Damn it's cold!

Well here in the Midwest it's all of the sudden gone from a mild winter (by our standards) to a freakin cold chillfest. The last few days have been in the teens or below, with windchills in the sub-zero ranges. I don't really mind because it's not like I am a construction worker and have to be outside 8 hours a day. My car also has a great heater, so I can't complain about that. I just figured I'd bring this up to impress any of you weenies from the South who complain when it gets to be 30 degrees and you shut down schools when a quarter-inch of snow falls. :-)

Been a few days since I last updated so I figure I'll go over what has happened since then: absolutely nothing! I have been watching season 3 of 24 like a madman (thanks to Dan for that expression) and am through 20 episodes in a week. I simply cannot wait for season 4 to start in January, and ditto that for Alias.

I've also been playing some video games, mostly GTA: San Andreas. I'm a little more than halfway through the story missions and the game continues to be a blast. Probably around the same level as GTA: Vice City was at this point, with a potential to be even better. I've also played a little ESPN NFL 2k5, mostly just with Chris and Mike. I won't brag too much, but let's just say they didn't enjoy their 61-7 butt-kicking too much last weekend, haha. It's a shame that there won't be an ESPN NFL 2k6, but I've already discussed that previously.

When I'm not slacking off watching DVDs or playing games, I'm slacking off work. For those of you who don't know, I work at the computer desk of the local public library. I've worked at this library in some capacity since March of 1999 and it's a great place. The people are nice, the pay is great, and the work is not too bad. It gives me the chance to just fill in during breaks from school, which really helps because I don't have to waste time looking for a summer or winter job ever. Aside from my internship and being a TA/GA, it's the only job I've ever had, and working at the computer desk is the best non-permanent job there. Yeah, we get the occasional bitchy or annoying patron, but it's not as frequent as it is in circulation. Also it's more fun to work with computers than books, at least for me.

Well that's it for now. I'll have more exciting tales of my lazy ass life later, though, so be on the lookout.

-Mark

There is a God

After being teased for several hours by the "WebConnect" system, which is how we access grades at NIU, my fall grades finally were available at 11 A.M. today. And, to my relief, I actually got a B in a class that I probably got a D in based purely on points. This is an early Christmas present if there ever was one! Not only did I get a grade that I felt I deserved but I also do not have to retake the class, even though I'd probably get an easy A the second time around.

Now that the Fall, 2004 semester grades are in, I can finally put that sucker in the rearview window and wave bye-bye. Victory is mine!

-Mark

Academic integrity, indeed

From the Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/free/v51/i17/17a00802.htm

Apparently there is a problem with plagiarism amongst academic elites. Just remember that the next time you get an F on a paper due to accidentally omitting a citation.

-Mark

EA is at it again

EA has purchased the exclusive rights to make NFL video games. This, quite frankly, is a kick in the balls to the consumer. I was trying to decide which game to buy next year after picking up both Madden NFL 2005 and ESPN NFL 2k5 this year, but I guess that's a moot point now. I haven't played a lot of either game really, save for several games of ESPN between my buddies and me, but I did like what ESPN had going for it. With another year to work out the kinks I thought it could have been great. Unfortunately, this is the real world and stuff like this happens.

Really, I blame the NFL more than EA. This is not to imply that I am a fan of EA, mind you, just that I think the NFL is the force behind this transaction. This is from the Gamespot article:

A source close to the negotiations said it was at a spring, 2004, off-site meeting attended by top NFL officials that the league determined it would take the league license exclusive. GameSpot was told the league put the license up for bid and that EA was among as many as five software publishers competing for it. An EA spokesperson said today, "Obviously, exclusives are more expensive. We are most certainly paying a premium."

I am really not sure what to think about this, other than to be disappointed. I guess I'll just see what happens from here on out and play it by ear.

-Mark

Freedom is a good thing

And I'm not talking about any of those big-time freedoms we all take for granted. Nope, I'm talking about freedom from ridiculous classes and all the bullshit that they entail. Constant assignments, studying, and the occasional 15-page paper have plagued me these last 4 months, but no longer. (Well, at least not until mid-January.) For these four weeks, I shall catch up on all the lethargy I left behind when the semester started.

I had 3 final exams this semester, and studying for all 3 basically involved nothing more than rote memorization. I can't begin to explain how much I detest studying for these exams. First, I tend to procrastinate until the absolute latest point to begin studying. Then, I end up locking myself in my room with my books and notes, trying to cram as much crap into my head as is humanly possible in the short time that I have to study. Then I get all stressed out, take the exam, and afterwards forget everything I "memorized."

The exams actually weren't too bad for the most part, which is the only saving grace. This is particularly true of my "Computer Networks" test. I procrastinated very badly on this exam, which is understandable given the two potentially beastly exams I had prior to it. I ended up starting at about 3 P.M. on Friday afternoon and studied almost the entire time up until I took the test the next morning at 8 A.M. There was a lot of info to cover, but the test was a piece of cake. I studied with some classmates until 3 A.M., got home, took a break to inhale some leftover pizza and watch Alias, and then got back to work. When I went to drive over to take the exam at 7:45, my car wouldn't start so I ran about a mile over to the Psych-Math building to get there on time. Of course the professor was 20 minutes late, which doesn't really bother me too much since I had more time to study.

So anyway, vacation officially has begun. No more bitching about classes for four whole weeks, woohoo!

-Mark

If you're reading this...

...and your name isn't Chad or Dan, and you're not related to me, please drop me a line to say hi. Just leave a comment or shoot me a quick e-mail, it will only take a minute. I'm just curious to see if I actually have an audience. I doubt it, but hey, if that that dumbass William Hung can have his 15 minutes of fame then why can't I have more than 3 visitors to my blog?

-Mark

I hope they were high when they did this

If you're a drug dealer and your product gets stolen, it is best not to report this fact to the police. Some people just don't seem to grasp this, however.

-Mark

A rolling stone...

...gathers no arrogant wide receivers. Of course this is referring to our favorite Minnesota Viking, Randy Moss, who felt the need to call out the Bears' secondary before the game today. There is no doubt that this is his way of making amends for getting a would-be game-winning touchdown reception ripped out of his hands by then-rookie cornerback Charles Tillman late last season in a loss that helped cripple the Vikings' playoff hopes. Unfortunately for Randy, he didn't put his money where his mouth is. (Probably because his foot is firmly implanted there.)

In summary, the Bears used a great performance by their fourth starting QB this season, Chad Hutchinson, and a stirring effort by the defense to upend the Norsemen, 24-14. Brian Urlacher, who had surgery just a few weeks ago on his calf and wasn't even supposed to be back for a couple of weeks, returned to have a marvelous performance that should land him defensive player of the week honors. His stats were great (7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tipped passes, and an interception in the red zone to thwart a deep Minnesota drive) but what was even more impressive was his contagious energy and enthusiasm that seemed to spread to all of the other defenders. Boy, am I glad we have these players locked up for a while!

As for Hutchinson, watching him lead this team was like waking up from a terrible nightmare and realizing it was only a dream. He had everything that Jonathan Quinn and Craig Krenzel have lacked: a strong arm, quick throws, limited mistakes, and the ability to convert on third down. His 3-TD, 0-INT performance was the best by a Bears' QB in a long time and, while I am not ready to proclaim him a savior just yet, I now have confidence that the Bears can beat teams without relying on their defense and special teams for a majority of the points. It's quite refreshing.

I'm really looking forward to the 2005 season, as the Bears have a good shot to contend with a few minor additions/changes. Then again, I can't look too far ahead, as they still have a legitimate shot to make the playoffs this season. That sounds hard to believe given their 5-7 record, but in the watered-down NFC it might only take 8 wins to make the playoffs. (And, right now, they—along with 5 other teams—are only 1 game behind St. Louis for the final playoff spot.)

(Oh yeah, and while I'm discussing my favorite football teams, I have to congratulate both NIU for making a bowl game for the first time in 21 years and the Florida Gators for choosing the outstanding Urban Meyer to be their next head coach.)

-Mark

Dream a little dream

So I had another fairly vivid dream last night. I don't remember everything, but I know that part of it involved some twit telling me how my taste in music was like pornography to his ears. I don't even know what that means! At least this time I didn't wake up in drool, so I guess that's a plus.

On a much more normal note, my sister Laura got engaged yesterday, so I'd like to say congratulations to her even though she doesn't read this site. Congrats, sis!

I went to a surprise party for one of the Jennifers last night. It was a good time for the short while I was there, although I will say that I hope to never encounter a man wearing a kilt ever again. :-P

-Mark

Dream on

So I got back from class this morning and decided to take a nap. For some reason, I had an incredibly vivid dream that this unappealing girl asked me out, I turned her down, and then she decided to stalk me. Weird...

And then I woke up in a puddle of my own drool. End of story.

Hopefully this awesome story makes up for my lack of any substantive posts over the last few weeks. Somehow, however, I doubt it.

-Mark