Friday, September 11, 2009

Proof That We Need A Test To Have Children

6-Year-Old Drives After Mom Smokes “That Stinky Stuff”

I am not sure what would be on the test but it needs to be put to a government commission.

September 11





















Eight years ago today, America was attacked as the day got going.

I was a senior in high school and I was in my second period percussion class. My band director came into the band room after having gone to the office for something and said something bad had happened.

There was a joke or two made but the look on Paul's face displayed the gravity of the situation. I could try and be the next Tolkien and describe the silence that fell on that large space with its great acoustics but that would be pointless.

He flipped the t.v. on and there was the coverage.

The second plane had went into the towers moments before and people were speculating about what had happened.

The thing that surprised me the most was the fact that school did not come to a halt.

I went to the rest of my classes that day and did my work like it was any other day.

Hell, we had band practice that afternoon. It went off without a hitch. We even went to a competition two days after it happened. The flag was at half mast for the entire contest but it went on.

I have read several accounts of what the government was like on that morning and it all seems like it would be a huge cluster fuck working in an agency when an event like this occurs. But it all went on.

When someone asks me what it means to be American, that resilience that we displayed as a nation comes to mind.

There are several nations across this world that are on the brink of collapsing in the next 36 hours (trust me, it's what my thesis research is on), but we took the hit and came back.

God bless those that gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense and aid of their fellow Americans and God bless the United States of America.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Web Comics: I Have Finally Given In.


















I think this image says how me and many of my friends who are in school feel.

I finally found the urge to start writing a paper that I needed to have finished to pass, at 2am.

Same thing happened in graduate school. Huge project due? Psh, start researching the country and its government at 2am. No better way to do it.

So, imagine how surprised I was when I found a webcomic that dealt with the strife of being a student, especially in graduate education.

Piled Higher and Deeper
(PH. D) comics are amazingly written and has a cast of characters that you will likely encounter on a daily basis in your department or a study group.

Apart from a massive archive that goes back twelve years, there is also a store where you can buy merchandise related to your favorite characters. Or you pick up a shirt that expresses your genearl malaise for the graduate education process.

















Those of you who read my blog consistently, you will know how much I love the sport of soccer. So, when I found a web comic for it back in June, I was highly excited.

Studs-Up is a witty insight into the players, the teams, and the random things that get done throughout the global game of soccer.

The archive for Studs only goes back to 2008 but it is still worth reading.