The radio station I thought I could look up to for new music back in the day, when I first moved to Indiana, was X103, since it was the only radio station that played modern rock music. Sadly, this station plays the same songs over and over and over and over again, rarely playing something different, whether it be old or new. I also enjoy listening to Techno/Electro/Dubstep/whatever you want to call it, and there's no local radio stations for that genre either. So to find new music, I've turned to many different sources. Pandora is a good source for finding new music, depending on which band, song, or genre you type in as a station. Spotify is great because it normally shows every song by a band you like, including songs that appeared on soundtracks or EPs that you may not have known even existed. Though I find it weird that friends on Facebook can see which songs I'm listening to.
Sometimes, I find songs on the internet that I heard in a video game, movie, TV show, trailer or commercial. I do some research on Google, YouTube and Wikipedia to find those songs. Whenever I'm hanging out with friends, I ask them what song we're listening to, and then I look it up and add it to my collection. Whenever I get a smart phone, the Shazam app is gonna be my new best friend!
Here are some examples of songs I've found from different sources.
TV Commercial (Kia Soul Hamsters):
Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl feat. Georgi Kay - In My Mind (Axwell Mix)
Movie (The Bourne Identity):
Paul Oakenfold - Ready, Steady, Go
Movie Trailer (G.I. Joe Renegades)
The Glitch Mob - Seven Nation Army (The Glitch Mob Remix)
First off, I'm sorry I haven't posted anything lately. The reason being that I've been super busy with Capstone in Construction. Last week it felt like I logged in 60 hours or more of Capstone with my team. We've made brochures, posters, letters, business cards, schedules, estimates and many other submissions over the past few weeks. All of these represented the construction company that we made up called Do Right Management. Our slogan is "construction done right." I'm the Project Engineer - LEED AP for our company. In short, I'm the green building guy. That was all for the first assignment which officially ended for my team and I a few hours ago.
Last night we were at the library from 8 PM to 3 AM (yep this is the second time I've stayed til the library closed). I woke up at 9:30 and went to the library to add the finish touches with my team. We finally got our embroidered dress shirts and polo shirts back and they look awesome! We all bought different colored ties to go with the dress shirts. The final part of our first assignment was to present in front of all of the professors in the Construction Management program for about 25 minutes. We've practiced more than 7 times for this presentation and we heard that we'd be asked tough questions afterwards. But today we made a name for ourselves and our made up company. We did well at answering questions after the presentation and we were proud of ourselves. Afterwards, the team and I went to the Locker Room for beer and food, while still wearing our company shirts. I didn't eat anything except for a snickers bar before the Locker Room today, so I went to town on my cheeseburger. A fitting end for the first of 6 assignments in Capstone. Wish me luck for the rest of Capstone and I hope I'll have more free time this semester!
From Left to Right: Mitch, Evan, Chris, Bill and myself
These past few weeks I've been busy with work and classes; mainly my capstone class. There have been days my entire capstone team and I would meet for 6 hours at the library. I've had to miss bible study and swing dancing last week for it. But lately I've used the excuse of being busy with school and work that I've been neglecting doing housework. Whenever I come home after being on campus for a while, I just want to relax on my big black circle chair (I don't know what they're called) and watch TV or play video games. Coming back from Winter Break, I'd be pretty lazy with dishes most of the time. We don't have a working dishwasher, so we just use it as a drying rack. So I'd just rinse my dishes and watch the pile of dishes get higher and higher, like Jenga. I'd be doing laundry but not fold my clothes and put them away. My room was a mess for a few weeks as well.
Today was not a lazy Sunday for me. I was on a cleaning frenzy all day. I did all my laundry and even put it away. I cleaned, organized and vacuumed my room, which is normally important to me since my room is the first thing people see when they walk into our house. I spent almost an hour cleaning all of our dishes by hand.
So now I've come to realize that I can't be lazy with one thing and busy with another. I gotta make time for everything. Don't let being busy with work and school be an excuse to be lazy for your house, apartment, or dorm. Had I not have been lazy with my house chores I wouldn't have put in all of the time for it. Let this be a lesson to all of you.
After 5 years, my all time favorite show on Fox has come to a close. The final 2 episodes of Fringe aired a few hours ago, which I am grateful that Fox allowed them to have an ending. I won't say anything about the ending, just that I thought it received the ending it deserved. Whenever I talk about this show with my friends, a lot of them have heard of it, but have either never watched it or gave up on it half way through the series. To those that have given up on it, I recommend you catch up on Fringe because you won't be disappointed after watching every episode; there are exactly 100 episodes by the way!
For those that don't know what the show is, Fringe is a Sci-Fi/Action TV show. The reason the show is called Fringe, is because it is about fringe science. It explores the impossible and even unimaginable, such as men called Observers that can travel through time and read minds, shapeshifters that can change their appearance to anyone they encounter, and an alternate universe with versions of ourselves that are 30 years ahead of us in technology. There are also strange cases that occur throughout the show, such as walking through walls, people with abilities, and bizarre deaths. It's also an emotional show that has a heavy emphasis on love, sacrifice, and selfishness.
The main characters of the show are very unique. Olivia Dunham is an FBI agent with abilities that she later discovers and is driven to stop those responsible for heinous crimes. Walter Bishop is a scientist that has stirred up a lot of trouble in the world in the past but amends for his sins throughout the series. His mind is unstable most of the time and he has an obsession for different foods after being in a mental institute for 17 years. His son Walter Bishop is a jack of all trades with a mysterious past, that even he doesn't know about. He despises being around his father in the beginning but grows closer to him as time goes on. All 3 of them work together to solve fringe cases, along with Astrid Fawnsworth; Walter's lab assistant whom he always forgets her name, Phillip Broyles; Olivia's boss in the FBI and later in Fringe Division; and Nina Sharp, who is in charge of Massive Dynamic, the largest and most secretive scientific and techno-logic company in the world.
From left to right: Philip Broyles, Nina Sharp, Peter Bishop,
Olivia Dunham, Walter Bishop, and Astrid Fawnsworth
The show also had pictures that appeared on the screen right before it went to commercial break, such as a hand with 6 fingers and an apple with 2 fetuses inside the apple seeds. It also had different intro sequences from time to time, for instances such as when the episode is taking place in an alternate universe or is occurring in 1985, when Walter committed the unthinkable to save his son.
Though I'm greatly disappointed the show is over, I'm satisfied with the way it ended. I hope I've sparked enough curiosity in you, the reader, to start watching this show again or for the first time. And farewell Fringe. You've had a good run and made it to 100 episodes!
Last night I got less than 5 hours of sleep due to being in the library with my Capstone team until about 2:20 AM and waking up for class at 9:00 AM today. One of my teammates that also had a 9:00 class actually took a nap on the floor of the library last night! So I figured this is the perfect time to write about sleep considering I'm tired and currently running on Mountain Dew. I appreciate sleep. I think it's beneficial for everyone to get enough sleep. They say we should get 8 hours of sleep every day. Pssssh, who actually follows through with that? Hardly anyone gets that much sleep on average. There are days where I sleep in for almost 10 hours and days where I get about 4 hours of sleep. As a college student it's difficult to stay consistent with how much sleep I get every day. Sometimes I'm so busy, that I have to invest my nights into my school work. Other days, I just don't want to get out of bed if there's nothing I have to do in the morning. In my post from last month, "Burned Out, but Not Out," I wrote about how I stayed awake for 33 hours for a project. I hope I never have to do that again!
Sleep is great though. On nights like last night, I just want to drop whatever it is I'm doing and sleep. Other time, I'm laying in bed and I'd rather watch TV or play a video game instead of go to sleep right away. To wake up well rested is a wonderful feeling. Waking up and feeling tired obviously isn't as great, but knowing I have a Mountain Dew ready and waiting to keep me going throughout my day helps soften the stress. I almost always forget what I dreamed of as soon as I woke up, so my life is nothing like Inception.
Tonight consists of going to work, finishing up my homework, relaxing for a little bit, and then spending the remainder of my night with my special someone........my bed! Good night everyone!
Sleeping in a bed is 10x better than sleeping in a car.
At least 5 times a day, we hear a bad word. It's inevitable. We can't escape it! Though there are negative contexts to cuss words that deem them inappropriate to use most of the time, saying them won't make you a bad person. I myself cuss, whether in a serious, angry, or joking manner. There are certain words I try to stay away from completely. I believe it's perfectly normal to cuss every once in a while. I just don't like to put the lord's name in a certain phrase with a cuss word (I'll assume you know what I'm talking about). Besides that line and a few other words I think are too vulgar, it's okay to cuss from time to time. The trick though is to know when it's okay to use bad words and when to refrain from saying them. If you never cuss, then good for you! But if you do cuss, read on and remember these suggestions.
When It's Alright to Cuss:
1. When You're Trying to be Funny
If you're cussing with someone and you're just goofing around, then it's acceptable. Just don't say anything offensive that will send you to court........ or the hospital.
What did you call me?!?!?!?
2. When You Screwed Up or Hurt Yourself
If you're alone and no one can hear you even if you screamed, and you've just hit your foot on a table, then by all means, release your anger by yelling profanities into the air. Just don't do anything stupid like throw a lamp due to your rage.
3. When You're Singing
When you're singing along to one of your favorite songs that just happens to have a few swear words in them, don't be afraid to sing the lyrics word for word. You'll just look plain silly trying to change the words while you're singing Get Low by Lil' Jon. "To the window! To the wall!"
4. When You Want to Act Manly Around Other Men
This obviously is a suggestion for men. I major in Construction Management, so ultimately, I'm exposed to A LOT of cussing, both in college and in the work force. It's okay to conform by cussing with them. Sometimes, you just gotta be more of man to win respect from your fellow men. You can't be acting all goody two shoes all the time!
When It's NOT Alright to Cuss:
1. When You're Around Children
No matter what, you should never cuss in front of a child, even if you're angry or just want to sound serious. Children at a young age tend to digest certain things older people say, which in turn will make them repeat what they heard later on in life. They do not know the meaning of what any curse words mean, so they shouldn't use it ever, or they'll get in trouble, which reflects back to however taught them that word.
2. When You're at Church
You do not want to say a single cuss word in church. Otherwise, people will look at you with disgust and shock, as if you were possessed by the devil. Avoid the awkwardness and show some respect for people around you and for God if you believe in him.
Avoid getting looks like this in church for cussing!
3. When You're on Facebook
Whether you've changed your settings for who sees your posts on Facebook or not, you still shouldn't cuss. If you don't change your settings, a potential employer could read your posts. There are kids now that use Facebook as well. You could be friends with a pastor or with someone in your family. Just trust me on this one. It'll save you from getting into trouble fast! This includes Twitter, Blogspot, or whatever other website you use in which you can post anything.
4. When You're in the Wrong Place
What I mean by that is when you're at a bar, at work, in class, or anywhere else where cussing may be a bad idea. If you're at a bar or party and you've had too much to drink, then your filter for what you say will be loosened and you may end saying something really offensive that will get you hurt. At work or in school, you want to refrain from cussing to act professional and to avoid getting into some serious trouble.
"Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope that I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing." -Billy Madison
I hope I don't have to repeat school again like Billy Madison!
It's my first day back to school. I can't believe it's my last semester! Like I've said before in one of my previous posts, my New Year's resolution is to make the most out of this semester. After May, I'll be done with college. I want to make this semester count. I'll miss all of my college friends and the college environment. Before I step into the real world after college, I have to finish this semester. First things first is getting ready for my first class at 12 today, Construction Finance and Law with Mahfouz. Have a good first day of classes everyone! Maybe I'll run into you on your way to class. I'll be the guy wearing the ginger Beardo.
Winter Break isn't the only thing that's over for me. I have to say farewell tonight to someone I've grown quite attached to during break. It's not gonna be easy. It'll be really awkward saying goodbye. I'm talking of course about my beard. Like most guys, shaving off your beard after you finally have it the way you want it to look is a crappy feeling. I have to shave my beard off because I have to go back to work tomorrow. I work a dining job on campus at Noyer, and they require that you have a clean shaven face every time you work. That way we don't get beard hair in your soup. Although I really don't want to shave my beard off, I have to make the sacrifice so that I can put bacon on the table.
I won't be growing a beard again until May, which is when the semester is over. It's always weird seeing myself after I shave off my beard. I look like I'm 17! I'm contemplating on keeping the 'stache, but if I look like a 40 year old man I'm going to have to shave that off too. For now, I'll still have my new beard hat that I got for Christmas. It has a ginger beard attached to it to replace my ginger beard. I'll be wearing it around campus during the cold season!
2012 has come and passed, and now it is a new year. 2013 marks the end of my college career and the beginning of my career in Construction Management. My final semester at Ball State will begin next week, in which I will be taking my final 6 classes. I'm also working with a team of students for a competition called the Green Energy Challenge, as well as still working with CMSO (Construction Management Student Organization) as the treasurer. Afterwards, I'll be in my final internship with a company that will hopefully keep me as an employee once I'm done with that. And there you have it. That's my plan for graduating and getting a job.
Academics and career path aside, I'm also excited for all the other things 2013 has to offer. Hopefully I'll be able to attend swing dancing lessons more often. I haven't been to any lessons in months! It's my last year at Cru as well and with my bible study of awesome bros. There's also Cru Formal and any other event Cru can think up for us. A lot of friends I won't get to see as often once I graduate, so I plan to make time for them. I'm going into the beginning of the year with not a lot of money to my name. I'm expecting a big tax refund soon that will get me out of the broke zone. The good news is I'll finally have a meal plan again. Oh how I've missed you Chick-fil-A and Woodworth!
I'll admit I'm a little nervous about whats to come this year. This will be the toughest semester for me so I need to stay focused and finish strong. I'm also nervous about leaving college. It'll be weird moving back to Noblesville where I don't have as many friends as I do at Ball State. I don't know many ladies in Noblesville, either so I'm kinda nervous that I'll be single after college where I'll be busy with work. Granted, I haven't really been looking or trying too hard since I was busy the last 2 months and I don't have a lot of money to spend on dates. We'll see though, God has a plan in mind that I just don't know about yet.
All in all, I'm excited for this year and what it has in store for me. The only New Years Resolution I've made for myself is that I'm going to make the most of my last semester at Ball State University. I'll be sure to keep making new posts on my blog as well. You know, in case you want to know about my journey this year and all my thoughts I have to share along the way. Good luck to all of you this year. Happy New Year everyone!
