Brian Ulmer’s Web Site

They Might Be Giants

Ok, I’ve been slacking big time on updating the web site.  It’s been cold, rainy, and generally uninspiring in DC as of late so no wild adventures.  In two weeks, I’m off on a two week long trip to visit friends and ski in Utah and to hang out with the family at Jared’s in Seattle.

So anyway, I went to see They Might Be Giants at the 9:30 Club!  They kicked things off by playing the entire Flood album, which was fantastic.  The album was released in 1990 and was their newest album when I discovered them in middle school so I’ve probably listened to it a couple hundred times at this point.    After a break, they returned to play another long set of songs, old and new, and came back out for two encores.  They fired off a couple confetti cannons at one point which is always a good time.

Day trip to Charlottesville

Last weekend I spent some time with my parents in Richmond. Afterwards, I took Monday off work and we went to Charlottesville to meet up with my brother who was in town after going to a friend’s wedding. It was a beautiful day to walk around UVA. After some lunch, we went out to Walnut Creek Park for some disc golf and bocce.

Obama wins!

Well, this has truly been an amazing year in politics. Like all too many, I’ve spent much of the past fairly apathetic and jaded regarding the ability of Washington to effectively and efficiently do the right thing for the average American. Up until the last few years, it was easy for me to assume that cultural and economic forces greater than any elected official or group of citizens ultimately steered us and determined our fate as a nation. The recent past has vividly displayed the folly of this thinking and the incredible ability of people from all walks of life to unify around a common desire to move our country in a new and promising direction.

While no result will ever be universally celebrated, I hope that we can all respect and take pride in the passionate involvement and turnout from all sides. It’s been phenomenal to witness and play a very, very small part in the wave of hope and optimism that so many are enjoying today. Last night, the people on the streets of DC were elated, cheering, honking, and celebrating. In the Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill, where my brother recently moved, thousands swarmed the main commercial street and were dancing and partying well into the night. I have never experienced anything that is both positive and of this scope in my lifetime and it is truly inspirational to behold.

I deeply hope this awe-inspiring feeling of unification and potential can be maintained as we move forward to the real work and sacrifice that will be required as we take on the challenges this nation faces. Any tangible progress will be measured in the span of years, if not decades, but if this level of engagement that the people have in our direction and future can be maintained, we could be in for some very exciting times.

Here’s a short video from DC:

And a picture from Seattle:

Voted!

I just voted at my friendly neighborhood nursing home and the line was almost nonexistent. Very nice! I commend anyone out there standing in line in the rain in Virginia today. Really looking forward to watching the results roll in tonight.