Flee the scene
05.30.2003Sickness is fading away. Popping double doses of DayQuil capsules and drinking a gallon of orange juice always seems to do the trick. That's always the case w/ me. I resist sickness as long as I can — stay in a state of denial. Until my entire system crashes and my head feels like its filled w/ cotton stuffing. Then I overmedicate, crawl into bed for 15 hours, and come out on top again.
I suppose I should just take better care of myself all around. You know, take some vitamins or echinacea or gingseng -balboa whatever the new health fad is. But vitamins cost money and I'm a cheapskate. I mean, I get the flu maybe once or twice a year. And the cost of two day's medication costs less than a year of vitamins and nutritional supplements. So there you go: cost-benefit analysis argues against preventative measures.
My trip to the library was a wild goose chase. Several articles I hoped to find weren't available. They're in semi-obscure journals Waldo Library just doesn't carry. So inter-library loan it is.
On the plus side, I bumped into Genoveva, the very cute Spanish grad student I sometimes run into on campus. I love that rich Castillian accent. I'm supposed to call her to go out for coffee. Ah, spring!
On the minus side, I had to flee my department to avoid a silly colloquium. Apparently, Senator Carl Levin was speaking to the department. I can't even really remember what the topic was supposed to be; I only know I wasn't all that interested. Nothing against the senator, I just have better things to do w/ my afternoon than listen to him drone on about whatever.
Yeah, I know, I'm a political science grad student. But, you know what? I just don't find politics all that interesting most of the time. That is, I find electoral systems and the structures of party systems fascinating. I enjoy theoretical discussions about the meaning of democracy. But I find campaigning droll and I've little interest in US domestic politics.
Yeah, the senator's probably well-connected. But how's that help me? He can't give me a tenure-track position at an East Coast liberal arts college. And I don't want a staff position on Capitol Hill.
So I quickly checked my mail and ran away before too many people saw me and guilted me into attending.
Posted by Miguel at 04:20 PM
Comments
A recent anonymous poster wonders why I used the word "droll" in the above post. The assumption was made that I erred in using the word, having misunderstood the word's meaning. Not so. I used droll deliberately. As in: I find political campaigning "comical" or "bafoonish" for the most part. And, being busy and flu-impaired, I wasn't in the mood for (what was in my opinion) "bafoonish" politicking.
BTW, be advised that I don't really like anonymous posting. Especially if you type in backwards order.
Posted by: miguel at May 31, 2003 03:44 AM
Yeah I agree with the not being into politics all the time. My favorite magazines are Cosmopolitan and People in that order, even though they should probably be something more worthwhile and intellectually fulfilling.
Posted by: Kara at May 31, 2003 07:30 PM
Interesting. I'd always thought u'd have a job in DC someday. U have the skills, brains and guts.
Posted by: Stephanie at May 31, 2003 10:41 PM
Really? Huh, I've never really had an interest in "practical" politics. Mostly I just find dealing w/ bureaucracy really frustrating.
My brother (Sam), on the other hand, loves that stuff. And he's already planning to someday run for Congress or something like that. He'd be really good at that. He's got TONS more charisma than I do. And he's also better at organization and dealing w/ bureaucracy.
Believe it or not, I'm the slob in my family. Compared to the rest, I'm utterly disorganized. Seriously. It was always my shame growing up.
Oh, wait, did you mean a job at DC Comics? I have a great idea for a poli-sci prof who hangs out at coffee shops and fights geopolitical espionage on the side. It's based on my life.
Posted by: miguel at June 1, 2003 12:13 AM
Yeah, I meant a job in DC Comics. A tame-looking pol sci prof who is a warrior for democracy in other countries (online). =D
Then again you can freelance as an actor. Since you manage to look "together" for classes. Must be the glasses...
Posted by: Steph at June 1, 2003 01:05 PM
Wait, are you saying I wasn't really "together" for my classes? Interesting.
Posted by: miguel at June 1, 2003 08:49 PM