Sloth @ MindSay 
lust
Today was lectures and exercises and more lectures. We had a quiz too, but I got a 9/10 so I'm pretty happy with that. I need to get an A in this course since it's 6 credits and will serve as a fairly solid boost to my GPA. I'm at a 3.6 right now and I need to hit 3.7+ by graduation so that I can qualify for a Marshall Scholarship and get my PhD for free in the United Kingdom. It's a lofty goal, but it would be an amazing opportunity. And who knows, it might happen.
We had a lesson today about ecological footprints, a subject I find very interesting. I did two calculations and determined that my footprint in New York is much smaller than in Maryland--no surprise there. (If anyone who knows me, or knows my shoe size, is reading this, I'm sure you're thinking about how big my footprint is anywhere. Har har.) Being a vegetarian really reduces my impact on the planet; being a vegan would reduce it even further. Definitely an option I would consider, but I'd have to give up ice cream. And yogurt. And cheese. That would be rough.
The food here has continued to exceed my expectations. I've been eating yogurt, granola, and bananas for breakfast, followed by lots of vegetables (squash, beets, potatoes, zucchini, etc.) and salads for dinner. Everything smothered in hot sauce, just how I like it. And I've been drinking lots of water, tea, and coffee. I hope the water is negating the dehydrating effects of the caffeine. The only issue is that since I've been eating so many meals per day (breakfast, coffee break, lunch, coffee and cake break, dinner), I haven't been able to measure how much I've been eating. Everything is healthy and incredibly unprocessed (a welcome change from my usual diet), but I just hope that I don't get fat(ter) while I'm here.
This evening we had individual discussions with our professor and TAs to discuss our project topics. I think I'm going to scrap the idea about dogs (I just can't think of a hypothesis or experiment) and study erosion control methods instead. I'm still in the planning stages, but I'll probably spend Friday hashing out the details.
I'd like to reflect more on what I learned today, but my mind is drawing a blank. This entry seems a little vacuous, so hopefully I'll actually be able to express some thoughts tomorrow. I might go to bed soon... Julia, Kaitlyn, and I watched half of Paris, Je T'aime last night (one of my *favorite* films), so we'll probably finish it after our reading is done. The nights here have been very laid back so far, but we're having our first "social" tomorrow night, so things are bound to get a little crazy. I hope.
Taken from saikotikgunman
Wrath
Who did you last get angry with?
Dog hating woman I had an encounter with tonight.
What is your weapon of choice?
Kubotan, although I do have this five foot long hickory walking stick that has come in handy once or twice.
Would you hit a member of the opposite sex?
Yes, if absolutely neccesary.
How about the same sex?
Same as above.
Who was the last person who got really angry at you?
Probably daughter's ex boyfriend. It was mutual.
What is your pet peeve?
Judgemental 'blanket' statements.
Do you keep grudges, or can you let them go easily?
I can and have kept them for a long, long time on certain people. Sometimes forever.
Sloth
What is one thing you're suppose to do daily that you haven't?
Exercise
What is the latest you've ever woken up?
I once slept for over 48 hrs. Not sure what time I finally woke up.
Name a person you've been meaning to contact, but haven't?
My friend Kizzie in New Orleans
What is the last lame excuse that you made?
None of my excuses are lame. I'm very creative.
Have you ever watched an infomercial all the way through?
Many years ago when they were still new to t.v.
How many times did you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock this morning?
None
Gluttony
What is your overpriced yuppie beverage of choice?
None, I'm a waterholic.
Are you a meat eater?
Barely
What is the greatest amount of alcohol you've had in one sitting/outing/event?
Ten shots of tequila and five margarita's. I think. I might have lost count.
Are you comfortable with your drinking and eating habits?
Too comfortable possibly
Do you enjoy candy and sweets?
Yes
Which do you prefer: sweets, salty foods or spicy foods?
Sweet and salty, together sometimes.
Have you ever looked at a small house pet or child and thought, "lunch"?
Eww...no.
Greed
How many credit cards do you own?
None
If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?
Take care of family first then some investments and charity of my choice.
If I had to choose, rich I guess. Moderately.
Would you accept a boring job if it meant that you would make megabucks?
There was a time I would have said no but now...yes.
Pride
What's one thing that you have done that you're most proud of?
My children.
What's one thing you have done that your parents are most proud of?
Being the first in the family to go to college.
What thing would you like to accomplish late in your life?
Live healthier.
Do you get annoyed by coming in second place?
Nothing wrong with second.
Have you ever entered a contest of skill, knowing you were of much higher skill than all the other competitors?
Have you ever cheated to get a better score?
No
What did you do today that you're proud of?
I didn't smack the woman who was ugly to my puppy, for no good reason, during our nightly walk.
Lust
How many people have you seen naked (not counting movies, family, strippers, locker rooms)?
I worked as a nurse for years so I can't answer this one.
How many people have seen you naked (not counting physicians, doctors, family, locker rooms, or when you were a young child)?
I'm old(er), there's been a few.
Have you ever caught yourself staring at the chest/crotch of a person of your chosen sex during a normal conversation?
The question here should be, have they caught me...
What is your favorite body part of a person of your gender choice?
Mouth.
Have you ever had sexual encounters (including kissing/making out) with multiple persons?
Not at the same time.
Have you ever been propositioned by a prostitute?
No.
Envy
What item of your friends would you most want to have for your own?
Does a house count?
Who would you want to go on "Trading Spaces" with?
Can't think of a soul.
If you could be anyone who existed in the world, who would you be?
See the above.
Have you ever been cheated on?
Yes.
Have you ever wished you had a physical feature different from your own?
Yes. I used to think I would liked to have been a little taller.
What inborn trait do you see in others that you wish you had for yourself?
Good genes.
What deadly sin...
Do you do the most often?
I gotta choose?
Do you do the least often?
These questions are getting too hard...
Is your favorite to act on?
Lust. I think. Maybe. Yeah, lust. No, wait...I'm an unmarried lady, that can't be right. Can it?
Welfare was first established to help those in hardship manage tough crisis situations until they could get back on their feet. The creation of welfare was never meant to be a way of life. However, quite a number of people in this country have figured out how to work the system, as opposed to working, and have become comfortable in living the welfare lifestyle. In other words, they work at not having to work.
To make matters worse, their offspring tend to repeat their parent's behaviors, and hence they too become lazy and refuse to work, and thus the cycle continues. Human Nature being what it is, why would they entertain the thought of working when they have learned to work the system and receive free benefits?
Our country needs real and serious welfare reform, not band-Aids. Let's give those who have abused welfare a fair warning that changes to that system are on the way so that they can plan ahead and tackle their situations appropriately. This includes getting an education, and learning a new skill or trade that will enable them to re-enter the work place. With new and improved skills, they will be empowered to wean themselves off the welfare roles.
One obstacle legal American workers fresh off the welfare system face, is the reality of sordid employers who would rather hire and exploit illegal aliens who lack language skills and can easily be manipulated to work overtime without extra pay, and accept less money than a minimum wage. We often hear the argument that Americans refuse to do certain jobs that they may deem to be beneath them. Not many legal citizens accept this as true. If we begin tightening up the rules for welfare applications, and laws are passed to penalize or fine unscrupulous employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, we will inevitably discover that many Americans will do honest work for the well-being of their families.
(For this plan to be successful, we would need to close and secure our borders, and initiate a system of photos or biometric identification cards. Two additional benefits of this would be to curtail illegal aliens from voting, and could also potentially make it more difficult for terrorists to enter our country through porous borders.)
If people do not want to do hard labor tasks for the rest of their lives, they can improve their English language skills, attend classes in vocational/technical schools that will upgrade their capabilities and this will lead to better paying jobs. Just as importantly, these folks just off welfare can teach their children the principles and values of education and work. Many college students would also fill work positions that employers are currently issuing to illegal immigrants, and this would allow them to purchase necessary items such as books, supplies, or perhaps new clothing.
Welfare people, for the most part, need to learn to teach their children work ethics. There are many diligent parents who work two jobs to pay for their kid's college education. The kids should be able to get a job and earn a living and the value of making their own money, as many of them wished they could have done this past summer. But unfortunately, the unethical/dishonest employers gave those positions to criminal illegal aliens for less money instead.
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