In the culturally stunned, dystopic states of North America a poet needs a different (though no greater) kind of faith and commitment from that of poets under other cruel and t/ruthless political regimes. Faith in poetry itself, more perhaps than has been required in other, older societies. Commitment to a poetics not defined by the market, not complacent courtier verse or prose cut by template. A poetics of longing, of organic necessity. Adrienne Rich via Levy and Wood s Lot

On April Fools Day at the Phillips Collection I learned about “dandyism!” The artificiality and excessive refinement of the “dandy” was characterized by Boldini’s painting of Whistler. That boy and his momma, they did get around. Whistler held a tophat and he had a splendid moustache and sculpted eyebrows. He displayed all the self absorbtion of a blogger.

The painting was included in the Sichert/Degas/Lautrec exhibit, on loan from the Tate. (Follow that link and you can see a complete catalog of what was at the Phillips. But I have to say that Miss La La looks a lot better hanging by her teeth in person, than she does in pixels on the monitor).

Not far away from Whistler, Degas’ L’absinthe glowed a sickly green with friends of mine seated at the table. I made up a little critical story as I looked. The picture, I think, is best viewed from the left. The gallery’s lighting cast a glare on the brush strokes on her lips that was removed by moving to the left. The subjects themselves, in the right of the panel, move the viewer to the left to gain comfort in perspective. Oh, and then there’s the political thing… Contemporaneous English critiques of Degas’ work were posted in the room. Middle class values overshadowed the critics’ ability to see what was in front of them.

Thanks to David Weinberger for dropping the soap on this one today.  The West Point Graduates Against the War have been ordered to cease use of the West Point trademark.  The lying liars prove the West Pointers point, I think.  This from the Mercury News…

West Point spokesman Lt. Col. Kent Cassella said the academy sent the April 12 warning letter because the group failed to go through a licensing process to get permission to use the term “West Point.” The group’s anti-war stance is irrelevant, he said.

“This is not a political issue. They did not ask for permission. We are doing what any college or university would do to enforce its trademarks,” Cassella said.

“Not a political issue,” my ass.

My uncle gave me great advice about coffee when I was in my teens. “Learn to drink it black,” he said. “You’ll never be disappointed if there’s no cream or sugar.” I took that advice and I’ve never regretted it.

This morning I’m sucking down mass units of something called “Late Night Log-in.” It’s a dark roast from boca java. It satisfies. I’m a dark roast fan, and this is better than anything available here in Madison, better than the local roasters provide, better even than the corporate Seattle beans available wherever the bourgeois congregate.

I was among the first 500 bloggers who registered and yesterday I received my review kit. The kit contained six eight ounce bags of whole coffee beans, six different roasts and flavors. It contained a cool black ball cap and a mug, both with the legend “Always blog on a full tank.” That’s what they gave me, and I promised them some reviews. If you click through to them from this site and make a purchase, they’ll give me some credit toward my next coffee purchase. This is a good deal for me and for the ‘hood, since I’ll be spending less time breaking into parked cars and boosting stereos to feed my addiction.

Right now, I’m wearing my boca java hat and I’m drinking from my complimentary bloggersfuel mug and I have nothing but good things to say about the brew. You can look for another four or five comments from me over the next month or two. When I bust open a new bag, I’ll share my impressions. My tastes are simple, informed by my uncle’s advice and my early days in San Francisco where there two kinds of coffee… Graffeo’s dark roast (my favorite) and Graffeo’s light roast (not as much my favorite). Of course across the bay in Piedmont Mr. Peet was putting the business model together for the bourgeois coffee stores that dominate the market today, and I got to know him a little because my girlfriend was a Piedmont High graduate. But basically, for me there are still only two kinds of coffee: light and dark roasts… well, three kinds of coffee if you count Jamaican Blue Mountain, but I’ve only had a few opportunities in this long life to enjoy it. I am NOT a fan of flavored coffees, and those two bags will probably be donated to somebody who likes that kind of thing.