pinchy dot org.

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring, bananaphone.

What should I be for Halloween?

It’s the twenty-sixth already? Good heavens, I’ve been busy.

I had to give a group presentation on Monday morning for one of my classes, and my partner and I were up quite late on Sunday preparing it. After a long day yesterday, I returned home, then left again to get some groceries. On the way out, though, I dropped my bike, and one of the handlebars crashed through a pane of glass in my building’s front door. This is not as bad as it sounds—the door has lots of little panes of glass, measuring perhaps 10 by 12 inches, and the maintenance guy seemed to think he could replace the broken pane without much trouble. Nonetheless, it’s not a good sign when one is so tired that one starts accidentally breaking shit.

Today I went to REI and bought a decent raincoat, one that will actually repel water instead of absorbing it. It’s technically a snowboarding jacket, making me at least 14 percent more “X-treme” than I was yesterday. Anyhow, the important thing is that I will now be somewhat drier after my frequent wet-weather bicycle commutes.

Biking in the rain is fun, but what I really want to do is curl up in a chair with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a book that isn’t about city planning. It’s that last part that’s the real sticking point. I don’t mean to complain, though. There’s a fresh crop of persimmons to eat and plenty of friends to talk to, and although I’m feeling a bit worn out, things are going well.

Other stuff I’ve done recently: started an internship in the city, went to a party, had crepes with former coworkers, saw a fantastic Craftsman-style house, and met a 25-pound cat.

How have you been?

I swear to God, if I see another Berkeleyan driving a pickup truck with a “How many lives per gallon?” or “No blood for oil” bumper sticker, I’m going to scream.

This is so cool: An aerial photo that shows a superimposed street map when your mouse hovers over it.

From an article in today’s New York Times about why Bush and Kerry can’t stand each other:

Aides to Mr. Bush said that Mr. Kerry reminded him of the Brahmins he met, and disliked, at Yale and Harvard Business School. “One word the president uses sometimes is ‘haughty,’” said one person close to Mr. Bush…

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I am that “one person close to Mr. Bush,” and the word Bush actually uses sometimes is “hottie.”

My folky French wish has been answered: Julie Doiron’s Desormais. That sound you hear is me swooning.

Do let me know, though, if you find any other French acousticness that fits the bill.

I’ll keep this short so I can get to class on time.

Sunday: The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park. I saw Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris, both of whom were amazing. My fingers are still thawing.

Monday: A debate between Mark Danner, a journalism professor at Berkeley, and William Kristol on whether we need a new president. Unsurprisingly, they did not reach a consensus. A Lyndon LaRouche supporter sitting behind me kept standing up and yelling at Kristol; police eventually came in and removed him. The LaRouche supporter, that is, not Kristol. Berkeley isn’t that ridiculous.

Today, later on: Butternut squash risotto, the vice-presidential debate, and drinks with my former housemates. Deliciousness bracketing bitterness.