Monday, October 31, 2011

I have a Post! :D

Ok, so lately i've been having one of those periods in a college student's life where they've just gotten past midterms, and their grades weren't as good as the first exams, but not bad either. It's the period in between fall break and the third canon of exams. It's the period where I find myself with homework/ studying i need to do, but I say to myself, "it's fine! you've still got two weeks until your next exam!" and then I don't do it... yup, and then a week before the exam, said student will get depressed about how much they've procrastinated and then inspire themselves to study.....but then you find that you have a terrible desire to clean your room, and you don't end up studying until the night before the exam. yeah. I'm trying not to get caught in this terrible trap called procrastination.

So I did my algebra homework early! But is doing my homework early enough? no,
b/c i generally use my algebra homework as an excuse not to read my
chemistry textbook

So, what do i do now?
I'm going to try to lay down some guidelines to force a procrastinating college student to study:
{btw, this is based purely off of personal experience and may or may not relate to anybody else :D}

1)decide to want to do well in school!!! :D
2) go to a place (not your bed/dorm room) where it's quiet, where your not likely to see people you know, and where you don't have many distractions/temptations to allow you to further procrastinate. At UCA they have these tiny cells where i can make myself do work
3) stay away from all social networking sites. (i.e. facebook, twitter, tumblr) you may even need (in such cases as johnny's) to use your browser to block them, b/c the desire to update how studying is progressing may lead to a decrease in your productivity
4) make a plan. google calendars are very helpful. make goals for yourself and have planned study times in which you make yourself go your study place and complete your goals! :D
5) allow yourself to have plenty of time to waste on things like vlogbrothers, facebook, and other wasteful(but important) things :D b/c gone unheaded, the desire to do these things will become greater than that of the desire to study, and then you'll give in and fail at life.









And, if you're as good at this as I am, people will give you cups! :D

Guess what the day after tomorrow is!

All saints day? Well, yes. Sarah's birthday? Also yes.

Guess some more!

If you said "Tuesday," good job. If you said "the first day of November," even better job! (If you said "a movie," negative points for total irrelevance.) Can you stretch even farther and tell me what November is? Other than just a month?

Yes, it is Noshavember (cough Johnny cough), but that isn't really what I was looking for.
Any other guesses?

Well, I suppose I have already told several of you about this, so I should just spit it out.
It's NaNoWriMo!

Not as descriptive as you wished? I'll try again:
It's National Novel Writing Month!

That is correct! November is the month during which writers all over the internet join together in an attempt to (individually) write a (individual) novel in a single month!
For further clarification (as my botched explanation was probably insufficient), go here.

So, why do I bring this up? Because I'm going to do it! I will probably not (in all likelihood) reach the suggested 50,000 words before the 30th (as I still have little ideas for characters or style and absolutely none for plot), but I plan to enjoy trying.

Even If I'm not sure of anything else, I know one thing:
There will be parentheses!

I'm looking forward to seeing the Museum of Science and Industry with Dad and Judi tomorrow (and seeing all of the little kids running around in costumes!). Hope you are all doing well in your respective day-to-day-ness.

VVTB,
Ruth

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Swamps

Hello everyone! I am not blogging from Tanzania today but from Kenya! We made the switch on Monday, and I am loving Kenya. The camp is large and amazing. Its approximately 20 acres, contains some woody, shrubby and grassy areas, and borders a stream. Compared to the Tanzania camp, which was approximately 3 acres, it feels so much more free. We are technically fenced in (because we're in a wildlife dispersal area there is some danger of cape buffalo, elephant, etc walking in, which would be dangerous). There is so much wildlife in the fence that I've just been so happy to be able to see. There are a group of ibises which wake me up in the morning, a family of eagle-owls, bushbabies come out around 6:30, and we have to watch out for baboons and vervet monkeys. These are just the most common things seen, there are a ton of others.
Tomorrow we are leaving camp for Lake Nakuru National Park, a fenced in park that is one of the few places that have black rhinoceros. It's going to be interesting not only comparing it to Tanzania Parks in general but also not fenced in parks. We are also going to be spending Halloween in Lake Nakuru National Park. How awesome is that?
I've been thinking of water use here, how different it is from the US east coast. We had an ok rain here yesterday but it hasn't really soaked in because the soil has very poor water retention. I know I've talked about the issue of water here before but it is a really big issue. Luckily we're near Mount Kilimanjaro (I get to see Mount Kilimanjaro everyday, which is amazing) so we get some spring water. Every morning I hear a generator running in the stream just outside the fence, where someone is pumping out water to use for irrigation. Irrigation is so necessary here for agriculture that it makes agriculture unsustainable. We've had lectures out on hills and pretty much the only green areas are swamps and crop fields. Everywhere else is dry and brown. There is a reason that pastoralism is the traditional land use here, because there is not enough water for anything else. The rate of evaporation of water is about a thousand millimeters higher than the rainfall is annually. This is also why wildlife conservation has been important in this area, because nomadic pastoralism is very compatible with wildlife. However, with modernization and movements of people the economy has changed to agriculture, which overtaxes the water supply and destroys ecosystems. The Amboseli swamp, which supports the Amboseli ecosystem during the dry season, is projected to be gone in the next 15-30 years. With that gone there will be nowhere near enough water resources for the ecosystem, causing an ecosystem crash. Diversity is a big word in conservation, diversity in genetics, species, habitats, ecosystems. Diversity in land use practices is important too. Too often we use a one-size-fits-all model with economic growth, and in some areas that just does not work. Agriculture is not sustainable in semi-arid areas, and only approximately 12% of Kenya is arable land. Creativity in land use and learning from traditional land use is needed in order to come up with a solution, because just using up a diminishing resource is going to stop being a solution very quickly.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Dad Occupies Chicago




Dad Occupies Chicago (OC)

Yesterday I went to downtown Chicago to take a civil service test. I got an A by the way--and that is without my veteran's preference because they want a raised seal copy to count it. (They do letter grades here.)

I went to three buildings before I hit the right one. The Illinois Human service department occupies the top floors of a mall rather than being the in state owned high rises that are on either side. After getting there, I was informed that they stopped handing out tests at 12:00 and that everyone had to be done by 1:30 which meant there was time for only one test. Website hadn't stated testing hours, --only 'flexible testing schedule'. Okay. Leave really early in the morning next time.

After the test was over, I started walking down LaSalle. About a block down the street I pass six police men and women with Kevlar vests on. They were just casually standing around and talking. One was drinking coffee of course.

Just past them I ran into a Chinese gentleman carrying a 'No Bank Bailouts' sign. He was with a 20 something young man (also Chinese) who was wearing a Chinese national flag pin and a round button with the stars and stripes. I stopped and asked if they were with Occupy Chicago. Bruce (the middle aged man) answered yes. I asked him to tell me about OC--just that general.

Bruce told me that they were protesting the bank bailout and corporate greed. The economy crashed, people lost homes, have homes that are tens of thousands under water, and the government bailed out the people that caused it. Things are a mess and we need to find a solution. Rich corporations have a stranglehold and are making money both ways. Bruce was polite and calm. As he talked to me he directed protesters to a conference suite he and his niece (A Chicago realtor) had **rented for use of those who wanted to contribute to a group discussion of problems and solutions (open mic it sounded like). Apparently it was getting pretty full and he stopped pointing people there during our discussion.

I mentioned trickle down at one point and he responded nothing trickles down. I told him yes there is something that trickles down and you know what it is. Bruce and the young man chuckled. Bruce continued: 'Look, I have it good. I'm a first generation immigrant; I worked hard, got an education, and was lucky.' He works as a Chicago fireman. Bruce mentioned that not everyone has this chance--and we are paying--we just had a big bailout to fix the economy and it is not fixed.

I said we messed up the bail out. Bruce (Skeptically): 'You really think we didn't need it?' I said I did think we needed it but went about it the wrong way. Me: 'There were homes ready to be foreclosed on. Banks weren't getting their money. No credit because presumed equity was gone. So we paid the banks off. They ended up with the money AND the property--plus bonuses for 'profit'. If we really HAD to have a bailout, then why not pay off mortgages. That way people keep their houses, the banks are liquid and paid off, and people can use their income to live on which gets poured back into the economy. If we had to have a bail out, that method had a better potential to help people along the way and the banks still end up with the money.' Bruce nodded thoughtfully with his head cocked to the side a little, as if he was thinking about it but not sure about the idea one way or the other.

He asked if I had a job. I told him no. Asked what I did for a living. I explained that I had been a teacher and a field engineer. He then explained that there were a lot of Chicago teachers in the movement and began explaining about TIF. According to Bruce TIF funds are used to fund impoverished school districts in the area. His beef here was that Rahm Emanuel (no one I talked to trusted Rahm, Barak, GW, Fox, any TV news media--but Fox in particular, or anyone really from either party--interestingly Ron Paul was mentioned as an unrealistic idealist by a couple of people--some thought him sincere and honest, and some just nuts--but that was the closest thing to a positive evaluation any one politician got.)

Okay, back to the main narrative--Bruce claimed that Rahm declared the financial district of Chicago a TIF area when the businesses had over *500 million in profit. Bruce says this resulted in the people (through tax breaks and credits) giving the financial district 200 million plus. 'Some of that was used for interior renovations in these high rises.' Part of it went to bathroom renovations right there (points to nearby high-rise.) Bruce: 'I just want people to have a chance like I did. It's taking money out of the school districts--hurting kids. The money is going to the wrong people and we need to change the way things work.' I asked him about claims people were being paid to protest. He shook his head. 'I've heard those claims. I haven't met anybody being paid.'

I talked to Bruce a while and walked down the street. I passed more and more protesters the further I went. Everyone was peaceful. Foot and vehicular traffic weren't impeded. They got out of people's way to let you through. Signs said things like 'No Bank Bailouts', 'Financial Executives Got Bonuses! The Bail Out was Wrong.', 'Fix Tax Loopholes' 'Too Much Money in Politics' and 'Stop Corporate Greed'. Signs about the corporate bail outs seemed to be the mode.

There were people of all ages and every look--young, middle aged, and older: people that looked dirt poor, men and women in business dress, with most people wearing comfortable jeans and shirts. Everyone was standing around talking in small groups--mostly like a bunch of small informal debate groups.

I passed a black man handing out yellow fliers and took one. Don't Shop @Take a stand against corporate greed! was blazed across the top. The leaflet continued 'Top Verizon executives took home $258 million over the last 4 years. The company made a billion dollars in profits last year and not only paid no taxes but got a refund of over $700 million from you and me! ..[AND now] they want to slash wages and benefits of their workers...time to join together and say "Enough"

The next flier passer had a Middle Eastern look. He was probably in his forties (old, I know). His half sheet of white paper said "Oppose the U.S. Backed Crimes of the Israeli Government Boycott the ‘Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema.’ ” It continued "Israel has dispossessed Palestinians, forcing them from their land and property, discriminated against Palestinians in schools, living conditions and denied them a democratic voice..."

I didn't meet anyone else who was extremely concerned about that particular issue, but then again, everyone I talked to was clearly there for their own reasons. It was not a group with a list of unified demands, rather most people seemed to key in on the tax system is broken, corporations run politicians, and we are here together to discuss exactly what that means and at least get people thinking about finding solutions.

Another block down I stopped where a grey haired gentleman (Fred) was interviewing a couple of young men. He had an old style large worn leather briefcase that opened at the top end like Mary Poppins’s bag. It was full of books. Fred was asking questions and taking detailed notes. He was asking what people thought the problem was, and how they thought it should be solved.

Fred was NOT a reporter. Fred was an enthusiastic protester. On one sheet he took notes and on the opposite, he had bullet points of what he saw as common themes: Corruption, Wall Street Bailout, Greed, Mismanagement, Lack of Involvement. His common solutions list was short. Many people were concerned about the same things, but distilling a commonly agreed upon solution? Everyone had a different take.

One of the interviewees, Mark (a late 20s or early 30’s brown skinned Linux App and Ubuntu developer and programmer,) is really against corporate bail outs. He feels that the same people are pulling the strings as long as it’s about money. ‘Our society focuses too much on it. Money is the root of all evil. We have to get money out of politics.’ He continued: ‘We act like money is everything. People pretend that it is the only reason people work. It isn’t.’ Fred and I immediately agreed with him. Fred: ‘I work because I want to help people—I’ve worked my whole life. People need to eat, but I work because I want to make the world a better place.’

Fred moves on. Mark says: ‘That guy is never going to piece together something that works likes he thinks he is.’ Mark would like society to democratically choose to do away with money altogether. He doesn’t want any ideology running government. ‘Money hasn’t always existed. People lived and worked together and shared before there was money. Why can’t we do that now before there is a complete crash? People are dying over money. Every war in history has been fought over economics. WWII—it was really all about oil—and Hitler wanted it.’

‘A lot of it was about the Treaty of Versailles and its repercussions.’ I said.

‘Okay, still money though.’ Mark responded.

I agreed that a world without money sounded great but… I asked him, so how would things work without any money? And how would you get us there?

Mark: ‘Money hasn’t always existed. People were fine without money before. They worked, traded, and shared what they had all without money. People are dying—thousands of people every day.’ I don’t know exactly how, but I want everyone together—the people—to find a way before it’s too late; before there is a global economic collapse.

‘That already happened.’ I said.

‘Yes, but another one is coming. Do we have to have millions more die on the way there?’

Jeff (a white 20 something part time college student and local sushi chef)began giving his take on the ideas. [Jeff is holding a ‘It’s not a recession. It’s a robbery.’ sign.] Jeff said to Mark: ‘maybe a total economic collapse is the only way society would ever get to where you are talking about. If you believe it’s happening anyway, wouldn’t that be the place to start what you want?’

Mark: ‘Yes it would, but why should we wait for a bigger collapse? I want to prevent the suffering that would cause.’

In reality, Jeff (like me) was skeptical that we as human beings with human faults and proclivities would ever be able to get to a share and share alike, everyone help everyone else directly democratic society. Jeff thought the idea was wonderful but completely impractical. ‘You are always going to have bad apples in society. There will always be people that are doing what they are doing just to get what they can for themselves.’ What we need is to cut the money out of politics—go to direct democracy.

Direct democracy? I ask. Everyone vote on everything? No, that was not what Jeff meant. Jeff meant he would like to go to a more honest and purer form of representative democracy. He’d like people to put their own messages out—ordinary people can do that now. He wants money out of politics. He believes that politicians are corruptible. His solution: term limits; get rid of perks and retirement for politicians. Stop lobbying. Don’t treat corporations as citizens. Each member of that corporation is a citizen and the representatives need to represent them and all of the other people. Have strict anti-corruption laws.

How do you keep politicians from being bought out just with term limits? I ask. It will just make it so that those with money need to act quicker won’t it? People can still be bought off. Mark likes this too.

‘That’s why we need strict punishment for corruption.’ says Jeff.

Okay I say. But who enforces the anti-corruption laws?

‘The people.’

How? I ask.

'Through the court system.'

There’s your entry for corruption again I said. Someone has to interpret the laws. How do you make sure they aren’t susceptible to being bought off? Mark likes this. ‘Money will corrupt.’ (Mark really is brighter than this conversation is making him sound.)

I’m not arguing against you I tell Jeff. I agree that we need thoughtful change, and I’m glad people are thinking about it. I agree that the bailout wasn’t done right. I’m going to question every solution proposed, because we have to know their flaws. Jeff continued that we had to have strict laws against corruption with heavy penalties and some means of monitoring the courts so that the people could ensure they are fair.

I ask them what they think of the claim people are being paid to protest. Neither one of them knew anyone that was being paid. Both of them had heard news reports on Fox that claimed this. ‘It’s based on an ad in Craigslist.’ said Mark. Fox News probably put the advertisement up themselves.

Jeff said it could have been someone aiming to make the movement look bad, or someone could have actually been dumb enough to actually do it. ‘No one I have met knows anything about it. It doesn’t matter anyway. That’s not what we’re about.’

No it isn’t says Mark. The Tea Party: Now I KNOW some of them are getting paid. I’ve read a lot about that.

I said that I knew some tea partiers and that they were quite passionate about their beliefs as well. I also told them I’d checked out the source for the claim that OWS people were being paid too, and found the same thing: that it was a Craigslist Advertisement. That’s anything but a reliable source. Craigslist, for those of you not familiar with it, is an online free add service that anyone can claim anything on. It’s like a chalkboard on a dark alley. Anyone can write whatever they want, sell or offer whatever they want. Seeing an ad posted on Craigslist for a claim of this magnitude does not make anything real.

I went back to the tea party and asked what they thought about it. Mark thought that anyone who would believe Fox News or the Tea Party wasn’t too smart. ‘But I know people who are smart and feel that way.’ I say.

They may be smart, Mark says, but they don’t think about the world around them. They don’t look at the big picture.

Jeff says he thinks that working with the tea party is important. Jeff believes there are many people in the tea party that are frustrated about the same things. They differ from us because they focus on social issues—gays and abortion. We just aren’t concerned about those things right now. We do have a lot of overlapping areas: The Bail Out, Responsible Finance, Getting Rid of Corporate Welfare, Corruption, Fair Taxes. If we could get them work together with us on those things, something really might happen.

Steve, a white, black haired Chicago math teacher in his early thirties, walks up. You guys talking about the tea party? Yes. I say.

He riffed on the same theme: that working together if both groups could overcome their biases and focus on commonalities, progress could be made. Didn’t see it as likely, but IF it could be done…

Steve is unhappy with the bailouts. Like many he is concerned that ***40% of the wealth in the country is held by only 1%. ‘In the sixties one person could work hard and manage to support his wife and three kids on one income. Can you do that now?’ Steve says it isn’t just TIF that has teachers mad at Rahm. ‘He hurt students by giving money to people who supported him and weren’t in need of a bail out. They were making a profit. That’s not it though. He refused to honor our contracts. Cut pay and funding for students—not in contract negotiation, but unilaterally refused to honor a legal contract that would not expire for another year—even refused to discuss it with us.’

Steve wasn’t hung up on his own finances though. He was quick to correct statistics being used. He said: the other day we were out here chanting tax the rich and people misunderstood. ‘What do you see as rich? Mark: ‘anyone with a million dollars.’ I said I felt I was rich because I have enough to eat and a place to live. Jeff agreed. Steve: A million dollars? I’d consider that well to do, not rich.

Mark: A million dollars in the bank.

‘What if it’s retirement?’ asked Steve. 'We all have different ideas of what rich means.'

In the end it turned out everyone there (including me and except for Mark who wants no money to exist) really meant that they want FAIR taxes. They were all for hard work and people being able to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Neither Jeff nor Steve wanted to raise tax rates on the rich. They want to get rid of huge loopholes that allow some corporations and some individuals to rake in billions and not pay a realistic amount of taxes. Tax the rich to them means treat everyone fairly and don’t let your wealth mean that the rest of us pay your way just because you can grease the palms of politicians with amounts you consider pocket change.

Most people also wanted to see environmentally, socially, and economically responsible business practices and felt government and large corporations were betraying their natural obligations to act responsibly in order to favor those with power.

In summary, there were people of various views and various levels of common sense. Everyone I met was there because they wanted to make the world a better and fairer place for others. Many varied views and goals, and the whole thing was like a big think tank discussion and debate where anyone was welcome to come in and put their two cents in.

There is clearly no party that at this point benefits from or would have any reason to support this group—if it can even be called a group. The people on the street aren’t out there to support anyone. They are there to say things are broken and they need fixed. The most common theme was searching for a solution to our messed up economy and the belief that we bailed out banks and corporations who are largely responsible for the mess we are in anyway and left everyone else to rot.

Am I worried about this? No, I think it’s a good thing. Will it make a significant difference in how the country is run? Possibly, but probably not, but it is at least getting people together to think about civic responsibility, social justice, and solutions.

*Statistics are the claims of the participants being interviewed, and I have not included independent research on them unless specifically stated.

**Bruce reported that his niece Rebecca? Wooten was chairman of a grass roots collective organization

*** http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/01/31/141611/income-inequality-egypt/

http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2010/09/the-great-income-shift.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EconomistsView+%28Economist%27s+View+%28EconomistsView%29%29

Gary Trudeau on OWS:

http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2011/10/25


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Management

Today we got back from our 5 day camp out in the Serengeti. It was an incredible experience, although a little claustrophobic. We weren’t allowed to even get near the ankle-high grass just outside the campsite (some of the other guys tried) and anytime spent out of the campsite was in the Land Cruisers. It still was amazing, and we saw way more animals than expected. We even got to see a portion of the migration on the way out (there were so many zebra and wildebeest!).
One of the most interesting things I saw was a troop of baboons trapping a leopard and her cubs. They had chased them under a log, and the mother was staying there because she knew as soon as she left to fight the baboons some would dart under and kill the cubs. Of course there was a huge pile up of land cruisers to see this thing. Luckily we were able to get up next to Daniel, a guy we met who is the research assistant (the one who stays in the park and does the work) of the Serengeti lion research project, the second longest animal behavior research project (right behind the chimpanzees). Some tourist cars then went off-roading (which is obviously illegal), chasing the baboons away. It really shocked all of us, and Daniel was angry. He took videos and told us to send our pictures to TANAPA (the Tanzanian park authorities) so they could fine the drivers (even though they’ll only get a $100 fine, which they will get way more from tips because they did it. There were rumors that a TANAPA car came and killed one of the baboons, but our car left before that happened. It was a definite wake-up call to me about how little respect we sometimes show to the world. It would be sad to have leopard cubs die but there are times you have to let nature take its course. One of the things Daniel told us is that when he saw an injured lion he only called vets in if it was a human caused injury (gunshot wound, snare, etc.), not for any natural injuries. If you treated lions for any injury not only would it throw off data, making the research biased, you are dealing with an ethical issue. Who are we to say that a particular lion should be saved, that the leopard cubs should be saved? The baboons were only acting in their own best interest, something that humans do all the time. Wildlife management was described to me by Christian, my Wildlife Management Professor, to be more about managing humans than wildlife. And this is true. The trouble is not wildlife encroaching on human areas, it’s residential, industrial and agricultural areas encroaching on wildlife areas. There needs to found and implemented a lifestyle that is more in line with conservation of resources, and this is completely possible as long as there is a drive to and a willingness to respect this earth and all the life which supports us.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Richard's leaving, but I'm not bitter...


Hello everyone,
As it is his last couple days, I thought I would do a Richard-themed post! Why, you ask?
Richard is leaving Tuesday! Because he doesn't love us.... :'(
What does a Richard-themed post entail? Not much of note. Mainly, I just compiled a couple of Richard-quotes from the quotebook:

Andrew’s Eagle Project. Adrianna and Johnny had been singing for quite some time.
Dad: Will you two be quiet?
Richard: You can’t get them to stop singing. It’s like asking birds not to fly… You have to break their wings.
  
Johnny: This brick cheese does not taste like bricks.
Richard: I think that is what it is supposed to not taste like.

Talking about the priest-laurel prom.
Ruth: So Richard, what are you wearing to it?
Adrianna: He’s wearing this really cool vest and this purple shirt.
Richard: It’s not purple. It’s a black purple.
Later.
Ruth: What’s your dress look like anyway Dri?
Richard: It’s black.
Adrianna: Actually it’s purple. Like a red purple.
Richard: Mine’s a lighter red purple.

Richard: And take your dead skin with you!

Richard: By the time I’d graduate I’d be like Pluto.
Ruth: You mean Plato?
Richard: Yeah, Plato...

Playing twenty questions:
Joseph: Is it male?
Dad: No
Joseph: Is it female?
Dad: Nope
Joseph: Is it asexual?
Dad: Yes
Richard: Is it a panda?

Richard's turn at twenty questions:
Dad: Is it in this room?
Richard: Yes
Ruth: Are you laying on it?
Richard: Maybe....
Johnny: Is it that pillow?
Richard: Dang it.

Ruth: Fats was making a weird noise on the way to pick up Richard.
Richard: Like a broccoli noise?
Ruth (taking it in stride): No, not a broccoli noise. More of a circular cricket noise.


Richard (with a face of absolute despair): Guh!...Oh No!
Johnny/Joseph: Richard, are you ok?!
Richard: Uh oh.
Dad: Did you throw up?
Richard: No, I swallowed a quarter. 
 
Dad is eating pulkogi from a pot in the car.  "Do you want some Richard?"
Richard:  Do you have a fork?
Dad: Yes
Richard: is the fork named your fingers?
Dad: Yes
Richard:  I always have to ask these qualifying questions.  Do you have a fork not named your fingers?
Dad: No

So, maybe that was more than a couple...

In any case, Richard we will all miss you very much.  You must write to us every week, with a three page minimum per email. Try not to work too hard, because then they'll make you a DL or a ZL or even an AP, and you will have less time to write us.  

In all seriousness though, I am very proud of you for sacrificing so much to do what you believe in. Don't do anything too crazy while you're gone. Stay safe (we want you in one piece for Joseph's wedding reception). Read the blog if you can (if not we can include posts in emails I suppose...?). Also, don't be too nervous; We know you'll be awesome!

In closing, everyone should write the things they love about Richard in the comments!

Love you all.

NB: Everyone else who has flown the coop (Andrew to Tanzania, Adrianna to Arkansas, Johnny to UVA, Joseph who never came home, and [inversely I guess] Dad): Sorry I didn't think to do this thing earlier. Maybe this should become a series theme!