My swing at life.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Recovering.
Yes, I passed all my captain's tests. Now I need a week to recover and catch up on work I put off for the last three and a half weeks. G is not going to see me for another week. No one can ask for a more supportive and understanding partner.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Books Read in September
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (finally!)
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
It was quite a reading transition from S. Rushdie to M. Pollan to A. Nafisi. *whew*
Magazines read: Scuba Diving, Dive Training, Outside Mag, Bitch Mag, Diver Alert Network Mag.
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
It was quite a reading transition from S. Rushdie to M. Pollan to A. Nafisi. *whew*
Magazines read: Scuba Diving, Dive Training, Outside Mag, Bitch Mag, Diver Alert Network Mag.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Great quote from Kerouac
'The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, made to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yarn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars...'
You know, I always like people named 'Jack.' :-)
I went on a vacation to SF, LA, and San Diego. Yes, I did go scuba diving and froze my ass off due to an old wetsuit. How did I ever think I could have dived without a hitch in CA? I don't know. Photos to come mes aimes.
You know, I always like people named 'Jack.' :-)
I went on a vacation to SF, LA, and San Diego. Yes, I did go scuba diving and froze my ass off due to an old wetsuit. How did I ever think I could have dived without a hitch in CA? I don't know. Photos to come mes aimes.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Matt's Monday Verse, Reunion Edition.
I swear to G-O-D that contemporary American letters would not exist without the G.I. Bill. The Times today carried the obituary of teacher, editor, and essayist Richard Poirier, who died at the age of 83. After serving in WWII, Poirier returned to Massachusetts, where he attended Amherst through the G.I. Bill (Robert Frost was teaching there at the time), and then went on to, oh, Yale, Cambridge, and Harvard. He later founded the Raritan Review, which has published a bunch of poets I've heard of, and some poets I haven't. Among the latter is this week's contributor, Richard Howard. My Uncle Larry always said never trust a guy with two first names, but I like the line repetitions here anyway. Anyone know what this from is called? I ask because I genuinely don't--I'm pretty sure even my remaining brain cells no longer function too good.Have a great week, -ed.
Like Most Revelations
(after Morris Louis)
It is the movement that incites the form,
discovered as a downward rapture--yes,
it is the movement that delights the form,
sustained by its own velocity. And yet
it is the movement that delays the form
while darkness slows and encumbers; in fact
it is the movement that betrays the form,
baffled in such toils of ease, until
it is the movement that deceives the form,
beguiling our attention--we supposed
it is the movement that achieves the form.
Were we mistaken? What does it matter if
it is the movement that negates the form?
Even though we give (give up) ourselves
to this mortal process of continuing,
it is the movement that creates the form.
Like Most Revelations
(after Morris Louis)
It is the movement that incites the form,
discovered as a downward rapture--yes,
it is the movement that delights the form,
sustained by its own velocity. And yet
it is the movement that delays the form
while darkness slows and encumbers; in fact
it is the movement that betrays the form,
baffled in such toils of ease, until
it is the movement that deceives the form,
beguiling our attention--we supposed
it is the movement that achieves the form.
Were we mistaken? What does it matter if
it is the movement that negates the form?
Even though we give (give up) ourselves
to this mortal process of continuing,
it is the movement that creates the form.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
When it rains, it pours.
Can you tell? I've been swamped with work for the last month which is very good. What's not good is the neglected domestic chores ie. the cleaning, the emails, my writing, the reading, the napping, cycling (my bike hates me), etc,... It's finally slowing down. That means I can spend more time on the computer catching up on my desktop mess. It's going to take a couple of days. And I'm going for a very long overdue bike ride after tweaking it.
Tropical Storm Felicia dissipated before it hit the Hawaiian Islands. I was looking forward to some serious rain, wind, and lots and lots of clouds. We need it. Right now, the sun is brutal, the sand sizzles, and water escapes my every pore.
I'm allergic to mangoes. The sap that seeps out of the mango is related to the poison ivy family. The growing rash has not been pleasant. I'm hoping the doctor can give me some topical ointment to stop the spread.
I'm currently reading The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
Tropical Storm Felicia dissipated before it hit the Hawaiian Islands. I was looking forward to some serious rain, wind, and lots and lots of clouds. We need it. Right now, the sun is brutal, the sand sizzles, and water escapes my every pore.
I'm allergic to mangoes. The sap that seeps out of the mango is related to the poison ivy family. The growing rash has not been pleasant. I'm hoping the doctor can give me some topical ointment to stop the spread.
I'm currently reading The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Fitting quote for a fitting day
Since this is the official opening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I thought this quote from J.K. Rowling fitting.
From J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement address:
"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means
that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know
yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity.
Such knowledge is a true gift.... It is painfully won, and it has been worth more to
me than any qualification I ever earned."
From J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement address:
"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means
that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know
yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity.
Such knowledge is a true gift.... It is painfully won, and it has been worth more to
me than any qualification I ever earned."
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