A lot has happened...
A lot has happened since my last post. There was Parent's Weekend. I've gotten some good material to put in here for another blog or two. Really the main thing that happened was Parent's Weekend. Ball State played Blowing Green over the weekend... and lost... sorry, but BSU hasn't won a football game all season. We went undefeated in the regular season last year. But a lot of ugly stuff happened near the end of last season. As I sit here watching Monday Night Football between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers, I wonder... why did our football team tank? I'm no football expert, but still. I told you I would talk about my favorite computer, and I will... later in the blog. Oh, I just remembered, I was assigned a homework assignment in a class where I need to blog. "But Joel, you've got a blog right here! Why not use that for your class?" Good question! Why not? Because this assignment is really stupid and I don't want to muck up this blog with worthless bloviating. Sad, but true.
Another little news bit from campus is that Campus Crusade for Christ started a new advertising campaign on campus. I won't go into detail, but it involves orange shirts. Let's just say I'm split on opinion of it.
So for Parent's Weekend my roommate went home to celebrate his dad's birthday. It was pretty quiet in the room last weekend. My parents didn't come down for the weekend. My parents are divorced and neither like to make the 3+ hour drive. At one point I know how they feel. I got a speeding ticket because I wanted to get back to campus because I didn't like making the drive. But at the other time, I hardly get to see them. So I watched BSU lose to BG and watched Notre Dame lose to Fusc (I'll never give Fusc any respect ever).
I feel like I'm running out of stuff to say. Does it seem like that? Like I'm just 'listing' off things in my average school day? Well I'm happy to say that this week is a good week already because not only do I not have my biology lab on Wednesday, but I also don't have biology lecture on Thursday! It's gonna be a good week Sluggo... (that's a Ron White reference)
Unrelated to Ball State, I have to say this. This past Sunday the Carolina Panthers played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa Bay. Roughly 10 seconds before the end of the second quarter Carolina punts the ball to Tampa Bay. The punt returner is Clifton Smith, the return blocker (gunner) is Dante Wesley. Wesley is shooting down the field like none other. Seeing the rushing defender, Smith tries to call a fair catch. Before Smith can even get his hand up to signal fair catch Wesley lays into Smith at full force. As in, this wasn't just a dirty hit. This was a full force, leaping off the ground, taste my shoulder pad attack. Smith was knocked out for a minute or two. Wesley's shoulder pad hit Smith's throat. Smith also got a concussion from it. Both benches were emptied as every single Buc player wanted to get a piece of Wesley. The ref ejected Wesley and was fined today. The NFL suspended him for one game without pay (I think it should be two), and fined him $38,750. It was the dirtiest hit I've seen in a good long time. It was ugly. Here's a link to the YouTube video. I shudder watching that video. It was just as bad as when Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills was almost paralyzed playing against the Denver Broncos. Now, there are a couple of differences there. It is painfully clear that Wesley intended to hit Smith. Whether he wanted to intentionally injury him, I don't know. Kevin Everett, the Broncos didn't intentionally try to hurt him. It was just incredibly bad luck the the hit injured him. Wesley puts out a couple of punches on the Bucs players that were trying to charge him and throws a tantrum because he was ejected from the game. What a jerk!
So now for the little dilly on my favorite computer. It is indeed $12,500 unless you buy the software to make programs for it, which makes it $15,000. It's called the Microsoft Surface. It is a touch only computer. It runs Windows Vista underneath the Surface shell program (it's meant to run Windows 7 as the core). Here are some pictures:
Sorry about the blurriness. I tried to take better shots but this was the best I could get.
Here's a video teaser of the Microsoft Surface. The great thing about that video? I've done everything in that video! I love it!
There are two Surface units open to the public here at Ball State. The one you see here is in the Digital Complex in Bracken Library. The other is in the office of the Center for Media Design. Don't worry, all links will open in new windows/tabs. There is a total of three Surface units at Ball State. The third one is not allowed to be shown due to licensing agreements. The third Surface unit has software that was developed by a professional company out in California. We can't be seen as trying to steal credit for the programs. I actually called this company for a little bit of help in developing my own program for the Surface. See what Ball State can do for you if you get involved? Oh, I almost forgot! Here's a video of me playing with the Surface in the library. Like I said before, I think I am hideous in front of the camera.
Well, there's my entry for the week! I hope you enjoyed it. It gave me a good excuse to play with the Surface! I will see you next week after Fall Break.
And even though the BSU Women's Volleyball team spikes the ball at my face whenever I say it, this is RealLife at Ball State.
-Joel