tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3639562259381709592012-02-12T12:05:52.213-08:00Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.comBlogger2071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-89803531240289414972012-02-11T00:03:00.000-08:002012-02-11T00:26:14.670-08:00

Ha! Another blog update: All I had to do was declare myself on leave, and there I was having fun with this again. I don't know about you, but I'm finding the new blogging format styles very difficult to navigate, or just unsatisfying. They're too focused on just the latest thing. For me, half the enjoyment in reading other people's blogs is seeing the whole story, and that includes reviewing and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-19527568854348479502012-01-29T23:04:00.000-08:002012-02-01T09:58:48.354-08:00

taking a break Hi - I've been slowing down quite a bit with the Planetbound blogging lately. It's been a great two years and the best fun I've ever had on a computer learning curve, but lately my focus has turned to taking care of some other kinds of personal business. I might be back up to speed soon - hope so. If you're new here - welcome! Check out some of the older posts. Some of my

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-25379533290067308002012-01-17T19:09:00.000-08:002012-02-10T23:14:29.619-08:00

SOPA and PIPA - aren't they friendly little names? You'd think they were Yorkshire Terriers, not jackbooted culture crushers. Wikipedia update, post-blackout: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more TED Talk by Clay Shirky at http://www.ted.com/talks/defend_our_freedom_to_share_or_why_sopa_is_a_bad_idea.html Great Infographic: http://americancensorship.org/

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-55075772902506564852012-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:002012-01-15T13:43:14.316-08:00

Just got this in an email from my always-surprising correspondent TJGeezer, casually thrown in to a discussion about the future of eBook readers, and though I'd share... heh...  "Reading books using a retinal projector - that's the ticket," he writes, "at least until we can buy some hardware and jack directly  into our brain. The console cowboy's life, yeah, that's the life. Where's my mouth

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-31120338115603478292011-12-29T22:29:00.000-08:002012-02-12T12:05:00.322-08:00

This year has been filled with exciting news about people inventing new ways to take food production back from agribusiness, which is an insane and destructive system (see update, below), and make it part of the community - both in actual community projects and, on the Internet, forming international communities trying out new things and sharing information. I kept adding new links to this draft

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-75587371846819915872011-12-25T12:54:00.000-08:002011-12-29T09:06:13.008-08:00

Reindeer really do fly! This video is restricted from embedding here, so go to the You Tube site to find out the real story behind that flying sleigh! Thanks to talented artist Tenaya for that one - it is embedded on her website DreamSpeak Design. Check out her beautiful Winter art. Another artist friend makes magical and sometimes rather subversive videos with dolls. You don't have to be "into"

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-35672966069809817202011-12-16T08:21:00.000-08:002012-02-10T23:16:54.469-08:00

I just came across this post from last March, in Clay Shirky's weblog: After Tahrir: Protecting US Muslims from Bigotry I think this is the photo he was referring to (it didn't display for me on the blog).  Here's the site where I found the photo, and it's worth a visit. These are Coptic Christians in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, holding hands around Muslims during Friday prayer, to protect them

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-87741318181408613542011-12-13T22:13:00.000-08:002012-01-02T10:31:44.423-08:00

I haven't even seen Muslims in America - I gather it's on TLC, and I don't subscribe to the extra channels - but I've been hoping to see it later if it shows up on Hulu or Netflix. Then I got this email from my friend Cindy: On Wednesday nights there is (was) a television program: "American Muslim", sponsored by Lowe's. The program followed several American Muslim families in their daily

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-16172008809477980132011-12-12T10:58:00.000-08:002012-01-06T21:42:41.608-08:00

Hi again. I'm rewriting this post in January 2012 since much has changed in a short few weeks. I didn't write much here in November or December because I was putting in a lot of time helping a neighbor set up a blog, but the partnership has now ended. However I am very proud of the part I did manage to finish, a remounting of his unique memoir of World War II and its aftermath for him personally.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-231296645152160442011-11-22T11:52:00.000-08:002012-02-10T23:21:39.719-08:00

Yesterday I got one from demandprogress.org saying that Sen. Wyden (OR) is willing to filibuster to help hold back the current attack on Internet freedom, and suggesting that we send him our names to read on the floor if it comes to that. I eagerly signed and Tweeted. Here's the link to go there directly, and add your name if you  haven't done it yet:  http://stopcensorship.org/?referring_akid=

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-43312684638090311062011-11-19T08:49:00.000-08:002011-11-29T20:18:53.452-08:00

As another dawn arrives on the West Bank, Mr. Abu Laila tenderly checks on his sleeping child; his wife awakens; they all prepare for another day. They make their plans: on his way to work driving a cab, Mr. Laila will drop the little girl off at school; his wife will pick her up on her way back home from her day at work; he promises he will be home by 8:00 to celebrate Laila's seventh birthday.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-37306786616369059292011-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:002012-01-14T08:25:22.383-08:00

(UPDATED 1/12) May I introduce my neighbor Jim Jeffrey, a combat veteran of World War II--and a lifetime veteran of working for peace. He has written the most honest, compelling, and moving account of war, from the soldier's point of view, that I've ever read, and I was happy to help him post it in blog form.  You can read it now at http://thehumanexperimentinliving.blogspot.com/p/

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-80306267261652985472011-11-10T17:55:00.000-08:002011-11-10T18:06:22.511-08:00

Carolyn Porco, planetary scientist Here's another great video from the Symphony of Science folks. One one of the "singers" in it is Carolyn Porco, and because of the video I was led to this great TED Talk from a few years ago - one of the most inspiring I've seen. Porco is the planetary scientist who was the leader of the imaging team from the Cassini mission to Saturn and its moons. Her work

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-86819579499310921992011-11-03T14:22:00.000-07:002011-11-05T08:44:00.674-07:00

I love being on the water. I always dreamed of living on a houseboat and finally did that, for a few years, in DC. Then I lived on a lake for several years, where where I could swim 24/7. Sailed a little, too. I've loved body surfing in the Mediterranean (when a storm brought in some waves), Hawaii, South India's western coast, and the Atlantic off Assateague Island and Nag's Head. I ran rivers

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-44720996535605957742011-10-31T07:57:00.000-07:002011-11-03T14:27:20.039-07:00

Watch on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njoJTpXptks

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-7990937318198318572011-10-26T11:36:00.000-07:002011-10-26T11:36:13.433-07:00

Found this nice video on YouTube. Wishing the world a happy Diwali! Uploaded by erompc on Oct 16, 2009: Diwali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light".Greetings to all- Wishing you and your family very Happy Diwali and Prosperous New Year. Like many religious holidays, Diwali (Devali, Deepavali) contains

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-2265965667671295242011-10-26T08:26:00.000-07:002011-12-08T17:46:35.552-08:00

Here's a fantastic TED talk. Next time I hear someone shout "the USA is the best" I'll steer them to this (assuming, that is, that anyone still saying that could understand statistics). Good to have some evidence to back up the "intuitive" wisdom that inequality is bad. (Note: if you have trouble finding the US in some of these visuals, it's because we're often practically off the chart on the "

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-87984928582365631672011-10-17T22:31:00.000-07:002012-02-04T00:05:07.006-08:00

There are an awful lot of vampires out there these days. I'm not referring to corporations here, but literature. I wouldn't define myself as a fan of the genre, exactly, but in the hands of an outstanding writer the vampire offers fabulous possibilities for viewing the human world from a different perspective. And as a form of erotica, a well written and imaginative vampire story offers a

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-65349021177569430732011-10-13T08:13:00.000-07:002011-12-30T15:15:26.571-08:00

What a fabulous photo! Says it all: "We're not disorganized. America just has too many issues." And the protest takes them right to the source: the capital of the failed economic system. From http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/10/the_occupy_wall_street_movemen.html Wonderful collection of photos there. Terrific site! People whining and nattering about "lack of focus" just don't get it: at

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-75191074351453457942011-10-10T22:23:00.000-07:002012-02-07T13:55:40.296-08:00

Here's a book that's come up in conversation a couple of times recently. Mars keeps cropping up, for one thing. And the "Face on Mars" crowd reportedly has been shifting their focus to Phobos--where, in the the interior, they think there is an alien base or artifact. Don't ask me. Maybe they got it from these authors. Boundary by Ryk E. Spoor and Eric Flint (Baen Books, 2008) As this engaging

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-75460684597104831092011-10-08T14:26:00.000-07:002011-12-30T15:16:11.449-08:00

Truth is, compared to most American towns we're already largely #Occupied. I mean, the keynote speaker was our State Representave Peter Buckley (a leader in the Oregon State Bank movement, to take our State funds out of corporate banks and use it here, a la North Dakota), followed by a speech from the Mayor himself, before we even got to the rest of them (thanks to the great groups who organized

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-33624422938953931802011-10-06T10:29:00.000-07:002011-12-30T15:14:06.299-08:00

Here's the link in case it doesn't load right for you. They did leave a few things out of the collective statement, but I think a lot of issues were encompassed by something or other in the statement. If I included everything in that statement in my cloud label (blog index) it would be almost all my label terms. I'd have liked to hear more about women and children's exploitation, oppression

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-6672046947446485412011-10-03T22:27:00.000-07:002011-10-03T22:34:45.198-07:00

To celebrate the new occupation of America, here's a treat! Tony Bennett is a real progressive hero, and still going strong - now with Lady Gaga! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPAmDULCVrU

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-2649838522924345782011-10-03T22:26:00.000-07:002011-12-30T15:14:40.719-08:00

What a difference a few months can make. In February I wrote this post about people protesting the Koch Brothers and other corrupt financiers. I rather wistfully hoped that there would be more of this and by golly the idea did grow, and now it's busting out all over as #OccupyWallStreet (and everywhere else, all of a sudden, as #OccupyTogether; that grew so fast they had to do an emergency

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-66994011705836447422011-09-24T14:44:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:08:35.008-07:00

Cute kids too! http://contract.rebuildthedream.com/ ******************* Thank you. (-the mgt.) PS to (certain of) my Canadian friends (you know who you are) (and this is meant in the friendliest spirit possible): we call this country "America" because that's the name ("United States of America"). No other country has "America" in the name, so there's really no confusion about this. Please

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-58454460197696235832011-09-20T08:22:00.000-07:002011-09-20T08:22:28.004-07:00

Equinox is balance. Image borrowed from this site  - thanks! Depending on where on the globe you find yourself, happy Equinox, fall or spring! Here's it's Mabon and summer is still bravely hanging on though a few colder days have crept in. Now I'm sadly disconnected from the harvest, but I might rejoin the community garden someday if I ever really need to grow food. Or maybe this time it will

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-81580892831397250592011-09-13T20:13:00.000-07:002011-10-21T23:02:41.898-07:00

http://www.osfashland.org/ Love's Labor's Lost on the Elizabethan Stage is tremendous fun. I'll admit it took me a while to warm to this staging, as director Shana Cooper takes the most gloriously verse-rich text of any of Shakespeare's plays and emphasizes screwball comedy. It sometimes feels like one of those old film comedies where the action is speeded-up to increase comedic effect

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-59661221879020997922011-09-05T23:39:00.000-07:002011-09-06T19:23:57.134-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWIPZvwcnX8 Hope there isn't an ad - sorry if there is. I'm still figuring these things out! Thanks& a tip 'o the hat to Lynn for this, who found it on http://catladiesproject.blogspot.com/ - a delightful blog I'm now following.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-76067709388364415462011-09-01T07:10:00.000-07:002011-09-05T07:49:44.062-07:00

Image from http://recollectionbooks.com/bleed/0119.htm I promised on Memorial Day that I'd repost this one on Labor day, but really a link makes more sense since I'm not making any changes. It's at http://mypersonalblogccm.blogspot.com/2011/05/for-memorial-day-two-ballads-of-joe.html We seem to be in the midst of a renaissance of awareness about unions, since once again too  many people have

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-30656152477165168212011-08-30T17:32:00.000-07:002011-09-27T12:37:49.515-07:00

I can't believe that August is almost over! And in the whole month I finished only one post. This is partly due to a catastrophic computer crash - and now that it's back from the factory I'm still catching up with updates. And getting used to a new keyboard. HP noticed that half my letters were worn off, and several key caps were missing (I never should have shown my cat that YouTube of birds!)

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-55622236575722212642011-08-02T14:04:00.000-07:002011-08-29T13:34:37.845-07:00

Update 8/29: More for Minoans -- Love of the Goddess blog just posted a recommendation of Ode to Minoa by Theresa C. Dintino, a work of fiction set in ancient Crete. It looks good! Synchronicity at work, so I wanted to add the link to that review here. ************Thanks to the ever-witty Emily of  poesy galore for posting this great video by historyteachers (and look! many more there, by this

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-7487140151925210692011-07-24T19:53:00.000-07:002011-08-03T06:39:57.476-07:00

Lovely! And how perfect to illustrate a "planetbound" perspective. From NASA's Picture of the Day site, and Vimeo, here's the link and the explanation: Southern Ocean SkyImage Credit & Copyright: Alex Cherney (Terrastro); Music: RedmanExplanation: Clouds and sky both show illuminating changes during this time lapse video from the south of Australia. In the foreground are scenes visible over a

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-19502916366925787512011-07-21T17:24:00.000-07:002011-07-21T17:24:34.306-07:00

Sometimes I love YouTube

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-11577575539451842342011-07-13T00:49:00.000-07:002011-08-20T06:54:22.742-07:00

http://www.osfashland.org Every time I think the Oregon Shakespeare Festival can't possibly get better, it does. Ghost Light, a new play by Jonathan Moscone and Tony Taccone, is a very affecting and wise story--amusing, surprising, and well and clearly told, with a profound punch. It's about its main character's inner psychological state, and at the same time it struck me as a haunting

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-61900986044109777082011-07-06T00:50:00.000-07:002011-08-30T16:49:54.546-07:00

Earlier, I wrote a post about Todd Barton, the composer in residence at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He's been doing a series of improvisational sessions with musician friends on Friday noons at the Schneider Museum on the Southern Oregon University campus. I've only been able to get to two of these performances but each was amazing in its own way. I do enjoy hearing new sounds-- and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-24501607082944440682011-07-05T20:11:00.000-07:002011-09-13T20:26:30.912-07:00

http://www.osfashland.org/ I've been fortunate enough to see both these plays a second time recently and it's amazing what a difference a day makes! This isn't about unevenness; although it's likely that some changes have been made in these productions between their preview performances and the ones at the height of the summer season, the fact that I enjoyed both of them even more the second

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-54286827702747550622011-07-03T18:40:00.000-07:002011-07-03T19:02:55.272-07:00

Thanks to friendly neighbor Meri Walker, who posted this on her blog. Who'd have expected the famously vigorous Punjabi dance form to translate into a kind of yoga for overworked computer users? Or how about just getting your robot to do it for you! (I especially like the arm movements at about 22 seconds) Or get up and dance along with this - Or in full color, a Bollywood bhangra

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-31950254904422116492011-06-23T22:17:00.000-07:002011-06-24T22:32:35.378-07:00

And yet another video. On YouTube; there's the link in case it won't load. Needs no further comment (but of course there are a couple, below). I suspect quite a few of us would have this as our epitaphs, now that we're getting old enough to look back, and to think about that kind of thing... A masterful job of videocrafting by the YouTuber "randomcrapist," who writes:"Pieces of three

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-17252620617084301282011-06-20T08:16:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:24:49.460-07:00

Earlier I wrote, partly tongue-in-cheek, about how OSF dealt with bad weather in an outdoor performance, so I must follow up here with how they deal with a real problem: on Saturday it was discovered that the main supporting beam in the Angus Bowmer Theatre (the largest of the OSF indoor theatres) was unsafe, and the theatre would have to be closed until it was fixed. Bowmer house: OSF photo

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-56287904203615211272011-06-19T20:21:00.000-07:002011-06-19T20:24:50.223-07:00

I seem to have entered into a season of mostly just sharing videos, lately. I thought this one was particularly good. In a little over 20 minutes it pretty much says it all. In an interview with Laura Flanders, John Perkins and Russ Baker talk about their recent books on global empire, how it works, and what can be done to change it. "We're at a watershed of history like nothing we've ever

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-81242898829662621452011-06-12T08:44:00.000-07:002011-06-12T08:44:55.452-07:00

Thank goodness for YouTube on a Sunday morning... (& thanks to Deb for forwarding)

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-28505696333980224232011-06-08T21:46:00.000-07:002011-06-11T08:22:27.275-07:00

We just saw this one in our neighborhood documentary series. We had about 25 people show up and we loved it. My review: see it! Actually this "sneak peek" contains some footage that I don't think was included in the version I saw. Never mind - it's ALL good! I see on Wikipedia that there's a UK version of this too. Can't find it on Netflix and would to see it too. Also highly recommended:

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-9521901888909790032011-06-05T02:15:00.000-07:002011-06-09T05:54:14.923-07:00

This is a really quick review of August: Osage County. Here's the thing: by an odd coincidence I just happened, the day before, to see the movie Downfall, which is a faithful reconstruction of the last days in Hitler's bunker. It's a train wreck of a story, of course, the End of Days for Hitler and the party faithful who are, like some of those other crazy cults that make the headlines from time

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-17927260860150596972011-06-03T00:12:00.000-07:002011-06-25T21:32:35.906-07:00

Day 5 was Monday April 11. By now we're bleary-eyed and a little punchy, but happy! So many great films. So much good company. What an incredible festival. I took a morning break while Jeanie and Peggy went to see Benevides Born. I think they liked it well enough but then our attention became focused on getting Jeanie to the airport and using our last few minutes on the way there to get caught

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-78949205172626301282011-06-02T21:25:00.000-07:002011-06-03T06:09:20.440-07:00

Catching up on some great films we saw last month at the film festival... Lobby of the Ashland Springs Hotel where the TALKbacks take place, in a room on the mezzanine. The great thing about AIFF is that all the venues are within easy walking distance; the hotel is just up the block from the Varsity Theatre. On to Sunday, April 10: We started with another of the reliably entertaining panel

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-15293986507262430942011-06-01T18:17:00.000-07:002011-07-08T19:33:57.333-07:00

http://www.osfashland.org/index.aspx Henry IV, Part Two (Theatre Review Weather Report) Michael Winters as Falstaff [Note: I saw this a second time during summer, in better weather; see that later post here.] A disclaimer: I'm not a critic; this is a journal-blog. And this isn't really the review I'd like to write; it's more of a weather report. The OSF's summer season may have begun, but

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-85709976181982307102011-05-30T10:29:00.000-07:002011-09-03T09:40:38.108-07:00

(Update: I've posted a link to this in honor of Labor Day, as promised.) On Memorial Day, I'm thinking of Joe Hill (1879-1915), great American: Swedish immigrant, labor organizer, song writer, martyr. "And just about the time that Joe died, lynching was just being born." This is for my Grandfather Norval, Norwegian immigrant and labor organizer, my father Selden, author of The Pecan Shellers of

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-48435838513404479512011-05-28T20:12:00.000-07:002011-06-15T08:30:16.542-07:00

The memory fades somewhat, but these great videos and photo collections from YouTube are running on a local channel; I just stumbled upon them, and they brought it all back. They really show what it feels like to have been here this year. Plans are already laid in chez Planetbound for AIFF 2012. So here are some more fantastic films to watch out for, if you haven't seen them yet: These Amazing

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-73402542896159140342011-05-27T23:39:00.000-07:002011-11-15T18:07:07.331-08:00

[Note: When I saw this production a second time I liked it even better; see that post here] Julius CaesarSaw this one recently. I had some reservations about some aspects of the production, but overall it caught and held my interest and left me with a lot to think about... Starting with the most obvious departure from "tradition", and the first thing everyone remarks on, Vilma Silva plays

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-5895783352782742132011-05-26T15:43:00.000-07:002011-05-26T22:59:06.891-07:00

Here are some great collections of true stories about women who threw off their fetters and lived in unconventional ways. These reviews are all pretty much as published in SLJ (School Library Journal--in the column highlighting books published for the mainstream market, but which could also be enjoyed by older teens reading at that level). Well, the first three were published; I don't think they

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-30007805119260232842011-05-26T10:55:00.000-07:002011-06-13T08:02:28.573-07:00

I had to share this lovely post from Emergent Culture. I'm not always in synch with everything I see there, but it's always interesting -- and this one blew me out of the water. Take a look: http://emergent-culture.com/the-health-ranger-has-fallen-off-his-horse-he-thinks-that-science-is-the-evil-of-our-time-mike-adams/ (from the linked post) It's a response by Rohaan Solare to another post by

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-5778536997051893892011-05-21T10:45:00.000-07:002011-05-28T01:32:43.052-07:00

I was reminded of this book by some recent discussions about life in Ashland, Oregon, where I live. It's often conspicuously a place of high culture and global consciousness that values and practices all varieties of diversity, yet remains overwhelmingly European-American in ethnic distribution. What's going on here? It's not really a mystery; I'll get to that later, in another post I'm drafting

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-45325600574013853162011-05-16T18:04:00.000-07:002011-05-16T18:06:22.385-07:00

I've enjoyed every one of Tony Hillerman's mysteries set in Navajo country, but here are three I happened to review, for SLJ (column recommending selected adult books to older teens). These are a random assortment - just ones I was lucky enough to review at the time they came out. They're the kind of books it's nice to revisit after a few years. The First Eagle (1998) Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-17358461207961455392011-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:002011-05-16T17:36:20.244-07:00

You've probably already received a dozen of these, but here's a 10-minute TED talk by Eli Pariser summarizing his thesis in new book The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding from You (the link to the book title takes you to Amazon, where there is also a good interview with Pariser):

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-9405488479217512342011-05-14T15:54:00.000-07:002011-05-15T01:11:36.400-07:00

The festival ended more than a month ago but it still comes up in conversation around here and I'm still determined to document some of it before I forget too much! We're eagerly awaiting the opportunity to see again (and share) many of these films as they come out in DVD or reappear at the Varsity for regular runs. AIFF broke records again in attendance and number of filmmaker present for panels

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-2304858245452269442011-04-28T02:06:00.000-07:002011-06-02T23:41:34.809-07:00

What with one thing and another - combining the festival with the very welcome company of two old  friends, while under the influence of powerful antibiotics and not anywhere near back to 100% functioning -- I never found the time or energy to write about the festival while it was going on, this year. I did make a start, at the beginning, and this post is derived from that draft. After this,

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-41619790238116317492011-04-27T22:57:00.000-07:002011-04-30T08:21:44.576-07:00

Something going on in my community reminded me of how, when I was a child, my father infected me with his own lifelong interest in utopias, both literary and sociological. I can remember him explaining that though they never survive for long, at least as originally envisioned, they are always worth the trying and have much to teach us. I've relished dozens, maybe hundreds, of utopian and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-28880105105713307652011-04-19T11:55:00.000-07:002011-06-03T06:44:35.544-07:00

If I were a great writer like these three people, I'd write about my family, too, because it was quite a ride. (Probably, most families are.) These three memoirs were eerily reminiscent of my own family life: one family way more functional than mine, one way less, and the third close to how it was for me sometimes, from the inside. For those of us who lack the talent to tell such large and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-21198443278691806222011-04-17T09:39:00.000-07:002011-04-17T09:39:13.126-07:00

Role of women in Arab protests continues in Yemen. YouTube video below. See also news story: women also assert that it is not "unIslamic" to protest!  That site has a video as well and it is so incredible to see these women marching in their oppressive black full-body hoods. (If you think this suffocating so-called "veil" is a matter of spirituality or choice, you've never worn one of those

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-16136440281057370162011-04-16T12:22:00.000-07:002011-10-03T22:16:19.399-07:00

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-32216460190700180382011-04-14T12:39:00.000-07:002011-05-28T00:57:15.753-07:00

I haven't been able to write yet about this year's festival but I do hope to review some of the  films I saw, before too long, because they were really good. Meanwhile, critic Shawn Levy's blog gives a good idea what it was like, from weather to special moments. Here are the links:http://blog.oregonlive.com/madaboutmovies/2011/04/ashland_independent_film_festi.html http://blog.oregonlive.com/

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-33338730194357855582011-04-01T02:16:00.000-07:002011-05-22T07:41:10.888-07:00

Here's one I really loved. Years later I still chuckle at the thought of it. What reminded me of this great science fictional fantasy by Jerry Oltion were several articles and documentaries I've seen recently about alternative energies (and here's a great one) not yet developed. Are they real? Hoaxes? If they are real, why aren't they spreading like wildfire? In a collapsing economy, wouldn't

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-8018632191358585982011-03-29T11:46:00.000-07:002012-02-04T03:55:46.007-08:00

Here's a great little short story by a friend named Bob. It puts it all on (as my brother said) a visceral level. We can talk all we want about Wall Street but this is what it comes down to. Thanks to Bob for letting me guest-blog his piece, and take a look at his excellent  Rant Collection any time you need a little revving-up.  (Following Bob's fine bit of literary truth about a family who

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-75984513289975134842011-03-27T14:51:00.000-07:002011-03-29T18:38:16.052-07:00

Below is a post I wrote on our private Mountain Meadows Blogspot group blog (just for Mountain Meadows Community residents). Though it might be of wider interest as well so I've copied it here:  Video Viewpoints, Inside Job, and Oregonians for a State BankIn case you weren't there for the Video Viewpoints program last Wednesday--a screening of Inside Job, and guests from Oregon Action--a very

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-41382717978219870882011-03-27T09:23:00.000-07:002011-03-27T19:01:17.260-07:00

I bought a ticket to The Imaginary Invalid with some reluctance, as I didn't expect to enjoy it. Let me say at the outset that, with the exception of Aphra Behn, I'm not a big fan of anything Restoration; and hypochondria, however satirically treated, does not strike me as particularly fertile ground for wit, much less humor. But several people I know said it was a lot of fun and worth seeing for

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-8622383337736151062011-03-08T19:32:00.000-08:002011-03-27T10:26:02.778-07:00

On the main drag in downtown Ashland, banners are flying for both the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Ashland Independent Film Festival. The new year has begun! The 2011 season of the reliably fabulous Oregon Shakespeare Festival  (check out this traveller's blog) is well underway with several plays in repertory (so far, I've seen three). Meanwhile, we're gearing up for the 2011

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-44456911481277851282011-02-26T22:44:00.000-08:002011-02-26T22:44:08.597-08:00

My first 1 man Stonehenge replica of 2400 lb. blocks put in place  with no hoisting equipment. Apropos of nothing in particular, but my dear brother sent this, and how can it be resisted? This Michigan man's hobby is "moving heavy objects" and he says "my favorite tool is gravity." You have to love it. My brother writes,"This website has an interesting short video on the tricks he is using to

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-87755992913484585712011-02-21T10:10:00.000-08:002011-03-27T18:21:05.609-07:00

I've just been prompted by two events to update an earlier post on Pakistan (click here to view it). The events were good news-and-bad news. The good news is that Bert Witt will be presenting his program on Pakistan, in expanded and updated form to include more information on Afghanistan and the surrounding region, to a much wider audience this year--at OLLI on April 20! (That's in Ashland,

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-52994132059822137332011-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:002011-12-30T15:39:55.234-08:00

It's not Tahrir Square, but it's something that might have a future. Thanks to ProgressivePhD of YouTube for that one. Update: On to Wisconsin... and beyond. Dare I hope this is a rebirth of the US labor movement??? http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/72-72/5042-cairo-to-madison-hope-and-solidarity "Solidarity is a beautiful thing." See also "What Does Wisconsin Mean to

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-49844755621446824952011-02-11T12:46:00.000-08:002011-03-11T08:42:59.459-08:00

Update: Women demanding social change in Middle East. Check it out: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/03/201134111445686926.html  In the streets of Cairo, Egyptian joy and celebration as Mubarak's resignation is announced. (photo: Dylan Martinez/Reuters) Photo from website http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/330-131/4801-

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-67610575557287356942011-02-10T20:59:00.000-08:002011-02-17T08:29:53.246-08:00

Introducing my first regular guest blogger: TJGeezer in Mexico. He sends a fascinating story from mainstream media that compounds Drug War issues with corporate and political corruption, even as it illustrates the necessity of keeping the Internet open and free for the public welfare. TJ prefers to remain pseudonymous, but I'm thrilled to share his stuff because besides the fact that he rites 

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-70605326826027300332011-02-09T13:28:00.000-08:002011-02-10T20:28:40.665-08:00

To follow on my earlier post celebrating the women of the Egyptian uprising... from The Guardian, "Egyptian actor Mohsena Tawfik explains why she has joined the protesters in Tahrir Square:" "The revolution shows ...the beauty of the people, and the nobility of the people." Another update 2/10/11 - just got this: WISE Stands in Solidarity with People of Egypt The Shura Council of the

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-26007715339608450732011-02-07T13:26:00.000-08:002011-11-14T20:56:26.853-08:00

Oystertecture! Here's a fun TED talk to pair with an earlier one (Bjark Ingells; freerunning). This falls within what I think of as Perelandra consciousness (Perelandra is an experimental farm near where I used to live, based on the philosophy of co-creation between nature and human consciousness, where gardening applies to any kind of human activity). The emphasis here is specifically in

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-83227582641750744952011-02-05T19:19:00.000-08:002011-02-05T22:18:15.823-08:00

I thought this was really interesting. My friend Matt Witt wrote this letter to the Medford, Oregon newspaper (the big city around here): Rooting for the 'home team' Whether you're a fan of the Super Bowl or not, there are some interesting questions. How does Green Bay have an NFL team, when its population is 100,000 — less than a fifth the size of Portland, or about the same as Medford and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-59291464726061069052011-01-31T23:55:00.000-08:002011-02-05T20:20:47.211-08:00

Viva Egypt and its forward-thinking Arabs. May the feminists among them have something to say about the new society they're now making possible. I still know very little about Egypt's internal affairs, but the big story going on there this week commands attention, and bits of news and commentary are beginning to leap out and speak to me and help the whole thing to coalesce into something I can

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-53740677272658675982011-01-26T18:33:00.000-08:002011-01-26T21:38:50.393-08:00

Time for a little cheering-up. Can't see this one too many times. I'd already done Hugs, so here is Matt Dancing again - plus a couple of twists that I missed at the time... And then I stumbled on these - Matt confesses a hoax And... Hilarious interview about the bogus confession

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-48892778075812586212011-01-26T09:59:00.000-08:002011-02-05T20:30:40.589-08:00

I try to keep things positive here, but jeez, sometimes the news just strikes so deeply into my psyche that it feels like a mortal blow for a while. Like this story about how the government is deliberately killing birds: http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-news-section/49-49/4730-us-government-commits-avian-holocaust-with-mass-poisoning-of-millions-of-birds I might be tempted to wonder

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-51810100416688912022011-01-24T00:07:00.000-08:002012-02-12T11:58:36.078-08:00

Every once in a while, life hands you a personalized film festival, grouping together special movies that have things in common--it might be historical period, cinematography, subject matter--and if you watch them more or less together (I saw these two on successive days, by happenstance), they amplify each other in interesting ways. Here are two such: A Single Man (2009), directed by Tom Ford.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-37999505523356598012011-01-22T15:14:00.000-08:002011-01-27T15:10:26.150-08:00

A new cat has found me and it's a total love-fest. She got the name Magic because Ann, who found her for me, kept saying things like "there's something magical about this cat." She was a stray, but doesn't seem to have been traumatized by the experience (other than not wanting to go outside - which is a good thing, here). I didn't realize until later that people would associate her color (black)

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-76654910159386009872011-01-16T17:49:00.000-08:002011-01-16T23:10:17.175-08:00

Here we are at MLK Jr Day again. I've been blogging for more than a year. Here's last year's. This year what I'm getting is not so much political as personal (or spiritual or psychological -- how can we bring about change from the inside out), probably because I'm just emerging from the negative space that last year's setbacks left me in. It's his message of how to "love" in the face of injustice

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-88108805674259376372011-01-13T17:39:00.000-08:002011-01-14T22:06:17.170-08:00

Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove (2000) Nicole Gunther-Perrin, divorced mother of two preschoolers, works in a mediocre Los Angeles law firm. After a particularly bad day, and feeling overwhelmed by problems familiar to many modern women, she makes a heartfelt wish to Liber and Libera (Roman gods on a plaque she had brought back from Europe as a souvenir) that she could live in

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-58572850555422048092011-01-10T20:20:00.000-08:002011-12-30T15:12:05.349-08:00

Updated a blog post from last year (click here to view it). [Updated Dec. 2011: And yet another update. Still without getting anywhere. Copenhagen, Cancun, Durban... and the clock is ticking.] Among the books referenced there is Kim Stanley Robinson's "Science in the Capital" trilogy, which I'm re-reading now (in audio format this time), and once again I'm amazed at what a great, multi-layered,

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-61346528751111551082011-01-09T19:46:00.000-08:002011-01-09T19:46:20.788-08:00

Just for fun thanx and a tip 'o' the hat to Penny for this one :)

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-5717107403736925192011-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:002011-01-09T07:18:37.672-08:00

[Click here for Part 1, on the Matter of Britain and other fantasy-related digressions - including a similar theme of cultural diversity to Island of Ghosts, reviewed below) and here for other fantasy-themed posts.] Time for another break with "reality." John Perkins writes, in his visionary editorial on dreaming big in the new year, "there is a true difference between dreams (things we want to

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-60203176722808408222011-01-06T21:32:00.000-08:002011-09-21T08:52:19.302-07:00

Here's my town's version of the video project that was started as a way to reach vulnerable gay teens thinking of suicide. Actually who among us doesn't need to hear this message at some times in our lives? I can take heart from this, and let's just say that I'm SO not a teenager. A nice message at this darkest time of year, and a bonus for OSF fans.(Here's the link in case it loads slowly here.)

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-66837054622095437502010-12-31T08:34:00.000-08:002012-02-04T09:00:07.721-08:00

Here's a trio of books; they all look beautiful on a table, but they're great reading too. Maybe I'm celebrating voyaging into a new year, here at the end of an old one. I was happy to see that the first of these, Women of Discovery, has been generating some new buzz thanks to the Internet. I thought it was remarkable not just for its writing but in its design, which draws the reader into each

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-61129786088044955502010-12-30T18:26:00.000-08:002011-10-30T02:12:27.379-07:00

Illustration by Theodor von Holst from the frontispiece of the 1831 edition of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (Wikipedia) Each year the column Dispatches From The Edge awards news stories and newsmakers that fall under the category of “Are you serious?” Here are 2010’s winners. These are the kind of stories that, if they aren't true, might as well be; people are that outrageous and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-49650074440564050922010-12-20T11:33:00.000-08:002010-12-20T11:41:21.658-08:00

Found this at http://santmatradhasoami.blogspot.com/2010/08/darshan-singh-poem-and-commentary-loves.html and offer it here as a holiday/new year/Solstice/Midwinter wish to the world. My mind says, how could it possibly be true? My heart says, so mote it be.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-47010702269618334182010-12-20T11:26:00.000-08:002010-12-20T11:26:41.720-08:00

I've just revised, expanded and updated an earlier post on this subject (see title) and you'll find it here. That post refers to a new look for summer - and I see I have another new look now, for the winter season. And that I'm still struggling. On the blogging front, I've received my old (one year old) PC back now from HP, supposedly restored to its former level of functionality, and it's

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-33507127740850626692010-12-05T14:04:00.000-08:002011-06-07T17:08:07.926-07:00

I was active in the zine culture in the Seventies (as a reader/supporter and sometimes a participant in several sorts of feminist, feminist science fiction, and media sci-fi zines), and again in the Eighties (Starman/scifi) and now I'm blogging (just for myself; any subject that interests me), so I appreciated this observation by Kathleen Hanna. As she says in this vid, print zines were very much

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-38547768248676488782010-12-02T14:50:00.000-08:002012-02-11T00:18:13.601-08:00

the life form in question Update 6/2/01: radiation-eating bugs a mile underground, and possibilities of life on Mars. original post: NASA's much-hyped announcement today concerning having found an "alien" life form proved to be a bit of a disappointment, but at the same time NASA was making an important point. Sure, it's a fascinating discovery, and I wasn't really expecting ET (people are

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-159819192695688352010-12-01T20:29:00.000-08:002011-05-15T00:07:40.966-07:00

For some reason I'm thinking of books that came out at the turn of our current century, books that looked at pressing spiritual issues and dilemmas as seen at that time. It wasn't really that long ago, but events are moving fast. These two, that I reviewed in 1999, were ones I kept in my personal collection because I really loved them. I pulled them off the shelf and found they're as fresh now as

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-24569401857030593842010-11-13T19:40:00.000-08:002010-11-13T19:40:05.056-08:00

If you know cats, you'll recognize the genius of Simon. These cartoons are wonderful. One of my favorites - The Box. One of the best things about this Simon guy is his understatement. He just says about the brilliant animation, above: "I'm sure other cat owners recognise what happens when you leave a cat alone with an empty box." Again - for more, see this wonderful little collection.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-52890180604749078272010-11-09T09:44:00.000-08:002011-04-19T11:48:06.456-07:00

For some coverage of the Obama-India visit, see one of my favorite blogs, Sepia Mutiny, at http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/index.html  Along with interesting updates and commentary, the blog has included some fun videos. Don't miss the one from Nov. 7 titled "O-bhangra-ama" (love that title!), showing Michelle dancing with schoolkids! And there's a newsclip showing both Obamas dancing at another

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-761792220210357502010-11-08T21:17:00.000-08:002011-07-08T19:36:19.882-07:00

Wrapping up... Another season of OSF has ended but we're already looking forward to next year. And here's the Oregonian's wrapup. Not bad! I did want to say something here about the other 2010 plays that I saw, but haven't written about here yet, so here goes. (Earlier posts: April May July September October - discussing Hamlet, She Loves Me, Well, Ruined, American Night, Hamlet again, and

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-25706330946664183602010-11-04T21:01:00.000-07:002011-09-19T17:55:30.387-07:00

Happy Diwali everyone. Light the lamps! Obama is the first US president to recognize this worldwide holiday. I still remember it this way: Mysore Palace illuminated...   As it happened, Diwali began not long after we arrived in our new town. Thus it was a rather overwhelming introduction to a new culture, as people were very generous in inviting us to celebrations; sensory overload, but

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-42419911279531372322010-11-03T21:24:00.000-07:002012-01-06T20:59:41.375-08:00

Really quick note... One only post in October? Well, I did feel like falling off the face of the earth for a while there, but modern medicine kept me planetbound. Then a long trajectory back; still, no energy for blogging in the past month. Maybe soon. I did see a great film tonight (via Netflix): Ever Since the World Ended. Not for everybody, but I suspect anyone who can tolerate this blog

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-70848365529368684832010-10-09T17:19:00.000-07:002011-07-06T00:56:38.262-07:00

Update: Just came across this great nine-minute video about Todd Barton's work! http://www.opb.org/programs/artbeat/segments/view/873 Further update: later post on performances by Barton and Friends at the Schneider  **************************************************************************** original post: As I've attended more of the season's plays, and taken advantage of more of the

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-48725137458170794032010-09-21T19:05:00.000-07:002011-07-08T19:42:29.831-07:00

Regarding the title of this post, that was just too good a quote to pass up! I'm always ready for a  rave about this year's fabulous Hamlet: America's true National Theater resides right now at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival under the leadership of Artistic Director Bill Rauch. Go now to see his extraordinary production of Hamlet. It’s as vivid, immediate, powerful, and emotional a production of

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363956225938170959.post-79518938013951670672010-09-19T16:02:00.000-07:002010-09-20T06:25:11.277-07:00

Enjoying a laid back rainy Sunday after a setback with the shoulder injury, I visited Blip.fm and found this updated version from Italy of a classic viral - To which I had to reply, with this silent-monk version by high school students on YouTube - Then I found this from Germany - Sometimes it's nice to be reminded that the world can be a friendly place.

Chrism929http://www.blogger.com/profile/15934268736188847769noreply@blogger.com1