Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Finished!!!
I just finished my last exam and now I'm about to leave to catch a train to Scotland! It feels strange to not have anything that I have to do right now. What does one do with so much free time? I have 8 hours to sit on a train and think about it. So excited!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
living in the future
I'm writing this while on the train to Scotland, via my iPod touch. The train has free wireless Internet access. I'm just now looking out the window at fields of yellow flowers. We're living in the future.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Good Days Ahead
Not a lot has been happening for a few months now, but hopefully that will change starting this week. For two months or so, I've been working overtime and freelance to save up money for a trip to Scotland with my brother, his friend Rob, and Grace. For even longer, Grace has been studying at every free moment for her exams. But...
Mike and Rob come into town today - in fact, I have to leave in an hour to go pick them up from the airport. We leave for Scotland on Saturday, for about nine days. And after that I shouldn't have to work quite so much, so I'll have more free time.
Grace's second exam (out of four) is also today. She finishes a week from today, when she'll be taking the long train up to meet Mike, Rob and I in the highlands. After that, she'll 'just' have to work on her dissertation, which will, in theory, be no more than a 9-5 M-F kind of job. We're planning to do actual fun things on the weekends.
Keep an eye out for pictures of Scotland!
Mike and Rob come into town today - in fact, I have to leave in an hour to go pick them up from the airport. We leave for Scotland on Saturday, for about nine days. And after that I shouldn't have to work quite so much, so I'll have more free time.
Grace's second exam (out of four) is also today. She finishes a week from today, when she'll be taking the long train up to meet Mike, Rob and I in the highlands. After that, she'll 'just' have to work on her dissertation, which will, in theory, be no more than a 9-5 M-F kind of job. We're planning to do actual fun things on the weekends.
Keep an eye out for pictures of Scotland!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Brief Update
That guy below (who looks like a human version of Big Bird to me) is now Mayor of London, and has already started moving and shaking things up! He's banned alcohol consumption on the Tube! How will Londoners COPE???
We have had a solid week now of sunny beautiful weather. London in spring is a revelation compared to London in the long, dark, wet, cold winter. We are taking advantage by spending a few hours reading in grassy Russell Square, which is right near where we live, and by taking our lunches out there. It's a bit like when we were in DC and we were appalled to find that people thought the height of summer fun was to lay out in Dupont Circle. That was lame, but this is amazing, because Russell Square is much nicer, more like a lush, leafy park. Dupont Circle by contrast has been scraped down to the dusty earth and is already covered with homeless people. So people are bringing blankets and picnics and drinks and enjoying the sun. We have also taken books and lunch over a few times but are also stuck indoors studying and working. It's all over for me in three weeks though!
We have had a solid week now of sunny beautiful weather. London in spring is a revelation compared to London in the long, dark, wet, cold winter. We are taking advantage by spending a few hours reading in grassy Russell Square, which is right near where we live, and by taking our lunches out there. It's a bit like when we were in DC and we were appalled to find that people thought the height of summer fun was to lay out in Dupont Circle. That was lame, but this is amazing, because Russell Square is much nicer, more like a lush, leafy park. Dupont Circle by contrast has been scraped down to the dusty earth and is already covered with homeless people. So people are bringing blankets and picnics and drinks and enjoying the sun. We have also taken books and lunch over a few times but are also stuck indoors studying and working. It's all over for me in three weeks though!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Bits and Pieces
A couple of updates.
This guy is now the mayor of London:
He has had a haircut recently though.
We've had a really good weekend in London. It's finally warm outside, and daylight stretches past 8:30. Plus, it was a public holiday on Monday, so it was a three-day weekend. We felt like big city folk for the first time ever I think today, when we went to eat lunch on a park bench by a fountain.
Also, we bought airline tickets for our trip home this summer, and we got a steal - $550 each! Anyway, we'll be flying into Chicago on August 26 and leaving from there on September 4. Looks like there will be some kind of Labour Day party at the parent's house, so put it in your calendar.
This guy is now the mayor of London:
He has had a haircut recently though.
We've had a really good weekend in London. It's finally warm outside, and daylight stretches past 8:30. Plus, it was a public holiday on Monday, so it was a three-day weekend. We felt like big city folk for the first time ever I think today, when we went to eat lunch on a park bench by a fountain.
Also, we bought airline tickets for our trip home this summer, and we got a steal - $550 each! Anyway, we'll be flying into Chicago on August 26 and leaving from there on September 4. Looks like there will be some kind of Labour Day party at the parent's house, so put it in your calendar.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Zimbabwe Again
So. The central bank of Zimbabwe - a country currently in economic meltdown, with a shrinking economy and inflation somewhere north of 150,000% per year - has issued a monetary policy statement. That's when the central bank, or the Fed for the USA, changes the interest rates and all the business pages make a big deal about it. Here is a small excerpt from the latest monetary policy statement from the US Fed.
"The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 25 basis points to 2 percent.
Recent information indicates that economic activity remains weak. Household and business spending has been subdued and labor markets have softened further. Financial markets remain under considerable stress, and tight credit conditions and the deepening housing contraction are likely to weigh on economic growth over the next few quarters."
So, the US fed lowered the interest rates from 2.25% to 2.00% and issued a 6 paragraph statement to justify their actions.
Compare this to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has just raised interest rates from 1,500% to 4,500% and issued a 103 page statement. The ending of this statement is pretty priceless.
"11.15 In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen, let our economic history of tomorrow, just like our Liberation War History of yesterday, record that, at her greatest hour of need, when she was at her most vulnerable moment and at the stage when it was easier to give in and give up than to toil and sweat, Zimbabwe found herself lucky to have men and women who could stand up to defend her, who could sacrifice all they have for her till she was able to stand on her own...
11.16 Let our future history record that such men and women were You and Me, and not the other way round.
11.17 In God's hands I submit this Monetary Policy Statement."
Wow.
Update: If you want more Zimbabwe, I like this audio clip from a South African morning radio talk show host. Two DJ's "call" the Zimbabwe embassy to get information on the election results. I fear this may appeal to a limited audience.
"The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 25 basis points to 2 percent.
Recent information indicates that economic activity remains weak. Household and business spending has been subdued and labor markets have softened further. Financial markets remain under considerable stress, and tight credit conditions and the deepening housing contraction are likely to weigh on economic growth over the next few quarters."
So, the US fed lowered the interest rates from 2.25% to 2.00% and issued a 6 paragraph statement to justify their actions.
Compare this to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has just raised interest rates from 1,500% to 4,500% and issued a 103 page statement. The ending of this statement is pretty priceless.
"11.15 In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen, let our economic history of tomorrow, just like our Liberation War History of yesterday, record that, at her greatest hour of need, when she was at her most vulnerable moment and at the stage when it was easier to give in and give up than to toil and sweat, Zimbabwe found herself lucky to have men and women who could stand up to defend her, who could sacrifice all they have for her till she was able to stand on her own...
11.16 Let our future history record that such men and women were You and Me, and not the other way round.
11.17 In God's hands I submit this Monetary Policy Statement."
Wow.
Update: If you want more Zimbabwe, I like this audio clip from a South African morning radio talk show host. Two DJ's "call" the Zimbabwe embassy to get information on the election results. I fear this may appeal to a limited audience.
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