Bailout like Maverick from an F-14 Tomcat!!

I'm going to post some pics from the Royals game in the next couple of days.
Also, i've found the new bike that i really want. One problem: it's last year's model which should make it quite fun trying to track down. Specialized Langster Chicago.

Level your Measurement

If didn't mention it already, i probably won't update this blog very often while i'm in Kansas. Two reasons: i can call all of you now or have time to email/message, and i'm busy so it seems kind of time consuming without all of the convenience.

I wanted to make a correction of the record: Kansas does have NPR. I found it. 

Also, today Vicente Fox spoke on campus. I didn't go cuz i was busy correcting papers but i did record the webcast. I think he loves America more than i do.

I'm having fun teaching the research methods lab. I'm very unsure that i'm actually teaching them anything, but i think that's sorta how this goes. Especially seeing that i mixed up ratio and interval levels of data in lab last week. doh! I just spun it into a good example of why you need to practice the meanings of levels of measurement. They really are easy to mix up.

Updates: I ride my bike a lot and i love it, i'm back to working a little harder than last semester, and i plan to write my thesis and get out of Kansas as quickly as possible.

Okay, i'm off to stratification.

What IS the Matter with Kansas?

I miss Portland. I want to go to New York.

My internet isn't working, so if i haven't called you, it is because my phone doesn't work without the internet. Also, my drug dealer phone has been turned off.

Hannah is coming to stay with me tomorrow night and she's brining Dizzy (her French bulldog) too! PolitiCorps Fellows should just move to Kansas to keep me company all of the time. That would make me happy. 

Okay, if you haven't picked up on it, i'm genuinely unhappy about being back in Manhattan, KS. In response, and completely against the advice received from PolitiCorps staff, i am making a brief list of shit i noticed today that i hate about KS. I give you my gripes in no particular order:

• There is no recycling program in Manhattan, KS. You can recycle, but you have to save your shit and haul it to the recycling center, which is not exactly a convenience especially if you don't own a car.
  
• Speaking of which, this is the least bike friendly city i have ever stepped foot in. There are no bike paths anywhere. We're in the process of building a new parking structure on campus, and you can't find anywhere to park on a Friday night in Aggieville, but no one would want to ride a bike. Oh, and let's not forget this is a city that is literally no further than six miles across. Google Earth says so!
• The music here sucks. I went to a concert tonight that was actually kind of cool, but mostly it just highlighted that everything else i've seen here totally blows.
• It's humid.
• There isn't an independent movie theatre or a sushi restaurant anywhere in town.
• Sororities and fraternities (no offense Jacob, you know i love you).
• No NPR on any station and no ESPN Radio unless it's Saturday ("game day").

I'm done complaining. Sorry Drew. The only good things i can think of are my friends, sociology, Pathfinder which is a cool bike shop, and La Fiesta's delicious salsa.

Lastly on the news report, i'm building a fixed gear conversion bicycle and i'm using a stolen Bianchi frame that i found abandoned in front of my apartment (it had a summer's worth of dust on it, so i do not feel bad at all). This project makes me happy.

Farewell for Today

I just walked home in the rain to let the Northwest seep into me, as if it hadn't already.

My new shoes are finally broken in enough that i can wear them without socks.

Our evaluation retreat was amazing. I breathed a cloud at the timberline of Mt. Hood! On Thursday, we spent a lot of time together and just hung out talking about what was going to happen after we all go our separate ways. It was a high quality experience. Plus, we got some great feed back about what we've been working on all summer. I was told i complain too much, but that i'm a teacher and a uniter of people. I worked hard at being able to go between what became subgroups of Fellows and trying to relate with everyone. I'm glad it paid off.

Graduation was fun. There are so many pictures of us all lookin' steeze-tastic. It's almost ridiculous. I'll see what i can do to get as many of them online as humanly possible. Governor Kitzhaber was there though he wasn't as well-dressed as any one of the Fellows. He has a tendency to wear jeans and cowboy boots everywhere. He came to christen the new bus before it left for the DNC in Denver. After the governor left an intentional dent on the rear as a tribute to the accidental denting of the original bus during its christening, his son got the first crack with the champagne bottle. Little Kitzhaber took a shot at it a couple of times to no avail. The governor stepped in and beat on the rear hub until a piece of steel broke off. I'm not sure if anyone bought that part, but it looks like we will be asking for a donation to pay for the replacement. Then we all partied for the rest of the night and took even more self-promoting pictures of our beautiful faces.

I miss my friends already. Miles leaving was tough because he's the most outspoken of our group and one of my favorite people. Tonight i had to say goodbye to Mollie who grew on me so much over the course of the summer. I love her. Some people left Friday night's party assuming we'd see each other in the past couple of days, but some of them haven't seen me. I kind of like those goodbyes. They're easier. Leaving Noah and Drew tomorrow is going to be really hard too. I love our group, but some are going to be more noticeably absent from my day-to-day life. The LQ will be missed greatly.

I'm already working on getting brought out for Trick or Vote.

It's been one of the two greatest summers of my life.

P.S. Rumor has it Joe Biden is VP. har har

A Few Very Unrelated Thoughts

First, i was on the radio last week doing an interview with Genna and Jefferson on KPOJ. The station hosts a lot of different talk radio shows about progressive politics in Portland. Here's the link:

KPOJ interview

We're on about halfway through the show.

Next - i alluded to this in my last post - i'm starting to check out of Portland. We've nearly reached all of our goals and i feel like i'm starting to distance myself from things. Most of the time it's unintentional and i'm sure it's a defense mechanism. I'm going to be sad to have to leave. Bouncing from place to place is very difficult.

Finally, i've been considering the role of violence in social change. I watched the documentary The Weather Underground today. It was half a day off. It has me thinking about social change, and i'm sure this discussion will continue in the depths of my mind for months to come.