Digital Photos

I'll be the first to admit that Picasa is vastly superior to iPhoto. It also had two more years to get developed.

The Jazz are retiring John Stockton's number. I don't think there are any players in the NBA today that i cheer for as much as i did for Stock.

I'm endlessly bemused at the consequences at one of the most casual decisions i've made in recent years. When filling out my profile on Orkut, i checked the box for Political View: "Very Right-Conservative". About half of this was my actual political philosophy (which has become increasingly ill-defined as i've lost interest in government), and the other half is my imp of the perverse: no one on Orkut is conservative. I mean, no one. I've had no less than three very close friends (from Berkeley, not surprisingly) interrogate me on this. They all seemed sort of shocked, like it was this horribly incongruent culture clash between the ericlui they know, and the ericlui who willy-nilly checks radio buttons on meaningless social networking sites.

For at least two of them, they couldn't even fathom that a reasonable human being could be a conservative. The other just denied my statement, saying i was just being absurd, and i was "far too much of a softie", or something along those lines, to be a conservative.

No wonder the left is so far out of touch with the electorate. These friends of mine-- college educated, professionals, are the intellectual rank-and-file of the Democratic party. Awesome people. But they don't know any conservatives. They don't go out and engage 'em, unless it's at emotion-laden rallies and protests and speak-ins or teach-outs or take-backs. I mean, all of their friends are left-leaning. (Orkut told me so) Everyone on the Internet is left-leaning. (Orkut told me so) So isn't every sensible person on the left?

Now, before i get all kettle-and-pot on ya, i'll point out that the most politically outspoken folks at my church are equally out-of-touch. But, there are definitely rumblings, even from lefty NPR, that the Republican party is "way more complicated than you might think."

I'm just surprised that this evokes such a strong response out of people. I remember how far-away politics seemed on the college campus. (perhaps there was an implicit groupthink that Democrats are re-thinking now that every vote really does appear to matter. At least if you live in one of 7 highly-distorted battleground states, or sit on the Supreme Court) Back then, we were much more interested in the next Rescomp party, or how to angle a smart partner for programming projects, or how to figure out where the Model UN committee chair was partying on Friday night. No one's commenting on my "Professional Monkey Ranching" Occupation, or asking about my choice of literature. Or cartoons.

Anyway. I know how i'm voting this November. But i won't tell you unless you ask.