Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Mister Goat's LiveJournal:

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Saturday, May 10th, 2008
9:44 pm	Awwww... Well, doesn't this article just warm your heart? None other than Wal-Mart is donating $1.5 million to hunger relief programs. So nice that after pioneering a business model that breaks new ground in corporate greed, they're giving a little back. I wonder how many beneficiaries will be their employees and family members thereof? I wonder how many will be former employees of local businesses destroyed by Wal-Mart. And they also "will encourage Americans who receive a government-issued economic stimulus check to contribute a portion of the check to help the nation's hungry." I have no problem with that, but I'd also suggest that people donate another part to a group that organizes for decent jobs and a non-Wal-Mart economy. And I must ask, at risk of repetition--how many Wal-Mart workers made enough to get stimulus checks. (My student-debt-accumulating ass didn't.) </ rant for the moment> (1 Comment |Comment on this)
6:41 pm	Updates Hey, all. I need to post several updates, not least about the fact that I'm currently in South Africa! Like one update I posted a few minutes ago, most will probably be friends-locked for a variety of reasons. I'm not moving to a friends-locked journal, but again, much that I post here in the next however-long will probably be locked. So if you read this and I know you somehow and you'd like to get those posts, please drop me a line or comment here. Thanks! And in the meantime, bear with me as I try to catch up. (Comment on this)
Monday, April 28th, 2008
1:09 pm	It may be time I've pretty consistently worn my hair in a pony tail since I was, well...a freshman in college. That is, when I was 18. Prior to that, it was still long, but I wore it poofed out instead of tying it back. The last time I had it cut so short that it didn't go past my ears was probably when I was 16. (Remarkably, a few folks on here knew me then: wilfer, stormcloud, veng, cad_red_ducati, fence007. Wow. I'm really glad I'm in touch with you all--for reasons not related to hair.) So now, I'm 31. And while I do NOT think that it's necessary to cut my hair in order to "grow up" or some such thing, I do think that it might be time for a change. I've just looked like this for a while. And I do fear that 12 years of pulling my hair back has caused it to get thinner. For all those reasons, I've been thinking about cutting it for a few years now. More immediately, I'm planning to be out of the country this summer (more on that in a future post!) in the global south, where looking like a white hippie can mean that you get read as a rich kid who's pretending to be poor while bumming around and not giving back to the communities through which you're traveling. I'd rather not make that impression. But that's more of an impetus than a driving factor; if I weren't already thinking about a haircut, this wouldn't be much of a factor. So, yes. I may cut it. Any thoughts? (Not that it's open to a popular vote, but I'm interested what people think.) (38 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
11:26 am	Bostonians: Support homeless youth and enjoy some great art! Hey, all. Youth on Fire is having a member talent and art show on April 23, and you should go! --Youth on Fire Spring Talent and Art Show (come prepared to bid on some fantastic artwork!) --Harvard-Epworth Church (where YOF is located) 1555 Mass Ave, just north of Harvard Square --Wednesday, April 23rd, 6 - 8pm But Matt, you ask, what is Youth on Fire? Who are these youth, and what has caused their conflagration? Youth on Fire is a drop-in center for homeless and street-involved youth, ages 14-24, located just outside of Harvard Square. It's a project of Cambridge Cares About AIDS, and so a big part of its focus is on reducing youths' risk of contracting HIV. But it approaches this goal in a good, holistic way that recognizes that people's lives are complicated, and that folks dealing with the stresses and risks of homelessness don't just need to hear lectures about using condoms. So while they provide all the latex one can possibly use, they also provide basic survival resources like food and medical care and showers and laundry, as well as references to employment and educational and housing programs, and arts-based programming, and trauma-informed counseling services. Arts-based programming, did you say? Does this have something to do with this talent show? In fact, it does! There are some really talented folks there who create some excellent visual art, poetry, music, and more. This event should be a really good time, and a chance to take in (and buy!) some amazing art. And you'll both be letting a lot of young people--who are normally ignored, pushed out of sight, and generally shit on by society--know that people are actually interested in what they have to say. So check it out next Wednesday. There's a cool youth-designed flier that I can't post here (silly LJ), but I'm happy to send it to you. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
11:55 am	Could this be (gasp) good policy? Any thoughts? This is particularly aimed at folks in MA and others who do community and economic development. The Boston Globe is reporting that Governor Patrick is proposing to put people to work with a large infrastructure project aimed at repairing old bridges across the state. It's an issue that's gotten more attention since the Minneapolis bridge disaster last year, and it may be particularly relevant to Massachusetts, an old state with a good bit of older infrastructure, and where "approximately 10 percent of the 5,500 bridges...are classified under federal standards as 'structurally deficient," according to a Globe report last August. The biggest concern with it seems to be the funding mechanism, which would be a public bond that would increase the state's debt. I'm not an expert on that, though I know that some economic theory says that you need to act counter-cyclically--i.e., when an economy is in an downturn, government should spend in order to get people working (and thus spending). Arguably, programs like this helped to end the Great Depression by getting people working and spending.While a liberal notion often associated with John Maynard Keynes, it's had a lot of influence--the Bush administration's tax credits are an example of it (albeit a timid one that's careful not to redistribute wealth away from the rich!). Of course, I also know that if a state is heavily in debt, that means that revenue is going to pay interest. And if a state gets a bad bond rating (not sure if that's a concern here), that can increase those interest payments. But it seems that the benefits may outweigh these costs if the proposal works. Any thoughts? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
5:57 pm	Grad Instructors on Strike here Hey, all. We're getting toward the end of the first day of a two-day strike here in Ann Arbor of AFT Local 3550, the Graduate Employees Organization, which represents Teaching Assistants (known here as Grad Student Instructors). I'm not a member, but I've been supporting it. The best source for info on it is the union website, but that's been mysteriously down for the last hour or so. You can try it, though--maybe it will go back soon. It's now back up at http://www.umgeo.org . In the meantime, I'll post something I wrote up the other night. Sorry that it reads a bit like a manifesto--it's the platform of a Facebook group I started for non-members to support the union. It had 181 people when I last checked, which is great--since I started it Sunday at 11:30 pm! Read on if you're interested. -m ------------- After the administration abruptly ended negotiations before the deadline Monday night, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), which represents 1,700 GSI’s, will be on strike Tuesday and Wednesday. We're students at U of M who are not GSIs. But we're supporting the strike, and we’ll be walking with my GEO members on the picket lines. We know that GEO's cause is just. And we know that if GEO wins, then all of us benefit, not just GEO members. There are many reasons we support the strike. Here are just a few: 1. HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. Currently, GSI’s who work under a certain number of hours don’t get health insurance. GEO wants every GSI to have it. Any student in a health-related field--heck, just about anyone at all—can tell you that it’s a lot harder to stay healthy if you don’t have insurance! There are also currently some departments that have "misclassified" GSIs as working fewer hours than they really do--a tricky way to avoid covering their health care! Health care is a right, regardless of the number of hours you work. 2. MENTAL HEALTH PARITY. The second item on GEO’s strike platform is mental health i.e., that insurance must cover mental as well as physical health needs. Mental health issues are on prevalent in the stressful environment of college campuses. And one of the biggest barriers to accessing care is lack of insurance coverage for mental health issues. 3. THE UNIVERSITY IS NOT RESPECTING ITS STUDENT-WORKERS. GEO has been in negotiations with the administration since November. GEO has even extended its contract past its expiration date—twice! But on most topics, the university has barely budged. In fact, GEO reported last Wednesday that in the last two bargaining sessions, the administration hadn’t delivered ANY new proposals. As students, we know what it is to be dissed by the administration. And we know it’s not fun. 4. ACCESSIBILITY. GEO is asking for guaranteed access for students with disabilities. Why should this be hard for the university? When the administration also needed to be sued to make its stadium renovations accessible, it seems like they're not taking access seriously. Props to GEO for pushing them on it. 5. GEO’S GAINS BENEFIT ME, EVEN AS A NON-MEMBER. Perhaps you’re asking what this has to do with you—you’re not a GSI, so you don’t get insurance or wage hikes! But here’s the thing—it effects you, even if you never hold a GSI job (though some of you will in future semesters). If the university can just blow off negotiations with GEO—a legally recognized union—then there’s nothing to stop them from blowing off other student groups. But when they take GEO seriously, it’s easier for other student groups to insist that they be taken seriously. When the university gives better pay to GSIs, it makes it harder for them to underpay other jobs that many of us hold. When they offer mental health parity to GSIs, it makes it harder for them to offer inadequate mental health resources to other students. So that’s why we support this strike, even though we're not union members. The way that the university treats GEO can impact how they treat the rest of the university community. If GEO comes out a winner, we all benefit. See you on the picket line! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
11:37 am	JSpot post on Michigan primary Hey, all. Just a quick note that I have a new post up on JSpot about the Michigan primary. As you may have noticed, the media has been abuzz about the flawed Democratic primaries in Michigan and (to a lesser extent) Florida, and whether there should be new primaries there. If you want to read my ramblings on the subject, you can go here. As usual, I'd love to hear what you think. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
1:24 pm	I was a health educator--I need to post this I'm reposting this from chilimuffin; I hadn't heard it before. But it's important info. If anyone knows anything related (either backing it up or contradicting it!), please comment. Public Service Announcement Despite what the internet and many books say, even if they're otherwise reputable sources, YOU CANNOT USE SARAN WRAP AS A DENTAL DAM [At least not a fully reliable one. From a harm reduction standpoint, it's probably better than nothing, no? -mg] And you most certainly cannot use "Cling wrap" as stated in a book I (chilimuffin) saw over the weekend (and whose author will be getting an e-mail from me soon). "But, but," you sputter in over-educated confusion, "I know I can't use regular old PVC clingwrap because it's totally porous and lets all sorts of nasty things through, but Saran Wrap is supposed to be safe because it's PVdC (polyvinylidene chloride) and as impermeable as latex!" Ah, but you see, in 2004, SC Johnson made a switch in their formulation of Saran Wrap, and it is now made from Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), which is, in fact, as porous as every other kind of plastic wrap. It might block some bugs, but Herpes? HIV? HPV? I doubt it. Do I know for sure? No. Do I want my future patients finding out the hard way? Definitely not. Moreover, no one ever did a randomized control study to show that Saran wrap actually kept viruses at bay. Why would they? It probably does, sure, because it's considered mostly gas-impermeable. But no one ever really examined it. We know all about viruses and latex. Why take the chance? Gloves are abundant, and scissors are cheap. You've been PSA'd. Thank you for your attention. And remember: Cling Wrap Saves your Vegetables not your Genitals. (19 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, February 27th, 2008
4:08 pm	Please say hi! Hi, all. I don't look at my LJ profile too often, but I recently saw that a few people had friended me who I hadn't friended back. I looked up most of you and figured out who you were and added you, but there were a few of you who I don't know. If you friended me and I haven't friended you back, could you send me a quick note to let me know who you are and how we know each other? Or if we don't know each other, could you tell me how you found my LJ? Thanks a lot. (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
4:00 pm	On board a Chicago coffeeship Actually, I'm in a coffeeshop, not ship. But that was a typo I made a bit earlier, and I liked it. May even try to bring it into use. The Chicago part, however, is not a typo! For the first time since she helped me move out to Ann Arbor in August 2006, I'm visitingtrinitysite! The fact that we hadn't seen each other in the past year and a half, despite now living a 5-hour train ride from each other, was kind of ridiculous. When we made our plans, trinitysite said that she wouldn't believe it until I woke up in her apartment the morning after arrival. I got in yesterday, so I interpreted her comment to mean that last night would be some kind of liminal space in which the rules of realite wouldn't apply. I love this concept! I tried to walk on the ceiling, though I had a bit of trouble with that (clearly due to my own lack of upside-down training, not any reassertion of gravity). Now that it's Saturday, and she appears to accept that I am indeed here, things are going well. At the moment, we're both working aboard this coffeeship, and then we should be seeing Too Much Light tonight. Field museum tomorrow. And throughout, much hanging out and talking. And on top of that, it is SO nice not to be at school right now. I was REALLY in need of a break--while writing a paper before leaving, I was really struggling to focus on it. I have plenty to do this weekend and next week (which is my quasi-Spring Break), but still--I'm hoping to get some rejuvenation in too. I may take a day to say that I will do NO work, besides maybe reading a book that's assigned but also very interesting. Okay, now to do something work-related... Current Music: something kinda bouncy with piano (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 14th, 2008
10:21 am	Meanwhile, back in Boston... Boston.com is predicting 5 to 10 inches of snow. And so more than 600 schools and colleges have closed in response. Looking more closely, I see that there have been some power outages from downed trees, and that the roads are supposed to be slick. And the snow sounds like it's coming pretty fast. So yes, that's a real issue. But still, as a Midwesterner who's back in the region where he was born, I have to say... Oh no! There's white stuff coming out of the sky in the winter--whatever can it be?! Lawsy, lawsy...Cancel school! Shut the roads! Load up on supplies and hide the children! The sky is falling! Snow in January--whatever shall we do?! Yeesh. (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
10:25 pm	Blog Recommendation Interested in the politics of information and knowledge? Wonder what on earth I mean by that? In either case, you should check out the Social Justice Librarian blog. It's at http://sjlibrarian.wordpress.com. The bloggers are a small group of librarians and other information specialists in the US and Canada. In the interest of full disclosure, one of them is one of my best friends. I tend to think that most things this person writes are worth reading, and so I think you should check it out. :) Oh, yeah--happy new year! (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007
1:00 pm	Coming to Boston Hey there, folks! It’s a break from school, which makes it time for the semi-annual Matt-comes-to-Boston festival! This year, as part of our gala celebration, we’ll have dancing bears and flying penguins. And, of course, there’ll be all the nachos you can eat, and free shirts for the kids. Well, actually, the last two sentences aren’t true. But I am planning on coming up to Boston. I’m thinking of heading up this Saturday (or maybe Friday—not sure) and returning on New Year’s Day. And I’d like to see you! So tell me—are you around? When are you free? Do you have any desire to see me? Reply here or, if you have my e-mail address, write me! Note to non-Boston folks: As you've probably read here, I've been sick and catching up on papers. This has limited my travel plans, so I don't think that I'll be able to make it to NYC or DC during this trip. It's a bummer--I do hope to se you some time soon! But if anyone's coming up to Boston this weekend--or out to the Midwest later on... (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 15th, 2007
12:17 pm	A note to medical professionals Y'know, Doctor, when I call you three days after seeing you to say that I've been following your advice and my symptoms are still there, I understand that you'll want me to list the symptoms and what I've been doing about them. But when you take the symptoms to be evidence that I haven't actaully been doing what you told me to do, when in fact I have, it's pretty obnoxious. And when the reason I called is because MY SYMPTOMS AREN'T ANY BETTER and I've told you that I'm still spiking fevers as high as 103 despite tylenol and advil, it doesn't really help for you to end the call with, "You don't sound sick. Do you feel sick?" Yes, you asshole--do you think that I'm just calling because I so admire your listening skills?? Current Mood: sick (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007
11:06 am	Shit This is great. I went to bed last night feeling kind of cold, and then I woke up at 6:40 am with a pounding headache, sweating. When I took my temperature, it was about 101. Yet it's finals time, and i have a major paper due by midnight tomorrow. And the professor to whom I owe said paper is in Australia. I've e-mailed him asking if there's any way to have more time, but who knows when/if he'll reply. And I have several others due dates coming up on Sunday and Tuesday. At the moment, I feel okay and my fever is gone, thanks to ibuprofen. But I don't want to push myself too much. And the fact that the fever is gone makes it harder, in some ways, to get documentation from Student Health that I'm sick. So how the fuck do I proceed from here?? (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
3:20 pm	Quote of the day "The basic elements of the Pennsylvania vagrancy statute merely repeat legislation enacted 400 years ago in the immediate aftermath of the Black Dealth." --Caleb Foote, 1956 That, I'm fairly certain, is the law review equivalent of calling out a policy as completely whack. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
1:50 pm	Radical geek-out L: I’m having an existential crisis. Can you talk for ten minutes? Me: (concerned) Well, I probably have five, but what’s up? L: Do human rights have to be based in a fundamentally liberal discourse, and what does that mean if I think the UDHR is a really important document in a lot of ways. Thus began a 20-minute conversation that almost got me to class late. I love having friends who are big nerds too. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, September 17th, 2007
12:11 am	What's the analysis of 31 year olds who just finished their Calc homework? The more I read xkcd, the more I like it. Tonight, I'm especially liking this one. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
10:18 pm	JSpot post on Larry Craig I posted a short essay on JSpot the other day about Larry Craig, the Senator who was arrested for allegedly trying to pick someone up in an airport bathroom. I'd be curious what you think--please give it a read. Again, it's here. Thanks! (Comment on this)
Friday, August 10th, 2007
4:27 pm	Whoa--A Python in person! Boston people--this sounds amazing! Don't miss it! And if you go, you have to tell me about it! (From the Harvard Bookstore update, which I still get.) --------- Friday, September 7, 7 p.m. Michael Palin DIARIES 1969 - 1979: The Python Years First Parish Church | Corner of Church St. and Mass Ave. Tickets are $5 and will be available on 8/14! Tickets may be purchased at the store or ordered over the phone with a credit card at 617.661.1515. Comedic icon turned wry adventurer Palin reads from his personal diaries, penned during the start and successes of the Monty Python era. (Comment on this)