My first stop in my search was Apple’s own Pages. I cannot say that I am entirely impressed with the product, but since it was included as a free-trial with my Macbook, I figured I should at least consider it. As Apple’s first entry into the word processing arena it is not a bad product. It does everything that you would want a word processing program to do (format, bold, italicize, etc.) without including unnecessary and unwanted in-your-face features. I like that. However, that is all it offers. There is no alternative to Excel. So while you could probably get your word processing needs satisfied with Pages, you will still be stuck searching for a place to put your charts and graphs. And since the processing program will run you $79, it is hard to recommend it to anyone. In fact, I would recommend that most people not even bother opening the program in its current state. The program is nice, and has potential, but unfortunately for Apple the $79 price tag unjustifiable considering the Student & Teacher version of Office is only $149.

My next stop is the infamous Open Office. Open Office is supposed to offer a complete and free alternative to Microsoft Office. It includes alternatives for both Word and Excel, as well as some other extras that are useful. So as a package and an idea, Open Office is impressive. However, as a Macintosh application it is frustrating. The program requires that X11 (an Apple application) be installed on your computer before it can function. Installation is relatively easy (pop in your restore CD, check some boxes, and off you go), but the fact that I have to do that is just irritating. In addition, every time you open Open Office, X11 opens. This means that when you go to exit the application, you also have to exit out of X11. And if you accidentally close X11, you will also close Open Office in an unsafe manner and increases the risk of data being lost. A small complaint I know, but it is still irritating enough to keep me from using the program or recommending the program. So while Open Office is by far the most formidable competitor and offers a complete office suite, until they decide to abandon their use of X11, I think it is more of a pain than it is worth.

My third stop was Google’s Docs & Spreadsheets. This particular application is a bit different from the above mentioned as it is completely based online. This is great for people who travel or use several computers (such as myself), as their latest and greatest version is always accessible. And, just like Open Office, Google’s Docs & Spreadsheets is free. It does have its shortcomings though, the biggest of which is that you have to have an account with Google to use it. This is no big deal for me as I already have a gmail account, but I could see it being a significant hurdle for people who have email elsewhere and do not want yet another set of credentials to remember.

As for the actual applications, Google Docs application is very straight forward. You get a text box with a few basic editing options. It also has some advanced functions such as posting to a blog, exporting in PDF or Word format , and collaborative editing. All of these are welcome features, and I particularly like how they are located out of the way and will not interfere with your typing. In fact, I am typing this entry from within Google Doc’s & Spreadsheets right now. My only complaint about the application is that it does not check for correct grammar. It has spell check, but one of my favorite features of Word is its ability to analyze your sentences, find runons, repeat words, or just all around awkwardness, and warn you with a nice green squiggly line. Google’s Docs does not do that. Sad. As a basic word editor though, it functions very well and is available anywhere you have an internet connection. A definite plus for the blogger, student, editor, or professional on the run.

Google’s Spreadsheets application on the other hand, while usable, is not as straight-forward or as complete. The online interface is a bit frustrating to use (clicking in cells, selecting them, etc.), but it is bearable. The problem is that Excel operates like a program while Spreadsheets operates like an online application. So while selecting non-adjacent cells in Excel is relatively easy using the “ctrl” key, doing the same thing online is virtually impossible. This makes formatting much more time consuming as you either have to select a large area by dragging, or select each cell individually. Another limitation is that the applications’ canvas is significantly smaller. You can only have 20 columns and 100 rows. This is a big change from the 250+ columns and 65,000+ rows available in Excel. And while I do not usually use 65,000 rows of data, I do frequently use more than 100.

So in the end, Microsoft Office still rains supreme. While each of the above mentioned applications provide a piece of the overall package, no single application trumps Office in its ease-of-use and thoroughness (Open Office is close, but I really hate the X11 requirement). I should state however that Google Docs has quickly become my word editor of choice. As mentioned, it does not have the bells and whistles that Word has, but the convenience of opening any web browser on any computer and being able to add / edit my work is a priceless convenience that I am growing very fond of. However, Google Spreadsheets has gone almost entirely unused. I just cannot get over the size limitation and slight awkwardness of the user interface. Good thing for me I have an XP machine with Office 2K3 laying around.

Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they’ll get hurt and hold the school liable.

Unbelievable. As if children today were not overweight enough and spending too much time staring into digital-land, now they cannot even play games at recess. Sad. Just sad.

[Article Link]

Black Student Union: 2006 Cultural & Ethnic Club of the Year

And yes, it does feel good. Real good!!! For more photos, as usual, check out the photo section of my website. Enjoy. And make sure to say hello to the graduate (that’s me).

Oh, and I would like to thank my WWU CRU (minus the Blake. He evicted himself from the cru. Sad.) for the crazy gift. Them folks really do know how to outdo themselves time after time. Lucky me.
Anyway, that is all for today. I just wanted to post the good news and let everyone know that I am not dead. I will get back to blogging in the near future. And maybe, just maybe, I will try to post a few things here and there while acting a fool at the 2006 BET Spring Bling in Miami. Yes!!!

BHM Dinner: I advertised for the event in my last post, and now that it is over, here are my thoughts. Overall, I could not have asked for a more successful event. The event was sold out 24hrs before the event started (which, for a student hosted event, is an amazing feat). We (the BSU Exec Board) were concerned that it would sell out, but we had no clue it would sell out in advance. I felt somewhat sad as people came to the event only to go back home as they were denied entrance, but I also felt very proud that we were able to accomplish such a feat. As would be expected with any sold out event, especially one hosted by students, we had our fair share of last minute problems. However, somehow, someway, we handled it in such a way that people (the guest) never even realized the problems were there. Everything from me running around setting up additional chairs and seats to handle the extra folks (some people waited at the door for an hour for dinner to be finished so they could come in and watch the rest of the event), to our president serving cake to our guests (where were the caterers? Yea I wonder that too). It was simply amazing.

Also, I got a little, well a lot, more mic time than I wanted. Actually, I really did not want any mic time (I do not like speaking to crowds, especially when the crowd is 300+ people), but I ended up with roughly 10min of mic time (not at one time, but scattered throughout the night). I know 10min does not sound like a lot of time, but believe me … it is! If I had to grade myself, I would say I did OK (B- / C+). I made a few significant mistakes, and at times was visibly at a loss for words, but considering it was only my second time speaking in front of any crowd other than my classmates, I think I handled the pressure … well … OK. I even received more than one impressive compliment. One from someone I know who I can say is not particularly fond of me, and the other from a man I never knew, but after the event, seemed to really want ot get involved with BSU. So with that, I am glad I got on that stage. It was beyond uncomfortable, but well worth it.

Superbowl XL: I am just disapointed. Not in the Seahawks (I was actually impressed with them), but with the refs. To be honest, I actually never really believed the Seahawks would pull-in the big W. Not because they are not good, and not because they do not deserve it. I just did not think they could handle the pressure. Being the first team to ever go to the Superbowl in a franchises history is some serious pressure, and pressure I thought Seattle would cave under. In fact, has there ever been a team to win the Superbowl during their first Superbowl appearance (other than Superbowl I of course)? My guess would be no.

However, the pressure did not affect the Seahawks as much as I thought it would. The refs however, affected the Seahawks much more than I thought they would. Instead of writing a ton of information about it, I think I will simply link to the many articles which have looked at the refs performance and analyzed just how much of an affect they may (or did) have on the outcome of the game. It was such a big deal, the NFL decided they needed to make an official announcement about it. That to me just shows that their was indeed a problem.

On February 4th, 2006, the Black Student Union of Western Washington University is going to host their 14th Annual Black History Month Dinner. The event will include some good soul food (catfish, chicken, etc.), some entertainment (live music, performances, etc.), a keynote speaker (Byron Hurt), and some other surprises. It will be worth your time.

The dinner starts at 5pm and should be entertaining until about 9pm (that still gives you plenty of time to go home and get ready for the club). It is located in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room located on Western Washington University’s campus and will cost you $10 (if you are a student) or $12 (if you are not a student).

I look forward to seeing everyone who reads this, and can make it, there. If you see me in the crowd or on the stage, holla at me.

They need a sense that the school feels like they care that they graduate or that they’re here.

I was a little nervous when I saw my name in bold print, mostly because of my general distrust for journalists, but I guess I got lucky this time. There are some quotes from myself in their that are taken out of context or that I simply did not say (let’s just say that all of the phrases from BSU members became phrases from me), but I would agree with them anyway (even if I did not say them).

In the end, the article was pretty well written. I had all of these images of the negative ways in which this particular topic could have been spun, and am happy to not witness any of those fears to come to fruitation. To read the full article, click here.

Oh, and I like the way she ended the article. It made me smile.

Anyway, the article is supposed to discuss why non-white graduation rates at Western Washington University are less than white graduation rates (percentages enrolled/graduated, not actual graduation numbers). I like the topic, as it is one that I myself, and BSU, attempt to deal with on a daily basis. With that, here is to hoping that the article is well written and that I am not misquoted. I will post an update (or a link) to the article once it is published.

One of those impacts is the potential for the writer to appear uneducated. That was my initial thought of a fellow student when I was first introduced to the double space method during a group project. Being curious, I inquired and the student kindly instructed me that they were taught to use the double space method, and that teachers expected all assignments to be turned in using such method. Needless to say, I was stunned by such a teaching.

When I was going through school (middle and high school), I was taught the way of the single space. When I read magazines, newspapers, browse the net, or read any of my currently required textbooks, it seems as though they are all written using the single space method. In fact, I cannot remember the last piece of published writing I read that used double spaces consistently.

However, on my campus, it is the way of the double space which is the expected standard. Being a business major, my first thought was that the double space phenomenon is an isolated incident in the business sector; I was wrong. I have friends in various majors and many of them have heard the same thing as I. That the way of the double space is the correct, expected, and “A” achieving method.

My question to you all, is have you experienced the same thing at your school or office?

Personally, I just do not see what the way of the double space offers that the single space method does not. The extra space to my eyes does highlight the beginning of a new sentence, but I find that useless as I have never been confused about when a sentence begins and ends (unless people will bad grammar simply do not use punctuation marks). My next thought would be that it makes it easier for professors to write-in comments. And while that may be true, I find that to be a horrible reason as a teachers convenience should not result in inadequate education. In fact, I would be willing to argue that the only real item the double space method offers is additional key strokes and work for the editor.

If you are missing a space between sentences (using the single space method) , it is painfully obvious while writing or reading.However (did you notice that? probably), if you are missing a space between sentences (using the double space method), it is painfully easy to go unnoticed. In addition, it is incredibly tedious to proof-read a paper looking for missing blank spaces. So in the end the benefit is increased work but the potential drawback is the devaluing of your “writing” to something akin to “scribbles.”

So why be concerned? Well, mostly because I like to write well. With that in mind, it is hard to know how well you write when you are unsure of the proper formatting that you writing is supposed to be guided by. Therefore, I am going to the infamous internet in search of my answer; which method is correct? Should I keep blogging using single space, or should I migrate all future posting to the way of the double space? More importantly, could my marketability, and thus my career, be dwarfed based solely on this issue?

If you got rid of the rain, placed WWU on a completely flat campus, and brought in some sun-light, WWU is still not high-heel friendly? Why? Those damn bricks! Every corner you turn on campus is another endless row of little red bricks that are haphazardly laid over dirt. Sure some are pretty solid and do not move about much, but others, umm, yeah. So what you end up with is a dull red ground that moves about while you’re walking. With that in mind, I have a hard time walking on those things in some rough and rugged Lugz, so I can only imagine what you ladies must be going through.

So, while I know most of you are just one step away from breaking your ankles while trying to march from class to class in something akin to a stiletto, I do appreciate it. Not that you are doing it for me (obviously), but it is a nice change from the WWU sweatshirt, blue-jeans, and open-toed sandals imagery I am subjected to on a daily basis. So thank you, as you are making WWU a bit easier to live-with.

Oh, and yes, these are the random ass things I think about while walking across campus. What can I say, I need help.

For those who did not make it to the meeting, or those who just like to look at pictures, you can go here to get a glimpse of the event. Note: The pictures are stored on my personal server and will only be housed there temporarily so please do not bookmark that page. The pictures will be moved to their true home once I get the chance.

In addition, if you are interested in BSU, come check out one of our meetings. We meet every Wednesday at 5pm in VU420. If you do not know where that is located, just ask. Adios.

One of the best parts of the event was the fact that it was formal. I like formal. I got to wear my better-than-the-other-one suit again, and luckily for me and the lady-friend, I managed not to lock the keys inside my house. It is sort of funny, as I checked my pocket about ten times before I finally locked and shut the door. I guess you could say I am a little paranoid. Ironically though, I checked my keys pocket so many times that I forgot to check for my wallet. And yes, I did manage to forget my wallet at home. That was OK though, school is only about two minutes away, so a quick right and a left and another left, and I was back at home. A slight detour, but nothing really word worthy.

Once at the banquet, it was your typical scene. The one thing they did have, which I was not a big fan of, is they were interviewing people on the way into the banquet. Now, I would not mind it if they snatched people at random and interviewed them, but it was sort of mandatory. In addition, it was creating a line-up, as people waited until it was their turn to be interviewed. Fortunately for me, the line-up was getting a bit excessive when it was my turn to be interviewed, so it got cut extremely short (WoooHooo). I definitely did not mind that.

Mr. Vendiola giving some inspirational words?

Ummm, yea.

BSU Representing!

The first issue I have is I am amazingly good at destroying
them. I am not sure how or why, but I am. In the last few months I purchased
two of those messenger bag style bags, and managed to rip them both. My guess
is it is due to the weight of the materials I have to carry, but, I cannot help
it. I am a student, and, students have to carry a lot of ridiculously heavy
textbooks all the time. So needless to say, the two ripped messenger bags are
basically useless to me now. The worst part is I cannot even return them. One I
purchased on a trip to Portland,
OR (threw that receipt away) and
the other from ebags (lost that receipt). Anyway, here are some pictures of the
not so well put together messenger bags.

Timberland:

High Sierra:

The next problem (not really an issue I have) is that my
current typical backpack (you know, two shoulder straps type backpack) is just
too small. I can only fit about half of my books in the bag, which, gets to be
a problem. There is nothing worse than having to waste an hour (I ride the bus)
to go home and grab a book that you left at home due to space constraints that
you need to complete an assignment. Plus, the bag lacks a specific place for
water. This gets to be a pain because then I have to use up what could be space
for little stuff (calculators, note cards, CD player, etc) for my water bottle.
I know, I know, why not just get rid of the water bottle, right? No way, no can
do, not going to happen. I simply cannot live without my water. It is a must
have.

So, to solve the second of the first issues, I purchased a
backpack today (that was one long intro to say I bought a backpack huh?). I
have serious doubts about it, since I only paid about $40 for it and I got it
from Fred Meyers. However, it is made by some company named Coleman (never
heard of them until today), and, judging from their website it looks like they
make some fairly durable camping equipment. So, I am hoping that maybe, just
maybe, this backpack will survive the Fonzo treatment long enough to get me
through the remainder of my college career.

The backpack itself is kind of cool. It is quite a bit
bigger than my previous backpack (good thing), has two places on the outside
for water bottles (dual water bottle action … drool – also a good thing), and
has a dedicated place for a CD player (great thing). The CD player pouch even
has a hole in it for your headphones. Sadly, this was one of the major selling points
for me (what can I say, I like the little things). Here goes some pictures of the two backpacks side-by-side.

Oh, and I cannot forget the headphone port:

Anyway, this is long, and folks today do not read, so how
about I just stop typing. Hopefully you guys will not have to hear anymore
about backpacks, because if you do, then that means this one did not survive the Fonzo treatment.
Oh well, here is to hope.

So, since I did attempted to pass the test with such [enter appropriate
word here - my brain is broke]. I think I am going to hop the bus, go
home, grab a bag of Doritos, and watch two or three movies. I think it
will be a good way to let my brain recover from the onslaught of
auditing terminology it has been subjected to in the past week.

Well, now it's time to do what everyone should do after they walk out of that last final . . . . . sleep!!

• I got about 75% of the studying for my final on Monday done.
• I was going to do a research paper on CompuCare
but learned that they did not qualify because they are not a “small
business”. Apparently, they are a subsidiary of a larger corporation. I
also learned that I am a little skeptical about doing business with
them anymore. I am sure that will turn into a blog in the very near
future.
• I found a company which does qualify as a “small business” to do my research paper on.
•
I finished my extra credit research paper (which is exactly like the
research paper I have to do on the small business, only this one gives
us very specific information to research. In the end, it was 9 pages
long. I just can't wait to get started on the other one.

And that's
it. That short list took me 12hrs to complete. I should go study for
another hour or two and then get some sleep. However, my brain hurts so
I think I'm gonna have to just say no. Plus, tomorrow I get to wake up
and do another 12hrs. Man I will be sooooo relieved when I walk out of
my last final.

1st Story:

I
just noticed this today when I checked myspace. The last two blogs are
titled in equations. How ridiculous is that? That is definitely the
accounting part of my titling those blogs. It just doesn’t make sense
that I was unable to think of a title without a “ ” or “=” sign in it.
I think I should title one of my essays that way. I’m sure my
accounting professors would get a slight kick out of it.

2nd (and possibly better) Story:

OK,
so about a year ago (my second quarter @ WWU), I found myself at a
barbeque with a bunch of accountants. Everyone is all smiley and giggly
talking about accounting stuff that I had no clue about at the time. It
starts to get a little cold so folks start crowding around the barbeque
to soak up the heat as the not-so-interesting stories continue to
unfold. Anyway, as it gets close to clean-up time, one person looks in
the barbeque and says something to the effect of “so we have to record
these as an impaired asset.” (Note: If you do not know what an impaired
asset is, consider yourself lucky). A few people start laughing and I
remember thinking to myself “WTF! That’s a horrible joke.” As a slight
disclaimer, I know the barbeque joke folks better know, and, they are
some pretty cool cats.

So, fast-forward about a year, and, I’m
at another accounting event (I do those a lot). As before, people are
all smiley and giggly talking about various accounting things, only
this time I have a semi-solid understanding of the conversation taking
place. And, I can actually participate in it with a moderate amount of
confidence. Nice huh? Anyway, as always there is always the funny man
in the crowd somewhere and out comes another one of those accounting
specific jokes. I don’t remember what was said, or the topic of the
joke, all I know is that before I realized it I was laughing along with
the other folks. All of us standing there with our cups in our left
hand (it’s a business thing) laughing at this joke that simply should
not be funny. Sigh! So this is what my life is turning into. A
left-handed drink holding social gathering of digit-minded individuals
with jokes that can only be decoded through rigorous accounting
academic training (Note: This is a run-on sentence on purpose). Lucky
me!!!

Seriously though, dead/finals week does suck. Too much due and not
enough time to do it all. Givent that, I should probably go study now
huh?