Month: August 2003

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Graduation from New College, 30 August 2003

On August 30th, I graduated with a BA in Humanities, with an emphasis in Public Interest Communications. After eight schools and twelve years, I finally have something to show that I’ve finished. Whew.

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Six Feet Under

Slow news month? Not exactly. I’ve been under a slightly voluntary media blackout as I finish resettling in California. During that time I got hooked on the first season of HBO’s “Six Feet Under.” That, and trying to find a good cup of coffee.

“Shouldn’t there be a statute of limitations about that? I mean, when I was a Republican, Dennis Miller was still a liberal, and still funny.”
Arianna Huffington on party-switching, from a recent appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher

Only two weeks to a beginning in graduate school. Time is moving very quickly.

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Welcome to Berkeley

Wow. I’m here — is it like living in Wallingford? Not exactly. There’s a slightly chemically-induced relaxedness to Berkeley. I’m normally a somewhat relaxed person, but here I’m a positively-stressed-out type A. What’s really mind-boggling to me is that the new apartment I live in is the same geographic distance from San Francisco as Seattle is to Seatac.

Immediate observations:

  • Pedestrians are generally surprised and happy when I stop at an intersection to let them walk past. Drivers behind me are surprised and unhappy, but then they see my Washington license plates.
  • People are busier here. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to go somewhere, but maybe I’m just imagining that since I’m sort of in limbo until Saturday when the rest of everything I own gets here
  • The second time around has been a lot better mentally for me. Last summer, I moved here without really knowing anyone except Diana, and now I know dozens of people, and feel a bit part of
  • I’ve found karaoke in Berkeley.
  • Gas, rent, utilities are about 1/3 higher here.
  • BART rocks. Seattle’s monorail should be even nicer, when and if it gets built.
  • Would it kill the Bay Area to have a decent bowling alley? A man’s gotta bowl, you know.

All in all, it’s just the waiting to get set up here that’s the most stressful thing. I do miss Seattle and my friends and family, and the gang at Molly’s and the Twilight Exit. That, and Mom would have been 62 today. By this time next week, I should be laughing maniacally about the whole thing, if they haven’t come to take me away by then.

In other news, it seems that KB Toys is selling a George Dubya action figure with flight jacket, and people in India are boycotting and smashing containers of Coca-Cola and Pepsi because the drinks are contaminated with pesticides.

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American Action Market

Based on the Pentagon’s now-axed Policy Analysis Market (from 29 July) a group has created the American Action Market. From their site:

Some of the contracts traded on AAM will be based on objective data and observable events, as on a horse track, e.g.

  • the next White House lie to break into the news
  • the next country to which the White House will issue an ultimatum, and when
  • the next foreign leader to move from the CIA payroll to White House “most wanted” list
  • the lifespan of various DARPA projects, such as Total Information Awareness [site] and Babylon [site]
  • the first White House staffer to resign in disgrace, and when
  • the President’s approval rating on the day before Saddam is captured or killed

The American Prospect has a thought-provoking article on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Boy Meets Boy shows. Does this reduce the GLBT community to a superficial stereotype?

95% of what I own is packed in two crates on their way to Berkeley, California. I’ll be there Friday, but wow — it’s amazing to think about stuff, the space it takes up, the memories contained within each item, and the nonsense with stuff’s acquisition.