They tell you a lot of things in first year engineering. "You are going to get a great job," is one of the more truthful things they say. "The dropout rate isn't as bad as you hear," is one of the bald faced lies. "Put away the laptops, because I know you are playing flash games on the internet," is one of the worst (true story; my friend and I used to spend all of freshman seminar playing Bomberman in the back. He failed out.). What puzzles me is the stuff they don't tell you. For example, "By the way, get some extra loans senior year, because there are a thousand things you need to do and each of them cost a more than a Kia." Since I am paying for my education, I try to be very conservative with my student loans. This has led to some extra belt tightening this semester, thanks to some unexpected certification tests and grad school applications. Not that it is so bad, don't get me wrong, it's just like a trip back to freshman year. When ramen noodles were a meal, and not what you eat when drunk because you can't wait for the pizza guy. When MD 20/20 and Keystone become things you willingly purchase and drink. Getting paid will be awesome one day.

The poverty is part of the college experience, of course. Sometimes you just need more scratch around for when your crappy laptop has problems or something like that. All the years of cooking the books like Enron caught up to me and I ended up having to choose between the electric bill and the phone bill this month. Since I am not texting this to T-Mill one sentence at a time you can imagine which one I chose. Like all people my age, my entire life rotates around my plastic Korean made Samsung overlord. You can imagine the withdrawal symptoms are significant. On one hand, I feel like I'm attending college back before cell phones when you carved out messages on granite slabs and carried them uphill both ways to J Money's dorm room. That illusion is quickly shattered when you realize that everyone else is talking to each other behind your back and you are a beard away from being Amish. I will be out stealing televisions for you AT&T.

After the jump, we get to the Boilermakings.

Basketball;

Landry Gives Kings Additional Toughness
Carl Landry was traded to Sacremento before the trade deadline. In a related story, I have a new second favorite NBA team.

Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore Improves, Steps Out of Teammates' Shadows

It's rare that a team's top scorer for three straight seasons isn't considered the star, but that's been the case for E'Twaun Moore ever since he arrived at Purdue.

The LA Times profiles our Assassin.

Pat Forde: Boilers Finally Win at Ohio State, but Juniors Thinking Bigger
A junior class of three Hoosier State natives has led the revival of Purdue basketball. With one of them contained Wednesday night, the other two carried the Boilermakers to a historic victory at Ohio State.

Forde Minutes: Purdue Has a Strong Case for a 1 Seed
Pat Forde thinks Purdue will land a one seed assuming more turbulence in the Big East.

Purdue's Gentle Giant Gets Tough
The Journal and Courier profiles JaJuan Johnson.

SI Predicts Purdue in the Final Four
We are there with Syracuse, Kentucky, and Kansas.

Football;

The Aughts in Review: No, We Will Not Boiler Up, Thank You Very Much
Black Heart Gold Pants reviews the decade that was in Iowa-Purdue football.

Purdue's Werner Granted Sixth Year
Purdue's defense got a huge jolt Friday, as standout linebacker Jason Werner received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Next year is shaping up to be a good year.

Other Boilermakings;

Purdue Swimmers Climb into Third at Big Ten Meet
The Purdue women's swimming and diving team has set itself up to make program history.

Purdue Pete Changing?
Sports mascot Purdue Pete will ride the bench for awhile, said Morgan Burke, director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Purdue University.