Amarillo College

Cupcake Adventures of two AC Bloggers

2011-04-20T11:41:00.005-05:00

The culinary world is a buzz with its newest favorite craze. Cupcakes.What is not to like about these darlings? They are personal sized cakes thatcan be decorated to be anything the baker can think of. From basketballs to TVdinners, flower baskets to faces. If you have the time and the talent, you can makeyour cupcakes be anything.Personally, I love cupcakes. Anything that is a miniature version of somethingis awesome in my book.A couple of weeks ago, Brittney and I were talking about doing a joint blogpost. Something that was both creative and fun, something that we could make andshow off. After much debate we decided to make cupcakes. From there we made aquick trip to the magical Internet to get some ideas about what we would be making.There, we realized we just aren’t as creative or artistic as some of these people. I couldn't make this if I tried

There are cupcake artists who can create the coolest things on top of acupcake. We are just not that talented nor did we have years to dedicate to the art ofcupcake decoration.We decided to make two flavors of cupcakes- Red Velvet and White WeddingCake. Let me just say that wedding cake is the best flavor of cake. I could eat it allday every day. The plan originally was for us to make 24 of each flavor cupcake, fora total of 48. There was a flaw in the plan. We wrongly assumed that the recipe wasright and the yield amount was correct. The recipe lied. We had nearly 70 cupcakes,mostly red velvet; it took seven hours from start to finish to create our mini cakemasterpieces. I think we have a legitimate future in the world of cupcake-making, or at least cupcake-eating.

This was an impressive mess. I don't think there has ever been a bigger cupcake mess

Seven hours of cupcake baking, decorating and taste-testing…It was pretty intense and my kitchen was nothing short of a disaster afterward. I can’t complain though, I had a blast. Andrea and I might not be professional cupcake-bakers, but I have to admit I was pretty impressed by the final products overall.

Sure, there were a few ugly ones, but they were delicious none the less and we even wound up with some darn good-looking cupcakes. We had cupcakes that looked like lady bugs, Pokeballs and landscapes and seascapes…there was even one with a badger face on it in honor of the AC mascot. There were cupcakes topped with cream cheese icing, buttercreamicing, sprinkles and/or fondant. We got pretty crafty!

A few things we learned during our cupcake adventure:

Fondant is frustrating to work with and tastes like Play-Doh…onlysweet instead of salty (yes, I ate Play-Doh as a kid and I know you didtoo).

No matter how much time is spent Googling cupcake decorating ideas and how much stuff you buy at Wal-Mart to create what you’ve found…it’s not going to turn out how you initially envisioned.We used some of the ideas, but about 60 of the 70 or so cupcakes made illustrate our own creativity coming into play. It’s more fun
improvising, anyway.

The recipe only provides guidelines. Andrea knows this… Good thing she made the cupcakes and I just observed. She could just look at the batter and know it needed more this or that… She did well!

Chips and queso = the perfect snack to balance out all of the sweettaste-testing.Making the mess is fun and easy…cleaning up, not so much.

There is no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon/evening with a good friend, just laughing and having a good time. We all need to take a break and have some fun.

TJCSGA

2011-04-17T19:07:00.008-05:00

Last weekend was busy for the most part, but that would be an understatement. You see, I was in Austin for the annual TJCSGA Convention. Which stands for Texas Junior College Student Government Association. Basically, all the community colleges in Texas who are involved in TJCSGA with their student government get together for a convention that is completely student run, and does a pretty awesome job at that.

Amarillo College this year was president school, and our representative for that was non other than Anthony Najar who happens to be the SGA President of our college also.

But let's begin.

Day 1: Thursday I was early to rise with my luggage all packed and a box full of campaign materials. Although I was worried thinking my luggage would be overweight and I would have to pay a fine, everything turned out to be OK. Making it to Austin was unbelievable considering we were snowed in to go there for Community College day. I feared the same thing would happen again with this crazy panhandle weather. But all was good. The first day was very casual without having to dress up nice. We had icebreakers, massage chairs, our general assemble, and our region meeting. It was pretty exciting to see Anthony Najar as our president for TJCSGA. I was also excited to serve as Region Parliamentarian during our region meetings.

Day 2: Honestly, it's hard to remember what all went on with everything we had to do. Whether it was getting ready for campaigning or going to workshops. There was always something on the table to do. But there was sure a lot of eating going on.

Day 3: This was the day the speech and skits happened. AC decided to do this year a Napoleon Dynamite themed campaign. We had shirts, chap stick, buttons, and gum. I did the speech Pedro did in the movie, Trevor Brown did the Napoleon dance. It was a very memorable moment for me, and a quite funny one too.

Day 4: Sunday. We had our last General Assembly at the Capitol on the House Floor. We also had our elections. The speeches that were given by the board members were very emotional. And we ended the meeting with the new board present, which I am now a part of as AC's Representative for the State Parliamentarian position.

With new things awaiting me next year I find this to be very exciting. And hope to represent AC to the best of my ability.

Tree hugger

2011-04-08T14:47:00.009-05:00

Trends make me giggle. Someone, somewhere does something that someone else says is cool and before you know it, it's everywhere. Bell-bottom jeans and peace signs in the '70s, big hair and tight leather in the '80s...

I always wonder who really starts these trends. I mean, how do I start a trend that spreads like wildfire? Oh, well.

To get to my point, a recent trend that I have noticed is this "being green" thing that is suddenly the trendy, cute, cool thing to do.

In all honesty, it annoys the heck out of me. Not "being green," but rather the fact that it's nothing more than a trend. We finally seem to be onto a trend that could be somewhat beneficial to the planet...but how many people really, truly understand what "being green" is all about?

I don't really care if you have a peace sign tattoo, own a t-shirt with a the recycle symbol on it or wear TOMS. You're not a hippie. You're not a tree-hugger. You probably don't recycle. You probably don't even know what being environmentally mindful really means.

Okay, okay. I'm stereotyping (and ranting). But how many people go out and buy a pair of TOMS because it's for a good cause? How many people actually understand the process of recycling and actively recycle appropriate materials? How many people actually understand what the entire "green" movement is all about?

So now that you all know how strongly I feel about this (at least I hope you do), I am going to take the liberty to share with you a few tips on actually "being green." Follow these steps and you'll look trendier and cooler than anyone else out there. Dear Mother Earth will think so, anyway.

If you are thinking about taking the environment a little more serious and being a little more appreciative of all that this earth has provided us with, I recommend treehugger.com. They have done a wonderful job of providing practical information about what you can take to be more earth-friendly in every area of your life. They also have several links to other helpful websites.
So, we can't all go out and buy an eco-friendly car and remodel our house so it's solar-powered and filled with pricey new appliances that run on less power and waste less water. BUT, I guarantee that everything on my list is perfectly doable.

Think about these things:

1. Next time you visit the coffee shop, don't use the paper or plastic cup.
If you're going to be there for a while, ask you're barista if they have a cups "for here." They do, and they will let you use them. Your coffee or tea will taste much better in a real cup, anyway.
If you're on the run, take your own tumbler or cup. I understand that cups and lids are made of whatever percentage of recycled materials now...blah, blah, blah... This is fine and dandy, but they still wind up piled in the landfill somewhere and making the cups (from recycled materials or not) uses up a considerable amount of energy.

2. Stop buying bottles of water. Or if you do, reuse them. If cute and trendy is your thing, find a cute and trendy water bottle and make use of it. Plus, it's way less expensive in the long run if you just keep refilling the same bottle as opposed to spending $1 or more every time you are thirsty. You can fill your handy dandy water bottle with other beverages, too.

3. Invest in some cute cloth napkins. Mine are just solid green...but I like them. Instead of going out and buying napkins that will just wind up alongside all of those Starbucks cups and plastic bottles in a landfill, I just own a couple sets of nice cloth napkins that I can wash and use over and over again. Extra points for the cloth napkins that are made of organic materials. This helps cut back on the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides in the environment.

4. When doing laundry, try to avoid the "hot" cycle setting. Cold water is best, but even warm is better than the energy-eating full on hot wash. Wear things like jeans two or three times before tossing them in the wash, and use the same towel a few times too. Avoid the dryer by hanging things to air-dry, when possible, and cut back on ironing (who enjoys ironing, anyway?).

5. Shut off the water while brushing your teeth. Wet the toothbrush, shut the water off, brush, then turn the faucet back on to rinse. Simple enough. Don't take half-hour long showers, either.
Likewise, when doing dishes, avoid leaving the water running constantly when rinsing.

6. Walk or ride your bike. It's good for your body, and the environment will appreciate it too. If you're only going to the coffee shop down the street or a few blocks away to pick up an item or two from the grocery story, walking won't kill you, I promise.

7. Never, ever, ever litter. This one really gets to me. Very little irritates me more than when I'm driving down the highway and see the driver in the car in front of me roll down the window and throw an empty cup or whatever else out. You'll probably run into a trash can shortly after parking, so just leave it in the car for a few more minutes.
Smokers, don't throw your cigarette butts on the ground.
And if you see a big piece of trash, do a good deed and pick it up. You'll feel good about it.

8. Start a recycle bag or basket. Just have a bag in the kitchen that you can drop newspapers and magazines in when you're done with them. You could also have a basket for aluminum cans or bottles or whatever else you tend to use lots of. When it's full, stick it in the car and drop it off next time you drive by those big green dumpster-looking things for materials to be recycled.

9. Take your own bags to the grocery store, or recycle the ones you take from the store. I actually pick up a reusable shopping bag as a souvenir wherever I go. I have a Dallas Cowboys one... and my favorite one is probably my Whole Foods bag from Santa Fe.

These are just a few simple things I try to live by. Nothing elaborate, but it makes a big difference. Imagine if everyone lived by a handful of eco-friendly rules.

AC Honors/England Trip

2011-04-06T16:49:00.004-05:00

The Honors Program here at AC is taking in some new directions for the next upcoming academic year. A more variety of classes are becoming available to reach out to more students. And I find this being very much needed. Experiencing being part of the honors program this semester has helped me realize that more students need to be doing this. I've heard stories about students taking classes they don't necessarily need to graduate, but take them anyway since they are apart of the honor's curriculum. So they reach outside of their majors to take classes.

Judy Carter provides an Honors Seminar course that helps plan things for next year to happen with the honor's program. Being currently enrolled in that class I have gotten an amazing opportunity to help out the class and learn some very interesting things about goal setting.

Next year will introduce a select group of students who will serve as presidential scholars, and specific classes are provided for this group as well.

But on to another note, the honors program takes an annual trip over the summer and this year they will be going to England for eight days.

So what I'm trying to say here is that the honors program provides an excellent amount of opportunities to take advantage of with your stay here at AC. Not only does it look good on a transcript, but it really molds you into becoming a wonderful student. And even though this person was already pretty great I know personally a Hanna Osteen who just may be one of the best persons I know, and I'm glad I do. She's a member of the honors program and many other various activities.

Every year this program is trying to do something to engage new students. When people think honors they think hard classes or maybe that their not cut out to do that, but when in reality everybody has a chance and deserves to take a look in joining. So go ahead and do something outside of your comfort zone and do something different.

Because it may just be the one things to lead your life in a new direction!

The levels of friendship are varied and complex, tread with caution.

2011-04-05T19:29:00.009-05:00

A wise man once said, "Friends are God's way of apologizing for our family" and when you really think about it the friends that really matter, they are the family that you make. Yes, some people are lucky enough to be friends with their family but sometimes the people that you share DNA with are the most dissimilar to you. I would like to dedicate this post to all the different kind of friends I have had over the years.

We all know that there are levels of friendship; I like to think of it as the friendship pyramid.

Kinda like this but less creepy

The base is made up of acquaintances, friends of friends and people you think look vaguely familiar. Usually the denizens of this level are people that you have met for a few hours and then see them later you don’t know whether to let it be known that you know who they are, in case they think you are crazy or they don’t remember you. These people I like to give them the subtle, ‘what’s up nod’ nothing too formal. It acknowledges that you know each other but you are not inviting them over for tea and crumpets.

technically this doesn't go but it's pretty great

The second level is, school friends, classmates and work friends. These people are their own group mostly because we act a certain way around them.

These people are cool to hang out with from 8-5 Monday through Friday, but inviting them out of this environment can cause problems. Especially if you are in a competitive company or class with them. Many people in this section seem to think that going out with you while not part of class or work is a hidden sign for them to become a covert ninja spy. Who only pretends to be cool until they can use the information that they have learned from you to their advantage. They are the ones that will use the fact that you had a glass of wine with dinner as proof positive that you are an alcoholic and will begin your destruction.

Yes, tell me your weakness...

Level three is the transition phase. I like to think of it as friend limbo. This can be a good friend zone or a bad friend zone. Say that a member of the bottom two tiers has proved their awesomeness and you have deemed them eligible to compete to be in another tier. Then this is a good place for them to be. Or it could be bad. Say someone from the top two tiers has shown how unawesome they are, they can be kicked down to level three while their status is being reevaluated. This is also the only time that the friend pyramid and the love pyramid completely mesh. Members of the love pyramid don’t like coming to this level, mostly because it kicks they out of the other pyramid. If you have every watched the Scrubs episode about the friend zone it greatly explains this transition.

Fourth level is the people that are not your best friends but are still pretty cool. These are the people that know you well enough that you feel you can be more of your self around. However you don’t go full on you around these people. Say you are a really big Pokémon fan, but it’s not something everyone knows. You don’t bust out with the whole Pokémon roster. You pretend you only know the original 150 since that was cool when we were young, and see if anyone else starts naming obscure Pokémon, or whips out their DS. Then you know it is safe. You might also recognize this zone from when you first start dating someone, it’s kind of similar to the beginning of a relationship. There is a great quote that says, “Love comes slowly. The running across a field into someone’s arms comes later in the relationship. Once you’re sure that they won’t laugh if you trip and fall on your face.” Ladies these are the women that you ask to go to the bathroom with you when you are at a party. The relationships you have with close friends greatly resemble love at times. People need to love you to want to hear about your strange neurosis and idiosyncrasies. Typically with this level you still need to have some set ‘plans’ about what you are going to do, rather than just be together.

This comes up when you google being awesome.

The fifth level is for your best friends, siblings and family members that you are really close to. These people have something in common; they love you, even when they hate you. These people know that you are actually vulnerable and cry more than you let on.

These people are there even when you think that there is no one else. They will come and get you when you run out of gas, and they won’t even tell you that you are stupid. They know all about your obsession with Pokémon and they are ok with that. These are the type of people that you feel comfortable lending money to in any situation. They are also the ones that know more about you than even you know.

Snowman revenge = <3

The very tip of the friend pyramid is your Best Friend. This person you can go long times with out talking to but the second you see them it’s like no time has gone past. Ladies if you don’t know whom your very best friend is, since we tend to have 5 best friends. Think about getting married. The guy or why is not really important. Who is the first person that you ask to be a bridesmaid. That is your very best friend. A best friend is someone you can do hang out with and have no plans and you still have fun because you are hanging out together. They can be polar opposites of you but you still get one another. My best friend is very conservative, from a tiny town in South Texas, and totally different from me, but we get along so well despite all of that. If the friendship pyramid corresponded with the food pyramid a best friend would definitely be the refined sugar at the very top.

Tell me about your friends, do you agree with my friendship assessment. Or am I just insane. Let me know in the comments.

-Andrea out.

Youtube

2011-03-30T22:23:00.008-05:00

Normally I would talk about something directly related to Amarillo College, but today I have something different in mind.

Ever watch youtube videos? Or better yet, youtube videos of youtube sensations who have over a million views? Did you know they actually get paid for that kind of stuff?

Yes, up to $300,000 or more a year can be earned for these people.

The fact that they get paid a whole lot is not something I really wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk more about my favorite youtube star Natalie Tran who currently does videos on her youtube channel named communitychannel.

Now, I guess I like this person since my sense my sense of humor is a little odd, but it looks like a million others can say the same thing.

Natalie Tyler Tran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBFemUCm6Io

I remember the first time a watched her videos was in the summer of '09. How it happened, I don't know, because I did not even know of this person. But that accidental stumble across her youtube channel may have been one of the greatest discoveries I've done on the internet.

The topics of her videos all pertain to situations we do in real life. Well, most situations we do in real life, some of her videos are just the weird things she does that she thinks we do also. She enjoys, "your mum" jokes, and makes them all the time.

At the end of her video she always does a response to the comments she got in her last video that she made. It can be very entertaining at times.

I never really watch youtube at all very often, but I will go every once in a while just to see the new videos posted by this person. Sometimes I'll get carried away and watch 20 videos, and each video tends to be around 3 minutes. Which leads to an hour of watching videos.

I'm not into other youtube stars, mainly because I don't know any others, and I'm OK with that.

If there is any videos of youtube starts that you watch out there feel free to write them down in the comment section.

Until next time...

Relax!

2011-03-28T19:54:00.028-05:00

What's wrong with this picture?

Simple. That hammock is empty. I should be right there, right now.

I don't know about you, but lately, I've been kind of feeling like the Little Engine we read about as kids. You know, the one that kept telling herself, "I think I can. I think I can." Eventually, she did, but it was quite the long and tiring process.

It's tough juggling everything that life tosses at us, and if you're anything like me, you always let people throw new things at you without dropping something to keep the show running smoothly. Things can get wobbly...

This blog is simply about staying afloat- keeping your chin up, even when the pressure and stress of everyday life is trying to swallow you up. Trust me, writing this is just as much for me as it is for you.

_________________________________________________________

Adding "no, thank you" to your vocabulary...

It really is okay to pass every now and then. If you are stressing about how you're going to make time for something, it's probably too much.

One of my professors recently gave me this advice:

"Don't just say 'no,'" Jill Gibson told me. "Instead of closing the door completely, see if there is someway to work things out."

Opportunities are everywhere and it can be really tough trying to choose the "right" path. Meeting that fork in the road where I know I have no choice but to choose one way and leave the other makes me sick to my stomach, but it happens.

Mrs. Gibson's advice was exactly what I needed to hear at the time. It really is possible (and wise, especially as a college student) to negotiate some kind of reasonable compromise.

"I would really love to help out, but my education is my priority right now...is there any way I can help out doing _____ or _____ for a while?"

Just saying "no" might burn the bridge, but a gentle and sincere "no, thank you" could be a great favor not only to yourself, but to everyone around you too.

It also always helps me to make a list. Fold a piece of paper hot dog-style down the middle, label one column "Pros" and the other "Cons" and start scribbling away. When I see it on paper, it almost always seems much clearer.

Take a few minutes to make a cup of tea...

...or coffee or to fix yourself your favorite healthy snack.

Tea is my personal favorite. It takes less than five minutes to boil a cup of water and steep some tea and it instantly makes me feel better. It's warm and soothing and the smell is calming. That, or I'm crazy!

Plus, getting up to grab something to drink or munch on gets you away from the computer or book...out of your chair and away from the source of stress. This gives you time to breathe, which is very, very important, in case you didn't know.

Speaking of breathing...

According to my degree plan and transcript, I needed a physical education credit in order to graduate in May. Yoga looked most appealing on the list, so I signed up for a class at the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m. twice a week.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Seriously.

What does this have to do with breathing?

Part of the practice of yoga is relaxing breathing. Deep breaths, in and out through the nose, allowing your lungs to fill completely before slowly letting it all out. It's amazing how relaxing this is in itself.

Add soothing New Age music and the poses and you have yourself the perfect start to your day. (I also enjoy yoga in the evening to calm me down after a rough day.) And guys, you can do yoga too!

Meditation and/or prayer also help with stress. Focus on the positive, because it almost always outweighs the negative...even on really, really rough days.

Remember that "Pros and Cons" hot dog list I talked about before? Try making one for your life.

Take time to remember what really matters...

Staying optimistic can be really tricky sometimes, but it's so worth it.

Answer this...

I'm struggling, just downright in a bad mood and having a lousy day, I'm going to:

A. Mope about it. My life sucks, I'm exhausted and miserable...

B. Pretend that everything is just fine and keep plowing through it.

C. Take a deep breath (yoga breathing!), make a cup of tea (or whatever suits your fancy), and zone in on that light at the end of the tunnel (it's there, I promise!).

"A" is the easiest to do, I can guarantee you that. Sometimes I wish I was five again and could throw myself face-down on the floor, screaming and bawling my eyes out. Really, I do. But I'm 21, so I think that's considered socially unacceptable by now...

Just think of how much time is wasted by focusing on the negative. All of the negative energy eats at you, making you miserable. Smiles may be contagious, but bad moods are pretty catchy, too.

I have to be careful about "B." It's tempting, but then that negativity just eats away at you from the inside. I was called a "volcano" once...not because I'm darn hot sexy, unfortunately. It was because I would bottle things up and eventually lash out at someone undeserving or wear myself out trying to stay calm. I could try to grin and bear it, but it would eventually catch up to me.

"C" is the correct answer, if you didn't figure that out by now. It's not the easiest, but it's the healthiest and the one that will make you feel best in the long run.

Respecting yourself is number one. Go ahead, be selfish. Admitting your only human and facing your weaknesses...concentrating on the positive, fighting through the tough times and bearing in mind that cliché, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

I know this one is lengthy, and I apologize for that. Thank you for bearing with me. As I said before, this one was just as much for me (if not more so) than it was for you.

We're halfway through the semester now...the end of something is in sight.

"I think I can. I think I can."

Word

2011-03-28T00:13:00.003-05:00

Now, I don't know if you were able to tell this about me, but I love books.

I tend to read all the time.

And this semester has been no exception to that.

I've been on the common reader team this year, and I've read a whole lot of books. Which means I have a list to make.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: It took me forever to finally remember the title and not call it, "Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close." This book is by far one of my favorites in general to all the others I have read. The writing just made me want to read more and more. And there were few pages that only had one word on them that made it feel like a page turner, literally and figuratively. Again I don't like to give summaries, just read it, end of story.
Blue Hole Back Home: Just read it.
Touching History: Ever just read a book and have a sudden fear overcome you even though you knew you were perfectly safe? Yeah, just read it.

One book that caught my interest was the "9/11 Report." it's a graphic novel, and in all honesty I have never read one of those before. It was different, and made me see more than my imagination could create in a realistic way. It's something that I had to have a certain mindset when I was reading it. I would have to say it was very appealing to the eye. I never considered reading graphic novels until I read this one.

But on another note, I did read a book for fun, "13 Reasons Why" it made me think about life, and if a book does that then I'm happy.

Oh yeah, and I won't talk much about the Hunger Games Trilogy, but I've read that and have to say, "Just read it."

And to leave you with something to look forward too here's a list of upcoming blogs from me:

Youtube Sensation
R U OK?
Restaurants
AC Honors Rocks!
England!
TJCSGA State Convention

They may or may not come in that order.

But other than all this I do have to say that this semester is going pretty great. The weather is getting warmer, outdoor activities are starting, and classes are almost over. Of course if you're returning to AC like me next year then you're in for a treat since a whole Institution Theme will take place called "Reconstructing 9/11."

Can you believe it has already been 10 years?

I call time out one adulthood

2011-03-24T21:44:00.008-05:00

With spring break sadly behind us, and the rest of the semester and finals left to face, I felt a longing for the way things use to be. I want to officially take back every time I ever said I didn’t want to take a nap in kindergarten. I would like to make amends to all the teachers that I drove crazy when I refused to lay down, by taking a nap every day at school now. It is the only fair thing. I did learn a few years ago that children no longer get naps at kindergarten, which saddens me because when they are adults they will not have fond nap time memories.

This blog post however is not about my love of naps, it’s about nostalgia and things that I remember from being a kid that I wish were applicable to me as an ‘adult’.

Dunkaroos -These were the most delicious snacks in the world. When ever I would open my lunch box at school and see them nestled between my cheetos and my sandwich I would break out in a little dance. Apparently they were discontinued which saddens me to no end. Speaking of school lunches, do you remember the tables in elementary school where the seats are attached to the table and we had to sit boy girl boy girl?

Lunch Boxes-I still have the first lunchbox that I ever got. Actually it looks a lot like this one. I loved this lunchbox. Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers was my favorite cartoon when I was five. The thing I loved most about lunchboxes was that there was a lunch inside of them. There was no thinking involved. When it was lunch time you were going to eat what your mom had made or you traded with the people seated next to you. There were no lunch plans, worrying about where to go, no you went to the cafeteria opened your lunch box and ate. Bringing your lunch is not so much fun when you have to make it.

Notes from your mom- I want this to be taken as a legit reason for me not being in class. Or work for that matter. I know we are all adults and need to be responsible but sometimes I don't want to get out of bed and be an adult. I want my mom to have power in my life for getting me out of things every once in a while. I also wish that the threat of calling someone's mother still had the same effect. I'm sure there would be no war if mom's had the power that they did when we were children.

Toys in meals- I love kids meals, what is not to like about a meal that comes in small portions and includes either crayons, a drawing space or a toy. We need an adult meal. Kind of like a kids meal but with more food and an adult beverage. I loved going out to eat and knowing that there would be something to entertain me while I waited for food.

Toys and Cartoons- Quick! Think of your favorite cartoon. Chances are if you were a child in the 90's like I was then we thought of many of the same cartoons. I remember when Cartoon Network first started and use to have contest that would let kids vote for what would be the newest show they produced. Such wonders as Courage the Cowardly Dog and Cow and Chicken came from that. Or the shows on Nickelodeon, Double Dare, Are You Afraid of The Dark, and Hidden Temple. Hidden Temple was actually my favorite. That giant stone face made me feel all kinds of smart. You can actually watch episodes of Are You Afraid of The Dark on YouTube. The episode about the house next to the lake where the old man can't sleep because he is haunted still scares me to this day. Speaking of toys I think we should all rebel and make it socially acceptable for us to play. Not build or research or study. Just play, go to the park, swing or go on the slide, anything that lets us be free and just enjoy life. Where we can go out in public with our heads held high after a great game of tag or Red Rover.

This is just a short list of things that I miss from my youth. If I had the time (and if people would read it) I would go on for hours. What are some things that you remember from your childhood? Do you also have a fondness for the same things I do? Do you also miss nap time? Tell me in the comments.

Competitive nature

2011-03-24T17:36:00.028-05:00

Ever think humans can be just a little too competitive sometimes? I'm not talking about in the athletic field. That's to be expected. I'm talking about the more bizarre things human nature drives us to devote their lives to being the best at...

List number three is proof that we'll turn just about anything into a contest.

List #3:

Random competitions

1. Creative grooming competitions

What exactly are these things? Poodles. But not

just any kind of poodles- these are living, breathing

art canvas poodles!

Ren Netherland is the only professional photographer allowed to capture the magic that happens at the "creative grooming" competitions that happen annually throughout the U.S. The story linked above from the Daily Mail includes more of Netherland's painted poodle photos and more information on the competitions.

Grand prize for an exceptionally decorated pooch is usually around $1000. Maybe I should adopt some poodles and start practicing...

2. Oh, Finlandia

Finland features wife-carrying contests, cell phone and

rubber boot throwing contests, world sauna championships,

swamp soccer, anthill sitting contests... You name it, the

Finnish probably already have a competition based on it.

Check out this story from the BBC News for more detailed

descriptions of Finland's many unique contests.

3. Sumo Olympics

The Sumo Suit Athletics World Championships

happened in England for the first time in 2008. The

tradition is still going strong with participants from

around the world donning sumo suits every August,

ready to run and jump around for a medal.

The rules? They are posted on the site linked

above, but it's pretty basic stuff... remember your suit

must be foam-filled, not inflated! Also, women are allowed to

wear child-sized suits to make the competition "equal."

Interested in participating? Register right here. Contact information for the Ross

Williams, the brilliant mind behind this event, can be found on the website. On the

website homepage, Williams says this whole gig just "seemed like fun" (and admits that

he was at a pub...) when he came up with the idea.

4. Mountain bike bog snorkeling

Um...what?!

"If you are looking for unique, wacky, and

physically challenging, this even if for you!" the website

says of this interesting contest in Wales...

All you have to do is race your bicycle across a six-foot

deep peat bog and back with a snorkel on your face. Don't

worry, the bikes used have lead-filled frames and water-filled

tires to "ensure grip." Oh, and you'll have to wear a lead weight belt

so you don't drift away. Sounds like tons of fun, right?

And this isn't the only unique event you can find in Wales! Check out

Green Events, Ltd for a full list of events and festivals to participate in. I

like the idea of the Real Ale Ramble...

5. Lookin' for somethin' closer to home?

How about the Summer Redneck Games in East

Dublin, Georgia? The event happens each July and

admission is only $5.

This year's contests include Redneck (toilet seat)

horseshoes, watermelon seed spittin', the armpit

serenade (picture from the website photo gallery),

mudpit belly floppin' and bobbin' for piggy feet.

These are only a few of the outrageous contests I found...but they

were some of my favorites.Would you compete in any of these?

Awesomeness

2011-03-24T16:06:00.007-05:00

I think the thing I love most about school is just being on campus. Being surrounded by the people who share a somewhat common goal can be an experience of great Awesomeness.

I think college is a time for memories to be made, goals to accomplish, and even find love. There is a lot that can happen.

It has been said that the first two years of college is a waste of time, and I disagree with that. These two years or more you spend at Amarillo College is just the beginning of greater things to come, and a lot that you do here can deeply affect what you end up doing later.

But I'm not here to talk about what to do or not do at AC, so I'm going to stop now.

Amarillo College is Awesome, and I think that's all there is to say about that.

On another note I found my book collection of the book series titled A Series of Unfortunate Events.

I will admit that these books are a bit more directed at kids, but I don't really care because it only takes a day to read one of the books so it makes me feel good about myself. And it happens to be a really good story at the same time.

But other than that how was your spring break?

I feel that people tend to always have some interesting stories tell. I wish I could say the same. I didn't do much other than swim and just hang out with some friends, but sometimes that's all I really need to have a great life.

I believe my next blog will be a list. I don't know what kind, but it will be a list nonetheless.

But until then, as my friend Eric likes to say, "shalom!"

Life on Hold

2011-03-10T10:30:00.003-06:00

During the coming week as we all know is Spring Break. And of course it is a time to relax, maybe go somewhere fun and just not think about school work for a whole week. With this in mind I feel like I'm putting my life on hold, which is a good thing, because school has been ruling my life these past couple of months. It'll be the time I get to not worry about anything, not have responsibilities, and not worry about due dates.

Of course, I could just get a jump start and study ahead and be one step up in class, but that never happens. No matter how hard I try to do that.

But yes, spring break will be my time to just let all my worries float away, until they slowly return on that Sunday night right before classes.

If I may ask, what are some of your plans for spring break?

I never seem to do much, but the week always goes by to slow for me. Because I like the feeling of being busy, as if I had an important life to live.

I always use this week to reevaluate my priorities in life. I feel with everything going on I never have time to just be myself and do the things I love, like read a good book, or just play video games until the middle of the night.

I mean, I'm not trying to come off lazy, but I feel if we never have "me time" then how can we make time to have with others. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with my friends every time I get. I just feel some times I have to just be alone, but it always seems when I don't want to be alone that I have nobody to hang out with. But I think that will be the biggest problem I face this spring break. Which is better than having to face tests, and research papers.

I like to keep things simple.

In my Honors Seminar class I recently learned about handling my goals and other things in life. And the part I like the most was keeping goals simple. Because accomplishing one thing leads to the motivation of accomplishing another and then another to where you've just accomplished one big thing.

Focusing on one big goal gives the feeling it may never be accomplished, because some goals can last years and years.

By keeping my goals simple I've learned that procrastination can be avoided.

And to tell you the truth... I'm a lot happier with the way I do my school work.

List #2: Spring Break in Amarillo

2011-03-07T16:18:00.003-06:00

Spring break is only a week away. I am in desperate need of some downtime and can't wait.

If you're like me, however, you're not going to be attending any wild beach parties over the break. Thanks to work and an effort to be financially responsible, I'm staying right here in Amarillo.

At this point, I am honestly just thinking about catching up on sleep and reading a good book or two, but for fun's sake, I thought I would make list number two all about ways to make spring break in the Texas Panhandle more interesting.

So here is your spring break itinerary:

Day #1

If the wind is willing to stay calm long enough, grab a few cans of spray paint and head out to the Cadillac Ranch on I-40 West past Soncy. Take some friends, family or your significant other and have fun decorating the old cars planted in the ground. It's a fun opportunity to snap some photos too.

How about some putt-putt or go carts in the afternoon? When was the last time you really just let loose and let your inner kid out? You know you want to!

Sports World off of I-27 and Hollywood has a nice outdoor mini golf course and a go cart track. They also have batting cages and other fun stuff to keep you busy. Wonderland Amusement Park also has a mini golf course. Getting too windy out? Check out Lights Off Golf inside Westgate Mall.

End the day with some ice cream. Doesn't get much better than Braum's, in my opinion, but two new frozen yogurt places (Frazzleberry and Just Chillin') recently opened and Amarillo also has a Marble Slab and Coldstone Creamery.

Day #2

The Don Harrington Discovery Center at Medi Park is featuring a robotic dinosaur exhibit this month. Student discounts are offered. Visit their website for a list of other events they have going on.

Medi Park is a beautiful place to enjoy a picnic and feed some hungry ducks too! The Amarillo Botanical Gardens also are located nearby.

Day #3

Pack up a picnic, load up the bikes and head down to Palo Duro Canyon where a full day of fun will only cost $5 per person (12 and under are free). Beginner or advanced rider, the Canyon has a trail perfect for you. Not a rider? The trails are also equine and hiker-friendly.

Don't forget your sunscreen and plenty of water!

Day #4

Make today a museum day.

The American Quarter Horse Association Museum and Hall of Fame is located at I-40 East and Nelson.
The Panhandle Plains Historical Museum is on the WTAMU campus in Canyon.
The Amarillo Museum of Art is on the Amarillo College Washington Street Campus.
The art galleries at the Sunset Center are tons of fun to explore.
I have not been to either of these, but the Amarillo Railroad Museum and Kwahadi Dancers Museum might be fun to check out, too.

Day #5

Take a little time to support the Amarillo Zoo. There is no entrance fee, but donations are welcome (and I strongly encourage you to support our local zoo so it can continue to grow).

You might also take today to visit the Route 66 historic district (take Georgia Street north to Sixth). There are some fun little antique shops and you'll need lunch so grab a burger at the Goldenlight. The 806 (best coffee shop in town) is also on this block.

The Tascosa Drive-In reopened this month, so you might check out what movies are on their screen tonight.

Just a few ideas! :)

A thank you to teachers

2011-03-06T20:29:00.002-06:00

I want to tell you all a story about how I became who I am.

I remember being 12 years old sitting in class reading a book. The teacher pointed me out and said, “why aren’t you doing your homework?” I answered him by saying it’s already done. He praised me in front of the class, saying she will go far, that was the first time I remember being embarrassed for being praised.
I remember being 13, a freshman in high school and the teacher I looked up to so much telling me I could do so much better. Why was I selling myself short? For the first time I was ashamed for doing just enough to get by.
I remember being 17 and having the only teacher that challenged me that semester praise my poem, when everything else I had worked so hard on had been merely ok.
I remember being 20 and having my advisor tell me I would never be a doctor, why was I even trying.
I remember my teacher’s only goal for class was not to challenge us to teach us something new or to expand our horizons, it was to make me cry. To make me feel so small and stupid so that I felt like I could never succeed. I remember giving up. I remember telling myself that they were right and I couldn’t do this anymore.
I remember being 22 and finally knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up. I remember being confident in the things I had been taught and the way I had been raised and knowing that I would succeed.
I remember late nights filled with anxious fidgeting and gallons of caffeine, blood shot eyes and fingers cramped from typing. I remember skipping one class to finish a project for another, and sleeping through a third. Draped over textbooks and manuals in a library.

Every teacher I have ever had has affected my life in some way shape or form. Some for the better and some for the worse. Regardless these people have shaped who I have become. I know that this is a small compensation for all that they have given me but I want to say thank you to everyone who has taught me anything during my life. I hope one day to inspire someone half as much as you all have inspired me.

Novels, Stories, and Pages with Words.

2011-03-05T21:46:00.003-06:00

The thing you're doing right now, right this instant, is... reading.

How did I know that? Well... it kind of makes sense doesn't it?

But yes, we all do it. And if you're like me, you try to read a book a least once a month, and on vacation at least once a week... or less.

I never was much of a reader. Not until I got to college that I decided that I would try to read a book for fun as often as I can.

And the outcome?

I've read at least 40 books since the summer of '09. Which seems kind of a short amount when you think about it, but it's more than the amount I've read in my life before that: 3. Ok... I may be exaggerating a little bit, but I am excluding all those Dr. Seuss books from the list.

So for now, I'm going to talk about books I've read.
I will also not provide pictures of them because as they say, "don't judge a book by it's cover."

Books:

Little Bee: This book makes me happy. I cannot go much into detail, but I always enjoy a book that makes me feel good afterward. Although it does have sad parts, it also leaves me thinking about life, and that always makes me feel like it was an amazing read. The story is very simple, yet complicated on every page. I'd give a summary of the book on here, but that can be easily found just by typing the title of the book into Google.
Will Grayson Will Grayson: I'm always a sucker for high school stories, mainly because those were the best years of my life. OK, I lie, but reading stories about high school makes me imagine how my life could have been. And that is kind of what this books does. I read it in a day because I didn't want to put down. It didn't even have parts where I thought to myself that I really want to find out what happens next. It was just nice to see the story unfold of two teenagers, who's names happen to be Will Grayson.
South of Broad: This is my final book to talk about, although I could go on. This is probably the first book I read that felt too much of an adult novel. But the language was beautiful and the story unfolded perfectly. I love reading a book with a lot of moments that I don't want to accept what happened, but I have to, and keep on reading. This book did that quite a few times. It was worth every minute I spent reading.

Books seem to give me something to when nothing else seems fun.
And I always feel smarter afterward.

But I love to here recommendations on what you have loved to read.

But no Harry Potter, or Twilight. I don't live under a rock, so I've heard about those already.

Kinds of students

2011-03-04T13:45:00.009-06:00

Did you miss me?

I know it's been a little while since my last post and I apologize for that. This past week got a little out of control, but I survived. (Aren't you all thrilled?!)

A very kind woman named Carol contacted me early last week through my school e-mail. She works with Onlinecollege.org and made me aware of their blog, which is actually very interesting.

Most recently, they posted about the world's most historic colleges. I found some fun posts like Awesome Electives Off the Beaten Path and 10 All-Time Funniest SNL College Skits. They also have some really helpful posts on topics like boosting your grades and handling college expenses.

I enjoyed what I read and I definitely recommend them to all of my fellow college students.

One thing I noticed is that every one of their blogs that I stumbled upon was set up like a list. "Best of" this and "Top 10" that. It inspired me to make my own little series of lists.

My next few blog posts will be lists of things that pertain specifically to life on an Amarillo College campus. I already have a few ideas, but I'm up for suggestions if there are any lists in particular that you want to see.

And today's list is going to be... (drum roll...)

Nine Kinds of Students

1. The curve-killer kind. I really try not to rely on curves to pass me, but those extra points sure are nice. Of course, a class wouldn't be complete without that one over-achiever who aces everything and completely kills the possibility of a curve for everyone else. I would suggest that you do your less-perfect classmates a huge favor and intentionally miss a few questions so we can all get a little boost, but that would make me selfish. If you're willing to make the sacrifice, however...

2. The never shuts up kind. Even the teacher looks like he/she wants to kill this student. Whether this student is asking stupid questions (forget what your mom told you when you were five, stupid questions do exist), acting like the class is their personal audition to be a stand-up comedian, or just blabbing endlessly about something no one cares about...this has got to be the most obnoxious student out there. Just shut up, please.

3. The slacker kind. In other words, the kind I'm always fortunate enough to have in my group for that big project that's due at the end of the semester and makes up 80 percent of the final grade. This student is either going to never show up for anything or show up just to waste up space. This student is either going to stick it out to mooch off of the A that the rest of the group busted their butts to get or actually be semi-considerate and bail out completely. If you are this student, save everyone else the anger and frustration and drop the class.

4. The fashionably late kind. If 9 a.m. is printed on the class schedule, the instructor is in the middle of lecture and the class is full when you show up...the class probably started at 9 a.m. I'm not talking about the student who comes in within five minutes of class starting- everyone is guilty of that now and then. I'm talking about that one student that casually rolls in 30 minutes late on a regular basis and seems totally oblivious to the fact that they are disruptive. They come in, set their stuff down, make sure the instructor knows that they have arrived... Ever notice that this student is usually sipping on a cup of coffee or eating their breakfast? What's even better is when they set their stuff down, sit for a few minutes, then get up and leave again to go grab a drink from the vending machine. Really, people?

5. The kind you want to be best friends with. They are always there. They seem to take great notes and they have pretty good grades. This person might be a good contact in case you have to miss class. Don't take advantage of this person, though. Be willing to return the favor.

6. The pretty kind that tries really, really hard to sound intelligent.

This may be extreme, but you know the kind I'm talking about. They twirl their hair. "Um," "like" and "whatever" seem to be the only things that can come out of their pretty little mouths. I'm pretty sure they really think that college is the way it is portrayed in Hollywood films. They have a really tough time walking across campus in their cute little stilettos and the Amarillo wind doesn't settle well with their hair-dos. Sorry, ladies. Looks may matter, but you really need a functional brain, too.

7. The "I'm an honor student, yet still completely stupid" kind. Ever noticed how the ones that are supposed to be the most intelligent of us all are really the ones that don't have an ounce of common sense in their bodies? One recent encounter was a student who was seriously baffled by the fact that odd-numbered classrooms are on one side of the hallway while the even-numbered ones were on the other. Sigh.

8. The kind that wears their pajamas to class. I honestly don't even know what to say about this. It's so cute that you are in your twenties and still own pink fuzzy Tinker Bell pajama pants (I do too), but could you seriously not find something else to wear? Anything. Ever heard about dressing to impress? Yeah, well college would be a great place to do that. Not saying to wear a suit and tie or a business skirt and blouse...just dress like a human being, for crying out loud.

9. The quiet kind. You never even know they're there. They show up to class, take care of business and carry on. It's kind of nice.

What kind of student are you?

Advantages

2011-03-02T21:52:00.005-06:00

This being my second year here at AC I feel that I've done more than I could ever have expected. And no, it's not because I took a bunch of classes through out the semester and even in the summer. What I mean is that I've done everything possible on campus that I feel my free time let me accomplish.

I hope by reading this I inspire you as well to get involved on campus.

If not, just take a look at the banner below. I got first hand experience in the process of choosing this person for this years distinguished lecture.

Now, I'm not trying to "show off," because I detest that quality in myself.

But what I want to say is that there is a heck of a lot to do at Amarillo College. And the best part about it is that all the awesome stuff finds you.

When I started AC my whole mindset was to go to class and go straight home to take that daily nap I always looked forward to.

Then I met Heather Atchley.

Dun...Dunn....Dunnn.

Well, she wasn't the only one I met. It was the whole Student Government Association, but she is the adviser, so you got to know her whether you liked it or not. This organization took me in in a way and didn't let go. I helped out with events, and learned there is more to Amarillo College than just classes.

I slowly began to have a reason to come to AC on my own free will as opposed to coming because I didn't want to waste the money I had already paid for classes.

I met great people, and if you read my last blog you got to hear about some of those people.

I could go on explaining the whole process on how I got to where I am now, but that would probably take up a hundred pages or more, so I'll leave that for when I write a novel.

But to end on a positive note, I can honestly say that I am happy with what my college experience became, and it's still not over.

I can walk around campus and almost know everyone I see, at least faculty wise.

Life is great!

I'm not saying you have to get involved, because many of us live very busy lives. But if you happen to have the free time, join an organization, stick with it, and have fun. You only get to do this once.

Freedom of Speech doesn't give people the right to be A-holes

2011-03-02T10:50:00.002-06:00

Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church. Saying that the First Amendment gives this church the right to protest at soldiers’ funerals. The SCOTUS ruling also reversed a five million dollar judgment given to the father of Matthew Snyder, a marine whose death was protested by the church members.

I am all for the first amendment, it is a right that many other people in the world don’t have. In the United States no one is going to stop us if we say something bad about the president or the legislature or anything about the government. The press is allowed to report what ever the news is, the government does not control them. There are talk radio shows geared directly to either conservatives or liberals that tailor their coverage to what their audience wants to hear.

The first amendment should not extend to protesting a soldier’s funeral. I am very liberal in my political beliefs, I think that George W. Bush was an idiot and we had no right to invade Iraq or Afghanistan. However, it is a tragedy when ever any soldier dies and while our beliefs might not be similar I would never insult them or their families by holding up a sign saying that their loved one is in hell because the US is tolerant of homosexuals.

Which is precisely what the members of Westboro claim, that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are all due to the US’ tolerance of homosexuals. They claim that God is mad at this country for being tolerant of another person’s way of life. Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indian, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Wiccan, Straight or Gay regardless of classification we are all human.

The freedom of speech might protect their right to believe and say what ever they want, but their so-called beliefs should stop them from judging another and damning them to hell. I might not be a super religious person, but what I remember from the bible is “Love thy neighbor, as I have loved you”. I have already had this fight with the super religious and I know that you can find a quote in the bible saying how being gay is a sin. I also know if you look in the bible you can find quotes that defend racism that demean women and every subject in between.

The bible was never meant to be the only absolute truth in the world. It is a road map if you are Christian that is influenced and expanded upon by preachers. This is the 21st century. You would think that we would have stopped being scared of things we didn’t understand a long time ago. And yet it is groups like Westboro and others of that ilk that hold us back.
Whether are beliefs are similar or different can we at least agree to be decent to one another. I know it’s a new and terrifying idea to accept people as they are, but how about we give it a try. Let tolerance and reasonableness dictate our actions instead of crazy antiquated beliefs.

Friends

2011-02-25T19:09:00.015-06:00

We all have them. Some have more than others. But I'd say they are what make life worth living. What are they?

Friends!

If you didn't get that from the title. Then there you go, I was talking about friends.

I, like most people, have friends that surround me through my days at AC, my nights out, and just about wherever I happen to be.

The people you see here are just a few of whom I spend my time on Earth with. Whether it's going to the movies, going bowling, or just hanging out. I can always count on them to be there for me. But that's enough of the generic stuff I'm sure you've always heard about people and their friends.

It seems like there's always a friend of mine around the corner. Especially since the school year started, I seem to have met a lot of people I don't ever want to lose contact with.

Now it's time for a story, if you're interested that is.
You see...
There's this dude named Bryce Robertson, last spring semester I never talked to the guy. I knew who he was because he's the brother of a friend of mine and I had him in a class, but other than that I never really expected to ever talk to him. Ever!
Over the summer he became a part of the Student Government Association as their Treasurer, and I was their Parliamentarian, but still, I never talked to him very much over the summer even during our weekly SGA meetings.
Then school started in the fall, and it turned out we had all our classes together. So I was kind of forced to see him everyday.
Again, I'm not the best at starting a conversation or talking for that matter.
But since we had our classes together, and were part of the same student organization we saw a lot of each other and eventually became friends.

If someone would have came up to me last spring semester and asked me that we would have been buds and hang out all the time, I probably wouldn't have believed it.

Point of the story?

That you never really know where you're gonna find a friend.
So the next time you're sitting in class next to someone you don't know, go ahead and say hi to them. Because it could easily be the funniest person you'll ever meet.

I'm sure the people I'm friends with aren't the only awesome people here at Amarillo College.

SO GO FIND THEM!

All my best ideas come undercover of darkness, on the feet of awesome ninjas

2011-02-22T23:18:00.004-06:00

What makes you feel most productive? I think it differs from person to person, but I know that everyone has something that pumps them up and gives them inspiration and the desire to do something else. I always seem to find mine in sleep depravation. Which sounds strange I know but it works for me. For some weird reason I seem to think that I get the best ideas at three am. Why three am and not say midnight or one, I don’t really know. I think once my brain knows that there is only a slim possibility for rest it starts cranking out half formed ideas and convincing me that they are in fact amazing.

I bet an editor thought this was a great idea at 3 am

Let me give you an example, the other night I was up late texting a friend, I said something sarcastic but sadly sarcasm just doesn’t come across the same in text as it does out loud. I then thought there should be a button on the phone keyboard that causes text to switch to a sarcasm font. There is predictive text and T9, just to help us type what we want to say. But there is no help button for tone, and there is only so far that the exclamation point can convey. Intense amounts of excitement, contempt, anger or confusion can’t be properly sent via text.
“OMG I will eat your soul!!!” Much more powerful with the picture, right.

So at three in the morning I started planning on how to patent this wonderful idea and become a gazillionaire, but unfortunately the master plans I thought I had drawn out where actually just some random letters on an old receipt I found in my purse.

Damn you bad penmanship, I could be doing this right now

I have noticed that at three am I seem to be confused about how talented I am. For some reason I keep convincing myself that I do in fact have an untapped vein of musical talent and the world is just dying to hear me sing. I don’t, and they don’t. I have never actually managed to remember how to read music, even after multiple lessons and different instructors. I have a horrible ear for pitch and I can’t stay in tune. But that doesn’t stop my sleep deprived mind from thinking it’s a good idea. I mean if Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus, and Macy Gray can get recording contracts why can’t I.

Although I have had some pretty great eureka moments at three in the morning. Like how to extend my research paper an extra page, or remembering where my sunglasses are. This idea actually came to me in the wee hours of the morning. Along with an idea how to make cotton candy sandwiches (they would be delicious), why pancakes really do taste best at any time that is not breakfast and how to create a analytical reasoning problem about my love of cheetos. What gets you motivated to do things? When do you have the best ideas?

Stop And Smell The Roses

2011-02-22T19:57:00.007-06:00

Has anyone ever told you in your life to, "stop and smell the roses."
Well... that's not exactly my point for this blog, but there is a point though. It's full of point actually.
But instead in this situation I want you to, "stop and read the posters."

*I feel the need to put things in quotation marks because I feel it gets the point across more*

But back to the point.
If you ever find yourself walking around Amarillo College, because you know, that's where our classes are at. Then I'm sure you've seen a poster or two, or three around.
Those posters actually have a lot of work that go into them, and deserve to be noticed.
So go ahead and, "stop and read the posters."

I personally know two of the people who do most of that advertising design work that seems to be oh so pleasing to the eye.

So sit back and relax, and let's get to know these girls!

Berkley Washburn

Graphic Design Major
SGA: Publicity Chair
ADDY Award Winner
Extremely Talented

Berkley Washburn is the one in charge of all the Publicity for the Student Government Association here at AC. So any event that is hosted by this organization will be told to her so she can make a flyer for SGA to get the word out.

I've known Berkley for a while now, and I can honestly tell you that she enjoys doing this. Not only is she a great friend, but she'll surprise you with the ideas that crawl around in her head.

Gabrielle Green

Graphic Design Major
Student Worker as a Poster Girl
ADDY Award Winner

If you've ever been down in the basement of the CUB, then I'm sure you've seen this lovely young lady working at the front desk down there.
But she's not the one who does all the office work behind that desk, although she may help out with that.
But her job consists of making posters for organizations at AC that needs one done. These posters are famously seen on the big yellow boards around campus, and are done professionally on the computer.

On a side note, Berkley Washburn used to have this job, and was awesome at it too!

I could go in depth about these great gals in more detail, but by now I've either lost you, bored you, or entertained you.

And for those I've entertained, I apologize, because I'm ending here.

Oh and on a totally unrelated subject, the word "Tomorrow" is not spelled "Tomarrow."
I've seen that mistake a lot lately.

That is all.

Feel-good tunes

2011-02-20T19:10:00.021-06:00

You've had a rough day. You're stressed, worried, exhausted, irritable...just downright in a bad mood. But you don't really want to be in a bad mood, do you?

Trust me, I know just as well as anyone else that life can really wear on you sometimes. There are days when things just get to me. I guess it's just part of this "being human" thing.

So how do you "fix" your mood?

You know your family/spouse/roommate doesn't want to deal with grouchy you when you walk in the door at the end of a long day, and all you really want to do is go home, relax and enjoy yourself.

Try listening to some upbeat, feel-good, can't-help-but-sing-along-and-dance music as you drive home.

Maybe I belong in an asylum, but there are some songs that never fail to put me in a better mood. It starts with drumming on the steering wheel, then I start humming...

By the time I pull into the garage I'm belting it out, dancing away and having the time of my life.

Here are my top five feel-good tunes. Some of these are extremely silly, even downright ridiculous. I do realize that. But they are my cure for the grouchies or when I feel a little down.

1. "Alive" - Meat Loaf

Laugh all you want, but how can you not want to sing along to Meat Loaf? "Bat Out of Hell" and "Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)" are also great.

2. "Sweet Dreams are Made of These" - Eurythmics

Not the most upbeat number ever, but everyone knows the lyrics, making it way too easy to sing along with. Oh, and maybe show off your robot moves?

3. "Crocodile Rock" - Elton John

4. "Contagious" - Y & T

Hair metal never fails.

5. "Rock the Night" - Europe

Does music affect your mood?

I encourage you to put together your own feel-good playlist. Just give it a shot. See if it cheers you up. You can even steal a few of my tunes, if you want.

Let me know what you think!

Little things are important too

2011-02-16T11:47:00.005-06:00

Class, work, studying, class, work, studying, class, work, studying. A routine most of us know all too well. Now that the semester is in full swing and mid terms are fast approaching it seems as if we’ll be in school forever. That the only thing we have to look forward to is the end of the semester and, hopefully graduation. Graduation, for most of us means applying to get into another school so we can repeat the cycle all over again. And if you want to be a lawyer or a doctor or any other kind of professional it means that you are far from being done with school.

Here’s the thing though, even though you and I will be spending the next foreseeable future trying to do everything and succeed at it all, there are still good things that happen every day. It could be something big or it could be something so small. Regardless, good things in our lives tend to brighten our outlook and make each day more bearable.

Think about it, your significant other, surprise you at the end of a long stressful day with something considerate that they have done. It can be something big like a home cooked meal, or a foot massage. Or it could be something small, like remembering to throw their dirty clothes in the hamper, or emptying the dishwasher. Things like this don’t seem all that great compared to others but every little thing on a bad day can help.

Even if you are not in a relationship, small things that really shouldn’t change your outlook on life can end up being something that you remember your whole life. I remember last semester I was so busy, working on projects and going to class and working two jobs I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. Then one of my teachers decided that we all looked too stressed and cancelled class. I then found out that I have confused the dates for one of my projects and it wasn’t due for another week. Separately these two events were pretty good. But together they totally made my day and it gave me that extra push to get things done.

We tend to take things for granted. Little kindnesses get ignore or forgotten all too quickly. If something as small as finding your favorite kind of juice at the store doesn’t help to brighten your day then monumental events like getting a diamond necklace won’t mean as much. If you can’t get excited about little things than it takes bigger and bigger things to excite you.

So take today as an opportunity, remember one little thing that made you happy and appreciate it for what it is. I found a Mario wallet today, what did you find?

Banning a breed

2011-02-15T23:13:00.006-06:00

We've all seen it on the news, heard it on the radio or read it online or in a newspaper- counties, cities and even entire states nationwide pushing for pit bull bans.

Some have already succeeded.

Denver, Colorado passed their ban in 1989 and it still stands, despite numerous battles over the past twenty years in favor of the breed.
The state of Ohio declared pit bulls "vicious" and requires owners to carry $100,000 in liability insurance. Pit bull owners in Ohio must also keep their pups securely constrained while they're at home and leashed up when they're not.
Pit bulls in San Fransisco, California can stick around, but they are the target of strict spay and neuter laws. No fertile pits allowed.
On January 1, 2005, the breed was banned from Council Bluffs, Iowa, population 60,000. About 500 U.S. cities followed suit after seeing how "effective" the ban was when not a single pit bull remained in the town only three years later.

For more details and a list of other pit bull ordinances, check out www.dogsbite.org.

Okay, so being a little more strict about getting pets "fixed" is a pretty good idea, but that goes for all breeds, cats and dogs.

According to ASPCA, five to seven million companion animals enter shelters annually and another three to four million are euthanized (killed...). If that didn't tug at a heart string, you're not allowed to read my blogs any more.

So, San Fran isn't terribly off-track...but what about all those other places?

The ASPCA website also features a page on pit bull cruelty, focusing on the use of pit bulls in illegal dog fights and the sad consequence of the breed's appeal to the "worst kind of dog owners."

Pet Pit Bull is a site that focuses on giving pit bulls positive press as opposed to the negative "these dogs are cold-blooded killers" la-dee-da everyone else insists on throwing out there. Stories of pit bulls that serve as search, rescue and therapy dogs and some downright feel-good, "hometown hero" kind of stories also can be found.

So what's your opinion?

I won't bore you too terribly long with mine. I'll just say that I agree 100% with this statement that can be found on the legislation page of the Pet Pit Bull site:

"Banning Pit Bulls would be like banning cars because people get killed in car accidents! Who's responsible, the car or the driver/manufacturer? Any car can be deadly in the wrong hands or if built with defective parts. Same thing with dogs... Any dog. Pit Bulls are no more responsible for the way they are bred, raised and trained, than cars are responsible for the way they are designed, built and driven."

The Asia Project

2011-02-10T20:48:00.005-06:00

Before I say much there's a few things you have to do.

Click on this website link http://www.theasiaproject.com/main.html (or you may have to copy and paste it to your browser).
Click on the word "Gallery."
Click on "Video"
Then just watch a couple of the videos or all of them if you prefer.

Now, if you like what you saw I encourage you to keep on reading.

You see, I saw some of this poetry when I was in Houston a couple of months back. It was really good. And now, if you've been reading the posters around campus you know that The Asia Project will be here for a joint event Amarillo College is having with WT that will take place at the Party Barn at 7PM this Monday.

They are really great to hear live. And if you happen to have someone special in your life they would for sure appreciate you taking them to this event.

There will also be another slam poet Fire and Rain.

I've never been a big fan of slam poetry, mainly because I never really listen to any of it. But from what I've heard from these slam poets I really enjoy it a lot.

It's going to be a great night if you happen to make it out there on Monday. You won't regret it, but I'll let you be the judge.

There's not much more I can say about this subject other than if you didn't check the website out of The Asia Project, then do it now, or just be surprised on Monday.

Snow day

2011-02-09T13:13:00.009-06:00

Welcome to my fellow bloggers! You both introduced yourselves, so I now feel obligated to do the same...and there's no better time to do that than on a snow day.

I'm trapped in my house with a little bit of free time on my hands, so here goes...

The best way I can think of to do this is just give you a bullet list of facts about me. We'll start with the basics:

My name is Brittney (in case you forgot). Most people just call me Britt.
I'm an Amarillo native.
I'm 21 years old.
I spent four semesters at WT as a music education major on a string quartet scholarship prior to my time here at AC.
This is my third semester at AC. Semester one was spent as a business major (bad, bad choice...sounded practical at the time, but my cumulative GPA is still aching because of that one semester).
Journalism is now my major. I plan to graduate in May, then I'm off to WT (again...).
I was a page editor for the AC Ranger last year. I still write for the Ranger.
I freelance for the Amarillo Globe-News.
I'm a violinist and a pianist. I give lessons on both instruments. I'm also concertmaster for the Amarillo Little Theatre. I play random gigs here and there to make a few extra bucks. Ah, the life of a musician.

Okay, there may be stuff I'm leaving out...but who cares? Moving on the the fun stuff, now:

Aside from being a professional musician, I really, truly love the world of music. I love going to shows and I'm almost always listening to music.
My Pandora radio stations range from Y & T ('80s hair metal) to Frank Sinatra to New Age instrumental to Hans Zimmer (phenomenal soundtrack composer) to broadway musicals to Dave Matthews. You name it. I'm very open-minded when it comes to music. What I listen to is usually determined by my mood.
I love food. Who doesn't? But I really, really love food. I grew up in a household where a homemade meal was placed on the table almost every single evening. My parents are both extremely talented and adventurous cooks. Thank you, mom & dad.
There are few foods that I dislike, but meatloaf is definitely a big one. Meatloaf. Gross.
I enjoy reading in my free time. I'll read pretty much anything...mystery, history, classics, horror, fiction or non. As long as it has an intriguing story line and is well-written, I'll read it.
I recently bought myself a Kindle. Best investment ever.
One of my biggest pet peeves is improper grammar. Speak properly, people. Texans: one negative per sentence, please. I don't go around correcting people's grammar, but I cringe internally when I hear or read things that just aren't right.
Fly-fishing is my favorite hobby.
I love the mountains and camping.
I hate it when people trash Mother Earth. Don't litter. Don't throw your cigarette butts on the ground. Find a trashcan. Not that difficult.
I love animals.
My boyfriend is a manager for GameStop and a pretty serious gamer himself. I'm not great at video games, but I'll play with him from time to time. I love Little Big Planet (the first and second ones). Galaga will always be my favorite game.
Steven (the boyfriend) actually talked me into creating a character on an MMO once. Allow me to nerd-out for a minute- in Aion, I made it all the way to level 42 on my cleric. I could not get into World of Warcraft, but did make a druid to try it out.
I love coffee and hot tea.

Now you can see that I'm just like you. We might not share the same interests, but we're all just people who like something, dislike others.

As usual, I love reading your comments, so post away!

Introduction

2011-02-09T00:49:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself since everyone else has. My name is Andrea Godoy and I am the other, other AC Blogger. Y’all will get to know me a little bit more as the semester goes on but I thought I would let you know a few things that might not otherwise be known.
I was actually born in Houston TX and moved to Amarillo when I was five. Which, when you think about it is like living here all my life. On an interesting note I have lived here for almost twenty years, I still get Bell and Coulter confused. No idea why really I just do.
I just graduated from WT with a bachelor’s last December, I’m actually hoping to apply and be accepted to law school for this fall. This will be my fourth or fifth semester at AC, I might have lost count. For the last two years I have been part of the AC Ranger, and the AC Current. Even though I decided to study law I actually came to AC with no idea what I wanted to be when I ‘grew up’. I had been pre-med before coming here and I knew I didn’t want to do that anymore, so I picked two things that interested me. Law and journalism, and I took an intro class in each one. For me, making the decision to take a step back and look at the bigger picture instead of rushing to graduate with a degree in a field I would hate was the best decision I could have made.

Ultimately I chose law, or law chose me, but I came to love journalism even more.

Other than that I guess there are a few random things you all might enjoy knowing:

Out of all the bloggers for this semester I am the only one who has not worn the badger costume (something that saddens me immensely)

I want to write a book one day, what kind of book I don’t know. The reason I want to write a book is because of my name and the organizational system of most libraries. On the spine of fiction books the author’s name is shortened to the first letter of the author’s first name and the first three letters of their last name. My abbreviation would be A. God. How awesome would that be.

When I’m stressed I like to cook. Which means that during midterms and finals there is always something to eat.

I honestly believe that Dutton Hall is haunted (more on this later).

I love action movies more than any other genre of film.

And last but not least,

I have an intense fear and mistrust towards things that have more than two eyes or four legs.

Here’s to an interesting semester

-Andrea

Sharing the love

2011-02-08T22:21:00.025-06:00

Looking out of my window, all I can see is a thick, white sheet of snow. Not pretty snowflakes peacefully drifting to the ground. No. Miserable, angry Amarillo-style snow.

According to Weather Underground, it is actually 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit outside right now, but it feels like -18 degrees when you factor in the wind chill. Unbearably cold is unbearably cold, right?

So what am I doing? Sipping on some hot tea, typing up this blog post (which will be my shabby tribute to the upcoming holiday), and desperately waiting for some kind of notification telling me that I don't have to be on campus at 7:30 in the morning.

*************************************************************************************

Valentine's Day is Monday. Are you ready?

For no justifiable reason, I've never been a big fan of Feb. 14.

Valentine's Day has always been kind to me, though.

Growing up, my parents always gave Ashley (my younger sister) and me cute cards telling us how much they loved us. We also received those little boxes of Sweetheart candies that said cheesy things like "Be Mine" and "Hug Me"- you know the ones.

My grandparents always gave us big boxes of gooey, chocolaty,

caramel- and pecan-filled Russell Stover Turtles (yum!).

There were those Valentine's Day parties at school. We would pick out boxes of Valentines, usually the ones with our favorite Disney characters or something of the sort.

Even as a teenager and in those first couple years of dealing with boys around this time of year weren't unpleasant, by any means.

I always got precisely what any girl would expect: a fluffy stuffed animal (usually a teddy bear), a box of chocolates, maybe a few roses (if he really liked me), and/or a card with something ridiculously corny printed in it and a sloppy signature following.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe that's one reason I'm not particularly fond of this holiday.

Granted, last Valentine's Day my wonderful boyfriend gave me a beautiful James Avery necklace with a peace sign charm (which I wear nearly every day).

To those of you who just grab the stuffed bear, box of chocolates and a corny card off the shelf at Walgreens- consider trying something different this year:

Handwrite a letter or list of your loved one's qualities that you most adore or get crafty and make a homemade valentine.
Life is hectic, so just set aside a couple of hours to enjoy each other's company. Cook dinner together, play a board game, or share a bowl of ice cream and Netflix your favorite TV show (or pop in the DVDs if your favorite is Seinfeld).

Another annoyance- people always hype up this holiday to be about romantic relationships, but some of my dearest Valentine's memories involve my family and friends. Am I alone on this?

Sure, take advantage of having a special day set aside to pamper and spoil your significant other, but don't forget about everyone else near and dear to you.

Call mom and tell her you love and appreciate her.
Let your sibling(s) know that you care.
Wish your true friends a happy day and let them know they mean a lot to you.
Relive those grade-school days and buy a box of fun cartoon Valentines to hand out to friends, family, coworkers and even classmates.

Finally, be appreciative (ahem... ladies).

A girl actually complained to me today about how a "secret admirer" sent her a dozen roses last year while her boyfriend "only" gave her a homemade card.

In my humble opinion, a homemade card is far more heartfelt and thoughtful than $50 dropped on a bunch of flowers that are doomed to die. Try to be slightly less materialistic and open your eyes to what really matters...

Keep warm and be safe and good luck preparing for Valentine's Day!

If you have any great Feb. 14 ideas or stories you would like to share, please do so. I enjoy getting feedback from my readers!

Yet Another Blogger

2011-02-08T19:14:00.004-06:00

Hoz Fierro, yeah... that's my name.

I guess the whole logical thing to do here is to say something about myself, or something of the sort.
I usually try to sound smarter than I am, and that's probably my biggest goal whilst doing this blog.
Get it? I used "whilst" instead of "while," I at least think that makes me sound smart, but probably not.
Now let's get into talking about something actually important: Me. Again, I joke. Amarillo College is more important.
But I will be telling you a few things about myself, like how I'm just a small town kid born and raised here in good ole' Amarillo, and that's all you need to know.
Of course, you'll learn more as time goes by.

Now, that thing to left is nothing to fear. It's actually me in the Badger suit! I actually think I look more attractive with the suit on, but that's a personal matter.
The badger is a pretty cool animal though.
As my friend Eric Ross likes to say, "...it's a very fierce creature."
I'm sure I'll be making references to the badger constantly in the coming months.
And just so you know, I'm not always wearing the badger suit. There's someone else who does that stuff on a regular basis. I just did it that one day and took a picture to remember the moment I got to be a fierce creature.

I guess to end this blog I can tell you a little more about myself.
I'm very involved on campus. If you've ever been to an SGA meeting on Wednesday at noon in the Oak Room on the second floor of the cub then I'm sure you've seen me as the Parliamentarian of that organization. I really enjoy it, and always know what is happening on campus.
Other than that I'm also a member of the Math Honor Society here at AC. What can I say? Math is awesome, and fun. If it weren't we wouldn't have many engineers or math teachers. And there's a lot of those around.
There's much more I can say, but I'll refrain from doing so until the next blog.
And in case you don't believe it, my real name is Hoz. I've had it since I was born! I'll probably even have the name when I die.

But that's stuff to say in another blog, at another time.

Our mascot is a what?!

2011-02-02T08:43:00.010-06:00

Badger.

We all know that he's the Amarillo College mascot. Billy is his name and he's been around since the school was founded in 1929.

Other than that, few of us know very much about the mysterious creatures. Sure, I could identify a badger if I saw one in a lineup, but before beginning my extensive badger research, I couldn't tell you any specifics.

I was recently talked into helping out with the creation of a badger video for the Ranger Online (which will be posted in the very near future). The video more or less features students who remain completely baffled by badgers and myself dancing around in the beloved badger suit. Not the most informational bit, but high in entertainment value!

After working on the video, though, I really started wondering about the badger...

So, fellow AC students, are you ready to learn what badgers really are?

According to Animal Diversity Web, most North American badgers reside in the Great Plains region of North America. They can also be found in the western United States, certain areas of Canada and in the southern mountainous areas of Mexico.

Badgers prefer to burrow in dry open fields or pastures.

They are pretty lazy. Mostly nocturnal and, though they don't actually hibernate, they tend to be highly inactive during the winter months or when it is cold. (Is it just me, or does all of this sound like a typical college student? Our mascot is relevant!)

Don't be fooled by the adorable face, badgers can be ferocious little beasts. Only a few badgers (no more than five) live in the same 2.5 mile range. They are solitary and they can be territorial.

Badgers are digging machines. Aside from being great for ripping into an intruder, those scary claws can help a badger tunnel through dirt incredibly fast. Animal Diversity Web says there have even been accounts of badgers tunneling up through blacktop pavement and two-inch thick concrete. What!?!

Males are boars, females are sows and the kiddos are called cubs.

Badgers are primarily carnivorous, munching on rodents most of the time. They particularly enjoy squirrel, prairie dog and gopher for supper, but also eat insects, berries and seeds. You will probably never see a badger chasing down prey in a field, though. They usually hunt under ground, tunneling at a high speed toward innocent rodents who only think they are safe in their home. Bwah ha ha.

The average lifespan of a wild badger is only around five years, but they have been known to live up to 26 years in captivity.

The average number of offspring for a badger is three.

Badgers can grow to be about 2.5 feet long and a foot tall.

To those willing to take a stab at imitating badger noises, thank you for being as willing as myself to humiliate yourself for the entire world to see on the Internet. In fact, badgers make most of the noises all of you came up with...and then some! The badger language consists of about 16 unique calls, according to Badgerland. A variety of purrs, yelps and clicking noises are made by adult badgers while cubs enjoy cooing, squealing, wailing and chirping.

Any other badger questions? Check out the sites that I have linked above, or ask me! I'll do my best to dig up the answer, badger-style.

Who I am & AC changes

2011-01-27T12:57:00.006-06:00

The next blogger for Amarillo College, that's who.

My name is Brittney Richerson. I'm a native Amarilloan and a journalism student here at AC. I'm sure that you will gather little snippets of information about me here and there as I attempt to amuse and inform you throughout the semester, so I won't bore you with an autobiography now.

* * *

As most of you probably already know, Texas community colleges are in a little bit of a bind thanks to the statewide budget cuts.

I know, I know. My first blog post and I'm already boring you with something so bland. Bear with me for just a moment and really think about this. It's important.

AC is facing an 11 percent budget reduction over the next two years. That amounts to a cut of about $3.75 million.

Not exactly a small ding in the door. A little bit more than an injury-free, "we'll all walk away without a scratch" kind of accident, too.

Who got hit the hardest? Hmm...

Students will be facing a "minor" tuition hike, as President Matney describes it. A few dollars per credit hour. Eh, not bad. Say the tuition goes up $5 per hour, that's only 60 extra bucks a semester.

So we students are in the clear. We walk away unscathed.

Of course not.

Three main areas that will feel the cuts:

1.) Funding for faculty and staff travel. Students travel should be okay, at least for the time being.

Students, try to think of it this way:

If our instructors aren't traveling to conventions and conferences to further their own education as technology continuously advances and the world around us continues to evolve, how can they give us the best education possible? It's through no fault of their own that they will be at a disadvantage when educating us.

Instructors, what do you think?

2.) Hiring freeze. Or a partial hiring freeze. Freeze.

Enrollment is up (again). Loads of new students + no new faculty/staff members = an issue, eventually.

No one has said it yet, but what happens to those working in smaller departments or with only part-time jobs here? Are they in the clear? I don't know the answer. That's why I've been asking these questions.

3.) Those darned "capitol expenditures" are gonna have to be looked at again...

The primary thing that will be problematic in this category is the purchase of new equipment. AC has a lot of nice things to offer...but what could be better? What do we need? Want? What would make the AC experience more exciting and enriching?

Well, it's going to have to wait. Sorry.

***

Apologies again for the boring post. I've just been engulfed in this stuff lately and thought I would throw it all out there for everyone else to see. (I'm so generous. I know.)

Pardon my sarcasm.

Just think about it, though. AC is a community college. We're all going to feel something as a result of the budget cuts.

What do you feel?

***

I promise that I'm not completely boring. I will do my best to come up with something fun and exciting for my next post.

If there is anything in particular that you are interested in reading about, just let me know! I just ranted and babbled away at you, so feel free to do the same at me.

Auto-correction.

2010-11-29T15:07:00.004-06:00

For anyone who has fell under the spell of Apple and taken the plunge into the iPhone world, you have two options: auto-correct or no auto-correct? That is the question. (Also, I have no idea if Blackberry auto-corrects, I'm guessing it might.)

Auto-correction seems like the greatest invention since ... whatever came before the Snuggie (yeah, sorry, it’s a backwards robe). That is, when you first text on your iPhone, auto-correction presents itself beautifully! It functions well and your wpm exceeds any texting dream imaginable. But, see, the iPhone has some sort of creepy learning technology. It begins to understand which keys your fingers miss - if you accidentally hit A instead of S or G instead of H. So, then it starts correcting you before you make a mistake. The iPhone then behaves like this robot from The Incredibles:

It is intelligent and destructive.

Your phone begins to assume, and we all know what assuming does.

SENT TEXT: “When I was a child, I wanted to be a Firenze.”

Firenze? Really, iPhone? Not only did you make me look like a complete idiot to the receiver of this text, you’re also trying to correct my childhood ambitions from a reputable character in society (a FIREFIGHTER) into a fictional character from Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone. Half MAN, half HORSE ... two of which I have never wished to be - not even half way. That’s like someone wanting to be a Jedi when they grow up, only 1,000 times worse because chances are nobody remembers the centaur from Harry Potter.

SENT TEXT: “Yeah, I would have added that song, but ‘Scarborough Affair’ gets on my nerves.”

First of all, why did it capitalize affair? Anytime I want my iPhone to capitalize something for me (like an ‘I’) it fails to do so. (Oh, and don’t ever try to type blu-ray on your phone by the way, it becomes a frustrating deletion battle - iPhone thinks it’s blu-Ray, which just looks stupid.) Secondly, Scarborough Affair? Am I going to Scarborough Affair? I think not. Simon and Garfunkel would be ashamed.

That’s another thing, it always tries to insert the worst word imaginable. I’ve seen “anal”, and “rectum” pop up in my correction box and, luckily, I was paying attention. Is Steve Jobs having a bit of fun? I’ve had instances with words such as “sashay” and “thee” because - apparently - there’s still a chance Shakespearian language is used in a world where u cn typ lik dis and get away with it while texting.

“Would thee enjoy a spot of tea?”

“Quite. I shall sashay myself to Starbucks.”

Never you mind, that’s a mixture of Shakespeare and RuPaul. It must be acceptable.

When your phone becomes more “intelligent” as it begins to understand the placement of your fingers ... always check before you send. It will save you loads of embarrassment.

Whether the Weather

2010-11-18T16:33:00.001-06:00

How about the snow last Friday? Exciting, no? Coming from someone who hopes to live up north someday, this is going to sound a little quacky ... I dislike snow. But, somehow, I blame the general dislike for swirling white flakes falling from the sky on one particular item:

Amarillo weather is the most inconsistent aspect of my life. I guess you could say it is inconsistently consistent.

“Oh, but you live in Texas! It’s hot! Go ride your horse! Collect tumbleweeds! Mispronounce every word ending in ‘ing’! Spend a lovely day where the deer and the antelope play.”

The truth is, anyone who believes the stereotype (and believe me, they do) fails to realize our weather actually has a mind of its own. Amarillo, Texas is the UN headquarters for weather. I picture the Sun sitting at the end of a rectangular, wooden table with the Moon on the opposite side and other weather contributors (clouds, rain drops, snow, wind) surrounding the remaining spots. Their purpose?

Wind: Oh, well, I’ve messed with Chicago long enough ...

Rain: Yeah, and don’t forget our date last week with the East Coast and Florida, Windy.

Snow: Who needs Canada, eh?

Moon: I’d fully love to stick around here.

Sun: Okay then, here’s the plan ...

They proceed to orchestrate a week’s worth of Hades for all who inhabit this wonderful city.

You walk to class in the morning wearing winter hats, coats, scarves, and gloves and shed them by the time you reach your car an hour later (and, naturally the steering wheel, seats, and seat buckle are blistering hot). By noon, the wind begins whipping in your face, and people seem to be driving crazier than usual or behaving downright rudely. At the five o’ clock lull --when the sun goes down--a full moon greets you and suddenly the rudeness makes sense. But, then a cloud rolls by and conglomerates into a beautiful, mountainous fluff lighted by lightning, dampened with rain, and sounding with thunder. The night air begins to cool into freezing temperatures and the next morning, yes, that is your neighbor’s roof covered in snow and your car covered in frost.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

To most people, this scenario sounds crazy, but I have experienced every season in one fell swoop and most citizens of Amarillo will agree -- we have a unique ecosystem. I suppose the one thing that keeps me from raising a fist in the air and shaking it to the sky is a lyric from a song by a well known band:

“... When it rains it shines, it’s just a state of mind.”

Let's stop and smell the roses...

2010-11-17T12:24:00.007-06:00

… it is not that I am not busy enough to make such a suggestion.

In fact, every day I find myself rushing through the morning hours to get a lot done and go over a pretty tight agenda, especially during this fall season. I make everything possible to get to my 5 year old daughter’s school on time to pick her up at 1:30 pm . While I wait for her at the door, my mind is full of things that need to be done (before my son gets out at 3:00 pm and my husband gets home at 6:00 ).

My daughter is in kindergarten, so she is taking very seriously the idea that every minute brings a learning adventure. For example, in the past two months, when I pick her up from school, she has decided to walk through the grass on the way to the car. Very slowly she observes what lay on the ground, and if it is interesting to her, she ends up picking it up and tells me “mommy looook!” excited about her new finding. She loves to witness the leaves falling from the trees and the different colors that they display each day. Also, due to the diversity of trees that her school and our neighborhood have, she has found all kinds of seeds, pinecones, sticks, shiny rocks, small colorful BB’s (go figure) etc, etc. ( take a look at the below picture of her seasonal collection).

My son, who is 9, also has his way to enjoy the fall season, especially the tree in our front yard.. he climbs on it! He often asks me to witness how he can mimic a monkey hanging on his legs. One time, I joined him climbing the tree to take down his sister who got stuck in a branch.

I have been living in the Amarillo area for almost 12 years and believe me, I haven’t notice so many aspects of the fall season until my kids have been old enough to find out and obviously share with me.

We live in a rush-pace world, and I admit that I am an advocate to do a lot in a little time… as a mother, student at AC, worker, etc, etc , I usually feel a constant sense of urgency inside myself. Lately and thanks to my kids, I realize that it is important to enjoy every moment and every gift from God, to not only pass things by, but to observe them, to appreciate life, and simply at least once in a while, "to stop and smell the roses."

A spoon is not a straw.

2010-10-28T19:09:00.008-05:00

These past two weeks have been pretty stressful for all of us. Midterms ... and some of us who unavoidably caught a lovely seasonal cold *cough*, *cough*. So, I thought we could all use a little laugh ... and what equates laughter better than my stupidity? Plenty of things. But, here's a little something I wrote a while back for you to sink your teeth into and hopefully give you a chuckle.

I was inspired by a Facebook group entitled "The first time I had a McFlurry, I thought the spoon was also a straw". Memories of other idiotic instances began to pour into my stream of thought, so here we have it:

I can be pretty stupid sometimes.

The McFlurry spoon is not a straw.

First of all, when McFlurries arrived on the scene, I was much younger. Yes, I'm setting the premise with "ignorance". Alright, here we go..

I remember ordering the M&M McFlurry for the first time and being absolutely thrilled with the idea. My mom placed the cup in my hands and I was stunned by the aesthetically pleasing, futuristic straw. "This opening is square, and rather large," I thought, "I'll be able to drink this quickly! Who cares about brain freeze!" After placing my lips upon the opening, I began devouring copious amounts of nothing. Veins popped, my face turned blue, and then I finally decided it was time to investigate.

After lifting the straw out of the container, I noticed a huge glob of ice cream formed at the bottom, "Man, this must be clogged with an M&M!" (I literally thought that.) Finally, I licked away the ice cream to discover, "Oh this is also a SPOON! COOL!" Because I made this discovery, I began to applaud McDonalds and their genius invention. A spoon and a straw - much better than the itty-bitty ICEE spoon/straw. Folks, I went back for a second try at the straw function before I glanced down into the straw and saw a plastic barrier blocking the airway.

Newsflash: the McFlurry must be eaten with a spoon. There is no straw.

There is no such thing as ROLL ON shampoo.

Roll on shampoo is something my mind invented when I discovered a brand new bottle of Garnier Fructis shampoo in the shower (as per my sister's request). What's hers is mine, right? I was tired of Pert and Loreal for Kids, so I decided to bust out the Garnier and hope my sister didn't get close enough to smell the glorious scent upon my thick head of hair. Opening something in the shower, with the water running is never a good idea. The bottle didn't want to open. I knocked it against the tile, the faucet, the tub, and ultimately decided this was no ordinary bottle of shampoo - it had an innovative, half-sphere design on the lid. You'll notice a theme: when anything looks unordinary, I automatically assume it's designed for different use. "By golly! This must be ROLL ON shampoo. How intelligent! I bet this conserves the amount of shampoo you use. Eco-friendly!" No, it never stops with my bright ideas, I must always test the theory. As if rubbing it on the palm of my hand wasn't enough, I had to rub it also on my scalp (why? Well, maybe it was activated by hair follicles.)

Fact: Garnier Fructis shampoo opens like a normal shampoo lid. The half-sphere does not roll out the product, it is simply there to look chic.

Two pronged headphones are not mutants.

On a flight from Houston to Newark, I realized I had a lot of time to kill. Reading was impossible, sleeping was out of the question ... what to do? "I know! I'll pay $6 to watch Turner Classic Movies on the head rest in front of me!" The flight attendant kindly offered a set of headphones for accommodation. I removed the headphones from the plastic bag and noticed something completely strange: the audio jack (whatever you want to call it) had two prongs to plug in. Well, the only hole I could find was on my arm rest, and it was a lone hole - my headphones couldn't possibly fit there! In a panic of claustrophobia (and fear of looking like an idiot.. ha. ha.), I began sticking the two pronged mutant into any slot I could find. When that didn't work, I started yanking on the screen to uncover a hidden place to insert my headphones for inflight viewing pleasure. Eventually, my mom started pitching in by forcibly shoving the prongs into the same places I had previously. Thankfully the guy next to us noticed our struggle and I was finally able to watch "My Sister Eileen" (which was half way over by the time I plugged in my headphones).

Guess what?: The two pronged part can be removed and morphed into a single insert.

So, product companies .. STOP MAKING MY LIFE DIFFICULT. I OVER THINK EVERYTHING. STICK TO THE BASIC DESIGNS. I WILL CONTINUE TO BUY YOU.

Gadget Woes No More

2010-10-15T21:26:00.005-05:00

If you are anything like me, your iPhone is your lifeline to the world. Everything from Facebook to CNN can be accessed through the plethora of apps and full function web browser. The iPhone is also surrounded by an assortment of similar devices, like Blackberries, iPads, and Kindles. The only problem with owning and using these gadgets is their propensity to break in the course of an average day. An iPhone with a shattered screen held loosely together is an altogether uncommon and disheartening sight. Luckily, there are a few companies that specialize in gadget repair, allowing you to keep on sending out useless tweets.

One such company, Mission Repair, has saved my own iPhone 3G's screen from a broken lifestyle. When my phone decided to leave my hand and fly away, the results were less than pleasing. However, after some research on the internet, I found Mission Repair. Located in Kansas, this company repairs almost any electronic device out there. iPhones, iPads, iPods, PSPs, and laptops can all be raised from the dead. In my case, all I needed was their $80 iPhone Digitizer Glass Repair. What I got was a repaired phone looking like new. While there are cheaper alternatives, almost all of them don't compare in quality. Mission Repair has a 24 hour turnaround with speedy shipping, getting to back on your particular device in no time.

Another company easily found online, iFixyouri offer many of the same services as Mission Repair. Located in Florida, they do have something Mission Repair doesn't: Water Damage Repair. Yes, it is true that after receiving my new iPhone 4, it wanted to take a swim. I guess my iPhones both hate me. Fortunately, I was able to send my iPhone 4 to iFixyouri and see what they can do. I have not received my phone back, but I am looking forward to a great repair.

iFixyouri has a great reputation, as does Mission Repair. Either company would be a great choice if you need to bring your broken device back to life.

JPowell

Then and Now

2010-10-15T21:09:00.012-05:00

This week, I wracked my brain for a really great blog idea. Incidentally, this idea fell in my lap this afternoon after a friends’ mother posted a project from her elementary school years on Facebook. After digging through my drawers, I found my 1st grade journal and here you have it ...

1st Grade vs. College

(a journalistic representation by young Hilary Hulsey)

“School is fun.”

It’s safe to say school is not always fun. Certain classes make a person regret the day their mother met their father. College Hilary says: School is fun ... sometimes.

“If I had $5.00 I would buy a book.”

Back then, five dollars was plenty of money to buy a book for a five or six year old. College Hilary says: “If I had $5.00, I would buy a bookmark for my $175.00 textbook.”

"When I have to read I love it.”

Somehow, I think Mercer Mayer’s Me Too! and Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie entertain far more than any textbook I own. Perhaps if our textbooks had better illustrations ... maybe then I would love it.

“My idea of a good time is school.”

My, how things change.

“I wish my teacher would give me a hug.”

College Hilary: “I wish my teacher would give me a break.” Especially now, since midterms hover over every classroom.

“I wish my parents knew I love to go to school.”

Is it becoming obvious? Brown nosing is my forté. However, now they hear the endless amount of ranting, so I’m pretty sure my parents know just how much I love to go to school.

“He was cute.”

Honest Hilary: I still think this, to a degree. In a presidential way, of course.

“I like doing tests [...] I like doing math.”

I don’t know if this is true or not. Maybe I did? It’s certainly not the case now. I think the next journal entry shows what my parents thought of “I like doing tests”.

“I like having a MRI.”

No child loves tests that much.

“On Friday I watched Wizard of Oz.”

Well, maybe things haven’t changed - it’s Friday, and I’m about to watch The Wizard of Oz. But, I'm certainly not as limber - I won't be doing the splits in the floor while viewing.

Growing older genuinely matures the brain to some of the unhappier realizations in life - perhaps it’s time to start thinking like a first grader again.

Musical Inclination

2010-10-11T17:43:00.003-05:00

As a child, I heard three things from my mother while studying:

1.) “Hilly, don’t read with the light off. You’ll ruin your eyes.”

2.) “Now, Hilary, get your homework done first before you spend your time leisurely.”

3.) “I just don’t know how you listen to music while you study! Don’t you think you should turn it off?”

I can say, unabashedly, my mother was right about 1 and 2. After bragging about perfect eyesight for years, I am required to wear glasses while reading. The stint in my early teens in which I wanted to read every classic novel I could get my hands on (and only by a dimly lit window) “did me in”. And of course, I am queen procrastinator, so there’s another instance in which I should have listened to my mother. But, number 3 on the list still holds true to my study habits.

A corner desk, facing the wall, without music is absolutely boring and I get nothing done. I realize homework is meant to be taken seriously, but studying and writing at a desk facing the wall (sans music) reminds me of Lonely Lunch. Lonely Lunch required a naughty child to eat in isolation while their friends chat and share juice boxes 20 feet away. Back then, Lonely Lunch meant complete damnation and my two experiences with LL definitely served its purpose for punishment. (I was undeserving of Lonely Lunch, by the way, but that’s another story for another day.)

While I hear the rest of my house bustling with television and musical excitement, I cringe because I'm missing out (on the "fun" I usually find absolutely boring and mind numbing during the summer). In essence, the silence is deadly and my mind wanders without something accompanying school work.

In the comfort of my room, I crank up the tunes and study swimmingly alongside Elmer Bernstein’s scoring of To Kill a Mockingbird or Coldplay’s Parachutes. Oftentimes, I find a certain genre of music compliments a specific course. College algebra requires heavier thinking, but ... it’s my least favorite, so I’ll go with something cheerier like Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys to improve morale. English conjures moodier emotions, so I’ll visit the Judy Garland realm of my playlist. But, why am I able to multitask? Am I retaining the information?

Multiple studies show different results - some negative, others positive. But, I think it depends on the person. For instance, a Kanye West fan (do they still exist?) or a Metallica fan would find my iTunes library incredibly dull and boring and the music would (most likely) tally up bad results upon studying. Just as my study habits would suffer if I listened to their style of music. Let’s face it: what is pleasing to one person may be poison to another and displeasing sounds or sounds unfit to your taste are distracting. Construction workers jackhammering, clicking pens, tornado sirens - could you study with a constant stream of any of the above at a consistent rate? If you can, I applaud your patience! I also applaud those who study best in complete silence. I, for one, desire music in a studying situation and I think it shows through my grades.

Here’s my question to you, AC: do your study habits and grades suffer or excel due to music?

AC Writer's Corner

2010-10-11T14:37:00.005-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous vlog (video blogging), I am continuing to present a series of videos with basic information regarding the facilities that Amarillo College offers for its students.

I will do my best to improve the quality and content of future videos. It has been taking me a lot of time to get the whole package, but I believe it is worth it.

In fact, some of the reasons I am in Amarillo College are to learn, to improve, and to grow.

Facecation

2010-10-07T23:11:00.002-05:00

Facecation: When someone takes a vacation from Facebook, a popular social networking site that it notoriously addicting. Facecations are usually taken to spend more time on homework, activities, job, etc. -- Urban Dictionary

In light of my last blog post, “Procrastination”, I decided to take my outlook on spending time wisely to a new level - I vowed to take a Facecation. While you politely hold back your snorts and giggles, I will tell you: it is not an easy task.

My Facecation began on Monday evening as I vowed to my best friend via text, “I think I’m going to take a break from Facebook for a week or two :0” A moment later I received an encouraging response, “LMAO! That’s the funniest thing ever!” Gotta love moral support. After relaying reason after reason for my choice, I deleted the application from my phone and blocked all e-mail notifications from the website.

Why did I do this?

Hilary’s daily routine:

- Alarm goes off.
- Check phone for notifications from Facebook.
- Shower, get ready.
- Check phone for notifications from Facebook.
- Trek to school, find a decent parking spot.
- Check phone for notifications from Facebook.
- Journey across campus.
- Go to Facebook application and scour people’s status updates from the night before.
- Class time.
- Facebook while walking to car.

Lather, rinse, repeat. After every “task”, I travel to my phone for the crutch that is Facebook.

Keep in mind, it is only 9:50 on Monday morning and I have already checked my phone five times! I decided this is not a good habit to have. Facebook is addicting and if you “love” it like I do, endless hours are wasted ... and for what? Why do I care if my friend from middle school feels like a BeeGees song? (That was the first band to pop in my head, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a BeeGees status update.) Why do people care to know how I am feeling or what I am thinking about? Well, that was my top reason for leaving the realm of Facebook, cold turkey, on Monday night.

Guess what? Tuesday went by swimmingly. Every time I thought about jumping on the computer and checking my Facebook, I did something productive - assignments, readings, future assignments - and it felt invigorating! Facebook was just another procrastination tool to distract me from the important aspects of my education and other things I had been neglecting. I fell asleep early (10:55, folks!) and all was well. (JK Rowling made it impossible for me to end my blog post with that line. I wouldn’t want to end this post with something as vague as that, anyhow. But it works in the non-Muggle world, apparently!)

Wednesday arrived with an anti-social cloud hanging over my head. I started wondering what my friends were doing, and if someone tried to contact me about something important, and pretty much every excuse from “stopping by your wall to say ‘hello!’” and death crossed my mind. As I look back on the situation, I hope someone would be courteous enough to call if a relative or a close friend passed on .. but, no, the Facebook curse will cause irrational thinking. I’m sure you can foresee what happened on Wednesday evening. I caved after only 48 hours.

Somehow, this short break actually helped! I am still productive, procrastinating less, and visiting Facebook less often. The Facebook “app” no longer resides on my phone, and the notifications continue to fester on the website (rather than my inbox).

Facecations - no matter how short - are a good thing, especially while attending college. I know some of you probably think I lead a sad existence because I rely so heavily on the activity of others, but for those of you who are equally as interested in the “magic” of Facebook ... I highly encourage a vacation every now and then. Plus when you log in, you have many notifications and you feel loved - almost like it’s your birthday!

Procrastination

2010-10-03T20:59:00.006-05:00

How ironic! While writing a blog about procrastination, I found myself rummaging through page after page of Gone with the Wind screencaps to use for this blog. Forty pages after finding the photo I wanted, I am still mesmerized by their ability to deter a person from what she should be doing. Here we have the screencap:

Procrastination isn’t something I just welcome into my life. I take its hat and coat, offer it a cup of coffee, prop its feet up, and humor it for hours on end. Procrastination is the friend who influences a person to do the wrong thing for pleasure over hard work. As much as I love procrastination, I’ve learned quickly - it isn’t something to mess around with while attending college.

Why do people procrastinate?

Today, I discovered a very informative - yet, very lengthy - webpage focusing on the vice of procrastination. We procrastinate over fear of failure, perfectionism, full schedules, and “because it works”. Everyone has a different way of procrastinating and a different reason for doing so. But, what I’ve failed to realize - until now - is how fortunate we are as students at AC. Amarillo College offers many avenues for those of us who fall victim to our “friend”, procrastination.

Amarillo College offers study groups, Writer’s Corner, math labs, counselors (tailor-made to your career path), and accessible professors who are concerned for your education. But, I think procrastination continues to hold some of us back due to pride or fear of looking ignorant - I know I fall into that category. Luckily, the support received through Amarillo College has pushed me out of my comfort zone. The instructors and counselors during my short time at AC have offered nothing but a helping hand. Go visit them! For lack of a better term, “they don’t bite!”

As I submit this post and close my laptop, I’m going to take my own advice and attempt a nine page algebra review. Sure, it’s daunting and I definitely wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy ... and, wow, one of my favorite films is on television, but, I’d like to be able to crack the door open when procrastination comes a-knockin’, pretend like I’m in my pajamas, and give it the cold shoulder.

And, readers have faith in yourself. Don’t let procrastination wipe its feet on your “Welcome” mat.

As God is your witness, you’ll never procrastinate again!

(I do not own the photos/screencaps used in this blog. Turner Entertainment Co. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. own the rights to the 1939 classic, Gone with the Wind. These photos were simply for the betterment of the blog and if you've never seen it, you should. But that's just my opinion.)

AC Carter Fitness Center

2010-10-03T10:18:00.007-05:00

Welcome to the first AC Video Blog!!! This is the first of a series of videos in which I will be presenting a variety of AC centers, places, departments, and activities that I will be checking out as a new AC student. OK, I am not that new : /, I have been taking classes for a while, but I have to confess that I come to class and leave, thus I do not know the AC campuses and what is going on. So, the best way to find out is to VISIT those places, attend the events, take some video shots, and publish them for you, my dear blog audience.

Yesterday for example, I went to the AC Carter Center. I wanted to see it and find what activities were going on. First of all, I couldn’t have picked a better day. I found a parking spot only 3 blocks away! Now, inside the center there were only 5 or 6 people. But today it was full! The Amarillo Open Fencing Tournament was going on. I invited my son, (9), to come with me. I thought he would be interested in fencing, since he often shows natural skills in making weapons out of anything, like a broom, when playing with his friends. So, take a look at the AC Fitness Center and also at the Fencing Competition.

Also, if you would like more info about the CFC visit http://www.actx.edu/carter/index.php?module=article&id=3&page=5

Pedestrians are people, too.

2010-10-01T17:42:00.005-05:00

Yes, I am new to this college experience and I am accustomed to being hand fed by public school with extended deadlines, assigned parking (until last year), and a cross guard in elementary school. Imagine my amazement when I stumble upon the free-for-all parking and unguarded cross walk on 22nd avenue.

On my first day of classes, I left supremely early - or what I thought to be early - and soon discovered: there is no such thing as “early” in the realm of the Washington Street Campus at 8:30AM. Unless you are willing to camp out in a single person tent the night before like you did for those concert tickets, the term “early” is nonexistent. (At least, in a car, you have a little more comfort than the ground .. and a tent isn’t required. Actually, this idea is becoming more and more appealing.)

I waited for - what seemed like - hours at the crosswalk. Student after student and not a single senior citizen with an orange flag in sight assisting both traffic and pedestrians. I’m pretty sure I heard the Creedence Clearwater Revival's version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” before I was able to make any sort of movement. Although I was smiling at each passing person, anger and impatience welled up within me and God must have extended his helping hand because the coast was clear.

Then what I failed to realize previously is: you are entering a sea of cars all searching for a prime spot, and what I adapted to - almost immediately - was the fact that I should give up and park next to the highway or perhaps by the downtown library and walk.

After the soles of my shoes resembled that of a tissue, I finally reached the crosswalk .. and what’s this? Cars are stopping for me (imagine that!) as I had stopped for my predecessors. I felt like Moses parting the Red Sea, or the Beatles crossing Abbey Road .. and if I had enough guts, I might have paused and pretended to be Paul McCartney for a split second. “How liberating,” I thought, “college rocks.” Arrogance consumed my usual clumsy swagger, and I held my chin high.

These crosswalks, I’m telling you, could serve as a psychological confidence booster and too bad Dr. Leo Marvin didn’t consider this for “Baby Steps”, because it is genius.

Pretty soon the World was my crosswalk. I was taking liberties at unmarked parts of the street - always with the lawful thought “I wonder if I’m jay walking” in the back of my head. Nevertheless, I didn’t care who stopped for me or if they were late - too bad.

So, the next time you’re waiting impatiently in your car at a crosswalk, think of poor souls, such as this blogger, who need this moment. Fellow pedestrians, hold your head up high and realize it is your civil right to uphold traffic!

The Ranger

2010-09-30T19:00:00.003-05:00

For those of you who didn't know, AC has an excellent school newspaper: The Ranger. Scattered across campus, you will find racks holding this gem. Upon first glance, The Ranger may seem slim, even flimsy. Once you start reading the various articles, however, you will soon find that quality is much more important than quantity. Every article is skillfully written with AC students in mind. From events on campus to new educational programs and opportunities, you can find everything about AC you need to know as a student.

If you are an internet news junkie like myself, The Ranger caters to you as well. Check out their website here. With video in addition to the usual newspaper attire, The Ranger's online sibling provides even more content for those wanting to be in the know.

If you haven't picked up a copy of The Ranger recently (or ever), grab one the next time you walk by the newsstand, or check them out on the web. It's a good thing to be in the loop.

JPowell

I am badger, hear me roar?

2010-09-28T20:36:00.003-05:00

[Apparently, I missed the memo on introducing myself. Since I can’t be bothered to write an entire post about myself - because frankly, I’m not that interesting - I will slowly reveal information pertaining to my life throughout blogposts with what I decided to title: Hilary Facts. Hilary Fact #1: My name is Hilary Hulsey, I was born and raised in Amarillo, Texas.]

As I sat and wondered what to write about, I began to think of something we all have in common: we are Amarillo College badgers. Badgers the ... uh ... the what? Then, I realized the badger is an animal I know absolutely nothing about. Does a badger roar, coo, howl, or create any noise at all? What are its characteristics and how should I feel as a badger? Passive? Some universities and colleges have the unfortunate task of tolerating a mascot of shame: the orange, a tree, a bumblebee. But, I am here to tell you, AC: Fear not! The badger is an animal to reckon with.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, a badger’s first mechanism of deception is its ability to appear “cute and shy” (and walk with a waddle or swagger). So, while we sit in our classes, nestled comfortably and quietly in our beautiful campus, it’s safe to say the world may not fully grasp the brains, intelligence, and competitive learning that is taking place due to our deceptive nature as badgers. We may be burrowed in our “setts”, but we are lurking and waiting for the proper moment of provocation.

Badgers also have a “keen sense of smell [...] second only to that of members of the dog family”. I’d say this defines our ability to sniff out the differences between right and wrong and seek out the advice of our doctors, professors, and staff alike to make important life decisions. (I am unsure if badgers are brown nosers.)

Lastly, and most importantly, badgers have “long, thick claws”, “emit an unpleasant musk” and “are ferocious fighters that should not be disturbed”. Not to say we are serial killers, and I certainly won’t lash out if someone confronts me on campus, but having the fighting capability is certainly a bonus. Badgers can take on much larger animals such as bears and wolves due to their ability to defend themselves.

Amarillo College may be a community college, but those who get their start or achieve their respective degrees and certificates in our deceptively cute and shy institution should be feared for the strength we’ve gained from being a badger - our passiveness unless provoked, our ability to sniff out and utilize guidance to our advantage, and our will to fight for our place in the world through our career choices or taking on “larger animals” like universities.

Badgers are fiercely adorable animals. But I can’t seem to decide on a final thought to leave you with. “I am badger, smell my musk” isn’t very effective, is it?

My Introduction

2010-09-28T07:23:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone, I am Edna Wischkaemper, one of the official bloggers for AC Online.

It is my pleasure to be part of this community and I thank you in advance for reading our posts.

I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. When I was a child, I remember that at my home, education was always a priority and my parents even made sacrifices to send us to school. Bogota is a big city with almost 6 million inhabitants. As in any city, people were always in a rush, driving, walking, striving to live and survive in a competitive and challenging environment.

A normal day in my life back then, in my teenage years, consisted of getting up at 4 a.m., taking English classes from 6 to 7 a.m. (to have better opportunities), working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then going to school from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. I worked basically to pay the bills, to pay my college education and to help my parents. After several years of hard work, perseverance and discipline, I obtained my bachelor’s degree from the University Autonoma of Colombia, as a Systems Engineer in 1993. I worked for the Colombian affiliate of CPC International in Bogota. I worked in several positions in the organization, as an Assistant, Systems Analyst, Systems Coordinator, and Financial Analyst. In my last position in the company, my boss sent me to several countries in South America, including Peru and Venezuela, to implement some financial applications. In fact, on one of those trips overseas, I met a nice man from Shamrock, TX, who is today my husband of 11 years. He is the reason I am living in Amarillo, TX. In my early years living in Amarillo, TX, I worked for the American Quarter Horse Association, AQHA, as a Programmer Analyst for almost 2 years. My husband and I decided that I should quit working to take care of our first baby, who is 9 years old today. Then our second child (who is 5 now) came 3½ years later. So, basically I have been a stay at home mom for 9 years.

Now, during the time I spent at home taking care of my kids, I founded a Web Design and Development business. Also, I pursued extensive training to become a Certified Dale Carnegie Trainer for the Texas Panhandle. I recently started teaching the class in Amarillo on Monday evenings. Four years ago, I started taking classes at Amarillo College to pursue an Associate Degree in Mass Media and Communication. It is never too late to go back to school as long as we are doing the best we can.

Two years ago I read a book named “One Person/Multiple Careers” by Marci Alboher. I really identify with this book. You probably already figured that out!

I am thrilled to share with you some of my experiences as a student at Amarillo College, and also in my daily life…I literally change hats throughout my day… as a mother, a wife, a student, an entrepreneur, a trainer, a friend…a human being who keeps dreaming and enjoys seeing her dreams come true!

See you online!

Newest AC Blogger

2010-09-21T16:44:00.001-05:00

Hey guys and girls, my name is Jacob Powell and I am the newest contributor to the AC blog. I will be chiming in here with thoughts from my experiences here at Amarillo College.

I thought I would give you a little information about myself so you know where my posts will be coming from. First off, I’m a Criminal Justice major. I hope to become a police officer for APD after finishing school. I have lived in Amarillo my entire life and graduated from Amarillo High.

I had originally planned to attend Texas Tech and get a degree in Engineering Technology. However, I received word that their program would be shut down, and to choose a new major. Having only planned on Tech my entire life, I was faced with AC or WTAMU. I chose AC, seeing lower prices for the same credits. I must admit I was not looking forward to attending a community college, having had my eyes set on The Big 12 for so long. Fortunately, this school has surprised me.

I’m a full time student in my first semester here at AC. What this means is that I get to take all those classes which appear horribly boring. On my plate are A Survey of Art and Music, Intro to Sociology, Intro to Mass Communication, Interpersonal Communication, and Government of the US. I have been excited to find that these classes are not only very interesting and well taught, but the students alongside me in class are just as much fun to get to know.

A Survey of Art and Music is a wide spread class, covering many different aspects of what we consider the “arts”. Film, dance, painting, sculpture, photography: it’s all here. While I don’t consider myself in the least bit artistic or creative, this course is opening my eyes to these fields.

Intro to Sociology and Intro to Mass Communications are both quite possibly my favorite classes. The instructors for these courses shared in winning The John F. Mead Award for 2010. Dr. Deborah J. Harding is my Sociology professor and, as any former student can vouch, more than keeps your attention while in class. She holds true to her beliefs while not forcing them upon you, allowing you to speak your own mind in class. Jill Gibson, my Mass Comm. Instructor, is equally impressive. She almost always starts off class with a funny video clip or web find, getting you ready for a mind-opening look into the work of mass communications and media.

Interpersonal Communication, or IPC, is another class which is expanding my views on life and those around me. While I’m not normally the type to look into my thought processes and wonder why they are the way they are, this class is certainly making me more aware of just that. Plus, everyone in my class tends to be very open, making for a very interesting discussion every day.

Government of the US is just that. It is your typical government class. In this case though, class discussions often go very deep, into the core values each student has and how they relate to the operation of government. .

I hope that this introduction has given you some insight into who I am and where my posts will originate. I look forward to sharing my experiences her at Amarillo College with you all.

Thanks for reading,

JPowell

Choosing the right Teacher for the Class

2010-08-10T21:58:00.000-05:00

One of the most difficult decisions to make about a class is whether you will like the professor or teacher of the class. Often times you have no idea what you are going to get when you sign up for a academic class.

We all hate the teacher description of "Staff." How does one know if a class is going to be hard because the teacher is difficult or the materials are hard to understand. Is the class more participate oriented or is it all reading and memorizing?

Thanks to the web it is easy to find what that class is like and what to expect from the teacher. Just so you can be prepared of what to expect and know what to steer clear of. Here are 2 sites to rate and review teachers or professors and classes offered. Oh, watch those comments, you might just have a tech-savy teacher who might just fire back about your own classroom performance.

RateMyProfessors.com is actually a MTV U site. So expect lots of advertisements. I did like the rating system, rating the campus, rating the professors by department or A-Z listing. Users are able to connect to professors by Facebook, Twitter and through the site. There is a Hot? icon for anyone who thinks the professor is hot. As an example, Jill Gibson, Communication Professor has a Total Rating of 3, Overall Quality of 5.0, Easiness of 3.0 and has a Hot Pepper to her credit.

I have had Professor Gibson in two classes and I would agree with the overall ratings. Ok, I'll give her the Hot Pepper, after all she did birth triplets. Though I disagree with the Easiness rating.

What I did not like about the site was that I had to sign up, new username and password, to make a rating. Since the site is integrating Twitter and Facebook, they should allow the registrant to use my Facebook or Twitter user information. I hate having all these usernames and passwords for sites that I will visit once or twice a year. What I did like about the site was the user ability to add to the page. One could add a picture of a professor and rebut any statements that they may not have agreed with.

ProfessorPerformance.com is setup to be much more serious and unique about the ratings. They include more ratings and even a place to put a grading of the teacher by Knowledge and Ability. According to the site "Students can grade a professor's grasp of a subject and, more importantly, how easily he teaches it to others." This site also is overseen by administrators so there are safeguards slander and libelous statements.

Both students and professors are able to respond to comments or evaluations. The evaluation form is a better experience and much friendlier.

I wonder though how much of the overall grading of the professors gets overshadowed by a students clash with personality, subject matter and desire? Both sites can help students interested in taking the information presented and make a informed decision about the professor and the subject matter to be learned to supplement their studies.

A major drawback though is no reward system for professors that are outstanding? It would be nice if these two sites would participate is some program to get something to outstanding teachers.

Though at AC we have something similar to top teacher, along with a reward, and that is the John C. Mead Award Faculty Excellence Award.

Who do you go to learn about a class and the teacher? Do you rely on advisors or former students of the teacher? Should there be a graded system that allows students to know what to expect from a teacher?

The Rise of the E-Textbook

2010-07-30T20:16:00.001-05:00

Let's have a look at the landscape of the e-book reader and figure out which product holds the most potential for the college student. After boiling down the price points to a few key questions and comparisons and answer some tech questions the main concern was price. Based on that information we can make a good decision that will impact a college students best use of the technology.

How does the value compare to the price tag?

The price point will always be a first straightforward question to ask yourself if you are going to buy an expensive tech gadget. We first weed out the list and include only the truly competitive e-book readers. Our list is narrowed down to three devices, Barnes & Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle and the Apple iPad. All of these devices allow for the user to essentially read books, newspaper and magazines all on a thin piece of technology.

Because we are talking about college students, the entry-level models are what we focused upon. Though value for value, getting the more expensive models would carry the best bottom line.

B&N Nook

The B&N Nook has an ultra-affordable price of $149. The new Wi-Fi-only version is a bargain hunters dream along with a long life replaceable battery and a microSD slot for additional memory. The viewable screen space is e-ink technology, so there is easy reading in bright light with no wash out in direct sunlight. There is no backlight for reading in the dark.

Amazon Kindle

The Amazon Kindle has a new version coming out in August but that version does not have Wi-Fi. With Wi-Fi access the cost is $189. In addition this version will come with free 3G data through AT&T. The rechargeable battery lasts up to ten days with Wi-Fi on continuously. The high contrast screen is e-ink technology so it reads like paper. Again no backlight so use a book light for reading in the dark.

Apple iPad

I did get a good look at the Apple iPad the last time I visited an Apple store. Aside from the iBook application, the iPad is nothing like the Nook or Kindle. iBook allows e-books to be read just like a book. The high resolution LED backlit screen not only allows video but display of web pages. Like a computer screen, you can stare at the screen for hours. The battery life is dependent upon settings and usages, over all regular usage could get about 10 hours. With a price of $499 that is more expensive than most netbooks, which are more comparable price wise with the iPad.

For Colleges and Universities Consideration

One major factor that both students, colleges and publishers are going to have to get on the same page about is the EPUB file format. The various e-book readers, netbooks and other devices will have to use this format. The open EPUB format allows public libraries, publishers and others to produce consistent e-books.

Useful Expectations and Known Pitfalls

When the large Universities gave iPods to the students several years ago it helped to bridge the digital divide of e-learning. There is a Kindle Education Pilot at several universities so higher education is making considerations. I could easily see textbooks written just for these devices or at least for the e-learning environments becoming a requirement for the college curriculum.

The biggest drawback to the e-readers is the speed of page turns, taking up a whole second and the slow search functions. The iPad has too many distractions for a educational device. Who would ever buy an iPad just to read some textbooks?

Final Decision

Both the Nook and Kindle are probably the best choices for schools. The e-ink is just easier on the eyes if you have many textbooks to read in one semester. The long battery life and the ease of communication with networks, availability of content all make for sound decision for the true e-readers. Future versions of the e-readers devices will address all the needs of future student and make for some great learning experiences. With new gadgets announced for the promising e-textbook market the competition could get fierce.

So what are your ideas, thoughts or suggestions? Should textbooks be converted to a digital format and read on a computer or gadget? What about content on DVD or USB drives?

The Crushing Weight Of Textbook Prices

2010-07-22T23:22:00.000-05:00

More and more textbook rental services are popping up. BookSwim and BooksFree are two new examples for subscription based book rentals. Subscription book rental work much like a monthly magazine subscription but you can change the magazine at the end of a semester. That means you could easily switch your History 1 for History 2, after the fall semester ends and spring semester ends.

Chegg and BookRenter are true book renters. These last two will also donate on behalf of the renter to a favored charity. Some book renters tout that they are cheaper, socially responsible and eco-friendly.

Amazon is offering a special program for anyone with a .edu email address. The offer allows subscribers to order books with free two day shipping so a student order books after a schedule is set. Always check prices at Half.com and Barnes and Noble.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 goes into effect this year. So in theory textbook prices will become cheaper. In compliance the AC Bookstore allows the student to view by ISBN or search by course number. Very helpful, until the site shows you that there are no new or used books available for the class you are looking at taking.

It would be great if there was a way for a student to use financial aid money online and just show the receipt/invoices of purchased books. If you are dependent upon financial aid to buy books you have to use the bookstore. In the past I have saved my money to buy books before the semester begins then reimburse myself once my financial aid comes in. I always watch the kiosk boards looking at what fellow students are offering their own books at discounted prices.

What I would like to see is a student coop or union buy books with students and alumni. Alumni could also help fund such an endeavor. The Student Book coop would rent the books back to students. An e-community would probably work best. Of course educators would have to cooperate and stop requiring new editions every few years or so.

This would really work for students and colleges because the money students spend on books would go back to students, instead of some antiquated publishers who have yet to cross the digital divide of online books. We all know the reason there is a new Intermediate Algebra edition every few years is to profit the publishers. Not because there is new information on linear mathematics.

It is very frustrating to lug around a six pound book, costing $150, that a teacher is only going to use 50 pages or so and assign only the odd number problems.

My Oceanography kit was only good for the Fall/Spring and Summer of 2009/2010 semesters. It will get axed for a whole new kit. Reselling that edition just will not work either. This seems to happen to many of the classes that have a whole kit of books and lab supplies.

So what are your textbook buying techniques? Do you rent, buy or borrow? Do you buy the new book and buy the expired cans of soup, instead?

Testing Center Woes

2010-07-10T08:00:00.126-05:00

Testing is a reality that some would rather delete from our experiences. You get tested to start school and to get out of school. There are tests for employment, parenting, driving a car, and just about everything else. Some tests are easy. Sometimes the environment for taking a test can make the test seem difficult.

The Testing Center at AC does try to make the testing environment not to strict. The testing aides are pleasant and helpful. There are the signs posted about the consequences of cheating. The cameras in the corners are obvious. Spacious testing desks and carpeted floor make for a nice facility. For the GED test, it is very different.

Lots of people have to take the GED test. Most take the GED because they did not finish high school. International and immigrant students may be required to take the GED. Some are forced to by the state due to criminal behaviors.

There are several facilities available to study for the exam. Lots of study guides and test prep books. They all are very helpful.

Because the degree, whether high school equivalency or GED, is so necessary, I was intimidated by the test and I avoided the test for the longest time.

When I went to the Testing Center to start the GED testing, I almost walked out and said "Forget it!"

The GED test itself is not difficult. Easier to take if you have done any of the prep programs available for free. Due to some people's inability to understand and follow instructions, everyone who takes the test has to experience a hard line of instructions and stern testing aides.

Here are some things GED testers need to take into consideration when in the GED testing zone.

When you go for the test, the testing aide will take up the phones, bag them, and place them in a box. You are instructed to turn off your phone. If your phone goes off during the testing, you are out. No refund. You have to retest later and pay a retesting fee. Do not take your phone with you. Leave it in the car or at home.
Leave your whiney-butt-high-school-foolery indifferent attitude, at the door. No one really cares about your latest tattoo or how your newest dealer scammed your first score with him. I can understand why the lovely testing aides have to act like those mean teachers you skipped out on at high school.
Bring every piece of identification requested, every time, to every test. Repeat.

Currently the Testing Center is participating in a GED computerized test experiment. It does not count towards your GED scores. Participating in the experimental test will get your GED costs refunded and then some. Taking the computerized GED gives you an idea of what the real tests are like.

Paula Sosebee, is the GED Coordinator, and can answer all your questions.

I am not quite ready for the English Composition CLEP. Still studying and preparing. I will let you know how the CLEP test will go. Nola Bartling is the CLEP Coordinator.

Horrors of the Testing Center

2010-07-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

Short weeks through me off. July the 5th was a holiday for banks, institutions, and many businesses. Not for retail of course. For students loaded up on college courses it was just a busy day. The day after a holiday gets me tilted. I got involved with my studies, getting school stuff finalized and the day was moving along. I realized to late in the day I had missed the Summer Cookout that I had planned on attending. Did anybody go? I had a lonely peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead.

Part of any schooling is taking a test. I am one of those students, who can study for a test, have a great attitude about my knowledge. Then when the test is placed before me, my mind goes blank. My blood pressure skyrockets, I begin to wonder why I am putting myself through school, and test anxiety takes over. I really hate taking tests.

One of the places that you will get to know here on the campus is the Testing Center. Everybody gets to make several trips there for many different reasons. Unless you are exempt from the Accuplacer, there are other reasons to visit. I have done almost every basic test they have available. I have some tips in dealing with the testing center and taking the different tests.

The first test you will deal with is the Accuplacer. The Accuplacer is a adaptive test, meaning there is no pass or fail grade. The Federal guidelines require the Accuplacer for Ability to Benefit for students with out high school diplomas to receive federal financial aid. This is a computerized placement test that will assess your knowledge of English, mathematics and reading. Take the time to study up on the basics for this test. Google the Accuplacer for practice sites. For studying up on the math go to the WTAMU Virtual Lab.

I did not have any problems with the English or reading parts of the test. I suggest reviewing some grammar basics and the how to write a essay. Sentence structure and reading comprehension are two different types of grammar functions to add to your studies. For the Accuplacer you will type a essay based on a random subject. Read over the basics of writing an essay. You will need to come up with 300 to 500 words that will support the stated theme.

There are three different areas to the mathematics part of the test. Basic arithmetic operations, elementary Algebra and college mathematics. My math score was low enough to place me at the basic mathematics level. When you take the Introduction to Algebra class you have to take the math part of the Accuplacer again as part of completing the class. It took me five semesters to go from basic mathematics to college algebra. Know your mathematics really well if you want to avoid the basics of math and algebra.

In my next post on the Testing Center I am going to cover the GED. There is a big difference with the GED and how the testing center deals with you.

Farmers Market Opens July 1st

2010-07-01T05:00:00.002-05:00

Here is a trivia question for you. Who won the Tri-State Fair Canned Foods in 2007?
That would be humble ol' me. Let me tell you how that happened.

In the summer of 2007 my mother brought me a bushel of Colorado peaches on a visit here during the summer. I was perplexed on what to do with so many peaches. So I froze and canned the bushel over the weekend.

I was entering a black and white photo in the Photography Contest and thought that entering something else would be good too. So I grabbed a jar of the peaches and entered them. The peaches got a blue ribbon.

I am going to enter something again this year. So today when the Golden Spread Farmers Market opens I'll be getting some vegetable and fruits.

If you really want to get a good taste of the local market head to the market. The local Panhandle Coop of farmers harvest the crop on the day before and then sell them the next day. The market opens a 6:30 until everything is sold out. It really is best to get there on time if you want the best choices and avoid lines at the corn and watermelon farmers stand.

There are other things that the farmers sell beside the crop. There are fresh cut flowers, seasonal decorations and some canned items. The Potter/Randall Agriculture Extension usually has a table with information on local growing tips.

Are there any other foodies out there? I am always looking for good recipes and cooking tips.

Patriotism or Commercialism

2010-06-30T08:34:00.000-05:00

Several news outlets today reported that a Dallas Dollar Tree customer made a purchase of a banner of an American Flag. There were some issues with the banner that the customer noticed and made a complaint. The flag banner had 61 inverted stars all clustered in the blue background. The red and white strips were placed incorrectly top to bottom. The flag banner was made in China.

It's just a banner. It is not a real flag.

So why the big deal? Would there really be an issue if the July 4th Holiday was not upon us?

The American Dream has become a bad diet of consumer economy debt feed to us by commercial materialism from large corporations who are trying to live the dream of Capitalism. Is it really all that bad? We as a nation have really lost sight of our goals.

I can not think a colonial farmer who would spend all their time and money to have a green front lawn like modern city folk do.

So what is the American Dream? If I relied on consumerism to tell me the definition is anorexic and shallow.

You get an education, to get a better job, to buy stuff.
But the stuff never lasts.
It isn't so cool to have the cool gadget of last month.
The style changes.
The music gets stale.
The ipod will die.
The computer will get a virus or the OS changes and all your games no longer work.
Worse, you drop your phone in the toilet.

I am just sure I can not buy into this American Dream. I really would rather talk face to face than twitter my friends. I would rather really kiss my wife than emoticon xoxo's.
Don't send me a youtube video of you jumping your bike down at the canyon. Tell me the exhilarating experience over a cold one. Show me the scraps and cuts too.

There is the human experience that we have taken out of the staple of this American Dream.
What do you do to bring the American Dream into reality? You could really help a parent
who is being pressured to buy a teenager a new ipod. Just because the "black one doesn't have
as much gigabytes as the white."

Common Writing Glitches

2010-06-27T19:14:00.001-05:00

After making a decision that I need to move through my college curriculum at an accelerated pace I am going to CLEP some of my core hours. English 1302 will challenge my grammatical and style ability. I hope to avoid some prevalent violations that I commonly catch myself doing. Here's a look at 8 of my common writing glitches:

1. Its vs. It's No big surprise by this one. It has plagued my writing because common sense nudges me towards seeing the apostrophe as a possessive instead of a contraction. Commit to memory this phrase. It-apostrophe-s has one meaning -- a contraction for it is. Everything thing else is its.
2. Then instead of than I tend to over use than, misplacing then, in my fictional writing.
3. Cliches Not including the accent over the 'e' doesn't go the whole nine yards on this puppy. For me it is just a sign I am getting lazy in my writing.
4. Overuse of 'that' It gets overwhelming to see how many times that is used when trying to make a point that needs some supporting description or evidence. Try to read the sentence again with the 'that' taken out and see how it sounds. Does it have to be there? If not, nuke it. Also, don't confuse who and that.
5. Comma Splices There is phenomenon that I try to stay away from, once I have delivered the subject-verb-object content of sentence structure. Instead of attaching a comma to a butt end of a sentence. Just end it. Don't even go a third or fourth time. Writing a sentence needs not be a buffet experience to fill the paragraph.
6. One word vs. two words Some common mistakes with adjectives and nouns are to use a one word version instead of the proper two word version. I blame laziness of email and everyday usage of the advertising media. Billboards, menus, and ads full of slogans that promise "Everyday Value", or "Everyday Freshness." Everyday is an adjective. When will Walmart start promising savings or freshness everyweek or everymonth.
7. Acyrologia Nope not a horrible disease. Though I am sure there are many english professors who would disagree. Acyrologia improper use of a word. The prescribed treatment is a Dictionary/Theusarus combination paperback. Use often. I often see this kind of examples in the sports section of the newspaper.
8. Dangling Dependent Run-on Sentences I work really hard to avoid these things in my writing. I already have too many dependents who dangle their run-on sentences with emoticons I don't understand in txt messages I rarely understand. Why create more?

I know I have more writing issues to work on and through. I know the CLEP will not be easy, in fact, it might be easier to take the class than to test out of it. Got to give it an attempt. What are your writing or grammar issues? If you need to find out more about the CLEP you can visit the Testing Center on campus and pick up a brochure.

Newest AC Blogger

2010-06-22T11:03:00.001-05:00

My name is Brandon Carpenter and I will be adding my Amarillo College experiences to the AC blog. I plan to tell you, not in a cloyingly cheerful way, what you can expect here at Amarillo college through what I experience.
Let's finish the introduction.
The economy and technology advances have created an opportunity to change. I am a returning student, changed my major, to a degree that has more possibilities. I am a husband, father, step-father, full-time student, somewhat employed. With my degree plan in Mass Communications I plan on working in New Media Journalism.
I still get to keep doing some of the technology I have been using in the workplace and to continue to write. Hopefully to even get paid for writing.
For my summer classes, I decided to fill plate with Government in Texas, Oceanography, Intro to Mass Communication and the TV Workshop. All my classes are online classes, except for the TV workshop.
The TV Workshop focuses on screenwriting. There are eleven students in the class, all I think are Mass Comm. majors. I will have to let you know more about the class and what the results will be. There just might be Quentin Tarantino on campus.
Oceanography does have complete kit and manual. The online lessons heavily use the American Meteorological Society and the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration websites.
The Government in Texas is quite insightful. There is no physical textbook, the online lessons contain the reading material and lecture notes. I still think it could use some audio or video links.
The Intro. to Mass Communication has been revelatory. Opening my eyes to media ethics, entertainment buzz and insight about the industry. That class is taught by Jill Gibson, who is 2010 dual recipient of the John F. Mead Award.
Of course all these classes take lots of study time, but I do schedule some time with family.
Follow along and I will share insights and helpful tips at the AC campus.

Amarillo Flavor

2010-04-13T09:58:00.001-05:00

How do you feel about food here in Amarillo? I used to think that small town equals small food choices, but lately I've been finding some truly good eats in our panhandle city. Here's a few of my favorites so far.

Fernando's Restaurant (2028 Paramount) - Not my most recent find, but definitely my favorite to come back to. The food is fantastic, I've never had to wait for a table, and there's a 10 flavor salsa bar! I've never been disappointed with any entrée, but I will say that the spicy pancake enchilada is my favorite. Instead of being rolled up in typical enchilada form, this plate comes with a pile of ground beef or cheese between two flat corn tortillas, covered in sauce and cheese, then topped with a fried egg. Yes thats right, fried egg on top of an enchilada. Delicious. Of course the plate comes with a side of their authentic rice and beans which are more flavorful than most. 2 can usually eat here for around $18!

Jamaican Flame (4132 Business Park) - If you can find this place, you're in for a spicy treat! Located in the Western Business Park (across from the animal clinic west of I-27) this small restaurant serves up massive amounts of flavor that's not the norm for Amarillo. The plantain chips and spiced guacamole is a must for an appetizer, and depending on your level of spice, I suggest the pork pasta or 3 meat combo as a entrée. Don't worry there is a spice level chart on the menu so there aren't any surprises here. Jerk chicken, jerk shrimp, jerk pork, any many more flavors are available from the prior chef for The Shack on 6th street. Moderately priced to not hurt your wallet for exotic flavor.

Coyote Bluff Cafe (2417 Grand) - This is old news to Amarillo hamburger fans, but I'm shamed to say that I somehow haven't eaten here in the 21 years I've lived here until just last year. Besides is coverage on Travel Channels: Man vs Food (watch the Amarillo episode if you haven't already), this place has gotten rave reviews from locals! I put my mouth to the test with their Burger from Hell and was very impressed. The burger came out of the kitchen with about an inch thick layer of jalapeños and habañero sauce. The burn was intense, but I made it through enough to even try my girlfriends regular burger, and even then I was suprised at the flavor. The meat has a good ground beef taste and is so juicy it pretty much soaks the bun. A side of cheese fries is a must, or add chili for even more taste. Prices are higher than you fast food joint, but well worth the extra cost. Beware plastic carriers, as Coyote Bluff is a cash only establishment!

Spring Break and Moving on!

2010-04-08T01:41:00.005-05:00

Hey guys! Long time no update. I really apologize for my absence around here. Things got crazy over spring break and they're just starting to settle back down a little bit, so hopefully I can catch you up on some things.

Since my last entry, I visited with my advisor at UTA (and saw a bit of the campus) and set up my courses for the fall semester, applied for an got enough financial aid/loans to cover almost my entire first year at UTA, applied for an apartment at UTA, and got a few more issues settled out within all that.

Starting with the beginning, I met with my advisor on March 5 down in Arlington. While it was all a bit overwhelming, we did manage to get the basics of my first semester/year down on paper. Thankfully, I have taken almost all of my basics (minus a stats class and a failed life science lab) at AC, meaning I pretty much get to jump right into major specific courses. I also discovered I have to choose a minor to go along with my major, so I think I'm leaning towards psychology for that, as I'm really interested in the research/analysis part of advertising. I don't get to register for classes until April 19, so I hope all the classes I need are still available by then.

After my advising session, I spent the next few days in Dallas (and Austin) with my best friend, where we saw John Mayer two nights in a row. It was fantastic and definitely two of the best shows of his I have been to (we're already planning two more in September!). After a few days in Dallas, I headed off to California for part two of my spring break. Unfortunately, the day I left Dallas, a friend who I was supposed to meet up and stay with a few days later bailed on me, forcing me to change my plans. I decided I would stay in California until Monday, and then go to Tennessee to see my mom and sister for a few days. California was amazing. The friend I stayed with lives in Paso Robles (near San Luis Obispo), which is GORGEOUS. We drove down to Pismo Beach, where I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. We stood out on the pier and watched some guys surf and then trekked down below and got our feet wet for a little bit. After two days in PR, we drove the three hours into Los Angeles, where we had tickets for the Glee Paleyfest panel that Saturday night, March 13. That night could possibly be considered one of the best nights of my life. We were shown one of the new episodes that doesn't air until next Tuesday, April 13, which was then followed by a Q&A with (most of) the cast. It was a very surreal experience to be with fans like me and being in this environment with the cast. I actually got to talk to two of the cast members after the panel was over for a few moments. Seeing my mom is always great. She was very excited to see me, even if for a short amount of time. It's difficult being 1,000 miles away from her sometimes, but I manage. It feels like I'm missing a lot being so far away, but I have my own things I have to do here in Texas. Getting back from TN to TX was rough, though. I missed my flight that Friday, meaning I had to stay the night in Nashville on my own. I got an early flight back to Dallas the next morning, but ended up getting stuck in Dallas overnight because of the snow here in Amarillo. Luckily, I had family in Dallas who gave me a place to stay for the night, but needless to say I'm kind of sick of airports for awhile.

Now it's back to getting caught up and trying to finish out the semester here at AC. I applied for an apartment at UTA last night. It seems really nice; it's one of the newer ones, so all of my bills (internet, cable, water, etc.) are taken care of, minus the electricity. It also comes with a washer and dryer so I don't have to worry about having enough quarters, haha. It's not a bad price each month, so I'm hoping I end up with one of those instead of the older ones. I've never lived on my own before, so it's going to be an experience no matter where I end up.

I hope everyone out there is making it through the semester and I promise I'll be around to update more now that things have settled down. I'm about to start on a campaign for my Intro to Advertising class, which I'm way excited about, and there's plenty more transfer wise to keep you guys updated on.

Chelsea

My first marketing lesson

2010-03-29T15:33:00.004-05:00

In my "Writing for Electronic Media" class, one of our semester projects is a job shadow assignment. We are required to spend between 4 to 8 hours gaining "insight into the expectations and responsibilities of a working communications professional and to make contacts in the media industry". At least that's what my assignment paper says.

I knew who I would choose for my job shadow project right when we were given the assignment since I have a family friend in marketing, which I would say is a communication profession. To keep things confidential we can call her Jen and she has around 25 years in the marketing field. I spoke with Jen last Wednesday, and luckily she had a marketing meeting scheduled for Friday with a popular optometry company here in Amarillo, and I was invited to sit in!

The meeting was scheduled for 10am so I showed up to Jen's house at 9:45. We grabbed a few notes and a portrait picture of some of the higher-ups of the company we were working for then got in the car. On the way to the boardroom, Jen explained to me where she has worked previously and who her current clients are now. I found out she handles one of the largest accounts in Amarillo which happens to be a locally owned bank!

The meeting was much more relaxed than I thought it would be. When we arrived Jen introduced me to her clients as her intern/student, then we began the marketing process. Jen laid out her spreadsheet that listed all her clients objectives and what events needed to promote those objectives. Each tv ad, radio ad, promotional event, everything was compared to yearly sales for the company. Things like if June was a bad month for the company in sales last year, what particular television or radio ad should the company run to counteract lack of sales this year.

Overall I learned a lot! There are waaay more people than I expected involved from top to bottom when it comes to marketing for a company. From the CEO of a parent company, all the way down through Jen in marketing, and even down to the guy running the camera at the commercial shoot, everyone working on the same project.

This job shadowing has really helped me in trying to figure a more solid path for myself career wise. I thought I wanted to go into PR, and I guess marketing is a form of PR, but not really the same. I dont want to come up with the advertising ideas, really just coordinate the ads getting produced for the client. I've been in sales all my life, and I'm a very outgoing person so I really feel like this could be a good position for me! I guess we'll see when I finish school!

-MH

Busy week!

2010-03-20T17:00:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday my girlfriend B and I woke up early and met with her family who was driving through Amarillo on their way to Durango, Colorado. We followed them there during the 8 hour drive which felt surprisingly shorter than I expected. On arrival, we picked up a few groceries we would need for the weekend and went to possibly the worst Wendy's ever. The staff didnt know how to ring up an order with more that 4 items, then one of the employees spilled a full drink OVER the counter and all over the floor where we were standing waiting for our food. Somehow they got all our order right the first time out though, so I give them credit for that.

After food, we headed up to the condo which was about 25 miles north of Durango itself. When we got there I was surprised to find that there was no wireless internet and no cell phone service! Luckily there was a LAN line that had a 2ft cord, so internet was possible but very inconvenient. I cant believe that some places still dont have decent wireless coverage (*cough* Amarillo College *cough*).

The next morning we woke up to snow pouring down in whiteout conditions! The skiers in our group loaded onto a shuttle and hit the slopes, while B and I decided what to do for the rest of the day. We had planned to visit the town of Durango and do a little shopping and sightseeing, but due to the weather there was actually no way for us to get to the city. We decided to take the shuttle up to the ski lodge and visit the shops there on the mountain. After we arrived we met with the family for lunch, then when they went back up the lifts, we decided to have a few drinks at the bar on the mountain. I was pretty surprised to see a fully stocked bar right next to the ski lifts because drunk skiing sounds like a fairly dangerous activity. After trying a couple of the locally brewed beers, we went to a few of the souvenir/clothing stores and called it an afternoon. I bought a great snow hat that looks like a lemur, and B got a similar hat but with a white tiger pattern and wool moose shaped gloves. Everyone was pooped backed at the condo so we all just ate dinner then went to bed.

The sky was clear the next morning so B and I took our car into the city of Durango itself and hit Main Ave. The street was packed with art, clothes, candy, food, and souvenir shops. Our first order of business was food and we happened to find a fantastic Thai food place at the end of the block. After eating lunch we went to a few outlet stores and candy shops. B found a great pair of shoes at a skate/snowboard shop, and we saw some really great art that was definitely out of our price range. After grabbing a couple beers at a microbrewery right on Main Ave, we headed back to the condo to meet up with the family before dinner. Everyone wanted to eat back in Durango that night, so we showed them the brewery and all decided to eat there since they served food as well.

The next day, B's family woke up and left about an hour before we did since their drive was 13 hours and ours was only 8. We ended up getting an early start anyways because we wanted to stop in Albuquerque and visit their aquarium on the way home. B and I love going to aquariums and visit them pretty much any chance we get. The admission was only $7 each, and although it was a small facility, the variety of marine animals they had there was great! I have to say my favorite exhibit was a dark tunnel that a dimly lit eels swimming on all sides of the walls, some probably over 6ft long! The drive home was fairly uneventful and long feeling. Probably because I was ready to be back on my couch at that point.

Since then I have been working everyday and trying to prepare for the loads of homework and tests I have coming up. I'm about to start my convergence project which I am equally excited and terrified to do haha. Sorry to keep you all waiting for so long between blogs, but hopefully now that I am back on schedule I will be able to post more regularly! hope everyone has had a fun Spring Break!

-MH

My bum knee...

2010-03-09T13:54:00.004-06:00

This week I finally solidified my spring break plans! On Saturday, my girlfriends family will be driving thru Amarillo from the DFW area, and we will follow them from here to Durango, CO. I have never been there so I'm pretty excited! Brittany's family will be skiing, but she and I will find something else to do because of knee injuries we both have. Hers from skiing on a family trip with me last year in Santa Fe, and mine from a snowboarding accident.

It was my 8th grade year and I was on my church's annual youth ski trip to Aspen, CO. My friend and I had been taking snowboarding lessons all morning and had decided after lunch that it was time to go by ourselves. On our first run down, I started picking up too much speed and fell over. Somehow my leg from the knee down had spun around what felt like 180 degrees. I had to be sledded down by a member of ski patrol and taken to the hospital. The doctors told me that I had a partial tear of my MCL, but luckily it wasn't completely torn and didn't require surgery.

The second time I injured my knee was the more embarrassing of the accidents. It was March 2009 at an art show inside the old house I used to live in in Denton, TX. My friend and I were performing a live DJ show for the people enjoying the art that was hung all over the house. During a set of songs my friend was playing, I went out to dance with some friends and somehow managed to slip on a puddle of something (most likely alcoholic) and dislocated the same knee I injured skiing about 8 years ago. Another trip to the hospital, followed by another annoying knee brace.

Now I am a lot more careful about what I do on this knee since it is definitely weaker due to these injuries. I'm sure this weekend will be just fine though since we'll just be hanging around Durango. Dont forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour this Sunday at 2am!

-MH

Interviews and Weather

2010-03-02T14:54:00.002-06:00

Thanks to those of you who made it out to the show this last Saturday! We all had great performances that really made the crowd move. I somehow managed to injure one of my turntables on the drive home, so hopefully I can get that fixed soon. One of my upcoming posts this week will have a link to the recording of my live performance that night so keep checking back!

So who witnessed all the weird weather we had yesterday? I remember leaving class, and it being sunny out, maybe 45-50 degrees outside. I was on the phone with my girlfriend later in the day and saw some flake-like objects land on my windshield as I was driving. I KNEW it was too warm outside for snow, so I figured it just fell off the bridge that I was passing under. As I pulled up to my house though, I could see very light snow was falling through the air, with the sun still poking through the clouds! I ran in to get my camera in hopes to take a good macro shot of a flake, but by the time I got back outside, the snow had already stopped. Amarillo weather never ceases to surprise me.

Today I had a short interview with one of the radio students about writing for the AC blog. The reporter asked some good questions and I gave honest answers. She said it would be aired this afternoon so I am currently listening to FM 90 to hopefully catch the recording.

Tomorrow I have an interview with the AC Ranger for what I believe is about my DJ alias Chiknbiskit. Either that or just being a student/musician at AC I'm not 100% sure. Keep an eye out in future issues of the Ranger for that feature!

Almost to Spring Break!

2010-03-01T00:38:00.004-06:00

It's a busy and crazy week for me this week. On Friday, I'm leaving town for two weeks for a week-ish in Dallas/Austin and then a week in California. I've never been to Austin or California, so I'm pretty excited. But, I have to be responsible first and get most, if not all of my homework and tests done that I'm missing next week done before I leave on Friday, on top of packing, laundry, that sort of thing.

I have a meeting scheduled with my advisor at UTA on Friday, right after I land, to discuss my schedule for next semester, as well as whatever else a transfer student like me might need to know. It was a time and a half trying to find an email for them, but my best friend (who has some weird knack for navigating and finding almost anything on a college website) found it within minutes, putting me to shame. I also have to finish up my financial aid verification documents this week and bring them with me as well to drop them off at the financial aid office at UTA. I finally got around to applying for the FAFSA, now all that's left is these documents and some more scholarship searching. Does anyone know of any good websites that have scholarship opportunities through different places? Sorry I can't be more specific, but I remember my mom found a few a couple years back, but I can't remember/find them again.

I'll hopefully be able to blog about my trip while on my trip, including my meeting with my advisor. It doesn't get too good until next Monday, when I head off to Austin for night one of John Mayer, then we come back to Dallas the next day and see him at the American Airlines Center. I've seen him four times before, but this is the first time I've seen him twice in the same tour. I could not be more excited. I'm using this vacation as kind of a last hurrah, since I doubt I'll be able to do something like this once I'm on my own in Arlington. Plus, it was part of my new year's resolutions that if I have the opportunity to do something, do it, no matter what.

Kind of bummed the Olympics are over. The last two weeks were amazing in so many ways. Team USA accomplished so much and there's always a feeling of unity during the Olympics. I'm a huge hockey fan, so while today's US vs. Canada matchup ended unfavorably, it was still a great game to watch. I can't wait to see what Russia brings in 2014.

I hope some of you got the opportunity to see Matt at the War Legion this weekend. I'm hoping to make it to one of his shows someday; I'm sure it's a great time.

Big Weekend!

2010-02-26T07:56:00.006-06:00

This Saturday I will be performing live at The War Legion Underground. The event is called "Digital Styleings 6.0" because the duo I play with is named Digital Style, and it's the sixth consecutive show they've had at the venue. It will be my third time to perform with them as DJ Chiknbiskit.

When I first started playing records in Amarillo, the shows were very small and at the old hookah lounge/coffee bar Namaste. The people who attended mostly consisted of close friends and family, so it was never a large turnout. I guess it didn't help that I had to perform outside in the cold November night wind. Last October one of my friends told me about a DJ duo that plays music of the same style that I play, right in Amarillo. I didn't really believe him at first because most of the people around here haven't heard of many of the artists that I like to play. When I arrived at the concert, I was immediately blown away by what I heard. I recognized a lot of the music and saw a ton of people dancing! Much more than my small shows at Namaste.

After meeting the guys of Digital Style, I got them a demo CD of stuff I had done in the past, and they agreed to put me on Novembers show ticket. My first performance with them on November 14th (Digital Styleings 4.0) was one I wont ever forget. Over 100 people packed into the venue, some friends, but mostly people I didn't know (quite the change from Namaste), and EVERYONE was dancing the whole night! It was great, and the 3 of us decided to perform together monthly.

In January, my 3rd performance with them got cancelled due to the insane snow Amarillo was getting at the time, and we had to reschedule for this weekend, February 27th. This performance will be a little different for me because I am playing a newer style of dance music that I have never performed before live called dubstep. The best way to describe the sound of the genre would be to take a very basic hip hop or rap drum beat, but then add a very heavy electronic bass line, sometimes added to a familiar vocal melody where the words have been cut up and rearranged to make new phrases.

Besides not having played dubstep live before, I'm also a little worried about how the crowd will like the music. I know the core group of friends the DJs have like the style, but most people I have met in Amarillo just haven't heard of it. This is good because I will exposing people to new music and sound they possibly haven't heard before, but it could be bad because if they don't like that sound, then they wont dance, and a clear dance floor is not what you want to see when your playing on stage. I have already decided to split my performance in half. Start off with some good, recognizable, electro dance music, and then I will transition to the dubstep, reading the crowd energy level from there.

Crowd energy, the very best part about being a DJ. Please come to the show if you are interested! It is an all ages show, and there are more details on the flyer I've posted below!

Spring Break is coming up soon for all you students! My plans are still in the works, but as soon as they are set I will post about where I'll be this mid March.

-MH

Austin

2010-02-20T13:20:00.000-06:00

Today is one of my best friends birthday and I am currenty in Austin helping him celebrate! My girlfriend and a friend of ours left town last around 6:30pm because I couldn't get off work earlier. Normally when we drive to Austin we take 287 down to Fort Worth, then continue on 35 all the way to central Texas. Usually the trip is around eight to eight and a half hours long. I'm not sure why we usually take that way, maybe because there's a part of me that misses the DFW area. Yesterday, my friend told me a way to Austin that he had discovered to save time, going South on 84 almost to Sweetwater, then taking 70 to 183.

We ended up making the whole drive in seven hours and fifteen minutes. This was great becase we worried that since we couldn't leave till 6:30pm, that it would be 3am before we arrived. The best part about the drive, especially at night, is the miles and miles of windfarming that is happening around Sweetwater. Rows and rows of simultaneously blinking lights, one on top of every wind propeller. As far as you can see, blinking red lights. Maybe it's the computer geek in me that wants to know things like how they program the lights to blink at the same time, and what equipment does it take to keep them running and maintained? I guess I could find all this out by talking with one of AC's many Wind Farm students!

Today will be filled with movies, food, and just general catching up with old friends. I'm excited to be in Austin and getting to see people and things that are not normally seen in Amarillo. Hot dog stands run out of Airstreams, delicious grocers like Whole Foods, and a city treeming with college life that is just not apparent in our small West Texas city.

-MH

Olympics and Scholarships

2010-02-17T13:26:00.003-06:00

It's crazy at how much work is necessary to receive financial aid or scholarships. Within the week, I need to file a Fafsa (something I've never done before) and search for relevant scholarships through the UTA site, at least. The process is so complicated too, especially being an out of state student for most of my college career. I'm not looking forward to this, but it seems like attending a university is pretty near impossible without some kind of aid.

I'm going for a visit to UTA two Saturdays from this weekend. I missed a transfer preview day by a week, I think, but my advisor told me to email my advisor there and see if there's someone I could meet with on the day I'm there. I've never been to UTA before, so I hope I like it. I applied and got into AC without ever visiting and I love it, so I hope the same goes for UTA.

Anyone else as big into the Olympics as I am? I don't really get into the summer ones, but I am OBSESSED with the winter ones. Anytime I'm home, I usually have the TV on. I'm really into curling right now. I don't understand a lick of it, really, but it's still very intense for such a simple looking game. Bobsledding starts soon, and I'm looking forward to the US/Canada hockey game on Sunday at 7. I don't know what could convince someone to start doing the luge/skeleton. It looks SO dangerous, and that was pretty proven this past week with the man from Georgia dying while practicing. I'm proud of the US Olympians who have already brought home medals: Hannah Kearney, JR Celski, Apolo Ohno, etc. Looks like we're behind Germany by a medal as of this afternoon, but I'm sure we'll make a comeback.

Finally, The AC Concert Choir students will present a variety show this Friday night in the Concert Hall, 7:30 pm, to raise money for their spring tour. Admission is free and donations are accepted to help with spring tour expenses. I would love to attend this, but I have to work. Go check it out if you're looking for something to do on Friday!

I can see!

2010-02-12T15:00:00.002-06:00

Well last Saturday I managed to lose my contacts, so I've been dealing with glasses for the last 5 days. This used to not be a problem for me, but since I have changed my contact prescription in the last few months, my glasses are old and make my vision a bit blurry. Blurry vision does not make taking notes in class very easy. Especially since I'm usually stuck sitting in the back due to my laptop constantly needing power. Yes, my laptop has a fried battery so it always has to be plugged into to wall, COMPLETELY negating the purpose for which I bought the laptop, portability.

I had to miss Cal Ripken's big speech at AC this last Tuesday due to work. My mom and dad both went so I will have to get the review from them sometime soon. According to my dad, mom even got her picture taken with Cal so maybe I can post that the next time I write!

I'm reading Catcher in the Rye right now, and yes it's my first time to read it. Pretty sure it was a required reading in high school, but I was never a fan of required readings. My dad gave me a copy because the author, J.D. Salinger, died last month. It's a pretty easy read so far and I can see my dad was comparing my "angsty about college" emotions to Holden's (the main character) own. Looking forward to continue reading tonight.

Today is my first Friday off of work in a long time, and it's nice to have a day without school or work to worry about (except I just realize I have a writing assignment due today but hopefully that wont take me more than an hour). Tonight we are having a couple friends over to watch The Fountain. If you've never seen this great movie, I highly recommend it as it is very "out-of-the-box" and will make you question yourself personally on a level you might had not questioned before.

Valentines day is only 2 days away! Here is a LIST that Time/CNN published on their website of cheap gift ideas for your significant other. Have a great Valentines!

-MH

Blogger #2!

2010-02-08T20:57:00.003-06:00

Hey all! I'm Chelsea Hulen, and I'm one of the new AC bloggers for the semester, along with Matt. There's not much to me, but I guess something is better than nothing!

I was born in Amarillo and lived here until I was about four, until I moved to Santa Fe. Stayed there for another four years, and then moved to a tiny-ish town in Tennessee about an hour south of Nashville, where I lived for about 10 years. I graduated high school there and then moved back to Amarillo to start at AC, where I've been living for a little over two years. So, that makes me 19, finishing up my time here at AC, and working for Mr. Payroll in the Toot 'n Totums around town.

After starting as a general studies major, I switched to business management for a semester, until I figured out advertising was the best place for me. I've always been interested in the psychology behind advertising, as well as product placement, so I'm hoping I can find a career in either of those areas. I have one semester (well one and a half, including summer) and then I'm off to Arlington, as I got accepted to UTA this past Saturday, to finish up my bachelors in advertising.

Besides working and school, I don't do much socially, but I'm working on that this semester. I'd much prefer to stay at home, reading or watching a show. I probably watch more television than is healthy. My favorites are Lost, Glee, The Office, and V, but I can probably tell you just about anything about a show. I also enjoying going to Dallas for concerts, as there's not many here that interest me. I've seen John Mayer four times (will be six come March), as well as Joshua Radin, Keith Urban, and Feist.

I hope my blogs will be a nice mix of happenings around AC, as well as what I'm watching/listening to, and maybe the transferring process I'm about to go through. I'm very much looking forward to writing for this, as I've never really publicly blogged before.

I'm open to any and all questions, so don't hesitate to message me.

Chelsea

About the Blogger

2010-02-08T15:11:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone! My name is Matt Horsley and I am one of the new AC Bloggers for the Spring 2010 semester. I thought I would give you an about me post that will kick off my blogging for these next few months.

I am 23 years old and have spent most of my life in Amarillo, TX. My life began in Houston and lived I there until I was three. I graduated from Tascosa High in 2005 and attended Amarillo College that Fall. After one semester of average grades, I moved to Fort Worth to take a break from school and join the workforce. In 2006 I went to Acoustic Edge Institute to get my MECP in Car Audio, Video, and Electronics and moved to Denton, TX. There I installed car electronics for Best Buy until August 2008 when I returned to Amarillo to pursue my education at AC.

My major at AC is Mass Communication: Advertising/Public Relations. I chose this major mostly because I have a strange interest in product placement in todays media, and want to pursue a career either in advertising, public relations, or product/idea/people promotion. Not being the most academically inclined student through high-school, I am taking my college career a few courses at a time so I can devote more attention to each class.

I currently work in the copy and print center at Office Depot part-time and have been there for over a year and a half. When I'm not in school or at work, I am usually working on my music hobby DJing. Not the "Radio DJ", or even the guy that came to your high school prom and played the chicken dance. I'm a dance mix DJ that takes 2 songs, matches the tempo, and fades between the them to make a seamless flow of music. You can usually find me performing monthly at The War Legion Underground on 10th st, as well as the Nat on occasion. If you are a dance music buff, I usually play the electro, dubstep, house, and general techno genres. My alias is DJ Chiknbiskit (influenced by "Chicken in a Biscuit" crackers.... so delicious) and I picked that because I wanted something that would stand out and be memorable. Plus I love everything chicken and biscuits. Many of my blogs will likely be about music and the evolution (or de-evolution) that is happening in the industry as it's my major passion.

I am excited to be blogging for AC and I hope you will continue to read my upcoming posts! Feel free to email or comment any questions you have! Thanks!

-MH

Annual Christmas Party at Mike's

2009-12-04T15:47:00.002-06:00

Today was the Annual Mass Communication Christmas party at Mike’s house. I get lost pretty easily when I’m driving in a part of town I’m not used to, so yesterday Andrea, Miguel and I decided we would all go together to Mike’s house. I thought we should leave for the party around 11 because it was supposed to start at noon, but I had a feeling we’d get lost, because neither of them had ever been there before and I had just been there twice. So, I figured we would all take one car to the party.

We decided to meet in the parking lot by Parcells Hall a little after 11:00. Around 10:40 Miguel called me and said he had to go get a haircut and that he will be at AC at noon. I didn’t want to sit in the parking lot for an hour so I said that was fine and told Andrew about our new plans.

I left my house at noon to go to AC and right as I was stopped at a red light on 27th Street, I got another call from Miguel asking where I was because I was late and Andrea was looking for me. I was trying to get there as quickly as I could and I asked him where he was because I was visualizing both of them waiting for me in their cars in the parking lot…no, not the case. He wasn’t there either! I get there and neither was Andrea, so I didn’t feel so guilty for being late.
Miguel got there not long after I did and then Andrea pulled up. I got in the car with Miguel and Andrea followed behind us to Mike’s house. We got there and pretty much everyone else was already there.

Yesterday before we went to Announcing for Radio and TV, Jill was making a blooper video to show at the party. They were bloopers from the videos Miguel, Bill and I have made throughout the semester. There was a lot of footage of me fixing my hair during my stand-ups and just a lot a lot of funny stuff! So, hopefully we can put it the Ranger website soon, for everyone to see!
Miguel and I had to leave the party early because he had to go to work, so we missed out on the gift exchange and the rest of the festivities. I took cream puffs to the party and Mike told me to take them with me. So, when I went to get them off of the table, I dropped the lid in Nancy’s banana cream pie, so I got whipped cream all over it.

I didn’t realize until I got in Miguel’s car, how much of the whipped cream I had taken with me…I had it all over my purse, my new jacket, Miguel’s jacket, then he put some in my hair and I even managed to get some on a little car ornament hanging from the rearview mirror! It was like Gelato on 6th Street all over again!

Darkroom Experience

2009-11-17T16:28:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago in my Fundamentals of Photography class we were given the assignment to take self-portraits of ourselves using black and white film. I borrowed my mom’s camera from 1982 and Mr. Cavanaugh provided the film. Miguel and I partnered up for this assignment as well and we decided to go to the Lynn Library to take some photos. We went up to the fourth floor and took his photos. We ran out of time before our next class started so I decided I would just take mine later on that day.

The next time we met for photography we were going into the darkroom. So, Mr. Cavanaugh brought in some reels and some rolls of film that we could practice with before we actually went into the darkroom. He told us to practice rolling up the film on the reels with our eyes closed because that’s how dark it was going to be in the darkroom. I knew it was going to be dark, but I didn’t expect it to be THAT dark!

So, Miguel and I practiced unrolling the film without touching it to our fingers and attaching it to a reel and twisting the sides until the roll of film was all the way rolled up. Miguel was having a hard time getting the film onto the reel so we decided my job would be taking the film out of the cartridge and getting it attached to the reel and he will twist the film onto the reel.
So, after waiting 45 minutes on the first group that went, it was finally our turn to head into the darkroom. We had a small group there was only four of us but only two people can fit in one room, so you have to be pretty comfortable with your partner! It would be really awkward if you didn’t know them.

After making our way through a dark hallway with about 15 little closets, Miguel and I settled into a room. We sat everything down on the counter, both rolls of film, two reels, a light tight container and a pair of scissors. Mr. Cavanaugh told us to make sure we knew where everything was because he was going to be turn out the lights and we won’t be able to see anything.

He finally turned out the lights and it was pitch black! Like I said before, I wasn’t prepared for it to be THAT dark! So, since I couldn’t see anything I started to feel around on the counter in front of me so I could get a roll of film and get the process started. I found the first roll of film just fine and I didn’t have any trouble at all getting it to pop out of the cartridge, but as soon as I got it out and started to cut the end off, I dropped the whole roll of film on the floor! So, Miguel got down on the floor trying to find this roll of film in the dProxy-Connection: keep-alive
Cache-Control: max-age=0

kness. While the two people in the next room were laughing at us.

After Miguel picked up the roll of film I cut the end off, attached it to the reel and handed it back over to Miguel so he could do his job of twisting the film onto the reel. I started working on the second roll of film and this time I didn’t drop it so that was good, but I did rip part of the end off, which ended up being okay because there was nothing on that part. Before we knew it we had both rolls of film on the reels and we were ready to get started the development process.

That was the part that took the longest because there are so may steps you have to take and everything is timed, it’s just really time consuming. It also smells really gross…kind of like rotten eggs mixed with chemicals and it takes a long time to get the smell off of your hands. But getting to develop my own negatives was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. I just hope next time I remember to fix the flash my camera because most of the film had a stripe down the side because the flash went off too quickly!

What's going on...

2009-11-14T17:13:00.000-06:00

This past month has been so busy! So, I haven’t been able to actually blog for quite some time now. But I have been writing stuff down as it happens so I can blog about it later, so in the next couple of days you guys will be bombarded with blogs! You’ll get to hear about me getting to meet Nando Parrado, getting to meet Elmo and Cookie Monster, my first plane ride, the Journalism convention, my first time in the dark room and some other stuff too!

What To Watch

2009-10-24T18:19:00.004-05:00

Bonjour! These last few weeks have been crazy for me, tests popping up like daises and just alot of events happening around school. Nando Parrado came to talk to AC this past week and it was pretty awesome.
So in the spirit of Halloween, I have decided to write about some of the scariest movies I have yet to see. As well as some good old classic non-scary Halloween movies. The very first scary movie I ever watched was the ever famous "The Ring" staring Naomi Watts and let me tell you I was scared for 7 days of my television.
A terrific classic is "The Shining" staring Jack Nicholson, based off the novel by Stephen King. It combines all the elements that a scary movie needs- shrieking music, ghosts, and a crazy story. Nicholson is fantastic and who can forget "Here's Johnny!" If you are just starting on your scary movie endeavor, I would recommend this be your first. King is a master story teller and the movie is fantastic.
And now on to the scariest movie I have seen yet- "Paranormal Activity." Let me tell you, that movie is crazy scary. When I went to see the movie, there were people walking out because they were so scared. I am not going to ruin it for anyone who has yet to see it, but it some sort of freaky.

I will leave this scary movie subject with a list of movies that will dare to scare you:

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978 with Donald Sutherland)
Jaws
Psycho (the Alfred Hitchcock classic)

Now on to some good old Halloween classics that are there not to scare you. One of my favorites that is on every year is "Hocus Pocus." Yes, it shows itself every year on the Disney channel as well as ABC Family, but it is just a good classic.
I also enjoy "Interview with the Vampire" starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. But I do not reserve this movie just for Halloween, it's a good all-year movie. It is a wonderful movie based off the novel by Anne Rice. It's a good vampire story if you are looking for one.
And last but not least is "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." I have been watching this every year since I was little and it has become tradition to watch this once every year. And the Peanuts cast never fails to impress.

I hope everyone has a wonderfully awesome Halloween!

And those of you who are free this Thursday, Jonny Zavant is coming to AC. He is a mentalist, meaning he can read minds and do some crazy tricks. The (free) event will begin at 7:00 pm in the AC Concert Hall Theater, but free food and coffee will be avaliable at 6:30 pm.