I Am Not Hamlet

Dana Gioia, poet, former NEA Chairman, and USC Professor on spending time on his property in Sonoma County: I have twenty hilly acres of oaks, redwoods, and madrones, and there is always work to do.  I'm trying to restore the landscape to its natural state and protect the native species.  No one really cares about this goal but me.  My neighbors think I should tear out the trees and plant grapes.  But I prefer the way God landscaped it. I couldn't agree more. (From  Image #73)

Though it's a bit late now, watch this and help out starting next April.

I don't like beer.  I've tried over the course of the last 20 years to like it, but have failed every time.  My most recent try was last September with a beer after a 22 mile bike ride.  Yuck!  That liquid is so bitter, it reminds me of sawdust (not that I ingest that, either).  Occasionally, some interesting brew will have an intriguing smell, but much like the deception of coffee, the smell masks the lurking taste of ewwwwwwwwwww.      This lack of hopsphilia comes at a price.  Many, many (if not most) adult social events revolve around beer.  Sure, sometimes hard liquor or wine (or some other kind of alcohol) is available, but not always.  And certainly not at beer's price.  So, I stand around with my glass of wine or water looking inside at all the beer drinkers and their fun.      Much like my antipathy for professional sports, I remain at the edges of American culture.  Not many people st...