And in not doing so, I’ve left unfulfilled my half of the writer/reader bargain (I write things, you read them). However, I never promised to fulfill said bargain, nor am I being in any way compensated, so I don’t feel bad. Also, get used to it, because the aforementioned list of things that will be happening are, um, happening. (Except Kuyahoga.) And if a blog becomes a responsibility rather than a fun thing, then it’s no fun anymore.

I do feel bad about being at work and doing nothing useful. This week is a little weird because everyone is teaching the “PSLC summer school” where a bunch of users come in and we teach them how to use our software. I pretty much finished my job. So, well, I’m not so useful right now.

However, I am right now being the reason that the world is so difficult. Inefficiency. I’m somehow funded by the NSF, so your tax dollars are going to me. If every schmuck like me were fired, your taxes would probably be very reasonable, and nobody would complain. Or maybe I’m funded by CMU, in which case, if every slacker at CMU were fired, your tuition would be reasonable. The point is, little inefficiencies like me are the reason that The System sucks sometimes. Sorry! I’ll be gone in under a week!

(so why don’t I quit now? Well, in a way, I think that’s what I’m going to do. Wrap up all of my work, finish a little extra task, and leave on the best of terms with everyone. I’m working on it.)

Oh, and I visited Maryland this past weekend! It was neat. We saw Glen Burnie. We went to Plaza Garibaldi (which is fantastic!) We also went to DC and saw 15 minutes of the most amazing art in the country at the National Gallery, ate great Ethiopian food (which grows on me more every time I eat it. All 3 times.), and went to a Grand Buffet and Of Montreal concert in which we missed Grand Buffet. Lame. Of Montreal was really good though. And then we all got crabs (Stop. Get out a piece of paper, write all your dumb crabs jokes on it, and fold it into an origami crane. Hooray, now something good has come out of your stupid jokes: you have a crane!), which turned out to be an all-afternoon project. A great trip, all in all.

Comments:

AliceAyres - Jul 1, 2006

I love Maryland. Maryland is my home state. I’m glad you had fun. Also, thanks for tailing us when we were in Pittsburgh; it was nice to see you, if only for a few minutes. And don’t worry about my tax dollars – I would rather they go to you than Defense spending.

Germit - Aug 2, 2006

I’m reading a book on privatization right now, and an ungodly amount of public funds get contracted out to people like Dan.

So Dan, don’t worry about it, you’re not making that big a dent in the grand scheme of things.

What really would make our taxes reasonable is if corporations and rich people paid them:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/business/01tax.html?_r=1&oref=slogin