Brokeback Dumb and Dumber

Hahaha Tom Cruise...

Wow Tom, you dance just like me

Life

I just finished my first semester of Junior year. School is just rolling right along, and I've come to learn a few things so far this year. The only thing that matters right now are my grades and test scores. Partying doesn't. A million friends doesn't. A job doesn't. A car doesn't. The only thing that I need to think about right now is getting into a good college.

Almost everyone I know is overlooking this. My friends are getting B averages and being lazy. A 3.0 isn't going to get anyone into a good college anymore, everyone knows that. Colleges are accepting kids with 3.7+'s. With the influx of Asians in America, who, by the way, are killing us academically, getting into college isn't as easy as it used to be. Some quick admission numbers (provided by collegeboard.com).

Percentage of freshman admitted into
California Polytechnic State University: San Luis Obispo: 45%
Harvard: 9%
MIT: 16%
New York University: 37%
Pepperdine: 27%
Princeton: 13%
Stanford: 12%
UC Davis: 55%
UC San Diego: 42%

But these percentages aren't made up of a bunch of 3.0 students that applied. These percentages are made up of the smart kids that applied. Out of, say, 30,000 applicants at Harvard, only 2,700 were accepted (not the real numbers, but you understand). And I don't know too many 3.0 students that are going to be applying to Harvard.

I screwed myself Freshman year by getting a 3.2 GPA. It makes my overall GPA look like crap, with something like 3.4. My last three semesters, I've gotten a 3.7 average (one B and the rest A's each semester), and this semester I'm going to get a 4.0. I'm just hoping that colleges won't look at my overall GPA and throw my application out because of it.

Well, getting into college isn't as easy as it used to be. But here's to good luck at the admissions office. This is going to be tough...

37signals

Over the past month or so, I've been lucky enough to stumble upon a few new products: Backpack, Basecamp and Ta-da.

The makers of these three products is 37signals, a small, privately owned company based out of Chicago. Their products are incredibly simple and all use AJAX, so your page will never have to refresh when you save your work.

Backpack is a self organization tool. I have used it to organize everything from my web projects to my homework at school. They also have a very useful calendar, and it can be loaded into Mozilla Calendar and iCal once you add a new event.

Basecamp is a collaboration tool, and is a huge help for teams that are working in different areas. I am currently using it on a project that I am doing for a client on the east coast. His production company is based in San Diego, and he has people in the south that represent him. Basecamp gets everyone on the same page, and is oh so easy.

Ta-da is a very simple application. You make lists of what you need to get done and check them off once you finish them. Again, everything is done in AJAX, so it makes adding items to your list and editing them smooth.

All of 37signals products can be used for free, as long as you wish. Try them out, you won't regret it. And if you ever upgrade to a paid plan, you can use my code - BPXFSL9

Buy Apple stock

If I have one thing to say to everyone it is go buy Apple right now. It's being offered at $49 right now, and they just came out with the new iPod video and iMac G5... Symbol AAPL. I've given advice to people about Macromedia, Apple and Google. No one listened to me. Listen to me now.

School

School has been just rollin. I'm building three new websites right now, TFH UCD, TFH Worship and Encounter 2006.

Alpine's unlimited pass!

Check it out, Alpine Meadows has the 05/06 season passes on sale right now. If you're 13-18, an unlimited pass is only $199... Check it out