opinion piece by D. B. Shobrawy re Egypt re Zimbabwe: read article and comments Amy Goodman interviews book author Raj Patel informational re U.S. food Wikipedia List of Riots: see 2008 Rho00069 /////////////////////////////
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
riots and food
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Dinh today Latta today
read the April 29, 2008 posts on these sites: Linh Dinh's Detainees John Latta's Isola Rho00068 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 gone
Monday, April 28, 2008
word of mouth anthology
Last night I finished reading Word of Mouth, an anthology of Gay American poetry edited by Timothy Liu. Centered on the back cover is the final paragraph of the editor's preface. The first sentence of this paragraph reads: "After all is said and done, I still question the notion of a 'gay sensibility'." Left of this are 29 names, and right of this/ 29 more. Fifty-eight poets. Many were new to me. The anthology appears to be arranged by birth date, but only the birth year is revealed. 1903 is the earliest birth year and 1969 the latest. The poems deal with many topics. Perhaps I should have known, but the number of poems dealing with AIDS--Tim Dlugos's "D.O.A." (being about his own death) was especially telling. I had seen on TV the D.O.A. movie his poem refers to, and as I was saved from the AIDS sadness by a syphilis scare which moved me to stop my slutty ways, this poem and others deepened my sorrow and thankfulness. Two poems by John Giorno struck me, one which is what its title is: "Pornographic Poem"; and one which describes a horrid death and a death of great peace: "None of Them Wanted to Go". Several poems by Edward Field were humorous, but several poems by Jonathan Williams were even more humorous. In general I was more impressed by the poems of poets I didn't know, but that may be due to practical restrictions the editor had to face. The following link may take you to a Google results page. If so, choose the poets.org result. The interview is the best place to learn about Timothy Liu, and excellant poems of his are there. tliu - Tim Liu's site The full title of this book is: Word of Mouth an anthology of gay American poetry - Copyright © 2000 Talisman House, Publishers = Rho00067
Sunday, April 27, 2008
saving planet earth two
At Linh Dinh's site, part of a speech by Richard Heinberg out of which the following extensive entries at Wikipedia: Permaculture and Biointensive These three center on the international move away from industrial agriculture, and engage the reasons why. Planet Earth can be saved, and it is intriguing that Jeffersonian and Emersonian thinking are at the heart of it. Yet, as Richard Heinberg says, the necessary new culture will not be like any of the older cultures. So much more is known now than was then, and so much more becomes known with each new day. - Perhaps train travel will return after all. Instead of two cars in every garage, one food garden (or a part of a food garden) for every family. I know/ this is not a possible, but our communities can be made more environmentally-friendly than they now are. O O Rho00066
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Saving Planet Earth
I am no Earth-wise holy person, but here are some links to articles worth reading and to some sites worth exploring: "The Web Way to Save Planet Earth" by John McConnell Near the bottom of this page is a link to the associated Earth site: www.earthsite.org At the BBC this Saving Planet Earth page. At money.cnn.com "The race to save Mother Earth in 8 years" by Chris Taylor, Business 2.0 Magazine senior editor Today (04/26/08) at Linh Dinh's site: "The World's Worst Population Problem" featuring Albert A. Bartlett's "Is There a Population Problem?" To learn more about this University of Colorado Physics Professor Emeritus and his contributions take the Albert A. Bartlett link Linh provides. At Alan Contreras's site, this April 14, 2008 post: "Civilized and Uncivilized Societies" Do not be put off by this title. His post is well-researched and thoughtfully presented. One sentence from it is: "A government is due respect only insofar as such respect is earned by conduct." For those who are willing to buy a book, here are two: Jorie Graham's Sea Change, about which there is an online review and Tony Juniper's How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take to Change a Planet?: 95 Ways to Save Planet Earth. One more site of interest: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service This search: saving planet earth returns many results, some of which may interest you. 04/27/08: a 12/09/07 addition from The New York Times Sunday, April 27, 2008 Expert Roundtable - China: Choking on Growth answers from Michael P. Walsh O Rho00065
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Goodreads
Yesterday I joined Goodreads after noting it on J. J. Gallaher's site. I listed three books, and today I listed five more. Not sure what my doing this will come to, but I've concluded it's a good way for me to cull books from my meager library I am no longer interested in and do not wish to let others know about. The three I listed yesterday are: Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition, Teilhard de Chardin's The Phenomenon of Man, and The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan. The five I listed today are: Malachi Martin's The New Castle: Reaching for the Ultimate, Eric Hoffer's The Temper of Our Time, G. B. Harrison's Profession of English, Brenda Shaughnessy's Human Dark with Sugar; and Word of Mouth: An Anthology of Gay American Poetry edited by Timothy Liu, a book I am currently enjoyably reading. More about it later. Had a note exchange with David-Baptiste Chirot earlier today as a result of my joining Goodreads. All of this raises some major questions I am not the first to consider. Core among these stems from knowing/ humans are writing good reads faster than one can possibly read them, and that there are so many good reads from times past. How does one decide what to read? The question which follows this, whatever one decides, is: How will one respond to and/or be changed by what one reads? The question which follows this is: If one spends time reading, what about the one's writing time? I can assure you/ if I didn't need to sleep or eat, I--. > > > Rho00064
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
poetry that endures
The title of this post is taken from Boyd Tonkin's Why poetry still matters because the XX poem "what if a much of a which of a wind" by E. E. Cummings moved me into wondering again: What makes a poem last? A "why poems last" search led me to the feature linked to above. It answered my question so well I thought it best to simply share it. In conjunction with this are thoughts on poetics which are pertinent now: Tony Tost's Typo 2 notes: Disarm the Settlers. Also, do this search: why poetry matters now and choose the Robert Peake result * * * * * Rho00062
Friday, April 18, 2008
top cancer treatments
"The Top 5 Viable Cancer Treatments" by Aaron Rowe - Wired Science - April 15, 2008 < Rho00061
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Internet Future
note Jonathan Zittrain's book and then go to Amazon and read Robert D. Steele's review of it. Next, see this interview of Robert D. Steele: PBS Frontline and then do this search: Zittrain Net Competition to access August 25, 2007 article about book: "Is the Internet Doomed to Self-distruct". Also consider visiting the Open Source Solutions site. Rho00059 ! ! ! !
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
books from local library
- - two books transported to me late this morning: E. E. Cummings Complete Poems (1904-1962) edited by George James Firmage (latest copyright: 1991) Liveright Publishing Corporation New York, N.Y. W. W. Norton & Company Ltd. London Word of Mouth An Anthology of Gay American Poetry edited by Timothy Liu (Introduction copyright: 2000) Talisman House, Publishers (book copyright: 2000) Jersey City, New Jersey - Rho00057
Sunday, April 13, 2008
100 poems project
Catch KSM's project. No need to comment, but read what he and others write. Enjoy the poems. I don't have the anthology that handily is filling a nothing-pressing-to-do void for him. So far two poems, both ballads, have been posted. It is my feeling his doing this benefits him and those who are tracking along. & Rho00056
Friday, April 11, 2008
Poet Poet
Precipitated by a technical hold at PF's Harriet, Linh Dinh's ninth post exists in three places: here (where there are 10 comments) here here The second comment at the second site supports (more vividly) a part of my comment at the first site. However, the comments at each site should be read. Also, Aaron McCollough's provocative: "Self-Consuming Artifacts ... towards an unquiet metaphysics"--which Ron Silliman provided a link to--references and discusses Linh Dinh's post. Although bickerings over aesthetics are not without value, I prefer to observe and learn from them. That may change. There appears to be a growing group of poets moving towards the metaphysical, towards a positive metaphysics, which is where--even when most down--I have always been. Still, I usually am not a beat-the- drum type. I am too variegated. Questions ever haunt me. As I once wrote: Uncertainty is my milieu. That is why I often compare my being to air. I am posting this but it is still in draft. Aaron McCollough has added a second post on the topic of an "unquiet metaphysics". As a way in he reveals some childhood facts. It happens that mine are similar to his; so I am going to reveal some of mine. I was raised as a Roman Catholic in Wisconsin in the 1940's and 1950's. Love of neighbor (and enemy) are also important to me. He cites a passage from the Bible which imprinted itself in his mind. One which has imprinted itself in my mind is from the prayer to God the Father which Jesus taught his disciples: . . . and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Several years back I began to understand this passage in a way I had not so clearly understood it, and it was all due to the "as" in it. What is being said here is that God the Father only needs to forgive us our tresspasses to the extent that we are willing to forgive the tresspasses of others against us. Sadly, for me it is easier to do that than it is for me to forgive myself. ~ ~ Rho00055
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Intentionality
My placing these words in this order in this space is an example of evident intentionality. Whether through a visionary experience or months of rational labor, whatever is kept (like a secret) in my mind is an object of hidden intentionality. Hope lives in the former, and faith lives in the latter. If no one reads what I try to share, my hope and intentions will not matter. If I forget and cannot recall what was in my mind, my faith and intentions will not matter. Actually, even if you discern my intentions and the signs I use here, they will only retain importance by what you decide to do with them. Infederowsah, Ishtin. But let me proceed to an explanation at EPC about "Uncreativity as a Creative Practice" by Kenneth Goldsmith. The title seems oxymoronic, but it is bluntly factual. Mr. Goldsmith had set himself the task of becoming totally uncreative by his fortieth birthday, and his present project, tedious as it was/is, exemplified his best effort so far toward that end. He reveals the urges he's had to subdue in order to successfully accomplish his task. We are managers of information, and cannot be other. The way he dresses befits this/ idea. I have the feeling he is better suited than most for doing what he does. Not that most do not do similar things. It's just that most do them, not because they see it as beyond choice, but rather because sometimes they are beyond choice. I was a night auditor at mostly busy motels and hotels for many years, during which the technologies used in the hospitality business changed often. However, there were times when weather or error caused those technologies to shut down, forcing employees to resort to doing everything by hand. Therein lies the point: Regardless of the task, creativity is creativity; and sometimes the more difficult the task, the greater the creativity needed to complete it. I am beginning to suspect that, like the customer, the intentionalities of an artifact's perceiver are ultimately more powerful than those of an artifact's maker. ? Rho00054
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Mezangelle
Thanks to a comment by Angela G. re a Reginald Shepherd techno- post at Poetry Foundation's Harriet blog, I found out about the existence of a techno poet named Mary Anne Breeze who created her own language known as mezangelle and other similar names. Upon doing a search: this interview Was then led by it to an ARG article at Wikipedia: Alternate Reality Game which is not exactly a game, and possibly cannot be defined. l[i]ove Rho00053
Monday, April 7, 2008
Two Anti-Cancer Advances
First found out about the following from a free weekly newsletter www.kurzweilai.net e-mails to me. Did searches for the articles linked to here: - UCLA "nanoimpeller" for placing drugs inside cancer cells fasting for two days before chemotherapy protects healthy cells - Reminder: Alkaline foods fight cancer. Acidic foods fuel cancer. But there is more. See this tough valuable article from the Wellness Directory of Minnesota. * * Rho00052
Saturday, April 5, 2008
One to Know
Today I learned of an Isaac Stolzfuts because a grandson of his has maintained his journal. Isaac (Zac) was born September 11, 1919, and was residing in south Florida when he disappeared about the 3rd of August in 2007. If the link above is still active, information surrounding that incident persists in his journal. I left a message earlier, but do not know when or if it will be posted. My initial encounter with Mr. Stolzfuts's Journal was the result of a Charles Ray "Oh Charlie . . . ." search. I could tell you more about him, but it would be best if you used the above link and found out for yourself. He was a special man, and I am dedicating this day to him. Regarding Charles Ray's sculpture, read this post from 12-20-06 in the journal linked to above. = Rho00051
Friday, April 4, 2008
Performatism
May add more to this later but, thanks to Robert Peake, a search led me to an essay I want to provide a link to: "Performatism, or the End of Postmodernism" by Raoul Eshelman. In order to make it easier for you to understand Eshelman's positions, I suggest scrolling down to "I can make out five basic features of performatism" and reading from there to the end of his essay first. > See my bloglist for a link to Robert Peake's site. Rho00050 . . . . .
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Celtic Poetry
Poetry Is a Way of Life is the title of a post on Todd Swift's Eyewear, a blog he may discontinue come May of 2008. Beneath this post is a comment by background artist in which is a link to "The Cauldron of Poesy" by Erynn Rowan Laurie, an historical article about Irish/Celtic poetry. If you do not wish to read it, but would like to know the root rules of this neoceltic poetry, scroll to the article's last paragraph. Note: I tried to discover the id of background artist, but it is hidden. } } } } } } } } } Rho00049
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
tic toc tic toc tic
At www.commondreams.org are three articles, two of which should be read, and one which you might choose to read but the comments beneath it are more important. In a link to that article will be information about the comment I feel everyone ought to read. /archive/2008/04/01/8025/ beneath this "Could the Republicans . . ." by Wayne Barrett scroll down to the Galen April 1st, 2008 1:14 pm comment and read it first. Many of the other comments should also be read. /archive/2008/03/29/7966/ Read this article. /archive/2008/03/27/7920/ Read this article. Common Dreams is an excellent site for those who are interested in the tic toc tic toc tic of human activity on planet Earth. I, for one, will be visiting it more often after today. Somewhere in the course of history on the third out from the Sol star situated approximately two-thirds of the way from center in a spiral arm of a galaxy called Milky Way was a sentient being named, alas, Homo sapiens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rho00048
Monday, March 31, 2008
four Tran Da Tu poems
[ Note: This post will contain several asides or insides or whatever-you-wish-to-call-them remarks which will be enclosed by brackets. Over at the Poetry Foundation's Harriet blog Linh Dinh has shared his translations of four poems by Tran Da Tu after a short introduction. I am grateful. May you also be. ] "Love Tokens", "Toy for Future Children", "Fragmented War"; "Standing" are the four poems. Ostensibly these are war poems, but they are not so in any sense I am accustomed to. Linh writes: "His war poetry reads as if it was written, well, right now." Yes it does, and I think I know why. The angles of vision the author takes/ raises them to a different order, an order I am calling the deep within, which has nothing to do with the idea of "deep image" but everything to do with the human spirit. I first read these poems several days ago, and have read them twice since. The second time I read them/ Celan and Adorno came to mind, but I'm not equating Tran Da Tu with Paul Celan and I'm not stopping at Adorno's hard after-Auschwitz thought. [Notice what these poems are devoid of.] The poet here is speaking from the spiritual in him to the spiritual in each of us / all of us. The facts in the poems are not merely there for factualness. Each poem is addressed to a someone or a group, but only through pronouns and general nouns. This distancing reveals empathy. Beneath the facts, Tran Da Tu's attention is on the will- ingness of humans to harm each other, to perpetrate evil acts which are presently visible and which have conse- quences forever imaginable; and the suffering and unto- death sadness resulting therefrom. [Sartre wrote: "Hell is other people." My response and David Bromige's response: "Heaven is other people too."] [Jesus: ". . . love your enemies. . . ." / and in that prayer to the Father He taught to his disciples: "And forgive us our trespasses as (emphasis mine) we forgive those who trespass against us."] You want Armageddon. We do not need Armageddon. We are Armageddon, and until we cease lording it over each other/ we will continue to be Armageddon unto our extinction. The A- and H-bomb horrors will seem as nothing once the robot armies we create figure nearly everything out, and turn on us. That is, if we even make it/ to that juncture. Can a poem change one's life for the better? Yes, but I cannot promise any will. Certainly, for those who are open to it in them, these poems have the power to. ~ Rho00047
Sunday, March 30, 2008
blog name
May change this blog's name. Am in decision. Maybe that's what I should change it to. Say, Salchert's In Decision. How 'bout Salchert's Nescio, or Salchert's Dry Heaves. Had those once for 12 hours. Rhodingeedaddee is unique but seems too mysterious. Could simply ditch this blog, but doubt I will. Am building it for any who care to read its bricks and windows, but am also building it for myself. Am on a steep learning curve, or several such. Won't be changing its http name. Flipping pancakes, just can't settle on anything. Could it be it's because of too many hard boiled eggs? Rho00046 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Friday, March 28, 2008
Poetry Daily Project
If you would like to read poems featured at Poetry Daily, and then vote for the one you think is the best, Andrew Shields has a weekly project about to begin week 6 and is planned to run 12 weeks. Take a look. * Rho00045
Thursday, March 27, 2008
immanent critque
K. S. Mohammad's post Sugarhigh on Immanent Critique deserves a considered read, and not because I have so far commented twice there. * Rho00044
Monday, March 24, 2008
brian's brain p6
Monday 18DEC00 - Last night I wrote "Silent Song", a song lyric, a creation deeply satisfying to me. I sent an e-mail copy of it to three friends. . . . . I am certain it has far more meaning to me than to most others. . . . . Tuesday 19DEC00 - St. Alphonsus Rodriquez, you and I both know I messed up today. Yes, most of my 360 minutes at work were difficult for me, especially physically; but I missed a great opportunity to use the adversities I faced as a means of atoning for my many sins because I too often complained about them. Perhaps tomorrow I will be fired; but if not, I ask you to help me (though Jesus) to cease complaining. Thank you. Wednesday 20DEC00 - No doubt my current job is putting a strain on my back, but I did manage to complain far less today. Tomorrow my work will be a shortened one, bookended by two major appointments, one at 8:30am and one at 2pm. I am not expecting either to be pleasant. - - - This morning I made several calls regarding our moving. If I can get all that is needed ready to go, we will likely move this mobile home to another Gainesville-area location just after New Year's. I think I already know where, even though that is not my preference; but it would be the most monetarily sensible one. It is, alas, far from where I am now working, but I am going to seek a second job, and that might be closer to our new address. - - - Due to a certain action I had to take, a government check I am to get may get delayed, a circumstance that could cause a bill problem. - - - One bright "thank-the-Lord" event which occurred today was the arrival of money I desperately need. Thursday 21DEC00 - Unusually busy appointment day. At my 2pm meeting today I was given a large book. The task it mandates is extensive, and it will take many hours to complete. It may even cause to miss making daily entries here, especially since I must also attend to the task of getting our home moved. Friday 22DEC00 - Stabat Mater, generally ascribed to Blessed Jacopone da Todi. Upon conducting a search, I finally found the original Latin and an English version at a site named Making of America. I added it [that site] to my Thinking Lizard favorite places. - - - My work day again was long and tiring. - - - After reading the Stabat Mater, I began to sing what I could remember of the Tantum Ergo. I am now going to search for it. Saturday 23DEC00 - Janice, my wife, has always deserved someone other than me, someone much better; and I have never deserved anyone. I do not know what is wrong with my brain, but it definitely is not wired right. So skewed is it I would not be surprised if upon examination I, the bearer of it, would be found to be insane. Sunday 24DEC00 - This b thing is f nasty, and mostly because of my writings. Luckily, I do have some secure records, but there is so much which is not yet settled into book form that finding a satis- factory way to account for it is going to be--however worth- while--difficult. Add to which the number of books and tapes I have, though far fewer than I once had; and our various tools, utensils, dishes, clothes, furnishings, etcetera, accomplishing what I need to accomplish in the time I wish to accomplish it in is going to be stone difficult. Monday 25DEC00 - Didn't finish cataloging all my books, but I did get many useless items cleared off my shelves and tossed into the dumpster. All the stirred dust allowed the dust mites to mess heavily with my too allergic body. I also may have a cold. - - - I should make a list of all the places I ought to call in the morning. - - - I have a feeling we are going to have to face several unwanted circustances as regards our trying to move the b thing. Tuesday 26DEC00 - B thing or no, and though a second from now I may be dead or gravely stricken, I yet want to repay what I owe, and will attempt to do so. I realize that being without certain protective insur- ances may in the end thwart my ability to do that, but I yet will try. Wednesday 27DEC00 - A cousin forwarded through a sister a 2001 message from the Dalai Lama. Because of the wisdom in it, I have begun passing it on to numerous others. Thursday 28DEC00 - Got two checks today. Am due to get one check 1-12-01 if I last at my present employment. I want to last, but it is hard on my small weak body. I also hope to find a second job. One that would go from 5pm to 10pm. I also hope to fashion a new career which--if I am able to do it--will allow me to earn some real money. Friday 29DEC00 - St. Thomas Becket. First sentence of the Comment section reads: "No one becomes a saint without struggle, especially with himself." Saturday 30DEC00 - Long hard day at Chick-fil-A. Spent this morning seeking out online addresses for other good persons I wanted to send a greeting of mine to along with the Dalai Lama mantra. Unwisely-- being unwise seems to be a congenital defect in me--I several times sent my greeting to more than one person. Perhaps it was the cousin influence, but once I realized the impropriety of doing that, I thereafter sent to one person at a time. Sunday 31DEC00 - Called my aunt. Called my father. Called my Sister sister twice. - - - My mind is spinning. Hope mixed with fear & trembling engage in a macabre dance in my spirit. - - - Happy new millenium. 6 Rho00043
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter Sunday
For a 1941 Latin Roman Catholic celebration of Easter Sunday Mass filmed at Our Lady of Sorrows in Chicago, Illinois, do this search: Roman Catholic Easter Sunday Mass. The YouTube video lasts 54+ minutes. - For historical information about Easter read this article at New Advent - Though not directly connected to Easter, Robert P. Baird's useful article at Slate "Why doesn't anyone read Dante's Paradiso?" / It so happens I am rereading the Pantheon Lawrence Grant White translation - a copy of which I bought on sale at a bookstore in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when I was briefly at Marquette University 48 years ago - and as of last night am at Canto 8 of the Paradiso. * * * Rho00042
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Palm Sunday thoughts
For "About Those New Seven Deadly Sins" by Liliana Segura read this at AlterNet. - For another view, read this 7 new deadly sins article in Trinidad Express. - For general information, go to this Deadly Sins site. - For some tech takes on this, read the 3-11-08 post by Jack Kapica and the comments at Kapica's Cyberia Blog. - Also do a Palm Sunday search for some interesting articles. Here is input from me. * * * Rho00041
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Dark
See song lyrics of mine from 11-30-1974 at S H. Dark Thanks to Dale Smith at possumego.blogspot.com see also James Howard Kunstler's "Campaign Blues" March 03, 2008 post at http://www.jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com and read at least the first ten comments. It is daily (sadly) becoming more likely that before the end of this year this nation will be in the midst of a dread recession. Rho00040
Saturday, March 1, 2008
brians brain p5
Wednesday 13DEC00 - It's your elfin fool again, God. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I know I could utter a 1001 thank you's, and every last one would mean nothing if I did not thereafter live your will. Truly, my unworthiness notwithstanding, these recent days have been whirly ones, miracle ones. Today there were five events of moment: 1) the decision to move our mobile home out of Pinehurst by January 31, 2001, in order to receive $2000/ to use for moving/ from the development company taking over this property 2) the Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging's exceptionally well-catered Christmas Party complete with the harkening GHS Chorale 3) the surprise presents for me from J- and N- and T- 4) my likely last official day at the Center for Aging Resources 5) the continuing special circumstances integral to the miracle gift is appears is coming from my highest angel here on Earth. "There should be no end to the thanks I show" Thursday 14DEC00 - St. John of the Cross. How amazing! But I must wait. - - - Stopped by the bank this morning on my way to my Chick-fil-A job. After work I made phone contact from home with the bank woman who is helping me. Nothing new, so I phoned the pivotal bank woman up north and found out she had to be away from her bank most of the day. I suggested to her I might make another touch- base call to the source woman, a woman I regarded as holy. She said she is a character, a description I had to agree with. I decided not to call, as I did not want to appear pushy. As the bank woman here said: "We will just have to wait and pray." - - - What a first day of work! That Chick-fil-A is so constantly busy that I told one of the other employees: "This place is famous." The services I perform there are far from being the kinds of services I would prefer to be performing, but if I can acclimate myself to six hours of light but rather constant physical labor, the exercise will hopefully be beneficial in spite of my asthma and osteoporosis, etcetera. It is baldly humble work. There was, curiously, one particularly rewarding incident: when I freed a small boy's foot that had gotten caught in the netting of what I will here call the jungle gym tower tunnel slide. I happened to be where I could hear that child's whining/ only because the girl I was working with asked me to clean the windows in the play area. - - - I now must leave this online place to prepare some highly vital information for the bank woman who is helping me. Friday 15DEC00 - My normal Chick-fil-A work hours are 10am-4pm. It was so busy I wasn't able to take my 20-minute meal break until 3:12pm. and because I was working alone for several hours, I found it hard to keep abreast of the traffic. Several times I spoke to St. Alphonsus Rodriquez about it. It occurred to me that perhaps this finally is the motivation I need to find new permanent work more suited to my talents. I'm honestly not sure I can labor as I am now for long. As good as the activity may be for me, it is severely pushing my limits. Saturday 16DEC00 - Busy, busy, busy: from 11:15am to 2:45pm. At least James, who is 15, was with me. Toward the end of my shift I told Daniel, a huge black man who is one of the bosses, that this work is good for humility. He smiled. During my break today I had a bowl of chicken soup. Out in the car after work I had another conver- sation with St. Alphonsus as I drove off. Humility. I do need it. Still am not sure how well my body will tolerate/ this much physical work. Besides which, there is no indication my job is going to be anything near permanent. Therefore, I am going to continue to seek employment more fitting for me. The Enrollee Supervisor at AARP told me she too will continue to be on the lookout for such work for me. I plan to contact Sante Fe Com- munity College. Securing employment there would definitely please me. Sunday 17DEC00 - Saint of The Day: Lazarus, he whom Jesus raised from the dead. Will I, who am financially dead, be raised back to financial vitality? Will I, by the grace of The Holy Spirit, become a truly productive servant, and one who is given both praise and substantial monies for enough of his creations so as to one day be able to repay his past debts? Do I have the talents to so succeed, or will I always be a poor poet who may as well be forming his word creations in an unknown cave? As long as I am alive, I am going to try (with the talents I have) to so succeed. I know/ I may be dead before tomorrow. I know my days ahead are not likely to be pleasant ones. I could even suffer a terribly debilitating stroke, or any manner of illness that would greatly curtail my ability to pursue any dreams of respectful self-sufficiency. I will pray and work and hope. I cannot do else. And of my anger, my inability to forgive myself? I can only pray and work and hope, and seek faith, and learn to love. - - - Before you boldly reach for a star, know who you are. 5 Rho00039
