Saturday, March 05, 2005
Friday, March 04, 2005
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Thursday, March 03, 2005
Aja...
.. when all my dime-dancing is through... I run to you... That's a Steely Dan lyric from my college years, that is synonymous for many with marijuana clouds wafting from a bong. Before I heard the song, I thought 'Aja' was pronounced 'A-ha' rather than 'Asia' - thinking in Spanish, I guess. At left, the Indonesian gamelan, an unwieldly percussive instrument (think xylophone blended with drum) whose other-worldly tones I found discordant but compelling during my trips there in 1996 and 1997. That's what comes to mind later in Steely Dan's 'Aja' when I hear the line 'Chinese music under banyon tree / angular banjos.. .speak to me.'
Cartoon:
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Make A Difference! How Much Easier Could It Get?
Need a reason to get up in the morning? Here's one: With six clicks of your computer, free of charge, once a day you can channel corporate money to fighting world hunger, breast cancer, infant mortality, illiteracy, deforestation, and abandoned pets. I'm serious. No tricks, no catches, no bullshit. To make this even easier, henceforth you can find this site's main link on the in my favorites list on the left side of this page.
Cartoon:
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Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Windows of Opportunity...
Seven-second delays couldn't tame Groucho Marx if he were alive today, a party guest pointed out Sunday. Half a minute would pass before the censors figured out the joke! Case in point, on "You Bet Your Life," Groucho interviewed a woman who'd had eight children in ten years. "I like my cigar, too...," he quipped, "but occasionally I take it out of my mouth... : - )
Wild snowstorms couldn't hold back Thomas' departure. As I write this he's half-way to Bogotá and a lovely eight-hour layover waiting for his flight to Buenos Aires (pictured left, Thomas' photo of the painted tenements in that city's La Boca neighborhood). Now you know how Thomas can afford to take two years off and see the world. : - ) He'll brave 18-hour bus rides, epic-length layovers, and fourth-class accomodations... It's called 'roughing it'....
Yesterday's day off seems to have set me back a week.... My throat is slightly sore, and my head poundeth. But I still want to make a date with Hitler...
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Monday, February 28, 2005
All Good Things Must...
A Toast to Thomas: His going-away party yesterday was a lovely coda to a great period of fun and charming experiences that I will not soon forget. Tomorrow, weather permitting, Thomas sets sail for new horizons and new wanderings, that will begin in Argentina and Brazil and likely lead through most of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.. But Thomas' spirit of adventure will live on in these parts, the trail of goodwill, good company, and good ideas he always leaves in his wake... My digital camera was on the blink yesterday, so here's a reproduced home-made party decoration:
From a recent issue of The Onion, my favorite feature, “What Do YOU Think?"
Question: “With obesity among children rising steadily, health experts say our school's physical education programs are woefully inadequate. What do you think?”
Answer 1: "Well, what do people expect? How are today's gym teachers supposed to motivate kids, now that homophobia, verbal harassment, and physical abuse are off limits?"
Answer 2: "I don't want my kids missing out on all that gym class offers. That's why I give them cruel nicknames, make them shower together, and snap them with wet towels."
Answer 3: "Oh good. It's our nation's schools that are to blame for my 200-pound son. Phew!"
Answer 4: "The dubious benefits of a mandatory exercise program weighed against the undeniable fattening of America's kids? Sounds like it's time for an in-depth shirts vs. skins debate."
Answer 5: "You know, sex burns a lot of calories. Teens love sex. I can't see why no one has thought of this before." 
Answer 6: "There are many reasons that a school should have an extensive Phys Ed program. For one thing, it's the best way to increase kids' interest in reading and math." this entry's permalink
Sunday, February 27, 2005
