Yeah!!

Watch this and tell me it's not totally awesome!

Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas

After reading the very creative title of this post, chances are that you know precisely what I will be talking about here. I think this is a pretty big deal.

Have you noticed that people say "Happy Holidays" more and more. It doesn't bother me when they are referencing Christmas and New Years all at once...I understand that they are wishing me "happy holidays", literally both holidays.

What makes me laugh is when they purposefully don't say "Christmas". Am I old fashioned for still celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ Himself on Christmas Day? We are celebrating Christmas, right?

I understand that some people celebrate Hanukah or Kwanzaa, so they are excused. In all reality, most of us are celebrating Christmas. At least we are supposed to be. This year I feel like I am celebrating some vague holiday where we spread cheer and give gifts.

Before you think I'm some right wing religious nut (of course, maybe I am...who knows?) I have to make my little disclaimer. While there are some things that really make me mad, this is not one of them. I just think it's hilarious.

Here are the top ten ways you sound retarded when you say "holiday":

10) Holiday Caroling is absurd. I have never seen people Kwanzaa caroling.

9) Holiday Lights...are you kidding me? Red and green lights + Santa + reindeer = HOLIDAY lights?

8) Holiday Gift Wrapping. I saw this sign in our local mall and laughed. They will wrap your holiday gifts for a donation to some charity. I'm curious where they were on Easter, because that is also a holiday and I needed to wrap some gifts.

7) Holiday Cheer- Even Elf got this one right. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear". I am certain he was talking about spreading excitement for New Year's. I also saw this on a sign at the mall.

6) Holiday Ornaments- Last time I checked, we put these ornaments on a CHRISTMAS tree. At least I thought so. Look at #4.

5) The "Holiday" Character- I heard this on a radio station that is pretty good at coming up with creative holiday usages. I am fairly sure they were referencing Santa Claus, but it might be the Easter Bunny.

4) Holiday Trees- Fir trees with lights and holiday ornaments. Are we seriously calling them holiday trees?

3) Holiday Eve- A small shop on the main street of Hometown is offering a special deal to anyone who comes in to purchase last minute gifts on "Holiday Eve". This gets a special award for not referring to the "Holidays" but instead to Christmas as THE Holiday.

Numbers two and one go to a radio station that has never been a huge fan of saying Merry Christmas (or anything remotely similar). Their little sign-off is now "...and have a festive and happy holiday gift giving experience next Friday."

:)

The Perils of College PE

I finished all of my finals today. Or at least most of them.

See, I have this sad history of getting screwed on finals schedule. For example, in high school I got to take physics AND anatomy back to back. Separately, I also got to take AP Bio and a huge US history final.

So today I got to take MacroEconomics, Chemistry, and the PED all the same day.

Let me talk about this PED class.

1) I find it ridiculous that I am paying (kind of) to take a PE class in college. After running for years and years, I think I have a decently healthy lifestyle. I don't smoke, I don't drink, and I don't do drugs, so the majority of this class is not applicable to me at all.

2) The tests (yes we have tests) are also ridiculous. Example question:

True or False: 2 oz of Bacardi White Rum Proof 141 is 85.5% alcohol.

We never talked about anything even remotely similar to this!! Ever! Second example question:

Steve visits a fitness facility. After talking to the manager, trying some machines, meeting the trainers, and touring the facility, he decides not to join. What was the reason he most likely did not join?

A) The equipment was 3+ years old.

B) The membership dues were $25 a month

C) The gym was 15 minutes from his home.

D) Something about the training of gym workers.

(I put D)

3- "Exercising"

I don't think that walking a mile counts as exercise. I don't think doing 20 minutes of light jogging counts as a cardio workout. I also don't find sit up tests to be strenous. The first day when we had to go do cardio I ran six miles around the track and they thought I was nuts....but at least I actually got a workout.

4- "Labs"

Since I take lots of science courses, I have a different idea of a lab. A PE lab is when we do this stupid worksheet on how we are going to change our lifestyles to stop smoking, drinking, etc. They are so pointless, and I think that even if I did drink these worksheets would do nothing to help me.

And lastly, I feel the need to leave you with this story:

As I was sitting in our massive library computer lab studying, a girl came in and took the computer next to me. She stared at the screen intently for about fifteen seconds, then started poking at it with her finger. She gave up, turned to me, and says:

"Wait a second...are these not touch screen?"

Epic fail.

That's all for today!

Finally...

Hey everyone,

I intend for this post to be brief so that I can go to bed (and go to class early tomorrow morning). We'll see how well I do...

This morning I enjoyed a brisk walk to class. It was a balmy 14 degrees outside, and wind chill brought it down to -2 degrees. Negative degrees are very bad, in my professional opinion. In fact, anything below about 50 is not desirable unless I am near a fire, hot chocolate, my girlfriend, and a Christmas movie.

ADD Moment: Kudos to you if you know the temperature at which the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales meet. Don't google it. If you don't know, check the bottom of this post.

So this morning on the way to my class in the near Arctic conditions I had a unique experience.

Since I sleep until the last possible second before falling out of my top bunk, dashing to the shower, putting on as many clothes as possible to stay warm, and trekking to class (bike doesn't ride well in ice) I usually am in a hurry in the morning. Consequently I don't dry off after my shower quite as well as I should.

And this morning my hair froze.

I have very thick hair on my head. Since I didn't dry it or have a stocking cap to place on my noggin (my GF loves that word) my hair froze in a solid block of ice on top of my head that provided economics class with entertainment all hour. As it melted it would run ice cold water down my neck and into my shirt. Mmmhhmm....so awesome!

In my last freshman seminar class of the semester (praise God!) we had to write down some of the things we have learned in our first semester of college. I will end by including my list for your pleasure: what I really learned in college.

1-If the temperature is below 32 degrees, dry your hair, because otherwise it will freeze.

2- Never eat a chocolate chip cookie in the dining hall. If you do, you will become addicted and have to eat one every time you go.

3-Buy a bike to ride around campus because it saves major time. Do NOT ride the bike in the rain until you are ABSOLUTELY certain the brakes will work in the rain.

4- During your senior year of high school, come up with a good login name and password to use for the six different internet accounts you must open for your classes in college. Use it for everything and write it down so you don't forget it.

5- If you are female, you have the advantage of wearing rain boots when it rains. Buy yourself (or have someone else buy them for you) a great pair of rain boots. If you are male, go to Wal Mart and buy lots of socks.

6-If you want to actually do something productive, get as far away as you can from anything called Facebook, blogging, the internet, or your room mate trying to beat you at Super Smash Bros. Translation: try to go to the library, a coffee shop, or some study room somewhere.

7- If you must walk to class, don't necessarily follow the sidewalks. The diagonals are much faster. If you do this, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you don't do this, people like me are the reason that there are tracks of dead grass that crisscross the middle area of your campus.

That's all for tonight.

Adios.

P.S.

-40 degrees F/C

Same thing.

The Last Monk

For those of you who weren't aware, USA aired its last episode of Monk last Friday night. I won't tell you what happened (yet) but I do want to talk a little bit about TV and shows in general.

First important fact: I don't watch TV. Growing up, I can remember watching the first couple seasons of Survivor, the Super Bowl, and the Olympics. I guess I spent more time doing other things and never just sat down to watch TV.

Second Important Fact: I tend to have a very pessimistic view of TV in general. I know people that spend lots of time watching TV, and I just think that all of that time could have been much better spent doing anything else that would have been remotely productive. On top of that, I believe so much of what is on television today is total garbage and not even worth watching. I just think the value of TV has rotted away to almost nothing.

This trend has continued today. The only thing I watch with any degree of regularity is Monday Night Football (and that's only like every other week). Then I started dating my GF about two years ago. They were crazy about this show called Monk, and I ended up enjoying it a lot too.

Monk is clever. He is charming. He is simple yet brilliant, kind and honest. I will not go over his entire story, just the show in general. I enjoy solving the mysteries before Monk does (I'm pretty good at it too). The trick to Monk is that everything that happens in the first 10 minutes is super important.

MAJOR MAJOR SPOILER!! DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT IF YOU DON'T WANT THE END OF THE STORY RUINED! I AM VERY VERY SERIOUS!

.

.

.

I guessed the end right. I told my GF before the last episode that Trudy was killed because of an affair with the judge, that there was a child, and that the poison was in Monk's wipes (or maybe mouthwash).

Despite having a great idea of how the series would end, the finale exceeded all of my expectations. Monk found his stepdaughter and he is now able to find a little bit of Trudy in his life. His OCD has relaxed and has allowed him to live a semi-normal life, without sacrificing his gift for solving crimes. Randy Disher, my favorite character, was promoted and got together with Sharona (definitely didn't expect that).


END OF THE SPOILER!

Monk was truly a great television series. It was simultaneously witty, inspiring, serious, and clever. It stayed clean and family friendly. It had an original plot line and good acting.

Thanks, Mr. Monk, for showing me that there were some good things on television. Thanks for making me life and cry and enjoy every minute of your show. Thanks for keeping me guessing, then telling me what happened.

Picture comes from infobarrel.com

Is This Higher Education?

Hey Everyone!

You may have noticed that this is my second post in one night. If you did, congratulations on being observant. If you didn't notice, that's ok too :)

Note: I did NOT type both of these posts tonight. They were each drafts that I worked on for little bits of time over the weekend, which was slightly crazy. I am taking a little bit of time to polish both of these up and get them posted.

I wanted to post this blog on some observations I have about college. Remember, I am a total college rookie (almost one semester done) but I am starting to see some problems with the whole higher education system in general.

1) Plus / Minus Grading System-

This will be the bane of my GPA this semester. Anything beneath a 94% is considered an A- and only gets a 3.7 GPA. I believe I have two classes above the 94 mark. The rest are right in between 90-94. Essentially, the plus/minus system just screwed everyone who was going to get an A by giving them a fake A and penalizing our effort. Note that there is not an A+, only an A-. There is a B+,C+,D+, and I think there might even be an F+.

As an A student, I hate this system. I understand that this will likely help people who would have had all C's now have a C+ instead. That doesn't seem like a fair trade off to me. Those who work the hardest are being penalized, while those that don't work as hard are catching a break. What is the benefit to this system?


2) Academic Liberty-

This is what the University gives the professors to let them teach classes how they think is best for the students. What really happens is that students began picking teachers instead of classes.

Let me give you an example of this. As a Pre-Med student, I am taking Chem 1 this semester. Much like every Chem 1 student across the country, I pack into a crowded lecture hall every week and learn essentially the same concepts.

My professor makes us take quizzes online and open book. We get up to four tries to take these quizzes, and our last score counts. Also, he divides our quiz grade by .85 at the end of the semester, giving us a 15% boost (basically). He also drops our lowest exam grade.

Another chem professor on campus gives random reading quizzes that are nearly impossible, writes terrible exams, and can't stay on topic when lecturing.

I will most likely get an A in my chemistry class, but I might not have if I would have taken the other course. Now extrapolate this to every Chem 1 class in the U.S and we have such a wide range of teaching styles, grading rubrics, and other factors that it would be very difficult to say who a better student is based on their grades. Someone who gets a B in a harder class may very well be a better student than me, even though I got an A in my class.

Now for Pre-Meds, the MCAT is a standardized way to judge science proficiency.

3) Not Equipping Students for Success

I went to college expecting that they would actually remotely care about my success in school. I am (sorta) paying a large sum of money and spending four years of my life on this campus, and I think that they need to make sure they have the right facilities and resources available for their students to succeed.

NASCAR pit crews don't send their drivers out with flat tires.
Thomas Kinkade doesn't start painting with his fingers.
Tiger Woods doesn't use any random golf club.
Football players don't go onto the field without pads or helmets.

You get the idea.

So why doesn't our campus have a Chic Fil A on it anywhere? Nearly 20,000 college students are being deprived of basic daily needs (although some may not have realized that they need CFA) and are suffering. We are forced to commute for nearly 20 minutes to the nearest CFA, and consequently we can't go more than once a week (twice if we are lucky).

My BSTC (Blood Sweet Tea Content) has gone waaaaay down this semester, which causes me to be less satisfied, more stressed, and less productive. If the college truly cared about our needs, they would bring CFA to the student union.

If you just read all that and think I am a total nut, you probably aren't far off. Don't worry, I'm not actually that crazy about CFA, but it sure would be great if we had one on campus.

All the same..doesn't this look awesome?



Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Adios

P.S. Thanks to chickfila.com for the pictures

NFL Week 13 Preview

Hey everyone,

Something that I enjoy is being right. I guess this goes for lots of people, but I really enjoy being correct. Maybe I get it from my dad, or maybe that's just the way I am. Anyways, I saw some guys talking about this weekends games and making bets and stuff, so I decided to try my hand at selecting the winning team for this weekend. I didn't get into the whole point margin thing, I just picked who I thought would in.

The NFL season is starting to reach its close. Playoffs are drawing near. Indianapolis has already clinched its spot in the playoffs, and many other teams are getting close. The hunt for the wild card is in full swing. Here are my predictions for Sunday's games.

Disclaimer: As a Charger's fan, it is always my view that the Chargers will beat whoever they play, the Broncos should probably lose, the Chiefs stink, and Oakland hardly passes for a footballl team (if you watched JeMarcus Russell this season you know that he doesn't pass at all).

Also note that I predicted all 15 games that will happen. I didn't pick the easy 10 like other guys on my floor do, so it will be tougher for me to get all of mine right because I had to do the Texans Jaguars game.

EDIT: The Patriots were definitely upset by the Dolphins, which sorta messed me up. The Steelers continued failing by losing to the Raiders (truly pitiful). I don't have the last couple games yet, but will update them when I can. So far I have nine right out of eleven. I got the Texans game right too ;)

Titans vs Colts [Correct]

This is supposed to be the big game this week. Yes the Titans have won a bunch of games in a row. I am sure it will be a great game, but the Colts (aka Peyton Manning) are coming off a HUGE win over the PATRIOTS on Monday Night Football. They also happen to be undefeated. Just saying...I will say this now, because the Titans are full of surprises, that I am uncertain in this pick. I may have to stick my foot in my mouth on Monday.

Raiders vs. Steelers Wrong: 27-24.

The Chiefs may have beat the Steelers (lucky), but Big Ben is back this week (and the Raiders stink. Sorry for being redundant).

Vikings vs Cardinals [Wrong]

Brett Farve is playing great for an old guy. I love Kurt Warner and what he can do, but I don't know if its enough to stop Minnesota.

Chargers vs Browns [Correct]

I always think the Chargers will win. But really, let's be honest. Chargers have won six straight and have a potent offense. Browns have averaged 11 points a game total.

Eagles vs the Falcons [Correct]

The Eagles are down some key players (Shaun Alexander) to injury, but should still get by the Falcons. Did you hear...Michael Vick is going back to Atlanta as an Eagle? That's like Brett Farve playing as a Viking. That would never happen! O wait...

Bucs vs Panthers [Correct]

The Buccaneers have been lackluster all season, and Carolina hasn't. That's all.

Rams vs Bears [Correct]

The Rams have not been playing well all season (except a near upset of the Saints a while back) and the Bears will most likely grind them down.

Broncos vs the Chiefs [Correct]

The Broncos are in a late season death spiral after starting 6-0. The Chiefs are also pretty terrible. Just for the record, I go against all statisticians picking this because the Broncos are 1-12 when they play Kansas City in December. I hope the Chiefs win, but I can't see it happening.

Lions vs Bengals [Correct]

The Cincinnati Bungles have surprised me, and the will rip the Lions to shreds.

Saints vs Redskins [Correct]

The best offense in the NFL takes on the best passing defense in the NFL. I don't know if Reggie Bush will play, but the Saints will need to hit the ground rushing and avoid turnovers. If they decide to throw it, they also have that guy named Drew Brees. Just saying...

Patriots vs the Dolphins [Wrong]

After losing to the Colts last week, Tom Brady will be out for blood. Last time he played the Dolphins I think he passed for like 400 yards or something. The Patriot defense should handle the Wildcat fairly easily.

Ravens vs Packers

I see the Ravens defense chasing Aaron Rodgers all over the field. The poor guy has no O-Line, and the Ravens are going to sic Ray Lewis on him. I also see Donald Driver making big plays, as well as the stalwart GB defense playing against the lackluster Baltimore offense. We'll see...

Jaguars vs Texans [Correct]

The Jaguars beat the Texans earlier this year. I don't know if they can do it again. This one I have a hard time calling...but Texas doesn't play well on the road, so I have to give a slight edge to Jacksonville.

Cowboys vs Giants [Wrong]

The Cowboys' offense will do well against the Giants. Tony Romo is famous for playing terrible in December. Eli Manning is hurt. Too many unknowns going into this game, but it might be about time for the Giants to catch a break.

49'ers vs Seahawks [Correct]

This on is also questionable, so I am hiding it at the bottom of the list and praying no one reads this far. I also have a fifty fifty chance of getting it right either way. I am just going to hope the dice fall the right way here.

Now that I procrastinated for a sufficient amount of time, I am off to go running in the freezing wind outside.

Adios

Favorite Christmas Songs (with Links)

Hey everyone,

It has come to my attention that not all people are fond of Christmas music. Some people do not like the fact that Christmas music takes up air waves on the radio when they could be listening to normal music. Some people also don't think it is officially Christmas season yet. I think it is. We have about three weeks to enjoy this time of the year, so let's do it. Some might say I am overly eager for Christmas to be here, but I like to think that I enjoy the seasons as they come. Of course, I could be one of those weirdos that does their Christmas shopping before Halloween and no one would ever know, now would they?

All of these videos are absolutely worth watching.

#4- Jingle Bell Rock

This song is so great... perfect song for Christmas parties, Christmas videos, and whatever else you want that has anything to do with Christmas. Rascal Flatts has a great version of this song. If you just thought "Darn... I hate country music!" you will still like this song. I promise




#3- The Little Drummer Boy

I saw a Christmas show with this song once. It turned into a huge drumline thing that was totally awesome. I don't actually know the story behind the little drummer boy, so if someone wants to enlighten me I would be very grateful.



#2- The Trans-Siberian Orchestra

I know this isn't a song, but I have to include them for consistently awesome Christmas music. Look them up on YouTube to hear some great music. You will also find some people that have way too much time on their hands and can do things like this.



#1- The Carol of the Bells (Manheim Steamroller)

This is definitely the best Christmas song. Why? Well, just think how many versions of this song are out there. I'm not the only one that who remembers the Burger King version of this song (Ding, fries are done! and then Garmin has adapted the song to their new commercials. Trans Siberian Orchestra has a great version called Christmas Eve in Sarajevo. The best version (and possibly the greatest Christmas music ever) comes from Manheim Steamroller.




Thanks for watching! If you feel like it you can bookmark this page for a free variety of Christmas music whenever you want (for free). Or you can be like Scrooge and hate Christmas.

Now I have to go to class through the freezing cold.

Adios

Top Ten Christmas Carols- Part 1

Today is the very first day of December! That means that Christmas is officially here. For the next three weeks we will be enjoying hot chocolate, Christmas carols, warm fireplaces, crazy shopping malls, and all the stress that comes with the holiday season. One of the best parts of Christmas are the great songs that we only get to hear for about 8.3% of the year. For all of your viewing and listening pleasure, I have put together ten of the best Christmas carols (in my opinion) and embedded YouTube videos for easy access. Next time you want some great Christmas music, cruise on over here and push play.

Unless you hate Christmas music, in which case you won't enjoy this very much. Let's begin.

#10- Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland.

This video is included because Jason Mraz sings a great version of this song. I also thought that one verse said "Later on we'll perspire as we dream by the fire" until I was about 17.

#9 We Three Kings

A classic Christmas song. This video includes singing camels made out of clay. I'm sure that will make your day.



#8 I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Guess who hasn't actually had a white Christmas? Yup...that's me. This song is like the song that I heard growing up knowing that it would never happen. Living in the midwest, at least I have a chance at it now. This version by Bing Crosby is pretty classic (which can also be synonymous with boring, depending on who you are).



#7 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

I like this song a lot. I did play it 6/8 years I was in band, which might have something to do with it. This version by BNL is pretty good.



#6 12 Days of Christmas

I don't actually know all twelve days to this song, but this song is the essence of Christmas. If there is one video you simply must watch on this post, it's this one. Straight No Chaser is fantastic, and this is the song that started it all.



#5 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

This is also a classic Christmas song. I am sure everyone has seen the movie on TV with the cute little reindeer. If you haven't, please watch this right now.



This concludes the first half of the best Christmas carols ever. The next half are even better, so I urge you to listen to those as well.

The only reason I didn't put all the videos up in the same post is because I thought that too many videos would cause this blog to load slowly. We wouldn't want that, now would we?

Adios