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i'd been back at the old SRM office in kendall square two weeks ago, when i was there for a morning meeting to get the things i'd need to start the project. however, today was my first time working there (i had some PC bugs to check out, and my PC at home has issues). "reworking" actually. it didn't feel weird because i had things to do, so i didn't really let the enormity of the situation sink in while i was there.

i'd taken the motorcycle, it was raining earlier this morning, but by the time i left the house after 9am, it'd stopped. it was much faster and cheaper than taking the subway, although i do miss that old commute (people watching, journal writing). the road leading towards east cambridge was congested with traffic, but i hardly noticed as i sped down the bike lane to the front of the line. being small sometimes has its advantages.

wanting to add a touch of irony to the occasion, i decided to wear my orange SRM 5th year anniversary t-shirt. of the former employees, i saw bill and sylvia, although they didn't seem to recognize me (sylvia eventually did come up to me, but that was because she was doing some paperwork with my invoices). might've been the glasses, or the hair, or maybe because i recently shaved. i met my old boss sarah, blonder and slightly more pregnant than i remembered her 2 years ago.

i had my ibook with me, which i used to shuttle the source code, stream some internet radio, and check my e-mails and instant messages. around lunchtime brian (one of the programmers) asked me if i'd eaten yet, and i recommended the kendall house of pizza, not only for the food but for the circus-like atmosphere. we were joined by brice and eric (production kids). the simple act of leaving my old office to go to lunch felt both familiar and new. they were curious about what i did after i got laid off from SRM, like they're of a generation that never experienced layoffs or unemployment. i felt like the aged veteran telling war stories. i felt 30 years old. i'd wanted to go to kendall house of pizza because i wanted to get their steak tips sub, which was one my favorites when i used to work in this kendall square area. back at the office, i haven't had a lunch this delicious in a long time, the combination of flavor + nostalgia an interesting blend.

there's a shower stall in the men's bathroom at SRM. out of curiousity i opened up the glass door to take a look inside. 2 years ago i'd bought a bottle of finesse shampoo + conditioner. when i got laid off, i forgot to take it with me, and never came back for it. 2 years later, i reclaim my finesse. i never leave hair care products behind!

i left the office at 6pm (my brain slightly fried already), after strategizing about the next week or so with todd. lisa popped in briefly to pick up some code, apparently getting a spot of SRM freelance work as well. i rode home, once again taking advantage of the generous bike lanes to bypass columns of traffic.

as soon as i got home i was on the phone with julie, deciding what to do for tonight. we entertained the idea of bowling, but settled on a movie instead. playing at the kendall cinema (wasn't i just there minutes ago?) were maria full of grace and the control room, two worthy selections, but we ended up going to the corporation. julie came to pick me up around 7:30pm (after i took a quick shower), and we stopped off at walgreens to buy some contrabands. the sky was crazy, a magenta horizon with purple thunder clouds rolling away. the screening room was surprisingly packed for a non-weekend movie. when the film started, i ripped opened a bag of beef jerky, which had an awful smell. in the darkness, people must've recoiled from the stench. i became embarassed and quickly sealed up the bag.

the corporation. i haven't seen a better documentary since the revolution will not be televised. it's one of those films that will change your life after you see it. it explains in clear-cut language how corporate entities have all the legal rights as normal human beings but none of the moral obligations. corporations have just one purpose, and that purpose is essentially greed, to make money for their shareholders. the movie takes a very complicated subject and boils it down to something that's easy to digest. like i always thought it was stupid for people to protest the world bank or WTO gatherings, but after seeing the corporation, i want to join the next protest. the film is a bit long, and after you watch it, you'll feel like you just crammed for an "understanding corporation" study course, but it's well worth it. the movie is non-partisan (unlike some recent documentaries, michael moore anyone?) and goes to explain that the nature of corporations makes it so they have no allegiance to any political party or national government, that they exist above it all, their own reason for being is to generate revenue. the film goes on to say that if corporations were actually human beings, they'd be categorized as psychopaths based on their actions. this movie is definitely on my top 10 best films of this summer. it's a must-see. it's the movie that i was hoping fahrenheit 9/11 would be, something that'd make me say "wow" and inspire me to action.

after the movie, we drove around in search of late night eats. julie had a list of spots she found online, restaurants that advertised late hours. you have to understand that most restaurants here in greater boston close at 10pm, so late hours might just mean 11pm. we finally ended up in harvard square, where after looking at a few places (penang, border cafe), we decided to go with charlie's kitchen (opened to at least 1:30am). you know it's a special place when futurama is playing on the flat screen television and somebody orders up a new order song on the jukebox.