Caught in an evening/nightime cycle of posts lately. This afternoon, I took some leave from work, to rest from last night's excercise--it will make me healthier, if it doesn't kill me--and I ambled over to LSU to enjoy the late afternoon over coffee and a book. Managed to find a free copy of The Advocate at Coates Hall, and need to begin checking on this--don't know if this is a limited promotion, or if they're actually giving the paper away. If the latter, I'll make it over to campus a lot more often.

Two letters to the editor leaned towards a progressive point of view. Too bad the web site doesn't publish reader letters. One complained about Mike Foster's "dirty politics," imagine that, while the other letter was from a union certified electrician who is not real happy with the availibity of jobs in Bush's America. He additionally noted that "Right to Work" legislation cut deeply into his income when he actually had work.

Searched for on the website but couldn't find one article in the Metro Section that caught my eye: A construction crew unearthed what is likely a basement/trash pit of the Royal Hotel in St. Francisville. Looks like a treasure trove of ordinary objects circa mid 19th century. I love reading accounts of archeological research. It's like looking into a time capsule, as the sub-headline indicates. I wonder what future archeologists will think when they go digging through the landfills of our generation...

Spent more money than I had to, but the book I picked up is Michael Parenti's The Assassination of Julius Caesar. When I still had C-SPAN2, I stumbled upon an interview with the author. The interviewer, whose name slips me, lumped Parenti into a Left Wing Trinity of himself, Howard Zinn, and Noam Chomsky, all who've now been interviewed by the network--apparently due in part to viewers' letters. Parenti seemed pleased enough.

Many years ago, an acquaintence who was on the LSU Ideas and Issues Committee did a tremendous favor to the campus by advocating for an appearence by Parenti at the University. Money--roughly $500, if I remember right--that would've been used for a keg party instead became an honoraria, and the talk was well attended. Parenti even attended a small party following the talk, held at my apartment, though it was evident he was not entirely at ease surrounded by very young students of dubious intellectual merit. Fortunately, there were several University professors on hand to provide interesting discussion.

Years later, I saw Parenti speak again at the University of Wisconsin campus. He signed a book of his that I'd purchased, Make Believe Media , but of course remembered little of his Baton Rouge talk. Still, my mention of this entitled me to the final question during the Q and A...Speaking of vague memories, I don't recall what question I asked.

But, NOVA is about to start, and I find myself somewhat addicted to it. Tonight is part 3 of The Elegant Universe. Maybe a little later I'll let my inner quantum self bark about anything and everything, but I'll hit the road for now....