Author: Derek Mueller

Farewell, Vaio

/ Derek Mueller

I know, I know, I should start a category about my mal-functioning Sony
VGNS150 notebook computer if I’m going to keep blogging about it.  This
ought to be the last time; away again, it is, via shipping carton, to San Diego
where with any luck it’ll get fixed properly this time.  It’s been back from the first trip to
sunny southern Calif. since the end of November, zippy as ever until about a
week ago.  Granted, when I look at the CNY weather forecast, sometimes my lids
don’t brightly snap to open, either.  And that’s its problem–the monitor
initializes irregularly.  Sometimes it kicks in, other times blank. 
Back on November 5, I wrote that the "Timing couldn’t be worse." 
But it could be equally heinous.  Come to think of it, this final final project
I’m buttoning down mentioned nothing about word-processing.  Ironically,
it’s an essay about the early years of computers and writing.  How was I
supposed to know it wasn’t to be hand-written? We’ve only started using
computers as word-processors in recent years, after all.

Resemblance between VAIO and ciao: omen?

Blog-dry

/ Derek Mueller / 8 Comments

It’s gotten that bad around here.  I’m comparing blogging to laun-dry. 
If only…Unfortunate

I’m sweating out end-o-semester projects all weekend.  Due dates:
Wednesday, Friday and next Monday.  And that’s mostly all there is to
say.  I can’t believe how the writing demands have made me over,
reconstituted a once energetic, vroom-ish rhythm into flub-dub-flub-dub. 
I’m fairly stoic about it all (shrug-eh-dee-do-dah), but I *feel* distinctly
different about writing.  Period.  I don’t know whether it’s the
exhaustion of X-treme reading for four months. Who knows.  I’m ready to try
anything
to crawl these creatures onto the monitor.  My latest ploy is munching on
leftover fortune cookies when I get stuck.  I’ve posted the unfortunate
read-outs here, but they’re not quite the boost I need. "Good
journey"? "Showered with good luck"? C’mon! More than luck, I
need a sentence on Barthes and Lakoff and myth on the right. 

BTW, anybody know how to cite a fortune cookie?

Above Your Noise

/ Derek Mueller / 6 Comments

With seven out of 202 search queries invoking EWM this week, I’m avoiding project polishing in favor of fun with server log
redirections–I’m calling them s.lo/glibs (but I’ll revise for a better-suited
neologism if you’ve got one):
1. grandpa cheese barn
[Passed it by, but I remember the billboard sign urging me to exit near
Cleveland last summer.]
2. what is the meaning of authoritarian teacher? [Who’re you calling
authoritarian?]
3. grading blogs [I’m advocating pass-pass alternative
assessment–VG=very good, SWA=slight work ahead]
4. dreams that you forgot to feed pets [Reminds me of the
something-something-crunchy-tootsie-roll-munching-on-a-beach dream/
awoke-to-a-cat-litter-box joke.]
5. do businesses disclose enought information in their annual reports
[Nah.  Pure nod-makers.]
6. free exemplification essay over driving
distractions [Keep your eyes on the road.]
7. does anyone know where the love of god goes [Well, there’s this tune
while you contemplate it.]

Droppings (as Rhetoric)

/ Derek Mueller

I don’t want to make light of

this method for achieving peace; I’m more curious than anything about the idea that a
fly-by air-drop of millions of folded paper birds would calm embattled factions
in southern Thailand. 

Encouraged by the government, Thais across the country
Cabinet ministers, office workers, schoolchildren and even convicts folded
more than 130 million birds to promote peace in the south. Approximately 30
million will be delivered by land.

While meant as a morale-booster for victims of
violence, Sunday’s origami airdrop resembled a treasure hunt. with prizes
offered for specially marked birds. People could trade lots of them in for
items ranging from cartons of milk to bicycles.

Especially coveted was one bird folded and signed by
Thaksin, which offered a scholarship if found by a child, or a job for an
adult.

And if it’s not found, it’s lost?

Added: More on the peace messengers. On bird: “All bandits must die.”

You’re Welcome, Coach S.

/ Derek Mueller / 2 Comments

Got my rear kicked at least six or seven times by this guy. First college game I ever broke into the starting lineup (at center..WTH?  You want me to play where?) was against the Bearcats–1993.  We got busted up, to be sure; was always that way when we traveled to Lebanon, Ill. They were running a sideline break in those days.  Only beat Statham & co. once as a player.  Took ’em down at home during my junior season when they were rated #17 nationally.  Vivid for lots of good reasons; nostalgia added now that
he won praise on Sportscenter this week for being winningest coach. Just glad to
contribute.

Always more to say, but I’m writing my bleary head off this week.

Espejos y Ventanas

/ Derek Mueller / 2 Comments

Steve Parks has posted
a nice run-down about the latest book from New City Community Press, Espejos y
Ventanas.  Several of us from SU’s writing program made the trip to
Philly last weekend for the release event.  The book’s production is
intriguing for several reasons. The translated-text layout–one side in Spanish,
the adjacent page in English–struck me as one of the more interesting, unique
features of its production. I’m sure we’ll take it up more fully in class on
Tuesday.  Reading Canagarajah’s Geopolitics draws a provocative
correlation between community press initiatives and overhaul in academic
publishing, especially when we consider the potentials of publishing in multiple
languages or in ulterior spaces.

SU has football?

/ Derek Mueller / 2 Comments

OttoBeen such a busy semester, I had no idea (well, except that I’ve
enjoyed working with a few
members of the team in 105). Explanation: neither my BA or MA alma maters field
football squads. Turns out the Orange
pounded Boston College today, 43-17 (hooray!)  Should’ve beat Temple,
but, nonetheless, we earned a quarter-slice
of the prestigious Big East title. The radio voices around town are
flapping about a BCS bid. Since Nebraska was woeful this fall, we might have a shot at the Houston Bowl. 

The lesser Orange-surprise today: on the hardwood, the No. 5 basketballers roughed up the Siena Saints by 22 points; moved to 5-0.

No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom

/ Derek Mueller

Pink Floyd’s "we don’t need no" school-children have
mustered a lawsuit to collect royaltie$ on "The Wall."

The school was paid $1,000 and later given a platinum record of the song
but the pupils were paid nothing.

The headmistress who banned the teens’ media involvement in 1979,
thereby anonymizing them, had a change of heart; she now supports their
claim. 

Section 1926.602(a)(9)(ii) states

/ Derek Mueller / 5 Comments

5:19 a.m.: I could have slept through the racket except for the blaring
beep-beep-beep of heavy equipment rolling in reverse.  Other than the beep,
it was just a lotBacking up now

of machine droning, the deep chugging of loaded trucks.  Since I was up, I
stepped to the porch to get a closer look at the commotion, at the
mulch-loading operation. Beep-beep-beep: the
audio track from my dream played.

The whole event lasted fewer than forty minutes.  Loading leaf piles at the crack of dawn makes sense, I guess.  Nobody to blame who would care about being blamed.  So I shook my fist in the air and bellered, "Trying to sleep, buddy!"  Okay, really I didn’t. But I couldn’t go back to sleep; I felt some kind of nervous system irritation.

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How to Tour Philadelphia

/ Derek Mueller / 4 Comments

 

1. Find somebody with a camera, touring.

2.  Imitate.

Philadelphia

I didn’t stand in Balboa’s foot-steps exactly. 
Face-forward, this is what the city-scape looks like today.  A few other
pics are posted to Flickr. 
Rest of the weekend: behind on reading and pheeling Phila-drained-phia.