Knee Froth

How Are YOUR Brackets Hanging?

In an earlier post, I mentioned that Wisconsin looked good enough to win the Men's NCAA Tourney. Well, that was then (when they were peaking) and this is March (as in Madness).

I picked Florida, Georgetown, Memphis, and UCLA as my final four when it came down to crunch time. My felt tip pen glided right past all but one of the #1 seeds for that magical quatrain of trochaic monometer (Gators, Hoyas, Tigers, Bruins). I might have snuck Wisconsin in if they weren't in the same regional site as Florida (they certainly DO fit the mascot poetic foot requirement). Yes, I have the Gators winning it all, AGAIN (meanwhile, my doghouse pick, Ohio State managed to dodge the bullet I was convinced was laser-engraved with "tOSU").

Alas, I was not as prescient with the women's tourney. I decided to choose "soft" Duke to win it all and was surprised (a bit) when "Gut-rers" pulled it out.

How'r YOUR Brackets Hanging these days?

Blogging the Cs

Made it to New York (Guess I can make it anywhere! I'll be here the rest of the week! You're all beautiful...).

While I'm feeling a bit more comfortable in my own skin as a researcher and presenter, I can't help but notice a subtle shift in how I feel about the conference in general. I take a lot more delight in the youngest scholars and members-in-training making their contributions.

I also can't help but feel like a lot of the "older folks" arguments are sometimes-empty vessels designed to be rapidly filled and emptied.

Enough pondering. I'm off to find some good food.

Thanks for All the Fish

Jean Baudrillard passed away. Again, the New York Times drops the ball by pulling the BS populist card:

Mr. Baudrillard, the first in his family to attend a university, became a member of a small caste of celebrated and influential French intellectuals who achieved international fame despite the density and difficulty of their work.

Whoever penned this hasn't actually read Baudrillard very deeply. Hyperreality is one of those thoeries that makes absolute sense if one looks at American history longitudinally. The Matrix got it wrong because the plot assumed that simulation happens in a computer. Simulation is pretty much how Americans have approached the world for 200 years. My cousins who farm get to know their own culture of bioengineered crops, engineered fertilizers and hog/dairy facilities, and their GPS-equipped tractors through the simulation media (broadly-defined) that enable the engineering in the first place. There is no non-simulated place left in America.

Thanks for not letting us off the hook.

Fargo Weekend Roundup

The Seventh Annual Fargo Film Festival has already started, and runs through the weekend. It may not be as big and inebriated as SXSW, but it's gaining momentum as a pretty decent film festival.

The Green Market will start serving Tapas on a regular basis this Sunday. Olives, piquillo peppers, and quince paste, oh my!

March Madness gets fired up. You can watch Selection Sunday at any number of assorted sports bars in town. My pick? Fort Nocks Noks (can't seem to get these irregularly spelled names right). It's smoke free, has and has my current favorite fruity beer--Pyramid Apricot Weizen.

Digging Out

And how much snow did YOU get last week?

Takin' Back the 80's

And Thus it Snowed

Don't know about you, but we're getting a healthy dose of snow. Should help the ranchers and farmers around here.