Just say No!

I am reading one bad book after another and going crazy. I read about a book a day for work, on average. I read about a good book for work every week, on average.

That's a bad average.

It's not that you get dysfunctional or anything. I do maintain that you still know a good book when you see one. Your mental taste buds don't rot that easily. Nonetheless, it is far from fun. It's like being assigned homework, read this bad book, then read that bad book. The only difference is, nobody is telling me that the book is supposed to be good (as is the presumption with a teacher's assignment). Which means I can slam the book if I find it to be a stinker. I don't go out of my way to slam; I am a quiet, gentle soul, after all. But I do not suffer bad books gladly. Life is too short.

Tomorrow we are off to TOCs. This is always a relatively enjoyable weekend, at least insofar as the evenings are free for nice meals. I notice that my friends at STD are planning to film all the rounds for 24/7 coverage. I will probably have to sign a release allowing them to film in my bedroom. TOCs is, of course, what you make it. I think that getting there is a satisfying achievement, but it comes as no surprise to anyone that, aside from that, I really don't give a damn about it. Many of the skills learned in debate will last a lifetime, but few if any of those skills come from actually debating. Trust me on this. And since TOC values debating over anything else, it is valuing some of the less important aspects of the activity. On the other hand, I do value students' ability to meet and befriend a wide range of other students (and adults/coaches/judges), so there is that. And there's the nice meals.

Hard to believe I'm on the LD Advisory Committee. Sort of like letting the hen into the fox house. I will report on any issues that arise therefrom that I feel are not private. Then again, O'Cruz will probably be filming it...

Here's the thing. If, for some reason, you actually find yourself watching TOCs on your computer, you might want to evaluate the extent of that thing you're calling your life. Go see Hitchhiker! Go run around the block! Play God of War! Play Hold 'em! Read War and Peace! ANYTHING ELSE, PLEASE!!!

Oy.