by the way...

...we're done with grad school! neglected to mention that last month a. and i completed our respective masters programs after 3 long years of dedicating long nights and weekends to classes, papers, projects, and presentations.

it was a fruitful experience. the college was great, overall. instructors were excellent, save a few strays. the faculty was strong and had vision. the campus was navigable, beautiful, and resources ample. the library fantastic, except for the pitted out seats circa 1985. i'd give them a 3.8/4.0.

if you have stumbled on the thought of going back to school, stop stumbling and just do it. it is the best investment that i believe we could have made in ourselves, our development, and our future.

the end is near

after last night, a mere 4 weeks of class remain in this semester--and furthermore, to the completion of my masters in non-profit management. it continues to hold a bitter-sweet taste, as i have thoroughly enjoyed virtually each class that i have taken over the past few years. a few pimples stick out, but even in those I came away with a new amassed knowledge on the subject that i am unable to scowl for too long.

going to a small private school has been a royal treat as compared to attending a state university, as i did in undergrad. significant personal attention but not too much, intimate class size around 20-25, instructors who bring academic and real world experience. it has been an invaluable experience and i will continue to put the knowledge to action in my life's work. the best part of graduating will be to have more free time to spend with a.

something fantastic

i saw something unusual and yet altogether glorious the other day. as i was biking up to a building on campus, the roar of a car stereo--windows tightly rolled up--got louder and louder as i approached. i was soon able to identify "mr. brownstone" by g'n'r, baby. the fidelity of the car stereo was near full capacity, engine off. somebody just wanted to finish rockin' the tune. don't blame 'em.

then i came upon the specific car, a silver mercedes, with a middle-aged blonde woman wearing a grey business suit seemed to be savoring the last few licks from slash as axl professed that "he won't leave me alone." perplexed, i ventured on and found a place to lock up my bike, yet still in full earshot of the tunes. then, just as quickly as the song started to taper to an end--click, boom, clack, clack, clack--she nixed the supplemental battery power and extinguished the music and hopped out of her car to quickly saunter up to the building she was parked outside of. it appeared that the timing of "mr. brownstone" may have caused her to be late. very nice.

school daze

a new semester has begun once again. this may well be the last time that i make that statement as it directs to my life, as my degree requirements will be completed in may. the two courses that i am enrolled in are: economic theory; business ethics. the first class in theory was fantastic, actually. excellent instructor, good reading, good discussion. fixing to me a mighty fine semester, i'd say.

the ethics course will commence later in the week. i suspect that it will be most enjoyable, too. however, the text for the ethics course is rather inaccessible. i hope that the instructor will provide more clarity.

fin de la semester

t-minus one week. by friday, i will have turned in the final draft of my graduate thesis. it is themed as a business proposal for a philanthropic foundation to adopt an initiative dedicated toward environmental projects, specifically within the urban landscape. it addresses air and water issues, environmental justice inequalities, recycling programs, trash incineration, and mass transit. i did not address smart growth for the project. if there were additional time, i would have spent some time on that topic as well.

i have to say that compiling the data and formulating a feasible method of implementing the programmatic work that would take a concerted stab at resolving the ills of a polluted metropolis was indeed most enjoyable. in september, it seemed like a daunting task. but after diving in, it became a methodical release of learned knowledge and devised strategy that began to fill the pages. i am quite content with the final product. i will reread it yet again and try to clean up any residual stubble that may remain.

progress

the thesis is 62-pages strong as of this morning. there is some more bulk to churn out for it, likewise some additional tightening up to do, but i am anticipating a completed project in the beginning of december. completing this task will prove to be a might bittersweet, as focusing on it has been a disciplined challenge that i have enjoyed.

thesis blues

as you see, i am procrastinating from all else in life at the moment. namely, commencing on the writing of my graduate thesis project. it looms over me and i am stuck in the research phase, unable to jot down even a sentence. i have put together a few outlines and read numerous articles and still have yet to feel the spark to put something to paper. perhaps i will this evening, perhaps not. ugh.