some brothers

Laotian monastery

So Sonic Youth just signed to Matador Records which is kind of cool news, but really I just wanted to post this picture of SY that I picked up from their facebook page. This is from back in the days of 1985 when they were on Homestead and Blast First. If only I had been a little older than three at the time, you know?

today's scare

I'm not really one for politics but I just spent the last hour or so watching news clips of Sarah Palin in interviews ans giving speeches and such, and I must say that THIS WOMAN FREAKS ME OUT. The thought of her in a position of power anywhere, Alaska or Washington D.C., makes me deeply uncomfortable. Listen to her explain herself and her political intentions and see what crosses your mind.

Zion's National Park

Teacher Jim

I met Jim in Zhuhai, China, where we went through a month long TEFL course together. Following the course I went down to Thailand and met up with him again in his previously established realm of influence, which he generously shared. He then returned to China for work and I returned some time for play. I think he's still sifting through the teaching opportunities, but here you see him at his 9 pm English hour at the now defunct Sansook Place in Thailand and have a good time wading through the sewage-y floodwaters of Yangshuo, China. Perhaps those were the days.

leather could hardly look better

China flashback #3

So you've seen this picture before on facebook and now you see it here. I think this image of me and Meili Mt. (6,740 m or 22,107 ft) sits deep in my heart for the fact that it a) documents me at the highest altitude I've ever set foot on, b) captures my neck in it's hairiest glory, and c) shows me in a happy state, refreshed by a taste of snow and ice after months of Southeast Asia jungle.

My detour down to Oklahoma satisfied the way only Oklahoma can. I got to meet up with Hillary in her native environment and make her do stuff like walk around the cemetery just outside of Mannford looking for Lee Hazlewood, snoop around a little oil well, and go have dinner at Shortcakes with the increasingly celebrated McFarlins. It sure was nice to see Lee and Diane again four years after they so eagerly lead Laura and me into the waters of Lake Carl Blackwell and the world of noodling. If you're wondering what Lee's been up to or what he's up to now, here are a couple of links that might interest you.

http://www.okienoodling.com/okienoodling2/index.html

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=368428329

China flashback #2

I don't know much about what was going on. I know I was headed south and they encouraged me to wait for the bus with them. I know I had to pose with them in various photographs. I know that when I came out of the supermarket with my breakfast we witnessed a small car accident. I remember the kid with the cigarette disappeared for a time and then returned with a taxi van. I'm sure it wasn't long after we loaded into the vehicle that our driver was confronted by an officer of the law, and at that point he drove us all over to the police station. We never saw that driver again. I'm certain these kids dictated some kind of statement while I wondered back and forth from the taxi and the office where all this was taking place several times over a period of a long time. I recall getting into the front passenger seat a policeman's car and being driven down to the dock along the Mekong River. At one point I asked if we were going to a particular city and got shushed by the youngsters. As soon as the officer had driven away from the dock we all hurried into another taxi and left the river with the speed of thieves. I know we were pretty uncomfortable packed in this new taxi and the fighting cock was taking up more space than that one woman would have liked. We definitely sang along to "Yesterday Once More" three and half times. And the taxi sure didn't take us all the way to where I wanted to go.