days of naze

the most important essay written in the last 5 years
09:38 PM

"Why has a seemingly endless string of administration scandals faded into oblivion? Why do Democrats keep losing elections? It's this: the traditional media, the trusted media, the 'neutral' media, have become the chief delivery mechanism of potent anti-Democratic and pro-Bush storylines."

Read it now.

Peter Daou perfectly articulates my observations and frustrations with the obedient traditional media. Stop accepting the language of the Right. Challenge it *every* time.

January 17, 2006

fight the power
07:53 PM

041013 edwards works the crowd.jpg

"Judge Alito has consistently sided with the most powerful interests, business or government, which concerns me greatly. But I am most concerned about his willingness to overlook executive abuse of power, which has been the hallmark of this administration. This is a judge who is way out of the mainstream, someone who disregards our fundamental rights and endangers our liberties. Join me today in urging Senate Democrats to stand together and use every means they have available to block this dangerous nomination."

My good buddy, John Edwards, and I urge you to sign his petition to Senate Democrats to prevent a nightmarish lifetime appointment of a radical right judge.

January 16, 2006

hear him
01:24 PM

"On this particular Martin Luther King Day, it is especially important to recall that for the last several years of his life, Dr. King was illegally wiretapped-one of hundreds of thousands of Americans whose private communications were intercepted by the U.S. government during this period.

The FBI privately called King the 'most dangerous and effective negro leader in the country" and vowed to 'take him off his pedestal.' The government even attempted to destroy his marriage and blackmail him into committing suicide."

-Al Gore on defending the U.S. Constitution from Bush/Cheney.

January 15, 2006

my letter to the Oregonian: put your money where your mouth is
03:34 PM

I learned many lessons in a fruitful 14-year career in the private sector. Now, as a successful fourth-grade teacher, I feel qualified to share a few thoughts in response to the Oregon Leadership Summit article (Jan. 10).

Successful companies make sure their employees stay close to their customers. As a teacher and a parent of three school-age children, I find that those who are close to the school are generally pleased with what they see. Conversely, I find that those lobbing the grenades are the most distant.

You can tell what is important to a business by what it invests in. As Oregon businesses' investment in public education has plummeted over the last 15 years, I've heard a lot of happy talk about the importance of education. Now I'd like to see results.

[temporary link courtesy of the short-sited design of the Oregonian's website.]

January 12, 2006

job interview
09:55 PM

A long time ago, when things made sense, you had to earn a job. The hiring manager would sort through hundreds and hundreds of applicants, skimming the cream. The gifted, the elite *might* get a call. Be here and impress us. Show us what you got. We *might* give you the job. We might not.

In Bush Bizarro World, theengs bakwurds. Krazy evun. Hee our gy. Wee pik himm. U say OK!!! U no lyke him?!!! Wee no kair!!!! Hee no stoopid. U pik him!!!

January 11, 2006

i give you joy, brother
10:09 PM

There are moments in a reader's life that he will remember all his life. It is with great satisfaction and some sadness that I complete the 20th and final volume of the epic 8000 page Aubrey/Maturin Series by Patrick O'Brian.

Regular Readers will remember that I am not a speed reader. As at a great meal, I savor each sentence with its own particular flavors and texture. I've spent 2 1/2 years with these characters on board the great sailing vessels of the early nineteenth century British Navy.

Master & Commander, the film, does an admirable job of conveying some of the key elements that make the series so compelling: the enterprising, companionable captain with his dear friend, ship's surgeon and intelligence agent; the peculiar insulated community of the ship's crew; and the extraordinary skill, fortitude, and cooperation required to carry out perilous missions on wild oceans at the mercy of the wind.

I imagine that the daunting naval vocabulary and the 18th century colloquialisms turn aside a great number of readers that take up the first book. And yet this is the very thing that will draw in those that perservere. O'Brian's world is vivid and rich because it is new to us. As we come to learn 'mizzenmast' and 'kedge', these things come to life. The beauty and craft of these ships is made real as is our sense of wonder in the technology of their time.

These dear characters, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, share a deep bond that is only attained through weathering countless hardships, tragedies, and triumphs together. O'Brian's greatest feat is the subtlety with which he shades and colors this comradery.

Will I soon forget this 20th century milestone in English literature? To quote my kindred spirit, Maturin: "Never in life, my dear."

January 04, 2006

life, injustice, and football
10:42 PM

I'm stil recovering from the Holiday Bowl. It's damn hard to have your worst game of the year in your bowl game. It's also hard not to second guess your center when he bad-snaps more than 6 times in a game. How is a QB to get in a rhythm when he is constantly picking up the ball off the goddamned turf?

The reality is that the Oregon Ducks were recovering from a 5-6 season in 2004, missing the bowl season for the first season in a *long* time. It marked a certain punctuation in the long rise of Oregon football.

This 10-2 season is, of course, in the long view a bit of a miracle. If you had asked me in August what I hoped for, I would have responded, "7-4 would be cool, 8-3 would be amazing". That we would do so well after losing Clemens to a season-ending injury is awe-inspiring.

Thank you, Oregon Ducks Football for an amazing season.

My loyalties run state, regional, and conference.

So when USC took the field tonight in the National Championship against Texas, I was pulling for the Trojans. I only have 2 things to say about the 38-41 Texas victory: 1) Vince Young is amazing. Absolutely amazing. 2) Texas pulled off another false victory by decision tonight. Slo-mo replay clearly showed that Vince Young's knee was on the ground when he threw his TD pass. Those 6 points made the critical difference. Why the officials in the booth didn't put the play up for review, I'll never know.

It's is another of life's parade of tragedies. USC was cheated of a 3rd national championship.

January 02, 2006

looking back, but just for a moment
10:47 PM

2005 was a fairly wild ride. Nothing to compare to the Richtor-scale 2001, but interesting nonetheless.

Up until 2001, I'd never liked summer much. But even compared with the very good summers I've been having since, 2005 will likely go down as my best summer ever. I participated in one of those rare educational experiences that leaves an indelible, enlightening mark: the Portland Writing Project, our local branch of the innovative National Writing Project. In a class of 25 teachers from all grades, led by 2 talented young instructors, we worked our asses off writing, learning how to teach writing, and practicing teaching writing for a month. I produced my best poem of my admittedly little developed poetry career, developed a deep respect for my colleagues in the district, and my teaching of writing has improved dramatically. I see more imaginative and better structured student work than I have before.

We bit the bullet and freed our poor 1909 bungalow from its aluminum siding bondage. Our carpenter did a sterling job restoring the damage that those 1960's clods did to the house and the painting contractor and crew did high quality work in applying the elegant color combination that we lifted from a house about 8 blocks south of us. The house has undergone an extreme makeover and she looks fabulous baby! My predictions that the house would prove chillier this winter have come true, but we are working that next step...

We also bit another bullet and had our 1960's kitchen upgraded to the 21st century. The disintegrating cabinets with the cheap magnet latches are gone as are the sad yellowing linoleum and frightening wallpaper. The new pantry and the good quality cabinet design make using the kitchen a noticeable pleasure every day, as the lingering missteps and errors of the contractor fade.

In August, I pieced together one of my finest vacation plans ever. Thanks in large part to my very good friend, Errett, who now lives in central Seattle, I spent 4 glorious days with my 2 boys in the Emerald City. We did it all, from a private tour of Nintendo America headquarters to the Experience Music Project to Ezell's Chicken to a sunset sail on Elliott Bay. And it was pure magic.

Very randomly, my mind turns to a technological delight. In the same way that digital photography blew down the barriers to really getting into photography, my Canon Pixma MP780 has blown my mind. This all-in-one replaces my admittedly archaic 1998 HP 722C. The print quality is amazing and impressively fast. I use the copy and fax functions infrequently, but they are a real convenience when I do.

Henry, the dense and oddly endearing cat, came to live with us and inspires us to write verse.

On the difficulties side of the ledger, I was bumped from my first teaching assignment, the best job I've ever had, by a teacher senior to me in the district whose school was closed. I'm grateful to have a teaching job at another great school in the district. However, it was a painful separation from a community that I had become quite attached to and the logistics of moving my entire classroom (40+ boxes and weeks of unpaid work) proved to be a trying experience.

My paternal grandmother, Mabel Naze, a woman who I was always able to have a good conversation with, lived a very long life which came to an end on my birthday (April 21) this year. This was the first funeral service where I ended up being the central coordinating figure. The family really came together and it was a beautiful service in Oregon City where she was laid to rest next to her beloved and long deceased husband, my adopted grandfather, Raymond Naze.