squamous | ok, so, this too is boring, but

I had my physical this afternoon. I have to say that the doctors and the nurses and other folks there were pretty nice. I think the two grouchy old man doctors that I had to see when I was a child must have scarred me somehow. Of course I also secretly suspect I am just the kind of patient that doctors hate: I'm not going to take their advice, and who knows which way I'll jump when it all catches up with me and the tests finally disclose that I have in fact gotten my comeuppance, and I learn of this in their very office. This was my first visit to this doctor, and I did actually relax some while filling out all the "medical history" forms. The forms had quite a list of ailments and injuries, the majority of which I have been spared, so I started to feel a little better about my health.

Anyway, nothing too dramatic came of the physical, which is good. I have to go see an opthamologist, and I have to give some blood for various screenings and tests, which will almost certainly lead to the cholesterol-scold (see what I mean about not taking their advice? I'll deserve every last clot). The one particular complaint that finally pushed me to make the appointment left the guy perplexed, so no magic bullet was in the offing. Otherwise a problem that I used to have was again a concern, but I sorta figured that was the case. Of course these health things are rarely completely over, this is just the start of a process, but one with which I am now a bit more at ease. Well, a bit. Poor frail creature, I tells ya.

Now here is a curious thing. A couple of people had sent me info about this, I guess thinking that as a New Jersey resident, I would be interested. A summary, with some links, can be found on the 1/23 program notes for Neal Boortz... they are here. What's it about? The New Jersey Education Association puts out a pamplet aimed at encouraging parents to volunteer to help out at their kids schools. This pamphlet (or, if you are online, "pdf") is available in 3 flavors - regular, Spanish, and African-American. Why an African-American edition? Well, ostensibly the African-American version was just a dumbed-down version of "regular". The story was also reported here (you have to scroll down to find it, under the heading of "The Soft Bigotry of the Teachers Union". So, I dunno. African-American version? With the big words taken out? Insulting, no? (even if most people would probably find the less-wordy version preferable...) Anyway since this story came to light the NJEA has supposedly taken the "regular" version down and made the former "African-American" version the "regular"... if they have tried to explain themselves though, I have not heard the explanation.

Speaking of dumbing it down, I received some comic books today, including (finally) the first volume of the THUNDER Agents archives that DC is putting out. I got into buying these pricey hardcover reprints back when I was making good money at Apple, and now look at me. I also got the second issue of Eddie Campbell's "Egomania", along with some other stuff. Looks like Top Shelf is going to be publishing an illustrated edition of Alan Moore's Voice of the Fire novel this summer. I really like Voice of the Fire.