Today I went workout crazy:
3 minutes warm up on exercise bike
33 minutes on the ellpitical (whilst watching Pimp My Ride; it went fast)
17 minutes at a 7% upgrade on the treadmill
misc weights, including triceps, biceps x2, abs, deltoids
25 minutes of swimming
If you want to talk to me, you better call me now because when I wake up tomorrow morning I am going to be unable to move.
3.25.2007
3.24.2007
Lesson of the week: Group Projects are not for the wishy washy. Really now, there is always someone in a group that lays the smack down about when things need to get done. I feel like that is me this semester. With working full time, you obviously have more of a time contraint than an average person; therefore I always want to know who is doing what and when we are meeting. People that say "I'll get back to you" and then decide they can't meet the entire weekend becuase they won't have anything done drive me crazy. Most people in our programs are working full time, so I am unsure why the wishy washy members would want to make someone work all day and then insist that you have to meet on a weeknight because you "couldn't get your work done in time for the weekend". Bite me.
(In a sing-songy voice) END OF VENTING!!!
My mom was here last weekend and we had a good time. I have never eaten out so much in my entire life, but really, who is complaining?! She brought me Girl Scout Cookies (Tagalongs!) and my pink shoes which I missed dearly. Again, no complaints here. My only complaint is when I was stuck at Union Station amidst a group of tourists. Pictures this: a group of 10 wearing matching white sweatshirts all lollygaggling around as I am trying to get on the metro. Here is the best part, though: the group leader was wearing a leather American Flag jacket, a leather American flag baseball hat, had a flag umbrella used as a "follow the stick" guide for his group, WITH A FLAG MITTEN ON TOP. He also had a portable microphone so everyone in the general vicinity could hear what was going on. Sigh. It was actually a little frusterating at the time, but can you deny the hilarity of a middle aged man completly decked out in leather flag apparel? Doubt it.
(In a sing-songy voice) END OF VENTING!!! (again)
I am feeling very meh about my job as of late. I am feeling very meh about federal government employment as of late too. Hopefully this gets turned around, and STAT.
Wow, I guess the end is really the end of venting. Sorry peeps!
(In a sing-songy voice) END OF VENTING!!!
My mom was here last weekend and we had a good time. I have never eaten out so much in my entire life, but really, who is complaining?! She brought me Girl Scout Cookies (Tagalongs!) and my pink shoes which I missed dearly. Again, no complaints here. My only complaint is when I was stuck at Union Station amidst a group of tourists. Pictures this: a group of 10 wearing matching white sweatshirts all lollygaggling around as I am trying to get on the metro. Here is the best part, though: the group leader was wearing a leather American Flag jacket, a leather American flag baseball hat, had a flag umbrella used as a "follow the stick" guide for his group, WITH A FLAG MITTEN ON TOP. He also had a portable microphone so everyone in the general vicinity could hear what was going on. Sigh. It was actually a little frusterating at the time, but can you deny the hilarity of a middle aged man completly decked out in leather flag apparel? Doubt it.
(In a sing-songy voice) END OF VENTING!!! (again)
I am feeling very meh about my job as of late. I am feeling very meh about federal government employment as of late too. Hopefully this gets turned around, and STAT.
Wow, I guess the end is really the end of venting. Sorry peeps!
3.20.2007
You can't help but notice the ridiculously obvious differences between a midwesterner and a Washingtonian. They are both unique in their Kohls vs. Fubu kind of way and seeing one displaced is a special treat. My mom and her friend from work have been here visiting me (yay!) and it is so cute to see them in the metro station with their matching midwestern mom coats and lesportsac purses. It kills me it is so cute! Anyways, they have been enjoying our nations capitol and buying me dinner every night, gotta love it!
So I am glad we had our discussion about politics/war policy/american ideals last week. It doesn't help that I get overly feisty about the topic, but I really enjoyed hearing everyone's viewpoint. Really, I am serious. Now if I could just get a giant group of the armed forced to tell me what's really going on over there from a primary source, maybe I would understand things better...
Now that Spring Break from school is over, I am officially back to the world of ridiculous tiredness. Sigh.
So I am glad we had our discussion about politics/war policy/american ideals last week. It doesn't help that I get overly feisty about the topic, but I really enjoyed hearing everyone's viewpoint. Really, I am serious. Now if I could just get a giant group of the armed forced to tell me what's really going on over there from a primary source, maybe I would understand things better...
Now that Spring Break from school is over, I am officially back to the world of ridiculous tiredness. Sigh.
3.14.2007
I gave blood today like some newborn's life depended on it. The lovely man who was in charge of me said I was filling my blood bag with lightning speed, gotta love it! Leave it to me to get in a competition with the middle-aged IRS employee sitting beside me to see who can bleed the fastest...
Spring break means no class tonight or tomorrow. I could get used to not being in grad school, ha ha, but I have a long way to go, so I best get over that STAT!
In other news, I finished my 12 page midterm for my development management class (well, I will probably check it over 2 or 3 more times, let's be real here). This paper has taken over my entire life for seven days, but I think I might finally be nearing completion. This is a good thing. My lovely Mom is coming in just two days, so I better have everything done because once she gets here I turn into a tourist for the next few days. Speaking of tourists, I can't stand them. They take over Union Station, the metro; basically MY LIFE! I wouldn't mind it if they could be considerate and follow the escalator rules or not stand in big hordes of thirteen-year-old students right at the entrance/exit to the metro, but like that will happen. I know we are all tourists at some point in life, but come on people, try not to act the part so badly...REALLY NOW!
Back to the war topic. In general, I feel there are a lot of people that think everything the US does is justified and in the best interests of all parties, however, this may be a trivial point, but WHY DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD HATE US?? When I toured Italy in 2003, one of the most memorable moments was that a concert-goes left one of our programs on the pew with and had penned on the front "No War on Iraq". Obviously this person realized that we, as a choir from the middle of nowhere MN had nothing to do with it, but it is interesting how people express their ideas. When I was abroad in India a short time later, we were constantly bombarded with questions about how we felt with George W. Bush. You can expect Indian NGOs to be wary for W's policies, but even large corporations had beef with the guy. I feel like covering the 2nd most populous country and getting the feeling that they really were opposed to the war is at least some concrete proof that what we are doing should be re-examined to make sure we are achieving accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in the War on Terror. This was has been conducted under the premise of so many private contract services, US citizens aren't entitled to the data contractors gather like they would if the US government would be doing the work (you can fill out a Freedom of Information Act to get access to ANY government data that is releasable, of course there are a few exceptions), but you don't get that data when you use a contractor. Where is the accountability here? I want to know where my money is going and an accurate pictures of the real progress being made.
Spring break means no class tonight or tomorrow. I could get used to not being in grad school, ha ha, but I have a long way to go, so I best get over that STAT!
In other news, I finished my 12 page midterm for my development management class (well, I will probably check it over 2 or 3 more times, let's be real here). This paper has taken over my entire life for seven days, but I think I might finally be nearing completion. This is a good thing. My lovely Mom is coming in just two days, so I better have everything done because once she gets here I turn into a tourist for the next few days. Speaking of tourists, I can't stand them. They take over Union Station, the metro; basically MY LIFE! I wouldn't mind it if they could be considerate and follow the escalator rules or not stand in big hordes of thirteen-year-old students right at the entrance/exit to the metro, but like that will happen. I know we are all tourists at some point in life, but come on people, try not to act the part so badly...REALLY NOW!
Back to the war topic. In general, I feel there are a lot of people that think everything the US does is justified and in the best interests of all parties, however, this may be a trivial point, but WHY DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD HATE US?? When I toured Italy in 2003, one of the most memorable moments was that a concert-goes left one of our programs on the pew with and had penned on the front "No War on Iraq". Obviously this person realized that we, as a choir from the middle of nowhere MN had nothing to do with it, but it is interesting how people express their ideas. When I was abroad in India a short time later, we were constantly bombarded with questions about how we felt with George W. Bush. You can expect Indian NGOs to be wary for W's policies, but even large corporations had beef with the guy. I feel like covering the 2nd most populous country and getting the feeling that they really were opposed to the war is at least some concrete proof that what we are doing should be re-examined to make sure we are achieving accountability, transparency, and effectiveness in the War on Terror. This was has been conducted under the premise of so many private contract services, US citizens aren't entitled to the data contractors gather like they would if the US government would be doing the work (you can fill out a Freedom of Information Act to get access to ANY government data that is releasable, of course there are a few exceptions), but you don't get that data when you use a contractor. Where is the accountability here? I want to know where my money is going and an accurate pictures of the real progress being made.
Insert sudden abrupt change in tone/topic.
That's it for now pals. Enjoy the sunny weather!3.13.2007
This is a response to my good pal Keri's blog about how "Loving America is Like a Religion". Keri, if you feel like you want to share your blog url in the comments, go for it. But there was no way I could respond to your blog in the comments section =)
Let's just lay all the cards out on the table. Keri this sentence that you wrote terrified me:
Faith, in the fact that the American ideal is THE only one worth fighting for, that America is the nation that possesses the righteous, true, and just ideals that look out for and benefit all of mankind.
My issue is one from an sociological standpoint. The most disturbing point about this phrase is that current American policy uses an "American lens" to try to understand the culture and history of Iraq and Afghanistan. Using your own morals and judgements to evaluate other countries is not only wrong, but inherently ethnocentric. I read in the Washington Post that the FBI currently gives ONE class on the culture of Islam for new members of the bureau. While I understand soldiers probably go through some sort of cultural training when they are in Iraq, they live like Americans in Iraq. Sleeping in Saddam's Palace, using email, having electricity and enough food are a given in the life of a soldier (not that I do not mean being a soldier isn't a tough and they are living in luxury, I know that is not the case). But, how can we expect our Department of Defense to understand how to solve problems when they've never been experienced true Iraqi life? Have their children died from suicide bombings or not been able to go to school because it's unsafe?When we put Americans in charge of another culture we truly know relatively little about there has to be some discord there; you can't build a map to a treasure when you don't know where or what the treasure is. I can't stress this point enough: Americans have made themselves the primary stakeholders (this is why we call it the War on Terror) but if we were trying to help the Iraqi citizens, THEY would be the primary stakeholders. So why don't we let them actually do it? It is not our decision and not our choice, yet we have made it that based on false pretences from 9/11.
When I read the original post, I am pretty sure that my blood pressure TRIPLED and I wanted to lash out irrationally. I still can't quantify my thoughts becuase to me it is mind boggling that Keri and I grew up from the age of 5th grade on (you KNOW I remember those pink glasses Keri!) yet we can still have shockingly different views. It is all so amazing to me how life works. I am sure I will hav additional comments from that post, but as for now, I can't really put them in writing just yet mostly because I am still in awe of how different the worldviews of two people can be. Even though they are different, I truly believe the author is a wonderful person, but probably the actual definition of polar opposite from me. Zoinks!
Let's just lay all the cards out on the table. Keri this sentence that you wrote terrified me:
Faith, in the fact that the American ideal is THE only one worth fighting for, that America is the nation that possesses the righteous, true, and just ideals that look out for and benefit all of mankind.
My issue is one from an sociological standpoint. The most disturbing point about this phrase is that current American policy uses an "American lens" to try to understand the culture and history of Iraq and Afghanistan. Using your own morals and judgements to evaluate other countries is not only wrong, but inherently ethnocentric. I read in the Washington Post that the FBI currently gives ONE class on the culture of Islam for new members of the bureau. While I understand soldiers probably go through some sort of cultural training when they are in Iraq, they live like Americans in Iraq. Sleeping in Saddam's Palace, using email, having electricity and enough food are a given in the life of a soldier (not that I do not mean being a soldier isn't a tough and they are living in luxury, I know that is not the case). But, how can we expect our Department of Defense to understand how to solve problems when they've never been experienced true Iraqi life? Have their children died from suicide bombings or not been able to go to school because it's unsafe?When we put Americans in charge of another culture we truly know relatively little about there has to be some discord there; you can't build a map to a treasure when you don't know where or what the treasure is. I can't stress this point enough: Americans have made themselves the primary stakeholders (this is why we call it the War on Terror) but if we were trying to help the Iraqi citizens, THEY would be the primary stakeholders. So why don't we let them actually do it? It is not our decision and not our choice, yet we have made it that based on false pretences from 9/11.
When I read the original post, I am pretty sure that my blood pressure TRIPLED and I wanted to lash out irrationally. I still can't quantify my thoughts becuase to me it is mind boggling that Keri and I grew up from the age of 5th grade on (you KNOW I remember those pink glasses Keri!) yet we can still have shockingly different views. It is all so amazing to me how life works. I am sure I will hav additional comments from that post, but as for now, I can't really put them in writing just yet mostly because I am still in awe of how different the worldviews of two people can be. Even though they are different, I truly believe the author is a wonderful person, but probably the actual definition of polar opposite from me. Zoinks!
3.06.2007
Let this date go down in history.....
I RAN MY 5K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
400 calories and 32 minutes of straight running later, MY GOAL IS COMPLETE!!! BWA HA HA!
Now I just have to remain a fitness DYNAMO!!!
I RAN MY 5K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
400 calories and 32 minutes of straight running later, MY GOAL IS COMPLETE!!! BWA HA HA!
Now I just have to remain a fitness DYNAMO!!!
3.05.2007
I need to accomplish these things before the end of the semester:
-Development Management Midterm
-Development Management RFP Proposal- 15 pages single spaced (a doomed group project)
-Development Management Group Presentation
-15 page paper on IRS tax privitization
-"hollow government" presentation
-Policy Process Final
-Weekly Responses
-Excise Tax Article at work
-Excise Quality Review
-Excise Technical Review (ie my boss's boss tells me all the stuff I do wrong)
-learn Oracle and SPSS (ie be a statistical software DYNAMO!
-irs.gov web content management training
ZOINKS! I have but two months to accomplish all of these things, and some are due much sooner. Ugh. Go, go Gadget motivation. Only, please work actually better than Inspector Gadgets' gadgets.
3.04.2007
There's nothing quite like the feeling in the middle of an academic semester when you realize all that you must accomplish in the second half. I had a mini-freak out today when my computer would start (luckily my smart roomie told me to start it in safe mode then turn it off, then start it again), but at least that problem was resolved. What is not resolved is that fact that my ridiculous development management professor, in attempt to make up for the THREE weeks of class he missed, gave us 190 pages of 8.5x11 single spaced pages to read, plus two articles, plus a chunk of our group project. All I have to say to that is: BASTARD! We did our homework for the weeks he missed, but apparently inundating us with reading four days before class (he just posted it tonight) is an okay thing to do. NOT!
I suppose that should be the extent of my bitching, considering now that my computer is fine, but I feel like I should go buy an external hard drive or something to avoid my heart attacks in the future. OY.
I suppose that should be the extent of my bitching, considering now that my computer is fine, but I feel like I should go buy an external hard drive or something to avoid my heart attacks in the future. OY.
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