Crap!

Good morning world! It is Tuesday (my Monday) and, you know what? I feel like CRAP! If anyone knows the actual biological a) usage for mucus and b) why our bodies make more of it just because we have a virus, I would love to know. I'd be dead by now if it wasn't for Vick's Vapo-Rub.

That having been said, I'll admit it was easy for me not to post much over the past couple of weeks, though I'll be trying to remedy that.

I'd like to first of all point out that Julie, the kids and I are officially moving to OUR NEW HOUSE in Burlington over the next few weeks and will be all moved in by December 1st! So yes, that's really happening now. The first load has already gone over (thanks Mom and Dad and Happy Anniversary too!) and I have to admit that its really nice seeing how that pile of boxes that had been blocking up our dining room and living room so badly at the apartment looks so small at the new place . . . Of course now, the downside is that we actually have to physically move our belongings (suck!) but I suppose that's just a little overwhelming is all and not an insurmountable obstacle.

In other news - and this really pissed me off - I finally bought my NKU parking pass yesterday (delayed because of my ongoing financial aid debacle) after having gotten a ticket on campus. I'm not bitter about the ticket because, frankly, I had been parking in the faculty lot anyway so I figured I probably had that coming, not to mention that I knew when I DID buy my pass they'd waive the ticket. But I digress. So yes, I bought my parking pass yesterday for $160! One hundred sixty dollars to park on campus! This year they've now discontinued any on-campus hours when you didn't need a pass (screwed!) as well as doubled the cost of a parking pass (double screwed!!) all the while also urging people NOT to park on campus but to instead take the bus there! I'd like to point out that they are currently building two new facilities on campus that I really don't give a damn about (new student union and the "way-to-big-for-NKU" arena.)

Soapbox: Just because they know that the majority of students now in some way use financial aid to attend college does NOT give them carte blanche to charge exorbitant prices. Its the exact same thing that is happening in health care. Just because its a known fact that you practically can't exist without health insurance DOES NOT give the health care industry the right to charge whatever they want to because it's "covered." There needs to be governmental controls on this. They are both service industries subsidized by the government! End rant.

Moving along . . . . I'm currently reading Watchmen by Alan Moore. Its a graphic novel (so none of you will read it) but I'd encourage you to read it. Good stuff there, though it does start out a little slow. It's 250 pages though, so make no mistake about it, it is a real novel . . . just one with pictures. It's also the source for my new site subtitle above.

And finally, just a random point here: has anyone else seen the commercials on television for Veramyst?? It's some sort of 'hay fever" inhaler and the commercial is pretty normal stuff. What you would expect anyway. . . except for the disclaimer at the bottom that tells you that "how Veramyst works is not completely understood"!!!!!!! HAS THE ENTIRE WORLD LOST ITS MIND?!? Look, I'm not a biology major. I won't lie to you and tell you that I even understand how aspirin works - totally not my game. And honestly, lots of things aren't my game. I don't know how digestion works. I don't know (completely) how a Wii works. I'm not even completely sure how FIRE works but a fundemental part of my understanding of the world is that SOMEBODY knows how these things work. Who in their right minds would take a drug for the temporary relief of hayfever (of all things) when apparently people don't know how it works? If we were talking about cancer here, I'd be more inclined to agree with taking it while not really understanding it, but hayfever? Sure . . . it'll cure your hayfever - maybe - but whatabout the new arm you suddenly start growing on your butt? And furthermore, how could the FDA approve a drug that openly acknowledges that they don't understand how it works? If you don't even know how it works how in the world could you be sure of what its long term effects will be???