My blog has officially moved to www.christopherstowe.com. There weren’t that many posts here and I wasn’t heavily invested in it. Randi suggested that I start blogging about our family planning, and that is what the other space is supposed to be for. (Pardon me and my misplaced prepositions.) It probably won’t only be about that though. I think that I’m much more invested in this blog than any previous blog; I actually bought a book to learn how to use WordPress and it isn’t the easiest thing in the world. I’m not a web-designer so installing all these crazy gizmos and learning how to use MySQL and FTP took some time.
This blog will still be available for a week or so and then I will delete it for good. You’ll have to go to www.christopherstowe.com to read my blog or update your GoogleReader with this new site and RSS feed.
This site will be going through lots of changes as I learn new and interesting ways to customize it. And the blog name isn’t permanent; I’m toying with several possibilities. If you have any suggestions, PLEASE, PLEASE, send them to me. I am not as creative as I used to be.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Being Re-taught
In order to get into grad school, I have to get an acceptable score on the GRE. It isn't the easiest test in the world. 30 verbal questions and 28 quantitative questions determine my fate, so in order to increase my score I am taking a GRE prep class at BYU.
I have never been the best at math problems and I'll show you why. I don't think it is because I am unintelligent or can't learn. I have an amazing (long-term) memory and have always excelled when I apply myself. I think that the problem has been my math teachers.
In Freshman Algebra I was in a regular class, i.e. not Advanced/Pre-AP/AP because there wasn't an advanced Algebra I. My teacher should have been teaching kindergartners; she used counting bears and candy to explain mathematical terms. It was a breeze and I had a 99 average for the year. That's how easy it was. Sophomore year I had a better teacher, but I was annoyed with having to show my work in PreAP Geometry, and with having to back-up my answer with the applicable theorem. I was lucky to get a B in that class. Pre-AP Algebra II was taught by a Nazi who had been at my high school since my father was a student there; She liked me, but I didn't like her. Then I went to AP Statistics and finally loved math, but the teacher had come out of retirement and really didn't care alot.
I guess that's a really long way of saying that my teachers were old and incompatible with my learning style. They were concerned with teaching the old way and never taught any shortcuts to answers. I LIKE SHORTCUTS. Not only that, but they also taught somethings wrong.
Enter GRE Prep, in just 4 hours of Math I have exceeded everything that I ever learned about math thus far. In fact, my mind can hardly process it all in just a short amount of time.
Here's an example of how many people have been taught inadequately or incorrectly. Our GRE teacher asked our class to answer this question: What is 12 divided by 2 times 3? (12/2*3)
Our class was split 50/50. Half said the answer is 2, the other half said the answer is 18.
Why? It's called the Order of Operations. Everyone was taught some mnemonic device like Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally to remember PEMDAS: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. It's what you do first in an equation to get the right answer.
According to PEMDAS you would multiply first, then divide. Only that's wrong. There aren't 6 operations, there are only 4. FOUR! Multiplications and Division are in the same step, as are Addition and Subtraction; for these two steps you always move left to right.
So the answer is 18, not 2.
That's just one example of how my mind is being boggled by this class. I just hope that I can remember everything for the test. I have a bajillion flashcards that I have to memorize, and that's not even for the verbal. Zoinks!
I have never been the best at math problems and I'll show you why. I don't think it is because I am unintelligent or can't learn. I have an amazing (long-term) memory and have always excelled when I apply myself. I think that the problem has been my math teachers.
In Freshman Algebra I was in a regular class, i.e. not Advanced/Pre-AP/AP because there wasn't an advanced Algebra I. My teacher should have been teaching kindergartners; she used counting bears and candy to explain mathematical terms. It was a breeze and I had a 99 average for the year. That's how easy it was. Sophomore year I had a better teacher, but I was annoyed with having to show my work in PreAP Geometry, and with having to back-up my answer with the applicable theorem. I was lucky to get a B in that class. Pre-AP Algebra II was taught by a Nazi who had been at my high school since my father was a student there; She liked me, but I didn't like her. Then I went to AP Statistics and finally loved math, but the teacher had come out of retirement and really didn't care alot.
I guess that's a really long way of saying that my teachers were old and incompatible with my learning style. They were concerned with teaching the old way and never taught any shortcuts to answers. I LIKE SHORTCUTS. Not only that, but they also taught somethings wrong.
Enter GRE Prep, in just 4 hours of Math I have exceeded everything that I ever learned about math thus far. In fact, my mind can hardly process it all in just a short amount of time.
Here's an example of how many people have been taught inadequately or incorrectly. Our GRE teacher asked our class to answer this question: What is 12 divided by 2 times 3? (12/2*3)
Our class was split 50/50. Half said the answer is 2, the other half said the answer is 18.
Why? It's called the Order of Operations. Everyone was taught some mnemonic device like Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally to remember PEMDAS: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. It's what you do first in an equation to get the right answer.
According to PEMDAS you would multiply first, then divide. Only that's wrong. There aren't 6 operations, there are only 4. FOUR! Multiplications and Division are in the same step, as are Addition and Subtraction; for these two steps you always move left to right.
So the answer is 18, not 2.
That's just one example of how my mind is being boggled by this class. I just hope that I can remember everything for the test. I have a bajillion flashcards that I have to memorize, and that's not even for the verbal. Zoinks!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Dead Face
I went to the dentist today to have three cavities filled. Except for a routine exam last month this is the first time I've been to the dentist since I was 16 or 17. I thought three cavities wasn't all that bad for not going to the dentist for 6 years. I've never been a consistent flosser and that's what led to the cavities on the ends of my teeth.
I forgot how horrifying the dentist's can be and why so many people are afraid of going, including Randi. I had to close my eyes when the doctor stuck a giant needle in my right cheek. I was able to drown out the sounds of drills and other miscellaneous oral tools thanks to headphones cranking the sound from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that played on a flat screen above my head.
The whole thing took about an hour and then I was left with dead face. I could barely talk coherently. I couldn't really drink anything because the right side of my lips couldn't feel a bottle or a glass. I didn't want to eat anything because I was afraid that I would bite my cheek and bleed unknowingly.
The dead face lasted for a few hours and once the numbness wore off my cheek and teeth hurt. I took some Tylenol and fell asleep when I should have been looking for a job.
I guess the moral of the story is that I should make sure I floss so that I don't have to do this again.
I forgot how horrifying the dentist's can be and why so many people are afraid of going, including Randi. I had to close my eyes when the doctor stuck a giant needle in my right cheek. I was able to drown out the sounds of drills and other miscellaneous oral tools thanks to headphones cranking the sound from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade that played on a flat screen above my head.
The whole thing took about an hour and then I was left with dead face. I could barely talk coherently. I couldn't really drink anything because the right side of my lips couldn't feel a bottle or a glass. I didn't want to eat anything because I was afraid that I would bite my cheek and bleed unknowingly.
The dead face lasted for a few hours and once the numbness wore off my cheek and teeth hurt. I took some Tylenol and fell asleep when I should have been looking for a job.
I guess the moral of the story is that I should make sure I floss so that I don't have to do this again.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
West Wing 101
Now that I am done with this semester I can do all of the things that I have wanted to do, at least until Thursday when class starts all over again.
I joked with a friend that we should start a blog called Things I Learned From The West Wing. We are nerds who love to watch that show over and over again. Well, I did it and here it is westwing101.blogspot.com
It's pretty nerdy, but interesting, so check it out.
I joked with a friend that we should start a blog called Things I Learned From The West Wing. We are nerds who love to watch that show over and over again. Well, I did it and here it is westwing101.blogspot.com
It's pretty nerdy, but interesting, so check it out.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Panic Attack
So I had quite possibly the biggest panic attack of my life today. I went to the testing center to take a final. I waited in line until my turn and had my blue(green) book and ID ready. The girl swiped my ID and asked me what class the test was for.
"Comm 3010. History of Mass Media," I said as I put my ID back in my wallet.
"Teacher?" she asked, puzzled.
I told her the teacher's name and the section number. She went over to the shelf where the tests are and came back with a giant list. She flipped through it and then asked me for my UVID number again.
"That test closed on the 28th - yesterday."
What?!?! "What do you mean closed? Like I can't take it? Because my teacher told us we had until Wednesday."
"Most teachers don't really know our policy. Finals are only in the testing center for 2 days," she sniped.
"Well what do I do?" I managed to squeeze out of my throat trying to keep tears from welling up in my eyes.
She told me that there was nothing that she could do for me and that I had to email my teacher and try to work something out. At this point I was so overcome that I could barely stand. My knees were buckling and all I could think was I'm going to fail!
The stupid girl made me sign 'the book' like I am in kindergarten or something to show that I was denied testing. I was so embarrassed that I ran to my car as fast as I could. I started to call everyone I could. I called Randi and got no answer. Crap! She's in meetings all day. I called my mom. Voicemail. Crap! Crap! Pick up someone! I tried my mom again and she answered.
"I need your help! I need a phone number and I'm not near a computer." I was talking as I drove to my teacher's office on the snowball's chance that she would be there.
I gave my mom my Blackboard information while she fought with her computer for about 10 minutes. I went to the office and saw no one. No one answered the door. I finally got the number and called my teacher.
"I'm Panicking! The testing center won't let me take my test!"
After she laughed at me and got me calmed down I learned that the testing center didn't tell her that she could only have a final in there for 2 days until it was too late to tell us. They also completely botched her final for another class.
So I get to take my final tomorrow before my Mediation Final. Crisis Averted.
I went home and took a nap. It's just too much stress for Finals week.
"Comm 3010. History of Mass Media," I said as I put my ID back in my wallet.
"Teacher?" she asked, puzzled.
I told her the teacher's name and the section number. She went over to the shelf where the tests are and came back with a giant list. She flipped through it and then asked me for my UVID number again.
"That test closed on the 28th - yesterday."
What?!?! "What do you mean closed? Like I can't take it? Because my teacher told us we had until Wednesday."
"Most teachers don't really know our policy. Finals are only in the testing center for 2 days," she sniped.
"Well what do I do?" I managed to squeeze out of my throat trying to keep tears from welling up in my eyes.
She told me that there was nothing that she could do for me and that I had to email my teacher and try to work something out. At this point I was so overcome that I could barely stand. My knees were buckling and all I could think was I'm going to fail!
The stupid girl made me sign 'the book' like I am in kindergarten or something to show that I was denied testing. I was so embarrassed that I ran to my car as fast as I could. I started to call everyone I could. I called Randi and got no answer. Crap! She's in meetings all day. I called my mom. Voicemail. Crap! Crap! Pick up someone! I tried my mom again and she answered.
"I need your help! I need a phone number and I'm not near a computer." I was talking as I drove to my teacher's office on the snowball's chance that she would be there.
I gave my mom my Blackboard information while she fought with her computer for about 10 minutes. I went to the office and saw no one. No one answered the door. I finally got the number and called my teacher.
"I'm Panicking! The testing center won't let me take my test!"
After she laughed at me and got me calmed down I learned that the testing center didn't tell her that she could only have a final in there for 2 days until it was too late to tell us. They also completely botched her final for another class.
So I get to take my final tomorrow before my Mediation Final. Crisis Averted.
I went home and took a nap. It's just too much stress for Finals week.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I'll get you a nice salad and a bit o' chicken
So I'm obsessed with Britain's Got Talent, because the Brits in fact have talent whereas the American version of this show is pretty lame. There are just so many great acts and there have only been 3 episodes.
Enter DJ Talent. He's no Susan Boyle, Shaheen Jafargholi, or Hollie Steel. However, he cracks me up. You just have to watch. The end is the best when he asks Kelly, one of the judges, on a date. Sadly, he even gets 4 yeses. Check it out here.
There's also a great Dance Troupe- Crew as we Yanks would call them- called Diversity. They really make dance fun and humorous. It reminds me of dances on So You Think You Can Dance. IMHO they are much better than the other similar group called Flawless. Check out Diversity though, you won't regret it.
And for the biggest laugh of your life YOU MUST WATCH Stavros Flatly.
If you're really, really, really brave you can watch Fabia Cerra. WARNING: THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU'LL WANT TO WATCH IN PUBLIC.
(Sorry that I've edited this three times. But BGT just is a never ending supply of great videos.)
Enter DJ Talent. He's no Susan Boyle, Shaheen Jafargholi, or Hollie Steel. However, he cracks me up. You just have to watch. The end is the best when he asks Kelly, one of the judges, on a date. Sadly, he even gets 4 yeses. Check it out here.
There's also a great Dance Troupe- Crew as we Yanks would call them- called Diversity. They really make dance fun and humorous. It reminds me of dances on So You Think You Can Dance. IMHO they are much better than the other similar group called Flawless. Check out Diversity though, you won't regret it.
And for the biggest laugh of your life YOU MUST WATCH Stavros Flatly.
If you're really, really, really brave you can watch Fabia Cerra. WARNING: THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU'LL WANT TO WATCH IN PUBLIC.
(Sorry that I've edited this three times. But BGT just is a never ending supply of great videos.)
Monday, April 27, 2009
Summer TV
All the classic shows will be having their finales soon and will give way to summer shows. These summer shows never get any credit, but some of them are way better than the regular September to May shows. Here are a few of my faves and their premieres.
1. So You Think You Can Dance - Premieres Thursday, May 21 8/7c
This show has way more talent than every season of American Idol, America's Got Talent, and every other talent show combined. These dancers have to learn to dance new styles of dance every week from Argentine Tango and Broadway to Contemporary and Waltz. The judges are much more animated than AI. Mary screams about her "Hot Tamale Train" and Nigel never ceases to crack us up. The choreographers are experienced and make the dancers work. There aren't any crappy dance numbers like AI.
The dancers go through all sorts of Drama. From having to dance for their lives if they are in the bottom three to having to change partners. And they're way more interesting. Benji and Lacey and Twitch and Katy. These are people that I remember and want to watch their dances over and over again. And these are HARDCORE dances, not like walking around a dance floor with a celebrity.
This show gets priority on my TiVo during the summer.
2. Next Food Network Star - Premieres Sunday, June 7 10/9c
Okay, so I stumbled upon this show last season when the marathon was on prior to the finale. Randi and I TiVoed every episode and spent a good chunk of Saturday and Sunday watching this fantastic show.
Unlike other kitchen shows where the set is a living hell. This show actually tests cooking prowess along with star personality. There's always some drama thrown in for good measure, but I love just watching to see who can do the best job in a sticky situation.
Having to cook on a moving train and only getting 30 minutes to prepare and plate a meal? Cooking a meal for hundreds of seamen on a Navy ship while having to use chocolate and fish as your ingredients?
Every episode is a surprise and you get your favorites just like every other reality show. Plus they always throw in Food Network Celebs like Paula Deen, The Neeleys, and the Barefoot Contessa.
3. Wipeout - Premieres May 27
Okay. If you've never seen this show you probably won't understand. It's basically three obstacle courses. Three amazingly complex and awesome obstacle courses. I don't really care who wins, I just love watching people, especially those 'larger' than life wipeout on anything and everything.
My favorite obstacle- The BIG BALLS. They supply an unending supply of laughs.
The hosts are two corny guys who mostly have poorly written zingers, but every now and then they hit a home run. The winner gets like $25,000 or something, but it's all about the wipeout.
4. Project Runway - Premieres August?
When Bravo/NBC and Lifetime got in a legal battle I thought Runway was going to be in legal limbo. Thankfully they have settled and Season 6 can finally air and this time I will get to watch it because it will be on Lifetime!
Tim Gunn is hilarious and his low nasally voice is perfection. His trademark phrases are "That's alotta Look," "Carry On" and of course "Make it Work."
The judges are Heidi Klum, who plays host as well, Michael Kors, and the 'evil' Nina Garcia. The contests are brilliant and watching these designers work is a treat. It takes an amazing person to make a fashion-forward dress out of corn stalks. This show is definitely In.
Then there's always those new shows that try to make it big during the summer. Which ones will I be watching?
Make It or Break It - Premieres Monday, June 22 9/8c
I love gymnastics. And this show will probably be one of the absolute worst teen dramedys on television, but if it's clever and well written I may be in heaven. Hell, if it's awesomely bad I'll probably still watch.
Jingles - Premieres?
Ok I have no doubt this show will be a train wreck, but I'm sure it will have quite a few laughs. I just don't see people writing jingles as a winning reality TV show.
Merlin- Premieres?
While this is a 13 part mini-series I love anything Arthurian. From Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail to T.H. White's The Once and Future King.
Hopefully this is a good series.
1. So You Think You Can Dance - Premieres Thursday, May 21 8/7c
This show has way more talent than every season of American Idol, America's Got Talent, and every other talent show combined. These dancers have to learn to dance new styles of dance every week from Argentine Tango and Broadway to Contemporary and Waltz. The judges are much more animated than AI. Mary screams about her "Hot Tamale Train" and Nigel never ceases to crack us up. The choreographers are experienced and make the dancers work. There aren't any crappy dance numbers like AI.
The dancers go through all sorts of Drama. From having to dance for their lives if they are in the bottom three to having to change partners. And they're way more interesting. Benji and Lacey and Twitch and Katy. These are people that I remember and want to watch their dances over and over again. And these are HARDCORE dances, not like walking around a dance floor with a celebrity.
This show gets priority on my TiVo during the summer.
2. Next Food Network Star - Premieres Sunday, June 7 10/9c
Okay, so I stumbled upon this show last season when the marathon was on prior to the finale. Randi and I TiVoed every episode and spent a good chunk of Saturday and Sunday watching this fantastic show.
Unlike other kitchen shows where the set is a living hell. This show actually tests cooking prowess along with star personality. There's always some drama thrown in for good measure, but I love just watching to see who can do the best job in a sticky situation.
Having to cook on a moving train and only getting 30 minutes to prepare and plate a meal? Cooking a meal for hundreds of seamen on a Navy ship while having to use chocolate and fish as your ingredients?
Every episode is a surprise and you get your favorites just like every other reality show. Plus they always throw in Food Network Celebs like Paula Deen, The Neeleys, and the Barefoot Contessa.
3. Wipeout - Premieres May 27
Okay. If you've never seen this show you probably won't understand. It's basically three obstacle courses. Three amazingly complex and awesome obstacle courses. I don't really care who wins, I just love watching people, especially those 'larger' than life wipeout on anything and everything.
My favorite obstacle- The BIG BALLS. They supply an unending supply of laughs.
The hosts are two corny guys who mostly have poorly written zingers, but every now and then they hit a home run. The winner gets like $25,000 or something, but it's all about the wipeout.
4. Project Runway - Premieres August?
When Bravo/NBC and Lifetime got in a legal battle I thought Runway was going to be in legal limbo. Thankfully they have settled and Season 6 can finally air and this time I will get to watch it because it will be on Lifetime!
Tim Gunn is hilarious and his low nasally voice is perfection. His trademark phrases are "That's alotta Look," "Carry On" and of course "Make it Work."
The judges are Heidi Klum, who plays host as well, Michael Kors, and the 'evil' Nina Garcia. The contests are brilliant and watching these designers work is a treat. It takes an amazing person to make a fashion-forward dress out of corn stalks. This show is definitely In.
Then there's always those new shows that try to make it big during the summer. Which ones will I be watching?
Make It or Break It - Premieres Monday, June 22 9/8c
I love gymnastics. And this show will probably be one of the absolute worst teen dramedys on television, but if it's clever and well written I may be in heaven. Hell, if it's awesomely bad I'll probably still watch.
Jingles - Premieres?
Ok I have no doubt this show will be a train wreck, but I'm sure it will have quite a few laughs. I just don't see people writing jingles as a winning reality TV show.
Merlin- Premieres?
While this is a 13 part mini-series I love anything Arthurian. From Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail to T.H. White's The Once and Future King.
Hopefully this is a good series.
Economics
To minor or not to minor? That is the question.
Cons:
Five extra classes.
Delaying, but not really delaying graduation 'til April. (I'll be here anyways)
The classes aren't offered that frequently.
Pros:
I would have a minor.
It would help me in grad school.
It could help me get in to grad school.
Why can't I make decisions like this when I would have years to complete it?
Cons:
Five extra classes.
Delaying, but not really delaying graduation 'til April. (I'll be here anyways)
The classes aren't offered that frequently.
Pros:
I would have a minor.
It would help me in grad school.
It could help me get in to grad school.
Why can't I make decisions like this when I would have years to complete it?
Longest Week of My Life
I haven't written on my blog in a long time. Thankfully, this semester is almost over. I just have a project and two more finals. Then it starts all over again.
This past week has been one of the longest weeks ever.
It was my last week of class and I had a gazillion assignments due, including a 3000 word magazine article. Then my in-laws started trickling in on Tuesday.
Wednesday I went shopping with my mother-in-law who I had to teach how to wear color. Almost everything that she buys for herself is black, white, or gray so when she comes out here she makes me pick out her clothes. Then while everyone else went to Tucano's, I started writing my magazine article. I got about a third of the way done before I had to change and pick up Randi at work to go to her cousin's wedding at the Mt. Timp Temple. Then I raced back and borrowed my sister-in-law's car to go to the PR Firm's BBQ. It was pretty lame, so I left right after they annouced the winners and came home.
I stayed up Wednesday night until about 2am finishing my article. Had a few people read over it in the morning and then started the day. Our printer doesn't work with our Macs so we have my old Dell Laptop that we print from. I went to turn it on and - nothing. No power. It was dead. I tried pluging it in and.... nada. It went to Dell Hell.
So I had to race to campus and print at a lab before class started. I got to a lab and of course there were no open computers! Thankfully I spotted a friend who was willing to let me print. I dropped off my paper and skipped my next class so that I could make it to Randi's graduation. The doors opened at 2. Since it was in the Marriott Center and the seats are extermely uncomfortable (that's why you stand at sporting events) we didn't want to go too early. Half our entourage walked with Randi and the other half took the bus a little later with me. Our seats were waaaaaaayyyy up at the top where we could barely see anything except the Jumbotron.
The graduation processional and recessional were painfully long, but the speakers were short and sweet. I love President Uctdorf's talks and his voice is soothing. So soothing that some people were dozing off. We took some pictures after sorting through 6,192 graduates to find Randi.
We went to the Brick Oven afterwards and met up with Randi's paternal grandpa and his lover. I really don't know what to call her since they aren't married. He picked up the tab for ten people though. Apparantly he feels the need to impress people. Then we played a giant game of catchphrase and had an impromptu variety show. I stayed up late learning a new song for my callback. It wasn't that great.
Friday morning we had to getup early for Randi's Convocation that was at 8. It was over by 9:20 and we took some more pictures. We raced home and I went to my callback. The guy before me sucked, then I sucked, then a girl was amazing and then another guy sucked. We went to Wal-mart after the audition to get a wedding present for Randi's cousin.
Randi really wanted to have a BBQ so she could have her Dad's burgers and her Mom's pasta salad. We spent a few hours preparing for the BBQ and I studied for a WWII Final. There was a domestic spat between parents before we traipsed up the canyon to Nunn's park and it just kept getting colder and more windy. The grills were disgusting so we covered them in Tin Foil.
Racing back down the canyon I changed and got dropped off at campus in time for my Final, while everyone else went to the wedding reception. After doing worse than I wanted on my Final I took the bus home and cleaned up the pigsty that has become my apartnent from ten people living in it. I had a Sonic Blast and then we all went to Comedy Sportz.
How did we manage to fit two days worth of stuff into Friday? I will never know.
Saturday was left eventful with lunch at Tucano's, a screening of State of Play, and dinner at the Chinese Buffett.
Sunday I woke up at 4 to take Randi's Mom to the airport and then I had to go back to the airport to take her Brother at noon.
I seriously am exhausted and my apartment still isn't clean.
This past week has been one of the longest weeks ever.
It was my last week of class and I had a gazillion assignments due, including a 3000 word magazine article. Then my in-laws started trickling in on Tuesday.
Wednesday I went shopping with my mother-in-law who I had to teach how to wear color. Almost everything that she buys for herself is black, white, or gray so when she comes out here she makes me pick out her clothes. Then while everyone else went to Tucano's, I started writing my magazine article. I got about a third of the way done before I had to change and pick up Randi at work to go to her cousin's wedding at the Mt. Timp Temple. Then I raced back and borrowed my sister-in-law's car to go to the PR Firm's BBQ. It was pretty lame, so I left right after they annouced the winners and came home.
I stayed up Wednesday night until about 2am finishing my article. Had a few people read over it in the morning and then started the day. Our printer doesn't work with our Macs so we have my old Dell Laptop that we print from. I went to turn it on and - nothing. No power. It was dead. I tried pluging it in and.... nada. It went to Dell Hell.
So I had to race to campus and print at a lab before class started. I got to a lab and of course there were no open computers! Thankfully I spotted a friend who was willing to let me print. I dropped off my paper and skipped my next class so that I could make it to Randi's graduation. The doors opened at 2. Since it was in the Marriott Center and the seats are extermely uncomfortable (that's why you stand at sporting events) we didn't want to go too early. Half our entourage walked with Randi and the other half took the bus a little later with me. Our seats were waaaaaaayyyy up at the top where we could barely see anything except the Jumbotron.
The graduation processional and recessional were painfully long, but the speakers were short and sweet. I love President Uctdorf's talks and his voice is soothing. So soothing that some people were dozing off. We took some pictures after sorting through 6,192 graduates to find Randi.
We went to the Brick Oven afterwards and met up with Randi's paternal grandpa and his lover. I really don't know what to call her since they aren't married. He picked up the tab for ten people though. Apparantly he feels the need to impress people. Then we played a giant game of catchphrase and had an impromptu variety show. I stayed up late learning a new song for my callback. It wasn't that great.
Friday morning we had to getup early for Randi's Convocation that was at 8. It was over by 9:20 and we took some more pictures. We raced home and I went to my callback. The guy before me sucked, then I sucked, then a girl was amazing and then another guy sucked. We went to Wal-mart after the audition to get a wedding present for Randi's cousin.
Randi really wanted to have a BBQ so she could have her Dad's burgers and her Mom's pasta salad. We spent a few hours preparing for the BBQ and I studied for a WWII Final. There was a domestic spat between parents before we traipsed up the canyon to Nunn's park and it just kept getting colder and more windy. The grills were disgusting so we covered them in Tin Foil.
Racing back down the canyon I changed and got dropped off at campus in time for my Final, while everyone else went to the wedding reception. After doing worse than I wanted on my Final I took the bus home and cleaned up the pigsty that has become my apartnent from ten people living in it. I had a Sonic Blast and then we all went to Comedy Sportz.
How did we manage to fit two days worth of stuff into Friday? I will never know.
Saturday was left eventful with lunch at Tucano's, a screening of State of Play, and dinner at the Chinese Buffett.
Sunday I woke up at 4 to take Randi's Mom to the airport and then I had to go back to the airport to take her Brother at noon.
I seriously am exhausted and my apartment still isn't clean.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Lonely
I have been pretty lonely today. Not because my wife is out of town or busy working, but because she has been sleeping all day long.
Randi took a sedation pill at 12:30 and she was at the dentist's office 'til 4:30. Then she came home and slept until 8:30, I got her some food, and she went back to sleep again.
It wasn't completely unproductive. I cleaned the kitchen, finished my homework, and watched half of The West Wing Season 6.
Rant: I also demoted Season 6 in my mind because the writers tried to make every episode overly dramatic. Don't get me wrong- I like Drama, but every episode can't be the quality of Two Cathedrals.
Anywho, I'm pretty sure that I get how people forget to talk when they get stranded on a desert island because they have no one to talk to.
I also get how Randi feels when I sleep until noon or later on Saturday and Sunday. It isn't fun sitting all alone.
"Sad to be aw awone in de worwd?"
Randi took a sedation pill at 12:30 and she was at the dentist's office 'til 4:30. Then she came home and slept until 8:30, I got her some food, and she went back to sleep again.
It wasn't completely unproductive. I cleaned the kitchen, finished my homework, and watched half of The West Wing Season 6.
Rant: I also demoted Season 6 in my mind because the writers tried to make every episode overly dramatic. Don't get me wrong- I like Drama, but every episode can't be the quality of Two Cathedrals.
Anywho, I'm pretty sure that I get how people forget to talk when they get stranded on a desert island because they have no one to talk to.
I also get how Randi feels when I sleep until noon or later on Saturday and Sunday. It isn't fun sitting all alone.
"Sad to be aw awone in de worwd?"
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
March Madness
It's that time of year again. I never really watched alot of sports until my Freshman year at BYU; When you live in a dorm apartment with 5 other guys ESPN is on 24/7. Then everyone went on missions and my televised sports watching went back down to normal with an exception for BYU Athletics, the Olympics, and Figure Skating. Yeah, that sounds pretty femme-y, but it's a guilty pleasure.
Back to March Madness, I always fill out a bracket each year, but I haven't really watched alot of games. Last year I think the BYU v. TAMU game was one of the only games that I watched. I really only filled out a bracket because work was giving gift cards to the winners of the office pool. I was winning up until the final four.
Anywho, I filled a bracket out again this year and because it is Spring Break and I don't have a job, I can actually watch alot of the games! I don't know what it is about this year, but I got back in to college basketball. I mean the game where Syracuse won after 6 OTs! and then went on to win the next game! That's what college ball is all about. I hate almost all pro-sports because it's a bunch of overpaid, overhyped, steriod using, womanizing, felonious men stroking their egos. College ball, like the Olympics, is more about pride. Yes, you get like $10,000/medal from the USOC, but it's about national pride ala Michael Phelps, Kerri Strugg, Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, etc.
I'm excited to see what cinderella stories come out of this year's tournament, like the Davidson team from last year. I think one will definitely by Mississippi State.
I don't really know what the point of this post was, but here's my bracket. Let's hope it doesn't get busted. Go Memphis!
Back to March Madness, I always fill out a bracket each year, but I haven't really watched alot of games. Last year I think the BYU v. TAMU game was one of the only games that I watched. I really only filled out a bracket because work was giving gift cards to the winners of the office pool. I was winning up until the final four.
Anywho, I filled a bracket out again this year and because it is Spring Break and I don't have a job, I can actually watch alot of the games! I don't know what it is about this year, but I got back in to college basketball. I mean the game where Syracuse won after 6 OTs! and then went on to win the next game! That's what college ball is all about. I hate almost all pro-sports because it's a bunch of overpaid, overhyped, steriod using, womanizing, felonious men stroking their egos. College ball, like the Olympics, is more about pride. Yes, you get like $10,000/medal from the USOC, but it's about national pride ala Michael Phelps, Kerri Strugg, Michelle Kwan, Tara Lipinski, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson, etc.
I'm excited to see what cinderella stories come out of this year's tournament, like the Davidson team from last year. I think one will definitely by Mississippi State.
I don't really know what the point of this post was, but here's my bracket. Let's hope it doesn't get busted. Go Memphis!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Grad School is the Cure for Depression?
I am trying really hard not to get depressed about being rejected on some internships, but it isn't working. I've sulked and last night and all day today I started changing my life plans. It isn't that easy to change though because I am We and We have to decide things together.
For the moment, I really want to go to Grad School.
"But, Chris," you say, "why would you want to set yourself up for even more rejections?"
I have no idea, but I do know that I want to do something with my life. I really want to make policy. I want to be Josh Lyman or Sam Seaborn or CJ Craig.
Anyways, Grad School kinda throws a wrench in the plans that We had made previously. Plus it will cost a fortune. However, not getting an internship really threw a wrench into the plans anyways.
I am supposed to be writing a story for my magazine writing class and I can't. I just can't. There's this feeling of failure looming over me. Apparently, I'm not qualified to make copies or coffee. I can't answer the phone or answer correspondence. I really don't understand it.
My whole life has basically been politics since high school. Legislation puts most people to sleep, but it excites me, and now I get told that I'm not good enough to sit back and watch it happen.
I have to write a crappy article now so that I can pull a B. December cannot come fast enough.
For the moment, I really want to go to Grad School.
"But, Chris," you say, "why would you want to set yourself up for even more rejections?"
I have no idea, but I do know that I want to do something with my life. I really want to make policy. I want to be Josh Lyman or Sam Seaborn or CJ Craig.
Anyways, Grad School kinda throws a wrench in the plans that We had made previously. Plus it will cost a fortune. However, not getting an internship really threw a wrench into the plans anyways.
I am supposed to be writing a story for my magazine writing class and I can't. I just can't. There's this feeling of failure looming over me. Apparently, I'm not qualified to make copies or coffee. I can't answer the phone or answer correspondence. I really don't understand it.
My whole life has basically been politics since high school. Legislation puts most people to sleep, but it excites me, and now I get told that I'm not good enough to sit back and watch it happen.
I have to write a crappy article now so that I can pull a B. December cannot come fast enough.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Crisis of Confidence
I started making consolation plans in case I don't get an internship in D.C. this summer.
I got an email from a congressman's office today that said they don't have any positions available for summer, but that they are considering me for the fall semester. I've had two interviews, one with another congressman's office and one with a senator's office. I think the first went really well, while I think I botched the second one. I really don't know why I was so nervous in the interview. I'm not usually nervous about talking to people- I thrive on it. Why was this so different?
I really couldn't figure it out and it almost drove me to tears. The only thing that kept me from crying is that I had to respond to a sample constituent letter as the second part of the interview and I wasn't going to cry in public. I had some good answers and they liked that the internship is directly related to my desired career path. But when they asked me what I wanted them to remember about me out of the 40 applicants, I sounded like John McCain on the campaign trail; I couldn't stay on message and started rambling.
Now I'm doubting myself.
Even though I applied for 15 different internships, there's hundreds, even thousands, trying to internships just like me. I have faith, but I don't want to not have a backup plan. I would try to apply again in the fall for these internships, but I will have to postpone my graduation until April - which I won't do.
I had planned on taking 3 classes this summer: the internship, public speaking, and a science. The latter two are available online. Upper level Comms classes just aren't offered in the summer.
I guess my options are to take classes and either find an internship locally or just get a job. I really want a PR job, but (1) I won't have a degree until December and (2) most PR jobs have been slashed because of the economy.
It just sucks when you realize not all dreams come true.
I got an email from a congressman's office today that said they don't have any positions available for summer, but that they are considering me for the fall semester. I've had two interviews, one with another congressman's office and one with a senator's office. I think the first went really well, while I think I botched the second one. I really don't know why I was so nervous in the interview. I'm not usually nervous about talking to people- I thrive on it. Why was this so different?
I really couldn't figure it out and it almost drove me to tears. The only thing that kept me from crying is that I had to respond to a sample constituent letter as the second part of the interview and I wasn't going to cry in public. I had some good answers and they liked that the internship is directly related to my desired career path. But when they asked me what I wanted them to remember about me out of the 40 applicants, I sounded like John McCain on the campaign trail; I couldn't stay on message and started rambling.
Now I'm doubting myself.
Even though I applied for 15 different internships, there's hundreds, even thousands, trying to internships just like me. I have faith, but I don't want to not have a backup plan. I would try to apply again in the fall for these internships, but I will have to postpone my graduation until April - which I won't do.
I had planned on taking 3 classes this summer: the internship, public speaking, and a science. The latter two are available online. Upper level Comms classes just aren't offered in the summer.
I guess my options are to take classes and either find an internship locally or just get a job. I really want a PR job, but (1) I won't have a degree until December and (2) most PR jobs have been slashed because of the economy.
It just sucks when you realize not all dreams come true.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Last Week of American Idol Semis
It's the last week of American Idol Semi-finals. The last 2 weeks I've gotten 2/3 picks correct. That 3rd 'wildcard' spot gets me every time. I shouldn't be too bummed, DialIdol was pretty off last week too. DialIdol had 3rd placer Kris Allen fourth in the guys' category and sixth overall. They were betting on Matt Giraud or Jesse Langseth. I like how they take credit for the prediction anyways because of the margin of error; they predicted that Kris would place anywhere from 2nd to 6th out of the guys. Too bad you can't say that in Vegas!
Ok, ok. On to this weeks sucky performances. I didn't 'semi-live blog' this one. It was kinda impossible with my remote-happy wife skipping through the show along with the commercials. It's not like the judges say much anyways. Sorry if these performances aren't in order.
Von 'The Screamer' Smith- I don't even remember the song
-Wow, I don't like him. His performance was boring and he still screamed. He's forgettable.
Taylor "Hurricane" Vaifanua- Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You"
-The girl from southern Utah. Ryan pronounced the name of the city wrong. She sang Alicia Keys and sucked it up. She knew it; she cried after her performance.
Alex "Three Names" Wagner-Trugman, again I don't remember the song
- He's scrawny and endearing. And can't sing. His dancing is even worse. Think Norman Gentle on low power.
Arianna "ABBA" Afsar - The Winner Takes It All, ABBA
- OK, so the song wasn't THE BEST choice. But I didn't think it was terrible at all. Besides the Vocal Olympics in the beginning I liked it. I would vote for her. So I don't understand why the judges are dissing her so much. Is it because Lil' Rounds is in this group? Kara has used the same two words for every pretty girl on this show, "package artist." Guess what words she didn't use this time. I'm not really a conspiracy theorist, but why are they dogging on someone who can sing, and sing well? I'm pulling for her.
Ju'Not "Juno/Juneau" Joyner
- His rendition of the Plain White Tee's hit was completely boring. Funny that they said that about Arianna, but not Ju'Not's. I think they want some ethnic diversity, because I was bored out of my mind.
Kristen "Karaoke Queen" McNamara
- She's a karaoke hostess and sounds like one. She ruins Tracy Chapman's "Gimme One Reason."
Nathaniel "Drama Queen" Marshall, Meatloaf "I Would Do Anything For Love"
- Ok. This kid is here for ratings, not for his singing ability. Funny story, Randi asked me what "That" is that he wouldn't do in the song. Hehehehehe.
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Blogger hates me. I tried to post and I got detoured to sign in again. So the bottom half of my post is lost. Now blogger is mocking me by saving what I am typing right now.
I won't retype everything since it is 1:37 in the morning.
Felicia "Sloppy Seconds" Barton
-She replaced Joanna P. in the top 36 and should have stayed number 37.
Scott MacIntyre
-It's not polite to give blind people nicknames. He did really well. I really like this guy. He's sincere.
Kendall "Wait, who's Kelly Pickler" Beard
Kelly P. should sue her for using her likeness or identity theft or something. We've already had the blonde ditsy country chick. Her voice is weak and she picked a Martina McBride song. WRONG MOVE. Martina is the Celine/Whitney of Country music.
Jorge "The Brown Guy' Nunez
-even though everyone and their dog has sung this Elton John song, he does a great job. I would vote for him.
Lil' "I stole Mary J.'s Hair. What of it?" Rounds
-She sings last so we know that the producers want her in the top 12. She wasn't amazing but I like her personality.
Predictions? Lil' and Scott. I think the 3rd spot will go to Jorge. I really hope that it's not Ju'Not/Juno/Juneau.
Ok, ok. On to this weeks sucky performances. I didn't 'semi-live blog' this one. It was kinda impossible with my remote-happy wife skipping through the show along with the commercials. It's not like the judges say much anyways. Sorry if these performances aren't in order.
Von 'The Screamer' Smith- I don't even remember the song
-Wow, I don't like him. His performance was boring and he still screamed. He's forgettable.
Taylor "Hurricane" Vaifanua- Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You"
-The girl from southern Utah. Ryan pronounced the name of the city wrong. She sang Alicia Keys and sucked it up. She knew it; she cried after her performance.
Alex "Three Names" Wagner-Trugman, again I don't remember the song
- He's scrawny and endearing. And can't sing. His dancing is even worse. Think Norman Gentle on low power.
Arianna "ABBA" Afsar - The Winner Takes It All, ABBA
- OK, so the song wasn't THE BEST choice. But I didn't think it was terrible at all. Besides the Vocal Olympics in the beginning I liked it. I would vote for her. So I don't understand why the judges are dissing her so much. Is it because Lil' Rounds is in this group? Kara has used the same two words for every pretty girl on this show, "package artist." Guess what words she didn't use this time. I'm not really a conspiracy theorist, but why are they dogging on someone who can sing, and sing well? I'm pulling for her.
Ju'Not "Juno/Juneau" Joyner
- His rendition of the Plain White Tee's hit was completely boring. Funny that they said that about Arianna, but not Ju'Not's. I think they want some ethnic diversity, because I was bored out of my mind.
Kristen "Karaoke Queen" McNamara
- She's a karaoke hostess and sounds like one. She ruins Tracy Chapman's "Gimme One Reason."
Nathaniel "Drama Queen" Marshall, Meatloaf "I Would Do Anything For Love"
- Ok. This kid is here for ratings, not for his singing ability. Funny story, Randi asked me what "That" is that he wouldn't do in the song. Hehehehehe.
----------
Blogger hates me. I tried to post and I got detoured to sign in again. So the bottom half of my post is lost. Now blogger is mocking me by saving what I am typing right now.
I won't retype everything since it is 1:37 in the morning.
Felicia "Sloppy Seconds" Barton
-She replaced Joanna P. in the top 36 and should have stayed number 37.
Scott MacIntyre
-It's not polite to give blind people nicknames. He did really well. I really like this guy. He's sincere.
Kendall "Wait, who's Kelly Pickler" Beard
Kelly P. should sue her for using her likeness or identity theft or something. We've already had the blonde ditsy country chick. Her voice is weak and she picked a Martina McBride song. WRONG MOVE. Martina is the Celine/Whitney of Country music.
Jorge "The Brown Guy' Nunez
-even though everyone and their dog has sung this Elton John song, he does a great job. I would vote for him.
Lil' "I stole Mary J.'s Hair. What of it?" Rounds
-She sings last so we know that the producers want her in the top 12. She wasn't amazing but I like her personality.
Predictions? Lil' and Scott. I think the 3rd spot will go to Jorge. I really hope that it's not Ju'Not/Juno/Juneau.
Brilliant, But Canceled
For the past two weeks only the reality shows that I watch have been new episodes. All of the scripted shows (reality is scripted too, I know) have been on a two week break. I'm really excited because television is pretty much all I do at home.
So while my shows were on hiatus, I started watching some of the 60 seasons of television that I have on DVD. There are alot of shows that I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I wish were on TV still, or at least had a spin-off to watch. So I reminisce about them in the blogosphere. Not all of them were canceled; some needed to end before they got too bland.
My Favorite Show of all time- The West Wing.
Yes, I'm a political nerd, and Aaron Sorkin is a television genius (SportsNight and Studio 60). His behind the scenes television shows are amazingly insightful. He stopped actively writing for the show after season 4 and the show went downhill. It ended with the Presidency of Jed Bartlett and the transition to the new administration. Josh and CJ and Toby and Sam and Donna were all amazing characters that were brilliant and vulnerable. You not only learned about the characters, but you learned about policy and process. Who could forget Big Block of Cheese Day?
The show had to end. 7 seasons is about the max that people can handle. Still, I wouldn't hate to see a spin-off especially now that the show has ben off for several years.
My second favorite show was cancelled way too early. We ended season 3 without ever getting an ending. The CW should have left the show alone and not tried to change the third season, but it was still the best mystery drama on television.
Veronica Mars played by Kristen Bell, followed a teenage private investigator on the search for her best friend's killer in season 1, and for the person responsible for sending a busload of her classmates over a cliff. The CW didn't like that viewers couldn't start watching mid-season, so creator Rob Thomas broke the 3rd season down into 3 smaller mysteries. Veronica was a quick-witted girl who everyone loved to hate, but came to when they had a problem. She was hotter and more sassy than Nancy Drew. Her relationship with her father Keith is one of the better father-daughter relationships on television. The only flaw was Veronica's love life she fell into the arms of rich playboys Duncan, then Troy, then Leo, then Logan, then Duncan, then Logan, then no one, then Logan, then... Piz? The show didn't really end, it just stopped. My hopes are in a Veronica Mars movie!
I love these two shows because I can watch them over and over and over. I always discover new dialoge or burried wit. We need more shows like these on television and less crap like twelve law and order series and three CSI series.
So while my shows were on hiatus, I started watching some of the 60 seasons of television that I have on DVD. There are alot of shows that I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I wish were on TV still, or at least had a spin-off to watch. So I reminisce about them in the blogosphere. Not all of them were canceled; some needed to end before they got too bland.
My Favorite Show of all time- The West Wing.
Yes, I'm a political nerd, and Aaron Sorkin is a television genius (SportsNight and Studio 60). His behind the scenes television shows are amazingly insightful. He stopped actively writing for the show after season 4 and the show went downhill. It ended with the Presidency of Jed Bartlett and the transition to the new administration. Josh and CJ and Toby and Sam and Donna were all amazing characters that were brilliant and vulnerable. You not only learned about the characters, but you learned about policy and process. Who could forget Big Block of Cheese Day?
The show had to end. 7 seasons is about the max that people can handle. Still, I wouldn't hate to see a spin-off especially now that the show has ben off for several years.
My second favorite show was cancelled way too early. We ended season 3 without ever getting an ending. The CW should have left the show alone and not tried to change the third season, but it was still the best mystery drama on television.
Veronica Mars played by Kristen Bell, followed a teenage private investigator on the search for her best friend's killer in season 1, and for the person responsible for sending a busload of her classmates over a cliff. The CW didn't like that viewers couldn't start watching mid-season, so creator Rob Thomas broke the 3rd season down into 3 smaller mysteries. Veronica was a quick-witted girl who everyone loved to hate, but came to when they had a problem. She was hotter and more sassy than Nancy Drew. Her relationship with her father Keith is one of the better father-daughter relationships on television. The only flaw was Veronica's love life she fell into the arms of rich playboys Duncan, then Troy, then Leo, then Logan, then Duncan, then Logan, then no one, then Logan, then... Piz? The show didn't really end, it just stopped. My hopes are in a Veronica Mars movie!
I love these two shows because I can watch them over and over and over. I always discover new dialoge or burried wit. We need more shows like these on television and less crap like twelve law and order series and three CSI series.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
American Idol 2nd Semis
Jasmine- Love Song, Sara Bareilles
Jasmine was ok. She was all over the place. That's basically what the judges said. Randi really, really likes that song and she didn't like her performance either. Big voice meets small song and so it sounded strained and forced.
Matt Giraud- Viva La Vida, Coldplay
OH MY... train wreck. He tried to do, "a soulful take on a white boy rock song," and failed miserably. The whole song sounded like he was singing while jumping on a pogo stick. His runs and embellishments were completely off key. I really liked him in Hollywood week, but this sucked.
Jeanine Vailes- This Love, Maroon 5
She didn't listen to the judges just destroy Matt Giraud and pretty much sang the same way, but sucked even more. She pulls the mic away when she tries to go higher to disguise the suck. It was bush league. Amateur and out of tune. She whines to the judges and America that she should make it because she is 28 and is "one of the oldest people in the competition," and has been, "singing for the past 14 years." Puh-lease - If you want to make it- learn to sing.
Norman Gentle aka Nick Mitchell- And I am Telling You... Jennifer Holiday
Ok. The producers are obviously pushing this character. It's a TV show and I get that, but someone with talent could have had the chance of a lifetime. He changes the words to the song, and its comepletely over the top. Imagine William Hung making it to the the top 36, but Hung has more talent and likeability. This is just ridiculous. This is straight out of the Gong Show. Where's the Gong? Please Gong him off. I'm fast forwarding. This is a joke that isn't funny.
Allison Iraheata- Alone, Heart
In a word- Awesome. I don't like her hair color, but it works on this 16 year-old rocker chick. She has a raspy voice that isn't overpowering and has a great tone. Her tone is solid and smooth. She hits the right runs perfectly and can hit the high notes. I love Heart and I love this song so I was a little worried, but it was very, very good. She has a timid personality, but I think that she will come out of her shell. Pretty much the best that I have seen this year. Rockers seem to do well in the competition, and I think Allison will go pretty far.
Kris Allen- The Man in the Mirror, MJ
Awkward. His missed the first few notes and a few along the way. It's a poor choice of song. I would never buy his CD if that is the kind of music that he puts out. There were no big notes. There was no flavor. There was no personality. The soulful songs are being sung by those with no soul and the ones with soul are singing songs without soul. Simon and Paula liked it, but I don't think he wil be moving on to the next round.
We're halfway through the show and there's only been one good singer and performer.
Megan Corkrey- Put Your Records On
I like her but I feel like there are already so many people she sounds like; specifically, Duffy and Adele who do a much better more soulful job. She sings awkwardly, swinging her arms and hand by her side like a little kid trudging to time-out. In the middle she kinda looses it and tries to regain composure. She has ZERO stage presence. HAHA- Randy even mentions Duffy and Adele and Amy Whinehouse! I could totally do his job. Ryan tries to dance the Corkrey, It's pretty Dorkrey. (Drums!)
Matt Breitzke (I think I'm going to call him Blitzkrieg)- If You Could Only See, Tonic
Ok, I'll admit it. I've never heard this song or of Tonic. I'm sure some will want to shoot me. It's a completely bland performance. You can tell that he has done alot of karaoke. It would be great for a minor bar performance, but for American Idol its completely basic. There was nothing there that moved me at all.
Jesse Langseth- Bette Davis Eyes
No Shot. It's a borrible song for AI. She isn't a horrible singer, but I really don't remember her and she has no personality. These contestants expect to get through on vocal merit alone, but that isn't the purpose of American Idol. You are here to sell CDs and concert tickets.
Kai Kalama- What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
Ok, he can sing. But hsi facial expressions KILL ME!. It's over animated. When he wants you to feel it he looks like he's constipated and trying to force something out. I'm not sold on the dong, but I think that he has alot of talent. I also like his personality. Simon calls him a 'backup singer.' I can see that, but I think there's more there.
Mishavonna Henson- Drops of Jupiter, Train
I really like this song, but I don't like her. She doesn't know how to use the mic. She holds it to close and oversings. She gets better in the middle of the song. She's not trying as hard and just trying to have a good time. I'm conflicted. Her name annoys me. The song was weird. The whole thing was weird. I shouldn't say weird, it was uneasy.
Adam Lambert- Satisfaction, The Stones
The producers stick the ones they want us to vote for at the end so we remember them. This kid is really weird. His moves his lips to one side and it creeps me out. He can rock, but I don't think I like him. Maybe I do. I'll say this, kid can sing. It's weird to think that he used to do Musical Theatre. The beginning was rough, but the end was actually really good.
Simon feels the same way that I do. It's unusual.
This group was better than the first, but it wasn't amazing.
My prediction is that it will be Allison, Adam and the 3rd person I think will be Kai.
Jasmine was ok. She was all over the place. That's basically what the judges said. Randi really, really likes that song and she didn't like her performance either. Big voice meets small song and so it sounded strained and forced.
Matt Giraud- Viva La Vida, Coldplay
OH MY... train wreck. He tried to do, "a soulful take on a white boy rock song," and failed miserably. The whole song sounded like he was singing while jumping on a pogo stick. His runs and embellishments were completely off key. I really liked him in Hollywood week, but this sucked.
Jeanine Vailes- This Love, Maroon 5
She didn't listen to the judges just destroy Matt Giraud and pretty much sang the same way, but sucked even more. She pulls the mic away when she tries to go higher to disguise the suck. It was bush league. Amateur and out of tune. She whines to the judges and America that she should make it because she is 28 and is "one of the oldest people in the competition," and has been, "singing for the past 14 years." Puh-lease - If you want to make it- learn to sing.
Norman Gentle aka Nick Mitchell- And I am Telling You... Jennifer Holiday
Ok. The producers are obviously pushing this character. It's a TV show and I get that, but someone with talent could have had the chance of a lifetime. He changes the words to the song, and its comepletely over the top. Imagine William Hung making it to the the top 36, but Hung has more talent and likeability. This is just ridiculous. This is straight out of the Gong Show. Where's the Gong? Please Gong him off. I'm fast forwarding. This is a joke that isn't funny.
Allison Iraheata- Alone, Heart
In a word- Awesome. I don't like her hair color, but it works on this 16 year-old rocker chick. She has a raspy voice that isn't overpowering and has a great tone. Her tone is solid and smooth. She hits the right runs perfectly and can hit the high notes. I love Heart and I love this song so I was a little worried, but it was very, very good. She has a timid personality, but I think that she will come out of her shell. Pretty much the best that I have seen this year. Rockers seem to do well in the competition, and I think Allison will go pretty far.
Kris Allen- The Man in the Mirror, MJ
Awkward. His missed the first few notes and a few along the way. It's a poor choice of song. I would never buy his CD if that is the kind of music that he puts out. There were no big notes. There was no flavor. There was no personality. The soulful songs are being sung by those with no soul and the ones with soul are singing songs without soul. Simon and Paula liked it, but I don't think he wil be moving on to the next round.
We're halfway through the show and there's only been one good singer and performer.
Megan Corkrey- Put Your Records On
I like her but I feel like there are already so many people she sounds like; specifically, Duffy and Adele who do a much better more soulful job. She sings awkwardly, swinging her arms and hand by her side like a little kid trudging to time-out. In the middle she kinda looses it and tries to regain composure. She has ZERO stage presence. HAHA- Randy even mentions Duffy and Adele and Amy Whinehouse! I could totally do his job. Ryan tries to dance the Corkrey, It's pretty Dorkrey. (Drums!)
Matt Breitzke (I think I'm going to call him Blitzkrieg)- If You Could Only See, Tonic
Ok, I'll admit it. I've never heard this song or of Tonic. I'm sure some will want to shoot me. It's a completely bland performance. You can tell that he has done alot of karaoke. It would be great for a minor bar performance, but for American Idol its completely basic. There was nothing there that moved me at all.
Jesse Langseth- Bette Davis Eyes
No Shot. It's a borrible song for AI. She isn't a horrible singer, but I really don't remember her and she has no personality. These contestants expect to get through on vocal merit alone, but that isn't the purpose of American Idol. You are here to sell CDs and concert tickets.
Kai Kalama- What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
Ok, he can sing. But hsi facial expressions KILL ME!. It's over animated. When he wants you to feel it he looks like he's constipated and trying to force something out. I'm not sold on the dong, but I think that he has alot of talent. I also like his personality. Simon calls him a 'backup singer.' I can see that, but I think there's more there.
Mishavonna Henson- Drops of Jupiter, Train
I really like this song, but I don't like her. She doesn't know how to use the mic. She holds it to close and oversings. She gets better in the middle of the song. She's not trying as hard and just trying to have a good time. I'm conflicted. Her name annoys me. The song was weird. The whole thing was weird. I shouldn't say weird, it was uneasy.
Adam Lambert- Satisfaction, The Stones
The producers stick the ones they want us to vote for at the end so we remember them. This kid is really weird. His moves his lips to one side and it creeps me out. He can rock, but I don't think I like him. Maybe I do. I'll say this, kid can sing. It's weird to think that he used to do Musical Theatre. The beginning was rough, but the end was actually really good.
Simon feels the same way that I do. It's unusual.
This group was better than the first, but it wasn't amazing.
My prediction is that it will be Allison, Adam and the 3rd person I think will be Kai.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
You Can't Stop The Beat
Got another 1125 miles for buying my sister a gift card for her birthday. Here's how:
I Registered for SkymilesShopping. They have a promotion until the end of the month for a 1000 mile bonus on your first purchase.
I chose a Barnes & Noble Gift Card which gets me 4 miles/dollar and spent $25.
I used my Skymiles Card and got another 1 mile/dollar.
1000+100+25 = 1125 miles
I'm completely addicted.
I Registered for SkymilesShopping. They have a promotion until the end of the month for a 1000 mile bonus on your first purchase.
I chose a Barnes & Noble Gift Card which gets me 4 miles/dollar and spent $25.
I used my Skymiles Card and got another 1 mile/dollar.
1000+100+25 = 1125 miles
I'm completely addicted.
10,000 Skymiles
Like I said. I am on a skymiles kick. I found a forum online where someone posted that their US Bank WorldPerks Visa Gold Check Card - that's a mouthful - doesn't have a $55 annual fee anymore.
Why is that significant? Because if you sign up for the Check Card and use it once, 5000 WorldPerks miles will be added to your account.
It was too good to pass up, so I signed me and Randi up. That's 10,000 miles for practically nothing. You do have to use the card once, and fund the checking account with at least $50. Once I get my points in my account I will just close out the account.
5000 miles = $30. I just made $60 bucks in ten minutes. I love skymiles!
Why is that significant? Because if you sign up for the Check Card and use it once, 5000 WorldPerks miles will be added to your account.
It was too good to pass up, so I signed me and Randi up. That's 10,000 miles for practically nothing. You do have to use the card once, and fund the checking account with at least $50. Once I get my points in my account I will just close out the account.
5000 miles = $30. I just made $60 bucks in ten minutes. I love skymiles!
Skymiles Crazy
So Randi and I got a new credit cards. We have other cards that we use, but only one has a rewards program and it's 1% cash back. Not that enticing. Enter the American Express Gold Delta Skymiles card (hello mouthful!). We will be traveling alot this year to Washington, D.C. and Houston and Provo and back again. At least 4 flights, that's alot of miles. So this card seems like a good fit.
When we applied we got 20,000 miles for the first purchase (thanks Geico Insurance) and 2500 miles for adding 2 additional card members. That's 25,000 miles - enough for a round-trip domestic award ticket. We intend to use this card for all of our everyday purchases and pay if off at the end of the month. If you carry a balance on a rewards card its return is diminished. It's a nice way to get rewarded for the things that we are already buying.
We got our cards in the mail today and I have gone skymiles crazy. There are hundreds of ways to get frequent flier miles on almost every airline without having to actually fly anywhere. There are also ways to get miles for very cheap by signing up for things all over the internet. You just have to know where to look.
Some people just apply for airline credit cards every six months like FrugalTravelGuy. This may be an effective strategy, but your credit scores (yes you have 3) are going to take a hit, which could cost you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of a 30 year mortgage! There are more economic ways to get miles.
You can get 500-1500 miles per airline program just for signing up to recieve emails for special offers. Northwest Airlines gives 500 miles for reading a few pages of information and taking 5 'quizzes.'
500 miles may not seem like alot of miles when you can open a new credit card and get 25k miles. But let's do some math. A flight from Salt Lake City to Houston (Bush Intercontinental) is approximately $300. If I need 25,000 miles to redeem for a ticket then each mile is about $0.012 per mile ($300/25k = $0.012/mile). So 500 miles is worth $6 ($0.012 x 500 = $6). You can get $6 just for giving them your email address or answering 15 questions about the NWA frequent flyer program.
Another great thing is that Northwest Airlines is merging with Delta Airlines and the NWA World Perks will combine with the Delta Skymiles program. As a perk you can transfer unlimited miles between the programs for free. So you can get as many miles in both programs and consolidate them in one account which will get you to a reward ticket faster.
I guess I am so excited because I never realized that spending a few hours online can get you free plane tickets. I always thought that you had to fly several times a year to get that many miles. I think I am going to post the ways that I get the miles so I can keep track of how easy it is. For example, today I spent 5 minutes completing the World Perks University and got 500 miles instantly! When I create an account for Randi I can do the same thing again and get double the miles.
If you're interested in getting some free or nearly free miles check out Frequent Flyer Miles. You won't regret it.
When we applied we got 20,000 miles for the first purchase (thanks Geico Insurance) and 2500 miles for adding 2 additional card members. That's 25,000 miles - enough for a round-trip domestic award ticket. We intend to use this card for all of our everyday purchases and pay if off at the end of the month. If you carry a balance on a rewards card its return is diminished. It's a nice way to get rewarded for the things that we are already buying.
We got our cards in the mail today and I have gone skymiles crazy. There are hundreds of ways to get frequent flier miles on almost every airline without having to actually fly anywhere. There are also ways to get miles for very cheap by signing up for things all over the internet. You just have to know where to look.
Some people just apply for airline credit cards every six months like FrugalTravelGuy. This may be an effective strategy, but your credit scores (yes you have 3) are going to take a hit, which could cost you tens of thousands of dollars over the course of a 30 year mortgage! There are more economic ways to get miles.
You can get 500-1500 miles per airline program just for signing up to recieve emails for special offers. Northwest Airlines gives 500 miles for reading a few pages of information and taking 5 'quizzes.'
500 miles may not seem like alot of miles when you can open a new credit card and get 25k miles. But let's do some math. A flight from Salt Lake City to Houston (Bush Intercontinental) is approximately $300. If I need 25,000 miles to redeem for a ticket then each mile is about $0.012 per mile ($300/25k = $0.012/mile). So 500 miles is worth $6 ($0.012 x 500 = $6). You can get $6 just for giving them your email address or answering 15 questions about the NWA frequent flyer program.
Another great thing is that Northwest Airlines is merging with Delta Airlines and the NWA World Perks will combine with the Delta Skymiles program. As a perk you can transfer unlimited miles between the programs for free. So you can get as many miles in both programs and consolidate them in one account which will get you to a reward ticket faster.
I guess I am so excited because I never realized that spending a few hours online can get you free plane tickets. I always thought that you had to fly several times a year to get that many miles. I think I am going to post the ways that I get the miles so I can keep track of how easy it is. For example, today I spent 5 minutes completing the World Perks University and got 500 miles instantly! When I create an account for Randi I can do the same thing again and get double the miles.
If you're interested in getting some free or nearly free miles check out Frequent Flyer Miles. You won't regret it.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Called It!
Ok, so I totally called 2 of the 3 spots in group one of the semis on American Idol. I should really get credit for 3 because I called that Michael and Anoop would be vying for the third spot. Michael Sarver only beat Anoop by 20k votes. It kinda makes me think that I should have voted for Anoop. I really like him, but his performance Wednesday was below par. He should make it into the wild card show.
The Finalist that I didn't call was Alexis. She was ok, but I have some reservations about her. I'm positive that Tatiana will be in the Wild Card show with Anoop. The producers need her for AI's ratings. She's this year's Sanjaya.
The next two groups need to be better or I may have to stop watching.
The Finalist that I didn't call was Alexis. She was ok, but I have some reservations about her. I'm positive that Tatiana will be in the Wild Card show with Anoop. The producers need her for AI's ratings. She's this year's Sanjaya.
The next two groups need to be better or I may have to stop watching.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
American Idol Is Back!
Ok. So it isn't exactly news. The show has been on since mid-January, but now I actually get to hear them sing real songs and vote (or not) for the ones that I like.
This is the first semi-final week and the format has changed a little. Instead of the top 12 Guys and top 12 Girls competing in different categories and two people of each gender being sent home each week, Idol returns to a format closer to the original. Now the top 36 are divided into 3 groups of 12 and the singers only get one chance to get voted into the Final 12. Unlike the original format, Sex still plays a role here. The guy and the girl with the most votes from their week are automatically in the Finals. The third spot is for the next highest vote getter, regardless of gender. This does kinda suck if the top three vote earners are of one gender, but I still think that the Final 12 will be pretty even.
The best change? SPARKLE MICROPHONES! They must have stolen them from Beyonce and Mariah's collection.
Here's my rundown:
Jackie Tohn- ”Little Less Conversation,” Elvis
Who let this girl in the top 36? Seriously? Just awful. Bad song, worse singer. even worse pants.
Ricky Brady- "Song For You," Donny Hathaway
He sang pretty well. Ten times better than the first girl. I agree with Simon that he doesn't really have any star quality. Some people just have gravitas and I don't exactly feel the pull to vote for him.
Alexis Grace- "Ain't Never Loved A Man," Aretha Franklin
It wasn't horrible for a white girl, but I thought it was really forced. The runs weren't smooth; they were rehearsed and awkward. She also had some really bad notes in there. I don't really like her hair either. Wow, there are alot of things that I don't like about her.
Brent Keith- "Hickville," Jason Aldean
Oops! Live TV is tricky! Idol had the wrong tape prepared. Ryan covered pretty well.
Brent was on Nashville star and finished around 7th. He isn't very good. His song choice was about the worst that you could pick. Thank goodness it was only a minute-twenty. He's going for the Kristy Cook country sympathy vote. Randi says this is the first contestant that she could vote for. Obviously we disagree. I already dislike that he's had more experience than others on the show and had a legit shot, picking crappy songs like this makes me hate him more.
Stevie Wright- "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
BOMBED IT! The song was way to low for her. To her credit I think Taylor Swift is just as bad live. Jumping around on the stage doesn't help your voice. She holds her mike too far away.
Anoop Desai- "Angel of Mine," Monica
I had high hopes for Anoop Dogg. He was amazing in the auditions and Hollywood rounds. This song just wasn't the best choice. The background singers had as many lines as he did. He still did better than most of these others.
Casey Carlson- ”Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” The Police
Ow! My ears! Awkward, Awkward, Awkward! And those facial expressions. It was like a drunken redneck karaoke, but with better dress.
Michael Sarver - “I Don’t Wanna Be,” Gavin DeGraw
Finally a song worth singing... and then he slaughtered it. It wasn't horrible it just wasn't smooth like the song is meant to be. It's an amazing song. I still like Michael Sarver's personality. The fatc that he's a roughneck and an everyday guy makes me place him number 2 under Anoop so far this week.
Ann Marie Boskovitch - "Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin
Demo singer. Enough said.
Stephen Fowler- “Rock With You,” Michael Jackson
Corny:Simon nailed it. It was like watching grass grow. I have better things to do with my time.
Tatiana Del Toro- "Saving All My Love," Whitney Houston
STOP CRYING, STOP LAUGHING, STOP BREATHING.
Oh My Gosh! Seriously? The best singer of the night is the person that I hate the most on this show? Am I being punished? Girl can sing, though when she isn't belting it you can barely hear her. I always laugh when people try to sing Whitney, Mariah, et al, but it wasn't bad. I wouldn't buy this single, but relative to everyone else tonight she's the best (with one left to go.) On the normal spectrum it was 'OK.'
Danny Gokey- “Hero,” Mariah Carey
Best of the Night. By a landslide. But on the normal spectrum it was just 'good.' I can totally hear his voice in church.
I think that the 3 will be Danny, Tatiana, and the last spot will be filled by Michael or Anoop.
No one made me want to vote tonight so I won't waste my time. Idol better not be spinning that "Best Season Ever" crap anymore, because it isn't.
This is the first semi-final week and the format has changed a little. Instead of the top 12 Guys and top 12 Girls competing in different categories and two people of each gender being sent home each week, Idol returns to a format closer to the original. Now the top 36 are divided into 3 groups of 12 and the singers only get one chance to get voted into the Final 12. Unlike the original format, Sex still plays a role here. The guy and the girl with the most votes from their week are automatically in the Finals. The third spot is for the next highest vote getter, regardless of gender. This does kinda suck if the top three vote earners are of one gender, but I still think that the Final 12 will be pretty even.
The best change? SPARKLE MICROPHONES! They must have stolen them from Beyonce and Mariah's collection.
Here's my rundown:
Jackie Tohn- ”Little Less Conversation,” Elvis
Who let this girl in the top 36? Seriously? Just awful. Bad song, worse singer. even worse pants.
Ricky Brady- "Song For You," Donny Hathaway
He sang pretty well. Ten times better than the first girl. I agree with Simon that he doesn't really have any star quality. Some people just have gravitas and I don't exactly feel the pull to vote for him.
Alexis Grace- "Ain't Never Loved A Man," Aretha Franklin
It wasn't horrible for a white girl, but I thought it was really forced. The runs weren't smooth; they were rehearsed and awkward. She also had some really bad notes in there. I don't really like her hair either. Wow, there are alot of things that I don't like about her.
Brent Keith- "Hickville," Jason Aldean
Oops! Live TV is tricky! Idol had the wrong tape prepared. Ryan covered pretty well.
Brent was on Nashville star and finished around 7th. He isn't very good. His song choice was about the worst that you could pick. Thank goodness it was only a minute-twenty. He's going for the Kristy Cook country sympathy vote. Randi says this is the first contestant that she could vote for. Obviously we disagree. I already dislike that he's had more experience than others on the show and had a legit shot, picking crappy songs like this makes me hate him more.
Stevie Wright- "You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift
BOMBED IT! The song was way to low for her. To her credit I think Taylor Swift is just as bad live. Jumping around on the stage doesn't help your voice. She holds her mike too far away.
Anoop Desai- "Angel of Mine," Monica
I had high hopes for Anoop Dogg. He was amazing in the auditions and Hollywood rounds. This song just wasn't the best choice. The background singers had as many lines as he did. He still did better than most of these others.
Casey Carlson- ”Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” The Police
Ow! My ears! Awkward, Awkward, Awkward! And those facial expressions. It was like a drunken redneck karaoke, but with better dress.
Michael Sarver - “I Don’t Wanna Be,” Gavin DeGraw
Finally a song worth singing... and then he slaughtered it. It wasn't horrible it just wasn't smooth like the song is meant to be. It's an amazing song. I still like Michael Sarver's personality. The fatc that he's a roughneck and an everyday guy makes me place him number 2 under Anoop so far this week.
Ann Marie Boskovitch - "Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin
Demo singer. Enough said.
Stephen Fowler- “Rock With You,” Michael Jackson
Corny:Simon nailed it. It was like watching grass grow. I have better things to do with my time.
Tatiana Del Toro- "Saving All My Love," Whitney Houston
STOP CRYING, STOP LAUGHING, STOP BREATHING.
Oh My Gosh! Seriously? The best singer of the night is the person that I hate the most on this show? Am I being punished? Girl can sing, though when she isn't belting it you can barely hear her. I always laugh when people try to sing Whitney, Mariah, et al, but it wasn't bad. I wouldn't buy this single, but relative to everyone else tonight she's the best (with one left to go.) On the normal spectrum it was 'OK.'
Danny Gokey- “Hero,” Mariah Carey
Best of the Night. By a landslide. But on the normal spectrum it was just 'good.' I can totally hear his voice in church.
I think that the 3 will be Danny, Tatiana, and the last spot will be filled by Michael or Anoop.
No one made me want to vote tonight so I won't waste my time. Idol better not be spinning that "Best Season Ever" crap anymore, because it isn't.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
New Music
So I watched the Grammys on Sunday and it was pretty boring. They give out like 5 awards on TV and the show lasts 3.5 hours. It's basically a concert, and a boring one at that. Shining through all of the Grammy crap were Adele, who performed, and Duffy who presented. Both were nominated for awards and Adele won 2, best females vocal performance and best new artist.
They both have these unique voices and amazing jazz styling, but they are very different from each other. I had heard both of Duffy's songs on the radio and in retail stores (you know the muzak playing while you shop), but didn't know who she was. Adele I had seen perform on SNL but because I didn't know her I really didn't listen. Man, did I miss out. Here are two videos of Adele and Duffy with their most known singles, but you should check them out because their albumns go much deeeper.
Adele- Chasing Pavements, the video is awesome too.
Duffy- Mercy
I'm not a music expert or connoisseur, but I know what I like.
They both have these unique voices and amazing jazz styling, but they are very different from each other. I had heard both of Duffy's songs on the radio and in retail stores (you know the muzak playing while you shop), but didn't know who she was. Adele I had seen perform on SNL but because I didn't know her I really didn't listen. Man, did I miss out. Here are two videos of Adele and Duffy with their most known singles, but you should check them out because their albumns go much deeeper.
Adele- Chasing Pavements, the video is awesome too.
Duffy- Mercy
I'm not a music expert or connoisseur, but I know what I like.
Monday, February 9, 2009
17 Clones and Counting
17 Kids and Counting- This is a show on TLC that chronicles the life and times of the Duggar family. They have 18 kids! 18! It's not the number of kids that upsets me; if you want to be pregnant your whole life go for it. The thing that upsets me is how in-the-dark they keep their kids. They don't watch any T.V. They don't really get to use the computer or the internet. They don't get to go to school; their lives are wholy comprised of what happens at home. That's fine if we are living in an 18th century agrarian society, but this is 2009!
It also annoys me that these people blame the birth control pill for a miscarriage. They got pregnant and didn't know, so they continued to take the pill. Here's an excerpt from their website:
I would say that I am open-minded, but in this situation I am not. These children are under the protectorate of their parents and the Duggar's are taking advantage of that. I don't want to tell people how to raise their children, but I do think that they should be given all of the information and make a decision once they've reached a certain age.
I can't watch this show anymore, it's making me angry.
It also annoys me that these people blame the birth control pill for a miscarriage. They got pregnant and didn't know, so they continued to take the pill. Here's an excerpt from their website:
"At that point they talked with a Christian medical doctor and read the fine print in the contraceptives package. They found that while taking the pill you can get pregnant and then miscarry."I don't know who the crap they went too, but their "Christian medical doctor" must not be a very good doctor. (why the need to specify Christian? or the fact that he/she is a medical doctor?) I have researched this issue pretty thouroughly and I cannot find any information to support their claims that the pill can cause a miscarriage. In fact, I found suffucient evidence to the contrary. In summary, "A large 2008 study examined a registry of 92,719 women and found no evidence of increased risk of fetal death in babies exposed to artificial hormones during pregnancy."
I would say that I am open-minded, but in this situation I am not. These children are under the protectorate of their parents and the Duggar's are taking advantage of that. I don't want to tell people how to raise their children, but I do think that they should be given all of the information and make a decision once they've reached a certain age.
I can't watch this show anymore, it's making me angry.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Where the Wild Things Are
I am starting to stress about internships. I know that I can get an internship in communications or PR here in Utah, but I don't want that. I want a political internship in D.C.
That's where stuff happens. That's where things get done. I have to go there. I have to experience the political (copy-making, coffee-boiling, letter-writing) life.
The internship coordinator at UVU is really nice and has alot of contacts in D.C. for a variety of internships. The downside is that some of those internships don't interest me and don't help me acheive any of my goals.
All of my political volunteer work and experience is with the Democratic party, but 4 of the 5 federal office holders from Utah are Republicans. I have other ways of gettig internships, but the coveted office spots are competitive.
I have most of my applications ready. The only thing that I really need to do is write cover letters for them. That is going to take some time. I don't want to recycle and use a generic cover letter because I need to stand out.
I am applying for 15 internships in all and if I don't get one I will shoot myself. As if the stress of 18 credit hours in one semester isn't enough. I have to throw myself into a competition for internships with thousands of other college students. Failure is not an option here.
That's where stuff happens. That's where things get done. I have to go there. I have to experience the political (copy-making, coffee-boiling, letter-writing) life.
The internship coordinator at UVU is really nice and has alot of contacts in D.C. for a variety of internships. The downside is that some of those internships don't interest me and don't help me acheive any of my goals.
All of my political volunteer work and experience is with the Democratic party, but 4 of the 5 federal office holders from Utah are Republicans. I have other ways of gettig internships, but the coveted office spots are competitive.
I have most of my applications ready. The only thing that I really need to do is write cover letters for them. That is going to take some time. I don't want to recycle and use a generic cover letter because I need to stand out.
I am applying for 15 internships in all and if I don't get one I will shoot myself. As if the stress of 18 credit hours in one semester isn't enough. I have to throw myself into a competition for internships with thousands of other college students. Failure is not an option here.
Monday, February 2, 2009
3 AM
Who starts a blog at 3 am? Me, I guess.
I haven't blogged in a long time. I deleted my YDems blog that was somewhat successful in the Utah political scene. I pissed off some people, impressed some others, and got bored. Utah politics isn't that fun unless you're a Republican.
I really like blogging though. I like getting my thoughts out there, even if there's no one to read them.
I should be going to sleep and instead I am sitting here blogging and watching the West Wing. I have tons of homework because I am taking 18 credits this semester. Surprisingly, this helps me wind down and collect my thoughts. This semester is really stressful; I'm glad that I have an amazing wife who let me quit my job.
I am currently applying for internships in Washington D.C. in addition to all of my school work. I really hope that I get one or I may jump off a cliff or something.
This isn't much of a first post, but I will be able to write more tomorrow since it is my last day at my job.
I haven't blogged in a long time. I deleted my YDems blog that was somewhat successful in the Utah political scene. I pissed off some people, impressed some others, and got bored. Utah politics isn't that fun unless you're a Republican.
I really like blogging though. I like getting my thoughts out there, even if there's no one to read them.
I should be going to sleep and instead I am sitting here blogging and watching the West Wing. I have tons of homework because I am taking 18 credits this semester. Surprisingly, this helps me wind down and collect my thoughts. This semester is really stressful; I'm glad that I have an amazing wife who let me quit my job.
I am currently applying for internships in Washington D.C. in addition to all of my school work. I really hope that I get one or I may jump off a cliff or something.
This isn't much of a first post, but I will be able to write more tomorrow since it is my last day at my job.
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