Dialectics of Liberation conference extracts 1967

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN-Zksippj8&w=420&h=240]

This conference took place in June 1967. I think these extracts are from Peter Davis documentary of the same title.

Big storm overnight, the wind was literally performing battering contractions at the window beside my head. It woke me repeatedly and had a very distinct sound. It took place while people slept, I wonder how many were aware/unaware of it?

80,000 lost power, reports say.

Several weeks ago or more I asked a writer to correspond about an author we’re both reading. The person doesn’t have email so we agreed to do so by mail.

I have written several letters in my mind explaining that the book remains sealed in plastic wrapper and instead I’ve read four other unrelated books.

Finally I took a journey to buy a piece of paper and an envelope to write the letter that would say I have not yet opened the book. More than another week has passed and I have yet to retrieve the specially journeyed for piece of paper from my bag.

Yesterday, dealing with a challenging assignment, I had the idea I should type the letter and then print it and stick it to the paper.

The letter will also say that it is being written because I want to walk to the post office. Why do I want to walk to the post office? Because there’s a woman who works there I want to have a conversation with and tell her some news. Each time I go there she’s not working. I am certain if I take this particular letter, she will be there.

Now I have typed out a description of the letter and still have failed to write the letter.

My forecast was wrong! It’s 8 degrees and pouring rain since this morning! I have figured out why. The problem is I am forecasting indoors in a building which is approx 4 degrees colder at any given time then what is happening outside.

Therefore the -4 weather event, felt to be -8 outside, was felt to be at least -12 in here therefore it is very hard to see how the temperature could rise so rapidly. I have to factor this in. We have this crazed tradition of fans blowing constantly in our hallways. I recently asked our manager why this must be so (each year I have a lengthy exchange in winter with the organization who run our building about why we must live in a freezer .. they acknowledge it and refuse to turn the fans off because of a myriad of rotating reasons). The most recent explanation given was the sump pump was broken (that’s sewerage) and there was problems getting a replacement, therefore the fans had to be blowing all the time because the smell is so terrible.

Point taken, says I and added another scarf to my layers.

I love our building though. There are ups, downs and inbetweens and a certain honesty that comes with it. I am very, very fortunate to have housing.

A wind event is now picking up outside. Today is what my mother would describe as ‘dirty’ weather.

*

I summited the second row of the V neck jumper, despite two males and two guinea pigs distracting me. It’s a lovely rusty colour. But it is proving so difficult. I taught a friend to knit on Saturday evening, she told me her mother could knit all kinds of cable-knit jumpers. She picked it up in no time and her stitches were so perfectly even. Knitting DNA! To watch as someone’s brain and in turn hands process the directions is fascinating because people are so different in the way they pick things up. We have left-handed people and ambidextrous people in our family so our learning styles are often very different.

Attraction of air

Search engines create their own paragraph breaks in the way they deliver extracts from web pages.  A quota of text, based on word numbers or space appears. Here’s one such a search engine result that caught my eye:

Bossier City is a growing metropolitan area with more than 65000 residents. It’s a great place to start a family. There are many diverse attractions such as an air …

Courage

PBS Frontline programme Syria Undercover: reporter Ramita Navai goes undercover for a rare look at the uprising from inside Syria.

I just cast on 130 stiches to knit my first jumper. It’s supposed to be a V-neck jumper for my partner. However I have just knitted the first ribbing row to about stitch 98 and it was so incredible difficult I wonder if I’ll make it to row 2.

At one point I was struggling so hard, I had a Polar Explorer moment. Am I going to make it to camp one of the South Pole of stitch number 44 at all. I think there might be something wrong in this combination of casted on stiches, wool and needles and pattern. I think it should not be this tufty that one is invoking the polar explorers.

Meterological instinct was correct if snowfall warning that’s just been issued transpires. I felt that cold system could not be cruising on out here that swifto and having just taken a wander in it … it’s sitting tight.  The first snowfall warning this season has been issued. It says the snow should change to rain in the morning, but we’ll see yet.

I just met a former-politician, fortunately there were three plates of potatoes nearby that I was able to recover with, while for his part our conversation appeared to send him hurtling towards the front door. The last time I met a former-politician there were 15 pumpkins in attendance and we were already outdoors. Progress indeed.

*

It is the return of the insomniac weather report: outside right now if you are sensibly asleep you are missing a -4 weather event. But in feels like terms it’s a -8.

This plunge which I had been waiting for (prev. noted as the Nov 16th weather event) has materialized. This is our coldest night and temperature so far this winter season.

We are due in next days to move into a warmer weather pattern, but I don’t quite accept the figures. I will be watching tomorrow night curiously.

The long range forecast looks very cold for the week of Dec 12-18.

Lori Weidenhammer has curated a fascinating photo/narrative exhibit at the Firehall Theatre about Vancouver during the war. I particularly enjoyed learning about the shipyard and the Victory Gardens. Go and visit it before it ends. The gallery is in the bar and open between 1 and 5pm.