While the Coffee Percolates

As for the big carb repair, I'm doing that tomorrow. Maybe today. Teaching at 11 is the priority. But I did take apart the petcock (this valve thing) and clean it out. Also brought it down to the shop, and the guy bench-tested it. He opened it up and messed with it a little, disengaging the vacuum advance feature (which is not original to this model and more of a pain than anything else anyway). The next step is gonna have lots of photos...partially for you, mostly so I can see how things are supposed to be put back together.


Meanwhile, have I introduced you to my little friend? The plug on the front of my stove? She's kind of awesome, giving me a wonderfully simple place to plug in the coffee grinder & percolator. Fantastic.


The most interesting bit I've read today, I think, is from C. Dale Young's blog. The one about MtvU's Poet Laureate project. Further, they're promoting the National Poetry Series open contest, but it doesn't seem to be clear if Mtv is joining the list of sponsor's for the NPS, simply promoting the already-established contest or what. I think it's the latter, since the NPS website doesnt' mention Mtv at all. However, it doesn't seem to be updated for the 2008 deadline. So, we'll see? (in all fairness, I haven't read the Chris Wiman link on C. Dale's blog yet. But I'm gonna after I click "publish post.")

I watched the little clip of an Ashbery poem, and I thought it looked kinda cool. And I've very much a fan of students getting exposed to some poetry. But I kinda wish Mtv would just promote the actual Poet Leureate. Nevermind that I like Simic way more than Ashbery. WAY more. Wouldn't it be better for poetry AND the MtvU demographic that Mtv to avoid the confusion? Wouldn't it also be less work for Mtv to just go with what's already established? I've got an hour and 15 minutes of teaching today. I'll run it by my Freshmans. They'll fill me in on what the MtvU-generation is feeling.

Oh. Democracy Now! did a great show focusing on Max Roach the other day. I think you can get the episode's video for free on itunes as a podcast.