Tuesdatus

It's Tuesday and some excitement about the next two weekends of the running of the people and the running of the horses.  Evy is running in the marathon. Hurray for Evy.  As for the horsies, more on that next week. 

Meanwhile, Tenzin is here for a couple hours to teach Bea some Tibetan and to keep her entertained for long enough that a blog entry might appear. 

On the sign language front, the beast has picked up "hello", a simple salute from the forehead. She's still really into "milk" but she does it all the time, which makes us think she likes to do it but doesn't know what it means.

On the homeschooling front, we've had a lot of great feedback from people in the neighborhood. We're very excited about homeschooling in the cultural capitol of NYC. It turns out that the Brooklyn Waldorf School also offers classes for homeschoolers and right down the street from us is the Sunnyside Arts Cooperative where they offer ballet instruction in Japanese.  

There is no time for anything these days as usual, so a hello to Whit, Zoe, Ray, Catherine, Chris in Australia, Erik and Marcia, and all the crew. Evan too! And Miles and Rachel in the neighboring borough.

Zoe, we're doing shots for flu only for the Burmese Prince and myself.  We decided against swine flu shot for Bea since it's untested on the little ones, and our doctor doesn't have non-mercury seasonal flu shots for babies, and we can't find them anywhere. It's all a big conundrum of conundrumness but the bottom line is that we're viewing flu as not the plague. (In fact, our pediatrician says he hasn't seen swine flu in his pediatric patients yet this season. Queens and Brooklyn seem to have burned out on the swine flu.)

Jen B do you want to come over tomorrow? Do you have a key? Please just show up. If we're napping we'll be hiding out in the bedroom. 

Did you hear the one about the pilots who overshot the runway because they were on Facebook? If you've written to me on Facebook, I'm not there. Sorry.  

Also Catherine I will write to you re: Boulder/Denver.  Summer program is a great idea.

Other news is that it's raining in Sunnyside and that's all the news that there is. Peace out to all of you and we'll be back next week.

suddenly it became tuesday
and here we are. mother's little helper is a morning cocktail of tylenol and espresso (illy's of course). sunny in sunnyside and getting warmer (65 degrees today after several days of winter weather/starlings flown into the heather). the beast sneezes, giggles, and now suddenly has picked up some sign language. over the weekend she started signing "papa" and "milk". very odd. milk is now every ten minutes. as for sleep, a 3/3/2 pattern last night, which was a terrific relief from the 1/1/1/1/1/1... pattern of the last weeks. new additions to the routine: 9:30 a.m. Sesame Street in spanish. We've begun devising the home school curriculum. The state of New York mandates teaching "Patriotism" and "Civic Duty" and we're like whatever. Part of the reason we won't send the beast to school is that we don't want her to be forced to say the pledge of allegiance every morning. the beast is allegiant to herself only. meanwhile the two wonderful autumn events that bring us greatest joy are right around the corner: NYC marathon November 1 and Breeder's Cup November 6/7. more on these breaking stories soon. and onward to Plaza Sesamo.

Swine Flu Sunday
The good people of Lisablog say hello to all of you out there in the blogosphere. The beast is getting ready for bed by listening to her favorite CD, Kate Bush's Hounds of Love. Meanwhile we're mulling over the idea of the swine flu vaccination for the little one. Early reports are that side-effects are nil in adults, but there's no infant test-group. Also be aware that some of the vaccines being distributed do contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative. We're not big on vaccines, but we seem to be in the eye of the hurricane here in Queens. We may begin with the strategy known as "cocooning". Mama and papa butterfly will be vaccinated to protect the larva. We have more flu here earlier in the seaon, but not more dangerous flu. In fact, swine flu is pretty much the same as regular flu danger-wise. Count your blessings peops, it's not drug resistant. Other news is that it's chilly in Sunnyside and the heat is on. Time for the humidifier. We're watching Kenneth Anger films in the Sunday workshop. Today was Fireworks, Rabbit's Moon, and Invocation of My Demon Brother. We'll be back soon with more news from Pandemic City. Peace.

from Brother Anthony
Join Amy Goodman, the Award-winning Host of Democracy Now!
and New York Times Best-selling Author, for a Special Book Launch Event:


BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER
Monday, October 5
7:00 pm
Barnes and Noble, Tribeca
97 Warren St., New York, NY


"You can learn more of the truth about Washington and the world from one week of Amy Goodman's Democracy Now! than from a month of Sunday morning talk shows. Make that a year of Sunday morning talk shows. That's because Amy, as you will discover on every page of this book, knows the critical question for journalists is how close they are to the truth, not how close they are to power." --From the Foreword by Bill Moyers

"Amy Goodman is a towering progressive freedom-fighter in the media and the world. Breaking the Sound Barrier is another expression of her vision and courage." --Cornel West


ABOUT THE BOOK
Amy Goodman breaks through the corporate media's lies, sound-bites, and silence in this wide-ranging new collection of articles. In place of the usual suspects, the "experts" who, in Goodman's words, "know so little about so much, explain the world to us, and get it so wrong," this accessible, lively collection allows the voices the corporate media exclude and ignore to be heard loud and clear. From community organizers in New Orleans, to the courageous American soldiers who've said "No" to Washington's wars, to the victims of torture and police violence, we are given the extraordinary opportunity to hear ordinary people standing up and speaking out. As Willie Nelson says, "There is no one who should be more on the mainstream media, every day reminding us and giving us a glimpse of the power of one."

Written with all of the fierce intelligence and passion for truth that millions have come to expect from Amy Goodman's reportage, Breaking the Sound Barrier is, in Arianna Huffington's words, "crusading journalism at its best."

Breaking the Sound Barrier
By Amy Goodman, Edited by Denis Moynihan
Foreword by Bill Moyers
trade paper, $16, 380 pages
ISBN: 978-1-931859-99-8
Releasing simultaneously in audio book format


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Goodman is an award-winning investigative journalist and syndicated King Features columnist, author and the host/executive producer of Democracy Now! airing on nearly 800 stations worldwide. Goodman is the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award, widely known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize' for "developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media." Goodman is the co-author with her brother, journalist David Goodman, of three New York Times bestsellers: Standing Up to the Madness, Static, and The Exception to the Rulers.


To read more about, or purchase Breaking the Sound Barrier, visit
http://www.haymarketbooks.org
http://www.bn.com
http://www.amazon.com


To tune in to Democracy Now!, visit http://www.democracynow.org

The Beast Sleeps. Hence, we blog.  We're working on our homeschooling curriculum, and by the way, we're looking for other families in the NYC area with babies born in 2009-2010 to join our network. We'd like to have five kids schooled together in five different households with each family responsible for one day of schooling per week. The Beast and I are developing these classes now: British Monarchs (perhaps both the winged and non-winged ones), Legends of the Jews (inspired by the Carter Family's "Little Moses", and Human Origins. 

Speaking of human origins, did you read about Ardi? This is very exciting news. Tim White (part of Johanson's Lucy team) led the expedition that discovered Ardipithecus ramidus.  A tree swinger yes, 4 feet tall, 120 pounds, upright walking, but definitely tree-swinging. The little mama of us all.  Hurray for Ardi. And she's as old as the hills. 4.4 million years, approximately.

Other news is this: it's Sunny in Sunnyside and we're beginning week two of the avant-film workshop. Last week we covered Cocteau's Orphee, now onward to Spicer, and next week it's Kenneth Anger.

We're also looking for end-of-the-season gardening gigs.  If anyone needs bulbs planted or yard clean up, etc., etc., in the NYC and NJ and CT area, please let us know. We can work 1/2 days away from the Beast on F/SAt/Sun.

It turns out Brooklyn College announced its poet job opening that we were being groomed for before we retired last year. Wouldn't you know it, they forgot to tell me about the search.  How fickle is academia. Hope all you academicians-in-the-wings have fun duking it out in the mud-wrestling pit of the job glob. And once you get the job, the committee work should be a lot of fun.

Peace to you all as things just get worse in Afghanistan and why are we there again? Also NYTimes cover story says don't eat ground beef because of e coli, but also don't eat ground beef because being an about-to-be-eaten cow sucks.

September (Mid) Update

Yuki Lily Atkins has arrived! How about that? Three cheers for the whole Tim and Chiaki and Koto and Yuki crew over there.

A great week of visits here, one from Ray on Friday and one from Daniel today.

Big shouts out to Zoe and Whit. We'll write soon.

The beast has a cold, as do we, so baby cold tips are welcome. We are vaporizing and nose-bulbing.

Also from Daniel, a NYTimes story about the Evils of Ohio. Sorry Ohio:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/us/17ohio.html?_r=1&hpw

Not for the squeamish, yes, about Death Row.

Weather in Sunnyside: crisp and sunny and pretty much perfect.

Cat Update: Mina and Bela on the couch and Harry on the bed guarding the beast.

We have more to say soon, but now, onward to sleep.

This and That and The Other Thing

The Other Thing is that HIP/Healthy New York cancelled my health insurance because they say they didn't get my "recertification form" in May, but of course they didn't tell me they didn't receive the form that I sent to them, they simply canceled my insurance (after sending me a bill and cashing my check for August's coverage, which they're now not covering). So, welcome to America.  I've been told that I can reapply for HIP, though they'll exclude coverage of pre-existing conditions, and it will take 30 days, etc. They've also not covered payment for the ultrasounds I had during my last week of pregnancy because it was past my due date.

On a lighter note, we were up at the Mount Tremper Headquarters this weekend where the mushrooms are going crazy with the damp and cool of autumn. Asters and Jewelweed are winners too.  A bit of orange in a couple of the maple trees, and rain, rain, rain. Our lavender and sage are thriving. We're hoping to start dealing our herbs at the Sunnyside Farmers Market next year.

Meanwhile, the Burmese Prince watches American Dad while the Burmese Princess sleeps and Mina the cat lands on the couch like a blimp. Speaking of the Burmese Princess, she's decided that she does indeed like to sleep. After two weeks of waking, waking, waking up at night, she's now sleeping four and five hour shifts, which is exciting. She's also decided that she loves to watch the cars out the bus window while we transport her to and fro from the country. Travel becomes easier.

The week will be exciting with a visit from Grandma, a Wednesday meeting of the weekly Wednesday gaggle of women, and visits from Josh and Evan tomorrow.  Also Ray will be here on Friday and Daniel will visit on the weekend. 

The news is also that there's one more spot open in our Poetry and Film class beginning September 27, that's a Sunday. 12 weeks of avant-film and avant-poetry here in Sunnyside, Sundays 3:30-5:30.  If you're interested, please email us at ljarnot@gmail.com.

Peace out people. We'll be back next weekend.

Weekus
Peter S in London asks for more news about what we're doing here in the Sunnyside Offices. We wake at seven on most days because that's when the Beast wants to be washed and fed and entertained. At 9:20 there's a stroll through the neighborhood. At 10 there's a nap. Thomas heads to work at 9:22 or so most days. We were upstate last weekend, and were happy to get through the 3 hour bus ride without any major baby freak out. On Fridays we do "business". Usually this means going to the dentist or doctor or making business phone calls. This last Friday it was the dentist for Lisa of the Blog. Big filling, still throbbing, possible future root canal.  Saturday we checked out the Sunnyside Farmers Market and bought corn, apples, potatoes, and tomatoes. Last night we had dinner at our favorite mid-town restaurant Rosa Mexicano because we're coming up upon our fifth anniversary (we like to celebrate it on September 11th, but we really got together a few days earlier than that way back in 2004 in sunny old London which we miss a whole lot right now as the weather gets crisper and we dream of taking the Beast to her homeland.) Today we're watching tennis on television, not that we understand or like tennis. As for Lisa of the blog, the first three year plan has ended. Our accomplishments were good enough: ran a marathon, quit academia, studied mushrooms and trees, had a baby, etc. Now, looking onward into the next three year plan there are other mountains to climb. On this round we'll finally get the Duncan biography into print, take the Beast to England and Italy for birthday number one (anniversary number six), and begin a new teaching venture: a six semester series of classes covering Basil Bunting's list of great writers: Homer, Ferdosi, Maucherhri, Dante, Hafez, Malherbe, Aneurin, Heledd, Wyatt, Spenser, Sidney, and Wordsworth. We'll also dig into our studies in Ornamental Horticulture at Farmingdale State College, and we'd like to run a marathon in Dublin or Tokyo. Next weekend we're up to the Mount Tremper Headquarters to get the wood burning stove cleaned in time for the winter fire season. Happy week to all the blog readers, and we'll be back soon. Peace.

Abandon the Creeping Meatball

We're just back from the Mount Tremper Headquarters where all these things are in bloom: Evening Primrose, Tansy, Asters, Bee Balm, Butter and Eggs, and Bladder Campion. Asters are of course the big end of the season fireworks. Now, back in Sunnyside where it's sunny and the Burmese Prince is watching Family Guy. Cat Update: Bela is asleep behind the rocking chair, Mina is staring at the couch, and Harry is on the couch staring at Mina. Friend Update: Miles and Rachel had a good weekend at the Manse, Evan is maybe back from Puerto Rico soon, Zoe took Tristan camping, Bruce is busy painting, Rebecca's new book is out and she had a great write-up in the Times last week. Here's the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/books/21book.html 

Beast Update: Beast now chews her toes on a regular basis.

As for us, we find there's no time to do "work" work, and the Duncan book lingers again moving closer to production, but not in production. We've also deferred our enrollment to Farmingdale State College to January. Disappointing, yes, but onward to Object Relations. We're finding that our Beast Object is more of an education than we've ever had anywhere under any circumstance. So, we're spending the year engaged in baby-raising, and then back to work. Our first real "professional" obligation will be a trip to our favorite place, Naropa, in June of 2010. This is something we can sink our teeth into.

Mostly we've found that having a kid reminds us how much we want to abandon the creeping meatball. Poetry Business seems as stupid as ever and the world of Capitalism is even more appalling. Trying to negotiate the subway with an infant at rush hour is a great lesson in the depressingness of Capital. Who is rushing where and why? We've never seen any point to it. People don't need money, they need each other.

We'll be back next week with early September news. Peace out people.

roach assassin needed
hello peops. we need someone to come over on wednesday this week for four hours to clean all the roaches and roach eggs out of the kitchen cupboards. we're trying to de-roach the apartment without the use of a bomb (not easy, but necessary with the little beast in the place). we can pay a modest killing fee ($50) for the job. we can also provide lunch and tea. please email us at ljarnot@gmail.com if you are interested. peace.