Main Page

My symbol

2011-05-02T04:50:00.002-06:00

This is a symbolic representation of myself. In it the peace symbol represents my quest for peace and meditation, two key things that I think help define me. The beams are my connections to the world and the people in it. The stars are the ideas I spread through work or talking with friends. And the grey background represents an imperfect world.

2010-05-28T20:26:00.003-06:00

I recently paid off my loans. This has allowed me to donate to charity. I am happy to say I donated to RED.

Feel free to watch their movie. I lived in Africa and this is very much what it is like. It is important to help the people there.

Go Obama!

2008-02-29T16:33:00.001-07:00

My adventure across the US

2007-12-23T10:16:00.001-07:00

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson verses Martin Luther King Jr.

2007-04-17T23:51:00.000-06:00

(This letter was emailed to Sharpton and Jackson to email addresses that I am sure they probably don't ever check but rather somebody underneath them checks and will not pass it on for response. I understand they are busy and don't expect a response, I just wanted to say what was on my mind.)

Letter to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson,

I will say, and I believe this firmly, that Martin Luther King Jr. has done more for African Americans in the last 30 years as a dead man than Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton has done as live men. This is a harsh criticism and I know that these words must sting but I believe they sting with the painful truth.

The reason why I say this is that MLKJ came off to the public in a different way than Jackson or Sharpton. This is not to say that MLKJ was any better or any more Christian than Jackson or Sharpton, just that he seemed that way.

For instance, when MLKJ spoke, he spoke with eloquence that we all know and love but there was more; didn’t even Malcolm X speak with such an equally powerful form? What was truly powerful was that MLKJ spoke to white people while he was with white people or at least this is how the white community perceives MLKJ; he is one of their own. Wasn’t this part of MLKJ’s magic? He could speak to the masses and African Americans can see him as their own but white Americans also see him as “one of them”. It was true that it seemed like MLKJ really practiced what he preached and truly loved everyone.

When Sharpton or Jackson speak, it comes off as they are speaking as black men either at best willing to work with white people or at worst against them. This is how they are perceived whether this is in their hearts or not. This is opposed to MLKJ speaking as a man for every man and for that matter, every woman.

So when old reels of King in Birmingham or Washington are played on the news, white America listens to his voice and hear it in their hearts. When Al Sharpton or Jess Jackson speak on TV, white America turn the channel because they are often not perceived as speaking with this community but against it. And this is why MLKJ does more for the civil rights as a dead man, as a ghost whose words are repeated year after year, than any other civil rights leader who is breathing in the flesh.

Sincerely,

Jeff McDonald

Very cool Tedtalks

2007-01-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

These are talks created to help discuss important issues in today's world. There are many but I found these especially interesting.

The first is Dan Glibert talking about the secret of happiness.

The second is Helen Fisher talking about love and the woman’s role in the coming world.

The last is Ray Kurzweil talking about the future of computers and technology.

Enjoy!

My Diploma

2007-01-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

Well, It was finally delivered in the mail and so here is the pic. Now, if I could pay off all the loans that I took out to get this thing. Now that would be something.

World Health, World Economy

2006-11-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

This is a cool video. It is for all those interested in world health and world economy. I was really impressed. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, Hans Rosling debunks a few myths about the "developing" world. Rosling is professor of ... all » international health at Sweden's world-renowned Karolinska Institute, and founder of Gapminder, a non-profit that brings vital global data to life. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 20:35) - More TEDTalks at

What am I up to?

2006-11-12T00:51:00.000-07:00

Well, There is not a lot of activity on the page right now, my main page because almost all my most recent blogs have been on my experiences in Korea. The link to the Korea blog is at the right. Check it out if you have time. Oh yeah, I have a new hair style now. Check it out.

Do I really look like them?

2006-10-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

Tell me what you think? Most people say, more than anything, that I look like Jeff Daniels (Dum) but also some people say I look like Jesus (god) so maybe I am somewhere in between, huh?

new blog

2006-08-09T05:17:00.000-06:00

Just in case you haven't heard, I have moved to Korea. I have set up a blog telling about my adventures. There is a link at the side of the page or you can go to http://aseoulman.blogspot.com/

New days, new places

2006-07-08T16:42:00.000-06:00

Looks like I am not the only one moving. My brother just bought a new house. I went and got a glimpse of it, very nice. This one will have an extra room for guest to stay in and even better yet, a swimming pool.

Jeff McDonald M.A.

2006-06-27T14:43:00.000-06:00

By approximately 10:58 AM (mabye even a couple hours before) on June 27, 2006 the University of Kansas’s Registrar’s office updated the computer records to reflect that I have officially earned a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies! While I am very happy about this, it looks like I have to wait till around July 10^th to be recognized for my Graduate Certificate in Conflict and Peace Studies.

South Korea???

2006-06-21T17:21:00.000-06:00

Well, I have cut my hair. I dressed up nice. Worked on a real nice resume and finally sent it out all over. I did not get a lot of hits to be honest. Not a lot at all for the jobs in America. But with time winding down for my lease for my apartment in Lawrence and a car that is about ready to go bye bye, I need something now so I have looked more and more into teaching English in Asia. In my search I have what seems to be a nice job, paying enough money to get by on and a decent place to live in while I am in the greater Seoul area in South Korea. Things are not finalized yet and their is still quite a bit of time between now and when I am suppose to start work but I have accepted a job offer and am now working on getting my visa for South Korea. So, we will see where it all goes and look for a new and exciting blog to be started describing all my adventures in Asia.

One nice thing about going to Korea is that my girlfriend is from the Seoul area and so we shall still be able to see each other. The problem is that she lives in America and does not go back very often but when she does we will be able to see each other.

Also, Sorry I have not been writing in here too much. I had been terribly busy with school and then with looking for a job and visiting all my family I had not seen in so long. Anyway, I always say there will be more coming soon but I really think there will be.

superpeace and lightful love

My Resume

2006-05-30T21:49:00.000-06:00

Well, Graduation is over and I am fast on the hunt for a new job. I have just posted my resume to the web. There is a link at the side of the page. If anyone would like to look at it and give me feedback, I would greatly appreciate it (the link is for a resume webpage and not my actual resume). Also, if the rare oppurtunity comes up that anybody knows of any jobs, please feel free to pass on the link to my resume or tell me about the job. Thanks.

Who?

2006-05-29T19:39:00.000-06:00

I use to know a guy that looked a little like this but he had long hair and a beard but he was a student and this guy looks like he is a working man. hmmmm.

Finished with grad school!

2006-05-25T13:25:00.000-06:00

Well, all but finished. I still need to fill out some paper work and go through some mere formalities but I am satisfied to say that at 10:18 AM Central time this morning, I emailed my professor my final paper for my last unfinished class. This was the last of my school work and on Saturday morning, my birthday, I found out my grades. It looks like at this point my GPA is a 3.55, the best I have ever done in my life. I wish it could have been a little better. All but one of my classes that I got a "B" in I felt like I could have got an "A" but such is life. I was really busy and if I would have taken more time, I could have done it but I wanted to graduate in two years, a feat rarely ever accomplished in my department. In fact, as of right now, I am the only one that has officially/unofficially graduated that came in with me in Aug. 2004. One guy will finish up this summer and hopefully some others will do it next academic year. I even managaged to work a little bit, one job over the summer, and a semester as a GTA while attending school at KU.

So, whats next? What is always next; look for a job.

In my spare time I would like to take care of all the things I have been neglecting. Catching up with old friends and family, overhaul my computer, get caught up with my personal writing, generally clean my room, house, and things, take a little vacation somewhere (it has been two years of school work and no vacations for me), update some entries on Wikipedia, update and continue to work on my blog/possibly build a webpage, read lots of books that I have ignored because I have only been reading books for my classes, work out so that I am in shape, and lastly but not least, go meditate.

So even though I am done, I will still be busy because there is so much I put aside to earn this degree. But all in all it was definitely worth it. I really learnt a lot of big answers to huge questions that had often puzzled me, especially when it comes to religious, spiritual, philosophical and or ethical issues. I am definitely smarter and I also think more spiritual for having done this endeavor.

finished with graduation ceremony but not yet graduated

2006-05-22T20:35:00.000-06:00

In just a few more days, just a few more pages, just a few more ideas put into my final paper and I will be done! But in the meantime, here is a pick of my graduation.

Busted Blaine

2006-05-08T21:43:00.000-06:00

Well, I did not watch it, I was too busy working on papers for schoo but I just read Blaine did not make his goal. Said he was feeling sick, said he wasn't very strong. What do you expect after spending a week in a fishbowl?

One week in a bubble

2006-05-08T14:40:00.000-06:00

I have always liked magic. Makes me think about the world, its possibillities, and what is real or not. So, David Blaine is under water in a giant fish bowl for a week. Says he is going to hold his breath for 9 minutes. Is that possible? Says he is going to escape from 150 pounds of chains. That is no big deal though and I am sure is slight of hand but being underwater without air? If no air bubbles come up, he might not be breathing. If they don't come up, he could still be cheating. In the end I am sure he will do it but I know that a week in a fish bowl must be rough and his hands look terrible, shriveled up and shredded and that is not magic.

Passed my comps

2006-04-26T22:11:00.000-06:00

Well as luck would have it, I passed my comprehensive exams! Now I am ABF (all but finals) and I will be on my way to graduation on May 20. I am really looking foward to it. I appreciate all the support people have given me so far and I hope it will all pay off.

Here is my victory photo!

My "Myspace" is up and running.

2006-03-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.myspace.com/jefftmcdonald

Come and check it out. If you are on myspace already, we can be friends.

jeff

My personality is most like Superman! Whats yours?

2006-03-26T22:17:00.000-07:00

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman		90%
Supergirl		72%
Robin		72%
Spider-Man		70%
Wonder Woman		67%
Hulk		65%
Iron Man		60%
The Flash		60%
Batman		60%
Green Lantern		55%
Catwoman		50%

You are mild-mannered, good,
strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Tsotsi Wins!

2006-03-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

The movie out of South Africa named "Tsotsi" wins. This movie discusses what it is like in the townships in South Africa. From what I have heard from my friends, it is a great movie. I can't wait to see it and I hope anyone who is interested in what life is life for the forgetten children in the townships of South Africa is like, will go see it.
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1808754789&cf=info

new post

2006-02-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

There is a new post on the theories page about why it is hard to believe or not believe in religion. This might be all for the next week or two because I am to busy.

jeff

after study and meditation

2006-02-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

New Material Coming Soon

2006-02-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't made very many posts lately but still feel like some of the material I have put up is more than worth reading and would take quite a bit of time as it is in the first place. Anyway, I am busy with school, trying to get ready for my comprehensive exams in May and that is taking up quite a bit of my time but I will try to put up some new material when I get a chance soon.

2006-01-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here we are, me and the gang back in Lesotho getting ready to go on a trip through the wild and beautiful South Africa.

Onward to Africa

2006-01-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

(I was recently asked to tell the story of why I joined the Peace Corps. Here it is, it is long but quite a nice read)

I hadn’t the easiest of life. I had a rough childhood at times, family life wasn’t always the best, my body was also sick with asthma. I went to the hospital a lot, a couple of times nearly died and was barely revived in the nick of time, too much for a young kid to really have to deal with but kids are resilient and like so many before me, I also made it through. Not before getting involved with drugs that led my life to spiral away from me. I ended up pretty seriously addicted to about anything I could get my hands on including some of the big boys one could get off the street that nobody should do. This led me into trouble with the law and family but eventually I came around. More things happened, they don’t all need to be mentioned but by the time I was 23 and getting ready to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Psychology (yes, I got this to figure out why I was crazy) I had an unexpected visit during one of my French classes.

I was doing alright in French class, not perfect but I think I had a B. It was going to be another French class and another B as far as I thought. The teacher said we had a special geust and a Peace Corps representative for the Oklahoma area begin to tell us a little about the Peace Corps in French Africa. I don’t really remember what she said, the normal spill I guess. I don’t even know in hindsight if it was true or if she gave a false image of what it would be like. It did not matter what she said, what mattered was how I felt.

At first I ridiculed her inside my head. I laughed and thought, after all I have done, where I have come from and where I am going, soon to maybe be in graduate school, why would I ever go to Peace Corps in Africa? “Those people there have nothing to do with us here” I thought. I had turned my life around. I was getting a degree. I was going to make big money and get a lot of cool stuff all to myself. To do anything but this, a person would have to be a real moron, a real bleeding heart, or just plain crazy.

But this is only what happened on the surface. Deep down inside things were more complicated. These were all just excuses I was giving. I figured this out when I really took a minute to analyze myself. See, I was always analyzing myself back then. I had made a lot of bad mistakes before then and with a little more constructive analyzing, I was able to take a better path in life. And so I quieted myself and beneath my self centered excuses, I found fear. Plain old fear of going outside of my comfort zone. Fear of going someplace far away, where people did things differently. Deep down inside, I wasn’t selfish. Well, actually I knew this all along and that is one of the reasons I decided to further search myself. The selfish excuses were the only thing my mind used to mask the fear.

The more I thought about Peace Corps, the more I thought about how noble it was. Actually, the volunteers spend their time and energy in helping some of the most needy people on Earth. What was wrong with that I thought? Nothing really, nothing at all. I was just afraid.

After all I had been through and overcome I thought, "Was I going to live the rest of my life afraid, especially being afraid of going and doing good work?" There was little chance of letting that happen and so I signed up. I also applied for graduate school as a back up. My fear eventually lessoned and for the most part went away. A year later I had my invitation to Lesotho and my acceptance letter to Texas A and M. Everyone I knew with the exception of one or two people told me to go to school, but a couple said I had to make up my mind.

I made up my mind and went to Peace Corps no longer because I was afraid but because it was the right thing to do. People needed me, my brothers and sisters in the great big world of life. If I were them, I would want someone to help me and so I set out. I packed my bags and took off and was actually greatly profited not with the money I initially wanted but with one of the best and most rewarding experiences of my whole life, something money can’t really buy.

New Posts

2006-01-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Firstly, my favorite page, the page I blog on and ramble on about different topics is up and has a few entries. Want to know what I think about "sex and spirituality", why people should not play games, or what is the appropriate amount of criticism. Check it out. You can get there by clicking the link to "My Theories" in the link page.
http://jefftmcdonaldtheories.blogspot.com/

By clicking on the links below a person can get to my other pages (hopefully they will work). I have added a lot of pics of me in the small but beautiful country of Lesotho where I served as a Peace Coprs Volunteer. These pics can be seen in the "Pics from Lesotho Page" . http://jefftmcdonaldpics.blogspot.com/

I have added lots of my poems to the poem page. Krispy dreams is expecially funny and is about my search for donughts but the rest of the poems are mostly sad. http://jefftmcdonaldpoems.blogspot.com/

My letters from Lesotho go back quite a few years so it is old material. It would be a very long proccess to read them all but might be nice to scroll down and pic one or two out randomly and read them to see what was on my mind at any given time. http://jefftmcdonaldlesotho.blogspot.com/

2006-01-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Tsepo and Atang

Old Friends

2006-01-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

walks right up next to me
starts talking about how things use to be
we are just two strangers, talking for the first time
and as we trade words, things just seem to become all fine
then passing through my mind, there is a trace and a snap
and it is realized who this is
it is my old friend from the past
There is a new face on my old friend
He has died and been born again

back together again we talk and play
together again, it is a splendid day
we have so much to learn and teach
lessons forgotton but yet still within reach
we help make each others lives better
life after life we help each other
reunited with my old friend in a new face

2006-01-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

once again, my friend

Suit and Tie

2006-01-15T17:14:00.000-07:00