Austin Texas Day One

This is a simple introduction to proceedings hazed in tiredness. It's 1am local time in Austin (6am body clock time) after flying in earlier today.

I loved these huge swathes of empty check in desks in New York, plus SO many staff all doing menial jobs - plenty of them doing the job of a directional sign, and often doing that job in front of the actual sign.

That's how the government here deals with social support - make up jobs. I can't figure out what is better for both the person and the state. On the one hand people are "doing" something so are in theory more fulfilled than simply collecting a dole payment. But on the other hand what they are "doing" is so menial and demeaning that I question how fulfilling it can be. Obviously the state wins as they would be paying the money out any which way so they may as well keep their unemployment stats down.

My final picture is from the moving cab window on the way from Austin airport to Downtown Austin. The plan tonight was to get to the house I'm staying at, head into town, register at the conference and then go on to see a couple of bands. Thanks to a slightly delayed flight, the onset of tiredness and some sensible thinking on my part, the reality was much calmer. Eating pizza on the porch step in the warm air, a couple of beers, then bed.

Talking of bed...