hello, friends,
sorry for the long delay, but, with the end of the semester, things have been very busy in volanskyland.
let's catch up on some news, shall we?
starting local:
the smartest shakespearean scholar i know had a successful surgery, hopefully allowing her to have safe and snot-free travels over the winter break. we are both anxiously awaiting the start of "skating with the stars" on january 18th, so look for full reports once that begins. you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be no tonya harding's running around THAT show.
wendy-lou who got herself the second cutest dog in chestertownvilleburg. he's a 2-year old schnauzer named either luke or murphy (he's so adorable, he'll respond to any name as long as you say it with a chipper sound...). the girl had a relatively blase meeting with him -- she sniffed him out and then promptly ate one of his chewbones while he sat in my lap. what a cutie.
much success was had in second-year reviews. i think all of us came out on top, despite some "concerns." it would be inappropriate for me to say more. but, the gang will continue to play on for another year.
in related chestertownvilleburg news, we're all anxiously awaiting new year's eve and the arrival of mo and michel from the wilds of france and minnesota, respectively. we've missed their company this fall and it will be GRAND to catch up. we'll also get to see professor andy, who has been slumming all around the globe on sabbatical. he's been missed, too. finally, we must all shun drs. banks-brown as they will not be around to make us all breakfast on january 1. if you are up for the challenge, please chime in and proffer a menu suggestion.
widening the lens a wee bit:
your humble blogger and her faithful co-writer managed to get themselves a book contract for the tome entitled "no heavy lifting required: a practical guide to playwriting and collaboration." heinemann press is the lucky publisher, our manuscript is due march 15th and you can order copies soon. we need to sell about 10,000 copies before the serious royalties kick in, so sign up now! in all seriousness, it is really exciting and daunting all at the same time.
sister sue managed both great grades this semester AND her sanity. we are most proud. she also was able to bring professor clockwatcher to smile, which makes us in the profession much happier.
brother rob has a car in japan. ask him about it.
what else?
i could go on about the ruling in dover, the surveillance of this white house, the ramped-up marketing campaign for the war and other such matters, but people smarter than i are covering it. all i will say, however, is that it is our civic responsibility to be informed, so pay attention, get involved and make your opinion known.
i will suggest, however, that you visit the NY Times website to read nicholas kristof's challenge to bill o'reilly to go visit darfur. it is inspiring.
i'm missing a lot of people this holiday season: thebus, dillmansky, perlow, shapiro, eason, engelman/dixon, the marvins, pat from louisville. i hope you'll all check in over the holidays.
i'll report in after brother bert arrives (tonight will be spent with the brothers donaghy!), but in the meantime, be careful (especially if you are in new york), be peaceful and,
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Holiday Spirit
hello, friends,
snow here on the ground in chestertownvilleburg and it sure is beautiful. the girl seems to think it was all done for her and she's been having some great fun bouncing around in the snowy backyard.
the countdown to brother rob's visit has begun -- he'll be here, live and in person as of the 24th of december. he sent the following picture from my favorite mountain this week. check it out:
snow here on the ground in chestertownvilleburg and it sure is beautiful. the girl seems to think it was all done for her and she's been having some great fun bouncing around in the snowy backyard.
the countdown to brother rob's visit has begun -- he'll be here, live and in person as of the 24th of december. he sent the following picture from my favorite mountain this week. check it out:
isn't it beautiful? i think the pain of the climb seems to be subsiding.
i'm sitting here in the apartment watching a whole lot of charlie brown. it amazes me that, despite the fact that the christmas specials are older than i am, their poignancy and relevance reverberates. keep the message of the holidays in mind as you are clubbing sweating lady next to you in a desperate attempt to get the last pint of egg nog.
i'm not 100% of this, but i think that kipper is a stunt double for this one:
right down to the pink socks.
i have a great great family and for them i am most grateful.
in the meantime, i still can't figure out how to get rid of big chunk of white space at the top. faithful servant kate says that it seems to have something to do with my "browser settings," but she may as well be speaking greek. can anyone help???
on a more humorous front, this came in over the wire. it's silly and filthy, but must be shared.
Top Ten Sexually Transmitted Diseases Which I Just Made Up:
10. Wet Penis
9. Shuttlecock
8. Rooty Tooty Too Much Booty
7. Teddy Pendergrosis
6. George Bush
5. The Artist Formerly Known As Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
4. Careless Whisper
3. Randy Johnson (think about that one for a second)
2. Dirty, Dirty Pussy
1. I Think I Slept With One Of The Sound And Lighting Guys For Public Enemy
isn't life grand?
be good to one another.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Technical Difficulties
hello, friends,
so, it has been a nutty couple of weeks here in chestertownvilleburg, and the turkeys that were presented had a somewhat difficult time. however, thanksgiving is the time for us all to stop and think about all that we have -- and, even in volanskyland, we have a great deal. we have family, and siblings, and great friends, and all helped to remind us over the weekend that we are, indeed, really truly blessed. i am in great gratitude to all that i have, even if it is difficult sometimes.
in the good news department, new friend dan came out of surgery with flying colors and is making steady improvement. you can visit his website at www.danstumors.blogspot.com. he's a remarkable person that deserves our best wishes.
a gentle reminder: new year's is almost here and the annual party of volanskyland grownups (sans the breakfast makers banks-brown) will be assembled. it is a grown-ups-only party, so, despite my love for you all who are students, it will be for those who are over 23 only...if you have questions about the hotel arrangements or for party times, please email me. the more the merrier -- and we'll be joined by brother rob direct from his year-long engagement at the hotel sapporo. i hope you can come along for the ride.
the kids in middle hall, knowing of my love for john malkovich, sent along the following link. it made little cordelia wake straight up from a nap and take notice. it is the essential john and it made me laugh a lot. check it out: http://batmalkovich.ytmnd.com/
in other news, baby bjorn is growing big and strong, despite the fact that he seems to be the only kid in my world who is not soothed by "the gambler." odd.
finally, adam davidson made a GREAT impression on the folks at washington college. see the press release here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/2005/11/21_davidson.html
despite the problems at amtrak, adam and a slew of great friends of the WC drama department had an amazing dinner (as always) at the kettledrum and, after the talk, a load of booze at andy's. if you don't know adam (who, i still contend, crashed my wedding with gifts of nature...), you should. iraq, paris, new orleans and banda acheh have only fine-tuned a great mind. it's a great pleasure to know him and have him come to my school.
i'm still seaching, and wishing, and hoping that you all continue to tune in and share the love with friends. it's a lonely life out here by myself -- i'm so glad you are along to make it a bit smoother.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
so, it has been a nutty couple of weeks here in chestertownvilleburg, and the turkeys that were presented had a somewhat difficult time. however, thanksgiving is the time for us all to stop and think about all that we have -- and, even in volanskyland, we have a great deal. we have family, and siblings, and great friends, and all helped to remind us over the weekend that we are, indeed, really truly blessed. i am in great gratitude to all that i have, even if it is difficult sometimes.
in the good news department, new friend dan came out of surgery with flying colors and is making steady improvement. you can visit his website at www.danstumors.blogspot.com. he's a remarkable person that deserves our best wishes.
a gentle reminder: new year's is almost here and the annual party of volanskyland grownups (sans the breakfast makers banks-brown) will be assembled. it is a grown-ups-only party, so, despite my love for you all who are students, it will be for those who are over 23 only...if you have questions about the hotel arrangements or for party times, please email me. the more the merrier -- and we'll be joined by brother rob direct from his year-long engagement at the hotel sapporo. i hope you can come along for the ride.
the kids in middle hall, knowing of my love for john malkovich, sent along the following link. it made little cordelia wake straight up from a nap and take notice. it is the essential john and it made me laugh a lot. check it out: http://batmalkovich.ytmnd.com/
in other news, baby bjorn is growing big and strong, despite the fact that he seems to be the only kid in my world who is not soothed by "the gambler." odd.
finally, adam davidson made a GREAT impression on the folks at washington college. see the press release here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/2005/11/21_davidson.html
despite the problems at amtrak, adam and a slew of great friends of the WC drama department had an amazing dinner (as always) at the kettledrum and, after the talk, a load of booze at andy's. if you don't know adam (who, i still contend, crashed my wedding with gifts of nature...), you should. iraq, paris, new orleans and banda acheh have only fine-tuned a great mind. it's a great pleasure to know him and have him come to my school.
i'm still seaching, and wishing, and hoping that you all continue to tune in and share the love with friends. it's a lonely life out here by myself -- i'm so glad you are along to make it a bit smoother.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Tidbits of goodness (and a cry for help...)
hello, friends,
i hope you are all well and enjoying what i hope is a beautiful late fall. winter-like activity arrived in chestertown on wednesday around 9:15 and it has been crisp and clear since then. i also managed to light my propane heater (something one HAS to see in order to believe it) down here in chestertownvilleburg without blowing up the block.
some of you wondered if i was doing okay after the last posting. i am, in fact, great. i'm centered and focused and prepared to take on whatever the world may throw at me. here's what one smart person observed, under the title "raising questions is not enough," based on that last post:
Of course you`re not doing enough to change the world you`re living in. Not even close.
The good news is that none of us are. Or is that really the good news?
There have been times reading that post of yours when I`ve wanted to write a blisteringly scathing comment to all of the intelligent, talented, well-educated, well-spoken, able-bodied people who get out of their cars and sit down at their computers every night to wax philosophic on the state of the world. How terrible this is or how terrible that is. I give them credit for at least thinking about it, but then I think, if they`re thinking about changing the world, why aren`t they doing it?
There are a lot of people out there who are just making their way and don`t really think about other people, people in other parts of the world, what the powers that be are doing, etc. I let them go. They`re the majority. For the most part, while they might not always be helping make things better, by simply making a living for themselves and their family, maybe they`re not making things worse.
But your blog readers. They SEE. They KNOW. They UNDERSTAND. So why don`t they DO? "Yeah, I see what`s wrong, I understand what`s going on, but, rather than do anything about it, I`ll sit here at my computer and show everybody how smart I am with incisive comments on the situation. That should be good enough. Somebody else can take out the garbage." FUCK that.
There are a few reasons why I don`t write a big fat FUCK YOU to every single one of them. The first, sadly, is that I`m not doing nearly as much as I want to be or as I could be to make the world a better place. I have absolutely no room to talk. But that will be changing soon.
The second is that there are enough people out there yelling FUCK YOU. For example, EVERYBODY. Me joining the chorus would be either counterproductive or, worse, another voice lost in the crowd. Cynicism and negativity feed on themselves, and a small part of the reason I don`t prefer to live in America is because those two things run high and strong there. Why is it that the voices of loving, caring, compassionate, positive people are ascribed to be crazy, hippies on the periphery of reality?
Positivity is where it`s at, yo. There is no problem on this planet that can`t be solved with love and compassion. I see it in my own life, I see it on a grand scale when the volunteer organizations come together to help out hurricane victims. Why should the conflict of nations be any different? Why can`t we view what happened to the World Trade Center, for example, as just another natural disaster? Those were people flying those planes, human beings borne of the same energy that causes the wind and rain of the hurricanes. We don`t try to kill the wind and rain when they go out of control on us, and, in my opinion, we shouldn`t try to kill other living creatures when they do the same.
The bell just rang, I gotta go. That`s ten minutes I just spent typing this message that I could have spent doing something else.
so smart, right? there's a lot of great stuff contained within that email, all of which i hope you will take to heart. we ARE intelligent, resourceful, etc. let's get the hell out of our cars.
smack dab in the middle of my application process for the university of hull's higher degree through research program. this is a british-model PhD program that sends one right into research for a dissertation. i'm VERY excited to begin exploring how dramaturgical inquiry might be applied to the larger culture. i hope that this is just a first step on the path that the above refers to.
a dear new friend of mine is having a major surgery tomorrow (check out www.danstumors.blogspot.com) for full details -- if you have any pull with any type of "intelligent designer," would you put in a call? and for the rest of us, light a candle or something. he's a good one and could use a healthy dose of our collective positive psychic energy.
a few things have come in that warrant posting.
i hope you are all well and enjoying what i hope is a beautiful late fall. winter-like activity arrived in chestertown on wednesday around 9:15 and it has been crisp and clear since then. i also managed to light my propane heater (something one HAS to see in order to believe it) down here in chestertownvilleburg without blowing up the block.
some of you wondered if i was doing okay after the last posting. i am, in fact, great. i'm centered and focused and prepared to take on whatever the world may throw at me. here's what one smart person observed, under the title "raising questions is not enough," based on that last post:
Of course you`re not doing enough to change the world you`re living in. Not even close.
The good news is that none of us are. Or is that really the good news?
There have been times reading that post of yours when I`ve wanted to write a blisteringly scathing comment to all of the intelligent, talented, well-educated, well-spoken, able-bodied people who get out of their cars and sit down at their computers every night to wax philosophic on the state of the world. How terrible this is or how terrible that is. I give them credit for at least thinking about it, but then I think, if they`re thinking about changing the world, why aren`t they doing it?
There are a lot of people out there who are just making their way and don`t really think about other people, people in other parts of the world, what the powers that be are doing, etc. I let them go. They`re the majority. For the most part, while they might not always be helping make things better, by simply making a living for themselves and their family, maybe they`re not making things worse.
But your blog readers. They SEE. They KNOW. They UNDERSTAND. So why don`t they DO? "Yeah, I see what`s wrong, I understand what`s going on, but, rather than do anything about it, I`ll sit here at my computer and show everybody how smart I am with incisive comments on the situation. That should be good enough. Somebody else can take out the garbage." FUCK that.
There are a few reasons why I don`t write a big fat FUCK YOU to every single one of them. The first, sadly, is that I`m not doing nearly as much as I want to be or as I could be to make the world a better place. I have absolutely no room to talk. But that will be changing soon.
The second is that there are enough people out there yelling FUCK YOU. For example, EVERYBODY. Me joining the chorus would be either counterproductive or, worse, another voice lost in the crowd. Cynicism and negativity feed on themselves, and a small part of the reason I don`t prefer to live in America is because those two things run high and strong there. Why is it that the voices of loving, caring, compassionate, positive people are ascribed to be crazy, hippies on the periphery of reality?
Positivity is where it`s at, yo. There is no problem on this planet that can`t be solved with love and compassion. I see it in my own life, I see it on a grand scale when the volunteer organizations come together to help out hurricane victims. Why should the conflict of nations be any different? Why can`t we view what happened to the World Trade Center, for example, as just another natural disaster? Those were people flying those planes, human beings borne of the same energy that causes the wind and rain of the hurricanes. We don`t try to kill the wind and rain when they go out of control on us, and, in my opinion, we shouldn`t try to kill other living creatures when they do the same.
The bell just rang, I gotta go. That`s ten minutes I just spent typing this message that I could have spent doing something else.
so smart, right? there's a lot of great stuff contained within that email, all of which i hope you will take to heart. we ARE intelligent, resourceful, etc. let's get the hell out of our cars.
smack dab in the middle of my application process for the university of hull's higher degree through research program. this is a british-model PhD program that sends one right into research for a dissertation. i'm VERY excited to begin exploring how dramaturgical inquiry might be applied to the larger culture. i hope that this is just a first step on the path that the above refers to.
a dear new friend of mine is having a major surgery tomorrow (check out www.danstumors.blogspot.com) for full details -- if you have any pull with any type of "intelligent designer," would you put in a call? and for the rest of us, light a candle or something. he's a good one and could use a healthy dose of our collective positive psychic energy.
a few things have come in that warrant posting.
that is courtesy of sister sue. i know that i goes against all that has been posted in terms of generousity and good will and everything...but...it makes me giggle. giggling is good, right?
this one is a link that comes from canadian superagent michael petrasek. more giggling. also, what's with the dude in the back: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6739710473912337648
cousin abaigh sent along a HILARIOUS windows movie entitled "arrested: texas style" that, because of blogging ineptitude on my part, i cannot figure out how to post.
(here is the cry for help: if anyone has any suggestions on how to post abaigh's video, how to change a link to say something, and how to get rid of all that white space at the top, there is a cocktail for you...!)
at the end of the day, we only have one life to make the most of, one chance to leave a thumbprint -- don't waste it.
in this season of thankfulness, i hope everyone travels safely and relishes all that we have.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Slacktivist
hello, friends,
i'm tossing and turning in my bed tonight and i just can't sleep. there are a number of reasons. here are several of them:
1. last night i dreamt that i was (again) rearranging my locker at haddon township high school. my locker was next to jess vitigliano and kim vining and, in the dream, i was the one with the messiest locker. i kept trying to figure out what books i needed to take to class in order to be "most prepared" for the day and just could not find what i needed. things just kept falling out of this locker -- i remember seeing notebooks and textbooks and scripts and all sorts of nonsense. kim and jesse just kept looking at me like i was completely insane. nothing would stay in and nothing i needed would come out.
2. tonight i went to hear a talk by the pulitzer-nominated photojournalist lois raimondo. she's a graduate of wittenberg college and she spent a good amount of time in afghanistan and in iraq, both pre-invasion, and her images from these places are unbelievable. real people, just like you and me trying to live their days despite the mayhem that is going on around them.
i sometimes feel like i am a complete slacker. i talk a great game about policy and politics, urging students to get out and live their lives and, alas, what am i doing? maybe there is something in asking the questions, but, at the end of the day, who is listening? it is a tough road to hoe when one snuggles up into bed at night with a beautiful and loving dog, but...sometimes one just needs someone else to bang up against to get one's head straightened out.
i spent an amazing weekend on chincoteague island with some family -- all of whom are smart, intelligent and rife with opinions. they've been with me every stupid step along my path, and i value each and every one of them. but, again, there i am.
i would like to say that i am posting this after a million glasses of white wine or some substantial gin and tonics, but i gotta say that this is the actual me, with no enhancement. sometimes i so value the solitude, and then there are those few waking hours where the waking hours are just so damn hard.
there's a part of every person that is the life of the party, the wise counselor, the happy-go-lucky individual to whom others turn when their lives are messy. i often wonder what those folks do when the lights go out.
people, now is the time to take a serious inventory about what your beliefs, values and opinions are. you will need to articulate them with your friends and those who are not your friends. i feel rough roads coming along, and we have to stick together. right?
in the meantime, i'll try to get some sleep. i trust you'll do the same.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
i'm tossing and turning in my bed tonight and i just can't sleep. there are a number of reasons. here are several of them:
1. last night i dreamt that i was (again) rearranging my locker at haddon township high school. my locker was next to jess vitigliano and kim vining and, in the dream, i was the one with the messiest locker. i kept trying to figure out what books i needed to take to class in order to be "most prepared" for the day and just could not find what i needed. things just kept falling out of this locker -- i remember seeing notebooks and textbooks and scripts and all sorts of nonsense. kim and jesse just kept looking at me like i was completely insane. nothing would stay in and nothing i needed would come out.
2. tonight i went to hear a talk by the pulitzer-nominated photojournalist lois raimondo. she's a graduate of wittenberg college and she spent a good amount of time in afghanistan and in iraq, both pre-invasion, and her images from these places are unbelievable. real people, just like you and me trying to live their days despite the mayhem that is going on around them.
i sometimes feel like i am a complete slacker. i talk a great game about policy and politics, urging students to get out and live their lives and, alas, what am i doing? maybe there is something in asking the questions, but, at the end of the day, who is listening? it is a tough road to hoe when one snuggles up into bed at night with a beautiful and loving dog, but...sometimes one just needs someone else to bang up against to get one's head straightened out.
i spent an amazing weekend on chincoteague island with some family -- all of whom are smart, intelligent and rife with opinions. they've been with me every stupid step along my path, and i value each and every one of them. but, again, there i am.
i would like to say that i am posting this after a million glasses of white wine or some substantial gin and tonics, but i gotta say that this is the actual me, with no enhancement. sometimes i so value the solitude, and then there are those few waking hours where the waking hours are just so damn hard.
there's a part of every person that is the life of the party, the wise counselor, the happy-go-lucky individual to whom others turn when their lives are messy. i often wonder what those folks do when the lights go out.
people, now is the time to take a serious inventory about what your beliefs, values and opinions are. you will need to articulate them with your friends and those who are not your friends. i feel rough roads coming along, and we have to stick together. right?
in the meantime, i'll try to get some sleep. i trust you'll do the same.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
BBrrruuuccee
hello, friend,
tonight, i saw my 31st springsteen concert and it was, in fact, a doozy. i heard songs i've NEVER heard live before and it just made my heart smile.
bruce also got me thinking about missing the boat on having babies, on catholicism, and why i like my own dad so very much.
best friend aimee was absolutely aces -- she scored the seats and gets high marks for not being pregnant at this show. last time we sat in the spectrum parking lot, we were there for a dead show and you can only imagine what went on then.
here's the report from backstreets:
November 9 / Philadelphia, PA / Wachovia SpectrumNotes: If you thought the 24-year gap between performances of "Drive All Night" was something, dig what Bruce broke out for the old-timers at Philly Night 2: "Santa Ana," last played live more than 32 years ago in the spring of '73. While much of the crowd was surely still scratching their heads over that one, Bruce really rattled their brains by stayed at the piano and going right into "Thundercrack," complete with a sing-along at the end. Both of these early gems were released on Tracks disc one, and both were tour premieres tonight. Also making its official tour debut was "Used Cars," last played at the Asbury warm-up back in April. Plus the tour's second "Independence Day"; rare visits from "Adam," "Janey," and "Cynthia"; and a "Dream Baby Dream" that clocked in at ten minutes. A whopping 17 songs not played at the first show makes a total of 41 different songs played at this two-night Philly stand.Setlist: Reason to Believe/Devils & Dust/Adam Raised a Cain/Long Time Comin'/Used Cars/Janey, Don't You Lose Heart***/Independence Day*/State Trooper/Nebraska/All the Way Home/Cynthia/One Step Up/Reno/Santa Ana*/Thundercrack*/The Rising/Spare Parts/Jesus Was an Only Son*/Two Hearts/The New Timer#/Matamoros BanksEncore: Growin' Up*****/Waitin' on a Suny Day/The Promised Land/Dream Baby Dream***=piano**=pump organ***=electric piano*****=ukulele#=autoharp
i love bruce springsteen.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
tonight, i saw my 31st springsteen concert and it was, in fact, a doozy. i heard songs i've NEVER heard live before and it just made my heart smile.
bruce also got me thinking about missing the boat on having babies, on catholicism, and why i like my own dad so very much.
best friend aimee was absolutely aces -- she scored the seats and gets high marks for not being pregnant at this show. last time we sat in the spectrum parking lot, we were there for a dead show and you can only imagine what went on then.
here's the report from backstreets:
November 9 / Philadelphia, PA / Wachovia SpectrumNotes: If you thought the 24-year gap between performances of "Drive All Night" was something, dig what Bruce broke out for the old-timers at Philly Night 2: "Santa Ana," last played live more than 32 years ago in the spring of '73. While much of the crowd was surely still scratching their heads over that one, Bruce really rattled their brains by stayed at the piano and going right into "Thundercrack," complete with a sing-along at the end. Both of these early gems were released on Tracks disc one, and both were tour premieres tonight. Also making its official tour debut was "Used Cars," last played at the Asbury warm-up back in April. Plus the tour's second "Independence Day"; rare visits from "Adam," "Janey," and "Cynthia"; and a "Dream Baby Dream" that clocked in at ten minutes. A whopping 17 songs not played at the first show makes a total of 41 different songs played at this two-night Philly stand.Setlist: Reason to Believe/Devils & Dust/Adam Raised a Cain/Long Time Comin'/Used Cars/Janey, Don't You Lose Heart***/Independence Day*/State Trooper/Nebraska/All the Way Home/Cynthia/One Step Up/Reno/Santa Ana*/Thundercrack*/The Rising/Spare Parts/Jesus Was an Only Son*/Two Hearts/The New Timer#/Matamoros BanksEncore: Growin' Up*****/Waitin' on a Suny Day/The Promised Land/Dream Baby Dream***=piano**=pump organ***=electric piano*****=ukulele#=autoharp
i love bruce springsteen.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Why One Might Hate Freedom
hello, friends,
an observant dr. bob submitted this for posting. i think you all might like it:
an observant dr. bob submitted this for posting. i think you all might like it:
have a great day. i will be spending the night with bruce springsteen in philadelphia.
full report after the jump...
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
One from Japan
hello, friends,
this just in from brother rob. it had me giggling all the way into my dramaturgy class today:
Top Ten Baldwins Or Sexually Transmitted Diseases
10. Chlamydia
9. Danny
8. Stephen
7. Crabs
6. Alec
5. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
4. AIDS
3. Herpes Simplex
2. William (Billy)
1. Gonorrhea
'nuff said.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
this just in from brother rob. it had me giggling all the way into my dramaturgy class today:
Top Ten Baldwins Or Sexually Transmitted Diseases
10. Chlamydia
9. Danny
8. Stephen
7. Crabs
6. Alec
5. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
4. AIDS
3. Herpes Simplex
2. William (Billy)
1. Gonorrhea
'nuff said.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Monday, November 07, 2005
District of Columbia...
hello, friends,
good chum gavin passes along the following link, which MUST be watched: http://filmstripinternational.com/
and you can sing along. the words are so easy.
would anyone from the district like to comment? this is an equal opportunity blog.
i am, in two short days, going to see my 31st bruce springsteen concert, with best pal aimee. she realized she was pregnant the last time we went to see my boyfriend, so i will monitor the beer and nachos intake at the spectrum.
if you didn't see THE DAILY SHOW last night, you won't know why i truly love this guy:
good chum gavin passes along the following link, which MUST be watched: http://filmstripinternational.com/
and you can sing along. the words are so easy.
would anyone from the district like to comment? this is an equal opportunity blog.
i am, in two short days, going to see my 31st bruce springsteen concert, with best pal aimee. she realized she was pregnant the last time we went to see my boyfriend, so i will monitor the beer and nachos intake at the spectrum.
if you didn't see THE DAILY SHOW last night, you won't know why i truly love this guy:
hey, i just heard that some people get 70,000 hits on their blogs. now i'm just feeling bad about myself. so, spread the word. agressively.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Shiny Objects
hello, friends,
it's been a busy couple of weeks here at volanskyism, with many student theses successfully presented, many meetings um...endured, lots of fun with friends. and i am anxiously awaiting a little rest and relaxation this weekend.
however, i didn't want too much time to pass before i shared some things that friends have forwarded to me. i encourage you to giggle along with me. and hey, take a minute to visit nick's new website at www.nickrye.com. it is VERY cool (and designed by our good pal greg -- with whom i still need to have a cocktail in the not-too-distant future...)
here are photos of some of our favorite drama majors -- this is for halloween, not "just another day in the drama department...":
zombie molly is on the left, stage kate is on the right. note the spike tape.
aren't they clever?
sheila w. sent along a VERY amusing riff on the classic "who's on first" routine made famous by abbott and costello:
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The main man in China!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you, Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you, or will you not, tell me the name of the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he's dead in the Middle East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N. Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars.
if it weren't so very true, it would be mighty funny.
and then there is this from our man at disney:
it's been a busy couple of weeks here at volanskyism, with many student theses successfully presented, many meetings um...endured, lots of fun with friends. and i am anxiously awaiting a little rest and relaxation this weekend.
however, i didn't want too much time to pass before i shared some things that friends have forwarded to me. i encourage you to giggle along with me. and hey, take a minute to visit nick's new website at www.nickrye.com. it is VERY cool (and designed by our good pal greg -- with whom i still need to have a cocktail in the not-too-distant future...)
here are photos of some of our favorite drama majors -- this is for halloween, not "just another day in the drama department...":
zombie molly is on the left, stage kate is on the right. note the spike tape.
aren't they clever?
sheila w. sent along a VERY amusing riff on the classic "who's on first" routine made famous by abbott and costello:
George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The main man in China!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you, Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you, or will you not, tell me the name of the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he's dead in the Middle East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N. Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars.
if it weren't so very true, it would be mighty funny.
and then there is this from our man at disney:
i think that says everything, don't you?
finally, brother rob, emerging from the shadows, has made some new friends over there in japan:
brother rob is making great strides in creating global harmony. we should all applaud his progress. see you on the 24th, bird-man.
speaking of birds, i am sitting here in chestertownvilleburg awaiting the kickoff between the skins and the birds. with t.o. suspended indefinitely, i fear i may have to buy bella meal. and suffer the harassment of dr. ponzer on monday. crap.
enjoy the beautiful weather -- and do keep in touch!
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The guilt, the Catholic guilt...
hello, friends,
so, this summer, i went to japan to visit brother rob.
i have been totally remiss in posting photos. there are literally HUNDREDS more, but i am posting those that i like best. suspiciously, the photos from my ascent of yote did not wind up on a CD -- this will be rectified shortly. i did climb that god forsaken mountain...
without further ado, this one is for bert:
this is the family that rob teaches japanese to. he's a cardiologist. the kids are SO CUTE.
so, this summer, i went to japan to visit brother rob.
i have been totally remiss in posting photos. there are literally HUNDREDS more, but i am posting those that i like best. suspiciously, the photos from my ascent of yote did not wind up on a CD -- this will be rectified shortly. i did climb that god forsaken mountain...
without further ado, this one is for bert:
this is the family that rob teaches japanese to. he's a cardiologist. the kids are SO CUTE.
rob likes to make friends, and, one night, when we were going home to go out (what was THAT about?), we encountered a street festival. rob stood on top of a newspaper box and took this really cool photo.
this is another one of rob's friends. it needs no explanation...
the photo below was taken at one of the many summer beergardens in sapporo. the beautiful girl to rob's right is aika. next to her, i felt old, fat, haggard, dowager-esque, hostile...you get the picture.
this was on the climb of yote. do you SEE how high up we were? do you see the cloud-lines? we did that two more times. oy.
but it sure was beautiful, right?
this other photo,
which i do not know how to turn, was on our first climb. it was amazing (despite not having food or water or, frankly, rest). i keep thinking about what a remarkable thing it was, for my baby brother to use what can only be described as psychological warfare on me to make me continue.
rob, for all the bad words i used on you during my time in japan -- i am truly sorry.
there will be more. but aren't they so cool?
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Persian/Polack Wedding
hello, friends,
the perisan princess' third cousin gilda (all US persians are, apparently related. to nakissa) sent some photos from both the wedding of the persian and the polack and the bachelorette party.
here they are:
it is shocking what weddings can do to some of the smartest people i know:
so, last week was a long one, with lots of theater time, as well as some late-night tossing and turning. i think i was on san fran time through to thursday.
the girl and i went back to philly on saturday (having seen a fabulous MOST FABULOUS on friday night), and had the good fortune of watching THE MOUSE THAT ROARED with d.p, jason and the sandwich. if you haven't seen this peter sellers classic in a while, do rent it. it rocks (and some of the lines sound eerily familiar).
we also took some time to visit with the ex-in-laws. i've actually been on an up-swing, feeling solid about myself and my life (thanks to all of you for your help) and it seemed like i was finally ready. we had a terrific visit, and i got to meet sister barb's baby colin. such a sweetie who giggles. it's darling.
busy week ahead, with a production of miss melly's play QUAKE (read it if you don't know it -- it's fantastic!) on the horizon. and a certain 23-year old turns...not 24.
be good to each other. please.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
A joke -- for the theater crowd
hello, friends,
this just in from gavin in DC:
Jack: So .... [pause]
Jack: So he won then. [pause]
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes. [longer pause]
Jack: He waited long enough.
Jill: Yes.Jack: Yes ... he did.
[pause]Jill: Yes, he certainly waited long enough.
Jack: Words. [pause]
Jill: What?
Jack: Words, in conversion, he was good at that.
[pause]Jill: Yes ... he waited long enough.
Jack: I think... [pause]
Jill: ...and pauses, he was good at that too.
Jack: Yes.
Jill: Yes. [pause]
Jack: Yes. [pause] I think his word/time ratio was the smallest ever heard.
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes. [pause]
Jill: Yes, he waited long enough...J
Jack: Well done, that's what they say...
Jill: Yes, they do say that...J
Jack: Well done, like the toast... [long pause]... How's your cornflakes, then?...
how much do we love this guy?
this just in from gavin in DC:
Jack: So .... [pause]
Jack: So he won then. [pause]
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes. [longer pause]
Jack: He waited long enough.
Jill: Yes.Jack: Yes ... he did.
[pause]Jill: Yes, he certainly waited long enough.
Jack: Words. [pause]
Jill: What?
Jack: Words, in conversion, he was good at that.
[pause]Jill: Yes ... he waited long enough.
Jack: I think... [pause]
Jill: ...and pauses, he was good at that too.
Jack: Yes.
Jill: Yes. [pause]
Jack: Yes. [pause] I think his word/time ratio was the smallest ever heard.
Jill: Yes.
Jack: Yes. [pause]
Jill: Yes, he waited long enough...J
Jack: Well done, that's what they say...
Jill: Yes, they do say that...J
Jack: Well done, like the toast... [long pause]... How's your cornflakes, then?...
how much do we love this guy?
congratulations, mr. pinter.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
I'm Not Dead Yet
hello, friends,
it was as though it was 1987 all over again. but this time, i wasn't there.
i was driving back down to chestertown today, as i'd spent the weekend in california at the wedding of the persian princess and the polack. it was so beautiful -- they were able to combine traditions of both backgrounds, making for the polka, done persian style, a culture all its own.
i'll admit it: i cried. good friends, good laughs, good wine. and the sisters are total rock stars.
so, i was listening to the radio, checking in on the mayhem that took place in baltimore. if you've not heard, go here, click on the subject line.
but i was safe.
at any rate, michaela majoun was telling me all about the U2 concert last night and suddenly, she said it:
my boys were together again.
bono was playing in philly and who showed up but bruce springsteen? and patti came out to sing, too.
last time that happened, it was at the vet, and i was sneaking cigarettes from my sister with roomie emily.
so sad.
but not dead.
we're rounding 2000 visits friends -- let's get that number UP! do i have to repost the rove story, given recent events?
get out there and tell your friends about volanskyism.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
ps just got cable down in chestertown and i settled in to watch LAW AND ORDER: SVU tonight and there was NO MELONI!
it was as though it was 1987 all over again. but this time, i wasn't there.
i was driving back down to chestertown today, as i'd spent the weekend in california at the wedding of the persian princess and the polack. it was so beautiful -- they were able to combine traditions of both backgrounds, making for the polka, done persian style, a culture all its own.
i'll admit it: i cried. good friends, good laughs, good wine. and the sisters are total rock stars.
so, i was listening to the radio, checking in on the mayhem that took place in baltimore. if you've not heard, go here, click on the subject line.
but i was safe.
at any rate, michaela majoun was telling me all about the U2 concert last night and suddenly, she said it:
my boys were together again.
bono was playing in philly and who showed up but bruce springsteen? and patti came out to sing, too.
last time that happened, it was at the vet, and i was sneaking cigarettes from my sister with roomie emily.
so sad.
but not dead.
we're rounding 2000 visits friends -- let's get that number UP! do i have to repost the rove story, given recent events?
get out there and tell your friends about volanskyism.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
ps just got cable down in chestertown and i settled in to watch LAW AND ORDER: SVU tonight and there was NO MELONI!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Pesky Homos...
hello, friends,
...sapiens, that is.
those pesky humans who got Ai Ai smoking! i just don't know what to say about this, except if a chimp can do it, so can i.
here are the details:
...sapiens, that is.
those pesky humans who got Ai Ai smoking! i just don't know what to say about this, except if a chimp can do it, so can i.
here are the details:
now, i've had a problem lately with mr. tobacco. in fact, i just can't stop. but would someone please reassure me that i do not look like this:A female chimpanzee in a Chinese zoo has managed to kick the habit after smoking for 16 years, Xinhua news agency reported.
Ai Ai, 27, first took up smoking after her mate died in 1989.
After a second spouse died in 1997 and her daughter was moved to another zoo, the broken-hearted chimp's health reportedly started deteriorating.
Zoo keepers say they are giving her mouth-watering food and playing pop music to improve her mood."In the first few days, she squealed for cigarettes every now and then," Xinhua reported one zookeeper at the safari park in the Shaanxi province, north-west China, as saying. "But as her life became more colourful, she gradually forgot about them altogether." Her new, busy lifestyle includes walking after breakfast, exercising in the evening and being served "fried dishes and dumplings at every meal" on top of bananas, rice and milk, he said.
Now and then, she can also borrow her human friend's walkman to listen to music.
It is not clear how Ai Ai developed her addiction, and whether she was first given cigarettes from the same guardians who have helped her quit.
other things to note:
i am a deep disappointment to paul rudnick and his stellar cast of MOST FABULOUS STORY EVER TOLD. i owe you guys one.
baby bjorn is growing up! he is cute-as-a-button and developing quite a personality. i hope to get some photos of him being cuddled by aunt shel.
aimee aimee and i had a delightful night on saturday -- we've been chums for over 20 years! yikes...if i ever do run for office, she's the one that the CIA will be watching...
off to sleepytime. peace, safety and love to all.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Those Wacky Nobels!
hello, friends,
so, i didn't win the nobel this year. just like i didn't win a macarthur grant. ah, well. if we all be patient, i will someday rule the world.
i won't attempt to explain the winner for this year's peace prize. if you want some smart observations, visit steve clemons' www.thewashingtonnote.com as soon as humanly possible. he's also got some provocative comments about judith miller.
but physics, well, i do know physics.
stop laughing.
i'm serious. cut it out.
at any rate, i had a student last year who majored in physics and drama. he was my "got to" student who got the rest of us thinking differently about science (like, "wow. check out those particles!"). i fired off an email asking the question on everyone's minds: "what the heck are they talking about?"
helpful mike ridgaway responded back with a brief overview:
"Quantum optics, like regular optics, is the study of light and how it behaves. Quantum optics, however, deals withlight on an atomic level. I'm sure you've heard before that light acts as both a wave and a particle. The wave aspect of light has a frequency that corresponds to the color we detect, much like how the frequency of a sound wave correspondsto the tone we hear. These scientist have developed new and incredibly precise ways (within 0.000000000000001 units) to measure the frequency oflight, specifically the kind emitted from atoms. This is what they're talking about when they refer to the color of atoms. Their research extends to applications in atomic time measurements, where atomic emissions and behavior are used as units of time."
got that?
it is just so cool.
here are pictures of the winners:
so, i didn't win the nobel this year. just like i didn't win a macarthur grant. ah, well. if we all be patient, i will someday rule the world.
i won't attempt to explain the winner for this year's peace prize. if you want some smart observations, visit steve clemons' www.thewashingtonnote.com as soon as humanly possible. he's also got some provocative comments about judith miller.
but physics, well, i do know physics.
stop laughing.
i'm serious. cut it out.
at any rate, i had a student last year who majored in physics and drama. he was my "got to" student who got the rest of us thinking differently about science (like, "wow. check out those particles!"). i fired off an email asking the question on everyone's minds: "what the heck are they talking about?"
helpful mike ridgaway responded back with a brief overview:
"Quantum optics, like regular optics, is the study of light and how it behaves. Quantum optics, however, deals withlight on an atomic level. I'm sure you've heard before that light acts as both a wave and a particle. The wave aspect of light has a frequency that corresponds to the color we detect, much like how the frequency of a sound wave correspondsto the tone we hear. These scientist have developed new and incredibly precise ways (within 0.000000000000001 units) to measure the frequency oflight, specifically the kind emitted from atoms. This is what they're talking about when they refer to the color of atoms. Their research extends to applications in atomic time measurements, where atomic emissions and behavior are used as units of time."
got that?
it is just so cool.
here are pictures of the winners:
aren't these guys just darling?
almost as precious as marbury and madison.
cordelia got a fantastic new haircut this weekend -- as soon as i figure out how to scan a picture of her, i'll post an image of the little cutie. she came out of the groomer with a big bow with a pumpkin on it around her neck.
fall break this weekend coming up and i get to go to san francisco for the marriage of the persian and the pollack. we've missed them greatly while they've been in london, but we have full faith and confidence that the event will remind us instantly how much we love them both.
that' s enough for now. be good to each other and light a candle for those poor folks living in pakistan, india and turkey.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Monday, October 03, 2005
Former Students Working Hard!
hello, friends,
while we all ponder the implications of harriet miers and a roberts-led supreme court (and wonder why justice stevens had time to dine with super smart nicholas in new york city on friday, when we all know that red mass was happening on monday...), we are instructed by ms. popcornkernel as to the judiciary act of 1801:
here's what she has to say:
while we all ponder the implications of harriet miers and a roberts-led supreme court (and wonder why justice stevens had time to dine with super smart nicholas in new york city on friday, when we all know that red mass was happening on monday...), we are instructed by ms. popcornkernel as to the judiciary act of 1801:
here's what she has to say:
"Well, to begin at the beginning…
The Constitution declares that there will be three branches of government, but the details were a little vague. For example, the Constitution did not specify how many justices were to sit on the Supreme Court. Shortly after the Constitution was ratified in 1789, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 stating there would be one Supreme Court, three circuit courts, and 13 district courts (one per state). They also specified there would be one Chief justice and five Associate justices, but the scope of their power was undefined.
The judiciary act of 1801 gave Adams, who was at the very end of his presidential term, the power to appoint judges as he saw fit. He planned to fill the nation’s courts with Federalists to stack the courts against the incoming Republican president, Jefferson. He reorganized the district and circuit courts, changing their sizes and adding lifetime positions. The judges that Adams selceted were referred to as Midnight Judges, because it was rumored that these appointments were being signed at midnight before Jefferson could take office. One of these Midnight Judges was William Marbury, appointed on March 3. Keep in mind that Adams made all of his appointments in 19 days.
After Jefferson’s inauguration on March 4, 1801, he and his Secretary of State James Madison treated nearly half of the appointments as void, including Marbury’s. In the 1803 case of Marbury vs. Madison, the court unanimously voted that Marbury had a right to the Supreme Court position, but that the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional. Marbury never got to sit on the Supreme Court. The case of Marbury vs. Madison was the first time the Supreme Court exercised the power of judicial review, declaring that acts made by Congress years earlier were unconstitutional."
isn't that impressive? i'm so proud of my girl.
ms. popcornkernel says that she's been unable to find concrete evidence that there was no supreme court from 1801 to 1803, but georgetown wouldn't hire someone who didn't know what they were talking about, would they?
absolutely not.
if this were a celebrity death match, who would you vote for?
no fair voting for the guy on the left (marbury) whose picture, due to the limits of this bloggers technical abilities, looks
bigger than james madison.
so, i look forward to seeing who votes for who.
and, finally, oh brother, where art thou?
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Sad, sad news...
hello, friends,
the theater world has lost a monumental -- and overwhelmingly important figure: august wilson died today after his bout with liver cancer.
wilson, who only recently (august) announced that he had only months to live, had just completed his ten play cycle investigating the african-american experience in the 20th century. from JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE, to KING HEDLY II to FENCES, these plays, with poignancy, violence and profound insight, helped to articulate the long struggle from 1900-2000.
my own interaction with mr. wilson was limited, but certainly the highlight was the time he showed up for a performance of KING HEDLEY II at philadelphia theatre company. he had said that he couldn't participate in the "american playwrights in context" discussion, citing work on GEM OF THE OCEAN. i found a wilson scholar to discuss the great man's work. imagine my surprise when i looked out from the stage and saw him sitting there, grinning. we laughed a lot.
he will be so so missed -- and i challenge others out there to keep his memory, and remarkable work, alive.
RIP...
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Rabbit Holes
hello, friends,
i've felt the need lately to blog a bit more, perhaps because i am wanting to continue to connect with all of you who come by and visit (and whose number is over 1500!), and perhaps because the weather is turning cooler and i'm thinking of hibernation once again.
as mentioned, there have been some clouds around lately, but as sister sue pointed out in a pointed voicemail today, "you have a great job that you adore, you have family and friends who love you and you don't live in the gulf region. now, come out of that rabbit hole and call me back, dammit."
sometimes, a rabbit hole is a good thing. sometimes there are cakes and snacks and juice.
the rabbit hole to which she was referring is not that.
d.p. introduced me to the term and it is just appropriate. sometimes you just want to get lost in a world of your own, under the busy earth and away from even those you most like.
the message was, as stated, rather direct and somewhat stern (there's a reason why young people in montoursville march in line whenever she looks their way), but totally right.
i do have many many good things and for all of it (and you), i am grateful. thanks so much for being around.
now before this gets too sentimental, i'm going to switch gears.
remember this guy?come on, you know...
it's been quite a long time since anyone has heard from big brother tommy, said to be hiding out in mary and ted's guest house in LA. this is where my mind goes: LA? guest house? lovely cheekbones? somewhat jaded?
good god, my big brother tommy has turned from remarkable playwright to kato kaelin.
if you've seen or heard from him, please ask him to check in with his peeps in philly.
no one has yet to turn in their extra credit essay from yesterday. remember, if you fail to answer, the terrorists will have won.
be good to each other.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Education
hello, friends,
skies are a little bluer here in volanskyland, but there is still a bit of rain with chance of fog. we thought for a brief time that there would be the much-feared "damaging wind and hail." but we hope for sunny skies as fall really sets in.
at any rate, as one can clearly see, i've been thinking a lot about the water lately, as well (and this isn't all that apparent) as the federal judiciary.
well, as i sat on my porch in chestertown, feeling the rain fall and looking at the catholic church across the street while talking on the phone to professor nick (whew), i got to thinking about all that was going on in our world:
1. weather
2. gays in the priesthood
3. marbury v. madison
it all seemed to come together.
and i learned something:
so, we all know that the judiciary act of 1789 created the US court system as we (almost) know it today, complete with districts, circuits, the office of the AG, the supremes and a few other things.
we know that the landmark "judicial review" holding from marbury v. madison essentially made the judiciary a solid 3rd branch of the US government.
this case was landmark because, as john stewart points out in:
skies are a little bluer here in volanskyland, but there is still a bit of rain with chance of fog. we thought for a brief time that there would be the much-feared "damaging wind and hail." but we hope for sunny skies as fall really sets in.
at any rate, as one can clearly see, i've been thinking a lot about the water lately, as well (and this isn't all that apparent) as the federal judiciary.
well, as i sat on my porch in chestertown, feeling the rain fall and looking at the catholic church across the street while talking on the phone to professor nick (whew), i got to thinking about all that was going on in our world:
1. weather
2. gays in the priesthood
3. marbury v. madison
it all seemed to come together.
and i learned something:
so, we all know that the judiciary act of 1789 created the US court system as we (almost) know it today, complete with districts, circuits, the office of the AG, the supremes and a few other things.
we know that the landmark "judicial review" holding from marbury v. madison essentially made the judiciary a solid 3rd branch of the US government.
this case was landmark because, as john stewart points out in:
prior to this, the judges were permitted only to make decisions on spelling and punctuation.
i love john stewart.
at any rate, what i did not know, and what the really smart professor nick informed me of (hey kids, if you want to go to law school, check out these folks: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/ )
they seem to know what they are doing.
gosh, the digressions.
what i learned was the there was no US judiciary from 1801 to 1803!
those who know me know that i do not acknowledge the punctuation mark (see how it all comes around?) called the "exclamation point." you get one in your life, but, at this time in my life, i think i'd like to buy a punctuation, alex.
imagine if that were the case now. a bunch of judges sitting around for about a year and a half, with nothing to do but think about their lives.
for those of you who know jose rivera's short play TAPE, you'll know why this image makes me so happy.
there's obviously a lot more to the judiciary act of 1801 and then the judiciary act of 1803, but nick's great teaching has made me turn my head with curiousity. check it out.
and the person who presents the best report gets extra credit.
i didn't figure in the catholic church. i'll figure that one out later.
in the meantime, be good to each other, and...
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
ps there are some great comments about the "sexy" stay-at-home moms on the, um, comments page. check it out.
pps though i do agree with the problems with biore and wine coolers, i do have to gush a bit about flicka's emmy. yay!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Zeitgeist
hello, friends,
it's been a rough day or so here in volanskyland, so if you have candles to light or chants to, um, chant, do them. a special shout-out to a special friend: kiddo, here's looking at you.
today, i would like to talk about THE ZEITGEIST.
the oxford english dictionary defines zeitgeist as "The spirit or genius which marks the thought or feeling of a period or age. "
for the moment, let us not dwell on the fact that this entry was probably submitted by an insane person...check out this book for full details:
at any rate, i like to think of myself as one who tracks what people are reading, what they are watching, what they are talking about, you know, around the water cooler (thank you maria for providing this much-needed item to the spanish house).
i recently purchased copies of FREAKONOMICS, tom friedman's book THE WORLD IS FLAT and zadie smith's ON BEAUTY. i was first in line to read bill clinton's book, got AMERICA: THE BOOK on the day it came out and bought wilco's last CD within a day of its release.
you see what you are dealing with.
however.
would someone PLEASE explain to me two things:
1) tuesday's new york times article that talks about women attending yale and penn who pay a fortune to get their degrees and decide that it is "sexy" to stay at home with the kids?
2) the chatter on discussion lists and on blogs about women who want to date/marry/have sex with SERIAL KILLERS?
here's what i know about the stay-at-home moms i know: they are all smart, talented, opinionated women who view staying at home as "one part of their lives." they are clear-headed and realistic about the challenges that may face them if and when they return to the workforce. all are well-educated and spent time working. i don't imagine that any of them would call staying at home, on certain days, "sexy."
can someone give me another perspective?
as far as the serial killers go, i got nothing. help?
finally, to tap just a bit further into my psyche, i had a very provocative dream two nights ago that involved bruce willis.
we all know my love and adoration for bruce springsteen. do you think that something got crossed in my REM wires and dreamland provided the wrong bruce for me to fantasize about? it was hot, but, um...it was bruce willis.
enjoy your days, keep my heart in your thoughts and be in touch.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
it's been a rough day or so here in volanskyland, so if you have candles to light or chants to, um, chant, do them. a special shout-out to a special friend: kiddo, here's looking at you.
today, i would like to talk about THE ZEITGEIST.
the oxford english dictionary defines zeitgeist as "The spirit or genius which marks the thought or feeling of a period or age. "
for the moment, let us not dwell on the fact that this entry was probably submitted by an insane person...check out this book for full details:
at any rate, i like to think of myself as one who tracks what people are reading, what they are watching, what they are talking about, you know, around the water cooler (thank you maria for providing this much-needed item to the spanish house).
i recently purchased copies of FREAKONOMICS, tom friedman's book THE WORLD IS FLAT and zadie smith's ON BEAUTY. i was first in line to read bill clinton's book, got AMERICA: THE BOOK on the day it came out and bought wilco's last CD within a day of its release.
you see what you are dealing with.
however.
would someone PLEASE explain to me two things:
1) tuesday's new york times article that talks about women attending yale and penn who pay a fortune to get their degrees and decide that it is "sexy" to stay at home with the kids?
2) the chatter on discussion lists and on blogs about women who want to date/marry/have sex with SERIAL KILLERS?
here's what i know about the stay-at-home moms i know: they are all smart, talented, opinionated women who view staying at home as "one part of their lives." they are clear-headed and realistic about the challenges that may face them if and when they return to the workforce. all are well-educated and spent time working. i don't imagine that any of them would call staying at home, on certain days, "sexy."
can someone give me another perspective?
as far as the serial killers go, i got nothing. help?
finally, to tap just a bit further into my psyche, i had a very provocative dream two nights ago that involved bruce willis.
we all know my love and adoration for bruce springsteen. do you think that something got crossed in my REM wires and dreamland provided the wrong bruce for me to fantasize about? it was hot, but, um...it was bruce willis.
enjoy your days, keep my heart in your thoughts and be in touch.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
The Upcoming Plague
hello, friends,
well, we're three weeks into the semester and the plague has struck.
it happens every year. students get sick, faculty gets sick, staff gets sick.
if i were a normal human being, i would say that it is perhaps the changing of the seasons.
but it is still very warm in both chestertown and in philadelphia and i know a thing or two about the flu epidemic of 1918.
as far as the temperature goes, i suspect that the heat is what some would call an "indian summer." as with the names of professional and collegiate football teams, that term seems to have fallen into disuse. what it means to me is that i cannot wear my new tweed j.jill stuff and i have yet to transfer from my vera bradley floral pattern and into the vera bradley black microfiber. which is a bummer.
when one looks to the flu epidemic, well, all i can say is that draft two of my play was due on september 1st and it is still in the "cranial stage." suffice to say, don't go to any parades that are purported to support liberty bonds, don't hang around flocks of geese or other avian species and for heaven's sake, don't kiss any strangers.
that last part isn't all that true.
i had a great weekend with the lovely and talented neil blackadder (will someone hire him to freelance dramaturg in NYC this fall -- he's so SMART) and his bride natania rosenfeld (please please publish her short stories -- they rock!) and their poochie, bella. what a lovely time. we spent some time at the fringe cabaret with my good pal nick rye, where we chatted it up with my chum at WXPN michaela majoun (hey, if you aren't streaming and a member of www.wxpn.org, what the heck are you waiting for???). there was fire involved. that is all i am at liberty to say.
i'm looking forward to a visit from the spectacular jessica thebus -- just in time for a rewrite of WHISPERING CITY, and looking forward to some sleep.
i hope all of you are well in your worlds. be in touch.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
well, we're three weeks into the semester and the plague has struck.
it happens every year. students get sick, faculty gets sick, staff gets sick.
if i were a normal human being, i would say that it is perhaps the changing of the seasons.
but it is still very warm in both chestertown and in philadelphia and i know a thing or two about the flu epidemic of 1918.
as far as the temperature goes, i suspect that the heat is what some would call an "indian summer." as with the names of professional and collegiate football teams, that term seems to have fallen into disuse. what it means to me is that i cannot wear my new tweed j.jill stuff and i have yet to transfer from my vera bradley floral pattern and into the vera bradley black microfiber. which is a bummer.
when one looks to the flu epidemic, well, all i can say is that draft two of my play was due on september 1st and it is still in the "cranial stage." suffice to say, don't go to any parades that are purported to support liberty bonds, don't hang around flocks of geese or other avian species and for heaven's sake, don't kiss any strangers.
that last part isn't all that true.
i had a great weekend with the lovely and talented neil blackadder (will someone hire him to freelance dramaturg in NYC this fall -- he's so SMART) and his bride natania rosenfeld (please please publish her short stories -- they rock!) and their poochie, bella. what a lovely time. we spent some time at the fringe cabaret with my good pal nick rye, where we chatted it up with my chum at WXPN michaela majoun (hey, if you aren't streaming and a member of www.wxpn.org, what the heck are you waiting for???). there was fire involved. that is all i am at liberty to say.
i'm looking forward to a visit from the spectacular jessica thebus -- just in time for a rewrite of WHISPERING CITY, and looking forward to some sleep.
i hope all of you are well in your worlds. be in touch.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
This Just In...
hello, friends,
after my post yesterday, a quick-thinking bella emailed me the following revision to laura's joke:
Q: What is George W. Bush's position on New Orleans?
A: He believes in the sanctity of life, and that no child should be left behind. Unless they're black. Or poor.
frankly, i can't do any better than that.
on another front, this just in: aaron burr kills alexander hamilton in a duel in weehawken, new jersey!
okay, so i know that it is a little late-breaking. but on thursday afternoon, in chestertown maryland, author ron chernow, who wrote ALEXANDER HAMILTON, will present the inaugural george washington book prize lecture. this prize, larger than the pulitzer and the national book award (though, suspiciously, less than the sophie kerr) was created by the c.v. starr center for the american experience here at washington college. the good folks at the starr center, joined i am sure by college relations, have come up with an audio broadcast that is both amusing and accurate. go team!
you can listen to it by clicking here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/05_09_13_duel.html
if you are interested in coming down, let me know ASAP. i'll be having cocktails with mr. chernow and company after the 5PM talk.
be well. and kind to each other.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
after my post yesterday, a quick-thinking bella emailed me the following revision to laura's joke:
Q: What is George W. Bush's position on New Orleans?
A: He believes in the sanctity of life, and that no child should be left behind. Unless they're black. Or poor.
frankly, i can't do any better than that.
on another front, this just in: aaron burr kills alexander hamilton in a duel in weehawken, new jersey!
okay, so i know that it is a little late-breaking. but on thursday afternoon, in chestertown maryland, author ron chernow, who wrote ALEXANDER HAMILTON, will present the inaugural george washington book prize lecture. this prize, larger than the pulitzer and the national book award (though, suspiciously, less than the sophie kerr) was created by the c.v. starr center for the american experience here at washington college. the good folks at the starr center, joined i am sure by college relations, have come up with an audio broadcast that is both amusing and accurate. go team!
you can listen to it by clicking here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/05_09_13_duel.html
if you are interested in coming down, let me know ASAP. i'll be having cocktails with mr. chernow and company after the 5PM talk.
be well. and kind to each other.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Why We Love the Internet
hello, friends,
i had a great visit this weekend by the lovely and talented elizabeth bennett. before you all think that i am communing with characters from the novels of a dead victorian writer, think again.
it is elizabeth bennett, famed dramaturg and hot chick. some of us like to call her betty.
we had some bonding time with mother volansky, went shopping at viv pickle (check it out: http://vivpickle.com/) and had an impromptu dinner party with british nick, dp, ms. hogan and the boys. yummy all around. and good friends, well, you gotta have 'em. and i sure do.
i will not speak of the performance of the eagles last night. i fear i may be drafted into playing quarterback. it couldn't be any worse, could it. really?
a special shout-out to uncle cheezy, who achieved the masterful task of acquiring 8 -- count 'em -- 8 tickets to springsteen in richmond virginia. i'll be there. will you?
now, you may be wondering why this post is called "why we love the internet."
here are some reasons:
http://www.cafepress.com/busblog.15499153 -- mine is set to arrive on thursday.
laura perlow emailed the following joke:
Q: What is George W. Bush's position on Roe vs. Wade?
A: He really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans.
and then there is this picture:
i had a great visit this weekend by the lovely and talented elizabeth bennett. before you all think that i am communing with characters from the novels of a dead victorian writer, think again.
it is elizabeth bennett, famed dramaturg and hot chick. some of us like to call her betty.
we had some bonding time with mother volansky, went shopping at viv pickle (check it out: http://vivpickle.com/) and had an impromptu dinner party with british nick, dp, ms. hogan and the boys. yummy all around. and good friends, well, you gotta have 'em. and i sure do.
i will not speak of the performance of the eagles last night. i fear i may be drafted into playing quarterback. it couldn't be any worse, could it. really?
a special shout-out to uncle cheezy, who achieved the masterful task of acquiring 8 -- count 'em -- 8 tickets to springsteen in richmond virginia. i'll be there. will you?
now, you may be wondering why this post is called "why we love the internet."
here are some reasons:
http://www.cafepress.com/busblog.15499153 -- mine is set to arrive on thursday.
laura perlow emailed the following joke:
Q: What is George W. Bush's position on Roe vs. Wade?
A: He really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans.
and then there is this picture:
i don't think i need to say anything else, do i?
keep the faith. and listen carefully to the answers john roberts is giving (or not giving) at his confirmation hearings.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Thursday, September 08, 2005
The Future
hello, friends,
i nearly went to bed tonight without reporting on what the ben and the kipper have been up to. i wish i had a cute cute picture to post, but as i am using a WC laptop, i don't have my archives.
at any rate, ben started 1st grade this year, about which he was distressed to learn that such an endeavor would involve 3 hours of homework a night. this was reported to him by either morgan c. or morgan j. (i can't remember which), who, as sister sue reported to me, "is repeating grade one and the reason, perhaps, that he had 3 hours of homework a night, was due to the fact that he (morgan c. or morgan j.), was, in fact, an idiot."
so that's him.
kipper, after MONTHS of patently refusing the believe (following in grand volansky/gowan -- okay just aunt shel fashion -- of denial) that she would be starting school, has become a faithful servant of mrs. jones' kindergarden class. mrs. jones, who i think is on par to rival mrs. kaliss for teaching consecutive family members (mrs. kaliss had the long-suffering task of teaching volansky children latin for 20 years...), is navigating the kipster well. however, the quote of the start of the school year comes from kipper herself. when asked about how it was all going, she answered "okay, except for the homework. i mean, i can't READ, how can i be expected to do HOMEWORK?!"
that's my girl.
at any rate, the kids, having barely survived sister sue's wish for them the first day of school (after checking in with niece abbie and nephew...? -- ask me about this if you are interested), the kids watched hurricane katrina's devastation. they set up their lemonade stand and promptly raised $27.13, which they sent to the red cross. the next day, ben wanted to set up the stand near the local grocer's, where he thought he'd make more money. for her part, kip said she would advertise to allow someone or family to live in her guest room.
it is things like that which assure me that i'll be in good hands when i am the dowager aunt i am meant to be...
again, red cross and the humane society. or ben and kip's lemonade stand.
withthispostidonthatefreedomsomuch,
volansky
i nearly went to bed tonight without reporting on what the ben and the kipper have been up to. i wish i had a cute cute picture to post, but as i am using a WC laptop, i don't have my archives.
at any rate, ben started 1st grade this year, about which he was distressed to learn that such an endeavor would involve 3 hours of homework a night. this was reported to him by either morgan c. or morgan j. (i can't remember which), who, as sister sue reported to me, "is repeating grade one and the reason, perhaps, that he had 3 hours of homework a night, was due to the fact that he (morgan c. or morgan j.), was, in fact, an idiot."
so that's him.
kipper, after MONTHS of patently refusing the believe (following in grand volansky/gowan -- okay just aunt shel fashion -- of denial) that she would be starting school, has become a faithful servant of mrs. jones' kindergarden class. mrs. jones, who i think is on par to rival mrs. kaliss for teaching consecutive family members (mrs. kaliss had the long-suffering task of teaching volansky children latin for 20 years...), is navigating the kipster well. however, the quote of the start of the school year comes from kipper herself. when asked about how it was all going, she answered "okay, except for the homework. i mean, i can't READ, how can i be expected to do HOMEWORK?!"
that's my girl.
at any rate, the kids, having barely survived sister sue's wish for them the first day of school (after checking in with niece abbie and nephew...? -- ask me about this if you are interested), the kids watched hurricane katrina's devastation. they set up their lemonade stand and promptly raised $27.13, which they sent to the red cross. the next day, ben wanted to set up the stand near the local grocer's, where he thought he'd make more money. for her part, kip said she would advertise to allow someone or family to live in her guest room.
it is things like that which assure me that i'll be in good hands when i am the dowager aunt i am meant to be...
again, red cross and the humane society. or ben and kip's lemonade stand.
withthispostidonthatefreedomsomuch,
volansky
Where to start...?
hello, friends,
i hope everyone is doing well and safe and staying out of trouble. i have LOTS of opinions about LOTS of things, but i will try to keep the tone straightforward.
i acknowledge that it is not george bush's fault that the levees in new orleans broke. it is my understanding that, for years (and decades), the army corps of engineers has been among the first to be cut off the list for monies.
however.
i do blame FEMA (thanks to playwright jane anderson for alerting me to what that actually stands for: Few Enlightened, Many Assholes) and the bush administration for a slow slow slow response. even herbert hoover, as head of the department of commerce in 1927 was able to raise $150,000 million in the first three hours after the tidal surge on the mississippi. and we all know what kind of leader herbert hoover was...
i can't believe that FEMA is run by a guy who, though once a general counsel to the agency, came directly from an arabian horse farm. i can't believe he had no idea that the people in the superdome needed immediate water and food. as josh marshall, at www.talkingpointsmemo.com asked, "doesn't anyone in this administration READ?" jeez.
i am happy to hear that we've moved away from the term "refugee" and toward "evacuees." i am thrilled that washington college has offered full room, board and tuition to 8 students impacted by katrina. i am a little irked by larry king, but grateful that he has not dealt with natalee holloway in a week.
i'm also thrilled that my parents got me AAAplus for christmas, because today, on the way to cordelia's vet in new jersey, i got my THIRD flat tire in the last 8 months. dear god. so, thanks to miller's towing for taking me and my little dog to get another tire, another spare, and a lovely cheese hoagie.
my parents also bought me a bike today. do you think they are trying to tell me something?
heard from rob in the 'do (that's what the "in crowd" calls hokkaido) today, who assures me that it is still a town filled with gothic lolitas and drunk salarymen. and for those of you anxiously awaiting photos, i say, "get a life." seriously. no, i intended to do it today, but, because of the flat, my plans were changed. perhaps sunday, while i watch the kickoff of the NFL season.
i will not be watching or participating in the "freedom march." i hope that you will continue to send food, clothes, money to the red cross or the humane society. and go WAC writer's union for launching a book drive to go to the kids at the astrodome. if you have old kid's books or coloring books, let me know and i'll tell you how to help.
i think i've babbled enough.
be good to each other. i'll talk to you all soon.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
i hope everyone is doing well and safe and staying out of trouble. i have LOTS of opinions about LOTS of things, but i will try to keep the tone straightforward.
i acknowledge that it is not george bush's fault that the levees in new orleans broke. it is my understanding that, for years (and decades), the army corps of engineers has been among the first to be cut off the list for monies.
however.
i do blame FEMA (thanks to playwright jane anderson for alerting me to what that actually stands for: Few Enlightened, Many Assholes) and the bush administration for a slow slow slow response. even herbert hoover, as head of the department of commerce in 1927 was able to raise $150,000 million in the first three hours after the tidal surge on the mississippi. and we all know what kind of leader herbert hoover was...
i can't believe that FEMA is run by a guy who, though once a general counsel to the agency, came directly from an arabian horse farm. i can't believe he had no idea that the people in the superdome needed immediate water and food. as josh marshall, at www.talkingpointsmemo.com asked, "doesn't anyone in this administration READ?" jeez.
i am happy to hear that we've moved away from the term "refugee" and toward "evacuees." i am thrilled that washington college has offered full room, board and tuition to 8 students impacted by katrina. i am a little irked by larry king, but grateful that he has not dealt with natalee holloway in a week.
i'm also thrilled that my parents got me AAAplus for christmas, because today, on the way to cordelia's vet in new jersey, i got my THIRD flat tire in the last 8 months. dear god. so, thanks to miller's towing for taking me and my little dog to get another tire, another spare, and a lovely cheese hoagie.
my parents also bought me a bike today. do you think they are trying to tell me something?
heard from rob in the 'do (that's what the "in crowd" calls hokkaido) today, who assures me that it is still a town filled with gothic lolitas and drunk salarymen. and for those of you anxiously awaiting photos, i say, "get a life." seriously. no, i intended to do it today, but, because of the flat, my plans were changed. perhaps sunday, while i watch the kickoff of the NFL season.
i will not be watching or participating in the "freedom march." i hope that you will continue to send food, clothes, money to the red cross or the humane society. and go WAC writer's union for launching a book drive to go to the kids at the astrodome. if you have old kid's books or coloring books, let me know and i'll tell you how to help.
i think i've babbled enough.
be good to each other. i'll talk to you all soon.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Monday, September 05, 2005
Labor Day
hello, friends,
so, this morning when i woke up and started thinking about what i was going to teach today (we had classes all day), i was reminded of a few things that my old neighbor in chicago used to say about labor day. i say "old neighbor" because, well, it was studs terkel and he is, indeed old. he also used to live in my neighborhood when i lived in chicago.
at any rate, studs, who always wore red white and blue, talked a great deal about the significance of labor day. he provided me (and anyone else waiting for either the bus or the el) with some information about the holiday that i seemed to have forgotten from my childhood schooling. here's a little bit of info you should know:
never let it be said that this blog perpetuated ignorance.
on another note, as some of you may have been emailed, cordelia and i have been struck by the pain of the animals and their owners in the areas impacted by hurricane katrina. there are so many worthy organizations that deserve our help and financial support, but cordelia and i hope that you will join us in supporting the humane society of the united state. you can contribute to them by visiting their website at http://www.hsus.org/.
i am completely amazed that this site has now recorded over 1,000 readers! give yourselves a giant round of applause and get ready to buy me some gin and tonic -- we're cool.
finally, there have been many requests for photos. i have, in fact, gotten the pictures out of hoc (target) and will, hopefully this weekend, be able to post some of the great pictures from my trip to japan.
stay tuned.
our thoughts and prayers are with all of those folks down south -- remember, god was NOT punishing the sinful ways of new orleans. sometimes, nature just happens.
in the meantime,
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
so, this morning when i woke up and started thinking about what i was going to teach today (we had classes all day), i was reminded of a few things that my old neighbor in chicago used to say about labor day. i say "old neighbor" because, well, it was studs terkel and he is, indeed old. he also used to live in my neighborhood when i lived in chicago.
at any rate, studs, who always wore red white and blue, talked a great deal about the significance of labor day. he provided me (and anyone else waiting for either the bus or the el) with some information about the holiday that i seemed to have forgotten from my childhood schooling. here's a little bit of info you should know:
Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means
"Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of
the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of
the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less
degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife
and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another.
Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation."
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor
movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American
workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers
have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is
still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.
Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation
of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature
have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor
Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor
Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.
The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5,
1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.
The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on
September 5, 1883.
In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as
originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in
other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's
holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations,
and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.
Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The
first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during
1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The
first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to
become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more
states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor
Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut,
Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had
adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress
passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday
in the District of Columbia and the territories.
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.
The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in
recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and
huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in
emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union
officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given
wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.
The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of
living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us
closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political
democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor
Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership
— the American worker.
never let it be said that this blog perpetuated ignorance.
on another note, as some of you may have been emailed, cordelia and i have been struck by the pain of the animals and their owners in the areas impacted by hurricane katrina. there are so many worthy organizations that deserve our help and financial support, but cordelia and i hope that you will join us in supporting the humane society of the united state. you can contribute to them by visiting their website at http://www.hsus.org/.
i am completely amazed that this site has now recorded over 1,000 readers! give yourselves a giant round of applause and get ready to buy me some gin and tonic -- we're cool.
finally, there have been many requests for photos. i have, in fact, gotten the pictures out of hoc (target) and will, hopefully this weekend, be able to post some of the great pictures from my trip to japan.
stay tuned.
our thoughts and prayers are with all of those folks down south -- remember, god was NOT punishing the sinful ways of new orleans. sometimes, nature just happens.
in the meantime,
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Sunday, August 28, 2005
School!
hello, friends,
sorry to have been out of the loop (is anyone still reading??), but i've been trying to get myself back into the swing of things in anticipation of school starting tomorrow.
washington college hosted a lovely convocation, featuring richard brookheiser, who edited george's rules of civility. if you've not read what our favorite founding father had to say about how to behave, run, don't walk to get your own edition. he was a smart one, that fella.
several folks commented on my reaction to the proliferation of highway signs. of course, i know that they were originally installed to alert drivers of traffic jams, etc. what i find disconcerting is their new use as "tipster" alerts. i know we all need to be vigilant and somewhat cautious, but i find it really, well, orwellian (there, i said it) to have these things out there.
sometimes i think that USA Today is orwellian as well, for the record.
okay, enough with the politics.
i got my photos back from japan and once i get myself settled into this week, they shall be up for all to see.
enjoy the week, my friends, and stay in touch. please.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
sorry to have been out of the loop (is anyone still reading??), but i've been trying to get myself back into the swing of things in anticipation of school starting tomorrow.
washington college hosted a lovely convocation, featuring richard brookheiser, who edited george's rules of civility. if you've not read what our favorite founding father had to say about how to behave, run, don't walk to get your own edition. he was a smart one, that fella.
several folks commented on my reaction to the proliferation of highway signs. of course, i know that they were originally installed to alert drivers of traffic jams, etc. what i find disconcerting is their new use as "tipster" alerts. i know we all need to be vigilant and somewhat cautious, but i find it really, well, orwellian (there, i said it) to have these things out there.
sometimes i think that USA Today is orwellian as well, for the record.
okay, enough with the politics.
i got my photos back from japan and once i get myself settled into this week, they shall be up for all to see.
enjoy the week, my friends, and stay in touch. please.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Signposts
hello, friends,
i don't know how many of you drive along major interstate, but, in going back and forth to Chestertown, i travel along I-95. over the last 6 months, a slightly disturbing thing has happened. cropping up at 5-15 mile intervals are large LED-type screens. they are ominous, big and bulky and seemed to appear almost out of nowhere (kind of like the boxes for USA Today back when that rag started).
now, in and of themselves, i wouldn't have a problem with these things. however, the message on them is more than a little disturbing: "report suspicious activity: call 800-TIPS" or some number that indicates one would be calling the department of homeland security or donald rumsfeld or something.
these things were, at least to my recollection, first used to notify drivers of "amber alerts," which was a fairly quick and effective way of getting the word out that a child was missing. this new usage is, um, alarming.
it reminds me a little too much of big brother, a little too much of a police state and a little, well, unwelcoming.
anyone else have any thoughts on this?
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
ps if you type "Rumsfeld" into the yahoo search engine, one of the optional searches that comes up is "Rumsfeld angry". funny, right?
i don't know how many of you drive along major interstate, but, in going back and forth to Chestertown, i travel along I-95. over the last 6 months, a slightly disturbing thing has happened. cropping up at 5-15 mile intervals are large LED-type screens. they are ominous, big and bulky and seemed to appear almost out of nowhere (kind of like the boxes for USA Today back when that rag started).
now, in and of themselves, i wouldn't have a problem with these things. however, the message on them is more than a little disturbing: "report suspicious activity: call 800-TIPS" or some number that indicates one would be calling the department of homeland security or donald rumsfeld or something.
these things were, at least to my recollection, first used to notify drivers of "amber alerts," which was a fairly quick and effective way of getting the word out that a child was missing. this new usage is, um, alarming.
it reminds me a little too much of big brother, a little too much of a police state and a little, well, unwelcoming.
anyone else have any thoughts on this?
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
ps if you type "Rumsfeld" into the yahoo search engine, one of the optional searches that comes up is "Rumsfeld angry". funny, right?
Friday, August 19, 2005
Where in the World...
hello, friends,
many of you know that i am an avid listener of NPR (my home station is www.whyy.org and in maryland i listen to www.wypr.org). i'll confess to a few rocky patches in our relationship. like, i was more than a little miffed when my old pal bob edwards was given the heave-ho. and i cannot figure out who, actually, the replacements are for "morning edition"(okay, maybe i don't want to know). and why oh why must michele norris pronounce her name like she does?
but perhaps my favorite element of NPR is senior european correspondent, sylvia poggoli. here she is:
many of you know that i am an avid listener of NPR (my home station is www.whyy.org and in maryland i listen to www.wypr.org). i'll confess to a few rocky patches in our relationship. like, i was more than a little miffed when my old pal bob edwards was given the heave-ho. and i cannot figure out who, actually, the replacements are for "morning edition"(okay, maybe i don't want to know). and why oh why must michele norris pronounce her name like she does?
but perhaps my favorite element of NPR is senior european correspondent, sylvia poggoli. here she is:
isn't she darling?
and here is her bio:
Sylvia Poggioli is senior European correspondent for NPR's foreign desk and reports from Rome, Italy; the Balkans; other parts of Europe; and the Middle East. Poggioli can be heard on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition.
Since joining NPR's foreign desk in 1982, Poggioli's on-air analysis has encompassed the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the turbulent civil war in the former Yugoslavia, and noteworthy coverage from Prague. In early 1991, she supplemented NPR's Gulf War coverage, reporting from London on European reactions to events surrounding the war.
In 2004, Poggioli was the inaugural recipient of the WBUR Foreign Correspondent Award, presented to an outstanding public radio foreign correspondent. In 2002, Poggioli received the Welles Hangen Award for Distinquished Journalism from Brown University. In 2000, Poggioli received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Brandeis University. In 1994, Poggioli was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences "for her distinctive, cultivated and authoritative reports on 'ethnic cleansing' in Bosnia." In 1990, Poggioli spent an academic year at Harvard University as a research fellow at Harvard University's Center for Press, Politics, and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government.
From 1971 to 1986, Poggioli served as an editor on the English-language desk for the Ansa News Agency in Italy. Prior to her duties as editor, she worked at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. She was actively involved with women's film and theater groups.
Poggioli's reports on the Bosnian conflict earned two awards in 1993: the George Foster Peabody Award and the Edward Weintal Journalism Prize. She also won two awards in 1994, the National Women's Political Caucus/Radcliffe College Exceptional Merit Media Award and the Silver Angel Excellence in the Media Award. Poggioli was part of the NPR team that won the 2000 Overseas Press Club award for coverage of NATO's 1999 air war against Yugoslavia.
The daughter of Italian anti-fascists who were forced to flee Italy under Mussolini, Poggioli was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She graduated from Harvard College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in romance languages and literature. She later studied in Italy under a Fulbright Scholarship.
poor sylvia has been all over the place and i've heard her sort of panicked sign-off from some of the worst trouble spots on the planet. "this is sylvia poggoli on the streets of sarajevo." or "this is sylvia poggoli from kirkuk." or even "this is sylvia poggoli from srebrencia." yikes.
i think she thought she had it made when she was on the papal death watch in rome, but, alas, off she goes to track the arrests of the alleged london bombers in rome.
i'll be tracking where sylvia is as she travels the globe. enjoy.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Thursday, August 18, 2005
The long journey home...
hello, friends,
i'm now back home in philly and i thought i'd share a wee bit about the trip home.
rob and i left his apartment in sapporo at 7 for the 2 hour ride to new chitose airport. we listened to our two favorite CDs in the ride:
we hung out a bit until i got on my flight at 11:00AM. it was so sad to say goodbye to him, but he swears he is coming home for christmas, so that is good news.
the flight from sapporo to tokyo(nagoya/chubu airport -- the new one!) was packed -- and i was the only white face on the plane. there were video screens at the front of each section and the craziest thing happened upon landing. the plane apparently had a camera at the front of it, so we could watch ourselves landing on the strip. nutty. and, after we landed, the video switched to the TV news, which seemed to be reporting on the earthquake, which had happened just about a half hour before. people started talking, but of course, it was in japanese (as was the news) and all i could figure out was that something was wrong with the bullet trains. however, as we were descending, the water in the inlet around the airport was red and really rocky looking. it wasn't until i got inside the airport to get online that i realized that the earthquake had hit.
next, i took a flight to san francisco and again, every seat was packed. while i was sitting in the lounge, i observed a guy talking to everyone in the area. i thought, "dear god, please don't let chatty charlie sit next to me. it's THAT GUY that i just can't stand." of course, he was my seat mate and of course, at one point, he had his 3-year-old son take his seat for about 2 hours. oy. so there was no sleeping there, either.
i had originally planned to spend the night of the 16th in san francisco with the lovelies holli and robin, but all i wanted to do was get home (i had gotten an ear infection on the frickin' mountain...alas, not SARS, lois). i pleaded my case to a ticketing agent, who told me on the DL that there was "job action" happening with the mechanics. i said i didn't care, he waived all fees and wished me good luck.
so, the 8:25 AM flight that i lucked into still hadn't taken off when he put me on it at 10AM and in reality it didn't go until 1PM, putting me into minneapolis at 6:30. i missed my 5PM connection time, but was able to be rebooked on a 7:17PM. a dash through the airport, a regrets phone call to liz and MBD and one bottle of water later and i was on my fourth packed flight of the "day," this time headed for philly and home.
mama and dad picked me up at the airport at 11PM, bearing the girl and a cheese hoagie.
it was the longest tuesday, august 16th in recorded history. but i was home.
i did a little unpacking, ate the hoagie, sat up with ms. jess and went to sleep around 2. i had started my laundry, thinking i'd get up at some point to do it.
however, when i finally emerged, at 9PM on wednesday, jess had finished both loads. cordy, meanwhile, slept right next to my head for all 18 hours without asking to eat or be let out.
wednesday night i had another greatly missed meal -- pizza. and i got caught up on the missing episodes of ENTOURAGE. if you are one of the few people not addicted to these 4 cherubs and their prickly agent (played superbly by the finally-getting-his-due jeremy piven), run don't walk to your HBO agent to get it. or, check out http://www.hbo.com/entourage/index.html. look at how cute they all are!:
i have some final thoughts on the trip, as well as some questions about the future of this blog, so stay tuned in the next day or so. photos are also due sometime friday or saturday, so they'll be posted. in the meantime, look at how sad rob looks since i've been gone:
and thanks for being a part of my journey. i hope to see you all soon.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
i'm now back home in philly and i thought i'd share a wee bit about the trip home.
rob and i left his apartment in sapporo at 7 for the 2 hour ride to new chitose airport. we listened to our two favorite CDs in the ride:
we hung out a bit until i got on my flight at 11:00AM. it was so sad to say goodbye to him, but he swears he is coming home for christmas, so that is good news.
the flight from sapporo to tokyo(nagoya/chubu airport -- the new one!) was packed -- and i was the only white face on the plane. there were video screens at the front of each section and the craziest thing happened upon landing. the plane apparently had a camera at the front of it, so we could watch ourselves landing on the strip. nutty. and, after we landed, the video switched to the TV news, which seemed to be reporting on the earthquake, which had happened just about a half hour before. people started talking, but of course, it was in japanese (as was the news) and all i could figure out was that something was wrong with the bullet trains. however, as we were descending, the water in the inlet around the airport was red and really rocky looking. it wasn't until i got inside the airport to get online that i realized that the earthquake had hit.
next, i took a flight to san francisco and again, every seat was packed. while i was sitting in the lounge, i observed a guy talking to everyone in the area. i thought, "dear god, please don't let chatty charlie sit next to me. it's THAT GUY that i just can't stand." of course, he was my seat mate and of course, at one point, he had his 3-year-old son take his seat for about 2 hours. oy. so there was no sleeping there, either.
i had originally planned to spend the night of the 16th in san francisco with the lovelies holli and robin, but all i wanted to do was get home (i had gotten an ear infection on the frickin' mountain...alas, not SARS, lois). i pleaded my case to a ticketing agent, who told me on the DL that there was "job action" happening with the mechanics. i said i didn't care, he waived all fees and wished me good luck.
so, the 8:25 AM flight that i lucked into still hadn't taken off when he put me on it at 10AM and in reality it didn't go until 1PM, putting me into minneapolis at 6:30. i missed my 5PM connection time, but was able to be rebooked on a 7:17PM. a dash through the airport, a regrets phone call to liz and MBD and one bottle of water later and i was on my fourth packed flight of the "day," this time headed for philly and home.
mama and dad picked me up at the airport at 11PM, bearing the girl and a cheese hoagie.
it was the longest tuesday, august 16th in recorded history. but i was home.
i did a little unpacking, ate the hoagie, sat up with ms. jess and went to sleep around 2. i had started my laundry, thinking i'd get up at some point to do it.
however, when i finally emerged, at 9PM on wednesday, jess had finished both loads. cordy, meanwhile, slept right next to my head for all 18 hours without asking to eat or be let out.
wednesday night i had another greatly missed meal -- pizza. and i got caught up on the missing episodes of ENTOURAGE. if you are one of the few people not addicted to these 4 cherubs and their prickly agent (played superbly by the finally-getting-his-due jeremy piven), run don't walk to your HBO agent to get it. or, check out http://www.hbo.com/entourage/index.html. look at how cute they all are!:
i have some final thoughts on the trip, as well as some questions about the future of this blog, so stay tuned in the next day or so. photos are also due sometime friday or saturday, so they'll be posted. in the meantime, look at how sad rob looks since i've been gone:
and thanks for being a part of my journey. i hope to see you all soon.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Safe and sort of sound
konnichiwa, friends,
i'm in the states!
i arrived about an hour ago into san fran airport, pleaded my way into a flight home tonight, only to find that northwest is experiencing a series of "job actions" and i may be here for a wee bit.
a few things of note: i think i saw the earthquake from my flight in, but i can't be sure.
don tells me that christopher walken is running for president (see www.walken2008.com) and brother-in-law chris points out that the rude pundit has a show in the NY fringe...
just another day in america.
more later, but i am back in country.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
i'm in the states!
i arrived about an hour ago into san fran airport, pleaded my way into a flight home tonight, only to find that northwest is experiencing a series of "job actions" and i may be here for a wee bit.
a few things of note: i think i saw the earthquake from my flight in, but i can't be sure.
don tells me that christopher walken is running for president (see www.walken2008.com) and brother-in-law chris points out that the rude pundit has a show in the NY fringe...
just another day in america.
more later, but i am back in country.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky
Monday, August 15, 2005
A Must-Forward...
konnichiwa, friends,
what follows was sent to me by maureen o'brien and is so worth reading, i can't stand it. visit the website -- you won't regret it.
OPEN LETTER TO KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD
I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster.
It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from.
If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.Some find that hard to believe, so it may be helpful to tell you a little more about our beliefs. We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. None of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power.
Also, you may be surprised to hear that there are over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend to be very secretive, as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by observable evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage.
We have numerous texts that describe in detail how this can be possible and the reasons why He does this. He is of course invisible and can pass through normal matter with ease. I’m sure you now realize how important it is that your students are taught this alternate theory. It is absolutely imperative that they realize that observable evidence is at the discretion of a Flying Spaghetti Monster. Furthermore, it is disrespectful to teach our beliefs without wearing His chosen outfit, which of course is full pirate regalia. I cannot stress the importance of this enough, and unfortunately cannot describe in detail why this must be done as I fear this letter is already becoming too long. The concise explanation is that He becomes angry if we don’t. You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.
In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to hear our views and beliefs. I hope I was able to convey the importance of teaching this theory to your students. We will of course be able to train the teachers in this alternate theory. I am eagerly awaiting your response, and hope dearly that no legal action will need to be taken. I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence.
Sincerely Yours,
Bobby Henderson, concerned citizen.
P.S. I have included an artistic drawing of Him creating a mountain, trees, and a midget. Remember, we are all His creatures.
Get Involved!
The addresses, phone, fax, and emails for the Kansas School Board can be found here. Contact them, and ask that they respond to my letter.
I am hearing reports that some of the members are using email auto-responders. I suggest faxing them. Faxes are harder to ignore.
Contact the media, tell them you support Flying Spaghetti Monsterism. They can't ignore us forever.
RESPONSES FROM THE KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD
Response from Mrs. Janet Waugh - District 1 - 6/25/05
Response from Mrs. Sue Gamble - District 2 - 6/26/05
Still awaiting responses from the rest of the Board.
INTERESTING EMAILS I HAVE RECEIVED
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 ... I have thousands more.
Current favorite email:
Bobby,
Today I was blessed to receive a divine revelation from our AlmightyFlying Spaghetti Monster. I have the privilege of informing you thatit is His will that I become His Bride, in order that the Savior ofmankind (who is to be called Macaroni) may be born on this earth. TheFSM has revealed to me that your body is to be the vehicle by whichhis holy seed shall be transmitted in earthly form.
To that end, I have reserved a room for us at the Best Western AirportInn, Boise, Idaho, for the evening of [removed]. I will bethe woman wearing the WWFSMD t-shirt and eye patch.
I look forward to meeting you and fulfilling the will of our noodly master.
Julie Boise, Idaho
Apparently there may be some problems with the mugs:
Dear Bobby,
I have recently purchased one of your coffee mugs, but it is giving meno end of grief. Every time I put coffee, hot chocolate, or hot tea inthe mug, it instantly transubstantiates into what I assume is the bloodof the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It sort of looks like marinara sauce,but I'm afraid to taste it. Curiously, when I put wine into the mug,it just turns into a nice, full-bodied chianti -- beer does the samething. Is there any act of sacrifice or ritual that I can perform tostop these miracles from occurring? While I bask in His greatness andI am truly awed by His power, I'm also kind of thirsty. Any advice would be welcome.
Sebastian [xxxxxxxxx], Ph.D.
Austin.Texas
Just got this one:
Bobby,Your letter to the Kansas School Board gave me a good laugh. It's the kind of move that Saul linsky would have loved.
I'm a Christian, pray at night, and get a lot out of my faith. At the same time, I don't confuse Christianity with Science for one minute, and I would not want Christianity taught in schools. There is a simple reason for this: Christianity can be a powerful transformative force in people's lives when it is taken as faith ... one part decision and another part a leap into the unknown. Reducing Christianity to a history drains all the juice out of it. You have to take that leap yourself. It's a road or a path that some people chose ... it's not even vaguely related to facts as discovered by science. Christianity is neither a fact nor a theory ... it's a religion.
Peace, Kevin
WHY YOU SHOULD CONVERT TO FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTERISM
Flimsy moral standards.
Every friday is a relgious holiday. If your work/school objects to that, demand your religious beliefs are respected and threaten to call the ACLU.
Our heaven is WAY better. We've got a Stripper Factory AND a Beer Volcano.
what follows was sent to me by maureen o'brien and is so worth reading, i can't stand it. visit the website -- you won't regret it.
OPEN LETTER TO KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD
I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster.
It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from.
If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.Some find that hard to believe, so it may be helpful to tell you a little more about our beliefs. We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. None of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power.
Also, you may be surprised to hear that there are over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend to be very secretive, as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by observable evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage.
We have numerous texts that describe in detail how this can be possible and the reasons why He does this. He is of course invisible and can pass through normal matter with ease. I’m sure you now realize how important it is that your students are taught this alternate theory. It is absolutely imperative that they realize that observable evidence is at the discretion of a Flying Spaghetti Monster. Furthermore, it is disrespectful to teach our beliefs without wearing His chosen outfit, which of course is full pirate regalia. I cannot stress the importance of this enough, and unfortunately cannot describe in detail why this must be done as I fear this letter is already becoming too long. The concise explanation is that He becomes angry if we don’t. You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.
In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to hear our views and beliefs. I hope I was able to convey the importance of teaching this theory to your students. We will of course be able to train the teachers in this alternate theory. I am eagerly awaiting your response, and hope dearly that no legal action will need to be taken. I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence.
Sincerely Yours,
Bobby Henderson, concerned citizen.
P.S. I have included an artistic drawing of Him creating a mountain, trees, and a midget. Remember, we are all His creatures.
Get Involved!
The addresses, phone, fax, and emails for the Kansas School Board can be found here. Contact them, and ask that they respond to my letter.
I am hearing reports that some of the members are using email auto-responders. I suggest faxing them. Faxes are harder to ignore.
Contact the media, tell them you support Flying Spaghetti Monsterism. They can't ignore us forever.
RESPONSES FROM THE KANSAS SCHOOL BOARD
Response from Mrs. Janet Waugh - District 1 - 6/25/05
Response from Mrs. Sue Gamble - District 2 - 6/26/05
Still awaiting responses from the rest of the Board.
INTERESTING EMAILS I HAVE RECEIVED
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 ... I have thousands more.
Current favorite email:
Bobby,
Today I was blessed to receive a divine revelation from our AlmightyFlying Spaghetti Monster. I have the privilege of informing you thatit is His will that I become His Bride, in order that the Savior ofmankind (who is to be called Macaroni) may be born on this earth. TheFSM has revealed to me that your body is to be the vehicle by whichhis holy seed shall be transmitted in earthly form.
To that end, I have reserved a room for us at the Best Western AirportInn, Boise, Idaho, for the evening of [removed]. I will bethe woman wearing the WWFSMD t-shirt and eye patch.
I look forward to meeting you and fulfilling the will of our noodly master.
Julie Boise, Idaho
Apparently there may be some problems with the mugs:
Dear Bobby,
I have recently purchased one of your coffee mugs, but it is giving meno end of grief. Every time I put coffee, hot chocolate, or hot tea inthe mug, it instantly transubstantiates into what I assume is the bloodof the Flying Spaghetti Monster. It sort of looks like marinara sauce,but I'm afraid to taste it. Curiously, when I put wine into the mug,it just turns into a nice, full-bodied chianti -- beer does the samething. Is there any act of sacrifice or ritual that I can perform tostop these miracles from occurring? While I bask in His greatness andI am truly awed by His power, I'm also kind of thirsty. Any advice would be welcome.
Sebastian [xxxxxxxxx], Ph.D.
Austin.Texas
Just got this one:
Bobby,Your letter to the Kansas School Board gave me a good laugh. It's the kind of move that Saul linsky would have loved.
I'm a Christian, pray at night, and get a lot out of my faith. At the same time, I don't confuse Christianity with Science for one minute, and I would not want Christianity taught in schools. There is a simple reason for this: Christianity can be a powerful transformative force in people's lives when it is taken as faith ... one part decision and another part a leap into the unknown. Reducing Christianity to a history drains all the juice out of it. You have to take that leap yourself. It's a road or a path that some people chose ... it's not even vaguely related to facts as discovered by science. Christianity is neither a fact nor a theory ... it's a religion.
Peace, Kevin
WHY YOU SHOULD CONVERT TO FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTERISM
Flimsy moral standards.
Every friday is a relgious holiday. If your work/school objects to that, demand your religious beliefs are respected and threaten to call the ACLU.
Our heaven is WAY better. We've got a Stripper Factory AND a Beer Volcano.
saturday sunday monday
konnichiwa, friends,
well, the time is slowly slipping by and i am getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. it's sad, but i've had a rock star time.
saturday night's lunacy started with some fantastic mexican food, a quick trip to shosukedon, which features one of my favorite toys. this is it:
well, the time is slowly slipping by and i am getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. it's sad, but i've had a rock star time.
saturday night's lunacy started with some fantastic mexican food, a quick trip to shosukedon, which features one of my favorite toys. this is it:
this little gem is a remote-controlled object and we had great fun having it stand it line at the bus stop just outside the bar, chasing small children and creeping up on people as they walked past. hours of enjoyment, that one.
the next trip took us to "L bar" with two friends of rob's, sebastian (from germany) and martin (from california). we had one of those "all you can drink" thingies for about 2 hours and, um, well, it snowballed into rollicking hilarity in a karaoke box. in japan, instead of full-blown bars with drunken sailors and strangers, one can go into a box with one's friends and get served a whole lot of drinks while you sing joyfully out of key. rob and i started off with "my hometown," which set a lovely tenor for the evening. highlights include a moving rendition of "my way" done by sebastian, "i think we're alone now" given by martin and my star turn at "borderline." it was not good. we were very loud. however, the true highlight of the evening was rob and shel tackling that perennial favorite, "peaceful easy feeling," sung in tribute to sister sue. s, you are so lucky we couldn't later figure out how to use a calling card, or you would have gotten a silly silly phone call.
sunday morning, fighting hangovers (and succumbing to mcdonald's for lunch -- hey sometimes you just need fried food...), we journeyed to mombetsu, which is where rob was a JET for two years. it's beautiful and peaceful and rob said that he had a great great time there. we drove along the coast of the pacific and took some pictures of a lighthouse for mama. we stayed in a "business hotel" -- our first hotel stay since i arrived -- and i think we got fleeced. in retaliation, i wanted to take the yukata home, but rob was afraid of board of education reprisals, so i demurred. however, we did have a great dinner, izakaya style, which essentially has you and a bunch of friends sitting on the floor ordering tapas-size plates. we were joined by two of rob's co-teachers, a basketball coach/science teacher (sound familiar? he's taller than rob!) and a music/art teacher. two very different guys, but they clearly adored rob. we then went to a hostess bar (i had NO idea it was a hostess bar), where a bunch of Filipino jockeys (mombetsu is horse-farm country -- think lexington) were singing the theme from "titanic."
rob says that the things that crack me up seem odd to him, because, after traveling for 7 years, nothing odd sort of phases him. however, lunch today really put a nice spin on the entire trip. we ate at "half-dime: an old fashioned mine style restaurant."
this is what occurred. it is a huge old-looking building, with a lot of wood and carvings on the outside. when you walk in the door, you are greeted by a low moan and puffs of smoke. upon being presented with the menu, one learns that it is a "roast beef" restaurant. rob ordered some of the house special, while i ordered some pasta.
it was brought to us by our waiter, an italian who had been in japan for 3 weeks. bob marley was playing on the speakers.
in summary: i ate spaghetti in a "wild west meets pirates of the caribbean" themed restaurant served by an italian while listening to reggae.
and so i plan my return.
tonight's dinner is with aika, evan, tomomi and hironko, probably izakaya again. we have to be out of the house by 7:30AM to get to new chitose airport.
sigh.
it is likely i'll next check in with you all from tokyo. in the meantime, be good to each other.
gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansake
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