Brainwaves of Sken

I feel like I’ve spent the greater part of the last two weeks in Chicago, which is almost true.

I wrote a long post about SkennCon and then, due to my own idiocy, erased it when I said “No” to “Do you want to load your Draft?”

Meanwhile, I braved the snowy slush to do my professional duty at the Chicago Auto Show, and received kudos worthy of printing for my lovely collection. I hung out with Katrina and saw Smashmouth (I’ve not had such ringing in my ears since my first show, Metallica).

Lucy took the train up on Thursday night, and we spent the next two nights in Chicago together, which was really lovely. We went to the hot tub, I had steak at Elephant and Castle, we had more Yolk, and I watched lucy try on spectacular bras.

We took the train back, which was uneventful, if a bit warm. The same Conductor was there, and he wondered where our posse was. Where was our posse? *sigh*

This morning, it took at least 30 minutes for me to chip the thick and solid snowice off my car. I used my scraper as an ice pick for the large lump of plow-deposited matter behind my rear wheels, because it was large enough to take out my muffler and leave me without any wheels on the ground.

Alas, I am back at work, so I’d better get to that.

EDIT: Oh! And Obama was in the hotel next to mine! They share an underground connection, so I had to pass through his hotel on my way to Houlihan’s for dinner. I saw tons of “linebackers with suits” and a bunch of very excited people. This was the evening of Super Tuesday, so when I got back to my hotel, I got to see his live announcement.

It was surreal to know that the live national coverage was coming from few floors and a few hundred yards away from me.

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This is one more reason why I’m an old cranky man when it comes to MMO games. I paid for my game. I mean, I spent 40 or 50 bucks on Loom, 17 or 18 years ago, and I can still play it if I want. I really, really don’t like the idea of spending money on games in a completely disposable manner. It’s like buying paper cups for use at home.

Recycle your games!

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It’s been a weird trip back to Chicago so far. I settled in yesterday, only venturing out long enough to stop at Houlihans for a french dip. It turns out that Obama was in the Hyatt Regency, which I had to pass through in order to get there – you know whenever you pass linebackers in suits, you must be looking at Secret Service. The little earpieces didn’t hurt, either.

The mood there was electric, though I just passed through.

I was expecting MAJOR snow storming last night, but nothing came through. I set up the video camera to do a time-lapse out the window, pointing at Navy Pier as the sun set. It’s totally awesome.

Today, the taxi to the auto show forded through not-fucking-around slush, so I expect snow will have struck in full by the time I leave.

I feel totally naked – I forgot my cell phone in my hotel room. Frankly, I can’t wait to get back there and pick it up.

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Law Professor Lawrence Lessig is the author of three important “technology/culture” books, chair of the Creative Commons project, and teaches in constitutional law, contracts, and the laws of cyberspace.

He’s qualified to do so because he has a BA in economics and a BS in management from the University of Pennsylvania, an MA in philosophy from Cambridge, and a JD from Yale.

I’ve always been impressed not only with what he has to say, but also in the coherence of his thought. He has a habit of reaching into the complex aether of thought and pulling out the essence of a problem.

He made a video (consider it an audio podcast with bonus graphics) which I’ll embed below, but frankly, you’re much better off downloading the high-quality quicktime, as the youtube is a bit too compressed for comfort.

He makes a number of points that I’ve felt in my gut but been unable to articulate about the reasons I find Barack appealing and Clinton unappealing that have nothing to do with “likeability” or their remarkable similarity in policy statements.

He makes specific assertions about integrity and moral courage, and then he backs them up with specific instances. It’s the kind of thing I only wish actual candidates did, you know?

For those of you reading my journal who intend to vote democratic, or just those who’d like to see an interesting perspective on what separates these two people, I suggest you listen, and (of course) start a good conversation about it, either here or in your own journal.

Don’t be bored.

(as with all discussion, try to be civil)

EDIT: My dear religiously inclined friends, I would very much like to know your opinions and thoughts after listening to this speech. I will warn you that it is over thirty minutes long, and as such may be beyond most people’s tolerance for youtube-size video. However, I listened to the whole thing, and really want to know what you think of what he had to say about Religion and politics.

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In case you ever find yourself standing for a profile picture (say, for a brochure or a play, or if you’re the flippin’ CEO), for cry eye (hi krystyn!) NEVER, ever stand with your back against a wall. This goes sextuply for a glossy wood door, and googltuply for flash.

Just… Don’t… Do it. Three steps forward. Please.

(brought to you by a photo-manipulator on the edge, thirty crappy dealer photos later)

EDIT: Additionally, because it needs to be said: Using a flash photo from your favorite bar, with your stunned wide eyes and open mouth, is probably not the best career move ever.

Confused, stupid, in pain … my psyche can handle them individually. Putting them together is like a flash bomb, leaving me groping for fluorescent spectres and hoping my vision will someday return.

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“Pam Anderson, who has recently been performing in a magic show in Las Vegas, follows Arielle Dombasle, an actress and wife of one of France’s leading intellectuals, in appearing at the Crazy Horse, a fixture in Paris night life for half a century.”

What’s the saddest thing about this? It’s that one never says, “one of America’s leading intellectuals.” No, we don’t grow those. Just Pam Anderson.

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Due to the Swissotel having no idea whether they’re under construction or not, they’re moving me to another hotel that is, apparently, attached via underground passage. I… guess that’s kinda sweet, but they damn well better have a hot tub, ‘sall I’m sayin’.

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My W-2 came to my desk this morning, attached to my check stub, and I feel very pleased that at this point I have paid my Federal taxes (through H&R Block’s free file) and my State/Local taxes (through an exhausting process of finding and printing MI-1040, the useless but somehow necessary Schedule W, and Schedule 2 for my city taxes).

Had I been a little more on the ball and checked out the state web site before filing federal, I could have done both electronically, and for free or discounted, through the MI Fast File site.

Now I just have to sign the state forms and confirm the E-mail when Fed comes in, and I’m set.

I might decide to just save the loot, in case my housing/employment situation changes in the next six months … could be useful.

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I left lansing very late last night, and at first I was the only fool on the road. It took me at least twice as long to get back home, which sounds about right because most of the time I didn’t dare go above 40. And before you scoff, try driving on my tires in this snow.

I woke up early and headed out, only to discover that not a single goddamned road had been plowed. I suppose it’s possible they were and the snow dumped when I wasn’t looking, but by the time I left (8:15a), the snow was slowing down, and I saw no tell-tale drifts on the side of the road from snowplows.

It just amazed me, as I drove through deep slushy snow on I-96, I-75, and all the surface streets. I didn’t see a single plow on the road, and only one salt truck (going the opposite way, natch).

I shake my fist at thee!

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SkennCon 2008

Okay peoples, here’s the deal – there are one or two photos at the above (er, okay, 400), and I’ve lost the will to muck about with it bein’ all creative and stuff, so why don’t you go there and leave comments with your favorite captions. The best will become the actual captions, and it’ll be bloomin’ hilarious, wot.

PS due to the way I downloaded Nancy’s photos and merged them with Karinny’s, Adrienne’s, and Anne’s, the captions are already a hilariously confusing mishmash of 1st-person Nancy and 1st-person Skennedy. So don’t worry about it too much ;)

In other news, my fingers are so fucking cold here at home that I’m tempted to spend money I don’t have to get a hotel room with a hot tub just so I can feel again.

I’ll be in Lansing tonight, so I have no idea how the snow will affect me, as there is no way I can not be at work tomorrow.

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