I've Made Little Progress in Some Areas

I sometimes use this blog as an outlet for thinking about how much I've changed as a result of being married. I ponder everything from how my bathroom is now filled with a bunch of objects I never knew I needed, to what it means to move cross country in scholarly pursuits while balancing being married to a woman who has her own very important career interests.

As fun as it is to talk about transformation, it's also useful to step back and realize areas in which I've made no progress in. Take for example social cooth and preparation at holiday potluck dinners. I vividly recall attending my first holiday party with a white elephant gift exchange when I went to college in 1999 -- I had to stop at the store to buy cookies and what would turn out to be a terrible gift (I believe it was some sort of candle in a glass minutes before the party. Although no one ever said it, I know the cookies were terrible and the person who got stuck with my gift disliked it as well. Flash forward some ten years to a holiday gift exchange potluck I had today, and it is like time has stood still for me. I had to stop at the store to buy a pie because I don't know how to bake anything tasty (and not to mention I would have to cook in a commercial oven that looks intimidating), and I bought what I thought was a great "white elephant" gift (it was a do-it yourself lead detector kit with a note on it that said "have a SAFE holiday). Others had equally tacky gifts, but for the most part they were quite useful. (I would argue that mine was quite useful, too, but in a sort of way that anti-venom is useful to someone who lives in the north.) So, suffice it to say that I have made little progress in the way that I prepare for and engage in holiday functions.

Perhaps some day I will have a real kitchen, a couple of good recipes for tasty potluck food, an ability to discern what would be an appropriate gift. Until then, I will show up with store bought bakery goods and do it yourself lead tests. Or, in the case of the holiday party I have to attend for Erica's work on Thursday, it's store bought salad and a "grow your own bonsai tree" kit. Yikes.

Applebees - The Great Purgatory of Food

As a nice celebration for the end of the semester, our class went to Applebees for appetizers and drinks. It was an incredibly fun time to hang out with everyone in class, including our professor; one in which is especially exciting because we rarely get to hang out as a large group outside of the classroom. The night was fun, but I came to two incredible realizations (at least in my mind) about Applebees.

The first is that Applebees has no discernable image. They've done a lot to shift their image away from the down home, come-on-down-to-the-neighborhood-grill, support-the-local-team atmosphere, but it really lacks an overall image now. It's sort of reminiscent of K-Mart trying to get away from the sell-a-bunch-of-crap-on-bluelight-special image -- successful in getting away from an image, but incredibly unsuccessful in finding a new one. Applebees and K-Mart are in a brand identity crisis of sorts, I think. One needn't look any further than the three pictures located adjacent to the restroom at our local Applebees to see what I mean. Hanging side-by-side are pictures of Enrique Iglesias, a picture of the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers, and a construction sign.

Second, Applebees is what I like to call the great purgatory of food. Not good, not bad. Not spicy, not bland. Not quick, not slow. Not friendly, not rude. It just sort of "is." I've never had a bad meal from there, but I've never had a particularly good meal from there either. Even the people they hire there, they aren't bland, nor eccentric. It's quite a revelation, I think.

What's your local Applebees like? The same?

Leading with an Open Heart

I read a leadership article a while back that had such a profound effect on how I understand leadership that I see examples of tenets of the article on an almost daily basis. It's called "Leading with an Open Heart," and speaks eloquently about the difficulty we have in our society to forefront the convictions we have in our hearts when practicing leadership. The authors say that, "But to stay alive in our spirit, in our heart, requires the courage to keep our heart open; it requires what Roman Catholics call a sacred heart or what in the Jewish tradition is called an open heart. We can talk about the practical reasons why it's important to keep an open heart -- and there are practical reasons -- but chiefly it is important for your own spirit and identity."

With so much controversy surrounding our world, it's hard to see much evidence of leading with an open heart in our society, especially exemplary examples. But here is one I came across today, and if ever there was an example of someone leading with an open heart in a very public way, this is it:



It's hard not to feel his struggles and convictions when you watch this. Imagine pouring yourself out to a news crew, to face the almost certain risk of losing so many friends, colleagues, and family members' support. Makes me think how much better off we'd all be if everyone practiced leading with such an open heart.

Ravenchase

Last month, Erica and I participated in a "Ravenchase Adventure," which is really just a scavenger hunt for adults who enjoy using their minds. It's sort of like National Treasure meets Amazing Race (you'd love it Julie!) A private company sets up a Ravenchase course, and participants have to solve a series of clues that lead them to different destinations that lead to more clues. Once all of the clues are solved, there is a mega-clue of sorts that directs teams to a local bar (also known as the finish line) to meet up with other teams. It was an excellent time for many reasons. We were able to meet a number of new people, we got to explore downtown DC like we never had before, and we were challenged mentally (which is always fun for folks like us!). Even being novices, we managed to take third place, finishing in just under four hours.



(I look humongous in this picture, btw. I assure you it's just the camera angle.)

I think the folks over at Ravenchase are on to something. It's an excellent team builder for students and corporate events alike. It sure beats doing a ropes course!

Sometimes One Letter Can Change the Meaning of a Whole Lot

I've taken a small hiatus from the blogosphere since I'm knee-deep in papers, research, and things of the like. However, in parceling through some literature, I found an interesting statement with a small typo in it that I found quite funny. It comes from a group of prestigious faculty, scholars, and college presidents, and is intended to be a call for increased civic learning and social responsibility among colleges and universities. Here it is:

“We have a fundamental task to renew our role as agents of our democracy. This task is both urgent and long-term… We share a special concern about the disengagement of college students from democratic participation… This country cannot afford to education a generation that acquires knowledge without ever understanding how that knowledge can benefit society or how to influence democratic decision making. We must teach the skills and values of democracy, creating innumerable opportunities for out students to practice and reap the results of the real, hard work of citizenship."

I've bolded the typo, which is quite funny, I think. I wonder if anyone has caught this? What a radically different read this statement would be if it were truly talking about "out" students (i.e., students who have come "out" as being gay, lesbian, queer, or bisexual) rather than "our" students.

Amazing how one letter in a sea of words can change the meaning drastically, huh?

Things I Don't Want to Hear Today

It's been 20 months. Some days it feels like 20 years. But the presidential election cycle as we know it will come to a close today. It's been as intense as it has been inane. As inspiring as it has been idiotic. We've seen accusations, lies, distortions, and smears like we've never seen before. Obama has become too black and too white before our very own eyes. In these same 20 months, McCain has miraculously been a maverick and a Bush stalwart at the same time. Palin has been a boost and a burden. Biden has been an asset and a liablity.

We've heard about Bittergate, Palin's clothes, "that one," McCain's cries for a football-like season of townhalls, SNLs resurgence to the American consciousness, Bill Ayers, 3am phone calls, terrorist fist jabs, and the importance of flag pins.

All of these things have brought to the fore of American's consciousness things that many Americans would rather not face the reality of: sexism, overt racism, covert racism, ageism, prevalent segregation, black liberation theology, ignorance, fear, white privilege, and double standards. For most Americans, unfortunately, these issues will just be written off as the craziness of election cycles. For others, though, who feel these issues every day, they'll go back to trying to live life in the face of these realities. But for a while, though, we were talking about these things at our dinner tables. We were talking about them in our classrooms. With our friends. With our loved ones. And that, I think, is one of the best things about election season.

So with all of that being said in the last twenty months, here are some things I hope I don't hear today:

(10) Sean Hannity's voice.

(9) Any commentator or pundit make a distinction between "working class Americans" and "African Americans" as if the two are mutually exclusive.

(8) Talk about how people weren't allowed to vote because of problems at the polls. (Seriously, how hard is it to fix this? Didn't we experience this four years ago?)

(7) That John King is having technical difficulties with his magic map.

(6) Any talk about "Reagan Democrats." Seriously. There's no such thing. It's something drummed up by the GOP that everyone has bought into. What the hell is a Reagan Democrat? I'd rather have 10 magical unicorns.

(5) "This might not be resolved until tomorrow morning when most Americans are at work."

(4) "This might not get resolved until it hits the courts."

(3) Reports of how people got tired of standing in line for hours to vote and just left.

(2) That Wolf Blitzer is tired. I want a good 7 hours of straight Wolf Blitzer tomorrow night. No breaks.

(1) That John McCain, and Sarah Palin, are your new president and vice president respectively.

Sometimes Your Inventions Come True

I've long since had a wonderful idea for a product. Odds are good, in fact, that if I know you personally, I've told you about my idea. It would be a software program component that would scan the body of all emails for variations of the word "attachment" (i.e., attached, attach, attaching) and prompt you after you hit the send button if it doesn't recognize an attached file. This would catch all of the emails that say have a file attached but do not, only to be followed up by an obligatory "Whoops! Forgot the attachment" email. Well, Jonathan K has beat me to it (not as if I was really pursuing it).

This is an option you can enable in gmail:

Forgotten Attachment Detector
by Jonathan K

Prevents you from accidentally sending messages without the relevant attachments. Prompts you if you mention attaching a file, but forgot to do so.



Fair enough. You may have won this one, Jonathan K, but I'll get the last laugh when my "corporate doodles" book gets published.

Navigating Bureaucracy

The decision to come to Maryland brought a tremendous amount of advantages, which I have discussed here before. One of the disadvantages I've been experiencing is the tremendous amount of bureaucracy one must traverse to get things done. It's like nothing I've ever encountered, and I'm not sure what to make of it. Here's an example of unnecessary bureaucracy with something as simple as a flu shot:

1. Make your appointment contacting UHR Flu hotline 301-314-8885

2. Stop by the Business Office between the hours of 8am-4pm to pick up your ISR form (Jane Tellor) prior to your scheduled appointment date

3. Contact Jane Tellor in advance with the names of your unit if more than 5 employees are wanting this service

4. Give your ISR form over to your clinical nurse the day of your appointment

5. Return the “yellow” customer copy to the Business Office after your visit with your clinical nurse

Insane. I could recount other examples here, too. Room reservations take roughly 30 minutes to secure. Updating websites takes three times as long to go through the proper channels rather than just updating it yourself. If I wish to retrieve, listen, and delete a voicemail on my work phone, I have to punch 27 keys. Recording my name on the phone is a "secret" menu option on the phone directory that isn't listed.

I'm now at the point where I can navigate the bureaucracy, but stand in amazement of the beast that it has become in my life. I do, however, find some solace in this picture.

Dr. Seuss for President

Part of the draw for us to come to Maryland was the wide array of arts in the DC area. Last night we attended our first art opening called "Seuss for President." It was a collection of renowned childrens books author, Dr. Seuss's political works. Few people know that many of Seuss's books are really sophisticated political commentary. (I didn't know, either.) But Horton Hears a Who is really a conceptualization of how democracy should be. Yertle the Turtle is a case against fascism, largely based on Hitler. The Lorax was really Seuss's case for environmental conservation.

Seuss also did 400 political cartoons, none of which have ever been viewed by the public until now. The first release (pictured below) is called "The Knotty Problem on Capital Hill: How to Raise Taxes without Losing a Single Vote."



It was the first time that many of the works have been on display publicly. Seuss told his now widow that he didn't want any of this work to become public until he died. Now that he has gone, we are the beneficiaries of his fantastic work.

What was really striking was how timeless the lessons in Seuss's political works were. Issues around saving the environment, war, and democracy are as highly contested when he penned them as they are now. It was also quite interesting to see how few people actually notice the political overtones in his work. Finally, it was also fun to take a picture with the Cat in the Hat as 27-year-olds.

Goodness Criteria: Vice Presidential Debate

Watching last night's presidential debate was much more "must see TV" than a real debate. Even more, it was a powerful lesson in framing around goodness criteria.

Without taking the easy way out and blaming the media, last night's debate was framed in such a way that should be outrageous to every American who watched it. The debate was framed in such a way that it was Palin's push for competence, and Biden's push for not seeming like a "bully," without anyone questioning it. The debate should have been framed as a discourse over policies, track records, and philosophies, which would allow the American people to decide who to get behind. Instead, far too many Americans (citizens, journalists, commentators) were swept away into judging the debate on goodness criteria that could double as the criteria for evaluating a new crime show on TBS.

The punditry is swooning over the "grades" for Biden and Palin last night with the wrong goodness criteria. "Palin held her own," "everybody won," and "she reinvigorated the base" without giving reference to what counts as the evaluation criteria, which was really nothing more than Palin avoiding looking incompetent and Biden holding back his passion, immense knowledge, and due criticism of the circus that is the GOP. Needless to say, I think it was a sad day in America that so many people can get caught up in a hollow framing without questioning it.

Certainly there are those who watched it and realized this framing problem, too. To you, I say thanks. But you don't really matter for the purpose of this debate, because you're already committed. This debate was about pandering to the uncommitted that can swing this election for better or worse.

"Lacklester" Night

Tonight begins an important time of year for me. Tonight is the beginning of baseball playoffs, and of course, the Red Sox quest for the World Series. Tonight features Jon Lester vs. John Lackey in Game 1, so hence the "'Lacklester' Night" title. (Clever, huh?)

My excitement stems from not only watching good baseball, but for all that baseball means to me. It's this time of the year that I remember watching baseball with my mother (Hi Mom!) and my grandfather as far back as I can remember. It's the time of the year that I remember the rush of emotions that I felt when the Red Sox won the world series back in 2004.

For me, watching playoff baseball is the equivalent of others who say that there's nothing like curling up with a good book on a fall day. Although I like books, I'd rather curl up with a great pitching matchup on ESPN, even if the game does start at 10pm EST.

So if I seem a little dreary-eyed over the next couple of days, you'll know why.

Go Sox!

Readjusting to Academic Life

As the fourth week of the semester comes to a close for me, I'm taking solace in the fact that my transition back to academic life is getting easier. It's been a slow process in many ways -- juggling many commitments, learning to say "no" to wonderful opportunities, and being ok when you turn work in that isn't quite up to snuff. What has been particularly challenging this go round is getting a system down for reading and organizing articles. Managing large amounts of data and articles can be cumbersome if you don't have an effective and efficient organizing mechanism. This is where EndNote and Skim have come to my rescue. Skim is a program by Mac that lets you alter (e.g., highlight, make notes) PDFs, while EndNote is a program that stores all of your references and documents. It also has a nifty feature called "Cite While You Write," which inserts in-text references for you and automatically creates a reference page at the end. It's a lifesaver and a lifeblood of a Ph.D. student, I've found.

My transition back into academe has been one that has been tremendously eased by a supportive partner first and foremost. Erica has been nothing short of tremendous in being my greatest support. She's been very encouraging It also doesn't hurt that she is in the field of higher education for academic support!

The transition has also been easier given the supportive academic and professional community here. I'm fortunate to have great colleagues who have been incredibly welcoming and supportive.

The first major papers are over now, and I feel like I'm in the groove. Thanks for checking in here, and I'll write more soon!

Able Bodied Birthday

As facebook has informed most of you, today is my birthday. It's the big 27, and like every other day, it was a great one. Lots of emails, messages, and phone calls from friends and family, and most importantly, another blessed day in this crazy thing we call life.

I'm not usually one who gets terribly excited about presents, but this year I was particularly pumped about getting a couple of ITunes gift certificates. For those who have never used ITunes, it's basically a gift certificate from free legal music that plays on my computer and IPod. Even though my ITunes now eclipses 11,000 songs, I hate to pay for them out of pocket. So when I get gift certificates, I go crazy. I store up a wish list until I get one, and then I download a ton of songs. I'm seriously is like a kid in candy store. Well, that is until they don't have songs I want to download.

I really want to download "Able Bodied Man" by Charlie Pride. And some Bad Company. But, I quickly realize that these songs aren't available, and I'm probably one of maybe 10 people who care. I guess that is what happens when you are using a medium aimed at 20 year olds to access music that was produced 35 years ago. There's always YouTube:



The reason I share this is because there are always subtle hints in our lives that remind us that we're not as young as we used to be. Sometimes it is in the form of 49 facebook messages from friends, other times it's not being able to find songs you like in a worldwide library of 10 billion songs.

Newseum

One of the big advantages of living in the DC area is all of the cool museums we have access to. There are so many, and their exhibits often change to keep locals coming back. We're able to just hop on the metro, go a few stops, get off, and head to the attractions of our choice. This past Sunday we explored the Newseum.

The Newseum, or the Newsoleum as Steven Colbert would like it to be named, offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. It has seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services. It offers a unique environment that takes museumgoers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made. In short, it was awesome.

Here are some pictures from our day.

Be sure to check out the embedded news video. I think you may know the reporters!

Things I Never Knew I Needed

Even though Erica and I have been married for over a year now, moving out to Maryland has been the first experience where we've had to outfit our home together. We're now 99% set up, and as I sit around our apartment, I often see things that if I were not married, I probably wouldn't purchase. These aren't just any items, they're more of "utility" type items, meaning that they serve a purpose other than decorative. So here are a few such items, with a little bit of commentary under each.



This little piece of fabric retails for $15, and is called a "bathmat." It's purported purpose is to have something to stand on when you get out of the shower. Apparently the bathroom rug is insufficient, so we now have one of these. This little piece of fabric causes much stress in my life as I have to make sure to remove it from it's secret hiding place (draped over the tub, behind the shower curtain) before I turn on the shower so it doesn't become soaked with water. It is also important that I put this mat back in its hiding place after I shower.


Get a good look at these glass containers obtained from JoAnn Fabrics. They hold our cotton balls and QTips. Apparently the packaging they come in from the store are insufficient storage units. The QTip holder is especially annoying because I always fray the ends of the QTips when I try to grab them, resulting in moderate stabbings in my ear.


This is aptly named a "sham." For those not in the know, this is a pillow that lays on your bed that cannot be slept on. What purpose does a pillow on your bed you can't use for sleeping serve you might ask? Not sure. Even if you tried to lay your face on it, the beads and ruffles will char the side of your face, so don't even try. Added bonus: I get to remove these pillows every night before I fall asleep and put them back on when I get up.

Are there more coming my way that I don't know about?

The View from the Outside

As promised, here are some pictures of the house we live in. It's quite beautiful. We get the house to ourselves 5 months out of the year, which is a pretty cool gig.

Dying Locations

I came across the following list of the top ten dying cities in America. Forbes analyzed and compiled this list. Cities in Ohio and Michigan take 6 of the top 10 spots in the survey, which is based on population flight and unemployment:

* Canton, Ohio
* Youngstown, Ohio
* Flint, Mich.
* Scranton, Pa.
* Dayton, Ohio
* Cleveland
* Springfield, Mass.
* Buffalo, NY
* Detroit
* Charleston, WV

This is pretty striking not only because Michigan and Ohio are the two places I've called home over the last 26 (soon to be 27) years, but because of how much these cities' respective economies are/were dependent on the combustible engine and thus oil.

Perhaps if Jim would pick it up at Dunder Mifflin, and Michael would stop doing so many idiotic things, Scranton wouldn't be suffering as much.

Retreat Season is Upon Me

I started my assistantship last week, and I couldn't be happier. It's going to be a great fit. Although, I think I've underestimated--or perhaps even forgot--how many retreats and orientations that happen when one begins a new position in student affairs. And, I had forgotten how they are all clumped together in the middle of August. It's going to be a long haul!

I'm convinced there has to be another way to make these orientations more engaging, but I just can't figure it out. I guess there is no other way. It's going to be an information dump any way you look at it. It's a problem that no icebreaker or teambuilder can solve.

Luckily, early on in my student affairs career I attended what was easily the worst ever graduate school orientation, so by comparison, any orientation is good.

Of course, the major advantage of these retreats is to network with your colleagues. That, on the other hand, has been awesome. This has proven to be a very good decision thus far.

Our apartment is 99% set up now, so we feel pretty good about our new space. Pictures to follow soon!

The Big Move

Making the move from Ohio to Maryland was a big job. It's amazing how much stuff (read: crap) two people can accumulate in one year. We packed up just over a month ago, spent two weeks in Michigan with our families, and headed out to the big city.




We accepted a position as house parents for a sorority, and we couldn't be happier. It's a little extra work, but well worth it. Our first week was spent in the living room of the sorority house because our apartment wasn't ready. We slept on an air mattress, and somehow, we survived. Erica also started her new job at a nearby university that same week. To say that it was a bit hectic would be an understatement.



It took us roughly a week to get our apartment semi-livable. At long last, our apartment has some semblance of order... and it couldn't have come soon enough. Not having simple necessities and a routine can be quite jarring.

It is also the first time in our lives that we've had to make joint purchases. Our first was our bed, then came a lot of furniture. Let's just say that we have varying opinions of decorating. Admittedly, I'm only one step above frat house decor, while Erica's is quite a bit more refined. As with anything, compromising proved to be key.

So here are the pictures of our apartment 90% finished. In the past two weeks, I have assembled more furniture than an IKEA employee. When I lay down to sleep at night, I have pictures of cam bolts and screws dancing in my head. Thank goodness that is over.













We have lots of other photos coming soon of the outside and inside of the sorority house; it's incredibly elegant and beautiful. We feel very blessed and fortunate to be living this experience!

We're Here!

Erica and I have made a successful move out to Maryland. It was a bit tiring and stressful, but we made it safe and sound.

Life is a bit crazy now as we are still in the midst of transition. As soon as we unpack the cord to our digital camera, we'll upload some pictures. The Maryland/DC area is definitely a change of pace for us. Some might even call it a culture shock! But, we're alive and well and we just wanted to say thanks for checking in on us.

Two Important Things End Today

Today is a big day in my life. It is the ending of two major things. I'll begin with the one that I'm happy is ending.

My stats class ends today. We have our final exam tonight, and I think I'm ready for it. I've been taking an engineering statistics course for the past seven weeks, twice per week, 3 1/2 hours per meeting. It's been exhausting and trying. I didn't have the necessary calculus prerequisite, but I was admitted anyway. I'm happy to report that I currently have a 90% in the class. I have the good folks over at MathTV to thank for helping me catch up on the calculus portion of things. Those YouTube videos have been a lifesaver.

The second, and perhaps bittersweet ending is the end of my contract here at KF. As documented earlier, I've had an awesome experience here. I'm ready to go forth, but I know that I'll miss the 9-5 lifestyle here. I know it isn't goodbye, only a "see you later."

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

One thing that I'm going to miss about the 9-5 life is the routine of it all. Even though my job varies in terms of day-to-day activities, there are some mainstays that I really enjoy, one of which is visiting some of my favorite websites first thing in the morning. These websites have made a big difference in my daily functioning, and I'm going to have to incorporate them into my new routine. I figured since I found them so useful/enjoyable, I'd share them quickly with you.


Newser -- www.newser.com
Newser is a news aggregator. If you don't know what that means, well, prepare to have your life revolutionized. It takes all of the major (and even some obscure pieces), abstracts them for you, and puts them together in a nice, easy-to-use format for you. It's also very customizable so you can get the news you want very quickly. If you want to read more than just the short abstract, it provides the link to the full article below. Check it out; I promise you won't be disappointed. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Freakonomics Blog -- http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/
The authors of the wildly popular book, Freakonomics, have an excellent blog on the NY Times site. It covers a wide array of topics, and I read it daily. They get a bevy of cool guest authors on the site to answer reader questions. I once had my question answered by the MythBusters, so it's a winner in my book.

Fark -- www.fark.com
This is a news aggregator on steroids, plus incredibly witty titles. You know all of those crazy news stories you hear about a snake living inside a toilet bowl, or a woman giving birth without knowing she's pregnant? They're reported on fark at least two days before the mainstream media get them. It's a guaranteed laugh every time you visit. Oh. There's real news on there, too.

WatchTVSitcoms -- WatchTVSitcoms
How this site is still operational is beyond me. It's a huge collection of free music, new and old movies, and TV shows that are embedded into the site so you don't have to download anything. I mainly just listen to the music on there. I especially like the Top 2000 Songs Ever mix.

Lifehacker -- www.lifehacker.com
I only recently stumbled across this site. It's tagline is, "Tech tricks, tips and downloads for getting things done." It's a clearinghouse of sorts on how to make your life better (read: "hack your life"). It has incredibly useful tips about how to get your security deposit back in your apartment, where to get free legal advice, how to clean your bathtub, among many, many others. Hope you find something on here that will hack your life.

I hope these are helpful. More importantly, do you have any sites that you visit regularly that you love? Leave me a comment!

Things I'll Miss about Ohio, Part IV - KF

There's no doubt about it -- I'm going to miss this place. I'm not sure I'll ever have another job quite like this one. It's a strange place, but in a very good way. I will miss the relationships that I made here and the work that I'm able to do here.

I always joke that I'm surprised that they pay me to work here. I get to sit around reading fascinating things, explore ideas with others, work on my writing, AND get paid. I really think I've got the better end of this deal.



It all started with a curious beginning. I had a few failed job searches (either I turned them down or they turned me down), and I had no where else to turn. It just so happened that this position came open, and I jumped on it. I had a very dear friend who was familiar with KF tell me that I would be working in an interesting environment with an eclectic group of characters, and I would probably become a liberal. My friend was right on both accounts.

My first week on the job I attended a farewell party for the person who was in my position before me. One of the program officers remarked to my predecessor in her acknowledgments that KF was like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you want, but you can't ever leave." Those words ring true as well. I'll still stay involved with the wonderful work that KF is doing through contract research. It will be a way to stay engaged in an awesome network of folks doing amazing research to make our democracy stronger and improve the welfare of its citizens.



I'll also miss the curiosities that come with working 8:30 - 4:30 here. Trying to build and maintain a learning organization comes with all sorts of funny quirks and unintended consequences. I think the biggest takeaways from a theoretical standpoint from working in a learning organization I have are: 1) Decentralization can lead to oversight and overlap, thus resulting in waste, and 2) Feedback channels must be actively maintained and reviewed.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much I'm going to miss the relationships and daily interactions with folks around here. With only 45 or so people who work full-time here, there is an immense of diversity on all fronts. Like any place one works, it really is the people who make or break the experience. These people have definitely "made" the experience a great one. I admire the candor, balance, and intelligence that people here have. I think it's very special.

I'll finish up here as a full-time employee at the end of the month. I'm taking a lot of solace in that my "good bye" will truly only be "see you later" since I'm really only "checking out."

Vice Presidents

There's a lot of talk in politics right now about who will be McCain and Obama's running mates. Well, look no further. I'm willing to bet it will be Mitt Romney and Jim Webb, respectively. No shot for Hillary, no shot for Huckabee.





Vegas currently has odds of Jim Webb at 15:4, and Romney as a 2:1 in case you're wondering. If you're wondering why odds are posted on this and why people would bet on this, consider that you can bet on occurences from the Super Bowl, including:

1. What songs the halftime performer will sing
2. How long the national anthem will take to sing
3. The coin toss
4. The first commercial
5. The highest rated commercial

Proof being that people will bet on anything, I guess. The other point is that I wanted my predictions to be in writing for all the world to see when and *if* they come true.

Things I'm Going to Miss about Ohio, Part III, -- Princess Theater

There surely isn't a lot to do in Oxford, OH for a mid-20s married couple. There are only so many trips for ice cream, so many visits to the farmers market, and oh so many bagels one can eat from Bagel & Deli. But one can never see enough movies for the sweet price of $4.50 for matinées, or $5.50 any other time.

We've seen countless movies at the Princess theater. We average 3-4 per month, and sadly, I think I'm going to miss it. The Princess a strange, faint odor that permeates the building. It only shows four movies at any given time. The website to check show times works 50% of the time. Sometimes the phone line to call for movie times screeches at you as if you've intercepted a fax. There is the same hole in the bathroom wall since I came to Oxford four years ago (they're working on it, I gather). My feet usually stick to the floor because they aren't much on mopping. It's probably the main hangout in town for the high school kids.

With all that said, it has the two most important things any movie theater could ever have: cheap movies and air conditioning. There's something oddly alluring about the Princess theater in Oxford, Ohio, and I know that I'm going to miss it when I'm paying $10.00 to see a movie I'm not all that jazzed about seeing. Because for $4.50, even if it's not a very good movie, it's strangely gratifying.

Things I'm Going to Miss about Ohio, Part II -- Sigma Pi, Eta-Phi Chapter

For the past four years, I have served as the chapter advisor to the young men in Sigma Pi fraternity at Miami University. Being an advisor meant that I attended almost every weekly chapter meeting, in addition to weekly executive council meetings. I also attended other appropriate events, as my schedule permitted such as BBQs, baseball games, intramurals, and Greek Week events.

It's still a little surreal to say goodbye to them. It's going to be weird when the semester starts up in the fall to know that I won't be making my way over to the house on Sunday night for exec and chapter meetings.

To say that we've survived a lot over the last four years would be an understatement. I won't chronicle the past here, but know that I've dealt with it all. And I think the chapter--and I--are better for it. We've survived the loss of a brother within the chapter, won Greek week three times, narrowly escaped suspension, and, well, I guess I am starting to chronicle things a bit. There are too many memories worth noting, I guess.



Eta-Phi was a little bit more than rough when I started working with them. I'd like to think that they've improved greatly. In fact, they are very close to being a top chapter in the nation according to the national fraternity-- whatever that means. I'm quite proud of them. They've had to stand up to a lot, and often to their brothers within the chapter. I'm becoming even more convinced that there is nothing more difficult in the undergraduate experience than standing up to or confront a fraternity brother whom you love like a blood brother. I think there are other things that are comparable (dealing with the loss of a loved one, for example), but none seem to be as difficult as this. They've made great strides in this area. I think that's been the single greatest joy to watch unfold.

Being an advisor has been even more important to me over the last two years. While my work at the foundation has been very rewarding, it lacks the component of working with students, which I've been able to fill by working with the Sigma Pi's. Some of the relationships I've been able to build with the guys truly feel like brotherhood, even though we were on a bit of a different plane (advisor vs. student). The men are immensely talented, and it's been a pleasure working with them.

When I first began to work with the chapter, I used to always refer to the SVSU chapter of Sigma Pi (my undergraduate chapter) as "my chapter." About two years in, I started calling it "my undergraduate chapter" because I felt as though I now had two chapters -- Theta-Beta and Eta-Phi. I'm not sure anyone ever caught on to the subtle language shift, but it was intentional and was intended to convey an important message. Spending four years with a chapter--coming to every chapter meeting, attending events--is *almost* like having another undergraduate fraternity experience, minus the drinking, living in, and paying dues part.

Playing for Peanuts

Anyone who knows me knows my passion for baseball; that's pretty obvious and well chronicled on this here blog. A lesser known interest of mine is documentaries. I will watch a documentary about anything. Coal miners, dinosaurs, Johnny Cash, autism... I'll watch anything. I've watched all of the documentaries that our public library has in their collection. In fact, I can't *not* watch them sometimes. A personality oddity, for sure.



Well, imagine my surprise last night when I was flipping through the channels while trying to fall asleep to find a documentary series about a minor league baseball team! It's called, "Playing for Peanuts," and from what I've seen so far, it's pretty fantastic. (Full disclosure: it's actually quite bad quality and production, but it's strangely entertaining and captivating.) Here's a synopsis from their website:

"Playing for Peanuts" is a new TV show about minor league baseball. The show uses reality TV and documentary techniques to follow the South Georgia Peanuts in their inaugural season. The Peanuts are made up of a mix of rookies and veterans, all hoping to get back into affiliated minor league baseball. The Peanuts are managed by former Major League second baseman Wally Backman."

Things I'll Miss about Ohio, Part I - Umpiring

Today will begin a small series on this here ol' blog, called, Things I'll Miss about Ohio." Given the impending move to our nation's capital, there are *some* things that I'm going to miss about Ohio. After all, it has been my home for the past four years.

Umpiring

I've spent all four summers here as a little league baseball umpire. I umpire multiple age groups, from 8-year-olds all the way up to high school. I umpire almost every night of the week, except when it rains. It all started on a whim when I moved to Oxford. On a drive down to Cincinnati, I saw a sign for little league sign ups, so I called the number listed on the sign, left a message, and said that I'd be interested in umpiring if the chance was available next summer. Six months later, they called and asked if I would still be willing. Truth be told, I thought the position was volunteer, but they said they paid $30 per game. What a deal, I thought. I was a broke graduate student, and an extra $1200 for the summer sounded like a good deal. It was such a good deal, I decided to stick with it for four years, even while working full-time.



I think what I'll miss the most about giving up the shin guards and face mask is the connection to the community I feel when I umpire. As a transplant to this strange place called Oxford, I have always felt a real disconnect to the town. Umpiring helps bridge that. I talk with a lot of parents in between innings, not only about baseball, but about life in general. They know my name, I know most of theirs. I know their kids' names; I've watched them grow and develop as baseball players and as kids. I'm able to tell the parents how much improved their kids' swings are, and they appreciate that.

Of course, there is the obvious pressure that comes from umpiring, which is what I shall call "critiques" of my performance, which occur from time to time. I think I would have been more susceptible to them had I been umpiring for the money as opposed to doing it for fun. Oxford has a great little league, and have had very, very few instances with fans, coaches, or parents. Even in the midst of a hyper-involved parental culture, I can honestly say that the parents with whom I interact have been wonderful. It's been a stereotype-busting experience I might say. Coincidentally, whenever I tell people that I umpire little league, the first question they usually ask me is what the pressure is like from the "crazy parents." I like to take that opportunity to tell them that it's not always like that, and in fact, it's quite the opposite.

I don't think I'll continue umpiring when I get to Maryland. I just won't have the time, and I just don't think it'll be the same.

waxing ecSTATic

For the past three weeks, I've been taking a statistics course at a branch campus here in Southwest Ohio in preparation for my Ph.D. program. It is a statistics course for engineering majors, but I figured I would have a good shot at passing it. I had to get a waiver to get into the class because it is the second one in a sequence and requires a calculus prerequisite, which I haven't seen since Bill Clinton was president.

I'm happy to report that after three weeks, I have a 93% in the class, which is quite amazing. I still have three weeks left, though, and it gets nothing but more difficult as we go. I'll be fine -- I think. Anyhow, this experience has taught me a lot about statistics, but an equal amount about being noticeably different from my peers.

First, the classroom in which we have class is filled with old geography maps from the 80s. I can remember getting these while in elementary school and really being blown away at how sophisticated they appeared. I mentioned this during break to a few fellow students, and they mentioned that they've always been a part of their classrooms as far back as they can remember.

I'm the oldest person in the class by a couple of years. This is a very new experience for me, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about playing the role of the old guy.

I come to class straight from work, which means I'm wearing a shirt and tie. I'm more dressed up than our professor. On the first day of class my professor asked why I was wearing a shirt and tie, and I quipped, "I thought we had to." He said that there weren't any dress code requirements, to which I stated that I was just kidding, and that I come to class directly from work. I'm still not sure he realized I was joking. (This is not the first time I've said something stupid in the early stages of a relationship that subsequently strained said relationship henceforth.)

In hopes of spicing up 3 1/2 hours of statistics twice per week, our professor shows us funny email forwards, YouTube clips, and other funny stories every half hour. Surprisingly they are quite entertaining and entirely unrelated to statistics. I wonder if there's a correlation there. (See? I can make statistic jokes, too!)

I find myself being a little gratified when I arrive at a "right" answer after a lot of thought and calculation. In qualitative inquiry (my graduate training), there was never a "right" answer per se, so it was a matter of subjective argumentation and reasoning. Formulas, I've found, can be quite nice.

Just three more weeks... I just keep telling myself that it'll be worth it when I have four less credits to take at Maryland.

Marketing Thought

Even though I now pursue higher education as a discipline, I still see the world in marketing and advertising terms very often, since my undergraduate degree is in marketing. Marketing thoughts creep into my mind quite often, and every once in a while, I think I come up with a great idea. This morning's otherwise horrific commute happened to be one of those days. Today, I thought of what I believe to be an absolutely brilliant marketing slogan. Before I tell you what it is, let me first set the stage briefly.

I think this message would be targeted to college students, or those who are shortly thereafter removed. It would play on people's reluctance to go out once they are already home because they are tired, unmotivated, or otherwise just plain lazy. So, without further ado, here it is:

Because tonight could turn out to be "remember that night?"

I think it's fantastic. It creates a sense of urgency and maybe even a little bit of jealously, because everyone wants to be part of the night that his/her peers talk about for the rest of their lives. Still don't believe me? Consider one of these possibilities:

Bacardi (r) - "Because tonight could turn out to be "remember that night?"
(Fine Dining Restaurant) - "Because tonight could turn out to be "remember that night?"
Sure (r) Deodorant - "Because tonight could turn out to be "remember that night?"

Who knows? I could have been a wealthy corporate suit thinking these things up, testing them out on target markets, and trying to impress people at coffee shops with my accomplishments.

Mirroring Others

There was a time when I was really into reading self-help books such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and How to Win Friends and Influence People. While I don't discount the merits and utility of this popular genre, I do question how much they reinforce simple solution and a dominant leader paradigm. Nonetheless, one of the most valuable lessons that I remember and still use very regularly from them is the importance of mirroring others; that is, to use the language, body language, and mannerisms of others when trying to relate to them. If your supervisor is talking to you about a project he'd like done with her legs crossed, it might be to your benefit to do the same. If she's resting her head on her arm, you might consider doing the same, and so on. The key is to mirror nonchalantly and inconspicuously. Doing this, some argue, puts the others at ease, builds rapport, and helps break down barriers that might otherwise be an interference. Let me explain using some examples I've had in my life, including one from today.



I was a leadership consultant for my fraternity after I graduated college, which meant that I visited 34 chapters at different campuses all across the country. My job was to help strengthen their chapter operations in the course of three days. This proved to be challenging because who wants to take advice on how to improve your student organization from some strange guy living out of his vehicle who shows up for three days and then leaves? Mirroring came in extremely handy on each and every visit I did. When the chapter members would tell me about their school, their house, and their chapter, I paid very special attention to the words they used to describe them. Sometimes they'd refer to their Greek community as "frat row" or "Greek row," which I always tried to repeat later on during meetings with members of the chapter. If they spoke slowly and calmly, I did, too. If they referred to their president as "J-Scruggs" instead of "Justin Scruggs," I did, too. Further, if the person I was meeting with used a lot of hand gestures, I would, too. This did a lot to reduce barriers quickly, and, hopefully (I'd like to think so anyway), a lot to make me more effective at my job.

Another example occurred just a few hours ago. My auto mechanic called to give me an update on some repairs to my vehicle. When I dropped off my vehicle this morning and spoke with the mechanic, I was dressed in a shirt, tie, sweater, dress pants, and dress shoes, while he was wearing typical mechanic garb, complete with grease and stains. There was an obvious barrier there. I'm not incredibly repair-savvy, but I knew enough to pay very close attention to the language he used as he speculated what might be wrong. When he called me a few hours later to explain what the problem was, I incorporated his language into my questioning, and I quickly noticed a shift in how he spoke to me. It was almost as if I was able to shatter his typical explanation of what was wrong just by paying attention to the language he used, his inflections, and his tone.

I've sort of internalized this "mirroring" thing now, so it's a part of who I am at this point. I do it in face-to-face interactions, emails, and even trade proposals in fantasy sports. If someone offers me a trade and the comment sections reads something like "if you dont want him, make me an offer when your ready," I'll respond back with the same poor grammar and lack of capitalization, which I'm programmed not to do. That way, he/she doesn't feel like I'm above them in any way.

Mirroring can be a great way to diffuse barriers between people, in addition to a way to check one's own assumptions and privileges.

NASCAR Fans Now Their Own Demographic

Fresh off the Kentucky and Oregon primaries, a leading poll now has Barack Obama with an 8% lead of John McCain. Good news, but there is one troubling segment in the article when it breaks down the demographics of who's likely to vote for whom. Here it is:

Barack also leads among independents and some demographics that he has struggled with in the primary: Catholics, Jews, union households, and the working class. McCain led among whites, NASCAR fans, and voters over 65.



I understand the importance of breaking down voters across demographic lines to get a better understanding of voter preference, but when did "NASCAR Fans" become its own demographic? Why not bridge players? Why not gardeners or those who fall into watching ping pong on ESPN 2 at one in the morning on a Friday night? Why can't I have Peter King on my TV with his magical map telling me who fares better with voters who enjoy the likes of Agatha Christie novels? Tell me that Peter King. Tell me that.

Also, I give John McCain three weeks before he's uttering the words "Gentlemen, start your engines!!!" Heaven please help us.

McBush

There's a bigger connection there than you think....

Sexism

I'm always puzzled when people say that sexism and racism don't exist in today's society. There are scores of examples in contemporary America, but sometimes it's worthwhile to look back in history to see how overt oppression was. Take this recently unearthed example about women in the workplace in 1943 from Transportation Magazine written for male supervisors.

Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage.

Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclines to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

Original article can be found here.

#1

I just received an article that I'm pretty excited about. It seems Maryland is a pretty good place for graduate school.



"The Department of Counseling and Personnel Services (CAPS) in the College of Education has earned another No. 1 ranking in education in the 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s guide to “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”

The Department Chair says, "Our programs work because of our collaborative leadership. Everyone—that includes faculty, students and staff—is focused on working together and gives more than the minimum expectation.”

I'm a big fan of collaborative leadership, so that's music to my ears. I can tell you that I got a real sense of this kind of leadership described in the article when I visited there.

Although I don't put a lot of stock into US News & World Report rankings, it's nice to have some positive ink spilled on the place you've just committed the next four years to.

Should you feel compelled, the full article can be found here.

The Graduate

After two years, Erica has graduated! Sometimes it seems like it's been much shorter, other times it feels much longer. Either way, it's a remarkable accomplishment, and one that we celebrated in grand style. Erica's parents, grandparents, my mother, my sister and brother-in-law, Erica's friend Dianna, and her little one, Aidan, all came to commemorate the event. Ardent followers of Irresponsibly Responsible know that we live in a very small apartment, so playing host to 9 people proved to be a bit challenging, but we made it work wonderfully. It was a good thing that Erica and I are both trained in supply chain management and work flow, or else we would have been in trouble! Luckily, we were able to house them in adjacent rooms to our apartment, and we made good use of common areas in the residence hall for dining and lounging. It was a very memorable weekend -- certainly one that we'll never forget.

I'm very proud of my wife for graduating from a very challenging program. I also learned a lot about myself during the last two years, specifically how to be supportive during stressful times. I think I did pretty good at it, although Erica may tell a different tale. (Kidding, of course.)

Erica had to fly out to an on-campus interview on the following Monday. To say that she is exhausted would be an understatement. To say that I'm extremely proud of her and so excited to see what's next for her in her life would also be an understatement!



You can see all of the pictures from the festivities here.

Further Proof that Today's Music Stinks

In my late night surfing tonight, I stumbled across the historical archive of the Billboard Top 100 Charts. Curious, I began to look at the top five songs from when I graduated high school compared to when my parents graduated. Here's a smattering.

The Top Five Songs When I Graduated Include: TLC - "No Scrubs"; Britney Spears - "...One More Time"; Cher - "Believe"

The Top Five Songs When My Mom Graduated High School Include: The Beatles - "Hey Jude"; Otis Redding - "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"; Rascals - "People Got to Be Free"

The Top Five Songs When My Dad Graduated High School Include: Three Dog Night - "Joy to the World"; Rod Stewart - "Maggie May"

I think I'd much rather be associated with great bands and songs as opposed to horrific music from the likes of Britney and TLC, but who am I? You can access the whole list here, if you'd like. Feel free to post your graduation songs in the comments below!

Thanks, George

Everybody's favorite president (well, 29% isn't bad, I guess) just deposited $1,200 into our bank account. Lucky us. I'm surprised it wasn't supplemented with some sort of pro-spending, patriotic, do your part, propaganda (see below).





We get ours first because the last two digits of my social security number are 02, so that puts us towards the top of the list. We'll receive our checks a full 8 weeks earlier than those who have higher numbers of the last two numbers of their SS. I told Erica that it's another benefit for having married me. They just keep on coming.

Our check is going to aid us in our move to DC coming up in less than two months. Nothing is more sexy than spending money on gas and UHauls. Nothing.

Expensive Allergies

It's the most unpleasant time of the year.

It's allergy season.

Like clockwork, my allergies are killing me, and I'm in the allergy death valley known as southwest Ohio. I went to the doctor yesterday for allergies and he told me that I had been there on the exact same day for the past three years. I received my yearly cortizone shot, nabbed a prescription for eye drops, and went to the pharmacy to fill my prescription. (Un)lucky for me, Zyrtec is now over-the-counter, so I now have to pay roughly $0.85 per pill, which I take everyday. So here's the math breakdown:

4 months worth of pills @ $0.85 per pill -- $102.00
Eye drop prescription x 3 refills -- $90.00
Office visit -- $15.00
___________________________________________________
Total $207.00

Pretty expensive, but as any allergy sufferer will tell you, it's well worth it.

It was also interesting to note that we had to go to four different pharmacies to get Zyrtec and eyedrops (both of which are extremely common) because there was such a run on allergy medicine in Oxford.

A Weekend with the Redlegs

Erica and I spent the weekend going to the Reds games on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Saturday we went with our friend Amy, and the Robles family. We sat in the all-you-can-eat seats on Saturday and were highly entertained with Eva and RJ Robles. RJ was the Reds #1 fan because he never stopped clapping (except for the nap he took from the fifth inning to the ninth). It was a beautiful day and a great game, although the Reds lost.





We returned to Great American Ballpark on Sunday for the third game in the series versus the Brewers. We went with a number of our friends who are in Erica's graduate school cohort. It was the best game I've ever seen live. The Reds came back to score three runs in the bottom of the 10th. The coolest thing that happened during the game was a homerun was landed right in front of us! It hit the guy's hands right in front of Erica, and it fell down. The guy next to him picked it up and kept it. If there had been no one in the ballpark, the ball would have landed in Erica's seat! It was pretty amazing. I've never been that close to a homerun.

Anyhow, here are some pictures from the weekend. Both games went into the 10th inning -- bonus baseball!

Arena Football

I'm an unapologetic sports fan. I love baseball and football and fantasy sports. However, I've never been very fond of the Arena Football League, but when given the chance to attend a game for free, I went. I met one of my chapter brothers (who we affectionately refer to as "Milhouse") in Columbus who happened to be there on business. We were met by a Sigma Pi from Grand Valley State who worked there (he gave us the tickets). He gave us official game balls and hats, which was awesome. The game was actually pretty good; it was worthwhile entertainment. It was more fun to reconnect with a chapter brother and meet another brother from a different chapter.

The older I get, the more I revel in the chances to get together to talk about the glory days. Depressing, I know. What I do not look forward to is staying out to 3 am, and sleeping on a futon in a fraternity house. Those days I can live without :)

Anyhow, here are a couple of pictures.