This Nation Has Secrets -- Big Whoop!

I am so sick and tired of the media and their "earth shattering" news stories about how this nation has secret this and secret that. Those secrets are called classified information and millions of cleared citizens have access to those secrets everyday. Those secrets are what is keeping this country safe and what are keeping the bad guys out. I personally don't WANT to know what our government is doing behind those SCIF walls. There are some things we're better off not knowing. Can you imagine if we tried to orchestrate D-Day in this day and age? The plot would be leaked to the media so fast that our soldiers would be killed before they were even halfway there.

In my job, it is my responsibility to make sure that this country remains safe. I brief hundreds of people a year about what could happen to them if they divulged classified information. What a slap in the face to the security community for one Geraldo or Katie Couric to blast all over the news the whereabouts of our secret bases or the intricacies of our spying missions. I could be thrown in jail for divulging such things and even given the death penalty. What do they get? An Emmy.

The Solution for Everything!

I was talking to a good friend of mine yesterday about a decision that I may have to make in the not too distant future. I was quite confused about it, and didn't really know what to do. She gave me some great advice that I thought I'd pass on.

When you cant decide, flip a coin. The coin flip isn't supposed to make your decision, but it's supposed to tell you how you'd react to a decision. So if you act really upset when it lands on your "heads" decision, you'll know that the right decision is "tails".

I think I know what I need to do for this one. Thanks, Bobbe.

More Family Photos...

After my grandparents passed away, my family started to divide up the items. My aunt got all of the family slides and negatives. She had no where to keep them, and asked me if I could store them for her. I have about 2500 slides from the 1950s to the 1980s and about a hundred black and white negatives from the 40s. I've started scanning the black and white negatives and have found quite a few lost family treasures. The below pictures are some of my favorites.

Ode to Dawson's Creek (thanks, Rob)

Withering, torrid, tormented soul floating through life just

waiting for the moment

when clarity

will be obtained. Craning neck trying to peek around the next corner knowing that

whatever is next must be better than

what is.

With each step into the future, tears are shed for the past as

whatever is now can never be as good as

what was, and yet

what has not become is

what is

wanted most. Each new discovery is an adventure to be conquered and

with each heartbreak, the end of the

world. Sappy music to cry to as a soundtrack to off balance hormones,

whispers to ignore in a hallway of divas

while trying to master seven subjects in an eight hour day. And still,

what I

wouldn’t give to be fifteen again.

What are you when you're in the bathroom?

European! At least that's what I paid National Geographic $100 to tell me.

Apparently, my DNA results are back and my maternal lineage is from Europe, a part of hapologroup "W". This group makes up 10% of the world's population. I would post more, but I'm late for work. In the meantime, let this graphic representation of my maternal lineage satiate you.

One step closer...

Well, my DNA kit is in the final stages of being evaluated by National Geographic's third party lab. In a week or so, I should be able to find out where my mother's ancestors originally lived thousands of years ago. I will not be able to track my Dad's side unless I have a "Y" chromosome to test, so I may have to sucker my brothers or my Dad into giving up some cheek skin in the name of science.

I'll be sure to post my results when I get them!

Small Mishap.

For the Bibliophile.

http://www.librarything.com

Conference

I just got back from Atlanta, GA on Thursday. I went down there for a security conference. It's basically an organization that promotes security awareness and education. Once I got back from the conference, I decided to spice up our chapter's site a little bit and have spent the majority of the day working on it.

Free Dog!

So uh -- anyone want a dog? I've got this really cute one that I'll give up for free. He's perfect in everyway except he barks at EVERY GOSH DARN THING IN THE WORLD WHEN YOU TRY TO WALK HIM. We've tried choke collars, "gentle leaders", trainers, treats, psychology, and I've read 2 books. So far, NOTHING WORKS.

I know they turn bad horses into dog food -- can they turn bad dogs into horse food?

Meet Bailey

This weekend, John and I picked up our new pooch, Bailey. We rescued him from Howard County Animal Shelter, in the depths of scary Maryland. So far, he's been really good with a few minor issues. He knows "sit", "down", "come", "stay" (sometimes), "out" (to drop a toy) and he's pretty good on leash. He's housebroken, crate trained (with coaxing), is great with kids, and doesn't bark. Sounds like a dream come true eh?

He is very HYPER. If we do not walk him and play with him a lot to tire him out, I can forsee him being a handful. But we've been doing pretty well with it so far (granted, it's only day 3). He has an interest in our cat, Dawn, but doesn't chase her or bark when he sees her. Our big task will be getting her to tolerate him.

He also goes ballistic around other dogs. I am enrolling him in a behavior class, so hopefully that will get better. Because we have so many friends with dogs, I want them to be able to play and get along.

New Addition.

If all goes well with the approval, John and I will be adopting this cute little guy sometime this week! We went up to Columbia, Maryland tonight to meet him and we really fell in love at first sight. He's cute, smart, sweet and just all around lovable. We're trying to think of a name, so any suggestions are welcomed! The shelter has dubbed him "Rudy" but we're looking for something with more piazzas.

Growing Up.

As a child, I always envisioned adults as these demi-gods that could do no wrong. Every word that came out of my parents’ and older siblings’ mouths were gospel. I can remember one time asking my mother why we had to say prayers before each meal. She responded, “So you won’t choke on your food.” As a child, I truly believed that was the reason and diligently said my prayers.

A few months later, my father went on the Optifast program—it was a fad at the time, mainly because Oprah did it. For 3 meals a day for 6 months, Dad had to drink milkshakes. Kind of like Slimfast on steroids. I can remember sitting around the dinner table, all of us with plates of food and my Dad with his sole milkshake. Right before we started to pray I asked, “Why is Dad praying? He can’t choke on a milkshake!” Everyone laughed and I couldn’t understand why. In my own mind, I had asked a legitimate question! I think I was 20 or so when I actually realized you prayed before meals to THANK God for the food – not to save yourself from the Heimlich.

So after I moved out on my own, I slowly began to realize a lot of things that my parents told me were just plain bogus. Granted, they had their reasons for most of it, but it was certainly an eye opener for me to start to realize that my parents were not the smartest people in the world. Then my niece and nephew entered the world and it became even more apparent that parents are just winging it most of the time. It also amazed me to watch them repeat everything my sister said and did. I know we are preprogrammed to be brainwashed by our parents – it is nature’s defense mechanism. If we did not absorb so quickly, how would we learn how to walk, talk and function in society? Although, my niece is quite observant. Just a few weeks ago she said to my father, “You have four children and Michelle is the smartest.” Ha! Gotta love her.

Soon after realizing parents are well intentioned imperfect people, I entered the workforce and became another worker bee in the big cubicle hive gleaning all I could from my boss, the Queen. She knew all and was never wrong. I learned just about everything I know about management from her. She was a perfect supervisor, awesome mentor and friend. Now that I am a manager myself, I am beginning to realize that half of the time, my boss was probably winging it—as were my parents, and as am I. I am often asked many questions a day from my 3 employees and I have to make quick decisions. Decisions that could impact people’s clearances, jobs and lives. It’s quite a scary thought that this responsibility has been entrusted in a 27 year old that thinks you don’t have to pray before drinking milkshakes.

I really didn’t have a point to this when I started writing it. Except maybe that I’m having a bit of a reality check being in lower management. It’s weird when employees ask me if it’s ok if they have the day off. Half the time I think to myself, “Why are they asking me?” The other half of the time I’m thinking, “Holy crap, they’re asking ME!” I’m sure this will all wear off in no time and 20 years from now when I’m CEO of a mega conglomerate, I’ll wonder how I ever second guessed myself as a management fledgling.

Way Cool.

I just ordered my DNA kit -- get yours here and participate in this once in a lifetime oppourtunity!

Ew.

While reading my Popular Science magazine, I came accross this exhibit called Body Worlds. Apparently, this place takes REAL bodies and plastifies them -- then puts them on display. They have over 200 bodies right now, and a waiting list of donors! Gross -- but yet, eerily interesting.

Very Cool.

This guy is making the news all over the world. What would you trade?

Elizabethtown.

Great flick. If you haven't seen it already, you must.

I Don't Think Wiley Liked My Gift.

Or Else.

Found.

Discovered this site while reading the Post Secret site. Turns out, PostSecret and Found are pairing up in Old Town for a short PS flick and some live music. Sounds like fun... who wants to come with me?