what's in style

I exported my blog over to Wordpress because I was getting a bit bored with my layout and was eyeing new styles. They have some cool stuff over there but the facts of the matter are that it would be tough to get everything aligned how I’d like it, I’m a bit impatient, and it’s actually a more rigid formatting process than Blogger. For now, I’ll keep everything going here with some shadow work elsewhere. Don’t fret; if I move it you’ll be notified. I don’t want 3 or 4 people to now have my blog.

L. is arriving here on Tuesday afternoon and will be launched back into school at precisely 9am on Wednesday morning. The New School is fine with her later arrival and we can configure everything so she’ll only need an extra English/Literature class over the next 2 ½ years.

Our days and nights are wet and cool. The Eleven is heading back down to Warm Springs on Saturday for a night in the cool country and soaks in the springs.

you have something to say?

The Atlantic online site, or at least the commentary sites, have undergone an overhaul of sorts and the one comment-allowing site that I read, Coates, reposted his comment rules; it seemed a natural point to do so. I have to say that the commenters on his his site are very involved, and the discussions, more times than not, add some depth to his his posts. The only reason that I'm hitting on this is because he brings up a great new rule, #6, that hits upon one of the funniest threads that ever evolved.

I've created a new vocabulary word that may seem harsh but somehow fits many situations: fuckstration and/or fuckstrated. Feel free to roll it around in you head and use when you feel it may be appropriate

I've dove into Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer last night; one the few books that got me in pretty deep after just a few pages. Of course, what he points out - what you think the book will be when you first read the title - is indicative of the road he'll take me down. You have no idea how much discussion can be covered when consider dogs v. other animals.

Last week I printed out a copy of the short essay entitled Message to Garcia after a discussion at work. I'd never heard the story but I know gold when I see it; and this is gold. The Eleven spoke about it on the phone for a bit and she ended up sitting the kids down and reading them the story on Saturday afternoon. From the other room, in mid-story, I suddenly heard H. say, "wait a minute, I think I know where this is going..." Smart boy, that one. Feel free to google away

I only have a few weeks left of this first quarter of school - going very well.

I think there's a bit of snow possible for Wednesday and I'm calling it the final snow of the year

More later

t

here and there

It’s been awhile since I’ve linked to an article in the NYTimes but this one is just my speed. This is the kind of stuff that gives me hope for engaging dialogue and ideas in the media. Of course, the comments section (I read the first page) is almost as good as the article. I’ve been scanning the news of late with an eye out for pieces that L. can use/review for her post-Cold War history class in school. Between the Times, the New Yorker, The Economist, and The Atlantic, I think we can cover the current world, as well as, its state of affairs over the last 20+ years.

I’m also giving you an entry from an interesting Vblogger, j. smooth, at illdoctrine.com (also moving and using nildoctrine.com); I just came upon him via another blog and I quite like his ideas. This one deals with an NFL player and a little bit of historical reference and clarification.


I’ll be at my last mid-term tonight and then I can settle in for the second half of the quarter and getting to the meats and whatnot.

Hey.

500

There was a dead spot sometime in 2005 or 2006 where I didn’t do much posting or my numbers might be even more spectacular. I’m not much for milestones but the fact that I’ve bored people, yelled at the public, harassed the government, laughed at Alberto Gonzales (often), pushed my candidates, passed along my school yard adjudication skills, and generally done nothing more than typ-type away for a few years - and that it’s amounted to a vast and honestly wasted field of ones and zeros that make up 500 entries- amazes me. I hate writing, or at least I did when I started this endless chore. In fact, my lack of love for writing is how this came to be – it seemed easier to write one blurb about my life than it was to e-mail everyone with the same story sent to the inboxes of the World. I know, it comes to your inbox anyway – or your Google reader – so I haven’t actually done anything to save time or effort. Except for the fact that I can now easily get away with a standard form letter that needs no personalization; and, I don’t have to make sure I didn’t forget anyone in the to: address line. I often say to X, “refer to my blog” when I start recounting my ideas about Scalia, Bud Selig, music, 7-11, or any other matter of great import to the citizenry.

There have been some entries that were merely links to stories, pictures, videos, or whatnot, but I’ve tried to mostly blab on about what’s going on in my little life-neighborhood and the deep, deep thoughts that run through my mind…laugh at will when considering my ‘deep’ thoughts. If this became nothing more than passing along anecdotes or purely a venue for venting then I’d quit doing it.

I’ve totally made up my own grammatical rules while writing. I could look up the proper uses of colons, semi-colons, dashes, ….. , and italics but that would make this more work than it’s worth. (I often look up grammar but not for blogging.) I wanted everything to a bit more free flow with some personal writing – or speaking – intricacies included. My proofreading isn’t always the best but that’s based on the proportional relationship of how much I’m getting paid. I think my most basic writing skills have gotten better over the years and I’d guess that blogging can stand as a substitute for the olden days of diaries and journals: practice makes writing easier and smoother. We should all write more often because these days we’ve been forced into the communication vortex controlled by the evil triad of e-mail, PowerPoint presentations, and Word documents, so we need the practice in order to get better at putting thoughts to ‘paper’...and to avoid pissing me off as I sit through your horribly constructed presentation.

Sorry, I couldn’t help it.

There’s a beta-version Web site that will analyze the ‘type’ for your blog. This is what came back when I chucked the Paddle into the mixer:

“The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.”

Stick around awhile and I’ll dance for your entertainment. I'm not so sure about the soft fabrics result.

Love to all.

t

detour. turn left.

I'm giving all of you some free advice. I'm also putting pressure on new blogger Bryce. You might remember my mumblings from months gone by about his adventures in life: cooking school in Ireland, wanderings about the isles, 'internship' in a lovely London restaurant. I still damn him but at least he's decided to blog about cooking now that he's back and settled in Omaha. He's very euro: beware. I've already gathered up my needs for the yoghurt recipe so there'll be a review in the near term. Here's his new blog. Bookmark it. Enjoy. I'm sure the three people that read my blog will kick up his visitor counter.

t

boys chase the girls

I'll finish the month with an update on the rotating banner/header situation: I've added Merle Haggard, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Kasey Chambers, Lucinda Williams, and Emmylou Harris. I think the addition of three kings clears me of leering at the chicks.

In the department of irony; I got a call while I was cooking our Transylvanian Eggplant Casserole (actual name) to alert me that I'd won two tickets to the Gary Louris show in Falls Church on Thursday night. Louris was a founding member of the grand Jayhawks hailing from Minneapolis, circa late 80s to early 00s. He's now on tour supporting his first solo album and I entered the drawing two weeks ago at Melody Records. The irony here is that the WonderTwins are under the misguided impression that I buy lots of tickets yet they couldn't be further from the truth - maybe one ticket here, one ticket there. I only have tickets for the next two Capitals games, Cloud Cult on the 19th, the New Pornographers on the 14th, a date with Justin Earle on the 12th, we're off to the Metropolitan Opera up NYC on the 18th (that's her's, not mine), I did two theatre shows this month, and now Louris on the 3rd. See? That's nothing; it's like napping on the couch.

L. will be here from the 12th to the 15th. We'll move the first weekend in May. Santa comes in December.

Out like a lamb.

xxx

t.

construction

You may have noticed the massive layout changes at The Paddle. It's been driven by X regenerating her blogging activities last week and employing the folks over at Vox.com. I tinkered with the site imagining a new home, even managing to import most of my archive, but decided to say at Blogger because I'm more comfortable with the set-up and techniques. What I did realize while tinkering at Vox was that a white background and black text is much easier on the eyes so I've set upon a remedy and new look. All the stuff will be here, and in my desired format, in a few days.

X also let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I can't continue to steal the affairs of her life and incorporate them into my entries...I'm not scared. I take what I take and I do what I do. So there.

caught in the net

About a month ago I got an email from Al Gore. This was a bulk / spam mail that he fired out to all who signed his online ‘save the overheating world’ campaign. I didn’t actually participate with my electronic signature, but X added me to the list when she was on about being so hot and soggy; global warning and all. While she was sitting at the table that afternoon, the day prior to her, H, and Cracker heading to the school-skipping protest at the Capitol, she asked if I wanted my name and address added in protest (not a protest from me about her using my email address; you know…the hot earth protest thing). I did, and in the end it was much easier than actually doing anything myself. So I get this newest thank-me email at my yahoo account, and it’s delivered to my inbox as opposed to my bulk / ‘this looks like crap’ box. I get email from family that ends up in the bulk box, but Al Gore firing off one email to over 500,000 people somehow sneaks through the filters? If there was ever a reason to believe the conservative accusation of the mainstream media being in the pocket of the liberals, this is it. Or, maybe it simply validates Al Gore’s assertion that he invented the internet – he’s got some serious skills.

Speaking of bulk emails. A few weeks back, I accidentally opened or clicked on some email about faux watches for sale. I immediately recognized my mistake and braced myself for an onslaught of crap email attempting to sell me stamps, hot young chicks, cars, payday loans, mortgages, or millions of dollars locked in African banks. You should see the inbox on my older yahoo address, it’s a literal strip mall of junk mail. As it is, it appears junk watch sellers refuse to share your email with others in the fine industry of email junkhoundary. I do get about five emails a day promising the best, fake watches ever manufactured – but no other junk. To be honest, I find watch retailers to be very discerning.

X stumbled on this blog yesterday. I can now consider myself well-rounded. I may laugh at Dave, but it was a blog just like his that taught me to make good French press coffee. The greatness of the Net, and blogs specifically, is that you can find people that are intimate with just about any subject you care to explore. Go Dave!

T.