This post has three distinct sections. Part A is about my thoughts on life. Part B is about Kevin, the homeless guy. Part C is about education.

Part A

Life is funny in a way. This is the first week of the semester and I am enjoying the new classes and the new students greatly. I have also been able to establish a routine that is thus far easy to follow and yet allows me to make progress on the various work related items I wish to accomplish.... teaching, research, and service. So, why is life funny, you may ask? Well, the funny aspect is that things are quite pleasant right now, but that my body has been rather used to feeling stress and an edginess that it seems *odd* to not have that feeling at the moment.

If you recall, a little over a month ago, various life/family situations had made my existence very harsh and difficult. Many of the harsh situations have resolved themselves adequately (meaning everyone is relatively healthy and safe at the moment). But, having lived with that stress and edginess for so long, it feels *strange* to not have it present.

Well, in my mind I *KNOW* with 100% certainty that stress and edginess are not high quality experiences for me to try to maintain, therefore I will spend a little while today appreciating that they are currently gone... and relishing the fact that life is relatively content.

Part B

Unfortunately, Kevin (aka thehomelessguy.net) seems to be having some sort of a crisis of his own at the moment. He seems to have gotten very angry and edgy about anyone and everyone who read his blog.... and that includes all of us who have been faithful, loyal, and kind readers. At the same time, he experienced a loss in that his "story" was not aired on the Jane Pauley Show. Unfortunately, his feelings have lead to his deciding to remove his blog and replacing it with a "art-noir" version that is all black and grey and states simply (ala Greta Garbo) to "Leave Me Alone".

In an open message to Kevin, I wish to state the following:

"Kevin:

I hope that you are ok and that I hope that you will begin to feel better soon. I understand how life can sometimes feel overwhelming, but your work has value and your life has value. Why not take some time to relax and regroup. Perhaps in a few days the whole color and hue of life will appear different, and you will see things are ok.

It is also my hope that you will continue to write in your blog. I think it is something that not only helps you, but also helps our society.

Again, I hope you are ok.

PipeTobacco "

Part C

As most of you know, education has been my life... I have always enjoyed learning and growing, and I have relished becoming able to help others grow and learn as my role as a professor. Even though it can be said that all of us are growing and developing at all times, sometimes a more structured and formal approach can be valuable. With that in mind, I am wondering if any of you wish to embark on a journey with me to learn about and use what is known as the "Holga" camera? This is a small, "toy" type camera that many serious photographers have been using for true art photography. It is a very interesting and exciting idea and I wish to explore it further. I shall be working on studying this material myself, but if anyone else is interested, please let me know.... it is always much more fun to learn with someone rather than to do it all on your own. Here are two links that you might find interesting to view about the Holga camera:

Holga Mods

Plastic Camera

That is it for today! As always, I look forward to any comments you may have!

PipeTobacco