I do, however, believe in making personal improvements. But goals related to developing yourself, changing your state of being, or bettering society are things that you should set and seek to achieve throughout your life instead of once a year, no?
Check out David Pogue's video review of Windows Vista.* It's pretty great.
* thanks to Tony for the link
On how to rip your own jeans:
"Aren't you sick of going to stores and seeing these awesome ripped jeans and wishing you could have them, but they are just too expensive?"
I lust for awesome ripped jeans. Whatever happened to kids wishing for world peace?
"A cheese grater or wood file also works well for fraying and distressing the fabric."
I honestly never would have thought of taking a cheese grater to my pants. The times must be a-changin'.
"If you are wearing the jeans, try not to cut yourself."
hahaha.
For the full article, visit: How to Rip Your Own Jeans.
You can also learn how to Tribal Attack Someone and Tell if You Are a Racist, among many others of equal or greater comedic value, like how to Be Indie. Oh--there are some useful ones, too.
Stanford
- app fee: $105
- transcripts: $24
Berkeley
- app fee: $60
- transcript: $12
Minnesota
- app fee: $55
- transcript: $12
- materials for portfolio: $5
- cost of reprinting/enlarging photos for portfolio: $29.74
- mailer ($1.69) and cost to overnight portfolio ($18.80): $20.49
- self-addressed mailer ($0.99) and postage ($4.05) for return of portfolio: $5.04
Total: $328.27
By the time I've finished, I probably won't have any pants left...
However, to put things in perspective, there are worse things in the world than being de-pantsed by the cost of applying to grad school. Disease. Violence. Dishonesty. Ignorance. Apathy. Depression. Um, not having any pants to start off with. But seriously, just having the opportunity to apply to grad school is something that many people don't.
edit [12.27.2006]: I forgot to add $130 for the GRE, so the total is actually $458.27... whoops.
As of yesterday, I was done with the penultimate semester of my undergraduate education. What happened in a semester?
- I went rock climbing for the first time in Monticello, Iowa with my lab and others--it was SO fun.
- I decided that I want to go to graduate school for the purpose of learning more in order to do more.
- I attended the annual Engineers for a Sustainable World National Conference, which was held this year on The University of Iowa campus, and I hosted a presenter for that weekend. Awesome.
- I went to see Robert F Kennedy Jr. speak at Clarke College in Dubuque, IA, which was pretty sweet.
- I volunteered at an event to scare elementary school kids for Halloween and got punched in the face by a little girl. This was not so sweet.
- I watched: An Inconvenient Truth (must see), The Sketches of Frank Gehry (pretty cool if you like Gehry), Borat, Waking Life, and Koyaanisqatsi (a version created today would probably make me really depressed). Yeah, just 5 movies. I don't have time to watch many things, but if you suggest something, it'll go on my list.
- I started reading The Tipping Point and got about 2/3rds through before I got super busy and ceased to resume reading. Even though I haven't finished it yet, I'm going to recommend it because it's really good.
Is that all? Well, I worked, studied, read, wrote, thought, talked, ran, swung, jumped, danced, slept, ate, drank, listened, walked, watched, cared, and laughed. Now I'm on break for a month, and it's time to catch up on sleep...
- catalysts behind social epidemics, such as the effect of marketing on trends
- why people act certain ways in certain situations
- the psychology behind crime, suicide, and smoking (among many other things)
The book also does a great job of presenting fascinating research results that should collectively influence the decisions you make, or at least change the way you think, and there exists a great potential for positive change if you apply his theories in the right way. If you want a better review than the preceding sentence, try here...
On Monday, I have a group project due that also involves writing a final report and giving a final presentation. It's worth half of my grade. Groups are fine, and it's generally more fun to be working on something difficult with others as opposed to struggling through it yourself, but we have a slacker in our group. It's like we have a tricycle with an extra, useless fourth wheel. Actually, it's more like an extra handlebar, which adds unwanted weight and disrupts the overall balance and aerodynamic properties of the trike. Oh yeah, that third handlebar is also aesthetically unappealing.
Sure, everyone's busy, but you can't be THAT busy. After all, we stopped having classes so that we could have time to work on the project, so you have at least five extra hours a week that you could devote to, I don't know... doing something useful? You could at least pretend. Maybe you could stop leaving every time we meet up to talk on the phone. I've been watching--most of those calls were outgoing, you douche.
v: 530
q: 770
...and they shouldn't mean anything to grad schools, either. I mean just look at this.
I try to read Google News at least once every day, and today this article about posture caught my attention. I'm trying hard to think of an appropriate, non-clichéd comment for this that doesn't take on a 'Mother-doesn't-know-best' angle, but it's actually more difficult than I thought. (If the link above takes you to a login page, get one from here)
So I'll just throw out something else I have been pondering: why do LAY'S Classic Potato Chips have to taste so good? The salt, potato, and grease just kind of magically explode with flavor in your mouth with every crunch.
edit [06.13.2007]: That link is now broken. However, I found a PDF of the article here.
