Life Update, Fall 2008

[harmonictempest]

(Dammit, that'll teach me to write long things in a fickle browser window)
Let's see, we'll need section for Classes, Research, Choir, Drama, Jobs, Graduate School, Politics, hmm....Personal, and Miscellany.

Summary: Life is good, if extraordinarily busy.  I'm getting done everything I need to and looking forward to this paying off in the form of an

Comments

[zoatebix]

To your last point, I say: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101201966.html

[harmonictempest]

Hmm...not sure if I feel better that this is nothing new, or even more discouraged that it's such an inextricable part of American politics. Interesting link, though. :-)

glad to hear all is well :)

[thewisetrees]

Jonah Lehrer has written about the psychology of political bias in his blog, and has also spoken about it in some interviews/podcasts. I'll give you the links to his blog (The Frontal Cortex). The premise of some of the research stems from the self-preservation effects; people accept self-serving information, and discard self-dissonant information. I feel that understanding the motivating factors for our beliefs, and even our more basic behaviors, would help all of us get along instead of falling into the cesspool of self-serving fervor and opinions. Jonah has strong liberal views, and while he tries to be objective, you might have to read some of this with grains of salt in your eyes (ow

[zoatebix]

Oh, I was going for "disheartened," but I'll take "not sure" and "discouraged."

But don't lose all hope! The modern negative campaign ad has a leg up on the 19th Century negative campaign:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002449.html

You're lucky I still check this thing every so often...

[anonymous]

...And I am glad to hear that things are going well for you!

- I wish you all kinds of luck on the grad school apps...(I'd also advise you to ask for recommendations nowish if you want well-written ones, even if you put off the application until Christmas break).

- Have fun with Oklahoma!

- I should post class summaries, from the teacher's point of view!

- I concur with the Nov. 5 sentiment, and would like to add that I am now a)very skilled at and b)very sick of explaining the electoral college to Germans of varying ages.