Usually classes don't start up again until after Dr. King's birthday, but this year, we are starting back early. It has me all out of sorts. Still, I've been wanting to incorporate more media into the curriculum, and this gives me a good reason to spend some time getting a group research project going. I'm trying to adjust my disposition about not getting as much time between terms. I'm trying to remember how much tougher so many have it than I do. Seeing the old film footage of the civil rights movement reminds me of just how tough things can be.

I haven't noticed any trouble at the Bob Dylan Columbia forums (yet), but it seems like every other time I go to the Jakob Dylan forums at Columbia, some racist, homophobic, neo-nazi, "fundamentalists" (emphasis on "mental," null and void on the "fun"), spiteful, hypocritical bigot that can't find their way to a spell-check button, has posted hateful spewings all over the board. Same sort of thing at the Obama YouTube sites, and Dr. King memorial sites. I suppose this stuff is just always around, but things just seem worse to me lately. Sad. Frustrating.

Here is the link to "Last Word: Odetta" from NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/arts/20081203_odetta.html

Please, go watch it! It is such a beautifully done video, of a wonderful, amazing person; she was loved, and is greatly missed.

Well, interesting. It sounds like a private collector bought this tape, and since they don't have the right to produce it commercially, the rest of the world will never get to hear it...? Sad. The link goes to the brief article about all this:

http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1601902/bob-dylans-nashville-skyli...

Just for quick reference:

Columbia House Artists Dylan Forum:

http://forums1.columbiarecords.com/Columbia/Dylan/?50@228.U0cpb0lHbsW.0@

Down the Highway:

http://www.downthehighway.info/index.htm

Expecting Rain Dylan Forums:

http://expectingrain.com/discussions/viewforum.php?f=13&sid=93450218657d...

What I got when I Googled "Bob Dylan Forums":

http://bobdylanforum.com/

It’s a rough world out there. I was over at the Jakob Dylan forums a couple days back, and they had some really nasty posts that had gotten through. They took care of it quickly, but it really shocked me, and reminded me that not everybody that has online access is full of sweetness and light! I realize that most of those frequenting this site are probably on the parental side of online safety, but all of us, regardless of our age can find ourselves vulnerable, so I thought I would post a few links to sites dealing with virtual self-defense:

Joyeuses fêtes!

On "YouTube," " 4thTimeAround" has posted a home video creation of Bob Dylan's "Theme Time Radio" recitation of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uec1J9g-sMs