It seems my Millemium Salmon answer to Friday's Feast tickled a few fancies. To be perfectly honest, that was a toss away answer. When I read the question, I had absolutely no idea how to respond. A half second later Millenium Salmon popped into my head, through my fingers, and onto the Internets. The positive response has been unanimous. K deemed the post "the geekiest thing I have ever heard from you. :)" In case you've forgotten, K keeps a Starfleet uniform in her closet and a copy of Neil Gaiman's latest comicbook/book/blogpost on her nightstand. High geek praise, indeed. Michael, on the other hand, gave it the " Oh my gosh, that's funny!" I once saw a laughing Mike squirt milk out of his nose. Ah, the joys of the RHS band lounge. While I'm glad he enjoyed the post, I hope dairy products were not within reach. T honored my post with mad props on her own blog. This is a blogger who posts about chickens in boxes, in-breeding jokes, and her Sith Lord children. Considering one of her recents posts is titled "All your zucchini are belong to us," I'm honored to have made the cut.
Although the name started as a joke, I now realize that any water going craft that might one day be piloted by me, Han Sole, and my trusty partner, Channelcatfish, must be named Millenium Salmon. Oddly enough, there's been some talk around the house about owning a canoe one day. Hmmmm . . .
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
My Space
The office rennovation project continues. I'm not one of those people who can work in a sterile office space. Several of my colleagues, both here at SMC and various other institutions, seem to take that stark, minimalist approach to office decorating. You can't find a picture of a friend, family member or pet, let alone a pen, pencil, or book. In fact, it's difficult to tell anyone even sits at the desk on a regular basis. That kind of environment just doesn't work for me. Every office space I've occupied, even if it was only a desk, announced "D Lives Here!"
My present office is no exception . . . except that I now have an entire office to myself. Green Lantern (the JLA Animated John Stewart), Mace Windu, Jabba's Palace Luke Skywalker, Shaak-Ti, Luminara, Superman, Godzilla, and Devil Ducky inhabit various regions of my desk. Ymir and diecast versions of the Justice League animated grace my bookshelf. The wall next to my desk displays an assortment of band posters, popular culture postcards (Blondie, Sid Vicious, Star Trek), and interesting advertisements. With the decorating essentially finished, I turned to music.
Since I spend a great deal of time in my office, I decided to rip a few CDs to the ol' HD. This is a new practice for me--I usually don't play music through my computer. However, since I really don't have any other media system in my office, the computer has to suffice. I loaded the following CDs earlier today.
Liz Phair--Exile In Guysville
Liz Phair--whitechocolatespaceegg
The Clash--London Calling
The Ramones--Ramones Mania
The Muffs--Really Really Happy
Metric--Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
Joy Division--Unknown Pleasures
Ray Charles--The Very Best of Ray Charles
Miles Davis--Kind of Blue
The Sex Pistols--Englands Burning Ha Ha Ha
Blondie--The Best of Blondie
Siouxsie Sioux and the Bashees--The Best of
It's an eclectic mix, but it should keep me occupied when I tire of Internets radio.
My present office is no exception . . . except that I now have an entire office to myself. Green Lantern (the JLA Animated John Stewart), Mace Windu, Jabba's Palace Luke Skywalker, Shaak-Ti, Luminara, Superman, Godzilla, and Devil Ducky inhabit various regions of my desk. Ymir and diecast versions of the Justice League animated grace my bookshelf. The wall next to my desk displays an assortment of band posters, popular culture postcards (Blondie, Sid Vicious, Star Trek), and interesting advertisements. With the decorating essentially finished, I turned to music.
Since I spend a great deal of time in my office, I decided to rip a few CDs to the ol' HD. This is a new practice for me--I usually don't play music through my computer. However, since I really don't have any other media system in my office, the computer has to suffice. I loaded the following CDs earlier today.
Liz Phair--Exile In Guysville
Liz Phair--whitechocolatespaceegg
The Clash--London Calling
The Ramones--Ramones Mania
The Muffs--Really Really Happy
Metric--Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
Joy Division--Unknown Pleasures
Ray Charles--The Very Best of Ray Charles
Miles Davis--Kind of Blue
The Sex Pistols--Englands Burning Ha Ha Ha
Blondie--The Best of Blondie
Siouxsie Sioux and the Bashees--The Best of
It's an eclectic mix, but it should keep me occupied when I tire of Internets radio.
The Feast Just Keeps on Coming!
Friday's Feast, September 23, 2005
Appetizer--Name something someone has done lately that impressed you.
Several students gave outstanding speeches.
Soup--Do you have any relaxing rituals? If so, what are they?
Reading a science fiction/fantasy novel usually winds me down late at night. A good run can also be relaxing . . . about a half hour after it's finished.
Salad--If you could spend the winter season somewhere other than your current location, where would you choose to stay?
I think I'd pick LA. The weather is more temperate and I'd be able to take in some great shows/bands.
Main Course--When was the last time you had dinner out, and what was the name of the restaurant?
Mabe's Pizza.
Dessert--If you had a boat, what would you name it?
The Millenium Salmon.
Appetizer--Name something someone has done lately that impressed you.
Several students gave outstanding speeches.
Soup--Do you have any relaxing rituals? If so, what are they?
Reading a science fiction/fantasy novel usually winds me down late at night. A good run can also be relaxing . . . about a half hour after it's finished.
Salad--If you could spend the winter season somewhere other than your current location, where would you choose to stay?
I think I'd pick LA. The weather is more temperate and I'd be able to take in some great shows/bands.
Main Course--When was the last time you had dinner out, and what was the name of the restaurant?
Mabe's Pizza.
Dessert--If you had a boat, what would you name it?
The Millenium Salmon.
Monday, September 19, 2005
Making Something Out of Nothing
It seems that Gene over at Something out of nothing is putting away the quill and ink and a small gap opens in my little corner of the Internets.
Several years ago, when my life and mind were in a shambles, Gene helped me sort out some extremely messed up thinking. He didn't always agree with my choices and actions, but he always listened and he always had an appropriate question to ask or anecdote to share. I can't even begin to estimate how many late night cigarettes we smoked during our long distance conversations. Smokes aside, our conversations usually resulted in more questions than answers . . . and that was a good thing. I can't speak for Gene, but I was in a place where I really didn't know what I wanted. I thought I knew, but I didn't. As I had done so many times in the past, I'd deluded myself into idealizing a situation to the point where I couldn't distinguish the true from the false. Our conversations, and the questions those conversations raised, were an important part of a process that eventually brought some clarity to my thoughts.
During the year it took to regain some mental perspective, an extremely painful year for both myself and Gene, I visited Something out of nothing several times a day. At the time, Gene updated the site almost every day, usually in the wee hours of the morning. While he'll likely dismiss the meaningfulness of his blogging, his posts meant something to me. Sometimes he mentioned our conversations, adding his thoughts to our suspended dialogue, and sometimes he didn't. Some days he'd turn a self-reflexive lens on his past experiences and actions; other days he'd recount a trip to the store. Despite the topic, I always enjoyed reading his work (and admired his writing ability, something I'll never match). On more than one occasion his posts forced me to take a deep breath, lean back in my desk chair, and reflect on my own life.
I'm not one to beg people to continue writing when they've lost the passion for the work. From Gene's final post, it's obvious the time has come for Something out of nothing to conclude. The site served its purpose, I suppose, for both Gene and this faithful reader.
Thanks, Gene. Although you probably never intended it when you started writing your blog, you really did make something out of nothing.
Several years ago, when my life and mind were in a shambles, Gene helped me sort out some extremely messed up thinking. He didn't always agree with my choices and actions, but he always listened and he always had an appropriate question to ask or anecdote to share. I can't even begin to estimate how many late night cigarettes we smoked during our long distance conversations. Smokes aside, our conversations usually resulted in more questions than answers . . . and that was a good thing. I can't speak for Gene, but I was in a place where I really didn't know what I wanted. I thought I knew, but I didn't. As I had done so many times in the past, I'd deluded myself into idealizing a situation to the point where I couldn't distinguish the true from the false. Our conversations, and the questions those conversations raised, were an important part of a process that eventually brought some clarity to my thoughts.
During the year it took to regain some mental perspective, an extremely painful year for both myself and Gene, I visited Something out of nothing several times a day. At the time, Gene updated the site almost every day, usually in the wee hours of the morning. While he'll likely dismiss the meaningfulness of his blogging, his posts meant something to me. Sometimes he mentioned our conversations, adding his thoughts to our suspended dialogue, and sometimes he didn't. Some days he'd turn a self-reflexive lens on his past experiences and actions; other days he'd recount a trip to the store. Despite the topic, I always enjoyed reading his work (and admired his writing ability, something I'll never match). On more than one occasion his posts forced me to take a deep breath, lean back in my desk chair, and reflect on my own life.
I'm not one to beg people to continue writing when they've lost the passion for the work. From Gene's final post, it's obvious the time has come for Something out of nothing to conclude. The site served its purpose, I suppose, for both Gene and this faithful reader.
Thanks, Gene. Although you probably never intended it when you started writing your blog, you really did make something out of nothing.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Sunday's Feast
Friday's Feast, September 15, 2005
Appetizer--Do your closer friends tend to be male or female? Why do you think that is?
Definitely women. While I have a couple male friends, I have numerous female friends. Truthfully, I'm more comfortable around women. With men I think there's often a pissing contest to see who's more cool, knowledgeable about masculine things, and the like.* Whatever.
Soup--If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, what would it be?
How about the ability to dance ballet? I've always admired the skill and grace of ballet dancers.
Salad--Name a household cleaning item that you would recommend to others.
A Starbucks Barista grinder. If you're a coffee geek, like me, this is an affordable grinder that gets the job done. It reportedly produces grinds the equivalent of some of the much more expensive burr grinders.
Main Course--What do you strive for in life?
Serenity.
Dessert--On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how funny do you consider yourself?
Well, I think I'm hilarious. I'm a 10! This question could be better answered by STK or some of my friends.
Appetizer--Do your closer friends tend to be male or female? Why do you think that is?
Definitely women. While I have a couple male friends, I have numerous female friends. Truthfully, I'm more comfortable around women. With men I think there's often a pissing contest to see who's more cool, knowledgeable about masculine things, and the like.* Whatever.
Soup--If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, what would it be?
How about the ability to dance ballet? I've always admired the skill and grace of ballet dancers.
Salad--Name a household cleaning item that you would recommend to others.
A Starbucks Barista grinder. If you're a coffee geek, like me, this is an affordable grinder that gets the job done. It reportedly produces grinds the equivalent of some of the much more expensive burr grinders.
Main Course--What do you strive for in life?
Serenity.
Dessert--On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how funny do you consider yourself?
Well, I think I'm hilarious. I'm a 10! This question could be better answered by STK or some of my friends.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
I'm Just Wild About Meetings!
One of the things I didn't anticipate in my shift from adjunct-work-for-next-to- nothing-instructor to assistant-work-for-slightly-more-realistic-wage- professor is the number of meetings I have to attend each week. Presently, I have at least two, sometimes three, meetings a week. After the New-Kid-On-Block moniker wears off, I'm sure I'll be asked to serve on any number of college committees. Even with all the meetings, my present job sure beats the heck out of working a 9-5. I might be on a campus for eight hours a day, but much of that time is spent reading, thinking, teaching, and advising students. I count myself lucky that the days of sitting behind a desk doing the same thing over, and over, and over are long behind me.
One of the cool perks of my new job concerns travel funds. In the past, whenever I attended an academic conference my bank account took a pounding. This year, since I'm presenting a paper at a national conference, the school picks up the entire tab. As such, STK and TLO are attending the conference with me. While I'm at the actual conference, they'll tag along or do their own thing. The only real expenses for the trip are STK's airfare, which we snagged for $210, and food. Come mid-November, I'll be communing with Samuel Adams at his resting place. I'm also trying to swing a day trip to Concord (Walden Pond, in particular--I worship at the feet of Emerson and Thoreau). We'll see if we can work that in during our four day stay. We'll probably try to do the Freedom Trail thing, too. I wrote my MA thesis on Samuel Adams and the Boston Committees of Correspondence and can't wait to see the locales I envisioned in my mind's eye. I probably know more about the history of Boston than most, at least the decade or so leading up to the American Revolution, but have never visited the city. Go figure.
One of the cool perks of my new job concerns travel funds. In the past, whenever I attended an academic conference my bank account took a pounding. This year, since I'm presenting a paper at a national conference, the school picks up the entire tab. As such, STK and TLO are attending the conference with me. While I'm at the actual conference, they'll tag along or do their own thing. The only real expenses for the trip are STK's airfare, which we snagged for $210, and food. Come mid-November, I'll be communing with Samuel Adams at his resting place. I'm also trying to swing a day trip to Concord (Walden Pond, in particular--I worship at the feet of Emerson and Thoreau). We'll see if we can work that in during our four day stay. We'll probably try to do the Freedom Trail thing, too. I wrote my MA thesis on Samuel Adams and the Boston Committees of Correspondence and can't wait to see the locales I envisioned in my mind's eye. I probably know more about the history of Boston than most, at least the decade or so leading up to the American Revolution, but have never visited the city. Go figure.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
The Return of Friday's Feast!
Friday's Feast, 09/09/05
Appetizer--Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
STK, without question. I can talk to her about absolutely anything.
Soup--If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Athens, most likely. I'd love to see ancient rhetoric in action.
Salad--What is the most exciting event you've ever witnessed?
The Denver Nuggets home win vs the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2004 NBA playoffs. The atmposphere at the Pepsi Center was totally insane.
Main Course--If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
Proselytize about Scientology. No, wait. That's been done. I'd probably fake my death and disappear. I don't think I could stand all that attention.
Dessert--What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
Uh, 37?
Appetizer--Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
STK, without question. I can talk to her about absolutely anything.
Soup--If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
Athens, most likely. I'd love to see ancient rhetoric in action.
Salad--What is the most exciting event you've ever witnessed?
The Denver Nuggets home win vs the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2004 NBA playoffs. The atmposphere at the Pepsi Center was totally insane.
Main Course--If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
Proselytize about Scientology. No, wait. That's been done. I'd probably fake my death and disappear. I don't think I could stand all that attention.
Dessert--What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
Uh, 37?
Saturday, September 10, 2005
The Precious Self
The whole world we travel with our thoughts,
Finding nowhere anyone as precious as one's own self.
Since each and every person is so precious to themselves
Let the self-respecting harm no other being.
-Samyutta Nikaya
Finding nowhere anyone as precious as one's own self.
Since each and every person is so precious to themselves
Let the self-respecting harm no other being.
-Samyutta Nikaya
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
RIP, Little Buddy
While several days have gone by since he left the desert isle for good, I feel compelled to comment on the passing of Bob Denver or, as I'll always remember him, Gilligan. Gilligan's Island is one of those shows that people either love or hate. I've never encountered a single person who said, "Eh, it was okay." Let's face it, the show wasn't all that deep. The narrative sequencing is repetitive, the characters one dimensional, and the general content is kind of like cotton candy--it looks and tastes great but there isn't a whole lot of substance.
And I loved every episode. Gilligan provided a nickname for my dog and child (I frequently refer to both as "little buddy"), introduced me to the wonders of banana and coconut cream pie, and never failed to elicit a smile from my face. I really can't put my finger on why I found Gilligan such a likeable fellow or why I still count the television show as one of my all-time favorites (right up there with The Dick Van Dyke Show and Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He was a bumbling fool, and an absolute imbecile, especially when the castaways were about to be rescued. That said, Gilligan was a genuine nice guy. He always helped the others out and rarely, if ever, put his own interests before anyone else.
My old authentic US Navy cap, provided by J (J could do a damned good imitation of Gilligan howling, "Skipper"), is off to the original little buddy. Thanks for everything, Willy.
And I loved every episode. Gilligan provided a nickname for my dog and child (I frequently refer to both as "little buddy"), introduced me to the wonders of banana and coconut cream pie, and never failed to elicit a smile from my face. I really can't put my finger on why I found Gilligan such a likeable fellow or why I still count the television show as one of my all-time favorites (right up there with The Dick Van Dyke Show and Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He was a bumbling fool, and an absolute imbecile, especially when the castaways were about to be rescued. That said, Gilligan was a genuine nice guy. He always helped the others out and rarely, if ever, put his own interests before anyone else.
My old authentic US Navy cap, provided by J (J could do a damned good imitation of Gilligan howling, "Skipper"), is off to the original little buddy. Thanks for everything, Willy.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Complete
There are too many things in this world to be learned, and life is too short to learn everything, so we should complete that which we have begun rather than dabbling in many things.
-Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, "Advice From a Spiritual Friend"
-Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, "Advice From a Spiritual Friend"
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Social Issues.
During the month of January, SMC (Small Midwest College for those who aren't up to speed) has J-Term. J-Term provides students the opportunity to take one class, and one class only, and focus all their attention on the subject matter. For example, it wouldn't be unusual for a professor to schedule 4-5 hours a day, MTWRF, and a discussion session in the evening. In essence, the students immerse themselves in the topic of study. J-Term classes are also an opportunity for faculy members to offer classes a little out of the ordinary. Some professors put together study abroad trips like a trip to the Canary Islands to study multicultural nonverbal communication or a journey to Japan to study/live the life of a Buddhist. I think I also read a course description for a trip to study the spiritual places of Great Britain. Other professors choose to stay close to home and offer such classes as The Politics of Rock and Roll (Political Science department), Environmental Philosophy, or Midwest Winter Ecology (Biology).
Friday, the department Head informed me that I need to design/suggest a course for the J-Term. After a bit of thought, I'm thinking of offering a class on science fiction and fantasy films and television. Rather than a survey course that simply teaches the history of science fiction and fantasy, I want to focus on the way science fiction and fantasy texts have addressed important social issues. I've become increasingly interested in this topic over the summer.
I've always been interested in the way popular culture artifacts invite us to enter a dialogue about social problematics. An episode of Everwood might encourage us to discuss teenage sexuality, a storyline on Alias might suggest we rethink The Patriot Act, and 30 Days could inspire a dialogue regarding poverty and the minimum wage. This summer has produced a variety of similar examples within the genre of science fiction and fantasy. The latest Harry Potter book, for instance, enters the public debate regarding terrorism, George Lucas allegedly critiques the Bush administration in Revenge of the Sith, and the remake of War of the Worlds revisits the images of 9-11. And so, I thought I'd offer a J-Term course that examines how we use science fiction/fantasy films and television as a way to make sense of the world around us (or challenge the sense we've made, maybe?). Some examples of film/television and their corresponding topics might include:
Forbidden Planet/The Day the Earth Stood Still/Planet of the Apes--WMDs
The Things from Another Planet/Invasion of the Body Snatchers/War of the Worlds/E.T./Edward Scissorhands--Fear of the other/Xenophobia
Lord of the Rings/Star Wars--Issues of Good vs Evil.
Blade Runner/The Terminator/Frankenstein--Technology out of control.
Logan's Run/A Clockwork Orange/1984/Minority Report--social engineering and/or privacy issues.
Existenz/The Matrix--Epistemological issues: how do we know what we know?
Buffy/Smallville--any number of teen issues.
Based on my brainstorming, I'm pretty sure I can develop an excellent class. Texts for the class would include books that offer academic critiques of film/television such as From Alien to The Matrix : Reading Science Fiction Film, and Liquid Metal: The Science Fiction Film Reader. I'd also put together a series of eReserve readings consisting of journal articles and pieces from the popular media (like When Harry Met Osama).
Any thoughts? Any additional films/television shows I could add? How about topics? I think this could be a pretty engaging class.
Friday, the department Head informed me that I need to design/suggest a course for the J-Term. After a bit of thought, I'm thinking of offering a class on science fiction and fantasy films and television. Rather than a survey course that simply teaches the history of science fiction and fantasy, I want to focus on the way science fiction and fantasy texts have addressed important social issues. I've become increasingly interested in this topic over the summer.
I've always been interested in the way popular culture artifacts invite us to enter a dialogue about social problematics. An episode of Everwood might encourage us to discuss teenage sexuality, a storyline on Alias might suggest we rethink The Patriot Act, and 30 Days could inspire a dialogue regarding poverty and the minimum wage. This summer has produced a variety of similar examples within the genre of science fiction and fantasy. The latest Harry Potter book, for instance, enters the public debate regarding terrorism, George Lucas allegedly critiques the Bush administration in Revenge of the Sith, and the remake of War of the Worlds revisits the images of 9-11. And so, I thought I'd offer a J-Term course that examines how we use science fiction/fantasy films and television as a way to make sense of the world around us (or challenge the sense we've made, maybe?). Some examples of film/television and their corresponding topics might include:
Forbidden Planet/The Day the Earth Stood Still/Planet of the Apes--WMDs
The Things from Another Planet/Invasion of the Body Snatchers/War of the Worlds/E.T./Edward Scissorhands--Fear of the other/Xenophobia
Lord of the Rings/Star Wars--Issues of Good vs Evil.
Blade Runner/The Terminator/Frankenstein--Technology out of control.
Logan's Run/A Clockwork Orange/1984/Minority Report--social engineering and/or privacy issues.
Existenz/The Matrix--Epistemological issues: how do we know what we know?
Buffy/Smallville--any number of teen issues.
Based on my brainstorming, I'm pretty sure I can develop an excellent class. Texts for the class would include books that offer academic critiques of film/television such as From Alien to The Matrix : Reading Science Fiction Film, and Liquid Metal: The Science Fiction Film Reader. I'd also put together a series of eReserve readings consisting of journal articles and pieces from the popular media (like When Harry Met Osama).
Any thoughts? Any additional films/television shows I could add? How about topics? I think this could be a pretty engaging class.
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