12/25/04-
10:30AM
Merry
Christmas from Damon & Edith!
12/23/04-
8:30AM
My
last term paper, for some time, focuses on the gender roles
and insights into the contradictions and actions between the
characters Molly and Bloom from Joyce's Ulysses.
Read the excerpt below for a summary.
Contemporary
relationships between the genders have become a battleground
of contradictions, with denouncements of past beliefs, the
emergence of the feminists, the questioning of roles and the
inevitable beginnings of the reestablishment of the gender
roles within society during course of the twentieth century.
Yet, on a positive note, humanitarian efforts also flourished
during the twentieth century, as women finally possessed the
right to vote in various countries and the powerful pre-feminist
movement began to question the traditional gender roles as
no longer absolute. Although stereotypes and misconceptions
of gender existed for thousands of years, it was during the
twentieth century that these issues of gender became contradictions
and change occurred between the gender roles and the expectations
of gender. Also during these innumerable changes of the early
twentieth century, author James Joyce captivated the literary
world with his novel Ulysses, which is easily one of the most
complex narratives full of contradictory interpretations and
thematic possibilities. Understanding the ingenious ways Joyce
defies the traditional Irish Patriarchic social order, in
his characterization of Bloom and Molly, with contradictory
gender issues, explanations of gender stereotypes, and Bloom’s
own confused sexuality elevates this already timeless novel
Ulysses.
11/19/04-
10:30AM
Is
it real or is it magical or is it superstition versus modernity?
My latest term paper focuses on a close reading of two infamous
magical real novels, Carpentier's the Kingdom of this
World and Erdrích's Tracks. Read the
below excerpt:
Is
it real or is it magical?In
the everyday world, these two forms of explanation describe
everyday occurrences as either “it is” or “it
is not.” However, in magical real literature, situations
between the magical and real coexist in a contradictive duality.
According to David Mikics, “Magical realism realized
the conjunction of ordinary and fantastic by focusing on a
particular historical moment afflicted or graces by this doubleness”
(Zamora 373). Two literary works containing a doubleness of
two cultures in a “particular historical moment”
are Aldrich’s Tracks and Carpentier’s The Kingdom
of this World. In Tracks, Indians bond together against an
American Lumber company while Haitian slaves revolt against
their French overseers in Carpentier’s The Kingdom of
this World. Furthering Mikics’ assertion of doubleness,
Frederic Jameson explains, “Magical realism relies on
disjunctions among differing cultures and social formations,
which coexist in the same space and time in the New World
as they usually do not in Western Europe” (Zamora 373).
Understanding how magical real elements succumb to secular
modernity as a dual interpretation of a moment, addresses
a conscious aspect of the authors to address different themes
against humanity and elevates for the readers the social relevance
of both Erdrích’s Tracks and Carpentier’s
The Kingdom of this World.
11/19/04-
10:30AM
George
Catlin’s painting Double walkers, or Nóm-ba-mon-nee,
is a unique work from Catlin’s extensive, if not definitive,
canon of Indian representations. Throughout the entire career
of Catlin, he was foremost a documenter and champion of his
Native American counterparts and struggled selling his lifework
to the American government. Catlin’s Double Walkers
marks a different approach at the artistic representation
of the hybrid nature of Native Americans and Western-Europeans.
Therefore, the focus of this essay will be the motives behind
such a artistic representation from Catlin, which will include
a brief biography of Catlin, the Native Americans, a close
examination of Nóm-ba-mon-nee against other portraits
from Catlin’s other works, namely Snapping Turtle, a
latent political interpretation from certain prop clues and
explanation of mannerisms, and a critique with suggestions
for the current MFAH exhibit of Catlin’s work.
ROTHKO
CHAPEL
11/18/04-
8:30AM
In
1965, the de Menil family commissioned Mark Rothko to paint
a group of murals for a future chapel in Houston, Texas. Originally
planned as a Catholic Cathedral, Rothko, a non-practicing
Jew, took the commission because of his sympathetic understanding
of a universal “human need” for a spirit. In addition,
Rothko always dreamed of making a universal place of worship
where the “East and West merge in an octagonal chapel.”
The Rothko Chapel was Rothko’s last completed commission
and, arguably, his greatest masterwork. Today, the Rothko
gallery attracts and detracts visitors from around the world
although few individuals know the historical facts behind
these immaculate works and the incredible labor Rothko himself
underwent to complete his masterwork.
11/09/04-
8:30PM
I felt compelled to record some licks from my nylon string
guitar. Over time, I will use this instrument more often in
my works. However, the main problem I have with this instrument
is the unacceptable recording quality of nylon strings as
opposed to bronze strings, which the pickup easily records
because of the vibrations and the sound is very clean. I am
still in the process of deciding which guitar to use for the
wedding song(s), which is still a work in progress. At this
point, I will probably utilize both instruments to some degree.
Over
the next couple of days, I will upload two term papers, one
focusing on George Catlin and the other on Mark Rothko, respectively,
for my art history classes. After those batch of papers, a
20-page whooper over James Joyce Ulysses and a 7-10 page paper
over Gabriel García Márquez and expect no more
papers for quite a while, in that, I am graduating this fall.
However, without a doubt, I will be revising the current papers
on the site in preparation of graduate school.
Current
Music: My
own music and shaking my head at the horrible recording quality.
For More Information: http://www.damonjasso.com
10/29/04- 5:30PM-
After
two long weeks, creating a class project, my latest web
site is complete. Click on the above image, or click
here, for Historical Backgrounds: the United Fruit Massacre
and Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.
As the title implies, this web site offers historical backgrounds,
exclusively using web-based references and sources, behind
the real Columbian Banana Massacre of 1929 and biographical
information on the author Garcia Marquez. In a few weeks,
I will also submit a companion paper that I am currently writing,
to expand the mini-essay, which will explore Márquezian
magic real elements and its inability to conquer what I call
the “political real” in Márquez’s
One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Current
Music: Brahm's
Symphony Number 1 performed by Herbert von Karajan/Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra.
For More Information: http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_sym1.html
10/04/04- 5:30PM
Edith
directs Bussey Elementary's Fall Festival 2004. Click on our
image for the pictures.
Current
Music: William
Shatner's Has Been
For More Information: http://www.shoutfactory.com/williamshatner/
10/04/04-
5:30PM-
James
Joyce, admittedly, is not my favorite author. However, despite
my biases, due to class requirements, here is a new term paper
exploring Joyce's ideas of paralysis, that is religious based,
from the short story "The Sisters," in Joyce's Dubliners.
Here is an excerpt:
Numerous
critics and historians attribute both the Roman Catholic Church
and England as the harbingers of these hardships towards Ireland.
Joyce himself notes, in a letter to Grant Richards, that Dublin
is in a state of paralysis and that “I chose Dublin
for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of
paralysis” (Bloom 246). Joyce’s Dubliners, certainly,
contains a sense of paralysis in almost every story. However,
focus of this essay, for brevity, is paralysis of Religion
and the Church in the opening story “The Sisters.”
Understanding Joyce’s use of paralysis within the short
story “The Sisters,” from the Dubliners, requires
a brief history of Ireland, the emphasis of religion as a
form of paralysis, and a close reading of how Joyce employs
his paralysis to the protagonists.
Download:
Religious Paralysis: “The
Sisters” in Joyce’s Dubliners
Current Music:
Antonio Carlos Jobim The
Composer Of Desafinado
For More Information:
Verve
music group
10/03/04- 8:30PM-
Adrianna,
my niece, joins a cheerleading squad. Here are the
pictures from her first game.
Click on the above picture for the web page or click here.
Current
Music: The
hum of the computer fan while Edith takes a test on her
notebook computer.
For More Information: Listen
to your computer.
09/12/04- 04:30PM-
Can
you say “JADED?”
This sentiment defines my current semester of academics.
Fortunately, this is my last semester. Here is my latest,
short, three-page term paper arguing against Art historian
Lubin’s examination of American artist John Vanderlyn's
masterpiece Ariadne Asleep on the Isle of Naxos.
Lubin’s assumption is that political interpretation
is an essential dimension when viewing art. I believe that
certain artists, for example Pollack, have struggled to
finally separate art from cultural and political themes
and identities. Whether these concepts are an artist’s
intention is subject to debate, however, in my opinion,
it is not “an essential dimension” of viewing
art.
Download:
Lubin and the Latent Function
in Vanderlyn’s Ariadne
Current Music:
Korngold
Piano Trio in D
For More Information:
http://www.korngold-society.org/
09/12/04-
04:30PM-
Edith
asked me to update the site. Here are some random September
pictures. Click on the above image for the page.
Current
Music: Tony
Levin Waters of
Eden
For More Information: tonylevin.com
08/24/04-
07:00PM-
Sitting
on this paper for about two months, I have finally decided
to release it. Here is a section from my latest term
paper exploring the themes from Aphra Behn. This paper
addresses Behn's views of secular and religious conventions.
Behn argues that conventions such as honor and truth are
not exclusively religious based but a universal phenomenon:
One of the most prominent beliefs of Western culture is
religion. Arguably, this belief outweighs other taught disciplines
such as behavior and control. Hence, one of the highest
concepts of the Western civilization is taught to the natives.
However, a contradiction exists between the word “soul”
and “slave.” The body’s individual soul
is free. That concept has been debated by numerous individuals.
Unfortunately, the concept of freedom does not apply to
slaves. Aphra Behn, in Oroonoko or the Royal
Slave, explores the many facets of freedom such as
individual freedom, freedom from God, and her insistence
that conventions such as honor and peace, can and do, exist
outside of religion.
Download: Secular
Rhetoric: Anti-Religious Sentiments in Behn’s Oroonoko
Current Music:
Charles
Mingus Tijuana Moods
For More Information:
http://www.mingusmingusmingus.com
08/23/04-
10:00AM-
Here
is a recent picture of our surrogate child OSITO. He has his
head hanging out the rear passenger window taking in the warm
Texas sun.
| Course |
Section |
Level |
Hours |
Time |
Days |
Instructor |
Notes |
| ARTH3387 |
12469
|
JR
|
3.0 |
0100-0400pm
|
W |
GOESER |
(44)
|
| ARTH3394
|
12477 |
JR
|
3.0 |
1000-1130am
|
TTH |
RUSHING |
(24)
|
| ENGL3301
|
12593
|
JR
|
3.0 |
0530-0830pm
|
TH
|
BACKUS
|
(52,74,44)
|
| ENGL3322 |
04787 |
SR
|
3.0 |
1130-0100
am |
TTH
|
ZAMORA
|
(2)
|
|
Total
Scheduled Hours: |
17.00 |
|
08/23/04-
07:00AM-
Here
is my FINAL
semester of studies. Some people might comment I'm committing
student suicide by taking two literature classes and two art
history classes, however, contrary to others, I enjoy writing
papers. This semester is exciting for me because of the inclusion
of two art history classes which both focus on a different
aspect of twentieth century art. The other two English classes
are the usual fare comprising of the history of the novel
and some introduction to literary studies. Yeah, I'm pretty
humored myself that I saved the first English class for the
end of my studies.
Current
Music: Michael
Brecker's Wide
Angles
For More Information: http://www.michaelbrecker.com/
DEMOS
ARE HERE...
08/12/04-
09:00AM-
Nylon
strings turned out to be bronze strings. Let me explain the
situation. For the wedding, I had decided, months earlier,
that the guitar of choice would be my plastic string classical
guitar. The sound of such an instrument is appropriate for
the serious setting. Not to mention, the thin string weight
allows me to achieve some rather fast plucking, which reduces
the likelihood that I'll make a mistake from having to press
down on the usual bronze strings I use on my other Alvarez
acoustic. After weeks of deciding on how to record the guitar
adequately without a compromise of quality, I struggled with
recording using an old school tape player or forcing a microphone
to fit into the sound hole of the guitar to no satisfaction.
Instead, I went to guitar
center in search of ultra-lite acoustic strings for use
on my Alvarez acoustic. When I came home that evening, I realized,
by the shop clerk's mistake, and mine own for not looking
at what I purchased, the strings were, in fact, thick bronze
gauge strings. Ask Edith what sounds came out of the guitar
that night. My hands were not accustomed to the thick nature
of the strings hence numerous mistakes over and over again
as I ran through some scales and even elementary chord changes.
Finally, after a month of practicing on and off, due to the
nature of my summer classes, I have realized three demos from
what I have in mind for the wedding piece. Unfortunately,
I have a long way to go with the realization of our wedding
piece and the other songs I have to memorize before next June.
Please, comments are always welcome.
Here they are, all five minutes worth, of new music:
Last week session (Interrupted
when Edith walked in the room)
Take One (Chords Only)
Take TWO (Chords and solos)
NOTICE: All
Music is encoded in WMA format. Mac fans, sorry. The final
drafts will be realized in multiple formats.
Current
Music: My
own damnit.
For More Information: http://www.damonjasso.com
08/04/04-11:00AM-
Wwe
pictures are online from last
night's performance.
Current
Music: Mafalda
Arnauth Encantamento
For More Information: Interesting
notes on FADO genre
| Note:
The romantic
possibilities between a solo acoustic guitar and solo
voice are explored to its pinnacle with FADO. Originating
from Portugal, this style of folk music achieves a rare
quality of beauty and passion evolving from only these
two instruments. Click on the above link for more information. |
07/29/04-1:00PM-
Almost
done with the move into the apartment, Adrianna spends the
day with us and Osito. I have decided not to complete any
planned projects until after Summer school ends in two weeks.
The reason for this is simple. My grades are not slipping
with the mixture of my own agenda and coursework, its just
a lot more stress. These days when I have time off; it will
be with the novia Edith, friends, and family.
Current
Music: Horowitz:
Rachmaninoff - Concerto No. 3
For More Information: Classicalnet
review of the Rach's third
| Note:
This reviewer understates
Horowitz's contributions to Rachmaninoff's third. Any
serious listener would listen to each one and judge
for themselves. Yet, I do agree to an extent with the
reviewer's comments towards improvising certain key
passages. Asking which pianist over time has performed
the best third, is a heated question. I'm still debating
which one is my favorite, yet I lean towards the 50's
Horowitz or maybe the more recent Volodos. |
07/11/04-9:00AM-
Edith's
taqueria party pictures are online.
Current
Music: Yes
"Union"
For More Information:
http://www.progreviews.com/
07/07/04-1:00PM-
A lot
is going on these days in "our" lives. I have
been working around the clock on the new revamp of this
web site using PHPNUKE, for a preview click here.
However, the above picture really indicates how hard I'm
working these days. Now, I have only one summer school class
so, once again, the new site is expecting completion around
late August.
Attention
friends. It's time to cash in on all those times I have
MOVED for all of you. That's means EVERYONE.
Next Saturday, JULY 17th, we are moving closer to Willowbrook
mall. Call me 832-419-7753 to discuss helping me out. On
a side note, the apartment is on the FIRST FLOOR, that is
directed at you Hector, and beer, lots of it, will be on
the premises.
Current
Music: Felix
Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony
For More Information:
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/mendelssohn.html
07/06/04-9:00PM
EDITH'S
BIRTHDAY...
Current
Music: Bebel
Gilberto
For More Information:
http://www.bebelgilberto.com/
06/06/04-9:00AM-
Summer
school is in full swing. I don't know what I was thinking
when I signed up for a year's worth of spanish to be completed
in 10 weeks! The memorization, coursework, and not to mention
the other class, etc. are taking up all my available free
time. For more frequent updates, go to my blog
page. People always have time to rant, right? Stay tuned
for the promised guitar works.
Current
Music: Tchaikovsky's
Piano Trios
For More Information:
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/notes/67216.html
05/27/04-10:30AM-
I
have completed a preliminary draft of my new blog site.
Give me about a week to decide the color schemes and final
layout. I am giving the address early so that people can
leave comments and make sure this turkey works. Thanks to
SinDcate for the hosting/admin help and, also, to Saul for
holding this non-knowing vato's hand as he ventures into
the scary world of PHP.
DAMON'S BLOG SITE
ps- Look mom, I can learn PHP too!
Mira Mama, yo aprender PHP, tambien!
Current
Music: Orgy's
Punk Static Paranoia
For More Information:
http://www.punkstatikparanoia.com/
05/21/04-7:30PM-
I
have not taken a picture in a while so when my boss and I
were goofing around I thought I would scan it for my friends
to laugh at me. It's amazing, I have been working in the mall
for almost a decade! Now that I'm in the open, instead of
in seclusion at Sears, I have seen quite a few old friends,
exs, enemies, and the like all sipping their lattes while
holding their purchases and strolling to the food court.
Expect some major updates in the upcoming week. Only one more
week before summer school starts! I'm getting bored with the
progress of my web site and I'm in the process of making some
changes and complicating my life by learning new programs
and scripting languages. That
promise of a new web site
in late 2005 might come a lot sooner than I had originally
planned. Also, the below announcement of NEW guitar
works is not a hoax. I'm playing guitar daily while I await
for the proper software to capture my nylon-string classical
guitar.
DUDE, ITS A DELL!
Current
Music: King
Crimson's THRAK
For More Information:
http://www.elephant-talk.com/
COMING
SOON..
05/19/04-5:30PM
Finally,
I
found my microphone used during my mariachi sessions over
two years ago. Over the next few weeks, I will be seriously
recording my guitar works until the start of Summer school
in June. I have only one more year until the wedding with
a set list that is growing with more music. Expect a new web
page in the future chronicling my guitar progress, for I have
set myself up with a daunting set list, and also, on the novia's
behalf, a wedding WIP page.
Current
Music: David
Byrne's Grown Backwards
For More Information:
http://www.davidbyrne.com/
05/02/04-5:30PM
It
seems that I have neglected updating the navigation bars and
the older content on the site. Be sure to notice my latest
revision of poems, namely UNDERTOW
among others, as well as my revision
of Interstate 93'.
Look for a reductive approach towards
my site in the future. Time changes a lot of things, namely
taste, and I feel a lot of the content on the site does not
need the flashy graphics, colors schemes.
Also, the guitar site will be changed, or cataloged, to reflect
my changing interest towards creating new works and furthering
that promised wedding piece. Eventually, I will
get around to redoing the entire site, but with over a hundred
HTML pages and scores of music files and images, that will
more than likely take place some time in 2005. Lastly, I am
still kicking around the idea of a blog site. I am waiting
to see if this technology/format will take off or will be
another novelty. I have been far less candid on this site
for a reason and I have no intention of updating it with irrelevant
comments and material.
04/24/04-12:30AM
Finally, after
thinking about it for months and deciding against the previous
ideas, I have made a new web site
which will feature my entire output of poetry.
This first draft format will serve,
for now, as the base page for my poetry
collection. Only the current semester is available until
I revise the other poems, or if you wish, checkout last
year's page. I appreciate everyone's concern about the
lack of updates, but reality hinders the productivity of an
artist, namely college courses, which should hopefully change
over the summer.
My next project will be some serious recorded drafts of my
wedding piece for guitar, moreover, plastic string classical
guitar. An instrument I have not touched since my mariachi
days. I am awaiting the proper equipment to record plastic
strings, or catgut, instead of my usual bronze string acoustic
guitar. Also, I am in the process of rewriting some short
stories. More frequent updates soon..
Current
Music: David
Bowie's REALITY
For More Information:
http://www.davidbowie.com/
04/06/04-5:30PM
There are
numerous categories of divisions within societies such as
class, race, religion, and many other factors which divide
nations, countries, and kingdoms into unique subcategories.
However, regardless of any human society, there is always
a generational division between the old world society versus
the modern society and vice-versa. This is not a new concept.
Author Susanna
Rowson uses this division within society as an important
theme in her novel Charlotte, A
Tale Of Truth.
My latest term paper deals with the concept of attempted communication
by two different generations that is clouded by conflicting
thoughts. No matter the distance a letter, an email, or conversation
travels; if the two parties do not acknowledge one another,
society divides further:
Current
Music: King
Crimson's Thrak
For More Information:
http://www.elephant-talk.com/
