Stand By Your Van: spellbinding chronicles of midwestern suburbia - more opinionated vignettes

More things and what I think about them. 
This might become a regular feature. The Opinion Corner, with Ashley Fetters. Heh.

The English language: The more reading I do during the summer, the more I get excited about our language. Words like "shadowy" and "scamper" sound exactly like what they mean. That's so cool. And "collapse" has a structure that suggests what it means: the C and the O give it a strong start with the bold establishing sounds, then it's bolstered by the double L in the middle. And then the second syllable has percussive sliding sounds that suggest rapid falling movement, like - surprise! - something collapsing. Nerdy, I know, but I thought about it for like three days.

"Don't Panic," Coldplay: This song sounds the way oranges taste.

Short films: I guess America isn't really into short films, but I've recently discovered that they're way more convenient than movies. Less fuss with set-up and whatnot. This one from Belgium, "Fait d'Hiver," blew my mind, and it's actually what made me start getting interested in shorts.

Tailgater membership for 11th-graders: Apparently, Owatonna's tailgating is not exclusively limited to seniors in the 08-09 season. As kindhearted as it is to include underclassmen in school spirit activities, it might just be a better idea to let tailgating stay a senior tradition. Tailgating being what it is, it's probably smarter, and safer, for nearly-legal seniors to participate in activities that require driving out of town and grilling in a parking lot than 16-year-old juniors. That one year of additional maturity makes more of a difference than meets the eye. Also, I just wish incoming seniors realized that what makes tailgating so cool is the class unity; in my year and in years past, football season has provided an immediate opportunity to get started on what makes senior year so exciting. Children... just remember... it's worth the wait.

Wimbledon: I doubt anyone is really shocked, but I really, truly think Nadal can win this year at the All-England Club. And Bjorn Borg agrees. Nadal's dominant run at Roland Garros (and that massacre of a final) coupled with Federer's shaky first half of 2008 might mean the end of a dynasty. He just about did it last year, and I think the third time might be the charm.