1. A big hello to my students who have found their way here. You are probably looking for the Classes page. Feel free to poke around my never-completed site, but remember that everything (except the class sites) here in no way represents the opinion of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
  2. Newsflash: The American World Basketball team loses to Argentina in the World Championships. Gee, this brings their record to a miserable 59-1?
  3. Does the fact that we are about to go to war for no particular immediate reason under the guise of fighting terrorism bother you? It does me.
  4. When I’m not thinking about that, lately I have been thinking about the parallels between contemporary poetry and jazz. There are many similarities in historical contexts and movements, the perception of the art and artists, the place of improvisation and formalism, etc. There must be good books on this subject.
  5. I stopped smoking cigarettes years ago, but began again smoking my pipe. Oh well, there are worse sins (that are also more fun).
  6. For the first time in years I was compelled to write a letter to the editor today. This time in response to Andrew Sullivan’s latest lack of reasoning. My last Salon letter got printed, maybe I will make it twice.