Got a late start, but ended up inexplicably in Salt Lake City. Taking things a bit easier tomorrow, we’ll see where we go from there.

Couple of thoughts for the evening:

• This country is empty! I always forget that until I take a long roadtrip. No one seems to live in the interior, we’re all bunched up on the coasts.
• Bugs! Yes, on the coast we have ants, spiders, and bees. But we don’t have the mass attacks of moth-like insects on windshields that exist out here. Again, how could I forget that?
• Saw deer, a juvenile coyote (almost ran him down at 75mph), and a HUGE jack rabbit today. Numerous carcasses of roadkill too.
• Infrastructure. Ours is crumbling. The roads are absolutely horrible. Though we do seem to have invested in law enforcement. I counted 18 different troopers today…..with all that ticket revenue we ought to fix the roads.
• One good idea today on location-based services.

That’s it for now. More tomorrow after some rest. I’m zonked out.

Meatspace coordinates: N40.46.2 W112.00.3
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 2-0 Next up: Cincinnati 9/16
Tune: Between the Bars by Madeleine Peyroux

Technorati Tags: Travel | Roadtrip | Utah | Mike Harding Blog

24-7 OSU over Texas! The defense grew up before our very eyes and Troy Smith & Co. delivered the goods. On the road. At night. Congratulations to the entire team for a well played and hard earned victory over a quality opponent in Texas.

Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 2-0 Next up: Cincinnati 9/16
Tune: Hang on Sloopy by The Best Damn Band in the Land

Technorati Tags: Football | Ohio State | Texas | Mike Harding Blog

If you haven’t seen Blogmusik.net you’re missing a pretty cool network service. It is essentially a way to play a large selection of music using an iPod-like interface. You can create playlists, send links to the songs to other users, but you can’t download the tracks. It’s kind of like on-demand Internet radio. We’ll see how long it takes before the RIAA demands this presumably French company cease and desist. But, since users can’t access and share the files, it’s tough for me to see how this is any different than radio, you just choose the programming. Sign up and listen for free (it’s beta now.)

Blogmusik.net interface


Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 1-0 Next up: Texas 9/9 5pm PST, OSU 2.5 point underdog
Tune: So Nice by Bebel Gilberto

Technorati Tags: Music | Network | iPod | Mike Harding Blog

Lie about fooling around with an intern, get impeached. A new standard of lying was established.

Lie about Al Queda and Iraq links, lie about weapons of mass destruction, lie about revealing a covert CIA agent’s identity, get re-elected. This has to be the gold standard of lying.

Ignore Democrat or Republican or Conservative or Liberal, those are meaningless appellations. One’s assumption must now be when a mainstream politician is speaking, they’re lying. The more important the issue, the bigger the lie. Recent polls might indicate the public is tiring of the current liars and looking to install new liars. Richard Nixon looks like a saint relative to the hijinx we’ve seen over the past 10 years.

If we’re going to have to put up with liars, let’s at least have them lie about their sex lives – it’s better for the country and the world at large. So, Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, convince me you’ll spend your time and energy trying to get laid and I’ll vote for you. If you intend more foreign adventures, no need to apply. That’s the sad state of affairs.

Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 1-0 Next up: Texas 9/9 5pm PST, OSU 2.5 point underdog
Tune: President by Wyclef Jean

Technorati Tags: Politics | Lying | Elections | Mike Harding Blog

Sunday will mark the start of a 2 week roadtrip. There is no real agenda, although there are a few places and people I want to see. The point though is to do some meandering rather than keep some tight schedule. It’s great to have the opportunity to do something like this and I’m grateful that my family is tolerant enough to allow such an adventure.



The key to this activity is to gain some perspective through movement and long periods of relative isolation. Driving long distances does this for me – enough brainpower is directed at the road to keep some degree of focus, there is some destination nebulously in the future, and I’m physically constrained and as isolated from the world, while still able to observe it. This provides a the right conditions for deep concentrated thought to occur and that’s critical right now as I consider what to engage in next.

Sunday, I’ll start north. Periodic blog updates will be posted as internet access is available.

Meatspace coordinates: N37.32.4 W122.30.9
Ohio State’s 2006 record: 1-0 Next up: Texas 9/9 5pm PST, OSU 2.5 point underdog
Tune: Still I long for your kiss by Lucinda Williams

Technorati Tags: Travel | Roadtrip | Transition | Mike Harding Blog