Falling off the Earth

Too busy to blog: I never thought I would see the day when I didn't have time to write a quick line or two! It has been wildly hectic, and while I'm still alive and kicking, I am also tired, cranky, and stressed. Such is the life of a consultant; feast or famine.

And feast it is, at least right now. Training, consulting, STC meetings, lecturing, more training... the workflow is daunting. But a few bright moments remind me of why I love this field: getting a hands-on look at some awesome medical technology; watching the light click on in a student's eyes; seeing the joy on Nadine's face when I tell her that we'll be able to afford the premium tuna this month (and maybe a bit of imported brie for a cold winter night).

Every soap is ONLY! Indeed. Thanks to former student KR for sharing this brilliantly garbled attempt at marketing writing. Disclaimer: Do not follow this link if you are drinking anything at your computer.

Pasta, passion, and Prodi: Italian PM Romano Prodi says that not only do we have a right to exist, but a right to be a Jewish nation. Waddaya know. No one else in Europe is stepping forward yet.

Well, spank me silly! Did a French politician actually side with Israel? Huh?!

Let the loonies explain this one: When those who insist on denying that we are a democratic society see something like Israel's new ambassador in San Francisco (who happens to be Bedouin), they usually ignore it. Just answer me this: when was the last time that any Arab country had a Jewish ambassador?

On the face: Fellow blogger Lisa Goldman talks about the Lebanon war as the most heavily blogged conflict in history. Lisa talks about her own experiences and disappointments in creating some sort of dialogue with Lebanese bloggers. For those of you who don't speak Hebrew, "on the face" is a literal translation of a Hebrew expression that really means messed up or in bad shape.

I didn't leave the Left—the Left left me: Zombie, a blogger who relies more on his camera than on his writing, has documented the more loony fringes of what passes for the radical Left these days. See Perlmutter's interview with Zombie. I don't come close to agreeing with everything he says, but I feel the same frustration at seeing the movement once associated with protecting human rights, personal freedoms, dignity, and equality become the soap box for hatred and intolerance in the form of rabid anti-Israel and anti-Semitic messages.

Buy a cow, sing a song: Looking for a creative gift? Check out Heifer International (and watch a fairly dorky song performance, complete with goats and sheep). I've received a few goat shares in my time.

Back to work, back to work...