Sugar Fast Day 3

Breakfast:
Trail mix (Kashi cereal, pecans, dried cranberries)

Snack:
Banana

Lunch:
Grilled pork chop
Wild rice
Sauteed spinach

Snack:
Peanut butter on cheese crackers
Apple

Dinner:
Roast beef sandwich
Strawberry/banana/peanut butter smoothie
Peanut butter & jelly sandwich
Rotisserie chicken
I know I know, I ate quite a bit for dinner ;)

Sugar Fast Day 2

Breakfast:
Banana

Snack:
PB on cheese crackers

Lunch:
Grilled chicken
Spinach
Corn on the Cob
Wild Rice

Snack:
Smoothie King High Protein Shake
Kashi Trail Mix Bar

Dinner:
BBQ chicken
Spinach

Snack:
Apple

Sugar Fast Day 1

Breakfast:
1/2 bagel w/ peanut butter*
2 scrambled eggs
hash browns
1/2 grilled chicken breast

Snack:
Trail mix (pecans, dried cranberries, Kashi cereal)

Lunch:
strawberry, banana, peanut butter smoothie**

Snack:
Kashi Trail mix bar

Dinner:
1/2 grilled chicken breast
sauteed spinach
corn on the cob

Snack:
Blue corn tortilla chips w/ salsa
Cantaloupe

*Next time I'll try to do a better job of cutting back on the peanut butter, as I eat several spoonfuls a day. Yeahhh, it's good stuff.

**I used a packet of Splenda to sweeten the smoothie, along with some honey. I think I may just settle for the more natural (and less enjoyable) taste, or find some other alternative to fruit smoothies.

No desserts or fried foods today. Not bad - let's see how the rest of the week pans out.

Breaking Up With Sugar

Sweet tea. Muffins. Pop tarts. Waffles. Milkshakes. Cookies. Doughnuts. Brownies. Honey buns. French toast. M&Ms. Pancakes. Cheesecake. These are just a few of the sweet, sugary things that I find myself craving on a constant basis, and I need to come to terms with it. I don't think that any of these things are bad in moderation. A piece of Dove chocolate or two here and there. A warm cookie with a glass of milk. These are simple indulgences that most of us allow ourselves, but when you've got a pit in your stomach because your pancreas is running marathons in a mad dash to process your latest sugar binge, there's a problem. And unfortunately, I'm one of the ones with a problem, as I am completely unable to settle for one dessert portion, usually opting for two or three instead. I then compensate by pounding the pavement for a 3 to 4 mile run or an hour trip to the gym. I won't be able to keep this up forever. I'd like to evolve to a point where I exercise purely for heart and mental health, and not the purpose of counteracting a day's worth of bad eating.

Most who know me know that I talk a lot about how much I love food. And who doesn't? Like clothes and jewelry, food is comforting and therapeutic, but unlike those things, food is inexpensive. If I'm having a boring or rough day at work, a two-pack of Pop Tarts is just 65 cents. Krispy Kreme doughnuts are $5 a dozen. Waffles at Waffle House are warm, fluffy and are only $2.65 a pop. Sugary foods are readily available at budget-friendly prices everywhere you go, but with obesity on the rise and the future of American healthcare looking shakier by the day, there's no better time for me to take better care of myself.

So that's why I'm challenging myself to a 30 day sugar fast. This means that I will do my absolute best to stay away from artificially sweetened foods. Will this be easy? No. Will I cheat? More likely than not, but I've got to try. Last year I wrote about a night out in Paris where I ate three desserts within the space of two hours. Sure, it's fun to splurge and eat without abandon, but when you can't focus on your work because you're thinking about your next sugar fix, there's a serious problem.

Recently, NPR wrote an article likening the danger of sugar to cholesterol and salt. I'm quite sure it's as addictive as cocaine or heroin as well. I'm by no means a totally healthy eater, but I'm always up for a challenge. Because I'm well aware of how hard this is going to be, I'm going to force myself to publish what I eat every single day. Sure, I could be lying, but I'd only be hurting myself by being dishonest about what I'm eating. This also means that I may have to re-examine my belief of trips to Smoothie King to be harmless, especially with the various powders they toss into the blender to make the final product - you guessed it - sweet. I've been going there 2x a week for the past several months, so cutting that out might be good for my wallet as well as my health.

*Deep breath* Let's see how this works out.

Why I Bash Twitter (Every Now and Then) But (Probably) Won't Leave It

Gotta keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening. Check out the following article from Applicant.com --

"30 Profiles and Sites Every Job Seeker on Twitter Should Follow"

Twitter has become one of the best job search tools on the internet. The growing number of job search sites and recruiters on twitter makes it one of the easiest platform to look for a job and build contact with potential employers. Social networking has become of extreme importance when it comes to job hunt and the power of twitter cannot be ignored. We have heard countless news of people landing their dream jobs through twitter and other social media platforms. If you have yet to utilize social media for your job search, especially twitter, it’s about time you let the potential employers on twitter know that you are available.

To read the full article and to see the Twitter profiles in question, read the article by clicking here.

Beware the She-Wolf

Even though I don't understand what the hell she's saying 90% of the time, I still think Shakira is a genuinely talented performing artist and musician with a passion for great art. I bet women everywhere will be signing up for yoga lessons after watching this video.

The Incredible Flexible Sasha Fierce

This gives me an idea - maybe instead of taking this blog down, I'll post random tidbits that appeal to me, like Kanye does with his blog. I'll be sure to write paragraphs here and there in order to keep the juices flowing.

Pedestrian Non-Friendly Atlanta

Atlanta is the 22nd least-walkable city in the nation, according to a Web site that measures walkability.

Walkscore.com ranked the largest 40 cities in the nation on a scale of zero to 100 based on how easy it is to live a “car-lite” lifestyle. Atlanta, at number 22, scored 52 points. According to the Web site, cities that scored between 50-69 were "Somewhat Walkable -- Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car."

-- Read full article here

Funny how I often think of what it must be like to not need a car, and then this article surfaces. Guess I'm not the only one tired of paying for gas and car upkeep, as well as dealing with traffic.

Another Quick Update

I finally configured my friggin' Shelfari to display my books how I wanted them. I don't know why that was so important to fix. Darn borderline OCD (no not really, I've never been diagnosed).

Quick Update.

Yeah yeah yeah, I know I said I'd try to stay after work to write some things down, but you know how it goes. I have been thinking about this blog a bit lately, and I'm not sure how long I plan on keeping it up. It's not that I don't have thoughts that I feel are worth writing down, but that I grow increasingly aware of the dangers of putting my private thoughts on display for God knows whom to read. I'm not much for generic posts, and aside from the occasional thrill (e.g. a concert or evening out), I don't go out often enough to fill a blog with items I wouldn't mind being broadcast for public eyes. I'll think on it. It'll depend on how I feel.

The internship has been going just fine, for anyone who might happen to be wondering. The economy is still in the crapper, so advertising revenue has yet to return to its former glory. I only have a novice idea of how that may affect my job hunt. As always, only time will tell.

Irons in the Fire.

It's unbelievable how much I've got going on at the moment, but I promise to write on it by the end of the day. In fact I plan on staying an extra half hour after work to write it all down.

The Best $75 I've Ever Spent, EVER!!!!

I'm going to spend the next several paragraphs explaining how much I admire this woman and how great she is at what she does. Consider yourself warned. Still interested? Let's go...

If you say you don't know any of Beyonce's songs, you're lying to yourself. If you say you don't like her or her music, you're still lying to yourself. You'd have to be living in an Amish compound to have never heard of any of her material. Beyonce is, without any doubt, one of the best artists of our generation. Her dedication to memorable artistry and immaculate performances is inspiring and honest. This woman is the real deal because she always gives 100% of herself, and Wednesday night's performance at Philips Arena was no different.

Having recently been listed at #4 in the 2009 Forbes Power issue (click here to read the feature on how she makes her millions) for raking in $87 million between June 2008-June 2009 is proof of how hard she has worked to establish herself as a respected artist in an industry long plagued by racism and sexism. After having sold more than 100 million records by the age of 27, she's accomplished that. Her performance proved that she's worked hard to perfect her craft, and as she said in a recent issue of Ebony, "I will never stop."


Her performance was two hours of flawless singing, dancing and seemingly limitless energy. Floating around the stage in one sexy getup after the other, Beyonce (or Bee, as so many of her fans like to call her) gave the best live performance I'm sure I've ever seen, singing in a variety of genres with an ease and skill reserved for those who've worked their asses off to attain it. Though I'm sure everyone in attendance had a favorite section of the show, my personal favorite was Bee's rendition of "If I Were A Boy," which topped the United World Chart for several weeks at the end of 2008. Though I always liked the song, I never really loved it until I heard it last night, performed with live instruments by her band, Suga Mama. Beyonce performed the song in full diva getup, dressed in a black gladiator top with a black leather skirt, and a pair of black sunglasses to match. She looked awesome and sounded even better. Check the clip below to a) see how damn good she looked and b) watch her perform "If I Were A Boy" in London with one of the UK's finest, George Michael.



I've rambled enough, but if you're reading this and Beyonce's tour has missed your city, make sure you buy a ticket the next time she hits the road. You really need to check this woman out...

Workin' Day & Night

Currently working 7 days a week until mid-July. Not a heck of a lot of time to update this thing, although there's always 4-5 good paragraphs marinating in my head that provide (or would provide) an excellent idea of where I am mentally right now. Hm. It's all good. I'll be sure to check in to write something down for the 3-5 readers I have on this thing. Yeah, I can make jokes at my own sucky readership's expense :)

Epiphany

I just had a sudden epiphany while working on a spreadsheet. I'm going to respect the fact that I'm on company time and blog about it later, but I'm just jotting this down as a reminder to myself to elaborate on this thought when I get some time this afternoon.

Independent Women

I always loved Batman Returns, and thought that Michelle Pfeiffer did a hell of a job in her role as Catwoman. I often think of the quote below as one of the most significant contributions to the feminist agenda:

(After rescuing a woman from being mugged in an alley) "You make it so easy, don't you? Always waiting for some Batman to save you."

After flipping on my computer, I decided to type the entire quote into Google to see what I'd find. The following excerpt, taken from this Bitch Magazine article, made for a good read. Check out the entirety of the article by clicking the link, or read below for the gist.

--------------
Catwoman’s inner conflict comes to a head when she must choose between living a fairy-tale life with Batman, or being true to her sense of justice and new-found personal power. The ending does not disappoint. Warning—I’m about to give it away, so if you want to see the movie and be surprised, you’ll have to skip this part. In the final scene, Batman and Catwoman confront Shreck, the ruthless tycoon whose plan to build a huge power plant—one that would secretly drain instead of generate electricity—has brought mayhem to Gotham. Batman wants to take Shreck to jail. But Catwoman distrusts the justice system and wants to take care of him herself.

Batman: Why are you doing this? Let’s just take him to the police. Then we can go home, together. Selina, don’t you see, we’re the same, we’re the same, split right down the center. Selina, please.
Catwoman: Batman, I would love to live with you in your castle forever just like in the fairy tale. I just couldn’t live with myself. So don’t pretend this is a happy ending.
Shreck: Selina Kile, you’re fired.

But it is a happy ending. Selina Kile is fired—that naive dependence is gone forever. Catwoman administers her own justice, giving Shreck the kiss of death as she grabs a power cable and fries him to a crisp. Then she takes off, leaving Batman and his fairy-tale desires behind. Go girl!
--------------------------

I often find myself wondering how anti-feminism continues to survive in the 21st century, especially with feminine independence thriving through figures such as Oprah, Paula Deen, JK Rowling, and Queen Elizabeth II, to name a few. The recent announcement of Kelis and Nas' impending divorce has been splashed over the front page of many a gossip blog, and for good reason. Those who have kept abreast of the story are well aware that Kelis is demanding a hearty share of spousal support benefits, perhaps more than a fair share. I think I'll write more on that later, as my opinion on the whole affair is still in formulation. For now I'm content to pontificate on society and gender, and how the former imposes its views on the latter.

I Caved In...

Twitter.com/BaronBrown

AS A DISCLAIMER, I WILL SAY THAT I WAS ASSIGNED TO RESEARCH TWITTER FOR MY COMPANY'S ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT'S NEW MARKETING INITIATIVE!!!! How else could I learn Twitter without actually, you know, Tweeting?

Please don't judge me. And I maintain my stance that my life is still not that interesting on a daily basis. But the idea of getting Eliza Dushku's attention does appeal to me....

That Darn Wagon

Why is it that it's so hard to stay on the healthy lifestyle wagon once you've reached a certain point? Since January I've lost well over 15 lbs. and though I'm very happy with the way I look, I'm not quite as muscled as I would like. Nonetheless, since I moved back home last week I've been eating as though I have a well for a stomach. Chocolate moon pies from the vending machine, Mom's homemade almond chocolate chip cookies, Dad's Lays potato chips, banana's foster cheesecake from Copeland's, bacon cheeseburgers and fries from Goldberg's are only a few of the sweet/salty/fried things I've enjoyed recently.

You name it, I've probably eaten it within the past 10 days. It's a funny feeling to recognize that you're slowly but surely falling off the "diet" wagon. Obviously I have the word in quotes because any health expert advises against using it, as it implies that once you've reached a certain weight you'll go back to eating biscuits for breakfast and peanut butter smothered bagels for dinner. Ahem, not that I know anyone who does that, of course...

I guess admitting there's a problem is always the first step. Hm.

Canceling Your Vacations This Summer?

Blockbuster is launching a new campaign aimed at those looking to be budget-conscious this summer. I think this is a really cool idea.

Blockbuster Launches Movie Road Map

We Are In Tough Times, Indeed

On Monday, I started my internship at the paper. In this role I work under a dozen Advertising Account Executives to support their operations. That's a fancy way to say that I'm their go-to guy for anything they need done, whether it be the completion of a sales presentation, or a promotional mailing for prospective clients. Even after four days in, I can tell that these people are on top of their game. Advertising requires an especially thick skin and a hell of a lot of perseverance. I'm incredibly fortunate to have nabbed a position in my field, as there are no doubt thousands of college graduates out there coming to terms with the fact that their ideal positions are well out of reach. Although I'd much rather be a salaried employee, I'm more than happy to take what I can get for now.

In the ad department, each Account Executive focuses on a specific area of expertise, in order to preclude any possibility of competition. For example, Residential Real Estate is designated to D, Commercial Real Estate clients are managed by A, and S deals with Educational Institutions. Whoever thought this up was wise to do so. Since there's no chance of the Account Executives pitching the paper to the same client, every one gets along really well. Which bodes well, seeing as how the entire staff is comprised of women. I'm sure male-dominated stockbroker firms deal with this same issue.

But there's nothing like working in an account services to make you realize just how bad the economy is. This position has already done a lot to educate me about current events, and that's not because I work at a newspaper. These people are stressed, and for good reason. Take for example the recent announcement of GM's bankruptcy. This affects D directly because she handles the automobile industry in addition to Residential Real Estate. I can only imagine what her commissions look like now as opposed to a year or two earlier.

This reminds me of my high school economics class, where my teacher told us that every expenditure is someone's receipt. Well, because receipts have been low for businesses in Atlanta (and everywhere else, I'm sure), they have less money to advertise, which hits the pocket of my supervisors.

I don't say all of this to incite feelings of depression or melancholy, because I believe this recession is teaching everyone a great deal about the importance of spending less than what's earned, and spending less in general. I'm pretty sure that the entire newspaper staff has picked up on this. Even though Atlanta is home to some really delicious local restaurants, nearly everyone pinches pennies by bringing their lunch. Advertising rates have been reduced sharply in order to entice existing and new businesses to place ads in the paper. The circulation department has lowered the price of subscription in order to keep money flowing into the company.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going, that's for sure. I think when this economy rebounds in a few years (don't delude yourself into thinking you'll be balling in 2010, because in all likelihood you won't), people may just emerge a bit richer and a heck of a lot smarter. I dare say there's hope for us yet...

Patience Is A (Time-Consuming) Virtue

Think I can reach 100 by the end of the year?: Requiem for a Dream, Body of Lies, Run Fatboy Run

There have been a couple of updates since last Monday's post on the job hunt. Just to keep you abreast of the stats - since the end of April, I have submitted a total of 19 job applications, 12 of them being for full-time positions, with the other 7 being internships or other forms of temporary contract work (e.g. camp counselor, airport customer service rep, etc.)

Out of those 19 submissions, 4 of the companies had the decency to let me know that the positions had been filled by a better qualified candidate. Out of the remaining 15, I netted 3 interviews. If you've done your math right, you'll see that the majority of the companies who received résumés from me failed to send any kind of update. Tsk tsk, but c'est la vie.

I was turned down for a position after one of the interviews, the third interview was held just yesterday, so the results are pending, but the second - an advertising sales internship with an Atlanta newspaper - was successful! Eureka. I'll be working full-time for 12 weeks at the paper, which will not only keep me busy while I look for a permanent position, but it will provide me with a decent income for the summer.

I am thoroughly excited to start the internship, and yet I can't help but feel a pang of disappointment that this isn't quite the real thing. Because it's an internship (my fourth, but who's counting?), the pay is hourly, and as I am no longer a student I am not covered under my parents' health insurance. Bummer. And because the internship is in Atlanta, I'll be packing things up in Athens and moving back home, at least for the time being. Not too sure how I feel about that, especially as I won't be able to throw my sweaty gym clothes wherever I want, followed by my ritual of blasting "The Best of Sade" as I shower with the bathroom door open. But I will be living rent free, so I can't forget the principle of quid pro quo.

But as I always say, no worries. I've been getting some tips from fellow alumni on where to purchase a monthly health insurance subscription, and as the internship starts next Monday, I'll need to make a decision fast. On top of that, I finally got myself off my father's cell phone plan in an effort to transfer more responsibility for my upkeep to me. Somewhat reluctantly, I opted for a nice Samsung instead of the pricier iPhone or BlackBerry. With my new handset, I have access to a GPS service (so long Mapquest!), as well as unlimited text messaging and data transfer, to the tune of about $70/month. Getting one of the more popular AT&T phones such as the iPhone would've raised that cost by at least $30, and I have to remember to distinguish needs from wants.

Speaking of monthly expenses, I also intend to begin paying for my own automobile insurance. Depending on whether I find a full-time job after the completion of the internship, I'd also like to pay one of the household utilities, as well as half the groceries. I plan to brown-bag for lunch during the internship in an effort to save money, which will be tough, as Atlanta is a great place for eating out.

If you haven't fallen asleep on this post by now, you'll recall that I mentioned a third interview, for a full-time job position. Though I had already accepted the internship offer, I decided to go in for an interview because I figured it couldn't hurt. My soon-to-be supervisor is well aware of the fact that I will maintain the job hunt throughout the summer, and because yesterday's interview will lead to several more (if I didn't blow it), I've got time on my side. Ideally, I'd start a full-time position as soon as the internship finishes, in order to avoid having to dip into my savings. But this'll all work itself out.

Thanks for reading! And please, make good use of the comment feature. I'd love to know what you think. Is there something I could be doing better?

Late Night Ramblings - I Think I Should Make This A Series

Since my last post: Star Trek, Angels & Demons, Deception, The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008),Wall Street

Music of the Moment: TLC, "Red Light Special"

As the days pass and I wait for the results from different job interviews, I continue to grow restless. Not to say that this is a bad thing, as it gives me plenty of time to do my favorite thing - think. While thinking is a nonstop chore for the brain, I believe I do spend an uncanny amount of time thinking consciously. I guess when it comes to food for thought, I'm a glutton.

Speaking of food for thought - I had a thought-provoking conversation with a good friend of mine yesterday morning. She's the same age as me, but graduated from college a year before I did. One of those rare few who actually graduates college in four years. Go figure. Anyways, she majored and minored in Anthropology and Biology, respectively, and after graduation, sought to get some experience in the life sciences industry before going to graduate school. Unfortunately, that turned out to not be the case. Though an internship at a zoo or aquarium would have done wonders for her professionally and personally, the call of real world responsibilities was too great to be ignored.

In order to pay the bills, she took a job as a cashier at Wal-Mart, and a year later, has had to deal with some rough situations. Her mother (who I love, by the way) is an adorable, feisty woman, with some glaring bad habits, financial mismanagement ranking top among them. A couple of years ago, my friend, who I'll call G, agreed to authorize her mother as a user of a few credit cards under G's name.

One thing led to another, and those credit cards were maxed out, with G having no way to pay for them. Throw in a broken down car, medical bills, and general monthly expenses, and it's safe to say that G has had a rough time. One of the things we talked about during our conversation was the fact that you can't stay mad at things that have happened in the past. We talked about the age-old saying "Don't cry over spilled milk," and how it's really antiquated, seeing as how people have a tendency to spill milk over and over again. I joked that the saying should be updated to say this: "Don't cry over spilled milk, but learn to not spill it again, because milk is expensive." Not catchy? It sounded good at the time, I swear.

G has been through more than her fair share of financial woes, and I give her a lot of credit for pulling through. She talked about how she had to guide herself through the car-buying process, as her mother was in too much debt to cosign on a car loan, and didn't offer much help at all in terms of information or advice on where to look or how to shop for the best deal. I've definitely been fortunate to have been raised by parents who saw after all of my needs, and although they may not have had the best financial practices themselves, they did take the time to talk to me about the mistakes they made, and the things I should do in order to avoid them.

Learning about how to take care of oneself is so important, and it's something that I preach about (a little too) fervently. Independence is a quality that I find attractive and empowering, and because that isn't easily achieved, I work constantly at it. I'm always reading blogs and news articles on how to budget money and save for the future. Sometimes it's hard to do that when you're young and old age seems far off, but I know what I want for myself.

Do you?

Goodbye to Television?

So graduation was almost a week ago, and the job hunt continues. Being an alumnus does feel really good. Knowing that I completed two degree programs in a *ahem* respectable amount of time gives me a solid sense of my own worth and what I'm capable of accomplishing. I get a really powerful kick out of doing things that take a great deal of focus. Which leads me to my next point...

Anyone who knows me knows that I do not have television at my house in Athens. Yes, I have a television, but I do not have access to televised content via cable or satellite. This has been the case since February 25. That's right, since February 25, I have not had television. Somehow, I've survived. How? TV networks have wised up to the fact that viewing habits are changing, and have responded by putting their primetime content on the internet. I can watch my favorite shows - Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Family Guy, True Blood, 30 Rock, and Dollhouse without having to pay for a cable subscription. And of course, the news is available online, 24/7. So when you think about it, I haven't really missed out on anything.

However, I've grown increasingly dissatisfied by my leisure habits, and this is attributable to my growing passion for interacting with people. Living alone (which I love, by the way), has led me to appreciate the time I do spend with people because for me it's a sort of project. I studied interpersonal communication for years, and I'm definitely living my major because I'm always making a conscious effort to communicate effectively. Speaking with precision and emphasis and avoiding space fillers like um and er. Keeping hand gestures to a minimum. Choosing my words carefully so that people never get the wrong idea. And working on my worst habit - not waiting until people finish talking before I chime in.

This is all very fun for me, and I'd like to make myself even smarter by lighting a fire under my imagination's butt by reading. Lord, I haven't read in months, and for me there's really no excuse for that. I always loved reading when I was younger, and there's no doubt in my mind that people who read for pleasure are the most interesting people on the planet. People who read have a genuine understanding that there is always more underneath the surface. As such, they are never satisfied, because there is always another page to be turned. In college I was surrounded by smart people, but the ones who read for pleasure are those who never cease to keep me guessing.

While searching for insight by those who had also given up the boob tube, I stumbled upon this article. Check it out. It made for a great read (pun intended).

However, this is not to blame television as the only time waster. A comment to that article made a great point: "TV watching, like many other activities that consume our time, such as using the computer, reading, socializing, eating, music listening, sleeping, should be done with some degree of moderation and life balance. Being consciously selective about how we use our time is the ultimate spiritual enlightenment."

Maybe I won't say goodbye to my favorite programs just yet, but I definitely need to pick up a book and go out more often.

This is Where I Get Off

Before I forget: Role Models, Taken, 30 Days of Night, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Paris, Je T'Aime

Last Saturday marked the end of my undergraduate journey. It really was a bittersweet moment. Why? Because as much as I disliked:

- Professors who thought they knew everything (There is more than one way to submit a case study!)
- Morning classes (The thought of seeing 7AM really does make me ill)
- Low internship pay rates (especially in the summer of '06 when gas ran me $55-$60 every five to six days)
- Tests! (I can't rant enough about this. Why grade me on my ability to memorize information when I'm going to forget it a month from now?)
- Course evaluations (does the administration even take those seriously?)
- The masses at the Ramsey gym (back off Fabio, I'm not done with this machine yet)

I'm going to miss it. All of it. Being a college student was great because it was predictable and unpredictable all at the same time. I could organize my semester however I wanted (to some extent), take naps at 3PM (which is when my energy level just goes to crap), and buy shots for $1 a pop (though I only did that a handful of times - I'm a lightweight). College was, in one word, cool.

Graduation was even better. I got some really amazing gifts from my family members, which did everything to convince me that I don't deserve them. God has really put some incredible people in my life, and I thank Him for that, along with getting me through some tough moments. Ahh well. What doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.

I would post some pictures, but chances are if you're reading this, you've already seen them on Facebook. On the other hand, it has been a while since I decorated this blog with some pictures.....






Au revoir, Georgia. You shall be missed.

Add 'Em to the List

When making a list of the movies I've seen this year, I forgot to mention:

- The Abandoned
- Volver
- Burn After Reading
- Eagle Eye
- Descent
- 1408
- The Family That Preys

I'm likely to add The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to that list pretty soon as well.

GRADUATION IS TOMORROW!!!!! But for today, two convocation ceremonies. I'm going to be exhaused by the end of this weekend.

Gimme A Beat

I usually rag on Ciara for not being much of a singer, but like any other recording artist of minimal vocal talent, she turns it on with the uptempo. This song has always been in any running playlist of mine, and I've played it about five times now while writing my last ever undergraduate paper! Enjoy.

Ciara - "I Proceed"


EDIT: And check out this one from the "Death Proof" soundtrack.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch - "Hold Tight"

Early Mornin' Ramblings...

Album of the Moment: Mariah Carey - Daydream (Butterfly and Emancipation are much better though)

I'm up at 4 in the morning after a weird nightmare in which I was a survivor in a sealed-off dormitory style building, fending off zombie attacks with about a dozen others. And these were the fast, rampaging zombies of 28 Days Later, not the slow dim-witted fools from Night of the Living Dead. Sometimes when I'm pounding it on a run outside and I get to a really hard hill, I tell myself there are zombies behind me, as a means of motivation. I really have to stop eating if I'm feeling sleepy. I don't know if there's anything scientifically proven about food-induced nightmares, but I'm gonna go with my gut (no pun intended) and stick to a glass of water before crashing. Sheesh.

I'm indulging myself in some random list making. If you don't care to read on, I won't blame you.

Movies I've Seen in '09

- Slumdog Millionaire
- Doubt
- The Wrestler
- Cadillac Records
- Marley & Me
- Eat Drink Man Woman
- Kung Fu Panda
- The Usual Suspects
- Meet the Browns
- Haute Tension
- Skinwalkers
- Obsessed
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno

I also started Elizabeth, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and Rachel Getting Married, but turned them all off at the halfway mark. I definitely won't waste valuable Facebook time watching a movie I don't like, no sir I won't! I do think it's fun to try different genres and actors, because it teaches you more about what you will and won't stand for. I think the common denominator behind all three of those movies is that they were either too slow to take off or made no sense altogether. Because movies only have 90-120 minutes to explain their thesis, I feel as though they should generally be fast paced. Develop your concept into a TV show if you care too much about character development. Anyways...

Concrete Loop has a new thread on singer Solange Knowles' expeditions in Europe. Seems as though some of her dates over there coincide with her sister's. Viewing the pictures of her in Barcelona and Amsterdam definitely aroused the tourist in me. It's just so much fun to be in different places and be surrounded by newness. I told myself that I was going to cool it on the traveling until I got a better hold on my job situation, but that carefree voice inside my mind tells me to throw caution to the wind and hop a plane somewhere. All in good time, I suppose.

In other news, I picked up my cap and gown from the university bookstore last week. Turns out that I get two tassels, one for each degree. Will I be placing both of them on my cap? You bet!

More lists...

Things I Want by the Age of 25
- Financial freedom (meaning all student loan debt eliminated)
- A new(er) car
- At least $10,000 in savings
- A job position that makes me not want to hop a plane to Barcelona or Amsterdam
- A strong, well-toned body
- A healthy, committed relationship

Places I've Thought About Visiting More than Once
- Brazil
- Thailand
- South Africa
- Japan
- Australia

The gym opens in approximately 90 minutes from now. I think I'll busy myself with a few more resume submissions before it opens. Gotta work some of that spaghetti off.

Why I Don't Worry Anymore

Album of the Moment: Jay-Z, American Gangster

Interesting Bible passage:

Luke chapter 12, verses 22-26:

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

- New International Version

I also thought this was noteworthy. I pulled this from a status update from a Facebook friend:

Life is so not like a box of chocolates. You know that no matter what you pull out of the box, you will get chocolate. Life is more like that game where you use the claw to grab for a prize. And you may not get sh*t.

Although this is a somewhat pessimistic view on life, I found it hilarious nonetheless. I've learned to accept and even embrace the humor that comes from not having everything go my way. Sometimes things don't work out the way you hoped because of a shortcoming or folly on your behalf. At other times, it's just because that's the way the cookie crumbles. Either way it goes, I call for an end to worrying.

Yes, I'm still applying for employment positions that are right for me. No, I haven't been hired anywhere yet. Yes, I appreciate your concern. No, I'm not worried. And yes, I am well aware that graduation is less than two weeks away. And no, I'm not worried.

Site of the Moment - FmyLife

If you haven't visited this site, you definitely need to: F My Life. I love it! It's nothing but a series of brief anecdotes, contributed by various users across the net. Obviously, because the expression "F**k my life" is used as a means of exasperation when things aren't going your way, the anecdotes are HILARIOUS. I got bored in graphics class today and I started reading some. I had to put my hand over my face and look focused on my InDesign project just so that no one around me would think I was off task. A few quick samples, in case you aren't sold on the concept yet:

Today, I woke up with really dry, chapped lips. Still in bed, without my glasses on, I sleepily reached down into my purse for some chapstick and applied it. Upon awakening later I realized I had mistaken a mini Sharpie permanent marker for chapstick. I have a job interview today. FML

Today, I was responsible for taking care of Hoppers, the rabbit belonging to my sons 3rd grade class. Tomorrow my son returns Hoppers so the next student can care for him. That won't be happening because Hoppers hopped out my 5th story window. FML

Today, I was in the supermarket and I see this little boy trying to reach for something on the top shelf. I proceed to go over to him and ask if his mom knows where he is. The boy turns around and turns out he was actually a very angry midget. FML

Obviously, some of these could very well be fake, but they make for a good laugh anyways.

Let the Networking Begin...

I didn't have class yesterday, so I took the opportunity to meet up with one of my former supervisors, who I'll just refer to as J. J managed my first internship back in 2006, and we've since stayed in touch. Unfortunately for her, she was laid off in February 2007, a few months after I returned to school. After going through the motions for a bit, she found a managerial position at a modeling agency. As it turned out, she hated that job, and found a better one as an Account Manager for a well-known coffee company. In the interim between July '06 and yesterday, she and I kept in touch via e-mail and Google chat (important later).

After a few failed attempts at meeting up, she and I met at Ria's Bluebird, one of Atlanta's many independently-owned restaurants. She and I spent a good hour catching up, and as I was telling her about my current job hunt, she advised me to maintain a standard. What I mean by this is to say that she recommended I continue to look for a position that would be a good fit for me, while working odd jobs in between to keep the bills paid. Admittedly, I'm relieved. Given the current state of the economy, the average emerging professional would probably be advised to hop on the first offer that came along, but J's advice has always been sound, and I felt even better after our meeting because holding out for a good position is exactly what I had intended to do.

A month or so ago, I was entirely gung ho about shipping off to Japan or Korea to put the real world on the back burner and play around a bit. I still think that's a great opportunity, and while I haven't completely closed the door on it, I've been cogitating (SAT words, yeah!) on several factors. The truth is that I think a great deal on where I see myself in five years. By that time, I want to be in a challenging and rewarding job position that makes the most out of me and I continue to make the most out of. And as the days pass, every lucrative job offer that I see in some grand city like New York, Chicago, or Miami mandates at least several years of experience. Bustling off to teach English in Saigon would be a hell of a good time, but when I eventually returned, I know I'd find myself well behind my peers, already engrossed in getting their feet wet with entry level positions in smaller markets in order to pave their way towards better cities and better pay. I don't consider myself a rat in the system, but the hard truth is that anyone looking to excel in any field needs to put in the work, point blank. The thought of earning $28,000 after the age of 25 doesn't really appeal to me.

I just made a "tsk tsk" clicking sound with my tongue after a brief pause in writing this. Do I really want to turn down the possibility of more traveling? No, but I am an adult, and as such I have to be aware that every action has a consequence. Case in point: depleting my savings account to study in Paris in 2007, working my butt off to replenish my funds, and then depleting it again to fly back for a low-paid internship in 2008. I had best make that experience count towards a good job. Perhaps I'll be able to find a way to marry my love of new places and my desire for a job in my field by landing some cool gig outside of the US. We'll see what happens.

I alluded to e-mail and Google chat earlier in this post, and I'll elaborate on why. Networking is crucial to staying afloat in your industry, and with electronic media, networking has never been easier. No, I'm not on MySpace, and I don't know if I'll be Tweeting anytime soon, but I try to make the most of my e-mail by constantly staying in touch with former employers, as well as those who I've interviewed with, only to be passed over. Yeah, most e-mails sent to those in the latter category end up unanswered, but it's important to try.

Site of the moment: Meet Up. I just joined, and already, I've found a French speaking culture club that meets on a monthly basis. I think it'll be a good way to keep the creative juices flowing. I met with a former French teacher today at the coffee shop on campus to have a chat in French, and boy am I rusty.

A Thing of the Past

At the moment I'm putting together a document that includes all the research from my advertising capstone course. We've been working for the last four months to think of ways to address the college binge drinking problem, and we've finally come up with a serviceable campaign that "we believe will prove effective in our mission to confront the binge drinking situation." I've become so familiar with writing like an account planner and talking like a telemarketer, that I jokingly advise anyone to double check their wallets after a conversation with me. I may just swipe a $5 from your billfold. You just never know.

Speaking of telemarketing - although I enjoyed the weekly paychecks (especially given the current state of the economy), I was working way too many hours at the site and with several key assignments due over the next four weeks, I found it best to focus all of my energy and effort towards the completion of those assignments, so that I do graduate, or "roll out," as I like to say it.

Quitting the telemarketing site returned 30 hours of time to my disposal, which I made pretty good use of last week. Not only have I been scoping out some ideal job arrangements (more on that later), but I have also returned to something of a social life.



This week I was contacted by a friend with a spare ticket to see Lady Gaga perform at Center Stage in Atlanta. Funnily enough, she told me about her plans to go to the concert at the beginning of March, while I was in the midst of my brief stint at the telemarketing site. Ordinarily, work commitments would've precluded me from attending, but because I was a newly free agent, I of course said yes. Lady Gaga turned to be every bit as charismatic and coquettish on stage as in her music videos and televised performances. I grinned from ear to ear when she said, "People ask me, 'Gaga, why do you talk about sex, and fame, and sequins in your music?' I said, 'Because those are the things I know about. Everyone here is an expert at something.'" This was made even more hilarious when a flamboyant guy behind me yelled, "FELLATIO! I'm good at fellatio!"

Good times. Back to work.

EDIT: I titled this entry "A Thing of the Past" because I am officially declaring worry to be that thing. Man, am I a terrible writer or what? Can't even remember my own diatribes.

In Memoriam...

Not more than ten minutes ago, I learned that Andy Hallett passed away on March 29 as a result of an ongoing battle with heart disease. This really hit me, as his role on Angel is one of the reasons why I enjoy genre television so much. Angel, along with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, were really creative shows that were scary, funny, and sad, but always very interesting to watch. I like to think that every successful genre show of the 21st century owes a great deal to Joss Whedon, creator of both shows, along with the now defunct Firefly and Dollhouse, which currently airs on FOX at Friday at 9:00PM EST.

I would like to write more, as I haven't contributed anything within the past two weeks, but I don't want to take away from the moment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting here with tears streaming down my face, but I do respect this guy's talent and what it did for one of the best shows ever to grace television. Thanks so much for your talent, Andy. Rest in peace.

Quick To-Do List

Sometimes it helps to see things in print:

1. Return videos to Blockbuster (and maybe rent more)
- I rented Eat Drink Man Woman, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and The Abandoned. I'm keen to rent Meet the Browns, Cadillac Records, and maybe Rachel Getting Married

2. Order Graduation Announcements

3. Get cap and gown

4. Graphics test on Monday

5. Fill out more job applications (I am lagging on this so bad it's not even funny. I try to remind myself that I'm really shooting myself in the foot if I don't step this up)

6. File Taxes (my least favorite thing!!!)

7. Finish and submit internship evaluation in order to receive class credit so that I will have a reason to complete objectives #2 and 3
- I returned from France in December! What is wrong with me?! Why is this thing not done yet?!!! I even got an email from my advisor reminding me to do this. She probably thinks I don't even want to graduate, haha)

Already Completed:
- Pay Power Bill
- Pay Water Bill
- Pay Rent for April

And to think, there are actually people who PAY to have things like this done for them. Curses...

Describe Your Life With Music

Using only song titles from one artist, cleverly answer these questions:

Pick a band/artist: JAMIROQUAI

1. Are you a male or female: "Space Cowboy"

2. Describe yourself : "Starchild"

3. How do you feel about yourself: "King for a Day"

4. Describe your ex boyfriend/girlfriend: "Just Another Story"

5. Describe your current boy/girl situation: "Feels Just Like it Should"

6. Describe your current location: "Traveling Without Moving"

7. Describe where you want to be: "Corner of the Earth"

8. Your best friend(s) is/are: "You Give Me Something"

9. Your favorite color is: "Hot Tequila Brown"

10. You know that: "Time Won't Wait"

11. What’s the weather like: "Seven Days in Sunny June"

12. If your life was a television show what would it be called?: "World that He Wants"

13. What is life to you: "Virtual Insanity"

14. What is the best advice you have to give: "Use the Force"

15. If you could change your name what would you change it to: "Mr. Moon"

Multi-Tasking Is for the Gods....

Album of the Moment:
Lady GaGa - The Fame

I definitely know that I had planned on finishing at least three things by the end of this week. I'm all too aware of the fact that I haven't written anything in several weeks, and the truth is that I'm just busy sorting things out. With graduation now less than two months away, I now need to focus on completion of all the pre-ceremony rifraff such as sending out announcements, getting the cap and gown, and most importantly, finishing my internship document. I still have yet to submit the docs in order to get my class credit, and I'll definitely be wanting to do that! Aside from that, I have of course been looking at employment opportunities.

I'm not too worried that the life updates are less than exciting at this point. I know me pretty well, and I'm sure I'll have lots to report on in due time....

Who You Callin' A Monkey?

This was found in today's edition of the New York Post:



I suppose even our cool new president isn't immune to racial slurs and downright ignorance.

All Things in Good Time

I just finished off a pretty good lunch of tilapia, spinach, and grapes, and now I'm thinking of things I need to do before I leave for work in an hour. Speaking of which, the telemarketing company has been very pleasant thus far. The people are really easy to work with, and because I only work with inbound calls, I never have to worry about getting cursed out for harassing someone. Just waitin' for the first paycheck, and that leads me to another item to do...paying bills. I've been keeping them pretty low thus far by turning everything off and taking short showers, so I only have about $50 to pay for both water and power - not too bad!

Got dirty dishes in the sink, clothes strewn around the room, jobs to look for, and a focus group to organize. My advertising campaigns project (check out the blog at http://campusboozeblog.com) is putting together a series of short panels to ask college students about their boozy ways. Should be fun. I think we're going to offer pizza as an incentive to come. Is it wrong that I'm more excited about the pizza than the actual focus group? Hmm.

Other than that, this week is pretty chill. Even though I'm without fun and exciting twitter-style updates from Paris, I thought it would be a good idea to keep this thing updated - months and years from now I'll be able to look at my posts and pontificate on what a wise, well-adjusted young man I've become. Hah!

A Wing and a Prayer

Although I usually hate email forwards, this one stuck out to me, especially with me being in a bit of a rough spot managing bills and the forthcoming life after graduation. Check it out..

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God," I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around," He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes," I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."
He said. "The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come," God said to me. "You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. Never, Never, Never Give up.

Prayer is not an option, it's an opportunity.

Just call me Bamboo Brown...

And I Think to Myself, "What A Wonderful World..."

Man oh man, has this week been juicy, and it's only Wednesday.

"Leap Kills Motocross Star." "Rihanna Reportedly the Victim in Chris Brown Assault Case." "Wildfire Death Toll Reaches 180 in Australia." "Kellogg Drops Michael Phelps."

Must be something in the air. Regardless of all the action going on out there, I try to keep a strong focus on what I'm supposed to be doing, and in case I haven't said it a dozen times, that would be graduating and finding a good job opportunity thereafter.

That of course means that the job hunt begins now. I've started looking at a few organizations - none of which I feel appropriate to comment on - and I feel fairly optimistic that I'll be on someone's payroll somewhere down the line.

I do have a couple of things keeping me busy though. I've recently begun working part time at a telemarketing company, where (thankfully) all of the calls are strictly inbound. This means that I will not become one of those people that you just love to curse out for dialing your number. The pay is pretty solid, and it will definitely help to take care of the bills for the time being. Hello financial security, how I've missed you.

Speaking of the bills - I live in a wonderful three bedroom/two bathroom house, and I lucked out by getting the master bedroom on the first floor, complete with its own bathroom. I love it. It's a fantastic place to live. The neighborhood is filled with really mellow students, singles, and families, and because it's not an apartment complex, I NEVER hear footsteps or voices 20 feet from my window. Looking back, it's a wonder I survived the crappy apartment I lived at during my fourth year. Whatev, I'm sure it built character.

The rent for my room is $300, which is a real steal, and the utilities aren't so bad either, except for the fact that I may be paying for them by myself pretty soon. I was under the impression that I was going to split the utilities in three with the other two roommates, but they both moved out, which left me with a quiet house all to myself (joy!) and the utilities in full (crap!).

Strangely enough, I'm not too worried. The three utilities are cable, water, and power, and I may end up lopping off the first one to save me about $40-60 bucks a month. I never watch basic cable, and though I love the movie channels, I am always dealing with one of two problems: 1) turning the TV on to find that an interesting movie has already started, or 2) having to wait for an hour or two for one to come on so that I can watch it in full. Because I've never been the type to schedule my life and free time around TV, and also because movie channels may end up being better for those who can tape them with a DVR, I may be better off just cancelling cable altogether. I love playing music, surfing the 'net, and reading in my spare time. The quiet, 'tis not a bad thing.

Boy, did I get to ranting or what? I have a magazine sketch due tomorrow for graphics, as well as an article to read for speech. Hasta la vista......

A Moment of Your Time

Check out this blog created by my advertising campaigns group:

Campus Booze Blog

Please comment on the topics, contribute to the survey, watch the fun video, etc.

And I got a B- on that graphics test. Whatevs.

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby Right Round

Music of the Moment:
Esthero -
Breath From Another

So it's the night before my first test in graphic communications and I'm feeling fairly confident. I've never been much for conventional studying (i.e. cracking the book) but I always attend class and try to be as attentive as possible during the lectures. Plus, the content is fairly enjoyable (computer design, creative planning, colors, hues, and type). I think that counts for a lot. Or at least we'll see.

Tomorrow shapes up to be one hectic day - after the test, I have a graphics lecture, followed by rhetorical analysis. After that, I have two job interviews (hooray for that because poverty sucks) for part-time work in Athens. Somewhere in between the interviews and class, I need to spend at least 45 minutes at the Spring Career Fair. Though over 250 employers will be in attendance, I'm only interested in working for 6 or 7 of them. That's not a great ratio, and to top that off, I really shouldn't be so picky, given this increasingly poor economy.

O/T (or new topic? hm): I was talking on the phone for a few minutes - and I'm supposed to be studying for a test, right? Yeah I'm focused - and we were dicussing cultural differences. She works as a cashier at Wal-Mart, and she said that in general, the whites who appear to be middle-upper class seldom buy anything in bulk, and they never buy ready-to-make canned or boxed dinners. They prefer fresh produce and ingredients. E.g. buying frozen chicken, rice, and vegetables instead of Chef Boyardee or Campbell's Soup.

In contrast, she said that most black people (upper-class in appearance or otherwise) usually stick to quickie meals and processed products such as hot dogs, frozen bags of fries (Good God those are so bad for you but they are so GOOD!!!), and other shortcuts to a heart attack. I definitely empathize. Growing up with two full-time working parents, I never missed a meal, but a great deal of those meals were not good for me. Quick stops to McDonald's, Chick-Fil-A or Burger King often took place in lieu of mom or dad (I say both parents because raising children to think critically about the foods they eat is everyone's job). It also didn't help that I was a latchkey kid growing up, and often times I ate whatever I could get my hands on, and at times that even included items as bad as cake frosting! Yeah, I know. It's weird how thinking of the old days makes me happy and sad at the same time. But I'm thankful for everything that's happened in life, because at least I get to live.

ANYWAY - damn I have a penchant for ranting - I went to the store last night and bought all kinds of healthy stuff like chicken, fish, brown rice, spinach, broccoli, strawberries, grapes, apples, bananas, etc. Pretty smart buying, right? However, there was one item that I did buy and I have no clue as to why I did so. Maybe because I wanted to satisfy the inner child who always fantasized about going to the grocery store and being able to buy whatever he wanted. Who knows? But I bought these:



Pancakes On a Stick, brought to you by the murderers fine people at Jimmy Dean. These things are so ridiculously bad for you...and yet they taste so good. My amazement at the power of junk food is only paralleled by my addiction to it.

I'm a junk food addict. This I know. A junk food addict who works out at least four times a week, and freed himself from overweight status more than 2 years ago. But what I need to face is that addiction is something that you deal with everyday, so I'd do better to avoid buying any more of these things in the future. That goes for cookies (love to bake them and eat them with ice cream), cake, and virtually any other sweet baked good.

Ahh that's enough self-disclosure for one night. Back to graphics.

The Pain of Planning

For some reason, I've been on a big Toni Braxton kick for the past week. I've always been a big fan of her sound - that rich, deep contralto voice and her unapologetic sexiness. Though she only released three GREAT albums (and two mediocre ones), she's a legend in R&B and mainstream music. Ever since Michelle Obama became our new First Lady, my respect for black women has been rejuvenated. Michelle sacrificed a lot in order to support her husband, while making time for her children. Black women are the backbone of America, and I remind anyone who disagrees to remember how hard female slaves had to work to please both their masters and their families. Although I do chuckle at thinking that I had to hunt for a few good minutes to find a photo of Toni in which she was reasonably clothed.

Anyway, January 29 marks 100 days before I become a college graduate. Right now my main priorities are completing my course load without any problems, looking for a (hopefully lucrative and exciting) full-time job, and keeping to a healthy eating and exercise plan. Somewhere along the line I picked up a few side projects, although I'm sure I am not lacking for things to do.

I agreed to help out with the public relations for an SGA (Student Government Association) campaign, and it looks as though I may have to help plan my own graduation party. Not that I intended to have nothing to do with the latter, but I was hoping to leave the majority of the planning duties with my mother and grandmother. But in order to prevent any unnecessary stress (get-togethers involving my family rarely go down without any incidents of high stress), it looks as though I will have to play a larger role in planning than I previously thought. *sigh*

I can't let this get in the way of my job hunt though. In truth, the interactions with my family, both negative and positive, play a pretty big part in whether I'll ultimately take a job in a different state or country. I don't think escapism is healthy, as whatever problem I'd be escaping would be waiting for me when I got back, but putting distance between me and my family could be a good thing. I have a lot of love for them, but I'm not sure if staying close to home after graduation would be the best thing for me. It could do me a world of good to truly live on my own for a year or two.

Saturday Night Stay-In

Albums Listened to Today:
Katy Perry - One of the Boys
Toni Braxton - Libra
Tim Kearney - Nothing Left to Lose

Funny - no matter how many Saturday nights I spend staying in, I never cease to feel as though I'm missing out on something. I think time alone is great - really, I do - but there's something about the best night of the week spent indoors that's a bit lame. Ahh well. I'm on a budget anyways.

Speaking of which - I've really gotten good at turning things down. A friend of mine is planning on attending concerts by Adele and Lady GaGa. While the latter merely intrigues me, I'd really like to see the former, as I've heard a few of her songs. Adele has a genuinely moving voice, almost haunting. I'm sure it would've been great to see her, but I'm sure she'll be around for years to come. Hopefully, in years to come, I'll have way more money...

I was browsing Britney Spears' blog when I got the idea to add blogs by Kanye West and Margaret Cho to my "Good Readin'" section. I think Britney's site is great, but the fact that the content is contributed by her staff and not Spears herself, it doesn't count as a blog so much as it does an official fansite.

There's a lot going on, isn't there? In addition to a plane landing on the Hudson river, a continually weakening economy (farewell Circuit City), and Israel's assault on Gaza, we have a presidential inauguration! That's always exciting. It's scheduled for this Tuesday, January 20th at 10AM EST, the day after the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. I plan on watching it, and I should probably participate in a US Day of Service event for goodwill's sake.

With so much going on, it can be hard to keep track of what's important. For me, priority numero uno is to have a good job awaiting me after graduation. That's why I've marked my university's spring career fair in my agenda. Although there will be upwards of 300 companies in attendance, only a dozen hold my interest. I know, I know, I probably shouldn't be picky, as a job is a job, but I think I can be selective enough to insist on working in the communications industry. I know there's a lot to learn, and I'm game for one hell of a lesson.

More Fitness, Yes Siree

Yeah yeah, so I'm a bit obsessed with getting back in shape, but with only three classes and no part-time job as of yet, I have a great deal of free time on my hands, so why not use it wisely?

Tonight after leaving the gym (third day in a row! I may take tomorrow off), I googled "cut muscles," just to see what would pop up. Naturally, a Yahoo! Answers forum popped up as one of the primary results.

I think these are pretty good tips, so I'm going to try and follow them as best as I can.

For Muscular Definition:

1.) Use heavier weight and fewer reps to bulk up - example: 10 pounds/3 sets/8 reps

2.) Use lighter weight and more reps to cut the muscle - example: 5 pounds/3 sets/20 reps

3.) You must fatigue the muscle to make gains. That means that the last few reps (the # of times you repeat the motion) of the last set (how many time you do a group of repetitions) should be difficult or impossible to do - so choose your weight according to that rule.

4.) To fatigue the muscle group more quickly, try super sets = a combination of two exercises for the same muscle group done consecutively (one right after the other). They work best with the larger muscles and should just be done once in a while, maybe every third workout. Example for chest is bench press and flyes.

5.) Use Compound sets to force muscle growth. This is similar to supersets except the exercises are for opposing muscles instead of the same muscle. Example is chest & back.

6.) Perform all exercises slowly for both concentric (shortening of the muscle) & eccentric (elongating the muscle) contraction. This will balance muscle strength and help you to achieve a sculpted, uniform appearance.

Note: even when cutting, your last set should be difficult and the last few reps near impossible to achieve without assistance. Just be sure you are using a lighter weight, eventually you will do enough reps to fatigue the muscle.

-----
I'll even go one bit further and write my food intake for the day. I don't count calories, but I may even have to start doing that too...

Breakfast:
1 Banana w/ Peanut Butter
Bowl of Granola Cereal

Mid-morning snack:
Fiber One Chocolate Granola Bar
Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bar

Afternoon snack:
Bagel chips w/ hummus

Late Lunch:
Salmon filet
Spinach
Wild rice

Dinner:
Turkey sandwich
1 Banana w/ Peanut Butter
Apple juice

Late Snack:
Bagel chips w/hummus
Slice of pineapple

I see now why people keep food journals - I am noticing a pattern here. I definitely should snack less, or turn my focus from carbs to fruit or protein. I have tried protein bars though - trust me, they suck.

Ah well, on continues the project...

Ay Yi Yi...

So classes have begun (luckily I only have three this semester), and I am optimistic about graduating on a high note. Though I won't be stepping into the best job market possible, I will have options, and that's always a relief.

Recently I joined the typical January fitness craze by diving back into the gym after spending four months of eating the most delicious food Europe has to offer: kebap sandwiches (almost always with fries), croissants, pain au chocolate, steak and roasted potatoes, and my worst habit...crepes. Although I am not exactly sure how much weight I gained while I was in Paris (probably about 10 pounds), I find myself getting better and better each day at getting back into the rhythm of things.

All this week, the fitness center on my campus is running a promotion where all of the group fitness classes are free. As you guessed, they've been packed to capacity, with students eager to shed as much weight as possible while being able to benefit from free training.

Yesterday I told myself I'd try as many of the free classes as possible, so today I went to "Boot Camp" after classes and it KICKED MY BUTT!!!! No joke. I've been jogging/running since high school, and I've never had any trouble completing 2-4 miles on a pace of 5.5-6.0 MPH on a treadmill, but weight training circuits are a whole 'nother kettle of fish. This was our workout (keep in mind we only had about a minute of rest in between each circuit:

- Push-ups
- Jump rope
- Bench Dips
- Stairs
- Squats
- Lunges
- Sit-ups
- Planks

By the time we cooled down with a few stretches, I was so out of breath that I felt nauseous. I Googled this, and it turns out that "exercise-induced nausea" is pretty normal, especially during high intensity regimes. No wonder I've always heard of guys throwing up during football or track practice.

So there you have it, your boy is in even worse shape than he thought. My advice to anyone reading this - get back and stay on the exercise horse ASAP. The longer in between workouts only keeps you rusty, and that never feels good.

Into the Athens Groove

Although I still don't have everything I need quite yet (pots and pans, hangers, etc.), I have successfully made the transfer back to Athens for my last semester of university. The first day of classes was yesterday. Luckily for me, I only had one, my advertising capstone. After we were introduced to the syllabus, our professor told us a bit about her background. Before coming to UGA to serve as an associate professor, she worked in the advertising field for the better part of a decade. For a few minutes, she opened the floor for us to talk about our dreams, goals, and ideal places to work.

Just as you may have guessed, I was the first to speak up. I shared my desire to work in a fascinating and lively city, and that I didn't care too much about the salary as long as I could live on it (and save a bit, mind you). I also said that I was intent on working in the communications field. I've seen far too many a student spend years studying Real Estate or Public Relations only to end up working as a waitress in a ski resort in Colorado or a four star hotel in New York City. I'm not knocking them - a job is a job - but it's important that I find a place where I will grow professionally. I'm really all about the growth these days. The money wouldn't hurt either, but I'm confident that will come.

Speaking of money - ouch. $100 on a bed, $25 on a desk (thanks Craig's List), plus $125 in groceries and $75 in truck rental fees (to move in) = me returning to broke undergraduate status. Funnily enough, I'm not TOO worried. We'll see where I end up in four months. I just hope wherever I end up tosses a few dollars my way.

Interesting link - I actually caught Oprah on TV yesterday, and guess who was the guest? None other than my favorite financial expert, Suze Orman. Turns out she is offering a free download of her latest book, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan, free at Oprah's website. Click the link to check it out!

Places to See Before I Die

Tonight I was watching The Bucket List on television. If you're unfamiliar with the premise, the film is about two ailing senior citizens(played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman) who, because of their many regrets, make a list of exciting things to do before they "kick the bucket."
Activities on this list included a safari in Africa, a climb to the top of the Himalayas, and a trip to Egypt, among other things.

But the shots of Nice, France, caught my attention in particular.



Eze Village


Villefranche


Hopefully I can make it there before I'm in need of my own bucket list. Will I too have regrets at the end of my life? Food for thought...