Sickness, Construction, News

Today I'm blogging in a really foggy and clogged state. Yesterday I woke up with a sore throat that became so severe by late afternoon that it hurt to talk. Today, I woke up feverish, barely able to comprehend the difference between the news on Morning Sedition and the advertizing for random gewgaws and vacuum cleaners. I'm supposed to do about a million things today and then go out to dinner; how frustrating. The idea of being on the train is odious. (That link, by the way, contains some well-written subway stories.) The idea of zipping around a classroom, hankie in hand, nose-reddened, makes me feel just a bit overwhelmed. Because of my idea that I just can't let the students down, I once did a final exam review despite being really ill, probably about as ill as I am now, only also hoarse. One of my students passed me a lozenge. Today as there is nothing important like an exam-review on the schedule.
Unfortunately, being at home is occasionally weird and uncomfortable right now. My apartment has been under construction for about three weeks, and one of the guys doing the work is having arguments with someone I imagine is an ex-wife or girlfriend in the bathroom. He is telling this person that what he/she should ask is, "why are you looking at my daughter naked?...Why are you molesting my children?" in dark and somber tones. I am inclined not to believe his accusations because of other, even more bizarre phone conversations I've overheard...full of obscenity. I'm glad there are more level-headed people overseeing the work, which is mostly going on outside.

news.....
Juan Cole linked to this disturbing article from the Times of India.which calls Iraq the "new Afghanistan." Given today's news about Lynndie England, I was happy to find someone doing this work at Rummy's Diaries, to which I was directed by Rahul Mahajan's entry on empire notes.
We have one more test of the level of democracy coming up, with the Supreme Court's decision to hear the appeal of the Bush administration over the federal government's denial of funds to universities that protest homophobia in the military by refusing access to military recruiters.