A Mild Rant

We have an excellent IT Department at my place of work. The guys in it have considerable expertise and are always ready to help. So why do I find myself enveloped in a haze of irritation, of an almost permanent nature these days, related to what might broadly be termed IT in Education? (Case in point, I got back home today a good twenty minutes later than really necessary, essentially due to a malfunctioning IT system.)

The funny thing is, I think I know the answer (or, rather, some of the answers) to the question I frame above. Today I articulated some of my thoughts to a colleague who was helpfully working with me to figure out another irritating IT-related issue that needed figuring out, and which we solved. We think. I was gratified that he gave much, if not all, of what I was saying credence.

Which made me think that one day, and this isn't that day, I might just make more of an attempt to share my (possible) wisdom with the world. The difficulty will be avoiding a rant that won't do anyone but me any good. (And I'm not sure that venting the irritation I feel will lead to any real relief; it might just inadvertently thicken the haze.)

The Wow Factor

Two distinct WOW moments today:

1) Ran the video for Prince's Sign O' The Times and was knocked sideways by it and the music. I suppose the contrast with Girls & Boys, which I'd played earlier in the lesson had something to do with it. That, and the complete perfection of the song & its production. (And I usually detest drum machines!)

2) Was reading The Grand Inquisitor chapter of Dostoevsky's supreme masterpiece. Stunned. (And more than once.)

Something in common in terms of my experience with each text: I know both very well indeed. Can't begin to number how many times I've listened to Prince's song (possibly over a hundred) and watched the video (probably above thirty views); and I've read The Grand Inquisitor as a standalone piece at least three times, once as part of a Philosophy of Religion course back in my undergraduate days.

Funny, then, they can still make such an impact on me. I suppose I should analyse why, but I can't be bothered. Being WOWWED lies beyond analysis. Possibly beyond reason.

Cheerful Anticipation

Just back from late night shopping at Clementi Mall. The supermarket there is now thoroughly geared up for the approaching Chinese New Year celebrations, and I must say I enjoy the goofy cheerfulness of it all. This sits in contrast to my generally negative feelings regarding the preparations undertaken in the Xmas season. Not sure where this bias stems from. I suspect I've over-dosed on Christmas cheer over a lifetime, hence the complete lack of logic I now embody. 

It helps not to be involved in the build-up to CNY in any meaningful way. No skin in the game, as it were. Just a happy adjacency - and a welcome holiday just at the right time.

Presently

Eating very well, thanks for asking. Lots of goodies coming in to the apartment this January for some reason, and The Missus on top form in terms of providing the comestibles.

Thinking of getting a bit more serious as I age. But most likely won't.

Seeing possibilities. Not many, but enough.

Listening to Prince's Emancipation over Spotify on the laptop. Hardly know the album and very happy to get acquainted.

Reading Dostoevsky, Henry Vaughan, the big Jazz book (love the photos) and bits & pieces here & there. The Brothers K dominating, hardly surprisingly.

Expecting bad news out of the big game in Manchester. But living in hope (a familiar state.)

Losing patience with all aspects of IT in education.

Anticipating a month of fasting coming soon. A bit intimidated, as always, but, assuming I can cope, the rewards are sort of guaranteed.

Writing this.

Replete

Sausages & mash just now, with some cunningly mingled onion. Felt like licking the gravy off the plate, it was so good. 

Always distinctly satisfactory to get to the end of the day in some small style.

Switching Over

Was talking this morning to students about dealing with uncertainty and heard interesting bits & pieces from them of their experiences of such and ideas of the best way to respond. Then at the end of a pretty long day found myself listening to an obviously well-informed commentator on American politics talking about the current state of play between the US and Iran. Found it all a bit much as Mum would have said and replaced it with the comfort of Jerry Garcia & co doing the business live. (I'm still on a bit of a Grateful Dead roll.)

Extremely unsure of what this says about my character. But it's not something I feel all that proud of, even if I'm enjoying those sweet and strangely comforting sounds as I write this.

Riches

The death of Bobby Weir got me thinking, as the deaths of old rockers often do these days. I realised I could easily lose myself for days or weeks in the Grateful Dead and offshoots' back catalogue and I'm not even a fan, as such, not even close to Deadhead status.

But, gosh, weren't they a truly great band (pun intended)? The masters of music that doesn't seek to draw attention to itself, but just unfolds in the moment.

Under The Weather

Thought I'd successfully staved off the coughing & spluttering so many family & colleagues & students have been afflicted with of late. I was wrong. My nose started running (in a big way) around 5.30 pm, and I've struggled manfully ever since. It wasn't a big surprise as I'd been nursing a headache in the early part of the day and that's often a precursor of a full-scale cold for me.

Now moaning (unmanfully, to be honest) and feeling deeply sorry for myself. I'm not good at illness so the sooner I'm cured the better.

Extremely Satisfying

Now firmly embarked on The Brothers Karamazov, having reached the end of Book 1. Astonishing stuff, even for a hardened reader of Dostoevsky. I thought there might be some build-up to the first provocatively 'scandalous' scene, but that came almost immediately and the pace hasn't slowed down since. Almost all the Karamazovs are crazy, but since no one else in the novel approaches any reasonable level of sanity this hardly matters.

And FD leaves you in no doubt he's dealing with the deepest questions of human existence amidst the crazy extremes.

I'm loving every page. (And it helps that I reckon that translators Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky really capture the idiomatically varied individual voices of the charaters. Of course, I have no idea what's in the Russian but none of the other translations I've read of the earlier novels gave me such a strong sense of that polyphonic variety.)

Just Dozing

It wasn't that I slept badly last week, but, as is so often the case in the first week of work after a relaxing break, I can't honestly say I slept terribly well. So I was looking forward to a bit of a lie-in this morning, but also keenly aware that in recent times once I've woken for and completed Dawn Prayers it hasn't always been easy to go back to bed and re-enter the land of nod. And that turned out to be the case this early morn.

But after getting up, enjoying the cup that cheers (x2), showering and listening to some sweet sounds, it's been a day on which I've found it suspiciously easy to nod off. Case in point: I popped up to the newish sort of shopping centre called Geneo, opposite NUH, whilst Noi was concocting a heap of curry puffs at the homestead, and came close to dozing in public at the nifty little garden they maintain out at the back. Someone has thoughtfully placed reclining chairs by the little ponds there and I stretched out on one intending to read a page or two but almost conked out after a paragraph.

In case you think I'm writing this in a spirit of complaint, I need to tell you that is very far indeed from the truth. I consider a dozy day as being amongst life's deepest blessings. And I wouldn't mind a repeat tomorrow to be honest.