Ring the bells

I don't want to alarm anyone, but I've written some daily things over at grungynoir and would like to keep it up. A good way to keep my sanity when faced against the current of a never ending stream of paperwork your average first-year teachery type person has to swim upstream against. Between the homeworks, quizzes, tests, forms, passes and inquiries I have to fill out, it's a wonder anyone decides to stay in this profession.

The Bureaucracy needs to keep it's meddlesome, nosy, fastidious head out of schoolwork.

On a somewhat concerning note, my laptop screen has developed a flicker. I'm hoping it's not a serious issue. Also, that it somehow resolves itself. I don't much care to watch the screen when it's all a-ripple.

I fixed up the connections on the back of those speakers Dad made years ago. Sound pretty good. They're set up in my room and I'm currently listening to Tom Waits' Orphans. Excellent album, I'm sure a quick google will find you any number of amazing reviews but I'll do you one better and link you to one: here ya go.

You might note that it's now "in vogue" (as vogue as literary circles are) to include the possessive "s" at the end of words that end in "s" and "z." So it would read "Tom Waits's" or "Krister Rollins's."

Note also that I do not prescribe to it. A logical fallacy is to immediately accept everything new as gospel: Appeal to novelty.

Of course there's a fallacy for sticking by something just because it's old (Appeal to tradition) and it might be what I'm guilty of. But I rather like the dropping the s. The two of them there looks silly.

God Damn It

People are moronic

This really upsets me. A lot.

First of all, I don't think that in a country with a supposed division between Church and State people should swear in on an anything, Bible, Koran, Talmud or Star Wars DVD.

BUT since that won't be going away any time soon I believe most fervently that you damn well better be swearing in on a book that means something to you. A book that will instill in you the impetus to achieve great heights in representing your state. A Muslim swearing in on a Bible would be like an Atheist swearing in on a Bible. Or a Christian swearing in on an X-Men comic. Sure there are things in there you might like but it is not the foundation of your belief system.

If I had to do it, I'd be swearing in on Slaughterhouse Five.

The other really upsetting thing is the huge percentage of Americans that are upset by this and that feel that this is at it's core a Christian nation. Founded by Christians, for Christians. Were our founding fathers Christian? Some of them. Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Payne and Allen were all Deists, though. They denied the divinity of Christ. No where in the Constitution does it say anything about God or Jesus. As a matter of fact the First Amendment pretty clearly states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

No law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Right there. Seems pretty cut and dry to me. The Founding Fathers agreed that God had no place in the law of the land.

So stop saying it's a Christian country, Dinks! It's a Country. A lot of the people in it are Christian. A lot of the people in it are men, too. A lot are white. A lot are blue collar workers. That doesn't make the country or it's laws any of these things.

I say, let Ellison swear in on the fucking Koran. It'll at least shut me up.

On Birthdays

Turned 23 today. All in all an unregrettable day. In classes today, instead of teaching regular spanish I opted for something a little more "fun" from my point of view. We discussed, and by discussed I mean I lectured, linguistic theory that I've been learning from Stephen Pinker's excellent (so far, maybe it takes a turn for the worse in the third act) The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language. I'm learning a lot of cool exciting stuff and had a good time teaching it today as well as yesterday. When I caught the kids paying attention was, of course, the most rewarding. But I wasn't expecting them to for the entire time, there's a lot to listen and catch up on.

I skipped out on teacher's collaborative. Good for me.

Went out to dinner on mum's treat. We went to Dimitri's Restaurant in Scarborough. I had a very good shrimp dish and a fried/scalded cheese appetizer. Both were delicious and I accompanied them with a red wine by Daniel's. Also, I'd never eaten Orzo before so that was an experience. Between the shrimp and the orzo I must say I had a texturally significant meal.

Came home via Bull Moose and watched Firefly. Skimmed over stuff to cover tomorrow in Spanish II. Wrote this. Going to bed.

Also, tons of people posted birthday congratulations on Facebook and - lame as this potentially seems - I'm touched.

And if you want to see some cool stuff, check out Tom Waits' video for Lie to Me and Chocolate Jesus. This man has three kids! I wonder if they realize how cool their dad is or if they're completely disillusioned with him. They'd have to listen to over-polished pop to upset him.

Also, happy birthday Ed Harris, Jon Stewart and William Blake. Those motherfuckers know what I'm talking about.

Thanksgiving Weekend: A Reflection

Mmm. Thanksgiving. Much good food. Good cheer.

Thanksgiving was in New Hampshire at the house of Aunt Bonnie. She cooked us up a mighty fine amalgam of foods and we had good pies and good wines. I certainly drank a lot of it.

Next night Dad, Lynn Ann and I went out to Chicky's and caught a pretty good band called the Tone Kings. I'll write up a post about it in a matter of time, small or large. I just have to transcribe it from my notebook. Good times although the food, French Fries, biscuit and gravy and a chicken fried steak (healthiest meal I've had in a while) did NOT agree with me. I cruised around later and cleaned the car, caught up on some Silver Surfer lore. Gave me some ideas for a movie, maybe. Fleshed out some ideas, anyway.

Drove over to Nick's after that. Creepy fucking place when you're all alone and not used to it. Any sort of maniac with a pointy sharp thing coulda rapped at the window, grinning like a wild infant. Would've skinned me alive and not even thought twice about it.

Saturday I had dinner up to Patrick's. Good times, saw some Wondershowzen. Nice to see Pat and Audrey, too. Then a party at Nick's. I had quite a good time philosophizing.

Sunday I got up at 8 AM and moved some heavy household equipment, washers and dryers mostly. Went in to school got some grading done. Postponed tutelage on account of her having spent some amount of time in Jail.

Anyway. Good times.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for these reasons:
It's difficult to commercialize it (you only buy food to celebrate it).
It's actually got a worthwhile message. No exclusivicity, you don't have to be Christian or Jewish or even American, I feel, to celebrate it.
Food!

I like that you're supposed to take a moment and think about everything that's gotten you to your seat at that table that day. Turn around and thank all the boosts and all support and friends and luck and strangers and laws and all that random stuff that's cobbled together to form your life.

So before you take a bite of that big juicy turkey (or tofurkey, for you insane vegetarians) say 'Thanks' to someone!

I'm thankful for friends and job-opportunities. I'm thankful for my degree and the four years at school before I got that. I'm thankful for family and food. I'm thankful for books and the turn in the political tide. I'm thankful for those who stand up for those who can't. I'm thankful to be in America (though I think I'd be just as happy in Europe or Australia). I'm thankful for big comfy beds and warm blankets. I'm thankful for the Simpson's seasons 1-8. For brainstorms. For notebooks and pencils.

The list could keep going.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So

I just cleaned up my room! It's so tidy and neat and I can hardly stand it. I'm excited and hope I can keep it in this state forever. In the end, of course, it will all fall apart. But until then! Man, oh man.

Also, my wisdom teeth are all coming out on December 8th starting 'round 8 in the AM. The Doctor has told me there was an infection back there and given me penicillin and vicodin (under a different name) to deal with it for the interim.

I have entirely too many movies. But I don't want to get rid of any of them. For the most part. I could probably stand to part with a few. But whatever. Same goes for the books. There's a bunch I haven't read and mostly likely won't read but I like having them around. The movies I haven't seen you can be pretty sure I'll watch. Not always as true with the books.

Went to the final Kickball thing of the season. Was pretty cool. Got some free beers. Decided I'll sign up again in the spring. They want me back as their first baseman! And I hope we have some practices. It was a good time and I'm looking forward to the time when we can have a more positive team.

Think I might pop in a game to play. Or a movie to watch. Or perhaps some glorious combo.

My Rough

A rough description of my train of thought about two minutes ago:

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
KRISTER, 22, lies asleep in bed. Offscreen we hear footstamps creaking downstairs. Krister stirs slightly, perhaps he's awake but only just barely. The trip trap of dog claws on the floor. The footsteps of his mother behind them.

MARY (O.S.)
Maxx, wanna go outside?

Krister's eyes shoot open like champagne corks popping. He stares crazily around the room. Has he overslept? His eyes swing to the clock and his face drops. 7:16. Shit! He's supposed to be at school by now! Why didn't the alarm clock go off? Why didn't his mother wake him up? Does she not know he's here?

A thought occurs as he looks past the clock to the darkness of the window. Why is it pitch black at 7:16 in the AM? Unless...

It all snaps in place in front of him. It's Friday. Friday night.

As Krister sighs the word of relief:

KRISTER
Yessss....

He jerks the arm in a move traditionally saved for superbowl athletics when the last touchdown is scored by the winning team.



PS. I know it's not a good "script" because of all the speculation and though. Fuck you.

Also, I like that my thought upon processing all that stuff that happened was "Clearly, this needs to be a blog post."

Gmail

Shameless Gmail promotion following:
I really like it!
End shameless Gmail promotion.

Well Done

Well done, America. I must admit I had my doubts things would turn out the way the did. I was pretty certain about the House falling to the Democrats but was overjoyed to hear the Senate did as well.

Now don't screw it up.

Also, I'm kinda disgusted that it took so much in the way of scandals, lies, wars etc. to change the tide. I feel like there was more than enough to justify complete regime change in the '04 elections. And yet it took an additional two years of misdeeds and malfeasances. Ah well.

Keep up the good work!

Tired

God damn. Exhausted. Falling asleep at school.
Also, cute record store chick keeps getting all my money! Damn her ladylike wiles.