Hello world. It's been a while since my last post, but with time constraints and such, it's the best I can do (not really, I am just trying to convince myself of that.) These past few weeks that I haven't written anything have allowed to me to soak up the college atmosphere and really get into my classes. Of of these two actions has been fun, the other not so much. I'll let you figure that one out. However, as most of us have realized, Indiana has once again graced us with her mysterious ability to change seasons in a day. Last Thursday, it was the hottest September 23 recorded in the past 20 years at 92 degrees. The next day, it dropped down to somewhere close to 65 degrees, and I marked it as the official start to fall.

Because this is my first fall on campus, it was funny to take in all of the subtle changes that come with the fall season. The first and most obvious would be that the sun now sets 4 hours earlier. This is totally inaccurate, yet it does feel like it. Along with fall comes the sweatshirts, the jeans, and warm slippers. The number of students in my morning classes has substantially dropped, and I think the 45 degree weather at 8:00 a.m. is taking a lot of blame. At night, everyone can see their breath, which is cool for about the first three minutes while it is still new, then it becomes super annoying and stays that way until February. When I first came to college, my dorm hall was crowded and busy on the weekends. This is not so much the case anymore, and I put full blame on televised football (although I do like the Colts).

With fall, there are less people randomly sitting outside around campus. There are less people throwing the frisbee every night, or sitting out on the porch in front of my dorm. I like to think about what all of those people are doing with the their free time; the same way I like to sit and think about what the people in the planes are thinking about as they fly above us, totally unaware that I am looking up at them gazing into their souls. That last part sounded a bit creepy, but let's go with it. Back to fall on a college campus. Fall is a time of bonfires, smores, and colorful annoying leaves. Fall has the unique ability to make you just cold enough that you need a light jacket, and it's specialty is making you suck your breath back into your lungs when you first go outside.

But enough of the season, let's talk a bit about what has been going on in my life. In the past two weeks, I have had two exams. One was easier than the other. And that's that. No one likes to hear about the troubles and hardships of school, because it is relatively the same story for everyone regardless of which college or high school you attend. Lecture, homework, lack of understanding, understanding (sometimes), more homework, test. It's that last part that always gets us. It's almost as if we know the whole process, but we are always angry that there is a test at the end.

Outside of school, I have spent most of my time working on school; however, since this is the first year that I am not going to some practice or game everyday, I have taken it upon myself to join as many intramural teams as possible. I think the current number is six, but it is sure to keep going up as more sports become available. I consider myself a pretty competitive guy, and I think that those people that know me would agree with this statement. It used to be so much worse, hulk status worse, but I have found ways to deal with this crazy need to be the best at everything, some of which are more sane than others. But one of the things that I have noticed in these first couple weeks of intramurals, is that for every team, every squad, every group, there is always that one person who thinks that they are really better than they are. I am almost 100% positive that I am not that person on any team that I play for, and this sureness stems from the fact that I could name at least one person on every team who fits that role, and they are not myself. So saying this, I wanted to outline the roles on an intramural or pick-up team.

1) Coach

Classic. The guy or girl that goes around giving advice, telling other team members what to do better. Seems to be nice and looking out for your best interest, but every time that they talk you have a desire to cover their mouth with duct tape and point your finger in their face and ask tell them to worry about themselves. (This may not be the same desire for everyone, again remember that I can tend to be a bit competitive.)

2) Guy that tries to be bad.

Some guys are ashamed of their natural athletic ability, and therefore, they act like the are really bad at the sport, but they do so in a laughing joking manner, like look at me "isn't it funny how bad I am?" This usually draws some laughs out of the audience or the team, and so he thinks that people are laughing with him, but in reality, we can see through his fake nose and glasses and we all know how much of an idiot he is making himself look.

3) Similar case but for females

As sad as it is to say, a lot of girls won't put forth the effort to try and be good at a sport because they don't want to prove that they actually aren't good and that they are a hinderance to the team. Therefore, they will pull a "Teehee, I'm a girl so you can't rely on me to make that play" attitude.

4) The cheerleader

This role can be for either female or male, and most of the times it's the awkward guy that gets this award. Someone is always there saying, come on guys, we've got this, or other cliche pump up phrases that really mean nothing in the jist of things. Occasionally, a team will have a cheerleader that is touchy feely, and that is really when things start to go south. A high-five is good at the end of the game, not fifteen times in between. And guys, never ever go below the upper arm. A back pat is sometimes acceptable, or a shoulder punch, but that is basically it. Just know the bro code and you should be fine.

5) Cornucopia

Finally, there is an mixture of individuals that fit all types of roles, but it basically narrows down to two categories. There are the actual athletes, and the people who wish that they were athletes. If you don't have any athletic ability, or you can't beat an old lady down the street, then intramurals are probably not for you. If you can beat the old lady down the street, but you still have no athletic ability, I can guarantee you that this will not change simply because you join the flag-football team.

Well, it's about that time again to actually get dialed back into school mode. That's basically what has been going on in the past few weeks. I know exciting right. Remember, life is what you make it, and most of us can't cook so what does that tell you. Don't try to make your life following some instructions, or someone else's recipe. This talk of food has made me hungry so I am going to go and hit up the wonderful food service here at Purdue.

Closing thought for the day, "And why do we do what we do? Because if we didn't, who would?"

Throwing up the NW333 and throwing down the rock,

Signing off,

JD

How to: Be an American

Heylo, and welcome to another blog from "This Guy Over Here." Today's topic is how to: Be an American. I thought this was particularly fitting because, as I hope everyone has realized, today marks the 9th anniversary of September 11th, 2001. It is absolutely mind-boggling to think about how just nine short years ago, we watched in shock and awe as our homeland was attacked. The community and togetherness that resulted from those attacks showed the true spirit of the United States; a spirit that is inside each and every individual that calls these 50 states our home. We mourn the losses that were suffered on that day, and we remember the courage and bravery that was shown in efforts to rescue all who were inside. On that day, a new found respect was born for the soldiers of our country. It was not because we suddenly awoke and noted the importance of our troops; but rather, we once again knew that we were fighting for something. We felt the pain of some body attacking our freedom, and it is this pain that drove us to draw together and bond as Americans.

So today, in honor of all of the people that were involved in some way with the attacks on 9/11 ( which technically is every American), the blog is going to be about how to be an American; how to bleed red, white, and blue, and how to be proud of the country that you live in, because it is truly the best in the entire world.

1) A New Idea: Tradition

As Americans, we pride ourselves on our traditions. Not as much as other countries perhaps, but then again, we haven't been around as long. However, on the other hand, we take pride in being a country of new ideas, of new lifestyles, and of new goals. So saying this, we relish the new and the old. As an American, you must be able to keep tradition strong, when at the same time thinking about new and exciting ways to do things.

2) Remember

Sometimes we are too focused on the future to remember to think about the past and be proud of our heritage. We like to say that we support our troops, and some of us do; but honestly, when is the last time that the everyday person has done something for a soldier. How many of us can actually remember the history of the United States? Most of us have taken some class that tells us the events, but how many of us actually take pride in our origin, the founding of a country that has risen through more ranks, toppled more dictators, and revolutionized life in more ways in the first 200 years of existence than any other country. We have defined our own way of life. We have made English the world language. We have changed technology, revolutionized medicine and science. and created the era of modern sports. We have things to be proud of, but we act as if being an American is supposed to be given to us, not something that we represent.

This is a relatively short blog because I am running low on time; however, I just wanted to express my patriotism and write a quick blurb about remembering September 11th. Have a great day, and I will be writing more on Monday!

Closing thought for the day, " A man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle" ~George William Curtis

Signing off,

JD

How to: Be Amazingly Awesome

Bienvenidos! Today is Thursday, September 9th, and I am sitting in the Purdue Humanities and Societies Library. People are giving me weird looks because I am furiously typing away at my keyboard. Ya, I guess you could call me a little weird. But hey, isn't everybody? Today's topic is how to: be amazingly awesome. At first, it may seem a bit conceited, but in actuality, everyone has the potential to be awesome; we just don't take advantage of it. One of my good friends gave me this idea, so this installment is a shout-out to Mary Hidde! And for everyone else out there, when you have brilliant ideas that I could use, let me know and you will get your own shout-out. Everyone knows how important those are. Throughout this blog, I will be referring to myself and others as 'awesome.' This is not a sign of my egotism, nor am I showing favoritism. It's just the blog topic.

So, let us begin.

The number one false conception that stops people from being amazingly awesome is the idea that this sense of awesomeness is relative to how others view you. You could be the most popular person in the world, but if your character and personality are crappy, then you are not truly awesome. You do not need a name like Voltron to be awesome. You do not need a mansion, a heated swimming pool, fifteen cars, or your own private jet. Those are all very cool items; but by themselves, they do not make a person awesome. So how do unlock our inner awesome, and what are some qualities of an awesome person? Well, let me tell you.

1) Confidence.

There is a huge difference between a confident person, and an egotistical person, although it is honestly hard to tell that difference sometimes. A confident person does not boast about what they have or can accomplish, rather they let their actions do the speaking. An egotist will tell you how important they are, while a confident person will allow you to see for yourself. The first and most important step in being an amazingly awesome person is to be confident. This is also the step that most people fall victim to. They cannot seem to find that inner self-confidence and so they turn to egotism, which is really the mask that covers up a very immature person. No one should be able to tell us what we can and do (within moderation of course. Still listen to your parents). But, we have the ability to be or do whatever awesome things we set our mind to. Be confident in yourself and your abilities. When you exude confidence, you exude pure awesomeness.

2)Be a thinker, tinker, and blinker.

This a lot to cover in one subpoint, but I liked the rhyme structure so lets's go with it. Be a thinker. Pretty obvious right? Not exactly. Think random, and what comes to your mind? Think funny, and what pops up? An amazingly awesome person is knowledgeable, and is able to take that knowledge and apply it to all areas of life. This does not mean that you should go home and begin to memorize the dictionary in attempts of being more knowledgeable. The human brain has so much potential, so use it! Never stop learning. You don't have to be a genius at everything, just experience life, and by doing so, become knowledgeable about a lot of things. I am not saying that in order to be amazingly awesome you have to be smart, because that is not true. But you do have to be knowledgeable. Big difference. Secondly, be a tinker. Don't live life afraid to make mistakes, it just ends up taking away from your experience in the end. Make the most of what you are given. Try new things. Mess up, get the wrong answer. The truly awesome person is not afraid to make mistakes, they relish it, because they know they will get stronger from those experiences. Finally, be a blinker. Soak up life, and don't forget to take everything in. When we really start to live life and we get going, it is easy to get focus so heavily on one task or thing that we miss opportunities. The amazingly awesome person is open to each and every new opportunity. And they capitalize on those chances. That's what makes them awesome.

3) "Happy" Gilmore

This is a fun subpoint. The amazingly awesome person is one that is happy with what they are doing in life. Last night, I sat out on this giant hill with one of my good friends and relaxed and looked at the stars. Some people might call me crazy, but in that moment, when I could see Jupiter in the sky, I was happy. Live life in ways that you enjoy. In the end, even if you have the best possible lifestyle, if you do not enjoy it, you will be the most miserable person in the entire world. Being happy is a funny thing too. It is almost as if happiness is an infectious disease, except not a disease at all. When one person in a group is genuinely happy, the group can't help but feel that positive vibe, and they themselves will start feeling happy. Try this: "The next time that you are in a big group, radiate happiness. See what effects your personal joy has on other." Always choose joy.

The second part of this subpoint is that like Happy Gilmore, always take a "big swing" on life. Some people say that it is the little things that matter most in life. I agree to a certain degree. But then again, whenever I hear that, I reference a giant puzzle. Every little activity, detail, or moment that we take advantage of is like another puzzle piece. When we are putting the puzzle together, the pieces are the most important part because we cannot see the end result in the chaos of colors. But, when we get to that point when our puzzle is complete, we look at the overall picture, and even though we don't like the spots where some pieces are missing, we are more concerned that we can make out what the final picture is supposed to look like. So my advice would be two-fold. Definitely be concerned with the little things in life, they are essentially what makes us who we are. However, always remember that they are in fact little things, and that in the end, the big picture is what is most important. SO, take a big swing. Shoot for the moon! Even if you miss, you can tell everyone that you were really shooting for mars. ( you thought I was going to say that you'll land among the stars. That's silly. If you land next to a star you burn to death.)

There are only three points of advice today, but I think that they are packed with useful information on how to be amazingly awesome. Remember that the awesome people are confident. They are knowledgeable, not afraid to try new things and fail, and they enjoy life. They are happy, they take advantage of opportunities, and they swing big on life. So once again thanks Mary Hidde for the great idea. Hope you liked it!

Closing thought for the day, "You will have to excuse me, I am way too busy being awesome." ~some random t-shirt

Throwing up 333 NW and throwing down The Rock,

Captain's Log.

Signing off,

JD

How to: Stay Organized

Welcome back to the newest installment of "This Guy Over Here." In today's society, we are at one point, "this guy/girl," but hey let's look on the bright side at least we don't have to also be "that guy/girl." That would be terribly hard, not to mention confusing. But anyways, after that little rant, today's topic is how to: Stay Organized. This will apply not only to schoolwork, but also to life in general because believe it or not, organization is a skill that you will need for the rest of your life. The term organization is derived from the Greek word organon, which was itself derived from the root word ergon. What does all this mean and why is it important to today's topic? Well, I won't be like the annoying flight attendant with the fake cheesy smile, demonstrating and telling you to fasten your seat belts. But, nevertheless, it would be a good idea.

The term organon and ergon both trace roots to Aristotle. Simply because the root words can be traced back to Aristotle does not mean that he invented the concept of organization. He merely put it in words. As previously stated, organization is a skill. It is not a hobby, an activity, an exercise. Organization is something that you are bad or good at. It is something that you have or you lack. It can be addicting (hence people who vacuum the couch right after you stand up), but it is one of the easiest things in the world to lack because it takes individual effort to maintain an organized lifestyle, and most people run from things that take effort like Forrest Gump ran from the bullies. Only we don't see our lives break free in a marvelous display of happiness, rather we see the crumble and disarray that accompanies an unorganized lifestyle.

I hope that by now, you realize just how big organization is. It can make or break you and because of that, here are some common tips on how to stay organized.

(1) Date it!

Get a calendar. Get one that is big enough that you can put on your door, wall, fridge, table, etc. Basically any place that you will constantly see it is good enough. So you go out and buy a calendar. Congratulations but you are only halfway there. Use it! Write down important dates, things that you need to do, deadlines that need to be met. Many people will take it one step further and carry around a miniature version of their calendar on their person at all times. I am all for this. I have programmed my calendar to correspond with my iPhone, and so at all times, I know what I have going on on which days. Others will carry around a planner or other device that allows them to stay on top of things. Either way, one of if not the most important tips on how to stay organized is to get a calendar and to date it!

(2) No more Piles

I truly do not understand why people get into the habit of walking into their houses, apartments, or dorms, and just throwing their stuff everywhere. I cannot belittle on this topic, because I was once one of those people and probably still am as my parents would be quick to tell you. This is one of the worst things that a person looking to be organized can do. It becomes almost impossible to keep track of things, and as time goes on, we start to form little piles of things here and there. They look so innocent, but really, they can be your downfall. These piles of crap (yes, although it may hurt to admit for some, most of the material in these piles is junk) may seem to be a relatively decent way to organize things, but it is not! These piles come from our fear of throwing things away. We do not need to hold on to anything and everything, and so make a decision and stick with it. If you decide that you really can't throw some things out, do not make a pile of things that you really can't throw out; rather put them in a box/container and label them: trash in a month or whatever time frame. Then when that time frame arrives, go back through the contents of that container and re-evaluate their importance.

3)To-Do, To-Do

One of the best ways to stay organized is via the To-Do list. These simple and efficient lists will save you a lot more time and effort than you would think. By making a list, you are reasserting to yourself the things that are important for you to accomplish. I would even take your To-Do list a step farther and prioritize the tasks on your list. By ranking your items on a basis of importance or necessity for completion, you now have a strategy for how you want to spend your time accomplishing your tasks. Like all good advice though, To-Do lists can be a negative thing is used incorrectly. Try to stray away from making too many lists, or making them too often. Spiderman's dad once told him, "With great power comes great responsibility." Well, I like my own version and how it applies to a To-Do list. With great numbers, come too many responsibilities. If you make five lists, each with ten items, you will not know where to start and chances are you will end up forgetting something along the way. Make your lists simple and concise, and when you finish one list, you can move and make another.

4)Mail Time!

Basically put, open your mail everyday! Whether that's actual postage mail, or e-mail, you will find that you are so much more organized when you open your mail every day. We start getting into problems when we let mail sit, or we don't check our emails on a daily basis. We begin missing opportunities, being late on deadlines, and we feel like we are always rushing. So stay ahead of the clock. Make a set time each and every day that you check your email, or open the mail after it has been delivered. For college students, email is the primary form of communication, and once you miss something, there is no getting it back.

5) The Avalanche

Do not get overwhelmed when the going gets tough. Organization is something that is done best in small amounts. People start to get stressed when they try and take on tasks that are way too big to take on at one time. Pick one thing that needs to be organized and start from there. After that is done, move on to the next. This method is similar to the To-Do list method. If you take the time to organize things in increments, you will find that little by little, your entire life will begin to run a bit more smoothly. When people "bite off more than they can chew," that is when they see The Avalanche of stress and pressure coming down on them. They being to question why they are even trying to organize something so big, and they soon begin to feel the heavy weight of realizing how unorganized they really are. So please, for my sake and yours, take small bites and chew, chew, chew. You know, we are supposed to chew each individual bite of food 20-30 times before swallowing. If only everyone took this method to organization..

As stated previously, organization is a skill that you will use for the rest of your life, and so why not get a head start while you can. Not only is organization important in school, but in almost every single facet of our lives. So even if you are swimming in a mound of junk and debris, just keep swimming and start working on things from the inside out. We cannot expect someone to come in and organize our lives for us. So step up, grab your calendar, your color coordinated sticky notes, and get at it.

I know that for the observant ones, you would have enjoyed how I color coordinated my five main topics today. For those of you who didn't notice, it's okay, but you may want to go back up to the beginning and read this again. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them, and I will get back to you.

Closing thought for the day, "The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious." ~Marcus Aurelius

Shout-out to NW 333 and the Rock

Signing off,

JD

How To: Be a Superhero

Hello all, and welcome to the become your own superhero blog! I have taken a liking to blogging and have been spouting out random information every other day for about the past two weeks now. Anyways! Today is Saturday, Labor Day Weekend, and it is a wonderful day to be alive, although Purdue is like a ghost town. This new blog topic was inspired by one of my very good friends, Carly Lewis. She wrote an English paper last year about how to be a superhero, and I liked it so much that I am going to make my own rendition of it. So thank you very much Carly for the idea and lets start making our secret identities!

The first and most important thing about becoming a superhero is defining your cause or what you are fighting for. Whether you are protecting a city, or your local neighborhood, if you don't stand for anything then you aren't a real superhero. And it would be convenient if you are a male superhero to think about choosing a girl that you would like to be your "damsel in distress" because only the cool superheroes can save the world and get the girl at the same time!

The next important step to becoming a superhero is to make up your secret identity. I would not recommend having your superhero identity be the same as your normal identity. Hence the "secret identity" part. I don't get how Ironman does it. There would be way too much fan mail. So, making a secret identity is actually a lot harder than it sounds; you simply cannot put on a mask and think that no one will ever recognize you like the movies. That is unless the mask completely covers your entire head, but seriously that would be way too hot (sorry Spiderman). You have to take into consideration the fact that people recognize your voice, certain ways you move your hands, or even your body language. There is a lot more that goes into making your secret identity then simply putting on a mask that covers up your eyes/face. But once you get that figured out, it's time to move onto the riding solo decision.

Every great superhero, whether he or she would like to admit it or not, has some help from either a partner or a very trusted friend. Bruce Wayne has that awesome old guy, Lucius Fox, played by Morgan Freeman. Many superheroes prefer working alone in the field, but they can't do everything by themselves. There are people behind the scenes that always help out. So after you make your secret identity and define your cause, it is necessary to find someone or some people that are willing and able to help you in your adventure of hero/heroine actions.

When you are finished with all of these exhausting steps, the fun begins. The next important step to becoming a superhero is to find, define, and or build your secret "lair." Now this may sound villianesq, but even the good guys have to have some where to hide and go back to other than their house when the paparazzi start becoming too much (I would not recommend that you make your secret lair in your house. Unless it is somewhere so hidden that no one would find it snooping. Also, there must be another entrance somewhere. You cannot go into your secret lair via your front door.) But once you have determined exactly where your secret lair is, you can start decking it out with high-tech computers and walkie-talkies, both of which can be purchased at Radio Shack.

Finally, with your cause defined, secret identity made up, helping hand chosen, and secret lair built, you are ready to go out and kick some bad guy butt! However, I would strongly recommend going out and getting some serious training first, or else your first fight may end up looking a bit like one of these guys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REtLsBBeQb4&feature=fvst) ,and even though it is funny, there is a big line between funny and dead in the real world. So please get some training.

Well that’s all I have for today. I take no responsibility for the kids that will put on tights and go run around claiming to be superheroes, because if you re-read this entire blog, I never said the word tights once, except for two lines ago. This blog is supposed to be helping produce the city-saving superheroes, not the confused little boys in tights. But that's not really fair is it. The true definition of a superhero isn't in their acts of service, but in their hearts and their lifestyles. We see superheroes every day, we just don't take the time to stop and realize the amazing qualities of people.

Talk to the elderly man who overcame cancer, and mourn for the men and women who fought by his side only to not come out as fortune. Give respect to our soldiers, as they are the real superheroes in the battlefield. Smile and remember when you see a woman do an act of kindness for another, and maybe, you can pass that act of kindness on. Take time to thank the fire fighters, police officers, and other city workers. Make an effort each and every day to show your superhero qualities, and always give back to the people that have give you so much.

Closing thought for the day: "You just have to appreciate who you are and hopefully they can see what a superhero is about." ~Lucy Lui

Signing Off,

JD