Starting Late

It is getting to be that time of the year, my friends, as November 1 ushers in National Novel Writing Month. I will be giving it my best again this year, after not quite making the grade last year. Unfortunately, we won't return from Oregon until Sunday, which will put me two days behind (unless I do things the old fashioned way out west, which I might). We are still in the planning stages here, but hoping to have a clearer view by the weekend.

I hope to post as I go.

I am still fighting with the crud that invaded me on Friday (or before). I went up to school this morning, but I am still feeling kind of tired and dizzy. A trip this week could be a bad idea, but what else am I going to do? I'm sure I'll be fine.

If I don't communicate with y'all again, have a great week!

Letting My Guard Down

Friday signalled the end of first term, leaving me with just a few piles of exams to grade and grades to enter before a week of school-less bliss. However, as is often the case when a high-stress job hits a lull, I immediately came down with a nasty chest cold.

A dizzy spell while I was still at school Friday afternoon alerted me to the fact that I might be feeling poorly. Plans for Friday night were scrapped, as I came home earlier than I wanted to (with papers left to grade) and went directly to bed.

I woke up Saturday morning with a chest full of crud (and a Barry White-esque voice--very sexy). Needless to say, I did little but read, lay about on the sofa, and eat a gallon of soup. This morning, I was feeling better, but decided that one more day of rest would be a good idea, so I sent Monkey off to Omaha by herself. I did finish my grading this morning, but, mostly, today was just a reprise of yesterday, with some vacuuming thrown in.

I'll have to go up to school tomorrow to do some last-minute things. Then, it's off to Oregon for a few days on Tuesday. The weather doesn't look too promising, but it rarely does for that part of the country. I am looking forward to feeling well and enjoying the Pacific Northwest.

I'll try to post tomorrow, but that should be it until November.

Roon Arledge, Are You Responsible For This?

So, I waded my way through my Monday, and I find myself, having just returned home from my BS tenure class, in a conundrum. To wit, I didn't watch much football this weekend, due to grading and other commitments (all enjoyable). I would really like to sit down and enjoy Monday Night Football. However, some dumbass at the league office has scheduled Denver vs. New England (I don't know if it's in Denver or Foxboro).

This game for me has no appeal whatsoever. I loathe both of these teams. Usually, on a Monday night, when I don't know who to root for, I at least know who to root against. Tonight, I don't even know who to root against.

I suppose, in the grand scheme of problems to have, this is no problem at all. So, I will watch the game, being completely neutral. It'll be a negative kind of neutral, in which I root equally against both of the teams. I will not cheer their successes, but I will equally enjoy their mishaps. That's not very nice, is it?

You know what else isn't nice? Having no choice but to root for the freaking Phillies in the World Series.

I believe my next post will have nothing to do with sports. But, I could be wrong.

Just Hanging On

It appears that the past few weeks have left me only with a few spare moments to blog. This past week, I thought I would have more time, but it didn't work out that way. Even this weekend, which was a productive and mildly entertaining one, left little time for other pursuits. And so, before I retire for the night, to rest up for the last week of term one (which will lead us into Fall break, and a visit to the Beaver State), I thought I would check in and leave you with a few weekend thoughts.

I didn't really like seeing Sarah Palin on SNL this weekend. It was amusing, but, gosh darnit, there is something about that woman that I just don't like. I also felt like she was smirking her way through the whole thing. It was clear, though, that she has been a professional news broadcaster (but, of course, not a member of the left-wing media elite).

I would so love to see football players use their arms to tackle ball carriers. In both the collegiate and the professional ranks, it seems that defenders only wish to launch themselves on a trajectory in order to "blow up" the ball carrier, rather than wrap the player's legs or body up with their arms. This sometimes results in spectacularly violent collisions, sending the ball carrier abruptly to the turf, and occasionally dislodging the ball. More often, it results in the defensive player glancing off of, or missing entirely, their target, who then scampers for several additional yards. It drives me crazy, even when I am watching a game I have no rooting interest in.

Any show that combines an experimental jazz/rock band (a la Aloha), a semi-traditional country/roots rock band (a la Bare Jr.), and a blue grass band, complete with washtub bass, is bound to be bizarre.

My iPod is dead. After 14 months, it's just out of warranty. I feel cheated, but I also feel no recourse but to take the 10% discount on a new one.

Okay, it's well past my bed time, folks. I hope to post before next weekend. Keep your fingers crossed!

Weekend Update (Part Three): Attempts at Civility, Gone Awry

Abandoning my musical progression, which, after the point at which I stopped yesterday is hardly as interesting as the formative years, I turn my focus to a short column in today's paper. It appears as if the two candidates for president have turned more strongly toward attempts at being honorable opponents (not that they had gotten as deeply into the mud-slinging as previous years' candidates). Obama continues to remind voters of McCain's military service and his harrowing experiences as a POW in Vietnam, which he should. Say what you want about McCain, he sacrificed quite a bit in those years, and, according to the stories told of his time as an unwilling guest of the North Vietnamese, acted impeccably as an officer and a human being. Obama is correct in reminding all that the campaign is, and always should be, about issues, substance, and ideas.

McCain tried to take the high road in Davenport, Iowa, recently, also. After reading recent reports of crowds at his rallies calling Obama a "traitor" and threatening him and his former associates with bodily harm, I was appalled. McCain, who has, as far as I know, never actively engaged in calling Obama names, or making spurious remarks about his religion, race, or personality, has never really censured his supporters for their remarks or outburst, seemed to take offense at a comment made at his Hawkeye State rally yesterday.

When a woman ignorantly referred to Obama as "an Arab" (how can people still believe this?), McCain took the microphone from the woman and "contradicted" her, calling Obama a "fine, family man, citizen." On one hand, one might say, "Well done, John. Fight your own supporters' disinformation." On the other hand(the hand I am viewing this from (does a hand view? well, no, but you get my drift), one must say, "Hold on there, McCain. Did you just say, in effect, that the OPPOSITE of an Arab is a fine, family man?" Are the two mutually exclusive? Does the world contain a dichotomy: fine, family men on one side and Arabs on the other (thereby making Arabs incapable of being fine, family men)?

This is the kind of black and white thinking, the kind of unspoken attitude of people that leads us down a path of hatred, ignorance, and violence that we, as a nation, seem to be at odds with all of the time. Our history is a sine wave of ignorance and enlightenment, with different groups being the focus of our attention in different eras. From Native Americans to African Americans, from Irish and Italian immigrants to Chinese and Vietnamese immigrants to Mexican immigrants, from Germans to Arabs, our mentality seems always to swing back to dark attitudes of "the other," no matter how seemingly enlightened we become of groups we once despised.

Sadly, this leads me to the conclusion that we never really do make any social progress as a nation. Certainly, groups make strides, slowly gaining legal and social acceptance, but, in the hearts of the people, there lies this clear need to find an enemy, a scapegoat, a villain that can be hated, hunted, and hoisted. And, even more sadly perhaps, even our attempts to appear unbiased sometimes reveal this deep-seated attitude.