No single explanation, no central destination

For the past four hours, there has been an unending stream of cars creeping down Gilman Street and detouring on Henry over to Langdon. Mike and have absolutely no idea where these people are coming from or where they are going; there is practically no parking in this piece of Madison beyond what is taken by those who live here, and it seems strange that so many people are in their cars during the peak hours of the activity. I went out to take some photos of the long line of cars, and Mike accompanied me, making sure that I was aware of the few cars that were headed eastward instead of westward. Mike was (self-admittedly) very drunk from his earlier excursion with his visiting high school buddy Brett. It was of no consequence however, as Mike is the most impressively functional drunk I've ever met; I wasn't really aware of his inebriation until he called across the street to a stranger dressed as Yoshi (of Super Mario Land fame). After I was done shooting, we decided to walk the loop that we often travel when dining at the Towers or the Statesider, meaning that we traversed about three blocks of State Street, which was absolutely packed. It took us about ten minutes to travel what normally takes two or three minutes, stepping on fragments of Halloween costumes as we went.

Mexican Cow Train?!

A rather bizarre occurrence interrupted our Shakespearean Drama lecture this afternoon. Just as Prof. Knowles was discussing the Jewish ghetto in Venice (which makes this the fourth of my five classes this semester to address ghettos created for minorities), we heard the whistle of an old steam locomotive, and 8 or 9 crazed individuals entered the room in a variety of strange costumes, cow suits being the apparent favorite. They ran around, making a lot of noise, although the only words I caught were in Spanish. Once the last cow was gone with an ¡Adios! and a swish of the tail a couple people tried to start an applause, but I think most people would agree that Prof. Knowles consistently provides such lively and pleasant lectures that interruptions are really not welcome diversions.

The professor seemed a bit annoyed while all this was happening but ended up with the last laugh. Once the room was clear and the three people stopped clapping he simply stood, staring down at his notes - as if dismayed with our generation - and then staring out at the audience - as if to see if we realized how stupid we are sometimes. I like the fact that his excellent understanding of comedy is not wasted upon him.

What You Will

I attended an absolutely marvelous performance of Twelfth Night this evening with Jen, a friend with whom I've shared a couple of classes during my time here at Madison. The production was originally playing at the venue where I saw Othello last month, and the American Players Theatre has been touring since their outdoor venue closed for the season. The final showing was this one in Memorial Union, which apparently contains a rather impressive little theatre. I was surprised by the muted ending to an otherwise uproarious comedy (a choice by Shakespeare, not the directors), but it didn't feel out of place. My only quarrel with the entire to-do was that we were stuck indoors on such a fine night as tonight.

A Swing And A Miss

I got hit up for some change by a bum outside of Walgreens who tries rather hard to win 'em over with humor: "Spare change? I'm trying to collect enough to buy a box of screws, a drill, and some Viagra. My girlfriend wants me to screw her all night long." The same guy told me last week that he accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

Four For Four

The Red Sox have been my no. 2 team ever since they lost to the Twins at my first baseball game, back in the summer of '92 or so. Living in Massachusetts for two years only solidified their standing in my heart, so tonight's victory will keep me smiling for a long time. My hat's off to all those guys who've worked so hard to finally overcome the curse of the Bambino.

Intriguing Product

On Wednesdays I am unable to return to the dorm system for lunch, so I often smuggle a bagel or two out of the dining hall to munch on during the day. The bagels in the Highlander are locally made and really nothing special except for the kooky information on the bag regarding "Care of Bagels" and "Preparation." You can find almost the same text on the site, but here's the essay on Preparation.

Try a sliced bagel, toasted, with butter or cream cheese and jam. Our bagel, even after it has been cut in half, is sometimes too large for the conventional toaster. In this instance, the bagel must be compressed after cutting in order to fit into the toaster slots.

The bagel will make anything taste better. Consider using it in the construction of your next sandwich. A traditional favorite is composed of lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese strategically placed between the two halves of a sliced bagel; perhaps a slice of tomato or onion can be added to liven up your concoction. But, it is important to note that your bagel will always taste better when it is hot, so please take the time to heat it.

You will discover that the bagel has many uses; it can be used in any situation where ordinary bread may have been used in the past. Feel free to use as many bagels as you please without worrying that the supply will dry up, because at our bakery you will be able to find Bagels Forever.

The fifth intriguing product is Bagels Forever.

Meg Slekt

I met up with my family for a final morning of breakfast and cards. I paid my first visit to an IHOP, and found it to be similar but superior to a Perkins. After we said our goodbyes and Dad dropped me off at the Highlander, I met up with my classmate Nat and we headed off to Kohler Art Library to kick off our research for papers we're writing for Italian Art of the Twentieth Century. Mine will be on The New York Times Building that was designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and is currently under construction on 8th Avenue. I am very impressed with this architect's work and equally in admiration of the way his workshop is organized to fully utilize all of its human resources. Could RPBW perhaps be a future employer? After I returned from the library I ate the piece of sour cream raspberry pie my parents picked up from the Norske Nook on their way here. I'm not sure if there's anything truly Norwegian about that pie, but it sure is as good as the rest of their cookin'. It was a nice encore to the weekend of good meals with the folks.

המשפחה שלי

Waking at 6:40 this morning wasn't too bad, and although the hotel continental breakfast was no better than PRH food, I had an enjoyable time playing Hearts with my family. For lunch we went to a Ella's Deli, which serves a great number of Kosher foods and favorites of the Jewish-American culture. I started with a very tasty matzo ball soup, moved on to a well prepared Ruben and impressive coleslaw, and finished up with a rather typical banana split. While I thought the soup was reason enough to stop in at Ella's, the decor serves as another attraction. A diner might very well feel like the interior of the place is a result of a circus colliding with a toy store. Every inch of the place seems to be decorated with moving parts and loud colors, but it's so much more authentic than, say, the Times Square Toys "R" Us, that it isn't nearly so off-putting. It's definitely worth a visit if you're ever in the Madison area.

Regarding This Blog's Ability To Help You Find Jesus

My most vocal critic who goes by the clever moniker of "JamesSux" commented on my 20 October post:

James, you are so lame. Why do you write stupid nonsense? Oh, your eyes meet, blah, blah. Is this a romance novel?

Dude. It's my blog. It's called (as you can read at the top of the window) "The Life and Times of James Lucas Hepokoski." Because this blog has only one title, we can safely conclude that it is NOT called

Entertainment For Everyone

or

You Should Read This Blog Because It Will Make You A Better And Happier Person Who Is Very, Very, Very Close To Jesus.

If you hate me or what I say here, don't feel compelled to read this blog. I assure you, not all of the cool kids are reading my blog on a regular basis. It's okay to read other things. I personally enjoy reading many things that are not this blog. Such as books.

私の家族

I met my family again today; I showed them the Elvehjem museum quickly, and then we caught the 80 out to Allen Centennial Gardens, where we meandered and discussed what we might like in our own yard. The gardens are less spectacular than they were during the first month of school but still make for a nice stroll. We walked back to the Highlander to pick up Mike, and my parents met one my favorite neighbors (who also happens to be one of the multitude of Sarahs in my life), albeit so briefly they didn't quite realize it. Once Mike joined us to make five we headed down to Ginza of Tokyo on State Street, and we all enjoyed some Japanese cuisine. After our walk back in the rain, we discovered the Prius was trapped by the UW homecoming parade, so we sloshed over to my room for a game of hearts, which Mom won with ease. We're getting togther in the morning tomorrow, and we've agreed to meet at 7:30, which is pretty early for a Saturday morning unless your in the Hepokoski household. It is good to see them.

La Mia Famiglia

My family came to visit me for MEA Weekend, a four-day break that comes to public schools throughout Minnesota each October. They arrived in the middle of the afternoon and brought me a few things I had been missing, including my copy of No One Is Really Beautiful, some jeans, and the mail that has been piling up at home. We went out to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow at a theater near the southwest corner of the Madison beltway. After the movie, which I enjoyed despite its (perhaps intentionally) clunky dialogue, we headed over to Biaggi's, an Italian restaurant that is part of a small chain that just expanded into Maple Grove. I had some good gnocchi, a very impressive balsamic vinaigrette salad, and some of my mom and my sister's veal parmesan. It was a enjoyable evening and a very welcome change of pace. They'll be here through the weekend, so there's still more to which I can look forward.

Ego Tripping at the Gates of Humanities

I was walking back from Van Vleck this evening as the last light in the sky was disappearing. As I passed the Humanities building on my way into Library Mall, I caught the eye of an rather beautiful young lady who appeared to be of Indian or Pakistani heritage. We both smiled as we walked towards each other, and for two or three seconds our eyes connected. The moment was sharply interrupted a moment before we passed each other when she tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and let out a hushed exclamation that I suspect was something unladylike. She regained her balance without falling, so I can without too much guilt simply enjoy the memory.

Midterm Madness (Day Two)

I'm through the worst of the midterm experience. The Modern Algebra exam this morning was far easier than I expected. Looking back, I realized I missed a step of one proof, but I feel like I probably earned at least 15 out of 25 points for that one anyway, and I'm hoping that I got full or nearly full credit on the other three problems. When I finished I had lots of time to spare and nobody had left yet, so I was a little worried that I had missed something. I looked over the whole exam, but I found nothing. I guess there's no use in worrying now.

Midterm Madness (Day One)

I had my first Twentieth Century Italian Art quiz this morning, and I felt it went well. I'm not a fast writer, but I felt I was able to discuss the chosen works reasonably well. I grudgingly skipped Russian History to study for the test, but I dropped by to hand in my paper which was also due this morning. On my way over to the art library where I did my studying, I was exposed to what might have set a new low for cell phone conversations I would have rather not overheard: "She just drank soooo much...yeah...well she just threw up all over the bed...no, she has the top bunk..." Some girls around here should not have cell phones.

Saturday at the University of Wisconsin

Today was an all-around life-on-campus day. I woke up in time to say goodbye to the people who crashed on our floor for the night (Mike's sister and her boyfriend), then studied for the upcoming Art History exam until brunch, which I ate at the Statesider on my way to College Library. I met my friend and unofficial math tutor and we studied Abstract Algebra for a couple hours. In my attempts to express my appreciation, I bought him a sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate. As we were leaving, we had a random encounter with another former Langdonite and fellow student in my math class. I took a nap after getting back and went to dinner when I woke up. At dinner, Mike and I had another random encounter with a number of students from our dorm. (Granted, it wasn't as random, since we're on the same meal plan.) I vacuumed my floor after returning and returned to studying Art History until the rioting and screaming outside my window notified me that our football team beat Purdue. On Wisconsin!

8

The floors in the Highlander are quite small; they're comprised of a single hall with six rooms, two landings in the stairwells, and elevator access. I've come to mentally nickname the inhabitance of each of the rooms on our floor.

806 "The RAs" - Leah and Amanda both hold that title here.
805 "Those Guys" - They're, as best I can tell, typical Wisconsin undergrads: nice guys with an affinity for beer.
804 "The Nerds" - Those guys have more computers and more 12-sided dice than anyone else around.
803 "The Nerdetts" - Those girls have more computers and more 12-sided dice than anyone outside of 804.
802 "Los Estupidos" - Those two girls always scowl at us or pretend not to see us for reasons unknown. I think it might have something to do with the tiny Kerry/Edwards sticker way up on the corner of our door (and I'm serious; it is discrete). Should they be Las Estupidas? Probably, but I maintain that they are kind of man-ish, especially the obese one.
801 "We" or "Us" - It depends if we're the subject or the direct object.

Our relationship with Los Estupidos was made even more strange when the thin one's friend visited and was overly nice to us in a way that made us sure that the other two really hate us. It is truly weird.

Tall Buildings

I attended a lecture on the history of architecture in Chicago. Covering 201 years in an hour and a half, it was extraordinarily brief, but the eighty-something woman giving the talk proved most lively and it was a highly enjoyable lecture. The lecture focused most heavily on skyscrapers, which are widely (although not universally) considered to be a Chicagoan invention. I sat next to Professor Buenger, who teaches my course in twentieth century Italian art. Professor Buenger, who I suspect to be about 50 years of age, and I were probably the two youngest people in the room, which was comprised mostly of friends of the library. A gentleman gave a brief introduction on the matter of the recent book sale the library held to raise funds, and he added a comment that they always encourage donations to the library, especially from young folks. Of course he was looking right at me as he said it, and we all had a good chuckle.

After that lecture, we swept over to the Elvehjem Art Museum to catch the end of a lecture on Xu Bing, a Chinese artist who is currently being featured in the Elvehjem with a gallery of his work and a special year-long installation in the main room. This makes two evenings in a row with the good professor: a new record for a non-major undergrad perhaps?

The Fullest Day

Today was perhaps one of the fullest days of my life which began and will presumably end in the same bed. I awoke at six to write a formal analysis of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop design for the new The New York Times headquarters that are being constructed in Manhattan. I ate breakfast and then made the usual tour of Russian History lecture, 20th Century Italian Art, Shakespearean Drama, and Russian History discussion.

The first two classes came off without a hitch, but in Shakespearean Drama, our professor decided that we needed an in-class dramatic reading to more fully appreciate the hilarity of the Pyramus and Thisbe play-within-a-play in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Volunteers were few, and the professor became rather animated in his attempt to find a Pyramus. I was sitting two-thirds of the way back, but there I was with a huge grin on my face, being amused by our professor's antics, and that's what did me in. He picked me out of the more than a hundred students in the room, and I found myself, a math major, reading Shakespeare to a room full of English majors and feeling altogether jittery about the whole thing. I think I did alright, really. I switched two words, added a 'the,' and mispronounced 'vild,' but I must have read ten or fifteen lines for each of those three mistakes. I'm not cut out to be an actor and certainly not a sight-reader.

I continued to be rather verbal in Russian History discussion and enjoyed that class. I had an hour or so back here to get started on my math homework before I set off for the Elvehjem Art Museum for my fifth class, European Architectural History. I got to drop in to the office of my professor for a few minutes before I attended a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum, and consumed some very good cranberry bars and raspberry punch. By the time I got home, it was time for the final presidential debate, in which both candidates were their strongest yet. I've been working with mixed results on my math homework, but it's time for bed now.

Compatibility

Okay, Firefox and Safari users, it may not be pretty yet, but I think I've managed to get The Life and Times to work in your browsers. I'm sorry it took so long.

Masterful Production

Fatboy Slim's newest album, Palookaville, came out a week ago today, and I've been listening to it a couple times a day since Thursday. It is a truly impressive piece of music, an equal to its critically acclaimed predecessor Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars. The album has a lighter feel, as if Norman Cook (a.k.a. Fatboy Slim) was imagining a party on a secluded beach instead of one in a jam-packed dance club. Palookaville takes another step away from Slim's first two more purely techo/remix albums Better Living Through Chemistry and You've Come Along Way, Baby. As it turns out, the general absence of big beat grooves like "The Rockefeller Skank" or "Ya Mama" isn't at all problematic. The first single, "Slash Dot Dash," fills this position somewhat, but the other 11 tracks support themselves just fine with catchy lyrics and a variety of talented vocalists. With Palookaville Cook has shown he his a multi-faceted artist, and I can only hope that his next album is not another four years away.

Master of My Domain

I managed to secure James-Lucas.net this weekend. (JamesLucas.com was selling for $950, JamesLucas.net belongs to a man named James Lucas who was uninterested in selling, and James-Lucas.com is in use by some artistic type.) I'm not willing to pay for hosting yet, so it will just be forwarding everyone to this blog for the time being. It fun to think of the possibilities, even if I'm still lacking the skills to realize them.

Intriguing Product

There's been a lot of talk in the post-debate discussions about how polarized our nation is at the moment, and it certainly seems true. I'm not really sure it divide along a Bush-Kerry line, but rather a pro-Bush-anti-Bush line. It's hard not to feel strongly about the man, one way or the other. Anyhow, in thinking about this, I recalled a rather intriguing product I encountered at Simon's Rock that not only smells nice but preaches unity.

The fourth Intriguing Product is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.

Rocker Reunion

Today I saw ex-Rocker Brian Ziff-Levine again, and he was able to regale Mike and me with numerous hilarious tales of our classmates during and since our time at SRC. Strange drug-induced behavior, improbable romances, and accidental pregnancies kept us entertained for an hour and (in my case) laughing hysterically for much of that time. Ahh...good times.

Also I downloaded a lot of bagpipe music. We'll see how long I continue to play it.

Since 1989

I had my second beer tonight, and this time it was a Keystone Light. From the Coors website I learned the following: Introduced in 1989, Keystone Light is a refreshing light lager that is Always Smooth, Never Bitter™. Keystone Light is 4.2% alcohol by volume and has 104 calories per 12-ounce serving. It was fairly weak and thus easy for a novice beer drinker like myself to down. I didn't choose it; I was visiting my friend and art history classmate Nat, and one of his engineer-suitemates thrust the can into my hand.

Our water is consistently clear again, but the chain in our toilet broke, so we're reduced to flushing it by hand. I'm glad these problems didn't overlap, because this is unpleasant enough. I've decided to leave my Live Strong band on the shelf for this weekend, since I don't like the idea of dunking it in the questionable tank water. It's the first time I've made a conscious decision to not wear it since Rachel gave it to me in New York. It's weird not having it on my wrist, I've grown so used to it.

The Value of Uncertainty

After mulling over the things that President Bush and Senator Kerry were saying about anti-terrorism tactics, I decided that the discrepancy could be fairly well captured with the following allegory: If Bush and Kerry were trying to protect a house from a gang of armed robbers, Kerry would grab a shotgun and patrol the house, moving from room to room, checking all the doors and windows. President Bush would take a bazooka and keep it trained on the toilet. Kerry would acknowledge that yes, a toilet could prove to be a breech in security and yes, it is a pretty nasty little hole, but he'd stress that it's not the opening to be concerned with just now. And I suppose Bush would in turn call Kerry's cautious patrolling of the house "flip-flopping."