Good PSA About Voting (Non-Partisan)

I'm a Budget Hero!

Do you love The Wizard of Oz and the bassoon? Then watch this!

An Explaination

Frequently I am asked why I am voting the way I am. I always have a hard time explaining it. Until now. I found this video that explains my voting intentions perfectly.

36

So, I've been a huge slacker recently. At least when it comes to blogging. But the end of the semester was a little rough on me. I had three take home finals. One was due on the Tuesday of finals week, the other two on Thursday. So I wrote the one due on Tuesday (for my Women in Latin America class) on Monday. That was the short one. Only 4 pages. The big paper for that class was due two weeks prior. That was 10 pages.

But Tuesday and Wednesday were dedicated to writing my finals for History of Iran and Afghanistan and then my History of American Foreign Relations classes. Each of those were 11 pages when completed. So I wrote 22 pages in about 38 hours. That was unpleasant.

But it's over now.

I had a week of just doing nothing but playing City of Heroes and hanging out with my roommates before I had to pack my stuff and move back to Santa Barbara until after the wedding. My parents were nice enough to drive up and help me load my stuff into their car. I left my desk and chair at the house in SF, where I will retrieve it when Steph and I move back up there in August.

So now I'm back in SB. Steph had her 1st of two bridal showers last night. We made a killing. We are getting so much stuff. If you're wanting to see what we've already gotten and what we still need, check out our website (http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/NicholasStewart&StephieSteward).

On Saturday, Steph graduates from UC Santa Barbara. I think it's wonderful. I'm glad one of us is done with school. Although, I've only got another 3 semesters I think.

On Monday, my mom leaves for Minnesota to spend two weeks with her mom. That same day, Steph heads to Girl's Camp for 5 days. On the 22ndish, my dad leaves for Korea, returning home on July 12th, just 7 days before the wedding.

So, have I mentioned how much I love the wonderful woman that I will soon be able to call my wife? I won't lie. I've been in love in the past. And it was good. But not until I started dating Steph did I realize just how fun and fabulous love really could be. I wake up each day thinking about the beautiful, intelligent, talented woman that I am so fortunate to have in my life. She's in my thoughts throughout the day. And at night, when I sleep, I rest happily knowing that she is to be my eternal companion. I appreciate her strength, both in spirit and character. I consider myself the most fortunate man simply because she has picked me as her eternal companion. I know that we have had/will have our ups and downs. Every couple does. But I know that there is nothing the two of us can't handle as long as we work together. I am full of joy thinking about having her at my side for eternity.

81

So, my webcam is pretty awesome......

I look creepy as the Cloud Man!

Here I am as a Brasilian soccer fan!

Anyways, in non-webcam news:

What I thought was a 15 page paper in my Women in Latin America class, is really just an 8 page paper.


Steph has turned the task of finding a place to live over to me. Here's hoping we don't end up in a behind a .........


I think I've figured out a workable school schedule from now till the end of Fall 2009 (which is when I should graduate).

I'm still without a job for WestMUN XVII. I feel naked.

I was at a different MUN conference last weekend. It was a good experience for me to see another MUN conference in action. But I still like WestMUN better.

I think it's sleepytime.......

95

I had a good weekend. A long weekend, but a good one. On Wednesday I left SF around noon and headed to SB for Model UN. The conference went well, although one of my chairs was unable to make it due to some personal problems so, like last year, I had to try to run the conference while chairing a committee. I like chairing. But I was very much looking forward to being able to observe in the other committees. I was generally happy with the way the conference turned out. Of course there were some problems. Like Jon. I knew that having him around was going to be a problem. And I told Peter that when he first pulled Jon into the Secretariat. My biggest annoyance about this year was that I wasn't able to implement any of my ideas. I've spent the last 7 years studying Model UN conferences around the world, trying to bring the best of those conferences to WestMUN. Last year when I ended up at SG, I was hopefully that I would be able to make some changes. But given the state of disarray things were in when I ascended to SG, I had to put all of that on hold. When I was appointed by the Board of Directors to be SG for a second time, I again thought that perhaps I would be able to make some changes to the way WestMUN operates, resulting in a better conference. But staffing problems, disagreements with members of the Board, failed communication with members of the Board, and a lack of support meant that again I "just did the job" without really getting to improve anything. So I applied for Secretary-General again this year. And I was passed over. I saw it coming. Peter has been very openly hinting at the fact that we needed to find a new SG. But I saw this as an opportunity to have a good support staff, which would've meant I could make some of my ideas come to fruition. I also saw a lack of anyone ready to do the job. When I was interviewed by the Board, I told them that I knew that allowing me to run the show one more year, with Juni as my Under Secretary-General, that Juni would be 110% ready to take over for WestMUN 18. I also knew that a Secretariat with me as SG, Juni and Solomon as USGs, and Chris as a my seasoned Chair, that we could take on the ideas I have for how to improve WestMUN. The division of labor I had planned would've allowed me, Juni, and Solomon to have very specific duties that would allow us to concentrate on certain areas allowing us to strengthen the conference overall. With Juni as my USG over Specialized Committees, and Solomon overseeing the General Committees, I could be left to revamp the rules of procedure, train the Chairs (with Chris' help), and maybe even put us in a position to compete with other conferences. Instead, Juni was selected by the Board to be SG. And Solomon was made his USG. And now I'm left in the cold. Dave has offered me a position, though I'm not sure I'm interested in being his lackey. Peter sees me as assuming a role similar to that of "party elder" in the American Political world. In his mind, I'd work with the Board and just do what I want to do as long as it helps the conference. But the job I want is already taken. And so my plans for WestMUN are over before I could even get them started. I'm having a hard time seeing WestMUN in my future. I don't want to be done with it, but I feel like I've hit a ceiling as far as where I feel I'm the most use. Being in the Administration instead of the Secretariat is not that appealing to me. I'd much rather actually be involved in the conference instead of just making phone calls and sending e-mails or whatever else I'd do in Administration.

So after 7 years, my relationship with WestMUN might be at an absolute end.

102

You know those days when you feel like you've gotten a ton of stuff done, but when you look at your "To Do List", you realize you haven't really accomplished much of anything? Today was one of those days.

I'm leaving SF on Wednesday for a long weekend in SB. I have a Model UN conference to preside over. So today I was gonna do all my laundry and pack, so that when i get home from school tomorrow, I don't have to worry about it. Well, I've still got a load of wet laundry. And since two of my roommates sleep in the basement with the washing machine and dryer, I can't get it done until tomorrow. When I get home from school. Blah.

On the bright side, I'm very excited to see my family and my lovely bride. I love you Steph!

I'd say more, but it's almost 1am and I have to wake up in a few hours. So off to bed I go!

Goodnight!

107

Day 107 is winding to a close. As I type this, I'm talking to my beautiful bride-to-be. We're kinda singing RENT. See, we are both kinda into musicals. We saw Wicked in LA on New Year's Day this year. And we've both seen RENT in NYC, though not together.







Next week I'll be driving to Santa Barbara for a Model United Nations conference. It's called the Western Collegiate Model United Nations, or WestMUN. This will be my 7th year attending this conference, and my 5th year as staff. I'm presiding over the conference as Secretary-General for the 2nd year.


I'm very happy that the most beautiful and amazing woman I know is feeling better today. I was sad yesterday because of her not-feeling-good-ness. I love you!

----------------
Now playing: Rent - I'll Cover You
via FoxyTunes

108

Well, day 108 was only mediocre. Professors who give midterms or have assignments due the first class back from Spring Break (or any other week-long vacation) should be shot. Twice. Once in each leg. But I'm not bitter am I?

Other than the stupid midterm, I had a...."confrontation" with a fellow student in one of my classes about the mock MUN session she ran. I know that she's never chaired before, but it's mostly just common sense. But whatev.

Just now, I tried to zip up my sweatshirt, and the stupid zipper broke. And when I say broke I mean that the zipper thing is busted. See the picture.







I really should be going to bed now, but I'm angry about my zipper. I love this sweatshirt and it bums me that its broken.

Better luck for me tomorrow....(or later today depending on how you see it....)

Joining the blogging community

So, I've been lurking on people's blogs for a while now, and have finally decided to start blogging myself. I can't guarantee that I'll write here very often, but I'm gonna try. If nothing else I can give a wedding countdown. Which reminds me:

109 days until my wedding!