When I read the description, I thought the idea was brilliant.  It played on current events, targeted the proper audience, and had already raised some money.  Sadly, I didn’t come up with the idea.

Here’s what “The Black Plague” is (not the disease, but the fundraiser).
One of the groups at our school is doing fundraising for Relay For Life.  Many organizations have tried raffles before, but most of them were unsuccessful.  Even though this one hasn’t officially started yet, it’s already half-way towards the goal.

The key to a good fundraiser is know your audience.  The first item up for grab is a $50 BestBuy gift card.  We go to a tech school, that’s a plus.  The second way it targets the audience properly is what the fundraiser actually is: “Give us money, or listen to Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ all of this Friday.”  It’s a catchy title because the singer’s last name is Black, and the Black Plague is a widely known historical event (yes, I have to point out the obvious).  There’s a lot of people who hate the song, and this is a tech school, so a large majority of the students hate the song, and those that don’t are pressured into pretending they hate it.

The second good point about this fundraiser is a call to action, which there are two.  The first is donating to Relay for Life.  The second is Buy a Raffle Ticket or listen to “Friday” all day long (which is part of the first, but is the killer part in this).

The fundraising goal was to make $300 in a day for Relay for Life.  From what I’ve heard, the fundraiser has already made $100, and it’s not even close to Friday yet.  So I think it’s doing pretty well.

So how’s life on your guys’ end?

It feels like it was only a little while ago that I took a big step up from the incomprehensible days of high school into the easily understandable days of my college career.  Oh how time flies when you have projects and reports to turn in.  I feel like I’ve grown so much, approximately 2 inches taller to be exact.  My foot size remains the same, but the amount of knowledge I’ve gained ceases to bewilder me.

Anyways, this year seems like it’s going to be awesome.  I’m taking Artificial intelligence, and we just received our first awesome assignment: programming a bot to play a game similar to chinese checkers.  Okay, so the assignment isn’t too “artificial intelligency” like SkyNet or something, but it’s something fun and interesting to do.

I’m also taking Computer Vision, and our next assignment is to do feature recognition.  I believe we’re given four photos, then we pick out major features.  Then, we take a database of other photos, and try to identify if anything from the first four photos are in any of the photos in the database.

So for those of you who don’t know, I’m getting a degree in Computer Science and (wait for it) Mathematical Sciences.  I was originally supposed to minor in Computation Mathematics, but some of the courses aren’t offered this year.  So I got some course substitution forms, and now I’m getting a Bachelor’s in Mathematical Sciences as well.

After this year, I’m still going to be in school though.  I’m going for my Master’s in Computer Science, and if things go as planned, I’ll continue for my Doctorate’s.  I’m not sure if I want to be called “Doctor” yet though.  I’ve always felt that it was a bit too much.  Just the thought of “Mister” makes me cringe.  When I become a professor, my students will simply call me “Professor.”  It doesn’t make me feel old or anything.

That’s what’s currently on my mind and happening.  So wish me luck, and hopefully I pass all of my classes…

I already stalk her on twitter and subscribe to her blog.  Lately, some big issue came up about breast feeding in public.  I for one support a mother’s decision to feed their child when the child is hungry, whether it be breast feeding, bottle, injections, or whatever.  Breast feeding in public is probably the most loving thing you could do for your child, so take a picture and show it too them when he or she is older because when your child grows up, they’ll probably appreciate it.

In the argument, someone was arguing that Jem was a bully.  What a shocker.  Jem has her “pants” award (last one given out in January 2009)…  She rants and raves about everything, but she does it in a way that grabs you and hooks you into reading.  She’s actually quite entertaining, but back on topic!

People kept bringing up “Freedom of Speech” and “Cyber Bullying.”

Jem is in the UK, and those “targeted” were in the USA.  I’m not too sure about UK laws, but there’s not a lot of Federal laws in relation to cyber bullying (at the moment).  Currently, if Jem threatened to kill, kidnap, or injure someone, then she’d be in violation of USA Federal laws.  If she were to commit slander or libel on someone, then she would also be in violation of the laws (and I think the UK has a similar law about online content and Internet Service Providers about it?).

In terms of harassment online, several states have laws against it (not too sure how that plays out internationally), but there is currently a bill trying to become a law.  H.R. 1966 makes it if you harass or intimidate someone online, then you can face some jail time or a fine.  I understand the point of the law, but I personally think it’s too vague as it is.  An online argument would get you fined or jailed, but a verbal argument wouldn’t?

So Jem currently has nothing to really worry about.

Some of the other people have something to worry about.  Freedom of Speech does not cover inciting riots or acts of violence.  So be careful, because this could be considered illegal soon.

The target (not jemjabella above) of the alleged attack was complaining about how she would respond and keep getting more and more replies.  Lesson 1 in keeping web site visitors and traffic, maintain good communication.  If you want people to shut up, don’t reply.  If you want attention and conversation, keep on replying and writing about it.  Jem provides a wonderful example of this.  Jem has written 4 blogs posts around the topic of breast feeding and she has over 116 comments on those blog posts.  That’s good communication.  Jem is my hero.

Don’t start thinking I condone or encourage cyber bullying, I don’t.  Jem is defending her right to breast feed her child in public to someone who publicly voiced their opinion on the issue.  (Facebook and Twitter are public by the way, I mean, if the privacy settings let it be seen).  If you’re going to voice your opinion, prepare for the backlash from the masses.  Hope for the best, expect the worst.

So who do I think was right in this whole argument thing?  No one really.  I just think it’s something fun and interesting to read.  If you can’t handle the arguments or criticism, then turn off the computer.

As for breast feeding in public, go for it.  Don’t flaunt your stuff, but if the baby needs food, the baby needs food.

In other news, my mom raised twins, and I know she breast fed them.  I’m wondering how that worked out in public when both were hungry…

This semester was fun and challenging.  I took the hardest math class offered for undergrads and passed (I won’t say with what though).  My GPA for the semester was a 3.5.  I made a ton of new friends, did some fun new and exciting things, and had a blast all along the way.

Some of my highlights from this semester:

• Did the Spring play, “While the Lights Were Out”
• Participated in “Humans vs. Zombies” which is a massive game of tag
• Made a tons of new friends
• Got a Nikon FG SLR (which takes awesome photos)

And yeah…

Enough about the good stuff though, the semester was great overall, but this summer was supposed to be more productive, but it won’t be due to some people who lack communication skills.

I originally wanted to dual major in Computer Science and Mathematical Sciences.  So I filled out the form and turned it in.  At the end of the semester, I was told they lost the form.  I was also told that courses they said I was exempt from, I wasn’t exempt from.  So I signed up to take summer courses.  I called the school I was going to take summer courses at and asked if they offered the courses I needed to take for the summer.  They said they did, I went online to register, but the courses weren’t listed.  So I called back, and this is how the conversation went down

Me: Hello, I called earlier and was told you offered Biology and History for the summer?
Them: Yes, we do offer Biology and History for the summer.
Me: Well, I checked online and they aren’t available for me to register for.
Them: Oh!  That’s because we aren’t offering them this summer.

If someone calls to ask about courses for the summer, which summer would they refer to?  I guess they technically weren’t lying, but in the first conversation it was something like “Do you offer History and Biology for the summer?”, “Yes”, “Is it too late to register for summer courses”, “No, please fill out the form online”, “Alright, thanks.”  They didn’t say the courses weren’t being offered this summer then…

So next semester, I need to argue to get exempt from a few courses, and then I need to convince some people that I can handle 21 credits a semester if I still want to dual major.  I might just switch it to a minor and see if that works out.

So how did your guys’ schooling go this year?

I’m running into a, well not an issue, but a hurtle or something like that.  I really want to learn how to use it and take good photos, but I’m hearing and reading the strangest things.  People compare film brands.  I understand comparing them for which one’s better, but I’ve been told that Kodak is good for pictures of people, while Fujifilm is good for landscapes and other things.  Off brand films might be Fujifilm, or some random brand.

I’ve also looked at filters.  There’s far too many.  I understand the ones for different lighting, and some people say to use them in unintended environments for cool effects.  Somewhat easy for me to understand.

The main thing I have issues grasping is how people know what settings to use on the camera.  I’m guessing it comes with experience.  I love film cameras, but when I don’t have the experience, sometimes I wish I could see the results instantly instead of taking a number of shots and waiting for a surprise from the photo lab.  But it’s all fun none-the-less.  The main confusing part is the f-stop or aperture setting.  I understand it changes how much light the lens lets in, but it still bewilders me.

Anyways, I bought some film to play around with, and hopefully I can get a hang of it and take the camera off of automagic mode.  There’s supposed to be a photo center that offers lessons, but they specialize in digital cameras, and I’ve been told they aren’t cheap…  So I’m hoping to go the experience route

Anyways, I’ve started a new photo blog which will hopefully be kept alive.  You can see it at photos.km-w.net

I start taking courses for my Master’s next year, and I finish my Bachelor’s at the same time.  I got into an elective I think will be interesting (World Folklore).  All of my classes fit in, and I can sleep in next semester (YAY!).

In other news, school has been draining the life out of me.

The Play was a success, and now that it’s over, there’s a lot of work to catch up on.

The play was awesome.  I played “Pierre Pourri,” the “International Playboy,” which doesn’t fit my image at all.  It was odd having to play the roll.  I’m not one to touch, let alone touch other people.  So it was awkward, but people seemed to like it none the less.

In terms of work.  I have two programming assignments to catch up on, an essay or two, and a lot of studying that needs to be done.

The good news is there’s only 5 weeks left in the semester.  The bad news is there’s only 5 weeks left in the semester.

Hopefully I can pull through with flying colors…

I’m hoping to take a break from everything, but there’s a lot to do to prepare for next semester.

So yeah…

Final grades came out today.  I’m proud of myself.  I’m hoping to raise my GPA up a little more to be in my happy zone, but it’s sitting at a safe level right now.

Still working on a poem for the Transformations Project.  I was told it good right now, but I still feel like it’s missing something.

As for videos comparing VMWare Fusion to Parallels, VMWare Fusion just published an update that was supposed to fix a lot of stuff.
I couldn’t get Team Fortress 2 to run well under Fusion (it kept glitching), but it ran fine under Parallels.  The new update (3.0.1) is supposed to offer a big boost in speed and whatnot.

The more I compare Parallels to VMWare, Parallels seems much better.  The only issue I run into is that Parallels will crash more often, although I’m guessing it’s the same reason why it seems better.

The was mostly a discussion of purchasing music online, but we also talked about applications and programs.  Most of the people I talked to felt it was fine to download music illegally.  Most said you should purchase applications, with a few saying alternative methods should be used.

I personally believe you should buy the music, movies, or applications.  I know that some of the stuff is expensive (and I’ll agree that some applications are over priced), but most of the time, the pricing is reasonable.

The main argument about music was a bit odd.  You can have 7,000 to 40,000 songs depending on your iPod (not including the suffle).  Songs normally cost anywhere from $0.69 to $1.29.  So assuming you’re luck enough to buy all of you music at $0.69, then you spend at least $4,000 (all prices in USD).  Larger iPods could go up to ~$30,000 to fill.  If you’re caught downloading music illegally, apparently most of the time, it’s a $3,000 – $10,000 fine.  So they were arguing that if you do get caught, it can be cheaper than filling up your iPod (but some get charged millions).

Some other arguments were that there are other crimes that are much worse that have a lower fine (don’t know how that’s an argument).  Apparently if you’re caught shoplifting a CD, it’s a lot cheaper.  I argued you don’t get as good quality when you rip the CD…  That was a joke… Anyways, I found this blog post analyzing some different crimes in Illinois that are cheaper than illegal downloading.  Instead of struggling to make ends meet though, you’ll be given a free room and meals in prison.  I’m not sure about you, but free food has me sold.

Some of the more sound arguments were that if it’s not made available to a person, then illegal downloading could be fine.  I still disagreed, but I do understand.  If a dead band you liked isn’t signed anymore and published an album on a vinyl record independently (and the songs weren’t sold on CD or anything else), there’s no way you’d find that in a store or an online store (you might, but chances are slim).  I wouldn’t say “Go and download it.”  I’d first say check eBay or check some pawn shops or something.  I’d advise not to download it illegally, but I wouldn’t be calling the music police if they did.

Anyways, in looking at some previous cases, it’s really odd.  One woman downloads 24 songs and pays $1.9 million (although she was just being tried for 24 songs when there were over 1,000?).  Another guy downloads 30 songs and pays $640,000.  I’m guessing it varies by song?  I’m wondering if the RIAA would take it easy on you if you logged all the people you shared music with or downloaded music from and gave that to them (not that people should try to find out).

So yeah, I do know this post is late on the whole “OMG RIAA is suing people!”  But the conversation just came up recently.  So what are your thoughts or feelings on the debate?  Apparently a lot of my friends disapprove of Obama now because he supports the whole RIAA fining up to $150,000 per song.  I didn’t vote (so I don’t think I can argue so-and-so would have been better because I didn’t voice my opinion at the election), but I do think the punishment is a bit high.  A song is usually at most $1.29, so I think the fine shouldn’t be 116279 times that.  $150 for downloading a song is punishment enough (I think), but then I agree that people distributing the music should pay more (but it should be proven that they distributed to # number of people, so they pay $150 * # of people or something like that up to a certain amount).

Some of my likes:

• No longer have to tell people to call me at this number in the morning and another number at night (because I don’t get cell phone service in my room).
• I can use it with Gizmo5 so I can talk to people from my computer if I want.  Kind of cool, but it doesn’t work to well with my laptop since the mic isn’t as good.
  • If you use this with the call feature from Google Voice, you basically can call people for free without using your minutes.  I’m not sure how I feel morally about this…
• My room phone only allows me to call locally for free, so I got a local number from Google Voice which allows me to call anyone from my room phone.
  • Or I can just use the call feature on the Google Voice page.
• I really like the voice mail feature.  It’s a lot nicer than my current providers.

My dislikes:

• The SMS feature is okay, but without an awesome phone, it’s like me e-mailing peoples phones (have to launch my web browser to use it)
  • It’s okay if I’m in an area with Internet and no service.  This is more of a phone problem then a GV problem though…
• Call Screening.  I’m iffy on this one.  The feature is great for me, but people who have called me so far don’t really like it.  I don’t want to disable it, but yeah…
• When you call your Google Number to configure stuff or listen to voice mail, it’s not as intuitive as it could be.
  • Google is known for keeping things basic, which is good, but I think there could be some cooler things added, I mean it’s Google, right?
• I really wish there was an advanced setup for the “ring schedule.”  I have classes on Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs, but not really on Fridays.  But I can only pick times for “weekdays” or “weekends.”

Overall, it’s useful.  It’s not something epically awesome or insane, but I’ll use it.  The international call rates are cheap compared to what I’ve found so far (not that I do a lot of international calling).

It’d be awesome if they integrated it with Google Chat (and released an awesome Google Chat client for Mac and Linux).  I’m guessing they don’t want to step too much into Skype’s territory though.

Anyways, after I use it some more, I’ll post some more updates.

This has got to be the most interesting semester of my college career so far, or at least the semester with the strangest professors I’ve had.  I have one teacher who appears to be on a “buzz” while lecturing.  It keeps things interesting, and his lessons become entertaining.  He does get the important things across to the students, so I guess that’s what matters.  It’s kindof funny.  Some of the other students say it’s like he’s on cocaine…  He’ll randomly yell and repeat himself.  He appears to be scattered brain, but he makes it through the lesson.

Another interesting teacher seems really dedicated to the subject.  He gets really into his lessons, acting out what he’s talking about.  He also incorporates jokes and humor into his lessons (but some of the humor isn’t “safe”).  He looks really old, but he acts a lot younger.  I believe he tries his best to keep the students interested in order for them to succeed.

Those are the 2 notable ones.  There are some other ones that are interesting, but they don’t have any shocking traits.

Oh yeah… If you’re wondering what Santa does when it’s not Christmas, he’s teaching classes at my school.