The Foreigner

I saw the Foreigner tonight at the Black Box Theatre. As always, I loved it.

- From the Dramatists Play Service

THE STORY: The scene is a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by "Froggy" LeSeuer, a British demolition expert who occasionally runs training sessions at a nearby army base. This time "Froggy" has brought along a friend, a pathologically shy young man named Charlie who is overcome with fear at the thought of making conversation with strangers. So "Froggy," before departing, tells all assembled that Charlie is from an exotic foreign country and speaks no English. Once alone the fun really begins, as Charlie overhears more than he should—the evil plans of a sinister, two-faced minister and his redneck associate; the fact that the minister's pretty fiancée is pregnant; and many other damaging revelations made with the thought that Charlie doesn't understand a word being said. That he does fuels the nonstop hilarity of the play and sets up the wildly funny climax in which things go uproariously awry for the "bad guys," and the "good guys" emerge triumphant.

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This play was hilarious. It gives the audience a lot to think about in terms of how we each treat people who are "foreigners". We do and assume some absurd things when we think people don't understand us. The play makes a commentary about people and how they interact, but not in a preachy way, but in a very humorous way.

The Foreigner runs through Decmember 16.
http://www.howardcc.edu/visitors/studentarts/productions

Setting Goals

It’s good to set goals for yourself. I heard it said once that until you put to paper, an unwritten set of goals is merely a wish list. Goals help you focus and see your future self in a positive place in life.

So that’s what I’m going to do. I want to set goals for work, school, and most importantly, I want to set spiritual goals. I’ve been working on those for a while, but haven’t put pen to paper yet. For the month of December, I’m going to make a schedule for the ministry and personal bible reading. Now that I have my new iPod classic, I can take the listen and read the bible almost anywhere. I can even listen to my Watchtower and Awake magazines on my iPod as well. What I want to do is get myself to the point where I’m doing some sort of spiritual study everyday and I don’t want a week to go by without going out into the ministry and having a meaningful share.

Once school is over, which will hopefully be in May 2008, I think that I’ll be able to spend more time doing the things I really want to do. I can’t wait.

A Light at the end of the tunnel

OH JOY OF JOYS!!!

I just registered for Spring classes and got a happy surprise. The "elective" I signed up for is a class I can use for my major. I don't have take CMIS102 or IFSM310. That means that I only need 12 credits to graduate.

A decision

I made a decision. I really want to take a photojournalism class, but I've decided not to take it because I would have to drive to College Park every wednesday during the spring semester. Instead, I've found two seemingly easy courses that I can take instead.

I've been so stressed, as you've probably noticed. The spector of graduation has been looming over me for a while. Everyone is telling me that I can do it, but no one has practical suggestions. "Just hang in there" is the least helpful thing to hear sometimes.

But this afternoon it came to me: work smarter not harder. If I have to take five classes, I need to find the easiet classes possible. I already know that my social science is going to involve alot of reading, so I'm going to push that one off until the end. But in the mean time, I don't need to make this hard on myself.

So I've narrowed it down to three classes. I have to take the last one for sure. They're all online.


CMST 340 Computer Applications in Management (3)
Prerequisite: CMIS 102, CMIS 102A, CMST 103, or IFSM 201. An overview of computer-based information-system concepts and operations and how these capabilities are applied by management to improve the work processes of business, government, and academic organizations. Topics include management planning at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels necessary to effect continuous improvements. The interchange of electronic information and the application of various computing tools such as spreadsheet programs are introduced. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: CAPP 340, CMIS 350, or CMST 340.

CMST 311 Advanced Electronic Publishing (3)
Prerequisite: CMST 310. A project-oriented study of the advanced concepts and methods of electonic (desktop) publishing. Emphasis in on effective transfer of electronic files to service bureaus and printers. Features essential to multimedia presentations are integrated with techniques for capturing and editing photos to produce business publications. Students learn to publish printed documents on a Web site. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: CAPP 311 or CMST 311.


CMIS 102 Introduction to Problem Solving and Algorithm Design (3)
A study of techniques for finding solutions to problems through structured programming and step-wise refinement. Topics include principles of programming, the logic of constructing a computer program, and the practical aspects of integrating program modules into a cohesive whole. Algorithms are used to demonstrate programming as an approach to problem solving, and basic features of a modern object-oriented language are illustrated. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: CMIS 102, CMIS 102A, or CMSC 101.

Overwhelmed

I need to say something in all seriousness. I cannot keep up the pace the I've been going for the past few weeks. It's wearing me out mentally and physically. i'm not sleeping well and I'm constantly anxious. Today I had to do something that I didn't really want to do; give up being a coach for a student. In some ways, I feel like I'm the one that needs a coach.

Every week, I try to be encouraging to my student, telling her about all her resources and that if she just holds on, she'll make it through. For some reason, I can't accept my own advice about my own situation. It's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when so many things stand in the way. It feels like having a black canvass bag over my head and everyone telling me that I can maneuver my way across a busy intersection. I can't fathom doing it; much less doing it well.

The problem started when I realized that my goal of graduating in May 2008 was unattainable. I'm missing one prerequisite class that will make it so I have to put off graduation until the summer. I want this to be over so badly, that I can taste it. So having that road block completely threw me for a loop.

I was talking to someone the other day about helping students develop alternatives and I realized that I don't always have a plan B. I had my mind focused on attaining a certain goal and now that the goal is out of reach, I'm at a loss.

I have done one thing to let myself be able to handle this better. I have begun giving up some responsibilities at work that were taking away a part of me. It's one thing to be on a committee and find a way to passively exist on the committee. It's a whole other thing to chair the committee or at the very least have an active role that cannot be ignored. I find myself in that situation as we speak. I don't know how to let go. I had to do it today for one committee and it just about broke my heart because I love being a part of it. On the other hand, I have my mental and spiritual health to consider.

So, I'm going to keep plowing through. But if you see me crying in the rain, please come over and give me a hug.

The Funeral

My Grand Idea

webkidjulie (11:07:01 PM): so I had an idea today
suzygee315 (11:07:01 PM): ?
webkidjulie (11:07:49 PM): I want to host convocation one day, kind of like ellen hosted the oscars...except that before we start, I want to do Q & A like Carol Burnett
and in between people speaking, I can do jokes that way, people won't want to kill themselves during convocation. it will be fun
suzygee315 (11:10:11 PM): YAY! SOUNDS VERY COOL!

Driftin' Away - Verse #2

For G.

With all of my heart, I know I disappointed you
And although Im real sorry
I don't know how to save this time
But, if I would lose you
I know I would go completely out of my mind
Im running out of time

And Im so afraid that youve forgiven me one too many times
And Im so afraid to give my heart again just to have a change of mind
And Im not quite sure that you can trust me
And I would hate to have you find me again
like the wind, driftin away

-By Garth Brooks

The demotivating motivator

I woke up Tuesday morning with this very singular and clear thought:
If you hate your job and the people you work with, you should quit.

I think you do yourself a disservice when you try to stay at a job you don't like. There's nothing noble about sticking it out because in the end your sticking it out only serves to hurt you in the long run and the people around you.

If you're sticking around to prove a point, all I can say is that it better be worth it. But if it isn't, move on. Hatred can be like a cancer that eats away at you. If you continually put yourself in situations that fill you with hatred, in the long run, it will kill you either emotionally or physically or both.

So, do yourself a favor, just quit.

Drugs in American Pop Culture

I've finally finished my paper on drugs in popular culture and mass media. After I started doing research, I instantly regretted picking this topic. I know that there is plenty of information on drugs. But I couldn't find what I needed. Eventually, I was able to start writing and ideas started to flow.

I wasn't able to get the paper done on time. I explained to my professor my dilemma and he said that I could turn in tomorrow. Fortunately for me VH1 aired a four hour series called The Drug Years which gave me the information that I had been trying to find all along. It was a huge blessing because I had no idea how I was going to finish my paper.

I don't think my paper is ground breaking in any way. I only scratches the surface of the real drug problem. But then again, it's really not supposed to.