The Men Who Don't Fit In

by Robert Service

There's a race of men that don't fit in,
A race that can't stay still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and they rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain's crest;
Theirs is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don't know how to rest.

If they just went straight they might go far;
They are strong and brave and true;
But they're always tired of the things that are,
And they want the strange and new.
They say: "Could I find my proper groove,
What a deep mark I would make!"
So they chop and change, and each fresh move
Is only a fresh mistake.

And each forgets, as he strips and runs
With a brilliant, fitful pace,
It's the steady, quiet, plodding ones
Who win in the lifelong race.
And each forgets that his youth has fled,
Forgets that his prime is past,
Till he stands one day, with a hope that's dead,
In the glare of the truth at last.

He has failed, he has failed; he has missed his chance;
He has just done things by half.
Life's been a jolly good joke on him,
And now is the time to laugh.
Ha, ha! He is one of the Legion Lost;
He was never meant to win;
He's a rolling stone, and it's bred in the bone;
He's a man who won't fit in.

Whoops

It appears that PSU has over-scheduled freshman courses this year. So, apparently, I will not be teaching during Fall term.

Watch this space for more info as I get it myself.

I am not happy.

Some Thoughts About Eugene, OR

My friend kungfuramone once said that Eugene is like a nap, in town form, and compared to some of the other places he's lived, his assessment is pretty much spot on. If you aren't married with kids, and long for a vibrant night-life, then Eugene is not the town for you. You'd be better off living in your nap-induced dreams, really.

I lived in Eugene from 1994 - 2000, and haven't been back to visit in a number of years, primarily because I don't know anyone else that lives there anymore. The initial impulse for this particular trip - to visit with Lyra Cyst during the brief window that she will be in the United States - was enough to get me to visit, but behind all of that was also this idea of retracing old footsteps, and experiencing the unique form of Deja Vu that you experience when things that are strangely familiar are covered in 10 year of cruft and development.

One thing became apparent very quickly: without a core group of friends to spend time with, Eugene is pretty lame. If you ignore the campus, and the people there because of the UofO, what you have left are disaffected locals, a very small batch of people on the fringes attracted by The Country Fair and the left-over drug scene brought by Ken Keasy, and the Saturn driving ex-hippies who now have some of the few corporate jobs that fuel the non-resale-or-drug-related economies. I have to say that, while I did have fun while I was visiting last week, all of it was dependent on who we were with, not by what we were doing.

However, nostalgia is a pretty powerful drive for me, and as I tried to find landmarks and sights that triggered old memories, I did find myself smiling here and there. So what if Icky's Teahouse is closed, or if The Bookstore I used to work at is now a used Children's Clothing store? Perhaps it is a good thing that some respectable people now live in The Blitzhäus. All we ever did was stain the carpet and piss off the landlord, anyway. Perhaps it is a good thing to touch on these memories briefly, before moving on?

Regardless, I can't say that I wasn't extremely happy to see the Portland skyline again as the train made it back into Multnomah County. While I might have lived in Eugene for six years of my adult life, the last decade has been in Portland, and I'm light-years away from that drunk and irresponsible kid who used to look up into the night sky and wonder what the future might hold.

Who knew it would all lead to this?

'10 - '11 Teaching Assignment

So, after much patient waiting and gritting of teach, I have gotten my teaching assignment for the following year at PSU. This is a huge change of pace from last year, where I was teaching a Poli Sci class (outside my area of expertise) to a number of uninterested students, working with a Professor who has a very, VERY different teaching style than my own. First off, it's an Art Class. Second, I'll be working with a Professor who I had as a student myself. So far, so good.

Like last year, the students meet twice a week, all together, with my faculty partner, Sarah Newlands, a local artist and Assistant Professor in the University Studies Dept. Prior to this class, I will be teaching three sections of a Mentor Session, that complement the work they do in her class. The focus of this course will be studying, analyzing, and producing art, with concurrent projects that focus on the core competencies that all PSU students need to graduate (Quantitative Literacy, Computer Literacy, The Diversity of Human Experience, and other hippy-dippy things.) This is a Freshmen course, but like last year, there will be a few exceptions here and there. (I had a handful of students that were in their mid-to-late 20's, and one in his 30's.)

If you are going to be attending PSU as a Freshman during the '10 - '11 year, and need to take your Freshman UNST Requirements, why take The Work of Art, with me? All three sections still have plenty of openings.

The Work Of Art Course Description & Faculty Bios

The Work Of Art: 15151 UNST 131L-001. Mon. & Wed. 12:00 - 12:50
The Work Of Art: 15152 UNST 131L-002. Mon. & Wed. 13:00 - 13:50
The Work Of Art: 15153 UNST 131L-003. Mon. & Wed. 14:00 - 14:50

Classes start September 27th. See ya then!

Radio Backlog

There's a lot on the plate today, both in radio and news form. I've been fairly busy with the summer of insanity, so this sort of backed up. But, never fear, because we'll take it all one step at a time until we're through. Ob-soive:

Episode 077: This Is... On The Hour (Part I)
(Featuring episodes of the BBC Radio Comedy, On The Hour.)

Playlist & Footnotes.

As I was unable to bring you a second vacation episode while I was visiting family in Washington, today I brought you selections from On The Hour. This broadcast contains the entire first episode, selections from the unaired pilot, and for the first time broadcast on KPSU, the Radio Athens news parody I produced a few months back. I really like how this show doesn't sound like anything I usually do, both in the kind of content, and in tone. While the voice overs don't really amount to much, they were some of the most entertaining things I've ever recorded for this show.

Episode 078: Songs The Cramps Taught Us, Part I
(Featuring songs from the Lux And Ivy's Favorites series of internet-only compilations.)

Playlist & Footnotes

I've been getting into these compilations lately, so I culled a few selections from this series for this particular show. This is totally the punk rock of its time, dirty and filthy, rockin' and in-your-face, offensive and just play wonderful. There's a wealth of material in this vein that I can't wait to explore more, and as I continue to mourn Lux's untimely death, this is a great way to help me get over it.

And, as a special treat, there's a retrocast, too:

Retrocast of "Senior Citizens: Revenge of the Lawn" (28 March, 2006)
(Featuring a live on-air reading of selections from the classic Richard Brautigan collection, by Tim Nicodemus and Austin Rich)

While this particular Retrocast isn't of an episode of Blasphuphmus Radio, it is so close to what I do in spirit that it is worth the listen. Tim and I read our favorite selections from this book, mixed in with a little music, too. I love this one.

And, as if that weren't enough:

Jackie An on What's This Called?
(Featuring a live solo-performance by Jackie An of New Red Sun.)

Playlist & Footnotes

Jackie An came into KPSU for a solo set of mind-bending, beautiful, enchanting violin music, with a twist. This performance practically gave me chills when I was recording it, and this performance is highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of New Red Sun, the violin, or experimental music of any variety.

And, speaking of New Red Sun, here's some news:

New Release on featherspines records:

New Red Sun, who made an appearance on What's This Called? on 3 October, 2009, just released a new CD called Book of Sand and Moss. The best part about this CD is that it features the recording I made on that day. The CD contains two tracks, and clocks in at about 30 minutes. If you like beautiful guitar / violin work that gets as loud and aggressive as it does quiet and melodic, then this is the disc for you. It was cool to hear a recording I made have actual mastering; while I wasn't 100% pleased with the original recording I made, Jason Martinez at Fuzzhouse Productions did a fantastic job of cleaning up my mess. This CD rules. And I had something to do with it. Just sayin'.

And now, some scheduling news:

I will miss the next two weeks of shows due to more summer shenanigans. On the 14th, of August, a KPSU alum - Sascha - will be guesting on What's This Called?, and will cover Blasphuphmus Radio, too. Sascha was a fantastic DJ who has moved on to other things, and it is a rare treat to hear her on the radio. Her show was unbeatable when it was on the air, and I am very much looking forward to hearing what she comes up with. On the 21st: TBA! (Most likely another extended episode of What's This Called?)

I will be doing some make-up shows next week, as I still want to bring you more radio, but I don't know exactly when I'll be able to. Watch this space for more information.

Whew. I think that covers everything. This summer has been crazy, and I will be very much looking forward to doing business as usual. Until then, take care.