There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

Panic. Fear. Chaos.

The end of the world.

Yes, over a million residents in the Cincinnati tri-state area had these thoughts and feelings when their power went out on Sunday. The world almost ended... almost.

As for me, I was at the Bengals home opener game against the Titans when everything faded to black. All I have to say is I probably would have been just fine sitting in the dark for endless hours at my house instead. At least I would have only lost one thing at the moment - power. At the game, I lost a lot more things: respect for the Bengals, patience, my mind, and not to mention nearly my life! (thanks to the high winds).

While I am obviously happy that we have our power back, I didn't mind not having it as much as I thought I would. Not having power for nearly three days reminded me to focus on what is important in life - and most of that does not involve technology.

During the "Blackout 2008" (thank you news channels for that exciting description), people are concerned with what they don't have: power, fresh meats and other foods, ice, and their sanity. As for me, I realized this is the time we need to appreciate what we do have, and just get on with it. It is honestly nice to just sit outside with no noise at all (except when you have to sleep), enjoying the peace and quiet.

All in all, this unfortunate event did spark boredom and, yes, a little anger initially on my part. After a day or two, though, I realized that we all need a few days like this - no distractions and noise. 

Oh. Except when you go OUTSIDE your house. I forgot to mention everyone is either at any given restaurant or at a gas station.  Yes, this party only requires that you BYOC - bring your own car. 

As for me, I will bring my own laptop, workout clothes, and swimsuit and head to our fitness center during blackouts. It seemed to work for me!

"Things Fall Apart So Better Things Can Fall Together"

I love it when everything seems to fall together nicely - all in one day.

Even though I got a later start today (note to self: ten hours of sleep is NOT restful), I managed to be productive today - more so than I have been in the last few weeks.

I took care of the things I knew I needed to get done, including some homework, exercising, and just overall resting. This week has certainly been busy for me with juggling two extremely long days of class, leading a student organization, and.. yep.. working.

Why did I choose to be so productive, especially on a Friday? Four words: Bengals game on Sunday. By the way, I'm going.

Even though obtaining the tickets is nothing to brag about (lots were under $20!), it doesn't take away my excitement! Anyone who knows me knows I love the Bengals. And yes, even with tickets being cheap, I managed to wait until the last minute and buy tickets for much more than that.

Did I mention I'm a big Bengals fan?

It nearly made me cry when I clicked the "confirm purchase" box this afternoon, but after stubbornly reassuring myself that I would never make this illogical of a purchase under any other "non-Bengals" circumstance, I suddenly felt better.

Hey, we are all allowed to have those moments. We have to remain sane somehow, right?

On a side note, I also did find out some exciting news - I may have yet another internship opportunity awaiting for me at the Kentucky Post online! It was between this and a WNKU (NKU's radio station) small internship committment. Both are in the journalism concentration instead of marketing and PR, which were my two other internship experiences. I could have went either way, but I think I am leaning to the Kentucky Post. We shall see though.

All in all, it is days like today that teach me to never lose sight of a goal. If the purpose of a goal is to reach it, it won't happen by taking your eyes off of it - even for a split second.

It also reminded me of how even when things look like they are falling apart, there will always be an opportunity for them to fall back together - even if they are new, different pieces of the puzzle.

And the best thing is - sometimes you don't have to search too hard for them. If you work hard enough, those pieces will fall together on their own. And all of the sudden, you have a lot more in front of you than you ever imagined.

From a Small Town to The Big Stage

I've got to give it to Sarah Palin.

Facing loads of criticism from - surprise - both the liberals and the media alike, Sarah Palin stood up and delivered. And boy, did she make herself clear: she won't just stand there and take criticisms. She takes the punches and delivers them right back.

Being an unknown face in Washington, Palin did what most people thought was impossible - deliver an intelligent, witty speech. Sure, she may have not addressed every single change she could bring about as VP. Then again.. she is running for VP, not President. I would be a little more concerned if McCain did not do that (which of course he did).

And this leads me to one of the biggest points I have been trying to make. Yes, Palin may not have a 500-page-long resume of experience to bring to the table for the VP nomination. But wait.. does Obama? Which one would you rather have with less experience? Sure, he was a Senator. But what did he do that made a big impact during those years of "building that resume?"

Just because you have "experience" doesn't automatically make you a better candidate over someone who may not have as much. As an intelligent person put it: it comes down to judgement. And quite frankly, I personally don't think Obama has that important presidential trait (sorry, someone who "caught the hope" does not count).

A president simply can not promise everything he says because he can not control everything. There are many variables involved in one, specific plan of action that are beyond their control. All a president can do is promote trust, optimism, and security all while using his best judgement in important situations.

This election has certaintly turned out to be an interesting one. While both candidates throw relentless punches at one another, it is important to remember that while it can be amusing.. this is a serious issue at hand. I encourage everyone to read/discover as much as they can about each candidate (yes, even Bob Barr!) and make your vote count!