A new day has come.

Well, as I cannot find the time/energy/committment to write on a blog with any regular consistancy, and for the shear fact that few people find this worth reading, especially with this being focused towards class assignments the last semester, I am considering not writing on this again. Wow, not too big of a deal. Hear are some other blogs I tend to keep up with a slight bit of more regularity.

http://redbluejesus.blogspot.com
http://allmyawesomefreebies.blogspot.com
http://briangroves.ning.com
http://www.youtube.com/bg11390
http://adventureswithbrian.googlepages.com

and of course, Facebook.

Portfolio

As the portfolio is due in a few days, it is kinda scary to know that the semester is coming to an end. And, there is alot of work that needs to be done to finalize the portfolio that I have mostly pieced together by now. Twenty pages doesn't seem like that much, but in reality it is proving to be quite long. Hopefully my printer can muster out the final copy! I'm not sure if I quite agree with the 20 page rule. Sure it is less strict, and therefore allows for more flexible assignments instead of having a required number of essays, but it seems to be bit extreme. Twenty pages is not that hard, but over the course of one semester it can add up. I think it compromises quality when one knows that you have to add up to twenty pages in the end. It hasn't been too stressful, but that concern is still there.

Group Work

As I have looked back this year at the times we have spent doing groupwork, there has been alot of great things I have learned from reading other people's papers and having mine revised by multiple people. Many times I have noticed problems with assignments only after a classmate pointed it out to me during a group session. I also think that the group times could be a little bit more structured though. I feel that if we had set things to identify in the papers which we needed to write down, then we would be more productive. Also, it can be hard to have effective group sessions when half the group does not bring in the work necessary for class. Group time has been a huge help, but there are a few things that could be tweaked to make the time more efficient.

What I've learned this year.

Writing for me has been a burden in past years, as it was always a chore to complete an assignment, even though I never really had to push myself to develop my writing skills. I began to realize how much I enjoyed writing when I began to write without a deadline or task. Writing this year in college has become much more enjoyable for me since I have been able to write about the topics I enjoy, not topics that I had no choice over. When writing is more pleasurable, the diction and syntax flows easily, and the writing seems natural. I have found that the key to successful writing is finding a thought and then building upon it, letting the first draft flow naturally which can then be later revised.

And my project

Well, for my project I am making a website. So here's the link everyone. Hope it answers your questions on flying.

http://www.briangroves.googlepages.com/home

The Website Genre

Well, since websites are not a particularly distinct genre, there is some leeway here. Some websites are media based, and some are commercially based, and others are user-generated content. People of all walks of life are active in the online genre, as anyone with internet access can quickly post a blog or even make a simple, free website. Most all Americans and all modernized people are experienced with websites, so the genre is not too particularly foreign.

The website genre can be very anonymous, for good and for bad. This allows for websites like Wikipedia, which is surprisingly accurate but still able to be edited by anyone anywhere. The ease of creating a website lends to a discredibility of the internet in general though, as most people are more wary of internet sources than traditional media like books. The website genre is mainly informative, as people want to share ideas or products or accomplishments with large numbers of people.

For sources, I could cite sources that represent the above formats (wikipedia.org, blogger.com, amazon.com, cnn.com), or sources that show that younger people are 3x as likely to use the internet than retired people (www.pewinternet.org/trends/User_Demo_1.11.07.htm), but the above information is the result of using the internet for years, and it is a compilation of many of my experiences. It is nearly impossible to define or encompass the scope of the internet and its far reaching affects on our daily lives, so the genre is quite vast.

Audience!

For my project, the audience is the community of people that are considering learning to fly and are looking for information about the process, cost, and feasibility of flying. This audience spans a wide group of people, but they all share the common goal of obtaining a license. I will be utilizing a website to accomplish this.

I will specifically cover the following topics on the website: Why flying?, Benefits of Flying, Costs of Flying, Why it's worth it, and Resources. This will be a starting point for potential students to gain the information needed to make an informed decision on whether or not to pursue flying.

The website genre is different than other forms of media, as this medium is conducive to large amount of information that can be easily accessed, as well as pictures and videos. I plan to utilize these abilities in my project in order to have an extremely informative and interesting website.

Essay Feedback.

I am glad that the imagery in the essay is useful, and I agree that I could lengthen it at times and provide more in depth metaphors rather than 3 or 4 shorter ones. About the personal experience aspect of the essay. I do agree that the essay as a whole would be better if I were to provide my personal experiences, it adds depth and character to the essay. The changes needed for the essay will take some time to develop, but in all they will not be too hard. Thank-you for your feedback.

Hokies Win! And my Project idea!

Well, for starters, good game VT. Not perfect, but fun to watch. Gotta love Thursday night games!

And for my project, I am looking at addressing the need to have more student pilots, which would manifest itself in a website encouraging young people to explore aviation. This would seek to inform young people about the careers and rewarding experiences in flying, and to give information and sources about the aviation community. This would be a valuable aid for potential students as many young people are inclined to consult a website before calling someone. A website would need to be informative yet still easy to use since websites are simply the most effective ways to address and inform the youth of today.

Ok, so here goes life.

Wow, So I am excited about the next four years, whatever they may bring. First, I am looking forward to seeing this "change" that was so promised. Let's see this change. Obama, prepare to let down about the entire voting population. You cannot bring the change you promised Obama. The people of America can make that change, you can only change the face of the Presidency. All we have succeeded in accomplishing is brainwashing the youth of America. America be the change. Don't just vote for the change. Lets enjoy the next for years-

Presidential Campaigning

So, the 2008 Presidential campaign alone has cost $1400 Million to date. That could feed 92 million people for a year, ending more than 10% of world hunger, and going a long way to preventing the 80 million deaths each year from starvation/malnourishment. Thats the equivalent to feeding nearly 1/3 of all Americans.

Oh, but that money is better spent on two egotistical liars.

(And all elections nationwide costs more than double the above. Yeah thats alot of hungry people. But its easy to stand back and point fingers, hooray Planet Earth-)

Backwards Outline

- Intros the joy of flying
- The reasons for pursuing a license (freedoms)
- First fears, fiscal costs
- Elaborated fiscal costs
- Why it is worth the fiscal cost
- More reasons to fly (joys)
- How to find community in aviation
- The good peculiarities of the flying community
- Data on pilots (Don't you want to be one?)
- Summarizing the costs/benefits and why it is all worth it

Response to Peer Review

The purpose of the essay is clear, but the grammatical details of the essay need to be worked on. The wording is also awkward at times, and there needs to be better transitions. Overall, the essay is sound though. The transitions are weakest around the topic of Oshkosh, which will need to be strengthened to better serve the purpose of the essay.

Question of the Day

What is:

the nothing that is?

Draft

Hey. Just finished up working on the draft for tomorrow (wow, I guess its finally after midnight, so we will be working on it later this morning. Thats a scary thought!). It is coming along nicely, just moving paragraphs around and trying to capture the incapturable essance of an essay. Whatever that ends up looking like. Oh well, at least it was a beautiful day and the best thing is that tomorrow is Friday! I like being alive.

A Good Essay?

First, lets look at my essay. Its not all that bad, but it needs alot of work. There are several misplaced paragraphs and one paragraph that should probably just be deleted. Also, the wording within the paragraphs is simply weird at times. It is rife with grammatical errors, not to mention the need for clarity of the extended metaphor. Also, my views of flying changed in the last hour, so that might make it into the essay. Its hard to support flying when you know someone who survived a fatal plane crash.

"Professional Essays" (is there such a thing?) are obviously different from mine in several ways, so I need to look to see what the fundamental differences are. I think it is easier to swim across the English channel than define an essay, but most essays share some common themes. Essays are not poems for starters, and they often tell a story or illustrate a point. It is simply a well constructed and illustrated opinion/observation. "Good essays" are compelling to the reader and convey an experience or idea effectively and neatly. Sometimes it is easier to spot what an essay isn't, and then steer clear of that. Poor essays seem impersonal and erratic, fake and incomplete, and simply painful to read. A good essay is enjoying to read and enlightening, whether that be about an experience or idea.

Airplane Crash

It really hits home when you know someone in a fatal homebuilt airplane crash. The person who taught my best friend was in the plane and survived (air lifted to hospital), but he is pretty beat up. I remember flying off that same grass runway 3 months ago, and talking to the instructor for half an hour. The pilot died on impact after the engine failed.

The instructor was in another crash about 2 months ago after a similar plane's engine died, but he walked away luckily. Even the most experienced pilots can't guard against total engine failure.

Finished :54 mins

1561 words, 4 full pages. Yay-

38 mins in

1084 words. took a FB break, back to the grindstone. 3 pages

19 mins in

564 words. or 1.8 pages. :)

Oh, and...

I saw was confronted by a black bear while sitting in the woods of Asheville this weekend. It was epic. The bear ran up to like 20 feet from me, took a few steps towards me, and when i stood to challenge it to a duel, it backed away in fear. Too bad, I was hoping for a fight.

And 20 feet away is not a lie by the way.

Intro

Looking into the autumn skies will surely result in spotting some form of animal in the seaming suspended animation of flight. Soaring high into the clouds, gracefully floating in the breeze, and never seeming to take a break. Too often I have looked at the birds of the sky in wonder and amazement, longing for the freedom to explore the third dimension of not being bound to the ground. Occasionally one can spot a commercial plane high overhead, but not very often does one get to marvel at a small two seat airplane, seemingly capable of every aerobatic move that even the most graceful swallows can achieve, yet with the power of the mighty eagle. The road to obtaining a pilot's license is long and hard, much like a swallow learning to fly, but the freedom it brings is far worth any effort or expense.

Rough Draft

So, the HW is to write an awful rough draft. So, lets set the stage for an awful rough draft. 11PM, check. Facebook chat on, Check. Weekend retreat the last few days, check. Country music, check.

Let's Roll!

Essay Purpose/Audience

So, I need to choose a purpose for the essay, but the Facebook chat beep is getting annoying. Maybe I should focus. So here goes focus. More like there goes focus. Oh well. For a purpose. My purpose will to explain the process of getting a pilots license, including the highs and lows along the way. The audience will be for new and prospective students so that they can catch a glimpse into what it means to be a pilot. Sounds like the makings for a boring essay though. We can spruce it up though!

Probably no one got the pun, but thats not surprising. Oh well, maybe someone can figure it out.

Leaves!

Wow, can you believe the colors of the leaves? Isn't that simply amazing? And to think that they don't gain anything by being that beautiful, its like the artwork of God. Ha, it's crazy to believe that a cosmic explosion could result with that!

Research Proposal Feedback

Wow, so apparently my research proposal was better than I had thought. Maybe writing is getting easier for me, but I felt like I had put alot of time into it but was unsure of the format since it was my first research proposal. And after looking at the comments, I see how there are several places where it could be worded better. Also, I did not clearly state what I was asking for, which I plan to better incorporate when I revise it again. I am excited though that there are only minor revisions needed. Hmmm, maybe I just overworried about it since there wasn't any big problems I saw (or little ones for that matter)-

Whats an essay? Take these for example....

When I think of an essay, it is hard for me to look past the essays due in class, the 2-3 page papers, 5 paragraph, double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman struggles in English. It is still hard to look past these, but as I have gotten older, the papers have become longer and more and more polished works of 'art'. What makes an "essay" and "essay"? Lets look at "Silent Dancing", "The Stunt Pilot" and "Ali in Havana" to base our ideas of an essay off of.

As I began to read Silent Dancing, I remember previous "essays" I had read in High School. These essays shared a similar component with this one, that of personal story/recollection of the past. In Silent Dancing the author recalls the experiences in tenement housing after relocating from Puerto Rico. The essay is full of descriptive language, which helps form a visual image of the very room the author lived in with words like "upholestered in bright colors (blue and yellow in this instance, and covered in the transparent plastic)....dime sized indentation...". She also incorporates other sensory words to paint an entire image for the reader including smells and the feel of objects.

In the essay, The Stunt Pilot, we see again that an essay is a personal recollection. This essay again utilizes visual imagery to convey a scene and a mood to the reader. I really enjoyed the imagery in this poem as the author used several metaphors, such as comparing the biplane to a "Steiberg fantasy" or a "klee line". The author instilled a sense of awe in the reader, which is a tribute to his skills as a writer and it points to what an effective essay should look like. This essay captured me somehow, I managed to connect with it in a way that very few other pieces of literature can do for me. Is this how English majors feel about all writing? Wow, because it is really awesome!

In the final essay, Ali in Havana, the words are dripping with description. It seems as if each and every word portrays a new and different facet of the story or setting, it is almost hard to take in because it paints such a descriptive story. The imagery she uses shows us how an essay ought to look like, a descriptive conveying of a scene, putting an image into words.

The Church

The Obvious

"You stare and stare at the obvious, but can't see the forest for the trees."

Common Sense?

So, what is common sense? I might not be able to define it, but I can sure say it is lacking the majority of the time. Do we each define common sense by placing the invisible bar on par with our own level of thinking? In doing this do we elevate ourselves above the rest of society by mentally placing our intellectual standards on others? I think that common sense is simply another way to say, "Thats obvious to me". Too often we use the mindframe of "common sense"ing those around us to discriminate others. Far too often I see people lacking "common sense", but is that simply me subconsciously saying they are inferior? What do you think?....

Palin Presidency?

So, watching the debate, I must say it is quite refreshing not to see those two numskulls up there bickering over details and not answering questions. It absolutely kills me how much money is wasted on ego this election year. Moving on though, I am quite impressed with Palin. No, she is not perfect, she does not have the experience foreign or domestic that Biden or McCain does. But she is smart enough to listen to people and compromise. Sure, she is not perfectly right on every topic, but she has more common sense than Biden/Obama about Iraq, she has common sense about gay marriage and about oil. I am afraid that she will not actively enough embrace new forms of energy, but I agree with her that we need to use the energy we have at hand instead of pumping money through dangerous global regions. Is there alot that needs to be changed? Yes. Will Palin fix them all? No. Is she better than Biden? Yes. Obama? Yes. McCain? Sadly, I think so. Give her the chance, and she will be a g
reat leader.

Aris?!!

Oh my gosh, Aris is killing me. And if you don't know what Aris is, consider yourself blessed. This online Chemistry HW system is driving me insane.... oh well, too bad I can no longer access the site since the "Apache" server died. Hmmmm....wonder what that means....

Research Proposal Wrap-up

Well, the proposal is coming along nicely, just doing some final reviews. I added a Works Cited Section and added citations within the text as part of preparation for the conference tomorrow. I am pretty confident that my proposal will fall within the guidelines, but after tomorrow I will know for sure. Too bad the weekend is almost over-

Research Proposal

Here is my research proposal thus far. If anyone would like to comment, that would be appreciated. Its a start, and I will try and keep it updated as I make changes.

Literary Review

After doing research at the library, there was no information on the Hokie Flying Club, so I have expanded my search region to student pilots and aircraft construction and maintanence. I chose these topics because at a college airport, there are a great number of student pilots, and I am looking into becoming a pilot, so it is only natural for me to direct my research towards something I am passionate about. Secondly, I am leaning towards aircraft construction and airport maintanence because there are many sources on this available at the library.

The first is the book "Inventory and aviation demand forecasts phase of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Airport master plan." (Sit, Tak Po. 1975) which outlines the projected airport needs at VT. In addition, there has been several recent articles written about the FAA safety standards and the needed changes that the VT Airport is currently undergoing. These changes directly affect the Hokie Flying Club, and are therefore useful to my research. The airport is currently undergoing numerous changes, and these resources will be very beneficial in my research. This book is on hold after being transported from storage, and the other articles are online.

I also have three books on the world of Sport Aviation, which includes recreational flying and aircraft construction. Since Aircraft construction has been the backbone of recreational flying advances, I found this to be a worthy starting point when researching recreational flying clubs such as the HFC. These books ("The World of Sport Aviation", Davison; "Design for Flying", Thurston; "Build Your Own Sportplane", Dwiggins.) outline the past methods used by recreational aircraft construction as well as detailing the present need and demands for recreational aerial vehicles. Most of the 17,000 runways across the United States are only available to recreational pilots, which shows the widespread use of private recreational pilots. These books offer great insight into flying clubs and recreational flying, which will be a great point of comparison to the Hokie Flying Club.

Cookie Cravings...

Oh wow I had a craving for a homemade cookie, so I decided to make a batch in my dorm room. I was told it was impossible, by several sources that is. Ok, so I had $15 to spend, which included buying the cookie dough. I splurged and got the $5 tub, which left $10 for the "oven". So I built an easy bake oven (half in my room and half on the bus on the way back). Oh, and it takes about 30 mins to cook, but they are supurb!

What if?

What if people cared as much about the 2 million people who die each year due to lack of clean water as the discomfort of the new FB? God Bless America...

Preparing for Bliss

Oh, wow. I spent the last 3 hours in preparation for the most glorified goal a southern boy can have....making sweet tea. Took the bus, went to Wal-Mart, bought the tea bags and sweetener....Let the adventure begin. A month without tea is far, far, far too long....and this is going to be the best tea ever.

Site Visits....

Well, over the last week I have visited the airport multiple times, and I have talked to several people about flying at Blacksburg and becoming a student pilot. Blacksburg/Montgomery Executive Airport is a fairly large airport, about 4500 feet long. This is planned to be lengthened by nearly 1000 feet in early 2009. Also, there is pressure from the FAA to demolish a gas station (and relocate it) because it falls within the safety buffer on one end of the runway. If the business is not moved, Federal funding will be cut. I also learned that there have been only two crashes involving planes taking off from Blacksburg Airport, with only 1 fatality.

I have been in contact with a few instructor pilots (since Hokie Flying Club refuses to respond to my emails), and they said they are always excited about student pilots. New River Aero, a company at the airport (very similar to Hokie Flying Club with the exception that they teach as well) said that it takes the average student pilot about 65 flight hours to get enough experience for the private pilots license. They charge $158 an hour for this, so it becomes quite expensive ($10,000) for the license. They rent planes to pilots though, which is much needed given the fact that most pilots do not have there own plane.

As I have visited the airport, I have noticed that at about 11 PM the airport shuts down for incoming and outgoing flights. The main terminal has hours from 8-6, but I have often seen planes land after 6 PM. One time I was sitting on a hill about 100 yards off the end of the runway, watching a plane take off and land. It was about 10 PM, with no moon, and it was beautiful to see all the runway lights and the stars with the plane practicing taking off and landing. I watched the plane take off and land three times, each time making a big loop over the campus and the surrounding hills. It was a Cessna 152, a two seat training plane, and the sound of the propeller revving and waning was melodious. There is just something about flying that man has always desired.

I plan to move forward by taking an introductory flight with New River Aero, and talking to two other student pilots which I know. One has actually taking me flying before on a grass runway (she got her license 1.5 yrs ago, and is in HS) and the other person is a fully trained pilot but is lacking his license. These resources will be beneficial in my studies of flying in Blacksburg and student flying.

Trees.

So, does anyone else have a great sense of awe around trees? Just take a moment to think about how graceful they are, how the branches seem to just float out in utter stillness from the trunk. Gracefully hovering above us, shading us and giving home and refuge to numerous animals. What amazing design, and yet every tree is unique!

Course Goals? Sure.

Ok, so this year in 1204H I need am seeking to grow in many areas of writing and research. But before I really begin to grow and make progress, I need to set goals that I can progress towards, keeping my learning focused in order to make the most of my time. So, I have set three goals for this course:

1. To learn how to perform research and then accurately relay what I have discovered to others. This will be much needed in whichever area of Engineering I go into, as research and then relaying that information is key to all fields.

2. To learn how to vary my sentence structure (fancy word: syntax) to better capture the attention of my audience and to better relay information learned. I feel that most of my writing structure is plain and can become boring without syntax variation.

3. To learn how to open and close a research paper. This will be a needed skill for me later on in my career as I will be required to adequately document my research.

Interview Questions

Here are some questions I came up with for the interview(s) I will be involved in:

How did you get involved in aviation?
Why be a pilot in Blacksburg?
What was the moment/event when you realized you wanted to be a pilot?
What does the preflight and postflight procedures look like?
What was the most interesting flight you ever did? Why?
Describe your first solo flight?
Do you ever want to own or build your own plane?
Who do you normally fly with?

Ok, So I know this is random, but...

Does anyone else have Chem Lab this Semester? If you do, take a look at the porcelain crucibles in the drawers in the labs. They are apparently made by "Coors", with the same logo as the alcoholic bottling company. Hmmmm. Does this make sense to anyone? Take a look for yourself if you are a bit skeptical. Talk about diversification! (or simply supporting all parts of higher education!)

Activity Observation: Volleyball

One - Zero. First Serve. He picked up the ball and lofts it over the net. Thud. Ugh, the opponent said as she missed the volleyball. Ok, service! Bummer, that one was a bit long, sorry! She goes to retrieve the ball which has now bounced past the chain link fence. "My serve" she says. The game continues with grunts and dives with sand flying as the contestants struggle to keep the ball in the air for just a little while longer. Soon it is tied at 5 points each, and even though neither one of the teams of three is very good, the fun they are having is quite evident in the laughter and smiles constantly flying with the volleyball. Soon the boundary lines drawn in the sand fade under the feet of the six players, but no-one seems to care because it is just another casual game of volleyball.

The game grinds to a halt momentarily as the score is questioned, probably due to the fact that no-one has called the score in several points. When the discussion fades to resumed play, the score is 13-10, with only two more points needed for a win. It seems the other side is going to make a comeback, but those hopes are dashed as the team on the closer side wins by a close two points. All six players chat after the game and decide to play again, with the addition of two more people who were standing around before. The play is still very casual and not too pretty, but they appear to be having alot of fun.

As for questions, I wonder how the games initially begin? Does a single person go out with a volleyball, or do two people go out and recruit two more people to get a game going? Sometimes the courts get quite full, so how does one begin play when there is a full court? Do they have to wait for the current people to get bored and leave, or is he/she entitled to play in the next game? It appears that since it is such a casual play style, there is little argument, and it sort of 'happens' on its own without many rules or regulations beyond the loose, tradition rules of volleyball.

If, by: Rudyard Kipling

I found this poem, and absolutely loved the video too. Hope you enjoy it as well and connect with it. I'm not a poetry person, but for some reason I really like this one.

Helpful Tip

Alright, for those of us who don't want to log onto Blogger every time to post something, here is a better plan, and it works wonders for me. There is a setting so that you can simply send an email to your blog, which then automatically and instantly posts itself. This is far easier for me since I usually have my email program running all the time. Ok, so here's how to do it.

First, sign in to your blog and go to where you normally post a new 'post'. Click on the settings tab at the top, and then click on the "Email" tab below that. There are two boxes on the "email" page, and the second one is how you set the email address for your blog posts. I put the word "send" in that box, so when I send an email to briansblog.send@blogger.com it automatically posts it to the blog. Don't forget that once you put text in that box, you must save it. Check and see if it works, and then add that email address to your address book. Blogging just got easier!

Oh, and when you send an email to that address, the Subject in the email becomes the header for your post. Hope this helps somebody!

Knowledge and Communities

So, how do we know what is true? There are established facts, but these facts sometimes do not align perfectly with every situation, which leads to different opinions. When knowledge is constantly changing, we have to remain up to date, and not always just agreeing but rather contemplating and debating the opinions of the experts. We must make our own decisions, or else we will have no basis for our knowledge.

In the aircraft community, which is what I am researching for my community, the design must be built on truths. These truths don't change, which is what keeps the plane in the air. The people who fly the plane must know the truths that make the plane work, and those who build the plane must abide by those truths. When these truths are compromised, the plane will not fly, and people die.

There are many different kinds of truth, and many different applications, but in the flying industry, both across the world and in Blacksburg, the truths which hold the plane in the air are not up for discussion, and absolutely must be abided by.

And its Official

So, I will be officially researching the Hokie Flying Club and flight community in Blacksburg. Yay!

On the Topic of Hokie Flying

So, have I been the only one noticing all the airplanes flying around over the school? I got interested and followed one as I saw it flying back to the airport. I talked to the guy at the airport there,... it was very refreshing to walk into the airport and not have to go through a metal detector! The man said that they there are several people who teach VT students how to fly, so I got a few business cards. He also pointed me towards the Hokie Flying Club and New River Aero, which has a local hanger. I have seen fliers for New River Aero flight lessons, so I think I will have ample places to do research on the Hokie Flying and the general airplane community in Blacksburg.

Oh, and I also figured out that I missed an Air Show the first weekend here at Tech (August 21-24). They apparently had a few old warbirds and other replicas, which I definitely saw flying overhead, but didn't get to see up close. Oh well, maybe next time!

Communities, continued....

So, I have been doing some more thinking about Communities, and I am looking at researching the Hokie Flying Club. I had been in contact with them since about July, but I have never met a member or gone to a meeting. There website is www.hokieflying.com and they have monthly meetings which would be nice for research purposes. I have visited the VT/ Montgomery Executive Airport twice, and it is within walking distance (hour walk roundtrip or 4 miles...). Besides researching Hokie Flying, I am not quite positive about a second choice.

So, the HW search begins....

I thought I didn't have that much HW, but it seems that every time I check my email or go to Blackboard, I am reminded of something that I have forgotten, especially all those dreaded online quizzes for Math, Chemistry, Engineering, and the other Math Class. Wow, not to mention the plain old random HW that is posted deep in some long forgotten corner of BlackBoard. I mean I can see where I have no excuse for missing something (thank goodness nothing yet!), but it still seems a bit sneaky to randomly post HW assignments. One expires and within minutes the next one begins. And not to mention, apparently I am not supposed to use Internet Explorer. So, I downloaded FireFox. But apparently that doesn't work either. So if I manage to finish the assignment or heaven forbid a quiz, and the technology craps out somewhere down the line, it is now my fault and I am screwed. That sums it up. Oh, and every teacher has there own special program that they like to use, their own special webs
ite....it all gets lost in cyberspace, but alas, since it is technically findable, we are left without excuse. Ugh.

Communities....

I am involved in many communities, including the following:
- Virginia Tech Freshman
- Republican
- Male
- From Charlotte, NC
- Eagle Scout
- Church
- Camping/Outdoor Enthusiasts
- Construction Worker (Summer job)
- Food Bank Volunteer

Communities I am interested in getting involved in/am intrigued with:
- Pilots and Airplane Enthusiasts (first choice)
- Hunters
- International Students
- Inventors/Patent Holders
- Engineer
- Military

Oh, and...

...you can check out my website too! Its got all the good stuff there:
http://adventureswithbrian.googlepages.com/ I have all my current and
past projects up online there. Check it out and leave a comment!

Welcome to My Blog

Hey Everyone! Welcome to my Blog, which I hope to continue to add to
this year. Have an awesome day!