Three Days, Not Much Longer....

NP: The sounds of keyboards at the library computer

Well, Im in town for three more days until I begin the second leg of the "Ron Beauregard Summer Research Tour." This time it's a nine hour trek to Rochester, New York. This will be the furtherest I've ever been in the north, so I'm imagining a great deal of culture shock. I'll also be living in graduate student housing with no television (?!?!?), so I will probably get a lot of work done. I'm at the ROC for three weeks, then back here for Fun Fest (oh joy! Talk about bad timing.) and then likely back to the 32608. I have exactly 11 months to finish my dissertation before my advisor takes his new job in the United Kingdom....so I'm 9 chapters and 11 months away from all y'all calling me Dr. Ron.

Now, with apologies to Mike Cooper, some random thoughts:

Kingsport sure has a lot of fat people...i.e. the girl sitting in the kiosk next to me. No wonder Beau James is the King of Kingsport.

Libraries are like Wal-Mart. All classes of people occupy the same space for the same thing, and every town in America has one (except for Abilene, Kansas). Thankfully, people don't beat their kids as much in a library.

After being gone for what amounts to most of 3 years, Kingsport is a pretty depressing place. If I was single and stuck in Kingsport I wouldn't know what to do. Maybe I could join the Great Body Company and try to pick up someone there, simply because they wouldn't be so fat. Maybe I would try to pick up someone at the mall. The lack of dating possibilities in this town are astounding. If that didn't work, there is always the monthly CW show.

Speaking of astounding, did the WWE actually do the ECW PPV right or what?

The gay guy who works at the library just walked by. He doesn't seem to age. Must be all that make-up.

In a serious matter, the Supreme Court really screwed up yesterday. In case you didn't see it, they decided that a municipality or state can seize a person's property under eminent domain to add a private development. Apparently, a new strip mall or retail development can now be seen as benefitting the public good if it increases tax revenue and adds jobs to the area. Before, eminent domain could only be for things like bridges, hospitals, and schools...things that had a tangible public good. This ruling is just downright scary (and I think Josh will agree on this one)...as now business developers and owners can find a better use for your land and take it from you (with compensation) if they find a cooperative city government. I will bet a dollar that Wal Mart uses this to the fullest and will now steamroll all over communities like Asheville and Gainesville who have resisted the construction of Supercenters due to traffic problems and the like. It doesn't say much for the SC when they have as little respect for property rights as they seem to have.

Gas is 2.05 a gallon and analysts say it will likely be at 3.00 a gallon by this time next year. If this stays up, the GOP could run Moses and George Carlin on the ticket and still lose to Hillary in 2008. George Carlin is a Republican, right?

Hit Me Baby 1 More Time has got to be the posterchild for taking a good concept and screwing it up. The Scotsman they have hosting it should have his eyes beaten shut for being so airbrushed and fake. He makes Bob Eubanks look like Maya Angelou. At least Arrested Development won their round.

The upcoming Dukes of Hazard movie....why?

The board is dead.

Didn't the season finale of the Shield rock? That is the one show on TV that can consistently deliver every time no matter what. Anthony Anderson and Glenn Close both deserve Emmys for their roles this season....too bad Close got fired at the end. I hope they bring her back some way. Looks like next season's top heel will be the IAD guy. The question is...will Vic shoot him like he did Reed Diamond in the pilot show?

West Ham signed Roy Carrol to be their goalie next season. In case you don't follow soccer, he was the Man U. goalie who dropped the easiest ball ever kicked and let it bounce into the net in a crucial game. The refs didn't see it, but it cost him his job with his club. Now the Hammers have him....oh wonderful.