Alas, another update

Ahem, it's been a while comrades.

While I'm not making any promises that this will be frequently updated, you'll get at least one.

I've been excellent. I still work at the Geology Library (which I think I mentioned, maybe not though), which is actually where I'm at right now as I type this! That's right folks, I'm getting paid $6.25 per hour to write this up... read it and weep.

But you don't care about my job, I bet. So how about my classes? If I recall, I mentioned all of the classes I am taking this semester... Accounting, Business Stats, Macroeconomics, Information Systems (two of those classes), Speech, and Basketball. Here's the quick rundown of how they've gone thus far (finals are next week).

Accounting - I came in with very low hopes about this class, and it has surpassed my expectations. In fact, I liked it so much I've become an Accounting and Finance double major! Double woohoo! As long as I show up for the final, my grade will be good.

Business Stats - It's not the most boring class ever, but it's at 8 AM which is a big negative. However, the teacher's excellent, the concepts have generally not been difficult to understand, and like Accounting, as long as I show up for the final I'm not worried about my grade.

Macroeconomics - I expected this to be a little more interesting than Microeconomics, and it has. While Micro was very boring, Macro is only moderately boring. So it has that going for it, which is nice.

Information Systems [317] - This is the most boring class ever. Seriously, it's all uphill from here. Not overly difficult, but it's a chore just to stay awake (and it doesn't help that its my 3rd staright 1 hour, 15 minute class!)

Information Systems [117] - As I have used a computer before in my life, this 1-credit class was exceedingly easy.

Speech - Really boring but surprisingly not too awful. I didn't mind giving speeches much (though writing them sucks), and while listening to other speeches is boring, there are worse things (like being in ISYS 317 class!) All in all, not a fun class, but not as awful as I expected.

Basketball - We usually played 5 on 5, sometimes 4 on 4, or even the occasional 3 on 3 to mix things up. In other words, this class rocked.

So there it was. Porbably 2 Bs, though there's a chance it will only be 1.

Next semester I will be taking Accounting 2, Spreadsheet Applications in Accounting, Marketing Foundations, Money and Banking, and Management. Should be ok, I think. The spreadsheet class and the Money and Banking class will be boring I think, but who knows.

Anyway, that's me. In other good news, this site finally got an affiliate/sponsor thingy, and it's a site for mainly for Minnesota Sports Tickets. So check them out, especially if you're in the Minneapolis area.

As always, you can find me at Complete Sports, Thank You Brian Sabean, and now The Water Cooler Online. Check them out, and while you might be horribly disappointed, maybe you won't. And that's a chance you need to take.

Super Fabulous Update!

Well, I suppose I’m past overdue for an update, especially since one was requested in my last post’s comments like 2 weeks ago. So here we go (this will probably get long).

First, my grades for the 2nd semester:

Applied Calc – I wasn’t overly optimistic about this class coming in, and became even less optimistic after I failed the first test, and even considered dropping the class and retaking it next year. But, I studied a lot more for the second test, boosted the grade overall, and repeated that for the 3rd and 4th tests, which put me at a B going into the final test (which was 33% of the grade). Coming in, I knew that if I got an A on the Final, then I would get an A in the class. However, I found the final to be exceedingly difficult, possibly the hardest test I have ever taken, despite my having studying lots of hours. Fortunately, I must have done better than I thought on it, judging by my final grade. An A.

Microeconomics – This class wasn’t all that hard, but the tests were pretty challenging. Going into the final, I knew I was pretty much set at a B. The final was rather easy, but not easy enough to change my grade. B.

Business Writing – This class was really easy, but for some reason I was sitting on a high B heading into the final project (there wasn’t a final test, per se). For the final paper, I had to write a 4-5 page paper on the Advertising part of a new bookstore. I guess it went well enough. A.

Criminology – This was probably my favorite class, because I found most of the subject matter to be rather interesting. The tests were good as well, all 50 point multiple guess questions, which were a little confusing, but weren’t too hard. Along with the little bit of extra credit that we got for writing a short paper, this class was interesting and easy. A good combo. A.

Juvenile Delinquency – I heard lots of people complain that this class was hard, but I didn’t think it was too bad. Well, the tests absolutely sucked. Usually they consisted of 1-2 essays which were worth 110 points, and then 50-70 multiple guess questions. In other words, really long, and the multiple choice were always really hard. To add on, 20% of the grade in the class was a 3-page paper, which I ended up writing at 2 AM one night after a football game. I got the same grade on that paper that I got in the class. A.

Government – This class was unbelievably and almost unbearably boring, which was odd, because I liked Government in high school. Fortunately, the final test was super easy, which allowed me to sneak out of there with a good grade. A.

For the semester, a solid 3.83 GPA, giving me a 3.70 GPA so far after 2 semesters. If it weren’t for stinkin’ Biology, I’d be a lot higher!

Now, for next year’s classes:

Macroeconomics (3 credits)
Business Statistics (3 credits)
Accounting (3 credits)
Public Speaking (3 credits)
Information Systems (3 credits)
Information Systems (1 credit)
Basketball (1 credit)

So for a total of 17 credits, one less than I had last semester. Although, I’m considering dropping the basketball class, especially since the guy that was supposed to teach it (an assistant basketball coach) is now coaching at South Florida. So I don’t even know if it will be offered. I’ll have Fridays off and maybe Mondays off (if I drop the basketball class), which is nice, but my Tuesdays and Thursdays will suck. And then of course I’ll have to fit 10-15 hours of work in a week. Could be another busy semester.

By the way, right now I’m listening to the song “Silver Cloud” by The Cells, and I have to say that I really enjoy it.

Now about the summer. Basically, I go to work until midnight, stay up late, sleep in late, and then go back to work. Wash, rinse, repeat. I answer phones 40 hours a week, usually with the hours 4-midnight 5 days a week, although sometimes I get to work 8-4 on the weekends. It’s usually pretty boring, but well, what can you do. I need to pay for college somehow (and if you want to chip in, that would work too!)

What else have I been doing? Not much. I write Complete Sports, which is cool and takes up most of my blogging time. I also just started another blog – Thank You Brian Sabean – which is cool because it focuses a lot on the Twins (or rather, 3 players on the Twins, but if you really want to know just go to the site), but it doesn’t take much writing time, so that’s cool.

I watch a lot of TV. I’ve been trying to watch all of the NBA Playoffs, but my viewing has been greatly hampered by my work schedule. Also, I watch Law & Order reruns on TV a lot, since that’s like the best show ever. Usually, I try to watch it at 2:00 PM on TNT, take a shower at 3, make something to eat, and then go to work. That’s a pretty consistent schedule for me. I also try to watch Seinfeld as much as I can, but I haven’t been watching enough of it lately.

Another cool thing is that I got my first payment from Google for Adsense, which was sweet, and a nice bonus.

I also got OOTP Baseball 2006. Well, technically, my sisters and brother pre-ordered it for me as a Christmas present, but it finally came out, and it’s pretty sweet, although it’ll take a lot of playing to get used to the nuances of the game. It’s very complex.

Anyway, that’s about all I have in me. If you (and by you I mean the one person that read this through) have any questions, drop me a question in the comments or by electronic-mail, and I’ll be happy to answer!

Only 2 ½ months of summer vacation left. Hopefully the time goes slow (except while I’m at work. Then hopefully the time goes fast).

Have a super day!!

Didn't I just have a math test?

Well yes. But I had another one last week, and just got the results back Friday. And I got a 95%.

Go me. :)

North Dakota represent!

From the Bismarck Tribune:

Boy cited for taking porn to school

A 14-year old boy was cited with a class C felony after bringing digital images of pornography to school on Friday.

Bismarck Police Lt. Dan Donlin said staff at Wachter Middle School called police after finding pornography on the boy's Sony PlayStation Portable. The boy was charged with promoting obscenity to minors for showing other students the pornography.

Donlin said the boy also was cited with simple assault, a misdemeanor, for scratching another student with a key. Donlin said the student who was scratched was the one who told school officials that the boy had pornography on the PlayStation.

-Tom Rafferty

Handcuffs and a felony seem to be a little excessive to me, but what do I know??

Two Phrases I'm bringing back

"I'm gonna mess you up sucka!"

"Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

Please join me in this quest to bring these phrases back to popularity.

A Trip to the Mint

"Burn economy burn!"

Got Calculus Test Back...

Let me just say that on my first Calc test of the year, I failed.

On the second I did much better, getting a high B after about 10 hours of studying. I also got a few points from an Extra Credit assignment. Either way, I was still nervous going into the third test, which featured of lot of crap I'll probably never need to know... but I got a B! Which puts me at a B for the year, which is nice after my poor start.

Anyway, Math still sucks and this will be my last Math class ever if I'm not mistaken, so I'm hoping to just get out of with a B and be done with it. So far, so good, but we still have 2 more tests and then the Final. Right now, we're working on Anti-Differentiation, which is not really fun. We'll have to see how that goes.

In other good news, only a couple more days until Easter break, and then I only have like 2-3 more weeks after that until the end of the school year, which is always nice! In a couple weeks I'll register for classes next semester, so I'll be sure to fill you all in on those when the time comes! Bye bye now!

Emotion Eric

This is seriously the best website ever seen on the intrawebs.

Eric Conveys an Emotion

Some personal favorites are:

Suave
Sarcastic Respect for Authority Figures
Psychotic Gaze
Karaoke
Staring at your hands the way people do in movies when they've just killed their first person
Teaching Emotions to a Robot
Running with Scissors
Finding Dead Body in Trunk
Magic Trick Gone Horribly Wrong

Hope you Enjoy!!

Finally got a haircut

So yeah, last week, after 4 long months, I finally got a haircut. My last one was over Veteran's Day break, if I recall. My hair was getting way too long. I usually judge when to get a haircut when it becomes too hard to get it not to stick straight up, and it was at that point. I kinda like it shorter now, but I'm going to try to let it grow back until the end of summer. I'll let you all know how it goes.

In other news

The song "Point/Counterpoint" by Streetlight Manifesto is pretty sweet. In case you were wondering.

Also, if you're ever bored, just head over to Snopes. It's pretty much the best site known to man (other than this one).

So yeah, no tests at all this week, which is nice. Although I do have 2 next week, which isn't so fun, but it shouldn't be too awful.

Oh yeah, and cats suck.

First Day of Spring!

15°F
Feels Like
5°F

According to weather.com.

Isn't North Dakota great!!

1 more day

Well, Spring Break is coming to a close... I go back to school on Sunday... which is ok, but I don't want to go to classes. :(

Not that I don't find Appliec Calculus very exciting! (just kidding)

Well, that's all I wanted to say. Good night!

I'm not dead!

But I am on Spring Break. Which is why I haven't posted in like over a week. This was a much-needed break, and it's been great so far. Sit around all day, sleep late, etc. Although I did get a haircut today, so that's at least a little productive.

My outlook for the rest of the week? More of the same, but it'll be even better because the NCAA Tourney starts up Thursday. Which is like the best time of the year. So that's what I'm doing.

But the real question is, how are you doing?

Is it Spring Break yet?

Well no, but it's getting there. My Spring Break starts Friday, which will be really nice. But I've already had one test this week (Criminology), with another one coming up on Wednesday (Microeconomics), and yet another on Thursday (Government). This isn't awful in and of itself, these tests are terribly difficult like my Calculus one last week (I don't want to talk about that), but I'll still have to do a little studying.

I'd rather not study because A) I leave for Spring Break in a few days, B) College basketball conference tournaments basically start this Wednesday, which is a good time for me. Other than that though, this should be a pretty good week.

Next week, however, will be awesome. I'll be relaxing at home, and most importantly, March Madness starts. For most people, this doesn't really mean much. For me, this is basically my favorite time of the year. There is nothing I like more than the first few days of the NCAA Tournament, and this is the first year I'll really be able to watch them more. In years past, I still had school during the day, so I missed all of the early games, and this is obviously not the case this year. Which is nice.

Another Credit Card?

As I mentioned 3 days ago, I get a lot of credit card offers in the mail, most of them geared toward students.

Like clockwork, or maybe magic, I got another one today in the mail, this time for what was called a Discover Student Card. It actually looks pretty decent, I guess. 0% APR until September, online account accessibility, cashback bonus, $0 fraud liability, etc.

But I passed on it.

Also you may remember me talking about starting an ING Account. Well, with my $25 bonus I got for signing up, I got almost $30 in about 5 weeks. Not too shabby! Remember to tell me if you want to start up an account, and I'll refer you, and you get a $25 bonus, and I get a $10 bonus. Now who doesn't love that?

Credit Cards

Seems like every week I get another piece of mail trying to get me to get some type of credit card, usually for students. Heck, I even got offered a free sub last week if I would just sign up for a credit card.

I've passed on these offers. I have my one Visa, and I have used it to make exactly two purchases, books for my first semester, and books for my second semester. Both times, I paid them off right away so I wouldn't rack up interest.

When I get something in the mail from them for the credit card, it made me more glad that I had always paid it off right away. The percent interest on this particular card is 23%, which is, well, a lot. So I really hope to avoid charging anything I can't entirely pay for.

When it comes to credit cards, be it credit cards specially for students or otherwise, my policy is to just say no. And I hope I never have to stray from that.

#1 - Everclear

And finally, we've reached the #1 band on my list, and that is Everclear. I bet you never guessed that (I bet you never guessed at all actually, but that's beside the point). I first heard of them when I heard "Father of Mine" on Now 2 (which also featured "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" by Baz Luhrmann). I liked the song, but I didn't really get into them into some time later. They began to grow on me (figuratively), and I started to listen to them more and more, and liking them more each time. Eventually, they grew to where they are now, which is #1 on the list, just barely above Tom Petty. So congratulations to Everclear!

Top 10 Everclear Songs
1) "Learning How to Smile"
2) "Everything to Everyone"
3) "Father of Mine"
4) "Santa Monica"
5) "Wonderful"
6) "AM Radio"
7) "I Will Buy You a New Life"
8) "Normal Like You"
9) "Chemical Smile"
10) "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom"

See you next year!

#2 - Tom Petty

Tom Petty (& the Heartbreakers) falls in at #2, but just barely. I like the music so much I'm not narrowing the song list down to 5 but to 10. I just like his voice, all his songs sound good, so that's a plus. He's more of a soft rock artist, which is good. Good enough for #2.

Top 10 Tom Petty Songs
1) "American Girl"
2) "The Waiting"
3) "Refugee"
4) "Last Dance With Mary Jane"
5) "You Don't Know How It Feels"
6) "Won't Back Down"
7) "Learning to Fly"
8) "Breakdown"
9) "Free Falling"
10) "You Got Lucky"

#3 - Jack Johnson

I actually started listening to him at the recommendation of MattStew, wherever he is. So thank you Matt. I generally like most of his songs. They're all pretty mellow and they get me in a good mood, which is always good. So anyway, yeah, Jack Johnson at #3.

Top 5 Jack Johnson Songs
1) "Do You Remember?"
2) "Banana Pancakes"
3) "Better Together"
4) "Dreams be Dreams"
5) "Bubble Toes"

#4 - Better than Ezra

I started listening to Better than Ezra only recently, but they have quickly shot up my chart. They're sorta rockish/alternative-pop in their style, though I guess that's subkect to interpretation. Anyway, the point of all of this is, I like their music, and there's nothing you can do about it, so don't try and stop me.

Top 5 Better than Ezra Songs
1) "Sincerely, Me"
2) "Desperately Wanting"
3) "Smallville"
4) "A Lifetime"
5) "Good"

#5 - The Beatles

Growing up, I disliked The Beatles, because all of my older siblings liked them and so it was the cool thing for me not to like them. That has slowly but surely been changing. While I have not heard all of their stuff or anywhere near all of their stuff, I like what I've heard and am always listening to more. So while my choices are a little mainstream with them, that's changing a little over time. But yeah, The Beatles crack the top 5. I should also mention that I like some of the things they each did on their own, but I didn't include them here.

Top 5 The Beatles Songs
1) "Hey Jude"
2) "A Day in the Life"
3) "Eleanor Rigby"
4) "Let I Be"
5) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

#6 - Hootie & the Blowfish

This is one I expect to be called a complete loser about, and maybe I deserve it. But I can't help the fact that I like their music! I like most of their songs, although a lot of them sound kinda similar, I like how it sounds. So despite the probable bashing I'll take for this, Hootie & the Blowfish is #6!

Top 5 Hootie & the Blowfish Songs
1) "Only Wanna Be With You"
2) "Time"
3) "Hold My Hand"
4) "Drwoning"
5) "Running From an Angel"

Post 100!

It's been a long, mostly boring journey, at least for the three of you that have sporadically read this. I started this thing sometime last summer, I believe in July after I came back from Europe, and this is now my 100th post, a number that was helped considerably by my ongoing "Favorite Band List."

Some of my noteworthy posts (or at least as noteworthy of posts that I've had!):

First Post
The Best Job Ever
A bilingual Oujia Board?
Worst TV Ideas Ever
The Teeth Brushing Rule
80s Slang
90s Slang
Words/Phrases I Like
Top 31 Bands Intro

Here's hoping the next 100 are much more entertaining!

#7 - Led Zeppelin

I think it might actually be sacreligous for Led Zeppelin to be this low, or at least lower than some of the bands that are coming up, but it's my party, and I'll cry if I want to! Anyway, there are a few of their songs that I think are really awesome, and then there's a few that are ok. But not ok enough to make it past #7.

Top 5 Led Zeppelin Songs
1) "D'yer Mak'er"
2) "Stairway to Heaven"
3) "Fool in the Rain"
4) "Kashmir"
5) "Ramble On"

#8 - John Mellencamp

I first liked John Mellencamp when "Hurts So Good" was played before all of my baseball games (it was an excellent CD that also featured "Brown-Eyed Girl" and "Talkin' Baseball"). Now, I listen to him less and less, but I still like the music. One of the classics.

Top 5 John Mellencamp Songs
1) "Hurts So Good"
2) "Pink Houses"
3) "Small Town"
4) "Jack and Diane"
5) "Your Life is Now"

#9 Good Charlotte

I first started listening to these guys mostly because I had a friend that really liked them. Initially, I really didn't like the song "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," but I began to like it more and more, and listened to more of their stuff, and I found out there were other songs I liked more, and that I actually liked most of their stuff. Hence, the #9 spot on the countdown.

Top 5 Good Charlotte Songs
1) "The Innocent"
2) "The Story of My Old Man"
3) "I Just Wanna Live"
4) "Hold On"
5) "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous"

#10 - The Offspring

"Americana" was one of the first two CD's I ever bought, along with a Red Hot Chili Peppers CD, so they have some sentimental value. They drew me in because I liked "Why Don't You Get a Job?" and "Pretty Fly for a White Guy," then I found other stuff from them I liked better, so that was good too. Good enough to crack the top 10.

Top 5 The Offspring Songs
1) "Come Out and Play"
2) "The Kids Aren't Alright"
3) "Gone Away"
4) "Why Don't You Get a Job"
5) "Self Esteem"

#11 - Our Lady Peace

This is a band I first heard when my cousin was listening to them, and I've really sorta liked them ever since. Most of their songs I like are pretty slow, and then pick up right at the end, which works for them. And puts them all the way up to #11 on my list.

Top 5 Our Lady Peace Songs
1) "Is Anybody Home?"
2) "Do You Like It?"
3) "Innocent"
4) "Sorry"
5) "Somewhere Out There"

#12 - U2

But I do want to clarify, I hate the song "Vertigo." It's very awful. But on the whole, I like their songs. "Sweetest Thing" is one of my favorites. Maybe it's the fact that one of their band members is referred to as "The Edge." Either way, good enough for #12.

Top 5 U2 Songs
1) "Sweetest Thing"
2) "I Still Haven't Found"
3) "Mysterious Ways"
4) "With or Without You"
5) "Beautiful Day"

They say it's your birthday

Well uh, I turn 19 today. Or it's about the age where it's pretty much just another day for me. When the clock struck midnight I was watching a movie called "The River Wild" on the AMC Channel... and that was fine with me.

Last year, I had a surprise birthday party with a bunch of people from school, which I have to admit, was one of the best times I've ever had on my birthday. This year, I'll go to breakfast, take a nap, go to church, go to supper, and then probably sit on the computer. Which is a good day. Nice and relaxing. Just like a birthday should be.

I'll leave you with a quote from Seinfeld, and although it doesn't reflect how I fell, it's very funny and pertains to birthdays. Jerry says this right after George tells him not to be funny because he's trying to impress his date.

"Well, birthdays are merely symbolic of how another year's gone by and how little we've grown. No matter how desperate we are that someday a better self will emerge, each flicker of the candles on the cake we know it's not to be. That for the rest of our sad, wretched, pathetic lives, this is who we are to the bitter end. Inevitably, irrevocably. Happy birthday? No such thing."

#13 - Boston

I just love these guys' music. A lot of it kinda sounds similar, but that's ok because it's so good. Depending on the day, I might rank the top 5 songs differently, which says a lot because they're all so good. Their name is a little unoriginal, but I'm ok with that!

Top 5 Boston Songs
1) "Peace of Mind"
2) "Let Me Take You Home Tonight"
3) "More Than a Feeling"
4) "Rock & Roll Band"
5) "Don't Look Back"

#14 Fall Out Boy (TIE)

This is the type of band I used to make fun of people for liking, but as I began to listen to them, I started to like them more and more, even though they're a little "punk rockish." So I haven't been listening to these guys long either, but I find myself liking a good portion of their songs, or at least to put them at #14.

Top 5 Fall Out Boy Songs
1) "Dance Dance"
2) "Grand Theft Autumn"
3) "My Heart is the Worst Kind of Weapon"
4) "The Pros and Cons of Breathing"
5) "Chicago Is So Two Years Ago"

#14 The Click Five (TIE)

What the tie means is that I forgot to include these guys in my original list, but I really like them, so I have to include them somewhere. I just started listening to them not too long ago, maybe a couple or few months, and I'm starting to listen to more and more of them. They are on the rise, so to speak.

Top 5 The Click Five Songs
1) "Pop Princess"
2) "Catch Your Wave"
3) "Just the Girl"
4) "Baby Just Say Goodnight"
5) "I'll Take My Chances"

#15 - Lynyrd Skynyrd

I just started listening to them sometime last summer, but I pretty much liked them the whole time. As seems to be a common theme, which probably isn't as good, I mostly just like their mainstream songs. As you'll be able to tell, as Lynyrd Skynyrd comes in at #15.

Top 5 Lynyrd Skynyrd Songs
1) "Simple Kind of Man"
2) "That Smell"
3) "Sweet Home Alabama"
4) "Gimme Three Steps"
5) "Tuesday's Gone"

# 16 - Aerosmith

I know a lot of people like to hate on these guys, but I think they're very solid. This was the first time I really had a hard time whittling their top songs down to a list of 5, because there were about 10-15 solid candidates in my mind. But it had to be done, so here it is.

Top 5 Aerosmith Songs
1) "Dream On"
2) "Janie Got a Gun"
3) "Love in an Elevator"
4) "Sweet Emotion"
5) "Livin' on the Edge"

Oh the weather outside is frightful

The only problem is, there is no delightful fire inside!

But wow, it's cold. -1 right now, although it feels like -16. I know most of you folks don't know what -16 degrees feels like, but trust me, it's very cold!

ING Account?

As I think I said, I started an account at ING not too long ago, and am getting 4.75% interest through April 15, and then I will get 3.80% interest, which is a large improvement on my other bank account, where I got like $0.05 a month on interest.

Anyway, the point is, if you're thinking about starting an account there, you should shoot me an email at uclabruins24@hotmail.com , and then I can refer you, you get a $25 bonus, and I get a $10 bonus. It's a win-win situation for everyone!

#17 - CCR

Or Creedence Clearwater Revival, whichever you prefer. Strictly a class rock group, as according to allmusic, they formed in 1967 and disbanded in 1972. I also like the song "Centerfield" which was by John Fogarty, the lead singer, but I can't count that here. But everything else is good enough for #17 on the list.

Top 5 CCR Songs
1) "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
2) "Bad Moon Rising"
3) "Down on the Corner"
4) "Who'll Stop the Rain?"
5) "Proud Mary"

#18 - Queen

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a great song, or as I say, about 5 good songs combined into one. Very nice. "We Are the Champions" I also like, although that has to do with that song being played (for obvious reasons) when we won the state basketball title. All in all, I really like the top 2 songs, and the rest are still solid. Solid enough for #18 on the list.

Top 5 Queen Songs
1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
2) "Killer Queen"
3) "Fat-Bottomed Girls"
4) "Another One Bites the Dust"
4) "We Are the Champions"

#19 - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Their CD "Californication" was one of the first CD's I ever bought, along with an "Offspring" CD (we might see them later), so they hold a soft spot in my heart. As little as about 3 or 4 years ago, I would have said that these guys were my favorite band, and although now they have fallen to #19, they are still excellent.

Top 5 Red Hot Chili Peppers Songs
1) "Under the Bridge"
2) "Scar Tissue"
3) "Otherside"
4) "Soul to Squeeze"
5) "Californication"

#20 - Third Eye Blind

Very solid band, and I have to say, "Semi-Charmed Life" is one of my favorite songs ever. I don't like a ton of their songs, but quality over quantity for Third Eye Blind. In my book, at least.

Top 5 Third Eye Blind Songs
1) "Semi-Charmed Life"
2) "How's It Going to Be?"
3) "Deep Inside of You"
4) "Jumper"
5) "Never Let You Go"

Deja vu all over again

Well it happened again.

Last night the fire alarm in the dorms went off at about 2 AM, right when I was brushing my teeth. And once again, it was extremely cold outside.

That's 3 times the fire alarm was pulled in 2 nights.

College. Gotta love it!

#21 - The Killers

I like them more and more every time that I hear them, which is always a good sign. If I'd ever do this list again in the future they might get a higher spot. More of an alternative rock style. I still have no idea what the song "Somebody Told Me" means, so if anyone does, please let me know.

Top 5 The Killers Songs
1) "Under the Gun"
2) "Mr. Brightside"
3) "Jenny Was A Friend of Mine"
4) "Somebody Told Me"
5) "Smile Like You Mean It"

FIRE!!

Here was my night:

7:30 - 2:00 AM - Over at friends house watching movies.

2:30 AM - Arrive back at my dorm room. Go on the computer for a few minutes and listened to some music.

3:30 AM - Fall asleep for the first time.

4:00 AM - Fire alarm goes off, everyone has to go inside or their eardrums explode. It's about negative degrees outside.

4:10 AM - Go back inside, try to go to sleep. I make a comment about how it would kind of be funny for the fire alarms to go off again in like half an hour just to see everyone mad.

4:30 AM - Finally fall back asleep again. For the second time.

5:05 AM - Large, ear-piercing noise. Fire alarm goes off again. Still very, very cold, cold enough to basically wake me up.

5:20 AM - Finally go back inside again... but the cold has woken me up some. I go on the computer for a few minutes, then go lay in bed.

5:35ish AM - Fall back asleep for the third time... this time for the night.

College. Gotta love it!

#22 - Van Halen

I know they've had different singers, but I'm counting it all as one, and it doesn't gett too much better than Van Halen. The music's great, the guitar is great, and the hair is very big. Just an all-around great band.

Top 5 Van Halen Songs
1) "Dance the Night Away"
2) "Jamie's Cryin'"
3) "Panama"
4) "Right Now"
5) "Jump"

I chuckled

So I was looking through site stats, and I found that someone had found this site through a Yahoo search about "arabic oujia boards", which directed them to one of my first posts where I talked how it was strange that any story you hear about a oujia board they always reply in english, which I found funny. The lack of bilingual ghosts is a very real problem, I think!

Anyway, just wanted to share because I at least found it rather funny that that search topic led to this blog.

#23 - Barenaked Ladies

They're kind of a quirky band (as evidenced by their name, which is more than a little misleading). But maybe that's why I like them. They seem to really enjoy making their music (and the money helps, I'm sure!), but maybe I'm just blowing smoke here. Either way, they make it to #23 on the countdown.

Top 5 Barenaked Ladies Songs
1) "It's All Been Done"
2) "Another Postcard"
3) "One Week"
4) "Falling for the First Time"
5) "If I Had a Million Dollars"

Because not everything in life is music

Or in other words, I'll post something on my blog now that doesn't involve my top bands list.

I have 4 tests next week, which is not so fun. Criminology, Applied Calculus, Microeconomics, and Government. Should be exciting!

I should go have my car get jumped, because it's not starting. Pretty sad car, even though it has a little bit of an excuse since it's quite cold in North Dakota, in case you didn't know.

I already have accrued (is that the right word?) over $1 in interest for my ING account in like a little over a week, which would have taken like a year in my other bank account, so that's nice. However, sometime soon I'll make a payment on my student loan, so that's not fun.

I got called to jury duty, which would be really cool, except that I'm going to college 4 hours away. I sent the paper back to them saying this, but I'll probably try to give the court a call tomorrow to make sure. This would have been way cooler if it happened to me in the summer.

Got a couple more friends coming into town this weekend, so that should be fun. Combined with the Super Bowl on Sunday, it should be a nice little weekend. And the weekend after that is my birthday!

So uh yeah, talk to you later!

#24 - Pearl Jam

I actually had heard of these very early in my younger years because they were my sister's favorite band... she even had their name on her license plate. (though I think this had a lot to do with the fact that she had a crush on Eddie Vedder!) But then I started to listen to them more, and I began to like their music, hence they moved to #24 on the countdown.

Top 5 Pearl Jam Songs
1) "Better Man"
2) "Last Kiss"
3) "Evenflow"
4) "Alive"
5) "Daughter"

#25 - Green Day

Cracking the top 25 is Green Day, with the caveat that I hate the sing "American Idiot." Maybe I just played Madden too much, but it's awful. That said, I like a lot of other of their stuff (although "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is not one of my favorites), including the high school classic "Time of Your Life." So yeah.

Top 5 Green Day Songs
1) "Basket Case"
2) "When I Come Around"
3) "Welcome to Paradise"
4) "Holiday"
5) "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

#26 - Duran Duran

I never really took these guys seriously until last year, when I did a project in my Computer Graphics class that involved making a music video for the song "Hungry Like the Wolf." Then, I heard the song "What Happens Tomorrow" on the radio, and they began to grow on me (figuratively speaking). Today, they're up to #26 on the Countdown, despite being a little strange.

Top 5 Duran Duran Songs
1) "What Happens Tomorrow"
2) "Rio"
3) "The Reflex"
4) "Hungry Like the Wolf"
5) "Relax Don't Do It"

#27 - Steve Miller

While I was initially drawn in with "The Joker", that is not my favorite Steve Miller/Steve Miller Band song, as you'll see. Also another cool note, when I was flying to Europe, one of the songs that they had on the plane was "Abracadabra," and that became one of my favorites by Steve Miller. But enough babbling.

Top 5 Steve Miller Songs
1) "Take the Money and Run"
2) "Abracadabra"
3) "The Joker"
4) "Rock'n Me"
5) "Fly Like an Eagle"

#28 - Guns N' Roses

I'm a big fan, and "Sweet Child of Mine" is one of my favorite songs ever, so that's a point in their favor. Also, I'm counting "Live and Let Die" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" when I think of them, even though they didn't exactly write them. I like their guitar-playing, and I'm a fan of Axl Rose's singing.

Top 5 Guns N' Roses Song
1) "Sweet Child of Mine"
2) "Paradise City"
3) "Live and Let Die"
4) "Welcome to the Jungle"
5) "November Rain"

#29 - Blues Traveler

I didn't really hear much at all about them until about last year, but I like what I heard. They're sort of more of a blues-rock, and that sounds as good as anything. Anyway, I don't really have anything else to say about them.

Top 5 Blues Traveler Songs
1) "Hook"
2) "Run-Around"
3) "Crash Burn"
4) "But Anyway"
5) "100 Years"

#30 - Bon Jovi

AllMusic describes Bon Jovi as sort of a cross between Def Leppard and Bruce Springsteen, which I guess seems ok. Best known member is obviously Jon Bon Jovi, who I think still owns his own Arena Football team, which is cool. Formed in 1983, they are pretty much another hard rock group, much like #31 the Stone Temple Pilots.

Top 5 Bon Jovi Songs
1) "Livin' on a Prayer"
2) "You Give Love a Bad Name"
3) "Misunderstood"
4) "Runaway"
5) "It's My Life"

#31 - Stone Temple Pilots

Just barely making the list at #31 is the Stone Temple Pilots, a band I like. Their style is kind of a cross between alternative rock and hard rock, and they sound similar in many ways to Pearl Jam and Soundgarden (one of which we might be seeing later!) But nevertheless, I've always been a fan and liked their music.

Top 5 Stone Temple Pilots Songs
1) "Interstate Love Song"
2) "Creep"
3) "Sex Type Thing"
4) "Vasoline"
5) "Big Empty"

My 31 Favorite Bands

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I'm kind of a nerd, so I created a list here, a list of my 31 favorite bands, which I will go over in the coming weeks. I've been told my taste in music sucks, which I explored once upon a time, so this will either prove it or show that maybe it's ok. I guess we'll find out.

Why 31? Why not? Because I can. I'll also list my favorite 5 or so of each band's songs, and give a little explanation. Hope at least one person slightly enjoys this exercise!

I don't care if Monday's blue...

Mondays and Wednesdays are always the long day of the week for me. Here's how it goes:

9:01 - My alarm rings for the first time.
9:20 - I actually get out of bed. Then I shower and put my contacts in.
9:55 - Leave for my Microeconomics class that starts at 10.
11:00 - My Tech. and Business Writing class starts.
12:00 - My Applied Calculus class begins. And as you can guess, this class sucks, because math sucks.
12:50 - Eat lunch, which usually involves some sort of chicken, and of course, Mr. Pibb.
1:15 - Usually about the time I get done eating, and I go to the computer lab for a few minutes.
1:30 - I start up work at the Library. Work usually consists of things such as shelving a few books, maybe straightening some things, and then surfing the internet, usually checking out ESPN, SI, and Yahoo Finance, among other things.
4:30 - Get off work, and just mess around for a few minutes.
5:00 - Start my Criminology class, which today we watched a pretty interesting film on Enron. Very cool.
6:15 - Class ends, and I usually eat supper.
6:45 - Done with supper, I head back to my dorms for the night, where I usually watch TV, play nintendo, surf the internet, or take a nap.
1:00ish - Somewhere around this time I go to bed, because on Tuesdays I have to work at 9. :(

And this, friends, is a nutshell of my Mondays!

Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting

Good, fun weekend for me. Let's go over it:

- Friday night I got done with work at about the time a couple of guys I knew were coming into town. We ate supper, then went to a hockey game, which was a fun time.

- After that, we went and ate again, and then stopped by some strange party at an apartment over a store called L.A. Suits, which was kinda creepy.

- Saturday morning my sisters and a couple of cousins came into town, and we just sort of hung out, ate, went shopping(!), etc. all day, which was good. Then they were staying at a hotel with 5 hot tubs, so that was a good time.

- Sleeping on an air mattress in a cold hotel room = not very fun. For future reference.

- We went out to eat this morning, and then they skipped town. I basically sat around all day, ate at Sbarro's for supper, and now here I am.

A pretty good weekend, I must say!

Too bad classes start again tomorrow. :(

Am I a nerd?

I think I am. But that's ok.

I mean, sure I think I'm a fairly cool guy, I can get a few people to chuckle occassionally, and gosh darnit, people like me! But now I find more and more of my characteristics would classify me as a nerd. For example:

- Unlike about 95% of the people that go to college with me, I don't drink. I mean, I could easily, but I just don't want to.
- I actually go to all of my classes. Foreign concept, I know.
- I don't mind a day sitting around and doing nothing.
- I make lists such as this one.
- I wear coke-bottle glasses.

Ok, I made the last one up. But really, I seem to be displaying more and more 'nerdy' characteristics. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Want to play a little poker?

The deal is, I've kind of wanted to play poker online for real money for a while now, but there were a couple things that held me back.

1) I'm cheap, or as I like to say, frugal.
2) I didn't know if I was any good.

To make a long story short, I found this site, which was really good. After a few days, I received my $75, and once I got to 500 hands, I got another $25.

And well, this confirmed my suspicious that I'm not very good at poker. I cashed out today with about $70.50, so while I "lost" a decent amount, it didn't cost me anything, so I win overall. And I could use a little extra cash to pay off student loans!

So anyway, you should sign up, and tell them reedos1 referred you!

What I've been up to lately...

Well, I find myself to be more interested in financial things lately, such as:

- Started up an account at ING
- My IRA is going now, so I'm following that (probably more closely than I should!)
- I've signed up for a couple of Paid Survey sites, which hopefully will eventually net a couple of bucks
- I have pretty much decided I will major in Financial Management in addition to Marketing
- I'm reading the book "Bogle on Mutual Funds..."
- I'm thinking of starting up an account on T. Rowe Price with a little change
- I pretty much spend a lot of my time at work reading up on investing and other financial stuff
- When I get bored, I tend to read a few financial blogs

Among other things. Some might call me a nerd, and it's hard to disagree!

Cobra Kai... never die!

Got to be the coolest slogan ever.

If you haven't seen Karate Kid 1, 2, or 3 (don't get the next Karate Kid!) do yourself a favor and go rent them, and watch them.

Until then, wax on, wax off.

RIP Pat Morita.

What should I be when I grow up?

This is a question I've asked myself a lot, and still don't really have an answer. I mean, I have a general idea of what I want to do, but I don't know anything specific. But I've been told this is typical.

Coming out of high school, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do. Completely undecided. Fortunately, I have now begun to get an idea of what to major in at least. Originally, I was thinking I wanted to major in Marketing and Criminal Justice and minor in Spanish... but now, I'm not sure. I like Criminal Justice and I find all of the subject matter interesting, but I don't think I'd make a career out of it.

Hence, my plan right now is to major in Marketing and Finance, with a minor in Economics and maybe Criminal Justice. Why Finance instead of Criminal Justice? Well, I think I'd have a better shot at a good career with Finance, and plus I've been really interested in it for a while. It started up when I started a Roth IRA, and since then I've done a lot more reading and research, and am currently reading Bogle on Mutual Funds, and am thinking of investing some in mutual funds in the near future. So that's exciting.

Of course, I have no idea what I would like to do after getting an Undergrad degree... maybe try for an MBA, maybe go work. I really have no clue about that. Luckily, I've got about 3 1/2 years before I have to decide.

What would you do with a drunken sailor?

early in the morning?

Anyway, I just wanted to post some of my random thoughts that I have written on people's Facebook walls in the past few weeks. Most of these have come late at night, when I am tired, bored, and not really thinking straight. As you will be able to tell.

sorry jenny, you got me all riled up now. and when i get riled up, i can't help but talk about some of the shortcomings of the late, great, saved by the bell. namely, the fact that zack and ac are such good friends with screech. c'mon, screech is a big nerd, zack and ac are the most popular guys in school. this is not realistic. and then, there's the saved by the bell episodes when they're in college. and i'll be honest, i'm jealous of them. not only did they go to high school with kelly kapowski, but they are all three living in the same dorm room, and across the living room (a living room in the dorm? i wish i was lying) are three girls. not only are they in a huge room that has a living room outside of it, they share that living room with three girls. where do the creators of the show get this stuff? how do they have the audacity to put this on the air and expect me to keep quiet about it. i will not, i cannot hold it in any longer. saved by the bell was the greatest show ever created, but these inconsistencies are very inconsistent. or something like that. and do not even get me started on saved by the bell the new class. i have just decided to pretend that never existed. what an awful, awful show. and while we're talking about awful things, how about the play romeo and juliet. great play, but awful in the sense that it is a heartbreaking story that all stems from the fact that the capulets and montagues could not get along. a rose by any other name would indeed smell as sweet, which is what is so infuriating about these two "families." put this through your thick skulls capulets and montagues, you killed your kids. yes, they acted very immaturely and irrationally, but it all stemmed from the actions of the families, so yes, capulets and montagues, i do bite my thumb at you. in fact, i bite both thumbs at you, because this cannot go on. the families have gotten a free ride for far too long, and it is time for that to change. as bob marley said, i can see clearly now, as no longer are my eyes blurred from the tears of romeo and juliet's death, which did not need to happen. but soft, what light through yonder window breaks? for it is the east and juliet is the sun. RIP romeo and juliet.

you know what else is precious? porcelain china. but not so much the country china. i'll be honest, i've never been there, and i probably never will be there. it just doesn't appeal to me. neither does poetry. i just don't get it. you got something to say, say it. don't write it out in rhymes. same thing for the opera. again, if they have something to say, they should just say it instead of singing it in high voices. some might say i'm just not cultured enough to appreciate poetry or the opera, but i think i just like being forthcoming, something that prose and regular conversation offers. and speaking of offers, spam sucks. i'm a much bigger fan of turkey or bologna. the sandwich was a good invention. whoever thought of putting a soup and sanwich together in one meal, well, that's just genius. genius that is not so dissimilar to the head nod. i like the head nod. i like what it stands for. "i don't want to talk to you, you don't want to talk to me, but well, i'll at least acknoledge you." it's really the polite way to be impolite, and i like that. of course, the head nod is not overly forthcoming, which would seem to directly contradict what i said earlier. and maybe it does. and maybe that's why the head nod is so much like poetry. they both have a deeper meaning. the opera, however, i don't believe really has a deeper meaning. or maybe it does and i'm just not seeing it. your thoughts? what could be the deeper meaning about guys running around in tight pants and singing alto? or do they not wear tight pants? now i'm confused. sorry for rambling, it's late. please forgive me. but just remember, the head nod is like poetry, but not like the opera.

(ps look at my new interests. well, they've always been my interests, but now i just put them down. after all, i can't put all my interests down in that space, just a select few. think of if i did put every single interest i have into that space. there would be mayhem or possibly even carnage. well, maybe not. i'm probably exaggerating. or using hyperbole. which is a strange word, when you think about it. now that i've got you thinking, how did jonah get swalled by a whale? has this ever happened to anyone else in the history of the world? i doubt it. that'd be a nice feat. you know what else would be a nice feat? discovering an element. you really have to be on the top of your scientific game to discover an element. but you know what's not cool? discovering an element and then naming it something stupid like californium. what an awful name. if you discovered an element, what would you name it? if you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself? i know i would, and i'd wash it down with a cold budweiser. you know what happens to ross when he drinks too much? well, yes you do, no need for me to go over it here. you ever been in a turkish prison? do you like movies with gladiators? and speaking of gladiators, what a strange life they had to live. i imagine that if you were a gladiator, it would be hard to have emotional security. you'd always be fighting for your life. literally. now THAT'S a tough life. and that's all i have to say about that)

i like to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. to use a cliche, i like to look at the bright side of life. try new things. the grass is indeed greener on the other side. in my book, laughter is the best medicine. live and learn, i say, because if not you're between a rock and a hard place. and if you get confused, remember, there is harmony is disharmony. i'm not a big fan of cliches, but just know that every rose has its thorn, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. because time will tell, that when your ship comes sailing in, and when God gives you lemons, you make lemonade. after all, such is life, and it's getting sucher and sucher. to use a bad cliche, i used to think i had it bad because i had no shoes, then i met a man with no feet. because at the end of the day, life sucks, and then we die. because well, when it rains it pours, and when the pony dies, the ride is over. c'est la vie. i'll close with a cliche. no pain, no gain. just remember that george.

Well uh, I was meaning to write more, but I've been busy and have had some computer problems. But since I'm here, I have to tell you that I think E.L. Fudge is probably the most underrated cookie, with Oreo being the most overrated. Yes, Oreo's are good, but they are not the cookie to end all cookies. E.L. Fudge doesn't get enough press. And speaking of cool things, the gorilla is the coolest animal, bar none. And Art Vandelay is the coolest fake name ever, with a latex salesman as the coolest fake job ever. (George Costanza) How much wood could Chuck Woolery cut if Chuck Woolery could chuck wood? That's what I want to know. You know what else I want to know? Who had the idea for Saved by the Bell The New Class? I will not rest until that man is fired. Big money big money no whammy no whammy! Did you know Woodrow Wilson's first name was Thomas? I bet not, not enough people do. And that's an injustice that's needs to be rectified.

Heh, that is humorous, and you can take that to the bank. And speaking of banks, I agree with Bob Hope when he said, "A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it." I thought that was clever, and not ignorant at all. But speaking of ignorant, here's what the former Utah Jazz President Frank Layden said about one of his players, "I told him, 'Son, what is it with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.' " But at the end of the day George, I just want to be treated with respect, much like Torrin Polk, a former University of Houston WR was by his coach. He said, ""He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings."

And while we're on the subject, how long do you think it was before Rip Van Winkle slept again. I mean, after you sleep for 20 straight years, do you just go to bed the next night like nothing happened? Wouldn't sleeping for 20 straight years throw your circadian rhythm way off? Wouldn't you always be a little leery about taking a nap after your last nap resulted in a 20 year hibernation? Would he set his alarm like 5 times to make sure he wakes up? Would he just have someone else make sure to wake him up? How hungry would you be after sleeping for 20 straight years? Anyway, I could go on for hours with Rip Van Winkle questions, but I'll stop here.

how you doing? better than the ozone layer, i hope. take it easy. or hard. whichever you prefer. it's all about your convenience. just like convenience stores. why do they put locks on 24 convenience stores? why is the sky blue? we may never know. well, some people probably will. you might know. i probably won't. and i'm ok with that. ignorance is bliss.

Please don't think less of me.

"Roll that beautiful bean footage"

My favorite non-Sportscenter commercial of all-time has to be the old commerical for Bush's Baked Beans.

It's basically the creator of Bush's Baked Beans talking about how he created a secret recipe for his beans, and "I've only told one other soul and he's not telling."

Then they cut to the dog who says, "Roll that beautiful bean footage."

It doesn't sound funny at all, but it''s great. Something about a dog talking about rolling about some footage of a bean recipe. Great hilarity.

Words/Phrases I Like/Use

I find myself repeating things sometimes, which is sometimes not such a bad thing. In this case, it's not a bad thing. And better yet, I've whittled the list down to the coolest words/phrases that I use or like. So without further ado:

"That's pretty specific" - When I ask someone about the time they are doing something, the time something is happening, etc. and they respond with something like "7:30/8". It makes sense when you verbalize it.

"While you're thinking about that think about this" - This was said by Lt. Bookman (pictured) on the Seinfeld episode The Library. Really, I thought every single line of his was pretty funny, so I'll just give the highlights.

"Yeah, '71. That was my first year on the job.. Bad year for libraries. Bad year for America. Hippies burning library cards, Abby Hoffman telling everybody to steal books. I don't judge a man by the length of his hair or the kind of music he listens to. Rock was never my bag. But you put on a pair of shoes when you walk into the New York Public Library, fella."

"Well, let me tell you something, funny boy. Y'know that little stamp, the one that says "New York Public Library"? Well that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole hell of a lot. Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before: Flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, 'What's this guy making such a big stink about old library books?' Well, let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me. Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world, but what about that kid, sitting down, opening a book, right now, in a branch at the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees on the Cat in the Hat and the Five Chinese Brothers? Doesn't HE deserve better? Look. If you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped! (Pauses) Or, maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld; maybe that's how y'get your kicks. You and your good-time buddies.. Well I got a flash for ya, joy-boy: Party time is over. Y'got seven days, Seinfeld. That is one week!"

"I remember when the librarian was a much older woman: Kindly, discreet, unattractive. We didn't know anything about her private life.. We didn't want to know anything about her private life. She didn't have a private life. While you're thinking about that, think about this: The library closes at five o'clock, no exceptions. This is your final warning. Got that, kewpie-doll?"

Juxtaposition - I think I've only really been able to use it once, but it's just a cool word.

"Big money big money no whammy no whammy!" - Popularized by the gameshow Press Your Luck. Usage should be obvious.

"I can neither confirm nor deny" - When someone asks me a simple question where the answer is obviously yes, but it would incriminate me or make me look bad, I usually go with this. It's basically a yes, but it sounds cooler.

"Choir Boy" or "Nancy Boy" - I call people these names on occasion. Part of it stems from the soundbite of Ahnold saying, "You're a ****** choir boy to me, a choir boy!" But it sounds way funnier when he says than when I say it.

"You can take it to the proverbial bank"/"You can bet the proverbial house" - because we know you're not really taking anything to the bank.

"I heard it through the grapevine" - If you are saying something that may or may not be true, but you don't want to reveal where you heard it, well, you heard it through the grapevine.

"I really doubt the sincerity of that" - If someone does something, and then says "sorry" when they are obviously not, this quote works well to get the upper hand.

So there you have it, some cool phrases that I give you full permission to use. If you have any to contribute, just drop off a comment, and I'll see if it's good or not.

Second Semester Classes

My first day of my second semester of college started yesterday, and with 18 credits and a part-time job, it promises to be a busy one. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too difficult. Let's take a look at my classes.

Criminology - This one seems like an interesting class, and the teacher seems pretty cool too. The tests are mutliple choice and True/Flase, and I'm not overly confident with T/F questions, so that worries me a bit. But still, it should be a fun class.

Juvenile Delinquency - About the same as Criminology, it seems interesting. Only difference is that there are essays on the test, and that can be a good or bad thing depending on how hard they are graded. Along with Criminology, I think this will be my other class that I like and find to be interesting.

U.S. Government - Eh. This shouldn't be a terrible class, but I'm not totally interested in politics, which it seems like this course will have a lot to do with. Hopefully it shouldn't be too hard and fairly interesting, but I'm not super optimistic at this point.

Microeconomics - I haven't had this class yet, so I don't know exactly what to expect. But I have heard that this class is not too bad, and while it doesn't exactly sound stimulating, this shouldn't be awful.

Technical and Business Writing - Haven't had this class either, but it just sounds incredibly boring. I think it will be pretty easy, but very boring. Not looking forward to this.

Applied Calculus - I've heard some people say it is really easy, and I've heard some people say it was really hard. Either way, it's Math, and Math sucks.

So anyway, these classes, combined with my job, will about be my life for the next 4-5 months. Though I doubt you feel any sympathy.

Financial Stuff & Other Things

Ok now, as I mentioned somewhere before, I started up a Roth IRA last week.

This is good, I think. Even though I wasn't really able to put a lot in, over the long haul (read: a lot of years), I think this is a good start as long as I am able to put some more money in on a fairly consistent basis. Also, this has kind of got me interested in this business and money stuff. I'm not ready to do anything yet, but I think sometime in the future I might try my hand at investing in the stock market a little. I'm not nearly knowledgeable about any of this as of right now, but I hope I will be eventually.

Now, I also want to inform you about a cool new blog I started, called Complete Sports. Since I'm a college guy and I stay up late, I have some free time before I go to bed, which should help me able to keep up with that blog and this blog. That one will obviously be all about sports topics, while this will be more about me and non-related stuff, as well as a little sports. So you get the best of both worlds! So check it out: Complete Sports.

Out with the old, in with the new!

Or in this case, goodbye Mike Tice, hello Brad Childress!

Now I'll be the first to admit, from purely a looks standpoint, Mike Tice looks like the better head coach. He looks tougher, and he looks like a football guy. From a looks standpoint, Brad Childress looks like a real estate guy. (no offense to real estate guys!)

However, I'm very much excited by this. For one, as much as I believe that Mike Tice is a very nice guy, he was an awful coach in my opionion (more on that later). And from everything I have heard, Brad Childress is a smart guy, players like him (T.O. notwithstanding), and did I mention he's smart and pays attention to detail?

But first, let's look at Mike Tice's underachieving tenure.

1) Annoucing the "Randy Ratio", which basically said the Vikings would trow 40% of their passes to Randy Moss. While I think Moss is the best talent in the NFL, announcing your plans and putting extra pressure on the QB in not so good, I think.

2) Countless boneheaded 4th down calls as well as bad clock management.

3) More boneheaded moves, such as when to challenge plays and when not to. And then incorrectly interpretting the referee's decisions.

4) The RB Roulette. I think Tice used a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game to decide the week's starting RB. Mewelde Moore's been the most consistent RB over the past two years. But he can make one mental mistake and Tice will put him (this applies to other RB as well) in the doghouse for weeks, where he will barely if at all play them. I've seen it happen. I've also seen Mewelde Moore be healthy enough to return punts, but not healthy enough to get at least 1 carry. I wish I was lying.

5) His seeming insistence on not improving the Special Teams before this year. Gary Anderson to Aaron Elling to Morten Anderson. With Darren Bennett as the Punter, and awful coverage. Special Teams was painful to watch. This year, there's actually a decent punter and kicker, two great return men, and some solid coverage, and it has helped win ballgames, especially the NY Giant game.

6) Other stuff, especially dealing with the O-Line, and some off-the-field incidents. But they're pretty obvious.

Don't get me wrong, from everything I have seen and heard, Tice is a great guy. In time, I think he might be a decent head coach. But he was hired by Red McCombs specifically because he was cheap, and he was just not ready to be a head coach. In my opinion.

Now on to Childress, who I am very excited about. He sounds like he is very meticulous, reportedly taking lots and lots of notes about everything and keeping all of them for reference. I haven't heard a bad word from any Eagle about him (although granted it's rare for someone to actually say a bunch of bad things about a departing coach). From reading interviews, he seems to have a good idea of where to go for the staff, how to fit the personnel into his offensive scheme and adapt when necessary, and this gets me very excited. Heck, the Vikings season has only been over for a week, and I'm pumped for next year!

I predict Division Title!!

In the end, I also want to thank this man, who has been great for the Vikings.

My Christmas Break...

Well it's been a long, nice one. 3 weeks of laying around, staying up late, sleeping in late, living the good life. I went to some basketball games, hung out with some friends, and hung out with family. And that was my break.

I had a nice Christmas. I got some Seinfeld DVD's, a pre-order for OOTP 2006, and some money, which was nice, and will come in handy when I buy my books for next semester (which I'm not looking forward to!)

Sadly though, it's all about to come to an end. I start back with school on Monday, taking 18 credits, working part-time, and having decidedly less time to be lazy. I'll be going back to town on Sunday or Monday, and I think I have a class Monday night, I have to take a Spanish test sometime, and I have to go talk to my boss about work. So I'm not looking foward to this. But I do look forward to what should hopefully be another good semester!

Until next time, bye!

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

Well the south side of chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named leroy brown

Now leroy more than trouble
You see he stand ’bout six foot four
All the downtown ladies call him treetop lover
All the mens just call him sir

And it’s bad, bad leroy brown
The baddest man in the whole damn town
Badder than old king kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Now leroy he a gambler
And he like his fancy clothes
And he like to wave his diamond rings
In front of everybody’s nose
He got a custom continental
He got an eldorado too
He got a 32 gun in his pocket for fun
He got a razor in his shoe

And it’s bad, bad leroy brown
The baddest man in the whole damn town
Badder than old king kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well friday bout a week ago
Leroy shootin’ dice
And at the edge of the bar
Sat a girl named doris
And ooh that girl looked nice
Well he cast his eyes upon her
And the trouble soon began
And leroy brown learned a lesson
’bout messin’ with the wife of a jealous man

And it’s bad, bad leroy brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old king kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog,

Well the two men took to fightin’
And when they pulled them from the floor
Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle
With a couple of pieces gone

And it’s bad, bad leroy brown
The baddest man in the whole damn town
Badder than old king kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog


Still on Christmas break for a few more days!!