OK, that will be my only Rebecca Black reference. Ever.

It is also Good Friday, and Earth Day. Good Earth Day. I happened upon the story of Chief Seattle again this morning. It’s one of those feel-good tales that won’t go away. On an Earth Day site, someone commented, “TODAY I AM READING OUT LOUD ‘CHIEF SEATTLE’S LETTER TO WASHINGTON’ ONCE AGAIN!”

For those who may not know, the text of the 1854 speech is an impassioned response to the US government’s interest in buying Indian land. An excerpt reads:

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of your grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the lives of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

Beautiful words, yes? Too bad he never said them. Still, the text of the speech (found here) is poignant and romantic, and resonates perfectly the ideal of the Native American eco-hero our country so loves. Hey, whatever gets the job done.

Happy Good Earth Day, and a blessed Easter holiday to all who celebrate it.

Random Neuron Firings

1. “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” I’m learning to employ the wisdom of this proverb more and more. Fellow crusties: remember the old commercial that went, Aren’t you glad you use Dial? Don’t you wish everybody did? Heh. Yep, it’s like that.
2. This in no way means that I have a new attitude, or that I enjoyed it, but I must admit that last night, I burned 20 minutes and 100 calories on the treadmill — on my night off. Get out. Am I mental?
3. What are your plans for the holiday weekend? Please do share, because I’m interested in the lives of my fiends. That, and I’m nosy.
4. Whoever has to work on Good Friday, raise your hand. I have tomorrow off, but usually it’s today and Monday that are added to our little “spring break” every year. Not so this time, as we have snow days to make up. Why can’t it just be unicorns and butterflies and picnics, and nobody pays for anything? Oh wait…for a minute there, I thought I worked for a US bank.
5. The Cleveland Indians, today, 21 April 2011, 5:29 a.m. EST, are tied for the best record in Major League Baseball. I am enjoying this little house of cards before someone blows on it.
6. I’ve had some good rehearsals this week. Well, two days of good rehearsals. That counts, doesn’t it? Let’s hope for three in a row. Come on, singers. You can do it.

WordPress.

Now that I’m “in,” I’m at school. But there is much about which to rant, and I will save it for tomorrow. Meantime, feel free to save up your peeves. I covet them in the name of commiseration.

FO

Yes, time for another test. This time it’s for bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. Appetizing, hmm?

It also means another day off school, since the test takes three hours and it’s in Cleveland. So this is a short week for me (we get Friday off). I’ll take one of those once in awhile, boyo.

While my colleagues and students are laboring away in the halls of academe, I’ll be drinking a huge glass of nasty sugar, breathing into a tube for three hours, and waiting for the lab results. Rather barbaric, wouldn’t you say? Hey, here’s some poison — let’s make ‘er drink it and see what happens.

My life is just one big party, lemmetellya.

Fink out (to Believeland)