Crunch Time

I gave the final in my Algebraic Structures class last night. Late last night: the last student handed in his test at 8:25 PM. Needless to say, I haven't started grading them yet. Today at noon is the Engineering Math final. I expect to spend much of tomorrow afternoon and most of Thursday grading; I'm leaving town on Friday. Also, there's a major committee meeting I've got to attend on Thursday....

I finished reading Caro's Master of the Senate last night. The climactic chapters, dealing with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, are excellent, and I will have to post a review - but probably not until after I return from California. (I won't have time before I leave, and I'm not lugging a doorstop volume to and from unless I'm in the middle of reading it.)

After an almost-balmy week, the weather has turned sharply colder the last few days. We didn't crack freezing on Monday, frex. (Walking home from the bus stop last night at about 9:30 PM was not fun.)

Heigh-ho. Back to work.

I'm Probably Late to the Party, But...

This morning I was listening (as I often have) to Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", and something struck me.

If he killed someone in Nevada, what's he doing in a California state prison? He mentions no other crimes.

That's going to bug me for a while.

Gall

Most of the messages my answering machine gathers daily are nil - no words, or perhaps a "Hello?" But there was one today that just takes the cake for insufferability.

The message began: "Thank you for calling our site. Press 1 if..."

That's right. This entity (apparently connected to Wal-Mart) called my phone and immediately dumped me into a voice-mail menu.

If voice-mail menus that ensnare people who call certain corporations are the spawn of Satan, voice-mail menus that call you can only be described as Cthulhuesque.

Keep away, I tell you! Keep away!