My time here will end after all...

[JackRiddler]

My life will be changing radically next fall as I enter a Ph.D. program in History. Let's say that means six books and 20 pages of writing a week. This is likely to knock me out of street activism for a few years, such as it has been. Unless of course the American Spring ever arrives, I'll be there goddamn it. But if you see me spending much time here it will mean I'm doomed. Instead, discipline must come, finally. Sad, in a way. Should I renew my effort to go out spectacularly? Or just quietly curate my 10,000 posts? The truth is, a couple of these posts -- on Carmen Reinhart in the Wall Street thread, and on David Christian in my "summer reading" thread -- directly generated the essay that landed me a decent fellowship, and will probably become my first academic journal publication since the 1990s. (What's the connection between Carmen Reinhart at the Catfood Commission and the "Big History" school, you ask? Take a guess.) So this has not been for naught, and hardly just because of this result. I've loved RI as a place to roam through all ideas, no matter how nuts or occasionally pedestrian, and to share them with some really great people, a bunch of whom I now call my friends in the real world. I've gotten to deliver pretty much everything I have as an interesting or original idea, and a lot of totally boring ones, and to hear both kinds from you. I've also been mean, even if it was to posters I believe deserved it. The rest of you didn't need that, is the obvious problem, so obvious that I should have been better. I could have got in the same punches cleanly, without adding to the nastiness. Mea culpa. And the beginning of a farewell...

[Project Willow]

Aww, now, do you think college students don't take a break? Of course they do, though it's usually with some silly computer game. Whatever the case, I am so happy for you, and just a tad bit envious. If the assholes hadn't hijacked the most gifted parts of me own head, I'd long ago been pursuing my masters and ph.d as well. At least that's what I tell myself.

I'm so pleased, proud, and happy for you. I hope you drop in from time to time to let us know of all your recent discoveries and/or frustrations in your studies and with the orthodoxies of your institution. Where else are you going to vent?? Hmmmmmmm?



Good luck JR.

[jingofever]

Unless of course the American Spring ever arrives, I'll be there goddamn it.

Have you not heard? Operation American Spring is coming, this spring. I would say, "see you there", but they are expecting up to ten million patriots so we will probably miss each other.

[brainpanhandler]

Meh. You'll have plenty of time to drop by.

[FourthBase]

[JackRiddler]

Meh. You'll have plenty of time to drop by.

Much appreciated.

Willow, every image by you that you post is greater than a doctoral dissertation. You are a creator.

jingofever, I'll be there with the 10 million for President DeMint.

[American Dream]

Would you be willing to clone a copy of yourself before you have to buckle down on other projects?

[semper occultus]

……ah don’t be like that JR……firstly its not like the rest of us don’t have plenty of better things we should be doing than wasting time on here…..secondly you haven’t got the will-power & thirdly, as I like to offer practical solutions relevant to this market-based time-poor era rather than discouragement….this should keep everyone concerned happy....



..but seriously many congratulations...

[Searcher08]

Jack,
One of my all-time favorite R.I. memories is of listening to a podcast from bks (he who has a voice like Orson Welles!) and yourself . You guys were *so* funny, sparkling, erudite, thought-provoking, enlightening and entertaining. It was the very embodiment of what this place has been about.
Two other memories stand out.
The first was after an R.I. get together in New York, where you met a person you had had big issues with here. I found your description of how you really enjoyed meeting them face-to-face really brave and honourable.
The second was to personally acknowledge you for the amount of actual 'getting up off your ass' activism in the *real* world you have done.
I wish you the very best - I have a very positive intuition about your new path and may it brings you, and those close to you, much joy and happiness.

[hanshan]

...

Well done, Jack. Congrats


...

[Rory]

Congrats and good luck, Jack.

[NeonLX]

Glad I was never a target for your punches...they could be pretty lethal! Or maybe I was, and I just didn't realize it.

Best wishes for a productive and successful doctorate, old boy!

--The other Drew in this place

[MacCruiskeen]

My time here will end after all...

Alas! Must even a Timelord's time end, sometime?

NO! The Doctor will regenerate, rejuvenated!


"excruciating"

Seriously, Jack, I'm delighted for you and I admire you for taking on that burden. I hope it's a good uni and a good supervisor. May your doctorate be a prelude to tenure, financial security, a decent notoriety to match Chomsky's, Vidal's and Parenti's, and a long string of unanswerably-footnoted global bestsellers.

20 pages of writing a week

You could post them here.

[justdrew]

big congratulations jackriddler

glad to hear there are still such opportunities out there

we won't delete your account, log in from time to time and let us know how it goes

[norton ash]

Write hard, Mr. Riddler.