Who Am I?

Which comic kid best represents the Me of Me?

Charlie Brown or Calvin.

(Both comics are expired, now, but I'm not.) Now approaching the Golden Years, I still contain within myself the young boy I was and am.

A younger friend, Christina Bone, 

seems to be going through a crisis of Selfhood on her Facebook page, and I can only assure her that as far as my experience is authentic, the doubt persists and we may as well enjoy and comment on the adventure. 

So... Calvin? 

or Charlie Brown? (In previous panels he confessed his most secret desire to Lucy, who swore not to laugh: which was for everyone to call him "Flash"...)

I'm in the Comics!

See me in action at

http://tinyurl.com/aq91dt

MY NEW WEBSITE!

At last, after almost a year of hesitation, doubt, whimperings, I've put up a website that contains some funny stuff AND a free download of my novel about Hitler. 

Yes, Adolf Hitler, der fuehrer, der head of the Third Reich. Hitler is dead and my novel purports to explain how he died. Or, Who Killed Adolf HItler? Four kids, using Invisibility Bubblegum and a Lucky Indian Head Penny. 

No more info here, you gotta read it. I think it's fun and interesting. If you think so, please let me know. If you don't think so, I'd appreciate hearing that from you too. But be gentle, please.

Yes, just go to: 

http://web.mac.com/donhinkle/Penny_Crusade-Kill_Hitler/Adolf_Hitler_the_Anti-Hero.html

 or, the shorter version: http://tinyurl.com/3tzap7.

And I'll do the same for you someday.

warning: there's a graphic novel called I Killed Hitler, by a Norwegian artist named Jason. It's interesting too. And gets many more hits on Google than I do.

If you have a website, please consider putting a link to mine because that helps influence Google.

"No Doubt" It's a Lie

My wife used the expression "No doubt" in a statement to me a short while ago.

It's one of the few times when I didn't get a feeling of irritation at the words.

Most of the time, when I read the phrase, it's in a context that I know consciously and unconsciously is false--a deliberate lie.

It's used in politics often to seek to force a response in the reader. 

If the statement is true, there's no reason to use the words "no doubt".

Check it out.

Watching TV

In our home we needed internet service so we booked with Verizon, which also offers Direct TV service and we took that offer too. It included 3 months free of some channels that only show movies. 

Result: I've spent more time in past 8 weeks watching more television than ever before, even when I was depressed. I just turn it on and click until I find a movie that looks fun. I have seen some interesting ones that I never would otherwise see.

But my wife dug out an old poster I drew years ago when our 2 girls came home from school and embedded themselves in front of the TV set. She fastened it to the front of our screen, for me.

Great New Dog!

Here's our great new ex-Seeing Eye shepherd, named River. He's posing beside our stuffed shepherd "Buddy". 

Now we can say of our home, "A River runs through it."

He's very patient and understanding, and a fresh coating of his fur is everywhere in the home.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Silence Becomes Me

I've been writing "stuff"--stories, reportage, etc.--ever since I could spell, but in the past year or so I've been silenced. Our dear "keeper" Shepherd, Prudence, passed on in Feb. 2007 and I'm thinking perhaps that was the silencer put on my loud mouth. 

But yesterday a phone call from The Seeing Eye told us we could adopt a 5-yr-old Shepherd; it took us maybe half an hour to decide YES, and next week we drive down to NJ to claim him. 

As he helps us recover from our caninical loss, perhaps I'll recover my literary voice.

We shall see.

THE SEA IS A HARSH MISTRESS

The previous entry explained how I went scalloping with Bob Huss. I should have mentioned that each edible scallop is a finger-nail sized blob perhaps one-eighth inch thick. And how rich they are: eating a small portion of a morning's catch, fried in butter, was equivalent in latent energy to a buffalo steak.

This morning, which happens to be my birthdate anniversary, I retrieved a phone call from Bob Huss (after a great breakfast at The Black Dog) inviting me to join him and two other friends-- the noted how-to author Lynn Herrick and Steve Wilkerson, both initiates to the fine art.

On my wife's wise advice I dressed warmly: silk underwear, lined pants, warm shirtings, and a full rain suit, PLUS heavy rubber boots. 

We met at Bob's boat and after a few minutes, the engine cranked, we cast off mooring lines and were at sea in the bracing morning breeze at about 40 deg. F, and without shock absorbers, so that each time the boat hit the trough between two waves we felt it.

In about 15 minutes, we entered the lagoon, which is separated from Vineyard Haven hahbah by a draw bridge. Quieter waters and shallower. A few commercial scallopers were at work, so Bob guided our craft to an empty section of the lagoon and we cast off the heavy metal draggers. 

Results were disappointing, however, as we mostly got empty scallop shells. The crabs and starfish had been as busy as crows in a cornfield. We got some, though. Then the boat's engine shut itself off. Bob attempted restarts unsuccessfully. 

We were adrift. Fortunately the breeze blew us close to shore. There was a small sandy shelf. The boat entered two feet of water but wouldn't go closer, though Bob wanted her beached. Lynn was in the bow, but only wore sneakers, so I leaped gracefully up on the rail, dangled a leg and let most of my body follow. 

My left boot was in the water but my right foot was stuck on the rail.

Bob said, "Put both feet over, Don."

I said, "I understand the theory but the practice eludes me."

Steve reacted quickly, grabbed the foot and lifted it over the rail...at which point I dropped.

As I fell backwards all of 3 feet into the water below, I screamed "CALYPSO!!" in homage to the final Pirates of the Caribbean movie. 

"Are you okay?" Lynn asked.

"I'm fine, but soaked," I replied. Indeed I felt water inside all my clothing and my boots.

But I lurched to my feet and helped pull the boat onto the sandy shelf.

Shortly after that, Bob managed to restart the engine. They conveyed me to a boat dock near the drawbridge, and I squished along the dock and awaited my wife to come pick me up. Fortunately the water against my skin and inside the clothes acted like an insulator and kept me from freezing

After a hot shower and fresh clothes I felt invigorated by my Adventure at Sea and am ready for more. Next time, I'd like to stay dry. 

Old Man and the Sea

Yes, I've officially become a member of the hallowed fraternity of Scallopers.

Today, an Island friend took me on his small boat and we hunted bay scallops.

Yes, I wore special underwear as well as a fleece vest and my Black Dog cap. The temperature of outside air was moderate, but on the sea as we boated to Vineyard Haven Lagoon, it sank. Chilly. 

After arriving, my friend (Bob Huss) showed me what to do. He had two very heavy Draggers--heavy metal chains forming a basket, hooked to a heavy metal hook. Connected to the boat by long strong ropes. 

We threw the Draggers o'erboard and Bob advanced the boat a hundred yards or so, with the Draggers dragging on the bottom. Then he paused the boat and we hand-over-handed the ropes (like ringing a church bell) until the Draggers--even heavier now with content--were aboard. Then we dumped the contents and searched for Scallops.

We found many crabs, which eat the Scallops, and lots of other thingies from the bottom as well as seaweed aplenty. The catches were scarce on scallops so we had to do it about a dozen times. By that time, my arms were so weak I couldn't lift the Dragger to the boat without Bob's help. Finally we had about a bushel and headed for port.

Then Bob showed me how to shell the scallops. A bit like cutting oysters, using a similar knife. I wonder what the early Americans used since they lacked metal knives. Special stone tools?

The photo shows me with my portion of the catch, which was liberal since Bob easily shucked 4 times what I did. I plan to cook them with butter...

and they are delicious!

Real Magic

My hypothesis is: that books about magic are really about, in a broad sense, religion and about God or divine powers. Magic is a metaphor for spiritual power.

For example: in the book of Exodus, Moses confronts Egypt's Pharoah and does a trick that divine inspiration told him to do. Pharoah calls his court magicians and orders them to duplicate it. They do, but Moses trumps their tricks. Moses proceeds to do more "magic" that just dumfounds the Egyptians.

In more modern times, magicians often try to duplicate religious magic: for instance, turning water into wine was one that Christ Jesus did originally. Tricks of levitation were probably demonstrations again from the Bible of Jesus ascending. I think that these and other magics were part of theatrical presentations about the gospels.

In the super-popular Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings books, magic is a power that can be used for good or evil--like the "Force" in the Star Wars movies and as most religions hold, the eternal battle between God and the Devil. 

We all possess some "magical" or God-derived powers. Use them well.

Hippies on Martha's Vineyard

The longer we live here on Martha's Vineyard--one year, as of Halloween--the more pleased and surprised I am by the year-round inhabitants. Few easy characterizations except: 

In general, the voting adults seem "liberal" in the good, old-fashioned, sense. 

There are a lot of single moms. 

Lots of community activism and volunteers. 

Many people work two jobs. 

I feel more comfortable here than I have in some other places I've lived; tho I tend, as a writer who sits with his computer most of the time, to be fairly comfy everywhere, here I'm comfy when I'm away from the computer.

Couple weeks ago we went to a "Buy Local" fair at the Agricultural Hall up-Island in Tisbury. It's a semi-rural atmosphere, still, and many of the folks and especially the kids are comfortable in rural surroundings. Here's a young girl (named, as I recall, tho I didn't write it down, "Pearl") whose father let me photograph her long long hair.

New Cartoon

I did this today under a rush command from my wife. Done as a "special Day" card for a dear friend who teaches art classes. I wish wifey would give me orders for work more often. I was totally happy while doing it. And I think it's pretty good, though if it weren't a rush I would have worked more on it. If I ever get going on a graphic novel, this is probably the style I'll use.

You CAN'T be Apolitical!!?

But I think I am.  Well, maybe not. I'm kind of interested; I intend to vote. But what I hate about politics is taking sides and the hatred that seems to characterize each side's view of its opposing side.

So much of politics is an image game--trying to appear as if you're the desirable one. Isn't that just sucking up?

But it's the hate that inspires so many e-mails and online and newspaper columns and blogs that makes me almost despair. So I try to remain unattached politically. And I watch and observe.

Many friends who e-mail me send liberal messages about hate for McCain and Palin. If I respond in a non-supportive or critical way, they assume that means I'm a conservative, which in their thinking relegates me to the simpletons. On the other hand, a few conservative friends think I'm a traitor if I disagree with their stance of hatred and disgust for Obama/Biden.

I have no idea how many other Americans may feel as I do. Perhaps they're the ones listed as "Undecided" on the polls. If I don't hold to that thought I feel very lonely.

Love each other, people! Don't hate!

Whichever team gets elected, support them in their work and try to participate, rather than sniping, sabatoging and undercutting.

The Flying Elbows

The Flying Elbows are a small musical group, with the lead a violinist (or fiddler, as I'm learning to call the instrument when its played this way) who play on Martha's Vineyard. 

We first heard them years ago when we went "up-Island" to a contra dance. And, watching them play, we understood why the name: those elbows do fly because they're playing 90 miles/hour and no brakes. 

The tunes reminiscent of Irish and Southern music, rich in harmonies and thrills (at least I'm thrilled with it). I tried to describe it so I could write about it; as far as I can tell, there's no way to emulate in words that old-timey music with dashing dancing prancing instruments (fiddle, banjo, guitar, etc.) except with the instruments themselves. The first fiddle often leads with a kind of tune and the others play harmonies. No, that's inadequate. I'll think of another way to describe it....

A violin/fiddle can play only one note at a time (unlike, say, a piano); however, the fiddler overcomes this apparent limitation by playing extremely fast, so the notes tend to blur and blend into a recognizable tune that depends on clumps of notes rather than individuals. 

One of the players said this: "It's not bluegrass music; this music came before bluegrass."

He closed with this classic: "Old timey music is better than it sounds!"

Sadly, my explanation, while having the virtue that it sounds simple and easy (like so many theories abounding today) is incorrect. A reader, Elizabeth, sent me a corrective email, which I quote here:

"I play fiddle and I wanted to let you know that a violin/fiddle can play more than one note at a time. The violin has 4 strings and there are 4 fingers on the fingerboard. The bow can play on more than one string at a time. The fiddler can play chords using 2, 3 or even 4 strings at a time. Old-time New England fiddlers and dance callers could have the bridge of their fiddle altered to make it straight across instead of arched. This would make it possible for the fiddler to play 4 strings at a time so their instrument would be loud, as they had no amplification way back then. You mention the rich harmonies. A fiddler can harmonize a tune by using 'double stops', meaning they can play at least 2 notes at a time."

Let this be a warning to us. If anyone, especially some of the political bloggers, produces a theory that sounds as if it could be correct, it probably is not. Reality is more complex and therefore more interesting...

Evolution? Creative Design? We report, you decide

Here's the pitch: any intelligent designer, designing life, would include an algorithm for evolution. Comment?