Actual news items

Too busy to post much, though lots of stuff is percolating!

Thus, these two items from this week's news.

1. "Senator Alesi introduces bill to ban text-messaging while driving."

That is an actual headline from the Democrat and Chronicle, our local newspaper. My first reaction? "Isn't that like needing a law to tell people to have their eyes open while driving?" Even more astounding (to me), when I said that to my kids, they said, "Do you know how many teenagers text while they're driving?" Apparently they think of it as a loophole to the "no talking on the cell phone while driving" law. The cop can't see you text when you drive by, the same way s/he can see you with the phone up to your ear. Okay, maybe we do need a law that you should have your eyes open while driving.

2. "I was an English major in college, so I was forced to read Beowulf."

That statement came from some critic I heard on the radio, and you should know that I ONLY listen to NPR.

Now that is a little bit like saying, "I was a physics major in college, so I was forced to learn Einstein's theory of relativity."

Geez, just because Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language doesn't mean English majors should be FORCED to read it!