Video Game v.s. The Textbook
Mention the word video game and what instantly comes to mind is a kid sitting in front of an X-Box or computer blowing up demons in Doom Three, but in the technology field a new word is quickly associating itself with the word video game, education. For years now, educators have been searching for adequate substitutes to the aging textbook lecture combination, and have found it in the video game. Unlike textbooks and classrooms lectures, video games hold natural characteristics that challenge the mind and enhance levels of thinking and determination not associated with traditional schoolroom teaching. Their inherent premise of pleasantly frustrating play allows games to; keep us interested even during their hardest sections, promote problem solving techniques, interact with others to achieve a common goal, and the ability to take certain undesirable risks.
Although not traditionally associated with education, video games are proving to be extremely versatile and effective tools in learning institutions. Give the choice to any student as to whether they want to read a 300 page text book or play the game, the game will most likely be victorious. For decades now video games have been on the forefront of entertainment with annual earnings in excess of 9.9 billion dollars in 2004 in the United States alone (Richtel 2005). With such a large portion of the population playing video games, particularly people under the age of forty, the world is primed for a revolution in education.
One of the most important factors to consider when applying video games in education is the ability of video games to captivate its player for hours on end. The traditional textbook offers no such captivation, only stating seemingly endless sets of facts and figures. With the average college student’s attention span in relation to studies, lasting only about thirty minutes, (Penner 1984), video games would have a great advantage over any textbook.
At its heart any video game is based upon one or multiple problems that must be solved to end the game. Games allow the player to use his mind in ways textbooks and lectures could ever hope to, providing real time scenarios and strategy-based learning. Games such at the Myst (see figure 1) series is considered to be the hardest of all problem-solving games. The games offer thought provoking problems primarily in within constraints of math, astronomy, mechanics, physics, and literature. By combining each of the fields into one coherent game, the mind is forced to think outside the preverbal box, in turn developing new ways of thinking.
How do you teach someone how to be a mayor, or manage a store? Give them own city, or store that is. Games such as Madison 2200, Sim City, and the Tycoon Series (figures 2, 3, 4) create virtual worlds where the player learns how to manage virtual people, businesses, even cities. “In Madison 2200, players learn about urban ecology by working as urban planners to redesign a downtown pedestrian mall popular with local teenagers” (Shaffer ie al 2004).
History can easily be taught through strategy games such as Civilization III (figure 5) where the player governs any country of his choosing from is birth in pre-ancient ages, to current day, facing world wide disasters like wars and hardships on a time line similar to that of Earth’s history. By implementing similar plans and actions used by the great leaders of the world like The New Deal, D-Day, the Bolshevik Revolution, and NATO the player can overcome these
obstacles. Instead of seeing history through dull pictures and textbooks students can watch and interact with the history of the world as it unfolds before their eyes.
The development of high speed internet brought a brand new type of gaming- the MMOG or Massively Multiplayer online Game. In an MMOG, Lineage 2 or Ever Quest for example (figures 6, 7), thousands of gamers world-wide log onto an internet server and play with one another. Gaming against one another or in association with each other over these online communities allows for interaction and the development of teamwork. MMOG’s are particularly good at teaching communication and teamwork over non-traditional media. As stated by Steinkuehler, “What is first confined to the game alone (e.g., in game talk, letter writing) soon spills over into the virtual world beyond it (e.g, websites chat rooms) and even life off-screen (e.g., telephone calls, face to face meetings) (Steinkuehler 2004).
Games also allow us to take undesirable risks without being put in the heat of danger. Games such as Rainbow Six teach combat strategies without using real bullets or Fire fighter that allows you to practice your fire fighting skills without actually going into a burning building. The largest user of video games for training, the United States Army, uses Full Spectrum Warrior (figure 8). Full Spectrum Warrior has been used to train Army recruits and civilians alike in the art of war, giving a vividly accurate representation of battlefronts. “But Full Spectrum Warrior is not a mere first person shooter in which the player blows everything up on the screen. “To survive in the game, the player has to learn, think and act like a modern professional soldier” (Shaffer ie al 2004). Many cities police and fire departments including those in Madison, WI and Los Angeles, CA are implementing similar such games as SWAT and Fire Fighter into their training curriculums.
What then does the future of the classroom look like with an emphasis upon games and not books and what type of games are we looking at? Classroom based games will be more effective with certain subjects including those relating to math, science, engineering and government. New game development will lead to specific genres of games best suited for each type of class. “By looking at the 21st century learning skills and the ways in which technology is used to both acquire the skills and learn content, teachers can adapt the outcomes presented to fit state and local learning-processes and content standards Alendir thinks” (Hazel 2005).
However the idea of games in the classroom has come under heavy scrutinization from various parent and teacher associations as they still define games solely as instruments of entertainment. This argument states that games in the classroom will lead to the reduced learning, and an unorganized classroom. Yet these accusations are based on the traditional definition of a video game as entertainment and not that of recent studies. Used properly and regulated by teachers, video games can be used as effective tools in education. Games will most likely never completely cast out books and reading, as reading is a vital part of education, however, games can be an important compliment to books as long as they are used in the correct manner.
Ongoing gaming research is being conducted mainly at the Universities of Wisconsin and Texas. Statistics from each university show an average increase in mental thinking process. In a University of Wisconsin Case study using the game Madison 2200, a student was asked to walk down a street several times noting everything she could about it. She was then asked to play the video game Madison 2200. After playing the game she was once again asked to walk down the
street. The student not only noted specific new details about it, but also had suggestions about how to make the street more economical, all while initially knowing nothing of civil engineering.
The future of education is changing right before our eyes. While old textbooks and chalkboards find new homes in dumps, innovative new technological advances spill out of labs across the word at exponential rates. The majority of the world’s population finds itself running to catch up. Video Games are offering a new more effective ways of both teaching and learning. By giving students safe virtual learning environments, visual representations, and both real-time and strategic problems, video games become much more effective teaching and learning tools then the aging textbook coupled with boring lectures.
American Solar Challenge - North American Solar Challenge 2005
I helped work on the Prairie View Car last summer, Good luck Sun Panthers.
American Solar Challenge - North American Solar Challenge 2005
American Solar Challenge - North American Solar Challenge 2005
From Wisconsin to Texas Part II
"Smoking Fun"
A year ago today my father were on a Plane from Milwaukee to Houston anxiously anticipation our campus visits of Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M. After a quick stop at the bathroom and the rental car place (mom reserved us an impala), we stepped into what for a Wisconsinite is paradise 70 degree weather with not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. Needless to say the climate was a bit different then the ten degrees and two inches of snow back home. As neither my dad or I had basically any clue where we were going and only a map quest guide and one of those free maps they give out at the rental car places to guide us we began our journey to the hotel. I guess we took the Houston Beltway 8 to 290w, according to the map all we had to do is go west on 290 and we could not miss the hotel. We made a quick stop at an Arbys to satisfy our hunger.
Quickly ordering some burgers we sat down and began to eat when…..cla chink clac hink cla chink. Ooh man I knew that sound, I mean everybody who has seen a John Wayne movie know that sound. I turned and peaked over my shoulder half expecting to hear “Go ahead, make my day”. Yeah oh man this is to cool, “Dad you see that that guy is wearing spurs”. A real cowboy I thought…, but why was he in an Arbys…. Eventually figuring out that hey cowboys get hungry too as I hesitantly asked dad "Is it legal to carry concealed weapons in Texas"? We finished our burgers and started our way back to the car dogging horse apples (a.k.a. Horse Shit) every other step. This was going to be an interesting trip I thought as dad turned the ignition.
A good 45 minutes later we arrived at the LaQuinta inn (basically the cheapest place we could find close the campus, still 40 mins along 290). Arriving at the hotel we unpacked what little luggage we had and took a few hours to nap. By the time 1800 rolled around our stomachs were talking to each of us, “I’m hungry they said”. We contemplated pizza, or going out, ……ultimately deciding on going to a small restaurant labeled the “Harris County Smoke House” (right next door to the hotel) “Hey it was close”.
Not fully knowing what to expect from the place we crossed the parking lot and entered the Harris County Smoke House.
“Brian we are not in Wisconsin anymore” Dad said as we gazed into what was defiantly the Texas style Restaurant. We took our place in the already long growing line and gazed into “Texas”. Old cowboy saddles hung from the ceiling, countless Long Horn racks adorned the walls, Ten Gallon hats and spurs. One could even grab a beer as he waited in line (proved you were of age, although I don’t think anyone would have cared if you grabbed one and were 16).
After what seemed to my stomach an eternity we arrived at the lunch line style servery. “What ya hav’in” the middle aged Hispanic man asked in a rich Mexican accent. “I’m a goin wit the smoked chicken” I responded in what was my lame attempt to sound like a Texan.
Pedro lifted his knife and cut off gigantic portions of chicken slopped them on a plate and covered them with some BBQ sauce. “Hope you’re hungry dad said”. I looked at him a face of uncertainty. Making our way down the line picking up some Corn bread, beans, a bunch of other stuff.
We found an empty table in what was quickly becoming a crowed little restaurant. Looking down at what was a heaping plate of basically meat and beans the phrase Everything’s bigger in Texas ran through my mind. My teeth sank deep into the BBQ dripping piece of chicken. Immediately my body became confused, if this was chicken it was sure different then the stuff back home. As this stuff “Texas BBQ smoked Chicken” just fills every taste bud in your body with goodness…..There is really no way to describe the taste if you ever go to Texas make sure you find some.
Pounding down as much of it as possible, our bellies fat with bbq chicken we walked straight back to the room and hit the sack.
Happy Birthday Grandpa he is 71 today.
A year ago today my father were on a Plane from Milwaukee to Houston anxiously anticipation our campus visits of Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M. After a quick stop at the bathroom and the rental car place (mom reserved us an impala), we stepped into what for a Wisconsinite is paradise 70 degree weather with not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. Needless to say the climate was a bit different then the ten degrees and two inches of snow back home. As neither my dad or I had basically any clue where we were going and only a map quest guide and one of those free maps they give out at the rental car places to guide us we began our journey to the hotel. I guess we took the Houston Beltway 8 to 290w, according to the map all we had to do is go west on 290 and we could not miss the hotel. We made a quick stop at an Arbys to satisfy our hunger.
Quickly ordering some burgers we sat down and began to eat when…..cla chink clac hink cla chink. Ooh man I knew that sound, I mean everybody who has seen a John Wayne movie know that sound. I turned and peaked over my shoulder half expecting to hear “Go ahead, make my day”. Yeah oh man this is to cool, “Dad you see that that guy is wearing spurs”. A real cowboy I thought…, but why was he in an Arbys…. Eventually figuring out that hey cowboys get hungry too as I hesitantly asked dad "Is it legal to carry concealed weapons in Texas"? We finished our burgers and started our way back to the car dogging horse apples (a.k.a. Horse Shit) every other step. This was going to be an interesting trip I thought as dad turned the ignition.
A good 45 minutes later we arrived at the LaQuinta inn (basically the cheapest place we could find close the campus, still 40 mins along 290). Arriving at the hotel we unpacked what little luggage we had and took a few hours to nap. By the time 1800 rolled around our stomachs were talking to each of us, “I’m hungry they said”. We contemplated pizza, or going out, ……ultimately deciding on going to a small restaurant labeled the “Harris County Smoke House” (right next door to the hotel) “Hey it was close”.
Not fully knowing what to expect from the place we crossed the parking lot and entered the Harris County Smoke House.
“Brian we are not in Wisconsin anymore” Dad said as we gazed into what was defiantly the Texas style Restaurant. We took our place in the already long growing line and gazed into “Texas”. Old cowboy saddles hung from the ceiling, countless Long Horn racks adorned the walls, Ten Gallon hats and spurs. One could even grab a beer as he waited in line (proved you were of age, although I don’t think anyone would have cared if you grabbed one and were 16).
After what seemed to my stomach an eternity we arrived at the lunch line style servery. “What ya hav’in” the middle aged Hispanic man asked in a rich Mexican accent. “I’m a goin wit the smoked chicken” I responded in what was my lame attempt to sound like a Texan.
Pedro lifted his knife and cut off gigantic portions of chicken slopped them on a plate and covered them with some BBQ sauce. “Hope you’re hungry dad said”. I looked at him a face of uncertainty. Making our way down the line picking up some Corn bread, beans, a bunch of other stuff.
We found an empty table in what was quickly becoming a crowed little restaurant. Looking down at what was a heaping plate of basically meat and beans the phrase Everything’s bigger in Texas ran through my mind. My teeth sank deep into the BBQ dripping piece of chicken. Immediately my body became confused, if this was chicken it was sure different then the stuff back home. As this stuff “Texas BBQ smoked Chicken” just fills every taste bud in your body with goodness…..There is really no way to describe the taste if you ever go to Texas make sure you find some.
Pounding down as much of it as possible, our bellies fat with bbq chicken we walked straight back to the room and hit the sack.
Happy Birthday Grandpa he is 71 today.
The Computer Game Quiz
See How many of these you can get right AHHH the good old days.
Carl this should be right up your alley.
Oh yeah go and check out Wil Wheatons new article in The ONION AV edition called games of our lives, it goes along with this quiz.
The Computer Game Quiz! | sesblog kv�z: j�t�kok
Carl this should be right up your alley.
Oh yeah go and check out Wil Wheatons new article in The ONION AV edition called games of our lives, it goes along with this quiz.
The Computer Game Quiz! | sesblog kv�z: j�t�kok
At least its above average
In case any of you were wondering how smart this Brian guy is. I just today received my IQ score and results back today, from a fairly long test I took a few weeks ago heres the basic premise of what it said. Anyway I kind of thought the the results were kind of freakishly close to my personality.
*121*
Your intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician. This means you are gifted at both analyzing and spotting patterns in geometric figures/problems. These talents combined with you overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction.
*121*
Your intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician. This means you are gifted at both analyzing and spotting patterns in geometric figures/problems. These talents combined with you overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction.
No I have not died
Sorry its been so long since I posted, but been kind of sick latly. Also with midterms coming up I am devoting most of any of my free time to studying. I will update when I can and when midterms are over I am sure I will have some realy well written blogs.
Kims mom is doing so much better now. She is back home and is ablle to function as a human being should. I thank everybody who helped her get through her sickness.
Kims mom is doing so much better now. She is back home and is ablle to function as a human being should. I thank everybody who helped her get through her sickness.
NASA plans Discovery launch May 15
Good luck Guys, Just in Time for Rockets For Schools
CNN.com - NASA plans Discovery launch�May 15� - Feb 18, 2005
CNN.com - NASA plans Discovery launch�May 15� - Feb 18, 2005
Never Go to Hooters with a femmie guy
For dinner tonight Sodexo was kind enough to give us hot wings. Can you believe it!!! Real actual hot wings. Being the first ones at the Cafeteria my room mate Chris and I quickly got in line for those tasty little morsels of goodness. Pounding down the fist serving we ran up and got seconds, thirds, fourths, I made it all the way of to my sixth helping before I could not eat anymore. But somewhere during the third serving I was reminded of my senior class trip.
Stopping in
Our waitress, who I am sure was on a full scholarship and I think was named Kelley, walked over to our table and with the traditional flirting manner asked if she could get us anything. I knew from the start exactly what I wanted “Cajun style super fire hot wings, twenty of them” I said. She continued around the table when she got to the Newbie’s. Dan and Pat (who, don’t get me wrong, are great guys but sometimes a little funny). See Dan could not figure out what he wanted and was scared he would not like the food.
“and for you?” she asked in that voice almost all Hooters Waitress have.
“Well I don’t know what’s good here?” Dan said reluctantly, obviously still attempting to adjust to the atmosphere, as his hands flared wildly in the air like Christopher Lowles on the Home and Garden Channel.
As he spoke those words my mind filled with “Oh my god he did not just say that, we should have left him on the bus, he just screwed up our image”.
Kelly talked with him for a few minutes before he finally settled on a sandwich of some type.
From there on it went down hill. As the cooks make your food the girls are always there to flirt with you ask you questions and try to sell you other souvenirs. The most of us played our cards cool answering her questions with a bit of cockiness. But Dan no matter how hard he tried could not get it down. Answering questions more like a girl then anything else. Poor Dan he just messed up the atmosphere.
Anyway a couple of hours late after our stomachs were full we got on the bus and headed off to
Morale of the story Choose your bud carefully when you go to Hooters.
And Dan has left that experiance in the past and is now a real playa.
Down with the Sickness
On the last legs of this bronchitis I really hope I can get rid of this before the weekend. I have sword detail for a military wedding on Saturday and I don’t want to cough through the whole thing. It is just sucking the life out of me right now, going to get some good rest tonight.
I got a kick out of this
ALthough I am sure that none of you will get any of the jokes in here I almost fell out of my chair in Computer Science. Evolution of a Computer Programmer.
Me at Johnson Space Center With STEM last summer
Boy Am I bald. Anyway I am pretty sick right now with the early stages of bronchitis, I went over to the clinic today and they gave me a shot of penicillin and some other stuff. Whatever it was it knocked me out, I have been sleeping all day. I need to get some reading in before I fall asleep again.
Sheila is slowly getting better and the doctors have a pretty good idea what is wrong with her now. It has something to do with a previous accident and her neck, but the good thing is she is getting better and they might know whats wrong. Thanks everybody I know you helped Sheila through this one.
Cupid was in the Air.
Today started off just as any normal school day would. Sleeping in until 0715 I rolled out of bed hoping somehow that my math teacher spontaneously combusted so I would not have to take his Calculus exam. I checked my voice mail (had a nice one from Kim) dressed myself (it was going to be hot so I decided I would get some sun I threw on some shots and a tight fitting shirt), slammed down a cup of coffee. As the coffee had not yet kicked in I slowly made my way over to the Banks building for my test. Along the way I left Kim a Happy Valentines Day voice mail.
Sitting in my seat in math waiting for Dr Davis to come to class, five minutes passed “Man he better get here if we are goin to take this test”, ten minutes passed “OK even if he does come I am goin to refuse to take this…..” Creek the door opened. “Sorry I am late, the printer was malfunctioning I will pass the tests now.” “SON OF A ..........and just when I was about to not have to take this thing.” To my surprise the test was really easy and I finished it right away, to kill the time I wrote a love poem for Kim. I also spent the entire class period of computer science writing another poem for her. (don’t worry it was a review day). Right after Computer science I began the mile and a half walk over to the post office anxiously hoping something from Kim came in.
15 mins later I inserted the old key into the post office box, and pulled out a package notification slip. Yeah it had come. I picked up the package from the front desk and started my back to the room.
“Hey Hey” I heard from over my left shoulder, I looked, a bunch of not to bad looking white girls in a white intrepid were waving, “yeah you, come over here” I walked over. “You are really hot, my name is Casey what’s yours” the girl in the back seat said. “Brian” I responded in shock. Did she just call me hot? Have to admit at first it was kind of flattering to hear someone call me hot. To tell you the truth I am not sure it has ever happened besides Kim telling me.
She flirted with me, asking if I was a student, what was I studying, where was I from and what brought me to PV, (if I was the only white guy there). I responded in as nice of a manner I could thinking maybe I could make a white friend out of it. That’s when it hit me. I really was not enjoying this, ok at first, I just really wished Kim were in this Casey’s place. Standing there in the sun flirting with me.
“Do you by chance happen to have a girlfriend?”
I answered this with just about as much joy as I could muster
“Yeah I said we have been seeing each other for three years now and I know she is the one.”
Casey looked a bit bummed. She said she was glad for me. I responded with “Well, if you ever want to hang out with some white people give me a call” She wrote her number on a slip of paper and handed it over to me. I took it and put it in my pocket/ “nice to meet you Brian”. “Nice to meet you to” I said as they drove off.
Still a long way away from my room I began thinking about what had just happened. Questions such as; most people like it when others flirt with them, why didn’t I, rolled around in my head after about 10 seconds of thinking I came to an answer that brought a smile to my face (I am desperately, hopeless head over heels in love with Kim) when suddenly….
From in front of me a black man about my age wearing tight jeans and a shit veered off his path toward, me I could tell right away that he was a little crooked in his sexual orientation.
“Hi I’m Paul, whats your name?”
You have got to be shitting me I thought to myself.
“Brian.” I responded as the words !run away run away! repeated like a broken record in my head.
“Hi Brian, you a student here?” he asked most of the same questions the girls had.
“Hey ahhh I have to get to class before I am late” I told Paul, luckily the watch said 1445.
“See you later he said” As I literally walked as fast as I could away away, away.. even farther.
Locking the room door behind me I made a pack to myself to never wear this outfit again. Unless by sweetie wants me to. All I can say is I must look pretty good to attract both sexes.
I opened the gift from Kim soon after my self pact. And I have been smiling ever since.
Happy valentines Kim I love you forever.
Sitting in my seat in math waiting for Dr Davis to come to class, five minutes passed “Man he better get here if we are goin to take this test”, ten minutes passed “OK even if he does come I am goin to refuse to take this…..” Creek the door opened. “Sorry I am late, the printer was malfunctioning I will pass the tests now.” “SON OF A ..........and just when I was about to not have to take this thing.” To my surprise the test was really easy and I finished it right away, to kill the time I wrote a love poem for Kim. I also spent the entire class period of computer science writing another poem for her. (don’t worry it was a review day). Right after Computer science I began the mile and a half walk over to the post office anxiously hoping something from Kim came in.
15 mins later I inserted the old key into the post office box, and pulled out a package notification slip. Yeah it had come. I picked up the package from the front desk and started my back to the room.
“Hey Hey” I heard from over my left shoulder, I looked, a bunch of not to bad looking white girls in a white intrepid were waving, “yeah you, come over here” I walked over. “You are really hot, my name is Casey what’s yours” the girl in the back seat said. “Brian” I responded in shock. Did she just call me hot? Have to admit at first it was kind of flattering to hear someone call me hot. To tell you the truth I am not sure it has ever happened besides Kim telling me.
She flirted with me, asking if I was a student, what was I studying, where was I from and what brought me to PV, (if I was the only white guy there). I responded in as nice of a manner I could thinking maybe I could make a white friend out of it. That’s when it hit me. I really was not enjoying this, ok at first, I just really wished Kim were in this Casey’s place. Standing there in the sun flirting with me.
“Do you by chance happen to have a girlfriend?”
I answered this with just about as much joy as I could muster
“Yeah I said we have been seeing each other for three years now and I know she is the one.”
Casey looked a bit bummed. She said she was glad for me. I responded with “Well, if you ever want to hang out with some white people give me a call” She wrote her number on a slip of paper and handed it over to me. I took it and put it in my pocket/ “nice to meet you Brian”. “Nice to meet you to” I said as they drove off.
Still a long way away from my room I began thinking about what had just happened. Questions such as; most people like it when others flirt with them, why didn’t I, rolled around in my head after about 10 seconds of thinking I came to an answer that brought a smile to my face (I am desperately, hopeless head over heels in love with Kim) when suddenly….
From in front of me a black man about my age wearing tight jeans and a shit veered off his path toward, me I could tell right away that he was a little crooked in his sexual orientation.
“Hi I’m Paul, whats your name?”
You have got to be shitting me I thought to myself.
“Brian.” I responded as the words !run away run away! repeated like a broken record in my head.
“Hi Brian, you a student here?” he asked most of the same questions the girls had.
“Hey ahhh I have to get to class before I am late” I told Paul, luckily the watch said 1445.
“See you later he said” As I literally walked as fast as I could away away, away.. even farther.
Locking the room door behind me I made a pack to myself to never wear this outfit again. Unless by sweetie wants me to. All I can say is I must look pretty good to attract both sexes.
I opened the gift from Kim soon after my self pact. And I have been smiling ever since.
Happy valentines Kim I love you forever.
Cupids Arrow Strikes Early
I have spent the last two days happier than can be… I talked with Kim on Saturday afternoon, and even though our spring breaks only coincide for two days, I am going to be able to see her. We are going to meet up at her mother’s house in Phoenix on Friday and on Monday I fly back to Houston. Actually I will be skipping school the Monday we are supposed to be back so I can spend just a little more time with her. Lets see here beak out the ol’ balance, one side we have being with Kim and on the other school. “Do I really have to tell you which of the two outweighed the other?” I wonder how the FFiLS will turn out this time?
Being away from Kim this past month (since Christmas) has been the hardest of any time I have spent away from her. We had such wonderful times together during Thanksgiving and Christmas It brings a tears to my eyes thinking about them. I am sure this spring break will be just as good. I simply can’t wait to see her again, to give my honey a big hug and kiss and tell her I love her face to face. I love you Kim.
Keep on prayin for Sheila, I am sure if she could thank each and everyone who has kept her in their thoughts, she would.
Being away from Kim this past month (since Christmas) has been the hardest of any time I have spent away from her. We had such wonderful times together during Thanksgiving and Christmas It brings a tears to my eyes thinking about them. I am sure this spring break will be just as good. I simply can’t wait to see her again, to give my honey a big hug and kiss and tell her I love her face to face. I love you Kim.
Keep on prayin for Sheila, I am sure if she could thank each and everyone who has kept her in their thoughts, she would.
Over the River and through the Bayou
Back to PV
The rest of the day went just as Friday did. Went down to Bourbon Street had a few more hand grenades walked around ate a bunch of these tasty little Crystal Burgers.” Boarding the bus again at 0100 the most of us were ready for some serious rest. The bus driver began to drive us back when suddenly………….Smack, the entire bus lurched forward, and a crashing sound followed. We all gazed out the window like first graders would on a school bus for the first time……Just in time to see an entire street light smash to the ground.
The bus atmosphere spontaneously changed from tired drunks to college students yelling colorful metaphors. Thoughts of the school where the bus driver got his truck license from flashed thorough my head. The bus driver instead of staying and informing the police bolted off, I had no idea a coach bus that could go from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. Somehow I don’t think that the tour company made much of a profit driving us around.
Straggling back to the hanger we all passed out and woke up the next morning. We cleaned up our stuff, smashing all of our gear into the bus “I swear, god helped us get all of our gear back on the bus that morning we had so much gear the bus doors were bulging.” Just as soon as my butt hit the chair I was out and I slept the entire way back. Waking up just in time to get off the bus and watch the super bowl.
Even though we had some hiccups along they way. The trip was well worth all the 0500 and 2300 training sessions.
The rest of the day went just as Friday did. Went down to Bourbon Street had a few more hand grenades walked around ate a bunch of these tasty little Crystal Burgers.” Boarding the bus again at 0100 the most of us were ready for some serious rest. The bus driver began to drive us back when suddenly………….Smack, the entire bus lurched forward, and a crashing sound followed. We all gazed out the window like first graders would on a school bus for the first time……Just in time to see an entire street light smash to the ground.
The bus atmosphere spontaneously changed from tired drunks to college students yelling colorful metaphors. Thoughts of the school where the bus driver got his truck license from flashed thorough my head. The bus driver instead of staying and informing the police bolted off, I had no idea a coach bus that could go from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. Somehow I don’t think that the tour company made much of a profit driving us around.
Straggling back to the hanger we all passed out and woke up the next morning. We cleaned up our stuff, smashing all of our gear into the bus “I swear, god helped us get all of our gear back on the bus that morning we had so much gear the bus doors were bulging.” Just as soon as my butt hit the chair I was out and I slept the entire way back. Waking up just in time to get off the bus and watch the super bowl.
Even though we had some hiccups along they way. The trip was well worth all the 0500 and 2300 training sessions.
Sheila update. I called Bruce today and talked wit hi for a while. Basically nobody really knows what is wrong. Sheila has been spending most of her days really drugged up sleeping in her hospital room. Seizures are becoming a pretty common occurrence, but overall Bruce said there has been a little improvement but not much. Just keep praying for her and I am sure everything will turn out ok. Thank you all, for keeping Sheila in you thoughts this past week continue to keep her in your prayers and god willing we will al be able to get together for spring break.
Over the River and through the Bayou
Day 2-3 am
Finishing the first of what would become a long string of drinks entitled “Hand Grenades”, and “Hurricanes” from the Tropical Isle bar. Our group began the night walking up and down Bourbon Street, talking with people from other states and colleges and of course yelling for beads. We stopped in miscellaneous souvenir shops and admired the innuendistic shirts and toys, some of which were extremely funny. You know the kind of funny only college students or maybe, maybe some really hip parents would laugh at. To tell you the truth there is not much else to do on Bourbon Street other than drink and yell for beads. “Of course the girls always do other stuff to get their beads.” I tried to limit myself to that particular exposure, since I have all the show I could ever need already in my one and only. Anyway our group spent the night just chillin out on Bourbon, until our 0100 curfew fan out and we had to be back on the bus.
Arriving back at our Hanger Bay Hilton we were unsurprised to see the Texas A&M MID’s had already turned in for the night. “Man those guys need to get out.” Most of us including myself hit our racks so hard that night, not even changing out of our dirty clothes. I fell asleep thinking “I hope breakfast is better.”
Four hours later I awoke thinking, “I’m never drinking again.” I rolled out of my cot hitting the gray hard cold hanger bay floor. Remarkably after waking up and showering I did not feel all that bad. The Plan of the Day called for Rice and Prairie View to visit the National D-Day museum in the morning, and right after that it showed Bourbon Street Liberty.
“Wow I’m not sure I can take another night of that place”........... I changed into my khaki uniform (the uniform of the day) and patiently waited for the bus to arrive. And waited, and waited, waited some more I looked down at my watch 0900. Good god where was this bus driver..................?
Never ceasing to amaze us our fearless bus driver had somehow managed to drive the bus through mud, getting stuck in the process. He was so stuck in fact that a special tow truck specially equipped to haul large vehicles had to be called in just to get it out.
Of course during this time of waiting, our unit hung-over from the night before and bored out of our minds took a tour of the base, which for al intensive purposes was the crappiest base I had ever been on.
Our glorious chariot of diesel, covered in dirt finally showed up around 1100. Back on to the bus we went, and headed for the D-Day museum.
Finishing the first of what would become a long string of drinks entitled “Hand Grenades”, and “Hurricanes” from the Tropical Isle bar. Our group began the night walking up and down Bourbon Street, talking with people from other states and colleges and of course yelling for beads. We stopped in miscellaneous souvenir shops and admired the innuendistic shirts and toys, some of which were extremely funny. You know the kind of funny only college students or maybe, maybe some really hip parents would laugh at. To tell you the truth there is not much else to do on Bourbon Street other than drink and yell for beads. “Of course the girls always do other stuff to get their beads.” I tried to limit myself to that particular exposure, since I have all the show I could ever need already in my one and only. Anyway our group spent the night just chillin out on Bourbon, until our 0100 curfew fan out and we had to be back on the bus.
Arriving back at our Hanger Bay Hilton we were unsurprised to see the Texas A&M MID’s had already turned in for the night. “Man those guys need to get out.” Most of us including myself hit our racks so hard that night, not even changing out of our dirty clothes. I fell asleep thinking “I hope breakfast is better.”
Four hours later I awoke thinking, “I’m never drinking again.” I rolled out of my cot hitting the gray hard cold hanger bay floor. Remarkably after waking up and showering I did not feel all that bad. The Plan of the Day called for Rice and Prairie View to visit the National D-Day museum in the morning, and right after that it showed Bourbon Street Liberty.
“Wow I’m not sure I can take another night of that place”........... I changed into my khaki uniform (the uniform of the day) and patiently waited for the bus to arrive. And waited, and waited, waited some more I looked down at my watch 0900. Good god where was this bus driver..................?
Never ceasing to amaze us our fearless bus driver had somehow managed to drive the bus through mud, getting stuck in the process. He was so stuck in fact that a special tow truck specially equipped to haul large vehicles had to be called in just to get it out.
Of course during this time of waiting, our unit hung-over from the night before and bored out of our minds took a tour of the base, which for al intensive purposes was the crappiest base I had ever been on.
Our glorious chariot of diesel, covered in dirt finally showed up around 1100. Back on to the bus we went, and headed for the D-Day museum.
Over the River and through the Bayou
Day 2
“Man I hope breakfast is good”.
Over at the mess hall where my hopes and dreams of a decent breakfast crashed and burned I prepared for a day of Competition, and more importantly a night on
Just as soon as we finished practicing we were back on the bus for the trip to Tulane. Somewhat tired from a not so good night sleep. Decided it was time for a nap since we had at least a thirty minute trip to the university from the base. This time I awoke again more confused than I expected. I awoke looking out of the smudged glass of the bus window to what to me did not look much like a University. As soon as I came back to my scenes I realized…….Our bus driver was lost again. By this time it was about 1300 we had to go and reform at 1545, and we had no idea where the hell we were. I guess you could say we took the senic route to Tulane when we went off road in a coach bus. Eventually resorting to crossing through peoples back and front yards, medians and over hedge rows. I would have loved to see the faces on the people as a 75 person coach bus drove through front lawn.
We did finally make it to the University at 1450. Changing immediately into our service dress blues and taking the field. Pumped up and ready to go our Unit and Rice strutted our stuff over to the competition field.
“Prairie View, Rice” our unit commander responded yes.
“We are behind schedule about two hours, take your seats in the bleachers and wait until you are called.” You have to be shitting me this is the military for god sake, and they can’t even do stuff on time.
I took my seat in the last row of the bleachers patiently watching the other schools drill and show what they had to offer. Spoke to other Midshipman from all over the
It was also about this time that I realized I was not in Prairie View anymore. I mean I looked around for black people, and could not find even a single one not from Prairie View. It got me thinking about why it was only Prairie View with Blacks in NROTC, but we’ll leave that one for another blog.
“Prairie View, you’re up next, get ready.” The words I had been waiting for all day, finally lets get this thing over with so PV can go and do what it does best…..Party.
We took the field. “Yes, after a month of getting up at 0500 we were about to show off what our little NROTC unit could do.” My heart pumped like that of a P100 pump. To tell you the truth I have no idea how the drill itself went I was so focused on doing a good job, I would not have noticed a nuclear explosion 200 yards away. The good thing is I don’t think I messed up. By the time we marched off the field it was already about 1700. Everybody from the Houston Consortium was itching for some
We left for
The bus stopped a few blocks away from
Announcing The Link Competition
I just made a Banner that can be used as link to this website. Yeah nothing special to look at right but for the time being it gets the job done.
To all my blogger Friends out there, I have a little contest for you. I am going to place a bannered link to a chosen blog located at Xanga. Heres the catch You must be a member of the Fondy Space Flight Bloggeri there. Submit your banners to me. The contest ends on Feb 20, 2005.
To all my blogger Friends out there, I have a little contest for you. I am going to place a bannered link to a chosen blog located at Xanga. Heres the catch You must be a member of the Fondy Space Flight Bloggeri there. Submit your banners to me. The contest ends on Feb 20, 2005.
Is Star trek really that bad?
3. Star TrekPublic Humiliation:86.2%These geeks used to be called Trekkies, but now insist on the less derogatory term Trekkers, which is the image control equivalent of adding a koala bear to the Nazi flag. They tend to be unobtrusive, but for every hundred Trekkers polite enough to obsess in their own homes, there’s some bastard singing at the karaoke bar in Klingon and a computer repairman demanding that his coworkers address him by his Starfleet rank. Before you laugh, though, there’s almost assuredly a third one building something that can vaporize your non-Star Trek ass from orbit.
Damage to Sex Life: 93.4%While it’s true that ladies crave fat men with pointy ears and a strong armpit odor, those green aliens that Kirk used to bone created a standard of beauty for Trekkies that no Earth woman can live up to.
Distinguishing Characteristics: If someone approaching you is more machine than man and threatening to assimilate you, it’s either a Star Trek enthusiast or an android lost in time. Either way, it’s your duty as a human to smash it.
Is star trek this bad well mabye but you got to love it.
Damage to Sex Life: 93.4%While it’s true that ladies crave fat men with pointy ears and a strong armpit odor, those green aliens that Kirk used to bone created a standard of beauty for Trekkies that no Earth woman can live up to.
Distinguishing Characteristics: If someone approaching you is more machine than man and threatening to assimilate you, it’s either a Star Trek enthusiast or an android lost in time. Either way, it’s your duty as a human to smash it.
Is star trek this bad well mabye but you got to love it.
Over the River and Through the Bayou
Day 1
Sitting on the Bus at 0530 in the morning waiting for our sister school
Bald headed white people stiff as 2X4’s marched to and from their bus carrying their gear inside. The school was Texas A&M. Let me tell you, these guys had not seen a laugh in months. As I steal a line from Ferris Buellers Day Off, these guys were so tight that if you shoved a lump of coal in their asses, in two weeks you’d have a diamond. All serious, they were prohibited to talk to us. Well anyway we walked inside only to find we would be sleeping in vintage
I awoke rather unpleasantly five hours later not to the sound of a supersonic fighter plane as I had expected, but to the voice of another Midshipman informing I had been assigned watch duty from 04-0500, and I had 10 minutes to get ready. (For those of you who are thinking I had just won a free wristwatch sorry to disappoint you. Watch in the military is when you walk around a duty station in the middle of the night and make sure no one tries to blow the building up). If there is one thing I really hate it standing watch. Well I walked around and inspected the weapons for an hour patiently waiting for my watch to be over. I remember thinking “I really hope breakfast is good.”
Sheila is back in the Hospital today undergoing all sorts of MRI and catscans. I guess the doctors really don’t know what is goin on with her. Since they don’t know much I know less then them. I find myself worrying about it more than I thought I would. My mind constantly wonders to the “What if” scenario, you know the one with a million and one possible different outcomes and all you can think of are the bad ones. All we can do now is say a prayer for the Babendirs. And leave the rest in god’s hands. Thanks for the support you have been sending Sheila but she is not out of the dark yet.
Another phone call
Hi everyone and no I did not die. Like I feared I had no internet access at the base to update the ol’ blog. My next few blogs are probly going to be pretty short as I am working a big post which I am calling Over the river and through the Bayou. It is going to be a story about my trip to Louisania. Obviously it will include the Drill meet, but more importantly it is going to recap the night live found on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. I am working on it now and hope to have it done by the weekend.
Today Kim updated me on her mothers condition. I guess she was doing just fine until this morning when she had a stroke. Like last time the doctors really don’t know what the problem is. Once again I ask for your prayers she really needs all she can get more then ever. Ever since I got that phone call I cant help wonder if there is something genetic that runs in her family. I hope to god that is not the case. I only wish Sheila could get better.
Over the River and through the woods....
I dont have much time to write this blog. I leave for Tulane Louisiana, to participate in the nationwide NROTC drill competition in about four hours and I really have got to get some sleep. So depending on wether I can get internet acess overthere I will fill you in with all the details of today and the competition as soon as I can. Wish me luck.
In Memory of.......
Ask your friends, parents, grandparents a question. What day do you most remember? (The kind of day you remember everything about). Your friends will undoubtedly say 911 your parents might say the day Princess Di was killed, and your grandparents might say the day JFK was shot or when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. But ask me, and something else comes to mind.
It had been a long week at school. One of those weeks that never seemed to end, so I decided to sleep in on my well deserved Saturday off. When I finally did awake I went through the traditional morning events shower and shave just like everybody else does. Put on the old pajama pants and went down stairs to get some breakfast. I had just finished pouring myself a bowl of cereal, when the phone rang. Hoping it was Kim calling I answered. “Brian its Dad, it the TV on?”.” No” I said as I had just woke up. “Well there is something wrong with the shuttle”. “Really” I responded. Not initially thinking it was too bad. I hung up the phone walked over to the living room and flipped on CNN.
At first all they knew was that NASA had lost communication with the space shuttle during reentry. But knowing NASA as I do I thought to myself, “Yeah that happens every time the shuttle enters the atmosphere because the plasma off the shuttle creates a shell around the shuttle (like in Apollo 13). I sat in front of the TV watching like a hawk. Then it came. “We have amateur footage of the Shuttle Columbia breaking apart over Texas!” My heart Dropped into the basement. It was Columbia I had saw just a few years earlier soar majestically into the sky when we went on a vacation to Florida (it was my favorite). The footage came on the TV. Shaky and a little blurry it showed a fireball streaking through the sky. “Looks ok to me” I thought they always look like that when they reenter(a fireball streeking across the sky). Just when I thought ______ I saw a piece veer off to from the main ball. “Oh god it’s really happening. I immediately got on the phone and called all the members of FSFI to make sure they were watching and call an emergency meeting for that afternoon.
I watched all morning never noticing I had never eaten a bite of my cereal. When the first of my team arrived Joe (my vice president). I was actually close to tears. We immediately began to work on a design for our rocket that would somehow commemorate the crew of Columbia. After a few hours we came up with a design that would not only memorialize the crew of Columbia, but all the valiant astronauts that have died boldly going where no man has gone before. We would paint the rocket to resemble the national astronaut memorial in Kennedy space center. Similar to the Vietnam wall only this one has the names of American Astronauts.
All the work done that year was done in recognition of our fallen friends. When we finally unveiled the final rocket it was not adorned with flames or dragons. Just Gloss Black, waving flag nosecone, and the names in gold of our countries fallen astronauts. That rocket remains to this day my favorite of the three we made. It really had a certain feeling to it you couldn’t explain. And on July 26 2003 our rocket soared into the blue for our friends.
If the above links fail to load they can be viewed here manualy
It had been a long week at school. One of those weeks that never seemed to end, so I decided to sleep in on my well deserved Saturday off. When I finally did awake I went through the traditional morning events shower and shave just like everybody else does. Put on the old pajama pants and went down stairs to get some breakfast. I had just finished pouring myself a bowl of cereal, when the phone rang. Hoping it was Kim calling I answered. “Brian its Dad, it the TV on?”.” No” I said as I had just woke up. “Well there is something wrong with the shuttle”. “Really” I responded. Not initially thinking it was too bad. I hung up the phone walked over to the living room and flipped on CNN.
At first all they knew was that NASA had lost communication with the space shuttle during reentry. But knowing NASA as I do I thought to myself, “Yeah that happens every time the shuttle enters the atmosphere because the plasma off the shuttle creates a shell around the shuttle (like in Apollo 13). I sat in front of the TV watching like a hawk. Then it came. “We have amateur footage of the Shuttle Columbia breaking apart over Texas!” My heart Dropped into the basement. It was Columbia I had saw just a few years earlier soar majestically into the sky when we went on a vacation to Florida (it was my favorite). The footage came on the TV. Shaky and a little blurry it showed a fireball streaking through the sky. “Looks ok to me” I thought they always look like that when they reenter(a fireball streeking across the sky). Just when I thought ______ I saw a piece veer off to from the main ball. “Oh god it’s really happening. I immediately got on the phone and called all the members of FSFI to make sure they were watching and call an emergency meeting for that afternoon.
I watched all morning never noticing I had never eaten a bite of my cereal. When the first of my team arrived Joe (my vice president). I was actually close to tears. We immediately began to work on a design for our rocket that would somehow commemorate the crew of Columbia. After a few hours we came up with a design that would not only memorialize the crew of Columbia, but all the valiant astronauts that have died boldly going where no man has gone before. We would paint the rocket to resemble the national astronaut memorial in Kennedy space center. Similar to the Vietnam wall only this one has the names of American Astronauts.
All the work done that year was done in recognition of our fallen friends. When we finally unveiled the final rocket it was not adorned with flames or dragons. Just Gloss Black, waving flag nosecone, and the names in gold of our countries fallen astronauts. That rocket remains to this day my favorite of the three we made. It really had a certain feeling to it you couldn’t explain. And on July 26 2003 our rocket soared into the blue for our friends.
If the above links fail to load they can be viewed here manualy
Tribute to the Crew of STS-107 "Columbia"
Columbia Tribute
Kennedy Space Center Remembrance Ceremony
Remembering Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia
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