Well, the first week of school is over. Time for me to talk a bit about my classes. I will not, however, be posting my class schedule on here as it would be unwise to post such a thing on the Web.
The first class is a math class with a professor that I have never had before. This professor was my dad's college advisor and is known for being a fun lecturer. If the number is not an integer, then the prof does not want to hear about it in this class.
Next up is an easy science class. I feel kinda odd being in this one since it's for non-science majors. The prof gave a description of how scientists are, another-words geeky. It pretty much fit me to a T. I would have signed up for a more difficult course for my science requirement, but after five years I'm more worried about getting out of here.
I'm also taking a math/comp sci class that only has two students in it this year. I'll be learning a lot about Mathematica for use in dealing with the topics we will cover. Perhaps after this semester I will actually like Mathematica.
I'm also taking a "servant leadership" course this semester. I will be giving free computer tech support to students for my project in this one. Unfortunately, I'm expecting some bad theology from this class. Already the instructor has used an article from Time magazine as the text for a devotion. Time isn't exactly known as a good Christian resource and the only thing the article had to do with Christianity was the book The Purpose Driven Life. I don't exactly put much stock into that book either. Two of the required texts for this course are chock full of fluffy photos and the intro to the third seems to be searching for meaning in life rather than dealing with leadership as it's title would suggest. The author also seems convinced that the problems in our world are new. I have a feeling you might see a few rants about this class and the readings involved as the year progresses.
I'm in concert band again this semester as well. We have a more complete group than we have had in the past and we finally have an upright bass player again. The first performance will be at the state fair a week from tomorrow. At homecoming we will have Holsinger conducting us and will be releasing our first CD (That's not the finalized track list).
I am looking into adding a senior CS project for an additional credit or two.
It should be an interesting semester.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
I've Got Gas
Gas prices. Everyone is whining about them. In my last week of work during the summer I talked with a guy who was convinced that gas prices were going to single handedly bring down the entire US economy. He said that Americans spend "several billion" dollars a year on gas alone. That didn't seem too bad to me since the entire economy was several trillion (The GDP in 2004 was estimated to be about $11.75 trillion). "Several billion" seemed rather insignificant to me. Indeed, it seems that we Americans spend $183 billion a year just trying to figure out the tax code.
Heck, $2.55 isn't all that bad when you think about it. In other countries prices can be much higher. Prices in Europe have gone over $6 a gallon in some places. They have been worse here too, in 1981 gas prices hit $1.48 a gallon. What's that you say? That's cheaper? Think again. The US dollar in 2005 is much weaker than it was in 1981 so we have to adjust for inflation. $1.48 in 1981 dollars translates to $3.11 in 2005 dollars. Somehow $2.55 doesn't seem too bad after all.
I guess though not everyone is concerned over gas prices. If they were they would change their driving habits and dump that SUV. But I still see a heck of a lot of speeders out on the roads and a number of SUVs. Perhaps the whiners ought to switch to alcohol fuels. Surely they have enough wine by now.
Heck, $2.55 isn't all that bad when you think about it. In other countries prices can be much higher. Prices in Europe have gone over $6 a gallon in some places. They have been worse here too, in 1981 gas prices hit $1.48 a gallon. What's that you say? That's cheaper? Think again. The US dollar in 2005 is much weaker than it was in 1981 so we have to adjust for inflation. $1.48 in 1981 dollars translates to $3.11 in 2005 dollars. Somehow $2.55 doesn't seem too bad after all.
I guess though not everyone is concerned over gas prices. If they were they would change their driving habits and dump that SUV. But I still see a heck of a lot of speeders out on the roads and a number of SUVs. Perhaps the whiners ought to switch to alcohol fuels. Surely they have enough wine by now.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Back to the School
Thanks to my trusty flux capacitor I had enough time to make it back to Concordia by about 7:15 last night. My car ran fine for the trip here, though the engine light came on about an hour or so out from my destination. Dang thing has already been in the shop three or four times this summer. I was planning on going to a rocket launch today, but decided I would rather stick around and settle in. I feel weird being back here again for the reasons mentioned in a previous post.
In other news, a friend of mine and a cousin of mine are getting used to their new surroundings and settled into their apartments. Visit their blogs for photos graphs. Both are spending the next year in Asia to teach English.
In other news, a friend of mine and a cousin of mine are getting used to their new surroundings and settled into their apartments. Visit their blogs for photos graphs. Both are spending the next year in Asia to teach English.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
How to Lose a Rocket, or Well Darn It!
Our exchange student wanted to see one of my rockets fly. So, I send my Big Betty on her maiden flight. She flew wonderfully and our exchange student was pleased. But the wind was a bit more than I had thought and the rocket landed in the nearby bean field. I should have gave the rocket more of an angle or a smaller parachute. I had hoped to take it up to the Lutheran camp my brother works at and fly it with him today as well. Oh well, with the way this one went up I'll just have to buy another Big Betty.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Video Games and their Influence
Video and computer games have replaced rock and roll as the whipping boy for our society's problems. This was exasperated with the Columbine shootings and other such crimes. I personally don't think that video games, violent or not, alone have the power to create such monsters. Sure they can contribute, but not enough alone. If they were then we would have had millions of shootings as society degrades to anarchy. But that is not the case. Nor should people play video games of any kind without a grip on reality or taking in consideration what is healthy at the player's age. Video games can become addictive and can influence behavior to some extent.
It seems as if little research has been done on the subject to find out to what effects video games have on people. Ars Technica has a good write up about some recent research. The study could have been stronger, but is a good start and has some surprising results. It seems that the older you get, the more influence overly violent video games have on a person. Odd. Read on for details.
It seems as if little research has been done on the subject to find out to what effects video games have on people. Ars Technica has a good write up about some recent research. The study could have been stronger, but is a good start and has some surprising results. It seems that the older you get, the more influence overly violent video games have on a person. Odd. Read on for details.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
College Hijinks
They say that a great prank would be very visible, to cause a stir, very amusing and something that doesn't cause damage. I was poking around the web for prank idea on the web and I came across a list of the top ten college pranks. From square cats to a club for veterans of future wars to a fishy mystery in a state government building, it there have been some very clever and well executed college pranks over the years. You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll want to hunt me down for wasting your time! Well, hopefully not.
Be sure to troll on through the rest of the site too. They have all sorts of hoaxes on file. Come on, go on! Have some fun already!
Be sure to troll on through the rest of the site too. They have all sorts of hoaxes on file. Come on, go on! Have some fun already!
Monday, August 15, 2005
The Sticks That Sailed the Seven Seas
Well here's a grand idea. Build a replica of a Viking ship out of ice cream sticks and plan to sail it across the Atlantic. That's what Robert McDonald is planning to do. The ship is 15 meters long and will take on a crew of 25 when complete. McDonald says he's not going to want to look at glue again. Would have thought he would have been addicted to the fumes by this time. He's not sure about ice cream sticks either. It probably would have helped if he got the sticks with the ice cream still on them.
Next up: build a replica of the Titanic out of dried grass.
Next up: build a replica of the Titanic out of dried grass.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
The School Bells Are Ringing
The new school year is coming up fast. Since the time that I started college, I have usually looked forward to the new school year with eager anticipation. While I do look forward to being rid of the monotony of the summer, are a few things about the new semester that I'm a bit concerned about.
First off, I will be a fifth year senior. This means that, in addition to being among the student population who can't seem to graduate, that the vast majority of the friends I have made have left one way or another. Then they were replaced by younger people. I smell conspiracy here. Perhaps I should start my own conspiracy and take the underclassmen under my wing. Yeah, that's about right.
Anyways, this semester I will be taking a general education class that requires one to do a volunteer project. Now I have nothing against volunteer work, but from what I have seen this class seems to be structured in such a way that three fourths of all volunteer ideas. Also, it seems there is a lot of fluffy-good-feel stuff with this class. How the heck would I know? We had to submit proposals in the spring for the projects. It had questions like, "Name three goals you have with this project." Truthful answers:
1. To pass this class.
The third concern I have is this semester I need to buckle down, create a resume, some cover letters, the rest of the stuff that you need to do to get a job and, finally, find a job. This could be interesting.
First off, I will be a fifth year senior. This means that, in addition to being among the student population who can't seem to graduate, that the vast majority of the friends I have made have left one way or another. Then they were replaced by younger people. I smell conspiracy here. Perhaps I should start my own conspiracy and take the underclassmen under my wing. Yeah, that's about right.
Anyways, this semester I will be taking a general education class that requires one to do a volunteer project. Now I have nothing against volunteer work, but from what I have seen this class seems to be structured in such a way that three fourths of all volunteer ideas. Also, it seems there is a lot of fluffy-good-feel stuff with this class. How the heck would I know? We had to submit proposals in the spring for the projects. It had questions like, "Name three goals you have with this project." Truthful answers:
1. To pass this class.
The third concern I have is this semester I need to buckle down, create a resume, some cover letters, the rest of the stuff that you need to do to get a job and, finally, find a job. This could be interesting.
Mantis Kills Bird: Film at 11
Ok, this one is just weird. Here is a praying mantis that has captured a humming bird. I didn't know that the mantis' forelegs were strong enough to impale a bird. After catching the bird, the insect ate a bit and then let the rest drop. God's world will never be out of surprises. I originally found this on Mike O'Connor's blog.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Discovery Is Back
Well, it look like the space shuttle Discovery made it back in one piece. I was hoping to catch the landing on NASA TV, but they kept changing landing opportunities on me. Oh well. Congrats on a job well done to the NASA guys!
People Weirdness
We went into town today to run some errands. Last stop was K-Mart. I bid my time perusing the toys video games and school supplies. I noticed they had a copy of Animal Crossing for the cheap. I've never really played it before and I have heard it is an good game. So decided to buy it, despite it being the cutesiest game I've ever bought. I had to wait a while for someone to open the case.
The lady at the desk, who's voice reminded me of Fran from The Nanny, was taking a long time to sell a TVto a guy and then to help a customer with a question. When I finally had her attention I told her I had my eye on a video game. Immediately she asked me if I wanted some Madden game. "Heck, no!" I replied, "Sports are the least of my interests." Heh, people are strange.
That reminds me. The shift manager looked at me weird yesterday when she realized I had a four-digit password for my cash register account. It seems most people have only one digit. Only reason why mine isn't longer is cuz I wasn't sure if it would take a longer password. So much for the security of cold hard cash.
The lady at the desk, who's voice reminded me of Fran from The Nanny, was taking a long time to sell a TVto a guy and then to help a customer with a question. When I finally had her attention I told her I had my eye on a video game. Immediately she asked me if I wanted some Madden game. "Heck, no!" I replied, "Sports are the least of my interests." Heh, people are strange.
That reminds me. The shift manager looked at me weird yesterday when she realized I had a four-digit password for my cash register account. It seems most people have only one digit. Only reason why mine isn't longer is cuz I wasn't sure if it would take a longer password. So much for the security of cold hard cash.
People In the House
Well, my sister is back from working at a summer camp in Nebraska. She keeps talking about her "puppy" which really is the biggest, strongest horse they have out there. I guess it keeps following her around like a puppy.
Our exchange student for this semester also arrived on Saturday. She is from Austria and like volleyball and Dairy Queen. My mom and I have decided we must be the only two people in the world that don't care for Dairy Queen.
Our exchange student for this semester also arrived on Saturday. She is from Austria and like volleyball and Dairy Queen. My mom and I have decided we must be the only two people in the world that don't care for Dairy Queen.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Fun Funny Fun Fun
Well, I decided I needed something humorous to follow the previous post. Problem is I have no idea what to joke about. So here we go for some good 'ole stream of conciseness jazz. Boo ya!
Milk, that's the first thing that popped into my head. It does a body good, right? Something about calcium building strong bones. Perhaps that's because bones are white and milk is also white. But teeth are also white as well, oh well. What's up with skim milk anyways? It's like white milk-flavored water without all the fun stuff that makes milk milk. Heh, "milk milk." Moo.
Most milk we drink comes from cows. Back in Bible times a cow was considered an animal of beauty, mostly because it provided a basis for living. No cow, no life. So get a life, get a cow. Anyways, back then it was a complement to compare a lady to a cow. Come on, give your favorite girl a good, old-fashioned complement, "You're such a cow." Might want to be prepared to duck.
Ok, I'm all streamed-out. Have fun. Go crazy. Don't let the bed bugs bite.
Milk, that's the first thing that popped into my head. It does a body good, right? Something about calcium building strong bones. Perhaps that's because bones are white and milk is also white. But teeth are also white as well, oh well. What's up with skim milk anyways? It's like white milk-flavored water without all the fun stuff that makes milk milk. Heh, "milk milk." Moo.
Most milk we drink comes from cows. Back in Bible times a cow was considered an animal of beauty, mostly because it provided a basis for living. No cow, no life. So get a life, get a cow. Anyways, back then it was a complement to compare a lady to a cow. Come on, give your favorite girl a good, old-fashioned complement, "You're such a cow." Might want to be prepared to duck.
Ok, I'm all streamed-out. Have fun. Go crazy. Don't let the bed bugs bite.
The Bomb
War is detestable. Mankind has used it to promote selfish desires such as land, money and hate. Yet at the same time it is a tool that God uses to keep defend the innocent and free the oppressed in this fallen temporal world. As such I would much rather avoid war but I would not hesitate to use it. Though some may not like it, peace though superior firepower. It must be stressed that I do not make these statements lightly.
There is much buzz today with the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima bomb. The two bombs that fell on Japan unleashed terrible forces. As the bombs burst it seemed as though a thousand suns were born over the cities. Many literally vanished into thin air while others were instantly turned into grotesque carbon statues of themselves. But these were lucky compare to the countless more that died slow and painful deaths. The cities seemed as hell on earth, buildings torn apart, bodies all over, the city on fire, the sky black as night and a poisonous black rain falling from above.
Because of the horrors that the bombs unleashed many now question the use of the bombs. I myself believe it to be the right choice. But I have not yet made my point. As I drove to work a certain talk show host, which many hate, made a suggestion that might sound at first both insane and insensitive: we ought to celebrate the anniversaries of the bomb. Celebrate the death and the horror that they unleashed? By all means no! We ought to morn and lament the immediate effects of the bombs. We ought to celebrate some of the long term effects of the bombs. The bombs hastened the end of the war, saving far more American and Japanese people than they killed. But there is more to it than simply ending the war. Because of the bombings of Japan the world has seen the terrible power that these weapons wield. Since then not a single nuclear bomb has been detonated outside of testing. Part of this is because of our fear of using them since we now know what they can do. But part of it is also because we, as in humanity, have not been pressured into using them. We have come close, to be sure and it is likely, because of the evil inherent in all humanity, that they will be used some time in the future. But, as of yet, we have not had to use the bomb against those who would unleash unjust acts against the innocent and that those who would do such acts have not yet misused the bomb.
I eagerly await the day when Christ returns and war is no longer needed since all evil will be cast into Hell. The events were set in motion when Christ fought the battle that overshadows any war and any weapon that we can imagine much less construct. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
There is much buzz today with the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima bomb. The two bombs that fell on Japan unleashed terrible forces. As the bombs burst it seemed as though a thousand suns were born over the cities. Many literally vanished into thin air while others were instantly turned into grotesque carbon statues of themselves. But these were lucky compare to the countless more that died slow and painful deaths. The cities seemed as hell on earth, buildings torn apart, bodies all over, the city on fire, the sky black as night and a poisonous black rain falling from above.
Because of the horrors that the bombs unleashed many now question the use of the bombs. I myself believe it to be the right choice. But I have not yet made my point. As I drove to work a certain talk show host, which many hate, made a suggestion that might sound at first both insane and insensitive: we ought to celebrate the anniversaries of the bomb. Celebrate the death and the horror that they unleashed? By all means no! We ought to morn and lament the immediate effects of the bombs. We ought to celebrate some of the long term effects of the bombs. The bombs hastened the end of the war, saving far more American and Japanese people than they killed. But there is more to it than simply ending the war. Because of the bombings of Japan the world has seen the terrible power that these weapons wield. Since then not a single nuclear bomb has been detonated outside of testing. Part of this is because of our fear of using them since we now know what they can do. But part of it is also because we, as in humanity, have not been pressured into using them. We have come close, to be sure and it is likely, because of the evil inherent in all humanity, that they will be used some time in the future. But, as of yet, we have not had to use the bomb against those who would unleash unjust acts against the innocent and that those who would do such acts have not yet misused the bomb.
I eagerly await the day when Christ returns and war is no longer needed since all evil will be cast into Hell. The events were set in motion when Christ fought the battle that overshadows any war and any weapon that we can imagine much less construct. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Satellite Tracking
Ever wanted to catch a glimpse of the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station or your favorite satellite? Well, break out your spyglass, telescopes, binoculars or your grandmother's glasses. I've come across a page on NASA that allows you to do just that. They have several different options for you to pick from. I choose the J-Pass E-mail option so it will email me before something I'm interested in will be in viewing range. Now I just need to find those binoculars.....
The Joy of Tech
As noted earlier, I went to an Apple store in Wisconsin. The genius (what Apple calls the tech support folks at their retail stores) at the bar was most helpful. One of my cousins, who was with, knew one of the other geniuses. With both of us with majors in computer science we got to chatting.
He talked about how he went to WWDC once on a scholarship. He recommended that I try to apply for it next summer. It would be a fun and educational experience to attend the WWDC. Major announcements, such as the move to Pentiums, are made at the conference and developers get to talk to the very developers to make the Mac hardware and software. It would also allow a budding programmer like me to talk to potential employers (I would hope though that I will have landed a job by then).
He also talked a bit about a book I had seen at the bookstore in the mall a bit earlier, Paul Graham's Hackers & Painters. After I was done at the Apple store I went back to the bookstore and checked it out. I noticed that the book was published by O'Reilly, a respected name in the world of computer books. When I turned to the table of contents I noticed that the first essay was one I had read on the Web a couple years back.
I have already read a number of the essays that the book contains. Many I agree with. Some I don't. Some I don't know what to think about. Either way it's been a good book to read with many insights. It's not just a book for computer geeks either. My dad has read a bit from the first chapter and has enjoyed it as well. It's an easy read, you might want to give it a look yourself.
In other news it seems that hell has frozen again this summer and the devil has taken up skiing and hockey. The first time was when Apple announced it was switching to Pentiums. Now Apple has announced a new mouse with not only two buttons, but a new take on the scroll wheel in the form of a scroll ball and a sort of third button that is activated when you squeeze the mouse as well. I doubt, though, that this new mouse will become the mouse included with new Macs by default. Expect it to be an addition or upgrade. (Update: Review of the new mouse.)
He talked about how he went to WWDC once on a scholarship. He recommended that I try to apply for it next summer. It would be a fun and educational experience to attend the WWDC. Major announcements, such as the move to Pentiums, are made at the conference and developers get to talk to the very developers to make the Mac hardware and software. It would also allow a budding programmer like me to talk to potential employers (I would hope though that I will have landed a job by then).
He also talked a bit about a book I had seen at the bookstore in the mall a bit earlier, Paul Graham's Hackers & Painters. After I was done at the Apple store I went back to the bookstore and checked it out. I noticed that the book was published by O'Reilly, a respected name in the world of computer books. When I turned to the table of contents I noticed that the first essay was one I had read on the Web a couple years back.
I have already read a number of the essays that the book contains. Many I agree with. Some I don't. Some I don't know what to think about. Either way it's been a good book to read with many insights. It's not just a book for computer geeks either. My dad has read a bit from the first chapter and has enjoyed it as well. It's an easy read, you might want to give it a look yourself.
In other news it seems that hell has frozen again this summer and the devil has taken up skiing and hockey. The first time was when Apple announced it was switching to Pentiums. Now Apple has announced a new mouse with not only two buttons, but a new take on the scroll wheel in the form of a scroll ball and a sort of third button that is activated when you squeeze the mouse as well. I doubt, though, that this new mouse will become the mouse included with new Macs by default. Expect it to be an addition or upgrade. (Update: Review of the new mouse.)
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Working Woes
As I have mentioned before I don't particularly enjoy working at a grocery store. Today they decided to boost my morale.
My parents and I just got back from a trip to visit family. Since we didn't know exactly when we would be getting back my mom said to ask for July 26th through August 5th. Just a little while ago we got a call from the shift manager telling me I was late for my shift. Those of you who are obsevant will notice today is the 3rd. Combine that with the fact I just got back from a family trip, my mood is not exactly a major exporter of glee and is in need of imports of a quiet, productive evenings at the house. I'm about a quarter of an inch away from dropping the job entirely.
My parents and I just got back from a trip to visit family. Since we didn't know exactly when we would be getting back my mom said to ask for July 26th through August 5th. Just a little while ago we got a call from the shift manager telling me I was late for my shift. Those of you who are obsevant will notice today is the 3rd. Combine that with the fact I just got back from a family trip, my mood is not exactly a major exporter of glee and is in need of imports of a quiet, productive evenings at the house. I'm about a quarter of an inch away from dropping the job entirely.
Monday, August 01, 2005
TSM July 05 Launch Report
I just got an email from the TSM prefect they just posted the launch report for last month's launch. Now you can get more photos of the launch as well as names of people and rockets. Spiffy! Now if only I could get to the genius at the Genius Bar. before I grow old then I would be good. Should have made a reservation before we left. Oh well. Fun times at the Apple store! :-)
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