Okay. I have a great story for you.
You guys know Mikey, right? Opera Mike? Michael Hugh Blocksidge, one of my roommates, from Rocky River, Ohio. He's a music and business major. Every summer, he goes back to Rocky River and works at a day camp for children with special needs, like Marcos and Hoffy did that one summer.
He used to work with the kid Maris who had a big swollen hand and would chase other kids around and shout "It's contagious! It's contagious!!" and I loved Mikey's impression of that.
Well, Maris graduated, but Mikey says there's a kid to take his place. I forget his name, but he has Williams syndrome, which Mikey says is like autism. Mental retardation, all that stuff.
Mikey tells me the kid was in the pool, and decided to poop. Then pick it up and throw it around. Then get all pissed off and splash it around.
So Mikey had to put a stop to that. Lots of handling of poop there. But that's not the best part (BELIEVE IT OR NOT!).
Mikey tells me about this, and sends me the link to the Wikipedia article about Williams syndrome, so I have an idea what he's talking about. And I read "unusually cheerful demeanor" as one of the traits of people with Williams syndrome, so I say, at least he has a cheerful demeanor. And if only I had kept the AIM conversation Mikey and I had, I could put his actual words. But it was something like
goatzilla14:FUCKING LIE
goatzilla14:that is so not true
And I tell him, edit Wikipedia then. And he says, "hang on...i'm going to create an account."
The next thing he sends me is a message that says something like "A Wikipedia bot has flagged your entry for inappropriate language." And he says, hang on, I have another idea.
Then he sends me the whole Williams article again. Read the first line under "Symptoms" in the article now. I just about died laughing.
If you didn't follow, Mikey added "with frequent swings into an unfathomable rage" after "cheerful demeanor." I like to think about Mikey cowering in fear in front of a raging elf-like eight-year-old.
I love to think about it, in fact.
Okay that's all for today.
Love,
Steve
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Life in Dayton: worthwhile?
Yesterday I had my first tutoring session with the STEP English students. It should have been only half the group, eight or nine students, but it was actually all of them, 17. The reason is, they didn't come to the tutorial Monday because of a mistaken e-mail from the professor. So they all came yesterday. Catchai?
And it went pretty well. Beforehand I was paranoid that I wouldn't have enough material to fill 75 minutes, but I wound up doing that easily. In fact, I didn't get to everything I thought I would. Oh well.
We went over MLA style, thrilling as it is, and I gave them one of my papers as an example.
Then I had this idea that I would play them a song and they would correct the grammar in the lyrics. I thought it was a pretty typical Steve Weishampel assignment. So I brought in "Cattle and the Creeping Things" by The Hold Steady. Allow me to present the lyrics to you.
The Hold Steady – “Cattle and the Creeping Things”
They got to the part with the cattle and the creeping things.
They said, “I'm pretty sure we've heard this one before.
Don't it all end up in some revelation with four guys on horses, and violent red visions; famine and death and pestilence and war?
I'm pretty sure I heard this one before.”
You in the corner with a good-looking drifter.
Two cups of coffee and ten packs of sugar.
I heard Gideon saw you in Denver.
He said you're contagious.
Silly rabbit. Tripping is for teenagers. Murder is for murderers. And hard drugs are for bartenders. I think I might have mentioned that before.
He's got the pages in his pockets that he ripped out of the Bible from his bedstand in the motel.
He likes the part where the traders get chased out from the temple.
I guess I heard about original sin.
I heard the dudes blamed the chick.
I heard the chick blamed the snake.
And I heard they were naked when they got busted.
And I heard things ain't been the same since.
You on the streets with a tendency to preach to the choir.
Wired for sound and down with whatever.
I heard Gideon did you in Denver.
She's got a cross around her neck that she ripped off from a schoolgirl in the subway on a visit to the city.
She likes how it looks on her chest with three open buttons.
She likes the part where one brother kills the other.
She has to wonder if the world ever will recover. Because Cain and Abel seem to still be causing trouble.
She said, “I was seeing double for three straight days after I got born again.
It felt strange but it was nice and peaceful and it really pleased me to be around so many people.
Of course, half of them were visions but half of them were friends from going through the program with me.
Later on we did some sexy things. Took a couple photographs and carved them into wood reliefs.
But that's enough about me. Come on, tell me how you got down here into Ybor City.”
He said, “I got to the part about the Exodus. And up to then I only knew it was a movement of the people.
But if small-town cops are like swarms of flies and blackened foil is like boils and hail, I'm pretty sure I’ve been through this before.”
It seemed like a simple place to score.
Then some old lady came to the door and said, “McKenzie Phillips doesn't live here anymore.”
Of course, we listened to the song first. I think they didn't exactly love it. I plan on bringing a more pop rock song next time, I guess. But then one kid asked if he could borrow the CD after the class, so that's nice.
As a side note, I fucking absolutely love when he sings "If small-town cops are like swarms of flies and blackened foil is like boils and hail." It just sounds really awesome, with the keyboard part. I'm sure you don't know what I mean.
Next time I think I'm going to ask them to write a reaction to the song, though. It's easier to find a song to ask people to react to rather than a song to correct grammar. Lots of songs are beyond help.
Anyway it went well. The rest of the week I have one-on-one tutoring, which I'm better at. Then theater people are coming to visit Dayton for a while. Exciting shit.
Which is a nice change. Generally this past week in Dayton can be characterized by lots of sitting around in near-uncomfortable warmth, wondering what to do.
Today I don't have to go to class, so I'm meeting Val for lunch. Then sitting around. Then the one-on-one tutoring. Then maybe meeting Beard for dinner if I can reach him. Then cleaning and going shopping.
WHAT A LIFE.
Love,
Steve
And it went pretty well. Beforehand I was paranoid that I wouldn't have enough material to fill 75 minutes, but I wound up doing that easily. In fact, I didn't get to everything I thought I would. Oh well.
We went over MLA style, thrilling as it is, and I gave them one of my papers as an example.
Then I had this idea that I would play them a song and they would correct the grammar in the lyrics. I thought it was a pretty typical Steve Weishampel assignment. So I brought in "Cattle and the Creeping Things" by The Hold Steady. Allow me to present the lyrics to you.
The Hold Steady – “Cattle and the Creeping Things”
They got to the part with the cattle and the creeping things.
They said, “I'm pretty sure we've heard this one before.
Don't it all end up in some revelation with four guys on horses, and violent red visions; famine and death and pestilence and war?
I'm pretty sure I heard this one before.”
You in the corner with a good-looking drifter.
Two cups of coffee and ten packs of sugar.
I heard Gideon saw you in Denver.
He said you're contagious.
Silly rabbit. Tripping is for teenagers. Murder is for murderers. And hard drugs are for bartenders. I think I might have mentioned that before.
He's got the pages in his pockets that he ripped out of the Bible from his bedstand in the motel.
He likes the part where the traders get chased out from the temple.
I guess I heard about original sin.
I heard the dudes blamed the chick.
I heard the chick blamed the snake.
And I heard they were naked when they got busted.
And I heard things ain't been the same since.
You on the streets with a tendency to preach to the choir.
Wired for sound and down with whatever.
I heard Gideon did you in Denver.
She's got a cross around her neck that she ripped off from a schoolgirl in the subway on a visit to the city.
She likes how it looks on her chest with three open buttons.
She likes the part where one brother kills the other.
She has to wonder if the world ever will recover. Because Cain and Abel seem to still be causing trouble.
She said, “I was seeing double for three straight days after I got born again.
It felt strange but it was nice and peaceful and it really pleased me to be around so many people.
Of course, half of them were visions but half of them were friends from going through the program with me.
Later on we did some sexy things. Took a couple photographs and carved them into wood reliefs.
But that's enough about me. Come on, tell me how you got down here into Ybor City.”
He said, “I got to the part about the Exodus. And up to then I only knew it was a movement of the people.
But if small-town cops are like swarms of flies and blackened foil is like boils and hail, I'm pretty sure I’ve been through this before.”
It seemed like a simple place to score.
Then some old lady came to the door and said, “McKenzie Phillips doesn't live here anymore.”
Of course, we listened to the song first. I think they didn't exactly love it. I plan on bringing a more pop rock song next time, I guess. But then one kid asked if he could borrow the CD after the class, so that's nice.
As a side note, I fucking absolutely love when he sings "If small-town cops are like swarms of flies and blackened foil is like boils and hail." It just sounds really awesome, with the keyboard part. I'm sure you don't know what I mean.
Next time I think I'm going to ask them to write a reaction to the song, though. It's easier to find a song to ask people to react to rather than a song to correct grammar. Lots of songs are beyond help.
Anyway it went well. The rest of the week I have one-on-one tutoring, which I'm better at. Then theater people are coming to visit Dayton for a while. Exciting shit.
Which is a nice change. Generally this past week in Dayton can be characterized by lots of sitting around in near-uncomfortable warmth, wondering what to do.
Today I don't have to go to class, so I'm meeting Val for lunch. Then sitting around. Then the one-on-one tutoring. Then maybe meeting Beard for dinner if I can reach him. Then cleaning and going shopping.
WHAT A LIFE.
Love,
Steve
Monday, June 26, 2006
STEP: good students, terrible management.
Man, the first day of STEP could have maybe gone worse. If wolves had eaten several students, or maybe if even bigger, meaner wolves had eaten more than several students.
As it was, though, it didn't go great.
I was pretty nervous about running a tutorial session with eight of the students, which was to take place at 6:30 this evening. I had no idea what I would do for an hour and fifteen minutes, or whether the kids would listen to me, or whether I really felt like talking about English rules for that long.
Fortunately, I didn't have to. The professor accidentally sent my class an email saying the tutorial was at 4:30 rather than 6:30, causing many to miss it. I wound up teaching MLA format to the Puerto Rican student. I got to speak Spanish a little.
So they're all coming tomorrow evening, rather than half the class today and half tomorrow. So that's fine. I just need to make a syllabus and come up with some kind of plan. I guess.
I'll let you know how that goes.
Love,
Steve
As it was, though, it didn't go great.
I was pretty nervous about running a tutorial session with eight of the students, which was to take place at 6:30 this evening. I had no idea what I would do for an hour and fifteen minutes, or whether the kids would listen to me, or whether I really felt like talking about English rules for that long.
Fortunately, I didn't have to. The professor accidentally sent my class an email saying the tutorial was at 4:30 rather than 6:30, causing many to miss it. I wound up teaching MLA format to the Puerto Rican student. I got to speak Spanish a little.
So they're all coming tomorrow evening, rather than half the class today and half tomorrow. So that's fine. I just need to make a syllabus and come up with some kind of plan. I guess.
I'll let you know how that goes.
Love,
Steve
Sunday, June 25, 2006
HOLD STEADY!
Tomorrow is the first day of classes for STEP, the "transition" program for students that will probably get into UD but need to pass two classes to prove that they're ready for college. At least, that's a very brief summary of the idea.
They all take English, then either philosophy, religion or history. Eric Eble and I are the English tutors and Zac Stinetorf is the philosophy tutor. Then there's Anna for history and Kat for religious studies. The students seem pretty good, I'd say. Most are ready to work and don't seem too upset about going to school during the summer.
So here's the story today: I got The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, which is the first album from The Hold Steady, about five months ago from Tony. It's pretty ridiculous.
The vocals are definitely the first thing you notice. Craig Finn doesn't bother singing--he just sort of barks out his lyrics, which focus completely on the stories of his friends and his own story. Usually these are riddled with drug use and regret in its various forms. I can't do justice to his lyrics with one example, but I do especially like "Tights and skirts, baby, skirts and tights. We used to shake it up in Shaker Heights," since Shaker Heights is up near Cleveland. The amazing thing is that the lyrics fit together, both within songs and between songs. All of the album fits together to create a sort of picture of his recent history, which he explains in this way: "Some nights we got so high that Michigan looked just like a mitten. Some nights we got fried." Not a message for the young and impressionable, maybe, but very fascinating, I think. Also, this wouldn't be a complete description of the singing of Craig Finn without a mention of his absolute disrespect for rhymes and equal line lengths.
Here's a way to explain the lyrics of The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me:
PERSONS OF THE PLAY
Craig Finn: a deep-voiced drug user, member of the Cityscape Skins (whatever they are)
Halleluiah/"Holly": drug user and apparent prostitute
Ellen Foley: possibly also a prostitute in the harbor bars
Charlemagne: Finn's friend and maybe dealer, probably deceased
Gideon: Finn's friend, member of the Cityscape Skins, now works in Michigan
Others: drug users, indie kids, bar crowds, bartenders, kids on the corner.
LOCATIONS
Ybor City, Florida
St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
Hostile, Massachusetts
Lowertown
East Coast
West Coast
The Middle West
Bay City, Michigan
Virginia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pensacola, Florida
Somewhere behind Finn's mumbling is the music, which is really very good--a sort of alternative hard-hitting rolling sound. They throw in a saxophone in my favorite, "Hostile, Massachusetts," and an organ or keyboard appears in a few others. Generally, though, the band just rips through four-minute rock songs and provides a sort of backdrop for the drama of Ybor City, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and mysterious Lowertown.
Anyway, I loved the album, and I soon discovered that The Hold Steady had produced a second, Separation Sunday. On their website only one track was available, so I downloaded it and pronounced it acceptable. A little repetitive, maybe, compared to the chorus-less "Swish" on Almost Killed Me, but definitely good.
Lyrically, Finn is much more focused on Separation Sunday. As far as I can tell, it's the story of Halleluiah/Holly, his friend? girlfriend? acquaintance? lover? sister? whatever. The album opens with Finn meeting Holly ("She said always remember / Never to trust me. She said that the first night that she met me.") and continues through Holly's fall into drugs and eventual rise through religion to a resurrection (the final track is "How a Resurrection Really Feels"). Mixed in are a few other characters and situations, as the lyrics again refer to other songs, both on this album and the previous one.
So:
PERSONS OF THE PLAY
Halleluiah/"Holly": a prostitute in Minnesota who lost her faith, struggled with drug addiction, and eventually left parties for religion
Craig Finn: still deep-voiced, he doesn't seem to love Holly but probably respects her
Charlemagne: definitely a drug dealer, apparently dead from a cocaine overdose
Your Little Hoodrat Friend: possibly Holly; Finn is emphatic that his relationship with this person is platonic
Stevie Nix: the singer of Fleetwood Mac gets a song title all her own, except she is not mentioned in the song
Gideon: apparently had sex with Holly in Denver
LOCATIONS
the banks of the Mississippi River
Penetration Park
Upper Midwest
Ybor City, Florida
St. Paul, Minnesota
confessionals
Denver, Colorado
Chicago, Illinois
New York City
I think I would give the edge to The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me in terms of lyrics, but just by a bit. At times Separation Sunday is a little forced, I think, because he tries to tell a more coherent story. They're still way, way better than anything anyone will ever sing in Top 40 songs. Hahahaha, I just made myself think of someone doing a Hold Steady song on American Idol. "If you don't get born again, at least you'll get high as hell!" on FOX. I would love that person forever.
The music, though, is notably different. This album is more blues-based, with distinctive guitar riffs and a lot, lot more keyboard. Usually "bluesy" would be a death sentence from me, but it works very well, especially in the second track, "Cattle and the Creeping Things." The whole album has a coherence and arc that I think works better than the lyrics. I wish for more bass (as the name of the blog indicates, bass is the most important instrument in rock, followed by drums and guitar. Vocals are optional and thus not included.), but it's still really good. See the strangely addictive "Charlemagne in Sweatpants" for an example of blues-influenced rock with good bass.
I'm trying to keep this one short, so I'll leave you with this:
Advantages: very solid rock songs; good use of organ/keyboard; fascinating lyrics--good enough that I sometimes read them without listening to the music; extremely catchy at times; anyone can sing along, if they get atonal and crazy-sounding enough.
Disadvantages: some people will hate Craig Finn's voice, and it's a big part of The Hold Steady; can very occasionally get repetitive, lyrically and musically; songs are not cheerful and treat some subjects, like religion and drug addiction, rather roughly.
Grade: B+. It could do just a little better sometimes, with its occasional slow out-of-place song ("Don't Let Me Explode," despite its awesome title, comes to mind). Overall, it just rocks.
The Hold Steady website
The Hold Steady lyrics page
Buy Separation Sunday on Amazon.com
That's today's story. Listen to The Hold Steady.
Love,
Steve
They all take English, then either philosophy, religion or history. Eric Eble and I are the English tutors and Zac Stinetorf is the philosophy tutor. Then there's Anna for history and Kat for religious studies. The students seem pretty good, I'd say. Most are ready to work and don't seem too upset about going to school during the summer.
So here's the story today: I got The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me, which is the first album from The Hold Steady, about five months ago from Tony. It's pretty ridiculous.
The vocals are definitely the first thing you notice. Craig Finn doesn't bother singing--he just sort of barks out his lyrics, which focus completely on the stories of his friends and his own story. Usually these are riddled with drug use and regret in its various forms. I can't do justice to his lyrics with one example, but I do especially like "Tights and skirts, baby, skirts and tights. We used to shake it up in Shaker Heights," since Shaker Heights is up near Cleveland. The amazing thing is that the lyrics fit together, both within songs and between songs. All of the album fits together to create a sort of picture of his recent history, which he explains in this way: "Some nights we got so high that Michigan looked just like a mitten. Some nights we got fried." Not a message for the young and impressionable, maybe, but very fascinating, I think. Also, this wouldn't be a complete description of the singing of Craig Finn without a mention of his absolute disrespect for rhymes and equal line lengths.
Here's a way to explain the lyrics of The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me:
PERSONS OF THE PLAY
Craig Finn: a deep-voiced drug user, member of the Cityscape Skins (whatever they are)
Halleluiah/"Holly": drug user and apparent prostitute
Ellen Foley: possibly also a prostitute in the harbor bars
Charlemagne: Finn's friend and maybe dealer, probably deceased
Gideon: Finn's friend, member of the Cityscape Skins, now works in Michigan
Others: drug users, indie kids, bar crowds, bartenders, kids on the corner.
LOCATIONS
Ybor City, Florida
St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
Hostile, Massachusetts
Lowertown
East Coast
West Coast
The Middle West
Bay City, Michigan
Virginia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pensacola, Florida
Somewhere behind Finn's mumbling is the music, which is really very good--a sort of alternative hard-hitting rolling sound. They throw in a saxophone in my favorite, "Hostile, Massachusetts," and an organ or keyboard appears in a few others. Generally, though, the band just rips through four-minute rock songs and provides a sort of backdrop for the drama of Ybor City, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and mysterious Lowertown.
Anyway, I loved the album, and I soon discovered that The Hold Steady had produced a second, Separation Sunday. On their website only one track was available, so I downloaded it and pronounced it acceptable. A little repetitive, maybe, compared to the chorus-less "Swish" on Almost Killed Me, but definitely good.
Lyrically, Finn is much more focused on Separation Sunday. As far as I can tell, it's the story of Halleluiah/Holly, his friend? girlfriend? acquaintance? lover? sister? whatever. The album opens with Finn meeting Holly ("She said always remember / Never to trust me. She said that the first night that she met me.") and continues through Holly's fall into drugs and eventual rise through religion to a resurrection (the final track is "How a Resurrection Really Feels"). Mixed in are a few other characters and situations, as the lyrics again refer to other songs, both on this album and the previous one.
So:
PERSONS OF THE PLAY
Halleluiah/"Holly": a prostitute in Minnesota who lost her faith, struggled with drug addiction, and eventually left parties for religion
Craig Finn: still deep-voiced, he doesn't seem to love Holly but probably respects her
Charlemagne: definitely a drug dealer, apparently dead from a cocaine overdose
Your Little Hoodrat Friend: possibly Holly; Finn is emphatic that his relationship with this person is platonic
Stevie Nix: the singer of Fleetwood Mac gets a song title all her own, except she is not mentioned in the song
Gideon: apparently had sex with Holly in Denver
LOCATIONS
the banks of the Mississippi River
Penetration Park
Upper Midwest
Ybor City, Florida
St. Paul, Minnesota
confessionals
Denver, Colorado
Chicago, Illinois
New York City
I think I would give the edge to The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me in terms of lyrics, but just by a bit. At times Separation Sunday is a little forced, I think, because he tries to tell a more coherent story. They're still way, way better than anything anyone will ever sing in Top 40 songs. Hahahaha, I just made myself think of someone doing a Hold Steady song on American Idol. "If you don't get born again, at least you'll get high as hell!" on FOX. I would love that person forever.
The music, though, is notably different. This album is more blues-based, with distinctive guitar riffs and a lot, lot more keyboard. Usually "bluesy" would be a death sentence from me, but it works very well, especially in the second track, "Cattle and the Creeping Things." The whole album has a coherence and arc that I think works better than the lyrics. I wish for more bass (as the name of the blog indicates, bass is the most important instrument in rock, followed by drums and guitar. Vocals are optional and thus not included.), but it's still really good. See the strangely addictive "Charlemagne in Sweatpants" for an example of blues-influenced rock with good bass.
I'm trying to keep this one short, so I'll leave you with this:
Advantages: very solid rock songs; good use of organ/keyboard; fascinating lyrics--good enough that I sometimes read them without listening to the music; extremely catchy at times; anyone can sing along, if they get atonal and crazy-sounding enough.
Disadvantages: some people will hate Craig Finn's voice, and it's a big part of The Hold Steady; can very occasionally get repetitive, lyrically and musically; songs are not cheerful and treat some subjects, like religion and drug addiction, rather roughly.
Grade: B+. It could do just a little better sometimes, with its occasional slow out-of-place song ("Don't Let Me Explode," despite its awesome title, comes to mind). Overall, it just rocks.
The Hold Steady website
The Hold Steady lyrics page
Buy Separation Sunday on Amazon.com
That's today's story. Listen to The Hold Steady.
Love,
Steve
Friday, June 23, 2006
Goodbye, Chile. Hello, hot as hell.
I'm not going to try to summarize Santiago. Sorry. I can tell you I improved my Spanish, and it helped convince me that I should maybe live outside the U.S. I think. Who fucking knows. Anyway it was awesome and I wish I could go again.
When I got home Joe surprised me by showing up. Boy's finally got a job in Chicago. It was cool to see him for about one day. Tuesday I came in, Thursday I left. Thanks, world.
Now I'm in Dayton for about six weeks, tutoring for STEP. That's Summer Transition Enrollment Program, the students who can get into UD if they pass two classes during the summer. I don't have a great idea what to expect, but it should be pretty good. Good summer job, especially considering the Santiago trip limited my time to earn money this summer.
What am I obsessed with lately? Good question. Separation Sunday, the second album from The Hold Steady. I'm predicting a review soon. It's just really good, even though he does not once say "Hold steady!"
I think that's all for now. I might have some other things to put up in the near future, but the first thing to do is buy a mouse. I'm not dealing with this touchpad shit.
I'm not sure I can deal with this Founders Hall during the summer shit either, but I don't see any other options.
More, better, posting tomorrow. For now, enjoy the regret index courtesy of Qwantz.com.
Love,
Steve
When I got home Joe surprised me by showing up. Boy's finally got a job in Chicago. It was cool to see him for about one day. Tuesday I came in, Thursday I left. Thanks, world.
Now I'm in Dayton for about six weeks, tutoring for STEP. That's Summer Transition Enrollment Program, the students who can get into UD if they pass two classes during the summer. I don't have a great idea what to expect, but it should be pretty good. Good summer job, especially considering the Santiago trip limited my time to earn money this summer.
What am I obsessed with lately? Good question. Separation Sunday, the second album from The Hold Steady. I'm predicting a review soon. It's just really good, even though he does not once say "Hold steady!"
I think that's all for now. I might have some other things to put up in the near future, but the first thing to do is buy a mouse. I'm not dealing with this touchpad shit.
I'm not sure I can deal with this Founders Hall during the summer shit either, but I don't see any other options.
More, better, posting tomorrow. For now, enjoy the regret index courtesy of Qwantz.com.
Love,
Steve
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Life in prison ain't what it used to be, I guess.
Ahh, if only there were more issues of Flyer News for me to pollute with my thoughts.
Take this Zacarias Moussaoui, the "twentieth hijacker" of September 11 who was given life in prison for helping plan the terrorist attacks.
On BBC News there is a poll and comment section for this story. And I am disgusted by how many people, many from the U.S., say the sentence is not hard enough. Moussaoui should be executed, they say.
Maybe they don't understand "life in prison." Life. In prison. Now, I'd never claim life outside of prison is exactly wonderful, but life in prison is probably even less so. Moussaoui will spend thirty or forty years wandering around, praying and lifting weights, and then he will die.
I guess that's just not enough for some people. They really want him to be executed, even if it takes several tries.
People! We're still executing here? What the fuck?
I know, I know. People will say "justice must be served." Their petty, vengeful, spiteful, pathetic concept of justice must be served by us slaves of justice.
Listen: I'm tired of hearing about justice. Justice has had its chance, and it just doesn't exist. Certainly not in the legal sense. The big secret is: I don't think we should be servants of justice. It's too subjective, mean-spirited, and slanted against the poor and minorities.
I recommend mercy instead. It has the backing of every major religion. It will never lead us to kill someone, guilty or innocent. Speaking practically, it would be a relief on our prison system. And it would promote tolerance, peace and unity.
I know some people speak of closure for the victims' families. That is fucked up.
This is dangerous territory. We're supposed to be polite, deferential, even in awe of victims' families, especially 9/11 families. But demanding the death of someone to make up for a previous death is petty and small-minded. I don't think it matters who you are. That's just a little crazy.
But whatever. I doubt we'll hear anything else about Moussaoui before he dies in jail.
In other news:
Only 15 days until I go to Chile. Shit, shit, shit.
Only about 2 days until I go back to Cuyahoga Falls. 3/4 done with undergrad. Ridiculous.
And I guess that's about it. I'm not sure I'll post again until the middle of the summer or so.
So, goodbye.
Love,
Steve
Take this Zacarias Moussaoui, the "twentieth hijacker" of September 11 who was given life in prison for helping plan the terrorist attacks.
On BBC News there is a poll and comment section for this story. And I am disgusted by how many people, many from the U.S., say the sentence is not hard enough. Moussaoui should be executed, they say.
Maybe they don't understand "life in prison." Life. In prison. Now, I'd never claim life outside of prison is exactly wonderful, but life in prison is probably even less so. Moussaoui will spend thirty or forty years wandering around, praying and lifting weights, and then he will die.
I guess that's just not enough for some people. They really want him to be executed, even if it takes several tries.
People! We're still executing here? What the fuck?
I know, I know. People will say "justice must be served." Their petty, vengeful, spiteful, pathetic concept of justice must be served by us slaves of justice.
Listen: I'm tired of hearing about justice. Justice has had its chance, and it just doesn't exist. Certainly not in the legal sense. The big secret is: I don't think we should be servants of justice. It's too subjective, mean-spirited, and slanted against the poor and minorities.
I recommend mercy instead. It has the backing of every major religion. It will never lead us to kill someone, guilty or innocent. Speaking practically, it would be a relief on our prison system. And it would promote tolerance, peace and unity.
I know some people speak of closure for the victims' families. That is fucked up.
This is dangerous territory. We're supposed to be polite, deferential, even in awe of victims' families, especially 9/11 families. But demanding the death of someone to make up for a previous death is petty and small-minded. I don't think it matters who you are. That's just a little crazy.
But whatever. I doubt we'll hear anything else about Moussaoui before he dies in jail.
In other news:
Only 15 days until I go to Chile. Shit, shit, shit.
Only about 2 days until I go back to Cuyahoga Falls. 3/4 done with undergrad. Ridiculous.
And I guess that's about it. I'm not sure I'll post again until the middle of the summer or so.
So, goodbye.
Love,
Steve
Friday, April 28, 2006
I almost feel guilty, doing so little during study days.
Oh, study days.
You make me so fucking lazy.
Yesterday I went to Bob Evans with T until 12, then slept from 12 to 2.
Then I literally sat around doing nothing until about 5.
At 5 I called the cops. Some people across the street had a megaphone and were saying dumb stuff into it. Fine, whatever.
Then a girl walked by and they said--as I recall--"You have a nice heiny. I want to touch it."
Whoops. Time for the UDPD.
Unfortunately, the cops would be about 20 minutes. Fine. I would wait. But 15 minutes later, when the guys hadn't said anything else with the megaphone, I realized the cops wouldn't be able to do anything. Especially since Jonny G, Justin and Jason, who were all on our porch at the time, hadn't noticed the comment. So I called the cops back and told them to forget it.
Then Justin, G, Jason and I went to the Circle of Friends end of the year party at Carillon Park. Kathy is the president, and she told us to come. Free pizza.
Circle of Friends is the group on campus that works with local adults who are mentally handicapped. We played kickball. Justin, G, Jason and I were the outfield, meaning we laid in the grass and threw a frisbee to each other.
As mentally handicapped people do, these people wore their hearts on their sleeves. As always, this was a hilarious, exciting and painful experience.
Then I went to The Fever, a one-man play. Nick Bays, a graduating senior in theater, performed it. It was awesome.
Nick was an American in a "poor country" who wakes up feeling violently ill. He stumbles to the tiolet to vomit and overhears a crowd outside, where an execution is planned. From there, the character just takes off, describing his privileged childhood, the simplicity of his life, and the unfairness of global capitalism.
In the end, he rejects the life of his family and friends, and he faces the idea that his actions rarely match his ideals.
Maybe this will sum it up. After the show, I saw Nick and congratulated him, because he really did a great job. And he said, "I thought you would like that one."
It was really cool and if it wasn't over I'd recommend you go see it.
I only have one exam, and a couple papers. Then I'm 3/4 done...with undergrad.
Conversation with Alyssa only reminds me that I'm not ready for Chile. But I'm going soon anyway.
Second session of the summer I'll be in Dayton. Let me know if you'll be around.
Love,
Steve
You make me so fucking lazy.
Yesterday I went to Bob Evans with T until 12, then slept from 12 to 2.
Then I literally sat around doing nothing until about 5.
At 5 I called the cops. Some people across the street had a megaphone and were saying dumb stuff into it. Fine, whatever.
Then a girl walked by and they said--as I recall--"You have a nice heiny. I want to touch it."
Whoops. Time for the UDPD.
Unfortunately, the cops would be about 20 minutes. Fine. I would wait. But 15 minutes later, when the guys hadn't said anything else with the megaphone, I realized the cops wouldn't be able to do anything. Especially since Jonny G, Justin and Jason, who were all on our porch at the time, hadn't noticed the comment. So I called the cops back and told them to forget it.
Then Justin, G, Jason and I went to the Circle of Friends end of the year party at Carillon Park. Kathy is the president, and she told us to come. Free pizza.
Circle of Friends is the group on campus that works with local adults who are mentally handicapped. We played kickball. Justin, G, Jason and I were the outfield, meaning we laid in the grass and threw a frisbee to each other.
As mentally handicapped people do, these people wore their hearts on their sleeves. As always, this was a hilarious, exciting and painful experience.
Then I went to The Fever, a one-man play. Nick Bays, a graduating senior in theater, performed it. It was awesome.
Nick was an American in a "poor country" who wakes up feeling violently ill. He stumbles to the tiolet to vomit and overhears a crowd outside, where an execution is planned. From there, the character just takes off, describing his privileged childhood, the simplicity of his life, and the unfairness of global capitalism.
In the end, he rejects the life of his family and friends, and he faces the idea that his actions rarely match his ideals.
Maybe this will sum it up. After the show, I saw Nick and congratulated him, because he really did a great job. And he said, "I thought you would like that one."
It was really cool and if it wasn't over I'd recommend you go see it.
I only have one exam, and a couple papers. Then I'm 3/4 done...with undergrad.
Conversation with Alyssa only reminds me that I'm not ready for Chile. But I'm going soon anyway.
Second session of the summer I'll be in Dayton. Let me know if you'll be around.
Love,
Steve
Monday, April 24, 2006
At the request of Tom Hanlon, I get back to the blog.
Okay it's been a long long time.
1. Vonnegut class: currently two sections. OH MAN. It's getting somewhat exciting. I think right now there are 22 people total in it. I should probably prepare in some way.
2. Chile: iré a Santiago en cuatro semanas. Estoy muy nervioso, pero yo estado practicando con Alyssa y me mejoré mucho. I'm still sure that I'm going to be way over my head, but I'll understand a little bit.
3. Flyer News: only one more issue left this year, and I didn't submit anything. So my current standing is:
4 opinion articles (A, B, C, D) - D is my newest, Thomas "HAL" Hanlon.
4 responses (A, B, C, D)
about 7 or 8 personal e-mails ("I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS WHO ARE FIGHTING THE ISLAMOFASCISTS...")
and about 300 personal responses ("I saw your article! But I didn't read it.")
And there you have it. That's the update on my life.
Oh, I just read Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. It's a book for my sociology class, and it's pretty awesome. It's about how TV ruins everything.
Okay so now I need to take a shower.
Hey I'll be in Dayton for the second summer session, starting June 24. Anyone need a roommate? I think I'd rather not live in Founders.
Okay go time.
Love,
Steve
1. Vonnegut class: currently two sections. OH MAN. It's getting somewhat exciting. I think right now there are 22 people total in it. I should probably prepare in some way.
2. Chile: iré a Santiago en cuatro semanas. Estoy muy nervioso, pero yo estado practicando con Alyssa y me mejoré mucho. I'm still sure that I'm going to be way over my head, but I'll understand a little bit.
3. Flyer News: only one more issue left this year, and I didn't submit anything. So my current standing is:
4 opinion articles (A, B, C, D) - D is my newest, Thomas "HAL" Hanlon.
4 responses (A, B, C, D)
about 7 or 8 personal e-mails ("I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS WHO ARE FIGHTING THE ISLAMOFASCISTS...")
and about 300 personal responses ("I saw your article! But I didn't read it.")
And there you have it. That's the update on my life.
Oh, I just read Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. It's a book for my sociology class, and it's pretty awesome. It's about how TV ruins everything.
Okay so now I need to take a shower.
Hey I'll be in Dayton for the second summer session, starting June 24. Anyone need a roommate? I think I'd rather not live in Founders.
Okay go time.
Love,
Steve
Friday, April 07, 2006
Flyer News is getting interesting.
Remember that "Support Our Troops" article I wrote?
It didn't go over so well.
Witness:
http://www.flyernews.com/article.php?section=Opinions&volume=53&issue=38&artnum=05
and
http://www.flyernews.com/article.php?section=Opinions&volume=53&issue=38&artnum=06
My response will be coming soon. It will rock.
Here's a preview. I should warn you, it's currently over the 600-word limit recommended by Flyer News. So I might have to find some things to cut out by Sunday, when I submit it. We'll see. Enjoy.
Also: this article may not make sense without reading the two letters above.
I guess it’s good to know people are reading Flyer News.
First, let me acknowledge the dumb stuff in my previous article about “Support Our Troops” bumper magnets.
I shouldn’t have said “there is nothing you can do to support our troops.” That is a false exaggeration. As Melinda Warthman demonstrated in her letter to the editor, there are many things you can do, if you wish, to support American troops. This contrasts perfectly with the “bland statement” of “vague patriotic beliefs” that I think bumper magnets exemplify.
I was happy to read Warthman’s letter because it demonstrated that people do take action on issues like this. Whether it is supporting the military or any other issue, it is good to know some people take action for a cause if they believe in it.
I also regret not being very clear in certain areas, which probably led to Erik Elam’s letter.
I think he misunderstood the point of the article. My goal was to question one particular expression of patriotism. He seemed to believe the purpose was to disparage the military, which it was not. But, in order not to disappoint Elam, I can give him the article he was expecting.
He asked if I would step forward if the military were not in place. Answer: no.
There are plenty of things that I think I would die for. None of them is a nation, but things like equality, mercy and peace are so important to me that I would die for them.
But I can’t think of a single thing that I would kill for. I happen to think ending lives is wrong, and it’s not something that I take lightly.
I cannot grasp the logic that certain lives, American lives, are worth protecting, while other lives, foreign ones, are not. They are worth destroying, apparently.
And this is true of past wars along with current ones: I would not have killed foreign men and boys in World War II, Elam’s example, nor in any war since. Let me explain.
Elam was correct in recognizing that I am a Marxist, and as such, I know troops are not to be ridiculed. After all, they are too often men and women – barely beyond childhood – from lower social classes without many options. In every nation, they are used as tools to protect the interests of the upper classes, which includes most students at UD. So the ridicule and shame, the “looking down on” that Elam refers to, should be placed on us, not them.
This is why I compared the military to social welfare and public education: all three are ways for the ruling class to deal with the youth of the underclass. In a response to my article via e-mail, sophomore Michael Langlais unwittingly supported this: “I feel the military straightens out many youths that ‘social welfare’ and ‘public education’ leave behind.” The difference, of course, is that social welfare and public education don’t involve any killing at all. That’s why I think they are good alternatives to the military.
That’s also why I don’t hate the troops, and why I will not spit on them as people did during and after the Vietnam War. I know they are just doing what they’re told. Now, if I could spit on the decision-makers, the capitalists who direct them, I’m not sure I wouldn’t.
Through John Stuart Mill’s quotation, Elam criticized me for a “decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling.” I have thought deeply about this issue on moral grounds, and my verdict is that I will not kill people, and I will not suggest that killing can ever lead to peace. If peace is your goal, peace must be your instrument.
As for patriotic feeling: I never claimed to have it. As I said, I would not die or kill for this country, or any other in history. My state of patriotic feeling is about as decayed and degraded as possible.
Criticize me for that, if you wish. But I know I will never kill for this country, or for anything else. At least I cannot be criticized for that.
Let me know what you think.
It didn't go over so well.
Witness:
http://www.flyernews.com/article.php?section=Opinions&volume=53&issue=38&artnum=05
and
http://www.flyernews.com/article.php?section=Opinions&volume=53&issue=38&artnum=06
My response will be coming soon. It will rock.
Here's a preview. I should warn you, it's currently over the 600-word limit recommended by Flyer News. So I might have to find some things to cut out by Sunday, when I submit it. We'll see. Enjoy.
Also: this article may not make sense without reading the two letters above.
I guess it’s good to know people are reading Flyer News.
First, let me acknowledge the dumb stuff in my previous article about “Support Our Troops” bumper magnets.
I shouldn’t have said “there is nothing you can do to support our troops.” That is a false exaggeration. As Melinda Warthman demonstrated in her letter to the editor, there are many things you can do, if you wish, to support American troops. This contrasts perfectly with the “bland statement” of “vague patriotic beliefs” that I think bumper magnets exemplify.
I was happy to read Warthman’s letter because it demonstrated that people do take action on issues like this. Whether it is supporting the military or any other issue, it is good to know some people take action for a cause if they believe in it.
I also regret not being very clear in certain areas, which probably led to Erik Elam’s letter.
I think he misunderstood the point of the article. My goal was to question one particular expression of patriotism. He seemed to believe the purpose was to disparage the military, which it was not. But, in order not to disappoint Elam, I can give him the article he was expecting.
He asked if I would step forward if the military were not in place. Answer: no.
There are plenty of things that I think I would die for. None of them is a nation, but things like equality, mercy and peace are so important to me that I would die for them.
But I can’t think of a single thing that I would kill for. I happen to think ending lives is wrong, and it’s not something that I take lightly.
I cannot grasp the logic that certain lives, American lives, are worth protecting, while other lives, foreign ones, are not. They are worth destroying, apparently.
And this is true of past wars along with current ones: I would not have killed foreign men and boys in World War II, Elam’s example, nor in any war since. Let me explain.
Elam was correct in recognizing that I am a Marxist, and as such, I know troops are not to be ridiculed. After all, they are too often men and women – barely beyond childhood – from lower social classes without many options. In every nation, they are used as tools to protect the interests of the upper classes, which includes most students at UD. So the ridicule and shame, the “looking down on” that Elam refers to, should be placed on us, not them.
This is why I compared the military to social welfare and public education: all three are ways for the ruling class to deal with the youth of the underclass. In a response to my article via e-mail, sophomore Michael Langlais unwittingly supported this: “I feel the military straightens out many youths that ‘social welfare’ and ‘public education’ leave behind.” The difference, of course, is that social welfare and public education don’t involve any killing at all. That’s why I think they are good alternatives to the military.
That’s also why I don’t hate the troops, and why I will not spit on them as people did during and after the Vietnam War. I know they are just doing what they’re told. Now, if I could spit on the decision-makers, the capitalists who direct them, I’m not sure I wouldn’t.
Through John Stuart Mill’s quotation, Elam criticized me for a “decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling.” I have thought deeply about this issue on moral grounds, and my verdict is that I will not kill people, and I will not suggest that killing can ever lead to peace. If peace is your goal, peace must be your instrument.
As for patriotic feeling: I never claimed to have it. As I said, I would not die or kill for this country, or any other in history. My state of patriotic feeling is about as decayed and degraded as possible.
Criticize me for that, if you wish. But I know I will never kill for this country, or for anything else. At least I cannot be criticized for that.
Let me know what you think.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
My second opinion article.
Okay, apparently the Flyer News website still hasn't changed.
So here's my latest opinion article. It came out not too long ago, Thursday I think, and I've heard good things from some people already.
Always makes me feel special to know other people hold crazy opinions.
Enjoy.
“Support Our Troops” bumper magnets are meaningless feel-good gestures
Every time I get out and drive somewhere – which is not very often – I am always surprised by the number of yellow ribbon-shaped “Support Our Troops” bumper magnets I see.
Old beat-up trucks, new European cars, American minivans: all of them remind me to support our troops. They are often accompanied by their flag-colored cousins which say, I don’t know, “God Bless America” or something.
I have a few questions about that little command, “Support Our Troops,” but I’ve never been able to ask someone. I’m not bold enough to roll my window down at Stewart and Edwin C. Moses, I guess.
How, for example, should I support our troops? I pay taxes, and a healthy portion – or an unhealthy portion – of those go to the armed forces. Does that count?
Or should I volunteer? Is that what they want? Is it possible that every bearer of a “SOT” bumper sticker is a member of the Army Reserves or an armed forces recruiter?
No, that is not possible. If they were, those people would be guarding checkpoints in Iraq, not cruising down 75 North with their left turn signals terminally blinking.
So, please, what does “Support Our Troops” mean? How are they supporting our troops more than I am? What’s their secret?
Is it possible that the magnets don’t mean anything? Is it possible that, in a rush of post-9/11 patriotism, those people bought and applied a bumper magnet without considering that doing so does not, in fact, support our troops?
Of course, the magnets aren’t the real problem. I understand that all bumper stickers are essentially pointless self-serving phrases.
The difference between “Support Our Troops” and, say, “Meat Is Murder” is that one recommends a specific course of action – stop eating meat – and the other suggests a sort of bland thumbs-up nationalism with no actual action required.
I recognize that I have a bias here. I won’t tread lightly around it: I don’t care to support our troops at all. I just don’t think they’re as useful as social welfare programs or good public education.
Maybe that’s why I’m bewildered about the “SOT” magnets. I’ve never heard my conservative or patriotic friends complain that these magnets express an empty sentiment without requiring any real commitment.
In the “9/11 Never Forget” world, where flag-flying is the new national pastime, it seems blatantly obvious that these magnets just don’t do anything. I could convey a similar message with a bumper sticker that says something like “Hooray Peanut Butter!” or “I like socks.”
The people who display these magnets aren’t supporting our troops any more than I am. They’re just supporting a faceless corporation that manufactures bumper magnets.
And worse than the owners of other bumper stickers, they aren’t supporting a cause, either. They haven’t convinced me or anyone else to support our troops because there is nothing you can do to support our troops.
Please, if you want to make a political statement, go ahead. If you’re proud we invaded Iraq, or you hope we win the war, or you want us to invade North Korea and Iran, just say so. I’d like to see that.
But don’t send me the message that you don’t have a message. Don’t make a bland statement that just demonstrates that you hold vague patriotic beliefs.
So here's my latest opinion article. It came out not too long ago, Thursday I think, and I've heard good things from some people already.
Always makes me feel special to know other people hold crazy opinions.
Enjoy.
“Support Our Troops” bumper magnets are meaningless feel-good gestures
Every time I get out and drive somewhere – which is not very often – I am always surprised by the number of yellow ribbon-shaped “Support Our Troops” bumper magnets I see.
Old beat-up trucks, new European cars, American minivans: all of them remind me to support our troops. They are often accompanied by their flag-colored cousins which say, I don’t know, “God Bless America” or something.
I have a few questions about that little command, “Support Our Troops,” but I’ve never been able to ask someone. I’m not bold enough to roll my window down at Stewart and Edwin C. Moses, I guess.
How, for example, should I support our troops? I pay taxes, and a healthy portion – or an unhealthy portion – of those go to the armed forces. Does that count?
Or should I volunteer? Is that what they want? Is it possible that every bearer of a “SOT” bumper sticker is a member of the Army Reserves or an armed forces recruiter?
No, that is not possible. If they were, those people would be guarding checkpoints in Iraq, not cruising down 75 North with their left turn signals terminally blinking.
So, please, what does “Support Our Troops” mean? How are they supporting our troops more than I am? What’s their secret?
Is it possible that the magnets don’t mean anything? Is it possible that, in a rush of post-9/11 patriotism, those people bought and applied a bumper magnet without considering that doing so does not, in fact, support our troops?
Of course, the magnets aren’t the real problem. I understand that all bumper stickers are essentially pointless self-serving phrases.
The difference between “Support Our Troops” and, say, “Meat Is Murder” is that one recommends a specific course of action – stop eating meat – and the other suggests a sort of bland thumbs-up nationalism with no actual action required.
I recognize that I have a bias here. I won’t tread lightly around it: I don’t care to support our troops at all. I just don’t think they’re as useful as social welfare programs or good public education.
Maybe that’s why I’m bewildered about the “SOT” magnets. I’ve never heard my conservative or patriotic friends complain that these magnets express an empty sentiment without requiring any real commitment.
In the “9/11 Never Forget” world, where flag-flying is the new national pastime, it seems blatantly obvious that these magnets just don’t do anything. I could convey a similar message with a bumper sticker that says something like “Hooray Peanut Butter!” or “I like socks.”
The people who display these magnets aren’t supporting our troops any more than I am. They’re just supporting a faceless corporation that manufactures bumper magnets.
And worse than the owners of other bumper stickers, they aren’t supporting a cause, either. They haven’t convinced me or anyone else to support our troops because there is nothing you can do to support our troops.
Please, if you want to make a political statement, go ahead. If you’re proud we invaded Iraq, or you hope we win the war, or you want us to invade North Korea and Iran, just say so. I’d like to see that.
But don’t send me the message that you don’t have a message. Don’t make a bland statement that just demonstrates that you hold vague patriotic beliefs.
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