BUSY MONDAY

Well, as I type this, it's Tuesday, and Monday was eventful.

8:00-9:00 I made a new mix of my art music piece "The Water at Miraflores Locks" to accompany Janette Erickson, the Fresno Philharmonic's principal flautist who has generously agreed to perform the solo part on this piece, even though it was originally written for oboe.

10:00 Met Janette at her home to run through the piece again. Janette shared with me her flute choir's new web site. The choir, known as Les Flutes Enchantees, is without a doubt something you should try to hear if you have a chance. This ensemble is not only capable of unusual sonorities, they are also privileged to have access to a library of custom music written for them by the late Russell Howland, which are only now becoming available as Janette edits them for publication.

12:30 Ran over to Babs Eskin's home to meet with the IACC's Committee on Religion in the Public Schools, which includes CSUF philosophy professor Terry Winant, among others, and which (I am happy to say) has a track record of effective engagement with local school districts. Discussed ways we could appropriately and effectively respond to a local campaign to build cells of conservative Christians within the public schools, as represented by Salt Fresno magazine, as well as whether or not we could find ways of encouraging local school sites to work toward campuses that handled diversity and religious expression in a healthier way.

15:30 Popped back into my new storage trailer at Bullard and arranged my stuff (I'm sharing it with two other instructors) so that it's all in one corner where I have easy access.

17:00 Softball practice, with an emphasis on our team's defense. We're making good strides, and I'm contributing, which at 46 is all I can ask for, really. During the practice we got updates on Fresno State's CWS Final Game 1 contest with Georgia. Believe it or not, I was able to predict in advance that a team with the name 'Bulldogs' would win the opener....I must be psychic! Sadly, it wasn't CSUF, who had a 6-3 lead but coughed up four runs in the eighth to take the loss. Maybe tomorrow they can even the Series!

19:00 Back over to Fresno State to listen to Dr. Goparaju Viyajam of the Atheist Centre in India. Interesting point of view: the Atheist Centre's founders were allies of Gandhi, and so they have always had a very assertive, but very positive conception of atheism that is deeply embedded in promoting improved health care and breaking down the repressive 'caste system'.

Tomorrow (OK, actually, later this morning) I'll be back at Maximus to finalize the show mix tunes for the concert on Saturday the 28th. I'll also have to finalize the actual show program and get to work on the attendant Power Points and other business.