Slowly losing it

I'm working out a PowerPoint presentation for my social welfare policy class. I have to get it done by Monday evening. I'm losing my mind researching state tax policy and social spending in Texas and Wisconsin. The big surprise...Wisconsin is vastly superior to Texas in both spending and taxing as it relates to the poor residents of those states. I know, it's a big shock that the state with a state income tax would be able to better afford social spending and at the same time maintain a tax structure that isn't overly burdensome to its poorest residents. Don't get me wrong, they both rely on property taxes too much. Wisconsin certainly isn't perfect. Also, neither state really provides a lot of support for poor individuals without children. I guess that's just a bias of the system. Fortunately, both states are moving in a more regressive direction, which I think is something that everyone could get behind. Why shouldn't those poor people who actually use social services have to pay for them? When will we realize that rich people and business owners have never taken advantage of any state provided services? They don't use roads or the power grid. They sure as hell hire workers who were educated at unsubsidized, private christian skills, not products of public education. I bet you didn't know that most corporations refuse all efforts by the legislature to toss money and other perks at them. Yeah, those wealthy people sure do have it rough. They don't use the police to protect them. They buy their gas at fair market prices, thank you very much. They don't even take mortgage decuctions or child care credits. Those poor bastards. Almost makes me feel sorry for them.

Good thing ELO just came on. I needed some calming down.

Copying Erin

Seriously, I am copying her.

A brilliant turn of events

So, scroll down the page and you'll notice something of a rant regarding the upcoming Spoon show here in Madison. While I do still believe that contest-winner only concerts are horrible things that may deprive the diehard fans who suffer from bad luck, I will not be a victim of bad luck this time. In fact, it looks like I've managed to turn myself into a small scale ticket broker for this event. As of now, I believe that I have four tickets and there's a better than average chance that I've got another couple coming my way directly from the band. I might email their booking agent and let him or her know that I no longer need those tickets that were being made available. Life is good when you are the king. And for anyone who doesn't know the glory of Spoon, if forced to choose between all of my Kinks, Beatles, Velvet Underground, Pavement, and Spoon albums, I would get rid of all of the others just to keep the Spoon. And from what I've heard, the new album, which comes out May 10 in the US, is as good as the others and may be their best yet.

That time again

Yeah, I'm listening to ELO again. So nice. I have to do a powerpoint presentation on Monday and another on Tuesday. I don't know why professors think that students care about the projects that other students are doing. I'll be honest, I'm not particularly interested. So, anybody in those classes who might be reading this, I've found that external factors are much more important in determing education attitudes than are internal factors, such as actual academic performance. Also, parents have more influence than anything else on high school kids. Also, white students are very similar to females and black students are very similar to males. Pretty exciting.

Quel Surprise

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American Cities That Best Fit You:

70% Austin

65% Atlanta

55% Denver

55% Honolulu

55% Las Vegas

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Challenging perceptions

Now I know that most readers of this sight see me as a tough, take no prisoners kind of guy. And while that's true, I'm currently engaged in behavior that may change that perception. Yeah, I'm listening to the Electric Light Orchestra while I work on a paper. That's right, ELO. Strange Magic is a great song. My sensitive moment is over, the Electric Six are now playing on my itunes.

Fucking Fuckers who are quite disagreeable to me

How often does a man's favorite band in the entire world come to Madison, WI for the release of their new album only to play a stupid radio contest winners only show at the crappiest venue in the town? Apparently it happens next weekend. I think that I might cry if I don't get to see Spoon in Madison. I think I'm crying right now. At least, there is some salty discharge leaving my eyes. I presume it's tears.

Another option down the drain

Well, I was hoping to write a paper for Dane County this summer, but apparently the county doesn't want to spend the money to a report written. It's a damn shame. On a similar note, I think that instead of looking for jobs myself, I should just ask Karyn to forward anything that she's going to apply for to me. It seems to work out that we apply for the same things anyway. The problem with that is that she is infinitely more qualified than me for just about everything we apply for. It kind of makes life tough.

A new start

Yesterday while working on my policy analysis project, my little laptop was having some difficulties staying on. The poor thing was just a little worn out. So, this is my first post on our new Imac G5. It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. It's like a rocketship.

Questionable wisdom

Right now I'm writing a policy analysis of various approaches to reducing the financial burden of the property tax on low-income and some elderly homeowners in Wisconsin. One of my alternatives is a proposal by the director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs. I am not terribly supportive of his alternative. I question the wisdom of being critical of the work of someone in such a position as his.

mixed news

I was informed yesterday that I get to interview for a professional project assistantship for next year. This is good news. Getting a PA-ship would mean free tuition plus a stipend as well as professional work experience. The bad news is that, in her infinite wisdom, our associate director sent all three of us who are interviewing for this particular opportunity the same email that was addressed to the three of us. Not that there are a lot of people at La Follete of whom I don't think highly, but I think that I am stuck going up against two of the better quality people and students in the program. Of course, I have the least experience and the highest tuition bill of the threee of us. I don't see the DOA Division of Executive Budget and Management getting someone who won't be capable of doing a very good job for them.

Do it the right way

Right now I am procrastinating. I'm doing a fairly good job of it as well. One of the things that I like to do when I'm procrastinating is to check the local weather repeatedly. I just checked for the first time today and I noticed something strange. Tomorrow night, we have a 40 percent chance of rain turning to snow. Maybe I'm just not used to living in the midwest and the random late April snow is a common occurence, but it seems incredibly outrageous to me.

On an unrelated note, I have a meeting with a guy from the Department of Revenue tomorrow morning about doing some free work for the summer. I'd prefer getting paid.

Interviews

Since I have recently decided that I want to stay in Madison for the summer, I now am forced to apply for internships here. I have to call some guy at the Department of Revenue about setting up an interview for Friday. Next week, I should have a better idea about my chances of writing a property tax assessment report for Dane County. That would be a nice piece of paid summer internship ass. Onward.

I get a new computer soon.

Glorious Day

Today, Meredith was offered a job at a bookstore. This job would be salaried, full-time, and with benefits. From what I understand, she would be responsible for contacting professors about their textbook needs and publishers about providing books. Sure, it's at a textbook store, but it's a locally owned store. Did I mention the salary and benefits. Since she wants to open a bookstore of her own someday, this seems like a good opportunity.

Caught being unfaithful

I am starting to get worried that my computer knows that it is going to be replaced soon. You see, I've been lusting after a new powerbook for some time. Sure, I own a powerbook, but it has decided that it can't be bothered to work properly. This leaves me in a state of fear as I work on my various papers that come due in the very near future. Oddly enough, I won't be replacing my current computer until such time as all of my current assignments have long since been turned in. Tiger comes out at the end of the month. I'm wating for that. Another fun thing, is that we'll also be getting a new desktop. We're thinking an Imac. It doesn't stop there. We'll also be getting an airport extreme base station and airport extreme cards for the computers. Wireless internet will be coming to our home.

Academic update

I met with Melanie Manion the other day, and I have decided that I will go ahead and get my Master's of Public Affairs, however useful I think that it is. I'm going to be changing my focus from social policy to budget and finance. I could use a little more math and a lot less welfare reform in my life.

An expensive proposition

I'm working on my policy analysis project right now. I'm hoping to get it done before next weekend so that I can focus on my statistics project and on my social welfare project. Anyway, I have to look at various approaches to reducing the property tax burden on low-income Wisconsin homeowners. The alternative that I'm going to recommend would cost the state something like $277 million a year. Really, it wouldn't cost nearly that much over the long-term as $160 million of that is low-interest loans to homeowners that will be paid back, but I don't think that policy makers like to think about the long-term. In the short-term, this would result in about 110,000 Wisconsin homeowners having to pay nothing towards their property taxes until such time as they die or sell the home. That seems like a good deal for the homeowner, but a bad deal for their kids. Oh well, such is life.

What to do

Some readers may or may not know that I have an important meeting in the morrow. Essentially, I'm going to decide my academic future. This is particularly strange because I thought that I'd already decided my academic future. You know, when I moved to Wisconsin. Turns out, I may have been wrong. It should be an interesting experience. As a side note, if you ever feel that you have selected a topic for a project that you can't be happy working on, change your topic. Even if your professor gives you that, 'it's too late in the semester' talk, change it. There is no sense being stuck with a crap topic. Who gives a fuck why some kids expect to graduate from college and other kids don't even expect to graduate from high school. You want to know what determines the expectation? The single strongest factor in determining educational expectations in teenagers is their academic ability. Pretty fucking shocking, right?

It's over

The title of the post might be deceiving. Readers could think that I'm referring to the death of the Pope, or that I'm late on the Shiavo thing. My readers should know that I am far to self-centered for all of that. I'm simply writing this post to inform you, my wonderful readers, that I have shaved my mustache. I managed to raise $200 with nearly half ($95) coming from graduates of the University of Texas. Thank you for your help in supporting the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Manhood, where have you gone?

I'm sitting at my desk drinking a cafe mocha. I feel like less of a man than I did just hours ago. Of course, several hours ago I was hobbling around the house, embarrassed and in pain.

You've won again, hardwood floors

Last night, in the Walgreen's parking lot, I'm walking when this guy in a red car speeds towards me with no sign that he notices me. I manage to jump out of the way just in time to avoid being hit, with the added bonus that Meredith's yelling caused him to pause long enough for me to walk to his window, hands up in disgust/rage. Flash to two hours later, and I'm walking from my living room to my bedroom when my socked feet slip across the floor causing me to come crashing down on my right side. This resulted in a wasted evening as the pain/embarrassment of falling left me unable or unwilling to do much. Now, the following day, I still have some pain in my right side from the fall. Mostly, my hip and shoulder hurt. The explanation that I have formulated as to why I could avoid a speeding car, yet not walk to my bedroom is that God wanted me to have the approximate level of pain that coincides with how close I came to getting seriously injured by the car. In other words, I blame God. I think that's the safest route.

Who did this to me?

Somebody went and nominated me for these LSSA elections. I don't know who did it, but I plan to find out. And when I do, I'll probably do nothing.