Today’s ‘State Press’ theme song: ‘We Are All On Drugs’

So in my Media Research Methods class, whenever our professor wants to convey that math is involved in something but that it's hella easy math, he usually says that you can do the math on your My Little Pony calculator.


This (as well as when our professor, Doig, says "poop") generally cracks me and Emilia up. We sit next to each other, and today our My Little Pony giggles almost turned into a class-stopping laugh riot.


It all started when Doig drew something on the board, and I noticed he wasn't using normal chalkboard-sized chalk...


My Little Pony calculator!


So I was successful in controlling my laughter until after class ended, at which point both Emilia and I busted out laughing, prompting Doig to ask us what was so funny. We told him about how we liked his My Little Pony references but did not mention our picture.


Our Little PonyAnyway, later tonight we decided to draw a My Little Pony (sans the calculator functions) for the State Press Magazine editors on the back of a page proof that I had just copy edited. To see how they received their early Christmas present, click here.


Shortly after that, Ryan summoned me over to the couch in the newsroom, where he was lying down. He tried to rush me, I kicked me shoe at him, and soon he was charging after me with one of the pillows from the couch. As soon as I could dodge my way back to the couch, I picked up a pillow, and Ryan and I fought for a while. Then we squished Jed in between our pillows. He soon joined us for what was essentially the first episode of Newsroom Gladiators:



After all of that excitement, Ryan showed off his little pug collage that he made around the same time Emilia and I were working on Our Little Pony. In fact, he showed off his pug collection twice. There's the normal version, and the super dance version!


Then the SPM editors came over since the magazine was all done, I gave them crap because they didn't food with me at all tonight (Not even for dessert!) and we showed them our earlier videos.


Oh, and there was more Newsroom Gladiators. It just wasn't captured on video very well.


And we capped off the night with a showing of the funny-but-sooo-bad Charlie Brown Kwanzaa.

10/25/2006 23:12

I’m 21!So about that not-drinking-tonight thing…

So I turned 21 today... and it was pretty frickin' sweet.


The day started out as most Tuesdays do: an early wakeup time and a 7:30 start at The Republic. My work day was pretty run-of-the-mill, but afterwards I drove over to Fry's Electronics on the way home and put some birthday money to good use. Yeah, I got seasons two and four of Degrassi on DVD! (The latter just came out today.)


So I watched an episode, talked to my dad on the phone and was about to start up a whole two-part drama-filled Degrassi event when I checked my voicemail to get a message that someone from the newsroom had left while I was on the phone with my dad.


And it's this quasi-cryptic message from Kristi saying she wanted to discuss something that was brought to her attention last night and asking me to stop by.


So I stopped the DVD and fought traffic and parked at a meter on campus, dropped by the newsroom and talked with Kristi about our similar newsroom depth charts. Oh, and there was also some gossiping in Tanequia's office. That was amazing. And Michael called while I was in the newsroom too.


Anyway, then I went down to the Wesley Foundation Board of Directors meeting at Sara's house. That was fun... by my ridiculously Methodist standards, at least.


Then it was time for the main event. Julie picked me and Katie and Diana and Casey up and we all headed over to the Loft, where Brian was working the door for his friend's bluegrass band, The Breadwinners. Oh, and his new girlfriend Elizabeth (who had been my Human Event TA back in the day) was there too, as was Cameo.


There will be pictures and possible accompanying stories from our time at the bar online tomorrow or Thursday, but let's just say that I had more alcohol than I've probably ever had in one night... a veritable bringe. Keep in mind, though, that that means "Brian binge" and equates to about five ounces of drinks. Little sips of lots of things.


There was also some pool, bluegrass, dancing, chicken-star-rocketing, etc.


And after the bar festivities, Katy and I watched the first couple episodes of season two over at my house.


It was quite the birthday.


And I'm (even more of) an adult now... in the eyes of society, at least.


:)

10/25/2006 02:23

So about that party on Friday…

I'm finally done going through my pictures from Jourdan's party on Friday night. If you don't have a Flickr account, you can click here to see some of my pictures from the party.


If you do have a Flickr account, make sure you're signed in and that you're my friend so that when you click the same link, you'll also see some of the more... risqué pictures from Friday night. (Some, but not all, mind you. Some of the pictures that ended up on my camera were just too hot for the Internet.)



23:54 » Btw, I've also posted a few choice videos from Friday night. Click below to watch...

• Late-night recollections

• the revenge of 'La Camisa Negra'

• Sleepy Jermé

• Katie goes in for the snuggle

10/23/2006 23:29

The ‘dog days’ are upon us

You know you've reached the dog days of the semester when, in your first class of the morning, you find it more interesting to figure out which freckle on your arm is your favorite than to pay attention to whatever it is you're supposed to be learning.

10/23/2006 23:26

Party, sleep, rinse, repeat

Ah, I had such high hopes for getting work done this weekend, but alas, it is not to be.


Last night, between Jourdan's party and getting McDonald's (but not McMuffins) and watching The Boondocks at Michael's, I was out until like 5 a.m.


Knowing that we played at home today, I still decided not to set any alarms when I went to bed. I thought, "If I wake up for the football game, fine. If not, oh well."


Although I briefly woke up around 11:30, I didn't get up until three this afternoon. A couple of hours later, I was headed over to Julie's birthday barbeque. And now, it's time for even more sleep.


This weekend has just been party, sleep, party, sleep. No room for football (when we actually win, of course) and certainly no time for anything productive.


Eh, maybe I'll find time for productivity tomorrow.

10/22/2006 02:15

Ah, Arizona drivers…

So I had never seen anyone just blow through an obviously red (like it was yellow when you were a quarter-mile back) light... until tonight.


I was just over in Mesa picking up a copy of The Mesa Republic, and as I was coming home I was sitting at University and Dobson, waiting to turn left onto Uni. After the east-west light turned red, after the two-second-or-whatever lag, and after I got my green arrow, I looked left and saw nothing. But I looked right and saw a car still coming to the intersection, not slowing down and then just going right through.


It was really special.


Luckily, though, I see the car approaching before I even decide to take my foot off the brake. So the whole time I'm just sitting there watching as this car blows through the red light. Well, sitting and thinking about how if I had been in a hurry and/or not paying attention, I could have been in the intersection as this car came (probably) speeding through... and about how some people are pretty stupid.

10/22/2006 02:06

One of those nights

Tonight was fun out at Jourdan's and at Michael's. Details tomorrow... maybe. :)

10/21/2006 04:59

Today was fun

Today, I got stuff done at The Republic but also had fun swapping stories with some of the other reporters over lunch at Big City BBQ.


This afternoon, I watched like an hour and a half of Degrassi reruns while assembling... some top-secret project materials.


Then tonight, Brittany McCall, her roommate and I watched Sam and the rest of the Cronkite School team compete — and lose :( — in the Academic Bowl.


After the bowl, we went to Sonic, where there was much "Feeeeeel My Body"ing and, perhaps even better, "You want me for your girlfriend"ing. Plus, we got to see various people do various random things in the Sonic drink suit.


Yeah, they had someone dressed up as a big Sonic drink. Well, actually it kinda looked more like they intended it to be a shake or ice cream. But regardless, when the big drink came over to give us our food, I asked if I could take a picture with him.


And I did!


Me and the Sonic drink guy!


Anyway, after Sonic there was some random State Press visitation, more "You want me for your girlfriend"ing and some Web Deviling. Yeah. A good night, fo sho.

10/20/2006 01:16

Bustin’ out the long pants

It's only supposed to be like 82 or 83, so I'm wearing blue jeans today. Welcome to Arizona winter.

10/16/2006 12:43

I’m cold

Is it bad that I turned the heat on in my car just now when I drove over to the honors college to drop off my letter to my Flinn pen pal?


Seeing as how it's 62° right now, I'd say yes.


I am such a Valley boy.

10/16/2006 02:59

Let the half hour of homework begin

Mission accomplishedYesterday I finally built the dresser that's been sitting all unassembled in my bedroom since August. So now I have a lot more floor space since all my clothes are no longer in piles on the floor and since the assembled dresser has a much smaller footprint than the box it came in.


Oh, and I also went through a couple months worth of receipts and other bank-account-type stuff that I had never put into my checkbook on my computer, and so now my checkbook's up-to-date as of mid-August. But hey, it's progress.


But between all that, watching Degrassi and watching the Sun Devils suck, then not suck and then not not suck enough to beat USC or at least put the game into overtime, I didn't have much time left for all the homework and other school-related things I left for myself to do this weekend.


Today after church, Chris had us over to his new house for a housewarming lunch/party thang, which was sweet. But also not homework.


So now I've got about a half hour before I go in to The State Press to not just copy edit but also fill in for Courtney, the night editor. So yeah, let the half hour of homework begin!

10/15/2006 16:14

WTFray?

Today as I was driving home from The Republic, I was flipping through radio stations instead of using my MP3 player. Since there was nothing good on the music stations I usually listen to and it was sports time on KTAR, I turned on Air 1 and was hella surprised to hear that they were playing "Over My Head" by the Fray.


Yeah, the Fray... on a station that over the past couple years has gotten really good at playing about 10 or 15 mostly mediocre songs from mostly mediocre Christian bands. It was weird.


Maybe they've decided to actually play decent music regardless of whether or not it comes from a Christian label. (Never mind that they've also made some notable omissions of decent music from Christian labels in the past. *cough* Sky Harbor's ablum on Inpop! *cough*) Maybe I'll actually be able to listen to Air 1 once again.


Eh, but there'll probably still be enough songs with bad music and/or theology on Air 1 to scare me away. At least the people who can stomach the rest of Air 1 will get to hear the Fray now.

10/12/2006 18:00

I heart Wednesday…

Today was frickin' sweet. I ran into the "Flinn vortex" outside LL after Spanish, ran into James Schmehl while on a barefoot lunch expedition and saw Sam when he came down into the dungeon after Media Career Night.


Plus, I had an advising appointment with my journalism adviser, Carol Schulte, who I definitely heart. Not only did we talk about my next couple semesters here, but we also chatted about global warming, what the hell sustainability means and the importance of having extended experiences away from technology.


Oh, and since my history professor's at a conference, I actually went in to The State Press at 17:00 tonight and left by 22:00. Yeah, 10 o'clock on a Wednesday! It was amazing. Oh, and the SPM eds and I fooded at Phoenicia, which was delicious.

10/11/2006 23:50

Lazy Tuesday?!

So this morning, I woke up at 7:19 a.m., exactly 11 minutes before I was supposed to be at work at The Republic's office in Mesa. I cut all the corners out of my morning routine and ended up only being 15 minutes late.


But it ended up being kind of a slow day, until six minutes after I was supposed to leave. But I decided this afternoon's fatal wreck on Country Club was worth staying late to cover from the scene, so I did.


Oh, and then small group was great tonight. I got to see Brian try (successfully for a while) to balance on Diana's exercise ball, Julie made her grand entrance into the inside jokes column and we made it through the evening with zero spilled glasses of water... miraculously. Anyway, I <3 you guys.

10/10/2006 23:52

Lazy Monday

This morning, something woke me up at 7:30. Idk if it was sunlight or a noise or what, but I didn't get back up to that level of consciousness again until 10:35... five minutes before my Spanish class starts.


So, Spanish kinda didn't happen today.


Maybe I can blame my laziness on today being Columbus Day... because I'm really a federal employee at heart? Ugh. No. Forget I said that.

10/9/2006 12:14

‘Trying to fit these pieces in’

Today at church we not only had a "stewardship moment," but Pastor Dave's sermon (and consequently, the focus of the service music-wise, etc.) was about politics.


Welcome to two of the topics that make me all squirmy and nervous the most.


But it was all good. I think a quick interlude from my new theme song might be in order.


Seriously, though, it was good for me to hear the stewardship moment because it pushed me along in my recent and continuning ruminations on the motivation to Christian service — what mine is, what mine ought to be and what that of all Christians ought to be (if there is such a universal "ought.")


And it's always good to be reminded of how church and state may be separate but religion and politics will likely never be and how our faith should inform our politics.


Oh, and before church, I gave blood this morning. It felt good to actually donate again after forgetting/putting it off for so long and contribute to our blood supply, and I'm also stoked about how this should put an end to the calls from United Blood Services that I usually just don't even answer anyway for a couple months.


Also, tonight's post-paper hanging out in the Web Devil office was hella hilarious. (Think "family tree" and "rolls.") It even felt like a State Press reality show thanks to Tiffany's video chat thingy.

10/9/2006 00:39

Plans? Psh.

This is apparently one of those weekends where nothing goes according to plan. Kristi was the only person to show up to the Canada Party Friday night, so that turned back into more of a Degrassi-watching event than a full-fledged party since we were both kinda tired anyway.


Then things in Tucson at our first Flinn public-policy seminar of the year went as they were supposed to for the most part. But I get back into town, actually get to church early, but at 17:00 find no one else in the church parking lot who's going to the corn maze with UA. However, the church van was gone too, so I guess it's conceivable that they left early. Idk. I'm still confused about what happened on our end.


Actually, I'm also unsure of what happened on UA's end too. I texted Aaron, who gave me Nick's phone number, where I left a voice message in hopes of a) making sure UA was still going and b) finding them down there.


So after about an hour of waiting up in Tempe I drive down to Queen Creek, don't see a UA or First Church van in my side of the parking lot, and then Justine calls me back and mentions that she's going to be hanging out at the bar where she used to work tonight instead of the corn maze.


So I drive back up to Tempe, grab food, go to UB's and end up playing pool with Justine. Oh, and I sang karaoke too. It was... not that great. I was singing "Hey Jealousy" but I started an octave too low and never quite got around to going up to where I should have been. So it was kinda awkward but still fun.

10/8/2006 01:00

This way to Canada


It's a sad day in Canadarizona


See what you missed.

10/6/2006 23:38

It’s raining!

And The Mesa Republic has an online weather story to boot!

10/6/2006 07:38

Let the games begin…

It's official: Next semester's schedule of classes is up on the ASU Web site.


Preregistration is just a few short weeks away, as are deadlines for internships, the Cronkite News Service and The State Press.


The only thing I hate more than having to plan my life three months in advance is having to plan my entire life three months in advance.


I mean seriously, I'm kinda busy keeping my life this semester on track.


Oh well. At least I've got a birthday in there somewhere to lighten things up.


22:54 » Btw, why is almost every Cronkite School class I need/want to take for the rest of forever only offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays next semester? I really wanted to take classes on Mondays and Wednesdays again.

10/5/2006 22:07

‘Murder! Slaughter! Maim! Ravage!’

After the official Degrassi watching at Tara's tonight (Yeah, we postponed it a day since the N repeats everything lots and lots of times.), I went out to the roller derby with the SPM eds and Stephanie's boyfriend, Ben. Tara's bf, Shon, was reportedly out drinking with Ed and/or too good for roller derby. :)


And Kristi wasn't there either, despite Tara's and my million or so phone calls.


Anyway, pics are here, and below is a glimpse into roller derby-ing with Tara and Stephanie:


10/1/2006 00:56