Osler's Razor

Last night I was at the Minnesota Gophers-UNLV game as the sun was going down... just a beautiful end-of-summer evening.  Then I went downtown to do an interview with Al Jazeera America about the DOJ's views on marijuana legalization, and as I was waiting in the green room I found myself thinking not about narcotics policy, but about what a great time of year this is.  I've spent most of my life attending or working at schools, and the academic calendar is etched in my heart.  This is the start of the year, a new beginning.  It is just about my favorite time of the year.

Part of what defines it is the annual ritual of getting school supplies-- and yes, I do restock for my own purposes at this time of year.  I love the stacks of notebooks and pencils, the backpacks ready to be hauled to a locker, the shiny pens and tape dispensers.

Let's haiku about them today.  I'll go first:

Yearly ritual:
Buying a new protractor.
But... what does it do?

Seriously, I still don't know.  Yet, I feel like buying one.

Now, you go.  Use the 5 syllable/7 syllable/5 syllable formula, please.  I think this will bring out some great work... or at least some decent nostalgia.