For whom the bell may be tolling.

THE TIMES HAS BEEN running a series of articles recently that suggest the Clinton campaign has been subtly closing up shop. They're sad articles, because they portray Hillary as a passionate candidate who, while ever realistic about her chances, remains deeply committed to the difference she could make in the lives of Americans.

The articles are especially heartbreaking because they remind me of women who strove mightily to achieve greatness, and ought to have won those achievements, but for whatever reason never quite did. Of course, they call into question Hillary's ability to be an effective, inspirational leader if she can't even convince her own campaign staff to tough it out and remain optimistic until the final act. And yet there's something about the whole situation that makes me want to donate to her campaign, to demonstrate my appreciation, if not necessarily my support.

Hillary's slow deflation doesn't make me any more excited about Obama. If anything, I've grown more disillusioned by his one note campaign over the past few weeks. As we've watched Hillary's slow fade, he's failed to step into the vacuum she's leaving, failed to inspire confidence in his ability to do anything more than simply provide some vague inspiration. I want as much as anyone for this country to be united, for us to move past the old divisions that hardened during the Clinton era, but the truth is that those differences don't simply disappear, and I'm not sure he has goals beyond redrawing the lines that divide us.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but it seems that one of Clinton's campaign's greatest failings was the sense of inevitability they injected into the race during those early months. You never really felt like you needed to get involved because the assumption was that she was going to win with our without you. To this day, I think Hillary supporters still believe Hillary will pull it out in the remaining states, that ultimately, they don't need to get involved because Obama's magic is sure to run out if she can just hold on long enough.

Lint Licker!

A GOOD FRIEND GREW UP in Utah, where cursing ranks right up there with caffeine and liquor on the reasons why Utah is not a place I could ever live.

When he came to college, it took him a while to get used to using real swear words rather than shorter abbreviations that leave no room for doubt as to what you're really saying (and therefore, IMHO, negating the whole point of not swearing in the first place). It's like girls who, to protect their virginity, have anal with the entire football team - a practice that is very much alive and well at BYU, according to sources.

Regardless, to this day, we all get a kick out of responding to an insult with an indignant "fuh that."

This commercial reminded me of that friend. Voila.


"Pickle you, cumquat!"

Still thrilled.

I GOT MY SUMMER offer a week and four hours ago and I'm still absurdly happy about it. When I was pounding the pavement looking for an internship, a sense of dread would wash over me a couple times a day. Now, I'll be walking between classes and my mind will switch into recruiting mode, thinking about what I need to do, or who I need to call. And then it will hit me that I don't need to think about that anymore. My heart will swell a little and I'll smile. If it hits me while I'm standing waiting for the subway listening to music, I'll realize that I'm shaking my ass just a little to the beat.

It's weird to be this happy about something that you know is going to be really tough, something that's going to gobble up your personal life and be a source of stress in the future. But for now I'm trying not to think about that, and focusing on feeling like this:

Dooce - Leta Learns to Splash

splashing in the tub from dooce on Vimeo.
Next up, insanely cute puppies.

[Via Dooce]

No country for old men/risen Lords

IT'S GANG INITIATION TIME, so there's been a spike in violence in the hood as the Crips and whatever Dominican gang happens to currently rule my street fight it out for territory and members. A guy from my building was killed last week and there's been a shrine to him outside the stoop ever since. The drug deals are still going down around the clock, though, so no one seems to be deterred. No cause for alarm!

By and large the violence ignores non-gang members, and if it does touch the uninitiated it's mostly muggings. Unfortunately, the muggings often specifically target white people, so I've been taking off my iPod before walking back from the subway station at night. This has severely constrained my happiness, of course, as I no longer get that last spin of whatever shamefully titillating pop song I currently have on repeat.

Just when I think I've had enough and that I really do need to move, along comes a reminder that crime, truly heinous crime, can strike anywhere. Even in the heart of Kent County. Surely it's some perversion of our national character that there hasn't been Runaway Bride-style, 24/7 news coverage of this tragedy.

I'll be starting a Facebook issue group about it, and I hope you'll all support the cause when I shoot off the invites.

Jesus Held Hostage in Kent County

"Clean up all the wiener poopie if you want to see Jesus unharmed."

[via The New Gay]

Give it to me.

GUESS WHO'S GONNA BE gainfully employed this summer?

After suffering the slings of excessive self-doubt, after countless recruiting cocktails and conversations with a dozen firms, after a slew of interviews where I whipped out my MECE at every conceivable instant, your boy's got an offer from a great firm.

Needless to say, I'm stoked. It's a firm I'd jocked all semester - smart, fun, genuine people, interesting, meaningful work, great brand name.

Early on in the process, a second-year at school told me that the whole recruiting process was like dating. You're out trying to make it happen with someone, putting out your best. That's recruiting events.

You find someone you're clicking with, but you're more into them than they are into you. You're just trying to keep them from getting tired of you, so you flash a little leg and telling all your really good stories. That's interviewing.

Then, at some point in the relationship, the power switches hands and you realize the person you're seeing is really into you. Supposedly, that's what it's like after the offer comes.

And then you realize that you're both into each other, and you make a ten thousand babies.

Let's just say I'm really looking forward to this stage in the relationship.

Amerie - "Gotta Work"

"Show me someone without a goal, show me someone with no control."

Remember the power of the American idea

I STILL HAVEN'T DECIDED who I'm supporting in the Democratic primary race, but fuck, man, have you seen this?

Even if Obama can't seize victory from the Clinton machine (a machine I personally believe is built around a capable, impressive, and good-hearted candidate), the message here is exceptionally powerful.

Yes We Can

"There has never been anything false about hope."