THE GREATER GOOD

When Cassius Clay/Ali fought Joe Frazier (well I guess he was by then called Muhammed Ali), it was an event.  From the Thriller in Manila to other bouts, it was always great theatre.

Today marks a first for me.  Our son's alma mater plays our daughter's alma mater in a big football game.  My dilemma: whom to root for.

Scott did his graduate work at Washington University; Courtney got her Master's from the University of San Diego.  So there's no tie-breaker there.

I lived in Illinois for most of my life, but I was a Saluki though I was a U of I fan.  Ten years ago we moved to the home of Arizona State.  I rooted for them even before our daughter attended.  You're starting to see the pattern.

My wife tells me I should adapt the old Illinois cheer--I-L-L///I-N-I-- to I-L-L///ASU.  Maybe that makes sense. I haven't consulted our son, but Courtney tells me since I lived first in Illinois and Scott went to  college there before she attended ASU, that I should support Illinois in the first half.  And since I now live in Arizona and she went to ASU later, that I should root for Arizona State in the second half.

If I agree to that, then I'd have to favor Illinois in any and all overtimes, just to be fair.

Don't know what I'll do yet.  Probably just root for whatever offense is on the field.  I just hope I still get the Big 10 Network.

THE LOOK OF FEAR

This picture was taken in 1969 for Time magazine.  That was when Time actually printed the news.  Nowadays there are few that do.  It's not even subtle anymore.  It's all presented with a slant.  I think we used to call that yellow journalism.  Canary yellow.

It's one of the many things I fear for the next gen.  Discernment.  Or lack thereof.

I think all of my high school teachers displayed a genuine fairness in how they viewed or at least shared current events and history.  At least they weren't blatant in their political beliefs or persuasions.  Bents, maybe.

But when I got to university (ok, the university) it all changed.  Maybe it was Viet Nam.  But suddenly, overt liberalism was expressed openly.  For those who disagreed openly, grades were lowered. 

One example, that's not totally political, came from a Conservation class I had.  The instructor preached about his subject.  "Because of tertiary treatment plants, every glass of water you drink has already been through three people."  "Don't wash, don't ever wash your car at a car wash, because that soap goes into our water supply.  In fact, don't waste our natural resource by ever washing your car.  Who cares if it's dirty?"  Finally, a test question:  "what is the single most important class offered at SIU?"  Any answer other than Conservation 312 was checked wrong.

That's just on the cusp of what my missive is about today.  Many more direct examples I could have given (remember, SIU closed its ROTC and would not allow the military to recruit on campus during my years there). But if a student were foolish enough to mention the domino theory or support of the Johnson or Nixon admin, then he was going to pay the price gradewise.

Are things better today?  That's my fear--they're not.  I haven't even brought evangelical Christians into account.  But I can imagine any student in science expressing doubt about the origin of the species, the great Darwinian Theory, and  being ostracized by prof and fellow students alike.

Harvard was founded in 1636 for the purpose of educating men for the ministry.  Other Ivy League schools followed.  God was at the center in His rightful place. Somehow, oh I know how, the eggheads wanted to be their own god and when that notion collided with God's perfect plan for their lives, individualism won out.  Now most colleges and universities are havens for the liberal, intolerant minds to spew vitriol and only their perspectives.  A little harsh, TQ?  I wish.  I'm afraid (see picture again) it's just observation.

So what's the answer?  I kinda have one, which is highly unusual as faithful reader(s) know.  Do what I did.  Answer Conservation 312. Don't verbalize your beliefs.  Jump through the hoops. Play the game. Don't be swayed by their beliefs. And don't get caught at a car wash. 

KICKPLATE

Having an eighth grade granddaughter makes me reflect.  Not so much on the last year of junior high as we called it before it was called middle school, but on what lies ahead for Amelia F. Quinn.

I hope she puts more into it than I.  One example.  As a junior I was in a few plays and I worked on a few more as a quasi-stage crew member.  I was responsible for building a window for the set of The Diary of Anne Frank.  Not large, it contained four panes and I suppose it passed the muster test.  I proudly pointed to it to those who would listen and proclaimed my construction success.

But I probably could have done a lot more in my acting and/ or set building career.  I just didn't put out the effort.  Anymore than I did in school.  I was there for socialization.  But I was even haphazard in that.

It was more that I was there for the moment.  I could never get my rhythm or balance.  Whether shooting pool or shooting the breeze, I just didn't as the New Christie Minstrels sang, "give a hank".

Which inspired this poem about looking back.

I built a door
To cover my heart
Not too sturdy, not too transparent.

I put in place a beautiful brass colored shiny kickplate.
But when I finished, I left the portal ajar.

I recognized the scuffed bootprint you left,
But I don't know if you were coming or leaving.

It's  ok if you don't like it.  I'm not sure I do, or if I was able to communicate the nebulous cloud I walked in during those years.

May they bring a clearer picture to Amelia.

THE COFFEE MONSTER

It is not I.  Why I don't know.  I used to think it might be because I drank so many sodas during the day and evening that I got my allotted caffeine, but there are days that go by without my taking in any soft drinks at all.

What I'm saying is that with coffee, I can take it or leave it.  No effect either way that I can discern.  I think that's pretty unusual, but hey.

I've been around a lot of coffee drinkers and I know how important that wake up call is for many.  For others, they drink it all day.  Some of my friends don't care if it's cold or not.  And I'm not even referring to latte or cappuccino lovers.

But stillness.  Warmth. Rocking motion.  Boredom.  Those all get me.  A combination can be lethal to me as it was last week in a Sunday School class.  Fortunately my wife punched me to jolt me back to consciousness or embarrassment could have occurred. 

I'd like to say that was a rare occurrence, but then I wouldn't be straight forward with you.  Or as observed by our 10-year old grandson on our Summer tour, much of it by bus in Ireland, "G-Dad sleeps about half the day."

Maybe, just maybe I was in dire need of Irish coffee.

COLLEGE CAMPI

Or campuses.  Cacti, cactuses.

If I can relocate my picture, I'll post it.  If not, you'll know technology got in my way again.  People seem to do that to me more and more these days.  Even on those escalators that move in the airport.  I suppose that's superfluous (escalators that move) but somehow when I think of an escalator, it's going up or down and these well, just move.

But yesterday on our return to Phoenix, people were getting in our way so that we were delayed in meeting our ride.  Not by much, but as were flying in, we could see the formation of yet another dust storm or haboob.  After a long flight from Charlotte, NC, we were wanting to get home.  But people.

Anyhow, we made it and now I'm back on the subject of college campuses.  Our son chose two beauties (University of Illinois and Washington University); our daughter chose three (Arizona State, University of California, and University of San Diego).  The latter was selected as the one of the top 14 schools in the nation.  I would certainly have selected Wash U over several of the others, but no one asked me.

At one time, I would have chosen MTV High as one of the most beautiful high school campi, but no more.  Their last 3 buildings, F, G, and H were architectural disasters in the vein of '60's construction though F was before and H after.

So what makes up a beautiful campus? Flora, fauna, and edifices that shout out.  It helps to have happy, at least smiling students making the walk from class to class.  But if I had to select one, it would be the buildings.  And not one, not one, not one would have a flat roof.