Today there�s something smoldering on this end of campus. A vague smoke hangs in the damp and drizzly air, and it smells just like a wet and smoldering campfire. Inside buildings and out.

I awoke feeling much better today (in spite of no Bob Edwards on NPR, another shocking life absurdity), feeling like the taste of stale cigarette smoke was finally headed out, even as the lungs are still loath to overwork themselves. Now I�ve been breathing smoke again all day. The firefighters trudged through a bit ago, pronouncing our building free of fire. I was disappointed to find they weren�t stopping by to give me a birthday surprise.

And there�s little in the news but more on the revelations of the 9/11 hearings in Congress. You�re paying attention, right? I�m certainly not saying it�s unimportant. In fact, given the present partisan political climate, the fact of it being an election year, I think it�s remarkable a Republican former cabinet member has stepped forward, apologized and offered specific criticism.

I can�t understand what it is about most Americans that�s made them so complacent, why they�re not paying attention to these hearings, why they�re not calling their representatives every day. Representatives, by the very definition of the word, are charged with taking the views of all their constituents to the government. Not just the constituents with money, though clearly it talks louder and longer than someone like me.

Though I am pleased by the report in the Trib today that a fellow who lost a bid to run for a Republican Senate seat is seeing backlash in his business for his controversial (and stupid) anti-illegal alien stance in the recent election. You can�t mess around with IL.

(I adore The Postal Service. Give Up is absolutely delicious. Makes me feel like there�s a chance, eh?)

Mustang sent this kitten.

March showers bring an April film fest to town.