Go Figure

For a number of years (ok, maybe decades) I've hade a veague desire to try sailing, you know, the boat with the bedsheets and the broom stick thing that lets you skim the surface of the briny deep powered only by the breeze. Lately I've been thinking mora about it. A couple of semesters ago I had a professor who is an avid sailor. In a conversation about my least, and his absolute favorite novel, Moby Dick, he said that he thought that I would be the kind to really enjoy sailing. My wife did a bit of sailing in her youth and said she liked it. Hmmmmm.

Well, the other day I said that when we have some money that can be spent on a leasure activity, that I would like to get a small day boat and give this sailing thing a try. My wife agreed that that could be fun and so I started to search the web for small boats. I found some. I found a lot of them.

I found out that a "small" sailboat can be anything from 7 to 25 feet. Keep in mind that I'm thinking of learning to sail in Colorado. We only have maybe three lakes in the state that would be big enough to handle a boat of more than about 12 feet that had a keel more than 8 inches long.

I also found out that new boats in the size that I'm after run about a thousand dollars on the low end. That's a bit steep for me. So I started looking at used boats. WTF?! The little things I'm after are still over a grand but I'm finding LOTS of boats over 20 feet for less!

Maybe I'll go back to looking at a crate with the broomstick and bed sheet.

Is it working?

Here is a song if I have this right.

Add Some Music by Me for You to your page

It's Over for Now

I submitted my final paper for the semester yesterday afternoon. I'm
done with school for the holidays. It's a bit odd not having to be
thinking about what I have to read or what I'm going to write about for
some class. I get to do some pleasure reading now.

I also get to go back to construction work. I have a project that has been waiting for me. Lucky for me the clients are not in a huge hurry. Monday I think I'll take some equipment out to the job and try to get a plan together for how to make the most of the break. I would like to get as much of this thing done as I can so that it isn't hanging over me during next semester.

Speaking of next semester, I'm going to have to be on campus EVERY *(*&^%$ DAY!! It wouldn't be so bad if my commute to school wasn't an hour and a half one way.

All this so that I can get a teaching job that will pay almost enough to bring us up to the poverty level. It's a good thing I'll have summers off. Then I can work to pay off the student loans.

Why is it that in nearly every election campaign "education" comes up and instead of doing something like increasing teacher salaries, the gov. spends money instituting standardized testing that doesn't do any good. The good teachers go become corporate trainers because they can get paid, the teachers that do stay in the school systems are hamstrung by the tests that essentially require that the students are only taught how to take that test, not the information, and we are left with "our future," our children educated in a half-assed way.

Bloody politics!

Mostly 'cause I Ought too

I'm posting this mostly because I feel like I should, not because I
really have anything to say. I want to have something to say. I want to have a few pearls of wisdom to drop or rays of sunshine to distribute. I don't actually have those, at least not ready to hand. I don't feel bad or anything, just, well, mostly just needing more coffee.

I'm in the school crunch. I'm spending this weekend working on the rough draft for my Senior Seminar paper so that I can submit it on Monday to be work-shopped on Wednesday, the last day of class. Final draft due on the 10th. I think I'll make it.

We had a hell of a snow last night. It started as rain that lasted for about 2 days, then last night it got cold enough and snowed. Pretty! It's sunny now and very bright.

I got stuff done.

Yesterday was pretty damn productive on the homework front. I managed to write an entire paper for my Chaucer class. Concept to print out in one day, that's a first for me I think.

I didn't actually do the reading for Chaucer class for today however. I'll try to catch up during my break.

Next Wednesdy is the last day of classes before finals. I think I'll make it. Just.

I actually don't have much to say today.

Done now.

. . . with brains.

If you are like me, then you occasionally get times when your brain
seems to be running at warp speed and going nowhere. I was wondering the other day (a phrase that can mean anything from the day before yesterday to sometime in early childhood. Not this day. The other day.)how nice it would be if you could just take your brain out of your head for a while and put it on a shelf. Of course if the consciousness resides in the brain, then it wouldn't do much good. You would still be conscious and the thoughts would still be churning around, but you would have no capacity to act on the thoughts and no sensory input to potentially distract you from the random churning thoughts.

And there would be your body, devoid of thought, just sitting there, perhaps getting physical rest. Now if the consciousness abides in the body or heart then without a brain you might be aware of not having churning thoughts but you wouldn't have the capacity to actually appreciate the fact since you would not have a thinking apparatus. So there wouldn't be much gratification in either case.

So I'm just sitting here . . .


. . . with brains.

Well, THAT was entertaining

The Wife and I spent a nice time at my folk's house for a pleasant
T-Giving dinner with a cousin and her hubby yesterday afternoon and
came home about 4pm. We put on our comfyPJs and sat down to watch "The Return of the King." The proceeding two nights we had watched the first two movies.

About half way through the film we paused for a pee break. I went into the bathroom, bent over to do some "catbox maintenance," stood up and did my business. As I was standing there (fortunately
just finishing) I began to black out. This is not uncommon with me when I stand up too fast, so I did what I usually do and steadied myself on the medicine cabinet. Then I was trying to keep from going "splat" on the floor while my muscles were twitching, my vision going all screwie, my hearing all muffled and trying to answer my wife with a mouth that didn't want to work. I have never had a spell like this last for more than a few seconds, but this just kept going on.

I managed to make it to one of the chairs in the kitchen, but my legs kept twitching, I was sweating profusely and my vision and hearing refused to clear. My wife, while having a bit of a freak-out, kept cool and called 911. I was able to talk and describe what was gong on. Next thing I knew I was dreaming and hearing K. (my wife) call my name. Yep, passed out proper like.

At this point I'm starting my own internal freak-out wondering if I'm having a stroke or something. The EMTs arrive, check me over, and tell me that most likely I've collapsed from low BP due to dehydration. I hadn't been drinking enough water and there just wasn't enough fluid in my body to keep the blood/O2 level in my brain when I stood up. They recommended that I go to the ER just in case it was something more serious. K. agreed. So did I. Off we went.

After several hours in the hospital ER, two liters of saline solution, tests
and more tests the Dr. determined that I had not had a heart attack, stroke or other nastiness but that it was most likely dehydration and a natural predisposition to postural hypertension (low BP after standing up). We got home at around 2:30am, watched the rest of the movie and went to bed around 4:30am.

I'm feeling "OK" today, but taking it easy and trying to remember to drink more water. Good Times.

Maybe I shouldn't have . . .

. . . but I put a hit counter on this blog. I think I did it out of
vanity, you know, "look how many people think my thoughts are
interesting" kind or thing. I'm going to have to make sure I visit via
the dashboard and not the blog page itself, 'cause I'm making the
counter look like I'm getting about 50% more hits than is actually
true, and that's just . . .sad.

T-Giving with the folks today.
I'm having a hard time actually giving a shit. I'm not opposed to the
whole thing or anything like that, I just don't really care. I do know
that if anyone turns on a TV, my wife and I are leaving. I AM opposed
to TV at family gatherings. Actually, I'm opposed to TV when any guest is in the house unless you have gathered specifically to watch something.

That went somewhere I hadn't planned. Oh well.



An answer to Naomi: I'm not sure where I got that. I think I picked it up in Boulder years ago. Hell, I could have made it up for all I know. If I did I'm not the only one as I've seen it in several places, including in a Sheri Tepper novel. I think by this time you could call it neo-traditional. TS

Have a Day.

A little more of nothing much

I was on the MCHY forums this morning and came across some folks that
were "confused" about what was going on in a particular thread. Since
the whole thread was pretty much nonsense I thought about going off, as I often do, and creating some very complicated etymological description of the word confused:

That being the co-joining of the two words "con" and "fused" being, in other words, the bringing together of a number of undesirable elements (con), and attaching them together (fused). In this fashion one can describe the state known as "confused" as being an amalgamation of bad thoughts or concepts that leave one incapable of coherent thought.

Please keep in mind that the above is utter bullshit.

There was another word I was going to defile but I can't remember what it was. Just as well, really.

I Got a break and I didn't have to buy it.

It's Thanksgiving break at school so I have a chance to catch up on the papers I need to write. Time is one thing I don't seem to either have or use properly. Maybe I'll get my shit together enough to get things done. A friend of mine on campus told this joke:

Q. How are procrastination and masturbation the same?

A. When the act is over you know you have Fu(#ed yourself.

Frighteningly applicable.

I found a chess partner on one of the forums I frequent. It should be interesting as I haven't played in over 20 years.

I really don't have much to say.

That is all.

My big news

Well things got pretty exciting for me today. I got a new office chair. Woo Hoo!! Ok, on the grand scale it's small potatoes (which are really tasty if you roast them with some onion and garlic), but for me it's pretty cool. I'm sitting in my new comfy office chair typing comfortably while my eyes are threatening to fall out of my head due to lack of sleep. It's all good.

I understand that I am a "notorious non-trad' student. Apparently I have a reputation as being well and frequently spoken (guilty on both counts) and even intimidate otherwise confident students until they get to know me (I hope). I learned this today when J., a very brilliant woman and a graduating senior and I were talking. She told me that when we entered the same class on the first day of the semester that she felt intimidated. She said my reputation had filtered down from the faculty. I'm not sure if I should feel complemented or afraid. Either way it won't stop me from talking.

While I'm on the subject of talking, I'm getting tired of having to be conscious of the other students. I keep waiting for the other students to jump into the discussions in class. I hold my comments until I'm sure I won't be steamrolling over anyone only to be met with the annoying silence of these children. I'm beginning to think that I should just make it clear that if they aren't going to use the class time then I will. Perhaps I'll suggest that the class should just be held in the professor's office where the two of us can talk more comfortably. Sheesh!

Ok. I need to go to bed.

BTW N., thanks for the comments. Catch you Monday.

A Rant Against the Universe

First of all allow me to say that this is not directed at any individual nor is it a commentary on any particular institution that I have ever been a part of.


That clear? No one take this personally. Understood?


All righty then.


Where are my fucking rewards??!! All my life I've been a kind, generous, understanding person. I've gone out of my way to help people around me. I've spent sleepless nights with friends in crisis, I've allowed others access to my time when I had little to spare, I've held my tongue when I just really wanted to rip people a new arse-hole and I've refrained from acts of violence against people who were so deserving of extreme impact therapy. As a man I've tried to be very consious of my presuppositions and worked hard at internalizing an egalitarian attitude. I, though not a Christain, have been more Christain than most Christains I know. I'm smart, witty, mostly fun to be around, non-judgemental, I can hug a woman with out trying to grope her, I allow people to be who they are without expecting them to be what I want.


Get the picture? I'm a good guy. I'm not even too ugly.


When do I get the good stuff that is supposed to come to people like me? I have fucking waited long enough for "good things" to come, unless that sayng means wait until you die, in which case I'm gonna be really pissed at whatever diety I run into. How am I supposed to continue to "Keep a stiff upper lip." "Look on the bright side of life," "Keep my chin up," when it's all I can do to keep from not drowning in despair and the total lack of the things in life that are supposed to be the little pleasures that make life bareable. Disney LIED! "The bare necessities" are not comming to me.


I'm trying to decide if I think the above is overstated and whiney. I think I don't give a shit.

Some random information

I have added some friend's blog links to the page. These folks are part of the wonderful community at www.mycathatesyou.com and I encourage you to check out that site. It is full of hatefull cats and their willing slaves.

In other news: I'm working on a website for the wands I make. As time goes by the site will include things like scrolls and other thingies for the www. magickallyminded.com The site is still in development so it's not much to look at just yet.

That is all.

Tipper Slinger

Back again and trying stuff

I think I've found a reason to do this blog thing. I found a place that does audio hosting so I'm gonna post some audio.

OK. I'm too tired to actually be posting so I'll just get on with it:

This is a piece called: Eight Plus Minutes on John Cage's "Experimental Music" It is an audio critique that I put together for my Literary Criticism class.

It is 8:59 minutes long so hang in there. For those who don't know John Cage, he is a composer that was interested in sound of all kinds includint silence. He complsed one piece called 4' 33" whch consists of a pianist sitting at the keyboard with the cover closed. At intervals the player raised the cover and closes it again to signify the change in movements.

"I composed this piece note by note and all the notes were silent. When I strung them all together it equaled 4 minutes and 33 seconds" John Cage

If you want to know more check out the collection of essays and lectures entitled "Silence."

http://web.splashcast.net/catalog/channel_details.aspx?code=MTZU5480YC
The above link needs to be pasted into your brouser.

Lets see if this one works the way Splashcast says it will.

So, Here I Am

I have a blog now. I tried this on myspace but I couldn't care to keep it up. Of course I didn't give a shit about having "friends" and all that so I quit. Now I have this. I wonder why. No, I know why. I'll explain later . . . or I won't