Archive for May, 2010
Monday, May 31st, 2010
America: Day 1
This is the first day of my cross-country train trip. I’m getting on the train at noon in Brattleboro, Vermont, and arriving in New York City later this afternoon. I’ll chronicle my adventure bit by bit here on the blog, interspersed with other fare more like what I’ve been posting recently.
In New York I’m staying [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
What if the oil spill just can’t be fixed?
David Roberts has a scary article on Grist asking that question.
It’s entirely possible, even likely, that we’re going to be stuck helplessly watching as this well spews oil into the Gulf for years. Even if the flow were stopped tomorrow, the damage to marshes, coral, and marine life is done. The Gulf of Mexico will [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Saturday, May 29th, 2010
There’s this thing called privilege.
I remembered something the other day. I had revamped my Couchsurfing profile in the morning, and one of the (optional) questions was for ethnicity. I declined to answer, as I normally do when asked that question on a form, but seeing that surely contributed to the revelation I had later on: It’s easy to forget [...]
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Friday, May 28th, 2010
Trees and Shopping
Next time you are hanging out with me, know that I enjoy time spent hanging out in trees more than I enjoy time spent shopping.
I went to Salvation Army yesterday and bought some clothes. I went by myself, and was done rather quickly. I was planning on taking the bus home, but because I missed [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Reminders are important: do what scares you.
Today I got done the two most intimidating items on my to-do list: the phone interview from yesterday and a call to the Tufts financial aid office. Neither really felt too stressful at the time, but once I got them done, I felt great, like I’d had a weight lifted off my shoulders. I’ve written [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
My kingdom for a follow-up call.
I spent most of today being anxious over the scheduling of an interview. The main problem was that there wasn’t specific enough conversation far enough in advance. Everything is resolved now, but the lesson I learned from the experience is that when responsible people are very busy, sometimes they don’t get back to you. That’s [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Monday, May 24th, 2010
What to do when the things you’re doing aren’t on your to-do list
I had such a productive afternoon. I called people I needed to call, I sent emails right and left, I researched things I needed to research. And yet, at one point, I’d only crossed one thing off my to-do list. I bet you’ve experienced something similar if you keep to-do lists. It can feel depressing, [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Pride in a friend’s spontaneity
I just have to relate to you this story that my friend just told me about what she did yesterday afternoon. She went to Harvard Square to buy something, but couldn’t for whatever reason. Instead, she decided to sit on Cambridge Common and read for a bit. But after a little while, people started to [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
Reminder: planning is a big deal
Yesterday I had a personal reminder of why planning is important. I drove with a friend from Philadelphia to Stamford, CT. On the way, we were stuck in horrendous traffic all around New York. Being stuck in traffic is absolutely no fun, even with the best of company. You can’t refill your water bottle, there’s [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Uncategorized by Alex
Friday, May 21st, 2010
Environmental Policy and Environmental Fail
The Gulf oil disaster is the most horrendous disaster to strike the US in living memory. While it may not yet have killed as many as Katrina or 9/11, its consequences have the potential to be more akin to Chernobyl: profoundly affecting people and animals over a wide geographical area. The current question, though, is [...]
