From the Philippine contingent of the Nichols household

For those who don't know the dad lives and works in the Philippines.  My brother had to get his passport renewed and my baby sister (just turned 1 on the 15th!!!) has to get one.  Dad FF'd the embassy experience...  weird...

1.5 hour drive to Embassy through Manila traffic. Got there shortly after interview appointment time but don't think Embassy every knew it. They called us shortly afterwards. But long wait - all morning - after the interview as they did whatever it is they do behind closed doors while you wait. - Nick Nichols

It looks like Mikees passport renewal is a done deal. We paid our $85 and now we just wait till notified that it is ready. I believe they actually Fed Ex it out to us so I don't believe we have to go back to get it. - Nick Nichols

Izzy is in limbo. They want more proof about our claim. - Nick Nichols

#1 - they want copies pre-natal records and ultrasound photos. - Nick Nichols

#2 - they want proof jenny and i were actually together at conception (or at least in the same country). Our passports will do that but mine was at India Embassy getting visa stamped. Jenny has a new passport so she has to retrieve her old one to show the dates. - Nick Nichols

#3 - they want proof that I actually resided in the U.S. prior to Izzy's birth. For this, though, they sent me to the Social Security Admin. down the hall and they (the SSA) gave me a printout of earnings statements from U.S. employer - so that will do. - Nick Nichols

Fortunately we don't have to go back to Embassy. We just gather up all this stuff and send it in by Fed Ex. - Nick Nichols

Oh, for Izzy they want family photos of Jenny showing her pregnant. And for Mikee's passport renewal we had to show growing up photos of him and family. Why, I don't know. The had already issued him a passport once. - Nick Nichols

It's SUCH a pleasure doing business with your friendly neighborhood U.S. Embassy. - Nick Nichols

The dad just got a world bank project in Afghanistan --so i'm sure to have some interesting updates.  I have to say going to build the power sector in the middle of a war zone is probably the most punk rock thing someone can do... alas I concede defeat.  Dad wins...

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I can't spell...

And Posterous doesn't have a spell checker button. 

I wish I cared enough to try harder.

sigh.

I don't.

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It appears my dad is headed to Afghanistan

Nick Nichols

Departure Schedule: I'm leaving for Delhi, India on April 22. I'll be applying for my Afghanistan visa in Delhi on the 23rd. It will be issued on the 23rd or 24th and then I will fly to Kabul on the 25th. Not sure of my return date yet, but should know soon.

 

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Trying out posterous...

Should one blog, tweet, and update ones facebook all in one post?  I don't know.  Should Jim... most definately not.  Thats why i'm going to try this for a bit.

I've been falling far behind the online world for the past week and it has been wonderful.  But I don't want to drop out of sight--just become more productive.

So for now i'm trying posterous...  if you like it or hate it email me (Jim.Nichols@gmail.com) and tell me why.  If you know of something better or more effective let me know.  If you just want to show me love by telling me all the reasons why i'm wrong, it really isn't necessary--i'm on the case on that one!

 

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The Disney Trip...

We just got back from Disney World. It was good to be on a break from the day to day world and I've come back refreshed. Its strange but I always come home from long breaks wanting to be a better person. I come with revamped ideas on how to accomplish goals, a fresh look at old ideas, and new energy for old ambitions.

I had many fruitful meme's that have developed in the past week and hope to expand on many of them in the next few weeks.

But one of my goals is to become more disciplined in my blogging. Try to add more substance. I posted on this before, but I truly want to keep from being simply a link a thon.

But I'm hesitant to cut back on the broad range of blogs and feed's I already read. So the quandary now becomes how do I keep up with all of the great, interesting, or pertinent stuff online? And I think the only answer is to one, stop seeing blogs as something you must read right this second. I always feel as if a blog post that is two weeks old is dead and useless (in some ways this is true... in some ways this is not true). I'm going to stop feeling like I have to stay on top of things so that I reframe my blogging as something I do rather than something I have to keep up with. Rather than a burden it can be an opportunity to further develop my own intellectual endeavors, keep track of interesting thoughts and events from my own life and across the globe, and help track my own personal narrative.

I've been off radar...

After a good back and forth on twitter with Jason Pye I bailed on blogging for a bit,while always enjoyable and often fruitful in clarifying my own positons as well as understanding others, it can be draining. Plus Deana's work has been hectic so we've been trying to veg out at home. Got some cleaning done round the house yesterday, as well as some henrydems stuff.

Other than that same old same...

I'm thinking of revamping the blog, and/or dropping it for a while. My blogging as those of you may know tends to ebb and flow. I end blogs, and start new ones...as my life changes so does my blog, and the theme that goes with it.

I also may go anonymous for a bit, gives me more creative options, ala Kierkegaard who would have two different pseudonyms attack each other in public debates in the newspapers.

Been reading Lyotards Postmodern Condition which has me intrigued with modern communication in postindustrial capitalism. I never knew he taught at Emory.

On attention spans and Jim's hard determinism

So I was a test subject (think mouse running on that wheel thing) in a research study looking at cognitive skill deficiencies (or something to that effect) in those with bipolar disorder.

It was fun.

One of the questions she asked me was about my attention span problems. I replied bio-chemical. To which she looked at me funny, paused, looked down and then tried to follow up. I replied that since I have been tested to have adhd, and that my Psychiatrist hoped that the antidepressant I started taking would reduce anxiety levels reducing problems with attention span (and it has), that it must be neurotransmitters. She wrote it down and moved on.

Something tells me most people don't blame things on their neurotransmitters. Go figure.

catching up...

I've been swamped. Much to post on and will hopefully get some time today.

Been having fruitful debate with @JaseLP who blogs over at Jasonpye.com. If you twitter, join the debate!

Had a great meeting with the new national feild organizer for moveon.org. They are talking big things which would be great for people on the ground here in Henry who would be empowered with the tools to advocate for their concerns and interests.

Homeless guy ganked my soda the other day... more on this to follow.

of late....

I've been pondering my blogging directions of late. Oh, don't worry, i'm going to keep up with the blog filtering and news (with a tid bit of commentary) posting. But at what cost/benifit?

Pondering more original content. Pondering more cultural content. Pondering just writing more songs and posting on youtube--which probably isn't exactly my average readers interest.

So what if I lose readers? "Ah, but I want readers who want to talk economics, and policy" replys my other self.

Well, self, don't you also want readers who "put up" with your bad music, strange cultural leanings(aversions), and will let you be you?

"What does it mean for me to be me?"

good question. I'll ponder that one at work today.

Sigh...

do you remember when the cops crashed the party in fairburn pines and we all had to go to court?

Jim is tired this morning...

thats all...

something I notice all the time...

I'm a terrible speller. And I don't use spell check enough! sigh....

i'm blessed...

So I don't have to be in to work today until 3:30 but I still got up at 1. So i'm sitting here with my coffee in the microwave--made it yesterday!--and i'm cutting a grapefruit. Mind you i've been reading about the crisis in gaza all morning. And it hits me. All my little complaints about the world--are little. My home isn't being blown to bits... nor are my children... my wife... my dog. I don't get to see my dad or my brothers sister and stepmom, nor my grandmother... but i can email them (which I don't do enough of).

Challenge for the day... appreciate this without getting stressed out about the petty stuff.

the world doesn't stop just because you do...

So i'm still falling behind on blogging, email, and the rest. I've taken a pause--which is refreshing and wonderful--and so am off my normal pace. I'm still poking around just a little.

Basically Krugman, Pye, Baker, and the New York Times...

Trying to refocus for next year...

cheers.

What two leftists were doing watching West Wing in their LA loft in 2000 I dunno...

But this scene always struck those narrative chords in me. Biological. Plus the dire straits song with the long walk was just the magic touch.


The amazing thing--if you skip the sappyness factor--is how powerful constructs are. Our literature, our myths, our political "theories", our "just so" storys on everything--from right and wrong, the "good fight", good vs. evil, and who we are; they are full of these types of structures. We want to beleive, need to beleive, meaning.

This scene and the song are locked in my head--I heard a clip of the song in a movie and thought of this scene so I had to pull it up.

Strange.

I was on tv... who let that happen?

Was on local tv two weeks ago and they just posted it up.
I goofed on the tax brackets... 90% until Kennedy... 50% with Reagan...

Also did too much hedging... but then again I get myself in trouble with Democrats more so than Republicans. I also didn't articulate it well--and it also speaks to my comfort zone being behind the written word where I can cite the specifics accurately--but I kept deferring to experts. What I always try to get people to see/do is to dig into the issues.

The anti-intellectual climate we've had since Reagan has allowed for Sarah Palin types to be considered legitimate policy makers. These folks may hold legitimate opinions and feelings but no one need take seriously ideas that have no bases in empirical and real world scenarios. So I like promoting the idea that specialist do have something important to contribute.

I can't be an expert in every field and most find folks whose sole purpose is to learn that field. I go to a plumber for my toilet, a climatologist for my global warming questions, a biologist for evolution questions, an economist for the economy, and a pyschiatirst for my bi-polar. Just-so storys and sounds good feel good--"makes sense to me!" policy positions; though sometimes valid, vital, and democratic; aren't always up to date on the way the world acutally works. Its a complex place you know...

Thats why pretty much to a person--aside from my Libertarian friends--I argue down conservatives to the point that they "have their reasons" for voting conservative. Which is fine... as long as we don't pretend those reasons are based in anything other than sounds good feels good policy. Gravity is 9.8 meters per second squared as they say.

Once they lose their talking heads lecture points,cut the hyperbole and pejorative talk about Liberals and Democrats, and get down to the issues they tend to be shockingly silent for all the certainty and disdain they have for others policy views it speaks volumes. Intimidation and logical fallcies don't work on me and I actively look to 'pick a fight' if you will.

But for my first gig as a talking head I think I didn't do too bad. (Of coarse I support the train going to hampton!) And I didn't get any shots in on the nonsense about Republicans supporting "Free markets" over government intervention--ever hear of patent protections or immigration controls or food safety regulations... or or or... they just support certain forms of protectionism's that help certain sectors of the economy. They like socializing the costs and privatizing the profits. It falls in line with the "rich people work hard" (as if poor people don't) and that all those benefits come out of pure old fashioned sweat--nonsense if there ever was. Check out Herbert Simon, or listen to Warren Buffet talk about the importance of social capital if you were confused.

Anyways hopefully I'll be a little less nervous next time and can do a little less ummm's and ahh's and more specifics. I know them I was just afraid my memory would bungle something.

And it just hit me.. .I didn't even talk about the health care crisis! I guess the Martin/Obama messaging of the economy the economy the economy worked on me just as well as everyone else.

Sigh...

thinking back to the Bosstones show at the roxy back in the 90's

"I've never had to knock on wood
But I know someone who has
Which makes me wonder if I could
It makes me wonder if
I've never had to knock on wood
And I'm glad I haven't yet
Because I'm sure it isn't good
that's the impression that I get"

polls closed 5 minutes ago...

Blackstone Pinot Noir 2007.
Corelli Concerti Grossi op. 6
The past year and a half of my life a blur...

cheers to all those who have sacrificed this year.

and a prayer for all those who--no matter who wins--will be left in silence to fend for themselves.

for some reason today starts well with this...

"A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him." --George Orwell

Is it December 2nd yet?

I actually took a nap yesterday. The quality of everything jumped 10 fold when I got up. My mind was sharper, I was happy, I made sense. I still couldn't spell very well... but you can't get everything.

I've been reading blog posts last night/this morning and I realize how far behind I am. The blogosphere moves like lightening and I feel uninformed about the world just looking at some of the subjects.

I'm ready for the campaign to be over with. I'm done. I think I was done in October. I thought I was done in September. And who would have figured any of this would have been going on back in February.