tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33759892011-12-14T21:59:09.841-05:00Gaga goes ballistic.Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.comBlogger1331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1146805750684333992006-05-05T00:05:00.000-05:002006-05-05T00:09:10.696-05:00

*At the very high speed of living, everyone needs a new career and anew job and a totally new personality every ten years.-Marshall McLuhan, "Probes" (1960s-70s)Gagaians,On wise and careful consideration, I will no longer write the Gagasaga nor send them to your email addresses.I have been at this for about ten years. I have filled your mailboxeswith well over a million words over that time, and

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1138119542887459432006-01-24T11:18:00.000-05:002006-01-24T11:19:02.900-05:00

Canada just went through a federal election (Jan 23) where theProgressive Conservative Party replaced the Liberal Party as minoritygovernment.If there can be one good thing said about Canadian voters, it is thatthey are willing to test drive the Conservatives before endorsingtheir mandate completely. That is, without a clear majority, Canadianswill get to see what changes this government will

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1137862915563135502006-01-21T11:48:00.000-05:002006-01-21T12:01:55.596-05:00

In a recent article in the LA times, the UCLA alumni are paying $100 to students who report on professors who teach "abusive, one-sided or off-topic" political ideologies. Hmm. So I guess that means we will never be able to hear about Marxism ever again in our schools. I suppose too we will never be able to hear about Greek democracy either, for it was a rather extreme form of the erzatz type of

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1137112345794555102006-01-12T19:19:00.000-05:002006-01-12T19:38:51.666-05:00

I'm in a real quandary over this Christian thing that is now sopervasive in N. America. Here's the latest instance which gave mepause. It's for an ESL teaching job in Taiwan, but Canadians run it:Christian teachers wanted for Taichung, TaiwanPosted By: JacksonFive Christian English SchoolDate: Wednesday, 11 January 2006.** JacksonFive Christian English School **** English Immersion School with an

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1131294103050207722005-11-06T11:18:00.000-05:002005-11-06T11:26:09.560-05:00

I recently read an interview with Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and Lee Stringer ("Shaking hands with God") and since I didn't know anything at all about Lee Stringer, I read his book "Grand Central Winter."I'd recommend it if you ever wanted to know what life is like living on the street as a crack addict. Stringer spent ten years living on the streets and was a crack-addict. The thing about Stringer that

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1128262286659193452005-10-02T09:04:00.000-05:002005-10-02T09:11:26.660-05:00

The recently released David Cronenberg film goes by so quickly you hardly realize you've sat for two hours. The film could go on and on and still be engaging, but it ends at just the right moment, the "after the conflict--now how do we live with each other" moment. It echoes films such as The Killers (1946) and Shane (1953) in the idea of a violent past that creeps up on the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1128261727049864942005-10-02T08:59:00.000-05:002005-10-02T09:02:07.060-05:00

John Brademas was in Ottawa recently, celebrating 15 years of the Canada-US Fulbright Program. He talked about ignorance in US education.Here are a few quotes from his talk:"I think it not too much to say that among the reasons the United States has encountered so much trouble with so much loss of life and treasure in Vietnam and now in Iraq, is ignorance--ignorance of the cultures, histories,

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1125341831591256592005-08-29T13:15:00.000-05:002005-08-29T14:00:19.923-05:00

Sometimes I forget what the purpose of things are.But not last night.My sister and I went to see the Rolling Stones.It was a perfect summer evening. Clear skies, calm, 28c. Forty-five thousand people in the Ottawa's Landsdowne Park stadium, about 20,000 out on the streets. Not a single agro incident.There is so much written about the Stones more words I can throw at it won't possibly do it

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1124110049933534192005-08-15T07:44:00.000-05:002005-08-15T07:47:29.940-05:00

The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.-Adolf HitlerSo,What's up with gas prices?If you were to believe what "they" tell you, here are the reasons:1) China and other foreign nationals are buying it up like crazy because of their spurting economic growth (Purport: China is BAD!... those goddamned foreigners are taking it away from "us", the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1123594522877270462005-08-09T08:33:00.000-05:002005-08-09T08:35:22.883-05:00

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1123213021526717422005-08-04T22:36:00.000-05:002005-08-04T22:42:36.866-05:00

Gee, I was expecting some trumped-up conspiracy theory and horrible deaths from the recent Toronto airplane crash. Interestingly, I found myself becoming impatient with the fact there was nothing "terrible" -- other than a messy wrecked airplane on the runway. No deaths, no jihad, no dark-eyed, semitic people with homemade bombs. C'mon Mr. Media, gimme some reason to hate those "sub-human

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1113640889903092632005-04-16T03:40:00.000-05:002005-04-16T03:43:43.030-05:00

1It's yet another New Year's celebration here as it is in the thick heat of summer. Phnom Penh is an interesting place to be. The people are emerging from under the rock they've been oppressed with economically and politically, but lest we forget: those that were senior warriors in Pol Pot's (Khmer Rouge) reign of terror now constitute the current government, so not much development can happen

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1113640756073719552005-04-16T03:38:00.000-05:002005-04-16T03:39:16.073-05:00

So far the fact finding mission to Cambodia has been fruitful. Right now in Kampot, a more of less abandoned French colonial enclave with wide boulevards and beautiful French architecture. A very laid back atmosphere, one that would suit future relocation considerations.Sihanoukville was an odd place--sort of an array of accomodations, restaurants and bars that don't quite fit the surrounding

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1111731788301527332005-03-25T01:20:00.000-05:002005-03-25T01:35:40.573-05:00

... It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly and farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1111022704971814772005-03-16T20:23:00.000-05:002005-03-16T20:25:04.973-05:00

1Sideways. Paul Giamatti, who for some reason was overlooked by the Oscar folks (even for a nomination!) plays the frumpy, paunchy, balding, whiney, embittered unhappily divorced man to a tee.  The perception of this guy is that he isn't really acting but just playing himself. After all, his first screen role was "Pig Vomit"-- the insufferable, New York radio middle manager in Howard Stern's

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1110080320077829602005-03-05T22:28:00.000-05:002005-03-05T22:38:40.086-05:00

The usual exchange of ideas on education you can peruse. It starts with an essay by Christopher Lasch, then a comment from a colleague, and the Gaga follow-up. Enjoy? Yer Gaga ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gaga sez: I know you'll think of some pun for the subject of Lasch's essay. Here's the URL: http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/lasch_new_illiteracy.html Dear Gaga:

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1108211155322572632005-02-12T06:39:00.000-05:002005-02-12T07:25:55.330-05:00

I seem to be a little late on noticing these types of things, but late is better than not at all. In my research on Apsaras, the first thing I noticed (and conjoined) was the iconography of the female form and the linga (phallus). It makes sense for all the reasons, as they do exist side-by-side at Angkor Wat. One would not be far-fetched at all to put the two together (yet, as I keep on harping

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1107610147668037532005-02-05T08:01:00.000-05:002005-02-05T08:29:07.666-05:00

The usual Gaga digest. Read on. 1 The ongoing Apsara research report: Some scholarly research in the mid-70s by an Indian scholar (Kar, Amina Ahmed. THE ANGKORIAN RECORDS. Narendrapur,2002 2nd Ed) reveals that there is an Iranian element to the site of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. This is news since most accounts of Angkor note the Hindu/Buddhist lineage from India, and the trade with Fu'nan, a

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1106365429810118452005-01-21T22:33:00.000-05:002005-01-21T22:43:49.810-05:00

Gagaians, I've been touched recently by some correspondences I've had with friends on an assortment of things, but the thrust so far is this: we are dumbing down far too much. For all the hype, still only a select few have access to the good stuff. For all the talk about democracy and freedom, it certainly is hard to see the benefits of such rabble. 1 If you want to get a grip of who is

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1105775554317403172005-01-15T02:42:00.000-05:002005-01-15T02:52:34.316-05:00

1 Although I am not in North America, I do get information about what the local media waves are dredging up to placate and instill that sense of righteousness necessary to do the horrible things we do to our fellow creatures-- man, animal or vegetable. So this work entitled The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw is on the airwaves to deliver that warm and fuzzy sense that there was a generation of

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1104899896283135812005-01-04T23:32:00.000-05:002005-01-04T23:50:38.380-05:00

Gagaians, Recall we were concerned about two dear friends who were on Phuket when the Tsunami hit. They arrived in Bangkok yesterday and told their story as they experienced it from the southern tip of the island. What follows is a precis of the tale. Tony and Kyoko skipped their morning snorkel as Kyoko wasn't feeling well, so they headed down the slope from their bungalow to the airy

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1104747399957835022005-01-03T04:48:00.000-05:002005-01-03T22:40:51.273-05:00

1 In Bangkok, there are people that make a living that for us who live in affluence would find shocking. (I was going to say "for those of us in the affluent West" but I know affluence is not bound to a geographical space. The notion of the "West" is some throwback to a colonialist/manifest destiny, patronizing can of crap, since really all nations have affluence...there are plenty of

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1104662990333473892005-01-02T05:48:00.000-05:002005-01-02T05:49:50.333-05:00

Gagaians, A note on what this time of year is about as played out in letters to and from my brother. Enjoy? Gaga *********************** Hi Gaga, Happy New year. Actually these kinds of holidays and days seem to mean less now. I dunno. I guess its the time of year when people look back at the year and say ...something, about what kind of a year it was. It was what it was and it

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1104465305028876602004-12-30T22:52:00.000-05:002004-12-30T22:55:05.026-05:00

Gagaians, Being the last day of the year and one of reflection (perhaps?), I thought I'd throw some stuff out of my mind and into your email boxes. 1 The tsunami disaster will now go into the histrionics (real or imagined...hey...we get the news from media of questionable integrity, desho?) of political and economic one-upmanship for quite some time. Reading through the news we see the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1104215677957497032004-12-28T01:29:00.000-05:002004-12-28T01:34:37.956-05:00

While not personally affected by the horrible Tsunami that hit the Andaman Sea, I have close friends in Phuket as I write and I fear for their safety. Let's send out our best form of loving kindness to all those who have suffered through this natural occurrence. In the meantime, I'll wander through the ruins near Siem Reap, Cambodia, admiring the Apsaras and very happy after having the happy

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1103707218151844312004-12-22T04:18:00.000-05:002004-12-22T04:20:18.150-05:00

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere. --Thomas Jefferson to Abigail Adams, 1787. In the spirit of the very man who almost single-handedly penned the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1102314227512536532004-12-06T01:23:00.000-05:002004-12-30T23:04:36.180-05:00

As they [the terrorists] topple the flaunting American flag, the President in Superman II (played by EG Marshall) moans 'I'm afraid there's nothing anybody can do. These people have such powers, nothing can stop them.' An aide whimpers: 'Where's Superman?' **************************************** THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren?t only equal before God and the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1102234913825733822004-12-05T03:03:00.000-05:002004-12-05T03:21:53.826-05:00

1 There are a plethora of spin-offs (at least in bookshops here in Bangkok) all about Da Vinci, the Knights Templar, The Opus Dei, Gaia, Esther, Lilith, secrets of the Vatican, and so on and so forth that the book The Da Vinci Code generated. I guess as long as our attention is drawn away from the here and now and the problems caused by Rogue States and their political agendae (I guess I'm

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1101808944618302502004-11-30T05:00:00.000-05:002004-11-30T05:02:24.616-05:00

Meaningless words. In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning. Words like romantic, plastic, values, human, dead, sentimental, natural, vitality , as used in art criticism, are strictly meaningless, in the sense that they not only do not point to any discoverable

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1101106587119402512004-11-21T21:11:00.000-05:002004-11-22T01:58:40.373-05:00

All is fine here in sunny Thailand. I will teach ESL another term which will see me through til April... then if the budget and scheduling works out, I'll be teaching film. So, that's the latest. The problem as I see it here, or in educational institutions generally, is attention span. I recall when I was a university student, I had to sit through lectures. In those days, the lectures were

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1100404279545346532004-11-13T22:48:00.000-05:002004-11-13T22:51:19.546-05:00

In a weird, perverse way, the reason I was attracted to Thailand so much initially is because of the US military presence here during the Vietnam war. You cannot discount the power of America. Without the American G.I. here for some R & R from the early 60s to 1975 (and beyond), the "farang" girlie bar/prostitution scene on Soi Cowboy and Pat Pong, the seedy bars, the hamburger joints and

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1100258671717868612004-11-12T06:20:00.000-05:002004-11-22T02:06:10.113-05:00

Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherised upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent To lead you to an overwhelming question

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1100258230795710562004-11-12T06:11:00.000-05:002004-11-12T06:17:10.796-05:00

A note about the power game and distribution of wealth: The place I work at is run by Yale folks with a mentality that since they're in charge, they are entitled to keep all the good stuff for themselves and let the rest divvy up what scraps that are left behind. To wit: my course was dropped because it would cost too much to hire me. That's the reason given. At the same time, the prez (a

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1098599975866914512004-10-24T01:37:00.000-05:002004-10-27T03:36:15.990-05:00

Fleetwood: Jon Stewart is thankfully not the new Lenny Bruce. He is something better; he comes across as harmless, but doesn't miss a beat, comically speaking, in pointing out the inanity of the conservative political message. This gives him a larger voice than Lenny Bruce, who was easily dismissed by those who disagreed with him. Jon Stewart runs an intelligent political show that is

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1098599279574556642004-10-24T01:20:00.000-05:002004-10-24T01:30:51.240-05:00

All the orange boxes are scattered. Against the Safeway's supermarket in the rain. And everybody feels so determined Not to feel anyone else's pain. No one's making no commitments To anybody but themselves, Hidin' behind closed doorways, Tryin' to get outside, outside of empty shells --Van Morrison, St. Dominic's Preview (1972) I'm in Chiangmai after a 15-hour bus trip amongst 40 students

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1092571523175718392004-08-15T06:45:00.001-05:002004-08-25T01:43:37.866-05:00

I couldn't help but quote this piece from Paddy Chayefsky's 1976 classic film Network. You know the film, right... the story of how Howard Beale, a TV presenter, goes berserk and tells people to go to their windows and yell "I'm mad as hell and I won't take it any more!" The film presaged the current zeitgeist. Here then are two salient dialogs: one by the mad TV presenter Howard Beale (played

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1092452330744649372004-08-13T21:57:00.000-05:002004-10-24T01:16:22.293-05:00

Always humbling to be reminded that there are those older than us who have a keen sense for noticing what counts in life. It is a shame that those that truly know about life are so quiet about it. But that is "the way". We lack the continuity in a day to day way of all the noble lessons learned. It's been stripped down to become more effective, efficient, work savvy--which means how to make

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1092321296052751512004-08-12T08:53:00.000-05:002004-10-24T01:13:28.466-05:00

Hey Gaga, George Orwell used to write a column called As I Please. It was rather dry sometimes, and a bit poncy because he was such a Brit, but he wrote well. I have a book of them here and they're not altogether dissimilar from what you do in the Gaga postings; topical, spiritual, humanist, etc. A form of discourse--and by that I invoke the true implictions of the word, implying the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1091458014808277842004-08-02T09:38:00.000-05:002004-08-03T17:51:11.863-05:00

Turn to Page 8 and read the chapter entitled "Hand Job" Pop Quiz Tomorrow Gagaians, An education rant. This is just a jag on educational modes of delivery. Dear X, I wrote to your blog on this already, so please check it. What have you gleaned from the conference? Is portfolio assessment a ruse, an additional tool to use, the only way to go, or just a self-satisfying thingy only us

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1089315738181349742004-07-08T14:19:00.000-05:002004-08-02T22:30:26.450-05:00

I've been trying to wean off the vitriol and not write at all, hence a relief for your email boxes being filled with Gaga goo (and no doubt relief for you!). Notwithstanding the imminent threat the Vaderland Security director Herr Tom Ridge spoke of today--that terrorists were planning something big, although he was unable to specify where or when or how-- the mood has been one we've become used

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1083292906387903222004-04-29T21:41:00.000-05:002004-06-24T13:51:41.553-05:00

Horton Hears Himself; Thinks It's a Who Much of the angst derived from living is an attachment to a sense of I, myself, and things that are mine. Further, there is a craving for permanent existence; yet, as we shall see, there is nothing permanent, nor is there an I, myself, or things that are mine... the source of all our suffering. The process of life, which is evolutionary and works under

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1079680605156926462004-03-19T02:16:00.000-05:002004-03-19T02:22:48.623-05:00

Once More With Metta Gagaians, the second of two emails from Penang, Malaysia. Useful? Interesting? Disdainful? Sent with metta ;-) On Wednesday, March 17, 2004, X wrote: enjoyed your comments from the thai king.. i was struck by two things - one, he seems like a socialist with those views and two, as correct as it is to suggest that his people should be happy with what they have, i'm

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1079521653084216982004-03-17T06:07:00.000-05:002004-03-19T02:26:52.966-05:00

The King is Back... Long live Le Roi Davide! 1 I've been out of the news loop for about 2 weeks. I came back into it in Surat than, as I make my way to Malaysia to secure another 2 month visa for Thailand and then go back deep into the forest with the monk and the Israeli boys to meditate and study the Dhamma. 2 The world remains the same place as ever. Err, at least the papers give you that

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1077769229791344122004-02-25T23:20:00.000-05:002004-08-03T17:53:17.906-05:00

1 Recently I met a nice, bright young man while having a weissen beer on Soi Cowboy in Bangkok. He came up with a big smile and shook my hand, said he was an author, and then plunked down the following question: "What is the worth of a woman?" I delayed response until I could figure out his purpose for asking, and what he were to do with my response should I care to engage in an answer. Turns

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1077591598642877252004-02-23T21:59:00.000-05:002004-02-23T22:01:58.560-05:00

Charlie Don't Surf! Pavones, a mere ten kilometers from the Panamanian border on the Pacific south side of Costa Rica, is home to arguably the longest left point break in the world. Indeed, when I sat at the cantina drinking a beer watching those surfer dudes rounding the point goofy footed, and yelling for someone to throw them a beer as they picked up speed and headed the extra two kilometers

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1076041331671264472004-02-05T23:22:00.000-05:002004-02-05T23:24:58.810-05:00

War is Peace "Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it..." -George Orwell, 1984 We can only hope the American populace, one of the worst democracies in the world in the year 2000 (defined by voter turnout: only 46.6% of registered voters

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1075703175411395812004-02-02T01:26:00.000-05:002004-02-03T02:27:53.920-05:00

Vietnam Vets don't die... they melt into oblivion "The totality of life, known as the biosphere to scientists and creation to theologians, is a membrane of organisms wrapped around Earth so thin it cannot be seen edgewise from a space shuttle, yet so internally complex that most species composing it remain undiscovered. The membrane is seamless. From Everest's peak to the floor of the Mariana

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1073882825526729202004-01-11T23:47:00.000-05:002004-02-02T03:59:35.340-05:00

Baby Boomers and Their Memories... ...For several decades, I and other psychological scientists have done research on memory distortion, specifically on showing how memories can be changed by things we are told. Our memories are vulnerable to post-event information: to details, ideas, and suggestions that come along after an event has happened. People integrate new materials into their memory,

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1073451778364755842004-01-07T00:02:00.000-05:002004-01-07T07:52:23.530-05:00

My relationship...an update Yet another turn in my relationship with Namfon (my galfriend). Four days into a sojourn with the Brit she thought she'd marry, and she realized she doesn't really love him, that the marriage would be for financial gain, and so she has gotten cold feet and decided against marriage. On one level it's good that she won't do something that goes against her heartfelt

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1072064999179113462003-12-21T22:49:00.000-05:002004-01-07T00:05:09.966-05:00

Tough times for tourists in Thailand ahead... The mood is turning dour now for foreigners in Thailand as the prime minister has made a vendetta against foreigners. His "Thai Rak Thai" (which means "Thais love Thais") political party is making it harder for tourists as I intimated a few months ago. In July he hopes to legislate Draconian business ownership laws (with a 10 pm curfew for all clubs

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1070122144118079172003-11-29T11:07:00.000-05:002003-11-29T11:09:38.860-05:00

Esalen Update Life here at Esalen has its moments of clarity and wisdom, while other times it seems like a lot of cranky people who just need to vent. Regardless, it is proving to be a useful experience. Being amongst strangers who have decided to commit to a month (and sometimes more) of living in a community where people work together and then share their deepest felt impressions of life and

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1068643440947991612003-11-12T08:24:00.000-05:002003-11-29T11:06:52.390-05:00

The Matrix Revolution. . . a review Movie review by that 42-year-old Japanese gal I "met" through one of those online dating services. Is this the Japanese zeitgeist, or is it that she has a facile imagination, stumbling along with a self-absorbed infatuation with...herself. One could argue she might be one helluva clever gal, filling that slot Reese Witherspoon created in her "Legally Blonde"

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1067871569454506462003-11-03T09:59:00.000-05:002003-11-03T09:59:27.493-05:00

Is A Weblog True Democracy? This one a dialog on how a blog can generate an income or affect a political process. Lar said: ...yes, there are people, like Kos, who are successful enough where they could quit their day job and just blog. It depends how much of a following you get from it. Kos has done a great job of exploiting, for lack of a better word, the notion of blog as multi-faceted

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1067784417576139712003-11-02T09:46:00.000-05:002003-11-02T09:48:26.813-05:00

William Gibson might have a point... Recently I read Neuromancer by William Gibson, the prescient sci-fi thriller written in the early 80s that pinned down, almost to a tee, life in cyberspace. I discovered his blog site, and found a few things worth sharing. This one is from his blog, about the ineffective use of time blogging: Friday, September 12, 2003 posted 6:06 AM LAST POSTCARD FROM

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1066686904726049132003-10-20T16:55:00.000-05:002003-10-20T17:03:28.670-05:00

That Pudgy Stoner I won't rant about these things. No. These are news type stories, as good as rumors I guess. Is it worth spreading around? Probably not. But there is someone out there writing this shit down (and no doubt making a living at it!) so it is in our world for all to look at. Now That's Entertainment! Sheesh. Rush Limbaugh is a self-admitted drug addict. The guy that would like

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1065825143375967032003-10-10T17:24:00.000-05:002003-10-13T10:28:52.393-05:00

Dude, Where's My Country? --a review I was at the local mega-big bookshop today and I saw Michael Moore's latest tome Dude, Where's My Country?, so I sat down and read it. It is once again Moore's histrionic style, this time addressing the events surrounding 9/11, the Bush family's sneaky connections to the Bin Laden's and the rulers of Saudi Arabia, lies, lies, and more lies revealed about

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1065796881325055502003-10-10T09:30:00.000-05:002003-10-10T17:47:22.563-05:00

TOEIC is a Big Mac....The Movie Lar wrote: "But wait! There might be an antidote!!" - Wicked Queen in Disney's Snow White I ask you Gaga, What is a Big Mac? Well, you know and I know that it's two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. Shit, I've seen and heard that so many times, I can beat off to it in my sleep if I need to. My point tho,

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1065485393425898422003-10-06T19:08:00.000-05:002003-10-13T10:27:55.283-05:00

Lost in Translation--a review I realize this film Lost in Translation has been released for a while now, but for those of us who have lived in Tokyo, and even for those who haven't, the supporting actress of the film is Tokyo itself. And what can we say about her performance? She is cold, limp, glitzy, colorful, dull, over-crowded, brooding, silly, staid, ultra-moderne, overly proprietous, and

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-106520565955607062003-10-03T13:16:00.000-05:002003-10-07T17:20:56.006-05:00

Life, love, purpose, and art. Gagaites: This exchange is on the theme of "Metta" posted earlier on this site. Useful? Gaga: There are some things I'd like to clarify because it is clear from what you say you may still have impressions that are not quite what I intended. Gagaite: i agree that life's purpose is to live but i'm still perplexed about our desire to "win", which is a completely

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1065151753219578072003-10-02T22:16:00.000-05:002003-10-04T20:36:07.733-05:00

Metta Gagaite: I enjoyed Dorothy's poem. but this part: when we live life asking we will be answered in heaven there it is again! the immortality thing that i keep bringing up.. it's everwhere...this higher purpose thing puts people at ease and offers solice, giving believers some meaning to their lives. i wish that i were among them! Gaga sez: Nice job on spotting that little

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1065051625203397492003-10-01T18:39:00.000-05:002003-10-01T18:54:34.716-05:00

The Toned Down Gaga Rancor... Thanks for your interest and support of this stuff I write. I just think I'll change the tone a bit... there is really nothing to be gained by railing on the media's stance to the Status Quo, other than to be a dissenting voice. If what I write gives folks a point of view to see all is not well, this only helps out as a half-way measure. In the big picture, what

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064974548507827122003-09-30T21:14:00.000-05:002003-09-30T21:15:48.420-05:00

A Poem My eight-year-old niece sent me this poem. The first piece of prose I received from her. Does the manner of mankind become self ignorant because we want more greedy we were invented the world was invented to do good look at us now think to yourself the quest of life changes all along the path there are no real answers so why bother asking? (but, oh, that adds up to another question)

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064937681284330332003-09-30T11:00:00.000-05:002003-09-30T11:02:49.956-05:00

No More Gaga Rancor...? I've come to my senses finally. You all probably don't need to read the stuff I send, particularly the stuff on the U.S. foreign policy, the inanity of having Arnold "Stormtrooper" Schwarzenegger as the frontrunner in the upcoming California governor election, and all the dirt about the misdealings with Iraq, and so on and so forth. You can find this stuff almost

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064532292603999962003-09-25T18:24:00.000-05:002003-09-25T18:27:36.650-05:00

President Arnie . . . not. One has to think the United States' government (at the federal and state level) has turned into a farce--pure circus, a spectacle of less sincerity than some cheap Vaudeville show highlighting shady actors doing pratfalls on cue. Scary as it is, it is sheer entertainment. But wait! Can it be? No! I see in my crystal ball Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator himself

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064328794114374562003-09-23T09:46:00.000-05:002003-09-23T09:54:27.086-05:00

This is a very good question. I won't spoil it with an answer. Words of Silence by John Cage. We never know when but being cheerful helps. Not all of our past, but the parts we are taught, lead us to believe that we are in the driver's seat. I had thought of leaving this last section

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064319822760041052003-09-23T07:06:00.000-05:002003-09-23T07:58:05.130-05:00

Wrong Question...Bad Answer Gagaite: Hey gaga brain! Good thoughts about humans questioning the big "why?" But I'm still perplexed as to 'why' we have this in our make-up; this yearning to figure things out, to make some special meaning out of our lives. If you come to the logical conclusion that there is no God, that's it's merely a construct to give our lives some greater purpose, what is

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064164946139318292003-09-21T12:10:00.000-05:002003-09-21T12:40:02.756-05:00

Are you a Bright? A female digger wasp not only lays her egg in a caterpillar (or grasshopper or bee) so that her larva can feed on it, she carefully guides her sting into each ganglion of the prey's central nervous system, so as to paralyze it, but not kill it. This way, the meat keeps fresh. It is not known if the paralysis acts as a general anesthetic, or if like curare in just freezing the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1064013844098879042003-09-19T18:12:00.000-05:002003-09-19T18:55:12.260-05:00

Jingle, Jangle, JINGO... Gagaite Sez: Gaga, you ignorant slut! Here are some other facts... Less than 3000 people died in that horrific act (2801 is the official number of names read to mark the first anniversary). It was certainly horrific. There were people from over 10 different countries killed...don't know the exact number. It wasn't all Americans. Mexico, UK, Ireland, Israel, South

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063989988170510522003-09-19T11:43:00.000-05:002003-09-19T11:52:54.123-05:00

U.S.A. #1 ('cuz , well, they beat you up) This here's a letter to the local Ottawa newspaper from an American lamenting Canada's lack of compliance with United States foreign policy. The compulsory Gaga sez follows. Useful? Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~ Julie Murray wrote: Once again, Jean Chretien [PM of Canada] and his Liberal party have slapped Americans in the face. I am an American living in the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063890700164819012003-09-18T08:00:00.000-05:002003-09-21T23:46:25.750-05:00

Education, Testing, Language Proficiency...huh? B wrote: What is "Oral Proficiency"? Have you come across this book - The Art of Nonconversation: a reexamination of the oral proficiency interview? A pretty interesting read. I wonder if Merrill Swain might be pissed off with it though since it seems to implicitly put her (and others) into the opposing frame of looking at language as fixed. Gaga

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063765315226305262003-09-16T21:16:00.000-05:002003-09-19T08:22:19.003-05:00

Awards, Gaga, some gals My brother produces the Canadian Comedy Awards and this year I was around to partake in the festivies. It was in London, Ontario. The weather here has been unusually hot and sunny (34c) for this time of year, making it most pleasant. The show went off without a hitch, with the various types of comedians getting their just desserts. Fun and funny to boot. Afterwards was

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063638005487168072003-09-15T09:59:00.000-05:002003-09-15T10:00:05.390-05:00

It's a Gaga Birthday Today (Sept. 15) is Gaga's birthday. Gaga is in Montreal, watching the Montreal Expos play the Atlanta Braves. Go Expos. May you all be well.

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063328057786867452003-09-11T19:42:00.000-05:002003-09-11T20:11:38.180-05:00

The exerpt below was written by Noam Chomsky, two years after September 11, 2001. The entire article can be found here. War drums beating in the age of terror For the second anniversary and beyond, we basically have two choices. We can march forward with confidence that the global enforcer will drive evil from the world, much as the president's speech writers declare, plagiarising ancient

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063260389118353322003-09-11T01:06:00.000-05:002003-09-11T17:37:13.223-05:00

What would you do? Canada Sees Iraq at Risk of Poverty WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham said on Wednesday conditions in Iraq were deteriorating under U.S. occupation and without reconstruction the country risked sliding into despair. "If Iraq is allowed to deteriorate as it is at the present and slide into poverty and desperation and violence, it will become an

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1063116548931790142003-09-09T09:09:00.000-05:002003-09-10T08:26:39.820-05:00

Risky, or risque? A dialog on fear and risk with a Gagaite. Useful? ...Since I seem to be stuck at the gates of trying to understand what passes off as "the good life" here in N. America--and not really getting it--what, with FEAR dominating the mindscape--fear of everything from SARS, mosquitoes, terrorists, and whether or not one has the moolah to pay down the mortgage, hold a job, keep a

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1062779682838648822003-09-05T11:34:00.000-05:002003-09-19T11:51:25.466-05:00

Cogito; autum sum nihil. I think; however I am nothing. Breathe... feel it, experience all the sensitivity of this body and mind, but always remember: it is dukkha, it is impermanent, and there is no self in any of it. I wanted to segue from this Buddhist position into views of evolutionists, meme people, and theories of consciousness based on close observation made in recent advances in the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1062684582123535452003-09-04T09:09:00.000-05:002003-09-04T09:10:38.436-05:00

Oh...it's only a GAME! "Certainly the United States will continue to play a dominant role... but a dominant role does not mean the only role with the resolution; you're essentially putting the security council in the game." --U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, on a proposed resolution to ask for the U.N.'s help with the Iraq fiasco. 1 The last three words in Powell's newsbyte is the focus

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1062598458925938572003-09-03T09:14:00.000-05:002003-09-03T11:41:34.046-05:00

Is Esalen EST? A fellow Gagaite asked if Esalen was the same as Werner Ekhart's EST training. Read on for the clarification. ~~~~~ Gagaite: Is Esalen the same as EST? Gaga sez: EST? You mean the same shtick that a friend and some others got involved with over 25 years ago?--that mental hand-job which they interpreted to mean there was no need to be responsible at all for one's life? No. The

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1062455887949517832003-09-01T17:38:00.000-05:002003-09-01T17:41:04.640-05:00

Esalen Institute, Big sur, California There are few of you Gagaites who have inquired into what Esalen is all about. So here's some info: The URL to the Esalen website: http://www.esalen.org/. It's a place to chill and live in a community where people work on life skills, attend workshops, and live in the beautiful Californian coastal area of Big Sur, made famous by several photographers, (

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1062265168873479832003-08-30T12:39:00.000-05:002003-08-30T12:48:24.510-05:00

Dear Gagaians Got back from the meditation retreat in Thunder Bay, Ontario recently. Marvellous use of the past 10 days. Found out more about how important the heart is in this life. No doubt I'll be adding to the Gaga Satories facet of the Gaga website on this topic. Other stuff to finish off is the much promised and anticipated Online Dating missive, and look out for explorations of

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060994468830893482003-08-15T19:41:00.000-05:002003-08-29T10:28:09.023-05:00

When the lights go out, are you alive? "They have the best equipment and technology and a power shortage can make such a big fuss in the United States. Now I am sure it will take them years to fix the electricity in Iraq." -Ali Saghbal, a Baghdad power station worker. Those of you who live in the Northeast of North America lived through this blackout deal. My father and I went to see a

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060876845946245432003-08-14T11:00:00.000-05:002003-08-14T14:53:40.800-05:00

You are what you see 1 Most people find it difficult to understand purely verbal concepts. They suspect the ear; they don't trust it. In general we feel more secure when things are visible, when we can "see for ourselves". We admonish children, for instance, to "believe only half of what they see, and nothing of what they hear." All kinds of "shorthand" systems of notation have been developed to

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060791324425346642003-08-13T11:15:00.000-05:002003-08-13T11:20:10.876-05:00

Musical Heritage Oversight I left out a lot of details in my previous musical bildungsroman posting. Oops! I ran a disco in high school at the local rowing club from 1975 to 1976, so I was "up" on all that jive disco crap. It was a gas. The club overlooked the Ottawa River and we used it because some of the fellas from school were world-class rowers and suggested it. Besides, the club could

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060625583971660062003-08-11T13:13:00.000-05:002003-08-13T16:34:52.253-05:00

Email Use, Work, and My Musical Bildungsroman 1 I find people don't use email in the way it seems either you or I use it...I'll assume that we use it to communicate at length about ideas and info. Most people tend to do this sort of thing: Big businessman meeting tomorrow 2:00 pm. See you then. D. When I started using the Internet electronic mail in 1993 in Japan, it was pre World Wide Web on

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060455458598207752003-08-09T13:57:00.000-05:002003-08-14T06:43:30.286-05:00

Bush, Austin, or Women... who really loves ya? "I think it's interesting. I'm a follower of American politics." —George W. Bush on the current California recount. 1 To tell you the truth, I think what the Moron really is alluding to is the fact Arnold Schwarzenegger is in the run for governor of that state. There is something sexy and powerful about a movie star in politics that holds most

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060189758877343362003-08-06T12:09:00.000-05:002003-08-14T06:44:37.470-05:00

That old black magic has me under its spell... Gagaian wrote: You're insinuating that I'm full of hate? Hmm. Gaga Sez: I don't mean to insinuate you are full of hate if you are not. I was using this bit of information you sent me as the source for my response: As I hate Christian (of any denomination) attempts to--convert others--I don't have much sympathy for the Jesuits. Perhaps I

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1060018524664931172003-08-04T12:35:00.000-05:002003-08-14T06:45:16.080-05:00

The Vatican is sliding down that slippery slope... Originally addressed to the newspaper, this might be useful for all. I write to your newspaper concerning two issues which have made headlines recently: 1)same-sex marriage and the Vatican's view of it, and 2) the Vatican's position on Genetically Modified (GM) food. Regarding same-sex marriage: the doors of confusion over this issue were

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1059959088214033252003-08-03T20:04:00.000-05:002003-08-14T06:46:07.550-05:00

Shake that money maker The nature of people demands that most of them be engaged in the most frivolous possible activities--like making money. -Marshall McLuhan Gagaians, My head spins sometimes when I think about the idea of how to engage and be fruitful, without the odious encounter of having a McJob (no offence to my sister, who is gainfully and happily employed at the real McD's ;-) You

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058826810486194792003-07-21T17:33:00.000-05:002003-07-21T17:33:30.506-05:00

Eat it...or I'll knock your lights out... At least with the Clinton administration, a lot of the rape of the world (figuratively speaking--I refer of course to the worldwide sales of US arms and US support of terrorist regimes like those of Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Panama, Nicaragua, Columbia--just about anywhere the US had economic/political reasons to support reigns of

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058478906459758712003-07-17T16:55:00.000-05:002003-07-18T11:06:20.530-05:00

Movie Critic Hi Ho. Here on the island called Ko Samui, in the Gulf of Siam, I am catching up on some movies neatly pirated and put on DVD and shown while I lounge my fat ass around on comfortable floor mats while eating Thai spicy soup and rice. It doesn't get much more relaxing than this--and cheap! The movies are free while I gobble down Tom Yam Pak ($1.50) and Lemon juice. Well, your Gaga

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058478326173858262003-07-17T16:45:00.000-05:002003-08-14T06:46:54.643-05:00

Tourism Redux From one Gaga to Gaga, with the compulsory "Gaga Sez" at the end. Enjoy? Gagaite: Interesting to think what a volatile political subject tourism really is. I mean, the French rely on it so heavily (I believe it is their largest source of annual revenue), that it might help explain their reticence in this whole "War" issue. That and the fact that the war thing is absurd, unless

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058478215685039332003-07-17T16:43:00.000-05:002003-07-30T08:20:55.540-05:00

The Reagan Era of Education With so many conflicting agendas in and for education, it's really hard to know what end is up anymore. It seems the privatization of schools has forced schools to take on a business model...that is, it's the bottom line that counts, and that seems to be a disservice to education. This is certainly the case at the place I work. In other privatized sectors of social

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058462318310876682003-07-17T12:18:00.000-05:002003-07-30T08:37:51.540-05:00

Awesome "Awesome", she exclaimed continuously. Annie, the thick-built girl from Iowa who now makes her home in Denver, started out as my trekking companion for the Langtang trip. What you have to be careful to do is get to know your trek buddy before heading out because who knows what happens to people when fatigue, altitude,and the weather plays with your mind. Add to that Annie was a girl--

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058460116055720802003-07-17T11:41:00.000-05:002003-07-17T11:42:28.526-05:00

Philistines A friend has the unenviable job (self appointed, mind you) to explain American culture to foreigners who are assigned to work in America. In a few days, he's off to Palestine to give a seminar at the Arab American University in Jenin. Here are my comments: Gaga sez: Have fun in Palestine. Good to hear life goes on as usual in all parts of the world outside the radar of CNN or the

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058459729641175502003-07-17T11:35:00.000-05:002003-09-19T16:55:24.946-05:00

Where's the juice? ...oh, Here it is... Gagaians, I'm not hearing all that much insight from your side of the beach. Other than those who lament their sorry-ass jobs, their shoddy relationships, or who drink in their minor triumphs (like screwing students or new acquaintances--sheesh)... hey, where's the juice, baby? Aha! I finally got one--and I'll share it with you because this is the only

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058459385857041582003-07-17T11:29:00.000-05:002003-07-17T11:29:45.843-05:00

Homeslice Advice Homey, The New York Times fraud/plagiarism is definitely worth a whole essay--as you intimate. After all, if we are going to be led by the nose by our media, at least it would be better were it truly written by those individuals that make their living off of pretending to write. There is no end to the inanity really. I think my mother, God bless her, has an eye for all this

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1058458459840964642003-07-17T11:14:00.000-05:002003-07-17T11:14:19.876-05:00

Bi-Polar? Gagaite: He says he's been diagnosed as bi-polar, and that seems to be a trend. Gaga: What I find interesting is how when we assign humans a psychological label somehow it makes us feel better, or makes a particular human condition (affliction?) somewhat less powerful. Bi-polar. I see. So now it's got a label, and therefore OK to be like that? Or at least by giving it a name we can get

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-1057852362639540912003-07-10T10:52:00.000-05:002003-07-10T11:07:45.143-05:00

Don't kill whitey... just make him pay! Gagaite sez: Ah, yes...it is all rather transparent, and I think that's what's so galling about it. Nigeria has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, and is our second-biggest provider of oil after the middle east. Makes you wonder why Nigeria is so fucking impoverished, and why you get those scam emails from some Nigerian Negro saying he has

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-843365432002-11-10T19:50:00.000-05:002003-07-07T08:19:28.253-05:00

Why do we poo in the water? This might seem ridiculous to ask. But this morning I woke up after a night on the town and had the jones to clean up my room--you know how that works-- the day after a night in which you had a bit too much to drink where you were standing around in dark concrete rooms with really loud music booming away so you can feel it vibrate your visceral organs in slightly

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3375989.post-836475392002-10-28T00:45:00.000-05:002003-08-06T12:18:03.046-05:00

That Coffee Sucks Some notes to and from my friends in North America. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous--actually, who are you not to be ? Your playing small doesn't serve the World. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people wont feel insecure around you. We are all meant

Gagahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09510784456060371457noreply@blogger.com0