Day 31

I'm going to have a hard time getting through this class. I already don't like the instructor. My last class was great and I feel like I learned a lot. I'm not sure about my new class.

I need to do something with my hair. It looks terrible. I'm shedding like crazy.

I will have a short workday tomorrow because I will only be working 4 hours! That means I will have the rest of the day to finish up the my reading for the week and part of next week and I will have free time to do whatever I want. I'm considering a trip down to the Glendale Galleria. If I don't go, I will go out with my new camera and go take some nature shots. That's always relaxing. Hopefully the weather will be nice. Or I can go to some camera shops and price cameras. I have my eye out for the Nikon D300. I feel like such a traitor because all the cameras I've owned in the last 5 years have been Canon. Which reminds me, I need to think about buying some stock in which ever company I do decide to purchase a digital SLR camera from.

I finally met with a financial advisor. He gave me some helpful advice. I've been putting my money into a fund that I had to pay taxes on every year. That didn't seem right to me. Plus, I have some other money stashed that I needed to do something with because that money will eventually get taxed as well. I can't wait to open my Roth IRA. I think I can still contribute if I do it before I file my taxes for last year and still have that money count for 2007. This will allow me to put more money in since there's a limit on how much money you can put in a Roth IRA every year. I think for 2008 it's $5k.

I've reached a landmark with my blogging. I have blogged 31 days in a row! It's not a hard as I thought it would be. I've actually come to feel the need to blog. And I always feel better after doing so.

Day 30

I almost went to bed without blogging! I couldn't do that. I'm enjoying blogging now that I've committed to blogging everyday. LOL.

I just got finished with my homework. I only got to read one chapter tonight and boy was it a long chapter. I was hoping to get at least two out of the way but it wasn't going to happen.

I was going to post something long but decided against it. I don't have much to say. Oh, I started to tear today because someone said I look like I'm 30. Do I look 30? Don't like to me, just give me the truth smoothly.

I don't like the idea of growing old. I want to be 22ish forever. I need to go to bed now. I have to get up in 5 hours.

Day 29

I got a little miffed today at work. You remember that guy I wrote about, the one that admitted to having a crush on me, well he entered me into a sports bet at work without asking me if I wanted to bet. I have no idea when he did it, but he did and I ain't happy about it. I don't do sports betting because I don't know a darn thing about sports. In fact, I don't do betting of any kind.

Now for good news, there's a dentist in my new class and he didn't say he was married or had kids. Most people will say whether they are married and/or have children, because for some reason, they're so proud.

What the heck is bohemian anyway? Someone who doesn't wear deodorant? Gosh, I can only imagine what I would smell like if I didn't wear deodorant. There have been a couple of times where I forgot to put deodorant on and I swear, I tried not to move all day in fear I would break a sweat and start to smell. That is totally not the lifestyle for me. I've been around people who didn't wear deodorant. Their pits could have been classified as biological weapons of mass destruction! I can't hang with that funky stuff.

Day 28

I've just completed my fourth class. I have nine more to go.

I checked in with my next class. It looks like it will be easy or so I hope. I'm not looking forward to another class like the one I just completed.

I thought I was being lazy when I posted the same bio I used in my previous classes in my new class. Apparently, I'm not because I know three of the people in my next class and they posted the same bio as before.

Television is so boring. There's nothing on tv to watch because of the writers' strike. I think I missed the SAG awards. I've never watched one anyway.

I went to the grocery store today to buy some oatmeal and some milk and I forgot to get the milk. So, if I want a bowl of cereal, I'll have to go to store and get some milk.

Do you believe that if you think something to be true, it will eventually become true?

Day 27

I had the longest day working on my exam and the team project. One of my teammates plagiarized a portion of the paper and I had to spend the evening rewriting it as she didn't seem too interested about fixing it.

Tomorrow is my last day for this class. I'm on to the next one. Nine more classes to go and I'll be free to do whatever I want with my time.

That's all I have for today.

Day 26

Ah, I'm about to take a break from studying. I've been at it all day long. I had to spruce up the team paper and attempt to finish my final exam. I still have 6 more multiple choice and 3 essay questions to finish before Monday COB.

I'm so tired of finance and accounting but I've definitely learned a lot. This class has really got me paying attention to my investments and the economy. Right now my investments are losing money but this is the best market for finding bargain investments. I will meet with a financial advisor on Thursday to discuss the possibilities.

I purchased a copy of Oscar Micheaux's Within Our Gates from Amazon last week. I couldn't believe that I could get a copy of this movie as the movie is from the Silent Film era. It's not the best film but what film was during that time? The plot is all over the place. But in the end I think it is worth owning a little history because if I recall, Oscar Micheaux was the first black filmmaker. (BTW, I actually hate keeping tally of "the first" but I think this is worth mentioning.)This got me thinking. When I have free time, which is basically when I get done with school, I would like to make a short silent film.

I came across a website that puts trips together for single people like myself. One of my cousins told me about it. She went to a couple of places through singlestravelservice.com.

Anyway, I have my eye on a trip to China or Brazil, with much interest in China. The only problem I have with the trip to China is I don't think the trip is long enough. I would like 2 weeks minimum to spend there because it is a very large country.

Day 25

What makes someone commit suicide?

When I was at the dentist today getting my teeth cleaned, I watched a news story on tv about some teenagers in South Wales who committed suicide.

Not that this is important but AJ, that character on Sopranos I wrote about yesterday, tried to kill himself.

Have I thought about suicide? Yes, I have. I thought about it a lot when I was living in Colorado. But I weighed my options and decided that killing myself would be eternally permanent while I'd only be in Colorado until I got orders someplace else (eventually did-to Korea). My misery had an expiration date.

My future miseries will have an expiration date. I'm currently waiting for my obligation with the Army to expire. That magical date is 21 August 2008. That's my new birth date, BTW.

Speaking of the Army, I got an email (again) telling me I need to join a reserve unit. Let me share the misery email:

Over the past months many Career Counselors have attempted to contact you. Some have been successful. I'm sending this message out to remind you that the IRR Muster will start soon. HRC-STL will send out approximately 40,000 1 day orders, across the nation. If you receive an order, just follow the directions.

I'm rolling my eyes now. I get one of these babies every week. If they are going to call me back in, they're going to call me back in. There's nothing I can do about that. What else does the email say? Let me share that too:

As you may know, the USAR is approximately 13,600 Soldiers short now. This is a +/- 3,000 Soldier decrease from Jul 07. There is a big push to fill slots in USAR Units. These policies that are still in place:

1. 2 year MOB Stabilization. (Contractual Obligation must be completed)

Yeah, sure. Show me one, just one reserve unit that hasn't deployed within one year after already completing a tour to Iraq/Afghanistan? Oh, wait there's more.

2. Military Service Obligation Reduction (Contractual Obligation must be completed and have at least 2 years left on your current contract)

Ah, yes. I still have only 7 months left. Dang. What else?

3. Prior Service Enlisted Bonus. (Contractual Obligation must be completed). This incentive is currently suspended until the bill is signed into law.

Play close attention to "currently suspended." Now, please look at policy #1, again. LOL.

1. 2 year MOB Stabilization. (Contractual Obligation must be completed)

Yes, I believe MOB stabilization will eventually be suspended until signed into law.

4. Enlisted Affiliation Bonus. (Contractual Obligation must be completed). This incentive is currently suspended until the bill is signed into law.

Extra money is currently suspended! Dang. I just keep missing those opportunities. But there's more.

5. Officer Affiliation Bonus.

6. The USAR has been offering Troop Program Unit Soldiers TRI-CARE medical. The rates are $81.00 for single soldiers and $253.00 for Soldiers with dependants, per month. These rates are valid as of October 2007.

Hmm. Let me think. Kaiser or Tri-care. Kaiser or Tri-care. Free or $81. I'll take free. But thanks anyway.

21 August 2008

Day 24

I just finished reading a chapter from my weekly reading so I feel the need to reward myself by writing a long blog post.

I stayed up rather late last night because I wanted to watch the last two episodes of the Sopranos. Well, I have a few thoughts about what I had seen.

I would like to start out by saying the Soprano kids (Meadow and AJ) are rather spoiled. AJ tried to kill himself. Why? Who knows, but I doubt it had anything to do with the fact that his Dominican girlfriend broke up with him. I think AJ's problem was that he was unhappy because he is white. His girl broke up with him and he starts getting depressed over the stuff that's going on in the world and specifically the Middle East.

There was also that incident where AJ watched his friends beat up some African dude (more on this in a minute). AJ really starting screaming "Why can't we all just get along" to his psychiatrist because, you know, lunacy runs in that family.

Back to the African dude. For black folk born and raised on American soil, (this doesn't include me by the way) but many of them are delusional when it comes to the motherland (Africa). Most Africans look down on American-born people of African descent. Let me summarize the dialogue between AJ's friends (white boys) and the African:

EXT. CITY STREET - WINTER AFTERNOON

A group of young white males are confronting a black male.

White Males: You f^cking N!gger!

African: I'm not a n!gger! My name is Kunta Kinte, and I was born and raised in Uganda, and I go to college.

The white males push African on the ground and throw his bike in the middle of the street so that a car runs over it. AJ steps back and watches his friends stomp the crap out of the African.

There's a whole lot of subtext going on with the African's dialogue. (BTW, I can't remember the name or country the African dude said he was from, but it doesn't matter, does it?) I know it's fiction, but I've experienced what African's think of black Americans first hand which is why I'll tell anyone who would listen that I'm not African. They (Africans) don't consider me as such and I consider myself American.

Day 23

I was going to write about how I broke my beloved camera a couple months ago and the wonderful replacement I got to cheer myself up but I ran out of time. I had homework to do and I had to explain the marginal cost of capital. My answer sucked by the way. I don't think I answered the question fully.

I didn't get to meet with a financial advisor today because I was on a deadline at work. I was disappointed because had I known I wouldn't be able to make it, I would have cancelled sooner and save the guy a trip to desert.

I think I mentioned I'm watching the last few episodes of the Sopranos. I can't wait to see the final episode.

I think HBO ripped people off by selling season six in two volumes.

I hope it snows tomorrow. Not only do I hope it snows, I hope it snows a couple of feet.

Day 22

I had a busy at work today. I can't wait until my coworkers come back. All three of them took today off.

My instructor finally posted the final exam. Too easy I must say. I need to get some reading done. I will post something significant tomorrow. Cheers.