I've been running a Karma deficit for a while. I've been taking a lot from the world, leaning heavily on various connections. This is necessary at times, but after a while down in that k-hole you lose some self-respect, you start to worry about burning up all your social capital. You start struggling -- the most important thing is to stop struggling -- and you dig in even deeper. It can turn into quite the little negative feedback loop.

I think I'm back on top of it now though. I have done some contributing to my favorite open-source project, where my #drupal karma was waaaay off. I helped Mark out with the Sixto surgery fundraiser, which felt especially good as I was the one horsing around with the dog when he had the accident. I need to dig in and do some shitwork at the office, where I've been leaning too hard on my colleagues, but just knowing that I think I can get it right.

The world is a nicer place when you're a nice person. It's true: look it up.

Life, or at least life-well-lived, is partly about Service. Often times I take that word with demeaning overtones. My first thought is Wal*Mart and the condition of servitude implied by that which we call the service industry. My second thought is of the way I hate being with people who hassle waiters even when they're not paying us enough attention. But there's another side to this -- which would probably be higher on my mind if I were a religious sonofabitch -- in that humanity is not an ego-centric enterprise.

After posting that last bit from Bryant Park, fortune smiled and I got a call and my date worked out; good improv comedy + wine bar x good conversation = just what the dr. ordered.

Also, second round of meetings also went well, almost too good to be true.

I lead a charmed life.

This is exceedingly clever work:

Barak Obama is an excellent performer, on par with Reagan and Clinton before him. He's got a lot of people who are quite excited about him running for the White House in 2008, and he would most likely make a great and interesting candidate. However, I find that I distrust him.

Why? Because he's a cypher, in his own words "a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views." What leads to my distrust is not that he's unwilling to take a stand on any issue of substance, or that he has a habit of reiterating right-wing stereotypes about Democrats -- although those are annoying -- it's that he's deliberately and consciously crafting himself as a vessel for unfulfilled political desire, a non-reciprocating repository for the Public's most heartfelt hopes. I find it impossible to believe that this is not a matter of calculation, and I find it to be quite a turn-off.

In essence, his position amounts to "I'm Barak Obama, and I endorse my popularity, and want to support your belief in me to do Good Things." It's a smart, risk-averse tactic to take for now, and he's perhaps a convincing enough player to pull it off through most of the pre-primary heat. As I said, an Obama for President campaign would be a sure hummdinger, but I find this makes me nervous and pessimistic about his potential as a leader. I don't want yet another actor president.

Got the boys up here safe and had a productive Sunday doing finances -- expect a year-end report -- and some brainstorming for our big upcoming project.

I'm all packed now. Tomorrow we work the day on this stuff, then I get on an overnight flight to Nueva York. Got a lot to look forward to there, and I can't wait to dip my toe back into the swift city water.

Although there is big business on deck -- I'm getting my flight via a potential client -- I'm not bringing the Suit, but I am bringing all my new Humbolt Hipster/Edgy Biz-Cas stuff. I think that will work better for me.

I'm really stoked at how good the Sixto fundraiser is going. Really awesome to see how people are willing to help out, and that this stuff can totally work. I'll write more about why this is so good, maybe even on my work blog.