why I almost pissed myself with joy tonight: this and this. have I pre-ordered both? you bet. do you care? probably not. I'm a big nerd, after all.

everyone who's anyone has heard of equus by now. well, any and all harry potter fans, anyway. I'm not saying daniel radcliffe is the hottest thing goin. from a legal standpoint, I shouldn't even say that a 17 year old is the most lukewarm thing goin. but there really is something undeniably...am I allowed to say tepid?...about the promo pics. they're easy to find--just google "daniel radcliffe equus." don't expect to find any nudes, though. not yet anyway.

one of my biggest recent pet peeves: people who think that ethanol is the solution to america's oil dependency. am I the only person who researches things before I start flapping my jaw about them? I'm all for alternative fuels, but I won't even get into all the reasons why increased ethanol usage could do as much harm as good, both economically and ecologically. do what I did: read. it's not hard; been doing it since I was three.

while I'm still up on my soaring steed, I guess I gotta comment on the situation at the old alma mater (link to most recent story, if you're shrugging at this). it goes without saying that I'm saddened and disappointed by both the incident itself and the manner in which it was handled. I think that it has brought to light issues that have plagued guilford since well before my time there, notably the lack of synthesis between athletes and the rest of the student body. not that a hate crime is representative of an athlete's mindset...but it can reflect the mind of a jock. there is a difference.

however, I don't believe that said student body is painting an accurate picture of guilford for the press, not unless it's changed considerably in the not quite four years (!!!) since I graduated. Quaker values are very much a part of the college as a whole, yes. they are taken to heart by many of the faculty and students, including yours truly. but at no point--as far as I know--has guilford been a paradise. no one has the right to expect that of it.

more importantly, though, it's much farther from being the demilitarized zone that some folks are talking about. I read students' reports of "rampant racism and bigotry" on campus. I was a pretty socially active guy there, and at no time would I have dreamed of making such a statement. you got sweethearts and assholes, just like any other campus on earth. in the grand scheme of things, guilford is--and, I hope, always will be--more open minded and accepting of differences than most colleges, particularly small ones. it's just that a few scratches on a new rolls-royce are more obvious and inflammatory than a couple dents in an '86 escort. and shouldn't I be seen as an informed source? about the colleges, not the cars.

I ask myself if I'd recommend guilford to my own son/daughter if they were getting ready to fill out their applications today. well, the school's been through a lot of changes, good and bad. but the answer is still yes. my time there was the formative experience of my adult life, something that I'll always treasure. I only wish that everyone could have such a joyous four years at guilford.

and that other people would let them.