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1 1 . 2 8 . 0 4 Post-turkey day, and I've actually been pretty busy so far. Finished up my self-assessment for work, have to punch the narratives into the computer, and then I should be good to go. Also finishedup with 3 more apps, one more to go and then maybe a few more to throw in as well. Found a pretty good Sushi place in Woodley Park called Sake Club, totlaly reminded me of some of the sushi places in SF, interesting decor, with track lighting and electronic drum and bass in the background. The place has gotten caught up in the whole tapas craze, on their menu was something called Japanese tapas, half off for happy hour so I tried a bunch. Saw Kinsey this weekend, It was interesting along the lines of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, appealing to the academic inside of me. It was interesting in itself to see how little about human sexuality people knew about not too long ago. It also raises several ethical issues in conducting human research. Kinsey and his staff got caught up in the study a little too much, used their research to justify their sexual behavior. Perhaps they were unprepared for the consequences and dangers that might come. Kinsey played the role of a Psychologist, even a pastor when he was really only equipped to be a zoologist. It brings to mind a study that the government conducted recently tracking the amount of illegal images on p2p networks. I heard that they employed a bunch of IT specialists and Methodologists, and ended up having to get them counseling. Why they did not use law enforcement social workers, or people with some sort of psych background instead is beyond me. I imagine that Kinsey and his team came across a good deal of deviant behavior, perverts, and criminals as the movie suggested. There is something to be said about research as a means of validating certain types of behavior. I think that he may have forgotten that at his stages, he was really conducting a survey, any patterns of behavior that he discovered did not necessarily mark healthy sexual behavior, if it was normal, it could only be statistically normal. I also wonder how extensive have the efforts been to add research to include the onset of the internet and the information revolution. 1 1 . 2 2 . 0 4 Some interesting reads on the state of the nation, and the direction that we might be headed in. The article puts things into perspective with all the talk of the religious right supposedly taking control of the country, the electorate, and our destiny. Like any other group of influence, there is a range of opinions and aims. Of course I'm sure that this perspective may eventually be silenced, ignored, or condemned eventually. I suppose when it comes down to, it really is a question of values, and the meaning in life, existance. We can point to the religious establishment to explain how tied our society is to free market capitalism, private property, and the pursuit of more wealth or capital. In order to make a convincing arguement to the masses, you supplant other words into the ideology to make it stick. Convincingly point out that freedom, and security are tangible goods that can be quantified, and there will be overwhelming support for policies that will protect those goods for the consumer. I spent another afternoon in Georgetown today, managed to get out without buying anything too expensive. Which is actually pretty amazing, in that the concentration of so many stores and shops with very appealing window displays would make anyone incline to want to buy something. In one of the stores they were playing some strange mix of Ella Fitzgerald sampled over really bad hip-hop beats, it literally sounded like an old broken record. I couldn't help but notice the irony of the song, and the store itself, as at one point jazz was considered a risque, sexualized, urban form of underground music but now it is considered as sort of classy, cultured enough to pipe into chain coffee stores and chain furnishing, all selling overpriced, borderline tacky wares marketed as the ultimate possesions of a good old american middle class home. Now hip-hop is considered gritty, edgy, urban music, which has begun to become more and more accepted in the mainstream. I suppose a hyrbid blend of old and new urban music is fitting for a level of sophistication in music taste. Personally i thought it was pretty horrible sounding. It confuses me, how easily culture is marketed, through the atmosphere, colors, lighting, smells, sounds, all complimenting the product and image associated with it. There is also this image of the holiday season, the harvest hues and tones of the fall, scented candles and green and red holiday potpourri, big snowman candles. The inflated price tag also intrinsically implies quality, durability, and coolness factor. Of course I would wonder how neat any of the items in the store would look in someone's dingy apartment, or townhome. I think back to how strange it was, the concept of Thansgiving and Xmas growing up in Hawaii. Living on the mainland for a while I suppose it makes more sense now, but then again not really. What had more meaning to me was the fact that we had time off from school, and that it marked a time of year of transition, the end of a semester, the end of a year. I think in contrast, New years was a much more memorable and significant holiday. I don't know if it is just due to the Asian influence of the islands, or something else. I guess its not too surprising why so many people who share the same level of human capital as I are up in their eyeballs in debt and have trouble making ends met, even with decent salaries well over the living wage. But that is the purchasing trap, in that no matter how much crap you can possibly afford, buy, or borrow, you'll never realy have enough. In part, at the very least, keeping my thoughts open for going back to school may come in handy in that it forces me to be more pake and not bleed my salary on this and that. My current living situation also adds to that as I simply do not have much storage room for anything at all. We'll have to see how far these protections will last though. Again, I noticed the dozens of homeless people, panhandlers and vagrants perhaps as a reminder that not all of us exactly belong here, although judging by our wallets, some more than others. Meanwhile, I've lost almost a total of 18-20lbs since I've moved out here, give or take the normal variations. Also gotten back to some sort of shape, my strength is pretty solid, close to my days with the Wisconsin wrestling team. I repped about 245 last week relatively easier than I had expected to. Maybe its time to find a jiu-jitsu dojo or something. I also took another meyers brigg for the hell of it, trying to see if I have switched from an ENTP to an ENTJ, especially after living here for a while. I'm still an ENTP, although I appear to becoming more Introverted, and more Perceiving. The NT part is still very strong though. 1 1 . 1 8 . 0 4 Mid November and its almost been 6 months since I moved to the District, honestly it feels like I've been here for at least a couple years. Lots of new experiences and perspectives to reflect on, a different chapter of life, new job, new environment, new presidential term. I'm up for my first rating/promotion of my new hire program that is supposed to be incorporating public/private strategies in professional development. I remember ready how fuzzy the data is on the effectiveness of such programs on actual productivity and efficiency, but what the hey. I've learned from my experience working with public and private institutions that sometimes the most logical solution is not the first to be implemented. On my plate for this weekend is to complete a standardized self-assessment form through which I am supposed to give myself a rating for promotion. This should prove to be an interesting excersize in that I've noticed the futility in asking employees to rate themselves and expecting a totally honest answer. I think my nature is one that doesn't take myself very seriously at all. I am probably one of the last to draw attention to myself beyond reasonable limits, which may be a negative thing out here in a city where people seem to be constantly promoting themselves. I've noticed that in general, this type of attitude may come off as passive, or insecure, traits that anyone who knows me at all would know that I'm neither. When it comes down to it I'm fiercely independent and opinionated, although I think the active representation of this has been refined a bit over the years. Most of the time I've been told that I just come off as aloof. Maybe it is the Kanaka Uchinanchu roots afterall. As for my self assessment, I'll probably end up doing it while I watch the Badger game on saturday. I'd say the job is mixed so far, on one hand I am absolutely fascinated by the subject of my assignment, but like any job there are pieces of it that I love, and that I hate. So far its on the positive swing though. I've noticed that working in the district requires a good attitude, and flexibility in opinion, open-mindedness in general, in order to stay sane. I have already seen reasons for why people might burn-out after living here for too long, especially if they lack the basic coping skills, or interpersonal intelligence. The jury is still out to whether or not I see this as a career. It definitely has its opportunities, and perks, but we'll have to see. So far I'm more than content with what I have. So far so good. 1 1 . 1 4 . 0 4 The battle for Fallujah is unofficially over, partly because the resistance was lighter than first expected, and fighting has broken out in 3 major cities across Iraq. Some media reports say that troops are already being diverted from Fallujah to Mosul, for a new offensive to begin in a couple days ago. Kind of makes you wonder if that was part of the bigger plan, afterall it would be suicide to try and fight the power of the US military in conventional warfare. All is well after the election of course, aside from the occaisional political cartoon, or news columnist who didn't agree with how it all turned out last week. There is talk about how Dubya may be working towards softening his rhetoric and leaving more of a positive legacy to be remembered by. Somehow I'm not entirely sold on this promise. Good movies I've recently seen, but haven't mentioned yet: Team America, Bridget Jones's Diary: the Edge of Reason, and from a while back, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, which I rented. This one was probably the best of the ones that I've seen recenly. I think it was the mixture of pop-psychology and the overall concept of erasing someone from your memory that was most appealing to me. In essence, trying to void certain aspects of the human experience is literally brain damage, either by asking a paraprofessional like in the movie, or through self medication as many people do. However unlike some people, I would never wish any memory out of my mind, no matter how painful, or traumatizing it may have been. In my opinion, it sounds too much like a cop-out of denial. Besides, if a memory is so painful or memorable, then it in itself has become a part of you, wrapped itself into your psyche, balled up in the big bunch of karmic residue that can and should remain with your soul. To try and erase it from existance is in itself denying your own karma, and denying oneself. It is in itself, just burying something deep down in the unconscious. When I saw it I thought that the concept of erasing one's memory is relevant for the soldiers and civilians that are witness to the destruction and death that is happening right now. But even the horrors of war and human suffering do serve a purpose, that maybe those who survive will work towards a world without war, without killing. The next movie that I actually plan on seeing: The Life Aquatic 1 1 . 1 0 . 0 4 Veteran's day tomorrow, federal holiday and I'm off. Thinking its a good break from the scheme of things, also marking an anniversary of sorts, something to keep in mind on what I've been working on for a while now. Probably try to get some work done, clean the hobbit hole, kill some weird basement bugs, rake some leaves, pay some bills, cook some food. Had an interesting meeting with an agency recently, it was in the middle of the interview that it dawned on me where I was sitting, puts it into perspective the new opportunities and experiences that this job has provided me so far. Also noticing the poltical jockeying among the higher ups between agencies, each protecting their prospective jurisdictions, standing, and impressions. A little like fuedal society on a civil and smaller scale. Meanwhile, the battle for Fallujah rages on. Sporadic reports of casualties, along with images of crumbling buildings and soldiers with their weapons raised, grit on their faces. To show a bizarre disconnect from Americans sitting out the veteran's day holiday from at home, and the soldiers getting shot at in the middle east, you only have to look at some of the commentary from the right-wing bloggers gushing over the brawny appearance of combat soldiers smoking marlboros while squinting under their camo face paint. Chairman Arafat has also died in a hospital in Paris. What this means for the future of the Isreali-Palestinian conflict will influence our own foreign policy as well. I've heard arguements that he had been both an obstacle and a help to achieving peace in the region. Either way, the future in the region looks uncertain. 1 1 . 6 . 0 4 I've been reading up on reactions and analysis of the elections and theres more than enough to show that the country is extremely divided right now. Look around and you'll find that nobody outside of the corportate media is buying this "mandate" thing. If you are truly concerned about the the division in this country now, then you'll have to owe up to the nasty campaign that was run hell bent on firing up the right wing. Irony, its kind of like going to war with no exit plan. They were so hell bent on winning, they didn't worry about the morning after. Can't blame the democrats for being skeptical of taking dubya's word this time around after such a negative and extreme campaign in which he called democrats terrorists and got churches to tell people who jesus would vote for. In order to rebuild the country it is like building coalitions, something that I'm skeptical he is capable of doing, especially with people who disagree with him. Unlike the rest of the world, which was deemed "irrelevant" in the march towards war in Iraq, this time around we're talking about American citizens here. 56+ Million of them. I think its crazy that the right wing feels so rabid about their perceived notion of "values" and "morals" to turn against their own countrymen? The people who voted for Bush didn't know what they're voting for. They came out based on single, hot button issues like Guns, and Gay Marriage. Thats misleading to voters if you play on their emotions, especially when you motivate them through fear and hate. God forbid, if they ever figure out that they've been had down the line. I disagree that the country is moving more conservative based on this election alone. If anything at all, the results show that the voting population may be moving in that direction. But once again, 51%-49%. Besides, some of the externalities of the free market promote freer societies more than not. Culture wars are not pretty, trust me you don't want to see one in this country, especially with an armed, self-rightous population. A few things to watch for in the next upcoming months. 1) PN senator Specter is a moderate republican who sits on the Judiciary committee. He has already come out and said that he is not totally thrilled about the agenda that is coming up with judicial nominations. What would you do if he and other republicans (especially the fiscally conservative ones) start to side with the Democrats? Will they be so hell bent on their agenda that to even turn on their own Party who raise questions or call for moderation? 2) The battle for Falluja is right around the corner. Troops on the ground are already bracing for a long hard fight, similar to what they experienced earlier this spring when they suffered more dead and wounded than in any other battle during the war, and still could not take the city. The longer we stay there, the more Americans will die, the more Iraqis we kill, and the more inflammed the region will become. Its a mess over there, and its sure to serve as a distraction for any domestic policy for the next four years. 3) The latest economic reports from the Treasury point out the fiscal realities of the tax cuts and the war are going to be a hinderance on the president's plans, mandate or not. Privatizing social security, making adjustments to the income tax, are all going to cost money, money that we don't have right now, and can't gain from economic growth. Even with all three branches of government, it'll be harder to push this through with a balooning deficit. Meanwhile another $70 Billion dollar supplemental for Iraq is in the works for next session. Just remember what Reagan did in his second term, after he cut taxes and ran a huge deficit with defense spending. he raised taxes. 1 1 . 4 . 0 4 There's this dog that see once in a while on my way to work. I take it that she's not too fond of me. In fact, I don't think she's too fond of anyone, really, save her owner. She's got a pretty rough bark and mean sounding snarl, she'll come right up next to you and bark like crazy. However the minute you make eye contact with her she runs like hell. I've been thinking that she's really more afraid of me than I am of her. Usually I just ignore her, sometimes I say hi and try to pet her, usually sending her off into the bushes someplace several yards away. Since I've moved to the city, she's really just a minor annoyance, so far she's all bark, no bite. Hasn't been able to affect me all too much, in fact sometime she helps wake me up in the morning when I miss my alarm clock and starts barking when its still dark out. Besides she's been a constant reminder, she keeps things in perspective, and keeps me on my toes. I guess it has occured to me that if she had a little more nerve, she could really do some damage if she wanted, afterall, she does have a good set of teeth, and quite frankly she's a bitch. The timid, passive-agressive dog is barking outside the door right now. 1 1 . 3 . 0 4 Dang. deja vu again. I'm looking at 3 internet sites and MSNBC, showing 269 Bush and Kerry 210 and the threat of litigation and recounts. A very tired John Edwards came out a little while ago and said that every vote would be counted, which means no concession speeches just yet. So now the question is to sleep or not to sleep? Sucks for me that I'm no longer a student, and I actually have to go to work tomorrow. Or this morning, technically. I was hoping to stick it out at least to see both of my home states (Hawaii and Wisconsin) be projected. Hawaii just went to Kerry, but it looks like Wisconsin is still being determined by a margin of 15,000. I'm thinking that on a longshot, Kerry wins out the rest of the remaining states, and to a 269-269 tie, and then it'll go to the House. That would be drama. But then again it could just come down to one of the remaining swing states to go red, Nevada, NH, or New Mexico most likely and then its over. Either way I'm thinking that Dubya is back for another 4 years. In another closely contested election. Again. 1 1 . 2 . 0 4 Election day, and I've been pretty much glued to the internet/TV all day and night reading reports and analysis. I guess I am a bit of a political junkie, as well as a news junkie, and a policy wonk to boot. Somebody called me Tucker, as in the conservative side of Crossfire. I didn't know if that was a cut or a pat, but who knows. The funny thing is that I actually saw him running down the escalator at a metro stop yesterday morning on my way to work. Its about 11:00pm in the District, and I'm listening to the reports of "too close to call" in about 11 states still. It is totally becoming a repeat of 2000 when I sat bleary eyed in my apartment back in Madison, partly in disbelief as they took Florida from Gore to too close to call. I guess in the past four years the dubya hasn't really gained that many supporters, even with 9-11 and a couple wars and some steadfast rhetoric. My gut says that we won't know who our president is anytime soon, it might be a long night, maybe a long week. Was a little antsy today at work, still managed to get quite a bit done, despite the fact. This election has been a highly anticipated, highly contested one for quite some time, from the very day that Gore conceeded the election after a slew of lawsuits and cases argued in front of the Supreme Court. Now with the Chief Justice in the hospital, I wonder what might happen if the court will have to rule again on some issue. 4-4? I don't even want to go there. On a side note, a lot of states also voted to ban gay marriage, or rather, define marriage between a man and a woman, signalling that the Republicans have been sucessful in controling the debate towards issues that are disproportionately more important to them. You might think that issues of the war in Iraq, the economy, or the ballooning deficit might take precedence in the line of urgent issues to vote on, but I guess not. Maybe it will take some more time for the fiscal realities to sink in a bit. Also worth mentioning is the overall tone that prevails in conversations Americans have with each other and foreign nationals towards our own Nationality and self-soveriegnty. We are still very much so a nation divided, which I attribute strongly to dubya's with us or against us attitude. People are either blindly support dubya, or strongly oppose him. I agree that whoever comes out as the president in this election should really acknoledge this fact and reach out to the other side. Given dubya's track record from 2000 of course, I'm hoping that Kerry wins by the very definition that liberals are easier to talk to, and find some kind of common ground. I have a lot more faith in him than dubya to pull the country back together again. Maybe being Bush lite will come to his advantage in the long run to try to appeal to some of the conservatives. Or not. In the meantime, after being numbed by a day of corporate mass media which is all saying pretty much the same old song, I've switched channels to the daily show for a change of pace. Might as well get some laughs before the day is officially over. More later. |