Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Hypertext Essay: Our Flag.
Today I want to speak with you about the meaning and impact of the American Flag. May sound a bit dry, I know, but my goal here is to give you a sense of perspective on this matter. Sometimes we Americans take the meaning of that colorful piece of handiwork for granted. The American flag can mean so many different things to different people. No matter who you ask in our country (and out of it), there only seem to be a few points that are agreed upon. It’s the flag of our revered nation, available at most convenience and box stores in cotton, nylon, or silk. It does fairly well for house decoration; red white and blue can fit with a multitude of color schemes. Finally, it is a symbol.
We all know what a symbol is, but what does this particular one mean? That’s where the disagreements start. Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first. If you ask your state governor or the local Board of Education that requires their students to say the pledge every morning what the American flag means, you’ll get the same boring answer about how it stands for truth, justice, freedom, sacrifice etc. Now don’t get me wrong, to the majority of Americans this is indeed true. We, who might not have lost loved ones in wars or been affected by acts of terror probably are sick of hearing that. However, even in a generation as clever as ours, if we were interviewed and asked what the American flag stands for we would probably give the exact same boring answer.
But why is that? Is it because that’s what we’ve been brought up believing? Is that what we really believe? Sorry, I know I’m the one supposed to be answering the questions not asking them, but I’m trying to make you think. For starters, I would say that if you gave an answer to that question without mentioning truth and justice, you’d probably be framed as anti-American. That tends to be a good incentive for most people.
What about to someone who isn’t an American? A flag is a symbol of a nation and everything that nation stands for, and if the people of that nation think it stands for the well-being and natural rights of men that’s just wonderful. Sometimes, we have to think outside that confined box. Some people may look at the American flag and think of oppression. Now, don’t gasp too loudly at the idea. America is an empire after all. We annexed territories, fought wars against completely innocent civilizations because we believed it was our “destiny” to take their lands. We even planted the seeds of revolt into nations we were too timid to attack directly. America is a nation born and raised in the blood of her own and others (as are all great nations), and her flag stands as a tribute to that.
To some people, the American flag could stand for treachery and deceit. How could that possibly be? Think back to a little earlier in American history. Take World War 1 for example. America had officially proclaimed its neutrality, saying we wouldn’t enter the war on either side. However, we were secretly providing the French and the British with supplies by sea with camouflaged ships. So, Germany began sinking our boats and provoked war with us. Why? Not because they were an evil empire, not because they wanted to control the world and we stood in their way. It was because we lied to them saying we were “neutral” in the war. To them, truth and justice were the last thing the American flag embodied. It’s always a matter of perspective.
So, just what is that thing, that symbol? It’s a piece of finely woven fabric, possibly mass produced in a factory. But it’s also truth, justice, oppression, lies, freedom, glory, sadness, pain, hatred, or even ketchup. A symbol is whatever you see it to be, and no matter how often you are told what a symbol such as the American flag is supposed to mean, it will only take on the meaning you yourself assign to it. No one can dictate what a symbol must stand for.
We all know what a symbol is, but what does this particular one mean? That’s where the disagreements start. Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first. If you ask your state governor or the local Board of Education that requires their students to say the pledge every morning what the American flag means, you’ll get the same boring answer about how it stands for truth, justice, freedom, sacrifice etc. Now don’t get me wrong, to the majority of Americans this is indeed true. We, who might not have lost loved ones in wars or been affected by acts of terror probably are sick of hearing that. However, even in a generation as clever as ours, if we were interviewed and asked what the American flag stands for we would probably give the exact same boring answer.
But why is that? Is it because that’s what we’ve been brought up believing? Is that what we really believe? Sorry, I know I’m the one supposed to be answering the questions not asking them, but I’m trying to make you think. For starters, I would say that if you gave an answer to that question without mentioning truth and justice, you’d probably be framed as anti-American. That tends to be a good incentive for most people.
What about to someone who isn’t an American? A flag is a symbol of a nation and everything that nation stands for, and if the people of that nation think it stands for the well-being and natural rights of men that’s just wonderful. Sometimes, we have to think outside that confined box. Some people may look at the American flag and think of oppression. Now, don’t gasp too loudly at the idea. America is an empire after all. We annexed territories, fought wars against completely innocent civilizations because we believed it was our “destiny” to take their lands. We even planted the seeds of revolt into nations we were too timid to attack directly. America is a nation born and raised in the blood of her own and others (as are all great nations), and her flag stands as a tribute to that.
To some people, the American flag could stand for treachery and deceit. How could that possibly be? Think back to a little earlier in American history. Take World War 1 for example. America had officially proclaimed its neutrality, saying we wouldn’t enter the war on either side. However, we were secretly providing the French and the British with supplies by sea with camouflaged ships. So, Germany began sinking our boats and provoked war with us. Why? Not because they were an evil empire, not because they wanted to control the world and we stood in their way. It was because we lied to them saying we were “neutral” in the war. To them, truth and justice were the last thing the American flag embodied. It’s always a matter of perspective.
So, just what is that thing, that symbol? It’s a piece of finely woven fabric, possibly mass produced in a factory. But it’s also truth, justice, oppression, lies, freedom, glory, sadness, pain, hatred, or even ketchup. A symbol is whatever you see it to be, and no matter how often you are told what a symbol such as the American flag is supposed to mean, it will only take on the meaning you yourself assign to it. No one can dictate what a symbol must stand for.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Blogfolio Revision 3: What'd you say about my hometown?
Original Post
Now I know I said that on the right side of your screen I said wouldn't reveal too much about myself. Well, being an avid fan of my blog will give you some benefits. I'll take you all through a little bit of my personal life, should be fun for you.
I want to talk about my hometown. I was born and raised in Kennesaw, Georgia. No, don't bother looking at a map, you won't find it. It's a little bit north of Atlanta, the only reason that people live here is either to retire or because they have jobs in Atlanta but don't want to live in the city. It's a nice, quiet town. Probably won't show up on the news unless there's flooding or hurricanes.
Isn't that pleasant? So, the main reason for this post is because I've heard some flak about my town recently, and I feel as though that needs to be addressed. See, people like to make assumptions about us kids from Kennesaw. For whatever reason (it's beyond me) people seem to think we're one of the most "southern" towns in north Georgia. You know, like the "I mowed my grass and found a Chevy" southern.
From what I've heard, the assumptions associated with Kennesaw are usually humorous. See, we have a law down here that says every household must own a gun. It's never been enforced in any way, but it's still gained popularity in the media for obvious reasons. Whenever I talk to someone about Kennesaw who thinks they're clever, they'll say something along the lines of “Oh you're from Kennesaw? What, do they require guns so you guys can keep the blacks off your property?” That usually makes me chuckle, but also brings me to the next assumption I hear about.
People seem to believe that most residents in Kennesaw are somewhat racist. This is also a general southern assumption of course, but from stories I've heard by the African American friends of mine, it especially holds true for Kennesaw because of our police department. I've known of African Americans who get pulled over for going 3 mph over the speed limit, a friend got a ticket because his “window” tint was too dark, another friend of mine got pulled over for speeding and the first question he got asked was “Is this your vehicle, boy?”
I think this needs to be addressed. Sure, we may have some racist folk, or people who carry around rifles in the streets just to flaunt the fact that they have a gun. Doesn't mean we're all like that. In fact, 99% of people in our fine city are normal as can be. If you knock on someone's door trying to sell sweaters, you don't need a bulletproof vest. They'll just open the door and tell you to get lost. If your a black man and you go to a public library, don't think you'll have to use a separate bathroom. We're not a backward town, we just have a few strange people. However, I do strongly recommend not to trespass. Be warned, most people will have guns, and will not hesitate to use them if need be.
To my readers, where is your hometown? Is there anything interesting you want to say about it? I'm always up for feedback and input, let me know your thoughts!
Now I know I said that on the right side of your screen I said wouldn't reveal too much about myself. Well, being an avid fan of my blog will give you some benefits. I'll take you all through a little bit of my personal life, should be fun for you.
I want to talk about my hometown. I was born and raised in Kennesaw, Georgia. No, don't bother looking at a map, you won't find it. It's a little bit north of Atlanta, the only reason that people live here is either to retire or because they have jobs in Atlanta but don't want to live in the city. It's a nice, quiet town. Probably won't show up on the news unless there's flooding or hurricanes.
Isn't that pleasant? So, the main reason for this post is because I've heard some flak about my town recently, and I feel as though that needs to be addressed. See, people like to make assumptions about us kids from Kennesaw. For whatever reason (it's beyond me) people seem to think we're one of the most "southern" towns in north Georgia. You know, like the "I mowed my grass and found a Chevy" southern.
From what I've heard, the assumptions associated with Kennesaw are usually humorous. See, we have a law down here that says every household must own a gun. It's never been enforced in any way, but it's still gained popularity in the media for obvious reasons. Whenever I talk to someone about Kennesaw who thinks they're clever, they'll say something along the lines of “Oh you're from Kennesaw? What, do they require guns so you guys can keep the blacks off your property?” That usually makes me chuckle, but also brings me to the next assumption I hear about.
People seem to believe that most residents in Kennesaw are somewhat racist. This is also a general southern assumption of course, but from stories I've heard by the African American friends of mine, it especially holds true for Kennesaw because of our police department. I've known of African Americans who get pulled over for going 3 mph over the speed limit, a friend got a ticket because his “window” tint was too dark, another friend of mine got pulled over for speeding and the first question he got asked was “Is this your vehicle, boy?”
I think this needs to be addressed. Sure, we may have some racist folk, or people who carry around rifles in the streets just to flaunt the fact that they have a gun. Doesn't mean we're all like that. In fact, 99% of people in our fine city are normal as can be. If you knock on someone's door trying to sell sweaters, you don't need a bulletproof vest. They'll just open the door and tell you to get lost. If your a black man and you go to a public library, don't think you'll have to use a separate bathroom. We're not a backward town, we just have a few strange people. However, I do strongly recommend not to trespass. Be warned, most people will have guns, and will not hesitate to use them if need be.
To my readers, where is your hometown? Is there anything interesting you want to say about it? I'm always up for feedback and input, let me know your thoughts!
Blogfolio Revision 2: A History Lesson
Original Post
So, I actually do have other hobbies aside from ranting and raving in case you were curious. As much as school itself bores me, learning itself is great fun when it's interesting. It's a pity some people can't appreciate it, but don't get me started.
I really do enjoy talking, writing, and reading about history. I've read numerous history textbooks cover to cover and I've spent lord knows how many hours on Wikipedia reading about the fall of empires and wars throughout the ages. I can recall so many obscure facts about European history and our own history that some of my friends call me a walking encyclopedia. Even my brother will leave the shelter of his room when he needs a question answered. I don't think any of you can understand the magnitude of that like I do.
I've never understood why, but fellow students will always complain to me about how history is that class for them. You know what I'm referring to: the class where as soon as you enter the room, you feel instantly exhausted despite how many Monster you drank that morning or how many hours of sleep you got. Is it coming back to you now? That's good. See, I always found history fascinating. I think it's the connections it has back to the present day that makes it so intriguing. There is an infinite number of connections to be made, but let me give you an example. Hope you're feeling up for a history lesson today.
Ever wonder why all of South America speaks Spanish, but for some obscure reason in Brazil they speak Portuguese? Well, I doubt you may have wondered about that, but I know that you knew about it. Now you are wondering. Here is some history for you. Back when the New World had just been discovered, and the Pope was still the de facto ruler of all Europe, the Spanish and Portuguese were the leaders in exploration. They both started trying to claim the same lands in the Americas, and something had to be done to prevent war from breaking out. Other European nations probably could've cared less, but the Pope couldn't have Catholic nations spilling each others blood. So, he drew an imaginary line on a map, splitting the New World in half. Mind you, they had no clue back then just how large America was, so they gave Spain everything west of this imaginary line, and Portugal everything east of it. They both went about their colonizing, and Spain was quite pleased with the amount of land they soon discovered. At this point, most of North America and 97 percent of South America was controlled by the Spanish, but as it turns out, the imaginary line had been unknowingly drawn directly on the tip of today's Brazil. The Portuguese claimed it as quickly as they could, and established their colony there. Due to the large amount of rainforest in the Brazil area, the Spanish never did find out about this small Portuguese settlement. It wasn't until the Spanish got involved in numerous wars and financial troubles that the Portuguese decided to expand, and turned their colony into the largest in South America. The rest, as they say, is history.
That's why Brazil speaks Portuguese amid the multitude of Spanish speaking countries! I sincerely hope you learned something today. Now just because this entry wasn't about anything too thought provoking doesn't mean you can't comment! I'd love to hear some unique history facts from my devoted audience if there are any to be had.
See you.
So, I actually do have other hobbies aside from ranting and raving in case you were curious. As much as school itself bores me, learning itself is great fun when it's interesting. It's a pity some people can't appreciate it, but don't get me started.
I really do enjoy talking, writing, and reading about history. I've read numerous history textbooks cover to cover and I've spent lord knows how many hours on Wikipedia reading about the fall of empires and wars throughout the ages. I can recall so many obscure facts about European history and our own history that some of my friends call me a walking encyclopedia. Even my brother will leave the shelter of his room when he needs a question answered. I don't think any of you can understand the magnitude of that like I do.
I've never understood why, but fellow students will always complain to me about how history is that class for them. You know what I'm referring to: the class where as soon as you enter the room, you feel instantly exhausted despite how many Monster you drank that morning or how many hours of sleep you got. Is it coming back to you now? That's good. See, I always found history fascinating. I think it's the connections it has back to the present day that makes it so intriguing. There is an infinite number of connections to be made, but let me give you an example. Hope you're feeling up for a history lesson today.
Ever wonder why all of South America speaks Spanish, but for some obscure reason in Brazil they speak Portuguese? Well, I doubt you may have wondered about that, but I know that you knew about it. Now you are wondering. Here is some history for you. Back when the New World had just been discovered, and the Pope was still the de facto ruler of all Europe, the Spanish and Portuguese were the leaders in exploration. They both started trying to claim the same lands in the Americas, and something had to be done to prevent war from breaking out. Other European nations probably could've cared less, but the Pope couldn't have Catholic nations spilling each others blood. So, he drew an imaginary line on a map, splitting the New World in half. Mind you, they had no clue back then just how large America was, so they gave Spain everything west of this imaginary line, and Portugal everything east of it. They both went about their colonizing, and Spain was quite pleased with the amount of land they soon discovered. At this point, most of North America and 97 percent of South America was controlled by the Spanish, but as it turns out, the imaginary line had been unknowingly drawn directly on the tip of today's Brazil. The Portuguese claimed it as quickly as they could, and established their colony there. Due to the large amount of rainforest in the Brazil area, the Spanish never did find out about this small Portuguese settlement. It wasn't until the Spanish got involved in numerous wars and financial troubles that the Portuguese decided to expand, and turned their colony into the largest in South America. The rest, as they say, is history.
That's why Brazil speaks Portuguese amid the multitude of Spanish speaking countries! I sincerely hope you learned something today. Now just because this entry wasn't about anything too thought provoking doesn't mean you can't comment! I'd love to hear some unique history facts from my devoted audience if there are any to be had.
See you.
Blogfolio Revision 1: Texting
Original Post
So I'm here to speak with you all again. Today's subject is a most grave one unfortunately. Something the masses find difficult to agree with, but simply cant bring themselves not to use. Texting. (Inspired by my friend Lauren, I was sitting here thinking of what to write, when i got a message saying "May the 4th be with you!" Quite clever indeed, if i do say so myself)
Just about everyone has a differing opinion on this topic. Myself and several acquaintances of mine text constantly. But why? Well, I can't say for sure about them, but I text just for the sake of texting 95% of the time. Honestly, if you have something pressing or important to discuss, just call the person. Texting is mainly an instrument of entertainment, where you have a conversation with someone only for the sake of having a conversation. That's the way I've always seen it. Why text someone about which Wal-Mart you're going to meet at in five minutes? Why text someone about if they wanted to see the 8:30 or 9:00 showing of Iron Man 2 when its already 8:00? Some things are just so much easier discussed over the phone, but some people text about them regardless. It gets rather aggravating at times.
On the other hand, some of the people I know glare at me every time I even bring my phone out of my pocket without answering a call. They ask me questions like "What do you think your doing? Something that will take you two hours to text about could be discussed over the phone in five minutes!" Which is quite true, as I just mentioned above. So I tell them I'm just exchanging words with friends solely for entertainment value. The majority of the time I'll just get a response similar to "Whats the fun in having a conversation just to have a conversation? That's a lot of typing and effort just to talk to someone." Thus why this controversy still exists. I suppose it's far too much to ask for people to accept different points of view sometimes.
You may enjoy using texting as a utility to discuss plans with friends or school/work projects. Just make sure that you know I completely accept that. I'll think your crazy, or wasting your time, but what does my opinion matter? I just want to give you a new perspective. So, how do you use texting? I always enjoy comments on my thoughts and feelings. If you agree with my sentiments, let me know below! If you think I'm completely stupid, I'm happy to hear that too!
See you.
So I'm here to speak with you all again. Today's subject is a most grave one unfortunately. Something the masses find difficult to agree with, but simply cant bring themselves not to use. Texting. (Inspired by my friend Lauren, I was sitting here thinking of what to write, when i got a message saying "May the 4th be with you!" Quite clever indeed, if i do say so myself)
Just about everyone has a differing opinion on this topic. Myself and several acquaintances of mine text constantly. But why? Well, I can't say for sure about them, but I text just for the sake of texting 95% of the time. Honestly, if you have something pressing or important to discuss, just call the person. Texting is mainly an instrument of entertainment, where you have a conversation with someone only for the sake of having a conversation. That's the way I've always seen it. Why text someone about which Wal-Mart you're going to meet at in five minutes? Why text someone about if they wanted to see the 8:30 or 9:00 showing of Iron Man 2 when its already 8:00? Some things are just so much easier discussed over the phone, but some people text about them regardless. It gets rather aggravating at times.
On the other hand, some of the people I know glare at me every time I even bring my phone out of my pocket without answering a call. They ask me questions like "What do you think your doing? Something that will take you two hours to text about could be discussed over the phone in five minutes!" Which is quite true, as I just mentioned above. So I tell them I'm just exchanging words with friends solely for entertainment value. The majority of the time I'll just get a response similar to "Whats the fun in having a conversation just to have a conversation? That's a lot of typing and effort just to talk to someone." Thus why this controversy still exists. I suppose it's far too much to ask for people to accept different points of view sometimes.
You may enjoy using texting as a utility to discuss plans with friends or school/work projects. Just make sure that you know I completely accept that. I'll think your crazy, or wasting your time, but what does my opinion matter? I just want to give you a new perspective. So, how do you use texting? I always enjoy comments on my thoughts and feelings. If you agree with my sentiments, let me know below! If you think I'm completely stupid, I'm happy to hear that too!
See you.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Free Blog 7: The Farewell
So this is the last of the Free Blogs, what to talk about now? I could finish up my story, but honestly I’ve waited so long now that it’s not too fresh in my memory anymore. If I kept going it probably wouldn’t be a very accurate account, so you’ll just have to wonder about the epic conclusion. Heartbreaking, I know.
I think this last blog will be about “The Real World” as we’ve been told about it. Yes, something…melancholy to finish the portfolio with.
I’ve always hated when teachers or students talk about “The Real World.” I’m sure you’ve probably heard or used the expression before. But I’m talking about those times in middle school or high school, when students complain about Algebra because “We’ll never use this in real life!” Or the times when teachers say “You think school might be easy now, but when you get into the real world you won’t be able to survive off of just being smart alone Mark!” (I got that from all my teachers in middle and high school.) First of all, yes, you probably wont use Algebra in “real life.” I don’t think you’ll have to be graphing y = f(x) when your working as an IT assistant or playing gigs with your band at the Warehouse. However, I do believe that the point of learning algebra is to expand your mind around logical concepts. Gain knowledge and intelligence. There may not be a practical use currently, but it builds on itself and turns into a useful experience. Probably if your failing all of your algebra quizzes in freshman year of high school because you think it’s “useless,” your going to have a quite difficult time with the rest of school. You have to realize at some point that school isn’t about learning life changing information, it’s about creating a basis for your mind to learn concepts for the rest of your life.
As for teachers telling me that I can’t survive off just smarts alone, well that’s probably true as well. Holding a job takes work and effort, while school, for me, did not. But, to use the old expression, I always said “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” If I can just coast through school without having to study or do much homework and still make A’s and B’s, why shouldn’t I? I know it wont work in real life, but it’s working now. Why change it? When I have to exert effort, I will. Of course, I never bothered trying to get this message through to many teachers, because they wouldn’t take to it very well.
Anyway that’ll be the last of my rants for now. You know, I kinda liked these free blogs. They gave me a chance to let out things I’ve always wanted to say, but could never convince anyone to actually listen to for longer than a few minutes. A lot of people find it difficult to follow what I’m saying or where I get ideas from, and the explanation of these things is often too long for them to care to listen to. Maybe this has something to do with why I’m pretty good at writing without really meaning to be.
Well, enough of that. It’s been fun. Since I won’t see you on the next episode of Free Blog. I’ll see you on Monday!
I think this last blog will be about “The Real World” as we’ve been told about it. Yes, something…melancholy to finish the portfolio with.
I’ve always hated when teachers or students talk about “The Real World.” I’m sure you’ve probably heard or used the expression before. But I’m talking about those times in middle school or high school, when students complain about Algebra because “We’ll never use this in real life!” Or the times when teachers say “You think school might be easy now, but when you get into the real world you won’t be able to survive off of just being smart alone Mark!” (I got that from all my teachers in middle and high school.) First of all, yes, you probably wont use Algebra in “real life.” I don’t think you’ll have to be graphing y = f(x) when your working as an IT assistant or playing gigs with your band at the Warehouse. However, I do believe that the point of learning algebra is to expand your mind around logical concepts. Gain knowledge and intelligence. There may not be a practical use currently, but it builds on itself and turns into a useful experience. Probably if your failing all of your algebra quizzes in freshman year of high school because you think it’s “useless,” your going to have a quite difficult time with the rest of school. You have to realize at some point that school isn’t about learning life changing information, it’s about creating a basis for your mind to learn concepts for the rest of your life.
As for teachers telling me that I can’t survive off just smarts alone, well that’s probably true as well. Holding a job takes work and effort, while school, for me, did not. But, to use the old expression, I always said “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” If I can just coast through school without having to study or do much homework and still make A’s and B’s, why shouldn’t I? I know it wont work in real life, but it’s working now. Why change it? When I have to exert effort, I will. Of course, I never bothered trying to get this message through to many teachers, because they wouldn’t take to it very well.
Anyway that’ll be the last of my rants for now. You know, I kinda liked these free blogs. They gave me a chance to let out things I’ve always wanted to say, but could never convince anyone to actually listen to for longer than a few minutes. A lot of people find it difficult to follow what I’m saying or where I get ideas from, and the explanation of these things is often too long for them to care to listen to. Maybe this has something to do with why I’m pretty good at writing without really meaning to be.
Well, enough of that. It’s been fun. Since I won’t see you on the next episode of Free Blog. I’ll see you on Monday!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Free Blog 6: Interlude #3
Sorry, I know your just dying to read the next part of my epic journey through tornadoes and floods and whatnot. But, typing that takes time, and storytelling skills (because you know, i have to make myself sound heroic), and I can't muster up either of those requirements at the moment. So, looks like you'll just have to deal with one of my rants, or raves for the moment. I havent decided which yet, I'm just thinking about it while i type this.
Ah ha! Texting. Kindly inspired by my good friend Lauren just a few seconds ago when she asked me "If superman can block bullets with his eyes, why did he duck when they threw the gun?". She has a lot of random questions for me...
Anyway, texting. A lot of people have differing opinions on this topic, which i can understand. Some friends of mine (and me, as you've noticed during class, sorry!) text constantly. But why? Well, i dont know about them, but i text just to text most of the time. Honestly, if you have something pressing or important to discuss, just call the person. Texting is a method of entertainment, where you have a conversation with someone for the sake of having a conversation. Thats the way ive always seen it. Theres no point in texting someone if you want to talk about something that would best be discussed in person. Of course, some people do that anyway and it's kinda aggravating.
On the other side, some of my friends glare at me every time i take out my phone, and they say "What are you doing? Something that will take you two hours to text about could be discussed in person over the phone in 5 minutes." Which is very true, don't get me wrong. And so i tell them it's just talking just to talk. Pure entertainment value. And they say "Whats the fun in having a conversation just to have a conversation? That's a lot of typing and effort just to talk to someone." And so, we're kinda back to square one.
I don't know if you like to text or anything. But ask yourself, do you text more for entertainment or utility? I guess maybe you might text your husband saying "We have to talk." just to create a kinda foreboding feeling. That could be utility. Or you could just call and get it over with. Which is the better method?
Well this blog ran over 400 words by quite a bit. Maybe i shouldve written my research paper about this? Oh well, too late now. Hope you've enjoyed my free blog session! I'll be here all week. Have a great weekend! (Or depending on when you get around to reading this, have a great week!)
Ah ha! Texting. Kindly inspired by my good friend Lauren just a few seconds ago when she asked me "If superman can block bullets with his eyes, why did he duck when they threw the gun?". She has a lot of random questions for me...
Anyway, texting. A lot of people have differing opinions on this topic, which i can understand. Some friends of mine (and me, as you've noticed during class, sorry!) text constantly. But why? Well, i dont know about them, but i text just to text most of the time. Honestly, if you have something pressing or important to discuss, just call the person. Texting is a method of entertainment, where you have a conversation with someone for the sake of having a conversation. Thats the way ive always seen it. Theres no point in texting someone if you want to talk about something that would best be discussed in person. Of course, some people do that anyway and it's kinda aggravating.
On the other side, some of my friends glare at me every time i take out my phone, and they say "What are you doing? Something that will take you two hours to text about could be discussed in person over the phone in 5 minutes." Which is very true, don't get me wrong. And so i tell them it's just talking just to talk. Pure entertainment value. And they say "Whats the fun in having a conversation just to have a conversation? That's a lot of typing and effort just to talk to someone." And so, we're kinda back to square one.
I don't know if you like to text or anything. But ask yourself, do you text more for entertainment or utility? I guess maybe you might text your husband saying "We have to talk." just to create a kinda foreboding feeling. That could be utility. Or you could just call and get it over with. Which is the better method?
Well this blog ran over 400 words by quite a bit. Maybe i shouldve written my research paper about this? Oh well, too late now. Hope you've enjoyed my free blog session! I'll be here all week. Have a great weekend! (Or depending on when you get around to reading this, have a great week!)
Free Blog 5: Interlude #2
Let me tell you a story…
So, I was sitting in class the other day, and the teacher just DRONED for like, 35 minutes. I could hardly hear myself think. The whole time we were in there I was just thinking “OH MY GOD, let me do my peer review, I understand already!” It’s only been two days since class and I can hardly remember what the teacher even said! Could you help me remember what class that was? Oh…whoops…
(I’m just kidding Mrs. Giddens!)
But anyways, most students do actually say things like that about their teachers and classes, and it just baffles me. I mean yeah, I understand classes can be boring sometimes. The material may not be that exciting, or a particular assignment might be difficult and the student just isn’t happy with that teacher at the moment. But if you’d ask me, I’d say that just the knowledge contained in classrooms and lectures is enough to keep me interested. All the teachers I’ve had (at Southern Poly at least, I can’t accurately say this for my high school teachers) have been extremely knowledgeable. I think if students would just listen to them their lives in classes would just be that much better. And hell, if the teacher is boring you, read the book while they yap! That’s what I do. Sometimes the book can be that much more exciting than the professor, I hate to say. Kinda like when I used to go to church mass every weekend. Priests bored me to death, but you best believe I just brought my Bible and read random passages and stories while they preached. The Bible really is an interesting read, if you ever need something to do. Just a thought!
So I guess the moral of this story is that you should just listen to the teacher and/or (I guess if you were really skilled you could do both) read the book. It honestly makes class so much more bearable. At least in my experience, I guess some kids just can’t bring themselves to care as much about the pursuit of knowledge. Their loss!
I would say see you next time on Free Blog, but that’s going to be in a few minutes. (I procrastinated this time, I’m sure you noticed.)
See you in a minute.
So, I was sitting in class the other day, and the teacher just DRONED for like, 35 minutes. I could hardly hear myself think. The whole time we were in there I was just thinking “OH MY GOD, let me do my peer review, I understand already!” It’s only been two days since class and I can hardly remember what the teacher even said! Could you help me remember what class that was? Oh…whoops…
(I’m just kidding Mrs. Giddens!)
But anyways, most students do actually say things like that about their teachers and classes, and it just baffles me. I mean yeah, I understand classes can be boring sometimes. The material may not be that exciting, or a particular assignment might be difficult and the student just isn’t happy with that teacher at the moment. But if you’d ask me, I’d say that just the knowledge contained in classrooms and lectures is enough to keep me interested. All the teachers I’ve had (at Southern Poly at least, I can’t accurately say this for my high school teachers) have been extremely knowledgeable. I think if students would just listen to them their lives in classes would just be that much better. And hell, if the teacher is boring you, read the book while they yap! That’s what I do. Sometimes the book can be that much more exciting than the professor, I hate to say. Kinda like when I used to go to church mass every weekend. Priests bored me to death, but you best believe I just brought my Bible and read random passages and stories while they preached. The Bible really is an interesting read, if you ever need something to do. Just a thought!
So I guess the moral of this story is that you should just listen to the teacher and/or (I guess if you were really skilled you could do both) read the book. It honestly makes class so much more bearable. At least in my experience, I guess some kids just can’t bring themselves to care as much about the pursuit of knowledge. Their loss!
I would say see you next time on Free Blog, but that’s going to be in a few minutes. (I procrastinated this time, I’m sure you noticed.)
See you in a minute.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Free Blog 4: The Times I Wish I had a Boat.
And we're back on another episode of Free Blog!
In case your too lazy to scroll down (like me), we left off on our adventure when we were just coming out of Atlanta traffic. It hadn't taken hours as I had thought, but it had pushed back our arrival time distinctly. We had set our destination course at around 2:15ish, and the handy GPS told us that we should arrive at around 6:20. By the time we had left Atlanta, it said 6:50. This wasnt too bad I guess, but still later than I'd liked.
Anyway, we continued on I-75, rather uneventfully, for about 70 miles. When I say uneventfully, i mean minus the rain of course. Thats just a given. The rain pounded down on us the entire time, but we kinda started getting used to it. We talked about various things, and I actually joined in because the road straightened out and the other cars cleared. Driving at this point was easy.
Until we hit Interstate 16 (which i had never heard of). We had to drive on that highway for 116 miles, and even afterward we still wouldnt be there yet. So I went ahead and told the passengers that if they needed to catch up on sleep, now would probably be the best time. At least it wouldve been the best time until we started hearing thunderclaps and flashes of lightning, and the roads started getting so flooded and slippery that i nearly hydroplaned a few times. Everyone was a little nervous after that, understandably.
The sky was getting very, very dark at this point. If I didn’t have a clock in front of me and a watch on, I might’ve thought it was 11:00 at night or later. I could barely see the road, much less the cars in front of me through the maximum speed windshield wipers and blinding rain. The occasional flash of brightness from lightning bolts was actually welcome, granted that they weren’t too close. But, me and the rest of the cars on the highway put on our emergency lights so we could see each other. Plus, we were only going about 35 mph. You can imagine this wasn’t healthy for our destination time.
But, it seems as though we’re out of time! The road trip section of our story is rapidly approaching a conclusion, especially at 2 blogs a week. That is, unless I decide to take more breaks. But, probably not.
Stay tuned!
In case your too lazy to scroll down (like me), we left off on our adventure when we were just coming out of Atlanta traffic. It hadn't taken hours as I had thought, but it had pushed back our arrival time distinctly. We had set our destination course at around 2:15ish, and the handy GPS told us that we should arrive at around 6:20. By the time we had left Atlanta, it said 6:50. This wasnt too bad I guess, but still later than I'd liked.
Anyway, we continued on I-75, rather uneventfully, for about 70 miles. When I say uneventfully, i mean minus the rain of course. Thats just a given. The rain pounded down on us the entire time, but we kinda started getting used to it. We talked about various things, and I actually joined in because the road straightened out and the other cars cleared. Driving at this point was easy.
Until we hit Interstate 16 (which i had never heard of). We had to drive on that highway for 116 miles, and even afterward we still wouldnt be there yet. So I went ahead and told the passengers that if they needed to catch up on sleep, now would probably be the best time. At least it wouldve been the best time until we started hearing thunderclaps and flashes of lightning, and the roads started getting so flooded and slippery that i nearly hydroplaned a few times. Everyone was a little nervous after that, understandably.
The sky was getting very, very dark at this point. If I didn’t have a clock in front of me and a watch on, I might’ve thought it was 11:00 at night or later. I could barely see the road, much less the cars in front of me through the maximum speed windshield wipers and blinding rain. The occasional flash of brightness from lightning bolts was actually welcome, granted that they weren’t too close. But, me and the rest of the cars on the highway put on our emergency lights so we could see each other. Plus, we were only going about 35 mph. You can imagine this wasn’t healthy for our destination time.
But, it seems as though we’re out of time! The road trip section of our story is rapidly approaching a conclusion, especially at 2 blogs a week. That is, unless I decide to take more breaks. But, probably not.
Stay tuned!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Free Blog 3: Lets Take a Break.
I know you must be on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens on my exciting narrative, but I think it's time to chill for a little and talk about something else. The topic this time? The terrible, awful, Rock Band competition at Southern Poly on Wednesday. Ugh, it was awful.
First of all, it was a band competition. Meaning, every player had to have 3 or 4 members of their group. No soloing it or anything sneaky like that. That was the first downside. Second downside, the prize was one copy of Left 4 Dead. Not even Left 4 Dead 2, just the regular one. So, out of a 4 person band, theres only one prize to go around. So who gets it? Rock paper scissors i guess!
The thing that got me the most was the "scoring." The way that the tournament director decided that she would choose the winner of each round by taking an average of each band members percentage of notes hit. Does that sound fair? I'm not sure how much you may know about Rock Band, but notes can be pretty damn easy to hit depending on the song you choose and the difficulty. So, what was stopping a band from all choosing Easy mode and getting a 100% average? Nothing at all.
So, some participants tried to explain this to the director. What she said next really got on my nerves. She said "Well, you guys are all making a really big deal out of this, but you have to remember that I'm taking time out of my very busy day to host this tournament for you guys. I just want to get this over with and go home, so sit down and just let me run this tournament, ok?"
That really got to me. It was all i could do just to not get up and leave out of frustration at that little comment, but i stayed because there was free pizza. The way to a mans heart is through his stomach, right?
Anyway, 3 hour story short, our band lost the first round because our opposing team had picked a long and simple song, and they had a perfect vocalist who got 100% on everything. So, that was rather annoying. But, even if i had won, its not like i wouldve gotten the prize so i guess im not too upset. I'm just not happy with the wasted time.
So thats my rant for the week. Our story will continue on Free blog 4!
First of all, it was a band competition. Meaning, every player had to have 3 or 4 members of their group. No soloing it or anything sneaky like that. That was the first downside. Second downside, the prize was one copy of Left 4 Dead. Not even Left 4 Dead 2, just the regular one. So, out of a 4 person band, theres only one prize to go around. So who gets it? Rock paper scissors i guess!
The thing that got me the most was the "scoring." The way that the tournament director decided that she would choose the winner of each round by taking an average of each band members percentage of notes hit. Does that sound fair? I'm not sure how much you may know about Rock Band, but notes can be pretty damn easy to hit depending on the song you choose and the difficulty. So, what was stopping a band from all choosing Easy mode and getting a 100% average? Nothing at all.
So, some participants tried to explain this to the director. What she said next really got on my nerves. She said "Well, you guys are all making a really big deal out of this, but you have to remember that I'm taking time out of my very busy day to host this tournament for you guys. I just want to get this over with and go home, so sit down and just let me run this tournament, ok?"
That really got to me. It was all i could do just to not get up and leave out of frustration at that little comment, but i stayed because there was free pizza. The way to a mans heart is through his stomach, right?
Anyway, 3 hour story short, our band lost the first round because our opposing team had picked a long and simple song, and they had a perfect vocalist who got 100% on everything. So, that was rather annoying. But, even if i had won, its not like i wouldve gotten the prize so i guess im not too upset. I'm just not happy with the wasted time.
So thats my rant for the week. Our story will continue on Free blog 4!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Free Blog 2: A Minor Setback.
And we’re back with another episode of Free Blog!
Where we left off in our story, the brave heroes (Me, Ryan, Justin, and Beth) were out on the open road, ready for a fun – if not too eventful– drive down to Statesboro. Now, to stop talking in third person.
So, we drove out onto Cobb Parkway, heading towards I- 75 to start our adventure. I had a full tank of gas, we had all just eaten breakfast and used the restroom (though Beth had brought about a quart of sweet tea to drink in the car, probably not the best idea), and it was about 2:30 PM, so the morning grumpiness had faded. It seemed as though this were a good beginning to the trip, minus the heavy rain that was still practically denting my windshield. But usually in Georgia, it rains for about 20 minutes and then changes straight to sunlight with maybe a little drizzle still falling. I soon found out that perhaps I was a little bit too optimistic.
We finally hit I-75 and the first thing that we encounter is – traffic. Lots and lots of traffic. Now, it’s not like I hadn’t anticipated traffic or anything; I mean, that’s a vital part of any road trip of course. But not this early. I resigned myself and blamed the rain, then sank back comfortably in my seat getting ready for an hour or more of misery and taillights. I decided to tune in to whatever it was my passengers were chatting about (I kind of zone out while I drive…I’m not sure if that’s such a good habit) to keep myself occupied. But all I find is…odd. My friends are a little weird, not that I’m the most normal person to be judging. I would call Beth the weirdest; she says some strange things sometimes (I’ll spare your ears, or eyes, in this case).
Anyway back to the exciting prospect of driving. The traffic didn’t last as long as I’d thought, and it turned out I only got to be comfortable in my seat for about 10 minutes while the traffic moved. I was pretty upset at that, being comfortable in my seat is a pretty major hobby of mine. But, driving smoothly didn’t last long. Mind you, it was still raining. When I say driving smoothly, imagine about 45 mph on the highway. Not the ideal speed for a road trip, but what can we do? We hit Atlanta, and non-profane words just can’t describe how the driving conditions were there. Not to mention non-profane words weren’t really passing my lips very often during this period. (Hey, Atlanta drivers do that to you. I swear I’m usually a great guy.)
But, it seems as though were out of time! Stay on the edge of your seat (or the floor, I know these stories can get exciting at times) for the next part of our adventure. We soon go through over half of Georgia, pitch black skies, tornado warnings, flooded meadows and beautiful rainbows….and not Atlanta. All on the next episode of Free Blog!
Where we left off in our story, the brave heroes (Me, Ryan, Justin, and Beth) were out on the open road, ready for a fun – if not too eventful– drive down to Statesboro. Now, to stop talking in third person.
So, we drove out onto Cobb Parkway, heading towards I- 75 to start our adventure. I had a full tank of gas, we had all just eaten breakfast and used the restroom (though Beth had brought about a quart of sweet tea to drink in the car, probably not the best idea), and it was about 2:30 PM, so the morning grumpiness had faded. It seemed as though this were a good beginning to the trip, minus the heavy rain that was still practically denting my windshield. But usually in Georgia, it rains for about 20 minutes and then changes straight to sunlight with maybe a little drizzle still falling. I soon found out that perhaps I was a little bit too optimistic.
We finally hit I-75 and the first thing that we encounter is – traffic. Lots and lots of traffic. Now, it’s not like I hadn’t anticipated traffic or anything; I mean, that’s a vital part of any road trip of course. But not this early. I resigned myself and blamed the rain, then sank back comfortably in my seat getting ready for an hour or more of misery and taillights. I decided to tune in to whatever it was my passengers were chatting about (I kind of zone out while I drive…I’m not sure if that’s such a good habit) to keep myself occupied. But all I find is…odd. My friends are a little weird, not that I’m the most normal person to be judging. I would call Beth the weirdest; she says some strange things sometimes (I’ll spare your ears, or eyes, in this case).
Anyway back to the exciting prospect of driving. The traffic didn’t last as long as I’d thought, and it turned out I only got to be comfortable in my seat for about 10 minutes while the traffic moved. I was pretty upset at that, being comfortable in my seat is a pretty major hobby of mine. But, driving smoothly didn’t last long. Mind you, it was still raining. When I say driving smoothly, imagine about 45 mph on the highway. Not the ideal speed for a road trip, but what can we do? We hit Atlanta, and non-profane words just can’t describe how the driving conditions were there. Not to mention non-profane words weren’t really passing my lips very often during this period. (Hey, Atlanta drivers do that to you. I swear I’m usually a great guy.)
But, it seems as though were out of time! Stay on the edge of your seat (or the floor, I know these stories can get exciting at times) for the next part of our adventure. We soon go through over half of Georgia, pitch black skies, tornado warnings, flooded meadows and beautiful rainbows….and not Atlanta. All on the next episode of Free Blog!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Portfolio 2 Free Blog Beginning: An Interesting Weekend
Spring Break wasn't all too noteworthy. It certainly beat being in school for a week (lord knows that we all needed some time off), but it wasn't particularly exciting the whole way through. My focus for this blog is going to be my weekend trip to Georgia Southern University that spanned the past 48 hours of my vacation.
It started around 1:00 PM Friday afternoon, which is about when me and the friends that I was taking with me woke up. We ate breakfast, got dressed and prepared for our two days away from home in about 30 minutes. So now it was 1:30, but we had told everyone we were leaving at 2:00, so we decided to sit around and do nothing until then. We got a few calls from our friends at GSU telling us that we should stop being bums and leave already, but me and my friends are all about taking our sweet time (especially when we have a 4 hour drive ahead of us, or so we thought.)
Finally at 2:02 we decided to move all our stuff into the car and head out. I was driving - mainly because I had the nicest car out of the people going - so I brought out my GPS, and did a satellite search for points of interest in Statesboro. Not surprisingly, only Georgia Southern came up. Now we had our route, and we only needed to pick up one more person: our friend Beth. She only lived about 6 minutes away from me. It was a pretty uneventful drive over there, since my friends and I had pretty much chatted ourselves out in the past hour. The only noteworthy thing about this drive was that as soon as we called Beth and told her we were parked outside waiting for her, the sky opened up and pounded us with some of the heaviest rain I'd seen in weeks. Of course Beth was carrying five days worth of clothes and beauty products for a two day trip (women...), so I had to walk outside with my oversized umbrella to help her into the car without getting her stuff wet.
This already seemed like a bad omen for the drive down there (which is, if you didn't already know, about a four hour drive) but we were optimistic. Plunging onward through the rain, we neared the highway that would take us through over half of Georgia, pitch black skies, tornado warnings, flooded meadows and beautiful rainbows. Stay on the edge of your seat, that's all for next time in Free Blog 2!
It started around 1:00 PM Friday afternoon, which is about when me and the friends that I was taking with me woke up. We ate breakfast, got dressed and prepared for our two days away from home in about 30 minutes. So now it was 1:30, but we had told everyone we were leaving at 2:00, so we decided to sit around and do nothing until then. We got a few calls from our friends at GSU telling us that we should stop being bums and leave already, but me and my friends are all about taking our sweet time (especially when we have a 4 hour drive ahead of us, or so we thought.)
Finally at 2:02 we decided to move all our stuff into the car and head out. I was driving - mainly because I had the nicest car out of the people going - so I brought out my GPS, and did a satellite search for points of interest in Statesboro. Not surprisingly, only Georgia Southern came up. Now we had our route, and we only needed to pick up one more person: our friend Beth. She only lived about 6 minutes away from me. It was a pretty uneventful drive over there, since my friends and I had pretty much chatted ourselves out in the past hour. The only noteworthy thing about this drive was that as soon as we called Beth and told her we were parked outside waiting for her, the sky opened up and pounded us with some of the heaviest rain I'd seen in weeks. Of course Beth was carrying five days worth of clothes and beauty products for a two day trip (women...), so I had to walk outside with my oversized umbrella to help her into the car without getting her stuff wet.
This already seemed like a bad omen for the drive down there (which is, if you didn't already know, about a four hour drive) but we were optimistic. Plunging onward through the rain, we neared the highway that would take us through over half of Georgia, pitch black skies, tornado warnings, flooded meadows and beautiful rainbows. Stay on the edge of your seat, that's all for next time in Free Blog 2!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
These Donuts are Terrifying!
How can a simple mundane donut be terrifying? There are things that must be considered when one thinks on the subject of donuts. The worst part about donuts that i find is that they can destroy friendships. I've seen good friends turn a hateful eye on one another when a donut crisis struck. A few friends and I had had just gone to Krispy Kreme several years ago, and we bought three dozen donuts (we split the costs, and we were hungry ok?) Between the four of us, we had already agreed to split our three dozen evenly: nine each. However my friend, Justin, was extra hungry and had other plans. Ryan, our driver for the day, had to use the restroom. He had only eaten eight of his donuts. I was finishing my ninth and our other friend had finished his already. While we were all distracted chatting with each other, Justin slipped his hand into the inviting, pale green Krispy Kreme box searching for the final donut. What he didn't expect was Ryan's cunning. You see, he hadn't really gone to the restroom; Ryan had noticed Justin eyeing his last donut, and decided to see just how far he planned to go.
Obviously this was too far. Leaping from around the corner he was spying behind, Ryan bellowed his accusations at Justin of trying to rob him of the last donut. Caught in the act and outnumbered, as we were on Ryan's side, Justin did the only thing his lean and thin frame would allow: he took off out the door donut in hand. Ryan gave chase. At first I laughed, but then I saw that this was indeed a grave matter. If Justin was caught, I may just be down by one friend. I had to pounce on Ryan out in the parking lot; I couldn't let his monumental anger rob me of a good friend. I pinned him to the ground, and eventually saw the red tint fade from his eyes. We talked him down, but had all learned a valuable lesson: friends don't let friends steal donuts. Oh, and in case you were wondering about the fourth friend, he didn't really take part. Don't worry about it.
Now aside from that extended, but very important metaphor, there are other reasons that donuts should be hated. First and certainly foremost, donut can mean a replacement car tire, as well as a delicious, glazed bread. That's downright confusing. If speaking with someone who knows cars well, they may be skeptical when told "I bought a box of donuts yesterday." They may think you bough a box of tires! Next, they're unhealthy. Obviously I'm not a stickler for health- you can tell just by looking at me- but I still feel that if someones going to be overweight, at least do it by eating too much healthy food. Plus, donuts make for the most excruciatingly painful commercials. They just look so...delicious. It's difficult to resist, those commercials make even me want to run down to the local Kroger bakery and buy some. However, they draw in those who are faint of spirit. Donuts are a food that capitalize on people's most deep desires, and that's for extra sweet foods. Now I would hate to bore you, and I feel that I've gone on for a bit too long. Down with the donuts, don't give in!
I deleted the questions I originally had throughout the paper. They made it seem more rant-like, but overall I think they slowed the flow of the paper down. I added in the part about the tires. I thought going on that tangent might make it seem a bit more crazy, which is kind of what i was going for. I substituted a few descriptive adjectives for better, more accurate ones. The message and clarity are about the same, the only difference now is that a few words and phrases have been changed.
Obviously this was too far. Leaping from around the corner he was spying behind, Ryan bellowed his accusations at Justin of trying to rob him of the last donut. Caught in the act and outnumbered, as we were on Ryan's side, Justin did the only thing his lean and thin frame would allow: he took off out the door donut in hand. Ryan gave chase. At first I laughed, but then I saw that this was indeed a grave matter. If Justin was caught, I may just be down by one friend. I had to pounce on Ryan out in the parking lot; I couldn't let his monumental anger rob me of a good friend. I pinned him to the ground, and eventually saw the red tint fade from his eyes. We talked him down, but had all learned a valuable lesson: friends don't let friends steal donuts. Oh, and in case you were wondering about the fourth friend, he didn't really take part. Don't worry about it.
Now aside from that extended, but very important metaphor, there are other reasons that donuts should be hated. First and certainly foremost, donut can mean a replacement car tire, as well as a delicious, glazed bread. That's downright confusing. If speaking with someone who knows cars well, they may be skeptical when told "I bought a box of donuts yesterday." They may think you bough a box of tires! Next, they're unhealthy. Obviously I'm not a stickler for health- you can tell just by looking at me- but I still feel that if someones going to be overweight, at least do it by eating too much healthy food. Plus, donuts make for the most excruciatingly painful commercials. They just look so...delicious. It's difficult to resist, those commercials make even me want to run down to the local Kroger bakery and buy some. However, they draw in those who are faint of spirit. Donuts are a food that capitalize on people's most deep desires, and that's for extra sweet foods. Now I would hate to bore you, and I feel that I've gone on for a bit too long. Down with the donuts, don't give in!
I deleted the questions I originally had throughout the paper. They made it seem more rant-like, but overall I think they slowed the flow of the paper down. I added in the part about the tires. I thought going on that tangent might make it seem a bit more crazy, which is kind of what i was going for. I substituted a few descriptive adjectives for better, more accurate ones. The message and clarity are about the same, the only difference now is that a few words and phrases have been changed.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
You shan't have the other half!
http://www.time.com/time/picturesoftheweek/0,29409,1960330_2043316,00.html
In our small community, we were having some issues.
We live in the middle of a giant city, but we are not part of it. We didn't have to pay for power or water, we merely obtained our own. It was a fine agreement really. Our community inside the city consisted of folks who couldn't deal with the city life, yet didn't have enough money to move out. We were never bothered really, no one understood why there was a small, isolated area inside the town, and apparently none of them wanted to bother finding out. So, things went well for a few years, until one day a member of our community had the revolutionary idea of stealing the city's power.
Well, the rest of us weren't interested. However, this guy was smart, and had read numerous books considering the prospects of energy. He decided to reroute s power line so that it ran into his own home (don't ask me how he did it, I have no idea.) He started using modern technology, such as refrigerators and computers. The idea never caught on though, because as soon as the city realized we were stealing their power, they declared war an bombed our city until there was nothing left.
But there was something left (or half of something for that matter). My house, being the sturdiest and most newly built in the community, was still standing. As the demolition crews drove their trucks and equipment in, I let out a blood curdling war cry and threw myself off the second floor onto a guy standing dumbfounded at the bottom. The rest of the crew backed away immediately, but after a few moments hurled themselves at me, trying their hardest to bring me down. I fought them off groups at a time, swinging, thrashing, yelling and occasionally biting to get them off of me. But there were too many.
Now as I lay here in my final moments, I happened to find a convenient pen and paper lying next to my defeated body. I had to write about the events that took place here. This is our story, may you never forget. Farewell...
In our small community, we were having some issues.
We live in the middle of a giant city, but we are not part of it. We didn't have to pay for power or water, we merely obtained our own. It was a fine agreement really. Our community inside the city consisted of folks who couldn't deal with the city life, yet didn't have enough money to move out. We were never bothered really, no one understood why there was a small, isolated area inside the town, and apparently none of them wanted to bother finding out. So, things went well for a few years, until one day a member of our community had the revolutionary idea of stealing the city's power.
Well, the rest of us weren't interested. However, this guy was smart, and had read numerous books considering the prospects of energy. He decided to reroute s power line so that it ran into his own home (don't ask me how he did it, I have no idea.) He started using modern technology, such as refrigerators and computers. The idea never caught on though, because as soon as the city realized we were stealing their power, they declared war an bombed our city until there was nothing left.
But there was something left (or half of something for that matter). My house, being the sturdiest and most newly built in the community, was still standing. As the demolition crews drove their trucks and equipment in, I let out a blood curdling war cry and threw myself off the second floor onto a guy standing dumbfounded at the bottom. The rest of the crew backed away immediately, but after a few moments hurled themselves at me, trying their hardest to bring me down. I fought them off groups at a time, swinging, thrashing, yelling and occasionally biting to get them off of me. But there were too many.
Now as I lay here in my final moments, I happened to find a convenient pen and paper lying next to my defeated body. I had to write about the events that took place here. This is our story, may you never forget. Farewell...
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
What in the World Am I Talking About?
Hell if I know, but I'll do my best to collect my thoughts into coherent words for a quick blog assignment.
Something that I love talking about is history, so I think I'll go with that one. I've read numerous history textbooks cover to cover (I'm weird ok? Lay off) and I'll tell you I never got bored. For whatever reason, friends always complain to me about how history is THAT class, you know the one, where you walk in and are instantly tired, even though you just drank a red bull and got 9 hours of sleep the night before? We've all had them. But yeah, THAT class. And I can't understand why, everything in history is just fascinating. I think it's one of the most enlightening things, to make those sorts of connections back 300 years. You probably don't know what I'm talking about, so I'll give you an example. Ever wonder why all of South America speaks Spanish, but for some obscure reason in Brazil they speak Portuguese? Well, I doubt you may have wondered about that, because who really cares right? But I wondered, and it turns out that back when the New World had just been discovered, and the Pope was still the de facto ruler of all Europe, the Spanish and Portuguese were the leaders in exploration. They both started trying to claim the same lands in the Americas, and something had to be done to prevent war from breaking out. Other European nations probably could've cared less, but the Pope couldn't have Catholic nations spilling each others blood, so he drew an imaginary line on a map, splitting the New World in half. Now mind you, they had no clue back then just how large America was, so they gave Spain everything west of this imaginary line, and Portugal everything east of it. They both went about their colonizing, and Spain was quite pleased with the amount of land they soon discovered. At this point, most of North America and 97 percent of South America was controlled by the Spanish, but as it turns out, the imaginary line had been unknowingly drawn directly on the tip of Today's Brazil. So the Portuguese claimed it as quickly as they could, and established their colony there. Due to the large amount of rainforest in the Brazil area, the Spanish never did find out about this small Portuguese settlement. It wasn't until the Spanish got involved in numerous wars and financial troubles that the Portuguese decided to expand, and turned their colony into the largest in South America. The rest, as they say, is history.
So that's why Brazil speaks Portuguese amid the multitude of Spanish speaking countries! I hope you learned something today, and I sincerely hope I didn't bore you to death. Wouldn't want that kind of weight on my chest. Yes, I know this wasn't really the main point of my blog to begin with, but just think of it as a really extended example to prove my point: history is fun! So if your reading this, try to stay awake through history tomorrow. If you happen to be Mrs. Giddens and don't have a history class, just keep teaching English. It might not be quite as exciting as history, but I try my best to enjoy it.
Sincerely,
~Deranged Student
Something that I love talking about is history, so I think I'll go with that one. I've read numerous history textbooks cover to cover (I'm weird ok? Lay off) and I'll tell you I never got bored. For whatever reason, friends always complain to me about how history is THAT class, you know the one, where you walk in and are instantly tired, even though you just drank a red bull and got 9 hours of sleep the night before? We've all had them. But yeah, THAT class. And I can't understand why, everything in history is just fascinating. I think it's one of the most enlightening things, to make those sorts of connections back 300 years. You probably don't know what I'm talking about, so I'll give you an example. Ever wonder why all of South America speaks Spanish, but for some obscure reason in Brazil they speak Portuguese? Well, I doubt you may have wondered about that, because who really cares right? But I wondered, and it turns out that back when the New World had just been discovered, and the Pope was still the de facto ruler of all Europe, the Spanish and Portuguese were the leaders in exploration. They both started trying to claim the same lands in the Americas, and something had to be done to prevent war from breaking out. Other European nations probably could've cared less, but the Pope couldn't have Catholic nations spilling each others blood, so he drew an imaginary line on a map, splitting the New World in half. Now mind you, they had no clue back then just how large America was, so they gave Spain everything west of this imaginary line, and Portugal everything east of it. They both went about their colonizing, and Spain was quite pleased with the amount of land they soon discovered. At this point, most of North America and 97 percent of South America was controlled by the Spanish, but as it turns out, the imaginary line had been unknowingly drawn directly on the tip of Today's Brazil. So the Portuguese claimed it as quickly as they could, and established their colony there. Due to the large amount of rainforest in the Brazil area, the Spanish never did find out about this small Portuguese settlement. It wasn't until the Spanish got involved in numerous wars and financial troubles that the Portuguese decided to expand, and turned their colony into the largest in South America. The rest, as they say, is history.
So that's why Brazil speaks Portuguese amid the multitude of Spanish speaking countries! I hope you learned something today, and I sincerely hope I didn't bore you to death. Wouldn't want that kind of weight on my chest. Yes, I know this wasn't really the main point of my blog to begin with, but just think of it as a really extended example to prove my point: history is fun! So if your reading this, try to stay awake through history tomorrow. If you happen to be Mrs. Giddens and don't have a history class, just keep teaching English. It might not be quite as exciting as history, but I try my best to enjoy it.
Sincerely,
~Deranged Student
Sunday, January 24, 2010
He's a Kennesaw Boy?
What exactly does that mean though? I was born and raised in Kennesaw, Georgia. Not too far from here in Marietta, I still expect at least some (if not most) of the people in our class may not have heard of it. Hell, we haven't even made it onto the weather map on the Channel 12 news yet. But that's besides the point.
From what I've heard, the assumptions associated with Kennesaw are usually humorous. First off, many people poke fun at our “Every household must own a gun” law. Mostly it's attributed to the fact that people in Kennesaw are exceptionally redneck (which we here in the south know isn't true). But whenever I talk to someone about Kennesaw they laugh and ask me “What, do they require guns so you guys can keep the blacks off your property?” That usually makes me chuckle too, but also brings us to the next assumption. Most people in Kennesaw are very racist. This is also a general southern assumption of course, but from stories I've heard from the black friends of mine, it especially holds true for Kennesaw because of our police department. I've known people get pulled over for going 3 mph over the speed limit, a friend got a ticket because his “window” tint was too dark, another black friend of mine got pulled over for speeding and the first question he got asked was “Is this your vehicle, boy?” And speaking of “boy,” people in Kennesaw are also noted for having a noticeably more Southern, Southern drawl. Which is often true, I'm afraid to say.
Anyway, the main question is do all these attribute themselves to me? Has Kennesaw left a mark on me that can't be removed? Of course it has, but not in any of these ways. To start, my household doesn't own any guns. (Just don't tell the feds!) Though we really ought to at least get a BB gun, our house has a major squirrel problem. I've only ever even shot a gun while I was in Boy Scouts, and even then we were shooting black powder rifles, which I would hardly count. Secondly, I have numerous black friends, and I am certainly not racist. Though Kennesaw has awakened me to the racist jokes, which are quite funny just because of how untrue they are. I'll make those jokes occasionally just with close friends who don't take me seriously. Nonetheless, that is a mark from Kennesaw that I can't remove. I have a tendency to take racism a tad too lightly, even when it is serious. Lastly, Kennesaw has not affected my accent. Perhaps my dialogue, yes. But I still sound like a northerner according to new people I meet. It's even made me a few friends! At orientation for this school, a guy in my group came up and started chatting with me, and he said it was because “I seemed cool, and didn't have a southern drawl like the rest of the kids.” Though there is an obvious reason. Both sides of my family were from Italy and Germany, and emigrated to Queens, New York to open businesses. My parents were both born there, and then went temporarily to the University of Arizona where they met. Then moved to Georgia right after. So I was raised in a northerner household essentially.
But enough about my family history. Kennesaw has definitely left marks on me regarding words I use and the ways I think, but none of the stereotypes regarding it really fit me. However, it will always be my home.
~Mark Fredricks
From what I've heard, the assumptions associated with Kennesaw are usually humorous. First off, many people poke fun at our “Every household must own a gun” law. Mostly it's attributed to the fact that people in Kennesaw are exceptionally redneck (which we here in the south know isn't true). But whenever I talk to someone about Kennesaw they laugh and ask me “What, do they require guns so you guys can keep the blacks off your property?” That usually makes me chuckle too, but also brings us to the next assumption. Most people in Kennesaw are very racist. This is also a general southern assumption of course, but from stories I've heard from the black friends of mine, it especially holds true for Kennesaw because of our police department. I've known people get pulled over for going 3 mph over the speed limit, a friend got a ticket because his “window” tint was too dark, another black friend of mine got pulled over for speeding and the first question he got asked was “Is this your vehicle, boy?” And speaking of “boy,” people in Kennesaw are also noted for having a noticeably more Southern, Southern drawl. Which is often true, I'm afraid to say.
Anyway, the main question is do all these attribute themselves to me? Has Kennesaw left a mark on me that can't be removed? Of course it has, but not in any of these ways. To start, my household doesn't own any guns. (Just don't tell the feds!) Though we really ought to at least get a BB gun, our house has a major squirrel problem. I've only ever even shot a gun while I was in Boy Scouts, and even then we were shooting black powder rifles, which I would hardly count. Secondly, I have numerous black friends, and I am certainly not racist. Though Kennesaw has awakened me to the racist jokes, which are quite funny just because of how untrue they are. I'll make those jokes occasionally just with close friends who don't take me seriously. Nonetheless, that is a mark from Kennesaw that I can't remove. I have a tendency to take racism a tad too lightly, even when it is serious. Lastly, Kennesaw has not affected my accent. Perhaps my dialogue, yes. But I still sound like a northerner according to new people I meet. It's even made me a few friends! At orientation for this school, a guy in my group came up and started chatting with me, and he said it was because “I seemed cool, and didn't have a southern drawl like the rest of the kids.” Though there is an obvious reason. Both sides of my family were from Italy and Germany, and emigrated to Queens, New York to open businesses. My parents were both born there, and then went temporarily to the University of Arizona where they met. Then moved to Georgia right after. So I was raised in a northerner household essentially.
But enough about my family history. Kennesaw has definitely left marks on me regarding words I use and the ways I think, but none of the stereotypes regarding it really fit me. However, it will always be my home.
~Mark Fredricks
Monday, January 18, 2010
First Blog Assignment
I took my sight-seeing trip to the Avenues in Kennesaw, a shopping center near where I live. (Maybe you've heard of it, but probably not). I left my house around 5:30 PM, and still a great deal of light falls on everything. Finding parking is always a pain, but I ended up stopping near the Gamestop I usually park next to. As I get out of the car, I see what I expect, a whole bunch of cars crowding the parking lot. Big surprise for a shopping center, eh? Anyway, I go to the sidewalk, wearing my black Apt. 9 jacket and Ozzy Ozbourne shades, and begin to stroll. The first thing I see on my left is a man listening to his iPod touch, while texting to a friend on his phone. At least, I thought he was texting, however upon further inspection I notice that he is talking to a friend on speakerphone while browsing movie times on his 3G network. Just goes to show that we miss a great deal because we only perceive things on our own scale, I didn't even think that's what he might have been doing when I first looked at him, because I can't do that on my phone. It's foreign to me, and I didn't recognize it at first.
It takes me a few moments to process all this information, but I lose interest and start to feel creepy about staring at the man with his phone and move on. The next spectacle I walk past is 3 girls playing by a fountain. One sits on the ring around the fountain with a camera, and the other two pose on a bench. Didn't take me long to realize they were taking pictures. However I mistakenly walked in front of them while the picture was about to be snapped, and I see the girl with the camera drop it from her eyes in annoyance. I walk by innocently, but not before I see the distaste in the eyes of the other two. But, even if I can't see these minutiae, I still try to keep my eyes open. Usually I'm not interested in the glares of teenage girls, but since my mission was to go out and “see,” I had to glare back. All in the name of discovery, of course.
As I keep going, the amount of people decreases, and it becomes easier to notice the stores. I wonder why the amount of people is decreasing though? I look back out to the parking lot and see more and more cars driving away. But why? Then, I take off my shades and notice that the sky is beginning to darken. Laughing at myself for taking so long to notice, I realize it's all a matter of keeping my eyes open.
The last interesting event I pass by on my journey is a group of 3 middle school aged girls and a young boy. As I walk towards them, they keep glancing in my direction, and when I finally get come close the group scatters, leaving one timid girl still in my path. I reel in confusion, I don't understand what I see. In a shaky voice, the girl says “Hello” to me. Smiling, I say hello back, and continue on my way. Chuckling to myself, I realize her friends must have put her up to it. I hadn't realized until that moment that I must have looked a bit frightening with my hair, black jacket, and shades. It was like I had been my whole life a bell, and never knew it until that moment I was lifted and struck. It was then that I felt envious of one-celled animals, because the sense impressions of one-celled animals are not edited for the brain: “This is philosophically interesting in a rather mournful way, since it means that only the simplest animals perceive the universe as it is.” A guy can't wear the clothes he wants without scaring little kids these days. It's really a shame, because I'm a nice guy when you get to know me.
As I walk back to my car, I reflect on the happenings I've come across during this hour expedition, and smile. What an interesting place the world can be, if people would only stop to notice.
~Mark Fredricks
(Bold- Quotes by Dillard)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
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