No minute like the last minute

Regardless of what you might think, I don't usually write take-home finals the night before they're due. It's not my preferred way to operate, and it doesn't result in my best work. Still, this one is turning out pretty decent, and I'll probably maintain whatever grade I had in the course anyway.

I've been getting back into BitTorrent again, to catch up on missed episodes of favorite TV series. It works a lot better than I remember it. Either they made some major improvements to the client, or the university was throttling my connection all along.

Things I didn't know: it would appear that the concept of bankruptcy is somewhat peculiar to American law. An article I read on the BBC tonight identified it as such, and explained what it was for the benefit of its British readers. Since I haven't heard of debtors' prisons lately, what exactly do other civilized nations do when people can't pay their bills?

It's an enduringly odd experience to spend most of your life considering yourself a realist at best and cynic at worst; and then, one day, to realize that you're rather more upbeat on humanity than most of the people you know. There's my new bumper sticker for the day: People Don't Suck.

PS: If you're going to comment here, for heaven's sake don't bother doing it anonymously. There's only a handful of people you could be anyway.