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[19 Oct 2007|06:08pm] |
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I got my first pay check in 6 months...life is good
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[19 Aug 2007|07:26am] |
Photos as promised
( The Rest )
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[16 Aug 2007|12:47am] |
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Last day, and by far the best day here at Limpopo. The day started out with a lesson in making stone tools. Its actually much harder than you may think, but eventually i got the hang of it. If i ever find myself lost in the middle of nowhere I'll be able to butcher an animal if needed. Following that, a visit to the Mapungubwe World Heritage site. So that tour seemed pretty informative despice not having read the reading before hand. Anyway, the view from the top of the steppe was amazing. Afterthat tour, we took the long route back to camp which turned out to be a great decision. Our tourgude saw an elephant in the distance through the trees so like real tourists we stopped to try and get pictures. As we drove closer to the elephant in the distance and climed up a hill to get a better view, we spot another pack of elephants near where the car was parked. So we head back down and drive up close to those for some amazing views and tense moments as it looked like they were ready to charge our Land Rover. After what seemed like a thousand photos taken, we headed off past a water hole only to find that the pack was following us. We could see the elephants about 20-30 meters away in the water hole taking mud baths. It was probably one of the most amazing moments of my life. Tour endedm day dragged on, seminar in the evening, blah blah. Dinner was awesome with one last night around the camp fire. Tomorrow we move on to a new side located on a lion and rhino reserve, with a one night stop in Makapansgat. Anyway, the rest of the week has been fun too including finishing excavation at Kudu Koppie, and throwing my nalgene bottle off the koppie onto the rock below to see if it would break (and of course it didnt). I'll miss Limpopo and all it's beauty and I am glad I had the opportunity to see and share it with great people.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Hello Swartkrans and to the Cradle of Humankind. As the first half of field school ended it was a bittersweet transition. After leaving Limpopo and Kudu Koppie for a 4 hour drive to Makapansgat, we met up with the other group to head off on our seperate ways the following morning. However, before we get to that point, all of use had to camp out near the Cave of Hearths. I decided that it would be a greater experience to sleep outside under the stars and the African night rather than in a tent, so I did. It was an amazing sight and experience. However, my sleeping bag which is rated to +15 degrees, but I think that number may be lower than it actually should have been. No regrets though.
After goodbyes with Luca and Geeske, and a tour of the Historic caves and the Cave of Hearths, we departed with Dr. Kuman, Dr. Pickering and Morris for Swartkrans, our new home for the last leg of the field school. Going from simple living in Limpopo to a conference resort is quite a dramatic change which will be nice, but maybe hard to adjust to. Despite this, I will be looking forward to engaging in some of the activities offered here such as horseback riding, playing with baby lions, paitballing or cave climbing. Hopefully excavation at Swartkrans will go well and there will be plenty of time to relax.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Well its over. Tomorrow is the last official day of field school. Although I wont actually be flying out until Thrusday, I feel as if this is goodbye already. It feels good to be fiunally heading home, but i will definately miss South Africa. Perhaps I shall return in 2010 for the World Cup. I still have much left to explore.
This field school was not only to learn about anthropology and archaeology, but also to learn about myself. Many of us came here with ambitions of seeing if this field was right for our careers. Some here have been disenchanted, but I feel like this will be my future. Where i decide to go for grad school is uncertain, but what I can say with much certainty is that the rest of my career looks to be set in this field.
I will be back home on Friday afternoon and will be taking off again for Hawaii on Sunday morning.I wont know how amazing this trip has been or how awesome the friends I've made here are until the second I step off the airplane and life returns to normal. This once in a life time expericne has come and gone. Pictures and memories can only bring you so close with the past, but it can never relive the real thing. Visiting so many amazing places, seeing all these animals, learning how life is around the world and experiencing things I may never get to do again has made me want to do it all again.
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| Days 6-11 Johannesburg - Limpopo |
[26 Jul 2007|09:20am] |
Friday, July 21, 2007
Things just seem to be getting more amazing as time goes by. Yesterday, our group loaded up and went on a seven hour road trip from Johannesburg to the Limpopo province just a few miles from the Botswana/Zimbabwe border. Who knew riding in the rear of a Land Rover could be so fun? The drive was simply memorable. The landscape here changes frequently. The foliage and animals visible on the drive were stunning. Just along the side of the road you could see kudu, impalas, vervet monkeys and warthogs. We even managed to hit a bird with a car here (twice). Probably what I enjoyed the most was crossing the Tropic of Capricorn. Drove through many towns and got to see such friendly people who lived in the Shanty towns. They live such terrible lives compared to us, but they all seem happy as they all are friendly and wave to passing cars.
We arrived at the camp at around dusk and the view was even more amazing. However, within a few minutes, the stars came out in the thousands, and so did the heyenas.
The next morning was even more spectacular waking up the the sound of monkeys just outside your tent flap. For the first time, I had to sit down as I felt my knees go weak at the sight of the valley from our terrace. I only regret not being able to upload the pictures to show all of you.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Everything here has been surreal. I really wish I could have taken all of you here with me to enjoy this beautiful country. Sometimes I wish I was a better writer so that you could almost be here, but I dont think any words could capture my amazement.
Excavation of the Kudu Kopppie site began about 4 days ago and it has been hard work but very fun. Getting to do actual field work in archaeology has been my dream for a long time. It's something many people would love to do but never get a chance, so I feel extremely lucky. Although the sun is hot and your body aches from digging in the dirt for several hours a day, it is all worth it.
At the excavation site, there are large rock formations jutting out of the landscape. I had the opportunity to climb to the top of them and just had this feeling of freedom sweep over me. Its amazing. It is times like these that make this trip so worth it.
On the way to the excavation site, we take a dirt road which services an orange farm. Every once in a while, a large truck hauling oranges drives on it and scores of them fall off. Our professor thought it would be a great idea to pick them all up and eat them. So we drove on all sides of the road and stopped in the middle in order to pick all of them up and eat them. So we had two cars leapfrogging each other, competing to score the most oranges. If there is anything I have learned from this trip, it is that anthropologists are pretty crazy people. I'll have more stories when I get back.
And of course we've had time to take a break from digging and tour the bush. Just two days ago, we drove through Mapagubwe National Park and were able to see several giraffes and other wild life. It is so much more amazing to seem them in the wild than it is to see them at the zoo. We continued north to the Limpopo river where we got to sneak past a border fence into Botswana for about an hour. Never though I would be doing something like that. So I guess I can add Botswana to my list of visited countries. Unfortunately, I didnt see any locals so I didnt get to ask what the capital was. Darn.
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| Day 2-3 Wits University, South Africa |
[20 Jul 2007|05:53am] |
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Two days, two new continents. Africa is a nice place. My first impressions of Jo'burg after leaving the airport is that it reminded me of the midwest, but with hills. Security here is tight in most places as the city is considered to be unsafe in many places so a lot of the houses and buildings here have high walls and an access gate. Out on the streets, people wander around like lost souls up and down the sidewalk, but so many people here are friendly, open and welcoming.
I had one person just reach out his hand and introduce himself to me while I was standing in line for food (I think the national dish here is sausages since I've had about 10 of them in the last two days). That has never happened to me in the 20 years of my life, but it did on the second day here in South Africa. In addition to that everyone else, especially the service workers are just so eager to help you out. The cab drivers here are no different. In addition to these wonderful South Africans, I have also got to meet so many wonderful colleagues of mine here (and randomly enough I ran into a girl from Cal on campus here). I liken this field school to a support group were we can all express our nerdy anthropological side with others who actually know what we're talking about.
Speaking of this nerdiness, yesterday was quite exciting for all of us as we got a personal lecture from Prof. Philip Tobias on the Taung child and got to see the real thing up close. (Those of you reading this probably don't know what I am talking about. Just look it up on Wikipedia). Also received a great lecture on hominid evolution from Dr. Ron Clarke as well as several lessons on stone age tool technology.
Along with the academic side of this trip, the social side has been just as wonderful. Sometimes I find it easier to connect with people I just met than with people I have known for many years. But we've been able to get to know each other as well as go out on the town and see places we may never get to see again. First night was to Melville where there are some amazing restaurants. Ate at the Orange Acorn and had some tomato lamb thing which was delicious, along with a mojito (drinking age is 18) for only 34 Rand (about 5 dollars US).
Anyway, I've been enjoying my time here in africa so far. Food is cheap, people are great, but jetlag sucks. Despite being able to get a full night of sleep, I've still been tired for the rest of the day. I fear that as soon as I am fully adjusted, It will be time to head home and then it will be off to Hawaii for me. Tomorrow begins the first day of excavation out in the bush about 7 hours from here near the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe, so it'll be the simple life for a few weeks but hopefully it will be well worth it. I am really looking forward to it and hope that more excitement is to come.
P.S. I took plenty of pictures but I have no card reader so you will have to wait until I get back to the States!
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| Day 1 - London |
[16 Jul 2007|08:28pm] |
Monday, July 16, 2007
Greetings from London! I just pulled a reverse Columbus (or Drake if you prefer) and a Lindburgh too on my way to London. Yes, I'm actually headed to South Africa, but i had a 9 hour layover in London before my last leg to Jo'burg. I took advantage of those 9 hours (just like I had planned when I originally searched for tickets) and got a chance to see the UK for myself.
Its my first time in Europe, on another contintent, or even in the "Old World" and London CERTAINLY has an "Old World" feel to it.
I was a little hesitant at first about leaving the airport to see the city. The last thing I wanted to happen was to miss my connection, but looking back, i have no regrets. The say that "when in Rome, do like the Romans do." I'm sure the saying applies to London as well. I got a ticket for the Tube (underground) and used that to get around just like the locals do. My how I love their transportation system. The sparks from the rail, no A/C, lights flickering on and off and the constant "MIND THE GAP" announcements.
Anyway, first stop was the London Eye, Big Ben and House of Parliament . Took pictures like any tourist would. Hoofed it about a mile and a half down to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Got to Cross the Tower Bridge on foot which. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to eat any fish n chips as I had hoped. However, I am happy enough to have seen London because it may be a while before I get to see it again.
What I like about traveling abroad so far is seeing how other countries opperate the same things differently. Things such as their money (even their coins have a different sound to them!), how they drive (on the wrong side of the road), how pedestrians get about (the cross walk signs totally confused me), even how emergency sirens sound differet. What I realized in my brief visit to England is that eventhough people from all over the world speak differently, be it accents of another language, or go about their routines differently, we're all humans, living here on earth, our only home.
As I ws departing the terminal for the streets of London, there were hundreds of ads that lined the walkway which showed how every person can view one thing in two completely oppisite ways (like old vs. wise) and it told us to travel with an open mind, and that is exactly what I am here to do.
Cheers!
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| Summer - Day 37-40 |
[13 Jun 2007|09:15am] |
Thursday, June 7, 2007
So yeah. I've been planning this trip for a few months. Finally came around, although we tried to convince more people to go at the last minute in order to split the costs more ways, but to no avail. Anyway, Bri and I left at around 4:30am to pick up Kwang and Daniel from their places, and we were on our way. Seemed like we stoped every 10 miles to fill up at a Shell Gas Station (Grandma's orders) but the drive up was fun. The 395 is always full of thrills like driving on to the wrong side of the road to pass up slow traffic. Got to Mammoth around 11:30 and got our poles in the water just as fast. Convict Lake was our first spot. Daniel caught his first fish there. Congrats. Went to our condo to drop our stuff off. That place was seriously frozen in time in the wrong decade, but whatever. A place is a place. Chicken Patties for lunch haha. Next stop Lake Mamie. Damn it was freakin' cold there. Smart me said to fish over in the shade where it was about 30 degrees colder than in the sun. Yeah, bad decision.
( Mammoth: Day 1 )
Friday, June 8, 2007
Another day of fishing. Got up around 6:30. Pretty surprised that Kwang and Daniel were able to get up that early. Hit Silver Lake first. Probably the most terrible lake I've been to. The lake had no fish, and there were boats everywhere. So we trekked to Saddlebag Lake, the highest car accessible lake in California at over 10,000 feet. I think the altitude up there makes the fish really horny since they were all dropping skeet and eggs when we pulled them out of the water. Also seemed like the water level was about 15 feet below normal, but we caught more fish there in the first 10 minutes than the entire previous day. Vons for lunch again. Made the trip to the "Gorge" to catch some Crappies. In addition to the numerous trout we caught there, we were also out to get other fish and we did. Probably pulled in about 30 of them, kept about 20. The rest were catapulted back into the water. After returning back to the condo, Daniel and I tried our best to clean the Crappies but with no success. Those damn fish are so resilient, still flopping around in the sink. Daniel tried to knock them out with a coffee mug but that didn't work. Some of the fish fell down the sink but we couldn't get them back up because the fins acted like barbs so we just tried to grind them up with the garbage disposal...that didn't work too well either.
( Mammoth: Day 2 )
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Fishing licenses expired by today so we went for a 10-mile mountain bike ride. Fun stuff. Pretty chill day. Kwang's 20th birthday so we baked him some brownies. Happy Birthday dude.
( Mammoth: Day 3 )
Monday, June 10, 2007
Last day. Left around noon, and had Ice Cream for breakfast, jacked some spoons, took the extra eggs with us and had some fun with those :). Some people got eggs on their lawn, some got some in their mail box, and a few rolled down the hills. Stopped at Manzanar for a few hours to check out the museum they had their and to get a tour. A very well put together museum in my opinion. Great place to reflect. Finally reached LA, spent a few minutes a the beach, hometown buffet, then took Kwang to LAX to catch his flight to Korea.
( Mammoth: Day 4 )
A very fun week for me, and I hope Kwang, BriAnna, and Daniel all had fun too. One thing I will not enjoy about quarter system is how late they get out. So next year I may not be able to do something like this with my best friends. Well I hope that I still do get more opportunities to have some adventures like this in the future.
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| The Summer of Me - Days 1-4 |
[07 May 2007|10:36pm] |
So UCLA doesnt start classes until late September. Purdue lets out of school early May. That means a 5 month summer vacation! I'm going to try to make the most of it and chronicle my summer in my LJ as often as possible.
I left Purdue Wednesday night for Berkeley like I did last year. Surprisingly the Southwest flights I was on was only about half full, and I was actually able to sleep on the plane (I dont even remember the takeoff). So Berkeley was awesome. Thanks to Kwang and Garrett and his anti-social roommate for letting me turn their triple into a quad. Now that I think about it, I've spent about 2 weeks living in a dorm at Berkeley. I think I'm there too often. Turns out I've eaten at their DC more times than I have at some of the DCs at Purdue. Thats just sad. It almost felt like I had apointments that weekend since I had to see so many people. Catch up with so many friends. I had an awesome time spending the day with BriAnna. Meeting amazing people is always a great experience. Tomorrow is my first day working at the Page Musuem. Ill update when something exciting happens.
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| Looks Like I'm Gonna Be A Bruin... |
[30 Apr 2007|08:18pm] |
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Well my wait is over. My journey started more than a year ago when Daniel and I went on our road trip to Berkeley. It totally changed the way I thought about everything. Last May, I started the process of preparing to transfer. I knew that Berkeley was where I wanted to be. But today I found out I won't be going there. I'm not disappointed since I knew I was a long shot anyway. I did however get into UCLA so it looks like I will be returning to Southern California, my home.
Although this appears to be the end of the road for me in trying to get into Berkeley, I won't go down without a fight. My last chance are through appeals, but if that does not work, I won't have any regrets. I was told that today, Berkeley decisions would be released, and I kept checking the website every ten minutes. I felt like Brady Quinn waiting to get drafted. But just because I'll be at UCLA doesn't mean its going to stop me from being at Cal. Keep your eyes open. You'll be seeing more of the bear.
Anyway, as this chapter of my life comes to a close, I want to thank all my friends who have supported me through the entire process, given me their encouragement, and have believed in me. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. Your love has gotten me through this very stressful year. As for my friends at Purdue, I will miss all of you. Thank you for being a part of my life for the last two years and helping me to call Indiana home. I may never see most of you again, but I hope that our paths cross again sometime in the future.
I look forward to my days as a Bruin, and hope that they are fulfilling and productive. I will count my blessings each and every day, and enjoy the sunshine. Thank you everyone again for everything that you have done for me. I'll see you all on the other side.
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| West Lafayette, Indiana: Ground Zero |
[22 Jan 2007|08:28pm] |
West Lafayette, Indiana to Indianapolis, Indiana: 65 miles.
West Lafayette, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois: 120 miles.
Purdue University: A college campus where half the kids are from Indiana, and the other half are from Illinois.
February 4, 2007. Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears at SuperBowl XLI
Brace yourself.
I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this. But it has. Most of us were rooting for the Saints because of all that New Orleans had been through. I was cheering for the Saints so I wouldn't die. Come the Monday after the Super Bowl, I'm pretty sure half of the campus will be destroyed by fans of the winning team. The other half will be destroyed by the fans of the losing team. I might just have to stock pile 3 months of toilet paper, ramen noodles, and learn to grow mung beans in my underwear until its safe to come out again. It's the Civil War all over again: North versus South, Brother against Brother. The Colts, along with quarterback Peyton Manning, have waited many years for this SuperBowl Berth, where as the Bears were the NFC favorite despite having a roller coaster of a season (1.3 QB rating ahem). Despite my locale during the game, I must say I will be looking forward to it.
The Colts (12-4-0) started out their season at 9-0 then dropped 4 of their next 6 games. Despite injuries to key players, and a defense which allowed more rush yards than pass yards, they managed to survive the playoffs against 3 very formidable teams. Peyton Manning, who threw 31 TDs and only 9 INTs during the regular season had a rough playoff this year throwing just 2 TD passes and 6 INTs. Given the strength of the Bears defense, and their ability to stop the run as they did against the Saints, the Colts need to have Peyton step up his game, because of the potential for the bears to shut down Rhodes and rookie Addai. By using star receivers Harrison and Wayne, they need to stretch the field and the linebackers, then go under to their Tight End Dallas Clark and their mediocre slot receivers or out to the flats. Despite improving their rush defense in the last 3 games, the defensive line will have to prove that it is for real against the Bears rushers. Against the Saints, the Bears were able to make big gains on the ground while running out the clock. The Colts secondary will need to make big plays early on in the game to shake Rex Grossman's confidence and force him into making bad throws.
The Bears (13-3-0) became the NFC favorite early on in the season with Grossman back as the starting quarterback. He began the year well, but became surrounded with controversy after their narrow victory against the Arizona Cardinals. All eyes will be on Rex Grossman and whether or not he will perform at top level. The Bears will try to exploit the weak rush defense of Indianapolis in order to tighten up the front seven and then go to the air, giving Grossman some easy completions and some confidence. After seeing the AFC championship game and the number of yards Hobbs was able to get on kickoff returns, we may see some even bigger play by rookie Devin Hester, who has returned 6 kicks and punts for touchdowns.
Colts: 23 Bears: 16
Little Known Fact: When an AFC team wins the Super Bowl, the stock market will have a down year 80% of the time. So then why are the Bears in the NFC?
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| Finally, I Can Move On With My Life |
[04 Dec 2006|01:35am] |
So tonight, all the bowl matchups for NCAA football were announced. I am totally going to plan my winter break around the bowl schedule. This season has totally had it's up and downs. From last year to this year, the college football polls have been shaken up. On the field and off the field drama made the season more colorful. The Miama/FIU brawl, #1 and #2 OSU and Michigan playing each other, Bob Schembechler's death the night before said game, Wake Forest and Rutgers having a Cinderella season, and the death of Bryan Pata. Well now the regular season is over, and post season games begin. With the national title on the line for two teams who were underdogs in last year's BCS, OSU and Florida (both with top 5 basketball teams) will battle it out for bragging rights and try to silence all the critics once and for all. Here are some standout bowl match up for your consideration.
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Hawaii vs. Arizona State @ the Hawaii Bowl on December 24
Despite having the best offense in almost every category possible, Hawaii is coming off a narrow loss to Oregon State. Colt Brennan has much to prove as he faces a porous ASU defense. Brennen is a serious Heisman candidate for next year's season so he needs to have the game of his life in order to build up his stock. Being played on their home turf should give Hawaii an advantage. As for ASU, they are one of the underrated teams of the Pac-10. Under the command of Sophomore QB Rudy Carpenter, their team is definately one of potential, and under the guidance of coach Dick Koetter should have no problem winning another bowl berth again next year.
The Bottom Line: Hawaii 41 ASU 24
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Florida State vs. UCLA @ the Emerald Bowl on December 27
Bobby Bowden barely got his team into a bowl game this year after losing in triple overtime at the Orange Bowl last year against Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. However, Bobby Bowden has the third best bowl record in NCAA history. There is only so much a coach can do. It is up to QB Drew Weatherford to quiet the criticism he has recieved this last season. UCLA definately had a much less impressive season than last year. They are coming off a season in which they almost beat Notre Dame on the road, and did deny #2 USC to another national title game. Second string QB Pat Cowan proved that he is a threat through the air as well as on the ground. Despite not being heavily recruited by colleges coming out of high school, it looks like Cowan may have a potential career in the NFL.
The Bottom Line: Florida State 13 UCLA 17
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#20 California vs. #21 Texas A&M @ the Holiday Bowl on December 28
What a match up. Both these teams have very explosive offenses. Cal more through the air, while as A&M will take care of it on the ground. The Golden Bears bring a very balanced offense in Marshawn Lynch running the ball and DeSean Jackson at wideout. The Aggies will rely much on their RB Jorvorskie Lane (who is listed at almost 280 lbs) to get the job done. It looks like this game will come down to which team has the better defense, and is able to capitalize on special teams and turnovers.
The Bottom Line: California 34 Texas A&M 28
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Purdue vs. Maryland @ the Champs Sports Bowl on December 29
Purdue's season was hyped up last year but turned out to be a disappointment. However, coach Joe Tiller has brought the Boilermakers to his 9th bowl game in 10 years. Sophomore Curtis Painter is full of potential and one of the most productive passers in the nation. He does however need to become more comfortable under pressure situations and not throw any interceptions when it matters the most. Maryland is in a three way tie for second place in the ACC despite being only 5-3 in conference play. They have given up more TD on defense than they have produced on offense. Despite Purdue's inexperienced secondary, Maryland will need to step it up.
The Bottom Line: Purdue 31 Maryland 17
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#10 Auburn vs. #22 Nebraska @ the Cotton Bowl on January 1
Auburn had its title hopes were dashed when they were defeated by underdogs Arkansas and Georgia. The defense of Auburn has slipped somewhat since the begining of the season, but is still tough. However, Bill Callahan West Coast style offense may be able to exploit the holes in the Tiger's defense. Callahan may still have several trick plays he has yet to use this season and we should to expect to see some trickery use for some big gains. The balance of this game rests on Auburn's QB Brandon Cox to deliver a superb game and stay consistent in order to put points on the board.
The Bottom Line: Auburn 14 Nebraska 24
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#2 Michigan vs. #8 USC
I think most people would have been pretty upset to see a rematch between Michigan and OSU. Although they deserve to have a rematch at a neutral site, they did have their chance, and if Michigan won a rematch, there would be much controversy. This match up with USC seems like a better match up (and is a rematch of their 2003 Rose Bowl meeting). Lloyd Carr needs to have faith in Chad Henne and Mike Hart. That one-two punch is a very potent one able to set up the play action and go deep to Mario Manningham. Michigan needs to establish the run early against the tough USC rush defense so that they can take advantage of the more forgiving USC pass defense. USC on the other hand should go to the air early and take advantage of the talent they have at wide recievers. After stretching the field, the Trojans should be able to rip off big yards against Michigan's top rush defense.
The Bottom Line: Michigan 27 USC 21
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#1 Ohio State University vs. #2 University of Florida
Well we finally know who will be playing OSU for the title. The Buckeyes have been #1 all season and will need to prove that they deserved all those votes. Jim Tressel is undefeated in bowl games, and with two amazing wide receivers and a (probable) Heisman Trophy winner, his team should have no problem in Glendale. Their own worst enemy will be themselves. Tressel must keep his team under control and make sure that they are focused on the game rather than choke and give up their deserved title. Urban Meyer and his two QB system has proved effective all season and should give the OSU defense a tough time. Despite being an underdog, dont expect the Gators to give up with out a fight. If Troy Smith can keep his composure as he as all season, the Buckeyes should come away with the title.
The Bottom Line: OSU 38 Florida 28
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| Step One |
[28 Nov 2006|10:48pm] |
Dear Billy Wong,
Your University of California application for admission has been successfully submitted. Your application ID number is XXXXXX. Please refer to this ID number in any correspondence with UC.
Sincerely,
UC Undergraduate Application Processing Service
And now the waiting begins...=/
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| Sorry, Pluto. You've Just Been Demoted From Dog To Bitch. |
[27 Aug 2006|05:39pm] |
Less than a year ago, NASA launched their New Horizons probe to the last planet yet to be explored by a human space craft. Oops...looks like you guys just wasted $650 million and 15 years to study a large piece of ice. This week, astronomers of the International Astronomical Union met in Prague to decide the fate of our "pizza" planet. There has been much buzz in the astronomical community, as well as the non-educated community about this vote which has reversed Pluto's 76 year status of planet.
So many people are sad that Pluto is no longer one of the nine planets. But of all, I think that Pluto itself will be affected emotionally by this the most. The last planet in line to be king will no longer be recieving welfare checks in the mail, it's moon Charon, has just recently divorced it's icy spouse, and Pluto will soon be deported back deep into the Kuiper Belt.
But of course with any situation like this, it is the children who are always affected the most. Caught in the middle, children are often confused and uncertain about what is happening. How can children learn that "my very educated mother just served us nine." Nine what? Planets perhaps? "My Very Exotic Mistress Just Showed Up Nude" just doesn't have the same ring to it.
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| ...And Thats Why College Football Is Better Than You! |
[24 Aug 2006|09:57am] |
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With college football and the NFL season about to kick off, each man must ask himself a question. Which game should I watch. Afterall, there are dozens to choose from. Basically, from Saturday morning to Monday night, it is nothing but solid football on many networks. You simply can't watch them all. Man cannot live on football alone. I was proding around ESPN.com and stumbled upon this article which sums things up very well. College football vs. The NFL
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| Campus Bookstores are the Anti-Christ |
[20 Aug 2006|07:45pm] |
Well as far as I'm concerned, summer is officially over as of midnight tonight. Tomorrow, many of us will drag our asses to our first class of the semester. If we're lucky, this school year will go by as fast as summer did. And hopefully by then I'll know where I'll be heading. I've got the feeling that I'm gonna be losing a lot of sleep in the next few months.
Heres the revised schedule for the semester. Its freakin' schweet!
To all my friends who are starting school tomorrow...good luck! And to all you UC people, your days are numbered!!!
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| 525,600 Minutes Ago... |
[30 Apr 2006|02:13pm] |
April 30, 2005
One of the busiest and memorable days of my life. Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics (helping, not participating), and of course Senior Prom.
Habitat for Humanity: Went with Thalia all the way to Pasadena for yet another Habitat for Humanity meeting. It was unproductive as usual. After that finished, hauled ass back to the Heights to go to the Special Olympics
Lanterman Special Olympics: This was the first time I really got to know Stef:)! I remember being so worried about being late. haha. Being timer and starting the races was pretty fun.
Senior Prom: Me and my prom date Katie as well as the rest of the Shaggin' Wagon. yay! Fun times!
Wow...I cant believe that was all exactly one year ago and I cant believe I did that all in one day. I wish I could go back to that day and relive it just once more.
Edit:
I was just listening to the Ataris song "Looking back on Today" and the lyrics begin with "30th of April, seems like yesterday." I never really noticed it, but how appropriate.
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| Do Not Pass Go |
[24 Apr 2006|02:09pm] |
Perhaps the most boring board game of all time, is finally getting a make over. The makers of Monopoly, the most capitalistic piece of propaganda American toy makers have ever come up with is finally getting its first make over since it's creation in 1935. Gone are the old street names of Atlantic City which have been over taken by prostitutes, and new are the landmarks which come from all over America and Trump Casinos. However, these new board properties are not chosen yet. Parker Brothers needs your help voting on which landmarks from each of the major cities makes the cut. You can go to WWW.MONOPOLY.COM and vote. And please...don't be an ignorant jackass and vote for the "name brand" landmarks like everyone else who voted did. For you nostalgic folk out there, there is no need to worry. The original version will still be sold. Finally, Monopoly might surpass Mancala as a less boring game.
How I Voted:
Hawaii: Diamond Head
Los Angeles: Sunset Blvd.
Las Vegas: Las Vegas Blvd.
San Francisco: Lombard Street
Seattle: Pike Place Market
Phoenix: Camelback Mountain
Denver: Red Rock Amphitheater
Minneapolis: Mall Of America
St. Louis: Delmar Blvd.
Dallas: Fair Park
Houston: Johnson Space Center
Chicago: Navy Pier
New Orleans: Bourbon Street
Nashville: Grand Ole Opry
Atlanta: Stone Mountain
Orlando: Disneyworld
Miami: Coconut Grove
Boston: Fenway Park
New York: Broadway
Cleveland: North Coast Harbor
Washington D.C.: Lincoln Memorial
They should make a communist version of Monopoly.
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