A few of my friends are currently contemplating or actually completing master’s programs in public policy, which has stirred up my own latent ivory tower leanings. I’m not sure an M.P.P. would do much to further enhance my career prospects–my law degree has served me pretty well in that regard–but I think I would enjoy wonking out with other policy geeks for a couple years. And I write a mean term paper. But school costs money and I’m not eager to saddle myself with a fresh load of debt. And, if I’m being completely honest with myself, I like only having to worry about finishing my next book club reading. I’ll have to be content with listening to my friends’ academic exploits and proofing their papers.

On the way home, I passed a little kid and his mother on the sidewalk. I heard the kid say “Mom, what’s wrong with him?” And I thought that was actually a pretty perceptive question. A little self-analysis can be quite healthy so here’s my attempt to articulate a response to the question “What is wrong with me?”

• I’m a terrible procrastinator.
• I own way too many pairs of khaki pants. 
• I never read any Milton.
• I can’t seem to get through a day without rolling my eyes at someone at least once. 
• I get annoyed when people use “impact” as a noun verb.
• Have you seen the size of my head?
• I use the term “dude” with alarming frequency. 
• When I want to relax, I backup my files.
• I can spot the differences between the original and director’s cut of Blade Runner.
• I blog stupid lists when I’m desperate for content.

Being the predictable geek that I am, I’m looking forward to the summer’s big science fiction movies such as the Star Trek reboot and the next Terminator sequel. But a couple promising trailers for smaller movies indicate that a market for original science fiction exists outside of franchise properties. District 9 is about humans and aliens struggling to co-exist on Earth, echoing earlier movies such as Alien Nation. It’s filmed in faux documentary style and set in South Africa, which could provide fertile territory for subtext. Or it could result in a movie with all the subtlety of a brick to the head. Color me intrigued.

Moon looks to be a near-future tale about a solitary lunar miner who is nearing the end of his three-year contract and may or may not be going insane. It stars Sam Rockwell, an actor who embodies a sad yet goofy sensibility I’ve always liked. Fun fact: director Duncan Jones is David Bowie’s son.

The Hunt for Gollum is a fan-produced sequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy that premieres on the web this weekend. The film’s trailer looks polished, although it seems to rely too much on fly-over shots of generic landscapes. The BBC interview with the director reveals that he assembled a good-sized production crew on a paltry budget.

One of the good things that might come out of this recession is a bumper crop of amateur but high-quality video productions. Cameras are getting cheaper and video editing software is getting more powerful every year. And plenty of creative people now have extra time on their hands.

The Minnesota House and Senate have passed budget bills that slash health care spending. Nursing homes, hospitals, home care agencies, and other health care providers are all likely to see rate reductions. And it’s likely that the final version of the bill will be vetoed because both the House and Senate rely on tax increases to avoid deeper cuts that would result in tens of thousands losing all health coverage.

What we’re seeing in Minnesota is a precursor to the larger national debate coming this summer on the proper role of government in providing health care. Pawlenty and his allies argue that health care spending is taking a bigger bite out of the budget pie every year. Democrats argue that shrinking public health insurance rolls will only increase costs for everyone and push people deeper into poverty, particularly in small towns where nursing homes are one of the largest local employers. Unfortunately, there are no good solutions and both sides know it. Expect a lot of posturing and bluster as the Legislature and governor try to figure where to draw their lines in the sand.