Saturday, July 02, 2005
dear mr. doesgood,
first of all, congratulations on being recognized as a philanthropist. one must do several good acts within the public sphere to be referenced as such. it's a very nice title; being ascribed as one may even rank up there with being knighted by the queen, a prestigious honor given to only a few well deserving souls.
I hear you are throwing a banquet for some high schoolers. I would assume that your intent is to encourage these fine young people to consider acts of service to humanity as fruitful and viable activities. some of them may even try to make a career out of doing good: many teachers have been forged within the context of such a healthy intent. so have many vandalists, eco-terrorists, and south american dictators.
therefore, I have enclosed five books to hand out to some of these hopeful do-gooders. they are arranged by theme. I am hopeful you can pair each book with it's rightful match- each student has specific strengths and weaknesses that must be balanced out with proper learning.
funny> Stalin, by Edvard Radzinsky. while the lion needed courage, the scarecrow had no brain, and the tin man wished for a heart, many aspiring leftists seem to have been born without a funny bone. to lighted the mood- what could be more hilarious then the divinely dark comedy that is stalin's rise to power? here, detailed in astute poetical care, is an excellent account of a dictator born, a party empowered and consumed, and millions of lives destroyed. it's not funny in a 'ha ha' way, but nervous laughter can be very productive. it means we're asking questions. can communist ideals thrive in a state led society? the question must be asked. bob marly can't teach us everything we need to know.
a good western> The Prosperous Few And The Restless Many, Noam Chomsky. as far as westerns go, any chomsky is perfect. he is the greatest cowboy of our time. he doesn't take crap from anybody, speaks his mind freely, has a soft spot for us regular folk, and desires justice. his six shooters are loaded with intelligent questions and his logic is as strong as a good horse. whiskey not included.
local ties> Wobbly War, John McClelland, Jr. the great northwest is rich in labor history. any youngster would do well to learn more about it and the many rights activists fought for. perhaps then they will be less willing to give those rights back, and be less trusting of a government with a history of attacking it's own citizens to protect the interests of the few. this is a good story for any young person with a heart for peace and a mind capable of grasping the economic realities of justice.
inspiring> I Cannot Be Silent, Leo Tolstoy. who is cooler then this guy? seriously. reality TV has nothing on tolstoy. he's even more insightful then paris hilton. required reading. one voice can make a difference.
just plain good> The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien. for the over-achiever of the group. there must be a time for dreaming of mountains.
I hope you will find these books to be appropriate for the task at hand.
best wishes,
x_________________________
---
I hear you are throwing a banquet for some high schoolers. I would assume that your intent is to encourage these fine young people to consider acts of service to humanity as fruitful and viable activities. some of them may even try to make a career out of doing good: many teachers have been forged within the context of such a healthy intent. so have many vandalists, eco-terrorists, and south american dictators.
therefore, I have enclosed five books to hand out to some of these hopeful do-gooders. they are arranged by theme. I am hopeful you can pair each book with it's rightful match- each student has specific strengths and weaknesses that must be balanced out with proper learning.
funny> Stalin, by Edvard Radzinsky. while the lion needed courage, the scarecrow had no brain, and the tin man wished for a heart, many aspiring leftists seem to have been born without a funny bone. to lighted the mood- what could be more hilarious then the divinely dark comedy that is stalin's rise to power? here, detailed in astute poetical care, is an excellent account of a dictator born, a party empowered and consumed, and millions of lives destroyed. it's not funny in a 'ha ha' way, but nervous laughter can be very productive. it means we're asking questions. can communist ideals thrive in a state led society? the question must be asked. bob marly can't teach us everything we need to know.
a good western> The Prosperous Few And The Restless Many, Noam Chomsky. as far as westerns go, any chomsky is perfect. he is the greatest cowboy of our time. he doesn't take crap from anybody, speaks his mind freely, has a soft spot for us regular folk, and desires justice. his six shooters are loaded with intelligent questions and his logic is as strong as a good horse. whiskey not included.
local ties> Wobbly War, John McClelland, Jr. the great northwest is rich in labor history. any youngster would do well to learn more about it and the many rights activists fought for. perhaps then they will be less willing to give those rights back, and be less trusting of a government with a history of attacking it's own citizens to protect the interests of the few. this is a good story for any young person with a heart for peace and a mind capable of grasping the economic realities of justice.
inspiring> I Cannot Be Silent, Leo Tolstoy. who is cooler then this guy? seriously. reality TV has nothing on tolstoy. he's even more insightful then paris hilton. required reading. one voice can make a difference.
just plain good> The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien. for the over-achiever of the group. there must be a time for dreaming of mountains.
I hope you will find these books to be appropriate for the task at hand.
best wishes,
x_________________________
---
Monday, June 27, 2005
the pacific swallows you whole
it doesn't care who you are. or where you've been. nor is it impressed with your possessions. you only really have what you can bring to the full length of it's bleakest depth. nothing at all. when you realize that. you discover everything.
it's smell is engulfing. salty. misty. it sticks to your face. the wind blows through your bones. and turns your hair to straw. I learned much about the sea while occupying a small fishing vessel. where the sea smells like diesel. and cheap cigarettes.
then there's the motion of the sea. it resonates to your truest core. pushes your guts against the walls of your body. squishes you from the inside. a breakfast consisting of m&m's, coffee, licorice, and half a can of bud light is a bad idea. so is thinking you are invincible. or thinking we have conquered the earth. we have not. we're simply borrowing space.
---
it's smell is engulfing. salty. misty. it sticks to your face. the wind blows through your bones. and turns your hair to straw. I learned much about the sea while occupying a small fishing vessel. where the sea smells like diesel. and cheap cigarettes.
then there's the motion of the sea. it resonates to your truest core. pushes your guts against the walls of your body. squishes you from the inside. a breakfast consisting of m&m's, coffee, licorice, and half a can of bud light is a bad idea. so is thinking you are invincible. or thinking we have conquered the earth. we have not. we're simply borrowing space.
---
