Random notes

Halloween. Sweet. Scot sent me the site for the NRA Blacklist. Everyone should sign up. As Scot put it, all the cool kids are doing it. I don't know how much this will stop those facists, but it sure feels good to stand up and say they are facist.

Also, Anne (not my sister) has this sweet picture. Seems appropriate enough.

Life, continued

And I came back to Washington, and everything was the same, except that it wasn't. Who knew uncertainty could be so captivating?

Back in DC

"If your confusion leads you in the right direction, the results can be uncommonly rewarding."

Packing list (revisited)

• One pair jeans
  
• Four t-shirts
  
• One pair dress socks
  
• Two pair white socks
  
• Two long sleeve shirts
  
• One pair pajama pants
  
• One pair airwalk shoes
  
• Five pair boxer shorts
  
• One scarf
  
• One video cassette: The Wire - Season One, Episodes 1-6
  
• Punch Drunk Love DVD
  
• One digital camera
  
• One mp3 player
  
• "The Return of Depression Economics" by Paul Krugman
  

Kristof and Krugman

Kristof writes a nice ops piece today in the Times by Kristof. Reminds me of my mispent years in Latin class. I particularly enjoy the comparison of Rumsfeld to Ajax (the Greek hero).

I've started reading Paul Krugman's 1999 book "The Return of Depression Economics". I agree with just about everything in every column I've read by him, but strongly disagree with the following statement on page 5:

For a century and a half the idea of socialism — from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs — served as an intellectual focal point for those who disliked the hand the market dealt them.

I think this misses the point entirely. Socialism is a focal point who believe that the game is corrupt, regardless of the quality of an individual hand. Any system where there can be as dramatic a disparity between the quality of life for anyone, particularly children is fundamentally unjust. I think Krugman approaches the argument from a capitalist perspective, founded in the theory that individuals act in a completely self-interested manner. It would then stand to reason that those with poor lives would prefer socialism, but he presents the argument as though that is the only reason individuals would prefer it. I'll have to ask him about it next month when I see him at a local bookstore.

Newness

I'm trying out blogger for a while. We'll see how it goes at the start of next month, when the archiving could choke. And the design will invariably change, but for now, this is much easier and better than coding html.
One drawback is that blogger doesn't allow for comments, so you'll have to keep your snideness to yourself. Perhaps that's not actually a drawback...
I'll also work on getting all the old mt archives into this, slowly.

There's nothing quite as dispiriting as finding two perfectly good car windows smashed. If my stereo had been missing, if my car had been slept in, perhaps faith in humanity could be restored. Not everyone is as fortunate as I, some need a place to stay, or money. Then perhaps I could comprehend why I'm spending a month's savings to restore my car to the state I had left it the night before.

But instead somebody threw two rocks through my windows. They didn't even unlock the doors. I have given up expecting civility, and even decency is more often a struggle than it should be. But I wonder, why should I sacrifice for others when this is the face of humanity most often exposed?

I suppose because it's what we do.

High speed internet is crack. My dad's new computer came today and we got the cable internet hooked up. Hopefully in the next few days I'll be able to get rid of this crappy blog and get movable type or blogger running. Having spent the past six years with highspeed, I have come to a point where I am more or less unable to function without it.

The proliferation of high speed internet is much like cable tv. While many people still do not have cable, most people who have it, keep it. Obviously there are exceptions, but when you consider the dramatic improvement in television in the ten years since cable became really widespread, the implications for vast advances in the internet are scary.

There is a pronounced difference in the sky here. But because I'm up higher, I can see the horizon more clearly, though it seems nearer. Anyhow, I shot this out of my bedroom window tonight. Just beyond the tree is the National Cathedral, which you can make out during the winter.

I sent off a resume today to someone who might know of a job in Sen. Baucus' (D-MT) office. I would love to work on the hill. No harm in optimism, right?

So I moved.

I sent off Robynne and Laura today. So I'm finally starting to process my departure and changed scenery; and I can settle in a bit too.

Running around the city the past few days has been great, I love this city, and know a few people who've migrated here. Nonetheless, I've left a bunch of cool people and a pretty cool town, which is kind of a bummer.

My last few weeks in MSP were awesome, though bittersweet.
I'm coming back for Tim and Amanda's wedding in a couple of weeks, so my elongated departure and goodbyes are still not final. Of course I fucked up a few of them and maybe burned some bridges I wish I hadn't.

Obviously this isn't movable type, which stopped working, hence the lack of updates. I'm might reinstall it when I get more settled, or switch to blogger, but with limited internet, I'm going to use this crude substitute for a while until then. I'm going to try and update regularly like this for a while. I have a bunch of scattered notes from the last few weeks. Eventually I'll even finish the evil off, but this will have to do for a while.

After spending the night in an Econo Lodge that wasn't very "econo," I set off again down the road, starting in Western Ohio.

Within 10 minutes in the interstate, I was greeted by a car carrier holding 10 Jeep Libertys. I contemplated taking the carrier out (and myself in the process), but plodded on, determined to find a carrier full of Hummers against which to sacrifice myself. If I had it to do over again...hmmm....

Driving through Wisconsin always sucks, but if you're going to do it, do it in early or mid-October. It's still flat, and landmarks are ugly and cheese-related. But the foliage makes it moderately bearable. Throw in some Bob Dylan and some Fatboy Slim and you'll be almost close to Chicago in no time at all.

What a magnificent last day in Minneapolis. The leaves have turned, nary a cloud in the sky, and the air was warm and calm. It made running obnoxious errands around town a pleasure.
I still have so much packing to do.

Leaving

Though I extended my stay for another month, the reality of my departure is starting to sink in. In two days, for the first time in my memory, I will not be starting school in September. I just wish I knew about the two jobs I've applied for, since establishing some certainty about my whereabouts in 40 days sure would be nice.