Confessions of a Human Nerve Ending

On Tactics               I've been wondering why the show of force with the OWS protesters and not with the Tea Party protesters (and many of them had guns), and the only conclusion I can draw is that its not about "being prepared for any contingency" as many of the cops are told, but basically pure intimidation.                 The powers that be are afraid of us and want to do anything to disburse us including intimidation, infiltration, and propaganda.                 So, my conclusion is simple:  the language and tactics of left-leaning activism need to change.                 First some visuals: (Un)Occupy Albuquerque  Thrill the World-Albuquerque N...

As an undergraduate some twenty years ago, I chose English as my major because I liked to read and write.    After a few years I left with a B. A. in English and no real clear direction of exactly what I wanted to do with it.    I still liked to write, so I plugged away at my own very bad version of the “Great American Novel,” the occasional short story, and even itinerant journalism.    Nothing seemed to be quite the real fit.   Meanwhile, I also obtained a teaching license and tried my hand at teaching middle school and high school.    I still loved English and wrote, but gave up ambitions of making it as a writer.    Instead, I became an educator and found myself tutoring and finally teaching English at the community college level.   I like teaching, but I was also pursuing a slightly different tact with my writing.    In 1999, I became involved in a movement called the Poetry Slam.    Started in ...

Despite the danger of turning what should be a debate about the merits, effectiveness, and facts regarding the use of UNM property for the Occupy Albuquerque protest, into a frivolous tit-for-tat, I want to clear up some things in regards to Jason Graves' letter, "‘Occupy’ protesters hinder UNM’s academic mission, violate rights," in the Wednesday edition of the Daily Lobo. First, faculty is usually defined as "an educator who works at a college or university." So, yes Jason I do teach at UNM. Second, I want to address this statement, "I get the sense that the goal of the institution is to educate; nowhere do I see anything, read anything, nor was I told at orientation that being a UNM student required tolerating activism or protesters on campus." UNM is a public institution. As a public institution, they are required to abide by the Constitution. Thus, since the Constitution explicitly states, "Congress shall make no law ...prohibiting the...

When did UNM become no better than a banana republic hiding behind the buzzwords of "safety" and lurking behind "proper permits?"   Sure, Karen Wentworth can hide behind University policy as justification for the removal of the protesters but weren't the protesters camping out on university property the whole week before?   So I guess the policy is only there when the University gets tired of the protesters?   How convenient.  I guess I’m supposed to be soothed by this bit of “bureaucratese” and disregard the fact that UNM is selectively enforcing its own policy like some sort of banana republic.  If UNM is going to hide behind policy than they should’ve done it last week.    Now I’m supposed to be soothed by this quote, ““Central (Avenue) is just not a safe place,” she said.  Really?   Central Avenue is not safe?   Did it suddenly get more safe when the protesters we’re on the corner of Central and Un...

Now these two things are related, so you'll have to trust me that I'll pull them together.  I promise I will.  1)  I was having a conversation with a friend and asking her about what it would take to finish her bachelor's degree.  She stated that she needed one class and around two grand to pay off the university so she could register.  That was it? That was it.  What was holding her up boiled down to having not only enough money to pay for the one class, but to pay off an outstanding debt so she could register for that class.   Now, having taught Freshmen Composition, I understand the bureaucratic nightmare that financing college has become.  When I was getting my bachelor's degree, it may have indeed been a little bureaucratic but it pails in comparison to what people have to do to finance their college education today.  Yes, many states have gotten better about helping people, but many times the restrictions, the regulations, ...

Don McIver 1801 Gold Ave. SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 Rendition He never didn't address me as sir. It was always, "Can you stand, sir?" "Can you step over here, sir? "Can you lean forward a bit, sir?" He was short, stocky, built as if every muscle wanted to erupt from skin, covered by a shirt whose buttons were decoration, perfectly creased, not straining but sized perfectly. "I'm going to undo this, sir." "Good...sir." "Can you sign here, sir?' "Oh...very well sir." "That's a very strong hand, sir." "The rest of this will be more worthwhile, sir." The room seemed more like a grade school: a plastic, too small, chair a lone metal lamp with a 75 watt incandescent that erupted shadows across the room. "Sit here, sir." "Can you drape your arms over this, sir? "Now where were we sir?" "Did you know him......

Poetry & Beer:   September 7th. Wednesday marked another PnB, a full year of stirring up the format, trying to add community into the mix.  The format was basically an Open Mike, which we split into a group of 4 poets to kick off the show, and a group of 9 poets to end the show.   Sandwiched between that we had group reading of Dan Propper's " The Fable of the Final Hour " and a feature of David Rowe.    I'm not sure how I found Dan Propper's poem, but what immediately struck me was how the structure lent itself to a group reading.  Since it basically counts up to 60 with the following, "In the first minute of the final hour..." it was pretty easy to divide the poem up into 60 sections and pass out 2-3 slips of paper to everyone in the audience.   I screened out people who weren't going to stay for the whole time, so probably had 22+ reading the poem.   No one got to see the whole poem.   Whil...