Photo from Eikongraphia

If your reading this chances are you’re in college or maybe just finishing High School, good for you, because you’ve stumbled upon an academic gold mine. As a successful student (3.5+ cumulative GPA) I’ve been practicing these skills since I entered college. Within this list there are a few skills that are as simple as selecting the right seat others need to consciously be used, while others require going out of your way to build relationships. So, without farther ado, here we go.

Imagine this is your first day in class, and you know nothing about the subject, Microeconomics of Latin American countries under dictatorships, but it’s required for your major and you’re not interested so you think you’ll just fake it for four months and collect your c. You could, or you could collect your b or a depending on well you study and apply these tips. First, sit in the T. The T is a magical area of each class that comprises the first couple of rows, depending on the size of the room, and the 1-3 rows running down the direct middle of the room for approximately 5-6 rows, again depending on the size of the room or lecture hall.

The beauty of the T is you’re seen by the Professor immediately. This is important because they build memory of students based on the place you sit. Sitting closer implies you’re there to learn and contribute. Sitting in the T also forces you to contribute because the Professor expects you to, improving your public speaking skills a bit. The most important part of the T and being forced to contribute is the relationship. The relationship between student and teacher is powerful; despite what they tell you, they don’t teach for the money (maybe the benefits), they genuinely want you to succeed, and the T helps convince them of the students that want to succeed too.

You will notice, or you may have already, that not many of your classmates say a thing during class, unless specifically called upon to do so. This may be due to insecurity with their ability to answer a question, or a fear of rejection of wrong. This is exactly what you want to avoid. Speaking up, even if wrong, lets the professor know you are actively engaging in the learning process, gaining their respect. If you provide the right answer, even better; you’re establishing yourself as a leader in the class. Leading a class is not necessarily about helping to perform tasks, or becoming the teachers pet, but being the person the teacher looks to to answer a question (when you get to the point that the professor passes your raised hand in favor of someone else, especially if no ones hand is raised, you’ve arrived).

If after these tips, you’re still not on board or still too intimidated, rest easy, there is one action that anyone and everyone should take advantage of, office hours. Office hours are God’s gift to students everywhere. If you couldn’t or didn’t want a seat in the T, or don’t like raising your hand in class, using office hours to build a relationship with a professor is a great opportunity to help the professor get to know you and ultimately remember you.

Most importantly, office hours give you a chance to refine your skills in a given subject, building academic ability in office hours allows for and gives confidence to raise a hand in class or sit closer to the front. Remember, even though office hours are a great way to get help on a tough homework problem, showing your professors you want to succeed and give a damn about your future strikes a chord.

More on class presentations, writing papers, and extracurricular activities later!!!

Disclaimer: The following tips are for students who are having a challenging time with class and finding their stride. I’m truly fond of school and the following actions are not done by me to curry favor with faculty, they come naturally from wanting to learn. I truly enjoy my professors expertise and their willingness to share it. Ultimately, it is up to the student to succeed, these tips will give you the basics, and with luck they will reveal what can be achieved when truly stimulated to learn.

Annihilator 2000 – Beverly Hills Cop III

Specs: CD Player, Microwave, fax machine, phone, night vision goggles, microprocessor, digital AM/FM radio, video recorder and more. It also has a few guns. From the looks of it, a side mounted M-16, and a ridiculously large barrel for firing God knows what; hopefully its a rocket; you never know when the verbal alarm and M-16 won’t be enough to scare away those dumb-ass robbers attacking your pad.

What can I say about this beautiful gun. It can devastate and and cook you dinner. In fact, if you happen to be stuck on a stake out and you need to report in, the phone is already there. Though, does this mean it’s a cell phone or do you have to plug in to a wall? Multitasking makes the Annihilator 2000 the most bad ass gun on this list. While your killing baddies, it’ll make popcorn and record the action, just so you can see how bad ass you were. Not to mention the phone and fax. Nothing says handling your business, while doing business.

Big Baby – Hell Boy II – The Golden Army

Specs: Demon sized six-shooter, fires No. 2 “Suck on This” rounds which appear to be about the same size your thumb and features a music box.

I’m jealous of this gun. The only thing that would make it better would be a Zune (or ipod) instead of the music box. Imagine the damage Hell Boy would do if he handled business to Tech N9ne (especially Riot Maker). To be honest, it looks like the movies armorer spent a little too much time around the business end of an A-10 “Warthog”. For those of you that don’t know, the A-10 fires 30mm depleted Uranium rounds. This looks like that, maybe even bigger.

BFG v3.14 – Doom

Specs: BFG=Big Fucking Gun… Enough said

The BFG is the beast from Doom, though referred to as the Bio Force Gun, Sarge (Dwayne Johnson) clearly knows what else it stands for. When fired, the BFG is a devastating super weapon; man portable, like the Annihilator 2000 but all business. The biggest difference is the BFG leaves no indication it was ever used. The perfect murder weapon, if it could be hidden, perhaps the Noisy Cricket would be better for those purposes… Anyway, the arguably the most recognizable gun in gaming history and is now the 3^rd most Kick Ass gun in movie history.

MK55 Tactical Nuclear Launcher

Specs: Nuclear weapon + RPG = Ass Kicked. Two man teams, loader and launcher.

Watching Starship Troopers is an exercise in self control. Not to say I don’t love the movie, I do, especially NPH (Neil Patrick Harris). But there is a certain unbelievability about it. Now I know it’s set in the future, and I know that it’s a Science Fiction break from reality, but these weapons (Morita MK1) are insane (in a good way). The caliber must be .75, but they do the damage of 9mm. The MK55 Tactical Nuclear Launcher is quite different. These beast puts the power of the Hiroshima in the palm of your hand. Obliterating Bugs from an RPG never looked so realistic. Plus the fact that it’s set in the future means we have something to look forward too.

Zorg ZF-1 Pod Weapon – The Fifth Element

Specs: Machine gun, rocket launcher, poison arrow launcher, net launcher, flame thrower and freeze ray.

Kick Ass in every way. The Zorg shows what kind of future ingenuity mankind will have. The Zorg even features climate friendly killing modes (poison arrow and freeze ray), those carbon spewing flame thrower and machine gun are evil. This way we can bump off our enemies and be environmentally friendly at the same time, go Earth! Nothing says Kick Ass then an Earth friendly killing machine. Fertilizer anyone?

Colibri Lighters Golden Gun – The man with the Golden Gun

Specs: Pen, Lighter, Cuff Link, and Cigarette case

The modern discerning international assassin knows he or she needs to be able to get in and out (of their marks mistress), quickly, quietly, and without being seen; and then they need to eliminate their target. Colibri of London has given us this beautiful, if only non-functional Kick Ass assassins gun. Quickly assembled, and disassembled, the Golden Gun leaves the quite an impression.

Hellfire Shotgun – Ghost Rider

Specs: Winchester Model 1887 Shotgun

In the hands of a novice, the shotgun provides adequate defense. Held in the shadows by the bony hands of Satan’s messenger, the shotgun becomes the Hellfire Shotgun. While not the best weapon in the movie (The Flaming Chain wins) the Hellfire Shotgun lands a deathly blow. Filled with the power of evil the Hellfire Shotgun is Kick Ass.

All Photos come from imfdb.org

Monopoly

The game and all of it’s pieces are used as normal. This ones a slow starter but pics up hard at the end.

Altered Rules:

• Pass Go – Choose someone to drink

• Community Chest and Chance – Do what it says. If you pay, you drink, if someone pays you they pay and drink

• Go to Jail – Drink for every turn you’re in jail

• Paying Rent – When you land on someone’s property, either buy it or drink. For every house take another drink, for every hotel, take 4 extra drinks, and then pay.

• Free Parking – Collect your dough, and everyone else drinks.

• Land on Tennessee, shoot Jack Daniels (if you have it)

The beauty of Monopoly as a drinking game is it comes in so many versions there’s a version for every party. After a while you’ll get bored of watching Beer Pong and you’ll need to create some fun. Everyone knows the basic rules, explain the new fun ones and off you go.

Help me out, what rules would you add?

Your first instinct is to flee, but to where; you on the second, third or even the fourth floor and the there’s no ledge to use to escape lower. You hear more shots and now screams as the gunman or gunmen go from class to class shooting, wounding and maybe even killing. Then you remember that you’re armed. Or are you? Unless you attend college in Utah, you may as well flip a coin on your chances of living, dying or being wounded.

The scenario continues like this. You live in Utah, and the gunman enters you class room attempting to fire on you or your classmates you can put him down. The story ends here. There will be reports and statements to fill out for sure, and the NRA may even pick up the tab for the rest of your tuition (if only).

The alternate scenario ends a little differently. Now you’re a student Illinois. A state with unconscionably restrictive concealed carry laws. With the same flight or fight options, except you don’t have a weapon. You can’t leave because your too high, the gunman is blocking the door. Within minutes 3 dozen shots are fired and you, your friends and the TA are in shock, wounded or dead.

This scenario is the most common example of what happens when the federal and state government tell us that they will be our protectors. Now, it’s not all their fault, we share some blame for this too. We are not telling our congressmen and women or our senators that we demand the return of the ability to protect ourselves. Time after time, shooting after shooting.

Talking heads tell us that we need more gun control, more “Gun Free Zones”. The ironic thing about these statements is that only law abiding citizens, and in this case students, listen to them anyway. The Trench Coat Mafias (Columbine) and Seung-Hui Cho’s (Virginia Tech) of the world don’t give a damn about silly laws that make what they intend to do easier. Obviously they didn’t stop the Gun Free Zone signs, but the law abiding students who did and left their weapons in their cars paid the price for our inaction.

Whether you agree with the premise of guns on campus or not is beside the point. The question you must ask yourself is whether you will allow the most sacred Right in the history of man, the ability to defend yourself, to be trampled on in the name of assumed security at the expense of your life. Secondly, for those of you who believe so wholeheartedly in the rights to free speech, a free press and the freedom to assemble enshrined in the 1^st Amendment, you must ask yourself what gives you those The only thing preventing those rights from being infringed upon anymore is the 2^nd Amendments guarantee that you can personally defend yourself against attack by an increasingly oppressive government.

I’ve saved the good news for last. Eleven states are considering legislation to restore to students who are lawfully permitted the right to carry concealed handguns on their campuses. With your help, more may follow. What do you think about this issue?

I’m a huge fan of performance,; so while I was looking into the Veyron a little more. I found this great video of a “normal” Veyron, the $1.4 million variety, taking on the $70,000 Nissan GT-R at Jalopnik. the words “left in the dust” don’t do this ass whooping justice. Fro all the import fans out there, even for the huge price difference, the only import you should ever dream of is from France.