i'm a man without conviction / i'm a man who doesn't know / how to sell a contradiction

i am not ashamed for loving this.

"yes, pay the voters! forget about the greedy politicians!"

In The Know: Are Politicians Failing Our Lobbyists?


"that could improve our image abroad."

i love it.

well i don’t mind if you don’t mind

so i have been reporting for MIRS, the fine folks who employ me to proofread and scour newspapers every morning. and i have to say, i may have found my calling! first, there are few things more entertaining that sitting through the House Appropriations committee meeting (hear me out!) and writing down everything George Cushingberry says. he is like a larger, more sarcastic Apollo Creed. I want to give him a hug every time i see him. he's been around forever (since the 70s, one of the old school lawmakers who will soon be ousted by term limits) and has that ability to put the younger lawmaker in their place. i love it.

it's also been really tremendous to spend my days in the capitol, or any of the outlying buildings, being somewhat anonymous and scribbling notes. it's a mixture of the finest points of gossip, people-watching, the democratic process and the first amendment.

biggest surprise? how accessible the lawmakers are. i've heard my fair share of folks dropping lawmakers names like it is some kind of insider privilege to have a two minute chat with them. but it isn't. anyone can do it. i have walked up tot he committee heads before the meetings, asked my questions, and never gotten that "whothefuckareyou" look. if anything, introducing myself as covering the story for MIRS opens them up a bit, i suppose.

i feel like the young padawan learner of the office. the men and women who report for MIRS are amazing. they know so much it is staggering. i'm loving being able to ask them questions and pick their brains a bit. i love when my story assignment is "i need you to go babysit george cushingberry tomorrow," or when another reporter tells me "just don't try to write too much--in the beginning, just get the facts straight".

obviously i'm feeling pretty lucky. while the last few months have been appalling, from the final implosion of my relationship/family unit, to being betrayed by a friend, etc., at least there is an element of hope here. it doesn't matter anymore that there's no hope for jeremy, that i've had to cut an old friend loose--because i have this new life to build and enjoy, and new places to go.

all things considered, i think i am happy. at least with my professional life, and my own personal "development". the rest of it, and the rest of them, can go to hell. i haven't got time for their drama--i'm too busy with the political kind:)

the stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun

this song is playing on repeat, on windows media player, and in my brain/heart



just because it needs to happen doesn't mean is isn't a touch sad, right?

You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind

there's something of the motown aesthetic in this. it's a bit heartbreaking, but there's some kind of inerta or momentum in it, something like JUST KEEP WALKING. which seems a little bit betrayed by the bit of "are you sure this is what you want? you really think it's me?" and "i'm going to be sad without you"; but then there's the overall sense of inevitability.

i don't know if there's a baseball metaphor anywhere in this. i suppose not.

obama/north carolina victory quote

"we can't afford to give john mccain the chance to serve out george bush's third term".

nice.

so much for obama losing a little of his "excitement" and "fire", etc.