Sis-in-law

At the risk of sounding really corny, I'm just so thrilled to have my sis-in-law in my life... today I got a huge gift in the mail because one of her chief personality traits is generosity. It's my second favorite trait of hers, right behind immediate and copious texting capabilities.

So here's to Dana, (I know bro was involved too, but let's face facts, he does not often mail gifts) who sent me awesome handmade jewelry, handmade glass beads, fab books, a great hippie bag, and a coat for my imminent (OK, eventual) move to Ludington.

This was in addition to the special necklace bought at the health food store in Ludington to help manifest the move...

Thanks Sis!

Love the Seasons

When I decided to leave Winter Wonderland, which used to be a marketing phrase for Michigan, probably because it would have been too rude to go with, "When the last person leaves, please turn the lights out," people would say, oh, but won't you miss the seasons?

Well, we have those kind of seasons within driving distance - drive 2 hours and you get snow and can watch the leaves change if that is hugely important to you.

But we have great seasons in Phoenix too - we just left Uncontained Trash season, and today is the first official day for Pumpkin Pie Blizzard season, otherwise known as the Sugar Solstice. Close on its heels, but still plenty of time to buy gifts, is Eggnog Latte season.

It's true that Summer is our longest season, but today I'm grateful that it won't come back until mid-February.

Here are some season pictures for you.

Monsanto

So what do you do when you get a job from the devil, or a devil associate?

I expressed concern about doing work for Monsanto, so I am getting it in stages and can step out at any time.

Grateful for the work, which is around "sustainability?" Or knowing that "sustainability" in Monsanto's case means financial sustainability for their board members, should I just say no?

Blech.

Wallace-L

I can't say enough good stuff about the Wallace listserv. A bunch of over-educated, incredibly well-read and intimidatingly erudite people, turn out to be the nicest, most generous people I've met on any list.

Here's some examples of generosity since DFW died:

George sent out cd's of recordings that he and his friends had acted out, of unpublished interviews from Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.

Ryan created a database that compiled essays by and about DFW.

People who had met him or were his students told very personal anecdotes.

One person started a thread of all the news coverage and tributes so we wouldn't have to search them out.

Jason Kottke (kottke.org) designed a T-shirt as a tribute to both Infinite Jest and DFW.

Nick of The Howling Fantods bought more server space for storage and extra traffic.

And several people have offered to moderate a re-read of Infinite Jest.

That's just in the past two weeks.

Kiva

I'd heard about microloans but hadn't done anything about it, and then a friend sent a link to Kiva, where he had just made small loans to a woman in Azerbaijan. At Kiva.org, you can make loans as low as $25 to low-income entrepreneurs in places like Cambodia, Senegal, and Azerbaijan. You are part of a group making small loans, which add up to bigger loans, for things like cloth, cow fodder, or even a used motorcycle, all meant to help their businesses get started or grow, to earn their way out of poverty.

You choose the enterpreneur and the amount, so if you don't want to sponsor, say, raising cattle for meat, you can choose a clothing manufacturer or fruits and vegetables to resell at market. You don't just donate to Kiva, although you can help them with admin costs when checking out at Pay-pal, which handles the transitions. The pay-back rates are very high, and are tracked through your name at one of your pages at the site, which also include your portfolio and track your invites to other people.

So I made loans to two groups of women in Lahore, Afghanistan; one group is making toys for kids and the other needed fruits and vegetables for an expanding business. These requests were posted and filled in one day - for over $500. The site is so popular that it's sometimes difficult to find a business to loan to. Which is a great thing.

So check it out. Nothing makes you feel gratitude more than reading through these entrepreneurs' stories.

Bothersome

Apparently many new people are getting into David Foster Wallace now, which is fine, it's a good thing, it will help them and amuse them and will provide money to his relatives.

But nothing fries me more than people who claim to be huge fans who never paid attention previously. Is there anything sicker than that?

On the positive side, people that I know and care about, seeing how upset the death made me, are reading him and one is even afraid he won't like him, that it will upset me. That is a good friend. And no, it won't upset me.

Those people more than make up for the idiots and the maladjusted. And isn't that what friends are all about? Helping to level and set right the crap we're exposed to every day.

David Markson was a favorite writer of DFW's, and he published a book of poetry as well. This one is apt and the last line is eerily prescient.

Skull
That’s Dostoyevsky’s skull beside my desk.
Oh well, perhaps it’s Percy Shelley’s then.
In either case the skull’s a skull, no fear:
True tears in those two hooded sockets once.
The teeth are bad, which may mean youth was gone;
Were Gogol’s teeth undone? Were Baudelaire’s?

One night, oh, years ago, Jack Kerouac
Contrived to wedge a candle stub in there;
We meant to watch it glow, but only slits
Along that jaw would let out any light.
“This thankless peon’s got no soul,” Jack said.
Next day on breakfast thought he swore it Poe.

There’s scarce profundity in this, lame ploy
To balance out one’s grimmer view of things;
Like questioning how long the soul’s rot takes,
Let’s say: would Jack himself be clean bone yet?
Ah, Christ, trust life to intervene indeed –
And darken even jests that keep us sane.

What's on your list?

Why is life worth living? Of course, everything you need to be 'happy' is inside you... but obviously, some things or people make your day, or your month, or stick with you throughout your life.

Like Woody says, certain things that make it worthwhile, like... Louis Armstrong's recording of Potato Head blues, Swedish movies (naturally)...

what's on your list?

some of mine:

The dunes by Lake Michigan near Ludington
David Foster Wallace - anything by him really
Hummingbirds on the porch in the morning
Sunlight shining thru the blinds in my room
My brother's humor
Son Volt's Okemah and the Melody of Riot
Beethoven's 7th Symphony
Thai food
Wes Anderson films
My dog arguing with me
Pearl Jam concerts
Hiking behind Piestewa Peak
Paris