Confession of love...for a city.

So work has been going well.  I had some car problems last week but now everything is good and the car is driving better than ever.

With October already here I've been looking to the future a lot lately.  Right now I am at my dream job.  Every day I realize that almost everything I have ever wanted I have. While that feeling is one of amazement and pure joy there is also a nagging 'now what' that keeps tugging at my thoughts. My teaching contract expires in December and as of right now I have absolutely no idea where the future is taking me.

I've been toying around with the idea of going back to school. I am placing my hope that the economy rebounds sooner than later, but I did that same move in 2008 and ended up in a dead end job at a bankrupt company.  That move is what caused me to realize it was time to get my M.A.  So the same move again has me worried.

All in all though I am much more optimistic about the local economy than many other people seem to be.  Orlando is building itself up to be able to weather these economic storms much stronger than it did before and the next year will be one of massive job creation in the region.  With the Lake Nona Medical City finally coming online and the pre-recession hotel occupancy already back I am sure that 2012 will be a year of steady growth for the City Beautiful.

My concern though stems from finding where I fit into all this. I love Orlando.  I use love only because there isn't a stronger word than that to describe my infatuation with this region. Some people find it odd that I am actually a fanboy of a city.  But why not?  There are plenty of trekkies, star wars has the 501st Legion, and this weeks Apple news only shows the obsession that many people have with this company.  So if people can be fanboys of corporations and movies why not of cities?

Of course this lends itself to some difficulties in life. When one is obsessed with a city how does one look for career opportunities that are not within that region? As of right now the city I love seems to be giving not as much love back and that means even though I love it I may have to leave it.

Now one thing about obsessions though is that when someone has one they quickly become an expert on that topic.  Just as a trekkie could be able to tell you all the planets visited in the original series I too am able to quickly reference numerous projects around the Central Florida region. This knowledge lends itself to a certain depth of understanding that I struggle to find in many others.  And those that I do find it in seem to be as optimistic about Orlando as I am.  Now this may be all of us denying the realities of the economy or may be that we truly see something deeper, something more powerful than what shows up on the radar of economist and politicians.

I don't know what the future holds but I am hopeful that in the end my optimistic, albeit possibly childish, beliefs in Orlando economic rebound beyond that of what any economist would openly discuss lends itself to allowing me to fall more deeply in love with this beautiful city, the City Beautiful.

Strange World

So I was reading news journals the other day and I ran across.  It says that just looking at the Apple logo will make you more creative, as compared to the  IBM logo.  

So this study made me think of the latest in Apple sue happy lawsuits.  This time with NYC, well  more specifically there latest green initiative.  (Which personally I think the two logos are as far off as possible, if anyone confuses these two logos their just plain dumb! but thats just my opinion). 

Apple Inc. and GreenNYC logos

So heres my thought, if its true these two logos are so similar will posting this GreenNYC logo around the city actual have an impact on the creativity within the city?

If this is true what about the other aspect of this study, the one that found the Disney Channel logo caused more honest as compared to the E! logo.  So if a logo or design can actually cause a person to be more honest or creative as the study says (I have to admit the study does have no logic flaws within it though, I am sure this study will be covered in the LSAT Logic in Everyday Life podcast) should we fill our schools with creative deemed logos?  This could be a way to help cut cost in the schools, or maybe have honest deemed logos fill the walls of our jails to help foster a better environment therein. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6 Shows I love

#6 Last Restaurant Standing - BBC

#5 Jon and Kate Plus 8 -TLC

#4 Lost - ABC

#3 The Office - NBC

#2 Destination Truth - SciFi

#1 Ghost Hunters - SciFi
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pirates seize French yacht.  Its crazy to think that pirates still exist.  I don't think people realize the wild west like atmosphere of the open seas, a lot more happens out there than anyone wants to admit!  The whole Pirates of the Caribbean thing has really stereotyped pirates, yeah they were before but now more than ever.  Pirates are the new cowboys and the open seas are the new wild west!

Heres another interesting article. More 20 Somethings are moving in with Grandparents.  I think it will be very interesting to see the personality of my generation come out.  Our grandparents were known for their thriftiness, our parents are known for their big houses, big cars and big bills.  My generation has began unloading its credit card debt, began demanding healthier foods, become globally conscious, the most connected, and politically wise.  Then again my generation is the ones are who are hit the most by the slowdown in the economy, we are most privileged generation to ever walk the planet, and we are the most concerned about raising children and pets.  This article touches on the identity of the 20 somethings. 

And a funny story for the day.  In Brazoria, Texas a cop pulls over a car, only to find a lose 6 foot alligator in the backseat!  The best part of the story is the Police Cheif is claims and I quote "Just a typical day in Brazoria"  Wow, if this typical whats a abnormal day?  Remind me to never hitchhike through this town! Here is some CNN video of the story!

And the story that brings me the most joy!  My alma mater is being sued! Yep Southeastern University is being sued by a student who is claiming racial bias, I would agree with the student.  I also think that the whole issue is dumb, the school only assumed they were drinking based on pictures of them with red cups and by hearsay.  The school actually pays certain students to be 'spies' and go to parties and what not to see if there is drinking at them.  The school then  disciplines  the students at these gatherings based on the stories that the 'spies' tell them, so if one of these 'spies' has an issue with a fellow student they can easily get them kicked out, the whole thing seems quite wrong to me.  Southeastern is out for the money and has little concern for the quality of the education, the happiness of the students, or being a good neighbor.  They use sprinklers all day in the hot sun, they keep adding more fountains as most businesses are turning them off due to the drought, the kicked out retied missionaries with little housing assistances because they wanted an expanded parking lot, they break fire codes, they have no recycling program at all, they spy on students, and thats just the tip of the iceberg.  So needless to say I am more than happy to see them being sued!









-welcome to the wormhole-