Various and Sundry updates

Aw man,
I just got an email that my Tech school will be teaching an introduction to Mandarin this spring AND Arabic in the fall of 2008! I would have loved to try either of those in the past two years. Oh well. I don't think I can do the Mandarin class because it's a late class and I have the boy on the days it's offered.

Besides, Mandarin is out a few years, right? But I'm thinking of NOT doing 4th semester Spanish this January (I need to check the graduation requirements to see if this will be okay or not for graduation), just because I've had a really rough semester and don't feel that I'm ready to move on with that coursework.

I'm thinking of taking Native American Lit this spring... I need to double check my schedule and make my decision before the class fills up.

And that is all I have to say about school. The less said right now, the better.

Now about MUMPS! I did go to the doctor on Friday morning and got a test for mono and strep, both negative, so the doctor ordered both a viral culture (saliva) and an antibody test (blood), and these tests take a long time. I'll be well before I get the results. But I will let you know.

Right now I'm sitting watching an interesting show on PBS, American Experience "Malcolm X - Make it Plain". James Baldwin was just shown saying that Malcolm's power over his audience was that he told the truth about their lives (the reality of racism on their lives, to simplify), a truth that no one articulated, and that is how he had this power as an orator.

Very interesting. If I had a tivo I would quote Baldwin properly and you'd be nodding your head, "yes, yes", just as I did.

Although I haven't journaled in several days (really, I've been sleeping and watching TV shows on the computer), I just thought about the state of my new home (no pictures on the walls, many many things still in boxes), and I want to say something about it.

But what? Hmmmm. I'll have to think about it.

Lastly, in the least important news, the downstairs neighbors are listening to music a bit too loudly for 8:30 on a Sunday morning. They have a series of caretakers, all with different annoying habits. The music is at least not jam band stuff (someone last week was playing that at 7:30 on Tuesday maybe? Too early and too loud). But it's a bit loud. I can't tell though if I'm overly sensitive to it or not. It's better than the guy who must have gotten fired for being a jerk (he yelled swear words one morning).