I'm currently working on federalist, a letter writing tool which can be adapted for any database of names and addresses. Specifically, I'm working on it for the DC for Dean volunteer group, but theoretically it could be used for anyone. If you're interested, go ahead and give it a whirl. The addresses in the database are fake, so don't sweat that.

I'm too stuffed full of turkey and other thanksgiving delights to write much, but a figured a few words were in order:

IYAAZDV7AABVggAAAEAlQABkO1cAAFWHAAAAQCkAAGRBMwAAVYwAAABALMAAZEcPAABVkQAAAEAw gABkTOsAAFWWAAAAQDOAAGRRmwAAVZoAAABAN0AAZFd3AABVnwAAAEA7AABkXVMAAFWkAAAAQD7A AGRjLwAAVakAAABAQoAAZGkLAABVrgAAAEBGQABkbucAAFWzAAAAQEoAAGR0wwAAVbgAAABATQAA ZHlzAABVvAAAAEBQwABkf08AAFXBAAAAQFSAAGSFKwAAVcYAAABAWEAAZIsHAABVywAAAEBcAABk kOMAAFXQAAAAQF/AAGSWvwAAVdUAAABAY4AAZJybAABV2gAAAEBmgABkoUsAAFXeAAAAQGpAAGSn JwAAVeMAAABAbgAAZK0DAABV6AAAAEBxwABkst8AAFXtAAAAQHWAAGS4uwAAVfIAAABAeUAAZL6X AABV9wAAAEB9AABkxHMAAFX8AAAAQIAAAGTJIwAAVgAAAABAg8AAZM7/AABWBQAAAECHgABk1NsA AFYKAAAAQItAAGTatwAAVg8AAABAjwAAZOCTAABWFAAAAECSwABk5m8AAFYZAAAAQJaAAGTsSwAA Vh4AAABAmkAAZPInAABWIwAAAECdQABk9tcAAFYnAAAAQKEAAGT8swAAViwAAABApMAAZQKPAABW MQAAAECogABlCGsAAFY2AAAAQKxAAGUORwAAVjsAAABAsAAAZRQjAABWQAAAAECzwABlGf8AAFZF AAAAQLbAAGUerwAAVkkAAABAuoAAZSSLAABWTgAAAEC+QABlKmcAAFZTAAAAQMIAAGUwQwAAVlgA AABAxcAAZTYfAABWXQAAAEDJgABlO/sAAFZiAAAAQM1AAGVB1wAAVmcAAABA0EAAZUaHAABWawAA AEDUAABlTGMAAFZwAAAAQNfAAGVSPwAAVnUAAABA24AAZVgbAABWegAAAEDfQABlXfcAAFZ/AAAA QOMAAGVj0wAAVoQAAABA5sAAZWmvAABWiQAAAEDpwABlbl8AAFaNAAAAQO2AAGV0OwAAVpIAAABA 8UAAZXoXAABWlwAAAED1AABlf/MAAFacAAAAQPjAAGWFzwAAVqEAAABA/IAAZYurAABWpgAAAEEA QABlkYcAAFar

Can't understand that? Well, neither can I. One of the more annoying things about being home is that I've yet to allow myself to have a reliable way to check my e-mail remotely. Hence, I'm forced to ssh into my mail server and then telnet into my popserver in order to read my mail. MIME-encoded e-mail looks like several pages of the garbage above. And, of course, in order to even get that far one must know some obscure commands and ports. Thankfully, I don't have to encrypt my password to get access (checking my work e-mail via a similar port is an exercise in frustration) but the inability to see things the way they are meant to be seen, or to have any meaningful reply ability, is cumbersome.

In the end, I view checking my e-mail to be an inconvenience not unlike the fact that AT&T doesn't provide GSM coverage for my cell phone here: a nice nuisance. Hence, my phone stays off, and I don't check my e-mail all that often. Being disconnected is a joy in and of itself.

I'm not sure I'll ever eat again for the next several weeks, but few pains are as pleasureable as those that indicate you've had too much to eat of food too delicious to be enjoyed on a regular basis. Mmm. Perhaps there's room for another bite....actually.

So I roll outside today to some brisk weather, head over to the guy I pick up drinks from, and he's not there. I check out the next corner and the backup woman isn't there either. After I get back into the office I realize that it's Eid, so they're probably all home.

I wonder if people I know get up on Christmas and roll over to the CVS only to end up swearing that it should be open every day. Maybe it is.

I've been super-busy today, what with preparing for the holidays, so I haven't had time for much posting. I'll try to get some posts up a couple times inbetween stuffing my face full of turkey and mashed potatoes. But no promises.

And to my friends who always, always, call me on my cell while I'm away: don't. I'm not going to be able to go to any parties, regardless of how cool they are.

Before I describe what took place on Monday, I'd like to point out some areas of the site that I'm updating (many took place in my up-til-5 night yesterday).

First, I've finally improved the search feature of the website. You can search for multiple words and it scores each result so it's much more powerful than it used to be. A decent amount of coding went into this change, so be sure to use it if you need to look up any particular articles.

Second, I'm in the process of composing a list of all the nicknames because I'm having trouble keeping them straight in my head, especially for those random friends I don't tend to hang out with. This should eliminate the rather recent problem of people trying to guess other people. They can just scan the list and guess themselves, leaving me free to write, rather than spin them around.

Third, courtesy some new titles on the site, if you go to google and type "Offensive Like Tet" and click "I'm Feeling Lucky" you're directed to the website. Nice. Nothing like a little rage love to get you fired up. Try some of the other titles you see in google...at least three of them redirect here and I haven't had time to try them all.

Okay, I'm terribly tired so I'll finish up Monday's stuff later today. It was a good day, overall.

Post Saturday festivities, I think that I'm going to be somewhat worn out the next morning, but I feel fine. Having done my part to kick 43 out of office on Saturday, I feel like I'm free to abandon my duties as block captain for one day. (Later, I make up for this irresponsibility, so just wait!) I mean, let's face it, I'm basically a sloth-filled guy.

After burning most of the morning and afternoon watching a movie, I get a call from Fincher asking me what my plans are for dinner. I remind her that I need to help Deborah out with some computer stuff but that otherwise I'm free. A shave and shower later, I find out Deborah is occupied with an old college friend of ours, so I call a raincheck and roll to the office to do some work on a letter writing tool called federalist for the DC for Dean folks. I guess I felt bad about ditching the canvassing...that or Gwyn made me feel Gil like from the day before and I wanted to at least contribute something to the local guys.

As it turns out, the project goes well, and just as I begin to code like mad, Fincher calls up about dinner. So I roll over to her FONZ-neighborhood and we hit chipotle for some spicy stuff. While there, it turns out that my good fortune was echoed in hers (and bad as well, as I'd discover later) and plenty of stories were swapped. Post dinner, we hit some dessert and warm beverages and then parted ways. Deborah called to ask a question so I decided to go to the office rather than home (it was still early) so that I could finish working on the code I was throwing together.

Hours later, I'm still in the office coding. It's not that I'm not that efficient, it's just that I tend to be easily distracted. While there, an old friend from college IMs me and asks what I'm up to. She makes a crazy plea for me to come to Iowa to help the Dean campaign out and I reject it out of hand. Then, fifteen minutes later, I change my mind.

I did the math, and there's a week after the DC primary before Iowa. So if I took some days off of work and travelled out there, I could be part of helping Dean win the first two contests, not to mention NH shortly thereafter. I know, it sounds crazy, but I already marked it on the calendar and I'm informing my office manager tomorrow that I'll be taking the vacation time. My friend is firming up what I need out there, so with any luck I'll be freezing my bones off in the land of corn and white people a mere week after Dean crushes all comers in the DC primary. Again, just like Saturday, if I hadn't procrastinated on canvassing my neighborhood, I wouldn't have worked on the coding, and if I hadn't had dinner with Fincher near the FONZ area, I wouldn't have received a call from Deborah which was closer to the office than my house, and if my friends hadn't IM'd me at that exact moment...well, you get the picture. It's funny how things work out. Fate is for losers. I just revel in the sheer uncertainty principle guided empiricism of it all. Causality is a joke. Hume would be laughing his head off, but I enjoy the way things come about, even if there is no rhyme or reason. I end up working until five in the morning, ironing out most of the bugs in the system, and walking home in time to drop off a check at my landlord before popping in the door, tired but happy.

I swing open the door to find a scrawled note on the steps: an emergency summit has been called by the other residents. My mood shifts slightly. But by then it's already Monday.

So it's a little hard for me to keep track of all the people I've listed here. Posted below will be a short list of most of the regulars who enter the stories. No big descriptions, just little tidbits for each which I think are representative. Obviously, the staff subsection is for staff members, so they're not listed here. But if you're too lazy to look over there, the current staff members are simply Helena, Brad and Edward.

The list is a work in progress, so if you feel you've been slighted, or you have a complaint, just drop me a line on the front page. Otherwise, most people will never read this. Most descriptions are in relation to me, Edward, unless noted otherwise. I've tried to include the first time I've referenced each name, although many of the people have been listed as "friends" in posts before they were given a name. I'm not including any references to "friends" so don't e-mail me saying that I missed you if that's the case.

Final note: this list is for me, not you. The descriptions are meant to be strange, not to identify who people are.

Leto

Leto goes way back. I've almost killed her once, and she's returned the favor. If I ever need to catch a movie, she's the person I call first (and often only). First reference here.

Meat

Meat and I go back to our meat-grading days working in the sweatshop together. We'd rail against management only to be voted down consistently. Thankfully, I escaped from that hellhole, leaving Meat to do my job. First real reference here.

Loaf

Loaf is certifiably crazy and I'd be just as insane not to enjoy her presence. She's been the root cause of fights, stolen clothing and all-purpose shenanigans. First real reference here.

Fincher

Fincher and Brad go way back, but she entered the district diamond (and my sphere of influence) quite recently. Fincher is very good at seeing trees. First real reference here.

Jodie

I met Jodie through Sigourney. Which means she's several degrees removed from me, yet always fun to hang out with. Once upon a time, she, Sigourney, Brad and I caught a stoney play before pelting each other with Watergate snowballs. First reference here.

Sigourney

Sigourney is a good friend, whom I met because she was a mutual friend of one of Brad's friends. She's one of the few people that I've been on a road-trip with who hasn't driven me crazy. First reference here.

Kevin

Kevin is one of the older 'werkz friends based out of the district. He's been there through thick and thin, and unfortunately took an extended leave of absence a bit ago. Fortunately, he's back, with some sweet new digs to show off. First reference here.

Deborah

I've known Deborah for the longest period of time of those here with nicknames, excluding Brad of course and with an asterisks for Fincher because I think I saw her before I saw Deborah, although we wouldn't be properly introduced until much later. Deborah helpfully translated several scenes of Die Hard from German into English for me once, so I owe her big time. First reference here.

Sean

Sean is a good guy. I think I've committed more memorable transgressions in his presence than around anyone save Brad himself, which says a great deal. First reference here.

Kristen

Kristen is one of my oldest DC friends. She's always up for something, despite having a super-busy schedule that rivals anyone else here. In addition, she's a good lobbyist and is always able to cut through the hypocrisy I deploy on everyone else. First reference here.

Heidi

Hanging with Heidi is always fun. I've known her for only a few years, yet I think she one of the few people that I'd be willing to trust. She also has suffered the cruel wrath of flying with both Brad and myself to a distant destination. Despite this, she's still friends with both of us, which says a great deal. First reference here.

Gwyn

Gwyn is one of the newest friends I've met, acquired through political channels. She's one of those people who's burning her candle twice as bright and fast as everyone else, which is always fun to be around, even if it means that most of the time she's even busier than Kristen. First reference here.

Forrest

I remember thinking that Forrest was an interesting person when I met him. Then some time passed. Senior year of college, both he and his sig o were staples at my house. When they both decided to move to the district, they were one of the few people I knew reliably, and managed to attend almost every party thrown at the 'werkz while they were in town. Sadly, Forrest has moved up north, but I expect occasional cameos to keep my Forrest fix going strong. First reference here.

Dwight

I've known Dwight for a long time as well. Almost as long as Deborah. Being from the area originally, I was pleased when he stuck it out post college, enabling him to rack up a record (topped only by Forrest) of consecutive 'werkz party appearances. He's reciprocated in fine fashion as well, leading me to know that if I want to figure out what's going down on a particular date, he's got the 411. First reference here.

Nicole

Nicole is, like Meat, a rare find: a friend from work I'm actually friends with. She's fun in and out of the office, and is the only person I'm willing to blur the professional/friend line with. If I've got a big decision that I need help with, I can look to her for advice. That says a lot. First reference here.

Carroll

Caroll is connected to me through another nickname who's connected to me through Brad. Good, eh? Despite only knowing her for a year (as of this post) I feel like she's always open and honest with me. Secrecy be damned! First reference here.

Heath

Heath is connected to me through Helena. If I ever felt like I needed a quick lift in the spirits department, I'd just challenge him to a game of ATV-OF2. Putting up with Helena 24/7 has to be enough of a description on its own. First reference here.

Nikki

Nikki just returned to the city recently; she actually did some hard time here before going to school with me, which gives her bonus brownie points. She definitely falls on the less-stressed side of my friends, which is always good for going the duration of any evening. First reference here.

Jill

Jill went to my school, but was a couple years younger. She used to actually work with Deborah and myself. I hadn't spoken to her since I left, but we reconnected thanks to a certain former governor from Vermont. She's now living large in the district, although at school elsewhere. First reference here.

Trish

I met Trish through Loaf, because they work together. Oddly, she used to work at the USDA, which gives her instant street cred (for leaving, of course!) and pity points simultaneously. She has a good eye for the aesthetic. First reference here.

Adriana

brad here. Adriana is the 'werkz personified. classy/crazy/irreverent with a love for conflict. let's just say she's made a career out of it. plus she puts the 'mo in cosmopolitan ~ from mexico to japan to east timor to cambridge, with a few stops along the way. first reference here.

Madonna

I know Madonna through her work with both Helena and Kristen. She's a lethal combination of pop-culture and politics...the sort of person Andy Warhol would want to hang out with were he still alive. First reference here.

Ronald

Ronald and I only go a year back, but he's very chill and has some hella cool friends. First reference here.

Carrie

I met Carrie through Kevin, enjoyed a great pool party, and have never looked back. Carrie is full of enough energy to power a small city. First reference here.

Jenna

Jenna is that person who's always willing to have a good time. I for one, think the world would be far better off with more people like her, especially considering her stellar taste in music. First reference here.

Michael

Michael been more places, done more things, and in general, lived life better than I have so far. Of course, my slothful nature would rebel at his work ethic, so I suppose it all balances out. First reference here.

Cate

Cate is one of those rare people who continue to amaze me despite my having known her for several months. She is an incredible aesthete and yet simultaneously still a person wedded to fighting the good fight, even if that means keeping crazy Kristen/Jill hours at work. First reference here.

Pell

Pell is the sort of girl you wish you knew well enough to obtain drinks with at a random hour. Fortunately, I do. Except for one detail, she's practically flawless. Try any topic and chances are you can have a wonderful conversation with her. First reference here.

Kathleen

Kathleen is the only person I've ever met farther to the left than I am. Best of all, she's got the smarts, style and weaponry to take out any conservatives who tangle with her. First reference here.

Jules

Jules is, oddly, connected to me through Brad *and* Fincher. In addition to her ability to dress to the nines at a moment's notice, she possesses a rapier wit. Sadly, she's headed to the west coast for the foreseeable future. First reference here.

Tilda

Tilda is in a class of her own, a lethal combination of looks, snark and style wrapped up in a don't-trust-the-honeypot package. If I'm ever trapped in a foreign country, under armed guard, she'd be the girl I'd want to rescue me. First reference here.

A perfect day on Saturday, really. Almost everything worked out as it should, with a few minor complaints.

So I wake up early, and roll over to do some canvassing with Gwyn, one of the fearless leaders of our local DC for Dean organization. Other than her busy-as-all-hell schedule, she's fairly cool. It being a Saturday morning, I'm not moving too quickly and I end up having to take a cab to get there on time. Everyone else didn't get the memo, so a full forty-five minutes later the final person drifts in. Grr.

Canvassing this time was fun. Gwyn has a very different style than I do, and she's more forceful than I am when it comes to getting info. To be sure, we went to this super-yuppie nice whitebread people neighborhood, but the results were still astounding. We got tons of phone numbers and e-mail addresses and two different people invited us into their house. Odd. My neighborhood I'm lucky if they open the door rather than talking through the mail slot. So, consequently, my style is a soft-sell "you should remember the primary...oh, and support the good doctor" while Gwen does the hardball pitch "Vote For Dean and there's a primary you can do so in!" And it works. She was always closing. I'm not going to change to the hard sell, but I have to admit, the girl knows her ABC's, glengarry style.

Of course, early on, she mentions that she wants to finish up early to catch the Ohio State/Michigan came. I mention that I'd be down with that, and spend the next couple hours sowing seeds of dissension throughout the process. Time ticks by, and Heidi calls me (she of Cancun fame) to ask if I want to go to the mall with her. We were already supposed to do an evening activity, but being sans wheels, this sounds like a great idea. The only problem? Well, I actually was looking forward to chilling and watching the O-St game in the Morg. So I'm under a time crunch, although at the time I thought I'd have plenty of football and tysons time.

I was wrong.

Although we power through the last group of people in record time, by the time we get back to the meeting place, only one other group is there. We wait for the second group to come back, then walk to Gwyn's car, then drop a sign off, and then go back to Gwyn's place, and then, finally, hit the Morg. By this point I've only got 15 minutes left until I'm supposed to see Heidi. Grr. Worse, I'm having a good time so I start to regret scheduling the two events in such close proximity. After watching O State roar back to close a 21 point deficit to 7 points, I get the call from Heidi, quaff my beverage, pay the tab, say goodbue to Gwyn and hop in a car across the street. I'm feeling good. Plus, the sun is starting to get lower so I'm not miffed that I'm abandoning the good day for the urban jungle of VA shopping.

A few hours later, I've managed to pick up at least one necessity and one impulse at Tyson's, and Heidi has procured all of her necessary items. We head back to the city and plan to meet later in the evening, along with a few friends. A scant thirty minutes later, Kristen calls to say that she's running late for a film festival and wondered if i'd be up for meeting her. Since I'd nixed going to the festival with her, and she was going to be going later, and she's always fun, I said sure, mentioning the place where I was to meet Heidi an hour later. She agrees, so I roll over to Dupont and meet her there.

Several stories later, Heidi arrives, dressed to the nines, and our happy threesome chills for some time. Kristen departs to return to her friends (who were angry that the film festival pulled the old punch-and-pie bait-and-swith, promosing punch discounts when there were none) and Heidi and I wait patiently for our other friends to roll up. After a few hours it becomes apparent that our plan of action isn't going to work, so Heidi says she's calling it a night. I'm still in a good mood, although we're a long way from winning time, and I've apparently lost my last link to socializing. I walk Heidi to the bus stop across the circle and depart for home. On the way back across the circle, I randomly run into Jodie and her boyfriend.

We all exchange "what are you doing" and agree to roll to Afterwords for some beverages and dessert. More conversations transpire (it had been a month since I'd last hung with Jodie, when she brought me a cake for my quarter-century day) and before I know it the evening wore on. I walk the two of them home and call it a night, stepping lightly all the way. I think to myself, incorrectly, that each event (running into other people, setting up later events) is very fortunate. I think it's an outlier. But I was wrong. Sunday was even better.

I had a very, very good weekend. I'd like to write about it, but the events of the last two hours have prevented me, and now I need to get some sleep. Updates, both good and bad, will be forthcoming.

I really wish I had the time and energy to explain the fortuitous events of today to everyone. Unfortunately, it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Oh. I mean later today, of course.