Weird stuff

I finished with exams today and celebrated by going out to dinner with my sweetie and then watching "Bring it on." Sometimes teen comedies hit the spot. But 90 minutes of "Cheer-ocracies" can't explain the Through-the-looking-glass experience I've been having clearing out the inbox, trolling through slashdot, etc. etc.

1) Al Gore joins Apple's board of directors. Firstly, in this age of Sorbonnes-Oxley, he's a brave or foolish man. Secondly -- Al Gore? Apple? Throw in an angry Scottish groundskeeper, Bond parody, and Duff Beer factory and it could almost be an episode of the Simpsons. It's not that I don't understand, I just don't really understand.

2) The Heritage foundation reaches out to bloggers. I got an email from them saying they've noted how bloggers are influencing public policy debates in the US and want to know how to reach out to the community. They have some program where you can sign up for newsletters listing articles on the various policy topics they cover. My first instinct was to say "hey, that's spam!" but then I realized I would be signing up for the stuff voluntarily. My second was "don't try to confuse me with any facts!" but this reveals more about me than about them. My third thought was "why are they bothering with bloggers? Since when do we matter?" (Not me of course--other, better bloggers).

I have not written about weblogs on this weblog because I find such self referential articles really tedious. But post 9/11, when the warblogging came to the fore, the weblog world went from being fixated on technology to being fixated on politics, with a small technology ghetto to the side. And you know what, discussing politics is kinda like a drug habit, it's initially a kick but then you feel tired all the time and you know it's probably not good for you in the long run. Folks from the Heritage have decided to devote a career to this stuff. Do I want opinions from the Heritage Foundation? No, I am very satisfied with my current sources of opinions. The idea of broadcasting or picking through policy points with think-tanks frightens me.

And 3) After guzzling the Kool-Aid now for almost two years it seems I am now officially a Chicago econ indoctrinee. I must confess, I have found my time here illuminating.