One-sided, biased, propaganda

At Epworth UMC on 5th Sunday months, they bring in speakers in place of Sunday School. Yesterday, a retired minister and his wife came in to speak on their role as peace-keepers in the Middle East, specifically Israel-Palestine. I thought, 'Oh, this should be interesting.' Boy, was I mistaken. In fact, I almost walked out after 10-15 mintues. Why you might ask? Not because I have overly strong opinions of the area/events, in fact, I'll admit to being mostly uninformed. However, the presentation was a purely one-sided, Israeli bashing, pro-Palestinian affair. It was ridiculous. Everything that was said was about how bad Israel was and how poor, innocent all of Palestine is. I do not doubt for a second that Israel treats Palestinians poorly. But I also doubt that Palestinians are saints to Israelis. My understanding is that neither group likes the other one. A question was asked about Hammas (the radical Palestinian group often claiming the suicide bombers and whatnot). The speakers response: "Hammas is really a social justice group with a small sect that is radical." He continues, in the same response, to say that Israel is actively participating in "state terrorism" and talks of Zionists whom hate the Palestinians and move into the West Bank just to take away Palestinian land. Excuse me? The group that claims innocent lives by supporting suicide bombers is only a few rotten apples, but all of Israel is evil to the Palestinians. Its amazing how quick the speakers were to tell us not to stereotype Palestinians, but then they would stereotype the Israelis. Hypocrisy at its best. The only mention of any Israel notion was this, "We support an Israeli state." That's it. They support an exisiting country. Great for them. Their solution to the problem, a Palestinian State and an Israeli State with a split capital in Jerusalem. It sounds great to say, but they offered no solutions to the problems that would bring about. They support a Palestinian state with the creation of a military (their argument is that's the only way to stop the suicide bombings). That way, instead of a radical group performing terrorist activities, it'll be a military group performing "peace-keeping/police actions/national defense/etc. etc." Some solution.

Ok, I've ranted a little bit, but here's the bottom line. I don't know all the details. I'm sure things are bad for Palestinians, but I also doubt they are all hunky-dory for Israelis. I don't know the answer, but I do know one-sided, biased, propaganda horsecrap when I hear it. I'm sure I could find a website/peace-keeping group that would support Israel and spew BS about Palestine.

The quickest way to turn me off to your cause is to only talk about how right you are (or how wrong the other guy is). Be truthful and tell the whole story.

I'm out.

Put it off... Put if off... there's time later

Ok, let me be perfectly honest here, I generally don't like doing work. I prefer just relax and do my own thing (whatever it may be). Because of this inclination of mine, I put things off, procrastinate, waste time, etc. etc. etc.. This is probably not new to most of the people that read this site (especially since I've mentioned it before on here). Anyway, here's what brought this thought about. I enjoyed my time at Lilly (last rotation), but honestly diddled around on the internet...alot... and so far at this rotation, I've done much of the same. In addition, we had to turn in an abstract and poster slides for our PharmD projects this week, and I did mine the night before they were due (no surprise there). However, I got to thinking, and I have not really done anything with my project now for some time. I have really been dragging my feet. Why do I do this you might ask? Good question without a good answer. All I know is that I've been inclined to act this way for as long as I could remember. I put it off, put it off, put it off, until there is a deadline, then work hard and get it done. Things would be simpler if I could work in advance, but alas, I choose not to. The good news is this, despite putting things off, when I do get around to my work, I do it well. When I put my mind to it, I can accomplish quite a bit in a short time, and generally my work is of decent quality. Oh well, this little introspective trip occurs to me from time to time, but in the end I don't change, but always just say "That was fun, we'll have to do it again sometime." Then I put it off, put it off, and put it off....there's time later.

My favorite nation: ProcrastiNATION

Anybody have any motivation to sell out there? Just curious. Back to....work...I guess.

Something to do on Sundays

I know everyone out there is extremely excited. We are at the beginning of the greatest sport season ever. That's right, the PBA returns!! This week is in fact, the first week of the new PBA season. Live telecasts will be aired on Sunday afternoons (Noon or 1 pm) on ESPN. Just in case I didn't have other things on Sundays. My normal Sunday afternoon consists of video games with the brother, Colt football, and NASCAR. However, starting this week, priorities may be changing. PBA is most certainly very important to watch. In fact, I believe that nearly everyone out there should sit down and watch bowling every Sunday afternoon. Use your picture in picture to keep tabs on the Colts, and flip to NASCAR during commercials. Video games? Well, that's what the hour between church and bowling is for, plus the 2 hours after bowling before my brother heads to youth group.

Go ahead and get excited. Jump up and down, all around. Just remember, ESPN on Sunday afternoons...the PBA is back!!

PS. There are two tour stops in IN this time, one in Hammond and one in Indy.

Here's the full schedule:

Oct. 26 - 30, 2005 PBA Tulsa Championship Tulsa, OK
Nov. 2 - 6, 2005 PBA Mile High Classic Lakewood, CO
Nov. 9 - 13, 2005 PBA Greater Omaha Classic Council Bluffs, IA
Nov. 14 - 20, 2005 USBC Masters Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 23 - 27, 2005 PBA Chicago Classic Vernon Hills, IL
Nov. 30 - Dec. 4, 2005 PBA BowlersParadise.com Classic Hammond, IN
Dec. 7 - 11, 2005 PBA Keystone State Championship Mechanicsburg, PA
Dec. 14 - 18, 2005 PBA Empire State Classic Clifton Park, NY
Jan. 4 - 8, 2006 PBA Earl Anthony Medford Classic Medford, OR
Jan. 10 - 15, 2006 PBA Dick Weber Open Fountain Valley, CA
Jan. 18 - 22, 2006 PBA Phoenix Classic Phoenix, AZ
Jan. 25 - 29, 2006 PBA Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Classic Trussville, AL
Feb. 1 - 5, 2006 PBA Atlanta Classic Norcross, GA
Feb. 8 - 12, 2006 PBA West Virginia Championship Parkersburg, WV
Feb. 12 - 19, 2006 63rd U.S. Open North Brunswick, NJ
Feb. 22 - 26, 2006 PBA GEICO Classic Cheektowaga, NY
Mar. 1 - 5, 2006 PBA Pepsi Championship Fairlawn, OH
Mar. 15 - 19, 2006 PBA Ace Hardware Championship Taylor, MI
Mar. 20 - 26, 2006 PBA Denny's World Championship Indianapolis, IN
Mar. 29 - Apr. 2, 2006 PBA Great Lakes Classic Wyoming, MI
Apr. 5 - 9, 2006 PBA Dexter Tournament of Champions Uncasville, CT

A Boys Weekend (Zombies, Doom and Video Games)

My sister-in-law was out of town this weekend, so my brother and I planned a weekend doing stuff that she would probably prefer to not do. It started on Friday with a picture scavenger hunt (some contest my brother found online). We hit up the mall and generally made fools of ourselves (not all that hard to do). Saturday night consisted of Land of the Dead (a Zombie movie) and video games. All-in-all Land of the Dead was fairly decent...as far as Zombie movies go. It knew what it was and didn't try to be anything else. Had some good lines, plenty of gore, and some good action. I'd rank it right up there with the Dawn of the Dead remake. So we watched that and then did some shooting of our own on the PS2.

Sunday after church we went back to the PS2 and shot some "rebel scum." Then off to see the matinee of Doom. I'll be honest, I was really looking forward to going and watching this movie. My expectations: fun and shoot more than they talk. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this movie. Now, if you want quality acting and a superb plot, I would pass. If you want some good action, a little suspense, and a fun flick, then sign up. The movie was similar to Aliens, but without the crappy Sigourney Weaver going Rambo at the end to save some little girl. So here's what Doom has to offer: lots of shooting, no romance (but still an attractive actress on screen), some more shooting, some tension, more shooting, and a 5-8 minute "first-person" segment. The FPS view was cool, but I think it would have been neat to spread it out throughout the film, instead of doing it all in one segment at the end. It feels like one of those simulators you get at some amusement parks. An inventive thing and gives the feel of a video game. I liked it, but I'm easy to please.

That was the weekend. Plenty of shooting and gore! Gotta love it.

Cars, Cars, Cars

Well, I've recently come across some car difficulties. This specific difficulty resolves around my brakes, esp. my right front brake. There is a significant grinding noise when stopping and upon visual and tactile (touch) inspection, there are some impressive grooves on the rotor. I've just received word from Midas and I need new pads across the board, a new rotor on the RF, resurfacing on all four, and an oil change (that was my request). The cost is a bit pricey, but brakes are needed (1 of 3 essentials: Start, stop, and turn). This got me thinking about future automobiles. Granted, I want this current vehicle ('97 Ford Taurus) to last me another 2-3 years (currently at 130k miles, brakes/tires/an electrical issue have been the only fixes thus far), but eventually I will purchase a new vehicle (used, but new to me) and it will be my first self-purchased car. Anyway, here are the 4 vehicles I am currently considering and the factors I deem important. No specific order.

1. Ford Mustang: 18/25 mpg, 38" headroom, 43" leg room, 13 cu.ft trunk, V6 or V8 (GT), 210-300 hp $20-26k new (the coolness factor is huge on this, but very bad in crappy weather...rain/snow...possible to have one that was abused {ran hard} by previous owner)

2. Ford Five Hundred: 20/29 mpg, 39" headroom, 41" leg room, 21 cu.ft trunk, V6, 200 hp, $23k new (the Taurus replacement in the Ford line, a full-size family sedan, a solid good car)

3. Dodge Magnum: 19/27 mpg, 39" headroom, 42" leg room, 27 cu.ft trunk, V6-V8Hemi, 190-350 hp, $23-32k new (non-Hemi version is affordable, love the front end look, so-so about the wagon style back, kinda like a "on-the-ground SUV")

4. Dodge Charger: 19/27 mpg, 39" headroom, 42" legroom, 16 cu.ft. trunk, V6-V8Hemi, 250-350 hp, $27-32k new (pricier, but cool looking, newest of the 4 I'm looking at, thereby more expensive resale)

For a point of comparison, here are the Ford Taurus specs: 20-27 mpg, 40" headroom, 42" legroom, 17 cuft. trunk, V6, 150 hp, $22k new (love this car, perfect size, but they have been d/c by Ford, so in 3 years I won't be finding these as good used cars)

All of these cars are similar in dimensions, so the deciding factor will most likely be what can I afford and what kind of deal will I get and which drives the best. Kinda fun to think about, but nothing's locked in. Who knows what'll happen in the next 3 years...I sure don't. Thoughts/comments/opinions appreciated.

The final 6...

Ok, I know most of the people reading this are aware of my desires/intentions to go on to graduate school for a PhD in pharmacology. I have discussed this with several friends, family members, and professors. Today I met with a Pharmacist/Pharmacologist (both a BS in pharmacy and a PhD in pharmacology from Purdue) here at Lilly and he gave me some additional guidance and what to expect down the road. With his input, I looked at a few more schools and considered the NIH funding of my previous choices. In case you are curious, the NIH funding is important because that often goes hand-in-hand with the ability for cutting edge/exciting research (all of my choices are in the top 64). I have done many internet searches of various programs across the nation and even international programs. With the deadlines for applications approaching and my pending GREs, I have narrowed the list down to those schools to which I will be applying. I was willing to apply to 5 schools, but since 1 (possibly 2) of the favorites does not charge for applying, I don't hardly count it.

Here they are (ranked order):

6. Indiana Univeristy-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI) - less inclined because I would like to get out of the Midwest for several years and the program does not look all that exciting, 47th for NIH funding (2004)

5. Dartmouth College - Ivy league school, con is the location (NH = cold), 64th in NIH funding, no application fee

4. University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) - good looking program, has a PharmD on faculty, decent weather, not as far as some choices, mascot is a dragon (just adds coolness factor), 22nd in NIH funding

3. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC) - great location and weather, good national recognized program, lots of history, 16th in NIH funding

2. Vanderbilt University - this is the newest addition to the list, very good looking program, closer to family, still Midwestish (TN is slightly S), no application fee(?), 19th in NIH funding

1. University of Colorado-Denver Health Science Center - really like the looks of this program, the weather is nice (cooler, but nice), it is farther away, 28th in NIH funding

There they are. If all goes well, one of those sites will be my home for the next 4-5 years (starting in August of 2006).

Comments and thoughts welcome on these, my final choices for graduate schools.

Things I Loathe....

Disclaimer: This is intended to be not too serious. I really don't loathe much of anything, but was prompted to write this when a friend said "Loathe" and I said that's a good word and her husband said I want to see that word in your blog and I responded I'll make a list. There you have it, the reason for this loathesome post.

10. Missing single pin spares (bowling poorly in general, but esp. missing spares)
9. People asking annoying questions (and by annoying I mean questions that have already been answered or do not pertain to the current subject)
8. Movies without a point/unlikable characers (Lost in Translation, American Beauty, the Royal Tennebaums, Zoolander, etc.)
7. Certain sports teams: (college - Kentucky, baseball - Red Sox, basketball - Pistons, football - Patriots, hockey - who cares, it's hockey)
6. Most vegetables (corn, fresh cooked carrots, and potatos are all approved...otherwise, probably not going to want to eat'm)
5. Stupid Drivers (you know the kind, race in front just to turn, weave in and out, etc.)
4. B's (they're not A's, plus the insects are also annoying)
3. Gas prices (too high and the fluctuations don't follow any common logical sense)
2. Extreme conservatism (both theologically and politically...I'm talking about the only my-way, obstinate, close-minded, I-am-absolutely-right-and-you're-an-idiot-for-believing-different kind)

And the number 1 thing I loathe is....

1. RPG's and "strategy/tactic" video games (what kind of fun is attacking someone/thing by just saying you want to attack and then watching what happens....and I just suck at strategy games)

There you have it. The results are founded in some amount of truth, but loathe is a strong word and I generally do not loathe anything/one.

Hope you're happy Joe!

Errors and some bowling stuff

I know it's been a week since my last post, but once a week is actually kinda good for me. Anyway, the last two days saw a nice run of errors on my part making for some "fun" days. Monday, I left for work at my ususal 7ish. I was about to get off the exit for LTC south (Lilly Technology Center) when I noticed I didn't have my bag in the passenger seat. My bag contains my Lilly ID badge (needed to even get in the place), not to mention all of the work I've been doing. So I cut a U-ie and get back on the interstate and drive all the way back to my place. Grab my bag and leave again. But now its 40 minutes later and traffic is even worse than usual. At the end of Monday, I shut down my computer and remove it from the docking station (it's a laptop) before it is fully shut down (this is important later). Then I leave and go to sub at Woodland (see later). So I come in on Tuesday and plug in my computer and turn it on, and try to open Internet Explorer....Couldn't find server. I try Lotus Notes (e-mail/calendar for Lilly) and bam...couldn't find TCP/IP. Great no internet. I ask the techie guy that works in this department, he tries some things and nothing works. He then informs me that if you remove the computer from the docking station before shut down is complete, it screws things up (such as disabling the network drive). Nice to know now, huh? Could've known that sooner. So I call the help desk, they tell me to try the same stuff the tech guy here said. Doesn't work. They then send someone to check my ethernet cord. It's fine. That's all I here from them. In 6 hours, I get one person out to check something that we know to be working. So I go all day without internet (makes for a long, long day here). Today though, they got someone here and he took my computer and fixed it. It now works and I can now get online.

Now the bowling stuff. I got a new ball, the High Rev by Hammer. It is supposed to be an updated version of the original 3-D offset Hi-Rev. The original ball is in my hall-of-fame. It has probably been my favorite ball...ever. I had my first 2 300s with it and won several tournaments. It was a great ball. So needless to say, I'm excited about this new one. I used it on Monday night and didn't shoot all that great. In all honesty, it was not the right ball for the condition, but I was subbing and I wanted to play with it (I won 2 points, so I didn't hurt the team I was bowling for). I went last night to bowl and used it for about 6-8 games. My low game was 198 and a high of 256. The ball hits hard! And the carry is pretty good too. I'm really looking forward to trying it tonight @ Expo Bowl (more oil and should make for a better shot for the ball). In other bowling news, I'm bowling in a tournament this weekend with Dad. Should be fun.

That's all. I'll try to update more regularly (don't hold your breath though).