Friends

9 lbs 20.5 inches

Three days of teacher meetings, three days of getting up extra early, with a fourth one tomorrow. I'm beat. I'm trying to get weaned off my summer sleep schedule, and it's been tough! So many meetings, that during this whole week, the only full work day I have to work on my own in my classroom is Friday. I've got diddly-squat ready so far.

...and consequently, I'll be working Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as well in preparation.

There were some late resignations, some weird shifting around, so my schedule wasn't finalized until today. For 2008-09 I'll be teaching the following classes:

Creative Writing
Societies of the Future (SF Lit)
Advanced Placement British Literature
Honors 10th Literature
Newspaper
Journalism

Yeah, six different clases! The Newspaper and Journalism classes I have to teach during the same period due to the numbers (read: total student bodies). One class takes first lunch, the other takes 2nd lunch, and I get my lunch in whenever I can. The only change 2nd semester will be that the Journalism class turns into a study skills class. 
 
This evening I also drove up to pick up the first day edition of the school newspaper from the printer. 

And so it begins.

Up at 5am to watch selected speeches and roll call via YouTube, because my only other option is CNN and...bleah. My connection's not great, so streaming videos problematic, but I'm getting the audio feed clearly, at least.

I don't agree with every point made by every politico on stage, but for the first time in years I'm not feeling beaten down into anger and apathy by what's happening in American politics. (also: Joe Biden rocked). The Roll Call was clearly choreographed but it made for great showmanship, and that is what a political convention is all about -- the deals have been struck already and now the machine (in use both good and ill) rolls on. We have a non-white, non-Old Guard Democratic mainstream candidate for President, hello History, and yes, I will be casting my vote for him. Not that there was a chance in hell I was going to vote for "No Fair Wages, no Choice for Women" More of the Same McCain, but y'know, some of you might have wondered. There it is.


And to those folk who are already online screaming about how the vote was "rigged" and Hillary Clinton didn't get her full chance? Dudes, HILLARY moved for popular acclaim. If you think that she was robbed, maybe you should ask her what cut she got of the robbery -- or do you think she is so weak or easily cowed that she would do that without fair compensation? And if you DO think that -- man, you're dissing her worse than anyone you claim to be protesting against! *eyeroll* Hillary was, as she always has been: a politician, and a gracious and charismatic and intelligent one at that, an I look forward to her continuing to work toward her [and my] goals in the coming years.

Oh, and because I am allowing myself snark this one moment: to the people who have called her a "shrill bitch" and the "anti-christ" and a variety of other things in my hearing in the past few decades? How you liking your representative choices these days? I'm liking mine -- and their ideas about governance -- just fine.

Anyway. Democratic Presidential candidate Obama? Please, please... do as you've promised. Be someone we can talk about with pride, with enthusiasm, with respect -- not just now, but eight years from now!

/political segment

http://meljeanbrook.com/blog/archives/616

Meljean, free, books. 

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes -- And Why
by Amanda Ripley

I know what you're thinking... it's along the lines of "Why in the world would I want to subject myself to 223 pages of in-depth analysis of some of the more dreadful & deadly disasters of the last century?"

The answer is: because you might actually feel a little safer when you do. Because many times, surviving a disaster isn't about luck so much as it is about engaging in often very basic, very low-level preparation and then feeling, in the event of disaster, that you can make choices and exercise control over your fate.

Prime example: 54% of people in plane crashes survive. But studies have shown that simply by reading the safety information card and locating the emergency exits nearest you (you know, the stuff they tell you to do in the pre-flight safety briefing, which most people ignore) actually greatly increases your odds of being in that "lucky" 54%. A great many of the casualties, it seems, are people who simply remain seated and do nothing while the plane burns up around them.

Buried in this less-than-cheery tale of plane crashes, terrorism, ferry sinkings, fires, human stampedes, tsunamis, and a decent number of tragedies you've never even heard of before (as well as Hurricane Katrina, 9/11, Virginia Tech) are wonderful little gems of insight into why people are more likely to go limp and helpless than to panic in the event of a disaster, why stampedes are almost never stampedes, and how special forces soldiers actually are a little different from regular people.

For a great sneak preview, this article by Time magazine has a nifty excerpt from some later sections of the book.

And speaking of those safety information cards... they're actually pretty entertaining if interpreted from the perspective of an alien archaeologist. I know this because I actually insisted on reading them last time we flew, which was shortly after I read the Time article above.

Here's what I'd like to see from the Democratic National Convention. The shortest nominee speech in history:

"You know that Centrist Bull Shit we've been walking for so long? Screw that. We're just as tired of trying to stay on the fence as you all are tired of watching us. Here's how it is. We're the Left. They're the Right. Universal Health Care? Done. Equal Pay for Women? Done twice and OMG why is this even controversial? Reproductive rights? Ditto. Enforcement of the existing civil rights laws? Done. Patch up Ye Olde Bill of Rights? No worries. Peace? You got it. And, you know, fuck the oil companies. Detroit? Get those E-lec-tri-CAL cars out, toot suite. And if it's not too late, let's try to get along with the other countries, okay?

"Now, we're going to have economic change, social change and political change. Some of it will hurt some people who are used to getting what they want, but that's the cost of a Just Society. Say it with me: Just Society. We want that. It's good.

"Okay, if we're all clear on this, we can quit wasting shitloads of money on stupid commercials, we can all agree to vote our consciences, and we can get out of here tonight in time to catch the WNBA games on the NBA channel.

"Peace."

Ah, such a sweet dream.

My day started before 7am when I went down to Henry's for breakfast (too pricey and not so tasty) - I then checked out, returned to my car and put what I thought was excess stuff from my backpack to my car. Then I took my bike out of my trunk area (a pain) put it together and strapped the back pack to the rear rack. Okay...

Then I rode about a half mile to campus - looked at a map - carried heavy bike down 3 flights of stairs (el stupido) locked it to go ask questions - return 2 minutes later and rode DOWNHILL (so fun) to my first class. Exit that class DOWNHILL (got slightly lost on a path) and all the way around to the bottom of the campus and then softly uphill until OFF the bike and walking up HILL to second class. Third class was all the way across campus which had two sections where I had to walk. I successfully DUMPED my bike - No, I didn't fall off. I was at a stop and trying to get off and caught my foot on the rail and did the I look stupid, silly, assInine oh look, here I fall over onto my butt wherein bungie chords go SPROING and backpack goes splat (yes, my computer was inside) however, that was a slow fall thing. My ass is thick enough that it wasn't horrid and I could walk although I think my left hip will be talking to me some as well as my butt cheek on that side. Nothing actually hurts - not really...

Up again and huff up the hill - try to find class 3 (I had an hour) - turns out the only way to ride over there was to go through Sproul Plaza which is a no bike zone - so I climbed down steps (remember this part) (el stupido) Voila - there was the bleeting building - and I found my class too - now class 4 is back where class 2 was only up hill 2 more buildings. The good part - after I lifted my bike back UP those steps from before was that I was already uphill mostly - so I meandered and then raced (okay I had to brake a lot) all the way to the really STEEP part. Off again to hump up that hill - parked on the wrong end of the building (which you learn after - when you look for the room) - what a dweeb class that looks to be (discussion group for psych) - then off to class 5 which was - DOWNHILL mostly - except for one long walking part.

After that I went to the bookstore and then decided my best course was to walk the bike uphill to my car. The thing is - my backpack handle (it is a draggy kind) broke at class 2 and stuck out which meant I had to put the damn thing on with a tail and it wouldn't stay on well plus I lost my third bungie somewhere ??? So, my backpack fell off 3 times during the various travels. By my last class I was hating on it big time. So, when I bought more heavy books I decided it was safer to walk uphill.

I did OKAY with riding - still a bit wobbly. I figure I did 2 hours of almost pure exercise in very hot weather today. My legs are a bit shaky - I didn't have my meal things with me so no FOOD for - well I'm cooking now - so it is 13 hours since breakfast. I didn't need most of what I had with me (in the backpack) and my trick is to actually get to my classes in the time I have (an accomplishment)

Overall, I give today a B (cause of my tender butt/hip) but an A for finding classes and not being late once.

I bet I sweated off several pounds of water - yikes it was hot hot hot.

And that was the story of my first bike adventure at Berkeley :)

All work and no play the same kind of work and no different work makes Leah a dull girl.


August 27, 2008

Saturnalia

Words today: 250.
Words total: 3000.
Reason for stopping: Bedtime for dayjobbers. And this still doesn't have an immediate gateway conflict, even if I have the structure and overarching conflict and some nesting thematic parallels that are like seeing through time. I know what I'm talking about. I just don't know what I'm saying yet.

If that makes sense.

Munchies: Baked mac and cheese, caramel honeybush tea.

Darling du Jour: He stacks the limbs like cordwood. Janus is nothing if not meticulous.

Things Yet to Cough Up Their Names: Gregory's last name, Miss Shirley Sue MacGuffin. (Kaira. Of no last name. And no fixed address.)
Mean Things: Oh honey. Hangover's a bitch, isn't it?
Research Roundup: Kairos; whether there's an official feminization of that word (and there is).
Books in progress: Ellen Klages, White Sands, Red Menace.
The glamour: Post office run! Laundry! Cooking! Support mail! Yahtzee!

---

Making words is clearly superior to revising words. I'm sure this will now go back in the stewpot for another few weeks, but hey, it's not like I'm starved for things to do with my time.

Revisions also continue apace. I'll probably count up my pages at the end of the week and plop 'em here, and if you do your chores and say your prayers every night, you might even get some content. ;)

So I've been making a driving CD for diatryma as per her blog request, trying to find songs that she might find interesting while also providing a survey of my musical taste, and attempting to end up with a CD that's actually listenable. It is, shall we say, a challenge, but a fun one.

Since Cassie and I listen to very few of the same things, the entire musical contents of my hard drive was fair game, and I ended up going to a few of my own driving favourites. (While somehow forgetting Jimmy Eat World's "Sweetness". Say what you will about Jimmy Eat World, that song is pure awesome for driving. ... If you are me, which I am.) One of the first that came to mind was Sam Roberts' "Brother Down" (a hit song here about six years ago).

The summer that this song first came out it was all over the local radio stations, and I was at that point working full-time at the Office of Student and Academic Services at Atkinson College at York University (which is both easy and fun to say). This meant I was driving every day from Bolton to North York (an hour's drive) in rush hour traffic, and invariably I'd find myself stopped at the horrible intersection of Highways 50 and 7, waiting forever to turn left, when this song would come on.

A key part of the chorus is the line, "I think my life is passing me by." And there in the car, breathing exhaust through the open window of my Tercel, I'd sing that line loudly, over and over as the indicator light ticked in time.

I have a couple of Sam Roberts' CDs now, and have played that song countless times. And somehow whenever "Brother Down" came on, that line was the one I could sing with such conviction. That was the line that resonated. I think my life is passing me by.

But making this CD, switching the order of songs around, listening for flow, I suddenly realized that while I still love singing along to this, Sam Roberts' first hit, that line no longer feels true. Unemployed and counting my pennies, spending my time wandering to the library and typing and playing with the cat, going on random trips, I finally feel like everything's going right.

Days are passing by, and I'm loving every one of them.

Have now consumed so much algae and chlorophyll I think I am turning into a plant.

It's actually kinda fun.

Youngest, diving in the pool in Gordon's red sunglasses:  Wooo, I'm a hippie underwater.

Oldest, gives it some thought, waits until youngest surfaces, and dunks her.

Youngest, having fought free: Nobody likes that anti-hippie crap.


Youngest:  This has got to be the dumbest comment on your site.

Oldest:  Who made it?

Youngest:  Eternal Darkness.

Oldest: Figures.

Youngest: type-type-type.

Oldest:  What are you doing?

Youngest: I'm commenting on your site as Unknown Bacon Person.


Youngest:  They suck.

Oldest: Who is that?

Youngest: This is that new angry emo rock band.

Oldest: rolling her eyes:  Because we don't have enough of those.

At least in musical selection.  Here are, in chronological order, the pop songs I've heard so far at the Democratic National Convention, with their original year of release and artist.

*1964 - The Times They Are A-Changin' (Dylan)
*1967 - Higher and Higher (Jackie Wilson)
*1967 - Chain of Fools (Aretha Franklin)
*1969 - Give Peace a Chance (Lennon)
*1972 - I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash)
*1973 - Love Train (O'Jays)
*1975 - No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley)
 1978 - September (Earth, Wind and Fire)
 1979 - What I Like About You (Romantics)
 1982 - Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
 1984 - Born in the USA (Bruce)

Yup, most of the songs are from the Viet Nam era (*).  Of all these, the most recent is 24 years ago (maybe a poke at the Republicans, as Reagan famously and inappropriately chose "Born in the USA" as a slogan).

Are they pandering to an older generation?  Are they trying to invoke a time of change wherein we were also mired in a pointless war?  Or making a comment about the current administration in "Chain of Fools"?

Or maybe it's because all the good songs are from that era? (snirk)

One thousand new words on the novel tonight. They were a bit emotionally flat for the scene I was trying to write, alas, but that can be fixed with revision. The important thing is that I moved the plot forward.