Cooperstown

USP

A fellow churchmember of mine recently pubished an article in the Kentucky Kerenl where she addresses the notion that USP requirements (specifically "Dinosaurs and Disasters") don't benefit her political career. While I thought the article was well written, I have to respecfully disagree with this opinion. I found that USP classes can have a very profound effect on one's college experience and future career. I have a few reasons:

1. USP courses give you a variety of material. They allow you to find out what areas you are interested in and which ones you are not. I did not know that I wanted to major in psychology when I first started college. But by taking Psychology 100 my freshman year I found out that it was a subject that I was greatly interested in. If not for USP I could be doing something else that I do not enjoy.
2. They allow you to get used to college. Very few people are truly ready for college when they start. Most struggle at some point and some even drop out. USP courses allow you that time to adapt to college life before the real pressure starts to build up as you get farther into your major.
3. You can choose from a variety of USP courses, it's not like I had to take a specific class. You choose from various history, science, or humnaity classes that YOU are interested in. No one forces you to take something you don't want to take (except for the inevitable math 109 or English 104).
4. USP courses allow you to meet a variety of people. You can have class with people from all kinds majors, not just the ones you will be seeing over and over in your area of study.
5. USP courses give you knowledge in a variety of different fields, making you more well-balanced and preparing you better for the "real world" where not everyone is interested in the same things as you are.

When I was in my first year of college, I was of the opinion that USP courses were a waste of time. I just wanted to take those classes in my major and get done with it. But being a senior this year and looking back I see why they were important, nay, essential to my growth as a student. Things change in college; your opinions change, you plans change, your way of thinking changes.

I've had my classes that I hated. I took Human Ecology my freshman year because someone told me it was a good idea. It was the stupidest class I have ever taken and the teacher was terrible. I dreaded that class more than anything in the world. I mean it was actually painful to sit through. I can't remember 99.9% of what I was taught in that class, but I remember one thing: the hole in the o-zone layer is legit, man. And if that's all I took away from that class, then so be it. At least it was an important idea.

At the least, the classes you hate will make you appreciate the classes you like even more. Give them chance, you may even learn something. They may be painful right now, I won't lie about that, but it's like I always say "Pain builds character". Okay, maybe I have never said that before, but it's still a cool saying.

posted by Wes @ 3:45 PM 14 comments

Short Post

Well I don't know about you all but I had a very nice weekend, one of the best I have had in a long while. Good friends, good food, good times all three days. I hope you all had a nice weekend as well. But alas, tomorrow it is back to school. That's not tight. I don't really feel much like blogging tonight, I just finished peer reviewing some papers for my English class so I am kind of tired of typing. I'm starting to become a big fan of the shorter post. I didn't used to like them, I always felt like I was being shortchanged. But when you have shorter posts it allows you to post more frequently. I'm not saying I'm against longer posts anymore, they are great, even better. Well this post is going nowhere real quick so I am just gonna hang it up for the evening. I hope you all have a fantastic week!

posted by Wes @ 10:51 PM 2 comments

My Happy Half-Birthday

Musings.......

• Today, February 21st, is my half-birthday. I am now 21 1/2 years old, so wish me a happy half-birthday. I expect that the next six months before my 22nd birthday will have quite a bit in store for me.

• I spent my half birthday talking to Dean Martin (that's my lead salesperson's name, no joke) on the walkie-talkie at work, then went to psych lab, then went to history class, then ate, then studied. BOOOOORRRRRRINGGGGG. I want cake. At least a half of one.

• I should be studying for a test right now, but I cannot focus. I must confess I was a little worried about this test, because the professor didn't really let us know what was going to be on it. But there is this girl in my class who met with the professor today and then sent me a great review sheet for the test. That's the beauty of upper level classes: we look out for each other.

• Congratulations Hannah Teter, you won the Gold Medal in Women's Snowboarding Half-pipe! You represented your country with pride and enthusiasm, using words like "stoked" and "mad air" in your interviews. You are a total stud, you pulled a 900 frontside that took my breath away. More importantly, you have shown us what the Winter Olympics are all about: DOMINATING the half-pipe.

• Ramel, what were you thinking!?!?!?!?!? This isn't Brooklyn, you can't just run around punching things!!!!!

• Tapp, as soon as I graduate with a degree in Psychology, I am going to pay you a visit and together we are going to break you of all your nasty obsessions (mainly Facebook and creating a coaching ranking index). I don't need a Master's degree to fix you.

• Days left until Spring Break: 18. Let's get stoked people, New Orleans awaits. No sleeping the night before, only waiting. Looters beware, Justice is on its way. And I don't mean Bob.

At this point I think I should stop typing because I definitely just made a Bob Justice joke. Sweet dreams.

posted by Wes @ 11:05 PM 2 comments

Joakim Noah: The New Matt Walsh

I know I said that there will be no talking about Facebook on this blog, but this is an exception. There is a new Facebook group at UK called "Joakim Noah: The New Matt Walsh". I think it is pretty self explanatory. He is arrogant and has ugly hair (a la Matt Walsh) but does one thing that Walsh never did as a Gator player; Noah beats his chest like a gorilla when he scores a bucket. This has apparently drawn the attention of many a UK fan besides myself. A few weeks ago I began to wonder if indeed Noah would be the new Walsh, and now it is official. His welcome to Rupp in a few weeks will be less than cold, that is for sure.

posted by Wes @ 1:38 PM 8 comments

I Got A Fever.....

....and the only perscription is more......

• SPRINGTIME. I walked outside this morning only to discover that is was unseasonably warm. I immediately turned around and put some shorts on. Shorts in February deserves a big YEEEEEEEAAAHH BOOOOOOYYYYYY!!!!!
• SOFTBALL. It's about time Porter College softball starts spring training. Time to hit the gym hard, boys. Might want ot concentrate on the treadmill if you were one of the fellows that had to stop and take a breather between 1st and 2nd base last season. I'm pumped about the upcoming season, it will be here before you know it.
• INDOOR SOCCER. Again, let the training begin, the season starts at the end of March. New rule this year. We are going Tubby Smith style this year: you do somehitng stupid )i.e. take a bad shot, slack off on defense, pull yourself out of the goalie position (Chandler)), you are gonna ride that bench hard.. Also, Preece and I are going to make a mix CD for our warm-up. What songs should we use?
• NBC TELEVISION. I like the Olympics and all, but not when they interfere with my regularly scheduled programming. All my favorite shows (The Office, Scrubs, SVU, Crossing Jordan) are on NBC, which is airing the Olympics in thier stead. I turn the TV on NBC any given night and it's figure skating. BOOOOOORRRRINNNGGGGG.
• A FULLY FUNCTIONING iPOD. My iPod won't reformat, so I can't update it with new music. This frustrates me to no end. Apple promised me that using my iPod would be easy. To that I say "iPod? More like LiePod!!!! Right?!?!?!?!? Right?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
• MORE WALKER: TEXAS RANGER CLIPS. I found a nice montage of Conan O'Brien's Walker: Texas Ranger clips here. It make take a few minutes to load, but it is well worth it.
• WHEAT THINS. Wheat Thins are the Truth, I'm not gonna lie about that.
• FUNNY PEOPLE. Last night in my History of U.S. Religion class the teacher brought up the children's song Jesus Loves Me, This I Know. The dude behind me leans over ot his friend and says "Dude, Jesus Loves Me is the jam!"
• PENN STATION SUBS. Penn Station subs are also the Truth. I threw down two of them last night.
• RAMEL BRADLEY. Chris Smith is going to make a shirt that says "I went to Brooklyn and Got Mugged By Ramel Bradley's Brother".
• TROY WOODYARD QUOTES. I talked to Troy on the phone last night. He ends our conversation with "Well, I guess I'm gonna go look for a job now."
• DARREN GUITAR SOLOS. If you thought Darren tore it up this past Sunday, just wait until next Sunday. I heard he's gonna sport the bandana and go crazy during I Am a Friend of God.

Time for me to go back to class. Later.

posted by Wes @ 1:02 PM 4 comments

Some Funny Stuff

Chris Smith introduced me to a site called http://www.youtube.com, where you can find various clips from thousands of different TV shows. I must admit, I am addicted to this site. I mostly look up stuff from SNL and Conan O'Brien, but there is plenty more. I thought I would share some of my favorites. (Note: some of these will take a few moments to load, so be patient. They are worth it.)

• Here is a never-before seen Conan clip of Walker: Texas Ranger.
• This is a clip of Conan making fun of Star Wars fans. Hilarious!
• .....and here is Conan making fun of The Lord of the Rings. So funny even Conan can't help laughing!
• Another Walker clip here.
• .....and another here.
• Walker jump-kicks the windshield of a car here.
• Napoleon Dynamite does the "Top Ten" list on David Letterman here.
• Letterman catches George W. Bush in a lie here.
• Hasidic Jew/Reggae artist Matisyahu performs live on Letterman here. I think his stuff is pretty cool.
• A funny Letterman stunt here.
• More of Letterman making fun of Bush here.
• .....and more here
• Lettermans "Top Ten Favorite George W. Bush Moments" here. John Wiley, watch this!!!!!
• SNL "Debbie Downer" sketch here. Everyone starts laughing.
• SNL Donald Trump sketch here.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did. As I come across more clips I will continue to share.

posted by Wes @ 8:45 PM 1 comments

Something Interesting

I'm reading this book called "The Democratization of Christianity" for my history class this semester. Tonight I read a little about Joseph Smith and the start of Mormonism and I found something interesting that I thought I would share.

So Joseph Smith apparently had something called a "seeing stone" that he would use to see God's revelations to him and all that good stuff. Kind of hokey right? Then I read on. Listen to Smith's description of what hew would see when he looked into this stone:

• ..."at his trial, Smith testified that when he looked at the seer stone he "discovered that time, place, and distance were annihilated; that all the intervening obstacles were removed, and that he possessed one of the attributes of Deity, an All-Seeing Eye" ".

Does this sound familiar? It should if you have ever read The Lord of the Rings. Remember the seeing stones? They removed "time, place and distance" allowing, people to see each other over large distances and to see into the future. And the "All-Seeing Eye"? Yep, that was Sauron (the "Deity", the Great Eye who saw everything the went on on Middle Earth. And remember what Saruman saw when would look into the Seeing Stone? He saw the Great Eye of Sauron, and thus communicated with him that way, much the same way that Joseph Smith claimed to communicate with "The All-Seeing Eye" through his own seer stone.

So my question is this: Did J.R.R. Tolkien take Smith's idea/testimony of a seer stone and an All-Seeing Eye and adapt it to his own story? I have not researched it, but I think it is a very good possibility. The wording is so similar that it is eerie to read. If it is the case that he used Smith's claims as a part of his story, I wonder what else may have influenced his writing...

Anyway, I just thought I would share that. Most of you probably don't care, I know. But I am a nerd and I found this pretty interesting.

Also........

I am pleased to announce that, after a long search, I finally managed to track down "The Commercial" on the Internet. Some of you know what "The Commercial" is, but for those of you who don't, here's the skinny: this is the best commercial of all time. Troy and Andy will agree. I first saw it before a movie in 2003, then later on TV. See it for yourself here, then read below.

Did you like it? The strand of beach amidst the clear ocean, the soothing music, the beautiful lady, the waves, the cool birds flying around and then turning into a perfume bottle.....they all come together to make the perfect commercial.

posted by Wes @ 10:39 PM 4 comments

Behold, The Almighty Hoody

I've come to the conclusion this evening that hoodies are the best piece of clothing you can buy. I've known this for a while, but tonight I make it official. I ask you, is there a more efficient piece of clothing? The answer is simply "no". Suits, slacks, socks, and cool looking T-shirts are all fine and grand, but they pale in comparison to the almighty hoody. My reasoning:

1. Comfort: They just feel good to wear, no matter what the occasion.
2. Fashion: Regular sweatshirts are okay, but adding a hood just gives it that special something extra. You can where them anywhere: school, church, work. It is the ultimate all-purpose clothing article. And it goes with just about anything you want to wear.
3. Functionality: The key element that separates the hoody from all other articles of clothing. You can use the hood to keep your ears and head warm. You can use the hood to protect your head from wind, rain, and snow. You can use the hood to cover up a bad hair day. You can wear the hood when you are in a bad mood. You can wear the hood in your car at night and creep out other people on the road. You can wear the hood just because it is fun and comfortable. The possibilities are endless.
4. Year-Round Sportability: The hoody is light enough to bust out on those chilly summer nights, yet warm enough to use on the coldest of winter days. The hoody never gets put in the back of the closet, because at any given time, it knows it may be called upon for use by the wearer.
5. Style: There are different styles: pocket, no pocket, zip-up, thin, thick. There are different colors, along with different designs and logos that can be used on a hoody.

The evidence supports my case: all other clothing is inferior. Therefore I declare 2006 to be "The Year of the Hoody". Sport them whenever you can, friends. Wear them with pride and where them with boldness; don't bring that weak hoody action. Let no one ridicule you for wearing them too much; they make fun of you because they are jealous. And they should be jealous, because you have a hoody on. And they don't.

posted by Wes @ 10:54 PM 6 comments

'06 Movies

I know last summer I declared pubicly that I was forever going to ban Hollywood. Since then I have somewhat retracted that statement, although I am much more selective about what I go tho the theater to see. Anyway, there are a few good movies on deck this year that I am at least a little excited about seeing. Here's my preview:

Lady in the Water

Wes's Level of Excitement: Strong to Very Strong

-I love M. Night Shyamalan, what can I say? His newest film comes out this July, and I eagarly anticipate it. From the plot description it is hard to tell what it is going to be about, but from what I gather it looks interesting. Read about it here.

16 Blocks

Wes's Level of Excitement: Moderately Strong to Strong

-This is one of those movies that takes place over a very short period of time, is very intense. Bruce Willis is a stud. Remember that time in Die Hard when he walked on glass? That was awesome. Anyway, read about it here.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Wes's Level of Excitement: Moderately Strong to Strong

-Why do we love pirate movies? I'll tell you why: there's lots of sword fightin', bar fightin', swashbucklin', dudes with hooks, eyepatches, ghosts, drunks, and pirate hookers. Of that doesn't spell "Good Movie", then I must be nuts. Plus, the first one was, good so this one should be as well. Yarrrr, 'ere lies the preview ye scumbucket.

Unknown White Male

Wes's Level of Excitement: Moderately Strong to Strong

-I like documentaries, too. This movie is a documentary about a dude who wakes up on Coney Island with no idea who he is. Sounds like it vould be interesting, and movies that don't get a lot of media exposre tend to be better than the hyped-up ones. Read more here.

Phat Gilrz

Wes's Level of Excitement: Non-existent to strongly non-existent

-I only put this on here for comic relief. When I saw the title, I laughed out loud. Don't think I'll be seeing this one. Now, if it were called Phat Grillz instead, I might be interested. Sorry, I couldn't phind a photo phor it either.

Mission: Impossible III

Wes's Level of Excitement: Mildly Strong to Moderately Strong

-The first Mission: Impossible was great. The second.....well, not so good. What will the third movie hold in store for us? Who knows, Tom Cruise is one crazy fool. See how crazy he will be in the upcoming sequel here.

posted by Wes @ 4:29 PM 2 comments

Is The Best We Have To Offer?

Even though it is now 2006, I still consider this year as part of the time period that many like to call "The Dawn of the 21st Century". We have come a long way over the past fifty years in advancing technology and making life better for all of of mankind. Think about what we have accomplished over the past 50 years. We have discovered new medicines for various diseases. We have put a man on the moon. We have created the cell phone, which allows us to reach virtually anyone anywhere at anytime. We have super-fast computers that do almost anything we want them to. It is truly amazing to behold how advanced a society we have become.

So why do I bring this up? Good question. Here's my problem. I am at work in the snackroom, trying to get a Snickers bar out of the machine. I put my change in and press the corresponding button. The little spiral thing turns, but suddenly stops before the candy can fall to the collection tray. What the crap is that about?

So let me get this straight.....we can send spacecraft into the depths of unknown space but we still haven't figured out how to make a candy machine that delivers the candy 100% of the time? Is the steel coil really the most efficient of delivering Scnickers bars? Are you sure that's the best we can do?

Hmmmm, maybe then the soda machine will work better. I take out a nice, crisp $1 bill. I stick it into the slot in it's correct position: face up, with Washington's neck pointing towards me. The machine takes the bill in, makes some noise, then spits the bill back out. I try again. Same results. I make sure the corners are not folded and try again. Same results. I slap the machine around a little bit. Same results.

Why must the soda machine mock me? I'm giving it real money, can it seriously not tell that it's real money? Is it that difficult. You seem to accept change just fine. Why are you hatin' on my dollar bill? It's a perfectly good $1 bill. Just accept it, give me my beverage, and I'll be on my way.

Seriously, there has got to be technology out there advanced enough to get this soda machine to realize that I'm not trying to gyp it out of a dollar and that all I want is a beverage because I am 99.9% parched.

Let's get with the program America. We are the cutting edge in technolgy, but right now the snack and soda machines are making us look bad. And I won't stand for it any longer.

posted by Wes @ 11:14 PM 2 comments

Vacation

So today I am sitting in my English class where we sit a t around table and discuss various meanings of books and what not. My mind tends to drift in this class, probably because the people in it try to sound way smarter than they are actually capable of being. Today I was thinking about vacations (for whatever reason), both past and future. I came up with a list of a few that stood out in particular:

-Spring Break '01: Dave, Troy and I go with Troys family to Gulf Shores. Smitty meets up with us. Shennanigans ensue. Smitty steps on a barnacle. Dave falls off a chair. Madlibs. Troy gets 3rd degree sunburn and complains the rest of the trip. Troy drive like an idiot and gets yelled at by Ray. Ray tells Try he is going to sew his but shut if he doesn't stop farting.

-Spring Break '02: The return to Gulf Shores sans Dave. Babaloes. Bhatigators. Beezer. Middle school girls flirting with Troy. Somehow getting roped into speaking at the local church's youth group (how did that happen again?). Me putting too much Sun-In in my hair. going to a local high schools's talent show. And, of course, Shanta (yeeeeeeaaaahhhh booooyyyyyy!!!!!).

-Cedar Point Trips '02-04: Coopers, Whereles, Woodyards, Soks, Dave, Jason, Eric Orr. Am I forgetting anyone? John Wherle rides MilFo with us. Troy gets dysentery. A bird craps in Troy's mouth (Troy seems to get the short end of the stick on every vacation). Me and Eric scare little kids from getting on rides. Brandon steals his parents car.

-Hunting Island: Me, Taylor, Evan, Bryce, Dave, Troy, Jason. Everybody gets mad at each other for various petty reasons. Baseball on the beach. My fabulous burgers. Site 41. Lightshouse guard.

I'm sure more stuff happened on these trips, this is just all that recall at the moment. What was your favorite part?

posted by Wes @ 1:15 PM 6 comments