From Bulgaria to North Dakota and Beyond

Real Winter Is Here

2012-01-17T10:58:00.000-06:00

After a very warm period, it seems that winter has truly moved in to my part of the world now. According to accuweather, here are the predictions:

today: high -2 F (-19 C), real feel -5 F (- 21C)
tonight: low -14 F (-26 C), real feel -24 F (-31 C)
tomorrow high -5 F (-21 C), real feel -31F (-35 C)

At school, Marta has recess everyday; but when the real feel is below 0 F (-18 C) they have indoor recess.

Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-16T19:26:00.002-06:00

Today was a school holiday -- as well as a federal holiday -- so Marta and Michal were home from school. In the afternoon, Marta and I went to see Beauty and the Beast on the big screen in glorious 2-D. There was a nice article about this on the web today. Here's an excerpt:

There was certainly no need for this utterly lovely film, done in a traditional animation style before Pixar and other innovators changed the game, to be trifled with. Nevertheless, after last year's highly successful 3-D release of The Lion King, you're likely to see a wave of similar projects. And while you may be able to track down one of the theaters that's showing it in 2-D (they do exist!), if you're choosing between seeing it in 3-D and not seeing it at all (or simply continuing to watch it on home video), it's well worth trekking out to the theater and putting on your glasses.

Twilight Zone Marathon

2012-01-03T09:16:00.002-06:00

On Sunday the Syfy channel had their Twilight Zone Marathon. I don't have Syfy, in fact, I can't get any channels -- broadcast, cable, or satellite on my tv -- it is limited to DVDs, Blu-Rays, and Netflix instant. However, here are four episodes I plan to watch on netflix in the next day or two that the people at tvworthwatching say are among the best.

Agnes Moorehead, in an almost completely silent episode, plays a farm woman taking on tiny aliens in “The Invaders”, shown in the first picture.
An episode we always show in our introductory Rowan University TV History & Appreciation class, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street,"
that classic episode of kitchen nightmares, “To Serve Man”, shown in the second picture below.
Finally, there’s “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” in which William Shatner encounters airline problems even more disturbing than charging for luggage or in-flight meals.

Best TV of 2011

2011-12-21T13:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, David Bianculli released his list of the best tv shows of the year:

Breaking Bad (AMC)
Homeland (Showtime)
The Good Wife (CBS)
Modern Family (ABC)
Justified (FX)
Dexter (Showtime)
American Horror Story (FX)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
Louie (FX)
True Blood (HBO)

honorable mentions:

Rescue Me on FX
The Walking Dead and The Killing on AMC
Boardwalk Empire and Treme on HBO
Men of a Certain Age from TNT
NBC's Friday Night Lights and 30 Rock
Showtime's Episodes
Damages on DirecTV

Nonfiction broadcasts and documentaries:

HBO's George Harrison: Living in the Material World
the Science Channel's Idiot Abroad
three documentaries on PBS: Prohibition, America in Primetime and American Masters: Woody Allen.

News Programs:

60 Minutes
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

If You Are Not Good

2011-12-21T13:12:00.000-06:00

A couple days ago Marta told me what happens if you are not a good kid: Santa brings you coal and underwear instead of toys.

haiku of the day: sunshine

2011-06-01T08:28:00.000-05:00

Sunshine

there’s not much today
but maybe more is coming
it’s only June, though

(cross-posted to instapoem)

Marta's Book: mary's edvencher in planit weerdo

2011-05-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

It is near the end of the school year and, on Friday, Marta brought some of her work home with her that she's been working on. One of those things is a book.

The cover is made of pink construction paper and says

mary's edvencher in planit weerdo

By: Marta

There are three parts to the story:

Beginning
(1)

onec opon a time mary was hoping by her tree house until she fond a wolf.

(Included with this part of the story is a popsicle stick with a character with frog legs, buttefly wing's and a kid's face.)

Middle
(2)

the wolf almost aet her but then...

End
(3)

(Included with this part of the story is a popsicle stick with a character with human legs, butterfly wings, tiger arms, a human mouth and nose, but the rest of the head like a bug.)

her friend came and saved her

Poem of the Day: Bark, George

2011-05-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

Bark, George
A Poem in Praise of Jules Feiffer and for my friend, rand
(cross-posted to Instapoem)

1.

There's a picture book I really like called Bark, George.
It's written and illustrated by Jules Feiffer.
If you know anything about Feiffer, you probably suspect that the book is a little unusual.
Another great but unusual book written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Feiffer is called the Phantom Tollbooth.
I like it, and so does my eleven year old son, Michal.

2.

In the book, George is a dog who has a little trouble barking.
So, his mother takes him to the vet to get the problem looked at.
The vet says, "bark, George," and, instead, he meows.
So, the vet puts on a glove, reaches inside George's mouth, and pulls out a cat.
They try it again, and George makes another, non-barking noise, and the vet pulls out another animal.
The last sound George makes is moo, and the vet pulls out a cow.
Even after all that, there's still a surprise ending.

3.

Feiffer has also written some other pictures books that are quite good.
One of them I got from the library recently is about a dog with no tail.
Like Bark, George, it certainly is a book with an original sense of humor.
For example, at one point in the story, the dog finds something to use as a tail, but it doesn't wag.
The dog finds a wagon maker, and asks him to make it wag.
When the wagon maker says he can't do that, the dog looks for another solution.
He goes to battery park and puts a battery in the tail and that makes it wag.

4.

Feiffer has a new book out called My Side of the Car.
He made the book with his daughter, which I think is a nice thing.
Another author, Bernard Waber, did the same thing recently.
Starting in the sixties, he made a series of books about Lyle the crocodile.
Lyle is a good natured crocodile who lives on the upper East side of Manhattan.
Waber and his daughter, Paulis, did another book about Lyle, recently.
This one is called Lyle Walks the Dogs.
My daughter, Marta, and I both like this one.
Marta also likes Bark, George and Feiffer's book about the dog with no tail.
She's only in first grade, so she's a little young for the Phantom Tollbooth.

Reading

2011-05-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

Finished a great one a couple days ago called Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs. Michal liked it too. Started another good one called the Adventures of Nanny Piggins. This one is recommended by Madeline Albright, of all people:

The most exciting saga about a flying pig ever told. There is a laugh on every page and a lesson in there somewhere. I recommend it highly.

I got both books from the Grand Forks Public Library.

Pick Up the Bike

2011-05-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

Just heard from the local bike store that mine is ready to pick up after being dropped off for a tune up.

In the meantime, here's a link to some bicycle haiku if you are in the mood.

Poem of the Day (a diamante)

2011-05-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

Vibrant

geranium
red, green
living, growing, breathing
flower, plant, plant, fruit
buying, washing, eating
red, tasty
raspberry

(cross-posted to instapoem)

more about diamond poetry here.

Trip to the Library

2011-05-09T21:00:00.000-05:00

I took a trip to the public library today to look for books for Michal and Marta using a list of suggestions of 100 books for reading and sharing from the New York Public Library (2010 edition). Already, we've hit two of them:

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs (Michal finished this one quickly. If you like Wimpy Kid, you should like this one.)
The Adventures of Nanny Piggins (Mary Poppins as a fun loving pig, I suppose. We just read one chapter of this one so far.)

I'm working my way through Cosmic in my free time. Another fun one.

City Lights

2011-05-08T22:51:00.000-05:00

We watched City Lights today using a DVD from the library. I've seen it before, but it's always great to see Chaplin again. Perhaps not my favorite of his -- Modern Times may be -- but it is still a great movie.

Reading to First Graders

2011-05-06T09:20:00.000-05:00

This morning, I was a special guest reader for a group of first graders. Marta and I read Interrupting Chicken to her class.

Finished Another Book

2011-05-05T08:46:00.000-05:00

Last night I finished one of the books I got from the Grand Forks Public Library -- The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva. Quite good, if you are interested in thrillers. That is, so long as you approve of the hero being a person who works for the Israel government, although his other job is that of an art restorer.

Tanka of the Day -- A Walk to School

2011-05-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

the bright morning sun
ducks sit on wet grass, then fly
Marta’s shoes get wet
a worm on the sidewalk
“Maybe it’s a grandpa worm!”

haiku of the day

2011-05-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I dug
out grass to start my garden.
Look a squirmy worm.

(cross-posted to instapoem)

The No's Won

2011-05-04T00:46:00.000-05:00

The city will officially certify the election on Monday, but it's pretty clear that the majority of those who voted in Grand Forks rejected a sales tax to pay for a new library. “No” votes totaled 4,535. “Yes” votes totaled 2,741. (There are approximately 53000 people living in Grand Forks according to the 2010 US census.)

The current library, while not bad for a town this size, has a lot of issues, the biggest of which is that it is simply too small, the heating and electrical system are desperately in need of replacement, and there is not enough parking.

Haiku of the Day

2011-05-03T11:57:00.001-05:00

Um...

a thin line between
knowing the right words to say
or nothing at all

(cross-posted to instapoem)

Haiku of the Day (for yesterday)

2011-05-02T09:20:00.002-05:00

I'm looking forward
to starting my garden soon
but snow this morning

Easter Sunday Poetry

2011-04-25T18:18:00.000-05:00

On Easter Sunday we drove to see Itasca State Park. Here are a few memories in poetry"

haiku #1

brown striped pheasant goes
in front of us on the path
still ice on the lake

haiku #2

lentil fruit salad
for lunch followed by a hunt
for some chocolate eggs

haiku #3

chattering squirrel
three duck fly over river
look out for deer poop

tanka

a gift from Marta:
a stick, a rock, two pine cones
a strong wind blows me
still snow in the parking lot
even though it's already Easter

Friday's Haiku and Tanka

2011-04-25T18:13:00.000-05:00

haiku # 1

a Red River walk
mud smells a lot like manure
receding water

haiku # 2

drawing with the kids
Marta: "worst picture ever"
later, one she likes

tanka

stop to go potty
the movie theater is
showing African Cats
perhaps we'll see it later
haven't been in a while

Bad Things

2011-04-21T14:54:00.001-05:00

Bad
(cross-posted to Instapoem)

1. Bad Things

unemployment
shopping at Wal-Mart
facebook
not calling my parents often enough
my lack of knowledge of power tools and home repair
not exercising often enough
Hezbollah, the government of Iran, and extremism of any sort
coca-cola
arguments with my wife
insomnia
those gusty winds during North Dakota winters
did I mention facebook?
bottled salad dressing
(is it really so hard to make your own?)

1.5 Recipe for Salad Dressing

this one is good if you have a salad for four
scale appropriately
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
(I don't care what anyone says, vinegar is vinegar,
don't bother buying expensive vinegar
the stuff in the gallon bottle is just fine)
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
(as long as it's extra virgin, again, doesn't matter if it's the cheapest brand,
trust me)
put in a jar with a lid,
or, better yet,
a martini shaker ($5 at Target -- don't even think of looking at Wal-Mart)
shake
pour over the salad
toss
eat

2. Bad and Baseball

bad sounds like bat the way some people say it
you use a bat to play baseball
I'm looking forward to baseball season this summer
hopefully, I'll get to see three or four Redhawks games this summer
I like to get seats behind home plate in the farthest row
there I can see the infield quite well, but I'm in the shade
It's more fun, at least for me, if you keep score while watching
Each batter gets a mark
For example, 1B for a single, K for a strikeout,
6-3 with a one in a circle means the guy hit it to the shortstop who threw it to first for the first our of the inning
a completed scorecard makes a nice souvenier

Family Movie Night

2011-04-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

Last night, Monika, Marta, Michal and I watched Duck Soup via netflix instant on our tv. Monika suggested a family movie and wanted something funny or a comedy. Duck Soup certainly fits the bill. It is amazing to see how many gags, jokes, and silly things happen in a movie not much more than an hour long.

The title has been and will remain a mystery. However, I did come across this from Roger Ebert:

Why the title? The critic Tim Dirks explains: "It is claimed that Groucho provided the following recipe: `Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup the rest of your life.' "

On another, movie-related, note. I am almost done with the Woody Allen film festival or challenge I gave myself over a year ago. Watch as many of his movies as possible via the TV or computer. I am nearly done. I still need to do Melinda and Melinda -- started today, looks good -- Casandra's Dream, and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. I didn't manage to watch Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex -- is it available on DVD? and I had trouble making it through Interiors -- I did once watch it in 1987, I believe. A satisfying experience. The next film maker I want to experience in the same way, I decided will be Werner Herzog. Ah, the joys of netflix.

Poem of the Day

2011-04-20T12:43:00.001-05:00

(cross posted from instapoem)

Yesterday I Came Across A Website with A Great Idea for Container Gardening

http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/how-to-make-a-hanging-herb-planter-using-recycled-soda-bottles/

basic idea:
hang plants upside down in old soda bottles

more detailed instructions:
save old soda bottles
(or other containers)
cut off bottom
line edge with duct tape
(for strength)
punch holes
two on each side
attach string
drill hole in cap
add seedlings
hang

seeds I've started I will probably hang:
oregano
basil
Italian parsley
mint
arugula
salad bowl lettuce

seeds I've started I definitely won't hang:
red bell peppers
tomatoes
sunflowers

I'm not sure what category the marigolds fall in.

=============================

A few notes:
I make salads often.
Outdoor planting season here in Grand Forks, ND is not till 1 June.
(It snowed today.)

Library Vote

2011-04-19T13:16:00.000-05:00

This week I voted, via absentee ballot, for a one cent, limited to three years, sales tax to demolish the old and build a new library. The election is May 3, so I will have to wait, but I am hoping that this vote passes and that we will indeed get a new improved library. More information about the library can be found on this blog.

Hezbollah is Alive and Well

2011-04-19T12:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted a very brief entry about my reading -- a book that happens to be critical of the so-called Party of God. As expected, within twelve hours someone posted an anonymous comment that the book was filled with lies. I rarely get comments on my blog, but if I ever post anything that has anything to do with that terrorist organization in Lebanon I usually find a comment complaining that I am listening to lies. As usual, I deleted the comment.

But, related to that, I continue to read the Road to Fatima Gate and recommend it to those interested in Lebanon and the Middle East more broadly. Last night I read about Totten's experiences meeting and interviewing Samir Geagea. An interesting figure on the Lebanese political landscape, if ever there was one. Here's a brief bit about him from wikipedia:

Samir Farid Geagea (Arabic: سمير فريد جعجع, also spelled Samir Ja`ja`), born October 25, 1952, is the current leader of theLebanese Forces (LF) political party. He is also a senior figure in the March 14 Alliance, alongside Saad Hariri and Amine Gemayel.

He took leadership of the Lebanese Forces in 1986. After the civil war, there was increased pressure by Syria on Geagea to accept the Syrian presence or face charges. Prior to his arrest, he was contacted by several sympathetic politicians and warned about the forthcoming proceedings and offered safe passage out of Lebanon. In 1994, four years after the end of the Lebanese Civil War, Geagea was tried for ordering four political assassinations, including the assassination of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rashid Karami in 1987, and the unsuccessful attempted assassination of Defense Minister Michel Murr in 1991. He denied all charges, but was found guilty and sentenced to four death sentences, each of which was commuted to life in prison. Geagea was imprisoned in solitary confinement below the Lebanese Ministry of Defense building in Beirut for the next 11 years. He is the only Lebanese militia leader to have been imprisoned for crimes committed during the Lebanese Civil War.

Following the Cedar Revolution, and the subsequent withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon, a newly-elected Lebanese Parliament voted to grant him amnesty on July 18, 2005.

Current Reading

2011-04-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

The Road to Fatima Gate. Good book if you wish to understand (as best you can as a foreigner) politics in Lebanon

Two Big Events

2011-01-28T10:51:00.000-06:00

Last night there were two exciting school activities:

First, Marta had family reading night at her school. There was pizza and cookies, a few activities, as well as reading with the family. Marta brought one of her favorite books, Flamingos on the Roof. She even got a chance to share one of the poems in the book with her kindergarden teacher.

Shortly after the first event, Michal played in an orchestra concert. This was a special concert with all three middle school and both high school orchestras. During the school day, Michal got a whole day devoted to music. Not just practicing for the concert, but also attending a special small class on conducting.

Board Games for Free

2011-01-21T11:34:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago, I discovered a small store here in Grand Forks called Grand Cities Games. In this store, on Wednesday evenings, they have board game night where they invite people to come in and try out some of the 75 or so board games they have. Michal and I have now gone three weeks in a row. The previous two times, we tried out Ticket to Ride which was a lot of fun. This week we tried Carcassone which was also pretty good. When you consider that each of these games cost somewhere in the thirty to fifty dollar range, it is nice to be able to play them for free at the store. Plus, it gives us another opportunity to do something out of the house. Given the winter weather in Grand Forks (minus 13 today), it's nice to have one more out of the house indoor winter family-friendly option.

Hockey Game

2010-12-06T21:38:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the whole family walked to a women's hockey game at the Ralph. UND lost 6-2 to the University of Wisconsin, but we still had fun. Very few people come to women's hockey games (as opposed to when the boys' team plays), so we had our pick of seats. We sat in the front row by one of the blue lines for the first period and a few rows higher for the rest of the game. At the end of the first period, one of the referees wanted to give the game puck away and gave it to Marta. So, she had a souvenir to show to the kids in first grade today.

Some Thoughts on Facebook

2010-12-06T21:34:00.001-06:00

Good article by Zadie Smith on the lack of theoretical foundations (a term we were to embrace when I was in my Ph.D. program) for facebook. Here's a nice section from the article:

World makers, social network makers, ask one question first: How can I do it? Zuckerberg solved that one in about three weeks. The other question, the ethical question, he came to later: Why? Why Facebook? Why this format? Why do it like that? Why not do it another way? The striking thing about the real Zuckerberg, in video and in print, is the relative banality of his ideas concerning the “Why” of Facebook. He uses the word “connect” as believers use the word “Jesus,” as if it were sacred in and of itself: “So the idea is really that, um, the site helps everyone connect with people and share information with the people they want to stay connected with….” Connection is the goal. The quality of that connection, the quality of the information that passes through it, the quality of the relationship that connection permits—none of this is important. That a lot of social networking software explicitly encourages people to make weak, superficial connections with each other (as Malcolm Gladwell has recently argued¹), and that this might not be an entirely positive thing, seem to never have occurred to him.

New Library

2010-11-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

After 39 years, it seems that it is possible that there might be a new library. The current one is one of the busiest in the region but old, too small, with not enough parking, and, frankly, in need of increased funding and new ideas -- among others, someone should really take a few hours to compare their web page to other library web pages and ask how things might be done better. (For example, take a look at this one, this one; or take a look at this one and this one from places that really have serious budget issues.) The main point I'd like to make here is that it would be good to have a clean and clear space (simple background, limited number of colors (the current page uses two shades of blue, red, green, and black and I'm not really sure about the pictures there either), the most important information visible in the top left of the screen rather than having to scroll down as I do on my screen to see the hours.)

And while on the subject of technology, there are some other things that could be improved at the library:

why can't I have the option of having notices sent email rather than through the mail?
why doesn't the self-checkout machine let me know I have a hold to pick up when it looks at my account?
Why doesn't the library have its own email system rather than using the current hodgepodge? There is a yahoo address for the children's department, a gmail address for the library director, a hotmail address for the reference department. None of these are intuitive. Why not buy a domain such as gflibrary.org or something like that?
And, finally, when will Bubbles, the library cat finally get his picture in a prominent place on the library web page?

Trip and Movie

2010-10-24T23:15:00.001-05:00

This weekend, my family and I went to Bemidji MN to have some fun. We had some good times at the state park there and we got a chance to see the movie Secretariat. The movie is worth watching.

Haiku of the Day

2010-10-14T16:43:00.000-05:00

This comes from a book I've been reading with Marta called Flamingos on the Roof by Calef Brown.

Ten-Cent Haiku

I sat down to write a haiku.
It seemed like the right thing to do.
I wouldn't need very much time.
   No need to bother
   with making it rhyme.
I reached in my pocket
   and pulled out a dime.
This is my ten-cent haiku:

Shiny silver friend.
   I will never let you go.
   Look! An ice cream truck!

Doctor's Visit

2010-10-14T00:44:00.000-05:00

I have not visited doctor's much at all in the last fifteen years. But I had surgery on August 24 to remove my appendix. And today, for the first time since probably 1996, I saw a doctor for an examination. I am supposed to go back tomorrow for a blood test -- to measure my cholesterol, among other things. They could not do it today because they needed me to fast for some hours before drawing blood.

When talking to the doctor (a resident), it seemed obvious to me that there is a huge gap between what are clearly best practices and what most people actually do. In particular, diet and exercise. Here's what I know I should be doing:

reduce my weight so my BMI is down to about 21 or 22. (ten to fifteen pounds)
increase the amount of fish, walnuts, and other foods high in omega 3 fatty acids. (It was much easier to follow a Mediterranean diet when I actually lived next to that sea in Beirut.)
Increase the amount of exercise to five days a week where I get my hear rate to eighty percent of its maximum. (Ok, let's see. 220 minus may age is my max heart rate. 220 - 43 = 177. Eighty percent of 177 is 142, approximately.) This means increasing walking, but also looking for cardiovascular exercise opportunities. Lately I have considered the YMCA. Maybe I'll go tomorrow and pay for a single day and see what it's like.

The Muppet Movie

2010-10-12T10:43:00.000-05:00

This movie just came in the mail on Saturday. Michal and I watched a few selected scenes, but we have yet to see the whole thing. My favorite line comes from Orson Welles:

"Ms. Tracy, prepare the standard rich and famous contract for Kermit the frog and company."

Current Reading

2010-10-12T10:40:00.000-05:00

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (on the Kindle).

Recommended.

Cigarettes and Cell Phones Have Some Things in Common

2010-10-12T10:38:00.000-05:00

I'm beginning to think that cell phones in this day and age are about the same as cigarettes were in the 1960s. They are ubiquitous, although it's questionable how many people really need them and how often they really need to use them. Text messages or SMSs, in particular.

It's not so much the text messages that I object to -- although I do wonder how many messages with 140 characters or less are really worth composing and reading -- it's the way that cell phones and text messages seem to interfere with the ability of people to interact with other people face-to-face and to notice the physical world around them. This summer, while in my car at a red light, someone hit me from behind. The driver was going slow, so there was no damage or injuries, but he admitted that he was not watching.

So often, in my neighborhood, I see people composing text messages. And they are engaged with their phones. I wonder how many people walk off the curb, walk into trees or other people instead of watching where they are going. And, of course, I see people composing messages while driving in traffic.

Daily Bread

2010-08-12T10:03:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been making bread just about every day it seems. Mostly because it's cheaper than buying store bought bread. But there is a certain satisfaction in making bread in your own kitchen. I use Jim Lahey's No Work Bread recipe that I first heard about via Mark Bittman.

The bread is very simple to make in just a few basic steps:

Mix the ingredients 24 hours before baking. (Or at least the night before.) This takes a little foresight, but little work.
Preheat a cast iron or other hot pot in a 400 degree oven.
Bake the bread with the top on for 30 minutes and then twenty minutes with the top off.

This recipe does mean that you have a hot oven on for about an hour and a half, so it's not ideal for hot summer, but everything has drawbacks. Recipe here.

Omnivoracious and Movies

2010-08-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

I have two hobbies or passions: movies and books. And there are two web sites related to these two passions that I check often. Although, in general, I am of the belief that most of the time spent on the web is time that could have been better spent elsewhere.

For movies, Roger Ebert's site is worth spending some time on. In addition to his journal that he updates regularly, I like his overlooked DVD of the week and Great Movies sections.

For books, amazon's omnivoracious site is consistently interesting. Some of the books I've discovered there include Every Man Dies Alone, Country Driving, The Little Sleep, and The Forever War. In yesterday's post I learned about a book called The Wagon.

A Longer Bike Ride

2010-08-11T19:21:00.000-05:00

Michal and I went for a bike ride again today. And, lucky for us, it didn't rain. We went to Rhombus Guys Pizza for lunch. Then we wandered around downtown Grand Forks for a bit. On the way back, we stopped at another place we had never been before, Home of Economy. As they say

Automotive supplies to garden supplies, bake ware to outdoor-wear, tires to toys.... if you need it, Home of Economy has it at guaranteed lowest prices!

They also sell furniture, including Amish furniture. It's nice furniture, in fact, it's the most expensive furniture for sale in town. Certainly a unique place to wander around in.

An Exciting Bike Ride

2010-08-10T19:38:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, Michal and I started off on a long bike ride. However, about halfway to downtown Grand Forks -- our planned destination -- it started to rain a bit. So, we turned our bikes around and started heading home. That was a good idea, but the rain got very heavy very quickly. Luckily, we were close to the university bookstore, so we were able to go indoors, get something warm to drink, and read while we waited out the storm. We were quite wet by then, but we were out of the rain.

Shirley Temple

2010-07-26T18:54:00.002-05:00

Today we watched our second Shirley Temple movie on our TV via Netflix -- Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm. Michal and Marta definitely liked it. Especially Marta.

The Circus

2010-07-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

Today was a rainy day and we watched Charlie Chaplin's The Circus via DVD on the TV. Not as good as City Lights or Modern Times, but definitely one of the best Chaplin's and of the silent era. I'm not quite sure why this one has not become as popular as the Kid or The Gold Rush -- it should be.

A few outstanding moments from the movie:

The tramp is chased (more than once) and runs to get away. He runs into a house of mirrors. Wonderful image. It comes close to my all time favorite mirror scene from the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup where the mirror breaks and Harpo pretends to be Groucho's mirror image.
The tramp ends up locked in a lion cage with a live lion.
The tramp is asked to do a high wire act. The act includes live monkeys and even a banana peel. Bear in mind that this stunt was done in an era before professional stunt men were a common part of the film industry. Chaplin did balance of a rope. Even decades later people who knew Chaplin (according to a biography of him I read) remarked on his remarkable agility and ability to jump.

chariots of fire

2010-07-20T00:28:00.000-05:00

Watched Chariots of Fire on DVD tonight. I would guess it's been at least twenty years since I last saw the movie. Quite good.

Latest Movie

2010-07-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

Recently watched Wallace and Gromit in A Matter of Loaf and Death via Netflix with Michal and Marta. Thirty minutes of great entertainment.

The Shack

2010-07-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

I've never read the book, in fact, I'm not really all that interested in it. But I came across this story about the book The Shack. It seems that book has been a publishing sensation, but the people who published it are not involved in a bitter lawsuit. In fact, there's a lawsuit and a countersuit. One excerpt from the article:

For nearly eight months, the trio have been mired in a series of lawsuits, accusations flying over improper accounting practices, millions of dollars in missing royalties, contract breaches and copyright disputes. Hachette, meanwhile, just wants to know to whom it owes money — and how much.

I guess this shows the dark side of writing and publishing an unexpected bestselling novel.

Harvey Pekar

2010-07-13T02:30:00.000-05:00

Today I read that Harvey Pekar died. I true original. If you don't know who he was you should watch American Splendor and check out some of his writings.

Thoughts on The Front

2010-05-18T21:40:00.000-05:00

This is one of the few movies that Woody Allen has starred in, but did not direct or write. Allen has said in interviews that he has offered over the years to act in other people's movies -- and he has done a few such as Antz, and Scenes from a mall. Unfortunately, it seems that there have not been a lot of great scripts sent his way.

The Front is set in the early 1950s in New York City. Alfred Miller (Michael Murphy) is a very talented writer who can not sell his scripts any more because he has been blacklisted as a communist. Miller looks up his old friend Howard Prince (Woody Allen) who is a lowlife working as a cashier in a restaurant. Miller convinces prince to put his name on Murphy's script in exchange for ten percent of what the script goes for when it is sold to a television network. This works so well that Miller finds other blacklisted writers for Prince to front for. Prince loves the money and fame that this brings him. However, he too is, eventually, investigated for communist ties and some people working for the network suspect he's not who he says he is. The movie ends with Prince testifying before the house un-American activities committee and having to make a choice between comfort and integrity.

One of the pleasures of this movie is watching the late Zero Mostel. Mostel gets a chance to sing, do comedy, and do melodrama. And he is just perfect in this movie. Mostel, like the writer, the director, and some of the actors, was also blacklisted during that era.

Woody Allen was not as good as Mostel, but this was a good part for him. It seems that he made friends with Michael Murphy while making this film and the two did an excellent job in Woody Allen's Manhattan the next year. In a number of ways, Woody Allen was ideal for the character in the film. When Allen finished high school he was, apparently, almost illiterate. It is believed that the only books he read prior to graduation were comic books. Only later (partly out of a desire to keep up with his peers in the writing and entertainment world) did he start reading and educating himself. In the movie, in an effort to convince people he knows enough about literature to really be a writer, Prince goes to a used bookstore, where, relying on the advice of the clerk there, picks up Huckleberry Finn, Hemingway, Faulkner, and Eugene O'Neil. Later in the movie, Prince rejects one of the scripts saying that the material was a little thin, something like Eugene O'Neil he suggests -- which almost enrages the author.

Allen also worked as a writer for television in the 1950s. But there are a couple of differences. He started a couple years after the blacklist era, and he wrote comedy, not drama. But those were formative times for Allen. He once said that he learned much of what he knows about writing comedy from working with Danny Simon (older brother to playwright Neil Simon) during those years when the two wrote for Sid Caesar. Allen also attributes his ability to create approximately one movie a year for the past forty some years without ever getting writers block. He was put in a room with his partner and told that they needed to create something funny. The show came on once a week, there was little time for rehearsal, and it was broadcast live. Quite the pressure cooker environment to learn to be a writer. Certainly a lot different than most college creative writing programs.

Woody Allen and Bob Hope

2010-05-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago, I watched the movie My Favorite Brunette with Bob Hope. I had never heard of the movie before, but Woody Allen said it was a movie that was very influential in his style of comedy, so I put it on my Netflix que. Having recently seen Love and Death, I can see that much of the character of Boris (played by Allen) in that movie is based on the character Bob Hope played in My Favorite Brunette.

Only a few movie comedians who worked prior to 1970 -- Charlie Chaplin, the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, for example -- are watched or talked about by the current generation. Bob Hope is definitely NOT a name most young people have on the tip of their tongue. But this movie, aside from the problems of the transfer which I explain in the last paragraph, is a real gem. The basic idea of the movie is that Bob Hope plays Ronnie Jackson, a professional photographer with his own studio. A professional baby photographer that is. But his studio happens to be across the hall from a private detective. Jackson is confused for a real detective by a beautiful young woman who wanders into the office, not realizing she is talking to a photographer. Jackson, wanting to impress the lady, pretends to be the detective and gets himself involved with a complicated investigation. By the end, he is arrested, and waiting in a prison cell, soon to be executed. That is, unless the young lady, who now knows who he really is, is willing to come to the police and tell the true story. To find out how the story ends, you'll have to watch the movie for yourself.

The plot, as you can imagine, is not nearly as interesting as the characters, particularly Ronnie Jackson. Bob Hope plays him as a timid man who would like to impress the girl by being tough, but always finds himself backing down when he is challenged by another man. Woody Allen played a similar character at times in several movies. In Love and Death, when he meets the contessa, he arranges for a late night tryst. The contessa says he should come to her room at midnight. Woody suggests eleven thirty. The contessa again says midnight. Woody, this time suggests eleven forty-five. The contessa sticks with midnight again and Woody capitulates. The next scene is in the contessa's room looking at the clock. We see that it is eleven fifty-nine and fifty seconds. At the very moment that the second hand moves to the twelve -- the very stroke of midnight -- Woody knocks at the door.

All in all, I would say My Favorite Brunette is worth watching. It is, by no means, a masterpiece like Duck Soup, but very few movies are. And I think it is a good thing to become more familiar with movies made before one was born. There are rows and rows of DVDs in blockbuster from the last ten years, and many many movies from the same era available from netflix or iTunes; do yourself a favor and go beyond the obvious. Bob Hope is definitely a person worth learning more about.

One note. The DVD available from netflix is not a high quality movie. Clearly, the print that was used in the transfer was scratched and in poor condition. Those who know something about film history know that many of the movies made in America before 1950 are no longer even available. It would be nice if the people who had the rights to this movie spent the time to restore it and release a DVD that was closer to what the original print looked like when the film first showed in theaters.

Thoughts on Annie Hall

2010-05-08T23:10:00.001-05:00

Unlike Star Wars, another movie that came out the same year and was also nominated for an Oscar for best film, Annie Hall is a very dialogue heavy movie. Now, let me be clear, as George W. Bush was fond of saying in his presidential speeches; I loved Star Wars. (Although if it came out when I was 43, rather than 10, I doubt I would have seen it eleven times in the same summer like I did.) Most of the scenes in Annie Hall are talking scenes. In fact, in the one or two points in the movie where I feel like something does not quite work -- like the scene where Annie drives Alvy in her VW and the camera outside the car makes her look like a terrible driver -- there's no dialogue.

The movie opens with a black screen and white credits. The first of Woody's movies to do this and something that would become a regular opening for almost all his movies after Annie Hall. Manhattan, made just two years later, is one of the few exceptions to this practice.

The movie also has quite a few long takes without cuts. This is another practice that has become a Woody Allen trademark. Most American movies, when showing a dialogue, cut from person to person to show who is speaking and what the reaction is from the person who is listening. In Annie Hall, the camera is placed so we see both people talking for the whole conversation. It's sort of like in the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies where, when there's a dance scene, you see the whole dance without cuts and you see the Astaire and Rogers' whole bodies to put the emphasis on the dancing, not the editing. In Annie Hall, this technique, which became common in Woody Allen movies after this, puts an emphasis on the conversation, not the editing. If I were an actor (or a director) I would much rather film this way. Woody, in interviews, jokes that he does this out of laziness. And it is true that it does mean you can make a movie much quicker because you lose time every time you move the camera and do another set up. But doing these long takes also means that the actors can concentrate on acting and interacting with each other rather than merely working on getting the correct facial expression.

Having pointed out that the film is filled with long takes, let me also note that the film has quite a number different locations and scenes edited together. There is a lot of material in this movie. And, stories exist that a number of scenes that were filmed were cut out of the final product. Supposedly they filmed a sequence where Woody plays basketball with the New York Nicks -- if you can believe it. The film jumps between locations -- Alvy's apartment, Annie's apartment, a tennis court, street scenes, scenes in Los Angeles -- and times -- showing scenes with Alvy's first wife (played by Carol Kane), Alvy's second wife (played by Janet Margolin, who, incidentally, played his wife in Take the Money and Run), his childhood, his early work as a writer of jokes for other comics. One of the real strengths of the movie is how the movie was edited to take all these different places and times and put them all together into one coherent story.

Another new thing I noticed in Annie Hall that Woody uses later in other movies is occasionally having people who are speaking, but not visible on the screen during at least part of the time they are speaking. I am still thinking about this technique, but one thing about it is that it forces the audience to notice how the dialogue and the visual are not always connected to each other. It forces me to stop and think about both the ways that the visual and the spoken word are and are not related to each other as I watch.

The story is a bit of an odd one once you think about it. While the film could be described as a romantic comedy, in fact, the movie is really about how Annie and Alvy broke up. And it is not hard to see that one of the major reasons for this break-up is Alvy's many phobias and neuroses, his inability to compromise, his inability to take Annie seriously as an independent person, and ultimately, Alvy's inability to let things go and experience pleasure. But, at least in my opinion, the reason the story works for so many people who have seen the picture is because there is a warmth to the story. Alvy and, even more so, at least in my opinion, Annie are both quirky and odd but very likeable people.

Having seen Annie Hall several times, it still seems quite fresh to me each time I watch it.

Thoughts on The Front

2010-05-07T17:20:00.000-05:00

In the Front, Woody plays Howard Prince, an uneducated man with no real career ambitions. One day, an old high school friend, played by Michael Murphy, tells Howard he's been blacklisted and asks Howard to Front for him by putting his name on the script and pretending that he (Howard) wrote it. The scheme works and Howard soon finds himself fronting for at least three writers, making more money than he ever dreamed of, and the object of romantic attention from a good looking producer of one of the television shows. However, eventually Howard is called before the House Un-american Activities Committee and has to decide if money and fame are more important than standing up for what is right.

One of the real pleasures of this movie is watching Zero Mostel. Mostel plays an actor who gets blacklisted and goes from being at the top of the world to, well, the bottom. In the movie, Mostel sings, he does comedy, and he does drama. All in the same character. And he does it well.

This is one of the rare times when Woody Allen acted in a movie he did not write or direct. I thought he was quite good. In a number of ways, the part was quite appropriate for him. Like Howard, when Woody finished high school he was, believe it or not, almost illiterate. In high school, the only books he read were comic books. Only later did he start reading and educating himself. In the movie, Howard educates himself by going to a used bookstore and asking the clerk where to start. On the advice of the clerk, he picks up Huckleberry Finn, Hemmingway, Faulkner, and Eugene O'Neil. In one of the funnier scenes in the movie, Howard tells one of the blacklisted writers that he can not turn his script in because his work is not good enough. Howard tells the writer he's been reading Eugene O'Neil and he should try something more like that.

Woody Allen also wrote for television in the 1950s. But Woody started after the blacklist era, and he wrote comedy, not drama. He wrote for Sid Caesar and was paired with Danny Simon (older brother of Neil Simon). In an interview, Woody said the following of Danny Simon:

I've learned a couple of things on my own since and modified things he taught me, but everything, unequivocally, that I learned about comedy writing I learned from him.

Among Danny Simon's other credits was writing for Phil Silvers, Carol Burnett, Diff'rent Strokes, and The Facts of Life. Simon was the inspiration for many characters in Neil Simon's plays including Felix Ungar (the neat freak) in The Odd Couple.

Next movie: Annie Hall

Thoughts on Love and Death

2010-05-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

With each movie, Woody Allen changes and develops as a writer and filmmaker. Certainly there are changes from Sleeper to Love and Death.

In Love and Death, the story is more important than it was in Sleeper. Although there are moments where he steps aside, forgets the story for a minute, and follows up on a joke. For instance, in one scene he and Don Francisco trade lines that have little or nothing to do with the story. Example:

Boris (Woody): It is a great pleasure to meet you
DF: The greater pleasure is mine
Boris: No, the greater pleasure is mine.
DF: No, the greater pleasure is mine.
Boris: Well, if you insist.

There's also a moment where those two characters stop talking and start trading cliches like you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Still, the story and characters are much more important in Love and Death than in any of Woody's precious films. One of the consequences of this is that we get to see Diane Keaton play a real character. And she is a pleasure to watch. She plays comedy quite well.

A lot of work was put into the sets and the costumes. Part of the fun of Love and Death is seeing just how ridiculous Woody looks in those nineteenth century Russian costumes -- the shirts and the hats, especially. Somehow Diane Keaton in the same outfits does not seem so funny.

While Love and Death is very much a movie, not a play, there is one small way that it has play elements. At times, Woody talks directly to the camera or the audience. This is a technique that he uses again in other films like Annie Hall and his most recent, Whatever Works. But it is something I did not see in any of his movies before this one.

Next movie: The Front

Update on Home Buying Process

2010-05-04T15:41:00.002-05:00

After a few rounds, we made an offer that the seller accepted and signed a purchase agreement. After that, we went to Gate City Bank and applied for a mortgage. We have a thirty year 4.6 APR locked in. Now we wait for the appraiser and to see if the bank approves our loan.

Woody Allen Film Festival

2010-05-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

After a month of not posting, I thought I might work on some more regular posts about movies. Today's post is an announcement. Using my Netflix subscription, I have started a Woody Allen film festival in my home. I think I got the idea because I recently read a biography of Woody that I got from the public library.

So far, I have seen Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Play It Again, Sam, Sleeper, and, last night, Monika and I watched Love and Death.

I started thinking about all this today and started taking notes. I realize that I have many things I could write about related to this film festival of mine. So, in the coming days and weeks there should be more posts. And more regular ones as well.

The Home Buying Process Begins

2010-03-29T23:05:00.000-05:00

Today we made and offer on a townhouse. Now we wait to see the seller's reaction. There are three possibilities:

accept
reject
counter-offer

I guess we'll find out in the coming days.

Conference in Louisville

2010-03-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Just came back from attending and presenting at the 4Cs (the flagship writing organization in the US) conference in Louisville last week. Was nice to see a few old friends and meet a couple people with similar interests. Was also a little warmer in Kentucky, which was nice.

Reading to a Dog

2010-03-15T12:57:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Marta went to the library to practice reading. As she wrote in her journal later that day:

I red to a dog at the lybrere to day (and she drew a picture of a dog and a book with a canoe on it because she read a book called The Mighty Mississippi.)

This was part of the READ program another link here. With a picture of a kid who read just before Marta to the same labradoodle (SIC!).

Chicken Cobbler, The Snow is Melting

2010-03-12T11:11:00.000-06:00

I've never made chicken pot pie, although I've had it in restaurants and cafeterias from time to time. But yesterday I decided to try Mark Bittman's easy to make chicken cobbler. Everyone seemed to like it. Perhaps will try it again next week.

In weather news, the weather has been staying above freezing for a week or so. The snow is starting to melt; but there was a lot of it, so it will take some time. Temperatures are expected to go above 40 F within a week, but they also predict a cold snap after that and temps in the twenties and the next warm up in April. So, we'll try and enjoy things while we can.

Trip to Bismarck and The Muppet Show

2010-03-04T21:27:00.000-06:00

Today Michal got a letter from his teacher saying that he is going to advance in the Geography Bee. On April 9 he's supposed to go to Bismarck to compete against other state-wide winners.

In other news, our newest Netflix disk came in the mail today. The Muppet Show season 1 disk 1. I wasn't sure what the kids would think of it, but we watched the first episode and they thought it was pretty funny (even if they didn't get all the jokes).

Dental Blues

2010-02-24T08:12:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I went to the dentist and got five teeth fixed. Seemed fine when I left there at 10 am, but, by 3 pm, I knew something was wrong as the anaesthetic began to wear off. It looks like one filling fell out. So, yesterday, I found myself either chewing with one side of my mouth or avoiding solid foods. Today, at noon, I go back and, hopefully, get things working correctly.

Update (1600): went back this afternoon. It turns out that nothing fell out, but the surface of the restored tooth is more concave than the original. There was something of a problem with the bite surface, and the dentist made a small adjustment. Hopefully, the problem is fixed and I can go to to pain free teeth for some time.

Trip To the Grocery Store

2010-02-20T15:27:00.000-06:00

We stopped by Hugo's, a local grocery store, this afternoon to pick up four things (oregano, tea bags, sour cream, and eggs). When I paid for the stuff, the kid putting things in the bag asked if I needed any help carrying things to my car. I told him I thought I could carry it ok by myself

Auto Repair

2010-02-19T10:41:00.002-06:00

Well, not repair, exactly. But I did have some work done to the car this week. Had the dealer install an engine block heater and a front license plate bracket. Most people get those things when they get a new car around here, but we bought this car in Michigan where neither is needed.

Art Lessons

2010-02-17T10:16:00.002-06:00

Michal is pretty excited because this afternoon, for the first time, he will start private art lessons. (Marta might join him for some of it.) On Sunday he went to Michael's and got some watercolors, brushes, and pads to get started. On Monday he said he couldn't wait for Wednesday because his two favorite things were coming -- band and the art lesson.

I'd like to try and get some pictures or maybe make a short movie of Michal and his art lesson. We'll see how that goes.

The Dentist

2010-02-16T17:45:00.002-06:00

After too many years, I finally went to see a dentist today. As can be expected, the dentist found many things that should be fixed that will also cost money.

birthday

2010-02-09T10:52:00.001-06:00

My birthday was Sunday and my family bought me a flip video camera as a gift. Hopefully, I'll start making some family movies and putting them on dvd soon.

winter shopping

2010-01-27T15:56:00.001-06:00

After Monday's blizzard, I decided to go to a hardware store today and buy a shovel and an ice scraper. The ice scraper is a tool on a long wooden handle, like the shovel, designed to knock ice off the driveway or sidewalk.

blizzard

2010-01-26T00:17:00.002-06:00

On Monday, school was cancelled and the university cancelled classes. According to the local newspaper,
"UND closed Monday because of Blizzard Brett, the first time a storm has closed the school since 2001."

Snow

2009-12-02T09:09:00.000-06:00

It snowed (and stayed) for the first time this season yesterday. Michal, Marta, and I played in it making a snowman, a snow fort, and having a snowball fight for about an hour and a half yesterday. Those boots and snow pants are going to be useful from now on.

Reading Intramurals

2009-12-01T08:58:00.000-06:00

Today Marta helped me read the book Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros to the kids at Lake Agassiz school for the Reading Intramurals program. Marta particularly likes this line and picture:

And he loves to surprise you.

Poetry As Tool

2009-11-25T15:09:00.002-06:00

I wrote this article for a newsletter recently, but there wasn't room to use it in this issue. Perhaps in a future one:

Poetry as a Tool for Teaching

Scott J. Baxter, University Writing Program

In this article I want to suggest that asking students to write a poem about some aspect of the course content can be tool to help the students learn. I would certainly not suggest that quizzes, exams, papers, and other traditional techniques be replaced with poetry, but I do believe that asking students to write an occasional poem can help students become more engaged with the material and increase the quantity and quality of student-teacher interactions.

Why do I think that it is a good idea to ask students to write an occasional poem? After all, many faculty are busy enough; isn't it a better idea to ask students to write academic prose? Maybe. But let me suggest three reasons why poetry could have a place outside the creative writing course.

First, most poems are short. They don't take a lot of time to read. Here's a haiku a student of mine wrote for a bonus question on an exam about the works of Plato:

Symposium

Join me in my house

For a talk like cat and mouse,

The cheese is on me.

Another student wrote this next one.

taking an exam

on a hot day violates

basic human rights.

Second, because most poems are short, they encourage careful observation of physical, textual, or other ideas. This sort of close observation is a skill valued in many academic disciplines.

Third, poetry has value for students because it can promote both an imaginative and emotional connection with the subject matter. Students can see possibilities and ramifications of a subject that make it more real for them.

If those three ideas aren’t enough, let me give an example of how it worked for one faculty member in psychology. In my previous position at the American University of Beirut, I facilitated a seminar for faculty on the topic of informal writing assignments to increase learning and engagement. One of the types of writing I suggested was poetry. About two weeks later, I got an email from one participant. She said "I liked the idea of asking students to write poems (even if the course is not in creative writing) so much that I couldn’t help but put it to the test in my history of psychology course. I didn’t want to overwhelm the students on the final exam, so I made it optional to write a poem about one of the key scholars or systems of psychology that we had covered in the course. Most students opted to write a poem, and I am blown away by some of them." We later had a conversation about this experience, and she said she was very pleased to see that many of the students went into far more detail in their answers than she had expected. How often does that happen on an exam?

For those seriously considering asking their students to write poetry as part of their course, let me offer a few suggestions (borrowed from Richardson, Shetlar, and Shetlar's 2003 article on writing poems about biology).

Emphasize the disciplinary content, but let the students write any kind of poem that appeals to them. The benefits of the assignment come as students plug their own creativity into the material.

Avoid complicated assignments. If possible, make the poems pass/fail, worth just a few points, or even ungraded. (But if they are ungraded, the students do need to understand why you are asking them to write them.) Judge the poems on their ability to demonstrate understanding of the course material; you probably don't want to try to figure out how to judge the literary value of the work.

Emphasize the elements of poetry that have some connection to your discipline such as close observation, or the ability to see connections between objects or phenomena (metaphor). Try to downplay the idea of poetry as offering philosophical perspectives on life.

Ask students to exchange poems, read them, and critique the disciplinary content of each other's work. Then ask for a volunteer or two to share with the class. I have seen this happen in classes with fifteen and I have also seen it happen in classes of 150. It takes just as much time in either case.

Geography Bee

2009-11-20T20:13:00.000-06:00

Today my son Michal left school with a medal and a certificate for winning the geography bee at his school. He was the best in both fourth and fifth grade at Lake Agassiz school.

The question that he got right was along the lines of:

In Balochistan*, a province of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, what major branch of Islam is the most popular?

Do you know the answer?

*He thinks this was the province, but wasn't sure.

Sharon Olds

2009-11-19T09:04:00.002-06:00

I liked today's writer's almanac. Here's a chunk of it:

It's the birthday of poet Sharon Olds, (books by this author) born in San Francisco (1942), whose work has appeared in more than 100 poetry anthologies. She studied languages at Stanford, then moved to New York to do a Ph.D. As she researched American literature at Columbia, she also tried to write her own poems, but she wasn't happy with them; she felt as though she were imitating the poets whom she'd studied. She was 30, unsatisfied with what she'd been writing for a decade, and feeling sort of desperate to find her own voice. So she made a deal with the devil on the steps of Columbia's library. She said, "I will give up all I have learned here if I can just write my own poems, and I don't care if they're good. I just want to write my own stuff."

Seven years later, she published her first collection of poems, Satan Says(1980). She was a few years shy of 40. She said, "I was a late bloomer. But anyone who blooms at all, ever, is very lucky." She's published eight more collections in the past three decades, including The Dead and the Living (1984), The Father (1992), and Blood, Tin, Straw (1999).

She teaches creative writing at New York University and lives in an apartment on the Upper West Side, where she sits in a rocking chair with a view of the Hudson River and writes poems. She begins writing, she says, when "a poem has formed itself, or its beginning, within me, and it's time to get a pen and notebook and sit over there on the rocking chair next to the window and try to bring forth that which is within."

Diagnosis

by Sharon Olds

By the time I was six months old, she knew something

was wrong with me. I got looks on my face

she had not seen on any child

in the family, or the extended family,

or the neighborhood. My mother took me in

to the pediatrician with the kind hands,

a doctor with a name like a suit size for a wheel:

Hub Long. My mom did not tell him

what she thought in truth, that I was Possessed.

It was just these strange looks on my face—

he held me, and conversed with me,

chatting as one does with a baby, and my mother

said, She’s doing it now! Look!

She’s doing it now! and the doctor said,

What your daughter has

is called a sense

of humor. Ohhh, she said, and took me

back to the house where that sense would be tested

and found to be incurable.

"Diagnosis" by Sharon Olds, from One Secret Thing. © Random House, Inc., 2009. Reprinted with permission.

Haiku of the Day: Went to a Movie Today (written with Michal)

2009-11-11T19:38:00.002-06:00

where the wild things are
was made into a movie
which was very nice.

haiku of the day: walking to work by the coulee

2009-11-09T09:23:00.002-06:00

A walk on the trail
calm water, crunchy brown leaves
cardboard beer cases

weekend tanka

2009-11-09T09:22:00.000-06:00

Turtle River Park
hiking with neighbors on Sat
hiking again Sun
November, but feels like fall
the sun even came out Sunday

Road Trip Haiku Number 2

2009-10-30T14:10:00.002-05:00

I felt so full of
energy driving today
until the car stopped

Road Trip Haiku Number 1

2009-10-30T14:09:00.002-05:00

can't concentrate on
the badlands because I have
to watch the road now

Morning Walk Haiku

2009-10-30T14:05:00.002-05:00

A lingering flu
and damp October weather.
The sun is rising!

Traveling and Sick

2009-10-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

It's been an exhausting few days. I got the flu and went to the midwest writing centers conference. That pretty much covers the last week for me.

Haiku of the Day (not written by me)

2009-10-14T22:41:00.000-05:00

Haiku is stupid:
five, seven, five syllables
Signifying zilch.

(I suppose this is a good example of what you might get if you asked someone to write haiku who really didn't want to.)

Poem of the Day

2009-10-12T11:58:00.000-05:00

Here's a poem I have been reading off and on for the last two weeks.

Old Man Eating Alone in a Chinese Restaurant

Billy Collins

I am glad I resisted the temptation,

if it was a temptation when I was young,

to write a poem about an old man

eating alone at a corner table in a Chinese restaurant.

I would have gotten it all wrong

thinking: the poor bastard, not a friend in the world

and with only a book for a companion.

He'll probably pay the bill out of a change purse.

So glad I waited all these decades

to record how hot and sour the hot and sour

soup is here at Chang's this afternoon

and how cold the Chinese beer in a frosted glass.

And my book –– José Saramago's Blindness

as it turns out –– is so absorbing that I look up

from its escalating horrors only

when I am stunned by one of his gleaming sentences.

And I should mention the light

that falls through the big windows this time of the day

italicizing everything it touches ––

the plates and teapots, the immaculate tablecloths,

as well as the soft brown hair of the waitress

in the white blouse and short black skirt,

the one who is smiling now as she bears a cup of rice

and shredded beef with garlic to my favorite table in the corner.

Haiku of the Day

2009-10-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

Marta sick last night
woke up crying and so sad
better this morning

Haiku of the Day

2009-10-09T19:11:00.000-05:00

white frost this morning
then snowflakes this afternoon --
grilling season over!

Conflict resolution poem About Beirut

2009-10-08T17:00:00.003-05:00

Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon, a small country in the Middle East.

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel, and the United States are talked about often.

Politics in Lebanon are bottomlessly complicated

In Beirut, I taught at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Student elections there were about Hezbollah versus the west.

Student politics in Lebanon are bottomlessly complicated.

In one freshman composition classroom I had at least four groups of students:

Sunni muslims, Shi'a muslims, Maronite Christians, and Druze.

Religion in Lebanon, like politics, is bottomlessly complicated.

For reasons connected to politics and religion, Lebanon had a long civil war.

Some of my students had litte understanding of what the war meant for their families.

History in Lebanon, like politics, is bottomlessly complicated.

One of my students wrote something interesting in her journal for my class:

"I have never had a real conversation with a Muslim before this class."

Understanding how conversation can remove barriers is not complicated

I have now left Lebanon, perhaps for good.

But I miss the weather, the food, and my many friends there.

Understanding connections to a place and to people is not complicated.

conflict resolution poem

2009-10-08T16:24:00.002-05:00

There's a conflict resolution center on campus that's sponsoring a poetry contest. They want a poem on that topic. I started drafting ideas for a poem about Beirut. Haven't gotten very far, but it's been good to try getting ideas down on paper.

Tanka of the Day: Michal and I find a fun book at the library

2009-10-04T12:22:00.001-05:00

Trip to library
to find Shel Silverstein's book
called Lafacdio:
the lion who shot back. We
read a chapter together.

Yesterday's Haiku of the Day: Marta picked a Halloween costume

2009-10-04T12:11:00.002-05:00

Marta excited
to pick Halloween costume.
It's Minnie Mouse!

Updated CV

2009-09-23T14:51:00.001-05:00

Finally updated my CV to reflect what I've accomplished over the last six months.

Number 201

2009-09-23T14:36:00.002-05:00

I noticed that this is post number 201 on this blog. One thing I've noticed because someone pointed it out last night is that I write a lot of haiku now. I've noticed that my walk to work is where and when I get most of my inspiration

haiku of the day

2009-09-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

Monika and I
walked together this morning.
Let's slow down and see.

Yesterday's Tanka of the Day

2009-09-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

had dinner with friend
in transition but happy
think I am the same
just twenty-four years ago
we met; still remember that

Saturday's Tanka of the Day

2009-09-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

Fitting room yelling
because Michal does not like
trying on new clothes.
But we did end up spending
two hundred eighteen dollars!

Saturday's Haiku of the Day

2009-09-21T10:01:00.002-05:00

no tan tap shoes at
the ballet store, but they did
have a magic store

Haiku of the Day and a Letter

2009-09-17T13:28:00.002-05:00

another writing talk

this time I decide to teach

them how to haiku

Dear Trio People,

Today I learned that small gatherings can be fun to teach in because they are intimate. It was fun working with you.

best wishes,

Scott

Haiku of the Day: Michal rents an instrument to join band at school

2009-09-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

clarinet rental
today at Poppler's music
now a musician

Guest Teaching Today

2009-09-15T22:52:00.002-05:00

Someone asked me to come and talk to their class for an hour today to talk about the writing center and to say something useful about writing to the students in the class. The class is a first year class called introduction to university life.

I decided that I would talk about the writing center for 10 minutes and then teach them how they could use poetry, specifically haiku, as a tool for learning. They seemed to respond well. Here's a short excerpt from my handout:

A haiku is a short imagistic poem with three lines and 17 syllables, arranged in the serial order 5-7-5. "Imagistic" means using concrete words, such as, for example, ice cream, cicada, spider, or dollar to convey a general or universal feeling, idea, or phenomenon, such as love, beauty, persuasion, truth, or happiness. Haiku also usually have a cut word and some irony or surprise in the second and/or third lines of the poem.

Haiku of the Day Inspired by a Walk During My Lunch Break

2009-09-15T22:48:00.000-05:00

Crickets chirp, wind blows
but the coulee water is so
peaceful and so still

Ola Has Left for Warsaw

2009-09-15T22:46:00.002-05:00

We were all so glad that Osusia was able to visit us for two months. We got a chance to go camping with her, show her Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and some of the local sights in and around Grand Forks. Michal and Marta, especially, will miss her.