Mid Month Update

To those of you who wished me a happy birthday-- thank you!

This year, I spent my birthday at a student conference that, as an undergraduate, I helped to run. Perhaps this was the best way I could have spent the day: bringing students to something that I loved as a student to help them ignite their interest in something that shaped my life. Cheering, attending programs, waking up very very early to do everything we wanted...the whole shabang was great, and certainly how I'd like to spend my birthday each year.

Although.... 23? What? Since when?

I haven't updated in a while because this past week has been so overwhelmingly busy. I had three presentations, a large paper, and the conference to prepare for. Also, there has been judicial work and other work responsibilities, as well as an interview for an internship at Emerson College. My feeling is that the interview went well, and my knowledge is that there aren't many applicants, so I'm feeling cautiously optimistic. So, things that happen when the laptop is closed.

I'll have more emotions and opinions soon. There are some limiting factors on what I can or will say right now, but they're there.

Men I'd Like To Be: Keith Olbermann

This video was absolutely moving.

Impassioned. Eloquent. Heartbreaking. Most importantly, born of the importance of justice and access for all. Not from personal interest, but from compassion for those around you.

This post didn't start out as a "men I'd like to be" post. It was going to be about using your position, your sphere of influence, to make a change. To stand and be counted, or to speak and be heard. To take your knowledge, take your passion, and spread it to those who might benefit and for those who might benefit both. To advocate on behalf of those outside of your own interests, as those are often the voices heard most clearly and with most credence. Perhaps a validation of my own interest in moving South or moving West, where my speaking out might reach a greater audience of people who need to hear what I have to say.

Then I realized that Keith was taking me to task. He was doing all these things in his sphere. He was showing that he had the microphone, he held the reins, and we are going where he's telling us we're going. Listen to what's in his voice-- the strain and the emotion. The sincerity. Therein lies a man agonized by a course of events that degrade the lives and experiences of other Americans.

Is this the most important cause? Is this the greatest task we can act upon? Daresay, I don't believe so. It is a cause, and it is important, and he's advocating for it. He feels about it. Damnit, thats more than most of us.

Political Microblog

I didn't see the acceptance speech that night, but watched it on youtube when I woke up in the morning, and cried.

Yes, we did... and more importantly, Yes, we still can.

I Go To Electoral College

My buddy, the Bookkook, posted his predictions for tomorrow's big race, and I realized I should probably do the same thing for a couple of reasons:

-I start every day by checking out the CNN.com electoral map. Then play around with what happens when you lose Virginia or Iowa. Then realize that I haven't been doing work for an hour.

-There is rampant positivity on the left wing, and I'm not so optimistic.

-My political birth occurred during 2000, so there is something about electoral politics that is going to color my experience for quite some time.

-My goatee is riding on a bet with Kris-- if the democrats win, then it's got to go. If the Republicans win... I think I'm going to take him to Disney, the happiest place on Earth, because we're both going to be so damn sad. Drastic outcomes will require drastic measures.

I'm tempted to put money on McCain, just because that would net me a windfall if he DID win. Something about losing money just doesn't sit right with me, though. I'm calling the election for Obama. Who isn't?

I will say that I don't think North Carolina is going to go blue. I also think that Virginia is going to be much closer than we expect. Florida worries me, and I fear that we're going to see more voter disenfranchisement. Ohio is still anyone's game, and I think Missouri is going to go Republican too.

I am also predicting (for my friends in Massachusetts) the following:

Proposition 1: The repeal of the income tax-- will not occur. It will be very close though. If it did, I would be so incredibly disheartened with my otherwise so intelligent friends in the Commonwealth.
Proposition 2: The decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana-- will not happen. 60% voting against, although, its really anybody's game. I'd be interested to see where this goes-- I like to think that most people are interested in getting a more sensible marijuana policy. Then again, I don't know where I stand on this anymore.
Proposition 3: Outlawing dog racing-- Will not happen, although it should. Greyhounds are treated horribly in race tracks. I encourage anyone who is in a position to give a loving home to a dog to consider a greyhound adoption society for former racing dogs. They're beautiful and loving dogs, really.

We'll see how we did in less than 24 hours!!!!!!

Reslife Microblog

I currently have three phones: my personal cell phone, the RA duty phone, and the administrator on call phone. There have been several calls on each tonight.

This strikes me as ridiculous. Who wants to talk to me that badly?!

My Tickety Tack Trip Home (3 of 3)

Justine and her dad pick me up around 6 to catch the 6:35 train from New Haven to Boston. We plan on being there a little early, grab a coffee or something, and get into Boston in time to hit the bars and enjoy ourselves before my debut as RHA adviser at the first ever RHA event picking pumpkins.

When we get to the station, we purchase our train tickets-- and to our horror, realize that the train is an hour and fifteen minutes delayed. “That’s fine” I say, “We’ll still get in with time enough to hit the bars.” Justine is upset that Boston is not more like New York, where the bars are open until 4, but I am glad that Boston is not like New York because…uh… I fucking hate New York. However, I would appreciate the extra cushion of time that would afford us.
So we sit, we wait, we come up on the 1 hour 15 time, when our slot on the big board begins to change. Oh happy day! A track number!

Oh, by track number, I mean a delay of an additional hour and a half. So we’re looking at a 2 hour, 45 minute delay. I realize that we could have walked to Boston in that time, and Justine begins to realize that our seats seem to attract the crazies. Which is to say, there was the lady who was clearly talking to someone on the phone… if she had actually had a phone. Or the gentleman who, after muttering to himself in Arabic and English, holds up a pair of pants and yells “hey sweetie, I paid six dolllaaarr for these!” Justine’s eyes are trained on me, and I’m dying laughing.

Other highlights include….
-Hearing about “Twilight” and how the daughter’s name is Rennesme. FUCKING RENNESME. That’s an abomination upon names. That’s the name the moderately overweight goth girl in your high school took when she ran off to join the traveling renaissance faire to dance with dudes in Trogdor tee-shirts and green cargo shorts who think they are vikings.

-What sounded like a bus hitting the side of the train station. We decided it was the train
station settling, as old buildings do. Perhaps settling on a fault line.

-Watching three gentlemen who could have, under other circumstances, starred in a response video to “My New Haircut”. Fuckin’ skanks. One of whom may have been wearing a pattered fedora. I was horrified. HORRIFIED.

- Getting to our platform, only to be told that we should take the train at platform 8, which was supposed to arrive 3 hours after our train should have originally left.

- Telling a nice older couple that if they bought me the wood, I would build a boat and sail us to Boston. Then, having them get on the same subway as us after the train ride up. Maybe they wanted to make good on the promise of a boat?

Now we’re on the train, I’m typing this, and we’re both passing out. My head is starting to hurt, and I’m beginning to feel like maybe, just maybe, I shouldn’t leave Boston again for a while.