Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo

This morning's note to me left on the stove

2012-01-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

Banjo at Conomo Point

2011-06-30T16:22:00.000-04:00

Here's my very first attempt at making a video. It features my 8 month old pup Banjo, who happens to be deaf, but that doesn't stop the little guy from having fun!

How Best Buy lost $1,709 today in Waterford

2011-05-23T17:11:00.001-04:00

Today Best Buy lost a $1,709 sale when I walked out with the cash still in checking and all of their Macbook Pros still stored wherever it is they keep them stacked all in a row.

I’ve got the money, they’ve got the product, it’s on sale, and I stopped in with the intent of walking out the door with one. I stood trying them out for a quarter of an hour. My only question upon entering the store was whether or not I wanted the 13” or pricier 15” model. After looking for that quarter of an hour I decided on the pricier 15” for the aforementioned 1,709 smackaroos.

In that quarter of an hour on this rainy, not busy at all Monday afternoon I saw many clerks walk by; some in a hurry elsewhere, some talking to other clerks, one on his cell phone. After the one on his cell phone finished his conversation he came over to me.

“Have you been helped?”
“No. I was wondering about this computer.”
“Uh huh.”
“This one has 4 gigs of memory, but can I get it here with 8?”
“We don’t have the 8 gig sticks.:
“I’m asking because I’m trying to decide whether to get this one here, or order it from Apple.”
“It’ll cost you less to get it from Apple.”

And he walked away. He didn’t ask what I’d be using the computer for, didn’t try to engage me in any conversation about the product, didn’t care about me buying a computer at all. He never came back. I was the only customer looking at computers. I told the clerk I was interested in buying. The person with access to getting the product into my hands did not bother to return. Huh.

I went to lavatory in the back of the store, came back and played with the computers for another five minutes. Yeah, I want the 15” Macbook Pro. I’ve got the cash. I could see clerks all over the store, not one talking to a customer. I left the store. On the way out the teenager in blue at the door interrupted his conversation with the clerk he was chatting with to hurry out, “Have a nice day,” as the doors slid open and I went to my car.

This isn’t the first time in the past year I’ve walked out of the Waterford Best Buy without a product in hand. It’s not the second time. It’s actually the third time since Christmas that I’ve perused products at Best Buy with every intent of purchasing there, and have left empty handed because it seems like you have to hunt down a clerk and then beg them to get you the product.

Why is that?

Let me tally it up for you –

At Christmas I wanted to purchase a digital camera as a gift. I spent about fifteen minutes handling the cameras, waiting for a clerk, got no response from any of them – this time they were working with other customers, but come on – no one wants to take my money? I knew what product I wanted, the color, even where they were – I just needed someone with a key to unlock the stock in the cabinet. But no one helped. I left the store and drove across the street to Target. The same camera was $35 more expensive so I went home without a camera. Instead I ordered it online from Best Buy, which strangely, was a much more personal shopping experience than I ever experience in their stores. Weird, huh? Whoever designed the website was much more concerned with user interface than any of the clerks or the culture at the brick-and-mortar stores.

That $109 for the camera did go to Best Buy.

Then there’s the TV I purchased. I have been renovating my home, and created a TV/Media room with a flat screen plasma television a centerpiece. I went to Best Buy to check them out, and after 45 minutes of looking at TVs without a single clerk interaction I went to the help desk and waited and waited and waited and waited…

No help was coming.

I went back to the floor, stared at the TVs for another ten minutes, pulled out a pen and wrote down the specs of the TV I liked. When I got home I ordered the TV from Amazon.com, got a great deal with excellent and free delivery, and am very happy with the $1,370 plasma television.

On a side note, a year earlier during the Winter Olympics I got an urge to experience the games in HD – and was looking to buy a 27” television – went to Best Buy and experienced the same cold-shoulder-no-clerk-interested-in-talking-to-a-woman-on-the-floor attitude. After a half an hour on the floor I finally tracked down a clerk who told me that the set I wanted wasn’t in stock, and in fact, none of the smaller sets were in stock. It would take two weeks or more to get them. I wrote down the specs and ordered it from Amazon with free shipping. It arrived within two days, and I was able to watch the rest of the Winter Games in HD.

Today I went to look at the computers. Today the staff has no excuses. It isn’t a Sunday, it isn’t during the Olympics or the World Series or The Super Bowl, there’s no back to school rush on computers. It’s a rainy day late in May, and judging by the nearly empty parking lot I’d say that the customer/staff ration is nearly 1:1.

How hard would it have been for a clerk to talk to me about this purchase? What is it about the culture at Best Buy that keeps pushing me away from wanting to do business there? Why must I beg a clerk for attention and service? Why do I get better personal care from the Best Buy website than I do from the flesh and blood people in the store?

Here’s the total of missed sales from me to Best Buy so far for 2011:

$1,370 for the TV a couple of months ago
$1,709 for the computer today

Add to that the $700 from 2010 and the tally is $3,079. How much is that clerk making this month, the one that turned me off from buying the product at the store?

What is the culture at Best Buy really costing the bottom line? Get over it Best Buy. Take care of your customers. In the end you’re the one losing money, customers, and eventually employees.

Rotten #$#@%^*!$% TOOTH!

2010-09-16T15:43:00.000-04:00

OooooOOOooooOOooh -- I have had an achy-blech-smarting-crazy tooth since last week.

Youch!

Last weekend was the worst. Felt like I had been hit with a mallet. Monday I saw my dentist. The tooth was so bad that he couldn't work on it. I've been taking antibiotics since Monday eve, and the tooth has gotten much better - but still not great. Tomorrow morning (early morning) I go in for the fix.

Double-Youch!

Don't "Trust" Sleepy's.

2010-04-11T14:30:00.003-04:00

Purchased a new bed yesterday from Sleepy's in Groton. While I love the bed -- I got taken for a ride by the sales clerk. I would not recommend shopping there - they've got some shady sales techniques and you don't get a printout of the deal until after things are processed through the charge-card. I'm not sure of that's legal, and plan to check with the Connecticut business practices later this week. I was told there would be a rebate worth about half the cost of the mattress, but after everything was signed, turned out there was no rebate. Arrggg.

Graduated (a year early) now what?

2009-08-21T10:44:00.001-04:00

Art Class wrap-up

2008-08-07T14:58:00.002-04:00

Modeling Clay

2008-07-11T15:57:00.003-04:00

Last week in Studio Foundation we modeled the model out of modeling clay. I had never worked with this type of thing before -- and I had a blast!

rendering the figure in 3-dimensions was awesome. I can't wait to work in clay again.

Insanely expensive waterbottle; but worth it

2008-07-11T15:53:00.002-04:00

I just bought an insanely expensive waterbottle -- so it better not turn out in 3 years that these things cause cancer, or blood-clots, or skin irritations or something horrid like that.

It's by SIGG -- and it's Swiss. I picked it up @ EMS -- so I got a student discount. Just sjow 'em your college ID and you get a discount. Cool, huh?

SIGG -- it's not plastic.

http://www.mysigg.com/

Providence is considering banning plastic disposable water bottles -- which I think is a very good idea. I'm refreshing myself with some filtered tap water in my (probably toxic) Brown University Nalgene bottle as I type... so there you go.

Summer class

2008-06-25T12:53:00.003-04:00

I've arrived in Providence to take a summer course at Brown. Originally I was registered for 2 -- but the morning class was cancelled, which is too bad, because it was an exciting concept.

The canceled class was an exploration of using sound as a component of art installations. But only 4 people signed up, so it was called off.

The class that is being held is Studio Foundation, which is a pre-req for almost every other art course at Brown or RISD -- and is usually very difficult to get into. In he fall students have to enter a lottery to vie for a spot -- usually 100 or so students seeking one of the 24 spots -- so taking the course in the summer has the added bonus of not having to draw lots.

The first class met yesterday. We were sent down the hill in a thunderstorm to purchase paper and charcoal from the RISD store, and then returned and worked on studies of form. Trees from memory, followed by trees in the courtyard, followed by outlining the edges of random objects.

I realized I haven't worked in charcoal since maybe 1978 (?) -- so when I was asked if I was using an old technique -- I honestly did not know. It was a long time ago that I studied art as a serious practitioner. My last art class would have been my senior year in high school. Actually, taking this class reminded me that I had been an art major in high school -- which is something that I had not remembered until yesterday.

I have a headache today -- I think from breathing the charcoal dust. This class will be an interesting experiment.

Seed Sound

2008-06-08T14:16:00.002-04:00

by Kato McNickle

In the window of CitySports on Thayer Street in Providence hangs a black baseball cap with the words “Life Is Good” stitched on its brim and the symbol for ‘OM’ emblazoned across its peak. The concept OM has been appropriated by the West as new-age kitsch with its recitation used as shorthand for pseudo-enlightenment in sitcoms and cartoons. While OM has a presence in Western culture as a pop icon, its ancient origins and its relevance within current world culture beyond its pop-status are profound. It not only represents the essence of primordial beginnings, its utterance is an enactment of that beginning. It is a sound that contains the universe. What is the origin of OM and how has the use and meaning of this sound developed over millennia?

The power of sound, and its connection to OM as its root, is concisely explained by co-authors Harold Coward and David Goa in their brief treatise Mantra, Hearing the Divine in India:

Sound intrinsically bears the power of the sacred in India. In Hindu hierarchy of scripture it is Sruti, the heard text, which is preserved in oral tradition, is the highest manifestation of the creative word. OM is the supreme example, since it is the Divine seed from which all other sounds are said to arise. OM is, therefore, taken as the root mantra or sacred sound for the whole universe.

OM is regarded as the primordial seed sound and while the word itself is not written or used in the very earliest Vedic hymns, there are allusions to its use as in The Creation of Sacrifice:
The ritual repetitions harmonized with the chants / and the meters; the seven divine sages harmonized with the original models (RV: 10.130).

Georg Feuerstein in his book The Deeper Dimension of Yoga explains that the possible reason for OM’s omission from the transcribed hymns was due to the secret aspect of this sacred syllable:

OM was considered so sacred that it could not be mentioned outside the actual context of the Vedic sacrifices. In that case, it would have been passed on from teacher to student by word of mouth in strictest confidence. There would therefore have been no need to mention OM in the sacred hymns. All initiates would have known it and also understood its sublime meaning. In any case, for countless generations, any recitation of the Vedic hymns has begun with the syllable OM.

With this system in mind, the following phrase from Book I of the Rig Veda takes on a significance reinforcing the notion of the secret, sacred syllable OM:
Upon what syllable of holy praise-song, as / ‘twere there highest heaven, the Gods / repose them – / Who knows not this, what will he do with / praise-song? But they who know it / will sit here assembled. (RV: 1.164)

To know OM and to enact it by speaking it is to be part of this circle.

In the introduction to his English translation of the Upanisads, Patrick Olivelle describes the works as an expansion of the rituals and practices presented in the early Vedic hymns. In the Upanisads the syllable OM does appear, as in this verse from the Katha Upanisad:

The word that all the Vedas disclose; / The word that all austerities proclaim; / Seeking which people live student lives; / That word now I will tell you in brief— / It is OM! (KU: 2.15)

This reference illustrates a lesson from teacher to student, except that in this scenario the teacher is Death sharing the lesson of OM with his pupil Naciketas. The later Mundaka Upanisad describes the use of OM to the student:
The bow is OM, the arrow’s the self, / the target is Brahman, they say. (MU: 2.2.4)

This simple metaphor encapsulates the changing presence of OM in these ancient traditions. Its use is still sacred, as a tool of enlightenment, but the regard for the word is one that denotes action. OM is no longer so secret that it cannot be written or shared. Indeed, by the time of the composition of the Mandukya Upanisad the sacred syllable is being dissected and scrutinized as thoroughly as the banyan seed is cut apart to reveal its essence (CU: 6.12) :

OM—this whole world is that syllable! Here is a further explanation for it. The past, the present, and the future—all that is simply OM; and whatever else that is beyond the three times, that also is simply OM—for this Brahman is the Whole. (MU: 1.1-2)

Like the aforementioned banyan seed, the seed syllable OM is split apart to reveal its essence:

With respect to syllables, OM is very self (atman); whereas with respect to the constituent phoneme of a syllable, it is as follows. The constituent phonemes are the quarters, and the quarters are the constituent phonemes, namely ‘a’, ‘u’, and ‘m’. The first constituent phoneme—‘a’—is Vaisvanara situated in the waking state, […] The second constituent phoneme—‘u’—is Taijasa in the state of dream, […] The third constituent phoneme—‘m’—is Prajna situated in the state of deep sleep, […] The fourth, on the other hand, without constituent phonemes; beyond the reach of ordinary transaction; the cessation of the visible world; auspicious; and unique. Accordingly, the very self (atman) is OM. Anyone who knows this enters the self (atman) by himself (atman). (MU: 1.8-12)

With each component of the OM sound flayed open, the experience of either hearing or speaking the sound is slowed; each moment of its utterance holds potential revelation. Additionally, this notion of splaying the components of the syllable for inspection, like the banyan seed, emphasizes the association of OM as the primordial seed. Reciting it leads to re-cultivation of its essence.

Accordingly, when Krishna states the following to Arjuna in the tenth teaching of the Baghavada-Gita, “I am the vowel a of the syllabary, / the pairing of words in a compound; / I am indestructible time, / the creator facing everywhere at once,” (BG: 10.32) he is likely referring to the waking state of constituent phonemes of OM. Unlike the previous instances of the use of OM, however, the Baghavada-Gita, is not a sacred practice like the recitation of the Vedic hymns; it is instead part of an epic story. Although the Baghavada-Gita is not in and of itself a sacred text, it does serve to convey spiritual lessons, as when Krishna attempts to give scope to his own essence:

I am the taste in the water, Arjuna, / the light in the moon and sun, / OM resonant in all sacred lore, / the sound in space, valor in men. (BG 7.7)

By the time OM is included in the Baghavada-Gita it is a sound that is known and heard beyond the priestly castes and temples; it has entered the public consciousness.

In Mantra, Hearing the Divine in India Coward and Goa present the connection between ritual action and the speaking of mantras such as OM:

Hindu thought sees a direct relationship between ritual actions and mantra. Indeed, it has been suggested that in India language is not something with which you name something; it is something with which you do something. Each spoken mantra corresponds to one ritual act. In post-Vedic India activities such as bringing the goddess Kali into a stone image, bathing to wash away sins, sowing seeds in the fields, guarding the sown seeds, driving away evil spirits, and meditating to achieve release, all had to be accompanied by the chanting of mantras in order to achieve success. In some situations the ritual act itself was later modified or even abandoned, yet the action of mantra recitation was retained. Within the ritual action, it is the uttered mantra that has central importance for release.

The pervasiveness of sacred sound in Hindu tradition is explored further by George Ruckert in Music in North India, where he describes the origins of the aural traditions of India springing from the Vedas and the importance of hearing sacred sounds:

The oldest scriptures in India are known as the Vedas, a word that literally means “knowledge.” Dating perhaps from 1500 BCE, they are four in number (Rig, Sama, Yajar, and Atharva Vedas,) and are comprised of sacred hymns, poetic descriptions of the gods and nature, rituals, and blessings. Originally they were passed on orally, memorized by an initiated class of priests (Brahmins), and the very act of hearing them was considered auspicious; understanding their profound philosophical implications was not immediately foremost. This feeling of sacredness in simply hearing has become basic to the Indian musical idea.

So, if you took the notion of sound in India and divided until you got to its essence, you would get to OM.

In Sacred Space, Sacred Sound, Susan Elizabeth Hale describes the “sonic formulas” of mantra that were bestowed on a student from their guru occasionally in a ceremony that included the writing of the sentiments “on the tongue with a basil wand to ensure that all the words coming from the mouth [would be] as sweet.” This action is one way for an initiate to receive their mantra, but the initiate does not choose their own, it is given to them, as Coward and Goa describe:

Mantras are not coined or spontaneously created. They are words, verses, or symbolic sounds that are transmitted and organized by a tradition. Even natural sounds become mantras only when they are taken and given structure and context. They are not left at the disposal of the people to use them as they wish. In Indian culture, for example, one does not chose one’s own mantra but receives it from a guru, who in turn received it from his teacher, and so on backwards in an infinite regress since, for the Indian, the universe is beginningless. The mantra one receives from the guru is that particular word which draws ones consciousness directly into harmony with the universe, with the Eternal.

In this way the mantra is an enacted direct connection to the past.

In his introduction to his book Sonic Theology, Guy Beck describes sound as the unifier within Indic culture throughout the ages:

From the Vedic and Upanisadic period up to the present certain issues, structures, and nomenclature persist which allow us to assemble a firm case for sacred sound as a common thread in Hinduism. These include the following: speculation on a primal vocal syllable such as OM or AUM; sonic cosmogonies […]; the importance given to mantra utterance and vocal repetition (japa) of divinely bestowed names, syllables, and phrases […}.

It is the persistence of mantra, and the continued prevalence of OM, that is notable here. In the book Breath Sweeps Mind, a First Guide to Meditation Practice editor Jean Smith includes this introduction to using mantras:

The Sanskrit word mantra combines the root man (“to think”) with the suffix tra (“instrument” or” tool”). Therefore, mantra means literally “tool for thinking.” […] [T]he repetition of sacred phrases has been used as an aid for meditation—to purify and focus the mind, to offer devotion or thanks, or to protect and nurture the spiritual activity of a particular person or place. Some authors differentiate between bijas, or “seed syllable” (pure sounds such as OM); mixed mantras, which combine bijas with words that have translatable meanings; and dharanis (phrases that are similar in function to mantras but can be translated word for word).

This book is for the Western practitioner beginning a meditation practice. Concentrating on these sacred sounds, chanting them, and hearing them has grown into the web of Western culture.

OM—once a syllable so sacred that it was not written, but shared exclusively father to son or guru to student as secret wisdom among a priestly caste—now adorns a hat hanging in a shop window on Thayer. In the time between the ancient secret and the hat on Thayer, the concept of the word morphed as it was explored, changing hands from sacred texts, to epic stories, to pop-mantras. OM is now part of a trans-world consciousness, whether it functions in its original guise as an initiator of Vedic sacrifice, or as a chant used to inspire meditation for health purposes, or as an adornment for a hat. In a way, its proliferation in all of these forms serves to support the original concept and purpose of OM. It is a sound so deeply rooted in the universe and in the human psyche that we find ourselves exploring it, embellishing it, and continuing to repeat its sound. OM continues to manifest over and over again, a seed spread and reborn and remembered.

Skipping

2008-04-30T23:42:00.002-04:00

Today I met with a dean to transfer my UCONN credits and skip ahead by a year. This means instead of graduating in 2010 I'll be collecting my pomp @ the end o' May 2009.

I Declare!

2008-04-10T19:59:00.001-04:00

Today I declared my concentration in Ancient Studies.

Hoo-zah!

What's On... feature from The Day NewsPaper

2008-02-15T09:01:00.003-05:00

What's On Your ... TiVo?
Kato McNickle, Playwright

By Brian Hallenbeck , Day Arts Writer
Published on 2/15/2008
• “BATTLESTAR GALACTICA” (SCI FI). This series, born of a version that aired in the 1970s, offers some of the best drama — “gritty, human drama” — on TV, says the 43-year-old McNickle, the award-winning Groton playwright who commutes weekly to Providence, where she's a full-time student at Brown. Last semester, she wrote a paper comparing “Battlestar” to the Aeneid, Virgil's epic poem.

• “MAD MEN” (AMC). “Everything is amazing — the costumes, the stage direction, the props,” McNickle says of this “period piece” that evokes America in the 1960s, before the anti-Vietnam War movement and hippies dominated the scene.

• “PROJECT RUNWAY” (Bravo). One of the finest reality shows, she says, “This is about really skilled people, not just random or beautiful people.” Contestants have limited time to design a garment, send it down the runway and have it judged.

• “ANTHONY BOURDAIN: NO RESERVATIONS” (Travel Channel). “I just like that he loves food and has really strong opinions,” McNickle says of Bourdain, the globetrotting author/chef who dishes. “He's cranky, such a curmudgeon ...”

• “THE VICAR OF DIBLEY” (PBS). This British comedy about a clergywoman debuted in 1994, just as women were first being ordained as vicars, and helped ease tensions over it. McNickle, perhaps more than the typical viewer, cares about the writing. “If I'm able to guess the dialogue before the characters speak it, I don't waste my time TiVo-ing it,” she says.

— Brian Hallenbeck

Go to theday.com to tell us what's on your TiVo.

Photo By Jennifer Lynn Page
Reader essay writer Kato McNickle at the Whaling Boxing Gym in New London, Conn. on Wednesday. Sept. 8, 2004

Linguistically speaking

2008-01-08T17:02:00.000-05:00

After a couple of hit-or-miss weeks slogging thru linguistics -- I finally managed to pass he class with my head held high. On the final semantics homework (worth double points) I scored 51 out of 53 correct -- proving that some of the information got into my brain.

I hope to develop a workshop that teaches linguistic principles to playwrights. The intro course at Brown will help point me in the directions of further investigation. I hope to take Language and the Brain if it is offered next fall. I'll have lined up enough prerequisites, and it is taught by one of my favorite professors at Brown.

It feels good to have the hard work of understanding the material pay-off with a good grade. Woot!

Happy Holidogs!

2007-12-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

Great Gift Idea -- YOGA IN THE CAR -- special holiday offer!

2007-12-13T14:04:00.001-05:00

This is an item from my friend and awesome theater artist/yoga instructor Jen Swain and friends -- It would make an excellent stocking stuffer or gift idea. And this link will take you to the special offer for friends! --Kato

___________________________________________________

'Tis the season for giving gifts, why not Om your holiday shopping experience? Jen, Gennette and the rest of the Om the Road crew are ever grateful for our friends and family, and know you are for yours, too. For the rest of the month of December, you can buy a copy of our CD Yoga in the Car with Jen Swain: Bumper to Bumper to give as a gift for only $10 (plus the cost of shipping and handling - unless you live in LA and we have the good fortune of seeing you. It fits perfectly as a stocking stuffer, no one will have it, it's great for people who have always wanted to try yoga (but can't quite make it to a studio) it's a nice way to let someone know you are concerned about their stress/road rage level, AND at the very least, you will make them smile.

Simply go to Yoga in the Car Please order by the 18th, you have a good chance of receiving the CD's by the 24th.

You are welcome to forward this on to any of your friends who might be interested in getting this gift for someone as well.

http://www.omtheroadyoga.com/OTR_FriendsSale.htm

Something sloshed

2007-10-15T23:22:00.001-04:00

For whatever reason, I'm beginning to understand morphology in linguistics. Something musta sloshed to the right (or maybe left) side o' my brain.

I'm actually starting to look at words printed on the posters on the bus and take them apart to examine their morphemes. My brain is changing.

Whoa.

The soph0more thing

2007-10-06T23:16:00.000-04:00

I'm into week 6 of my sophemore year at Brown this week. Tomorrow I begin work on a 6-10 page paper for my most awesome classics course, Heros and Heroism in the Greco-Roman World. I'll be writing about the armor of Achilleus.

Linguistics is kicking my butt. Will I never learn the simple lesson that I just do not have a science mind? Probably not. I really like science even though it is not my talent area. I am learning a whole lot about language that I would never have considered otherwise, so it's worth the pain.

Rounding out my schedule is a Theater History class that tends to work more on examining notions of performance rather than history -- all though this week featured a whole bunch of work on the Greek theater -- so that was cool.

I've spent my Saturday catching up on TiVo... One more episode of THE WAR to watch -- but I'm caught up on Doctor Who. There you go.

Big Trouble in Little-minded China

2007-08-21T17:33:00.000-04:00

BeliefWatch: Reincarnate
By Matthew Philips
Newsweek

Aug. 20-27, 2007 issue - In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation." But beyond the irony lies China's true motive: to cut off the influence of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual and political leader, and to quell the region's Buddhist religious establishment more than 50 years after China invaded the small Himalayan country. By barring any Buddhist monk living outside China from seeking reincarnation, the law effectively gives Chinese authorities the power to choose the next Dalai Lama, whose soul, by tradition, is reborn as a new human to continue the work of relieving suffering.

Read the whole article

Kato and Hugo Simpsonized

2007-08-05T11:22:00.000-04:00

Kato and Hugo @ The Quickie Mart

2007-08-03T14:36:00.000-04:00

Is reserving serving?

2007-07-29T10:49:00.000-04:00

Last night I got to the Hygeinic Art Park early. I had reserved tickets to Willy's Cut and Shine, a play by Michael Bradford, being performed in the outdoor theater in downtown New London, and I wanted to sit close. Real close.

I have had reservations about seeing live theater in this outdoor space. While it is lovely, it is on Bank Street in New London, the main thoroughfare through the lower part of the city. Adding to my trepidation was the newly installed patio as part of the neighboring restaurant, The Buckley House. Word on the street was that the previous night the Buckley House had hosted a band and hearing the play in the Art Park was nearly impossible.

So I'm there early. About 7:15 for the 8:00 show. There are about 30 people ahead of me inside the park, so I think I can get close up. Not a chance. I walk up to the stage and every single table withing 20 feet of the stage has a marker taped to its top, "RESERVED."

What?

No where had there been any indication in either the press or when I purchased my tickets that there would be some reserved seating and some not. I paid the same price for my tickets as the folks whose names were written on the best seats in the house, but I did not hve the connections necessary to score a good seat.

So, my 45 minute early ass was seated in the back row. As it turns out this vantage point, while I could see the play, I could only hear about 70% -- so I missed a good hunk of Act I.

As it turns out some of the RESERVED people never bothered to show up, and the hostess offered us their front row center table for viewing Act II. That made all the difference in the world. I was in the world of the play for Act II, and was grateful to get to hear at least some of my friend Michael Bradford's beautiful play.

But.

The problem remains.

What is the deal with this culture of arts exclusion?

How and why does this happen?

I attend general seating events, and like our pioneering forefathers or iPhone enthusiasts, I show up early. So why oh why at so many theater events do I walk in with the first 20 people and find a sea of RESRVED seat holders spread across every good seat in the house?

I can understand when I go to a reading at a school or college that there are a few seats reserved for the faculty who will be grading the work or mentoring the student. I also understand a playwright reserving 2 or 3 seats for their parents. But past that, I cannot condone the reerving of 65 or 70% of the best seating for people in-the-know and leaving the rest of us art and theater loving schlepps on the periphery.

This is cultural elitism and I believe it should be struck down and left at the door for projects that claim to be a promoter of an egalitarian arts culture.

Shakespeare hears a Who

2007-07-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it, cuz you're not an ubergeek like me, did you know that Doctor Who recently met Shakespeare?

A recent episode aired two weeks ago in the US called The Shakespeare Code found the Doctor and his latest sidekick trotting around the Globe and thwarting a trio of witches intent on ending the age of mankind thru the alchemy of Shakepeare's language. Check it out at SciFi.com.

For me to poop on...

2007-07-09T14:42:00.000-04:00

...more like for poop to be on me...and in my car...and on my dog...

...egods!

This morning I took Porter and Gershwin to the vet together. Big mistake.

First there was front seat envy. Because Porter's reason is actually a physical limitation (his back is too stiff to get in and out of the back) and Gershwin's is only pride -- Gershwin got the back.

But when we got there, Gershwin gets to get out first because she gets upset about going to the vet she oftne needs to poop within a minute or two of arrival. Because she is 17 she gets to go first. Porter had pooped before we left -- so I stayed within sight of him in the car (a jeep with the sides off -- so no chance of it getting too hot) -- Gershwin did her thing and I got back to Porter within 2 minutes. Not soon enough, as it turns out.

Porter, who is very vocal about going to the vet, had gotten quiet. Whaaaa??? My nose told me why. Not only was there poop on the seat and on the dog, it was all over the leash. Within seconds it was all over me.

After doing a near raindance in front of the window trying to get someone inside to come outside, another person with a dog pulled into the lot and went inside to convey my request for assistance.

Help arrived and they took Porter and helped me get out of my poopy clothes and into some borrowed scrubs. They took care of the dog, I shoveled the inside of my car (thankfully Porter always rides on a seat cover for such emergencies).

Dogs can be gross. Oh well.

That's the poop.

Cuz I'ma Stoopid Monkey...

2007-06-06T15:28:00.000-04:00

...this is what I plan to spend my birthday money on.

Funny.

2007-06-06T15:27:00.000-04:00

Robot Chicken does Star Wars right

2007-05-15T22:05:00.000-04:00

When Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken" decides to jump to Hyperspace with the upcoming release of Robot Chicken: Star Wars fans can look forward to seeing their favorite characters and movie moments satirized and tweaked as the show's creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich only know how.

Read more

Then read Even more

Jake Project: The story of a ukulele

2007-05-15T20:25:00.000-04:00

The story of a ukulele

Throughout my visits with Jake over the course of March and April, he has been working on a baritone ukulele. During my first visit he had assembled the body, and had tape covering the seams. On subsequent visits the instrument came together bit by bit. As we talked, he would work the wood, shaving a sliver off here, adding a strip of inlay there. He showed me how to listen to the wood, to hear its resonance as it was tapped, to listen for the sound of loose parts, and told me the names of the various woods involved in its construction. The names of the wood are like a poem, the neck and the body are mahogany, the fretboard is rosewood, and the pegboard is Carpathian elm. While he continued to shape the contours, he recited a poem he has composed that he calls Wood:

Splendid flesh of forest kings
Once you shed your autumn cloak for me
And now I shape your flash
Your vein, not unlike my own
To sing
anew

He is constructing the ukulele for a young acquaintance, who happens to come by the shop during my second visit, to check on the progress of the commission. The ukulele is being built to the specifications of a sample instrument, one that had been accidentally smashed and sits in a box in several crushed pieces. Jake takes the young man and his father on a tour of the growing instrument. They spend just shy of half an hour going over the different parts, naming the wood, and discussing where to have a case made for it so that it will not suffer the same fate as the instrument it has been commissioned to replace.

When I arrive for my last visit, Jake is stringing the ukulele. He has the two strings on either side in place and is trying to get them to hold their tune. He continues to tinker with the pegs, and works his hand along the neck and over the body. He loves this thing that he has made, and his hands tell him secrets about the wood that his eyes cannot. When the two end strings are able to hold their tune, he strings the middle two, starting by roughing up a string end with sand paper. He explains, “These are really difficult to tie off (the nylon strings), they’ve been driving me crazy all morning. I can see them slipping. Gut never does that, but nylon does. So I rough up the ends with sand paper.” He shows me the procedure. I ask him where he learned to do that. He responds laughing, “I just learned it.”

Once all of the strings are on Jake pulls a pitch pipe from his pocket and tunes his latest creation. He will not be compensated monetarily the total worth of his hours on this instrument. He took it on because it had been a few years since he had made one, and welcomed the opportunity to get back into practice, to relearn the skills. Strumming for fifteen minutes or so, we dance around the shop and we talk about happenings in the local arts scene:

There’s this great synergy. Like with the Westerly arts community, the fine arts have a huge community, and there’s a lot of synergy created with they’re work with each other. Pushing the envelope of excellence continually. It’s really great because it really keeps me stupid.

Building the instruments for the community, and then the fine arts, I’ll build things for artists, and sit for portraits. There’s a lot of communication about our arts and what is similar and what is different. That’s what I mean about the synergy. What you’re doing currently will dovetail into what they’re doing and perhaps answer a question that they don’t even know they’re asking. It’s like a university here, all the time.

The strings hold their tune reasonably well. The ukulele is done, but Jake will continue to tweak it until it is out the door.

More people visit the shop, including one fellow who is new to the area and met Jake at the coffee shop the day before. Of course he was invited to come by the shop. Again, Jake is an arts hub. James Stidfole from the Hygienic Art Gallery describes Jake’s role in the arts community, “In many ways Jake does not ‘fit into the arts community,’ rather the arts community evolves around the presence of Jake.”

To know Jake in one of his other multiple community arts capacities does not hint at his skill or world-class reputation as a maker of highly valued rare instruments. I have known Jake for a number of years as and actor and a playwright, but it was not until I began work on this project that I began to understand what a Kaeser harpsichord means within the music world.

The commisioner of the ukulele stops by the shop and gets a tour of his in-progress instrument.

Weird whirring dream recurring

2007-04-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

It happened again the other morning. The last dream I had before waking. Sometimes it's in the middle. Sometimes it starts somewhere in the middle and winds all the way thru till morning.

It's a dream.

Not the whole dream.

A detail.

It's weird.

It keeps happening.

Not the same events.

The relationship.

So I'm dreaming. And, whatever happens. Blah blah blah -- dream stuff. There's a problem, or I'm having fun, or I'm lost -- dreaming. Turns out, in my dream neighborhood, the one where there's a waterfall on my way home from school just down the road from my house, the one where it turns out I never actually graduated high school and have to repeat my senior year, the one where I get to my house and other people live there and then I remember where I really live... that place.

In that place, I have nieghbors. Those nieghbors are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

The kids don't come into it so much.

But all three of us hang out.

It's cool.

We're buds.

Not super-know-everything-about-each-other friends, but hey-wanna-hang-out-and-grab-a-beer-see-a-movie kinda friends.

"Yeah, okay," I say, and we hang out. Or we bitch about stuff. Or we go shopping. Nothing swanky. Angelina does most of the talking.

Then I wake up. I realize, "I was dreaming about Angelina and Brad again."

I do not understand where my brain goes at night. But it lives in a good nieghborhood.

They call the win... Sanjaya

2007-04-09T00:18:00.000-04:00

Sailing with the Blackdog crew

2007-03-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

Chub-a-wum-ba

2007-03-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

The latest Gotta Haveitem licensed by LucasArts -- The Darth Vader Chubby Dolls...

Of course, I want one.

Tarot-a-go-go

2007-03-21T21:28:00.001-04:00

Kato is The Hermit

Prudence, Caution, Deliberation.

The Hermit points to all things hidden, such as knowledge and inspiration,hidden enemies. The illumination is from within, and retirement from participation in current events.

The Hermit is a card of introspection, analysis and, well, virginity. You do not desire to socialize; the card indicates, instead, a desire for peace and solitude. You prefer to take the time to think, organize, ruminate, take stock. There may be feelings of frustration and discontent but these feelings eventually lead to enlightenment, illumination, clarity.

The Hermit represents a wise, inspirational person, friend, teacher, therapist. This a person who can shine a light on things that were previously mysterious and confusing.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Pass on the Salt

2007-03-16T19:56:00.000-04:00

Yikes. I've got to reduce my salt intake. I've been working on that for the past two weeks. I feel better, but trying to find low-sodium options on the Brown meal plan is a challenge. I mostly only eat luch at Brown. Good thing.

Check out Simply Salt on Squidoo.

As it turns out beer has very low-sodium. See? Beer is a nearly perfect food, uh, beverage, uh, all-you-could-ask-for.

Watching Jake

2007-03-13T09:32:00.000-04:00

I'm taking an ethnomucicology class @ Brown this semester. As part of the class we have to do a "field-work" project. I had two ideas -- one to watch Trinity Rep put together its production of THE FANTASTICKS -- but that one proved too cumbersome (after I purchased the text and the soundtrack. Oh well.). So I'm going with my other idea, a quieter idea, but compelling non-the-less.

I'll be spending a few Sundays and a bunch o' days over break with Jake Kaeser in his New London shop Jake is a maker of hand-made instruments. He is a craftsman, and he is teaching his trade to his two sons.

Next March the Hygeinic Art Gallery will host an exhibition devoted to Jakes instruments called MUSIC AS ART. Jake and his family are already preparing work to be included in the show.

This will be very interesting to observe.

Me in the Sci-Li

2007-03-12T20:03:00.000-04:00

This is me working on a Mac in the Science Library work center a week or two ago, taking a little time between Cog-Sci and Oceanology.

All of my classes are near the Sci-Li this semester. I never go all the way up the hill unless I make a special trip, just to check out the quad.

I'm wearing my new LL Bean ultra-high-tech-got-it-on-wicked-good-sale jacket. Deb says it looks like the kind of thing they'd make for a movie to be the way we imagine people in the future would dress. I think it would be right at home on Battlestar Galactica. This was the day I went to see Mary McDonald give a talk at Brown. Yeah.

I sense a stocking stuffer...

2007-03-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

First Look: Essential Guide to the Force
March 08, 2007

There will soon be a greater authority on matters of the Force than even the wise and powerful Yoda, and it will fit on your bookshelf. Del Rey Books is expanding their Essential Guide series with an all-new entry, Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith -- The Essential Guide to the Force. Author Ryder Windham will explore this most famous yet mysterious aspect of Star Wars storytelling through insightful narratives supplied from some of the foremost Sith and Jedi scholars from a galaxy far, far away...

Learn the history of the Jedi and their enemies -- from the most ancient battles of light versus darkness chronicled within the recesses of long-lost Holocrons to more contemporary conflagrations recounted by heroes such as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Leia Organa. Discover the myriad ways to contemplate and use the Force. Wield a lightsaber through different forms of combat, and for the truly brave, tread the path of the dark side and study the secrets of the Sith.

The book is illustrated throughout by Tommy Lee Edwards and Chris Trevas. It is due out in November 2007.

Commode conversation

2007-03-07T19:41:00.000-05:00

So today... this is the kinda story that has to start, "So today," cuz today I'm in the lavatory, right? In the geology building, right? Cuz I'm early for oceanography...

Anyways...

I'm IN THE LAVATORY. Using a stall next to the wall. Some woman enters. A young woman, talking. At first I think it's two women, one talking. I'm wrong. Just one. Taling. Using the stall two doors down. Talking, and now peeing, while on her cell phone. She entered the lavatory talking. She got into the stall talking. She's doing her business talking.

Who's she talking to?

I flush.

Wow. She's talking to her FATHER.

HER FATHER.

On the phone talking to her father while peeing and complaining that she's really working hard but the grades just arent there.

She left the stall. I was washing my hands. She was still talking. She bypassed the sink. She left. Talking.

Go figure.

2007-02-01T17:50:00.000-05:00

Looks like World Music will be the class I'm taking. Good thing I cracked the books. What does this mean? It means I did not make the cut to get into the playwriting class I had hoped to take part in this semester.

Hey. I'mma freshman. So. No formal playwriting for Kato in spring '07.

Guess I can work on anything I wanna.

The genuine Article

2007-01-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a very good lense on Squidoo about writing good articles. It's worth the look-see.

How to create an article that gets read

5 or 4

2007-01-28T11:43:00.000-05:00

No, that's not a cylon model, 5 or 4 is a decision I'm trying to reach. Well. Actually. It won't be a descision until I know whether or not I'm in the playwriting class I want to participate in this semester... but still...

If I get into the playwriting class (which, while not certain, is likely) then I'll have to decide 5 or 4. You, see, becuase the playwriting class is not certain, I signed up for an additional class -- totalling 5 (with the playwriting).

If on Monday I find that I'm in the playwriting class, then I must decide whether to stick with all 5 classes (4 is the norm), or drop one. The one that I will drop--? -- the World Music class -- Ethnomusicology. It's a class that I'd like to take, and it will help me as a playwright, the question is, can I keep up with the additional workload?

I don't know.

It's a lot.

I have been away from school for a coupla decades.

I have one succesful semester under my belt. Succesful, in part, because I dropped Spanish and was left with 3 courses -- the minimum for a full-time schedule.

So. This semster. I planned on taking 4. Not 5.

I'll see what happens tomorrow. The question mught be answered for me by not making the cut into the playwriting class. That would suck, but it would end this question.

The complicating factor is the books for the music course. They came wrpped in plastic. If I open the plastic, I cannot return the books. They cost $80 (and that was the used version). If I open them, it will be on Monday night.

Ugggh.

An $80 book packet, an uncertaintity about how much work I can handle, questions, questions. The future is all about questions.

Ovations

2007-01-15T19:04:00.000-05:00

Something happened during two of my final classes last month, something I've never experienced in a classroom before.

At the end of the final class, we applauded.

The professors who drew the ovation looked embarrassed, smiled, looked down.

It happened twice.

First at the end of my Cognitive Science class. This was a big class, about a hundred+ students. Applause. Cool. She knew her stuff.

It happened again at he end of playwriting -- the extra class we held because we needd a little more time. Applause.

It didnt happen at the end of my classics class, Ancient Western Art and Architecture. That professor was pretty lazy, almost always arriving late, making the TA do most of the real work, like grading our tests. I always felt she'd either lost a bet, drew a sort straw, or really pissed somebody off n the department to get saddled with a class that she hated teaching. No applause for her.

So the ovations weren't just ivy-league ass-kissing. They were earned by the professors, and given by the class out of respect and thanks.

I hope I'll experience many more ovation worthy courses at Brown. The sounds of two-hands clapping.

H-E-double hockey stick

2007-01-15T13:17:00.000-05:00

Went to a pee-wee hockey game this Saturday. My 8-year-old nephew plays. I went to check it out in New London. I sat in grandparent's row. They know how to wtch hockey. They came with blankets for both the bottom, between yours and the bench, and for the top, to keep knees and fingers warm.

As for the game, it was good to see the kids playing. What will seperate the enthusiasts from the genuine hockey-players in the years to come will be the ability to control the puck. Right now the pee-wees are working on their skating skills, and often the finest skaters would zoom past the puck. Oops.

After that skill will come the abilty to think a few steps ahead and be able to set up some plays.

For now, the work of establishing coordination between the the skate, the stick, and the ice is the primary goal. Also, sharing the load. All of the kids got plenty of ice time, doled out in two minute increments.

Some of these kids will go far with the game if they stick with it. I'm hoping my nephew sticks with it. He's got athletic talent. Let's see if hes got the drive.

Changing change to books

2007-01-09T18:51:00.000-05:00

This Christmas Season I decided to round up all of my spare change and haul it down in a couple of bucket loads to the Coinstar machine. Thru the magic of elves (I'm sure they live in the machine -- probably more comfortable than a hollow-tree), I converted the coins into books.

How?

While you have to pitch 20% of the haul if you're converting coins to cash, when you opt for an Amazon gift certificate you get 100% of what you put into the machine turned into credit for books or anything that any of the Amazon partners have to offer.

After Christmas I went online and ordered loads of plays and other books. A lot of them arrived at my door today, so I've been reading and reading and I gotta go read...

Got the STORY

2007-01-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

I did manage to get to see this flick before the holiday. My rock-and-roll roommate and I found an evening to get out to the cinema before finals got too intense. I enjoyed the picture and found it to be a good reminder of what Christmastide is really about.

I do wish the picture had made some bolder choices in its depiction of Mary and Joseph. Mary never waivers in her conviction about her mission, and while admirable, this is not particularly dramatic. Also, the film often has her speak lines that would have been better unsaid. It's like the filmmakers did not trust the simple but effective visuals. The film would have been stronger had it not resorted to Mary's narration of events.

The love that Joseph and Mary eventually feel for each comes thru and is the picture's strength, as is the earthy feel of the settings, costumes, and dialects.

I would watch this film again come the holiday season. It's a sweet story simply told. It has conviction. I like that.

One down @ Brown

2007-01-08T17:21:00.000-05:00

Finished my first semester a few weeks ago. I'm getting caught up with things I've negleted, now that the holiday things are put away, and my broken tooth has been temporarily patched.

Yes, I had a tooth break a bit -- well -- a filling fell apart and broke off. I'm gonna need a crown. Ouch. Looks like that's what I'll be doing for spring break.

As far as the semester wrap-up -- things were hectic, but I got it all done. My grades are good, and I'm happy with how things went.

Also, my roommate found a great new apartment and we moved a week before Christmas. I, however, forgot to send the rent check (out of site out of mind) until today. I'm such a slug... but catching up, right?

I found myself really enjoying cognitive science, so I'll be taking another Cog-Sci course this semester. Maybe I can bend my rubber mind around science.

Seven more semesters to go.

Looking forward to getting the "Story"

2006-11-30T21:38:00.000-05:00

Opening tomorrow, THE NATIVITY STORY.

I'm a sucker for a Bible movie (a genre related to sword and sandle, another form I can't pass up).

Deb and dog

2006-11-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

Hugo climbed a rock, and I talked Deb into following -- and voila -- photo-opp!

Jen Swain's YOGA IN THE CAR

2006-11-29T17:39:00.000-05:00

This is my friend Jen, and this is her doing yoga in the car.

Turns out she has a new CD called Yoga in the Car so CHECK IT OUT!

Beer...ooOOoooOhhh...

2006-11-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

I am still not feeling well enough to have a beer.

Oh.

Well.

...as a dog...

2006-11-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving break. All was well. Until I spent some time with my boogie nephew. Caught a bug. A bad bug.

Puking. Laid-out. Got nothing done for several days.

Now I'm behind. Ee-gods. Lots of work to do. Three days lost to stomache flu.

Gadz.

3 Pens

2006-10-04T19:31:00.000-04:00

Today there was a Study-Away Fair -- and I got 3 attractive pens (as noted above.

As far as me and studying away goes... I'm not gonna have enough Spanish to study in Spain. So now I'm looking into Ireland. Land of the ancient poets.

So there you go.

AStudying Ancient Art

2006-09-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

This is what I look like studying the slides for my Ancient Art and Architecture test (which happens tomorrow.)

I finished my Cog Sci paper (also due tomorrow), so that part's good.

Back to Egypt...

Hugo overnight

2006-09-11T22:32:00.000-04:00

So Hugo -- the big jerk -- is in the hospital. Deb found a chewed up Advil bottle in his crate when she got home and took him to the emergency vet. They got him to vomit, and discovered grass and some biscuits, but no drugs.

The plugged an IV in him and they are keeping him over night.

Deb was, understandably, distraught.

She'll have to get him in the morning and take him to Dr. Minor's to get him checked out in the AM.

When Hugo does get home, hes going to be sending time in his bungello -- giant crate -- when he's left on his own.

The first Monday @ Brown

2006-09-11T22:22:00.000-04:00

My first Monday at Brown.

September 11.

We all know what that means.

And it's my brother's birthday.

Which I forgot.

Until I was talking to a girl riding home on the bus this evening. It was her birthday too. She turned 17 today and was going to Newport Creamery with her friend Olivia.

That's when I remembered my brother.

But before that, I'd had a long day.

I got into both of the classes that needed special permission, with very limited space. So I went to all four classes today -- which added up to five hours in various classrooms throughout the day.

That's a lot of attention being paid.

The hardest is Spanish. My brain is not wrapping around it. My brain is rubber. Bing! Bing! There goes another Spanish word bouncing off, into oblivion. Aie.

Hola. Me llama Kato. Si. Bueno. I suck.

I have some work to do. In Spanish. Before bed. I'm tired.

Who's my inner European...?

2006-09-03T00:44:00.000-04:00

Your Inner European is French!

Smart and sophisticated.

You have the best of everything - at least, *you* think so.

Who's Your Inner European?

Egods! Brown!

2006-08-31T23:44:00.000-04:00

Orientation.

Yesterday.

So I'm feeling.

Oriented.

A little, anyway.

Tomorrow -- meeting with my advisor (well, my pre-advisor). We'll figure out some courses for me to take. Then a trip for me to the Registrar's office. And a line. I'm sure there will be a line.

What am I going to take?!

I pasted a bunch of options into a single document.

Now -- analyze.

Then bed.

Goin' to college means paperwork...

2006-07-14T23:51:00.000-04:00

Last month -- nothin' from Brown. This month I get a new piece of mail with instructions attached every other day. They all say "Take a few moments to complete..."

A few moments? try "a few hours."

And i just noticed that there's a typo in my first name. So Monday i'll have to call and straighten that out -- and get a clear answer about housing. All i know about housing so far is -- is that i haven't gotten any paperwork about it -- but i did get an invoice. Hmmmmm.

Much to do. Much to do.

Bored this summer? GET BUSY!

2006-06-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Being bored because you are chained to a corporate desk and required "to look busy" even though you were finished with your task hours ago, but still you must stay and stay and stay...

That's one thing.

Being bored because school is out and you have nothing to do and it's hot outside and and snif snifle...

That's just a serious LACK OF IMAGINATION.

There are a million things to do -- and i don't mean what's playing at the multiplex or what's on MySpace.

There are books sitting on shelves. There is blank paper and pens and pencils. There is a nearby animal shelter looking for volunteers to help sciolaize dogs so that they can be adopted. There are elderly neighbors who could use a hand getting their storm windows in place during the summer months. There are short stories in your head that you could write down. There are walks to take and notice the variety of birds and trees that abound, how many can you identify? There are kids in your neighborhood that would love a mentor.

Whaa whaa whaa you're bored. You're bored.

I'm not bored. Get BUSY ON SOMTHING RIGHT NOW!

New London Project: PORTRAIT OF A CITY

2006-06-25T17:39:00.000-04:00

These are some pix from the Friday opening of The New London Project: Portrait of a City that took place in 9 locations throughout New London. these photos are from the festivities at The Golden Street Gallery.

Friday, June 23, 2006 The community of New London joins artist Joe Standart in presenting Portrait of America: The New London Project, a monumental public art event which will immerse the city's downtown district in a vibrant photo and video exhibition June 23 through August 13, 2006. Portrait of America, which ultimately will land in other communities across the United States, will kick off in New London when over 100 portrait prints, ranging from life-sized to twenty-foot murals, are mounted in streets, cultural institutions, workplaces, and galleries throughout the City.

There are numerous events planned for the opening and throughout the exhibition, including opening receptions at each of the venues on June 23; performances at each venue by artists from New London's rich reservoir of musicians; artist talks by Joe Standart, Alva Greenberg, and others; public portrait events to be announced; and more. Visit the New London Project's website or call 860-701-0721 for more information.

On learning

2006-06-23T16:54:00.000-04:00

Which Battlestar Galactica character am I?

2006-06-22T13:07:00.000-04:00

Commander William Adama.

You have risen to your position by being damn good at what you do. Not only that, you have the deepest respect for the people under your command. You may be a little grumpy and unapproachable, but every commander needs to distance himself. Shame that you apply that to your children too.

Commander William Adama

94%

Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck)

75%

CPO Galen Tyrol

69%

Capt. Lee Adama (Apollo)

56%

Tom Zarek

50%

Col. Saul Tigh

50%

President Laura Roslin

31%

Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer)

25%

Dr Gaius Baltar

19%

Number 6

19%

What New Battlestar Galactica character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Hugo as wee pup

2006-06-21T15:59:00.000-04:00

I was looking through some pix in my old system folder and i came across some scans i had forgotten about.

This one is Hugo at 9 weeks old -- on day two of his residency here is sunny Groton.

Dogs and Deb on a rock

2006-06-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

The title 'bout says it all. The dogs -- Hugo the giant Weimaraner and Porter the Dalmatian along with Deb climbed a rock at Avery Point one of the few sunny days in rainy rainy Connecticut.

Folding Dog

2006-06-07T14:08:00.000-04:00

For such a large hound (88 pounds or so) Hugo manages to fold up pretty darn small -- into a 24" oval as a matter of fact. You do the math.

Dag-frakin-nab-frickin-lousy BICYCLE WHEEL!

2006-06-04T11:37:00.000-04:00

Went to the bike shop yesterday because Deb's bike needed new tires. When i took the old one off the rim in order to replace the tube it was dryrotted. and Bennie's didn't carry a 27 x 1 1/8 tube or tire -- so -- off to the bike shop.

Turns out that it's been about 20 years since folks used 27 x 1 1/8 tires -- so we had to get 1 1/4" instead.

So yesterday I struggled to get the larger tire over the bigger tube -- but eventually got it all together over the rim.

Not on the first try, of course. The first try the tube was pinched under the bead at the point wear the nozzle poked out. Because the nozzle was a little bigger than the hole it was jammed in tight and wouldn't budge. It damaged the first tube.

Oh well.

I used the second tube on the second try. It went on, no pinches, things looked good.

Until a few minutes ago.

I put it on the bike and atsrted inflating it for real.

Hissssssssssssssssssss.

What the f*%@k?

The damn nozzle is leaking air.

Tha damn nozzle leaks.

I'll try again later.

And I'll return the leaky tube to the bike shop next week.

Cripes.

Ned Lamont = Ned Ryerson?

2006-06-01T19:04:00.000-04:00

Remember that classic film Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray? Remember the doofy insurance guy played by geeky perfection by Stephen Tobolowsky?

Here's Bill Murray as Phil Conners and Stephen Tobolowsky as Ned Ryerson in the scene from the movie.

Now -- I'm thinking Ned Lamont and Ned Ryerson got more than a little bit in common.

Kinda like Conan O'Brien and that lady from Finland...

Anniversary Weekend -- #14

2006-05-28T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ride the wave, baby!

Seaworld Dolphin Show

2006-05-26T19:22:00.000-04:00

Three dolphins waiting for orders at Seaworld lat September.

Earth Dance 2006

2006-05-23T16:01:00.000-04:00

Earth Dance 2006

Twisting my brain around MATH!

2006-05-22T20:37:00.000-04:00

UgghhHhhHhnnHhahhahh...my brain LEAKS!

I am going back to college, so this summer I am preparing for my return to academia. In that pursuit I have purchased (at no small expense) a refresher book on math -- maths, actually. Maths: A Student's Survival Guide by Jenny Olive, a mammoth guidebook just shy of 5" high sits on my desk.

This morning i cracked its spine.

That's when i discovered that my brain had been leaking. All of these years my brain has been leaking knowledge, most likely at night, when I've been asleep. The math understanding that I had -- oh -- um -- if I do the math correctly -- from my last math class -- gosh/yikes/blech -- 26 freakin' years ago -- has evaporated.

I cracked the book's spine.

And I couldn't remember my multiplication tables. Not easily, at least.

So I closed the book, and reviewed my multiplication.

I am good at figuring out the percentage of tip to leave at a restaurant -- but that's all of the multiplying my brain has done without a calculator since 1980 I guess.

So, after 30 minutes of verbally reviewing the basic one thru ten multiplications, I recracked the book.

Two hours later, and section 1.A.1 under my belt, I went to lunch.

While walking the dogs I reran the multiplication tables in my head... getting faster each time.

So there's hope.

Tomorrow?

1.A.2. -- more basic algebra. And I'm going to need a review of working with fractions.

I'm just hoping the leak in my brain doesn't get bigger for the next four years.

Too Much Coffee Man

2006-05-21T16:30:00.000-04:00

Too Much Coffee Man

Jeep Leak

2006-05-16T14:26:00.000-04:00

AhhhhgghhhHhhGGgggGG!

With all of the rain the past four days (five days?) a puddle has formed on my driver's side foot well. When will I be able to dry the damn thing out?

I'm going to order new doors this afternoon. With sliding windows instead of the zipper soft skins. Damn zippers keep misaligning, and that lets in rain and the wind making for breezy travel.

If I didn't love that damn Wrangler..........AaaAGghHHhHH!

Mask on a wall

2006-04-24T16:02:00.000-04:00

Some crazy wall art from last January's Hygienic Art Show.

I got into Brown today...!

2006-04-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

Today I received my acceptance package to Brown University. Now i've got a whole bunch of puzzles to solve to make it work... BUT I GOT IN TO BROWN! Woo-freakin-hoo!

Manhole Mandala making spotted in Westerly

2006-04-15T21:38:00.000-04:00

This is George Clark at work on a Manhole Mandala this past Wednesday in Downtown Westerly. He rides around in his crazy van and seeks out curbsides to become his canvass.

The mandalas are colored sand poured thru a tiny funnel. The sand is twisted and shaped by gravity in combination with the artists eye. The result is a temporary patch of beauty laid on top of a manhole cover destined to be scattered by errant feet, the wind, and rain.

This little beauty only lasted a few hours, because by midnight the rain was falling in Westerly.

read more about George and his art at RIVER EDGE RECORD

Where am I on the political scale? Took a survey...

2006-04-06T23:24:00.000-04:00

You scored as Democrat. <'Imunimaginative's Deviantart Page'>

Democrat

100%

Green

75%

Socialist

58%

Anarchism

58%

Communism

42%

Republican

25%

Fascism

17%

Nazi

What Political Party Do Your Beliefs Put You In?
created with QuizFarm.com

YANKEE TRADER poster art for LA Production

2006-04-05T10:31:00.000-04:00

Do I hear a "Woo!"

Took a TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF survey...

2006-04-02T20:19:00.000-04:00

*TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey*
Name:	Kato
Birthday:	May 1
Birthplace:	New London
Current Location:	Groton (acros the river from New London)
Eye Color:	Blue
Hair Color:	Brunette
Height:	5'6"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	mostly right, sometimes left
Your Heritage:	Irish on both sides, Greek, English, Native & African American
The Shoes You Wore Today:	Beat-up blue Rebocks
Your Weakness:	Dark Beer
Your Fears:	Not finishing
Your Perfect Pizza:	Margarita
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	Learn beginner Spanish and Conga drums
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	cool
Thoughts First Waking Up:	let Hugo out
Your Best Physical Feature:	wrists
Your Bedtime:	Nap-time is more important
Your Most Missed Memory:	you got me
Pepsi or Coke:	Diet Coke
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Subway
Single or Group Dates:	any way it works out
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Tazo
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Vanilla
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Tazo
Do you Smoke:	Uh uh
Do you Swear:	Uh huh
Do you Sing:	All the freakin' time
Do you Shower Daily:	in summer
Have you Been in Love:	All the freakin' time
Do you want to go to College:	yes yes yes
Do you want to get Married:	no no no
Do you belive in yourself:	a-yup
Do you get Motion Sickness:	rarely
Do you think you are Attractive:	some times
Are you a Health Freak:	nope
Do you get along with your Parents:	depends on who's telling the story
Do you like Thunderstorms:	yup
Do you play an Instrument:	a bunch
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	oh yeah
In the past month have you Smoked:	oh no
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	allergy meds
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	define "date"
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Oh yeah
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	no
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	mm hmmm
In the past month have you been on Stage:	Yup
In the past month have you been Dumped:	Nope
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	Nope
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	Nope
Ever been Drunk:	Of course
Ever been called a Tease:	Perhaps...?
Ever been Beaten up:	Nawp
Ever Shoplifted:	once or twice
How do you want to Die:	in a blaze of glory
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	smarter than you
What country would you most like to Visit:	Ireland or Greece or Tibet
*In a Boy/Girl..*
Favourite Eye Color:	yes
Favourite Hair Color:	yes
Short or Long Hair:	yes
Height:	yes
Weight:	yes
Best Clothing Style:	quality over quantity
Number of Drugs I have taken:	yesterday i had a headache -- 3 ibeprophen and 2 sinus thingies
Number of CDs I own:	hundreds and hundreds
Number of Piercings:	just ears
Number of Tattoos:	nada
Number of things in my Past I Regret:	who's keeping track?
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

V is in theaters

2006-03-17T12:31:00.000-05:00

Looking forward to seeing this flick. It looks pretty intense -- and it's getting strong reviews.

Baltar's the man...

2006-02-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

Yeah, baby.

Dogs in Blizzard

2006-02-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

Lots of snow and wind yesterday -- no walk for the dogs -- but a little romping in the snow was fun.

Saint Francis waist deep in snow.

This morning. Lots of snow and sun and a wicked fast Weimaraner running out of frame.

Kato Sauces

2006-02-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

Check it out at http://www.katoproductions.com/index.htm

The award winning Kato's Island Sauce is fab!

I just wish they had a t-shirt for sale!

Olympic Moment...

2006-02-10T17:55:00.000-05:00

The Olympics begin tonight. I'll be watching...which means I won't be watching BG until after 11:00 (but that's waht TiVo is for, right?)

Olympic Blogging

2006-02-09T17:04:00.000-05:00

http://www.nbcolympics.com/bodebyjake/index.html

there's lots of cool stuff on the NBC site for the Winter Olympics coverage -- including blogs like the Bode by Jake. Check it out!

K9 Karma on Animal Planet

2006-02-01T16:37:00.000-05:00

Check out East Yoga Center and it's director, Kari Harendorf, on K9 Karma, Animal Planet's new show about Yoga and dogs airing weekdays at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m EST.

I love this show...almost as much as Battlestar Gallactica...

Almost.

Saturday afternoon @ the Groton Dog Park

2006-01-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

Went to the dog park in Groton for the first time with Hugo. First we walked around the grounds and trails a little bit, before heading over to the dog run.
We figured it was a good way to get Hugo used to the place.
At first Hugo wasn't quite sure what to make of the place. It was such a beautiful afternoon that there were a whole lot of other dogs running around. Hugo got chased a few times, and ran back to me, his hair up and tail tucked.

Maybe fifteen minutes later the weimaraner started to get the hang of it. He started running around and being a chaser rather than a chasee... and we played fetch.
Eventually Hugo started running very fast -- faster than the camera's eye --

Views from the Kennedy Space Center

2006-01-27T14:04:00.000-05:00

Some Florida Pix

2006-01-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

Just bombing thru my Orlando adventure files, and thought I'd post some pix...
Deb with the Lorax trees. She wore her Lorax tree shirt...

me at Jurassic lunch...

and what is Orlando without a dolphin show?

Ugly as all get-out---but made with love

2006-01-21T23:36:00.000-05:00

Again -- you can get this on e-bay...but what would you do with it?

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Star Wars. But.

Whoa.

Gotta love the love, ya know?

Cuz love is all that this has going for it.

Wegman on e-bay

2006-01-21T19:15:00.000-05:00

Isn't William Wegman great? i love these dogs.

This particular signed print is available on e-bay for a live-auction. Just search "Wegman". And have a coupla grand available to invest...

Dogs and fog and art on wheels (also in the fog)

2006-01-16T12:19:00.000-05:00

Art on wheels -- a sculpture on display at Avery Point

Hugo takes a look. Porter watches a car.

Okay -- now Porter takes a moment to observe the art (or maybe a duck somewhere in the distance), and Hugo notices the car.

Okay...UBER-GEEK Unleashed

2006-01-14T17:12:00.000-05:00

See this? It arrived today in my size in my mail box. Woo hoo!

I am going to wear it tomorrow, man!

Unleash the inner-geek that drives my soul!

Foggy & Soggy

2006-01-14T16:58:00.000-05:00

Lots of fog around Avery Point yesterday...

That's "Mr. Geek" to you...

2006-01-10T15:08:00.000-05:00

I bought one of these too. Turns out they're available @ Target.com.

I am an Uber Geek.

TiVo ameeeeego

2006-01-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

Plugged in the TiVo last night and did the set-up. Tonight we'll start logging thumbs-up and thumbs-down. And -- oh yeah -- programming the Battlestar Galactica season pass. Woo-hoo!

My Frakin' Favorite Show RETURNS!

2006-01-06T10:44:00.000-05:00

To be sung to the tune of the William Tell Overture:

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
BATTLESTAR GALICTICA
BATTLESTAR GALICTICA
NEW EP-ISODE TONIGHT!

repeat as often as you like...

For those who don't know, the Sci-Fi Channel splits the season up into two sections. The first half airs in the summer. The second half starts in January. that's now. Season 2.5 will begin tonight.

Yesterday Sci-Fi aired (almost) the entire first half of the season in a day-long marathon...which I watched. I'm primed and ready for the mid-season opener tonight.

whoo-hoo!

It did suck that Sci-Fi has NOT been showing reruns in the show's usual time slot for the past three months. Grrrrr.

But, tonight @ 10:00 PM EST you know where this child'll be. Glued to the tube. I'll probably stay up and catch the reairing of the 'sode at 1:00 AM.

See? I am a geek.

Olympic Spirit

2006-01-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

Okay. I'm a geek. I bought one of these sweatshirts today. Go USA in Torino...I'm sure I'll look just loke Apolo Ohno...without the facial hair...or the wind suit...or the ice skates...or the maleness...

Obey

2006-01-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

I find this item amusing. It's available as a postcard @ www.cafepress.com and search keywords "Obey the weimaraner"