that other guy’s thoughts

As I sat in the classroom today - utterly confused as to why a just and loving God would allow 2nd-order partial differential equations to be casually used on my second day of class - I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I’ve gotten myself into.

This class started the same way as every other college class I’ve ever taken, with the professor half-heartedly attempting a lame joke followed by every student half-heartedly pretending to laugh at it. It’s good to see some things are universal.

The Wichita State graduate aerospace program is specifically tailored to the area working professional, (e.g. all classes are Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday between 4:00 pm & 8:30 pm) So I was a bit surprised to find that only 6 of the 37 students are returning professionals. Everyone else shows up dressed like they’re headed to a Jimmy Buffet concert. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I remember those days, and they were awesome.

Obviously, the math content for this class will be rough. Though this is partially my fault, since I don’t remember anything I learned past Calculus II six years ago. If we go deeper than what we brushed on today, I’ll probably have to pick up another textbook for some recreational mathematics reading. Be still, my heart!

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to personally address this state’s 3rd largest university:

“Really Wichita State, these are the best facilities you’ve got? 37 students jammed into a cinder block room with flickering lights and a worn out blackboard? My mental math skills tell me you’re pulling down at least $30,000 in tuition for offering this single 3-hour class. Can I at least get some air circulation to take the edge off the combined B.O. of the 20 Indians that surround me?”

Maybe the middle of the Olympics isn’t the best time to mention it, but Alex said it too perfectly to pass up.

America is more than just the land located between certain sets of borders, and it’s more than just the institutions of voting, checks and balances, and all that. At its heart, the United States is a nation “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” In other words, the heart of America is its ideals.

True patriotism, in the American sense, has nothing whatsoever with putting a flag on your car’s antenna or saying the Pledge of Allegiance. It has everything to do with being devoted to the idea that all human beings are “endowed with certain inalienable rights.”

As a citizenry, we don’t share a religion, language, ethnicity, or culture. What we do share an idea, an idea way to big to be contained by the bonds of mere nationalism. Anyone demanding a pledge of allegiance or requiring displays of devotion is begging to be lied too. Alex called those that do “Pharisees of Patriotism” I like that, I hope the term catches on.

What does that have to do with the Olympics? Nothing I hope. Certainly you can root for your team and feel good about it. I, for one, will be cheering on the man-beast otherwise known as “Michael Phelps” all week. Also, I want to see Lebron James dunk over Yao Ming, Vince Carter Style. We can all revel together in the shear wonder of the 1000m Canoe race, right?

The next time I hear someone complain about having to choose between “the lesser of two evils” for president this year, I’m gonna punch somebody in the face. Maybe them, maybe myself, maybe an innocent puppy. Either way, I’m walking away with a broken hand.

Humanity in general and politics in specific is necessarily a pragmatic beast. Considering the alternatives, we lucked out. Think for a moment about the filthy disgustingness of a Hillary v. Romney campaign season. How many dozens of rounds of culture war TV ads would we have to sit through. Every last trollop of Clinton 1990’s baggage would come out. And that’s before we got saddled with 4 years of a waffling panderer or the dynamic duo of petty and pestilence.

We could face the option of a President Giuliani shudder Who likely would have become the most ill-tempered, secretive, power-hungry president ever. I don’t exaggerate.

The simple fact is that I would take McCain or Obama of ANY of the “also-rans” from either party. Neither are assholes or pansies. neither are beholden to political parties or special interests or rigid ideologies.

Of course we’ll still have to face insane pandering and ridiculously cynical sniping from both campaign. The the beast we feed. Until the American people stop acting and voting like morons. This is the only king of game in town. Still, give the other options, it could be much, much worse.