I Want to Name My Child Ryland

Until the weather lets up, these dorm pictures are the best I can do. With 3 midterms today I felt like I was back in high school. Remember those special days where you would have one final at 8am and then be done for the rest of the day?

Cobra was a lot of fun the other night. They played most of the new cd which is surprising since it sounds very produced, but the pulled it off. I always laugh more when I see them compared to other shows I go to.

Drum roll please...

I traded in my camera for a digital Rebel XT SLR. I was tired of lugging around all of the bells and whistles so I decided to exchange it for a better quality picture. I'm excited to get started with it, but I couldn't have gotten it at a busier time with midterms this week and the cobra show last night. I'll try to get at least one picture up a day. Here's a couple from the one day I was able to play around with it.


The is Trey. He's the other assistant music director at wonc. He enjoys Bon Jovi - I don't. He's a good guy, regardless.




Robot.

How I Tried to Sell Out

Some of you devoted readers may have noticed an added page element over the past two weeks. It looked a little like this

To be totally honest, I was selling out.

Google has this little ploy where they will put ads on your page and every time someone clicks on the ad, you - the host - receives money. Well, the idea that Google would send a check to Naperville, Illinois addressed to Austin Morgan was enough ammunition for me to pull the sell-out trigger.
The catch is that they only pay you once you receive $100 in clicks. This seemed like a very feasible number after a first days earnings of .63 cents. Yes, cents. However, the second day my grand total was up to a staggering .64 cents, yet I had just as many clicks on the second day as I did on the first. Hmm.....
I thought maybe a glitch had occurred (ha! Google having technical trouble) but after a week my total had not moved from .64 cents. Wait! Wouldn't it be even funnier if Google had to send a check to Naperville, Illinois addressed to Austin Morgan for .64 cents? Pull the plug!

I tried.

There is this little stipulation they like to throw in under your nose when you click all of the yes buttons in the "do you agree to the terms of service" charade. It states that the user must receive at least $10 in clicks before canceling or else Google is not responsible for paying. Since it would take me approximately thirty-two years to get to $10 dollars and by that time Google will probably have their own currency, I decided I was not meant for the pay per click game.

Defeat.

Hell is Here

I Know I'm Not the First Person to Edit Pictures With the Pencil Tool

Almost 10 days ago I went ice skating in size 11 goodwill skates. That is about 2 sizes below acceptable, and my heels took the brunt of my miscalculations. Instead of medicating with band-aids like a normal grownup, I went without for a couple of days and before I knew it I was bleeding through my socks and into my shoes. I finally wised up and bought band-aids this weekend so my heels are free from pain for awhile. I've now become a blood brother with my shoes. Not many people can say that.

In other news, I went through with the major purchase I was speaking of a couple of days ago. It should be here in a couple of days, and I'm very excited to get started.

That my friends, is a cliff hanger.

Instead I will "work"

I have this really 'kick a' picture and story of my bloody foot, but Blogger must have taken the Holiday off.

MLK taught me to push through the hard times.

I will post after dinner.

All the Time, Any Time

Corinne and I watched Snoop's reality show last night and I laughed approximately 46% of the time. He wouldn't let his thirteen-year-old son go to a party, so instead he brought him to the video shoot for the video above.

In other news, I apologize for some minor alterations to my web log. I am doing a little experiment and I will hopefully have the conclusions I want sooner than later.

We have our first badminton matches tonight. I'm bleeding through my socks from a skating injury (ok, they're just scabs) so hopefully I can pull a Willis Reed.

The Introductions Still Create Goosebumps

Corinne and I went to the Bulls game with our school last night. We only had to pay $10 for a $40 ticket, and for some reason we were in our own section away from the other 25 kids on the trip. Us and the bus driver, that is.

The Bulls were winning the whole game, but ended up losing by 6 or 7. It wasn't all a loss, as I had the winning cards for both the Dunkin' Donuts and Hinkling Spring Water jumbotron races, which means a free donut and 1 free gallon of water - score. If the Bulls would have won and scored 100 points the entire stadium would have gotten a free Big Mac. Defeat really hurts sometimes.

These guys really enjoyed the action.


Corinne and I are taking on the elements to go shopping today. I've become wise and decided to invest in an external hard drive for my computer. The tears of losing loads pictures, music, and writings are worth the $80 or so dollars.

I may be coming home with another large purchase. I guess you'll have to stay tuned for that one.

Someone Got Photoshop...

I Missed Her

Am I Growing Up?

I've been shaving a lot more lately.

Too Much Text, Austin

I know I need to get my camera out and take pictures, but with freezing conditions I don't want to take it outside. More pictures soon - I promise.

I started reading Wuthering Heights today for Brit Lit. I think I may like it if I manage to stick with the 50 pages/day assignments. I've already learned more about the Brand New song 'Seventy Times Seven' thanks to the book. It comes from a Bible verse where God tells a man who has sinned against one of God's children that he must apologize seventy times seven times. If I butchered this or didn't do the verse any justice, I apologize, but I think that is the first time both the Bible and the word God has been typed here. Holla'.

Alright, The Hives. Corinne loves the Hives. I was always turned off by their image and their condescending attitudes. I know it's all a joke and they're just having fun, trust me I like bands like that - I'm seeing Cobra Starship on Tuesday. Anyways, the Hives new album has started to change my attitude on the band. I still don't like the how-many-times-can-we-put-Hives-in-a-song-title thing they got going on, but the songs 'Won't Be Long' and 'You Got it All...Wrong!' have won me over. I can't stop listening to them.

Corinne 1
Austin 0

I also learned today (give it up to January 15th for knowledge) that within 25 years or so Columbus sailed to the West Indies, the Mona Lisa was painted, the Sistine Chapel was painted, and Magellan sailed around the world. I'd say that was a successful couple of decades.

Oh. Last thing. Supposedly, two spaces between sentences is a no-no in the English Image Department. So stop that.

Just Wondering

Has anyone been to Cape Canaveral to see a space launch?

Shredding

These are the bad boys I mentioned early. Orange insides and black and white laces strike fear in my opponents - like a tiger.

It's a lazy Sunday which has included waking up at 11:30 and watching the office (season 2 - the dundies episode) and then going to brunch.

Have a nice day off, everyone.

Presenting Team USA

When Corinne and I got to school on the 2nd we were greeted by the options for two fun activities. One is a Sunday night badminton team which starts next week - team name still pending - the other occurred last night and was $3 dollar ice skating. We looked into it further and found a free rink down the Riverwalk so we thought it wise to buy ice skates. The Goodwill gave us our wish as Corinne picked up a nice pair or $4 white figure skates and I found a $3 dollar pair of vintage black and red hockey skates. Anyway, skating was a lot of fun last night and there were only 2 falls which we both considered a success. Before you know it I'll be throwing her in the air for the triple axle.

but they keep turning it back on

I turn off our floor's bathroom light whenever I leave the bathroom. I think you should too. When I leave the bathroom at home I turn it off, why not at school?

Sometimes I think I could dedicate my life to conservation.

Play in the Sheets

I haven't been able to sleep very well, but I'm never groggy during the day. It's refreshing to be fully content and not missing a piece here or there.

Integrating Word & Image is the first class in awhile that's made me sit back and appreciate learning. I've only had 2 classes, but I'm like a child learning something new about everyday life. It's a hidden language that consumes my life, but I never knew it - or paid attention to it.

I had my first radio shift yesterday and I would give myself an 82% for not having been to WONC in 6 months. The new radio kids seem like they are ready to work hard to make the station better. I'm in that middle of the road phase. I can relate to the young kids coming into the station for the first time and going through all of the first-times, but I also know what it's like for the seniors to be busy as hell with everything else that's not radio, as they attempt to get ready for that real world that awaits. It's a stand-still phase - I'm in slow motion, but everything is moving around me. Very post-modern.

I'm going in a lot of directions, but I'm happy so I'm not going to worry about the 'what ifs'.

Have you seen Snoop Dogg's video for "Sensual Seduction (Sexual Eruption)"?

I Saw a Student Wearing a T-shirt: Janurary 5th

I'm back at North Central and everything is running smoothly. I'm taking 4 distinct classes which should all challenge me in a different way. For example, this weekend I have to read a British poem from the 19th century, write a little paper on the struggle of change in life, and make a business card with an Adobe program.

I picked my radio shift for the term on Wednesday, and if you're around Mondays from 3pm-6pm you can listen live at www.wonc.org If you're bored (I'm talking to you ISU friends) send me an IM at fm89. I'll answer all legitimate messages (I'm talking to you random 14 year old girls).

I am currently not employed by anyone, but I am in the middle of creating some income. Hopefully, I will be announcing some basketball games for the school this term. After doing one girls game last year - and announcing the wrong team during introductions - they still want me back and I may even be the #1 announcer for some reason. Apparently, Ray Clay has repeatedly turned down the position.

Corinne and I will also be buying and selling textbooks, cds, movies, and video games this year. If you or a friend have any of these items sitting around and don't want the bookstore to give you $4 for that $200 Business Law book, come talk to us. We'll treat you nice.

If you know me, you know I despise cold weather. Nonetheless, I try to embrace it. Yesterday, Corinne and I bought $3 dollar ice skates at the Goodwill and found out there is a free rink down the street on the Riverwalk. Unfortunately, right now people are wearing t-shirts outside and the ice is not skateable, but I'm sure we'll be out there practicing our routines soon. Watch out Vancouver 2010.