I haven't given my standard full disclosure in a while: both my parents were teachers, my favorite aunts and uncles were teachers, a beloved friend is a teacher, my wife is a teacher, I have many friends who are teachers including my beloveds at Thursday Night Pints, some of the most influential people in my life have been teachers - I am incapable of an unbiased opinion when it comes to teachers. Thank a teacher today. Having said that, regarding the Chicago teachers strike, please READ THIS. I'd only add, good thing motherfucking Obama makes himself available constantly to reporters and constituents so when he's asked where he falls in the battle between teachers and his motherfucking former chief-of-staff he would certainly answer.... kidding. And anyone who bitches against the teachers because s/he thinks it might damage Obama's reelection campaign can, as Ed correctly guessed, grow fresh tomatoes, hello.
- Arvo Part is seventy-seven today. Anti-aargh.
- Why they are striking.
- Why they are striking.
- The implications.
- An interview.
- Your fucking Washington Post.
- Five facts you need to know about the shit state of Chicago schools.
- Fuck Terry Moran, whoever the fuck he is.
- Fuck Terry Moran, whoever the fuck he is.
- Boatload of links to Chicago (and much more).
- Obama exceptionalism.
- Motherfucking Obama.
- Police state.
- Code is law.
- Put not your faith in princes.
- An imperial nostrum.
- Motherfucking Bill Clinton. Fucker sure can give a speech though.
- One year away from global rioting.
- ICC! crumbling!
- Ruefle interview.
ART CLASS
James Galvin
Let us begin with a simple line,
Drawn as a child would draw it,
To indicate the horizon,
More real than the real horizon,
Which is less than line,
Which is visible abstraction, a ratio.
The line ravishes the page with implications
Of white earth, white sky!
The horizon moves as we move,
Making us feel central.
But the horizon is an empty shell—
Strange radius whose center is peripheral.
As the horizon draws us on, withdrawing,
The line draws us in,
Requiring further lines,
Engendering curves, verticals, diagonals,
Urging shades, shapes, figures…
What should we place, in all good faith,
On the horizon? A stone?
An empty chair? A submarine?
Take your time. Take it easy.
The horizon will not stop abstracting us.
