Andrew's Blog

Outside Reading #2

2009-05-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

The main assassin (John) in this section, killed a rival assassin of his. He describes all of the things he likes and focuses on places he has lived. He brings up the kind of place he would like to live in when he settles down from his life as an assassin. He says he would like it to smell of coffee, to have laughter, open spaces and old buildings. He says he has seen enough to know what he wants out of a places to live and that those are the best traits. I think it is starting to reveal who this man really is and more about his personality. Perhaps it will say something about the previous places he has lived and create a story to go along with the feelings it keeps talking about.

Outside Reading #3

2009-05-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

During this section of the story one of John's assassin friends named Dihlila. Apparently they used to be in love or something was between them in the past. They chat for a while about "leaving the life" and they tended to disagree on a lot of things/issues about the life and how you cannot simply just "leave". Also they talk about how bad the current state of the world is such as the economy and countries hostile views toward the other with nuclear weapons. They say that if the people like themselves continue their work, that the world will find itself as on big crater. They spend a lot of the time back and forth arguing but then they make up and apologize... Their relationship seems to be pretty dysfunctional.

Outside Reading #1

2009-04-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

So far, the group of assassins did a job in Hong Kong without much of an explanation of the characters. After it goes to the main character whose name is John, who is laying low and hooking up with random women. It seems as though his assassin life is stagnant and not like it usually is. The man is illy described which is a way to get you to keep reading. I think another assassin will come into the story very soon who may be after John. I think that a secret will be unveiled soon which will lead to more rising action and construct the foundation of the story.

The Airline Struggle

2009-03-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

So I heard about Airline prices taking a dive but I didn't think it was THIS bad. With the recession at its worst, the Airlines are hurting more than most companies. Airlines are introducing a "double mile" deal for elite business customers. In the past week, the airline bargains have been unleashed. Qantas Airways has a deal of one-way between Australia and California for $299, and New York for $399. United Airlines offered one-way flights to Moscow for $119. American Airlines has fares from Chicago to Dublin for $147. Through June 15, major Airlines are offering the double miles for the "elite" travelers. Mainly for the travelers who travel 50,000 miles per year. Airlines are offering first-class upgrades at check-in now for $50-$250 depending on the supply for the day of departure. The deals shows how desperate the airlines are for business, United Airlines said its passenger revenue would drop by 11% to 12% in the current quarter. Revenues continue to become more challenging for all carriers as the impact of the economy effects all travelers. The Airlines uncovered the plan of "Three-Day Sales" which is where the deals are only around for 72 hours then after that there is a sharp skyrocket in fares, just to lure in and tempt more customers. There is not much improvement for the Airlines as the value of their stocks continue to drop weekly. "The fact that average premium fares are falling faster than discounted economy fares on some markets—e.g., within Europe—is a measure of how severe the downturn in business travel has become," the airline group said in its report.

Bachman, Justin. "Airline Deals Are Soaring" BusinessWeek. 21 March 2009. 22 March 2009.

Woodstock: Peace and Love Center

2009-03-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

The three day festival full of mud, nudity and music also known as Woodstock (1969) was awarded a museum to always be remembered as an important part of U.S. history and as a melting pot of peace and love during the Vietnam War. The museum will have an amphitheater, museum and possibly a hotel, a conference center and a music lesson center. ''It's like the tomb of the unknown hippie,'' said Duke Devlin, 61, who came for the concert from a commune in Texas and never left. The concert was moved to Bethel, New York because the area could accommodate larger crowds. The museum will be run by non-profit organizations. The whole amphitheater will seat 4,800 people and the museum will cost a total $63 million dollars to build. $15 million of the funds come from Gerry Foundation and New York State. Jonathan Drapkin, the executive director of the Gerry Foundation, said the first goal was to complete what was begun Monday. He could not say whether the hotel and conference center would be nonprofit, too. The 400,000 visitors will be immortalized with the creation of the museum. ''It could have been the Mississippi flooding and everyone pitching in so there were no bankers or street persons. It was just like that, only we had a better sound track. It is never the dwelling place, but the dweller."

Fuchs, Mark. "Establishing A Center To Remember Woodstock". The New York Times. 20 July 2004. 18 March 2009.

The Vietnam War

2009-03-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

I read a story about a man who died recently who had done a very brave task of halting Vietnamese attacks. Col. John W. Ripley died at age 69 on Oct. 28 in his home in Annapolis, MD. When he did his great deed he was a captain and a military adviser to the Southern Vietnamese Marine unit. He blew up the southern end of the Dong Ha bridge over the Cua Viet River. On the North side of the bridge, around 20,000 Vietnamese troops and 200 tanks were on their way to sweep into Quang Tri Province which was not very well defended. For three full hours, Captain Ripley swung underneath the bridge hanging onto the steel beams placing boxes of TNT along the way while under constant fire from the enemy. He connected a fuse to the 500 pounds of explosives and it took around a half hour to get off the bridge and a safe distance away before setting off the charges. One of Ripleys fellow troops said that he placed the explosives in the correct formation to prevent the bridge from falling back into place but instead it fell into the river. There were about 600 Southern Vietnamese Marines at the Southern border, without Ripleys genius move, South Vietnam would have been in big trouble. The article said that Ripley is not well known because back in the '70s war heros were not as acknowledged back then. Ripley was an inspiration to the U.S. army and should be honored for his risks he took for his country.

Hevesi, Dennis. "Col. John W. Ripley, Marine Who Halted Vietnamese Attack, Dies at 69". The New York Times. 3 November 2008. 15 March 2009.

Colonization

2009-03-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

The roots of the colonization movement record back to many different plans first purposed in the 18th century. In the beginning, blacks and whites argued on the issue of colonization on free blacks in Africa. Some blacks living in the U.S. during this time supported emigration back to Africa because they thought that they would never be rightfully accepted into the U.S. society. Other blacks took a more difficult stance on the issue saying that instead of going back to Africa, to stay in the U.S. and fight for equal rights as American citizens. Some Americans believed that colonization was a way of getting rid of the nation of blacks and other whites thought that blacks would be happier in Africa being away of racial discrimination. The American Colonization Society (ACS) was made in 1817 to send the African-Americans back to Africa who wanted to go live back at home. This caused for colonies along the Western Coast of Africa to form (Liberia). By 1867, more that 13,000 blacks emigrated back to Africa. After a while the government had lost a lot of the emigration money and they were able to send less and less back to Africa. Colonization was a long and expensive process for the U.S. which was an unfair process for the African-Americans, yet justice was served in the end.

U.S. Government. "Colonization." The African-American Mosaic. 5 July 2005: 1. The Library of Congress. Edina High School, Edina, MN. 11 March 2009.

Global Education

2009-03-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Education is a large issue in todays society. There are 860 million illiterate people in the world. Of which, 61% come from Bangladesh, China, India and, Pakistan, 66% percent of them are women. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states "Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit." Global education is places number 3 on the United Nations agenda, right after the eradication of hunger and poverty. Education is highly valued for being able to have skillful workers and improving society. There are plans set to rid of the illiterate 860 million. They believe that they could cut the the illiterate numbers by 50% by 2015.

Education.eu. Education. Global Education: 21 January 2009

Swedish Holidays

2009-03-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

In Sweden, they celebrate many of the same traditions and holidays as we Americans do. Perhaps the most important Swedish holiday is Christmas. The second is called St. Lucia day, on December 13. The legend goes that it is the it was thought to be the longest day of the year so man and beast need extra nourishment. A Lucia (Queen of Light) is chosen from each house, school, or wherever. She is dressed in a white gown with a crown of candles on her head. She brings coffee, rolls, ginger biscuits, and sometime a wine called "glogg". The girls wear glitter in their hair and the Lucia's and the boys wear paper hats. In the Swedish tradition, they do not bring the Christmas tree into the home until a couple days before Christmas day. The height of Christmas is on December 24 and no one is permitted to doing any work other than feeding the livestock and preparing for the next days meals. They prepare the famous "Lutfisk" and "Smorgasbord" for their Christmas Eve dinners. After they eat the "Tornte" comes. He is the Christmas elf who lives in the floorboards of the home and who looks after the livestock while the families are asleep. The children often leave him a plate of porridge just like how children leave cookies for Santa Claus and the Tornte leaves them presents and sweets. On Christmas day it is somewhat of a tradition for families to race to church on horse draw sleighs at a very early hour in the morning. The Swedish traditions are similar to those of America yet they have many different characteristics or origin.

Editorial. Holiday Traditions of Sweden. California Mall: 2009

Bollywood

2009-02-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

"Bollywood" is a term used to describe Indian movies that compete with Hollywood films. They compete with the box office in equal success. They throw out morals of love affairs, religion, motherhood and patriotism. They like that in the end, everyone bows down to kiss their mothers feet. Us Americans tend to dislike that the films are melodramatic yet Indians love that part more than anything! Some forget the names of the films but they can recite the lyrics word for word. "In a building full of immigrants in Queens, an Uzbek man once cornered me in a dark stairwell. I'd been mugged before, and I thought, Oh, no. As he towered over me, he started singing, 'Ichak dana bichak dana, . . . ' a Bollywood standard from the 50's." Every Bollywood film is a musical between 5 and 14 songs. They don't have lots of extravagant special effects, just singing and respect for their mothers. For some Indians, Hollywood films seem strange and not up to their standards in movies because there is not singing and sometimes the point is unclear or unimportant. Some people even play popular Bollywood songs at their weddings or have scenes reenacted. Bollywood plays more of a life role in India and some of their surrounding countries than Hollywood films do for Americans. Due to the consistent morals they illustrate.

Mehta, Suketu. Bollywood Confidential. New York Times: November 14, 2004

Cyberculture

2009-02-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

Cyberculture is defined as "the social conditions brought about by automation and computerization" but could be so much more. Cyberculture is a culture through computers and networks that is secretly growing all the time. Cyberculture has been around since the early '90s and is exponentially growing each year. Through a vast variety of languages, entertainment, business, communities, trends and more, cyberculture has impacted just about everyone you know. One of the most common terms used mainly on online gaming is "n00b" or "Pwn". "N00b" originates from the word newbie and is used as a taunt for those who are not the greatest at a game even if they are not new to the game. "Pwn" comes from the term "power own" and is used when you do something amazing in the game. Cyber language is commonly used to save time while typing to your friends such as using abbreviations for words like "LOL" which everyone knows is laughing out loud. Or it could be simply used for using "u" instead of "you". Hacking is a large part of the cyber world as well. It requires a lot of knowledge on certain formulas and equations to do the computer do what you want. The cyber world can help out those who are physically, or mentally impaired to substitute technology for human abilities such as typing words. The cybercultures have many possibilities and are improving the lives of millions, saving time and even some things have no real purpose at all.

Editorial. Cyberculture. Wikipedia: December 2001.

Skateboarding Change Over Time

2009-02-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

Skateboarding was first introduced in the 1950's when a plank of wood was fused with roller blade wheels and trucks. At first it was very close to surfing and many moves between the two were shared. It was actually called "sidewalk surfing" before skateboarding. In the 1960's skateboarding boomed and gained tons of popularity then for some odd reason in 1966 it lost all sales and demand, it picked back up in the 1970's. In the 1970's a new type of skateboard was introduced which gained lots of popularity and brought back skateboarding. Important improvements were made to skateboard parts in the 1970's such as wheels made out of polyurethane which made the traction much smoother and increased the life of wheels. As skateboarding gained popularity, they changed the materials they are made out of. Some companies made skateboards out of aluminum, and fiber glass. Eventually they found out that maple wood was the most sturdy wood for skateboards. Due to these improvements, new moves were created, thus vert skating was born. Today skateboard wheels are much smaller and decks come in all types of shapes, sizes and colors. Skateboarding has come a long way to become the world wide icon that it is today. Skaters go bigger and more skilled by the year, making it one of the most competitive sports out there.

Editorial. "How Skateboarding Has Progressed Over Time" Free Ramp Plans. 2009. February 22, 2009.

Hope

2009-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

I read a very sad but good story about a bus driver and a student. The little boy was five years old and the bus driver felt a connection with the boy. One day he was doing his daily stops and when he arrived at the bus barn, the one little boy, "Ryan". The driver asked his why he did not get off and he said "I didn't want to bother you," in a quiet and respectful voice. So, the driver drove him home and made sure he got inside safely. Not long later, the driver heard a story about at the local YMCA, some gymnastics equipment turned over and crushed a child, Ryan. "Oh Lord, no. He's just five years old." He went to his funeral and he did not want to say anything to his family that would upset them or weird them out so he kept to himself for quite a while. When he went up to see him laying in the coffin looking way to young to be in his position. The driver could barely hold back the building pressure of sympathetic tears. He finally went up to his family and told him the whole story about their son and they just looked at him in approval and teared up then had a long hug. Later on, the driver had to have his appendix removed for appendicitis. His nurse was Ryan's mother and she greeted him warmly and made sure that nothing bad happened to him for his whole stay. This story I thought was a good example of hope because the bus driver made sure that he got home safely and he helped his mother get through a tough time which gave her hope for the future.

Rowell, Ed "When the Bus Driver Cried" Today's Christian. December 1997. February 18, 2009

http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/7r6/7r6081.html

Flying Spaghetti Monster

2009-02-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

I read about the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster a.k.a. FSM. FSM is based off of the beliefs that :"Some claim that the church is purely a thought experiment, satire, illustrating that Intelligent Design is not science, but rather a pseudoscience manufactured by Christians to push Creationism into public schools. These people are mistaken. The Church of FSM is real, totally legit, and backed by hard science. Anything that comes across as humor or satire is purely coincidental." The Church is very serious and should not be mistaken as a joke. The Church was created in May 2005 however the FSM has been around for thousands of years. “As a medical practitioner and scientist, I wholeheartedly believe that every theory and hypothesis needs full consideration and explanation with formal ratification by peer review. We have a duty to inform our schools and presumably pasta should form a staple part of our educational diet.“ said Dr. A. Macintyre. I have learned that FSM is not to be taken as a joke because it is a flying plate of delicious spaghetti, yet i should consider the word of FSM and what that truly means,

Editorial. "About" Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. February 15, 2009. February 15, 2009.

http://www.venganza.org/

Gender Roles

2009-02-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

I read the article on gender roles about female discrimination. The article was about how many women were mistreated at a immigration center. The study showed that the immigrations authorities were too aggressive in detaining the women of whom barely showed any risk what so ever. That resulted in less care for treatment for cancer, ovarian cysts and other serious medical conditions, and, in some cases, being mixed in with federal prisoners. Katrina S. Kane says that these studies are indeed unbiased but they tend to confuse the public on the issues. A woman who had moved to the United States as a child of whom was convicted of a small, non-violent crime of whom was 6-months pregnant and found out she had a ovarian cyst. She needed a sonogram and prenatal vitamins during the five weeks she was held but was denied access to all of it. I think it's an embarrassment that women are mistreated to this point. It's scary to think that them being mistreated could lead to their death. People should rethink their actions before they act.

Frosch, Dan. "Report Faults Treatment of Women Held at Immigration Centers" The New York Times. January 21, 2009. February 11, 2009.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/21immig.html

Mexican Culture

2009-02-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

I chose Mexican culture because I think many people are aware of the surface things about Mexico such as: Tacos, Sombreros, and Fiestas but they don't know about some of their real culture. Most of Mexico speaks Spanish obviously and even some indigenous languages. Some Mexican vocabulary made it into the English language. When the Spanish came to Mexico, they brought with them Roman Catholicism. Now 95% of Mexico is Catholic which is the second largest in the world, right behind Brazil. Some Mexican festivals include Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Las Posadas, Noche Buena, Navidad, and Año Nuevo. A few of them include Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years. Mexican cuisine has food with a lot of maize, beans, chicken, pork, beef, potatoes, corn, tomatoes, peppers, chillis, onions, peanuts, avocados and guavas. They also drink lot of different kinds of juices and have a blend of European food. Some Entrées include tacos, enchiladas, Mole sauce, atole, tamales, and pozole, which have a lot of rice, pork and bread. Some popular sports in Mexico are soccer, baseball cockfighting and lucha libre (a form of wrestling). Mexican culture has many similarities and differences from us Americans yet there is much to learn about this melting pot of a culture.

Editorial. "Culture of Mexico" Wikipedia. February 8, 2009. February 8, 2009.

Barack Obama

2009-02-04T21:53:00.000-08:00

I chose to write about Barack Obama going through a struggle. Right now, Obama trying especially hard to clear the ridiculous spending the banks have foolishly swindled on executive bonuses. He put the banks to shame when he figured out the executives received billions of dollars in bonuses and decided that in order for the banks to get any better they must drastically lower the executives pay. Luckily, the banks did not spend all of the $700 billion quite yet. Obama, furious, asked for the remaining $350 billion dollars for the financial sector. No one is happy about the wasted $350 billion dollars because what did it help? "My goodness, I can't stand here as a member of Congress and vote to release the second half of this money without knowing what happened to the first half of it," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Obama must be very carefully and strategic with his financial decisions in order to not let billions of dollars be spent on the rich.

Kuhnhenn, Jim. "Obama advisers: Financial crisis will cost more" AOL News. February 4, 18:27:40, 2009. February 4, 2009.

http://news.aol.com/article/house-angry-at-bailout-obama-team-makes/306682

San Francisco Earthquake 1989

2009-02-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

On October 17th 1989 at 5:04 pm, a earthquake struck the San Francisco and Oakland area. It turned out to be between a 6.5 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. The aftershock struck for 36 hours afterwards. Due to California being mainly soft clay soil at the depth, building are built on the soft surface which accounted for extra damage. Over the past few years, the Santa Cruz mountains have moved 6 ft along a 25 mile section of the vault. The main problem is when an earthquake strikes, the hard rock resists the shock and increases the intensity on the surface due to the soft soil. The nightmare killed 63 people and injured some 3,757 people. It also destroyed many buildings and major freeways including the Nimitiz Freeway a.k.a. Interstate 880. The quake destroyed the Oakland Bay bridge and many more damages in cities around San Francisco and Oakland (Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo...). The Earthquake caused for other disasters to occur such as sand volcanos and landslides. Some 18,306 houses and 2,527 businesses were damaged.

Editorial. "1989 Loma Prieta earthquake" Wikipedia. February 1, 2009, February 1, 2009.

http://www.pupilvision.com/uppersixth/earthquakes.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loma_Prieta_earthquake

Graffiti

2009-01-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

Graffiti is all over the place and many people have mixed feelings about the art. Some think it is an acceptable form of expression that brings color and emotions to neighborhoods. Others believe that graffiti is absolutely unacceptable because it makes people commit more crimes. Graffiti has been around since ancient Rome and Greece. Modern day graffiti is painted with spray paint and large markers, used to make large and elaborate works of art usually representing a nickname, neighborhood or political statements. Some graffiti is legitimate art and others is just vandalism. The first "modern day" graffiti is still in good shape in the ancient Greek city in Turkey. Ancient Romans carved graffiti into walls and monuments. Modern day graffiti has been know for intertwining with hip hop and rapping. In America in the late 1960's graffiti was known for its political activism and is used to mark territory of gangs. Graffiti isn't all just violence and disrespect, which is a common misconception. It can be used to get emotions across such as on the Berlin wall and in the Middle East. Graffiti Should be more accepted as an art and not as a crime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti#New_York_1985.E2.80.931989

Atmosphere

2009-01-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

I was thinking of what to blog about and then I thought the music I was listening to would be a good thing to look up and talk about. The local underground rap group Atmosphere from Minneapolis who started 1993 and has made twelve albums so far. The members of the group are Slug (Sean Daley) who is the main MC and, Ant (Anthony Davis) who is the producer of the group and has produced every Atmosphere record except for Lucy Ford They are known for their real and lyrics people can respect and actually having something to say that you can listen to and get into rather than just being bombarded by disrespecting women, drugs and money. They plan on maintaining their vibe of not selling out by being very careful about which record deals they choose which are Rhymesayers/Warner and Epitaph. During the 2005 Pour Me Another tour Slug wanted to add a guitar, bass, drum set turntables and a sythesizer which gave the band a more improvizing and jazzy sound. Slugs lyrics are mainly about telling stories about his personal life in an introspective style. He says he never lies but rather gets his point across with a fictional story with some spots of his own experiences here and there. He often uses the name "Lucy Ford" which is a methaphorical character that describes the devil inside all people, or about his on-off girl friend, sometimes about his mother to his son and many other emotional situations. Atmosphere stands as my favorite rap group for it's style, lyrics and the way they don't sell out but they're known.

This song shows Slugs respect for his hometown through the family values, low crime and it isn't overpopulated which I think is rare in a rapper and should be repected on all levels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_(music_group)#Discography

Cash for Gold Scam?

2009-01-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

According to an unprofessional source, the preposterous "Cash for Gold" commercials is a scam that should not be in business. The person on the site says that they were hired for the job without knowing very much about the company or how it worked. They say that on the very first day of work they were thought the "Cash 4 Gold Scam". The source tells that cash for gold has makes you think that the deal is a good idea but they have dozens of loopholes to scam you into sending in your valuables. The site also says that when you send in your jewelry there are no experts or special equipment to determine the real price of what you sent in. Cash for Gold claims 100% satisfaction or your jewelry back BUT the deal is you can return your check and get your things back ten days after your check is dated. It normally takes 7-10 days to get your check anyway even though the commercial says 24 hours. They say that 97% of people who actually receive their check are outraged with the amount they get. They say that some people even got a check for 0.01 cents. Why hasn't Cash for Gold been shut down yet? Well, due to the loopholes, it makes it credible so watch out before you do something stupid like sending in thousands of dollars of jewelry into Cash 4 Gold.

http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/cash-4-gold-c115287.html/

Ted Nugent

2008-12-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

Ted Nugent a.k.a. "The Nuge", "The Motor City Madman" and "Uncle Ted". He is a fairly popular guitarist and is the lead guitarist in the band "The Amboy Dukes" and is known for his insane music and strange political views. He is known for his reactionary political views and his vocal pro-hunting, pro-conservation, Second Amendment activism and strange clothes. He has also been in the band "Damn Yankees" and has made many solo albums as well. People tend to think of Nugent as a symbol of the south and is often thought of as a joke rather than listen to his music. Urban Legends web site says: "He is not one to be shy about sharing his take on things with the media, and interviews with him make for highly entertaining reading." Due to his insane animal rights views he says he often receives death threats against him and his family from animal rights activists. He says he doesn't care about the people against hunting because he is going to keep eating pheasant. Nugent continued his vocally rude and annoying ways throughout the 2008 presidential campaigning against Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama but no comment when Obama won the election.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Nugent#Politics

Bush's Questionable Deregulations

2008-12-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

President Bush is making same last minute questionable laws and regulations that hurt both the environment and lessening consumer protecting. Some of them include deregulation that help companies worry less about the emissions they are emitting and one of them even relaxed the standards for drinking-water. One of them even includes the deregulation of endangered animal requirements. Bush is making it easier for businesses to make a profit however, they are needing less and less to worry about the carbon footprint they are leaving on the environment which makes global warming increase dramatically due to George Bush. Lee Crockett of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Environment Group said that they got 194,000 comments on the rule and even 80 congress members protested against it. Crocker says the rule is "fatally flawed" and "widely unpopular". Hopefully Obama will bring order back into the way rules are made and benefit us and not just out for a profit.

http://conservationreport.com/2008/11/01/endangered-species-act-the-bush-administrations-last-minute-push-to-deregulate-spreads-beyond-the-endangered-species-act/

Billy Mays

2008-12-26T23:01:00.000-08:00

Everyone has seen the loud and intruding informercials starring Billy Mays but who is he? what's he all about? Billy is normally seen in cleaning based and home maintenance products and is known for his yelling approach and his thick beard. He wasn't always the star as we know him today. He was brought into the marketing business by selling the "Weed-Matic" on the Atlantic City boardwalk to passerby. Mays later advertised cleaning products, home maintenance products, and all sorts of tools at auto shows, home shows, and state fairs. One day, at a Pittsburgh home show Billy made a friendship with rival salesman Max Appel who is the founder of Orange Glo International. Mays was hired to advertise some of their products such as Oxiclean, Orange Clean, and Orange Glo on the home shopping network in St. Petersburg, Florida. Billy Mays infomercials tend to be enthusiastic and at a volume of a boarder line scream. Mays is the CEO of Mays Promotions Inc., based in Dunedin, Florida.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mays

Rodney Mullen

2008-12-24T00:23:00.000-08:00

Today I chose to read about my all time favorite skateboarder, Rodney Mullen. Rodney being 42 yeas old started skating at a very young age and took third place in the Boys Freestyle competition in Kona, Jacksonville, Florida in 1987. Rodney is known for is unreal looking style and crazy technical moves. He was one of the first to throw in tricks. Some moves of his that are very common and of which I can do are, 360 flip, ollie, heelflip, kickflip, casper 360 flip, 180 kickflips, and casper slides. For a long time Rodney rode "Enjoi" skateboards but later moved onto "Almost" with partner Daewon Song. Rodney even started his own truck company, "Tensor", not to be confused with car kind of trucks but the metal on the bottom of the board. Rodney even wrote a book in 2004 called "The Mutt: How to Skateboard and Not Kill Yourself". Rodney layed the foundation for skateboarding and is still alive and skating on a daily basis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Mullen#Mullen.27s_invented_tricks

Iraqi Jornalist Throws Shoes at Bush in Baghdad

2008-12-15T21:03:00.000-08:00

George Bush met in Baghdad yesterday for a farewell to the Iraqi people and his response was two attempts of getting hit by shoes. Bush ducked and dodged both of the attempts both just nearly missing his head. The man was identified as Muntadhar al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist with Egypt-based al-Baghdadia television network. As he threw the shoes he was heard to have said in Arabic "This is a farewell... you dog!" and when pinned on the ground by security he yelled "You killed the Iraqis!" In Muslim society it is an insult to point the bottom of your shoe towards someone or throw your shoes at someone which is the main reason why the man did it. Bush believes that the it was no big deal and that he wishes he could talk to the man personally. He says that he believes that the man was just trying to gain the attention of the world by doing this. No news has been reported on the mans jail sentence or what will happen to him. The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki apologized for the shoe attack and hopes that him and Bush will still be friends even when he is back in Texas.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/12/14/bush.iraq/?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

2008-12-10T21:38:00.001-08:00

Remember the Dancing Old Grandpa From the Six Flags Commercials?

2008-12-10T19:56:00.000-08:00

Today I read about the old man that would always come cheer up the overworked and dance excitedly, inviting them to come to six flags amusement parks. He was in the commercials from 2004-2005 and he danced like no other old man i have ever seen before. There has been a parody on the late night show "Robot Chicken" but nothing quite beats the original in this case. Sadly, when Daniel Snyder took over Six Flags, the next day he changed the "It's play time!" motto and retired Mr. Six. Six flags did not reveal the real identity of Mr. Six for some reason. In February 2006 a writer, Paul Davidson revealed the secret identity of Mr. Six as being Danny Teeson also known from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". Six flags says Mr. Six's dancing represents the attitude and vibe that six flags gives off. Through his estatic attitude and unique dance moves, Mr. Six truely was the "Ambassador of Fun".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Six

OJ Simpson Finally Jailed

2008-12-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

After 13 years after OJ was suspected of murder, he is at it again with being convicted of hotel burglary and kidnapping. He has been sentenced to 15 years in Nevada state prison. After his swift getaway in 1995 or also known as the "trial of the century" for murder, it is a relief to finally seeing him in a blue jail jumpsuit handcuffed and given his sentence. OJ could have parole in up to 9 years but he could be in prison for up to 33 years. He pleads that he believes he didn't do anything wrong. "I didn't mean to steal from anybody... I thought I was retrieving my things". The Goldmans (the hotel owners) are very bitter against Simpson and his wreckless living. They are relived to finally see the justice system doing its job and making sure that Simpson will be with his own kind where he belongs, behind bars. Tapes show that OJ and his gang say in the video they wish that their equipment to rob to the Goldmans - or as they call the the "Golddiggers" did not fall into their hands. The Goldmans are still trying to recoup the 33.5 millions dollars in damages done to the hotel.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/06/simpson-us-sentence

Leeroy Jenkins

2008-12-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Today a read about Leeroy Jenkins, the funny YouTube video thats makes fun of World of Warcraft users. Many know about the youtube humor of "Leeroy Jenkins" but for those who don't, here is some backround information. Leeroy was playing World of Warcraft with his guild and he was away from his computer while they prepared for a well planned out attack and when Leeroy returns he charges in screaming his name as a battle cry. His team goes to help him in hopes of saving him but in the end their plans are crushed and all in all make everyone extremely angry. Though the end sentence probably isn't something I should say on a school blog, it is guarenteed to make you laugh. I like a parody of the video more than the real thing where they are in a client meeting preparing for the presentation then Leeroy makes a big mess. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiBfF0cSEeM It's useless humor but it has more views than the daily news which I thought was pretty funny. Leeroy is now a trading card in the WoW trading card game with the special move of an intimidating shout.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeroy_Jenkins

Woman with over 100 cats

2008-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:00

Evangeline Chambers, the owner of well over a hundred cats and a number of dogs was investigated on and a manicupial judge ordered that 100 cats and five puppies be removed from her house. The officers took a look around her house and found 185 dead cats wrapped in aluminum foil in her freezer of which she claims that they are on a waiting list to be cremated. The city spent $56,000 dollars to house the animals which mainly ment being euthanized but others went to rescue missions and some were adopted. "There is not a happy ending in this case at all" said the judge. Who was very annoyed by the long hearings for the case. Ms. Chambers could still face criminal charges for animal cruelty of which she cried about throughout the hearings. She believes she didn't do anything wrong and she just wanted to love the animals. She said she didn't notice anything getting out of hand at all.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/111408dnmetcats.1ad4c3c70.html

Rick Rolling

2008-11-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Thousands of people get rick rolled everyday but there are many who still don't have the slightest clue as to what it really is. Getting "Rick Rolled" is where you secretly send the URL of the Rick Astley's music video "Never Gonna Give You Up" telling them it's something else. For example: "Hey Peter! Check out this awesome video I made from our trip!" or even to a teacher: "Mr. Bean. Here's my report on hyposythesis I posted it on youtube". Theres no real point to getting or sending the video, just to annoy as many people as you can as many times as possible. The prank originated from something called "Duckrolling" which is just like Rick Rolling except instead of getting a video of Rick you get a picture of a duck on wheels. I myself have Rick Rolled many people and they have continued the chain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickrolling

The Subway Diet

2008-11-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

Today I read a story about Jared Fogle from Indianapolis, IN who lost 240 pounds on the subway diet. Jared Fogle or more commonly known as the subway guy claims to have lost the weight from just eating subway sandwiches alone. Jareds diet plan consisted of a turkey sandwich for lunch and a veggie sub for dinner. Jared said he lost 100 pounds within the first three months and that motivated him to start going on walks daily. By the end of his subway diet he weighed in at 190 pounds. In the "Indiana Daily Student" in April 1999, a former dorm mate of Fogle, Ryan Coleman, wrote an article about Fogle's weight loss legend after Coleman saw Jared. He said he didn't even recognize him because of the dramatic weight loss. Jared is a true inspiration to dieters across the world and should be given credit for such an outstanding achievement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Fogle

Phish Tour

2008-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today I read about one of my favorite bands "Phish" the '90s groove band that is famous for songs such as "You Enjoy Myself", "Heavy Things" and "Waste"has planned to come back and play three night concert at Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia on March 6, 7 and 8. Tickets went on sale at October 18 at 10 am EST and were completely sold out within the first three seconds. Resale is averaging around $500 per ticket and it will only get worse. My brother planned to get his tickets and thought he would be ensured a ticket if he bought them at 8 am (Colorado Time) but was abruptly disappointed when he didn't click fast enough. Phish is flattered by their popularity and they say they count their blessings everyday that can do what they all love to do for a living. However a tour of the country is expected after the three night concert but Phish isn't saying a word.

http://phish.com/news/index.php?year=2008#story409

Apple iTouch New Game Player

2008-11-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

This month the new version of the iPod touch has been released. Its faster, thinner and is predicted to revolutionize the handheld gaming world. With over 1,500 game title available on iTunes already it has more games than the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP combined and more. Apple is predicting that they will soon surpass the sales of both of them combined come the holiday season. The new iPod also competes with cell phone companies such as Nokia, T-Mobile and Verison. Nokia has already came out with the new N-Gage that is ment for gaming also and is desperatly trying to compete with apples profits. In my opinion nothing beats the original which is what seems to be the case for the iTouch. With the stock market collapsing apple has managed to stay a stable company and add new products and software which should really be respected. Looks as though Apple has done it again with their new product.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologyreviews/3448332/Apple-iPod-touch-Nintendo-Wii-and-Sony-PlaySation-Portable-expand-game-audience.html

Palin regrets not doing more interviews

2008-11-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

This week Sarah Palin told the public she regrets doing mor interviews because she believes people got the wrong idea about her. "I would have preferred more opportunity to speak to the media more often, because there were a lot of things that I think it could have, should have said that could have, would have helped John McCain," Palin told Van Susteren. Though the McCain campaign shielded her for all of the interviews and speeches she still believes she should have participated in them more often. With revealing things such as not knowing Africa was a continent and not knowing the participants of NAFTA who could blame the McCain campaign? Instead of doing serious interviews she participated in things such as SNL skits. I think we made the right choice America.

Joe the Plumber Offered a Record Deal

2008-10-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

This week "Joe the plumber" or more commonly herd from all the political commotion was offered a record deal as a singer/guitar player. Some say he is unqualified and not that great at making music but that is supposedly the goal of this strange decision. Though this will probably gain alot of political popularity it should be interesting to see how far Joe makes it in the wide world of the music business. "He's a complicated guy with a very dynamic personality"Della Croce said to Politico. Which I think should make for a very great and interesting musician in not too long. His first album is planned to be in stores as early as inauguration day. Thanks to McCain, Joe should be making millions of dollars and traveling the globe in not too long. He's not such an average man anymore!

Music Heroes

2008-10-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Conclusion:

My research on "Heroes in a Box" was dedicated to the heroes that sometimes go unnoticed to the normal person. The people we hear about everyday but never take the time to tip our hats to. I chose to do musical heroes because I firmly believe that music can help shape someones personality and their views on the world which I think is the most important thing of all. Some stick to the classics and choose not to change anything but the people I found and researched are an example of just a couple of bands or artists that have started new generes of music and experimented with a whole new sound. I think music is just as active of an inspiration as literature. It has been around for thousands of years and it has been used for all kinds of reasons. To show emotion, to celebrate, and even just for the fun of it. It has changed dramatically over the years and as technology progresses it gives music another way of being played such as techno and the creation of the electric guitar. All of these artists have started their own styles of new material and feel to it that you can't help but to admire. This came to me because I often look up the charisma and creativity of all of these people which I think makes them heroes. Whether they fought through rejection or uncredibility they are today creditted with being pioneers of laying the foundation for todays music.

"Musician" is another word for an everyday hero. I believe that musicians open the minds of everyone, everyday and most of the time you miss it. They help just as much as a presidential campaign rally, a religious gathering, or could even council you to help you have a more positive view. "You are what you listen to" my Grandma always tells me. Of whom who has been active in choir and theatre for around 50 years. She was even the theatre teacher here at EHSfor many years. Music inspires the lives of millions everyday and it has been for thousands of years. Musicians should be acknowledged for their innovation, creativity and skill.

Musical Hero Artifacts

2008-10-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

I chose this picture of Jimi because it shows him liberating the minds of thousands of young peace loving people at woodstock in 1969 all at once. This is during the Vietnam war and I chose it also because it was a significant piece of history as he fought for peace with his guitar and gift of vocals.

Respect : Aretha Franklin

What you want baby I got
What you need
You know I got it
All I'm askin' is for a little respect
When you come home
Baby when you come home
RespectI'm out to give you all my money
But all I'm askin in return honey
Is to give me my proper respect
When you get home
Yeah, baby, when you get home
I ain't gonna do you wrong while you gone
I ain't gonna do you wrong'
Cause I dont wanna
All I'm askin' is for a little respect
When you come home
Baby, when you come home
Respect
Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey
But guess what, so here's my money
All I want you to do for me
Is give me some respect when you get home
Yeah, baby, when you get home
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, T-C-B
A little respect

I chose Aretha's "RESPECT" because she wrote it back in the days of strong segregation and discrimination of African-Americans. She went out on a limb and wrote this and today it is one of the most important songs of her time.

I decided to put a video of Daft Punk's "Technologic" to show the modern electronic blend of music and the developing genre of techno. Daft Punk is creditted with being out there and starting their whole entire new thing.

Tom Morello, my favorite guiatarist of all time and one of the most creative and biggest contributer to experimental guiatar. Though he plays for "Rage Against the Machine" he has also been in bands like "Audioslave" and his own solo acoustic "The Night Watchman". He brings an electronic and raw sound to the music scene that cannot be replicated. Tried to embed a video but didn't work :/

New Commercial Airplane Opens New Doors

2008-10-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

The new AeroTrain commercial airplanes are a new technology of vertical takeoffs. Vertical takeoffs have only been featured in highly expensive military jets costing millions of dollars but also saving money by being able to store more on each aircraft carrier. This is what Abe Karem is plotting to do with everday commercial flights now. Though the AeroTrian may save you time at the runway, it is actually a significant 20% slower than an average Boeing 737. It should save time for shorter flights but people going long distance should stick to waiting on the runway. “Two hundred to 1,000 miles, that’s our niche,” he says. Though you have to tip your hat the the technology idea, it's still just an idea in the making. The technology should evolve into something much larger and more efficient with the decade but Karem believes this is the start of a new beginning for commercial flights.

http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2008-09/all-aboard-aerotrain

Sarah Palin, Lies Again?

2008-10-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, Sarah Palin's talk about being an average hockey mom or in her words "Joe the plumber" was just another one of her tainted words to the American people. Sure, she lives in a small town in Alaska but the New York Times revealed that she uses the great state of Alaksa's tax dollars for her own affairs such as airfare for her family and her own wardrobe. Whats wrong with paying for her own items just like the rest of us Americans? This is the exact question the New York Times asks John McCain for having several houses or John Edwards $400 haircut. Palin and her family spent $75,062 at Neiman Marcus and $49,425 at Saks fifth avenue in September adding airfare that came up to about $150,000. Tax dollars that could be going towards something useful say new schools, homeless shelters or just about anything. Sarah needs to keep her hands out of our pockets and pay for her own affairs. You need to ask yourself, do you really want to spend your money to see Sarah look good as VP? Or would you rather have a better life for your kids, and what about retirement? We cannot afford Sarahs standards, I don't want a pretty VP I want a VP who is smarter than I am and who can do their job. With lies this far into her career what do you suppose will happen over the next 4 years? "I don't think Joe the plumber wears Manolo Blahniks".

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/us/politics/23palin.html?em

New Apple MacBooks and Lower Prices Crush PC Rivals

2008-10-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

A new line of Apple MacBooks were put on the shelves on tuesday in hopes of still growing as a company as the economy continues to worsen. For the first time ever the older model is sold for under $1,000 U.S. just in time for the holiday season. Apple succeeds amazingly by crushing rival PC's revenue by doubling to tripling theirs sales and slowly becoming the most popular computer brand around. The new MacBook features the iPhone technology of the touch-pad which allows for easier and less complicated manuevering of the mouse. It also comes with more Memory and RAM and a highly advanced graphics card to convenience all kinds of buyers. The new MacBook plans to outsell upcoming Samsung computers for the holiday season. Apple is doing everything they can to continue to stay a leader in computers even as the economy dips lower... I plan to buy mine within the next few weeks.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/457c14f8-9a3f-11dd-bfe2-000077b07658.html

Europeans blame U.S. bankers for economic crisis

2008-10-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

As European countries point the finger at the U.S. bankers, Bush plans to host a summit of world leaders to deal with the current world-wide economic crisis. Bush says he plans for it to be in the near future but some question that for he will not be in office very much longer. He says it is hard to make further regulations on the economy while also "preserving the foundations of democratic capitalism". On the other hand he is saying we have to stay away from economic isolationism otherwise we will continue to be a self-absorbed nation while others crumble from hunger and poverty. Mr Sarkozy and Mr Barroso have been wanting a global summit to sort out the economic problems and both were frustrated when the White House did not set out a specific date for when the global summit would take place. Mr Sarkozy said that there is "great opportunity for the same disasters the longer we put the summit off. He says it is just giving it more time to get worse before anything will get any better.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/88eeda60-9da8-11dd-bdde-000077b07658,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2F88eeda60-9da8-11dd-bdde-000077b07658.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=&nclick_check=1

RNC Protesters (Wednesday Post)

2008-10-13T19:08:00.001-07:00

Today I read a story all about RNC protesters and how ridiculous the riot control police really were on September 3. Police fired chemical agents and projectiles into the crowd of protesters while marching toward the xcel energy center where the RNC was taking place. Witnesses say that the police were like a bunch of dogs weilding their cans of pepper spray and tear gas grenades and even using them on people doing absolutley nothing wrong. Out of the 2,000 people who participated in the anti-poverty march, 283 of them were arrested. St. Paul police chief John Harrington said that 120 of the arrests were convicted of felony charges. Though the protesters are questioning the riot polices judgement because there was a woman who fled for the exit and was pepper sprayed while doing nothing wrong.

Myterious Fires In Northeast Los Angeles

2008-10-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today I read a story about myterious fires breaking out in NE Los Angeles that have so far burned 2,000 acres of land. Though only a few buildings have been burned down, more than 1,200 people have had to evactuate the area. Though no people have been seriously injured by the fire this should not be ignored because mass fires are rarely this well contained. In addition the Kagel and Lopez have been evacuated which include 450 homes. All the evacuees have gone to San Fernando High School where a refuge center has been set up. The blaze is still smoldering and there is no news on when the people will be able to return back home.

A Woman in Belin Post 2

2008-10-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Russians have reached Braunau, where Adolf was born. The woman joins a group of around twenty people who dwell in a large basement and basically just stay in a group to go through it together. She describes how the cave relates to the cavemen times of how there was a leader and the followers. She says that everyone in the city is reverting to primative ways like stealing whatever you can get your hands on and not trusting anybody. Most importantly she mentions alot that the men citizens of Berlin are seeming depressed and emotional. She says that they are losing everything manly about them because they can't do anything about the situation. Also she mentioned once that the Russians drive past the citizens in their tanks holding up babies to crush their hopes and dreams of ever being saved.This book so far is really informative and somewhat repeditive but I'm still excited to read on.

A Woman in Berlin

2008-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

So my grandma came to my house this week bearing a large stack of books and at first i thought oh lovely just another person telling me that old literature is the best thing you'll ever read but then I saw on that looked interesting. A Woman In Berlin. The book is written in diary form and the author is an anonymous woman who was living in Berlin when the Russians invaded and conquered the icon city of Germany in 1945. Just at the end of Hitlers reighn when the Russians finally took action on Germany to hunt down Hitler, the story is about the loss of every sort of stability in the city. Schools shut down, hospitals overflown, banks open for the taking, roits and air raids fill the citizens lives as they fend for their lives like animals while the Russians drink and kill thousands of innocent people. Though the book sounds depressing and everthing you would expect your grandma to give you, it still has a somewhat hopeful story of this womans life. I can see why the normal person would read this book though. Even though the story is extreme and merciless, it still shows a story line. Just as Codi's life was turned upside down when she moved to Grace, this woman's (doesn't say name) life was shaken up as the city stuggles to survive.

150 Word Paragraph

2008-09-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

The book that I have recently read was the book Scar Tissue. The book is an autobiography of Anthony Keidis or better know as the singer for the band , Red Hot Chili Peppers. The book is all about the course of his life leading up to the world wide spread success him and his band have reached. Also a huge part of the book is about his on going addiction to drugs and how they had effected his life through out the story. His drug journey started early at the early age of eleven, then caused his life to be strangely devious. He was always stealing and doing whatever he could do get the drugs he wanted and enough to stay high for the next week. Though his Dad was the one who introduced Anthony to the dark world of drugs, he quickly turned on all of his family to disappear into the abyss of drug abuse. After years of herion and cocaine addiction and a few rehabs he finally realizes that the drugs are killing him. He dedicates himself to the band and has the band help him out and try to stay clean and he has stayed clean for the past nine years.

My thesis for this book is that drugs make you dig your own grave and you can't always get out of what they have in store for you.

Adjective Paragraph

2008-09-14T13:48:00.000-07:00

There are many adjectives about myself that I could write this paragraph about but if I had to choose just one I would pick adventurous. I would choose that because I really enjoy getting on a plane and going almost anywhere out of state, country, and even continent. I like to do this because I like to go into different climates and learn more about other cultures and the way they live and see the different sights or famous monuments. I like to hear the language and pick out all the differences or maybe sometimes some similarities and pick up some words or phrases that people say. To summerize all of this I enjoy being adventurous wheather that involves flying, hiking, building, meeting new people, or learning a new language. I really hope my future job involves traveling abroad or living in another country because that is what I really love to do.