While watching The Jeff Foxworthy Show (I miss 1990s Sitcoms), I was skimming this blog, and I realized that I have never googled Bill. What sort of potential brother-in-law am I without Googling my sisters’ fiance.
In the process I found this unflattering picture: 
Just thought someone would be interested.
I must say, 2005 proved to be quite the year.
- Had Tea at a table next to Margaret Thatcher
- Walked on the Floor of the House of Commons
- Almost accidently walked into the House of Lords
- Worked on a Campaign for…a Conservative
- Taught an MP how to make a Frozen Pizza
- Saw Tony Blair during Prime Minister’s Questions
- Wrote a Speech that was Delivered on the floor of the House of Commons
I may edit this because I am definitely forgetting things. Also, the above is more resume-ish or just bullets of interesting (non-personal) things…2005 held shifts in relationships and friendships, some good, less bad. Many questions leading into 2005 have been answered, some not. There are new questions, but honestly…not as many.
2006 is the last garunteed full year of school in Steve’s life. 2007 likely will be a full year, but it is not assured. And after that…who knows. I am not really the school type, but being an academic has its appeal. For me and my friends, it is the year of MCATs, LSATs, GREs, and job finding. Decision time is here, and everyone will have to have an independent idea of what 2007 holds for them.
People, including myself, seem like they are on track for things, but if anything can be learned by looking at the shift to college, not everything goes according to plan. Someone’s bright future can dim very quickly; Getting back on a good track is what is important. Anyone can fall off.
One week..
Okay. I am in Marvin Center, and if I didn’t have my laptop with me, I would have gone back to New Hall just to check my notes for a class’ final I took yesterday out of panic I didn’t answer four of six. I could only think of 3 of the terms I answered. Then I got that inner feeling of panic…I had my laptop, so I scrolled through my notecards, and I found the fourth term I did.
I have a 4 page “final test” due Tuesday.
I have a 5 page paper due Friday.
I have a 20 page (roughly) Final Exam due next Monday.
Other people crank out four page page and five page papers. I can’t. I draft, revise, tweek. I don’t think I have confidence in my “cranking out” ability. However, I was able to crank out a pretty good International Organizations paper in about 2 and a half days work…don’t know the grade yet, but it should be good.
In nine days, Semester Five of College will be over. Only two more of undergraduate left. This semester was not my happiest. By no means am I depressed by it, but the work just sucked a lot of fun out of it. Next semester is not going to be any better. Another, probably harder, grad class. History for major class. Then a normal History and a normal Political Science class. I don’t like the history topic, and for Political Science I am debating between a class with a good professor, good topic, but a lot of reading. Versus alright class, alright professor, little reading.
I will hopefully have a paying internship with the DLCC. The interview for that is Wednesday, but it will be more work and draining than Carnahan.
I have thought about dropping the History major to a minor, but I really don’t want to. I mean, it is not assured that I am going to follow through with the Masters. I am pretty confident that I will, but I don’t want to drop the major if there is any possibility of me not doing the Masters. I am already kicking myself for dropping History of Modern China instead of International Organizations. While having a full time faculty professor is good for Political Science inside baseball at GW, but in terms of classes I like, it would have worked out better if I hadn’t.
One thing that simply frustrates me are some people at GW. I won’t go in depth into this because I do want this little diatribe to be public, but let’s say some of descriptions in the College Rankings/Prospective books are pretty accurate. The hardest thing for me to wrap my mind around at times are other reasons to come to GW than the ones I had. I just struggle with it at times.
In nine days, I get to go home. Then I return 23 days later. Perhaps it will be better because I will know how to handle a Grad class better. Or maybe the people situation will improve. Who knows. Back to reading. Nine days…
Cornelia Flowers: 1920 – 2005
Cornelia F. (Floyd) Flowers
Flowers, Cornelia F. (nee Floyd), entered into rest on Nov. 21, 2005.
Loving wife of the late Leonard J. Flowers Sr.; dear mother of Emily (James) Heman, Leonard (Elizabeth) Flowers and Susan (Peter) Rogers; beloved grandmother of Kathleen (John) Morice, Karen (Jeffrey) Brown, Timothy and Amy Flowers, Brian (Beth) Flowers, Karen and Steven Rogers; beloved great-grandmother of Keegan, Kayla, Joshua and Jenna Brown and Michael Swan.
Cornelia received degrees from David Lipscomb College, Harris Stowe Teachers College, and Washington University. Cornelia taught for 8 years at the Oak Hill School in St. Louis and served as a Principal at the Mt. Pleasant School for six years. In 1972, she became the first woman to serve as a St. Louis Middle School Principal in her work at the Blow Middle School until her retirement in 1984. Since retiring she has remained very independent and active. Cornelia served on the Desegration Board for the St. Louis School and has been active in a wide range of activities including her church, the Lemay Church of Christ, and the Carondelet Historical Society.Services: A memorial service will be conducted at the Lemay Church of Christ, 2709 Lemay Ferry Rd., on Sat., Nov. 26, 2005 at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make expressions of sympathy in Cornelia’s memory to the Lemay Church of Christ. A service of COLONIAL Mortuary Hoffmeister-Kriegdhauser Funeral Directors.
Describe the problem or needs of society you want to address when you enter public service. (If possible use statistical data to define the magnitude of the problem)
Newt Gingrich surprisingly has a lot respect from this Bill Clinton idealizer and loyal Democrat. Newt and I don’t see eye to eye on the substance of many issues, but I respect his willingness to take the unpopular stance to do what he sees as right. He has a point in some cases. There is a problem with our education system if the US ranks 18th in education effectiveness while spending more than any other country per student. & Now, I disagree with abolishing the Department of Education, but one must respect his reasoned position. There is a reason his outside the box outlook proved successful in 1994.
Innovation is good for governing. Politicians too often cling to the safe, stale ideas, logrolling to keep their jobs. I suppose a 98% incumbent re-election rate proves their methods work, but the system we have shouldn’t be. Politicians fear being the next Walter Mondale. Not many would suggest running for President proposing higher taxes, but at least he said what he believed the best solution was.
Society needs Gingrich’s and Mondale’s bringing non-mainstream and not necessarily immediately popular views center stage. The public needs to be informed of alternatives, so voters can actually see differences available to them. Political leaders themselves aren’t helpful when in a presidential debate the biggest disagreement between them regarding foreign policy, during a war in Iraq, appears to be whether to approach North Korea multilaterally or bilaterally.
The innovative ideas aren’t always the right ones, but without them there is no debate or progress towards better solutions. Citizens grow apathetic when they don’t see an opportunity for real change. There are reasons why voter turnout has fallen over 10% in the past fifty years.
Choices and opportunities for change need to be made available for progress to happen.