Addicted to Crickler

There's this game on the Washington Post website called "The Crickler." It's a daily puzzle where you fill in the correct letter boxes corresponding to clues about that day's top news stories. Oftentimes I don't have the time to go through the entire newspaper (or website) looking for the most important items; this game pulls those things out for me, telling me about the news in an interesting, interactive way. Along with Cricklers of the daily news stories, there are others called "Vocabulary Puzzles" where you fill in the letters for vocab words corresponding to short clues or definitions. There are weekly puzzles that generally are fine tuned on a specific topic like a state or a country. Also, there are crossword Cricklers that take the daily crossword puzzle and rework it into Crickler format.

What I like so much about this game is that when you guess letters incorrectly, it lets you know. When you a guess a correct letter, the puzzle fills in every box throughout the puzzle that is the same letter. You can adjust the handicap of the game, making it more challenging for more advanced players, and less so for beginners. Lately, I've kinda been slacking and have not been doing the puzzles daily. Sometimes I settle for a Sudoku or a Wordsearch instead. Anything to engage the brain is fine with me.

Freedom to Wear a Mohawk

This story is more than a little ridiculous. A sixth grader attending Kindergarten in Ohio was recently suspended becuase of his mohawk haircut. The school apparently had a strict dress code, but it failed to mention the inability to wear the rebellious hair style. Administrators said that the mohawk was distracting other students and getting in the way of their education...

I find this to be a load of crap. How are administrators justified in suspending a small child for something he really can't control. I remember when I was that young, my parents picked out my clothes each day and decided exactly how I would style my hair. If I didn't like it, then too bad. I find it pretty hard to believe that a Kindergarten student would have the authority to tell his parents that he wants such an outlandish haircut. On the other hand, it's pretty outrageous to take a way a person's right to style themselves as they want to when it is not forbidden in the school's handbook. I think this situation resulted in poor decisions by all adults involved, both parents and administrators. I feel really bad for the poor kid involved. It would be really awful to be pulled away from your friends due to a mohawk that was forced upon you by your mother and forbidden unneccesarily by your school. This whole thing was blown way out of proportion. It was a six year old child for Heaven's sake. Suspension is a little extreme...

Assassins at Collins

I was reading the IDS this morning and saw an article on the front page about the Collins Living Learning Center Assassins Guild. I remember talking about this game in class and about its alternative version of Killing Through Kindness. The premise of a large group of students on campus trying to "kill" one another is really interesting. Apparently there is a choice of three weapons to be used, Nerf guns, light sabers, and spoons. Spoons? I was a bit confused when I read that word... Spoons are readily concealable and are a creative alternative to more violent weapons, this is why they are used.

I am always so stressed out about my extremely difficult classes, as well as my extra curricular activities. Playing a game like Assassins where you are worried about being assassinated rather than about failing your chemistry test seems to be a great way to make friends and relieve stress. Perhaps Collins should adapt the Killing Through Kindness version of the game (or at least use it for a week as an alternative game) to promote kindness rather than hurtfulness... Anyway, I'm thinking I may look further into this game and perhaps will participate sometime in the future. A game like this certainly would be very exciting and entertaining.

Stop Butchering the National Anthem

One of my biggest pet peeves is listening to people who think they have the right to essentially rewrite the national anthem. I find this extremely disrespectful and annoying... It seems like every time I turn on the TV and watch a sports game, some new popstar or seasoned professional tres to show off his or her range and talent by butchering the Star Spangled Banner. The complicated runs and key changes were left out of the music for a reason; therefore, they should not be added in. I really don't care what other songs artists try to remake, but I feel our national anthem, a symbol of our nation's pride and honor, should be left alone.

I remember back in middle school band when my band director, Mrs. Fallis, was trying to find a version of the national anthem to play at a school Veteran's Day function. She always got so angry that there were so many versions that ruined such a purely simple, beautiful piece. She always settled on a version that was as close to the original as possible. I think this is really important. The Star Spangled Banner is a truly amazing song that showcases our patriotism. Does this song of liberty and justice need to be altered? I think not. So please, stick to the original.

Revolving Around the Cell Phone

I though I lost my cell phone tonight. It was a tragic situation. I searched everywhere in my room, moving things on my desk, shoving my hand down the back of my chair, searching under my bed... When I realized it was not in my room, I kinda became frantic. What was I going to do without it? I called my mom and explained the situation. I could tell she was pissed, but she knew that if I didn't find it soon, she would have to buy me a new one. "I don't want you walking around at IU without a phone." She's told me this numerous times.

Even I were to get a new phone next weekend when I went home, I would still have to last through this entire week without a phone. That's hard to believe. After getting the new phone, I would have to go through the disgusting hastle of reassembling my list of hundreds of phone numbers gathered throughout high school and college. How fun! I adamently refuse to start another Facebook group entitled "Jake lost his phone. Give him your number." Those always seemed to annoy me in the past. I would be a member of at least four "(Insert name here) lost his/her phone" groups at any one time...

Luckily one of my friends let me know (via Facebook) that I had left my phone in her car. Thank God! I plan on picking it up tomorrow. I now really believe that my life revolves around that stupid piece of plastic and metal, my cellular phone.

Happiness only real when shared

Happiness only real when shared, the last five words written in his journal before he died. I went to the Union tonight with some friend to watch Into the Wild and have to say that it was a really amazing film. I had never heard of it before tonight, but I am really glad that I went and saw. The show follows a young man who had just graduated from college and was feeling pressured by his wealthy parents to attend law school. Instead, he followed the footsteps of several writers he admired, namely Thoreau and Tolstoy, and set off to find happiness in the wild. He burned his money and donated all of his worldly possessions as he traveled from West Virginia to his final destination of Alaska and the ultimate adventure awaiting him there.

The movie really wracked my brain and had me questioning what I'm doing here at IU. Is it really necessary for me to attend medical school and become a doctor? What is my rationale behind this? Is it for the money? The benefits? The prestige? What really matters in the world? What is the source of happiness? As the main character sat alone in a tiny "magic" bus in the Alaskan wilderness he asked himself this same question. He had been running away from his family and their superficial life but realized that happiness was not the product of solitude and singularity but rather must be developed between people. Happiness only real when shared.

Kelvin Sampson Resigns as Coach

I just got through reading an article on the Indiana Daily Student website stating that Kelvin Sampson, IU's men's basketball coach, has officially resigned. Confronting increased speculation by many over numerous illegal recruitment practices, Sampson decided to make a deal with IU and end his job. He recieved a $750,000 settlement from the school.

I definitely think that resigning was a good move on Sampson's part. The investigation into his recruitment infractions was still being conducted, but it really didn't look very good for him. It was a really good idea to end hid career on his own terms instead of waiting to be fired by IU. At least now, the critics will stop the intense scrutiny of Sampson and the IU basketball program. Sampson's resignment is in the best interest of the team which will be now lead by assistant coach Dan Dakich. I'm hoping that the team will finish out the rest of the season strong and make a good appearance in the NCAA tournament. With the drama finally out of the way, at least the team will be able to focus all of its attention on basketball and forget about the problems within the program.

Way to Represent Indiana

I have to admit that I'm a bit underwhelmed with this seasons top 24 contestants on American Idol. Weren't these guys and girls supposed to be the best finalists the show has ever compiled? Apparently they aren't quite as good as they were made out to be...

Although none of the performances throughout the past two nights were really outstanding, one contestant has really caught my attention and gathered my support. Amanda Overmeyer is a badass rocker chick who really seems like a genuine, down to earth person. She's a nurse by day and a Harley riding, slightly gothic woman by night. What's exciting about Amanda is that she is from little Mulberry, Indiana. This is about 15 minutes from my house. My family gets phone service from Mulberry Telephone Company... My dad's relatives always gather at Mulberry Community Part each June for a large reunion. It's really exciting to find out that someone from such a small Indiana town could make it on TV. I really think that Amanda will go far in this competition due to her rocker style and uncompromising attitude. This is why I really like her.

Hasta la Vista Fidel Castro

After nearly 50 years of communist rule in Cuba, Fidel Castro has decided to step down as the country's president. He published a letter in a Cuban newspaper during the middle of the night notifying the public of his decision to abdicate his post. Hopefully, this change in leadership may give may to a democratic nation in the near future. This may not be the case, however, as Fidel's brother Raul may be taking his place as president. This would most likely mean no change for the Cuban people. The United States plans to continue the embargo with Cuba, and it doesn't look like this will be lifted any time in the near future. Castro has been sufering from declining health (mainly intestinal problems) for some time now; this could very well be a possible motive for his stepping down.

With Castro finally out of the way, will Cuba continue on as a communist nation or is democracy in its future? Let's hope so. Will the United States invade Cuba in attempts to get a new leader with democratic ideals in power? Let's hope not. We have the tendancy for becoming involved in situations that we should stay out of. If all goes well, Cuba will instate a democracy on its own.

New Game Ideas

Spending the past week coming up with new game ideas in class got me thinking about how many other games I've created throughout the course of my life.

Last year when teaching second grade Sunday school at church, I came up with an idea for a game that would get the kids more involved in the weekly lecture. It was an interactive activity based on the game Life and so creatively dubbed Religious Life. The students would have to tranverse a lengthly path covered with colored square blocks. Each of the colors stood for a different question they would have to answer in order to move further. Along the way, the kids would have to overcome several obstacles (the Seven Sacraments) that they had to pass in order to reach the finish line (Heaven). The kids seemed to really enjoy playing the game, but it got somewhat chaotic when seven extremely active nine year olds sat impatiently around a table waiting to roll the dice on their turns. I was really proud of myself for coming up with such a fun activity to break up the monotony of book reading and workbook pages.

I remember in sixth grade we had to develop a game in partners based on positive and negative choices people could make throughout their lives. Another board game was created... I remember naming it Chances Are, a suitable title for game of choices. My partner and I were extremely naive (we were sixth graders after all); some of the more "mature" kids in the class pointed out that this name was shared by a local Gentlemen's Club. How perfect.

One of my all time favorite game was developed by a grandpa's family when he was kid. He was one of sixteen children (I know, it's shocking), and they found it an extremely fun activity. The game, called Andy Over, essentially consists of two teams standing on opposite sides of a shed. One side stands with a tennis ball and throws it over the roof of the shed, making sure that it hits the roof at least once, while yelling "Andy Over." The other side stands at the ready and attempts to catch the ball before it hits the ground. If they do, they run around the side of the shed and try to hit the opposing teammates with the ball. Anyone who gets hit must join the other team. When everyone becomes part of one team, the game is over. My cousins and I would persuade my aunts and uncles to play when we were younger. Every Sunday evening when we visited Grandma and Grandpa, we would het out to the shed with the tennis ball and play a game or two. The older relatives would sit in lawn chairs and watch us play. This homemade game really brought our family together.

Turning All Our Children Into Hooligans and Whores

I have to say that Reefer Madness has to be one the best films I have ever seen. I watched it with a group of friends from my floor last night; this has to be like the umpteenth time I've seen it. I can now basically quote the majority of the movie and sing along word for word through the amazing songs. The song lyrics are so clever, witty, and hilarious; I am incredibly impressed with whomever wrote these awesome pieces. I don't think I can pick a favorite... "Listen to Jesus Jimmy" is good, so is "Romeo and Juliet." Any songs that can find rhymes for transubstantiate, stigmata, Charlamagne, and Velveeta definitely is okay in my book.

Reefer Madness the musical is based on a propaganda film made in the thirties or fourties, persuading people to protect their children from the menace reefer. The new musical adaptation takes the same approach but highly overdramatizes the plotline making a highly amusing, catchy movie. I was highly surprised that Kristen Bell (who played Veronica Mars on the WB) could sing so well. Her character, Mary Lane, provides a innocent, naive contrast to the reefer smoking characters that appear frequently. The ending is quite tragic (and quite disturbing as well), but the majority of the fill kept me laughing constantly. I really recommend this musical to anyone who enjoys wry, cleverly written comedies. The only problem is finding a place that has the movie in stock...

A Brief Look into the Naked Cowboy Case

So I just read an article on CNN.com that claimed the infamous Naked Cowboy of Times Square was sueing the Mars Corportation for Trademark Infringement. Everyone who's been to NYC is familiar with the guiter playing man wearing nothing but some boots, a cowboy hat, and a pair of underwear (despite the bitter weather) who serenades people walking through Times Square. Apparently, Mars created a new bill board depicting a guitar-playing M&M dressed only in underwear in a scene that looks an awfully lot like Times Square. The Naked Cowboy (who's name is really Robert Burck) is taking Mars to court, sueing them for $6 million because they used his name and image without his consent.

As ridiculous as this case may sound, Burck might very well have a chance of winning. He had apparently copyrighted his name and image several years ago and did not give Mars written consent to use these items. I definetly want to wait and read more about this case as it progresses to see who comes out on top.

Another School Shooting

Seventeen students were shot and injured at Northern Illinois University this morning before the shooter eventually killed himself. Luckily, all of the injured were listed in stable condition at the hospital; none were reported dead. Thank God.

School shootings are a terrifying thing. Following the devasting Virginia Tech shooting, I was a bit worried about going away to college... High schools, too, are at risk, however. This never really seemed to phase me, though. I had heard of the masacre at Columbine and of other smaller incidents, but none of this seemed possible to me. The shooting today in Illinois is just another in the list of many. I think it's begun to sink in; a shooting of this caliber could happen anywhere, anytime. I just pray to God daily that it doesn't.

What could a person be thinking when they choose to go on a killing spree? Spraying unsuspecting students, teachers, children, parents with bullets in malls, in dorms, and in classrooms. Could someone really be depressed enough to end the lives of as many people as possible before taking their own? This is a frightening concept. Where is the next target? Indiana? We can only pray that God will give those men and women who are too depressed to go on living comfort and solace. Death is certainly not the answer.

Finally, the Strike Ends

It's official. The writer's strike has now ended!! Picketing for better wages beginning back in November, the writers have finally voted to put an end to their fight and go back to work. The board of governors of the union has agreed upon a three year contract with production companies. This is really great news for the nearly 10,000 men and women who have been unemployed for the last few months, refusing to lend their writing talents to many television shows and film productions...

I've really begun to notice how much the writers are needed on late night television shows such as The Daily Show. Jon Stewart was getting pretty bad at coming up with new, funny material. Most of his jokes are extremely outdated or somewhat corny. He was in desparate need of his writers to spruce up the material. The Colbert Report was actually somewhat better without the writers. Stephen Colbert is pretty much one of the most hilarious people ever and was ever to produce sharp, witty material since forced back on the air about a month ago. I'm pretty impressed with his ingenuity and creative work; he can definetly hold his own without the help of a writing team. Nevertheless, the writers will surely spruce up these shows and allow for new episodes of popular sitcoms and dramas to be filmed and aired shortly. Thank God that an agreement was formed, and these talented people are able to work once again.

Getting Ready to Rock Out

I am very excited that Feist will be coming to IU over Little 500 weekend. This is pretty awesome news! Generally such well publicized musicians tend to stay away from IU... Last semester when Guster made a stop here, I was planning on going to see them play but was not excited that I had chemistry lab for three hours on the night of the concert. Somehow this always seems to happen to me... but not this time.

I'm also really excited about driving up to see Ben Folds at Purdue in two weeks. I've heard from friends that he is an amazing live performer, so I can't wait to hear him at Elliot Hall with some high school friends. These two concerts will definitely help make this semester much more exciting than last...

Surprisingly, I've never been to an actual concert before. My friends would always travel to Indy or Chicago during high school to see Panic! At the Disco or Ben Folds, but I was never able to go with them. I am glad that this spring I will be given the chance to see two amazing musicians perform. I am definetly ready to rock out!

Props to Huckabee!

The number of presidential candidates vying for their party's nomination has really begun to dwindle lately. One by one, those men who have fallen to the back of the pack have slowly dropped out of the race.

....Biden, Dodd, Edwards, Kucinich, Richardson, Romney, Giuliani, Hunter, Thompson, Tancredo....

With nearly every underdog giving up the fight (and the financial strain), who do we have left to support? Of course Clinton and Obama are still fighting for control of the Democratic party. This heated duel will likely still be contested when Indiana finally gets a chance to vote. On the Republican side stands McCain with an overwhelming majority of delegates, followed by Huckabee in second. I admire Mike Huckabee's tenacity and desire to continue in the race although he is so far behind. Even though I don't really think he could ever be elected president, Mike Huckabee seems like a really decent man. He seems like he would be a friendly person that would have a nice heart to heart conversation with you. I'm glad he, unlike Romney, has stood his ground and refused to give up. A presidential race composed of one candidate would not be very interesting.

Got Jesus?

While riding in a car back and forth between Bloomington and Lafayette, I noticed that there are a surprisingly large number of interstate billboards advertising religion. Hmm... I thought this was an odd thing to be blantantly flaunting to masses, especially through the use of such an untradtional medium. Just at the edge of Bloomington before merging of to Highway 37, I saw a billboard depicting an overly large water faucet pouring water into a wine glass. The water issuing from the faucet was orignally clear but slowly turned to a deep crimson, wine-colored hue as it fell into the glass. To the left of the image was the phrase, "got faith?". Obviously this advertisement was referencing Jesus's miracle at the Wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. For those who are unfamiliar with the Bible or the Christian faith in general, this image would make no sense to them. I understand that it is a goal for every religion to spread their messages as far as possible, but I think that proclaiming them on billboards may be a tad bit extreme.

I saw a much more in-your-face religious billboard when riding home over Christmas break. It was split down the middle; on one side was depicted a beautiful blue, cloud dotted sky, while on the other was a roaring fire. Across the center of the board were the words, "Heaven or Hell? You decide." This could be quite offensive to those who do not believe in either heaven or hell... Perhaps we need to be a little less blunt about our religions and tolerate everyone for what they do or do not believe. This, I think, is what God really wants.

Home for the Weekend

My mom drove down to Bloomington this morning in order to bring me home to Lafayette for the weekend. I was excited to see my family again, but soon found myself at a loss of things to do. The typical away-from-college boredom set in, and I was forced to resort to flipping through TV channels over and over again until I found something adequate to watch...

I remember watching soooo much television over the summer and throughout high school. Perhaps this is because I was still living with my parents in an extremely boring environment. Now that I've moved away (although only 2 hours south), I find that I rarely choose to watch TV. I bought a TV with money received at my grad party and thought that this would be a really good decision. Now that I have interesting people on my floor to talk to, plenty of homework to keep myself occupied, a new laptop to surf the web with, and a huge college campus with tons of awesome non-television alternatives, I find that the remote has gathered dust on my desktop as it continued to go unused.

While I don't watch much TV at IU, I find the amount that I do watch (maybe 30 minutes a day) is at a completely different time than what I used to watch at home. I particularly enjoy watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, both airing after 11:00 PM. I feel like at least I am gaining some basic political insight through these choices rather than gaining nothing from the garbage I would watch at home. I have begun to see a completely new side to today's Big Media.

Veronica Mars, I Hate You.

I've always been incredibly envious of the extremely perfect characters portrayed on television. I mean, come on. Is it actually possible to find one person possessing every beneficial trait known to man? God must really love these people to have graced them with such good looks, good personalities, and good fortunes. All the adoring fans watching these shows must feel incredibly inadequate when trying to measure up to pure perfection. I sometimes wish that more television characters had noticible flaws. Perhaps this is why shows like Ugly Betty and My Name is Earl are popular. These people can actually be seen as humans!

I was watching Veronica Mars with my friends earlier this evening and was completely shocked by how perfect the main character was. She was incredibly beautiful, smart, witty, and resourceful. Do people like this really exist? I sure haven't met one.

Perhaps the reason shows featuring extremely attractive, funny, and intelligent characters become so popular is because these characters give us something to strive towards. They may make us feel inadequate, but perhaps they are a manifestation of our inner desire to be perfect... I happen to like the fact that I may be a bit flawed. These imperfections give strength to my character. Although I may be slightly jealous of the perfect people of TV, I find that I am pretty happy in my own skin.

Super Tuesday on Wednesday

So I'm not feeling much better than yesterday (which sucks) but am kinda excited about the results of yesterday's super primaries. McCain essentially sealed the deal for the Republican ticket, winning the majority of the states contended for. He now possesses almost 500 more delegates that his nearest competitor, Mitt Romney. Huckabee is still far in the rear, although he did surprisingly win 4 states yesterday...

What I'm most excited about is the heated race between Democratic nominees Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Obama holds on to his lead by a mere 4 delegates! This looks to be a very close race. I'm kinda pissed that Indiana's primaries always fall at the very end of the pack (I think only four or five states vote after us). I'm seriously hoping that the battle between Hillary and Barack remains heated until we can vote. If the figures are still so close, we'll be given much more recognition on voting day. It always seems that the primary elections are a landslide in favor of one candidate per party. When Indiana's turn to choose rolls around, noone really cares who wins our delegates because the contest has already been decided. This year will be different. This year Indiana's primary will be monitored closely and speculated about more frequently. This year we will be considered important.

Too Sick To Blog...

So I just took my temperature and found that I have a fever of over 100. Yuck. I've been taking Motrin all day in order to feel okay enough for my Organic Chemistry test this evening. I took an Advil PM a few minutes ago and am waiting for that to kick in before I go to sleep. Although I'm not blogging about citizen media tonight, I'll be back at it again tomorrow with a new post on Super Tuesday. Well, that's all for now. Good night...

The End of Knight

I was studying for my organic chemistry test in Forest's formal lounge when one of my friends informed me that Bobby Knight, legendary Indiana basketball coach had resigned from his current post as coach of Texas Tech. Wow, what a sudden end to such an amazing carreer. I looked up an article about Coach Knight's resignation on IndyStar.com, and it seems that he turned his team over to his son, Pat. I'm really pretty shocked about this decision, in the middle of the season none the less. I suppose all good things have to end sometime.

I was never a really big Bobby Knight fan growing up, but my dad certainly was. Apart from the three NCAA championships Indiana won under the coaching of Knight, his fierce temper generally stands out in people's minds. I still remember the chair throwing incident... While this may be the case, I think Bobby Knight was a great thing for IU. He united the student body along with Indiana basketball fans everywhere for nearly thirty years.

Retirement might be a good decision. Bobby Knight will still be remembered as Indiana's greatest coach ever (and most angry). I can only wish him the best of luck for the future!

Best Superbowl Commercials

Although I am not the biggest football fan, I always make some time to watch the Super Bowl each year. I wasn't a supporter of either of the two teams playing today (but I'm glad the Giants won) so it wasn't the game itself that drew in my attention. The annual Super Bowl commercials are what I'm most interested in. This year several products stood out in my mind with their extremely clever, greatly entertaining commercials. They are as follows:

5. Pepsi- Sending Justin Timberlake soaring through the air with each sip of a Pepsi is a pretty interesting concept. I especially enjoyed the part where he was nailed by a flying plasma television.
4. Bud Light- There were numerous Bud Light comercials premiering throughout the game. My favorite would have to be the "fire breathing" one. Who knew that Bud Light once gave you the ability to breathe fire? Cats beware.
3. Doritos- Oh my God! How hilarious was it when that gigantic mouse broke through the wall and tackled the guy with the bag of Doritos. Priceless.
2. Bridgestone- I guess I never realized how loud squirrels could scream. This commercial really made me laugh, especially when the screaming woman was juxtaposed against the squirrel.
1. Planters- The lady with the unibrow and warts could definitely be defined as disgusting. Perhaps using Planters nuts as a perfume would be a good way for her to attract some much needed attention. I have to admit, I find it hard to say no to some good cashews...

Walking Off the Weight

I read an interesting article today about a once obese man weighing nearly 400 pounds walking off half of his body weight. How incredible is that! Losing half of one's body weight just by making the effort to step away from the TV and walk one mile each day. Obesity is becoming an ever increasing problem in our nation. With dozens of fast food franchises banking on our inclination to eat fatty, extremely unhealthy meals and thousands of satellite TV channels luring us onto the couch for hours on end, we are falling into bad habits that will reak havoc on our bodies in the long haul. If one man can lose have of his weight by walking and eat less unhealthy food, imagine what others could do if they followed his example.

I'm really glad that IU has such a large campus. Walking from one end to the other might take a long time, but it provides a steady stream of exercise everyday. So far I've only ridden the bus on campus 4 or 5 times (when it was deathly cold) and feel healthier by avoiding this habit. I remember watching sooo much TV last year while living at home. Now that I am busy with college stuff, I find alternatives to this unhealthy practice. I'm not trying to lose half my body weight or anything (I really want to gain some weight), but staying in shape helps me feel better about myself.