Reading Books

I’ve wanted to get back to reading for pleasure for some time. As the year began (which, for me, was when the semester began—after NYC), I started making it through my large stack of magazines that had been ignored over the summer and fall. And I was enjoying the reading. Of course, I still wasn’t back to where I wanted: enjoying books.

My first step had been reading a book for pleasure while traveling in Africa. It’d been so long since I’d done that, even choosing the book was difficult. (I blogged about that then.) But I did select a book, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and it was wonderful! The story is a poignant look at a woman discovering who she is—and who she isn’t—in her late thirties. It’s funny, sad, heartfelt—all of what I wanted in a book then.

And so, beginning the year, I started reading my magazines (Body & Soul, Shape, Natural Health, and Fitness), giving me motivation for my “make me better” goals of the year, lifting my spirits with tales of success, and calming my soul with stories of peace and hope.

But I still wanted to get back to books. And just like that, I had my nudge: one of my girlfriend/colleagues whom I saw in NYC sent me and the other an email: let’s have a book club. She wanted us to read Wicked, primarily because that’s one of the shows we had all wanted to see on Broadway but were unable to. Of course, a book club with people when you live in states all across the US seems silly, but our plan was to discuss via an online chat. Technology—a helpful tool.

And so, I started reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. First, I can say this is not a kid’s book! (It’s the story of “the life and times of the wicked witch of the west.” It tells about the wicked witch’s life before Dorothy. (Glinda’s in it too; turns out they were childhood friends.)) Oh no, though, not a children’s book. But it is fun.

Our first online chat, though, was hardly a success technology-wise. Alas, none of us was able to solve our tech issues either, but finally, Janet’s husband to the rescue: use his toll-free conference call system. Fabulous! And so, we all three call this toll-free number, put in a code, and we actually talk all together. It was great! First, we got to talk about the book, which is a little odd—especially if you’ve never read fantasy-type books before. (I was able to help the other two deal with this a little.) Also, of course, it was just great to talk to them both. We email regularly, but actually talking was nice.

Of course, the time set between our chats was too long for me. I read the first part much sooner than time for the first scheduled chat, and I realized I’d read it much too quickly for our time frame. Around the time I was figuring this out, I was in Target one day, saw a book, and bought it.

What? I can’t read two novels at once. That seemed ridiculous! You read one, finish it, then start another. That’s the way reading novels works! Who would be in the middle of two at once? Well, I would.

First, I needed another book to slow me down from reading Wicked too quickly. And second, I finally realized something: good grief, I watch and stay up with more than one tv show at a time. Why couldn’t I read two books at once?


It’s been great. The second book was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The book is about a man from Afghanistan and the tale of his childhood—and its relation to his adulthood. I finished it last night, and it was a fabulous tale. I highly recommend the book.

I regularly cry at the movies—taken over with emotional and powerful scenes. But part of that is the visual impact of seeing someone’s emotions, the music in the background, the “whole thing.” I get that. But not this: while reading The Kite Runner, I actually cried. Now that’s a powerful story.

It’s been made into a movie, and I hope to see it soon.

But now I need another book. Or maybe I’ll finally get to a couple I have on my book shelf I haven’t read yet—I have one by Deepak Chopra I’ve been wanting to get to. I have, after all, another five weeks before we discuss part III of Wicked. ;-)

Final Flick

I saw Juno yesterday. Pretty good little film. It was refreshing and endearing and funny--easily, the funniest of the five. Then again, comedies are not always the "best picture" kind of thing. It reminded me of the smart and insightful Little Miss Sunshine in the Oscar sense. And so, no, I don't expect it to take the Best Pic slot. I do, however, hope that Juno takes the Best Original Screenplay award. And although Emily Page did a fabulous job, I don't expect her to capture the top actress award this year.

A few other notes on seeing Michael Clayton last week: I would be flabbergasted if George Clooney won best actor; not only did I not think his performance was incredible (not bad, but not an "oh wow!" job either), but he's up against Daniel Day Lewis who was phenomenal. But the female in Michael Clayton (Tilda Swinton) is up for supporting actress. (If I ever get to teach a morality & practice of law seminar, I think I would show this flick--showing how slowly this woman gets to where she does, not really one who starts as a bad person, and how easy it is to make decisions when you can be detached.) She did a good job. But I really liked the young girl in Atonement. I don't know which way that one will go---especially given that I haven't seen the other three performances. As for supporting actor, Tom Wilkinson did do a great job in Michael Clayton. But he's up against Javier Bardem from No Country for Old Men, and that was a stellar performance.

As for film, having seen all five, I would be willing to bet it will be There Will be Blood or Atonement at the top. At least those are my top two for the final statue. And considering that last year was The Departed, I'd bet $5 on Atonement. (that's the limit of my gambling--$5.)

I choose No Country for Old Men, though, for Best Director. My second choice there is There Will Be Blood. And either of those should take home the Best Adapted Screenplay---especially if Atonement gets Best Pic.

We'll have to wait to see, of course. Although I keep thinking the Oscars are tonight (and I've msitakenly told several people that), they aren't until next week.

Happy Anniversary

Tonight marks ten years. This night, in 1998, I quit smoking. As a former carton-a-week smoker, that was quite a feat. But I did it, and I’ve refrained ever since.

Of course, I still dream about smoking, and I still inhale deeply sometime when someone nearby lights up. But I don’t light up myself. Even with the many stressful times I’ve encountered since, I’ve remained smoke-free. (I will admit, though, I still miss it, and if I were given but six months to live, I’d probably go buy a pack and enjoy them once again for those last six months. Yes, it’s that powerful a thing.)

Ten years ago, I chose this night because it was my gift for my heart. Maybe you don’t smoke. But maybe there is still a gift you can give your own heart. Exercise? Switching to whole grains? Forgiveness? Peace?

Whatever it is, I hope you honor your heart this Valentine’s night.

My Inversion

Finally, I did it! I did an inversion, getting my feet all the way up in the air.

Well, to be fair, I had some help . . . .

This one was a forearm stand. One day, it will look like this pose seen on the left. Essentially, you're on your forearms, palms down, head down but not touching. (This was the hardest part for me; my upper arms are quite short, I learned.) The idea is to be able to kick up and balance in the middle of the room.

We, though, started this at the wall. And I had to have a strap around my upper arms to keep them where they needed to be (my instructor is fabulous with props), and two fellow yogis caught my feet after I kicked up to give me a little helping hand up.

But I did it.

I balanced, I used a lot of shoulder strength, and I held my feet up overhead---in my inversion.

Why care about inversions? It gives you a whole new perspective, literally, and you can transfer that to your figurative view. Inversions also help you get "unstuck" from ruts or habits--getting you to that new, different place--that place we can transrom our hearts to be open, giving, yielding.

No, I didn't balance away from the wall, but we do, after all, call it a yoga practice.

Be Mine?

February 14. And a Happy Valnetine's Day to all.

I, like so many, don't know the true origin of the day, but here's one (of many) possibility:

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

However this day came about, I hope you enjoy the day beyond any commercialized aspect. I've got a basket of sweets to share with my students. They'll be tickled. (After all, as my sister said, it's really cool to get candy in class when you're twenty-five; no one gives you candy at that age!) For everyone else? Savor at least one small piece of chocolate (dark, naturally (good for your heart!), and approach the day with love in your heart and a smile on your face.

My favorite quote about love comes from the New Testament:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient. . . . It always hopes . . . .

Indeed.

I'll be your Valentine. Be mine?

Not a Theme---I Promise

I couldn't resist writing about this. And I had no intention of doing so--really. It's just what's on the local news.

I like to check the website of my local NBC affiliate to catch up on local news. The site has four top stories highlighted with photos and brief descriptions of the stories. Today's really caught my eye.

First, there was a story about a fourteen-year old elementary student today who was found with a handgun in his backpack. The story relates that the student will likely be expelled and sent to an alternative school. By the way, the handgun was reported to be unloaded. (Yes, I too wonder about an elementary student who's fourteen, but it can happen.) The child was arrested and charged with carrying a gun on school property. (this, the same day I received a moving mailing about 13- and 14-year-olds sentenced to life in prison with no opportunity for parole.)

Anyway, the next story up: Our dear mayor has announced that all junior high and high schools will have metal detectors installed.

I want to know one thing: who's in charge of updating our mayor on what's going on in the elementary schools?

Aside from that, though, it's sad. Still, we've had two shootings in eight days in schools in the Memphis City School system. One school board member this morning called for all schools to be shut down until safety can be assured.

Memphis. Sigh.

Pistol Packing in SD . . . in Class?

According to a news source (I no longer link to outside sources; sorry), it seems as if the South Dakota legislature is trying to make it possible for concealed guns to be allowed on university campuses. (Currently, the proposed bill died in a committee, but some are trying to override this committee action.) The initial reaction from many is “heavens, no!” We don’t want people carrying guns on campus—legally!

Now, even given my stance on guns (see here (I will link to my own stuff)), I realize the above thoughts initially miss the point. As most all studies show, it’s not the people who carry guns legally who cause the most alarm. When someone goes through the process of obtaining and maintaining a concealed-carry permit, this person is probably a little more stable than the person who goes on the rampage we’ve seen in the past.

But not always or in all circumstance.

Consider law school, as just one example.

In law school, people who start out as mild-mannered, in control people don’t always wind up there. This is the first time many of my students have ever dealt with what is, in their eyes (and those of their family members), a sort of failure. And this is not just the people who actually fail. I’m talking about the people who, for the first time in their lives, make a C. Or some, even a B-. This is quite common in law schools all across the country. And those are not people I want thinking that it’s perfectly fine to walk into my class with a concealed weapon.

Consider also the student I call on—perhaps, for one, it’s the first time the student is called on during law school. Although I consider what I’m doing “asking questions,” my students call it “grilling” (especially as I wait patiently for them to work through some legal analysis to get to the answer, having to apply a just-understood law to a whole new factual scenario). This is someone who’s perhaps under the most stress this poor little 23-year-old has ever dealt with. Again, this is not someone I want carrying a concealed weapon, even legally. The stress level and immaturity are both cumulative. Add a weapon, and the hat trick might lead down a scary path.

Or consider the student who, if she has one more absence in my class, will not graduate. Period. Is this a person I want, when she gets that news from me after she next misses class then reappears, to think it's fine to have a weapon on her (if she has a permit to carry concealed) . . . after she’s spent the last five or six years pursuing this degree? Not really.

And so, while I agree with the initial reaction we should have concerning concealed carry permits and the general person who gets them, I think putting them in the hands of people this young who are at an unbelievably stressful time in their lives is a mistake.

(This does not even address the issue of universities being prevented from letting family know if a student has become mentally unstable--an area I plan to write about next fall perhaps.)

I had said I was open as to where I taught. Not so sure I couldn’t mark South Dakota off the list. This would give a whole new meaning to the “Badlands.”

-------------------------

Related: today thirty-one states, led by Texas (not surprisingly), filed a brief in support of the respondent, Heller, in the Supreme Court case to be heard next month. The basic argument raised by those states is that the handgun ban in DC should receive strict scrutiny review—a review type that hardly ever works well for legislation prohibiting something. For the constitutional right to be infringed upon, there must be compelling state interest,” the law must be narrowly tailored, and the law has to be in the least restrictive means to get that interest met.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Thirty-one states are part of this Texas group. Fourteen states have chosen to remain neutral, and five states have joined up with DC. A fellow prof broke it down:

Of the 31 pro-Heller states, 26 voted for George W. Bush in the 2004 Presidential election, while five (Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Washington) voted for John Kerry.

Of the 14 "neutral" states, five (Arizona, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, and Tennessee) voted for Bush, while nine (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin) voted for Kerry.

And all five of the pro-D.C. states (Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York), as well as the District of Columbia itself, voted for Kerry in 2004.

Interesting indeed.

Now, I am a huge supporter of our constitutional rights—trust me. (This is where I first really figured out I was not the conservative I thought I was.) Still, I am uncomfortable with where this could go, which, no doubt, is why we’ve not had a true Second Amendment case in so very long. But I'm also horribly uncomfortable with constitutional rights being infringed.

And so, the real question: just how much of a constitutional right is it to have a handgun. I know, I know---it seems obvious that it's part of the 2A. But do we extend that to an interpretation that we have a constitutional right to have assault rifles? I'll repeat my phrase from above: heavens, no! (please no.) Why on earth would anyone need a machine gun? But if the right is there for a handgun, why not for other firearms?

Ah, we must wait until June for the first round of answers.

Qualified!

The gym had posted new meter totals on the whiteboard, and when I got to my class tonight, I was just over 7000 away from my goal of 50,000 meters--to qualify for the regatta. I had just finished a box aerobics class, so I was pooped, but with the encouragement of my rowing class members tonight, I pushed my intensity and got to my goal. WooHoo! (I actually rowed 7995 meters in a thirty-eight minute class.)

Sure, I've met the goal of qualifying. But what this has really done for me is to help me focus on the intensity with which I row (while maintaining proper form). See, each rower has a computer attached that calculates your intensity (someone said it was measured as "meters per second.") When I began rowing, I was proud if I could get the number up to 3.25 or 3.30 during a hard push (an intensity drill). Now, though, I can maintain an intensity of 3.48 to 3.60 for quite some time, getting up above 4.00 in my intensity drills. And of that, I am proud. (My average tonight, for example, after doing the math, looks to be 3.51—including warm-up and cool down rowing.) Not only have I qualified for the regatta, as set out to do, but I have bettered my skill at this workout in a quantifiable way. Again, I say: WooHoo!

What a Lucky Dog

Sunday afternoon, I had made it home for a late lunch, after working most of the morning, and was catching up on George's Sunday morning show when there was a knock on my door. It was my neighbor to the south, asking if Howard wanted to come over.

Seriously.

My dog is so fortunate to have so many people adore him. Of course, he is quite a cutie.

Naturally, I said yes. (It was no question if Howard wanted to go.) See, my neighbor was going to be hanging out in his backyard, and Howard loves to hang out in the backyard with people. Howard stays quite busy keeping the air space clear (furiously chasing and barking at all birds overhead as well as nearby planes, and we're in quite a flight path for approaching aircraft on the way to Memphis International airport!).

I got a lot of things done around the house then went over myself to visit a little. Howard was happy as could be, running from one person to another, every so often going to check on the kids on the trampoline, chasing birds in the sky, and slowing the process of the car-cleaning being done. (Come now, there was a car with open doors; of course Howard thought that meant it was time for a ride.)

Clean Air Act

A while back, I promised a future post about obnoxious odors. Today, I was painfully reminded of that promise, so here it is.

I'm here at High Point, working on some class prep and reading for an article. Toward the back of the store, where I am today, is a bench-style seat against the wall. In front of that bench are three small tables, each with a chair opposite the bench. This, essentially, provides a spot for six (or a couple more) people to sit together or for, at a minimum, three pairs of people.

When I arrived, another person was at one end of the group of tables, so I sat at the opposite end. Not too long ago, she left. Soon thereafter, another young girl sat down in that place with her books and laptop. It took about two seconds for the odors to waft my way and only about two minutes for my head to start hurting.

Did she bathe in her perfume? Should it be so strong such that I, a good six feet away, am overtaken with her aroma? Seriously?

Shouldn't perfume be that thing that is enjoyed by a person nuzzling your neck---not by those who are three people away? Okay, maybe we can wear a little more that your neck needn't be actually nuzzled; I am willing to compromise. But surely you should have to be right next to a person to smell them, don't you think?

Okay, maybe we should consider the event: if one is going out to attract the opposite sex, put on a little more. Leave your scent lingering in the air after you walk past . . . but only for a short time, yes? And even then, should you be able to smell the person this far away? And is going to a coffee shop on Sunday to work on school work the place where you go with the same purpose? Okay, so maybe it is. I've seen some attractive men in here. ;-)

After my visit to Africa, I got used to the scent of people---as opposed to perfume. (There's very little deodorant used by most of the people I met there.) And I must say, that scent is preferable to me. For what smells good to one person from a bottle does nothing but attack another's entire respiratory system.

Who's burden is it, though? Should I walk around wearing a mask? Or should people stop bathing in their perfume? For the people who wear so much you can smell it across the room, well, in my humble opinion, that’s usually just too much. People should have better sense about their scents. Alas, that isn’t going to happen. But arguably, if it's my problem with the scents and my allergic reaction to them causing my headache when I’m very near a person, that is my problem, and I need to increase my tolerance for strangers in public---when we have to be in close proximity. So I’ll work on that . . . but I gotta get out of here first, lest my head actually explode.

MC: Fourth Film

I switched my weekend up yesterday, taking Saturday off with the intention to work today instead of focusing Saturday on work. After my rowing and Zumba classes (yes, Zumba--as seen on TV (sorta a salsa/aerobics class)), I spent the afternoon with another movie: Michael Clayton.

It was good. But it was thriller good--not Oscar good. It was not a lot different than FX's new series that I love, Damages, but frankly, I think Damages does a better job of handling the mystery needed for a good thriller. Michael Clayton, on the other hand, never hid anything from the viewer. (there was a very small bit at the end, but it was so small, and so short-lived, that it wasn't the "gotcha" moment in most thrillers.) Or maybe they planned for the opening scene to play out as a thriller throughout the movie. I could see that being a goal, but things were too obvious to me, perhaps. "Who done it" seemed quite obvious to me all along.

Or maybe this is not supposed to be a thriller at all. Maybe this is supposed to just say something about big business and big law firms? Maybe this is supposed to say something about the lengths people go to? Maybe I'm a cynic, but is any of that news? (Or maybe it's just because I know too many lawyers, and this will be news to a lot of people.)

So I will admit that I don't have enough knowledge about movies to understand why this was nominated. Well, perhaps, says the cynic in me, speaking up again, it has to do with someone who was owed a favor? I don't know. What I do know is that while this film was certainly good and enjoyable, it was far from the cinematic class of the other three nominees I've seen.

Speaking of those other movies, I can say that the night after watching There Will be Blood, I liked it even more. And the day after, the movie was even better. Odd--I needed distance from the film to like it so much. It is still an odd movie, but I do rate it higher now than just after seeing it.

As for Michael Clayton, yes, George Clooney did a good job. But again, it was nothing close to the acting of Daniel Day Lewis from There Will be Blood. Sure, Clooney's character is quite deep; we get to see many aspects of who he is: father, ex-husband, son, brother, attorney. But it still wasn't a performance that really struck me as extraordinary--to me, something needed to get that golden statue.

I have one more film left to see (Juno)to reach my goal of seeing all five Best Picture nominated films before next Sunday night. I'll let you know when I see it!

(As for that rowing class, I had my personal best class yesterday, rowing over 8,400 meters! I'm over 40,000 now, with two weeks to go. WooHoo! I'll surely meet my goal of qualifying at 50,000, and I've really improved the intensity with which I row, giving me a much better workout each class.)

Okay, making my intentions good, it's time for some work!

Face Lifts

As is obvious, I've given my blog a new look . . . in many ways.

Of course, the most noticeable change is that I've changed the background and text layout. Further, though, I've started labeling posts. I've caught up on this year's posts, but it will take me a little time to get the rest done. But I've also added more items to the sidebar area, including an index for the labels--all part of my organization need. It's a sickness; I know. But someone's gotta maintain a little order! ;-)

Hope you enjoy the new look!

More Time Lost?

Lost is back. And as the promos say, it is indeed better than ever. After only a couple (has it really been only two?) of episodes, though, I’ll admit that I’m a little lost. I love the addition of the new four characters and their backgrounds; it will be quite interesting to see how this one plays out.

Of course, we will possibly have only a half seasons this year. Half of the sixteen planned episodes had been written before the writers’ strike. I certainly support the writers’ views, but man, it’ll be hard to get just six more episodes.

I’m down to about only an hour of television each evening, though. And I like it this way. With fewer new shows on, my DVR records fewer things, and that means it’s easier for me to watch those things I want in just one hour each evening. When the strike ends (there’s talk of this happening before the Oscars), though, more shows will eventually air new episodes. Pickle: do I give up some shows and continue to enjoy my only one hour per night? Do I add back in a little more tube? Or do I just record certain series and save them until the slower summer television season? (and by the way, how odd to have Big Brother airing in February!)

Indeed: It's a pickle, George. (I said that in class the other day; only a few students got it. Most looked at me as if I'd lost it . . . yet again. ;-) )

To Bear and Keep?

While in Africa this past year, people there would ask me where I was from. In March, of course, that was an easy answer. This last trip, in December, I lengthened my answer: “I live in Tennessee, but I’m from Texas.”

The reply was often the same: “Oh, Texas? That’s where your President Bush if from, no?” I would respond, “No. Sure, he lived there, and he was even governor there, but he’s not from Texas.”

Texas is, of course, special—and special to me. And thus, with my opinion of W. slipping markedly since he moved to DC, I did want to be clear that he is not an actual Texan. (Yes, I voted for him as governor in 1998, but that’s where he should have stayed. (Was my vote because I actually supported him? No. It was because I didn’t think about it on my own but just went with what I thought I thought. Had I really investigated things, I have no idea who I would have supported; I don’t remember much of anything about Mauro at this time.)

Texas is also unique. This last trip of mine involved my spending a week with attorneys from East African countries (and Nigeria), and they had many questions about the United States. These questions were posed to me and my colleague who grew up on the east coast and for the last fifteen years or so has lived on the west coast—never in the south, never in the middle of the country, and never, naturally, in Texas. It was interesting to see the differences in our answers based on the perspectives with which we grew up and lived.

I had talked to my colleague about politics, and she knew that I grew up thinking I was conservative but had finally figured out who I actually was only in the last decade. She also knew my views about religion and tolerance; we shared those views. (Mine is, essentially, who am I to tell you that your faith is wrong? Leave me and my spirituality alone and I’ll do the same for you.)

So back to those questions in December . . . it was interesting when someone asked about guns. For one, in Uganda, many security personnel walk around openly with large guns—automatic types. That scares me something fierce. (I will never forget the first time I saw the police who were checking cars, when I was leaving the Nairobi airport in March, just walking around with what appeared to be an AK47-type weapon casually slung over a shoulder, or even worse, held in the hand with a finger in the trigger area.) And the local attorneys there discussed a tribe in the northern part of the country, all heavily armed, who did not seem to hesitate to shoot at people.

When, then, the question was asked about guns in the US, and my colleague gave a pretty typical response when you think of a liberal response, she was shocked when I said I’d had a license to carry a concealed handgun and would almost certainly renew that license soon (it is available in TN). Imagine also, then, her possibly double-shock at learning such an item had been give to me—as a gift—many years ago. As you might realize, this made for very lively discussions with our African colleagues.

I explained my decision to continue to be an owner—and to eventually again pursue my concealed-carry permit. But I also explained my distaste of firearms in general: the horrific ability they provide to allow multiple fatal results in an unbelievably short amount of time.

I didn’t use to think this way. Working on criminal cases, though, can change how one thinks. So many of the cases I read about and worked on in my three years with the State involved the use of guns. Too often, they were used by someone angry, enraged by passion, and/or intoxicated (or otherwise altered).

This is the problem: a firearm can do so much damage to a human body in such a short amount of time; it can do that amount of damage to multiple bodies in a short amount of time. And it can all be done from a considerable distance. For the person wielding the weapon, this often seems to occur without the foresight needed—because it’s so damned easy to just “do.”

Many of us know someone who could, in a fit of anger, grab a weapon and do something disastrous. That’s where it gets frightening. And that’s where I have my problem with the loose ownership laws we have.

This brings us to the happening yesterday in Missouri: five dead and two wounded when a man entered a city council meeting and opened fire. From what I’ve read, I understand he’d been arrested in the past for disorderly conduct—at city council meetings. He had ongoing problems with the government. Even his brother told a CNN affiliate, “The only way that I can put it in a context that you might understand is that my brother went to war tonight with the people that were of the government that was putting torment and strife into his life. . . . And he had spoke on it as best he could in the courts, and they denied him all access to the rights of protection, and therefore he took it upon himself to go to war and end the issue.”

He went to “war with the . . . government.” Is this the “militia” our Second Amendment means to arm? Is this the purpose of freedom of gun ownership? I don’t think so. But how do we address this while preserving the Second Amendment?

(I have friends who were at Appalachian Law School when the student there shot and killed several people. We all remember Va Tech not too long ago. Columbine. Paducah, KY. Tragedies that happened so fast, so easily. Too easily.)

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case addressing the Second Amendment next month (District of Columbia v. Heller). The opinion, of course, will surely not be issued until June. The case will review DC's ban on handgun with the following issue:

Whether the following provisions — D.C. Code §§ 7.2502.02(a)(4) [banning handguns], 22-4504(a) [banning gun carrying, including at home], and 7.2507.02 [requiring all guns to be both unloaded and locked or disassembled] — violate the Second Amendment rights of individuals who are not affiliated with any state-regulated militia, but who wish to keep handguns and other firearms for private use in their homes?

The underlying questions, then, have been explained as follows:
(1) Are individuals’ rights protected under the Second Amendment?
(2) If so, is that right in existence regardless of affiliation with a “well-regulated” militia? (and what is “well-regulated”? Is that regulated by the State?)
(3) If so, what does the Constitution protect as far as the purposes exist to “bear and keep” a firearm?

The big question, conceivably, is the last one: what purposes are protected? And if you have the purpose of home and self defense protected, can the state prohibit your keeping one that is loaded or require it to be disassembled? Ah, but this applies only to handguns; you could still keep a shotgun.

Hard questions.

Allowing anyone (essentially) to have access, though, makes it easier for things like what happened in Missouri yesterday to happen again. And as I write this, a new report has come in: a female student shot two others then herself in a classroom at Louisiana Tech. Three dead. In seconds. Without a gun, that would be very unlikely to have happened.

Am I giving mine up any time soon? Of course not. As long as it’s so easy for criminals to own, I want to as well. But is that what the purpose is for my right to "keep"? Is that the "defense"? I don't know. And I don't know if we'll know come June. Frankly, though, I wish no one owned.

The Morning After

Super Tuesday took a backseat to weather yesterday in Tennessee. The weather folks broke into TV programming at 4:30, and they broadcast continuously until past the time I finally gave in and went to sleep at 11.

As for the weather, it’s been bad, and yes, that’s an understatement. The last death toll I saw was 44, with possibly more reports coming in. That accounts for the storms that hit from Arkansas through Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The storm that hit while I was in the basement is the one that hit the shopping mall in SW Memphis and took about two lives. It was a different cell that moved up to Jackson, TN and trapped the students in the dorm there.

On the one side, the storms didn’t hit here until after 4:30. Thus, there was no need in hindsight to close schools early. But they knew this was going to be big. I cannot find fault with those decisions.

And as always, talking to people out of the area brings some interesting things. One friend from the north said that what we were experiencing here “must be the milder version” of the heavy snowfall they had—ours was just rain and wind. Ahem. Milder? Tornados? Granted, to be fair, they were expecting possible record snowfall in a twenty-four hour period. But milder?

I talked to another yesterday, and when asked how I was, I responded, “Good. It’s finally quieter around here; we just had several tornados around.” The response was “oh, yes, they forecast rain for us too.” The conversation then was taken to the topic of the need for rain in that area and what the weather forecast was. Yes, indeed, let’s make this all about you, forgetting the t-o-r-n-a-d-o-s that hit here. Sigh.

In the light of day, the weather service will be out figuring out how many twisters there were and their relative strength. Insurance guys, no doubt, will be very busy in the area for weeks to come. It’s sad and devastating for so many people. But I am so grateful for our warning systems and sirens. (The sirens in my county screamed for almost two hours straight between 4:45 & 6:45 then again from 8:45 until 9:15.)

As for here last night, it was an odd night for me---quite surreal. I wanted to stay on the weather coverage, but as soon as we left the basement, I also wanted to know about results coming in from around the country.

For almost a year, I’ve said that I would vote for Obama in the primary and Clinton in the general election. At this point, though, I might be casting another vote for Obama come November!

The delegate count is interesting to watch. I’m frustrated with the Super Delegates, though. Will they really think about electability in November? Or is it just a chance for some face time? And of course, these delegates are why it’s about to be mathematically impossible for anyone but McCain to get the republican nomination. Interesting, indeed.

Anyway, I finally turned in, but still kept the TV on for a little while. I wanted to stay up to see what California reported, but as expected, it was too close to call at that time. But I did stay up to watch Obama’s speech. Again, I’m impressed with the message: actually unite the United States. There’s a wonderful hope in his speech, and yes, I do believe in it. I do believe that we can achieve things not before thought possible—with the right leadership.

Basement Blogging

We're all here, my little family of three creatures and ten legs, hanging out in the basement.

When I got home, CNN was reporting that this would likely be one of the top three days for severe weather for the year. Thus, after getting bottled water and a flashlight downstairs, I checked the radio. Alas, my batteries were good until - - - are you ready for this? March 2003. That's not a typo: 2003! Yowza.

So Howard and I jumped in the car and headed to Home Depot. We got lots of batteries then got back home.

The sirens have been going off nearby for quite a while now; they sound for any tornado warning in the county. The first sounding of them, though, addressed concerns quite a ways away.

With the first thunderstorm that hit (with the brightest lightening outside of my window I may have ever seen), Sophie had headed to her carrier that has a home in the back of my closet on the floor. (It's a safe spot for her, and it creates more of a comfort feeling in her carrier when we travel now that she sleeps in there sometimes.) Thus, not too long ago when a massive cell crept over the county line from the south into Tennessee and Shelby County, I knew where to find her.

Sophie and Howard, thus, are here; Howard, poor thing, is quite bored. (And is now whining at the top of the stairs.) (I've left Sophie in her carrier, and she's quite content there.) I'm listening to the local NBC affiliate; the broadcast is being carried over a radio station.

We've got a tornado on the ground about ten or twelve miles to my east, and there's a "Tornado Emergency" from the National Weather Service. I (and the weather guys) have never heard of such a thing! They're talking about "long-track" tornados being likely--ones that stay on the ground for an extended time period.

I've heard scary reports of injuries and now, of people trapped somewhere. Good thoughts for all those affected. (My Wisconsin friend is expecting upwards to twenty inches of snow tonight!)

Here, the massive cell has left my immediate area. Even the NBC guys have said downtown and Midtown (where I live) are doing okay right now. The next massive cell is heading in from Mississippi, but it's going to hit to the east of me. And so we're going to head back upstairs so we can actually see the radar in real time. ( do just love the radar, and my internet connection just doesn't support much video.) The tornado may still be on the ground out in Germantown, but it's not headed here at all . . . for now.

See, there's still the huge squall line (that passed over Dallas earlier today) out in Arkansas, and that'll hit Memphis in a few hours. For now, though, this storm has passed away from me.

Batten Down the Hatches

Back in December or so, when the next-to-last Desperate Housewives episode aired, I got quite a chuckle at the way they portrayed a tornado watch. Seriously? I mean, I’ve lived a good part of my life under a tornado watch, or so it seems. But on the TV show, as soon as they had word of potential tornadic conditions, people were grabbing their children, stocking up on supplies, finding batteries, reserving places (hours before the storm was to hit) in neighbors’ basements—again, all hours before it even started to rain! This was amusing, of course, because most of the time you have a tornado watch, nothing happens. And life doesn’t alter a whole lot.

Sure, tornados hit. Sure, they happen. After all, I remember the one that hit downtown Fort Worth well.

But I thought the TV show really went over the top.

Until today.

Earlier this morning, a colleague invited me to lunch to celebrate Mardi Gras. I knew a Cajun restaurant wouldn’t be the easiest place to make healthy food choices, but I really wanted to go. And so, I said yes. (and I had a teeny tiny sliver of King Cake too.)

Around 11:40, his wife Amy picked us up—Steve, our secretary Linda, and me—and the four of us headed to Bayou Café.

Just as our drinks arrived, Amy’s phone rang, and she got word that Memphis City Schools were closing at 12:30. Closing! Huh? Why? Expected severe weather. Seriously? Seriously.

So darned if Amy didn’t have to leave lunch to go pick up their kids. (She got the daughter and a friend from one school while another parent picked up the son (and friend) from a different school—good teamwork!) We stayed and enjoyed lunch, and Amy returned just after we finished, just to drive us back to the law school.

(By the way, I ordered seafood gumbo and salad with blackened chicken. Who would have expected seafood gumbo to have sausage in it?! Maybe not as healthy as my salad in my office fridge, but I still think I made some pretty good choices.)

And poor Amy, missing lunch. And I had looked forward to visiting with her!

Anyway, upon our return here, we all got the university emergency alert text messages that notified us all university activities and classes were cancelled starting at 2:30 today. Seriously.

Interesting.

Anyway, so indeed, I’m going to gather my books and head home. I’m just hoping this all passes through so I can make it to spinning! I really need it tonight after that secret sausage in the gumbo slipped past me. But it was yummy. But when I realized it wasn’t as healthy as I had expected, I did eat only half. ;-)

Guess I’ll go ahead and secure a few loose items outside too once I get home. Glad I’ve got a basement!

Super Duper

Headed off to vote on my way to work. It should be an exciting and interesting day.



In other news . . . I passed the half-way point for my regatta goal last night. Okay, so there won't be a problem qualifying. And who knows? If I keep at it, maybe I could swing a third place in this race. That prize is a one-hour massage. That'd be quite nice.

Movie Three

Odd.

That's my wrap-up of There Will Be Blood.

Granted, yes indeed, Daniel Day-Lewis is fantastic. His performance is certainly Oscar-worthy, in a chilling, but incredible, kind of way. And the movie is good. But it is, well, odd. Of the three I've seen, though, this is third in the list of my pick for the golden statue (but I can see how it could be the top for others---for those who can see films for different qualities).

Don't get me wrong, it is a good movie; it is a good movie in that odd sort of way. I can see this as being Oscar-nominated. But I can also see this as not having the biggest ever public appeal.

Day-Lewis's character is deeply disturbing--seeing the drive and the crumbling of a person is rough. The actor who plays the preacher Eli likewise delivers a disturbing character to the audience, interestingly in many of the same ways. Those two lead characters mirror each other even though they are essentially opposites. And that---the writing of that and the acting of it---show the film's greatness.

But the movie lacked the personal draw for me. I think it was just too disturbing. This is odd, though, as No Country for Old Men was also disturbing, but I accepted that film more.

Anyway, I do recommend it, but I recommend it with a warning: on the surface, it seems harmless, but underneath, it seems to have a lot more going on, things that are quite bothersome.

(Just a note, There Will Be Blood is also a very long movie; hard for me to sit comfortably through that long of a movie, but I managed. )

* * * * *

Anyway, so indeed, it's been quite a busy day. Howard got a bath early this morning and then I caught up on news with the pundits, signed up for classes at the gym (we sign up for the coming week each Sunday morning), went up to the coffee shop and worked on class prep, made it home for lunch and a little more reading (and a very short nap), then I was off to the movie. Before 7, I was home again to fast forward through the game to get to the good stuff---the commercials and the last minute.

Whew.

And so ends another week. Time for me to head to bed for a little reading. I'm currently reading two novels, but I think tonight will just be a couple of articles from my Body and Soul magazine.

Happy Week to all! :-)

And Now, a Word From Our Sponsors

Super Bowl XLII

Wow! So the Giants pulled the upset! I did watch the last minute of the game, and the best play I saw was when Eli Manning got out the near-sack with having a hold of his shirt then Tyree making the incredible catch in the air almost on top of a Patriot. That set up for an incredible last minute of the game. Hats off to you, NYGiants. (And congrats to the Manning brothers; how cool is that to have two brothers who are QBs win back-to-back super bowls?!)

But this is more than a football game: it's the night that all ad execs must dream of---having their creation watched by millions. I've fast-forwarded through most of the game and hit the highlights. And so, who pulled the advertising win? Before I get to that, my first thought was, "Do all the other stations promote their own shows as much as fox has tonight?" Seriously---it's a bit much. Anyway, back to the real ads . . . .

Right up there at the top were the Bud Light spots---now comes with the ability to breathe fire / ability to fly. Too funny! (but really the only good ones from Bud Light, imho)

Tide-to-Go's spot with the Talking Stain was priceless! how many of us have felt like a stain of our own was that spotlighted?

Of course, the Budweiser one with the Rocky theme was good--mostly for the music. (I have that song on my iPod--wonderfully motivating about 40 minutes into a tough cardio workout.)

And I did like the Life Water commercial--really just for the music and tribute to the Thriller video. I think I heard somewhere this year is the 25th anniversary of that video. Whew, now that's something to make one feel old.

The Chester Pitts/Oboe one was good---made you feel all warm and fuzzy. Okay, and I played the oboe. (“Play,” of course, is relative; my cat Misty used to bite my fingers when I practiced. Now that’s low.) Another warm & fuzzy one was when Charlie Brown got the Coke---good ol’ Charlie Brown.

The Amp commercial, though, was just plain disturbing. (And a further comment on our need for too much caffeine.)

I actually laughed out loud, I’ll admit, at the Doritos commercial with the giant r vat. I totally didn't see that coming!

But my laughter was loudest based on watching the spots with the E-trade talking baby who bought stock. Now that was worthy of some advertising dollar$! I know, some will say it was creepy, but to me—hilarious!

Most effective? I'm willing to bet the first GoDaddy dot com was huge. How many men do you think won't check out that site within the next twenty-four hours?

The Coke spot with James Carville & Bill Frist, of course, was good. I'd had a preview of that one this morning; Carville was on meet the Press. And did you notice that James Carville was the one who got kissed by the mascot at the basketball game and took the lead over Frist while they were on the scooter-thingies? Guess the spot wasn’t completely unbiased after all. ;-)

As for the Diet Pepsi Max, I just kept thinking what a sad reflection on our society. Gosh, people, go to bed! ;-) Seriously, though, too many people really don't get enough sleep, and I wonder sometimes what sorts of accidents and costs come with that. This is easy, though, for me to say given that I've made a point of working on my sleep patterns. I wanted to start reading before bed. But I love watching Colbert. Well, I could have done both, staying up later. But I didn't--I gave up Colbert. Actually, interestingly, I've even given up more tv watching and am heading to bed a bit earlier than I though I would have.

Frankly, though, the hidden shots of the coaches, considering the Patriots were playing, was most chuckle-worthy in the irony-sort-of-way.

But so, another Super Bowl is over. All you ad folks—you’ve got the next year to create.

Oh, and Cowboys, get to practice! :-)

Save As

Sitting here at High Point on another Sunday morning, I'm reminded of my "oops" from last week.

I spent about three hours last Sunday morning working on my second publication--the response to a reply written to my first article. Anyway, as I've warned my students to do, I had emailed myself a copy of the piece that I'd spent five hours on during Saturday afternoon. (emailing to myself assures a version is saved other than just on my hard drive and allows me to work on the piece both from home and school.) And so, arriving at High Point a week ago, I accessed the emailed file and got to typing.

A few times Sunday evening, I thought about emailing it back to myself--so I could access it at work on Monday. I had about another two or three hours of work left on it, and it was due on Monday to the editors in California. But I decided instead I'd do it Monday morning.

Much to my horror, Monday morning, no file was to be found. What?! I searched and searched my hard drive, but I could find nothing more than the ghost of just a temporary file--unable to be accessed. What was I to do?

Well, I did the only thing I could: rewrote it. (My secretary said I was abnormally calm, but what would crying have done? I'd just have to type through blurry vision.) And so yes, most of Monday, aside from the times I had to teach, was spent on rewriting what I'd lost and writing what I needed to add. I asked the editor for one more night, asking to proof it one last time on Tuesday. Thankfully, she agreed.

I got the piece written, proofed it again on Tuesday, and all is fine. Of course, I find myself on Sunday, not totally prepped for next week--with the extra hours spent last week on this writing. And so here I am at High Point, contracts book here, about to type up my class notes. I emailed them to myself yesterday from school.

Deja vu, you fear? No, I think, with the help of Rob, our IT dude, what happened.

When you email a file to yourself and open it on another computer, be sure to FIRST save it to your computer. I think instead I just opened the darned thing, wrote and wrote, and never actually saved it to my computer. Sigh.

And so I've already saved my emailed class notes to this hard drive. I'll update them now, save them again, and email them back to me.

Lessons learned. Just be sure to always "save as." :-)

Super Sunday

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday. Last year I watched the game at home, and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I didn't eat a lot of junk, drink too many beers, and I could hear all of the commercials.

This year, I'm probably headed to a late afternoon movie, but I do have the game set to record; after all, I want to see those commercials. And I should be home before half-time, so I'll catch up on everything well before it gets too late.

As for the game itself, I didn't have a true favorite side (once the Cowboys lost). And with the cheating scandal of New England, I wasn't a fan. But I learned not too long ago that one of my student's cousins is the kicker for the Patriots, and he also is a Memphis alum. Okay, so I'll root for New England . . . or at least for their kicker.

But mostly, I'm in it for the commercials. :-)

The Excitement Builds

The excitement is in the air: Super Tuesday. Never before have I had the opportunity to really be involved in a primary race. Texas doesn't vote in primaries until March, and by then, the race is usually over.

But here, we vote in two days. Yesterday, I saw a group of folks at a busy intersection holding up “Obama '08" signs. I was across several lanes of traffic and driving the other way, otherwise I'd have given them the thumbs-up. (Memphis often has folks like this, out making their statements. Last fall, I turned a corner and came upon a group with signs against the war and for peace. I honked and waved, giving the thumbs-up. And I must say, doing that in a Beetle felt surreal.)

Clinton and Obama are running a close race, and as I've said, I'll be fine voting for either in November. Of course, I am voting for Obama in two days, and I'd rather vote for him in November. Besides, I think he has a better chance than Clinton of beating McCain. (either Clinton or Obama have a good chance at beating Romney (I'm counting Huckabee out, but we'll have to see what the Bible belt does for him next week.))

On the conservative side, Huckabee is killing Romney's hopes by taking away those who are really the "evangelical conservative right" (thinking of whom, almost makes me shudder, as I try to repeat my mantra: we should tolerate even the intolerant). This, of course, could essentially give the nomination to McCain. But here's the problem: apparently, McCain isn't Republican enough. Huh. Interesting.

But this is what I find most telling of all. I've heard McCain say over and over how he will unite the Republican party. I hear both Clinton and Obama talk about uniting the country. For America to progress both here at home and with the opinion of others far away (and let me tell you, as someone who's traveled some this past year, we are not thought of highly right now), well, let’s see. Unite the republican party, or unite America? I don't think this is a difficult choice.

Keep On Chillin'

According to Punxsutawney Phil this morning, we're in for six more weeks of winter.

Phil's official forecast as read 2/2/08 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:

Here Ye! Here Ye! Here Ye!

On Gobbler's Knob on this fabolous Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2008 Punxsutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators, Rose to the call of President Bill Cooper and greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths.

After casting a weathered eye toward thousands of his faithful followers, Phil consulted with President Cooper and directed him to the appropriate scroll, which proclaimed:

"As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me. Six more weeks of winter it will be!"


Happy Groundhog's Day!

Arrests at Last!

Breathe. Good news came yesterday.

For the last several weeks, I've been getting reports of nearby robberies. (I read a midtown blog regularly, and I receive a weekly emails from my neighborhood association; that email details local crime.) These robberies haven't been in my immediate vicinity, but close enough to cause personal alarm.

See, I live in a neighborhood called the Evergreen Historic District. On the northest area of this neighborhood sits Rhodes College. That's where these robberies have occurred--right around there.

The targeted victim has been someone who was out exercising or walking a dog in the dark--mostly around 8 or 9 pm. The suspects were described as a group of three or four young men, all wearing hoodies, using a sawed-off shotgun. They had robbed a woman walking her dog, but she didn't have anything. (I don't carry anything while walking Howard either.) But a few men have been robbed, and their wallets and cell phones were taken. (What's scary here is that one robber demanded the lock code for a cell phone; I don't know mine, and I'm sure I wouldn't know it with a sawed-off shot gun being pointed at me!)

Now, I don't walk Howard in the dark--one major reason I found a house with a fenced-in back yard. (And there's a lock on my gate going into the backyard.) But I do get home from the gym a couple of nights a week around 8. And so I have tried to get myself in the habit of really checking out the area before I get out of my car. (Several robberies around midtown have occurred as people pull up to their houses and are getting out of their cars.) I always have my front porch light on, and my neighbors to the north do too, which is especially nice because their bushes provide quite a hiding spot form my point of sight; but not so much as long as their light is on. And my front porch is wide open--not a good place to commit a crime.

Anyway, about six people were arrested yesterday in connection with this particular string of robberies, and what good news! No doubt, those kids over at Rhodes are quite happy too.

Memphis has awful crime stats---number 1 on the FBI's list of most violent crime per capita. But this can serve as a reminder to everyone to check out your surroundings. Know what's going on around you. Know what is normal, and know when something is happening that's out of the ordinary.