Shout out to my Friends!

Through my time here, I have done a lot of bitching. But from time to time, it is good for the soul to be positive (or so I have been told). So I am going to give this a try....

http://www.dudeshesvegetarian.com

This is the blog of one of my best friends ever. My boy is killin' the vegetarian cooking and has even posted up dishes I am going to have to try. On top of being a good cook, you need to check out his musical talents in the "other endeavors" tab. If you are looking to change up your mundane mid-week meals or try something new and different on the weekend, check my boy out.


http://khelikarma.blogspot.com

From a friend who is as close as family to my Moms, I am blessed to have some awesomely creative people in my life. The next blog is that of my Mom, and (I may be biased but) damn, shes good. If you are looking to add a touch of color to your dreary fall/winter months, head over and Remember Your Karma. You'll see any number of things, from recently completed quilts and other sewn projects to the musings of the day, check it out and try to keep your jaw off the floor. I've been blessed to see her creativity for my whole life and I am still shocked regularly by what beautiful creations are brought to life.


And then a thought for today....

If you are asked to do something, and choose to do it, make sure that you do your best. Provide a body of work that reflects you. Be it your beliefs, your education or your work ethic, do work. Providing something that accomplishes what you are asked to do, but does not show who you really are is performing a disservice to yourself.    

Long absence but a new commitment.

Well, it has certainly been a while since I last wrote anything. But alas, I am back and I have a new vantage point to write from. This vantage isn’t much different from my last, but the change is there. Since I last wrote, I have experienced the working world as a college graduate and come to some conclusions. The first of which is this: If you only have a History degree, your job options are limited. Many applications and few interviews have driven this point home. The second conclusion is: While having a job is important to survive, you cannot truly Live until you are doing what you love.

This brings me to the present. I am back in a dorm (shudders at the thought) room, but this time it is for a program which has a direction. As of 8:30am tomorrow, I start Graduate School. I will be pursuing my Masters of Arts in Teaching. I have felt a call to teach beginning in school and fought this feeling through college. But “I can’t fight this feeling” anymore. I am excited to finally have a direction to my education and hopeful about the future. This will be an interesting experience for sure and I will do what I can to make myself successful!

Wow

Well, today is the culmination of many years of hard work. Today, I graduated, I walked, I am done (at lease with my BS History degree). It still hasn't sunk in and I am sure it will take a while for it to sink all the way in. But I want to thank the people who have allowed me to get to where I am not and will support me in everything I do.
First off are my parents. Without them, I would not be here. They have given me ever tool I needed to succeed in live and have pushed me to do my best. They have always let me know that I am loved and wanted. They have traveled thousands of miles following my sports teams and paid hundreds of dollars for camps just so I could have a shot at my dream (to that point).
Second comes my grandparents. I have been extremely lucky to get to have 3 living grandparents through my life to this point. Beyond just being alive, they, all three are active and strong people. They have loved me and tempered me and helped shape the person that I am trying to be today.
I would like to think my Girlfriend of 10 and 1/2 months. She has been the best thing to happen to me in many years. She provides me a best friend as well as a supporting shoulder. She teases me and treats me like I am special. And without her, my life would not be nearly as special as it has become over the last 10.5 months.
Lastly, I would like to think my friends. Without the release you help provide, I would be a wreck of emotions and nerves. You allow me company on bike rides and just nights of hanging out. All of these things have helped me survive and at times thrive in college.
No one graduates college alone and if they claim to, they are lying. It is a hard road and takes everyone in your life in some special way. Thank you to everyone who has helped me, believed in me and loved me. Without you, I would be down a much different path today.

A Change we haven't seen

So, a rare thing happened today. The POTUS (President of the United States) and his motorcade shut down all traffic in Boone and along all the roads that he is having to travel. This is the first Change I have seen since he has taken office. I like many of my peers wanted to believe his message of change. But to this point in his presidency, all we have seen is the same crap that has been coming out of Washington for the last 35 years or so.
There are no job prospects for college graduates, the market for low wadge jobs is insane and the hope to find a job in your field of study post graduation without strong connections is a pipe dream. As an American citizen of voting age who pays taxes on my income and who has registered for the draft, I feel like MY government should wake up, and do something for the good of the general public. I don't feel like those pompous ass holes in D.C. should be able to sit up in their fancy offices, drawing their overpaid wages for doing the work that they are not doing. I feel that there should be a change everyone should believe in. This change should be one that is positive for the average American. I don't have the answers, but I do have a suggestion. Lets think strongly about who we elect. Let us not fall into a trap of electing a poser who has no experience in trying to survive on a minimum wadge job. Let us not elect people who are just going to maintain the status quo and promote the same agenda that keeps the money in the hands of the Über wealthy. Lets elect leaders who are going to head into Washington and the state capitols who are going to give Americans a fighting change to change our lives.

A letter to no one; A letter to all

Dear American people,

I am writing this letter to you all to ask you a simple question; When is enough really enough? As I am riding the bus that is powered by bio-fuel along with my fellow students, I look out the window at the people driving Hummers and other vehicles that get extremely poor fuel economy and the gas prices. Over the last week, I have noticed the rapid increase in fuel prices. I wonder how can you justify having a vehicle that large for a family of 3 or 4? How much of your income do you spend on fuel? I am a poor college student working a part time job making minimum wadge. I know I am not a huge demographic, but I am representative of many college students. I see fuel prices up almost 40 cents in roughly a week, eleven cents from this morning, and I think to myself, what am I going to cut out of my expenses to afford to travel anywhere, even home? I filled up my eleven year old Honda which gets around 26 mpg last week for $41. This is insane.

America, when are we going to stop letting the rich increase their strangle hold on us? We are the power in this country. We are the reason that the government is in power, we are the reason that the rich have gotten where they are. We The People! Stand up, get up off your lazy overweight asses ( I include myself in this statement to quell the hate mail) and demand that the exploitation of the working class ends! What is it going to take to get you angry enough to do something? In the last month alone, we have seen the PEOPLE of Egypt demand a change and they got it. True there were some deaths, but it was by definition bloodless. America, Do something radical. Please!

Sincerely,
Jacob

Snowy Januray Blues

Well, It is winter weather again here in the High Country and I can see out of my window the massive amount of snow that is falling. But I am warm and dry with nowhere to go (classes were canceled after 1pm). So What am I going to do with my afternoon off? Homework is headlining that list. But before I start homework, I was messing around twitter (don't hate me, it is the wave of the future, because I know everyone in the world is really interested in what I am doing in 140 characters or less). Back to the site of twitter. Man that shit is cool. If you haven't checked it out, you should. If you text, spend any time on social network sites, blog, run a business or anything where you use mass communication, twitter is awesome. Now, Off to read Dickens..... Joy

A newer line of thought

Since I stopped playing football, (I know, not another post about football, but just hang tight for a few more words) my goal was to reduce my weight and body fat. Over the last 2 years, I have tried many things to accomplish this goal. I have never dieted, but I have tried to motivate myself to workout; lifting weights (too much like weight training for football), running (puts way too much stress on my joints, bones and muscles), riding my bike (I enjoy riding and I can tell a slight difference from where I started), and a body weight workout program (sit-ups, push-ups, and body weight squats).
Out of these workouts, the only one that I can get myself to do on the regular is my bike time. So, I am putting it out there to the entire world via the world wide web; my New Me Resolution. I will allow myself a minimum of 30 minutes in the saddle no less than 4 days a week.
I started today, getting 30 minutes and 38 seconds of trainer time. Day one.

I am setting no weight loss goals, no numbers of what I will lose to make myself lose. I will set a time limit to workout. Whatever happens, happens.