Day 3, Blogging thru Pimm's Cups...

Yeah. So, cups. Plural.

Right. It has begun...Hockey Talk.


Random Old Guys. 1st OG bitchin'bout "Hocky in May or...June." Headshake. "Ahe," 2nd OG mutters under his breath, 1st OG on his left. Me, "and, What's wrong with Hocky in June?"


And we're off...

2nd OG is a Flyer's fan, starts talkin' D. Me, "So how'd'ya like Guerin?"
I swear to god, he sat up straighter. "OH...he's just on try-out. He's 40!" Me, "Yeah, BUT, he's a good player. Strong team player for you guys." 2nd OG, " 'YOU Guys,' who's your team?" Me, "Ooooo, uknow...teamoutinwesternpa."


Comin'round the first bend...

2nd OG, "Ohhhwwwwoo. UUUUUUU just like Crossssssbeeeeee." 

Straightaway...

Whathefukisit with Flyer's fans and Crosby?

Leaning into 2nd bend...

Me, "NO. BUT...What do you want to say about a young man, Who, AT 22, had been Captain of an NHL team, won the Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal? Seriously. But since you brought it up, I like Staal. Since his first game. He knows where to be, and he's learned how to play really hard. #11."

Final stretch...

2nd OG, "He plays for Caroline, right?

Finish...

Me, "No. That's his brother. Another plays for New York, and I have been told that the youngest is soon to break into the majors...and he's better than any of them."


Carolina? Sheesh.

The conversation ended on common ground.
We both hate Jaromir Jagr.


Anyway, now for something completely different:

Falling in love with the New York Times, all over again! Their website is really pretty cool, On This Day, The Emancipation Proclamation 

Former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, What I didn't find in Africa 

YES! How to teach, about Peace, Every Teacher a Peace Teacher 

And just a reminder, as we dive into Election season, (I wonder if they'll market that like other pagan holidays?), THIS is not fiction, Machu Pichu train Halted over Watre Protest, Rory Carroll 

Sweet dreams. 
 

Day 2, Getting Acquainted...

Ahhhh, the Social Contract and Organized Society. Ideally, both would encourage empathy and cooperation, ya know, foundational ideas in an infantile democratic republic. But, maybe therein lies the problem, we're still just an 'infantile' republic. Empathy and cooperation are mature behaviors, only able to be drawn on after hard practice at controlling emotions and developing a perspective beyond oneself. Or maybe not. Maybe they are default behaviors that are trained out of us, beaten out of us.

I have grown weary of the calls of the Libertarian Birds. Flighty creatures who's cries of "NoTaxesNoTaxesNoTaxes" injudisciously drop onto conversations of infrastructure and economics. Note: All specimens I have encountered have been males. Odd, no? While I believe them to be capable of advanced speech, I have been unable to engage them in dialogue. My observations have revealed their speech pattern to consist of raucous outbursts, most often at high decibels, followed by a ruffled chest thrust and a long tug on a beer. Although I have come across at least one partial to pills.

Today's most intriguing:

A timely article that resonates with words from a 17thC. geographer. There is nothing new, but we can move forward with grace if we remember the past:
America's Addiction to Belief, Brian Trent

Mr. Paul Krugman pulls no punches with the wealthy unable to recognize themselves:
The Angry Rich, Paul Krugman 


A concrete example of Mr. Krugman's OpEd:
Wealthy Contribute to Defeat Income Tax, Andrew Garber 

And, Totally Creepy and Absolutely Fascinating GeekNews:
Stuxnet malware is weapon out to destroy..., Mark Clayton 


Bonne nuit, mes bebes!

Hmmmm...Here we go!

So, yeah...this is my blog. It is going to be eclectic.

I'm thinking that this will tend toward daily link suggestions, with something of a focused essay (opinion piece) once a week. If I start re-reading Milton, however, all bets are off. 

A brief introduction:

My formal education is in philosophy and literature, (why they are separated I'll never understand), but I have a passion for visual art and music. Recently, I've also become obsessed with 19th C. American history. I am a political creature with a love for the actual land I live on and the future generations of humans that will reside on it when I am long forgotten.

I also have a thing for hockey and baseball, each for entirely different reasons.

The only thing I've wanted to do since I was eight years old was be a professional student and write. I completed course work for my MA, and spent a few years in recovery (I'll tell you about that Later). I guess this blog is my first step on my own.

I'm interested to see where this is going to go, and I hope you, O Best Beloved, will follow with me.

My interest is in The Humanities, but I am thoroughly fascinated with international monetary machinations. I think we are all more than objects to be manipulated for maximum profits, and while I love human creativity, I think maybe the monetary system has gotten a little out of control. I have little patience for discussions on money, but global economics can engross me for hours. Money strikes me as Bad Art, no intrinsic value, no beauty, just something to argue over, but economics provides a stable of characters and exotic locals. Good stories there!

Here are some links to a few things I just read:

A rather good article on class and institutionalized higher ed, good reading suggestions:

Never Give An Inch, Gerald Howard 

Piece in The Utne Reader about it, more good reading suggestions:

Working-class Heroes in Literature, Will Wlizlo 

Economic news is my porn. It makes me feel like I need a really hot shower to get rid of it...whatever that universal 'it' is, exactly, I can not name. I've become a recent fan of various Times blogs:

Ex-bankers Start Fund to Invest in Media, Peter Lattman

Interesting piece, was waiting for this:

Brookfield fund targets infrastructure, Janet McFarland

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading!

Colleen