Conversations with Calliope- Inspiration and Institution

(Rusty hull)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What' on your mind today?
JOE: I was just thinking about my newspaper column for this Saturday.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to write about?
JOE: Inspiration and Institution.
CALLIOPE: Sounds intriguing. Tell me more.
JOE: Discovering Spiritus Christi Church brought to mind all the movements started by idealists.
CALLIOPE: Yes?
JOE: Most of them end up ossified into stodgy institutions including religions, political movements and even whole civilizations.
CALLIOPE: So?
JOE: I was wondering if it is possible for a movement to stay fresh without becoming institutionalized.
CALLIOPE: Have you reached a conclusion on the matter?
JOE: No. It remains a question, perhaps one of life's mysteries for me.
CALLIOPE: So what can you do?
JOE: Enjoy the freshness while I can and contribute what I can to its viability. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- A New Spiritual Home

(Family)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Have you finally returned to your regular schedule?
JOE: We'll see. The answer is yes for the moment.
CALLIOPE: Did your weekend adventures provide all you expected?
JOE: They did. A couple from Spiritus Christi invited my brother and me for dinner Saturday.
CALLIOPE: How did that go?
JOE: Quite well. We learned more about the history of the community which has been in existence for about ten years now and is going strong.
CALLIOPE: Any revelations?
JOE: I was concerned that they might have some confining dogmas which might give me second thoughts. I thought I might want to just stay with the experience and not try to make too much sense of it.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Discussing it did not provide any such difficulties. It is a community which offers support for acting in a Christian way without the onerous burdens I formerly carried as a Roman Catholic and which eventually drove me from their fold.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: My brother and I and our girlfriends attended the Spiritus Christi service Sunday morning and felt totally immersed in their fellowship and community.
CALLIOPE: It sounds like you have found a new spiritual home.
JOE: I think so. We are trying to let it develop naturally without forcing anything. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Back to Writing

(Western New York Sunrise)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. Did you just get up?
JOE: Don't be cute. I was up at 6:30 and planned to make a few minor corrections to my websites before contacting you.
CALLIOPE: So what happened?
JOE: I screwed up more than I fixed and it took a while to get back to where I was.
CALLIOPE: Is everything okay now?
JOE: As far as I can tell. Take a look at my websites at www.commonsense wisdom.com and www.slidingotter.com and let me know what you think.
CALLIOPE: I'll do that. Maybe some of our readers will too.
JOE: I'd welcome that.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I have some more to do with my websites but I am weary of the process now.
CALLIOPE: Do you have some other pursuits in mind.
JOE: Yes. I will take some time to work on my writing. I plan to ready for publication our book based on this blog.
CALLIOPE: I can't wait to see it.
JOE: Neither can I. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Doubt

(Nina Sails)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Tired but energized.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: Last night after golfing with my brothers and nephew, and dinner also including my sister-in-law we watched the movie Doubt which one of my brothers had not seen.
CALLIOPE: How did you choose that movie?
JOE: Those of us who had seen it had various opinions about whether the main character, a priest, had molested a boy.
CALLIOPE: What caused the various opinions?
JOE: It was staged with clues suggesting possible guilt. One opined that he was guilty as sin, another held that he was not guilty and still another thought there were indications but not proof of guilt.
CALLIOPE: What do you draw from the experience?
JOE: A well crafted movie or novel for that matter can elicit various reactions and conclusions.
CALLIOPE: Why does that fascinate you?
JOE: Art can be a way of bringing us together to compare our views and begin to understand each other.
CALLIOPE: I agree.
JOE: I'm glad you do. That's what I want to do with my writing.
CALLIOPE: A good aim.
JOE: I'm glad we are together on this. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope-My Brother's Visit

(Amish Buggy)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Excited.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: My brother from Honolulu is in town for a few days.
CALLIOPE: When did you see him last?
JOE: Last fall.
CALLIOPE: What plans do you have?
JOE: We had planned golf with another of my brothers this morning but the weather does not seem very cooperative.
CALLIOPE: So what else do you have planned?
JOE: He has become interested in Spiritus Christi Church which I recently started attending. We will visit some of its people to discuss their views.
CALLIOPE: Do you expect them to differ much from what you believe?
JOE: I'm not one much for dogma. I believe in God and try to act as a Christian but don't like to haggle about specific beliefs.
CALLIOPE: I'll be interested to see how it goes.
JOE: I'll let you know. We don't meet until Saturday. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Addicted to Technology

(Ready to Relax)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. I wondered what became of you.
JOE: I have been wondering the same thing.
CALLIOPE: Have you come up with any answers?
JOE: I believe so. Mastering website technology at least to the point of getting satisfactory sites has taken me over to the point where it feels like an addiction.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I have reached the point where there is not much room left in my awareness for anything else.
CALLIOPE: What about your writing. I am barely keeping up with my journal and our conversations.
JOE: As you can, see it took me until now to get around to you.
CALLIOPE I do feel a tad slighted.
JOE: I was afraid of that. However I think the end is near or at least a plateau where I can stop to consider some other pursuits.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad to hear that.
JOE: I did manage to post my latest revisions to my Sliding Otter Website yesterday and am happy with it for the time being.
CALLIOPE: Then what's keeping you tethered?
JOE: Now I am hard at work on my Commonsense Wisdom site which is coming along nicely. I hope to be done with it in the next few days. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Success at Last

(Shoes at a Street Fair)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's this about success?
JOE: I am finally mastering Dreamweaver and getting it to do what I want with my web pages.
CALLIOPE: How did that come about?
JOE: I realized I was getting nowhere with trial and error or at least not where I wanted to be.
CALLIOPE: So what led you out of the labyrinth?
JOE: Going back to basics.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: Yesterday I took my son for his second cataract surgery. I had some time to use productively while he was in the hospital and wandered over to the library.
CALLIOPE: And what did you discover?
JOE: Among other things, Elizabeth Castro's book HTML, XHTML &CSS.
CALLIOPE: How helpful was it?
JOE: Extremely. I'm finally beginning to make sense of this whole process. I finally developed a template I liked and am revising my websites yet again.
CALLIOPE: Good luck.
JOE: I think I'm on the right track. Talk with you tomorrow

Conversations with Calliope- Plenty of People

(Fire Pit)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I guess you had a busy weekend.
JOE: You said it. Wall to wall people since Thursday.
CALLIOPE: That must have been quite a change from your regular routine.
JOE: No question. I have accustomed myself to quiet days with my computer. When I did have the chance to get at it, my energy flagged and I had little to say.
CALLIOPE: What did you like best?
JOE: I enjoyed meeting all of Carol's high school friends. Perhaps best was meeting one husband whose early life paralleled mine in terms of education and wrestling with the uncertainties of the draft in the late 1960's.
CALLIOPE: A kindred spirit.
JOE: Yes. He even had the same college major I did and knew some of my professors.
CALLIOPE: Any grist for the writing mill?
JOE: I am sure there will be but I need to digest the whole experience and find ways to store it in my mind other than as a whirlwind.
CALLIOPE: Is that how your mind works?
JOE: I guess I haven't thought about it much but I suppose it is. After reflecting on the weekend I will end up with some reflections and insights about my own life.
CALLIOPE: That's good.
JOE: I think so. It helps me keep some perspective. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Simple Things

(Oatka Creek Falls)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you yesterday.
JOE: Sorry. I had to go out of town to do a police candidate evaluation and one thing led to another.
CALLIOPE: What about later?
JOE: I had planned to write then but the weather was perfect and we decided to attend a free Chubby Checker concert.
CALLIOPE: How was it?
JOE: All we expected. The high point for me was seeing Carol dancing in the aisles, caught up in the moment.
CALLIOPE: As I recall you had a column in the works.
JOE: Correct. I didn't get to that either yesterday. However I woke up at 2:00 AM this morning and wrote it.
CALLIOPE: Did your thoughts come together at that hour.
JOE: Maybe that's why I woke up. The words flowed easily and I had it ready for Carol to proofread this morning.
CALLIOPE: What's up for today?
JOE: I hope to work a little on my website, but mostly I will by busy preparing for company arriving tonight for the weekend Oatka Festival.
CALLIOPE: You certainly are becoming the social butterfly.
JOE: I can't deny it. I am looking forward to it after all the work alone on the computer lately. We have guests staying in the computer room so I don't know how much I will be able to contact you over the next couple days. I'll do my best.

Conversations with Calliope- Peak Experiences

(In the Rockies)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Good. I had a friend review my new websites and I am busy following his suggestions for improvements.
CALLIOPE: Don't you have a column in the works?
JOE: I do.
CALLIOPE: So how's it coming?
JOE: You caught me at an interesting time. I have a theme in mind but haven't fully developed a plan for the piece.
CALLIOPE: Well, tell me about the theme then.
JOE: Okay. I plan to write about peak experiences.
CALLIOPE: Which are?
JOE: The psychologist Abraham Maslow saw them as being transported to a different level where you may lose track of time and place and leave behind fear, anxiety, doubt and inhibitions.
CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting.
JOE: That's the point.
CALLIOPE: What's your focus for the column?
JOE: It's still in process but I think it will be on how we tend to seek such moments while passing by the everyday pleasures which are much easier to find. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- What Words are For

(Footsteps in the Sand)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Refreshed from a wonderful weekend but still perplexed.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about the weekend first.
JOE: Carol and I dined with friends, walked to the Farmer's Market, swam in our friends pool and best of all returned to Spiritus Christi for an emotional reunion with fellow travelers on life's path.
CALLIOPE: Sounds great. Why are you perplexed?
JOE: Last night Carol told someone of our joyous spiritual experience. The response was to try to pin down her beliefs and see whether we fit into the other person's neat box of religious beliefs.
CALLIOPE: Do you?
JOE: No. In our search for a context for our spiritual journey, some people seem to insist that we see things from their point of view and tell us what we can or should do rather than accepting our choice to follow our own path of discovery of our relationship with God.
CALLIOPE: How do you feel about that?
JOE: You sound like a counselor. We don't like to be put into someone else's box no matter how much they say their words are motivated by concern for our souls.
CALLIOPE: Understandable. What do you plan to do about it?
JOE: Probably be a little more careful about who we choose to share our enthusiasm for our journey with.
CALLIOPE: Perhaps a wise course.
JOE: Agreed. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Saturday Musings

(Storm Clouds)

JOE: Good afternoon Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good afternoon Joe. A lazy day today?
JOE: Not exactly. I knew the rain was coming so we went for a walk to the Leroy Farmers' Market while we could.
CALLIOPE: Find anything good?
JOE: Some fresh veggies to munch on while we wait for ours to ripen.
CALLIOPE: What's going on in web development world?
JOE: I feel like a Ping Pong ball sometimes.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I was just getting ready to choose Joomla as my preferred way to develop a website when I discovered that it does not yet have the capability of uploading content.
CALLIOPE: What good is it then?
JOE: Web development practice I guess.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: There might be a way I can develop my site on a server connected to the internet. The jury's still out on that.
CALLIOPE: Where does that leave you?
JOE: I think it's time for a professional consultation to see what my options are and how best to proceed. In the mean time I think I will relax for a while this afternoon. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Reasons to Write

(View from the Siege Tunnel- Gibraltar)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still savoring our visit to last night's Taste of Stafford and the music of John Sieger and his band.
CALLIOPE: What made them special?
JOE: If you closed your eyes, you would swear you were listening to Louis Armstrong, voice and trumpet.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like fun. You seem intrigued by music lately.
JOE: I can't deny it. But I did wake up this morning wondering how my musical musings applied to writing.
CALLIOPE: What did you discover?
JOE: Everything I said about music applies to writing too.
CALLIOPE: Why do you think authors write?
JOE: First to make sense of their own world. At least that is my primary motivation.
CALLIOPE: What else?
JOE; If I think I'm on to something, I like to share it with others for their consideration to see if it makes sense to them and helps them clarify their life path.
CALLIOPE: Noble aspirations. What else?
JOE: To explore life's possibilities- how it could be under different circumstances whether better or worse.
CALLIOPE: Very interesting. Let's talk about this some more.
JOE: Sounds good to me. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Angels and Demons

(Barbary Apes)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I thought about what you said yesterday about Michael Jackson. Have you had any further insights?
JOE: Indeed. I woke up very early today pondering the relationship between creativity and madness.
CALLIOPE: What do you think was the relationship with Michael between his art and mood?
JOE: I don't know. I haven't seen any speculation about this and am not aware of anything he has written or said about the issue.
CALLIOPE: So that remains a mystery. Do you know anything else about it?
JOE: One artist I knew painted only when he was depressed to express his mood. His color blindness further darkened his art. Another time I met a sculptor who only worked when he was not depressed to avoid contaminating his art with his dark moods. I recall my son struggling with taking his medication and thinking clearly or not taking it and having his hand steady enough to draw.
CALLIOPE: Do you think creativity and what you call madness are interrelated or just exist in parallel dimensions.
JOE: I wish I knew.
CALLIOPE: What's your opinion?
JOE: I think it could be both. Some people seem to write about wrestling with their demons while others wait until the demons recede so they can listen to the angels (or muses)whispering in their ears.
CALLIOPE: Very interesting.
JOE: I agree. I don't think mental and emotional turmoil give one a corner on creativity but they do seem to be paths to it.
CALLIOPE: I think you might be right.
JOE: I don't know if I am but you asked my opinion. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Michael's Music

(Path in the Woods)

JOE: Good Morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Where where you yesterday?
JOE: Now, now.
CALLIOPE: Well?
JOE: If you must know, I was involved in corporal works of mercy.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: Taking my son to the hospital for cataract surgery.
CALLIOPE: I guess that explains it. Did everything go okay?
JOE: It seemed to. Only time will tell, but the doctor was satisfied with how it went.
CALLIOPE: Good. My regards to your son. Did you get to do anything else yesterday?
JOE: I had planned to work on my writing but got caught up in Michael Jackson's memorial service.
CALLIOPE: I didn't know you were interested in him.
JOE: Frankly I had trouble getting past his weird lifestyle and self mutilation.
CALLIOPE: And did you finally?
JOE: I did and discovered that I like his music once I can put aside my judgment of his way of life. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Weekend in the Woods

Woody on the Allegheny

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How was your weekend?
JOE: A nice change of pace.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: We spent Friday night at a party with Carol's family at their cottage on Canisus Lake with only a slight passing shower.
CALLIOPE: And the rest of the weekend?
JOE: We camped with friends at their campsite along the Allegheny River next to Allegany State Park.
CALLIOPE: Is it Allegheny or Allegany?
JOE: Hard to tell. The best I can discover the park is Allegany and the river Allegheny. But the spellings seem almost interchangeable.
CALLIOPE: Very confusing.
JOE: I puzzled about it too.
CALLIOPE: So how was camping?
JOE: A good chance to get away from my computer and spend time with people.
CALLIOPE: How did that feel?
JOE: A little awkward for me after spending so much time with the computer working on my writing. I will work on more balance. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Catching up with Joomla

(Independence Day)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Chipper.
CALLIOPE: Oh?
JOE: Accomplishments tend to further brighten my usual cheery mood.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: After much head scratching and experimentation I finally managed to load the web server Xampp on my computer and install a functional copy of Joomla, a free web development program I wish I had know about before I delved into Dreamweaver.
CALLIOPE: How much progress have you made?
JOE: I got everything installed and started working on a tutorial to learn the requisite skills.
CALLIOPE: How's it coming?
JOE: I find it easier to understand than Dreamweaver and am excited about the many possibilities.
CALLIOPE: And if you get stuck.
JOE: I have a website developer (actual person) who has offered to help me get unstuck.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like progress.
JOE: I think so. I will be away tomorrow and will talk with you again on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Too Much Technology

(Dewitt Park)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: There's something about the electricity circulating around here today.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: Yesterday I met with Chris at my local computer center about a few technology questions.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I prepared myself to pay someone, probably him, to help me with adding a shopping cart, some forms and my blog to my website.
CALLIOPE: How did it turn out?
JOE: Good. After quite a discussion, he thought my emerging competence could handle everything I had in mind.
CALLIOPE: And if you get stuck?
JOE: He will be there to help me out of the muck.
CALLIOPE: So what's the problem?
JOE: I tried sweeping out my computer of some unneeded clutter and ended up erasing an innocent looking file necessary to start my computer. Hence a reload.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a pain.
JOE: You said it. I'm back in business although a few programs don't quite act like I think they should. More work, but I think I'll take a break and go fishing with my grandson today. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- More About Musical Emotions

(Shipboard Extravaganza)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Good, thank you.
CALLIOPE: What are you up to today?
JOE: I just finished my column/newsletter for this Saturday.
CALLIOPE: I'm curious.
JOE: It's about musical emotions which I wrote about last week.
CALLIOPE: You mean how a Michael McDonald concert sent you off the deep end into an eddy of emotion.
JOE: Exactly.
CALLIOPE: Why did you feel a need to revisit this troubling episode?
JOE: Partly to see if I had gotten past it and partly to see what I can learn from it.
CALLIOPE: Did you get past it?
JOE: I did. Nothing awful arose in me while I was composing it.
CALLIOPE: What did you learn.
JOE: To pay attention to my emotions and their message and change what can change about memories of past bad experiences. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Coming Home

(Gull over Dunkirk)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I wonder if you could tell me more about your visit to Spiritus Christi Church.
JOE: I'd be glad to. It's been on my mind ever since Sunday morning.
CALLIOPE: Please proceed.
JOE: I was raised in the Catholic Church and then spent nine years in the seminary and monastery.
CALLIOPE: Hence your book, Young Man of the Cloth.
JOE: Exactly. By the end of my time there, I became hopelessly embroiled in controversy about how life in the monastery should be and ended up leaving.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: I discovered that my concerns about the direction of the monastery was part of a larger concern about the direction of the Catholic Church which I also eventually stopped attending.
CALLIOPE: Then what happened?
JOE: I drifted for a while and eventually discovered Unity Church where I felt comfortable for quite some time.
CALLIOPE: Yes?
JOE: I still felt some nostalgia for the Catholic Church in which I was raised but conflicted about the rigidity and other aspects of the church. Then I discovered Spiritus Christi, a church in the Catholic tradition but stressing the joy of redemption rather than a punitive, controlling stance.
CALLIOPE: Now what?
JOE: I want to make sure this is all I hope it is based on my initial impression. One step at a time. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Spiritus Christi

(Lisbon Skyline)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe How are you today?
JOE: Quite well thank you.
CALLIOPE: Any surprises this weekend?
JOE: One. Carol and I finally decided to try Spiritus Christi Church.
CALLIOPE: What kind of church is it?
JOE: More or less Catholic but without much of the rigidity.
CALLIOPE: You mean things like female priests and inviting non-Catholics to communion?
JOE: Exactly.
CALLIOPE: What was it like?
JOE: Returning home after many years. The experience brought me to tears.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I felt pushed out of the monastery many years ago for asking too many questions. Eventually the Catholic church's rigidity became too stultifying for me and I finally left.
CALLIOPE: And now you are back?
JOE: Not quite. Spiritus Christi is out of favor with the powers that be but has recreated a Christian community much like the one that existed in the first days of the church, or at least how I imagine it to have been. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Saturday Morning

(Phalaenopsis Orchids)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Relieved.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: Having met the technological challenge of developing new websites and living to tell the tale.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like an accomplishment.
JOE: I like to think so.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I';m taking a little time to enjoy summer.
CALLIOPE: How?
JOE: Carol and I will walk down to the Leroy Farm Market this morning and this afternoon our friends have invited us to bask in their pool with them.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like fun.
JOE: I feel like the world has been passing me by while I became engrossed in my technological challenge.
CALLIOPE: With everything going on in the world it can still be a beautiful place.
JOE: I plan to remind myself of that this weekend. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- TGIF

(Allegheny River Sunrise)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: I'm glad it's Friday.
CALLIOPE: You don't even go off to work any more.
JOE: Well, no. But I have felt under pressure lately, even if self induced.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: My websites needed to be redeveloped with a program other than Front Page. The deadline for getting this done was June 30. I made it. Both are ready although the second is still in the process of being switched to a new server.
CALLIOPE: Anything else?
JOE: There's also my caffeine withdrawal. Today marks the fifth day and I am finally realizing life after caffeine is possible.
CALLIOPE: Do you feel any different.
JOE: The greatest change and surprise as well is that I feel more energetic and eager to work both at the computer and at physical labor in the yard.
CALLIOPE: Who would have thought it?
JOE: Certainly not me. But today I have all my weekly goals accomplished and am ready to relax this weekend for the first time in a while.
CALLIOPE: Seems like you earned it.
JOE: I think so. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Dreamweaver Competence

(Canadaway Creek)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How's the caffeine hangover coming?
JOE: Better every day. Yesterday my brain felt a little fuzzy. Still I accomplished quite a bit despite my lack of caffeine and my body's resistance to being deprived.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear you are surviving. What did you accomplish?
JOE: I revised my entire Commonsense Wisdom website. I think it's ready for release although I want to check over the format and links first.
CALLIOPE: Congratulations. Tell me about the site.
JOE: Originally it duplicated my Sliding Otter site. I struggled with how to make the two complementary.
CALLIOPE: How did it end up?
JOE: The Sliding Otter site lists my writings for sale and offers samples from all of them. The Commonsense Wisdom site serves as an archive for stories, articles and archives of past blogs and newsletters.
CALLIOPE: Sounds sensible.
JOE: I hope so.
CALLIOPE: Are both sites the way you want them?
JOE: Not quite. They are both still works in progress. I have some refinements in mind once I figure out how to do them.
CALLIOPE: I'll be watching anxiously.
JOE: So will I. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Life Without Caffeine

(Resting in Barbados)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: It's a little hard to say.
CALLIOPE: Why is that?
JOE: Last week I had two doctors' appointments. I had several cups of coffee before the first one and had fairly high blood pressure. I did not drink coffee before the second appointment and my blood pressure was lower than it has ever been before.
CALLIOPE: And your conclusion?
JOE: The obvious one that my blood pressure and caffeine are connected.
CALLIOPE: Why the sudden concern?
JOE: I was able to discontinue my blood pressure medication earlier this year after I lost weight and would prefer not to start it again.
CALLIOPE: I see. So where do you stand now?
JOE: I gradually decreased my caffeine over the past week. Yesterday was the first full day with no caffeine.
CALLIOPE: Any ill effects?
JOE: Just headaches which left me today and restless sleep. I think I'll make it though.
CALLIOPE: Best of luck with your experiment.
JOE: Thanks. Now to see whether it affects my writing. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Success at Last

(Peter and the Biplane)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What news?
JOE: Well, I finally wrestled Dreamweaver into submission or maybe just learned enough of the basics to use it.
CALLIOPE: Don't tell me you got your website up and functioning.
JOE: Sort of. At the same time I am revising my site, I am also switching servers.
CALLIOPE: So what's the bottom line?
JOE: Right now I can see my site listed on the Internet but nobody else can.
CALLIOPE: How long will that go on?
JOE: A day or two before it is officially available to the public.
CALLIOPE: That's a milestone. Were you pleased with the results.
JOE: It's not elegant yet but the basics are there. Now I can work on my other site and some refinements.
CALLIOPE: Such as?
JOE: An online store for my books, posting my blog from my own site and some video focused on various topics.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you will be busy for a while.
JOE: I will. But at least I won't be bored. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Ready for the Big Time

(Trial Flight)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How's your website development coming?
JOE: I've had my ear to the ground, nose to the grindstone and shoulder to the wheel most of the week.
CALLIOPE: Wow. Did the effort pay off?
JOE: I'm getting there. I tried one version live and wasn't satisfied with it. Back to the drawing board.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: The new version is ready for a trial flight today.
CALLIOPE: What do you expect?
JOE: I hope it flies. My deadline is the end of the week. I am more confident that I know what I'm doing now.
CALLIOPE: Best of luck.
JOE: Thanks. I think I know how Orville and Wilbur felt at Kitty Hawk.
CALLIOPE: Interesting comparison.
JOE: Off to the proving grounds. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Musical Emotions

(Troubled Times)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Are you feeling better than you did yesterday and did you resolve your musical dilemma?
JOE: Yes on both accounts. Resolving my dilemma improved my mood.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I told you I woke up yesterday with my reaction to Michael McDonald still on my mind.
CALLIOPE: You did.
JOE: I started to consider my emotions. I realized I felt sad, on the verge of tears, angry and resentful.
CALLIOPE: Do you hold Michael responsible for all that?
JOE: Of course not. I remained puzzled until on the way to the gym I recalled something I told Carol the night of the concert.
CALLIOPE: Which was?
JOE: That his type of music constantly grated on my nerves at a practice where I worked in the early 1990's. I found the type of music annoying then but did not associate Michael McDonald with it.
CALLIOPE: Just annoying?
JOE: No. The owner of the practice insisted on playing music which I considered bland and insipid at best. When one of us worker bees changed the station to jazz or classical music, he would change it back which I saw as a symbol of his control.
CALLIOPE: And that's the connection?
JOE: Not entirely. That was a very difficult time for me professionally, financially and in my marriage of the time. Altogether bad memories. That's the connection. I'm glad I discovered it and now will work to put it to rest. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- A Matter of Taste

(Spring Rock)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you yesterday.
JOE: Sorry. I was anxious to take a peek at my new website and finally saw it yesterday morning.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I discovered that it wouldn't do as posted. I thought I would try a quick fix and ended up spending most of the day revising it.
CALLIOPE: How does it stand now?
JOE: I'm still working on the revisions but think I have a good plan. We shall see.
CALLIOPE: Did you spend every minute working on it?
JOE: No. I went with Carol and some friends to a Michael McDonald concert last night at the Rochester International Jazz Festival.
CALLIOPE: Did you enjoy the concert?
JOE: Not in the least. It was the first time since I was eight that I so thoroughly bored and agitated by a concert.
CALLIOPE: What was that about?
JOE: I wish I understood it. Those who went with me agreed that his style was repetitious although it didn't seem to bother them like it did me. I thought he shouted everything and that all his songs sounded the same. I didn't like his rendition of the songs I recognized.
CALLIOPE: Do you think it's just a matter of taste?
JOE: I wish I knew. I don't like leaving a concert feeling the way I did last night.

Conversations with Calliope- Time Out for Jazz

(Bonerama)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: A little weary.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: Last night's fairly late night at the Rochester International Jazz Festival.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like fun.
JOE: It certainly was. This was our second visit to the festival.
CALLIOPE: What did you see?
JOE: First were several local jazz groups on one of the free stages.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE; Soul Stew, a group from Toronto which lived up to its billing as a top notch soul combo.
CALLIOPE: Was that it?
JOE: No. We tore ourselves away to see Bonerama in the big tent, a trombone group from New Orleans we had seen before. They also put on a great show.
CALLIOPE: Do you plan to give up writing and spend your time watching music performances?
JOE: Don't be jealous of your sister muses. I'm not abandoning you but am enjoying some time with other creative pursuits. I'm back to my writing work today. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Nazis Were Human Too

(Great Siege Tunnel- Gibraltar)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Today's title has an odd ring.
JOE: Jarring isn't it? I based it on a recent speech President Obama gave at Buchenwald.
CALLIOPE: What did he say?
JOE: Among other things he reminded us that "the perpetrators of such evil were human as well and that we have to guard against cruelty in ourselves."
CALLIOPE: A chilling thought.
JOE: It is and one which stuck in my mind.
CALLIOPE: How do you account for evil?
JOE: From the research I have seen, it seems to come partly from heredity and partly from environment.
CALLIOPE: Do these factors entirely explain evil?
JOE: Not to me. Mystery remains in my mind as to why some people follow their inclinations and others don't.
CALLIOPE: It seems to me that this is one of the mysteries of the ages.
JOE: Me too. But we would rather separate ourselves from evildoers considering them as animals, sick or crazy rather than see any similarity to us.
CALLIOPE: I can't wait to see the article.
JOE: It will be posted on my website fairly soon I hope. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Walking with Dinosaurs

(Walking with Dinosaurs)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Welcome to a new week.
JOE: Thank you.
CALLIOPE: What's this about dinosaurs?
JOE: Saturday morning I had a chance to see the much ballyhood Walking with Dinosaurs.
CALLIOPE: Did it meet your expectations?
JOE: More than that. I had questions about how lifelike giant puppets could be.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: The combination of excellent technology and imagination based on historical research resulted in a very entertaining and informative experience for my son, grandson and me.
CALLIOPE: Any lessons for you?
JOE: The point of bringing together technology and creativity is to reach the audience and connect with their needs and interests.
CALLIOPE: So it's the same process with the dinosaur show and with writing?
JOE: As far as I can tell it is.
CALLIOPE: Keep this in mind as you work on your website.
JOE: I certainly will. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Smokey Robinson's Lesson

(Eastman Theater Audience)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Energized.
CALLIOPE: By what, may I ask?
JOE: You may. The Rochester International Jazz Festival began last night with Carol and me in attendance.
CALLIOPE: What did you see?
JOE: The Greece Olympia Jazz Band, the Eastman High School Jazz Band seniors and Faux Frenchman. And those were just the free street performances.
CALLIOPE: I take it from today's title that Smokey Robinson played a part somewhere.
JOE: Indeed he did. He was the evening's headliner and our main reason for going to the festival last night.
CALLIOPE: Which brings us to the question of his lesson.
JOE: It does. I saw clearly that his message was that he loves his audience. He said so several times and repeatedly showed it by his interaction with us throughout the concert.
CALLIOPE: What lesson did you take from that?
JOE: Give your audience what they want. This applies to writing and web marketing as well as performing. I will try to keep this in mind as I work in both areas.
CALLIOPE: Good idea.
JOE: Thanks. I thought so too. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Meeting the Neighbors

(Meeting the Neighbors)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Relieved?
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: My new website design is completed and apparently functioning normally although I will do some more testing yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Did you spend your whole day at it again?
JOE: Not entirely. Our neighbors suffered the loss of a family member. Carol baked some brownies and I took them over.
CALLIOPE: Did you know the neighbors?
JOE: Just a nodding acquaintance. I had never had a conversation with them.
CALLIOPE: And yesterday?
JOE: They invited me to sit with them on their veranda and we spent quite a bit of pleasant time together.
CALLIOPE: Was there a lesson there for you?
JOE: Yes. I realized that the whole point of working on my website was to communicate with people. I became lost in the technology for a while and lost sight of the purpose.
CALLIOPE: Good realization.
JOE: I think so. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Magical Mystery Tour

(Is that the sun?-Peter Langen)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: I feel like I just landed on my magic carpet after a Magical Mystery Tour.
CALLIOPE: Tell me more.
JOE: My adventure with Dreamweaver took me into twists and turns I never expected.
CALLIOPE: How did your website turn out?
JOE: Basic, but I'm pleased with the results.
CALLIOPE: Is it ready for publication?
JOE: I'm not quite sure. I haven't finished examining the code. I also need to test the links and take the site for a trial flight. Hopefully I won't find anything untoward but you never know with new adventures.
CALLIOPE: Was the project as difficult as you expected?
JOE: No. I knew I would be swimming in deep water. Yesterday I tackled navigation and hyperlinks which went much better than I thought they would.
CALLIOPE: I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.
JOE: So am I. But I want to make sure it is in proper form before posting it.
CALLIOPE: Does it have everything you wanted?
JOE: No, but the basics are there and I want to get the site up in basic form first. Then I'll work on refinements. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Service or Power

(Troubled Seas- Peter Langen)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are Dreamweaver and your website coming along?
JOE: I'm making progress and will let you know when it's finished.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you have something else on your mind this morning.
JOE: I do. Reading the paper earlier about all the posturing and infighting in Washington and Albany, I recalled the saying, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
CALLIOPE: I remember the saying. What was the context?
JOE: I wondered that myself. It turns out that John Acton said it in response to Pope Pius IX promulgating the dogma of papal infallibility.
CALLIOPE: I didn't realize that.
JOE: Neither did I. But it fit right in with my thoughts about our legislatures.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: They were elected to serve their constituents but now the New York State and Federal legislators both appear too busy with their power struggles to get anything done for the public benefit.
CALLIOPE: That's a pessimistic conclusion for you to express.
JOE: I agree. I try to see the positive in any situation, but I'm still looking in this case.
CALLIOPE: Do you suppose it's another of life's mysteries?
JOE: I suppose so. But somehow I have trouble letting it go at that. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Sailing Right Along

(Island Home- Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. Yesterday was busy with errands but I did get some time to work on Dreamweaver and my website.
CALLIOPE: How's it coming?
JOE: Not bad. I'm no expert yet, but my competence grows by the day as I learn more about the programming.
CALLIOPE: So you think you will have your site ready by the end of the month?
JOE: That's my plan.
CALLIOPE: Then what?
JOE: Back to my writing. I haven't had much time to work on it lately with all the effort I'm putting into web development.
CALLIOPE: Do you need any help?
JOE: Not yet. I have had some kind offers from fellow denizens of my various web communities. So far I am holding my own, but at least have some ideas about where to find help if I get stuck.
CALLIOPE: Always good to know.
JOE: It is. I'm never comfortable feeling like I am on a desert island with no passing ships in sight.
CALLIOPE: One advantage of being a muse is not being limited by geography.
JOE: Sounds nice. I'll continue on as a mere mortal for now. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Under Construction

(Under Construction)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready for a new week?
JOE: Indeed.
CALLIOPE: What's afoot?
JOE: I spent all day Saturday poring over my Dreamweaver manual.
CALLIOPE: To any avail?
JOE: Fortunately yes. I was then able to begin reconstructing my website in Dreamweaver.
CALLIOPE: Effortlessly?
JOE: No such luck. In the beginning I struggled with every step. By the time I arrived at my third page I was much better and my development started to hum along.
CALLIOPE: Any other findings?
JOE: More a realization. I had difficulty with some of the automated tasks but found I could do them manually with the help of my understanding of html.
CALLIOPE: Where did that come from?
JOE: Once I thought it would be a challenge to write my own website from scratch and delved into html.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: The task was beyond me but gained a rudimentary understanding and facility with html workings. Everything I learn seems to come in handy eventually. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Death of a Mentor

(Passionist Mission Crucifix)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Reflective.
CALLIOPE: About what?
JOE: I received news that an old mentor died yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Were you close to him?
JOE: His name is Thomas Berry. I haven't talked with him in many years since I left the monastery. I tried contacting him but he was in ill health although I did communicate with his sister.
CALLIOPE: How did he help you?
JOE: After being in the seminary and monastery for nine years I was ready to leave but had no idea how to go about it or what to do next.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: Father Thomas helped me to decide what was important to me and to plan some initial steps after leaving.
CALLIOPE: So you left with some sense of direction?
JOE: I did and have always been grateful for his guidance. I have tried to help others as he helped me.
CALLIOPE: A fond memory.
JOE: Indeed, as well as an inspiration. Talk with you on Monday.

Conversations with Calliope- Getting My Geese in a Row

(Geese in a Row)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Making progress. Dreamweaver looked quite daunting at first but I think there is hope.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I struggled to get it to do anything. Then my book arrived, bringing hope with it.
CALLIOPE: What book?
JOE: A lifesaver (or websaver) called Dreamweaver CS4: The Missing Manual by David McFarland.
CALLIOPE: How has it helped.
JOE: It explains in detail just what needs to be done at each step.
CALLIOPE: That's it?
JOE: No. It also provides a tutorial to walk the unenlightened one (Grasshopper if you will) through the steps of creating a fictitious site using the skills just discussed.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good approach.
JOE: It works for me. I still have quite a bit to learn but, having produced visible results, I now think I will make it.
CALLIOPE: Keep after those geese.
JOE: I will but they have a mind of their own. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Empathy and the Courts

(In the Woods with Carol)

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy-Meryl Streep

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What an interesting title.
JOE: I thought it might catch your attention.
CALLIOPE: I assume there is a story behind it.
JOE: I read a complaint about Judge Sotomayor having too much empathy to be a supreme court judge and thought the topic deserved some discussion.
CALLIOPE: It does sound interesting. How did you approach it?
JOE: I cited my own experience as a psychologist and hearing Buffalo Judge Robert Russell talk about specialized courts.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: I realized that without empathy we deal with issues only rather than with people.
CALLIOPE: I'll have to visit your website Saturday to read the column. What about the quote above?
JOE: Twitter has been in the news. I have been debating about whether it is something worthwhile or just a wast of time.
CALLIOPE: So?
JOE: I decided to use my account to post quotes related to our discussions and will try it for a while.
CALLIOPE: With a link back here?
JOE: That's the plan. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- On with the Show

Snail's Pace

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Back in high gear.
CALLIOPE: Explain.
JOE: Yesterday's mail brought my book, Dreamweaver CS4- The Missing Manual.
CALLIOPE: How did that change things?
JOE: I have been struggling to make sense of Dreamweaver from the tutorials online and fiddling with the program to try to understand it, mostly to no avail. Now that the book has arrived, so has hope of understanding and using Dreamweaver.
CALLIOPE: So you were right about a book being more useful than online materials.
JOE: I don't know if this is true for everyone, but it certainly is for me.
CALLIOPE: I'm glad there is hope. Whats next?
JOE: My first inclination is to jump right in and redesign my old website.
CALLIOPE: But?
JOE: But I decided to take some time to learn how to use Dreamweaver first and once I become familiar with it, use it to reformulate my site. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Learning frrom Print

(Martin House Orchids)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How is your learning of Dreamweaver coming along?
JOE: Interesting you should ask. I am wading through video tutorials while I await the manual I ordered.
CALLIOPE: Do you prefer one approach over the other?
JOE: I thought I would like the tutorials and liked being talked to by a person.
CALLIOPE: I sense a "but."
JOE: Very perceptive of you. Although I like the multisensory presenations, I tend to find written materials more useful.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I feel more in control of the material. I have an index, table of contents and can focus in on the material as specifically as I need to rather than following along with parts of a presentation I might not need or don't understand.
CALLIOPE: I see. So you think there is a future for books?
JOE: As far as I am concerned, I certainly hope so. I would miss them if they disappeared. Perhaps I would adjust but it would be difficult.
CALLIOPE: Some people think books are here to stay and others think they are on the way out.
JOE: I've heard both opinions too. I guess I will adjust to whatever happens. I just happen to like working from books.
CALLIOPE: Didn't your Latin friends have a maxim, "De gustibus non est disputandum?"
JOE: Yes. There's no arguing about tastes. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- Website Choices

(Martin House Portico)


JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. Ready for another week?
JOE: Indeed. I started working yesterday learning the intricacies of Dreamweaver.
CALLIOPE: Have you thought about simpler approaches?
JOE: Several other writers mentioned the possibility of a hosted space under the umbrella of a general writers' site.
CALLIOPE: Have you considered that approach?
JOE: I think it would be a beginning if I knew nothing about websites and wanted a quick Internet presence.
CALLIOPE: You are beyond that?
JOE: Although my knowledge is rudimentary, I think I at least understand the basics and am prepared to continue with my own site.
CALLIOPE: Where will you start?
JOE: Reviewing the basics. I will reconsider the goals of my website, intended audience, what I would like my visitors to do.
CALLIOPE: And then?
JOE: I will design the structure, format and especially the content accordingly.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you have a plan.
JOE: I do, at least the outline of one. Now it's time to fill in the details. Talk with you tomorrow.