The Lonely Wolf

MAN WHY YOU EVEN GOT TO DO A THING

2008-08-30T18:48:00.001-07:00

http://manwhyyouevengottodoathing.blogspot.com/

For The Return

2008-05-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

Can this be my theme song?

Coolokthanks.

Trees Outside the Academy

2008-05-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Listening a fair amount to Thurston Moore's solo record Trees Outside the Academy. I've floated in and out of Sonic Youth over the years and brought Daydream Nation and Murray St. with me. Moore's 2007 release isn't a huge stretch from his band's recent work, but he's replaced some of the pure shredding/noise for an acoustic guitar and violin. Which is not to say there is no shredding as J Mascis shows up on a fair bit of the songs. Anyway, it is a great album and it is also getting me back into Sonic Youth.

Here is a charming preview video of Thurston working on the record complete with Kim Gordon appearance for a hair cut.

I also just saw this video for the first time a few days ago. Was this Spike Jonze's first music video? And yes, that is a young Jason Lee skateboarding.

SPRING

2008-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on...
-In three and a half weeks I'll be home. With Cate. In Seward.
-This is the last real week of class. Next week we have one class day and an overnight cabin retreat. It has been a fantastic and fulfilling semester, and I am ready for it to be over.
-It is full-on Spring here: leaves are out, flowers are blooming, the tourists and beggars have arrived, folks are wearing T-shirts, and I'm skating all the time. It is so beautiful!
-People have come and gone. Hana is gone. Weibtke and Isi visited and are gone. We had a great party! I was definitely sad to see them all leave again. I really did have a great time with them last fall, and I will miss them.
-May Day was rad but I was hungover and the weather sucked. I was disappointed at missing the rally on Youngstorget due to party and hungover-ness. Still, Veebs and I saw thousands of people marching down Karl Johans Gate in support of unions and causes.

My mom and sister are in Scandinavia! Right now they are in Stockholm, but over the weekend I welcomed them in Copenhagen. We had a great three days there together. It was my fifth visit to the city, and it ended up being almost like a 'best of' trip. The weather was just gorgeous for two of the days, a rarity in my visits. The weekend was fairly busy, and here are some highlights:
-Arriving early enough in the morning before my family to take a trip to Christiania. I had only slept a few hours on a bumpy bus and the fresh-air of the leafy-green community restored my soul. Coffee also helped.
-Surviving cold and wet weather through a walk of the main sites of the city and taking the fam to Riz Raz.
-Going to Christiania with the fam (and them loving it). It was a beautiful Saturday with kids and pups everywhere. We also had a delicious meal at Morgenstedet, one of my favorite restaurants in the world.
-A magical evening at Tivoli. In addition to its regular visual goodness we also saw a ballet of Thumbelina and a lightshow over the pond. That goof Cynthia liked feeding the fish.
-That goof Cynthia and I went out for a few beers in Vesterbro. I was aggressively hit on. When Søren finally realized I wasn't interested he exasperatedly said, "So you're not a pirate? Why do you have a beard if you're not a pirate?" Then he told Cynthia she was beautiful, kissed her on the cheek, and left. Jokes were definitely made about stealing booty.
-We took a walk along the lakes surrounding the inner city and through Nørrebro. We lounged in the charmingly overgrown neighborhood cemetery, then ate yummy sandwiches at Picnic and drank yummy Caffe Mochas.

Like I said they are in Stockholm now. They come to Oslo Thursday night, but we leave early the next morning for a weekend in Bergen.

The Wound-up Chronicle

2008-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

1. Public Enemy - Welcome to the Terrordome
2. Dinosaur Jr. - Little Fury Things
3. Sonic Youth - Titanium Exposé
4. Joy Division - Warsaw
5. Black Lips - O Katrina!
6. Hüsker Dü - Dead Set on Destruction
7. Against Me! - Turn Those Clapping Hands Into
8. Iggy Pop - Neighborhood Threat
9. Atmosphere - Panic Attack
10. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Baudelaire
11. Billy Bragg and Wilco - Feed of Man
12. The Flaming Lips - Slow Nerve Action
13. TV On The Radio - Young Liars
14. The Cure - 10:15 Saturday Night
15. Crooked Fingers - Destroyer
16. Bob Dylan - One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
17. Nina Simone - Sinnerman

Epilogue:
18. Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel
19. The Pixies - Cactus
20. Brother Ali - Freedom Ain't Free
21. St. Vincent - Your Lips Are Red
22. The Beta Band - Human Being
23. The National - Murder Me Rachael
24. The Velvet Underground - European Son
25. Tom Waits - Innocent When You Dream (78)

Split Open

2008-04-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

Mark this day in your calendar folks! Today is the first day I have ever been struck by Elivs Presley's music.

And a holy shit. This song will be a counterpoint to the rest of this post. Just a warning of shift in mood...

This week has been full of warm sunny weather. It has probably been the best stretch of weather I've had being here. Seriously. And it has made me enjoy this city much more! It changes so much when there are actually people out on the streets and in the parks!

I have been taking advantage of the nice weather by going out on two extended skate sessions which have left my muscles sore, my body bruised, and me happy. :)

Isi is here! She is visiting this week! It is great! And Weibtke is coming! This makes me happy! I miss her tons. VEEBS!

My mom and sister are visiting in a week! I will be in Copenhagen with them, then they will go to Stockholm solo. A short rest in Oslo followed by a trip to Bergen. Then lots of Oslo. I am very happy about this! It seems so soon and kinda unreal.

5 weeks left! Again, June 1st grill out. I want you there! All of you!

Belated notes on remainder of trip

2008-04-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

-I went to a karaoke bar last night in Warsaw. It was nuts. Most songs in Polish, although there was a rendition of "Lovers in the night." I actually went out with two of the students, a first this semester, but left after only a couple and sadly missed joining a rendition of the Beatles' "A Little Help from my friends."

-Krakow was incredibly beautiful and now ranks fairly highly on my Euro cities list. There is a beautiful old town (the city was one of two large cities now destroyed in WWII) and a hip formerly-Jewish quarter. There were a ton of young folks everywhere and not too many tourists. Or at least, city residents outnumbered tourists even in the old town. I recommend this city!

-I had a gigantic room overlooking a beautiful part and beautiful theatre. And I had a patio. It was overwhelming actually.

-Visited Auschwitz. I became numb probably a quarter of the way through. It was a physically and emotionally exhausting experience. Birkenau can only be understood as a factory of death, which is just so frightening...

-We also met with the Judaica Foundation (a centre for jewish culture), had superb guided tours of Kazimierz (above mentioned formerly-jewish quarter) and Nowa Huta (a
Commie built workers utopia), and had a workshop with the All Different/All Equal campaign.

-I had many fine polish meals. I can not believe how much I enjoyed Polish cuisine, and it wasn't just the price. Tasty meats and delicious soups. Yum Yum.

-I was physically drained in Krakow from the continued sickness. I started taking some prescription strength meds and finally picked myself back up. Still, it was disappointing that I spent so much of this trip sick. The program required a level I couldn't always provide, and I missed out on some of the fun I could have had traveling.

-I had a lot of fun hanging out with the students and without any of the problems that arose last semester. This group is comfortable enough with themselves, the program, and me as TA that we can be together as human beings. Yay!

-I finished reading Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" and Cormac McCarthy's "All the Pretty Horses." They were both a bit heavy for travel reading. Faulkner was mind expanding. McCarthy caused reflection.

-I bought a new skateboard because my old one broke days before leaving. It was made by Habitat Skateboards and proceeds for it go to "educating the marginalized peoples of Guayaquil, Ecuador." That is a direct quote from the deck. I tried to find a photo of it to post, but no success yet. The deck graphic includes a map of South America highlighting Ecuador with a tree growing out of it, a funky bird, and numbers drawn in chalk (like in a a school, y'know?). It is a very HECUA TA skateboard.

These were the things that stand out now. Unfortunately this doesn't provide anything like a travel diary but it gives an idea of my experience. Perhaps that is all you want to read anyway.

Ecoutez S'il Vous Plait

2008-04-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

back "home"

2008-04-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

Sorry no posts from Krakow. Things were a bit busy, and internet was not easily accessible. I am back in Oslo now. A small selection of photos up on Flickr. I didn't take many. I hope to get more from some of the students who took more.

Pretty much everything went very well, except for the sickness which spread through nearly the entire group and had me exhausted for nearly the entire trip. I'll write more at some point.

Warsaw Pt 2

2008-04-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well, the time in Warsaw is nearing an end. Tomorrow afternoon all us folks will be taking the train to Krakow. Its been a long and tiring week, but it has also been rewarding and incredible. Sickness has also been a central theme. I'm still getting over whatever it is I have, Tim has been in rough shape, and two of the students have come down with similar symptoms over the last couple days.

On Wednesday we visited the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Polish Federation for Women and Family Planning, and Youth Social Democrats. Tim and I also dined on pirogies and had a couple beers while I got to take my first look at the re-built Old Town.

Thursday we visited Caritas (a Catholic social aid org), the Historical Museum of Warsaw, and the Campaign Against Homophobia. I had delicious Chicken Masala and disgusting Chicken Kebab.

Friday began with a three-hour session at the Committee for European Integration. Over an extended lunch break I took a trip to the top of Warsaw's most famous monument, the Palace of Culture and Science. Our group reconvened for a two hour chat with the Norwegian Ambassador to Poland. Pat Mulvihill, Director of Operations at HECUA, arrived. He'll be joining our course for the next two weeks or so. We finished the week with a visit to the intense Warsaw Uprising Museum. I brought the group, sans Tim, to the Indian restaurant I had enjoyed the evening before. My night ended fairly early, but I still had a drink with the students in our hostel.

Today was a day off and I've been getting some needed rest. An easy morning and just walking around different parts of the city: the city center, the new town, and a neighborhood across the river, Praga. I picked up a book: Murakami's "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle." I also had a delicious chocolate eclair from the famed pastry-shop Blilke. Don't know what tonight will hold...

Warsaw Pt 1

2008-04-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

I'm in Warsaw, and wouldn't you know it I've come down with something. Nothing too bad, but its making me exhausted and stopping me from exploring and enjoying this place. Still, I've managed to have a hot cheap lunch at one of the traditional milk bars. Milk bars are thusly named because the don't serve booze, but they do serve Polish home cooking for super cheap. I had pirogies! They were good. I had hoped to explore the old town this evening, but I just didnt have it in me. There will be time though, we are here until Sunday.

Class wise we have visited the Sejm (the parliament) and the US embassy. The embassy was not so great, they just wanted to talk about the missile defense shield, aka star wars. Tomorrow should be an exciting day. We are visiting the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Coalition for Women and Families, and the Young Social Democrats.

I dont have too many first impressions. It is an ugly city since it was destroyed in the second world war and rebuilt by communists. There are huge billboards everywhere. There are huge boulevards dominated by car traffic. I smell car exhaust everywhere, dont know if its because Im more sensitive to it being sick or if the city is that much more polluted. Cars park half on the sidewalks here, so its hard to get away from the automobile domination. Not pedestrian friendly, from the bit Ive seen. But again, I havent gotten to explore too much yet.

Catholicism is fierce here and its tied up in a strange nationalistic thing. There are crucifixes and religious statues everywhere. That milk bar had a cross in it, for example. A church near our hostel had a big sign outside that said it was impossible to understand Poland without Christ. Here is a funny story*: In 1997 a right wing party was in government. Late one night they stealthily installed a crucifix in the front of parliamentary chamber, the Sejm. Since then, no one has dared to take it down.

Here is another fun fact about the Sejm: the final parliament of the second polish republic, in the interwar period, was made up of only 65% ethnic Poles. The remainder were Polish Jews and folks who were ethnicallz Germans, Lithuanians, Ukranians, Belarussians, etc. Today, all but 1 of the 565 members of the Polish Parliament are ethnically Polish.

*This story was not actually funny.

Black Lips

2008-04-02T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm totally gonna see these guys Saturday.

Solitaire

2008-04-01T14:32:00.001-07:00

Not much going on around these parts. Over the weekend I went to a party held by a bunch of Spaniards, but otherwise it rained. I'm going to Poland next week, from the 7th to the 18th, for the big DSE field trip. We believe it will be an intense and rewarding two weeks. In other program news this morning I led a seminar on human rights that went pretty well. The program has been pretty fantastic, and the students have been a joy to teach and learn with. I'm home in two months which is difficult to understand and wonderful to look forward to.

Passion for the Possible

2008-03-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

Corita Kent was an artist, teacher, philosopher, political activist, and possibly one of the most innovative and unusual pop artists of the 1960’s. However, what is perhaps even more incredible is that she was a catholic nun.

As the unorthodox leader of California's Immaculate Heart art department, her teachings and art making would become her career path for most of her life.

With a love of silkscreen printmaking, in 1962 Sister Corita began using popular culture images such as archetypal American consumerist products, grocery store signage and newspaper clippings alongside spiritual texts, song lyrics and literary writings as the textural focus of her work. She could be seen as the positive west-coast alternative to Warhol, possibly pre-dating him.

With fame, came the opportunity to bring her contemporaries to lecture at her teachings. Illustrious speakers including luminaries such as designers Charles and Ray Eames, musician John Cage, graphic designer Saul Bass and film director Alfred Hitchcock. During the countries significant change and unsettled political climate during the 1960's, Corita's representation of this unrest coupled with her rebellious and unconventional methodology infuriated certain conservative church leaders. She was dubbed a "guerilla with a paint brush” and left the order in 1969.

During the 1970's, living quietlty and devoted solely to making art, Corita was diagnosed with cancer and six months to live. She entered an immensely productive period creating several hundred serigraph designs for posters, book sleeves and murals as well as the “Love” postage stamp, reportedly the best-selling stamp in history. Corita eventually succumbed to cancer and died seven years later.

All of the above text was written by Aaron Rose, former curator of the Alleged Gallery in NYC and co-curator of the Beautiful Losers. I first saw the her work on Mumble Magazine online, and if you're interested in seeing more of Sister Corita's work you can check there. While I was in Berlin I stopped into the CircleCulture Gallery and this exhibit was being shown, to my surprise and happiness. Its pretty incredible stuff !

Flick Critique

2008-03-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Perhaps predictably, I liked this article and thought I'd pass it along.

Yeah Right: A Brief History of Skateploitation Cinema
Benjamin Strong
03.20.08

Detractors of the filmmaker Gus Van Sant often cite the prurient approach he takes to his pet subject, teen angst. And indeed in Van Sant’s new film, Paranoid Park, a high school skateboarder struggles with, among other things, his sexuality. But the flesh of newcomer Gabe Nevins (whom Van Sant cast via MySpace) isn’t the only thing being leered at. Van Sant also exploits skateboarding.

When Van Sant was interviewed recently by Blake Nelson, the author of the YA novel on which the film is based, Nelson asked the director whether he felt any kinship with the sport. “I had been a skateboarder in the ’60s, which was a long time ago, but I didn’t think that it was so much different,” he said, adding that in 1978 he worked on a movie where he “met the skaters of that time.”

Van Sant’s comments were doubly illuminating. First, few things will so readily invite derision from a skater as the old timer who brags about how he used to rip. More tellingly, the 1978 picture to which he refers—a PG-rated vehicle for Tiger Beat pin-up Leif Garrett called Skateboard: The Movie (That Defies Gravity)—was one of Hollywood’s pioneering attempts to turn a fast buck off what was then an emerging subculture. In a presumably unwitting ironic twist, the plot concerns a combovered codger manipulating a trio of skaters for profit.

In the decades since, the fortunes of skateploitation cinema have intermittently risen and fallen, much like the inconsistent popularity of the sport itself. The 1980s were the golden years, yielding a pair of fishtail classics in Thrashin’ and Gleaming the Cube (starring Josh Brolin and Christian Slater, respectively). That era also gave us Robert Zemeckis’s nostalgic Back to the Future trilogy, which smoothed over skating’s punk edges by casting a lead, Michael J. Fox, better known for playing a Republican on TV. In Zemeckis’s vision of 2015, presented in Back to the Future II and III, children ride floating “hoverboards”—eliminating the possibility that skaters will do grinds, the set of tricks that tends to cause the most property damage.

Then studios lost interest in the genre in the early 1990s, when skating died out and went underground. The only skateploitation film of note to be released during the Clinton administration was the Van Sant-produced, Larry Clark-directed indie shocker, Kids (1995). As with Clark’s follow-up, Wassup Rockers (2005), Kids deserves credit for portraying its picked-off-the-streets skaters in their natural element—getting high, running their mouths, and above all studying skate videos.

Thirteen years after Kids, skateboarding’s popularity is at an all-time high, driven by hip-hop and by Tony Hawk, the veteran X-Games champion determined to extend his brand as indiscriminately as Martha Stewart and Oprah. Skateploitation, as a corollary effect, is also undergoing a renaissance. It is discernible in fashion (see the ubiquitous hoodie), the Avril Lavigne discography, and MTV’s Life of Ryan and Rob and Big—an odious pair of reality shows about pro skaters. Skateploitation is also apparent in Catherine Hardwicke’s critically acclaimed Lords of Dogtown (2005), a superfluous dramatization of Stacy Peralta’s 2001 documentary, Dogtown and Z-Boys, the definitive account of 1970s Southern California surf style.

Paranoid Park stands out in the midst of this skateploitation revival, thanks to a unique sound design and arthouse cinematography (shot by Christopher Doyle, among others). And yet the slow motion effects so many reviewers have praised are largely an anomaly in the traditional skate video, where the difficulty of a trick cannot be appreciated unless it is seen in real time. More significantly, Paranoid Park’s eponymous “Westside” is built on a heap of juvenile delinquency clichés—which are all the more grating because they’re at odds with the true story behind the construction of Burnside, the downtown Portland skate mecca where these sequences were shot. (Skaters designed and illegally poured the concrete bowls themselves underneath a highway overpass, and eventually, when the success of the park helped spur an economic revival in the neighborhood, the city legitimized it.)

The joke is that with untold skate videos readily available on the internet—both home made and professional—skateploitation movies such as Paranoid Park are more obsolete than ever. As far as skaters are concerned—and as more cinephiles ought to be—skate videos have been rendering their mainstream imitators artistically unnecessary since the mid 1980s. That was when Peralta, the ex Z-Boy, began directing his Bones Brigade series. “I don’t feel like I came into my own until I was behind the scenes,” said Peralta, who saw the medium’s potential to make converts. “Kids that weren’t into skateboarding could actually see a video rather than a magazine and go, wow, so that’s how they do it.”

The Peralta oeuvre was as instructive about attitude as it was about the finer technical points. The Bones videos often began with skits in which Peralta himself would destroy a television after listening to yet another newscaster buffoon inaccurately characterize his sport. In 1987’s The Search for Animal Chin—Peralta’s masterpiece for its oft-imitated San Francisco hill bombing passage—the Bones Brigade parodically reenacts one of skateploitation’s most nonsensical scenes, cutting off the roof of a car with a jigsaw. “Now we’re just like the guys in Thrashin’,” one them says. “Real great.” Peralta is the undisputed O.G. practitioner of the first generation, but his videos relied too heavily on traditional elements such as plot and character. It took 1989’s seminal Rubbish Heap (recently reissued as part of a deluxe box set) to liberate the genre from these conventions.

Rubbish Heap, made on what looks like the poorest quality VHS stock available, was directed by a then-unknown skate rat named Spike Jonze. Eschewing the egotistical personalities, glossy logos, new wave soundtracks, and narrative continuity that marked Peralta’s era, Jonze established the verité template on which most contemporary skateboard videos are based. As Kids would do five years later for the non-initiates, Rubbish Heap showed skaters being themselves—committing antics such as focusing their boards (breaking them in half by stomping on their middle). Rubbish Heap was also the first video to elevate the slam (the term for when a skater hits the ground after a failed maneuver), granting the spectacular wipeout as much respect as the gracefully executed trick, and thus paving the way for the Jackass movement.

Jonze has gone on to have an eccentric career in feature films with Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and the upcoming Where The Wild Things Are (not to mention his role as a Gulf War soldier in Three Kings). But in the shadow of these big productions he has continued to set the artistic standard for skate videos with Goldfish (1994), Mouse (1997), Yeah Right! (2003) and Hot Chocolate (2004). As part owner of Crailtap, the company that sponsors the Girl/Chocolate/Lakai teams who star in his videos, Jonze has a simple formula for success. He combines stylish skating with an imaginative sense of humor, as in this clip from Yeah Right!, in which actor Owen Wilson pretends to be a lazy, trash-talking pro (when Wilson appears to land a noseblunt slide on a rail, it’s actually Eric Koston in a blond wig). Fully Flared (2007), Jonze’s most recent four-wheeled opus—co-directed with long-time collaborators Ty Evans and Cory Weincheque—is widely considered the sickest skate video in a decade because it shows guys doing flip-in/flip-out tricks, done at improbable speeds, that the average skater couldn’t handle stationary on flat ground. One reason that Kids remains the least egregious of all skateploitation pictures is that director Larry Clark recognizes the preeminence of this parallel genre, and he acknowledges Jonze’s place within it. In a lengthy scene halfway through Kids, the skaters smoke up around a small TV that’s playing Jonze’s and Karol Winthrop’s revolutionary Video Days (1991).

It is hardly a coincidence that Video Days opens with Mark Gonzales slamming from an epic staircase (“Gonz is the bomb,” you can hear Kids’ protagonist utter in the background). Clark understands that overcoming fear is essential to skateboarding. This isn’t a matter of machismo so much as physics. As Ben Davidson wrote more than thirty years ago in The Skateboard Book, “Cuts, bruises, broken teeth, and concussions aren’t a rarity, and unless you’re just going to cruise slowly up and down your block in straight lines, a casual attitude toward the sport is self-destructive.” It is understandable that in Paranoid Park, Van Sant’s teenager feels paralyzed by the things that scare him—girls, boys, his parents, better skaters. But, repeatedly, he can’t summon the courage to drop in at the skatepark and risk the pain and humiliation of slamming. In this way he’s a lot like his director—someone from the outside looking in.

Copyright 2006 Fanzine Media (www.thefanzine.com) - All Rights Reserved.

A Simple Equation

2008-03-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Snow + sore foot + national holidays = movie time

Two Books

2008-03-24T02:20:00.001-07:00

Reading Pride and Prejudice made me thankful of several things:
1. The United States has no aristocracy
2. The British aristocracy are no longer powerful
3. Gender equality has progressed tremendously
4. Contemporary notions of manners and morality are not the same as those of Victorian England
5. My friends and family do not act in the same bat-shit-crazy way as the majority of the book's characters

Perhaps I would have liked it better had I not just read Vonnegut and The Color Purple. That creates a pretty steep hill to climb for anything pompous and asinine. BTW, please read The Color Purple if you haven't yet! It should be essential reading for every American!

Klosterman's Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs was also disappointing by being ideologically incoherent and a bit offensive without being very funny. He attempts to pass off all of his subjective tastes as objectively cool while arguing that anyone else who does the same is a clueless narcissistic hipster. Perhaps I could have handled that better if his favorite TV shows didn't include "Saved By the Bell" and MTV's "The Real World," if he didn't worship at the alter of Pamela Anderson, and if he would stop arguing that all soccer players are sissies. After reading this pop culture critic, I am no closer to understanding pop culture but I do loathe it (and him) a bit more.

Berlin Pt. 2

2008-03-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

To continue from the Kulturforum, I went shoe shopping. My last pair of shoes were literally falling apart. They'd had holes for a few months, but then the elastic laces broke on the left shoe and it was time. I checked out a few skateshops, but couldn't find a single pair that I really liked. They had to be usable as skateshoes but still nice enough for me to be able to wear to work, and I had to find them somewhat aesthetically pleasing. These seemingly simple requirements were more difficult to meet than I had imagined. I ended up at an Adidas store and settled for a one-size-too-small pair that I was a bit lukewarm about. This is why I hate shopping. I never find anything that I really like when I need it, never have money when I do find something I like, and nearly always end up regretting my purchase. And unfortunately, I do regret this purchase. The next day I came across some other stores with awesome shoes that I imagine would have fit me instead of causing the most painful blister of my life. This blister is covering half my pinky toe. I don't even know if I should refer to it as a single blister, as the original blister popped and a new one formed right on top. Last night I was in such pain that I couldn't walk or even think all that clearly. Today is a beautiful sunny day and I can't go out and enjoy it. Fuck.

So ANYWAY, after shoe shopping I spent a couple hours walking around Prenzlauer Berg. This neighborhood was clearly the current hotspot, there were hip boutiques, cafes, bars, and people everywhere. Later that night I ended up at a collectively run vegetarian cafe/bar in the neighborhood called Morgenroot. I had a couple beers and chilled out to the funky soul music they were piping through. This was one of the most awesome spots I've ever been too! It was a bit overwhelming, especially thinking about how perfect his place was for Cate.

On my last full day in town I began with a brunch buffet at Morenrot. The buffet cost 4 to 8 Euros and its up to the patron how much they want to pay "based on how rich they are." Well, I'm not much rich but I do love that place. The rest of the day I ended up doing more wandering around Kreuzberg and Prenzlauer Berg. I also walked around Mitte's gallery district. Mitte was the hotspot in East Berlin in early nineties, but now seems a bit corporate and commercial. I did stop into a really cool gallery called Circleculture that was exhibiting some silk screen graphics by Sister Corita Kent. Longer post about her to come?

I ended up having a final dinner at Morena, a cozy spot in Kreuzberg, and later that night I went back to Bais for a couple more cheap drinks. And that was pretty much the trip! A few touristy things but mostly just walking around and enjoying Berlin's atmosphere or reading in one of its fine cafes or bars. And I did a fair amount of reading, too. I finished The Color Purple on the trip down, sped through Pride and Prejudice as quick as I could, and bought Chuck Klosterman's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs at an English language second-hand bookshop.

When I got back to Oslo yesterday it had snowed about four inches, which is causing me a great deal of psychological pain. I saw flowers here three weeks ago! There should not be this much snow right now! Its going to take a while to melt, I bet, and I don't want to deal with all the ice again. Hana, my Slovakian roommate from last semester, moved back into our flat! She's back in town for about a month and a half and around the tail end of April Isi and Weibtke will visit. So that's fun.

So that's the update. By the time you read this there should be photos posted up on Flickr.

Berlin Recap Pt. 1

2008-03-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Unlike so much of this past month this has been a tremendous week, and there is so much I could write about. Chances are then that I will write about nothing. But until I fall into the pit of procrastination and lethargy I will try to communicate just a little bit (just a wee bit) through this interweb log.

A list of potential topics to be ignored at will:
-Berlin: The Trip, the City, the Art (not necessarily separable categories)
-Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
-Chuck Klosterman
-Raymond Pettibon
-Sister Corita Kent
-The pains of walking

I will begin with Berlin though I doubt I will post on the other topics after a trip recap. First of all: I am not actually a berliner bun. I do not even know what a berliner bun is, although I do know and enjoy a good cold bottle of berliner pilsner. In fact upon a (flight-)delayed arrival to my lodgings I visited the hostel bar for several pint, and. I realized it was St. Patrick's Day when my beer was green. Yes, I did my Irish roots shame by forgetting the event, but thankfully was able to celebrate properly: by drinking green beer.

The morning of my first full day I spent in Kreuzberg. In fact, I spent a big chunk of the weekend walking around Kreuzberg or relaxing in one of its cafes. This neighborhood was most famous back in the 70's and 80's, as it was then surrounded on three sides by the East. The demographic population of the neighborhood hasn't changed much even if specific residents have cycled out. Over the last thirty years the neighborhood has been dominated by Turkish immigrants, their children, and young radicals. Like much of Berlin, today Kreuzberg is also covered in graffiiti including many incredible building-sized pieces. Photos will be posted.

I took a detour out of the neighborhood to check out the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining stretch of "the Wall." Soon after the wall came down folks began painting on this stretch. Although it has been continually covered up by new pieces, recently some of those original works from nearly twenty years ago were restored.

(RANT ALERT)
After walking back through Kreuzberg a bit I visited my second tourist spot: Checkpoint Charlie. Perhaps because I was too young for the fall of the soviet empire to affect me too much I find visiting a place like Checkpoint Charlie today to be a bit absurd. This is not to disparage history as I'm very interested in the human condition under Communism and I was, after all, a Poli Sci major. It just seems silly to me that visiting a place like Checkpoint Charlie is supposed to be profound or educational or anything other than a packaged photo op for tourists.

Perhaps what I am speaking of here goes to the root of why we travel and become tourists and the changing practices of my own travel experience. While I still visit a few museums or tourist spots if I come across them, when I travel now I am more interested in recognizing the distinct vibe of the place. Or maybe this is false as I usually end up in areas that can be summed up by two groups: immigrants and young radicals. Within our liberal democratic world order, no one should be faulted for pursuing what interests them (outside of interests that damage others, of course). While I find enjoyment relaxing in many cafes of East Berlin, others would find that a waste of time while the Zoological Gardens are available.

Still, I cannot escape the absurdity of a Checkpoint Charlie. Perhaps because the only enjoyment I imagine coming out of it relates to having a photo taken where everybody else has had their photo taken. It is proof of travel, proof that you could afford the time and money to be a tourist in Berlin. If Checkpoint Charlie represents the Cold War's tension between absolutism and democracy, then it is quite clear which system won. We had our eyes to the guns, ears to the tanks, and minds to the missiles, but our hearts are owned by consumption. Historically the system that provides the most goods at the cheapest prices wins. Is that wrong? Perhaps not, but it is fundamentally destructive of our relationships to ourselves, each other, our fellow living beings, and the Earth. Oh yeah, and its most likely simply unsustainable.

At Checkpoint Charlie I wasn't sure what was most representative of America: the stars and stripes, the unknown solider, or the fifty foot advertisement for Chanel. I do know that the greater symbol of our existence is the dominance of that advertisement over a bunch of photo happy tourists and my ranting about it on a low-readership blog.
(RANT OVER)

So ANYWAY, that evening I ended up at a crusty punk bar called Bais. It was described to me thusly: "Nonsense people discuss no-nonsense politics (or maybe the other way around)." I got into a confusing conversation with a local who complained about all the rich kids with rich granddaddies who had gentrified the East. He also spoke about visiting NYC soon after the wall came down to go into the music industry. He was shocked to discover that in meetings people wanted to get down to business. He also said some memorable things about fighting fascism, the Radical possibilities of emerging technology, and how Turkish immigrants, in addition to having absolutely nothing to teach Germans, really live in the middle ages. The description I received of the bar was accurate.

I began the second full day out and about in Berlin by walking from my hostel on the eastern edge of Mitte to Museumsinsel. I strolled down Unter Den Linden and passed through Brandenburg Gate. I visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which is superbly done and has been seared into my memory. I then continued my journey through Potsdamer Platz (still not to my liking) to the Neue Nationalgallerie for an retrospective exhibition of major trends within modern & contemporary art, or at least those trends/artists the museum deemed important enough to make purchases of. The exhibition was mostly of artists I was familiar with and all the explanatory texts were in German so after an hour I went to the nearby Kulturforum. While there I had my eye caught by Richard Pettibon's work, but I hope to write about that some other time.

Right now I'm going to have to quit this recap as I'm tired and dealing with a surprising amount of pain. You will hear more from me before this is over.

I am a berliner bun.

2008-03-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

Whoop whoop!

I'm in Berlin and you're not. In fact, if you're reading this then you haven't even been in Germany today unless your name is Tory or I have secret readers among my German friends.

I like Berlin and you should too. It is incredible! I will write more about this diamond of a city when my tour is over. For now, know that I am exploring to hearts content and feets tired. And I'm taking in some of those pesky tourist sites I missed on my visit two years ago with Anne.

I will have many photos, though most of them will be of things on the street that have captured my attention rather than the regular slide show full of poor imitations of postcards.

Dear Readers

2008-03-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to write to you today as a representative of J.L. Phil Rooney, esq. You have been carefully selected as the handful of people who give enough of a damn to read his blog. For this time only, you will be able to read a limited account of his adventures over the weekend comprising March 15th through 17th in the year of someone's lord, 2008.

On March 15th my employer awoke in mid-morning. He made pancakes and began reading Kurt Vonnegut's novel Breakfast of Champions. In the recent past he had finished Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic work, The Brothers Karamazov. He thoroughly agrees with the French philosopher Albert Camus's statement that Dostoevsky is "the great prophet of the 20th-century." Even more thoroughly does he agree with the statement, "It is a damn good thing and a relief to finish a long-ass book you've been reading for over a month." Unfortunately it is not known to whom to attribute this declaration, thus it remains anonymous.

My employer also enjoyed reading the aforementioned Breakfast. He found it was a short, easy and pleasurable read. Nonetheless it was difficult to comprehend that it was one of his father's favorite books, or so his uncle David had once wrote him. He is currently going through the emotionally difficult (and rewarding) process of reading Alice Walker's The Color Purple.

This weekend held more pleasures than those found in texts. Mr. Rooney had the opportunity of Friday evening to join his friend Charloette and several of her associates for an evening of drinking and dancing. The evening included a small party, the club known as The Villa, and a what is known in Norway as a nachspiel.

The rest of the weekend was spent enjoying the fine sunny and warm weather that enveloped the Oslo metropolitan area. This enjoyment including what he would refer to as "chillin'" on the porch of his flat as well as trips into downtown Oslo to perform creative acts on a plank with wheels, also known as a skateboard. He was assailed by grannies and security, a pattern that within his experiences is fairly common.

As of this writing, he is hastily preparing for a trip to Berlin. Unfortunately, he is unable to write to you further at this time as he must "Hurry the fuck up."

Regards,
XXXX*

*Name withheld for legal reasons

Women Are Heroes Project

2008-03-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

From Médecins Sans Frontières and the artist JR. Learn more here.

Blog Archives

2008-03-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

After midnight looking through old blog archives. "PHIL," the plaque read, "MONSTER."

A couple things stand out:
-My writing was more interesting.
-Possibly influenced by my life being more interesting. Seriously, my life from 2006 is looking pretty sweet right about now. Like hella better.
-Over the Top is still a ridiculous movie. And this song (AND VIDEO!) is too much. It is...over the top!

Jens

2008-03-10T00:35:00.000-07:00

Mo asked a question about Jens Lekman, so I thought I'd post this up. I've been listening to some "Night falls over Kortedella" while I've been here, I think I heard of him on some hipster music blog. Some of his songs are a bit too disco-pop-ish for me. But the song "Opposite of Hallelujua" is just great. It was cool to go to Malmo and see tram cars that ran to Kortedella. If he crosses the border I'll definitely try to see him.
Here he is a solo & acoustic. Very strongly reminiscent of Andrew Bird. Or maybe its just the whistling.

This is the ABBA influence:

This video is pretty fun.

Sunday Boring Sunday

2008-03-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

If you have followed the presidential primaries for even 15 seconds then you should read this article. That's my kind of analysis: cutting through all the b.s.

Its been a pretty slow weekend in these here parts. I was supposed to go out to Skien (a city about 2 hours away) to chill with Char and her husband and hear his band, but it fell through. It also caused me to miss a rally for International Women's Day :(

Anyway, today I went to Bar Boca for some joe and then I checked out the Astrup Fearnley Museum for Modern Art. Its a privately owned art museum that is free to the public, and it is much better than its state-owned rival. The Fearnely had an exhibit showcasing new trends in Norwegian contemporary. I approved.

Because of the slowness I also had the opportunity to watch a couple flicks. I watched Robert Altman's classic, MASH, revisited Indiana Jones with Raiders of the Lost Ark, and got around to the Twin Peaks prequel movie, Fire Walk With Me. It was nice to see the Twin Peaks gang back together but I don't recommend it unless you've seen the entire series and are dying for more.

More youtubery

2008-03-08T05:58:00.001-08:00

Sorry for all the videos, but this could not be any cooler and must be shared.

Making the rounds at the ISS

2008-03-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Show time in Minnesota's smoke-easies
Associated Press
Friday March 7 2008
guardian.co.uk

All the world's a stage at some of Minnesota's bars.

A new state ban on smoking in restaurants and other nightspots contains an exception for performers in theatrical productions. So some bars are printing up playbills, encouraging customers to come in costume and pronouncing them "actors".

The customers are playing along, merrily puffing away and sometimes speaking in funny accents and doing a little improvisation, too.

The state health department is threatening to bring the curtain down on these sham productions. But for now, it's on with the show.

At The Rock, a hard rock and heavy-metal bar in suburban St Paul, the "actors" during "theatre night" do little more than sit around, drink, smoke and listen to the earsplitting music.

"They're playing themselves before October 1. You know, before there was a smoking ban," the bar's owner, Brian Bauman, explained. Shaping the words in the air with his hands, like a producer envisioning the marquee, he said: "We call the production, Before the Ban!"

The smoking ban, passed by the legislature last year, allows actors to light up in character during theatrical performances as long as patrons are notified in advance.

About 30 bars in Minnesota have been exploiting the loophole by staging the faux theatre productions and pronouncing cigarettes props, according to an anti-smoking group.

"It's too bad they didn't put as much effort into protecting their employees from smoking," grumbled Jeanne Weigum, executive director of the Association for Nonsmokers.

The health department this week vowed to begin cracking down on theatre nights with fines as high as $10,000 (£5,000).

"The law was enacted to protect Minnesotans from the serious health effects of secondhand smoke," the Minnesota health commissioner, Sanne Magnan, said. "It is time for the curtain to fall on these theatrics."

Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008

Epic

2008-03-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Things have been kinda weird here lately, like a bizarro world. Its funny how I've gotten so used to a routine that when things deviate a bit it throws off my mental state completely. Most of the strange stuff has been class scheduling related. But it has also gotten cold again, and today it snowed! I was so happy about the spring too!

I am also very excited about my trip to Berlin in two weeks. I'm ever more pumped after seeing an article up on the NY Times on the city's graffiti.

I'm also finally working on making another music mix. In December I threw together a couple of epic three hour mixes for Cate's arrival, but I haven't touched the Itunes playlists since then.

For The Record

2008-03-04T09:48:00.001-08:00

I love this band!!!

We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!

On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.

Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords.

On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore.

So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing.

Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way.
For now I smell the rain, and with it pain, and it's headed my way.
Sometimes I grow so tired, but I know I've got one thing I got to do...

[Chorus]
Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.
I'm goin' 'round the world, I got to find my girl, on my way.
I've been this way ten years to the day, Ramble On,
Gotta find the queen of all my dreams.

Got no time to for spreadin' roots, The time has come to be gone.
And to' our health we drank a thousand times, it's time to Ramble On.

[Chorus]

Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her....yeah.

[Chorus]

Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird!

And as an extra goodie the above poster was designed by Mr. Shepard Fairey, whose work I've posted up here before.

Blind Opportunity

2008-03-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

Less than three months left folks! Is it too soon for the countdown to begin? Cate and I have already talked about what we're gonna do when I get back. A Sunday evening grill out is in the plans so mark those calendars!

I'm feeling good here! Been out skateboarding again, just cruisin the city and feeling out different spots I've seen over the past year. I tried to go up to a miniramp near another student village, but the ramp was still iced over. Yikes!

I was completely broke over the weekend, but I still managed a few drinks and a few smokes with the help of some friends. Friday night I kicked it with the roommates Jan and Ulla, as well as a few of Jan's friends from out of town. Saturday night went to Knut Erik's for some homemade wine and a couple games of chess. I used to play chess a fair amount when I was a kid, but its been a few years since I played even semi-regularly. So I was quite pleased and surprised when I actually won a game. yahoo

Over the weekend I also watched an excellent polish film, Blind Chance. It was originally made in 1981, but censorship delayed its widespread release until 1986. It presents three scenarios of the same young medical student, all depending on the circumstances around catching a train to Warsaw. If he catches the train he becomes a Communist party member. The second scenario has him missing the train, then getting into a scuffle with a police officer. During his subsequent jail time he becomes connected with the dissident movement. In the final scenario he misses the train, and returns to his studies and his girlfriend who he soon marries. He becomes a successful doctor who is apolitical. The film was shot beautifully and the acting is excellent. I highly recommend this flick!

We are planning on showing it in class next week. I was initially reluctant actually. It creates an excellent picture of Poland under communism in the late 1970's-early 1980's, but I was worried that the random chance of the main character's vocation would rob our students of a sense of agency over their own lives and their own ability to create change. Still this was precisely representative of life in Poland during that period, and it could be a perfect reminder of the opportunities our students have in their own lives. It was under that reasoning that I'm quite excited for the class to watch it.

But that is next week! Right now we are covering Norwegian political parties and institutions and the Norwegian relationship with the EU. This afternoon we visited Stortinget for a guided tour and discussion. Stortinget literally translates as "The Big Thing," but is also known as the parliament. Oh those Norwegians...they are so cute and silly.

Eastern Exposure Zero

2008-02-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

In honor of my first time out street skating in 7 months I give you this:

Hello World

2008-02-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

I have much news, and I realize it has been quite some time since you had a substantive update from me. To begin simply, I am doing well. I am comfortable with my job, with Norwegian, and with living in Oslo. I don't have many friends or any truly close friends, but I've accepted it. The general loneliness is not stopping me from enjoying this place, even if I end up spending too many hours in my room on my laptop. The DSE program is going very well, and I know that I am doing an excellent job as Teaching Assistant. Tim and I have also developed a very good working relationship. My Norwegian class is going fairly well, and I'm confident that if it continues in this direction I will receive marks I can be satisfied with. Spring is finally in the air, which has brought me many smiles already and lifted my general mood. I'm already spending more time exploring Oslo, and I'm looking forward to getting my skateboard under my feet and rolling around.

Major recent events:
-A student from last semester, Charloette, got married to her Norwegian boyfriend last Friday. I had the pleasure to take part in the festivities. It was great fun, and I had several excellent conversations while drinking plenty of whiskey. Charloette and I are very much enjoying a relationship based on mutual friendship, rather than a student-TA dynamic.

-I spent Valentine's Weekend in Gothenburg, the second largest city in Sweden. I absolutely loved the city! It is an architecturally fascinating city, as it is a blend of industrial/working class and university town. The city also had a fine design museum and a truly superb Museum of World Culture. The latter museum had an exhibition titled "83 Ways to Change the World" that highlighted all of the different ways to challenge domination. This included alternative methods of producing media (such as 'zines and pirate radio), the radical greening of public spaces known as guerrilla gardening, publicly demonstrating in support of Ungdomshuset (a radical youth centre which was torn down last year in Copenhagen), and more well known forms of disobedience such as the American civil rights movement and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. I traveled to Gothenburg with Jule, an acquaintance from Germany, but I don't believe our budding friendship has survived the trip. 'nough said.

-A recent post of mine commented on the somewhat absurd number of roommate I've had. Well, one of those old roommates is getting hitched. I lived with Janice for nearly two years at "The Terrace," though we had lost touch with each other and I hadn't heard news of her in about a year and half. We used to sit on our stoop, have a few smokes and beers, and complain about classes, love, and the weird smells coming from our landlord. Since those days of yore she has found a Frenchman, and they plan to marry this summer. Here is a photo from the epic summer 2006 party, the Love In. Shockingly, it is the only photo I have of the two of us. Otherwise I would have chosen one that was more flattering...

-I watched Twin Peaks in its entirety, all twenty-nine episodes. I suggest you all go out and do the same if you haven't seen them yet. I suggest a snack of black coffee and donuts.

-I've also been doing a little bit of reading lately, but not much. As I alluded to in my travel re-cap I've been reading Dostoevski: The Brothers Karamazov. I've been reading it in bits and pieces for about a month and I'm still not even half way through. It is long and dense, but interesting enough that I won't quit. I also read Teaching Community by bell hooks. It has helped me to positively reflect on and heal from the failures of last semester. Already I can tell it has influenced the methods and goals of my teaching.

Recent class highlights:
-Attending a conference with the President of the European Commission and the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The conference was specifically about cooperation between the EU and Norway on climate change, but an undercurrent was the bizarre relationship between the EU and Norway.
-Attending a seminar at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence on the legacy of Martin Luther King, including presentations from representatives of the Oslo City Council, the Organization against Public Discrimination, Pan-African Women's Alliance, and the Norwegian Center for Human Rights. It was superb and allowed students to reflect on the acceptance of diverse populations in Norway and America. It especially challenged them on some of their preconceptions of Norway being a progressive utopia and America being a global bogeyman with insurmountable racism.

Finally, I've posted a few dozen photos from the last couple months up on the flickr site. There are shots from the Gothenburg trip, the wedding celebration, and a couple trips into the woods.

Evan Hecox

2008-02-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

I promise a longer post will be coming, including tales of Sweden, Twin Peaks, class updates, and a wedding. In the mean time, enjoy the work of Evan Hecox.

Hecox has done some graphic design for the Girl/Chocolate Skateboarding Family ads, but my eye was really caught by these urban scenes. The first is NYC, the next two are LA, and the last is Mexico City. He has also worked with the arts magazine Arkitip quite a bit, and he has a new book out that is a retrospective on his career: Urban Abstract.

I CANNOT GET OVER THIS SONG

2008-02-22T17:27:00.000-08:00

God, what a mess, on the ladder of success
When you take one step and miss the whole first rung
Dreams unfulfilled, graduate unskilled
It beats pickin' cotton and waitin' to be forgotten

We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons

Clean your baby womb, trash that baby boom
Elvis in the ground, there'll ain't no beer tonight
Income tax deduction, what a hell of a function
It beats pickin' cotton and waitin' to be forgotten

We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons

Unwillingness to claim us, ya got no warrant to name us

The ones who love us best are the ones we'll lay to rest
And visit their graves on holidays at best
The ones who love us least are the ones we'll die to please
If it's any consolation, I don't begin to understand them

We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
We are the sons of no one, bastards of young
The daughters and the sons

Young...take it, it's yours...

A Valentine's Post?

2008-02-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

I'm a day early, so I'll give you two posts for the price of none.

The intellectual is always showing off,
the lover is always getting lost.
The intellectual runs away.
afraid of drowning;
the whole business of love
is to drown in the sea.
Intellectuals plan their repose;
lovers are ashamed to rest.
The lover is always alone.
even surrounded by people;
like water and oil, he remains apart.
The man who goes to the trouble
of giving advice to a lover
get nothing. He's mocked by passion.
Love is like musk. It attracts attention.
Love is a tree, and the lovers are its shade.

Rumi said that. Bell Biv DeVoe say this:
Never trust a big butt and a smile

a post for lovers

2008-02-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, for real this time. This post goes out to all the lovers, especially the ones who ain't got someone to love with them right now.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

A Lebanese poet I like said that.

Obama-Lieberman and Polling/Electability

2008-02-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

A friend last night called me on the Obama-Lieberman connection. I did some investigating to make sure I wasn't bat shit crazy. Its happened before...

So. All freshman Senators enter into a mentorship program with another more senior Senator. I do not know how the mentorships are normally assigned or precisely what the mentorship entails.

As a freshman Senator Barak Obama requested having Joe Lieberman as his mentor. I believe this lasted approximately two years, until the next election cycle.

Obama being mentored by "Holy Joe" is in the NYTimes. MinnPost and CounterPunch have published pieces that refer to a Hartford Courant article in which Joe bragged Obama requested him. The Courant charges to view articles in its archives.

In the 2006 Senatorial campaign Lieberman battled with an anti-war lefty, Ned Lamont, and a progressive movement for the Democratic nomination. Lieberman lost the nomination, ran as an independent, and won the general election. While Lieberman was still going for the Dem Nom, Obama flew to Conneticut for a high profile fundraiser. "I am absolutely certain that Connecticut's going to have the good sense to send Joe Lieberman back to the United States Senate." Reported in the Times and the Courant.
Once Lamont won the nomination Obama endorsed him. Hillary also made the Joe to Ned switch. A few months ago Lieberman endorsed McCain.

Its not exactly steamy stuff but there you go. Also, I was on pollingreport.com earlier to check up on the head-to-heads. It is an excellent website if you want to keep up with national polls on just about any issue. I wanted to check up on some of the electability stuff.
National polls are for likely voters. I am deliberately vague on numbers because every poll has lists different numbers and poll results should be understood as a range anyways.
In McCain v. Clinton: McCain looks to have a slight lead currently although less than a month ago they were neck and neck.
In McCain v. Obama: Obama leads by a few points, up from neck and neck.
The following poll result is for Dems and folks who lean Dem.
In Obama v. Clinton: The polls are a bit all over the place, although the majority have Clinton with a few point spread.

I still don't think McCain's base will turn out in huge numbers unless Huckabee is the VP (but don't forget we could have T-Paw!). Clinton's recent hit against McCain is likely a result of Obama's surge and subtle attacks on her political character. Obama's support is probably higher than these results due to polling issues (such as problems in polling young adults and folks with cell phones).

But then, I don't support politicians on the basis of their electability. Judging electability often stems from uncertain impressions and vague emotions. It is something which can shift drastically in a day, let alone the 9 months until the general election. Furthermore, I believe using it as a basis can cause us to lose our values and make us forget why we care in the first place. Sometimes it is a giving in when we need to stand up. While every person needs to be pragmatic and suppress certain ideals in order to live in society/in community/engage in politics, there are ways to do this in which we respect our values and each other. Choosing my endorsements based on electability is not my way. Perhaps my way is wrong.

I wonder whether my understandings of the candidates and the election fight would be different if I were home. Would I be swept up in the Obama movement most of my friends are in? I certainly expected as much before...

Man! When did I get on my high horse and when did this become a politics blog? I promise no more politics posts for a while, and I will try to get the quality of my other posts back up. Both of those are things we can all vote for.

Roomies

2008-02-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

A conversation yesterday about the housing situation for this summer caused me to reflect on how many people I've lived with. There are many. Part of this blog post is to see if I still remember all their names.

I've defined lived with someone as sharing a flat, house, or similar residence for at least one month while having common household chores like cleaning. That excludes most of the folks from Philosophy Camp but includes my cooking and cleaning team. Since turning 18, I've lived:

-With folks from 11 different countries: Canada, the U.S., Norway, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Iceland, Germany, Slovakia, and the Sierra Leone.

-And 12 different states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Idaho, Maryland, Texas, Kansas, California, Washington, and Florida.
-In eight different cities, four different states, and two different countries.

-With four people whose names I can't remember.

For a total of fourty four people in six and a half years. That seems ridiculous. Is it more ridiculous that I don't remember the names of some of them? Of course, many people in their younger years have similar experiences of change in living situations. Somehow mine seems extreme to me, although I know many folks have gone through more.

I think part of the reason I miss home and chillin with Cate so much is because of all this transition. Its worn me down a bit. While others are chomping to travel and meet new folks, I kinda want to relax with folks I know and who know me. But alas, I am here for some time yet. I try to experience what I can even if I'm not as enthusiastic as I should be.

Speaking of: I'm going to Gothenburg next weekend. And I have a friend coming now, Jule from Germany is going with. Oh the germans...

Metamorphises

2008-02-09T01:32:00.000-08:00

I just read a wonderful little joke I wanted to share. Months ago I said I'd post about Kafka, and here is that post.
"THE SASAS HAS HAD A HEATED DISCUSSION ON WHAT KAFKA WAS TRYING TO SAY THROUGH GREGOR'S FAMILY'S REACTION TO HIS TRANSFORMATION. SOME OF US BELIEVE THAT IT'S EXPRESSING A FATALIST VIEWPOINT OF A WORLD WHEREIN EVERYTHING IS ULTIMATELY MEANINGLESS BECAUSE ALL PEOPLE WILL MOVE ON AND FORGET YOU ANYWAY, AND OTHERS OF US BELIEVE THAT KAFKA THINKS BUGS ARE ICKY. YOUR THOUGHTS?"

Why Hil

2008-02-08T07:55:00.000-08:00

I suppose I should explain why I went Hillary. Again, I should have done this before that big ol' Tuesday. Oh well, better late than never? This may not be terribly well organized. My reasons are cumulative. I also want to hear your reasons for choosing. Write them in the comments or e-mail me.

First of all: Hillary is to the left of Obama. This comes as a surprise to most Obama supporters, but when you get into the grit of the policies its true. In addition, Obama discusses the need to work together across party lines. This means as President he would be more willing to compromise an already centrist position. In truth, if you take away the charisma and Iraq then as a politician Obama closely resembles Joe Lieberman. I don't want a President like that.

There is another reason I will mention Lieberman. I remember when Obama had his keynote address at the 2004 DNC. It blew me away! I was so so excited and started envisioning Obama in 2012 or 2016. I went out and read his first book and fell in love with him, more or less. And then I started following his career in the Senate. What a disappointment...

He played it so safe! He wasn't the progressive ideal I envisioned him to be. He kept quiet for the most part and worked a bit on congressional ethics issues. He did nothing to set himself apart except for one thing: Joe Lieberman became his mentor. Yup. The two worked closely together for years and Obama was a strong supporter of his in the 2006 Senatorial campaign that saw Joe run as an independent versus a progressive left movement to oust him.

It is understandable when many folks argue that there are no significant differences in the policies of Hillary and Obama. But thats not entirely true. There are differences and I support HRC in most of them.

The most significant difference that is sited is in health care. Obama's health care plan would cover about 20 million less people that Hillary's. If that is not significant than I don't know what is. Hillary's ensures everyone is covered. It is not truly a universal single payer system that I'd like to see, but it does provide for universal coverage.

There are other differences as well. Education is incredibly important to me and a huge issue for me is getting rid of No Child Left Behind. NCLB is one of the most poorly crafted pieces of legislation I've ever seen. It is an absolutely terrible law, even if it is "fully funded." I don't agree with its goals or methods. I want it off the damn books. Hillary agrees. Obama does not.

Another issue I care deeply about is immigration reform. Last year at Jane Addams School I did some work on the USCIS fee changes. Obama was co-author of a bill to change the structuring of the fee increases. This was incredibly important to me and was the most important thing he did as Senator, in my eyes. However, Hillary goes further by supporting the DREAM Act. For the future of immigrants and accepting immigrants into our society as equals, the DREAM Act is a far more important piece of legislation.

I care deeply about human rights, and not just in matters of foreign policy but in how we live in the United States. I've never heard Obama mention HR and he does not mention it in his FP platform. Clinton doesn't note it on her website either, but in the mid-90s she gave that incredible and important speech in China about women's rights being human rights. It was big.

In all of the above issues that are very imporant to me Hillary is to the left of Obama.

Obama speaks significantly about service, and I really like how it is a central piece of his campaign. He would increase the size of Americorps, Peacecorps, and like organizations. Yet there is a problem here: currently not all Americorps positions can be filled. This is primarily because the positions don't pay enough. Increasingly it is only middle and upper class individuals can participate in these programs, thereby reinforcing twisted notions of charitable volunteerism rather than folks working together to solve their collective problems. Clinton provides the material opportunity for all to participate in Americorps by doubling the size of the college scholarship.

There is one significant matter that Obama speaks of that I haven't heard Clinton on as much. That is poverty (and naming it as such), especially combatting concentrated poverty. Yet Clinton's plans on health care and education will have a more significant impact on the daily life and future of families living with poverty.

With this issue, Obama's appears more to the Left but when you closely examine the overall thrust of their policies and would they would impact American life, it is clear that Hillary Clinton's policies are more progressive and lefty.

There is an elephant in the room. Iraq.

Now, I don't have the solution to Iraq. You'd have to ask the Iraqi people that, and I haven't spoken to many Iraqis (though I have spoken with some). I've never supported the war in Iraq, just as Obama has not and unlike Hillary. When I look at their two plans on the future in Iraq, the only significant difference I see is that Hillary would work with the UN. This is something I have been advocating for several years.

There are other significant pieces that are central to both campaigns: the movement for Obama, political culture, and Hillary's experience.

I understand and support the excitement for Obama. It is an excitement that I have felt, and then lost when I saw through the rhetoric to the practice and policies. This is the first time that many folks, especially young adults, have felt excited and passionate for politics. It is a powerful feeling to be a part of a movement. I respect that. Yet I am surprised when those inside a movement which calls for unity, dialogue, and reaching across party lines cannot understand why I would not agree with their choice for the Democratic nomination and would choose rather to attack my choice rather than learn why I would make it. I would ask: What is the movement for? If it is only a movement for one person, than it is meaningless.

Visions of change are everywhere. Yet, what is the change? I live change everyday in my work and approach to the world, this is the true way to change society. Obama is one person, the problems in our society are much deeper than that. There are structural issues that need be changed that would require most of society, both parties and some constitutional amendments. Obama as president would not revolutionize our way of doing politics, indeed the election of any one person is not enough. I support the creation of a consensus based democratic culture, it is a culture that exists in Scandinavia and I find it refreshing and incredible. Yet the reason it exists here is not because of one politician, it is because it is built into the structure of politics here. This is not the case in the the structure of American politics. Until this structure is changed, we are limited in our capacity to build consensus politics.

I will admit the above section is the weakest of my arguments. After all, no one gets exited about Hillary and changing society in the way they do for Obama. He motivates people in an incredible way. It is just that his vision doesn't do it for me.

However, I believe Hillary's pragmatic approach to doing politics within the American system would do more to positively change the everyday living conditions of Americans. I imagine Obama would more readily jettison his proposals in order to reach an agreement. I need someone to stand up and fight for change, and it is the only way change has been achieved in the United States. Hillary has an incredibly record of work and concrete achievements, much more so than Obama. I cannot disregard this proven record of experience.

There are charges of cronyism within the Clinton camp. It is likely that many of the folks that were part of the 1990's Bill Clinton team would be back again. Personally, I only hope this happens. The Bill Clinton Administration is the second greatest of the 20th century, behind only FDR's. We would all be better off if a good chunk of that group came back again. I'll admit two mistakes of that era: the 1995 welfare reform was terrible for working families and NAFTA should have included provisions for protection of the environment, labour rights, and re-education programs. As for welfare reform, it can be argued that we should be thankful the reform wasn't worse than it was considering a strongly Republican Congress. The NAFTA concerns largely came into the national consciousness post-NAFTA, so perhaps we shouldn't be too critical for it not being included then.

Hillary's team, including these 90s holdovers, have the experience and power to deal with the incredible challenges of society today. Iraq is fucked. Our economy is not as strong or healthy as it could be, and there is increasing inequality. Don't even get me started on environmental challenges. I want nose-to-the-grindstone to get these things taken care of, and it will not be pretty it will be ugly. But I trust an HRC admin to achieve more that I can support than an Obama admin.

Part of this is due to his lack of experience. And yes, he does lack experience. The only things he has run (that I am aware of) have been the Harvard Law Review, a small community organizing operation in Chicago, and a congressional ethics committee. He lacks significant national and international political experience, and I don't know if he can handle (or more significantly HOW he would handle) today's challenges. I always imagined him running in 2012 or 2016 once he was more seasoned.

It is argued that JFK also lacked experience. This isn't true to the same extent as Obama. Indeed, JFK had been a leading figure in congress for over a decade and grew up in politics. I would also note, that I am not inspired by JFK's presidency as thus comparisons to him do not impress me. JFK fucked up with the Bay of Pigs, he started the war in Vietnam, and didn't do anything for civil rights (unlike his brother). The only thing he did (that I am aware of) that I support was start the Peace Corps (an institution which has been critiqued for neo-colonialist aspects but that I still support). LBJ was the Dem. president who brought forth the great Lefty victories of the 1960s (although his great failure was getting us further involved in 'Nam).

It is argued that Hillary is less electable than Obama. I argue this is believed by those who listen to a right-wing smear campaign more than anything else. Hillary achieved incredible electoral victories in New York in 2000 and 2006. These victories were large and were achieved through capturing the left, independents, AND moderate Republicans. Indeed she even had upstate New York voting for her, a well known bastion of Republicanism. She has proved that she can win over everyone. So has Obama, who won a ridiculous margin in 2004 to get into the Senate. He also faced no significant opposition from the Right.

McCain appears to have solidified the Republican nomination. I believe an Clinton ticket, with Obama as VP, has the strongest chance of beating him. For a long time I have maintained that anyone that the Dems put up can beat anyone the GOP puts up in 2008. The only matchup which concerns me is Obama v. McCain. McCain does EXTREMELY well with independents, which is Obama's target voter. It is possible that Obama will be able to motivate enough voters to the polls, especially as McCain will find it difficult to get the conservative and evangelical bases out, but I would bet McCain wins more independents than Obama. Head to head I think Obama would more or less be schooled. Hillary stands a stronger chance head to head through the support of more women, Hispanics, and Bill's popularity among Black Americans. Most charges of Hillary being such a polarizing figure are not accurate and once folks take an good look at her many support her (or at least aren't freaked out). The polarizing stuff has been a line of the far-right for years and seems to now be a self-fulfilling prophecy. A dream ticket of mine is Clinton-Obama. With Obama's movement Clinton would be a shoo in. And I am convinced that she would make a better president than Obama.

On the more disturbing side that should cause us to pause and reflect, I've heard several folks compare Obama to the left's or middle's GWB. There are similarities in political stylings. GWB won the White House through a similar popular movement supported by evangelicals (compared to Obama's "progressives"). GWB, if you remember, came to office with little experience but much discussion of the need for unity and compassionate conservatism. "I'm a uniter, not a divider." Obama is compassionate neo-liberalism with similar discussion of the need for unity. Also note that many during the 2000 campaign argued there were little differences between the policies of Gore and Bush, similar to today and Obama v. Clinton. W also campaigned vigorously against the Clinton political machinations and 90's politics culture while arguing that he would bring ethics back into politics so we could have a white house and president we could be proud of. This paragraph is inarguably the most upsetting I've written. Feel free to give me hell, but consider what I wrote.

So. Those are the reasons why I put a photo of Hillary on this blog. Again, I want to be in dialogue with those who want to discuss. E-mail me or write a comment about YOUR reasons!

The Primary

2008-02-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Well folks its Super Tuesday. I can't vote in the primary, but I can offer an endorsement. Most of you will have voted by the time you read this blog, but I guess thats not the point of why I'm posting. I guess this has no influence on anything whatsoever. Still, here ya go.

Surprised?

Self Among Others

2008-02-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

First day of class today. It went well. I am optimistic for the semester, but with reservations. And ya know what, I consider this a maturation in my teaching. I learned a lot last semester, and I can't wait to see how DSE goes with everything I've taken in.

I am also taking Norwegian class again, with the same teacher even. I think it will go better this semster. As an aside, in speaking with this teacher she said the class last semeseter was the most advanced and fast-moving introductory course she'd ever tought. Several of the students skipped the next level directly to advanced, and no one had below a 'B' on the final exam. That is extraordinary when you consider the higher level of rigour in European grading. A 'B' here is equivalent to an 'A' or 'A-' in the U.S. This is another way of justifying why I dropped out, and I will stop now.

Ready, Set...

2008-01-31T00:24:00.001-08:00

Students are coming in, syllabus is being finalized, excitement excitement.
And I made more travel plans! I'm going to Gothenburg in two weeks.

Odds and Ends

2008-01-28T11:39:00.001-08:00

Grumble Grumble

I want to post up a few interesting photos and links and what not, but my first attempts of posting the Owl Tree are failing. So, I will just have to link to a few photos, and hopefully you will check them out. The photos are from a collective piece that was done last fall. The tree was put up on the side of a random building and local artists were notified. Anyone was free to contribute and over the next few months a beautiful tree community was created.
First, the scene.
A look at the tree.
In the process of an addition.
I could snuggle this guy.
But these two are my favs.

These are working though. Photos of the papercut-based work of Peter Callesen.

I am also finding it difficult to re-post images of Nigel Peake's work. It reminds me a bit of some things I saw in Vienna, and not just Hunderwasser although that influence is there. Anyway, check out his drawings.

I heard about him because the above book was just reviewed on this awesome online magazine I've been digging through. The magazine is called Mumble and this is its mission:

"Mumble Online Magazine focuses on the infinite nouns and verbs that influence contemporary art and street culture, directly and indirectly. We take you on a somewhat lighthearted journey from yesterday to tomorrow, with many a pitstop along the way.
"In plain english: we publish articles that have to do with influential artists, photographers, skateboarders, places, books, stuff you can buy, music and whatever as well as some totally random shit that somehow fits into the picture."

For more skateboarder related contemporary art check out The Art Dump. The Art Dump is, put simply, an arts collective wing of the Girl Skateboard Co. and its affiliates. They recently made a limited run of prints celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Four Star clothing brand. Here are two of them that I liked:

Travel Bug

2008-01-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

One of the good things about being here is the opportunity to travel around Europe. Its a very good thing, really. Being in such a northern part of Europe that is so expensive restricts some of my possibilities, but I have still been able to take advantage of my situation. In the nearly six (6!) months I've been here I've been to Stockholm twice and Copenhagen three times as well as going to Vienna and Prague. In April I'll be traveling with my class for two weeks in Poland, specifically to Krakow and Warsaw. In May my mom and sister are visiting, which will take me on weekend trips to Copenhagen and Bergen. I also have the goal to take weekends in Gothenburg (possibly in February) and Trondheim (perhaps May?). And today I just finished booking a trip over my spring break in March.

I had been going back and forth in my head about where I wanted to go for break. I had wanted to visit Rome and Istanbul while I was here, but the tickets were too much. A recent interest in Barcelona was too expensive to follow up on. It was tempting to go back to Copenhagen, I'll admit. I thought about Scotland, getting all up in some whiskeys. I considered getting to know Amsterdam better, as I'd only spent one day there two years ago. It was my last day in Europe and I was burnt out, sick, exhausted, and stoned. I didn't like it too much. Before going to the Netherlands I spent two whirlwind days in Berlin. I liked it quite a bit, surely aided by my traveling with Anne. But I wished I had spent more time there. It is a huge city and I didn't get the chance to really know it.

After looking at all my options I found super cheap plane tickets and a cheap good hostel. I'll be gone not too long, only March 17 to 21st, but my transportation AND lodging is only costing a total of 1100 kr. Thats $200, a goddamn steal in these parts.

Oh yeah, my destination? BERLIN

I just found in my old blog this travelogue:
"so berlin i loved. its a true metropolis, reminded me of the other great cities that seem to have some undefinable thing, cities whose scope can't really be understood. for me thus far i think new york. london, montreal, and berlin have had that. something new is always bubbling up, there is constant redefinition.
"but berlin! we stayed in east berlin, which i'm very happy about. i loved the area, it was hip, cheap, non-corporate, there was something going on. and i loved all the street-art (grafitti) throughout the city! lots of fun that..."

I went on of course, but just listing places we visited with a reflection on my social issues in meeting groups of new folks. I'll spare you.

This week's movies:

2008-01-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

I saw this at the theatre! It just came out here, and everyone was right about it rocking.

And hey, I finished that Cheever book.

The Cold

2008-01-20T14:11:00.003-08:00

Homeboy Andrew Dahl wrote this a couple days ago, and I liked it enough to bring it to these parts. I hope you're surviving out there. I can only complain about the darkness and the wetness. There have been three days of sun in the last month and most days it rains or snows.

"A lot of my friends who aren't so blessed as to live in Minnesota have asked me what it's like to be in such a cold place. Some of you have never seen snow. Some of you complain about the "damp cold" of the East Coast. I thought I'd briefly explain what it's like, since it's about the only thing that any of us can think about right now.

"So today, January 18, is pretty fucking cold. The low temperature is -10F, the high is 5F (though it doesn't look like we'll actually make that), current temperature is -1F at 11:00 am. But inevitably, temperature is actually somewhat irrelevant. Minneapolis is essentially on the edge of the prairie, and extremely flat. It's windier than fuck. So we have this thing called "wind chill," which is some formulaic measure of how cold it actually feels outside, taking wind speed into account. The wind chill right now is -23F.

"Now, when you live here, the cold doesn't seem so bad. Your body chemistry actually changes, starting around October, and if you spend enough time outside to adjust, it doesn't feel so bad by December. But, once it gets below 10F, your exposed skin starts to hurt. The air starts to feel like a constant slap across your face. If you wear glasses, the part where it touches your nose is excrutiatingly painful. Below 10, it really feels like you're having a drill bored into your temple.

"The whole sky changes. The air is so dry that there are rarely clouds. It's perfectly clear and sunny (that is, from about 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, when the sun starts to go down), but the sun doesn't warm you at all. There's no temperature difference between sun and shade. The steam from all the smokestacks crystalizes into thick plumes, creating vertical clouds throughout the city. Without any moisture in the air, sound carries for miles and every noise sounds crisp and hallow. Sometimes, if a tree has enough moisture in it, its tissues will freeze and expand, and the tree will explode in the middle of the night.

"As I was leaving for work, my girlfriend was taking her dog out for a walk. Within three feet of the door, he stopped walking and tried to go back inside. The cold air made him start choking and she had to pry open his mouth so he could breath.

"I had to walk across the Mississippi to get downtown. The wind was seering on the little bit of exposed skin on my face. You have to cover your mouth if you're outside for more than a few minutes because inhaling air that cold will give you bronchitis or pneumonia. If you inhale deeply without your mouth covered, you can feel your lungs painfully seize up and cramp. The steam from my breath collected on my eyelashes and I had to remove chunks of ice from my eyes once I got inside. What's really annoying is when the snot inside your nose freezes and you have to keep wiggling it so you can breathe.

"When it's this cold, the weather reports often include a warning of how long you can leave skin exposed to the air. When it's this cold, they warn that any skin exposed for much more than twenty minutes will be frost bitten, which means that the moisture in your skin cells has frozen and the cells have died. Frost bite is essentially like a burn, with third degree frostbite often leaving the skin black and dead. Really bad frost bite sometimes requires amputation.

"Hypothermia results from the body's temperature being too low to support normal functioning. Last year, a man was found in oustate Minnesota, with his face frozen to the road. He died from being too cold, and they had to srape his body off the pavement. When I was in elementary school, they often cancelled school because it was too cold. The diesel busses wouldn't start, and kids walking to school or waiting for the bus were seriously at risk.

"So that's what it's like. Tomorrow looks a little worse; high of 0, low of -14. I hope you're doing fine in whatever more comfortable part of the world you are... panzy."

I am reminded of this winter foray to Minnehaha Falls.

Birawer

2008-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

I'm sure most of you know this guy, but I felt like posting about him anyway. I first noticed Michael Birawer's work a couple years ago when I was working at Wilson Library, we had a bunch of prints of a piece he did in Chicago around that were supposed to be trashed. Unfortunately, I kept putting off actually grabbing one so I never got a copy. Still, his style immediately stood out for me.

Around the same period I visited a couple of friends in their new home. My former roommate Mitch had bought a house in Highland and another former Terrace resident who I had become friends with, Cole, had moved in with him. Cole had a couple framed prints of Birawer's work. They depicted a vibrant and alive city that I was slowly becoming intimate with. Below is one of those prints Cole had, of a seemingly dancing Hennepin Ave bridge.

When Cate was in town a few weeks ago we were somehow inspired to check out his website, and we were pleasantly surprised by his numerous pieces of the Twin Cities, including some pieces of the Bryant Lake Bowl, Al's Breakfast, the Triple Rock, and that place where I last puked while celebrating my 21st birthday, aka Liquor Lyle's. Below is a small selection:

I would have liked to have posted more, but unfortunately many of the images on Birawer's site I was unable to repost here. I recommend his website: http://www.michaelbirawerart.com

There are certainly some connections to be made between my appreciation of Birawer and Turman and my (admitted) glorification of the Twin Cities while I am away. Still, I liked their stuff before they were in a position to renew a homesickness bug. God, and then there is my digging this fall on The Hold Steady. And when I first really got into The Replacements it was during my first stint here in '05. It all comes back to mpls, doesn't it?

UPDATE: Okay, comments bring to my attention things. These things are that both Minnesota artists I've posted about were personally known by Julia. Props for you know and are known.
Also, Cate mentioned Cole's tattoo which I had no knowledge of, but his facebook page shows this.

B.A.D.A.S.S.

Movie Time

2008-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

The movie marathon has continued this week, as I've only worked 10-15 hours and the weather has been awful. I did make it out to Sognsvann yesterday for some sun and a stroll, but besides that I've been holed up in my flat or office being fairly passive.

I'm reading a book by John Cheever, The Wapshot Chronicle, which is proving amusing but not quite my taste. It is about small town New England life in the mid-20th century and is full of eccentric characters.

Movies I've watched since last posting:

The next few days I'm planning on watching The Sting, Blue Velvet, and Spiderman at home. Tonight I'm planning on seeing I'm Not There with Charloette and on sunday Amatoren is showing Mulholland Drive.

another havel quote, movies, books

2008-01-14T05:34:00.001-08:00

"The question of whether one or several political parties are in power, and how these parties define and label themselves, is of far less importance than the question of whether or not it is possible to live like a human being. To shed the burden of traditional political categories and habits and open oneself up fully to the world of human existence and then to draw political conclusions only after having analysed it: this is not only politically more realistic but at the same time, from the point of view of an 'ideal state of affairs', politically more promising as well. A genuine, profound and lasting change for the better... can no longer result from the victory (were such a victory possible) of any particular traditional political conception. More than ever before, such a change will have to derive from human existence, from the fundamental reconstitution of the position of people in the world, their relationships to themselves and to each other, and to the universe. If a better economic or political model is to be created, than perhaps more than ever before it must derive from profound existential and moral changes in society."

- This time from "The Power of the Powerless."

Back to work today, though not much of a grind. Just a few things to prepare for DSE. Cate is gone. Amanda and Neal are gone. Oh lonely wolf.

It was a movie weekend. I finally started downloading movies, eh. Goodfellas, The Color of Money, and Casablanca were the first three. But now I've gone crazy with The Fly and Eraserhead.
I'm reaching a maximum point of grossed out insanity, and I need a dose of sugarcoated Hollywood. Spiderman here I come.

In the last few weeks I read Robertson Davies's Deptford Trilogy, the new book on the Mats by Jim Walsh, Mark Twain's Conneticut Yankee, Trinity by Leon Uris, and The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer. Hopefully I'll finish the Havel soon. I picked up a few things at the library today: The Great Gatsby, Capote's In Cold Blood, and The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever. I've also had Teaching Community by bell hooks sitting around for a bit so maybe I'll work on that.

What, you expected reviews or something?

UPDATE: The version of Spiderman I downloaded was in a weird language. So I watched Elephant Man. I do not recommend to David Lynch movies in one day. I feel crazeee!

Basketball

2008-01-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

I am terrible at this sport, haven't watched a full game in probably two years, and can only watch 2 minute highlight reals on a three inch window on my laptop.

But I am loving following this season's NBA through Deadspin, Free Darko, Britt Robson, and the Fanhouse.

KG leaving for Beantown and a putrid T-Wolves squad with McHale still at the wheel created the spark for my liberated fandom. I recommend this posting up at Free Darko: The Cheers of the Gratefully Oppressed.

Back to the Winter Wonderland

2008-01-06T03:57:00.000-08:00

Cate and I got back into Oslo yesterday, returning to Sogn to see my friends Neal and Amanda. We shared a round of excellent scotch they brought over, had dinner at Punjaab Tandoori, and had drinks at Olympen and Gloria Flames. They're off to Bergen over the next few days.

Stockholm was excellent. The weather held up better, and the yellow and orange buildings held off the winter gloom quite well. Maybe Cate will write more? She kept a small journal, hopefully it will be blogged.

There are photos! Check them out!

This is an incredible article.

That's all I got for ya now. Keep your head up...

Samuel Clemens

2007-12-31T10:07:00.000-08:00

For some reason lately I occasionally think of this somewhat bourgeois but valuable sentiment: "If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life." That is an introduction to the below paragraphs.

"Words realize nothing, vivify nothing to you, unless you have suffered in your own person the thing which the words try to describe. There are wise people who talk ever so knowingly and complacently about the "working classes," and satisfy themselves that a day's hard intellectual work is very much harder than a day's hard manual toil and is righteously entitled to much bigger pay. Why they really think that, you know, because they know all about the one, but haven't tried the other. But I know all about both; and so far as I am concerned, there isn't money enough in the universe, to hire me to swing a pickax thirty days but I will do the hardest kind of intellectual work for just about as near nothing as you can cipher down -- and I will be satisfied , too.

"Intellectual "work" is misnamed; it is a pleasure, a dissipation, and is its own highest reward. The poorest paid architect, engineer, general, author, sculptor, painter, lecturer, advocate, legislator, actor, preacher, singer is constructively in heaven when he is at work; and as for the musician with the fiddlebow in his hand who sits in the midst of a great orchestra with the ebbing and flowing tides of divine sound washing over him -- why certainly, he is at work, if you wish to call it that, but lord, it's a sarcasm just the same. The law of work does seem utterly unfair -- but there it is, and nothing can change it: the higher the pay in enjoyment the worker gets out of it, the higher shall be his pay in cash, also."
- From "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"

Cate's contribution.
You may not be able to see the link if you're not on facebook. Sorry.

Don't take the above quotation necessarily as my own opinion. I don't know if the best summer of my life was spent gardening or teaching how to garden.

In addition:
Every day I am in Copenhagen makes me love this city more.

Cate is in Scandinavia with me, as the contribution should make clear.

Happy New Years. I love you all.

The Dude

2007-12-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend I found a good little cafe/bar hidden away in Grunnerlokka called Cafe Mir. It is hidden away off the street, occupying two floors of a building covered with some pretty rad art. Downstairs has two foos tables. It is always good to find new places while exploring that I can dig on. I spent a few hours on Saturday early evening exploring. Much of the city center is lit up with Christmas decorations, and it makes the darkness bearable, really.

I also finally went back to the Munch Museum for the first time since SUST 05. I picked up some postcards too. I like Munch alright, he is a good artistic counterpart to Knut Hamsun's early work. They both capture the inner turmoil and dread of early-modernism with its existential crises. I think anyway. And Munch does a great job portraying the dark side of Norwegian society.

This is walking down Karl Johans Gate.

I've been pretty busy the last week updating the reading compendium for Divided States of Europe. Because the program hadn't been run before it needed to be filled out a bit. It needed to be spiced up with easier and less academic readings. The more interesting additions are part of Vaclav Havel's Disturbing the Peace, bits from Darkulic's Cafe Europa that I was reading earlier this semester, Lech Walesa's Nobel acceptance speech, and the chapter on Solidarity in A Force More Powerful. That's the less academic stuff, anyway. There was some heavier additions like Habermas as well as some research from a few Scandinavian NGO's. When the syllabus is complete I'll make it available.

We still haven't gotten the compiled evaluations back from HECUA, though we've been told this week. I'm just glad I've been able to sink my teeth in the syllabus project instead of stressing about the evals and feeling lonely with folks gone or leaving.

I do have a couple friends sticking around for the spring, but no one I am close to right now. Charloette, formerly a SUSTer, will be around. Tim, the German I hung out with a couple times early in the semester, has extended into the Spring. Knut Erik, Martin's friend, will be here of course. I've also met another German I got coffee with last week and we've made similar plans this week. She leaves this weekend but will be back in February.

There is also the small matter of visitors! Cate will be here in less than two weeks! We're staying in Oslo for Christmas, but will go for a week trip to Copenhagen, including New Years, and then to Stockholm. AND, I've got friends coming! That's right, Amanda and Neal ponied up the cash to make the trip: Jan 2-12. I've known Amanda for a couple years, first peripherally through Jane Addams School, then as a roommate of a friend's, then as Youth Farm West Side Program Director. Neal was in Americorps with me this last year, working on the West Side at Guadalupe Alternative Program. He also lived on my block, which led to many unplanned and excellent beers, guitar, and chillin sessions. We all hung out a lot over the spring and summer, and they became good friends of mine.

So things are looking good here overall. The wolf abides.

The National

2007-12-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple goodies. They are a couple music videos from the band I went to see last Sunday, The National. They were really good, the best show I've seen since TV on the Radio. I've been digging on their last album, Boxer, this fall so it was a pleasure to actually see a band I liked live. Most of the show was excellent, the music was on, the band energetic, and even funny stage banter. They missed the mark on two songs, and sadly one of those was my favorite: "Fake Empire."

And the audience was pretty lame of course. If you've been to a show with me you know I don't usually move around too much. I'll sway back and forth, rock my head and bounce a bit on my right leg. Moving a bit but not dancing. Folks here are usually such passive listeners, that I'm in the top 5% rocking out. That is shameful.

Anyway, I like this band. Their songs could be accused of sounding too much alike, but I don't care. I like the sound. Most songs start a bit quieter then build into a bit of a jamming crescendo. They keep their songs short so they don't get too indulgent or experimental. Oh and it doesn't hurt that their lyrics are strong and fit my psyche here.

Here is that fave song of mine overlaid on a homevideo of a French family's trip to the USA. Yes, it is kinda strange. They can't do a good live version, from what youtube indicates.

2007-12-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

I dream of better weather.

Skate Geekout: Marc Johnson

2007-11-30T15:52:00.001-08:00

Oh yes. A few years ago I got a skate video called Modus Operandi. There was a part in there by Marc Johnson that straight up blew me away. You don't have to watch all the videos I'm going to post, but the first minute of this video is definitely worth your time.

This video also introduced me to Built to Spill. I still love this song! Marc's parts have solid music, which is definitely important to building a quality vid part.

Marc skates with an incredibly smooth style while being truly innovative. When this part came out, just about everyone was skating big handrails and jumping down stairs. Marc did a little bit of this, but it was everything else that impressed me. Just a huge bag of tricks that he made look good.
Personality matters a lot when in skateboarding. I liked Marc, not just his skating. He is a bit of a flamboyant goofball at times, yet is shy to fame and seems fairly intelligent.

And then there were my Marc Johnson Emericas. These were probably my favorite skate shoes ever. They lasted a hell of a long time and had ridiculously good feel.

After Modus Marc became my favorite skater. He released a couple bro videos, Tilt Mode and Man Down, and then helped start Enjoi Skateboards with most of that crew. Enjoi has ridiculously absurd ads that are not about skateboarding at all. Good company.

Not long after helping to start Enjoi, Marc left to join the Chocolate Skateboards. Chocolate is sister company to the Girl Skateboarding Co. The two companies and their teams are widely considered among the best in the world. Their videos have rocked my world. Marc had a part in Girl's 2003 video Yeah Right.

More recently Marc has been working on his video part for his new shoe sponsor, Lakai Footwear. Lakai has been working on the Fully Flared video for the last four years, and it is the most highly anticipated skate video in years. Among a number of skate legends, including Eric Koston, Mike Carroll, and the return of Guy Mariano, Marc got the coveted last video part. The video premiered less than two weeks ago and hasn't been released to stores yet.

Even so, everyone in the skate community is talking about Marc's part. And today it was announced that he was awarded Thrasher Magazine's Skater of the Year award. Thrasher's SOTY is skateboarding's ultimate recognition.

The State of Scandinavia

2007-11-30T05:02:00.001-08:00

From the centre-right Norwegian daily Aftenposten: "Norway's New Underclass"

"Thousands of people, most of them immigrants with no legal right to be in Norway, are believed to be working in the country under conditions that some experts describe as modern-day slavery.

Newspaper Aftenposten has been running a series of stories describing the lives of many members of the country's new underclass of illegal immigrants. The vast majority sought asylum in Norway, were turned down, but have avoided deportation.

Most are hiding out all over the country, in friends' homes, basements, churches or makeshift shelter. With no legal right to work, and lacking the state tax card necessary to obtain legitimate employment, members of this new underclass are vulnerable to exploitation.

That's because there's a pressing need for labour in Norway, and work abounds. Some employers are as willing to "hire" illegal immigrants at wages well below scale as the immigrants are willing to work.

Among them is "Ziad," a 32-year-old Palestinian who grew up in a refugee camp in Lebanon. He's been living underground in Norway for seven years, ever since his appeal for asylum in Norway was turned down. He sleeps on a mattress on the floor of an Oslo cellar along with six other illegal immigrants in Oslo, and is in constant fear of being seized and deported.

Ziad worked long days for a vegetable dealer in Oslo, also from the Middle East, who regularly abused him and paid him small change. But even that helped Ziad eat, since he's constantly desperate for money. The job ended abruptly when the vegetable dealer replaced him with a family member.

Such stories of desperation are repeated from Kristiansand to Tromsø, and have included a couple who even had a baby girl while hiding out. They're constantly worried her crying will attract attention and reveal their location in a small mountain town."

On a somewhat related note, Norway has slipped from number one to number two in the United Nation's Human Development Index. The HDI ranks nations on the basis of life expectancy, literacy, standard of living, and education.

Amnesty International has accused the government of Denmark of direct discrimination against recent immigrants. Here is the story from the Copenhagen Post: "Amnesty Accuses State of Discrimination

"The human rights watchdog has criticised the government for giving lower social benefits to new immigrants

Amnesty International published a report today labelling the government's controversial Start Help benefit, discriminative and causing poverty and blaming it for marginalizing immigrants.

The benefit, paid instead of the regular state income support, is for unemployed people who have not resided in Denmark for seven out of the previous eight years.

The amount is DKK 11,968 monthly before tax for a family of two adults and two children - an amount lower than the EU margin for poverty.

The start benefit is significantly lower than that of the normal state income support, which amounts to a monthly minimum of DKK 21,672 before tax for the same sized family.

Amnesty finds the benefit directly discriminative as it is primarily given to immigrants and refugees. In 2006, 94 percent of recipients were people with non-Danish backgrounds.

Stinne Lyager Bech, author of the report, emphasised: 'Even if the Start Help benefit was intended for all, in practice, it affects foreigners, and that is illegal.'

She also stated that the legislation was not in accordance with international human rights standards.

'Start Help is an example of discrimination that the Danish state is directly responsible for,' she continued. 'It must therefore be abolished.'

Ida Elisabeth Koch, senior researcher at the Institute of Human Rights, reiterated that the benefit affected Danes and foreigners differently.

Similar cases had been taken to the European Court of Human Rights where it was possible for Start Help recipients to sue national states on charges of discrimination.

The newly appointed integration minister, Birthe Rønn Hornbech, did not wish to comment on the outcome of the report.

However, Karen Elleman the integration spokesperson for the prime minister's Liberal Party, said: 'Start Help is a loving push in the right direction - results show that recipients are more motivated to look for work or enter a study programme.'

that is a wrap

2007-11-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I really updated about whats going on over here.

SUST 07 is done. Last night our group went on an overnight cabin trip in Nordmarka. We are home and the semester is officially over. It was a good trip, with a couple nice hikes through snowy forested hills. Tim made a reindeer stew last night and this morning we had a good American style breakfast. We had a cozy fire inside and a toasty bonfire outside. A few drinks, some cards, some stories.

I am very glad it is over. This semester has been very difficult, and I am really looking forward to a new semester of TAing now that I have more experience. For the next couple of weeks we will have semester wrap-up work and some prep for the spring, and then I have about a month off for vacation. Cate arrives on the 23rd of Dec for two and a half weeks. yes.

We won't receive student evals for a couple weeks yet, until they've been compiled at HECUA and sent back. I am VERY much looking forward to reading them, though I know it will be a stressful and difficult process.

The last few weeks have been pretty busy. I've been enjoying more of the cultural life of Oslo and further developing friendships. I made it to a couple films during the Oslo International Film Festival: Bomb It and I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco. I especially recommend Bomb It, which is a great documentary about graffiti. It looks at its development, its different styles including culture jamming, and also covers several continents. Trailer here.

I made it to another show at the John Dee. This time a Norwegian bluegrass band, Ila Auto, that was surprisingly excellent. Folks were dancing and singing along, which is rare here. Listen to them on Myspace here.

On Sunday I went to a jazz show at Blå that was free and quite good. Free music here is rare and while the band was a bit rough and less than first rate, it was a lot of fun and I ran into several friends there. The Frank Znort Quartet is kinda a house band at Blå and they play free just about every Sunday. Their definition of jazz is pretty open, including some bluesy and rocky numbers and even a cover of the Dead Kennedy's "Too Drunk to Fuck!" I will definitely be making return visits. Website, including videos, here

I also managed to read Henrik Ibsen's verse epic Peer Gynt which combines Norwegian folk tales with some skewering of Enlightenment ideals of the self. I've also been slowly reading Naomi Klein's No Logo. This book has been really quite good, though it is slightly dated. It details the convergence of corporate branding, mergers/synergy, and the changed nature of the job market in the mid 1990's than describes some of the new types of activism popping up, especially grounded in anti-corporatism and culture jamming. It is very connected with some of the things I've been interested in lately.

prince

2007-11-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Dave Chappelle Show. Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories. Prince.

Its old and everyone has seen it. But I'm betting its been a while since you have. Do enjoy. It is good to laugh.

Between pancakes and waffles I seem to be on a breakfast theme this week.

on waffles and revolution

2007-11-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

Found at blitz.no

"I began making waffles with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and a waffle recipie".
- Fidel Castro

"An ounce of waffles is worth a ton of theory."
- Friedrich Engels

"Anarchism is the revolutionary stock that no one is more qualified than you are to decide how your waffles will be"

”No one in this world can you trust, not men, not pancakes, not beasts. But this (points at the waffle), this you can trust” - Conan's father

”And he also came to know the pleasures of waffles, when he got bred with the finest stock....” - Conan the Barbarian.

"We anarchists do not want to emancipate the waffels; we want the waffels to emancipate themselves." - Errico Malatesta

"If there is a State, then there is domination, and in turn, there is pancakes." -Bakunin

"Lenin is not comparable to any revolutionary figure in history. Revolutionaries have had ideals. Lenin made pancakes." - Peter Kropotkin

"Vladimir Ilyich [Lenin], your concrete actions are completely unworthy of the waffles you pretend to make." - Peter Kropotkin

"Freedom, morality, and the human dignity of the individual consists precisely in this; that he makes waffles not because he is forced to do so, but because he freely conceives it, wants it, and loves it." - Bakunin

"Does it follow that I reject all authority? Perish the thought. In the matter of waffles, I defer to the authority of the waffle-maker." Mikhail A. Bakunin

"And if it were said of us that we're almost romantics, that we're incorrigible idealists, that we think the impossible, then a thousand and one times, we have to answer... WAFFLES! WE MAKE WAFFLES!" Ernesto Che Guevara

DF

2007-11-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow there is an election in Denmark. The populist Danish People's Party (Dansk Folkeparti or DF) has released the below as their main campaign ad. This three minute video can teach you a lot about why SUST and DSE tackles immigration in Scandinavia.

I can't translate all of it, but here is the gist.
The Danish People's Party has put Denmark on the right course. But there is a threat. The welfare system can be saved if it is only for those who need welfare. The Danish People's Party will return Denmark to a safe harbor.

Around the 2 minute mark the film gets a little nuts. The film uses images from demonstrations in the UK, from the Danish cartoon controversy, from youth riots over the loss of a youth radical center, and a few other sources.

The Danish People's Party openly admits that it is racist. The party is the third largest in Denmark, though recently has suffered a bit. It generally polls between 12 and 18 % and has arguably been the most influential political party of the last twenty years though it has never been in government.

this is skateboarding

2007-11-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

These are worth your time. From the Stereo Sound Agency These clips kinda encapsulate why I think skateboarding is so beautiful: art, music, the streets, people, travel, movement, and of course the fun of it all.

From the Stereo website:

"Founded in ’92 by renowned professional skateboarders and longtime friends Jason Lee and Chris Pastras, Stereo came as a breath of fresh air during a time that many skaters felt that skateboarding had creatively hit rock bottom.

Stereo’s unique and highly innovative approach to skating, with emphasis on style, originality and plain old fashion fun, was quickly embraced by the skateboard community. By incorporating street art, 50s and 60s design, jazz album cover artwork and ideas pulled from early men’s magazines, Stereo has been credited as revolutionizing skateboard graphics, artwork and advertising. The classic Americana styles Stereo produced -- and continues to produce -- carries with it a lightness and humor that promotes individuality and creativity amongst skateboarders of all ages.

As fate would have it, however, Chris and Jason joined forces again in ’03 to re-launch Stereo under Giant Distribution. With a new team of skateboarders and other influential artists, musicians, actors and individuals dubbed Sound Agents, Stereo quickly gained momentum.

In addition to resurrecting Stereo, Jason and Chris continued to advance their personal careers. Jason landed the leading role on NBC's hit sitcom My Name is Earl, and Chris was beginning to establish himself as prominent figure in the contemporary art world, displaying his work at world-famous galleries all across the globe."

The team also includes a former MPLS-head, Clint Peterson, who I have much respects for.

I'm famous, but so is Sheba.

2007-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention I got into a newspaper here last weekend. Aftenposten, a centre-right paper and the most popular daily in Norway, runs a weekly person-on-the-street deal. Well, last Thursday as I was walking near the bus station I was approached for it. They asked for a comment on the fact that only one in four parents who are heavily involved in their kid's schools are men. I mentioned something about historical construction of gender roles with the kids education as a woman's purview but how this was also changing in Norway and folks need a more global perspective to understand that one in four is actually pretty good (not to say that it is perfect by any means, still a long way to go!). Regretably, the journalist had to take a photo of me. If you remember, last Thursday was November 1st. Day after Halloween, drinking heavy night before, early morning to get students to homestays, etc. I looked ROUGH.

yup.

A bit of interest for Rooney fammers and visitors to the farm. While I was at the REMA (local grocer) today another shopper was picking up some cat food. Or at least, I assume it was cat food as it had a black cat on the tin. Here is the crazy part: the name of the food was Sheba!
For those not it the know, Sheba is the name of the cat at my mom's farm. My mom named the cat, I always thought is was kinda a strange but cute name that my mom just kinda made up. Damn cat hadn't liked me for years, but after Meenous (Sheba's son) disappeared she became friendlier. The cat has been blind for a few years now and is well aged. I just got kinda freaked out seeing our cat's name on catfood.

crazy.

Also crazy awesome was the Circus World Theatre last night! CWT is connected with HausMania, that lovely anarcho-punk squat/hangout. CWT celebrated its 100 year anniversiry this week with a few shows. Last night Paul and I made it out for about an hour and a half. Sadly we missed the first hour and had to take off before they were done, BUT we still saw some awesome stuff and had a great time. There was a big folk-gypsy band going off. There were comedians, jugglers, dancers, pyros, acrobats, and even a clown. Now, keep in mind this was a radical scene, so this ain't no regular clown makeup kinda circus thing going on. Oh no, this was in the basement of a squatted flat off the river, about 100 people standing or sitting on the floor in a loose semi-circle with some great audience-performer interaction.
Here is a photo from their website promotion of the gig:

Last night was hella hella rad and a highlight of my time here.
It was really unfortunate that I missed part of it! I had to get up early this morning to proctor the TOEFL test weekend I did the same for the GRE. It gives me a few extra kroner in the pocket, but terrible timing.

reverse graffiti in brazil

2007-11-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

Find out more.

news of the world (read all about it)

2007-11-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

hey hey my my

Allow me to fill in a bit on happenings lately.
Last Thursday SUSTers went out on their regional homestays. They spent a long weekend with a family living in regional Norway. One of the hosts was a woman who I stayed with two years ago, Debbie. She invited me out on Thursday evening for dinner with her two SUSTers and a few friends. She only lives 30 minutes away by train, so it was very possible. And it was very fun! We went hiking for an hour and a half, sat in a sauna, had a nice big meal, engaging in decent convo. Her guests were a bit of the stiff academics, but it was still alright. It was just nice to get out and be cared after, if only for a bit. I took the train home that night.

Last friday I hung out with Knut Erik. It had been about a month, what with all my travels. It was good to hangout, drink some beer and gin, talk about politics and love and music. He lived in Birmingham for a while a couple years ago and has some interesting thoughts about american society and race relations. Just good convo, y'know.

The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet, which I was happy about considering three nights of going around a bit. I was TIRED!

I think the early night is starting to affect me. The sun rises around 8:30 and sets around 4, I would say. My kind mum got me a blue lamp as a going away present. I used it a couple times but have lent it to a student who is in much rougher shape. Looking forward to getting it back in three weeks!

That's right! Three weeks! Thats all thats left in SUST 07. It is an early end, but we began early too. Official last day of class is Wednesday, November 28th. And only two full weeks of class left, really. The semester has flown by. As teachers, we have felt like it has gotten away from us, but we also recognize there has been a lot of growth and learning over the course of the semester. That is all I will comment on publicly, except to say that today was one of our best days, in my opinion, as a class.

Last night I went to a show! It was terrible! Disappointing! I haven't been to too much live music here. There were a few shows that looked good, but I had time conflicts or just never got around to getting tickets. So, last night I went on a limb and went to see Liars. They had gotten a good review on pitchfork. I downloaded their album but didn't care for it much, honestly. still, I hadn't been to a show in a while and there isn't anything else I'm interested in for a few weeks. So I took a chance hoping for the best.
It was bad. Just loud noise without much rhythm. Lead singer was annoying. I went with Paul, and we left early. Even the opener sucked. Very disappointing, but hey, not every show can rock.
In about four weeks there are a couple shows I wanna go to: Mos Def and The National. Hopefully I'll get off my butt and get some tickets!

Off Butt!

DSE, gnome, banksy

2007-11-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

A lot has been happening here lately. It is kinda wonderful!

Big news first:
The application deadline for the spring program, Divided States of Europe, has passed. DSE, which was canceled before as summer and spring terms for lack of students, has four students registered for spring 08. HECUA has asked Tim and I to run the program.

Justifications: Programs have been run with few students. Last year SUST ran with 6. Colombia in its first year had 5. Environmental Sustainability has run with 3. If DSE doesn't run this spring and we cancel, the program is dead. period. Many students have expressed interest in DSE for spring 2009, by finally getting the program going we'll build momentum for the future. The Norway site is still in the black, what with 14 students this fall and support from institutional partner the University of Oslo's International Summer School.

Problems: The pedagogy is dependent on participation of students in discussion and in engaging with guests. With four students, this could be damaged especially if we have quiet kids. Inter-group relations are also quite difficult, if any students are outcast by the others it could be an incredibly lonely and difficult semester for them. We want them to have a good time! They're studying abroad! Four students could kill Tim and I as teachers. Tim struggled with six, but the hope is with me around four can be managed. It is also difficult to schedule the high quality of speakers that we get when we only have four students. And since this is the first semester with this program, we don't have established relationships to rely upon. The program also runs a two-week trip to Poland. Field trips are HARD on groups. Two weeks is going to be just brutal no matter what, but with four students it could be a nightmare.

Personally: I want to go ahead with four, if just have another semester teaching. I've learned a lot this semester, if only by making mistakes. I never quite found my footing with this group, and I would be quite upset if this semester was my only experience as a HECUA TA. There would also be the issue of trying to find a job as soon as I got back.

SO: We are planning to go ahead with the program. We are informing the students of the low numbers, with full disclosure in mind. If any students drop out before November 8th, if we go down to three by next wednesday, we will not run.

Okay, thats out of the way.

HALLOWEEN!
It was a blast! We started partying here, us flatmates. Some friends came over, including Sierra who I've barely seen in the last month what with all the travel. We drank plenty of Tullamore Dew. We went to a party on campus hosted by the International Students Union. It was a good time: decently packed with club atmosphere, cheap drinks, and good dancing. Walked home around 1. I went as a garden gnome (Thanks Mo!). Last week my corduroys ripped, so I cut them off into shorts. I wore my olive green shirt and stuck a red cone on my head. No suspenders, but still an excellent amount of goofy. Nobody got it until I told them, and when I did folks either looked confused or said brilliant. Costume culture among the international crowd is different, there isn't the goofiness factor so much as at home.

I've uploaded photos from Halloween online. I've also posted photos of the SUST field trip and some other random parties in Oslo. Lots of photos of me in there. Click here.

Of course Halloween came at a price. I had to get up early the next morning. Students went off on their regional homestays this weekend. I arranged most of it, so I wanted to be there as they left to make sure they made it and there were no problems. Of course, the first train left at 8 am. Of course. But I made it! And all the students made their travels, which was good. During one stretch between departure times I walked down Karl Johans and went to Tronsmo, one of the best bookstores ever.
And I bought something! Banksy's Wall and Piece. YES! YES! YES!

A few of his pieces:
And the above is from a previous post, of course.

Okay, I have more to say about the last few days but I need to go do some actual work.
Shame.

trick? or treat?

2007-10-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in Blitz just a little bit ago, chompin' down a cheap vegan meal. Some haggard old dude comes up and speaks norsk to me. I ask him to switch to english and he says he has a bike he wants to sell for 300 kr. I had been wanting to get a bike here, but after shopping around online I decided I couldn't afford the 1000kr + for used. New in stores around 4000. So I finish my meal and go check it out. Its a nice mountain bike. I note the clip on shoes - a hassle for me - so he drops the price to 250. I take it out of Blitz and ride it for a minute. Feels alright.
I spend several minutes contemplating my ethical dilemma. I have the opportunity to buy a GOOD bike for super cheap. But the bike was clearly stolen and the dude was likely going to use the cash for drugs. He kinda had this nervousness to him, this shaky edge. And he was kinda old and haggard hanging around Blitz...
I decide to pass.

I go in and tell him. He looks pained. "200. 150!"
I pause.

I contemplate. What is one person's price?

My price was 150. What's yours?

nachips

2007-10-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

Hmmm, the wolf. My friend definitely said lonely wolf. Perhaps lone wolf would have better established the base of my existence, while lonely defines the emotional world I (usually) inhabit.

My room is on the side of a hill. I can look out my window and see lights from nearby single family homes and god-knows-what in the distance. About a kilometer away is a freeway. Next to it runs the T-Bane line to Kringsja. Every 15 minutes I can see the T-Bane ride by. It is beautiful at night viewed through bare trees, lit cars moving across my window. No leaves left. Sunsets at five. There is occasional snow in outlying parts of the city, but I haven't tasted it yet.

This week I have downloaded and loved music. Against Me!'s latest album, New Wave, is anarcho-punk at its funnest. Meat Puppet's II is just so damn good I can't believe I hadn't heard it yet. I knew a few of their songs from Nirvana covering them for MTV Unplugged, but hadn't heard the band before.

I'm still waiting for a haircut. I look ridiculous and usually wear a hat.

I don't know what I'm gonna do for Halloween. There is a big International Student party. Most folks I know are going. What will I be?
Tempting to go the guerrilla revolutionary look: green shirt and pants w/ hiking boots.

There are many many magpies here. and pigeons. Thats about all the birds I've seen.

where do bad folks go when they die?
they don't go to heaven where the angels fly
they go to the lake of fire and fry
won't see 'em again till the fourth of july

i knew a lady who came from duluth
who got bit by a dog with a rabid tooth
she went to her grave a little too soon
and flew away howling on the yellow moon

where do bad folks go when they die?
they don't go to heaven where the angels fly
they go to the lake of fire and fry
won't see 'em again till the fourth of july

now people cry and people moan
look for a dry place to call their own
try to find some place to rest their bones
before the angels and the devils
fight to make them their own

where do bad folks go when they die?
they don't go to heaven where the angels fly
they go to the lake of fire and fry
won't see 'em again till the fourth of july

update

2007-10-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't really explain the reasons for outbursts in the last couple of posts in this public setting. It will have to remain a mystery.

Things seem more or less back to normal now. I have much free time, especially now that I'm not taking norsk. I'm actually friends with a couple of the students now, which is positive for my mental health but occasionally problematic. I am much closer to a couple of my flatmates, especially Isi and Wiebtke.

I've heard about two awesome job openings in the Twin Cities, which is quite hard to hear. HECUA's City Arts TA and a job as coordinator at Jane Addams School. And I've been getting some love at JAS and YF lately.
I still don't actually know if I'll be here next spring. It drives me crazy. Right now there are 4 students expected. I don't know if more will register, the deadline is Nov. 1st. Tim has said he would definitely run the program if 5 register. Four is a weird zone and I don't know what any of it means for next year.

I'm trying to appreciate Oslo again, but it is much more difficult here than in Stockholm or Copenhagen, especially Copenhagen. It is not an easy city to get to know well solo either. It is not easy to break into and become established on your own. My reserved nature around folks I don't know well makes this much more difficult. And this city is so damn expensive that to do anything on the town.

Not much to say. Any questions?

still feelin in

2007-10-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am feeling very West Bank right now. In touch with my inner anarchist. Wanna hit the Hex and the Seward and NORTH COUNTRY and Luce and Hard Times and Arise and Mayday and Heart of the Beast and CC Club and Triple Rock and Intermedia Arts and MINNEAPOLIS

Punk music and street art and disturbing the paradigm and culture revolution and revolution and fight

Not my revolution if I can't dance

I'm beating my eartrumpet into a megaphone

I got mine here. scandinavia is a radical nexus. but oslo is dull and only the kids are here.

Must fight for it. only way i can do it.

phoenix

2007-10-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

photos from prague posted to flickr. monthly quota full.

trip to stockholm and copenhagen with class complete.
highlights:
-Political rally in Norrebro for Ungdomshuset with set by Manu Chao
-Stockholm's KulturHuset and its showing of Martin Parr photos
-Getting in touch with my inner anarchist
-Sweden's Museum of Modern Art
-Hot White Chocolate at Chokladkoppen, a gay-friendly cafe in Stockholm's old town
-Yummy sandwich at Kaffekoppen, next door to above
-Drinks with Tim, including a Left Hand Sawtooth Ale
-Student engagement with our speakers and our course material
-Yummy mochas in Norrebro, with steaming whole milk poured onto a popsicle of chocolate slowly melting in quality espresso
-Living dreams in Tivoli
-Seeing smoldering street barricade and riot police outside Christiania
-Three trips to Christiania
-Two delicious meals at Christiania's vegetarian cafe Morgenstedet
-Accepting the limitations of my situation and refusing the submersing/subverting/sublimating of myself
-A renewed affection for Oslo
-Fall train rides through Sweden
-Meeting some incredible people through class
-Surviving Sweden's U.S. Embassy
-Late night Cheap Red Wine over a 14th floor view
-Two visits to Riz Raz, a cheap and delicious Mediterranean buffet in Copenhagen
-Falafel Stand in Christiania
-Reading Havel's Disturbing the Peace
-Free drinks in Vesterbro
-Tipsy and ineffective communication in French
-Forging friendship
-Survival

ANARCHY

2007-10-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

www.ungdomshuset.dk
www.obeygiant.com
www.adbusters.org
www.blitz.no
www.christiania.org
www.dontdoitarmy.com
www.derrickjensen.org
www.banksy.co.uk

in a fightin mood

Turman

2007-10-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Cate sent me a small package recently that included a recent issue of the Minneapolis Observer Quarterly. The MOQ used to be a free monthly but is now a paid quarterly, given as a gift from Cate's folks (thanks Rynda!). I like the rag, even though it makes me feel like an elite liberal. Its very MPR/Garisson Keiler/Kenwood in some ways.

In this most recent issue sent my direction, a Minneapolis based graphic artist, Adam Turman, was featured on the cover with a the above print based on the Gold Medal sign and building. I like Adam Turman, I dig his style. He did the main graphic for last summer's Stone Arch Bridge Festival, and I checked out his work at that fest. I kept him in mind, and a few weeks later saw some of his work at some concert/gallery showing. What stands out for me are his designs based on landmarks in Minneapolis.

He also does a fair amount of work based on voluptous women. I don't like these nearly as much, I find them kind of... pointlessly sexist maybe? (can sexism have a point?) Maybe I'm just bothered because a man is making prints of women that I think are both sexy and art. Am I such a prude as this? The women are as similarly artificial as barbie dolls. It bothers my inner feminist.

Despite these reservations about this part of his work, I still really dig on his stuff. Below are a few favorites of mine, and a couple of new prints that are just outstanding for many reasons.

The above is beloved.

This should hang on many a wall. The only thing that would make this better woulda been tattooed forearms. Ikke sant?

This is one of the best beers I've ever had AND it is from a local company. I've seen it rated one of the best in the world by some of those beer snob websites. And its called fucking Surly Darkness. How bad ass is that?

A different sort of Purple Pride.

Solo Oslo

2007-10-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

I posted photos on Flickr of Copenhagen and Vienna. Lots of photos of palaces and churches, but hopefully some more interesting ones from Hundertwasser and other random bits and pieces I found interesting. My account is full up right now, so photos of Prague may have to wait unless I go through a bit of trouble with Yahoo! Accounts.

I am back in Oslo, got in at 6 this morning. It was cold!
It is beautiful here today, but I've spent most of the day inside. Napping for a few hours, becoming reacquainted with my laptop.

I had a solid 10 hours in Copenhagen yesterday. I walked Stroget, but mostly hung out in Norrebro. Norrebro is this awesome neighborhood full of youth activists and immigrants. My kinda place, its got a great diverse vibrancy to it. I hung out on this pedestrian mall in the hood a chunk of the day, sipping a cafe or beer. I finished the Chomsky, thankfully. It was a great book to understand U.S. foreign policy, but kinda depressing.
Last night I picked up the Vaclav Havel, Disturbing the Peace, that I had bought on Wenceslas Square. I am LOVING this book. It is totally addressing some of those things I was thinking about the other day about the need for a creative and democratic society.

Here he describes the crisis caused by the world becoming super organizned, whether through the communism of the U.S.S.R. or the capitalism of the U.S.A.
"The reasons for the crisis in which the world now finds itself are lodged in something deeper than a particular way of organizing the economy or a particular political system. The West and the East, though different in so many ways, are going through a single, common crisis... This late period [is] one of conflict between an impersonal, anonymous, irresponsible, and uncontrollable juggernaut of power (the power of "megamachinery"), and the elemental and original interests of man [sic] as a concrete individual."

This is part of his description of his "personal 'utopia'"
"I would tend to favor an economic system based on the maximum possible plurality of many decentralized, structurally varied, and preferably small enterprises that respect the specific nature of different localities and different traditions and that resist the pressures of uniformity by maintaining a plurality of modes of ownership and economic decision-making, from private (indispensable in the area of crafts, trades, services, small business, and retail enterprises and areas of agriculture and, of course, in culture as well) through various types of cooperative and shareholding ventures, collective ownerships (connected with self-management schemes), right up to state ownership."
That is awesome!

He also stress the importance of relationships, however he focuses on relationships between individuals. Added to this, I think, should be further attention to relationship with the rest of the natural environment.

Also to continue in super blogging mode which you have been privy to lately, right before I left on this trip I made a mix. I did not have time to share it with you. Now I do.

Happy Travels/Happy Feet:

1. Prince and the Revolution - Let's Go Crazy
2. Kanye West - Stronger
3. Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, and the Furious Five - White Lines
4. Mark Ronson - God Put a Smile Upon Your Face
5. Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
6. Jamie Cullum - Get Your Way
7. Aceyalone - All for U
8. Tom Waits - Step Right Up
9. Ike Reilly Assassination - The Boat Song (We're Getting Loaded)
10. The Hold Steady - Massive Nights
11. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
12. The Go! Team - Feel Good by Numbers
13. Jens Lekman - The Opposite of Hallelujah
14. Belle & Sebastian - Electronic Renaissance
15. Paul Simon - Kodachrome
16. Heiruspecs - 5ives
17. Paul Westerburg - Angels Walk

Hard to describe the theme. Mostly playful, uplifting, danceable songs that bring me joy. I needed it.

'Mother Prague has cluthes'

2007-10-07T12:37:00.001-07:00

Things I didn't do in Prague that I wish I had:
-Go out to the bars and clubs. There was one really cool bar that had like 7 rooms all splayed out in this cavernous underground setting. I just walked through, couldn't pull myself to a solo beer. There is also this famous 5 story club that I was supposed to go to last night. I did not.
-I didn't really find the 'alternative' prague I was looking for. I blame lack of guidebook.
-Walk into St. Nicholosas' Church. It is supposed to be awesome. The one time I walked by I didn't go in, and I never came that direction again.
-Learn more about the history of Prague Castle. This didn't happen beause I didn't want to pony up the 300 ck for a ticket. Cheapskate!

Other notes:
-Some Americans here when they first met me thought I was European, because of how I talk.
-My first day here I went to a traditional czech restaurant. The tables there were built the exact same way as the desk/table I use at home. The table I use was made by Russ's father. I ended up thinking about Bohemian settlers in the midwest, partly also because I've been reading Willa Cather's My Antonia. It was a pleasurable read that made me feel warm. That's all I can say to recommend it, some will find it dull.
-I've been spending a lot of time here in Prague thinking about societal collapse. Perhaps it is because of reflections on the collapse of Sovietism. 'Freedom' came where there was none. I want to ask people whether they are happy with their capitalist Czech Rep. Is that rude? I suppose I think about it strangely, because of thinking about civilizational collapse and environmental damage. We have freedom for individuals (certainly much more so now than under the long arm of Soviet rule, even if you consider some of the different freedoms Communism championed). So freedom in relationships with others. But what about our relationship with nature? And there is our relationship with humans who are dying from lack of medicine, water, food, safety, and so many of the other things we could lessen if we tried (or cared). I am stuck on what is good, what is the way forward to sustainable existence where people can be creative and free and live with love in their hearts. Is it possible for us to create this condition? Will be have societal collapse first? In the process of trying to create this new society within the shell of the old, will new forms of oppression be created (as happened with the Reds)?
-I need a vacation from my vacation.
-I read Prachet and Gaiman's Good Omens on the way to Vienna. Very reminiscent of Gaiman's American Gods and Anasazi Boys,. They are all page turners and highly recommended by me. Good Omens was an excellent vacation book. I got lost in it, instead of feeling shitty for a 4 hour layerover in Dusseldorf on my way to Vienna. In Vienna I was reading Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival . I still got a ways to go. What is with me and the downy clowny stuff? Cather has been a better fit, its all about the midwest prairie and a bunch of settlers. Those Bohemians I mentioned also provide a small flavor of the old Czech country.
-Being here and especially in Vienna, I've been reminded at how fit Norwegians and Scandinavians are.

On my way home tonight I was thinking about things that I like and dislike. How that changes over time and further develops. How some of my tastes are distinct. It started with thinking about my taste in 'art'.
I started to make a little list of things I like and dislike:

likes: Matisee, Hundertwasser, Rothko, Russian icons, cedar and maple trees, pine forests, small creeks, graffitti, the radical left, collective work, cozy cafes and good coffee, tasty suds, gardens for food or flowers, public transportation, unprententiousness, humility, David Bowie, beards, strong independent women, skateboarding, books, love, warm hugs and soft kisses, wood furniture, being comfortable, whiskey, white russians and hot toddies, fires, red wine with close friends, getting cozy under a blanket, sharing poetry outloud with others, deep greens and blues, Minneapolis, the West Side of St. Paul, the art farm, walking, iPod, playing hockey, learning, log cabins, urban neighborhoods, community, walks in the prairie, dogs and cats, Canada, pancakes, pita bread, Thai Tofu Dip, brick walls, the sun on my face, being warm in crisp weather, sweating

disikes: hostels full of loud and dull australians, chauvinists, racists, aristocrats of blood or wealth, experiencing Western Europe as a tourist, fear, aching knees, pollution, homophobia, xenophobia, empty e-mail boxes, being cold to the bone

-I have other things to share. This happens when you travel solo, I suppose. I figure two long posts in one day should be enough for you. You'll likely hear from me next when I'm back in Oslo.

P.S. Kafka wrote that quote about mother prague. Maybe my next post will talk about kafka? Oh, you know I know Kafka. I suck like that.

More news from old Prague

2007-10-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

I like Prague.

There, you've had the ever important judgement of Phil. Truly you need never think of Prague again, except to know that Yes, Phil likes Prague.

Sorry.
Too much solo time?

Anyway...

It is a fun city to walk around in. The old part of town is well preserved, though there are too many souvenir shops and restos geared to tourists. There is still a bit of an off the beaten path, but not much. I'll say this though: Prague is a beautiful city with an incredible history. Thats another reason why I enjoy this place. It is incredible to hike up to Prague Castle, go to the Vitus Church, walk across the Charles Bridge, sit in the Old Town Square. All pondering the history of the Hussites and Bohemians and what all.
The Jewish Quarter, Josefov, is incredible and includes the oldest synagogue in Europe and an old cemetary dating to the 15th century. The graves are piled on top of each other with 12,000 souls filling perhaps 2 acres.
The recent history of the end of communism still marks the city. I vistited a the Museum of Communism, which was in the same building as a casino and right above a McDonalds. It had a very amusing pro-capitalist bent. It was also incredible to sit in Wenseclas Square, stare at the national museum and ponder the Velvet Revolution. I'd been meaning to read Vaclav Havel's Disturbing the Peace for a few years but haven't gotten around to it. I was inspired sitting there, and proceeded to a book shop on the square and picked it up. I also got two other books I've been meaning to read: Collapse by Jared Diamond and No Logo by Naomi Kline. Nice uplifting and light vacation reading, eh?

I sometimes joke that I can tell how much I'll like a city based on how often I get offered hash. And it is here! Walking around the tourist drag one night I got three offers. Last night it appeared at my hostel. I ended up going out last night, deals were fairly open in the club we went to. In part of the club folks openly rolled their sticks and lit up right there.

Besides seeing a bit of hash, last night I also saw a shadier side of Prague. I met up with two English girls I'd met and befriended in Vienna. We went to this club in Old Town called Chateau. I liked the place decent, besides it being filled with tourist types and a disproportianite amount of sausage. Soon after we arrived one of ladies I was with became violently ill. After getting her out of the bar we hoped a taxi to a hospital. We suspected she'd been sliped something, but not sure. There'd been a strange shady dude hanging around us a bit, couldn't qutie figure him out. Paranoia?
She'd been out last night, but hadn't partied to hard. Poor planning had her eat only one meal that day. She had a couple drinks and most of a spliff on her own (but word was she smoked plenty at home, though a different grade). I went with the ladies to the hospital, of course. They didn't do much for her there, except advise a night of sleep for her and a friend to keep a watch on her to ensure she didn't asphxyiate (too lazy to look up spelling). So, I ended up back at their hostel. I stayed up an early shift with coffee and a borrowed book. Bill Bryson's A Brief History of Everything, but I didn't take to it. Pop-science short on ideas and long on prose. I was able to crash there for free, thankfully. It was a disappointing evening, not only because a friend became ill, but also because I hadn't really had a single big night out on this trip. I've had a few beers here and there, but its not really me to hit up a scene solo. The folks I've met haven't had schedules conducive with mine for partying. Last night was gonna be big night out, and was gonna top what was by far my best day of travel.

Other news: my cold cleared! thank fucking god!

I had my first ever Vodka Red Bull! It was gross and tasted like cough syrup. Why would anyone drink that trash? especially here in Czech, home of the Pilsner and some of the finest brews on the continent?

I start heading home tomorrow. boo. Plane to copenhagen, hang out for afternoon and evening, night bus to Oslo. I've done bits of work related business here and there. I'm not looking forward to returning, even though this trek hasn't been all that I'd hoped.

have travel, will blog

2007-10-05T13:34:00.001-07:00

A few further thoughts about Vienna before I get into Praha.
I was struck at how polluted Vienna seemed. It was not a "dirty" city, really, but the air quality was atrocious. The hills in the distance were barely visable. Before you point out that hey, they're in the distance and so will be hard to see, I will also note the the city's skyscrapers were also quite fuzzy. There are few pedestrian only streets, and I swear I was smelling auto exhaust most of the time I was there. At least, I smelled car fumes when the occasionally waft of piss (human?) and shit (horse?) came in my direction. I will add the caveat that I had a sore throat when I was there and may (was) more attentive and bothered by these things than I am normally. I guess I'm used to the clean air of Oslo. Copenhagen isn't too bad, since everyone bikes everywhere. Minneapolis has its rough days, but compared to most U.S. cities isn't too terrible.
Other notes. Austrians: not very attractive. (I am such an ASSHOLE)
Today Vienna is definitely central european. It has not be a major power in the vast part of the 20th century. And there seems to have been a vast influx of eastern europeans into the city, causing a bit of a boom in the last 15 years or so. Nonetheless, the city was quite modern and very Western (capital W on that shit). Meaning: it wasn't as cheap or as intersting of a contrast to what I'm used to as I thought it would be.

Enough Vienna!

Yesterday after a slow morning I took an afternoon train in to the Czech Republic and Prague. The train ride was pretty dull on the Austrian side, but became much more interesting one we crossed the old East-West divide. For one thing, it was just more beautiful: mountains (okay...hills) combined with autumn foliage, small rivers, and a nice small-hamlet vibe from a few villages. Plus, it was awesome to see all the crumbling buildings from the warsaw pact era (and all that business).

Prague is...a beautiful city and (!) it is a joy to walk around in.
There are too many tourists, parts of it overflow. I feel like I'm 5-10 years to late to enjoy Prague as it once was. Yes, it is "safe" for tourists now. Meaning, a bit too many souvenir shops, trinket hawkers, and befuddled groups abound (albiet sluggishly).
Still, the city has some edge to it. For one thing, I felt like a complete asshole for speaking English. I was treated to as poor of restaurant service as I've gotten anywhere, it may match a nefarious resto in Nice from previous trip. Speaking of the French, I've been suprised at how often I've heard my mother('s) tongue. New french hotspot?
Still, the city is cheap. Not as cheap as it once was...tourism is driving up the prices. Still, I can get a good hot filling meal and beer for 10 USD close to a tourist area. In Norway I'd be paying 12 USD just for a beer in a comparative location.

Ughing Norway. This trip has reminded me what a small town Oslo is. Fuck-ing Os-lo.

Can I mention: I am tired of feeling like shit. My sore throat has moved into runny nose town. Full blast the last two days. My knee feels much better today, which I am very thankful for. The last full day in Vienna was pain.

I sene I've written a lot but haven't SAID ANYTHING. This may deserve a later post. I have thought more of things to put up. Maybe later tonight, maybe tomorrow. Maybe never?

More from Vienna

2007-10-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I accidently deleted the blogpost I was working on. I HATE that.

I've been in Vienna for 48 hours or so now. I've got a bit of a feel for the place, more so than the avg. tourist I hope. It is difficult without a guidebook (or guide for that matter) to know where to go and what to skip. I got drawn in to a couple things I maybe could done without. The Leopold Museum for one. I didn't go to a couple things I wish I had: like the KunstHistoireMuseum or whatever it is called. Still, I think I did well for myself. I made it to the PalmHaus and Schloss Schönbrün. I checked out the major churches, palaces, and sights (I think). I never found "the hip neighborhood", which is a bummer. I usually trz to hang out in that kinda district anztime I visit a citz. Just have a coffee and browse through some book or record stores. Didn't see it :(

I made it to the Hundertwasser House, which was fucking awesome. So was the KunstHausWien, which was mostly dedicated to the Hundertwasser. I am now a fan.

Can you blame me? That is awesome! I am really looking forward to posting photos up of my visits there. I heard of Hundertwasser through Russ, ye olde stepe-dadde. I can see connections between their ceramics and approach to house renovating. If any of you made it to the studio in wisconsin, you especially know what I'm talking about.

I'm looking forward to Prague. I take the train tomorrow at 1:33. Just under 4 hour trip. That'll be nice, and will round out the trains, planes, and automobiles randomness that is going on. I need a bit of a travel/rest day anyhoo. My sickness is mostlz gone. It was just a sore throat and general exhaustion. But my knee really does need some rest! I keep worrying it will flame up really bad while I'm travelling. My only insurance coverage right now is under the Norwegian National Health Insurance Scheme, and I'm fairlz sure it would not cover expenses here (even if I wanted to risk the Austrian or Czech medical systems!).

I kinda dislike travelling solo! I really wish Cate was here. My hostel is fairly big. I've met a few folks, but I'm still kinda inward when I meet new folks. Plus, I don't meet new folks very easily! Maybe I look off-putting or threatening? I blame the beard!

Always the beard!
More thoughts about Vienna:
I think Satan would like it here. There is something about its aristocratic air combined with the haute couture just barely hiding what I imagine to be an extremely seedy underbelly (but an underbelly I haven't really seen!). Vienna makes me think of S&M. Or that Kubrick movie that sucked: Eyes Wide Shut!

Now you know: Vienna=S&M=bad Kubrick

Wien!

2007-10-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am in Vienna.

Do we in the States sleep on Vienna? Whenever folks talk about where they want to visit its Paris, London, Italy, Spain. Even Germany or Ireland. But Austria? Vienna? Why go there?

Man, do we sleep on Vienna. I think Vienna would be upset if it knew the extent. Vienna considers itself a cultural capital of the world (THE world capital of music) and capital of central europe. Its is architecturally beautiful. It has incredible churches and palaces. A beautiful and accessible Opera House. Many high quality theatres.

But its kinda old. Established. Prentious and too preoccupied with its own status as elite.

I make broad generalizations based on truly nothing, but I may just be right.
I could also be some American asshole trumping some bizarre Midwestern system of quasi analysis based on non-rigourous qualities like democratic, open, diverse, etc.

Am I already sick of travelling? I am tired here. And sick, I may add. And my fucking knees hurt from walking 6-7 hours daily.

Anyway, enough about me. I am deflating my own analysis by shifting lens from Vienna to I. Just like Vienna to do that.

I got in last night around 6. Checked into hostel. Grabbed a kebab and walked down Mariahilfe Strasse. It was beautiful! The street has all these trees that are going yellow, and under the street lamps and neon signs it was as a glowing golden canopy. Under this cover I strolled a hopping boutique lined street, punctuated by cafes and pizza shops.

Last night I got my closest thing to a good nights sleep since Friday. Spent the day walking around the Old Town checking out some of the major sights. I went to the Leopold Museum, lured in by its poster advertising Klimt masterpieces. I found masterpiece and was disappointed. Still, good walking. I took a prolonged break at a cafe housed in a greenhouse just off a royal garden. More walking brought me to Karls Church, which was beautiful (the nicest of the three I walked into today). Then I took the tram around the Ring, which limits the Old Town and highlights the sights. Tonight I hope to do the same, but with the city all lit up nice. Take in a couple sights all well lit, too. Not too major plans, I need to rest more. Break this cold or whatever I got and rest 'dem knees.

Tomorrow I hope for Schonbrun Palace (sp?), the big market, and Hundertvasser. Maybe a sachertorte, depending on my cash.

COP: a feel

2007-09-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

the lonely wolf is out of oslo and into copenhagen. københavn!
I have re-explored the city and christiania. still no tivoli, but it will be open when I return with SUST. I love this city. Def a fave. Its like Oslo, but cubed. CUBED!
Except for the prices, which are halved. And no forest.
But CUBED!

Only one day here though, I leave tomorrow early in the morning for Vienna.

bruce

2007-09-28T09:11:00.001-07:00

Well I never thought I'd say it. I think it had to do with my connecting Reagan with "Born in the U.S.A." Springsteen resided in my mind somewhere between Reagan and John Candy and friends singing "I was born in the U.S.A." repeatedly in Canadian Bacon.

But then my misconceptions had to be ruined. Sometime in the last year or so a friend lent me a copy of Nebraska. I loved it.

Then I actually bought (bought!) a copy of Darkness on the Edge of Town. I loved that too.

Last night and today I've been listening to Born to Run.

In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected
and steppin' out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
and strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
`Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
girl I want to know if love is real

Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss

The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight
but there's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we'll live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don't know when
we're gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go
and we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
baby we were born to run

Goddam it, I officially am a fan of Bruce Springsteen.

I blame Bri, Aaron, and the Hold Steady.

BTW, the last of those three's Boys and Girls in America has received the most spins on my I-Pod over here.

jeg studerer ikke norsk

2007-09-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

So, I suppose I have a big update for y'all.

Lots of ups and downs over here. Tim, the program director, was gone for 10 days so I was in charge. I thought it went pretty well, all things considered (and there was a lot to consider). He is back now, which I am thankful for.

We have our break coming up next week. I'm very much looking forward to getting out of Oslo. I've felt pretty cooped up here. It will be fun to explore Prague and Vienna for the first times, and re-connect with my old fave Copenhagen.

I've decided to shift a few things in my life here. The workload between TAing and my norwegian language classes has been more than I anticipated it being. I'm also finding that both are demanding ever greater amounts of my time. Now, I don't have a huge social life here or anything, but it has been difficult. Part of the difficulty lies in having to do norsk after long days with SUST. I'm doing TA related work for 7-8 hours, then study for norsk and have dinner at my office, then go to Norwegian class for two hours. I do this three days a week, being on campus for about 12 hours, plus I work three more days part time. I've had this kind of work load all last year and mostly loved it. I was really looking forward to having more free time here, though. I feel like my work load has contributed to my not being happy with my life here. Plus, I don't really like studying language. It is tough to devote energy to norsk, and even more difficult is recognizing that I need to devote even more time and energy to the course. And, there have been some SUST-related issues that are demanding me to make a sustained and increased effort in TAing. Soooo, I've decided to drop my Norwegian language class.

I feel positive about that decision for other reasons beyond those alluded to above. I didn't come here to learn Norwegian, and I don't see myself living here. Home is Minneapolis. Not knowing Norwegian is really not a problem here. I came to work on teaching, and I need to focus on that.
It is a disappointment, yes. But I'm not paying for the course, and I believe my dropping this will have absolutely no long term effect (except to make me even more cautious of learning other languages). I had looked forward to learning norsk, yes, but I have to prioritize. My happiness and teaching are more important than I third language I will almost never use.

Now I get to read more. I get to have dinner in my flat. I get to come home and not be burnt out exhausted. It was different when I've done this before. I was working with YF kids, or working with Somalis at JAS, or bringing in students for HECUA. My working life was very positive, all aspects of it. I was able to come home to Cate :) or go out with my friends :) or spend time with my family :)
I could handle working 50+ hours for a year when I had so much positivity at work and at home. I can't handle 50 hrs when there is neither.

In other news: new photos posted on flickr.

quick note on rand and greenspan

2007-09-15T15:09:00.001-07:00

Late night perusal of the NY Times found this "gem" of a quote from our former chair of the fed:
“‘Atlas Shrugged’ is a celebration of life and happiness. Justice is unrelenting. Creative individuals and undeviating purpose and rationality achieve joy and fulfillment. Parasites who persistently avoid either purpose or reason perish as they should." (bold mine, ja) Scary that this person arguably held the most power over the U.S. (and therefore world) economy. Mind you, Greenspan wrote that in his twenties. But good lord!

I had to share that from this article. Also this: "Every year, 400,000 copies of Rand’s novels are offered free to Advanced Placement high school programs. " This is such a TERRIBLE idea. Perhaps soon I will write of my relationship with Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand? You better hope I don't...

I also have a posting on populism in mind, comparing historical trends in U.S. and Europe with present trends. It is in mind, percolating.

from me to whom

2007-09-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

In the midst of my excellent weekend, I have a mix to share. I will write more about these days soon, but I have little time as I meet Knut Erik soon.

This mix is named after a Tom Waits song. Originally the name was gonna be related to clouds or cloud formations or something, but I decided to go with the Waits. There is no real theme to it. Its just stuff that I've been especially enjoying the last few weeks. I've also kept out a few songs that are going into the next mix, which is in development and will have a bit more of a theme.

And so, I give thee Emotional Weather Report.

1. Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Max Roach - A Little Max (parfait)
2. Tom Waits - Emotional Weather Report
3. Bob Dylan - Meet Me in the Morning
4. The Beta Band - Dry the Rain
5. Andrew Bird - Simple X
6. Pinback - Fortress
7. The Clash - Jimmy Jazz
8. Charles Mingus - Better Get in Yo' Soul
9. The Velvet Underground - Who Loves the Sun
10. The Hold Steady - Citrus
11. Neko Case - Dirty Knife
12. Tapes 'n Tapes - In Houston
13. The Smiths - Shoplifters of the World Unite
14. Old 97's - 4 Leaf Clover
15. Neil Young - Love is a Rose
16. Wilco - On and On and On
17. Bruce Springsteen - Something in the Night
18. Tom Waits - Hold On

I hope you can put it together. I think its quality

looong week, but a light at the end

2007-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

Things have been happening! Some good, some bad. Work has had plenty of ups and downs this week. Tim is now in the U.S. for a 10 day recruiting tour, which means I'm in charge. The first day went well. Other work stuff has not been so great, unfortunately.

I made some travel plans! I wish I could be more excited about them!
Yesterday I booked a couple flights, but when I got home that night I realized I booked them for the wrong week. SO, I had to rebook them today, which I was able to do thankfully. Unfortunately, half the reason I made the plans was so I could save some money. With the rebooking I'm not saving much and I kind of have a pain in the ass travel arrangements.
Here is my plan:
On Friday Sept. 28 I'm taking the overnight train to Copenhagen via Swedish Rail. I have a voucher that will cover that part. I'm spending two nights in Copenhagen. Then I'm flying via Air Berlin to Vienna. A few days there, then take the train to Prague. Kick it in Prague for a few days, then fly back to Copenhagen via Sky Europe then hop on a train back to Oslo arriving Tuesday October 9th. I'll miss a couple days of class there at the end, which is unfortunate, but it was a money saver.
Unbelievable, that same week I get back I go for another trip. Saturday the 13th our trip begins its field trip to Stockholm and Copenhagen, returning on the 21st.
Photo from my last trip to Copenhagen two years ago.

After not traveling at all so far (to my chagrin), October will be crazy. I think its gonna be blast! I just hope I have enough money! Argh!

a strong cold wind

2007-09-07T02:42:00.000-07:00

The leaves have begun to change here. The cold nights of Autumn are upon us.

Not much to report here, honestly. I work much. I study some. I surf the net too much. I read a bit. Right now John Updike's Pigeon Feathers, a collection of short stories. The city beckons, but I have ignored it since my pocket was light. Not too many weekend plans. Sierra is back, and we're having dinner together tonight. I hope to hike around Nordmarka on Sunday. Beyond that...

Who knows?

rememberances of things past

2007-09-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am contemplative now.

This morning I awoke at 10. Made some coffee in my french press and read a few months worth of Achewood.
Left the house with the clock nearing 14. iPod for company.
Off at Majorstua: Oslo's west side. Fancy boutiques and fancier people.
Wandered looking for a radical left bookstore I'd heard was hidden in the neighborhood. No luck.
Even as the rain started falling I refused to ride on the trikk. I slowly made my way east, staying just north of the city center and the nucleus of Karl Johans.
In and out of back streets, I found myself at Oslo's library. The rain was picking up so I stopped in. Found the English section and picked out Bradbury. Spent the next hour reading Fahrenheit 451. How have I not read this before? A comfy chair in the library was the perfect setting to begin.
Closing time forced me out again. I made my way past the Rockefeller and John Dee to Torgata. Found my destination: Big Dipper Records. Barely ignored Velvet Underground on vinyl. Found what I was looking for: Tom Waits, Small Change. On sale for 100 kroner (~$18...on sale). I'm already on borrowed money. Tom will wait.
Wanting a sit-down and a coffee I followed Torgata back to Youngstorget, then back to Grensen. Sentrum. Swung into Bare Jazz: through their wet courtyard, through their ground level jazz store, and up to their cafe. Coffee and Ghandi.
Mingus brought me home.

This is what made me contemplative. Sitting on the T-Bane, not making eye contact with the person sitting right in front of me as the typical Norwegian shouldn't. Remembered NYC. Remembered a certain subway ride.

Many of you have heard this story. In many ways it summed up my experience in New York. It was a turning point of sorts, but one that I don't understand and never will.

I think it was October. It was cold enough for Steve (RAJ!) and I to wear hoodies. Steve and I were in the Jamaica stop. We were gonna ride the L through Brooklyn down to Manhattan to meet some folks. As were getting on a fellow rider began engaging us in conversation. Soon she asked us if we were together. Then asked if we were brothers. She began complimenting us, saying we were good guys, we were cute, etc. She said she wasn't good enough for us. I. don't remember how we responded, or even if we did.
She asked if she could confess something to us. That morning she had found out she was pregnant.
She asked us if she should keep the baby. If she should get an abortion.
She cried.
She told us she was a drug addict. Heavy stuff. She was on her way right then to get a fix.

I don't remember how we responded. I don't remember how the conversation ended. I remember she got off, because more people were to come.

We were already in a bit of shock when he sat down across from us. Where the woman had sat. He just started talking to us, asking what we did, where we lived, etc. He started talking about his church. He continued for a while, I was checked out but Steve was a believer so they talked. Dude invited Steve to his church. I remember it was in Forest Hills. He gave Steve an invitation and his card. Then he left.

A haggard looking man came around asking for change. He ignored the drunk passed out in the corner of the subway car. I don't think we gave him anything. We were pretty broke ourselves.

A couple stops later a father and daughter came in. The dad was young, early 20's. His daughter was under 5. Probably 3 but I don't do age well with kids. The dad was flagged out. A blood. Thumping hip-hop coming from his headphones. We could hear it clearly and it held near constant swearing. Gangsta rap? Does it matter? Daughter curled up on bench with head in father's lap. Asleep, somehow.

The train finally finished clattering through Brooklyn. We got off and met our party. Another corpsmember and a couple art students he had met at a music festival a few months prior. We hopped back on the MTA network. This time the booze cruise: the Staten Island Ferry. $2 Bud tallboys sold on the ferry and cigs brought us past the Statue of Liberty. We smoked American Spirits when we had the money. That was a Parliament night.
We ended up at the students' place in Brooklyn. Cramped and awkward forties.

Somehow that night defines my New York. What will define my Oslo? Will it be today? A lonely rainy day?

One month done. Nine to go.

primitive man

2007-08-29T03:37:00.000-07:00

I realized today while looking at www.pollingreport.com that Dick Cheney actually has a higher approval rating than gWb. That is astounding. Look for yourself.

Bush is polling between 29 and 33 % approval for August.
Cheney is at 36.

That is truly incredible. Kinda like this photo.

You Tubing

2007-08-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

First, two tributes to Max Roach:
A Hi-Hat Solo
Improv over Dr. King

I also found a blog done by Ethan Iverson, the pianist for the Bad Plus.
He had these youtube videos linked on a recent post as "a dozen lovely women in famous videos perfect for your political analysis class." I've brought a few over here for you:
Cindy Lauper, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" It took me a long time, but eventually I realized the fantastic nature of cindy lauper and this song. If you look at any of these videos, look at this one.
Dolly Parton, "9 to 5"
Madonna, "Vogue" At least once at Youth Farm I vogued for the kids and they had NO idea what I was talking about or doing.

This weekend I spent a fair amount of time listening to Tom Waits, especially Nighthawks at the Diner.
Here are a few vids of him:
On Letterman with "Chocolate Jesus"
"I don't Wanna Grow Up"
An ode to home: "Ninth and Hennepin"
I put this on a mix a few years ago. "Clap Hands"
a hilarious interview from the 1970's
He was young once. in his 70's style: backed by a jazz band. "Small Change"

Almost an Olympic Champion: the 10th fastest runner in 1956

2007-08-26T01:27:00.000-07:00

NY Times has released a fantastic feature on the environmental costs of economic growth in China. It sums up many of my fears as they relate to the destructiveness of our civilization. I highly recommend reading the article, or at least checking out some of the interactive features. Click here!

I've had a fairly social weekend. I went to ye olde floor four on Friday night to say goodbye to Marius, who is leaving to do his Masters in Sweden. We were never really close and it was a bit awkward. Ingvild was there too, which was fun. She's moving to Grunnerlokka soon, and I don't know if I'll see her again.
In the world of strange coincidences, someone I met on Thursday night had just moved into floor four, into Kari's old room no less. I spent most of the night talking with her. We really hit it off and met yesterday to walk around the lokka and get some coffee. Her name is Sierra, she's from Wisconsin but goes to school in Ottawa, and studies Geography.

Yesterday I also met up with Tim (the german) and Pete (the briton) for a walk in nordmarka. It was nice to get up into the forest and hills again. We went to Holmenkollen first, then walked over near the TV Tower, then walked down to Sognsvann. It was a good hike and we had quite a bit of fun, I dare say. This is us at the Holmenhollen gift shop.

We also met an Olympic Athlete! No shit!
We asked this person for directions, and at first he completely ignored our request and asked us where we were from. It was a bit funny actually. Eventually he got around to saying he would walk part of the way there with us to show us where to go. During our walk he mentioned that he'd run 40 marathons (!!!) and had placed 11th in the marathon in the 1952 Olympics and 10th in the 1956 Olympics. (!!!) The dude walked brisk too, like he was at most 30, but he said he was 87. He said he'd run his last marathon in Berlin at the age of 75 (!!!).
He then mentioned that he was an engineer and that he had built over 16,000 flats, most of them in Oslo. Dude was driving at Jaguar too.
The whole thing was just RIDICULOUS!

Anyway, right after the hike I had to catch the T-Bane straight into town to meet Knut Erik (a friend of Martin's). We chatted about a bit about the States, racism, and the welfare system. We talked about maybe playing some chess or hanging out to watch some Leone films. Hopefully something will happen.

That was my busy and social day. Today I need to do some reading. Tonight I may go to a football match. Tomorrow is class focused on Scandinavian Arts and Literature.

jeg snakker norsk

2007-08-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

More photos now on Flickr!
I posted more shots from Vigelandsparken, a few photos from the Vikingskiphuset, one from the norsk folkemuseum, and a couple from going swimming at sognsvann.

I have most of the day off, which is great! I gotta do a bit of reading, but I'm going to head down to parkteateret for some coffee while I do it.

Last night I had the first day of Norsk! Jeg snakker Norsk! (I speak Norwegian) Okay, maybe not really at all. But it is a strange thing to be in a language class again. This is a far cry from re-learning French and will be plenty more challenging than that ever was.

One of my students threw a potluck party last night and I dropped by for a few hours. It was fun, but is more evidence of how blurred the line is between them and me. I have students in my buddy group, in my norwegian language class, and now I just had a student move into my flat. It has become next to impossible for me to have any life outside of SUST. yikes!

I got back in touch with Marius and Ingvild, two of my roomates from two years ago! They're throwing a going away party for Marius tonight, so I'm excited to party it up w/o students.

a round

2007-08-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good day. Class went to the Folk museum and then to the Vikings Ship Museum. Took a few photos, hopefully will be posted soon.
After classes I had a beer at Blue Note with a student, Paul. It was chill. Then just as I was getting home I ran into two more students, Conner and Alicia. They were on their way to swim in Songsvann. I was considering doing the same, so I joined them. It was fucking cold! Somethings don't change...
Got home and watched a bit of the Norway-Argentina footbal match. If you can believe it, Norway won 2-1. It was a big deal, because five years ago they were supposed to have a match and the Argentinians refused to come because it was half-way across the world and just a friendly. Argentina was heavily favored to win. A big boost for Norwegian soccer, thats for sure.
Also last night, I went out with the roomates! Isabelle, Weibtka, Hannah and I went to the beer tent for a few. It was fun to go out with them. When we got back Jan was around and we joined us for a bit of wine. It feels like we've come together as a flat.

I also went out to the beer tent on Monday night! There was a big pub crawl on campus and I went out with the students. It was fun and reminded me of good times in 05. Ran into Tim the german and we talked about going hiking on saturday. I really hope that happens!

Tonight the norwegian class begins! Yikes! I'm getting tired right now too, which sucks.

Okay, off for dinner before class.

Quick Update

2007-08-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

The weather is nice here! Perfect timing too, we're going to the folk museum and the Viking's ship museum today. Should be fun, and hopefully not touristy.

The nice weather persuaded me to walk to Vigelands park yesterday. Photos on Flickr soon, for now be satisfied with these few:

They are a pictoral representation of my time at Youth Farm.
J/K, I loved it there.

Yesterday I gave a presentation of the development of folk high schools and its connection with Danish history and the Danish national identity. I didn't think it went very well, partly because I don't know Danish history very well. Also, I think I could have been better organized. :(
Anyway, I hate lecturing. ugh.
But, after the lecture I gave the students a fun fun fun project. I had them work collaboratively on a finger painting, in the folk high school spirit. I think they got it, but who knows. It seemed like they enjoyed it, anyways.

Oslo Photos and iMix

2007-08-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today I walked around Grunnerlokka, Akerselva, and Karl Johans Gate. And I posted photos to Flickr! Just go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/philsk8s/

Also, I made a mix on my ipod! If you want a copy, bug Cate. She has all the songs...
I suspect include all the same artists in most of my mixes (clash, mats, beatles, zep, bowie, wilco, neil, dylan, vu...).
But I suppose that's why they're my fav bands, eh? Most are classic and well established. Perhaps it shows unoriginality?
Still there are also some newer things I've gotten into this summer/spring.

I've titled the mix "Stuck Between Stations," after the included Hold Steady song but also to indicate the transition that is represented in the mix.

1. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
2. David Bowie - Young Americans
3. The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations
4. The National - Fake Empire
5. Uncle Tupelo - I Wanna Be Your Dog
6. The Clash - I'm So Bored with the U.S.A.
7. The Replacements - Hold My Life
8. Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
9. Whiskeytown - Here's To The Rest Of The World
10. Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man
11. The Beatles - I'm So Tired
12. The Walkmen - Wake Up
13. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Devils Waitin'
14. Chris Smithers - Train Home
15. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
16. Wilco - How To Fight Loneliness
17. Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll
18. Peter Bjorn and John - Objects of my Affection
19. TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me
20. Low - Just Like Christmas

early photos

2007-08-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't taken many photos yet, but here are a few of my room. Tonight, I went down to this really cool multicultural festival tonight on the water front and there was a gorgeous sunset. I took my camera with me, but didn't have my memory card in. :(

b-day recap

2007-08-17T03:27:00.001-07:00

Oooh, I had a good birthday! Happiness!

First I got a lovely e-mail from Cate, which put me into such a good mood. It included these lyrics, sung to the tune of happy birthday, of course:
Happy birthday to you
You are my babu,
If our love was a plant,
It would be bamboo

(too which she added, "by that I mean durable, renewable, flexible, and favored by pandas.")

Dang thats a good way to start a day.

Then for the morning's field seminar students went in small groups around grønland, the main non-ethnic norwegian neighborhood. Tim and I went and had a latte in a nice cafe then took our own walk around.
We came back to Blindern (our UiO campus) for a lunch between ISS staff and SUSTers. Everyone sang me happy birthday! It was sweet, but I was so embarassed with 20 people singing for me. I wanted to crawl under the table so bad, my face was super red...
Then I led my first integration seminar, which went well. I wasn't too bad, and the students were engaged, talking and asking each other questions too.
After the seminar and a few student meetings Tim and I went out for drinks to celebrate. We went to a beer garden in the city center, then we went to a tiki bar in Grunnerlokka. We got a kebab (so good!) then went to his place to eat and pick up a few items he is loaning me. Another beer closer to downtown and I went home. Just about as soon as I was in the door my german roomates, Isa and Wiebka, came over with a cake and a birthday candle for me. It was sooo sweet and nice of them! We stayed up for a couple more hours talking over a bottle of wine.
Then, I went to my room and found out my internet was hooked up! I'm online at home, finally!

Good birthday...

elaboration

2007-08-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

I apologize, gentle readers, for not elaborating further on the sites I mention. I will keep it in mind.

I will begin by explaining, Habibi, Mono, and Blå.

Habibi makes kebabs. Damn good kebabs and falafel. Andrew originally found this spot, he was introduced to it by his volunteer placement supervisor. It became a favorite of ours, not only is it excellent food, but it is relatively cheap at 40 kroner. also, it is very centrally located on Storgata two-three blocks from Jernbanetorget, Karl Johans Gate, and Domkirkke AND one block away from MONO.

To explain the above further, Storgata is a central road from the Sentrum and Domkirkke to the river and Grunnerlokka. Jernbanetorget, is a small square infront of Oslo Sentral Stasjon at the end of Karl Johan's Gate. Adjacent to the square is major T-Bane stop named after the square. Karl Joahns Gate is the main strip in Oslo, a pedestrain mall connecting Oslo S (rail station) with Domkirkke (city cathedral), Stortinget (parliament) and Slottet (King's palace).

MONO was/is my favorite bar in Oslo. It is in the city center, which causes the price to be a bit more (52 kroner beer). They play wicked good music after my own taste, and have posters of Neil Young, Patti Smith, and Television in their small, covered patio.

Blå bills itself as a bit of a jazz club, but that's not entirely accurate. They have a FANTASTIC patio on the river away from all cars. There is well done graffiti art everywhere. There is a giant chandelier that hangs outside the entrance. They have a lot of DJs, but it is a chill spot during the day and a hopping club at night. Blå rocks.

I must gets backs to works.

tibits and friendships

2007-08-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

A rough and tumble few days seems to have the possibility of settling down finally.

Classes have begun, and we seem to have a smart and talkative group. I have high hopes for the semester. I am still not quite confident in my role, but I'm slowly warming up to it, I hope...

I may have made a few friends, which is good. My roomate Pål seems interesting, but we haven't had the chance to talk much yet. Hopefully beers will be forthcoming and the chatting can begin.
I have met a couple other roomates, Isa and Wiptka, who are very nice. they come from Germany and are studying law together. We've chatted here and there, but a prolonged sit down or go out hasn't happened yet. I believe it will...
Also, today we had international student buddy groups, which provide an opportunity to meet other students at the UiO. I chatted with a German named Tim and we hope to go hiking or have a beer together soon.
I've also hung out a little with students here and there. There are a few who seem like they'd be natural friends for me, but I am conscious that I'm in a different role than them. Hopefully it will not become too hard to find a balance between friendship and our hecua roles. Last night I ran into Paul and Nate in downtown. We ended up going to Mono, Habibi, and Blå together. It was a good time and reminded me of other fun nights in the city. I do have fun memories of this place, but there is a weird schizophrenia sometimes when thinking about that time and creating a new experience with new people. There are few times when I'm as aware of the changes in my life.

Not much else to report.
Have begun reading Ghandi's autobiography, The Story of My Experiences with the Truth.
I'm also working on a couple mixes, to be dropped soon.

BTW,I have a few phone numbers for you all:
number for my room: +47 22 18 75 28
cell number: +47 94 47 75 74

bad weekend

2007-08-13T09:24:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update, cause I got a ton of errands to do...

I got pickpocketed!

AT FUCKING IKEA!

shitty

about 300 USD, credit card, some id's, metro pass, apartment access cards, etc.

pain in the ass...

bad bad weekend. hopefully better update soon.

btw, first day of class was today.