Procrastination...

I know this paper isn't going to write itself, and I know that it's the last paper I'm EVER going to have to write (for school) but for some reason, I can't bring myself to work on it. I thought maybe if I wrote a blog post, it would start writing itself.... It could happen!

I'm Tired

I'm tired of people not doing what they say they'll do. I'm tired of people not showing up for me. I'm tired of people who pretend to be my friends. I'm tired of the people who don't contribute in my group for class. I'm tired of dealing with stupid people all the time. I'm tired of drama. Not mine, because I don't think I really have any... but I'm tired of everyone else's.

The Government and its Damn Oil

I was reading an article in Fast Company, a magazine I was turned on to during my MBA, and came across an article called, "Motorhead Messiah." If you go onto the website, you can look up old issues of the magazine and read the articles. Anyway, this article is about a guy named Jonathan Goodwin and how he has been re-designing engines to make them more powerful, and more efficient, and how his innovations could help the US car manufacturers rebound from their slump. At the time the article was written, he was working on a Hummer H3 (a vehicle that weighs about 5,000 lbs) - when he's done with it, the vehicle will have 2,000 foot-pounds of torque, will get approximately 60 miles to the gallon (as its being converted to a hybrid engine), will be changed from 300 to 600 horsepower, and will be able to do 0-60 in five seconds! Remember: we're talking about a Hummer here, people. Isn't that amazing? (The picture of the Hummer is for reference... and it's pink because it's cute)!

Well kids, because things are the way they are, and this country relies so heavily on the money generated from oil, we'll never see Goodwin's innovations streamlined into the general marketplace. Just think how much better off our environment would be if these changes could be made for all the cars in the US. Is it ever going to happen? Probably not! What the hell is wrong with our country's priorities?

Here's a link to the article. It's really interesting, I'd suggest reading it just for fun.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html

"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die."

After everyone had left the party last night Auri, Trent, Di Bradley and myself went upstairs to watch "Across the Universe." I'd been looking forward to seeing the movie even though I wasn't entirely sure what it was about. The movie, for those of you who haven't seen it yet, is a musical set to the music of The Beatles, and it's about the Vietnam War and how it affected everyone. Over the last few years, I've heard the talk comparing Vietnam to the war in Iraq and the movie helped me better understand the parallels. I've never been a particularly politically-minded individual, but I'm slowly becoming that way. I am really anxious to see who will be elected President at the end of the year and also to see what will happen over the next few years. I think this election will possibly be the most important election my generation will see in our lifetime. For this reason, I feel it is incredibly important for everyone to educate themselves on the candidates, and to vote for the person who most closely represents his or her beliefs and values.

I was talking to Auri the other night and we were discussing the voting process and the Primaries. I told her that I had been on the fence for a long time regarding the Democratic candidates and was having a hard time making a decision. We got a newsletter from the Council for the National Interest and it outlined each of the candidates thoughts on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This is a particularly important subject to me because my family is there, and I want our next leader to take the steps to foster the peace process. I voted based on what I had read in that newsletter. The candidate that I voted for stated that he was a proponent for a resolution that satisfies both sides of the issue. As we were talking about this, Auri made a very profound statement... Anyone who takes sides is directly contributing to the conflict. I couldn't agree more. The sad part of the situation is neither side will ever give up, and I doubt if I'll ever see a resolution in my lifetime.

Homework and other stuff

Well, it's official.... I will be done with my MBA in 15 days! Woo Hoo! I absolutely cannot wait to be finished. I'll finally have my life back and I'm looking so forward to it. I'm really excited to not have to waste my freakin' Saturday nights doing homework that I should have gotten done earlier in the week (on the actual day it was due) because I'm so burned out I have no desire to even look at it. I know that if I'd just focus and get it done, my life would be a lot less stressful, but I've always procrastinated in regards to homework, so why should I change my ways now?

Anyway... Last night we had a party at Auri and Trent's house and it was a blast. And, I'd just like to state officially for the record that I have some of the best friends in the world! (Even if Karen won't give me a copy of my birthday trip pictures)!

Man vs. Wild

I think I'm going to start watching Man vs. Wild diligently. I've now heard two stories of people surviving after doing what they learned while watching the show. One story was about a couple of kids who fell into a frozen-over lake and after learning what to do from the show, they were able to save themselves from hypothermia. The second story is about this couple from Utah who was just found alive after 10 days in the wilderness! The best part about the show is that Bear Grylls is really hot, so I will be thoroughly entertained!

A Powerful Message

Some people may love this song as much as I do.... some may hate it. I don't really care. That's the beauty of the country we live in - freedom of speech is a gift. I blasted this in my car on my way to vote. It was a little tribute by me, to my country and our future leader. Here are the lyrics...

"Hands Held High"

Turn my mic up louder
I got to say something
Lightweights step it aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest / the syllables get pumping
People on the street they panic and start running
Words on loose leaf sheet complete coming
I jump in my mind and summon the rhyme I’m dumping
Healing the blind I promise to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we march to the drum and
Jump when they tell us that they want to see us jumping
Fuck that / I want to see some fists pumping
Risk something / take back what’s yours
Say something that you know they might attack you for
Cause I’m sick of being treated like I have before
Like it’s stupid standing for what I’m standing for
Like this war’s really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn’t cater to rich and abandon poor
Like they understand you in the back of the jet/when you
Can’t put gas in your tank / and these fuckers are
Laughing their way to the bank / and cashing the check
Asking you to have compassion / and have some respect
For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In their living room laughing like
What did he say?

Amen, Amen, Amen

In my living room watching / but I am not laughing / cause
When it gets tense I know what might happen
The world is cold / the bold men take action
Have to react or get blown into fractions
Ten years old / it’s something to see / another
Kid my age drug under a jeep
Taken and bound / and found later under a tree
I wonder if he had thought the next one could be me
Do you see / the soldiers / they’re out today they
Brush the dust from bulletproof vests away
It’s ironic / at times like this you pray
But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday
There’s bombs on the busses / bikes / roads
Inside your market / your shops / your clothes / my dad
He’s got a lot of fear I know
But enough pride inside not to let that show
My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine
On the back / he hand wrote a quote inside:
“When the rich wage war it’s the poor who die.”
And meanwhile / the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
The rest of the world watching at the end of the day
Both scared and angry like
What did he say?

Chorus: With hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you

-Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park

Minutes to Midnight Album

Random Ramblings from this Week

I think this is becoming a forum for me to complain, and not so much for me to share my thoughts and wisdom with the world. I think this picture of me sums up my week. Yes, I realize it's only Tuesday night, but it's already been the week from hell. It actually all started last week with the 2nd of two, glorious snow storms.

After the car got high-centered at the park, and Zak and I dug it out, I didn't want anything to do with it the next day, so Odum drove us to work. When I got home, I was informed that I had a flat tire. Fabulous, I know. My parents were out of town for the next three days so I took my mom's car to work for the remainder of the week. On Saturday, I took my car to get new tires and have the "check engine" light looked at. The guy at the tire place got my tires off and then figured out he ordered the wrong size tires, so he sent me on my merry way with a set of loaner wheels until Monday. From there, I had the check engine light looked at and found out everything is fine. It came on because the tires were spinning out of control when it was high-centered last week. (Can I tell you, by the way, that the service writer at the car place is totally cute? My dad sends me to see him every time I go in, and he's just so damn cute)! Anyway, I was on my way to Auri's on Saturday night and hit about 60mph on the freeway and the steering wheel began to shake uncontrollably. I came to the conclusion I couldn't go over about 58mph or the front end was going to get jacked up. So I took the car in Monday after work when they said they'd have the wheels ready to go, (keep in mind that I had my dad call the guy to tell him I was on my way and the guy said he was waiting for me) and when I got there, they told me they ordered the wrong size tires, AGAIN!!! So I was back on my merry way, though it wasn't so merry. I was extremely close to either ramming my car into a snowbank, or rallying the car before I gave them the tires back and told them to shove them. Luckily I refrained from killing myself, or anyone else, and got home safely.

Earlier yesterday I had called my mom to say hi, only to find out my poor mom had been cleaning up doggy diarrhea all morning, her brand new washer flooded the laundry room, and she had to take the dog to the vet. In addition to this, my uncle's mom is in a nursing home and isn't doing too well, so things are just shitty around my house this week. When I got home, we both cried a little, got some dinner, and came home and layed on the couch. We're better today (and so is the dog).

I had to take off early again from work today and drive back to 10600 South, from 100 South, to go get my tires. I had a call earlier this afternoon stating that they were mounted and ready to go. All I had to do was drive 106 blocks on the freeway in stop and go traffic at rush hour to go get them. Fun, huh? Sorry for the venting, but it seems to help when I get it out.