cleared for launch.

About the biggest news this week is the return of my passport--with work visa attached on page twelve--from the Japanese Consulate in Denver. Receiving this was a huge load lifted off, as it was the final bureaucratic hurdle before leaving. I hate depending on bureaucracies for anything (let alone my entire career future), but everything's in my hands now and that's a good feeling. The visa itself has a picture of me, and under that is my classification of "professor," a category which I can't help but find somewhat shocking. I still tend to think of myself as liquor store clerk or windshield delivery man, but if I'm to be recognized as a professor I'll take it without offering any correction.

I also caught a cold this weekend, but I fended it off fairly quickly with some mysterious nasal goop called Zicam. I started feeling sick on Saturday morning, and didn't take Zicam until the evening. When I woke up this morning (Sunday) I felt awful, but by two or three this afternoon all the symptoms were pretty much gone. I was left feeling exhausted (like I had just spent a day fighting off a cold), but I have no doubt that I'll wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed and ready to complete the last week of the IEP's Spring I term. I don't usually like product placement, and I didn't plan on doing any advertising in this blog (never mind the earlier mentions of Wal-Mart and American Airlines), but if a 36-hour cold sounds preferable to one which lasts 3-6 days, then you should take Zicam. I'll try to see how much I can take with me to Japan.

I also told a second friend about this blog. His name is Zach, and he's my old freshman roommate. Here's a piece of trivia: Zach is the person indirectly responsible for the naming of this blog. He supplied the name for a favorite phenomenon of mine, and I thought that would be a good name for a blog (or a shade of hair dye). So there you have it. But anyway, more about Zach--as the morning anchor for the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs, he has the most interesting job of all of my friends. Seeing as how he wears make-up everyday and isn't allowed to grow a moustache or get a cool facial tattoo, I feel obligated to tease him about his job whenever I see him. But I'm secretly very proud of him, and I like telling people I know a talking head on TV. I suspect he'll someday make it to an anchor position in Denver, which has been a longtime dream of his, or possibly teach broadcast journalism at CSU, which would allow him to live in his favorite town in the world.

Another important and interesting thing about Zach is that he has been keeping his own blog for about 2-3 years now. He puts a lot of time and effort into it, so it looks (and sounds) very sharp. Zach's very open with his blog, and he describes both insider TV news stuff as well as new things happening in his personal life--a very interesting combination!--with quality and engaging prose. What Zach's been able to do with his own blog is definately something I keep in mind as I tinker with this one.

Well, I'm getting tuckered out and am thinking about turning in for the evening. Here's a nifty little CG picture of wind generators on some alien-looking planet. I like this picture because the hermetic side of me (which constitutes about 85%) would love to live or work in such a spire-like wind generator on an alien planet. The artist is Daniel Trbovic and, as usual, I know little to nothing of him other than his website. It seems like Mr. Trbovic has a taste for alien landscapes, wind machines, and motorcycles, so he must be a cool guy. Anyhoo, enjoy, and have a nice week!