Every biker we talked to on our way into Sturgis from the Badlands told us that we’d be finding one of two things. The kindest and most warm-hearted people, or the craziest party we could imagine. Now, Brendan and I are all about having some crazy experiences on this trip, and getting to […]

Reading this put a fascinating look on all the things that I learned in Mr. McPartlin’s American History class. This book takes you on a trip through American Political History focusing on political paradigms instead of each change of power. When looked at this way, the shifts in power and policy seem […]

Watching this political season unfold has been both interesting and maddening. Never under the illusion that politicians were any more moral or righteous creatures than the rest of us, it wasn’t hard to accept the deficiencies inherent in each candidate. I’ve also never felt that I should cast a ‘protest’ vote just because […]

A few links that made me laugh
* Hiring Advice From Rudy Giuliani
* Very punny movie poster
* Republicans….fighting the eastern elites!
* John Stewart rolling out the ‘Gotcha’ clip reel

Watched most of the Republican Convention and it was nice to see the Republicans rolling out their attack machine in such a proud way. The media talked about how the Democratic Convention was going to be about catharsis for dejected Hillary supporters….I think the Republican Convention has been about catharsis for people sick of […]

Over the last couple of days, I have been passively paying attention to some of the civil rights issues surrounding the Democratic Convention. While there seemed to be a number of troubling situations, none rose to the level of setting me off.
A Few Examples:
* Many police officers not wearing any type of […]

Quick note about a theme that has been pervading almost all of my political and social thoughts lately. Pragmatism. As much as I may hunger for fundamental change in many areas of our society, the last eight years has shown that it just isn’t effective to always go for the jugular. Reading […]

A Federal Court has issued a ruling against the Bush Administration’s claims to executive privilege. I’ve always gone back and forth on this power of the executive because it seems that it is so ripe for abuse. I understand the need for it, but it’s scope must be very narrow to avoid said […]

We saw The Dark Knight this afternoon. I think the thing I like the best about it is that its one of those movies that rewards thinking about what it “means”. Several hours later I’m remembering events and nuances and connections that deepen the themes of the movie for me.
Probably my second favorite thing was […]

I met a girl named Emma at the Ugly Mug. She is a recently graduated health policy professional from Brown graduate school and finding her way around D.C. for the first week in her new home. She’s from Massachusetts and educated in New Hampshire, so I was happy to have such a fervent […]

Nintendo Wii. Okay, I know I’m late to the party. I know video games may seem antithetical to the road trip itself, BUT! The Wii is pretty f’n cool. It’s ability to bring people together in a social environment is clearly it’s greatest advantage. I remember in middle school […]

Hillary Clinton is proud of the fact that her gas-tax plan isn’t endorsed by a single economist:
Mrs. Clinton did not. “I’m not going to put in my lot with economists,” she said on the ABC program “This Week.” A few moments later, she added, “Elite opinion is always on the side of doing things that […]