I'm in Florida

Hi everyone,

I am taking a hiatus from the land of computers starting after I finish my last paper due on Monday at noon. I am hoping to have it done even sooner and bid this POS adieu because I am in Florida on vacation. Not like crazy Daytona Beach spring break or anything like that but spring break on Sanibel Island which is basically like EP but by the ocean instead of in the mountains. The restaraunts instead of being mountain lodge themed are all themed like the marina, pirate ships, etc. Anyway, it is beautiful and sunny and I am hoping to come back relaxed and rested and even more tan then when I left. Hehe!!

peace from the beach
KHobs

What did you learn in school today?

Yesterday while reading Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of The Oppressed (1993) (some light reading I know) I came across what at first I thought was a poem but later realized was a song by Tom Paxton. I really like it because it speaks exactly to what I am writing my current paper about introducing critical and feminist pedagogy into the preschool classroom. So while the concept of the song may be a bit above the heads of two year olds it does display what we usually think of as the "banking system" of education as described by Freire. In this system teachers are revered as the all knowing beings while students are empty vessels for knowledge to be deposited. While this relationship is reciprocal students give teachers this power by not questioning and engaging in their learning. This says that teaching is one of the ultimate modes of power since teachers have the ability to construct reality for students which often masks oppression and social injustices committed to the oppressed and marginalized students. I think this relates very specifically to performance in that one of the ultimate goals is to reconstruct epistemologies and subjugated knowledges to in order to empower those marginalized peoples who rely on this knowledge. This means that we must learn and understand that bodily knowledges are often undervalued and disregarded in terms of their ability to construct reality and valuable knowledge. I think if Freire would talk about reality as a bodily knowledge we would really be in business connecting performance and pedagogy together. i think other people do this, bell hooks in teaching to transgress, as black women's/women of color's scholarship tends to be tied to knowledge of the body and theories of the flesh, and Denzin in Performance Ethnography: Critical Pedagogy and the Politics of Knowledge, but I don't recall this connection being made explicitly. Anyway, here is the song...I love it!

What Did You Learn in School Today?

Words and Music by Tom Paxton

What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that Washington never told a lie.
I learned that soldiers seldom die.
I learned that everybody's free.
And that's what the teacher said to me.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that policemen are my friends.
I learned that justice never ends.
I learned that murderers die for their crimes.
Even if we make a mistake sometimes.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned our government must be strong.
It's always right and never wrong.
Our leaders are the finest men.
And we elect them again and again.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that war is not so bad.
I learned of the great ones we have had.
We fought in Germany and in France.
And some day I might get my chance.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.

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there is also a really good vid on utube linking the Iraq war to this song but it is unable to be embedded. I suggest checking it out!

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here's one version done by Pete Seeger I think he and Tom are BFF

Glentucky at Dead Guy Days

Eff Yeah!! And yes you will notice two people from Luther-or at least from the backside having a bit of a reunion (one a lovely nurse in denver and Me myself and I)!!
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Better Get To Livin, so says Dolly

So I love Dolly Parton like a gay man singin 9-5 in a gay bar and I am diggin' on the song/video Better Get To Livin, from her new album Backwoods Barbie! It's kind of one of those empowerment anthems you blare in you car during your commute like five times just because it makes you happy and smile. It also requires karaoke style singing complete with fake microphone etc...

Better Get To Livin Lyrics
--
People always comin' up to me and askin'
"Dolly, what's your secret?
With all you do, your attitude
Just seems to be so good
How do you keep it?"
Well, I'm not the Dalai Lama, but I'll try
To offer up a few words of advice.

Chorus:
You better get to livin', givin'
Don't forget to throw in a little forgivin'
And lovin' on the way
You better get to knowin', showin'
A little bit more concerned about where you're goin'
Just a word unto the wise
You better get to livin'.

A girlfriend came to my house
Started cryin' on my shoulder Sunday evening
She was spinnin' such a sad tale
I could not believe the yarn that she was weavin'
So negative the words she had to say
I said if I had a violin I'd play.

I said you'd better get to livin', givin'
Be willing and forgivin'
Cause all healing has to start with you
You better stop whining, pining
Get your dreams in line
And then just shine, design, refine
Until they come true
[Better Get To Livin' lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

And you better get to livin'.

Your life's a wreck, your house is mess
And your wardrobe way outdated
All your plans just keep on falling through
Overweight and under paid, under appreciated
I'm no guru, but I'll tell you
This I know is true.

You better get to livin', givin'
A little more thought about bein'
A little more willin' to make a better way
Don't sweat the small stuff
Keep your chin up
Just hang tough
And if it gets too rough
Fall on your knees and pray
And do that everyday
Then you'll get to livin'.

The day we're born we start to die
Don't waste one minute of this life
Get to livin'
Share your dreams and share your laughter
Make some points for the great hereafter.

Better start carin'
Better start sharin'
Better start tryin'
Better start smiling
And you better get to livin'...
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FIERCE!...or something like it

So tonight was the finale of Project Runway and as predicted Christian Siriano was the one who won top prize for his innovative and outlandish style: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/05/christian3.jpg. I like Christian, he is a queeny queer gay boy, who maybe, in some ways tends to reify stereotypes of gay men, but I think also manages to queer them. His over indulging self-confidence speaks volumes to this. Christian is not the poster child of politically correct gay-ness. His small body may not be intimidating but his attitude and model walk certainly are. That all having been said-I really wanted Jillian to win. I don't know exactly why I connected to her except that in her clothes I saw what Roland Barthes refers to in visual images as "punctum" an unexplainable subjective connection to her pieces. I don't think I would have worn anything but Rami's collection however odd the colorings were. If he is all about commercial appeal he will have help making better color choices in the future.

Above all I love BRAVO and their commitment to showing different aspects of gay and queer lives and different degrees of gayness. Although "we" have Logo it is really BRAVO that I think has a wider range of representations of gays really living their daily lives even if in a totally constructed reality show world.

songs for the day

Good Happy Spring Time Songs
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Kittery Tide, Girlyman

There are times when I want to pick up and say goodbye
To the oldest friends I've known
Jump in the car with no street map
No long sleeve shirts or shoes to pack
Just the sound of you and my guitar

Chorus: I can't wait 'til the day
You come running to say
Those summer nights are here to stay
We can run far away
Not tell a soul for a day
Carry me, oh freedom's delight

'cause I've spent times locked in grooves
Trapped in mama's old black shoes
Or my papa's, folks' and friends'
Always wanted a way just to have my own say
And walk the untrod path 'til the end

Chorus

As the map tore in two
I swore and vented like a fool
Watching miles tick, road signs fly
But I was running from myself
There was no one else
Who could know that better than I

Chorus

As the light changed to red
I wrapped the scarf tight round my head
I was cold as the Kittery tide
There was not much more to see
So I turned back quietly
And crossed back to the other side

Chorus



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And Coo Coos Nest, Jeff Austin normally with Yonder Mountain String Band


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Southern Sun and Vox Rising

This weekend, especially Saturday was amazing. The weather was beautiful 75 degrees in Boulder and I decided to not take the day off but take advantage of the beautiful weather and get out of the house. Despite running a few errands, which included the surreal experience of returning a bathing suit to American Eagle. Does anyone notice that the demographic has changed so that instead of being a like 17-22 demographic (typically college) it is now like a middle school classroom when you walk in there. I basically clammed up and wanted to vomit. However, it was soon followed by drinking and eating The Southern Sun Pub and Brewery.: http://www.mountainsunpub.com/ so good my friends, and fun. The food is a delicious mix of vegetarian and organic vegetarian meat dishes. The hummus which, is flavored Indian style is awesome and you can get their home brewed beer to go in Mason Jars by the quart and the gallon. And it is pretty cheap. Despite the crowd of somewhat pretentious mountain boulder hippie-ites, just remember to bring cash or localchecks since they do not accepter credit cards-really? Who does that? Apparently this place and yet they don't seem to suffer one bit.
After dinner we hit up http://www.voxfeminista.org/VoxRisingSpring08.html a youth theatre performance about the children who are left behind, which was very moving, despite being problematic at times. Vox Rising is part of the larger Vox Feminista http://www.voxfeminista.org/ theatre organization, which is an interactive multi-media approach to performance. Let's just say it is a group I am interested in doing performance ethnography with-whoot! This is the kind of stuff I thought others would be interested in-especially if you live in Colorado, but if any of you come visit me we will definitely have to venture to these places! Yay happy weekend!