Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
Helpful: Your Special Purpose
No, not that "special purpose," Steve Martin fans.
In deciding to leave work and start school, I've been trying to articulate exactly why I picked this program, and why I want to start it now. What will I do with a grad degree in urban planning? What's the purpose?
A great series of articles by Steve Pavlina got to me, and helped me define that purpose. Steve says that if you aren't working for your own purpose, you'll only end up working on:
1) your needs
2) someone else's needs, and
3) someone else's purpose
So I came up with a purpose tonight, and we'll see how this sounds:
My goal is to help governments and community organizations eliminate poverty and create opportunities for success.
Maybe it still needs a tweak, especially with that last phrase, but when I finally put that down on paper, I realized that this is where I got the most out of my job at Kaplan. I didn't care that the Washington Post Company made a great profit, but I cared that our students got into a good college and that our tutors found a successful, meaningful job. I want to try this Masters program because I believe that with advanced knowledge about how cities work best, I can help bring employment and opportunity to people who need it the most.
Maybe it's naive, but it feels like the right direction.
In deciding to leave work and start school, I've been trying to articulate exactly why I picked this program, and why I want to start it now. What will I do with a grad degree in urban planning? What's the purpose?
A great series of articles by Steve Pavlina got to me, and helped me define that purpose. Steve says that if you aren't working for your own purpose, you'll only end up working on:
1) your needs
2) someone else's needs, and
3) someone else's purpose
So I came up with a purpose tonight, and we'll see how this sounds:
My goal is to help governments and community organizations eliminate poverty and create opportunities for success.
Maybe it still needs a tweak, especially with that last phrase, but when I finally put that down on paper, I realized that this is where I got the most out of my job at Kaplan. I didn't care that the Washington Post Company made a great profit, but I cared that our students got into a good college and that our tutors found a successful, meaningful job. I want to try this Masters program because I believe that with advanced knowledge about how cities work best, I can help bring employment and opportunity to people who need it the most.
Maybe it's naive, but it feels like the right direction.
Helpful: A Kuzma hit on my Google Alert
Pops makes a web appearance, with action shot and everything. Well done!
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Interesting: Game Show Theory
The writers of Freakonomics have a blog, and today they contend that the new game show Deal or No Deal is an economist's dream: a high-profile example of risk-reward testing.
Maybe so. Here's my econometric analysis:
Deal: 25 hottt models.
No Deal: Howie Mandel's hijinks and bizarro facial hair.
It's a toss-up.
Maybe so. Here's my econometric analysis:
Deal: 25 hottt models.
No Deal: Howie Mandel's hijinks and bizarro facial hair.
It's a toss-up.
Interesting: Killing Yourself to Live
Just finished this book by Chuck Klosterman, an author I've reviewed before here.
A very funny book, with a lot of chicks, drugs, rock, road tripping, and death. Chek it out at your local public library.
A very funny book, with a lot of chicks, drugs, rock, road tripping, and death. Chek it out at your local public library.
Helpful: 7 Deadly Sins
Track #9 on the Aurora Forum podcast list from Stanford is a speech by Arun Gandhi, grandson of the great Indian leader of non-violent activism. You may have heard this list of "Seven Deadly Sins" before, but it was my first time, so I wanted to share it:
Seven Deadly Sins
Wealth without Work
Pleasure without Conscience
Science without Humanity
Knowledge without Character
Politics without Principle
Commerce without Morality
Worship without Sacrifice
Seven Deadly Sins
Wealth without Work
Pleasure without Conscience
Science without Humanity
Knowledge without Character
Politics without Principle
Commerce without Morality
Worship without Sacrifice
Interesting: Vacation!
Day 4 of my vacation is a little warmer -- it may actually hit 30 degrees today. It's been a week of great accomplishment, as I have been conquering We Love Katamari, the sequel to the bizarro Playstation 2 hit, Katamari Damacy. A lot of NPR, some napping, and a bit of easy reading, since I figure I won't have much time to do that when school starts in 3 weeks.
It's a weird feeling not going to work, and not worrying about not going to work. Maybe that comes later? I dunno.
It's a weird feeling not going to work, and not worrying about not going to work. Maybe that comes later? I dunno.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Helpful: Truce
Finally, a way for Democrats to talk about the Iraq endgame without looking like wussies.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Interesting: A Touching Christmas Story
Hunter from Daily Kos shares a heartwarming tale of Christmas shopping and merriment. (Warning: profanity.)
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Helpful: Smoke-Free Chicago
The Chicago City Council will vote on the 100% Clean Indoor Air Ordinance tomorrow morning. I already called my alderman to ask her to vote yes -- you should too. Unless you don't live in Chicago, in which case, you don't get an alderman. Too bad.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Interesting: Free track from David Mead
Just in time for your holiday virtual stocking stuffing, David is releasing free tracks from the vault. We saw David in concert at Schuba's on Friday, and were very pleased by the solo show. You don't see many singer/songwriters who can play guitar, keyboard, and ukulele all so well. Lovely. The new album will be out in May!
Main David Mead fan site.
Official site here.
Main David Mead fan site.
Official site here.
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