So I get up this morning at 6:15, right? I'm looking forward to lecturing on Kant's Categorical Imperative and the nature of moral philosophy in my 8:00 Ethics course. I call the university to see whether it's closed on account of inclement weather. (The forecast is for freezing rain.) The recorded message says the university is open for business. Fair enough, I say. It's 34º and the street is dry. I get my coffee going and jump in the shower. I get out, get dressed, and go to the kitchen for coffee. I see my telephone light flashing. Hmm. I check the messages and learn that my university has closed for the day. An automated system called MavAlert called me. (Our athletic teams are known as the Mavericks.)
Ya gotta love technology. Had the university not called and left a message, or had I not seen the flashing light, I would have driven to campus (all of six miles) for nothing. On the other hand, had the university made up its mind 25 minutes earlier, I would have gotten the information about the closing and could have gone back to bed for another hour of beauty sleep. (Goodness knows I need it.) Don't take this as a sign that I need a cellphone. That ain't got nothin' to do with this. Cellphones are tools of the devil, designed to leash people to others. I will not be leashed! I am unleashed! Only leashy people want to be leashed!
