Update for Everyone VIII: He who laughs have the last laugh

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The shape of Peru is just so cool. It suggests youthfulness and joviality.

Honestly love the shape.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Housemate (who has since evac'd) came down with COVID. Tested negative yesterday but gonna be a shut-in for the weekend. As such, I'm celebrating the holiday by watching Beetlejuice in my room. Will be testing again on Monday.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Coughing this morning, but not a huge departure from my usual light cold symptoms that I seem cursed to perperually endure.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Ya boi's got COVID.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Ya boi's got COVID.

Shiiza...

You'll get through this.

Ya boi's got COVID.

That makes you the fourth person I’ve met/known to get it. The other two were a tenant, a friend, and a President.

So far it's just been a medium strength cold, so as long as no one else I know gets it, I won't be worried.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Well, we’re at the hospital, with wife starting to have contractions half an hour or so ago. It’s happening! And what a night for it to happen!

Time for some election-themed baby names! I've got a few ideas...

1) Jo(e) Jorgensen (either gender); 
2) Bellwether (female);
3) Precinct (male);
4) 270towin (either gender);
5) Dave Leip's US Election Atlas Dot Org (either gender).

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I had all of my immediately family take the Political Matrix test.

These are the rounded results.
Mother: Economic -3 / Social +3
Father: Economic -4 / Social +6
Sister: Economic +2 / Social -2

(I am around Economic - 6 / Social 0 of course)

So my sister is a libertarian born into a communitarian family confirmed.

Rootless cosmopolitanism

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Lion King is a fundamentally conservative film. Will report back on the sequel.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Lion King is a fundamentally conservative film. Will report back on the sequel.

So I'm'a jump the gun and post my conclusions before finishing the movie (that's right--I said "movie", not "film"!): if LK2 *were* to have a message, it would be about equality and the dangers of exclusion (and thus be more left-wing than its predecessor). But the movie has too many main characters, which means way too much time is spent on personal nonsense of three people lions, and not on contemplating the nature of society. Also, the spectre of grief which hangs over the first film makes it far more interesting to me, though I do enjoy Zira's scenes and Nuka's death.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I think I have just realized that my friends mostly constitute a non-religious white cis hetero early gen Z bubble. I'm truly sorry.

Mine is basically the same except late millennial. I'm sorry as well.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Phone date. Went alright, but COVID chose the wrong time to come back because this type of thing will be hard to sustain.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Talkin about things is hard. I’m so exhausted these recent days.

Hope you're alright, king.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Ya boi is COVID-free.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

And as I started typing this I began having meandering thoughts about his life, and my family in general, and now I'm gloomy and I don't know why. Maybe I'm just tired.

This is some projection on my part, but it may be because our generation seems to be living in the shadows of far more adventurous and interesting people. The past year in particular may encourage this attitude as we are restrained from travel and socializing, and as such some of our personal development is being halted or slowed.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

If y'all can't tell by my posts, I've been on a nocturnal schedule since right before Christmas. It's not exactly working for me and I'm trying to break out of it as soon as I can, but it's been fun experimenting.

You doing diss research?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

If y'all can't tell by my posts, I've been on a nocturnal schedule since right before Christmas. It's not exactly working for me and I'm trying to break out of it as soon as I can, but it's been fun experimenting.

You doing diss research?

Dissertation writing, yeah. All-nighters are when I get most of my work done, because my brain is broken. Sigh...

As I recall, you wanted to do something on the effects of voting on globalization. That still true?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

If y'all can't tell by my posts, I've been on a nocturnal schedule since right before Christmas. It's not exactly working for me and I'm trying to break out of it as soon as I can, but it's been fun experimenting.

You doing diss research?

Dissertation writing, yeah. All-nighters are when I get most of my work done, because my brain is broken. Sigh...

As I recall, you wanted to do something on the effects of voting on globalization. That still true?

Other way around. It's basically another attempt at explaining how globalization is realigning the politics of Western countries. There's been a lot of work on this in the past 4-5 years, for obvious reasons (pretty annoying because I had that subject in mind since 2015), but I'm hoping I can still bring some contributions to it.

Ah yeah, I just mixed up the words there. And nice! That does sound like a bum deal when the field was basically invented as you were writing.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

If y'all can't tell by my posts, I've been on a nocturnal schedule since right before Christmas. It's not exactly working for me and I'm trying to break out of it as soon as I can, but it's been fun experimenting.

You doing diss research?

Dissertation writing, yeah. All-nighters are when I get most of my work done, because my brain is broken. Sigh...

Oh well. I've been on a 'nocturnal schedule' too, except that it is not on purpose and I'm not doing any work at all. I need a damn break as soon as possible because I'm going to bed at unhealthy hours. At least you are doing something useful. I haven't studied since... I don't even try to recall. Double sigh...

Oh I go to bed pretty late even on my own. And with lockdowns it's particularly easy for sleep schedules to go out the window if you're not doing work that requires you to wake up at the same time every day. I'm sure we're not the only ones.

Of course, and I would go to bed pretty late on my own too. This year has really screwed up my studying.

I'm of half a mind to suggest you adjusted your (non-)sleep schedule to better mirror the average time most Atlas posters are up and about.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I'll be headed back to the (virtual) classroom after a two-semester (summer/fall) break this week, this time to start rehabilitating my Russian language skills.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

A friend of mine who's in veterinary school is going to be a guinea pig for a new COVID vaccine.

There's a joke in here about your friend being a literal guinea pig who is owned by the veterinary school, but I can't think of how to get the wording just right.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

My brilliant, beautiful, creative, sarcastic baby sister killed herself tonight. I'm shattered.

Deeply sorry to hear this, RI. I can't imagine what it must be like. God bless you. Your family will be in my prayers.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I got a really nice job offer in Berlin. I've got another job interview (second round) also in Berlin tomorrow with a different company, and sometime this week I'm having another second round interview with the VP of Finance of a tech firm here in Stocky. Still waiting to hear back from a Swedish furniture and design studio as well sometime this week.

This is gonna be a big week for me. Although Germany was originally Goal #1 for many, many years, I'm not sure if I want to take it and move somewhere else where I don't know anyone and start from scratch all over again. I feel that I've really settled down here in Stockholm, gotten a solid grip on the language, understand the work culture and laws, and generally just enjoy the city and country.

Also, I really want a little red summerhouse.

Congrats on all accounts, my man!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Earlier today I received communication that a piece that I had submitted in December to an electroacoustic music conference of note has been accepted and will be premiered there (virtually) next month. I wanted to attend the conference last year, which would've been held quite close by in Charlottesville, but it was cancelled at the last minute due to the rapid encroachment of the obvious. Hopefully I will be put in contact with my performers and the director of the ensemble soon and we can start working on putting everything together. I've never had a work of my own played by fellow musicians and I am quite excited.

Congrats!

Omg I need these so badly.

You deserve it, king.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I’ve officially finished my classroom training for my new job and will begin floor training Monday night at an in-patient psychiatric care hospital as a Mental Health Specialist.

Recieved my first dose of the Pfizer Covid vaccine today.

My grandma finally got her first dose of the vaccine today.

Today is the Anniversary of the Unification of Italy, which happened on March 17th, 1861. Happy 160th birthday, Italia!

Congrats!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I got a job offer at a fintech startup in Berlin. Good salary, good benefits, good recommendations both inside and outside the company, relocation assistance, and lots of opportunity to move up.

I think I'll take it.

I'm getting tired of getting through 3 or 4 rounds of interviews in Sweden and then being rejected. I've done 27 interviews since mid-January. Furthermore, living costs are far lower in Berlin and I have some money to pay back regarding school. Even if salaries are comparable in Stockholm and Berlin, being able to save at least 500 Euros a month is very important. Finally, my German is still far better than my Swedish, and working at a fintech as a financial accountant would probably command more respect than some of the other job offers in Sweden. Also techno is good, and beer is far cheaper in Germany.

I have five days to make up my mind on this.

Hell yeah, brother.