Grab Bag Of The Month

I haven’t really gotten a chance to post recently, been busy with classes and finals and what not but I’ll put up a couple of cool clips I saw recently below the Facebook rant.

Anyways, I had been collecting my “application” requests on Facebook for maybe 2 or 3 months now and finally late last week it cracked triple digits. I have gotten random invitations bid on what my friends are worth in “friends for sale”, another application that is titled “how many kids” and certainly the “which swear word are you?”. Sure every now and then there is a good one like “Oregon Trail” or a March Madness Bracket Selection but the other 100 or so that have stayed on my sidebar to rot (take a look at the thumbnail here) really start to make me angry. Facebook has become littered with these nonsense applications, ridiculous ads and useless features like the chat that they just added. I totally agree with what my roommate said the other day, “Like I don’t have enough ways to instant message someone already? Why do I need this chat?” The “People You May Know” feature on the side that suggests people you may know by looking at common friends is a good addition and you have the potential of meeting with an old friend from another country or elementary school so I will not criticize that but these other things are really making me an ABG.

To view the videos regarding the awesome kick save by a pitcher, a great way to get into home plate without being out and an awesome penalty shock in hockey, please read on.

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Stevens: Campus Alert – Part 2

Just when it seemed like things were getting back to normal on campus, there is another arson incident in Davis Hall – 4th floor.

Updated April 25, 2008, 9:20 a.m.

There was another arson incident in Davis Hall early this morning. No one was injured.

As a result of the ongoing investigation all residents of Davis Hall and their guests are currently in Canavan Arena.

We do not have an estimate of when they will able to leave so they have been excused from classes for the day. We appreciate the co-operation and support of all faculty.

In addition, the Schaefer Center is closed until further notice.

We will send out an update this afternoon.

Maureen Weatherall

This time it is reportedly a book that was set on fire that led to a fire alarm in the building. Personally, I think it is the work of just a single kid getting seriously carried away. Not too much information available yet, but we’ll see what comes of this.

Update (10:58 AM): A friend of mine told me that the people relocated to Shafer Center since about 5 AM this morning and have been there all days without any pillows, access to their computers or anything. Also, as of about an hour or so ago my friend said “They haven’t even started questioning (anyone) yet.” It’s pretty safe to assume this event is related to the one the other day and it seems a little too convienient that is happening the last Friday before Finals Week starts.

Update (12:45 PM): According to a “Hoboken Now” article from NJ.com, “Classes and final exams have been canceled for those students who live in Davis and will be re-scheduled.” Article goes to say as I mentioned in the previous update that this seems to be an extreme way of getting out of final exams or at least getting them pushed back.

Continue reading “Stevens: Campus Alert – Part 2”

New Layout

Finally got around to fixing up the header and template and by fixing I mean having Brian do it. Being able to use Adobe Photoshop would porbably be a nice skill to have in the long run but I am more than satisfied with what Brian did fixing up the header. I also want to thank Hilary Keegan for the awesome header that she designed (link to her blog in the bottom right of the side bar).

Let me know what you guys think of the blog and if there is anything to improve? Was the old one better, personally I think this one is much better and I should last me a little while with this design.

Stevens: Campus Alert

Update (4/25/08): There has been a second Campus Alert issued today after another arson incident. For more details, please click here.

Update (2:27 AM): Not sure what to feel right now but the “incident” was supposed to take place at 2AM and nothing has been heard since and I really doubt anything happens now. There was a short span of time where it got unnerving about 15 minutes ago as fire trucks sirens could be heard from outside our window and from the rooftop as well but that amounted to nothing. It’s 2:30 AM now and I really don’t expect anything to happen. I have a 9 AM class in the morning and we’ll see where things from there.

Update (9:45 PM): For those looking for official updates from Stevens, they can visit http://www.stevens.edu/sit/alert.cfm.

Update (9:00 PM): This update was issued about two hours ago outlining the security plans for the night. There are Resident Hall Assistants located outside each entrance of the Davis Hall from what I have been told. There were additional details that there was a specific threat made towards the building that was supposed to take place overnight tonight. Overall the security measures taken on campus seem to be relatively well and not overreaching. Considering the things I have been told, I think I am satisfied with what has taken place and I am sure every student and faculty member will be willing to forgo a little bit of leniency to move around and visit the buildings as they please for the sake of the security of the entire campus. There will always be a limit on how much you are willing to give up and for how long but that’s a whole different topic for a different day.

As of 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 23, 2008, all on campus residence halls have been swept and secured.  We are continuing the security measures currently in place through out the night. Stevens personnel or a Hoboken police officer will be stationed at each residence hall entry.


Students must have campus ID.  Only the residents of each dormitory will be allowed into their building.  Visitors are not permitted into the residence halls at this time.

We are now able to provide more information regarding the note left this morning in Davis Hall.  The note specified the April 23rd/April 24th overnight period.  If there are residents of Davis that are uncomfortable sleeping in their building, Jacobus and Canavan Arena will be open.  Please bring your own blankets and pillows.

If observe any suspicious behavior, please call the Center Desk 24hrs a day at (201) 216-5105.  Please call Dean Ken Nilsen if you have any information about this incident.  His number is (201)745-8216.

Thank you for your continued cooperation and support.

Continue reading “Stevens: Campus Alert”

Ignorance Is Not Just Bliss…

Just a quick post before I head out to a couple of classes. An interesting op/ed piece from the New York Times’ columnist Bob Herbert that I saw on reddit earlier today. Totally coincidentally, my roommate earlier mentioned that there are dumb people everywhere and that the American ones are just magnified in the media nowadays. Point well taken. Another sarcastically remarked “dude, the dumb kids make me look good, don’t ruin it.” You can take that for what it’s worth.

I’ll share a small piece of it below, but the link is provided above.

An American kid drops out of high school every 26 seconds. That’s more than a million every year, a sign of big trouble for these largely clueless youngsters in an era in which a college education is crucial to maintaining a middle-class quality of life — and for the country as a whole in a world that is becoming more hotly competitive every day.

Ignorance in the United States is not just bliss, it’s widespread. A recent survey of teenagers by the education advocacy group Common Core found that a quarter could not identify Adolf Hitler, a third did not know that the Bill of Rights guaranteed freedom of speech and religion, and fewer than half knew that the Civil War took place between 1850 and 1900.