I've become convinced in the last five full weeks of classes that education professors sit around in a smoky back room somewhere and think up all sorts of stupid busy work for their students. I haven't done this many little crap projects in . . . well, frankly, I can't remember EVER doing this many little crap projects. I can't even resort to caffeine to give me a boost through since my new BP medication REALLY doesn't like caffeine. The headaches just aren't worth it.

While I'm ranting and raving, let me just say the US Postal Service can BITE ME! It took me three days last week to receive my new Junoon CD because my mail carrier just couldn't take the time to wait for me to go down to the front desk to sign for it, and she wouldn't let anyone else sign for it either. I'm convinced they saw that the package was from Pakistan, they thought it was an al-Qaida recruitment tape, and they wanted me on video for Homeland Security. Fascists.

On a couple of positive notes, the CD rocks (I love "Pappu Yaar"), and I'm heading out to the Great Plains Renaissance Festival tomorrow.

The literary world is abuzz with the news that Stephen King has been chosen as this year's National Book Award recipient. Lit snobs are offended, but I couldn't be happier. The premise of the award is to honor those authors who have made a contribution to the world of books, and I think it's pretty obvious Mr. King has done just that. Not only is he prolific and has probably induced many to read who otherwise might not have, he has endowed scholarships and libraries as well. He is even returning the $10,000 prize check to the National Book Foundation to use in its literary programs.

So what if he is considered a GENRE writer? I think the snobs are jealous of his popularity and his bank account.

This just in:

Researchers say in NYTimes Online Magazine that Buddhist meditation IS in fact good for your mental and physical health. Whew! I'm sure glad that's finally been decided. Isn't it funny how nothing seems to be accepted as credible until the words "researchers say/state" are placed before or after the declaration? As far as I'm concerned, millions of meditators can't be wrong, whether or not they're validated by researchers at the Universities of Wisconsin-Madison and San Francisco and at Harvard.

With all the current debate about global warming, it was interesting this morning to read this article in the NYTimes Online. Robins 250 miles from the Arctic Circle? Nope, no global warming here, folks.

In other news, Monty Python is hitting Broadway. I was forwarded this article this morning. As a big MP fan, I would love to see what they do with this. I'm not too sure about the name "Spamelot" since Spam never made it into "Holy Grail," but hey, they didn't ask me and Idle's show isn't likely to make to Wichita, KS, for me to tell him.