Wee Three Things

Wil Wheaton was having a horribly day, not unlike a day I had last week (leak story to be posted in the near future). So, he did what many of us should probably do when we're heading for a freak out of the nth magnitude: he stopped and listed things that make him happy. And then he posted a challenge to his readers.

I'm going to assume that many of you reading this are dealing with some degree of holiday stress; why not take a minute - just sixty seconds out of the day - and reflect on three things that make you happy?

As per Wil Wheaton's suggestion, I thought I'd take a 60 second break from Finals Week and offer three things that make me happy. While I'm nowhere near a Level Five Freakout--I'm not even all that stressed out--I thought it definitely couldn't hurt. That and the fact that I haven't blogged in ages. Here's the list.

1. STK & TLO, of course. Despite the frustrations of living with a three year old, the home front is always a good place. I even appreciate our special needs dog, Malcolm. He's a handful but there's something soothing about late night walks with him, even when the thermometer dips into the single digits.

2. Reading, reading, and reading. Comic books, fantasy literature, and even the dense school stuff.

3. My job, of course. Home many other people get to sit around and talk about popular culture for a living? Seriously, I'd do this job for free (but I'd just as soon not let that get out to the administration).

Anyone else game?

Mindful Speech

I may use the following as a talking point the next time I discuss communication ethics in Public Address.

Skillful speech not only means that we pay attention to the words we speak and to their tone but also requires that our words reflect compassion and concern for others and that they help and heal, rather than wound and destroy.

-Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, "Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness"

Civic Dullard, er, Duty?

The fact that elected officials scored a pathetic 44% on a "test measuring civic knowledge" is frightening. The people who constitute our civic structure can't even manage a passing grade? We have no hope as a country.

For the record, I scored a 30/33 (90.91%). You can take the test here. Not bad for a guy who took high school civics from a teacher who spent more time drawing up basketball plays than actually teaching civics. In all fairness to that slacker teacher (nice guy--he attended my church and I was friends with his daughter--but a burned out teacher), I gained much of my civics knowledge while studying for my Political Science minor way back when.

Death and My Television

I am, officially, the television kiss of death. If I start watching a show on a regular basis, it's bound to get canceled in the first couple seasons. Case in point: two of my favorite shows this year are Eli Stone and My Own Worst Enemy. Guess which shows got the axe this week?

I'm mystified as to how a sucktackular crapfest like Heroes can stay on the air while a witty and original program like Eli Stone gets blasted [1]. Eli Stone wasn't a perfect show, by any stretch, but it was whimsical and fun. People have no taste. Period. I know I'm a cynic in this regard, and probably an elitist, but if ratings continue to be the only measure for whether a show is a success then we're in for some pretty lean times in terms of quality. For whatever reason, people seem more drawn to the mindless clutter of Dancing with a Washed Up Star or the repetitive programming of CSI: Bismarck. Shall we start a betting pool on the demise of Chuck?

[1] I know I'm risking my geek cred with this comment. I have tried, REALLY HARD, to appreciate Heroes the last two seasons. I've come to the realization that there isn't much to appreciate. The writers have relied on comic book cliches (nobody dies, I'm your father, I've lost my powers/I have them back, the pursuit of power corrupts) to the point that the entire show is one giant cliche. And not a well written cliche, either. Every time Peter Petrelli does that damn cross jaw look, I want to freakin scream.

Slim

Will I ever be able to read/hear a reference to Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass without hearing J's voice saying, "Slim? Slim Whitman?"

I CELEBRATE myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs
to you.

I mean, really, it's been something like 24 years since that happened. Memory is a funny thing. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday but I can remember a mundane, 10 second moment from way back when? It still cracks me up when I think about it.

Breaking the Code

I received an ambiguously worded email from a student earlier today. The email, and I'm paraphrasing here, said something like "Do you have time to meet tomorrow? I'd like to go over a few things." Kind of cryptic, right? Not really. I guarantee this students wants to:

A) complain about a grade

or

B) request extra credit.

Count on it. You can also count on the fact that Option A will not result in a changed grade (unless I've made an error of some kind) and Option B will not result in any additional work for extra credit. Credit is awarded for doing the work the first time around; there are no do overs in college.

Speaking of students, I finally got caught up on all my grading. I fell behind right before fall break which means I've had my nose buried in tests, reflection papers, and think pieces for the better part of three weeks. Thank goodness my head is above water again.

It's a Trap!

Frak! I just got rick roll'd by a Star Trek geek who claimed to have a link to the new ST trailer. I just couldn't stop myself from clicking on the link. Bastard.

Mist

Body impermanent like spring mist;
mind insubstantial like empty sky;
thoughts unestablished like breezes in space.
Think about these three points over and over.

-Adept Godrakpa, "Hermit of Go Cliffs"

Last Word. At Least For a While

After mhoram and I exchanged some words regarding Proposition 8, I thought I'd spend some time composing a treatise on the difference between personal conviction and the public good and how their are times when the latter needs to trump the former. But then I realized that the argument isn't all that unique, that mhoram is a smart guy, and that he's heard me spout my line of reasoning before. So, I'm going to just leave it alone.

I'm also going to see if I can depoliticize my life for a bit. Since July, I've been doing a considerable amount of academic writing around the election. Couple that with my own personal interest in political change and you wind up with a political blog. That's not really what I intended for this space when I started out. Time to lighten the blog up a little bit.

To All the Haters Out There

As excited as I am about President-elect Obama, I'm horribly disappointed in the outcome of CA Proposition 8. I am particularly disturbed by the amounts of money poured into the contest by the LDS and Catholic churches. I'm sure their contributions to the Yes on Proposition 8 campaign were absolutely by the book and completely legal. What disturbs me, however, is the arrogant religious position that somehow their God should be the moral arbiter for the rest of us, that their God has the True position on the definition of marriage. The implication is that those of us who follow a different conception of the divine, or none at all, are somehow misguided or mislead.

Thank goodness for the judicial system. I'm sure, after all the lawsuits sort out, that the ban will be found unconstitutional. In the mean time, I have a suggestion for all churches concerning same sex marriage. Make all the frakkin policies you wish about the sacrament of marriage and leave the legal dimension of marriage to the states. I don't tell you what to do within the confines of your hallowed halls; quit trying to tell "the people," and me, that we have to live by your religious code. I have my own spiritual code and, as the sign above relates, my notion of divinity doesn't exclude anyone.

Change Has Come to America

Thank you, America, for restoring my faith in "we the people." As President elect Obama reminded us tonight, this election was only the first step. Together, as a people, we can change the course of our country.

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can.

Tonight, for the first time in years, I might actually get a good night's sleep.

Probe This

The latest ridiculous line of Republican attack focuses on the small dollar donors who contributed to Obama's campaign. Well, let me save them some time and energy. I, dilliwag, am one of those donors. Over the course of the primary and general election campaigns, STK and I made a series of $25 & $50 donations. If the GOP would like to double check my credit card receipts, leave a comment and we'll figure something out.

John McCain is experiencing a serious case of donor envy.

Hail the Pumpkin Queen

Gene, we missed the Circleville Pumpkin Show! Again. Dammit! Next year's festivities run October 15th-18th. Mark your calendar.

Oddly enough, the Circleville Pumpkin Show is on my "Must See Before I Die" list (along with say, Machu Picchu and Athens).

Fire and Ice

Considering the campaign nastiness of the last few weeks--I'm looking at you, Team McCain--its nice to see the candidates displaying a sense of humor.

Said Obama: "Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father, Jor-el, to save the planet Earth," a reference to Superman.

and

"What they don't know is that Joe the Plumber recently signed a very lucrative contract with a wealthy couple to handle all the work on all seven of their houses," McCain said, drawing laughter with the reference to his property holdings.

They'll be headlining for the next three weeks, folks. Catch them while you can and don't forget to tip your waitperson.

Sucking Sound

That giant sucking sound you're hearing is the Cubs' season going right down the toilet. That shattering sound is my heart breaking. Again. I'd hate this team if I didn't love them so damn much.

Wait 'til next year!

Uh Oh

I know it's only one game, but it's tough to be optimistic when you've lived the past 27 years as a Cubs fan. I've read all the columns declaring the Cubs favorites to win the Series, but the tricky thing about sports is that the teams actually have to play the games. Zambrano is pitching tonight and he'll toss a gem or give up 8 earned runs. If the Cubs don't win game two, you can bet your bottom dollar that Cubs fans will seek solace in the unofficial team mantra: wait 'til next year.

"as Putin rears his head"

"as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border" --Sarah Palin

I really don't mean for this blog to become almost all about politics, but I'll be damned if Sarah Palin doesn't make it difficult for me to post about anything else.

Pass the Pizazz

A while back, I finally jumped on board the RSS feed bandwagon and started tracking all my favorite blogs, journals, and websites via Google Reader. The thing I like about Google Reader, as opposed to Thunderbird, is that I can log in from home, work, or wherever and my reading list is synchronized. While I've been relatively happy with Google Reader, I'm feeling the need for something a little snazzier. Any recommendations?

Free Sarah Palin!

According to CNN journalist Campbell Brown, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate has been submitted to some of the most unfair, sexist treatment ever seen in a Presidential campaign. Women everywhere should be outraged by the horrific way Palin has been treated . . . by her own campaign.

I join the multitude of voices calling for Palin's release. Remove the shackles, John McCain, and allow Sarah Palin to stand on her own.

The Land of Soy and Corn Represents!

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge:

"Sarah knows how to field-dress a moose. I know how to castrate a calf. Neither of those things has anything at all to do with this election. But since we know so much about Sarah’s special skills, I wanted to make sure you knew about mine too," she said.

I might live in a state that lacks the "cool" factor of a lot of other places, but I'll be damned if we don't know how to do politics.

Holy Cow!

I never thought I'd see the day that a Cubs' pitcher tossed a no hitter.

Zambrano With the No No.

I thought Maddux was the best shot way back when, but then he stabbed the Cubs in the back and went to Atlanta. I will never forgive him for that decision. Thank goodness I was keeping an eye on the box score tonight. As Cub fans go, I'm probably not what most would call a normal fan. Back in the 80s, I worshiped the Cubs like no other. I watched almost every game and knew batting orders, pitching rotations, averages, ERAs, etc. After one too many heartbreaks, thrown objects, and profanity laced tirades--we are talking the Cubs--I finally realized that watching every game probably isn't in my best interest. So, I eased up a bit and became a box score fan. I haven't watched an entire game since '94 (with the exception of playoffs) but I check the box score and standings every night before going to bed. I still wince, and sometimes curse, when the Cubs drop one.

As luck would have it tonight, I stopped by my desk around 8:45 PM tonight and checked to see how the Cubs were doing. At the top of the seventh, the Astros were hitless. After tucking TLO into bed, I walked back down the hall, checked the box score, and noticed Zambrano was throwing a no hitter going into the bottom of the 9th. You can bet the TV came on for the last three outs. All at once, I was transported back to my most fanatic days as a die hard Cubs fan. I cheered at every strike, groaned at every ball, and held my breath as a chopper streaked toward the shortstop. And I whooped and hollered as that split finger fastball fooled the batter for strike three and the final out.

Tonight, all the years of disappointment fad to the background. Tonight, it's good to be a Cubs fan. Zambrano wins! Cubs win! Holy cow!

Chill Out

In response to my own "Flame On" post: I can't wait to see how the Obama campaign handles the new McCain strategy. The Palin pick has resulted in a lot of anxiety among Obama supporters--which is exactly what the pick was supposed to do. Obama, however, is asking everyone to keep a cool head.

Flame On!

If I had a dollar for every time a friend, student, or family member asked me "What do you think of Sarah Palin?" I' d be able to afford a doorknob on one of those seven homes John McCain can't keep track of. Or is it ten? I can't keep track of all his homes either. So, what do I think of the Palin pick? Do I find her a "credible" candidate as some of my family members do? Honestly, I don't have any idea about whether or not she's VP material. What concerns me more than whether or not she has the skill set to do the job is the reason why I believe she was chosen: to reignite the culture wars.

The day McCain made the announcement I set off in search of Palin's biography. As I've been something of a political junky this election cycle, I already knew a bit about her but I didn't know where she stood on the major issues of the campaign. There wasn't much to find in relation to policy issues. What I did find filled me with a sense of dread. Most articles reported little about her positions on social, economic, or foreign policy. Instead, readers were treated to a list of her conservative leanings: traditional family values, NRA, pro-life [1], interprets Bible literally, supports creatonism in school, pray away the gay, so on and so forth. By the time I finished reading several pieces, the direction of the McCain campaign was perfectly clear. Palin's RNC speech confirmed my suspicions [2]. While we won't hear it directly from the candidates, I suspect we're going to hear a great deal about the Left's war on Christianity/Xmas/Family Values/Morality/[insert any belief associated with evangelical Christianity here]. If you can't win on the substantive issues--and I think this was becoming clear to the McCain campaign that this was case [3]--you need to muddy the waters by introducing a social crisis centered on cultural values. McCain/Palin will do away with the Red State/Blue State talk while creating new divisions along cultural lines.

And this is what politics has come down to in 2008. It's not about issues like the economy, wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, healthcare, energy policy, etc. Instead, it's going to be about dividing the country according to class, education level, and religion. Fantastic!

[1] For the record, choosing to carry a Down sydrome baby to term is NOT a pro-life position and does not make one a saint. Many pro-choice parents make exactly the same decision.

[2] Contrary to most of the pundits and analysts, I did not evaluate her speech favorably. I think there's a way to critique your opponent--harshly--without mocking them. While her delivery was good, the entire speech amounted to little more than an ad hominem attack. Being the latte sipping liberal elitist that I am, I'm immune to such Sith mind games. If I understand my position as a member of the liberal elite correctly, I also have to make sure and acknowledge that the weak minded fools who constitute most of the US will surely fall for this kind of political pandering.

[3] Let's face it, the Bush administration has made an issues based campaign virtually impossible for the Republicans. Did the McCain camp have any other choice than to reignite the culture wars? Not if they want to win, unfortunately. I'm not a political scientist, but I think this is probably McCain's best chance at winning the election.

Frakin' A

Yes, I still live here. The last couple weeks I've been scrambling to:

• Finish a couple house projects that needed finishing. The projects entailed far too much shoveling for my liking. The good news is that the projects are 100% complete.
  
• Complete a competitive essay for an upcoming conference.
• Pull everything together for the start of my fourth year at SMC. Classes start tomorrow and while I'm ready for the start of MWF courses, I'm still putting the finishing touches on my T/Th course. Same as it ever was.
• Get over an end of the summer cold. I'm perfectly healthy all summer and my body decides to give in to the virus of the week just a few days before school starts? I've stopped producing tidal waves of snot but I'm still dragging major ass.

So, to keep everyone amused until I resume semi-regular blogging (I swear, I'm trying to get back in the habit of posting several times a week), I give you this fraking excellent article about the influence of popular culture on our everyday lives.

What the Frak?

I think I might assign this as one of the first readings in my popular culture class. This is an excellent example of how popular culture changes the way we talk.

3 AM Call

I would laugh my ass off if Obama sent out the much anticipated Veepstake text message at 3 AM. This has to be the most anticipated mass text in history, no?

I'm Simply Nonplussed

Nonplussed. Does it mean what you think it means? About 2/3 of the way through the article, the author makes note of "I could care less" as a common gaffe. Oddly enough, one of the characters on Psych pointed out this error in a recent episode. You never know what you'll learn from popular culture, eh?

WTF Department: Breakfast Club Ad

During a recent foray to the theater, STK and I saw the following ad as part of the pre-previews advertisements.

Graduating high school in 1986, The Breakfast Club film is one of those popular culture artifacts that defined my teen years. The movie didn't do much for me during the original theatrical run, but I remember the buzz. Jodi, a high school party buddy, absolutely LOVED the film and rented it at every freakin' opportunity. In fact, I think The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc probably mean more to me today, at 40, than they did at 17.

So, when this JC Penney ad started to play my mind went on a quick trip to yesteryear, which is exactly what the advertisers intended, I'm sure. Halfway through, though, it struck me: the young people in this ad, the presumed targets of a JC Penney back to school advertising campaign, weren't even a twinkle in anybody's eye when The Breakfast Club hit the theaters. I guarantee that the reference to the film is lost on 90% of the teen viewers. I leaned over the STK and said: "WTF? Isn't it kind of weird marketing 80s cool to young people? Do they really think advertising to parents is going to force them to drag their kid to JC Penney for back to school shopping? Whoever put this ad together must have forgotten what it's like to be a teen. You never shop where your parents want you to shop. Lame."

Imagine my surprise when I noticed the following media critique posted on MSNBC.com.

Here’s the first problem with the campaign: "The Breakfast Club" came out 23 years ago, several years before this season’s back-to-school shoppers were even born. While it can be fun to go retro, we have to wonder whether some people who see the ad simply won’t get the reference.

Second, JCPenney apparently doesn’t truly get the reference, either. The core message of "The Breakfast Club" -- that it’s OK to be weird and different, and that, in fact, most people are weird and different at heart -- goes squarely against the idea of going to a big department store and buying mass-produced clothes that make you look just like every other kid in America.

Amen to that, sister. Look, I have nothing against JC Penney. JC Penney is the only major department store in our particular corner of the Corn Furnace and much of my work wardrobe--dress shirts, Dockers, etc--has been purchased there. I actually like the commercial, too. I wax nostalgic every time I see it (it's now running on numerous television networks) and wonder what happened to many of my quirky high school friends. Still, I don't think this commercial would motivate me to drag my teen down to the store in hopes of reliving those days of yesteryear.

He's Got the Look

The Case Against Crocs. Crocs have taken over our house. STK wears crocs, a black pair, on a regular basis. TLO wears crocs--red, green, black, desert camo--with the decorative studs placed strategically. His decorative studs in include Spider-man, jack-o-lantern, bats, and skulls. I also own a pair although mine are worn more around the house, like slippers, and its a rare occasion when I wear mine in public. I think the aother of piece is spot on in his fashion critique: "wearing sweaty bright purple clown shoes in public is not OK." Seriously, crocs really are some of the dorkiest looking shoes on the planet. And one should NEVER, EVER wear a shorts/crocs/socks combination. Summertime crocs and socks are a big NO; wintertime crocs and socks are a big GO. As long as you understand that, wear 'em if you got 'em.

Shorts Crack the Code. Is it just me or do these guys look like Buster Brown?

This trend is right up there with the short sleeve dress shirts/tie combination for me. No matter how hard you try to look professional in a short sleeve dress shirt and tie, you'll always wind up looking like Gilbert from Revenge of the Nerds. While I think nerds and geeks are mighty fine people, and count myself among the few able to pull off geek cool, this probably isn't the vibe for the workplace.

Hodgepodge

I haven't done a "What's New" post in a while, not that there's all that much newness springing forth from the corn oven, but there are few pieces of flotsam and jetsam that seem somewhat blogworthy.

• I underwent my official third year review during 07-08 academic calendar. Having met with the tenure committee and the dean, I finally received my official review letter. Excellent marks across the board. In fact, the Dean commented that my teaching evaluations were "quite remarkable" and among the best he'd ever seen. What this means is that if I continue doing what I'm doing, tenure proper will not be a problem.
• The summer has been relatively school free. I committed to teaching a summer session but enrollment has been abysmal across the college and the course didn't receive the necessary students to justify having the course. In fact, I had zero students registered. While the money would have been nice, a commitment free summer has been even nicer.
• I'm working on a couple academic pieces. One is a collaborative rhetorical criticism of Barack Obama's epideictic rhetoric. More specifically, we're arguing that Obama's rhetoric is an excellent example the performative nature of "We the People." Or something like that. We're spending the early part of this week nailing down the theory. Once that's finished, we'll move on to the rhetorical criticism proper. The second piece is a potential book chapter proposal regarding Lost. My idea for this piece is to examine The Island as ethical community. I have the basic idea for the proposal mapped out in my head. As the proposal is due July 31, I need to decide whether I want to submit this proposal or focus on projects I already have in the works.
  
• This summer continues to be the summer of home improvements. Inspired by Big Damn Roof project, we took on the Big Damn Drainage project. When we bought the house a couple years back, we noticed that in one area the yard sloped back toward the house. Negative slope + rain = water in the basement. We have a stone foundation so water in the basement should be expected, but we thought we'd see what we could do to minimize the amount (we never had more than a 1/2" puddle in two separate parts of the basement--nothing major compared to what others deal with in this area). So, with some help from my ultra-knowledgeable father, a man I swear was some kind of construction engineer in another life, we planned and installed an exterior drainage trench/French drain over the course of two days. The worst part of constructing something like this is all the damn shoveling. The rest isn't all that time consuming or difficult. Positive slope + drainage trench + rain = dry basement.
• I ran the local 15 yesterday and improved my time from previous years. Two years ago I ran the race in 1:12, last year in 1:07, and this year in 1:05. That's an average of a 7 minute mile--not bad for a 40 year old. Other than a blister or two, my body is holding up exceptionally well this running season. I backed off on the actual running miles and increased cross training, especially the exercise bike. Three days a week I run for an hour + and three days a week I do most of my mileage on the bike. Since I'm feeling so well, I'm targeting a half marathon at the end of August. If that race goes well, I may shoot for a marathon at the end of October. We'll see how the body holds up.

And that's all the exciting news from the corn furnace. Life is pretty darn quiet around here.

Scootin

A few weeks back, Michael posted some thoughts on his attempts to minimize the rising cost of gasoline. As numerous news stories have pointed out, people are making significant lifestyle changes in order to cope with the new and improved (okay, maybe not so improved) petroleum expenses. My household is fortunate in that our income allows us to absorb increased gas prices without too much trouble. With STK commuting 110 miles a day for 9 months of the year, however, the rise in prices is noticeable.

To help offset some of the added expense, we've made two major adjustments. First, we decided to hold off on purchasing a new car. Our commuter car, a 1995 Honda Civic, has 196,000 miles on the odometer and we'd hoped to replace Old Reliable with a new Civic. Given that the 2008 Civic Sedan only gets 36 MPG--the 1995 Civic still gets 45 MPG--we've decided to hold off on a new purchase for at least six months. I've talked to our Honda service folks and they assure me that, with a little regular maintenance, the '95 Civic will run indefinitely. We're hoping the car will hold out until a new Honda hybrid, based on the profile of the FCX Clarity, gets released in 2009. If Honda hits their financial mark, the new hybrid will come in at around $19000 and that's a realistic price range for our income level.

The second major adjustment also happens to be fun. In April of this year, we made space in the garage for an extremely economical mode of transportation:

I've always wanted a scooter and, at STK's encouragement, I started shopping around for deals and found one at our local Honda dealership. I use the scooter for my short commute to school, to run errands, a trip to the workout club, etc. To date I've covered 150 scoot-around-town miles on 1.5 gallons of gas for an average of . . . 100 MPG. At that rate, the scooter will pay for itself in about five years. Making a significant expenditure may not be the most logical way of combating rising gas prices but it sure is fun.

Not News: Pets and the Presidential Election

This story was on the front page of several news sites. Ugh.

Up on the Rooftop

Given my deep enthusiasm for home repairs, I decided to tackle this project starting tomorrow AM. I'm about as prepared as possible for the project. My father, a man who rivals just about any old construction contractor in terms of home building knowledge, passed along a file containing numerous articles, book chapters, and even VHS videos on how to accomplish the task. After several days of reading, watching, and surfing, I feel confident I can pull off the repair. My bucket of tools is ready, shingles and waterproof membrane are already on the roof, and tomorrow's weather looks ideal (read: nice and cool) for doing some roofing.

Wish me luck. If all goes well, I figure I'll save myself between $500-1000. Not exactly how I want to spend my summer vacation, but a day or two of hard work is well worth the savings. If all goes well, STK and I may take a DIY shot at roofing the garage.

The Fall of the Starbuck's Empire

The news is splashed on almost every major news website I've visited this morning:

Starbucks to Close 600 Stores.

Personally, I don't believe this has anything to do with the recent economic down turn. The struggles of Starbucks rest firmly on the introduction of the company's Pike Place Roast. Positioned as an "everyday" coffee, whatever that means, Pike Place Blend offered the casual coffee drinker a beverage similar to those produced by Dunkin' Doughnuts and McDonalds. Boy, did Starbucks miss the mark on this putrid brew. I've tried the foul concoction on three different occasions (I even added a shot of espresso during one taste test--nothing could salvage that cup of coffee) and I don't see much difference between Pike Place Blend and Folgers. The family and I did a bit of cross country traveling during middle two weeks of June. During that time I visited two or three different Starbucks (Starbucks is often the only coffee in town), ordered my quadruple americano, and offered my opinion to the Barista of the hour. I kept my critique short and too the point: "Pike Place is bad. Really bad." I'm apparently not the only dismayed customer. To add insult to injury, Starbucks stores no longer offer a "bold" (dark roast) option after noon. WTF?

Wake up and smell the coffee, Starbucks. I don't frequent your stores on a regular basis anymore (the closest Starbucks is 50 miles away), but I used to be a regular customer back in the day. Starbucks is still my oasis during my travels throughout the year. Or should I say used to be my coffee oasis. No matter my location--airport, interstate, suburbs, downtown--I knew Starbucks would have a better than average cup of coffee waiting for me. That, I'm afraid, is no longer true.

Where's dilliwag?

Writing and reading! Despite the fact that school technically ended on May 23 (that was the final faculty meeting), I've been pulling together an extended abstract for a conference I'd like to attend. The interdisciplinary conference examines the impact of Barack Obama's entry into the political realm. The proposal I'm submitting uses Obama's campaign oratory to support my contention that rhetoric is, quite literally, a magical endeavor. I've been giving the five page document the final edit this evening; it goes out in tomorrow's mail.

I'm such a dreadfully slow writer, and increasingly disorganized, that I usually can't generate more than one original page a day. Of course, I only have about a two hour window each day to get any real writing done. If I could go back to the days of staying up until 5 AM, I'd probably be far more productive. Having a three year old who wakes up between 6-7 AM kind of puts a kibosh on that kind of writing behavior. So, after dropping TLO off at daycare around 11:30, I head back home, take the dogs for a walk, make some lunch, and adjourn to the computer to eat and write. The first half hour of the writing process is typically a review/rework/edit of my last completed section. Once that ritual is complete, I can spend a couple hours generating new material. And that's about all the time I have to write. If I'm feeling scholarly, I can usually eek out another hour after STK and TLO retire for the evening. That's when I go back, reread my latest work, decide it really isn't all that great, and rewrite the entire section.

Does anyone else agonize to this extent about writing? I enjoy the process, believe it or not, and manage to put out decent work at the end of the day. I've come to the understanding that I'll probably never be a ground breaking rhetorical rock star scholar, but I think I can make some interesting and enlightening contributions to the field. Most days I'm okay with that.

Next week, instead of writing, I'll be attending a seminar on representations of Islam. Should be interesting. I hope to incorporate some of what I learn into my upcoming popular culture class.

Ndors

Obama and Clinton finally manage to discuss the end of the primary campaign . . . via text messaging.

BHO: hey
HRC: sup
BHO: pwnd jo
HRC: meh
BHO: j/k LOL
HRC: ur teh suck
BHO: WTF?
HRC: sry, Ill Ndors u
BHO: k
HRC: k
BHO: well... l8rs
HRC: cya

Wish I could take credit for this but all credit is due a poster named mikeguyver at dailykos (see my links).

Crescent

Love this photo.

[UPDATE] Original photo can be accessed here.

Quack

The main stream media mystery of the night that's not really a mystery: Why did the white, non-college educated, voters of West Virginia break overwhelmingly for Clinton? Is Obama out of touch with middle-class, blue collar workers? Is he too elite? Why is nobody talking about the obvious answer: Obama is black. Is it really a big secret that racism is practiced much more openly in Appalachia and the South? Last weekend, I had the great fortune of sitting down with an Obama campaign worker who ran one of the Indiana offices. When I asked why he was headed to campaign in South Dakota and not West Virginia he said, "Why do you think?" My answer: "Predominantly white Southern state?" Bingo. He then regaled us with tales of being greeted in southern Indiana with the N word, bomb threats, and other assorted race based incidents. Oh, and a burning cross. Beautiful. The Obama campaign internals pegged West Virginia as a slaughter from the outset (same with Kentucky, by the way) and decided not to waste resources.

Some of the pundits just won't shut up about this false "White people won't vote for Obama" theme. Just off the top of my head, Obama won Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado, and Wyoming (and he'll win Oregon and possibly South Dakota and Montana). Barack Obama does not have a problem with white working class voters. His problem with Southern/Appalachian white working class voters has less to do with his policy positions and more with his skin color. When one of the guest pundits offers this position, she or he gets hammered by other guests or the host.

Why look for a complicated answer when the simple one is looking everyone in the face? If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

Wall of Weird

Skull Bong. Proof that you can find almost anything on the internets. Back in the partying days, almost 15 years ago, I could have used this kind of instruction. Actually, I never really got into the drug thing. I will say, though, I probably could have been talked into trying to unearth a skull . . . after a few adult beverages.

13 Skulls. Indiana Jones struggles to solve a modern day mystery. Did stories about these crystal skulls freak anyone out as a kid? I always thought they looked kind of creepy.

Flaming Skull. A possible sequel to Ghost Rider? The first one was entertaining, but not really a "good" movie. Why on earth go for a 2nd film? I can't imagine a sequel would be much better than the original.

Almost a Super Genius

Why couldn't this study have come out prior to March 1968? I was a bottle fed baby every step of the way. I would have been a bona fide genius, rather than borderline, had my mother fed me au naturale. Thanks, Mom.

Do or Do Not

Wishful Thinking

I just stumbled across C-SPAN's coverage of Barack Obama's last major Pennsylvania rally. There's something special about this guy. He really does represent change, something we desperately need in this country. What we do not need is a Democratic candidate who runs Republican ads. Osama bin Laden as part of a Democratic fear appeal? Are you kidding me? Disgusting. My ardent dislike for this Republican in sheep's clothing--since when do Democrats threaten countries with nuclear annihilation?--has evolved into an all consuming loathing. I'd rather eat a bowl of crushed glass than vote for her.

Despite the various polls regarding the Pennsylvania primary, polls that give Clinton a 6-7% lead, I'm going to go out on a limb and call for the upset: Obama 50.5 Clinton 49.5.

Sunday Edition

Ribbon Culture: Charity, Compassion, and Public Awareness. While written from a social research perspective, this looks to be an interesting exploration of rhetoric, identity, and public advocacy. Can't wait to get my hands on it and give it a read.

Speaking of Faith: Thich Nhat Hanh. Speaking of Faith is one of my favorite public radio programs. Unfortunately, it's buried at some obscure time on most NPR stations and, I suspect, most NPR listeners never get a chance to experience this excellent program. This morning's program featured a rebroadcast of a dialogue with Thich Nhat Hanh, the venerable Buddhist monk who has committed his entire life to promoting nonviolence. Please find the time to give this a listen. I believe Thich Nhat Hanh, more than any other person on this planet, has the answers for transforming a world of anger and violence to a world of compassion and peace. The wonderful thing about his message is that he firmly believes that Buddhism exists in harmony with all other religious belief systems. In other words, one doesn't have to be a Buddhist to practice his solutions.

Ever Feel Like You've Been Cheated? A fun, and informative, reflection on punk rock, protest, and performance. Don't miss Part II of the piece. Particularly interesting is the author's assertion that many of the now famous punk musicians had very little connection with the working class youth they supposedly championed. It's all about the performance, eh?

Spring Cleaning

Between Saturday and Sunday, I spent upwards of eight hours cleaning, straightening, organizing, and installing. Eight hours of my life that I'll never get back. Yes, the dirty deeds needed doing. Yes, the garage looks great. No, I don't feel much in the way of a sense of accomplishment. It needed doing and so it got done. After almost two years of living in our house, we finally sorted through boxes of baby clothes/toys, stray scraps from various home repair/improvement projects, and piles of miscellany. We reboxed, restacked, and reshelved. We carried boxes to the basement, lifted others into the rafters, and carted the unwanted to Goodwill. The result is pretty nifty looking garage.

The highlight of the day, however, had to be the installation of our new chandelier. After double checking my mad electrical skills with my father, I turned off the switch to the light, climbed the ladder, removed the rather hideous fixture we've complained about for years, and installed the new piece. Despite a couple of frustrating moments (this task rated a single FRAK! about halfway through--that's pretty low on the scale, actually), STK and I finished up in less than an hour. A special note to Alabama Hick: I didn't wear eye protection!

Here's a glimpse of our handy work.





During next weekend's Big Damn Home Improvement blog post I'll talk about seeding and fertilizing the yard, installing a new light fixture in the front entryway, and planning a bifold door project.

Thaw

It looks like we've finally turned the corner in terms of winter weather. The temperature is reaching the 50 degree mark on a regular basis, the piles of snow are almost melted, and the street sweepers are scouring the residual sand from the gutters. The forecast predicts we'll hit a stretch in the 60s by the end of the week. Time to pack away the long underwear. Woohoo! After a couple of mild winters by Midwest standards, this winter dragged on, and on, and on, and on. The Spring rains, and the predictable complaining about "too much rain," loom on the horizon. Another six to eight weeks, though, and we should be into a five month stretch of very livable weather.

My extended spring break came to an end earlier this week. With an academic conference commencing a couple days before the official start of break, I ended up with a 12 day break. Damn the bad luck. Actually, I'm ready to make the final push toward the end of the semester and get on with summer break. I did quite a bit of traveling this semester--I was gone every other weekend for an eight week stretch and I never really got my head into the teaching game. With several research projects rattling around in my noggin, it's a constant struggle to stay focused in almost any aspect of my life. What I really need is six months to do some serious reading and writing but we all know that's not going to happen. So, I'll keep plugging along late at night, on the weekends, and during my various breaks. Before I know it, a couple of the pieces will coalesce into something tangible.

League of Unextraordinary Gentlemen

In a policy address presented earlier today, John McCain remarked:

We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact -- a League of Democracies -- that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests.

Woodrow Wilson is completely behind that idea. Go McCain!

Barack Star!

I never do anything anything halfway. I'm either totally in or totally out. Unfortunately, the same holds true for my support of political candidates (and that's probably why I've avoided getting sucked into mainstream politics the last few elections). Having thrown my full support behind Barack Obama, I spend a great deal of my time reading/watching any and all media reports about the Obama/Clinton contest. When Obama is doing well in the polls, I see a future filled with hope, change, and a return to the basic principles that make the US of A a country to be admired. When he goes through a rough stretch, I literally lose sleep worrying about a dismal future with McCain or Clinton at the helm.

Thankfully, I stumbled across an antidote for the times when the campaign ebbs rather than flows. I guarantee I'll place this several times a week, maybe even several times a day, over the next couple of weeks. This is my naproxen for political aches and pains.

Numerology

80,000+. A rough estimate regarding the number of civilian casualties in Iraq.

4000. The number of US casualties as of yesterday.

140. The number of Tibetan demonstrators killed by the Chinese government during the latest round of protests.

10. The number of questions presented to the Dalai Lama in 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama.

14. The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet: Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.

Welcome to the Concrete Jungle

1) Approached by panhandlers at every opportunity. I remembered to put on the Leave Me the Frak Alone scowl and most panhandlers left me the frak alone. Most. One adventurous old guy, missing most of his teeth, got right up in my face with his little paper cup and asked for change. I laughed and gave him what change I had.

2) Received offer of oral sex from a women I can only describe as a hippie hooker. She didn't say a word but looked at me, nodded, and made an unmistakable gesture involving her hand and mouth.

3) Witnessed an alternacouple--a goth and punk--sitting quietly in a Japanese garden.

4) Gagged from the aromatic experience of riding the bus.

5) Asked, "Wanna score some weed?" seconds after entering a city park. I must give off an obvious addict/alcoholic vibe.

6) Ordered a "Heart of Darkness" dark roast coffee at an independent coffee house.

7) Heard three, maybe four, languages spoken while I waited to cross a street.

8) Paid $9 for a coffee and bottled water.

9) Noticed four Starbucks within less than a block of my current location.

10) Encountered more tattoos and piercings during a four hour excursion than I do in four months back at home.

I really miss living in the city.

It Was Forty Years Ago Today . . .

I turned 40 years old today. That doesn't seem possible, but it's the honest to goodness truth. Everyone keeps asking if I'm okay, if I'm depressed, if I feel like I'm middle aged. Honestly, I still don't feel like I'm a day over 26. My health is excellent, although I do mend a bit slower, and my mind is even excellenter (I find I can grasp far deeper philosophical/theoretical ideas than I could at 26). So, 40 years old an no major complaints. Can't beat that with a stick.

The day progressed like almost any other and that's the way I like it with birthdays. Birthdays just aren't that big a deal to me. I got TLO off to daycare, did some teaching, went for a 4 mile run, and came home to a birthday dinner. We feasted on Boca burgers, onion rings, french fries, and raw carrots dipped in wasabi mustard. *slurp* That is, without a doubt, my favorite meal. We finished off the birthday feast with a dark chocolate cake slathered in cream cheese frosting, vanilla ice cream, and cool whip.

STK's card was a winner, as usual. She always manages to find just the right quirky card for me. The cover of the card features a quote by Malcolm Crowley that reads: "They tell me you'll lose your mind when you grow older. What they don't tell you is that you won't miss it very much."

Inside the card is a personal note from STK: "Happy Birthday! Hopefully, you won't lose your mind. If you do, I got your back. Welcome to the 40s." Thank goodness for that. In all seriousness, the only reservation or fear I have about getting old is the possibility of losing my mental faculties. I realize I'll slow down physically, that I'll eventually die. Not a problem. Losing my mind, however, is a fate worse than death. In fact, I've asked STK to find some way to help me slip from this mortal coil if I ever lose the use of my mind. She does, indeed, have my back.

STk has informed me that I'm to purchase a new pair of black, steel-toe Doc Marten boots as a birthday gift. I've had my eye on a particular pair since last summer--my everyday Docs are completely thrashed--and it's time to take the plunge.

Is there anything more exciting than buying new boots?

Political Silly Season Continues

Sometime in the last day or so, someone circulated a picture of Barack Obama in traditional Somali dress. The Obama camp immediately wagged a finger at the Clinton campaign for underhanded tactics and the Clinton camp launched an attack at the Obama campaign for trying to manufacture a crisis. The Clinton camp stated:

If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely. This is nothing more than an obvious and transparent attempt to distract from the serious issues confronting our country today and to attempt to create the very divisions they claim to decry. We will not be distracted.

Under normal circumstances, I'd agree with the Clinton campaign. The photo itself is rather innocuous and couldn't possibly be divisive, right? Wrong. In and of itself, the photograph is nothing unique. As the Clinton spokesperson pointed out, many politicians don traditional ethnic and cultural apparel as a sign of respect for the people they encounter. The current photograph of Obama, however, is circulating on the heels of the infamous Obama is a Radical Muslim! emails. Despite repeated refutations, people still continue to position Barack Obama as a Muslim. And while this shouldn't be a problem in a country that celebrates freedom of religion, the word "Muslim" still conjures the specter of terrorism. Taken in this light, the Clinton campaign's dismissal of the photo as not being a matter of significance is completely and utterly disingenuous. There are those who, when seeing Obama in this style of dress, will believe the Obama is a Muslim! myth. Given Clinton's attack oratory of the last few days--so much for the gracious Clinton seen at the debate--I'd be willing to bet my next donation to the Obama campaign that the photo did, indeed, originate from within the Clinton campaign.

For the record, Barack Obama is a Christian.

By the way, the latest SUSA poll--the most accurate pollster of this election cycle--has Obama with the lead in Texas, 49-45%. No wonder the Clinton campaign is resorting to fear mongering propaganda.

Higher What?

The University of Colorado Regents pick a Republican activist, an activist who doesn't have a graduate degree, as President of the university. Huh? How does someone with absolutely no advanced education relate to an institution where many of the employees, and clients, are required to have a graduate degree? Lest one thinks this is a regular practice in higher education: A 2005 survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education found that fewer than 1 percent of college presidents and chancellors held only a bachelor's degree. More than 83 percent held a doctorate. At my college, the President's qualifications and experience include a Ph.D., ten years of teaching experience as a faculty professor, and several years as a dean. This is a President, mind you, who has been the most successful fund raiser in the history of the college.

CU's choice, Benson, might not be able to relate to faculty or graduate students, but I bet he can raise money for the school! As far as I can tell, this seems to be the impetus for this decision. One more instance of the shift toward viewing higher education as a business rather than the pursuit of knowledge. Are colleges and universities supposed to be places of learning or diploma mills?

I also suspect the Ward Churchill scandal had something to do with this selection. When I visited my folks in Colorado last week, my dad commented on the fact that CU needed a good conservative to straighten out the liberal mess that is CSU. I believe his words were: "higher education doesn't need a bunch of liberal radicals running the show." ugh. So, as a result of the over exaggerated Ward Churchill scandal, we see a public institution making a decision based on political party (Benson is a Republican activist; all Republican regents voted for Benson while all Democratic regents voted against). Did CU wind up with the best candidate or the best Republican candidate?

Refreshed

I spent the last few days at the Western States Communication Association conference in Denver, my old stomping grounds. Over the last several years, I've become dismayed with academic conferences in my field, particularly NCA. NCA is expensive, swarming with people, and those in attendance either have huge egos or drink too much (or both). If you're not from a R1 institution, you don't amount to squat. Even though I don't care for NCA, I typically attend. It's a great way to connect with friends scattered hither and yon, check out the new wares of publishers, and spend some time in the big city. The last two years, however, the cost to my mental wellbeing hasn't been worth the price of admission. I return home, dejected that I'm not one of the academic cool kids and that my path through higher education isn't seen as valuable as others. Who wants to hang with the guy from the liberal arts college who publishes once every 18 months? I realize most of my consternation is in my own head but I'll be damned if I don't need therapy after getting back from the national conference.

Western States, a smaller regional conference, was an entirely different experience. I spent time with friends, attended a couple excellent panels, presented some of my recent writing, and had an excellent time. A longtime mentor validated my career path and life choices, several former colleagues from my ABD/adjunct days let me know how much my presence is missed, and numerous graduate students and soon-to-be graduating undergrads made a point to tell me that I'd inspired them to pursue graduate studies or become a Speech Communication major.* A friend and I commiserated, over a leisurely three hour dinner, about the challenges of parenting, teaching, and writing. It's nice to know I'm not the only parent who can't wait to drop my kid off at daycare and get to work. We even talked about collaborating on some work (nothing related to kids, thank you very much).

While I still need therapy--I suspect that will be the case throughout my adult life to a greater or lesser degree--I returned home from this conference rejuvenated and revitalized. I can't wait to work on some of the projects I discussed with colleagues.

*My BA/MA alma matter hosted the convention. I bathed in the comfortable glow of green and gold.

Yes We Can

If you're participating in a Democratic caucus or voting in a Democratic primary tomorrow, or in the coming weeks, please give Barack Obama some thought. We desperately need a change of the guard in Washington and I believe he represents the best chance for that change.

Can we replace confrontation with cooperation, animosity with accordance, and ennui with exuberance?

Yes. We. Can.

We'd Like to Announce an Endorsement

If you can't decide who you should support in the the upcoming SuperTsunamiTorrentialDownpourHurricaneWintryMix Tuesday, let me direct you to Barack Obama's latest endorsement.

Wil Wheaton Chooses Change!

Time to transfer to the USS Obama, Trek fans. All trek and political kidding aside, Wil's an engaging writer and you should be reading his blog . . . regardless of your political affiliation.

He's Baaaaaaaack

Looks like my I Won't Vote HRC safety net is almost in position.

Nader Explores Presidential Run.

He's rested and ready for action.

SOTU: dilliwag edition

Good evening my fellow Americans.

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah surge is working blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah stand strong in war on terror blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah not a recession blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah al Queda must be defeated blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah call on Congress to support stimulus package blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah land of the free, home of the brave.

God bless America.

I didn't watch a single second. How'd I do?

ABC

You know, I've been trying to keep an open mind about the Democratic campaign for delegates and the eventual Presidential nomination. While I openly support Obama, Edwards has always been second choice, and Clinton a distant third. Truth be told, the difference between the three in terms of policy is minuscule. So, I thought to myself, I'll be the good liberal voter and support anyone who takes on the Republican machine. About a week ago, I changed my position. As of today, I'll support Anyone But Clinton. I'm not going to enumerate the various shenanigans pulled by the Clinton campaign as the press has done a decent job in the last couple days of shining some light on the subject. The latest move--the attempt to have Michigan and Florida delegates counted when the states broke the rules of the DNC--is absolutely slimey. When the DNC penalized Michigan and Florida, Edwards and Obama removed their names from the Michigan primary and refused to campaign in either state. Democratic unity and all that, right? Wrong. Hillary Clinton is now calling for the delegates to count (she's the only candidate who stands to benefit significantly from the move).

Do we really need more politics as usual? This whole move smacks of something Karl Rove would cook up. If Clinton wins the nomination, it's my belief she'll lose the general election to [Insert Republican Candidate Here]. Is there any Democrat more loathed by the Right than Hillary Clinton? Is there any Democrat more loathed by the Left?

I heard Nader is thinking about making another run. If Clinton wins the nomination, Nader can count me a supporter.

[Updated] Another excellent NYTimes Opinion piece about the Clintons and campaign strategy.

Return of the Feast

Feast #177

Appetizer--How many times per day do you usually laugh? A half dozen, maybe? Not enough, lately, that's for sure.

Soup--What do your sunglasses look like? Which pair? One, two (olve green, though), three, or four (black frames)?

Salad--You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?
Seattle, the land of rain and coffee.

Main Course--Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city. Zero traffic. Non. Nada. Zilch. 5 PM rush hour means we might have to wait for four or five cars to pass through a four way stop. Less than a minute delay, tops.

Dessert--If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best? The reddish pinkish orangish color we see from photos on Mars.

Lost

Find out Which Lost Character Are You at LiquidGeneration.com!

Hmmm . . . oddly enough, I think this might be appropriate. If you haven't watched the show, Locke is an interesting character. To say the least.

Persons of the Year

I've been meaning to comment on Time magazine's choice for Person of the Year. In case you missed it, the folks at Time went with Vladimir Putin (Al Gore was runner up). Vladimir Putin? Huh? Boy, do I think they missed the boat.

The choice for persons of the year was unanimous here at Rhetorical Imprints. 2007 was the year of the Poptarts: Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton. How many times did these three paragons of excess, overindulgence, and personal spectacle grace the literal and figurative covers of our favorite mediated sources? Have three individuals ever provided, albeit inadvertently, so many life lessons? It's like these three set out to produce public services announcements regarding poor parenting skills, drunk driving/addiction, and the consequences of spoiling children. And the most important lesson of all: don't party in public without wearing underpants.

Could any professional writer produce a more poignant morality play?

Hope

My argument, however, is that we have no choice. You don’t need a poll to know that the vast majority of Americans–Republican, Democrat, and independent–are weary of the dead zone that politics has become, in which narrow interests vie for advantage and ideological minorities seek to impose their own versions of absolute truth. Whether we’re from red states or blue states, we feel in our gut the lack of honesty, rigor, and common sense in our policy debates, and dislike what appears to be a continuous menu of false or cramped choices. Religious or secular, black, white, or brown, we sense– correctly–that the nation’s most significant challenges are being ignored, and that if we don’t change course soon, we may be the first generation in a very long time that leaves behind a weaker and more fractured America than the one we inherited. Perhaps more than any other time in our recent history, we need a new kind of politics, one that can excavate and build upon those shared understandings that pull us together as Americans.

Roughly one year ago, I read these words written by Barack Obama and thought to myself, "If this guy decides to run for President, I might just buck my trend of voting for third party candidates." About six weeks ago, I agreed to caucus for Barack Obama. I don't agree with all his policy positions and would probably find a better match in an idealist like Dennis Kucinich, but Obama seems the best electable option. So, I talked him up to folks I encountered, allowed the campaign to plant a sign on our corner lot (that was actually more STK's doing than mine), and marked the caucus on the calendar. Tonight, I did my civic duty and stood with Barack Obama. In fact, I even approached a couple other caucus goers who supported non-viable candidates and invited them to join the Obama camp. At least one of those folks shifted allegiances to Obama. As STK said earlier this evening, "Nice work, d. You did your duty."

I watched Obama's acceptance speech tonight and I have to say, I haven't been this excited about a candidate in, well, ever. When I listen to him speak, I hear a genuineness that doesn't seem present in the other front runners. I think some of that sincerity is the result of naivety; Obama clearly thinks he can take on the Washington establishment and make significant changes. I suspect he hasn't been around long enough to realize that much of what he wants to accomplish will be met with resistance at every turn, even from his own party. Even so, I find his "audacity of hope" compelling. I'm tired of Washington business as usual and from where I'm standing, Barack Obama presents the best opportunity to actually see some change.

I am an Obama supporter and I approve this message.

Holiday Redux

Three weeks, three "official" holiday parties, 2000 miles, and three holiday celebrations with friends and family. And people wonder why I'm not all "JingleBellsDashingThroughTheSnowJoyToTheWorld" about the holiday season? Personally, I find it all a bit exhausting. It's always a treat to see friends and family, bask in the hustle and bustle of the big city, and get away from home for a bit, of course, but I'm glad it's all over and that I'm back in the middle of almost nowhere (although the Presidential candidates seem to think we live somewhere--nearly all of them have been through our neck of the woods the last couple weeks).

The holiday booty proved predictable--probably because I send out the same list every single year--but right on the money for my tastes. Highlights include Fahrenheit, Kaladi Coffee for a year (1 lb a month), some Aveda product (clove shampoo), a couple Barnes and Noble gift cards, and a black sweater vest. I'm on the prowl for a skinny black tie.

Throughout the holiday sojourn, the weather wizard tried to complicate matters. We left town ahead of a winter storm and while we managed to dodge the snow we spent the better part of nine hours driving through heavy fog and drizzle. Brilliant sunshine illuminated the second leg of the journey providing a beautiful view of the mountains as we approached the front range. Alas, the sunshine proved fleeting and substantial amounts of snow (8" on two different occasions) complicated travel plans slightly. The snow did provide the opportunity to do some shoveling for both my in-laws and my 'rents, thus paying forward the shoveling done by DrOneDink and AlabamaHick (they shoveled our sidewalk while we were away). While I was hoping for one of those 65 degree Colorado Christmases that turn up now and again, a white Christmas was unavoidable.

The drive back from Colorado seemed shorter this time around, largely due to my discovery of Nebraska's most excellent Public Radio network. With slight adjustments to the dial, NPR comes in loud and clear across the entire state. STK and TLO spent most of the trip in the back of the Element, dozing and watching Star Wars DVDs, while I just kept on truckin'.

A viewing of Stardust ushered in the New Year. Of all the nights on the calendar, I avoid doing anything on New Years Eve or, as I like to call it, Amateur Night. On New Years Eve, almost everyone thinks they can drink like a pro. The result is a bunch of goofy, buzzed or falling down drunk folks who aren't all that entertaining . . . unless you're also loaded, of course. Not that exciting for us sober folk. I also get tired of everyone turning to me and saying, "Hey, Derek can drive us home. He doesn't drink." Uh, no. You are responsible for your own behaviors. Assign a designated driver, call a cab, walk, or take a bus. I am not spending my evening chauffeuring drunks. The best way to avoid the entire mess is to stay home. Thankfully, STK and I are on the same page.

With the holiday season in the year view mirror, I'm turning my attention to the upcoming spring semester. I'm on mini sabbatical until January 31st and have a list of academic projects in my queue: 3rd year review personal statement, conference paper, course syllabi. A busy January for sure, but I get to work completely on my own schedule. Huzzah!

Flaming Yams

A delicious recipe enjoyed during this year's Joulupukki celebration hosted at our home.
---
2 Cans Yams in Light Syrup
1 Jar Marshmallow Fluff
1 Stick Butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

*Drain yams; retain syrup.

*Place yams in 9 x 9 baking dish.

*In a saucepan combine retained light syrup, butter, and brown sugar. Heat until butter and sugar are melted. Pour mixture over yams.

*Top with generous layer of marshmallow fluff.

*Broil until marshmallow fluff bursts into flame.
---
Smoke filled the kitchen and four adults scrambled around trying to decide how best to put out the fire--a lid smothered the flames nicely. Despite the "Holy Crap the Kitchen is on Fire!" moment, the holiday meal turned out just fine. Good times.