San Diego

Yes, I'll be in San Diego this weekend. It's going to rock. It's for some legal-technology training, so that's good, I guess. I'll also be working on a presentation that I'm going to give on some cool topics next week.

What've I been reading, you ask? Actually, you never ask that, but it's cool. I've been reading and printing articles on Iraqi reconstruction from wikipedia and the sources it points to. Some interesting stuff out there, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for. Most articles that are critical of reconstruction efforts talk about corruption. Don't get me wrong, corruption pretty much undermines the whole "hearts and minds" thing (or was that over in 2004?), but I want more info on the impact of cash/subsidies on the Iraqi economy. In what sectors does it retard growth? How do we cut these subsidies?

Also, Baghdad only has 4-8 hours of electricity per day. I'll probably drop some reminders of daily life over there as I come across them. I'll try to get some reading done on my flight, but I'll probably just sleep, thanks to my lack of sleep from last night...loud roommates / friends on weekday nights rule!