I've been reading an awful lot by my favorite author, Miguel de Unamuno, lately. (Long story as to why – maybe I'll blog about it, but if anyone's interested in hearing about it before then drop me an e-mail.) But as I've been digesting his works, I've been coming to understand the man all the more. He was one of the first existentialists – but his heart and soul were, as for most Spaniards, catholic. So while he had trouble believing in God for his whole life, he always tried to reconcil...

It. One little word, such possibilities. Ebay be damned. It. It. It. I feel better already. -- So the other day I'm walking down the street, and Don Quijote walks up to me, and he's got the face of Miguel de Unamuno instead of his own face, but they're quite similar so it takes me a minute to realize it, and then it changes to Gabriela Mistral's face and that's creepy as hell but oh well and then I wake up -- Maria Christopher is hot. Julie Christmas is scary. Ye...

Here it is, the one thing that Cedarbird has probably been dreading more than anything else - my esoteric, wordy, long-winded description of what I think about Madrid as a city. You know you hate it. -- 13 Apr 2008.  7:51pm. The sun pokes his face through the thick clouds for the first time in what feels like ages as I walk down the bustling streets of Madrid this Sunday afternoon. "All the blue changes, all the blue chains . . ." The dro...

09 May 2008.  11:31am. A thought: When in a group of comfortable friends, when within comfortable, known territory, when immersed in your own comfortable culture (are we seeing the 'comfortable' trend here?), it's almost impossible to define oneself. Why? Because when the things that make you you are shared by the group, are blanketed throughout the area, are disseminated through the surrounding culture, they no longer make you you - they make y'all y'all.  (Stupid ...

In many recent conversations with members of the illiterate horde that makes up the vast majority of my generation, I've encountered some interesting feedback. Many people, upon hearing my intent to receive a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature to be able to teach at the University level, seem taken aback. Often, it's at best maligned, at worst ridiculed. This has caused me a little bit of consternation the last few weeks. It's been called "worthless" by more than a couple of people. And, yo...