A Chronicle of my Changing Times.

Sorry, it's been a bit since I've last posted. I figured I'd share some good news from today though. I got a call from my Peace Corps medical officer and after establishing I never had some nearly fatal lung disease (I really need to learn to watch what I fill out on forms) I am now cleared medically for service. So Yay! Things are starting to feel real. It's just around the poverbial corner now... I suddenly feel like I have so much to do. Oy.

So tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I'm gonna try to make some time to publish something about it then. Just a side note tonight though. I truly have so much to be thankful for, I need to remember that and appriciate the time I have with my family tomorrow.

The rest of the weekend looks to be more than a bit busy. I'm headed over to Raliegh on Friday to stay with Mattias and Amy. I haven't seen them in months and we're going to see some holiday performance with the ochestra with whom Mattias is involved. That'll be an afternoon performance after which I'll drive back to Charlotte. Sunday morning I'm part of an octet from the Chorale who'll be performing on a local talk radio station (AM 1110 - I guess the most popular in town??). Actually they're really interested in our director, Joe Judge and we're interested in the free publicity. Unfortunately, that's from 8-9, thus I have to be up somewhere around 6 am to get there. After the radio gig (I'm really looking forward to this - can't you tell?) we have to head back to catch the bus up to Asheville at 9:30. After a day at the Biltmore the Chorale is performing there for their candlelight tours. Six performances and a wasted voice later, we head back to Charlotte - probably getting in around 1:30 am. Toss work in Monday morning followed by Chorale practice that night and I'm really starting to get tired here. But I'm happiest somehow when I'm busiest, so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm also getting my car fixed next week. That truly feels good, since I'm going to be selling it to finish off my debt. I get more money if I get this little smashed bumper fixed. It's only a year on since I had my accident, but it seems like forever that I've had the off kilter headlight and slightly crumpled bumper.  So I'll drop the $250 next week in order to get the extra couple thousand when I sell it.

JenW (waitress at AA and study partner extrodinaire) took the GRE today and didn't do quite as well as she hoped on the Verbal protion. I guess this should be a shot across the bow for me to buckle down and study. I must force myself to study.  We'll see if I take heed.

I've been following the election in Ukraine very closely. Besides being enormously interesting (especially for potential long range implications for Europe and Russia) I have a gut feeling that I might end up in Ukraine for my Peace Corps assignment. Maybe that's just wishful thinking. I don't know. But I'm definately paying attention. Plus whilst the events surrounding the colapse of the Soviet Union and Iron Curtain framed my view of international politics (due to it occurring when I was in high school and just beginning to realize that the world was larger than Cleveland, Ohio) I never truly appriciated mass demonstrations and political upheaval. I'm developing an appriciation now.

Ok, I'm off to bed... More to write tomorrow.

Posted by: mjmarble at November 24, 2004 21:38 | link | comments

Internet's been down at home.  Which sucks.  Supposedly my Dr's office finally got my PC kit in the mail on Monday.  We'll see.  Working out, trying to quit smoking, looking at my diet - generally focusing on getting myself healthy.  Dad bought a family pass to local YMCA which I might start going to.  Pray for help in quiting smoking.  Gotta go - I'm afraid the internet will go down again...

Posted by: mjmarble at November 11, 2004 23:30 | link | comments

I've been in a state of shock this week.  Here's a minor rant I posted elsewhere.  I'm too exhausted by the whole experience to do otherwise:

I've long tried to point out that there is only one or two policies Bush has put into place that are traditionally republican. He's certainly not a fiscal conservative. He's not a Realist when it comes to foreign policy (fear the NeoCon's people, fear them). He's overseen the largest increase in government in history. He not a proponent of states rights (take a look at No Child Left Behind). He doesn't support individual liberties (Patriot Act - can that be any more Orwellian?) Not to mention he's anti-environmental (which you'd think would piss someone somewhere off) - I mean the Clear Skies Act? WTF. He has no military background, yet has taken us to war twice - once rather questionably.

I've got to go, otherwise I could go on and on. I don't fucking understand. I really don't. Many "conservative" voices have been silenced when it comes to him. I feel like my party has been hijacked by the NeoCons and the Religious Right. Funny part is, I'm a devout Christian (go to church every Sunday and am at my church at least 4 days a week). Yet I recognize the need for separation of Church and state. Where is my party? What happened to it? Dare I say I'm a Nixon Republican (minus the paranoia).

I'm so disgruntled.

Expect I decided to add this, sent on to me by a friend:

The Republican National Committee announced today that the Republican party is changing its emblem from an elephant to a condom. The committee chairman explained that the condom more clearly reflects the party's stance today, because a condom accepts inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually getting screwed.

Posted by: mjmarble at November 05, 2004 22:04 | link | comments (2)