Athenaeum Bard

11 September and the Vision... 1

2011-09-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

How would you define "Woodstock Nation?" I would call it a view of the United States where people genuinely look after one another; where people don't compare themselves to others and where they realize that when one suffers, we all suffer (as 10 years ago) and when one rejoices, we all rejoice. So is it possible? It has been 40+ years since the experiment was started; we've come a long way and we've still a long way to go. But let us not give up the vision...

Tanagers in Flight

2011-07-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

I am a week past the beginning of my high school 40th Reunion. (I know, I know... that dates me.) It was a fabulous time. I saw friends (and "rivals") and folks who really didn't have much to do with me in high school -- but it was really fun to get caught up on what everybody was doing. and everybody talked to everybody. (fun that old high school "cliques" have long since melted into the past like butter on a hot, humid Minnesota afternoon and flowed far downstream carried on the Missouri (or Souris, or Mississippi) River flood waters. The Alma Mater written for Inver Hills Community College I rewrote for my high school and will donate that in the name of my class (Class of 1971) to the school Vermillion High School {South Dakota}

[The words are below:

(1)V. H. S., V. H. S., How we love you V. H. S.;
from your wisdom we all grow strong!
Tanagers, Tanagers, all are loyal Tanagers;
we, your children, will for-ever sing your song!

It's a song of standing tall, knowing one can conquer all;
so to you let us offer praise.
V. H. S., Tanagers, we'll be always Tanagers;
and remember you so fondly all our days.

(2)On the top of the hill gentle winds are never still,
And the whole world wants to know
what is right, what is true, that our lives are ever new;
like the sound of waters rushing far be-low.

At the inver are the streams of the wisdom of our dreams
for the inver is where rivers join as one.
In the sky, day or night, Tanagers are taking flight;
and we share a common ground and distant sun.

So, my advise is... go to your high school reunions -- all of them -- and see how your classmates have become so -- "grown up." :-) [It truly was wonderful!]

...until next time... :-)

Forever with us

2010-12-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

I hope to post the Alma Mater of Inver Hills Community College here soon; I wrote it and am working on a band/orchestra arrangement.
My son is home from college now and busily applying for graduate schools in physics. He tells me a little about what he's doing but I know the explanation is "dumbed-down" for his dear old dad. :-)
My daughter comes home for the holidays in about 10 days; 'Twill be nice to have her home too!

My great Aunt Violet passed away not too long ago; she was mother to my second cousin, Kim, who is now a principal at a school in Fargo. He and I would play together as kids mostly on the farm near Fargo (though he did visit me in Vermillion SD as well). This is in my aunt's honor:

Forever With Us
"Dark,
the days turn dark
when loss looms large.
"When?"
"Where? How? ...Why?"
Children challenge the charge.

Life
with lots of laughs, well lived,
compassionate and caring.
Look,
that knowing smile...
The memories we'll be sharing.

Laugh
at times gone by --
what we remember well;
Loves,
all deep and strong;
Forever with us dwell."
...Webb

2010-11-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Hello, I know it has been a very l--o--n--g time since last post; but I'm back now.
This will be a short "housekeeping news" post and then more later.
I am looking for a book that my mother and dad used to read to me as a kid; I don't know the name of the book or the author. All I recall is a repeated phrase: "Stuck, said little Bill?" The book had something to do with rowing a boat on a Louisiana bayou. That's all I know.
I won the "Alma Mater Song Contest" at Inver Hills Community College; They sang it at the 40th anniversary of the school! :-)

OK, I promise a more regular blog...

April is National Poetry Month

2010-04-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

There is a lot on which I must comment; but not a lot of time right now. So I'll just leave you with this:

The lawn is soft;
the grass is green
and playing children
can be seen;
...aah, Spring!

...Webb

Blogs and Passings

2009-09-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

I promised my son's blog url; here it is:
http://bdcinberlin.blogspot.com
I hope you enjoy it. For those interested in the highlands of Scotland, my daughter's boyfriend is also blogging while at graduate school in Sterling, Scotland.
Here is the link to his blog: http://scotlandsirishguest.blogspot.com
Here is the url of my son's girlfriend's blog: http://cmbudapest.blogspot.com/ (She is studying in Budapest, Hungary for this term.)
I love the names of these blogs. Ben's link is "BDC in Berlin" and Kevin's is "Scotland's Irish Guest". The actual name of Kevin's blog is "Living in the land of haggis and Wallace" and Ben's is "Bier, Berlin, Begeisterung." Claire's blog is titled "More than Math." enjoy...

I just heard that Mary Travis (of Peter, Paul & Mary) passed away day before yesterday. I was really saddened by the news; I am an old "folky" who loves to sing and play all kinds of folk music. I am enheartened that she remained an activist right up until her death.

May we all sing our own songs with dignity, compassion and authenticity.

More Transitions... oofda!

2009-09-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all: Nice to have you visit!
Here in St. Paul my wife and I are getting our son off to Berlin, Germany for his off-campus study abroad term. He's a junior in college this year and I can't really believe it! Why do kids have to grow up so fast? Anyway, I know things will go well for him and we are really excited for him. He will blog while he's there and I'll reference that as soon as I get it.
My wife starts back with students tomorrow (9/8); and after Ben flies out tomorrow afternoon it will be "life back to 'normal' here" I guess. Keep reading...

Transitions

2009-07-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hey all: Lauren has a blog about her adventures in Hawaii! Here is the url: http://mahalodaddy-o.blogspot.com/
Please enjoy her blog as well.

Liz is going to Haiti flying out on the day of the Vermillion All-School reunion. :-( ...soooo I'll be going by myself. Pray that Liz's trip to Lougou, Haiti goes well and that all stay healthy.

This August we have to paint the downstairs apartment and make sure it is ready for our new (September) renters.

July is ending; August and the rest of 2009 await. Can you feel the excitement? ...keep reading...

Update for all:

2009-06-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Greetings from St. Paul! Here's a quick update for anyone still reading: I am a part-time CAREGiver seeing 4 elderly men through the course of the week: 1 inventor (medical field), 1 lawyer, 1 man who knows where Vermillion SD is, and 1 flea market wholesaler. Great guys, all! I am also still on-call with Carver county Library. My biggest news is that the flute instructor at Carleton College in Northfield, MN just programmed the world premier of a flute trio I wrote! Lauren played 1st part, Britta S. played 2nd part, and Sarah B. played 3rd part. It was a real shot-in-the-arm for my composing/arranging psyche and re-excited the desire to write and publish. Thanks and Kudos to Martha J. at Carleton College and to the three performers for their beautiful rendition. It was even better sounding live than I had imagined!
Lauren graduates on June 13, flies to Dublin for 3 weeks, then flies to Hawaii until mid-December to study and work at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory. For the summer, Ben works in Northfield at the Carleton College Physics Dept. as an assistant researcher and then flies off to Berlin, Germany for his Off-Campus Study fall term. We'll visit him at the end of November and then fly back with him. Liz is teaching summer school with SPPS with the possibility of giving a teaching workshop in Lougou, Haiti in August. (Our renters, the Johnson's, are moving on July 31 to a new house they purchased and so we'll be painting, etc. in August) The Vermillion High School All-School Reunion is August 9 and we're planning on that, as well.
Now that we're all up-to-date, I need to mail the Graduation Announcements out. It is hard to believe that my little girl is graduating from college! ...off-da! Keep reading...

Groundhog Day, 2009

2009-02-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

On Groundhog Day, if the groundhog sees its shadow there will be 6 more weeks of winter. But, guess what? We'll have 6 weeks (plus 5 days) of winter regardless.
I have to head off to work (which I'll talk about soon) but wanted to say "welcome back" to any who may have thought I had fallen off the face of the planet. The good news (I hope) is -- not yet! Family is really important; extended family included. Everyone should keep in touch. more later...

The Beginning of Autumn

2008-09-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Fall has officially started and we're getting almost all of our house painted. I'm still applying for library jobs in the Twin Cities and helping Liz, Lauren and Ben as they adjust to being back at school.

Keep attentive, for the sun rises and sets as it always has and yet things may not be as they seem. Eternity and the Present sometimes blur together as we try to understand what is happening in our lives. But the inquiry must be made; we struggle to know some of what is unknowable and in the process, discover what is True. If one cries, we all cry; if one rejoices, we all rejoice; if one dies, we all are lessened.

Okay -- call, write, email or comment so that I can hear from you. Together is how the world will grow; relationships are of utmost importance.
Keep reading...

Honours Convocation - Library Award

2008-06-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
On May 30, the library at Carleton College was one of three (1 university, 1 college & 1 community college) awarded as an outstanding college library of the year! This prize, sponsored by Blackwell's Books and awarded by ACRL (the Association of College and Research Libraries) is one very prestigious award. The Carleton College library was honored for intellectual curiosity and collaboration. This means that the library brings the community together across departmental boundaries. It has a true service ethos. Not just in regard to policies or best practices but as each student and faculty member as an individual connects to provide excellent service. The library is successful in assessing both academic needs and academic aspirations; it teams with departments and disciplines to provide the set of service resources to meet those needs and aspirations.
Intellectual curiosity comes from the deep desire to know and understand. Sometimes it is of a new discipline; sometimes it is of a deeper level of a known. But it is a gift given to all people everywhere if they but open their eyes to see it. Collaboration is working together for the benefit of all -- truly another gift for humanity. As each one helps the other, all receive the help they need.
It is that kind of service to which all libraries aspire. That is how the customer or patron will be helped to the best of one's ability. The one with a true heart can do more than just follow the rules or meet expectations. It really goes beyond mere performance of job duties; it is an inner working which is more important, at the end of the day, than the mere job performance. One would be wise to remember the words of the librarian head who said, "True service comes from the heart."

Closing in on the end??

2008-06-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Dear friends -- the school year is almost over and thus final words begin to be spoken. I understand that MILI as we know it today will not be around next year. I'm certain that it will emerge in a different form, for the work is too important to end. We all must continue to embrace the challenge! Now, having said that, I also want to say that the Athenaeum Bard will continue to post -- albeit around a larger range of topics. So, keep reading and commenting if you'd like; the Association of College and Research Libraries gave its 2008 award to the Library at Carleton College and both my son and daughter were honored at the Spring Honors Convocation last week. Transitions can be hard on students and teachers; mixed feelings abound. My son's Carleton orchestra performed last week as well; Central High School's spring orchestra/band concerts used the same format -- soloists performing concertos as well as whole-ensemble pieces.

"Watch for more blogs, my online friends,
the time for weeping is o'er;
for we won't gently turn the page
but admire this one more."

Until later then...

Wikis -- again

2008-05-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I just set up a family wiki to help dispose of Dad's things and house, etc... It was pretty easy to do with pbwiki.com. I won't really know how successful it is until my siblings log on and work at it. So we'll wait and see.
Now that we have less than 2 weeks of school left (and we assistants have only 1.5 days per school left), it seems like it becomes more difficult to stay focused. Much of the day is spent checking books and textbooks in; especially for the senior who need to get all books in so they can pick up their cap and gown for graduation. So teaching by the librarians is mostly finished. there is still the occasional student who needs this or that for a class or for a final, but there are no full class lessons being given. And at Central, of course, the new computer lab construction has begun! All the books are boxed up in the center of the room and huge plastic containment curtains are keeping folk out of the construction zone.
If anyone knows of a library assistant job, please let me know! I need something soon!
There will be at least a couple more posts before MILI closes up shop for this year. So do keep reading, there is more ahead! :-)

2008-04-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

Above is the trading card for my dad (photo taken on June 19, 2005); the complete poem reads as follows:

Dear Dad
"Dear Dad, you've been my model of compassion, love and peace --
Of always doing what is right,
You serve as haven, a harbor light;
Your caring does not cease.

Dear Dad, I have admired you; Your faith, your strength, your joy, your wit;
You speak fondly of the friend
of years ago, or the joys days send;
From a loving dad, I benefit.

Dear Dad, my love for you just grows as year adds on to coming year;
A word of wisdom to all you tell,
You are a strong, tall sentinel;
In the praise of God you are sincere.

Dear Dad, I cannot speak the words to say what's in my heart;
I learned love is always strong;
I learned compassion must be long;
Thank you for everything from the start."

...Webb

written for Dell McDonald Colwell
father, husband, grandfather & friend

And so another chapter begins; a new existence, really, because everything is now different from what it was before. A great adventure lies ahead...

A quick sad note

2008-04-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Just wanted to let you know that my dad passed away last week and his funeral was Sat. 12 Apr. He was a great man and good role model, a loving dad (& granddad) and a good friend. So, that's why you haven't read any new posts for a while. I intend on making a trading card for him like I did for my mom; you can look for it soon.
It is hard, but I carry on.

Thanks!

More Thing 19

2008-03-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

I visited "imagechef" and found that it could be lots of fun, ...I guess. My point is that the time one spends at sites like this -- where one just "goofs around" -- could be spent on other things. I envision people playing cards, or walking around the lake, or going on a bike ride to Dairy Queen, or writing a letter to one's mom and dad or grandparents, or visiting friends, or playing music together, or ... well, you get the point. Taking time to "goof around" on the computer to me seems like a sad waste of time. Life is meant to be physical, to be metaphysical, to be connected in real time and place with others. I just couldn't see the point of creating an email message or picture on "imagechef" because there is so much else that one could be doing!

Music on Easter Sunday (and on the Saturday before) went well, thank you. And today, via UPS, came another fun surprise. For my birthday this month I ordered a tenor recorder. It sounds one whole octave below a soprano recorder (the one you probably think of when you think of a recorder). It is built for those of us with small fingers. :-) I am a very happy camper now!
<---Soprano Recorder
<----Tenor Recorder [it really is much bigger, just ask :-) ]

Thing 19: Internet trading cards

2008-03-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post something tonight since I have to plan music for Sunday's church service. (Did I tell you I am leading worship at a Native American church in Minneapolis?) I created this trading card about my mom, God rest her soul. [She passed 3 years ago last February and ...]

She loved giraffes (there are two on the refrigerator) and all her family! And we still miss her!

More later

Librarians: prep for meeting...

2008-03-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

Hey, Librarians: Does anyone have any important sources for information on (1)copy cataloging, or (2) acquisitions? I think I could do the copy cataloging in my sleep [In fact I spent today doing some copy cataloging for Leslie @ Central.]... (though I need to brush up on the LOC classifications), but acquisitions are another matter. That will take some study; not that I couldn't do it. Does anyone have any quick sources on jargon, procedures or requirements? ...just asking. :-)

March, finally!

2008-03-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Say, I understand that using iMovie and iPhoto, one can have students record a narration (or original music) over original pictures. It would be a great way to do a presentation; but since I don't actually have a class, I can't really use it that way. Does anyone know (1)what I'm talking about and (2) how to get it set up and running? I'd like to try a promotion for the library and/or for an upcoming event. But I need some help with how it all works. I don't have iPhoto on this computer at home, so I can't even experiment much. ...any ideas?...

March is finally here! In my family of origin it was the month of birthdays. My older sister's is on the first; my younger sister's is the same as my Grandmother's was (the 20th) and mine is in the middle. My Godson's is this month as is my wife's and a couple of good friends. wow. We bought the entire 6-season run of Northern Exposure as a Valentine's Day/Birthday gift to ourselves. I resonate with Chris on KBHR (K-bear) radio from downtown Sicily, Alaska. I sometimes think that we all need to ponder things anew from time to time.

New adventures and new opportunities are almost always within our reach, even if we're not looking for them. We only need to keep our antenna up and operating. As Paul Stookey wrote: "Remember what they say about coincidence; life is always more that what it seems." (from the album "Real to Reel"). Carry on...

Thing 16 -- MnLINK

2008-02-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

What a great resource for finding the materials one needs! When I was doing my Library internship through MCTC (at SPPL - Sun Ray branch), I used MnLINK to order books for customers when St. Paul didn't own them. It was an easy procedure and one that they could have done for themselves. But, of course, the public library is around to help people find the resources they want. So it is only right that if a customer/patron doesn't think they have time to find something, we find it for them. Why, it wasn't that long ago when all the "stacks" in the library were closed and one had to request a particular book or material before a librarian would go and get it.

I was a little curious about which libraries were hooked into the MnLINK system, though. I saw Gustavus Adolphus and the U of M and state colleges... But I didn't see Carleton or St. Olaf. I wonder why they aren't involved. I may email Gould Library at Carleton and ask; I figure that since both my children are students there...

Every year we run a little Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt for them comnplete with rhyming clues. This year I scouted out places at the Carelton library; it was the best treasure hunt ever, according to my daughter. It is really fun to do. :-)

New things on old things

2008-02-15T13:24:00.000-08:00

"and its been going on for 10,000 years..." or at least since Cain killed Abel in a fit of jealousy because his motives were askew. I'm speaking of the shooting in Illinois of college students in a science classroom. It seems to me that as we confidently teach content to students, we also need to teach confidence and caring. I can hold my head up proudly if you can also do the same. We are all part of the same species and need to understand our interconnectedness. How we accomplish this formidable task is beyond any one idea or group. I only wish that all could understand that if one succeeds, we all succeed.

As I read all your blogs, I am impressed with the commitment and creative energy you all seem to possess. I could hope to have half of it and feel successful as a result. Keep up the good work! :-)

A thought on hectic lives

2008-02-07T14:05:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it seems that we never learn,
we're off to here and there to look;
If if rhymes or it doesn't, the pages still turn
every day that we pick up the book.
And what does it mean? And where do we go?
Do we take the lessons along?
It seems like we race; we never go slow...
Do they listen? ...and hear my song?
...Webb

Thing 14: Reliable Online Resources

2008-02-07T11:57:00.000-08:00

I tried DMOZ and was very impressed with what came up. I searched "music" and then narrowed the search by adding "composition." There were lots of really interesting sites. Then I looked up "poetry" and "poetry contests" and was also impressed. the funny thing was that most of the sites listed on were contests from the UK, Australia or New Zealand! I thought that the US would have had some, anyway. hmm

If I have time -- (I'm applying to Hennepin County for some part time library positions) -- I would love to do more browsing here. :-) It is almost like reading through an encyclopedia (hey, that can be fun, you know)

Facebook & MySpace 1/27-2/3

2008-02-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

I know that both my daughter and son have a page on Facebook. I have warned them (more than once, I'm afraid) about the dangers of what could be posted on their sites. They tell me that they have to approve of who can post messages on their site. I know this is true because neither my wife nor I have been "approved" to post. :-) Too much parental involvement, perhaps? They are both Central HS graduates (2005 & 2007) and students at Carleton college. It used to be that Facebook was only available for college students; I guess that is not true anymore, though. It takes prayer and trust, I suppose, for parents to "let go." [But I don't know of any parental education that helps with that, especially coming from the school district. Sometimes I wish there was!] It is true that careers and reputations have been damaged as a result of people thinking of these networks as "private" when the reality is just the opposite. So we have a large task at hand to continually educate folk to be wise and thoughtful.

Orchestra Hall and Greatness

2008-01-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

I read the blog of "Information Literacy Ramblings" and visited the WCCO link. Very interesting what appears as news online. I'm sure somebody thinks "bit on X or Y or Z" is news but...

I really wanted to put in a plug, actually for the MN Orchestra's stretch of concerts of film music. I went to hear the Orchestra play Chaplin's City Lights on Friday night. It was superb. But even better, in my mind, was the pre-concert given by Central High School's orchestra and chorus. I always knew that Mr. Oyen and Ms. Graber do fabulous jobs in the education of Central's music students. But in Orchestra Hall, one could hear every mistake and all of the harmonies that very likely are missed in the auditorium at school. Mistakes, let me tell you, were very rare on Friday night and the harmonies were glorious! I truly love listening to a great high school ensemble and to play at Orchestra Hall must have been a real treat for both the students and Mr.Oyen/Ms. Graber. I also had fun seeing former students of mine performing that night. (I used to teach elementary music at Jackson School.) All of you teachers/librarians should attend your schools concerts as much as possible. It will bring you new connections you can make with your students, even if you don't know that much about music!

Wikis -- thing 32

2008-01-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Wow! I was thinking about our meeting yesterday and what kinds of uses for wikis I could find. Not being a teacher with a class means that I need to look at other groups of which I am a part. I think any committee work could be done via a wiki which could cut down on meetings (hooray! but, we all love meetings, don't we??). My family decided over XPmas to plan a mini-reunion sometime this summer. Again, this could be planned on a private wiki set up for just our family to use. So that is something in which I will try to involve them. I think it would be an interesting experiment; especially since few of them have actively embraced use of computers or the internet (beyond email, I mean). I also belong to an intentional Christian community and we could find uses for this too, I think. So wish me luck in this endeavor.

It was a great meeting! The talk about copyright (and copyleft) is pertinent to me as a creative music composer and poet; I liked the discussion of a continuum with respect to copyright and the innovations/realignments taking place. Though the tension between individual rights and community's "common good" is always present in my understandings. I'm not sure about the "gold standard of individualism" which has hurt our society in many ways while driving discoveries and creative endeavors forward at the same time. hmm...

Thing 11 & 12

2007-12-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

There is much to help in one's search process. Google has so much "help" that I felt overwhelmed: financial help, geology, book searches, blog searches, images, maps, patents, news... oof da! Plus the information and tools to "customize" the way one works with one's computer: blogger, gmail, calendar, IM, YouTube, Picasa (to share photos), mailing lists and discussion groups, and it just goes on and on. I wonder if Google will become a major target for computer virus-makers like Microsoft is? And would my Mac still be safer and easier to use than a regular (windows) PC? {I do like the fact that Macs run Microsoft Word easier than PCs do and will also run both formats. Training students to use any computer (ie Macs in schools) will help them run PCs in the business world. I am wholly convinced and completely sure of this; yet also know that some are "PC people" and unwilling to believe that it could be true. :-)} It strikes me that as one company seems to begin to "control" the market by growing large that people rebel and then the virus-makers tend to crop up. Just a thought...

There are a lot of search engines that one could use, some which search differently than Google does. I have always recommended Ask.com; I was told of a site that searched with 2 engines together. http://www.polycola.com/ is the URL; it is pretty cool to be able to use 2 engines. There is a drop-down menu of 6 engines each side; Live, Ask, AltaVista, AOL, Dogpile, and Yahoo or Google. It is nice.

My dad has read my blogs and was curious about where the word "blog" comes from. I'm not sure myself, and don't have time to dig out the answer now.

from a book on tape

2007-12-27T19:05:00.000-08:00

On my drive to South Dakota, I was listening to a book on tape and the writer said the following: A bad student makes the best teacher. So my question is, how many teachers were not-so-good students in school and how did you decide that teaching was for you? Do you agree with this statement? And does the corollary also apply: that a good student will make a bad (or at least a not-so-good) teacher? That is something with which I don't think I can agree. What do you all think?

Thing 24...

2007-11-28T12:32:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Haifa, Israel!
Yes, it is true; I am in northern Israel visiting my daughter who is studying for a term at Haifa University. What a great opportunity for seeing how others live. I have been to Akko (the oldest port in the Middle East), the Mane-Katz Art Museum, the Mount of the Beatitudes on the Sea of Galilee, Tiberius, Nof Ginnosar, and Zippora National Park. I have seen tour buses full of tourists and locals catering to locals as well as the occasional tourist. We drove past a mini-demonstration a few "blocks" from our hotel, presumably for or against the summit taking place in Indianapolis with the leaders of Palestine, Israel and the US. [Not much impact for it didn't make the local news... well, as far as we know... :-) ]

Cross-cultural experiences are truly unique opportunities! They leave us a little bit more humble and grateful. They are good for the spirit but not necessarily so for the pocketbook. :-) They broaden our horizons, our outlook on life, our vision of things important. They allow us time for reflection as well as teaching us about the past and the present. Perhaps even giving us a glimpse into the future. Cross-cultural experiences, however short, can also well inform our teaching content and maybe our teaching methods as well. I saw how adults help their children and how amazed children are at little things. Young adults can be completely overwhelmed ("blown over" or "overcome with awe") at things that we older adults take for granted! We must always provide opportunities for these things to happen.

The time here is now 11pm (3pm in St. Paul) and since we leave to come home tomorrow, I need to close. I look forward to my daughter's return from Haifa on 1 Jan 2008 and will feel a bit sad leaving her now. But study abroad cannot be equaled anywhere else and I am very happy she has had this wonderful experience. I would not have guessed even 10 months ago that I would be here now! Sweet dreams to you all and as I process our trip, I will share more reflections.

David

thing 10

2007-11-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

A quick note to emphasize the importance of copyright and the "damndableness" of needing it. As an amateur who writes music and poetry, I often think about royalty fees and how I could make all this money if I could only sell some of what I write. If I spend a lot of time writing something, I would hope that someone would compensate me for the time spent. The practice of copyright allows for the just recompense on such creative output and ensures that this creative output will continue. On the other hand, when musicians get together to "jam," it doesn't seem to matter who's ideas are used for the improvisation. It is also true that when the community gathers, the community is engaged in the creation and is entertained by that product as well. What is good for the community is also what is good for the individual. No individual is above the good of the community. In some churches, prayer is made on behalf of "the common good." It is where all begins and where meaning is true. It seems to me that the "common good" is in some ways in direct opposition to individual rights; and that if the society moves away from community it will fall apart. People used to sit on the steps of their houses and talk to those who walk by. Today people are so absorbed by the music on their iPods that there is little communication. And so which is better? In today's world the realist understands that one person won't change society by individual actions. So protecting the creative output of individuals is one way to also protect the creativity of the community. Today is December 27th; I thought this had been posted last month but apparently distractions ruled. Isn't that a librarian's real task... to be interrupted?

question for all - MILI folk

2007-11-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

Hey, is anyone bothering to read my posts? Shouldn't we be commenting on what we're posting?

Things 5,6,7 ...

2007-11-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

Gee, reading through all the cool stuff teachers get to try almost makes me wish I was a teacher again. ok ... well, not really. but there are some great innovations that I wish I had had access to when I was a student. It seems to me that the RPC would work just as well in graduate school as in high school. Don't you wish you had had it as you struggled with those 10 to 25 page papers? I've been in graduate school twice, so believe me when I say that it would have been wonderful to be able to have such a resource. sigh... I think the internet arrived 35 years too late... Those 5 procedures: Question, Gather, Conclude, Communicate and Evaluate really help gather thoughts together and the time line heps the organizing and gathering of information. I was thinking of sending the url to my college student children (Central graduates -- 2005 & 2007) because I think it will help them in their papers as well. So what do you think? Am I off base here or not?

I constructed a web site for one of my classes at MCTC. It was about the intentional community to which I belong. Crossroads Community began with prayer and driving around the Frogtown neighborhood in 1990 after my wife and a few others came back from a short-term mission trip to Haiti. Being a hippie from South Dakota, I was always interested in community living and the idea resonated with me (even though I wasn't on that trip.) If I can find the files for the web site I will reestablish them and provide the link.

thing 4 -- the public library

2007-10-26T15:57:00.001-07:00

Well, of course the cooperation between the schools and the public library is an important one. And the work of the library to provide services for the general public is vital for an intelligent and informed society. My wife and I went to the new Rondo library and borrowed some Hebrew language books and tapes in an effort to learn a little modern Hebrew in preparation for a visit to Haifa University in Israel where our daughter is studying for this fall term.
And I wanted to share with you a poem written last year:

THE OLD MAN WANTS TO KNOW

“Why can’t things be as they were,”
The old man wants to know;
The promises and dreams of youth
Seem so much long ago.

As the tears begin to well
And start on down his face,
He says, “I want to see my friends
At some familiar place.

The barbershop’s too small these days.
There is no place to sit
And play a quiet game of cards;
It makes me want to quit.

So please don’t close the library doors,
There’s so much yet to know;
It offers us great wisdom.
It’s the place we like to go.”
...Webb

(I tried to paste this in the "Compose" mode and couldn't do it; it worked in the "Edit Html" mode. ...just a word to those who are interested.)
I have never been scared away from any library; I had a wonderful "old" woman who worked at the library when I was kid. I could walk a block, traverse down a ravine, cross the "major" road [no crosswalks there, of course :-) ], back up the ravine, through a narrow walking "alley" and into the entrance of the children's section of the library. It was almost as much fun to get there as it was looking for books inside! I read a series of sports books about tennis {Match Point was the name of one, I remember} and loved them.

This is required for thing 3 - Amazing new technology!

2007-10-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

"Greetings all; to all, 'hello'
its really simple syndication;
the analog will have to go -
we suffer through expatiation.
And yet it cannot all be bad;
let's send the question on to dad."

I just set up the RSS feeds on a bloglines account and look forward to reading all the new posts. Although I thought it just fine to click on each one to see what the new comments were, I understand that now I'll be able to see at a glance who has written new things. It should be easier to keep up, right? As easy as putting the puzzle pieces together or following the lines of intrigue in a well-written movie. Speaking of which, my wife and I just saw "Michael Clayton" at the Grandview Theatre. If you haven't seen it, you should.

(thing 2) ...the more things change...

2007-10-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Electric power is great! ... until the storm downs the power lines and you lose power. Then you scramble to find your flashlights and your transistor radio. (remember them? they used to work on batteries!) but if the batteries are low then you are out of luck, as they say.
Computers are wonderful, aren't they? ...until... I called the StarTribune to inquire about our account and was told by the customer service representative that her computer was down and she couldn't look up any information for me. (sigh) Now it was just hers that was down, not the entire system. She suggested that I try again in about five minutes and hope that I get someone else. :-)
I was deleting barcodes at Arlington High school when the system went down. It was hit and miss for over 1.5 hours, I think. (grr) But we managed to find other things to do -- other steps in the process that could be accomplished. It was frustrating; I hope that power remains online and doesn't go down permanently. We'd really be "up a creek..." [or as the character in a book my parents used to read to me says, "Stuck? said little Bill?"

I had a little trouble finding how to add this lovely graphic to this entry. Can you guess anything about me from my friend above? eh?

(thing 1) Digital or Analog? And Education...

2007-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

The era we are in is the most fast-changing era in the history of humankind, I believe. Being ... ah... over (shall we say) 45?... means that it takes fortitude and courage for me to embrace this new technological age with gusto. It also defines and delineates where many of us are in our lives. There are continuums that can be used. For example: are you more of a rural person or an urban person? Are you a pitcher or a catcher? Are you Classical or Romantic? One can imagine moving to stand somewhere on that continuum. Well, today we could also say, "Are you more digital or analog?" The "a" word seems to denote antiquity or, at best, that which is outdated and old-fashioned. But even those of us who may be more "analog" can and do get excited by the possibilities presented by this digital age.
And so we must educate our children to prepare them for a life in our modern society; information literacy becomes paramount to that education. It must start in the elementary school and progress throughout life. The more formal instruction easily fits into the primary, secondary and post-secondary education systems, but it must also reach beyond to our adults. It may mean that we must rethink our definition of education. Students must take more responsibility in grasping these ideas. Teachers must use all practical means to impress upon students the need and desirability of mastering these technologies and valuing the cooperation. Collaboration with others through this communication helps one learn the power of compromise and creative problem-solving as well as valuing the common good.

2007-09-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello, my friends,
I'm glad you're here
and following weighty work;
It may not rhyme,
but will include
musings from a library clerk.