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Wednesday, November third, 2004
Hi Everyone -- I am dismayed over the results of this year's election and am trying to deal with it personally and socially. So here is what I am thinking: When I was growing up, I remember being encouraged by my parents to take an interest in politics. I was taught to be enthusiastic about democracy (though with a mix, yes, of Menckeny ironic detachment) and about participation. Looking at yesterday's results, I cannot think of what I will say to Sylvia when she gets old enough to think critically about the government -- and it is not far off, I would think a year or two at most -- I really don't feel like explaining the concept of a "right-wing theocracy" to her straight off the bat... I am hoping I will hear from some other people who feel the same way and would like to enter into some kind of collaborative effort towards making a space for trying to raise free-thinking, democratic offspring. So if you are thinking along the same lines as I am, please drop me a line and we can work on this together.
posted evening of November third, 2004: Respond
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Mrs. Shashank sends a nice picture of Sylvia with Supriya and Regina, at the Children's Academy Hallowe'en parade.
posted evening of November third, 2004: Respond
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Monday, November first, 2004
I have often heard the slogan, "We get the government we deserve." -- I have heard this slogan, and I believe it is frequently intended, as a snide condemnation of the voting public. But suddenly I find myself taking it to heart, and taking it very personally. I find myself absolutely petrified that Bush may win, and that it will reflect negatively on me personally. What could I have done to deserve such a government? Update: Oh shit. The election results look really bad. Still no way of telling what the outcome of the presidential race will be (as of 11:23 pm election day) but Kerry has failed to secure the decisive victory we needed. And the Republican house and senate majorities are set to increase. Just this afternoon I was feeling on top of the world and now I am falling. Time to go read Slacktivist.
posted morning of November first, 2004: Respond
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Friday, October 29th, 2004
I haven't written an endorsement (or much of anything lately), since I don't think (m)any people read my site who are not well acquainted with my politics. But here is something close to an endorsement that I wrote in the comments over at Lawyers, Guns and Money. And by the way: here is an endorsement I endorse, by the RudePundit, to which I was alerted by Michael Bérubé. One and a half more hours of this nail-chewing today -- then I am getting on a bus up to Woodstock, where I will meet Ellen, Sylvia, and Gary, Suzie and Milo, to spend the night at their place and try to relax and forget my worries. Come back home tomorrow recharged and do a lot of phone calling for MoveOn tomorrow and Sunday. (If you're interested in doing some of that yourself, go here and create an account for yourself). More nail-chewing on Monday; then Tuesday I am working for the Kerry campaign, calling people, canvassing, and in the evening hosting a Calls for Kerry phone-banking party. (To find a party near you, enter your ZIP code here.) Jeez I hope this does some good... If you have any money to give please donate to Election Protection, which is organizing lawyers to watch polls in contested states and discourage those who would harass voters. It is a vital struggle.
posted afternoon of October 29th, 2004: Respond
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Wednesday, October 27th, 2004
I started writing a song tonight (well technically last night I guess, the chord progression occurred to me last night and Ellen had an idea for some words tonight, which I fleshed out to a verse): A E7 F A
What do you know, what do you care
A E7 F A
What do you know, what do you care
D D7 E F
Last time I called you you were talkin bout your father
E F D D7
And you wouldn't answer straight when I asked about the water
A
Flowin' by. Needs more words and perhaps more sensible words but the rhythm of it is very nice. Update: 2nd Verse What do you know, what do you care
What do you know, what do you care
Last time I saw you you were thinkin bout tomorrow
And you wouldn't even listen when I asked about the sorrow
In your eye. Update: Here is a bridge, and something like a 3rd Verse Bridge:
D D7 C C9 F E A
What do you know, what do you care
What do you know, what do you care
I'm always askin you how come you can't forgive her
But you won't tell me nothin, always starin at the river
Flowin by.
posted evening of October 27th, 2004: Respond
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Monday, October 18th, 2004
For those of you not yet tired of the Moomin obsession: Here is some more. There are two more moomin books available in English translation; one is The Book About Moomin, Mymble, and Little My, which as near as I can tell is in verse; the other is Who Will Comfort Toffle?, a short book which LiteraryMoose describes as "One of the best love stories I have ever read". Both are in print in the UK. And one more moomin story, previously untranslated, is coming soon! It is the first one Jansson wrote: The Little Trolls and the Great Flood. You can read the translation online here. Additionally, Jansson wrote a number of non-moomin books. I am reading The Summer Book now; I think it is the only one that has been translated. A nice book -- I'll write more about it later.
posted afternoon of October 18th, 2004: Respond
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Friday, October 15th, 2004
So as of today I have read all the Moominfamily books except maybe three of them which are out of print for a long time and hard to locate. I love them. Picking up Finn Family Moomintroll back in July was one of the best things I've done in a long time. These are the books in (as near as I can determine) order by original publication date: - Comet in Moominland (1946)
- Finn Family Moomintroll (1948)
- Moominsummer Madness (1954)
- Moominland Midwinter (1957)
- Tales from Moominvalley (1963)
- Moominpappa at Sea (1963)
- Moominpappa's Memoirs (1968)
- Moominvalley in November (1971?)
The two starting points I would recommend to people are Finn Family Moomintroll, and Moominvalley in November -- I think either one will suck you right in and that it will be impossible not to want to read the entire series. Finn Family Moomintroll is really good for reading aloud to a very young child, the others not so much. The only two that do not stand up so well are Comet in Moominland and Moominpappa's Memoirs -- you will want to read them just to fill in some details of the Moomin world, but they will not demand to be reread. The first five books and Moominpappa's Memoirs are quite suitable for any child old enough to read them; the other three demand a little more sophistication and I would not give them to a child younger than about 9, at least not unless I were reading the book with the child and helping her understand some of the nuance. I have described the style of the later books as "a cross between A. A. Milne and Beckett."
posted evening of October 15th, 2004: Respond
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Today I am reading Moominland Midwinter, so I have now read the whole Moominfamily series though not in order and excluding the first book, The Little Trolls and the Great Flood, which has not been translated into English.* This evening if all goes according to plan I will write up and post my thoughts about the series. Just as a quick note, if you just wanted to read one, Finn Family Moomintroll is an utterly fantastic, magnificent book. Moominvalley in November, Moominpappa at Sea, and Tales from Moominvalley are similarly fantastic but not, I think, well suited for young children. Moominsummer Madness and (tentatively) Moominland Midwinter are good books with moments of greatness but some uneven bits. Comet in Moominland and Moominpappa's Memoirs are fun fluff.
* And I just now saw Jansson has a moomin-related book called "Who Will Comfort Toffle?" which I had not heard of before. Update: Also there is a book called "The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My"; one called "The Summer Book" which is not about Moomins but about a girl and her grandmother; one called "The Coal Man and other stories"; and she has illustrated Swedish editions of "Alice in Wonderland", "The Hobbit", and "The Hunting of the Snark".
posted afternoon of October 15th, 2004: Respond
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Here are some more pictures from Sylvia's 4th Birthday, courtesy of Miriam: READIN Family Album
posted morning of October 15th, 2004: Respond
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Monday, October 11th, 2004
Sylvia and I spent the evening at a neighbor's house, watching the finale concert of the Vote for Change tour and writing letters to voters in swing states. For me, the musical high point of the evening was the first song I heard, which was John Cougar singing "In my Time of Dying" -- I had no idea he sang that song, he does it very well. Sylvia was shy and stayed on or next to my lap all evening, not talking to people but smiling.
posted evening of October 11th, 2004: Respond
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