I Have a Bad Feeling about This...

If you're not familiar with the Red Letter Media video reviews of the first two Star Wars prequels, then you should go to this website and watch them: www.redlettermedia.com. The premise: some creepy mega-nerd picks apart Episodes I and II, because, well, they're utter crap. Disclaimer: these video reviews use explicit language and imagery. Don't watch if you're offended by...anything. And don't accidentally watch the Star Trek reviews. Well, not right now. That's just not important at the moment.

So, this Plinkett guy--the one doing these hysterical, poignant (and often disturbing) critiques--is currently working on his video review of Episode III. I just deigned to watch that movie for the second time total in my life, and I guess I wanted to use this forum to preemptively rip the film a new hole before Mr. Plinkett gets the chance. My guess is that we'll be on the same page on most of this. I'm not going to dwell on too much--I just want to see if I can strike a few chords with you, my dear readers.

One of the things Plinkett does well (besides being the most creepy film reviewer alive) is that he reminds us of what is important about the original movies. You should know this, because you should have spent time watching those reviews the moment I provided you a link. What, you don't click on links when they're so generously given to you? Watch the stuff. It's really funny, I swear. This dude is very much in-tune to the mythos and iconography created by the original trilogy, and he does a great job showing how George Lucas effs it up royally in the more recent movies. Take, for example, some of his criticism from the Ep. II review. First, he points out that Yoda's mystique has to do with his sage wisdom when revealing the nature of the Force. You watched it, so you know what I'm talking about. What? You didn't watch it? I gave you the link like two paragraphs ago! Come on. So--we see from Yoda that the Force has something more to do with swinging light sabers around. When our little green friend jumps around like a maniac fighting Sith Lords in these movies, it kind of runs that mystique into the ground. Similarly, Plinkett shows how the second prequel shows a bunch of little kids doing the training routine that we always inferred Obi Wan improvises aboard the Millennium Falcon. I mean, the point is that these movies take the ideas we let germinate in our minds for 20-30 years and then...well, damn--I can't quite keep that seedling-plant metaphor working. Lucas takes our natural inferences and then cheapens them. That's the point.

So, this little unimportant internet posting is going to just let you know how that happens a few places in The Revenge of the Sith (anyone good at anagrams, by the way?). See, there are some of you out there who have decided that this movie was "good." Better than I and II? Maybe. Good? Hell no. See, I'm going to talk about the original trilogy for a moment, and you're going to forget anything you know about the prequels while we're reminiscing about this stuff. You on board? You better be. Seriously. We're in original trilogy land right now. We're remembering how we took these ideas in when we watched them for the first-through-fifteenth time, OK?

Remember the power of gradual reveal? We see Darth Vader, and we notice that he's in some kind of crazy armor. We hear his labored, mechanical breathing, and we infer that his suit is also some kind of life-support system. In Empire, we see his little egg chamber, where we infer (I keep using this word, which means I'm assuming we were all capable of inference when we saw these films) that this is a rejuvenation chamber. In addition to needing his machine-like suit, he needs to go to his egg-spa now and again. All of this is keeping him alive. We even get to see his gross-looking eggy head in this movie--but only from behind. By the time Obi Wan's ghost tells Luke that Vader is "more machine than man, now" in Return of the Jedi, we've gotten the picture. The idea of Vader's corrupted body has been planted in our brain and gradually reinforced (unlike Vader himself, the building of the character's myth is quite organic). And now's the part where you reflect. How many of you got the metaphor? Evil corrupts! The corruption of Vader's body gives us this great visual image for how his soul has also been corrupted by the Dark Side. Wow! Good storytelling. And let me ask you--didn't you get this amazingly tragic backstory in your mind about how this corruption happened over time? The reveal was gradual, and, as we infer it, we get the sense that the actual corruption was gradual as well. The more evil acts the man perpetrates, the more battle-damage he incurs. Did anyone get the sense that, even after becoming evil, it took years before Vader was in a full-body life-support suit? Maybe there were several proto-Vader suits along the way. Be honest with yourself, because I'm guessing I'm not the only one who felt this. It never tells us, but the myth we all to build in our mind surely went along this direct, right? Search your feelings--you know it to be true.

Well, turns out your feelings were utter crap. You know how he got that effed-up? After a stupidly long fight scene, Anakin triple-summersaults over Obi Wan, and the good Master Kenobi cuts off Ani's everything in a single swing of his sword. See: WTF? Oh yeah. Then Anakin catches on fire. His ugly egg-mug is achieved in this moment, too. Obi cut off everything but his head and his already-robotic right hand. Am I alone in thinking that this totally decimates that mythology of Darth Vader implied in the original movies? What? Oh good, you're crying because of how lame this is. What? You think this scene is well-crafted theatrical tragedy? During a 15-minute fight, neither of the two Jedi scratches the other. Then, in one goofy-looking, ill-concieved cartoon flip, Anakin let's ALL OF HIS BODY PARTS get chopped off? Sorry for shouting, but that's dumb. Real dumb.

Same principle with Palpatine. We know he exists in the first real Star Wars film. We see him in profile in the second, and we notice that his face is all old and pale and generally vile-looking. Finally, in Jedi, we see the old dude. He's old. Really, really nastily old. He walks really oddly because his body is old and crippled--corrupted, in fact. His corruption is barely concealed. Surely this is because he's insanely old (not, for instance, 60), sustained only because he has vampirically sucked on the Force to sustain his vile and putrid existence. Wait...never mind. It turns out that lightening makes you look old, ugly, and decrepit. Once again, the visual metaphor of evil corrupting over time is ruined. Seriously, you didn't find this scene comical? Or at least sad in the "oh my God what were they THINKING?" sort of way? In both of these instance, it's like our friend George said, "Oh, shit. What have I been doing this whole trilogy? I made Palpatine about 40-60 years younger than he should have been. Also, if the fans don't see Darth Vader transform into the precise way he looks in the original movies--even though it's 18 years earlier--fans will be confused. They might not get that Anakin becomes Vader, or something. And they better see them start to build the Death Star. That'll take nearly two decades to complete, by the way. Not that they couldn't almost build Death Star II in about six years, or however the hell long the time elapsed in the original movies was." I mean, really?

Will I go there? Yeah, I will, because it shows the utter disregard for the Star Wars mythology that's been in our hearts and minds for years. If you think this next bit is nit-picky, then you're partly right. I want you to consider, however, the fact that it screws up the most touching scene to take place in Ewok-land. Anyway, Luke says to Leia, "Do you remember your mother? Your real mother?" No! Don't you dare try to rationalize this backwards based on the farcical plot of the new movies. I know where you're going, and just shut up and think about what that moment meant in Jedi. See, Leia answers without hesitation, saying she was "very beautiful...kind, but sad." I don't even want to post a video of the 30 seconds during which Leia was alive and Ms. Padme-Pants was still alive. I guess two-second-old Leia was so strong in the Force that she gleaned that impression from her inexplicably dying mother. What? Oh, maybe she was talking about Whatsherface Organa, her adopted mother. Because, of course, Luke emphasizing that he's talking about Leia's real mother wouldn't hint otherwise. And it like, wouldn't destroy the purpose of that scene--that Luke is trying to learn something about his own mother, the woman he now realizes is also Leia's...forget it. The movie decided it could change majorly important details revealed during important emotional scenes in the original films.

Trust me. This isn't me nerd-blabbing about minor inconsistencies--this is me pointing out shameful writing and equally shameful disregard for things that we actually care about, i.e. the emotional content and powerful mythology of the original trilogy. Now let's see how much of this is also hit upon in the Red Letter Media review.

The Mind of David Paul Lewis: Thoughts Between Thoughts

Pre-Reading: Let's build our background knowledge! In order to understand the content of this post, it might be useful to check up on the following facts concerning David Paul and his quirky but lovable life:

• Many people believe that David Paul Lewis has unnatural and sometimes non-cohesive thoughts patterns. That will be left to your judgment, but this article will attempt to parse these thoughts that cross Davey's mind--and the scientifically contentious "micro-thoughts" that weave between them, engendering new thoughts at surprising moments.
• Davey is smart. He is funny. You should love him very much.
• Sometimes, however, Davey's quirky sense of intellectual and playful exploration has led him to discover "really really nerdy" websites. This should not prevent you from loving him very much.
• One such "really really nerdy" website is www.gannon-banned.com. This website sucks and is made by some pretentious guy who plays Zelda games so much that all he does is try to beat them faster than he did the previous day. That, and make fun of people on the internet for misspelling or misunderstanding Zelda-related trivia. The premise: people who make Zelda spelling mistakes get the words "GANNON-BANNED" shouted in all caps on web pages for losers. Not me. Real no-lifes. Anyway, I didn't even try to turn that URL into a link because the website is so dismissible.
  
• Davey loves spoonerisms. See the examples!

Purpose for Reading: As you read, note how David Paul Lewis, by nearly entirely subconscious processes, turns a brief and idle musing on a student's last name to an explanation for an entirely fictitious (but very convincing) genetic disorder.

Main Text: "Idle Musings"
by David Paul Lewis







David Paul Lewis:
What is he thinking?



So, she arrived several days late, but I had to let it fly. A late registrant for summer school. Her first three days were to be excused without question. I asked her name, and she told me: R****** Blannon.

Blannon I mused. What a (mildly) remarkably silly last name. My thoughts drifted along a linguistic tangent. Ready the blannons! On my mark...Fire!!! Then: I think that would make an excellent yogurt...Blannon. With a line for kids--Blanimals! Finally: Blannon! Like Ganon, Link's eternal foe in Zelda games...

See, at this point, that dumb website comes in. More thoughts, this time not in italics, because I've chosen to number them, instead:
1) Blannon--but spelling it that way would get me BLANNON-BANNED!
2) I hate that effing website and the self-righteous supernerds that adhere to it's supposed importance.
3) Whatever...Blannon!
4) Tehe.
5) Hmm...Blannon...Bland? No.
6) Blannon...Gand? Almost a spoonerism, but there's that "L"...
7) Rule of [something I learned in math class long ago]: If I add "L" to one side of the equation, I must add it to the other...
8) Modified Spoonerism...equals...
9) BLANNON-GLAND!

Little did I know that I had discovered a completely made up organ in the brain, one that is inert in most humans, but which creates terrifying results in others. See, I came to know R******, or "Ra-Ra," for short. She's the type of person I would have hitherto described as "lacking a filter between brain and mouth." Something like...

• Mr. Lewis: Let's all fill in the first two columns in our table groups...

• Ra-Ra Blannon: What the f*** are we 'posed to be doing?

• Mr. Lewis: We're all going to fill in...

• R-R B: It's hot as a wh*** in here!

But...GASP! No, Lewis...not a lack of a filter...but...the presence of something else?!?!? At this point, my entirely scientific mind knew the immediate truth. Such behavior (elsewise exhibited by S**** W*********, L*** I*****, and sometimes even K****** L****) is the result of an over active Blannon Gland! This little-understood member of the brain secretes...um...probably Blanninin...and, when this is unchecked, one looses the ability to think before speaking. In the words of Socrates, "It must be true--necessarily so!" (my emphasis).

So...that's a little guided tour of how my mind works. Keep in mind that this thought process happened in nigh-unintelligible spurts of brain activity in the nano-seconds in between the real and important thoughts that I think on a regular basis. I wasn't even aware of the fullness of these profound meditations until I began writing this post. Although I've identified the Blannon Gland and it's functions, I have yet to determine which part of my brain it is that allows me to be so...inspiring. This is DPL, signing off...

Post-Reading:
If you haven't talked to Davey in a while, write him a 250-word essay explaining why you love him so.

News from the World of Music

Today I must share sad news for all of you who have been following my blossoming music career with the prestigious Bak Alley Muzak Recording Corporation, Incorporated. My forthcoming album, Davey Does Rihanna (Using His Computer!), will not be released as planned.

Even more startling are the egregious circumstances under which this mega-hit-to-be has been done in! After all these years, it turns out my supposed friends at Bak Alley were little more than petty crooks! And to think that I trusted their Very Impressive Credentials! You can't counterfeit crayon--how did they pull this off?! I've never been in such a tizzy! Every sentence in this paragraph contains an exclamation point!

There is some silver lining here, however. Firstly, I was able to retain one of the rough cuts from the early recording sessions. Listen to this exclusive track here:
Download Davey - Umbrella

The final tracks for all 15 hits were, unfortunately, stolen from me. I have reason to believe that the full album will be released, however, although it will be marketed as Recrimination under the obviously phony name of "Justin Timberlake." Isn't "Timberlake" a sporting goods and apparel retailer? Sigh. Will my musical prowess never be recognized? At least you all know the truth.

Bill and Billy Special Report: Tolerance

Hi. I'm Bill.

And I'm Billy. We're broth-

We've got this deal, see, where we get to do one of Davonian's blog posts every once in a while.

Yeah, like every week. It's...

Quiet, you. I'm older, so I get to do the talking. Plus, I'm the one that did the research for this week's topic.

Um, Bill, about your research...

Thank me later, Billy. Anyway, folks, have you seen these bumper stickers around? Ones like this:
Yeah, Bill, I'm telling you, you're research is...

Have you wondered what their talking about? I'm supposed to believe in tolerance. I think that's what it says, at least. But I surely can't tolerate everything, can I Billy?

I usually can't tolerate you...

That's the spirit. It's mutual. And here's the thing, there must be some other hidden message. I figure--they're telling us which things we're specifically supposed to tolerate. It's not just some funny font, but each letter means something!

Did you just speak in my voice?

No, that was emphasis, you nitwit. Anyway, can I give my presentation now, uninterrupted?

Okay, be my guest...

Right. So I researched what each symbol means. In the spirit of tolerance, may it be known that we are not to impede the following practices or beliefs:


1) Capital Punishment Via Crucifixion. The "T" in tolerance is a cross, and my sources tell me that such an object--two planks of wood nailed or tied together to make this unique shape--was often used for hanging criminals. Whatever your views are on capital punishment, you have to admit that it's OK as long as the state mandates this method be used.

Bill, I...

Shhhh. I did the research after all, now, onto the next one:


2) Nuclear Disarmament. Ha. This one was easy. It was originally used by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. It's a semaphoric representation of the initials "N" and "D." No matter our views on WMDs, we are urged to be tolerant of those who wish them dismantled.

[Sigh]

No objection? Moving on, then:


3) Ritual Scalping. This crude weapon is best used for removing an enemy's scalp. It often is necessary for its user to go into a berserker rage in order to achieve the raw, animal power to perform such an inhuman act. But, as it is, the powers that be are asking us to permit this practice.

Oh, that's it. Listen, you've got it all wrong, big brother!

Oh, really? Listen, I was about to move on to the "E", which clearly shows a male sign positioned over a female sign, demonstrating our need to tolerate the traditional cowboy po-

No, no, no!

You are not going to sit there and tell me that we are also to be intolerant of dreadlocked flautists? The prominent urban gang known as the Crips? Archways with round windows? The waning crescent phase of the moon's natural cycle, for God's sake? I mean, how are we suppose to stop that one? And what about Mr. Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Isn't that what this whole bloody things, about, relativity? Hmmm?

Just because you were born eight minutes before I was does not mean you're smarter. Listen--I don't think you showed what those symbols are supposed to represent in each case, and I don't think you've taken the message of the whole thing quite right. Furthermore, you're going to get us fired. Our boss is a proud liberal and he probably has one of the those Tolerance bumper stickers himself!

I checked with him; he doesn't. He said the message behind it was so obvious and common-sensical that he hoped society didn't need to be told. But I told him we'd show him just how scholarly-like the whole thing can be.

Oh goodness. This will never do. [Clocks Bill with the blunt end of the "L" in "Tolerance." Bill's down for the count]. Alright, until next time, folks (if there is one)...

Public Service Announcements (Lighter)

Dear Everyone,

For the betterment of our mutual "getting-on," I am obliged to make the following Public Service Announcements:

001: In the absence of working traffic lights, the law states that everyone should proceed as if it were a four-way stop. This means alternating turns. It's really quite safe and efficient this way. If you aren't afraid of car accidents, you should listen to "Last Kiss" as performed by Pearl Jam-- or possibly whichever band originally wrote it.

002: It is, without any doubt, pronounced new-clee-ar. Even if you're a Republican, there's no excuse. And shame on you people for actively training that poor Palin lady to say it incorrectly just for the sake of "folk-appeal." She's still in a downward spiral.

003: It is not obligatory to transform every "fun" element from our collective pop culture into a feature film. Sometimes, this is downright inadvisable. If you are going to base a movie on an animated television series which was in turn based on an action figure, you might be headed down the wrong track.

004: It is universally recognized that CAPITAL LETTERS IMPLY A RAISED VOICE (i.e. YELLING). Some people are squeamish, and this might startle them. My apologies for any "accidents" I've inadvertently caused.

005: The government recommends that the following be on hand in case of an emergency: three gallons of water per person in the household, an AM/FM radio with extra batteries, and at least one flashlight (with batteries) per person. The government has not yet approved its recommended household survival plan in case of a zombie invasion. Congress, are you reading this?

006: The following test will help you determine if your iPod's volume is up too high: 1) Listen to the iPod at the volume you (probably in error) find appropriate; 2) Pull the "earbuds" from your ears and hold them about three inches away; 3) Ascertain whether you can still hear the music; 4) If you can, reduce the volume and begin a step 1; 5) Repeat until it clear that you, and you alone can hear the music.

007: If you didn't like Quantum of Solace nearly as much as Casino Royale, I suggest approaching with a different set of expectations. This is what I call "The Zen Approach to James Bond." See, usually, we amp up our heart rate and overall nervous system for action movies. Instead, try dimming the lights and lighting some scented candles. Relax as much as possible before viewing. Do guided meditation or deep breathing (in through your nose, out silently through your mouth), if you're into that sort of thing. Contemplate some traditional koanic expressions ("If a tree falls...") for a little while. When you find that everything slows down and crystalizes around you, you're probably ready. Watching this movie in such a trance-like state might show it to be quite profound--it may even provide you with your own quantum of solace.

008: Mr. Lewis will readily argue against the following misguided statements:
-"Those who can't do...." Sorry, can't actually bring myself to finish this one.
-"A pun is the lowest form of humor." Just bad puns, actually.
-"There is no knowledge that is not power." I saw this on a Mortal Kombat arcade game. What about those pieces of knowledge that wound us beyond repair? Oddly enough, more knowledge is the often the best remedy, but, as it stands, sometimes knowledge can be kind of crippling. Doesn't mean it's not the best policy.

009: This one is useful to any city planners out there: A street sign at every real intersection is pretty ideal. Also, they should be visible from the road well before the car has passed the intersection. If they point outward, away from the intersection itself, odds are they will be harder to see. Especially if there are trees, lamp posts, or telephone poles. DO YOU HEAR ME, BALTIMORE? (Yelling intentional--couldn't contain my feelings.)

010: If you like my blog, you should let me know. I'm a sucker for positive reinforcement. If you don't like it, you should send me humorous hate mail.

Sonia, Stick to your Guns! (Serious)

I liked Sonia Sotomayor from the moment I first heard about her. It's mostly because of one of the first things about her that became widespread news was a "controversial" quip that's now been cited ad infinitum. Apparently, this quote has to be an asterisk that floats in her wake during her nomination hearings.

I was reading the Baltimore Sun during lunch today. I picked it up so I could do the crossword puzzles and the Jumble. I not only picked it up, but I paid the new outragous price of $1.06 for it. And you know what? It was a shell. A skeleton paper. All it had was the cover section. I had a pen in my hand a puzzler's mind, and now this? So what did I do? I read a news article and I scrawled notes in the margins. Why? Because I had decided that, today, I would start writing a blog. So I read the article "Court Pick Fights Back" (here--you can read it online! For free! See: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/bal-te.sotomayor15jul15,0,293579.story). I actually sat there and wrote rough draft for this blog entry on top of the obituaries.

If you peek at the article, you'll see that the headline explains how the Supreme Court nominee is "fighting back" against allegations that she will bring too much race or gender bias to the court. Way-back-when, Judge Sotomayor gave a rallying cry for the underrepresented, proclaiming that "a wise Latina woman" would be better suited on the bench that a white male.

The point, at least on a surface level: The experience that comes with being a woman and a minority gives a much greater perspective for a court justice.

The counterargument: Justices are charged with interpreting the constitution, and they are therefor interpreters of the law, not empathic or subjectively independent decision makers.

So, according to this article, how is Sotomayor so scrappily fighting back her accusers? Well, apparently by indicating that her remarks were "a rhetorical flourish that fell flat," or by saying that the statement "was bad because it left the impression that I believed that life experience commanded a result in a case, but that's clearly not what I do as a judge."

Good--you've let them know that you won't be applying unfair bias. But did you miss the point that inspired your original remark? You're certainly not hitting on the part of it that is inspirational and enlightening to me. It's a nuanced position, but let's try to make sense of it.

Let's start with a question: Why might someone who has lived her life facing discrimination and bias be a good suit for the nation's highest court? Is it because of the particular political perspective it would give her? I don't think that's what she meant. Someone who has seen her own life affected by others' biases can sniff out real bias when she sees it. The honest truth is that bias works its way into peoples' perspectives--and the laws they create--in subtle ways. Someone who hasn't lived a life learning to discern subtle biases in perspectives, statements, and even laws--well, this person might quite honestly be at a disadvantage to a "wise" individual who has seen these things.

Consider this: It took a nation about sixty years to collectively wise-up and decide that "separate is inherently not equal." If, in 1896, a little bit of diversified perspective had been injected into the all-white-male court that ruled over Plessy v. Ferguson, perhaps a wiser decision could have been made. How much collective experience facing subtly dehumanizing social conditions had these upstanding gentlemen faced? I'm taking a wild guess, but I'm going to say that it was minimal. It wasn't until 1954 that Brown v. Board would clean up that mess.

Potential objection: We're all a lot less prejudiced then they were then.

My counterargument: Certain issues have gradually been integrated into our nation's comfort zone of tolerance. Would the average citizen be able to notice how a law requiring "literacy tests" as mandatory for a public service post might be subtly racist? Maybe not--but those who've struggled to master two languages in their household in addition to a job-related skill unrelated to an extensive and esoteric English vocabulary? Maybe they'd see something different.

My big take-away point: I think Ms. Sotomayor was downright inspired when she made her initial comment. She used language that is definitely alienating for anyone uncomfortable assessing their own biases or examining whether they're as lucid as they claim. Like she said, there was a "rhetorical flourish" to it. I hope she hasn't backed down on the initial notion that surely inspired the claim--the notion that our experiences facing bias can inform us on how to eliminate such instances of bias in the future. When she's officially appointed, I hope that her wisdom--which has plenty to do with life experience--is on full display.

Introduction: It's a Carnival...

What was your high school like? If possible, picture one of the hallways you frequently traversed during your ninth-grade year. There are likely rows of lockers (are they green, blue, red?) lining the walls, broken intermittently by classroom doorways. It's passing period--students are leaving class and heading toward lunch. Teachers are standing casually in the doorways. Do you have the picture? Is the schema intact?

Yes? Good, let's wreck a bit, shall we? Are the lockers neatly painted? Are they in working order? Let's take a big hammer and mess around with that bit. How's the floor? Carpeted? That's no good--tear it out, reveal the discolored tiles beneath. And what is that I'm seeing? Didn't they have spray paint where you came from? And Sharpie markers? And various etching tools? Well, take up such tool's in your mind's steady grasp and wreak some havoc, why don't you.

And the students, are they progressing in an orderly manor? Nah, they're high school kids, bound to be a bit rebellious. But wait, they're not stampeding? There isn't utter din, unbridled chaos? Better fix that--we're trying to get into the right frame of mind here.

Okay, we've got disrepair. We've got disorder. We've got utter, screaming, senseless mayhem. I think we're in essentially the same place now. We're at the undisclosed inner-city high school where I happened to teach at the undisclosed time when our story takes place. We're me. We're an English teacher, one who is paying some colleagues on the third floor a casual visit. The chaos doesn't phase us. It's part of the expected scenery.

And yet, our esteemed colleague's comment still strikes us as appropriate: "It's a carnival, Mr. Lewis!" This is what Ms. ________ shouts to us from down the hall. She strolls through the chaos. It morphs around her to make room as she walks toward us. Her smile is bright, but her eyes are glazed over with fatigue from the daily grind. And yes, what an appropriate metaphor she has provided. It's wild, full of illusions and games which we all know are rigged, and while the whole thing may be a bit of a wild ride, it's ultimately pretty expensive--possibly not worth the cost. Yep, this job is a carnival. We say as much.

"Oh, yeah, it really is, Ms. _________. I can't believe how wild it is up here." We say. We smile, and we imagine our eyes have the glaze over them, too.

"No, Mr. Lewis. It's a carnival this weekend. Up at Security. In the mall parking lot. We should all go on Friday!"

Pause. Mental pathways reconstruct themselves to allow for the functional shift. Correlation to prior experiences, mostly from our students: "It's a mouse in the room, Mr. Lewis;" "It's always somebody trying to play me, naw'saying?" Etc. Meaning found.

"Oh, there is, is there?" Emphasis added. At the time, no sarcasm. No being smart. Just reaching out a hand and finding mutual understanding.

See, as I see it, it--the greater it, namely life--is quite like a carnival. And the mirrors likely show you something other than what you first expect. You have to examine closely to figure out what's really going on. I'm tempted to prolong the metaphor, but I'm tired just thinking about it.

Oh, and we did go to the carnival at Security--a mall named for the nearby Social Security Administration--and we had a blast. Killer time.

Hope this blog is a good fun-house mirror for the world we live in. It's really just a bunch of my perceptions--and, of course, you're own interpretation of them. Maybe it'll be fun.