Palmer, Chumps, Gaudi, Dewey, Updike and Goy, Attorneys-at-Law

Ensign Palmer and I have been agonizing over the 2009 Chumps date, and I was just studying a calendar a bit more, trying to suss it out. The problem, as with any new tournament, is finding somewhere to put it among all the pre-existing tournaments. Throw in that March and April teem with qualifiers and holidays and state events, and the soup is overflowing with depth-charge crackers. I will round up the usual suspects shortly (although many will be wilting in Las Vegas) and see if we can figure out the least egregious possibility. No date will be perfect; it will be a matter of finding the least imperfect date.

I’ve posted links over on the right to the Spain pictures I posted on Facebook; my understanding is that people without a face can gain access to them (but I’m too cookied up to know for sure). Then again, who isn’t on Facebook these days? I mean, if I am, who isn’t? Anyhow, check them out, if you’re interested, especially the Gaudis, some of which are extremely haunting.

I should point out that I’m RSSing (it’s amazing how something like that so easily becomes a verb) the various blogs I know of among Sailors, mostly just out of personal interest, but also to cross-post to the Feed if there’s anything of transcendent value. If anyone of the debate persuasion has a blog that is non-debate-oriented, let me know, because I’d love to track it (and Feed if, if warranted). I’ll read anything, as ought to have become apparent by now. Speaking of which, I ultimately bailed from Dewey’s Art as Experience. I got a bit of value out of it, but art has gone to such odd places since its writing that, while it holds worthwhile truths, its relevance is, at best, off-and-on. Ultimately I think that my reading needs on the subject are more objective, for instance the lecture Updike just gave on American art (which I probably should have fed but didn’t). I’d like to read his art books, although the first one seems to be out of print. Shocking though it may be, he’s a better writer than Dewey, hence more accessible to me, plus he’s deep into the details. Whatever. I’m just breezing through short stories at the moment, casting about for something meaty. To be honest, it’s too hot to read anything serious. It’s too hot to do much of anything. But you don’t need me to tell you that, because it’s been hot everywhere. The good news is that it will cool off everywhere soon enough. Except in Vegas. Hey, you’re the one who wanted to qualify. By the way, the usual NYS suspects were reelected to the District Committee, plus new Usual Suspect Sabrina Graham from Monticello (a right addition). Which means I once again get to be the world’s worst district chairman. At least the Goy will be all improved, including the requests for error-fixes I requested. Oh, wait. No one ever acknowledged my requests. Whatever. It was free, and you get what you pay for…

So I guess that, slowly, we’re getting back into the swing of things. Not a hundred percent yet, but close.