An End to End All Ends

Well, this is the second-to-last week, and the last week that I am scheduled to blog, and I am sure that if anyone is actually reading this blog.

Our West Wing tour was scheduled for last Tuesday night, but since the Pope was coming to town, we got bumped off the schedule because the staff had to ready the White House. I wish they'd told us that before I walked over there in my best suit and waited for half an hour at the gates...They rescheduled us for Sunday afternoon, which ensured that I would not have a conflict of schedule, but I would actually rather have such functions at the end of a day that is already devoted to work or school instead of taking a day off away. I'm just weird that way (and many other ways besides), and it didn't matter what I thought anyway; that was the only available time, so debate wasn't an option.

At work the past couple weeks, we've bid farewell to two interns and began interviewing new applicants. I'll be gone next week, and the only other intern is actually leaving this week, so Creative Differences may be intern-less for a time. If you're thinking of applying, do so now, as they are looking for enthusiastic people who are ready to work, and can really sell themselves in an interview (Hint: It helps to be thirsty in an interview here, and that's all I'll say).

Last Friday, we saw Professor Gelb's reality show (no joke), and discussed the impact of the reality genre on TV. That afternoon we went to the Holocaust Museum, where we spoke first to a man who works there, and helps promote awareness of genocides that are happening today, not just the Holocaust. We took the tour of the museum, and I will tell you, you will never really understand how bad the Holocaust was, how it happened, and how it was allowed to happen unless you go and see this museum. They do not display things of a graphic nature, so children will probably miss the point rather than be plagued with nightmares as the true terror of the thing is mostly suggested, very strongly suggested, by telling of the horrible things that happened and not showing them. It is more effective that way, because you feel the pain and injustice instead of seeing it and commenting that it wasn't as violent as the movie you saw last night... And I learned many things I never knew, for instance: Hitler had Jehovah's Witnesses put in the concentration camps as well as Jews, Political prisoners, homosexuals, and people who just got in the way (in a big way). Jehovah's Witnesses; I didn't know they existed in the 1930s, much less in Germany. And come on, I know they come to your home and talk to you, but is that is not a reason to have them tortured and killed.

On Sunday, we did finally get into the West Wing (not the actual White House) and saw the Oval Office, the Press Room, and even the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. I have to say it, even though it's cliched it's true: "It looks a lot bigger on TV." While it was fancy and prestigious, the reality of the Office of the President of These United States could not live up to the hype. As a result, I was more impressed by the Eisenhower building (because it is huge, old, and has many ornate fixtures and features...It reminded me of the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil).

Over the next two weeks, I have a ton of work to do, not the least of which is a police ride along, which just doesn't want to happen. I spent 2 and 1/2 hours at the police station yesterday, waiting to SET UP the ride along that I showed up to TAKE. Somebody told me on the phone yesterday morning that I had a ride along appointment, and when I showed up at the station, it was news to them!

Apart from that, there is an intership case study paper (7-10 pages), a final video project (>10 minutes), and a paper based on the ride along (5 or more pages), once I finally get to do that...

That's all the news I have, so now I'm signing off for the final time,

Yours recedingly,
Greg

"No one knows what it means, but it's provocative."
--Chazz Michael Michaels