The movies from my new attempt to use the Hennepin County Library as my personal, free, Netflix have begun to roll in. In combination with the wonderful Robbinsdale store, Video Universe, I am seeking out movies clearly in one of two categories: those to watch in Sharon's company, and those which she doesn't care to see. In the past three days, I have seen two of the former.
Movie 1: Shepherd of the Hills (1941: Dir. Henry Hathaway) This is part of my attempt to cover a chronological history of John Wayne's 4-star movies. I had to skip The Dark Command, which I wanted to see, but which is not available at either of my two sources (currently not existing on DVD at all-only VHS and Laser Disc). It was a bit of a departure from the traditional Wayne western, with him playing a somewhat normal young man from a freaky mountain family with a blood-veneange on a long-lost, estranged father (played by Harry Carey-the original one). I thought it was OK, but not great. I may make my Wayne project a long, long, long one (as in, taking breaks between movies). I get the sense I could get burned out pretty quick. But I will say I think, all "legend" status aside, I think he's a bit of a critically underrated actor.
Movie 2: Soylent Green (1973: Dir. Richard Fleischer) Starring Charlton Heston, this movie has become a parody of itself, with an oft-repeated famous line at the end that I will not utter here, on the unlikely chance that a reader both is not familiar with it and wants to see the film. I will say that I was quite surprised by both the lack of campiness and the overall cinematic quality of the film. It was quite well put together, very compelling, and very effective in drawing me into both the message and theme. If you are one of the "uninitiated" few mentioned above, careful about researching very much about this movie, as the original trailer and just about all information you can get about this movie pretty much give you too much information, probably ultimately spoiling the climax. The brief summary, from imdb, is
It's the year 2022... People are still the same. They'll do anything to get what they need. And they need SOYLENT GREEN.
But that doesn't really do the setting or plot justice whatsoever.
One more thing on this movie: Charleton Heston is what he is. He may be a nut, but he really is not a bad actor; not at all. He had this quality of acting in a manner that isn't all that realistic, but which (I think) is carried by his strength of his personality and style. It seems very arbitrary which actors from history are loved for this quality (Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant) and which are ridiculed (Wayne, Charleton Heston, William Shatner).
And what better way to watch a film than with a sudsy brew in one hand? I have decided to finally start officially documenting my preferences and trek through the World Beer Tour on www.beeradvocate.com. I choose to do no beers from memory, as I'd like to be writing down my thoughts as I consume a bottle (and, as "appearance" figures into the review, I will be committing at least one bottle from every pack to consumption after being poured into a mug). I recently bought a Leinenkugel sampler pack to start the endeavor; check out my first review, of their Honey Weiss. Check back soon for Leiney's Red, which I'm liking better.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
The First Brood
I am here today to talk about the subject of the first generation of CDs in my collection. I may stand alone among my friends in that I had my first player (and thus, CDs) when I was 16 years old. Most of us would like to think we are not accountable for decisions made at that age, and in viewing that past version of myself, I consider the notion particularly applicable.
How, then, do we consider those CDs when we are evaluating our own music collections? There have actually been a couple of instances in which I have thinned out my collection, just a bit. I'd rather not have a disc at all, rather than have the dead weight of music that just doesn't do it for me at and and of which I'll probably never have another enjoyable listen. But what about the CDs that, although you would never buy them again, you hang onto due to either because you don't find the music entirely vile or as a result some hopeless notion that you just might be in a certain mood someday when the songs will work the same magic as they did when you first bought the disc in 1986? In 1986, indeed, was my first CD purchase: Chicago 16 which, incidentally, did not make the first cut of the aforementioned "thinning out." But what about the ones that have survived a couple of cuts and still remain, but largely languish, in my media storage shelves to this day? They are easy enough to spot. The once-clear jewel cases are now somewhat cloudy and transluscent, with a multitude of tiny scratches. And the CDs themselves are all plain black text on disc-manufacturing had not gotten sophisticated enough for 4-color printing directly on the disc face. The artist roster is solid enough; at least, in terms of how their music endures; though if I were to make a list of the CDs from that first brood that have since fallen by the wayside and are no longer in my collection, it would read like a list of upcoming episodes for VH-1's "Behind the Music." Or some "Where Are They Now?" segment in a magazine.
Some "notables" from this First Brood that still remain (I may have some "Second Brood" ones in there, but these are the few that remain and that I recall:
How, then, do we consider those CDs when we are evaluating our own music collections? There have actually been a couple of instances in which I have thinned out my collection, just a bit. I'd rather not have a disc at all, rather than have the dead weight of music that just doesn't do it for me at and and of which I'll probably never have another enjoyable listen. But what about the CDs that, although you would never buy them again, you hang onto due to either because you don't find the music entirely vile or as a result some hopeless notion that you just might be in a certain mood someday when the songs will work the same magic as they did when you first bought the disc in 1986? In 1986, indeed, was my first CD purchase: Chicago 16 which, incidentally, did not make the first cut of the aforementioned "thinning out." But what about the ones that have survived a couple of cuts and still remain, but largely languish, in my media storage shelves to this day? They are easy enough to spot. The once-clear jewel cases are now somewhat cloudy and transluscent, with a multitude of tiny scratches. And the CDs themselves are all plain black text on disc-manufacturing had not gotten sophisticated enough for 4-color printing directly on the disc face. The artist roster is solid enough; at least, in terms of how their music endures; though if I were to make a list of the CDs from that first brood that have since fallen by the wayside and are no longer in my collection, it would read like a list of upcoming episodes for VH-1's "Behind the Music." Or some "Where Are They Now?" segment in a magazine.
Some "notables" from this First Brood that still remain (I may have some "Second Brood" ones in there, but these are the few that remain and that I recall:
- Hall & Oates: Rock & Soul Part One (I've been waiting about 19 years now for Part Two!!! Not really...)
- Eric Clapton: Timepieces
- Journey: Raised on Radio
- Aerosmith: Permanent Vacation
- Billy Joel: Greatest Hits (2-cd set)
- Rod Stewart: Out of Order (honest to God, not sure why that one's still there. May not make the next cut)
- Thompson Twins: Greatest Mixes (would be a lot better if it was just "Greatest Hits")
What a funny collection of music!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Dear God...
The passing of the 15-month old son of a close friend of Aaron's. I cannot imagine having such optimism & resilience if such a similar unthinkable event happened in my family, but we all must and do grieve in our own ways. Please, drop in on the blog, shed a few tears like me, and offer your condolences. In the midst of awfulness, the outpouring of love & sympathy from strangers across the blogosphere is quite heartening...
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Well, We've Done Everything We Can Do
I'm of increasing belief that, for all the talk of steadfastness, the Bush administration is going to find a way to "cut and run" sometime before his term is up. It's bad on so many levels:
1. The thing that is awful and scary as much as anything else, is how much history is repeating itself. Our history after WWII, unfortunately, is of meddling in the affairs of people on the other ot the globe and them leaving them up shit creek with a turd for a paddle. What happend to the Kurds has been noted a few times in the past few years, but so often, people forget about the near genocide for which we were almost entirely responsible with the Hmoung people who so courageously and heroically risked their lives assisting our troops in Vietnam, only to be left helpless and unaided after we withdrew. Anyone who has a problem with their immigration to our country needs to remember that we owe them lots.
2. The other thing for which I am now "calling my shot" is how our withdrawal will coincide with a PR blitz by the right wing and all it's subservient talking heads about how "our job is done," with no shred of credible evidence that it is, indeed, the case. Expect this turn of events to begin unfolding in the early spring. This administration has shown no hesitancy to have a policy of purporting absolute contradictions to reality, and a certain segment of the population is more than happy to eat it all up. The rest of the world will NOT eat it up. Our credibility is nearly shot and I'm afraid this will be the nail in the coffin. Iraq is not close, not close to being able to counter the "insurgency" and maintain a stable, democratic government on their own. I fear for the Iraqi people (think all those people with "Liberate Iraq" signs really care about the well-being of the Iraqi people for one minute?). And I fear for our nation's standing in the world, as well as for our safety. The damage wrought by this adminstration will take years and years to undo. Perhaps generations.
1. The thing that is awful and scary as much as anything else, is how much history is repeating itself. Our history after WWII, unfortunately, is of meddling in the affairs of people on the other ot the globe and them leaving them up shit creek with a turd for a paddle. What happend to the Kurds has been noted a few times in the past few years, but so often, people forget about the near genocide for which we were almost entirely responsible with the Hmoung people who so courageously and heroically risked their lives assisting our troops in Vietnam, only to be left helpless and unaided after we withdrew. Anyone who has a problem with their immigration to our country needs to remember that we owe them lots.
2. The other thing for which I am now "calling my shot" is how our withdrawal will coincide with a PR blitz by the right wing and all it's subservient talking heads about how "our job is done," with no shred of credible evidence that it is, indeed, the case. Expect this turn of events to begin unfolding in the early spring. This administration has shown no hesitancy to have a policy of purporting absolute contradictions to reality, and a certain segment of the population is more than happy to eat it all up. The rest of the world will NOT eat it up. Our credibility is nearly shot and I'm afraid this will be the nail in the coffin. Iraq is not close, not close to being able to counter the "insurgency" and maintain a stable, democratic government on their own. I fear for the Iraqi people (think all those people with "Liberate Iraq" signs really care about the well-being of the Iraqi people for one minute?). And I fear for our nation's standing in the world, as well as for our safety. The damage wrought by this adminstration will take years and years to undo. Perhaps generations.
Monday, November 28, 2005
The End of the Album?
Gibbs & I had a nice discussion yesterday that turned, of course, to my current iTunes craze. I was mentioning a few sort of "house rules" I have developed as I import my CD collection; and one is that I never add a "Greatest Hits" version of a song for which there is a duplicate on one of my albums. I have stated before that I wish I had far fewer "Greatest Hits" collections, and that it's just not my style of buying music in recent years.
I must say, however, that my newfound love of the iTunes Shuffle has got me thinking more and more about the whole concept the "standalone single." Gibbs actually ventured not only that we are witnessing the fracturing of "the album," but that future generations may look back at the concept of "the album" as a curiosity. I'm not sure I entirely buy that, as there are still a number of artists out there with the need to craft a collection of cohesive songs, and a number of people who yearn to listen to the same. However, it is a simple reality that, in all the thousands of years of music, the album has really only seen its heyday from the 1960s on. Everything else, ever: singles (albeit, there have been Operas, Symphonies, etc.)
Summary of what I take from the discourse: I will remain primarily an album guy, but I will no longer diminish the value of the individual, stand-alone single.
I must say, however, that my newfound love of the iTunes Shuffle has got me thinking more and more about the whole concept the "standalone single." Gibbs actually ventured not only that we are witnessing the fracturing of "the album," but that future generations may look back at the concept of "the album" as a curiosity. I'm not sure I entirely buy that, as there are still a number of artists out there with the need to craft a collection of cohesive songs, and a number of people who yearn to listen to the same. However, it is a simple reality that, in all the thousands of years of music, the album has really only seen its heyday from the 1960s on. Everything else, ever: singles (albeit, there have been Operas, Symphonies, etc.)
Summary of what I take from the discourse: I will remain primarily an album guy, but I will no longer diminish the value of the individual, stand-alone single.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Big O at the Udupi Cafe
So, Sharon's birthday was yesterday, on Thanksgiving, so we celebrated as a nuclear family the night before. Given her choice of any restaurant at which to eat, she chose the Udupi Cafe.
Indian cuisine has been skyrocketing up our list of preferred ethnic food choices, and I have to say that this restaurant is far and away my favorite in town (though, admittedly, we've only been to four or five). This is actually the one that Mixdorf & I ate at during his visit last summer. It's a pure vegetarian menu; which, for vegetarians accustomed to hunting for only three or four vegetarian options on a given menu at traditional restaurants, the variety seems mind-boggling.
I am continuing to expand my horizons. It's been difficult to make the break away from Paneer (the primary style of cheese used in Indian food), but I have been utterly rewarded for my uncharacteristic adventurousness. We began the meal with Garlic Paratha (whole wheat bread stuffed with garlic), and some lentil patties for Lucy. With everything, you are given your choices of three or four dipping sauces so that by the time they accumulate through an appetizer and three meals, you have 12 little bowls scattered about on the table. A little overkill, there, but we felt free to dip gratuitously with no fear of running out of anything. I, then, ordered Onion Masala Dosai , which was a rice crepe with onion topping filled with potatoes and onions and cooked in butter.
Great Mother of Pearl, but I nearly had an orgasm eating that fine dish! The crepe was light, flaky, and crispy and tasted like the crust of a pot pie nand-made by God. And the filling was hearty, perfectly spiced, and immensely delicious. To wash it down I had a lemon soda-fresh lemon squeezed into club soda and sweetened. Even that was rich and full-much more strong and deeply satisfying than I expected. Wow. We're trying to keep eating-out excursions under control, so I'm not sure when we'll be back there next; but whatever the date is it cannot come soon enough.
We are considering experimenting around with cooking Indian food at home, but I'm somewhat leery of both the difficulty and eventual success (or lack thereof). I'm just thinking there'd be a major shift from the types of spices & other "staples" that we usually have on hand. In any event, I very much look forward to visiting this restaurant with anyone who chances to visit me next and would like to go there.
ed. note: No Udupi cafe in Winona.
Indian cuisine has been skyrocketing up our list of preferred ethnic food choices, and I have to say that this restaurant is far and away my favorite in town (though, admittedly, we've only been to four or five). This is actually the one that Mixdorf & I ate at during his visit last summer. It's a pure vegetarian menu; which, for vegetarians accustomed to hunting for only three or four vegetarian options on a given menu at traditional restaurants, the variety seems mind-boggling.
I am continuing to expand my horizons. It's been difficult to make the break away from Paneer (the primary style of cheese used in Indian food), but I have been utterly rewarded for my uncharacteristic adventurousness. We began the meal with Garlic Paratha (whole wheat bread stuffed with garlic), and some lentil patties for Lucy. With everything, you are given your choices of three or four dipping sauces so that by the time they accumulate through an appetizer and three meals, you have 12 little bowls scattered about on the table. A little overkill, there, but we felt free to dip gratuitously with no fear of running out of anything. I, then, ordered Onion Masala Dosai , which was a rice crepe with onion topping filled with potatoes and onions and cooked in butter.
Great Mother of Pearl, but I nearly had an orgasm eating that fine dish! The crepe was light, flaky, and crispy and tasted like the crust of a pot pie nand-made by God. And the filling was hearty, perfectly spiced, and immensely delicious. To wash it down I had a lemon soda-fresh lemon squeezed into club soda and sweetened. Even that was rich and full-much more strong and deeply satisfying than I expected. Wow. We're trying to keep eating-out excursions under control, so I'm not sure when we'll be back there next; but whatever the date is it cannot come soon enough.
We are considering experimenting around with cooking Indian food at home, but I'm somewhat leery of both the difficulty and eventual success (or lack thereof). I'm just thinking there'd be a major shift from the types of spices & other "staples" that we usually have on hand. In any event, I very much look forward to visiting this restaurant with anyone who chances to visit me next and would like to go there.
ed. note: No Udupi cafe in Winona.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Anti-Consumer in a Technophile's Body
(ed. note: I intended to make this one of my customary brief essays on a topic that had been mulling around in my head. Reading back after it was written, I think some interesting topics came up, but that it seemed more like a ramble that didn't lead anywhere. Sorry)
Only one of the very many contradictions that makes up my being, but one about which I feel the urge to speak a few words.
In high school or thereabouts, I think I would have been placed in that category of consumer that is referred to in the retail world as "The Early Adopter." My parents were around my current age during the height of what could be referred to as the "age of modern convenience," or that period of time where we erred just a bit on the side of technology. Breast milk bad-formula good. Antibiotics for everything. Crop dusting. Indeed, it was "better living through science" that quickly and decisively won us the Pacific arena of WWII and, mad scientist character in Sci-Fi movies notwithstanding, our country was more than happy to embrace a technological advance in any form. I will say that I think we, as a society, have stepped back from the brink a bit, but may be still just a little too ready to embrace those aspects of science that appease our yearning for instant gratification to the exclusion of another very important aspect of science, which is testing and long-term study.
That's getting a bit off point, however. What I'm getting to is that I personally "stepped back from the brink" sometime late in college. While I continued to build on my music collection somewhat steadily through the years, the only new technology adoptions have been a 19 inch TV (in 1996, to replace the 13 inch that died), a DVD player, and a car CD player, last year. Of course none of them necessary, but all relatively basis components of a early-21st centruy "wired" individua in the first world. I've not always succeeded, but I've striven to live the "less is more" philosophy; made more difficult because of this trait that was nurtured in me combined with working at the premier Technology Made Fun retailer in the world, but maybe a little easier with money never having flowed particularly generously into my bank account.
Moderation may really be the key, here. There are lots of possessions and clutter in all our lives that are simply not necessary. But it may well be that, even while I'm striving to make various aspects of my life and house a little simpler, a 32" letterbox-format TV and set of wireless computer speakers (for listening to my iTunes collection in various parts of the house) are important-enough reflections of my taste in lifestyle that they do justify purchase (to the extent that any luxury item in our society can "justify" such a thing) . Not that I have money for either at this particular time...
Only one of the very many contradictions that makes up my being, but one about which I feel the urge to speak a few words.
In high school or thereabouts, I think I would have been placed in that category of consumer that is referred to in the retail world as "The Early Adopter." My parents were around my current age during the height of what could be referred to as the "age of modern convenience," or that period of time where we erred just a bit on the side of technology. Breast milk bad-formula good. Antibiotics for everything. Crop dusting. Indeed, it was "better living through science" that quickly and decisively won us the Pacific arena of WWII and, mad scientist character in Sci-Fi movies notwithstanding, our country was more than happy to embrace a technological advance in any form. I will say that I think we, as a society, have stepped back from the brink a bit, but may be still just a little too ready to embrace those aspects of science that appease our yearning for instant gratification to the exclusion of another very important aspect of science, which is testing and long-term study.
That's getting a bit off point, however. What I'm getting to is that I personally "stepped back from the brink" sometime late in college. While I continued to build on my music collection somewhat steadily through the years, the only new technology adoptions have been a 19 inch TV (in 1996, to replace the 13 inch that died), a DVD player, and a car CD player, last year. Of course none of them necessary, but all relatively basis components of a early-21st centruy "wired" individua in the first world. I've not always succeeded, but I've striven to live the "less is more" philosophy; made more difficult because of this trait that was nurtured in me combined with working at the premier Technology Made Fun retailer in the world, but maybe a little easier with money never having flowed particularly generously into my bank account.
Moderation may really be the key, here. There are lots of possessions and clutter in all our lives that are simply not necessary. But it may well be that, even while I'm striving to make various aspects of my life and house a little simpler, a 32" letterbox-format TV and set of wireless computer speakers (for listening to my iTunes collection in various parts of the house) are important-enough reflections of my taste in lifestyle that they do justify purchase (to the extent that any luxury item in our society can "justify" such a thing) . Not that I have money for either at this particular time...
Monday, November 21, 2005
Making the Crossover: Tonight at 7:30 CST
I will be appearing in my first dramatic (e.g. non-comedic) role in at least the past 16 years tonight at the Patrick Henry Theatre in North Minneapolis. This is my second play with the emerging Camden Civic Theatre, and I am playing the role of Joe Summers in Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery."In this day and age, where people's sensitivities seem to get disturbed by all manner of daily affronts (all the while, the number of violent & vile images increases daily on their TVs), I am expecting a little shock and maybe even an unpleasant reaction from at least some of the audience to this quite dark play. Anticipating this, we will be doing a Q & A with the audience after the show in an effort to put the story and message in context.
My character is kind of the "head-man" of a small, rural village. Most likely one of the wealthiest figures in town, he holds a position of power and influence and coordinates the yearly "lottery." I really step outside of myself for the part (I hope). I play him, hopefully not over-the-top, as a smarmy, smiley gladhander that is aware that everyone in town works hard for a living so he doesn't have to. I pretty much model him after some sort of amalgam of my least favorite politicians. One scene I particularly enjoy is when he has a little argument, apart from the rest of the villagers, with his sister who resents and preaches against town tradition.
The promise of good theatre sponsored by Community Education should be enough to drag everyone away from the Vikings-Packers Monday Night game for a couple of hours, don't you think?
Understanding the various reasons my readers can't attend, I wish you all could be there.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Where it All Goes Down
www.brightwatermontessori.org
Lucy's school has a nice, new, and revamped website. You can get a pretty good idea of what the Montessori philosophy is all about by reading the Main Page & About Montessori sections. It really, point by point, is in philosophical line with the beliefs Sharon & I have about childraising. Obviously, as with any type of education, a lot depends on how well the schoo/teachers interpret and enact the theories, but we feel they do a great job at Brightwater.
You can see the really cool classrooms (all kid-sized things, no plastic or "commercial" stuff) in Program Descriptions, and you can also see busy little Lucy (background, in yellow) working away in the top picture.
Lucy's school has a nice, new, and revamped website. You can get a pretty good idea of what the Montessori philosophy is all about by reading the Main Page & About Montessori sections. It really, point by point, is in philosophical line with the beliefs Sharon & I have about childraising. Obviously, as with any type of education, a lot depends on how well the schoo/teachers interpret and enact the theories, but we feel they do a great job at Brightwater.
You can see the really cool classrooms (all kid-sized things, no plastic or "commercial" stuff) in Program Descriptions, and you can also see busy little Lucy (background, in yellow) working away in the top picture.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
In 2004, it's a Slam Dunk. Now? Hmmm...
Think Bush is gonna make any headway on his new full-time strategy: attacking those who said he misled the country?
Seems to be critical whether people buy the two lies:
- They (Democratic Senators) had access to the same info as Bush.
- The vote was to go to war (as opposed to give the President authorization to go to war, so that he would have more leverage in getting Iraq to let the inspectors to their work).
However, the President hasn't had many successes in the past number of months. 57% of the people in this country believe he misled them and Republican Senators & Representatives that could have been counted on to fall in line are thinking of their own political futures. How does this play out?
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Parent-Teacher Conferences
So funny to be on the "parent" end of the legendary Parent Teacher conferences. And also very exciting. So many hours of the day, many days, we're not able to see what she's up to. How does she interact with others of her age? What sort of developmental change do they see at school and how does it compare with home? And so on and so forth.
Actually, one of the most interesting things for us-especially as first time parents- is to see what sorts of behavior are kind of standard for toddlers across the board, and which are unique to her emerging little personality. According to the administrator of the school & primary toddler instructor, Ann, here are the things that Lucy loves: art and all sorts of fine motor skills, nature and the outdoors, books, and talking & telling stories. One of the things she also talked about at some length is Lucy's independence. In Ann's words, Lucy is "resistant to adult suggestion." Of course, that is a very common trait for toddlers, but Ann believes this is going to be a trait Lucy carries with her for the rest of her life. She resists doing anything that she did not, herself, decide to do. She's very specific about her preferences and, though she gets along with other kids, does not position herself in the hiearchy as either a leader or a follower; she prefers to work alone and accomplish things on her own. Obviously, how this trait manifests itself at home can be frustrating at times-as daily rituals such as naptime or getting ready for bed become classic battles of wit and will, but there is much to appreciate there, in a trait that I see as positive, if nurtured and kept within bounds. Some of her greatest creativity comes in her delaying and manipulating tactics when trying to avoid "getting with the program." Man, oh man, as I look back at my own history as a kid who went to the sick room EVERY DAY OF FIRST GRADE in an attempt to stay home at school. Man, do I see myself (and Sharon) in her. And I know where she's coming from. I'd rather her be Pippi Longstockings than John Cusak's love interest in "Say Anything" any day of the week.
Anyway, a very enjoyable and fascinating conference, overall. The teachers seem to be such fans of hers. And, as we were talking for a little about what a positive experience Montessori has been for Lucy so far and how intent we are on keeping her in that environment (especially in light of my own experience of being utterly, totally turned off by school), Ann remarked that she "couldn't imagine Lucy in a traditional school."
Fascinating-FASCINATING!
Actually, one of the most interesting things for us-especially as first time parents- is to see what sorts of behavior are kind of standard for toddlers across the board, and which are unique to her emerging little personality. According to the administrator of the school & primary toddler instructor, Ann, here are the things that Lucy loves: art and all sorts of fine motor skills, nature and the outdoors, books, and talking & telling stories. One of the things she also talked about at some length is Lucy's independence. In Ann's words, Lucy is "resistant to adult suggestion." Of course, that is a very common trait for toddlers, but Ann believes this is going to be a trait Lucy carries with her for the rest of her life. She resists doing anything that she did not, herself, decide to do. She's very specific about her preferences and, though she gets along with other kids, does not position herself in the hiearchy as either a leader or a follower; she prefers to work alone and accomplish things on her own. Obviously, how this trait manifests itself at home can be frustrating at times-as daily rituals such as naptime or getting ready for bed become classic battles of wit and will, but there is much to appreciate there, in a trait that I see as positive, if nurtured and kept within bounds. Some of her greatest creativity comes in her delaying and manipulating tactics when trying to avoid "getting with the program." Man, oh man, as I look back at my own history as a kid who went to the sick room EVERY DAY OF FIRST GRADE in an attempt to stay home at school. Man, do I see myself (and Sharon) in her. And I know where she's coming from. I'd rather her be Pippi Longstockings than John Cusak's love interest in "Say Anything" any day of the week.
Anyway, a very enjoyable and fascinating conference, overall. The teachers seem to be such fans of hers. And, as we were talking for a little about what a positive experience Montessori has been for Lucy so far and how intent we are on keeping her in that environment (especially in light of my own experience of being utterly, totally turned off by school), Ann remarked that she "couldn't imagine Lucy in a traditional school."
Fascinating-FASCINATING!
Monday, November 14, 2005
Ingafunis
Including much forest football, a few beers, a trip to Pizza Hut, and a single glaring incident of buffoonery, there was little that happened down at camp this last weekend that could be considered unexpected. But it was defniitely a good time.
On orders from The Clogger, I was down to camp by 9 am Saturday morning. That meant getting up at 4:20 after having guests over till late on Friday night and not going to bed till 12:45. Additionally, that was after having gone to bed post-12:00 am every night the previous week. So I came into camp a little bleary-eyed. Unbelievably, I had held off from a coffee purchase until Waverly. No Twin Cities coffee shops are open at the hour in which I left town, but there is nothing but gas stations and Perkins-clones the entire distance between the F.O.B. and destination. Around Mason City I started struggling a bit, but thoughts of that one funky, ethnic coffee shop we all had stopped in for our last visit kept me truckin'. I was very disappointed when it wasn't there where I expected it to be upon my arrival. I stopped at a place called "Higher Grounds" just across from the Wartburg campus, but their coffee was kept in those giant gas-station-style warmers and they served it in a styrofoam cup. Predictably, it tasted pretty shitty. But enough about coffee.
I rolled into camp at 9:00 on the fucking dot. Reminded me of how on-time I used to be for everything, especially trips, pre-Sharon. Cory had already set up at the cabin (Arrow-the one farthest from HQ that overlooks the big ridge). We loaded supplies into the cabin. Perhaps due to extreme tiredness, I had forgotten my camera (rats-no movies to be made nor no pictures to be took). But I did bring two bottles of October ale and four bottles of Winter Ale to help us ring in the fall Equinox. I also brought a fishing pole and a single weedless spoon lure. We then wasted no time in tramping on down to the confluence of Wikota Creek & the Cedar where we cast a few in. I should have brought my logless lure, however, as I was hung up and lost the damned thing after about six casts. I then borrowed a lure from Cory and lost that on the very first cast. That was enough for me. Cory didn't lose a lure, but caught no more fish then me. We then kind of just pulled up and kicked down at that spot for awhile. Next to the pine forest; and perhaps instead of the pine forest, ever since its thinning-out; this is my favorite spot at camp. It's a great flyover for migrating birds-and we saw a few. Cory spotted a great blue heron nest, and we just watched clouds roll overhead as we sat there in t-shirts in the unbelievably warm November day. As planned, we had a nice and in-depth conversation about religion. Neither of us probably giving the other much more information that has been given before, but rolling our various thoughts into as concise-a package as we could. I think it ends with the "irreconcilable difference" being our take on the Salvation. A couple things I was probing for were "do you think non-Christians go to hell" and "how did you arrive where you're at, belief-wise," and (not that he was on trial or anything) I think Cory addressed them to my satisfaction. In his focus & comittment to exploring his faith, I challenged him to become a self-educated "professor of theology;" to read texts and explore other faiths in an effort to understand the context and history of his own religion. It will probably meet success like my encouraging of Mighty Tom to get back into the field of natural resources, but hey-I'm the self-appointed life-coach of my friends-it's what I do.
We then headed back to the cabin and got the rock for a couple of hours of forest football. Generally good stuff, with a couple of amazing 4th-down tosses by me (including a 40-yarder that threaded a couple of trees to get to Cory, waiting around the corner of a path). We also discovered a box of tiles over at the archery range and took a few shots at exploding individual ones we set up on a fence. A little destructive and pointless, perhaps, but thoroughly irresistable.
Then off to Waverly for pizza. Only remarkable thing about that is how we restrained ourselves and went with a single medium pizza (in addition to the family order of breadsticks). Then, heading back through town-with some rain starting to come down and me desperately needing a cup of coffee (I ended up drinking very little of the cup I'd had earlier), Cory noticed a place. We went in and: LO! BEHOLD! It was that funky place, after all, in a new, downtown location. We had a nice conversation with the lady, and Cory even bought an overpriced (but tasty) cup of hot chocolate, and may have had a moment of truly appreciating the case of the small, locally-owned single proprietorship, as she explained that she's just not getting business. Unfortunately, an African-themed world cafe just isn't bringing in those white-bread Wartburg business administration majors. I do think she'll make it over time, though...
Then it was back to camp for a game of "who drops the ball," which Cory won-even disregarding the single controversial decision that would have brought me closer. Then it was off on a late afternoon, early evening hike with the weather threatening. This is the one where we hopped a fence or two and went along the creek. When we emerged (and really-Cory's got to take the majority of blame for this-I had no clue where we were and he knew exactly), we were far, far out of camp property. While hiking back in its general direction, we were met with the heil of "Would you mind telling me what the fuck you're doing out here?" The big buffoonery. We were walking right under the tree stand of a hunter that had been watching us for a long, long time. He may have stretched the truth of the degree to which we screwed up his hunt, but we definitely didn't help him. As much as it may have been Cory getting us into the mess, all credit to him for one of the most classic exchanges in history. When he demanded our names, Cory said, "Cory...what's yours?" to which the guy had no alternative but to give him his: "Dave." After we were on a first-name basis, things were diffused considerably, and we gave him profuse apologies and he pointed us in the right direction (which Cory already knew). When I look back and consider that we were walking around, not in blaze-orange, on private forest land a week into the deer-hunting season in a northeast Iowa forest, it may have been the dumbest thing either Cory or me has done in recent memory-maybe ever. I think my illicit fence-hopping days are over. It was after that (or before that, I don't remember) when we stopped by the top of Challenge Hill. Nice view over the river bottoms, and I took the Challenge upon myself and sprinted, as much as one can sprint up loose sand, all the way up. Cory took on the challenge of talking to his wife yet a third time in the day-good Lord does the man call home a lot!
Back to camp again and a decision about whether to head to town (yet again!) for supper. It'd been a late lunch, and tornado warnings/watches were abounding. We ended up deciding we'd be super hungry late at night if we didn't go in, so we did. We brought back a sub for me, & some Hardees for Johnny Seedcorn. Found out the worst of the weather would miss us, got the fire going, & played some chess (which I won). We listened to some Cyclones (Cory's idea) and some music (my idea), and talked to 12'4" of Pat. Talked some more, and off to bed.
Next morning, we had exchanged minds. Cory was up early and ready to go out for a hike. I was snuggled in my sleeping bag complaining about the cold. We ended up getting caught in a conversation by the long-winded, but great, ranger. Tossed the football a few more times, and headed into town for, perhaps, the worst small-town diner in which I've ever eaten. The "cheese omlette" consisted of a couple of scrambled eggs with a melted cheese-slice on top. And that was that.
I do feel compelled to say that I think I may be ready for an Ingawanis hiatus. It's a neat slice of land, but it IS pretty darn developed and there's so much-SO MUCH- more out there in the world to give you your nature-fix. Even in the little world of northeast Iowa, there's so much more. Staying in the cabin is OK-but really, it's only OK. The cots are terrible, and every flat surface is peppered with rat shit. I'd rather camp-and really camp and achieve the solitude, which is one of the main reasons for being out in the wilds, or just go out for a day of romping through wood & vale & return to comfort of home or hotel. I understand the connection Cory & to a lesser degree, Gibbs, has with the place-but (though we've created our own history there on a few occasions), the connection is really just not there nearly as much for me.
On orders from The Clogger, I was down to camp by 9 am Saturday morning. That meant getting up at 4:20 after having guests over till late on Friday night and not going to bed till 12:45. Additionally, that was after having gone to bed post-12:00 am every night the previous week. So I came into camp a little bleary-eyed. Unbelievably, I had held off from a coffee purchase until Waverly. No Twin Cities coffee shops are open at the hour in which I left town, but there is nothing but gas stations and Perkins-clones the entire distance between the F.O.B. and destination. Around Mason City I started struggling a bit, but thoughts of that one funky, ethnic coffee shop we all had stopped in for our last visit kept me truckin'. I was very disappointed when it wasn't there where I expected it to be upon my arrival. I stopped at a place called "Higher Grounds" just across from the Wartburg campus, but their coffee was kept in those giant gas-station-style warmers and they served it in a styrofoam cup. Predictably, it tasted pretty shitty. But enough about coffee.
I rolled into camp at 9:00 on the fucking dot. Reminded me of how on-time I used to be for everything, especially trips, pre-Sharon. Cory had already set up at the cabin (Arrow-the one farthest from HQ that overlooks the big ridge). We loaded supplies into the cabin. Perhaps due to extreme tiredness, I had forgotten my camera (rats-no movies to be made nor no pictures to be took). But I did bring two bottles of October ale and four bottles of Winter Ale to help us ring in the fall Equinox. I also brought a fishing pole and a single weedless spoon lure. We then wasted no time in tramping on down to the confluence of Wikota Creek & the Cedar where we cast a few in. I should have brought my logless lure, however, as I was hung up and lost the damned thing after about six casts. I then borrowed a lure from Cory and lost that on the very first cast. That was enough for me. Cory didn't lose a lure, but caught no more fish then me. We then kind of just pulled up and kicked down at that spot for awhile. Next to the pine forest; and perhaps instead of the pine forest, ever since its thinning-out; this is my favorite spot at camp. It's a great flyover for migrating birds-and we saw a few. Cory spotted a great blue heron nest, and we just watched clouds roll overhead as we sat there in t-shirts in the unbelievably warm November day. As planned, we had a nice and in-depth conversation about religion. Neither of us probably giving the other much more information that has been given before, but rolling our various thoughts into as concise-a package as we could. I think it ends with the "irreconcilable difference" being our take on the Salvation. A couple things I was probing for were "do you think non-Christians go to hell" and "how did you arrive where you're at, belief-wise," and (not that he was on trial or anything) I think Cory addressed them to my satisfaction. In his focus & comittment to exploring his faith, I challenged him to become a self-educated "professor of theology;" to read texts and explore other faiths in an effort to understand the context and history of his own religion. It will probably meet success like my encouraging of Mighty Tom to get back into the field of natural resources, but hey-I'm the self-appointed life-coach of my friends-it's what I do.
We then headed back to the cabin and got the rock for a couple of hours of forest football. Generally good stuff, with a couple of amazing 4th-down tosses by me (including a 40-yarder that threaded a couple of trees to get to Cory, waiting around the corner of a path). We also discovered a box of tiles over at the archery range and took a few shots at exploding individual ones we set up on a fence. A little destructive and pointless, perhaps, but thoroughly irresistable.
Then off to Waverly for pizza. Only remarkable thing about that is how we restrained ourselves and went with a single medium pizza (in addition to the family order of breadsticks). Then, heading back through town-with some rain starting to come down and me desperately needing a cup of coffee (I ended up drinking very little of the cup I'd had earlier), Cory noticed a place. We went in and: LO! BEHOLD! It was that funky place, after all, in a new, downtown location. We had a nice conversation with the lady, and Cory even bought an overpriced (but tasty) cup of hot chocolate, and may have had a moment of truly appreciating the case of the small, locally-owned single proprietorship, as she explained that she's just not getting business. Unfortunately, an African-themed world cafe just isn't bringing in those white-bread Wartburg business administration majors. I do think she'll make it over time, though...
Then it was back to camp for a game of "who drops the ball," which Cory won-even disregarding the single controversial decision that would have brought me closer. Then it was off on a late afternoon, early evening hike with the weather threatening. This is the one where we hopped a fence or two and went along the creek. When we emerged (and really-Cory's got to take the majority of blame for this-I had no clue where we were and he knew exactly), we were far, far out of camp property. While hiking back in its general direction, we were met with the heil of "Would you mind telling me what the fuck you're doing out here?" The big buffoonery. We were walking right under the tree stand of a hunter that had been watching us for a long, long time. He may have stretched the truth of the degree to which we screwed up his hunt, but we definitely didn't help him. As much as it may have been Cory getting us into the mess, all credit to him for one of the most classic exchanges in history. When he demanded our names, Cory said, "Cory...what's yours?" to which the guy had no alternative but to give him his: "Dave." After we were on a first-name basis, things were diffused considerably, and we gave him profuse apologies and he pointed us in the right direction (which Cory already knew). When I look back and consider that we were walking around, not in blaze-orange, on private forest land a week into the deer-hunting season in a northeast Iowa forest, it may have been the dumbest thing either Cory or me has done in recent memory-maybe ever. I think my illicit fence-hopping days are over. It was after that (or before that, I don't remember) when we stopped by the top of Challenge Hill. Nice view over the river bottoms, and I took the Challenge upon myself and sprinted, as much as one can sprint up loose sand, all the way up. Cory took on the challenge of talking to his wife yet a third time in the day-good Lord does the man call home a lot!
Back to camp again and a decision about whether to head to town (yet again!) for supper. It'd been a late lunch, and tornado warnings/watches were abounding. We ended up deciding we'd be super hungry late at night if we didn't go in, so we did. We brought back a sub for me, & some Hardees for Johnny Seedcorn. Found out the worst of the weather would miss us, got the fire going, & played some chess (which I won). We listened to some Cyclones (Cory's idea) and some music (my idea), and talked to 12'4" of Pat. Talked some more, and off to bed.
Next morning, we had exchanged minds. Cory was up early and ready to go out for a hike. I was snuggled in my sleeping bag complaining about the cold. We ended up getting caught in a conversation by the long-winded, but great, ranger. Tossed the football a few more times, and headed into town for, perhaps, the worst small-town diner in which I've ever eaten. The "cheese omlette" consisted of a couple of scrambled eggs with a melted cheese-slice on top. And that was that.
I do feel compelled to say that I think I may be ready for an Ingawanis hiatus. It's a neat slice of land, but it IS pretty darn developed and there's so much-SO MUCH- more out there in the world to give you your nature-fix. Even in the little world of northeast Iowa, there's so much more. Staying in the cabin is OK-but really, it's only OK. The cots are terrible, and every flat surface is peppered with rat shit. I'd rather camp-and really camp and achieve the solitude, which is one of the main reasons for being out in the wilds, or just go out for a day of romping through wood & vale & return to comfort of home or hotel. I understand the connection Cory & to a lesser degree, Gibbs, has with the place-but (though we've created our own history there on a few occasions), the connection is really just not there nearly as much for me.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Great Sadness, Followed By Profound Joy
So, we tried some canned dog food with the hope it would help Kuna-i's appetite. Well, when I walked into the kitchen this morning, it was as though a shit matter universe collided with a shit antimatter universe. It took me about 30 minutes and half a roll of paper towels just to get it to the point where I could mop. Good Lord, that sucks.
But then, on a whim, I decided to swing by Camden Coffee Company a few minutes before 7:00 (their old open time), thinking that maybe, under new ownership, the hours had changed. O great wonders of all that is good in the world, they now open at 6:00!!!! I no longer have to come into work way, way late in order to enjoy a nice sit-down cup of coffee in the morning!
On a side note-heading off tomorrow morning to Ingawanis for a romp in the woods with T-Clog. Full report Monday, I'm sure.
But then, on a whim, I decided to swing by Camden Coffee Company a few minutes before 7:00 (their old open time), thinking that maybe, under new ownership, the hours had changed. O great wonders of all that is good in the world, they now open at 6:00!!!! I no longer have to come into work way, way late in order to enjoy a nice sit-down cup of coffee in the morning!
On a side note-heading off tomorrow morning to Ingawanis for a romp in the woods with T-Clog. Full report Monday, I'm sure.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
When the Gales of November Come Early
Today is the 30th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I love the North Shore of Lake Superior (as has been well-documented), and I have a keen interest in its lore and history, which includes everything from early explorers and voyageurs to mining, logging, and shipwrecks. A few of years ago (around the time of my first visit to Methuen, in fact) I read a book about the event, which is still quite compelling now, all these years after the original tragedy. But that reading led me on to explore the more history of North Superior shipwrecks/boatwrecks, of which there have been a crazy number (over 200 in the past century seems to stick in my mind). Just a big, cold, and dangerous lake it is.
Anyway, I would encourage others who have any interest in this fascinatingh history to read up on North Superior shipwrecks and, indeed, just the history of North Superior shipping & its related industries in general. A good & fun place to start is a series of books pairing North Shore artist Howard Sivertson (a favorite of mine) with companion stories. There is one on voyageurs and one on shipping for sure and there may be others.
Anyway, I would encourage others who have any interest in this fascinatingh history to read up on North Superior shipwrecks and, indeed, just the history of North Superior shipping & its related industries in general. A good & fun place to start is a series of books pairing North Shore artist Howard Sivertson (a favorite of mine) with companion stories. There is one on voyageurs and one on shipping for sure and there may be others.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
PastDan calling FutureDan...
My readers may or may not be aware of a couple of crazy moments I've had in which it seemed that a past version of myself made a conscious visit to my present (at the time) version of me and had a discussion; both times seeming like they may have not been completely unrelated to some significant, life-altering decisions. I have no basis for thinking those occasions have been anything other than particularly compelling daydreams, other than a sense of "I know what I know," and knowing that there was something very out-of-the-ordinary about the experiences.
Anyway, I came across this opportunity just today, and it seemed right up my alley. I'm putting down what I consider to be the burning questions about my future, which is particularly uncertain at this time. A rundown of the questions, but not the entire message to myself...
So, did you...
1. Do anything exciting with "The Secret of HIM" (or whatever the album was called)? Your 4 songs in and feeling pretty good about it right now.
2. Do anything exciting with Camden Civic Theatre? The opportunity is there, as the theatre company is just forming right now.
3. MOVED TO ZEPHYR??? You're sort of leaning there, but there's a lot of unknowns (jobs, how to get a loan)
4. More broadly, moved anywhere? Seward? Victory? Bryn Mawr? Longfellow? Other? God forbid, are you still living in the same house?
5. How has your relationship changed with Lucy as she has changed from a toddler into a little girl? I can barely conceive of it right now.
6. Where are you working? Still for "The Man" or did you find a way to get into something more aligned with your values?
7. Was there a Democratic revolution? How have the tides of time altered our culture, both politically and from an ecological & religious standpoint? It's a pretty depressing state of affairs right now, but there's little hints of hope...
7. How has your life changed in ways you wouldn't have guessed; particularly if you're living in Zephyr?
I chose the five-year capsule, as I think assuming I'll be accessing any particular email account in 10 or 20 years is assuming a lot. Plus, I think there's not a one of my burning questions that will not be resolved in that time.(of course, were I to add that last sentence to the time capsule, it would probably end up being my biggest surprise...)
Anyway, I came across this opportunity just today, and it seemed right up my alley. I'm putting down what I consider to be the burning questions about my future, which is particularly uncertain at this time. A rundown of the questions, but not the entire message to myself...
So, did you...
1. Do anything exciting with "The Secret of HIM" (or whatever the album was called)? Your 4 songs in and feeling pretty good about it right now.
2. Do anything exciting with Camden Civic Theatre? The opportunity is there, as the theatre company is just forming right now.
3. MOVED TO ZEPHYR??? You're sort of leaning there, but there's a lot of unknowns (jobs, how to get a loan)
4. More broadly, moved anywhere? Seward? Victory? Bryn Mawr? Longfellow? Other? God forbid, are you still living in the same house?
5. How has your relationship changed with Lucy as she has changed from a toddler into a little girl? I can barely conceive of it right now.
6. Where are you working? Still for "The Man" or did you find a way to get into something more aligned with your values?
7. Was there a Democratic revolution? How have the tides of time altered our culture, both politically and from an ecological & religious standpoint? It's a pretty depressing state of affairs right now, but there's little hints of hope...
7. How has your life changed in ways you wouldn't have guessed; particularly if you're living in Zephyr?
I chose the five-year capsule, as I think assuming I'll be accessing any particular email account in 10 or 20 years is assuming a lot. Plus, I think there's not a one of my burning questions that will not be resolved in that time.(of course, were I to add that last sentence to the time capsule, it would probably end up being my biggest surprise...)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Taking it to the Next Level?
So, the guy that heads up my theatre group is interested in finally breaking off from the community education classes through which the plays have been produced (which has allowed us practice and performance time-albeit limited-on a stage). He would continue to run classes through that venue, but would form an independent theatre company-The Camden Civic Theatre. He asked me and a couple of others if we would be interested in launching into this, and I'm torn.
It would be awesome to explore this artistic venue for awhile; but, as I remember the pressure & annoyance of having to bring a "business edge" into trying to make it in a band, I'm not so sure I'm fired up for a duplication of that experience. Promoting, grant-writing, call-making, etc. Ugh.
The upside, however, is a very wide-open artistic space in which to explore this craft and the excitement that comes with performing live & the possibility of "catching a break."
The practices would be more & longer on plays that we perform. On one hand, I dropped out of college because I wasn't getting enough time with my family. On the other hand, I dropped out of college because I didn't have enough time for personal projects...
Other X-factors:
Am I living here 7 months from now? I guess I'd better tell him about the possiblity of Zephyr before he counts on me too much, long-term.
How does this affect my tentative plans to take a class or two at "Brave New Workshop?"
How does this affect my recording schedule?
Much to mull over. Anyway, don't know if I mentioned it, but our current play we are getting ready is "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. You may remember it as a short story from an intermediate school reader, but it's a real dark show. So much so that we're planning on a Q&A with the audience afterwords to cool those who may get a little disturbed by the ending. Hopefuly kids won't be in attendance.
http://home.mn.rr.com/jjredman/
It would be awesome to explore this artistic venue for awhile; but, as I remember the pressure & annoyance of having to bring a "business edge" into trying to make it in a band, I'm not so sure I'm fired up for a duplication of that experience. Promoting, grant-writing, call-making, etc. Ugh.
The upside, however, is a very wide-open artistic space in which to explore this craft and the excitement that comes with performing live & the possibility of "catching a break."
The practices would be more & longer on plays that we perform. On one hand, I dropped out of college because I wasn't getting enough time with my family. On the other hand, I dropped out of college because I didn't have enough time for personal projects...
Other X-factors:
Am I living here 7 months from now? I guess I'd better tell him about the possiblity of Zephyr before he counts on me too much, long-term.
How does this affect my tentative plans to take a class or two at "Brave New Workshop?"
How does this affect my recording schedule?
Much to mull over. Anyway, don't know if I mentioned it, but our current play we are getting ready is "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. You may remember it as a short story from an intermediate school reader, but it's a real dark show. So much so that we're planning on a Q&A with the audience afterwords to cool those who may get a little disturbed by the ending. Hopefuly kids won't be in attendance.
http://home.mn.rr.com/jjredman/
Monday, November 07, 2005
Minnesota Zephyr
Another Zephyr weekend. We went down on Friday morning to check out a K-8 Montessori charter school in Winona (the first of its kind in the nation), and it was wonderful. We then hung out for the day in town, doing a little more exploring and trying to get a little more feel of what, according to residents of the coop, is the "lifeblood" of everyone in the rural communities of the area. An amazing little town, Winona, for being only 27,000 people big-but I may have documented that already.
We spent Friday night through Sunday morning at Zephyr, and the our mood, for the majority of the time, was actually just a little down from where it had been for our last couple visits. We had a breakfast with some residents in which we discussed some of the difficulties in obtaining house loans for building houses without "property" or deeds, and then everyone had their various daily responsibilities to which they needed to attend. It was spitting rain & pretty dreary.
We still went for a hike, having not circumnavigated the large south bluff yet, but still weren't able to make it all the way around. We came across a hunter at the extreme far southern end of the property, up on a bluff top. Hunting would be one of the weird things to get used to at Zephyr. It is very common down there, as it is in the midst of a large state forest; and hunters abound in the properties-both wooded and farmed-surrounding the coop's land. I've never been as supportive of hunters, from an ecological sense, as I currently am. That is, if they are conservation-minded and follow regulations and so on. I do fear that the majority (and I really do mean the majority) of hunters that are out there are there for all the wrong reasons, and do not care the least bit about conservation, ecology, or even simple human courtesy. This guy was technically legal, with his tree stand being set up just on the other side of the property line; but even I know enough to know that's really bad form. Especially considering the bluff top-all Zephyr property-is a big open field. Open sight lines. In other words, he intends to shoot the deer on Zephyr then run over & get them. And the path we were on would have taken us right by his feet. Lucy was snoozing in the backback and we just didn't even want to deal with the hassle of a confrontation (especially since it's not even our land that we're dealing with-yet), but we left the hill feeling more sullen than ever. Later we confessed that we were both sort of gearing up for the "what are we doing, anyway" conversion we would have in the car on the way back in the morning.
Anyway, morning came around and we headed over to drop off some orange vests at the house of this woman, who happened to be entertaining a couple of friends that had dropped in from Iowa (she's originally from Iowa City). They invited us in for a pancake breakfast, and we couldn't refuse. It was a sunny morning-with sun hitting the bluffs in the most stunning and beautiful way-clouds rolling by just above the hilltops, and there was an ease and hospitality in the air. Pancakes were big & awesome; coffee was steamin', and syrup was real maple. Lucy (who is totally at ease down there) just started running around doing her own thing while we all talked after eating-great conversation. Went from blood sausage to the ills of Wal-Mart (kind of a big issue in Winona, where they're a fairly recent presence). As things were wrapping up, I was like, "wait a minute-what's that music?" and I realized it was "Concerning Hobbits." Our host's 10-year old son had the Fellowship of the Ring CD in the stereo while he was making his way through a first reading of "The Hobbit." As it turns out, he & his mom are big fans. We talked just a little LOR (mainly books vs. movie-the standard conversation), then he showed us how he has the sheet music and started playing some on the piano. I ended up getting some video of him playing that Shire song while I panned the camera around the room and out the windows to the landscape in the distance. I'll try to set up a link or something so you guys can check it out.
Anyway, we left with an "anything is possible" attitude, and that's maybe where I am as the trudge & bludge of a workweek in the cities is upon me once again.
We spent Friday night through Sunday morning at Zephyr, and the our mood, for the majority of the time, was actually just a little down from where it had been for our last couple visits. We had a breakfast with some residents in which we discussed some of the difficulties in obtaining house loans for building houses without "property" or deeds, and then everyone had their various daily responsibilities to which they needed to attend. It was spitting rain & pretty dreary.
We still went for a hike, having not circumnavigated the large south bluff yet, but still weren't able to make it all the way around. We came across a hunter at the extreme far southern end of the property, up on a bluff top. Hunting would be one of the weird things to get used to at Zephyr. It is very common down there, as it is in the midst of a large state forest; and hunters abound in the properties-both wooded and farmed-surrounding the coop's land. I've never been as supportive of hunters, from an ecological sense, as I currently am. That is, if they are conservation-minded and follow regulations and so on. I do fear that the majority (and I really do mean the majority) of hunters that are out there are there for all the wrong reasons, and do not care the least bit about conservation, ecology, or even simple human courtesy. This guy was technically legal, with his tree stand being set up just on the other side of the property line; but even I know enough to know that's really bad form. Especially considering the bluff top-all Zephyr property-is a big open field. Open sight lines. In other words, he intends to shoot the deer on Zephyr then run over & get them. And the path we were on would have taken us right by his feet. Lucy was snoozing in the backback and we just didn't even want to deal with the hassle of a confrontation (especially since it's not even our land that we're dealing with-yet), but we left the hill feeling more sullen than ever. Later we confessed that we were both sort of gearing up for the "what are we doing, anyway" conversion we would have in the car on the way back in the morning.
Anyway, morning came around and we headed over to drop off some orange vests at the house of this woman, who happened to be entertaining a couple of friends that had dropped in from Iowa (she's originally from Iowa City). They invited us in for a pancake breakfast, and we couldn't refuse. It was a sunny morning-with sun hitting the bluffs in the most stunning and beautiful way-clouds rolling by just above the hilltops, and there was an ease and hospitality in the air. Pancakes were big & awesome; coffee was steamin', and syrup was real maple. Lucy (who is totally at ease down there) just started running around doing her own thing while we all talked after eating-great conversation. Went from blood sausage to the ills of Wal-Mart (kind of a big issue in Winona, where they're a fairly recent presence). As things were wrapping up, I was like, "wait a minute-what's that music?" and I realized it was "Concerning Hobbits." Our host's 10-year old son had the Fellowship of the Ring CD in the stereo while he was making his way through a first reading of "The Hobbit." As it turns out, he & his mom are big fans. We talked just a little LOR (mainly books vs. movie-the standard conversation), then he showed us how he has the sheet music and started playing some on the piano. I ended up getting some video of him playing that Shire song while I panned the camera around the room and out the windows to the landscape in the distance. I'll try to set up a link or something so you guys can check it out.
Anyway, we left with an "anything is possible" attitude, and that's maybe where I am as the trudge & bludge of a workweek in the cities is upon me once again.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Wellstone! & Clint!
Monday night, Sharon & I watched a documentary on the life of Paul Wellstone, a two-term Minnesota Democratic/Populist senator until his death in 2002. Any words I could try to come up with for the man would fall far short. I will simply say that he may have been the most conscienable, genuine, and passionate congressperson in our nation's history. If anyone ever has the opportunity to learn more about him, I urge you to do so. I would even be happy to find a way to get you the VCR tape on which we had just recorded the PBS special. Man, the crash of the plane he was on may not have been orchestrated by the Bush regime, but if you consider what we know about this administration's tendency to use whatever means to achieve its ends, combined with the timing (shortly before Wellstone's re-election bid vs. a hand-picked Bush lapdog; also very shortly before our Iraq invasion); well, I don't think there's a person left of center in this state that hasn't considered it as a possibility. One other possibility is that we really ARE heading for the rapture and that everything that has happened, politically, in the past 6 years is God's way of telling us: "Don't bother. I WANT you all to be fucked."
A couple days before viewing the non-violence preaching Wellstone, I indulged myself with a viewing of the violence promoting Clint Eastwood movie, "The Eiger Sanction." For some reason, I had some totally way-off base idea about this movie. Somewhere along the line, years ago, I had gotten this idea it was considered one of the all-time great suspense thriller movies, along the lines of Femme Fatale, The French Connection, etc. And while the movie did offer some thrilling mountainside action sequences, it was for the most part a campy, rompous, over-the-top affair with crazy numbers of one-dimensional characters, funky 70s settings (complete with a desert training run in jeans & long-sleeve shirt), and enough one-liners (some OK, some putrid) to fill 20 movies. It was very much like a Roger Moore James Bond-which isn't always terrible, as long as you're not filling your DVD shelves with it. So, if you guys are looking for a movie to see that is an enjoyable way to pass time and that your wife won't mind missing, this may be the ticket.
A couple days before viewing the non-violence preaching Wellstone, I indulged myself with a viewing of the violence promoting Clint Eastwood movie, "The Eiger Sanction." For some reason, I had some totally way-off base idea about this movie. Somewhere along the line, years ago, I had gotten this idea it was considered one of the all-time great suspense thriller movies, along the lines of Femme Fatale, The French Connection, etc. And while the movie did offer some thrilling mountainside action sequences, it was for the most part a campy, rompous, over-the-top affair with crazy numbers of one-dimensional characters, funky 70s settings (complete with a desert training run in jeans & long-sleeve shirt), and enough one-liners (some OK, some putrid) to fill 20 movies. It was very much like a Roger Moore James Bond-which isn't always terrible, as long as you're not filling your DVD shelves with it. So, if you guys are looking for a movie to see that is an enjoyable way to pass time and that your wife won't mind missing, this may be the ticket.
Friday, October 28, 2005
I Hope I've Not Just Taken a First Step into a Bigger World
I just posted a "reply" on a Yahoo! message board. Usually so full of vitrol & hate & perjoratives I cannot even stand to read the subject lines, I have a policy of not ever, ever opening one that is directly political. Too much danger of getting sucked in and actually caring about the words of someone who may or may not even mean what they say, and is using, perhaps, the most cowardly forum ever known to humankind in which to have a "voice."
That said, I took my first post pretty seriously. hylton44 is pretty much my thing, so if I was ever "Googled" or researched in a smear campaign, it probably wouldn't be too hard to put all the pieces together. The subject was actually one of WalMart vs. the other "big boxes" in consumer electronics for the upcoming holiday season. Very, very interesting to you-I'm sure. But it was an article for which I had both a professional and person (personal being my hatred of WalMart). I checked the message board since there were only 20 posts, and I wanted to see what the general vibe of the discussion was. Pleasantly genial and, for the most part, WalMart haters. The only two "dissidents" were two people that were using the ol' "I go where I get the best deal." One guy, in two separate posts, made two patently false statements (one, about Best Buy and Circuit City employees getting commission and both of them marking up products 30%-40%) that, weird to say, compelled me to answer and refute (genially, also, I hope).
I did add this tidbit at the end, however; which I like so much I may recall for future use...
For those really interested in saving that extra 1%, consider the extra money you contribute to subsidize public health assistance for their 50,000 some-odd workers in your state.
That said, I took my first post pretty seriously. hylton44 is pretty much my thing, so if I was ever "Googled" or researched in a smear campaign, it probably wouldn't be too hard to put all the pieces together. The subject was actually one of WalMart vs. the other "big boxes" in consumer electronics for the upcoming holiday season. Very, very interesting to you-I'm sure. But it was an article for which I had both a professional and person (personal being my hatred of WalMart). I checked the message board since there were only 20 posts, and I wanted to see what the general vibe of the discussion was. Pleasantly genial and, for the most part, WalMart haters. The only two "dissidents" were two people that were using the ol' "I go where I get the best deal." One guy, in two separate posts, made two patently false statements (one, about Best Buy and Circuit City employees getting commission and both of them marking up products 30%-40%) that, weird to say, compelled me to answer and refute (genially, also, I hope).
I did add this tidbit at the end, however; which I like so much I may recall for future use...
For those really interested in saving that extra 1%, consider the extra money you contribute to subsidize public health assistance for their 50,000 some-odd workers in your state.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Inexplicable Motivation
I've been really motivated to get down into the studio & record for the past week or so. It's great while it lasts, but motivation to do this (or running, or anything else) is a bit confounding in general. Is it just a feeling of "OK, I've had enough of this lollygagging" or what?
Anyway, I've been down there, and I am currently well on my way for the 4th song from the upcoming "The Secret of HIM."
song #1: 100% done, except for final mix
song #2: 95% done
song #3: 80% done. Possibly more done, but I have some hard decisions & possible re-work on some vocals
song #4: 50% done. Everything except some original drum pattern programming has been done in the past three days, so I'm cutting a pretty good pace.
So far, so good. I'm really excited about the direction of the new album. I promise the "most Dan-like" collection of music you will have ever heard. Rock, and maybe a little "poppier" & catchier than Camden Garden. Explore as I might & be inspired by different genres as I might be, rock is really rooted deep in my soul. When I write songs, they simply go in the direction of progressive/alternative rock, and I'm not sure I'll ever do much sustained work (original, anyway) in another style of music. Hopefully, though, the influences of these other styles are in there and will shine through in their own way.
Anyway, I've been down there, and I am currently well on my way for the 4th song from the upcoming "The Secret of HIM."
song #1: 100% done, except for final mix
song #2: 95% done
song #3: 80% done. Possibly more done, but I have some hard decisions & possible re-work on some vocals
song #4: 50% done. Everything except some original drum pattern programming has been done in the past three days, so I'm cutting a pretty good pace.
So far, so good. I'm really excited about the direction of the new album. I promise the "most Dan-like" collection of music you will have ever heard. Rock, and maybe a little "poppier" & catchier than Camden Garden. Explore as I might & be inspired by different genres as I might be, rock is really rooted deep in my soul. When I write songs, they simply go in the direction of progressive/alternative rock, and I'm not sure I'll ever do much sustained work (original, anyway) in another style of music. Hopefully, though, the influences of these other styles are in there and will shine through in their own way.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
You Went WHERE????
Wisconsin. It was Sharon's & my first night away from Lucy; a belated anniversary celebration. We wanted a spot within an hour or two, and a way to enjoy fall colors,. We ended up deciding to head to Hudson, Wisconsin (right across the St. Croix River, about 40 minutes from home), and had ourselves a nice little time. Hudson was a quaint little river town, but (like all quaint communities within arm's reach of Twin Cities commuters) is struggling with the influx of new disgusting subdivisions and expansive, culturally-bankrupt homes. The heart of the city, though, includes a beautiful riverfront and business district, where we stopped first.
We had sandwiches & coffee at a coffee shop. Coffee shops are a part of most of our visits to a new town. The vibe in such places is pretty consistent throughout the places we travel, and this was no different. There was a display of "protest art" painted by Hudson High Schoolers. Some were quite good, and some were quite funny. There was one that reminded me of 3rd prize in the Springfield Art Competition in the "Marge Painting" Simpson's episode; the one where there was a smokestack sending pollution into the air & a unicorn with tears in its eyes and a thought balloon with the word, "Why?" It had two guys shaking hands to conclude the purchase of an SUV with a starving African child superimposed in parking lot next to them. Again-kind of funny in it's insubtledy. Anyway, nice lunch.
Next we headed off for the main activity of the day, which was a fall color bike tour, doing a loop that took us off into the country-amazing rolling hills of the "driftless region" there-down pretty much to River Falls and back on byways and country roads. Wonderful day of biking. 60-70 degrees & sunny & fall colors were definitely at their peak.
We also had about the best meal at a restaurant that night that I can ever recall. Not much else to say about that.
Rumination: T.V. Land is my addiction on vacation. Cable-less at home, it's a total fixation for me when traveling (though, not something I've been able to indulge much since Lucy's been around). My entire understanding of SportsCenter, for instance, is based on what I've experienced on vacations, but T.V. Land, is where I always end up. Saw an episode of Three's Company Saturday night that involved the cast getting into a misunderstanding of some sort.
We had sandwiches & coffee at a coffee shop. Coffee shops are a part of most of our visits to a new town. The vibe in such places is pretty consistent throughout the places we travel, and this was no different. There was a display of "protest art" painted by Hudson High Schoolers. Some were quite good, and some were quite funny. There was one that reminded me of 3rd prize in the Springfield Art Competition in the "Marge Painting" Simpson's episode; the one where there was a smokestack sending pollution into the air & a unicorn with tears in its eyes and a thought balloon with the word, "Why?" It had two guys shaking hands to conclude the purchase of an SUV with a starving African child superimposed in parking lot next to them. Again-kind of funny in it's insubtledy. Anyway, nice lunch.
Next we headed off for the main activity of the day, which was a fall color bike tour, doing a loop that took us off into the country-amazing rolling hills of the "driftless region" there-down pretty much to River Falls and back on byways and country roads. Wonderful day of biking. 60-70 degrees & sunny & fall colors were definitely at their peak.
We also had about the best meal at a restaurant that night that I can ever recall. Not much else to say about that.
Rumination: T.V. Land is my addiction on vacation. Cable-less at home, it's a total fixation for me when traveling (though, not something I've been able to indulge much since Lucy's been around). My entire understanding of SportsCenter, for instance, is based on what I've experienced on vacations, but T.V. Land, is where I always end up. Saw an episode of Three's Company Saturday night that involved the cast getting into a misunderstanding of some sort.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
The Hunting of the President and Other Modern History
As I was either not born or not yet following the intricacies of certain events from recent history closely at the time, my understanding of what transpired is not very clear. And, since the events occurred in the past couple of generations, history has not yet sorted out the definitive account. In other words, it's almost impossible to find a truly objective source for the facts. A little farther back was that weird episode in which Edward Kennedy supposedly drove drunk into a pond and left his female passenger to die while he went and had drinks at a bar. At least, that's how my mom tells it. Something makes me think it is possible that there are some parts of the story that are not being made evident in that version...
Anyway, another one that is more recent, and perhaps far more relevant to the workings of our country is the whole Kenneth Starr-Bill Clinton thing. At the time, I think my assumption was that he was brought in to investigate the whole Monica Lewinski thing. Later, I realized that he was brought in to replace an investigator who had previously found the Clintons not guilty of any crime in the Whitewater case (which I also did not really understand at all); and that Starr spent $50,000,000 over four years poking around further in Whitewater, not uncovering anything illegal. But then, by chance, he discovered the whole Monica Lewinski thing and he started pursuing it, under the guise of it being perhaps linked to Whitewater. What I understand (based on my "liberal" sources, anyway) is that there was never any evidence that Whitewater & Lewinski were linked in any way, but that Starr (who had, incidentally, contributed to Republican political campaigns in the past and had been offered a post to be the Dean of a Law School owned by a billionare Republican operative-this is what I learned just last night-see below) knew that would be his only opportunity to put Clinton in a position to commit perjury.
Anyway, I have had an interest in reading "The Hunting of the President" by Salon writer Joe Conason (for whom I have a great deal of respect), but opted instead to borrow the documentary from my local library. Crappy documentary! I hope the book is better, but I did feel like the documentary was so spottily sourced, in places, and blatantly sensational, I really found it disheartening. My assumption and belief is that, for the most part, progressives in this country have reality and truth on their side. Sensationalism and spotty sources should be left to political camps that having nothing else to go on.
So-what I'm left with...I can pay attention to facts in the here and now. But what can a man do to get an accurrate version of history, save spending countless hours scanning microfiche of 1996 New York Times articles?
Anyway, another one that is more recent, and perhaps far more relevant to the workings of our country is the whole Kenneth Starr-Bill Clinton thing. At the time, I think my assumption was that he was brought in to investigate the whole Monica Lewinski thing. Later, I realized that he was brought in to replace an investigator who had previously found the Clintons not guilty of any crime in the Whitewater case (which I also did not really understand at all); and that Starr spent $50,000,000 over four years poking around further in Whitewater, not uncovering anything illegal. But then, by chance, he discovered the whole Monica Lewinski thing and he started pursuing it, under the guise of it being perhaps linked to Whitewater. What I understand (based on my "liberal" sources, anyway) is that there was never any evidence that Whitewater & Lewinski were linked in any way, but that Starr (who had, incidentally, contributed to Republican political campaigns in the past and had been offered a post to be the Dean of a Law School owned by a billionare Republican operative-this is what I learned just last night-see below) knew that would be his only opportunity to put Clinton in a position to commit perjury.
Anyway, I have had an interest in reading "The Hunting of the President" by Salon writer Joe Conason (for whom I have a great deal of respect), but opted instead to borrow the documentary from my local library. Crappy documentary! I hope the book is better, but I did feel like the documentary was so spottily sourced, in places, and blatantly sensational, I really found it disheartening. My assumption and belief is that, for the most part, progressives in this country have reality and truth on their side. Sensationalism and spotty sources should be left to political camps that having nothing else to go on.
So-what I'm left with...I can pay attention to facts in the here and now. But what can a man do to get an accurrate version of history, save spending countless hours scanning microfiche of 1996 New York Times articles?
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Thumbsucker, The Continuing Cultural Elitification, and Uptown Overrated???
We had a long-overdue and much needed opportunity to have a few hours away from Lucy Saturday night. Grandpa Ken came over and Sharon & I headed off to catch a movie at the Uptown Theater. While the main draw to that area are the films you can't see anywhere else in town, there's also this other sort of cultural draw there. Or at least, there has been. I think it's some combination of memories I have of the area (I was there a lot more often in my early 20s) and some sort of expectation I have in leaving my neighborhood (& neighbors) behind for awhile and being in an area where I have some vague notion of feeling more at home. The reality is that every time we go down there, we are reminded of the tension between the Uptown purists, and the various weekenders, interlopers, and posers that outnumber them greatly and are drawn more by the idea that "something's happening" than anything else. The fact that a Famous Dave's now anchors Calhoun Village tells you everything you need to know.
And when we do go down there, we have always had this idea that there's going to be eateries suitable for us on every corner and in between. But it's just not the case. Most of the restaurants now are (like F.D.'s) chain crap, or else way too trendy and "chic" (& expensive) for our tastes. So, like this last weekend, we got there about 45 minutes before the show and then wandered around not finding anything that would be modest enough, quick enough, or tasty. Finally, with 20 minutes to go, we swung into a Panera's. Sharon got a half portabello to go and I got a PB&J with milk. It took them an unbelievable amount of time to make the order, and then we ended up chowing down everything, en-route to the theater, with about a minute to go before the movie started. As I gazed about at the various groups of frat kids, divas, and 20-something socialites on the way, it struck me as suddenly quite hilarious how (in this place where I was presumably "at home") how out of place I really was in my wind-pants and tee shirt, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 7 pm at the corner of Lake & Hennepin. But I guess that kind of diversity is what Uptown is historically all about, right? Anyway, next time we eat somewhere else in town then drive straight to the theater.
Anyway, we saw the movie "Thumbsucker," about a boy who is 17 years old and has an issue of sucking his thumb. While the movie definitely has a comedic tone to it, it was faced with the challenge of not letting the premise send it into the realm of ridiculous. It was a character film and you had to get engaged with the people in it; not dismiss them. It took me awhile to warm up to what was happening, but I ended up thinking it was really, really good. Some great performances and characters. Keanu Reaves & Vince Vaughan actually found their way into this little indie film (neither in particularly big roles); probably good career & personal moves for both of them.
And when we do go down there, we have always had this idea that there's going to be eateries suitable for us on every corner and in between. But it's just not the case. Most of the restaurants now are (like F.D.'s) chain crap, or else way too trendy and "chic" (& expensive) for our tastes. So, like this last weekend, we got there about 45 minutes before the show and then wandered around not finding anything that would be modest enough, quick enough, or tasty. Finally, with 20 minutes to go, we swung into a Panera's. Sharon got a half portabello to go and I got a PB&J with milk. It took them an unbelievable amount of time to make the order, and then we ended up chowing down everything, en-route to the theater, with about a minute to go before the movie started. As I gazed about at the various groups of frat kids, divas, and 20-something socialites on the way, it struck me as suddenly quite hilarious how (in this place where I was presumably "at home") how out of place I really was in my wind-pants and tee shirt, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at 7 pm at the corner of Lake & Hennepin. But I guess that kind of diversity is what Uptown is historically all about, right? Anyway, next time we eat somewhere else in town then drive straight to the theater.
Anyway, we saw the movie "Thumbsucker," about a boy who is 17 years old and has an issue of sucking his thumb. While the movie definitely has a comedic tone to it, it was faced with the challenge of not letting the premise send it into the realm of ridiculous. It was a character film and you had to get engaged with the people in it; not dismiss them. It took me awhile to warm up to what was happening, but I ended up thinking it was really, really good. Some great performances and characters. Keanu Reaves & Vince Vaughan actually found their way into this little indie film (neither in particularly big roles); probably good career & personal moves for both of them.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Zephyr Update
As I look back over my general thoughts on moving in the past few months, I think I can see that the desire I feel to make a change from my current living situation has made any given option, at any given time, seem particularly appealing; and has, to a great extent, led to my wavering and indecisiveness. Every time I think of those pockets Minneapolis in which we could be happy (Linden Hills, Bryn Mawr-provided we could ever actually afford houses in those areas), or those elements about living in the city that I like (progressiveness, diversity, arts, abundance of coffee shops, etc.), the pendulum has always swung back in the direction of staying in Minneapolis. But what I'm really trying to internalize is that it's not like it's a choice between black and white/good and bad. The reality is that we could be happy in any one of a number of different directions we choose to take our lives-so theoretically, our choice is between good or better. Another way to look at it is that we're giving up things, either way we go. The issue really becomes about quality of life. So what are those qualities which most make up my quality of life?
In many ways-the way in which the connectedness to nature and the community in which we would live-Zephyr would be very conducive to the type of self-exploration, indulgement in personal pursuits (reading, writing, music) of which I am fond. I certainly indulge in them now-but I always feel that there is a tension between my attempts to gain a peaceful state of mind and the constant buzz & hectic nature of living in the city. Certainly, there are some places better than others here in Minneapolis, and perhaps I'm not in the best spot I could be now. But people and density is pretty much a constant. Great park system notwithstanding, you gotta really travel to get out of the city.
Health-a more recent, but rapidly ascending priority. I visit I just had (20 minutes ago) with my doctor more or less affirmed my suspicion that it is the smog and the particulates in the city air that has been slowly eroding my respiratory system over the past 12 years-especially considering my tendency to embark upon distance runs from time to time. The prospect of Lucy growing up as an athsmatic child makes an unbelievable case for moving out of the city. There may be a time in the future "whole cost" issues carry more weight in our political world, consumption & waste subside a bit, and where the true welfare of individuals takes precedence over the ability of companies to make profit, but until then our big cities are just killing us. Literally.
Living in my current house/current neighborhood is not an option. I've been saying that for awhile and-interesting-I've always been sort of a karmic person. Not sure I could articulate what the "rules" are in this worldview of mine, but it's kind of an "I know it when I see it," and I've felt like this whole last month & a half, with the storm damage and the family-wide sicknesses is that we are just living in a house that is, and will continue to be, bad karma until we leave it. So, the reality of staying in the cities: we move to a better house/neighborhood. This will either require Sharon to work full time, or me to get a raise and continue to climb the corporate ladder at Big Buy. And, honestly, I'd like to think the latter is not an option. At least, in the long-term. But there's simply no means by which I could currently make a lateral move and be paid in the realm where I currently am. Yet our expenses continue to rise, year by year. The move to Zephyr could be considered risky, though when I consider investing in a house that costs $220,000 or some insane amount like that (a little below the median in the Twin Cities)-I think the idea of Sharon & I having to maintain a combination of jobs that allow us to make payments on that mortgage to be a pretty damned risky one.
Back to karma. As I've said, the older I get, the more obvious it is that "crowds of my sort are smaller, and more scattered." I go from a neighborhood where I don't fit in, to a job where I don't fit in, to a number of public places where I don't fit in. Outside the walls of my house and a couple of neighborhood pockets (coffee shop, theater), I don't find very much fellowship. And THAT is killing me, to a point. Zephyr is my crowd. And, to a lesser extent, so is Winona (a 20,000 town with a co-op). The fact that I've talked about living in the country for years and that this opportunity is there. How perfect & idyllic the land, there. The fact that, among the 17 adults currently there, three are returned Peace Corps Volunteers (like Sharon). The fact that Sharon has actually talked about a desire to work on an organic farm, and there is one at Zephyr. Cory said it well: "It sounds like the Shire." I say it's like the Shire mixed with Rivendell. Good lord, if God has given me the last month to punish Sharon & me for being saps (as I have suggested), then surely he is placing this feast before us and pushing our chairs up to the table while whispering "eat...eat..."
In many ways-the way in which the connectedness to nature and the community in which we would live-Zephyr would be very conducive to the type of self-exploration, indulgement in personal pursuits (reading, writing, music) of which I am fond. I certainly indulge in them now-but I always feel that there is a tension between my attempts to gain a peaceful state of mind and the constant buzz & hectic nature of living in the city. Certainly, there are some places better than others here in Minneapolis, and perhaps I'm not in the best spot I could be now. But people and density is pretty much a constant. Great park system notwithstanding, you gotta really travel to get out of the city.
Health-a more recent, but rapidly ascending priority. I visit I just had (20 minutes ago) with my doctor more or less affirmed my suspicion that it is the smog and the particulates in the city air that has been slowly eroding my respiratory system over the past 12 years-especially considering my tendency to embark upon distance runs from time to time. The prospect of Lucy growing up as an athsmatic child makes an unbelievable case for moving out of the city. There may be a time in the future "whole cost" issues carry more weight in our political world, consumption & waste subside a bit, and where the true welfare of individuals takes precedence over the ability of companies to make profit, but until then our big cities are just killing us. Literally.
Living in my current house/current neighborhood is not an option. I've been saying that for awhile and-interesting-I've always been sort of a karmic person. Not sure I could articulate what the "rules" are in this worldview of mine, but it's kind of an "I know it when I see it," and I've felt like this whole last month & a half, with the storm damage and the family-wide sicknesses is that we are just living in a house that is, and will continue to be, bad karma until we leave it. So, the reality of staying in the cities: we move to a better house/neighborhood. This will either require Sharon to work full time, or me to get a raise and continue to climb the corporate ladder at Big Buy. And, honestly, I'd like to think the latter is not an option. At least, in the long-term. But there's simply no means by which I could currently make a lateral move and be paid in the realm where I currently am. Yet our expenses continue to rise, year by year. The move to Zephyr could be considered risky, though when I consider investing in a house that costs $220,000 or some insane amount like that (a little below the median in the Twin Cities)-I think the idea of Sharon & I having to maintain a combination of jobs that allow us to make payments on that mortgage to be a pretty damned risky one.
Back to karma. As I've said, the older I get, the more obvious it is that "crowds of my sort are smaller, and more scattered." I go from a neighborhood where I don't fit in, to a job where I don't fit in, to a number of public places where I don't fit in. Outside the walls of my house and a couple of neighborhood pockets (coffee shop, theater), I don't find very much fellowship. And THAT is killing me, to a point. Zephyr is my crowd. And, to a lesser extent, so is Winona (a 20,000 town with a co-op). The fact that I've talked about living in the country for years and that this opportunity is there. How perfect & idyllic the land, there. The fact that, among the 17 adults currently there, three are returned Peace Corps Volunteers (like Sharon). The fact that Sharon has actually talked about a desire to work on an organic farm, and there is one at Zephyr. Cory said it well: "It sounds like the Shire." I say it's like the Shire mixed with Rivendell. Good lord, if God has given me the last month to punish Sharon & me for being saps (as I have suggested), then surely he is placing this feast before us and pushing our chairs up to the table while whispering "eat...eat..."
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Goodbye September, I Hardly Knew Thee
Well, my first September not as a college student in a few years is just about gone-just like a blur. Having been sick since about the first day in and without power for the last week and a half, I've not really been in a position to enjoy it. I did manage to make my way all the way through a book on explorers of the Mississippi (one that I'd checked out for my Pike deal).
Some very, very interesting stuff. Some takeaways in brief: as we suspected, the Spanish were genocidal assholes, and the French were by far the best in terms of their relations with the Indians. Father Louis Hennepin was a fraud and a blowhard, and if anyone ever has the opportunity to read an account (a real one-give Wikipedia a rest) of an Italian by the name of Beltrami (for whom a Red River county is named), do so. He is a funny, crazy, man-out-of-time.
Anyway-today was the first day with power, and I finally had the opportunity to get my car out from the garage and make a trip into my clinic. Bronchitis AND sinus infection. Good Lord! I feel like Theoden when he's getting started down by 10,000 Uruk-Hai and THEN it starts to rain. I'm on antibiotics, so I should see a turnaround soon, but good golly what a sucky fall this has been so far.
On a side note, Lucy knows I get canker sores sometimes, so when she knew I was hurting from my sinuses, it was only natural for her to ask if I had-Sinusaurs! (sinus sores) Based on my reaction, she was saying "sinusaurs" for the rest of the day, trying to get people to laugh.
Some very, very interesting stuff. Some takeaways in brief: as we suspected, the Spanish were genocidal assholes, and the French were by far the best in terms of their relations with the Indians. Father Louis Hennepin was a fraud and a blowhard, and if anyone ever has the opportunity to read an account (a real one-give Wikipedia a rest) of an Italian by the name of Beltrami (for whom a Red River county is named), do so. He is a funny, crazy, man-out-of-time.
Anyway-today was the first day with power, and I finally had the opportunity to get my car out from the garage and make a trip into my clinic. Bronchitis AND sinus infection. Good Lord! I feel like Theoden when he's getting started down by 10,000 Uruk-Hai and THEN it starts to rain. I'm on antibiotics, so I should see a turnaround soon, but good golly what a sucky fall this has been so far.
On a side note, Lucy knows I get canker sores sometimes, so when she knew I was hurting from my sinuses, it was only natural for her to ask if I had-Sinusaurs! (sinus sores) Based on my reaction, she was saying "sinusaurs" for the rest of the day, trying to get people to laugh.
In the Midst of Tragedy, New Life
Albeit my own, minor, personal "tragedy" of the past week. Just wanted to mention something about Riley Connell Gallagher.
For those that don't know the saga of Shawn & Helen, they have (for a multitude of reasons) been unable to conceive. Through years (and possibly tens of thousands of dollars), these two potentially amazing parents have had to suffer the ordeals of surgeries, efforts at invetro-fertilization, and seemingly countless other failed procedures before finally electing to go the adoption route. The ordeal was cruelly ironic in that Helen's career is based upon counseling unfit mothers, but Helen & her admirable devotion to her various callings could easily be a topic for another post.
Anyway, in the first break they have gotten in the whole ordeal (and a major break it was), a child became available to them almost immediately. I never realized that the whole adoption wait wasn't a list so much as having an expectant mother choose the prospective parents. But so it is; and, though her sister, Helen got hooked up with this 7-8 month pregnant woman. Not much time to get ready, but many details were worked out and Shawn & Helen headed out to nowhere else but Terre Haute (get that baby outta there!!!) to be present for the birth and work out final details.
The birth was about a week ago, so of course it's been really tough for us to make much contact; though Sharon had a really good talk with Helen last night. They've been staying alternately with Helen's sister who lives there (in a small house with six kids), and out of a suitcase in a hotel. Not exactly the post-3 or 4 bridal showers-, getting the nursery ready for 9 months-situation that many of our peers have the advantage of; but then again, Helen isn't having to care for a newborn after having just lost 800 ml of blood and having not slept for 40 hours.
Anyway, when they make it back to the Twin Cities, there will be a major shopping spree in the Hylton attic and Lucy will have an exciting meeting with her newest "cousin." We are so happy for the Gallaghers we could just about backflip.
For those that don't know the saga of Shawn & Helen, they have (for a multitude of reasons) been unable to conceive. Through years (and possibly tens of thousands of dollars), these two potentially amazing parents have had to suffer the ordeals of surgeries, efforts at invetro-fertilization, and seemingly countless other failed procedures before finally electing to go the adoption route. The ordeal was cruelly ironic in that Helen's career is based upon counseling unfit mothers, but Helen & her admirable devotion to her various callings could easily be a topic for another post.
Anyway, in the first break they have gotten in the whole ordeal (and a major break it was), a child became available to them almost immediately. I never realized that the whole adoption wait wasn't a list so much as having an expectant mother choose the prospective parents. But so it is; and, though her sister, Helen got hooked up with this 7-8 month pregnant woman. Not much time to get ready, but many details were worked out and Shawn & Helen headed out to nowhere else but Terre Haute (get that baby outta there!!!) to be present for the birth and work out final details.
The birth was about a week ago, so of course it's been really tough for us to make much contact; though Sharon had a really good talk with Helen last night. They've been staying alternately with Helen's sister who lives there (in a small house with six kids), and out of a suitcase in a hotel. Not exactly the post-3 or 4 bridal showers-, getting the nursery ready for 9 months-situation that many of our peers have the advantage of; but then again, Helen isn't having to care for a newborn after having just lost 800 ml of blood and having not slept for 40 hours.
Anyway, when they make it back to the Twin Cities, there will be a major shopping spree in the Hylton attic and Lucy will have an exciting meeting with her newest "cousin." We are so happy for the Gallaghers we could just about backflip.
Day 8
Without electricy. Quite a challenge for a blogger and recording artist with 3 email accounts and a tendency to stay up till after midnight.
We've been hanging in there, but I'd like to cock-punch about 50 people at Xcel Energy, from the original guy that told us last Friday there was no damage to our incoming lines (thus preventing us from getting it repaired before the crew made it out on the "final" day of their repairs), to the people responsible for putting North Minneapolis at the end of the list of repairs (and, for media and P.R. purposes, on no list whatsoever), to the phone reps that told us we'd have a crew out yesterday.
We've been hanging in there, but I'd like to cock-punch about 50 people at Xcel Energy, from the original guy that told us last Friday there was no damage to our incoming lines (thus preventing us from getting it repaired before the crew made it out on the "final" day of their repairs), to the people responsible for putting North Minneapolis at the end of the list of repairs (and, for media and P.R. purposes, on no list whatsoever), to the phone reps that told us we'd have a crew out yesterday.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
The Dangers of Being Technology "Early Adopters"
Well, we're in the midst of the "I-Pod" craze. I thought I'd get a step ahead of everyone else and get a "Bi-Pod." Things were going great until it raised itself up on its skinny legs and ran off.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Ethical Zingers and Brain Stingers Vol. 1
I'm trying to answer these specifically for myself-and I can't, totally. But feel free to broaden out the philosophy in any responses.
1. Why do I not attend an exclusive John Mellencamp performance being staged for my company's corporate employees right outside the window of my office? Why was there never a doubt in my mind that I would not go? And I even kind of like John Mellencamp. I sort of am on the cusp of the answer to this one, but I'm not sure I could articulate it very well.
2. Why would embezzeling funds or ripping off a cash drawer (even for a paltry amount, like 50 cents) seem wrong, wrong, wrong, yet taking silverware home from the cafeteria or extra office paper is totally fine? This is actually the much tougher one to answer.
1. Why do I not attend an exclusive John Mellencamp performance being staged for my company's corporate employees right outside the window of my office? Why was there never a doubt in my mind that I would not go? And I even kind of like John Mellencamp. I sort of am on the cusp of the answer to this one, but I'm not sure I could articulate it very well.
2. Why would embezzeling funds or ripping off a cash drawer (even for a paltry amount, like 50 cents) seem wrong, wrong, wrong, yet taking silverware home from the cafeteria or extra office paper is totally fine? This is actually the much tougher one to answer.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Mississippi Heritage Festival: The Much-Awaited Follow UP Post
It was pretty cool-if sitting on haybales and watching re-enactors tell tales about the Mississippi River's History is cool. With the Hylton household being pretty much out of action last week, it was really difficult for me to spend time working on my riff. So difficult, in fact, that I never had the chance to do a successful runthrough for timing (supposed to be right around 15 minutes) prior to coming on. But it worked about as well as I could have hoped. The Native American speaker finished and I emerged from the trees by the riverbank (wearing my period costume I was borrowing from Historic Murphy's Landing).
The set was similarly cool-we had a firepit going and a haybale backdrop throughout the succession of storytellers, which went from dusk to dark. For the most part, I made Zebulon Pike out to be a nincompoop, and it raised an ethical question with me. Most characters in history can be viewed in many different ways, depending upon your interpretation of events. Even among the histories I read, there were those who thought he was an ass, and an incompetent one at that; and those who thought he was a great explorer. I personally believe he had almost superhuman endurance, was a great and loyal soldier, a good spy, a questionable explorer (if you could consider him an explorer at all), and an ass. I played up the questionable explorer and ass parts, as they made good theater, but it did get me wondering:
who was I to paint the audience's view of the man based upon my interpretation (or worse, based upon what I thought would help the performance)?
A question better left, perhaps, to the next generation of historians.
The set was similarly cool-we had a firepit going and a haybale backdrop throughout the succession of storytellers, which went from dusk to dark. For the most part, I made Zebulon Pike out to be a nincompoop, and it raised an ethical question with me. Most characters in history can be viewed in many different ways, depending upon your interpretation of events. Even among the histories I read, there were those who thought he was an ass, and an incompetent one at that; and those who thought he was a great explorer. I personally believe he had almost superhuman endurance, was a great and loyal soldier, a good spy, a questionable explorer (if you could consider him an explorer at all), and an ass. I played up the questionable explorer and ass parts, as they made good theater, but it did get me wondering:
who was I to paint the audience's view of the man based upon my interpretation (or worse, based upon what I thought would help the performance)?
A question better left, perhaps, to the next generation of historians.
Friday, September 16, 2005
The Most Challenging Role of My Career?
Tomorrow, I will be performing for the second time since my re-entry into the field of acting. Camden Civic Theatre was brought in by Three Rivers Park District and Lind-Bohanon neighborhood to have storytellers portray historical Mississippi River figures during a Heritage Festival tomorrow:
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/heritagedays.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/HeritageStorytelling.doc
I will be assuming the role of Zebulon Montgomery Pike. I will emerge from the trees and speak to an audience (hopefully) gathered around a fire about my exploits in securing the land upon which now stands Fort Snelling (where I "negotiated" with Native Americans that had no concept of land ownership) and my attempt to determine the source of the river (which I incorrectly identified as Leech Lake).
The performances will be aired on community television, I think...
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/heritagedays.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/HeritageStorytelling.doc
I will be assuming the role of Zebulon Montgomery Pike. I will emerge from the trees and speak to an audience (hopefully) gathered around a fire about my exploits in securing the land upon which now stands Fort Snelling (where I "negotiated" with Native Americans that had no concept of land ownership) and my attempt to determine the source of the river (which I incorrectly identified as Leech Lake).
The performances will be aired on community television, I think...
Just Dyin Over Here
Everyone in our house is sick. While Sharon & I were trying to get a little sleep last night, Lucy was waking up in tears, complaints, and/or screams every 10-15 minutes. Sharon & I deemed it the most difficult night since Lucy's birth.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Laying the political establishment bare
This started out as a comment sort of in response to T-Clog on my most recent post, but got so long and off the original track that I feel it warrants its own post.
I may have sent out confusing messages in the past concerning my political leanings. Having voted nearly straight Green Party in 2000, I have come back to the fold of the Democrats, based largely on a couple conclusions I have made:
1. Seeing the damage that a spoiler can play (e.g. Nader in 2000). Understand, if we move to an instant runoff election system, I'm probably back in there voting Green and other "third party" or independent candidates very often in the first round. THAT should be what Nader should be pushing for-the fact that he is focusing more efforts at being on the actual ticket, rather than reforming the election process itself has got me thinking he most be either certifiably insane, or simply not the same man he used to be.
2. A recent philisophical realization (based on a position taken by a reformist Priest, Matthew Fox, that you can affect change on an organization more effectively from within, rather than if you quit). And I think it is a very, very powerful idea. Kind of what I was saying recently to T-Clog concerning his religion. It may well be that his calling is to be a credit to his religion-to challenge, where necessary, and reform. Stuff he would not be able to do as effectively if he renounced it over things he found irreconcilable with his personal beliefs.
Anyway, in response to comments in my last post (and this is also directed to Independent Aaron) I will absolutely agree that any political party is prone to corruption and human failings to which any organization is prone when it gets large and/or powerful enough. I think there was a lot of less-than-desirable crap going on in the Democratic party when they were the dominant party in Congress in the early 90s.
That said, I don't buy the "both parties are the same" thing purported by many independents and the Green Party folks. A quote from a "conservative" website going after liberalism in public education pretty such sums up the stance of the Republican party at large these days:
"...(sustainability) assumes we're burning too much fossil fuel, we're not eating healthy foods, we're not respecting workers' rights, we're wasteful, and we're spoiling the environment. Those are serious and controversial charges against our culture."
Anyone who considers those charges controversial is either in denial or a total bastard or both. And that is the reality of the Republican party in 2005. It is the party of instant gratification, judgment of others, and selfishness. Whether or not you always like the cast of characters and machinations of the establishment, the DFL is the party of the little guy and of freedom. I honestly don't see how a thinking man cannot see this.
I may have sent out confusing messages in the past concerning my political leanings. Having voted nearly straight Green Party in 2000, I have come back to the fold of the Democrats, based largely on a couple conclusions I have made:
1. Seeing the damage that a spoiler can play (e.g. Nader in 2000). Understand, if we move to an instant runoff election system, I'm probably back in there voting Green and other "third party" or independent candidates very often in the first round. THAT should be what Nader should be pushing for-the fact that he is focusing more efforts at being on the actual ticket, rather than reforming the election process itself has got me thinking he most be either certifiably insane, or simply not the same man he used to be.
2. A recent philisophical realization (based on a position taken by a reformist Priest, Matthew Fox, that you can affect change on an organization more effectively from within, rather than if you quit). And I think it is a very, very powerful idea. Kind of what I was saying recently to T-Clog concerning his religion. It may well be that his calling is to be a credit to his religion-to challenge, where necessary, and reform. Stuff he would not be able to do as effectively if he renounced it over things he found irreconcilable with his personal beliefs.
Anyway, in response to comments in my last post (and this is also directed to Independent Aaron) I will absolutely agree that any political party is prone to corruption and human failings to which any organization is prone when it gets large and/or powerful enough. I think there was a lot of less-than-desirable crap going on in the Democratic party when they were the dominant party in Congress in the early 90s.
That said, I don't buy the "both parties are the same" thing purported by many independents and the Green Party folks. A quote from a "conservative" website going after liberalism in public education pretty such sums up the stance of the Republican party at large these days:
"...(sustainability) assumes we're burning too much fossil fuel, we're not eating healthy foods, we're not respecting workers' rights, we're wasteful, and we're spoiling the environment. Those are serious and controversial charges against our culture."
Anyone who considers those charges controversial is either in denial or a total bastard or both. And that is the reality of the Republican party in 2005. It is the party of instant gratification, judgment of others, and selfishness. Whether or not you always like the cast of characters and machinations of the establishment, the DFL is the party of the little guy and of freedom. I honestly don't see how a thinking man cannot see this.
Fool me once....(way to go, residents of St. Paul!)
For anyone who care about Twin Cities politics, or believes that the ways certain political scenarios play out are universal...
From today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly could be in for the fight of his political life after receiving barely half as many votes as former City Council Member Chris Coleman in Tuesday's primary.
Coleman outdistanced Kelly by 52 percent to 27 percent, with Kelly coming perilously close to dropping behind Green Party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson, who received 19 percent.
A little background. Gladhanding, creepy, Bush-lapdog US Senator Norm Coleman was once the Mayor of St. Paul. After being elected on the DFL ticket, however, he switched parties-something that is considered a bit of a betrayal when 87% of your city's precincts vote Democrat. People in St. Paul still feel burned and pissed, so last fall when out of the blue, current "Democrat" mayor Randy Kelly endorsed George Bush for President, his constituency was up-in-arms. What seemed to him to be the perfect opportunistic move, to follow the move of his successful predecessor footsteps, ended up being political suicide, apparently. Lovely to watch him go down in flames. While I still don't fancy spending a lot of time in St. Paul, I certainly am on more amicable terms with Minneapolis' sister city these days. We urbanites need to stick together in these times.
On the Minneapolis side of things-our Mayor Rybak has been in a bit of a fight in the DFL primary. Things have been tough the last few years, but I honestly think that he's been in about as much of a no-win situation as the city has seen for the last 25 years or so. On top of the recession, our city incurred millions of dollars in Lcoal Government Aid-part of the all-out suburbanite Republican assault on core cities, that is only now beginning to be restored a bit. Not a career politician (one of his most attractive qualities), Rybak is also amazingly socially progressive, accessible to the people (as far as I know), and has made some tough decisions, fiscally, that have lost him a lot of supporters, but gained a measure of my respect. He's been in a primary fight against a guy, Peter McLaughlan, who is firey and pushes all the right buttons a lot like Howard Dean, but who has been attacking Rybak relentlessly sometimes without substance-more like a Karl Rove-orchestrated campaign. Rybak (for whom I just voted yesterday) ended up winning the primary by about 10%-and here's a funny quote by him:
"The sitting mayor is thrilled to have won by a decisive margin after an unprecedented wave of negative attacks, and I'd sure rather be up by 10 percent. Delmonico (a Police Federation president hired by McLaughlan to attack Rybak in radio ads) and his swift boat full of special interest attack dogs has sunk."
From today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly could be in for the fight of his political life after receiving barely half as many votes as former City Council Member Chris Coleman in Tuesday's primary.
Coleman outdistanced Kelly by 52 percent to 27 percent, with Kelly coming perilously close to dropping behind Green Party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson, who received 19 percent.
A little background. Gladhanding, creepy, Bush-lapdog US Senator Norm Coleman was once the Mayor of St. Paul. After being elected on the DFL ticket, however, he switched parties-something that is considered a bit of a betrayal when 87% of your city's precincts vote Democrat. People in St. Paul still feel burned and pissed, so last fall when out of the blue, current "Democrat" mayor Randy Kelly endorsed George Bush for President, his constituency was up-in-arms. What seemed to him to be the perfect opportunistic move, to follow the move of his successful predecessor footsteps, ended up being political suicide, apparently. Lovely to watch him go down in flames. While I still don't fancy spending a lot of time in St. Paul, I certainly am on more amicable terms with Minneapolis' sister city these days. We urbanites need to stick together in these times.
On the Minneapolis side of things-our Mayor Rybak has been in a bit of a fight in the DFL primary. Things have been tough the last few years, but I honestly think that he's been in about as much of a no-win situation as the city has seen for the last 25 years or so. On top of the recession, our city incurred millions of dollars in Lcoal Government Aid-part of the all-out suburbanite Republican assault on core cities, that is only now beginning to be restored a bit. Not a career politician (one of his most attractive qualities), Rybak is also amazingly socially progressive, accessible to the people (as far as I know), and has made some tough decisions, fiscally, that have lost him a lot of supporters, but gained a measure of my respect. He's been in a primary fight against a guy, Peter McLaughlan, who is firey and pushes all the right buttons a lot like Howard Dean, but who has been attacking Rybak relentlessly sometimes without substance-more like a Karl Rove-orchestrated campaign. Rybak (for whom I just voted yesterday) ended up winning the primary by about 10%-and here's a funny quote by him:
"The sitting mayor is thrilled to have won by a decisive margin after an unprecedented wave of negative attacks, and I'd sure rather be up by 10 percent. Delmonico (a Police Federation president hired by McLaughlan to attack Rybak in radio ads) and his swift boat full of special interest attack dogs has sunk."
Monday, September 12, 2005
Mouse Pillows and Big Noculars (and other camping observations from a two-year old)
Mouse pillows being marshmallows and big noculars being binoculars, of course.
It was a very enjoyable trip up North. We had a cart-in site pretty much right on the shore of Lake Superior and, after an initial three hour thunderstorm which began moments after our tent was set up (it really wouldn't be a Hylton camping trip without some precipitation at some point), the weather was beautiful.
Outdoor-guru Cliff Jacobson speaks about how it can be difficult to hike with small children or the elderly if you're in the prime of your life. Not so much because of differences in physical abilities, but because people of this blogger's age tend to think of hikes in terms of goals and destinations, whereas young children and the elderly live almost entirely for the moment. And I suspect I am at the far end of that spectrum, in terms of goal-fixation; so overcoming that "tension" (all tension totally within my own brain) is the biggest challenge for me on a trip like this-especially in arguably the most scenic park in the state. There would be no hike to Shovel Point; no hike to The Cascades. Of the park's 26-some odd miles of trail, I would guess we covered about one to one-and-a-half.
We did make it down to the main outlet of the Baptism River into Lake Superior, which was beautiful, and spent a few hours wading around, looking at rocks, and so on. We were also able to park at a trailhead a little farther into the park and make it to the High Falls (the highest waterfall contained entirely within Minnesota). But all-encompassing vistas are not what float Lucy's boat the most. She like rock climbing (as in, climbing individual rocks), finding caterpillars-two of which we were unable to identify even with a field guide, and telling Momma & Daddy where to stop & when to go all the way along the hike. There are moments of frustration & the inability to truly unwind due to having to be constantly vigilant, but the reality is that we're really pretty spoiled about Lucy when it comes to camping. She now understands pretty much everything that goes into setting up camp & making things happen and at least attempts to help with various tasks. And she just plain loves being outside.
A few highlights from the trip:
- Piecing together bits of information she'd been given, Lucy explaining to me that a bear is going to come into our camp and get toothpaste out of the fire pit and put it on their toothbrush.
- My opportunity for an early a.m. hike (before the women got up Sunday morning). In future camping trips, I think I want to begin bringing running shoes. If we're not going to cover a lot of ground as a family for a few years, I'd love to get in a trail run and get some of that energy out of my system. Plus, with my love of trail running, it would be a shame to not take advantage of doing it in some of the neater places we go.
- Saw the Aurora Borealis for only the 2nd time in my life (other time, oddly enough, was at Johnson Street). Not a particularly dazzling display-mostly greenish-white, but a display nevertheless.
- View from Palisade Head (2 miles south of the park-we drove up there on our way back)
- A new type of bread that Sharon introduced. Forget what it's called, but you make it like I guess pioneers used to (except we used powdered milk)-mix the ingredients, then cook it on a stick over the fire. AMAZING. Sure to be a part of nearly every future camping trip in which there is a camp fire.
- Sights of the beautiful mountain ash-a tree that grows in the park with amazingly red berries that contrast beautifully with the grey rocks.
- Going down at dusk-Sharon had already retired with Lucy-to a rocky area down below our camp by the water. Watching the moon come out and begin to shine on the water while the water rolled up all along the shore.
- The time we spent at that Baptism River/Lake Superior confluence.
One other thing about the trip-it got me hungering for a good ol' backpack trip along the Superior hiking trail. Yellow River State Forest is well & good, but it just doesn't compare.
It was a very enjoyable trip up North. We had a cart-in site pretty much right on the shore of Lake Superior and, after an initial three hour thunderstorm which began moments after our tent was set up (it really wouldn't be a Hylton camping trip without some precipitation at some point), the weather was beautiful.
Outdoor-guru Cliff Jacobson speaks about how it can be difficult to hike with small children or the elderly if you're in the prime of your life. Not so much because of differences in physical abilities, but because people of this blogger's age tend to think of hikes in terms of goals and destinations, whereas young children and the elderly live almost entirely for the moment. And I suspect I am at the far end of that spectrum, in terms of goal-fixation; so overcoming that "tension" (all tension totally within my own brain) is the biggest challenge for me on a trip like this-especially in arguably the most scenic park in the state. There would be no hike to Shovel Point; no hike to The Cascades. Of the park's 26-some odd miles of trail, I would guess we covered about one to one-and-a-half.
We did make it down to the main outlet of the Baptism River into Lake Superior, which was beautiful, and spent a few hours wading around, looking at rocks, and so on. We were also able to park at a trailhead a little farther into the park and make it to the High Falls (the highest waterfall contained entirely within Minnesota). But all-encompassing vistas are not what float Lucy's boat the most. She like rock climbing (as in, climbing individual rocks), finding caterpillars-two of which we were unable to identify even with a field guide, and telling Momma & Daddy where to stop & when to go all the way along the hike. There are moments of frustration & the inability to truly unwind due to having to be constantly vigilant, but the reality is that we're really pretty spoiled about Lucy when it comes to camping. She now understands pretty much everything that goes into setting up camp & making things happen and at least attempts to help with various tasks. And she just plain loves being outside.
A few highlights from the trip:
- Piecing together bits of information she'd been given, Lucy explaining to me that a bear is going to come into our camp and get toothpaste out of the fire pit and put it on their toothbrush.
- My opportunity for an early a.m. hike (before the women got up Sunday morning). In future camping trips, I think I want to begin bringing running shoes. If we're not going to cover a lot of ground as a family for a few years, I'd love to get in a trail run and get some of that energy out of my system. Plus, with my love of trail running, it would be a shame to not take advantage of doing it in some of the neater places we go.
- Saw the Aurora Borealis for only the 2nd time in my life (other time, oddly enough, was at Johnson Street). Not a particularly dazzling display-mostly greenish-white, but a display nevertheless.
- View from Palisade Head (2 miles south of the park-we drove up there on our way back)
- A new type of bread that Sharon introduced. Forget what it's called, but you make it like I guess pioneers used to (except we used powdered milk)-mix the ingredients, then cook it on a stick over the fire. AMAZING. Sure to be a part of nearly every future camping trip in which there is a camp fire.
- Sights of the beautiful mountain ash-a tree that grows in the park with amazingly red berries that contrast beautifully with the grey rocks.
- Going down at dusk-Sharon had already retired with Lucy-to a rocky area down below our camp by the water. Watching the moon come out and begin to shine on the water while the water rolled up all along the shore.
- The time we spent at that Baptism River/Lake Superior confluence.
One other thing about the trip-it got me hungering for a good ol' backpack trip along the Superior hiking trail. Yellow River State Forest is well & good, but it just doesn't compare.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
I Gaze Beyond the Rain-Drenched Streets
To the North Shore, Where My Heart Lies...
I'm off-site tomorrow, and then Friday we're heading up to Tettegouche State Park, considered by many to be the scenic crown jewel of the Minnesota State Park system. Right on the rugged, near-mountainous coast of Lake Superior, with wilderness lakes, towering pines, and cascading streams; it was a possible destination for Pat M, Pat G, & Dan the two years ago when we ended up heading down Yellow River State Forest way.
I've been through it, once (during a backpacking trip), but have never camped there. In this particular adventure, we will camp for two days. Actually, although Lucy has camped more times in the past two years than I have, this will be her first trip of over one night. We are very much looking forward to this trip-if weather cooperates, it will be just about the perfect time of the year up there (we reserved the site about four months ago).
I'm off-site tomorrow, and then Friday we're heading up to Tettegouche State Park, considered by many to be the scenic crown jewel of the Minnesota State Park system. Right on the rugged, near-mountainous coast of Lake Superior, with wilderness lakes, towering pines, and cascading streams; it was a possible destination for Pat M, Pat G, & Dan the two years ago when we ended up heading down Yellow River State Forest way.
I've been through it, once (during a backpacking trip), but have never camped there. In this particular adventure, we will camp for two days. Actually, although Lucy has camped more times in the past two years than I have, this will be her first trip of over one night. We are very much looking forward to this trip-if weather cooperates, it will be just about the perfect time of the year up there (we reserved the site about four months ago).
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
I Would be Remiss...(plus, a call for PCF)
...if I didn't make mention of the Hurricane Katrina Aftermath. Echoing Pat's sentiment, I am glued to reports of the tragedy, and the individual personal stories of lives affected. It is mind-blowing, simply mind-blowing; and I thank God for NPR as a source of information.
My personal choices for donation this time around: The Red Cross and the Humane Society.
Also, a personal grief I feel compelled to bring into the light...I think I made a post on this sometime shortly following last Nov.'s election, but could not locate it in a quick check of the archives. So many people of such wonderful character and generous spirit donated far more money than they ever could have imagined in an attempt to remove George W. Bush from office. Then followed a bit of cruel irony that would be tough to top even in imagination. Those individuals, with depleted charity pockets, were then neeeded more than ever to contribute to various organizations attempting to fend off assaults by the president on all they hold dear: environment, the poor, worker rights, etc. But the issue is certainly not limited to one from a liberal perspective. From both sides of the political aisle, consider how much money is spent (new records with each election) in an attempt to outspend the other side, trying to buy the election in an an act of almost purest non-democracy, and largely with these large sums of money mostly canceling each other out. Imagine if the $500-some-odd million contributed to the presidential election alone could instead be used to fund tsunami or hurricane relief efforts (not to mention aid to Africa, school funding, etc. etc. etc.). Seems win-win (in terms of money better spent AND cleaning up the election process a bit); but of course a very few people with far too much money would stand to lose a bit of their influence on the process; and that in itself is the cause of the majority of our problems these days.
My personal choices for donation this time around: The Red Cross and the Humane Society.
Also, a personal grief I feel compelled to bring into the light...I think I made a post on this sometime shortly following last Nov.'s election, but could not locate it in a quick check of the archives. So many people of such wonderful character and generous spirit donated far more money than they ever could have imagined in an attempt to remove George W. Bush from office. Then followed a bit of cruel irony that would be tough to top even in imagination. Those individuals, with depleted charity pockets, were then neeeded more than ever to contribute to various organizations attempting to fend off assaults by the president on all they hold dear: environment, the poor, worker rights, etc. But the issue is certainly not limited to one from a liberal perspective. From both sides of the political aisle, consider how much money is spent (new records with each election) in an attempt to outspend the other side, trying to buy the election in an an act of almost purest non-democracy, and largely with these large sums of money mostly canceling each other out. Imagine if the $500-some-odd million contributed to the presidential election alone could instead be used to fund tsunami or hurricane relief efforts (not to mention aid to Africa, school funding, etc. etc. etc.). Seems win-win (in terms of money better spent AND cleaning up the election process a bit); but of course a very few people with far too much money would stand to lose a bit of their influence on the process; and that in itself is the cause of the majority of our problems these days.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Daniel in the Lion's Den
So, in the earliest days of this journal, I said one of my goals was to use it as a forum to discuss controversial and weighty topics-and there is one which, at this time, is weighing down on us like a Packer Tailgate Party on Jupiter.
It gets bandied about & touched on from time to time-including currently in a flurry of comments to Mixdorf's last post, but never truly resolved; and it is this: Cory, it must seem at times like we're out to get you on this whole religious thing.
Every time you offer up something from your Christian perspective, it must seem like we have a cynical, angry, or snide response. I think where the whole thing originates is that you have definitely been going down a road, religion-wise, that has taken you far, far from where you were a number of years back. I'm not saying you didn't have similar beliefs then, but it's the regular day-to-day influence of your church & religion on you that puts a lot of things in a slightly to very different context.
Your response to much of what you encounter & experience has become a religious one, which is very different than the humanistic response of PMix & me. We have been going down a different road these last few years and, from our perspective, much of the trouble in the world; from terrorism to domestic intolerance to people voting in elections against their best interests (which results in worldwide harm on a scale it is tough to comprehend) is as a direct result of people's religious beliefs. Not religion itself, mind you: it's similar to the "guns don't hurt people but people do" argument. It's the failings of people (accidental and otherwise) in interpretation of texts and teachings that causes the problems. In addition, the practice of attributing complex or difficult things to the supernatural dimininishes our society's ability and willingness to find human solutions to our problems.
The final puzzle piece of Mixdorf's & my concern over seeing a friend become ever more deeply involved with (it seems) evangelical activities is the witness we bore to the effect it had on my brother (now known as "The Fall of Kick Ass)." He was always a square, but it turned him into a square stick in the mud.
Please understand that I have known a few people (and known of a lot more) that are true credits to the Christian faith. And I do believe that more positive change can occur within the church than from without. But we need warriors for this battle, good and true. I simply ask you to proceed through sermons and Bible studies and other such experiences with a questioning, logical, and ecological heart. You will encounter many, many people in that journey who will (though they say otherwise) act like they have the answers. They don't. Truly ask "What Would Jesus Do?" And not the flaxen-haired abstinence-rally-attending Jesus, the real one. We love you, and we just want to make sure that, as we continue down our road of intellectual curiosity & exploration, we don't lose our traveling partner.
It gets bandied about & touched on from time to time-including currently in a flurry of comments to Mixdorf's last post, but never truly resolved; and it is this: Cory, it must seem at times like we're out to get you on this whole religious thing.
Every time you offer up something from your Christian perspective, it must seem like we have a cynical, angry, or snide response. I think where the whole thing originates is that you have definitely been going down a road, religion-wise, that has taken you far, far from where you were a number of years back. I'm not saying you didn't have similar beliefs then, but it's the regular day-to-day influence of your church & religion on you that puts a lot of things in a slightly to very different context.
Your response to much of what you encounter & experience has become a religious one, which is very different than the humanistic response of PMix & me. We have been going down a different road these last few years and, from our perspective, much of the trouble in the world; from terrorism to domestic intolerance to people voting in elections against their best interests (which results in worldwide harm on a scale it is tough to comprehend) is as a direct result of people's religious beliefs. Not religion itself, mind you: it's similar to the "guns don't hurt people but people do" argument. It's the failings of people (accidental and otherwise) in interpretation of texts and teachings that causes the problems. In addition, the practice of attributing complex or difficult things to the supernatural dimininishes our society's ability and willingness to find human solutions to our problems.
The final puzzle piece of Mixdorf's & my concern over seeing a friend become ever more deeply involved with (it seems) evangelical activities is the witness we bore to the effect it had on my brother (now known as "The Fall of Kick Ass)." He was always a square, but it turned him into a square stick in the mud.
Please understand that I have known a few people (and known of a lot more) that are true credits to the Christian faith. And I do believe that more positive change can occur within the church than from without. But we need warriors for this battle, good and true. I simply ask you to proceed through sermons and Bible studies and other such experiences with a questioning, logical, and ecological heart. You will encounter many, many people in that journey who will (though they say otherwise) act like they have the answers. They don't. Truly ask "What Would Jesus Do?" And not the flaxen-haired abstinence-rally-attending Jesus, the real one. We love you, and we just want to make sure that, as we continue down our road of intellectual curiosity & exploration, we don't lose our traveling partner.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Good Gracious!
Whoever said that Moss Eisley was the most rotten hive of scum and villany in the galaxy hasn't peeked in on a Yahoo! news story discussion board lately.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
www.yourmusic.com
Well, I went back and forth on this, and finally took the plunge. The inventory is not as large or diverse as I would like, but as there is a complete an exhaustive discography for some artists (Paul Simon, Led Zepplin) and an absolute dearth for others (Donovan, Bob Dylan), I believe they are in the process of building up the service.
Think of it like Netflix, but instead of DVDs it's music CDs. And instead of renting, you're buying. You create a queue, and they automatically send you a disc once a month for-get this-$5.99 including shipping. It's nuts. Like I said, the selection does not afford you the opportunity to experiment with truly independent artists and other such obscure fare, but as long as there are albums in the mainstream realm you still want, it's a deal that seems to be absolutely unbeatable. The way I'm going to work it (using my one new album-per-paycheck system) is to let them ship me the next album in my queue each month, and experiment with artists not available through yourmusic on the off-week cycle.
My current queue:
Paul Simon Hearts And Bones (Expanded & Remastered)
This album is being prepared for shipment. ( In-stock items usually ship within 72 hours of Your Music Date. )
The Who Tommy (Remastered)
09/29/05
Willie Nelson Yesterday's Wine (Remastered)
10/29/05
Beck Odelay
11/29/05
Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy (Remastered)
12/29/05
Paul Simon One Trick Pony (Expanded & Remastered)
01/29/06
Willie Nelson Shotgun Willie
Anyway, happy to make a recommendation on what seems to be a great deal. Check it out.
Think of it like Netflix, but instead of DVDs it's music CDs. And instead of renting, you're buying. You create a queue, and they automatically send you a disc once a month for-get this-$5.99 including shipping. It's nuts. Like I said, the selection does not afford you the opportunity to experiment with truly independent artists and other such obscure fare, but as long as there are albums in the mainstream realm you still want, it's a deal that seems to be absolutely unbeatable. The way I'm going to work it (using my one new album-per-paycheck system) is to let them ship me the next album in my queue each month, and experiment with artists not available through yourmusic on the off-week cycle.
My current queue:
Paul Simon Hearts And Bones (Expanded & Remastered)
This album is being prepared for shipment. ( In-stock items usually ship within 72 hours of Your Music Date. )
The Who Tommy (Remastered)
09/29/05
Willie Nelson Yesterday's Wine (Remastered)
10/29/05
Beck Odelay
11/29/05
Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy (Remastered)
12/29/05
Paul Simon One Trick Pony (Expanded & Remastered)
01/29/06
Willie Nelson Shotgun Willie
Anyway, happy to make a recommendation on what seems to be a great deal. Check it out.
Movie Recommendation: The Shootist
John Wayne (in his final film)
Lauren Bacall
Ron Howard
James Stewart
Harry Morgan
Hugh O'Brian
A character study, actually. John Wayne plays an aging gunfighter (a term, you learn in a special feature, which was actually not used in "the day;" hence, The Shootist) who learns he is terminally ill and seeks a quiet place to live out his days. Trouble follows him there, of course.
Anyway, some really good performances and a nice twist on the classic Western. I rented the movie thinking it would be one Sharon wouldn't particularly care to see and which I could watch after she went to bed. She was in & out of the room and taking care of some things before hitting the sack, but slowly got kind of sucked in. Though she knows who John Wayne is, she didn't really understand his status in the pantheon of American cinema. I was sort of trying to explain that; and also trying to explain how the genre of Western, which on the surface is essentially different variations of the same movie, warrants its own status as a uniquely American art form. Then it struck me-The Aristocrats. That movie, if you know or recall, is about two hours of every comedian under the sun telling the same vulgar joke, but with each one doing it in their own style, adding their own art and just going with it. I have not seen that movie but I defniitely plan to. It's all about admiration of the craft. and is very analagous to the craft of The Western (that of the directors such as George Siegel & John Ford, and the delivery of actors such as Wayne, Gary Cooper, or Randolph Scott).
Lauren Bacall
Ron Howard
James Stewart
Harry Morgan
Hugh O'Brian
A character study, actually. John Wayne plays an aging gunfighter (a term, you learn in a special feature, which was actually not used in "the day;" hence, The Shootist) who learns he is terminally ill and seeks a quiet place to live out his days. Trouble follows him there, of course.
Anyway, some really good performances and a nice twist on the classic Western. I rented the movie thinking it would be one Sharon wouldn't particularly care to see and which I could watch after she went to bed. She was in & out of the room and taking care of some things before hitting the sack, but slowly got kind of sucked in. Though she knows who John Wayne is, she didn't really understand his status in the pantheon of American cinema. I was sort of trying to explain that; and also trying to explain how the genre of Western, which on the surface is essentially different variations of the same movie, warrants its own status as a uniquely American art form. Then it struck me-The Aristocrats. That movie, if you know or recall, is about two hours of every comedian under the sun telling the same vulgar joke, but with each one doing it in their own style, adding their own art and just going with it. I have not seen that movie but I defniitely plan to. It's all about admiration of the craft. and is very analagous to the craft of The Western (that of the directors such as George Siegel & John Ford, and the delivery of actors such as Wayne, Gary Cooper, or Randolph Scott).
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Caution: Harry Potter Spoiler!
So, I pulled a "Mixdorf." I read the 700+ page Half-Blood Prince, starting on Sunday and finishing last night. While I have said that I like the series a lot, I have claimed to maybe be not quite the fan that some of my closest friends & associates are. But, man, I sure do get glued to those suckers when I read through them.
My random ruminations, following the HBP:
- What an amazing, amazing kid Harry is (in a non-magical sense, that is)
- I think one of the things that makes me think I like the series a little less than some people is that I really do get annoyed at some of the lack of depth of some characters and the repeating themes (OK, do we really believe that Hermione's going to still raise her hand first in every class and that Ron's going to still pester her about it, etc.).
- Good Lord, these last couple of books have been dark & heavy. Not sure I would want Lucy reading this before she's at least 10 or so, unless I really, really get the sense she's ready to handle the weight of some of the seriously bad shit that goes on in there.
- Related to the last couple of items-seems like Rowling can't really decide whether she wants this to be children's literature or not. Sometimes obvious & somewhat shallow humour, as well as the shallow characters can be attributed as being very enjoyable for kids (especialy with respect to how lots of them view adults), but with the adult sort of themes that I spoke to in my last point-I just don't know. Seems like a little bit of trying to have it both ways. * Sigh * maybe I'm just out of touch with respect to how desensitized most kids are these days. But I had a distinctly similar feeling while reading various books of the Redwall series (of which only the first I would truly, truly recommend). Cute little anthropomorphic animal characters making mincemeat of each other in bloody battles, throughout.
- Really interesting buildup in the book. To date, neither Harry nor Dumbledore had ever been wrong in their suspicions, and it was interesting reading to know that ultimately someone would be wrong on Snape.
- God DAMN Snape! God DAMN him to Hell! He's definitely not going to survive this series, and I think it's probably You-Know-Who who's going to do him in in a final act of treachery (ala the Teacher killing that servant guy in DaVinci Code). He reminds me of a terrorist-he had what looks to be a miserable childhood with lots of things working against him, but that's no excuse for going bad.
- Why does Harry have to break up with Ginny, if he's at least that close with Ron & Hermione. Not sure that's made clear. I would think Ginny could hook up with them and make it a four person team, going forward.
- Hard to believe that Snape got away from Buckbeak.
- Would like to see Firenze & maybe some of the other centaurs get involved. Though I realize they generally despize the wizarding world, it would be a little like, "The eagles are coming!"
- Not sure I'd want to be a Death Eater that runs into Harry next book.
- Kind of interesting the turn on Malfoy at the end. There's no reason to believe, up to that point, that there's a shred of good in him. Wonder if she (Rowling) has grand plans for him in the future, is just using him as an example of Voldemort's villany, or if she just wanted to sort of diminish him as a major player in the series.
- It's gonna be quite different, knowing what we know about Snape, reading through the books again someday. Holy shit. And, as much as we hate him-you gotta think he's one of the most powerful wizards around.
- How many Aurors are there? In the teens, in the hundreds, or what? Likewise, how many Death Eaters? They don't give you much of an idea of the scope of this war, but you definitely see the same characters, particularly on the good side, appearing over and over.
- Sirius & Dumbledore are gone, gone, gone, right?
- Any theories on who R.A.B. is?
My random ruminations, following the HBP:
- What an amazing, amazing kid Harry is (in a non-magical sense, that is)
- I think one of the things that makes me think I like the series a little less than some people is that I really do get annoyed at some of the lack of depth of some characters and the repeating themes (OK, do we really believe that Hermione's going to still raise her hand first in every class and that Ron's going to still pester her about it, etc.).
- Good Lord, these last couple of books have been dark & heavy. Not sure I would want Lucy reading this before she's at least 10 or so, unless I really, really get the sense she's ready to handle the weight of some of the seriously bad shit that goes on in there.
- Related to the last couple of items-seems like Rowling can't really decide whether she wants this to be children's literature or not. Sometimes obvious & somewhat shallow humour, as well as the shallow characters can be attributed as being very enjoyable for kids (especialy with respect to how lots of them view adults), but with the adult sort of themes that I spoke to in my last point-I just don't know. Seems like a little bit of trying to have it both ways. * Sigh * maybe I'm just out of touch with respect to how desensitized most kids are these days. But I had a distinctly similar feeling while reading various books of the Redwall series (of which only the first I would truly, truly recommend). Cute little anthropomorphic animal characters making mincemeat of each other in bloody battles, throughout.
- Really interesting buildup in the book. To date, neither Harry nor Dumbledore had ever been wrong in their suspicions, and it was interesting reading to know that ultimately someone would be wrong on Snape.
- God DAMN Snape! God DAMN him to Hell! He's definitely not going to survive this series, and I think it's probably You-Know-Who who's going to do him in in a final act of treachery (ala the Teacher killing that servant guy in DaVinci Code). He reminds me of a terrorist-he had what looks to be a miserable childhood with lots of things working against him, but that's no excuse for going bad.
- Why does Harry have to break up with Ginny, if he's at least that close with Ron & Hermione. Not sure that's made clear. I would think Ginny could hook up with them and make it a four person team, going forward.
- Hard to believe that Snape got away from Buckbeak.
- Would like to see Firenze & maybe some of the other centaurs get involved. Though I realize they generally despize the wizarding world, it would be a little like, "The eagles are coming!"
- Not sure I'd want to be a Death Eater that runs into Harry next book.
- Kind of interesting the turn on Malfoy at the end. There's no reason to believe, up to that point, that there's a shred of good in him. Wonder if she (Rowling) has grand plans for him in the future, is just using him as an example of Voldemort's villany, or if she just wanted to sort of diminish him as a major player in the series.
- It's gonna be quite different, knowing what we know about Snape, reading through the books again someday. Holy shit. And, as much as we hate him-you gotta think he's one of the most powerful wizards around.
- How many Aurors are there? In the teens, in the hundreds, or what? Likewise, how many Death Eaters? They don't give you much of an idea of the scope of this war, but you definitely see the same characters, particularly on the good side, appearing over and over.
- Sirius & Dumbledore are gone, gone, gone, right?
- Any theories on who R.A.B. is?
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
A Simple Desultory Philharmonic (Or How I Have Robert McNamara'd Sharon & Lucy into Omission)
Yesterday was Sharon's & my eighth anniversary. With all the talk of politics, potential moves from my home, and artistic preferences, Sharon and Lucy definitely both get under-represented in this forum, relative to their actual importance in my day-to-day life.
I was thinking about that recently, too. I could have an entire blog devoted purely to the my observations of Lucy-both her development and also just the funny things she does & says every day. To read my blog, it would be easy to get the impression that I'm quite an uninvolved father, when in fact there is not almost never a waking moment she spends at home (with the exception of her bedtime ritual with Sharon every other night), when her influence is not pervasive in all that I do. It can be a little frustrating when I can't accomplish an agenda, but for the most part there is joy, love, and laughs.
As for Sharon, what can I say? Over the past 8 years of marriage (and-what-12 years since I've know her? Jesus...) she has been a better partner than I ever could have ever hoped for. As I have continued down a road of trying to find my place and simple preferences in this world, she has been by my side, curious and similarly questing for that which life has to teach us, endlessly supportive in my endeavors, rejoicing my (relatively few) differences with her, and diving with me headlong into exploring that for which we share a common interest. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, sharing a simple, common vision of what is good and right in the world. Thanks, my wife! I love you!!!!!!
On a side note, our celebration was improvised last night. Helen watched Lucy while we just headed to Uptown to see what was going. Our evening pretty much consisted of eating at a new Indian restaurant, then having tea and playing cribbage. We laughed about how our evening was the perfect model for the "5 Blind Men and the Elephant" tale. Depending on who you asked, here's what they could have said about our evening.
1. They ate foreign food in Uptown then hung out in Tea Room listening to trance & trip-hop music.
2. They went out for dinner at this expensive restaurant and then drank tea.
3. After dinner they drank tea and played cribbage, and were home before 10.
4. They drove their Kerry-Edwards bumper stickered Corolla to Uptown, ate Indian food, and drank English tea.
5. They drove their car to this trendy part of town, had dinner and drinks, and then drove home.
6. Before and after dinner, they walked at least a mile, pausing at one point to look in a runnin-apparel store.
and so on and so on...
I was thinking about that recently, too. I could have an entire blog devoted purely to the my observations of Lucy-both her development and also just the funny things she does & says every day. To read my blog, it would be easy to get the impression that I'm quite an uninvolved father, when in fact there is not almost never a waking moment she spends at home (with the exception of her bedtime ritual with Sharon every other night), when her influence is not pervasive in all that I do. It can be a little frustrating when I can't accomplish an agenda, but for the most part there is joy, love, and laughs.
As for Sharon, what can I say? Over the past 8 years of marriage (and-what-12 years since I've know her? Jesus...) she has been a better partner than I ever could have ever hoped for. As I have continued down a road of trying to find my place and simple preferences in this world, she has been by my side, curious and similarly questing for that which life has to teach us, endlessly supportive in my endeavors, rejoicing my (relatively few) differences with her, and diving with me headlong into exploring that for which we share a common interest. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, sharing a simple, common vision of what is good and right in the world. Thanks, my wife! I love you!!!!!!
On a side note, our celebration was improvised last night. Helen watched Lucy while we just headed to Uptown to see what was going. Our evening pretty much consisted of eating at a new Indian restaurant, then having tea and playing cribbage. We laughed about how our evening was the perfect model for the "5 Blind Men and the Elephant" tale. Depending on who you asked, here's what they could have said about our evening.
1. They ate foreign food in Uptown then hung out in Tea Room listening to trance & trip-hop music.
2. They went out for dinner at this expensive restaurant and then drank tea.
3. After dinner they drank tea and played cribbage, and were home before 10.
4. They drove their Kerry-Edwards bumper stickered Corolla to Uptown, ate Indian food, and drank English tea.
5. They drove their car to this trendy part of town, had dinner and drinks, and then drove home.
6. Before and after dinner, they walked at least a mile, pausing at one point to look in a runnin-apparel store.
and so on and so on...
Friday, August 19, 2005
There and Back Again (and I'm not talking Terre Haute)
In these troubled times, I turned to an old friend-The Hobbit. I read it in within the last week and, as a rumination, here are three lines (among many, many more, of course) that really struck me-perhaps made better within context, but I will only provide very brief excerpts:
1. (Bilbo, when lost in the dark depths of the Misty Mountains)
After a time, he felt for his pipe. It was not broken, and that was something. Then he feld for his pouch, and there was some tobacco in it, and that was something more.
(just a very small bit of excellent writing-how, in a world with an immense scale of events, he can draw out examples of how these quaint Hobbit folk really go for the simple pleasures. I love the image.)
2. (sung by the elves in Rivendell-actually, the entire song-many verses-really resonated with me, and I choose this particular one rather arbitrarily)
...Here grass is still growing,
And leaves are yet swinging,
The white water flowing,
The elves are yet singing
Come! Tra-la-la-lally!
Come back to the valley!
(what can I say, but "Zephyr?")
3. (spoken by Thorin on his death bed)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
(pretty much sums up, in 19 words, everything that's wrong with that world, and our world)
1. (Bilbo, when lost in the dark depths of the Misty Mountains)
After a time, he felt for his pipe. It was not broken, and that was something. Then he feld for his pouch, and there was some tobacco in it, and that was something more.
(just a very small bit of excellent writing-how, in a world with an immense scale of events, he can draw out examples of how these quaint Hobbit folk really go for the simple pleasures. I love the image.)
2. (sung by the elves in Rivendell-actually, the entire song-many verses-really resonated with me, and I choose this particular one rather arbitrarily)
...Here grass is still growing,
And leaves are yet swinging,
The white water flowing,
The elves are yet singing
Come! Tra-la-la-lally!
Come back to the valley!
(what can I say, but "Zephyr?")
3. (spoken by Thorin on his death bed)
If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
(pretty much sums up, in 19 words, everything that's wrong with that world, and our world)
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Damn, Just a Few Months Too Late!
Boy, ever since the presidential election, GW & Co have just made one political misstep after another. I do believe that they are losing the hearts and minds of America. The various conservative mouthpieces are no longer putting a palatable spin on their adjenda. To middle-America, the concert of attacks launched against anyone who does not support the Republican administration now just seems radical & mean. The shift in power is neither a question of if nor when. There will be a massive upheaval in '06. The only thing I regret is that it does not co-incide with the next presidential election. Well, that & the fact that it will be our country's referendum on the current state of affairs, rather than a true populist revolution.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Haute Couteur
Well, I'm back, and the Juggernaut was a great host.
A lot can be misconstrued and misinterpreted through emails & phone conversation, so it was really nice to be able to see him in his current environment and get his life-vibe. I must say, I was really happy and somewhat surprised to see the contentment & peace he seems to have found with the city of Terre Haute. The work they've had done on the home is extraordinary and, while perhaps they don't have the financial power of equity they might have had before moving in, the man is living in what could easily be described (by someone like me, anyway) as a "dream house." Backed up against a woodsy area with an almost deafening (yet pleasingly so) sound of birds & cicadas, and with comfortable furnishings & amenities (including a Bathtub of the Gods, gas fireplace, tocatta(?) stone breakfast table, and TLOR-friendly HDTV), he has really managed to secure himself a homey, comfortable, and peaceful place in which to read, write, sing, dance, feast, or do any combination of the above.
Extraordinary were the number of hours during which I was cornered in various areas of the dwelling, having the specifics of the remodeling process explained. But it was all good, and there was drinking (of both local and English brews), watching ST, talking, breakfasting, supping, frisbee golfing (one round of which was entirely "Rohan-run"), hiking, playing with Molly (who was great), and studying Geography. Also, in a surprise, a little filming; of which I will say no more at this time.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Waterloo is not the bleak, amenity-free town we remember of our youth. City planners there (as well as in most other similarly-sized towns in this country) have discovered the necessity of biking paths; small pockets of the culturally-starved have created a need for a local funky coffee shop or two; and various other pieces of what people like us consider necessary for "quality of life" have come about in varying degrees, however small. It's just a matter of finding your little niches and exploiting them. Terre Haute was no exception. We got coffee at the "Java Haute," we explored the Dobbs Park Nature Center, I tasted a 6-draft-beer sampler at the historical restaurant, Maugers(sp?). Gibbs, I am happy to say, seems to have been exploiting them more than we might have guessed. Again, I was a little surprised to see how, in the time since working at the Tribune-Star, our friend is actually feeling a lot better about where he is, the decision he made in moving, and the future than we might have expected. Made a great weekend all the better.
On a side not, our dog is still around, still wagging and responsive. She's getting injected with 500ml of fluid a day, and crapping/pissing all over the floor every night.
A lot can be misconstrued and misinterpreted through emails & phone conversation, so it was really nice to be able to see him in his current environment and get his life-vibe. I must say, I was really happy and somewhat surprised to see the contentment & peace he seems to have found with the city of Terre Haute. The work they've had done on the home is extraordinary and, while perhaps they don't have the financial power of equity they might have had before moving in, the man is living in what could easily be described (by someone like me, anyway) as a "dream house." Backed up against a woodsy area with an almost deafening (yet pleasingly so) sound of birds & cicadas, and with comfortable furnishings & amenities (including a Bathtub of the Gods, gas fireplace, tocatta(?) stone breakfast table, and TLOR-friendly HDTV), he has really managed to secure himself a homey, comfortable, and peaceful place in which to read, write, sing, dance, feast, or do any combination of the above.
Extraordinary were the number of hours during which I was cornered in various areas of the dwelling, having the specifics of the remodeling process explained. But it was all good, and there was drinking (of both local and English brews), watching ST, talking, breakfasting, supping, frisbee golfing (one round of which was entirely "Rohan-run"), hiking, playing with Molly (who was great), and studying Geography. Also, in a surprise, a little filming; of which I will say no more at this time.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Waterloo is not the bleak, amenity-free town we remember of our youth. City planners there (as well as in most other similarly-sized towns in this country) have discovered the necessity of biking paths; small pockets of the culturally-starved have created a need for a local funky coffee shop or two; and various other pieces of what people like us consider necessary for "quality of life" have come about in varying degrees, however small. It's just a matter of finding your little niches and exploiting them. Terre Haute was no exception. We got coffee at the "Java Haute," we explored the Dobbs Park Nature Center, I tasted a 6-draft-beer sampler at the historical restaurant, Maugers(sp?). Gibbs, I am happy to say, seems to have been exploiting them more than we might have guessed. Again, I was a little surprised to see how, in the time since working at the Tribune-Star, our friend is actually feeling a lot better about where he is, the decision he made in moving, and the future than we might have expected. Made a great weekend all the better.
On a side not, our dog is still around, still wagging and responsive. She's getting injected with 500ml of fluid a day, and crapping/pissing all over the floor every night.
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