Spring Into Spring, Already!

It's been a while, but here we are, April 5th, and the weather has been stealthily jumping around from 45 degrees and rainy and 70 degrees and sunny. I'm ready for the real thing already!!!! We were blessed in Hawaii to experience the same on again off again weather as we've had here-- experiencing 4 out of the usual mere 23 days of rain on the dry side of the big island. Lucky for my dad and I, Hawaii happens to be absolutely gorgeous EVEN on a cloudy day and was still at least 20 degrees warmer than good ol' Indiana!

Hard to believe as far as I'm concerned, but I'm only 9 days away from exiting the teenage realm. Not that "20" actually means ANYTHING besides being one year closer to being allowed into bars and casinos to do all of the drinking and gambling I please. Still, it almost feels like just yesterday that I was 5 years old and pulling up the neighbors tulip garden at our condo in St. Louis. Well, you know what they say-- TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN!!!!!

In news opposite on the spectrum from fun, this semester is painfully drudging on. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to believe that the Kelley School of Business does not intentionally schedule all exams for all classes within a one week period of each other. Coincidence only goes so far, Kelley!!!

On the bright side... only four more weeks until my lower classman undergraduate education is complete! I actually really look forward to this summer. I plan on living in Bloomington, working (hopefully at Borders, Barnes N Noble, or Bed Bath and Beyond if all goes well), and taking an economics class to get it out of the way. Word has it that Bloomington all but dies in the summer, but I almost feel as though a peaceful yet productive summer may be just what I need.

I'm also looking forward to several tours heading out this summer, including but not limited to No Doubt; a Guns n' Roses (sans Slash... :-(...) and Van Halen duet; an 80's super party consisting of Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, and Poison; Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood; and the slightest hope for a Tom Petty refresher!!!! Soon enough.

That update must suffice for now, as I've got to head off to sleep to wake up at a decent hour and pour myself into a Managerial Accounting study guide, but I'll be back as soon as I've got something good to rant or rave about.

Just for Fun, With Elaboration.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I am aware of, to be honest. Any elaboration here, Dad?

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? You know, I'm not completely sure, but it very well could have been this weekend and as a result of laughing too damn hard.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I actually have about 5 different types of handwriting. I've got my all caps writing, standard non-cursive, messy cursive, fancy cursive, and messy standard. I think I like my fancy cursive and all caps writing the best.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Definitely turkey. I'm ok with Ham when combined with another form of lunch meat, like in clubs, and I like roast beef, but I definitely eat turkey way more than anything else.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Not now, thank goodness, but I'm hoping to have or adopt somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 or 5 once I decide to settle myself down ;-)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Of course I would be friends with me. I'd quite frankly like to think that I'd be best friends with me.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Way more than I probably should.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Barely! I had strep ALL the time when I was little (This is REALLY not an exaggeration... several times a year) and they told me when I was 10 that if I got it one more time I'd have to have them taken out. And wouldn't you know? I did. But it was when we were in the process of moving to Indiana from STL and so I had a new doctor. Luckily I've only gotten it a few times since then.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Never in a million years. Although I've strongly considered wanting to sky dive, I really just don't think bungee jumping would EVER happen because I am too terrified of heights and there is nothing about bouncing up and down relying on a stretchy cord that sounds intriguing to me.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Special K Red Berries if we're going for healthy, Golden Grahams if we're going for not.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I really rarely wear shoes with ties, and when I do, I pretty much always keep them tied at just the right tightness so they're snug but easy to slip in and out of.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Chocolate Chip Cookie Doughhhh! Although I'm a huge fan of Ben and Jerry's Phish Food.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Hair. I really don't think there's any way to not notice that first. Then I think I tend to notice facial structure/eyes/teeth and or clothing.

15. RED OR PINK? Pink. HOT pink, please.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I think there are times where I am MUCH too apathetic about things, and then times where I am MUCH too concerned with things... particularly how any given action is going to affect any number of other people. I know this is a good thing in most cases, but I'd like to start thinking a little bit for myself and a little less for others when it comes to making some decisions. You can't always keep everyone happy.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Pappppa Elf, the rest of the fam, and my little Penske Puppy!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST? I could quite honestly care less if you complete it or not, but if you do, I'll most likely read it all.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Pink sweatpants. Barefoooot! Which is obviously the best way to be.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? I think CSI Miami is on the tv right now. Although I'm not quite sure, because I'm not actually watching it nor have I ever really watched it before.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Tickle Me Pink or Cerulean. Probably Cerulean, given that it's my favorite color of all time.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS? Coffee, Coconut, Mens Cologne, Fresh Baked Cookies.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Oh. Tough call, I use the phone very infrequently. Probably the Avers pizza guy earlier when I called in an order for Annissa and I, if we're getting technical.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? It's not exactly something that was sent, more something that I came across somewhere.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Hockey. I've got an increasingly short attention span when it comes to any kind of sport with the exception of maybe basketball. Hockey's intense, love it.

27. HAIR COLOR? Dark Dark Brown.

28. EYE COLOR? Usually a blue-gray color. Sometimes they get a little green looking.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Never could get those to work. I've got glasses, but I really only wear those when I'm driving or in class.

30 FAVORITE FOOD? Another tough call. Hard to generalize. I really like my dad's Coffee Crusted Pork chops with Bourbon Cream Sauce, or his Beef Stroganoff, or anything else he makes. And my mom makes a bomb macaroni and cheese. And then I'd like to think I make the best shrimp scampi i've yet to come across. So we'll just go with one of those.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings are always good, but I REALLY love a legitimately scary movie.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Went Thursday to see Gran Torino with Kelly and Ashlee. SO sad, SO funny, and SO good. One of the best movies I've seen in a while.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Turquoise.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? I'd really prefer Spring or Fall. Not a fan of extreme temperatures. But I AM a fan of summer tans and winter snow... which is nice right now as we're in the middle of Bloomington Blizzard '09 apparently. Winter Wonderland, VERY gorgeous!

35. HUGS OR KISSES? Both! I've always been one to prefer having my cake and eating it too.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Creme Brulee or Tiramisu, or a REALLY well done chocolate cake.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? Business Writing and Communication by Kenneth Davis for Business Communications class (Actually a really good book), The 5000 Year Leap, and then I'm also in the middle of a few others including Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman and the Lucille Ball Biography Ball of Fire.
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40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Well, I'm actually using the book Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs AS my mouse pad...

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? I can't really recall, probably just some random Sex and the City or something as I fell asleep. Desperate Housewives was a re-run so I didn't actually do much TV watching last night...

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S): Thunderstorms at night, Celtic Music, The Sound of the ocean when laying on the beach, and as always the sound of a revving engine or Formula 1 race cars screeching around a track.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Ok. I may be the only person that feels this strongly about this question, BUT HOW COULD YOU EVER EXPECT ME TO CHOOSE!? I know most people probably could easily go one way or the other, but if some stranger in a ski mask was holding a gun to my head I could not HONESTLY give an answer. While this is highly unlikely to happen and it would be wise to just pick one or the other for the sake of living, I don't know how I would go about making that decision.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? India. And please, don't try to compare ANYTHING to that because I really don't think anything GETS further from home.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Well, I'd like to think I'm pretty creative, so, we'll go with that. I enjoy painting, and if I really try I believe I'm pretty good at it.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? St. Louis, Missouri. And I am sure to inform anyone of this when asked where I'm "FROM".

Tell Us How You Really Feel.

Last night I got ice-sicles in my hair from standing outside waiting for a cab after a much too sweaty dance party. Winter really isn't much fun when there's not snow on the ground. I'm ready for some Spring and would appreciate it if it would stay that way forever.

Despite some doubt that it was actually possible, I've got seven baby sprouts of Love In the Mist flowers growing in a little pot from a kit I bought at Target for a dollar. Who knew those things really worked? I can't wait to put them in a bigger pot when they get big enough and watch them actually bloom.

Statistics, as a class, is all but completely worthless. Thanks to a professor who was apparently voted the worst in the BIG TEN (Not just IU) it is too much work and really not any learning. All of the work is supposively built in to the course to make sure you're doing what you're supposed to, but let's be honest here... I am NOT stupid, and even I feel that this is way too much information all at once that is not actually even being taught to us. The first day of class she made sure to inform us that almost EVERYONE gets an A or a B in her class. What she failed to mention is that this is because everyone does so poorly that there is such a huge curve. Not only does she curve each test individually, but the class itself is set on a grading scale where a 66% is a flat C. I'm not complaining about the ease of getting a good grade in this class, but is all this work not a complete waste of time if I'm going to get an A regardless of what I've learned!?

Pandora.com is probably one of the greatest websites in the short history of the internet. You type in the name of any artist, band, song, album, you name it... and a non-stop playlist will be compiled for you of songs which are similar. You can skip songs, designate songs with a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down", and even select favorites. The other day I discovered the Pink Floyd channel, which mostly plays Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and a few other oldies/goodies dispersed in between. It was absolutely fantastic.

I have yet to really comprehend why I feel the need to clean our apartment from top to bottom when friends come to visit. It all inevitably ends up even dirtier than it was before within a few hours of people arriving. The saying really is true that nobody notices cleanliness unless there is a lack of it. This is unfortunate.

That's all for today.

From British Invasion to Baby Invasion

I find it so strange to really believe that so many close friends of mine are having children. I mean, all and all this isn't something that really comes as that much of a curve ball given that we are more or less at the age when a lot of our parents had us and where it is completely socially acceptable to be a parent... it just seems almost unreal that time has flown by that fast.

It seems like yesterday that we were in the 8th grade without drivers licenses or a care in the world. That was the year I met Emily and Katelyn, two of my best friends to this day. Now it's 6 years later and Emily has just given birth to a beautiful little girl named Lily Ann Taylor with her boyfriend of 5 years, Ryan. I was actually the person that introduced these two our freshman year of high school, and I don't think I would have ever pictured them having a baby five years from then.

Personally, I am absolutely delighted with all of this because it gives me the opportunity to play the role of pseudo-aunt to little Lily and a few others, and let's be honest, isn't that what EVERY woman wants? The ability to spend time with and spoil a baby without actually having the responsibilities that come with those babies? I know Katelyn is looking forward to this role just as much as I am! ;-)

Rubber Soul

It is my opinion that the Rubber Soul album by The Beatles is probably the most under listened to compilation ever released by this or quite frankly any band in the history of music.

I find it absolutely bizarre that while many of these songs may be recognizable upon hearing them from commercials or the background music in a movie, none of them seem to be songs that I have EVER heard any Beatles fan I've known listening to. I find it even more bizarre that the only part of this entire album included in the movie Across The Universe was two lines from the beginning of "Girl".

I understand that this album strays pretty far from anything else the Beatles are known for, as it has heavy Folk influence and goes a little far off the beaten path when it comes to instruments included on various songs (E.g. Norwegian Wood, featuring the Sitar), but I also believe that this is exactly what makes it so wonderful. For once these songs are actually infused with real feelings and opinions opposed to lyrics representing only what 60's pop audiences wanted to hear.

Prior to today's History of Rock and Roll (Part II) Class, I personally had never heard most of these songs by name, and had only really heard clips of songs like "Drive My Car", "Michelle", "I'm Looking Through You", but I can safely say that I am SO glad that has changed!

I'd also like to throw in, for one last thought, that John Lennon was one HOT piece of ass circa 1963-1966!!!!!

Hello, 2009!

Well, it certainly has been quite some time since I've written.

It's hard to believe that we're approaching the inauguration of a new president, gas prices are down below $2 a gallon, and I'm about to start second semester of my sophomore year in college.

I can't say I'm looking forward to this semester... with History of Rock Part II being the only saving grace among Business Economics, Statistics, Business Communications, and yet another semester of Accounting. Despite all of that I keep reminding myself that I'm very lucky for many reasons.

I am grateful everyday that I have parents who can and do financially take care of my education and support me every step of the way. I've got a handful of great friends with whom friendships have survived all sorts of obstacles, including the distance between Bloomington and Newburgh. I'm going to a great school that's setting me up to be as prepared as possible for a future career. And I haven't broken any bones in almost a year! (Which is quite a feat for me given the year PRIOR to that which saw both a broken vertebrate, a sprained foot, and a severely torn ligament)

I also have plenty of things to look forward to in the coming future: a trip to Hawaii over Spring Break with my dad, several good friends giving birth to baby girls in the coming month, a possible trip to some undecided tropical destination with two of my closest cousins in may, as well as starting to look into studying abroad, among many others.

This year I'm not trying to make any crazy resolutions, but there are a few things I want to try to accomplish. I would like to start eating healthier, and getting on a better eating schedule despite the crazy time constraints college brings. I also would like to start getting more involved in my community and want to start to accomplish this by getting involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. As hard as it will be with everything going on, I also want to really focus on school this semester. It's going to be a long and tough one, but I'm hoping to pass it with flying colors... or at least close!!!


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and has something of their own to look forward to this year. Happy 2009, everyone!

Election Eve?

Attention: Rapper AKON has declared that in the event of McCain winning the election, he will denounce his citizenship and move back to Africa.

Uh oh. Look's like this country is in some trouble...

Quite frankly, if everyone truly follows through with these statements, it looks as though we'd be losing 50% of the population.... that half being the liberal half. What I fail to understand is why it is always the free speaking, pro equality and opportunity liberals that are SO critical of anyone who has a viewpoint different from their own? Granted this really refers to my experience with college age far left wing people, but it really makes no sense to me. The excuse coming from most of them is that you would have to be "completely mentally retarded and uneducated" to vote for McCain. But really, is where you place your vote not just a demonstration of HOW you think? Clearly, there are some people in this country who would probably vote otherwise, but the majority of us are not going to vote for some LUNATIC who ultimately has that bad of an agenda, are we?

Personally I choose McCain from the standpoint of a Capitalist, with the ideals that, yes people who truly are in need should receive help from the government, but that idea can only be taken so far without being taken advantage of. For me, that is really what this election comes down to. Before this elected president is out of office, I will have a REAL job, be completely supporting myself, paying taxes, insurance, etc etc. It is my opinion that if I am going to work my ass off to land myself a good job in a decent company where I will continue to work my ass off to make the salary I do, be it big or small, I should not be penalized for this.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT I THINK WE ALL THE POOR HAVE CHOSEN THEIR DESTINY, OR THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE THEM TO ROT... Which seems to be what most Obama supporters my age have in their minds. This is not the case at all. I want to make money to, yes, be able to afford a Ferrari (as a lifelong goal), but I want to give back just as much as any other person. As the Beatles so eloquently state, "You say you want a revolution, well, you know, we ALL want to change the world." Just because I don't want to go about doing it in the same way you do, does this make me a bad person? If I want to donate my money to the given charities and causes of my choice, instead of putting it into the hands of a government who clearly has no wonderful reputation for spending, am I a bad person? I am pro gay marriage, pro choice, pro a lot of socially liberal agendas, but right now, what I think really matters, is the economic side of this election. At the same time, I believe McCain is FAR from our economic savior, and do not think that either candidate really has the capabilities of doing anything extravagant or great for the economy in the state it is now.


To wrap this up: I really don't feel like I will be completely relieved OR disappointed when the results from election day hit, but I know it's not going to make me up and move out of the country either way (With the exception single handedly being this floundering economy that came to this without the help of either candidate). As a matter of fact, I'm more or less even curious to see the disappointment on Obama fan's faces when they realize that he might be a great guy with a lot of great ideas, but that he is not the end all to the problems in this country.

Although, I also must say that, if McCain does pull through with this one, I don't know If I'll be able to resist a little smirk at the expense of everyone who wrote him off as Obama's popularity seemed to rise.

The Logistics of Campaigning.

For the past few days, a number has been continuously calling me. I am not one who NORMALLY answers phone calls from strange numbers, or quite honestly even from numbers I do know, and usually expect the caller to leave a voicemail so I know why they are calling and I can then return the call if necessary. This number, however, kept calling me while I was in class, or in the library, or various other places where answering phone calls isn't quite socially acceptable, and never left a voicemail.

So I get home, and I ask my roommates if they recognize the number. I try to text the number back, as it is late, and get the response saying it is not a mobile number. So we CALL the number, and receive an automated message. What does the message say?

"You have reached the Bloomington Office for the Barack Obama Campaign for Change..."

Blah Blah Blah. I hang up at this point.

REALLY!? I mean come on. Let me start off by saying that NEVER throughout this entire election process have I expressed any interest into the Obama campaign, with the exception of hoping he beat Senator Clinton in the primaries. Not ONCE did I sign anything, stop to talk to any campaigners, or do anything to reveal any personal information about myself to these people that would suggest I was interested in receiving phone calls from them.

Let me go on to say that, even if this had been a call from the McCain campaign, I would not be any less irritated! It is beyond my logical reasoning why any person would suddenly change their mind and decide to vote for someone simply because they were being harassed via telephone by that particular campaign. We have also had countless people knock on our door, spout off several minute long speeches about their position with the Obama campaign and trying to register voters and etc etc, ending with the question of whether we know who we are voting for and if we mind if they ask? Our most recent reply "Yes, and NOT Obama, thanks anyways." (A reply which most often shocks them into speechlessness in a town made up of a majority of very liberal college students). Or there are the e-mails they are constantly sending, to which I finally unsubscribed. After navigating my way through the maze of a route to the unsubscription button it asks me why I would no longer like to receive the e-mails. My response to this? "Because I am NOT voting for Obama, have never expressed INTEREST in Obama, and DO NOT KNOW HOW I ENDED UP ON THIS MAILING LIST!" I think they got the point there.

Standing on the street, or inside a building, or anywhere else, stating who you are with, and providing yourself for questioning and the supply of information about your candidate and their policies is great, but when it comes down to people calling me on the telephone whose number they somehow obtained, I find it absolutely ridiculous.

At this point, despite who wins the election, I am completely and utterly ready to rid myself of this nightmare they call campaigning. Is this really how it should feel to have the freedom to vote!?

Crashing Economies and Job Clarification

Ever since I decided to come to the Kelley School of Business, I knew I wanted to do something along the lines of Marketing and more geared toward advertising. I have always been attracted to the creative aspects of life, and while Business as a whole interests me, it is no different. When asked what I want to do with my degree, I'll often joke around and say "Oh, I was thinking I'd like to be Chief Marketing Officer for Absolut Vodka." Why wouldn't this sound like a good idea to any student at one of the best Business Schools in America that also happens to serve as one of the top party schools?

Why would this job be appealing? It has nothing to do with consumption of alcohol by any means. Let's be frank: one would generally get the impression that working for an ALCOHOL company would not be quite as uptight and restricted as many typical "desk jobs" in the business world. The thing that really attracted me to this idea was the presentation of the advertising done by Absolut itself. Anyone who has ever seen a People or Cosmopolitan magazine has seen an ad for Absolut... the sleek black background, a single bottle of the particular flavor of vodka being advertised, and some other element representing the flavor: a long green snake which appears to have swallowed a Pear, Spotlights for the Absolut LA flavor featuring Acai berries, pomegranites, and other fruit. They market themselves as a very sophisticated, sleek, and elegant vodka. Not something that is going to cause an immediate party to burst out around you and send hoards of beautiful women or attractive men home with you that night. Their entire campaign is very tasteful.

Now why would this ACTUALLY make a logical choice for employment? We are currently living in an economy that seems to be crumbling around us. Many people are facing retirement delays, 401k cuts, lay offs, drops in prices of stock, and SO much more. With all of this steps in the concept of elasticity of demand. Your company has a bad year, your bonus is not as big... you may not be able to take that extra vacation to Florida you have been planning for your family, or you may have to cut back on your previously allocated budget for the new family car you had planned to purchase. These things are all largely elastic, things that you can give up when money gets tight. However, plenty of things have an inelastic demand, things that you just can't quite give up, things that may not have available substitutes. Examples? Gasoline, and as history has proven, Liquor and Tobacco. When times get hard, when the economy falls, not only do the sales of these goods not face a reduction, but they may even rise.

So while many people my age, particularly those in the Finance sector, are facing the realization that the job market is inevitably not at its best right now, where do I stand? My prospective career seems to be thriving. Surely a nice thought to get through the day.