Testing There and Here

I’ve just returned to Austria from a month in the U.S. Still a bit jet-lagged, but relieved to be here. Some things in Europe are just a little more predictable. For example, COVID testing. Before leaving for the United States, I had to prove that I had tested negative for the Coronavirus. No problem. Austria has a comprehensive testing plan: 

Gurgeltests: You can get free “gargle tests” at the drug store and test yourself non-invasively at home. The program includes a video interface where you have to verify your identity (passport, driver’s license, etc) and film yourself for a minute while you swish saline solution around in your mouth and spit it into a test tube. The test tube is then repacked into the box it came in, and you take it to any of the 600+ drop-off stations throughout the city (grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations). Within 24 hours the test is evaluated, and the results are sent to your e-mail or cell phone, with a certificate you can download and/or print out. This PCR test is good for 72 hours and can be used for international travel and other situations in which a negative COVID test must be produced. Everyone is encouraged to perform this test 2-3 times a week to reveal non-symptomatic cases of COVID. 

Teststraßen: “Testing streets” (so-called because of their linear testing process) have been set up throughout Austria. This service is also free, but you have to register for an appointment on the internet. Same-day registration is possible. You have to prove your identity and registration upon check-in, and then simply follow the signs to different stations. These sites offer nasal swab antigen tests, and the results are available in 15 minutes. The antigen test is valid for less time and cannot be used for travel. But if you want to go to a party or visit an elderly relative, this test provides evidence that you have tested negative for COVID. If the test is positive, you will be tested with a PCR test at the same site. 

Testing at schools: Students and teachers in elementary, middle and high schools are tested 2-3 times a week at their institution. These are less invasive versions of a nasal swab test with results in 15 minutes. If you are unfamiliar with this kind of test, it uses the same technology as a pregnancy test: one line negative, two lines positive, with test results within 15 minutes. 

You can also be tested at your doctor’s office or at some pharmacies, shopping centers, and airports. 

NOTE: Most of these tests are FREE – those at the airport for entry into the country cost €69 as of August 22, 2021. 

After my arrival in the U.S., I had been advised to have myself tested to make sure I hadn’t caught something en route. I made an appointment online with our family pharmacy and was told the cost would be $90 (!) -- which was better than the hospital’s offer of $120 (!!). Later the pharmacy called to cancel the appointment because they were having problems getting test kits delivered. Instead they sold me a personal test kit, the less invasive nasal swab antigen test with two tests. I tested negative, thank heavens, and was free to roam about the country. 

 But I thought I needed a PCR test to return to Austria, and that’s where I ran into problems in the U.S. All sorts of testing opportunities were listed online for my area, but most of this information was outdated. Either they no longer offered tests, or the phone number was no longer in service; the tests were only for people with U.S. health insurance, or for students at the university; they offered only antigen tests or the results were available within 3-5 days (for travel purposes, PCR tests are only good for three days which makes this option absolutely useless). Luckily, I reviewed the travel conditions and discovered I needed either a negative PCR test OR proof of vaccination (which I had). I did not have to prove a negative COVID test or vaccination before getting on a U.S. domestic flight, or before getting on an international flight. I only had to sign an affidavit that I had not experienced any symptoms of COVID in the last 10 days and would wear a mask in airports and on the airplanes. 

This morning I realized I would be visiting with relatives who are elderly and/or immunosuppressed, and I hadn’t been tested since returning from the U.S. I got on my phone at 9:35, signed up for an appointment at the nearest Teststraße for 10:15, walked to my appointment, got my test (negative!) and was home by 10:45. And I didn’t pay a cent! 

I could wax here philosophic on the relative merits of universal health care or the importance of testing to control the spread of the virus or the double-standard of requiring a negative COVID test for entry into the U.S. but not for travel within the country or even the advantages of being vaccinated. But I’ll let the reader draw his or her own conclusions, while I enjoy a lovely afternoon with family and friends.

Same procedure as last year?

 

SAME PROCEDURE AS EVERY YEAR

Most Austrians are familiar with the exchange, “Same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?”  “Same procedure as every year, James.”  It comes from a beloved British one-act play entitled “Dinner for One,” that is broadcast on Austrian television every New Year’s Eve at about 11:30 pm.  This is when the countdown to the New Year really begins, as the clock is superimposed over the story of Miss Sophie’s 90^th birthday party.  When the play ends, there is just enough time to grab the champagne and glasses, put on your coat and go outside to wait for the stroke of midnight, the fireworks, the champagne corks flying, the first sip of bubbly in the New Year, and the Blue Danube Waltz on the radio.

At least, that’s been the procedure in past years.  2021 is different.

Last year I was in Duluth, Minnesota to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the shores of Lake Superior, a combination 60^th birthday and Christmas gift for my boyfriend. I think we probably watched “Dinner for One” on a laptop, and we chilled Austrian champagne (from the liquor store in Grand Marais!) in the snow on the balcony of our hotel. The first disappointment of 2020 was that the only fireworks appeared briefly on the Wisconsin side of the harbor (I was expecting them to be fired over the Duluth Lift Bridge, Fourth of July style). How minor an inconvenience that seems now in light of all that’s happened the past few months.

December 31, 2019 - Grand Marais, MN

All the familiar procedures have been upended. Education has been moved online, with all of the challenges that brings to learners, teachers, and parents.  Graduation requirements have been waived.  Grocery shopping has become an odyssey of hand sanitizing stations, masks, and keeping one’s distance, even if it means circling around the store until the indecisive person blocking the dairy aisle has moved.  Vacations have been cancelled, as well as all other social engagements.  No spring break in Cremona, no Literature and Wine in Stift Göttweig, no garden party in Vienna, no trip to the US, no Lake Superior, no Christmas in Iowa. There was a brief moment this summer when it seemed like things might go back to “normal.” Restaurants set up outdoor options.  Theaters offered distanced seating and contact tracing.  But as soon as the weather grew cold and activities moved indoors, it’s been one lockdown after another.  Being cautiously optimistic, we expect the latest to be lifted January 25.

Procedures, however, are irreversibly changed.  Now it’s normal to be tested if you want to visit your family for a special event.  Family reunions take place on Zoom.  Everyone is eyed with suspicion – where have they been and who have they been with and should they really spend time in my house?  That goes for family members and friends as well as the chimney sweep or furnace repairman.  Will we ever go back to teaching in person?  Will teenagers ever learn to keep their distance and sanitize their stations several times a day?  Will I ever stop holding my breath for 30 seconds after a jogger runs past me?  When will I get to see my parents in person again? And why aren’t other people around the world asking themselves these same questions, instead of putting themselves and everyone else at risk by denying the danger of simply breathing in the wrong place at the wrong time?

I miss being able to laugh with friends, without worrying about how many droplets we’re spraying into the air.  I miss being able to hug people who are in need of a hug (or when I need one).  I miss sharing a meal without wondering whether it’ll land me in the hospital. I really miss live music. But I am adaptable. It might not be “the same procedure as last year” but if shifting procedures is what it takes to get back to some semblance of normalcy, then I’ll do my very best!

Happy New Year, y'all.

 

Lockdown 2.1

Here we are again... A lot has happened in the past few (dare I say it?) YEARS and in order to get back into writing and blogging, and to keep in touch with friends and family back in the States, I have returned to the keyboard. 

 What a long, strange trip it's been! 

 As of this writing, there are 15,826,732 active Covid-19 cases worldwide. Since the pandemic began there have been 55,650,339 cases. 11,563,398 total cases in the US with 252,963 deaths. 214,597 cases in Austria - 1,945 deaths. These numbers are mind-boggling because the cases six months ago seemed dramatic. 

 So a little context. In March 2020, I had just started the semester teaching English at a higher technical college in Austria. I had planned a relaxing weekend at my favorite bed and breakfast,  that schools would be closed as of March 16.  I hurriedly threw together a semester test for my graduating seniors to give on Friday the 13th, March 2020. I also cancelled my weekend in St. Radegund with heavy heart. 

 When Sunday morning rolled around, the media were announcing that not only was a lockdown imminent, but restrictions on travel between Austrian states were likely. I had to scramble. Did I want to spend lockdown alone in Upper Styria, or was it wiser to go to Vienna where I could be with my boyfriend and near the airport in case I had to bug out? I threw everything I thought was necessary into my car and drove to Vienna on Sunday, March 15.

Teaching online for two and a half months was no picnic.  I had six different classes divided into 9 different groups, and sat in front of a computer from 10-12 hours a day, either teaching online or giving feedback on written work. Students were bored sitting at home, and tried to liven up online teaching by muting the teacher, kicking their classmates out of the lesson, or drawing on the virtual whiteboard.  

In between teaching online lessons, my boyfriend and I walked hundreds of thousands of steps through the Central Cemetery in Vienna.  We took all precautionary measures when shopping or taking public transportation.  Slowly Covid measures relaxed. In the meantime we went back to school with half the students in the building at a time.  My graduating seniors graduated, although they did not take their leaving exams in English, which I had been training them for for FIVE YEARS.

At the end of the first lockdown, Austria had had about 26,000 Covid cases and 700 deaths, which remained relatively steady through August.  Now we have 220,000 cases and nearly 2,000 deaths.  How the hell did this happen?

It doesn't matter.  We started a second lockdown on  November 3.  You may remember that on Monday, November 2, a gunman open fired on people celebrating the last few hours of freedom in downtown Vienna, so on November 3rd we woke up to a double Covid and terrorism lockdown. Although restaurants and bars were closed, shops were still open, and people went about their daily business.  The number of Covid cases steadily increased and our Lockdown 2.1 began today (November 17).  Shops are closed, personal services are closed, people are supposed to stay home from work, and the chancellor has ordered "MEET NO ONE" to protect the health care system which is being stretched to the limit in areas like Vorarlberg on the other end of the country.

I don't feel like my life has changed significantly, but it really has.  After the first lockdown, my boyfriend and I decided that we wouldn't actually kill each other if we lived together, so after the semester ended, I moved to Vienna lock, stock and barrel.  The day before my teaching contract ended in September I was invited to teach a couple of seminars at the Pädagogische Hochschule (Teacher's College) in Vienna.  So I've been teaching online since October 1.  

We enjoyed a couple of "calm before the storm" moments.  We went to a film festival in Freistadt (social distancing and masks in public spaces), and to a performance at the Burgtheater.  We met friends at outdoor cafes (including a snail restaurant).  I did finally get back to my favorite bed and breakfast for a few glorious days.  But now we are trying to play our part in the lockdown, which is intended to reduce the number of infections so drastically that the Christmas and Advent markets (for which Austria is famous throughout Europe) can open.  I have my doubts...

 I've already missed my summer holidays on Lake Superior, and I'm going to miss Christmas with my folks. So any words of wisdom or positive thoughts you can send this way would be appreciated.   

 

10 years later ... part three

The first day of school in 2013, I pitched up at the business college without a residency permit because it still hadn't been approved. And the director who had hired me said, "oh, by the way, we don't have enough hours for you here, so we're sending you to a technical college up the road to complete your contract." This was the first day of school!  And the technical college up the road was 15 miles up the road.  I didn't have a car.  I didn't have any money because I didn't have a contract because I didn't have residency yet!

10 years later... part two

I can honestly say that the decision to be a Fulbright teaching assistant in Austria changed my life.  Already during my first visit to Austria in 1986, I knew that someday I wanted to live in this magical place.  The assistantship allowed me to find out if my German was good enough, and if I could be accepted by the locals.  I rented an apartment from a former English teacher, and shared living space with a 24 year-old heavy metal rocker.  My mentor taught me so much about being a teacher and living an authentic life. I met friends and gained a lot of experience teaching in different settings. And it took a long time, but my German (or at least my Styrian dialect!) improved. I also realized that I didn't need loads of money to be happy, because my pay as an assistant was half my measly salary in the States.

10 Years Later...

When I started this blog, it was to keep my friends and family updated about my new adventures as a foreign language teaching assistant in Austria.  That was in 2007. Ten years later I am living in Austria as a full-time English teacher in a higher technical college.

How did I get here, you may ask.  I won't say it has been easy, but I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason."  This is my take on the events that led me on this most amazing journey.

Wind Damage on the Putterersee

Romania - Part IV - Lasting Impressions

I didn’t get to take many pictures as we were zooming through the Romanian countryside, which is a pity since many of the lasting impressions would have made beautiful submissions to National Geographic Photo of the Day.

Some of the small villages in Transylvania were not quite infrastructurally up to date.  Bright yellow pipes often lined the streets, and even formed arches over driveways. I asked my Romanian friend what these pipelines were and she said, “Gas lines.”  Gas lines?? Above ground - at bumper level!?  Don’t people run into them?  “All the time,” she said. 

There were other peculiarities of Romanian villages.  Nearly every driveway/carport/front door had a grape arbor to provide shade, but also for homemade wine.  Many houses have modest livestock:  chickens, goats, cows.  I can’t count the number of times I saw elderly women taking their cows for a walk in the early evening - and I can’t believe I never got a photo!

Romania is still a very poor country.  Like Greece there are half-finished buildings dotting the landscape.  In the Danube Delta we saw people living in wagons - reminiscent of the gypsies of lore, however politically incorrect. 

In the country, I never saw any sort of mechanized farm machinery... everything was done by hand, including the cutting of hay/grain with a scythe, and if the hay had to be dried the farmer and his family turned it over with rustic hayforks.  Shepherds conducted their sheep along rivers, bucolic scenes worthy of Vergil - until a low hanging snag or sandbar reminded me that there is no successful recycling program in Romania - bottles and plastic sacks are piled high, even along the Danube!

Before I left for Romania, a friend told me I needed a rabies shot.  That wasn't the case, but I now understand where she was coming from.  There are hundreds of stray dogs in Romania - in every city, village, at every rest stop and every archaeological site.  Many of them have tags in their ears to show they have been immunized and registered - making them look like a ragtag bunch of Steiff Button-In-Ear toys.  

 

The only thing I really regret about the trip to Romania was that we had absolutely no time to shop for souvenirs or postcards or find a post office to send the postcards we'd written.  I know that means I'll probably have to go back sometime!

Romania 2013 - Part III

The highlight of the Colloquium was the excursion to Constanța.  The coastal town to which Ovid was exiled (after his affair with Emperor Augustus' daughter, Julia) was, according to his own description, bleak.  Today it is a resort area - Ovid was always a trendsetter!

Ovid looking dour in Constanța (Tomis)

It took a long time to get to Constanța, even though it is a mere 200 km from Bucharest.  But we wanted to visit Tropaeum Traiani as well.  It always amazes me how very far off the beaten path some of the Roman outposts are.  The distinguishing feature of Tropaeum Traiani is the monument which  commemorated Trajan's victory over the Dacians.  The original monument fragments are displayed in the museum at Adamclisi, and a modern reconstruction now stands on the site.  It can be seen from miles away and was a reminder of Roman superiority.

Tropaeum Traiani

Original sculptures in the museum at Adamclisi

Original reliefs in the museum at Adamclisi

As always happens on these excursions, I am torn between the Roman sites and the natural history.  I decided I needed to get a better camera with more control after missing a terrific shot of a green and blue lizard because of auto-focus!

Lacerta viridis

We finally arrived in Constanța, and stayed at the lovely Hotel Palace on the harbor.  To compensate for my lack of view, the door to the bathroom was decorated with seashells between two panes of glass!

Ovid may have complained endlessly about the waves and wind at Tomis, I found them romantic and refreshing:

The next day we went to Histria in the Danube Delta. This turned out to be quite an excursion!  There are remains here as far back at the Greek archaic period, which makes is a good place to study continuity.  The museum was fabulous, and when I found a sculpture comparable to my research poster project (The Missouri Dove Girl), the staff not only found publications and bibliography for me, but even allowed me to visit the storeroom!

As I walked to the archaeological site, I heard THIS SOUND.  And I said to myself, "If that's not a HOOPOE, I'm handing in my Junior Ornithologist card!"  And sure enough, the place was overrun with hoopoes*, which flew from the walls of the ancient city, into the fields and back again.  This is known in the ornithology biz as a "life bird!"

We ended up back in Bucharest in time to grab a late dinner, and the next day the participants scattered to their respective homes in 15+ different countries.  I went to Austria to continue my research (and my job search!).



*and storks, hawfinches, European ground squirrels, crested larks, butterflies, pipits and six-inch stinging centipedes.

Romania 2013 - Part II

Our northwesternmost destination was Deva, where we visited an outdoor lapidarium, played with kitties, paid homage to Decebalus and were entertained by a group of dancers performing for Children's Day.

Look at all the different types of stone and marble!

Obligatory cat picture - what would the internet be without cats?

Decebalus, King of the Dacians - until his suicide in 106 CE

We returned to Bucharest via the oldest stone church in Romania, built from plundered Roman stones and via the World War I Monument in Târgu-Jiu, featuring sculptures by Romanian born artist Constantine Brâncuși.

Basilica Densus

Brâncuși's Gate of the Kiss (note bride!)

All in all on our 60-hour trip to Transylvania we traveled 800 km in a bus that averaged about 30 mph, admired the river landscape when it wasn't littered with multi-colored plastic bags and bottles, visited four museums, heard thirteen more lectures, ate at a medieval restaurant, visited the church and the Brâncuși monument, and made it back to Bucharest in time to catch about seven hours of sleep before our excursion to the Black Sea!

End of Part II.

P.S. Apparently SOMEONE was allowed to take pictures of the Dacian bracelet hoard!

Click for Creative Commons license - Source: Wikipedia

Romania 2013 - Part I

Most Americans will associate Romania with two things: Dracula or Nadia Comaneci. I associate Romania with the Black Sea, Ovid's exile, and Trajan's Column.  Romania was once the Roman province of Dacia which Trajan conquered, and for this reason the 13th Colloquium of Roman Provincial Art was held in Bucharest, Alba Julia, and Constanța.

A colloquium in Romania paid for by the LSU Office of Research and Development and the School of Art may sound romantic, but it was so stressful!  From 8:00 am to 8:00 pm the 100 or so participants attended lectures - up to 17 lectures a day (!) - on all aspects of Roman provincial art given in whatever language the lecturer to present his or her research (German, English, French, Italian).  This left little time for eating and sleeping.

My poster on the Missouri Dove Girl attracted attention and useful feedback.  I'll write it up for the proceedings.

After two days of intensive conferencing, 60 or so participants were packed into two buses and off we went to Transylvania - not to visit Dracula's castle ("Every castle is Dracula's castle" according to the locals!) - but to visit the museum at Alba Julia (ancient Apulum).  We were greeted by legionary soldiers ("the last of their unit!") and there was a special exhibit for us about the Romans, Dacians, and Celts.

We were allowed to see (but not photograph) a hoard of gold bracelets which were under high security and were packed away as soon as we had all seen them.  Some fascinating pieces in these small museums - I'm always impressed by their collections of Roman art that you never see in textbooks.  These outposts really were little copies of Rome. Just look at this gorgeous statue of Hecate, goddess of the crossroads from Sibiu:

One can't say the same for the modern interpretation of Roman art.  There is a bronze statue of Trajan in front of the art museum in Bucharest which has been the focus of some controversy. It's a nice likeness of Trajan from the neck up.  But he's holding a very stiff Lupa Romana in his arms (the Lupa Romana is everywhere in Romania - and the founder of the webpage Ubi Erat Lupa was with us on the tour) - only this version leaves out the twins Romulus and Remus. Instead, a serpent-like appendage protrudes from the back of Lupa's head.  Reminiscent of the Chimera of Arezzo, it's supposed to represent the dragon of Dacia. The sculpture is very controversial and rightly so. 

Just search "bronze Trajan Bucharest" for some interesting reviews of the installation!

End of Part I.

Perspectives of the Past

PERSPECTIVES OF THE PAST
Women of the Ancient Aegean

            Portrayal of women in the media is a huge social issue in our society today. The students of Art History 4409 have been studying ancient Aegean art this semester, and they have been presented with the opportunity to put up an exhibition highlighting some of the major themes that were discussed in the course.

            This exhibit offers a glimpse into the perceptions of women of the ancient Aegean as people of mainland Greece, Crete and the Greek islands portrayed them through their own artistic efforts. The female figure was the first real figural artistic attempt that we are aware of, dating back to the Neolithic period. The “mother goddess” figures suggest that women were idolized and worshipped by ancient peoples for their ability to bear children, as shown by the accentuation of their hips and breasts.

            Through a number of mediums, including, drawing, painting, sculpture, casting, fashion, photography, photo manipulation, and others, the students of Art History 4409 have presented for you their own take on the ancient perspectives of women in the Aegean.

The Special Reception is on May 11 is at 6:30 in the Atrium of the Design Bldg.

Have your picture taken with the 10 foot Minoan Snake Goddess and post it to our Facebook page: Perspectives of the Past: Women of the Ancient Aegean!

"Well, back to the old drawing board..."

I know how my friend, Marvin the Martian, feels.  For the second time in 28 months I’m getting kicked to the academic curb and I have absolutely no plan. Teaching jobs are likely out of the question (see below), so I am considering directing my talents elsewhere: academic publishing, guiding academic tours, perhaps even offering private Latin lessons to high school and home schooled students.

My life coach asked me what I’m most afraid of right now.  First I said, “Losing my insurance,” which is true to some extent.  Until the pre-existing condition clause of Obamacare goes into effect, I’m going to be at risk (Damn skin cancer. And Barrett’s. And fibrocystic disease).  But what really terrifies me is the possibility of making another mistake... I’d go so far as to say this fear is paralyzing my next move. 

I finished my PhD in 2003 while teaching three classes (when I write “Dissertations for Dummies” Step One will be “Secure outside funding:  take out a loan, borrow from your parents, marry rich; but under no circumstances try to complete a graduate degree while teaching full time.”).  The next year, the department came to me and said they needed me to teach four classes to cover for a dear colleague who died.  Of the four classes, I had taught only one before.  Four classes, three new preps, including upper level Latin and upper level Greek.  I asked the section head, “But when am I going to find time to publish?” And he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Oh, if you can teach this variety of courses you will be marketable anywhere.”  He lied.  I believed him.  Mistake #1. It wasn’t until a job opened up at that same institution that the bubble burst and the chair said, “We can’t even justify interviewing you without publications.”

I tried to make my escape in 2006, and ended up as a Fulbright U.S. Teaching Assistant in Austria. As I sat in my $275 rented apartment earning half of what I made as a Latin instructor, I made the conscious decision that I did not need a job at a high powered research university to be happy.  And I packed up my research on Pliny the Younger and gave 100% to my assistantship.  How could I have known that I would be fired upon my return to the U.S.?  That was Mistake #2.  Mistake #3 was not staying in Austria when I had the chance - but again, I couldn’t in my wildest dreams have imagined that the university would fire someone with my qualifications:  Latin, Greek, Classical Studies (including Women in Antiquity, Tragedy in Translation, and cross-listed courses in Anthropology), German, Study Abroad, Academic Advising, Residential Colleges.  If you’re going to fire people during a financial crisis, wouldn’t it be in the best interest of the institution to keep the person who can give you the most bang for your buck?

Perhaps I should have taken that semester off and worked on publications - but I was in survival mode.  I managed to work two full time jobs (as a tax preparer and an adjunct at a community college), earning a whopping $11,000 which had to stretch until September.  And then, a deus ex machina - the Greek and Roman art historian left abruptly and recommended me as a replacement.  I applied, I negotiated, I rose to the challenge.  I even submitted an article for a proceedings that first semester.  My colleagues respected me and treated me well.  And when my job was converted to a tenure-track position, they strongly encouraged me to apply. 

Mistake #4: Their encouragement got my hopes up that my hard work might pay off after all.

O.K., so my publication record is a little sparse.  But I did publish an article when it wasn’t expected or required of me, and I did research last summer at the University of Graz which landed me a poster presentation at an international colloquium in Bucharest - a trip which the university is sponsoring to the tune of $2000.  But my application was Not. Even. Considered. I’m the inside candidate, a known quantity, and I didn’t even make the first cut.... or the second cut for that matter.  It’s not because I’m not a good teacher.  I have high academic standards, it’s true, but if you just do the work you’ll end up with an A or a B in my class.  I guess I think the world should work that way, too.  Do the work, receive the reward.  The problem is that in the business of higher education the only thing that’s valued is research and my research isn’t good enough for a tenure-track position.  Without publications, my degree is worth exactly $36,000 a year before taxes.  Taking into account that teaching three courses is by far more than a 40 hour per week job (including class prep, meeting with students, teaching, grading and administrivia), I make exactly half of the annual mean wage for my chosen profession. 

So everything I thought I was doing to secure a place for myself in the world has blown up in my face like the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator.

Meet you back at the old drawing board, Marvin, my friend. 

Happy New Year from Dysfunctional Louisiana!

It's illegal to chase a fish in a city park; A guide to silly LA Laws from WAFB

Smiley Anders for December 30 - The Advocate

Edwin Edwards lands reality TV show - The Advocate
Entitled "The Governor's Wife," it will star EWE's third wife and - well, ya gotta read the article!

16 days...

from So Much Pun

From TheFW

A Thanksgiving Advent Calendar 2012

Election Day in America

The next 24+ hours ought to be a wild ride!  I voted this morning at about 7:00 am, then made my way to the brand new university bookstore for a celebratory croissant -- er, all-American muffin.  Just my luck, the cafe was closed for a water leak so I ended up in the library with better coffee but inferior baked goods.

Four years ago I was watching election returns from my tiny apartment in Austria -- after months of explaining the election process, dissecting candidate speeches, and debating the issues with my students.

My practical explanation of the electoral college was a stroke of genius.  Most of my students in the BAKIP Liezen (a high school that trained future kindergarten teachers) were girls.  So I divided them into two states, the Blondes and the Brunettes (the two redheads were our presidential candidates).  There were 7 Blondes and 5 Brunettes - based on population, the Blonde state would have more electoral votes and determine the next president.  All the Brunettes voted for Candidate 1 (I think her name was Sabrina) and three of the Blondes voted for Candidate 1.  The popular vote therefore was eight individuals for Candidate 1.  Four of the Blondes voted for Candidate 2, which meant that the majority of the Blonde state voted for Candidate 2. Because the Blonde state had the higher population, their majority vote counted more so Candidate 2 lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College.

After this brilliant demonstration of the drawbacks of electoral college voting, one of my students raised her hand and asked, totally serious: "But, how do they know in the United States whether you're blonde or brunette, and can't you just dye your hair before the election?" (If I may invoke the stereotype, she was surprisingly NOT a blonde!)

So it will be interesting to see what the next 24 hours will bring: what will happen in the swing states and how the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy will affect the voting.  It could be much more controversial than the 2000 election, with disenfranchised voters and the possibility that people in New York (with the highly coveted 29 electoral votes) could get an extra day of voting and knowledge of what's needed to make or break a candidate.  I have a feeling the election won't be decided today or tomorrow.  Any predictions?

UPDATE, Thursday 11/8:  Obama:  332  Romney:  206  -  Florida hasn't yet made their results official but it wouldn't affect the outcome.  The popular vote was much closer than in 2008, and about 10 million fewer people voted (interesting!).  The American people have spoken. Can we talk about something else now? :-)