Called out again by (e:mk) on posting. Not posting in over a month is a bit long. I will try and give you the run down on what has happened. First, congrats to (e:mk) on "basically officially" becoming a teacher. Second, happy b-day to (e:jill), hope you had a great day.

On to what I have been doing the past month. I just got back from Georgia, where I spent my spring break with Siv, Jess and Dum. It was a really good time. Finally got to meet siv's gf lucy. She is really nice and I really like her. Hanging out was just how it always was, so much so that last night when I went to bed, I got a bit sentimental for living in Park Bethesda, specifically late spring junior year and the summer between junior and senior year. Not any specific incident, just the feeling of the warm air and just hanging out. While there we went to (among many burrito places including chipotle and a place that actually tasted better than chipotle) an exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center of human bodies preserved and with their skin removed so you can see all of their different systems, nervous, muscle etc. It was really creepy and cool at the same time. We also went to the Georgia Aquarium which is the world's largest aquarium and has two whale sharks (the world's largest fist). It was really cool. Overall, it was a great trip.

Also, this past month I got a job for when I graduate. I will be working in the NYS Division of Budget, on the newly formed Public Authorities Budget office. I am really excited about it, it was the job I wanted most. What the office will be working on is looking in to public authorities, like the thruway authority and Buffalo Control Board, which have come under a lot of scrutiny lately for taking on a lot of debt with little oversight. To interview for it was a really intense process. They brought all of the candidates, there were 10 for 6 positions, out to albany for 3 days and we interviewed with a bunch of high level people, including both deputy budget directors and heads of different sections in the Budget office. It was both cool because we were interviewing with some pretty high level people, but it was also pretty terrifying because all you are doing is interviewing and going to receptions (including one at the Governors mansion which was really cool, the governor wasn't there) where are you are mingling and have to be on all the time. Luckily, they made the decision pretty fast and I got a call the next day from the Budget Director personally offering me the position. I am superexcited about it, but it will be really intense. First, most people start in may or june but because my program doesn't finish until june 30th, I have to start late and I graduate on a friday and have to be at work the next monday, which will be pretty stressful. For the first 8 months I will be in the public authorities budget office, for the next 8 months, I will be in the budget office's debt unit to look into the bonds that the authorities are issuing and then for the final four months, I will actually work in a public authority helping them to work with the budget office. After the 2 years, I negotiate my position in the budget division. I am looking forward to starting and hopefully it will be as good as I think it will be.

One thing I am not looking forward to is the rest of this semester. I have a bunch of papers to work on that will all be a pain in my ass. Ugh. I guess it was only a matter of time before I had to do work in grad school. Well I better go get on that because it is not getting anymore done now. Talk to you later
Jesse

For all of you hipsters who are into Arctic Monkeys (looking at you (e:hodown)) the band that is opening up for them in the States is my friend's band, the Spinto Band, [inlink]jessbob,122[/inlink] You should check them out They are really good, and if you do happen to catch the arctic monkeys in the states (I know they are coming to NYC, Boston, Toronto, Philly and DC) come early, it will be worth it.

The Washington Post today had an article about former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, a VERY conservative congressman that lead the impeachment charges against Clinton, and how he has been highly critical of President Bush's eaves dropping program.

In the article Bob Barr says, "Are we losing our lodestar, which is the Bill of Rights? Are we in danger of putting allegiance to party ahead of allegiance to principle?"

I am so glad he is calling out conservatives on this. I saw soooo many people in DC (republicans and democrats) just blindly tow the party line without thinking for themselves about whether it is actually in line with their beliefs. If it is in line, fine, you can believe what you want to believe. But at least think about it.

At the conservative conference that he said this, Barr got the following response, "But nobody said anything in the deathly quiet audience. Barr merited only polite applause when he finished, and one man, Richard Sorcinelli, booed him loudly. 'I can't believe I'm in a conservative hall listening to him say [Bush] is off course trying to defend the United States,' Sorcinelli fumed"

If Bush isn't being conservative (which I believe he isn't, the party of individual rights - B fucking S), then he should be called out on it. Just cause he comes from the same party does not automatically mean you should support everything he does.

Read the article for yourself, "Bob Barr, Bain of the Right?"

Little peeve of mine came up today and I have heard the mistake made many times. I just want to clear the difference between Hindu and Hindi

Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism (the religion)
Hindi is a language (from India that Hindus may speak)

People cannot speak Hindu and People cannot be Hindi

Here is a Washington Post editoral on the NASA communications person that (e:ajay) posted about