The first time I heard the opening banjo notes of The Rainbow Connection coming from a frog on a stump in the swamp, I was ten years old and sitting transfixed in the old Admiral Theater in Bremerton, Washington, watching The Muppet Movie. That was a palace with its marquee rimmed by lightning-trapped bulbs, a real ticket booth, a slanted hall with cavernous ceilings, balcony, and cushioned seats. [Read More]
Women, the Election of 2012, and Republican Troglodytes
One of the things that most puzzles me about the “pro-life” crowd is that these are the same people who choose to ignore the obvious daily evidence of global warming, the extinction of 200 species a day, the turning of our oceans into carbonic acid to the detriment of all sea life. Just what kind of world do the “pro-lifers” expect to be bringing all these babies with rights from the moment of conception into?
Good bye Britannica…It’s been great
On Tuesday, Encyclopedia Britannica announced that it would no longer be printing its encyclopedias, but will only be offering its thousands of articles through computer or iPad app. While I have nothing against the electronic versions, they can never replace the feel of the actual books as I grasp them carefully by the spine to take them off the shelf and open their covers to find the universe contained within.
Upstream with a Clatsop canoe
“It was shocking, surreal, and disturbing to me personally to see a member of my family, Chief Coboway, being referred to as a member of another tribe with no mention of the Clatsop tribe he belonged to,” writes Stowe. “The entire tribe is very unhappy with this effort to erase our tribal heritage, and is determined to put an end to this misinformation and get the true story published.”
Where we start writing
When you stand next to the sea, you don’t feel big. You don’t feel important, or worthwhile, or even human. You feel like a small speck on a scale so large your presence isn’t even registered. At first this was a comfort. To feel like nothing, like your mistakes and your life are just soaring under the radar, unessential. But today it felt infuriating. Like the voice so caught in my throat, or the words along with that voice.
A visitor at The Confessional
I was in bed last night, reading a book I bought from this teeny little bookstore I couldn’t remember the name of, despite having just been there hours before. As I was doing this, a little card fell out. Jupiter’s Rare & Used Books, right! That place. And I was thinking how badly I would rather be there than here (Vancouver, WA) at the moment.
What I Want For Christmas/Chanukah
So, it’s Ash Wednesday 2012, and I’m finally getting around to letting you know my wish list for the 2011 holidays. I guess I’ll just ask for early presents for the 2012 season (or considering my previous post, maybe I’ll just keep thinking about it).
The Virtues of Austerity
Greece just got bailed out again, in exchange for further austerity measures. Closer to home, I just read tonight that the City of Astoria is considering eliminating some street lighting to save money. Of course Clatsop Community College recently announced the elimination of 15 full-time positions, which have been whittled down to 5 by various means.
Zedhead Reunion
Let it be known there is a fountain,
That was not made by the hands of men.
— Robert Hunter
Not far from here, in a parallel dimension, people are listening to the greatest hits of Zed Whimsy. Come gather round for a little musical testimony.
Data processing with Janus in France
“Be kind to strangers,
lest they’re angels in disguise.”
verse from Shakespeare and Company song
Offbeat questions arise while minding my bookshop in winter on the Oregon coast. Like — why does our calendar year begin with a month named after a double-headed deity who looks backward and forward at the same time?
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