burning like matchsticks in the face of the darkness

I bumped into one of the profs I used to work for on my way in this morning.  He said, "The gym might not be open today."  I was like, "If that's true, I could have slept in an extra hour.  Grr!"  But it was indeed open.  Woot!

( gym )

I bumped into Kate (one of the new RAs -- not to be confused with Katie) on my way to Spangler.  She commented on the lanterns and I was like, "What?" and then I looked around.  Way to decorate, HBS.  They look nice -- all seasonal and everything; pumpkin and squash and stuff at the base of these nice curved lantern holders, with thick white candles in them.  I hope they stick around.  (When I left work at the end of the day today, they looked to be already taking down the big tent -- since the Centennial weekend extravaganza was over.)

***

Econ class tonight we had a quiz.  Everyone was sitting (or standing) out in the hallway before class.  I felt like I was back in college.

I'm an auditor, so I sat in the back of the room and blew threw about half of Ahead of the Curve.

Then we watched a one hour video -- Surviving the Bottom Line (Chapter 1: "Running With the Bulls").  ( Read more... )

I woke up at 7:06 this morning.  Ideally I'm out of the house about ten minutes prior to that.  So in the interest of getting a shower and stuff, no gym for me today.  (Jonah and I were doing dinner at Veggie Planet between work and class, so after work wasn't a gym option.)

Veggie Planet = still tasty.  I got a tofu peanut curry rice dish.  And cinnamon apple tea.

And then we went to TeaLuxe and got their seasonal hot chocolate + chai.  (On the counter woman's recommendation, I got Tra Que Chai -- cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon.  He got Kashmiri Chai, which smelled very minty.)

While waiting to cross JFK St. back to the T, a woman informed us about a demonstration or something.  I didn't take a flyer, but as we began to cross the street she told us about how millions of children are being drugged and it's a hoax.  I said, "I would argue, but I have to go to class."  She said that she knew this was true because she took care of her five-and-a-half-year-old grandson and they wanted to medicate him and she proved that he didn't need it.  I said that while some children are medicated when they don't need it, that medication is arguably overprescribed, I don't think all children are overmedicated.  She said most are, millions of children -- and poor children, not children of the upper-middle-class.  (I appreciated that at least she had an eye toward the systemically disadvantaged and wasn't just complaining about yuppies who really wanted toys more than children and should never have been allowed to breed in the first place.)  So I fulfilled my day's quota of engaging strangers in discussion.  (Possibly I need a new tag for this?)

***

Class was wicked dull.  I literally pulled out my copy of James Fraser's Between Church and State to read partway through.

The prof talked about trade and stuff and how one factor is negotiating and how when you intensely demand something, the supplier can demand a very high price (hence why it's a bad idea to fall in love).  I wanted to say, "But as long as the buyer thinks the good is worth the price paid, then both sides are still gaining.  Yes you want to claim as much of the pie as possible, but as long as you're still within the ZOPA you're coming out ahead."  But I mean, he knew that -- we were talking about comparative advantage and stuff, and how specialization and trade make both parties better off even if one party gains more than the other party does.

He talked about free trade and Cuba and suggested that no one's really gaining from the trade sanctions and SmartStudent said, "You underestimate the importance of Florida in every election [...] Cuban expats."

Someone asked if the supply and demand curves ever actually look like curves rather than just straight lines.  The prof said yes, that this model is an oversimplification, said, "People are not straight."  And we all laughed, him included.  He rephrased it as, "People do not behave linearly all the time."

***

Jessie wrote:

I have these moments with pretty much anyone I know even reasonably well, but the more I know someone, the more I find myself picking out those things. Moments where I think "would X still be X if she didn't do this thing that I can't even quite describe?" (Would Elizabeth be Elizabeth without talking to strangers about Marx and religion on the T? Would Emi be Emi without the way she blows her nose in the morning?)

I thought of this when I got cc-ed on an email from Nicole to B:

I had forgotten the true extent of my dorkiness and find myself leaping out of bed every morning, though still overwhelmed (in a good way) with all the things I can learn in just one day... On that note, I also have some readings to send you/Sara that reminded me of MONV, and which might help frame the discussion next semester.

Yes, she is no longer working here and is still talking about helping improve B's course.  (I think one reason the both of us worked well together is that we're both crazy like that.)

***

soundingsea is talking about writercon 2009 again, and now that my summer is over I'm actually in the mindset to be excited about that.

Next year is totally going to be the year of long weekend trips.

Reconciling Ministries Network's 10th Convocation is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend (September 4-7, 2009) at the YMCA of the Rockies at Estes Park, Colorado.

I feel confident that WriterCon will not be scheduled for Labor Day weekend, so yay for not having to choose between the queer Methodists and fandom.

I remain undecided as to muskratjamboree.  Last year I felt like I should go because it's local, but from who signed up it felt like it was gonna be DueSouthCon or something -- which is fine, but which has no appeal for me.  Hanging out with local fen would of course be cool, but I feel like I would be better served hanging out with them in other contexts.  And "a slash-oriented comm con" doesn't especially help sell me either.
    Muskrat Jamboree 2009! A multi-fandom, slash-oriented con! April 3rd and 4th, 2009!
    Registration will go live on October 25th, 2008 and will be limited to 140 people. The registration fee will be $80.00 US.

***

email forward from my mom:

MY LIVING WILL

Last night, my friend and I were sitting in the living room and I said to her, 'I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.'

She got up, unplugged the Computer, and threw out my wine.

She's such a bitch

***

I thought JennyO was kidding when she referred to Lindsay Lohan as a a baby queer, but apparently not.  (And from the same Jenpost, Ckat Aiken is probably officially gay.)

I was reminded today that the Harvard Extension School catalog is up (it's one the emails I got while I was away, and when catching up on Friday I shunted it aside).

I can has Intro Econ!

ECON E-10a Principles of Economics - Fall term (10062)
Siddiq M. Abdullah, PhD, Professor of Management, Pine Manor College.
Tuesdays beginning Sept. 16, 7:35-9:35 pm, Harvard Hall, Room 201. ( course description )

I was considering taking HIST E-1915 Africa and Africans: The Making of a Continent in the Modern World (12991)
Caroline Elkins, PhD, Hugo K. Foster Associate Professor of African Studies, Harvard University.
Online only, beginning Sept.15. ( course description ) but I think I'm gonna be lame and just read the texts on the syllabi (admittedly that means no coursepacket for me) and actually enroll in RELI E-1505 Religion, Education, and Democracy (13202)
Diane L. Moore, PhD, Professor of the Practice in Religious Studies and Education, Harvard Divinity School.
Fall term: Wednesdays beginning Sept. 17, 7:35-9:35 pm, Sever Hall, Room 203. ( course description )

ANTS has their courses up as well, and though there are very few distance learning courses to choose from, I'm stoked about the prospect of taking

THEO 637F
[EL] Process Theology
William Russell Pregeant
( course description )

Except . . . seeking out their forms, registration was apparently Aug. 4-15. Le sigh.