Pomp and Circumstance

I'll get back to you after graduation.

20 Questions Disc

Do you realize?
Do you believe in magic?
Where have all the cowboys gone?
Have you ever seen the rain?
Do you love?
What the fuck are we saying?
What's the frequency, Kenneth?
What ever happened?
What am I to you?
What are we fighting for?
Can I borrow a feeling?
Are you ready for the fallout?
Are we ever gonna have sex again?
Why don't we do it in the road?
Who is he? (And what is he to you?)
What is love?
Why do fools fall in love?
Is it wicked not to care?
You and whose army?
Why do they leave?

Thank You

The same professor has won our Criminology Professor of the Year Award for every one of the 16 years it's been awarded. Again tonight, he approached the podium to loud applause and a few "Woah, big surprise!" cracks from the audience of criminology students and faculty. He had no written speech in front of him but was very focused on his message.

His tears in the closing moments of his message were genuine. A man who has been told year-in and year-out how great he is would be expected to have an enlarged head, shouldn't be surprised to win a vote he has never lost. I wouldn't have thought any less of him had he gone up to the podium with a swagger, issued some half-hearted thank-you's, and returned to his seat unaffected by his plaque. But tonight he taught me a valuable lesson about how important it is to keep a connection with those that have helped you get to where you are today, and how the most simple showing of appreciation and gratitude can be both poignant and humbling... as long as the giver truly means it, and the receiver has truly earned it.

On Monday, I'll knock on his office door and thank him for the past two years.

Update Soon

My life is changing.

Meet Lorraine

I drove home last Wednesday through the mind-numbingly dull stretch of road that is I-10. Just like I always do, I hummed "Old Folks at Home" as I drove across the Suwannee River. Little did I know, this would be the final time I would share this tradition with Russ Camaro, the green 1995 Chevy Camaro I've had since I turned 16.

Russ Camaro started to die on me about a year and a half ago. He'd have a new problem every other month, and the expenses piled up. I decided that when I graduated college, I would say goodbye to my Camaro in exchange for something more reliable. I once pleaded with him, "Every time you give up on me, I want to give up." Well, I had finally given up. When I told Russ Camaro this, he responded, "Antilock Brake System Disabled."

I had an idea that my dad and I might look at cars last weekend, but I didn't know I would fall in love so quickly. There's an unwritten rule in the car-shopping business that you never show your true excitement over a car, for the sake of reaching a good business deal in the future. And me, I never let on throughout the afternoon, not even to my dad. But out of all the cars I drove Friday, none came close to that second car, the Toyota Solara that glided me through the streets as though I were saddled onto a moving cloud. She had to be mine.

The drive home was a treat, surrounded by comfort, style, and that new car smell. When I crossed the Suwannee River, I performed "Old Folks at Home" with new pep. It was at that point, though, that I realized that my car still had no name. I could tell she was a girl (you just know these things). But none of the names that came out quite clicked. Sarah, Vivica, and Jessica Alba are all great names; they just weren't the name of my car.

As soon as class ended Monday, I went driving through Gainesville. I put in some Sinatra, and my car loved it (you just know these things). As "I've Got the World on a String" flowed through the speakers, I escaped my body, saw the scene from the outside, and thought, "I am so money right now." That's when it hit me: Swingers! What was Heather Graham's name in Swingers?

Her name is Lorraine. My car's name is Lorraine. You just know these things.

Great Monday

There are so many to thank for this awesome Monday, so if I forget you, I'm sorry. Thank you to:

Whoever cancelled Crim Theory today
The jolly bus driver who looks like Santa Claus
John Corson
Sonic Cherry Limeades
Frank Sinatra
All You Can Eat Wings
God
Lorraine (you'll learn about her tomorrow)
The Penn State admissions office
The Penn State assistantship nominating committee
Penn & Teller
Phil Mickelson's wife
The deejay who played "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" this afternoon
The people at Toyota
My parents

How About This?

My new compilation idea is "The Questions of Life." Every song title must be in the form of a question and must have a question mark in the title. If the artists did not place the question mark in the title, forget it; that's a disqualification.

Any suggestions are appreciated, just make sure the song has a damn question mark in the title. For now, here are the questions I have...

Why don't we do it in the road? (The Beatles)
Why? (Andrew Bird)
What is this thing called love? (Frank Sinatra)
Have you seen my love? (Rosie Thomas)
Why bother? (Weezer)
How deep is the ocean? (Doc Cheatum and Nicholas Payton)
Have you ever seen the rain? (CCR)
What the fuck are we saying? (Lenny Kravitz)
Can we find a reason? (Lenny Kravitz)
Are you lonesome tonight? (Elvis Presley)
What ever happened? (The Strokes)
Do you sleep? (Lisa Loeb)
Is the answer in the question? (MxPx)
Has anybody seen my boyfriend? (The Angels)
What am I going to do without you? (Barry White)
What'cha gonna do about it? (New Kids on the Block)
Who is he (and what is he to you)? (Bill Withers)
Are you in? (Incubus)
Can I borrow a feeling? (Kirk van Houten of The Simpsons)
Why do fools fall in love? (Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers)
Where my girls at? (702)
Where have all the cowboys gone? (Paula Cole)
Do you realize? (The Flaming Lips)
Sister, do you know my name? (The White Stripes)
How do you? (Radiohead)
U got a problem? (Ludacris)
What's my age again? (Blink 182)
Who am I? (What's my name)? (Snoop Dogg)
Who's got my back? (Creed)
Why can't I? (Liz Phair)
Do you wanna dance? (Beach Boys)
Can you be true? (Elvis Costello)
What are we fighting for? (Live)
What happened to us? (Hoobastank)
How do you sleep? (John Lennon)
How? (John Lennon)
Why Vienna? (Billy Joel)
Is patience still waiting? (The Juliana Theory)
If I told you this was killing me, would you stop? (The Juliana Theory)
What am I to you? (Norah Jones)
Why do they leave? (Ryan Adams)
Why can't you be? (Shelby Lynne)
Do you believe in magic? (The Lovin Spoonful)
Where would I be? (Cake)
What is love? (Haddaway)
What's the frequency, Kenneth? (REM)

It's All Relative

I was thisclose to telling my friend that his sister was cute, until I found out it was his girlfriend.

A Memo to the UConn Huskies (the men, because the women, well at least you try)

Thank you for helping me win all my tournament brackets!