Art for the Masses

1956 San Francisco Art Festival

2011-11-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

I am fixated on the fifties art movement in San Francisco. I have a couple of fliers that my uncle left from the San Francisco Art Festival. The flier lists over 700 exhibitors, a few well known. I plan at some time, I hope soon to create a continuing investigation on a website. My uncle John is among the first listed with members of the Artist's Guild. Also notable is the Six Gallery with Jay DeFeo, Peter Forakis, Wally Hedrick, Manuel Neri. I am posting the entire flier. I find it fascinating. If you know any of the artists listed here or have samples of their work, I would appreciate you contacting me.

Showing John's Painting

2011-11-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

I met someone a couple of months ago at the Sebastopol Art Center. I showed her (Her name is Cindy.) a sample of my Uncle John's paintings on the web. She was intrigued and said that she would love to come over and take a look for herself. Today she came. You must know our house- it is full of art. 70% of the art on the walls is John's, 20% is mine and 10% other people's. She recognized the Otis Oldfield and said that his wife was her art teacher when she was in school. Cindy called her a grouch, but said that she was an excellent painter. She told us the scene we had was from an area on his property in the Sierra Foothills which she once visited. Her brother had brought the property and inside there were paintings by both of them.

Cindy oou'd and ahhh'da throughout the house. She liked John's abstracts the best, but even liked mine and Joey's. I went into the deep collection in the basement. The one painting that she really wanted we could not locate. There are about 60 t0 80 larger painting down there ( a rough estimate). Added to that a box with about 200 or so smaller pieces, maybe 20 rolled up canvases and various old large sketch pads.

She bought two pieces, one a nice mono-print and the other a small framed abstract done in duco enamel. She said would spread John's name around with her friends in Marin. I should have had some cards made. Also by checking the website, I notice that several links do not work as expected. I am on the verge of transferring the site to johnelynch.com

Visiting Philadelphia

2011-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

My dad's funeral was Monday. (I am back home now.) Imagine 500 people at the open casket showing and Catholic Mass. We are a family of seven girls and four boys. Ten of us greeted the "mourners" as they entered the viewing room. I was first in line and it was my job to transition the sad faced visitors for the riotous atmosphere of the room. It was not your ordinary viewing. My brother quipped "Yes, just like an Irish wake- one less drunk." My sister is a nun. My dad sold church goods to priests. Both my brother and I were in the seminary when we were young. My uncle is a priest. The room was filled with religious- maybe 20%. Lots of laughing and joking- but exhausting. My father would have loved it. I traveled with my oldest son. Two major firsts for him: His first Catholic Mass, first open casket funeral (and first time a pall-bearer).

http://www.philamuseum.org/

The following day my son and nephew, Matt, visited the Philadelphia Art Museum. Middle of the road special Rembrandt exhibit- lacked the spontaneity of Rembrandt's greatest works- portraits and large pieces- mostly small careful portraits. Overall the collections in this museum are world class. It has some of the most important works by Marcel Duchamp, massive facades and building looted from Europe, and a whole rang of international works. Maybe I'll publish a few photos here from the trip soon.

Below: Duchamp

Art for the Masses: Painting again

2011-10-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Art for the Masses: Painting againjooble-us.com

My Dad Died 24 Hours Ago

2011-10-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

I won't go into detail. He was 91 and we had been expecting it. He had a stroke about six months ago and has not been the same since. I am flying back for the funeral with my son tomorrow.

I just need to mention his influence as an artist. His whole life he was an amateur artist and certainly not as polished as my uncle John. But he was my influence to pursue art from an early age. He painted, carved heads out of stone and wood. Often his subjects were religious. He painted right until the near the end. And I will post some of his work here that he did at the age of 91 to honor him.

my new project

2011-09-20T00:45:00.000-07:00

I have posted my work on Etsy with many complements but few sales. I will post some new work soon. I feel I am working hard to get it better. Beauty is my first goal. Please check them out and return periodically for they will change.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sebastopoledward?ref=seller_info

Thanks

Painting again

2011-07-17T01:46:00.000-07:00

For some reason I have begun a new series of abstracts. It is related to my love and my passion for the art of my beloved uncle, John E. Lynch. I hope that my work does honor him. I am on a "tear" and I cannot stop. Check out a few of things that I have done.

Museums of the World

2011-02-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

I had actually intended to write more regularly in this blog. Perhaps I will after today. I certainly have enough material.

What prompted me to excitedly kick-start my blog was the Museums of World Art Project "Powered by Google". At least for today one can go to the Google site and access "The Museums of the World". At this point it includes 16 mostly European Art Galleries. The format is beautifully done.

As I traveled the museums of Europe I often paid a premium to photograph works especially in Russia and Romania. Perhaps I will publish my presentation on Romanian Galleries before Google. But it will never hold a candle to the quality and interface of the way Google has presented these works. I am excited about the possibilities.

Art Critics (Part 1)

2010-12-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

My uncle, John Lynch, attended art school at Bradley University from 1946 to 1948. The art department had an exhibition on campus. My uncle, who saved much ephemera from his life, saved the comment book from that exhibition. I don't know how he got it, because it actually has the name of Frank P. Suto Jr. (another student) written on the inside cover. I find many of these comments timeless. Also note entry number 42 by P.R. Mc. He is P.R.McIntosh, head of the Bradley Art Department at the time. He is a well known Illinois artist.

1. Very interesting- there is evidence of great talent here. Very inclusive exhibit o f modern art. Especially good abstracts. A good start, I hope to see more.
2. Eliminate the abstracts. M.B.
3. Not educated to appreciate the abstracts but found all others interesting. V.W.
4. The Gouache pastel is charming. The “Keys made and Peoria Side 4” show talent. Mr. Lynch’s “First Man in” is fine.
5. The “First Man In” wonderful painting meaning easily grasped by onlooker- feeling captured by painter- excellent. S.M.
6. “Washington Square” very realistic, well illustrated, coloring excellent. S.M.
7. Are these students sure that theirs is a proper approach to true art, one that will create art, one that will create art acceptable to others and remuneration to themselves?
8. It is very helpful to have the notes from the artist giving his interpretation of the picture- otherwise to many of us it means nothing.
9. Some heathen tribes distort their necks with bands of jewelry. The Bradley students do it with oil paint.!!
10. John Lynch and Ray Howard (Still Life) seem to know where they’re going. I’ll take “First Man In” and you can have all the rest. R.C.
11. “Maybury Portrait”s, John Lynch portrait & “First Man In” very good. Some of the watercolor landscapes good- as for the abstracts- They look even better upside- down.
12. Pope’s “Landscape” & the “First Man In” appeal to my uneducated eye. Washington Square would if it had more depth. The abstracts offend me. W.B.C.
13. “Waterfall”, “Landscape” and “Still Life” by Greenwood- give evidence of both- study & talent- Some excellent paints in all others too- Thanks for this opportunity of viewing the results of these young peoples’ efforts- Success to you all! E.T.
14. This exhibition is one of the most enthralling exhibitions and exciting I have ever seen. Here is created the subconscious emotions of the artist along with the conscious. Each painting is brilliantly executed on the picture plane. Movement Is obtained by the plastic manipulation of color instead of the traditional molding of form. The statue form of reality is absent and in its place is put emotion, movement and expression as portrayed by the artists by use of plastic organization. True pictorialization cannot exist in our modern age. Hurray for the Bradley students. KRUPNIK
15. A mixture of trash, fairly good work and otherwise.
16. Abstractions, in painting, are somewhat a waste of time and material, except for the artist himself. Since they pretend to give his subconscious feelings, it would be (and is) meaningless to anyone else. B.F. Brem
17. “Kilroy was here too!” So was Donaldson.
18. Why teach these students to believe so whole heartedly that abstract painting is the best & only kind of art?
19. Where’s the art? You’re exhibiting?
20. Art….. Is that what you call it these days?
21. Art???????
22. Fine exercises! When do we see the finished products? I prefer John Lynch’s work.
23. Excellent display. Shows originality & force. Liked Suto’s self-portrait especially although resemblance isn’t striking. A Bradley student
24. If this is the best that Bradley can offer a student in art no wonder so many Bradley art student are getting transferred. A Bradley art student
25. A very impressive display of talent, some, however, have succeeded where others haven’t quite captured the essence of painting, as a whole very good, more work of this sort to enlightened the public in relation to modern art. J.F.
26. All I can say is ha, ha!! A Bradley student.
27. I wanted to take lessons in landscape painting at Bradley- Mr. McIntosh said that was not art- only calendar work- If this is a display of the art they teach at Bradley- I don’t think I’s care to be an artist- If this is art, Lord help us. A few paintings have merit.
28. I think that this art exhibit is a very talented one. I especially like the Mayberry paintings at the back of the room though very talented artists have made the others. Donald Reed, a Woodruff Student (Soph)
29. A very interesting exhibit to me who knows nothing about “art” the most pleasing thing in the whole exhibit was the portrait of the actor by John Lynch. I was revolted by “Enurantant (?) for the Eye”! R.V.H.
30. Some of them show a fine insight but many show that they are students’ work. – that’s all right but why be so obvious? Even in abstract work, it is not interesting when the imagination is bludgeoned instead of seduced. H.M.B.
31. Especially appealing were: Last Man In; The Medusa Tree& Sand Valley; The latter showed all the artist set out to do. As a whole the exhibit is mediocre”. C….
32. I agree on “Last Man In”, “The Medusa Tree” & “Sand Valley”; “Dark in New York City” Is pleasing- The pastel portraits seem suitable with covers of pulp magazines.
33. This exhibition shows how far true art has fallen in the present tyranny of instructors who tell them to exhibit their ignorance and call it their souls.
34. I think all of the art work exhibited here is a credit to Bradley University School of Fine Arts. Particularly impressing , I believe, was “Last Man In”. I believe there should be more of these exhibits and a greater number of paintings in each display.
35. The fact that this exhibit seems to be ridiculed proves beyond a doubt that it has started the public to think.
36. It’s about time people found a use for non-commercial art other tan a mere momentary glance that’s new product. I refer to and I do believe that this exhibit accomplished that to a certain degree.
37. Modern art is wonderful. It’s about time people started painting their particular mood and visions and painted what they SEE and FEEL instead. Shirley
38. I am not one to appreciate the modern moods. The Medusa Tree, Sand Valley and Portrait of Sis were especially appealing. Joy
39. There isn’t any modern art! There is no definition for art. Art is a feeling, deep-rooted. That unearthly feeling is produced by these pictures. These pictures are certainly a credit to Bradley, but more so to art. P.S. “The Lecture” picture will explain my comment. “Congrat”
40. Appreciate tags on each drawing. Often wished it was word in exhibitions. But first time I’d seen it done. Must take gumption. Intend to come back. Interesting & much variety like John Lynch and most of the others. – Also Suto’s self portrait. Having youse write comments Is clever too.
41. Since I am a watercolor enthusiast, I appreciated them more than the others. Elaine Walsh & Don White have that watercolor talent and paint on their pulses. They have captured the essence of water color transparency and would like to see more of their work. Contrary to the many opinions ridiculing modern art & abstractism, I believe these works of art should be admired, They show a complete change over from traditional “pretty” forms of art and offer new fields to conquer to the student. It offers new versatility to students. Congratulations to Bradley Art Dept. and all those Art instructors who helped incite these fine examples of student work! Let’s see more!! Charles Greenwood’s still life is reminiscent of Ivan Albright paintings, Very good.
42. I want to congratulate the Artagore Club of Bradley on its initiative and courage in arranging a show which is so characteristic of true reality; namely movement and change. The most positive thing around is change. Why indeed should art remain stationary? Perhaps you students are changing your visual expression more rapidly than some and hence the stimulation which causes these comments but in the final analysis, validity will depend on the degree to which contemporary events, all vital native uses its pas as a stepping stone not as a place to bide in security. P.R.Mc
43. You tell’em Mac! A.K.

Changing Blog Directions

2010-12-14T12:08:00.001-08:00

My vacation from my blog has lasted long enough. It's clear that I have been enjoying my time off, but am less productive (and happier) with my limited schedule. Since one of my major interests is fine arts, especially painting, I will devote most of my blogs in the near future to commenting in some way on "art". Since my last entry I have joined the Sebastopol Art Center and started volunteering there. I have taken a figure drawing class and plan soon to take one in painting. I have thousands of photos to review from my various European trips to museums. There is a plethora of ephemera from my uncle's productive life, including the comments book in 1947 when his Art department at Bradley exhibited student work. And of course always my sometimes informed and sometimes uninformed opinions on art.

Relaxation Mode

2010-10-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Have I lost all of my readers? I deserve it. I have been on a six week holiday away from this blog. I was so disciplined when I wrote as my students wrote in class. And now with oodles of free time, I have neglected this exercise.

I still work four nights per week at Empire College, but it hardly can be called work compared to teaching high school. I am accustomed to having Sundays for working out lesson plans or grading papers. Now my Sundays are entirely free, and Mondays until 6 PM. The life of Reilly?

Saturday night I stayed entirely sober and took photos at my friend, Rick's party. I thought there were a particular plethora of lovely women. If you want to check it out for yourself, follow this link.

What am I doing with all my time? Wasting away much of it... as well as doing some drawing, playing music, working on my Uncle John's art page, researching West Coast abstract expressionists, reading Malcolm Gladwell, photographing the Hubbub Club, and fixing and organizing my million or so photographs.

Topics for future blogs: I just bought a 32" HD TV with an Apple TV. Donna and I are watching with interest the Phillies- Giants series. I hope to get back to this soon.

I Found a New Job

2010-09-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

The first day of public school passed and I slept in for the first time in 22 years. Now it is September 1st and I still have not begun working. Nevertheless looming over my head is the specter of getting only half my salary in a pension, and the bills from my children's college education. I had been looking for a couple months and considered some diverse possibilities: musician on cruise ship, dealer in a casino, art dealer, wedding photographer, web page designer, starving artist and gourmet coffee cart entrepreneur.

Truly my best prospects were in teaching. Two years ago, one of the parents of a student in my computer skills class mentioned to me that when I got tired of public school I should apply to Empire College (business school). I did apply and came in a second time personally with a cover letter, resume and transcript. About 2 weeks ago I received a call to come in for an interview. The interview seemed to go well. I reintroduced myself to the dean of the day classes and met the dean of night classes.
Then 2 days ago I received an email, asking me to come to give a practice lesson (5 to 10 minutes long). In the interview we had discussed the possibility of teaching Business English as well as computer skills. The lesson I chose was: "all ready" vs "already" and "all right" vs "alright". Six members of the staff attended and I thought it went fairly well. (I won't bore you with details.)

I checked the message machine yesterday and the night school dean wanted to know if I was interested in teaching a night class- four nights a week. I certainly was. And would I come in this evening to look over the program. I certainly would. I met the present instructor, who is a musician soon to join a symphony and got a great overview of the curriculum. Linda, the dean, asked me if I would teach four nights a week, 6 PM to 10 PM and let her know in the morning.

I certainly would and I certainly will. I still have not heard from the day class dean. This may not be the end of it.

Magic in Sebastopol

2010-08-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight I saw an amazing array of entertainers in our little town and for the price of only $12. I hardly know where to begin. I will make a plug for the venue- Aubergine Vintage Emporium & Cafe and the town- Sebastopol, only 7,000 people but open to a wide variety of artistic outlets.

Think of an era without modern advertising, without the Internet and without any form of eletronic media. It was an era of person to person entertainment. The formal structures of theater and musical performance have existed as long. Yet these entertainment forms have a air of antiquity, unlike music and theater. Even more so these forms of entertainment appear on verge of being lost unless another generation takes on the duty of performing "magic". I say magic and I think of Robinson Davies "Fifth Business". This world we have almost left behind, except (sad to say) in venues like Las Vegas.

Frank Oliver, the juggler

Frank was the booked star of the show. He feigned incompetence with juggling, and jokes. He enticed innocent audience members into far more collaboration than they had planned. He had very funny patter accompaning all his stitchs. He began the second act as an eight foot drag queen. Hmmm, I am not sure drag queen is the correct term, but he was certainly eight foot. He performed acts on a unicycle, did an audience participation nutcracker, performed card tricks and scary juggling involving knives, flames and tazars. Only a highly practiced professional could pull off what Frank Olivier did at this show. (Frank's Promo Video)

Tom Noddy,the bubble man

Tom Noddy creates beautiful and complex bubble structures with only a bubble wand and some smoke. The beauty of his act is the simplicity of the materials as well as the delicacy and complexity of the shapes. I remembered his name from a long time ago and so I looked him up on the web. He has been doing pretty much the same act for thirty years. (on David Letterman)

Bob Hartman, the puppeteer

This man makes great puppets. He has a gentle voice, a gentle philosophy and an underplayed sense of humor. I loved this part of the show. My two favorite puppets were the baby, philosophizing on what it was like being a baby and the stand-up wolf comedian, shyly playing to a crowd of humans. Puppeterring to adults would make us gentler, less aggresive people especially if Bob is at the controls. (some San Francisco Bay Area Puppeteer History

Jay Alexander, the mentalist

Jay was the youngest of the group and perhaps the hippest. He sports a manicured beard and wears an outfit that makes him look like he is studying to be a rabbi. He was facinating. He performed some amazing card tricks. But what I found most amazing was that he guessed a woman's ATM password and told the audience how he did it. He told her to lie at first so he could hear how her "lying voice" and "body reaction" was different than when she told the truth. Then he had her answer the question: "Is it a one?" with a "no". "Is it a two?" with a "no", and so on until he guessed each of the four digits correctly with no mistakes. He also performed an amazing phone book trick. (Great card trick by Jay Alexander)

I am still a lover of magic and all four of these performers created magic for the audience. These days it appears that Las Vegas and children's birthday parties are the only places we get to come in contact with this kind of entertainment. I fear that it is going by the wayside in this media and Internet age. Here I send out an appeal to young people to take on one of these artistic forms and keep the fire of magic alive.

AMTRAK

2010-08-10T00:35:00.000-07:00

(This event happened immediately on my return to the US. I am a bit behind in my entries. I still have not written for a refund.)

If you read my blog from my trip to Russia last summer, you might know my nemisis was Citibank. You may have noticed that I had no such problem this year and have done very little railing on this blog, until now. The key word: AMTRAK

My plane arrive about 2:20 PM and I had a fairly easy time getting through customs and the passport check. By 2:40 PM I knew to get on the shuttle train to the Amtrak station. Strangely the shuttle stopped two stations short and we had to catch a shuttle bus the rest of the way. I heard a man telling his son that when it gets really hot that the something expands or contracts and that the trains do not fit on the tracks. Perhaps that is what had just happened.

I got to the station at 3:06 and the attendant said that unforntunately I had just missed the 3:05 to Philadelphia. He pointed to the place where I should buy a ticket. He said that the next train for Philadelphia would arrive at 4:45 PM, about an hour and a half wait. At 3:07 PM I bought the ticket. The ticket costed $51, more than .50 a mile. Strangely my ticket had the time of 3:05 PM on it. I thought that the clock on the machine was just off a little. ( I thought, "That ticket machine could not have sold me a ticket for a train that has already left.)

At 4:45 PM the announcer said that the train to Washington would be arriving in two minutes and Philadelphia was one of the stops. I went to the on the train the woman conductor looked at my ticket and said, "This is not your train." I tried to give her an argument, but she said, "Your train is the next train." Another guy gave her more of a hard time and successfully boarded the train, even though she said that it wasn't his train.

I waited 15 more minutes and decide to take the stairs up two flights and talk to the attendant who told me to buy the ticket.

He said, "That was your train. She was suppose to let you on. Come on with me and we're going to make a complaint to AMTRAK."

I met with the supervisor and he had another view on the matter. "You bought a ticket for a train that already left. I can't help that."

We tangled a bit and I got a little heated up. "How can the machine sell me a ticket for a train that has already left?" I said.

He answers, "Well, if the train is late, then people will need a ticket for that particular train. And all of the trains are usually late."

I say, "Well, my train wasn't late."

His answer, "Your train is never late. It's only the ones that come from Boston."
I say, "I paid $51 for a ticket and I can't use it for any other train."
Then he says, "I'm here to help you, getting upset is not going to get you where you want to go. But you're not going like what I'm going to tell you now. It's going to cost you more."

So he goes through all of the all of the reasons why I should buy tickets earlier and the earlier, the cheaper. He also says that I need to take another train back to Newark Penn Station and get on that train to Philadelphia- the cost? $91

Last European Entry

2010-07-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

More photos soon I hope

The flight from Milan to Rome is an easy one. We dropped into Fuimico airport and I was happy for the airconditioning for another hot day in Rome. I had tried to make a hotel reservation and the Internet listed a couple of them. The most reasonably priced was the Trani Rooms, Address: VIA BUONARROTI 39, Rome - Fiumicino, 00185, Italy I reserved a room and double checked the room location via Google maps. Surprise! The hotel is smack dab in the center of Rome. I canceled.

I thought about the possibility of at least getting a good meal at a nearby Hilton. Staying there was never a plan- $200 to $300 per night for a single. I asked about the possibility of walking to the Hilton and found that the path parelleled the path to the train station. I walked into the hotel with my three bags - suitcase, guitar, and "man purse". They politely checked in my bags and gave me a receipt so I could eat unemcumbered.

The buffet was the recommended fare for an all you can eat Italian meal- 38 Euro. I got my money's worth. I also ordered a glass of wine, which turned out to be one of the best Marche wines that I had ever tasted. My waiter was from Marche and I told him of the wonderful family that we knew in San Benedetto.

I could hear a crowd gathering in the nearby lounge. The semifinal Mondiale between Germany and Spain was about to begin. I saw a free seat next to a couple watching the game preliminaries on the large TV screen. "Posso?" (May I?). I said. "Si, certo!" the man responded. He was a handsome bald middle age man, who looked quite a bit like Andre Agassi. She was thin, young, stylish and beautiful. He motioned toward the sportcaster on the screen and said that he knew the man and that he had designed those glasses he was wearing. He made a gesture to sign that the glasses that I was wearing were "mezzo"- half, middle of the road. He apologized, but said that was his business- designing eyeglasses. His girlfriend had just flown in frm Belarus. He guessed that I was some kind of international real estate wheeler dealer. I confessed that I was only "un instructor" or "un professor".

I was particularly partial to Spain. Two German gentlemen sat in front of me. When Spain scored their goal, the Italians in the room cheered. The two Germans turned around with a look of part surprise and part fear. Oblivious of history I supposed they were thinking "What did we ever do to them?"

Once the game was over, I collected my gear and walked back to the airport. A young Frenchman joined me on the way back saying that he thought that 200 Euros at the Hilton was a little steep. I agreed. I said that many people spent the night in the airport, and that I would help him find a place. We found a nice quiet and flat spot for him to crash. I proceeded to walk around for a little while, then found a free rack of seats in a quiet corner.

I rose at about 4 AM for my 6 AM flight to Lisbon. Lisbon airport was as I remembered it, clean and bustling. I purchased a nice bottle of port and waited for the plane. Security was especially tight. Many people had to open their bags. There was serious questioning and body searches. Three young men carried only a few plastic bags as luggage. The guards found rocks. I assumed from some hiking trip. All the bags were confiscated. The flight to Newark was very pleasant; after that, another story.

One Night in Milan

2010-07-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Link to photos of Milan

I love Milan- big wide streets, giant flats, the gorgeous Duomo, but especially the Navigli neighborhood. I stumbled on this neighborhood about five years ago and have revisited it ever since. Apparently Milan used to be filled with canals but now there are only a couple and they are in Navigli. I quote the trip advisor. "There is only one neighborhood in Milan that is worth knowing by name and that is the Navigli."

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If you happen to go to Milan, just look on your city map a little south of the Duomo for a small Y shaped waterway. That is the place. I took the long way from my lovely little hostel for a dinner (unfortunately) alone. Restaurants line the canals and the best seats are taken or reserved. This was a Tuesday night and chairs were filled as if it were a weekend. Happy hour (really 6 PM till 11 PM) is a bargain. Restaurant put out mounds of free food, so all one has to do is buy a beer or glass of wine, then go back to the buffet as many times as the appetite demands.

Since I wasn't driving, I ordered a one liter glass of Lowenbrau, enough for a one man party. I helped myself 3 times to the buffet and took the shortcut back to my hostel. I returned early enough for a conversation with my Argentinian room mate. I set the clock for early rising. In the morning the hostel hostess was setting up breakfast. I told her that I could understand Italian if it was spoken slowly. She proceeded with a continuous stream of conversation of which I understood about half. I stumbled on the word "scorsa"which means last, as "last night" = "la notte scorsa". Perfectly common word but I had to admit: l'ho dimenticato. I forgot it.

At 8:30 AM I left the hostel, took the subway one stop to the North Train Station and hopped on the train to Malpenza, about ten miles outside the city. My next evening was to be spent at Fiumicino Airport in Rome.

Last of Bucharest

2010-07-07T09:33:00.001-07:00

Here are many more photos of Bucharest
The wonderful Peasant Village with some photos of the Peasant Museum
More photos of the Peasant Village
Ceauşescu's Folly; House of the People, Romanian Parliament

The highlights of my trip have always been the people that I meet, rather than the places I see. I visited Ioan (pronounced "ee- WAN") at his clothing shop on Str. Lipscani. Lipscani is the central street in the old town district, lined with restaurants, shops and drinking establishments. I met his two employees and proceed to buy a couple of scarves. The his mother, dad and another relative came in. B oth his mom and dad are both handsome and sharp minded. They were were warm and friendly. The woman's clothing shop had a steady stream of customers. When things died down a bit, Ioan suwent suggested we go out for a beer. We went to the Brothel, a formal brother with riskee menus and apparently really used to be a brothel.

The next day I took a full day trek to both the Peasant Museum and the Peasant Village. Both are outstanding sights and I hope to devote more time to them in another blog. As I was walking through the Peasant Museum, it struck me that I had not eaten in 24 hours. From then on all I could think about was food. The neighborhood, upper end and green, devoid of eating establishments. The houses were embassies and former embassies, some past their prime but most absolutely in mint condition with manicured gardens. I moved close to the fence of house I found interesting. "Whoof, whoof, whoof..." Fortunately the guide dog was on the other side- and I got a good shot (camera) at him.

A little farther north is Piata Aviatorilor, Charles de Gaulle Circle and the other Arc de Triumph. Just at the corner a little Italian restaurant sat, Quartro Stagioni. It appeared to be taken over by a large wedding party. Nevertheless the hostess urged me in and gave me a seat. First I needed an obligatory two cups of espresso. Also I needed just enough food to assuage my hunger antepasto: marinated mixed seafood salad with a glass of white wine. Also I ordered a lovely traditional desert- (the name escapes me) whipped sweet egg whites with a light carmel sauce. The screaming little boys running around and chasing each other kept the place quite lively.

I will move on to the next day, early evening. I stopped by the clothing shop and Ioan wasn't there but his employee said she would be glad to call him, for he was out having a drink with some friends. O'Hara's she thought. I found it and and had a very friendly reception from Ioan, his girlfriend, Alexandra and Polly, another friend. They were all nice enough to speak English. The young women had just come back from a hiking trip, were very tired but also celebrating the end of their school year. They were all a bit, geekish- like me. I forget what Alexandra studies but she has a great interest in languages. She knows many things about word origins in many languages and was a natural teacher when it came to teaching me to pronounce a little Romanian correctly.

Polly studied programing. And although Ioan is going to graduates school in Linz, Austria, majoring in art- he has decided to specialize in designing adaptive technology for the handicapped. We were talking about computer things and I said that in my little town was one of the chief publishers of technology instructional books, O'Reilly and Associates. "O'Reilly?" Ioan says. And he laughs. He opens the bag on his lap and pulls out an O'Reilly book- Interactivity. "I had so much trouble getting this book." He says. "That's what you should do, help distribute O'Reilly in Romania. I know so many people who use these books. They are the best." I showed him the name of my town, Sebastopol, on the inside and told him I would look into it.
It was my last night in Bucharest. It was a sweet ending with some very nice people whom I felt that we somehow clicked. I suggested dinner, but Ioan, Polly and Alexandra were all tired. So we strolled off to our respective domiciles- mine very temporary.

Calderucani Monastery

2010-07-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am typing this while riding on a small bus just outside the Calderucani Monastery. I got up early to catch the 7:30 AM bus from the Press Building bus stop. When I got there a bus driver pointed to me a #451 bus instead of a #452 bus as the Lonely Planet instructed. Fortunately I had a friendly bus driver who spoke a little English. He took me about 8 miles outside of town. It doesn't take long to get into the countryside outside Bucharest.

When we got to his final stop, he said to wait here of for 20 minutes and my bus would come. I thought he said bus #460, and I am grateful he was there with me when I hailed the bus. This new bus driver would not give me the time of day. Fortunately a few of the riders told me when my stop came. A long, straight, one kilometer road led to the monastary. The road was deserted except for a little yapping dog. As I walked further the loud high buzz of caicadas drowned out the once silent road.

The first sign that I saw was an icon of "NO PHOTOGRAPHS". Two bearded monks stood in front of the white walled gate and spoke to a man in a blue Dacia. I decided that I would walk around the vast white outside first. To the left I passed a small Orthodox cemetery. Surrupticously I snapped a photo. I came to the other side of the building and a view of the lake came in sight, but obstructed by trees. Another younger bearded monk came out from a white building near the lake. I said, "Do you speak English." Simply, "no" was all he said. I follows him to the front of the Monastary. The other two monks were still there and I asked if I could enter through the gates. They gestered me to go in more friendly than the other younger monk.

Two story white stucco walls with a series of porch arches on both floors surrounded the monastary. On the right hand side there appeared to be common rooms, refectory and other common living spaces. The satelitte dishes on the outside in the same corner seemed to reinforce my conjecture. On the right hand side on both floors were the rooms of the monks. One even had his laundry hung out to dry. At the center was a large church, or basilica (which is what Romanians call Orthodox Churches of any size.

Some think that I have noticed here is that the Orthodox churches are small and compact, not like the vast cathedrals of Europe. I walked inside this basilica, just behind that first young monk that I had "met". I stood in the back trying to be out of the way. I heard a snort and I think that I must have woken the grey bearded monk sitting behind me. I hadn't noticed him. A priest was saying Mass and I could hear the antiphonal singing of the a few monks responding to the priest's chanting- beautiful sound. The decorations were characteristicly Orthodox, dark varnished woods, multiple gold and painted icons all around the space. A series of regular, repeated icons in the front.

The first thing that struck me about the basilica were the classic Orthodox large mural of saints on the walls, drawn in muted browns and reds. The priest was in a gated chamber in the front. At one point to show the monstrance, he opened the gate and raised it. He wore a light blue vestment with a decorated white cross on both sides. I notice that several of the monks were with me in the rear part of the basilica. The structure of the interior had three chambers, the back where I stayed, the center where the monks chanted and the front where the priest, behind the gate, said mass. There were two large support columns in this back part of the church, a wide entrance to the next part. The two gigantic pillers on each side divided this anteroom into thirds. A set of small pews, maybe four on each side, attached themselves to the back wall. Each of the three rooms had its own set of decorative work. In the first anteroom was a large mural on the small dome. The singing monks in the second chamber were out of sight on the sides with pews perpendicular to the pews in the back. As I mentioned before the priest was in front just to the left.
Just after I walked out I admired the tan basilca building. I also suripticiously snapped a photo, probably not a very good photo. Despite the prohibitions on photography I took about four. Ironically I lost my camera case on the grounds of the monestary. I walked out of the monastary down the straight one kilometer road, past the buzzing cicaedas and the baking little dog. Soon the bus had come.

Despite the beauty of this quiet place, I felt like an invader. I had not come for prayer or a person seeking advice. I had come as a tourist. Had I made prior arrangement to meet with monks, perhaps stay a night or have a meal with them, it might have felt as if I belonged there more than I did. There were no sweeping beautiful views over the lake, no other tourists and real notice taken of a American tourist like me.

Sibiu

2010-07-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Photos of Sibiu
Photos of the Transylvania countryside and mountains
I must say something about the beautiful countryside of Romania first. Just north of Burcharest the land is flat and green. These are two lane roads almost the whole distance. There are really only 2 highways, one coming from Pitesti to Bucharest (which I took partially on my way back home and the the one to the Black Sea coastal city of Constanta. What strikes me most is the numbers of people out on the road. Some are walking, some are pulling carts with wood, some are just standing around talking.

The most surprising thing is the number of horses and wagons on the road. Drivers just pull around them. The wagons are of all types: simple open wagons carring wood, decorated wagons, and covered wagons. I watched a team of two horses pull a wagon on a mountain road up hill, followed by a semi tractor trailer only a foot or so away. The horses were booking as fast as they could. I've spoken to a couple of Romanians about this, especially one bus driver, who said that it is a real hazard on the road. Horses sometimes freak out or wagon drivers sometimes drive drunk. Ordinary cars and trucks just pass them when they can, but on narrow windy roads they can really back up traffic.

Just past Ploiesti, about 50 miles north of Bucharest, the hills become rolling and roads with more curves. Every few miles there is a village where drivers must slow down. I have been warned about the police speed traps here, just like in the U.S.. By the time I came to Slanic the hills are must taller. Soon in the distance one can see tall snow covered mountains. These are the "Alps" of Romania or the Bucegi Mountains, the highest in Romania. Still snow covered until June, there is slow road through the mountains that is only open for about four months of the year. For Romanians this is a big recreational area: skiing, hiking and biking especially.

The road to Brasov and into Transylvania follows this mountain range though smaller mountains and thick forests. I got out of the car at the top of one of these mountains to take a little stroll into the forest when multiple dive bombing flies started attacking me. My trek was cut short. Brasov sits in a beautiful valley between starkly rising mountains. It is a dramatic site from a distance. Although a large city Brasov is clean and industrious. Of the entry into this city as into most former Socialist eastern block countries is lined with massive rows of identical apartment houses.

The rolling hills to the west of Brasov follow the same Bucegi Mountains but on the other side. Again we see rolling hills, dotted by little towns along the way. Sibiu comes into view suddenly, a small sweet medieval town with a preserved wall, cobble stone streets and many cafes. Saxon Sibiu is west enough to be part of the old Austria Hungary empire and so feature foods such a goulash. According to Lonely Planet: "Founded on the site of the former Roman village of Cibinium, Sibiu (Herbenstadt to the Saxons, Nagyszeben to the Hungarians) has always been one of the leading cities of Transylvania.) During the peak of Saxon influence Sibiu has some 19 guilds, each representing a craft, within the sturdy city walls protected by 39 towers and four bastions. Under the Hapsburgs from 1703 to 1791 and again from 1849 to 1867, Sibiu served as the seat for the Austrian Governors of Transylvania.(169)

The Museum of Art certainly show contributions of several German and Austrian artists from the 17th and 18th century. Again it had many pieces of wonderful Romanian art especially from the 19th and early twentieth century.

My biggest adventure in Sibiu was to climb the Gothic Evangelical Church tower. I feel compelled whenever I see a tower to climb it, for it affords the best views of the city. Most old towers are spiral staircases which anyone can climb without fear. But the in this tower the spiral staircase ended about one third up, followed by open wooden stairs inside the large open square tower. I found myself a little frightened climbing up. But the views given the stout of heart were well worth the climb. Four tower rooms give a 360 degree view of the city.

By the time I climbed down the tower, it was time to head back to Bucharest, a four or five hour ride, I had been told. The road from Sibiu to Pitesti follows a river and a narrow mountain gorge- very beautiful the entire way. But also this is a road with many trucks and few passing lanes. The traffic builds behind the slow trucks, until finally relieved by the occasional double lane up hill.

By nine fifteen I was in Pitesti to catch the highway moving at 130 to 140 km./ hour. I magically found my way to the flat in Bucharest an hour early. I called the rent-a- car man and he was pleased not only with the condition of the car, but that I have given him more gasoline than he had in the beginning.

Transylvania

2010-07-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ploiesti
Transylvania
Slanic
Brasov

I mentioned to Radu that I wanted to take a two day trip into Transylvania. He wrote up a very specific time table. Leave Bucharest at 7:30; 120 minutes to Simaia; 45 minutes from Simairi to Bran (9:30 to 11:30- home of the "Dracula's Castle" perhaps visited by Vlad the Impaler but once); In Bran eat lunch at Wolf Supermarket. One hour and fifteen minutes in Bran. Twenty five minutes from Bran to Brasov. Arrive at 3:30 before the closing of the Black Church. I actually arrived in Brasov at 5:30 PM after all the attractions had closed. (There is a little "c" hook under the s which gives the "c" an "sh" sound and the last letter sounds a little more like an "f" to me- so like Bra- shoff.) I am getting a little ahead of myself.

Because the rental car arrived late, 9:30 AM, I got a late start but the car deliverer (another Radu) dropped off the car and actually drove the card though the worst traffic in Bucharest. My first stop would be Ploiesti, wealthy city of oil refineries. I parked near the center and like most Romanians- half on the sidewalk. I was with just a few yards of the at museum. I have written little about Romanian art up to now and saving it for another blog. But I am simply crazy about Romanian painters, very loose, painterly style. They paint with thick liberal impasto. They paint with confidence. My friend Euwen, said, "Yes, they are different, because they never made any money when they paint."

One of the things that I love about going to place like Russia and Romania, is that I see works of art that I have never seen before. My favorite thing is to take photographs of the paintings and then study them later on. Unfortunately there is either a charge to photography or photography is banned. I paid 100 Lei (about $30) to photography in the Romanian National Gallery of Art and it was well worth it. But it also cost 100 Lei to photograph in this little museum. I was tempted. There were some really beautiful pieces by Ion Tuculesu (1910- 1962), Francisc Sirato (1877- 1953), Conelu Baba (1906- 1998 Jean Alsteriadi, Nicolae Darascu (1883- 1995), Iosif Iser (1881- 1958), Stefan Dimitrescu (1886- 1933), Nicolae Tonitza (1886- 1940), Nicolae Grigorescu, Stefan Popescu, Ipolit Strambu and Gheorghe Petrascu (1872- 1948).

I specifically asked in my best Romanian "Unde este..." OK, my Romanian is not so hot. And I did not realize that I had such a good map of Ploiesti in my Lonely Planet guide. But two people pointed in the exact opposite direction. I wanted to see the Muzeul de Istorie si Arheologie (get it?). The Clock Museum was really not on my list. And I would have loved the open market but directions gave a place somewhere off the main drive and I was on a mission, to get to Brasov before 5 PM.

I knew that the next place I was headed for was a city beginning with the letter "S". I saw a sign for Slanic and it sounded familiar, so I follow those signs. The city that I was really looking for was Sinaia. What I missed was Peles (hear "Palesh")Castle, a palace, with great turrets and grand halls- recently begun in 1875 and completed in 1914, in time for World War I. Quite pituresque I have heard.

Where I ended up, and I am glad that I did was in the town of Slanic. I had mentioned this place to Radu. He was afraid that I would probably get lost, but it wasn't really very difficult finding it- the largest underground salt mine in the world. The elevator down is the original 1945 elevator that brought the miners down- small, rickety, noisey and shaking the whole 10 stories down. I thought the cavern was manificent- despite it being man-made. It reminded me of large cathedrals with vast arched ceilings. The 23 Celcius temperature mixed with the salt air was to have salutary effects. Dotting he underground-scape playgrounds, benches, swings, venders, and various kinds of salt sculptures. I went on a photo-taking mania trying to capture something that caught the massiveness of the mine. (One other thing- This public tourist attraction had possibly the nastiest toilets I had ever seen in my life. I will spare you the description.)

(More later)

First Days in Bucharest

2010-07-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Photos from the first day in Bucharest
I must write these things down before I forget. Radu, my landlord, picked me up at the Bucharest Airport and gave me a tour of the city as we drove in from the north. The north of the city is full of large parks and lakes and an ideal place for bicycling. In the largest park on the right traveling south there is a series of peasant houses taken from all parts of Romania. Radu says, "So, if you don't get to Sibu, you can always come here and see the peasant houses" Just a little farther on the right is the peasant museum. Apparently on some weekends you can go in the back of the museum and taste different kinds of Romanian food, or look at certain kinds of traditional crafts. Nearby are the streets with wealthy government bureacrats and embassies. Also we see the American Embassy, easy to notice with the giant American flag As we come down Calle Victorie we come to the Plata Victoriei, a network of streets feeding into the plaza and the dividing line between the north side and downtown.

Numerous building, statues and plaques now commemorate the 1989 Romanian Revolution. One of the largest building in Europe is now the parlaiment building, build by Nicolae Ceausescu, but only 80% finished when he was executed. It took ten years to get that far under communism. It took another ten years to finish the last 20% (under capitolism). Radu told me that he wanted to keep an eye on all of his employees.
The city is abuzz with construction, torn up streets and half built office buildings. It appears that half of the infrastructure is torn up, and it is an enormous city, with an enormous job. When Romanians ask me what I think of their city, I tell them that I love it. I say, "It reminds me of the city where I was born, Philadelphia. I also add that they used to call it "Filthy-delphia". There are more wild dogs here than there ever were in Philadelphia, but they are docile and quite a few only have three legs.

Close to where I am staying is the University District and Old Town. This section is a weave of several dozen streets, all closed to traffic with cafes and restaurants on both sides and awnings and seating in the middle of what used to be the street. There are several of the streets that have cobble stones, but most of them are norrow with board porches where dinners eat and sightseers stroll. But nearby these cafes I have also seen tremendous poverty.

I have already tried two of the restaurants and four of the dishes that Radu recommended. Sarmale- wonderful meat stuffed cabbage leaves, with polenta and sour cream. Ciorba de Burta is a smoked bean soup. I ate at Caru'Ce Bere. They advertise "probably the best food in town." A take off of a beer ad that I have seen used in other places. Caru'Ce Bere is large and beautiful beer hall type building, all in decorative woods with a Bavarian flavor. There was a great band there that night. A violinist and accoustic base player went though a steam of tunes, all done with passion and competence.

At Vatra I had Ciorba de Burta (Tripe soup), rich and delicious- lots of cream and butter in the soup along with the tripe. Then my main course was Tochitura, a delicious red sauced stew with several different kinds of meats, delicious. Last night I had some form of beef boilded on a bone, servered with polenta and delicious horseradish. I don't think that they have a word for vegitarian in Romanian.

Bratislava and the last of Vienna

2010-06-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

Click here for photos of Bratislava
More photos of Vienna
I took a lovely day trip to Bratislava, only an hour away by bus. The town was dead quiet when I arrived, but picked up a little more as the day wore one. It was one of those days where I walked and walked. There is a lovely old town, an area by the Danube with lots of people sunning and a gorgeous castle.

As I sit here in my apartment in Bucharest, I think about the friends that I made at that great hostel- Ruthensteiner. It has a lovely garden, a lounge, a bar and lots of friendly people from all over the world. I met a young guy from Norway who blew my socks off with his guitar playing. (The hostel also had two guitars for use by the patrons.) We jammed quite a bit. Then he tells me that he is coming to UC Berkeley to study- in a year. He will contact me then.

Also the group with whom I shared a room were wonderful. On my last night we shared pizza and drank wine and just talked. A clothes designer from Bucharest. He gave me many tips on visiting Bucharest and I will see him at his shop on Saturday. Two young women from Calgary, a gentleman from India, two Americans and one Korean girl who traveled alone but spoke very little English or German. We discussed politics, religion and world events. It was the kind of night that every traveler should have and the kind of bond that I will keep for a lifetime.

Donauinsel Music Festival Vienna

2010-06-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

Click here for some photos from Vienna

I am staying in a great little hostel near the Westbanhof (West city train station). My ticket from Santa Lucia Station to Vienna came right here. I guess that I was lucky. After spending the day in the city, I went back to Ruthenhauer Hostel, met some of my roommates and found out about a three day free concert. Billy Idol is playing for free. I know the name Billy Idol as a performer, but I really can't think of one tune that he has done. Nevertheless we hopped on the Underground and made our way to Donauisola, a several mile long island in the middle of the Danube. I had heard that 3,000,000 people would be there, whether that was over 3 days or a one time count is difficult to tell. I don't know what 3 million people looks like, but if the size of the crowd at that time was 3,000,000 I can believe it, especially on the second night, where at time the slowly moving crowd stopped several times in a crush of people, literally body to body.

It took me about five minutes to completely lose my accompanying hostel mates- just as well- I am sure that we do not share the same musical tastes. Early on the route are the more accoustic venues and rap artists on small stages. Country music is obviously popular here by the size and enthusiasm of the crowd for a couple of hayseeds from rural Austria. I 've taken some movies of some of the acts but I first must reduce the size of the files and then see if I actually got any audio.

Many of the stages seemed like pure spectical, flashy light show with less than first class rock and roll. I am always immediately attracted to bands with horns. I went over the one stage and heard about the worst assemblage of horn players. The slide trombone could barely pop out one ugly note on his break. The trumpet play had about one decent note and the sax player was all over the place, never worried about what key he was in. I vote these guys "worst band" but I probably won't ever hear from them. But who knows?

The high point for me was a loud tight eastern European sounding group, with some klezmer and Russian songs thrown in. The trumpet player announcer assured the crowd (in some of the few English words that I heard) that all of these tunes sounded traditional but they were completely original. As the Austrian crowd was screaming, dancing and rocking with the band, I thought that there was some irony in the enthusiasm showed especially for some of the characteristically klezmer sounding tunes. I bought the CD at the end of the set and to my surprize the name of the band was "The Amsterdam Klezmer Band". On the cover of the CD was a sketchy drawing of a banjo player, an accordion and a bass player. But this was not the same band. I wonder if this was the beginnings of the band. All players were top notch- an accordion player, slide trombone, tenor sax, trumpet and bass. I highly recommend that you hear this band.

On the second night the crowd at times was overwhelmingly dense. I will mention two bands and again I am mostly at a loss for names. Perhaps someone out there with more knowledge of the contemporary music scene can tell me. The stage was enormous and the waiting crowd thick, several smokers made the wait even more unpleasant as I tried to push myself into smokeless refuge out of range. I pushed into the audience just as the previous act was finishing and then listened to a polished woman MC stir up the crowd. During ten minutes I watched Austrian ad's on giant TV screen, obviously sponsors of the event. This crowd on the whole was closer to middle age with lots of children intersperced. The band began with a crashing big sound. The singer, slick in a white suit, belted out a tune that obviously everyone in the audience knew- Gloria (or Glory Hallahluia), not the Leonard Cohen song. The music for me was a bit too smooth and techno for my taste. But the full impact of the sound was impressive- loud - with the regular tom tom beat vibrating my chest, the synthesizer sounding like a full ochestra and the singers harmonies clear and clean. - I rate these guys slick but impressive.

The other band was American. The singer spoke not one word of German to the audience, which I think is shameful. The crowd was enormous, enthusiastic and quite a bit younger than the previous group. The singer's image was projected on an enormous screen, but also I had a pretty good view of him and his group. I found them particularly underwhelming. A nerdish looking singer songwritter in black glasses (a younger version of Elvis Costello) playing guitar with a rock band back up and two pretty good female back up singers. The announcer called them something like "Wheata?" "weete?" Anyway the younger set was pleased.

Just one more thing. There were many stands selling food and drink. By far the one I thought the best in every way was group of fruit cocktails- maybe 20 to 30 different cocktails presented in very large glass pitchers. The presentation attracted attention immediately. All had some kind of fruit with a mixture of ingredients. I actually watch the woman make one of them: Lots of friut, fruit juice, syrup, sugar and vodka. I had the cherry one- delicious and also one with these red fruit that look a little like cranberries, also delicious.

2010-06-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

To see my Venice photos click here.
I stayed in a hostel in Venice. Some very nice things about this hostel. One was that I could see the Grand Canal from the front window terrace. As you probably know I am usually a little older than the average age in a hostel. I was warned this time. She said something like, "You know we have to warn people over 40..." I replied that I've stayed in hostels since I was young. This hostel had a group dinner every night at 7:30 PM. The first night we had pasta carbonara and fig cake for desert. The hostel is owned by an Italian guy, a little younger than me, who hangs out with everyone. As far as I can tell, the place is run by Yael, an Israeli, who seems to enjoy the life she leads in Venice. There is a guy who just recently arrived and is working there. He is a recent college graduate from North Carolina, and has a pretty strong North Carolina accent.

The first night when I arrived with the guitar, Yael suggested I play it after dinner. It is always somewhat of a problem choosing tunes and I usally am not prepared for the young set that is in a hostel. But I know what my students like, so I tried "Hey Jude", "Like a Rolling Stone" and a couple of other. They went over very well. In fact so well, the guy from North Carolina comes over to me and says with great enthusiasm, "Man, when I'm your age, I wanna be just like you." I was a little taken aback, but flattered nevertheless.

Then came the moment for requests. As the twenty-somethings try to figure our something from era "Stairway to Heaven" perhaps. Sorry. And I tried to think of something that they would know or like. It actually fizzled on its own after about a half hour. This was perfect for me. The group goes out together in the evening and drinks- some to excess. But it is a friendly safe crowd and everyone makes sure everyone else gets back.
The place we met, I think, was the Palo, a nice little square. We met two Australian guys, about 25 to 30 years of age who work on a rich person's boat. They seem to like the work and have traveled all over the world. They get about 4 or 5 hours on shore to eat or party or do whatever they want.

Many of the young people in the hostel have been traveling for a while, but frankly they don't know much. They remind me of high school students and it obvious that some are just extending their childhood. They know nothing of the culture or the language and seem to have no desire to learn anything about it. They are generally friendly and good tempted and maybe a little "overloved". They find most of their joy in hanging out with people similar to themselves, even though they may not be from the United States. I suppose that I was much the same when I was their age. I had my eyes wide open, but really didn't know much. In fact I remember someone asking me if I was stopping in Florence. At that point I didn't know that Florence was a cultural center of the Renaissance.

Other than the evenings my days were spent alone pursuing the churches and museums that I had not seen on my last trip to Venice. I relaxed a little the last day and decided to sit down at one of the local outdoor bars and watch the World Cup with a bunch of Italians- it was an exciting game but I am sorry to say, the Slovakians looked good from the beginning- coming near a goal in the first 3 or minutes. It is a sad thing, but Italy is officially out of the World Cup Competition this year.

Venice

2010-06-24T00:16:00.000-07:00

For my first set of photos from Venice click here.

A link to the Churches of Venice

Certainly one of my favorite cites in the world, I decided to concentrate on seeing Tintoretto's. Tintoretto is the father of Venetian Renaissance painting. He lived here his whole life and painted an enormous number of works, most hanging in churched throughout Venice. This brought me to my pilgrimage to the Churches of Venice. Unfortunately all of the churches that I visited had a "no photographs" policy. So I searched the Internet to give some idea of his body of work. What I cannot reproduce is the scale of some of these pieces. Mary are 16 feet high, but a couple of works in the Church of Modonna dell' Orto are as high as 36 feet, towering works. Here is a very small photo of one of these paintings.

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco was a charitable institution set up in the early 1500's to help pay for care to the sick. San Rocco (or Saint Roch) is the patrol saint of contagious diseases. His life is portrayed in many of the huge paintings hung in the Scuola. In 1564 Tintoretto was commissioned to decorated the walls and the ceiling of the Scuola. Again- no photos and one of the most important rooms was closed- some "professionals" were taking photos with big flashed no less. Fortunately the doors were wide open and I could see the Crucifixion, an enormous canvas by Tintoretto. 1565
Oil on canvas, 18 feet high and 40 feet long

Ravenna

2010-06-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

To see all of my photos from Ravenna click here.

I was not prepared to for the age of the Churches and mosaics in Ravenna. Most of the places that I visited were built between the years 400 and 600 CE. Constantine had barely set up the Holy Roman Empire by this time.

I had booked a sweet little room in a place called Hotel Byron. My Italian is not good but I only had to lapse into English once trying to clarify how they charged for Internet service. The breakfast they served was enough to keep me going all day.

There has been a continuous gentle rain for three days and it is a good time to enjoy the indoor sites. The city charges one price for a ticket that allows entry to all the major places. The one thing that I missed was the Ravenna Museum, closed on Monday.

The Basilica of San Vitale was my first stop, enormous church, built in the mid 500's. So modern and so secure to my eyes. The mosaics were so strong and sophisticated that this artistic culture must have been a strong part of Ravenna even before the Christians. We know that the Romans and Etruscans both had wonderful traditions of mosaics, but I suspect that this area must have been the center.

The second stop was a small masoleum, created for one of the top leaders of Ravenna, in the late 400's. One sarcafocas was created for the wife of the leader but she died while away and was buried in a different place.

The museum of acheology that I visited had wonderful stone tributes from Roman times to the dead, the equivalent of our tombstones. With the bit of Latin that I remember I could pretty much decipher most of the stones. Things liked "to my most faithful husband", "to my wife who took care of the family", "to Felix Gracius, nobleman and loyal servant of the people." Most were simple and warm.
These stones were found in the 1500's when one of the churches built in the 500's was refurbished and partially rebuilt. When they took the floor stones out, they found on the other side were all of these stone monuments with the tributes on the other side. I would have photographed many of them, but photography was not permitted in the museum.

The Basilica of Saint Apollinari (the new) was my last stop and again a great treat for me. a sixth century building, very long with three tiers of mosaics. The top one, hard to see, excerpts from the life of Christ. The Second and the one closest, figures of men and women, the wall of Ravenna. Next to the Basilica was a mosaic workshop. It is studio where people take classes and work independently on mosaics. Many lovely mosaics were on the wall for sale. Most went for 100 Euro for small ones all the way to 2000 Euro for larger pieces. Most were copies of classic pieces from the city. But I saw the Mona Lisa in mosaic, the city of New York, several famous Ravenna Basilicas and other modern subjects. One woman was working on a large traditional mosaic as were there. I wanted so much to snap a few photos of the more interesting pieces, but alas, "no photos".

Exploring the city I found little places that were not in my guidebook. I found a cute litte baptistry, a little below ground, in a little nook behind some stores. It was free to visit and two women (probably volunteeers) sat there. I asked if could take photos and she said only "no flash".

And the Church of the Blessed Apostle, St John the Evangelist. There were few people inside, but Gregorian Chant played through the speakers. Along the sides of the Church were beautiful little mosaics, very old and no sign that I could find (or translate) that told me how old.
Actually as I left a busload of people began to enter the church.

Mille Grazie to the "G" family of San Benedetto

2010-06-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Photos for San Benedetto, Day 3

And photos for San Benedetto, Day 4

I write this blog as a special tribute to the family who took such great care of us (Bill, Maya and myself) when we stayed in San Benedetto del Tronto. "To take care of" is not a phrase of sufficient decription that will somehow come close to showing the kindness, the warmth and generosity of this family. All that I can do in this little space is to relay a few of the touching, generous and funny moments that we had together over these four days.

At the bus station in San Benedetto Lamberto and Titziana met us. Then we received a first class tour of the city. Lomberto told us that Monika was preparing a "light lunch". Was it a "pranzetto"? Lamberto said that we would eat a full dinner in the evening. With a pesto pasta to start, we toured the culinary reaches of Italy with Monika's lunch. All was so delicious, but we were totally full by the third course. Monika, Monika- you are such an amazing chef!
That evening we went to a warm and wonderful restaurant. (I am sorry that I do not remember the name.) After pasta we sampled so many wonderful appetizers. Seafood is the specialty of San Benedetto, grown into a center of commerce and tourism. I have a plan to write about the foods that I have experienced in Italy. I will tell you the truth. Between the cooking of Monika and the antipasti of this restaurant, I have never tasted any better food in my life. I was most impressed that each little dish had its own little delicious sauce or crust. Each one calimari, tripe, shrimp, fishes had a distinctive flavor. Monika, so shy with English, but so intelligent and can give Lamberto the same as what he gives her. Monika- you, I think, are the glue that holds this family together.

For the number of kilometers of beautiful places that I have seen, I thank Lamberto- Ascoli, Artigiana, Rtr, Genga and Frasassi Grotto, Urbino, and Aquaviva and all of the lovely Marche (Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Fermo, Macerata, Pesaro and Urbino) I thank Lamberto for sharing his passion of bikes and letting us on his jewel of bike, his Harley. Lamberto, you were always so sensitive to our every need and let us share for a time the love in your family.

Riccardo- the perfect English speaker, player of the guitar, seeker of more and more information on American culture and life in general. You love the intellectual conversation and I wish that I could have given you more. Your sense of humor is so warm and wonderful. You are the one in the middle - who takes the good-natured "crap" from both your dad and Stephano. And you can give it back to them. I especially loved the warmth and affection that you have given your little brother.

Stephano- living in a paradise of loving, doting parents, friends who daily play calchio on the beach and swim. You remind me of my son Joey, when he was younger- full of life, vigor and fun. You never take a "ribbing" too serioiusly. I loved the moment where you hang upon your mother in Frasassi and she is so annoyed. But we all know how much love you have for her and it is the real reason that you hang on her, even if it is hot, even if she pretends to be annoyed.

And Titziana- lover of San Benedetto del Tronto who lives and works in Rome. You are a perfect hostess and speaks such great English to me who speaks such bad Italian. You have so much heart and show your feelings on your sleeve- as we say in English- and speak them too. we found out that you are so much a part of the sea and the place, San Benedetto. And we just wanted to spend more time with you, and I felt that you wanted the same.

Also I must add that I so much enjoyed the good natured "ribbing" that I took. Lamberto, I told you that I had DNA testing done, and that the people who I found that I was most related to was the Romanians. I have three out of five of the close genetic ties to Romanians. With this and my soon to come trip to Bucharest - you dubbed me "Lynchescu".

GRAZIE, GRAZIE, GRAZIE

San Benedetto del Trento: Day 2

2010-06-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Frasassi, le Grotto is a series of underground caves beneath the Alpenini in central Italy. It was found by accident in 1971. The vastness of the cave system and the size and beauty of the stalagmites and stalactites are an impressive site. The way the way that "keepers" of the caves have set it up for viewing ease and safety is impressive. The caves began (?) millions of years ago with the seeping of water through the calcite rock. The tour guide said that the first room could fit the Milan Cathedral- an impressive building.

The tour continues for about a mile through the caves. I have heard that there are many more passageways that at this time are too dark or too dangerous. The one difficulty in seeing these caves was the prohibition against taking photos. Although a couple of youths broke the rule and I was tempted, I adhered to the strict rule against photography. And so I post here others photos of the Grotto dei Frasassi.

San Benedetto del Trento: Day 1

2010-06-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Click here soon to see my photos for the first days in and around San Benedetto.

We got up at 9 AM to catch the 10 AM bus to San Benedetto. Maya, Bill and I had sat up late the night before drinking wine and discussing politics and religion. There were no taxis at our usual spot, then we walked to another that always seemed to have many taxis and there were none there. It raised the anxiety level just a notch. One always remembers the good vacation times and how easy it is. We forget dragging the bags, missing the buses, dealing with dirty clothes and frustrated attemps to communicate. We arrived at Tibertini Bus Station just five minutes before ten. A nice woman helped us find our stall. By 10 o'clock Italian time (10:15 AM) our bus finally rolled in. I immediately fell asleep for a good hour and woke to the giant snow dotted Appenini about an hour later.

Lamberto and his cousin Titziana met us at the bus stop in S. B., gave a short tour around the town and took us to his home for a "light" lunch. Monica created an amazing array of dishes- first pesto with a lovely noodle that I not seen before. I though that this was the end of pranzo. Then came dish after dish with cheeses, meats, sauces, vegitables, salads- just a wonderful spread.
Ascoli Piceni is a midevil city with a wonderful central sqaure, a formitable Italian Gothic Church dating back to 1200, a few Romanesque Churches with distinctive towers and a Roman Bridge. Many of the facades of the houses had little sayings above the portals dating back to midevil times. Titziana ran into a friend that she had not seen since her days at the university.

Then we drove through miles and miles of Mache hillsides and farms, steep canyons, olive trees and vineyards.

I hope that I have this information correct, but for years when Lomberto was young his parents had a connection with Ripatransone- Lamberto had visited there often as a child and his parents, apparently lived there at one time. ( I am self- conscious as I write because if I do not get the fact correct, Lamberto will read it and I hope, correct me.) He took to to the smallest street in Italy. Riccardo, his son, joked about this. He said that many places claimed to be the narrowest street in Italy. You can decide from the photo.

In the middle of the downtown there was a sign in Italian, "Sculpturer in Wood". I walked over to the little shop and could hardly see anything through the window. Lamberto said, "Do you want to meet him?" I said, "sure." He rang the doorbell and from above out pokes the head of an older man. He asks the man in Italian if we can see his show. The man says, "si." and comes downstairs. His shop is a treat. Many works of wood of all kinds: couples, animals, religious works, building, street scenes all in wood. The man is gentle kind and good humored.

Last Day in Rome

2010-06-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

To see all my photos of day five in Rome click here.

You may have noticed that I have not written in a few days. I have been without Internet service. Our friend, Lamberto, has been kind enough to put us up in a little hotel less than a block from his house in San Benedetto. When I looked for service, I saw only one signal with a password. I found out today that this is Lamberto's signal.

Click here to connect to Rome Day 5

I woke at 930 AM. I always have plenty to do in the morning- make espresso, have a bowl of cereal and catch up on my blog. Maya and Bill got up a little later. I had in my head that I would get out a little early today by myself. I changed my mind while I was still working on my photos and realizing that they all might not be ready by noon. So shortly after noon, in the heat of the day we headed off for our last look at Rome. I decided to stay will Bill and Maya for a while since they wanted to see the Piazza *with three fountains*, then the Pantheon, then the Trevi Fountain.

Maya made a good guide to bring us first to this piazza, long with three lovely fountains. I thought that Bill and Maya would just eat their Gellatos while I did a quick tour. But it was a worthwhile site (I must look up something to put some more information here(*)

The Pantheon is really a visual wonder and archetectual high point. I believe that this is one of the places that Brunelleschi calculated the ability to cover the naked Duomo in Florence. I remember early descriptions of the Pantheon where the Roman people went to pray to their favorite god. I remember that there were many statues around the inside circle, perhaps as many as 1oo dieties maybe more. Probably as crowded as it was today with tourist it was equally crowded with worshippers. Now of course instead of gods, there are saints and images from Christianity- now the Basilica Della Santa Maria ad Martyres.

Three coins in a fountain, each one longing for happiness, one wish will be granted, one heart will wear a valentine, make it mine, make it mine, make it mine. I remember these romantic words from my days as a child and of seeing the coming attractions to this movie. The most famous scene of course was filmed at the Trevi Fountain. As you will see from the photos, the fountain is jammed with tourists. I tossed 2 coins, and I realized as with the song, it is one coin toss per person, one wish per person, seems fair.

On our way there, in fact just a block away I saw a sign for an archeological site and I was determined to visit it. I said my good byes to Maya and Bill, the tracked the site down, but closed on Tuesdays. I wanted to see two things before my stay was through. The Basilica Della Santa Maria dei Vittoria houses one of the most important baroque scultpures i the world The Extasy fo Saint Theresa. Really a stunning piece of marbel and plater. It was housed in the Santa Maria Della Vittoria.

I passed this church twice without realizing where I was, then walked another 12 miles accidentally to the outskirts of Rome. I had asked for directions three times, with never a one giving me good directions as far as I could tell. A gentleman with a machine gun in hand was guarding what looked like a large military facility. In my barely passable Italian I asked: "Dov' e el Museo Etruschaci ?" He answered me in what seemed to be perfect Italian, "Lo no sai." "Where is the Etrushcan Musem?" Reply: "I dont know." What was strange after I passed him was that he was standing in front of the British Embassy and his Italian probably wasn't that good but he no doubt spoke perfect English.
I was in a walking mood, but not so much to be wanting to get lost. I passed the large Roman wall outside the city and finally took a long overdue look at my map. I was about 2 miles north of where I should have been. I walked back, asked more directions, visited three extra churches just in case looking for the Chiesa della Santa Maria dei Vittoria. Here was Beninni's most famous statue of St Theresa. in the throws of Ecstasy. A wonderful interior with wonderful other baroque statues but I was affraid to take photo. But maybe I will leave a photo I found on the Internet. It is well worth looking at. I wanted to take photos. There was a priest who sat in the corner. He may have had nothing to do with the church, but I was discouraged from snapping photos nevertheless.

Now that I finally had my bearing I decided not to look anymore for the Etruscan museum, but being nearby the Central Station, I saw the Museum of the Ancient City of Rome. It abounded in marbel portraits of famous Romans and Roman families. The Romans were the first to actually create portraits to look exactly like specific people in the society. You are welcome to travel through the museum with me as I took many photos. An enormous coin collection beginning in pre Roman times to almost the present. Many beautiful mosaics, ossoraries and decorative paintings taken from the walls of Roman houses.

I decided to take the subway toward the river, since our our apartment sits just near the river. I left myself actually about 2 miles up river- but near the river, necessitating another good walk. I thought that I was late but Bill and Maya were not in a hurry. We decided that we would have a nice meal for the evening. Decision my committee is not always the most efficient. We discussed neighborhoods, how far the walk was, how expensive the retaurants and finally settled on one- Hosteria dei Pesce, near Campo de' Fiori. With some difficulty we found the place but alas, we did not have reservations. We ate at another place nearby- Hosteria di Galletto, delicious combinations of ante-pasti - and a Grilled Galletto for me.

The Amalfi Coast

2010-06-15T02:06:00.000-07:00

Click here to check out all of my Almalfi photos for the day.

We rose at 5 AM. I was going on almost no sleep. I went to bed at about two and still laid in bed awake until 4 AM- just excited, I think. The train left Rome at 6:30 AM. A little more than an hour later we pulled into Napoli Central Station. Paolo, our driver and guide, met us there. Maya had found a company on the Internet after pricing much larger bus tours for twice as much money. This tour amounted to about 100 Euro each. Paulo, who lives in Positano, gives these tours on a regular basis and knows the area well. The scenery and size of the cliffs was stunning. I think that I was particularly shutter happy, because each view seemed to surpass the previous one.

We drove from Napoli under a cloudy sky and the shadow of Vesuvius as Paolo recited the details of that day in 79 AD in gory detail. We then drove South out on to the coast road. Positano was our first stop, famous for many reasons, but Under the Tuscan Sun location most recently. Now it seems filled with rich older American tourists instead of Germans. It resembles places like Carmel in California, spotlessly clean, well to do, up-scale shopping. So I always have mixed feeling in a town like this, playground of the super-rich as well as enormous beauty.

The high point of our tour was lunch outside of La Tagliata just south of Positano. Our meal began with L'antipasto of nine plates- most in delicious sauces: garbanzo beans, fava beans, potato salad, fresh ricotta and fresh mozzarella di buffalo, broccoli, zucchini and spinach. Il primo was a sample of four kinds of fresh pasta, cheese stuffed ravioli, fettuccine, manicotti and cannelloni- white and red wine (no limit). Dessert- tiramasou, chocolate torte, and a cream puff. To top off the meal we drank a glass of limoncello. The host said the place had become a favorite of Sarcozi of France. And the view???

to be continued

Rome: Day Three

2010-06-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Please check out my photos, but be forewarned there are many and not all interesting. But all photos including the ones in the blog are quite large and can be blown up to a fairly large size.

I got up early (10 AM) and went to the local SPAR Market to pick up breakfast fixing. There is an espresso maker, so I have my morning espresso now, also cereal, fruit, yogurt, bread and cheese. Bill and Maya were just getting up when I arrived back.

After breakfast we walked over the All City Bus Tour (on and off) and hopped aboard a tour bus. Our first stop was the Vatican. I was last at the Vatican in 1973. I'm not sure what year they added them, but for me the metal detectors were new. We joked about Maya's bare shoulders and she told us she would wait for us near the obelisk. Next time I saw Maya, she was inside the Basilica wearing a while shawl that someone surreptitiously sold her for five Euro.

My favorite memory of the Basilica of St Peter was the numerous sarcophagi of bishops and Popes in vestments hundreds of years old in various states of decay. Maya said that she remembered the same from twenty years ago. Today there is a more modern basilica almost devoid of rotting bodies. The basilica now has vast open areas where once were the bones of the former leaders of the church. With the Catholic background I couldn't help doing corpse comparisons. I thought that those showing the least amount of degradation were the holiest and certainly in heaven. The more rotten and deteriorated bodies showed clear signs of an unsavory life. I theorized that mostly rotted bodies went to hell, moderate deterioration went to purgatory and the beautiful bodies were certainly in heaven. My apologies to the offended.

I must say that the Basilica is a thing of beauty, but on a scale so large that it is overwhelming. The number of gorgeous statues and paintings bear testament to many popes. As we know Popes in the history of the Church have a mixed record, just like presidents here in the United States. Nevertheless the monuments to these people is a testament to the dedicated careful workmanship of many people. All the work was done to the best of their ability and shows a high degree of craftsmanship and engineering. That is worth something.

We then walked to the Spanish steps. See Google or Wikipedia for a history of this place (having to do with a gift from King ??? of Spain to the Italians in some battle). The steps lead up to wonderful little church. Maya and I still had great energy at this time of day and enjoyed the climb. The entire place is bustling.

A real highlight of the day for all of us was the visit to the Coliseum. Last time I was here, they did not charge a fee. It was open and very few improvements had been made since the third century. Today they charge about 15 Euro and the place is open in many parts with the exception of lower floor. There are many exhibits and obviously much work has been done on the place. The enormity of the structure is overwhelming and the historical research that has been done also enormous. So with the help of seeing the gladiator costumes we could actually picture the events inside.

(Please note that my photos are in exact reverse order. Why? I'm not sure.)

Rome: Days one and two

2010-06-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

Really it is only one full day. I arrived at our apartment at 81 Via dei Pettinari s in Rome at 8 PM Italian time (8:15). The apartment is in the center of Rome directly at the end of the Pont di Sesto. Pentinari is an old street, in an old part of town- probably named for the "Penitents" who would use the thoroughfare for passage, or begging or whipping themselves. It is what I picture a penitent doing.

It is also an area known for "inda" floods because of its closeness to the Tiber. San Salvatore in Onda, next door is the only surviving label of past flooded streets here. It became a street known for sellers of combs and linens. The apartment we rent I calculate is 400 to 500 years old. The hand carved beams on the ceiling are a testment to the workmen ship.

Even though I had not slept in about 24 hours, after arriving I took a long walk across the Pont de Sestre to the Trasevere just across the bridge. "Trasevere" is an interesting word because it obviously comes from the Latin "Trans- Tiberam" or across the Tiber River. On Friday night thousands of young people were hanging out, eating, flirting, drinking, talking, having fun and a few were acting stupid. Maybe 40% Americans, 40% Italians, then everything else. Despite my lack of sleep I walked though the area joyously, happy to be in Rome. Check out my photos.

Just the next morning, I hear the apartment doorbell ring. Bill and Maya were waiting in front of the big wooden door. Immediately we took Bill's suggestion and walked to nearby Campo del Fiore and had a bite to eat. Upon returning Bill and Maya conked out for the next four hours. I took a stroll around the Palitine hill, Colleseum and Roman Forum. Using the river as a crutch, I have been able to easily navigate around this part of the city.

I woke Bill and Maya and we went first to Trasevere Piazza and had a couple of glasses of wine. We watched a gray spray painted short Mexican cowboy lure tourists. Ate olives, corn nuts, potato chips, rice crackers and peanuts with our Chianti. Then we ate a splendid little Hosteria around the corner. We walked down to the river for midnight fun with the Roman youth. Booth after booth was set up along the river with beer restaurants, fast food, book stores, trinkets, carnival games, clothing stores and live music- all there for this one Saturday night. I asked Bill and Maya if they wanted a glass of Limoncello as we listened to a nice little jazz combo. "Avete limoncello?" I asked the bartender. "Non aviamo per niente mais." We listened dry- good thing. We barely could drag ourselves to bed at one AM.

The Airports: Newark, Porto and Lisbon

2010-06-12T02:04:00.000-07:00

Already I have had tours of all the major airports in Portugal. Well there are only two, Porto and LIsbon. Porto's is brand new and almost empty. Lisbon's is bustling and modern. Let me bring you back a little. I was in New York City.
I gave myself three hours to get to the airport from my hotel. Despite the little "airplane icon" on the map at Grand Central Station, I had to take a shuttle and subway from there to Penn Station to get the train to Newark Airport. Security went smoothly. The part of the airport where I sat, the TAP Portugal wing, was tiny and reminded me of the Palm Springs, California airport. As I sat down to wait for the plane I hear the distinctive "Shhhw" sounds of Portuguese. Families sat around me. Then a young lady sat next to me and asked if I could get an Internet connection. I said, "Only if I pay for it." We started up a nice conversation- and my sincerest apologies if she reads this, but my first impression was that she was about 13 years old. I said as much to her and she said that her mother looked young and she thought that it was a good thing. Miranda studies art at the technical college in Rochester, New York. Often she visits Portugal with her extended family. She said that this summer her dad is playing drums on a cruise. "That's the kind of gig that I want." I said.
As seems usual these days when I arrive at the airport very early, the plane is late. I'll spare you the details but we left Newark about 9:30 PM, an hour an half late. TAP left the lights on for about the first two hours and fed us. I watched "Alice in Wonderland". (no comment) The plane landed at 9:15 AM, just 15 minutes after my connection to Rome left. As I walked toward the passport check in Porto, I was approached by two TAP agents. "Mr. Lynch, we've made a flight change for you. You will take this plane to Lisbon. Then from Lisbon, you will take another plane to Rome." "Lisbon!" I said in disbelief. "I'm sorry there are no other plane to Rome from here... Also we have provided you a breakfast voucher."
The 10:30 plane was uneventful. Well, I have been eating well on Portugese airlines- dinner last night, breakfast on the plane, breakfast with the voucher, lunch on the plane to Rome- a hotdog this time served with your choice of wine.
The view of Lisbon was gorgeous- a big beautiful city on hills by a large bay, like San Francisco's. The plane from Lisbon was not to leave until 2:40 PM. My chief concern was to contact my host who was to meet me at 3 PM in Rome with the keys to the apartment. Stop here if you are not into hearing about telephone and Internet problems.
I first tried my European cell phone. Riccardo had warned me that the chips automatically stop working after several months of non use, and so mine did not work. I tried a couple of public phones that ask for change or a credit card. Our US credit cards do not work with these phones. My Euro coins were buried deep in my "man purse" somewhere. I decided to try the Internet. First I paid 2 Euros with a credit card to get a half hour of service. I wrote Giuseppi and email. Then I tried to use Skype. Everything on Skype seemed to work well, except when it came for paying for the call. My little laptop screen made it difficult to put in information to pay by Paypal or credit card- and the last thing that I remember is a spinning ball and lock icon with the words "contacting the account of Edward Lynch". After 20 minutes I gave up and shut down my computer. In desperation I went to a TAP ticket agent, since they were the ones who got me into this. The agent said that they could not call because they were all internal phones. But she came up with an idea- buy a phone card and so I did. After some jiggling with the payphone I finally managed to contact Guiseppi. We would meet in front of the apartment in Rome at 8 PM.

And so it happened. I am here in Rome.

New York- the Museums

2010-06-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

(Starting today I will upload all of my photos to my mobile.me account and keep a link here for all those that want to see. I take too many photos to publish the all on a blog. It appears that I am having trouble placing photos in the middle where I want them.)

I visited three museums on my two days in New York, the Museum of Modern Art, the Frick and the Whitney. Here are a few of my reflections.

Wednesday, June 10, 2010

(The three Picasso's here are quite large and you can click on them for detail. My apologies for the reflection.)

The Museum of Modern Art

Again my love / hate affair with Picasso was challenged once again. On and off I have thought that he is by far the greatest artist of the twentieth century. I idea lized him as a youth perhaps just because he was universally thought the greaest artist of the time. In 1973 on my first trip to Europe, France and Avignon, I saw an exhibition of the last paintings that he did when he was alive at the Palis de Pap. I was entirely enthalled by the exhibition- big canvases full of color and energy as I remember. In the late 1980's I saw a film Le Mysterie de Picasso. We watch as he paints for two hours and it is brilliant. He paints on glass, so we can watch his painting change before our eyes. He works in fast assured strokes. He creates materpiece after masterpiece and proceeds to erase it once its done. Now out on DVD I highly recommend it. Then in 2001 I visited the Picasso Museum in Paris. I expected to be enthralled once again. As I gazed at peice after piece I became a little weary. I knew of course that he was a notorious womanizer, but I got the impression that he was actually a woman hater. Some pieces had nails driven into female genitals. Some comments were openly misogynistic. Yet I knew that he had tempestuous affairs with many women, it never affected me with such emotional power as it did in that museum. Can one be a macho Spanish ass-hole and still be the greatest artist of the twentieth century? There is no doubt that on a sensual level, he is without equal. He presents male and females - children and animals naked with an uninhibited freedom. Now I have seen a great exhibit of prints from his entire life in art. It begins with early twentieth century, to near his death. I expecially loved several peices where he does three or four with a theme. See the Minitar at the top of the page. Also some great creations of bulls. I think that he’s back on my good side.
Just a few other high points of the the Modern for me: lucscious landscapes by Cezanne. The beauty with which the man uses paint is unequaled in my opinion, just lush gorgeous paintings. Jackson Pollack is represented with a wide variety of painting styles. Also he had a lovely drawing in another part of the museum. Only in a small part of his life is he know for those splatter painting- with which I am not so impressed. There was a Japanese painter who was doing much the same at the turn of the century. Speaking of the turn of the century, on one big wall four large Kandinsky’s sat. The Russian, Kandinsky, was doing these large abstracts at the turn of the century, long before anyone else could be so daring.
There was the famous Motherwell- the man who along with Clement Greenberg, the New York Times Art Critic pretty much created the New York modern art scene after World War II when all of Europe was on its knees.
There was a lovely painting of a pregnant woman by Klimt; two of Rousseaux’s puzzling pieces, the works of the Italian futurists always beautiful.

The Frick

Of all the museums in New York City one of my favorites is the Frick. The last time that I was there was probably eight years ago. I remembered it as small, but it is really not so small. Perhaps small in comparison to the Modern or the Met. Within its wall are some of the greatest pieces of the Renaissance to the nineteenth century art. Frick, an iron and steel magnet at the end of the last century had an eye for beautiful ladies and he collected some wonderful Van Dyke's, Gainsborough's and Reynolds. He also has three lovely Vermeer's, two Rembrandt's, two Turners, two David's, three Corot's, some by Goya, Hogarth, Ingres and one Degas that I noticed. In this collection is also the one most stand out beautiful portrait in the entire history of art (in my humble opinion) : Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein, the Younger.

Memory is a strange thing and I held what I now consider a false memory from my last visit to the museum. In the entry way is a long hall, still there, and I thought I that I remembered a collection of small Carot landscapes. On the wall were two of the Vermeers, but no Corots.

Here are a sample of the collection:

The Whitney

I had meant to give more space to Whitney. I was frankly a little disappointed. Really the Whitney is the museum most responsible for promoting the modern New York Art scene. It is also the museum most avant gard in presenting works by innovative young artists. One of the pieces that I loved on exhibition was "Watermellon Woman" a totally fictionalize photo essay of a black celebrity woman to have grown up in the the twenties and the thirties. It follows her career as an actor in plays then in motion pictures playing the usual stereotypical rolls of black women. I found it totally believable and beautifully done.

One room of the archives lets readers browse though the fifty years of Whitney Shows and the hundreds of artists that it has featured. My pet project has been to help my uncle's name known. Then I see the hundreds of New York artists who have had a brush with success at the Whitney. So few are famous. One of my peeves is that New York is at the center of famous modern artists- because of all the money backing art. Looking through the books I saw hundreds of New York City artists, a few from New Jersey and Pennsylvania and perhaps 2 from California. Art is a strange business.

One last thing- In the Whitney sits one lonely and seemingly out of place painting by Edward Hopper. It is off in a corner and many have missed it, I am sure.

Listening In

2010-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

The entire day I spend doing last minuted details including applying for a couple of Santa Rosa Junior College jobs. Anna's friend Eva had arrived from Alaska with a San Francisco friend, Casey, just a half hour before I left. I had already said my goodbyes to Truckee and Joey. Donna and I had a sweet dinner at a little Italian restaurant in San Rafael on the way to the airport. She dropped me off at the airport a good 2 hours before the scheduled 10:25 PM flight. I had the privilege of a random frisking- he actually called it a free massage courtesy of homeland security. I compared my home printed boarding pass with the one that I got at the airport. My new flight time was 11:25 PM. At 11:25 finally the plane came in, soon followed by an ominous announcement- "We have having some mechanical difficulties with the plane..."
American Airlines then switched gates and issued all new boarding passes. Most people were calm and polite, but a few freaking in their own way. One guy, maybe 30, spoke greatly amplified to everyone that looked at him. His partner would come over, they would argue a little and she would walk away. She came back tried to put her hand over his mouth, but it wouldn't stop. They eventually booked a different flight with Jet Blue. Finally the plane took off at 1 AM.

Five hours and four hours of sleep later we landed uneventfully. Waiting for the train I heard a gentleman say to another- apparently a stranger, "Where do you live?" He answers with a slight hispanic accent, "I don't have a place to live. I am only home for a couple weeks a year. I stay with friends." "What do you do?" "I give one week workshops all over the world. I travel a lot. I just came back from South Africa and Brazil before that. I teach people about destiny, try to get them in touch with who they are.... You know destiny is a different concept to Hispanics..."

I took the subway into the city. A young lovely black woman sat down across from me. Then a pilot asked her if he could sit next to her. She had a broad warm smile. He hard had emotion as he talked, but they were hitting it off well. I didn't here a word but her expressions were full of joyous emotion as she gesticulated when she talked. She would react with a charming facial expression with each comment of his. It was great to watch her.

I now sit in my little room in the Pod Hotel. More later.

Looking toward NYC

2010-06-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Thursday was technically my last day of teaching high school. I worked until 7 PM grading papers and doing grades, then came in the next day and spent the next two hours grading papers. By 11 AM I had finished grades and set up moving out of my room (actually two rooms). By six in the evening I was exhausted, with piles of recycling in the halls. I still had some work to do in my English room and had not touched my computer room. Nevertheless I joined some colleagues at local HopMonk Tavern for a beer. Today I spent four hours cleaning my computer room, maybe 100 pounds of curriculum went to recycling.

Tuesday night I fly to New York. I was faced with the chore of finding a reasonably priced hotel in New York City. I could have gone straight to Newark, but I love New York. I knew that I held on to a card from several years ago when I used to go to New York City on a regular basis. A friend there told me about a place that was a little old fashion, but clean and inexpensive. I stayed there one night and liked it very much (maybe $100 per night at time- that's with the old fashion shared bathroom). But I couldn't find that card. Suddenly the name flashed into my head: The Pickwick Hotel. I looked it up on the Internet and sure enough it was still there.

I compared prices from several agencies and snagged a reservation for $135. It is now called the Pod Hotel- I suppose for a modern touch. It was done over and you can charge an ipod and the rooms are also pod sized. It is a friendly and safe place and perfect for me. I will arrive in the city in the morning and should have a couple of hours for a good walk and one or two museums and dinner. I plan to go to the Museum of Modern Art. I have not been there since they now have a new location. Also the Frick has the most wonderful collection of landscapes by Corot.

The only catch is that I have an 8 AM flight to Portugal in Newark. I will have to get up at about five in the morning. I think that I can handle that.

Retirement

2010-05-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

I really don't believe in retirement, yet officially I retire next year. I started my teaching career in middle age, albeit a young middle age, 36 years old. I have been teaching for 23 years- not counting 3 years teaching adult education in the seventies. I have decided to take a $20,000 incentive to "retire" early from this district. Beyond that I am looking to teaching some classes at the Junior College level, play and perform more music and do a bit more painting. Along with a modest pension I hope this will be enough to bring me though the next - how many years? It's a mystery.

Last night was our retirement dinner. One woman, now in her seventies, had been teaching kindergarten for 44 years. Another man went to the same high school where he had taught for 40 years. Only six years of his life from the age of 14 to 60 had been in the same county to get his degree and teaching credential. I cannot imagine having my life take place all in one place. Part of the reason I took retirement was to force me into another change. Another part of it was the desperate lack of funding for education in California. This lack of funding places more and more pressure on teachers to grade more papers, to manage larger classes and to dip into their own pockets for the odds and ends of teaching.

I applied for my first new job yesterday. Empire College has an Information Technology Program and my hope is that I can teach one of their information technology classes. I will look into other programs also such at Santa Rosa Junior College and University of Phoenix. I have some music skills, some artistic skills and some technology skills. Perhaps I will piece together some combination of those to supplement my income. So beyond my trip to Europe this summer the future is an adventure and a mystery.

My Voice in the Press

2010-05-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

(Bruce Robinson)

Yesterday I got a phone call from Bruce Robinson at KRCB radio (Click here to listen- Airing Friday, May 21st broadcast)in Santa Rosa. He interviewed me as the President and chief spokesperson of the West Sonoma County Teachers Association. He first interview Keller, our superintendent, then me. He started with a question about our "free day" tomorrow. It is a more complicated question than it appears at first glance. Our teachers voted last year to work a day without pay as a contribution toward balancing the school budget. This year at negotiations both the superintendent and our teacher's association agree to have this day specifically to demonstrate the problem of budget cuts. The day because a day "off" to help balance the budget as opposed to a day when teachers worked for free.

Bruce asked if teachers liked the idea. I said that teachers don't like the idea of their pay being cut. In fact we have negotiated for both this year and next five fewer days to work. It amounts to a pay cut of 5.5% for next year and the year after. I also brought up the fact that with increased work loads because of bigger class sizes teachers are working harder than ever. At the same time few days means that teachers must teach the proscribed state mandated curriculum in less time. He then asked if students like it. I said that I am sure that students like a day off, but I am not so sure that their parents like it.

He asked if I saw education in California getting better in two or two and half years. I said that I didn't see that coming and it was one of the reasons that I decided to retire so early. I said that there were political forces out there out to destroy public education in California. Of course after the interview I think of all the things that I could have said. I could have told him that we have seen a progressive rollback in funds to education until now. In 1978 when I arrived in California, Proposition 13 that cut property taxes, was passed. California had a model school system at that time: kindergarten through University. In K-12 California is 48th or 49th. Mississippi generally fares worse.

A week ago our local paper, the Sonoma West Times and News, interviewed the superintendent, a representative from clerical union and myself. The story at first blush was to be about the cooperative way that the unions pitched in to help relieve the budget crisis. The downside, of course, is the severity of the budget crisis. Since our district opened the books for us this year, we saw that there indeed was a severe deficit. Everyone including administrators took a cut to relieve this crisis.

War in Afganistan

2010-05-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

I just showed two excellent pieces from Frontline about the war in Afghanistan. Obama's War shows how the Taliban both in Afghanistan and Pakistan have a great deal of public support. In Pakistan the security services actually support the Taliban. Yet many of the people from the countryside appear just to want to be left alone. Many of the spokespeople for the military talk about building connections with the people. But the then I see the military with their guns and uniforms trying to communicate with the poor of the country, and getting angry when the people do not understand. They are worlds apart and standing next to each other. None of the Americans speak Afghan. They have weapons and a translator. It appears to be a futile exercise.

Two American opinions emerged from the show. Some in Washington and in the military believe that the United States can actually defeat the Taliban and have a Western style democracy that has the support of the people. Another view states that if the majority of Afghans want the Taliban in power, they should be allowed to have it. But this radical form of Islam suppresses a woman's education and a woman's rights. Their fundamentalism seeks to destroy anything culturally valuable that they deem conflicts with Islam. Witness the destruction of the giant and ancient Buddhist statue in 1999.

The other film, Behind the Taliban Lines, shows the war from the Taliban side. They look pretty much like the Afghan people, speak the language and treat the people in villages with respect. As fighters they are committed, even if their goals are radically opposed to the way I see the world. As technicians and organizers they appear bumbling with lots of infighting. I strongly recommend both of these films and they can be watched on line.

House Abuzz

2010-05-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Anna, has been home for about two weeks. She is a ball of energy and keeps us laughing too. She asked if I had a book on fixing household items the other day. I brought her an old Reader's Digest Book of Household tasks. She loved it. She even gushed over a diagram of a car engine. She just wants to take things apart (and maybe put them back together. She often has her good friends over Naomi, Krista and Noel. I find them all fun in their own way.

She has decided not only to paint the bathroom but to change the faucet parts and vanity. We're back to a one bathroom family. She must do things her own way, though. The other day she was taking apart the old vanity and wanted to pull it out all in one piece. I suggested that she pull it apart piece by piece. At midnight when I went to bed she was still working at it. The next day when I got home I asked her about it. She said that she finally did it my way.

When she isn't working she nests in front of the TV with the most syrupy romances. Most everybody clears the area.

Also it's nice to have another musician in the house with a crystal clear voice. A slightly related side- last night after dinner Donna was playing guitar and singing Red River Valley. Joey came in on the kazoo and did a dramatic solo. Very funny. (The photo of the bathroom I place above is not our bathroom. pity.)

Saturday with my Children

2010-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Am I Busy Yet?

2010-05-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

This week, this week... Things are supposed to get easier but not so. Yesterday after school I had to run over to the post office to mail all of my retirement papers, then drive to Santa Rosa to set up and work a demonstration for teachers. We had participants writing postcards to their representatives in Sacramento. Then I had to leave the demonstration at 5:30 PM to arrive at School Board Meeting. I had a dual role at the Board Meeting. I took my informal notes for the membership. Then I was one of eight retirees to be honors with a glass pyramid (a paper weight) with my name on it. Also I had to speak before the board in behalf of the teacher's union. The meeting went on until 10 PM. I came home and made myself some leftovers and chatted with my daughter, Anna and her friend Noemi about anthropology and rocks. I still was not ready to go to sleep. I read my New York Times and worked on my laptop- finally tired at 1:30 AM.

Up today at the usual 6 AM. (What is that four and a half hours sleep?) I am in sixth period now. At 3:30 today I have a meeting with the superintendent and press about our contract. Then at 5 PM I help give out student award for an hour or so. Then at 6:30 PM - Back to School Night. It runs till 9:30 PM.

OK, I was mistaken. Back to School night ran until 8:30 PM and I left at 8:00 PM. The halls were clear. I had already met about 30 parents and previously given out awards. The interview with the West County Times seemed to go well and we will see when the paper comes out next week. I walked home and actually had a couple hours to relax before bed. -I did find out that US Airways Mastercard has totally screwed up my bank account. I guess that I try and fix that today.

Where am I? Friday- Regular classes, then after class our Union has its Spring Social where I am the schmoozer. Then I found that my friend Sandy is giving Donna and I tickets to the Smother's Brothers Concert at the Luther Burbank Center (Now named for an unscrupulous financial institution).

Tomorrow my nephew, Garrett, is scheduled to visit us. But the Maker Fair is happening in San Mateo. I would like to drive down with my son and daughter and make a day of it.

Butcher, Baker, Candle Stick Maker

2010-05-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have taught high school for twenty two years now. Last year my school district offered a retirement incentive- $5000 per year for five years if those with more than ten years of service in the district, retire. I figure that I probably have another 10 to 15 years of work in me, but that work will probably be part time. Since we have two children still in college, it is necessary that I work. But here are some of the options that I have considered from most likely to least likely.

When I got my Master's degree five years ago, the purpose was to move into another direction. At that time I talked to someone from Empire College, both a law school and vocational college, were looking for a computer skills teacher. I have done that for ten years and feel pretty well equipped to do it. Also our local Junior College may have some Adjunct positions open. The economy and the job market lags, so the availability of these jobs may be scarce.

My father-in-law who gave me the task of selling the 1921 baseball cards (See that previous blog.) has several hundred postcards from the teens and twenties. Unfortunately those card don't fetch the kind of prices the sports memorabilia fetch. Nevertheless 200 cards going for between $2 and $100 each could on the average help me earn a few thousand dollars.

When I come back from my summer trip, I go to Google Headquarters for a conference on technology and education. Since my Masters is in that field I plan to do some networking and see if I can come up with some tech related employment. The trick will be to make it part time or at least not a job and a half as I have now. Also Sebastopol is home to O'Reilley Publishing. It is a largest publisher of technology books in the United States.

I have put off getting my uncle's web page up to date for years. I would like to have art works for sale there. Perhaps I could even buy and sell painting by others on the sight. I have a good eye for art and for a bargain in art. I am a excellent at doing research and have some good art connections. Plus I have a basement full of art, not only John Lynch's, my own and art by many other semi-known artist.

Having been trained in classical realism, I am a pretty good realistic artist. I have thought of combining both the realism that I do with abstraction and getting in the art market again. I would prefer to sell on the Internet, but I would need a regular time and place to do the work, as I know my distraction level. A friend of mine teaching a photography class at the Santa Rosa High School Arts Magnet. I could teach a drawing class.

I would like to join a band. Ideally they would play swing and jazz and I would be the lead singer. The problem is not so much getting into a band but getting into a band that works regularly for pay, a band that gets along with each other, a band where I do not have travel so far to practice or gig. Most of all I need a band that pays. I have toyed with the idea of working on a cruise ship. They hire several different kinds of musicians. Those that can solo and play an variety of pop material. This I have done and can do again. Nevertheless there are songs that I detest and my repertoire of more modern pieces is minuscule. They also take members who play in house band of three to six members. They can use charts and I do need charts for the majority of jazz songs that I play and sing. Ideally I would love to do a cruise with my son, Joey. He plays great drums, some piano, guitar, accordion and sings. It would be a great summer experience for us both.

One thing that I thought about it teaching English overseas. One of my fellow teachers in a former job visited many of the International schools. She spoke of an American International High School in Moscow. She said that it is an excellent school. At the time she was there, they needed an English teacher. I love the city of Moscow and have discussed this possibility with Donna. She is open to me living there for a couple of years but not with her. Also I have to think about whether I can handle the winters.

I have looked into teaching English on line. There are many posted jobs, but all pay below $12 per hours. It appears that credentials are not so important.

Finally I think the thing to do is to keep my options open. My experience as President of the Teachers Association has served me well both on paper and in experience. Perhaps it is time for me to take some more ambitious kind of job. Only time will tell.

A weekend in Auburn

2010-05-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

Along the North Fork of the American River sits a house that overlooks Robber's Roust, a giant rock that once hid bandits who sat waiting for the stagecoach to pass. My friend, Stuart, has a house there overlooking the river and the rock. Every year he invites friends to perform. Every year he also invites a magician or two.

This Saturday night we met at this house in the hills north of Auburn to celebrate and share music. I must admit that I was a proud parent. My daughter, Anna, played guitar and sang a song, "The Littlest Bird". Joey played an accordion piece from the movie Amelie. And I played and sang an old Nat King Cole song, Teach Me Tonight. Truckee opted out of performing, but has a good knowledge of magic and engaged our two magicians in conversation. Ken runs the magic shop in Santa Rosa and George is his student.

How can I say this without bragging? Ok, this is a little bragging. I am so proud of my children. Anna has a unique and wonderful voice, but also sings with her heart. I have heard it said by several in the know that she could be a professional if she wanted. Having done music myself for my whole life, I know what professional means. It meaning traveling from gig to gig for not so much money. I can mean making a happy interesting life doing what one likes. There also is the possibility of fame, but that happens to few people. Just to know she has the talent is enough for me. Her job now is to do well in school. Joey is a tireless musician. He will pick up any instrument and try to play it. He has taken piano, played didgeridoo, drums, guitar, accordion and dabbled on many others. He is shy but has an easy friendly manner that will take him far. Truckee also plays guitar, accordion and sings but is less willing to sing for a crowd. He is extremely smart and can carry on an intelligent conversation with just about anyone.

One More Roma Story

2010-05-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

I was hitchhiking through Europe in 1973. I had just taken the boat from Corfu to Brindizi and had arranged to meet two young women in Pescara. It was only a spot on the map, a little north or Brindizi. Once off the boat I had no trouble getting a ride just outside of town, but then proceeded to wait for hours in the hot sun for another ride. I heard some music at what looked like a small pub, maybe a quarter mile away. I entered a covered porch and 30 or 40 men were there and welcomed me in to eat watermelon. I spoke not a word of Italian at the time, but they were friendly and welcoming and I was grateful for the break.

I set out on the road again. After a ride of about one kilometer I was on a deserted stretch of road surrounded by farmland. I stood in the heat with hardly a car passing. Then an Italian military man came walking up the road, put his thumb out and was immediately given a ride. I waited another hour or more and I saw a train of about twenty cars approaching. They were beat up- full of dents and scratches and moving slowly. I put my thumb out.

About the sixth car in the caravan stopped. Then almost immediately the ones both in front of him and in back of him stopped too. A man of about 30 years was the driver and he was with his son, a boy of maybe 3 years. I got in the back and he wanted some money as he started off. He spoke neither Italian nor English. We drove for maybe four minutes and the caravan pulled over to the side of the road again. I was the center of interest for the entire caravan. All of the people crowded over to the car where I sat asking the driver who I was. They all wanted to get a look at me.

We somehow communicated and I found that they came from Yugoslavia. They were traveling looking for work. We drove slowly then one of the cars gave a signal to stop. All the cars pulled to the side of the road. It was an automobile grave yard. Everyone got out of their cars. A few more came over to see me. Most of the women and children stood in groups. The men fanned out over the large field of junked cars.
They were equipped with wrenches and screwdrivers and soon they had pulled a couple of parts from some of the cars. A group of about four went over to one and proceeded to tinker with the malfunctioning automobile.

Someone gave and imperceptible signal and everyone got back into their cars. We started off again at the same slow pace until about five minutes later another signal was given. It was a gas station. Two of the cars got gas, but mobs again exited the cars and gathered around a little soda machine. It was back in the cars and off we go again. Less than ten minutes later the cars pulled over again and of course some of the children had to take a pee.

We traveled for ten more minutes and the caravan again pulled over the the side of the road in sync. This time it appeared that they were looking for a place to camp for the night. I took this opportunity to exit the car and walk away from the caravan. The sun was beginning to set and the field around me had all been purposely burned by the local farmer. We were just outside the city of Bari.

I walked up the road and thought myself that it might be a good time to find a place to spend the night. I didn't want to enter the town for I knew that it would delay my journey that much more. I walked along the side of the road for about 15 minutes with not one car passing me. Then I saw in the distance the line of cars that I had left behind on the road again. I was determined not to let them see me for I did not want to be picked up again. I hid behind some large rocks. They passed. Then in fifteen I once again saw the cars parked in a line and people setting up their cloth tents. As I walked past they did not notice me.

By this time it was getting dark. I saw a deserted gas station at the top of a hill and in that gas station parking lot was an abandoned seatless car. I decided to spend the night in the back seat of the automobile. I could hear the sound of a crowd and a party. The band played "My Girl". Sometime in the middle of the night a car pulled next to the car where I was sleeping. I could hear a young man and young woman talk in Italian, giggle, then it was silent. After about fifteen minutes they drove away and I fell asleep.

Don't Say Gypsy

2010-05-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Most people use the word gypsy as a normal part of English. Few people realize that it is an ethnic slur. It has become so common that even people who identify with this particular ethnic group call themselves "Gypsies". This is the so in the band named "Gypsy Boys". Two guitar players with a fiery style who played the Roma Festival. And in fact the people of whom we are speaking are the Roma people. These days they live all over Europe with larger concentrations in places like Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Bosnia.

We are blessed to have an annual Roma Festival in our town. This year it was the 14th Annual California Herdeljezi Roma (Gypsy) Festival. Note that even the Festival puts the word "gypsy" in the name. Few would identify these people as Roma, and indeed their language has Latin roots. "Gypsy Jazz" is a style of music developed by one such Roma, Django Reinhardt. These people are known for their passionate style of playing acoustic music, especially guitar and violin. They are also widely discriminated against in all of Europe as many keep to themselves. They are also among the poorest ethnic group in eastern Europe. They are known to be thieves and con artists, but as with any ethnic group it is only a very small minority.

When I was in Florence, Italy two summers ago watching the final game of the World cup, I had my camera snatched by a young pair of Roma teens. I saw them and I should have known better. My camera was visible through the netting. I saw both of them, small and dark skinned. It was the perfect event for a robbery as the crowd was thick. Also I almost became the victim of a scam in Paris last summer. A woman comes by and points on the ground to ring. It looks like a wedding ring- gold. She tells me that I can have it. I smelled trouble. I read later that this is long known scam.

I volunteered the entire day in the alcohol booth. I managed to put off my first drink until three thirty PM. But the offer of free drinks (and food) was too good to pass up. Mix that with the good company of the other volunteers, the incredible music and good weather- a glorious day.

Dr Strangelove

2010-04-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

We are studying the cold war in my history class. I thought that Dr. Strangelove would be an excellent choice to show my students the spirit of this age. I assume that anyone who reads this blog knows this move. It is a hilarious dark comedy and one that was very controversial when it was released.

Stanley Kubrick apparently became obsessed by the bomb, read about sixty book then chose a dramatic novel to turn into a comedy. The makers of Fail Safe were afraid that Dr. Strangelove would compete with it and so release their movies nearly 6 months later. I am amazed my the similarities between the two films.

Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove, that loveable Nazi, is of course my favorite character. Sellers was slated to play four roles instead of three, but a broken leg rendered him incapable of fitting into the cockpit of the simulated B-52. It reminds me of when the Russians first shot the Sputnik into space. I asked my dad how the Russians did it first. He said, "They got the smarter Germans." I thought that was a great reply and always remembered it.

I am reluctant to point out much of the sexual innuendo of the movie from the sexual intercourse of the B-52's to Sterling Hayden's "bodily fluids". The students really don't find the film very interesting or funny. To begin with the film is in black and white. It's a bit of turnoff to adolescents. My hope is that a few students actually appreciate the film.

Computer Karma

2010-04-27T12:50:00.001-07:00

It's my computer karma again- bad karma. Last year almost all of my documents were trashed by our computer support person. I'll mention no names. The greatest loss was my grade book for which I had a paper back up but had to re-enter them from the beginning of the semester. It took me maybe 30 hours to complete it. Then mounds of lost curriculum, digital photos and personal items.

This year during the testing I had a few extra minutes, so I decided to clear out some of the "useless" programs. One of those useless programs deemed my keyboard and mouse non workable. This same computer support person assured me that she could save all of my data. Unfortunately she doesn't count what is on my desktop as part of my data. Fortunately I had some backup this time. I only had to reenter a month's worth of grades instead of three months.

I must give tech person some credit. She gave me the Adobe Suite as a sendoff. I have loaded both in the upstairs PC and my Mac Mini. She called me and asked if I still had the laptop that I had purchased with the tech funds. I have it. "It's more than five years old." I said. "I don't think so." She answers. In fact at this moment I am thinking of purchasing a mini pc- 2 and a half pounds for my trip to Italy.

To round out this computer ramble just two weeks ago our local market sponsored a computer recycling day. The place where monitors are taken then shipped to China to build up landfill there. I brought them one monitor, one purple imac, an old PC and miscellaneous electronic junk. I save the hard drives for posterity.

Polka Punk

2010-04-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

There is a new punk culture. Frankly I am not sure how new it is or how widespread. I probably should do more research before I, an old guy, comment on it. As one thinks about punk as mean, rebellious and loud. This punk is happy, campy and loud- JD, the accordion player in the Hubbub Club, plays an electric accordion and wears a fake red nose. The band dresses in mock turn of the century Victorian Black. Their 3 dancers do mock Burlesque. In one sketch they dance seductive and in coordinated fashion remove clothing, but costume "cartoon" clothing- down to the "last" layer a white bra with glowing nipples.

The style resembles the orientation of the Handcar Regatta. It is dark culture that celebrates the dead and thumbs its nose at it at the same time. So the style becomes a quaint affirmation of life. When I say punk, I guess that I mean modern Gothic (or Goth) styles.

The band played fast growling songs with words that seems full of humor and lightness. It is an ironic twist from the angry punk of the past. Perhaps it tell something of the culture of escape that we live in these days.

Hubbub on Youtube

2010-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

I just loaded a few of these videos on to youtube. I hope that you enjoy them.

Goodbye Marge.m4v
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWfW94GJZk

Mere Hathan Mein.m4v (37.9MB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCXqky8rbvo

Watermelon Man Jam.m4v (32.7MB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQWB9auxUHg

Weird Lunch.m4v (36.8MB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSwjSaKhpK0

Apple Blossom Festival

2010-04-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Sebastopol, California began as a redneck lumber town after the civil war. Lumberjacks would fell and cut large redwoods all day then come to Sebastopol to get drunk. In those days the town was called Analy after the city founder's daughter. In the 1890's the town was so packed with bars and taverns that fights in those establishments were a daily occurrence. According to legend, someone in the town once remarked that "This town is another Sevastopol, the center of Crimean war with daily news reports of the intensity of the fighting there. Hence the populace began to call the place "Sebastopol" and eventually the name stuck.

With the help of Luther Burbank Sebastopol eventually flourished as a small farming community with the Gavenstein apple as its principal product. Even when we arrived here twelve there were thousands of acres of apple orchards surrounding the city. Since that time most of the orchards are gone being replaced by large vineyards.There are two annual events in the spring, the Apple Blossom Festival and in the fall, the Apple Harvest Fair, with the former being the largest. In addition to a parade, there is a giant fair on the park grounds.

In recent years large flocks of over "twenty-somethings" consume vast quantities of alcohol at the fair and make a general nuance of themselves. They serve mainly beer and wine. I remember last year in particular the overwhelming presence of these "drunks" made the fair unpleasant for everybody. So this year I read that the city is banning alcohol from the fair. As much I like a couple glasses of good wine on the occasion, I am happy for the regulation.

doppleganger- complete frivolity

2010-04-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Maybe I am running out of subjects to write about. But one of my students said the other day: "Mr. Lynch, you look like that guy in Distrubia." I had not seen the film, but now I have put it in my Netflix cue. And perhaps it is better that if I do look like anybody, it is a relatively obscure actor- David Morse. I hope that he doesn't mind that I have said this. Also I had never given much credence to looks. But I guess for my age that I am not doing too bad. I have always thought that David Lynch and I were at least related. If he does not look like me, he has a close resemblance to many of my cousins and uncles (when they were younger.) Nothing deep here...

Social Host Ordinance

2010-04-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Sebastopol has a new ordinance called the Social Host Ordinance. It targets teen drinking parties of which there are many in this little town. The ordinance states: "It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to knowingly host an underage social gathering on private or public property within the city. A person knowingly hosts an underage social gathering whenever the social host is aware that an underage person has consumed an alcoholic beverage or reasonably should have been aware had the social host taken reasonable steps to prevent consumption of alcoholic beverages by underage persons. Such steps include, but are not limited to : controlling the quantity of alcoholic beverages present at a gathering, verifying the age of the persons attending the gathering by inspecting drivers' licenses or other government-issued identification cards, and supervising the activities of underage persons at a gathering.

The fine for an infraction is $300. It would be treated in the same way as a traffic ticket. It does not limit those who would be charged but the police will definite target underage drinking parties especially when a neighbor has complained. We received a four page question and answer sheet from the police department a few days ago.

I decided to read the handout to my sophomores. There was an immediate reaction. "The Sebastopol police do that only because they are bored. They have nothing better to do." "The police here are always picking on us." "Why don't they go out and solve some real crimes." They asked a bunch of questions all dealing with loopholes to the law. In my sixth period class a couple of student at least acknowledged that alcohol abuse by teenagers might be a serious problem. But on the whole they gave an emotionally filled reaction of entitlement. "We should have a right to do to our bodies what we want to do." I blame it on years of them getting what they want in almost every situation. Also the an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex.

Little Music City

2010-04-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last night Donna and I decided to have desert at our new local Sebastopol hot spot, Aubergines. We had just been there the night before to watch a friend play with a band called The Traveling Hillbilly Blues Band. This band had been assembled to play for a show, the Patsy Cline show, which a raging success at a local theater. The group like playing together so much they stayed together. Now they play regular gigs doing Hank Williams covers and other older country music.

We got to the door on a Sunday night and low and behold they were charging a five dollar cover. (We just wanted desert.) I ask what kind of music. "French jazz," was the answer. I was reluctant. The girl at the door said, "How about five dollars for the both of you?" That seemed fair, so I paid the five dollars and entered. The band, Rue Manouche, was playing a Django tune, with a very very hot lead player. Now I must confess that I have been a closet Django "wanna be" for about five years. I can play back up to many of the tunes but the leads still elude me. This guy, Vie Wong, was hot. In fact, the entire band was hot.

At their break three of us from audience approached him. A friend of mine, Jan, her freind and myself- all musicians. He says, "What? Does everybody in this town play music?" Jan replys,"We don't get TV, so we play music." There is some truth to this statement. Jan has just started an all woman Django style band called Haught Flash Swing. I have met Jan in bluegrass circles, but when I asked about her interest in bluegrass, she said that she goes to those sessions because there weren't any others in town. We vowed to get together to play some swing.

Then Donna joined the conversation and mentioned that we play Brazilian Choro music. "Oh, we play choro music too," was the response. My wife, Donna, plays so many styles of music now, that it is hard to keep up with her. She started the eastern European vocal group, Gradina, which is flourishing now. She is a very active member of the Hubbub Club. She plays Galitian gaita. She is performing with Jesse Olsen in a trio that performs this Friday. Jesse who is the originator and leader of the Hubbub Club and is also a great composer in my opinion.

On Friday night I went to the Pine cone where my friend Riggy (alias Ricky) Rackin celebrated his birthday with a his pick up band of top musician. Riggy plays concertina and sings a mixture of old English Ballads, Irish and Scottish tunes, and a few old American songs. I met Riggy (Ricky) in 1979 at Faith Petric's house in San Francisco at a get together of the San Francisco Folk Music Club. He claims that I was the first person he met in California.

Chris played mandolin in this group. I met Chris about 1980 as a member of a old tyme band called Round Oak. Chris now works at the local music store. John Berge was on the fiddle and squeeze box. I have known John a long time and he is a top northern California musicians playing for Contra and English Country dances.

Going back to Aubergines, they have their own house drum set. My friend, Rick is the new chef there and he has hired my son, Joey, to wash dishes and help in the kitchen two nights a weeks. Joey also happens to be a serious drummer (and accordion player and guitarist). So our Joey has had the opportunity to back up some of the bands at Aubergines over the past two months.

Summing it up: Our town of Sebastopol has a population of just a little over 7000. In addition to a few of the top international popular music stars living here, we also have a good share hot musicians.

Period 4- revisited

2010-04-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 13

We are on a testing schedule today. In front of me is my fourth period class. I made some seating changes and it is a big deal for them. "Can't I sit here?" "I wanna sit over here." Then some just sit in the wrong place and wait and see if I notice. I am so ready to be done with this petty bull shit.

Then today in walks in Tanner. He is no longer a student in my class. He was transferred to the continuation school. Under the pretense that he wants to help another student he comes into my class. I ask him if he is enrolled. He says he has a sixth period here. I say, "This is fourth period." I ask him to please leave. He was giving me an argument, so I picked up the phone. Then he is freeking out. "I have to help A.J. with my assignment." "I am sorry, but you have to leave." I say. Finally the telephone threat makes him leave. I spoke to my friend Sandy, the Counselor, about this situation. She said that he had no class at our school at all and would talk to Brenda.

There is a pervasive bad attitude among about 5 students. It came to a point today where I insisted that we talk about it. I say something, then Kaitlyn repeats it. I call her outside. She admits that she repeated me but claims that it was not rude. Finally she did say that she was sorry.

We had a discussion during this brief period about the situation. The chief thorn in my side claims that she will give me attitude for the rest of the year because I gave her an Unsatisfactory citizen ship on her report card. At one time I told her she had better behavior, but she switches hot and cold. Her English teacher from last year also mentioned that "she was a piece of work- full of attitude." Then the "gang of five" chimed in about how I was picking on just them, when others misbehaved too. I had two defenders who chimed in. They both had perspectives that I agreed with. One said that these students were obviously "messing with me" and of course I would react to their bad behavior. Another said that I was too lenient in the beginning of the year. That is only partially true. I try to maintain a relaxed atmosphere and it worked well. Then with the addition of a new student (my friend in the previous paragraph)and the increase acting out of another student, the general atmosphere degenerated. With the discussion I could see that most students were on my side. But they are the quiet ones.

Thursday, April 15

I have changed the seating chart. There were a group of girls in the back who also used to converse on a regular basis. I separated them. As I begin class I am finding that the traditional problem people are not misbehaving. The biggest problem this period was that just about everyone had to take a bathroom break. One of my student, Jake, left for the bathroom early in the period and never returned. I called his mom, then wrote a referral to the vice principal. His mom said that she was going downtown to find him.

Honk Fest West 2010

2010-04-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

It difficult to describe the giant party that is Honk Fest West. Twenty five street bands from all over the United States arrive in Seattle and play at various venues throughout the city. One might call these groups marching bands except that they don't all march. Brass and percussion are the predominant instruments but accordions, bells, whistles. I even saw an acoustic guitar with the Stanford Band. The first night this year began in the Fremont districts. All venues were out side and bands in Fremont were all within a block of each other. There were four bands playing at the same time but none seemed to interfere with each other. Saturday night we took over Georgetown. I loved the earlier start time as well as playing outside. It made for some good videos. Then Sunday in West Seattle was the part I missed, but you will see some links to those performances below.

The best thing that I can do is to give links to sites that feature videos and photos.

The Honk Fest West Site pulls all photos and movies from Flickr that are labeled honkfestwest2010

Seattle Twist

Of course homage to the Hubbub Club in West Seattle

West Seattle Blog

Joe Mabel's Posted photos in Flikr. He takes nice photos of people at Honk.

I put in a search on Youtube for HonkFestWest 2010 and came up with some pretty good videos including one of the Hubbub Club from yesterday. They were playing while I had to go to the airport.

I had to laugh at this 2009 Honk video. I am the photographer butting into the picture.

The best think to do is just click and enjoy. I won't ramble any more that this.

Who is "Friending" Me?

2010-04-02T07:36:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have a facebook account. Ordinarily I do not "friend" anyone I don't know. From time to time I will make a connection with a friend of a friend. The day before yesterday I received a most unusual invitation from "Argentina Gebel". It sounded like a fake name to me, I searched it. The photo on the page was extremely suggestive for facebook. It showed a woman from the neck down, lying down. She was wearing a two piece black bathing suit, underwear? I don't know. (no face shown) She had 6 friends and they all looked like teenagers. One of them had the words "Dulles High School" next to her name. There was only one Dulles High School that I could find in Texas.

I went back to her site yesterday. Argentina had 36 friends, some young people and some were "old guys" like me. I decided to write to an administrator at Dulles High School.

Dear Administrator:
I am a 61 year old male English teacher in Sebastopol, California and I may have received a dangerous solicitation from one of your students. The page has a fairly explicit photo for facebook. I think that the page is a fictitious name. When I clicked on the link yesterday this person had only six friends- but one was identified with your school.
When I went back to the site today, she had 38 friends, many older men like me.
The facebook page is under the name of : Argentina Gebel
Here is the link. I think that it is important that you investigate this matter.
(Insert URL here.)
These are three of the name who were original of the six “facebook friends”:
N. H. (names removed for privacy)– Dulles High School (stated as such)
J. L.
S. B

I would appreciate knowing whether my concerns are warranted and that you have taken appropriate action.

I checked a few hours after I sent this email and the page was removed.

Update April 14th

I received an email from the mother of one of the girls on the page. I guess the principal emailed her. She asked if the photo on this page was of her daughter. I would have no way of knowing this. I had thought of saving the photo on my desktop and I am still of two minds about saving it. I would now have a piece of evidence to show the mother. But the photo of a teenager was so sexually suggestive, that I dared not put it on my computer.

I wrote her a description as I remembered it and I have not heard from her since.

Letter from a Student

2010-04-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

It rare that for me that I receive any kind of praise from my students. In fact the opposite is true. Teenagers tend to be critical of everything, teachers included. Perhaps I am normal, but I feel vulnerable to student criticism. They can tell me things and I often take it to heart. Probably I try to be even too reasonable. A case in point is the point of almost open rebellion from many of my fourth period students about doing a research paper. My sixth period did it without complaint. My fourth period claimed that I did not take them through enough steps. I took them through all of the steps. Then I gave them an extra week to work on it. I suppose that my mistake was to let them work in groups. Many excuses about "So and so has the paper and they are absent today."

I could go on and on about this class, but I must give credit to the very cooperative group in the class also who obviously like my class. Then there is the group who resists and criticizes just about everything that I do.

Yesterday I went to my mailbox in the Faculty room and pulled out a little envelope. I said to a faculty member who was there, "That's from a student." Both the size of the envelope and its wrinkled exterior betrayed its author. I always think when I receive something like this, "It could be good news and it could be bad news."
Here is what it said:

Dear Mr. Lynch

One might feel kind of weird weird writing a letter to an English teacher because I know it isn't perfect grammar or punctuation, but I'll put my best efforts into it. I'm just another student at Analy trying to get my education for the future. I'm also a student in your fourth period English class. Many of my friends are in that class along with me, or at least people I'd like to call friends. I think sometimes I have a lot in common with many of my peers, but last week during class I found a huge difference between them and myself.

When we began the discussion about the research paper, I just expected the same kids would be yelling out complaining about how difficult it is and how they didn't listen or go to tutorial for help. But I soon realized it went much further than that. In my opinion it went too far. I felt uncomfortable being in the classroom, surrounded by so much negativity and outspoken words of naive children trying to sound like adults and putting down your profession. When I heard a girl say that you're a horrible teacher and that she hadn't learned anything that whole year, and the chanting of kids agreeing with her, I was mortified. Not only because I completely disagree, but mostly because I've never seen so much lack of respect. Even if they truly believe that, it's one of those opinions one keeps to themselves or comes and tells you in private.

I think that a lot of the outbursts in class are ridiculous. I thought that everything would calm down after Tanner left, but I could see how badly that hurt your feelings. I thought I saw your eyes water a bit and it made me want to cry too. (In actuality my eyes did not water, but the comment did sting.)

This letter was in no way meant to get me a higher grade, or kiss up to the teacher. As a matter of fact I would prefer to remain anonymous. I enjoy your teaching methods so much more than other teachers that I have. I think that you like to teach sort of on a tangent, which some may not understand, but I find it so much more interesting than the boring text. Learning from experience and stories has always been so much easier for me to grasp. You're very laid back and you have a youthful energy, which makes you easy to listen to and hard to believe that you're retiring. Your composure when you're being yelled at by smart asses really inspires me to be mentally stronger.

All in all, you're an inspiration and an amazing teacher. I'm glad that I've had you as a teacher before you left. Even though some may beg to differ, I know you will be missed and I'll remember you ten years from now when I think back on my favorite teachers from high school. Please don't change your teaching methods because of what those kids say or do. On day they'll look back and regret some the things they've said and done. Karma's a bitch.

The letter is not signed. I found it very powerful and I have never receive a letter from a student with this amount of compassion for a teacher.

Even more unusual I received a facebook message from a student that I was trying to contact. They had written to themselves ten years ago and I am in the process of finding them to give them the letters that I have been holding on to. This was a really tough group that I had then. The were a part of a school within a school called the Academy. Really it was all the unmotivated students put together into one class, very difficult.

Here is what Krissy said:

Re: Your "old" Teacher

No way!!! Hi Mr. Lynch. I hope you are doing well.
Thank you for remembering me. That letter sounds interesting. You know, I thought about you the other week randomly. I guess I was intuned with you trying to send me that letter maybe. Also, I wanted to say I'm sorry for giving you such grief in the classroom when I was younger. You have always been a good man, and I was a rebellious teenager. I still feel bad for that.

-Take care

Amazing - the power of the word.

University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), a mystery

2010-03-31T07:48:00.000-07:00

My daughter started at the University of Alaska, Anchorage in the Fall and loves it. She lives in the dorms and it has been a fulfilling social time for her as well. But there is one problem. She doesn't get her mail. She will get packages but not mail. In fact she says that no one in the dorm gets their mail. About two months ago my wife sent a check to her and she never received it. Even worse she has a friend who got a summons to appear in court for a traffic ticket. He did not receive the summons and a warrant went out for his arrest. The police stopped him and he was arrested and had to post bail to get out.

The day before yesterday my wife came to me and said she would send Anna a check by Western Union, an expensive proposition. I suggested to my wife that she send the next check by registered mail. That letter is now in process with its tracking number.

I set out to investigate this problem. First I looked up numbers for personnel at UAA and found the "mail room" with a number of employees and their work numbers. There is also an email where I could directly ask them about their success in delivering mail.

As I heard Donna talk with Anna on the phone yesterday, it came to me that we were dealing with an issue that could possibly an federal offense. I went to the US Postal Inspector's website and sure enough there is a place inquiries and complaints. I will make one of each.

I made a very interesting discovery while googling the UAA initials and post office. I came up with a Wikipedia reference that stated the US Postal Service abbreviation for mail to go to the "dead letter office" was "uaa" -undeliverable-as-addressed - also the initials of the University of Alaska at Anchorage. I wonder if I could have stumbled on to something. The wikipedia page also states "In 2006 approximately 90 million undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) items ended up in this office." Certainly there were even more "dead letters" marked "UAA" in 2009 and mounting numbers in 2010. How many of these were meant to go to University of Alaska, Anchorage?

Negotiations

2010-03-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday three negotiators and myself sat all day with the two top administrators in our district to try and negotiate a contract. It is a devastating year for everyone involved. A great thing about this year is that the financial books of the district are open. The funding coming in next year is less than that in the previous year. The year 2011- 2012 looks even grimmer unless the state of California does something about the budget process. The district must project three years in advance, which is all but impossible.

As a district that offers programs that no other district in the area offers, we have some positive things to expect. Whereas enrollment in one nearby district is plummeting, ours is only decreasing. Where many families are moving away out of economic hardship, we are experience only a relatively minor loss of students. The programs we offer are popular with parents but expensive. Our seven period day is envied by other districts, but the threat of the six period day always lingers as a future budget adjustment.

Generally two sides meeting at the bargaining table are at odds. This year specifically the district did not bring in its big guns (the lawyers) and we did not bring in our consultant. Although teachers are giving up five days next year (it appears.), with a salary reduction of 4.4% over two years, we have maintained an open communication with the district. As a result the district has been relatively open with us. This year we worked an extra day for free (officially). In actuality we put in many free days (at least I do.). The district offered to give a free day in the month of May as a peace offering, I presume.

Casey our chief negotiator has incredible expertise on budget and benefit matters. He has scoured the health benefit plans and can see some potential savings in plan choices. I know that that the district appreciates his expertise and our willingness to negotiate in good faith. And we appreciate their good will in these tough times.

A Jazz Club from the Past

2010-03-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Four years ago a wonderful woman opened a little jazz club in a little house in our little town. She brought talent mostly from the San Francisco Bay area to play here. It was a great little place and greatly appreciated by the local people. She painted a mural of jazz greats on the sidewalk of the house leading up to the club. It still remains there today.

One year later the owner, an insurance salesman, kicked her out of the place and opened up an insurance office. I was crestfallen. But even more so this woman was completely disheartened about losing her little club. I talked to her daughter a short time after it closed and apparently, the owner just kicked them out- no reason needed.

Today I passed that building and the insurance company was gone. There was a little sign in front of the house "For Rent". Below the words an empty space where one would normally write a phone number. I had the sudden urge to write "SCUM_BAG" in that space. I even had a black marker in my pocket but I passed it too quickly. As I thought about it, I realized that I was still angry about that injustice.

Tomorrow I will write "SCUMBAG" on the sign- with forethought and malice. It is something that I would not ordinarily do, but I think that the occasion demands it.
Perhaps I will be arrested and will thus publicize the injustice.

My Helpers

2010-03-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

It is March and I am beginning to count off the days. There are 46 school days until I am finished as a full time public school teacher. I think especially of this past year as the president of the local teachers association and how I could not have done it without the help of so many of the members. Strangely I feel like this blog might be the beginning of my retirement speech. I did not want a retirement dinner or a retirement party or any hullabaloo about retirement. Yet it appears there will be all of these things.

Alternately she refers to herself as "your little pest" and "your helper". Really she has been the reason that no one has declared me as completely incompetent as a president. Sandy was always there to remind me of this or that thing coming up. She readily volunteered for unpleasant task and literally fixed some of my mistakes. She did is all quietly, even surreptitiously. I am so grateful to her for carrying me through this year. Sandy has really been my right hand this year.

Susan has taken care of membership. I can always go down the hall to ask for her help. I have asked her three times if she will consider being president next year. Each time I ask her she says "no". Her reason is that administration doesn't like her. I cannot imagine why. She is a straightforward, "take no bullshit kind of person". Ah, maybe that is why Administration doesn't like her.

Greg, co-president in name only, you said that you really couldn't do much this year but you have done a lot. You went to the school board meeting when I was so weary from all of those layoff meetings and regional meetings. I thank you for that especially.

I will add more to the list later.

Hubbub at Hop Monk

2010-03-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

Finally I arrived at Hop Monk Tavern at about 6:30 PM. I had brought my painting, that I had done from Taos in 1997, to the silent auction. The silent auction was indeed impressive. Many spiritual offerings: reading, wellness assessment, body massages, pulse analysis- tango lessons, waltz lessons, swing lessons- ointments, creams, facials. They people had donated scarves, sweatshirts, rugs, shawls,ties, hand sown hubbub artifacts. There were an assortment of children's toys, jewelery, art projects, crafts, painting and ceramics.

By 6:30 the crowd was quite large. I came down with Truckee was late enough to catch Gradina perform only one piece- a Bulgarian tune. They sounded in top form and with the band, even better than I had ever heard them. Donna agreed. Then the Balkin band played several tunes while I survey the situation. John, my partner at the door, suggested that I take the other door to let a little air in.

The Hubbub Club began about 7:30. It was an amazing treat for the ears. This group that had begun about two years ago with less than a dozen musicians has now swelled to about 35 members. 29 of them were here tonight. Four top trumpet players in the front led the tunes. The drummers sounded really tight. The crowd danced wildly and cheered after every number.

I find myself insufficient to the task of describing this band and this night. I will try to post a video with this blog soon. With my busy schedule it is difficult for me to download the movies that I took and edit them quickly. For the time being I will link to some old videos of the Hubbub, mostly from last year's Honk Fest in Seattle. Hubbub Club at Aubergine and Hubbub Club at Sebastopol Downtown Square.

One of our dancers sent around an email about the performance. She expresses it better than I ever could.

"Most Beloved Hubblies,

You guys were supercalafragalistic last night! I’ve never heard you play so well. What a great show, a great evening, everyone loved Sarena Zembra and Gradina and the Rosetown Ramblers, the gifts were fantastic, the auction team were without compare, the doormen were scholars and gentlemen and the fundraising committee was on the ball."

Politics and Education

2010-03-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

"All politics is local." At various times I have agreed with and disagreed with this well worn quote. But now as our local association's president, I am again seeing the truth in it. We are in the midst of contract negotiations. It appears that for the second year in a row that our teachers will take a pay cut in the form of lost days. It will amount to about a 4% cut over two years. Other associations throughout the state of California are doing the same thing.

I consider myself a moderate in union politics. If both sides are talking and try to stay open during negotiations, despite bad times, it is the best that I can expect. I would say that the "new" leadership of this association agrees with me. But I have started to hear more and more rumblings from a more radical side. Their position is to hold on the cuts in negotiations and I think that they have a valid argument.

They reason if the district unilaterally acts over the teachers' union to make cuts, at least the teachers are not cutting their own throats. They think that when the district makes even more radical cuts the public will be outraged. The best case scenario for them is that parents will notice the complete downgrading of education and vote themselves a parcel tax. Strangely this view appears to be the most optimistic because of an overinflated view, in my eyes, of parental outrage.

If the outcome of refusing to negotiate would be enough money eventually coming to schools, then it is obviously a good solution. Yet it would mean completely forfeiting collective bargaining rights. I think that collective bargaining is our strength. Even though the district is making cuts with our consent, we have bargained hard. Also the cuts that we have made are those that should be rescinded once the financial picture improves, if that ever happens.

California has the most dysfunctional system for funding schools in the United States. Well I haven't actually checked for Hawaii, Mississippi and Alabama. For one there are forces here who want to privatize the entire public education system. Yet I am diverging from the main point of this particular entry.

Blogging

2010-03-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

With all of the things I have to do, I just spent the last hour paging through random blogs. I did find one thing out. I like looking at blogs with photos more than text. I like a little extra design in the blog. I think about my blog and how it is words, words, words (as Hamlet said). It appears that a lot more people read other peoples blogs than mine. The comments that I receive are comments from Casinos advertising, or Chinese mass advertisements. I have one follower, a friend. That is nice. I think that my blog is ready for a complete over hall.

I used to like the name, but now I don't. It's too pretentious. Who uses Latin any more anyway? I take tons of photos and many of them good, but my time for blogging is in the classroom, like now. Well here I have presented another wordy blog, short but still wordy.

Teenagers

2010-03-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

I am writing specifically about the group of teenagers ages 14 to 16. I have found little intellectual curiosity among them. Perhaps from years of indoctrination to point system of grading they have lost interest in really learning and only want a good grade. Many will do whatever is necessary to get a good grade and many do not care beyond the sanctions imposed by parents.

Teenagers are addicted to their ipods, iphones, cell phones etc. Social texting is an every hour part of their lives. Their vocabulary, especially the boys, is dusted with variations on the word "fuck"- "fucker", "fucked up", etc. They hold extreme loves and hates. Since their life revolves around their social world, they hate anyone who interferes in anyway with that world. Parents and teachers are sometimes the primary thrawters of their social interactions as they see it.

Girls as one would expect are obsessed by boys. They are often angry or hurt by a boy who cheated on them, used them, refused them or just plane won't pay attention to them. They spend a large amount of time being disillusioned about boys, hurt or just angry. Some of those in a relationship want to be out of it. Some of those not in a relationship want to be in one.

Boys as one would expect are focused on girls as conquest, getting laid or getting "pussy" as they would put it. They write in course unsophisticated ways about sex and relationships that reflect the shallowness of their thinking or insensitivity to the feelings of their challenges. Yet not all boys are like this. Many still are obsessed with sports or video games. If girls are on their radar they have not admitted it.

Teenagers often have relationships with parents full of high drama. But many acutely feel the difference between the old closeness they had as a child and now are upset by the way it seems to have changed. Many want that closeness back, but don't know how to get to it, don't know how to get over that communication gap that has developed so recently. Yet some, girls especially, have an extremely close relationship with their mothers. Their mothers have become their new buddies.

The media has a great influence on what teenagers think. They still buy products and wear fashions they think are cool. They love their favorite bands as we did. What is different is the variety of music out there today and the variety of tastes. Many boys and girls still love rap. There is still a mainstream popular music that many follow. But many teenagers have very sophisticated tastes in music and have keyed into world music and are open to many different types of music.

Some teens are into drugs and will experiment with anything. Marijuana is ever popular and in our school at least parents are the pothead roll models. But teenagers love to experiment with pills and will try whatever the local dealer comes up with. Cocaine is available as well as ecstasy. But the biggest drug of course is alcohol. Some kids get it from home. Some steal it from the local Safeway and some get older kids to buy it for them. Yet some have no interest in drugs of any kind.

As a teacher I am unhappy to report that most teenagers report that they are totally bored in the classroom. I would like to think that my class is an exception, but it is not. Their minds are elsewhere.

Don't get me wrong. In general I find teenagers wonderful people. They are usually friendly enthusiastic about social endeavors. They are fun and spontaneous. But overall I realize that my assessment is not kind.. It speaks perhaps of my desire to serve a different age and generation. I will have that opportunity come June.

Baseball Cards, an update

2010-03-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Much has happened since I first visited that card shop in Rohnert Park. I think that was the last event in my previous baseball card post. Jim (not his real name) at the shop said that he had a friend who was both honest and a serious buyer. I was at the shop on a Monday and Jim said he would talk to his friend who would probably get back to me the next weekend. The next day I had three messages on my phone by noon, saying that the collector wanted to talk to me. I called him up and we arranged an evening meeting in his office.

I will call him "Bob". Bob, although immersed in paperwork at the height of tax season, always had time for baseball cards. When I first shook hands and sat down, he was skeptical about the authenticity of the cards. He talked continuously for over an hour as he fingered the cards, speculated and finally pronounced that he thought that they were authentic. He examined them closely, the edges, the back the photos, the players. "One thing bothers me," he said. They don't have that smell that I love so much in old baseball cards." "I have to agree with you. You should get them graded." I said, "I know that there are a lot of different graders around. Who should I choose?" He answered, "PSI is the only one." "It's too bad, but most of the auction houses have already gotten the cards that they will auction off in the spring." These words would come back to me.

Since we saw the $10,000 price tag on Ruth, we decided that that we would offer the Ruth for $10,000 and the rest for $5,000. Bob thought that this was a reasonable offer. But finally he said, "I don't think that I'll pull the trigger today."

The next day I went to the PSI website to see what I should do to get the cards graded. I thought that the problem might be insurance with a cargo so valuable and I had no idea how to solve it. At the top of the website was a banner ad. "Get your cards in by February 22 to have them included in the spring auction. I thought about what Bob said about the spring being the ideal time for baseball card auctions. I dashed off an email to "Memory Lane Inc." I received an email back almost immediately. He said that he was interested and did I have a sample scans of some of the cards (both sides). I sent the scans and received a reply within hour. I could sense his excitement in the email.

I called Ian at Memory Lane up and he was indeed excited. He said that these cards were very rare. He kept prefacing his statement with "If these cards are authentic..." I knew that they were. He said that they were "strip cards" confirming what Bob told me, but he also said that they were very rare. He even said something like "a value of up to $50,000". He said that he would feature the cards in an auction with one on the cover and that they would widely advertise it.

I sent him the cards. He talked to my wife the next day. "When the package arrived I found my heart beating like I was an eight year old kid." He said. I assume that he went to PSI as he said he would but they wouldn't grade the cards. The reason in their words was that they were "restored" or "water damaged". Backing up... I had asked Antoinette to remove the cards from the backing. Whether I should have done that on not, I don't know. But not only did she remove them from the backing but she immersed them in water- as a museum restorer is trained to do. Then they were carefully cleaned with swabs and pressed under non acidic blotters. In the eyes of graders, now these were damaged goods.

Ian kept an positive spin. "> The cards were authenticated as authentic by SGC, who are the key grading company for pre-war material. They will be in house probably by Friday. Looks like they will be deemed Authentic with no grades as they were restored. That’s not the end of the world as they are Rare."

By this past Monday Ian presented them to several buyers. Again, here is Ian: "Good news. I have a buyer for the collection. We offered the collection at $11,500 to multiple buyers. Some of the buyers have no interest due to the condition. I do have a buyer in Texas, who is the hobbies biggest collector. He has many of the cigarette cards from this era and shows interest in the lot. He countered at a much lower price so we agreed at $10,500. So bottom line is, they sold at $10,500 to a collector who will never sell them. I think that is what appeals to me most, is that they are in the hands of a Texas collector who loves the hobby and appreciates the rarity, not the condition. The cards actually did better than I thought due to condition."

And that's the rest of the story. Bill now wants me to take on his collection of postcards from the teens and twenties, but certainly not so valuable. Yet, I am not really sure. There may be another Babe Ruth among them.

More Meetings

2010-03-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for meetings... Yesterday after school there was a faculty meeting and really nothing significant happened. After that we, union officers met with the superintendent. There we received more bad news. The continuation school at El Molino High School will be disbanded. The class size for the special education department at El Molino will rise considerably. There will be a cut back on counselors at all campuses with a fifty percent reduction at Laguna School. Possibly as many as eight full time teacher positions eliminated. But a rare piece of good news also, two of our excellent teachers Gianna and Jeff will finally after 3 years be moved on to probationary status.

Today, we have a general membership meeting to tell the bad news to our membership. We need to get their feedback to decide how we want to proceed in negotiations. Then tonight at 6 PM is the school board meeting. Here they will finalize the layoffs that the administration has already decided on. Perhaps I will let Greg, the other President finally introduce himself to the school board tonight. It will be a meeting that I do not mind missing.

Reduction In Force

2010-03-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

I took a president's day yesterday to catch on both school work and union work. The season of layoffs is upon us. I spent much of the day trying to figure out who would be laid off in the district. I had asked the financial officer and his secretary for a list of names that were to be laid off. Also I asked for several criteria and hire dates of all certificated employees. When by Monday it didn't arrive, I called his secretary and she said that it was in my mailbox.

I was shocked to see the number of employees "fired". But after some investigation found out that these people were temporary hires. It is the policy of the district to fire "temporaries" then rehire them if they need them the next year. They can be hired from year to year in this way. My friend, Kathy told me that one of the people she represents is actually a tenured teacher. If that is the case then there is a mistake on the sheet.

Rumors abound when financial times are tight. That the continuation school at our other high school is closing- is one of those rumors. Both teachers are temporary and were released (fired). The district maintains as many temporary positions as they can. In tough times it allows them to simply fire the teachers without any fuss. In all, eight teachers have "non reelects" or firings, two from the continuation school, three from the other high school and three called consortium- nurses, psychologists, special programs teachers. For a small district like ours, that is a lot.

At 4 PM I went to CTA Sonoma County wide meeting. I had called all the teacher whom I thought had a possibility of being laid off. Fortunately two of those were not. I went partially to be able to inform our members of the alternatives available. Helen and Andy, out Sonoma County Association Reps, moderated the meeting. Only one Analy teacher was at the meeting and he was there to help out another teacher who could not make it. Six lawyers sat at the front of the room to advise the 50 or so laid off teachers in the room. Each one gave a little spiel on how to move forward with their case and get the best possible representation.

This morning I got a call from one of our counselors who was laid off of 20% of her job. I heard first hand about the problems that she as a single mother will have in dealing with layoff. Also her hire date was the same as another counselor and she questioned the district's point system in choosing her for layoff. It is a good avenue to pursue.

Tomorrow is our local's general meeting where we will hash out what we want to do in negotiations. I have a pile of tasks still to do before that meeting. And also I must teach.

Watch this!

2010-03-09T00:17:00.000-08:00

It is past midnight on Monday night. As President of our local teachers' union, I have been dealing with district layoffs all day- in one way or another.

But I have logged in this morning just to post a video that I created of our Thursday "Action" to try to bring some sanity to the budget in California. Forty eighth in the country in education spending is a disgrace for California, especially given its history (perhaps "ancient" now) of strong schools kindergarten through university.

Watch this!

March Fourth- the day

2010-03-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

Click here for more photos
Yesterday Alta gave me a bunch of pink paper to write the job titles for twenty five chairs to put out for our demonstration. I was not able to get to this task, but fortunately Susan volunteered today to help me. These pink "slips" will be draped on the chairs to symbolize the number of jobs lost in our district over the past 3 years due to job cuts. The number is 25 with 5 more probably coming this year. So we will have thirty empty chairs.

After school yesterday from 4:30 to 6:30 I had a meeting of Sonoma County Association representatives. Among other things we shared our plans for tomorrow on our own campuses. Many schools and principals have accepted the "disaster for education" formula and are doing disaster drills. None of our principals liked this idea. We could have done it so easily as there is a disaster drill scheduled for tomorrow. I am thinking about getting the teachers on board to apply the disaster drill tomorrow as a way to educate students on the disaster that is our state budget.

When I got home last night about 7 PM, the house was empty. I began immediately to look up slogans for today's demonstration. I had about 25 placards and 25 sayings. I added some cartoons to some of the sayings.

By Thursday morning I still was not entirely prepared. I had a stack of papers to go on the backs of chairs. Fortunately Susan came in our local association VP and volunteered to the job. By 6th period I had my class in the computer lab. Magically Greg showed up to help me. The plan was to scoot the chairs out right at 2:16 PM when the bell rang. It all went like clockwork. (Except that one of my students absconded with a chair to go joy riding down the science building hallway.)

As students exited, parents politely stopped in their cars and we held signs, talked to parents and students and gave out information on the demonstration. A lot of the students gave us thumbs up. A few students and parents joined in. Other students students looked puzzled. We had several representatives from the classified association, some parents and a couple teachers from a nearby school. About a dozen of our teachers showed up and I was grateful for that.

One of the photos above is of me in my cool new glasses. I actually never realized that they are sunglasses, because they adjust to the sunlight and I am always surprised to see them dark.

March Fourth- A day previous

2010-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

March fourth (March Forth) is approaching and it seemed like little was happening by way of a coordinated action by anyone in our district. The superintendent gave his approval, but told me that the principals had agreed that they didn't like the sound of a "disaster drill" to dramatize the desperate state of schools in California. I recommended a hands around the school approach and our superintendent thought that the administrators might go for all the staff and students holding hands around the school. I asked our principal, Chris, if he would go for some morning time set aside for a school-wide activity. He emphatically said "no". "I do want to use instructional time for a March Forth action." He said that he was afraid of the parents' who would call him and ask why this action interfered with school.

I felt stifled as a leader and sat at my desk trying to figure out what I could plan to have the entire staff and possibly students involved. I looked through the packet sent to me by the California Teachers Association and came across an flier sent to administrators by their association. I was dumb struck. In my email to Chris (and the other principals) I quoted the administrative directive word for word.

"Dear Chris,

I heard that you may be reluctant to plan some action at Laguna on March 4th. You heard Keller give his blessing to actions of March 4th at the school board meeting last night. But also I have right in front of me a flier from your Association, The Association of California Administrators. Perhaps you have a copy. Here is what it says:

On March 4, 2010 ACSA and other members of the Education Coalition of California plan to "Start the Day for Students." We encourage superintendents, principals, and other school administrators to join us and help organize and lead events in school communities on the morning (my underline) of March 4, 2010 to call attention to the devastating cuts to public schools.

Then three paragraphs of facts that you know well.

While "Start the Day for Student" will be a part of the larger day of protests across the state, we encourage ACSA members and other school leaders to plan events in the morning (my underline) to make it easier for educators, parents, students and entire school communities to participate and capitalize on morning news coverage.

For more information about March 4 and "Start the Day for Students," please contact ACSA's Julie White at jwhite@acsa.org
(end of flier)

I am sure that you and your staff can plan a morning activity that is educational and fits the recommendations of both your Administrative Association and the Superintendent. Without your OK our hands are tied. But it looks as if your Association wants you to take a leadership roll in this action. We endorse that recommendation.

Sincerely,

Ed Lynch
President, WSCTA"

I sent pretty much the same letter to all three principals of the schools. Finally Chris said that he would support a symbolic wearing of colors (perhaps pink for "pink slips"), an arrangement of empty chairs outside to point out the issue of lost personnel and a walk to the main square in our town to rally with other schools. Unfortunately I found out yesterday that the other schools have pulled out of the rally. We will do an outside demonstration after school and leaflet parents picking up their children.

Unfortunately I found that one of the other principals was unpleasantly "surprised" by my email. I was emphatically told that she doesn't like surprises. I do admit it was a last minute reaction to a plan that I thought would not happen without administrative support. The fact that administrators had so much time to plan this action and did nothing made me angry. But I thought that my email was straightforward and polite.

So we will move on with March Fourth.

Diane Ravitch

2010-03-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

I heard an interview by Diane Ravitch on Morning Edition (NPR Radio this morning. She was an educational adviser under the first President Bush, a well spoken but often very conservative spokesperson for public education. She strongly edorsed No Child Left Behind. Today she sang a different tune and one that was remarkably in line with the beliefs of the California Teachers' Association. She said that the problem with NCLB was that it rewarded and punished schools for good and bad behavior. Districts did not change the ways they educated students but only cheated when administering standardized tests. Many states had no or very limited standards for their students so that made it easy for them to pass the test and thus obtain Federal monies, "play the game."

She also talked of how the Race to the Top Initiative still used the same old model of competition for schools. She said, "Schools should not be run on a survival of the fittest model." It is a corporate model and it is promoted by extreme conservatives who would like to see the elimination of public schools. I said pretty much the same thing when I was interviewed by the Sonoma West. Nevertheless very few people as far as I can tell read that article about Race to the Top.

She also talked about charter schools. When we talk about charter schools it must be noted that there is a difference between public charters and private charters. The difference does not lie in the success of charter schools. As Ravitch said research shows that the difference between mainstream schools and charter is school is next to nothing. But charter schools allow corporations to take over schools with a traditional competitive corporate model. I do not think that this model accelerates the pace of effective teaching or learning. There are some who think that there should be no public schools.

Wine Tasting

2010-03-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

Matt, my nephew from Florida and his girlfriend, Marja from Finland arrived in San Francisco Thursday night. We met them at the Double Tree about 10:30 AM. I really didn't know much about Matt except that he was my sister, Gina's son and that I could hardly tell the difference between him and his brother, John. I also knew that he had taken a wine tasting course, had done some travel in Europe and had a girlfriend, originally from Finland. Overall the two were the most delightful personalities with educated tastes and interests.

Domaine Caneros lies on the border of Napa and Sonoma County, an imposing estate, just across from the DeRosa Modern Art Museum. Rain came down in torrents as we rushed up the long staircase to the front door. We were greeted by a friendly group of hosts who handed us a glass of the 2006 Vintage Brut Cuvée Sparkling Wine. Taryn was our tour guide, a lawyer who just recently passed the bar. She was knowledgeable about wine and friendly. We visited parts of the winery that gave views of the bottling, wracking, turning and corking facilities. After the tour we knew that we had lunch coming and moved in then surprisingly out of the lunch room. Taryn led us out of the main dining area across a patio and to another building. Inside we observed one set table with table cloth, cloth napkins, real silverware and a setting for five. Suddenly we went from second class citizens to important people. At each setting was a card "To the guests of Matthew..." with our menu nicely printed on the card.

Jeanne our server lent an air of informality and humor to the get together. We drank a toast to the event with their premium sparkling wine, the Cuvee de la Pompadore, with the appetizer. The appetizer was a piece of art- a goat cheese cake (not sweet) with a roasted hazel nut crust, topped by baby greens. Then we had a glass of the 2006 Brut Cuvee as the main course was served, chicken wrapped in prosciutto with baby lintels and a wonderful light dressing. Mostly with lunch they served their Domaine Caneros Estate Bottled Pinot at $36 a bottle. Then we could compare it with the 2006 Famous Gate Pinot that goes for $61 a bottle. Frankly I thought the Estate Bottled was better and bought two bottles.

Although the meal was outstanding, the quality of the company really made the day special. Matt has this smart, funny vivaciousness that is contagious. His girlfriend, Marja was also a delight. I always enjoy the company of my oldest son, Truckee. Also Tanya had the right mix of intelligence and informality to make the day truly memorable.

After the great meal, we stopped briefly at the Double Tree then came back to Sebastopol. Matt handily beat both Truckee and I at ping pong. We went shopping at our local Andy's market and they were stunned by the quality of the produce. We are lucky in California. Marja was snapping tourist photos of the vegetables and one of the staff made a funny comment. I assemble a good meal and we had a nice family dinner. After dinner Matt, Joey, Truckee and I sat around and played tunes. Just an all around great day- especially for a Friday.

The Research Paper

2010-02-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago my son, Joey, was assigned a research paper. He did not have a clue where to start. He said that in all his years at Analy High School no teacher taught him how to do a research paper. As much as I am reluctant to walk my students through all of the steps necessary for a good research paper, I am beginning one with my sophomores today. We have just finished reading Black Boy and I will let them choose topics that deal with civil rights or African American History. Today they will look at different kinds of references, touch on how to evaluate articles, and give them an overview of the process for the next two weeks.

It has made me think about writing a book on writing a research paper, something to do in my spare time. I visited a couple of book stores over the weekend and didn't find a satisfactory book. There are some good Internet sources such as http://www.aresearchguide.com/ and http://www.virtualsalt.com/. But book that gives a step by step process that would help a student like my son, would be the best.

Today I have put up a time line for the next two weeks. Today they will create a reference on an index card as a first step. The librarian will give them a little talk on different kinds of sources and they will come up with a tentative topic. On Thursday they must have their topic honed down, an extended bibliography by Monday, a typed outline by Tuesday, index cards filled out by Thursday and a first draft due the following Monday.

I'll keep you posted.

California Schools in Disaster Mode

2010-02-21T21:40:00.001-08:00

I have had this entire week off, then on Saturday, I had my first obligation to work, a five hour meeting with my union. Members come from all over Northern California to coordinate activities, report on committee progress and solve problems that administrations have forced upon us, "the workers".

In case you haven't noticed the future for education in California looks bleak even disastrous for students from kindergarten to final years of university with few prospects for improvement. California was first in the United States for education in 1978 and now it forty eight out of fifty (48th of 50 states). The spending per student in California is $2400 less than the average of spending per student in the United States. The neglect of education in California has been a steady slide from 1978 to now. Of course, I have an easy solution- tax the rich.

On a personal level, two very valuable classes that I taught at Analy High School were dropped because of funding cuts last year- Computer Skills. I will not spend too much time praising the value of my program, but many students have little or no access to computers at home. And how does one develop the skills to write a business letter, do a research paper, create a cogent presentation, or make oneself known on the the Internet without a demanding computer skills class?

So we, as a union just in this county, have planned many activities for March fourth.

Sonoma County Actions for March 4th

1. Half page ad in the Press Democrat (donations encouraged)

2. Get student input (perhaps leadership or writing slogans, making badges)

3. Diaster Drill- Under teacher supervision students will exit the building as if it is a fire or earthquake drill- a symbolic gesture to point out the disastrous state of California Schools.

4. Give out "Palm cards". Palm Cards have a little summary of what citizens can do to call attention to the situation.

5. Sign Petitions - Corporate Loopholes (possible the 55% passage on budget).

6. Take photos of your action and send 2 of them to Redwood council- our regional union chapter.

7. Wear your school colors and logos.

8. Put empty chairs in front of the school - one to match each person in the district pink slipped - classified, certificated and administrative. Color paper pink ( for "pink slips" or layoff notices) or black for the occasion.

9. Post your photos at Stand Up For Schools site sponsored by the California Teachers Association.

10. Start a countdown on Monday (ten days).

Our big action is to have a "disaster drill". In California the usual disasters are fire, flood and earthquake. We must do drills several times a year. We decided that to make a statement to the press and the central government in Sacramento we should stage a drill that signifies "Disaster for Education" in California. All students and teachers go out of their rooms and stand in a field to show that our schools are in a state of disaster.

Our superintendent prefers a much more conservative stand. We want to involve students, staff, administration and parents- really anyone who has a stake in the education of children from California. He does not want to do a disaster drill. I suggested that students for 20 minutes join hands outside the school to symbolize a protective stance for our school. He really should support us because he has the backing of his union and also the superintendent of Sonoma County schools (his boss).

We as teachers will join together with other teachers in our district to do a march to the central square in Sebastopol to protest the budget cuts. Even our conservative superintendent supports this move. And I expect that not only all of our teacher will join in this action but the clerical staff, administrators and any other employees of the district.

So, as I write in my blog late on a Sunday night, I realize that this message is for all members of the community who are interested in showing to the state and even the world, the desperate state of education in California. We must make some strong stand to captivate the press, agitate the public and shake the money interests in California. I know that kindergarten teachers to university professors join in this plea. Even out of state and out of country, the state of schools is an issue to pay attention to. There are two trends that contribute to the degeneration of schools, the present economic crisis and the movement to take monies away from public education.

As a last desperate addition, I will express my reason for retiring next year from my much loved teaching career. I have watched the down-slide of education funding in California. I have seen the class sizes continually increase. I have seen so many great programs be dropped. They even turn the heat off at noon in our school to save money. Summer schools and libraries are on the chopping block. I have seen hours cut for teachers, too many layoffs and librarians soon to be a vanishing species. I love my students and I love my job. And I would still love to continue to teach but not under the conditions that have squeezed every last concession.

I will forward this blog to everyone on my email list because I feel so passionately about these issues. My apologies if you do not understand it or if you have another opinion.

The Babe Ruth Card

2010-02-18T01:41:00.000-08:00

I have had a two week crash course in how to sell baseball cards. My father-in-law, Bill had a collection of 21 cards that belonged to his father. He made me the primo agent to put them out on the market and sell them. My preliminary research on ebay came up with a $10,000 price tag on a card that looked pretty much the same as the one that I had in my possession. Yet it has been difficult to produce research on the exact card because many were issued around the country under a variety of sponsorships.

The ten thousand dollar card was, of course, Babe Ruth. Let me flash back a month or so when Bill asked me to see what I could do with the card. There were 21 of them attached by glue to a very old backing. I told him that the first thing we must do is to get a professional to remove them from the backing. Fortunately we know a trained museum trained paper restorer. She carefully removed the cards from the backs and charged us a reasonable $325 or so.

I searched the Internet for people that I thought to be knowledgeable and reputable dealers. I found a straightforward website that gave a straightforward way to grade the cards. I scanned all of the cards and personally rated them according to the method recommended on the site. I sent the man an email with cards delineated and graded along with careful scans of both front and back of the cards. I wrote him a nice honest and friendly email. I heard nothing for a week, so I decided to call him. He answered me from Florida and said, "Oh, sorry that I have not gotten back to you. I was buying a $40,000 collection here." This sounded to me a little like bragging, although I checked his credentials and found that he graduated from a Catholic University. I threw this at him. "Oh, I looked into your history and saw that you went to a Catholic University..." He strangely replied, "Oh, it was Catholic in name only and actually, I have some problems with the way the new Catholicism is run..." The more he talked about this, the more wacko he sounded to me. He promised me that he would get back to me by Monday at the latest, and Monday is passed and gone.

On Monday, Valentine's Day, Bill was here for his son's (visiting from New Mexico) birthday party. We discussed my progress with the cards and I showed him the newly restored cards. He was very impressed. We both laughed about the possible $10,000 figure for the Babe Ruth card.

On Tuesday, I decided to do some more research. It was then I found a "Ruth" card on ebay listed for $20,000. I found that cards, to receive more, must be graded by a professional independent grader. I thought I found one local in Rohnert Park, but when I called a card shop in Rohnert Park, he told me that the place had been out of business for four years. But he wanted to see my cards.

Joe struck me as an honest man first. He enjoyed looking at the cards, but mostly our chat was informal. He said that he had a friend who had money who might be interested in the cards. "I'll get back to you on the weekend," he said. He called back the next day (three times) telling me that his friend, the well off tax lawyer wanted to meet with me and see the cards.

When I talked to Fred, the lawyer, on the phone he was friendly and unassuming. We talked on the phone. I could hear the excitement in his voice and, I was sure he was going to make me an offer. I called Bill and we decided on a price: $10,000 for the Ruth and $5000 for the rest of the cards.

I met Fred in his office in Rohnert Park. Just after we shook hands he took the folder and opened to see the cards. He took one out and held it carefully close to his eyes, then smelled it. He then spent about 15 minutes in non stop dialogue about the cards. "Don't mind me," he said, as carefully looked and smelled each card, "I talk to myself as do this." At first he was skeptical about the authenticity of the cards. They did not have that "old card smell" that he loved so much.

I asked him if he knew John Spalding, a well known figure, former sports writer and parent of Donna's high school friend. Of course, he knew John. They had done some transactions together. "John saw these?" he said. I explained that John had just talked to Bill about them briefly. He finally said that he decided that they were authentic. But the cards from the caramel company used thicker paper and the writing on the back was so much more sophisticated, but these certainly were one of a kind. "I can't believe the condition that these are in- just beautiful, perfect corners." Then he told me that these were cut, but beautiful and he suggested that I get them graded as I had intended to do. He said the quality was just not the same as the ones from the caramel company, but that somebody would be interested in buying them. After a long conversation about the cards, I shook hands and left. He asked me to keep in contact and tell him how the process goes.

Inpromptu Band

2010-02-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

I have been relaxing this past week, a great feeling. They call it ski week, a week of no school somehow that has extended "Dead Presidents' Day" to new lengths. It will not happen next year.

As I relaxed at the computer in my basement nook, I heard Donna come in the door. "Didn't you hear the phone ring?" she said. "No," I answered. "I was listening to the radio." It would have make no difference for I had no transportation except foot to meet her. She had taken Joey to a gig fundraiser for Haiti Relief. Jesse had enlisted the help of several of his friends to play for a "Fat Tuesday" fundraiser. "They need a guitar player." She said. "All the friends of Jesse flaked out."

I grabbed my guitar, amps, charts and new "electro mando" and we headed for Santa Rosa. Two boys sat there waiting for the rest of the band. I set up and we started with "When the Saints...", then "Saint James Infirmary". when Huck showed up to play piano, then Autumn Leaves and on to standards. For 16 years old Jesse plays a awesome sax. Joey is always right on with the drumming. Huck has a great style on the keyboard, but a little on the slow side for my Django heart.
Huck and Jess played everything in different keys than I did. Alas, my brain worked overtime to get most of the right chords in there. I used some of my own charts and did some mental gyrations to transpose most of the tunes. Strangely the band sounded tight- at least this is what we heard from the enthusiastically grateful audience. Despite my diminishing "laryngitis voice" I attempted to sing Sentimental Journey. Miracle of all, it was a very fun gig for a good cause. I posited that we only played five songs, but Donna said that we were up there for an hour and a half.

We helped raise ( I don't know how much) for Haiti, but the organizer seemed pleased. Also I wss happy to play a gig with my little boy.

Performance

2010-02-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

I just posted my performance with my son, Joey that we did at a fundraiser at Analy. It was great fun. It has also got me thinking about doing performance when I leave teaching. I went to a Travel Workshop on Saturday with lots of cruises. They hire entertainment regularly. I was thinking that ideally a duet with Joey would be great but he is free only in the summers. Many of these cruises want you on a nine month contract and only pay from $60 to $100 per day. I will give it some more thought.

Substitutes Beware

2010-02-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the MacWorld (Apple Show) at Moscone Center in San Francisco with my son. It necessitated having a substitute teacher in my sophomore classes. We have a totally automated sub service now and I chose my sub from a long list of names (a sign of the desperate job situation here) - none of which I knew. I chose a person whose name sounded familiar to me, but I did not know at all. She at least had a local phone number. I wrote her an email but never heard from her.

I took a long time to plan the lesson and unfortunately it was a day where students

On my way to school I saw Jeremy and asked him how things went. "They were messin' with her." was his answer.

"Hello, yes, Period 4 was difficult, many behaviors, too much noise and wisecracks, but not too bad. No real problems, and by the end of the class they were all being very cool. They helped each other with sentences. They were all demanding too much time to rehearse presentation and loud during presentations... extra slashes for talking during the presentations..."

I am ready to finish this entry. It is Sunday night. I have left my desk as it is, along with all of the negative comments about my students. Just to leave you with a message: Substitutes Beware. Perhaps I will finish this entry at another time.

Administrative Hubris

2010-02-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at the faculty meeting our principal, Chris, introduced the subject in the following way. "Maybe I shouldn't be bringing this up, but I noticed that a significant number of teachers are out on Thursday and Friday. And coming before the long ski week I can't help thinking that there are some people taking advantage of the situation. So if you have to go back and visit your sick Uncle John, I can understand that. And I know that you are not obligated to do this, but I would appreciate a heads up."

I am taking Thursday off to go to the Apple Show in San Francisco. Somehow in my head I started making justifications. I also felt angry at him that he was making such a request. When I got back to my room I fired off a quick email: Something like "For the record: I bought tickets for a show in the city back in October with no idea when ski week was. Also I intend to join my cousin from back East, his girlfriend and my son on Friday February 26 for a wine tasting."

I talked to Donna about his comment and about my email reaction. She says administrators are always trying to but in where they don't belong. "You work hard and they should respect that. They have a system of substitutes to take over when you are not there." She is right. Now I regret even writing this email. Yet I thought by sending it to him I might embarrass him a little by the detail of my answer. But in honesty I think that there is a little of "cover my ass". It is "cover my ass" when I do not need to cover my ass. I retire in June.

These negotiated days were hard fought by our union to get administration's nose out of our business. I know that he likes having a good relationship with the teachers, but his kind of comment destroy the trust and relationship. It is kind of a administrative knee-jerk reaction. As a principal, Chris gains from the sheer ineptitude of our last principal, but he will erode good will from making comments like this. It is less than professional.

Counting the Days

2010-02-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I purchase my round trip airplane ticket to Rome. I will travel by Portuguese Airlines to Portugal then arrive in Rome midday, Friday June 11th. I notified Bill and he and Maya will probably not arrive until the following Monday. It will give me time to visit Pompey and perhaps even a short jaunt to Napoli. I will spend four weeks in Italy with perhaps a week or so traveling to Slovenia and Vienna.

It will be semi- retirement for me. I hope to line up some kind of work. Who knows, maybe in Italy. The possible choices are many. On the extreme side my son and I were talking about creating a coffee stand for local festivals. On the more conventional side perhaps I'll teach a couple of classes at the community college. I am leaving my options open for other kinds of work too. I just need to revive my resume and get my Linked In account

Huck's Party

2010-02-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

HUB BUB for Haiti Link

As you may know my wife, Donna, is part of the Hubbub Club Band. One member, Huck, had a great party on Saturday night- to celebrate some kind of earth holiday. The alcohol supply was relatively small, which probably made for better music. Donna and Yana began with some Balkin singing then led several dances in Huck, relatively spacious living room. Then out came the horns and drums. There was momentary pause in the music and Donna says to me, "Get out your guitar and play something." Then the horns started again.

Then Joey and I decided to do our hit duet "Like a Rolling Stone." I wish I had this group singing with us at the concert we played last weekend. Everyone here sings the chorus at the tops of there voices. Then Joey followed with one of his pirate songs and the accordion. Huck got on the piano and played kind of a honky tonk one four five progression and I improvised a series of songs. Since we were still in one four five we sang, La Bamba, Twist and Shout and a few other. People said that they could actually hear me singing over the sousaphone.

Phyllis knows a lot of tunes from various lands. We played about a half dozen duets- from Mexican waltzes to Irish polkas. Phyllis has great energy. I look forward to a time where I have enough time to play in such a duet.

Missing in Action (updated)

2010-02-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

My third period history class- Am I complaining? I think that I am. I looked at my third period class today and eight people were gone- ostensibly for real reasons. I spent a good two hours of my preparation time today trying to track these students down.

The investigation begins. It is as if I do not have enough to do. Of course I expect that all of these students were not doing what they were suppose to be doing. I have a call into the biology teacher. He has a student teacher and he may tell me that he really does' know if Tanner arrived on not. Then I must try and track down his student teacher. Tanner is on a short leash now for a number of infractions, not only in my class but in others.

Here is the latest: as of 3:00 PM today.

*Tanner xxxxxx left at 9:30 to go to a biology test. Did he arrive? Did you release him? At 10:45 AM he is still gone.
Tanner gives me an argument about everything and his behavior is terrible. He is a nice kid, and has the ability to do well but has been crashing in all of his classes lately. I had a call into Roger, his biology teacher, and received the bad news that he never came to take a test.
Update: In class today Tanner actually said he went to Roger's room to make up a test. I don't think that Roger is suffering from Alzheimer's yet.

*Jordon xxxxxx at 9:45 AM said that she was ill and wanted to go to the nurse. Did she ever arrive? What time did she leave? At 10:45 AM she is still gone. Never arrived back. Jordon seems to always get sick in my class. She was doing abysmally then upon calling her parents, I have seen a sudden turn around. I suspect that she really did go to the nurse, but did she stay? I don't know. I must go to the nurse's office at lunch time.

Jordon comes into my room at 1:30 PM with a progress report she want me to sign. "What do you mean never coming back to class?"
She says, "I told you that I was going to the nurse."
I say, "Yea, and you never went to the nurse because I checked."
Jordon: "Well, I went to the library. I didn't feel good."
Me: "Why didn't you go to the nurse like you said you would."
Jordon:"I'm sorry."
Me: "I was just about to write you a referral. I'm calling your mother."
Jordon:(with tears in her eyes)"Oh, please don't call my mother. She will tell me that I can't see my sister this weekend. I'll do anything. I promise. I'll never do that again."
Me: "You bet you'll never do that again in my class. No, trips to the nurse, the library, the office or the bathroom for the rest of the year."
Jordon: "OK, that's fine. Thank you."

Ben xxxxxx left at 9:25 to go to his RSP room. Did he ever arrive? What time did he leave? At 10:30 AM he is still gone? Never arrived back. Ben spends an aweful lot of time in the RSP classroom. That is fine if he is actually doing work. The problem is that Ben's RSP teacher is on medical leave and he has a sub. I walked down to the special ed office. The doors were all open but there was nobody there. The verdict is still unknown. Update: Ben was not in class today.

*Briana xxxxxx, my aid left at 9:45 to show around a “shadow” from Ranch Cotati. Did she have such authorization? Did she ever arrive? What time did she leave? At 10:45 AM she is still gone. Never arrived back. I went to the vice principals' secretary and asked her if Briana had permission to give a tour of campus to this girl who showed up in my class. "Under no circumstances." said Denise in the VP office. Update: I am firing Briana as an aid. She admits she has a bad attitude.

*Jeff xxxxxx left at 9:45 on a call slip to the counselor. Did he ever arrive? What time did he leave? At 10:30 AM he is still gone? Never arrived back. I caught up with Jeff in the library last period with his English class. Because Jeff is doing very badly in all his classes we just had a student study team meeting with his parent, counselor and teachers.
I said to him: "Jeff, what happened? You never returned to class?"
Jeff: "I was seeing Ms. Carol." They never volunteer too much information.
Me: "You were there the whole period?"
Jeff: "Well, they let me out five minutes early and I had to get my book for the next class and blah, blah, blah..."
Me: "You know I'm going to check on this?"
Jeff: "Yea, I know."
Finally, I thought, "Here is a kid with a legitimate excuse."
I went to the counseling office and asked Ms. Carol if she had seen Jeff today.
"No, I haven't seen him at all."
Update: I went to the VP and told him the story. Jeff was called into the VP's office today.

Aaron xxxxxx asked to go to the bathroom. I haven’t seen him for an hour. Never arrived back. I went to see him in his video production class. He swore up and down that he wasn't gone to the bathroom for very long. I will keep a close eye on him from now on. But he slipped through this time.

*Katherine xxxxxx got a call slip. Did she ever arrive? What time did she leave? At 10:45 AM she is still gone? Never arrived back. Update: I told the VP about this situation. The VP called her in. She had the nerve to tell me, "Mr. Lynch, I told you that I was going to the bathroom." "But for the entire period, I replied. What does she take me for?

Those with stars are forbidden from leaving the class even for a bathroom break. They are forewarned and should take care of all needs before class. They have the option of taking a referral to the Vice Principal and some have both.

My Freshman

2010-02-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

We were just finishing the Odyssey in both my freshman classes. They have really liked reading it, watching the film and discussing the story. I decided for a final activity that I would find pictures of all the gods and goddesses mentioned in the Odyssey and show them. Each would take one god or goddess, draw it and put in the relevant information. As simple as it sounds, they loved this. The boys were arguing about which god could beat which god. They just took the assignment and ran with it. Both groups are a joy to teach.

Grading

2010-02-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

I begin by saying that I hate grading in school. By the time that students are in high school they have either become point hogs, or given up. We have trained them in this way all through school and university is little different. But I have become part of the system. Perhaps for lack of imagination I participate in the system. This is only an introduction to a related subject.

I thought that I set up the history class in such a way that all students could experience success. There are extra curricular parts of my class that involve no grading. From the beginning I said that I would tell stories of history by means of films and I would come up with a new idea every day- mostly from my book called Ideas. Students get their points by taking notes from the book. The book is also on line as well as sample tests. I actually use the sample tests on line. I have showed my students where the questions are so they can practice them until they are all correct. Most of their grade is the well taken notes and scores on the test.

As of today, progress report time for the third quarter there are 2 A's, 5 B's, 1 C, 5 D's and 9 F's. I find it disgrace. In a discussion with my class someone mentioned that they were too lazy to look up the questions. That was a moment of truth. I finally agreed to give them the questions ahead of time but not the choices or the answers.

As the first progress reports come, tensions are rising in my fourth period. Because it is a full class (33), and they as a group are not very well behaved, I have instituted my point system for good and bad behavior. Good behavior gets 10 points- easy. I take a point off for each bad behavior or five off for being late or ten off for a major infraction. One of my badly behaved students who usually get a fat zero for each day's bad behavior argues that I should not count behavior and that he really should have a "B". I argue that good behavior is fundemental to a good learning environment. I told him, "If you can come up with another behavior plan that will work to make you behave yourself in class, I will go for it."

Period 4

2010-02-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

I have 33 sophomores in this class. Up until two days ago I had 31 desks. A student from my formerly difficult period 6 class was transferred to this period 4. Almost always everyone is there. There were a group who were elected as class leaders at the beginning of the year. About every other Tuesday they leave during Sustained silent reading time to go to a meeting. Frankly I am not really sure that they actually go to a meeting. They are the six of the most difficult kids in the class. Today a student came to me and told me that they were actually hanging out in the library and socializing. I emailed the vp on the issue. Actually this is the second time, I believe, that I emailed the vice principal.

This student also told me that one of these girls in bullying her. I also emailed the vice principal on this. Thirty three for me is just a little too many to have in a class. Perhaps the fact that they are sophomores makes them more difficult.

I have regressed to giving them checks for bad behavior. I have one angry badly behaved boy in the front who claims that he is not being graded on academics but on behavior. And I said if his behavior was good, he would have higher marks. He does not like this answer.

Then I have a group of chatty girls in the back, not obnoxious, but chatty. It is always the seating chart that I am tweaking. In this class it is hard to get it right. Someone is always near someone they shouldn't be. These are some of the things that make teaching hard.

Geekdom

2010-02-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

I will relate my struggles with capturing the Internet on my new Mac Mini. Perhaps I have related this tale of unending woe before. We have wireless and have had it for years. Just a year ago I moved my little office into the back room in the basement. My Internet service was fine. Truckee moved back in about four months ago, hooked up some extra Internet connections. I, in the mean time, bought a new computer. First the service was weak. Now it is nonexistent.

I traveled to the Computer Recycling Center in Santa Rosa to try and find a solution. I learned several things. That a signal will not travel usually more than 50 feet, especially when there are walls and other obstructions in the way. I could make a "can-tenna", a device made from a tin can that could actually receive the wireless signal. Also with the right kind of modem, I could connect a device that would extend my Internet to this side of the house.

I purchased a few items- an older model airport, which I thought maybe I could daisy chain from airport near where the signal begins. Also I bought a wire router- a mistake. My service provider thought that the intermittent service might be a result of a worn out router. I should have known than to add another variable to the mix- another wireless device.

Having looked up on line the specs for the "can-tenna", I decided that I would try it only as a last resort. The next idea was to extend a 50 foot ethernet wire though the house, also a pain. My online research brought me to another antenna that plugs into the USB port of my computer. I will order it today. If anyone is interested, I'll keep you posted.

Sex Education

2010-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

The ACLU was out in force at our school board meeting on Wednesday night. The board would like to adopt a new proposal on sex education to replace the one adopted in 1994. The president of the school board quipped, "I guess that 1994 was longer ago that I thought it was." Apparently the school board adopted an "abstinence only policy" in 1994. Wasn't it Bill Clinton who was president then?"

I saw many visitors at this particular school board meeting. It turns out that they all favored the new board policy of a more comprehensive approach to sex education for adolescents. Two representatives from the ACLU spoke, one from a teen clinic and most interesting for me a young woman who was a graduate of Analy High School. She said that in her kindergarten through senior year education, she never received any sex education at all. I believe her and I know the source of the problem.

About the year 2000, in accordance with a district policy, Analy instituted a health education class. The big question became, "Who will teach it?" Since the ninth grade social studies curriculum is optional for college preparation, the administrators chose the social studies department to teach one quarter of health education. Most of the social studies teachers felt ill equipped to take this challenge on. Most social studies teachers felt especially ill equipped to teach sex education. No effort was made to in-service them on sex education or even health ed. So these teachers with fill it in whatever way they decided in their own curriculum. Some ignored the mandate completely.

Also the health textbook that was purchased in 2008, apparently has 12 pages on sex education that is extremely regressive according to one of the speakers. Instead of writing about sex (and drugs) in a positive way, it only emphasized negative consequences.

I've included my notes from the meeting if you are interested. It gives a little more detail on former programs promoted in this district. For a school board meeting it is interesting reading.

Letter M: Sex Education (Aligning it with the California Ed Code)

Old policy vs. new policy
Updating the policy to align with and reflect the more diverse population and listening to the sex education. We do not need to specify high school because we are a high school district.
No objection of the board members who will vote February 24

Members of the public:
Angie: Teen Health Advocacy Commission
Optimal adolescent health- comprehensive sexual health education
Abstinence Only group are not allowed to do their presentations to students.

Comprehensive Sex Education is more effective than Abstinence Only programs.

Abstinence Only has no effect on adolescent behavior.

Recommend discontinuing any use of abstinence only programs.

Speaker 1: “Free to be” was being taught at Brookhaven but the School Board didn’t know about it. Pointing out the textbook that they are using still has a “Free to be” literature in the textbook. I encourage you the read this textbook. (a 2008 adoption)

Speaker 2: ACLU of Northern California
Comprehensive Health Education- Science based medically accurate information about their sexuality. I am happy that the board is taking up this policy update.
Adopting a comprehensive curricululm- providing resources of supplemental materials.

Speaker 3: Public Health Nurse and served on the California Health
Core Competencies for Adolescent sexual Health.
Adopt a Curriculum that addresses all kind of adolescent health issues- mental health, etc.

Speaker 4
Chair of Volunteers of ACLU in Sonoma County . Former reporter. Healthy approach to family life, sex- the complete education- Encourage you to support the policy.
Create a transparent process:

Speaker 5: “I am a former Analy student. I didn’t get any sex education in all of my 12 years in the school system. “

Motion: Move that we approve the certification, corrective action.

Board Comments or questions.
Public Comments or questions. None

Passed

State of the Union Republican Rebuttal

2010-01-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

The governor of Virgina, Bob McDonald, spoke the rebuttal for the Republican Party last night after Obama's speech. The speech was thin, I thought and full of cliches. They made a point of saying that in the large room where the governor spoke was full of friends. What made me laugh was the four people purposely placed at the four corners behind him. In the upper left hand corner, was a black woman; the upper right hand corner, an Asian man; the lower left hand corner, a military man in uniform and on the lower right a white woman. They were so carefully placed, but also acting- head shakes, smiling, clapping (only losing their composure at rare occasions). See it for yourself.

For Shields and Brooks it was all they could do to hide their amusement by the sheer hollowness of the presentation. Brooks, a republican, only quipped about "I don't thing that we're going to see a guy standing alone in a room any more." They were moderately kind but I felt they submerged their contempt. They then composed themselves and tried to make the most of the material. Check it out.

No to Race to the Top

2010-01-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Last night Obama gave his State of the Union address. I will write some reflections about that in another blog. At the same time I gave a speech to our school board about the Obama Administration's Grant Offering "Race to the Top". At the recommendation of the president of the California Teacher's Association, I, as president of our local association, refused to sign. Here is my explanation for not signing.

Speech before the School Board
January 26, 2010

Our superintendent, school board members, parents, Teachers, Administrators, and students-we are all aware that school budgets have been stretched beyond what was incomprehensible just a few years ago. (Most of you are aware of the tenuous funding of schools in California. Ever since the passage of Proposition 13 to reduce property taxes, it has been a steady slide downward for schools in California- kindergarten through the University system. We have, I think, almost hit bottom, but next year promises to be worse.)

So whenever a possible pot of money becomes available for our schools, we are all on board to see what we must do to make that money come to us. The hope is that the money could at least bring back the schools that existed only a year ago.

Schools where the library is open for a full day and after school;
schools that can provide modern technology and text books for students;
schools that can keep the heat on at least until 4 or 5 PM when many of the teachers go home (I am one of those teachers who stays here in the freezing cold and tries to do his lesson plans for the next day.); schools that know the value of small classes for English and Math students;
schools that keep relevant programs, such as computer skills, instead of dropping them. (Here also I am speaking about my computer skills classes that were cut this year because of budget cuts.)
(also I should have said- due to large class sizes and budget cuts classrooms do not have enough desks.' Here I am specifically talking about my classroom, where I am two desks short and have been trying for two weeks to get 2 desks in here, so every student can have a place to sit.)
We all want these programs that work for students.

Forgive the partisan revelation, but when the people of the United States elected Barak Obama president, I thought that real change was on our doorstep. But I started to rethink my position as I saw the Secretary of Education, unfold his plan for reform.

I am, of course, speaking of Race to the Top.

When the administration unveiled the plan, I was ready to jump on board because I was a true believer. I clung to a hope and trust that this administration would choose knowledgeable people with the interest of students at heart. (We actually had a document that we were ready to sign with the superintendent, approved by the CTA.)

To cut to the chase, I hoped against hope that I could join the superintendent and the board in signing the Memorandum of Understanding as part of the application for competing for Race to the Top funds.

Here is why I think Race to the Top is a bad idea.

RTTT relies on a three pronged strategy for reform:
1. Institution of more charter schools
2. Closing local schools that are failing
3. Merit pay for teachers and administrators
(There are actually other things involved but these three are ones that our association has strong objections to.)
Research consistently shows one thing about charter schools- that just like our traditional schools, some are good and some are bad.

Under RTTT schools with a API decile score of under 800, parents only need a simple majority to close a school – HOWEVER, Under performing schools need the input of educators and funding first to see if the can turn around. Closing schools means displacement of students, increased transportation costs and a scramble for parents to find a school that will meet the needs of their children.

Merit Pay- we as teachers, know something about merit pay- Merit pay divides faculties. Nevertheless evaluation of teachers is important but it’s broken and we need well-trained and competent teachers for our children. The California Teachers’ Association supports incentive pay- rewarding teachers who take on students with the greatest needs, especially in lower performing schools. We support teacher assessment based on the systematic collection of evidence that supports desired student outcomes.

But also I have some deeper concerns about the Department of Education, Arnie Duncan, his advisers and the whole orientation of the Federal Plan. There is a clue in the name:
Race To The Top.

Race to the Top is as it implies, a competition among school districts and schools for scarce resources. It comes from advisors who believe that schools are like businesses. Students are like widgets. Arnie Duncan, - not a former teacher OR EDUCATOR OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR- listens to a group of advisors who are from the Democratic Business Class.

You have heard of Bill Gates.
(1. The Gates Foundation gave $250,000 each to 15 states to help them with the application for Race to the top. 2. AP's Lbby Quaid and Donna Blankenship report. But now the foundation is taking "unprecedented steps to influence education policy, spending millions to influence how the federal government distributes nearly $5 billion in grants to overhaul public schools. The federal dollars are unprecedented, too.''Chicago Tribune, October 25, 2009 3. James Shelton, a former program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is now heading the U.S. Department of Education office that was seen under President George W. Bush as a way to help promote charter schools and choice. Education Week)

I will add a couple of other items that make me uncomfortable:

The small amount of money that Race to the Top offers COMES WITH an unprecedented amount of oversight and control from Washington, D.C.

We support assessment with high standards, such as the California Content Standards- the most demanding in the country. We do not support a one size fits all imposition of national standards.

We fear that Race to the Top is an extension of No Child Left Behind- one time monies that will impose more unfunded mandates on our schools.

We are desperately in need of money to fund our schools, but as one of our Rep Council members so cogently phrased it:

“Can we sign a contract, when we don’t know what is on it?”

Thank You

Religion in the Senate

2010-01-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

I suppose that I should have known that it existed- a chaplain- Barry Black in the United States Senate. But I found it both surprising and disturbing. One clear dictate of the founding fathers was to separate Church and State. The whole gang of leaders who rebelled against England were Deists at least in name. But they were more a product of the enlightenment.

The early settlers were Pilgrims and so on were mostly Presbyterians, part of the crew who chopped off the head of Charles I. Many of this gang of criminals was kicked out of England at the time of the Restoration. Whether their philosophy, as Max Weber theorizes, was responsible for the rise of Capitalism, I do not know. I always liked the theory. But this was not the group (for the most part who founded this country).

Although the theists of the day apparently believed in God and went to a community church, their God was remote. These men had seen the damage of the wars of religion in Europe and wisely chose to make this distinction. Of course by now the enlightened leaders are long gone from the Senate and a strange kind of Christianity holds sway.

This cleric prays over the Senate every day, asking God for guidance. In his interview he spoke about often speaking to Senators. Senators actually say to him, "Pastor, I really don't know how to vote on this particular issue. Could you give me some guidance?" I think it is outrageous.

Of course, if you think that this is really a Christian country, and that some kind of Protestant Christianity should lead the thinking of our leaders, then things are as they should be. But I expect that Washington, Adams and Jefferson respectfully disagree.

Well, I've done a little checking and the first chaplain of the Senate was elected in 1789. From then till now there have been Christians chaplains of various denominations. There have been no Mormons, Buddhist, Jewish or Muslim chaplains. So my next research project is to find out exactly what Washington, Adams and Jefferson thought about this appointment. And the search goes on.

History shows the three people that I have mentioned in the way I have written- as almost completely sectarian. They only say that George Washington was private about his religion. Jefferson was almost anti-organized religion and Adams notably secular. But there must have been some tradition in English of appointing a religious "provost" to enhance the legitimacy of the body. There were a large number of Calvinists in the early colonies, a notably fundamentalist sect.

A real weekend (almost)

2010-01-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning. Friday night seems so far away. Six percussion members from Donna's band the Hubbub Club came to the house Friday night to practice. I asked Donna, "Is is all right if I watch a movie in the other room?" She replied, "It will be too loud. Why don't you use earphones?" (not a real question) Earphone were not helpful. As I watched Mamet's Homocide, the noise of drummers was all pervasive. Even at maximum volume I could barely hear the dialogue. By nine in the evening they were finished and I joined the crew with wine and snacks. As I entered the room the drummers asked me, "Who annoys you most in the band?" "The drummers!!!" but it was only a thought.

Saturday morning I took my usual sleep in with my 9 AM to 10 AM companion- NPR's Morning Edition. I cooked a soggy french toast and made espresso with the new machine. I washed my clothes, attended to my email and updated some of my new phone book. At Joey's urging I spend two more hours trying to connect the newly installed Windows XP to the Internet. Now a computer with a split personality, we have lightning fast Linex on one half and mentally deficient Windows on the other half. I actually bought a copy of the new Windows operating system but I cannot bring myself to install. I want a refund already.

I went to my favorite bargain store for groceries and an updated wine supply. I also returned two bad bottles. Donna cautions me against buying any meat, but the bargains on some gourmet items are hard to resist. I spent $175 and they say as you leave, "You saved $185." So I guess they paid me ten dollars to shop there.

Donna went to Berkeley to play giata with Kathy and Kevin Carr. Joey and I hung out and watched a flick, . He is also back on in his ping pong game, beating me two in a row.

Joey and I got together to play some music. I am performing at a fundraiser next Friday night to send the choir to Carnegie Hall here at Analy High School. Joe Craven is at the top of the bill. I had planned on doing one of my swing tunes, but Joey disagreed. "How about one of those folk songs you did at Jessie's party?", he said. After some deliberation we decided on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". He will play back up accordion. Donna sat in with us first on the snare and then on the tambourine. She would be great but does not want to perform.

After a leisurely breakfast on Sunday I took a couple of hours to catch up on my grading. Then visited Clair, my former vibes partner. We caught up. She now has more free time and less money. She's singing with a choral group and regularly playing standards with some local guys. She still wants me back to play with. That made me feel good.

Last night I fixed dinner, played a few games of ping pong, then back to the homework. I spent some time going through Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth. But most of it seems too dense for ninth graders. I ended my day falling asleep while reading Chapter 10 of Black Boy to prepare for my tenth grade class today.

Parents and Free Will

2010-01-22T07:46:00.001-08:00

Last weekend my youngest son (18), Joey, went to Santa Cruz to visit some friends who go to the University there. He had a great time. He told us a story about climbing a large tree and a falling knife from his friends pocket, and the near escape from injury- all part of the adventure. He told Donna that after 2 years at the Junior College he would like to attend University of California at Santa Cruz. UCSC is one of the top California schools and to get in a student must have close to a 4.0 grade point average. Joey has always been more of a B/C student. He has times where he works hard, then times where he just gets by. He knew it would take a lot of work. In fact when Donna relayed to me this message on my way home from the airport, she said that he was studying at home- highly motivated.

Wednesday night he had a paper due in English the next day. He was working on it when I came home from work but he still had a lot to do. About 8 PM two of his friends came to the house. Next we see him with his jacket on and he says, "Mom and Dad, I'm going out with Harley and Jake." This remark startled me, just after his previous assertion. I fired back, "You're going to get into what school?" Fortunately the remark had the desired effect. He bid his friends goodbye, took off his jacket and went back to his homework. Donna flashed me a thumbs up.

Despite the small victory this event was disturbing to me. How can an 18 year old have so much commitment to his studies for a clear goal one day, then toss it away the next? I am having much the same problem with many of my history students. I told them this story today in class. Then I read them an editorial commentary in the press democrat more about failing children and failing adults than about failing schools. It places the blame for unsuccessful students on undisciplined and lazy students themselves. It also placed the blame on parents who do not pay enough attention to their children's education, parents that do not properly use the "carrot" and the "stick" as the tools provided them.

I also mentioned to them that different students learn in different ways. Our school system for the comprehensive high school was developed at the turn of the century- the turn of the previous century- 1900; that the main model for high schools envisioned schools no larger than 600 students; that educational research has long criticized this old model of grade grubbing; that there are thousands of different models to run schools; and every child learns differently. I mentioned Neill's famous book Summerhill.

I talked about my different experiences with schools. I went to a private seminary away from home, all boys, strict scheduling and very high expectations. I taught at a Classical Studies school where Mortimer Adler's philosophy was the model. We had regular seminars one a week with small classes and challenging readings. We co-taught classes, had an integrated curriculum with science, social studies and English intermingled. We had site based government by the teachers who ran the school. I told them about another school where I worked where the students took high school and college classes at the same time. All students had to be interns in an outside business or non profit. Classes were co- taught by college professors. We had sometimes two and sometimes three teachers in the room at the same time. Our Middle College High School worked in close collaboration with other similar schools around the country. We met several times during the year to collaborate about curriculum, including one week at an estate on Long Island. We mixed radical thinking and political argumentation with social history.

Dad (4)

2010-01-21T10:25:00.000-08:00

Dad always moved from job to job. He was at heart a salesman, but a salesman for all the right reasons. He loved people. When I was a child, he sold men's suits for Jacob Reed's on Lansdowne Avenue in Clifton Heights. I remember visiting the store only once and seeing the rows and rows of suits. I have a vague memory of young salesmen in suits and ties. Some time in these early years he had a brief stint- it may have been only one day- at a chocolate factory. I remember his speaking about it. "You can't believe the size of these machines...You would have to take these giant heavy pots of melted chocolate and pour it into a giant vat."

On and off dad worked for text book publishers. Noble and Noble is the clearest in my mind. I know that his territory was all over the Northeast coast. He took long trips to New Hampshire and New York. Sometimes he was gone overnight. Sometimes he drove to the New York City suburbs and back in one day. I especially remember that he would gravitate toward selling text books to the Catholic schools. It fit his training. For about two years he attended the Catholic Seminary, St. Joseph's College in Princeton, New Jersey. I think that the years were 1940 to 1942. I remember asking him about joining up for World War II. He said that he had tried to join the army in 1939, but they rejected him because of his flat feet.

Nevertheless he was comfortable chatting with priests and nuns. Many of his life long friends were priests that he had met during his time in the seminary. Father Louis Trotta was one of his best friends. So he easily migrated from selling text books to selling Church goods. As far as I know he started at H.L. Kilmer in Center City on Arch Street. I remember visiting once. Vestments hung on hangers like the suits of Jacob Reeds. Chalices behind glass cases, numerous crucifixes, colorful icons, statues of the saints, incense holders of all types, montrances crowded the small shop. My dad was a sales rep most of the time as far as I can remember. And although he spent some time in the shop, he often drove all over the Philadelphia area meeting with the clerical clients.

I am not sure whether it was before or after the Kilmer's job, but dad worked for a brief time for Montgomery Wards. He was in the appliance department and I remember his complaining about how heavy the refrigerators were. It was also the time he had a heart attack. I remember his describing where he was and exactly what he was doing when he first felt the sever pain. You will have to ask him for that information. Nevertheless he drove himself to the hospital and survived the attack. I remember he said, "Now I know what I was doing wrong. I pretty sure that I know how to avoid one from now on." How prophetic.

Dad Turns Ninety

2010-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Where am I? Saturday I took a plane (two planes actually) to Philadelphia to join my extended family in a celebration of my dad's ninetieth birthday. I sat on my sister, Donna's couch at ten that evening. Donna, a middle sibling, lives with her husband, Jimmy, oldest boy, Jimmy- Annie, studying accounting, Chris, a seventh grader and Matt, nine years old. I caught up on much of family gossip, watched some of the ever present TV and fell asleep on the couch.

I had time in the morning to catch a game of ping with Matt. I consider myself the best player in our household, but my son, Joey is pretty close. Well Matt, at 9, studies all the spins, serves and returns from the Internet. We played two games. The first 21 to 7. The second 21 to 14- I was getting better.

My sisters and their significant others arrived first with arm-loads of food. Gina with sandwiches, Nita with ribs, Fran with pasta and fruit and I lost track after that. My older sister limped to the front door, cane in hand. "It's not as bad as it looks.", she quipped. Then my Joey arrived. Bernie, second youngest with his wife, Eva, and the two boys and a girl. Brian, the oldest and a high school senior, goes to Brandeis (I hope I got that right.) next year. My sister (Sister), Maryanne drove my ninety year old dad in from the Mercy Home he loves so dearly. I was his big surprise as we have not seen each other in a couple of years. For ninety he looked great and still had his old sense of humor. I managed to squeeze in some one sided conversation. I would yell into his ear and he would tell me what is on his mind.

My dad has started oil painting again. He talked about how he does reproductions and that he is working on a Van Gogh copy now of women at the river. He says modestly that they are only reproductions but his friends seem to like them. He gives them as gifts. At one point in the party all of the boy gathered around him for a photo. Then the seven sisters joined us.

The extended family was also there in force. Of the Coyles Kathy, Trudy, Mickey and Terry were there. Kathy, the genealogist, spoke of her latest research on George Kennedy from Clogh. He stayed in Philadelphia we now know and Kathy contacted his great grandchildren in New Jersey- the Dooleys. Trudy, down from New Hampshire told us that she and her husband Bill were planning another coastal California trip. It brings back to when they visited about 15 years ago and with their children. They took every nook of our bungalow in Berkeley. Their daughter Molly is in Seattle and we will probably see her when we go to the Honk Fest in March. Terry, the youngest Coyle, is a principal at an elementary school on the Main Line. As here, her problems come more from dealing with parents than with kids.

Three of Bill Lynch's grown children, Loretta, Chris and Bobby came with their children. Bobby remembers being threatened by a gang of thugs somewhere in a Philadelphia bad neighborhood as a kid. He called his cousin, Jimmy Lynch. Jimmy was a tough guy and could talk a tough game. "Hey, do you know who you're messin' with. That's my cousin. Nobody messes with my cousin..." and so on. The gang left Bobby alone after that.

At cake time my brother Joey held the cake, while my sister, Donna, lit the candles. All gathered around and midst singing happy birthday my dad blew out the candles. Donna made a move to try it again. I called her off. Dad has a right to blow out the candles when he wants to. His sons, including myself (sans Vince) sat with dad for a photo. Then all seven sisters jumped on top of a finale.

About 50- siblings, children of siblings, cousins, children of cousins, mates, significant others attended. We started at 1 PM. A few headed out early to other engagement or home to rest. As he was saying goodbye, my dad says to me, "Great seeing you, Ed. It's too bad I couldn't hear a word you said." Coyles and Lynches were the last to go- exchanges stories and laughs until almost eleven in the evening. At midnight I prepared my pillow and blanket on the couch once again. I set my ipod touch to 3:30 AM and the alarm like a traditional rotary dial telephone like the one in our home in Sebastopol.

The alarm jarred me from a deep sleep. I just put on my clothes, zipped up my luggage, double checked for wallet, keys and directions and left. Thrifty Rental is located in a warehouse district "near" the airport. I drove to the bottom of Island Avenue and back, asking for directions twice, until I found it. I did not need that extra little bit of strain. And so the pattern of "hurry up and wait" repeated itself several times on the return trip. The Sonoma County Airporter took me to a Rhonert Park blowing and teaming with rain.

To see more photos of the celebration click here!

Dad (3)

2010-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

When I got out of bed this morning, I muttered to myself "I hate to get up in the morning." Just then a song popped into my head, "Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning,Oh, how I hate to get out of bed." And my dad's voice sang it. It must be an old memory because it has been many years since my dad and I lived in the same house at a time where he and I had to get up early.

My dad loved to sing, but he always claimed that he never knew the words to what he was singing. In church he had the words. His voice was the loudest and I remember that the girls would cringe every time he opened his mouth. But I loved his deep voice and as far as I could tell he was usually on key. The pure joy that he sang with instilled in me a joy for singing at an early age. I remember that both mom and dad used to laugh, when I sang at the top of lungs to the pop music on the radio.

Since I was away at the seminary for all of my high school years, my family dinner conversations were limited to summers and holiday vacations. Nevertheless, I remember many of those conversations. Well, I guess I could call them arguments. But I can fairly say that I think we both enjoyed them. The topics most often were hippies, the Vietnam War and Nixon. I remember the rest of the family sitting quietly by at the dinner table while my dad and I loudly debated the topics of the world. "You guys, are tearing down our country," he would say, lumping me in with Jerry Rubin and I was an open minded lefty. I remember exactly my dad saying to me, "You're too open." Yet I also remember his strong support of Civil Rights legislation. He real empathy with the poor and down trodden. He also had enough humility to admit when he was wrong. Several years after heated conversations about Nixon and his band of crooks, he said to me, "You know about those guys, you were right."

My dad had a great influence on my art. I always felt bad as a kid that mom criticized his work. I loved it. She even said one time that she thought that I was a better artist than him. Rather than feeling complimented I felt it was an insult to my dad. I knew that I could never match him as an artist. He not only worked in oils, but also in stone and wood. He would often get an old piece of cherry or some other hardwood from the wild and carve a head, or face or statue in it. The whole family became recipients of his products. I remember coming down to his place in Cape May, New Jersey one time seeing his great collection of pieces in the studio.

Insubordination

2010-01-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

I don't know who reads my blog. And in fact all that I share is not confidential. I know that I have to be careful about what I say in my capacity as president of the union. So I tell about this problem, without department names, without school names and of course without personal names.

Imagine getting $4500 per year extra for calling a meeting once a month. Attending to details of a department, like ordering supplies and attending a meeting with the principal every month. The head of this four member department resigned in December. This person will retire in June. Unfortunately this person is the only universally liked individual in the department. Let's say that what is going on here as expressed by another is a dysfunctional family.

I have talked to all members of the department. Two nights ago I talked for an hour with a dispirited member. And in fact I have talked with all members of the department. They seem to have an inability to talk to each other. My last conversation was as brief as it could be.

"Hello, this is _________________. You called me and you didn't say what it was for. I think that you meant to talk to _____________________." "No, I meant to call you. I am the President of our local Association and I am informing all members of your department that you are out of compliance with our collective bargaining agreement."
"That's good to know. Thanks for telling me." "Being out of compliance leaves you at the mercy of the administration to file an action against for insubordination." "Well, thank you very much." "Goodbye." "Goodbye."