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Two Tune Tuesday: Claytons

I got to see John Clayton & his son Gerald Clayton perform this past weekend at Lawrence, and although there’s precious little of him on Playlist, there is this video, which gives you a little idea.

I know, I’m being corrupted, & my punk rock credibility is going to fly out the window any day now. Still, this shit’s GOOD. I’ve always wanted to know more jazz, since my dad was a fan, & it’s good to be in a place where being entirely ignorant doesn’t make you feel silly. Ah, educational atmospheres!

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It’s Okay If You Really Believe It

S.B. 137 of Michigan is an attempt to prevent bullying after a young man named Matt Eppling committed suicide after he was.

But state Republicans added this language:

THIS SECTION DOES NOT ABRIDGE THE RIGHTS UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OR UNDER ARTICLE I OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION OF 1963 OF A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, SCHOOL VOLUNTEER, PUPIL, OR A PUPIL’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN. THIS SECTION DOES NOT PROHIBIT A STATEMENT OF A SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEF OR MORAL CONVICTION OF A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, SCHOOL VOLUNTEER, PUPIL, OR A PUPIL’S PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

So as long as you actually believe gay people will burn in hell, it’s okay to tell them that.

Really?!

In our own local common council meeting here in Appleton this past week, one woman actually stood up & said she was being discriminated against if the City of Appleton paid health benefits for same sex domestic partners. Yes, I said that right: by giving same sex couples the same benefits as their straight colleagues, she was being discriminated against as a Christian. I was there. It took me a minute to understand what she was saying, to be honest.

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She Made This.

So this is what the person you all know as Betty does these days – she made it all herself, including writing the music. It should give some of you a better idea what we do here, & why we are here in the first place – Lawrence is a pretty cool place.

I’m about 6 minutes in, talking about synthesis & disciplines & double majors.

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Writers’ Websites

Two cool websites concerning writing: one, the Writer’s Diet, which analyzes your writing for flabbiness and makes suggestions for getting it fit & trim. I’m not surprised my writing is already Fit & Trim, but I write an awful lot. Still, I found the in-depth analysis quite useful, actually.

Still, I don’t write every day. That’s a guilty confession, because I should. I shouldn’t say that: I do write something every day – a blog entry, a journal entry, a long(ish) email, but I don’t work on my writing every day. There’s no way I will do NaNoWritMo, but it’s a cool idea if you’re one of those people who’s always wanted to write a novel but never has.

Some of us have written a few, and the rule is that you never get your first one published.