rockin' in the free world that is ann arbor

this afternoon, i retrieved my rolling stone from the mailbox and got dizzy. holograms are like taxi rides for me right now...i felt a little nauseated when looking.

i spent the day in sessions on teaching and learning and research at the univ for it is "enriching scholarship" week. i went along to one session on group work because i do not like group work and i do not do it very well. as i walked through the door, the facilitators immediately sized me up and assigned me to a group. this is exactly what i don't like about group work -- having to work with others. (i prefer to puzzle through things on my own in silence). and, this is exactly why i went along to the session. (sometimes, i know that i have to do things that i personally might not like or enjoy or are hard/uncomfortable, but that will potentially improve my teaching and thinking.)

during the session, the facilitators lectured about the benefits of group work and collabortive learning; we modeled some examples; analyzed our work; and brainstormed how to improve our practices. our first assignment was on pattern recognition. the task was to work with a wooden block inscribed with names and numbers. i was in a group with a dentist and an astrophysicist and some scientist from an unspecified discipline related to natural resources. he was assigned the role of "observer." he had to monitor our group dynamics. i sat with my mouth agape so totally and secretly paniced and bemused. the dentist and astrophysicist figured out the answers within seconds of holding the block. they had sound and logical reasons for adding the numbers 4 and 8 + a woman's name beginning with the base word "franc" to the blank side. the dentist asked aloud: "should we put francine or frances?" this was my chance to contribute to the discussion. i chimed in: "francine." they asked "why that over frances?" i explained because francine is a character on arthur. luckily, our time was up and they didn't pursue this with me. hey, i had a 50/50 chance of being right.

in the afternoon, i went along to a session led by my maps colleague, karl. i so love librarians and he is a maps librarians. a total (intellectual) dreamboat. it's like two great tastes together in one candy bar: cartographic and library prowess. during this session, i had a couple of revelations: one i figured another way to work with ella watson. and i learned about geo tagging and google API key. with these, i may be able to combine three web-based things i so love: flickr, google maps, and loc.gov's american memory images.


but i would like to own my own digital camera. friends, what are the qualities i should look for in a digital camera?


anyway, the possibilities are endless.

i might not have a newly acquired little person or a wedding ceremony to prompt a visit, but i would like to entice one and all to come see the stars in the bible black predawn skies of southeastern michigan. i can promise midwestern hospitality, more liberal bumper stickers than sinead could ever hope to post on her hand-me-down suv, and a lively local music scene as evident below. as an added bonus for pals of miri+tom, we could go to the meijier where he used to ring people up and ask: "paper or plastic?"

my parents are coming this weekend and we will enjoy some hijinx.
isa is coming in two weeks.
shelley is aiming to come this summer and i am counting on it.

when will you come?

friends who have already been through michigan while i have been here:

• karen, my escort
• jill + aaron
  
• mindy + mary
• elsa
• jessica

a student in the M.U.P. program sent along this note exhorting me to take to the dance floor. raise money for renter advocacy? sign me up. (n.b. i missed the rad lix and hot jams of earlier tonight because i was soaking in my bathtub, but count me in for accordions in ypsi tomorrow night after class.)

"This Saturday brings the second installment of the semi-legendary grassroots benefit music festival ARBOURFEST. Last year saw 9 acts as diverse as Johnny Headband, The Descent of the Holy Ghost Church, and the Pop Project come together to raise money for renter/student advocacy. Don’t miss this year’s lineup of critically-acclaimed performers—it’s the party of the season, and for a good cause. Everyone will be there! Feel that peer-pressure!

Saturday, May 13
ARBOURFEST 2:
A BENEFIT FOR THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
GREAT LAKES MYTH SOCIETY (everything you’ve heard is true)
http://www.greatlakesmythsociety.com
CANADA (more cellos than you)
http://www.myspace.com/canada
CHRIS BATHGATE (deadly songs from a force to be reckoned with)
http://www.myspace.com/chrisbathgate
THE RECITAL (Suburban Sprawl represent!)
http://www.therecital.com
SHOWDOWN AT THE EQUATOR (airy pop with the lovely Ms. Kelly Jean Caldwell back on vocals)
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~brycejb/
THE MOODIE VETO (new Treetown sounds)
http://www.myspace.com/themoodieveto
MUMU WORTHY (Jesse Smith & Duncan Webster from NYC)
http://www.myspace.com/mumuworthy
Doors 7:30 p.m., music starts at 8 sharp!
Arbor Vitae loft, 336 ½ S. State Street, Ann Arbor
(above Wazoo Records)
$5

Go to these other awesome local events every other night this week, too:

Wednesday, May 10 (Rad licks! Hot jams!)
MASON PROPER
STARLING ELECTRIC
THE SATIN PEACHES
The Blind Pig
9 PM, $8

Thursday, May 11
THE VICTROLAS (Great Lakes Myth Society side project)
THE BLOIDS
MISTY LYN BERGERON (yes, she’s as good as everyone says—see her if you haven’t yet)
FALCON VICTORY
The Elbow Room
9 PM, $5

Friday, May 12
GREAT LAKES MYTH SOCIETY (two-night stand!)
THE HIGH STRUNG (what’s the buzz?)
DABENPORT (not their last show ever, though rumored to be)
The Blind Pig
9 PM, $7

Saturday, May 13 (sorry)
NOMO (CD release)
JEREMY ELLIS
The Blind Pig
8 PM, $8

Sunday, May 14
EMILY BATE w/ an all-star backing band, including local all-star backing-band standard Matt Jones! (CD release)
SIMONNEWCOMB
PATRICK ELKINS
ALEX BELHAJ
TOUGHIE AND MR. TUNES
Black Elk Co-Op
902 Baldwin, Ann Arbor
6 PM, free(?)"