Changes and OMG I agree with Paul Ryan

I agree with Paul Ryan on some things. That's right. I found myself reading The Weekly Standard and agreeing with Paul Ryan and his dreamy blue eyes. (please see The Slate Political Gabfest for the dreamy blue eye comment) Here is the video that prompted my Paul Ryan thoughts. "That is where we are right now. This is the most predictable economic crisis we’ve ever had in the history of our country. And yet, we have a President who is unwilling to lead. We have too many politicians who are worried about the next election and not worried about the next generation."

Also found this great article on integrity to juxtapose a post on politics.

1.  You live without regret because you make decisions based on what you know to be right.
   
2. You lead by example by acting with honesty.
   
3. You develop the power to make accurate observations and can recognize truth in others more easily.
   
4. You live with a free conscience and a clear mind uncluttered by a need to keep straight stories. 
5. You have the strength to handle and cope with rejection or criticism because you know your intentions were pure and honorable.
   
6. You are able to minimize personality conflicts because you act out of assertion instead of aggression.
   
7. You are able to live and love freely since you have nothing to hide and hide nothing.
   
8. You are easily able to accept responsibility for mistakes when they happen and move forward with confidence.
   
9. You learn that truth has no agenda and develop a reputation as a person that treats others fairly.

Dating, Radiohead and Open Windows

Hello blog friends from a beautiful weekend in Indiana.

The weather is amazing this weekend. I got a quick 3.5 mile walk in yesterday partially around a lake and partially through a part of town I haven't been through yet. It was nice. A friend of mine is training for the Susan Komen 3-Day in Chicago, so I hope to get some walks in with her. This morning, she was at my place bright and early (6:30 a.m. folks). We did a beautiful 7 miles. Northwest Indiana has some really nice outdoor resources that I lacked in East Central Illinois. I am into that.  My next move will have to be a good blend of both cultural opportunities and outdoor activities. West coast here I come. Please give me a job :).
  I am also halfway through Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. The scale is not budging but I can tell a huge difference in my muscle tone and way my clothes fit. 15 days has made a huge difference. I would prefer a more muscles to being skinny. I am really hoping this will help with my health issues. The insulin issues are starting to feel a bit more under control these days.


A note on dating, I thought I might try it again recently. It has been 2 years since I have dated anyone and roughly 4-5 years since I have been in a relationship. The experience last week was nice but I think I am going to hold off a bit longer. I want a clearer plan for my next year without complicating it with someone else.  I am totally good with that and am in no hurry. Although I might get a cat friend for the cat. He seems lonely when I am away. 

I have been listening to Radiohead's Hail to the Thief quite regularly for the last several months. I love it. I still think OK Computer is their best work but for me this is one of my favorites. I actually don't own Kid A and have heard I need to get it. Thoughts on that? Also been listening a lot of The Black Keys Brothers. Also will accept all music suggestions as I feel as if I am in a rut at the moment.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. 

Follow up article to color food dyes in the NY Times

A decent follow up to the food dye debate. Another example of how we let aesthetics trump health and environmental impact. Way to go guys! Now I have to go drink my purple Mt. Dew.

Colorless Food? We Blanch

The Next Couple Months

Today was beautiful. Yesterday was one of those days that happen rarely. I got tons of things done and was able to relax as well. I got all my chores done, car washed and vacuumed, a 5 mile bike ride in, grilled with friends and watched basketball. I crashed like a kid when I got home. Today I overslept, tot caught up on the internet and NY Times Tech Talk podcast, worked out and went on a 3.5 miles walk. It was a nice day. I am starting to get ready for the 5K in May.  At least now I have an idea of how fast I can walk it. I would like to speed it up a bit. After this, I will work on being able to actually run one.

The next couple months are going to be insane. Where will I find the perfect combination of time, money and energy? Oh I believe it can be done. Basically I have decided to live on the adult healthy low GI diet version of the college kid ramen diet. What exactly is that you say? Basically clearing out my freezer and cabinets of food before doing any major shopping. This involves getting creative with the food I have and keeping my carbs in check. So maybe eggs and black beans for breakfast instead of waffles because I need to get rid of the can of black beans etc..

So budgeting is a huge concern of mine and I am getting there. Also working out again. My body is starting to understand the motions a bit more and not hurt as much. Getting sick for that month more or less took tons out of me. If I am going to squeeze everything in, I will need to have a bit more energy. 

So basically I just want to pay off bills and go on trips. I dated someone who was like that once and I really didn't get it at the time. Now I understand the power of the vacation. There is something about getting out of the cubicle that is awe inspiring.

Right now I am simply enjoying the warmer weather and coming down from a relaxing weekend. Spring please be here to stay. 

An interesting thought to start the day Courtesy of Tricycle

Honesty Begins at Home

The pillar of skillful speech is to speak honestly, which means that we should even avoid telling little white lies. We need to be aware of dishonesty in the forms of exaggerating, minimizing, and self-aggrandizing. These forms of unskillful speech often arise from a fear that what we are is not good enough––and that is never true. Honesty begins at home, so the practice of skillful speech begins with being honest with ourselves.

- Allan Lokos, "Skillful Speech"

I think the part that hits home the most for me is "These forms of unskillful speech often arise from a fear that what we are is not good enough––and that is never true." As I start trying to date again and talk to other people in the same position, it especially resonants with me. The fear that I am not good enough. This had in some ways dictated  decision made all through my 20s and is finally being pushed into the backseat. Not good enough for who? I often find that is person is myself. I am at the point in my life where feeling comfortable in my own skin is a major goal. I recently responded to a personal ad that ended with in the Why you should Message Me area, something to along the lines of "you like yourself, if you don't how am I supposed to?" I liked the sentiment and responded to the ad. 

On a completely unrelated note, this article is a good read for the morning and a discussion we should be having more often.  F.D.A. Panel to Consider Warnings for Artificial Food Colorings

So as I dive head first into the dating abyss and my new life in general, I will try to keep it real. But not the point that keeping it real goes wrong. 

The Hurt Locker

This will be a short entry. I rented The Hurt Locker over the weekend and finally made time to watch it tonight. I have to admit, I like war movies. I really thought this movie was well made. It has a good plot and there were a couple scenes that were shot almost perfectly. I can understand why it got the Oscar. And thank goodness it did over Avatar.
 I couldn't help but to think about Libya while watching it, and also thinking about the president's comments concerning our involvement in Libya. Obama's Nobel Peace Prize still looms large in my mind as we enter into another conflict with no end in sight. The students that I supervise have grown into adulthood only knowing war in the Middle East. It is a  norm to be at war for them. They matured into it. I found that to be sobering as we sat around a table discussing it. As a nation we have a vested interested in that part of the county and our military is protecting those interest. Do not get me wrong. I am glad we are protecting civilians, but my mind moves quickly to Darfur and Myanmar where our interest was not so vested and our troops not on the ground. Does American interest in the an area of the world prioritize the value of protecting human life? As quoted in the piece "Ending American Exceptionalism" "In short, as President Obama stated, “the burden of action should not be America’s alone.” Does it make it any better that  we have allies in the process of prioritizing life,  that burden does not fall on this nation alone.

First World Problems

So lots of things have changed for me in the last couple months. I have had to rethink some major life decisions. I have made peace with that process. An acquittance on Facebook posted a list of his first world problems. I believe I noted it in my last post. This has changed the entire course of my last two weeks. I have evaluating my life using a different lens and different perspective. My first world problems are not so bad. I have a really good job. I am making good friends. I eat fresh fruits, vegetables and meats on a daily basis. My biggest concern is overeating, and not where my next meal will come from. If you were to open my fridge you would find fresh peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, yogurt and cheese among other things. I can afford good less processed whole grain breads. My closet is full of warm clothes that I dread washing every week after I wear it for a short period of time sitting in my temperature controlled office. My friends and family love and accept me for who I am. I can rely on them for most things. In the grand scheme of life I am mostly healthy. I workout, I have a white collar job and I am educated.

My point is that my first world life is amazing. I have fears and worries. Some unfounded, some ingrained deep within and some that are gone as fast as they come. I would love to make a bit more money and pay off my student loans pronto. I want to travel and live in a bigger city. I would love to have a partner to share my life with. And if the fates allow kids. If they don't allow, there are plenty of other kids for me to love.

I have spent a lot of the last two weeks gathering my wits. Learning to find the courage to be happy with the many blessing I have instead of participating in the relentless pursuit of perfection and ambition. I am learning to take chances I might not have before and leave myself open to life.

Most importantly, I am taking a several minutes a day to put it all into perspective. I am trying to figure out ways to share the blessings I have with people who have less. Because lord knows I have an excess of material things that mean very little to me at the end of the day.

My first world problems are just that. I feel so very blessed and thankful that my worries in the grand scheme of things are small and that my life is filled when love when I take a moment to look up and see it.