Disturbing the peace: A primer on my weekly rants

Greetings, civilians.

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for. Five hundred words, once a week, from yours truly. Written, recorded proof that my opinion as a journalist matters infinitely more than yours does.

My trusty editors have been asking me for weeks now what exactly I'll be focusing my column on throughout the course of the semester (no doubt chewing their nails and wondering what exactly they got themselves into inviting this guy to write a column, when he apparently can't even figure out how to properly utilize a comb), and I've been deftly maneuvering around giving them an answer. However, since this is, after all, my first installation, I guess some explanation is warranted. The primary focus of my little spot here at the prestigious Kaiminwill be on everyday life in the small, local spheres of the UM campus or the greater Missoula arena. A cultural exposé if you will, a social critique. I'll leave the foreign affairs, national politics and sports to my much more informed colleagues. In short, I'm just hoping to piss a few people off, make a few people laugh and make everybody think a little constructively about their immediate surroundings and how they interact with them.

I suppose a little insight as to whom you're dealing with may be in order. I hail from the remote northwestern corner of this fine state, raised by grizzly bears of course, and have been kicking around these hallowed halls for something resembling four years (an accurate sense of time evades me). My political views are stuck somewhere between indecisive moderation and most decided apathy. I shamelessly promote my band, the Dodgy Mountain Men, every chance I get. In my spare time I'm either traipsing around the woods, sleeping on your couch, fighting crime or watching the warm weather flesh parade on campus.

I know opinions are not always shared, but I'm obviously not going to be selfish with mine, here are a few points to keep in mind if you loathe everything I write:

1. I have a sense of humor. I like to play the devil's advocate.  Or maybe I'm just an asshole. But while I certainly stand by my opinions. I'm also not too lost down the "educated self-worth" trail to admit that my opinion can — and will — change, and what I'm really providing here is simply something to think and talk about.

2.Nobody's forcing you to read my column if you don't like it. However, I certainly encourage you to, as studying opposing opinions only strengthens your own arguments. And I suspect most of you will, since college kids love having something to bitch about (I know I'm not the only one who read Josh Potter's column every week last semester).

3.You're wrong.

And with that list of gospel truths, I'll tip my hat and remind you that today's the last Thursday until next Thursday. Don't waste it all on homework.

jedediah.nussbaum@umontana.edu