Category: whimsy

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Not Lovelier Than Lilacs, — no.

Some of you know she’s where I got my name. But really, how much more punk rock could a 1920s poet be?

Thou art not lovelier than lilacs,–no,
Nor honeysuckle; thou art not more fair
Than small white single poppies,–I can bear
Thy beauty; though I bend before thee, though
From left to right, not knowing where to go,
I turn my troubled eyes, nor here nor there
Find any refuge from thee, yet I swear
So has it been with mist,–with moonlight so.
Like him who day by day unto his draught
Of delicate poison adds him one drop more
Till he may drink unharmed the death of ten,
Even so, inured to beauty, who have quaffed
Each hour more deeply than the hour before,
I drink–and live–what has destroyed some men.

Lots more here.

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Semper Fi: The Murder of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.

I haven’t said anything about Trayvon Martin on this blog. I’ve been so saddened by it, by the fear and frustration and sadness I see in the eyes and posts of my friends who are raising children of color.

But yesterday, I read this Guardian piece about the execution of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. by White Plains police.

And I don’t know what to say, or think. Blood on our hands, all of us, especially white people who don’t continue to do the work of making sure our institutions aren’t racist.

My heart goes out to the Chamberlain family, and I feel the need at least to say: Semper Fi. My dad was a marine too, and I feel very thankful that he raised me to respect all kinds of people, but especially those who are marginalized and criminalized by our culture for no reason but their skin color or religion or immigration status.

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Tour de FU

Only the Bay Area could come up with shit like this.

Although it strikes me that Madtown is about this hip, too.

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Donutgate

There’s a “group” here in Appleton called Appleton Taxpayers United who have filed a formal complaint against the city’s common council president because she brought donuts to otherwise unpaid poll workers. Her name was not on the ballot, mind you, and apparently this is an old tradition here.

& No, no one much is taking it seriously here, except the people who have to, as well as a couple of blowhards.

But the comments section is hysterical.

If you’re wondering if things are really all that cool & groovy in Appleton that the city has time to waste on bullshit like this. it isn’t. I mean, it is a pretty quiet city, all told, but it’s not like there aren’t better things for everyone to do.

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Go Giants!

I’m watching tonight with a fellow NYer and dedicated Giants fan, once again, of course, to stand in for my dad, who was a huge fan. So: GO GIANTS!

Of course no matter who wins, it will be a blue state victory, and an East Coast one, to boot.

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Ringtone.

or there’s always this option.

As someone who goes to see a great deal of music these days – go figure, but it turns out I love chamber music – I tend to leave my phone somewhere in the entrance / antechamber to the actual performance hall. It would make sense if people could check their phones before walking into an event.