Isn't this the kind of thing an author should know?

I just started re-reading an article and was somewhat taken aback by the first and second sentences.

This paper critically examines the literature on the nature of the capitalist state. It mainly, if not exclusively, deals with Marxist approaches to the state.

I really would have thought that this was the type of issue on which the author could have made a much more conclusive statement.

A Few Quick Notes 232

-We had a little rain this afternoon. While it hasn't continued the skies haven't really cleared so I am a little worried that we may get more this evening. On the other hand, one forecast I examined seems to suggest that we should have clear skies for the next couple of days.

-While in class today the professor mentioned the British television series Yes, Minister. This means that this particular show has now come up in all three courses I am taking. It might also mean that I should probably get around to watching an episode or two. (It seems that I should be able to get my hands on the first season of Yes, Prime Minister).

-A few days ago I purchased a new rain jacket at Mountain Equipment Co-op. I was able to test it for the first time in today's brief rainfall. So far it seems to work pretty well, which is good.

Now that I know that it works I am particularly pleased that I purchased the discounted model rather than the somewhat pricier fancy model.

-Several weeks ago I had the pleasure of getting to do a short project on Marxist theory, now I get the pleasure of looking into rational choice related material. I am not sure how I am so lucky to get my two favourite topics in such quick succession.

-Neil and I didn't manage to win our Ultimate game last night, though we did come within striking distance in the second half. Unfortunately, I don't feel that I played particularly well or was of much use to the team. On the other hand, I do think that I played well on the last point (though by this point we weren't in a position to be able to win).

A Few Quick Notes 226

-While it did rain for some period of time yesterday evening, it was certainly much less time than I expected. On the other hand, the wind did blow rather aggressively for a number of hours, giving me at least some sense that I was experiencing a storm, and to give Halifax credit, the tree held up much better than trees in Montreal would have. I haven't seen a evidence of any branches, even twigs, being taken down by the storm (in Montreal almost any wind brought down all kinds of branches). I should note that just because the storm wasn't as impressive as I was led to believe it would be that doesn't mean it is nice here. Things are still relatively overcast, though generally calm, and a touch warmer than I want.

-For the past few days I have been working hard on a project for my comparative theory course. While I am at all enamoured with the subject of the topic, structuralist Marxism, I am glad to know that I will soon have completed the written portion of the assignment, and that by Thursday the presentation portion will be complete (though I am still not sure how I will present the material).

-Some corn that I planted a few days ago has sprouted. As questionable a proposition as the first batch of corn was, I can only imagine that corn planted later in the year has an even lower chance of success. Amazingly, it seems have have grown several centimeters since this morning.

-The plan is to have roast beef for dinner tonight. I guess I should probably think about putting that in the oven if I want to eat before 8:00 PM tonight. The other part of the plan is to have leek and potato soup (we have some leeks that we need to cook).

My take on instrumentalist Marxism

This evening, while working on a project on Marxist theories of the state I started thinking about how I could visually represent these ideas. Not surprisingly, I didn't get all that far before I ran out of steam. Fortunately, I did manage to work out one of my ideas (though that may be a generous assessment of what happened). Anyway, enjoy.