Só a antropofagia nos une!

2011-05-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine lost his father on Mother's Day. Today was the visitation. I went to pay my respects, although I had never met anyone other than this friend and his partner. He seemed genuinely glad to see me. He seemed so strong and yet fragile at the same time. I remember how I tried to be strong at my own father's funeral in December 2008. I think I probably looked strong but for the tears that streamed nigh endlessly when he was actually laid to rest with military honors. Nevertheless, something kept me from staying too long today. Mostly because I thought those tears would resurface and threaten the strength that my friend and his family were showing. Don't know if my fugue was altruistic, selfish or some combo, but I just had to go. I hope the best for HG & his family, but I am also missing my Papa tonight...

Hiya!

2010-02-11T23:16:00.002-06:00

Hey, folks,

Long time, no blog. I guess that the addictive power that is Facebook has slowed me down here. Not gonna lie, some rather heavy depression has been hitting me too. Whether it is "chemical" or "organic" (i.e., stress from the dissertation, the anniversary of my father's death, having the sister who basically begged for you to come out withdraw from you once you do), it doesn't matter. I have been missing my good friends a lot lately & thinking how I don't want to lose the amazing friends that I finally have made here & now.

Peace, happiness & love to us all!!!

Whither he goest: RIP Papa

2009-01-21T22:26:00.003-06:00

I haven't written in a while. A lot has happened. I did turn in that chapter skeleton, which needs a lot of work, but which was at least turned in with good faith...

A week later, my father, who took suddenly ill, died unexpectedly. He had been hospitalized with his ailments. I was sick, with a high fever, and so I went home early. I told my Dad that I would see him tommorow & that I loved him. He said, "You too." He seemed to be in stable condition, so we all left the hospital. A little after 2 AM, when we were all asleep, the hospital called to say that Dad had died. I have been in a very odd state ever since then inasmuch as I would have remained, even though I was sick, had I had any inkling of the imminence of his passing. Some moments seem as they ever were, but others strike me and leave me dumbstruck, numb, or just plain despondent.

Grief is a very odd process--one which I had not had to experience too much in my life. Until my Gran passed away in 2001, I had been sheltered from this sort of thing. However, losing my beloved grandmother 7 years ago did not steel me for the sheer shock of losing my father.

Like many men, I have had a most...interesting relationship with my father. Like most queer men, I have had a most...complicated and ambivalent relationship with my father. I love him so much. He could drive me far crazier than anyone else who tread this earth. He built me up & tore me up in so many different ways. He embarrassed me. I was so proud of him. He did wonderful things for me. He did some nasty things to me. Nonetheless, I LOVE my Daddy. I will miss my Daddy. I pray that his soul finds Paradise.

My father was born in a hick place in a hick time. He endured unimaginable things as a Marine in WWII and Korea. He survived 5 beach invasions. He was awarded 2 Purple Hearts. He met my Mom and waited for her to finish school, which was unheard of when they met in 1949. He changed jobs rather than make her leave her school, job, & family. A hyper-macho man in the 1950's South did this? I actually did not know these aspects until after he died. He kept so much of himself to himself. Why was I so robbed of this while he was alive? Granted, I kept much of myself to myself while he was alive in the hopes of shielding him ("Dad, do you want to hear about my boyfriend?"), so I guess I can't complain or condemn too much.

So, I am the selfish one, left behind, missing my Dad & still trying to process what he means to me, what I do now, how to honor him while still remembering his flawed, human self. I'm not yet in a good place about this, but I'm working on it. Not only my family have been helpful, but so has my family of friends, for whom I am grateful.

I love you, Papa!

2008-12-16T14:56:00.002-06:00

I turned in a part of that dissertation chapter that was driving me frackin' nuts. It is not complete, bu it is a demonstartion that I am working on the dang-blasted thing. It will also provide me with a bit more of a road map for the next parts of that chapter (in addition to the parts that need mending as it is). I can also move on to another chapter which should flow out much more quickly and completely. That one could be quite lengthy and productive as well, so we shall see. Keep your fingers, toes, eye, whatever, crossed! :)

telos vs. eschaton

2008-12-05T08:16:00.005-06:00

I am still struggling with that stupid dissertation. I am still working on it, but I allow myself to get distracted from it very easily. I have had other things going on, but honestly! I do want to finish this beast, but the Cunctator-like delays I keep getting myself into have left me wondering. Finishing this thing would be an end. What kind of end would it be? What do I want it to end? This is the conundrum. I may like some odd, open-ended narratives in my favorite stories and films, but do I like things so neatly tied up and completed in life? How are they tying up--coming together to weave a tapestry that I can look back on or a noose around my neck? I honestly am not sure what I feel. I have had some wonderful experiencecs since I came to Vandy. I have had some gut-wrenching crap. Granted, this is normal and happens to everyone, but I am still a little stuck, stagnanting and wondering why I am having so much trouble completing this final step. I know that I can move on; do I not want to move on? I do like the people here, & I am used to the area. But couldn't I find wondrous new things? I guess it's part of my nature as a bit of a walking contradiction. The social homebody. The courteous bitch. The ambidextrous dyslexic. The magpie who will be distracted by the next shiny thing but who likes consistency. The guy who finds great comfort in having a set routine but loves new challenges. The guy who plans out his spontaneous impulses. I know how this sounds. You say I'm crazy...I got your crazy! (Thanks Britney!) I guess this is also due in part to the fact that my most recent birthday (Tuesday) was one of those dreadful milestone ones and I am not where/as I would like to be. *remembers Buffy's "cookie dough" speech to Angel in the last episode* Then, again, if I get this big thing done, I still won't feel complete. But I don't see getting the other parts of mi vida loca complete without this one. I guess it's off to work...and then TrashMasters. ;) ¡Arriba el telón!

Aqui e agora

2008-11-13T14:52:00.000-06:00

Faz tempo gente. Tô gostando demais dos novos amigos ótimos que conheci aqui. Adoro-os muito. Ainda assim, tenho já que fazer muito mais trabalho nos capítulos da tese. Espero que eu possa entregar um na próxima semana e outro antes das férias de Natal. Vou voltar para Nashville no janeiro também porque já fiz tanto que eu sei que não faria se eu estivesse na casa dos pais, seja o que for a situação com eles. De vez em quando acho que é lastimável. Outras vezes não penso assim. Que tolice... Não obstante, tenho trabalho que tenho que fazer, o qual não posso fazer BEM fora daqui.

Agora tô metido não somente na tese senão também num projeto de fazer um exame novo para uma avaliação da capacidade dos alunos alunos do português aqui falarem a língua. Sempre o problema é que eles falam o portanhol se não falam puramente o espanhol, o que não dá por nada, viu. É difícil procurar boas imagens e outras coisas para que o exame não seja só uma chateação nem para os alunos nem para os professores. Vou ter que fazer até mais com tudo isso então.

Ofereço uma benção e agradecimentos aos novos amigos aqui. Muitos abraços para todos os novos e os mais velhos também!

Congrats!!! :)

2008-10-20T08:28:00.002-05:00

Somebody just had a beautiful baby girl named Audrey! Both mother & daughter & beautiful! (Poppa's not bad, either, but I haven't met him yet & don't need to scare him.) NEWAZ, my heartiest congratulations to yet another person whom I met when she was a freshman in college & now is a married parent! God, I feel so old! Much love to Angie & her little family! Best wishes always! :)

Voltando à tese…

2008-10-13T10:05:00.000-05:00

Prezados! Escrevo de novo no meu amado português para conseguir até mais prática. Vou ter que trabalhar muito hoje e amanhã numa tentativa de acabar com um capítulo da tese. Finalmente soube o que é que é o meu problema de demorar tanto com este capítulo, embora eu ainda goste demais do assunto dele. Eis que eu não adiciono nada de mim entre a rede que tricoto das fontes da pesquisa. Simplesmente faço uma edição das MUITAS leituras que já fiz. Por isso, não mexe com nenhum sentido de criatividade própria neste capítulo. Por isso, escrevê-lo é cacete para chuchu! Pois é que sei que não posso deixar do capítulo a menos que eu dê a aparência de escrever à toa. Preciso de uma base sociológica e teórica. Constrói-se a tese da base ao ápice, né?

Dating caveats 101

2008-10-06T22:31:00.003-05:00

1. Be aware of pick-up lines, especially if you have been living with two 80-year olds for 2 years and can no longer understand how people with a libido talk.

2. Be aware of pick-up lines that are more corny than either the whole state of Iowa or Nancy Kerrigan's Disney parade.

3. Be a little bolstered that someone would want to use such corny pick-up lines on you.

4. Nashville hotel mini-bars paid for by a software development company in Atlanta often contain many delicious and inhibition-busting agents.

5. Just because his father is a Lutheran minister, stop singing Dusty Springfield, at least quite so much.

6. Don't give your cell number to someone who will give you a booty call from 400 miles away.

7. Be just a little happy and/or smug that you got a booty call, though.

8. Don't give your cell number to someone who will later in the week give you a drunken call filled with racist rants that make you feel really fucking stupid and ashamed.

9. Make sure that said person's private ringtone is not set to Milkshake by Kelis so that people around you don't get a good giggle regardless.

10. Don't harp on it; move along; let something better happen. *sigh*

Cubs lose! Holy cow!!

2008-10-06T22:27:00.002-05:00

That was a surprise. NOT!

Some huskers are more than likely annoyed by this development, but I hope it's at least not a shocker.

Divino Maravilhoso!

2008-10-01T11:28:00.002-05:00

Versão de Gal Costa do filme "Bahia, por exemplo" de Rex Schindler

This song written by Caetano Veloso has long been a favorite. This is a version by my favorite interpreter of the song, Gal Costa.

El arte de descifrar una lectura

2008-09-30T19:37:00.003-05:00

Hay millones de cosas que son necesarias que yo haga. No obstante, todavía no las he hecho completamente. Mejor dicho, no las he terminado, porque de veras he trabajado últimamente como demonio. Sin embargo tengo que trabajar aun más. Esta tesis no me va a conquistar.

Es posible que se pregunte por qué escribo en español después de un ratito de no hacerlo. Pues que leí un artículo muy bueno e interesante en un jornal de la ciudad. El problema central era que toda la acentuación no apareció bien. Por ejemplo, cada vez que haya ó como en “difusión”, el símbolo que se mete es Ù “La difusiÙn del programa…” Otras letras acentuadas simplemente no aparecen: Ellos tendr n que trabajar… Todas las á's desaparecieron. No me acuerdo lo que pasó con ñ pero también faltaba cualquier sentido mientras se leía. ¡Horror! Espero que la prójima vez que se publicará un artículo de lengua española en nuestro pequeño periódico vaya a tener mejor tipografía y acentuación para que se lea con más facilidad.

"Do you want to play with my Wii?"

2008-09-28T18:28:00.007-05:00

That phrase was actually said, guilelessly, ingenuously, to me last night by someone I had only met about an hour before. For those of you who know me (& probably even people who don't), you can imagine the torment I put the guy through for making such an utterance.

For the record, I did play with his Wii. A lot. Ha! ;D

I will resist the urge to make further warped versions and responses. Rejoice!

Today

2008-09-23T13:21:00.004-05:00

Today is Celebrate Bisexuality Day. Have fun, & be safe, regardless of your identification/orientation!

I will celebrate by singing a certain Katy Perry song because 1) it's much more subversive when I sing it and 2) I do a much better job overall. :P I will also play Ianto today at the Potter Center. I've answered the phones, made tea, done paperwork for the delivery of sandwiches, and helped set the room for the important luncheon, while I sit waiting to greet guests, answer phones, make more tea, and dispose of the rubbish. Not complaining, because it's fun, & it's better than working on my thesis.

Now, here's hoping Captain Jack will rescue me. :)

At Work

2008-09-09T10:48:00.002-05:00

I am currently at work. As you might guess, it's not too busy today. The director is currently out of the office, but they have fixed it so that I can actually enter the building. Card readers in lieu of keys can be loads of bureaucratic fun! I am trying to do what a lovely madrileña cohort in the Department once advised, "Write at least one page of your thesis everyday." I wonder if she added the caveat "...even if it's craptacular" or anything after looking at the dreck I have produced thus far today. I may be my own worst critic, but... :D

On a much happier note, somebody stopped by my house the other day, so he can attest that at least some of my stories are not bald-faced lies. We had inclement weather when he arrived. I wondered if Chac Mool or Tlaloc were coming up to guide him to Mexico. From what I've heard, he made it past la frontera. Mucha suerte, hombre!

Forget about Mr. Pibb & Red Vines, bitches!

2008-09-04T22:56:00.002-05:00

Basmati + Sambal Oelek = Crazy Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-24T22:05:00.000-05:00

Meine Begierde ward sehend!

"A Cidade de Música EEUU"

2008-08-18T18:58:00.001-05:00

Consegui um novo domicílio cá. Tô contente neste momento. Vou trabalhar na tese, na saúde e nas outras coisas das quais preciso. Vamos ver como irá. Gosto das pessoas que também moram aqui na casa. Acho que são legais. Espero que tudo esteja azul comigo, com eles e com vocês. Se houver vocês mais, quer dizer!

Film Fest Serendipity

2008-08-07T08:29:00.002-05:00

Well, things have settled down here a bit, so I am going to be returning to the Nashpatch to find a place to stay a while, do research, & get some work done on my thesis. While trying to pack & prepare & have people nagging all around me, I decided to watch some films lately. As I mentioned in my Independence Day post, I have been conflicted about familial obligations and doing something for myself. Well, the other day on Turner Classic Movies, it was Claude Rains day, & they showed Now, Voyager, which I watched. OK, that's a little weird, but good (of course, Bette Davis goes to Brazil in the film as well, so that was interesting to me for other reasons).

So, I then am looking through DVDs, videotapes, and books to take with me back to Music City. What falls out of nowhere onto my feet? Como Agua para Chocolate! Hmmm...

Yesterday, I got one of the movies on my Netflix queue. I hadn't had it at the top of my list, but it came anyway. The movie that arrived was Shelter. OK, now I am firmly convinced that it's (past) time to GTFOOH. Still feel weird about it all, but it must be done.

Who knows? I might just be able to see some of you all again (assuming any of "you" read this anymore!) sometime. You've been missed!

things I love (a thoroughly incomplete list)

2008-08-04T09:30:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine started this up a couple of weeks ago. Feel free to respond with your own (assuming anyone reads this thing anymore), or post to your own blog (let me know if that's the option you choose). Since my last post was such a downer, I thought this list would show that I am not always morose, I've just had a hard time lately. Most of my friends (or enemies or casual acquaintances or strangers in the street) would say that I am a complete goofball for the most part. So here's my version of a list:

The rush/burn of a good chili pepper
The laughter of a good friend when you tell that same dumb joke you always tell
The rolling of eyes when you tell a particularly nasty pun
Singing along to a song you love even if you know you can't do it well
Sipping a warm cuppa tea
Having the juice from a fresh peach tickle your chin
The warmth of the one (or one of the ones, I guess) you love when they touch you
The wind blowing across your face
An honest smile
"Only connect"-ing as in E.M. Forster's Howard's End
Cooking a good meal for someone you care about
Walking barefoot on the grass (as long as it's not freshly mown)
Catching fireflies then letting them go
A funky beat
Remembering that thing that was on the tip of your tongue but couldn't name a second before
Getting lost in a story
Subjunctive mood
Anything and all things between a quick smooch and passionate kisses
Lower-fat, lower-calorie food that is still delicious
Lucid dreaming
A slow dance like at the end of Beautiful Thing
The lingering scent on my fingers after picking a flower or herb (currently that would be Greek oregano, btw)
A touch (or maybe more) of silliness
Being amazed and astonished
Parallelism between regular nouns & gerunds, apparently

-Saravá

Independence Day

2008-07-04T21:30:00.004-05:00

Dear friends/readers (as if I have posted anything to read in aeons!),

Today is Independence Day in the nation of my birth. I have not been able to celebrate well today; instead, I have been ill at ease. I may have concerns about the trajectory of this country, but my problems are much more personal of late.

About a year and a half ago, I left my temp job. My job did not go as well as I had hoped. One of my classes went very well and was brimful of vibrant people who made me eager to come teach/share every day. The other class was a problem. A gestalt git. A holistic asshole. "Serious" language students who complained that I could not make literal translations of grammatical structures that have no analogues in English or Spanish. One student who looked at me like _I_ was a fuckwit for trying to explain that a personal infinitive works as a noun grammatically despite its derivation from a verb. Had she never used a gerund in English before?? I have never met more truculent people in my life & they had massed as this amorphous, vapid whole that sucked the life energy right out of me every day. It did not help that I made some very silly tactical mistakes in that class (it was the first time I had ever taught it, I had misapprised what the course goals were in relation to other classes being offered in the future). It did not help that the textbooks did not arrive in time (it didn't help that they sucked, either). It certainly didn't help that I was continuously distracted by my father's serious health issues (which I alluded to in an earlier post). It also didn't help that I had no fewer than 7 notes from the Dean that one or more students in this hellclass had issues of their own. In all the years prior at that University, I had received two such notes. Seven for one class? My evals in that class were horrid, as I felt they would be. Of course, there is probably a special place in Tartarus for the evil git that talked trash about my sick father in their evaluation. Anonymity befits your cowardice and gracelessness. Of course, any U that would use those vapid gits as the sole arbiters of my prowess are doomed anyway, but it still left me disillusioned. I made mistakes, but they were coupled with the most obstreperous group of churls I have ever known.

Nevertheless, I was going to come home to help my father recuperate and rehabilitate. I love my family, despite loads of issues including those I have not come out about. We are very tight-knit. My relations with my father have always been...difficult. Noah Mayer's relationship with his father matches mine very closely, although Noah is younger and much cuter (dammit!). :D At any rate, my father had had some major surgery and was in a physical rehab center druing my Spring Break of 2007. He had come home before I was able to return to help. When he got home, he dismissed his rehab workers and all other aides. This man was then 84, but he had fought in WWII and Korea. He had fought at Iwo Jima, been wounded several times. He has 2 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. Why this was when he chose to give up, I can never understand. My mothermartyr was 78 years old then, in need of a hip replacement, and in pain. Nevertheless, she attended to his every need, even feeding him herself. When I came home, he was confined to bed by his own choice. His hands and legs were atrophied to a state that a return to his mobile state was nigh impossible. Mothermartyr continued her nursework. Unemployed I was impressed to her aid. For the past year and a half my day has been: Get up, fix breakfast for self & father, clean father up from his wastes, feed father (sometimes), clean house, prepare lunch, eat for myself & then feed my father, run errands in town, prepare supper, eat for myself & then feed father, clean dishes, clean father, prepare father for night, wash hands for 100th time of the day, go to bed until the cycle starts with the new dawn. This went on for more than a year with little variance. The days bleed into each other like raw sores. Very little dissertation work has gotten done. My chronic sore back groans like Poe's iron bells.

Then, two weeks ago, my father had a doctor's appointment. We had to arrange an ambulance to transport him. He had to have part of an inactive foot amputated. Mothermartyr finally decided it was time to move him to a facility. This facility has had many flaws, making me very angry, necessitating many, many hours stuck there and many invocations of Erzulie-Ge-Rouge. I had hoped that the move would allow me to get on with my pathetic life, but thus far it has availed me not. I continue to age and have none of the things that I desire most: a steady, fulfilling job, steady contact with the friends I hold dear, a loving relationship. The fact that a dear friend managed to marry in the midst of flood conditions only makes my solitude something that makes it impossible to listen to Billie Holiday lately.

As the song says, "I am what I am. I don't want praise, I don't want pity." I merely found a few scant moments to vent a little and to try to explain my seeming absence to some of those I care about.

I nevertheless am hopeful that I can get my work done, that I can find a meaningful job, and that I can find happiness and solace.

2008-01-02T10:26:00.000-06:00

駄洒落がずいぶんかっこいい !!

Yikes!

2007-08-30T09:13:00.000-05:00

I heard about Owen Wilson's recent suicide attempt with some sadness. I always found him amusing, & he does have an Oscar nomination, which is always cool. However, I saw something today on imdb.com that gave me pause. The news article says that Owen's been hanging out with Steve Coogan. In the news article, it says that Courtney Love said to stay the hell away from the guy. If COURTNEY LOVE says someone is too druggy/scary, it would definitely give me pause.

An old favorite...

2007-06-23T10:03:00.001-05:00

What to Do with All That Junk

2007-04-11T17:20:00.001-05:00

Today IS Hump Day

The Important things in Life

2007-03-27T22:40:00.000-05:00

I have not been updating much lately because I have been way busy. The classes I teach have meant a hella lotta work. My dad also went into the hospital on Feb. 5, had surgery, & only just recentlty returned home. he's still ailing, so I've been...distracted. My family is the typical Southern one that demonstrates that Tennessee Williams never wrote a word of fiction, darlin': he is merely a documentarian recording true Southern family behavior. However, after a day of too much work & too much stress, I have just had an evening of maybe too much of some things but not quite enough of other things. I still have a busy day tomorrow, but I felt like writing a little something after preparing class plans for a rather difficult topic. I hope all are doing well!

Congrats all around!

2007-03-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

Somebody just got a kick-ass job! CRUsher rules! Even if she may suddenly be a bit of a

Ha! This is only to give you a clue about where the new job will take her.

On another note, someone else just got engaged & also has a new job.

Both of these people have lives have my best wishes, even if they both have more money than I do! :P

Tenho medo de...

2007-03-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

रा॑क्षस

2007-03-17T18:59:00.001-05:00

*neighs like a terrified horse*

Nashville again

2007-01-17T13:17:00.000-06:00

Hey ya!

(Feel free to shake it like a Polaroid picture now...)

I am back in Nashville. I have a job wih a title. I am Senior Lecturer in Portuguese this semester. Too bad the title does NOT come with a salary to match. PORRA! Still, I might be able to get some work on my fricken' dissertation done. I say "might" because the classes I'm teaching are full and have lots of outside work (good for the students but not so much for me). Also, in one of my classes (the advanced class), fully half of the students do not have the textbook. I checked on that when I got here, & there were an ample number (not zillionz, but enough). Somehow or another, there was a run on the books or something & they are gone. Since the book comes from Brazil, I don't believe this bodes well for more arriving soon. SACO ISSO! That means more work. Frabjous. Maybe someday I can get over to the library to get some stuff for the thesis, but not quite yet. Yuckola.

Hope all are doing well! Tchauzinho!

What have I been doing lately?

2006-12-04T18:36:00.000-06:00

Muthafuckin' Kupo!

This cracks me up...

2006-09-22T08:59:00.000-05:00

Vacant Lot

¡Bienvenida!

2006-09-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

Estimada Cecilia,

Me alegro que hayas llegado. Espero que la vida sea dulce y tranquila como un sonriso de niña para ti y tu familia (si puedo tutear). :) Tu papá es un hombre muy bueno. ¡Plena felicidad en la vida! Ojalá que sí!

Abrazos...

PS: Un día tendrás que dominar los otros idiomas ibéricos para que podamos reír un poco más. ;)

Preciso de prática!

2006-09-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

Faz tanto tempo que utilizei o meu português que acho que vai sumir se não o uso! Nossa! Pensava em assistir um filme brasileiro, mas ainda não fiz. Talvez veja Macunaíma ou Cidade de Deus. Sei lá. Tenho que começar de ler de novo portanto. Já li vários livros sobre candomblé para fazer esse capítulo da tese. Ainda assim, vou ler Casa Grande e Senzala de Gilberto Freyre, ou, pelo menos, as partes nas quais ele descreve a religião sincrética afro-brasileira.

Puxa! Encontrei uma regra da gramática que prescreve que diga "assistir ao filme. Não obstante, diz que na língua coloquial atual, também diz-se sem preposição nenhuma. Agora a pergunta é a seguinte: é melhor tem uma redação perfeita, segundo as regras da gramática, ou uma frase ou tal que segue a fala go povo? Fogo, hem?

Meta-commentary

2006-08-26T18:14:00.000-05:00

Here are my responses to what people have said so far about what should be on an iPod.

1) erasure- A Little Respect. It's on there. However, due to time constraints, I did delete one song from Pop! off my iPod.

2) Vicentico - No lo conozco. I'll have to check him out one day. I have loads of Spanish-language stuff, but most of it is Cuban (go fig! :D) I have Freddy & Celia Cruz & Los Orishas.

3) Red-Headed Stranger--got several songs from the album, but not the album itself.

4) Guns & Roses -- with the exception of 3 songs, I loathe them. Don't have any of the three that don't make me wish for Kali to wreak endless havoc on them, body & soul, either. (Nota bene: those 3 would be "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," and "Garden of Eden")

5) Gin Blossoms -- I only own "Hey Jealousy," but it's on the Pod.

6) Not only do I have the Carter Family (Hey, I live near Bristol!), I even have duets of the Carters & Jimmie Rodgers. He may not be Bob Wills, but he's pretty good, too.

7) Harry Chapin -- Harry is like many things I might like to have on my iPod but are ensconced on cassettes or vinyl

Further thoughts?

2006-07-25T18:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been having to change things around on the old iPod I mentioned. I filled it up, & now I am having to make some tough choices about what to have on there versus what is not necessary to have on there. For example, although I actually listen to Miles Davis' Pangaea every now & again, it's just so massive that I took it off. I did manage to get some nifty short films on there: Luis Buñuel, Maya Deren, Chuck Jones, Strong Bad...

So, my question to you is: what do you personally think should/would be indispensable on an iPod? Be specific, please. It can be a song, an album, a video, whatever. I can't say I will follow everyone's advice, but I am curious. :)

Toodles!

«Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral.»

2006-07-11T12:04:00.000-05:00

My iPod by the Numbers

2006-04-04T23:16:00.000-05:00

16 = number of complete box sets on it

18 = complete albums by one artist (not a box set) (Joni Mitchell)

3 = number of complete albums by Men without Hats

2 = number of songs by these artists
Andrea True Connection
Blue Swede
The Archies
B.T. Express
China Crisis
David Frizell & Shelley West
Dead Milkmen
Die Prinzen
Disco Tex & the Sex-o-Lettes
Dynamix II
EBN-OZN
The Knack
Len
Patti Page
Patsy Montana
Pretty Poison
Sweet
Ta Mara & the Seen
Thomas Dolby
The Turtles
Ultravox
Young Rascals
Zeca Pagodinho

2 also equals the number of versions of songs like
I Don't Know How to Love Him
You Spin Me 'Round (Like a Record)
Take on Me
Come on Eileen
Stairway to Heaven
Something in The Way
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo
...and others

1 = number of Disney film soundtracks

1 = number of Michelangelo Antonioni film soundtracks

4 = songs called "Heart & Soul," & none are remakes of the others. (T'Pau, The Cleftones, Joy Division, and The Monkees)

1 = number of Edwin Starr songs (& it ain't War, neither!)

1 = Number of Ethel Merman Disco Albums

1 second = shortest track (a Simpsons soundbite)

46: 50 = longest track ("Gondwana" by Miles Davis)

1098-1179 - dates of Hildegard von Bingen, whose works are the oldest on my iPod to which a certain composer can be attributed.

Now

2006-03-31T09:38:00.000-06:00

Once again, it's been a while...

I finally gave in to temptation. I bought an iPod. I currently have about 7000 songs on it, some photos, & some video materials, including some stand-up comedy. Even my Mom & Dad think it is way cool. You name an artist, & I probably have something there. I think I have about 20 different genres, too. Sometimes, the iTunes "reader" or whatever it is that can tell what a CD is has misspellings. I noticed that I had the Elton John song "Corry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" the other day...

On another note, someone has started the annual baseball fantasy league. I missed the draft, but I think I have some all right players. Of course, I think that almost every year & end up sucking mud. :)

Shock

2006-02-18T14:13:00.000-06:00

Well, Thursday it was 70 degrees & sunny. Today, we have 3 inches of snow again. Yuck!

If that weren't weird enough, I spent much of yesterday in the ER! I think it was a food allergy and near (but not) anaphylaxis. Yeesh! They ran tests but found nothing they could put their finger on. I didn't even think about the possibility of a food allergy because the meds I take can cause some weird side effects anyway. Also, the one odd food I ate yesterday (which contained soy) is something I had eaten before, & I have eaten soy products before (I like tofu & miso). So, if that _was- the case, I am surprised. There is no simple way to test for such an allergy at present (that is, given where I am), so I will have to just avoid for a while until I can get tested.

A minha terra tem montanhas...e neve!

2006-02-13T20:32:00.000-06:00

Snowy

2006-02-12T12:34:00.000-06:00

Well, we finally had some snow. They said it would snow a lot last weekend (nada). They said it would snow all day yesterday (It did; it melted). This morning, I woke up to a bright blanket all around. It's been a while since I've seen that. It's not too much, but it's rather pretty. I left some large, bare footprints in the snow for my folks to see to get a larf. No digital cameras, so no pics of that. My niece, who lives nearby, took this shot, though:

2006-02-04T20:42:00.000-06:00

Good grief! I said when I started this thing a little over a year ago that I was horrid at keeping up at things. Don't say I didn't warn ya!

So, it's now 2006. I am glad, because 2005 sucked in a LOT of ways for me. Right now, the weather sucks here, but that's not too big a deal.

I am not a big fan of American football in general, but I usually have an interest in the Super Bowl. This year, I have no team I am rooting for more than the other (or rooting against, for that matter). Unless something snarky happens, I will be all right with the outcome.

Your eloquence is nothing more than hearsay

2005-12-26T19:01:00.000-06:00

Yeesh! It's been a long time, eh wot? Some eloquence!

Happy Holidays to all! :)

I am having a great time with all the family, although the majority went out in the wet & cold to see a movie I've already seen. I would've gone, but I am exhausted. I have had a viral infection that gave me some odd symptoms: light-headedness, gross drainage that never drains, & a nagging cough. I had a good birthday, too, earlier this month. I need to do some serious updating of things for the New Year. I also need to get cracking on that dissertation. No matter how hard I try to make it happen, it just won't write itself. Mean old evil dissertation! :)

Hope all are well! I am still improving in my weird conditions (both the recent viral & not-so-recent renal issues). Aren't you gald to read that? Now got eat some chitlins & scrapple! :P

We got the items to make Hoppin' John for New Year's Day today. I almost never eat it execept then, although I do rather like it. Granted, I don't get to eat bhindi masala as often as I'd like, either...

Tchazinho, rapaz!

Happy Birthday 2 da Homeslice!

2005-11-08T08:08:00.000-06:00

According to Courtney about last night's results...

2005-10-29T10:47:00.000-05:00

Go Flyers!

A tradução que traiu

2005-10-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

You know, for reasons even I cannot fathom, I was looking up info on the Rob Schneider film The Hot Chick. I came across a poster for the film as it was released in Portugal Um Corpo Perfeito (A Perfect Body). I find this to be an odd choice for the translation of the title. Of course, one of my all-time fave Brazilian films Macunaíma was released in the US at one time as "Jungle Freaks" (!)

Creepy!

2005-10-12T22:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, here are some links to some of the creepier things I have found on the Internet:

Images speak even if you don't understand the language

There's a game based on...???!?!

Jinkies!

Oh, great!

2005-09-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

Well, after adapting well to my meds, a new diet, & increased exercise, everything was going fine. Then, yesterday, my blood sugars were elevated & my blood pressure was sky high! I was taking a shower & felt really dizzy, so I went to check everything. Everything except my temperature was out of whack! Yeesh! I'm sure part of the blood pressure elevation stems from the stress of feeling like I was going to pass out. Not only am I not a fan of losing consciousness in general, feeling dizzy is a symptom of a rare (but real) side-effect of my meds called lactic acidosis.
That can be fatal, so I was a teensy bit nervous, ya know? Today, my pressure is normal & I do not feel dizzy or anything. My sugar is still a bit elevated, though. GAH! I have a class at 1:30 today to go to, so I will just have to deal.

Später...

Puta que pariu!

2005-09-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

Oi, gente!

It's been a l-o-n-g time. This is because many things decided to work in concert to screw me over bigtime. I am not going to Brazil this semster as planned, due to bizarre bureaucratic doings at trhe university in Brazil. This ends up being okay in some respects, as I learned from the doctor just days before I would've been going that I have some serious blood sugar & kidney issues. They are not serious as in "life-threatening," at least not as yet. Still, I need to lose some of the junk in the trunk & otherwise check myself before I wreck myself. I am slowly making progress.

As a result of not going to Brazil, that means no income, which means I am not in Nashville but at home with the folks, who are watching for any side-effects of my meds (I am not on high dosages of meds like Glucophage or anything, but it's nice to have someone watching, just in case). I really need to get working on my dissertation, but somehow, I have been distracted. My super-cool advisor is understanding. He seems to prefer that I live & prosper, not just finish & get out of Vandy.

Well, that is my update. I hope all who might read this are well!

Tchauzinho!

Que é que é?

2005-06-14T01:12:00.000-05:00

Sei lá. Talvez esteja tão bêbado que não posso reconhcer bem o que acontence, mas acho inútil o que passa. Ainda assim, eu acho que vou sentir muita suadade do rapaz Mike embora faça bastante tempo que acabo de vê-lo. Não obstante, espero que
Courtney possa divertir-se bem dos "Phantoms." Ainda assim, eu rezo uma muita boa viagem para Mike e que ele não falar mais como se fosse um rapaz de Sevilla. :) Espero que ele falar mais como se fosse um bom moço habanhero ou de algum lugar onde se fala BEM o espanhol. :D

Words of Advice

2005-06-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

If you are having a very powerful, sensual dream, that can be a wonderful experience. Just try to make sure that, when you and that goregeous, passionate, hot other one lean in to share that most ecstasy-inducing kiss, s/he does not instead throw up down your throat while continuing the nifty hip movements. That broke the dream for me, let me tell ya. I had to get up, pee, & blow my nose repeatedly before I could get back to sleep. GAHH!

Oddly, though, I craved Vegetable Beef Soup when I did get up.

The best ever

2005-06-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

My friend Courtney loves the Pitkanen, but...

JONI RULES!!!!

Phantom Test

2005-06-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

This is a test, but I wanted to say
PHANTOMS WOO!

Pitkanen!

2005-06-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

The title of today's entry is a shout-out to a friend in Philly. :D It won't actually involve any Pitkanen, as I am not an authority on the subject.

I just typed that & made about a dozen typing errors. I ought to see how many I can make and publish it just so that people can see how poorly I type!

It's past noon on Sunday, and I have done very little as yet.

I need to figure out how to include links here in an entry...

All for now...

Voltei

2005-06-03T13:12:00.000-05:00

Acabo de passar um tempinho com a minha família. Estou de novo em Nashville. Acho que devo começar com a tese quando tiver tempo! Vou fazê-la tão pronto quanto puder, prometo-lhes.

Where've I been?

2005-04-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

It has been a while indeed since I posted anything in here. I have been busy. I have had:
1) A pinched nerve in my back, which made my left leg useless for about a week. I would either have stabbing pain or have no feeling whatsoever, the latter of which would make me fall to the ground.
2) Ph.D. Qualifying Exams. GAH! Still, as of this past Wednesday, I have officially passed and can get to work on my dissertation. Thus, the cycle of stress and work have little lapse. :P

I am so glad to get to this stage at last!

A belated birthday wish to Ose, who has linked to my blog on his in a way that I must admit cracked me up. :D I guess I need to figure out how to make links now.

What the..?

2005-03-11T21:51:00.000-06:00

The other night, I awoke while I was having a rather lucid bad dream. I dreamed that I was terribly sick, with a very high fever. In the dream, I also felt suddenly, violently nauseous & went to the bathroom. I got there, but not wholly in time. I began to bazooka barf, & not just into the toilet. However, instead of regular vomit, I had thrown up a huge assortment of large crabs or spiders, and they begane to crawl all over the floor, walls, and counter. The chitinous carapaces made a hissing noise from friction, there were so many of them. I was freaked in the dream & decided I had had enough & promptly woke up. My throat was sore. Hmmm...

I wonder what in the world brought that on? I bet even Freud would be unable to analyze that. I can see Sigmund throwing up his hands & shouting, "Dude, that is fucked up!"

been a while...

2005-03-06T17:23:00.000-06:00

I was somewhat hesitant about the whole blog thing because I know how crappy I can be in doing something like this consistently. I'm proving that point. It's about a month now until the dreaded "Exams," and I still have a few things to read. Whee! I also have a lot of mundane chores to take of this upcoming week: laundry, oil change, etc. At least I can sit & read while those are going on without thinking of others things I might be doing.

On a positive note, I purchased the DVD of "Rear Window" today. Hitchcock rules!

A proposta

2005-02-18T20:46:00.000-06:00

Today I turned in the first version of proposal for my dissertation. I am always my worst critic, but there were some parts that I even I think are well-crafted and oh-so-clever. ;) There are other parts that I have some doubts about, but I did provide a blueprint & theoretical framework for my argument. If nothing else, it's a start. I have more hoops to jump through, but another one has been cleared for the moment. This means sleepytime for now! ;)

I can't make up my mind

2005-02-16T23:30:00.000-06:00

Hmm...You make me wanna do something, but what is it I wanna do?

Shoop?
La la?
Holler?
Shout?
Feel like dancing?
Be sedated?
Build a model of teh Eiffel Tower out of Belgian waffles?
To be?
Want to want you?

Os exames e tal

2005-02-03T21:39:00.000-06:00

Faz tanto tempo que escrevi!

I havea date set for my Ph.D. Quals. They start April 4! The oral defense is April 27! I am relieved to have a set date to look forward to/dread. I still have to read a few items & clean up a few bureacratic bits, but I am muchly pleased. Now, I also have to write my dissertation proposal! ACK!

Class today went all right, but I had to hand back some papers that were good but kind of "meh." In other words, it was hard to describe exactly what was wrong with them, but they lacked that certain spark that equals a juicy grade. A lot of them lacked cohesive organization. That can work for a conversation or even a blog ;), but for a formal writing assignment, I think it is imperative that they at least have a formula for organization. I gave them one today. I hope they take it to heart & mind because it will be helpful, & not just for this class. Still, they seem like very bright & hardworking students. Hopefully, this is true.

They predict sun tomorrow. Haven't seen it in ages. It seems like the majority of days since November have been sunless. Funk dat!

The most depressing day of the year

2005-01-24T18:12:00.000-06:00

According to a story I heard on the news, today (Jan. 24) is supposedly "the most depressing day of the year." (I will have to learn how to includes links, but I don't know how yet) I wasn't too sure why. For me, part of it could be the fact that this Jan. 24 is a Monday, which are rarely lovely days in my book. ;)

Of course, the fact that I woke up about a dozen senseless times last night hasn't made me a font of lightness and perception...

I will probably have a nice bowl of chili & go to bed early. Even if I weren't already sleepy, I do have to get up early for class tomorrow....

Que se dane!

2005-01-16T23:48:00.000-06:00

Prezada Frances,

Foda-se! Foda-se! Foda-se!

Que é que foi essa sacanagem que me escreveu? E não só para mim, mas para a chefe também? Isso não dá! Não tem jeito nenhum!

Espero que fosse um erro simples, porque se não, epsero que você perca tudo! Estou fartíssimo da merda que sofri até hoje. Não me dê mais! Vou fazer um despacho para que você saia daqui cedo. Porra!

El primer día

2005-01-14T01:18:00.000-06:00

Sobreviví el primer día de clases. A pesar de las tempestades muy malas, conseguí llegar en punto, más o menos. Eneño una clase de la escritura este año. Espero que pueda enseñarla mejor que pueda escribir hoy en día. Me encantan los estudiantes ya. Me parecen muy listos. Espero que sea la verdad. No quiero más pesadillas en mi vida actual.

Tuve un sueño hoy que mi padre pudiera andar, saltar y divertirse sin los problemas con las piernas que tiene. Si fuera la verdad... A veces sí él parece un personaje de un drama de Tennessee Williams. No obstante, lo amo...muchísimo. Casi siempre es así una familia del Sur, ¿no?

Insônia

2005-01-10T22:42:00.000-06:00

A insônia é um pesadelo mesmo! Estou meio farto de não conseguir dormir bem! Quando não durmo bem, nunca tenho um dia bom. Não posso pensar bem, não faço nada bem! Puxa vida! Espero que durma bem esta noite! Começam as aulas na quarta-feira!
Nossa!

Film Fest

2005-01-08T15:49:00.000-06:00

I need to go return some DVDs I rented the other day. I got Latter Days, which deals with a gay Mormon, and The Weather Underground, a documentary about the 60s-70s radical left group who bombed "symbols of American oppression and imperialism."

Both films were very interesting and rather well done, but neither were the finest in their genre I have seen. Granted, the guy who played the Mormon in Latter Days was exquisitely cute, but you didn't get to see enough of him. ;)

I wish I could have heard more from the people in the Weather Underground, although many of them did participate. So many people equate "not agreeing with government policy" with "hating America," which is the kind of bullshit logical leap so many people seem to make effortlessly these days.

I want to get something else to watch before school starts up next week, but I can't think of what else I might like to see. I also would rather not get caught like the last two times I went to Hollywood Video. The penultimate time I went, there was a very long line with only one person working. Last time, there was a short line, but the people in front of me were doing very complicated transactions, which made me have to stand and wait forever. Bleah!

Bem-vindos!

2005-01-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

Everyone else has a blog, so why shouldn't I?

I'm just starting this out, so I'm not sure what to do with it yet. Here I sit with a Diet Mountain Dew and pickled okra. Yep, it must be a New Year.

Not everything on this site will be in English or Portuguese. If you stumbled on this, don't let the title spook you. Look up the "Manifesto Antropófago" by Oswald de Andrade.

Yes, I like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I like how Willow started as the book smart nerd & then grew into a powerful & sexy character. (Not fond of her losing it & almost destroying the world, but...)

Okay, this is long enough for a test, so...

¡Arriba el telón!