I had a baby on September 4! His name is Jesse Talus Martin Miles.

On the evening of September 3, Gray and I went to see Sam play at Il Motore here in Montreal. It was I think the first stop of his North American tour. I was a week past the date the baby was predicted to be born and I was sick of being pregnant. Plus, there was a heat wave going on. I was pretty uncomfortable and going to see Sam play seemed like an ideal way to distract me from the frustration.

So we sat in the venue listening to the opening act. Gray drank a Moosehead beer and I drank a cranberry juice with soda. Then my water broke. Before Sam went on! We had to leave in a hurry. I went into pretty full-on labor only a couple hours later and the baby was born just before 9 a.m. the following morning.

So, thanks Sam, for providing the venue for me to start labor. Also, the heat wave ended that night.

Jesse is doing great! I would post a photo but I’m kind of exhausted and actually I’m going to go to bed right now because the baby is sleeping and now’s my chance!

This is the subject line of an email I received today from a PR firm. Toronto must be feeling super-honored!

This is my first live blogging of the south africa world cup. with one hand. long story. Right now south africa is playing france. huge game. this is sa’s third game– decides if they get into the finals. cards stacked heavily against them. last game was terrible. but right now sa is up 2-0. each goal you can hear people blowing vuvuvzelas all over town…. sa needs to win by 4 points to make it,,,

Some things that fly there be, –
Birds, hours, the bumble-bee:
Of these no elegy.

Some things that stay there be, –
Grief, hills, eternity:
Nor this behooveth me.

There are, that resting, rise.
Can I expound the skies?
How still the riddle lies!

[Thanks Sam]

Here is a sobering graph. It aims to describe the average direct influence of a twentieth century philosopher, over the course of their life. Direct influence is measured by number of mentions in a standard database of philosophy abstracts.

Details here.

Excerpt from the DICTIONARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS, CARTOGRAPHY, AND REMOTE SENSING. Thanks Ted.

Read more. Thanks to Alex for the link.

thanks sam

Some haiku in honor of the season and Jewish New Year by my parents (mother then father):

Ancient holiday
reminding that abundance
slips into spareness.

Gathering tonight
half a world away the date
passes unnoticed.

Calling Fowl

At night, Bard Owl
Hoots her startling love call
At dawn, Crow caws back

Going for the Paper

Cool mist licks my face
Wood smoke permeates the air
While dew wets my feet