It is an exciting time for the Whittier College class of 2004 as we approach our 5 year reunion! In honor of the reunion (and because I'm on the Reunion Committee) we made a special video to commemorate the event. Hope you enjoy!!
And PS: Coming up in a couple days will be "36 hours in Cambria"! Stay tuned!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ya Don't Say
I ran across the following headline in a NY Times Article the other day:
"Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts"
Ya don't say. And all this time I figured dropouts were making our society all hunky-dory. It's a good thing lots of money was spent to research this topic.
“We’re trying to show what it means to be a dropout in the 21st century United States,” said Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern, who headed a team of researchers that prepared the report. “It’s one of the country’s costliest problems. The unemployment, the incarceration rates — it’s scary.”
It is scary. It is even scarier that we continue to build a materialistic society that values the Kardashian's of the world to the tune of many TV shows and millions of dollars, but pays its educators an amount inadequate to live in the communities where they teach. It is even scarier that we shell out millions of dollars in salary to folks who can throw, pitch, toss, dunk, and hit a ball, but complain about $5 copay to see our Doctor.
But I digress - point is, dropouts are bad for the economy and end up in prison at a higher rate. Shocking.
"Study Finds High Rate of Imprisonment Among Dropouts"
Ya don't say. And all this time I figured dropouts were making our society all hunky-dory. It's a good thing lots of money was spent to research this topic.
“We’re trying to show what it means to be a dropout in the 21st century United States,” said Andrew Sum, director of the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern, who headed a team of researchers that prepared the report. “It’s one of the country’s costliest problems. The unemployment, the incarceration rates — it’s scary.”
It is scary. It is even scarier that we continue to build a materialistic society that values the Kardashian's of the world to the tune of many TV shows and millions of dollars, but pays its educators an amount inadequate to live in the communities where they teach. It is even scarier that we shell out millions of dollars in salary to folks who can throw, pitch, toss, dunk, and hit a ball, but complain about $5 copay to see our Doctor.
But I digress - point is, dropouts are bad for the economy and end up in prison at a higher rate. Shocking.
Friday, October 9, 2009
8 Hours in Downtown LA
The other evening I saw downtown Los Angeles in a way I have never seen it before - as a really fun, hip, lively place to have a great evening with friends! Around two in the afternoon, my friend CKH and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to Union Station in Downtown, then continued on the Red Line Metro (Subway) a couple stops to the Bank of America Building in downtown where MH works on the 53rd floor. It was a gorgeous view from every side of the building and a great start to what would turn in an amazing evening of food, drinks/cocktails, great conversation and awesome memories.
Stop 1 - McCormick and Schmit's
CKH and I went here first to wait for MH to finish his day at work. We enjoyed the $1.99 appetizers! That's right - we got hummus, fried zucchini and cheese/bacon fries for only two bucks a plate! Only catch is you have to purchase a drink - $4.50 for a beer - but still a great deal! We spent an hour soaking in the late afternoon sun next to some staircase built in the design of some staircase in Rome. Yummy food, great times and a great way to start the evening.
Drink: Draft Shock Top
Stop 2 - Libr
ary Bar
At this point MH and our friend AS joined us as we went to this well-known and famous location! The inside has super comfy sofas next to bookshelves and deep/dark wood paneling. Great place to chill after work and catch up with friends as there isn't any blaring music you have to yell over. Sophisticated and fun. And the big fat steak fries covered in bacon grease and oil help you unwind, too!
Drink: Draft Stella Artois
Stop 3 - Rooftop Bar at The Standard Hotel
This is the epitome of super chic and hip and fun. Rooftop, 16 floors up, with cush
y chairs to sit around and watch the sunset, the sky turn beautiful shades of red, orange, purple, and dark blue, and the LA skyscrapers rise up and create awesome shadows around you. Not to mention a great infinity pool if you are so inclined. This was my favorite stop of the evening. The air was crisp, perfect temperature, and the atmosphere was fun! Drinks here are a bit pricey, but well worth it for the ambiance. We didn't get food at this stop, but we were eyeing the "Mac n Cheese Balls" on the menu. If you try it, let me know!
Drink: Bottled Blue Moon
Stop 4 - Casey's Irish Pub
If you want some delicious food then this is a great place to stop-in. A cozy place, not pretentious, with great service and super yummy grub. Reasonably priced!
Drink: Draft Smithwick's
Stop 5 - Seven Grand
This place was incredible. Had MH not been guiding us, I would never have known that the unassuming
entrance on the street led up a staircase to a dark-paneled, sophisticated bar and pool hall. It just gave you the sense of a place where multi-million dollar deals are negotiated over some whiskey and a game of pool. None of us really drank whiskey but they had an assortment of great beers as well. We drank while playing a game of pool (where I was surprisingly playing pretty well, which is rare).
Drink: Draft Chimay
Around 930 we headed back to Union Station to grab the last Amtrak of the evening home. All of us agreed that this is THE way to spend 8 hours in Downtown Los Angeles. But, from what we hear from MH, there is still lots of great places in Downtown...so another great evening is in the works.
Stop 1 - McCormick and Schmit's
CKH and I went here first to wait for MH to finish his day at work. We enjoyed the $1.99 appetizers! That's right - we got hummus, fried zucchini and cheese/bacon fries for only two bucks a plate! Only catch is you have to purchase a drink - $4.50 for a beer - but still a great deal! We spent an hour soaking in the late afternoon sun next to some staircase built in the design of some staircase in Rome. Yummy food, great times and a great way to start the evening.
Drink: Draft Shock Top
Stop 2 - Libr
ary BarAt this point MH and our friend AS joined us as we went to this well-known and famous location! The inside has super comfy sofas next to bookshelves and deep/dark wood paneling. Great place to chill after work and catch up with friends as there isn't any blaring music you have to yell over. Sophisticated and fun. And the big fat steak fries covered in bacon grease and oil help you unwind, too!
Drink: Draft Stella Artois
Stop 3 - Rooftop Bar at The Standard Hotel
This is the epitome of super chic and hip and fun. Rooftop, 16 floors up, with cush
y chairs to sit around and watch the sunset, the sky turn beautiful shades of red, orange, purple, and dark blue, and the LA skyscrapers rise up and create awesome shadows around you. Not to mention a great infinity pool if you are so inclined. This was my favorite stop of the evening. The air was crisp, perfect temperature, and the atmosphere was fun! Drinks here are a bit pricey, but well worth it for the ambiance. We didn't get food at this stop, but we were eyeing the "Mac n Cheese Balls" on the menu. If you try it, let me know!Drink: Bottled Blue Moon
Stop 4 - Casey's Irish Pub
If you want some delicious food then this is a great place to stop-in. A cozy place, not pretentious, with great service and super yummy grub. Reasonably priced!
Drink: Draft Smithwick's
Stop 5 - Seven Grand
This place was incredible. Had MH not been guiding us, I would never have known that the unassuming
entrance on the street led up a staircase to a dark-paneled, sophisticated bar and pool hall. It just gave you the sense of a place where multi-million dollar deals are negotiated over some whiskey and a game of pool. None of us really drank whiskey but they had an assortment of great beers as well. We drank while playing a game of pool (where I was surprisingly playing pretty well, which is rare).Drink: Draft Chimay
Around 930 we headed back to Union Station to grab the last Amtrak of the evening home. All of us agreed that this is THE way to spend 8 hours in Downtown Los Angeles. But, from what we hear from MH, there is still lots of great places in Downtown...so another great evening is in the works.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Why Science Rules...
With science, you can explain just about anything. I found this online and thought it was great. A little bit crude, so if you are easily offended, skip this one, but if you have a good sense of humor or are trying to develop one, then this is a great read. Enjoy!
HELL EXPLAINED BY A CHEMISTRY STUDENT
The following is an actual question given on a University of Arizona chemistry mid term, and an actual answer turned in by a student.
One student, however, wrote the following:
This gives two possibilities:
1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it?
If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... ....leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Why I Flatulate
Many of you have oft questioned my air passing ways. Now, thanks to my dear 2nd mom DA, you have an excellent, SCIENTIFIC explanation as to the reason. I expect that all of you will leave me alone after this. I thank you very much.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Alleluia and AMEN!
I knew the day would have to arrive eventually - 9 hours at a testing center computer, walking around with my pockets turned out all day so no "banned items" were brought into the "Secure testing zone". They are hardcore about their "test security"! But, the day came (Wednesday) and here we are - it is now Thursday and I am still alive, albeit feeling much much much lighter and happier and unstressed! Alleluia and Amen!!For those of you wondering what I'm talking about - I took the USMLE Step 2 CK yesterday. That's a mouthful and stands for United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 2 Clinical Knowledge. In July I took the USMLE Step 2 CS, which is Clinical Skills - 12 standardized patients (actors) act out symptoms and you have to demonstrate your knowledge of communication, history taking and physical exam techniques. That was about an 8 hour day as well. But yesterday's exam was my big hurdle due to my severe testing anxiety, and now it is done! Alleluia and Amen!!!
But by the grace of God, I was calm all day, even for the first block! The way the blocks are set-up are 44 questions for each one hour block - there are 8 of those. And there is a 9th one-hour block that you can split up however you want as break time. Since each block is 44 questions, in my mind I have set-up each block not to be an hour, which is totally unmanageable, but rather, as 15 minute, 11 question blocks. I can handle 15 minutes - in fact, I can manhandle it and wrestle it to the ground and stomp on it until it taps out. And that's exactly what I did yesterday. I was PUMPED. I did 2 blocks, then took a 10 minute break. Then another 2 blocks and a 20 minute break. Then another 2 blocks and a 10 minute break. By this time my brain was really showing wear and tear because when I started my 7th block, words were blurring on the screen and I was reading, but not comprehending a thing. The 7th block was a struggle and I only had about 5 minutes of break time left, but I used it all before starting the 8th and final block of the day.
Now the waiting game begins - I will HOPEFULLY find out within the next 3-4 weeks that I passed both CK and CS. That's right, even though I took CS in July, results don't come out until October for that one. For CK, results can be sent anywhere from 3-6 weeks after the test. It is a waiting game but nothing you can do about it, so no reason to stress about it, either. At least I can relax for a few weeks! And to that I say Alleluia and Amen!!!
Many thanks to my host family in La Habra!!! Auntie J packed me a HUGE lunch with all sorts of power brain food to nibble on during breaks. Got me through the day - so if you see her, give her a big hug and say thanks! And my lovely sister-like CY had decorated the bathroom mirror with all sorts of inspirational post-it notes so when I woke up before my test, my mind was set right to succeed. Give her a huge hug too!!! And thanks to any of you who have sent me encouraging texts and emails and prayers - while I won't blame anyone if I didn't pass, I DO want you to know that my success is interwoven with and dependent upon your support and love and encouragement. My success is due to the amazing family and friends I have. So, a big THANK YOU to all of you and a huge Alleluia and Amen!!!!
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