New Years Wrap-up

It has been a full year of posting and what have I accomplished. I guess nothing. I don't know what has to change other than everything but lets go through some of the good and bad.

I started playing the flute and now have a working profeciency. I now can play a trio of instruments that can help me, if I ever play again. It is now important that I quit, playing the flute.

I took a Spanish class to learn Spanish like I wanted to. That didn't help. I should continue, but the right way; the hard way.

I wanted to watch more classic movies. I should do that in the place of television.

I don't think any of my habits are any better, but they have to. I need to prioritize them.

-Science Literature
-Two science books for every one other book
-Biology
-Anatomy
-Math
-Computer Programming
-GRE
-News

Yeah again.
Other things.

-No more coke. I can do it again.
-No more mindlessness (television or xbox)
-I little dignity from now on

In Character - Forgiveness

There is a great website I just found called In Character that is a quarterly publication all about character. This quarter is Forgiveness and I just read an article with nine different point of views. All are somewhat similar; they require or advise forgiveness as long as the perpetrator has met certain requirements of admitting wrongdoing and has apoligized.
Rabbi Boteach, a radio and television personality, urges hatred against the wrongdoers. It is complicity to evil which is evil. It allows dictators like Pol Pot and Adi Amin to die peacefully in their sleep. We must turn the other cheek at slights to our honor, but to mass murder there is no other course but hatred of them.
Marietta Jaeger Lane had her daughter brutally tortured and murdered. She asked God to change her heart from one of hatred to love and to change the heart of the murderer. She is respectful in her actions.
Robert Thurman brought up the concept of karma, the evolutionary action of life. Buddhist believe there are five heinous crimes or sins, but even they are not unforgiveable. Karma, being an evolutionary force, is the contant, second-by-second shaping a person soul.

I think about this stuff everyday. I'll have to read the whole publication.

Pre New Years

Over again.

I am indecisive. That's because I procrastinate.

-Don't procrastinate.
-Be decisive.
-No more Coke. Or how about making positives instead of negative and say more tea and sparkling water.
-Read the Journals.
-Read Anatomy, math, and biology.
-Keep reading the news.
-Study the GRE.

Thursday the 18th

Classes are winding down tomorrow and I am faced with more doors being closed. Let's look at what to do next.

Let's start by starting now, not waiting to implement these later.

- I'm going to stop taking flute lessons. I want to be able to keep time. That means play piano or guitar and go back to the basics. 

- Work in some stuff about computers. The knowledge is invaluable.

-  I will read two science related books for every general interest book. It's not fair, but you can't complain until you read more. 

- Read magazines frequently.

- GRE everyday. Prep course also.

- Write essays more frequently.

Sunday the 23rd

We have hit another low point. But I can tell that things come slowly. Let's plan for the next week/month.

No sugar/carbs. I just finished Good Calories Bad Calories. It was great and I'm glad to finish it. It has really changed my thinking.
Start a new book. There are many I want to start, but I need one.
Study Chemistry, Math and Anatomy.
Keep working on my literature book.
Study GRE. Maybe I'll get to that.
Convert my records.
Read news (like the economist) every day (week?)

Monday the 27th

Initiative is the key. Maybe just one key that I lack.
Initiative is useful because once you start something, you might find that it was really short or easy to do.

I was good today about finding graduate opportunities and volunteer opportunities. I got to study a few different things including my new math book and a few pages out of my Calories book.

This month should have goals. (Like all other ones).

1. Drastically reduce coke/sugar intake. No eliminate, just reduce.
2. Follow up on leads to graduate school.
3. Spend time studying.
4. Spend time with my book, math book, chemistry book.
5. Spend time with my GRE book.
6. Drastically reduce TV, replace with records.
7. Do the right thing.
I'm going to mail that letter to the soldier and find somebody else to write to.

Follow-up 101408

I have been very good about not drinking Coke, if you don't count Coke Icees.
Everything else has not been so good.

So let's dismantle and evaluate thus far.
-First, Gatorade should be banned too. It also has high fructose corn syrup. Bye.
-I think I really only have four days to work with since the others I have work and class. I'm going to say to focus on those four days and the other three are dedicated to class for good reason.
-Everything has been getting done somewhat but on a slower scale. I have spent some time studying for the GRE and cleaning, just not the way I proposed.
-It's monotonous without television.

Here is my corrective action.
-More myself away from the desk with the television and computer to the other desk, with the light.
-Use my one hour block method - where I spent one solid hour working on something. I don't spend any more time unless I determine that after the hour. Either way, it's solid studying.
-Spend everyday with something new. Why should I wake up tomorrow? I need new things. Maybe pick a page out of a book and learn the page.
-Keep looking for graduate opportunities.
-Keep looking for volunteer opportunities.

Follow-up 092808

Here is my 30-Day Challenge

1. Drink no Coke, soda, mocha or unhealthy drink.

2. Act like I am addicted to exercising and studying

3. Clean and organize for one hour a day.

4. Spend one hour a day cleaning.

5. Spend half-an-hour cleaning computer.

6. Spend one hour every day preparing for GRE.

7. Watch no television.

I started on 092108 and today is 092908. Here's my progress.

I have not had Coke for the seven day period. That has been hard. Water does not taste better with time. I have not had other sodas or many sugar based drinks but I have been trying new items at Starbucks. Two sugary drinks that I have had I actually drank half and I justify buying that because I was trying something new, I am going to stick with water, sparkling water, tea and coffee that I will make at work to save money. It is just as good anyway.

I have not studied like I have planned but then again I didn't plan to do it that much. I always say that I will but there is never much of a plan except "Have At It!" I'm going to focus on planning my day more.

I have done a significant amount of cleaning recently and have spent more time then I would have liked but my room sure looks good. I will continue to clean regularly.

I gave back my GRE book to start new with all my library books. I will get the book tomorrow.

I have been pretty good about cutting my television time. I still make exceptions for Sunday night and Intervention. I will cut that down to certain shows Sunday night and Intervention. My real problem is shows I have on my computer and Netflix. I will allow Netflix but not the shows on mu computer anymore.


So here's a wrap up.

Tomorrow I will make coffee at work then grab the GRE book.
I will probably want to watch my Netflix.
I should listen to one new piece of music.
I must study and read.
I need to do some of my errands.

Game Day 092208

Here is my 30-Day Challenge

1. Drink no Coke, soda, mocha or unhealthy drink.

2. Act like I am addicted to exercising and studying

3. Clean and organize for one hour a day.

4. Spend one hour a day cleaning.

5. Spend half-an-hour cleaning computer.

6. Spend one hour every day preparing for GRE.

7. Watch no television.

Gut Check 091908

Turn the mirror around, lets see what I can do.

I'm going to actually go the the hospital this week and find a volunteer and ask them how I can join.

Maybe I should join up with the Youth Center again.  I just found something for the community clinic.

For the Week of 091608

Let me focus in for this week only.

Tomorrow is class so I won't expect much to get done. I hope that I can read a little news and study a little psychology.
My class on Thursday was canceled so I will spend a portion devoted to all my classes.
Friday I should plan on going to the gym.

If I were to think about short term goals it would be to:
Read my book "Good Calories, Bad Calories."
Start writing a blog about the science news I read about.
Obviously study.

Thinking broader:
Study the new flute book I bought.
Study anatomy
Find a volunteer opportunity.

Remember, work insane or your enemies win.

The Next Step

Time to take everything to the next step. 

That may be the first step for some.

Start Art of Flute Playing book along with 30 minutes of practice.

Starting Listening to Spanish on iPod. 

Starting running two laps. 

Write about magazines.

I want to start math and programming.

I am taking math class, thus I should study more.

Hygiene kit

Drink more water.

Let's Check In

I'm checking in with a progress report.

Habits should the the theme of this blog. Making new ones and break old ones. It should be the theme of life.

I am taking a Spanish class. (As well as Psychology and calculus)

I am starting on a the second flute book.

I read a few magazines; Science News and Science. 

I cut a few articles out about medicine yesterday.

I ran yesterday. 

I sent in the draft for my paper.

I watched half of a classic movie "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

I listen to some science podcasts this past week. 

I have been listening to some of my music that I haven't gotten to lately.

Habits should be a central focus.

Latency - the time between stimulus and response - should be shortened. I as horrible at this. It is called laziness. Maybe more lists can be made in chronological order.

It takes a courageous effort to break a habit. I always what to be working on my bad habits, always. I always want to be known, without a doubt, as the one who works harder and longer than anybody else.

The 100 Goals

22 for right now, but it can be very much ongoing.

1. Learn Spanish

2. Learn Chinese

3. Learn Latin

4. Learn how to repair automobiles

5. Learn a computer language

6. Learn the Flute

7. Learn the Piano

8. Learn the Guitar

9. Learn how to Sing

1o. Learn how to convert units from memory

11. Learn how to draw

12. Learn how to cook

13. Learn proper handwriting

14. Watch all the classic movies

15. Learn how to hunt/use a weapon

16. Learn how to fish

17. Learn Calligraphy

18. Learn how to sew

19. Run my own website

20. Learn all classic rock songs

21. Train for a triathlon 

22. Take up Biologist's Hobbies

Tomorrow

Short Term and Long Term Goals

I feel like I have accomplished something today by registering for some classes. That use to be a normal part o my life. Now it is an accomplishment. I want to always to working on three goals. Right now it is.

1. Learn Mandarin.
2. Learn to play the flute.
3. Something else

I'm not sure what that something else is yet. I saw a class for a triathlon. That could be the third thing. That can be a long distance goal. I book a week may be another. Here's another list.

1. Triathlon
2. Book a week

For short term, is might be a subject, like anatomy.

Self-Improvement for 072908

There are many things people profess to be at very opportunistic moments, such as charitable or knowledgeable. I'm sure that is the person they would like to be, but who they never become. That is why I want to take the time to think about who it is I want to be and do the things to become just that. 

I want to go to more museums. I went to one a few months ago and had a great experience. Maybe one every two to three weeks. That might be a bit much. Concerts too. 

I would like to become very knowledgeable about cars and bike, since I will be using both. 

I want to give to charities, but more importantly, volunteer at some. That is what most people profess a desire to do, but never do. 

I want to write more letters to important causes. 

I want to be finically literate. 

My "100 Things To Do Before I Die" List

I was thinking of the skills that I wanted to aqcuire and I thought of all thoses lists people make of all the things they want to do before they die. I wanted to use those as guides to tell what I wanted to get out of my life. I learned a few things.

First, I do just want to attain some goal. I want to live out that goal the rest of my life. I don't want to lose twenty pounds but live a whole life where I am fit, healthy and active. I also am going to leave out places I want to go, since it would just include everywhere.

First off, I can say some are attitudes I want to have every day of my life. Some being.

1. To be happy.
2. To not be cynical.
3. To be optimistic.
4. To aviod anger.
5. To always learn how to be better.

I think trying these is, as a start, is a moral way to live. Not totally, just the start though.

Skills are what I am looking to learn right now. Some include:

Learn how to play the flute.
Learn how to play the guitar.
Learn how to play the piano.
Learn how to sing.
Learn computer program languages.
Learn Mandirin.
Learn Spanish.
Learn how to fix and repair a car.

As far as living the life I want to live.

I want to be active everyday.
I want to be dilligent.

The trappings of 072008

It's funny how total chaos at work and your room being completely cleared can help you forget your priorities. No, it's kind of sad really. 

Well this website is about keeping my priorities so lets start with the first. Three reason to be happy.

1. Life is hard. If it is not hard, you are not living it. I will look back on this and laugh. The injustice I face today will pay dividends tomorrow. 

2. I have the opportunity to go back to school. It look like it is getting easier and more affordable.

3. I am keeping my eye on the ball. I am still taking flute lessons and reading. I can do better. I can improve myself. 

4. I write about myself. I have this website and a journal. Being introspective helps me improve. 

I have had a bad week at work. A coworker has stopped being my friend and now is an enemy. That makes a crappy job into a nightmare job. But I will forge on, because I have goals to attain personally. Luckily none in the professional sense there. Here are some for tomorrow.

Run

Read Quiet Strength

Find a portion to master in Anatomy

Find a portion to master in Biology

Read a little about programing

Find an organizational method to schedule those tasks. 

Find time to become spiritually fulfilled.

Flute Lesson

Shopping

Plan for tomorrow

Buy Bob Marley Album

Find something that I will remember and not regret. 

For spiritual fulfillment, this might help. 

My New Week of 071508

Yes my week does start on a Tuesday right now.

My goals for the week include:

Finishing Quiet Strength, a great book by Tony Dungy.
Read the First Chapter in Mechanisms in Eukaryotic Replication.
Write a summary and make a project to go along with it.
Start my new book. (Undetermined at this point)
Practice my flute/Consider buying a guitar.
Run/try out new weight training moves.
Do something with Anatomy.
Find something new to add to my life

Don't Worry

- I'm in the Middle of two really good books. See Double Fold and March to Hell.
- I'm ahead in my studying.


- I am spending more time reading journal articles.
- I am planning ahead more.

- I must stay optimistic.
- I must stay ahead of the little things.
- I must stay focused.

Mid-March Resolution

I need goals for March...I need goals for the year.

I am starting a new model, the USS Constitution. I will work on that.
No Coke. I tried it. I didn't like it. I have to anyways.
I reading a great book, Marching Towards Hell. No problem finishing that book.
Go fishing more. Go biking more.
Study more...effectively. Go out more to do it.
Get out more and explore. That ties in with the go fishing more.
This list is rather sparse. I shouldn't complain if I can't keep to it.

For Today

I need three positive things to think about right now:

Anatomy is interesting.
To Kill A Mockingbird is really interesting.
Model Boats are Interesting.

And I am involved in all of them.

Art Wars

Here is an excerpt from Michael J. Lewis' piece After the Art Wars concerning the NEA and reading in Commentary Magazine.

Another proper area of public action is the precipitous decline in recreational reading on the part of young Americans, a decline with not only cultural ramifications but ominous practical ones—including the future ability of the American labor force to read and write reports, interpret instructions, and analyze problems verbally. Even at the risk of falling prey to an instrumental view of the arts, one would do well to support the NEA’s recent focus on studying the condition of American literacy and instituting programs for advancing it.

The entire piece is worth a read. It is on the government's support of the arts and how America sponsors controversial artists, the politics of tax-payer funded art and thoughts on why we fund the arts.

Joel Osteen

Great podcast from Joel Osteen. I signed up for this daily devotion and weekly video.

Salvation in Words

There is a great piece in the Christian Science Monitor Opinion Page about reading as a saving grace. Danny Heitman's "Don't just Read for Fun" reminds us of the really comical and sad history of why there are "Reading is Fun" posters in the public library. They are the not so subtle motivation from a group of about 100 writers back in the 50's to jump start reading amongst young people, if not the older generations too.
Although reading is a pleasurable pastime it can also be much more. Heitman reminds us of Atticus Finch who read to deepen his soul. He read in privacy and in anticipation of danger. He read as a salvation. It was deeply renewing to his soul. My only question is, what was he reading?

New Year's Resolution Update 011208

I was listening to Dennis Prager's Talk Show, specifically his happiness hour. This week's topic was addiction where he spent the most time talking about television addiction. He explained that any addiction takes the user away from people. I would say that most modern comforts give people immediate gratification but no satisfaction. Technology, is a modern convenience. It is to eliminate work. But the elimination of the work aspect also eliminates the long term satisfaction, health, and self-reliance that we should gain from it.

TV is a modern convenience to entertainment that has long ago ceased to be entertaining. It is mindless, cheap, and destructive. It takes so much time out of actually creating and thinking. And most of the stuff I do watch is reruns.

So I want to stop watching for a full month. I will make an exception for only one show because I think it is great and they are new episodes. I do use my television as a computer screen and for Xbox. Since I do not watch Youtube and do quite a bit of reading I will allow fair use of it. I do not play Xbox anywhere near what I believe to be deleterious, I am actually finding most of the games somewhat boring.

Happy UP!!!

Great Blog from Nutter's Notes gives more than 340 days of continuous gratitude. He finds gratitude and reward from small, yet significant, things such as restraint against candy or a good moment at work. Yes, just a few little things a day. He thinks about three things a day that makes him happy, how it happened and why that makes him happy. Wonderful. This must turn into a daily read.

New Year's Resolution Update

I called for a flute teacher...with no return phone call yet.
I have cut down on my Coke intake.
I am signed up for an Anatomy class.

New Year's Resolution Post

"Life is beautiful...you should never be bored."

I am hearing a great deal about people's New Year's Resolutions. I have one problem with them, they are made only once a year. That is why I think they should be made more frequently. That is why I want to write about mine daily. Maybe I won't write about them everyday but I want to reflect on what I have or have not done most everyday. Here are some resolutions for the new year.

* Exercise More - such as at least walking more.
* Eat better
* Find things I like to read and complete reading it.
* Write more - like this blog, my journal and essays
* Write more lists and do them
* Clean something
* Prepare something - anything
* Be More Methodical about reading the news - while keeping it fun


Specific Goals
Buy a Microscope and make my own samples
Finish my model
Be more familiar with my records and new music
Play the Flute More - and play by ear more
Complete Aspernomine

Reading List
Uncle Tom's Cabins
Diary of Anne Frank