Mutha of Jeff Davis! The problem is me.

After arguing with Bighead the entire way home about whether or not Bush is smart, (I say he's not dumb...although he lacks intellectual curiosity) and whether or not there will be any indictments in the Plame scandal, I came to realize my life has a theme--arguing. Normally I blame this on Bighead and Schnocone, but I think now the problem might be me. Like Hoosier Lush likes to fight and hold grudges...I just love to argue. I can't get enough of it. If Bighead and Schnocone didn't argue while I was away last semester then the problem is totally me. I also think the problem is that sometimes people say completely ridiculous things that I cannot let go of until they admit their fallacy...something which they NEVER do. For example, about two weeks ago we were talking about the 2008 election like we always do, and I said that if Hillary runs against McCain, McCain would win a ton of Democratic crossover votes. Schnocone said that Hillary would get more Republican crossover votes than McCain would get Democratic ones because Hillary is positioning herself as an advocate for family values and a strong centrist. How can I let that go? It begs to be argued. But the fact that I'm still thinking about this further illustrates how crazy I am. I just can't let these things go. They drive me crazy. So now I realize I have a problem...but I love it. I don't care. It makes the walk from Harvard to MIT go by much faster when you're arguing with someone.

In other news, last night we celebrated the Beckster's birthday by going out. Of course, her birthday was actually Tuesday, but she ditched us to spend the night at her boyfriend's house (she just spent the entire last week in Portugal with him...sheesh). But I understand, they were apart for a long time. But now she's gone again tonight. Are we sensing a theme? Mehopes not, because otherwise I'm going to have to Lay it Down, Clown.

I'm actually going home two weeks from today which is scary. If hometime comes, can the school year be far behind? Ugh, and school year means I'll be freaking out over my thesis, still undecided, but tomorrow I'm going to speak with kflood about it. Next week I may be going to NYC to celebrate a friend's birthday. Pray for me if I do end up going.

I'm currently reading Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. I think it's easily her best book. It's much more focused, despite the fact that it jumps around a lot and is filled with Judge Ito sidebars. Huey was right, though, her idea of Spanish history explained in the preface is completely all over the place and wrong. I can't believe an editor didn't correct it. Especially since it's not obscure history. I think a good number of people know that the mark of the decline that she notes as occurring in 1588 was the fracaso of the Armada Invincible which was under Felipe II's reign, and not under that of Carlos el Hechizado. Still, the book is completely enthralling and makes me very proud of our history while at the same time infuriating me. For example, John Ashcroft, in an interview with a magazine with Confederate sympathies, praises said magazine for debunking the idea that Jefferson Davis was anything but a traitor and a racist. Oh, and this magazine also sells shirts with Lincoln's portrait on it with Sic Semper Tyrannis--Thus Always to Tyrants, meaning all tyrants like Lincoln should be killed. Can you honestly believe people still hate Lincoln? Our greatest president ever? Could you imagine how much more the South would hate him if they bothered to pick up a book and find out he was gay? That magazine also sold bumper stickers that said Clinton's Military--A gay at every porthole, a fag in every foxhole. Mutha of Jeff Davis!--It's enough to make you want to invade the South again! If it wasn't for my eating and musical tour of the South two summers ago (is it really that long ago?), I would probably think it was dispensable, too. Of course it's not. The country would not be nearly as colorful without it. I don't even think the term local color would exist without it, and American music would still revolve around Christian God Puritan church hymns, drum and fife Yankee Doodle arrangements, and British standards like God Save The Queen americanized into Our Country Tis of Thee. God I hate that song. Really...is there anything more annoying than My Country Tis of Thee? Unfortunately, too many Americans do think think the South is dispensable. On another note, how did the Southern colonies which were the antithesis of the Bible thumping Puritan North become the Bible belt. That could be a good thesis. When did this change take place? All the Great Awakening hotspots were in the North. I completely love the South, but my Chinese friend informs me that that's just because I'm white. Oh well.