songs of the doomed
Feb. 18th, 2004 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nibot
I almost never remember my dreams, but this morning after silencing my "It's time for Metric Differential Geometry!" alarm at at 07:15 (uurgh), I clearly dreamt that ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
easwaran, ankaerith, and I ran into none other than our would-be-president Howard Dean and some of his family on the BART train. We were on the way to or from some soiree, but Mr. Dean sat back in a relaxed fashion on the bench-seats of this limo-like BART car. He seemed in a contemplative state, resigned to losing the presidency, yet all of us were trying to think of what X to put in for "Call me up if you ever need help with X as President."
Back to the real world, CNN is telling me ``Howard Dean to announce today that he will stop campaigning, but will leave his name on ballot, campaign source tells CNN.'' What's that supposed to mean, and how did this happen, anyway? In a sense I blame the media for putting forth the campaign that Mr. Dean would not be 'electable,' that his campaign `peaked too soon.' Neither Kerry nor Edwards inspires me the least bit. My vote will be to Dean or Kucinich. Dean's quitting before his supporters have had a chance to vote.
CNN also tells me ``Teen finds his picture on missing children's Web site - The teen discovered he was allegedly abducted after finding his childhood picture on a missing children's Web site. - LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Authorities arrested the mother of a 17-year-old boy who saw his picture on a missing children's Web site and discovered that he was allegedly abducted from Canada 14 years ago.'' Ehh?
I called AT&T Wireless customer service yesterday. A seven-of-nine computer voice answers and it's supposed to answer your queries. You're supposed to ask pointed questions, like "How do I pay my bill?" I demanded, ``I want to speak with a freakn' human being!'' ``I can't do that, Dave,'' was the machine's cool reply.
They've been crank-calling me, lately. My phone rings with an 800 number in the caller ID. I answer it. Heavy static, nothing else (the machine equivalent of heavy breathing?). I Googled for the 800-number involved (wondering whether it was some implicitly-accepted-collect-call-from-the-caribbean type scam) and up came AT&T as the guilty party.
I'm glad about the aquisition of AT&T Wireless by Cingular. Maybe Americans will get the GSM network they deserve — or maybe, perversely, we already have it.
Something about grad school belongs in this space. For some reason I think I'm most excited about visiting North Carolina. Anyway, instead I will leave you with a poll.
[Poll #250553]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Bi-Polar ?
Date: 2004-02-18 12:04 pm (UTC)Here are my ruminations:
1. Pro's (Go to Antarctica):
You may well never get the chance to go again.
2. Con (get on with your graduate career):
If you are going merely to deliver mail, it could be like going to some other random place, let's say for example San Jose, just to be able to say that you'd been there. It might turn out to be a long term visit to a really, really cold place without much excitement.
3. Pro:
Maybe you could use the time down there to study up or even do some "distance" learning via the internet. Even better, contact your graduate school and see if you can conduct some research there pertinent to your studies--or not pertinent, what the hay.
4. Con:
Ph.D takes a long time to do; this is just one more delay.
5. Pro: see previous pro argument.
6. Con
It could be lonely with just a couple other unbathed male colleagues FOR MONTHS!
7. Pro:
Maybe one of them will be female and cute: NO INTERRUPTIONS!!! NO COMPETITION!!
8. Pro and Con:
Could you defer Antarctica until you have a year of grad school under your belt? (I know, I think you already did this once already.)
Conclusion:
I would seriously look into point #3.*
I think it is probably silly to go but the novelty of it all (if you can make use of your time there) makes it a GO.
*Start looking now and ask questions later about people at your chosen grad school who are doing work that might have a South Pole connection.
Re: Bi-Polar ?
Date: 2004-02-19 07:35 am (UTC)This morning I contemplated the agony of getting out of bed in the chill (60 degree) dark. I knew I had a hot shower awaiting. Maybe Antarctica'a allure would wear off REAL fast.
Re: Bi-Polar ?
Date: 2004-02-19 02:07 pm (UTC)Re: Bi-Polar ?
Date: 2004-02-19 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-18 01:20 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-18 01:32 pm (UTC)In short, let's all go to business school, get rich and vote Republican.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-18 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-19 02:43 am (UTC)As for dreams about Howard Dean, on Monday night, I dreamed that Dean had won Wisconsin with 60% of the vote or something. (I believe Kerry had 30% and Edwards had 20%, with some more going for Kucinich and Sharpton, so maybe it didn't make much sense.) It's so sad that he's gone now. Did you see the cutest, saddest picture ever in the New York Times? (http://graphics7.nytimes.com/images/2004/02/18/national/dean.184.650.jpg) At the end of the article (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/19/politics/campaign/19DEAN.html), they pointed out that he ended his speech, as always: "You have the power to take our country back, and together, we have the power to take back the White House in 2004 — and that is exactly what we're going to do," still in the first person.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-19 02:10 pm (UTC)Well.. I am sort of on track for grad school. It would be kind of nice to just start. And there is a very good possibility of going to the pole in physics grad school to work on some experiment; in fact, that's sort of the usual way to go. But I do think I have lost some interest in the sort of experiments that are underway there. I dunno, we'll see, I guess.
at&t
Date: 2004-02-20 12:59 pm (UTC)