This is worth a moment of your time.

Today, Bristol-Myers Squibb, the pharmaceutical monolith that charges nearly $1,000 for a 30 day supply of one of its HIV/AIDS medications, is donating $1 to the National AIDS Fund for each person who simply visits their website and "virtually lights a candle." The tally is near over 1,000,000 now.

Please, please take a minute to "light a candle":

www.lighttounite.org

This really will take just a second!! Please forward this on to other friends!

Cheers,
Jack

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

So I've got two down, four to go. Papers to write that is. I'm well on my way to getting through it all. Is it ironic that I'm taking a break from writing papers to write a blog?

It's been a great week, despite the feeling of being buried. The Tivoli Planning Committee, a SACAB sub-committee, on which I was lucky enough to serve, met this last Friday. We came to a unanimous decision on which company to award the bid to for the Coffee Shop space in the Tivoli. It's not final yet, so I'll wait to say who won, but I believe that the campus will be happy with who we chose.

Al lot of other great things happened this week. Too many to list. I'll just say that this last month has been arguably more productive for me than the rest of the semester combined. Good stuff is going on.

Here is a picture of Christopher Walkin:





Cheers,
Jack

Confession

Quite a few people compliment me for my ability to do all the things that I do with my current allotment of time. I appreciate the support, and it would be much harder, if not impossible, for me to do the things I do without all the support from all the wonderful people in my life (both on and off campus).

I'll let you in on the secret of how I seem to be everywhere at once:

I procrastinate really, really bad on my homework. Worry not, though! I'm currently doing great, grade-wise, as best as I can tell. I just have far too much to do in far less time than I need.

If you see me around, and I'm twitching a little, or I have a far-off look in my eyes, just remind me that the world is in fact not collapsing in on me and I just need another cup of coffee.

Cheers to the madness! I'm going to bed!

~Jack


P.S. I bet you can't guess where this was taken:

The deal

Yet another week has passed. I can hardly believe that there is only one week of regular classes left. Then, finals and what might possibly be the greatest thing that I can imagine: winter break.

All I can think about is what I am going to do to relax after the madness is finished. I have five 10+ page papers to write, and a research assignment to do in one week. I shouldn't complain, though, as I am not alone in this. It seems that everyone has far too much to do in far too little time.

Let's make a deal. As soon as the chains of this semester fall from us, let's promise to make good use of whatever break we get.

I wintery out. The holidays are approching. Just two more weeks...

Cheers,
Jack

If you're feeling down...

I myself have been struggling to stay sane, and I saw this recently. Perhaps I just have a childish sense of humor, but this made my day.

You watch now:





Cheers,
Jack

Black Friday

So it's been 3 months since I last blogged, and that's pretty sad.

I'm writing from New York, in Queens, where my sister lives. The family decided to come here for Thanksgiving this year. As expected, Thanksgiving was a spectacular and amazing event. It just so happens to be my favorite holiday of all time.

I wanted to take a moment to think about what Thanksgiving really is. I feel awful about it, because the roots of the holiday find themselves in the massacre and genocide of the indigenous people of North America. The myth of the natives and the pilgrims sitting down together, sharing a meal, and smiling at each other is hardly based in fact.

I take no pride whatsoever in the origin of this holiday, but love it for very different reasons. Thanksgiving is the one day a year that nearly every business shuts down. People are have nothing better to do than get together with their family or loved ones, have a meal, and enjoy each other's company (and maybe watch football).

I love it. It's great to spend time with may family. The women in my family can cook so well that it's scary. We usually play some kind of board game. I partake in a beer or seven. I get to watch the broncos (saddest loss ever). It's just a great day.

And also, when I spend any amount of time with my sister, and especially when booze is involved this happens:





It has been a great day, and I am so thankful for everything I have, especially my family.

Cheers,
Jack

Loss

I've had a rough start to my semester. I found out last week that my Grandma died. We all knew it was coming. It was really a blessing since she has been in so much pain for so long. Yet, that doesn't make it any easier to let go.

I flew out to Ohio this last Sunday, and her Funeral was on Monday. All of my family was there. It was an open casket. Just about everything made me cry. As far as funerals go it was a really nice service. My Aunt spoke, and what she said was perfect. It was almost exactly what I would have liked to say, if I could have done it without breaking down.

I was a pallbearer. I've never done that before, but for my grandma I really wanted to. She was buried in a cemetery in New Concord, right next to my grandpa. The cemetery is home to generations and generations of the Wylie family, including Moses Wylie, the first person buried there.

My grandma was an amazing woman, and one of the best examples of a woman of God that I have ever known. She cared for so many people. She was humble, kind, and could always find a reason to smile. She was in tremendous pain for over 40 years, but I strain to remember a time that she complained. She loved God, her family, and everyone around her.

We will miss you grandma. It won't be the same without you. You are home now.

Mary Janice Wylie
1925-2006

A new home

I finally got moved into my new apartment. It's amazing. I'm down off 11th and Pearl, which is so close to school. I won't need to drive hardly ever. The area is beautiful. Most importantly though, it's a 1 bedroom that I have all to myself.

I've never lived completely by myself before. I have always been with my parents or roommates. I love them all dearly, but it is so nice to have some private space all to myself.

I moved in on Monday, and it was ridiculously hot. I drank 5 bottles of water in only a few hours, and I was still very dehydrated. I unpacked almost everything that night (staying up till 4 a.m.) Then I moved everything else in on Tuesday.

The walls are still bare, but the place is finally functional. I've still not had more than four or five hours of sleep a night. I'm crossing my fingers. Maybe tonight's the night.