The Golden Compass

Before you go see the "Golden Compass", make sure you do some research on the story line and themes. I've read some disturbing things about the movie and books. This seems like another case of an author promoting athestic or anti-religious themes and framing them in children's story to make it seem ok.

Some people say that it's good to have a story for "free thinking" children who don't believe in God. But my concern is for the children who do believe in God and who will be influenced negatively by this movie. Or worse yet, those children who are confused and need some positive guidance in learning about God.


Read more at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305487,00.html and http://www.vh1.com/movies/news/articles/1573421/story.jhtml and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials:_The_Golden_Compass

How did I get here

I was driving home from class tonight and I had this strange feeling come over me. I don't remember how I got to be 34 years old. I remember when 34 seemed so old to me and now, here I am.

I feel like it's so important to spend each moment in a purposeful way. I don't want to look back at my life in 30 years and feel like my life has been for nothing. I'm at a pivotal stage in my life and I want it to have meaning and purpose. The next few months will see definite changes in my life. I want those changes to make a difference.

It could be just me

A friend of mine reminded me of a statement I made a couple of years ago. I said that asparagus is a vegatable of white people. I only said it because I've never seen it at any black person's house that I know. It was inappropriate, but in reality, I didn't know any black people who eat asparagus.

So for the past few years, she's been trying to convince me that I'm wrong by informally polling black people to see if they like asparagus. I'm going to say this once and only once:

I may have been mistaken about the asparagus thing. Perhaps I judged asparagus too hastily instead of giving it a chance. This doesn't mean I'm going to eat asparagus any time soon, but I won't speak against it either.

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.

The Breakup

Never underestimate a Tone Ranger:




For your next beer, wine or cocktail party:


This one has people in the background...

My New Store

I found a site that will let you create designs for apparel, books, household items and tons of other things.

I've just started, but there's more to come:

http://www.cafepress.com/jmjdesigns

Coming soon - 2008 Calendars with pictures from Tuscany, Italy

In other news

What a crazy couple of days...

There's still no definitive solution to my shoulder problems. The latest diagnosis is that it's "partially dislocated". So I have to go back to the orthopedists for another exam. I have to go get the films from the radiologist. Also, I had to make an appointment to get an ultrasound on my shoulder and arm. My doctor wants to see if there's anything circulatory going on as well because of the occasional numbness and tingling that I'm experiencing.

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Also, I had the strangest phone call today. We were looking for an online ticketing solution and we looked at a certain company. We decided, after looking at several companies, on another company. I emailed the sales rep and then she called me to ask why we didn't pick them. I didn't want to get really specific so I told her that we felt that the other company was a better fit.

She didn't take that well, so I had my boss call her. She was rude to him when he called and so that sealed the deal. This phone call took place about two weeks ago, at least. So out of the blue today, she calls me as if it's the first time we talked and said that someone from another college referred me to her. The key to the conversation was that the president of her company insisted that she call me. So she called and had no clue who I was.

I told her that we had talked before and that I had already let her know that we were going with another company. She was insistent that I tell her why and wanted to know what the other company had that she didn't. She was very hostile and condescending. She acted like I was too stupid to know what I was "passing up". So I told her that I'd call her back when my boss came back.

After I got off the phone with her, she sent me an email that was basically marketing spam and she sent it to my personal email address. I replied back and asked her to take my personal email address out of her address book; a reasonable request, I thought. Then my boss came back and left her a message saying that we had decided to go with another company and that she shouldn't call back anymore.

Well the lady must be extremely dense because she actually called back and wanted to know what she had done to offend us. Umm, how about continuing to call when we've already said no... how about not remembering previous conversations... how about answering the phone with "Wait a minute" when we called once before... how about insisting that we go with her even though her product costs more. This woman is out there.

So my boss gave her one more call and he actually spoke to her this time. It was the funniest thing I had ever heard. He spoke loud enough for every one in the office to hear and we were cracking up. He said, "I thought that we made it clear that we weren't going with your product for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the customer service. Apparently, she got super polite after that, but by then the bridge was burned and the support beams complete destroyed.

So she asked if there was anything she could do to get us to use her product and short of it being free, he told her no.

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Here's your You Tube clip of the day:
CITIWIDE CHANGE BANK

Mr. Vicadin

I had to take Vicadin last Friday for my arm and shoulder pain. I fell asleep on the couch watching the Flintstones. I had the weirdest dreams that night.

My first dream was about visiting a friend in Manhattan. Her apt was no bigger than my cubicle and she told me that her rent was over $900/month. It was crazy.

My second dream was about being an extra in the Fall production of the Foreigner at HCC. It was the strangest thing because I don't remember audtioning or even being asked to be in the play. All of the sudden I was in the middle of rehearsals. I couldn't go to the rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursdays because of the book study and Theocratic Ministry School and Service Meeting. I don't know what I ended up doing.

My third dream, the most embarrassing one was when I was in love (and stalking) Gary Coleman. Now mind you, I'm not talking Gary Coleman at the height of Diff'rent Strokes. I'm talking Gary Coleman, security guard. In my dream he was a hair dresser and for some reason I was completely in love with him.

Old Lady

I'm sitting at my desk at work with a bowl of oatmeal, tea, a calcium supplement, fiber supplements, a sling, and advil.

When did I get old?

Short Paper

I have to write a short paper about some concept that spans the different pop culture media of the late 19th and 20th century. I thought about this during class and on the way home and I was thinking about the portrayal of minorities in major media in the past 100 years. I'm not sure how to approach this topic. But I know that I don't want it to become a "there were no black people in movies" paper.

I have tons of research to do. If you have any ideas/suggestions, let me know.

Tiny Little Fractures

TheSueG (2:46:35 PM): how's your arm?
webkidjulie (2:46:45 PM): it doesn't hurt right now..
webkidjulie (2:46:54 PM): but I've been in the sling all day
TheSueG (2:47:10 PM): how long can you keep that on?
webkidjulie (2:47:24 PM): I'll find out how long I'll have to wear it tomorrow morning
TheSueG (2:48:25 PM): are you thinking of moving in to the doctor's office to save all the travel time?
webkidjulie (2:48:38 PM): you're funny, sue
TheSueG (2:48:52 PM): I try


So if you didn't know, I went to the ER on Friday because my shoulder was killing me. After waiting two hours, I found out that I have chip fractures on my shoulder. I have to wear a sling and see the orthopedist. So I go back to see Dr. Yeh tomorrow. He probably thought that he'd never have to see me again.
I'll keep you posted on the shoulder.