Bronco Bash

Yesterday, September 7, 2007, was the 27th annual Bronco Bash.  For those of you who don't know, each academic year WMU celebrates with Bronco Bash - a fair type deal - lots of vendors giving away crap college students don't really need but take anyway because it's free.  Throughout my time at WMU I have learned what the good vendors are and which ones are not.  For example, Kalamazoo's metro transit authority (the metro for short) gives umbrellas away each year.  Granted they are not sturdy umbrellas, but one usually lasts me 1-2 years - just in time to grab another one at Bronco Bash.  This year, in addition to handing out umbrellas, the metro handed out rucksacks as well.  I'm not sure if I'll ever use it, but hey I'm sure I'll find a use for it. 

Other spoils of Bronco Bash include:

 - Lots of coupons

 - three plastic cups

 - A popcorn container from the movie theatre (really cool because now I get in for $3 and I get free popcorn too!)

 - Quite a few pens.

 - Anything (and everything) else found its way to the trash can.

While at Bronco Bash I tried an oxygen bar.  Basically they forced air (70% oxygen (o2), 30% atmospheric gases) into a beaker with a flavorful liquid, the higher o2 concentrated air was then forced out into a tube that connected to a nasal oxygen cannula and into my nose.  Therefore, I was breathing in a pleasant smelling, higher o2 concentrated air.  I chose peppermint.  It was good - I'm not sure I'd pay for it, but nevertheless it was a new and different experience. 

At it's most basic level using the oxygen bar does something along the lines of a hyperbaric chamber does (but less efficiently, with a lower concentration of o2, but more cheaply - oh and for non-medical reasons).  The theory goes that a higher concentration of o2 in the atmosphere would improve all vegetative processes of the body (neural function, digestion, cellular absorption of nutrients).  Therefore, when you have brief periods when you are breathing o2 fortified air your brain will work better (you'll do better on tests etc) and you will feel healthier.  I was only on o2 for about 5 minutes, so I didn't get that much.  The employees suggested anywhere from 15-30 minutes.  I didn't notice any significant changes in my ability to process.  Maybe I should design and implement my own research study: have a neutral party study and take tests while on o2 and off o2 and see if there is a difference.  Eh, that would take too much time and effort.  I'll be satisfied with something more practical: knowing that if ever I have a really bad smell in my nose that just will not go away, I can go just off campus and smell some o2 fortified air until the rancid smell is gone. 

Anyway, this is me, signing off.