The Sweet Mix of Fertilizer, Urine, and Exhaust

As I was riding my bike down my new commute route, taking a deep breath, I wondered if I was increasing my life expectancy by riding or decreasing it by breathing in the chemical ridden Salinas Valley air.

I am trying to balance my ugly commute with 2 days of riding/bus-ing per week to balance my physical activity, my mind and my ugly toll on the environment.

Its a good ride--about 14 miles each way from Watsonville to Prunedale, up and over a small mountain and against traffic on the 101 for a short distance. It definitely increases my happiness quotient, and surprisingly, I like the bus ride a lot as well. There is some incredible people wathching--and work time-- but best of all I dont have to drive.

After reading the section of The Omnivores Dillema that talks about the Salinas Valley and smelling the mixture of odors that waft by me, I definitely have to question farming practices. Although, the strawberries to smell delicious.

I hope I can keep up this routine and possibly alternate it with some carpooling. It will definitely make this commute more manageable.

Listening to Blitzen Trapper Furr

Music in strange places or strange places in music?

Been watching some interesting videos from a french website that films bands playing their songs in very different settings than would be expected:
Beirut in a brooklyn stairway:

Grizzly Bear in a Bathroom:


Arcade Fire in an elevator:


Awesome stuff.

What will we do if it does Change?

I woke up this morning with a strange thought... and now in retrospect it seems less likely than it did through my early morning dreams.

I was thinking about Mr. Obama and what might change if he were commander in chief. Of course being the ego-drowned american that I am, I believe that everything I want to change will change based on my beliefs, but thats slightly absurd.

I was thinking about how life in the America has been littered with bad decisions and the crumbling notions of an empire in decline during the last 8 years. I was thinking about the anger I've had about the war in Iraq and Bush's "environmental policies."

Then I thought what would we, collectively as progressive Americans have to complain about if Obama was president. There was a strange Utopian feeling that came over me about how everything would be great if he were to become president, and we wouldnt have anything to protest about or be enraged about.

Then reality struck me again. I think Obama is the right choice for our country, and I think "W" has really done some destructive things but things arent going to instantly be better.

Not to be a pessimist, but I believe that we are dealing with a roman empire on the edge of collapse no matter who is in charge. I have nothing but hope for the future, but no one person is going to make this country better from the ills that it suffers.


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Now playing: Josh Ritter - Monster Ballads

Labor Day in a Coffee shop, Laboring

Just wanted to share some interesting experiences from the last week:

Ladyfight in my classroom: There were desks flying, people cheering, and nails scraping. I tried my best to break it up, but there are some things that just cant be stopped. Some of my other students told me they would have helped to break it up because those girls are tough--that was nice of them.

Indigo Girls and Matt Nathanson singing "kid fears" and "Closer to fine":
Wow, yesterday Meghan and I spent the day at the Oakland Art and Soul festival. I have to say that hearing these two songs were close to perfection. The ladies harmonies are amazing and smooth as butter, but throw in a male voice and wow. We had a great time celebrating her birthday.

I'm actually enjoying my new school quite a bit. Of course its a challene, but what school wouldnt be? The kids are more respectful that my students last year, but they are all working on being students--of course Im working on being a teacher. :)


Listening to the Temptation of Adam--Josh Ritter

My distant summer past

The flowers sitting beside me on the desk seem like the perfect metaphor for my summer past.

They were once bright, eclectic and beautiful, and now they are desperately trying to stay colorful and beautiful while their life is withering away.

Okay that may be overly dramatic.

School started last Wednesday, and it seems like its bee three weeks, not days that I have been teaching. The interesting thing, is the planning and the commute are the two things that have been exhausting me most, not the kids. For the most part, they are respectful and interested. And--get this-- they listen.

It is most definitely the honeymoon period, but this school is definitely run with an iron fist. Kids don't get away with much. I walked into class Wednesday, slightly afraid of what to expect, and all except for the freshman, I am happily surprised. It is definitely a change, teaching a 6 period day after teaching block schedule last year, and after my summer mellow time.

I believe this will be a good match, but its going to take awhile to adjust to the change.


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Now playing: In My Time of Dyin' - Bob Dylan
via FoxyTunes

Just when I thought I was Safe

I realize that most people reading this should have no sympathy for me, but my summer vacation is--unfortunately--coming to an end.

Tomorrow I begin my new teaching career. I will be starting the new job and trying to adopt the new curriculum. I will have new students who may or may not trust me as a teacher, I will be a new member of a cohesive staff and will see if I can also gain their trust.

I will be teaching Advanced English, CAHSEE english, and Yearbook. I am a little bit afraid of the CAHSEE class. I will basically be preparing students to pass the CA state High School exit exam. As you may or not know, I am personally opposed to teaching to a test. That is exactly what many of the mandates coming from Georgie and NCLB are getting teachers to do. I understand as well that many of these students must pass this test for a high school diploma. So it does have a very concrete outcome.

I hope that things remained balanced, as they seem very out of balance right now with my transition from relaxation to stress. Ugh :I

Big Sur: Joy, recuperation, and soul

Last week, when I told friends that I was riding my bike down to Big Sur to camp, the two most common responses were, "Why?" and "You know that Big Sur is on fire, right?"
After watching a small soulful show of The White Buffalo playing at the Fernwood bar in Big Sur, it would be easy to assume that Big Sur was still on fire. The fire burning there now is not a dangerous one; it is a fire of energy and beauty that was exemplified when the large man with beautiful long hair names with the moniker of "The White Buffalo" moved the crowd through a set of soulful folk-rock songs that would have set any place on fire.

Meghan and I met up with Tim and his fiance Jill at this rustic bar and over a few locally brewed beers, we were rocked to a completely different mind-space. The White Buffalo isn't all that well-known, he had a song on the soundtrack for the surf movie, "Shelter" and he has released one EP. It seems that he may not want to be any bigger than he is.
But check out this beautiful song:



Beyond that it was sad to see the entire mountainside of Los Padres National forest charred from the Basin Complex fires. A lot was burnt, but not destroyed, as we all know fire is a necessary force for revival in the forest. But it was truly exciting to see the people of Big Sur reviving themselves and coming together. There was a great energy everywhere we went. It was as if this natural disaster brought everyone together a little bit more.

It added to the strange magic that makes Big Sur what it is.

From my Perception, Big Sur is doing just fine.


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Now playing: Shearwater - White Waves
via FoxyTunes