I think I found the real reasons I had such a good time in London. And they are both terrible.

1. Total lack of responsibility: all I had to care about is doing a good job at work. None of the multitudes of daily cares here mattered.

2. 15 minute commute to my dodgy but clean hotel. 4 tube stops. I used to have that at one point here when I lived alone, and that was one of the things that made me happy. From last October onwards I waste 2.5 hours a day on commuting – squished on the train and not biking.
And I can’t really work from home at this job either.

They are terrible because I see that nothing can be done, and I will continue to be unhappy. Also, I still have friends in London who will make the time for me, and here I don’t anymore – or rather we are all so busy and now live so far away from one another that scheduling anything to do together proved to be downright impossible.

Is this what the rest of my life going to be like?

My ultimate test will be if I can convince the rest of my building board to install solar panels on our roof.

Anyone who complains about politics should try to run for office. And only complain if they are successful at getting something done.

You have to really believe not only in yourself. You have to believe that the world is actually worth your sacrifices.

Zaha Hadid

(h/t Nancy Giordano)

A reminder – from multiple sources who had personal experiences – she was a diva, an egomaniac and a really horrible boss.

But she still achieved something great. Maybe that’s why.

It was really nice to be away from the country for a week and not care for, nor listen to the news.

It is a less responsible but much healthier way to live. Also, it was nice to be oblivious and not look for things to be offended with.

I upset R by immediately not finding a subway NYPD recruitment poster calling for people with empathy and respect, offensive. I still don’t see an issue with it – I know I should be, but still don’t know why.
I just want to believe that this country, fundamentally, is still the government for the people and by the people – there can be imperfections, many of them, our central government is about to become a travesty, but we can still do things right at a local level, more often than not .

for-all-mankind:

cozydark:

The first successful test flight of the V-2 Rocket, on October 3rd 1942.  71 years ago today.

After World War II, the V-2 Rocket paved the way for future manned space exploration.    

The first flight that would pave humanity’s path the way to the stars….

V in V2 stands for vergeltungswaffen, or ‘retaliatory weapon’, and they killed over 2000 innocent people in Britain, and over 20,000 slaves in Germany died making them fly. The humanity sucks.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140905-the-nazis-space-age-rocket