Tuesday, August 31, 2010

To Shuttle Bus or Not To Shuttle Bus?



That is my question. My campus parking permit runs out today, and I decided not to invest the $90 for a new permit since I only have a couple weeks of parking left (sniff…sniff). Anyway, my plan for the remainder of my work term is to park off campus in the nearby Research Park and make my way to the lab from there. This will involve either walking 1.5 miles or so each way…or giving the free shuttle bus a try.

I know this probably seems like a no-brainer to most of you…but you must consider that one of the phobias on my rather long list is “fear of making a fool of one’s self in front of a bus driver.” Not sure what the Greek name is for that…and yes, I realize it is a highly-specific fear…but alas this is my life. On the plus side, a laundry list of anxieties does tend to make you inordinately prepared for anything that life throws at you. For example, at this point I probably know the shuttle bus routes better than the bus drivers…and I’ve never even set foot on any of the buses. I love the internet!

Will keep you posted as developments warrant...

Monday, August 30, 2010

Rwanda and the Ambiguities of Justice


Observations and thoughts about Rwanda from a person with no direct knowledge of the country or its people (first post in a two-part series)…

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Tonight's menu...

Hand-crafted zucchini, black bean, and corn enchiladas...

 

...and homemade croutons with garlic-infused olive oil, cracked black pepper, and Italian seasoning...
















...for the salad (not pictured).

I know what you all are thinking...wow, you are so diverse.  Very true...I couldn't agree more...and just wait till you see what I have in store this week.

Ever wonder what your favorite rock star is doing on a Sunday afternoon?

This and other musings from a weekend in the fast lane...

Friday, August 27, 2010

Weekly Wrap-Up


Some notes, links, and observations for your Friday night…

Exploring Kiva…

For those of you looking for unique charitable giving opportunities…you might be interested in Kiva.org. Kiva is a microfinance platform that allows individuals to lend small amounts of money (e.g., $25) to small-scale entrepreneurs across the globe. Microfinance, pioneered by Muhammad Yunnus (see his book Banker to the Poor), is a type of banking that focuses on providing small loans and other financial services to the poor. Kiva provides an informative guide to microfinance on their website including answers to the basic hows and whys of microlending.

The cool thing about Kiva is that you can browse the lending opportunities and learn about the individuals and groups that are seeking loans. This lets you get a better understanding of where the money is going and allows you to target your donations to people and causes that you feel the greatest connection with. For example, having read Half the Sky…I might be inclined to lend to a woman or group of women because I learned that extending microcredit to women is an effective means of combating the marginalization of women in the developing world. Alternatively, I might have a particular interest in a specific country or region. In sum, Kiva affords ample flexibility to tailor your giving to meet your charitable goals and interests.

One final note…because Kiva’s model is microlending…loan recipients do pay the money back. So, in theory (unless the borrower defaults) your loan amount will be credited back to your account upon repayment (without interest…the interest paid by the borrower goes to covering the costs of the Kiva Field Partners, the groups that disburse the money, directly interact with the borrowers, evaluate projects, etc.). This is also a nice touch, because as you are likely approaching Kiva as a charitable endeavor, your dollars can be used multiple times resulting in an even greater impact.

Anyway, I encourage you to have a look, if you are so inclined, and let me know what you think. I don’t have much direct experience with Kiva yet, but I’ve read about it in several places that I consider to be reliable and the reviews have been very positive overall.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

New experiences at the Q…


Now, because I'm a bit drained after my last post...back to the lighter side of life.
As I mentioned before, the back to school crush has certainly taken its toll on my lunch time routine.  While I used to complete my entire dining experience in 15 minutes or so…it now takes me a good 15 minutes just to get my food and get situated.  But, on the bright side…the new term has brought some new blood at the Q and some new opportunities to people watch.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Half the sky...



Just finished reading Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  If you haven’t yet…you really need to read it as soon as you possibly can.  This one definitely vaults firmly into the company of Three Cups of Tea as books that will change your outlook on life.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Back to school: A tribute to the familiar

Today was the first day of the Fall semester at UCF…which meant ridiculous traffic and crowds everywhere. I hear they are estimating the enrollment at 56,000 for this year! I hope we can hit 100K soon…that would be sweet! And if they would just replace football with a whole university tug of war competition…we’d dominate everyone!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Weekend Wrap-up




Wrapping up a few odds and ends from the weekend…

Saturday, August 21, 2010

How to be cool like me…Tip #37


Another book excerpt to improve your hipness quotient…

Friday, August 20, 2010

Sport as a development tool...

As BTB mentioned in his comment on my earlier posting, sport has historically been an integral part of human society. It should come as no surprise then that the use of sport as a tool for international development is gaining in legitimacy and is the focus of increasing interest. In short, the goal of most international development programs is to foster opportunities for individual and societal growth and prosperity for people in every corner of the world. Thus, utilizing sport, which is an entrenched and shared aspect of the human experience, to help empower individuals and societies seems like a no-brainer.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Random Notes


A few totally random thoughts for your Wednesday reading pleasure...

Monday, August 16, 2010

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Friday, August 13, 2010

Champion!!

Just finished dominating Phat and M in Trivial Pursuit! Probably because J and L weren't here.

Plus I had this guy on my side (to freak everyone out)...
But this one was some tough competition...

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Seven Types of Ambiguity


At last.  I could practically hear the clamoring out there in the blogosphere.  “I’ve been following this blog for weeks…when is he going to explore some freakin’ ambiguity?!?”  Your patience has now been justly rewarded…

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Food Rut: Part II

Ok, so I’m sure you all remember my food rut post from a while back. Here’s a quick update…let’s just say I feel slightly (or entirely) disillusioned…

Crazy weather happenings...


Just in case you haven’t been keeping track (I really hadn't), there have been some crazy and tragic weather events in the past couple of weeks on the other side of the globe.  The meteorologist Jeff Master’s has some interesting blog posts on the recent world weather events.
Floods caused by the monsoon rains in Pakistan have affected an estimated 13.8 million people.  That’s more than 2004 Tsunami + 2010 Haiti earthquakes combined!  It’s being called “Pakistan’s Katrina.”
Also, an unprecedented heat wave has descended on Russia.  Temperatures in Moscow are the highest in 1000 years of recorded history (have the really recorded temperatures for that long?)!  The hot, dry weather has sparked massive wildfires, will likely decrease yields of grain crops by up to one third, and it is believed has contributed to as many as 15,000 heat-related deaths. 
Thoughts go out to all those affected by these tragedies and those working to help them!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Are you a sports fanatic?

Now that I’ve sufficiently pontificated on the relative merits and causes of sports fanaticism…I’ll continue my sports theme with a useful (probably not) guide to identifying the sports fanatics in your life.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Of sports fanaticism and hero worship...

My attempt at psychoanalysis...kind of got off track about halfway through and took a different direction than what I originally planned...oh well.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Saturday night in the fast lane...

So, I know you're all wondering...what does a super chill guy like me do on a typical Saturday night? If you've read my post "How to deal with agreeable people..." you know answering that question would clearly break rule #4. But, just this once and only because I know how much it would mean to my loyal readers, I'm willing to put my air of inapproachability at risk...

Friday, August 6, 2010

Netflix Recommendations...


For your weekend viewing pleasure, a few movies (available on DVD) that I’ve enjoyed recently…in no particular order...

Travel update...

So, some big news last night on the travel front...

Thursday, August 5, 2010

How to be cool like me…Tip #74


An excerpt from my unreleased book with the working title, Cool Like Me: 100 Tips for Increasing Your Awesomeness

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

How to deal with agreeable people...proven methods of avoiding conversation and cultivating your air of inapproachability


And now, a little self-help from the self-anointed guru...
We’ve all encountered them…the overzealous cashier, the painfully upbeat guy sitting next to you in class, the friendly girl in the next cubicle.  What I like to call “agreeable people.”  Those people who are never content to leave well enough alone and let a person revel in their own solitude.  Those people who feel it is their duty to strike up a conversation with total strangers.  Those people who find silences awkward. Whether you’re out running errands or going about your daily business, you are never safe from them. 
Luckily, I’ve developed a proven system to help you avoid being trapped by an agreeable.  The key…cultivate your air of inapproachability.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Aftermath...


                       "Phat Matt was here"

Working in a state of ambiguity...

I often get asked my most dreaded question by relative strangers, new contacts, and acquaintances…so what do you do for living? Because our society tends to define your worth to the human race based on how you answer, this is not a question to be taken lightly.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Shoutouts

Just wanted to give some props to my awesome parents, siblings, and wife!  They are my real-life heroes.  Without them, I wouldn't be who I am today and hence this blog wouldn't exist.  So, all of you should be very grateful for them as well!

Before I created this blog (i.e., more than a week ago), one of my big sisters was featured in a newspaper article for her volunteer work.  Great article and it also gave me one of my favorite quotes on the main blog page  (coincidentally, the Snoop Dogg quote is from a Katy Perry song...so if you ever get the question, what do my sister and Snoop Dogg have in common, the answer is they both have quotes on my blog).  Check out her article here...she's not all about self-promotion like I am...so I had to do the dirty work.

Workout envy...

I’m sure you’ve heard it said, mainly to ease people’s nerves when starting up at a new gym, that people working out are too busy doing their own thing to waste time judging others. I believe I’ve actually passed this nugget of wisdom along as fact myself. However, recent observations at my local family gym have made me rethink things…