Mini-Update

Being home is nice, but being sick isn't.

Muchas Gracias is just as good as ever

Jill Jeter was reported seen at Superior Athletic Club, prowling around with one Kelsey Weaver. So I guess Jag is still on the prowl.

I think Beerfest could have been a lot funnier if I was incredibly intoxicated, because I watched it last night and didn't think it was THAT funny.

Finals Week at USAFA

Looks something like this:

Part Deux

Here is a picture from the other night when I dressed up as a cowboy.

Sick Boots!

Yee-haw, cowboy up, and what not

Last nightI had the chance to see country music artist Phil Vassar in concert. He is described as the Jerry Lee Lewis of the 21st century, and although I don't know much about Mr. Lewis, I would have to agree. Vassar was very entertaining and his band definitely rocked.

I have begun the tedious task of writing my final lab report for organic chemistry, ever! I'm struggling. That's actually why I'm blogging at the moment, because somehow writing about infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatograms has lost my interest.

Ready to board the Last Train Home

Only 9 days until I make my return. I can't wait. I found out yesterday that I will only have 3 finals. I knew all along that my chemistry lab class didn't have one, but my behavioral science class was a suprise. I actually validated the final by being one of the top 3% of kids in the class. This was no easy feet, but I suppose all my hard work during the semester earned me this honor and the relief that comes with it.

An Open Letter

Dear Girl who has her hair in corn rows,

We get it. You went to Mexico for like 4 days for Thanksgiving break. It doesn't look like it, but you probably went to the beach like twice. Good for you. But seriously, you look retarded. We should probably give you an award.... and then shave your hair off.

Love,
sean

If I should die tonight

Thanksgiving break was nice. Home was a lot different for a lot of reason. I got sick beofre I came back and now I'm sick at school. Driving to Denver this evening, in the snow, should be interesting, and should be scary, but my roommate has to get back somehow. If I do die, tell Annie I love her.

Is he crazy? Birds don't talk

So I was walking back from Godfather's pizza, outside, and this crow was hopping along next to me and he's like "He man you're pretty lucky you have arms". And I was like "sweet crow. But you have and can fly. That's pretty sweet right?"

And he's like "aww man, screw that. If flying was really that exciting would I be hopping along here, talking to you". So I was like "no Mr Crow, I suppose not. Thank you very much for that insight. These arms are pretty handy. I mean without them I couldn't carry this pizza. I mean I'd probably have to kick this pizza box along the ground to get it back to my room".

I then put the box down, began to yawn with my eyes close, and when they were opened again the crow was flying away with a piece of my pizza held in his beak. Darn crows.

Water Enemas are fun?

Wrong. They hurt like hell. But I got one anyways after jumping off of the 10-meter diving board during my swim class. The ironic thing is, I did it for fun. You see, swim class is 8 lessons long, but the first lesson, if you perform well on several tests you can "validate" the class. Well, I passed all these tests (250 meter swim under 4 minutes, max 3 efficiency strokes, 5 meter dive and 100 meter swim in 1 minute, and lastly treading water for 20 minutes) with flying colors and decided to celebrate with the 3 other guys that validated (out of 35 or so in the class). We climbed up to the 10 meter and jumped. It was sick.

I Really Dislike Physics

Which is why I never pay much attention to what my teacher is saying in class. If I do engage myself, it is always in the form of relating my teacher's discussion to something completely different.

Like today in class, my teacher was having our tables (6 tables with 3-5 students) come up with a list of conservative and non-conservative forces. He would ask each table for a force and then have us explain why it was one or the other. When given the task of identifying a conservative force (gravity, electromagnetic, spring force) I automatically blurted out "Rush Limbaugh".

In my teacher's opinion, Rush was absolutely incorrect. I disagree. Rush is definitely a conservative force, not only because large following and myriad opinions, but also because he has a large mass and Force= mass*acceleration.

Compared to Last Weekend....

This weekend was lame. I have enough homework/studying to choke a horse, and having no car this weekend has made it tough to get out. What sucks even more is that I need a book from Barnes and Noble for this paper I'm writing. Oh well. All I think about, is that in 10 more days I will be sleeping in the comfort of my own bed.... probably with your girlfriend.

B.S.U.

B.S.U. stands for Baptist Student Union which is a bible study that I've gone to the past couple of weeks.

Tonight was funny. I would say that most of the people that go to this bible study hale from the South or South Eastern U.S. Tonight during the discussion, one of the Cadets used the word authenticity, then proceeded to get really excited because he had used such a big word in conversation (5 whole syllables).

Later, when the group leader was talking, he used another word of great length (another 4 or 5 syllables) and the whole group got excited. Pretty much, the morale of the story is that you gotta love them ed-u-ma-cat-ed (5 syllables) southerners.

Jagamesh. My Name Sean. I like weekend. Is nice.

So this three-day weekend ended up being pretty sweet. It started out Thursday night dropping my friend off at the Denver Airport (I drove him there and got to keep his car for the rest of the weekend). From there, I made my way through downtown Denver to Buffalo Exchange, and had dinner at an amazing vegetarian restaurant a couple doors down.

Friday morning, after eating a good country breakfast at Cracker barrel (to include grits, gravy, biscuits, and apple butter) I headed up to University of Colorado at Boulder with my old roomies Ryan and Alex. Ryan's Girlfriend goes to school there. Boulder is a beautiful city, reminds me a lot of Ashland, but like 5 times bigger. We spent some time walking around campus, seeing what a real college looks like, then got some grub at Great Harvest Bread Co.

Friday Night, I went with several friends to theMILL. This was an amazing time. Gathering with close to 1,000 other college kids to worship the creator of the universe felt great. theMILL is a ministry of New Life Church, the church whose pastor has been in the news these past few days. Though exactly what occurred has not come out, it was determined by a board of overseers that enough of the allegations were true for Ted Haggard to step away from his position as Senior Pastor of this 14,000 member congregation.


Saturday involved a shopping spree in Castle Rock and Denver. I bought a pair of the most comfortable shoes you can imagine, as well as a cashmere sweater. Its nice to have amazing places to shop less than an hour from where you live, as opposed to 4 hours away (Portland). Saturday night I saw Borat. Jagamesh?
Though good portions of the movie were side-splittingly fun, there were also parts that were incredibly offensive. I would have to recommend you see it. Here are a few pictures from this weekend's adventures:

It feels like you're walking on air

Driving in Denver can be scary

Chillin' in quad. I'll write about the white flags later

Ultimate Frisbee in Boulder was Intense

Looks like Ashland with Outbacks, Old 4-Runners, and a Lexus

Amy/Ryan and Alex (he's from Georgia)

Butt I'm Innocent!

This article is pretty interesting and almost comical in its timing. I was planning on visiting this church tomorrow night, probably still will

Trick or Treat?

I already made 10% of Charter in 3 days of trading last week.

Earnings come out tomorrow, 31 October. Haloween.

I bought back in on Friday.... heavily, so I guess I have to ask the question-

Trick or Treat?

I'm guessing treat. All I can do now is crack open a Schlitz Malt Liquor and ride the Bull!

Dear Lord Baby Jesus....

Please forgive me for laughing at the poor injured kid on crutches walking to class this morning. Waiting for him to slip on the terrazo (which was completely covered in ice) was very wrong of me. Amen.

Power

I bought $2500.00 worth of stock today.


Because I felt like it.


I was in the middle of my Organic Chemistry class and got bored.

Baxter, you know I don't speak Spanish... In English Please

For close to 20 years my mouth was cavity free. I say close to because in September, during my visit to the dentist they found a cavity. Today that cavity was filled. The needle that the dentist stuck into my gums was HUGE and made me tense up because of the painful discomfort.

Getting the actual filling wasn't too fun either. I think having a numb mouth for the past 5 hours is really the only part that has made this whole ordeal worth it.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas...no, just Colorado

Yesterday was cold. It was drizzly in the morning, and started to snow in the afternoon. No big deal right? Well I woke up this morning, and it had snowed a lot. I got ready for school, made my bed, got dressed, and checked my e-mail. SCHOOL IS DELAYED TWO HOURS AND BREAKFAST IS OPTIONAL. I never thought I could enjoy the snow so much. Needless to say, I got an extra hour and a half of sleep and it was great.

Dr. Livingston I presume??? No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.....

Saw a good looking Firstie in the gym today... probably an 8.0 (USAFA scale)

she was Asian: + .25

she was reading Blink by Malcom Gladwell: +.75

Final Score: 9.0

I'm Famous

Check out this clip. The video as a whole doesn't give any sort of clue as to what the first day of basic training was like, but if you skip to about 30 seconds in, then about 1:37 in you should see a familiar face. Sweet.

In other news, I saw a pretty sweet comeback tonight. Our football team scored 21 unanswered points in the 2nd half to beat in-state rival CSU 24-21.

Darn Seaman

(prisoner exchange)

There were foodfights, facebook groups and spirit missions galore in anticipation of this weekends game against the Naval Academy.

It started Thursday night with a "Spirit Dinner". People were dressed as pirates, ice/paper bowls/salad dressing packets were thrown and of course the 4 degs. started chugging bottles of hershey's, tobasco, and mustard. Spirit was high. A beer garden took place for the upper two classes outside, which resulted in drunk kids pissing on the outside of Mitchell Hall (dining facility). Ramifications ensued.

Some kid started a facebook group about how "I'm tearing down the goalposts when we beat Navy". That action never materialized. We lost, 24-17. It was a hard fought game on both sides. But we lost. Darn se*men.

*The picture is of the "prisoner exchange that took place before the game. Every semester each academy sends their own cadets/midshipman to the other academies. Before these rivalry game, they are allowed to return to their side of the field.

I'll Kill You

I swear to allah, if I see another person just throwing around their hands and fingers, ya know like they're trying to pack a chew, but they have no dip in their hand... I will kill them.

You suck at life. What makes you think you could snap your fingers like that. You're not Ali G (respect), so you should probably go jump of a cliff or Eagle's Peak or the T-Zo or just stop trying to do that thing.

Thank you.

Blogging From Class

I definitely have a case of the Mondays. The weekend came and went before I had the chance to kick back and relax. Saturday was football. We beat the New Mexico Lobos pretty handily and look good for our biggest game of the season next week against Navy. Saturday night I sat CQ till 0130 and didn't fall asleep until 0230, when Lost got over. Sunday I slept in until 12 because, you guessed it, I was exhausted.


Today I'm getting back my mid-terms. Not looking too good so far. I got a C on my Organic Chem test and a little better in Calc 3. Next period I should find out how behavior science went. It should be much better than the other two. I guess we'll see. Well, back to class. Update on B.S. later.

**** Update ****
B+ on my B.S. test.

Addicted to Lost?

Not so much. After hearing multiple people rave about the TV series Lost, I decided I wanted to see what all the hype was about. I began watching the first season Friday night, and made it though the first 10 or so episodes this weekend. Although I like this show, I can't compare it with the enjoyment and excitement I get when thinking about The OC or Grey's Anatomy.

First off, I get the same feeling watching it as I do a show like Saved By the Bell (a much better program). There are 47 people stranded on an island, and the show revolves around maybe 9 of them. I don't even see the other 38 of them, except when they die.

There is apparently a monster on the island, and spirits too. Not really believable. The spirits may be in the imagination of those Lost, but the monster is definitely real as it rips the pilot out of nose portion of the plane which sits like 30 feet about the ground. Not so believable if you ask me.

There are more things that give me reason not to like Lost as much as others, but I really don't feel like writing more than I have. I guess real quick, I'm also pissed, knowing that I'm on season 1 and season 3 is starting this Wednesday. Apparently, these people are still Lost. Oh well...

Test(icles)

Haha. I just said testicles... like testis. Anyways, 2 down 1 to go. Organic Chemistry tomorrow and I'm done (for this week. I actually have 2 more next week which still really sucks). Anyways, goodnight blogosphere.

I'm Dead Meat

These past two weeks have gone by innocently enough, lulling me into a false sense of security. Sure I've had homework every night and a lab report here and there, but I haven't had any GR's (graded reviews). And now it hits me like a cement truck. BAM. 3 GR's this next week, all on the same day, and 2 more the week after. I guess you could call this USAFA's equivalent to mid-terms. It's going to be tough, maybe even impossible. This got me thinking though. How crazy is it that I'm almost half way through my semester and you kids at SOU, UO, OSU are just starting your school years. Crazy stuff.

I've been slacking lately and haven't been down to the gym nearly enough. That's going to change. I need the gym and the gym needs me. Its a symbiotic relationship. I've lost like 10 pounds sick the school year began which is sick. I'm pretty sure it was mostly muscle too. Luckily that didn't stop me from getting my best score yet on the Physical Fitness Test a week ago. I got:

15 pull-ups (I beat my personal best from last semester by 4)
7'4 long jump
95 sit ups (easily maxed)
52 push-ups (this is by far the worst I've done on this event since basic)
1:52 600-meter run

Tonight I'm sitting CQ. The graveyard shift if you will. I don't get off till 0130, which really screws up my sleep cycle. I'm trying to get some good studying done the rest of the night.

Choosing a Major is Tough

I was originally going to major in biochemistry. Now I'm not so sure. At a school like USAFA, majoring in such a technical, demanding subject like that requires either

A) a person incredibly experienced with that particular field. Basically a natural. A genius if you will
B) a person who wants to work their ass off to try and understand what is to most a foreign language. To do this you will end up sacrificing any free time and every weekend studying.

I am neither of those. I also don't find chemistry that interesting. My goal now is to continue on the pre-med track, but find another major for all other classes. I have less than a month to decide, but here are the ones I am considering.

1) Management (we have one of the most respected undergraduate management programs in the US)
2) Behavioral Sciences and Leadership
3) Biology
4) Economics

Wish me luck. Any suggestions, let me know.

Writing for myself.

(the road of life)

I haven't been blogging much lately. I have had much more important things to do with my time.

I won't be blogging as much as I'd like to be. I will write in my own personal journal- a Sebastian Valmont like move.

I like reading what I write for myself more than I like what I write for myself and others. I don't like that I don't have very many pictures on my blog. Pictures are pretty.

That is all.

Remembering 9/11

I woke up this morning at 5:45, 15 minutes earlier than usual. For some reason the Cadet Wing was having a morning formation (all 4000+ cadets gather to salute the flag as it is raised for the day). I had no idea why. I scurried out to my squadron's form up, sized into the formation and stood there wondering- Why are we out here? Not until I saw the flag raise did I realize that today was September 11th.

It's hard to believe that 5 years have passed. Half a decade since those terrible acts were carried out on American soil. I can remember that morning like it was yesterday. It was the fourth day of my freshman year at South, and I was supposed to bring in a share and tell item for World Studies with Mr. Schnoreberg. I woke up and saw the TV on, looking in terror as they recounted the events that had occured earlier in the morning. I watched right until the last moment before I left for class, forgetting that item for show and tell. Class went on as scheduled, but everything felt different. The world had changed. It didn't feel as safe anymore.

A year later in Clem's class I remember debating whether or not to invade Afghanistan/Iraq. Looking back I feel quite the fool. I didn't argue for the invasion, but I felt that if we did invade it would be quick- in and out type stuff. Four years later and we are still there. Sure, "The War" supposedly lasted a couple of months. Sure we defeated the Taliban, and Sadaam is no longer the head of Iraq, but this war is definitely not over.

Today, say a prayer for those who lost a loved one in those attacks 5 years ago. Say a prayer for those people risking their lives in Iraq not for their own freedom but for others(doesn't seem like something I'd really want to do). Heck, say a prayer for anyone, anywhere that you think might need it, because I guarantee it will be a better world if you do.

Athletics!

So two days ago I ran the Air Force Aerobic Fitness Test. 1.5 miles of running in 9:15. I was pleasantly surprised considering I haven't run in several months and haven't followed any sort of detailed workout plan in even longer. My goal for next semester is to run it in 8:30. That would beat my person best (8:57) and exempt me from taking the test the next time around. Next week is the Physical Fitness Test which I'm not looking forward to. Pull-Ups, Standing Long Jump, Sit Ups, Push Ups, and a 600 yard sprint to cap it off. Should be fun.

Flyboy!

14 Flights later I'm officially a flyboy. This is a sick picture of me rolling into a "steep turn". Its not quite as exciting as dating Stephanie, but I do my best.

Parent's Weekend

I had a wonderful time this weekend. So much fun with the family. It was good to have my parents here for some classes on Friday. Late Friday afternoon was spent relaxing, eating and finally watching Little Miss Sunshine which was an amazing movie. Saturday we headed up to Denver to shop at some outlet stores and Buffalo Exchange. Deal of the day had to be a Billabong button down or a pair of Paper Denim jeans. The majority of the rest of the weekend was spent in heavenly bliss at the Broadmoor. Good times. It's always nice to see my family and the dog, even if it is just for a short time. Pictures to come...

Status Report

McKenzie says the SOB is dead.. If her reasoning is coming from where I think, she may have a point.

Organic Chemistry

"Friday just means that there are two working days until Monday"
-Dr. Bird

I studied for a good portion of both Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and today now that I think about it, and I'm no where close to being ready for my Organic Chemistry test tomorrow. Oh well. Back to work blogosphere.

Three More Days!

Parent's Weekend 2006 :)

Where's Preston?

(if I was more photoshop savvy I would put Preston's head on Waldo... but I'm not)

So I suppose waiting three months to ask this question is a bit much, but where the heck is Mister Dressler at? I miss his presence in the SOB very much so.

p.s. I suppose a picture of Carmen San Diego could have been just as poignant, but I like Waldo better.

Snakes On A Plane!

In Physics today we were discussing the basics- displacement, velocity, acceleration and what not when my teacher asked us to figure out how long it would take a plane to stop on a runway going a certain speed.

He then began to discuss accidents that have occurred in past years where planes had a tough time landing i.e. Jet Blue plane with broken landing gear, or Air Force C-5 where the nose portion came off upon landing.

Next he asked the class for an example. "Can anyone think of another emergency situation that would cause a plane trouble while landing?"

My reply was simple. "Sir, there could be snakes on the plane".

Pwned!

I'm Pissed

Today I went in to schedule a dental appointment only to find out a startling fact that may just cause me to cease my service in the military. I'm only allowed to have my teeth cleaned once a year. Screw that. I don't care what The Man feels is necessary, I need my teeth cleaned every six months. There is nothing that bothers me more than poor oral hygiene, except maybe people not updating their blogs.

Tiger Woods is Great

In between studying for physics and working out today, I caught Tiger Woods winning his 12th major championships at Medina Country Club. It goes without saying that he dominated the competition, winning by 5 strokes. It wasn't even close. Watching today I noticed something that Tiger has that others do not: 100% pure confidence. Whether he was hitting drives or putts he knew it was going to be a great shot. I don't know about you, but I almost have to root for Tiger when I see him on TV because of that fact. He is 100% kick ass. And his wife is hot.

The Brick Wall That Is School

I'm only 4 days into the new school year and I'm hitting a brick wall. It could be that I'm not ready for summer to end. It could be that these classes are too hard for me to not spend all my time studying. It could be that I'm really meant to be spending my time scouring the beaches of the world in search of the perfect wave. I can't focus right now for more than 30 minutes, which is not a good thing as I sit here staring at several chapters of reading each for history and psychology, calculus homework, and chemistry. Hopefully I will get back into the groove of things soon, approaching school with fire and tenacity. Hopefully...

How to turn a crappy Dell into a great laptop

My crappy Dell:A Great Laptop:


Call me David Blaine, because that right there is magic.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

The Acoustic Ninja

(my ex-roommate thought bunny ears would be funny)

Last night I saw Trace Bundy in concert and it was magical. If you have never heard of the "Acoustic Ninja" you should definitely check him out on iTunes. His talents are indescribable. He plays the guitar like no one I've ever seen, using multiple capoes, both hands and every technique in (and out of) the book. Here is a clip of him playing via YouTube.

I have two things for you....

1) Why is David Hassellhoff host of a TV show called "Americas Got Talent"? The only two things he is good at is running in slow motion and being the antichrist.

2) Also, school starts tomorrow. Cheers mates. Wish me luck in 18.5 credit hours worth of classes including such favorites as Organic Chemistry, Calculus 3, and Physics 110.

People Hate Oregonians

Not until an empty tank landed me in Putnam, Texas (pop 340) at "The Fillin' Station" did I realize that the rest of the United States despises the state of Oregon and our inability to pump our own gas.

You see I was driving a van filled with 8 people from all corners of the U.S. and had to ask for some help. To be honest, I've never filled my own gas tank. I've seen it done a thousand times, but didn't want to inadvertently break the pump or the van. My flaw brought some rather harsh criticism upon myself and the great state I call home.

They asked questions that were easy to answer, but for some reason they were still miffed. Do you tip? No. How do they know what to give you? You tell them.

I would like to hope that said criticism was more due to a lack of understanding rather than prejudice, but IÂ’m just not sure.

YUCK!!!!

Broccoli and barbecue sauce was a terrible combination.

Why are we virgins?

After hanging out with a different group of people this past 3 weeks in Texas, I'm starting to feel like being a "virgin" puts me in the minority. People seem to be endlessly looking for either some random hook up or they get into a short term relationship which revolves solely around sex. I'm proud to be a virgin, and can't help but wonder why more people don't choose the same. Donnie and Dustin are both proud of their V-cards, so I ask them (and others reading) why are you a virgin? What exactly are you waiting for?

I'm a sir?

Basic Cadet Training is winding down and I'm back here at the Academy. It's a weird combination. I decided to go to the post office today and some Basic Cadets were trying to figure out how to open the boxes. I asked if they needed help and they jumped to attention and said "Yes Sir". I couldn't help but laugh. First off, because they were so serious and nervous like I cared that they were formally addressing me. Next, it was funny to realize that a year ago, I was in that same position. Crazy.

Girls Gone Wild

Driving back from Dallas the other night I got into a debate/discussion as to whether or not the Girls Gone Wild videos and that company's creator are taking advantage of drunk young women and exploiting them.

The girls argued that its not fair because we all make mistakes when we're intoxicated, and that they don't realize they're signing a release form to star in a somewhat pornographic movie that will be viewed by many.

One guy, Adam, on the other hand said that you can't use the excuse "I was drunk so I wasn't thinking" to blame these actions.

After thinking about the shame and regret that can be born from one night of too much drinking I really began to side with the girls. They mentioned a story where a girl's local news ran a segment about her appearance in one of those modest and artistic done GGW commercials. I felt bad for this girl. So now I ask you what you think... Are these girls to be held responsible for baring it all, or should they be able to excuse their actions due to bad judgment while under the influence?

Correct me if I'm wrong...

...but Carrie Underwood is hottt with three t's. I know she won American Idol 4 and she has been around for some time, but considering I do not waste my time watching most TV (I stick to The OC and Gray's Anatomy) her hottt-ness is news to me. Now if she would just dump her controlling boyfriend Hayzoos (he likes to drive apparently) I'd be in like Flynn.

Call me Phlem

Words can't begin how nerve wracking it is to stick a needle into another persons veins. Over the past couple of days I've had the incredible opportunity to do this on a friend, a co-worker, and today I got to draw blood from an actual patient. Call me a phlebotomist. It should'nt be that difficult, and there really isn't that much to be nervous about. I think it has something to do with the imbalance of trust that the patient is giving you and the amount of experience I have. Either way, I passed this test with flying colors, managing to withdraw two vials of blood and hit the vein on my first try. Go me...

Update

I apologize for my lack of posts recently. I worked 40 hours this past week and I've been exhausted upon returning to my room. Let me back up and say that I am currently stationed in Abilene, Texas. I'm working with the 7th medical group in the labratory analyzing blood, urine, semen and many other fluids. Unfortunately my computer access is limited so I will not be making many updates in the upcoming two weeks. Oh well. I just thought I'd let everybody know what I was up to because I know you're interested.

Aloha

So I'm officially back in Medford til July 15th. Hoping to see most everyone. Blogosphere party anyone?

Look at T-bo's comment

(click to enlarge)

I just heard about this tragedy. I browsed Myspace to see if I could find out more about it. This screen shot is from Kyle Ross's page. I will write more later.

I'm Out

For the next six days I shall leave the blogosphere. I am heading into the wilderness surrounding the Academy for a program known as Global Engagement. I will miss you. Stay strong in my absence.

Dearest Skin

I completely agree with what Anna said about the sun. It is so tough to put sunblock on everywhere, everytime you go out. I really wish there was an easier way considering I've been outside almost everyday. Today I got the chance to play around with simunitions, which are basically like paintball on steroids. You shoot the bullets out of an M-16 at about 700 feet per second. We used these in a simulation where we were clearing a house, room by room. I was the point man for my four-person squad giving me the best chance to shoot and be shot at. Luckily I came out scotch free and was told I hit the "terrorist" several times. Anyways, what this really comes down to is that the sun is good and my skin is good, but the two don't get along so well together and like Anna, I would like that to change.

Soccer Sweetness

If you're like me and don't have the time or equipment (mainly cable television) to watch all that glorious World Cup action OR you just want to watch the highlights of any game played in this year's World Cup go here. Click on the Germany 2006 highlights box and you can view any or every game's highlights. Great way to save time, catch up on, or just (re)enjoy the amazing game that is soccer.

Movie Review

This movie review will be short, to the point, and slightly dated considering the movie I just watched came out in 2002. The first two stem from my alarm, which is set to wake me at 4:30 a.m. for my last day of parachuting.

Go rent Van Wilder. Now! I watched this movie tonight and it was hilarious. I started off with very low expectations and ended pleasantly surprised. Ryan Reynolds as Wilder and Tara Reid (hott) make a nice duo and the Indian dude from Harold and Kumar is pretty sweet too. This movie is laugh out loud funny and you should watch it. If you disagree you have two options, 1) ask the next person you see to slap you because you are wrong or 2) write a comment and tell me why you disagree. Thank you for your time and consideration in reading my review.

Hookah and Waffle House

At 9 p.m. Friday night, as I lay down to sleep, my roommate barged into the room and said "Sean get up. We're going to smoke some hookah". After a quick shower and finding another friend to go along, we drove about 25 minutes to a joint by the name of Hooked on Hookah. Now for those of you that know me really well, you know I've never smoked before. The reason I chose to go along was simply because I was bored, and friends had told me about this cool hangout before.

Overall, I had a good time and enjoyed spending the night with some friends, old and new. We spent over 2 hours smoking and joking. I found myself rather light headed at the beginning, but as I slowed down the light headedness went away. I won't call it a buzz because it cannot compare to an alcohol based buzz. It is more of a light headed relaxed feeling. I have to give the nod to the alcohol based buzz just because its nicer, and less harmful to your health (apparently hookah is just as bad for your lungs as smoking cigarettes).


Anyways, after that at 2 a.m. we decided to venture over to the Waffle House.
This restaurant is exactly what you would expect from an "open 24 hours-a-day, great breakfast and lunch items, older no-teeth waitress" diner. I would definitely suggest that Central Point put one in. It is a much better idea than Sonic. Anyways, the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on real toast was just what my stomach was looking for. Perfect.

The night ended at about 3 am, arriving back to my room, stripping down to my boxers and jumping in bed. The hookah smell hadn't permeated my hair or clothes and I was too tired to floss and brush. This was definitely a great night.

Freefalling

Today I jumped out of an airplane. It was sweet. Tomorrow I may do the same.

Switching to Wordpress

For quite some time, I have been contemplating switching from blogger to wordpress. I love the ease of use that blogger provides, but the aesthetically amazing templates of wordpress are much easier on the eyes. Take for example the sites Dustin and Anna have created. They both picked exquisite templates which enhances the experience that reading their blog provides. I'm not sure I will be making this switch yet, and if it occurs it will be some time after this two week period (parachute school and field training take precedence). So now I ask you, the reader. What do you think? Should I get rid of this fugly template and blogger site and trade it in for something by wordpress?

9 o' clock low

It may only be 9 p.m., but today has been incredibly long. It took almost five hours of constant labor to pack up and move my 400 pounds (an estimate) of cargo from the sixth floor of my dorm room to the fifth floor of my new room in a dorm nearly one quarter mile away. Obviously it took several trips to move all this. Obviously the elevator managed to break down on the least convenient day of the year. I am tired. It is only 9 p.m., but I will be going to bed now.

What is this world coming to?

So I was down at the gym yesterday running on the treadmill when MTV's "Parental Control" came on. This show left me completely and utterly shocked. If you haven't seen it, the premise of the show is for a guy or girls parents to choose two people for their child to go on dates with, because they don't like their current boy/girlfriend.

As the person goes on their dates, the parents wait with their boy/girlfriend and watch the date live. I don't know if this particular episode was especially raunchy, but the sleezball boyfriend managed to get a lapdance and kiss the girl that his mom chose for him. He is doing all of this knowing his girlfriend is watching. Even worse, the parents are encouraging it because they don't like his girlfriend. The whole idea behind this show is very wrong, very screwed up, and clearly shows the decline of morality and values in our society. For shame MTV.

Jealousy

"Jealousy is a wasted sentiment, or at least that's the advice I give to all my friends. And yet, I seem to be no good friend to myself."

Skin Cancer and Parachuting

So golfing yesterday was phenominal. I shot a 102. Not bad considering it was the first time I've played in a month or so. Even more impressive was my 45 on the back 9. Unfortunately, I didn't put suncreen on my legs and parts of my arm. I came back to find my calves and ankles incredibly burned. I feel the skin cancer and malignant melanoma growing as I type.

In other news, in a little more than a week I begin Airmanship 490, a class dedicated to teaching cadets to parachute. It will be a very intense ground school, as this class allows me to do something that few other people have done: solo on my first jump. At civilian schools this is prohibited, but I guess the Academy feels that their training is just that good. I guess I'll find out.

Lets Be Honest

Can Alien Ant Farm even be considered a one-hit wonder(smooth criminal wasn't even their song)?

(Trying to) Get It Done

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I forgot my login name and was too busy studying to realize I could have Blogger e-mail it to me. Three finals down and two to go, today was an off day. A chance to recharge my batteries and start studying. I definitely recharged my batteries, but have yet to start studying for that Engineering Mechanics final tomorrow. Oh bother.

Finals and Military Blogging

I've pledged to spend two hours a night this week in the library, studying for finals. That is actually where I'm at right now. Its nice being away from my room, the noise of my roommmates, and other distractions that the dorms provide. I can't say I'm in as good of a position as I was last semester (3.65 GPA) but I'm working on it.

In other news, the 4- Star General Commander of U.S. Strategic Command came to speak to the 4,000 cadets last week. It was very interesting that a big part of his talk dealt with the military using blogging as a part of the problem solving process. In these "military blogs", young lieutenants and seasoned Generals can propose solutions and discuss strategy. This was pretty cool. I also couldn't help but chuckly walking out of this briefing as I heard a kid ask his friend "What's a blog"? Wow.

Dejavu

No, I am not speaking of the former Medford strip club. Yesterday felt like deja vu as I was told that I would be going back to Dyess AFB Texas for "Operation Air Force". I have mixed emotions about this. It feels nice to go someplace that is familiar and known to be fun. Its unfortunate for the fact that I will not be able to see someplace I've never seen before. Apparently there are opportunities to fly places on the weekend so maybe I can visit other parts of the US. Maybe even Hawaii or Florida. I guess its just nice to have my summer schedule finalized.

Glutton For Pizza

As I was sitting at my desk tonight working on homework my computer let out a small ping. E-mail proclaiming: 50 free pizzas at the CQ (cadet in charge of quarters) desk! Stomach still very full from eating an order of Panda Express, I sprinted to the CQ and grabbed a whole cheese pizza all for myself. Why? I have no idea. I was perfectly content with the dinner I had eaten but 30 minutes earlier. I believe it is the idea of free. Who can resist something that is free? Even if it is completely useless. I actually ended up eating half of the pizza....Definitely hitting the gym tomorrow.

Swamped

Since spring break ended, I've had ridiculous amounts of work to do all the time. The first couple of weeks involved 2 test (4 total), then another, and this week I've found myself completing three papers (a total of 18 pages) and a computer science program. Not much time to rest considering this weekend we have a training event called "Pinnacle", and I have to create to powerpoint briefings for Monday and Tuesday. Summer wont come soon enough. I still haven't found out my base of Ops Air Force; I'm starting to get impatient.

Summer Schedule

My plans for Summer are set to some extent:

June 1-June 13: Jump/Parachuting
June 14-June 24: Global Engagement (out in the forests surrounding USAFA)

June 24-July 15: Leave aka I'm coming home

July 16- August 5: Operation Air Force @ an unknown base

During that last period I will be deployed to some Air Force Base in the US. Dream bases would be Florida, South Carolina, Washington, or Alaska. I should be finding out some time in the next couple of days where I'm headed.

In-Class Blogging

Posting in class may not be the best idea, but I wanted to make good use of my wireless connection. Anyways, Texas was interesting. The weather was amazing (95 both days), but the town of Abilene failed to impress. Touring Dyess Air Force Base was awesome. Look at pictures on my facebook.

Easter away from home was slightly saddening. I managed to have a good day, going to church, golfing, and the trying to study for the calculus test I had this morning. Good times.

I should go no, as my teacher is walking towards me!

Texas Here I Come

About two hours from now I should be aboard the back of a C-130 Spectre (airplane) headed for Dyess Air Force Base near Abiline Texas. I got chosen to go with 20 either cadets from my squadron to represent USAFA on this trip. I'm pretty stoked about it. I'll post some pictures when I get back on Saturday night.

The 100th Episode

Somehow, this blog has survived to 100 posts. It started almost two years ago, with Donnie and Preston (the New Zealand blog) serving as my inspiration. I'm very glad I started. Looking over the old posts is strangely exciting. Writings about high school, old infatuations, summer adventures and more have made this labor of love very worth it. Here is to one-hundred.

Maybe it wasn't a shocker...

So Donnie picked UCLA tonight, and we were wrong. Florida played a superior game and deserved to win. Joaquin Noah was dominant inside and Humphrey added his solid perimeter shooting. I believe UCLA had an off night. No one performed. Reasons? They may have overprepared for their game against LSU. They may have gotten cocky. They definitely didn't play the fundamental game that got them this far. I don't really know what else to say. In 10 games against Florida, I think UCLA wins 6.

The Last Supper

Recognition starts tomorrow. Life will be hell for 72 hours. Fellow S.O.B. members, if you care to know more ask Dustin - he will give you the low down... down low....whatever the hell that is. Regardless, I will be without internet access till Sunday, so no updates till then.

In preparation for the events to come, I ordered a feast tonight fit for a king. I started with a California chicken burger and fries from Red Robin and then downed a pint of banana pudding from Maggie Moo's (comparable to Cold Stone). Speaking of Red Robin, Amanda Fowlie is now blogging. This may be the best thing to happen to the blogosphere since Erin Ingle.

Blogger Brackets: Part II

If you want to participate, go to ESPN and fill out your bracket there. Once you are finished, make a post of it. Let the games begin.

My lack of computer skills prohibits me from posting my bracket here, but let me say, the final four looks like this:

Duke vs UCLA = UCLA wins
Connecticut vs Ohio State = Connecticut wins

UCLA = National Champions

Blogosphere Brackets?

I'd like to challenge the other members of the S.O.B. to a March Madness competition. Who's game?

Update

South Medford 70
Jesuit 69

I'm in shock. South Medford trailed the entire game and all of overtime. Down one with 22 seconds left, South played for the last shot and Miles Daley hit the game-winning shot with 1 second left on the clock. Absolutely Amazing. I think I wet myself when I heard he made that shot. I will go change my pants now.

The South Will Rise Again

If I could be anywhere else at this moment, I would want to be at Mac Court in Eugene, Oregon to cheer on my alma mater. With a 20-point victory last night, South is in the semi-finals for the first time in over 10 years. I've cheered on the South dynasty for over a decade now. I remember the guys on that team: Mike Vanderhoff, James Wightman, Adam Decker, Bryn Ritchie, Travis Demanby, and others. They were my idols back in the day. South's opportunity this weekend looks better than ever. Kyle Singler and Michael Harthun headline for South, but there are eight other players on the roster that can deliver. It should be an exciting couple of days for South fans. I only wish I could be there, to cheer them on in their hunt for the championship.

Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek skiing was phenominal to say the least. Here are a couple of highlights from Sunday's Trip

• Sunny Skies
• Perfect Snow
• Freshly baked chocalate chip cookies handed out at the bottom of the hill
• Moguls Galor
• 3 hour nap on the bus there...
• 3 hour nap on the bus back...
• San Pellegrino Limonata for sale in the food court

It may have taken some time, but I'm definitely starting to realize the potential of the Colorado wilderness.

....perchance to dream

After getting close to no sleep last week, six hours between Wednesday and Thursday nights, I slept today away. I had a briefing at 7am about the changes to come next year at the Academy. When I was released around 9:30, I headed straight back to bed till 4. It was glorious. Its time for bed once again. Up at 5:15, but that should be well worth it. I'm hitting up Beavercreek tomorrow for a snow filled day on the slopes. Should be a blast. Pictures soon.

Dustin found an article that discusses a second virginity.

I spoke too soon

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, an article from Airforcetimes.com was sent to my inbox. Since the article isn't viewable to those without a log-in, here are several excerps from it:

"From mandatory breakfast to enforced lights out, the Air Force Academy intends to get tougher, stricter and more regimented."

"Superintendent, Lt. Gen. John Regni, wants to make changes, including higher academic standards and more military rigor"

"He said he wants to enforce the breakfast rule by requiring cadets to attend a morning formation beforehand. "

Believe me, it doesn't need to get "tougher" around here, like some would lead you to believe. The article says that "Part of the impetus for the academy changes were conversations Regni had with freshmen cadets" but neglects to mention that nearly half of the class of 2009 was put on Academic Probation during last semester (mostly for failing grades in Chemistry). Stuff like this is just one more reason to love the administration at USAFA. I guess flexibility really is the key to Air Power.

Forgive Me While I Bitch

I have four weeks until spring break. I will try and survive until then. This next week will prove a big hurdle for me. Here is why:

• Four Graded Reviews/Tests (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) each starting at 0630
• Five-page definition essay due on Thursday (defining Metrosexual or blogging)
• Computer Science Programming Assignment due Friday which I have not started
• Recognition is back and so is training. Most likely twice this week after school
• Knowledge Bowl on Tuesday morning at 0615
• Knowledge Test sometime Thursday or Friday

...and so much more. The picture above is of a three degree's room(sophomore) who is "voluntarily" leaving after failing six AFPFT's (Air Force Physical Fitness Test given every semester). He would have been kicked out but chose to resign instead. Leaving doesn't sound like a horrible idea right now, but I must press on; at least till next Sunday when I'm headed up to either Keystone or Beavercreek. Unfortunately next Friday seems like its years away.

Flickr vs. Facebook Photographs

I'm a big fan of Facebook's new Photo Album feature. Just like Flickr, I can upload photos, create special albums, and make special notes about the picture. However, with Facebook I am able to upload an unlimited number of photos versus the 20 MB limit set by Flickr. That being said, I am seriously considering upgrading to Flickr Pro: 2 GB upload capacity per month, unlimited storage, unlimited photsets and more. After uploading only 6 new pictures and expending 74% of my upload capacity, this is seeming like my only option. I actually have my own camera now and enjoy sharing my pictures via Flickr and Facebook. I just wish Flickr would expand its upload abilities for its free accounts like Facebook has done.

Don't do it

When a relationship is over it is over. Never try the post-relationship "friendship". It does not work.

No Gold for Kwan

This is pretty much old news by now, but I still find it hard to believe. Michelle Kwan pulled out of the Olympics due to a groin injury, ending her bid for the holy grail of figure skating: an Olympic Gold Medal. Since falling short 8 years ago in Nagano, and then again at Salt Lake in 2002, this was certainly her last shot at the prize. She never got the chance. Now, she will go down in history as probably the best female figure skater to never win the ultimate prize. Five world titles, and nine national championships, but no gold.

I bring this up, because I can remember cheering Kwan on at Nagano, Salt Lake, and at various competitions in between. She is likeable. She shined a new light on American figure skating after the Kerrigan-Harding fiasco of 1992. And now she is done- with the Olympics. Her talent will be missed, remembered, and cherished. Her person will probably end up as a mediocre broadcaster for the next twenty years. Either way, Michelle Kwan kicks ass.

The Prime Minister

I have been afforded the opportunity to hear Mr. Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada speak tonight, as he is visiting the Academy. This is a mandatory event, but I am excited regardless. It won't compare to seeing George W. Bush or John Kerry (saw them both at the good ol' Jackson Country Expo), but its cool nonetheless. I can't say I had heard of Joe Clark before I was told about tonight, or that I know who Canada's Prime Minister is right now. It should be interesting to hear what this guy has to say about U.S.-Canada relations. More on this later...

Superbowl Predictions

Shaun Alexander will have a performance that doesn't demonstrate his MVP status. Seattle's passing game will dominate. Seeing the bag of bones they call Mick Jagger prance around the stage at half time will cause 5.4 million viewers to stop watching the game.

Seattle by 6.

Watching the game on a 14-inch laptop monitor is going to suck. Hard core.

Nap Time

So yesterday was possibly one of the longest days of my life... 21 hours without sleep. I woke up at 5:30 for a knowledge bowl and attended class. Wednesday afternoon parade at 4:30 followed by hours of homework, papers, lab write-ups, and studying for a test. I finally got to bed at 2:30, only to wake up again at 5:30 for my knowledge test. Crazy huh?

Twas' a Long Week

Always tell the truth. It will save you a lot of stress and others a lot of hurt in the long run. After a long week, dealing with all the stresses here and back home I am ready to sit back, relax and enjoy the weekend. The past three days started at 6am or earlier for breakfast, random drug testing, and a knowledge (air force/ AF Academy) test. Sleeping in till 11 was welcomed, but the joy was short lived as I sifted through my syllabi and realized the turmoil that this next week of school will bring. I will ignore that tonight though as I venture out into C-Springs with my roommate and a new friend for dinner and a movie. Should be fun and help me to get my mind off everything going on right now.

Meme: Weird Habits

I’ve been tagged with a meme(still don't know what that is) by fellow blogger Donnie and so let the games begin:

The topic of this game is “five weird habits of yourself,” and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals.

1. I used to enjoy getting dressed in the morning. Picking out clothes and shoes to match was fun. I miss that now that I'm "in the military".

2. It really agitates me to see people who are overweight drinking diet soda.

3. Somewhat like Scott, I go through my blogroll almost every morning and every evening. Even worse, I re-check most of those sites several times throughout the day.

4. If an attractive female enters the aerobic room at the gym while I'm running I have a tendency to run faster and longer than I would were I alone... even if I have no intentions of talking to her.

5. Recently, I started wearing an eye-mask and ear plugs to bed. I'm a very sensitive sleeper and any disturbance will wake me.

The only people not to be tagged that I know of are: Anna and Mckenzie.

An Update of Sorts

Getting back into the swing of things along with managing 20 credit hours worth of classes is proving quite difficult and is putting a hurt on Neo-Anthology. I just added some pictures to my flickr. Enjoi.

Teen Angst

It feels slightly melodramatic dedicating a post to what some would call angst and emotional insecurities, but that's me right now. My sixteen-day hiatus allowed me to realize what it is to live again. Seeing friends and family was part of that, however reacclimating myself to the civilian culture really brought me back a different time in my life. Life's simple pleasures such as going out for coffee and a bagel at the Good Bean in the morning cease to exist now that I'm back at the Academy.

I miss having a real life. This is not to say life here is horrible- its far from that. Life at the Air Force Academy is busy, stressful, and full of surprises. Its also easy, stress free, and simple. I don't worry about bills, what to wear in the morning, and I'm served three square meals a day. I have a gym, supermarket, barbershop, library, and church all within walking distance of my dorm room, and someone else does my laundry and drycleaning. My responsibility comes in the form of school, squadron duties, and military obligations. Therein lies the problem. School is great, but the other two feel superfluous. I have to question whether shining my shoes, starching my clothes, making my bed, or taking out 90 upperclassmen's trash (I did this last Thursday) is really developing discipline or merely replacing the responsibilities of a normal college student. I don't know.

This brings me to my last quandary, qualm, confusion, conundrum: Am I really cut out for a career in the military? Sometimes I think so because the complaints of the previous paragraphs are forgotten. Life is good. Then I start to wonder what if....What if I went to a real college? Would I like it better? What if my Papa dies while I'm here? Will I feel regret? What if I never fall in love here? Will I end up the 40 year old virgin?

Anyways, those are my feelings this Saturday evening as I sit in my room listening to Portishead (the older stuff). I think I'm finished explaining my angst. Peace.