Seven X Seven

Catch Up

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 00:01:32 -0500

Summer 2012 began with more free time than could possibly be used. After all, when your internship and masters program end simultaneously, it feels a whole lot like being done with another year of grade school. And just like those years, this summer has been filled with friends, trips out of town, exploring the town, and general frivolity. Unlike those past summer, however, this one has also included a bit of job searching (that is its own unfinished blog featurette), labor (both blue collar and white collar), reading, and a bit of writing.

—Yes, reading and writing were supposed to be included in past summers. And if you knew me then, you know I considered those to be optional—

Once upon a time the act of writing seemed quite romantic. Unlocking the vast power of the English language to gracefully scrawl out line after line of wit and keen insight seemed a lofty and noble meant for proving how sharp my intellect was. That’s crap. Writing is not fun. It’s tedious. And searching for the right words to get points across can sometimes be harder than finding a little red bobber in the entire Pacific. But, alas… one of my 7 goals involves writing so a-writing I have gone.

Never one to jump in head first, I did the usual pragmatic JKM thing and began writing by doing anything other than writing itself. In this instance reading came first. FIction, non-fiction, poetry, articles, textbooks, webpages, reddit comments, radio stories, interviews, whatever. The idea was to see and hear the words, understand their entomology, and charge through a variety of styles and subjects. That’s still the idea because I doubt I’ll ever be comfortable saying “That’s enough reading for me, think I’ve covered all I will ever need to know.” So tt’s a matter of finding all the great writing I can and catching up. There’s a nice stack of books waiting for me on a shelf across the room and the hardest question I face is “what’s next?” Do I read about emergency medical procedures, a boy and a tiger in a lifeboat, a classic novel about running, a collection of poetry for happy and sad times, a thick volume on social norms, a graphic novel about the last man on earth, or something else altogether?

All will be answered soon enough. For now, it’s time to do a bit of my own scribbling. Life has certainly provided no shortage of subjects to write about and maybe one day you’ll have the (mis)fortune of reading about them. Whether that happens or not, go and enjoy what little is left of Summer. Soon Fall will be here, and with it comes more adventures - the homeward kind and the abroad kind (but more on that later).

See you soon.

Just when I’ve decided to slack off and not go run today,...

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:19:00 -0500

Just when I’ve decided to slack off and not go run today, I find this video of Nathan. Some of you might know why he reminds me so much of myself. He is 12 years old. He is from London, Ohio. Greatness is not beyond his reach, nor is it for any of us.

Ironic, isn’t it? Me, posting that quote on diligence then...

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:15:33 -0500

Ironic, isn’t it? Me, posting that quote on diligence then disappearing from the face of the blogworld, without any updates for over a year. One could say I have been the very antithesis of diligent, neglecting you faithful readers for over a year. But one could just as easily make a list of my non-blog output, which would hopefully show where my efforts have been focused since June, 2011. Oh, and what have we here but such a list?

Start: July, 2011

1. Continued full-time grad school.

2. read many a book, covering everything from American education systems and best practices to the state of agrarian reform in sub-Saharan Africa to programmatic evaluation and statistical research methods.

3. Began working part-time at the Flatiron/23^rd Street Partnership, doing all sorts of cool stuff.

4. Started a single game for the spectacular basketballers, the Hardwoodsmen.

5. Adventured to surrounding cities and states with the wondrous Hannah G. Miller.

6. Witnessed The Roots and Hall & Oates at Googa-Mooga.

7. More adventuring with an assortment of genius, funny, reliable friends.

8. Moved Ms. Miller into some fancy digs.

9. Hosted mid-west friends.

10. Moved Ms. Miller into some other fancy digs.

11. Moved both myself and a few other friends into new places all over this city.

12. Graduated.

13. Got to enjoy volunteering at places like Breakthrough New York, God’s Love We Deliver, and the food shelter at St. John The Divine.

14. Put in extra hours with orgs at school.

15. Showed Ken & Judy about town.

16. Got over a jacked up foot and carved out a nice set of running routes about 3-6mi long

17. Wrapped up grad school with a big ole Capstone project, establishing the fundamental groundwork (mission, goals, need, implementation, projected outcomes, social impact, cost-benefit analysis, staff needs, funding sources, critical challenges, and budgets) of new non-profit organization that works with underserved and at-risk youth through physical education and running. We called it Great Strides!

-And there was much, much more undocumented stuff too.

So, while I may have not been diligent on here, please don’t think I’ve been a total bum. I’m trying. Now, let’s get back to it, eh?

See you soon.

What's A Year Between Friends?

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:49:00 -0500

Recently, it was brought to my attention that somewhere out in the ether of the interwebs, there existed a blog, which was my creation and that had been updated from time to time. These updates were mere attempts at documenting my progress on completing 7 goals I had set for myself forever ago, in a corner booth at the 91^st & Delaware Pepper’s Grill in that fair and wonderful city I call home: Tulsa, Oklahoma.

After much exploration and toil, I rediscovered this place, did a bit of dusting off, and here we are. Sorry if you’ve been holding your breath, waiting for a new entry. If so, BREATHE! For goodness sakes why didn’t you breathe when you started reading the first entry posted in over a year?

394 days have passed since the last update. You may chalk this up to a short attention span, lack of noteworthy posts, or plain forgetfulness. But I will tell you the absolute truth now – the second year of graduate school is the toughest, leaving little time for frivolity. Sure some people manage to balance work, school, a job, and fitness with a blog, but they’re also robots. They read twenty books on The Political Economy of State-building in Situations of Fragility and Conflict, submit a new research report with 40 pages of citations and an additional 100 pages of analysis, then head to the park for a 13.1 mile practice run in 1 hour - and all that in one week. Me? I can do school, job, and fit in the occasional third thing. Unfortunately, updating you on my 7x7 progress was never it.

But now there is no school (forevermore) and there is no job (temporarily, let’s all say a prayer to the gods of work and pay, okay?) and so there is plenty of time for everything else. Most of it will be spent on finding a job. Part on writing and working toward Goal 3. Part on scheming ways to get to Antarctica, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some of it will be spent on the everlasting battle against the bloat and slothfulness….

Certainly all of it will be an adventure. And as the Gryphon said, in an impatient tone, “The adventures first… Explanations take such a dreadful time.”

See you soon.

The 7x7 darkness breaks! See you soon.

Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:01:04 -0500

The 7x7 darkness breaks! See you soon.

"People underestimate the importance of diligence as a virtue. No doubt this has something to do with..."

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:50:17 -0500

“

People underestimate the importance of diligence as a virtue. No doubt this has something to do with how supremely mundane it seems. It is defined as “the constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken.” There is a flavor of simplistic relentlessness to it. An if it were an individual’s primary goal in life, that life would indeed seem narrow and unambitious.

Understood, however, as a prerequisite of great accomplishment, diligence stands as one of the most difficult challenges facing any group of people who take on tasks of risk and consequence. It sets a high, seemingly impossible, expectation for performance and human behavior.

”

- Atul Gawande, Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance (p.29)

June 14th - Flag Day for alot of you, BIRTHDAY FOR KEN MILES!...

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:00:00 -0500

June 14th - Flag Day for alot of you, BIRTHDAY FOR KEN MILES! Happy Birthday Dad!

People in and from Oklahoma like country, bluegrass, and folk...

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:04:31 -0500

People in and from Oklahoma like country, bluegrass, and folk music. I am not one of those people. Except for a few songs, that is. Those exceptional tunes have to have something special: banjo helps, so do tight harmonies and fiddles. But sometimes all it takes is a skilled guitar picker and a fun hook. My latest personal discovery is the late John Fahey - I know, everyone surely knew about him already, right? With over 35 studio albums and almost half as many live recordings, Fahey was the definition of prolific. So if you’re needing some rooty, twangy music for your muggy summer adventures check out these links. See you soon.

Pardon My Absence, The World Beckoned

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:03:34 -0500

Hey to the one person reading this! Just checking back in for my quarterly post. Ha, I kid, I kid. Really, though, things have been busy all around.

“Busy with what?! You’re just a student!”

Woah, hostile reader. Student I am, but think back to when you were in school and about all the stuff crammed into the March/April/May months. You’ve got midterms, spring break, and finals. Couple those with warming weather, residing in NYC, and most of your favorites living in the Pacific and Central Time Zones and it makes for a perfect storm of crazy business. Or, in your and this blog’s case, neglect. So apologies to the faithful reader. If you’re still faithful at this point then you deserve a hug, a bag of gold coins, a bigger bag of oreos, a palate of cherry coke, unlimited upgrades to first class for life, or even something you yourself consider to be a just reward for such diligence.

“Thank you. I will continue reading your posts now.”

Well thank you too then. I don’t want to promise you regular updates – ever. Henry Ford said,

“Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this.”

The grounds for the entire 7x7 idea was to experience more and thus to live more. My location, both geographically and along my walk, presents an array of experiences to be had. (Too many, probably.) But that’s not to say that the last few months have been without effort toward completing the remaining three goals. Why, just this week a great amount of work has gone into one of them, though how and what that is I cannot say just yet. Give me a week or three and you’ll see… all of ya. Though it took different forms of action, both you and I have been diligent these last months. And that is what’s always necessary. More to come on that note. Glad you’re still with me. Hope you’ve been doing some good living. See you soon.

In need of a quick tune for your journeys up Broadway late at...

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 00:47:00 -0600

In need of a quick tune for your journeys up Broadway late at night? Or for something pensive when you’re leaving Central Park and headed into Columbus Square? Look no further. Thomas Newman is here for you. PS - the Adjustment Bureau is unexpected and great!

Perk #592 of living in NYC: The obscure performer you discovered...

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:09:34 -0600

Perk #592 of living in NYC: The obscure performer you discovered ages ago is playing a show tonight. And tickets are a mere $15.

Zoe Keating was first brought to my attention by one of the usual channels of obscure greatness, Radiolab. The War of the Worlds episode features Zoe’s musical abilities but it was with the episode titled Quantum Cello that she was given a chance to fully shine. Keating is a solo cellist, who with the power of technology, takes the centuries-old instrument and twists the sounds into something like only a full string section could make.

"...No Friend as Loyal as a Book."

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:37:18 -0600

Out of books? Want to know what’s similar to that memoir by Snooki? Just finished Hawking’s A Brief History of Time and it left you wanting to know more about the curvature of space-time and the inflationary model of the universe? Here’s a site that can help:

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

Just type in a book or author, then click the link. You’ll get a recommendation from their users. Nifty, huh? However, beware the recommendations. I typed “I Was Told There’d Be Cake,” by Sloane Crosley and amongst the 50 titles was both Shakespeare and Tucker Max. First time those two have ever occupied the same…. anything.

And now a textbook example of the what my favorite undergrad...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:15:01 -0600

And now a textbook example of the what my favorite undergrad film prof called “the hook.” A good opening should launch us into the middle of the action, forcing us to ask “what is going on here?”while simultaneously taking in new information to answer the question. This short film by Ien Chi starts with hooks and follows it all the way through to the end. But, given the setup, it kinda has to. Take a look and let me know what you think!

Off The Grid

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:57:00 -0600

Off The Grid:

Sadly, the first thing about this link that caught my eye was how the author was using headings, systematic indentations, and using the opening lines as a guide for what he would be discussing throughout - all aspects of writing one of my current professors spent 6 hours drilling us on… before we even turned in an assignment.

The next thing I noticed was the title, “Vanishing Point: How to disappear in America without a trace.” Now that they’re over a thousand miles away, the conversations don’t happen nearly as often, but there was a time when Aaron Bode, Richard Brandt, and I would talk about how we’d like to drop off the grid someday. It seemed like a great way to avoid unpleasantries - i.d. theft, taxes, debt, terminators, etc. Now someone has supplied us with a guide on how to do just that.

That being said, please do not call the authorities if I haven’t updated in a while. It’s doubtful that I’ll ever drop off the grid - after all, I have yet to find the essay about how to reappear on the grid without any fuss from federal authorities.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma...

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 00:46:28 -0600

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma...:

Sometimes I miss the place. This was not one of those times.

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with...

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 13:07:24 -0600

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” - Saint Francis de Sales

100 Best First Lines from Novels

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:31:00 -0600

100 Best First Lines from Novels:

More often than I’d like to admit the posts on this blog have to be wrestled away from the shallows of my mind. Perhaps its because I don’t update regularly. Maybe it’s because when big things happen, I don’t always feel like sharing them with the whole internet. It could be because, like in most areas, writing is not something I feel fully confident in. Or, maybe it’s because the first sentence of anything is the hardest to spit out.

To that last pondering I’ve found a possible solution: read more first lines. A good place to do that is linked above, the 100 Best First Lines from Novels from the American Book Review. Now off to Amazon to load up the shopping cart, then to buy a bigger bookshelf. See you soon.

The February Informer

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:21:00 -0600

Two months into the new year and you people have no idea what I’m up to. How shameful of me. Here’s the latest, to satisfy your overwhelming curiosity:

-Climbed mountains, combed beaches, and explored warm and sunny southern California.

-Returned home on the one clear day between two major snow storm.

-Began Spring classes and gave out a lot of secret handshakes to friends.
-Established a terrible sleep schedule that found me up til 4am most nights, reading for class. My eyes may or may not have begun to bleed.
-Continued to grow Epic Winter Beard
-Scouted restaurants around 23rd & Lexington – waste of time.
-Had a spectacular Superbowl Sunday by chosing to watch XLV with Cheeseheads.
-Was elected an officer in the MPA club.
-Gathered information about study abroad options and internships. Some of which are in Africa & Asia.
-Was given a FREE glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label by the coolest bartender in Manhattan.
-Discovered Wechsler’s Currywurst on 1st ave, making my German ancestors proud.

-Was visited mid-month by Hannah Gray Miller, who, like me, has no use for the wretched materialistic sap fest known as Valentine’s Day.
-Toured Brooklyn with HGM & Co.
-Began a volunteer reading program with a kiddo at a Harlem elementary school. We’ve already read about MLK, bugs, and Oklahoma!
-Made new friends!

-Went to Pete’s Candy Shop with HGM & RR. Then someone told announced we were there and Julia Stiles showed up and followed us around night.

-Got tickets to see Zoe Keating in NYC!

-Made plans for the next journey west. Special guest appearance to be made by Fleet Foxes (make a good choice today and listen to them here!).

-Read from an original Gutenberg Bible at The Morgan.

-Viewed Einstein’s handwritten notes on developing the Theory of Relativity
-Discovered I have nearly two week’s worth of spring break. Thanks grad school!

So there you have the bulk of it. Yes, New York is cold and blustery. Yes, there is more reading and writing to do in grad school than even I anticipated. And yes, my bank account total would be a punchline for the crowd of homeless men I pass on my way out most mornings. But, there are jetplane trips, exploring, museums, fun with friends, adventurous days and nights on the town! As H.G. Miller put it, “I cannot believe this is my life.” What an amazing thing.

See you soon.

The JKM National Tour Update

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:21:10 -0600

My time in the midwest draws to a close but the chase rolls on. Let us now look at what my campaign of relaxation, community, and frivolity has conquered:

By State:
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Illinois
OKLAHOMA
Missouri
Texas

By City:
New York City
Newark, New Jersey
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania
Chicago, Illinois
TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Joplin, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI
St. Louis, Missouri
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Lawton, Oklahoma
Dallas, Texas

By Mileage:
5,575 (give or take 100mi)

When all is said and done California will be added to the State list and another 3,000 miles can be tacked onto the Mileage counter. All-in-all, everything has been good. There were no major casualties and only minor injuries. There was merriment, good food, tremendous people, and plenty of non-academic learning time.

With only a week and a half left my sights are set on Los Angeles and new adventures with HGMiller. Though California is undoubtedly plugged in, with more cell phones, laptops, and wifi-signals floating through the air than perhaps even NYC, it strikes me as a nice time to go off the grid and forget about anything but living easily. See you soon….

Onward!

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 23:34:04 -0600

A few days ago I blamed the slowness of new entries on mounting school work and general East Coast livin’. For the sake of giving you a taste of that wild, mayhem-filled lifestyle I now present a snippet of the final paper I’m about to turn in for Budgeting. The assignment was to examine the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) from 2008 & 2009 for the state our given state- New Hampshire in my case. Its plain riveting….

STATE PENSION SYSTEMS
New Hampshire’s pension plans fall into two categories: Basic Pension (the general disability, death, and retirement plan contributed to by full-time state employees, public school teachers and administrators, police, & firefighters) and the Judicial Retirement Plan (monetary protection plan for full-time judges of the state supreme, superior, district, and probate courts in the event of disability, retirement, or death).

For FY2008 the beginning year total pension balance (basic and judicial combined) was a little over 6 billion, while the end of year balance came to 5.6 billion. The 0.4 lost during the course of the year is attributed to several factors: first, the money being paid out to the pension recipients; second, the collateral money given to the lender on behalf of the state (the Securities Lending Collateral line item); third, according to pg 95 of the 2008 CAFR, the state lost a total of 390 million on depreciating investments.

Wow, are your eyes bleeding? No? I’m surprised. Only 9+ more pages like that and you’d have the whole thing. It’s been slow, tedious, and has given me the wonderful realization that I never ever want to do anything with public or private finances. God bless those people who do and if you’re one of them and ever need help with MPA course work that has nothing to do with math or finances, hit me up. As for the rest of you, check back in the next few days as I’ll find myself with alot of free time once I’ve finished this paper. See you soon.