Ha, ha, I spoke too soon!
***
Ha, ha, I spoke too soon!
Another early start
Script evaluated, only chore left is a letter of recommendation.
Ukulele focus today, until afternoon playoff finals.
Ukulele focus today, until afternoon playoff finals.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
SEC champs
Tenn 71, Ken 70 .. what a game! So much great women's bball this weekend. And far from done.
History's irony
Some powerful government or other will believe might makes right. Always, it appears.
Those who disagree will try non-violent means to stop this aggression but in the end, it comes to put up or shut up and force must be met with force ... suggesting that might makes right.
The more civilized and peaceful we are, the greater the dilemma. From the bully on the playground, to the Hitlers of the world, for some "talk" never changes behavior.
Our progress appears to be this, in the long run: let drones and robots do our fighting for us. Some progress.
If you're not a brute, how do you stop a brute?
Those who disagree will try non-violent means to stop this aggression but in the end, it comes to put up or shut up and force must be met with force ... suggesting that might makes right.
The more civilized and peaceful we are, the greater the dilemma. From the bully on the playground, to the Hitlers of the world, for some "talk" never changes behavior.
Our progress appears to be this, in the long run: let drones and robots do our fighting for us. Some progress.
If you're not a brute, how do you stop a brute?
News from Poland
United States 4x400 relay team sets world indoor record to win gold.
Mary Cain withdrew after minor injury in practice, didn't make trip.
Mary Cain withdrew after minor injury in practice, didn't make trip.
Tattoo
Tattoo
I grew up a Navy brat. My father
often said the stupidest thing
he ever did was get a tattoo
on each arm. Forgive my
unfashionable lack of them.
Basketball players today
not only have tattoos but
bulging biceps, like lost muscle
beach jocks. Where's the sand?
But here's the thing:
women follow this fashion, too!
which (forgive my heritage) may
give them all, men and women
alike, a future on the wrestling
circuit after the ball games end,
specimens of bulging human
decoration, the illustrated jock.
I miss the skinny, nerdy-looking
basketball players of the past.
I miss the student in student-athletics.
I miss the college president with
a higher salary than the coach.
My dad hated his tattoos.
All the same, on a warm summer
afternoon he would mow the lawn
with his shirt off, while I, mowing
across the way, would keep my
skinny nerdy body hidden
under a shirt. And later mother,
bringing out iced tea, would say,
"Chick, put on your shirt."
And he would.
I grew up a Navy brat. My father
often said the stupidest thing
he ever did was get a tattoo
on each arm. Forgive my
unfashionable lack of them.
Basketball players today
not only have tattoos but
bulging biceps, like lost muscle
beach jocks. Where's the sand?
But here's the thing:
women follow this fashion, too!
which (forgive my heritage) may
give them all, men and women
alike, a future on the wrestling
circuit after the ball games end,
specimens of bulging human
decoration, the illustrated jock.
I miss the skinny, nerdy-looking
basketball players of the past.
I miss the student in student-athletics.
I miss the college president with
a higher salary than the coach.
My dad hated his tattoos.
All the same, on a warm summer
afternoon he would mow the lawn
with his shirt off, while I, mowing
across the way, would keep my
skinny nerdy body hidden
under a shirt. And later mother,
bringing out iced tea, would say,
"Chick, put on your shirt."
And he would.
Pac 12 championship
Surprising women's final: Oregon State v. USC. Gotta root for the Beavers. But no Stanford, no Cal, no UCLA, no Oregon, the teams I was rooting for. Will the men have as many surprises?
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Spring baseball ...
... to be sure, but the Mariners routed the Giants 18-3 today. Hot bats all spring training so far.
Stanford women
Been thinking about third quarter yesterday ... 33 pts in ten minutes! Moral, don't piss Stanford off ha ha.
Dilemma
Dilemma
Sometimes I think the world has always
been this messed up but widespread media
let us know the bad news quickly today;
but at other times I think our species changes
generation by generation, summing toward
greater intolerance, greater greed, greater arrogance,
our ancestors more humane, more admirable, and
considerably smarter than we are.
I do know this: the daily news is too horrific
to digest, and to stay sane I watch it in a trance
so not too much sinks in, lest I become
a revolutionary, an assassin, meeting violence
with violence. Why, sir, did you blow up
corporate headquarters? Because it felt good.
Voltaire had another way. Tend your garden.
Today this may mean: unplug, pull the wires
out, rip networks asunder. Spend afternoons
at the sidewalk cafe, people watching, and
if anyone asks you about your day, say
I been to the zoo.
Sometimes I think the world has always
been this messed up but widespread media
let us know the bad news quickly today;
but at other times I think our species changes
generation by generation, summing toward
greater intolerance, greater greed, greater arrogance,
our ancestors more humane, more admirable, and
considerably smarter than we are.
I do know this: the daily news is too horrific
to digest, and to stay sane I watch it in a trance
so not too much sinks in, lest I become
a revolutionary, an assassin, meeting violence
with violence. Why, sir, did you blow up
corporate headquarters? Because it felt good.
Voltaire had another way. Tend your garden.
Today this may mean: unplug, pull the wires
out, rip networks asunder. Spend afternoons
at the sidewalk cafe, people watching, and
if anyone asks you about your day, say
I been to the zoo.
Retirement and Good Living
I have a guest post at this blog, called When A Writer Retires.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Snowden
I'm not a fan of Snowden, the darling of the left. I don't like the way he revealed what he found without making distinctions between kinds of information, and I don't like the fact that he abandoned the moral high ground by fleeing. In my book he is not a hero. Nor is he a traitor. I think he is a naive do-gooder. I think naive do-gooders are dangerous.
I served three years in the Army Security Agency with a top secret codeword clearance, which is a significant one. I understand the use and abuse of secrets. How nice if we had open societies everywhere. We never have and never will.
Naive do-gooders will not lead us to a more progressive society. You have to understand the world before you can change it.
I served three years in the Army Security Agency with a top secret codeword clearance, which is a significant one. I understand the use and abuse of secrets. How nice if we had open societies everywhere. We never have and never will.
Naive do-gooders will not lead us to a more progressive society. You have to understand the world before you can change it.
More like it
Stanford woke up ... after 3Q lead 54-38. Scored 33 in ten minutes!
Decision
For this class, and my last next term, I'm going to prepare a hand out to challenge students to pick up my torch in two areas. 99.9% will ignore it. The two areas are (not hard to guess): hyperdrama and what I've been calling "stories in overdrive." I'll speak on each, my closing words. This is a great idea!
I'll write the hand out this weekend.
I'll write the hand out this weekend.
Responsibility
The burden of teaching is my responsibility to students. They pay much money for their education. In my course, I want to make sure they get their dollar's worth. This can wear on you, and it's a responsibility I'll be happy to abandon. Retirement without it - wow, I can hardly wait!
I've loved teaching. And I'll love leaving. Turn, turn, turn.
I've loved teaching. And I'll love leaving. Turn, turn, turn.
"There is a season ... turn, turn, turn ..." |
Calm before the etc
Projects next week, finals the following, but this weekend is relatively quiet. Want to do some ukulele recording.
More hypocrisy
We applaud folks in western Ukraine over-throwing the government by force ... we abhor folks in eastern Ukraine, Crimea, wanting to leave the government peacefully to join Russia. What is wrong with us? Our mythology, that's what.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Pac 12 tournament (women)
Oregon loses to Wash. St. in first round, Cougs beating Ducks at their own game, 107-100. Earlier UCLA lost to Colo.
Videos public again
When Google bought YouTube, my 100+ videos suddenly became private, which I didn't realize for months. I could change them back to public one at a time - but how to do all at once? I just now stumbled into the setting that did it! Not sure I could find it again but all my YouTube vids should be public again.
Onward
I'm pretty tired but this is a lecture I can deliver half-asleep, so I should be fine ... and if they have some good questions, I'll rise to the occasion, I'm sure. This is a good class, and I am enjoying myself in the classroom. Next to last week. Imagine. One to go, an easy one at that ... and then all the reading and grading. Whew.
Bernie Sanders: 'I Am Prepared to Run for President of the United States' | Common Dreams
Bernie Sanders: 'I Am Prepared to Run for President of the United States' | Common Dreams:
"'What's most important is this idea of a political revolution,' says the Independent Senator from Vermont, "rallying the working families of this country around a vision that speaks to their needs.'"
Fantasies of the left are so invigorating. Sen. Morse often talked about how important an EDUCATED electorate is. Ours is less educated than at any time in my lifetime. This kind of "revolution" won't happen until the demographics have so many non-native-Americans here, saved from our mythology, that a genuine progressive movement can happen, in the actual tradition of Thomas Paine (who thought we had sold out, by the way).
Paine: "When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon."
"'What's most important is this idea of a political revolution,' says the Independent Senator from Vermont, "rallying the working families of this country around a vision that speaks to their needs.'"
Fantasies of the left are so invigorating. Sen. Morse often talked about how important an EDUCATED electorate is. Ours is less educated than at any time in my lifetime. This kind of "revolution" won't happen until the demographics have so many non-native-Americans here, saved from our mythology, that a genuine progressive movement can happen, in the actual tradition of Thomas Paine (who thought we had sold out, by the way).
Thomas Paine |
In the office
Made it ... now to re-energize myself to give a marketing lecture ...
In the airport
Came early to avoid rush hour traffic and approaching storm. Read SF Chronicle ... played solitaire ... about half an hour to landing.
Adventures in international travel
H's plane over an hour late so far ... may have to drop her home and rush to class.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The dance, the dance!
Wake Forest upsets #4 Duke ... the excitement and anticipation grow. Might be a year for surprises. Hope so.
TS on a roll
Something exciting going on over at the Round Bend Press blog. Connected poems around the town of Talent. Hope it grows to a book.
The Spoon River Anthology narrative strategy. I've been brooding about something similar, but with prose vignettes instead of poems, in tradition of Donald Barthelme. Hmm.
Old farts at work.
Meanwhile, on the home front ...
The Spoon River Anthology narrative strategy. I've been brooding about something similar, but with prose vignettes instead of poems, in tradition of Donald Barthelme. Hmm.
Old farts at work.
Meanwhile, on the home front ...
Escape multi-tasking
2 live sporting events ... Mariners audio on the Fire ... muted TV of ACC women's tourny, Virginia v. Boston College.
Avoiding scripts. Ah me ...
Avoiding scripts. Ah me ...
Rainy Wednesday
2 scripts to look at, exercises to look at, house to prep for H return early tomorrow. Can be done.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Death of a weather man
There used to be a local weather man here, Rob M., who was good enough that CNN stole him away, and later I saw him being pelted by severe weather, reporting to a national audience.
He also was good looking and still later ended up co-hosting an idiotic Hollywood gossip show, wearing ridiculous designer outfits, a sell out if I ever saw one, who must be getting rich because I don't know why else an apparently educated human would wallow in such pap.
Jesus, Rob ...
He also was good looking and still later ended up co-hosting an idiotic Hollywood gossip show, wearing ridiculous designer outfits, a sell out if I ever saw one, who must be getting rich because I don't know why else an apparently educated human would wallow in such pap.
Jesus, Rob ...
Europe v. U.S.
Europe has much more at stake in the Russian crisis ... they should take the lead in deciding on a response.
Starting the end of an era
I signed my spring term contract today, my last one.
Cowboy of the Western World: a play in two acts: Phyl Kerns: 9781496137494: Amazon.com: Books
Cowboy of the Western World: a play in two acts: Phyl Kerns: 9781496137494: Amazon.com: Books:
Now available as paperback. Far out play!
Now available as paperback. Far out play!
Creative writing courses are a waste of time, says Hanif Kureishi (who teaches one) | The Passive Voice |
Creative writing courses are a waste of time, says Hanif Kureishi (who teaches one) | The Passive Voice | A Lawyer's Thoughts on Authors, Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing:
Faulkner said writing can't be taught but it can be learned.
I like teaching screenwriting because it has more "rules" than other forms and you can teach rules -- and because I have real world experience and can help students take certain short cuts if they so desire. I also enjoy mentoring students of talent and I have been lucky enough to have one almost every term here. Not quite but enough to keep me "keeping the faith." Also, since screenwriting is story-driven, not language-driven, it has uses beyond its immediate value. No other creative writing courses emphasize storytelling.
I've loved my job here. And I am sure it is time to leave it.
Faulkner said writing can't be taught but it can be learned.
I like teaching screenwriting because it has more "rules" than other forms and you can teach rules -- and because I have real world experience and can help students take certain short cuts if they so desire. I also enjoy mentoring students of talent and I have been lucky enough to have one almost every term here. Not quite but enough to keep me "keeping the faith." Also, since screenwriting is story-driven, not language-driven, it has uses beyond its immediate value. No other creative writing courses emphasize storytelling.
I've loved my job here. And I am sure it is time to leave it.
Heard the One About Obama Denouncing a Breach of International Law? | Common Dreams
Heard the One About Obama Denouncing a Breach of International Law? | Common Dreams:
"Fifty years ago, another former law professor, (Oregon) Senator Wayne Morse, condemned such arrogance of power. “I don’t know why we think, just because we’re mighty, that we have the right to try to substitute might for right,” Morse said on national TV in 1964. “And that’s the American policy in Southeast Asia—just as unsound when we do it as when Russia does it.”"
Ah, where is Sen. Morse's outrage when we need it?
My one-man play about Morse
"Fifty years ago, another former law professor, (Oregon) Senator Wayne Morse, condemned such arrogance of power. “I don’t know why we think, just because we’re mighty, that we have the right to try to substitute might for right,” Morse said on national TV in 1964. “And that’s the American policy in Southeast Asia—just as unsound when we do it as when Russia does it.”"
Ah, where is Sen. Morse's outrage when we need it?
My one-man play about Morse
2 weeks...
...left, each day set now, so my main job is showing up ... and then all the reading and grading.
Today the visual storytelling exercise I had planned last week. Thurs. marketing lecture. Onward.
H home Thurs, early a.m.
Today the visual storytelling exercise I had planned last week. Thurs. marketing lecture. Onward.
H home Thurs, early a.m.
Hypocrisy
Aristotle in his analysis of drama, human behavior put on stage, emphasized action. Define character by what someone does, not by what someone says. Sec. of State Kerry accused Russia of invading a sovereign country on trumped up charges. Where have I heard that before? Weapons of mass destruction anyone?
Monday, March 3, 2014
Ah, wealth!
A publisher I've had no contact with for 15 years or more sent me a royalty check ... for $1.10!
A new idea
...for a series of short fictions, in the tradition of Coover and Barhelme, not traditional narrative in other words, around the theme American Exceptionalism, an idea that at the moment feels much more dangerous than revisiting CJ, unless he becomes a character, all short, many very short, the whole greater than the sum ... going to reread Barthelme for inspiration, remembering how exciting it used to be to see his byline in the NYer, another short surrealist fiction at hand.
My first might be called McKinley's Dream, a favorite topic.
My first might be called McKinley's Dream, a favorite topic.
Cruising with Sketch
Put buttermilk bread in oven, rye in hopper, when done we hit the highway to collect a free coffee on my Starbucks card at a drive-through down the way, long way home, made soup for lunch, Mariners at noon ... days go so well when I finish what is "required" of me as early as possible.
Cowboy paperback
Submitted files of Kerns play. Poems chapbook now available. Progress!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Gloomy day gets gloomier
Fog added to the mix.
Somehow did get one of two prep chores done.
Still need a battery charge.
Somehow did get one of two prep chores done.
Still need a battery charge.
Why is Indie Music So Much Cooler than Indie Books? | The Passive Voice
Why is Indie Music So Much Cooler than Indie Books? | The Passive Voice | A Lawyer's Thoughts on Authors, Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing:
A question I've asked myself many times.
A question I've asked myself many times.
Sinking fast
Work done very early but running out of gas - and no prep yet. A nap?
Underground music in Iran
You can hear amazing things on the BBC at 3 in the morning. A radio doc on Iran's underground music scene blew me away. These rockers play where music is illegal, even their instruments are illegal. They make electric guitars out of wire and TV parts! They use female vocalists! They write songs about pre-Islamic Iran, sometimes singing in dead languages. As the doc narrator concluded, no matter how much you try to control them, people will break free. These kids are inspirational. And their homemade music rocks.
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