Updates...

Greetings.

I thought I'd take a few moments tonight and give you all a little update on the state of Reverend Humpy's world. This won't take long, and there will probably be more to come on some of these things.

• Death Magnetic still rocks. Since I bought it about three weeks ago, I have taken it out of my CD player long enough to listen to ...And Justice For All once through for comparison's sake, and to listen to Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden about one and a half times through (just 'cause I was in the mood). I put it back in today because, like all of the great Metallica albums before it, the songs were running through my head the whole time it was out of the CD player.
• The continuing education of Reverend Humpy has begun. I submitted my application for the local community college today. Here's the plan: I did some research and found out that I only need 10 credits (two classes in community college-speak) in order to finish my AA degree. So that part's a no-brainer. I will finish my Associates Degree this winter quarter - which means that by March I can finally say I at least graduated some form of college. From there, I intend to listen to the advice of the three people who answered my call for guidance last month. I am looking into the education training department at Eastern Washington University. I am 99% certain that in the fall of 2009 I will begin my Junior year at EWU, in pursuit of a teaching degree. I want to teach high school, though I am not sure exactly which subjects as of yet. Most likely social studies, English, or science of some type (it's the most in-demand field that I could actually see myself teaching). Once I have my BA in Secondary Education and begin teaching full time, I have every intention of going to grad-school and getting a Master's degree - though that part is a long way off.
• I am spending the week at the Police Academy. I have to take a course for my current job so that I can receive a Special Commission from the local police. Basically what this means is that while on my employer's property, I will be a police officer who is only capable of arresting suspects and issuing citations for a handful of misdemeanor crimes. Which, if you read between the lines a little bit further, means that I won't have to wait for the real police to show up if I catch someone for a cut and dry case of shoplifting, and basically I am doing the police's paperwork for them. On the bright side, I am learning all kinds of useful things about my job - like how to take someone a foot taller than me to the ground and make him cry like a bi-atch.
• The second presidential debate was on tonight. I haven't seen a single minute of footage from either debate yet. I would be really sad about that if I had heard anything encouraging from anyone about the debates I've missed. As it turns out, all of the evidence I am getting just leads me to believe that the ART OF PERSUASION is lost and gone forever. Why the hell aren't good ideas enough anymore? I am so sick of this whole "Me good, he bad" game. Do our leaders really lack that much faith in their political platforms and their own ideas that they dare not even begin to argue their merits? I am not a die hard Democrat - hell, four years ago I would have told you I voted mostly Republican. I am not a die hard liberal - just ask me about my views on gun control and capital punishment. What I am is a reasonably intelligent American who believes that he is ENTITLED to elaboration when a candidate says they are going to change things. Obama used to be giving me that. In fact, up until he decided he was going to run for president again, McCain used to be giving me that. Now, however, both candidates feel as though they have to tiptoe through the fucking tulips to court the "swing" voters. Pssst... let me let you in on a little secret: Swing voters are swing voters because they are INTELLIGENT! They really care about breaking down each issue and deciding what is the right course of action and what is the wrong course of action. At least I do. And I am reasonably sure that there are a lot of other folks out there that think that way too. If your health care plan, or your economic plan, or your foreign policy is better than your opponent's, tell me why. Don't just say "My opponent's way of doing things is what has got us all in this mess in the first place." That's not good enough. I know I am being a little tough on Sen. Obama with this, but I really think that we need to keep him honest. Especially since I gave up any hope I had for Sen. McCain as soon as he started pandering to the far right. Anyway, I know I am probably just hoping in vain. What can I say? If I were in charge, things would be different.
• My wife's birthday is next week. I don't really know what I am going to get her - other than a $150 dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in the region. I am sure I will figure something else out, though. I always do.
• I have lost 12 pounds or so in the last two weeks. I started "dieting" two weeks ago tomorrow. I put the quotation marks on because I am not really doing any fad diet or anything like that. I am just limiting my eating to around 1800 calories a day, with a lot less sodium, fat and refined carbs than I used to consume. I also started working out again, but this time I am pretty much just focusing on burning fat and cardio health rather than trying to build a lot of extra muscle. At least for the first few weeks I will be doing the following routine three to five times per week (depending on scheduling SNAFUS): 10 min of stretching; 5 min of warm up; 20 sit-ups (using a large Yoga ball); 5 min round of aerobic boxing; Repeat the last two steps four more times; 5-10 min of cool down, 10 min stretching. So in essence, I am just doing 100 sit ups and 5 sets of 5 minute rounds with the heavy punching bag. I am also supplementing my diet with some vitamins and some fish oil (which, hopefully, will help lower my cholesterol). It seems to be working so far, and it's really not much of a pain in the ass yet, so we'll see how it goes.

I guess that's about it for me right now.

I am the Reverend Humpy and I have approved this message.