What Amy Grant has to do with Titleist golf balls

As I sit in the Kaimin office on a gloomy Veteran's Day, it occurs to me that I hate college. I'm not just tired of it, don't just want it to end. I. Hate. It. It's true, in six months when I walk across the stage a diploma in hand, a head full of steam,  into a world of unemployment, I'll wish I had another semester in front of me. But, for now, all I have in front of me is a business reporting assignment that makes no sense, a research paper for a class that's not even in my major, and a massive paper that is in my major. That latter is the only one I actually care about and feel is relevant to my life these days. 

I'm sick of doing journalism for grades. But I suppose I'll just take my lumps, get in my licks, and persevere. 

While I certainly won't miss the institution of college, I'll undoubtedly miss the carefree lifestyle and the camaraderie. This is a hell of a time, that's for sure. 

The paper I'm working on now is a look at Fortune Brands, the megaconglomerate that owns not just Jim Beam, but Maker's Mark and Knob Creek. Before starting this project, I was all about brand loyalty to Maker's and JB, but it turns out, I can drink both as well as Knob Creek -- while hitting Titleist golf balls under a Moen showerhead -- and not worry about offending any brands. 

I've pushed off this assignment for weeks. It's fortunate, too, since the company just released its third quarter reports late last week, giving me plenty of info for a timely paper. Yet, I just can't get excited about it. 

What I can get excited about is the upcoming holiday season. I've tried in recent years to become more of a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas, but it's just not in my nature. At my roots, I'm a pretty happy, joyful guy. Christmas is the one time of year when we can tap into that and not come off as childish and un-worldly. God knows, with this economy, we could all use some happiness.

To fulfill my longing for Christmas cheer, and to temper my discontent for school right now,  I have been listening to Christmas music. One song, probably because of the state of the world and where I am in life, jumped out at me. It's an oldy but a goody, I suppose, but perennially relevant.