Blog entries that start with “sorry I’ve been away” win the Grasping the Obvious Award, so let’s skip that. I will say that No Safe Place has fallen on the wayside since my job responsibilities have increased and the middle part of the semester is piling on. The upside about the former is the pay for the extra hours (nice!) and the latter means we’re on the downward slope of the school year. It helps, too, that the grading is practically up-to-date and it’s Test Week for all of my classes.

On top of everything else, I’m filling out forms to go back to grad school in the Fall. Why, you ask, especially since I’m getting to a time in my life where degrees don’t matter as much as the 26+ years in my profession. Uh…good question, especially after my last time at the Little University on the Hill and the time/money it takes to get a graduate degree. Especially the money. The best answer “because it is there” and it’s the hole in my resume that bugs me the most. Maybe I’ll get a better answer once I’m back in class.

Like every blogger in the world, I’ve an opinion about the economy (excrement -> rotating air circulator) and politics (Clinton campaign = amateur hour) and the war (bring them home), but I just got back from a five-mile ride in perfect weather under blue skies. The IQ is down and the endorphins are up. It’s a good day.

The pile of dirt is for Scott who might have problems getting this picture unless he’s sneaky. The folks over at Nevada State Prison don’t like cameras on the grounds (for obvious reasons) but I don’t think they’d mind a pix from their parking lot of the big pile of dirt that’ll block their view of the mountains. This is the freeway extension where it’ll go over Fifth Street. You can’t see them but there’s a whole bunch of heavy construction equipment compressing this dirt and, according to the gatehouse, they’re working around the clock to get things done.

Well, back to the grading and maybe another ride later, too.

Kudos yet again to Lara for making the WNC Dean’s List for this last fall semester. Throw your hands in the air like you don’t care!

Hi - Just a quick note to tell you (1) I live and (2) am hurting along with other Cubs fans, but am oh so totally buried in schoolwork. It’s that time of year. Hoping to put something up here soon.

You may have heard about the Nevada System of Higher Education’s (NSHE) chancellor pulling back a personal $3 million bequest to the University of Nevada, Reno, because of a very negative review made public by a member of the governing Board of Regents. The two men have a history, but the offending review basically called the chancellor a crook. My question: what outcome was expected by the author of the review? That the chancellor would not be offended? Even if it’s true, issues like these should be resolved at the lowest level possible, out of the glare of the public eye, and without hurting the institutions and the students they serve. The result could be the thing that a majority of the regents do not want: successful legislation to appoint the Board versus being publicly elected. Until then, the regents are running out of feet to shoot themselves in. (In the interests of full disclosure, I served as the campaign manager for one of the opponents running against the regent involved.)

The Nevada Appeal recently published a story honoring Carson City’s Latino Employee of the Year. After reading the feedback to the story and other news items and letters to the editor, it seems we’re not so far separated from the hate and anger of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. What’s next for some of these writers: burning crosses?

Went to Carson City’s new digital theater on south Curry. It’s very nice, but the test of time will see if they can keep up the level of service and cleanliness they’ve shown so far.

Someone once said something like (paraphrasing here) they’ll look in the front part of the newspaper if they want reality, but they’ll look for joy in the sports section. That ain’t been the case in 2007 with the discovery of a player fathering nine children by different mothers, teams stealing defensive signals to win football games, and usual DUIs and shootings. IMO, the most overblown story was the Michael Vick dogfighting story. Don’t misunderstand: I love dogs and dogfighting has no positive moral absolute. Mr. Vick and his cohorts should serve time and pay dearly for their crimes. I wonder, though, if the media would have been in such a lather (pun intended) if it had been a white quarterback like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. I’m willing to bet without the benefit of mind reading that more than a few African Americans were offended by the media’s overzealous coverage. If you want to read a media insider’s perspective, wander over to the ESPN ombudsman.

On the flipside, the most underreported story with the farthest reaching effects is the NBA referee gambling scandal. This eats at the core of the validity and value of an entire sports industry that doesn’t help its own cause by billing itself as “NBA Entertainment” just like WWE wrestling. The NBA was able to engage its mighty media machine and get this squared away before training camps opened but the controversy will continue to fester in the sport whose officiating crews have already long been known to be less than objective in their calls. This season might actually be worth watching.

(Another media overreaction: Britney Spears and the MTV VMAs. Give her a break. And may this be the last time I mention her in my blog.)

Seriously: do the Cubs want to win the National League Central? It’s there for the taking, but they keep losing to the Pirates and Astros. Someone needs to pull out some video from 1969 and remind these guys that while baseball is just a game, it’s a game played to win. Geez.

NASCAR: the debate as to whether it’s a “real” sport continues, much like the discussion over horseracing. This I know for sure: a racing team has to be perfect not only on the day of the race, but perfect every day a full year in advance before the race. The engine and chassis have to be tuned just right, the pit team must work together without flaw at breakneck speed, and the driver cannot have an off day. The players for the other four major sports can have downtime and make mistakes, but NASCAR racers cannot afford it. That’s how they earn their pay.

The first semester of the newly inaugurated Western Nevada College is underway and my prison classes started last night. Teaching can be a drag between class prep, academic politics and personalities, and student behavior, but last night was one reason I stay in this gig. The students were sharp and asking intelligent questions and I was on my game. Classes like that keep me interested and energized.

Those of you wondering: is Bubba biking? Nope. My knee has still got the nasties but the good news is the MRI revealed no permanent damage other than a big honking bruise. Things should heal normally in time and maybe I’ll look less like a Goodyear blimp down the road.

Last week, I was told that my QBs sucked eggs and I probably had the worst team in our fantasy football league. Then my QB throws four touchdowns on Sunday. Picture me gloating. Then the same QB has a shoulder separation and could be gone for a month. Picture me not gloating. Bottom line: karma always wins.

I wander through more than a few blogs on a daily basis and was struck yesterday by the overwhelming silence on the sixth anniversary of 9/11.

This will take a little getting used to…