Resolving to Resolve

This year has been filled with challenges. Some of them great, some small. Some affecting communitities and nations. Some influencing only me. The most obvious challenges are the ones I've created: learning more about the world, saving money, losing weight, and, more recently, to read more books. The country has also been challenged with a new president, a new administration, and a new way of thinking about race. This upcoming year will also have its challenges. Many will be the same one's I've tried to battle in 2008.

Of all the challenges, I am finding my battle with weight the most difficult. I am not huge (yet), but I don't want to have to get there before I realize I have to stop gaining weight. Part of my challenge in learning about the world now must also encompass learning more about myself if I am to win. I must overcome my excuses for not exercising.

Centers like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and such are available, but at what cost? There is not only the financial investment, which is not an option given my financial goal, but there is also the investment of time and other resources. Are there free weight loss centers?

Miss Black Maryland 2009

Pageants and the people who win them are always interesting. Winners have been ridiculed often for participating in pageants because part of the qualification for winning is beauty. But winners also must show their knowledge of world events, community service, and education among other things. There is also a talent and evening wear competition. The talent portion seems important because it sends a message to other women that it's important to develop interests outside of oneself to become well-rounded. The evening wear portion is also important because it highlights our need to continually place an emphasis on the way we present ourselves before others. It's a crucial part of developing self esteem. The pageant also provides scholarship funds to the contestants, and who wouldn't be in favor of an organization that provides an honest way for women to pay for college.

Here's a great news segment about Elsie Owolo, Miss Black Maryland 2009. This link takes you to WJZ Channel 13. Miss Black Maryland 2009 is on segment 2.

I've also heard word about a new television series about pageant winners competing for the Miss America title. It will air on TLC at 10pm on Fridays all next month. Here is a link to the show.


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Fat Pockets follow up

Avidan, a follower of this blog, commented on yesterday's blog post with

I used to do the same thing with being thrifty because it seemed the reasonable thing to do, then I decided that I will save more money and calories if for example I buy one doughnut for $0.90 rather than a dozen for $4.00, which I ended up throwing out half of anyways.

I came across your blog from Shelfari and find your posts quite interesting :)

I have two comments on that, and the first is that I am pleasantly surprised that people are reading. There are millions of blogs to choose from, and to have a reader stumble upon mine and then find it interesting is definitely a compliment. Thanks again, Avidan. Stop by again soon.

Second, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one this frugality/diet conflict has happened to. I did not end up throwing the doughnuts away, however. I took two more for breakfast the next day and left the rest in the kitchen in the office. They were gone in less than 20 minutes.

Fat Pockets

I saved money today in three ways, though I'm still not sure how this will translate into extra savings each month. First, today I did a free museum visit for my entertainment. The original admission for the museum would have been about $8.00 or more. Second, rather order a full meal with at drink, I opted for an appetizer and water. If I'd ordered a soda ($3.00) and a full dinner -- with a difference of $4.00 between the appetizer and the meal -- I'd have spent an additional $7.00. In total, that's a whopping $15.00 I've saved today just by making smarter consumption choices.

I also wound up saving myself lots of empty calories. Of course, being thrifty can also add on the pounds. On the way home, I thought it would be better to buy a dozen doughnuts from the market for $4.00 instead of just one for about $0.90. It does make sense economically, but with another 11 doughnuts sitting around, it will be difficult not to overeat. I am tempted to just throw the remaining eight (I've 4already) into the trash, but that would be like wasting the same money I just saved earlier today. I think I will throw them away. I've just eaten another one.

Ode to the GPS

How did people used to get around without GPSs? The one I have is made by Garmin. Not only does it give you directions to the locations you request, but you can also find directions to nearby banks, theaters, restaurants, hospitals, lodging, etc. It even includes a mode that directs you away from traffic to your destination.

I'm usually not much into electronics, but I really appreciate my GPS. Knowing that I can drive around and not get lost has really helped me think about exploring a new way home from work or just going off on a road trip. I can drive to another city or get a rental car and travel anywhere in North America without a paper map.

Automatic Saver

I've announced already that part of my challenge will include learning more about money, saving, and finances. As of today, I'm taking it a step further and issuing a challenge to myself to save at least $2,600 in 2009. That's $25 per week for 52 weeks, a full year of saving. That amount, $2600, in and of itself isn't a lot. I have student loans and past due tuition up the wazoo. However, saving just that small sum consistently will be the mark of a breakthrough.

In the past, when I've tried to save consistently, some sort of emergency would inevitably show up. And then when the money was gone, it would be easy not to start all over again. I know this one simple act of saving consistently is the first step in realizing financial independence. One of my favorite money books, The Automatic Millionaire (by David Bach), is based on this principle. But as I've learned throughout this challenge, reading and knowing how to do something is very different from actually doing it.

At first, I started with the idea of saving $40 a week. Then I suppose I felt that amount was just too comfortable, so I upped it by $10. The truth is, saving $40 is actually no easy task. I'm really living paycheck to paycheck. One wrong move, and I'm out. I've got to think about what I'm spending my money on, what I'm not spending on, and how I can go about reducing my spending where I can.

I already know I spend a lot of income eating out. Sometimes, it will be at a restaurant. Other times, it's just fast food. Least of all will I spend time actually cooking, though it is both the cheapest and healthiest way to eat. It might also help contribute to my weight loss. (Follow my weight loss on my other blog: www.poundapound.blogspot.com.) Eating out, I think I spend about $75 or more a week. It's not just because I like to either. Eating out is convenient when you spend lots of time at the office.

I will also try to chronicle how I save money. I think I'm paying too much on my cell phone bill already. That's something else I can cut back on. But I don't want to become a penny pincher. I don't want to live in fear of not having enough. I want to live comfortably and be debt free with considerable wealth.

Next Stop: Factory Girls

The next book on my list is Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China
by Leslie T. Chang. What is this obsession, this proclivity I have toward Asian culture? And really, it's not Asian culture so much as I am interested in the rights and cultural lives of women in that area. The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, & Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient
was the first such book I read addressing American interpretations of Asian culture. Then there was the Memoirs of a Geisha
. I didn't really get into that book so much, but I know it added to my interest of region and women's rights.

I look forward to reading the book. From the jacket cover, I think it may also have a lot to do with globalization and business: two additional areas in which I have a great interest.

Better News than BJ Hill

(Image Credit: Walk America 2008)

Tonight, as I was watching the news (ABC, I think, with Charlie Gibson), they aired a story about a man named BJ Hill who quit his job teaching to walk across America collecting letters people to the President (Obama, that is). As I watched that news story, several things struck me. First, I wonder why it is that we're celebrating a man who quit his job teaching when our country is experiencing a shortage of highly qualified teachers. Wouldn't he be doing our country a better service if he were to stay in the classroom (assuming that he is a good teacher) and teach our children to read or do algebra? Second, why didn't he just organize a e-mailing campaign? With the technology we have today, it's really unnecessary to go about on foot collecting responses in a notepad. Third, with all the clean-up Bush has left for Obama, what would make Mr. Hill believe that the President (Obama) would have either the time or inclination to read the fruits of his voyage?

I can only suppose it must be a slow news day, but there are stories to report about Toyota experiencing its first financial loss in several decades, stories about Zimbabwe and Mugabe's refusal to step down from power in the midst of country's bitter turmoil, stories about Russia and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe). Even if the news show were searching for a feel-good ending to the newscast, I find it very difficult to believe that in this "season of giving" that a reporter could not find a better story of how men and women give up their time to reach out and help those in need. Mr. Hill isn't even reaching out. He isn't even walking for a worthy cause. He is raising money on website for what? New shoes for himself so he can continue to walk across the country collecting stories when a simple e-mail to the White House would do.

Critical thinking. That's something we all need to work on and I hope that this challenge, by opening my eyes to all that's out there, can also help me see even when others do not.

The Devil Wears Prada, a book review

I finally finished The Devil Wears Prada! From its reviews on Amazon.com, there doesn't seem to be much consensus either way on the merits of the book. The disparity in the rating stems, I think, from people assigning stars on the basis of differnt criteria. If everyone were to judge the book on qualities as chic lit, there would be more of a consensus. The same would be true, I think, if all the reviews were about the literary quality of the book. Either way, I'm glad I finished. Here's the review I wrote myself for Amazon.com:


Add This Book To Your Business Collection

It's certainly not literary fiction, but The Devil Wears Prada is a light, easy read for a stress-free vacation and a surprising addition to a professional's business library. The book tackles such issues in business as management, employee satisfaction, and the deadline-driven world of the publishing field. As readers follow Andrea Sachs through her first job and first year at a popular fashion magazine in New York, NY, they are invited to share in the ups and downs of working for a demanding boss in a position of low pay and virtually non-existent status. Along the way, Andrea realizes what it takes to be successful and what unquestionable abuse one can yield upon employees when their boss is one of the most respected and feared professionals in their field. Andrea also learns to prioritize. In coming to understand her personal work limits, she also begins to develop a healthy work/life balance, something many professionals -- men and women alike -- find themselves struggling with day after day.

Andrea represents what most people are like when they take on their first job or what many become after years of unsuccessful attempts at getting ahead the old-fashioned way. They're caught up in the myth that hard work and perseverance are what get people promoted. Yet after a few years of brown nosing, these same people begin to realize that the true road to success actually lies elsewhere, that to succeed, they must indeed be very good at their chosen profession, but to rely on it as the sole means of advancing their career would be naive.

The Devil Wears Prada should be a staple among business books. There are lessons about dealing with bosses, navigating through business culture, and more all illustrated in its pages. The lessons one might learn from reading some of today's greatest business books are found together in The Devil Wears Prada. It is a perfect learning tool for professionals who like to learn by example and through reading about other people's mistakes.

Aspiring professionals in publishing will also benefit from reading this book. Even those readers with other interests will still find the book appropriately amusing, touching, and perhaps even all too real to be just fiction.

The Worth of Travel

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I'm finally back from my business trip. My flight was cancelled early last week and the next available flight was for two days later. When I returned, I found that my car had been towed! Unfortunately, I'd used up all my discretionary income during my trip. Now I have to borrow money. Was the trip worth it? I don't know.

From a business standpoint, I've been able to represent my company well and demonstrate that I am capabale of completing long-term assignments and being able to travel for extended periods. This assignment prepares me for travel assignments abroad, which I am eager to accept. Part of what I want to do with my career is venture into the forays of international business and communications. What a delight it would be to represent my company in Europe, China, Egypt, or even Canada! I remain open to new experiences that will move me forward.

From a financial standpoint, this trip shows I have some work to do. I will need to develop several means of saving money and develop a nest of income specifically for business trips and another for emergencies. I would also do well to begin saving for my own vacations. Of course, the trick is not in deciding how to save, but in determining how you're going to save when you have thousands of dollars of debt to eliminate. That is yet another challenge, one not as easily accomplished by reading alone. Learning about savings and investments is an endeavor that requires lots of energy and time to do right. And by right, I mean profitably.

From the standpoint of getting through this challenge, I can say that I have indeed been able to learn more about my world. Travel allows one to see up close how other people live. It's good now and then to step back from a book and actually go about the business of learning up close. While away, I spent a lot of time talking to cab drivers. Many of them are from different countries. I spoke to one man from Bulgaria, another from Israel, and still another from Pakistan. It's amazing how much one can learn about other cultures in just a 10- to 15-minute cab ride. I also learned a bit from taking chartered tours of the area and of sites nearby.

Would it stand to reason that if I approached my own surroundings like a tourist that I could learn just as much?

The verdict on how useful this trip was to me is still out. I've had a lot of great experiences, and I learned a lot. But it's the financial sacrifice I made that's really getting to me. That, of course, is one of the tacit laws of education: You have to be willing to invest today, whether it be time or money, to realize huge returns in the future.

One for the Team

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I feel like it's been months since I last blogged. I'd really gotten into a great grove, then I had this business trip, and suddenly it was like everything blogging and writing had dissipated. I have come to enjoy this blogging as much as I enjoy going to work each day. It's a labor of love. It's not always fascinating, but when I get into it, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.

Today, I'm taking one for the team. I'm on a business trip, but my flight has been cancelled, so I must stay in town for another two days. It's a sacrifice, but one I am willing to make.

So how does this relate to the challenge? Well, in one aspect, I still haven't managed to finish The Devil Wears Prada. It's really a good read, but my goodness, if I don't finish it this weekend, I'm going to burst. I'm tired of looking at that book, and as I've said, I do have a dozen or more other books I'd like to read. In anticipation of finishing The Devil Wears Prada during this trip, I brought along Gulliver's Travels as my backup. A good classic. That's part of the challenge of broadening my understanding of the world: reading some of the world's most revered books.

There's a book that's coming to mind whose name escapes me at the moment. It was a book with a trial, a set of twins -- one black, one white, one rich, one poor -- in the South, riverboat country, slavery or early emancipation. I bring it up because it was one of those classics I was actually surprised to have enjoyed. I hope I feel the same way about Gulliver's Travels...if I ever get to it.

Two Cents

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America was built on the backs of slaves. Then on the backs of its poor. Now, we're seeing economic times not unlike ones we've experienced before in this nation, one where unemployment goes rampant and recovery is slow.

In spite of what I know about the history of our country, and in spite of what I know about the 3000+ businesses who risk closing as a result of the loss of an auto industry bailout, I still believe that the way for this economy to get back on its feet is not by handing out money to failing corporations by creating new jobs to meet the needs of those who will lose them. The answer seems simple. If we're anticipating a period of job loss, we need to prepare our economoy to meet it. Green jobs, yes. But also education. There has to be a workforce ready to educate to masses into tranferrable jobs.

There has also been mention of healthcare. The NYT featured a thoughtful article the other day that examined the shortage of primary care physicans that our nation is facing. Medicine, pharmacology, nursing, biotech: these are all noble professions that we can transfer our people into.

Then there's media, God bless it. This industry, too, is facing its own share of woes. People are reading newspapers less and turning to online sources more. Some people, mostly young people, don't even watch the news. We need people at the forefront of technology and communication who can make use of tools like the Internet, YouTube, social media, i-Pods, etc. and reach consumers. We'll always have a need to be informed. So it behooves us to figure out how to do it, and then get to it.

Art is another overlooked area. It's hard to put a value on art. It's terribly subjective. But that doesn't make it any less worthy of our attention. And let's think about it for a moment just how intertwined the arts with fields like communication. It's not just about the aesthetic, it's also about providing information visually, making concepts easier to understand.

Even though they were Republicans, I side with the majority of the Senate today who would not support a bailout for the auto industry. The reason is just that maybe autos have run their course in America. They're not competitive, so if they don't innovate, the corporations deserve to plummet. Thus making way for other industries or autos who can fill their place. People have been complaining about the poor quality of auto since the 80s. So why now, after nearly 30 years of opportunity to get its act together, to anticipate demand, to get ahead of the curve should we bail them out. It seems to me that the auto makers in the US simply were'n't listening. They were trying to hold on and ignore financials that clearly signaled that it was time for them to head out.

I do regret that we've come to this. But the bailout doesn't represent the backbone of what America was built on: literally and figuratively. We're an innovative bunch. We have talent all around, though admittedly, not as well educated as it should be. Fifteen billion dollars would be better spent on jobs of the future and occupations that fill today's needs.

Lincoln

Lincoln -- It's Obama's declared role model for leadership. In a television interview about a month ago, Obama said he planned to read up on Lincoln and his philosophy. Now Lincoln is on my list.

How will I find the time?

All in One

To meet my challenge, I've been perusing bookstore's lately. There's something about going into a physical bookstore to browse, I think, that makes it a pasttime that will not likely fade quickly. True, I do love Amazon; I buy books there a lot, but when I don't know what I want, I usually head to the bookstore itself in search of the perfect book.



To meet my challenge, and also feed my interest in foreign cultures, I bought Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China. The goal of the book is to describe the changes Chinese women are making in modern days from a life restricted to family and village to one in the business world and big cities. I look forward to reading it when I'm done with The Devil Wears Prada. It's an easy read with an interesting plot, but I just haven't made the time I need to allow myself to read through it quickly.

While in the bookstore most recently, I came across a collection of books that directly addresses the "learn more about the world" challenge. Some of the books are a collection of random factoids or summaries that you could read each day (like a calendar, but in book form). Other books were like how-tos and gave you a book list to get through in a year. One of these such books was totally rediculous. It suggested that you read as many as 5 classic books a month. What working professional has the time to read 5 classic books in a month? We're not talking Anne Rice, John Grisham classic, but Faulkner, Tolstoi, real epics. Five of those in one month. Honestly, I think I've been reading The Devil Wears Prada for almost a month now and I'm only halfway through.

There are so many books out there I want to read. And they're not all classics. But as I roam through the bookstore, I do see I have proclivity toward the social sciences and business. I tend to stay away from history and science. So, the next time I'm perusing through the bookstore, looking for a book to help me through this challenge, I will stop in the history section. To get to science, I will need to gather up my strength.

The Most Dangerous Thing

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"What’s the most dangerous thing in the world?"

"A black person with a library card."

This was a remark made by a character on the hit cable television series “The Wire.” The speaker was a man known for his erudition. He read a lot, and instead of carrying a gun as the other gangsters did, he carried books. His daily reading included Harpers, The Nation, and other such weighty publications. Yet, he is not a noble character. He is a drug dealer like the rest of them.

I bring this up because I have a library card and I read voraciously. Yet, no one considers me a threat. Why?

This goes beyond my “learning about the world” challenge. The challenge is about stretching myself outside of my comfort zone of knowledge. It’s about exploring all there is about the world from science and culture to history and religion. This other thing I’m talking about, this being a “threat” is about my position in the professional world. There is no question that I am immensely good at what I do. Yet, I am still waiting for the promotion and recognition I know I’ve earned. No, that’s not entirely true. I’m not waiting for it; I’m going after it aggressively.

Healthy Mind, Healthy Body

PBS has a pledge-drive special program called Sight and Sound 2. The show talks about the science of seeing and hearing and how it relates to our understanding of the world. Even more specifically, the program talked about the importance of maintaining one’s sight and hearing abilities throughout one’s lifetime. Often as we age, our senses diminish. Yet, we can take preventative measures to ensure that doesn’t happen or at least prolong its onset. One of the remedies the program suggested was that people interested in restoring or maintaining their senses should engage in exercises that challenge those senses.

To increase mobility and flexibility, one would engage in dance or yoga. To increase vision, one might make a conscious effort to look closer or farther away to strengthen the eyes. I have taken up dance to challenge my senses. Initially, I took it up for exercise, but I realize that the task of simply learning new moves does wonders for my brain. It’s an excellent activity that works in tandem with two of my objectives: weight loss and learning about the world. The weight loss part is easy to understand, but helping me to learn more about the world may not be as clear. The way I see it, it’s a matter of mens sana en corpo sana, which I believe is Greek or such for “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” If your mind or body is weak, it takes away from your ability to learn. So doing things to train my mind, will in turn help me become more effective at learning.

Today, the Bible

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1 Corinthians 14:8, New International Version
Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?

1 Corinthians 14:8, King James Version (for the purists)
8For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

President-elect Barack Obama quoted this verse (NIV) in a speech he gave to commemorate the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. And with that, I've begun my journey today into the Bible. I have never really studied any Bible outside King James, though I have read from other versions, including the NIV, on numerous times. What is different about today is that for the first time, I have opened up my realm of understanding by comparing translations directly.

It's striking the range of interpretation we find in language. In Chinese, for example, the same word can mean different things based solely on intonation. In Hebrew, I think, the absence of vowels in the original ancient texts led to a full range of interpretation as modern scholars today insert vowels in an effort to guess what the ancient writers and prophets may meant. And so, in looking at just the two versions of the Bible I've selected above, I can see not only the range of interpretation possible by following one version versus the other, but I also see how spiritually precarious it might be to blindly follow an interpretation without questioning.

Man today uses the Bible for so many things. We hide in it. We take comfort in it. We legislate by it. We educate on the basis of it. And so when people say that such and such belief should become law because it says so and so in the Bible, we should really step back and think about who's Bible these people are referring to. A lot people don't realize that religion is not just what is written in a religious text, but it is also a social organization with stated and implied rules for conduct and belief.

There are things people believe about the Bible, about passages they think exist, but that do not exist at all. The solution is for people to assume the onus to educate themselves about the very book they proclaim to live their daily lives by. But I do not blame anyone who doesn't. Our world is such that all sorts of media are competing for our attention.

But I digress.

The core difference between the versions of the verses above are in their use of the phrase "clear call" versus "an uncertain sound." And the distinction between the two, I think, is profound. The difference between clear and uncertain is intention. If you call out to someone, but they can't hear you, it doesn't mean you never wanted them to respond. On the other hand, if you call someone and you intentionally lower your voice or intentionally say it so that they could hear you if they were they were really paying attention, then it could be true that you never really wanted them to answer. The second is like sarcasm.

Now taking this one step further, I ask, "What would Jesus do?" When Jesus calls me to action, there is no second guessing. There is no ignoring. When Jesus calls, it is clear as a bell. And whatever the Lord commands, it will be done. One could say that in times of uncertainty, look to God for a clear answer.

I'm no theologian. So, I'm afraid, I'll have to end here.

Does Watching Jeopardy Count?

It's so much easier to plop in front of the television each day than to take upon a more rigorous intellectual endeavor. Of course, I knew this going in. So I wonder, does watching Jeopardy count? The final question (the daily double, maybe?) was something like there's a three-letter suffix in French composed of three vowels, and those three vowels sound like another vowel. The answer is eau. I learned something. But nothing useful.