Track 20: The Websites List

I'm out of other ideas right now, so I present a list of my favorite websites.

1. Facebook- This one should need little explanation from me. Anyone that somewhat pays attention to modern technology or the internet has heard of Facebook. For me, I find it to be an excellent communication tool as well as a time waster. I can read what's going on with my friends, promote the blog, chat with a friend, or play a stupid game (like Mafia Wars or Farmville). Basically, Facebook is a necessity for people in my generation.

2. StumbleUpon- You've heard me talk about this before, but that's because it's one of the greatest things to ever hit the internet. To sum it up, it's basically a ginormous random button for the internet. I can stay up to date on current events, find something to laugh at, or learn something new with minimal effort. I've lost a lot of my life to StumbleUpon, but it's definitely worth it in the end.

3. Woot/Shirt.Woot- If you're not familiar with the business model of Woot or Shirt.Woot, you should be. The company sells one product a day until it runs out, and then a new product is placed on the website at midnight central time. Shirt.Woot uses the same idea with t-shirts, but the t-shirts are only $10 a piece with free shipping. I don't ever buy that much from Woot, but Shirt.Woot is a critical part of my wardrobe. At one time, I'd say 55% of the t-shirts I owned were from Shirt.Woot.

4. Ars Technica- This is my default website for technology news. I make sure to check it constantly so that I'll know what's going in the tech/gadget world. I also greatly appreciate the design of the website and the live blogging of press conferences and other events.

5. NFC North Blog- I go to this website to get my daily dose of news about the Green Bay Packers and their competition in the NFC North. Kevin Seifert, the man behind the blog, always seems to have the scoop on news and gossip.

6. Wikipedia- This is another website that has become vitally important to my generation. I hate that people always claim that the site isn't accurate, because, in most cases, Wikipedia is the greatest wealth of general knowledge available on the internet.

7. xkcd- This is a smart web comic for smart individuals. The humor is definitely unique and interesting. It also makes many insightful and relevant points. Another bonus is that the comic is updated regularly and often.

8. Surviving the World- This is a daily photo comic that I make sure to look at every morning. Dante, the creator, usually makes witty and intelligent statements, but my favorite part is the expressions he makes with some of his submissions. Most excellent, indeed.

Track 12: My Top 5 NFL Players

So it feels like it's been a ridiculously long day. I am fully initiated now in my fraternity (Delta Sigma Phi) and saw Georgia Tech upset Duke in basketball. I watched the game from the floor and apparently was on ESPN for a second. We stormed the court when we won, but I got trapped in between three fat, sweaty ESPN camera crew guys.

But enough with that. Because I can't think of anything else to do, I'm just going to make a list of my 5 favorite NFL players past and present.

1. Brett Favre. So I know I'm going to get some crap over this one given all of his recent team switching and glory hogging, but I absolutely love to watch this guy play (not as much now because of the purple he currently wears). When the ball is in Brett Favre's hands, you have no clue what to expect. You have to prepare for a big play at any moment. He essentially makes football exciting. I also wanted to mention his ridiculous record for number of consecutive starts. This guy is a competitor.

2. Barry Sanders. I mentioned him in a previous blog post from the other day, but this guy is amazing. I never received much of a chance to watch much of him live, yet just watching this highlight video blows my mind. He made plays stay alive just by persistence, and that's something that I greatly admire. It was unfortunate that he played for the Lions his whole career, because the Lions' struggles helped bring about his early retirement due to being tired of the culture of losing.

3. Jerome Bettis. As a kid I always would play football with a friend who lived in my neighborhood. We were around seven or eight years old. He was a skinny, little guy, and I was fairly hefty. Whenever we played, I always pretended I was Jerome Bettis, because I could just run the ball all over the yard with my friend hanging on my feet. He could do the same thing. Jerome Bettis truly deserved his nickname of "The Bus". He was huge, and no one could stop him when he started driving his legs.

4. Charles Woodson. I have to include a defensive player in this list, because they're just as important as the offensive players. He's having the best season of his career just as other players his age are declining. He's smart, talented, athletic, and a leader. Charles is always looking to make a play which differentiates him from many of his peers. He's an easy pick for the Hall of Fame whenever he retires.

5. Reggie White. I was trying to keep this list from becoming biased towards the Packers, but I can't help it. Reggie White was the defensive end. He defined the position in my eyes. His ability to disrupt a play and obtain a sack makes him unparalleled. Sure, other players have come along and broken some of his records, but it just isn't the same nowadays. He was the "Minister of Defense". Requiescat in pace.

Track 10: Ten Dorm Room Tips

So, in celebration of me being back at my dorm in Georgia Tech, here's a list of dorm room essentials/nonessentials.


Essentials


1. Two sets of bedding. This is just for convenience mainly. You don't want to not have any bedding on your filthy perfectly clean mattress. Just bring two sets and rotate with your laundry.


2. A refrigerator. Yeah, you think that you'll get all your food and meals from the "delicious and nutritious" dining hall, right? Wrong. You need a refrigerator (preferably one with a freezer part) or else your body might just attack you to protect its own health.


3. Noise-cancelling headphones. If you don't have these, then you're probably going to hate your roommate more than you already will. Let's face it. There are going to be times when you just don't want to listen to anything having to do with your roommate.


4. A poster or two. I know it's pretty cliché with the college kid hanging all sorts of posters on the wall and going overboard, but you want to put a little pep in your room. (I have a poster from The Hangover and a poster of Muhammad Ali in mine.)


5. A desk lamp. You'll be studying late. I really don't think this one needs that much explanation.


Nonessentials


1. Cardboard boxes. These things just take up tons of space like you wouldn't even believe. If your family loves you, you'll get more boxes anyway. Just take the boxes out and recycle them.


2. A TV. I'm guilty of this one myself, but a TV is really unneeded. It just distracts you and wastes time. Most TV shows are easily viewable online now anyway.


3. Weed.  I mean, c'mon dude. You're in college now. If you're going to smoke it, don't be retarded and smoke it in your room. If you're half as smart as you say you are, you'll be able to find a good spot.


4. Too many clothes. I know you want to be fashionable and trendy, but chances are that you won't have nearly enough room for all of your clothes. Just pick out what you like and make sure to rotate your wardrobe.


5. Books for personal enjoyment. You're not going to have time to read all those books unless you sacrifice time from other commitments, and those books are just going to take up extra space. You should get a kindle for books if you want to have your library with you. (That's what I do.)

Track 5: The First Semester Findings

So it's about time for me to start turning my mind back to school and preparing for my second semester at Georgia Tech. Here's a little list of things that I've learned from my first semester.

1. Get out of your room and do stuff. I can't stress how important this is. If you don't make friends in the beginning or get involved with something, you are most definitely going to get left behind.

2. Finals are as hard as you make them. If you don't go to class all semester, don't do your homework, and don't even pay attention, there's no way that you're going to do well on the final. You can study for four days straight, but actually doing work throughout the semester is key to making good grades and performing well.

3. All-nighters are not good for your health or academics. You may think that you're really getting a leg up on that test and that you're going to show that teacher who's boss. But your body needs sleep to function. Not to mention that one of the main reasons that humans require sleep is to consolidate information into your memory. In other words, unless you sleep on it, you're just going to forget all that you just stayed up to learn.

4. Have Fun. Yeah, academics are important, but college is so much more than that. I've bet you've heard this before, but it's really true. I know I'm not going to remember what tests I got A's on, but I can tell you that I'll remember some of the parties for a long time.

5. Don't be afraid to confront people. You're an adult now. You need to learn how to solve your own problems. If you have an issue with someone, just talk to that person about it face-to-face. You'll be amazed how much that solves.

6. Be open to new things and new people. You're probably on your own for the first time in a strange, new environment. Just try to be accepting. I've made some weird, goofy friends during my first semester, and I would've never associated with them if I had come in all with my mind already closed off. Also, try to be respectful towards the culture of others.

7. Yes, the unlimited dining hall is very nice and convenient. Yet, please don't gorge yourself. The "Freshman 15" is true and does happens. Also, make sure to eat somewhere other than the dining hall once in a while. It'll make you feel better. I promise.

8. Enjoy your sports teams. This is probably one of the only opportunities in your life that you'll be this close to a high-caliber sports team. I don't care what your school is good at. Football, basketball, water polo, cross country. Go watch some games and support your teams.

9. Don't get bogged down by the school. Some schools (especially Tech) can just make you feel like crap at times. However, it's easy to avoid this if you always look on the bright side of life.

Well, that's all I have. Read this list. Know this list. Be this list.