End of Semester - Not

Being the alumni blogger for the UB Blog has definitely been an interesting and fun thing to do.  While it is the end of the semester for my fellow bloggers, I will keep plugging along in my job with no end in sight (well, at least for the next 20 years - give or take a few.)  It has been fun sharing my thoughts and I hope I was able to entertain with one or two of my postings. 

I am not sure if I will be back in the fall, it all depends on my work and the one thing I gave myself for my 41st birthday - a registration to run/jog/walk/crawl the Disney Half-Marathon.  So, between now until we head to Orlando in January 2011, we will be steadily working to be able to finish the Half Marathon in less than 3.5 hours. I will also be trying to lost 40 pounds during this time as well.  All this takes time and dedication.  If I may...let me tell you a little bit about what I am doing and why.

2011 - Get your Indy On

So maybe you weren't the biggest fan of the new Preakness advertisements encouraging you to get your preak on. Well in 2011 hopefully we won't be submitted to the same crude ads when the Indy Race league "hopefully" comes to Baltimore in August of next year.

The contract that was approved by the City of Baltimore and announced fabulously by Mayor SRB will begin immediately as road crews transform the streets around the scenic Inner Harbor into a race track capable of handling Indy cars traveling up to 200 miles per hour.

Some groups have estimated that the race will bring over 100,000 people to Baltimore and have an economic impact similar to that of the Preakness. I hope that they can also estimate the traffic delays and headaches that already plague this area.

Overall I think that this is a great step forward for Baltimore and becoming more then just that place from "The Wire." I certainly beeeelieve that we can turn this area around and become a thriving city. With mainstream events like the Indy Racing League coming to Baltimore it significantly increases our chance of landing bigger projects like Google Fiber.

Last blog for the semester hopefully they'll have me back! I hope that you all enjoyed reading as much as I did writing.

The end, and the beginning

This is my last blog entry, at least until Fall. Once per week for 10 weeks, I've posted a review or rumination of some sort that I hope has been interesting to someone out there. What's been most interesting for me, however, has been the process.

In searching for interesting stuff to write about, I've found that inspiration has come from everywhere: local events, news, classes, fashion, the world. Blogging has made me more observant and engaged with my neighborhood, city and environment. I learned that even the most mundane task might unearth some kernel of information that could grow into a new blogging idea.

A big step for me in actually hitting the "publish post" button and walking away from the computer has been silencing my inner critic. I'm a long-time perfectionist with a history of not finishing something unless it's perfect. The great things about blogs are: (1) readers don't expect you to be perfect, and (2) you can update them frequently with new content if your last post doesn't do you justice. Plus the law of averages goes into effect: the more you write, the better your chances of writing something good.

Will I feel the post-blogging blues, a sense of loss and emptiness next Wednesday morning, with no UB outlet for inspired online release? Probably not. But I will be searching for another creative outlet soon.

Semester Wrap Up

Well, with this being my last week this semester, I thought I would take some time and reflect back. Read on to learn more about how my philosophy developed during this semester, towards both life and school.

The Laws of Finals

Ahhh its almost over. As exciting as it is, its probably the most nerve racking time of the year. I'm ready for the next couple of weeks to be over but I'm honestly not prepared for it zip by. I have soo much work to get done. Just within these next couple of days, we have 2 essays due, I have 3d modeling to get done, a couple of programming projects to get out the way. STRESSED is an understatement of what I'm feeling right now. And I found it funny that the last few posts from everyone were about how stressed we are. Well I thought I would share something with you and hopefully it will lighten your mood for the day.

first law of finals:
your instructor assumes that you having nothing else to do except study for that instructor's course

second law of finals:
When reviewing your notes before the an exam, the most important ones will be illegible

third law of finals:
80% of the final exam will be based on the one lecture you missed and the one book you didn't read.

fourth law of finals:
the more studying you did for the exam the less sure you are as to which answer they want.

fifth law of finals:
if you are given an open book exam you will forget your book
Corollary:
if you are given a take home exam, you will forget where you live.

sixth law of finals:
At the end of the semester you will recall you having enrolled in a course at the beginning of the semester--- and never attending.


GOOD LUCK!!!

Writing Central Baltimore

Last semester, we published an article, "Filling the Hole in the Donut," in the University of Baltimore magazine about UB's involvement in revitalizing Central Baltimore. It's the area just north of campus, between MICA to the west, Johns Hopkins to the north and Greenmount Cemetery to the east--and long neglected, it's sorely in need of some assistance to again become the thriving area it once was.

UB, along with several other organizations--one of which includes the Central Baltimore Higher Education Collaborative--is involved in the area, investing time and resources as a "community engaged" institution to redeveloping and reviving the community. Now Jane Delury, a lecturer in the School of Communications Design, has teamed up with Tristan Davies, a senior lecturer in the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins, to offer Writing Central Baltimore this past semester.

home stretch

while reading the last two posts from marni and charlene, i giggled. i couldn't help myself. i'm delirious... it's nearly the end of the semester. i have precisely two more tuesdays to get through to finish. one presentation and two finals to go. and then...

One More Week !!!

Yea......Can ya'll feel it? Can you see it? It's the end of the semester and by golly I am SOOOO READY for it to end. Semester started off rocky and well, it's ending rocky. Not because of anything I did or didn't do. .....GROUP PROJECT.

You know what they are... Professor gives you that one assignment, usually with people you wouldn't think of working with. I know I'm not the only one. In the beginning of class, you sit and try to feel people out. See who does what. See how people answer questions. You know what you doing. You screening the room just like at a party or club !!!

Walk up in the club or party. You looking around the room....do I know anybody here? Any of friend's friends here? Wondering where people from? All that. Only in class, you end up with people that are sitting closest to you in your group. You've been trapped. You're forced to work with somebody you have absolutely nothing in common with. Okay maybe one thing....you're students !!!

So like I said I'm counting down on this Monday. Counting down the hours to my evening class so I can get my half-put-together "group" project over with so I can leave that "party". It's just not on and poppin like I thought it would be !! I'm counting down to the no more days of leaving work, rushing to campus to find a park on the street to try and stretch my parking dollars !!! I'm counting down to no more nights of rushing home to see my baby off to bed. No more waiting for a grade. No more waiting to see if an unnamed professor has put marks on my paper pointing out my punctuation errors :(

I can't wait !!!!!

If only ya'll could see the smile on my face through these letters. I'm telling you I'm RUNNING away from this campus come Thursday, May 13 !!!! See you in the fall peeps !!

The End Is Very Near

The semester is finally coming to an end. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It seems like so much stuff is due right now. I feel like I'm going to have a melt down but I think I'm going to hold it together. Trying to keep my momentum up and display the same enthusiasm that I had when the semester began, but I feel it wavering.

I'm not supposed to drink coffee but it's been my late night friend. I'm trying to get all my work done timely and often find myself up into the wee hours of the morning, some nights barely getting 3 hours of sleep. Now I can get some rest.

The semester's end means bye-bye Starbucks. I don't have to hear it softly whispering my name as I walk by...Marni, Marni, Marni. I can save some money now.

No summer classes for me. I need a break. I will be back in the fall though for my last two classes. Finally, it'll be over. I'll have to stock up on more coffee by then.

Food Run-in

So the other night, we went out to eat with my carpooler (yes the one that may have a third world country disease) and his wife. We decided to try out the local Indian restaurant, which none of us have been too.

Narrow-minds Still Exist

SO. If anyone has not been keeping up to the news, recently Arizona has passed a law in which any authority figure can take into custody anyone whom he/she feels is an illegal immigrant after experiencing lawful contact. To me, that equals 100% racial profiling. Since the law does not exclude the elderly or even children, it means that anyone is subject to question.

To top off all of this nonsense, Tim James, a candidate for Governor of Alabama started off his campaign with a bright idea of "We Speak English, Learn It." In an effort to remove the 12 different languages offered on the driver's licence exam, James launched his campaign within a week after the law was passed. Is it honestly necessary to take 20 steps back into history to develop your state for the future? I thought we were past the civil rights movements? Hmpf, I guess not

I feel as though anyone who cannot accept diversity, is not a good figure for politics. With our nation on the diverse edge these days, it is crucial for one to be open minded.

Just thoughts, I don't know after reading an article I was infuriated and wished to share my views.

For anyone interested in the campaign, I included a link to his recent commercial.
Tim James Campaign

Who to Tweet in Baltimore

There are a lot of twitter naysayers out there who don't want to tweet about what they're eating for breakfast nor do they care that there's a traffic jam on I-95 making me late for work! I understand this, but you can get involved locally in Baltimore without all of those random tweets.

The best thing about twitter and Baltimore is that we are a major hub. Baltimore is a location on twitter's map and you can see trending topics specific to our area. This separates us from other metropolitan areas where this feature is unavailable. So make the best of it and see what people in your area are talking about.

Here is my list of who to follow in Baltimore

1. @BaltimoreMD - great guy for the best local events & news.

2. @RayRice27 - pro bowl running back for the Baltimore Ravens. He responds to fans gives out his number and answers questions. LEGIT dude

3. @WNST - Sports Radio in Baltimore with real honest opinions and not afraid to say them either

4. @CharmCityNews - a Baltimore newswire specifically for Twitter stay updated

5. @CharmCityNow - an up and coming Baltimore news & community site

6. @Duffstar - Mike Duffy a staff writer for the Baltimore Ravens

7. @ben_hebert - This is me of course. I'm a lot more interesting then you think.

8. @bringdapain33 - Le'Ron McClain pro bowl fullback for the Baltimore Ravens. He's got some funny tweets and always like to shout out to gym.

9. @mayorSRB - So what if you're against the beverage tax? SRB came in after someone got caught stealing gift cards and then had to deal with the snowpocalypse.

Krazy Kinetic

Kinetic Sculpture Race (n). An organized contest of human-powered amphibious all-terrain works of art. If you haven't heard of it, read the history of the Kinetic Sculpture Race and then learn the logistics of Baltimore's annual event. Or just go directly to my quick-start users' guide on how best to be seen and really SEE this Saturday, May 1st!

1. By bike. Two wheels is better than four or none. You're not only more maneuverable but an unofficial extension of the race. Take a lock so you may leave your bike and stroll as desired.
2. Before crowds arrive. The staging area and requisite brake safety test at the American Visionary Art Museum allow a look at the sculptures in their original "unsullied glory" (i.e., before any later untimely demise).
   
3. With a camera. Spectators are often as outrageous and colorful (in all senses of the word) as the sculptures. Have a camera at the ready - which brings me to the next item...
   
4. In costume. Organizers recommend wearing "something absurd" and suggest visiting a thrift store to create a sufficiently ridiculous outfit if you don't already have one.
   
5. Near the Korean War Memorial. If you watch the race for only an hour, do it here. The famed Canton water entry not only tests the sculptures' floatability (and water navigability) but provides for great people watching and/or comfy napping. Don't miss The Moderately Famished Caterpillar, a train of 6 bikes dressed as a caterpillar; according to the program guide, "at the water they'll enter a cocoon and magically transform into a butterfly--look carefully to see their surprise flotation!" (From the creators of 2008's famed It's Ben Hur, Hon).
6. Through Patterson Park. The second most entertaining (IMHO) race location and challenges, these terrains usually cause the demise of yet more entrants.
   
7. At the awards ceremony. I don't always make it until this 5pm-ish ceremony, but these non-traditional awards include my personal favorites: Grand Mediocre Champion (the team finishing in the middle of all entries) and Worst Honorable Mention.
   

Enjoy, Hon!

BLOCK PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I know it happened last week, but I haven't yet gotten a chance to cover the Spring Block Party, so that is what I am going to do. Trust me though, my coverage is going to be pretty awesome.

Casino Night

Reeling everyone back into the pool of the Shady Grove campus. I try and maintain relating most of my posts to weekly experiences, spending time with friends, homework. Although my primary focus this semester with my blog was intended to keep everyone in the loop with activities going on the Shady Grove campus, keeping everyone in the loop. But unfortunately because we were in a transitional phase, changing academic advisors and such, most of us were out of the loop all semester as well. Thankfully this has finally come to an end. We have a new academic advisor on the Shady Grove campus. Thus far he has been doing an amazing job. Every other day we get updates from him letting us know whats happening on campus. So now I can actively give everyone updates.

Last Thursday, we had Casino Night, the multipurpose room had beaded curtains gating the entrance to the room (the beads shaped as diamonds, spades, hearts and clubs, perfectly complimenting the theme of the event). Music blasting, mostly Lady Gaga, being that Pokerface would probably be the most appropriate song for this event. Tables and wheels were spread across the room, where students could come and play a round of Texas Hold'em and other games. My main focus was not the games, it was definitely the food, and for $5 donation it was definitely worth it.

The one thing that I truly love about our campus is the food! We definitely have amazing food. The event was catered by our cafeteria and the foods were appetizers. They served finger sandwiches, spinach artichoke dip (my absolute favorite), spring rolls, humus, and lots of other things that I currently can't remember. I'm realizing more and more, I'm such a fatty at heart.

Besides the great food, it was nice seeing and meeting new people from other programs. Since we are commuter sister campus of many campuses, we have the opportunity to meet with students that are business, bio, criminal justice, and communications majors at UMCP, as well as students that are social work, psych, and history majors at UMBC, or they get to meet us the Simulation and Digital Entertainment majors and the Health Management majors at UBalt. It offers great networking as well as the opportunity to meet people outside of your own major, and not have the confinement that most of our classes entail, because we are in the same classes with the exact same people every semester. Although it does build an intimate environment, for someone like me that is one of the only females in the Simulation and Digital Entertainment program, it definitely nice to branch out. And build friendships and meet females in other programs. Especially since this semester, I'm taking a Psychology course with UMBC, its nice to meet up with those classmates outside of the limited class time that we have together and just mingle. As well as spend time with the classmates from my own program. While playing games and eating good food, and donating money to a good cause.

I'm really looking forward to the next event, I doubt I'll be able to attend too many events with finals coming up and all of our projects being due pretty soon. But if I do, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

curbing the shenanigans

did any of you hear about/see the article on the potential new measure to decrease the amount of public drunkenness in baltimore? as reported in the baltimore sun, city council president young wants to increase the fine for public drunkenness anywhere up to $1000. this is a huge jump given that current penalties can be as low as $50 for unruly behavior

Carpooling is fun...or How to catch pertussis in 30 miles

So I have about a 30 mile commute to work - one way - everyday. A lot of people (and by a lot of people, I really mean my best friend who could walk backwards using one leg and still get to work in 3 minutes) ask me how I do it, and I tell them that I am used to it, since it used to be 40 miles one way. We actually moved two years ago, and one of our prequisites was to live closer to work...and we did find that perfect house which met this condition. It lessened our commute by one mile...hey, we cut off two minutes.

UBee Spring Block Party

I will be blogging from the event later today; uploading photos, more content, and my thoughts! Looking forward to it and interacting with everyone here later on tonight.

BLOCK PARTY :D

so im sitting in class, waiting to rush out and see how the block party was getting organized. I am super excited for this event because we actually have a mascot now! With a new mascot, I'm hoping over the years, our sports can develop as well. I'm excited to see the new mascot because all of my friends who go to other Universities say that my school isn't a "real" school. WELL for all of those losers who didn't chose UB, I'd like to show them the amazing bee (or hope that its amazing)!

I'm also excited to try some of the international foods that will be offered because I love all types of food! :D

Hope to meet some of you guys!

Earth Day is Everyday

Earth Day is tomorrow, a friend reminded me this morning. My reaction: is Earth Day, created 40 years ago to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment, still relevant? Isn't it now just a small milestone in the environmental movement's history--a reminder of a more naive time?

Writer Alex Steffen articulates my sentiments better than I: "The biggest problem with Earth Day is that it has become a ritual of sympathy for the idea of environmental sanity. 'Small steps', we're told, ignoring the fact that the steps most frequently promoted (taking your own bag to the grocery store, recycling bottles and cans, turning off water then you're brushing your teeth) are of such minor impact that they are essentially meaningless without larger, systemic action as well. It is essentially the politics of gesture, little different than wearing a rubber wrist band or a pink ribbon."

That's harsh and somewhat cynical, but the realization of how little progress we've made around the world on the global front in 40 years is alarming. Take, for example, the recent UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen. Lots of world leaders, lots of talk, but few results. (See Why did Copenhagen fail to deliver a climate deal? for an excellent analysis of why the recent UN Climate Summit failed.

Nonetheless, it's interesting to read about Earth Day and the making of the modern environmental movement. And it's notable that Earth Day is celebrated in over 175 countries each year.

So tomorrow on Earth Day - or better yet starting today - tote your empty Coke bottle home from class to recycle despite the "small step" of that singular action. And consider supporting a major environmental group and/or backing a state or local legislator doing real work to protect and preserve our environmental resources. It's going to take all the weight we can throw around to do so from now on.

Day Before Jitters

The countdown has begun!! Block Party is on Thursday, and now it's just getting the last little bits & pieces, and making sure that everyone knows what they're doing. Today, the city will deliver the booths...and I'll be out there on the plaza guiding them to their proper places around 9 a.m. Then we'll have to call to set up ice delivery on Thursday morning and make sure that the entertainment, the beer, and the crabs will be delivered on time. On Thursday, the city will shut down the street and we'll really begin to race around. On top of the Block Party madness, I have 3 papers due ON Block Party day. Jeez...bad timing.

Even though it's pretty insane right this minute, I'm still excited. Once Block Party is in full swing, the tension, jitters, and panicking will ebb away. And then, at 4:00 we'll unveil the MASCOT! So far it seems that people are pretty excited about the mascot! University Relations set out honey jars to get the word out about the bee, and they're all gone! All of em! But, the only draw back to that is that no one submitted their picture (like the label says to do). Oh well, people still took the honey jars and someone out there knows about the bee :) I guess that's all that matters.

For my parting words, I took my friend's status from facebook:

"S.S believes that somewhere between the presentations, essay, block party, and new york city, Courtney Lyn Smith , herself, and fellow members of the SGA may be found laying on the ground, probably somewhere between maryland avenue and charles street.. so if and when we are missing please come find us laying there. thank you"

Too true!

Finals Survival Guide

With the Law School heading right into finals during next week, I thought a survival guide was in order. Read on to learn all about the importance of study groups, how to best manage your time, and ways to make sure your parents feel good about the time and money spent on your education!

Stupid, Fat and Moody

With final exams coming up soon, I find myself skimming off the hours of sleep I get at night. I wake up most mornings exhausted and feeling overwhelmed. Today was no different than every other Monday. I spent the Sunday before, awake early in the morning for work and spent the rest of the day working on homework/reading. When I finally get the chance to hop into bed, all I can think about is the work I have to do the next day, so it takes me a bit of time to fall asleep. I began to wonder how many other people are feeling this way. And over the last few days I've found most of my friends have had the same complaints. All thoughts pointing to one idea, sleep deprivation. Of course my only thought when discovering this is to do some further research. I decided to share some of my findings on the topic.

Sleep deprivation can strain our immune system, ability to think and handle stress. And over time sleep deprivation has been proven to be fatal. Some of the side effects are, and not limited to, depression, hypertension, heart disease, irritability, slurred speech, tremors and slow reaction time. Our slowed reaction time has a huge affect on our daily activities that not only put ourselves in danger but others, those who are sleep deprived hand and eye coordination while driving is as bad or even at times worse than a drunk driver. The thought of this is terrifying to myself, because I don't drink and I always was proud of myself never being or putting someone else in harm by drinking and driving. But I don't know how many times Ive found myself driving after barely sleeping the night before.

Sleep deprivation causes dramatic changes in our weight, especially weight gain. The reason for this is the amount of sleep we get has a direct affect on our hormone levels. These hormones control many parts of our everyday physiological processes, which includes our metabolism.

So everyone keep in mind, as important as exams, projects and homework are; your sleep is just as important, actually strike that, your sleep is MORE important.

MOTHER'S DAY

Once again, the week has passed me by. It's Sunday, and I'm like oh crap...my blog is due tomorrow !!! So I take a minute and think. I almost want to write a sermon because of the moving day I had today but I can't find my blog guideline paper to see if what's on my mind would be over the boundary ! It's okay. I have a journal to turn to. Instead, I thought about mom.

My Amazing Experience at UB

When I decided to return to college, one of my major concerns was how I would relate to my peers, particularly those 15 or more years younger than me. My husband strongly recommended UB to me as he attended a few years ago for some graduate courses. He said that he enjoyed his time at UB, he found the curriculum to be strong, and that the students seemed maturer. I've found my experience to be equally amazing.

Life Lessons by an Alumni

Lately, I have been wondering as the alumni poster for this blog, what good advice and wisdom could I impart on those that read this blog.  I think about what useful information I can relate to those who are not in the same point in their life as I am.  I try to look back on my 17 years of being in the "real world" and see that there are many things that I have experienced that I think would be good for me to pass on for those who are looking up (?) to their school's alumni;for some great advice. This is one of those posts....

Childhood Memories :)

So today was my little sister’s science fair and after helping her with her project earlier this week, so many childhood memories came back. My sister chose to answer the question “Which fruit will generate the most electricity to light a small LED light bulb?” We actually found that using a lemon and setting it up as a battery can spark up light on the LED! Of course it took us 8 lemons to get a very small light to light up…but still.

What Bench for Glory Taught Me

Bench for Glory taught me well.... UBalt Recreation needs a helping hand. I'm a little bit of a gym rat and you can always find me in the weight room or upstairs honing my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills. Come by and say hey if you see me in there (maybe give me a spot!)

Anyways, I started training for the UB Bench for Glory contest after seeing the posters around school. I asked staff workers about what the contest involved and was told that it was a "maximum lift" contest. Today 4/14 I found out that it was about repetitions not maximum lift. If you know anything about lifting you realize that these are two completely different things.

A Deadly Ride, but a Promising Vote

Yesterday was a significant day for Maryland cyclists. On the last day of the state legislative session four major bills passed that will help make roads safer for cyclists, the most significant being the "3-foot bill" which requires motorists to allow 3-feet clearance when passing. Unfortunately, that didn't help Lawrence Bensky, who was killed a week ago by a car on Butler Road in Baltimore Country on a lovely sunny afternoon. Joel Alan Wyman was also hit and remains in serious condition. In a local news interview about the incident, one man was quoted as saying about cyclists, "They're taking up the road, thinking they own the place, it seems like."

UB Boxing

Let us start off with a great piece of UB trivia: Can you name all of the University of Baltimore's intercollegiate athletes?

Well, to be honest I can't either, but I do know of one. His name is Walker Stump-Coale, and he has represented UB at regional collegiate boxing events. That's right, in addition to being a father, working a full time job, and attending law school in the evenings, he somehow finds the time to train and occasionally fight in college tournaments.

That would be Walker in the white at the Rumble at Ritchie Tournament.

You Send Me

I know my title is really random, but its because I've been getting really into Sam Cooke's music. I've always loved oldies, so its nice to get back into my 50-60s music. It makes me want to dance around in a large waisted skirt, pleated to perfection and spin around in circles; like I'm on top of hill, in the Sound of Music movie. haha I know what aimless thoughts, but I thought I would share either way. ;-)

delicious eats

i spent this weekend out and about, enjoying the weather (and david sedaris at the meyerhoff!) with friends and strangers. sat, i met up with friends (the strangers were on sunday in dc) for brunch at sofi's crepes. delicious!

Worry Not

So last Sunday my pastor said someone was going to the doctor that week and was going to get some unexpected news but it wasn’t going to be as bad as they thought. Well Wednesday, I woke up to two things. Me having an eye appt with the glaucoma specialist (an appt I thought was just because my doctors were being cautious because of medicines I take) and a 2 year not quite breathing normally.

Group Projects-A Perspective

I hate group projects. That said, I know that it is unrealistic of me to think that I can go through life working alone. Yesterday, two professors assigned group projects. They always try to pair groups up evenly according to capabilities but it always seems like one person does all the work. Surprisingly, I was wrong yesterday.

Mad Typing Skilz

While others in high school learned how to type correctly, I never did. I somehow learned how to type on my own. It is not necessarily the right fingers on the right keys, but it gets me through the day since I spend a huge majority of my work life on the computer keyboard.

A Food Diary!

So I was reading an article about how these days people are keeping a food diary, of every meal they eat or whatever they eat, even a snack bar. This will supposedly show people the true meaning of the quote, "You are what you eat." The way this food diary works is that you take pictures of what you eat, even a piece of gum, then write down the time and date you ate it. Then at the end of the day you go back and look at all of the foods you ate.

Oh Spring...

Just like typical Baltimore, we jumped from Winter to Summer in no time flat. So, now I find myself craving snowballs! I live in the city, about 3 blocks from the county line, near Arbutus. In Arbutus there is this awesome snowball shack called Eskimo Shack. In the summer time the owners are my best friends!!

die pollen... die...

I cannot not reiterate enough how much I dislike spring because of all the pollen and my allergies! Being 7 months pregnant I have to go to the bathroom quite a bit... but now with sneezing every two seconds from my allergies I have to go more often than that! and it's so not comfortable :( now I don't mind the temperature, I enjoy the cool, yet warmish, air... but I could really do without all the pollen... I spend more time in the bathroom than I do working on any school work LOL... any who... for those that do not have allergies... it's not fair and you're lucky :p LOL enjoy the weather everyone!

The Greatest Show on Earth

The famed Ringling Bros and Barnun & Bailey Circus is in town beginning tonight through April 18th. As a child, I found the circus magical: trapeze artists flipping and flying though the air, a line of elephants "dancing" around the ring and fierce tigers jumping through flaming hoops on demand. As an adult, however, knowing how unnatural all this is for traditionally wild animals makes the circus concept more troubling.

Law School Registration

Hey all, not much of a post from me this week. Law School has been super busy recently.

All the 1Ls had a 20 plus page paper due tonight at midnight. Drift on over to our building, and I bet you see a lot of zombies. So, this post will be fun.

But I thought I would share a little about the registration process here at the Law School, and I am very interested to see what it is like across the rest of the disciplines.

The Perfect Weekend

The weather has been amazing these last few days. I spent my weekend at Great Falls both the Maryland and Virginia side, as well as Carderock and Tidal Basin. Overall it was just a good weekend. I was busy and outdoors the whole weekend, theres nothing more I could ask for :-) It was a nice way to spend time with friends and family. It was the perfect way to start off the week.

The scent of the blossoms blooming makes waking up early in the mornings energizes me for the long day ahead and makes it completely worth it. And I love when the petals fall from the trees like its snowing all over again except you don't have to worry about getting cold or wet. *sigh* I love this time of the year.

P.S. All soon to be seniors: registration opens up this week, so make sure you get into all your classes early.

i am a fail whale

if you're not on twitter, you may not know what the fail whale is, which is probably a good thing. twitter is highly addictive; don't join it if you value your time :) i find it a little ironic/amusing/aggravating that as i write this, the fail whale is taunting me. "too many tweets" is exactly how i'm feeling at the moment. i've reached the point in the semester where i'm constantly freaking out about everything

......... (Yep that's the title !!!)

Geez, it's 9:54PM on Sunday. You ever just wonder where the time went? It seems like Sunday is upon me so fast and here I am every Sunday thinking about something to write.

I don't know last semester I wrote about the stars being aligned because everything was pretty much going good for me at that time. And here I hit that same feeling again. I think the most excitement (or not) going on right now is the change in my medicine....wow so exciting right !!

Well let's think back on the week and see if we can pull something out for you.

Did she just say "woot woot"?

So, let me just get it out now...

My name is Tim...

*HI TIM!*

...and my 60-something mother is on Facebook.

To Pell And Back

I've never been much into politics. I hate to admit that I don't really pay much attention, unless there's an election going on. I've always wondered why were the bills put before Congress soooo many pages long. Who has time to read all of that? I heard on TV one day that it's because there's a main bill (umm, healthcare reform) padded with a lot of other bills politicians want to push through. Please forgive me law student bloggers if I'm not using the right terms.

I'm Dumb

SO. today if anyone logged on to google.com, it came up as TOPEKA and I'm thinking to myself WAT THE HECK?! And then so I click on it for more information and come across the article.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club

No, the image to the right is me at a tournament not at the club. :D I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Team Ground Control in Baltimore sometime in high school. It's been one of the best choices that I have made in my life as the skills I've learned have helped me in many situations (those drunken brawls) as well as changed my outlook on many things. Jiu-Jitsu has helped me add confidence in my fitness levels as well as a sound base for living my life.

Barrister's Ball

The Barrister's Ball, also known as Law School Prom, was last Friday at the Hyatt Regency. It is a formal event for all law students to relax and celebrate with classmates, dates, and the occasional professor. Being a 1L, I had no idea what to expect, but it turns out nothing could have fully prepared me for what actually occurred.

Books and Looks in the Third Dimension

With midterms still carrying over in the past week and a midterm essay due today. I'm happy to say my load of midterms are finally OVER!! its so exciting to feel like I can breath again. the weight on my chest feels like it was finally lifted. Well i thought i would share some pictures of my midterm project for my 3d modeling course. I'm going to include a couple of angles of the room.

24 Hours of Booty

It's a bike event--with a memorable name. 24 Hours of Booty, Inc. is the official 24-hour ride of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which brings cyclists of all abilities together to raise money for cancer research. The event unites people who are passionate about fighting cancer and ready to push themselves physically. Last year, 24 Hours of Booty events hosted 1,500 riders from 25 different states. And we're lucky enough to have one of only three rides this year right in our backyard: Columbia, MD.

Why cycle for 24-hours? There's the fund-raising part, of course. There are the bragging rights. But from what I understand, the actual event itself, with the camaraderie of fellow participants and the sharing of personal stories is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I have a friend who did the 500+ mile AIDS ride nine years ago. It was a transformative experience for her. Not just in terms of fitness - she did drop two dress sizes - but meeting people who'd lost others or knew people struggling with the disease was incredibly moving for her. She made friends she's still in touch with. My best friend Debbie did the breast cancer 3-day 60-mile walk last year in honor of her mother whose birthday would have been the first day of the race, but she'd passed away five years ago from breast cancer. Debbie's team raised over $12,000, and she still talks about the experience.

Maryland's 24 Hours of Booty ride day is August 28th. Which means if we start training today (training tips) we'll have 5 months to prepare. Notice I said we? I think I'm ready to make a commitment to do something physically challenging that will make a difference for others. And I don't know about you, but I'm certain the reward for that five months of pain will be well worth it.

learning on my off day

then again, when it comes to learning, is there ever really an "off" day?

i recently joined a blogging community designed to support each other's health conscious endeavors. for some it's about losing weight, others focus on healthy eating and there are also aspiring fitness enthusiasts. i was reminded by one particular person that you can pick up copies of workout videos from anywhere, including a college library. i had completely forgotten this extremely cost effective option for broadening a workout routine. as a gym hater, this is right up my alley. so i popped over to langsdale's page to check out their selection of videos

Back to Basics

It is always a pleasure when the youth and young adult are doing good things. Today (Sunday), I went to Wilson Park Christian Community Church on York Road to see my friend Elder Shawn Pendergrass preach. Shawn started out as my supervisor five years ago and soon became my office mom (strange since she's only a few years older than me!) and now just a good ole friend!!! I love Shawn. She's a woman of God. She's a special young lady and the youth of her church know it too and asked her to give them a word.

Happy Fat

Happy Fat (ha-pē phat) - noun

Origin - Only in America and some parts of Eastern Europe

Definition - what happens after several years of a relationship

Usage - "Bob was very surprised when he saw the pictures from his 4th wedding anniversary. There were pockets of happy fat all around his body."

I Will Not Have Starbucks Today, I Will Not Have Starbucks Today

As a person who's trying to transition into the PR field, I had the opportunity to pick my professor's brain yesterday. By the way, her name is Cameron Barry and she teaches PR Writing. She's funny, straightforward, and very knowledgeable about the PR industry. She is also extremely serious about class attendance and handing in assignments timely. I know that may seem obvious but I don't think the students always observe her line of thinking. If you have to take PR Writing, I highly recommend her class.

Where do UBalt students go?

For the first time at UB, I attempted to check out the local bar scene after finishing my exam and hitting up the gym. The facilities are very nice by the way in case you haven't checked it out, I recommend you go. I found my way to Turp's Sports Bar which is probably the only place that I've heard who supports the University. It's your average sports bar except slightly smaller with a decent variety of food. The place was decently crowded for it being a Thursday night, but not so crowded that you couldn't get a drink.

So my question remains where do the UB students go at night? Nightlife should be prominent in an urban environment like UB so where are the local college hangouts? If you go to any other University in Maryland you have distinct college areas where the food might not be great, but the beer and good times are plenty.

Where do you go out to after class? Share your thoughts on UB nightlife and what you think could be done to improve it?

Spring/Summer time = Love?!

So the other day when a bunch of my friends came back from spring break, I realized something about all of them. Everyone came back with a relationship! I don't know why, after spring break so many people feel like they have found "love."

I guess its the amazing weather where the sun blinds your eyes because you can't see the person your falling for. (A lot of my friends who have new relationships showed me their man's picture, and thats the only reason I see as to why she would be with him, that she was literally blinded) I don't mean to be negative about all of these spring - summer flings, but at the same time, I feel left-out :( I feel like I am the only one who was sick all spring break with strep throat! Some spring break...

Buzzing Around

The typical Wednesday for me consists of meetings, e-mails, and everything that is not related to classwork or homework. Since I have no classes, it's my day to catch up on everything. Today I spent a lot of time hanging up our Block Party fliers - we've been working with University Relations and using some teasers for the fliers. The reason I bring this up? The Bee!! It's coming!! And the countdown is at less then a month now! :) On the official Beelieve website there has been a sighting! Have you been keeping track? Maybe you'll see a few more tracks left by the bee.

Time--I Mean Energy--Management

I read an article in the Harvard Business Review last week on time management that was apropos to me, and I'm guessing to many of us at this time in the semester. It approaches time management from a different perspective of "energy management", positing personal energy is a renewable resource, whereas time is finite. But first the backstory.

At the start of Spring break last week, I relished the oodles of time I had to complete two projects due this week for classes. I intended to do extra research for one of classes, the topic was so interesting. I took a few days break, did other things, went out of town, etc. Before I knew it, time had nearly run out and I was saying "there's not enough time in the day."

Classroom Tech at UB Law

Based on a few recent posts and comments, it seems as though a post about technology on campus at UB is in order. In this post I am going to talk a little bit about laptops in the classroom, the kind of technology available at UB, and how various professors are implementing that technology. Also at least one hilarious story included, so read on.

1) Laptops
In the law school, almost everyone brings a laptop to class. This is well established. The pros are the ability to keep your notes neatly organized, in one space. Also, the latest versions of Microsoft Word (especially Word for Mac), Powerpoint, and Open Office make this a breeze. Word for Mac has the amazing notebook mode that supports outlining fluidly, as well as subject tabs. Additionally, I know of one student who has figured out a way to take notes on the Powerpoint slides, so at the end of the class, he has exactly what the professor said while talking about each slide.

Persian New Year!!

Hope everyone had an amazing spring break. Mine was pretty awesome. I didnt do much mostly did homework, work, and hung out with my family. Saturday was the Persian New Year, which we call Norooz. A lot of you probably dont know this but I'm Iranian, well my parents are. And yes there is a slight difference between Persian and Iranian. Persian people consist of the people that were once part of the Persian Empire, most of these people are the only ones that celebrate the new year. 

 Anyways so little tidbits about the new year. For most Persians Norooz is more of  a cultural Christmas. Norooz per se a religious holiday because it is celebrated by many religions, but some chose to intertwine their beliefs into the holiday. Norooz like every other holiday is just an excuse to spend time with family and friends, as well as, eat. Eat lots and lots of Persian food. Everyone wears new clothes and goes to one another's homes. Everyone enters homes by saying Salaam (hello) and Norooz Mobarak (Happy New Year) and when leaving the elders give the younger children money and/or gifts.

distractions around town

last year was my big birthday extravaganza to celebrate the 2-5 (eep quarter century). about 8 friends and i went out to dinner downtown since the big day was on a friday. the rest of the weekend was spent with my girls in the city, enjoying the awesomeness of baltimore. one can safely assume that we spent a great deal of time in the harbor area. as current/recent grad students, we spent as little as possible while maximizing the fun. and the girls loved the trip

this year, i'll be hosting at least two fabulous visits. my boyfriend came down before spring break, and a close friend is coming to town for a few days in april. i'm all about being a good hostess again so i've been re-researching fun things to do around town

Census 2010 - Moving On.

To Continue Or Not To Continue, That Is The Question

This time last year, I began taking three of the 15 classes I needed to complete my bachelor's degree. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I knew that I would be on a roll once I had made my mind up about completing my degree. I'm almost done. After this semester, I only need two classes. I can't believe that I returned to college at this point in my life but it was the best decision I've made in a long time and the best time for me to do it.

So now that I'm getting down to the wire, when I'm almost ready to graduate, what happens? UB starts sending me graduate school information. When I returned to college, I was so happy to finally close that chapter of my life. Now the graduate admissions office wants to open a new chapter. I have been considering pursuing a master's degree lately. That's something that was so far from my mind this time last year.

I know that continuing at UB is the best choice if I am pursuing any communications related degree. A friend of mine told me that it looks better to go to a different college for graduate studies. I think that is absolutely ridiculous. Especially when the college I attend has the best communications programs (as far as I'm concerned) in the area.

For me, choosing UB is a no-brainer. My problem is that I keep asking my self, "Do you really want to be in college for another 2 years?" Deciding to go to graduate school is a question that I never really gave much thought to before, but now I can't stop thinking about it. To help me decide, I am going to attend the graduate open house at UB next week. Hopefully, I can get some information about my desired program and this time next year, I'll be in my first graduate classes.

Hold that Elevator

I work in a wing of a building that has 10 floors and using the elevator is taken for granted. While the signs on the wall above the arrow buttons says "Walk up one, or down two", I usually quietly laugh at it while I press the up arrow to go one floor.

VANS WARPED TOUR!

Vans warped tour is starting soon, and I mean like a few weeks soon! For those who have never been to one of these amazing events, its a bunch of bands, one parking lot, and a hella lotta people! The link to the title is the link to the band line up for warped tour.

This is going to be my first time going to warped tour and I am UBER excited to see Four Year Strong, Haste the Day, and We the kings! They are all my ultimate fave!

Last year I wasn't able to see We The Kings but I had a friend videotape them, and I have to admit that they sound amazingly close to their soundtrack on the cd's! A super plus for anyone who wants to see them. At Warp Tour its all about the massive partying and just having a great time, though the price is a little bit expensive for many at $50, its well worth it. There are about 50 bands in one lot and so its like paying a dollar for a mini concert by all of them; very economical to me.

As far as other bands I've seen live, I absolutely loved Candlebox and Small Town Sleeper, they were amazing at The Recher last October. Candlebox mades its great comeback with a new tour and for all of those who have not listened, I recommend the song Into the sun by Candlebox, its so amazing.

Well, thats all I can really think of now, just dropping by a few points so that people can come out to warped tour and have an amazing time like I will! Hope to see you guys there!!!!

It's Saint Patrick's Day!

Of course, you all know that it's Saint Patrick's day! By this point you've known it for a few days now, you've looked at the calendar today, or you've read Carol's post. I decided to put my own list together, but more of a list of factoids about Saint Patrick's Day! Did you know...

1. ...that the very first St. Patrick's day parade took place in the U.S., not Ireland? (Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through NYC on March 17th, 1762. The parade helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots, and fellow Irishmen, with the music & celebration.

2. ...that St. Patrick's day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the U.S., Canada, and Australia? North America is home to the largest productions, but St. Patrick's day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland like Japan, Singapore, and Russia.

3. ...that corned beef and cabbage is the traditional dish served? In 2007, roughly 41.5 billion pounds of beef and 2.6 billion pounds of cabbage were sold.

4. ...that there are 36.5 million U.S. residents with Irish roots, which is actually 9 times the population of Ireland itself?! Irish is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, ranking behind German.

5. ...that the shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland symbolizing the rebirth of spring? The shamrock is also called the "seamroy". In the 17th century the shamrock had become a symbol of Irish nationalism. The English were beginning to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language, and the practice of Catholicism. So, the Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage.

6. ...that the Leprechaun's original Irish name was "lobaircin", which means "small-bodied fellow"? The belief in leprechauns more than likely stems from the Celtic belief in fairies. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. They were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure - the pot of gold. Originally, the Leprechaun had nothing to do with St. Patrick's day, but then in 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People introducing America to a different side of the Leprechaun. The cheerful, friendly leprechaun is just a product of American invention, and has quickly evolved into a recognizable symbol for St. Patrick's day & Ireland.

I just thought these were some interesting little facts about Saint Patty's day. I hope you thought so too!! Enjoy your St. Patrick's day, and the rest of your spring break everyone!!

Happy Green Day!

Today is Saint Patrick's Day, and whether or not you know (or care) that Saint Patrick lived in the 5th century A.D. and is regarded as the most famous patron Saint of Ireland, you'll undoubtedly notice a lot of green today. It's inspired me to put together a personal top ten green list - here goes:

10. Green public "art": Chicago River on St. Patick's Day. Yes, the Chicago Irish contingent actually does dye the River green for today.

9. Green restaurant: Nora, in Washington, DC. Restaurant Nora was America's first certified organic restaurant, given that distinction in 1999 before it was so hip.

8. Green drink: Dr. Oz's Green Drink. Never did I think I'd utter this ubiquitous doc's name, yet alone quote him in a blog, but his green smoothie is both good for you and tastes SO good you won't even want that doughnut in the conference room.

What I Learned in Law School: Spring Break Edition

Well, since it is Spring Break, and since the last few weeks I have been pretty serious with my posts, let's have this post be a whole bunch of humorous snippets. Read on to learn what student's buy during class, why some legal research will earn you a ton of dirty looks, and how General Tso's Kitten (I kid! Its Chicken!) influenced the framers of the Constitution.

Financial Fast?

Financial Fast? Now I'm no skinny chick so fasting where it requires food would be very difficult enough but now you talking about my money !! What's this all about?

Well my mom came to visit last weekend and left a newspaper article (like she normally does). It was from the Business section of the Washington Post titled "Sink your teeth into a fast". The author was Michelle Singletary. She's a nationally syndicated personal finance columnist. She also founded a ministry at her church in which volunteers mentor others seeking financial freedom or change.

What was I going to write?

So in case you did not know, I had a milestone birthday last year. While the surprise party, well, surprised me, I was able to celebrate this great (?) occasion with family and friends. Now that I am approaching a year after that party, it has really settled in that I am indeed getting older.

The More I Learn, The Less I Know

When I decided to return to college a couple of years ago, I thought that I had a plan. I had already decided that I wanted to transition into the public relations field. I already worked in my job's communications department so I figured I just needed to update my skills. My plan was to enroll at UB, get my bachelor's degree, and land that cushy public relations job.

I decided that UBs CorpComm program was the perfect platform for me to jump start my public relations career. However, now I find that with each class I take, I begin to question what it really is that I want to do. It's like the more I learn, the less I am sure of my plan. When people use to ask me what I wanted to do when I graduated, the answer would roll off my tongue. Lately, not so much.

I've worked for the government for almost 14 years. Most of the jobs I've had don't translate well into the private sector. Being at UB has opened my eyes to so many new possibilities. There are jobs out there that I didn't even know existed or that I would never have considered. I'm so excited about my possibilities. I haven't given up on public relations dream but now I know my opportunities are endless.

I've dabbled with owning my own business before but the project management classes I've taken have really pushed my mind to seriously consider opening my own business--for real. So now I'm thinking about broadening my career opportunities. I've stopped thinking about working for others, making money for them. Now, I'm thinking about me. Show me the money! Perhaps I could open a full-service communications firm? Firm sound so upscale, doesn't it?

State of the Ravens Pre-Draft

If you're a Baltimore football fan you have every reason in the world to be excited. For the casual fan out there I will be covering the changes to the roster over the past couple of weeks and other things going on around the league. There have been big changes with many people around the city already booking their plane tickets to Dallas for the Superbowl 2011. But, before I get ahead of myself (I'm already looking for tickets) let me explain what has got Charm City so excited.

1. The signing of Anquan Boldin. Boldin brings confidence, swagger, and respect to the pathetic wide receiving core that was here in Baltimore. He averages over a thousand yards a season and was the 11th top receiver last year playing 2nd to Larry Fitzgerald. Boldin's an iron warrior who after getting screws into his head played just two weeks later. Kurt Warner says he brings the Ray Lewis mentality to the offense. I can't even begin to say how excited I am to have him on the team. Two things to ponder are that Boldin comes from the NFC the AFC teams we play aren't used to his routes and having a "true threat" will open up the Ray Rice show even more. Also... he hates the Steelers.



More after the jump

Pi Day, All Things UB Related, and....Sex Columns?!

Okay, first let me start off by letting everyone know that this Sunday is Pi Day: 3.14! It is the one holiday celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world. Experts have calculated over 1 trillion numbers that follow the decimal in Pi, but I can only remember 3.1415....and that's all I need. In high school I had a teacher who loved pi day, and he made a contest for his students: Who can memorize the first 100 digits of pi? Apparently, that was me. I was the only student to memorize all 100 digits that followed 3. -> So, I won a shirt that has a giant pi symbol, with cow print and utters (cow pie!) and a huge apple pie. Of course, now I can't remember any of it. haha.

Retro Rolling

I went to a women's roller derby match in DC on Saturday--good, clean, campy fun. When my fellow spectators heard I was from Baltimore, they were envious: Baltimore, it turns out, claims one of the more notable roller derby leagues in the country, the Charm City Roller Girls.

Remember roller derby? If not, you were probably born in the '80s or later. The sport was actually invented in the 1920s, but reached its heyday in the late '60s/early '70s, when women's banked track bouts were televised weekend afternoons. I don't know anyone who dreamed of growing up to be a roller derby star, but it was great tough-girl entertainment in pre-cable/Tivo times.

Salary Guide: Newsworthy Controversy or Talk Show Tantrum?

Our school newspaper, the UB Post, punblished in the February 2010 issue the "Salary Guide" which lists the salary of all "Faculty, Staff and Contingent II workforce as of January 2, 2010." I am not positive, but I believe this encompasses most of the employees at our school. Additonally,the guide from October 2008 was provided as reference.

I generally pick up the Post every month, enjoying keeping up on school news as well as reading the announcement bulletins. I was a little surprised when I saw the article, and glanced through it, noting the positions represented. They do cover pretty much everything from Dean to Professor to Administrative Assistant to Housekeeping. The guide lists the job title, first and last name, and what I presume to be "base salary" of each employee.

In the February 2010 issue, the editor writes that publishing the salary guide is accomplished through the freedom of information act, and that he fully understands that the decision to publish the guide will not be popular, but quoting President Obama, "I wouldn't just do what was popular." Mr. Flanagan also encouraged letters from readers expressing their own thoughts.

I took our editor up on his offer, and wrote a letter by email. He acknolwedged receipt (he apparently works on snow days!) and I was glad to see it printed in the March 2010 issue, which is currently available around the campus. It also contains a letter from Ms. Kristen Day, and Mr. Flanagan's response to both of our letters. Ms. Day expressed a very similar sentiment as myself. Since you can read both in the current issue, I am not going to go in depth here.

The first point I made, and the main thrust of Ms. Day's argument, is that few people actually care about these salaries, outside of the voyeuristic pleasure of knowing how much your math professor makes.

Midterms on my mind

Finally the weather is starting to get warm. The past few days the weather has been amazing. Although I haven't really had the time to enjoy it though because midterms are starting up. And you know what that means?! Now the projects and exams are being overloaded. I had my first exam yesterday. I dont know if I mentioned that I'm taking psychology with UMBC through the core share. Well I'm taking Psychological Assessments; it's a really interesting class and incorporates a lot of math, which I love.

Anyways so I'm also taking 3d modeling and I thought I would post up my last homework assignment. We were supposed to make a pawn. I'm not the best modeler but I'm definitely working on it.



I'll post up more pictures of projects and such for my next entry.


Is anyone doing anything interesting during spring break? I haven't had the chance to make any official plans yet but hopefully I will soon or I'll end up studying like I probably should be :-P

happy belated national grammar day

yea, it's a real day :p don't believe me? check it out :) it was technically last week, but i still wanted to share. we're creeping up to paper writing season, and you may find some of these useful (or just amusing). so, in honor of one of my favorite aspects of grade school english, here are links to my favorite grammatical things courtesy of the internets [please note that my love does not extend to all punctuation, and i don't necessarily use super awesome grammar when blogging. they're my posts in my "voice" so neener :p]

Stuff White People Like - Grammar: "it is impossible for a white person to turn down the opportunity to proofread" (lol i may secretly be a white person)

William Strunk's The Elements of Style: "aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention ... on a few essentials"

and everyone's favorite... the oatmeal! motherf'in semicolon; apostrophe and misspelled words with a test

there's lots of fun to be had over at the national grammar day site, but i will fight you on some of this list: Top Ten Grammar Myths
#8 i'm disappointed in Merriam-Webster for allowing this to be added to the dictionary. people, i will red ink this when i proofread your papers (because of course you would ask me to proofread; reference item one above)
#2 is still extremely awkward to me. however (yea, #9!), i've noticed that i'm splitting more in my assignments. i HATE it so that's another red ink
#1 red ink! the point of a paper is to sound pretentious. pretentious snoots don't end sentences with prepositions :p
i realize the list is referring to regular conversations, but some fools like to apply the above to academic work. please don't do it; you just look ridiculous

this ends your grammar lesson of the day. i hope you had as much fun as i did :)

My Week At A Glance

WOW....has this been a week for me. This week I have truly felt like a student though. A busy student, mom and full-time employee. Being off myself four days last week for a minor infection, having a coughing and feverish toddler who was also sick over the weekend too and going back to work on the 1st was truly hard.

First, in my position, one day off can seem like two....two can seem like four....three can seem like six...you get the point, right? Don't take time off !!! Government/licensing affairs wait for no one. Throw on top of that, the fact that only one other person can probably do my job as well as me and she's out too, and you know I had a mess on my hands. It pretty much took all week to clean up everything. I am thankful though that with my good organizational skills, I put things in lovely piles based on priority and what it required....a call, letter, email, approval and by 4:45PM today, I was walking out with only 3 pieces of paper on the desk !!!

Then after work on last Monday, I had class. We have a group presentation to prepare. We brainstormed as a class throwing out topics that might have some ethical issues related to them. Lots of interesting topics. Groups are formed and my group wants to do privacy issues. Privacy? How broad of a subject is that? So they narrowed it down to workplace privacy. In my opinion, that's non-existent. You dictate what, if any, workplace privacy you get based on the employer you decide to work with. But enough of that. I'll see how far we'll get with this topic today. Would I be wrong for asking to join a group that's doing something more interesting to me like transgender issues ?

So if you read your UB Daily Digest, like I do, you'll know March 1-6 was Ethics Week. The Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics offered a series of workshops this week. Two of them fit into my schedule. Attendance, followed by a 2-3 page reaction paper equaled a possible 6 points of extra credit for my Ethics class.

March 2-"Ethical Climates in Organizations"

5:30-7p.m., Room 003 Business Center

Dr. Ed Gibson and Dr. Heather Wyatt-Nichol, School of Public Affairs

Now for me, this started off a little dry, stats, lingo and researchers I didn't understand or know. The information seemed more interesting to public policy, public relations students. I struggled to find the Ethics relationship. Halfway through though, I was able to make some notes and should be able to write a fairly decent reaction paper. Now Wednesday's presentation....truly enjoyable !!

March 3-"Thurgood is Coming: A Living History Presentation

5:30-7p.m., Room 003 Business Center

Dr. Lenneal Henderson, Professor, School of Public Affairs & HCPE Senior Fellow

Dr. Lenneal Henderson....what a man. I took a class with Dr. Henderson last semester. If you don't know who he is, look him up and take a class with him!! This man is a walking encyclopedia of public policy !! Ask him anything and he knows it, right down to telling me how to dispute my property taxes THE RIGHT WAY. But to his presentation. There's the Thurgood Marshall you learned about in school and then there's Thurgood By Lenneal !! Dr. Henderson transformed himself and gave us a look at another side of the Supreme Court Justice no one would possibly have known; the personal and private Thurgood. It was truly a spirit invoking presentation. He captured us and kept us. And he was given a well-deserved standing ovation. Dr. Henderson is an eloquent speaker.

So Thursday approaches...my graphics class !!!! So we're done with InDesign and introducing Illustrator. Now this one looks like it could fun !!! Class was a lot more interesting. This program seems to be a lot more interesting too. We practiced using the tools in class. Our assignment? Draw a chicken !! Yes a chicken. Needless to say my poor little chicken had a run in with Tyson Company and so he doesn't exist anymore !!!! That was a terrible looking bird but I tried and that's all that count. My teacher actually tried to make me feel better and say it looked pretty nice She need classes cause he looked pretty sad to me !! Our homework assignment design a logo. This should be fun and I can't wait to start working on it. Now that I type this, I just realized we didn't get our group grade back. Damn !! I was so for another 'A' !!

Friday...easy sailing now. Not a bad day at all. Pretty smooth really. I guess I'm settled down and getting ready for my REAL special day which is Sunday (yesterday since my blog appears on Monday !!!)

Sunday March 7, 2010, a very special event took place for me and 5 others of Gospel Tabernacle Baptist Church. We was baptised !!! There is nothing on Earth that can explain this feeling of starting a new life. I wonder if this is how people in jail feel. They walk out those doors of being locked down and locked up and proclaim "I'm free". Wow...standing there waiting to be taken into the water. I can't even explain all the things I was feeling. It was so amazing. I had a great group of friends and family there to support and celebrate with me. Later, my mom, a family friend, my best friend and her son came back to my house. My mom and her friend had to leave to get back to DC but I had a nice dinner and conversation with my best friend. It was truly, truly a great day.

I thought this week had me but I had to focus, think about what needs to be done now and get it together. I can't let myself get behind cause I'll never get caught back up. That's the mentality I'm taking. I signed up for school and homework is part of the job. But I got to remember I got other jobs too....mommy, wife, supervisor. Just prioritize, focus and prayer don't hurt either. Do these things and you can make it....in life and school.

Have a blessed week everyone.