and, no, i don't want to run for office.

i decided i didn't want to be a scientist anymore because i found the formality of the writing too stifling; i wanted more space to express myself, and realized i'd prefer creative writing to technical writing. it just wasn't for me - i wouldn't be happy if i walked down that path, i'd just feel stifled and wasted and end up going postal.

likewise, i'd prefer to criticize the government than participate in it.

and, you can call me names for that preference if you want, but the world needs critics and outsiders in it, too; not everybody can be an actor, some people need to stand outside and dissent from a healthy distance.

you may find me frustrating, but that means what i'm doing is working; i'm a net benefit to democracy, and the world would be worse off without me.