whelan

I've always been a big fan of Michael Whelan's work, particularly his "fine art." He has a very creative eye for beauty in bleakness, and I count some of his paintings among my favorites. Here's my own gallery of his work:

Lumen

Pathless

Flowers and Weeds

Leap of Faith

Scale of Eternity

language, mmmm....

There are certain words that are just cool. They either sound cool, look cool, or mean something cool. Of course, "cool" is not one of those words, but I'm at a loss for a better one. Not a good omen for this post... Regardless, below is a short list of some of the words that have struck me in the past year or so and why I like them. And yes, some of them are Merriam Webster's word of the day.

• sacrosanct - A beautiful marriage of sounds, especially the last syllable. One reason I like it is because it sounds almost like it's mixing the idea of the secular and the sanctus, an antithetical combination that would break my brain and be a blast to use!
• confrere - Take a guess as to why I like this.
• bucolic - This is actually from a couple of years ago, but I heard it again today on NPR.
• gaucherie (gauche) - A great word that describes all together too many of my friends, none of whom will ever read this so all is well.
• maelstrom - A word that helps me describe the past year of my life, so this one is particularly close to me.
• sangfroid - Yesterday's "word of the day" and a whole heckofa fun thing to say. I love the meaning of this one, though, and I would like to say I possess it.
• exegesis - A word that I miss doing.
• dubiety - This is actually just a word I came across that means nothing to me, but doesn't it look like "Dubya?" Irony manifested.
• nascent - Beautiful.
• nadir - Another word for the past year.
• a word that I keep forgetting - The opposite of "phallus," but I can never remember it.

Oops, hall duty calls.

neglect

I've been neglecting this poor site for some time now. Between this, Xanga, and Myspace, I have too many things going on at once! Of course, none are in great demand, so all pressure is self-imposed, but it's still pressure! I think I'm going to steer away from Myspace for a while because I don't like it nearly as much as this. It's great, no mistaking that, but it's more social than blogger. Cool thing, though: I got in touch with a middle school-friend from Bolivia, a pal I hadn't talked to in... Well, since middle school. I'm a bad person because I invited him to join my network and he responded with lots of questions, and I haven't answered him. How do you cover the last 1/2 of your life via Myspace? Wouldn't it be better if we both lived and died without giving a damn about each other? A conundrum.

I went ice skating yesterday. I'm sure that for all the observers it was like watching someone fall down the stairs: you want to look away, but you can't. I only fell once, but by god when I fall I make sure that it counts. For a moment after my feet disobeyed me and went right instead of left, I hovered parallel above the ice in an unholy silence. Then I crashed onto my aging hip. Sweet Mary mother of all that is holy I wanted to die. After abandoning all dignity at the skating rink, I had to endure an hour and a half of the black and white soapbox that is Interesting, perhaps, but not as a film. Some stories should be told through media other than film, and this is one of them. I could have sworn I watched the same damn movie a couple of years ago with Denzel Washington helming... And, wasn't there another called Miracle? Or was it Mighty Ducks? The road to cinematic hell is paved with underdog-good-intentioned films.

I stumbled upon this site a few months ago. What brilliant spoofs!

101

Today is my 101st day of teaching!

I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me and gotten me to this point. I wouldn't be who I am today without your interference and indoctrination. Jerks.

Fun news from KY: a teacher was suspended and subsequently resigned because he showed 40-Year Old Virgin in his Spanish class. The unrated version. In all its horribleness. What was he thinking? Of course, some students are saying "Bring him back! We love him!" Others, and these are the ones I really hate, are saying "He should have gotten parents' permission before showing it, or something. Kids shouldn't see that without parental permission." You little pricks! Who are they trying to fool? The dialogue from the film could have been a transcript of a typical day in high school, but these little dissemblers act innocent and naive. I hate them.

Today is my 101st day of teaching...

one more day, lawdy lawdy

Thursdays used to be my least favorite day next to Monday. There was never anything important or exciting to look forward to, nothing to go home to watch at night, and just nothing to really make you want to get out of bed in the morning. Not a whole lot has changed, but I recently had an epiphany about why Thursday is such an important day: it's the day before Friday.

Do you realize how much responsibility that carries with it and how much hatred it garners? Infinite. Part of my epiphany translated into a sympathy for this horribly reviled day, and I decided to begin appreciating the day for the worths it does have:

• My Name is Earl - trash funny is funny
• the unconscious yet omnipresent high of knowing that there are less than 36 hours of labor left from when you wake up until you collapse in giggles on the floor on Blessed Friday
• "school choice" lunch with tater tots!
• there's absolutely nothing else unless I'm able to stay awake until ER and get to see Maura Tierney

That's all she wrote for Thursday, but it's better than nothing. So go out, carpe Thursday, and give Crowded House a big "f-u" by dreaming it's over.

apology for bad dreams

“Unbridled and unbelievable beauty\ Covers the evening world…not covers, grows apparent out of it, as Venus down there grows out\ From the lit sky.” – “Apology for Bad Dreams,” Robinson Jeffers

I rather like this. It interests me that the poet would stop mid-sentence and correct himself (the elipsis is not mine); it lends a certain reality to the surreal language.

boston legal

I really like Boston Legal. Spader and Shatner are the most brilliant pairing since I don't know when, and their sharp-witted/addle-brained dialogue is hilarious. I also love it when shows acknowledge their "showdomness," something Arrested Development overdoes. Tonight's BL ended with the usual smoke and drink on the balcony, and Spader said "I've hardly seen you this episode." Ah, the 4th wall shattered. Beauty.

brokeback mating

So we went and watched Brokeback Mountain at the Kentucky Theater this afternoon. It’s received hype as few movies have this year—or for many years, actually. I was hesitant to go see it, not because I was nervous or squeamish, but because there are a couple of other films higher on my list of “to see.” Nevertheless, Mi and I went and were entertained.

It’s a very good film, no question, but as with many films it is definitely overhyped. I think that the entertainment industry thought it a timely film and decided to throw all of its weight behind it. Oscar worthy? My vote would go to The Constant Gardener, but that’s largely because it deals with issues more important to me, and that’s what the hype of this film boils down to, for me: it’s a cause and people bring their own baggage to it. It just so happens that a great percentage of film reviewers are more forward thinking than filmgoers so bring a lot of their own biases to their reviews. Of course we all bring our beliefs to films, but I tend to think that reviewers should be slightly more objective than most moviegoers, something that certainly has not happened with this film. To call it a “love story” is taking a certain, positive viewpoint, while conservative viewers are more likely to call it “the kind of love…conflating the meanings of the words love and lust” (Plugged In). It’s all about perspective, and the topic is so timely and incendiary that I think reviewers on both sides are losing sight of the technical and creative aspects of the film in their fight to sing its praises and curses more loudly.

I may have to see it again before I can judge it/praise it well. One thing is certain, though: Heath Ledger was outstanding. Oh, and Anne Hathaway needs to star in The Princess Diaries 3: Princess Mammaries Unleashed.

follow up about evo

Here's the article about Evo Morales.

fashion brilliance

There was a short piece in this week's Time about a big news story in Spain and a few other countries of the world. It wasn't a story that has far reaching effects, but it's pretty important nonetheless. It centered around this:

How does this happen? These are world leaders, and this cholo (I almost hesitate to use the word, but he personifies the negative connotations of it too well) meets them wearing this?

By the way, this is Bolivia's new president. In case anyone missed the glaring headlines all over the world when Bolivia elected its first indigenous president and took a firm stance against Western imperialism. Wait a second. Oh, that's right: nobody cared!

bigotry continued

Forgot to mention a diatribe I heard this morning from the same colleague from earlier. He glibly dropped the "fact" that "most of the black guys here are 2 years older than I was when I graduated," an unforgivably prejudiced remark in the context of the remainder of his monologue. This time I only nodded. Maybe next time I'll have the grapes to say "Hang on a second, bubba." I hope I will.

I spent some time reading Shopgirl and Robinson Jeffers this evening. The latter was infinitely more interesting, but I'll give Martin a chance. Jeffers had a line that stood out to me (several, really), essentially condemning humanity for the arrogance that places us at the center of existence, demanding survival and excellence. Of course, what I call objectivity most people call misanthropy. I'll take it.

TV

Some notes about TV tonight:

• My Name is Earl is fun
• The love story between Jim and Pam on The Office is incredibly bittersweet and superbly acted. The final shot of them on the elevator was beautiful.
  
• Without a Trace is getting too CSI. By the by, when the second season of the show comes out on DVD, I recommend that all watch the episode called "Wannabe." I bawled.
  
• PBS has a great show going on called Walking the Bible. Watchable and informative.

Other notes:

• Harmony Hill is moving up on my list of "places and ideas to hate." My dear cousin is apparently quite friendly with Tawnya Smith (I know I know her, but only God knows how) who is involved with it closely. I hate everything that it stands for, or at least everything that I remember it standing for. Is it a bad sign that my teeth started grinding audibly when I read her blog about it?
  

observation

Today is my final observation for the 2nd of my 3 cycles of internship. I'm fairly confident about it, even though I typed up my lesson plan this morning. I showed it to my resource teacher who thinks that it's fine and quite manageable. We'll see how it goes. I think I'll be done with the internship by the end of March, something that will hopefully make the last few weeks of teaching less stressful. As if the first year of teaching isn't stressful enough, they pile on all of this cockamamie.

I was ineffably pleased to find out that my favorite wine bar is back under original ownership! I have nothing to say... Absolutely nothing. Nervous energy.

hecticity

Today is a day that will live on in infamy...

...for only the next 17 minutes because I'm going to bed and never speaking of it again.

Have I mentioned that I love the Gin Blossoms? Great band, solid song writing, sexy hair.

king of the house

I must post this picture of Maxx that I took yesterday. It was a bit chilly in the house, but Maxxo found the sunniest spot and made himself comfy while Mi and I cleaned upstairs. There’s a larger version on my Flickr page.

the little things

Mi and I watched Stand By Me this afternoon, a film of which I’ve heard nothing but good for many years. I must say that I was quite impressed. The 80s were sort of the nadir of filmmaking, but this was absolutely fantastic. I’d never regretted the loss of River Phoenix, but he was strong in this, so much so that I actually felt a pang of regret that he was lost to us. It was a well shot, well acted, and well written bildungs-film (my appropriation of the term) that is one of the best I’ve seen to use child actors. Spielberg is often credited as being a master of directing children, but Reiner really held his own here. Plus, Spielberg’s most recent, Dakota Fanning, is a naturally good actress, so little credit need go to him apart from eliciting such ear-shattering screams from those little lungs. Go watch Stand By Me.

Ran into Laura and partner, a fortuitous accident of the pleasantest kind. Great to see you, but let’s not wait for me to mis-recognize Jon and then recognize the back of your head next time. Dinner sometime?

stupid in america

ABC’s 20/20 had a special last night (is it really special if they do it every week?) that focused on public education in the US. Their opinion: poo. My rebuttal: no kidding!

Their focus was zoning, teacher unions, and charter schools (vouchers). It wasn’t horribly  informative, but it did provide glimpses into charter schools which are having great success, and it certainly took a vigorous swing at NY’s teacher union, a swipe I won’t say is undeserved. As I mentioned in a comment on the previous post, I think there needs to be a shakeup of teachers (fire their asses!), and I honestly don’t know if I would survive it. I know my stuff, and I can be great, but I often take the easy way. On the other hand, I don’t think that the “rigor” that my school has adopted as a motto means that every single minute of “instructional time” needs to be spent studying in the traditional way. There are time when socialization is important, particularly in foreign language classes, in my opinion. Six hours of instruction a day is exhausting, especially when it only gets 5 minute breaks every hour and a half.

Miah needs the computer (I kicked her off accidentally). Here’s the link to the report called “Stupid in America.”

teacher quote

"You know, these Mexican, African American, and poor white kids who don't know
how to read, these poor families, the less intelligent families, they just need
to be booted out by high school if they don't know how to read." -- Teacher
colleague

The "poor families" and "less intelligent families" were quite clearly appositives for the ethnic groups, and it was equally clear that "poor" and "less intelligent" were synonymous. How do you respond to that? I just nodded and looked him in the eye. There are certain nimrods who aren't worth skirmishing with, and I chose to ignore this one. Was I wrong? I'm normally one to stand up for what I believe, and I was appalled by this blatant ignorance, but I chose not to argue with him. Why didn't I?

quote of the day

I must share my Google "quote of the day":

No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of
policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets. - Edward Abbey

I would add educators to this list. Teachers can be the most petty of people, abusing the little authority that they still have to keep students from using the restroom, talking, etc.

book of daniel

I just wanted to say that I quite enjoyed "The Book of Daniel" last night. It wasn't original, by any means (the Desperate Housewivery was quite strong), but it was pretty funny and challenging. Favorite quote:

"Hey, why don't you show him your-"

"Peter! Could you come here please?"

Quick interruption is the key.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE!

Remember, parents: spay and neuter your children. Soon.

school

I'm just glad to be here...

I stayed up till 1:15 last night watching the stupid Orange Bowl. I don't even like football and I watched it! Penn State was a bit of a nostalgic draw, but I think I just didn't want to lie in bed for hours thinking about what today would be like. There was an interesting documentary about Reagan's presidency (his life, really) at the same time, so I toggled a lot. Bless PBS.

Ah, the students.

about the Robert Jordan thing...

I almost forgot: I got into a discussion about the Jordan morality blog (see below) on a fansite, and it was a surprisingly good conversation. The interpretation that many people took was that Jordan’s world is extremely black and white but that his characters operate in shades of grey (my terminology). They took this as being a very black and white book, and I see their point. My counterpoint is that it is a character driven novel, so if the characters don’t operate in black and white, is it truly a strict moralistic book? There are definitely parameters of good and bad, but there is also so much relativism in regards to what is permissible in the pursuit of “good” that it’s difficult to pigeonhole characters as all good or all bad. Thought it was interesting…

mighty k.c.

Several years ago (when I was in 10th grade, circa '95) I heard a song on a late night radio show. I think it was "Out of Order" with Jed the Fish, and it was on WXZZ 103.3. It's a syndicated show that used to be played on 103 once a week, and I laid in my bed with my headphones on and listen to the weird alternative rock that was so big at the time. Back then bands like 7 Mary Three and The Toadies and the such were making soundwaves on his show, but of course our local station wouldn't touch them during peak hours. I laid there and listened to this risque music with its risque lyrics and hoped my parents wouldn't walk in and make me take the headphones off. I was homeschooling that year, and my only outlet was music and Robert Jordan.

One night I heard the tail end of a song that made me scramble up out of bed to get pen and paper to write down the lyrics and the band name. It had that rough, unfinished sound that so many groups had during the early 90s, like the track was laid down and distributed as is. It certainly wasn't beautiful, nor was it particularly catchy, but there was a raw honesty and determination to the singer's cry of "by the grace of God go I into the great unknown/ things are going to change in my favor/ and if we gather if we fall, things are gonna change in our favor." Granted, in retrospect the lyrics aren't all that grand--a lot of angry young men were screaming similar things back then--but they stood out to me that night. When the song ended, Jed the Fish's basement-dwelling-nerd's voice came on and said that the song was "Mighty K.C.," and it was a tribute to the recently self-killed Kurt Cobain. It was still a little difficult for a lot of people to talk about Cobain, the Dylan of the grunge movement, so I thought the tribute was cool. Then the DJ told the story of the band, For Squirrels, and how they were travelling home after a show at CBGB and their van blew a tire and it flipped and the singer and bassist and manager were killed, and their cd was only a month old. The tragic irony of the lyrics above in relation to their lives has always stuck with me, and I thought of it again this morning as I stood in the shower. I think I want to write my own obituary, and I think I want it to sound as hopeful as theirs.

It's good to be back home.