Where did the weekend go?

Come back, little weekend, come back!

Man, that went by WAY too fast, and here we are at Monday. Today, I was the lucky one who got to do all the testing for Influenza, RSV, and Viral panels. I had over 50, but I actually did pretty well with organizing and multi-tasking, and was able to get out of there at a decent time. I just feel worn out, though, because you sit there doing all the processing, then you sit there and read all these slides at the microscope. You wouldn't think sitting could make you ache, but it does! After work, I ran over to Circuit City to buy some flash drives that were on sale. The kid who helped me said, "Wow, that's a good deal!" I said, "That's what I thought, too!" Of course, I couldn't get out of there with just that. I also got "Daughtry" (we liked him on American Idol, and have been meaning to get his CD for a while), "Rock n Roll Jesus," which is Kid Rock's new CD (thanks to Indigo, who wrote that the song "Amen"--which I love--is from this CD), and a DVD of "The Warriors" on sale. Does anyone else remember that movie? It has my favorite Eagles' song in it, "In the City."

Congratulations to fellow Hoosier and hometown boy Ryan Newman on winning the Daytona 500! They're talking to a bunch of his family members on the local news. We didn't watch the race, but how cool was it that Kurt Busch gave him a push?

Sen. Barack Obama said Monday that he doesn't think it's a big deal that he borrowed lines from his friend Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, although he probably should have given him credit.

Patrick said during his gubernatorial campaign a year and a half ago that words matter, like "I have a dream" and "all men are created equal." Obama used the same lines Saturday night in Wisconsin. Obama said that Patrick suggested he use the lines to respond to Hillary Rodham Clinton's suggestion that Obama is more of a talker than a doer.

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson accused Obama of plagiarizing Patrick, and that's particularly troubling since Obama's appeal is based in large part on his rhetorical skills. "It raises questions about the premise of his candidacy," Wolfson told reporters in a conference call.

Obama, D-Ill., says that's going too far.

"Now hold on a second. Let's see - I've written two books, wrote most of my speeches," Obama told reporters at a news conference after touring a titanium plant. "I'm happy to give Deval credit, as I give credit to a lot people for spurring all kinds of ideas," he said. "But I think that it is fair to say that everything that we've been doing in generating excitement and the interest that people have in the election is based on the core belief in me that we need change in America."

Asked whether he wished he would have given him credit given the criticism he's facing, Obama responded: "I was on the stump, and he had suggested that we use these lines. I thought they were good lines. I'm sure I should have - didn't this time."

"I really don't think this is too big of a deal," he said. He said he's noticed Clinton using his phrases sometimes, like "it's time to turn the page" and "fired up, ready to go."

Senator Clinton...I really don't think you want to start calling Senator Obama a plagiarist. Apparently people at her speeches are chanting "Yes she can," which is just a tad reminiscent of the Obama crowds' chants of "Yes we can." I tend to like Obama's pronoun usage better--it had better be "we" instead of "he" or "she," if we really want to see a change. Obama had his friend's permission to use the phrases, so I don't believe that a plagiarism accusation is warranted. Best to back away from this one, Clinton campaign...I know you're in trouble, but it's a bad idea to start throwing around unwarranted charges such as the little plagiarism-that-wasn't.

Speaking of Obama, today I asked my supervisor what she thinks of him. She is from Chicago, and she is African-American, and she's one of the smartest people I know, so I was curious to see what she thinks. She said she was supporting Clinton until she saw her condescending behavior in a debate, and she started looking into Obama a little more. She said that people accuse him of having no substance, but when she found his web site, she said it's all laid out there in great detail. I said it's funny that she said that, because I saw an interview with him (Was it from "60 Minutes"? I think so.) where he said that when he started out, people said he was inspiring, but asked where the substance was. So he started giving details in his campaign speeches, and people started asking what happened to the inspiration! So he decided to put all the details on his web site and go back to getting people fired up. You can't win for losin', that's for sure! My supervisor said that her sister is a police sergeant in Chicago, and has met Obama and talked to people that see him walking around his neighborhood. I guess he's just like he comes across in interviews--calm, polite, funny, just a really decent, kind guy. That's always neat to hear. I got the impression that my supervisor is now a supporter. She said she thinks it's amazing to see how many people, especially young people, are getting involved, and if nothing else, this has served to get rid of some of the apathy in the country about politics. Agreed!

Oops, I guess I should have put up a disclaimer before I wrote that. "Warning: Nice comments about Barack Obama ahead." I'll be sure to use that next time!

I would like to address a comment from Ziggy. First of all, thanks for reading and commenting, Ziggy! Here's what you had to say:

Who is this Dr. Will person? I do not agree with him at all about the Dick Van Dyke Show. He tripped over the ottoman cause it is called humour. It makes people laugh. That is why they called it a comedy show. I prefer to think that I love shows like this cause they are fun and they make me laugh. I really can't see that there would be any hidden psychological meanings in any of it. Just pure entertainment and fun at face value. I could also add Lucy and Carol Burnett to this list. What fun those shows were. There is not nearly enough laughter in our livesthese days and I do not mean polite little "tee hees". I mean gut splitting belly laughter, laughing till there are tears in the eyes. What a gift.

Well, Ziggy, I definitely agree with you about classic comedy! You mentioned Lucy, and "I Love Lucy" remains my favorite show of all time. I still love watching it (I have all the episodes on DVD) and I still laugh until, as you put it, there are tears in my eyes! I can be having the worst day, but if I watch Lucy, she can still make me laugh. Again, like you said, what a gift!

As for Dr. Will, he wears many hats. You can always check out his web site (link is to the left) to learn more, but I'll just say here that he is a licensed and practicing psychologist, an ordained minister, an author, a corporate speaker, and here's a significant tidbit of information: he did standup comedy for many years! While he has plenty to say about real disorders and real problems, some of what he says in his analyses of classic TV shows in psychological terms can and should be taken to be a bit tongue in cheek. Things like Barney Fife probably suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or "Gilligan's Island" being a show about repressed rage over Gilligan's ineptitude. We can continue to enjoy classic sitcoms for the pure fun that they are, but it's kind of fun to hear an analysis of what disorders or anxieties the characters might have. I guess the concept of a goofy sitcom and a serious psychological evaluation of it just makes me laugh!

Tags: Daughtry, Kid Rock, Rock and Roll Jesus, The Warriors, Ryan Newman, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Dr Will Miller, Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy