I am here in Palo Alto at the “Center for Advanced Study”:http://www.casbs.org/, for a Summer Camp Institute, and am drowning in readings on global convergence, divergence and trajectories of global capitalism, while trying to punch above my weight with a bunch of smart people. (World Cup mixed metaphors have infected my writing: not “Not waving but drowning” but “Drowning and Punching”. Hmm.) Palo Alto is like Princeton West, only somewhat larger. Meeting my co-campers has added significantly to the list of books and articles I need to read, let alone write. For instance, there’s Len Seabrooke’s “The Social Sources of Financial Power”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0801443806/ref=nosim/kieranhealysw-20, Josh Whitford’s “The New Old Economy”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0199286019/ref=nosim/kieranhealysw-20, and Monica Prasad’s “The Politics of Free Markets”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226679020/ref=nosim/kieranhealysw-20. Fortunately I have no internet access where I’m staying to distract me.
Meanwhile, “Omar Lizardo”:http://www.nd.edu/~olizardo/index.html is “blogging”:http://wordpress.com/tag/guest-bloggers/ at “OrgTheory”:http://orgtheory.wordpress.com/. Go read him. I’m on Omar’s dissertation committee so I take full credit for all the good stuff he says, including the title of this post.
{ 5 comments }
The Continental Op 07.17.06 at 12:59 pm
I’m rather surprised to learn that there is anywhere at all in Palo Alto that lacks internet access.
M. Gordon 07.17.06 at 1:15 pm
I agree that Palo Alto has a lot of similarities to P’ton. But the thing that aggravates me about the campus, that even lousy ol’ U of I does better, is the huge (and quite intentional) dead space between the campus and the town, which makes it highly impractical to go off campus for lunch, at least via foot. Here at U of I, this is one of life’s little pleasures: stepping off campus on a nice summer day and having your choice of among twenty or so restaurants. I don’t forsee that happening much when I arrive at Stanford in the fall.
ob 07.17.06 at 1:25 pm
no, no–
A World Cup mixed metaphor would have you trying to head-butt above your weight.
And is the repetition of this line:
“Fortunately I have no internet access where I’m staying to distract me.”
an intentional piece of comedy? “Luckily, there’s so much to do at camp I’m never bored.
Not bored at all.
There’s never a moment, ever, when it’s…boring.”
Have fun in P.A.
Gene O'Grady 07.17.06 at 4:05 pm
Since I grew up in Palo Alto and at various times attended, taught, and worked at Stanford, I should say that m. gordon’s point of view about not getting off campus to restaurants is new to me. Not to bore y’all with some of the ancient history behind that, but I always thought the two worlds liked the separation. Plus the walking is good for your health.
Mr. Healy, wander the hills and smell the bay leaves. Or go out to the end of Embarcadero and greet the burrowing owl (which doesn’t burrow) for me. The only two things I can think of I miss about the place, except taking my kids to San Francisco — or the Santa Cruz boardwalk.
burritoboy 07.19.06 at 2:27 pm
Kieran,
I assume that you can get the Stanford Libraries to give you visiting scholar access, which should get you more Internet access than anybody needs. Otherwise, you should ask the receptionists at the Center if they can get you wireless access. Failing all of that….Starbucks!
One rather interesting restaurant down El Camino Real is this Japanese place Gombei, which focuses on peasant Japanese food. Gombei is awesomeness.
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