when life gives you lemons, make lists of all the things you could do with them.

WHAT I want to do

Learn how to plan and create sustainable communities that enhance human security after conflict and natural disasters and enable future crisis-resilience

Live in my wonderful apartment in my wonderful community

Sing in my vocal trio

Make some sort of money that allows me to survive in grad school

Get the most I can out of grad school without losing my mind

Play upright bass

Not go into horrific debt

Keep a pretty close eye on what life is actually about (read: NOT academia and stress and isolation)

WHERE I need to be to do these things

Boston

and

Southern Vermont

DISCUSS.

brilliant

Apparently the way out of the global food crisis is cultivation of potatoes. Yeah, didn't they try that in Ireland a while back? Worked great.

classic

Friend: "Monkeyhippy, why do you have a meat mallet on the floor of your car?"

Me: "Because it was rattling around too much in the glove compartment."

hopeful

Have you read the Chicago Tribune's endorsement of Barack Obama? Please do. It's rather awesome. And while it might seem obvious that they'd endorse him, it's actually pretty surprising. The Tribune has never, repeat never, endorsed the Democratic Party's nominee for President.

Also, just for fun: http://taxcut.barackobama.com/. (Thanks, Dan.)

half-seceded already

I listened with interest last night to the opening of the debate on Vermont Public Radio between the candidates for Vermont's one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. "Huh," I thought, "I really don't know anything about that race; I should pay attention to this."

I did know that our current Democratic (it might seem like it goes without saying, but hey, our governor is Republican. We can be weird just like everyone else) Representative, Peter Welch, seems to have been doing a pretty good job, and that he's running for re-election. OK, so who's running against him? Just because he's a Democrat and pretty good doesn't mean another candidate isn't better.

See, I decided after the last Presidential election that I have to start voting for the candidate I truly prefer, not just the lesser-of-evils-and-maybe-actually-has-a-chance candidate (though I struggle a lot with this still - and the race for VT governor will put it to the test). I believe the only way multi-party options will become a reality in this country is if those of us who are not impressed with the main party candidates stop voting like lemmings jumping off a cliff and start supporting the people we really want in office (crazy talk, I know). And hey, who knows, maybe even a GOP candidate will be the more impressive. It hasn't happened yet, but I try to be open-minded, really I do.

As it turns out in this case, Peter Welch won not only the Democratic primary for U.S. House but received so many write-in votes in the GOP primary that he's also the Republican candidate.

Have I mentioned I love Vermont. "Wacky as the day is long" should totally be our state motto, except it probably wouldn't fit on license plates.

Now you may have the same logical question my mom asked when I describe this situation to her last night: "Does that mean he debated himself?" Actually, it doesn't, because we have this crazy thing in Vermont called "other parties." He was debating candidates from the Indepent, Progressive, and (widely-known and ever-popular) Liberty Union parties.

But I admit that I didn't listen. I'm all for considering the options, but I'm also all for writing personal statements that will hopefully get me into grad school, and the fact that Rep. Welch was nominated by both major parties is enough for me this time around.

P.S. There is all manner of sketchiness around straight-ticket voting, have you heard? If you live in one of the states where it's an option, DON'T DO IT. Vote for each candidate individually. Thank you.