I like a patriotic laundry room. How about you?

13 days left in the term. Then, finals, mark 'em, hand 'em in, declare another term done. Happiness will reign for some, heartbreak for others. And, of course, a certain amount of indignation from the few students who are just darn sure they deserve an "A", despite the fact that they didn't pass a single exam all term.

By the way, did I mention that Richard Ford's latest, "Against the Day," is pretty darn good? Not quite as good as "The Sportswriter", or "Independence Day" (the first two novels in what has, so far, become a trilogy), but darn good nonetheless. Very dry. Very real life. And how much more fearsome can anything get?