Hi everybody! Happy 2012 to you all. Let me get you up to date with some things and some stuff. If you're curious about the picture, well you should be. That is me with our district House of Representatives Louis Capps (D). Ever since I started working with the CCC, one of my main side projects has been trying to get our congress woman to visit our center, mainly to boost awareness of politics and issues in our country with our corpsmembers. Well, it finally came to fruition, and she came to our center on Thursday January 20 2012. Her visit was amazing. She was able to engagingly chat with with our corpsmembers during our community meeting for about half an hour, 3 times longer than what was scheduled, and the cm's loved it. It was a great success, and I got to share in the glory on stage with her momentarily when this amazing picture was taken.
So there is a rumor going around that I am applying to grad school. Well, cat out of the bag. I am applying to Cal Poly MPP program. I just took the GRE exam, didn't have to but I did. I did pretty well I suppose, I feel like my essays were good, 155 in verbal, 150 in quantitative. The next step is getting some Letters of Recommendation, finishing my mission statement, and submitting my application. Fingers crossed
I showed this video to my corps members the other day. I think it is a well done video that not only shows the significant events of 2011, but it was done in a way which is relevant to the sign of the times, by infusing various social media elements. Social media is really becoming the source from which we receive a majority of our information. I'd argue more people find out about things via Facebook and twitter status's than the newspaper or arguably even the television. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I would argue the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street Protests really gained strength from the advent of social media sites.
I am really excited about 2012. Don't get me wrong, 2011 was an amazing year for me. So much has happened that I am grateful for. Like I said in an early blog post, I feel like I am starting in a new chapter in my life and 2012 will be a continuation of this new personal growth. For instance, I have started my application for grad school at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. I take the GRE on January 19th - wish me luck.
I also would like to continue growing at the CCC and improving my skills as an educator. I got some new books that I would like to read as well. And then there's the Russian...
I spend a lot of my free time thinking about the origins and ultimate fate of our universe. I'll admit, some times it seems trivial and inconsequential. What I mean by that is A) I hardly understand basic issues here on earth, how can in understand the origins of the ENTIRE universe and B) it ultimately has no bearing on any real life issues one might have. However, seeking the answers to these fundamental questions of our ultimate origin and fate has not only been enjoyable to ponder, but also mind-opening. I feel like a have a new perspective on life. Give it a try!
Let me clarify again what answer I am specifically looking for: What happened before the big bang, and what will be it's ultimate fate? I am NOT seeking to answer the meaning of life or human consciousness. In my view, life is essentially a product of entropy from the creation of the universe. Without the universe there is no life, so it is meaningless to ask what is the meaning of life if we do not understand the origins of the universe.
So I set out to seek the answers to my questions. I obviously do not have the answers already in my head, and saying that I have a predisposition on knowing what the truth is would be quite ignorant of me. So I have sought out answers from the biggest scientific minds in this area: Roger Penrose, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Michio Kaku, Steven Hawking, Richard Dawkins, Brian Green and many others.
Some differ on the ultimate answer or have yet to make up their mind, but their presentations of the answers has help me form a basic understanding of the universe and how it works; From a large (relative) scale to the tiniest (quantum) scale.
Their explanations and my intrinsic understanding has led my to a view that I feel is the most substantial.
In particular, I've been following this fellow, Roger Penrose. Penrose (Via wikipedia) is an English mathematical physicist and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. He has received a number of prizes and awards, including the 1988 Wolf Prize for physics which he shared with Stephen Hawking for their contribution to our understanding of the universe.
He specifically is floating around this idea of what I have been calling a "cyclical universe". This theory proposes that our universe is not the first, nor the last of a series of repeating universes. This theory is rather satisfying and has a lot of merit. For now i will give you a video, in my next blog i will attempt to break it down into why I like it.
"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"
This is a quote I just heard literally 30 seconds ago. I like it so much I might keep it around.
It's been a month, I know. Feels like yesterday I was finishing my last blog – in October. Time is flying by. But I'll recap this last month in a few, well-structured sentences.
I feel like I am getting better at my job every day that goes by. Love what I'm doing, even when I am bored out of my head, I am glad to be here.
I spent way too much money in November. I set up a "money map" - a monthly budget - on my wellsfargo.com account and let me see how I am spending my money and if I am sticking to my budget....nope. I am eating out way too much. It says I was 139% over my spending goal for eating at restaurants. Got to bring that down for sure.
Still no Russian learned.
I got to see my family for Turkey day - my family in the bay area - and it was really nice, per usual. I left Pismo around 12:00pm, and got to my Grandma's house in Walnut Creek, CA around, let's say, 4:00ish . I saw my G'ma Lulu, Grandpa George, Aunt Theresa and her man friend Mark (he left when I arrived however), Uncle Chris and his wife Helen, Aunt Cathy and her hubby Mike, and all their kids ~ which I think I can still count on two hands. Oh, and my pops (he doesn't have a facebook page). Everyone was really nice, curious about my life and work. Good food.
The trip was about 4 hours each way(about 214 miles). Everyone is always surprised that I can make this trip by myself non-stop. It actually isn't that bad. 4 hours driving is about my limit. But the alone time on the road is relaxing. It is a chance to think about thing and have clairvoyance on some things.
I didn't drive straight back after dinner. I was able to spend the night at Lulu's. The rest was welcoming, even though I know I could have driven back that night, I'm glad I didn't.
My mom went to a hockey game for thanksgiving ~ who would of thunk it? Her, not me. HER.
Well that's all I want to report for now. I'm sure I'll think of more stuff later tonight but be too apathetic to do anything about it. Oh well. Happy Holidays!
So I know I like to brag about my work a lot, but I have some more stuff I would like to share. First, this awesome video that shows the history of the CCC and a day in the life of a corpsmember. The video features the Los Padres (SLO) center and our crews quite a bit. I can be found in the background at 5:20-5:23 (not going to lie, I got a kick out of it). Second, Governor Jerry Brown, who established the CCC back in 1976, made a declaration proclaiming November 3rd to be “California Conservation Corps Day” Here is the proclaimation (If any one can let me know what is with all the "WHEREAS" that would be cool):
PROCLAMATION
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, the California Conservation Corps was created by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. with legislation signed on July 7, 1976, and
WHEREAS, Governor Brown envisioned a program modeled after the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps, but also reflecting "a combination Jesuit seminary, Israeli kibbutz and Marine Corps boot camp," and
WHEREAS, the California Conservation Corps would put young men and women to work, improving and protecting the state's natural resources and assisting with disaster response, and
WHEREAS, corpsmembers would work hard and earn minimum wage, prompting the late CCC Director B.T. Collins to coin the Corps' motto: "Hard work, low pay, miserable conditions ... and more!" and
WHEREAS, since 1976, 115,000 corpsmembers have taken on the CCC's challenging motto, and
WHEREAS, since the CCC was created, its corpsmembers have provided more than 67 million hours of conservation work throughout California, and
WHEREAS, accomplishments have included planting 21 million trees; constructing or repairing 9,779 miles of backcountry trails; improving more than 1800 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat; auditing and retrofitting 25 million square feet of public buildings; and devoting nearly 12 million hours to building or improving parks, and
WHEREAS, the CCC may be best known for its emergency response work, with crews dispatched throughout the state for floods, fires, earthquakes, oil spills and pest infestations, and
WHEREAS, one out of every five CCC work hours is devoted to disaster response, a total of 9.6 million hours of assistance since 1976, and
WHEREAS, the CCC has provided thousands of hours of recovery efforts after the Loma Prieta and Northridge earthquakes, and after the Oakland Hills fire, and assisted with fire rehabilitation efforts following major wildfires throughout the state, and
WHEREAS, CCC crews have fought floods from north to south, filling more than 3.5 million sandbags since 1976, and
WHEREAS, all corpsmembers work to advance their education while in the CCC, many earning high school diplomas or qualifying for scholarships, and
WHEREAS, the CCC has provided career direction to thousands of corpsmembers, and after leaving the CCC, many are hired by land management agencies; others have become teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers and small business owners, and
WHEREAS, many alumni indicate their time in the CCC has encouraged them to continue to volunteer and serve their communities, decades after their corpsmember days, and
WHEREAS, many former corpsmembers look back on their CCC days as the best time of their lives, and now, numerous sons and daughters of earlier corpsmembers have joined the program as second-generation corpsmembers, and
WHEREAS, over the last 35 years, both California and the corpsmembers themselves have benefited from the CCC, and
WHEREAS, the CCC has played a leadership role in the development of corps programs throughout the nation, with 158 corps programs located in cities and states throughout the country, including 13 local nonprofit conservation corps in California, and
WHEREAS, the California Conservation Corps has significantly impacted corpsmember lives as well as improved California's natural resources and recreational opportunities for many years to come,
NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim November 3, 2011, as “California Conservation Corps Day.”
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 2nd day of November 2011.
Happy Halloween everyone! I feel like most of the festivities took place this weekend; I know all the dressing up and socializing I did was on Friday and Saturday, but I wish you all a safe and fun Halloween this Monday. If you were wondering what I was for Halloween 2011, I found some antlers and put on a brown shirt and a pair of brown pants I had and was Bullwinkle; Nikki got an aviator hat and got a grey dress and was Rocky. All that was missing were a couple of Russians spies. To be honest, peolpe at first thought we were a just a deer and an Amelia Earhart, but once we told them what we were supposed to be everyone thought it was cute.
Right now I am waiting patiently in the living room anticipating little trick-or-treaters to come by. So far nobody has made an appearance, but there are a few hours left in the night. I did have a scare earlier today - my phone was dead. It turned out it just needed to be charged. But it is really depressing eye-opening to realize how dependent I am on that phone. I might treat myself in a bit and go see a movie, The Rum Diaries.
So besides today being Halloween, it is also the last day of October. I like to take the time and reflect on this past month. So what happened in October - I assumed more responsibilities at work and at home (paying for cable and internet). I got a chance to volunteer and give back to my community. I got to really just kick back and enjoy life (and football). And of course I started this blog and have stuck with it thus far. What I would like to see more from myself - In general I would like to see myself follow through with things. See out project ideas for work. I would like to finish reading a few books - Chrome Yellow (Huxley) and A Season in Purgatory (Dunne). I would like to finish learning Russian "puts cameloute". And, of course, I would like to see this blog continue to grow.
My uncle, Christopher Saunders (right), one of my icons growing up, during the Occupy
Oakland protest Oct. 25 2011.
Proud to serve the city of Oakland. That would be my uncle, Christopher Saunders, with the wide grin as he raises he fire arm during an Occupy Oakland protest. Christopher has been like a father figure to me. Someone I can look up to, aspire to be like, and be so very proud of. He has a beautiful family, is talented in pretty much anything he tries, and I feel better about myself knowing that I am related to such an awesome person.
I find myself in a predicament after learning about the events that have transpired today. I have gone on record stating that I support the Wall Street protests happening around the nation - corporate greed needs to be reigned in. However after learning what has happened in Oakland California, a city in which I lived literally minutes away from, has me thinking. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, protesters were evicted from an encampment outside Oakland City hall that they had inhabited for 15 days. Protesters tried to retake the encampment, and about 400 people marched towards city hall and were met by anti-riot police. The protest was mostly peaceful outside city hall, but further out the situation became much more violent. Objects were thrown at police officers, and the police responded by firing tear gas into the crowds.
Although I support the movement, I am displeased by the violence. Unfortunately I can understand where some of the pent up frustration is stemming from. Oakland has especially been hit hard by the recent recessions. Some parts of Oakland look like a post-apocalyptic ghosts towns. Poverty is growing. And then their is Oscar Grant, which has caused more tension in the community. But Oakland, resorting to violence will
not solve any problems, especially against your neighbors.
So I would like to thank my Uncle for keeping the peace and keeping the city of Oakland safe from those who want to cause harm. It seems bleak, but heroes like my uncle make it all seem worth fighting for.
