Niagra Falls and typical weekend randomness

I do enjoy my weekend blog posts, since they're the ones that I specifically sat aside as my "randomness quota." So here goes:

• I went to Niagara Falls this weekend with a friend. Remarkably beautiful and relaxing place. Cold as fuck. Didn't get to cross into Canada because I was an idiot and left my passport back in Pittsburgh. Gah, I'll get around to invading Canada at some point in my life - two missed opportunities now!
• Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful places I've seen. The large city 20 miles to its south, Buffalo, is hands down the ugliest place I've ever seen. You know, think about a Cleveland level of ugliness, and then reduce that a few degrees. The scenery coming into Buffalo on New York Route 5 is akin to what one would encounter playing one of the industrial wasteland levels in an old Sonic the Hedgehog video game.
• What will I do after this Tuesday? I honestly don't know. Since early last year, this election has consumed so much of my attention and time that it is hard for me to imagine it all being over. Even harder is the thought of a President McCain...I won't even go there!
• I've learned just how unpredictable Pittsburgh weather really is. We had snow on Wednesday. And now this week, we'll have two days that peak out at 70 degrees. And a week from now, we'll probably have negative temperatures. I'm still counting down the days until I leave, though that's not as much a judgment on the nature of Pittsburgh as it is on what a limited range of environments I find attractive to live.
  
• I'm sick of hearing about black Pittsburgh kids shooting each other to death, seemingly almost on a nightly basis. And I find myself increasingly reflecting on just how complicated the inner-city problem is. Part of it is inferior schools; part is a need for more effective gun control; part is based on economics (which is largely tied to the education issue); and part is tied to issues of family, often exacerbated with the prevalence of teen pregnancy.
• I haven't been working as hard as I should have here in grad school, to date suffering largely from a (dangerous!) sense of complacency. That will change starting this week. I'm still trying to throw off this overall feeling of malaise, stagnation, and the whole mindset of questioning decisions in the recent past.
  
• Still not sure what exactly I'll do on election night; strongly considering just watching it from home, since that gives me complete freedom over which channels I watch. Besides, that way I can be as obnoxious as I want... :-)
• Jack Murtha might actually lose his congressional race. And honestly, I'm not entirely convinced that's a bad thing. The guy has way too many Robert Byrd qualities to me - social conservatism, pro-gun, senility, outlandish commentary, and a seemingly insatiable love for pork. Or put another way, I suppose one could say that rural Western Pennsylvania has way too many West Virginia qualities for my liking (frankly it is West Virginia, minus the hickish Appalachian twang.) Murtha certainly does not have the combination of values and qualities that I find to be most ideal for a congressman, but I'm hardly enamored with the prospect of having some right-wing nutjob like this Bill Russell guy replace him. Conservative Democrat, or an even more conservative Republican? I suppose it's a classic "lesser of two evils" thing.
  
• On the other hand, I've all but fallen in love with freshman congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky's 3rd congressional district, which includes virtually all of Louisville. He is an absolutely unabashed liberal, a fiery advocate for his ideals, and by far the most progressive member of Congress from Kentucky. I think that he has great potential, he is almost certainly going to be re-elected on Tuesday, and I'll be closely watching how his congressional career progresses. Such a polarizing figure in the state - sort of symbolizes the seemingly increasing cultural tension caused by having a mostly Midwestern in culture city sit in a state that is mostly Southern in identity. In other Bluegrass State news, Son of a Bitch Mitch is in the fight of his career. Who'd thunk it? I'll be the first to admit that displacing him is still a long shot at best, but hasn't this been the election of hope?
• And last but not least, I must again state just how completely different I am than the vast majority of people in my graduate program. I'm well accustomed to being outside of the norm, but this is a test, even by my standards. So tired of the nation-based cliques, the culture of incessant studying, the Type A overachievers (who get on every one of my last nerves), the utter lack of meaningful social interation. And as irritating as it can be at times - as likely evidenced by some of my recent posts - it is ultimately probably for the best. Expanding my horizons and all that jazz. But I suppose the ultimate test is whether or not I would have made the same decision with the knowledge that I have now- and on that measure...well, let's just say that the jury is still out. Ask me again in a year, when this phase of my life will be in the waning . After all, if I have learned anything in 2008, it is that a year can literally change everything - and it seems to have done so with me.