Thoughts on Arts Advocacy Day
* Getting 800 - 1000 artists together in one building is really cool! (The concentration of talent and creativity was overwhelming!!)
* I do not like being told what to say, do, or think. (That's a recurring life theme!!!) While I understand the need for a united front and standardization (esp. with hundreds of crazy artists runing around) I refuse to be a puppet.
* I liked talking with individual legislators. My represenitive was terrifffic - He told me, "Don't assume I'm against the arts just because I'm a Republician!" .
* I feel sorry for legislators -- an awful lot of passionate people wander into their offices to give one sided opinions. (I saw at least three different groups crowding the halls today - - Arts Folks, Preschool Funding, and something about Transportation). It would drive me crazy! (That goes back to not liking being told what to do or think!)

Happy Arts Advocacy Day!!
(brought to you byMinnesota Citizens for the Arts)

I'm going to the capital tomorrow to learn how to be a lobbyist. Then I'll meet up with a team of fellow lobby-ist-wanna-bes to discuss arts funding with legislators. In some ways I'm looking forward to it (I'll get professional tips on refining my powers of persuasion, a T-shirt, some serious networking opportunities, and a day off work!!) But in other ways I'm not looking forward to it. I can't push funding for the arts over education, and social services. I mean, the arts are good, I love them, they need money, I am an adovocate; but I'm just as concerned (probably more concerned) about money for schools, police stations, and hospitals.

Andy was at the zoo with Miller boy.
Jaime was at work.

The driver was drunk.
He went over the median, and over the easement.
Tire tracks suggest he was airborne for 30 feet.
He drove into their front lawn,
And through their tree.
He drove into the garage of the unit next door,
And through the truck parked in the garage.

Andy was at the zoo with Miller.
Jamie was at work.
Everyone is OK (a little shaken - - but OK)

GOOD GOOD GOOD DAY!!!!
* I got my desk back!! (hip hip horray!!)
* No Cultural Studies tonight!!!!
* I got an out-of-the-blue e mail from my Fin. Man. proff offering to re-read my last paper and re-consider the grade!! (I never objected to my original score - it was probably generous considering the extent of my confusion!!)

Fear of Terrorism Yields to Love for Puppies!
For me, a dog. . . . accomplished what years of diversity training have failed to do. Regardless of our race or country of origin, we have become a community of dog lovers. I . . . take my puppy everywhere I go. A dog may be man's best friend but he is definitely my post-9/11, homeland security blanket.

Yo-yo Ma will be performing tomorrow evening, with James Taylor, as a part of the GRAMMY festivities!! (Yipee!!!!!!!!!!) On a slightly smaller, alhtough equally exciting note (get it - "note"??) The Dakota Valley Symphony performed tonight for a sold out house!!! (It was also my Dakota Valley Symphony debut - - think the two might be related??) We had some scarey moments - including a spontaneous one note solo from the person sitting in my chair (Oops!) But generally a good concert. I'm still bouncing two hours later!!

HOW TO STEAL A CAR (aka Lessons Learned the Hard Way Part 2)
One only needs a car's VIN number (and a story about locking one's keys in one's car) to get a complimentary new key from my friendly Saturn dealership. They don't ask for proof of ownership or anything - which is good �cause one could logically assume such things would be locked in the car with one's key! This is all quite helpful and good. (I certainly appriciated it!!)

BUT . . . the VIN number, being visible through the windshield, is accessible to any thief who bothers to look. SO a crook with decent acting skills, could conceiveably walk into a dealership, look embarrsed, get a free key to my car, and drive off. That is not helpful, and not good. (unless one wants to steal a car - in which case I suppose it could be extremely useful information!)

But I like French Fries and French toast and French pastries and French dressing. I think the French invented ice cream too - - Let's all just get along so we can enjoy their high fat food and expensive wine!!!

Link via jon

Anyone can do any amount of work
provided it isn't the work
he is supposed to be doing at the moment.
-- Robert Benchley

My final Fin. Man. project involves going into a million dollar arts organization and asking lots of financial questions, analyzing the info, and then writing an evaluation on their processes, systems, and financial situation. I really really REALLY did not want to (and considered not doing the project - it'd still be possible to barely pass if I did perfect on everything else) But alas - I am not a perfect Fin. Man person - - so last week, I sucked it up - contacted the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra ("Hi - I'm not anyone important, but I want to look at your budget and financial statements for the last two years!") - and got just enough info to do an OK, half-hearted job on the project. Today, the SPCO announced some serious layoffs because of their budget crunch. Freaky. (And this real world application does not make me anymore excited about this project - I still don't want to do it!)

I love my advisor! She gets a paycheck to be my "academic" advisor - but I'm thinking I ought to hire her on to be my general life consultant. Everything from booklists - to career ideas - to dealing with myself and general life encouragement! Warm fuzzies!!

WOO HOO!! Delfi got a 106% on her first EMT test (yep, that person doing emergency traceotomies and sub-dural hemotoma thingys is MY FRIEND!!) AND she's gonna get to drive an ambulence at death defying speeds with sirens blaring and all that cool stuff (of course, once the adreline rush wears off - Ms. Delfi will come to her senses, pursue her true calling, and become a TEACHER!) but in the meantime I'm really proud of you Delfi-dear!!!!!

List-o-Larry-isms for Tonight
* (Speaking of Martha Graham) "Her hair was pulled back in a bun so tightly that her eyes were off to the side. Towards the end she looked like a bad three dimension Picasso"
* "Debity Ebitiy" (trying to say Equity Depuity - which is difficult to do!!)
* "That's JUST LIKE a 'REAL' real broad overview"
* "Men's bodies are different from womens"
* "Whoever invented customer service should be shot"

And then, there was this gem from one of my classmates "This is the first time I used Power Point - and MAN do I feel powerful!!"

Ranee Ramasee (from Ragamala) spoke to our class tonight - she is an incredible woman - the way she moves and speaks and just IS. Totally amazing.

My biggest kick in music � playing or writing � is when I have a problem. Without a problem to solve, how much interest do you take in anything.

- Duke Ellington

The crazy people who live here are watching The Music Man with the volume turned way way up. It's making me crazy (so is the paper I ought to be writing right now). Wanna know the real reason I no longer live in Iowa - - they kicked me out after I admitted I didn't like Music Man. (I also don't like Tulip Time, AE cottage cheese, The Bridges of Madison County and Pella Bologna). It's amazing I lasted as long as I did.

Pseudo-Deep Thought for the Day - "Moderation in some things" would be a far more balanced statement than "Moderation in ALL things." Don'tcha think??

How did it come to pass that I was the one to develop the theory of relativity? The reason, I think, is that a normal adult never stops to think about problems of space and time. These are things which he has thought of as a child. But my intellectual development was retarded, as a result of which I began to wonder about space and time only when I had already grown up. Naturally I could go deeper into the problem than a child with normal abilities.

- Albert Einstein
from Howard Gardner's BookCreating Minds

I had a short conversation the other day that continues to make me smile. Anyone evesdroping on the conversation wouldn't think it was such a big deal. There's no reason for me to be smiling hours (let alone days!) later. But, some nice things, and, some things that confirm my thinking, got said. And I keep smiling ( - : ( - : ( - :

The same thing (only opposite) happened the day before. Someone brought my self-esteem-o-meter from 95% down to 40 with a nine syllable comment. I know this evil classmate of mine didn't mean to be mean (I think she wanted to show off) . . . but it's taken me a couple days (and conversations with equally ticked off people) to realize this and 'get over it'. (and I have that conversation that makes me smile to keep me smiling!!!) It's all about the little things - New Motto - DO sweat the small stuff - that's what's important!!

The A: drive isn't reading on this computer - - -
I'm not sure what the greater tragedy would be, a broken A: drive, or my favorite disk (with too much not-backed-up stuff) gone bad.
Not good - very not good

UPDATE It's a bad disk - a different computer could read some stuff there - but not all of it.
I am sad.

Pablo Casal
Woodcut by Hailan

(avaliable at Bein and Fushi if anyone wants to get it for me!)

Sometimes the drive to "understand before you act"
can slipover into "understand instead of act."
- William Bridges from The Character of Organizations

Today the cathedreal (a.k.a. my free parking space!)posted a sign threatening to tow freeloaders (such as myself!) who parked in their lot for more than 2 hours ) - :
Today I started my JOB with Young Audiences. I got to answer the phone, take phone messages, learn how to open and sort mail AND use the debit card to order a new toner cartrage for the copy machinel!!!! (that was cool!)
Today was really cold out - it is probably good that I was forced to park closer to my little job
Today the 2nd grade class serenaded me by singing all 6 verses of The Silly Dance Contest (complete with Jim Gill's comments!) when I walked into their classroom!! I don't know if it was an organized (and not-so-subtle) demand to sing Silly Dance today or if it was spontaneous excitement (either way it was gosh darn funny!!)
Today is the 6th Wednesday in a row I left the house without setting the VCR to record West Wing (AAGGHH!!) Maybe my subconcious is boycotting the Sam-less version of the show!!
Today I forgot to pack a lunch - so I ate my dinner at lunchtime and was kinda hungry at dinner time (and broke because I had to PAY for parking today!!!!!!)
Today we learned "good stuff" in my class! (It's easy to like school on Wednesday Nights!!!)

I'm 17
and I'm crazy.
My uncle says the 2 always go together.
When people ask your age,
he said, always say 17 and insane.

from Fereinheit 541 by Ray Bradbury

HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY PHIL!!

I almost died of boredom tonight - - Cultural Studies was THAT BAD. My only defense mechanism was to day dream - - deep deep daydreams - - that's ok from an academic point of view (because if I had paid attention, I wouldn't have learned anything!) but it also means my list of Larry-isms is rather small tonight . . .
* I think I picked these selections kinda carefully
* I made him keep his clothes on
* He just recently died 20 years ago


6 class sessions left . . . and counting . . .

Art In Space When Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon (of the Columbia Crew) was preparing for his fateful trip. . . . he contacted the museum and requested a Holocaust-related item to take into space. A curator suggested Ginz's work "Moon Landscape" and Ramon agreed, stating that his journey would fulfill the boy's dream.

from ArtsJournal

My principal needs to be educated on the value of music education (and by extentsion the value of ME!) So - I was looking for some short articles and things that I put in her mailbox once in a while to remind her that I'm not babysitting students so classroom teachers can have prep time. In my search, I came across what is now my new favorite website, Songs for Teaching. It has song clips, lyrics, articles, ideas, and stuff for me and lots of stuff for non-musical administrators!! As a bonus I found theSome Houses Song there!!!!! (Some Houses made it's debut in '96 at Camp Logan!!) I haven't heard it since then - although it will be a great song to use with my kids!! I'm excited!!

Bagdad 2028

Link via Capital Influx

. . . Bush's presumption (stated in the National Security Strategy, page 5) that it is the New America's "clear responsibility to history" to "rid the world of evil." As a lifelong student of the world's wisdom literature, it is my duty to inform students that "ridding the world of evil" is a goal very different from any recommended by Jesus, Buddha, or Muhammad, though not so different from some recommended by the Josephs Stalin and McCarthy and by Mao Tse Tung.

From an excellent article by David James Duncan

Last night, as a part of that evil Cultural Studies Class - I went to see a Ragamala Dance performance. I had a less-than-good attitude about the whole thing (to match my less-than-good-attitude about the class!) The first half was b-o-r-i-n-g lots of dancing and repetant indy-jazz-music that seemed to go on forever! (It would have been neat for 5 minutes - but 45 minutes was a long long stretch!) At least one of my classmates fell asleep - I entertained myself by playing with chapstick and trying to unwrap a piece of candy without making noise!!

For the second half they did a piece called Transforming Heads. THAT WAS WAY COOL!! It combined readers theater, sign language, some sort of interpretitive indian dance, and music. Everyone stayed awake and I had no reason to play with my strawberry-kiwi chapstick! The story was great and they told it welll! (It was almost worth having to sit through the first half to get to the second half!!) Excellent, excellent stuff!!

Sister Kristie has been threatening to ban me from her wedding since before she even got engaged! I was getting really worried - Phil got his invatation two days ago and I still hadn't gotten anything - BUT . . . I got an invite today!!! (Jim probably sent it out when Kristie wasn't looking!!!) It's 78 days until the big day (but, more importantly, only 77 DAYS until I'll be back in WDM and can get a Maggie Moo's Ice Cream Cone!! Priorities!!)

I JUST GOT OFFERED A JOB!!!!
YIPEE!!! (I'm not bouncing off the walls yet - but I will be once I leave the office!!!) YIPEE!!!!

The Details (now that I've calmed down a bit!!) Young Audiences, the place I'm interning at, has had some staffing "issues" this month - long story sthort they need someone to work 10 hours a week dong clerical "stuff". The executive director asked if she could speak with me today, told me about the job, and then asked if I wanted it!! It doesn't pay much - and it's not the exciting work (data entry, mail sorting, etc.) BUT - it's a good way to "get in" YIPEEE!!!!!!

I'm not resigning from my teaching job (at this point it's really not practical - and it'd be very UN-fair to my students). And this is seperate from my internship project (but I'll be able to keep "my project" after the internship is over - I love being able to keep that ownership!) Now I need to figure out how to schedule those 10 hours without making myself go crazy!!

Here's a giggle . . . (although I might be the only one giggling!)
There's this new kid starting tomorrow in the 4th grade- - he's a white boy who's been homeschooled his whole life (yeah, he'll fit in real well!) There's also talk about going to year round school this summer - I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons
for you are crunchy and taste good with
ketchup

YIPEE! I have my voice back!!! I'm not yet able to sing an aria (or even the itsy bitsy spider!) and it cracks a bit more than usual - but I CAN TALK!!!!!
YIPEE! I got both of my papers done (one turned out to be way longer (and much more work) than I anticipated - but it's DONE!!!!
YIPEE! I got the call at 6:20 this morning- SNOW DAY!! (Which is kind of unfair - Amy was hoping for a snow day today - but it appears Central Iowa did not get enough snow for any school to cancel. (ha ha!!)


UPDATE: My SMU class just got canceled for tonight too!! (so those two papers I got done - aren't due for another week!)

According to groundhog.org we have 6 more weeks of winter ahead of us (which is OK because I haven't been able to go sledding yet and am looking forward to lots of snow today!!)

I have two teenage brothers.
We talk a lot about war and the possibility of war. My 16 year old brother worries about the draft being re-instated, and asks lots of questions about concientious objection, and moving to Canada. If there's a "boot camp" or military academy show on discovery channel - Phil will probably be watching it. I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about the whole mess - and no definitie conclusions. I can't say I support the idea of a premptive strike on Iraq, but don't know that I am totally against it either.
This article doesn't help any . . . but it's a fresh perspective.

Selected Quotes
lifted from Creators on Creating
Frank Barron et al

Convictions make convicts
- Robert Anton Wilson

If I ever feel I am getting to the point
where I'm playing it safe, I'll stop.
That's all I can tell you about my plans
for the future.
-Miles Davis

Dare to be naive R. Buckminster Fuller

Work is more fun than fun - noel coward

Assorted Unrelated Thoughts
* Are weird dreams a secondary symptom of laryngitis?? I dreamed I was asleep in Pionner Unit at Camp Logan and heard footsteps coming up the path - I couldn't shout "Who Goes There?" or call anyone on the radio because my voice wouldn't work (imagine that!!) Then I had a dream about the dog eating my house (????) and then drempt something about water (I don't remember what - only that water was involved) . And I woke up to a dream about a tooth cracking (which was my recurring "I-must-be-under-stress" dream when I was in college). Very Strange

* I officially became a Minnesoooooooooota driver today. The people of this great state seem to think they can make U Turns everywhere (even in the middle of an innersection!!!) I held out for seven months - - - - but today in the maze of one way streets we call Minneapolis - I violated my ethical standards and make an intersection U - Turn. I've lost my moral high ground over "those people" I am being assimulated!!!

* I want my voice back - - at first it was kinda funny to try and talk, but have nothing come out (or have it crack!) but not anymore - it's annoying. I never realized how much I talk out loud to myself. (And sometimes I forget I can't talk and will try to say something!)

* Paper Update - - one done and twelve to go!! I have two more due on Monday - you can imagine the fun-filled weekend I have planned!!

* I had a really really good apple for lunch today (probably the best apple I've ever eaten!) Not that anyone cares, but it was definatley an apple worthy of mention (so I'm mentioning it!)