I don’t like expressing my political opinions in public. I think it is too divisive. I like people from with all political beliefs, as long as they are rational & intelligent about those beliefs. I also try to make my posts light & humorous. So, I have no idea why I’m writing this, except that I am frustrated.
I am watching the State of the Union as I write this post. Although I am a registered Democrat that campaigned for President Obama, I consider myself just left of center in the political spectrum. I have voted for Republican candidates in the past & will probably do so again in the future if they are the best choice for the office.
I think Obama is quite possibly the best speaker I have ever seen. I believed his message a year ago and I still do today. So, why am I so cynical?
After a year, I don’t think his administration has accomplished much. I believe much of the blame lies squarely on Congress. They bicker and bicker and don’t accomplish anything! I think that is why this speech annoys me so much. Even if President Obama is the smartest man that ever lived, with all of the answers to our country’s problems, he is rendered powerless by the legislative branch. Congressmen & Congresswomen seem more concerned with keeping their jobs and helping their party than actually doing anything. Our democracy is supposed to be representative, but I don’t see anybody fighting for my interests.
I am sad that at age 35 I have lost faith in our political process. Despite the fact that President Obama seeks to change the system, I fear it will change him.
For the sake of my future, your future and our country’s future, I hope that my cynicism is unwarranted and all of our best interests prevail!
We are 24 days into the year and my quest for a new career. So, obviously I have all of the answers. OK, I really just have more questions. But at least they are productive questions.
For several years I have been thinking about becoming a teacher. As such, that is the first path I’m exploring. Step 1 was a trip down memory lane to visit my old high school. Listening to morning announcements over the PA while I waited to speak with the principal was surreal. So, was the assistant principal recognizing me and the fact that I had lost both weight & hair since my graduation 17 years ago.
The meeting with the principal was educational (pun intended). I was pleased to hear that if I do pursue my teaching certificate in math that he believes that I would be able to get interviews. This is important as I want to be able to get a job at the end of my career change.
As I continue to consider other options, I am laying the groundwork to teach. Last week I applied to reenroll in grad school and I am awaiting a review of undergraduate and graduate credits to find out what classes I need to receive my teaching certification. However, a quick estimate has me ready to teach in the 2011-2012 school year. In some ways this seems fast but it means that my new career could be 18 months away.
I do have one deadline in front of me now. Grad classes would start at the end of March. So, the countdown to my future is on…
I went to see Avatar as part of a guy’s night out on Saturday. We decided we needed to do it the right way, so we went to see it in IMAX 3D!
I’ll start by saying that this movie deserves to win any & every technical award that exists. It was so much better than anything that has ever come before it that they should name the awards after it. The 3D was neat and the googles are much better than the blue & red lensed ones of the 80s, but it was still disorienting at times. When it comes out on Blu-Ray, I’ll get it just to watch the behind the scenes of how they made it.
So, it was an stunning visual display. But it was LLLLOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!
James Cameron like to tell a story. Unfortunately, that story is overdeveloped and designed so that a 2nd grader can follow the plot turns and foreshadowing. Did I mention this movie was long? You’d think with almost 3 hours of screen time there wouldn’t be any plot holes. Wrong! There were some glaring omissions that were not critical to moving the story along but could have been filled in easily enough.
I took the title of the blog from a line from Sigourney Weaver in a Saturday Night Live skit last night. It was one of the very few funny skits they’ve had all season. I saw this skit just after watching the movie and thought it was a great description.
Cameron deserves a great deal of credit for advancing movie effects, but the story is nothing original. At it’s core it mirrors the plight of the Native Americans. At the periphery it’s got some Saturday morning cartoons (see picture).
Seeing this movie felt like a pop culture necessity and I’m glad I went. I’d recommend it to others too… as long as you aren’t seeking high art.
In a previous post I said that I was too connected & that I was going to cut the blackberry cord. Well, that lasted a month.
I still feel that I was too connected and I don’t want to return to previous levels, but I’m a victim of circumstance. I’m not looking for pity. Nobody is pointing a gun to my head and making me use a blackberry. I am doing it of my own free will.
So, why?
Well, first of all, I work in a cell phone store. It is hard to sell the wonders of the Internet if I’m not online. Plus, the best phone that I own is a blackberry. I could easily buy a $30 replacement but it wouldn’t be as good of a phone. So, I want to use it. Also, I’m an information junkie. I get text messages all day long with news updates. For the same reason, I like to check my email occasionally. I still object to the fact that the only option on a blackberry is to have emails automatically delivered. I’m very Pavlovian (I get that from my mom). When my phone beeps, I feel compelled to check it. I would prefer to check them when I want, but I can’t resist.
So, how do I avoid becoming too connected again???? The low tech answer to a high tech question… I’ve shut off the beeping. There is still a number on the screen displaying my unread messages but I think I can ignore that more easily. The rest comes down to self discipline. I don’t have to be on my blackberry all of the time. It isn’t attached to my hand yet.
— This post is dedicated to my lovely wife who I can assure everybody means more to me than the blackberry. 
Happy 2010! New year. New decade. Blank slate… sort of.
When the calendar flips to a new year most of us pause to reflect on the past year and think about how the next year will different.
There are the obvious resolutions. Like many others, I am preparing for my triumphant return to the gym. (Fortunately it’s only been a few weeks absence so I still remember where it is.) I’m also going to read more or at least listen to audiobooks more. But those are small changes and resolutions I’ve made before.
But, for me I think 2010 is a very important year. After working for the last 12+ years, I need to find a career path. I have had some good jobs but none of them have really had a clear progression to the next step. So, I go into this year on a mission to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Since I’m 11 days away from turning 35, it’s about time!
I’m hoping to find an occupation that I will enjoy and can be passionate about for the next 30 years. I have no idea what that will be, but the search begins in earnest next week as I explore the possibility of becoming a teacher.
I’m not sure where 2010 will take me, but as I ring in 2011 I hope to have some answers.
