The Best Job in The World

I have it. The best. I have begun unpacking all my "teaching" supplies, thinking (finally?) about school beginning again. Due to a new job, and a great schedule, I am looking forward to every part of this year.

Teaching music to young students. The excitement of a brand new instrument, opening that case for the first time... oooo. My year is filled with "firsts" - the first time they realize they can get a sound, the first "real song", first concert, all of that.

A veteran teacher once told me that no matter how stressful the year became, no matter how frustrated he was, he still awoke glad to go to work every day. I must say, I am almost there. I took the time last year to work at a job I loved, make good relationships with great kids, and took some "down time" for me too, which all helped.

I worked a job that I hated for a few years, before returning to school to be a teacher. I dreaded every day, they all ran together as one long path to ... retirement? death? who knows? Perhaps that is why I am so grateful for my job now. Summer vacation is ending. Despite "planning the wedding" stress, and moving, and all, I had a good summer. Time to get back to those kids, and see how their summers were.

Mascots

I have been watching snippets of the olympics, mostly individual events. I have yet to see these two live.

Phevos and Athena represent the values of Olympism: participation, brotherhood, equality, cooperation, fair play.

They're kinda wacky looking if you ask me. And those FEET - can you seriously do any sport with those? Well, perhaps they're all about the game, and not the winning. Actually, here they are in their favorite sports. It does appear that they are handling their giant foot issues well.

Gymnastics

What a scandal last night! This whole judging controversy needs to be fixed. The crowds not letting Hamm compete, Nemov's low score, all a wonder to me. I guess I might have a different opinion since as a musician I am subjected to standards and interpretation so often, In an audition, no matter how "fair" it is, it's still up to some judges. Their preferences, their preconceived notions, whatever. And aren't those important too? They are judging a sport in this case, but in an artistic way. Points for presentation, and all that. I'm sure they could try to be more impartial, but there'll always be some controversy.

Hearts and Minds

"It's worse than failing. Failing means you tried and didn't get better. But at this point, three years after September 11, you can say there wasn't even much of an attempt, and today Arab and Muslim attitudes toward the U.S. and the degree of distrust in the U.S. are far worse than they were three years ago. Bin Laden is winning by default," said Shibley Telhami, a member of a White House-appointed advisory group on public diplomacy and Brookings Institution scholar.

I often wonder about all this. Winning the "war on terror" seems to me to be for sure a heart/mind thing, if this democracy we choose to force down their throats has any hope of sticking.

"If the United States does not act aggressively to define itself in the Islamic world, the extremists will gladly do the job for us."

Who are we? What do we represent to "them'? I see America as freedom to hold your own individual ideas, promote your own values and system. Hard to promote to others, it's not an "ideal" in itself, rather an ability to choose thse ideals.

Kerry sucks less

The Top Ten Reasons Why John Kerry Sucks Less

All of them true in my mind. This site reminds us of our lack of choice - 2 candidates is apparently all we can handle as Americans. Too much to keep straight otherwise?

I need to get to cleaning. I knew once we got the computer back on the big-desk-with-comfy-chair, I would want to be here all day. My goal is to get it ALL away, TODAY.

Purple - the new red?

"Red has a negative connotation, and we want to promote self-confidence. I like purple. I use purple a lot."

According to today's Boston Globe, purple is the new "in" color of correction. Soothing yet able to still stand out on a paper. Non-threatening, yet still makes a statement. If only I had papers to correct in my job!

(note the color of this blog - trendy? timely? you heard it here first)

Staples also reports a shift in the preferred ink color for teachers to use when correcting papers - the "new red" is a friendlier, more supportive purple ink.

I need to go to Staples' today for bookshelves. I may splurge on a new trendy staples, and "slinky" post-it notes. Back to school! Get your supplies!

The national lawn sprinkler

When are we going to listen to this?

I swear, I was trying to find a nice human interest story to comment on.

Already, according to Randall and Schwartz, the planet is carrying a higher population than it can sustain. By 2020 'catastrophic' shortages of water and energy supply will become increasingly harder to overcome, plunging the planet into war.

Every time I hear of us going to "orange alert" or whatever I think of articles like this. We need a "blue alert" - as in "the water is running out please SHUT OFF your lawn sprinklers".

Upon contemplating my "new life" as a married woman and all that, I am thinking more every day about the future. Perhaps that's why I am so preoccupied by global environmental issues. I am enjoying my days immensely. I'd hate for that to change.

Of course, there are those who do not have life too easy right now due to environmental crisis. I wonder when we will pay attention to this? Or is it the case that our leaders need to pay attention to what we already know?

Oh! the books...

I just spent a little too much (I fear)on some wonderful Grainger books. So many are out of print - and I found all the ones I didn't have here.

But to see them all displayed so nicely in the apartment! I am sitting here, listening to Billie Holiday, sipping French vanilla coffee. Sometimes I think we overlook the more perfect, quiet moments of life. This morning is certainly one of them.

I shall remember this morning tomorrow when we are moving yet again. The last day! I then have one more true week of vacation, to clean and organize and make this place ours for real. It has been a great experience to begin sifting through all of my belongings - pictures that had been stored, books I am eager to reread. We have been sure to have enough shelves and CD racks to keep all we love handy and close.

My friend M. and I visited Salem yesterday. What an intriguing town. I am planning on getting a library card today, and some books on the history of the town. M. pointed out how unusual it is that this place is a tourist attraction built on the tragedy of the hangings of innocent people. 24 died in all - 19 hangings, 1 pressing, and 4 died in prison awaiting trail.

We also walked to the famous House of Seven Gables. I was most interested in the tourists. They did not seem particularly happy. Not just the kids, some of whom had obviously been dragged to this "important" building on a family vacation, but the adults as well. Kinda bored, kinda subdued. I wonder why this was. I think just walking down the street as a thrill- it's easy to imagine how all these seaside homes looked back in Hawthorne's time.

Blowing the clog away

KLEERDRAIN

This is a truly amazing product. Not even the flowbee seems to have the same lasting power and marketability. Almost makes me want a clogged drain to test it out!

Dancers for Sale

"I had so much fun running up to John saying: `Guess what? I own you!' " Ms. Courts recalled. "He said, `What are you talking about?' I said: `I bought you at the auction. I'm your sponsor for the year.' We had a great time laughing and talking about that."

The Atlanta Ballet is selling sponsorships. A sign of the cultural times - they need to support themselves.

I hereby announce my availability for sponsorship. And, (like NASCAR) I am willing to be labeled for the right amount. Any takers?

Goodbye Milosz

GOOD NIGHT

No duties. I don't have to be profound.
I don't have to be artistically perfect.
Or sublime. Or edifying.
I just wander. I say: "You were running,
That's fine. It was the thing to do."And now
the music of the worlds transforms me.
My planet enters a different house.
Trees and lawns become more distinct.
Philosophies one after another go out.
Everything is lighter yet not less odd.
Sauces, wine vintages, dishes of meat.
We talk a little of district fairs,
Of travels in a covered wagon with a cloud of dust behind,
Of how rivers once were, what the scent of calamus is.
That's better than examining one's private dreams.
And meanwhile it has arrived. It's here, invisible.
Who can guess how it got here, everywhere.
Let others take care of it. Time for me to play hooky.
Buona notte. Ciao. Farewell.
(from Provinces, 1991)

Nobel laureate poet Milosz dies

The world will miss you.

Tax Holiday

The tax holiday appears simple: [Today], any item costing $2,500 or less is exempt from the state's 5 percent sales tax.

Not so sure about this one. They did this in New York, during the "back to school shopping" time of year. However, in NY clothing is taxed. So, everybody waited to save on kids' clothes. This appears to be a retailers nightmare, as far as swarms of uninformed crowds.

It was the "uninformed masses" factor that drove me out of retail. I liked the plan-o-grams, merchandising, even helping the nicer customers. The ones that INSIST they are entitled to a bargain are the harder ones to deal with.

We are moving (again!) today, so I may not have time for shopping. We shall see.

Fish have feelings

Dubya took a smaller fish from the end of his line and threw it on the deck of the boat for his rambunctious Scottie to flip-flop around with. "This is a Barney fish," Bush said at the time. "I always like to get a little one for Barney. He likes to play with them."

PETA is very angry. Apparently this is no way for a President to be acting. Fish abuse!

Paraskevidekatriaphobia

Paraskevidekatriaphobia

And I spent the day moving in Salem. Ooga Booga!

Wallace eats the meatloaf

Wallace called Militello after he was released from the precinct to let him know he was home "eating his meatloaf."

Well, at least he got dinner.

NUDE olympians!!!!

Oh, the scandal....... well, actually, it seems to be a pretty calm scandal.

Cope, 25, was not available for comment here yesterday, but acknowledged to Playboy that her friends call her the Olympic nudist.

"People aren't comfortable with themselves," she is quoted as saying in comments that accompany her two photographs. "I'm a freak. I vote Republican, I worship Martha Stewart and I don't mind being naked."

I must admit I care little about the nudity. Voting Republican scares me to death, however.

Pain of parishoners

"I worry about the younger generation -- first, they see them raping the children, and then they see them stealing our churches -- why would you want to stay?" said Rose Yesu, a parishioner at St. Brendan in Newton, where church property has been rezoned in an effort to make it less attractive for the archdiocese to sell.

How horrible this all is. I was raised in the catholic church (attending one, at times, that is now closing) and although I left for personal reasons, I always respected the good people of the church. They are getting hurt again.

"I get the impression there's an assumption on the part of the church that people will move to the adjoining places on the map. I don't think that's going to happen. I think a lot of people that were there won't go back to the church and isn't that a shame."

So often it is not the acts themselves, but the process of refusing to listen, refusing to be heard that causes the worst problems. Parishoners keep saying how they have not been listened to by the church, yet again. This is the lack of consideration that I think may force the church to change as an institution. A sad situation.

Mike Wallace heads to the slammer

"60 Minutes'' correspondent Mike Wallace, arrested in a dispute with city parking enforcement inspectors, says he wonders why anyone thought that he, at 86, was a threat.

Heard Mr. Wallace interviewed this morning on the "Imus in the Morning" show. Apparently he was picking up a take-out meatloaf and was double parked. No word on the fate of the meatloaf.

Family and Friends

Our wedding shower was simply wonderful. So many people took the time to wish us well. Reminded me that weddings are really about everybody, not just the bride and groom. The opportunity to share with so many has been great for us. Good food and good company - and terrific gifts for our new apartment to boot!

Moving in earnest begins this week. My stuff is all in our new place, but we need to start arraigning it. We won't be done for a few weeks, until David moves his furniture in. It's so nice to have this time to move.

I need to have some meetings re: my new job as well. What a time of change for me - exciting and good.

MOCA.

corpus is a new work commissioned from one of the world’s great installation artists for MASS MoCA’s most dramatic space – the massive Building 5 gallery. Rather than fill the football field-sized space with objects—as Robert Rauschenberg, Tim Hawkinson, and Robert Wilson did in previous installations—Hamilton has animated the volume of the space with sound, light, and millions of sheets of paper that will fall from the ceiling over the course of the ten-month installation.

This is amazing. We spent much time yesterday admist the floating papers, gently blanketing the concrete floor. Peaceful and serene.

This is one of my favorite places. It is as interesting to watch the reactions of others to the art, as it is to watch the art itself. I am finding as of late that I need to challenge myself in some way every day. A little art, a little politics, something. This museum fits the bill!

Stability for Families

George W. Bush:

I believe society is better off by a clear definition of traditional marriage. And the reason I do -- (applause) -- the reason I do is because, one, traditional marriage between man and a woman has served society and civilization well. Secondly, there is a firm commitment required in a marriage between a man and a woman that must not be undermined by redefinition. That commitment, in itself, provides stable, loving environments for families. (Thursday, Aug 5)

Are society and civilization really all that great right now? Is it because of marriage between one man and one woman? Does redefining a commitment (or anything) actually change it? Or just the perception of it, for those who are perhaps questioning their definition in the first place?

It's all about definitions. How I choose to define a situation or event, how you choose to see it. The truth's somewhere in the middle. Or perhaps it's between two individals.