Obama-Biden

Well, it looks like I was clearly wrong from the beginning. Not surprised there! I originally (and incorrectly) predicted that Biden or Richardson would be the democratic hopeful for president this year. Now, with today's news, knowing that at least one of them will be on the ticket, I'm a little more confident about rooting for Obama. Still, I would have liked to see a Clinton-Biden ticket, or Clinton-Richardson, but this will certainly do.

I can't wait to see who McCain picks as a running mate. So far, the choices the media has as possibilities would be pure suicide, should he go with them.

We need change. And I firmly believe that it cannot come from another Republican administration. In fact, in my lifetime, I don't recall any positive outcome from having that lot in the executive office.

The Eire That I Need

Needing to close out an expiring travel rewards program, I decided to use the points towards a flight to...Dublin, Ireland! I'll be there for five days in exactly one month.

I don't know what took me so long to get to Ireland. I guess I was probably waiting to conquer it on a much bigger 'round-the-country trip that never seemed to transpire and which I don't exactly foresee getting 'round to for some years now.

Since I have a heavy travel schedule for October and November, plus three classes next semester, I needed to choose a place which would afford me some peace and ease of travel before all the chaos begins. My gut said London, only because of my familiarity with the place, but Dublin seemed more of a perfect fit. Plus, a different change of scenery, and another stamp in my passport. That I begin my Irish history class the day after I return, seems even more fitting.

To be honest, aside from a very basic itinerary, not much research has been done for this trip. If you can believe it. I am planning a guided tour for a day trip up to Belfast, Northern Ireland, but that's really the extent of it. I'll hit the major attractions and take advantage of as much of the city as possible, without doing my head in. One thing I'm totally looking forward to is the mass consumption of Irish cuisine - hearty stews, meaty pies, fish n'chips - I'll be in heaven! To keep costs down, I'm hosteling it. I did however, choose a highly rated hostel which is super close to everything and offers an all-you-can-eat Irish breakfast each morning.

Again, I'll try to report the day's events as they happen. Understandably, I can't make any promises. That's all in the hands of the Internet(s) gods.

8-8-8 A Day Not In Infamy

Today is supposed to be one of the luckiest days of the year. That is, according to the Chinese. For me, it was spent lamenting and getting anxious that nothing of permanent note was occurring for little old me. By permanent, I mean marriage, delivery of a baby, or anything else that would seal the deal, so to say, about the luckiness of this day.

I'm usually not reduced to hokum, except when it comes to numbers. Having numerical OCD doesn't help matters much. Especially when it's of the symmetrical variety. So, a day such as today gets me hopped up with anticipation of what might occur. Strange, I know.

Today, I did however, take advantage of a summer half-day Friday to stop into my doctor's office and either request an on-the-spot vaccination, or make an appointment for one. It was suggested that for the trip to Russia, I should get a combination diphtheria-tetanus shot. Turns out, they could take me and administer the vaccination. In addition, I was given full blood and urine tests and another appointment to return for possibly more vaccinations. Not that I was upset. It was good to get all of it out of the way. Regardless, my right arm should be sore for about a week or so.

To sum it up, 8-8-8 pretty much went bust for me, and was spent removing various fluids from my body in hopes that I will be healthy for 9-9-9, and beyond.

Reaching The Halfway Mark

So far, I've been acclimating myself into the two classes I'm currently taking this summer session with the new school.

One is the web essentials course (required), which is very interactive and the most time consuming so far. The other is the intercultural communications course (also required). It has already become a source of contention. The professor seems to think that we students should focus on the class 24/7. There was a bit of anarchy when the university activated all classes on the first day and we discovered on the syllabus that by Thursday noon of that week we were instructed to read close to 200 pages and submit a 400 word essay using points from the book. After a major coup d’état by us students, the professor agreed to extend the deadline for the next week's project.

Meanwhile, the other class is much more laid back, our discussion board posts are more free flowing, less fearful. For extra credit, I've already begun and submitted another blog through WordPress. I may end up using it to switch over there someday. More on that in the future (wink).