Thanksgiving

Down here in USland, it's the time of year when we eat too much and remember all the Indians who died so we could establish our puritanical Shangri-la. Okay, so perhaps the picture I've painted is inaccurate. Most people don't really remember the Indians. And really, a large portion of this fair land eats more than its share on a daily basis. Really the only distinguishing element of Thanksgiving is turkey. How is it that we base an entire national holiday (two days long) around an oversized, tough, and tasteless bird. Does anyone really like turkey? I may not be averse to turkey, so long as it's not overcooked and there's plenty of dark homemade gravy to drown it in, but really, who actually likes turkey?

I'm off to buy a turkey.

Corrections from Kitty

Hey, this is Kitty. I just wanted to tell you all that I did not say that Justin Timberlake is the new Michael Jackson, nor did I seriously wish to say that the Neptunes rival Dre. I said "add the Neptunes 'cause they made Justin Timberlake SOUND exactly like Michael Jackson!" And if you don't believe me about that, listen to Justin for a while and then switch to Billie Jean. Crazy....

Sunday afternoon

So I'm sitting on my bed, talking with Kitty, my beautiful girlfriend, and listening to "Daily Operation". I muse to her that I think that were I to posit a pantheon of greatest hip hop producers, DJ Premiere would certainly be among them. A few moments thought and I've added Dr. Dre and Rza, and that's about as far as I got. Any thoughts? Kitty's list got as far as Dr. Dre and the Neptunes and then conversation trailed off into talking about how Justin Timberlake is the modern day Michael Jackson. Seriously, go check out some old Jackson, i.e. Billy Jean.

Snow Snow

It's snowing here in Portland. Or, more accurately it snowed this morning. There is however still a nice blanket of whiteness on the ground.

I'm listening to "Daily Operation," an earlier album by the powerhouse GangStarr. It was a much appreciated anniversary present from my girlfriend Kitty. Not quite as tight and heavy hitting as my favourite "Moment of Truth" (I will get that back to you at some point Chris, my apologies), but still a solid album. It's interesting to hear Premier's stylings from earlier days. "Flip the Script" has grabbed my attention the most thus far, but there are many other tracks that I'm sure are going to grow on me.

hello hello

(I say hello in red, the coloUr of love)

I spent a wonderful weekend with my girlfriend Kitty on the Oregon coast (Cannon Beach) celebrating our 1st anniversary. In actual fact, we spent but all of Sunday night there, however my delight in that night (and day) was so great that the rest of the weekend has been overshadowed into a blurry vague near-non existence.

I find myself now at school, dissapointed and morose. I do not want to be here (not really true). "These are not my walls, this is not my house." But really, I exargerate (as I am won't to do), my disdain is for the walls I've erected myself, the house of burdensome work that lies before me. Tonight I am rereading Waberi's "Cahier Nomade" in hopes that I will glean an abstract understanding (because there is no other) of its whole. Next follows the three page paper on "Cahier Nomade" and then a thorough reading of the first three chapters of a book by Derrida (I've forgotten the title). Top this all off with a little attic Greek and I might just catch a little sleep before the light of dawn.

Colour is Cool

Well, after an hour or so of research I am left in a state of aporia and at present unable to bitch about what I previously said I would. Fret not, I will do some more reading and get back to this tomorrow. As for now, I'm back to Baudelaire and other things school.

What is "in-situ" phenomena. I have a vague recollection of perhaps knowing something about the meaning of this term, but alas last week is much too far away and I've already forgotten large chunks I've what I learnt in my weeklong cursory overview of syntax (is "cursory overview" perhaps a tad redundant, it seems to me that by definition any overview is cursory. Anyways, I think I added "cursory" to emphasize my displeasure with most of my linguistics course. Were that it weren't so.)

Saturday afternoon has come and I'm in KRRC (Reed College motherhold of psychotronic domination, i.e. the radio station). I have a burgeoning love for Afu-Ra and a new found appreciation for Illadelp Halflife. In particular, Section (from Illadelph) and Defeat (from The Body of the Life Force, Afu-Ra). I have a vaguely political rant in the making, but lest I be guilty of the half-assed analysis about which I will probably rant, I'm going to do a little bit of research before I post it.

It's Saturday morning and I've been ensconced in the Reed library for over an hour now. I'm about half way through Baudelaire's "Les Paradis artificiels". At this point I have little to say about it but I will post some thoughts later today.

Reed student body elections finished up last night and I'm bitter. I wasn't running (next semester perhaps), but my bitterness stems from the following:
My wonderful and very smart and adept girlfriend didn't clearly win a Senate seat.
Those who clearly did win are not the best choices (in my not so humble opinion).
I should explain the first issue. Currently there is a tie for fourth (the last spot that garners a seat on Senate). It has yet to be decided how this tie will be resolved, we'll see. Of the three candidates that placed in the top three, there is only one who I can unreservedly say deserved to be up there, another who perhaps did but about whom I have reservations so far as his being a Senator is concerned, and then one who is just a silly choice. And we thought we weren't in highschool anymore.
In other news, Reed hosted a break dancing competition last night. Friking amazing, I was blown away by a number of the dancers. A great many of them were technically amazing, and some were also stylistically beautiful. Two fights almost broke out at different times. I worry about what may have happened after the competition, but alas.

peregrinate my...

funny shit

Nothing improves a given moment more than some good hearty laughter. I've watched this little animation three times and have yet to stop laughing.

late night peregrinations

It's late here in Reedland and I've just started reading Abdourahman A Waberi's "Cahier Nomade". From what I can tell (a few internet searches) this book has never been tranlated into English (I may be wrong). While trying to do and think about things other than my homework I got to musing that perhaps I'll translate it myself. The book is a collection of short stories which I think would make the translation process less arduous. Additionally, my francophone lit prof would probably be happy to advise me and he happens to be personally acquainted with the author. You'd think that I have oodles of free time to spare or something.
In other news, I've begun meditating much more regularly. Reed now has two burgeoning dharma groups. A small subset of one of the groups has begun meditating every morning in the Reed college chapel. This morning there was four of us, not bad for 7:30 in the morning.
I'm going to try and force myself back to my studies, as besides the reading, I still have a paper to finish.

I'm in the middle of reading "The Suns of Independence" (Ahmadou Kourouma) for my Francophone literature class. The book is a wonderful elucidation of the struggles of independence (post-colonial) in a west african country. But I'm not here to try and do any sort of deep and meaningful analysis, instead I thought I'd share with all of you some of the wonderful similes employed in the character descriptions:

"All day long he was as intractable as a newly circumcised donkey."

"as unconciliating and unmanageable as a mad donkey's erection"

That's all for now. I hope all is well.