10/01/05
Today's football game against Minnesota is huge for many reasons. If we win this game, we will hold our first place position and undefeated record going into the biggest game of the season against Ohio State. Ohio State does not have a game this week, so we can be certain that they will be rested and ready for the primetime game on ESPN. Another reason this game is so huge is because Minnesota changed the direction of our football program. I have never followed Penn State football until this year, but I understand that in 1999, we were 9-0, when Minnesota kicked a game-winning field goal. Ever since then, our program has become satisfactory and not even a contender in the Big Ten conference.
The theme of today's game is "Varsity 'S' Day." I have no idea what this means; however, all of the fans were told to wear white, and bring a white towel. I have seen this method used in big games before, and it is definitely intimidating for the visiting team when the whole stadium waves one color. For example, when the Pittsburgh Steelers fans all have the terrible towel, the stadium looks crazy and looks like it is going to erupt. I really hope we beat Minnesota, because that will make the Ohio State game so much better.
Week 5 Blog 1
10/04/05
As I am sitting in classes, I usually zone out often, especially when I am tired. Yesterday afternoon in business seminar, I noticed that the electrical work in the Business Building looks tedious. During the past two summers, I worked as an electrician for my father's business, and have gained a lot of experience and knowledge of the trade. I used to dread waking up at 5 a.m. every summer morning and working all day in non-air-conditioned new houses in 100 degree humidity. Now that I look at some of the electrical fixtures and designs, I can't even imagine the amount of work the electricians do around here. For example, as one walks on the walkway up to the entrance of the business door, there are dozens of little circle lights in the concrete against the wall. This means that there are hundreds of feet of PVC pipe under the ground, connecting all of the lights. I have no idea where the electrical box is, but, the pipe must also run to the box to get power to the lights. Moreover, I have noticed many blank covers in my dorm room and in the commons. These blank boxes show that renovations have been made to the buildings. You can just imagine how hard this would be with the concrete blocks as the walls. To overcome drilling into the walls, electricians use "WireMold" that will run on the outside of the wall up to the ceiling, where the wires go to the box, making the work a lot easier. When I go home for Christmas Break and also for the summer, I will probably gain more experience in the electrical trade.
Week 5 Blog 2
10/05/05
For the past two hours, I have been sitting in my room with two of my friends and one guitar. We have decided that we are going to try to learn; however, none of us have any idea what we are doing at all. We found a site that has taught us the basic chords, and we are all on about the same level. I can't feel my fingertips, as they are numbed from holding the different strings. I have heard that I will develop calluses on my fingers from continuously playing, but it will be better to have these early as I am still learning.
One of my sister's ex-boyfriends was an insane guitar player. He had many different styles, and he let me borrow one for a couple months. I didn't really get anywhere unless he was sitting there with me teaching me riffs. I wish I would have tried more, but with sports in high school, I never had any free time to just sit down and play. Now that I am in college and am not playing any organized sports, I usually have hours of free time every day.
I have decided to try to learn the basics of playing guitar in the next few weeks and see if it would be worth it to buy a decent one. As I have thought unrealistically, I wish I could sing also, so I could sit on the boardwalk in Ocean City, MD and play all night. The guys that do this make so much money every night and attract huge groups of admirers. I don't think I could ever sing, but hopefully I can learn to play guitar.
Week 5 Blog 3
10/06/05
For my Econ 002 class, we must engage in a General Education project which is 20% of our grade. We must graph and discuss various supply and demand curves of gasoline prices, as well as impacts that natural disasters have on these factors. For this project, my class is supposed to divide into groups of four. There are about 375 people or so in the class, so there will be many groups. I knew a few guys in my class, and we decided to make a group of our own. We believed this would be a fairly easy process, because all we had to do was email the T.A. the group that we wanted to be in. I emailed him our group, and figured that we were set. However, today, the T.A. stopped into our class and told us that the groups were posted. Justin, a guy in my group, went home and checked the groups, but none of us were in the same group. I think this is ridiculous, since I emailed the T.A. our names, the class we were in, and that we would like to be in the same group. Justin was very angry, and emailed the T.A., stating that we have already begun working on the project and that it is unfair if we can't be in the same group. As we are waiting for a response, I hope this all works out so I don't have to work with random people that I don't know if I can trust or not.
Week 5 Blog 4
10/06/05
A week from today, I am leaving for home. My last class on Thursday ends at 5:30, so my Mom and Grandma are coming up for the day and shopping until I am done. I can already tell that I will be bored out of my mind at home. There is always something to do at Penn State, and sure there are people that I want to see at home, but then again I probably won't be able to just leave whenever I want and come back as I please. One positive thing I have to look forward to is my family and I are celebrating my birthday on that Saturday night, because my birthday is on the following Tuesday. I am also going to make the drive up to one of the county high schools to watch my old football team in action against North Carroll. They are better than we were last year, but they have gotten blown out in a couple games. After the game I will probably go to a party and see a lot of people I am glad I do not have to see everyday now, but at least it's only for one night.
I will also get to see my puppy. Hopefully, she remembers me. My Mom said the first couple weeks after I left, my puppy would go to my room and look for me everywhere in my house. Supposedly, she has gotten a lot bigger, but she is still crazy like she always has been. Lacie is a Bichon Frise, a little white snowball. The Bichon breed is known for their "Bichon Blitz", something that happens when an owner appears and the dog goes insanely wild with excitement. Lacie usually never stops licking me, which is probably a result of this blitz. My friend Kara also has a Bichon, but it is a male. Her dog bites me every time I am over, so I avoid it at all costs. I am hoping that Lacie does not resemble the actions of Kara's dog, because then I'd never go home.
Week 5 Blog 5
10/07/05
I'd like to give it up for the fans in Paternoville. Some have been camped out since Sunday night. This "tent village" is similar to the situation at Duke, "krzyzewski-ville." The Duke students camp out all week in a field so they can become a Cameron Crazy on gamedays. There are hundreds of people staying outside of Gate A, waiting for Saturday to come. A few of my friends and I stopped by there the other night, and we missed Michael Robinson and other players by thirty minutes. Every night, the camps get surprise visitors, as JoePa himself even stopped by. I think it would have been fun to camp out all week, but I think my grades would have dramatically dropped.
Instead of camping outside, 13 guys and I blocked a row by going to the Bryce Jordan Center with all of our tickets and requesting specific seats. Sadly, we got row 90; however, we don't have to worry about waiting in line for hours and hours on Saturday. Moreover, I don't think it really matters where one sits, just as long as one is there. It will be flat out insane.
October 9, 2005
Causation of Cambodia
http://www.freedomsnest.com/rummel_cambodia.html∞
"One could not associate with others. One could not have friends. There was no mail, no telegrams, no newspapers or radio. One could not communicate beyond one's village.
There were no doctors, no medicine, no books, no private property of any sort. There was no sexual freedom. There was no music. There was no schooling."
While researching for the cause of Cambodia, I came across this statement of how life was in this country. I can not imagine how these people would have lived. They could not have family and they could not communicate; basically, they could not do anything. I believe that the cause for this mass killing is the power struggle that the Khmer Rouge possessed. They turned the whole country into a concentration camp, taking everyone with them. If someone was not able to go, they shot them. The Rouge based their actions off the communist regime in China; however, they showed no mercy. These rulers wanted to run the country with the most advanced form of communism in the world. By creating these concentration camps, the rulers eliminated all threats to their regime, and allowed them to rule over the helpless campers easily.
Week 6 Blog 1
October 11, 2005
A lot of my time spent this past summer was on Interstate 95. My dad still runs his business out of the town we used to live in, about an hour and 15 minutes from home. We live near Baltimore now, and used to live near D.C. For this reason, we would take 95 every morning and afternoon, and usually get stuck in a lot of traffic. A lot of this traffic and congestion is caused by huge tractor trailers. Many people complain that they are dangerous and wreckless because they cause a lot of tragic accidents. These trucks have their "blind spots" that one is not supposed to drive in, and it is said that if you can not see the trucker's mirrors, then he can't see you.
While looking at the October 11, 2005 USA Today, I noticed that highway officials are attempting to reduce the number of tractor trailers on 95 during rush hours. In Delaware, the drivers pay discounted tolls of $2 from the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., when the roads are pretty empty. At all other times of the day, the truckers pay $8 at the toll. This huge discount will encourage the drivers to drive late at night where there is more room on the roads. Delaware is trying to convince other states to implement tolling such as its own; however, only a few other toll roads have followed.
I believe that if other roads lower the toll rate, it will make the roads safer because it will keep the 18-wheelers off the road at busy times. It will shorten commuters' time spent sitting at a stop on 95 and keep the traffic rolling.
Week 6 Blog 2
October 12, 2005
Everyone admires the beat-boxing i can do with my mouth. I can create many different sounds and beats, and I put them all together to create a mini-song. I think I am pretty good at doing this, especially when people try to do it and they are horrible at it. Last year, in the locker-room of my high school, my friend Mark and I would always randomly start making beats and attract crowds. He was a lot better at it then me, because he could do two or three songs at once. He taught me how to hum while making beats, but it takes a lot of practice.
I haven't really been practicing guitar as much as I was last week. The movie Drumline was on and made me want to go over to my neighbor's and borrow his drum sticks and practice drum. I think drums are a lot easier to play than guitar; however, both are tough because eventually you will have to learn how to read music. I think I am just going to stick to sports like I always have.
Week 6 Blog #3
October 12, 2005
My floor is Stuart Hall has planned a Madden tournament with 16 people. The creators of the tournament randomly seeded us and made a single-elimination tournament bracket. Everyone thinks that our RA will be in the championship, because all he does is play Madden. This tournament will be really intense since the guys on my floor are so competitive and serious. To avoid arguments, we decided that you must be the first random team that shows up instead of everyone picking their team. Suppose two people wanted to be the Eagles, and one of them actually was and won, while the other person lost. The other person would have complained that if was the Eagles, he would have one. We are not playing for any money, just for pride. The rules for the games are the default settings, except for the difficulty is being set to "All-Madden," which makes the computer players performance superior to the users' play. The tournament should turn out to be very interesting, and hopefully I can come out on top.
October 18, 2005
Did anyone watch the Astros vs. Cardinals NLCS game last night? It was the top of the 9th, 4-2 Astros, and they were one strike away from clinching a birth in the World Series to play the Chicago White Sox. The crowd was going crazy while they anticipated the strike-out so they can begin to celebrate. David Eckstein, the St. Louis player that was up to bat, hit a 2-strike single, and the next Cardinals player reached base also. Albert Pujols, the best hitter in the game of baseball, came up to bat next. He cranked the pitch way over the left field bleachers into the fencing in the Houston Stadium. This ball probably would have gone at least 500 feet; it was a rocket. The stadium became completely silent except for the roars from the Cardinals bench. The Astros could not rebound in the bottom of the ninth and fell 5-4. The Cardinals shifted the momentum of the series with what could be the biggest home run in postseason history. Facing elimination, one swing put them in the lead. Now the Cardinals trail 3-2 in the championship series and get to play their next two games at home. The series continues from Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
October 19, 2005
Monday night, I was required to attend a Race Relations Project for Business Seminar. I had no idea what to expect, but I had heard before we went that we sit around in a circle with about 10 people and talk about race. It was all the way over in West, so it was a long walk and I wondered if it would be a waste of time. I was one of the first ones there, and I wanted to hurry up and get it over with. Our group of 10 white people had two leaders, one african-american and one Indian. They told us to let anything come out in the discussion and to not hide anything. Coming from a high school where there was about 20 black people, I had many stories to tell about race. I am not racist myself; however, many people in my high school were. The discussion basically treaded on top of the water, as we did not talk deeply about one specific issue. The two highlights of the discussion for me were: 1) The discussion group did not know of what ethnicity I was. I thought there were joking at first, but they really did not know, so I responded "white." 2) At the end of the discussion, they asked us if there is anything we have to watch how we say it, and I responded my last name, "Niffenegger," and they thought that was the funniest thing they have ever heard.
October 19, 2005
When I first came to Penn State, I thought I was the only one on the whole campus that liked country. My roommate said it was the worst music genre and he would never even consider listening to it. Other people on my floor agreed with him. However, it has been about two months since we all got here, and they are all converted. They are learning the words to my country songs, and I have noticed that they have begun to download them also. I think I have done our floor a favor, since the constant bass of 50 Cent or Nas is usually pumping the walls and vibrating every object located in every room. One may not think so, but with the sound systems most of us have, country can sure rock the walls too.
October 20, 2005
The Maryland Terrapins football team lost tonight to Virginia Tech. I predicted that Maryland would upset them, but they lost 28-9. At halftime, it was only 7-3 Virginia Tech, so I believed that Maryland had a chance to pull off the upset. I did not know who to route for in this game. I have grown up in Maryland all of my life and consider the school as my roots; however, when Michael Vick(my favorite NFL player) went to Virginia Tech, that was the team I followed. I have a lot of Virginia Tech apparel at home, but I have even more Terps stuff because Maryland basketball is my favorite college sport. All of my friends have given me a hard time for going to Penn State instead of Maryland, but I have no regrets. I convinced them all that I was rooting for Maryland, and I predicted that the final score would be 37-25 Terps. I was way off, as Marcus Vick played a great game even though he threw three interceptions. I guess I have to wait until Terps basketball season to start wearing all of my old Maryland gear.
October 21, 2005
My best friend Jessica is coming up today stay with me for the weekend. I haven’t seen her since we left for college back in August, so I am excited. She goes to Towson University in Baltimore, MD, which is located close to the city. Compared to our campus, she will be surprised at the differences between our campuses because our campus and town is built around the college.
She will also be surprised by the parties here compared to Towson. I have been to a few parties there, and they can not compete with PSU’s. Whether we go to a frat party or an apartment party, she will get her dose of how we roll up here in Happy Valley.
October 24, 2005
After reading "The Red Wheelbarrow," it reminds me of home and the various farms that I have been to. My friend Luke actually does have several red wheelbarrows near his chicken farm, so I can relate to this poem. On a particular farm, a wheelbarrow really is depended upon to perform many deeds, such as transporting goods like corn or soil.
The picture I got in my head after reading this was a sight from under the wheelbarrow, almost as if I was actually under it, protecting myself from the raindrops. I believe that this is indeed a poem because it creates imagery such as this. Readers may interpret this poem in many ways, which is one idea of a poem.
October 25, 2005
WOW. I am sure that most of the people in our class will write about the snowstorm that hit our region today. No one expected it at all; everyone thought that it was just going to rain. The radio and TV weather reports said that the Alleghany Mountains would get 6-12 inches, and I thought that was crazy until my walk back from math class. It was 9 a.m., and the higher elevated I walked from downtown to East Halls, the more snowflakes were falling rather than raindrops. I liked the snow better, because I got less wet than when the rain was coming down. I ended up getting soaked four different times today anyway, from the slush, and rain that came back once it got dark.
I think it is insane that a lot of the leaves haven't even changed colors yet, but we had snow like we did today. The thing that surprised me the most was that the snow actually began to stick to the grass and sidewalks. I don't think that it has even been that cold out lately, and for it to stick is really surprising. I can't imagine how December and January are if October is already producing weather like this. Maybe I should transfer to USC or something where it is still warm.
October 26, 2005
Before PSU 006 class today, our T.A. Rob told a couple of us students that he would meet with us about an hour before class to discuss scheduling. I knew he would have good advice, and he definitely did. He told us the information that advisors and mentors do not. He told us which classes that he suggested that we take, and what professors to get or avoid.
I was the first student to show up to talk to Rob, so I think I benefited from the meeting most. He helped me set up my next three semesters, and made it work so that all of my "Smeal Entrance to Major Courses" were satisfied. The classes that I plan to take next semester are Econ 4, Span 3, Accounting 211, BA 241, and BA 242. Rob told me that Dr. Sharpe, the professor that teaches BA 241, is the best professor that I will have at Penn State. He told me that Business Law, which is what BA 241 is, is really boring; however, Dr. Sharpe makes it interesting and teaches in a way that the students are determined to succeed.
Tomorrow, I meet with my advisor to further discuss my scheduling. I finally quit procrastinating, as I called my advisor's office and set up an appointment. I will show my advisor, Jeff Hill, my planned schedule and see if he approves. Also, I would like him to show me how I could satisfy all of the Gen Ed credits in the easiest way.
October 27, 2005
Last night, I buzzed my head. During high school, I used to shave it pretty short, but I actually buzzed it this time. My friend Andrew and I both wanted a haircut, but we didn't feel like paying 10 bucks to have someone do it for us. We decided to use my roommate's beard trimmer; however, this cheap, ten dollar piece of junk couldn't do anything on my bushy hair. We both asked around to see if anyone on the floor had a better trimmer, and my friend Geoff did. We put it on the set length "2", and Andrew put it to my head. There were a few guys witnessing the shave to get a good laugh, and once Andrew began, everyone started busting out laughing. The number "2" setting on the trimmer was a lot different than the "2" setting on regular clippers, because it was REALLY close to my head. They all thought that I would be pissed, but I have no problem with the way it looks. It is something different, so I kind of like it. The only regret I have is the weather is beginning to be freezing, and I will have to wear a hat to pretty much everywhere I go.
October 28, 2005
bear vs. shark
After arguing with Alex in both Econ and at the gym, I still believe the shark would dominate the bear. Even in three feet of water, I believe that the shark would beat the bear. I believe this because if a human touches a shark in the wrong way, they cut themselves. If a bear touched a shark in the same way, it would essentially rip out the bear's hair, and the bear would be defenseless. I think that the shark would win in any environment, just because of its jaws and teeth. Even if the bear hit the shark on the nose, which would be the only way that the bear could win, the shark would snap its jaws on the swinging hand first before it could hit the shark on the nose. The bear has so many weak points compared to the shark, that the bear would have to completely dominate the shark in order to defeat him, compared to the shark would have to bite the bear once to make him surrender to the bite.
October 30, 2005
Our assignment was to talk about the parodies and satires evident in the Treehouse of Horror. I've always liked the Simpson's, but I've never really seen a lot of the episodes. The Halloween episodes are always my favorite, and they always appear in my English classes so I get to see them all. I think it is hilarious how the creators' made a joke of "The Shining" and turned it into "The Shinning" for the Simpson's. The episode had the blood with the elevators, the crazy Dad that wanted to kill his family, and the travel through time. The parodic ideas shown in the Simpson's are simply brilliant, and I am looking forward to the latest episode coming this Halloween.
October 31, 2005
My Halloween costume isn't really a costume at all. All weekend, I was dressing up like a cowboy, but that really isn't any different than how I usually dress anyways. True, you rarely find me in tight jeans and cowboy boots, but I wear flannel shirts and my cowboy hat all the time. I was planning on making a creative Halloween costume, but the holiday simply snuck up on me. This past weekend, I saw some good ideas, and some unique ones that I have never seen. For example, I saw a group of girls all wearing white t-shirts with a "P" on them, and eye black under their eyes. I knew what they were right away, but no one else did. They were the Black Eyed Peas. I also saw a "Naked Cowboy" walking around in nothing but his whitie tighties and hat, and I give him credit for walking around in the cold autumn weather like that. The most disturbing costume I found was a guy in a penis suit; however, it was painted red for some odd reason. Also, if you touched it, he would spray a liquid out of the top, and I think that is going a little too far. My favorite costume I saw was a couple dressed as a plug and outlet. I thought this was downright awesome. All in all, I have some new ideas for next year since this Halloween I was pretty boring and wasn't creative at all.