Manfully carrying on

I've got a cold. Somehow, the world still goes on. Of course, if you're going to get a cold, get it when you're not doing much else so that you've paid your dues when it counts.

The NFL seems to want to add yet another debate activity. My opinions of that were solicited as Distract [sic] Chair, and I somehow managed not to use any phrases regarding places with less than optimal sunshine. I mean, isn't Pffft new enough for them?

The rabble (aka team) seems to be roused over optional tournaments like Glenbrooks and Apple Valley. (Meanwhile, HoraceMan, the superhero without any superpowers, has decided that every tournament in the country does not require his attendance and that, just maybe, school might, so there is less banging on that particular door.) It all devolves on the myth of the national circuit, this idea of elite and greener grass just outside our grasp. We have, within easy access, enough bid tournaments to nuke Nairobi, but they're not good enough. I mean, yeah, if you really are a superstar, it might be worth the aggro to go toddling around the country because you're tired of tromping the same old people week after week, but aside from getting seriously out of the house (which you could have done anyhow simply by going to Monticello), I don't get it. I certainly don't encourage it. I mean, maybe I'm not the world's greatest natcirc enabler, but I don't chain anyone to the desks. And I do enforce certain rules for official participation, as in, the principal has to sign off on it. At least I'm consistent. I do nothing to restrict my team from going elsewhere that I don't enforce on teams coming to the old Bumperoo.

Speaking of which... I may be done. I haven't double-checked yet, but I'm running out of diddling steam. The latest wrinkles were adding strikes to LD (with the gleeful totalitarianism that I like to think is my chief charm) and straightening out the fees (it will cost more to do 6 rounds of LD than 5 rounds of Policy—duh). I should be ready to post it and be done with it by the end of the week. No doubt GIB will be the first (last and only) to announce it to the world.

The Monticello registration is in. Last call is up on the Bronx registration. Okay, now: Picture a penthouse/Way up in the sky... Whatdya got? O'C living the high life in NYC. He's become the Porfirio Rubirosa of the forensic universe. (Yeah, I know. That's why there's a search function, Bub.) I know; I haven't picked on him in weeks, but as I said, I've had a cold.

Next week Morgan Aye's mom, an immigration lawyer, will address the troops at our meeting. I like that. Maybe we'll actually end up knowing what we're talking about. And I sent my Rostrum article to Jason, who did some editing and told me it's a little long and maybe I could cut it. Maybe I could cut it? Melville, I can cut. Shakespeare. The Bible. No problemo. But cut me? ME???? Oh, well, I'll give it a shot.