otakon
Just wanted folks to know that I'm still alive and well. Looking forward to seeing folks at Otakon next week.
I've been a bit out of commission anime wise this year, as I have gone back to (grad) school while still holding down my full time job. Plus kids etc. Yes I am insane.
For a while now I'd been thinking about some Big Issues like how is the US and the world going to transition from fossil fuel dependence to something sustainable without massive economic disruptions in the process. I'm rather hopeless as an engineer or biologist but pretty good at math, so the best area for me to contribute would be on the economics side. A big part of the problem is that our economic and financial institutions are all geared towards growth - producing more and more stuff. I'm not against capitalism per se but it seems like the institutions need some retooling.
So as it happens there is a graduate program at American University here in DC, where I can study economics at a PhD level but part time (2 classes a term). The faculty there are also fairly unorthodox as economists go - they question a lot of the traditional theories that in my view have helped us get into this mess. It'll take years to finish but I can still hold on to my day job, my house, pay for my kids college etc etc.
The drawback is of course that even 2 classes of PhD level math and econ on top of a full time job and family leaves not a hell of a lot of free time (except for a bit in the summer). I am quite determined however not to fully "retire" from amvs and cons.
I will definitely be at AWA as well, having committed to doing an Old Farts Video Hour panel w/ Fred Graupp (TaranT). I *may* even finish an amv sometime this year as well. (sigh)
Meanwhile, I am preparing a fun little presentation for Saturday on amvs, live action vids, video mashups, etc. along Lessig / read write culture lines. This will be for a small group of people who signed up for it at a charity auction. It should be a friendly audience although they don't know much about anime.
As usual I'll be watching over Morgan and several of her friends at Otakon so partying will be somewhat curtailed (have to save it for awa). Morgan recently turned 14 and will be entering high school. She's been working a summer job which allows her to buy even more manga (mostly yaoi these days it seems)...
I've been a bit out of commission anime wise this year, as I have gone back to (grad) school while still holding down my full time job. Plus kids etc. Yes I am insane.
For a while now I'd been thinking about some Big Issues like how is the US and the world going to transition from fossil fuel dependence to something sustainable without massive economic disruptions in the process. I'm rather hopeless as an engineer or biologist but pretty good at math, so the best area for me to contribute would be on the economics side. A big part of the problem is that our economic and financial institutions are all geared towards growth - producing more and more stuff. I'm not against capitalism per se but it seems like the institutions need some retooling.
So as it happens there is a graduate program at American University here in DC, where I can study economics at a PhD level but part time (2 classes a term). The faculty there are also fairly unorthodox as economists go - they question a lot of the traditional theories that in my view have helped us get into this mess. It'll take years to finish but I can still hold on to my day job, my house, pay for my kids college etc etc.
The drawback is of course that even 2 classes of PhD level math and econ on top of a full time job and family leaves not a hell of a lot of free time (except for a bit in the summer). I am quite determined however not to fully "retire" from amvs and cons.
I will definitely be at AWA as well, having committed to doing an Old Farts Video Hour panel w/ Fred Graupp (TaranT). I *may* even finish an amv sometime this year as well. (sigh)
Meanwhile, I am preparing a fun little presentation for Saturday on amvs, live action vids, video mashups, etc. along Lessig / read write culture lines. This will be for a small group of people who signed up for it at a charity auction. It should be a friendly audience although they don't know much about anime.
As usual I'll be watching over Morgan and several of her friends at Otakon so partying will be somewhat curtailed (have to save it for awa). Morgan recently turned 14 and will be entering high school. She's been working a summer job which allows her to buy even more manga (mostly yaoi these days it seems)...