Ends and Beginnings

So the semester is about to end. I am reasonably happy with it. I think the students don't hate me as much as in previous semesters (although I should probably read the evaluations before I decide that). I have things reasonably under control vis the work load, I haven't begun to grade yet for finals, but I think it will be not too bad.

Sophie has a new Cousin, Sadie Scholz, my brother's daughter was born last night at 10pm PST! We look forward to annual exchanges and inevitable baby races.

Sophie has started eating 'solid' food. That is, if you consider wet gruel to be a 'solid food.' And if you consider smearing food on her face and hands and trying to eat her bib 'eating solid food.'

I am gearing up to start another D&D campaign. I am going to use Arcana Unearthed. I worry that I might be one of the DMs wh othinks he needs to reinvent the wheel each time i run a game. Maybe I am. I know I could easily just run a regular 3.5 or 3.0 game, but I really like the AU rules, so what the heck. I have a good feeling about it though. I think I can gather some decent gamers to fill these seats now, so I hope that i can get a steady cohesive group.

Maybe some political stuff later this week.

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My latest honor

I got an official looking e-mail from students services saying that they are looking for faculty to man the dunnking booth at the upcoming student appreciation day. I was surprised when it said that students had asked for us. Then I saw that the mail did not go out to the whole faculty (we always get those things) but to six of us. I guess the students really love me. Why else would they nominate me to participate in their games?

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Baby Updates

First, a shout out to Karen and Roy and their brand new baby Ian Michael. Quite a big one you go there. I am glad everything went reasonably smoothly.
Karen's blog

Sophie is in a new stage, the I just discovered that if I a scream, youcome a running. She is testing her vocal chords and giving it her all. I think think this one has the makings of an opera star. Actually she is not too bad, but she gets into a funk and just screams about every little thing. So it seems like she has regressed a little. Whereas before when faced with a challenge, like rolling over, she would try and try and try until she got so tired she would collapse on the mat. Now she tries once or twice and starts howling. She knows one of us will either roll her over, or soothe her in some other way. And she is right. There is only so long I can resist.

In other respects she is growing and learning as well. I am particularly enjoying her giggle-fits. She will start off, sometimes at the prompting of one our "sneak attacks" (where one of us will give her a raspberry on her belly or thigh), and sometimes just on her own (often looking at her daddy's silly faces). The giggles turn into squeels of delight. I tell, I could listen to those forever. I either laugh out aloud myself, or burst into tears. The laughter of a baby is truly one of the most spectatular things on the planet.

We've passed on, or archived for future child the first big load of clothes. It is so wierd, she is not even 6 monthes old, yet we have a large box full of clothes packed away in the attic. We've given away twice that much. Part of this was the veritable buying frenzy that struck my family when she was born. We now have enough pink laundry to do a whole load or pinks every week, and Pink is not even the majority of her clothes. But that is one milestone. We look forward to warmer weather and shorts, t-shirts and lighter fare. It will also make playing outside a more viable option.

By the way, any prospective parents out there that have not discovered this one yet. A light blanket can provide hours of entertainment to a baby by draping it over their heads, and letting them pull if off, so long as you say "peekaboo!" or "where's Sophie?" foloowed by "there she is!" It makes me wish we didn't have those expensive jumpers, exersaucers, play mats etc..

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Real Intelligence Failures

If our intelligence agencies were to live up to their name they should have realized the limitations at the top. I find it hard to believe that people who can conduct secret wars in Cambodia and Bolivia, people who can do all sorts of nefarious deeds feel any compunction about lying to the President, especially when they were dealing with Shrub. Why didn't they simple attach the label IRAQI on to all terrorist warnings. Take "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the US." How is that supposed to grab the attention of the appointed regent of the US. But add that simple word: "Iraqi, Bin Laden determined to attack inside the US" All of the sudden we would be launching fighters and stepping up security. Tenet or Rice could have told the Resident that that sneaky Saddam is cleverly using Afganistan and Saudi Arabia to launch attacks against the US through his agent Bin Laden.

911 would not have happened, this war probably still would have, but you never know. Maybe he could have been convinced that Iraq's main threat existed outside of Iraq in say the House of Saud.

I am not saying that no one in the Administration would have figured this out. Heck most of America probably would have seen through this ploy. But as long as we all pretend that the Emperer has cloths, he can walk around neake all he likes.

Just an Idea

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