oh, where was I, or and the dog ate my homework, too ...

1) I attended a professional training conference all week. There are two theories about professional renewal. One is that one should sometimes take a little time off and learn or do something entirely different from what is one's profession -- get the brain to think in new ways. The other is to intensively embrace what you do. I did the latter this week, it was incredibly invigorating. But it means I've not written here, particularly in dialogue with Emily and our discussion on MacCulloch's The Reformation: a history.

2) Our DSL connection went kaput for almost the entire week. Partner had conversations with Chris in India (do you know him?), and some of Chris' friends. Sometimes the friends hung up on him. None of them went well in terms of being helpful. He reconnected and rebuilt and now everything is working again. But I assumed I would come home each night and do a little writing, and it didn't happen. There were three or four available computers at the conference, but our breaks were few and people used those times to make serious communciations with their offices.

3) Wonderful, lovely, incredible thing, this internet. But outside of dropping conversations -- and not able to apologize for doing so -- it's ok not to be so plugged into the world. Katrina and the aftermath upset the applecart, at least for me, and I assume many others of us who did not experience it but who were riveted by the coverage, angry and helpless about those stranded during the first week. Given as I wrote after the hurriance, my house was dry and my family safe, it seems selfish to even talk about my thoughts or reaction to this disaster -- did you see Celine D. weeping? It's obvious that the hurriance has re-spun American politics, at least for the moment.