+% based on kieran healy's memoir modifications
+\usepackage{mako-mem}
+\chapterstyle{article-2}
+\pagestyle{kjh}
+
+\usepackage{ucs}
+\usepackage[utf8x]{inputenc}
+
+\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
+\usepackage{textcomp}
+\renewcommand{\rmdefault}{ugm}
+\renewcommand{\sfdefault}{phv}
+\usepackage[garamond]{mathdesign}
+
+\usepackage[letterpaper,left=1.2in,right=1.2in,top=1.2in,bottom=1.2in]{geometry}
+
+% packages i use in essentially every document
+\usepackage{graphicx}
+\usepackage{enumerate}
+
+% packages i use in many documents but leave off by default
+% \usepackage{amsmath, amsthm, amssymb}
+% \usepackage{dcolumn}
+% \usepackage{endfloat}
+
+% import and customize urls (kjh does this as well, it seems)
+\usepackage[usenames,dvipsnames]{color}
+\usepackage[breaklinks]{hyperref}