1. It's a challenge to put Tim O'Brien's book of Vietnam stories, "The Things They Carried" into a historical context, but I bravely tried to this morning and got some good help from my peer, Bill, a student in WR 121 who is my age.
2. I hadn't been in contact with my friend Scott Dalgarno for about twelve years and he is filling the pulpit at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Eugene for the next three months. We are having coffee on Firday. What a surprise. What a pleasure.
3. It was fun to dip back into some Walt Whitman so I could write my latest sibling assignment (here). I shouldn't get as far away from Whitman as I let myself get over the last six months.
Showing posts with label Vietnam War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vietnam War. Show all posts
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Three Beautiful Things 10/09/07: Reflection, Chaos, Surpassing
1. Dan and I spent about twenty minutes during our office hour and reflected upon the Vietnam War and the complex personalities and presidencies of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.
2. My 10:00 UR WR 121 class is alive with questions, insights, and eagerness. Meeting with them is a chaotic 110 minutes. It's the best kind of chaos: alive, collegial, good-humored, and productive.
3. By not addressing what I asked them to their first analysis essays, a handful of my evening class WR 121 students surpassed the limits of my assignment and charted territory that surprised and pleased. I just try to stay out of the way.
2. My 10:00 UR WR 121 class is alive with questions, insights, and eagerness. Meeting with them is a chaotic 110 minutes. It's the best kind of chaos: alive, collegial, good-humored, and productive.
3. By not addressing what I asked them to their first analysis essays, a handful of my evening class WR 121 students surpassed the limits of my assignment and charted territory that surprised and pleased. I just try to stay out of the way.
Three Beautiful Things 10/09/07: Clemens, Codgers, Constancy (not History)
1. A wish, more than a thing: I wish Roger Clemens would limp his gimpy hamstring off into the oblivion of a Texas retirement without press conference, without opening the question of returning to MLBaseball, without having to see his ego bloated face again hungrily seeking one last scrap of needless publicity while he awaits his inevitable and richly deserved place in the Hall of Fame.
2. I can hardly wait to observe the New York Yankees brain trust, well George Steinbrenner, dip into the Major League Baseball assisted living pool of once great, at the end of their career players to try to rebuild the Yankee dynasty. Who will manage? Whitey Herzog? Will they lure Cal Ripken, Jr. out of retirement? Maybe Terry Pendleton can take A-Rod's place at third base if Mark Cuban buys the Cubs and secures A-Rod's services with a three-year, 400 million dollar contract.
3. I couldn't stop watching "Vietnam: A Television History". At every turn as the Vietnam War lengthened, every single question that is being addressed during the War in Iraq was raised and every single response was the same. It wasn't eerie. I continue to maintain that there's no such thing as history or the past. In the USA, national ways of seeing the world and USA's place in it and of the assumed strength of USA's military fire power remains constant and is simply directed to different geographical places. Do I need to elaborate?
2. I can hardly wait to observe the New York Yankees brain trust, well George Steinbrenner, dip into the Major League Baseball assisted living pool of once great, at the end of their career players to try to rebuild the Yankee dynasty. Who will manage? Whitey Herzog? Will they lure Cal Ripken, Jr. out of retirement? Maybe Terry Pendleton can take A-Rod's place at third base if Mark Cuban buys the Cubs and secures A-Rod's services with a three-year, 400 million dollar contract.
3. I couldn't stop watching "Vietnam: A Television History". At every turn as the Vietnam War lengthened, every single question that is being addressed during the War in Iraq was raised and every single response was the same. It wasn't eerie. I continue to maintain that there's no such thing as history or the past. In the USA, national ways of seeing the world and USA's place in it and of the assumed strength of USA's military fire power remains constant and is simply directed to different geographical places. Do I need to elaborate?
Monday, October 8, 2007
Three Beautiful Things 10/7/07: Clean, Pick, Pick, Pick, Horror
1. I took what seemed like a million towels and blankets and sheets and other bedding to the laundromat and in one fell swoop got them all washed and dried.
2. I had to chuckle as I listened to this young (I mean young) couple argue for over a half an hour while they folded their clothes. They smiled and laughed the whole time. It was like arguing and picking at each other was their way of flirting.
3. I watched four hours or so of The American Experience's treatment of the Vietnam War. The footage and the facts outlining how we got into the war were horrible, but the precision and clarity of the program is brilliant.
2. I had to chuckle as I listened to this young (I mean young) couple argue for over a half an hour while they folded their clothes. They smiled and laughed the whole time. It was like arguing and picking at each other was their way of flirting.
3. I watched four hours or so of The American Experience's treatment of the Vietnam War. The footage and the facts outlining how we got into the war were horrible, but the precision and clarity of the program is brilliant.
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