You have toiled and labored...

Well put (a couple of the better things that I have read lately):

Mr. Malter:
"We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our live against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing mroe that the blink of an eye? I learned a long time ago that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who live that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here."

F. R. Higgins:
"Song For the Clatter-bones"

God rest that Jewy woman,
Queen Jezebel, the bitch
Who peeled the clothes from her shoulder-bones
Down to her spent teats
As she stretched out of the window
Among the geraniums, where
She chaffed and laughed like on half daft
Titivating her painted hair-

King Jehu he drove to her,
She tipped him a fancy beck;
But he from his knacky side-care spoke,
'Who'll break that dewlapped neck?'
And so she was thrown from the window;
Like Lucifer she fell
Beneath the feet of the horses and they beat
The light out of Jezebel.

That corpse wasn't planted in clover;
Ah, nothing of her was found
Save those grey bones that Hare-foot Mike
Gave me for their lovely sound;
And as once her dancing body
Made star-lit princes sweat,
So I'll just clack: though her ghost lacks a back
There's music in the old bones yet.

A question: how do you think the poem is changed by using "the old bones" rather than "her old bones"? It is startling enough that it must be intentional, so what does it mean? It goes along nicely with "That corpse" and "the Clatter-bones".

I am constantly disturbed by the punctuation inside quotations in MLA, so I am disregarding it here.

Peace.

Darn Wishful Thinking

I am pretty upset with myself this morning. My mind allowed me to believe that I had solved my money problems by finding $425 in a pair of shorts on my bedroom floor. I hadn't sorted out the lack of truth until I thought of the fact that I had already cleaned my room up for Christmas. What a shame, I awoke quite contented only to be disapointed by all of that.

I should get back to the class I am in at this time.

Peace.

Where the coneflowers grow.

I will be heading back out to the farm again tomorrow. Went on out there on Wednesday as well. I didn't do much for work, but I did do a good bit of planning. That is almost as good, I swear. Once I have the plans in mind, the only thing that limits me is the rain. And laziness.
My blueberries are getting a fence and I will be adding a few more plants to that patch this spring too. I'll expand the hill garden around Maggie's grave too. Other than other clearing plans and probably one more expansion of the hill garden , I don't have all that much to do this season.

I do believe that tomorrow evening is just asking for a trip to Saint Paul. Or, at least, the old roommate, Brody, is asking. Seth and I will have to have a jolly old time as it will be the first time that I have visited Hamline since August. I have a rep to keep up...or something. I just feel like hanging out with all the spoiled Hamlinites.

I'll let you know if I come up with anything interesting to say, but I don't think you folks want a critical analysis of Mrs. Dalloway or The Chosen or some of that stuff. I could do that, but I will just stick with occasional website listings, comedy routines, and general narration of my inactivity. I know you want it.

Peace.

Well, whoops.

Looks like I gave out the wrong date for the next Battle at the Barn. I had originally told folks March 11, bug it looks like the date for my bout with Nelson is actually going to be on the 25th of March. They had the wrong date on the old posters, and I believed them.. I apologize.
Tell your friends.

Oh, Emily, since you were wondering. Yes, I won my fight last weekend.

I should really get to homework at some point today, but I thought that watching Where the Red Fern Grows and hitting up the Pizza Hut lunch buffet (for $2.60) were more important.
I heart that movie. Chop down that big cottonwood little boy! Good job.

Hey, I brought down a couple more trees yesterday. Slowly but surely I will have my self a blueberry patch and western treeline that look lovely and grow well. Hooray, and thanks to Seth for the help. Giving him an axe to use didn't even get anyone killed either. Amazing stuff.

Ha, I must be getting depressed. The only movies I brought back here with me this week were and adult oriented romantic comedy and a drama (but if you trash talk Gilbert Grape I might take you out). I did watch Rambo II last weeks, so I might just be recovering from all that masculinity.

Someone should explain to me why riding the Amtrak is so damned expensive. Does it have anything to do with the price of diesel these days? If so, provide me with some good info and we can being pimping the B-5 and B-20 blends.

Alright, I might just get to that homework now.

Peace.

Dandy Times

I don't know if I ever mentioned my great love for a particular OK Go video on here. Anyway, it still exists and I though I should share.
Video here (it is the "A Million Ways" one).

I just almost drooled. It was awesome.

Remember that time when you got drilled in the head with a kickball? That was awesome.

Sorry, I just thought that getting hit in the head with a kickball was something that happens to everyone at least once, so it is safe to put it in there. I heart the comedy of Chris Farley (granted, he probably didn't write that set of jokes, but he did perform it to perfection).

I have noticed that my appreciation of and addiction to all things plant related is starting to mess with my academics. Previously, this crap was just a hobby and something that I might occasionally mention during a "get to know you" session in class, but now it has gotten into the way that look at literature.
While reading Mrs. Dalloway I have found myself paying special attention to all of the little details where flowers are described, applied to characters, and generally appreciated by characters to the degree that the rest of the novel is being neglected. This could spell trouble (what an odd colloquialism). I should probably get this under control, but I don't know how to do that in the winter.
You see, winter doesn't have much for growing things so I am forced to sink into my gardening books and catalogs. I supplement that with wandering the woods, checking the snow covered gardens to make sure they are properly insulated, and reading excessive numbers of Frost poems. Heck, most all of the poems I seem to be really concentrating on in my free-time reading seem to be nature based. Damn this season.
This should be a trouble that begins to fade when the cold starts to leave, so hopefully we don't have snow on May 1st this year or I will be writing some essays that will be oddle received for finals.

Other news: Kylie is set to become the youngest crownbearer in memory for this Monday's D-E Snoball Coronation. Plus, she is walking with Mikey Nelson, the coolest little kid I know.

Bonus Video:
Conan and the greatest Walker: Texas Ranger clip ever. This is an old video, but I felt like watching it again today, and I am in a sharing mood.

Peace.

Classes classes classes

I gots me a whole lot o' dem. Plus a bunch of other required volunteer hours that I must do for my Education program.

The list:
English 220 - American Multicultural Literature - This would be a class about writers from other cultures who spent some time in America. This is a Gen Ed. for some folks, so it is filled with non-majors and with be a joy I am sure.
English 305 - Modernism and Postmodernism - Essentially Modernism (Virginia Woolf and all that) with a little of Postmodernism (if that exists). I hope we spend a week on e e cummings. Should actually be a fairly tough course.
Comm. Studies 371 - Small Group Discussion - Lots of talking with our wacky prof. Good lady, I just enjoy watching her talk as she puts herself into some odd positions for emphasis. Also, she was nice enough to create her own packet for a textbook, $15 bucks rather than $65. I might just enjoy this.
Education 305 - Human Development and Learning (for Secondary Education) - Umm...yeah. Don't really know. I haven't done any of the readings yet. Hehe. It also includes five hours a week of in school work as a teacher's assistant. I will probably get shipped up the road to Lewiston-Altura High School where I will have to do a good bit of work including leading classes. Neat stuff, but I have no time for these darn kids.
Education 308- Human Relations & Student Diversity - Learning about cultural differences between me and all the poor, minority children. C'mon, I already know everything, I lived in St. Paul for a year. Hehe. Also includes a one or two day a week session where I will be tutoring a child at a local middle school. This was just one of the volunteer options, but it seems to be the neatest.
Education 312 - Instructional Planning & Assessment: Secondary - I must learn how to create a curriculum. Also, I should learn about the unfunded mandates of No Child Left Behind. That is sure to turn into a gripe session. It should be awesome.

All in all, whatever, it's school. The only person I posted that stuff for was Emily; I am sure she will find it most interesting.

I still find it hilarious that I was so irresponsible that I did not even know when my classes actually started this semester. I would have shown up half a week late if not for Brooke (or maybe Noah since it was his baptismal party where I learn that information).

Umm...I fight on Saturday in Rochester. Maybe I will actually start writing about my fighting on here, doubtful.

Flippin' Youngsters

More proof that Bernings should not be allowed near technological devici: Seth deleted the blog I wrote last night before I could finish it up and post it. Learn to check the other windows of the browser before closing crap. Jackhole.

Well, back to you previously scheduled lack of new writing on here.

Peace.

All the Standard Activities

Last night, with my last night of winter break, the only logical thing left to do was to go camping. It was a grand ol' time. We had a good set-up on the slope of a hill in the pasture. No cow patties around and a nice flat shelf to lay camp. A couple of us had been out a couple of days before to take care of the fire.
No need for tents or any of those things. Fine to have a sleeping bag and a ground mat.
There was a lovely full moon and a total lack of clouds. These factors combined to create a very well lit environment. The four campers, Dan, Seth B., Seth W., and me, were able to wander through the pasture and woods until the time that we were weary.
I can't say that I had ever wandered out to the sand cliff during the night time. It probably wasn't the best plan in the world to try and climb out from the valley floor with a gun in one hand (at least it was unloaded while I was climbing). Luckily, Dan only wound up with one small wound on his forehead. Hardly any blood either.
The night passed smoothly enough. Apparently Seth B. was feeding the fire throughout the night. Such a responsible young lad. I was able to sleep through the night with only one wake up. I think that was based more in my bladder than any cold feelings. Would have prefered my 0 degree sleeping bag rather than my 30 degree one, but a few extra layers of clothes took care of that.
All in all, a quite successful trip. Dandy stuff if you don't mind the weather.

Peace.

Hilarity

There is a particular television ad that I love to loath. It is an anti-sex ad featuring two teenage boys lifting weights and include this quote:
"I may not be able to lift as much weight as you, but I am strong enough to say no to sex."
It makes my day every single time I see it.

Hey, anyone remember when the Iraq War was supposed to cost the American taxpayers 1.7 billion dollars. That is almost as hilarious as that commercial. Oh wait, people are dead. End humor.

Hehe, update: O'Reilly is still a liar, this time on Letterman. He is getting schooled by Letterman. He has been school on the "War on Christmas," Cindy Sheehan, intelligence, and the legitimate questioning of authority.

Peace.