What a beautiful, beautiful snowfall. It couldn't be better for Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all.


You are Ralphy! A complete dreamer and positive
thinker. You WILL get that Red Ryder bb gun!

Which A Christmas Story Character Are You?

Whoa now. Whoa. Whoa. Leann Stinkin' Rimes has put out a Greatest Hits album? GREATEST HITS? She hasn't had a great SONG! Yes, she's had some teen hits on the pop charts, but that's no reason for a greatest hits album! These things are getting out of control*!

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have recently released their Greatest Hits album. That is what a greatest hits cd is supposed to be. Over a decade of music that never gets old. Hits from recent times and when I was growing up. Not five songs that were popular for a month in the last 2 or 3 years with a couple ok ones thrown in. These two words are getting used way too loosly these days.

*I like how the Backstreet Boys called this Vol. 1. So... they're counting on another run in the boy band world? Or are they going to go to rap like New Kids on the Block? Or maybe a rock band! Man, I can't take this drama.

Ladies and Gentleman, we have a late entry for oddest headline of the year.

Amazing, incredible, outstanding... these words don't come close to express how great the TSO concert was. Wow.... Just.... wow.

My Sports Christmas List
(This should be my last sports post for awhile. Should be.)

To the Browns: Draft Ben Roethlisberger. The QB Contraversy of Holcomb and Couch has ended. The result? Neither is qualified. Holcomb is a career backup, he just has to face that. Couch is just plain terrible. Yes, he has is moments, but he just does not make good decisions and he's been starting for long enough he should have shown some progress by now. After him, draft all O-lineman to grow and learn with Roeth. Also, sign a big name defensiveman to take charge.

To the Indians: Open up your wallet and sign a team leader. Omar is trying to get out (which I'm fine with, he's served his time.) Ellis Burks needs to retire. We need someone over the age of 30 to be a role model and ain't it. I was hoping when they pulled the offer to Todd Walker and said they had someone else they were offereing a contract to, it was Rich Aurillia. Not so much. Ronnie Belliard? Attention Tribe front office, look at the Yahoo! Sports biography on him. When it says he gets worse every year, yeah that's a bad thing. Sign an exciting offensive player (Aurillia, Jay Bell, Pokey Reese, Eric Young) to add a spark and leadership.

To the NHL: Have a lockout and dissapear like Bret Hull thinks you will. I've never liked you and I'm tired of you taking plays in the SportsCenter Top Ten for stupid goals that all look like luck to me.

To the NBA: Eh.... do whatever you want. I only watch a few games a year. So... keep up the ok work.

To the Buckeyes: Win this last game. Who knows what's going to happen next year. And let Clarett go, let him go be egotistical and annoying somewhere else.

I keep neglecting to post that Alexis' parents got the two of us Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets for tomorrow night at CSU. Needless to say, we're excited.

College Football alert, those not interested please move on.

Jason White, QB for the Oklahoma Sooners, is a jerk. Why? He's had the luckiest season of anyone in college football. He won the Heisman when he shouldn't have. (It should have went to Larry Fitzgerald.) He's in the National Championship game that the Sooners shouldn't be in. (USC is #1 for crying out loud.) But that's not enough. He gets the NCAA to grant him an extra year of eligibility and he's returning for a fifth year. Why does this make him a jerk? He's not happy with what he's been given, he's coming back when there are four underclassmen on that team that were expecting to get a chance to play next year. Now they have to sit yet again. There are two freshman and two sophomores quarterbacks on that team who deserve the right to get their chance with that offense (they'll only lose one offensive started now that White is staying) so a new quarterback could have had a chance to prove himself and possible make himself a career in the NFL. But now White has taken that away from whomever will get that chance.

I used to not care about the LSU vs. OSU Sugar Bowl, but now it's LSU all the way. Down with the crappy, self-involved Sooners.

I'm beggining to dislike Walmart. My grandmother gives (or gave, this is the last year for it) everyone in our family $50 to buy our Christmas present to return to her so she can give it to us on Christmas. All I want is the games Cranium and Trivial Pursuit Pop Culture. Monday night we went to the Massolin Walmart, the didn't have Trivial Pursuit so I decided to wait and get them last night when we went to Wooster. They didn't have either one. IT'S WALMART! So today I'm headed to Beldan to try their Walmart, Target, and KB Toys. It's just board games, it wasn't supposed to be this difficult.

Saw The Return of the King last night. It was ok. I'd even go so far as to say I liked it. Much, much more compared to the first two. But they still aren't even close to be in in my top 20 or maybe even 50 movies. If you like them, good for you. They're just not my kind of movie. But I am glad I saw the third one. It gave me a better appreciation for the first two. However, I don't see at all the connection to Christianity. I just can't see it. Most people in the Christian circles I hear justify LOTR as OK and Harry Potter as evil because LOTR has a Christian subplot. Well, I agree with the writer, Tolkien, who said thier isn't one. I tried plugging several characters into the Jesus role and none of them fit. At all. And yes, saving the good is somewhat Christian but that's very elementary. And if there is a Christian message, apparently the cast didn't get it. Elijah Wood was on Conan last night and his first story about about a drinking contest the "Hobbits" had that resulted in he (Wood) going into a New Zealand version of 7-11 and declaring his need for "Porn and Chocolate."

Gotta love the role models the US is pumping out these days.

Non baseball fans, tune out for this one.

I've been down with this whole A-Rod for Manny thing since it started. A-Rod is in essence showing that money isn't worth losing which I think it good for baseball. I think it might (if John Hart takes advantage) help Texas get out of their rut, and it would give Boston a 99.9% chance to prove the curse right or wrong. (I don't believe in it other than a mental block.) It would also give the Dodgers a boost which they've needed for awhile. But NOW I'm reading that Nomar will go to the WHITE SOX for Magglio Ordonez??????? THAT SUCKS! I've always been a firm believer that Nomar is the second most overrated shortstop of all time (two large steps behind Jeter) but still, I don't want out Central Division rivals to have him for two reasons. One, it could stop the Tribe from going back to the top of the Central in 2005 as I have predicted. and Two, Boston will be freakin' unstoppable. That doesn't need to happen. Plus, according to ESPN, this will cause a huge domino effect of trades.

In an editorial in the Lakeholm Viewer, I commented that baseball should put everyone in a pool, eliminate about 4 teams (Colorado, Tampa, Sad Diego, and Brewers. Ones that have no World Series Wins) and redraft the entire league. Now it's partially actually happening.... weird.

Ugh. Like most of the Ohio world, I'm sick. Cough, runny nose, swollen glands, etc., but I'm not as sick as Alexis. She has about the same thing I do only worse. So we're just one cheery couple. :-p I'm just glad it happened after school was out.

Speaking of school, my grades, while not great, ended up better then I thought they would, so I'm happy about that.

Well that was an interesting weekend. A long one. Friday night was calling hours and visiting time with Alexis' family and their friends. Saturday was the funeral, more visiting time, and then an incredible memorial service. I wasn't feeling well by the time we left and yesterday I woke up feeling pretty lousy. So I slept until 1 and was a bum the rest of the day. I'm not sure if I have a cold or if it's allergies from our cat/the flowers and such we were sitting by saturday night. I feel a little better today, but still stuffy. I don't know... Tonight is the Dalton Christmas concert so we're going to that. I don't think I've been to a concert since Ms. George took over so I'm interested to see how they sound.

Well, it's been an interesting week to say the least.

Tuesday was my exam day. Found out I flunked the first one (though I could drop it so it didn't matter. I still managed the lowest possible C- in that class so I'm happy... I guess). Got a D on the second one, which I really couldn't believe. I guess I just missed more little things than I thought. I'll pick it up tomorrow. That brought me down to a B- in that class :-p. Don't know about the third, but after those two, I 'm sure if I want to know.

Yewsterday was a rollercoaster day. I slept in until 12:30. I so needed that. But then we got a call in the evening that Alexis' grandpa died. It wasn't sudden or unexpected. He'd been battling stomach cancer for awhile and he wasn't doing so hot the last couple days, so we kind of knew it was coming. But it's stil sad. But Alexis and I went out for ice cream and had a good talk, so that was good.

Today I've been tying up loose ends. I finished christmas shopping (I think), got most of my packing done, finished a couple things up with the paper, etc.

Tomorrow I have my last final, finish packing and then head home when Alexis is done with her stuff for the day. Then it's calling hours.

I don't think I've ever been so glad for a semester to be over.

The latest issue of the Onion wasn't that impressive, but for some reason, this made me laugh.


Only Two Segways
In Town Collide

Disclaimer: I only watch TV for three hours a week. From 8 pm to 11 pm on Thursday night. I really enjoy the line up and it's a nice break before Friday. So don't think I'm a complete TV freak after this post, because this is the only TV I really care about.

So I turned on The Morning Zoo this morning before my first exam to try and wake up a bit and heard a very bizarre piece of news. It turns out the show that will replace Friends in the 8 pm timeslot on Wednesdays next fall is "Joey," a Friends spinoff about Joey Tribbiani (played by Matt LeBlanc) moving to LA to pursue his acting career. WHAT?! The show will be directed by David Schwimmer. WHAT?! So the shallowest characters is going to have his own show. And one of the actors is no longer going to be an equal but DIRECTING one of the others. Then there's the fact that Friends writers and producers will have nothing to do with the new show. This is a recipe for disaster. I see 1) A very shallow plot and 2) a lot of power struggles. By the way, LeBlanc is taking like a 75% pay cut for this and none of the other Friends alum will even CAMEO because they won't make enough money. The Zoo reported that some of them have agreed to cameo over the PHONE. THE PHONE! Jeez.

If you ask me, Scrubs should move down into the 8 pm spot, for two reasons 1) it's the funniest comedy on TV right now, it's really improved. and 2) It will move it away from ER. I really like both shows, but not necessarily back to back as they have been since "Coupling" came and went.

Exam Update

#1 Christian Beliefs, 8 am - From what he (the prof) had told me I expected a 90/10 split of lecture materials to things from our reading. It was the exact opposite. Or close to it anyways. Thirty questions, 5 were from the lectures. What a waste. Like we had time to get through and take notes on 400 pages in the last week. I'm just glad this class is over with. Definitely my most frustrating so far.

#2 Business Finance, 10 am - Went ok. Asked some stuff I wasn't ready for, but I got through. I don't think my grade could stray from a B to easily either direction, so I'm pretty comfortable with it.

#3 American Lit - 3 pm - Holy Cow... 50 matching, 30 multiple choice, 60 true and false, a page long essay and a two page essay.... that sucked. but at least it wasn't too hard.

That's all until Friday, bright and early at 8am for Management.

In honor of exam week, a classic list

50 Fun Things To Do On a Final That Does Not Matter

1. Bring a pillow. Fall asleep (or pretend to) until the last 15 minutes.Wake up, say "oh geez, better get cracking" and do some gibberish work. Turn it in a few minutes early.

2. Get a copy of the exam, run out screaming "Andre, Andre, I've got the secret documents!!"

3. If it is a math/science exam, answer in essay form. If it is long answer/essay form, answer with numbers and symbols. Be creative. Use the integral symbol.

4. Make paper airplanes out of the exam. Aim them at the instructor's left nostril.

5. Talk the entire way through the exam. Read questions aloud, debate your answers with yourself out loud. If asked to stop, yell out, "I'm SOOO sure you can hear me thinking." Then start talking about what a jerk the instructor is.

6. Bring cheerleaders.

7. Walk in, get the exam, sit down. About five minutes into it, loudly say to the instructor, "I don't understand ANY of this. I've been to every lecture all semester long! What's the deal? And who the hell are you? Where's the regular guy?"

8. Bring a Game Boy (or Game Gear, etc...). Play with the volume at max level.

9. On the answer sheet (book, whatever) find a new, interesting way to refuse to answer every question. For example: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it conflicts with my religious beliefs. Be creative.

10. Bring pets.

11. Run into the exam room looking about frantically. Breathe a sigh of relief. Go to the instructor, say "They've found me, I have to leave the country" and run off.

12. Fifteen minutes into the exam, stand up, rip up all the papers into very small pieces, throw them into the air and yell out "Merry Christmas." If you're really daring, ask for another copy of the exam. Say you lost the first one. Repeat th is process every fifteen minutes.

13. Do the exam with crayons, paint, or fluorescent markers.

14. Come into the exam wearing slippers, a bathrobe, a towel on your head, and nothing else.

15. Come down with a BAD case of Turet's Syndrome during the exam. Be as vulgar as possible.

16. Do the entire exam in another language. If you don't know one, make one up! For math/science exams, try using Roman numerals.

17. Bring things to throw at the instructor when s/he's not looking. Blame it on the person nearest to you.

18. As soon as the instructor hands you the exam, eat it.

19. Walk into the exam with an entourage. Claim you are going to be taping your next video during the exam. Try to get the instructor to let them stay, be persuasive. Tell the instructor to expect a percentage of the profits if they are allowed to stay.

20. Every five minutes, stand up, collect all your things, move to another seat, continue with the exam.

21. Turn in the exam approximately 30 minutes into it. As you walk out, start commenting on how easy it was.

22. Do the entire exam as if it was multiple choice and true/false. If it is a multiple choice exam, spell out interesting things (DCCAB. BABE. etc..).

23. Bring a black marker. Return the exam with all questions and answers completely blacked out.

24. Get the exam. Twenty minutes into it, throw your papers down violently, scream out "F*** this!" and walk out triumphantly.

25. Arrange a protest before the exam starts (i.e. Threaten the instructor that whether or not everyone's done, they are all leaving after one hour to go drink)

26. Show up acting completely drunk. (Completely drunk means at some point during the exam, you should start crying for mommy).

27. Every now and then, clap twice rapidly. If the instructor asks why, tell him/her in a very derogatory tone, "the light bulb that goes on above my head when I get an idea is hooked up to a clapper. DUH!"

28. Comment on how sexy the instructor is looking that day.

29. Come to the exam wearing a black cloak. After about 30 minutes, put on a white mask and start yelling "I'm here, the phantom of the opera" until they drag you away.

30. Go to an exam for a class you have no clue about, where you know the class is very small, and the instructor would recognize you if you belonged. Claim that you have been to every lecture. Fight for your right to take the exam.

31. Upon receiving the exam, look it over, while laughing loudly, say "you don't really expect me to waste my time on this drivel? Days of our Lives is on!!!"

32. Bring a water pistol with you. Nuff said.

33. From the moment the exam begins, hum the theme to Jeopardy. Ignore the instructor's requests for you to stop. When they finally get you to leave one way or another, begin whistling the theme to the Bridge on the River Kwai.

34. Start a brawl in the middle of the exam.

35. If the exam is math/science related, make up the longest proofs you could possibly think of. Get PI and imaginary numbers into most equations. If it is a written exam, relate everything to your own life story.

36. Come in wearing a full knight's outfit, complete with sword and shield.

37. Bring a friend to give you a back massage the entire way through the exam. Insist this person is needed, because you have bad circulation.

38. Bring cheat sheets FOR ANOTHER CLASS (make sure this is obvious... like history notes for a calculus exam... otherwise you're not just failing, you're getting kicked out too) and staple them to the exam, with the comment "Please use the attache d notes for references as you see fit."

39. When you walk in, complain about the heat. Strip.

40. After you get the exam, call the instructor over, point to any question, ask for the answer. Try to work it out of him/her.

41. One word: Wrestlemania.

42. Bring balloons, blow them up, start throwing them around like they do before concerts start.

43. Try to get people in the room to do the wave.

44. Play frisbee with a friend at the other side of the room.

45. Bring some large, cumbersome, ugly idol. Put it right next to you. Pray to it often. Consider a small sacrifice.

46. Get deliveries of candy, flowers, balloons, telegrams, etc... sent to you every few minutes throughout the exam.

47. During the exam, take apart everything around you. Desks, chairs, anything you can reach.

48. Complete the exam with everything you write being backwards at a 90 degree angle.

49. Bring a musical instrument with you, play various tunes. If you are asked to stop, say "it helps me think." Bring a copy of the Student Handbook with you, challenging the instructor to find the section on musical instruments during finals. Don't forget to use the phrase "Told you so".

50. Answer the exam with the "Top Ten Reasons Why Professor ______ Sucks"

Well, now that the Browns blew a chance at Monday Night Magic, the time has come to start talking about next year. Will Butch be back? I say yes because there's no one else to bring in. Who should they draft? Well they'll probably end up at a spot from 4 to 6, so they need to ether draft or trade for a quarterback. They need a playmaker. Although if Davis is still around, I wouldn't be at all suprised to see Winslow from Miami in Brown and Orange next year.... I guess we'll see.

On another football note, I've very happy with the Buckeyes playing K-State in a return trip to the Fiesta Bowl. Should be a great game.

Well those two papers are done. One, the one I had to write myself, I was up until 5 am working on last night. I spent like 10 total hours on a five page paper. It's ridiculous. But I had no interest in the subject at all, and the assignment was totally bogus. We were supposed to pick to pieces from one author and write 5 pages on it. But we were supposed to talk about the author or summarize the pieces. Anybody know what that leaves??????? NOTHING! Anyways, I turned it in... probably the worst paper I've ever written, but I really couldn't care less at this point. The other one, a group paper, turned out pretty well. I'm happy with that one.

Now it's exam time... three tomorrow. Should be a hoot.

Ross is the #282 most common male name. 0.05% of men in the US are named Ross. Around 61250 US men are named Ross

king is the #30 most common last name. 0.19% of last names in the US are king. Around 475000 US last names are king

Name Statistics is a very interesting site. Especially if you put in names that are so common around home that turn out so uncommon in the US as a whole.

Yoder = #1118, Gerber = 2500, Nussbaum = 8448, guess therer aren't that many, they just all decided to live within 20 miles of each other....

Well, I'm a very happy camper right now. I just ordered Alexis and I's Christmas present from our parents and ourselves. My favorite part of Christmas is still giving other's presents, but I'm excited about us being able to get this.

Well classes are finally over this for the semester. This was definitely my least favorite semester. It (I'm talking in regards to my classes, the social part was good) just seemed like a big waste of time. I had five classes that I had to take and didn't like at all, only one having material I am/was somewhat interested in. They've worn on me so much, I'm having a difficult time mustering up the motivation for the stretch run. I have two five page papers due Monday, one I haven't even picked a specific topic yet. But I have to get them done soon because I have 3 finals on monday and they are all going to be both tough and could determine my grade in all 3 classes. What fun, what fun. I'm glad I have snow to look at and Christmas music to listen to until next week is over.

Can you meet the challenge?

Here's a christmas joke for ya.

Q: What do elves make sandwiches with?

A: Shortbread.

Christmas Favorites

I posted the following list of my favorite christmas recordings in my IM profile, so I thought I'd post it here, too. I'll also include my top 5 Christmas movies as a bonus. Don't you feel lucky?

Favorite Christmas Musical Recordings (In no particular order)
- Carol of the Bells ~Anyone, but Transiberian Orchestra in particular
- The Christmas Song ~Hootie and the Blowfish
- It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year ~Johnny Mathis
- You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch ~Acoustix and Rockapella
- O Nata Lux ~Morten Lauridsen (composer)
- Mistletoe and Holly ~Frank Sinatra
- Winter Wonderland, Tell the Children, Baby Jesus is Born, Go Tell it on the Mountain ~Garth Brooks
- And the best Christmas recording of them all: Silent Night ~Boyz II Men

Favorite Chirstmas movies
5. A Garfield Chirstmas
4. A Muppet Family Christmas
3. The Santa Clause
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
1. A Christmas Story

Others receiving consideration: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Cartoon), A Charlie Brown Christmas, Home Alone, Veggie Tales: The Toy that Saved Christmas, Santa Clause 2

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love the Christmas season. I love giving people presents and decorating stuff. I love celebrating the amazing birth of Christ.... you just can't beat Christmas time.

Pics of my apartment decorations coming when I can figure out how to make them smaller.

How can you tell Ross has a paper to write? Little things start popping up on this blog that he normally wouldn't do...


find your inner PIE @ stvlive.com


You are Orange.
You are outgoing and optomistic. You always try to
find the bright spot in everything. You are
energetic and people are naturally attracted to
you. However, you are not always sure of what
your purpose or goals are.
Most Compatible With: Fresh Mint


Which Tic-Tac Flavor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

My inner child is sixteen years old!

Life's not fair! It's never been fair, but while
adults might just accept that, I know
something's gotta change. And it's gonna
change, just as soon as I become an adult and
get some power of my own.


How Old is Your Inner Child?
brought to you by Quizilla

One more week of classes. Why does this seem like the hardest? I've grown to the point of loathing all of my classes. I'm on the verge of my first college D in one class, I have no idea how I'm doing in the others. I used to love college because I get to study what I love, but this semester is full of classes I had to take, but didn't want to. Add two difficult professors and it makes for one unhappy semester. But one more week.... just one more week....