Fingerprinting Forensics

The is a pretty well known Phenomena known as 'The CSI effect." This phenomena lets people think they know all about forensics and they think forensic evidence is a seal all prove all. Well here's some food for thought:

• Fingerprinting is hard and getting a reliable fingerprint is the hardest part
• The show CSI is false on many counts
• The part I look forward to least about becoming a police officer would be the forensics part.

I bring this up because one, I got to try fingerprinting in class today, and it sucked. And two, all the paperwork involved in a crime scene makes me cringe.

Interesting things happen during the last week of the Semester

So It is the last week of the semester before finals, and a few interesting things have happened. 

Interesting Thing #1

Either someone died in this stall in the communal bathroom...or some girl is very very very very nasty when she's menstruating...

Interesting thing #2

Small towns have night watch to keep them safe, my college has a night watch to get us hyper with Red Bull. And no college Night Watch is complete without our very own version of the white flag:

Interesting Thing #3:

Choice: white flag or special emergency kit as you fly out of your room?

Food Galore and a comment about my roomate

ok, so Roommate first. She decides to move our tv around because she now has an xbox 360. We're moving the tv cables, and the water boiler spills water all over the wires. I hurriedly grab the wires and pull them out of the way. Lisa, just stands there, staring at me. She's like, "maybe you should unplug it?" So i do, and tell her to get the paper towels. She grabs the roll, rips off one sheet and just holds it out. Let me point out there is a GIANT POOL OF WATER ON THE FLOOR SOAKING MY SOCKS!!!!  I tell her to put it on the floor. She rips another piece and a repeat of the last paper towel piece happens. she finally gets it and starts putting more paper towels to soak up the water, but she does is so freaking slowly, that I juggle the wires (of which I had my hands full with just those) and help her wipe it up. By this time, I'm late for work, and run out of the room. I come back and my frig and tv are all turned around...sigh....

ok food now:

My Frozen Yogurt, I really do love the stuff. Today I remembered to take a picture first.

Cindy's FY, always the sprinkles on top.

Erika's FY. Oreos with fruit? interesting combination

here are all three together. Mine's looks kind of sad in the back there...

Turkey! I went to a thanksgiving feast in PA

Mashed potatoes and Stuffing

special chicken, Asian style I think.

Homemade sangria.

Surf/Turf, Barf HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Yo, been a few days. First of all, I want to say I found this really awesome Food Blog called the The Food Pornographer. Yes, Weird name, and yet, she takes awesome pictures of food. She even makes fast food look yummy.

So, this weekend was pretty jammed packed. Friday, I went out with Connie and Erika to eat Chili's. It wasn't fair because Erika, usually the sober one, got to alcohol, and I was only allowed to take sips, because I was driving. not fair.

Saturday, we woke up late, and so were almost late to Bible Study. We studied James 5:7-20, about patience and prayer. It was a good one, although it was all very ADD and hard to stay on track. But then, that's just our style. Next went to see Scarlett in Baltimore. We had fun. Antique shopping in Ellicott City, Grocery shopping, Wine shopping, T-Bone steak and eggs at Double T Diner and then hanging out in her room. Pretty darn awesome Halloween.

Sunday, Sammie decided to wake me up by barfing on my bed. I had just gotten out of bed to let her off the bed, and I guess she couldn't wait. So, had to do throw my sheets in the laundry and take a shower to get the barf off me. She then decided to barf on the bench couch. 2nd load of laundry. After that, she barfed on the other cushion of the bench coach without getting up, so the barf was all over her. Doggy Bath and 3rd laundry load. Barfed twice more, but this time on the floor. Did I mention this started at 7am in the morning?

After that, went to church, and then lunch with my parents, Erika, Cindy and Elizabeth, the 16 yr old I like to hang out with when I get a chance. Then Cindy, Elizabeth and I went to Target for wrapping paper. Elizabeth and I went to my house to wrap the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, and Sammie decided to barf on my feet and Lucky's tail. Large Doggy Bath. Elizabeth decided to stay for dinner. Dinner was Surf and Turf Feast. My dad cooked, too bad I forgot to take a picture. Crab legs, Lobster tails, Mussels, Shrimp, Steak, Ribs, Giant Potatoes and broccoli for the vegetable. mmmmm yum.

Painting murals for Halloween

The finished hall

I got bored on Friday when hanging out with Connie and Erika

When having a potluck bible study, What do all asians bring?

DUMPLINGS!!!!

Scarlett needed razors so we went to the grocery store

Elizabeth says I look like Santa Claus....

Midnight Madness

Free T-Shirt, Hand Towel that says Saints Pride, and a bump on the head, That is what I got for going to Midnight Madness. What is Midnight Madness? Why, It's the celebration of the start of the Basketball season. It was loud, long, and kind of fun.

Before the rally, there was t-shirt decorating, which I didn't participate in, Giant Connect 4, and large Inflatables. Laser Tag, Basketball and this really cool inflatable where you're hooked up to your opponent by a wire and you have to try and make baskets in opposite hoops.

Here's some pictures:

my friend Michelle

Blurry pic of Bernie the Dog

Alecia and Me. She's who I went to the rally with.

New Blog

So decided to start a blog about College Life. Kind of a whim, we'll see how it goes. Anyone wanna join me in blogging about college? just lemme know, I'll add you to the blog.

so at the moment...the link is ewdragon-college.blogspot.com ...subject to change for when i think of a better one

Exhausting but fun day and a little bit of the roommate

A thoroughly exhausting day so far, and it's not even over yet. And of course there was my daily entertainment called my roommate. So here's the down and dirty of today's Post:

• Only got 4 hours of sleep last night
• I went to work out with Athenna and her roommate Ginnefine (cool name huh?) at 8:30am
• Finally decided to minor in Forensic Computing (computer security for those of you less tech savvy)
• Got out of a class today
• Roommate got her first disciplinary hearing summons
• First meeting of the Fitness club coming up tonight!

So here we go, this past Tuesday, I was supposed to starting working out with my friend Athenna and her roommate Ginnefine, which by the way is an AWESOME name, but they overslept and ditched me. So today we tried it again, and I got really worried because Athenna wasn't answering her phone. So I trotted over to her room, and happily found that she was awake and that Today, she had only almost overslept. They worked out on the elliptical for 30 minutes while I did my normal routine of 20 min elliptical, and then 10 minute upper body workout. I was asked today what do I mean when I say upper body workout. Well, for everyone's information I mean, and in order: 10 leg lifts, 10 push ups, 20-50 crunches, 10 push ups and repeat. After working out with them, I took a shower and got dressed for class.

I was really afraid the I would fall asleep in class because I was so tired from working out and the lack of sleep, but the class turned out to be really interesting. I recorded the class on my computer just in case anyway. In any case, my thoughts kept drifting and I missed some important points in the lecture. As I was sitting there I realized I was sitting next to Air Conditioning and the sound was rather loud. I hope that didn't overpower my soft-spoken professor. Being the sharp retired cop that he is, he noticed me edging my desk away from the wall, but as I moved my desk, I angled it so he couldn't see my computer screen. So what did he do? He very discreetly in his pacing of the room while lecturing, walked thru the chairs so he could see my screen. Crafty old man he is. But, I like him, and plus, he's my advisor so I didn't have to go all the way to his office to tell him I finally decided to go for the forensic computing minor. What does that mean? This means my dear good friends that I will someday be going into IT Security or Network Security. What my dad does.

My Law and Society class was cancelled because of a family emergency. But I don't know how to take that since today was Exam review day. Hopefully this postpones the exam but I doubt it. Good for me though because that meant I could trot down to the Dining Hall and wolf down some lunch. And now for what some of you have been waiting for, the roommate anecdote.

So for the rest of the night, I'm currently at work, writing this wonderful post for you wonderful people! Later today will be Fitness club! Yay! And for those of you who would make fun of my joining Fitness club, for one, being as out of shape as I am, I need this. And there aren't many other clubs to join at all. Please don't suggest I start one either, because I'll just ignore you.

School and other things

So, Here I am, a brand new start at my new school, and I'm loving it! Gotta love MU, cuz it's a quaint private Catholic School, expensive for sure, so I had better love it! So here's what's gone on so far in my lovely new start to school:

• My roomate is a 17 yr freshman
• I live in the all freshman section of the freshman floor in my hall
• My roommate refers to me as the 21 yr old to our floor section mates
• I love my professors and my classes except for my Criminology class
• Started working out a couple times a week
• joined Fitness club!!! YAY!!!!!
• made a friend by randomly talking to her while waiting for a shuttle
• got a job in the computer labs
• spend most of my time alone in my room b/c I have so few friends...
• This weekend will be my first weekend on campus!!! yay!!
• Going to check out Mikey's church on sunday

Yep, so that pretty much sums up everything that's gone on since I started school. I really need to get a camera or something so that I can post pics and stuff...

Celebration

So as you know, I am a college student. After a very grueling German Final today, I can finally say I FINISHED!!!! I'm very hopeful that I did ok. I know this is my best semester yet, so I'm hoping for a good GPA, but we will see.

An Imagery Assignment

In one of my classes I had us guided imagery as a relaxation technique and then write it down as descriptive and to the best of my memory. I have decided to share it with you all.

I started out sitting on a hill underneath a tree. The hill is next to an elementary school, so I can hear the children playing on the playgrouns. I can feel the soft grass underneath me. I'm looking towards the sun, which is setting over some woods. The sun is just barely above the woods, and will set soon. I get up and start walking down the hill onto the soccer field that is to the right of the woods. The wind is blowing gently bringing me the scents of the grass and the woods. I head towards the line of houses that are at the far end of the field. There is a small path in between 2 of the houses. As I walk on it, There are backyards to my left and woods to my right. The woods block out the sun and make the path very shady. I can see the cracks in the path and the grass and weeds that are growing out of them. The path starts out as asphalt but eventually turns into a dirt path. I keep walking and the path clears the trees and leads me to a street.

I cross to the other side of the street, and to my left there is a pool. to my right, there is an open field where kids like to play ball. As I look forward, the path goes back into the woods. I walk towards the woods and there is now a creek to my right. The creek bubbles gently and I can hear the tiny splashes of the crayfish and minnows. I come to a fork in the road. To the right is a bridge and to the left is a path with a log directly on the path. I head towards the log, I always have fun jumping over the log. The path is completely dirt by now, and it's somewhat soft under my feet but not quite muddy. It is very shady on the path due to all the tall trees on either side of me. There is still light enough for me to see though, because the sun is peaking through the trees to light my way. As I continue to walk through the woods and down the path, a creek intersects the path. There is a rock path that leads across the creek, placed there by my hands. The path is made of rocks that line the creek; it is made of as many flat rocks as possible and runs from one side of the creek to the other. I cross the creek and continue walking.

So, that's it. What do you think? boring or good? I dunno. The imagery came from my childhood. The hill is a place where I always went when I was younger if I was feeling unhappy. the path is one I used to walk with my family all the time. Most of the imagery is real, with just a little that is fabricated and/or exaggerated. you be the judge if it's good. I got full credit for the assignment though.