A Couple of Thoughts for a Wednesday

1 - Barack Obama's inauguration speech was awesome - I loved it. Whether or not I agree with his rhetoric, policies, or political cabinet picks, I have to say it is refreshing to have a person of eloquence leading the country. Never underestimate the power of words. Tony Blair is one of my all-time favorite political leaders for this reason. He had the ability to speak eloquently and think fast (watch the Prime Minister's questions on CSPAN - it's awesome!) and his speech in the immediate aftermath of Sept. 11th was the one that I think people should have paid more attention to. Barack's speech addressed a lot of the nation's fears and had a lot of truth within it and I am so lucky to have witnessed one of the most historic moments in our country's history.

2 - So beyond excited about the premiere of Lost tonight - you don't even know. I have been looking forward to this day since the last episode of last season aired last May and it is finally, FINALLY here!

3 - I am loved by a beyond gracious God, a beyond wonderful family, and an amazing group of friends. So no matter what happens in the next few months, I have remembered that my life here is not about my financial security or independence, but about walking by faith and trusting in a God who I feel I am just getting to know.

4 - Never underestimate the importance of your living environment on your mental and physical health.

5 - I love living on my own in my new apartment! I am so blessed and grateful for this gift and so excited to share it with others! So if you are ever driving by Winchester Street, please stop in and say hello!

Tongue-Tied

The thing that seems to be the hardest thing about blogging is that I don't have to much to say or write about. I seem to have a problem when it comes to things having to do with words, like talking or writing - I am so much more content to listen to other people or read what other people are thinking and/or doing in their lives. I know conversations are supposed to be two-way streets and I do that well at times. But at other times, I would just rather clam up and listen and think about what other people are saying.

The other thing that makes writing and/or carrying on a conversation difficult is coming up with a good question to ask. I generally just have random thoughts that come and go (and often make me laugh and leave other people thinking, "What a strange person..."). I wish I was one of those people that comes up with a good question to ask at a moment's notice. But unfortunately quick-thinking verbalization does not come easily to me. Even now, as I am typing this, I'm sitting here thinking, what in the world do I have to say and should I say it out on the world-wide web?

What is a remedy to help this? And what are ways to be sparked creatively?

So until the creativity is sparked, some random thoughts:

1. What a week in sports - from Tiger's heroic and dramatic US Open win to the Celtics completely annihilating the Lakers in the NBA Final Championship game, it has definitely been an awesome week for sports. The display of athleticisim, determination, and competitiveness was something I had not seen in a long time. (*Note - With all the controversy surrounding NBA officiating these days, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers are accused of throwing the game. On the one hand, it would make sense why they played so poorly. On the other, you would think they would have tried to make the game look more close than it did!)

2. Offshore drilling - Good idea or bad idea? Though I have strong environmental leanings these days, I tend to think that this actually wouldn't be a bad idea, especially after reading George Will's editorial column in the Post a couple of weeks ago which cited a fact that there are more foreign countries and oil companies drilling for oil in our offshore waters than US companies. And who gets those royalties? The foreign companies. Doesn't make much sense to me. On the other hand, I don't understand the reluctance to build nuclear power companies - if Americans really are serious about changing our energy habits, forget the corn and vegetable oil - that's not going to power your laptop, cell phone charger, flat-screen TV, HD-DVD player, lamps, surround-stereos, and hairdryers - we need a real energy solution, and France of all places has demonstrated that nuclear power is indeed a real solution for clean energy needs. I am looking very much forward to the release of Thomas Friedman's new book that talks about the need to change our energy consumption. His article in the New York Times is what convinced me that going green is a responsibility that we all must take, and that now is the time to take that definitive steps towards being environmental conservationists.

3. The platypus is one of the most venomous mammals in the world. Did you know that? I did and thanks to Wikipedia, that little fact let me prove to my family that I am indeed one of the smartest people that they know. Justification never feels so good than when you are proven right in the face of all the doubters and naysayers, especially when it is your family (or maybe, it's just my ultra-competitive family....And no, I don't remember why a platypus came up in our family dinner conversation) :) :)

Makes me sick...

There seem to be a lot of things that get under my skin lately, but when I read something like this, it riles me to no end. I understand business and actually do like companies and the business world, but this makes me sick - that a company like Exxon Mobil, who's annual PROFIT (not REVENUE, but PROFIT) was $40.6 billion will try to shirk its responsibilities for one of the worst natural disasters in history.