That's not to say that I'm not missing the Land of my Fathers of course. Saying goodbye to my mates, some of whom have been more like family than friends to me over the last few months, was incredibly difficult. My leaving night of carnage was a case in point - dancing the night away to Rammstein and Sublime at Bogiez in Cardiff Bay (strangely enough i won't miss the Bay, which I've always regarded as completely overrated, even more so for the fact that you now can't move down there for Torchwood tourism tat). Saying goodbye to my parents was also hard, having not  ever lived further than a 20 minute bus journey away from them (and their washing machine). My ever-suffering mother and father drove me to my new home yesterday, a 4 hour drive during which tempers were frayed, taxi drivers were shouted at and i was nearly suffocated somewhere just past Swindon by a bin bag full of clothing that fell on top of me from the massive pile of stuff in the back of the car. Despite this near death M4 experience, we did however make it to Clapton in one piece.

My new home is probably one of the reasons why so far I'm finding this whole upheaval so easy. After several flat viewing disasters (including the memorable experience of having the door opened by a man wearing grubby boxer shorts, an open shirt and a fag dangling from his lower lip), the fact that I'm living in such a nice place is fantastic. The house is a maisonette in a block of converted council flats in the London borough of Hackney. Clapton was once known as 'Murder Mile', but because of it's high number of Jewish residents the crime rate is drastically lower then the rest of Hackney and so far I've felt really safe here (although right now there's a group of stereotypical 'youths' stood under my bedroom window, probably plotting something terrible, like how to make cider out of blood, as Dylan Moran would say). It's all a bit leafy and suburban, helped by the fact that directly opposite the house is Springfield Park, an expanse of parkland and wooded areas with a nearby marina, along with cricket and football pitches, tennis courts and a reasonably decent cafe in the old ranger's lodge. When walking past the marina with the parents yesterday, I spotted a barge called 'Mr Toad', which of course prompted the instant whipping out of the camera phone and the subsequent texting of everyone to whom that phrase makes sense. According to Josh, who texted back at an hour when neither of us should have been awake and capable of stringing a sentence together this morning, that barge was a sign: this house was meant to be.

This is a lot more difficult than I'd imagined, there are 24 specialty drinks all of which have a minimum of three ingredients each, not to mention a full list of shots, and every single pseudo-traditional cocktail imaginable that I'm desperately trying to learn. Then there are all the techniques for creating certain drinks; building, floating.... is there a difference between the two? I'm lost. Even the more basic drinks are going to be a little more difficult than I'd imagined, we don't use jiggers to measure so it's all free-pour. This sounds better/ easier but it's a one second count for every .25 ounces. So take our Chambord Rita for instance; it's 1.25 oz. Sauza, .75 oz. Chambord, and 3.5 oz. sweet and sour mix, this means the count " and one and two and three and four and five" for just the tequila, but if you count a little too fast or too slow than the pour will be off, the flavor won't be right, and I'll be in trouble. Suck.

Right now I'm trying to study before my semi-official first shift tomorrow, but yesterday our air conditioner broke and they can't get a new unit in till Monday. Double suck. So it's now a balmy 83 degrees in my house with no sign of relief right now. Needless to say, it's a little hard to concentrate, hence the blogging I suppose. But I'm just kind of freaking out, this was supposed to be fun and now all I'm feeling is stress and unbridled anxiety.

I wish I felt this glamorous. At least my hair is a close match. I just got it done and the color & cut is fairly close (not as long but growing). It may be the last fancy hair session I have for a while unless my new job begins to pay off sometime very soon. It's been a slow start at a fast pace if that makes any sense. I eat, sleep & breath my new job yet not seeing any immediate results. I'm hopeful some leads will eventually pan out for me. Not sure if I fit in with the company. It's a weird situation to say the least and I am starting to suspect that there's more to the story of previous turnover in the position than originally diviluged.

Good bye, grad school*. Hello, the rest of my life... yikes.

What I'm most excited about is the fact that I'm working for an organization whose methods and ideas I fully support. My unofficial title is "Recruitment Associate Extraordinaire". I'll just call myself an RA - like in college; except not. Anyways, I haven't started yet, but I'm pretty sure my job involves the recruitment of their fellows (I love self-explanatory job titles) among many other tasks. Fun stuff.

I start on Monday. We go to North Carolina on Thursday to meet the new 2008 Fellows. Then, who knows...

I am so ready to start making money. I'm also looking forward to vision and dental insurance.

AND, on top of that, I can start saving for my move to New York City. Booya.

--------

* My grad school still hasn't mailed out diplomas (I only graduated almost 2 months ago), so I guess I'm not really done with it.

Any help is much appreciated.

Last night I was at a prayer meeting and I cried out to God, "Thank You. (I already knew the offer would be sent today) But it's still not enough. I want more of YOU God! More of YOU! More of your love." I am not trying to be greedy or materialistic with things of this world, but I am being greedy in my relationship with Christ. I can not get enough. A job is a job and money is money - those things are nothing if I don't have a deep, intimate relationship with my Savior.

So, while I praise Him for the blessings he pours out on us I still say "MORE of YOU, God!"

But, I got some awesome news.  First of all, there is internet here at work!  Heck yeah!!  Second of all, tonight, I will be going down to the UPS hub and picking up my DSL modem.  We've made the switch to DSL to see if it might just be a little cheaper.  And because Jose now owes the cable company a ginormous bill on which he set up payment arrangements.  :)

The job is... well, a job.  It's just like any other customer service job.  The workplace environment is amazing, though.  Its a very small company that is sooo relaxed.  The calls come in at a slow but steady pace.  The dress code is no pajamas and no shorts.  No corporate policies.  You do as you want as long as the customer is happy and taken care of in the mean time.

Niiiice.  :)

Oh, and boring.  I'm still boring, so I have little or nothing to blog about, and when I at last have opportunity to do so, I've probably forgotten what it was I thought I had to say anyway.

Work is kicking my butt, and I think my boss is less than thrilled with my ability to work database magic.  He's not said anything negative, per se, but I get the sensation from general things he says that he hoped for more expertise in that area when he hired me.  I think I'm disappointed in myself too, and a little afraid.  I don't need to be canned.  Yikes.

So I've been hammering away at this stupid thing, trying to make it behave like it should.  It's not, and I don't know why.  Anyone an MS Access guru out there?  Could use a hand if you are.

Other than that, any writing I've done has been brief.  I did some on the train Tuesday by borrowing my boy's laptop, but it eats battery life like I wolf down potato chips, and weighs a little less than my dad's '55 Olds did, but not much.  So I think I'll just focus on reading my computer books on the train in the afternoon, and sleeping on the train in the morning.

I still want to share some things about the train regulars I've seen, but ... pff, who'm I kidding?  When will I have time for that?

Meanwhile, my WIP languishes on the back burner, curdling and souring.  *Sigh*  Ah, well.  Life.

Take care, all!

-JDT-

• Recruit managerial talent for my client companies.  You should become one.
• Form new or buy existing corporations, and generate high paydex scores for them.

I and my partners recruit the best management talent in any given market for our clients.  Our business clients are corporations in the United States who understand that TALENT is the key differentiator for success.

We encourage our clients to pay more to their hires in order to boost retention and increase morale and productivity.  We believe that turnover in the top 80 percent is bad, and turnover in the top 25 percent is very bad.  We do believe that all companies should constantly churn their bottom 20 percent.  Fire them.  Get them out.  Hire new talent and give them one year to get into the top 80 percent.

We also form corporations, and help pre-existing corporations build revenues through credit management, particularly through attaining high corporate credit (80+ paydex) scores, either through the slower process of credit development or the much faster process of acquisition.  Yes, we will take you from a 20 or worse paydex to over 80 in weeks.  Imagine the good that will do for you.

If you think yourself talented, please send me your resume right now.  We'll talk.  Or if you need talent, please send me a description of your need right now, and we also will talk.

Finally, if you are a company or you want to establish a company of any type, contact me right now and we, too, will talk.  If I can help you, we will know quickly, and if I cannot personally help you, I probably know someone who can, and will refer you free of charge.

We make money here.  We know how.  If you tend to be busy, lets do business together.

Jerry

anyways ... are happy days here again ... ? well, as always, there are ups and downs.

one of the downs is ... being accused of doing something 'immoral' in the eyes of the so-called neighbourhood 'moral police' (this is how i describe them). will write on this in another post. i had only just recently emerged from a cold war with my parents because of this.

as for my job ... the first few days were tough coz i felt like i was in a foreign country. i am the only malay. the rest of the less than 10 staff are all chinese and they spoke mandarin 95% of the time. not becoz they were deliberately trying to alienate me. basically, their english and malay is .... to put it mildly ... not very fluent. and i speak only malay and english. so ... you can imagine how weird i felt when they were laughing crazily at someone's joke and i couldn't understand a word of it. sigh. feels like being in a country like france or well ... china!

I am exstatic. I can't believe it. He is starting tomorrow and will be working at Navistar, International. Whatever they are calling it these days. He will be driving a forklift. And guess what??? He will be working normal people hours. I will get to see him daily. How awesome is that? Instead of the 15 hour days he has been working these past 5 years. I am so happy I could just do a dance. Just wanted to update!!!

This blog is aimed at anyone who's ever found themselves saying 'I hate my job'.  Over the coming months (and years!) I'll share hints, tips and ideas to help you to survive in your current job whilst working out how to get a job you'll love.

Many people I coach find that the world of work can be a lonely place.  Yes there are appraisals, performance reviews, 1:1 meetings with your boss - but how many of you can openly say to your boss 'I hate my job, but I don't know what to do'.  Through this blog and information in my other blog www.sharonlangford.wordpress.com and my website: www.sharonlangford.com you will get information and insights into how you can identify and work towards a job you'll love whilst surviving in your current role.

I'm convinced I lost my shot at a job, a really good job, because I kept my mouth shut and said what I thought they wanted to hear instead of what I really felt. I just,  I don't know, I mean I am certainly not afraid to speak my mind when it comes to something like politics I suppose, but I guess it's the idea of hurting someone's feelings or maybe it's that I am questioning my own judgment and ideas.

Grrrrr. Whatever it is, I need to rectify it. Like take today for instance. In my everyday job, I work closely with my boss doing proposal work and sometimes there's a question on what to bid on. He often passes on some things just cause he gets some kind of feeling, but his choices today were way off and could cost us some much needed work.

But did I say anything? Kind of, but I might as well as not said anything. It's not like I'm not allowed to speak my mind. He even asks my opinion and I still freeze up. Why?

The biggest reason this is a concern of mine at the moment is I have an interview this week for a new job and it appears as though it's a good one. At the very least it's like 10 minutes versus 1 hour from my home, so it's got that going for it. Plus I hear it's got a caf with really cheap food, so you know, awesome, as I like to eat and I am poor. But I need to overcome my agreeable for the sake of agreeing problem or else I could blow it yet again.

So, how do I change it? Research maybe. Practice. If I know a lot about the company, maybe what they are looking to do, I'll be competent and sure and be able to handle whatever it is they throw my way. Or maybe I could stop being a freak. Though if that were possible, A. I wouldn't have a blog, because I wouldn't be obsessing over everything and therefore there would be nothing to write and B. I could kick this nicotine lozenge addiction, which is just plain embarrassing.

In any case, I need to start being more assertive. Maybe some deep breaths, a little self reassurance, strong focus, "want the job," "be the job." Yes, I think I feel it turning, slowly. I guess we'll see.

In any case, if any should be at all interested, I will let you know how it goes. And if I really am the job.

Addendum: I am happy to report that the initial interview went very well. Now, I am on to the next step, which is to send some of my samples. If they like what they see, I get a face-to-face. Oh yeah, this one was a phoner. In any case, feeling good, and I learned a lot more details about the job. It sounds very challenging and I get a beeper. Look at me little Miss Important.

So I got home from work around 4:15 today (had to make a side trip to H&M after work to find another pair of black pants--I have a uniform) and ate dinner. Dear God, pureed carrots are the closest thing to actual sugar that I have tasted in a week or two. So good!! I had those, some steamed chard, broccoli, and zucchini, and a quinoa and roasted zucchini & broccoli gratin. The gratin was good in the sense that anything you cook yourself is always going to be good...aka it could have been better; even though I let it bake for far longer than called for, it was still a bit too mushy on the inside for my liking. The recipe called for 2 eggs, but I should have used an egg and a yolk. Also, I should have added more seasoning to the recipe since it didn't have much besides s&p, parsley and garlic.

After dinner I made vegetable stock, chopped up a ton of veggies to put in my salads, boiled eggs for lunches later in the week, and finished up my yogurt cheese. It sounds really nasty, but it's actually really delicious and impossibly easy to make. You just put yogurt into a strainer lined with a dishtowel (or cheesecloth, if you have it) and let the whole thing drip into a bowl. The liquid that comes out is whey, which is full of all types of nutrients and can be added to lacto-fermented drinks (ginger beer, root beet), as well as pickled and cultured foods like sauerkraut and pickles and kimchee and miso. So now I have a jar of whey, which I'm going to use for pickling stuff later on. More importantly, I have a delicious "cheese" (really just super thick yogurt) which, I found out today, is fantastic drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. The taste varies, depending on what type of yogurt you use. I used lowfat Wallaby yogurt, only because it's what was in the fridge. It tastes subtly tangy and smooth; basically the way the yogurt tastes but in an extremely concentrated form. It's not strong or overpowering at all though. Apparently in the Middle East and South Asia, it's popular to eat strained yogurt this way. It's called labneh and is mixed into all types of dishes; one popular method is to add spices (mint, parsley, etc) form it into balls, and drizzle (or drown) it with olive oil.

This evening I also dealt with my brewing kombucha. I have been getting hives on the back of my legs, and I think the kombucha might have something to do with it, since it's the only new thing I have been eating recently (I tried a few tablespoons over the weekend to see if it was ready). That never happens to me when I drink the commercial stuff (GT Daves), and I didn't want to get anymore strange shit from mine, so I threw the first batch (including the donated culture) away. I'm going to start over with the culture that grew from that batch, and I'm going to keep it in my room, which is warmer and cleaner than where the jar was before. Hopefully this batch turns out fine. If not, I'm just going to buy a case of GTs and call it a day.

I went out in Norfolk again this weekend. I surprisingly like it there. 

Donna confirmed for me that The Phantom of the Emo hated/hates me still. 

I'm watching some Pearl Jam concert documentary called, "Pearl Jam goes to Italy" or something. Eddie Vedder is such a crunchy hippie. I'm gonna get back to that.

So the positive is that if you've thought about hiring me in the past, now I can basically bring an army of tools with me including most of the film equipment, etc. needed for a shoot, plus a still photographer who does amazing work and web designer to put the work out there for the world to see.

The negative is I'm not allowed to do "outside" work.  Which is completely understandable, and I've honestly got no problem with it at all.  I actually will have to have a backbone in negotiating rates, lol.

I've worked there for 7 days and it's been interesting.  I'll be posting blogs to this site and having them linked over at Media Riot, so don't think you'll be free of my blathering, in fact it probably just started.

Wow! How time flies when you're... uh, working for a meagre living. ;-) I knew I'd missed a few blogs, but not a whole fortnight! Sorry 'bout that... I've been working hard at my new job, and between working 9-5, travelling to and from Northallerton, and generally being exhausted at the end of the day, I've let this weblog get away from me. That, and I started work on a review of last week's Doctor Who finale, "Journey's End", but, for some weird reason, I just couldn't muster the energy to finish it (or get much beyond "REVIEW: "Journey's End...", truth be told). Not that it was BAD, exactly... but as a budding script writer, I can't help but look at these things and think "No, no, you shouldn't have done that, you should have done this instead!"

So, rather that go into details, let me just catch up on my responsibilities.

REVIEW: "Journey's End" - Doctor Who (4x13)

Overall grade: D+ (exciting, but Davros's master plan stank like the soles of his crusty old feet, the "three Doctors" bit felt entirely too contrived just to resolve the problem, and the resolution with Rose and the Doctor on the beach again... ugh! This episode is saved only by the prospect of Mickey and Martha in Torchwood, and the Doctor's pain at losing Donna. *sniff* I'm gonna miss her.)

There. And who says I don't finish what I start? (And no smart-mouth comments from friends, family, family friends, or old school teachers!)

Plus, and I've been hard at work working on a story idea (the same one I hinted at earlier: "Wedge"). Well, it's got a working title now, "Children of War" (not to be confused with any other book, story or other fictional or non-fictional narrative with that admittedly-unoriginal title). Now, all I need to do is create the characters, work out the story arc, write the dialogue, and re-write it twenty million times to remove all the spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and plot-holes. If you're a fan of science fiction in general (and the Star Trek TV shows set in the 24th century in particular), you should enjoy it. Coming exclusively to this weblog... sometime in the next year.

Now, on to my other great sci-fi love... Stargate! "SG-1" may have been reduced to a couple of DVD movies (the next one, "Stargate: Continuum", being due out here in the UK next month), but Friday saw the fifth season premiere of the current Stargate TV series, "Stargate: Atlantis", the second part of the story started last season.

REVIEW: "Search and Rescue" - Stargate: Atlantis (5x01)

"As a rule, I like to keep daring rescues down to one a day."
- Colonel Steven Caldwell (Mitch Pileggi)

The last three episodes of "Atlantis" last season saw big developments. Michael (the human / Wraith hybrid played by "Enterprise"'s Connor Trinneer) was infecting human worlds with a drug which kills large numbers of people, and leaves the rest poisoned against Wraith feeding, in a plot to taint the Wraith's food supply. We learned that Michael had been responsible for kidnapping Teyla's people, the Athosians, and had experimented on some of them to create hybrids like himself (although, naturally, subservient to himself)... with the unwilling help of Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion, whose popular Scottish character was brought back as a clone after the original was killed in an emotional episode back in season 3). And after Michael kidnapped Teyla, we learned that he had big plans for Teyla's unborn son; as the child of two Athosians with Wraith DNA in their ancestry, the child is key to Michael mass-producing hybrids, as shown in an alternate future in last season's finale, "The Last Man". And last we saw, Sheppard, McKay, Ronon and Lorne had gone on a mission to find Teyla, only to find a booby-trapped building which collapses on top of them. Shock! Horror! Gasp!

*** Spoilers ahead! ***

I watched this episode back to back with last season's finale, and I've gotta say, "Atlantis" has come a long way in developing its own character and style. Not the same as "SG-1", but with longer story arcs and lots of little character moments, which I really enjoy. This isn't "hard hitting TV" like many shows try to be, which is good: there should always be room for the lighter-hearted stuff... and plenty of kick-ass CGI space battles! While there are a ton of loud-mouthed fans on the GateWorld forum who will shout, kick and scream that the early years of "Stargate: SG-1" were the greatest thing since sliced bread... even greater than that bearded dude who got himself nailed to a cross... and how every subsequent season of "SG-1" (and every single episode of "Atlantis") has never, ever, been as brilliant as those episodes in "the good old days"... I have only one thing to say:

Ha! Like hell. "Search and Rescue" may not have a great sci-fi concept at its heart like time-travel or body-swapping or whatever, but it's a great action-packed episode which effortlessly tells a complicated story full of fun character moments and real heart. When you consider the number of times "SG-1" ignored or forgot major plot points (Sokar, the Nox, Re'tu, etc, etc, etc...), it's nice to see "Atlantis" actually following its own continuity, although this does naturally require a certain familiarity with "Atlantis" in order to follow the events. It's a big story, but one which manages to follow all the main characters (and a few recurring ones) satisfactory.

For Sheppard, it's a story about finding a member of his team, and after losing Ford back in season 2, we see a fanatical determination in him that he's not about to lose someone else that he has sworn to protect (as shown in a great little dream sequence at the beginning, which features a cameo by Rainbow Sun Francks). Trapped and injured under the rubble, he tries to get Ronon to save himself, but Ronon shows the loyalty of a terrier (*glances down at his own fat, lazy, selfish terrier* Well... some terriers) and refuses to budge from his owner's friend's side. Rescued by Daedalus, Sheppard won't let a little thing like almost bleeding to death stop him from going on a rescue mission to save Teyla from Michael... and while I've never been the greatest fan of Joe Flanigan's acting abilities, he does a great job in the Infirmary scene when Sheppard convinces Keller to let him go save his friend.

For Teyla, this is about wanting to save her family... not her Atlantis friends, but her unborn son and the child's father, Kanaan. While this episode must have been a lot easier for Rachel Luttrell to film (having been heavily pregnant for real during filming last year, while this year she just needed to shove a pillow under her blouse for the same effect), I can't help but wonder how her recent real-life experience of giving birth helped her prepare for the role in this episode! Certainly, I doubt Rachel was as understanding, polite, and as timely in labour as Teyla was. I still don't feel much love for Kanaan, but hopefully, we will get to see Patrick Sabongui play the role in future episodes as more than just a Wraith / human hybrid zombie. Seriously, give the character a sense of humour, make him someone who can make the serious and even-handed Teyla laugh and let her hair down... with the Athosians usually shipped off to the mainland or another planet, this is the writers chance to bring in another Athosian character, someone to show the alien side of life in the Pegasus galaxy, to show the different cultures which have arisen... even if every single village looks identical!

For McKay, this episode follows the regular "Atlantis" formula: take McKay, put him in a series of uncomfortable, dangerous and terrifying situations one after the other, without time for a nap and a coffee break between emergencies, and watch him squirm. Trapped in a claustrophobic hole with an injured Lorne, forced to flee from a Wraith hybrid attack and leave behind his trapped friends, infiltrating a Wraith cruiser crawling with hybrids, deliver Teyla's baby... "Search and Rescue" puts McKay through more pain, suffering and indignation than an average season of episodes... but, like any good episode, we don't see him crumble under the pressure, merely moan and panic, before getting a grip on himself and throwing himself back into the line of fire. One of the more memorable scenes is when he, Ronon and an obviously-injured Sheppard are about to infiltrate the Wraith ship, and McKay - seeing Sheppard's pain - suggests that the Colonel remain behind, while just he and Ronon enter a ship full of enemy soldiers. Even a few years ago, McKay wouldn't have boarded a Wraith ship with only "the caveman" to watch his back... not even for a hundred Scooby Snacks! But now, McKay is willing to risk his own life to save Teyla and protect Sheppard... it's a small moment, but a testament to McKay's development since his days as an unlikeable recurring character on "SG-1". Plus, the actor (David Hewlett) recently became a father himself, so I can only imagine that his performance as McKay, during the birth of Teyla's baby, is based upon his own recent memories!

For Ronon, this episode doesn't go anywhere "Atlantis" hasn't already gone with Ronon; he won't leave Sheppard behind when he has the option to save himself, although I like the wry humour which Jason Momoa brings to the role in scenes like this, a loyal soldier when it comes to protecting Sheppard and doing what he knows is right, but selectively deaf to Sheppard's orders for Ronon to go and get help. I admit, especially in season 2, I felt that Ronon and Teyla were destined to be "shippers" (as in, relationship), having never been very impressed by the potential Sheppard/Teyla 'ship hinted at in early season 1... but if Ronon feels any jealously over Teyla having a relationship with another man, he doesn't show it; he is protective yet understanding, carrying Teyla off the Wraith ship and showing nothing but genuine gratitude that she's alive and happy with Kanaan. He's a bigger man than most of us (literally and figuratively).

For Carter, this episode is the end of an era. Amanda Tapping, who co-created Internet series "Sanctuary", was given a clear choice when both "Atlantis" and "Sanctuary" were green-lit for production in 2008: either remain on "Atlantis" for her second year, or leave the show so she could resume her role of Doctor Helen Magnus in "Sanctuary" for its move to television. She chose the latter (a good move; no offence to the actress, but the Samantha Carter character was wasted on "Atlantis"), and so this is one of the last times we will see Carter on "Atlantis". And she's on top form! Leading a mission to rescue the survivors trapped under the rubble, she shows bravery and intelligence when the rescuers come under fire, and she goes toe to toe with Colonel Caldwell to ensure her people are rescued from Michael's hybrids. I was a bit surprised she didn't join Sheppard, McKay and Ronon to round out the team for their mission to rescue Teyla from Michael's ship, but otherwise, a good performance. Amanda Tapping will be missed... but Carter won't be. Plus, there's a reference to the upcoming "Stargate: Continuum" DVD movie which Tapping stars in, which is looking better and better as 18th August approaches!

For Keller, this is her first episode as a regular (rather than a recurring character). While some fans hate her for being so nervous, I enjoy the character... even though Jewel Staite, as Keller, looks and acts nothing like Kaylee from "Firefly"! She asks the questions the audience would ask, she reacts with fear the way most of us would (those of us who wouldn't wet their pants and run screaming, that it), and her odd sense of humour amuses me. Overall, I look forward to seeing a lot more Keller... so long as they don't try and change her, to make her "regular character material".

For Caldwell, this is a welcome return of one of "Atlantis"'s best guest stars. He plays the commander of the Daedalus with a gentle bluntness and a subtle sense of humour ("Major Marks... please make that ship go away") that I just love. It's not typical American "This is a joke... this is the setup... this is the joke... and laugh... now!"  humour which shows like the Simpsons deliver; this is normal, everyday humour, which is a welcome touch on a show set on a space ship in another galaxy.

For Lorne, just a small role: stuck with McKay in the rubble (poor guy), but Kavan Smith plays the "everyday man" of "Atlantis" well, sparring with McKay over what's more important, discovering evidence of Michael's evil plan, or getting rescued from underneath a collapsed building. In almost any other show (including "SG-1", the show in which the Lorne character was first introduced), such a recurring character would almost certainly have either been killed off, made a regular character, or both (i.e. Carson Beckett), but Lorne just keeps on popping up, a deputy to Sheppard like Zelenka is to McKay, and just as likeable. Characters like Lorne help make "Atlantis" a joy to watch, and I can only hope that we will see plenty more Lorne in the future.

For Woolsey, just a brief cameo, but I can't wait to see him settle into the role of Atlantis's new commanding officer. Robert Picardo is always a joy to watch, and I'm sure he won't disappoint in this new role!

Story: B+ (great expansion of a rather weak fourth season finale)
Script: A- (brilliant dialogue, for the most part; Michael seems a bit weak, but overall not bad)
Acting: B (a solid B for effort)
Effects: A+ (Say what you will: Stargate always delivers the CGI goods)
Sets: B (overall rather good, although the "rubble" scenes were rather blatantly dark indoor sets, rather than the outdoors it was supposed to be)
Direction / Editing: B+ (almost perfect, although the baby birthing scene seemed... off)
Overall: A-

Well, that's all for now: I'll be blogging more regularly from now on... I hope!

See ya!

Life sucks from time to time, but that's not why I do not want to live a long life. I never wanted to live too long because of the human suffering and finding no one I can love without reservation on earth. I tried but this is much harder than I thought, maybe we human beings are rebellious in nature. God's will has been clear to me and He reaffirmed again and again, things still do not seem promising to me. I'm weak and worrisome, I don't know how long I can last.

As a psychologist and career counselor, I have worked with thousands of people over the years who are choosing or changing careers, and who are wondering whether they would really like to be in a particular career. Based on this experience, I believe that most people who want to go into a career they think they’d like do not really explore the questions they need to in order to be sure that it’s the right career for them.

Here is a list of 20 questions to find answers to before concluding that a career you think you’d like is really right for you, followed by 9 sources of information for answering these questions:

Questions:

1. In general, why do you think you’d “like” this career?

2. Why is going into this career important to you? What values, needs, and goals does it satisfy?

3. What do you actually know about this career?

4. Do you have any direct experience in this career? Have you had any jobs or volunteer experiences?

5. Have you talked to people who are in this career?

6. Have you done any reading on the career?

7. What are the opportunities? What kinds of money can you make in this field, and where are the openings?

8. What would your typical day be like in this career?

9. What are the drawbacks, disadvantages, and roadblocks of this career?

10. Do your interests match the interests of others in this career?

11. Do you have the aptitudes, skills, and abilities to be successful in this career?

12. Do you have the education or training to get into this career?

13. Do you have the personality characteristics that will make you successful in the new career?

14. Do you have the motivation and energy to follow through and do what you would need to do to get into the new career?

15. What are your “transferable” skills? That is, what skills or knowledge do you now have that you can use in the new career?

16. What skills or knowledge do you have that would not only be transferable, but that would also be a unique advantage in the new career?

17. What will it take to get into the new career? What kind of additional training, education, or experience would you need?

18. Have you developed a specific plan, including timetables and specific goals to be accomplished?

19. Do you have a network of support from family, friends, co-workers, or significant others?

20. Having answered all of the above questions, do you still “like” the career and think it’s a good idea to get into it, and why?

I think you’ll find that there are many resources you can use to help you answer the above questions. Among them:

1. Reading. This would include not only the hundreds of books and pamphlets on careers and career choice, but also publications describing careers (such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor and available on the Internet).

2. Practical experience. Not only is it possible to get a full-time or part-time job, but one can also volunteer at an organization or a company a couple of hours a week, just to get exposure to the area. Usually, any organization is glad to have this kind of help (unless they think you’re an investigative reporter from some newspaper or TV program).

3. Job search counseling. Anyone changing career directions needs a highly competitive job search strategy. This should include resume, cover letter, and job interviewing strategies that are specific to your situation. This may also include advice on researching the job market.

4. A thorough self-assessment. This is not an assessment BY yourself, but an assessment OF yourself. A good career counselor can provide this kind of assessment, which would include counseling and testing.

5. Career tests. In general, tests divide into three categories: 1) aptitude, ability, and skills tests, 2) career interest tests, and 3) personality and motivational tests that focus on characteristics related to the career world.

6. Career coaching. Guided discussions with an expert can help you to clarify your goals, strategies, and commitment.

7. Education and training. Before you launch full-time into a degree program, it is possible to take one course, or a seminar, or a workshop, or a brief certificate program in the new career.

8. Networking. There are many job clubs and career resource centers available to explore new careers. Schools, career counselors, and other professionals can usually give you information on these resources.

9. Informational interviewing. It’s usually not a good idea to go into a career if you haven’t talked to at least a few people who are already in it and can give you the lowdown. You can also talk to people in academic and training programs.

Armed with all of this information and all of these insights, you should now be in a better position to judge whether taking the next step in this new career area makes sense for you.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/will-the-new-job-or-new-career-choice-i-like-be-the-right-career-for-me-147836.html

About the Author:

Sander Marcus, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Professional Resume Writer in Chicago. He has over 3 decades of experience in providing career counseling, aptitude testing, job search coaching, and resume writing to tens of thousands of individuals. He is the co-author of 2 books on academic underachievement, various tests, and numerous articles. Contact him at marcus@iit.edu, 312-567-3358. www.center.iit.edu

Tomorrow is my mission picnic with President and Sister Hacking. I'm looking forward to it, but at the same time am a little nervous. I've gained like 10lbs since my mission a year ago. GEEZ! And I gained weight on my mission! I had 2 months to plan this event, I could have lost 30lbs by now. Did I? No. Blah... Oh well, I guess that's the perk of getting older and going on a mission.

This week I decided to start working out again. I've been working out on and off since my surgery, but never as much as I have this week. I've been working slowly, not pushing myself too much because I can't really run or bend my knee a whole lot yet. Right now I've been using my hand weights, starting out with 2lbs and making my way up to 4lbs, then 8lbs, Next week I'll stay at 2lbs and then move up to 4lbs by the week after. I'm starting my slim-fast diet again Sunday. I don't want to start tomorrow because of the mission BBQ. I'll just have to watch what I eat like always. I've actually not been eating a whole lot, it's more like I've thrown my body into starvation mode. I never eat breakfast or lunch and then just eat dinner. Well only having 1 meal a day - a) Your body holds onto EVERY part of food you take in. b) No matter what you want to tell people, you're hungry and will eat whatever is placed in front of you. Including that really yummy chocolate cake oozing with even more fudge frosting... Yeah, I've been there. Done that.

So I've decided to take some kind of action. About a year ago now I dated a young man shortly after getting home from my mission. He was a member of the USMC - that's United State Marine Corps, people. OOHRAH!!

Anyway, while we were dating I ended up taking a trip to San Diego (I made the plan to go there before I met him). He insisted that I spend some time at the MCRD (Marine Corps Recruitment Depot). So the first place we stopped right after getting off the plane was the MCRD. The woman we stayed with, Denise Glover, her husband worked at the MCRD. So she showed us around. Even more fun was when she called 2 drill instructors over to our car and asked them to yell at my boyfriend over the phone. ;) That was the funniest thing in the world! I learned a lot that trip about Marines, what they stand for, and what they're taught. Granted, I did break up with the guy on my trip (he was rather controlling and verbally abusive. To quote Denise "#1 Rule - A Marine will NEVER yell at a woman.")... long story, we wont go there.

Anyway, last night I went through my boxes and pulled out my bright, lemon yellow second battalion shirt and slipped it on. I'd bought it while at the MCRD. I remember watching the new recruits walk into the store and quickly run back out forgetting that they didn't remove their hats. One recruit got the butt chewing of his life over it. Granted the instructor didn't yell at him in front of me. He jumped right in that young man's face, pulled him outside and began barking at him to start over. They only had a few minutes to get everything they needed to begin with. If they had anything in their basket it was the rule that you put everything back and start over. I bought myself a second battalion shirt to match my boyfriend's that I was also picking up for him. I bought him a challenge coin since I was sure he didn't buy one for his battalion while at the MCRD.

As I sat at my computer I looked up everything I could about the USMC. They'd impressed me so much during my stay that I wanted to learn more.

I'm a Navy man's (PO2) daughter and still love the Navy, but the Marines impress me. As I watched videos on YouTube, it really drove me to want to get back into shape. I knew that I could, if I really pushed myself, get back into the shape that would allow me to go and do some of the things those Marines were doing.

Boot Camp Survival Guide was my first find to help me get back into shape. But it wasn't exactly what I was looking for... Then I stumbled on this. The official United States Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test and Body Composition Program Manual - or in short the MCPFTBCP

Since I'm in the age range from 17-26 (I'm 23 people) these are my requirements:

• Pull-Ups/Flexed Arm: 3/15(sec)
• Abdominal Crunches: 50
• 3.0 Mile Run (minutes): 31

3100. BODY COMPOSITION STANDARDS. The Marine Corps' weight and body fat standards
are health and performance based, and not based on appearance. Marines are
considered not within these standards when their body weight and body fat exceed
the maximum limits as contained in appendix I. If tested and the Marine's percent
body fat exceeds the maximum limit (18% for males, 26% for females), then the CO
will evaluate the Marine's physical performance (e.g., current semi-annual Physical
Fitness Test (PFT)) using the Physical Performance Evaluation in paragraph 3102.
If the Marine does not meet the Physical Performance Evaluation criteria, then the
CO will have the Marine evaluated by a MO and assigned to a BCP - formerly known as
the "Weight Control Program." Marines assigned to the BCP will receive assistance
in reducing body weight and in particular body fat, in order to attain and maintain
a more healthy physical fitness state. The BCP assignment process and endorsements
are contained in paragraph 3201 and appendix D of this Manual.

According to the Marine Corps, since I'm 67" tall, the maximum standard weight for me is 160lbs. The minimum is 121lbs - but we wont go there cause I haven't weighed that since grade school! The max Body Fat percentage is 26%.

So this is now my motivational way to lose weight. I want to be able to meet these standards held by the USMC! Yeah, I don't have a drill instructor yelling down my neck when I'm working out, but I'm going to have to be my own drill instructor. I've got to do it! If there are any Marines, former Marines, etc out there that would be interested in helping me out with my new goal PLEASE COMMENT! I'd love to learn more. The diet they have you guys on, etc...