Happy 2nd birthday to my favorite little nephew, Eli!!!

Hope you had a great day with Nana and an exciting weekend coming up! See you in a week! Love you!

By the way, everyone should check out the great video Kevin and Jen made for Eli’s 2nd birthday. Watch the video here, in the post titled “2T.”

Legendary Pittsburgh sports broadcaster and creator of the Steeler’s famed “Terrible Towel” has died at the age of 79.

Read about it on The Post-Gazette Web site and the ESPN story.

It’s a sad day in Pittsburgh, to be sure.

Send in the clowns!

In an effort to stop those of you who are still weeping because of yesterday’s post, Jeets the crazy joker and producer of Tom Foolery is back. You can put your inhaler down.

According to Mensa, who just released their top 10 smartest TV shows of all time, I watch or watched four of the smartest 10 shows on TV. Yeah… pretty impressive, I know.

Their top 10 is as follows (in no apparent order; those in bold are the shows I watch[ed]. Judge me if you will.): Frasier, The West Wing, Boston Legal, Jeopardy!, Cosmos, House, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, All in the Family, Mad About You, and M*A*S*H.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I have a feeling Mensa just added “Mad About You” because they’re an elitist group and since no one ever watched “Mad About You,” they could name it as a smart one without people feeling good about themselves. Prove me wrong.

It’s an interesting collection, and I don’t think the Web site explains how the intellectual group determined what shows made the cut. If I had my guess, it had something to do with a dart board and a trained chimpanzee [somewhere, in the distance, Jane Goodall weeps].

What are my top 5 TV shows of all time, you ask me? Well, it’s hard to say. If I were to change the word “best” to “favorite,” then the list would be as follows: Arrested Development, Seinfeld, The Office, The Late Show with David Letterman and House. I realize only one of these is Mensa-approved, but the mind has to take a break every now and then.

Don’t forget your past, either! In March 2007, Jeety’s Joint listed their “Top ’80s TV Theme Songs.” That one created quite a stir… I had people asking me what exactly I was thinking leaving the “Joanie Loves Chachi” theme off (STOP CALLING ME). I thought “Charles in Charge” was enough Scott Baio for one post, but apparently I was mistaken.

Jeety’s Joint regrets the error.

“The reign of tears is over. The slums will soon be only a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storeshouses… Men will walk upright now, women will smile, and the children will laugh. Hell will be forever for rent.”

— Billy Sunday, noted evangelist and crusader against Prohibition, 1920.

As my “Moral Issues” book, from which this quotation was pulled, continues: “We now know how tragically his hopes were doomed.”

Alright, so I admit… this is not my most uplifting title. But really, I’m not arguing against “hope” in the general sense. I agree with Studs Terkel that “Hope dies last.” But there are significant differences in where one’s hope is grounded. And, forgive me for being a realist, but hope should always been grounded in something beyond the abstract.

The editor of my university’s newspaper endorsed Hillary Clinton the day after the Democratic debate held in Austin last Thursday (look down if you need a reference). That morning, she was a guest on CNN with Texas Monthly editor Evan Smith. She was given an opportunity to defend the paper’s choice–one that, most would agree, went against the grain of “student opinion.”

In the editorial, she writes, “Upon finding out the debate would not be open to students, Obama’s campaign told us there was nothing they could do to get more students into the debate, whereas the Clinton camp was sympathetic in offering assistance. This makes us wonder how far Obama would go for us as a president.”

It continues, “[W]e need more than hope and rhetoric to be assured that the critical transition to come with the next presidency will be handled safely…. But for now, we can’t risk trusting the judgment of our hearts.”

In Monday’s paper (read my story on the front page), nearly all of the “Firing Line,” which is the letters to the editor section, was outrage at the Texan’s decision. Titles ranged from “Unhappy with Endorsement II” to “Texan not representing students III,” but they all basically said the same thing—why aren’t you drinking the Kool-Aide?

While arguments can be made for every candidate, the Texan editorial staff is trying to tone down the rhetoric and tune into the issues. Obviously I have no affinity for Sen. Clinton. I’m not voting for her or supporting her campaign in any way. But I do respect the fact that she talks and is passionate about the issues in which she believes. Obama’s talking points, as evident by Thursday night’s debate are: hope, change, and everything Hillary believes in, too.

Today’s Texan editorial, “A lesson in responsibility,” highlights several issues about “Obamamania” that it seems everyone else is ignoring.

“Remember,” the editorial board writes in its opening paragraph. “It’s easy to be hopeful when you’ve never lost hope.” It continues by pointing out that most current college students have never voted in an election, and those who have felt like Bush-Kerry went mostly by the predictable script.

“But for the most part this campaign season, the candidates with the most youth support in their respective parties are steadily ahead in the race, leaving this generation blessedly unaware of the crippling hangovers following previous ‘revolutionary’ disappointments such [as] the Kennedys, George McGovern and Jimmy Carter…. It would take an impressive president indeed to live up to a quarter of the expectations the senator from Illinois has drummed up these last few months, and history points to a letdown.”

[Feel free to take an intermission at this point. This post has been a long time coming, and I don't plan on cutting it down or splitting it up, so... if you're with me, great. If not, see you in 20 minutes to never.]

And now, some words from His Holy Hopeness:

It’s change that won’t just come from more anger at Washington or turning up the heat on Republicans. There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you. And although the Republican operatives in Washington might not be interested in hearing what we have to say, I think Republican and independent voters outside of Washington are. That’s the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have in this election.

Okay, so let’s legitimiately try to figure out what his purpose is here. First of all, there’s no issue content. I’m not saying he never talks about the issues, but I was unable to find a stump speech online that had anything substantive in that area. It was a quick Google search, but should it be that hard? Next, we see that he’s focusing on partisanship and Washington. Essentially, he’s saying getting angry at Republicans won’t get anything done. Okay, fine. Not sure how anyone is supposed to argue with that.

“We need more light.” At this point, I’m screaming “KILL YOURSELF” in my head. We need more light? What the hell does that mean? Are we electing a president or a faith healer? I’ll go fetch the crystals.

His next point is to say that “in his life” he’s found that you can stand firm on your principles and still reach out to those who disagree with you. And this is where the deception truly begins. Obama’s speeches, and this one is no different, often focus on working with Republicans and Independents. Could someone please produce any evidence that he’s ever done this in his extremely brief career in the Senate? And why is no one calling him out on this issue?

David Brooks, who often writes columns for the New York Times, points out that “If he values independent thinking, why is his the most predictable liberal vote in the Senate?” And it’s not like he hasn’t had the opportunity to work with Republicans in his brief career. Brooks adds, “The Gang of 14 created bipartisan unity on judges, but Obama sat it out. Kennedy and McCain created a bipartisan deal on immigration. Obama opted out of the parts that displeased the unions. Sixty-eight senators supported a bipartisan deal on FISA. Obama voted no.”

It’s remarkable that Obama can say one thing to the public while doing another and hardly anyone takes issue with it.

And on experience, is this really the best the Democrats have to offer this year? The Republicans are putting up John McCain: a US soldier and POW for the first part of his life and a US senator for the last 20-some years. The Democrats have put up a former first lady and US senator for seven years and someone who was in the Illinois state senate in 2004.

We’re the most powerful nation in the world. We can do better.

So, look… There’s no way to get around the elephant in the room. I had an eight-day blog black out. I’m not happy about it. You’re not happy about it. But we’re going to have to live with each other, so let’s try to move along…

Austin has been the epicenter of the world this last week. At least, politically. On Thursday night, UT and the LBJ School of Public Affairs hosted a debate between Democratic candidates Hillary Rod-HAM Clinton and His Holy Hopeness. University students, which comprise roughly 50,000 of Austin’s population, were given 100 tickets to the debate. I submitted my name in the drawing, and believe me, you would have heard about it before now if I had made the “select group.”

As I went to work Thursday morning, my driver (… okay, my bus driver) went along the road outside the UT RecCenter where the debate was held (classy choice, UT. What, was the shed behind the Geosciences building in use?). As we drove by, I counted between 15 and 20 news trucks from all over the state—Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Cut and Shoot (it’s real). I also saw Wolf Blitzer chasing a cat up a tree and Anderson Cooper looking frantic with his leash.

On Friday night, He Who Shall Bring Change spoke at the Capitol. EMTs were standing by with smelling salts and gurnies for those who inhaled too much hope and/or change.

Saturday afternoon, Ron Paul (yes, he’s still around and as mousey as ever) gave a speech to nearly 4,000 spectators. I gladly can call myself one of these spectators. “There are lots of Republicans here [applause], and even some people who call themselves Democrats [uncomfortable appluase], and I’d like to thank all the anarchists for coming out, too [a sonic boom of applause audible by NASA sattelites].”

Ronny didn’t say a whole lot that I hadn’t heard before from him. He’s still sticking to his “let’s get rid of the government and pretend like the rest of the world doesn’t exist” message. And believe me, those people ate it up. Ronny’s been running some commercials in Texas in hopes that a good showing will remind the rest of the country that he exists. He starts out his commerical with “Ron Paul has delivered over 4,000 babies…” Now, stay with me. How many people were at the rally? And how many babies has he delivered? I’m not drawing any conclusions, but I’m drafting a letter right now begging McCain to get in the maternity ward.

And we’re not done yet. On Wednesday, former President Bill Clinton will be speaking right where Ron Paul was this weekend on the South Mall. I am, however, expecting a few more people to be there. There are few things that could stop me from being there Wednesday (and I swear, if Stevie Nicks calls me for dinner, I’ll go, but I’ll be a little miffed that she chose that night).

I know what you’re thinking. “But Jeets, why would you attend such a gross display of liberal cheerleading?” Well, friend, let me tell you. First of all, he’s a former United States President. That’s sort of a big deal. Austin is turning into quite the historical petri dish this election cycle, which nearly no one expected. Secondly, I’m dying to hear what gaffe he decides to use for this speech. I want to be able to say “I was there when he called Obama ‘That douche.’” It’s a high hope, but hey… if I’ve learned one thing these last few months, it’s that the most abstract platform issue EVER can take a man who was in the Illinois state senate 3 years ago to a major party nomination. But… I digress… which should be the name of this blog.

I am so, so sorry that I’ve been absent all week. The fam came down for a visit last weekend and I had two tests and a project due this week. I’m nearly done with everything, but I’m still feeling frantic. Probably post-traumatic stress disorder. Or maybe it’s blog withdrawl. I’ve got the shakes and I’ve been snapping at people that the New York Times is part of a vast liberal conspiracy plot…

Anyway, last week Cory Malagise, a senior at Beaver Area H.S., e-mailed me about a his senior project. As some of you know, there was an effort to sell T-shirts in Wito’s honor that would raise funds for the scholarship. This was shot down by the brilliant administration for reasons I can only describe as unconscionable. Somehow trying to raise money for a beloved teacher is “taboo” in Beaver.

Anyway, Cory has essentially found a loophole and is selling T-shirts now. They don’t say “Wito” anywhere on them (the loophole, apparently), but all the money he raises—which is up to $600 already—is going straight to the scholarship. It’s a great shirt, and a great cause.

For anybody who reads this, even if you didn’t know Wito, I really encourage you to buy one of these shirts. I mean seriously, when’s the next time you’ll be able to get your hands on a piece of Beaver history like this? It’s a once in a lifetime offer.

Here’s the Web site with all the ordering information on it: http://www.beaverhightees.tk/. You can even order online via PayPal. The shirts are $10.

Everyone remembers the finger-shake seen round the world: it was March 2005 when Rafael Palmeiro denied using steroids to enhance his MLB career. Come to think of it, that was quite similar to the infamous Clinton denial and finger-shake combo, as well. Public figures, even our heroes, love lying to us. It’s an American tradition.

In that vein, those of you longing for the days when gems like “I’m not here to talk about the past. I’m here to be positive about this subject.” (Mark McGwire, March 2005) — they’re back!!

Today Roger Clemens took the stand to answer allegations about the use of human growth hormone (HGH) and other illegal, performance-enhancing drugs before Congress. And indeed, he made the University of Texas proud with clever word inventions like “misremembered,” which is what Andy Pettitte supposedly “done did” regarding Clemens’ HGH use.

In some bizarre twist of irony, Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) seemed to remember the McGwire/Palmeiro hearings with their lack of information as “the good ol’ days.” After the hearing, he said, “It’s better not to talk about the past than to lie about the past.”

I… guess that’s true. I feel like there’s another option we’re missing, though?

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In other news, remember when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl? Those were good times. But don’t fret, friends! You don’t have to wait another full year to see the New England organization flop around like a dying fish. In fact, that might be coming a whole lot sooner.

I guess I should also ask if you remember when the Patriots cheated in every season since 2000 when the great satan himself Bill Belichick took over as head coach? Do you see where I’m going with this?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met today with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) to discuss “Spygate,” the delightful moniker given to the one instance where the dirty little cheaters got caught. The NFL had conducted its own search of Patriots’ files shortly thereafter, which garnered notes and videos of, you guessed it, cheating (and a little gay sex).

So after completing the investigation, Goodell did what anyone of us would have done: he destroyed any and all evidence that the notes ever existed. In a related note, Calvin Klein is releasing a new fragrance called “Enron,” which leaves you smelling of scorched white paper with a hint of ink.

Thanks to the AP (and ESPN, who stole the article and named it their own), we have one of the best grafs (oh, that’s journalism talk for paragraph, because they can’t be bothered) I’ve seen… maybe ever. It reads:

In defending the destruction of the notes, Goodell said “there was no purpose to them at all.” Specter said Goodell’s response “didn’t make any sense at all” and also questioned whether there might have been illegal acts by the Patriots before the 2005 Super Bowl, when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

First of all, anyone who says Specter doesn’t do anything for his constituents is wrong. Bringing up Super Bowl XXXIX (thank goodness for L!)—are you kidding me? If he’s able to change the books somehow and make the Eagles the winner of that game, there’s no point in electing a president. Arlen Specter will somehow rise to become King of America. And by the way, what about the countless AFC playoff games the Steelers had against those punks? Maybe the Steelers should have been the real AFC contenders in that Superbowl, and then it will go to Vegas to decide who would have won the game?! I’m getting a head of myself.

Secondly, I’m loving the “That doesn’t make any sense at all” comment by Specter. Mainly because he’s right, and Goodell’s response is completely ridiculous.

When asked why only six tapes remained, Goodell replied “That’s what they had … my guess is that they taped over some of those from time to time. That’s what video departments do.”

He added, “It’s what I do when I make my… tapes.*” (*Joke. Intended for humorous purposes only.)

In a Jeety’s Joint first, I’ve invited my friend Kristin Cipriani, who attends the University of Maryland, to write a guest entry on my blog. Yesterday, she attended a Barack Obama rally–a youth-driven, cultural phenomenon. She encountered massive crowds, cold temperatures and a thought-provoking message. But most of all, she heard a man speak who could change America forever.

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Aside from the fact that Huckabee spoke in the student union (500-person capacity), and Chelsea Clinton spoke in the food court (holds about 50 people), and Obama was scheduled to speak in Cole Field House, capacity 15,000, the changing of the Obama venue and persistent university e-mails were more than enough to indicate that students at the University of Maryland were prepared to “Barack for change.”

Apparently the capacity of Cole, the former home of the Terp’s basketball team, was unable to handle the large crowd of Obama supporters expected by campaign organizers, so the venue was changed to the Comcast Center—capacity 17,500. The venue change didn’t alarm me. I figured the university was looking to use a newer facility, one that would better show the beauty of our sports facilities and possibly lead to some recruits, and I also assumed that the Comcast Center, which only completely fills for basketball games against Duke, was going to be a little bare. But, as Obama’s 12:30 p.m. rally drew near Tuesday, things began to look bleak. E-mails changed from optimistic tales of the upcoming visitor to practically telling students that if they planned to drive on or off campus Tuesday, to abandon all hope. The bus schedule was increased. Many classes were cancelled, and something other than the flu (it is spreading like crazy here) was sending the campus into a frenzied state.

I had planned on going to hear Obama speak even before his visit altered the normal functioning of the school. Unfortunately, I had a class from 12:00-12:50 which was not cancelled and was one that I could not miss. I planned to leave after class, run over to Comcast, arrive a few minutes late, and sit back and figure out what Obama was all about. It was on my way to this 12:00 class that I realized Obama, as difficult as it is to imagine, is bigger than Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana (whichever you prefer). Thanks to Google and my great artsy skills, I have included an illustration of the crowd line, waiting to enter the Comcast Center. Also, thanks to the United States Track and Field Running Route Application, the line stretched for approximately 1.3 miles. [Editor’s Note: INSANITY!]

To better help your understanding of what those in line endured, here are some helpful facts: It was SERIOUSLY windy yesterday. People first arrived at 5:30 a.m. Unfortunately, they froze to death waiting, so they never got to enter. For the rest of the “line folk,” the temperature at 5:30 was 16 degrees and by 12:30, it had warmed all the way up to 24 degrees, but with wind chill (did I mention it was windy?) felt like 2 degrees to 13 degrees respectively. Now, while these temperatures are not sub zero, after standing in line for more than five minutes, you are going to be cold.

Other tales emerged from and because of the line. Students, ill with the flu (did I mention everyone has it?) stood in line for hours. Teachers attempted to drive to campus, could not find a parking space and turned around and went home. My story is not nearly as horrible. My class got out early, so at 12:30 I entered the line, and 10 minutes later, I was inside. Unfortunately, at about 12:55 the doors were closed and a very sad group of students, were told, “Barack it up home.” Tim [Yee, Kristin’s significant other,] was one of the few who did not get to enter. Although he was disappointed, he heard Obama’s voice as he walked away and was filled with enough hope to keep him warm for the walk home.

When I entered Comcast, Obama was not yet on stage, but the place was filled. Even the top rows of seats behind where Obama was speaking were filled with students. Once he emerged, Comcast exploded. The energy and excitement for this one man was incredible. I have heard Obama speak on television and, like many, have taken note of his public speaking skills, but television could not compare to his performance in Comcast. He was absolutely inspiring. I have been a critic of Obama, wondering how he will do all he says that he will and wondering if his experience is enough, but yesterday while he spoke, my doubts faded. Obama has an electrifying personality. His speech rallied nearly all who were there, except Donnie Downer who sat to my right. Obama spoke on issues of tuition, health care, the economy, and of course hope, and while I had been skeptical, when hearing him speak I couldn’t help but look to hold onto his message. While I’ve already heard much of what Obama said, he delivers it with such an energy and passion that I wanted to hear it again. Early in his speech he said that many have asked him why is he running now when opponents can question his experience. He then quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke about the urgency of “now,”—that now is the time for change. Obama addressed the critique that he lacks experience and has too much hope. He countered by asking “why should I boil and stew in Washington until all the hope is sucked out of me?” He joked with the girl’s basketball team about still having game, and said he is ready to face McCain. He spoke of an America without Bush, and spoke of the value of education. He challenged the status quo of underpaid teachers, and laid out a plan for his term that, as he presented it, seemed flawless. He ended the speech by saying he’s often told he has too much hope. He then pointed out the importance of hope during times of change in America’s history. By the time he finished this, I had chills.

A day later, I am still in awe. It is amazing to me that one man can inspire so many. It’s incredible to think that around 18,000 people assembled on a Monday afternoon at UMD, when just two hours later, he was giving another speech 20 miles away. Now that the sound of his voice is gone, and the energy of Comcast is no longer surrounding me, my questions about Obama have returned, and I still do not know who I am going to vote for. Regardless, as a figure for change, Obama has done his part. I saw that—in just one afternoon, on one campus in America. The challenges for Obama still lay ahead, but without a doubt, Barack Obama is unlike any politician I have ever seen. Even if one doesn’t agree with his policies or plans for the country, just notice what a difference he is making. Obama is an astounding individual and one who I feel privileged to have heard speak.

Kristin Cipriani is a Kinesiological Studies junior at the University of Maryland, College Park. Portions edited by Sir Jeetness.

Welp, I wrote another story on the front page of the Texan today. Since the creative juices aren’t really flowing tonight, I’ve copied and pasted it below. You can also find the story here.

It was essentially a hippie-fest. There were dreadlocks, Earth skirts, and tree huggers as far as the eye could see. I decided to take issue with their most ridiculous claim: that increased reliance nuclear energy would result in Hellfire falling from the sky. Hopefully that came through. Anyway, sorry if this is boring… otherwise, enjoy.

Youth conference addresses global warming issues
Summit encourages young Texans to take action, lead others

By Jeffrey Bechdel

More than 200 Texans came to the UT campus over the weekend to participate in the Re-Energize Texas Summit, the largest statewide youth conference concerning global warming.

The summit, which consisted of lectures and workshops, sought to “empower, engage and inspire young people in Texas to take action to address global warming” and to position the global warming debate as an opportunity to fortify the Texas economy, according to the summit’s Web site.

Speakers included professors, leaders from religious and business sectors and Austin Mayor Will Wynn.

Journalism sophomore Catherine Clemons helped organize the summit and said Austin was the best choice of locations.

“UT is a very forward-thinking university,” Clemons said. “We knew we would have support here.”

The summit’s workshops and training sessions focused on practical solutions to fight global warming. Topics involved recruiting, organizing for elections and informing companies of the advantages of addressing climate change.

“No more excuses. It’s time to act,” said summit organizer Trevor Lovell. “No amount of pessimism is going to stop us.”

Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm, the world’s largest organic yogurt company, spoke about how to make money and save the world. He encouraged those in attendance to take action on behalf of the environment.

“We need to reverse 1,000 years of pollution, quickly,” Hirshberg said. “You are in charge. You determine what Congress will do. If you tell them, they’ll listen.”

Other workshops addressed fighting against the use of coal power and nuclear energy.

But Dave Knox, a spokesman for NRG Energy - which owns part of a nuclear plant in Bay City, Texas - said he disagrees with the group’s tough stance against nuclear energy.

“It’s an obvious answer to climate change,” Knox said. “We truly believe that if you are serious about global warming, nuclear power has to be one of the tools to lower emissions - not the only tool, but one of them.”

Nuclear power plants, which do not emit many of the pollutants associated with burning fossil fuels, are capable of producing the large volume of energy necessary to meet Texas’ needs, he said.

“Wind and solar energy are great, and they are on their way,” he said. “But they only work when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. We need energy right now, and nuclear energy is the cleanest option.”

Praween Dayananda, National Wildlife Federation campus field coordinator and summit co-organizer, said nuclear energy is not necessary.

“We don’t need to consider nuclear power yet,” Dayananda said. “If we’re more energy efficient, we won’t need to take those measures.”

Dayananda said that while there is no greenhouse gas associated with nuclear energy, there is nowhere to deposit the waste, which remains for thousands of years.

“We need to start asking ourselves,” Dayanada said. “‘Do we want a world that is just carbon-free or a world that is healthy?’”

There’s a lot going on right now, and your boy Jeets, as usual, is here to sort everything out for you. Let’s get started.

First off, the Wito fundraising is actually going really well. Our goal is to raise $5,000 and by our estimates, we’re about halfway there. That is great news! I can’t thank those of you who contributed enough. And for those who haven’t but still want to, there’s still time! Click on the link at the top of this page for the Stephen Witowich Memorial Scholarship details. I really encourage you to do this sooner rather than later, though. We’re trying to get this thing going before the end of the school year so we can start the annual scholarship this year–the first in nearly 10 years without Wito in the BHS halls.

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Mitt Romney wimped out! Couldn’t take the heat! And in typical Romney fashion, he even wimped out leaving the race. He’s “suspending the campaign.” Whatever that is. Just wave the white flag. I guess he’s hoping McCain gets struck by lightning before the nomination and the delegates he won will count for him in that instance. Morbid, but probably not far from reality.

If you want to see something really funny and surprising, click here. It’s a video of John McCain endorsing Mitt Romney for governor of Massachusetts. Oh, how the times have changed!

We had some good times, though Mittster! Gunna miss ya. As you hit the exit, I’ll leave you with this gem I heard from a friend of a friend last week: “Romney only won the Michigan primary because the state is a giant mitt.” That’s the kind of analysis that should be all over CNN.

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I’ve added two members to my blogroll since our last “open house,” and I thought I’d take a brief minute to give them a shout out, just like the others.

Abby Terrell — Abby and I met on one of the first days of class Freshman year. We were both in the “Community and Culture” FIG (Freshman Interest Group)… Texas offers the opportunity to take 3 classes with the same set of people in your first semester on campus. I did this, but mainly because they reserve spots in certain classes for these FIGlets (as we were called) and I couldn’t get into those classes otherwise. Anyway, she’s in Thailand this semester. Her blog is so good! You really get the “American perspective” of a fascinating culture (beautiful pools, too, as seen left). People give the king a standing ovation before every movie at the theater!

Buddy Burkhalter — Buddy is my roommate-roommate. Actually, I say that, but right now we’ve been ousted from our room for the second time in a week because of flies. But for about 95% of the year, we’re roommates. Anyway, Buddy’s blog is a nice mix of pictures and writing. He’s a senior and has a lot going on right now, including interviewing for “Teach for America.” Make sure you check out the really creepy picture of me on his blog (there’s an outtake of me with the hat AND the newspaper, where I really get that “newsie” feel…)