"Put it this way: if you can't be reasonably responsible when drinking, maybe you should question whether youre responsible enough to drink"

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Brilliance!

Again, someone who can explain things much better than I ever could. Quiz before the video: is your house an asset or liability? How about your car? ATV? Rental property?



Adam Carroll is an incredibly intelligent man, especially on financial matters. He argues that you should be trying to build up these things called "Massive Passive Permanent Streams of Income." Check out his book to find out why and how!



© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Schooooool's Out. For. EVER!

Aren't you sick of reading this blog yet? Seriously, there's nothing important in here, since 2011 started, anyway. Do you just like reading about my life? Are you stalking me?? I'm calling the police. They can track you down, you know. They'll keep me safe. Creeper.

Whoo...that was weird. Sorry. Strange mood today.

I'm still having problems coming up with stuff to tell you about...my life just is not that interesting. I can't even take every day occurences and put a spin on them because the same things happen to me every day and they're so mundane, it's not even possible to make them interesting. I'll do my best though.

Yesterday I pulled out my brand new chromatic guitar tuner and played a little last night...it's actually easier for me to play when I'm tuned in DropDb. Probably a good thing too, since my E string is kinda messed up and it's risky to tune it all the way up to standard. I should just get a new string, but for the time being, I think I'm going to leave it in DropDb and transpose songs to that. Makes it easier when I don't have to tune too.

So I really find my business law class interesting, but I find myself dreading it more and more every Tuesday and Thursday. I think the biggest reason is because my professor uses me as an example all the time. I've been used as a unique example 10 or 11 times in the 5 classes that have not been tests. That's two examples that could be as long as 10-15 minutes each. That means that I'm being used 20-30 minutes out of every 75 minute class. A bit ridiculous if you ask me. Other thing I hate is the homework...which I put off until after my morning classes...giving me approximately 3 hours to do the homework. It's not overly hard, but it's time consuming, boring, and horribly intricate and detailed.

Another class I'm dreading more and more is Psych Stats. I sit here and waste my time listening to my professor who seems to think he's a stand up comedian. In addition, he thinks he's a lot younger than he is because he just used "BTW" in lecture. Seriously. On top of all that, he's about 75% deaf and therefore can't hear anyone who asks questions during this review session and he also yells pretty much the whole time. It's just a little irritating.

And finally, English. I just don't like this class. Really haven't since the beginning of the semester, but things aren't getting any better. I don't like writing about myself. Let me write about whatever I want.

It's so ironic how every time I say it's going to be a short post or that I claim to have nothing to talk about, those end up being some of my longest posts.

Anyway, it's about time for class to end and I have to go to class and enjoy the beautiful weather so I'll see you all tomorrow!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

This Is Going To Be A Really Short Post With A Really Long Title Cuz That's Irony Isn't It?

Buenas dias!

I'm getting worse and worse at this...but I still haven't failed yet! The plus side is, I don't have much of anything to report so you're not missing out on anything. I didn't really do anything special for my birthday yesterday and the only real important thing that happened is I realize I forgot about and missed my lab on Monday...oops.

Well, I'm off to take a Drugs and Behavior test...wish me luck!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Happy Birthday To You

Man...I'm gettin' later with my posts every day. My bad...I promise they will keep coming though!
(PS. You may wonder why I keep promising updates to a blog that get a fairly small amount of traffic...it's a psychological thing. If you say something or make a public announcement of something, even to one other person, the chances of you following through are much greater and this is something I want to continue to do, so I keep myself accountable in any way I can!)

News, news, news...First thing on the agenda, because it's going to be the most prevalent today, is that today is my birthday! Whoo hoo! Alright, that's enough celebrating. You see, I'm beginning to like it more, but my birthday has never really been all that special to me. The time I get to spend with family because of it is great, and who doesn't like receiving gifts? But to me, my birthday is, for the most part, just another day. I probably won't do anything special tonight, especially since I have a test tomorrow morning, but I'm perfectly fine with keeping things laid back and chill. Maybe it's just me, but a huge elaborate party isn't necessary...I went to the casino for my 18th and that was awesome, I'll go to the bar for my 21st and have a couple drinks, but this wild and crazy stuff just ain't my style.

What else...somewhat busy week ahead...test tomorrow, some problems and a mini-essay due Thursday, and a quiz on Friday. Nothin' big, but it's stuff that needs to be taken care of.

Well, I thought I had more news than that...I guess not. I'll see if I can't find something to post later...I found that StumbleUpon has a great Psychology section...maybe you'll see something from there! See you tomorrow!

-Jacob

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

The Secrets of Time

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

PS. If this is Austin....

Hola!

I'm lazy today so you may be disappointed yet again.  I'll get over this laziness thing soon enough and have some quality stuff, I'm sure!

Anyway, I had a great week, even if I did neglect all of you, who are oh-so-important to me!  I mentioned we went to Outback Steakhouse on Friday night and it was DELICIOUS, even if I have a tendency to over-stuff myself...oops.  After dinner, we went to visit my grandparents for a while.  Then my parents and I spent most of Saturday at an outlet mall looking for birthday gifts for me since no one had ANY gift ideas, including me.  I got a really nice Columbia spring jacket, a chromatic guitar tuner, and an arm strap for my iPod since I kind of have a problem carrying it when I'm working out.  Sunday was the busiest day of all, with a workout at 0800, church at 1000, brunch at 1115, and then I still had to get a hair cut, beard trim, and pack, all before we could leave to bring me back to DSM.

We made it back alright though and, after some dinner at the Drake Diner, we headed back to my dorm where I spent a pretty relaxing night just hanging out, watching the Grammys.  Back to the boring ol' college life, I guess.

I'm getting horribly distracted so I think that means I don't have anything else on my mind.  See y'all tomorrow!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Back to the Grind

Hey peeps,

Yet another short, slacker-style post, but I'm tired from traveling and packing and all that...it's been a busy day.  Up at 0700, went to Lifetime, then church, brunch, packing, a haircut and beard trim, trip to Best Buy, 3.5 hours south and now I'm FINALLY back to school.  Not that I wanted to come back per se, but all the stuff this morning kind of stretched out the inevitable which makes it that much harder.

Anyway, this post was mostly to let you guys know that I am, indeed, still alive and well and that I made it back safely! Hopefully things will return to their regularly scheduled programming tomorrow morning.

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Home Again, Home Again

Hey everyone, I haven't forgotten about you.  Like I mentioned, things are a little different when I'm home.  I doubt I'll get my post in tomorrow morning either.  Just wanted to let you know that I arrived home safely, had a wonderful dinner at Outback Steakhouse, went to see my grandparents, and now do some home-life related things.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Well I'm Going Home, Back To The Place Where I Belong...

Hola!
How's everyone doin' today?
Good?
Good.

Day 6...this early morning stuff may kill me.  I'm still tired and the only reason I think I'm up right now is out of excitement to go home which is connected to my imminent need to wash my dishes and clean my room, at least a little, before my mom gets here.  Can't have her thinkin' my life has fallen apart without her, can I?  Which brings me to my next point.....

I'M GOING HOME TODAY!  You guys are probably like, "what's the big deal?  I barely get along with my parents and you've been at school for like a month."  You're absolutely right.  Difference between me and you?  I enjoy spending time with my family. (And I really really really need my own quiet room and some home cooked food!)

What else to mention....hmm....well, while I'm at home, I hope to keep up all the habits I'm trying to build, but I'm not sure how well that will go...which may unfortunately mean that I miss updating you guys for a day or two.  Don't worry though!  I haven't died!  Just means I've gotten busy with family and home things.  I haven't forgotten about you, I just don't have time for you. ;)

Well, that's all folks!  The next time you hear from me will (probably) be from (hopefully) balmy Minnesota!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

ERC - Day 5

Wow! Sorry I'm so late today!  Yet another rough day...but I met the 5-day Early Riser Challenge! Despite not getting out of bed until 0800, I was awake at 0700 sharp.  The downside, as I've mentioned before, is that I still have 25 days of this left before my body gets used to it.  Hopefully things get easier, and not harder as they have been.

I'm not sure I have a lot to talk about today...I figured out last night that I'm burning myself out by writing to you guys, writing 750 words right after that, and then writing a page a day at night.  Because I like talking to you guys and I like the format of 750 words, I think I'm gonna stick to those two and give up page per day for a little bit.  If I find I have a lot to say, maybe I'll start doing all three again.

Side note: it's difficult to write to you guys while I'm in class...my professor's voice is kind of distracting, even if I'm not paying any attention to him at all.

Finally...home. Don't know if I've mentioned it lately, but I'm going home tomorrow!  I'll be meeting my mother and heading out in approximately 26 hours...thankfully.  I need a break.  Love my roommates and all, but I need some solitary time, as well as my own bedroom for a couple days.  For some reason, though, every time I go home, it seems like I have to prove myself.  I always have a test or big project or paper or some group thing that I don't wanna do before I get to go home.  This time, I have a bitch of a BLAW test later today and I had an essay due on Sunday which I had to discuss in a workshop on Tuesday.  Always proving myself...the paper and workshop went alright, we'll pray for this BLAW test...

Anyway...I'm done rambling.  Short post with a cloudy mind...hopefully that all made sense again.  Off to write 750 words and pretend to listen to this lecture.

-J

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

ERC - Day 4

One day left to officially complete the Lifehacker Early Riser Challenge!  Unfortunately, that means I still have 26 more days to complete MY Early Riser Challenge.

Today was rough...I just couldn't get to sleep last night and laid awake for probably an hour or hour and a half before I was able to drift off.  Then this morning, I was obviously tired...I woke up at 0700, but I didn't get out of bed until 0745 because our room was so COLD.  It's unbelieveable! There is no moderation with our thermostat, we're either trying to make ice in the living room or we're trying to cook a turkey in the bedrooms! We just can't find that middle spot that keeps the whole place comfortable.  Because I got up so late, I skipped my morning workout and went straight to the shower which, unsurprisingly, was similar to going outside and having snow thrown on you while naked.  Unbelievably great start to my day...we'll see where things go from here.

My head is still quite cloudy so forgive me if none of this is making sense...as I mentioned, I'm still tired and there was no coffee this morning; I was too lazy to make my own pot.

What else...I think that's about it.  Going home for the weekend in approximately 51 hours...trimmed up the goatee slightly, which actually made quite a large difference in how grody it looks.  Still doesn't look great, but better than it was.  Wonder what mom's reaction will be...?  Umm...I dunno.  That's all I've got for now.  I'll try to post a YouTube video or something later to make up for my lack of entertainment ('cause I know you're all always rolling on the floor by the end of the post).  Anyway.....TTFN!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

ERC - Day 3

Hey everyone!

Day 3 of the Early Riser Challenge, and I feel great!  I woke up right at 0700, gave myself the 10 minute rule even though I probably didn't need it, plank for 2 minutes and 140 crunches in 2 minutes and I was wide awake! I've already showered and gotten ready for my day, even poured my coffee, now it's just a matter of getting my personal obligations done so I can possibly get some work done before class at 0930! ...and 11...and 1530.

As I was writing my 750 words this morning (yeah, I switched up the order I do these...not sure why), I realized that I have about 5 different little streaks/goals going for me, ranging from 2-4 days long so far.  I've, of course got my streak of 3 days getting up early, but I also have a 4-day streak of writing 750 words and then a page a day before bed, I've got 2 straight days listening to that relaxation track before bed, and 2 days of making myself find time to read before bed!  Basically, if I can keep all these things up until Spring Training starts, it'll become a habit! (More on Spring Training later.)

I've started another thing too...and I already can hear you all saying, "But Jake, you've already got about a gazillion personal projects on your hands plus 16 credit hours...how are you going to keep up with ANOTHER thing?"  Well, once you understand what I'm doing, it might make more sense.  I'm going to track how much time I do various things, broken down into categories.  The categories include: walking (defined as traveling time to classes and around campus...not walking around my dorm room and things like that), driving, working out, sitting in class, eating, sleeping, time on my computer, time studying, time "out," time hanging out, and time spent at work.  You see, if I track all my time in this way, it forces me to be incredibly conscious of how much time I'm spending in each category (and how little I'm spending in important categories).  By making myself aware, I'll be able to BETTER manage my time, making other goals easier!

Oh, and I started a sleep routine...so I lied.  Two new things. Since yesterday.  That one is easy though...my watch alarm beeps at 2130 at which point I drop everything I'm doing and go write my page a day.  Then I get ready for bed and read as much as I can from a PERSONAL (not school-related) book until 2230.  At 2230, I turn on my relaxation track and when that's over, I roll over and fall asleep.  Then I get up at 0700 and start my morning routine! Yay for routines that make the day easier!

Alright...as promised, SPRING TRAINING.  I think it's pretty safe to say I'm obsessed with the sport of baseball and I'm incredibly excited for baseball.  My Facebook status yesterday was: "Alright...Pro Bowl is over, Super Bowl is done...that must mean it's baseball season! 7 days till voluntary Spring Training for pitchers and catchers, 12 days till voluntary Spring Training for everyone else, and a measly 19 days until Spring Training officially begins! Pull out those bats and break in those gloves, boys, cuz we're gonna PLAY BALL!"  So if you do the math, we're actually looking at 6 days, 11 days, and 18 days until Spring Training begins!

Well...I think that's about all I've got for you guys today.  Oh! I know I throw a lot of links in for that 750 words and page a day, but you guys should really check out the SHAYTARDS vlog on YouTube!  They can be pretty long, but they're usually hilarious and I've started watching their videos every day.  It's amazing to look at the old ones and see how much everyone has changed!

Now that's all....See y'all later!

-JAKE

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

ERC - Day 2

Today was rough again.  I woke up at 0700 when my alarm went off, but I just couldn't keep myself awake.  I re-set my alarm for 0745 and ended up laying in bed until 0810, but at least I stayed awake and got up.  Went through my routine (pushups and situps are already increasing!!), took a lukewarm shower, grabbed a cup of coffee, and here I am, remarkably clear-headed and feeling pretty good about the day!

I think part of the optimism comes from a solid night of sleep.  I found a relaxation app for the iTouch and let me tell ya, 15 minutes into the 27 minute long program, my body was numb and my mind was completely empty.  Within 10 minutes of the program ending, I was solidly asleep.  I'm still skeptical that I was "hypnotized" or in a "trance" as the app claims, but I was definitely well-relaxed.  They claim the best results come from listening to it 21 days straight and then whenever and however often you'd like.  Yet another little thing I'm going to add to my day to try to better my life and keep me more relaxed and organized.  I might even listen to it twice a day...after all, I complain about having so much free time, why not relax myself once during the afternoon just before I start homework and then once before bed to put me to sleep?

I would like to use this space to make a public statement to cover myself from any and all doubts that others may have when I start doing it. (That sentence made no sense but I don't care.)  The Packers and Pack fans get exactly ONE WEEK from last night to celebrate.  After that, I don't want to hear it.  I WILL tell people to STFU after February 13, 2011 at approximately 2112.  It's great that you won, but most other teams would use their week and get back to life.  Pack fans are a little messed up in the head...they tend to stretch things out over loooooong periods of time.  I'm not letting that happen.  I'm already in baseball mode, I'll give everyone else their week and then they need to move on too.  The Super Bowl is great and all, but I believe the mark of a truly great team is when you win multiple in a row or 7 out of 8 or whatever the case may be, like the Steelers and Cowboys back in the day.  Otherwise, I'll just argue it was a fluke.  So celebrate for your week and get over it.

I think that's about it for now...I'm off to write my 750 words and then off to class!  Have a great day everyone!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Early Riser Challenge - Day 1

If you missed yesterday's post, I'm participating in the Lifehacker Early Riser Challenge.

Day 1....pretty rough.  I woke up a couple times during the night, including once when my roommate got called into work.  Not his fault, obviously, but it made for a rough early morning.  I ended up re-setting my alarm for 8, but when that time rolled around, I was still tired.  I managed to follow the 10-minute rule, which challenges you to stay awake for 10 minutes after you wake up.  If you're still tired, you can allow yourself to go back to sleep (assuming you don't have anything going on!).  Most of the time, however, after 10 minutes, the grogginess goes away for the most part and you're ready to take on the day.  

This was the case for me.  After about 10 minutes, I got up, got down on the floor and did 2 minutes of (unsteady--our carpeting is slippery) push ups and 2 minutes of crunches.  Both numbers were way down from what I was doing just a month or three ago, but that's to be expected when I haven't done anything for 2-3 weeks.  After that, I got online and checked my email and Facebook (oops...not supposed to do that till I get one productive thing done), and then went and took a shower, got dressed etc.  I'm still slightly sleepy, but waking more and more.  I'll definitely be continuing this challenge and, after reading a couple other blogs, I'm going to try it for 30 days, since that's the amount of time needed to make something a habit.

In other news...there's really no other news since less-than-12 hours ago.  One little interesting thought I came up with in the shower...through my dating record, I have dated 1 true blonde, 3 dirty blondes, and 1 brunette. Out of those 5 girls, 2 were softball players, 3 were dancers or former dancers (1 was a softballer and dancer), and 3 had a fairly major interest in horses at some point in her life (2 dancers and a softballer).  No real useful information there, but a strange trend that I found.

The T(hought)O(f)T(he)D(ay) is a song I made up when I saw it snowed last night.  It's to the tune of "Let It Snow."

Oh, the weather outside is snowy,

And the wind is coldly blowing,

And since I've got places to go,

F*** the snow! F*** the snow! F*** the snow!

Slightly inappropriate, but it entertained me :)

That's all I've got for now...I'm off to write my 750 words! (another challenge I started last night...as well as One Page Per Day)

-JCT

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Early Riser Challenge

Hey everyone!

After reading around on the internet a little bit, I've decided I'm going to take on the Lifehacker 5-Day Early Riser Challenge!  I'm going to get up at 0700 every day...just like I tried to do at the beginning of the semester.  This time, however, I'm going to get a morning routine set up so it's hopefully easier for me to keep up with.  My plan is for my alarm to go off at 0700, do a 2-3 sets each of push ups and sit ups, then go through my hygiene routine, followed by a post to you guys updating you on how the challenge is going, plus any news I come up with.  That's kind of the end of my routine...after that, I'll either work on homework if I have a lot, otehrwise I'll just do something random I enjoy.

Well, that's about all I've got, I think!  I'm now gonna go through my nightly routine and head to bed! Hope you all had a great day and are having a good night!

-Jake

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Winter = Common Sense

Hi guys!

Probably a fairly short post tonight, but small post is better than no post, huh?  Especially with the way I've been neglecting ya lately....

Anyway, couple things to share.
1.  I went picking for the first time today!  For those of you not familiar with the term, it's basically going through other people's old or discarded stuff and trying to "pick" out gems that might be worth some money.  There was an eviction in good ol' DSM today and so we went over there to check it out.  There was literally hundreds of feet of the curb covered in these people's stuff.  Unfortunately, due to some questions about how safe we'd actually be with the owner lurking around and still trying to pick up as much as he could, we didn't really get to do much, BUT as we were driving away, one of my roommates, Jeff, spotted and old Michelob Light light/clock that probably hung in a bar at one point.  Well, we went around the block and picked that sucker up, cleaned 'er up a little, and we now have a new decoration for our living room!  It was quite the thrill, mostly because we did a drive-by style pickup due to those safety concerns...Jeff pulled up next to the pile of stuff and I jumped out, grabbed the light, and jumped back in.  Definitely got my adrenaline pumping a little bit!

2. I'm lazy!  You all know that I was running all the time and racking up miles...well, pretty much as soon as I got back to school, I got a nasty cold for 4 or 5 days that kept me from working out.  Unfortunately, I've not gotten back into the habit of going and I really haven't worked out since I got back.  This laziness really hit me when I realized that last year, I was marveling at how everything on campus was less than a 10 minute walk away...tonight I was complaining to myself how my entire round trip to go get food took a whole 10 minutes! I need to get back to working out!

3/TOTD. People need to stop complaining about winter.  Yes, it's cold, yes the snow and ice sucks, and yes, everyone else has to deal with it too.  Here's a little thought to help you survive: winter is common sense.  Is it cold outside?  Dress warm.  Are you still cold?  Dress warmer.  Still?  Dress warmer and grab a blanket.  Regarding snow and ice: it's there, we all have to deal with it, Drake (and Iowa in general) sucks at clearing it.  There. I publicly complained for everybody.  Now you can stop.  Also, just because you're getting snow overnight does NOT automatically mean that school will be closed or that it's a "snowpacalypse" or anything else ridiculous like that.  Don't get your hopes up...then you won't be disappointed and it will be a pleasant surprise if it does happen.  This is the second time this year that the Midwest has been killed by snow...except for Des Moines.  Everyone called it a snowpacalypse both times.  We had school and relatively small amounts of snow both times.  So SHUT. UP.

4.  I had an absolutely brilliant thought last night...I realized I was the first person I know to do....something.  I remember it was pretty sweet and now cannot remember what it was, no matter how hard I try.  I'll let ya know if I figure it out.

Wow.  Guess that wasn't so short.  I guess I owe ya though...hopefully this somewhat makes up for my lack of updates!

-JT

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author

Too Much Time, Too Little To Do

Too much time, too little to do.

You heard me right.  I have an excess of time and not enough to do.  You’re probably thinking I’m nuts, if you didn’t already hold that opinion.  That is, however, the dilemma I find myself in on a day-by-day basis while at school.  And it is, indeed, a dilemma.  See, the problem is not explicitly the amount of time or work I have to do, it’s the fact that, despite this “extra” time I have, I still do not get my work done until the night before, or even mere hours and minutes before the work is due.  Why is this?  I have too much time and not enough work to fill that time.

You see, when I have many large assignments and a test all due on one day, I know that I must start working on things ahead of time in order to get everything done on time and to the best of my abilities.  I may still procrastinate, but instead of having nothing started, I’ll at least have many little pieces of each assignment that I simply have to put together.  However, when I have just one or two assignments, or maybe a reading or quiz, I know that I can leave small things like that until the night before or the morning of and still get them done with plenty of time.  The problem is, because I know this, I leave things off longer and longer all the time, and it’s getting to the point where I actually AM getting crunched for time.  Not only is it inconvenient because it pushes other projects and things I’d like to do back, but it causes me a lot of unneeded stress which, as some of you may know, I already have a tough enough time dealing with.

If you don’t believe me, here’s a typical 24-hour period, starting after my last class of one day: check Facebook, email, Twitter, etc. until dinner.  Go get dinner and watch YouTube videos while I eat it.  Get caught up on YouTube and watch videos for at least a half hour longer than I need to.  Re-check Facebook, etc.  Notice it’s 2100 or 2200 and I try to get to bed by 2300, so I should probably stop putting off my homework.  Homework inevitably takes at least an hour or more, putting me behind on sleep.  Get up in the morning and go to class.  Eat lunch and watch YouTube videos during my break from 1200-1530.  Lather, rinse, and repeat. 

And people complain about being busy all the time…

© 2007-2011 Jacob Tauer
This information is not to be used in any form, online or off, without the express permission of the author