So our FrEP (Freshman Enrichment Program) started yesterday. Yes that is right, on Sunday. I thought that I was supposed to have all this free time during the summer, but I think I actually work more during the summer than during the regular school year. I was not originally scheduled to teach this FrEP class, but it turns out that I am teaching it now. It is pretty fun, but it is at 8:00 in the morning and I am just not much of a morning person. I guess it will be alright, the only problem I see right now is that I am not getting much done on my car. That could turn out to be a very bad thing, I have got to get it running very soon in order to beat the appeal. I just don't feel like doing very much once I finally get home - especially knowing that I am going to have to get up early (for me) each morning. Blah!
I did make a new guitar related purchase recently. I got a Line 6 Pod XT Live. It is a really nice effects board. I normally like to stick with all analog stuff, but decided that the XT was a much better solution even though it is a digital board. I went in the Ruston music store (Piney Hills Music), and talked with the guy about possible options and it ended up that I bought his XT board. I got a great deal and he seemed ok with it too. So if you have no idea what I am talking about, the effects that you run determine if you sound like U2, or Van Halen, or Elvis. Of course all the effects in the world don't matter if you suck. Anyway, I did add a picture of the board so you can get an idea. This is a stock picture, not a picture that I took, but you get the idea.
Well, I need to go try to get motivated to work on my car - I really just want to do nothing for a while though.
There are only two more days until the first Tech football game of the season! I did notice that there were some games on tonight, but didn't pay them too much attention. I did tune into the end of the NLULM game just to make sure they were losing and they weren't letting me down. The tigers were winning big though, but I guess that is ok for now. The mayor has declared that Friday's are "Code Blue" days and that all businesses are encouraged to show their support by wearing blue. . . sounds good to me! Although, I think Code Blue may not have been the best name choices because Code Blue is the hospital code for a person not breathing I think, but that may be appropriate for some of the local Tech "fans." Nothing bugs me more than to see someone at Tech or in Ruston decked out in full LSU regalia but yet has no affiliation with LSU at all! That reminds me of one of my favorite pictures, I don't have it on this computer so I can't post it, but I will try to post it later.
It is also getting very close to time for school to start back. I am teaching a couple of classes this Fall and I am looking forward to getting started. I am teaching one of the sections of our new Freshmen Engineering Curriculum and it is pretty cool. The students are going to be building some really sophisticated things - some robots, sensors, some micor/nano fabricated stuff, control systems and all as Freshmen! I am also teaching the seminar class that goes along with that. Possibly the most fun class is going to be my IMPaCT class. This is a class that I (with the help of plenty of people) started a two years ago. The class is a multidisciplinary design and product development class. We are looking at some pretty interesting projects for this year. One of the possible projects involves a lunar orbiter for NASA. Last year one of the projects from this class was licensed to a regional company for a significant chunk of change (something like 1.2 million shares of the company stock). Anyway, more on school on a later date.
Oh wait, I do have one cool thing to tell you about. Tech is starting a new tradition this year (oh and I have a really cool tradition to tell you about for next year). The Freshmen are going to assemble in Howard September 5th (the day before classes) and listen to some speakers (Derek Dooley for one) and be given a commemorative coin. Then they will take this coin and throw it into the Lady of the Mist. Then when they graduate they will get the coin back with their graduation date engraved on it. It seems like a pretty cool thing, we will see how it goes. Click HERE to read more about the tradition. The tradition that we will start next year is even cooler in my book, but I probably can't tell you about it yet.
For my last bit tonight I am just going to say that I hate to admit it, but I have been bitten by the reality TV show bug. I have been totally watching Big Brother 8, and I like it. I still don't watch any of the other reality shows, unless you count the American Hot Rod / Chopper type shows, but I am liking this one for sure. I am not sure who I want to win, but at least they got rid of Amber tonight, I was pretty sure I didn't want her to win. Well, that is all for tonight, stayed tuned for more . . .
Well, I need to go try to get motivated to work on my car - I really just want to do nothing for a while though.
