Incoherency, Inc.

11 months

2006-06-20T00:34:00.000-04:00

I'm starting to really feel like a senior in college. In all of the wrong ways. I feel myself going through the motions, carried forward by momentum that originates in the right places yet sometimes seems unrecognizable. I don't like stepping back from my life ('professional' life, mind you....personal life couldn't be better) and realizing that i'm running forward with my eyes closed. I think I'm headed in the right direction, but I'm too scared that it might be wrong to open my eyes.

I'm blessed with options--unbelievably blessed. But I'm cursed with a risk-averse mentality that I fear could very well keep me from discovering a true vocation that fuels my soul.

I read a brilliant essay by an old friend tonight that (in the best way) really turned me inside out. I look up to Andy in a lot of ways he'll never know, and I think his experience teaching in rural Mississippi makes me rightfully question where I need to be headed and how I should measure the worth of whatever I pursue. The essay was published on the NPR website, but the unedited (better) version is on his blog. Enjoy.

I'm tired of this

2006-06-06T00:35:00.000-04:00

It's unfortunate that it took something so disheartening to reawaken this blog.

As of today 2,476 American soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq.

Today, National Guard soldiers from rural Alaska prepared for their deployment to Iraq; their unit's first deployment since WWII. 200 National Guard soldiers from Florida said goodbye to their loved ones, bound for Iraq.

Today, Islamic militias took control of Somalia's capital of Mogadishu.

Today we learned of the latest horror from the continuing violence and inhumanity in Darfur, Sudan: victims of torture.

Today, over 38 million people across the globe are living with HIV/AIDS.

Today, 36 million Americans live in poverty.

Today, instead of tackling the energy crisis, the pending clash with the house over immigration legislation, addressing the crisis we face as a nation at war in an increasingly more difficult and taxing conflict, or addressing the threats we face globally and domestically--poverty, disease, hunger, violence--the Republican Senate and President Bush focused instead on the vital issue of...amending the U.S. Constitution to deny homosexual couples the right to legally recognize their monogamous, loving, committed relationships and receive equal treatment under the laws of this nation.

Shame. Shame on the Republicans in the Senate and President Bush, and shame on all of you who continue to support the Republican party, so clearly driven by the far fringes of fearmongers and bigots on the far right, as they spend a week debating this ridiculous amendment

An amendment with no chance of passage. An amendment that does not protect a single soldier bravely serving this country in Iraq, Afghanistan, or anywhere else. An amendment that does nothing to justly resolve the immigration debate, or put the U.S. any closer to energy independence, or encourage development and peace worldwide, or protect this nation's citizenry from the real threats we face every day. An amendment that neither puts food on the table of a starving child nor puts a qualified teacher in every American classroom.

Do not reward their transparent capitulation to the worst instincts of political calculation.

I'm disappointed and saddened, but mostly just tired of this fight: what can we do when our elected representatives ignore the real issues to score points with their funders?

Vote. Them. Out.

Drama Aside...

2006-03-20T23:35:00.000-05:00

...I'm doing fine. I didn't mean to sound the false alarm, I'm just busy and occasionally struggling with a full plate. So no worries...I need to update the blog more often, and I'd like to get back into some political writing. Expect an update soon on my recently funded thesis project. Blogs in '06 Senate races. Perfect.

2006-02-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

It's been a rough few weeks. I think the worst part is that I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed out loud. That's a problem.

This blog isn't dead...it's just on the back burner for a while.

Bookends and Dead Ends

2005-12-19T19:20:00.000-05:00

So, here I am in Santiago Chile...again. Using wireless in the terminal during an unexpected layover...again. It's a little surreal to start and end my experience here in this sterile airport terminal as the sun sets over the Andes mountains that we've just flown over. Our flight will leave for Miami an hour later than planned, which makes no difference to me because I have a 7 (now 6) hour layover in Miami...but some of my friends are going to have to run.

I said goodbye to my host family last night and this morning. It's a really wonderful thing to now have what I really feel like is a second family 5,000 miles away from home. They have been an absolutely irreplaceable part of my experience here...last night I brought home a kilo of ice cream and we ate delicious chori-bon-bons (sausage with a slice of tomato, roasted red pepper, and spices on a baguette). Delicious.

I just can't believe it's over. I can't believe that my cab ride to the airport is the last spanish conversation I'll have for a long time. I can't comprehend that 24 hours from now I'll be riding in a car that's likely (unless my dad has become a terrible driver) WITHIN the lanes on the highway, headed to a house with trees in the front yard, not seeing billboards for ham as we drive home, and of course hearing a foreign language yet again....but this time it'll be English.

At times I've hated my program for it's isolation, for it's structure, and for academic frustrations in a region where there is SO much I could learn. But as I look back, I guess sometimes it took pushing me in directions I didn't want to go to improve my Spanish as I have and to really open my eyes to everything I need to see.

I head back to the United States. To my wonderful girlfriend who I can't WAIT to see, to my parents and brothers and dogs who I miss dearly. But I also head back to a country in trouble in ways that you can only see from "a fuera." The outside, While the countries of this region struggle with massive debt, unemployment, and political corruption I'm headed back to my native country and a world full of other problems--some more similar than they are different.

I've learned a lot about my view of the world here. I've learned that the "ugly left" of romaticized visions of revolutions and cries to fuck the system at all cost is in many ways as harmful as the ugly, ugly far-right I know all too well in the states. I've learned that conservatism I can handle, while I don't agree, but that the Republican party is a FAR right entity in global terms and that their breed of "conservatism" is a ridiculous blend of issues that do wonderfully at evoking fear from the populace without ever having a chance of changing anything in the world.

At our goodbye dinner, an emotional affair, my host father gave a speech and summed up my experience here better than I could. "I've spoken to Taylor" he explained to the group, "and I'm just happy that he's expressed he wants to return to Argentina. I know my country has lots of problems, and I don't expect any of you to solve all of them. But it makes me proud to know that you want to come back...and it makes me think there's hope for change someday."

See you soon.

Off I Go On My Own

2005-11-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

As I was typing the title (which is a song lyric) I realized it's from a rock opera my brother and his friend wrote when they were in 9th grade...though maybe it's a common phrase. ANYWAY, the point is I'm leaving on over-night bus to Mendoza in about 4 hours. Yesterday I went to my second soccer match here, the first being the highly touted River Vs. Boca rivalry that was absolutely out of control. Yesterday was a little more subdued, but I sat in the "popular" section which is basically a free-for-all crazy time. Lots of pictures from the match on the other site, so check those out. I should have fairly regular email access over the next few weeks so look for updates and (I hope) pictures from Mendoza. Chau!

Now Playing

2005-11-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

I'm in major-procrastination mode. I leave for Mendoza this Monday. I've secured a hostel here, and I think my project is coming together nicely. I'll be looking at the Argentine wine industry from the perspective of workers. On the one hand, their work cannot be replaced by machines because it's so delicate...on the other hand, the grape harvest only lasts 3-4 months out of the year. I'll be looking at alternative (cooperatives primarily) and orthodox models for vineyards and bodegas to see if either favors workers and whether the industry as a whole is worker-friendly. So that's my next month. I also plan to take full advantage of the white water rafting, mountain biking, and other ridiculous opportunities in beautiful Mendoza.

So as I sit in Buenos Aires writing my final exam and planning out interviews and a schedule for this month--culminating in a 40 page paper and oral presentation--I'm doing what anyone would be doing: paying much more attention to iTunes than my work.

Keep in mind I've been a little out of the loop music-wise. So this is mainly older stuff:

First, a recent mix:

Doves- "Words"
Wilco- "The Late Greats"
Koufax- "Social Life"
Hot Hot Heat- "This Town"
Carissa's Weird- "Die"
Kings of Convenience (w/ Leslie Fiest)- "Know How"
Broken Social Scene- "I Slept With Bonhomme At The CBC"
Death Cab for Cutie- "405"
Jeff Buckley- "Lover, You Should Have Come Over"
Phoenix- "Too Young"
Rogue Wave- "Kicking the Heart Out"
The Shins- "Pink Bullets"
Sun Kil Moon- "Gentle Moon"
Arcade Fire- "Naive Melody"
The Stills- "Lola Stars and Stripes"
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists- "Timorous Me"

And a few albums I've been playing more than usual lately:

Broken Social Scene- "Feel Good Lost" I can't imagine a better album to listen to while pretending to do work. The more times I listen to this one I more I realize how much I prefer it to "You Forget It In People." Sorry, it's true.
Death Cab for Cutie- "We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes" The new Death Cab album depresses me in it's mediocrity, so I've reverted back to an old classic.
Feist- "Let it Die" I still think Feist sounds like the name of some hardcore band that I would never listen to, which makes it infinitely satisfying every time I hear the beautiful voice of Leslie on the title track or "Mushaboom."
Billy Bragg & Wilco- "Mermaid Avenue Vol. I" I've owned this album for years but I don't think I've ever appreciated it as much as I do now. "Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key" must be the best Lyle Lovett song he could never write.
Beck- "Guero" I finally got my hands on this from a friend here. "Girl" has spent more than its share of time on Party Shuffle.
Kanye West- "Late Registration" Because where there's a band wagon, I'll be on it. I think I only like this so much because it makes me think of my WALT pals at Davidson. I like "Gone" a whole lot.

I like that being away from easy access to new music has forced me to rediscover things within my own collection.

Break over.

Reflections on an Election 5,000 Miles Away

2005-11-09T07:31:00.000-05:00

While I'm cautiously optimistic at best as to what this means for 2006, I'm also hopeful with Democratic victories in big races in Virginia and New Jersey, and a host of ballot initiatives across the US. Yes, I'm far away from home now, but US politics are my passion and I can't help it.

Congrats to Davidson alum and Charlotte City-Councilman Elect Anthony Foxx.

Unfortunately, the news isn't all great for my district. From the Charlotte Observer, bad news for education in Charlotte-Meck:

Voters resoundingly rejected bonds for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for the first time in a decade, with 57 percent saying no to a record $427 million to build and renovate schools.

And, the school board takes a disasterous turn...

Two new faces were elected to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board Tuesday, including a Republican expected to bolster a conservative minority.

Incumbent Larry Gauvreau retained his seat after vowing to keep opposing bad ideas rather than compromise. Often, he's on the losing side of 7-2 votes. But now he'll likely be joined by Ken Gjertsen, who was elected in a district covering the southern Mecklenburg suburbs.

Overall, a good day for Democrats in big races. But all politics are local and all is not well for Charlotte-Meck schools..

NY Times Slams Bush's Visit to Argentina, With Good Cause

2005-11-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

It's rare that I see a free NY Times editorial these days, but this is about as clear as it gets:

After President Bush's disastrous visit to Latin America, it's unnerving to realize that his presidency still has more than three years to run. An administration with no agenda and no competence would be hard enough to live with on the domestic front. But the rest of the world simply can't afford an American government this bad for that long.

You should see the newspapers down here.

Brazil In a (Brazilian) Nutshell

2005-11-06T21:27:00.000-05:00

Imagine for a moment that you're designing a foreign-exchange program for German students. You fly in a group of 16 students, send them to Detroit for a week, send them home and tell them they have seen the United States.

That's a little how I feel about my experience in Brazil. Porto Alegre is very much Brazil's Detroit: very industrial, poor, unsafe in many areas. The city is a very different and important reality that I wish I felt I had experienced in a week there. Instead, we spent 9-10 hours a day in class, our nights at the most touristy restaurants in town, and precious few hours exploring the city, markets, etc. I realize the absurdity of trying to visit "Brazil" in a week, but I must say that the program really failed us on this leg of the journey. My frustrations were apparent in the entire group as everyone got a little testy and combative that week.

Nonetheless, I don't mean to whine for longer than necessary. The highlights:

1. Obviously the Arcade Fire show. While I recognize the irony that seeing two North American bands is at the top of my list, the show was honestly the closest I came to feeling like "wow, I'm in Brazil." The crowd was crazy in the best ways, and I actually had the chance to talk to people and meet locals--something that, surprisingly, was sorely lacking during my trip.

2. A visit to a cooperative farming community outside of the city. The co-op formed about 15 years ago when a group of landless peasants began squatting on a plot of government land, protesting the government to allow them to use the land to produce food. After years of struggle, during which the government tried nearly every tactic including bombing the encampment, they acquiesced and granted the peasants a plot of land that belonged to a state prison but went unused. Now 27 families live in a tightly knit community, producing rice, corn, vegetables, milk, raising animals, and a whole host of other things. They are successful and happy and it was a really hopeful and wonderful place to be. Their struggle also marked the beginning of what is now a huge land-less workers' movement in Brazil and Paraguay among other places.

3. Portuguese. I now, after a few classes and a week of listening, like I can understand the great majority of Portuguese I hear. My speaking is still absolutely horrible, and as my Spanish continues to improve my Portuguese will no doubt worsen. But it's nice to know that I have a survival level of comprehension of a third language.

4. Guarana. Holy crap, they make perhaps the best soda I've ever tasted in Brazil. When I return to the states, if I can find Guarana and Argentine Yerba Mate in some kind of specialty food store, I will pay whatever it takes.

Photos on the other blog in the next few days, and reflections on Paraguay soon.

...From My Window To Yours

2005-10-31T14:32:00.000-05:00

Wow. Days since the show and I'm still reeling. I knew Arcade Fire had the reputation of being a ridiculous live act, but I didn't know they would blow me away like they did. Swapping instruments all night, the girl singer/keyboardist I'm already slightly obsessed with playing drums (who knew), each of the 7 people in the band attacking each song with such absolute and unhinged intensity....wow.

The venue was less a venue and more an empty airplane hangar. I know I've been to shows with more people...but never packed so closely wall-to-wall and sweaty armpit to sweaty armpit. It was hot, and hard to breathe, and I wouldn´t have wanted it any other way. The crowd was into the show, and it turns out that Brazilian fans clap in time with the music, something North American crowds should take into consideration. The Brazilian band that opened was enjoyable but forgetable, and the Strokes were neither as incredible as the last time I saw them nor able to top the spectacle of Arcade Fire.

I thought Arcade Fire was going to kill me with disappointment, as they seemed completely ready to finish without playing my favorite song...but then they came up BIG time in the clutch, finishing with a furious redition of ¨Rebellion (Lies)¨ that left me thinking ¨this is music the way it´s meant to be played.¨

¨Every time you close your eyes...¨

Then I'll Dig A Tunnel...

2005-10-24T18:38:00.000-04:00

Ok so today was generally pretty awful. Portuguese class all day in the hotel, followed by a seminar...I left the hotel for a grand total of one hour all day. BUT events this evening are very newsworthy. FIRST, I have a ticket to a concert tomorrow night outdoors by the airport here: ARCADE FIRE AND THE STROKES!!!! So, shit, that's incredible. Also, I'm on my way to a legitimate Brazilian steakhouse...in other words, the day is rapidly improving.

Language Immersion/Explosion/Confusion

2005-10-23T17:45:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Porto Alegre, Brazil. After a 20-hour (yes, 20 hour) bus ride from Buenos Aires, we arrived this morning and I slept until lunch. Before leaving I decided to swear off spoken English for the 2 week trip...which was fine until we got here and were immediately thrown into all-portuguese all the time. Surprisingly, I understand somewhere on the order of 60-75% of what I hear...but I can hardly speak a word. It's completely different sounds and I need to teach my tongue and throat to do it. Tomorrow we begin our language classes and seminars (in Spanish, thank God)...and yet today we had a city tour in Portuguese. Go figure. Anyway, exciting things that happened today:

A Brazilian college professor who was sitting next to me on the bus helped me with an ongoing project: learning to knit. I thought it was tough to learn in english or spanish...portuguese was a challenge
I bought a painting I really like at a street fair for about $7
I tasted the trademark soda of Brazil, Guarana, and it's awesome
I randomly, while at said street fair, ran into a friend from middle school who is living here for a year. I can't begin to explain how weird and random it was

Tonight we're headed out on the town with Brazilian guides (our portuguese instructors). So far so good...showing off my limited language skills: tudo bem. Tchau!

So Much For That

2005-10-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

Well Folks, the grand update-to-end-all-updates never happened...the reason being that I haven't had a free second in a week and a half. I'm on my way out the door to Brazil, so I'll try to post a bit as I go. Have a great two weeks.

Got a little update, a little novel....

2005-10-20T08:13:00.000-04:00

Ok so I feel the need to update. This week has been insane...class all day every day, 4 papers due, and pressure mounting to come up with a realistic and meaningful proposal for my Independent Study Project (ISP). I'm still working on updating completely with stories from Uruguay...and in two days we leave for two weeks in Brazil in Paraguay. Needless to say, life is a little complicated at the moment. I also recently met up with Davidson pals here in the city (Wilson and Mac) to attend the most ridiculous soccer match ever, which deserves its own post. Basically, give me time...keep checking back and I'll try to post a bunch before leaving for Brazil and hopefully update as I go in Brazil and Paraguay so as not to wind up in this same situation upon returning to the BA. Hope everyone's doing well...it's crazy to think that 2 months from today I'll be back on home soil.

Bodega Bouza

2005-10-09T17:59:00.000-04:00

One morning we visited a wine vineyard just outside of Montevideo. Given that I have decided to study labor conditions in the wine industry for my independent study project in 5 weeks, this was my first chance to see what that might be like. I'm hooked. I'm enchanted with the opportunity to study the wine industry because wine-making has always seemed like such a mystery…they squeeze grapes and then what? The complexity of it and the opportunity to learn about something well beyond my comfort zone is daunting and exciting. But anyway, on to the visit. We traveled about 30 minutes outside of Montevideo to a small vineyard that produces about 80,000 bottles a year. We had a wonderfully cheerful and personable guide who was able to explain the different techniques for cultivating the varieties of grapes, the harvesting, squeezing, and fermentation process, and the aging techniques employed by the bodega. After our tour we had the opportunity to do a little tasting…after seconds of deliberation we gave in and tasted a delicious white, and two reds (a tanat-merlot and a merlot…because I guess I should start keeping track of this stuff) I didn't much care for.

But the most important part of the visit was an idea for my project that our guide, Diego, inadvertently planted in my head. I asked about the workers, and he mentioned that the vineyard really likes to keep the same workers season-to-season because a) it's such a specialized industry, and training new workers takes time and b) for a better, consistent product it's important to have workers handle the grapes in a consistent fashion. This intrigues me, because it seems to suggest (if this is true, and if workers are aware of this advantage) that the wine industry might be one of a small group of industries in this region where workers, by virtue of the work they do, have a slight advantage in the labor market. We'll see what the workers I talk to in Mendoza have to say…but it would certainly be wonderful to find a growing industry that favors (if only slightly) the workers.

Representative Alvarez

2005-10-09T17:58:00.000-04:00

Our group met with the youngest member of the Uruguayan parliament following our tour of the legislative palace in Montevideo. At 26, Representative Alvarez was already quite impressive and--by my eye--a polished politician. He is a member of the Frente Amplio party…the coalition of left parties that recently won nationally for the first time. He came to our meeting dressed casually in cords and a sweater…stroking his long beard and sipping mate as he spoke. His Spanish was fast, flecked with idiomatic expressions, and difficult to understand completely. He spoke of the need to involve more young people in the political process in Uruguay, the threat China poses to Uruguay's export-potential, and the struggle of a small country trying to be economically prosperous in a globalized world. Though his talk was necessarily limited by our limited experience in Uruguay, it still helped a great deal to have face-to-face interaction with an elected politician…and from the political left no less!

More to Come

2005-10-08T15:50:00.000-04:00

I promise! I'm writing like a mad-man, trying to catch up on my travels of the past few weeks. More will be up soon, and I'm working on pictures right....now.

Montevideo

2005-10-08T15:48:00.001-04:00

We spent the biggest chunk of our time in any one place in Uruguay in Montevideo--5 days in total. It doesn't seem like much time at all, but I feel like we made enough of an effort to explore the city that I have more of a grasp of Montevideo than I do of Buenos Aires…and this is my third week here.

Montevideo has the reputation (though the Uruguayans would hate to hear this) of being Buenos Aires lite. Given that the city of Buenos Aires has 3+ times the amount of people as the entire country of Uruguay, such characterizations are inevitable and--in some ways--valid. But I think to write off Montevideo as a smaller version of Buenos Aires is to ignore the very distinct and (to me) wonderful differences between the two. Montevideo isn't JUST small…there's an entire different attitude about the place and the people that I found especially refreshing. Small examples abound, and together they help to demonstrate my point:

In Buenos Aires, the right of way for pedestrians is non-existent. You're lucky if a car stops for you when you're crossing under the "walk" light…God help you at an intersection without a light. Most people on the streets and public transportation are in a hurry and detest anything that interrupts their routine. There is an air of superiority to many whom live in the city--a very Argentine stereotype, but very true for many in Buenos Aires.
In Montevideo, people seem to genuinely care more about strangers. Cars stop even when THEY have the right of way. People say hello on the sidewalks, politely ask to slip by instead of pushing through a group, and face each other with friendliness instead of suspicion or judgment. At mid-day the parks are full of people sipping mate and enjoying the sunshine, and everyone just seems calm and…humble.

These are of course HUGE generalizations, obviously colored completely by my own experiences and interactions with people in both cities…but I can't get away from my gut instinct that Montevideo in particular, and Uruguay more generally, just seemed to agree with my own attitude and outlook more than Buenos Aires. Being there made me realize how much I detest huge cities sometimes…and it makes me very excited for Mendoza.

Anyway, more than general impressions, I'm trying to think of day-to-day stuff that won't be mind-numbing to read. We had seminars twice a day at La Universidad de la Republica in Montevideo, and those included a few amazing lectures from Uruguayan professors about the dictatorship between 1975 and 1985 and the recent victory by the united political left--a first in Uruguayan history. Complimenting our classes were a variety of neat field trips (I feel like I'm in third grade using that phrase, but it seems appropriate…I did not pack Lunch-ables)…a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, a tour of the legislative palace, and a chat with a group of adolescents participating in a work-study program where they learn gardening techniques while being paid to landscape public areas (this meeting ended in a monstrous football match, which was fantastic).

I'll highlight the best parts of our stay in Montevideo in separate posts to come.

Punta del Este

2005-10-08T15:48:00.000-04:00

Punta del Este is a pretty beachside tourist town…which, since we were there in September (winter down here in the southern hemisphere), was absolutely deserted. It was nice to wander what was for all purposes a ghost town. We ate at a great seafood restaurant the night we arrived--delicious fresh fish, calamari, good wine, and an apple tart that would have killed lesser men.

After our casual group dinner (which, mind you, began at 9pm and ended at 11:30), almost all 16 of us headed to Punta del Este's trademark: a sculpture on the beach made to look like a gigantic hand (the middle finger, for reference…is 12-15 feet tall) emerging from the sand. After growing weary of climbing the fingers (though my friend Tom, who at times is more monkey than man, managed to reach the top of the tallest finger), we settled onto the beach to enjoy the stars and the company. Our group bonding continued on the beach until about 3 or 4 in the morning when we returned to the hotel.

Travel

2005-10-08T15:47:00.000-04:00

We met at the ferry terminal in Buenos Aires early Saturday morning to begin the Uruguay stretch of our trip. The actual ferry was very disappointing. I love the water, and I like being able to see where I'm going…whether that means sitting by the window in a plane or sitting outside on a boat. Well, this ferry was set up more like a small, terrible shopping mall than any kind of ship I've been on before. There were plenty of seats, but few windows, no windows facing forward, and no opportunity to go out on the top deck outside in the breeze. So that was kind of lame, though we managed to pass the time playing cards on the floor and watching crowds fill the well-stocked duty free shop that occupied most of the ship.

The bus ride from Colonia (where the ferry landed) to Punta del Este satisfied my thirst for scenery, as I spent the better part of the 6 hours watching cows, horses, sheep, and beautiful countryside while listening to Iron and Wine in my headphones. It was a very peaceful journey.

"There are things that drift away, like our endless numbered days……."

Uruguay

2005-09-23T19:39:00.001-04:00

Well, tomorrow begins my first journey from Buenos Aires. At 11am, I will leave on a high-speed boat across Rio de la Plata to the coast of Uruguay. We'll be in Uruguay for two weeks, until October 7^th (so I'm sorry if I don't get a chance to blog for a while). Here's the schedule of the cities we're visiting…as if you cared:

Sept 24: Punta del Este

Sept 25--Sept 29: Montevideo

Sept 30: Colonia

Oct 1--Oct 3: Salto

Oct 4--Oct 6: Rural homestay outside of Salto

Who knows what internet access will be like…but in case I don't see you, good afternoon good evening and good night.

I promise a ridiculous amount of pictures added to the other blog when I return.

Eloisa Cartonera

2005-09-23T19:39:00.000-04:00

Immediately after the art galley, our Spanish class went to a non-profit down the street. Before explaining what they do, I need to briefly explain what the cartoneros are.

Basically, after the crisis many were left without work. One job that emerged was roaming the streets at night, searching through trash for paper and cardboard that could be sold to private businesses to be used in recycled materials. The people who do this every night are known as cartoneros.

The presence of the cartoneros is a huge political issue in Argentina. Many say they dirty the streets because, in their search for paper/cardboard they often leave the other trash out of its bag. Others point out that it's a very dangerous occupation and ought to be formalized by the state. Needless to say, there's a lot of talk at election time and nothing really changes.

So back to the non-profit org, Eloisa Cartonera. An Argentine author started the shop as a place to buy (from the cartoneros) cardboard and recyclable paper. Pieces of cardboard are cut and folded into covers for books printed on the recycled paper. The covers are painted in colorful stencil with the title of the short story or novella, and then the books are sold in the shop for 4 pesos (a little more than US $1) a piece. The guy who started the place connected with other Latin American authors, and now offers something like 30 different titles, all exclusively available at this shop behind a cardboard cover.

It's a really neat, simple idea…and the stories are great. So I bought 3 books, chatted with the owner for a while, and went to lunch…which made me sick, but that's not much of a story.

Belleza y Felicidad

2005-09-23T19:38:00.001-04:00

Thursday morning's Spanish class was fantastic. Instead of convening at 9am, we met at 10:30…and instead of anything class-related, we went to an alternative art gallery. The place is called Belleza y Felicidad ("beauty and happiness") and showcases a wide range of "arte under" as they call it here. Lots of really cool and disturbing, provocative, depressing, frightening, and strange things filled the inside of the gallery. One series of frames contained different pairs of underwear (supposedly it was the 5 people the artist had slept with?), another wall was full of Kurt Cobain and Joey Ramone images. I really liked the feel of the place, and might return before heading home to purchase something. Anyway, cool place and I'm glad my Spanish professor pointed it out…it's not in the guide book.

La Fabrica 19 de Diciembre

2005-09-23T19:38:00.000-04:00

Wednesday morning we visited a factory outside of the city that's one of approximately 180 factories taken over by workers after the economic crisis in 2000-2001. This is a very strange phenomenon…and difficult to understand and explain. But I'll try (there's a great documentary by a pair of Canadian film-makers called La Toma on this subject).

Essentially, when the crisis hit Argentina, many factory owners ("dueños") went into massive dept and subsequently shut down their factories and got the hell out of dodge. Obviously the workers weren't pleased with this situation, especially since many had been working without pay for months before the owners left and closed the factories. In certain areas, workers decided to take action: they sealed themselves in the factories and refused to leave.

So here's the tricky part. The factories don't belong to the workers, and the owners are so far in dept that the banks essentially own the equipment. But the Argentine workers, claiming that their right to work (a "right" we don't even think about) superseded private property law, took their case to the courts. Different situations turned out differently, but the majority of cases ended with the government granting the workers 2-, 5-, or 20-years in the factory…essentially freezing the problem in place without dealing with the significant issues like private property, etc.

Factories like the one we visited are producing, and selling their goods, mostly though distributors. 19 de Diciembre (named for the day when the workers took back the factory) produces small metal car parts, like hand brakes for Ford and door hinges for Volkswagon. There are about 30 workers in the plant, and they make all decisions by majority vote following a meeting of all workers. Everyone is paid the same wage.

This is a success story for the workers. They are working and earning decent money and controlling their own destiny. We had lunch with about 15 of them…lots of interesting conversation in which they vented their frustration with the corrupt politicians and greedy business men like their former boss.

It's a very complex situation, and I don't feel like I'm entitled to judge their actions as right or wrong. I don't have enough information, and I'm wise enough to recognize that there simply isn't a simple solution to the problems that plague this country.

Argentina is a country in recovery. The economic crisis here went virtually unnoticed by most in the United States (how many even knew it happened? 6 months prior to this trip, I had no idea), but was of epic and tragic proportions. It seems to me that recovery is slow, but eventually things are returning to normal. The trouble is, normal isn't good enough.

Argentina is a country brought to its knees by crisis. As everyone here gets back on their feet, no one is willing to take a step forward: action to eliminate corruption in politics; job creation; social programs; justice for victims of state terrorism. But can you blame them? Where does progress begin?

Warning: This Post Only Makes Sense If You Can Read…

2005-09-20T21:09:00.000-04:00

Well, the New York Times finally took the inevitable yet still disappointing step of making the Op-Ed section of their website pay-only. This upsets me given that I am presently unable to read the paper for free courtesy of Davidson.

Anyway, I have a suggestion for the high and mighty NY Times. 14 cents a day…bah humbug. If they're going to try to be such a bastion of liberal intellectual elitism, how about a more…progressive system?

For Maureen Dowd readers: 16 Bush jokes a month

For Paul Krugman readers: make up your own figure, just so long as you explain where it came from

For Frank Rich readers: you're free…because only 4 of you make it through the whole column every week

For David Brooks readers: no price is enough…go read the Washington Times and leave us alone

For Tom Friedman readers: scream "the world is flat and we're all gonna diiiiiieeeeeee" 4 times a day…and afterwards plug his book

(I would continue with the rest but I'm out of witticisms...you win Bob Herbert)

Well…bashing all of the Op-Ed contributors makes it a lot easier not to read them. Like a 4^th grade girl punching a 4^th grade boy on the playground, I'm tough 'cause I kinda like them (except Brooks). Long live 14 cents a day…but if those bastards start charging for the news, I will unleash rhetoric the likes of which you've never seen.

Weekend Musings

2005-09-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

The group dynamics here are very interesting. The nature of our program (isolated classes taught by Argentine professors, outside of the University) creates what I'm beginning to see as a very distinct double-edged sword: I have a great new group of friends to share this experience with, while those friends are at the same time inhibiting my immersion in a new culture.

I'm growing weary of traveling in a pack. No distinct cliques have formed within the group of 16…while normally this would be a good thing, it tests my patience when we all pile into a bar or restaurant, immediately overwhelming anything Argentine about the place with our overbearing…North Americanness.

I like walking the street alone after class because, at least until I speak, it's hard for people here to tell I'm a foreigner. One reason for the beard is to fit in, and it's working. And I feel like my capacity for observation and immersion is so much greater alone. In a group, waiters commonly resort to broken English when one's Spanish stumbles. Alone, I control my own linguistic destiny (cheesy phrase, but whatever) with no chance for another to bail me out when I struggle.

But the important point here is that I absolutely love my group, and it's nice to have them around…it just becomes a matter of challenging myself beyond the comfort zone that is readily available.

On this same theme, I've begun thinking about my Independent Study Project. The central part of my program, and all SIT programs, is the final month (Nov. 14--Dec. 11) when we're sent out on our own to investigate a topic and turn it into a 40 page paper. Initially (before arriving), I had planned to travel to the region where the borders of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil meet to investigate regional and nationalist attitudes and the impact of those attitudes on trade. I have since learned that this area is essentially the drug and weapons trafficking capital of the continent…so I think I might be backing off of my initial plan. I have now arrived at two potential plans. One is exciting to everyone, the other only exciting to me. One is playing it safe by staying in Buenos Aires and studying a theme very familiar to me, the other is trying something altogether new in a new place and studying something I know nothing about.

The first idea would be an examination of public and private education here in Buenos Aires. Specifically, I want to know what kinds of kids, from what kind of families, attend private school. And why. The government of Buenos Aires has been lauded recently for its spending on education, yet I get the impression that most students who can still attend private schools. What is the impact of this on public schools and what can be done about it?

Education policy is important and interesting to me, and this project would allow me to stay with my wonderful homestay family (if they would have me) in a city I already know to some extent.

The second idea involves wine production. I know nothing about wine production or its impact on the Argentine economy. I didn't even DRINK wine until two weeks ago. But Argentina's wine region is by all accounts one of the prettiest places on the planet. Additionally, it's clear to me after two weeks that wine represents a fairly new industry in Argentina, and one capable of huge growth. So the idea is this: I would travel to Mendoza, in North-West Argentina. In Mendoza, I would try to interview as many as possible owners of vineyards as well as the workers. I want to know what the workers did before arriving on the vineyards, how the wages and conditions compare to their previous work, and what they think of the industry as a whole. From the owners I want to know of their successes and failures in wine and other businesses. I think beneath the surface of their stories will appear a really interesting history of Argentina in the 20^th century from a new perspective.

Needless to say, I'm leaning towards the second option. Living in Mendoza, on my own, and learning about something altogether new and exciting is too great to pass up. We'll see how this works out.

Cromagnon

2005-09-16T08:04:00.000-04:00

Well, today was tough. I came face-to-face with a reality of life here that I had previously confined to the academic realm of history and social science.

This morning we visited the site of Cromagnon. Cromagnon was a very popular night club until a horrible fire last December took the lives of 194 people and left another 700 burned. A Google search of the name will yield much more info, but the basic facts are these:

It was New Year's Eve, and Cromagnon booked one of the most popular bands in Argentina. The club was packed with people of all ages--they even had a nursery upstairs so that parents could have a place to leave their children while they danced and partied. Clubs here get absolutely packed, and there were more than 1,000 people in Cromagnon.
When the band took to the stage, fans began to light firecrackers--common at football matches, but very dangerous in a confined space. One firecracker in turn ignited the illegal netting and acoustic foam above the stage. In the ensuing blaze, helpless people could not exit through 4 of the 6 exits because, fearing people sneaking in, the owner of the club had them chained and locked shut. 194 people perished in the flames and another 700 were seriously burned. Many lives were ruined that night.

So that is bad enough. It's an eerily similar situation to what happened in Rhode Island, involving even more people. But the aftermath gets worse. It came out afterwards that the owner of the club bribed city officials to avoid safety inspections, that he had illegally blocked the exits to the club, that he allowed the club to fill far over capacity, and that he installed the illegal (highly flammable) foam and net without fear of consequences.

Today we visited a memorial site where the club used to be. A group of men whose friends and family members died in the fire have been living in tents at the memorial site since December. Those men shared the story with us and showed the shrines and artifacts of endless grief. Much of the outrage in this situation is focused on the club owner and the mayor of Buenos Aires--for corruption, incompetence, greed, and their dismissive behavior towards the victims' families. The pictures of the memorial site speak for themselves.

I can't articulate how I felt to be there, but it's certainly a reminder that this trip is not and cannot be simply a vacation. I know with a heavy heart that Cromagnon is but one painful example of larger and widespread problems. Identifying the problems is the easy part…who has the solution?

2005-09-13T12:36:00.000-04:00

I think it´s quite shameful that this is ¨breaking news¨ weeks after the hurricane:

CNN Breaking News Alert:

President Bush says he takes responsibility for the federal government's failures in responding to Hurricane Katrina.

But hey, better late than never.

First Day of Class

2005-09-12T18:54:00.000-04:00

Today began the academic part of the program...term used loosely. Honestly, this is so far removed from any type of class situation I've found myself in during the last two years of college that I don't know what to do with myself. We had Spanish class all morning, which for me consisted of 5 of us sitting around a table with our instructor, a 25ish cool guy with sweet style (who I pretty much aspire to be like), talking Argentina. Every once in a while he would point out common mistakes he heard us make, or tell us how a real Argentine would say what we were saying. It was all very relaxed but I honestly learned a lot. This afternoon was less productive...a 3 hour lecture on Peron chock full of things I already knew, a lame video right out of an Argentine high-school history class and some busy work. I have more of said busy work tonight but i might save it for the 'subte' (subway) in the morning. Which is a lie because i walk to school (I could take a bus, but I still have no idea how the countless buses operate, so that seems unlikely...a 30 minute walk is not bad). It continues to be cold here, which would be fine if I could find a scarf. Despite a little shopping after school today with the other Americans, I reached my limit of shopping (approx. 10 minutes) without finding the guitar or scarf I seek...and came home.

We also received our lunch allowance for the next 5 weeks...225 pesos or approx US$75. The funny part is I'll be making money on this deal (lunch costs about 5 pesos). That should leave plenty of pesos for the "buy a cheap guitar" fund...should I ever encounter said guitar. I leave you with something interesting my Spanish instructor said. We were talking about how Argentines are better informed of current events than Americans. (translated from Spanish...roughly):

"Argentines are very well informed about all corners of the world. We can bitch about Bush or talk about how the French never should have voted down the EU constitution, all with knowledge of the world. But to what purpose? In many ways, our country is still a mess...and when it comes to home, nobody has the answers."

I’d Rather Be Freezing in South America…

2005-09-10T22:02:00.000-04:00

…than sweating in Europe. Un chiste (a joke) y nada más for my amigos Jrod and Eric and Gagan and (soon) Anne and Jimmy and everyone. But seriously, I'm so glad I'm here. Let's talk money. We know the Euro sucks and all of my European-inclined friends will return broke or in debt. How much have I spent in 5 days? $13. And that includes $6.50 for phonecards that will last me weeks. Everything is cheap…it's amazing that at 3 pesos to a dollar, coffee here is less in pesos than it is in the United States in dollars.

So that was a segue to my search for an Argentine messenger bag. Basically I've decided that my blue backpack has 'gringo' written all over it, and with my unkempt beard coming in nicely and Argentine accent developing…I'm in need of less conspicuous carry-all for books and my laptop. And leather here is wicked cheap. So I want a nice, leather bag. Well, since this afternoon was cold and windy and overall dreary, I met up with my friend Erica (not from Davidson…there are two Eri(c/k)a's) for a cup of coffee. She mentioned she had spotted a nice looking mall, and since neither of us had anything better to do on a nasty Saturday at 4pm, I thought it would be a good time to find a bag.

Well it turns out that this is perhaps the snobbiest mall in existence, full of plenty of European and American stores like Christian Diore or whatever…I don't even know cause I could tell two seconds after walking into this place that a)the cheap leather…is not in this mall and b)this is about as authentically Argentine as the Kelly Clarkson playing as we entered.

So I'm still looking. I'm also itching to find a REALLY cheap nylon-string guitar and some chapstick…because that wind is fierce.

Tonight since it started to rain on top of the already gross weather, I decided to stay in. My host father ordered carry-out (empanadas….mmmmmm delicious) and we had a wonderful conversation ranging from sports to the different parts of Argentina to politics and my confusion with the bus system here. The family continues to be wonderfully generous, and I'm really starting to get a handle on the Spanish. Chao.

Mate (pronounced Mah-Tay)

2005-09-10T18:57:00.001-04:00

When I first arrived I mentioned that I had been in Argentina for three days and had yet to try mate. "What a shame!" my host father explained as he retrieved the mate from the cabinet. Mate is the traditional Argentine drink of the campo…if you've seen the Motorcycle Diaries you know of Che's addiction to it. Ricardo taught me how to prepare it and drink it. Basically you fill a special cup made from a hollowed-out and dried species of pumpkin with the herb and then pour in hot water with a little sugar added to the water. Then you drink it with a special straw with small holes in the bottom so that you drink the liquid without the leaves of the mate herb. Mate is supposed to be pretty harsh and strong…it's a real "country drink", if you will. Mine had a lot of sugar and Ricardo told me it's not the strongest type of mate, so I thought it was delicious! A true taste of Argentina.

My Family

2005-09-10T18:57:00.000-04:00

My host father's name is Ricardo, and my host mum's name is Angelica--she goes by Gigi. They are the sweetest couple, and they remind me of my parents. Gigi is a teacher, and although I haven't figured out exactly what Ricardo's job is, I know he works in a building with architects, lawyers, and psychologists doing some type of clerical work. They are by no means wealthy, but by Argentine standards they are certainly comfortable. Their apartment on the 6^th floor of a nice building in a decent section of town has three bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms, a kitchen/eating area, and large living room…but feels smaller than a similar apartment likely would in the states. I am living in their daughter's room, because she is married and lives with her husband in Buenos Aires. They also have a son who's married with a young daughter and lives in California. Like 90% of the country they are catholic.

I hit it off immediately with Ricardo and Gigi, and my Spanish was impressive even to myself. They are VERY patient with me when I can't find the words or don't understand, and they're such genuinely happy people that there's very little pressure. They bicker in a really endearing way, calling each other Gorda and Gordo ("fatty") respectively…while it's clear that they love each other very much. We had meatballs and mashed potatoes for dinner (at 9pm…their dinner time), and Gigi is an excellent cook! They eat very healthy, fresh food which I couldn't be happier about. We had great conversation about politics and their family and their experience with a student who did my program a year ago. I'm their second exchange student, so I have shoes to fill but so far so good.

Exploring the City

2005-09-10T18:56:00.001-04:00

Thursday when we arrived in Buenos Aires around 11:30am we checked into our hotel and went to a really nice restaurant for lunch. What would have been a 20-25 dollar meal in the states was $4 a person and our program paid for it. After lunch we went to check out the Institute for Social and Economic Development (IDES when the words are translated). At IDES we received the "scare you into submission" talk, first by a doctor warning us of all the diseases we face and next by our academic directors on basically how not to get robbed or kidnapped. Needless to say we were a little on edge…but it didn't keep us from going out that night.

After returning to the hotel to clean up a bit, we left around 8:30 (all 16 of us, in 4 cabs) to find a restaurant for dinner. We settled on this cool coffee-shop café type place with a great atmosphere…all low lights and couches around the tables…art on the walls and subtle socialist undertones. We broke into three tables, and my table settled for sharing three big pizzas and a few bottles of wine.

After our leisurely paced dinner (as is the custom here), we headed down the street to the first bar we could find. It was kind of a sketchy place…I don't know that we'll go back, but we all had a drink or two, laughed at the REALLY serious DJ playing awful techno, and headed back to the hotel around 12:30.

Friday morning was our "drop-off," an exercise where each of us, with a partner, had to investigate a particular area of Buenos Aires. We had to figure out how to get there from the hotel and return to IDES by 1:30pm able to answer questions about it. Alongside Riva, a new friend from California, I set out to explore La Plaza de Mayo.

Plaza de Mayo is perhaps the most famous spot in Buenos Aires. It's situated in the heart of downtown, and was the site of the May Revolution that spawned an independent Argentina. It also became famous during the last dictatorship (and afterwards) when the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo (Mothers of la Plaza de Mayo) convened here to protest the disappearance of their sons. They still convene there every Thursday, and our group is meeting with them in a few weeks.

After exploring the plaza a little bit and taking note of the buildings that surround it (the National Cathedral, the Center of Government, the Ministry of Economics, "El Cabildo"--the site of the revolution) we set off to use the most of our free time to explore. We came across the biggest intersection in the world (pictures of all of these things on my other blog), complete with massive obelisk. Then we wandered down Buenos Aires' pedestrian street, Florida Ave, and stopped for a few lunch-time empanadas. For desert we bought these famous packaged pasteries…basically layers of cake, chocolate and caramel…they're popular for a reason. Then we hopped on a subway back to IDES and shared our experience with the other groups.

After our debriefing, we hopped on the bus for a rainy city tour. The rain subsided enough for us to walk around the incomplete "park of memories," honoring the more that 30,000 people who disappeared without a trace during the last dictatorship (los desaparecidos) and the neighborhood ("barrio") of La Boca. La Boca is amazing, and appealed to all of my bohemian/artsy senses. The buildings are painted all different colors because it's a port area and the inhabitants would use paint left over from painting the ships to paint their houses. So the outside will have a red wall, a blue wall, etc. That's not the case any more, but they've maintained the crazy color scheme and it's wonderful. I hope to go back to this barrio, hopefully to see a football match (La Boca is one of the two biggest football clubs in the city, and they're known by Boca fans as "the team of the people"…I think I'll be a Boca fan).

Abruptly after the tour we met our home stay families and went to our respective new homes.

First Impressions of Buenos Aires:

2005-09-10T18:56:00.000-04:00

There are a TON of dogs here. I remember being in places like Guatemala City where there were thousands of stray dogs, and there are a few strays here…but mostly they are house-hold pets and absolutely pampered. During the day you'll see dozens of professional dog-walkers strolling through the park with 9 or 12 dogs in tow. There are almost more dog-food and dog-grooming stores than grocery stores. They even dress their dogs in little sweaters when it's cold out. It's pretty amazing. The bad part to all of this is that nobody seems to feel the need to scoop their dog's poop…so you have to be a little careful on the sidewalks.
The drivers are crazy. We're talking optional stop signs, never stopping for a pedestrian, no clear obedience to lane-lines or traffic laws…it's insane and a little intimidating if you're trying to cross a street.
The smog is not unlike many other cities (DC, Boston, Raleigh)…but it's pretty bad.
The subway is extremely clean, new, and small compared to DC. And the stations all have these beautiful tile decorations on the walls.

La Estancia

2005-09-10T18:55:00.000-04:00

So after arriving (finally!) in Buenos Aires late Tuesday afternoon, we were immediately taken to a beautiful ranch/resort/hostel about an hour and a half outside of the city. The ranch ("estancia" en español) is a farm/resort/hostel with a full-service restaurant, tennis courts, a polo field, horses to ride and lots of neat trails to explore through the woods. There's also a castle. That's right…a freaking castle. I like to think of it as a mini castle…basically when wealthy Europeans owned this property years ago they imported marble from Italy and wood from England, etc etc, to build this massive house complete with spires and other must-haves for the castle-set. It's pretty neat inside and out, and these days it functions as luxurious and expensive hotel lodging for people like the trio of Irish travelers we met at the estancia.

We began our day Wednesday the way I love beginning any day: an hour and a half of explanation (in Spanish) of the course syllabus for our semester, followed by a Spanish test. The good news is that after that rude awakening we spent the rest of the day with free time, only breaking for individual meetings with our academic director and interviews (an oral test essentially…I ended up talking to my instructor who bore a striking resemblance to Che about…well, Che. Only took me two days to strike up that conversation) with our Spanish instructors. I managed to pass the Spanish test and interview with ease and have been placed in the "Advanced" group for Spanish instruction…which is nice because it means instead of grammar for 3 hours each morning I get to go to museums and plays and fun stuff.

Anyway, we made the most of our free time, playing Frisbee on one of the large lawns and riding bikes on the trails (they have a community bike system at the resort a la Davidson, which is excellent). I even rode a horse…though he was stubborn as shit and realized very quickly that I'm not…how do you say…capable on a horse. So he did what he wanted, which was to walk about 30 yards and turn around and walk back. A nice ride anyway.

I can't get much further without mentioning the food. Mercy. From my experience so far, it seems that they eat four meals a day. They claim it's healthier that way…I don't see how, with the portions we've been served. Here's our normal schedule:

8am: Breakfast. Coffee (or tea, I've been drinking amazing tea), cereal, pastries, yogurt, fruit.
1pm: Lunch. The largest lunch portions you've ever seen. Today we had bread; empanadas filled with sausage, egg, and spinach; salad with coleslaw and potato salad; ribs; sausage; pulled pork; flan custard
5pm: "Snacktime." Coffee or tea with something sweet. Apple pie today with a powdered sugar-topped poundcake. Jrod would love this part.
9pm: Dinner. Cheese and tomatoes served with bread, olive oil, and herbs; roasted chicken with fried balls of potato; roasted pear in chocolate sauce.

In short, I'll be lucky if I don't gain 15 pounds here.

The estancia was beautiful and sleep came easily in the clean and crisp air of the countryside. The stars were wonderful and our group and plenty of quality time to get to know each other. The last night there (Wednesday) we sat around in the restaurant until 1am drinking red wine and chatting. I think it's going to be a good trip.

Thursday morning we left the calm of the estancia for the hustle and bustle of the big city!

Loyal Readers

2005-09-10T11:15:00.000-04:00

I owe you a gigantic apology. I am just now settling into my fantastic homestay, where I finally have regular internet access. I will be posting some of the longest blog posts you've ever seen in the next few days, so please don't give up on me--keep checking back! In the meantime, I'm trying to make up for it by posting a shit-load of pictures, so check those out. Thanks!

Oh Chile and your unsecured wireless networks

2005-09-06T08:50:00.000-04:00

So I'm sitting in the airport in Santiago, Chile...pirating the Admirals Club wireless. And feeling pretty decent about it.

Our flight from Miami to Santiago left 2 hours later than planned...and 8 hours later here we are. Unfortunately, our flight to Buenos Aires leaves 6 hours from now...so we have a bit of a wait.

Good news is my group is amazing. There are 14 of us (two more will join up in Argentina), and everyone seems very nice and easy going. We all wanted to leave the airport during this hellish layover, but unfortunately it would cost each of us $126 for a transit visa (they like to try to get as much money from North Americans as possible...and I don't blame them). So instead I'm looking out at the beautiful Andes.

Flying in over Chile was stunning...snow capped mountain peaks stretching as far as the eye can see. Absolutely beautiful.

As soon as we get on a plane we have a 55-minute hop over the mountains to Buenos Aires. From there it seems we might be getting on a bus and heading to the Pampas region (NW Argentina) for a few days of orientation and Spanish testing, etc. So if I'm out of touch for a while, that's why.

I'm getting more excited by the minute, and I can't wait to get to a final destination of some sort. Ciao.

This is a test

2005-09-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

This is a test to see how easily I can blog directly from email. This will cut down on time and (theoretically) allow me to post more frequently, but might signal the temporary end of pretty formatting. Oh well.

Mood today: mixed emotions.

Let me direct your attention to...

2005-09-03T17:21:00.000-04:00

My new blog. I have decided that I need a separate blog to share pictures since many people I know will be abroad (myself included), and may want to read things I write here without waiting for pictures to load on a slow connection. SO, this blog stays and will be updated regularly with tales of my travels, and this NEW blog will be my forum for posting photos. I promise I will post great pictures as soon as I arrive in Argentina. Enjoy.

2005-09-02T16:18:00.000-04:00

But I miss her the most.

2005-09-02T16:17:00.000-04:00

Because I miss them. Even though it's blurry I've always liked this picture. Katherine, Ashley, Elizabeth.

2005-09-02T00:18:00.000-04:00

Two things I'm thinking about:

I leave for Argentina Monday
Seeing this made me think of how comforting Clinton would be in this situation. Regardless of what could be done, where the blame for the chaos now lies, etc...I just wish Bush could look America in the eye and make us believe that everything will be ok.

"There's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed by what's right with America"- Bill Clinton

Been a long time since I rock n'........blogged?

2005-09-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

Well, that pun could have been better. I'm blogging because I'm tired of packing. Who am I kidding, I haven't even reached the packing stage...I'm in the pre-packing, planning-to-pack stage because, well, I only have like two t-shirts so I can't pack those yet without strutting around here shirtless. And nobody wants that.

The Institute for Economic and Social Development will be my home-base for the next 16 weeks, though if you don't speak Spanish good luck reading that site. And further, I pity you. Why? Because the world is flat, and there are a damn ton of people speaking Spanish. That joke brought to you by Jrod and Tom Friedman...the only two people who would ever find that funny.

I've been struggling, here at home and also in my brief (but excellent) visit to Davidson, to grasp what I'm about to do and how much I'll miss the people I care about. I can honestly say it hasn't hit me yet, but I'm sure it'll be one of many themes as I report on my travels.

I'm excited, but I'm humbled by the situation in New Orleans, Biloxi and elsewhere. Scenes I have tried to expose myself to in what we always call the "third world" are now on the nightly news from our own back yard. That is frightening, and terrible, and I can't help but feel a little dismayed at my own inability to help currently because of what is, in the end, a selfish experience halfway around the world.

Liberal guilt is a bitch sometimes, but it keeps me honest and (I sure hope) keeps me working in an ultimately noble and just direction.

Prayers with the families on the Gulf Coast, and prayers that others will open their eyes a little wider.

Wow

2005-08-24T01:24:00.000-04:00

I really sounded like a nerd and/or Apple salesperson there. I admit to the former, and if Apple is interested...I'd be happy to accept the latter.

Jrod and I need to go abroad soon....this free time stuff is turning us into techno-freaks....soon we'll be 35 and living with our parents, playing Halo over the web. Yikes.

Chris Evans Will Love This

2005-08-24T00:55:00.000-04:00

I don’t hate Google. Any links included here will likely be the product of searches on Google…and I don’t think many would dispute that they have created the best search engine on the web. But my pal Jrod has been more excited than a Frenchman in a wine cellar over recent releases by Google’s software department and what is rumored to be coming soon.

My only goal here is to examine why Google might not be as innovative as some (like Jarred) claim, and to plug my latest obsession--Apple--a little bit.

First let’s examine their recent software offerings. I think you'll find that everything, with the exception of Google Earth, was preceded by a better product from Apple. To be fair, Google Earth was not an original creation of Google. Rather, they purchased a company that already existed and modified the software slightly. I would posit that Google Earth is more a product of the buying power that exists when your stock sky-rockets (more on that later) than true innovation.

With recent software, I think it's important to see that each piece has a match on the Apple side...and Apple's software has been around longer.

"I need easy software to view and edit pictures!" you say while trying to eliminate the red-eye from Aunt Edna. Google says "How about Picasa?" while Apple introduced the superior iPhoto more than 3 years ago. And what's that? It already performs all of the functions, in a single application, of Google's more recent release Hello? You don't say.

"I need a new way to chat online!" you say to yourself as AIM crashes. Google replies, "We're so clever we've designed Google Talk. Unfortunately they missed the boat on this one as well...Apple solved this problem with iChat two years ago.

"I need a more organized desktop!" you cry in dismay while trying to figure out what you saved that paper as. Google gives you the product that sent Jrod all a flutter--Google Desktop. But a more organized, coherent desktop is a benchmark of the Mac OS! Need news items and weather, etc? Apple gives you Dashboard Widgets! In fact, everything about the Google Desktop seems to trick the PC user into entering the wonderful world of Mac land...a world they fear.

"I want a better music player for my computer!" you shout through garbled Windows Media Player play-back. Well I think we all know and love iTunes...wonder how long it'll take Google to jump on this bandwagon?

Look, all I'm saying is that Google's innovation is in marketing, not new ideas. They have attempted to mimic the applications that have created a new surge in Apple users for a PC audience. Their genius lies in hooking people who fear an entirely new operating system...only to gradually warm them to the idea that a Google operating system will be an easy transition. And it might be...but why wait years down the road when Apple offers it today?

Google is a neat company, and I think their programs are decent. But I think in every case Apple beat them to the punch and has put out a better product. The only thing the least bit novel about their latest line of releases is their integration of their web search and their embrace of the Windows operating system. Do yourself a favor and make the switch....I can't wait for Christmas.

Your move Jrod.

BAM!

2005-08-19T02:52:00.000-04:00

I need to cook. I didn't realize until now how much I enjoyed making my own meals this summer. Yes, it's nice to waltz downstairs for mom's cooking without having so much as lifted a finger...but I really like cooking, it makes me happy.

I'm also obsessed with the Food Channel...which is weird, but Iron Chef America is hands-down one of the best shows on TV, and Emeril is not one of the best shows on TV but I love him anyway.

So, lately I've been in sort of a sad mood...and I've decided to cook my way out of it. Tomorrow (today I guess) I will go to the farmer's market for fresh corn and veggies, and I'll make....chicken kabobs and homemade hummus. Still trying to find good recipes for both, but the internet's a marvelous thing.

It's very strange not being at Davidson right now. At least I have a kitchen.

Because Chris mentions it

2005-08-17T00:49:00.000-04:00

I should update the laptop situation: I've all but decided (let's say 89% sure) to go with the 14 inch iBook, but I'm going to wait until I return from South America.

I like the software, functionality, interface, etc...but the sleek design sealed the deal. There, I said it...call me superficial.

If it's good enough for Charles, sign me up. The man owns part of an old school bus for crying out loud.

A few changes around here

2005-08-15T17:40:00.000-04:00

Alright.

New colors (the orange/green thing was annoying me). While blue is perhaps not very exciting...nobody ever accused me of being exciting in the first place.

New posts. See a substantive post on "Justice Sunday II" below...and then check out random summer pictures, since I just figured out the whole posting-pictures-to-the-blog concept.

Same attitude. One of smug satisfaction. This can't last...soon I'll have much less free time and even less access to the internet. Enjoy for now.

2005-08-15T17:32:00.000-04:00

That's my fish. He was a terrible kisser.

2005-08-15T17:30:00.000-04:00

My other favorite statues in D.C.

2005-08-15T17:29:00.000-04:00

Best. Intern. Ever. Jarred can't keep his eyes open normally in a picture to save his life.

2005-08-15T17:28:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite presidents of all time...and maybe the coolest monument in DC.

In-Justice Sunday II

2005-08-15T13:23:00.000-04:00

I write this post (admittedly the rare feat on this blog of an up-to-date current events post) because something happened in Nashville yesterday that may have escaped the attention of a lot of folks. The Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, and the rest of the far-right "religious" cabal put together their second event to lambaste the current judicial branch and pray for more hyper-conservative appointees.

Now, I am a staunch free speech guy. If these people want to get up on their pulpit (literally) and worship the Republican party that's fine by me. But their basic message: that Christianity is under attack in this country, that "real" Christians can't serve in office with their personal values, that the courts subvert their "moral values"...is frightening.

Christianity under attack? That seems a little like claiming that white people suffer the brunt of racism in this country. In other words, it's the ridiculous whining of people who have gotten their way for far too long. I'm a Christian, and I can honestly say I have NEVER felt my faith under attack. Jon Stewart may have the best argument here. On a recent Daily Show:

Yes, the long war on Christianity. I pray that one day we may live in an America where Christians can worship freely, in broad daylight.... And maybe--dare I dream it--maybe one day there could even be an openly Christian president...or perhaps 43 of them consecutively.

In fact, it seems to me that the only time Christianity is attacked is when the super-politicized version promoted by the "Justice Sunday" crowd is espoused as good public policy.

I like to think that the framers of our constitution would smile at the knowledge that, despite their best efforts, one distinct sect of one religion can't deny gays the same rights we all enjoy, and can't stand against 60+% of the country in denying women reproductive freedom, and can't destroy the independent judiciary our country was founded on. It seems that the only time Christianity is under attack is when it SHOULD be under attack...not because I disagree, but because it's political. When something becomes political--when the Senate Majority Leader and House Majority Leader speak at these self-proclaimed "Christian" events--no longer can the proponents of this ideology hide behind religion. Bring your ideas to the political arena--but don't be surprised when we fight back.

The entire Justice Sunday event ceased to be about religion when the organizers claimed to speak for all people of faith. What arrogance, and what shameless politiking, to claim to know the will of God--and to claim that those who don't support a particular judge or a particular ruling are bad Christians.

I want justice everyday, not just one Sunday a year and not the "justice" of judgement, division, and tyranny of the majority. Harry Knox of the Human Rights Campaign has a few excellent thoughts in an Op-Ed of the same title of this post. He writes:

[...] [T]o hear the far right tell it, God is on the side of the majority and last yearÂs election was a mandate from the Almighty for their views.

We seek justice, and that often includes an understanding of whatever moral code leads us--be that religious or a-religious. But let us not hide behind the self-rightousness of "knowing" God's views on political issues or having Him on our side. In the words of Abe Lincoln, never more relevant than today:

My concern is not whether God is on our side. My great concern is to be on God's side.

Amen

Avoiding Adult-Onset Asthma

2005-08-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

It’s nice to be out of the city. Going from the DC air/sludge to Chapel Hill and even the unconscionably smog-ridden (for a city its size) Raleigh makes for easier breathing. I feel healthier already.

My last week in DC was a whirlwind of good times with friends, great concerts, and wrapping up things at the office.

Since my internet has been down since I’ve been home, I’m going to have to catch up in pieces. Here goes…

The Concerts:

Ben Lee, Ben Folds, and Rufus Wainwright. Ben Lee is a pretty average singer-songwriter, but I thought his cheesy jokes and enthusiasm were endearing…and he put on a nice, brief set. Ben Folds was awesome as always…first time I’ve seen him playing with his new band, so it was a bit more of a rollicking show than his solo set at Davidson last fall. I wanted him to play longer, but Rufus was headlining this show. Rufus was alright, but went into a bit too much of a croon-fest for my taste. He played his version of “Hallelujah,” which was certainly the highlight of his set. The venue was a really neat, smaller outdoor amphitheatre and the weather was perfect.
David Gray. After the painfully awkward opening act, I was in musical nirvana for 90 minutes as David Gray and his utterly ridiculous 5-piece band rocked my face off. I’ve always been a bit of a closet David Gray fan…never really owning up to it in face of fellow music snobs. No more. I’d put this show in my top five with ease, and if his new record sounds anything like it did live it’ll be out of control. [I'm not sure how long this link will work, but the show was broadcast on NPR and is streaming here.]

More to come soon...I'm trying to un-pack and re-pack and catch up on books I want to read.

I have important things to say BUT

2005-08-04T23:51:00.000-04:00

...there's a chance I might be getting a new laptop before the end of the summer. Here's the question: do I switch to apple or stick with dell?

I've been a pretty solid PC guy for years now, but the iBook is so...sexy. So there that is.

I need help...give me all viewpoints. Most important:

will my files transfer? i.e. will I be able to read my papers from this year, see my pictures, etc?
will i have trouble learning the apple interface?...i'm pretty apple-illiterate at the moment
could they be more attractive? I mean seriously, so sleek...so pure.

creeping everyone out,
Taylor

...and I AM the President

2005-07-24T23:21:00.000-04:00

Because I'm jealous Anne is watching one of my favorite movies and I have to work, I thought I'd quote from the one of the first (and still one of the best) Aaron Sorkin political speeches. From The American President [emphasis mine]:

For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being President of this country was, to a certain extent, about character. And although I've not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: being President of this country is entirely about character.

For the record, yes, I am a card carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is "Why aren't you, Bob?" Now this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question, why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the constitution? Now if you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter that I am, because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago.

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.

I've known Bob Rumson for years. And I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it!

We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, and American values and character, and you wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and you scream about patriotism -- you tell them she's to blame for their lot in life. And you go on television and you call her a whore.

Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.

I've loved two women in my life. I lost one to cancer. And I lost the other 'cause I was so busy keeping my job, I forgot to do my job. Well that ends right now.

Tomorrow morning the White House is sending a bill to Congress for it's consideration. It's White House Resolution 455, an energy bill requiring a twenty percent reduction of the emission of fossil fuels over the next ten years. It is by far the most aggressive stride ever taken in the fight to reverse the effects of global warming. The other piece of legislation is the crime bill. As of today, it no longer exists. I'm throwing it out. I'm throwing it out and writing a law that makes sense. You cannot address crime prevention without getting rid of assault weapons and hand guns. I consider them a threat to national security, and I will go door to door if I have to, but I'm gonna convince Americans that I'm right, and I'm gonna get the guns.

We've got serious problems, and we need serious people. And if you want to talk about character, Bob, you'd better come at me with more than a burning flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This is a time for serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up.

My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I AM the President.

Grab-Bag Sunday

2005-07-24T21:51:00.000-04:00

I really should be working on one of two papers due this week that I have yet to start...but I'd like to share a few sweet things I've found online lately.

The campaign to bring the couch back to the Daily Show set. If you're unaware of the problem, at least be a part of the solution. I'm hoping they get some of those trendy rubber bracelets soon. On a random side-note, I recently was in line at a Nat's game, and a father and son were in front of me. When a stranger asked the son what his numerous rubber bracelets meant (he had 4 or 5) his father replied to the stranger something along the lines of "he's got those damn things for everything: save the whales, save the rocks, eat more candy, all sorts of crap."
All I want for Christmas is a dual iPod mixer. It's not confirmed to exist...but if it does, it looks something like this.
And finally, I'd like to know what is going on in this picture:

Have a great week--I'm going to find another way to procrastinate.

I should add...

2005-07-20T23:29:00.000-04:00

...that while I love American politics, and have all but decided to spend my life in American politics in some form...I think I need a break from partisanship in the sense I know it here. I think losing myself (figuratively, and by the end of the semester, probably literally more than once) in South America will be good for me. Washington is an exciting place, but it wears on you a bit. I need some fresh air.

People around here suffer from a lack of perspective. I hope I'm never like that.

Everybody's Working for No Weekend

2005-07-20T23:04:00.000-04:00

So this is the DC political scene. Needless to say, I work for an outfit that has taken the Supreme Court vacancy quite seriously, and is working hard to assure that any vacancies are filled with fair and well qualified judges. The past two days (and the three weeks before that) have been pretty busy. Yesterday meant work until midnight...only to arrive back at my desk by 8:30 this morning.

It's been a great experience so far because I haven't really looked carefully at the Supreme Court since High School civics. I think that since most of us grew up in one of the longest periods without a Supreme Court vacancy in history, that we've subconsciously regarded the court as a stable entity. That stability could be changing, and for me it's fascinating intellectually and frightening ideologically.

When I decided to come to DC, and where I would work, I thought I would be battling social security reform and tax cuts. Here I am in the thick of a Supreme Court nomination, by dumb luck. I'm trying to soak in as much as I can.

I'm supposed to reflect on my internship experience this weekend in a paper I have to write. All in all it's been incredible...I feel like I've contributed meaningful work and earned respect around the office. On a random self-congratulatory note, the press release my organization put out when Roberts' name was announced was written by yours truly.

This is a pretty boring post, so if you've made it this far you're probably my roommate or girlfriend. Both are going through some tough times, and I'm thinking about them a lot.

My last post was named after a west wing episode. Real life Washington is nothing like West Wing...though the egos rival Hollywood actors and occasionally you have those moments where your spine tingles a little. Tomorrow I'm going to see Hillary Clinton speak...I'm hoping she inspires me, as it seems she'll be my only choice for president in '08 and right now I'm not convinced I could vote for her on a clean conscience. I leave you with West Wing quotes from the episode whose title I ripped off:

Bartlett: "C.J. on your tombstone, its going to read, Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc."

C.J.: "Okay, but none of my visitors are going to be able to understand my tombstone."

Bartlett: "Twenty-seven lawyers in the room, anybody know Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc?"

When no one answers, he calls on Josh like the professor he claims he has been. Josh fumbles with the little Latin he knows. The President calls out "Next!" but he gets no volunteers so he calls on the one person he knows would know. Leo hasn't volunteered, but when called on he translates:

Leo: "After it, therefore because of it."

Bartlett: "...It means, one thing follows the other therefore it was caused by the other. But it's not always true... in fact it's hardly ever true."

Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc

2005-07-18T21:35:00.000-04:00

Well, after my first blogging disaster (I had a very lengthy entry that was immediately deleted by my computer...goodbye better part of 45 minutes), I'll cut to the chase and just reprint the core of my post. You, dear reader, can thank my computer later.

I was recently asked by a certain conservative adversary why Karl Rove's comments (which I had pointed to as, I thought, a rather obvious example of conservatives making petty, baseless attacks--he claimed that was a liberal phenomena) were so offensive. My answer, in short, is oversimplification.

This is politics, and Rove certainly knew what he was doing. The man has been mudslinging since he could talk, and he plays dirtier than anyone. But if he really wanted to know what many Democrats felt after 9/11, if he REALLY CARED to know how we might unite behind all the difference of opinion that makes America a wonderful place, he might have started here, at Jim Wallis' (editor of Sojourners and author of God's Politics) response to the 9/11 attacks:

Most every American demands a strong response to the
terror that has been visited upon us. But two paths
are emerging. One speaks the language of justice
and invokes the rule of law in promising to bring the
perpetrators of such evil to accountability. Those
who so violated the standards of civilized life, and
the human values we hold most dear, must never be
allowed to escape judgment and punishment, and the
danger of even more terror must be prevented.

The other path uses the language of war and invokes
a spirit of retribution, and even vengeance - quite
frankly, emotions we can all understand at the
moment. A "war against terrorism" summons up the
strength and resolve to stop these horrific acts and
prevent their cancerous spread. But the war language
fails to provide moral and practical boundaries for
that response. It could lead to indiscriminate
retaliation, out of anger and vengeance, that would
result in even more loss of innocent life.[...]

A rising sentiment in the country wants our nation's
response to be born of our best values, and not
our worst impulses. We are hearing more voices
asserting that we must not become the evil we
loathe in our response to it - we should respond
out of our deepest values, not those of the
terrorists.

All of our religious traditions call us to
community, tolerance, compassion, justice, and
the sacredness of human life. This attack offers
us a stark view of the world terrorism would
create, where the remedy to every human grievance
and injustice is a resort to the random violence
of revenge - even against the most innocent. They
have taken thousands of our lives, attacked our
national symbols, forced our political leaders to
flee their chambers of governance, disrupted our
work and families, and struck fear into the hearts
of our children. They and the world they represent
must be soundly defeated. The question we now
face is how to do that. We can deny them a victory
by refusing to submit to a world created in their
image.

Let's go to Law School...and skip the tuition part

2005-07-10T23:10:00.000-04:00

A few questions I've been pondering as a result of reading (and writing a paper on) Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972).

The case involves Amish parents suing the state for the right to remove their daughter from school before the state-mandated age of 18. They argue that sending her to high school violates the Free Exercise clause because "the values and programs of the modern secondary school are in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion," and that sending her to public school would expose her to "attitudes, goals, and values contrary" to her religious beliefs.

Now here are my questions:

Does anyone have a right in this country to be protected from "attitudes, goals, and values" that run contrary to their own? I believe we have the right to be protected from physical violence, and a whole host of other rights guaranteeing liberties we hold dear...but I've never considered being insulated from other attitudes or values to be a healthy thing OR a constitutional right.
At what point in a child's life is he or she able to make up their own mind, and should any given religion fear this? In other words, doesn't it imply inherent weakness in your religion if you worry that exposure to others' ideas will lead your daughter astray? Many would pull the "young, impressionable minds" argument here, but it seems to me that all distinctions about when 'children' become 'adults' are arbitrary--18 to kill an enemy, 21 to kill your liver...and 25 to kill a rental car? In which case it must be a case-by-case decision...and I have the feeling that in this situation, the parents of any daughter who strays from their own religion will claim that she was inundated with dangerous new ideas at school. Much the same way many Republicans decry the toxic indoctrination of liberal college professors. Cause Lord knows I couldn't come up with this stuff without guidance.
Is education an American value, and is it the duty of the State to ensure equal access to education? My only answer here is YES and YES.

I know this is somewhat jumbled, and I haven't touched on nearly everything. In case you're wondering, the Court ruled in favor of the parents...and I believe a few years later state law changed to mandatory attendance until 16. I like this kind of thing and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Coming Soon

2005-06-21T23:14:00.000-04:00

It's a busy time for me right now...I'm facing the first 9-5 (though it's actually 8:45-6) job of my life, living in a new city, and balancing a class on top of it all. At the moment I don't have much time for blogging, though now that Chris called me out I felt obigated to post something.

For what it's worth, I'm contemplating a number of observations and reflections on the progressive community that I've garnered from my work in DC, and I look forward to working those out in writing when I get a chance. It's a pretty fascinating world here and I've had equal cause for hope and fear of the things I expect in the future of politics as we know it.

Sorry, I'm not making too much sense. In lieu of reading my blog, until I post something worthwhile anyway, let me guide you to a few of my favorites:

Think Progress
Daily Kos
Over the Monster (Red Sox Blog)
Huffington Post (This is kind of weak sometimes)
Media Matters

More soon I promise.