Narcissus learns to swim

Summer Movies 2008...so much goodness from Hollywood?!?

mikmms — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 06:35:35 GMT

I like summer movies. I like the wow moments. Sometimes you only get one or two and a lot of dreck in-between. Last year TRANSFORMERS set a new standard for me by being almost completely without merit...except that the number of genuine WOW moments went into the double digits!--I loved it! And now this summer, we're getting wow moments in the threes and fours...and...what's this?...there's some pathos and acting and (gasp) STORYTELLING happening at the movies this summer. Corporate cinema gets a clue? What strange universe is this...? Here's my ranking (btw I admit I am fickle and my opinions may relate to my own happiness level or whether I overate at lunch time...but so far...) 1. Wall E Simply beautiful. This one doesn't really belong in the list with these others. Though I must admit, the pace of it has kept me from rushing back to see it again as I did Nemo, Monsters, and Ratatouille. If I could just pay $2 a pop and watch the short, I'd do that several times, for sure. 2. Tropic Thunder So incredibly funny and only offensive to people who think dumb Hollywood-types should not be the butt of jokes. Those are the only people being mocked. And they are well and cleverly mocked indeed! I will say that the over-the-top gore does require a very post-modern suspension of suspension of disbelief. If you forget to disbelieve even for a second, it's pretty icky. 3. Indiana Jones Yes it is silly but the sheer spectacle of it screams "ONLY Spielberg and Lucas can do this!" I loved it from beginning to end. The first three are silly, too, folks. 4. Hellboy 2 A fast-paced comic-book movie with good dialogue, interesting characters and genuine surprises! Fancy that!! btw I fell asleep in the first one and did not regret it. 5. Kung Fu Panda The first non-Pixar computer animated venture that offers some aesthetic inventiveness of which the Pixar crew must surely take note. And it's very funny, in spite of a hackneyed plot. 6. Horton Hears a Who This made me laugh a LOT. And I was emotionally involved, too. 7. Iron Man Robert Downey Jr takes it up a notch. 8. Hancock Bad reviews lowered my expectations and it exceeded them! I enjoyed the whole thing...though I'm coming to assume that all hero movies will have a big, dumb, loud yawner of an ending and this was no exception to that rule. 9. The Incredible Hulk Genuinely sympathetic characters and a wow moment or two...with another humdrum finale. 10. Journey to the Center of the Earth We saw this solely for the neato factor of the 3D. And I'm totally jaded in this department...and yet it made me go NEATO a lot. So there. Damn dumb. But neato. ---------------------------------------------- And then there was X. Speed Racer Wow, this was the 2nd worst movie I've seen this year. Truly a shade-your-eyes-in the-back-row experience of swimming in neon vomit. X. X-Files 2 This was inexcusable. I am a fan; I liked the first movie. This was squirmingly, inexplicably dull. Yet to see: Prince Caspian The Dark Knight Encounters at the End of the World The Visitor Harold and Kumar Fish for Nuggets ???

The Wedding Program

mikmms — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:32:31 GMT

Emily composed these few words about Loving Day for the back of our wedding program. I was very proud to have them there and to be marrying the woman who wrote them... (Oh, and when she e-mailed them to me, her e-mail included the Richard Wright quote which appears at the bottom of all her e-mails...about which I feel similarly, so I've included it too...but it doesn't actually come from our wedding program) _________________________________ Loving Day In 1948, exactly 60 years ago, interracial marriage was legalized in California. But it was not until 1967 that Loving v. Virginia, a landmark civil rights case, culminated in a Supreme Court decision which legalized interracial marriage throughout the United States. We cannot help but compare the history of the anti-miscegenation laws that the Loving decision declared unconstitutional to the current marriage equality movement for same-sex partnerships. We would like to take this opportunity to celebrate the legalization of same-sex marriages in California. We are honored to be celebrating our marriage in a historic time, when we can stand in solidarity with all of our loved ones. “…I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about.” - Mildred Loving _________________________________ "If you possess enough courage to speak out who you are, you will find that you are not alone." Richard Wright

Serious Fun.

mikmms — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:12:02 GMT

Seriously. It's like I have become this weird, sporty stranger to myself who waves jovially across a great chasm of inertia to another me, sitting on a couch eating Chinese food and ice cream, raising a spoon bemusedly, squinting back at me with a suspicious expression that says...heh heh...Whatever, freaky hiker boy...do I...do I know you...?

No, really.

mikmms — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:27:09 GMT

I'm getting married and this has brought about some reflection. (One might hope it would.) Things I Want to Do: 1. Climb a hill to a clear place at night with a child in my care and learn the constellations (muliticultural-style) with her. 2. See a noise rock show in a dank Tokyo club. 3. Finish Ulysses. 4. Become a parent who is emotionally competent enough that my kids' developmental struggles are largely their own and not inherited from me. 5. Learn to box and then spar regularly. 6. Witness an active American political pantheon as diverse as the folks around Lake Merritt on a Sunday afternoon. 7. Visit Luxembourg and hike or bike. 8. Sing “You’re the One” by the Vogues to Emily with a full band and harmonies and such. 9. Shake bell hooks’ hand and say “thanks.” 10. Dance to angry music in Berlin. 11. Systematically decrease fear among the privileged strata of our nation so they tend unwittingly to step on other people a little less. 12. Hear gamelan in Bali. 13. Do 100 (back-friendly?) sit-ups in a row. 14. Shake Noam Chomsky’s hand and say “thanks, dude.” 15. Hike in Yellowstone, Canada, Colorado and West Virginia. 16. Paint something that makes me smile with real paint on real canvas. 17. Write an autobiography for fun. 18. Bicycle to the top of Mount Tamalpais from San Francisco. 19. Meditate regularly until I like it. 20. Visit Geneva and befriend a native. 21. Use no caffeine for a full month. 22. Write/direct/shoot/edit a narrative movie/video. 23. Eliminate credit card debt from my life. 24. Make a This American Life style audio documentary. 25. DJ a rock and roll radio show. 26. Make pancakes and scrambled eggs with my kid(s). 27. Record a second album of songs. 28. Mountain Bike the Priest Rock trail in Los Gatos/San Jose hills. 29. Write a book with talking critters in it and get someone to illustrate it. 30. Love and cherish all those within my sphere (including myself) relentlessly. 31. Do the same for those outside my sphere with careful, deliberate dollar-votes and hopeful, Green booth-votes. 32. Remain calm.

Mt Tam to the Beach!

mikmms — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:36:48 GMT

On June 14, 2008, 6 intrepid hikers climbed from the Mountain Home Inn astride Muir Woods up to the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais and them on down to the Pacific Ocean! Mud sent me GPS data...it was 11.6 miles with a pretty remarkable elevation profile... Yay! :) Mike

Radial Velocities Indeed

mikmms — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:33:26 GMT

So, trekking poles rule. Down is as much fun as up for the first time in years... Does everyone know that Brian May completed his doctorate in Astrophysics and is now Dr. Brian May? This makes me happy. Guitarist/songwriter for Queen...and astrophysicist. His thesis is entitled Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud. I recently went to the top of Eagle Peak near Mount Diablo, listening to Poulenc's sacred choral works while watching swallows barnstorm the peak as a turkey vulture hovered above me, waiting for something. Then I had another perfect moment driving back from the Steep Ravine Trail, bellowing Patsy Cline's "Why Can't He Be You?" at the top of my lungs, which segued to Slipknot and then Raymond Scott as I passed the Mill Valley 7-11, bopping giddily and reflecting on the large branch that nearly brained me at the end of its descent from the canopy above Steep Ravine. My fingers and face had tingled with adrenaline as I huffed and puffed from darting up the trail, looking back just in time to see what I'd heard crackling ominously directly above my head hit the ground where I'd stood. Yikes! Hiking on a weekday between clients. Life can be very good. Sugar-free for 45 days, weigh less than an 8th of a ton, soon to be gloriously wed, business is booming, hikes are happening, commas are splicing...I have an incredible craving for rollercoasters and old friends... And this bears repeating (as this Bear's repeating): from 10/22/05 I hardly ever step onto a scale, just because it has been invariably disappointing for many years and even when I'm living healthfully and feeling better, the scale has tended to say "Hah! But look at your numbers, Butterball!" so, as I've learned to do with people whose messages are discouraging to me, I ignore it. But today, curiosity overcame me and I stepped up to find that I weigh just over an eighth of a ton. I'm about 253 pounds. That means I have somehow lost about 130 pounds in the past few years. In fact, I'm probably 40 or 50 pounds lighter than the guy in my profile picture there. So, my question is this, can you forgive me if I'm a little angry at all the skinny people who keep telling me how thin I look? Can you folks just keep it to yourself please? Or save it and go tell a beautiful heavy person how wonderful she/he looks? Or even an ugly one? I was a beautiful human being at every weight. It was only because I realized this and decided to concentrate on my health in honor of my Mom's (and countless others') inability to choose her (their) corporeal fate that I look different now. OK, that is not the whole truth--I also became very afraid that I would never experience passionate romance again because I was too far off of the radar of so many women. Opening this door a little wider was also an act of self-love, but I'm finding that as I creep onto the radar of the more shallow among us, I'm often repelled. Not so much by each well-meaning individual, but by the nauseating social cost of the attitudes expressed again and again by people around me. Can we please try to let our bodies be and value one another on other bases, like, habitually, as a society? Perhaps I should focus my request on my own stratum, HEY white middle class men, grow up and think about what you're perpetuating! In so many realms... Let's not hate ourselves anymore! Especially when that self-hate, in the hands of the dimwittedly privileged, trickles down (and sometimes BARRELS down) into all manners and manifestations of self-hatred and self-destruction among other members of this society. And I'm not disempowering non-white non-male folks, suggesting that they are hapless victims of white male dominance...no it is obvious all around me that strong people with the courage to love self and others are actively and powerfully rejecting the weight of racist-sexist-capitalist-patriarchy. But I would like my own kind to make it easier for those folks to thrive by simply taking responsibility for whatever effect our privilege and self-satisfied ignorance has had on social ills, and to change ourselves accordingly. Hmmm. Sorry. I was talking about weight, wasn't I. So, I am asking for a favor from those around me. Call me crazy, but when I hear "You've lost weight!" I actually hear "Your value as a human being has increased because you are more attractive to the shallow folk who cast the dollar-votes that decide what happens in this capitalist nightmare world!" (Really, it's OK to call me crazy) But for some reason when I hear, "You look great!" it's completely different. That phrase registers in me more as it is intended--like all my hiking and community building and hard work and healthy habits and learning to truly love myself and others can actually be detected in my physical presence. I know this may not be what people mean, but it makes all the difference to me. I know this is all in my head--that's why I say it's a favor I'm asking. And while I'm at it, let me also ask that you take a look at someone who does not strike you immediately as looking "great" and take a closer look and find the beauty there and compliment them. Of course you probably do that already and I'm just irritating you now... Anyway, I should shut up and take my own advice first. We are all unmitigated miracles. You will never convince me otherwise. God bless. :) Mike

It Lives!

mikmms — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:10:19 GMT

New picturey blog post over at http://blog.myspace.com/milfus :)

Midlake and still swimming

mikmms — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 07:20:20 GMT

Midlake show. Incredible. I don't know if I have EVER left a show wanting to listen to the band I just heard, right away, but this one (9/27 Great American Music Hall) I did. My back was hurting and my feet were numb by the time they came on (just cuz I'm not 20 and I wanted to be at the front so I'd stood there since 7:45), but as soon as they started to play...I forgot all about my back and my feet! I was just giddy and mesmerized. It was funny to be a little chagrined because I was such an obvious overgrown fanboy, and I look like them...bearded guys in t-shirts with mussed hair, but dammit I've looked like this for like 20 years! And who really cares? So we share an aesthetic that involves both music and grooming; fine. Harmonies were crystal clear and spot on... Oh so good. Please give this album a close listen. It's subtle, sweet genius. They're all jazz guys with music degrees from the University of North Texas who converted to rock and roll after hearing OK Computer in 1997. There sometimes can be more money in rock and roll than jazz, you know, sometimes. I can so get behind that story. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, I've decided not to pursue classroom teaching but instead to try and start making a living as a tutor/learning solutions guy. I'm really good at it; it's my favorite thing I've ever done; people are making a living at it...so why not?! It is very, very frightening to watch the savings dwindle while I do my durndest to build a reputation (because reputations aren't built in a day, dontcha know) but I've found some work that I am enjoying tremendously and my Craig's List ad is getting some hits...So I just have to do my best, take advice, keep my priorities straight and TRUST... But it's hard to trust. I'm not sleeping well. At some point each day I want to curl up in a fetal position and wimper or else ride that magic BART train to the moon I used to fantasize about when I didn't want to BART into the law firm for another day. Maybe that's what this IS. I'm actually on my BART train to the moon. Bang zoom! Not so much. So there is great excitement and terror and joy and sadness and gain and loss. If I turn down the drama-phone, it's just good ol' change. I'm keeping anchored in some of the comforts I love best--my SF Jail speaking engagement is now every second Friday and I help return a church basement to its pre-meeting glory every Saturday morning; I've offered to tutor for free at a Bayview school until those hours are taken by paying clients; biking and urban-hiking on alternate days--And service and exercise seem to help with the drama-reduction a great deal. Not to mention the astonishing, relentless support and care and kindness and love I am getting from Emily--my stunningly gorgeous, brilliant, dynamic, creative and kind girlfriend--who has invited me into her life beyond all possible expectations. And what a wonderful life to join! We make a really, really great team. Mutual admiration society, love, laughter, serious conversation, silence, plans, spontaneity, acceptance....no, not acceptance, genuine cherish-ment of our genuine selves on all sides. And I cannot imagine when I would have mustered the courage to step out of my familiar job into this economic unknown without Emily in my world. Thank you, Emily. I'm moving to Oakland in October, into Emily's amazing, lovely house. And when she says she wants it to be not her house but our house when we both live there, I believe her. Call me crazy... I'm beginning to feel less hike-organizery, so if you want to go for a hike but would like to invite me because I know a lot of trails, let's plan it!!! Cheers all! Tutoring Promo For your consideration: http://kermitbubbleboy.net/mlmtutor2.wmv Pass it on!

I made a youtube movie

mikmms — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:10:59 GMT

http://kermitbubbleboy.net/treatise.wmv or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NbGjfRDLbE

Martha

mikmms — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:23:24 GMT

Martha needs a new home. She's about 9 years old, affectionate and independent. She is an indoor cat who may be able to be with other cats but will take a LONG time to adjust. She's accustomed to canned food twice a day, though five ounces once a day is fine too, and she is very good about using her litter box and almost never coughs up anything unpleasant. If her nails are clipped monthly she won't scratch up a thing--if not she might claw the carpet just a little bit. She's a sweet little feline princess, with boundless grace and affection for her human co-habitants. I hate to lose her but my new home (by 11/1/07) is a cat-free place and, well, she is undeniably feline. Please spread the word to gentle, responsible friends. Martha's ideal home would keep her entirely indoors (she lacks street-smarts) and provide a lap and a gentle hand for a few minutes each day. She has been getting Advantage on a monthly basis for most of her life, so she is utterly flea-free. However, it should be noted that if she is exposed to even one flea, she is quite allergic and becomes miserable almost at once. Advantage makes this a non-issue. Please let me know as soon as possible if you can help! Cheers! Mike Oh! And if you know anyone who needs a tutor, show them this!: http://kermitbubbleboy.net/mlmtutor5.wmv Thanks all!!!

Sauron

mikmms — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:33:58 GMT

Yikes! You can see my workplace from my backyard! I never knew! That gave me pause....

Pros and Cons

mikmms — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:10:39 GMT

1. Rock and roll is a pain. Standing for three hours hurts. Even seeing acts that I adore I often leave early. However, I would gladly stand for 5 hours in order to get 40 minutes of Melt Banana. Friday night I stayed for the whole show, had a whole beer spilled on me, had my shoes ruined and gained countless bruises...and I wish I could do it again. There are very few musicians of this caliber making music with this degree of ferocity, invention AND musicality. They set up their own equipment. They warmly greet all fans who insist on saying hello or handing them a demo. Their playing is spot on as individuals and as a band. Oh the sheer joy of it. Thank you Melt Banana. See you next time around... Curious seekers should listen to Green Eyed Devil or Spider Snipe from Bambi's Dilemma and go from there... _________________________________________________ In other news... 2. I have now had a third Turkey with Havarti Cheese on Cracked Wheat Bread with Grilled Onion and Bacon sandwich from 7-11, this time from the store near Kearny and Post. Yet again, the sandwich was bizarrely delicious and either freakishly wholesome or a remarkable simulation. 3. I miss my brother. He lives in the wrong state. That pisses me off. grumpy grumpy 4. Hikes coming up in Point Reyes and Big Basin. 5. If anyone wants to go for 10-25 mile bike rides around the Bay, I think it'd be wise for me to go far afield less alone, you know? 6. Transformers does not suck. Isn't that weird? 7. I just started Season One of the show with my favorite theme music: The Practice. Say, that's some fine network TV! 8. I have no iPod...it's being serviced. What if I convulse??! 9. Emily Emily Emily...wow. Emily indeed. mmmmwah. 10. Speaking of whom, Emily threw a mahvelous post 4th of July party on Saturday and I wanted to thank all my folks who showed up and contributed to the scene! Furthermore, if you intended to come but didn't or would like to have but couldn't, think of nothing of it and just come on down next time--not only will you meet some shockingly friendly folks, you'll also get some amaaaaazing cuisiney goodness laid onya. Cheers!

New York City!

mikmms — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 16:45:59 GMT

So...going to New York for 10 days feels like going to the Smithsonian for 15 minutes. Excited and overwhelmed indeed! Any suggestions? We'll be there in August. Silly me, apart from the people we'll see, all I care about is museums and 475 Riverside Drive...tell me what I should do. Tell me tell me!

Pep Talk

mikmms — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 22:04:24 GMT

So, I was reviewing my journals from my teaching program and I stumbled into one that really kinda blew my mind. Yeah, I was kinda dramatic and smart-alecky and such...but boy it sure seems like the guy who wrote this should find his way into a classroom at some point... And further, I noted the date and realized that it hails from ground zero of perhaps the darkest, toughest stretch of my personal and internal life through which I've ever slogged. And yet, look what I wrote when asked to respond to the CA Content Standards.... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11-20-2002 I think most important thing for us to remember about this tool we have called the California Academic Content Standards is that it is a tool; these ridiculous divisions between art, science, social studies, math and literacy are entirely artificial—they help us organize what we cover but the material is entirely inter-dependent—truth and meaning are to be found in the connections! Or at least, critical thinking must be taught as a modeled (and then cooperative and then individual) breaking down of these false divisions between humankind’s knowledge, cognitive and emotional development. Call it applied Habermas; I feel very strongly about his description of Modernity’s careful division of thought into realms of art, science and morals and its terrible error in neglecting to re-integrate them—periodically at least! For this reason, I adored these standards, with their intimate ties to social studies—which must encompass math, science and literature as well if one is paying attention—except for the one about teaching kindergartners to differentiate between “functional vs. non-utilitarian art.” Argggh! Talk about setting off on the wrong foot. Surely there is a value judgment placed here in favor of utilitarian art—gawrsh, everyone knows useful is more important than useless! What makes art "utilitarian" anyway, the fact that it aids us in the areas of food, shelter and safety aka survival? So this is the art that puts us on a par with cockroaches and ants. Yay! Don’t get me wrong; I love cockroaches and ants; they are as miraculous as any leopard, bisque or pulsar, but the thing that makes us human is the way we interact with our environment with motives beyond survival, seeking the satisfaction of expression and the solidarity of communication. I see art in a clover-leaf highway interchange seen from airplane, which structure is not about mere survival but human connections, which structure also shares a kinship with the appearance of ox-bow lakes astride meandering rivers: one is the natural process of striving to efficiently fulfill the imperative of the water cycle; the other is the human/natural process of striving to efficiently make human connections…or is it about moving commodities? Or are people merely commodities? These are the kinds of questions inspired by art and anything else we make! This utilitarian vs. non-utilitarian distinction is an invitation to lazy thinking, as far as I can see. Is there a greater purpose in the distinction—one that will serve kindergartners well—that I’m missing? I looked at all the visual and performing arts standards instead of just the visual arts. The dance area makes me nervous because of the history of “cute” pageantry involving ethnic stereotypes—it seems the kids are taught to dance Native American dances before they learn much about Native American culture surrounding the dances. Now, if we have a Native American dance troupe to come and teach dances, that would be great. I would not want to be a white middle-class male teacher applying war paint to children and stomping around with them like a “savage.” That would be bad. The Music curriculum is great, especially in that the first graders get to specifically learn curriculum based upon cultures represented in their own school. Snag those funds of knowledge, Teachers! Theater curriculum was most impressive, with the distinction between audience and actor taught in grade one, universal characters considered in grade two and universal themes considered in grade three. All the areas were closely linked to social studies, with California art/music/dance/theater considered in grade four and Ancient Cultures’ art/music/dance/theater covered in grade six. Some of the best elements of the visual arts curriculum were the requirement that fourth graders be familiar with local artists and fifth graders get into the process of art developing over time in a specific culture: they are to “View selected works of art from a major culture and observe changes in materials and styles over a period of time.” That’s good stuff. Back in 3rd grade they should have learned the differences between “representational, abstract and non-representational” works—something I will teach very carefully if I teach 3rd, as you might imagine. I would like to teach a lesson about Minoan civilization and the Palace of Knossos to my sixth graders. I would begin with a slideshow, incorporating a timeline and a world map. Then we would begin looking at the Palace ruins and discuss the meaning of what we see—what does this tell us about this culture? We would then really look carefully at the Frescoes…what makes a painting a Fresco? What can we say about the technique, is there perspective of some kind? What can we say about the subject matter? How does it compare to other ancient art (show slides—fewer warlike images, lots of festivals and games…)? Why would these cultures decorate their walls with these images? If we painted a similar “Fresco” or mural depicting our daily life, what would be on it? We would brainstorm ideas, assign various motifs to various students and then sketch our designs on paper at our desks; discussion would be OK. If possible, I would show slides of Michelangelo’s or DaVinci’s or perhaps a variety of artists sketches to help the kids see this as a key part of the process. Hopefully, we could organize our sketches on a portable bulletin board and then step outside to paint on a huge length of butcher paper with poster paints; if possible this would be an ongoing project. It would be fun to discuss the difficulty of painting on the ground and think about the paintings in Lascaux or the Sistine Chapel and how hard THOSE must have been to get there. By the end of this work, kids should be able to discuss why cultures have arisen and collapsed through the ages; what art can tell us about a culture; some of the ways artistic technique developed through the years between cave paintings and the rise of Classical Greece. In Jenny’s class I have been primarily roaming the room, responding to raised hands when they are working on various projects. I really enjoy this, practicing getting down to the students’ level (literally) and really listening to what they need. I have found that it is extremely effective to clarify a concept, requirement or strategy, make sure the student is satisfied she understands, and then return in about 3-5 minutes, automatically. I find that 50% of the time, or maybe slightly more, there is a remaining area for clarification which can then be nailed down most effectively, and the students really appreciate this kind of thoroughness. I don’t invade, since I am returning unsolicited, but ask if I can see how they’re doing; they always say yes, so far. I am learning a lot about what “high teacher expectations” really look like. I have found that my experience as a substitute and maybe even a remaining shred of unexamined racism (deficit rather than competency orientation toward students perceived as poor or “of color”) have reduced my (or I should say, caused me to reduce my own) standards a great deal from where they should be. A big issue for me is my tendency to accept a certain amount of laziness or carelessness in responses—this really stinks because I think it stems from an elitist place where I have seen Project kids who deal with garbage in their doorways and liquor on every corner and I carelessly think, “yeah, that looks pretty good, considering…” What a loaded “considering” that is—and what’s worse, because my initial experience with African American and Latino children was with children from poor neighborhoods and projects, I have watched myself apply that assumed background along racial lines. Holy hell, it’s like a cancer, racist thinking. Anyway, I have been pleased to note that “considering…” kind of thinking as a red flag and I repeatedly switch from using a deficit model (which I would have been hard pressed to admit I ever had until not so long ago) to simply evaluating work as if it were my own: is this good enough for me to turn in? Would sixth grade Mike (barring emotional and rebelliousness issues) turn this in? Does it reflect a solid effort? If no, then what needs changing? This is when I apply the love sandwich I so adore, noting a great strength of the work, a key area for improvement or correction, and another strength, tied to a phrase of encouragement. I know that sounds artificial but it doesn’t when I use it because it is almost always easy to be perfectly sincere in all three categories! It is scary to talk about racism frankly, but it is in its avoidance that a (white) guy like me can be dangerously prone to unwittingly racist thinking, because our society is so saturated with it that it becomes invisible to those not directly hurt by it…not to mention those who enjoy numerous privileges because of it. ----------------------------------------------------------------- I'm looking to start subbing again at last in September. And see where it leads... Cheers all!

Where am I...?

mikmms — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:45:00 GMT

Hang on to your hats: 7-11 makes a good sandwich. I first bought one in Mill Valley while hurrying to Mt Tam, after scowling at the hot dogs and snack bags. At the summit, I was startled to find the sandwich wholesome and delicious. And then, assuming that was an anomaly but hoping for a miracle, I stopped in at the 27th and Harrison 7-11 in Oakland yesterday, rushing to hang out with some sober drunks I know, and lo! there was the same sandwich! It has a long name: Turkey with Havarti Cheese on Cracked Wheat Bread with Grilled Onion and Bacon Kind of them to clarify that it is Havarti CHEESE and not Havarti Marmalade or Havarti Sausage or Havarti Chads or something, don't you think? It is definitely high in sodium and involves the flesh of two surely-mistreated critters, but the bread is top notch and the packaging includes the date it was made as well as the "best by" date and TIME. Don't get me wrong, I prefer and endorse the ingestion of whole foods involving a minimum of slaughter and a maximum of fresh, chemical-free air and water, dreamily cultivated by happy hippies...but golly moses there's just no denying that 7-11 will now hover at the fringes of my fuel radar as I sprint from thing to thing to thing to thing each day panting and wimpering a few jittery steps ahead of the dreaded Just Be Monster.

Mike Trivia

mikmms — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:51:09 GMT

1. Periodically (perhaps weekly) I will find myself humming or softly singing the "...from a great height..." section of the Radiohead song PARANOID ANDROID. (I can hum a song for a long time before I notice I'm doing it) When it happens with this section of this song, invariably I can think back through my last few hours and find that at some point I used a very low urinal. 2. I could not listen to the band Cake for about three years after my divorce. I am now enjoying a Cake revival. I love Cake! They are from Stockton and they sound like no one else! 3. If I bring a present to a child's birthday party, it will fly (or at least launch into the air if you wanna get all technical). 4. Though I neither fully understand nor particularly agree with the sentiment expressed, I am entertained to the point of chuckling aloud each morning when I cross Bush on Montgomery Street and see "thanks for nothing, hippie" carefully stencilled onto the sidewalk. 5. I really like Uncle Sam cereal, and I am charmed by the fact that it contains flax seed, which the box warns may settle to the bottom, but I am distressed by the startling resemblance a lone flax seed upon a counter or floor bears to a flea. 6. I prefer thick, soft bathroom tissue, but I recently realized that I buy Cottonelle in particular simply because there is a picture of a real puppy on it and not a cartoon or a baby. 7. I am excited to be seeing Silverchair, Rush and Tears for Fears this summer. I am sad I will miss Fresh Meat and Melt Banana this summer. There is a festival of Muppet oriented things at YBCA during the last two weeks of June. Emily and I will be at at least three of them. We're going to New York in August. I might need to borrow a parka from someone. I'm going to hear a bunch of Prokofiev tonight with my Dad and buddy Andrew and some hike/booky friends. Super excited. I am more encouraged then I was when I last blogged. Thanks for your support, ladies and gents.

ear party

mikmms — Fri, 18 May 2007 06:11:20 GMT

I cannot get enough of Busdriver http://www.myspace.com/busdriver Go here, stop the autoplay music and scroll down and watch all the 30 second promos. So many textures! Mmmmmmm..... It's just a suggestion. Also Midlake. Busdriver and Midlake. I swoon with pleasure. I also picked up "The Essential Nik Kershaw" and I don't know how long it'll last but I'm really enjoying The Riddle, Don Quixote and Save The Whale for the first time in...erm...20 years? Only ever owned Kershaw on LP. Nowadays these tunes are an almost toxically potent dose of pure 1984 synth-arama, but damn that man can write a song. Oh and Sam Cooke rules. He sends me. Honest he does. New Burning Brides in June!!!!! I already have the vinyl but there's no way I'm gonna break the seal. Ha ha, does this kinda stuff interest anyone...? echo........... ;) Oh. PS so...if you'd like to hear... www.myspace.com/burningbrides www.myspace.com/midlake "Roscoe" is a good place to start. And their songs don't autoplay because they are just SO thoughtful and polite. www.nikkershaw.net/discography.asp and best of all I just stumbled onto www.samcooke.com/ which opens like a little multimedia documentary (ok its a commercial for the album I just bought) as soon as you click! Nice! What on Earth do these tunes have in common...? I found the first three to be just vaguely interesting but somewhat lackluster at first but I kept listening for some reason...and over time I started going whoah whoah, WAIT a minute...this is amaaaaazing. Of course Sam Cooke is a gold standard that you just go ahhhhhh the moment he opens his mouth. Check it out if you don't remember what he sounds like. OK Now I'm truly rambling...

Endorphins?

mikmms — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:56:50 GMT

I wept for joy this morning as I was coming down 17th street from Twin Peaks and heard a story about pianist Lang Lang who was inspired to play Liszt by a Tom and Jerry cartoon (where Tom plays Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2) and who now makes audiences insane with glee by leaping to his feet when plays the final chord of a piece. This rules. The dude is 24 and he's been playing piano since he was three. I ride with only one earphone in my ear, btw. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10060309

ouch

mikmms — Thu, 10 May 2007 06:15:17 GMT

I keep saying I just have to show up for life and let go of the outcome. But I never realize how much I've been making plans until they are thwarted by a fate that is wise and kind and knows the big picture and doesn't really give a damn about my little notions of what should happen. And how is it that I can be showered in gifts and then still rail against the heavens when there is no cherry on my sundae? Because, you know, its a pretty damn fine Sundae. But if I were the man I'm supposed to be, it'd have a cherry on it. Now. Cuz cuz look at hers and his and his. They don't even deserve like a single scoop and they have like, jimmies and cherries and everything. My perspective does me no good! I want to sulk I guess. I'm gonna do that for a minute. Perspective shmershmective. Hee hee, thats a funny word...Oh wait, I'm sulking.... Gimme a minute. I'll do the onward upward thing again in a few... Right now I need to hibernate. Stay tuned.

You can see Twin Peaks from my shower!

mikmms — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 21:24:35 GMT

This is fun because I ride my bike there in the morning and then I can shower hurriedly for work and look out the window and go yep yep I was just there as soap gets into my eyes because I'm distracted. Yay!

Sleep Train Pavilion or Shoreline?

mikmms — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:49:34 GMT

Which is better? If I have a better chance of getting tickets up-front at one than the other, let me know that, too. Anybody? In an attempt to rekindle those heady adolescent days riding my hand-me-down bike up Pierce Road with Moving Pictures blasting in my ears through the orange foam headphones pads on my hand-me-down, first generation Walkman... I'm gonna go see Rush for the first time in 2007! Woohoo! yes, I'm a dork. I watched the live VHS of the Moving Pictures tour like a hundred times when I was a youngster...but I never saw the band...

Oh, I guess you can see the photos big on Tribe

mikmms — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 05:44:49 GMT

Oh well, there're more of 'em over here. http://blog.myspace.com/milfus

I didn't want to share

mikmms — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 06:20:21 GMT

They took my radio and my window. But they left a bunch of the window for me to clean up. But my roommate Jen cleaned up a lot of the stuff I left in the car. So I guess it evens out kinda. I'm just lucky I have stuff. Some people have like no stuff at all. And they never get robbed or have windows broken, because they don't have a window. They don't even have a snack! And here I am all grumpy because I'm *trying* not to eat sugar. And I can have as much sugar as I want! I have like 50 windows and access to mountains of sugar. I'm lucky as heck. And soon I'll have a new car radio.

Podcasts! Why didn't I try this before?

mikmms — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:44:03 GMT

When I bought my iPod I was annoyed that it had video...now I always have some TV downloaded in case I get stuck at a bus stop or in a line somewhere without a book. And Podcasts? Why on earth...? Oh but I was sorely mistaken... --------------------- Studio 360 is engaging and entertaining and thought provoking every time, no matter what the topic. They did an amazing show on the Lincoln Memorial (?!) recently, a beautiful piece on Andy Kaufman and the band Rotary Downs, and a look at various responses to Iraq...all of which topics make me shrug and go "feh" when I read the listing, but when I hear the way they are covered I am consistently thoroughly engaged. They interview musicians and artists intelligently and seem to have a super well-rounded (moral, aesthetic and scientific angles all considered) approach to any topic. I no longer care what they are covering each week, I just listen eagerly and am always captivated.You can get it free from the iTunes music store if you are iPodful. AND if you are a rock and roll person like me, I highly highly HIGHLY recommend SOUND OPINIONS from Chicago Public Radio. In depth rock and roll goodness hosted by two guys who really know their stuff but aren't stuffy or obnoxious. They interviewed Andy Summers, Moby, Radiohead, Jason Lytle from Grandaddy, The Ramones...and all the features are great, from the news to the buried treasures and reviews...I may soon have downloaded the entire back catalog of shows! NPR Music and Movies podcasts are fun too. Heard great interviews with Bill Withers, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roger Eno. I also like the show Echoes. All Songs Considered should be swell but Bob Boilen's years of directing All Things Considered doesn't seem to have made him a great host and his inane commentary and boneheaded interviewing while introducing some wonderful musical finds kinda hurts my head...Just my opinion. Maybe a snap judgment? Those Sound Opinions guys set the bar pretty high... Cheers!

Does everyone know about this?

mikmms — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 07:39:03 GMT

The TV show SOAP is one of the best things ever. There's a scene where Jody Dallas (Billy Crystal) positively insists that his older brother acknowledge that he's gay, or admit that he must have never really loved him in the first place if he can't love him as he truly is. This in the middle of a slapstick sitcom from the mid-70's. The comedy is still funny, often, to me. The drama is startlingly touching and, of all things the crazy over-the-top soap-opera plot is really interesting; I really want to know what's going to happen. My friend Kathy was right when she told me about the guy with the dummy in like 1990 and I was like "Soap? Wazzat?" The guy with the dummy IS hilarious! And with 10 episodes per DVD, I can just soak in it. Ahhh.