Below are the 18 most recent journal entries recorded in tom's LiveJournal:

Sunday, September 7th, 2008
6:51 pm	Deutschland I've been in Munich for about a week. I'm studying here for the next 11 months. Check out my blog: http://midstofmunich.blogspot.com Tschüss! Current Music: Kafka's Orient Bazaar (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, March 28th, 2008
6:57 pm	public policy that freeway doesn't get built by accident. those condos didn't just grow out of the ground. there's a reason that new subdivision is 40 miles from its urban center. the unique state of mortgage insurance, property taxes, and other fun things is why. people think that such things happen just because of economic or market forces, or even social preference. but these days everything is shaped by public policy, especially economic policy -- if it doesn't seem like it that's just because public policy has allowed it to be so -- or else some previous policy led to a shift in behavioral patterns. i think that this role of public policy might really have emerged with the development of the city -- because for the first time you had people living in a way that cannot support itself, and there has to be complexly developed policy structures for making sure that so many people can successfully live in such a conglomeration. too many people naively think public policy is irrelevant and that serious change can happen without shifts in public policy. maybe it can -- but not on a meaningful scale in today's global world. public policy is how to make a real change in this world. fortunately, in America, there's so few interested parties that you might actually be able to change something just by getting involved. a representative will be convinced that an issue is important with literally just a few dozen phone calls. anyway, i'm back from spring break now. hanging out in evanston by my lonesome with a lingering sunburn on my back. =) Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars (Topher Jones & Blake Jarrell Remix) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
7:04 am	I am ridiculous The other day I was marvelling at the incredible lengths that the Europeans go to in building elegant and less-destructive highways and rail lines through the Alps. (In Switzerland, they've actually just decided to basically tunnel the rail lines completely underneath them.) Anyway, I was wondering why we can't have nice things here like they do in Europe (see: universal healthcare, quality public transportation, high-speed rail, restored historic buildings, etc.) -- I mean, the U.S. is arguably richer than Europe, probably because we're so damn industrious (i.e. work too hard and don't take time to relax and enjoy the finer things - for better or for worse). Well, I came up with the fact that, among other things, we choose to squander our wealth by: 1) spreading the exorbitant expenses of civil services and urban infrastructure across large swaths of relatively empty lands through our characteristic suburban development, 2) paying to keep a greater percent of our population locked up in penitentiary facilities than any other nation in the modern world through absurdly-aimed programs like the War on Drugs, and 3) bossing around the rest of the world (costs here come from maintaining the most powerful military on Earth and covert and non-covert operations aimed at meddling in the affairs of foreign nations)--these last two are why Canada also has nicer stuff than us even though they all live in suburbs too. Suburbanites usually take for granted that they are supplied with all forms of modern convenience like power, telecommunications, water, and waste treatment services, and they expect that they shouldn't have to pay anymore to have those things than in a denser city environment. They are also usually vehemently opposed to tax increases to pay for them; they just complain when they start to fail because there's not enough money to maintain them. Hmmm....and every other day I'm walking in the street here in largely suburban Evanston because the fucking sidewalks are flooded... Meanwhile, I'm almost done with winter quarter finals. Yesterday I finished my 15 page history research paper after having a 27-hour paper-writing marathon in the library. The last thing I have is a physics test in two hours, but I just spent the last two on Wikipedia, culminating in my making myself sick to my stomach reading about the Rape of Nanking. Can't wait to fly to Miami on Friday! Current Mood: sarcastic Current Music: Voxtrot - Mothers, Sister, Daughter & Wives (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 10th, 2008
1:25 pm	Influence of media. So yesterday in Public Speaking, I realized that the primary way I know how people live in other places and other cultures and how they interact and deal with things is through films or books. It makes me think I should be watching a lot more films and reading a lot more books about people different than myself. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, November 18th, 2007
4:42 pm	Odd Thoughts on Life See the perfection in imperfection. There is never one, simple answer to a real life problem. Taking a cue from nature, we ought to diversify our ways of dealing with the world and issues around us; the age of one size fits all is over. Adopt and adapt, don't copy. Too many people have an idea already chosen in their heads of the way something should be solved or the way it ought to be. They think that they have already figured out the correct answer themselves and seek to carry it out in sweeping applications. They will bend all available information towards supporting their pre-conceived conclusion. These people make everyone's life difficult; they bring down society and democracy. Current Mood: contemplative Current Music: Weezer (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 25th, 2007
3:12 am	Thoughts on a film. I went and saw '300' tonight. It was a pretty cool movie. All the action, blood, and gore that I was expecting. The special effects and cinematography were very impressive as well. The movie starts off exhibiting the severe and rigorous society of the Spartans. They are incredibly ruthless in the upbringing of their children, and those who are not strong enough are cast aside without misgivings. As a result, this produces a formidable citizenry; all Spartans are incredibly disciplined warriors and completely devoted to Sparta. Despite the movie's melodramatics, I repeatedly felt somewhat moved by the apparent passion and devotion of the Spartans. I thought about how interesting modern society might be if at least parts of the world still held such a unique philosophy. While there are obvious shortcomings of such a society in regards to the modern world (for example, keeping only those who can be strong soldiers might lose a lot of good inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists, doctors, or lawyers), the idea is very romantic, especially in such an artistic and dramatic movie. To be able to devote one's life and be ready to forfeit it at any moment for something that one believes in certainly seems incredibly noble. I think that I also fall for the idea of essentially turning one's body into a finely tuned machine as do these soldiers. Perhaps not everyone is so caught up in the idea, but I have always somewhat idealized such people as martial artists, gymnasts, and geishas too for that matter. I think that the incredible body awareness that must be mastered seems awesome and appealing to me. Yet, a society full of people devoting such time to that sort of discipline would potentially not have time for many of the things we've come up with in the modern world. Then I would ask, do we really need all of these modern inventions? I think that's enough pondering for now. I need to go pack for my flight in a few hours. Current Mood: pensive (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007
8:54 pm	back in school school is going well. but, i'm definately going to have a lot of work this quarter with five classes. it's still not cold yet. it was colder at the end of fall quarter. i'm definately not complaining tho. it's going to suck when winter finally kicks in. Current Mood: happy Current Music: bloc party remixes (Comment on this)
Monday, January 1st, 2007
1:24 am	ferglicious new year i feel like crying. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, November 26th, 2006
1:04 pm	happy thanksgiving I had a wonderful thanksgiving back in the Bay Area. I got to watch the sunset over the ocean from the cliffs of San Francisco, which was wonderful. Last night i flew back to Chicago and then went and saw Andrew Bird live. He was really good, but maybe a bit full of himself. Now I'm in my dorm room all alone with not much to do. I think I'll probably clean or something. Finals in a week. Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: Chromeo - Mercury Tears (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 8th, 2006
7:40 pm	*hack* I love Northwestern. I'm miserably sick at the moment. *hack* I'm excited to head home for thanksgiving and winter breaks. California is too wonderful to be away from for extended periods of time. Current Mood: ill (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, June 19th, 2006
7:39 pm	Just chillin Had my first good day of summer today. I think because I wasn't lazy and didn't sleep in and it was just wonderful. I actually got stuff done and still had plenty of time to relax and enjoy myself. Working starting tomorrow. This is perhaps the most peaceful song ever; I could almost listen to it forever. Current Mood: content Current Music: Gillian Welch - I'll Fly Away (ft. Alison Krauss) (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 8th, 2006
11:49 am	Here we are. So, let's see. I'm going to Northwestern in the fall for one. And I graduate tomorrow. I'm excited for Grad Night and to be utterly done with High School. I have had so much fun in the past few months, I should put up picture highlights sometime. Current Mood: happy Current Music: Camera Obscura - Number One Son (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 1st, 2006
12:58 am	7 hours of anger and tears and crying and shit, and i think i'm just gonna say FUCK YOU AMERICAN COLLEGES! (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 8th, 2006
9:08 pm	sunny days In other places, they have snow days. Here, they need sun(ny) days. In the winter, we should get out of school on days when the weather happens to be particularly exceptional so that we can enjoy the opportunity. No need to be shy about the fact we live in California. Current Mood: bored Current Music: The Streets - Let's Push Things Forward (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 19th, 2006
9:40 pm	Well, shit. I'm a second semester senior... ... ... =) p.s. I don't ever want to get that sleep deprived ever again. I can best describe what it feels like as slowly dying. It's hard to believe that I spent entire weeks like that last year. Current Mood: amused Current Music: The Unicorns - Tuff Ghost (Comment on this)
Thursday, December 15th, 2005
9:29 pm	( Unapologetic ) Current Mood: impatient Current Music: belle & sebastian - electronic renaissance (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 12th, 2005
1:03 am	mexico is beautiful comment to be added. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 6th, 2005
11:32 pm	new journal. yeah. old journal Current Mood: calm Current Music: röyksopp - what else is there (Comment on this)