An email from myself, four years ago

I received an unusual email today. It was from me, four years ago. I’d completely forgotten I signed up for, or used, Futureme.org. I had apparently written it on August 29, 2006, just at the end of my first year of graduate school.

Dear FutureMe,

Hi, this is me in grad school. Remember grad school? Yeah

Remember to laugh and love.

Remember how awesome Ann and Ryan and Dave and Suniti are.

Remember to be true to yourself, and to never give up.

You've been given a lot, so make the best of it!

-Ryan

Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them - Introduction

David Anderegg is a psychologist affiliated with Bennington University in Vermont. In addition, he runs a private practice specializing in psychotherapy for children. He has written a fascinating book about nerds. Yes, nerds. In case it’s not obvious, I do have a bit of interest in this topic, if for no other reason than an obsession with fruitless self-examination.

I came across Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them by accident. I was looking for Bowling Alone at Borders. But the tantalizing title drew me in. I also take it as a sign from God that the shelf had “fuck vegitarians” [sic] on it, underscoring the decline of spelling skills among America’s young vandal community.

He had sold me at “Why Ashton Kutcher is your kids’ worst nightmare” (part of the title of the introductory chapter).

Help for a friend seeking entrance into USMC Officer Candidate Program

Today I am appealing to you to help me find a way for a friend to successfully join the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate Program.

I knew James in elementary school. He’d always been athletic, and a leader. From what I’ve learned about his cross-fit training, he’s continued that today. He’s come a long way from the guy who busted my chops because of lackluster performance on the flag football field. :) He’s lost a lot of weight, gotten fit, and helped inspire and train a lot of his friends. I believe he enjoys the respect and admiration of his colleagues and clients, and that both are well deserved.

What Cordoba really means to me

Olbermann's comments about Park 51:"There is no 'Ground Zero Mosque'"

Until now, I never really read much Olbermann or had reason to quote him. But he's right about this.

I can confirm, from my memories of Medieval History class, that the characterization of "Cordoba" by Newt Gingrich misses the point.

"Cordoba" is, in part, a microcosm of the history of Islam - it's bloody civil wars, its rise under relative prosperity, the stagnation that accompanies a large and diverse empire, and the collapse when the previous regime is seen as decadent, to be replaced by progressively more extreme and reactionary forms of governance. It’s a fascinating history – if nothing else, the journey of Abd ar-Rahman I, the last surviving member of the Umayyad dynasty fleeing Damascus in the face of revolt and murder and flight to Al-Andalus, as the region was known under Muslim rule, is worth reading just for its drama.

Thoughts while listening to Philip Glass

From half-remembered moments,
from half a lifetime ago
dendrites strain like monstrous hands
To strangle and elevate a connection.
To leave conviction stranded in the realm of truth.
The terror, the absolute terror of losing all,
waking one distant day to un-discover
a lifetime spent in a fugue state.

Proof that there is such a thing as a "bad poem"

I see a little kitty
Now isn't she pretty
A little kitty cat
Now how about that.

- an actual poem I wrote in 8th grade to try to fill space in an end-of-year project