Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Retraction


While at least one reader has demanded a retraction for my last post , another has brought to my attention the fact that the content of another recent post has been exposed as a hoax.

Reader Kathy emailed me the following:

I'm sorry to tell you that the 'lost' tribe are not new readers for Yajeev. They've been found since 1910 and if they haven't found the Land of Yajeev by now, well, it's time for a new advertising strategy!

I've been bambooozled and have, in my zeal, propagated the bamboozledness to the Land of Yajeev readership, and for that, I am very sorry. To read about the hoax that shook cyberspace, click here.

I also extend my sincerest regrets to the heretofore presumed-to-be-uncontacted tribesmen and tribeswomen. If you reply to this post with a valid Amazonian jungle address, I'll send down a coupla Land of Yajeev t-shirts. You're going to like the way you look in them. I guarantee it.


... on a separate note, the course I am teaching is drawing to a close, my wife and dog have officially moved to Connecticut, and I am soon to follow... as are several posts which are already written in my head (as my dad would say) ... I'm forecasting a surge in postages. No promises. Just predictions.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Stock Boy

Tonight, I overheard the nice teenage boy who rented me skates at the ice rink tell his co-worker of about the same age, "No, seriously, I want to be a famous stock broker when I grow up."

Poor kid's setting himself up for a life of disappointment. He should set his sights on something a little more realistic. Like becoming President of the United States. Or hitting the Powerball. Or curing cancer. Or brokering world peace. Or simultaneously determining a particle's position and velocity.

But a famous stock broker? I mean, has there ever been such a thing?

I considered giving the young man a healthy dose of reality but thought better of it. A boy should to be free to dream.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Big Russ



Your very Russertness will continue to inspire.

You've gone to meet that giant press in the sky. May you rest in peace.



Tim Russert, 1950 - 2008









(feel free to leave your favorite or most meaningful Russert memories in the comment section)


UPDATE: I recommend this tribute by Velvet Sacks.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Morsels

My apologies for the blog-drought of late. I don't expect this to satisfy my readers starving for yajeev wit and wisdom, but I leave you with an inspirational quote and a link.


The mental benefits of exercise are all in your head.

-Father of Yajeev (a la Yogi)


Click here to read a post about the one of the blogosphere's most opinionated and dictatorial contributors who seems to have gone dark of late. I've been meaning to share this link for some time. I'm told an update may be in the offing.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Teacher's (so late it was) Early Retirement


Last night, I did something that I never had to do in high school, college, or graduate school. I've only ever done it while wreaking havoc at childhood birthday parties, playing video games with my wife, or waiting in line for free chicken. I've done it in the past because I wanted to--never because there was work that actually had to be done.

I pulled an all-nighter.

Even though I don't teach until tomorrow, I stayed up to finish preparing my lectures for the week, grading and recording scores of exams and lab reports, and writing quizzes (I had been working on these since Friday morning). By the time I went to bed, the birds had begun chirping and the sky had already turned from pitch black to a terrifying shade of royal blue. It was 5:00 am, exactly 24 hours from the moment I would wake up to get ready for school on Tuesday morning-- a depressing realization. I considered staying awake for as long as I could, extending Sunday until I was no longer able to keep my eyes open-- and then going to sleep until Tuesday-- just forgetting about Monday altogether.

I did slept for a few hours, got up, initiated the caffeine drip that has lasted until about thirty minutes ago, walked the dog, did some laundry and dishes, and worked again until now (9:22 pm).

Actually teaching this class is a lot of fun. Preparing for the class is like running a marathon every weekend.

When I began writing this post, I am sure there was some sort of punchline I had in mind... but, between then and now, I have become bleary eyed and forgetful. Goodnight.