i've posted this lyric before, but every time it comes to my mind, it gives me the shivers...
open wide, the arms you're given
you're too alive to just stand still...
open wide, your heart as you breathe in
you're too alive to just stay here
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
recent music feasts
i've been on a new music kick lately. a couple great bands, if you haven't checked them out yet: bon iver (thanks derek) and fleet foxes. folksy sound, harmonies, recordings are not over-produced (or maybe not produced at all). they're on the side bar.
Friday, January 16, 2009
eventful week
some random thoughts....
-farewell to President George W. Bush. i, personally, have always liked the guy. i haven't agreed with every decision or policy, but i think he's a person who means it when he says he "had the best interest of our people in mind." we watched his farewell address last night, and i thought it was rather somber, and rather sad that he has to use his last days to defend himself. give him his dues.
-i started grad school this week, albeit an undergraduate course that is a prerequisite for the program. i have a much greater respect for the process now that i fully understand the $cost$ of sitting in each classroom. i'm going to learn all that i can... if i would have only had that mindset when i was an undergrad...
-plane crashes into the hudson river, everyone survives.... WOW. 100+ people on board. and every life could have been lost so easily... such a fine line. what an amazing event. kudos to that flight crew!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
rights and responsibilities
reading "The Last Lecture," and just about done...
so many good chapters on a variety of topics. one of the shorter and very poignant chapters is called, "Be a Commutitarian." it's the idea of rights vs. responsibilities. we have great rights in this county, and we spend plenty of time touting our 'rights.' but we forget that every right is accompanied by a responsibility (at least one). to young people, this is literally a foreign concept... all they know is that they have all these 'rights,' but don't understand that if they don't take on the responsibilities that accompany them, these rights might not last forever (myself included)... they have to be maintained.
a couple good snippets:
"We all believe we have the right to a jury trial. And yet many people go to great lengths to get out of jury duty."
"Everyone has to contribute to the common good. To not do so can be described in one word: selfish."
so many good chapters on a variety of topics. one of the shorter and very poignant chapters is called, "Be a Commutitarian." it's the idea of rights vs. responsibilities. we have great rights in this county, and we spend plenty of time touting our 'rights.' but we forget that every right is accompanied by a responsibility (at least one). to young people, this is literally a foreign concept... all they know is that they have all these 'rights,' but don't understand that if they don't take on the responsibilities that accompany them, these rights might not last forever (myself included)... they have to be maintained.
a couple good snippets:
"We all believe we have the right to a jury trial. And yet many people go to great lengths to get out of jury duty."
"Everyone has to contribute to the common good. To not do so can be described in one word: selfish."
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
thoughts on the economy
from a layman's perspective...
obama is proposing the idea of another big economic stimulus package. i don't know all of the details, but it sounds like it would include tax breaks for businesses, as well as tax breaks for middle class individuals, similar to the stimulus checks we got last spring/summer.
i don't know what to think of it all... my man ron paul would say NO, that this is not a solution to the greater institutional problem, so i would have to lean that way since i blindly follow him (haha).
but, i do know that i don't agree with the individual rebates. sure, i won't mind getting a $1000 check this spring.
the point of these rebates, however, is to get people spending money, stimulating the economy, and eventually creating jobs, etc. this method will not achieve this goal, imo.
1) i know i won't spend the money; i have some debts that i would love to knock out (we had to spend the last rebate check on car repairs). i'm sure a lot of people wouldn't spend it in the way that was originally intended.
2) even if people spend their rebate money, how do we know that they are spending it in a place that will truly feed a starving market?
i think that if they want this to work, they have to a) identify areas of need in the economy; core areas that will in turn help stimulate the rest of the market (i.e. the auto industry), and b) give people 'coupons' instead of cash. then we would know that any money being spent would be productive.
for example, they could give people the choice of either a $1000 coupon to go towards buying a new car, or ________________. i don't know, i just think that's a better solution than the one proposed.
side note: if there is a silver lining to this recession for our country as a whole, it's that people will have to postpone their retirement, possibly buying us some more time to figure out this social security deal. stinks, none the less. i have to assume that this will push back even my retirement.
obama is proposing the idea of another big economic stimulus package. i don't know all of the details, but it sounds like it would include tax breaks for businesses, as well as tax breaks for middle class individuals, similar to the stimulus checks we got last spring/summer.
i don't know what to think of it all... my man ron paul would say NO, that this is not a solution to the greater institutional problem, so i would have to lean that way since i blindly follow him (haha).
but, i do know that i don't agree with the individual rebates. sure, i won't mind getting a $1000 check this spring.
the point of these rebates, however, is to get people spending money, stimulating the economy, and eventually creating jobs, etc. this method will not achieve this goal, imo.
1) i know i won't spend the money; i have some debts that i would love to knock out (we had to spend the last rebate check on car repairs). i'm sure a lot of people wouldn't spend it in the way that was originally intended.
2) even if people spend their rebate money, how do we know that they are spending it in a place that will truly feed a starving market?
i think that if they want this to work, they have to a) identify areas of need in the economy; core areas that will in turn help stimulate the rest of the market (i.e. the auto industry), and b) give people 'coupons' instead of cash. then we would know that any money being spent would be productive.
for example, they could give people the choice of either a $1000 coupon to go towards buying a new car, or ________________. i don't know, i just think that's a better solution than the one proposed.
side note: if there is a silver lining to this recession for our country as a whole, it's that people will have to postpone their retirement, possibly buying us some more time to figure out this social security deal. stinks, none the less. i have to assume that this will push back even my retirement.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
home improvement
i had the week off, and last weekend we started discussing doing a bathroom remodel... then we started tuesday, haha. we replaced/remodeled everything, except we didn't replace the toilet or shower. it's 95% done, as we're waiting on a cabinet for the wall... i'll post pictures shortly.
happy new year!
happy new year!
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