epic fail at starting to blog again. but today i'm bored enough at work, and have enough on my mind, to go for it. lately, i've been trying to find answers to big, life questions: what am i going to do with my life? where do i want to be in 5 years? what makes me happy? why can't i lose this last 10 pounds? how can i get myself to where i want to be in 5-10 years?
i began to answer these questions at the end of 2009. i've started studying for the GRE pretty heavily... still have a lot to work on. i've started working out a LOT, and eating better, and it feels great. i've done lots of research about graduate school. kind of made a life plan for the next year or two. i started taking spanish lessons.
but today i was hit by the main aspect of acadamia that i've missed since graduating from college: a forum to discuss politics, social justice, international affairs. well, when i say i miss discussing politics, i don't mean the partisan politics that has taken over the media right now. it is incredibly frustrating and annoying, and i hate that obama has succombed to it all. both parties are to blame for this nonsense. republicans are refusing to cooperate or offer helpful alternatives to big issues like health care and the economy, and democrats just sit back and point their fingers at everyone else. there is a huge movement among the populous to remove everyone from office in the upcoming elections, a desire for swift change and a new, smarter, "cleaner" group of politicans who will actually listen to the public. unfortunately, what this movement (mainly GOP) fail to see is that yes, politicans do generally suck, but it's the whole system that needs a change. the reason politicans fall prey to lobbyists and big corporate interests is because they are constantly having to think about the next election and how to get reelected. members of the house of representatives only have a 2 year term, so if they campaign for 6 months prior to the election (most start campaigning earlier than that), that only gives them about 18 months to focus on the real issues. hardly enough time when you think about how long it takes a bill to get through committes and all that other BS to become a law. but what's the solution? longer terms? i don't think that'd fly by the people who already don't trust politicans as it is.
that whole rant is just one example of how and why i miss college acadamia so much. instead of just ranting by myself about the world, i'd have people around me to support and encourage me, as well as point to flaws in my arguments and their own disagreements. this kind of discussion just doesn't happen in every day life. and i can't wait to get back into it in grad school. and then after grad school, fix those problems. :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
oopsies
i haven't blogged in a while. i think i'm going to start back up again. my job is, in fact, getting to be that boring. and matt and bartlett are doin it, so i gotta stay up with the cool kids.
yesterday i ran for 20 minutes straight. i've literally never run that long before all at once, in my life. yeaaaaaaaa boi.
yesterday i ran for 20 minutes straight. i've literally never run that long before all at once, in my life. yeaaaaaaaa boi.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
optimism
nicholas kristof's op-ed piece in today's nytimes summarizes president obama's early days better than i can:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22kristof.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
this is SUCH an exciting and marvelous time in our history. AMER-I-CAN! :)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22kristof.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
this is SUCH an exciting and marvelous time in our history. AMER-I-CAN! :)
Friday, January 16, 2009
dreams
last night i had a weird dream. i want to post it so i don't forget.
so, i went down to depauw for the symposium that o'bannon and sarah hughes are putting on. i was sitting in this tiny classroom listening to brett speak, and i had to sit on the sides behind this really tall kid becuase there were no other seats. doody and hughes were in the front row listening intently, and sarah hughes had really long hair. it was weird. then, i went to this person's house and had to stay in their little boys' bathroom. it had 2 showers, 2 bath tubs and 2 sinks. i thought it was weird. then i was standing outside that bathroom, outside, but on the bank of this little creek that ran by the house. there was a rabid chicken in it trying to eat me, so i had to climb up into the house by climbing over this ledge of sheet metal. i got cut up pretty bad and was pissed. then, i went out to this neighborhood to go to a party w/ laj and cat. we were sitting in these fold up chairs for a while and laj decided she didn't want to be there anymore and she wanted to take the train to st louis to see tom. and then cat got pissed b/c nobody would party with her.
the end.
it's odd that i remember this dream so vividly (i hardly remember dreams) and that it was not too far fetched from my real life. minus the rabid chicken. and that weird bathroom.
so, i went down to depauw for the symposium that o'bannon and sarah hughes are putting on. i was sitting in this tiny classroom listening to brett speak, and i had to sit on the sides behind this really tall kid becuase there were no other seats. doody and hughes were in the front row listening intently, and sarah hughes had really long hair. it was weird. then, i went to this person's house and had to stay in their little boys' bathroom. it had 2 showers, 2 bath tubs and 2 sinks. i thought it was weird. then i was standing outside that bathroom, outside, but on the bank of this little creek that ran by the house. there was a rabid chicken in it trying to eat me, so i had to climb up into the house by climbing over this ledge of sheet metal. i got cut up pretty bad and was pissed. then, i went out to this neighborhood to go to a party w/ laj and cat. we were sitting in these fold up chairs for a while and laj decided she didn't want to be there anymore and she wanted to take the train to st louis to see tom. and then cat got pissed b/c nobody would party with her.
the end.
it's odd that i remember this dream so vividly (i hardly remember dreams) and that it was not too far fetched from my real life. minus the rabid chicken. and that weird bathroom.
Monday, January 5, 2009
they are humans, too!
so i just finished "why the christian right is wrong?" by robin meyers. an excellent read. meyers is a bit full of himself, but it's easy to get past that.
on that note, the war going on in gaza is absolutely appalling. first of all, israel is being completely ridiculous and absurd. the PM yesterday said that a cease-fire was out of the question. no one is actually saying what their ultimate goal is in invading gaza, other than to "get rid" of hamas, but what does that even mean? yes, the people who run hamas are pretty evil, but israel is not showing that they are much better. i do feel sympathy for the jews and that they had a genocide committed against them, but it's not too far of a stretch to say that what they are doing to the palestinians now (and in what they did by forming israel from the beginning) is not much different. i wouldn't call myself an anti-israeli or pro-palestinian. i like all people, and i don't think it's right for the US and the UK to just stand on the side of one team here. both sides are committing terrible atrocities and we need the biggest players in the world to be a negotiator to both. i was outraged even more when i logged onto facebook yesterday and read the status of a guy i went to high school with who is ridiculously conservative. and Christian. and his status said: "[Insert his name] hopes Israel kills every one of those camel jockey Hamas terrorists." WHAT. minus the fact that any person could ever wish death upon another person, a CHRISTIAN is doing so (Religious Views: Follower of the Lord Jesus). would Jesus bomb someone? even a "camel jockey terrorist"? NO. he would be going into their meetings and trying to get to know them better and why they're doing what they're doing. at least, that's the Jesus i'm pretty familiar with and have studied in the Bible.
i really just hope the US and the other world leaders can see that taking one side in this war is a big doorway into absolute disaster. i hope even more than obama sees this, despite his strongly pro-israel stance in the past.
on that note, the war going on in gaza is absolutely appalling. first of all, israel is being completely ridiculous and absurd. the PM yesterday said that a cease-fire was out of the question. no one is actually saying what their ultimate goal is in invading gaza, other than to "get rid" of hamas, but what does that even mean? yes, the people who run hamas are pretty evil, but israel is not showing that they are much better. i do feel sympathy for the jews and that they had a genocide committed against them, but it's not too far of a stretch to say that what they are doing to the palestinians now (and in what they did by forming israel from the beginning) is not much different. i wouldn't call myself an anti-israeli or pro-palestinian. i like all people, and i don't think it's right for the US and the UK to just stand on the side of one team here. both sides are committing terrible atrocities and we need the biggest players in the world to be a negotiator to both. i was outraged even more when i logged onto facebook yesterday and read the status of a guy i went to high school with who is ridiculously conservative. and Christian. and his status said: "[Insert his name] hopes Israel kills every one of those camel jockey Hamas terrorists." WHAT. minus the fact that any person could ever wish death upon another person, a CHRISTIAN is doing so (Religious Views: Follower of the Lord Jesus). would Jesus bomb someone? even a "camel jockey terrorist"? NO. he would be going into their meetings and trying to get to know them better and why they're doing what they're doing. at least, that's the Jesus i'm pretty familiar with and have studied in the Bible.
i really just hope the US and the other world leaders can see that taking one side in this war is a big doorway into absolute disaster. i hope even more than obama sees this, despite his strongly pro-israel stance in the past.
Monday, December 22, 2008
questionable
this editorial in the atlantic intrigues me.
http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/12/some_final_thoughts_on_warren.php
now i don't know if i'd go so far as to say that obama is a bigot, but i think there are some important issues here under the surface of his pick of warren. i'm kind of torn on this issue because on the one hand, come on, it's just a little prayer at his inauguration. this guy hopefully won't be adivising him or becoming one of his BFF. BUT i am uncomfortable with obama even reaching out to someone as crazy as warren to be involved in the political process at all. now i know that obama's main message during his campaign was for unity, and i suspect that this is his first big move in that direction. but i just can't see how one can unite with a man who is, to be politically correct, retarded. but i guess you can't really unite and bring people together without going for the crazy ones. let's just hope obama makes more moves in the correct direction for the gays in the future. otherwise, i'm going to be really disappointed.
http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/12/some_final_thoughts_on_warren.php
now i don't know if i'd go so far as to say that obama is a bigot, but i think there are some important issues here under the surface of his pick of warren. i'm kind of torn on this issue because on the one hand, come on, it's just a little prayer at his inauguration. this guy hopefully won't be adivising him or becoming one of his BFF. BUT i am uncomfortable with obama even reaching out to someone as crazy as warren to be involved in the political process at all. now i know that obama's main message during his campaign was for unity, and i suspect that this is his first big move in that direction. but i just can't see how one can unite with a man who is, to be politically correct, retarded. but i guess you can't really unite and bring people together without going for the crazy ones. let's just hope obama makes more moves in the correct direction for the gays in the future. otherwise, i'm going to be really disappointed.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
a few things
couple things i feel like commenting on.
1. i'm now reading "the shack" by william paul young. hmmm i'm a little over halfway through, and it's interesting, to say the least. it's about a man who has to go back to this shack and has quite an experience with God. the fact that it is nonfiction is what really is intriguing me. it's an easy read in the sense that i'm getting through it fast, but gosh it's one that'll make you think. lots of issues are raised, and i don't want to get into them now so as not to ruin it for you. but if you're interested at all in exploring some ideas about religion, mainly christianity, i'd say check it out.
2. i really want to see the films "milk" and "frost/nixon." i might go see milk this weekend.
3. illinois politics strikes again! i'm sure most of you all know what's going on now, but i really just want to focus on obama's role in this. here's an editorial i don't really buy, although it has some interesting points:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122895356506696347.html
i think obama did the right thing by not immediately striking out against blago. it's not really his place to when nothing is certain right now (although, let's be honest, blago is an idiot). obviously, obama did the right thing by calling for his resignation and for a special election to fill his seat, but what else do these people want obama to do?! i really, honestly don't believe obama is involved in any of the "chicago politics" that the GOP is dying to accuse him of. he's just better than that, and i think it's clear from the way he ran his presidential campaign, the way he speaks, and everything else about him. it's disgusting to me that the GOP is using this as a political tactic to bring down obama. they're just itching for something! the connections between obama and blago are nowhere near defined lines of trust and friendship. obama is holding a press conference today, and i'm interested to hear what he has to say. i do believe he'll take the higher road and prove to everyone that he is not involved in all this nonsense. yay politics.
4. this is just amusing: http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/12/10/joe-the-plumber-trashes-mccain-in-new-book/
5. god love ya, jimmy carter! this editorial is great, and i'm so glad that people are still talking about these important issues: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/09/AR2008120902776.html
1. i'm now reading "the shack" by william paul young. hmmm i'm a little over halfway through, and it's interesting, to say the least. it's about a man who has to go back to this shack and has quite an experience with God. the fact that it is nonfiction is what really is intriguing me. it's an easy read in the sense that i'm getting through it fast, but gosh it's one that'll make you think. lots of issues are raised, and i don't want to get into them now so as not to ruin it for you. but if you're interested at all in exploring some ideas about religion, mainly christianity, i'd say check it out.
2. i really want to see the films "milk" and "frost/nixon." i might go see milk this weekend.
3. illinois politics strikes again! i'm sure most of you all know what's going on now, but i really just want to focus on obama's role in this. here's an editorial i don't really buy, although it has some interesting points:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122895356506696347.html
i think obama did the right thing by not immediately striking out against blago. it's not really his place to when nothing is certain right now (although, let's be honest, blago is an idiot). obviously, obama did the right thing by calling for his resignation and for a special election to fill his seat, but what else do these people want obama to do?! i really, honestly don't believe obama is involved in any of the "chicago politics" that the GOP is dying to accuse him of. he's just better than that, and i think it's clear from the way he ran his presidential campaign, the way he speaks, and everything else about him. it's disgusting to me that the GOP is using this as a political tactic to bring down obama. they're just itching for something! the connections between obama and blago are nowhere near defined lines of trust and friendship. obama is holding a press conference today, and i'm interested to hear what he has to say. i do believe he'll take the higher road and prove to everyone that he is not involved in all this nonsense. yay politics.
4. this is just amusing: http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/12/10/joe-the-plumber-trashes-mccain-in-new-book/
5. god love ya, jimmy carter! this editorial is great, and i'm so glad that people are still talking about these important issues: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/09/AR2008120902776.html
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