Another year, another ASA. A few highlights, before I forget them in a haze of post-ASA sleep…
Drinks with the Soc Finance crowd.
Seeing Atlanta at night from the rotating Sun Dial bar at the top of the Westin Hotel, the 2nd tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere (according to Wikipedia, anyway).
Making constant Death Star references as we walked through the Brutalist-inspired conference hotels.
The shockingly good econ soc panels – I had to abandon my snarky 1-5 star rating system for talks, because (almost) everything kept scoring 3-5.
Every event being at the only nearby brewpub, conveniently adjacent to my hotel.
Seeing Tina healthy and in good spirits!
The monopoly themed party favors at the blogger party, provided by the aforementioned healthy Tina.
Getting bought shots by a libertarian soc blogger out to sabotage my presentation the next morning.
Getting made fun of by an Irish soc professor for drinking said shots…
Presenting on my first ASA panel, and actually coming in under time! Not to mention getting to call out Jerry Davis during the talk and make him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The best “panel” I saw, however, was on Sunday. I had the misfortunate fortune of being able to duck out of ASA to attend a memorial service for my godmother*. Eight of her former lawyer colleagues told stories of her work and life. The ceremony ended with two of her favorite sayings – “What a long, strange trip it’s been” and “May the Force be with you”. I couldn’t say it any better.**
Things I won’t miss? The heat, and not sleeping enough.
Thanks to everyone I talked to, hung out with, presented to, heard present and so on. Next year in Chicago!
* No god was involved in the making of this fictive kinship, but there aren’t very many evocative secular terms.
** Well, I probably would have said “The force will be with you, always.” But a memorial service isn’t really a time for excessive technicality, even if it makes a nicer sentiment.
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Posted by Dan Hirschman on August 17, 2010
https://asociologist.com/2010/08/17/asa-highlights/
A (Budding) Sociologist's Commonplace Book 
joshmccabe
/ August 18, 2010Just trying to blur that thin line between libertarian and libertine…
Maria
/ August 21, 2010You’ve whet my appetite. What offer did you make jerry?
Dan Hirschman
/ August 21, 2010$100 for his lovely pen.