it's been an outstanding last eight days, as conversations have been had with nemo, gurs (X5), f-ler, and didi. that's gotta count for something. a conversation has not been had with rico, and that's 100% my fault.

preface: i was hugely disappointed in most every aspect of the cats' loss to penn state this weekend. saddened over it. frustrated more than i've ever been frustrated in the carmody era.

epilogue: i'm really proud that mike thompson was suspended because of missing class, of all things. (there's a subtext here, of course, where carmody may not be particularly happy with or particularly fond of big mike. nevertheless) in an era when rapists are candidates for big ten player of the year, it makes me proud to support a school that still values the word 'student' among their basketball players.

stories like this one, and figures like 100% graduation rates among football freshman classes, make it a bit easier to deal with 6-6 football seasons and sub-.500 basketball seasons. it seems to me that northwestern is staying true to the university's goals with its athletic department, and that's something that alumni and students and sports fans in general can be proud of. there's not much integrity left in major college athletics, but i think northwestern's got some.

other:
i bought the arcade fire's funeral today. and i'll be buying the new trail of dead album and the folksy bright eyes record tomorrow. the digital ash record received (relative to the other one) poor reviews in spin and rolling stone and on pitchfork. however, i'm previewing it now, and i really like tracks two and three. a 'down the line' purchase, perhaps.

moving on...
a cousin of mine served for two years in the peace corps in peru, and his impression was that the over-arching catholicism of that nation was a great thing; in times of despair, the entire populace could gather at a common place to be with each other, to support each other, to comfort each other. for the united states, the religion was johnny carson, an overarching unifier, and his departure makes things a little less nice.

i haven't seen more than 25 minutes of carson in my life, but it's my sense that the three-network tv structure wasn't so bad when he was king.

gotta go. spike tv's showing violent japanese game shows. take that, leno.