Odds and Ends

End of the term is here, and it's been very busy trying to get a lot done before I go back to the States in a couple of weeks. I actually had to just shelve a paper I was excited to work on, which was/is very disappointing.

Anyway, enough blabbing about work. Here's more evidence that the US health care system is worse than state-sponsored health care systems.

Also, here are some random pictures from Wellington. The one of the central town and harbour is from the Staff Club. Not a bad place to have a drink--we can be found there most Thursdays or Fridays during happy hour. I live across the town on the opposite hill--that's Mount Victoria. The other elevated picture is taken from Mt. Vic., heading further southeast, when Julie was here. There are some nice hikes up around there on the town greenbelt, and some great views. That picture is pointed pretty much at Antarctica, the mouth of the harbour, and a bit of the runway you'd land on if you were to fly into Wellington. The other two are from that harbour mouth, on what's known as the Eastern Walkway, which turned out to be very nice. It was a bit too hazy for any good pics on the day that Ramon (colleague and friend) and I did that walk, but there are some awesome views of the South Island and its mountains from up there.