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Pauly Dee, Mike “Duh” Situation and Snooky struggle in class. Pauly tries to connect with a “Land Mine” to avoid buying his textbooks. Let us know what you think! Subscribe to our YouTube channel www.youtube.com/valorebooks.

Do you get bombarded with mundane questions on a daily basis such as “Who was the guy who played Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?” and “What was the address to that restaurant again?” Here is a website that will allow you to passive aggressively clue in your friends, family and coworkers about this thing called the internet where a sea of information exists; in the nicest way possible, of course.

Let me Google that for you, http://lmgtfy.com/ is a fan favorite around our office and we hope you enjoying using it as much as we do! Oh, the power of Google.

On April 20th, an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded killing eleven people and began to threaten marine life and many southern states due to the massive oil spill. Ever since, the story has dominated the headlines; most recently, the handling of the crisis by BP executives and the US government. Despite the administrative handling of the crisis, the issue at hand is the ecological disaster affecting areas surrounding the oil spill.

One group of students at Tulane University have created an oil spill crisis map using open source software.  The students partnered with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) and Radical Designs to create the map, which uses information from texts, tweets, e-mails and online submissions that people send in to the website in order to plot the effects of the oil spill. The eyewitness reports include a description and location information, such as address, city and state and zip-codes. Photos and video also can be uploaded.

Real time testimony directly from the public is one way to see just how many areas are being affected by the oil spill. We think it’s pretty neat to be able to use new media such as Twitter to track something so important as a region’s livelihood.   What are your thoughts on the Oil Spill Crisis Map?

Happy Monday, everyone! The NBA finals are under way, with the series tied at one between the Celtics and the Lakers. Who do you think will win the championship?  While watching professional athletes is great and all, what’s better than a dog who truly has game? I’d bet Zeke the dog could give Kobe a run for his money!

1. Laptop: Besides being used to take notes in class, write term papers and surf the Internet, you can also use it to download music, stay in touch with friends and family and store your personal photographs. The real perk of a laptop is you can study right from your bed if you wanted, without having to get up and go to the computer lab.

2. Storage Drive: A storage drive or a jump drive is very important for saving projects, notes and term papers. You can also save pictures and presentations. A storage drive is easy to transport and you could easily pull up your saved work from any computer.

3. Renters Insurance: Renters insurance can help protect the valuables that you or your parents have spent hard earned money on. While attending college there is a high chance that items can be stolen or lost. There are several companies out there that offer renters insurance, so do some research and find a plan that would protect your assets. If you live on campus, check to see if you are protected.

4. Digital Camera: The memories that you make in college, you do not want to soon forget. If you’ve seen The Hangover, your camera might actually help you remember some of the times you had. Snap a picture at any and every occasion; just don’t forget that when you’re job hunting, you may want to have control over who can view those photos if they’ve made there way to the web.

5. Mini Fridge: A mini fridge is good for keeping your favorite things separate that you do not want to share with roommates or hall friends. Plus, it’s good to keep snacks and drinks in your room for those times you do not want to walk to the dining hall.

6. MP3 Player: When you’re in your room feeling bored with nothing to do, an MP3 player can become your best friend. Also, some people study better while listening to music and it helps them to relax. Also, if you have a large campus, you will spend a lot of time walking around on it, might as well have a soundtrack to accompany you!

7. Fan: Do not leave home without a fan. It can get very stuffy in dorm rooms and a personal fan will help make things livable, especially if you are going to school in a humid or muggy climate.

8. Slippers: Anyone who has stepped into a dorm before would recommend you do not leave home without this item. Slippers with a rubber sole would be best to avoid slipping. Flip-flops are also great for the shower.