...Lemmings. (Rant pt. II)

Sigh...

So, on my way to the bursur's office to pay my $1007.61 balance for my tuition (it's an installment), I had to walk past the demonstration described in my ...idiots post below. On the way there, a ROTC guy in full cammo walked past two grungy guys with guitars and "Fight for Peace, Not Oil" signs. Being an adept people-watcher, I focused in on these guys to see how they would react to the army guy walking past them. One of the protesters-to-be used his sign as a mock-axe and pretended to whap the ROTC guy (of course--to his back) and giggling ensued. Nice. Go! Party for peace!

Walking past Coffman Union, I had to wonder if it was a protest or a block-party. Man, it looked like fun. Music was blasting, people were dancing, a splendid time was guaranteed for all. Choppers from Channel Five news and KARE hovered around campus to get their footage and I couldn't help wanting to look for a place to hide.

Look, it's great that we have the freedom to disagree with our government and to show our disagreement in public displays. I love that about this country. This wasn't a public demonstration of disagreement. This was a festival. For those people who were there to sincerely show their disgust for G.W.'s foreign policy--you should be just as frustrated as I am. Your peers were not issue-savvy students ready to form an argument--they were merely Lemmings drawn in by the Public Enemy blasting from the speakers.

Yes, you showed your numbers--there certainly are a lot of people who can stand and chant nifty slogans. You can make pretty signs with the peace sign on 'em. You can clap and scream after each shouted statement over the bullhorn. What does this accomplish, though? Why are you at the University and not the Capitol? Why not stage this on the weekend where it doesn't interfere with class schedules or learning?

<-- Forget the Gophers, here's our new mascot!


My main point through this tired, groggy-minded rant is that I saw a lot of follow-the-leader today--and seeing that at a university upsets me. Couple that with the fact that the protest's organizers called for its supporters to leave class--to stop learning--in order to play Simon-Says and behave like lemmings and I get fairly angry (and scared). It may seem like I am pulling out too much symbolism here (shut off your brain and protest!) but I can't shake it.

Oh well... nuff said, I guess. It will be forgotten by most people after the news tonight. I'll pry forget about it after the Wolfies game tonight when I most likely will have something else to rant about. Hopefully not.

...Idiots.

The University of Minnesota's protester organization has spent the last few weeks advertising a mid-class walk out today, Nov. 2nd (the anniversary of Bush's reelection), to protest our involvement in Iraq.

Come the @$#$ ON!

Regardless of being for or against the war, can't you think of better ways to get your point across than walking out of your college class!? Didn't your ex-hippie parents tell you how much they are shelling out for your tuition? Take it from the 30-year-old-dropped-out-and-now-back-to-finish-his-degree-even-though-it's-super-hard-to-balance-time-between-school-homework-fulltimejob-and-wife guy: EVERY CLASS IS TOO VALUABLE TO SKIP... especially for a pointless demonstration like this.

Besides advertising the U of MN's loose admissions standards, what the #$#%! is walking out of your class going to prove? Really, do you think G.W. is going to say, "Waaaaiiit a minute here. These college kids want us to pull out of Iraq. Their argument is so sound and clearly stated, that I can't see any way around it! The United States will no longer be involved in Iraq! Kudos, kiddies!"

Go ahead and follow the herd, I'll be in class... speaking of which... GOTTAGO!

Random thought for the day...

What's a seven letter word for "random blog before I crash on the couch since I haven't written anything in months?"

Ah... I love the crossword. I love to commit a good morning's half-hour with my coffee and my puzzle to get my mind started for the day. If you don't do the crossword, shame on you! I suggest you ape this behavior so your brain can become as sharp as an epee.

So I do the crossword in the Minnesota Daily daily. It's the only thing worth looking at in that stupid rag, but boy--it's a great crossword. Anyway, I gets to thinking that since 4 out of 5 crossword puzzles that I have ever done includes the clue:

45 d: LENNON'S LOVE
or
45d: YOKO ____
or
45d: WOMAN WHO LIVES OFF OF DEAD BEATLES,

does poor Cynthia Lennon get to do the crossword--or is it too painful for her? She has to be reminded at least once a week (according to my 4-outta-5 statistics) via crossword puzzle that her hubby ditched her for some crazy artist with a great crossword name.





<---I know C-Y-N fits, but the answer is O-N-O... sorry!



I suggest that you crossword creators out there STOP IT! Is it really necessary to use O-N-O? It's getting O-L-D now... a cliche... a cop out. Why not add a "B" and use "Singer for U2" or Cher's Ex? Really, now--let's try to be a bit more sensitive to poor Cyn as we try to fill in that last space in 43 down. One more minute dedicated to thinking up a fresh clue equals one more day that Miss Lennon can wake up, have her tea and crumpets, enjoy a crossword (or "box-puzzler"--as they call it over in Liverpool) and not have to be reminded of that screeching crack-pot homewrecker (or "flat-shambler" as they say across the pond).

OR, how's about we hook Cyn up with a guy with an equally cliched crossword name? Alec Guinness is dead, sadly, but there's always Mr. Baldwin... or I've been seeing EWAN being used a lot recently... he's been pretty hot lately... or, hey! RINGO!