NOT ONLY HAS IT BEEN a while since last we’d chatted, dear reader, but it’s also been a while since we’ve last not chatted. A full 25% of my life is now on these pages. Crazy, huh? I was 16 when I started the site, and I’m turning 22 in a couple weeks. Time flies, for real.I can’t even believe we’re gonna be done with college in a few months; it seems like a just got there! My man Adam S if off to Morgan Stanley to make a candy bar (that’s 100 Grand, you know how it is). I think most of my crew is, like me, still waiting to find out what next year is gonna bring.

The only plan I have so far is this summer. As long as I pass a background check, I’m going to work for the Emerging Market Threat division of the CIA. As much as I don’t like the government (and not just *this* government, but capital G Government in general), these dudes pay well, I’ll get some good econometric experience, and I’ll get an inside look at how the G-men do development analysis. In my interview, the guy asked what I didn’t like about my previous jobs. I told him point blank that I hated that my articles at Dept. of Commerce-Beijing were edited for political reasons, and I don’t like doing unimportant, menial work. He seemed cool with that. Who are these people that lie during their interviews? Just tell it like it is. If they don’t like my personality and my ethics during an interview, how could we possibly have a good working relationship?

I actually have a good story for you. I’m at a dinner a couple weeks ago with Mike Dukakis, who ran for President and lost to George HW Bush in 88. My buds and I had a plan to ask him to the Pub for a drink after the talk (a talk at which, I must add, I called him “The Duke”). He said it was a bit late, but that we’ll definitely go another time. Sweet. In any case, I saw Dukakis’ wife, Kitty, on the way out, and told her that it was too bad they couldn’t make the pub with us. She replies, “Well, I don’t really drink.” I’m like “Well, neither do I, but it’s all good. They have Coke and stuff.” Kitty: “Well, it’s really not my kind of atmosphere.” We leave.

Only upon leaving am I told that Kitty Dukakis wrote a New York Times Bestseller called Now You Know about her ongoing battle with alcoholism. So maybe a little faux pas on my part? Note to self: In future, don’t invite famous alkies to go drinking.

I finally finished my Playstation book this winter. It’s not really of general interest, but if you happen to collect Playstation 1 games, it is the source. 142 pages, full-color, interviews with guys like the head of R&D at Sony, tons of exclusive info, the most accurate rarity/price guide in the world, and on and on. What’s better? The PDF version is 100% free. A printed, full-color version is 28.99. I don’t really make any cash on the printed one; it’s just that on-demand, color, perfect-bound books are expensive to print! Anyway, almost 3 years of work, so I’m glad it’s done. Now it’s time to start on that book about the “country collectors”…

You know what’s a bit sad about this Xmas break, though? This is probably the last time that my high school buds are all gonna still be in Eugene. Next year, we’re gonna be in jobs, grad school, gettin’ on with life. I’m still getting to know my buds here, and next fall I’m gonna have to have a whole new circle to run with. (Here’s an example: I’m talking to Stiegs the other night, and she just casually mentions that she goes skiing with Tommy Moe and those guys all the time, and that her Uncle won a gold medal in the Olympics. Yo, I thought it was cool that I had a second cousin who played pro baseball. And my family is half-Irish: I have like 100 second-cousins, so you figure the odds of a famous person are pretty good. That’s not a joke. My grandfather has 10 siblings, and my Grandmum has 11.)

You seen the Chronic-what-cles of Narnia rap? Best SNL skit since “Cowbell”.

Last, big up to my Dad. He just finished up a degree in Criminal Justice at Franklin Pierce College and is going to be graduating with high honors. He got a BA in the 70s from U Illinois (in History), but got a bit mixed up with drugs and has been working odd jobs, more or less, since then. With his new degree, he’s going to become a probation officer and work on the right side of the law. Respect.