Time Shifting, Fat Squirrels, and the Smallest School in the World

One problem with writing in advance of publication is the risk of outdated information. I had written—and prepublished—Monday's flu-inspired verse on Sunday, fully expecting to be in the same bedridden, feverish condition that characterized the latter portion of My One True Love's weekend. I figured this would give me more time for things like vomiting and diarrhea, not to mention eliminating at least some of the trouble that comes from spewing fever-fueled monologues.

Not that I'm disappointed, but Monday dawned with only the occasional hint of any of the symptoms I noted above. Even the ominous gurgling in my stomach has gone away, and if I'm delirious it has nothing to do with fever. Still, I'm only halfway through Monday as I write this, and we all know what can happen when premature gloating replaces sober judgment, and fear.

In other news, I've noticed an alarming trend toward obesity in the many squirrels that call this place home. I say alarming because they've metamorphosed from scrawny tree urchins to rotund furballs with attitude, which can only mean we're in for a long, cold winter. Or not, if it's simply due to their increasing dependence on anabolic steroids.

For those who wonder what that citizen journalism tag is doing in a blogologue that, after all, appears to have precious little to do with journalism, or citizens, or anything worthwhile for that matter, I would simply point to the Global Voices button near the top of this page. I rarely click the links on my own blog, partly because I can't stand looking at what I've done, and partly because I already know what I've done, so I don't really need to look at it over and over, if you see what I mean.

Anyway, I did click that link today (by which I mean yesterday, unless you happen to be remarkably adept at time travel) and immediately ran into a brief but potent article on the smallest school in the world, a very literal assessment supported by UNESCO and amplified by media such as CNN and YouTube. To quote the author, it's a "story about how blogging can change lives in a positive way and attract attention to invisible parts of this world." And in typical Global Voices style, it's an interesting—and encouraging—side trip into the everyday realities of people far removed, and at the same time nearer and more similar than we might want to contemplate.