The End

I just submitted the link to this blog as my submission of my CJP. When I clicked submit I was really struck by how fast this semester has flown by. It's almost over. Three weeks and it's Christmas break. I can't believe it. When I think back to the first day of this class I remember the awkward pauses and embarrassed students getting called up to the stage. I had no idea what I was in for. Dr. V kept making us repeat one phrase. "This class is for ME!" It seemed goofy at the time, but now having completed the semester I can see the truth in this phrase. This class is for us. With few rules and guidelines we have the freedom to morph the class to best suit ourselves and let our creativity run wild. Talking with friends in class, I didn't find anyone with a similar personal branding profile or soft innovation ideas. We were free to customize assignments and I really appreciated this independence. Most of my classes now require homework assignments submitted in a specific manor, really limiting our creative thinking. This class was a great break from that mold, a chance to grow and explore new thoughts and ideas. With registration up and coming I have already recommended this class to many of my friends. It was a really great experience, something I rarely comment on in other classes.

As far as attendance, I attended every lecture but the Humor lecture. I was unable to attend this class because of a summer internship interview. Further down in my blog, I recorded this as a separate entry, however I thought I would mention it again as this is most likely the first entry you will read.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my CJP, a random assemblage of my own creative mind : )

Oddly Specific

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Popular Science

The latest issue of Popular Science Magazine featured a section entitled "Best of What's New 2009 - Best Innovations of the Year". Intrigued, I flipped through and found some truly remarkable innovations. Cameras, phones, cars, gadgets, the article covered everything. As a civil engineering student, however one innovation caught my eye. An inflatable bridge. Yes you read that right, and inflatable bridge.

Polymer tubes are inflated and positioned over the valley or river then concrete is poured into the tubes to strengthen the infrastructure. Once this concrete has hardened more concrete is poured between the tubes to create the flat bridge platform. The article stated that the entire process can be done in 11 working days compared to the several months it takes to build a conventional bridge. Other positive aspects of these inflatable bridges is the added strength. The polymer reinforcements add stability if the concrete inside were to crumble, avoiding potential bridge collapse disasters. Also, the lifespan of these bridges is said to be over 100 years. Although new to the market and still under much testing, if these bridges catch on they could be the solution to America's current infrastructure needs. With the recent bridge collapse in Minnesota, the government is taking many precautions to prevent future collapses, including replacing and reinforcing many deteriorating pieces of infrastructure. These inflatable bridges could provide a cheap, fast alternative to current building practices and really make an impact.

Twisted Nursery Rhymes

Although these may seem a little vulgar, I can really see their creativity. Finding ways to twist around common nursery rhymes and give them a whole new meaning. Here are some of my favorites:

Mary had a little "pig"

Mary had a little pig,

She kept it fat and plastered;

And when the price of pork went up,

She shot the little bastard

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To have a little fun.

Stupid Jill forgot the pill

And now they have a son.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses,

And all the king's men,

Had scrambled eggs

For breakfast again.

Georgie Porgy

Georgie Porgy pudding and pie,

Kissed the girls and made them cry.

And when the boys came out to play,

He kissed them too 'cause he was gay.

Starting your own business...

So the guest speaker in class last week was talking about entrepreneurship and being able to market yourself as a product. I thought this was a really interesting take on the subject. He compared education to product improvement, a resume as your technical specifications. It really made me realize that although entrepreneurship seems like a far away concept, as a college student I am already a personal entrepreneur.

Along these same lines, I visited a new ice cream shop this past weekend called Spoons. I later read up on it in the Battalion and it was actually an entrepreneurship project from students in the Maye's Business School. I was astounded at the great service and the innovative process their business employs. Instead of a regular ice cream shop where you place your order at a counter, Spoons implements a fully user friendly self serve and top process, where the final product is weighed to determine the price. It was a great idea and it really worked out well. I was really impressed, almost jealous that I hadn't come up with it myself!

I Can Has Cheezburger?

As a cat owner, I am always entertained by her crazy shenanigans. I can has cheezburger is a website that allows users to upload their own images with humorous captions. Here's a little taste of the LOL cat revolution:

Transatlantic Tunnel

Call me a nerd, but last night I turned on Net-Flix and watched an episode of Extreme Engineering. The topic they were covering was the possibility of building a transatlantic tunnel, connecting New York and London. The proposed tunnel would cut travel time down from ten hours by plane to one hour by train. Although this idea may seem outlandish, the show established the credibility of such a feat.

The suggested tunnel would be an innovative "floating tunnel", attached to the sea floor with huge cables but kept afloat with a buoyancy system. This "floating tunnel" idea has yet to be implemented in other parts of the world, but it is in the design process for construction in Norway.

The extreme cost and time associated with such a project makes it seem almost impossible, however, if this Transatlantic tunnel is ever built, it will certainly be an engineering marvel. With creative processes and innovative technology it just might happen.