Go Read This

David Brooks, centrist/conservative columnist for the NY Times, offering a brilliantly succinct summary of why the Republican Party in its current form is dead in the water:

Second GOP

This dude is awesome.  He's the kind of rational, insightful, and undogmatic conservative that has just about disappeared from American political discourse.

Blog Post

Yes, right, blog.

First, I am over the inverse relationship between 'things that are good for your kid's brain' and 'things that are easy and relaxing to do.' DVD of kids' show: bad for. Massive arty project featuring messes: good for. Over it.

Also: it's fun to have homeowner crap in the basement. E.g., a rad drill.

Furthermore, I have 120 students this term! Papers and midterms are comin' in! You'll find me in my cubical, sobbing quietly.

Life is great. I'm just very, very tired.

Needle on the Groove

We:

• Got Burgerville for lunch.
• Got Trader Joe's chow mein and orange chicken for dinner.
• Have some fancy bourbon.
• Got the new Batman on Netflix.

This is a party at Chez KFR for the three principle players.

And the annual coast trip is coming up in a week! P.S. Needless to say, principle player 3 is only involved in items one and two. :-)

Long Term

I have always categorically rejected the notion that "it'll all work out in the end," basically because that idea has, historically, been highly inaccurate for most people.  That said, I'm coming to wonder if it's just a kind of mental conceit, a psychological trick like a mnemonic device, to keep from freaking out all the time.  Lately I've been running into some impasses with my (in-)ability to guard every word that comes out of my mouth, to stay on top of the pile of tasks I have for work, and to be a good, solid, responsible, fun husband and father.  There is a big tangle of Does Not Compute when these things all pile up.  Furthermore, given the circumstances of being a starting-out full-time college teacher with a vast stack of writing and revision ahead of me AND owning a new-to-us old house that will need modifications for years to come, it becomes imperative to adopt a long-term view.  That kind of view does not come naturally to me (it doesn't seem to come naturally to very many people, so I take comfort that I am in good neurotic company.) 

Life is some tricky shit.