Otherings

CoppahHead

2008-06-03T20:06:00.003-04:00

The next door neighbors were outside shooting hoops, and they saw(and killed) a copperhead snake. The copperhead is a wicked dangerous snake, and my little kid is only about thirty pounds. Holy crap, I gotta find a good job back in the Commonwealth. Who can help out and abet my escape from the Confederacy?

Symbolismology

2007-07-30T20:05:00.000-04:00

I watched my toddler, now just a little over one year old, dealing with language. She can say mono and duosyllabic things like "hello", "Daddy", "Mommy", and the string of "nonono..." Then I saw her checking out a fruity cheerio very closely. She was feeling it, smelling it, seeing it, and eventually tasting it. She was bringing the fruity cheerio into her world experience. She was

Acceptable Levels of Self Identification

2007-07-29T08:23:00.001-04:00

I was in a meeting at work where the use of affinity groups to disseminate marketing material and bolster volunteerism was discussed. I'm not sure either one of those things is cool, but here it was, being discussed by people with big heads and degrees in this stuff. They were saying that it is OK to market the Firm as "the right firm for Latin Americans" to Latinos and the "right firm for

Old is New

2007-06-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

I guess I can write to this after all.....

Saturday Sessions at the Irish Cultural Centre

2007-01-20T16:31:00.000-05:00

Every Saturday at 8 PM come enjoy a session of traditional tunes and songs at the Irish Cultural Centre of New England with some of the best msucians and singers in the Boston area.Irish Cultural Centre of New England200 New Boston DriveCanton, MA 02021United States781-821-8291office@irishculture.orgSean Kane hosts area trad musicians for inclusive and energetic weekly sessions of tunes and

Long time no posts

2006-12-31T18:16:00.000-05:00

It's embarrassing when you can't remember your password to log in. Thanks to Traveler as usual for the excellent posts and keeping this blog afloat. I am stuck in a year of classes for a 2nd masters--a circumstance to which I think Traveler can relate. Life is busy--surprise. Reading here with enjoyment at least.

Sean's song on National Public Radio Website

2006-12-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

Hi All:I thought I'd mention this:National Public Radio's website hosts a program called Open Mic, forunsigned acts.On January 2nd, 2007, my song A Nation of One will be the featuredsong at this link: NPR Open MicOr: http://www.npr.org/templates/topics/topic.php?topicid=1094The song, a few pictures, and a short biography and song explanation will be featured along with a link to the actual song

Back in Ireland

2006-12-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

I was just able, for the first time, to access and listen to the music that Borderliner has on the web. It is good stuff, and I think he should be doing more of it, or at least sharing more of it. Of course I love them all, but I found the most poignant to be Back in Ireland. It speaks to the same emotion I have every time I go or come. Recently too, I have taken a job that keeps me bound to

Mojo

2006-12-05T09:45:00.000-05:00

My daughter asked me yesterday, "Dad, what's mojo mean?" I told her to ask her mother, but her mother didn't know. When the daughter said this, I nearly fell off the couch. I explained to the daughter that Mojo is an Americanization of the Akan idea of Moja, usually spelled Modwa, which is the literal word for blood. The idea of modwa is that each individual has a unique spiritual dimension

Masque

2006-11-03T13:03:00.000-05:00

Halloween is New Year’s Eve for us Celts. It marks the time of year when the sun recedes and pulls with it the barrier between the material world and the spirit world. Because of this, spirits may be more active and may have much more of an impact on the wake a day world through which we move around this time, and on until the sun returns. Let me tell you something that caught my eye this

Funny Strange or Funny Ha Ha?

2006-10-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

My wife and daughters and I were watching Showtime at the Apollo on TV yesterday. My wife thinks it is great that there are venues where amateurs can go to get discovered without having a panel of judges compare them to experts. This time, though, there was a comedian doing an act about being involved in an interracial marriage and how it affected his kids. The Apollo is a mostly black venue

Ka Ja Baek Du San!

2006-10-06T13:54:00.000-04:00

Pyongyang soju is supposed to be the best in the world. And the different kinds of kim-chi in the north are said to be magnificent. Why, then, can we not drink and eat them? Why aren’t there shelves in all of the Korean markets all around the US dedicated to products from the DPRK? North Korean communism isn’t a form of government only; it is a form of mass psychosis. Harsh words? Yes. I

Rock the Casbah

2006-09-29T12:52:00.000-04:00

I was listening to the radio on my morning commute and there was a discussion between the NPR guy and an author, Neil Ferguson I think his name was. He had written a book called War of the World or something to that effect. His point in the book was that there is a historical trend toward violence and chaos when certain historical precedents are present and when conditions are just so. The

Big Adventures One Afternoon

2006-09-28T15:23:00.000-04:00

Before I get into the story part of this, I just wanted to say that I just saw a Richmond bus painted like a bus going the other way, and the windows were painted like the interior of the backward bus with people inside freaking out. It was a trippy thing to see in such a conservative city. Odd.Anyways, here are my latest big adventures. I just took a walk around the city at lunch time. I went up

Fall

2006-09-20T18:47:00.000-04:00

It is now mid September and Fall should be happening, but it is not. I have taken all of those colorful leaves for granted for too long, even on the trees that line the streets of a little city. I am thinking very seriously of taking my girls out to West Virginia to take a scenic ride on a steam locomotive just to breathe in the Fall. Don't laugh.

Obversity

2006-08-15T14:04:00.000-04:00

What could be the opposite of diversity? Could the appreciation of diversity be a perishable thing? I recently had to attend a training session at my gigantic company, entitled, "Valuing Diversity". I think the training was poorly planned and poorly delivered, and could have done more harm to the cause of "valuing" diversity than good.I haven't been overseas for a long time now. I haven't

Ownership

2006-08-15T13:38:00.000-04:00

I read Cornelius Quick's post on Possession and at first was not astute enough to pick up its central theme. I think I get it now. I am in many ways very obtuse. I am a product of the street on which I grew up as well as a product of the house on that street. I understand it to be related to the comedian's parable about the two athletes who are interviewed after a game; one a winner and one a

Big Concert April 17th, Gamm Theatre, Pawtucket, RI, 7-9pm

2006-03-25T12:24:00.000-05:00

PURCHASE TICKETS THROUGH THE GAMM.GAIL: 401-723-4266gail@gammtheatre.orgHello!BG reminded me that I should post this early rather than last minute.On Monday, April 17th, 2006 I will be playing a special show at the Gamm Theatre in Pawtucket, RI. Fiddler Amy Basse, mandolinist Michael Kelleher, and tin whistle and banjo player Stu Peak will accompany me on the Gamm stage from 7-9pm.A trad session

St Pat's Day gigs!

2006-03-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

Hello:This is the busy time of year for Irish music!C.B. O'Hanley's on Thursday from 9pm to close, with Amy Basse.St Pat's Day: 1-4pm and 8pm-close at Brennan's.Hope you can make both!

Gig tonight Brennans

2006-03-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

Music suggestion

2006-03-03T15:58:00.000-05:00

Hey Traveler:Do you have any cool 'world music' song or band suggestions? Just got a nano . . .Thanks!

New website

2006-02-26T16:06:00.000-05:00

Hi.Aside from trying to finish recording, I've developed the beginnings of a website:www.seankane.us/as well as a myspace account:www.myspace.com/seankmusicCheck them out if you get a chance. Thanks.

Do You Speak American?

2006-02-16T07:23:00.000-05:00

I just watched the PBS special "Do You Speak American?" hosted by Jim McNeil of News Hour fame. One of the many fascinating points was that our language is becoming more localized rather than less localized. I thought for sure in the age of television and instant communication that our language would become more homogeneous. It has not. In fact, African-American speech has started down the

Last Minute Gig Tonight

2006-02-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

Hello.Tim FitzPatrick asked me if I would sit in for him this evening at the seisiun at the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton. Happy to!8pm-?ICC200 New Boston Drive (off rt 138)Canton, MA 02021ICC

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2006-02-04T17:49:00.000-05:00

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Mr. President is an Enemy of the People

2006-02-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

This is a personal post, not representing the views of Traveler, and not related to theme of the blog.I feel I have to post about what is going on in this country. I have never felt such a sense of urgency. It goes beyond my usual hyperbole in political ranting. Currently I don't care about the usual left or right arguments, about individualism, or the welfare state, or social justice, or hawks

Thanks Traveler

2006-02-03T11:10:00.000-05:00

Hello!Thanks for carrying this blog! I have been swamped with a new job, and with any free time, I have been recording a new cd. I have about 20 minutes of it mastered, with another 20 to go. Sorry for absence of posts. I will try to get back on the stick. I have been reading however.Hope you don't go all Southern (completely) on us!I wish you could come out tonight: We are playing at Brennan's--

True Fright

2006-02-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my daughter pointed out, “Mommy’s black, you’re white, and I’m tayen.” “What,” I asked, “are you?”“Tayen,” she replied.“What is tayen?” I further inquired.“Tayen is a color between black and white. Like brown but not as brown,” she said.A shock of fright went through my body like a bucket of ice water thrown over me as I realized that she was saying “tan”, but had drawn it out into

Extreme Othering Reprise

2006-01-15T11:58:00.000-05:00

In a previous post I opined on the propriety of the military's polciy for interacting with civilians in the Arab world, particularly Iraq, saying that lack of cultural sensitivity causes more hearts and minds to be lossed than gained. I heard on NPR while heading home from work that there was a publication in an Army periodical which stated the same thing, and that it was particularly shocking

Borderliner

2006-01-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

Many devoted followers of this hugely popular site are wondering, "Where is Borderliner"? It will only be a matter of days before they take to the streets. Who can forestall this civil unrest? Only the Borderliner! Come out of hiding!

Sesa Me Ewurade, Sesa Me O

2006-01-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

I was just thinking how after I had stopped my wanderings and had locked myself in a cube in corporate America I used to sit and, sometimes for hours, daydream about swaying palm trees and ancient temples, minarets and thunderous waves. It was a feeling not unlike those I had as a child trapped in a classroom, wishing I was on the playground or off adventuring with my cousin Paul.I don't do that

The Season

2005-12-23T09:58:00.000-05:00

Christmas is only a couple of days away. I am reminded of celebrations of Christmas in other cultures. In the Akan tradition the children dress up in their best clothes and go door to door showing off their finery. When the children come to your door you are expected to dote and to give them candy. It is a very interactive tradition and there is not so much focus on the giving and receiving

Extreme Othering

2005-12-20T15:01:00.000-05:00

I was watching a show on TV a couple days ago and it was all about wounded American soldiers coming back from Iraq. They all talked about how it was so important to take care of each other in the midst of life threatening danger. They said a lot about being there for each other and doing whatever was necessary to make sure they all came home together, and safe. These are things one would

Sunny Winter Day

2005-12-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

I realize today how different my new surroundings are, really. It is sunny and in the fifties here today, and this close to Christmas I am used to bitter cold. It is quite different, but, I must admit- rather pleasant. Maybe I'll wait until after winter to visit the north again...

Peep this...

2005-12-01T21:46:00.000-05:00

http://excitingtruestories.blogspot.com/

Othering and Spam:

2005-11-04T14:59:00.000-05:00

There are a couple of points to be made about the connection between othering and Spam, particularly in reference to the mainland of the USA and the Hawaiian Islands. The first is “outward” othering. During the Second World War the Hawaiian Islands were a very important strategic base from which the war in the Pacific was supplied. The people of the Hawaiian Islands didn’t have much in the way

GIG TODAY

2005-10-23T11:32:00.000-04:00

Hi.I am playing today at Brennan's Grille (Blackthorne) at 3pm with Amy Basse (www.amybasse.com)Brennan's is running a hurricane benefit concert from 1-4pm, with three acts. We are headlining. $10. Free apps.Stay for the seisiun after!Turnpike St (RTE 138) S. Easton, MA 02375508-238-9017Contact: Steve Brennanwww.brennansgrille.com

Cogito Ergo Me nTumi nKyere Hwee

2005-10-20T07:22:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy at school and work that I haven't been able to post. I am, however, building my capacity to eloquently opine on such intellectual points of interest as standard deviation and confidence intervals. If you need to find me, look for the blithering madman who is quietly nodding at a meeting, or studiously taking notes. I could be anyone.

Ideas - The Boston Globe

2005-10-10T21:41:00.000-04:00

Walter Benn Michaels reviews two novels in the Ideas Section of the Boston Sunday Globe for 10//9/05: Curtis Sittenfield's "Prep" and Tom Wolfe's "I am Charlotte Simmons". The review, entitled "Class Fictions", interests more than the novels reviewed.Michaels understands that both novels make the same argument: That social class in America is a figment of the 'neoliberal imagination'. Or in short

Shafting

2005-10-05T19:28:00.000-04:00

Of course I was wrong. And I knew it, before the ferry unloaded us unceremoniously at Red Hook without apology."Go see the agent in the harbor," we were told.As it turned out, the agent's office was a plywood kiosk among several others, with a Plexiglas window and a little airhole through which to speak. I had to bend over both to address the opening, and to try and squint through the reflected

Trouble in Paradise

2005-10-04T15:38:00.000-04:00

To recap:My wife and I were on a Native Son ferry somewhere between Tortola, B.V.I., and St. John, U.S.V.I.The ATM machine in West End, Tortola had rejected both our debit and credit cards.I had ten dollars in my pocket. The only reason we were on the ferry at all was due to the purchase of a return ticket on Native Son several days before. At the time, it had been a mistake: Guides warned

Spammers Must Die . . .

2005-10-03T17:43:00.000-04:00

Enough said. Yes, I am not dead. Just have a new job. Am coming out of the darkness and into the light.Thanks, Traveler, for keeping blog alive in the meantime.Will finish my damn narrative soon.PSCornelius,Any interest in a gig in the beginning of December?

Culture Clash

2005-09-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

I stepped into a convenience store to buy a lottery ticket the other day. I could tell by looking at the owners that they were Korean. I greeted them in Korean when I came in and they were so glad that I knew a little Korean that we conducted our transaction entirely in Korean. The old gentleman was especially pleased, as I could tell by the way he smiled and nodded so much, which is not

Bird Poop Island

2005-08-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

I am used to fatherhood now. I no longer say the "s" word without thinking about it first. Which is why I mis-named the island in the title.Birds*it island is a tiny dot of coral off the coast of O'ahu just north of Kailua beach park. To me it seemed like it was thousands of miles away from shore, but it was really probably about a couple hundred yards or so, give or take. It is flat enough to

Isle of Arran- Scotland

2005-08-29T16:45:00.000-04:00

There is an island off the west coast of Scotland called Arran. You can get there by taking the ferry from Greenock, it's not far from Port Glasgow. When I was a college kid almost twenty years ago now I went to that island with three friends, and we had a wild time.There wasn't much wild to do on the Isle of Arran. We didn't stay out all night chatting up girls or dancing to flashy beat music

An Island Too Far

2005-08-25T09:11:00.000-04:00

Bear with me as I relate a quick anecdote about an island I never reached. It was in West Africa, on the coast, halfway between Axim and Takoradi. We were staying with the volunteer at Dixcove, but the beach where we partied was a couple miles walk away. It was called Busua beach. At that time there was a half built hotel on the beach. It was an uncomely pile of grey concrete in a tropical

Oilean Beag

2005-08-25T08:13:00.000-04:00

Another quick entry about island hopping. When I was a student at UCC I went for a weekend to Sherkin Island off the coast of West Cork. I had all of my camping stuff, which wasn't much back then, and had intended to camp on Cape Clear Island. When we got to the ferry it seemed that everyone in the universe was going to Cape Clear, so we picked Sherkin for the privacy. It turned out to be a

Island Visit

2005-08-10T16:00:00.000-04:00

In keeping with the island travel theme I offer these few words about a trip I took to an island:I was in my mid to late twenties, living in South Korea. I had some very good friends with whom I went camping one weekend. They were a family of four- mother, father, and two daughters, and a fellow teacher who was about thirty I think. We went camping on a very small island off the southeastern

Gig tonight

2005-08-05T14:51:00.000-04:00

Hi All.I'm playing tonight at Brennan's Irish Grille in S. Easton, MA USA. Rte 138.508-238-9017.9pm.Can you mak it?

Alms Giving

2005-08-04T11:02:00.000-04:00

A white collar businessman is walking down the street when he is accosted by a panhandler and asked for a dollar. "I don't give able-bodied men alms," says the businessman. "You just don't know how it feels to be hungry," retorts the panhandler. "Of course I do," replies the businessman, "that's why I work."The common joke above indicates the different views of alms-giving. I

Interjecting

2005-07-26T08:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry to bust in on this travelogue / narrative of the Borderliner's journey through the physical and cultural environment of the islands, which I am enjoying immensely and very much appreciate. I just thought it might be an opportune moment to interject.I have never been to the islands, but I would love to go. Whenever my wife sees pictures of the less developed islands on TV she asks where it

Rum? What Rum?

2005-07-22T01:05:00.000-04:00

Lighthouse Villa, Cane Garden Bay, Tortola

2005-07-22T01:01:00.000-04:00

That is our place, the white building above Quito's (yellow building). We had the 'penthouse' suite, top floor.

Cane Garden Bay, Tortola

2005-07-22T00:54:00.000-04:00

Conflict in Tortola with a Native Son

2005-07-18T13:11:00.000-04:00

So how does this affable if slightly silly American tourist on the West End pier in Tortola turn into a raging adrenaline-shakes monster, ready-to-do physical violence upon the man, or the woman frankly, on the other side of the plexi-glass at the Native Son customer service (bwaaahaha) booth at Red Hook pier in St. Thomas? Whoo!Answer: We weren't supposed to be in Red Hook, but in Charlotte

Loyalty, Fidelity, and Balto

2005-07-17T16:39:00.000-04:00

While watching Disney's Balto with my kid's the other day, I was struck by the unexpected ending. The animation ends and we see a statue dedicated to the team of dogs that actually brought critically-needed medicine to the remote Alaskan(?) town, in the 20's.The motto read 'Fidelity, Courage, Intelligence'.I got to thinking about Fidelity. Diction: Fidelity. It struck me as different from loyalty

Some cool stuff

2005-07-15T22:48:00.000-04:00

Great (!) all-in-one printer/scanner/fax: Canon MultiPass MP390. <$150. For the love of God, don't buy an HP 5x00 series. Look at the forums!My browser: Firefox. Duh.Email: Thunderbird.Password Manager: KeePass (not KeyPass). Yes, it has autofill. But the best is, you can run it right off your USB Jump Drive. That is:1. Store all your passwords in an encrypted database2. Keep KeePass .exe

Mordecai Richler

2005-07-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

I've just finished two novels by the Canadian writer Mordecai Richler:Son of a Smaller Hero and A Choice of Enemies.The latter is set in the expatriate American/Canadian community in 1950s London. This group for the most part is in flight from the McCarthyist oppression and conformity of North America. I stumbled upon Richler when surfing for 'cultural conflict' writers. A Choice of Enemies is a

A quote. Why not?

2005-07-15T22:15:00.000-04:00

William James, [Principles of Psychology], 1890:"A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him and carry an image of him in their mind."

Camouflage

2005-07-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

This is a short comment in the "vain" of a person's costume affecting how others interact with the wearer. Today I dressed as a conservative white collar business man and walked around the center of the city. I did that because that is how I dress for my conservative white collar business job, and I got up too late to make a lunch this morning. While I was out getting lunch I ran an errand for

Cowboy Hat Tortola Continued (in which the word Ubiquitous is bandied recklessly about)

2005-07-08T11:19:00.000-04:00

I am guilty of the vanity of considering myself something of a world traveler. Or at least a veteran traveler: Able and willing to adapt, eager for experience, open to and understanding of differences, and of course, well-liked in such settings as a result.This is a vanity born of early travel: By 12 I had been to Ireland 14 times, as well as Peru and Hawaii. The trips were personal visits to

Sahara Wind sunset

2005-07-06T16:22:00.000-04:00

Sahara Wind Sunset I've left this dark to protect the anonimity of the subject, but you get an idea of the dramatic sunsets and the sky filled with sand literally from the Sahara. Talk about global migration.

Cowboy Hat

2005-07-06T15:59:00.000-04:00

Cowboy, baybee Does anything say Yankee so well as a cowboy hat? If you are really from Texas you can be forgiven. It is your native headgear. But of course if you are from Texas then you may be exuding an exponentially greater nativistic chauvinism than the average American, so that the hat is more the crowning statement, if you will, in the overall package of hubris, than the defining one.

Racial Identification

2005-07-06T13:12:00.000-04:00

My wife and I brought our daughter to register for kindergarten. It is a big step. I'm sure all of you with children know how a parent can fret on a child's behalf. I was concerned that she would be able to meet the right friends, that the new class would be accepting of her as a new student, being that she comes from the north and will talk differently from the other children. We still have

What Will Become of the Euro?

2005-06-23T11:41:00.000-04:00

Most Germans polled want to go back to having the Deutschmark. Italian politicians want the Lira back. The British, who have not joined the Euro currency have frequently given opinions that the Euro is doomed to fail.The European Union is growing so fast that the more advanced member states have rank and file unions concerned that new members will take their jobs, either in situ or by foreign

Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day: Europe: history's has been

2005-06-20T18:42:00.000-04:00

It's funny how fast the spin wheel turns. I haven't even progressed beyond the prologue of TR Reid's The United States of Europeand both the book and I are behind the time. Witness: Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day: Europe: history's has been Also interesting: In Googling the book to get the year of publication (2004), I came across a review of it here. Stanley Hoffman of Foreign Affairs writes

irish-mythology-home-page

2005-06-18T19:28:00.000-04:00

irish-mythology-home-page Great site.

IRISH LITERATURE, MYTHOLOGY, FOLKLORE, AND DRAMA

2005-06-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

IRISH LITERATURE, MYTHOLOGY, FOLKLORE, AND DRAMADecent Site

Living Languages

2005-06-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

I wanted to say something very quickly about the evolution of languages (and I'm writing it in a language, how so very not ironic). Recently an acquaintance of mine went to Ireland for a bus tour. I have already forgiven him. He asked if I knew any cool things that he should see while he was there, and I told him he should definitely get to a Gaeltacht. He couldn't believe that there was a

The Value of Human Life

2005-06-14T10:46:00.000-04:00

We, collectively, have blogged on the impact of culture on perspective and perception. We have explored the up and downstream effects of intercultural transaction, the formation of new cultures (of the diaspora, e.g.), and the impact of these overlays on the individuals caught within them. We do this for the same reasons a madman studies psychology. My own child is transracial, transcultural.

European Unity

2005-06-14T09:18:00.000-04:00

As an American I am perfectly qualified to opine on the current and future states of European unity. As an American I declare myself qualified to opine on anything and everything, and to expect that my voice will be heard and recognized and that any wisdom that might hide in my blithering will be heeded. That is, after all, what we Americans do, no?Here is why I really feel I can add an

Last minute opening gig

2005-06-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

Tonight at Main St Cafe, N. Easton, MA I'll be opening for Mike Kelleher.Main St. North Easton, MA.That's it!

Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day: Kettle's on; Turkey's done!

2005-06-02T17:06:00.000-04:00

Eamonn Fitzgerald's Rainy Day: Kettle's on; Turkey's done! And here's another post . . .

Dutch Dump Euro Dreams?

2005-06-02T11:59:00.000-04:00

But first . . .The Dutch just added another blow to the European Union constitution. First in all matters of nay-saying and recalcitrance were of course the French. (The French! says the Citizen. Set of Dancing Masters!)I am following this with great interest because of the great historic drama of it all. Will Europe unite? Equal or surpass America? Become the new bastion of progressive humanity?

Tortola: Snubbery in Paradise

2005-06-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

Tortola in the British Virgin Islands is a paradise. Perennially 85 and sunny. Rain sudden and brief at dawn and dusk. Lush verdant mountains and heady perfumed evenings. Captivating sunset skies filled with the Sahara Dust. Full moon craziness at world-famous Bomba's. Dizzying Pusser's Rum Painkillers. Pusser's Painkillers . . . mmmm, Painkillers. (To paraphrase Homer, Does rum count as beer?)

2005-05-31T21:31:00.000-04:00

Bomba Shack, Tortola, BVI.

2005-05-31T21:08:00.000-04:00

Brewer's Bay, Tortola, BVI.

2005-05-31T21:07:00.000-04:00

Josiah's Bay #2, Tortola, BVI. Population: 8!

2005-05-31T21:03:00.000-04:00

Josiah's Bay, Tortola, BVI.

Tortola photos

2005-05-31T20:59:00.000-04:00

I was just running through some photos of our trip to Tortola and I am glad that I did. Before any observations or criticism--crrritic!--I realized hey, three nights in the British West Indies is just dang awesome! So, a few pictures first.

Vultures Row

2005-05-31T14:30:00.000-04:00

Interesting post (titled "Where the Streets Have No Shame")from this blog for several reasons:Vultures Row First, Vulture 6 blogs: A story that got very little attention last week was one concerning U2. The story is one of artistic integrity. It seems some advertising agency wants to pay the band some 12.5 million pounds ($22,785,212.46) to use the song "Where the Streets Have No Name" in a

Letters to a Young Poet

2005-05-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

In fourth term AP English my students read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. After this cheery read, I have them read selections from Ranier Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet because the letters are filled with inspiration and wisdom.You must pardon me, dear Sir, for waiting until today to gratefully remember your letter of February 24: I have been unwell all this time, not really sick, but

New demo

2005-05-18T10:49:00.000-04:00

I have a new demo at soundclick. Not really happy with it yet, but I put it out there to motivate myself to finish it properly. One of those songs where I was really excited by how good I thought it, but during revision and recording, I'm struggling a bit.What do you think?It's called A Nation of One (or maybe No Common Trade.) I wrote it by combining some personal experiences and feelings with

Who, me?

2005-05-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

I was recently made to remember a time when my American cousin and I were drinking stout in a pub in a small town in East Kerry. We were both just twenty years old at the time. The place was fairly well empty. I had been in Ireland for the better part of the year at school while my cousin was back in Massachusetts, so we were doing some catching up. Our conversation grew animated and I zoned out

Journey to the Underworld-Final Part

2005-04-28T19:35:00.000-04:00

I did not take the offering. I remembered the rule that I was only to observe and not interact.At this moment my thirty minutes were up, and the drumming changed from the consistent repetitive beat to a more insistent rapid rolling. I was supposed to return the way I came.The sensation was amazing to me. I travelled backwards out from the upper chamber, through the loft, down into the bright

Journey to the Underworld pt 2

2005-04-27T11:47:00.000-04:00

As I came toward shore, I had difficulty perceiving the hula dancer. I couldn't tell whether she was actually on the beach, or very close to me, and not really "there" at all but some symbolic vision (within the vision.) She wasn't dancing properly, she was shaking like a dashboard hula girl would.It is one of only two things that made me slightly uncomfortable during the experience. I don't know

Song update

2005-04-26T16:38:00.000-04:00

Click the above title to hear an updated version of my song "Cemetery Sunday". It was mixed in Cubase. I have some work to do on it. Or click here to go straight to a hi-fi download.Cemetery Sunday is held in some towns in Ireland. Many expats return for Mass and a rosary at the cemetery. I combined this vivid image from my youth with a more recent memory of unwillingly leaving Dublin and

God bless Liam

2005-04-20T19:39:00.000-04:00

My uncle in Ireland died last week. I do not feel like writing about it."That for which we find words is already dead in our hearts."God Bless You!Rest in Peace.

The journey to the underworld

2005-04-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

Perhaps I sould start with the de rigeur denial of personal kookiness: I am not a new-ager, nor anything of the sort. I am a SKEPTICAL person. This is not an alien-encounter story.I do not know of what "shamanic journeying" consists. One reason I tried it is the book I learned from suggested that:a) It doesn't matter what it is. Try it and see if it is interesting or helpful.b) It does not

Terminal Cool redux

2005-04-15T11:42:00.000-04:00

I have blogged about the concept of Terminal Cool here.In brief: The term Terminal Cool struck me as a way of describing the phenomenon of coolness or hipness in the American character and its consequences. It struck me first while I was in college and my previous blog really presented the issue of coolness, in dress, language, behavior, as being primarily a phenomenon of adolescence and young

Apologia Pro Bloggia Sua

2005-04-13T18:18:00.000-04:00

Blogging can be inherently a self-centered enterprise. Blinkered. Unintentionally revealing. Or, as a sophomore student expressed earlier this year, " a sad and disgusting appeal for attention."Some avoid with aplomb the pitfalls of narcissism through blogging about objective events, or blogging fiction, or charming us despite their focus on self.Blogging about "terminally uniqueness" is

Irish Roots . . .

2005-04-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

Talk about irreverent . . .

Kilbeggan Races pt. 5

2005-04-09T12:49:00.000-04:00

ContinuedIn May of 1991, several horses had to be pulled just before race time. Two favorites, Dominic's Cross, and Caddy, were both pulled on veterinary advice because they appeared listless in the viewing ring. The horses had been "nobbled", or drugged, with either an aerosol spray or an injection. No one could figure out why. Bookmakers records were scoured to discover some pattern in the

Gig tonight

2005-04-08T07:57:00.000-04:00

Hi.I am playing tonight with a mando/guitar player in Fall River, MA tonight.The bar is the St. James Pub on Purchase Street.Time: 9pm-1am.Essential info: Great bar. Smoke-free. No Irish in the place, but hey, these Portuguese like their Irish music. I'm not kidding.PSIf you can make it to closing time, we go for Coney Island dogs with the works after. You're invited.Note to self: Do not fall

The Kilbeggan Races pt. 4

2005-04-04T19:43:00.000-04:00

Continued . . ."The flag is raised," says the announcer. As the horses progress, throaty growls pierce the murmuring. "Oh Janey," "Come up, ya boyo," "Come on, Adamarann," "Forest Lady!"Even with no wager placed, the sight of man and horse, intellect and magnificent physicality, striving and risking together over hurdles is inspiring. The total effect, the atmosphere, goes to the head better than

6 Signs of Irishness

2005-04-04T19:34:00.000-04:00

Here's a funny link:MR NORMAN TEBBIT, MP, suggests you are not really English if you don't cheerfor their cricket team.In the same vein the Irish Times recently invited readers to choose sixcriteria for Irishness , this was the result :Here are my two favorites from the results:1. Punctuality.2. Attention to detail.3. Leaving public houses before closing time.4. Respect for speed limits.5. Early

The Kilbeggan Races pt. 3

2005-04-03T16:10:00.000-04:00

Continuing an article from here.At four fifteen, cars have started to fill up the large grassy lot. Groups of racegoers amble towards the entrance. The gentle flow of the public breaks around hawkers, scattered across the lot. A short woman in a striped track suit, with a raw red complexion and a powerful voice calls, "Programs for a pound. Racing forms." Inside, other women call from behind

The Pope

2005-04-03T10:41:00.001-04:00

There was a great PBS documentary on the Pope a few years back, a Frontline episode I believe, which totally blew me away. Twenty-six years as Pope is of course substantial, and in and of itself lends importance to John Paul. But it was his powerful blend of common-man charisma and very traditional dogma that made him infuriating for some and gratifying for others. The documentary has as its

Contribution

2005-04-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

There is no way I will be able to post more than this today, but I did want to contribute even just a thought.My thought is this:What is the connection between music and cultural identity? Why is it that there is Indian music and Irish music and that there are not universal musical styles, if not timing schemes.I remember learning that the Catholic church outlawed certain notes and chords as

Blogathon: God Bless the Pope

2005-04-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

There is no way I wll be able to post every half hour!I do want to say: God bless the Pope!His perhaps immanent death is rather affecting me. I do not want to equate him to Princess Diana, but I believe her death, and his situation, are similar in their surprisingly deep impact on me. I am not a "celebrity watcher", and I am not a particulary fervent Catholic, but somehow the Pope, and Princess