Opportunity Journal Entry #22: Climbing the Corporate Ladder

My boss has just told me that my promotional paperwork has been approved, and that it will show in check during this period! Nuff said!

The Weird and Unfortunate ramblings of Jason Whitlock

Jason Whitlock is once again calling braids and other untraditional hairstyles worn by NBA players as prison look. That’s bad and he needs to just chill and stop saying stupid stuff. The reason why NBA ratings are soaring are this season has been exciting to watch. The resurgent Celtics, LeBron, a rejuvenated Kobe. These are wonderful reasons to watch. When Larry Bird decided to grow facial hair, no one accused him of looking rebellious so why unevenly apply this to black players. Roger Clemens, with no facial hair is a bigger misfit by sleeping with fifteen years (the FBI is investigating Mindy McCready about this) and taking steroids. So looks can be deceiving! It is sad and unfortunate that I must hold my breath whenever I click on www.msn.com because www.foxsports.com is totally unprofessional and completely biased.

Why the BA stampede is necessary

It is high time to address this whole pseudo-BA degree glut market because all of this misinformation is extremely detrimental. Once again, I disagree with the assertion that a so-called stampede to a four-year degree does not make sense especially when China and India are producing one million more engineering annually than the US. It is stupid to advocate vocational and community colleges over four-year institutions when this country is losing the talent war. I would rather have a plumber with a BA and the intelligence to build a better mouse trap (in this case an eco-friendly toilet flush system) than one who just fixes existing technology. Furthermore, the four-year institutions possess better research laboratories to create the new technology. Neither a high school vocational graduate nor a community college certified vocational graduate possess the math and science aptitude to effectively compete in the global economy in the industrial market. Supply chain management requires advanced statistical knowledge acquired only at a four-year institution because community colleges do not teach the calculus-based statistics necessary to operate the machinery. Having taken calculus III, I am quite qualified to discuss why the BA stampede must continue in order to meet and exceed the global intellectual demands.

My Second Anniversary

Today marks my second anniversary on my job and the official date of becoming a ZP-III Economist. It amazes me how much I have grown since my first day on the job. I was so wide eye, I could not even find the Friendship Heights metro station. Then I pushed the wrong elevator button. Now I walk to work. Financially, I was broke with two checking accounts in ChexSystems. I could not even open a checking account. My bad credit forced me to live in Arlington Virginia because no one would rent to me. Now I am possess good credit residing two blocks from my employer.

Now here are some new objectives to accomplish during the next two years:
Complete my MA in Economics degree and graduate with Omicron Delta Epsilon honors
Pay off all CCCS debt
Become a GS-12 economist and apply and get accepted into the Executive Leaders Development Program
Finish my first year of doctoral school at an Ivy League school

Undoubtedly Redoubtable

redoubtable (adj.): 1) formidable. 2) worthy of respect.

In the face of adversity, I remain redoubtable and steadfast that I will perform well at AU, be inducted into the honors society, graduate on time and receive acceptance into an Ivy League doctoral school!

Mentoring from All Angles

The agency mentoring meeting is wonderful and upon learning that the organization will discuss publishing, am all the more amped to attend! Publishing a paper provides another opportunity to write and research my master’s thesis. Instead of depending upon other AU professors, bring a couple of my own people. Hey, professionals are professionals! Once the lady has gotten over my initial ambiguity (I did not know if the agency’s mentoring would collide with the department's, but since it did not I came!), I enjoy it. During the session, I mention that within one year I will be a GS-12 economist. My mentor, says that there are certain things, such as budget and vacancies, which are beyond your control. Well, I beg to differ because I am in ALDP; therefore, operating two levels above everyone else. Therefore, within one year, I will not just receive my GS-12 economist but also my MA in economics degree! Remember you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate!

Mixed Signals

The final is over. It has taken me nearly the entire semester for me to understand what the professor means when she says show your work. I am thinking that she means calculator commands but she really means theory. If I have known this before, I would have performed better on the test. It amazes me that I am the first one finish (although I have forgotten some stuff.). Finishing in the allotted time empowers me. After submitting my final, she returns my first lab so that I can score higher. Friday I will do this along with studying for my second lab. I feel great that she is really trying to help me, but, I feel that I might still need to retake calculus III. My gut feeling is that my overall course grade will be C- and since I am a graduate student, I base success on a B scale. By principle, I cannot accept this grade. So Monday, I will ask for other options. Mastering calculus III is essential towards graduate work therefore it is important that I fully understand it!

DL Hughley's Hypocrisy and Self-Hatred

Hypocrite comedian DL Hughley proclaims during the whole Rutgers debacle with Don Imus that anyone saying anything against black people is free speech but hate speech for everyone else. Furthermore, today on the Tom Joyner Morning Show he mentions that he has had a meeting with John Zogby regarding how people in Pennsylvania will vote and points out the racial composition of America. This is coming from the man who says that Barack Obama will not even win the Democratic nomination, but Obama has more pledged delegates than Hilary Clinton. Moreover, what about the white, conservative Republicans who affirm never to cast a vote for McCain at not only the primary but the general election? If DL Hughley looks at poll numbers, he will see that Barack versus McCain is even, but Clinton versus McCain, favors McCain. In addition, in this morning's New York Times, Jon Andrew, former DNC chairman and Indianan publicly supports Barack and tells former president Bill Clinton to have his wife drop out of the race and throw their support behind Obama. I do not understand why he talks because he is a hypocrite; and, the worse part is that he hails from the same city that I do: Cleveland. The Cleveland Cavaliers lose to the Washington Wizards now this! Rats!