ENG 001: Section 09

Soundtrack of My Life

2007-12-10T18:51:00.000-06:00

Kenny Chesney: No Shoes No Shirt No Problem

Growing up my grandparents owned a resort four miles outside of Perham, Minnesota. It was called Whispering Pines Resort and was located on Big Pine Lake. Fishing, boating, hanging out on the beach, having barbecues, and relaxing is what most people did. No Shoes No Shirt No problem was my way of life during those many summers I spent at the resort. The warm beach and the sand squishing between my toes is conveyed through a line in this song: the sun and the sand and a drink in my hand (with the exception of the drink). The sand was always warm. Sticking my feet in, the sand always covered them like a blanket. The soft particles fell between the cracks in my fingers whenever I picked it up. The sand was our escape from chores and fishing. Sandcastles lined the beach; large sandcastles with moats. We always tried to fill up the moats with water but the sand always soaked it up. I remember how the sand would stick to me when I ran up on the beach after being in the lake. After awhile though, once the sand dried it could easily be brushed off. My favorite thing about the sand had to be when I would run down to the lake in my swimsuit and lay in it. The sand was like a silk blanket to me, it was so soft. I would want to stay there all day. Those days spent on the warm beach, feet dug in the sand, gazing out over the lake will never be forgotten.

Craig Morgan: Redneck Yacht Club

When my family and I spend summers in Minnesota we would go tubing down a river. The river we usually floated down was Ottertail River. The river water was cool and the sun hot. The inner tubes were tied together and one extra inner tube with a cooler in. That is why I picked the song Redneck Yacht Club by Craig Morgan. In the music video they tie their boats together and chill in the water for a few hours. Tying inner tubes together and hanging out with my family chilling in the water became a family tradition. It was funny to watch other groups of people doing the same. Especially when it was a hot summer day, people would float down the river drinking beer. They were hilarious. Family bonding time was good for our family and it was a nice break from fishing all the time. Redneck Yacht Club is a good anthem to go out on a lake and have a party, which I love to do.

Dashboard Confessional: Hands Down

Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember. I will always remember: green grass scattered with leaves. The fall air settled around the empty tree branches. Students passing by, backpacks on backs, looking like someone is fast-forwarding them. Leaves crunching, stepping one foot in front of the other; our palms sweating while holding hands. Looking in to bright, pale blue eyes and feeling so nervous on the inside. Walking and stopping in the same spot, same place as everyday. It was the parting of the ways. It was October 31, 2002, a block from our junior high school, hands down a day I will always remember. Stood in silence, time passing by slowly, scared as hell. Last chance, last opportunity; “byes” were exchanged but no wait. Breathe in for luck, breath in so deep. This air is blessed, you share with me. This day is wild, so calm and dull. These hearts they race, from self control. That is when I reached out and grabbed his arm to come back and gave him my very first kiss. I could never forget him. It was he who gave me my very first kiss but also my very first broken heart. My heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury, to wear as jewelry, which ever you prefer. This is why I chose Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional.

Saving Jane: Girl Next Door

Saving Jane’s Girl Next Door is an anthem to a lot of girls including myself. During my last year in high school I’d say I was basically invisible. I talked to people and hung out at school but never outside of school. I was always too busy slaving away at work.
Shy and quiet, shuffling from class to class I would ignore most things that I went on. I didn’t really care. Senior year, last year there; why does anyone really care anyway? No homecoming, no prom; just working my ass off to save for my graduation present to myself. Life will begin in college. I will care more about stuff later, but not here, not with these people.
I’m not going to lie; sometimes I wish I had a life in high school besides work. That is why this song relates with me so well. My best friend was a cheerleader and hung out with the all the other cheerleaders a lot. Hanging around with all of them was awkward. Feeling like I didn’t belong or fit in made me sometimes wish I could be like them.
Laughing and telling stories of their fun weekends were the girls I, deep down inside, wanted to hang out with; but it’s too hard to get in close with a group of people before college.
That is how this line: I spend time wishing I was someone else, related to me in high school, because sometimes I did wish that I was and that I wasn’t working all the time.

Lucky Boys Confusion: Hey Driver

Over the past summer I spent two weeks on a tour bus traveling around Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Hey Driver by Lucky Boys Confusion describes the feelings I had during the trip. Hey driver to the top of the world!
Mountains and rolling hills like I had never seen passed by. The bus seats were uncomfortable for sleeping but perfect at the same time. The window was cool and comfortable to lean against. Sunglasses pulled down to block the sun as many naps were taken.
Laughter rang through the back of the bus where our group sat. Shoes covered the floor and plastic bottles were stuck into the back of the seats. Cards spread out over the pull down tables, oreos used as chips in the game of poker.
Darkness periodically occurs. The bus winds under the Swiss Alps in the tunnels that goes between Austria and Switzerland. “Hands!” someone would scream so no one could make-out through the long tunnel rides.
Outside in foreign territory; there was shopping of all kinds everywhere we looked. Food and beer in the evenings; walking straight lines after too many. Many nights were spent in hotels with foreign beds that were so small and pornography on almost every channel.
Fabio the bus driver; he took us to the top of the world with his jokes. He was Italian and shy, although we never truly believed him. Sex is what he would yell when we posed for a picture.
Waterfalls and castles were my personal favorite.

Alan Jackson: It's Five O'Clock Somewhere

"I am getting paid by the hour and older by the minute." Alan Jackson's "It's Five O'clock Somewhere" is an anthem for my workdays. Since fourteen I have held a job. Each and every time I work, the work days seem to get much longer. Holding stacks of plates filled with food; walking back and forth between the back hallway and the tables. The sixteen white plates dug into my wrist, meanwhile the twice baked mashed potatoes mixed with the green beans were smashed into the bottom of the plate that was sitting on top of it. One at a time, scraping each individual plate. I wish I could go on a Jamaican Vacation. I don't need the alcohol, just the relaxing beach. Being on the water is where I belong. In the video, Allan Jackson is hanging out on a boat, which is where I spend most of my summer days in Minnesota. Having that vacation is a nice break from working every weekend. So "if the phone's for me you can tell them I just sailed away."

Natasha Bedingfield: Unwritten

Natasha Bedingfield’s song Unwritten was the perfect song for this summer before college. The lyrics matched perfect with the stage I was at in my life. I am unwritten, can’t read my mind, I’m undefined. I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned. Life has created a blank page. Go, do, be anything in the world. Change, grow, imagine who you want to be and do it. Summer before college was one of anxiety. Not know what was going to happen, whether or not I would like it. Who I was going to meet and will the classes I am going to have be hard.
Unwritten is also a bit of an anthem for how I want to live my life. Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where the book begins, the rest is still unwritten. College is a good time to live life with arms wide open. Expect and try anything. Never again will the chance come along to do whatever, whenever. This way of life though is hard to get used to but one that I have come to accept and love. I am sure once I am older I will be glad to have those days behind me; but for right now I am glad I am just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, and the rest is still unwritten.

Charlie Daniels Band: The Devil Went Down to Georgia

The Devil went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band plays while during the scene in Coyote Ugly where the girls are line dancing on the bar. Now my friends and I don’t go dancing on bars but we do try and go to Pla mor Ballroom every Sunday and line or swing dance to country music.

Sweat drips from a brow as feet stomp against the floor. Being as synchronized as possible everyone moves to the same steps. A band is playing country music, some slow songs and some fast songs. Right, left, right, left, now zigzag backwards and kick one, two, three, four and repeat. Some common words that are spoken to those standing in awe trying to learn. Everyone is in a line, feet still stomping against the floor, releasing stress and thoughts for the week to come. Silly dancing, people clapping; first hands, knees, then on the floor, getting on the stomach, rolling to one side, on their back, then the other side, then they get up in reverse; clapping the floor, knees, then hands and doing it all over again. After the really fast songs it’s hard to catch your breath, but you smiling and laughing because of how much fun it was. That’s why I chose the video with the dance from Coyote Ugly. I also thought I would put the whole song by the Charlie Daniels band in there to. But the bar/dancing scene will always remind me of my friends and our time out at Plamor dancing.

If You Wanna By My Lover by: The Spice Girls

2007-11-14T20:35:00.001-06:00

The Spice Girls music video, If You Wanna Be My Lover, is the worst music video and possibly the worst song ever! First off, the lyrics make absolutely no sense at all. What in the hell is zigzig ha? I would really like to know. Second, I believe this song makes a lot of sexual references. The Spice Girls are supposed to be a group that young girls can look up to. I know I was a fan of the Spice Girls when I was a little girl. In the song they say "if you wanna be my lover" and "zigzig ha"
I am pretty sure that it is a sexual reference. Third, this music video just sucks. They dance around a whole bunch of guys and some of them are old men. It's kind of gross.
Another thing I don't like about the Spice Girls song is that it is just really stupid. "If you wanna be my lover you gotta get with my friends, make it last forever, friendship never ends." What in the world is that supposed to mean? I understand that boyfriends should be on good terms with the girls friends but seriously, this song makes it sound stupid. It's really dumbed down for the audience and I understand that it is meant for a younger audience but then why are they making sexual references?
I know the 90's had bad fashion but come on, the outfits that they are wearing in this video are just hideous! and their hair, what is up with that? I mean the one girl, Scary Spice, her fro...man it is ridiculous.

If You Wanna By My Lover by: The Spice Girls

2007-11-14T20:35:00.000-06:00

State-wide Smoking Ban

2007-11-11T17:20:00.000-06:00

On June 1, 2008 no longer will smoking be allowed in a public places in the state of Nebraska. All corporate and small businesses, bars and restaurants, and any other public place will be smoke free. Legislative Bill 395, proposed by Kearney Senator Joel Johnson, amends the Nebraska Clean Air Act, which has been in effect since 1980 and allows businesses to choose whether to allow smoking or ban it. Modeling itself after Lincoln’s indoor smoking ban, Legislative Bill 395 will call for a state wide consistency. The only three exceptions to this bill will be: smoking in private residences, except when used for child care, adult daycare or as a health care facility; guest rooms and suites that are rented and designated as smoking; and areas used for research on the health effects of smoking. The Health and Human Services Department of Regulation and Licensure calls this bill “the greatest health issue of our time.”

In the Lincoln Journal Star on January 19, 2007, Paul Fell’s cartoon on the smoking ban was displayed. In this political cartoon a ghost, compiled of smoke with the words “proposed state wide smoking ban” written on the stomach, has just entered into a bar. Focus is placed on this ghost because of the diagonal structure of this cartoon. Shading in the upper left hand corner of this picture places a spot light on the ghost. In the bar there are two customers smoking along with a bartender who is also smoking. Two of the three men have cigarettes fused into their faces. Also, there are two ashtrays packed with cigarette buds and two empty bar stools. The ashtrays and stools are parallel to each other and along the wall is the word “BAR”, but it is written backwards. Paul Fell’s political cartoon uses the rhetoric appeals of analogy, cause and effect, example, classification, logos, and the pathos “scare tactic” to display the sides of this argument.

One of the rhetoric strategies Fell uses in this cartoon is compare-contrast. Fell contrasts the two sides of the argument. Having bar written on the wall is not needed to show that the place was a bar and furthermore, writing bar backwards exemplifies the bartenders’ irrational logic about Legislative Bill 395. This is shown through the empty bar stools which represent the loss in customers and ultimately “death” of business.

Fell uses the ghosts because ghosts represent death, but the ghost in this picture is a caricature of a “white sheet” ghost. This ghost is complied of cigarette smoke and smoking has been proven to kill people. The packed ashtrays and empty barstools are circular, parallel structures that contradict the argument that not allowing smoking will create a “death” in the business. The fact that the ashtrays are packed with cigarette buds and the stools are empty shows cause and effect; smoking kills, hence the fact that there are only two customers in the bar.

Normally in a bar there are usually a few more people than just two. Fell uses the rhetoric appeal of example to show the impact smoking can have on someone’s life. In the cartoon there are two ashtrays packed with cigarettes but only two people. The ghost is compiled of cigarette smoke. Maybe this is why Fell made the customer and the bartender have such a surprised look on their face. They are seeing the effects of smoking and how this bill will help protect their lives.

As I have stated before the ghost Fell created in this political cartoon is a caricature of a ghost compiled of cigarette smoke. Fell used this ghost to show the rhetoric appeal of analogy in this cartoon through the ghost. Ghosts represent death. This ghost in particular represents the smoke of all the people who have died from smoking and since it has been proven that smoking can kill you this is the analogy that Fell has created with this picture.

Another rhetoric appeal Fell uses with the characters of his cartoon is the logos rhetoric appeal. The customer in the bar that is sitting on the right and the bartender both have cigarettes infused into their faces. This is the rhetoric appeal of logos because showing the characters with infused cigarettes in their faces could convince readers who look at the cartoon not to smoke. This shows the logical argument that if someone smokes a lot that smoking could become such a large part of their life that eventually it is like a cigarette is infused into their face because a cigarette is always there. Not only is convincing readers that smoking is bad a logos rhetoric appeal it is also the classification rhetoric appeal. Smoking to some people is not a big deal but this cartoon shows how smoking can play into a large scheme of things, which, by definition, is the classification rhetoric appeal. Smoking can start off a something someone does every once in a while but then it can turn into a every day thing or even worse, multiple times a day. That is how it gets to the point where it seems like a cigarette is infused to your face because smoking occurs all the time. Eventually it will interrupt and possibly stop life. That is how the classification rhetoric appeal is shown through this cartoon.

The last rhetoric appeal Fell uses in this political cartoon is the pathos “scare tactic”. The scare tactic is shown through the ghost, bartender and customer. The cigarette smoke compiled ghost represents the death of those who have smoked, whether it be from smoking directly or second hand smoke. That is used to scare people into believing that the bill is necessary to have in order to keep people safe in the work environment. The bartender and customer serve the purpose of showing the reader what can happen if smoking continues over their life time; that eventually smoking will over take their lives, hence the fact that the cigarettes are infused into their face. This scares the reader and makes them not want to smoke.

In Paul Fell’s political cartoon rhetorical appeals are everywhere. Fell’s cartoon displays both sides to the argument of Legislative Bill 395. The logos, pathos “scare tactic”, cause and effect, analogy, classification, and example were the rhetorical appeals that were apparent in Fell’s political cartoon. This shows how advertising can easily sway people one way or another.

Ghost of You by My Chemical Romance

2007-11-11T13:54:00.001-06:00

World War Two is my favorite time period in history. Ghost of You is one of my favorite music videos because of the meaning behind the song. It's about the soldiers going off to war in World War Two and the combat stress that they experience. It's a ghost that will constantly haunt them the rest of their lives. Soldiers who saw combat in World War Two hardly ever got a break. They were always on the front lines. One infantry spent over a year in combat everyday. There were sixteen million men in the military during World War Two and only four hundred thousand saw combat. It was ridiculous because then men would start to experience combat stress. Having combat stress in the military was seen as a sign of weakness. General Patton hit a soldier once because he thought the soldier was weak for having combat stress.
Another reason 'Ghost of You' is one of my favorite video is because it shows scenes from the movie Saving Private Ryan, which just happens to be my favorite war movie. In the beginning of the music video it starts at a USO dance. The USO is an organization that started in the early 1940's. It was a place where white soldiers could go and have meals made for them. Also, the USO would have social events , like dances, and the soldiers would go and dance with young , white pretty women.
My Chemical Romance is an amazing band. They have three albums out. The first is called 'I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me You Love. The second is 'Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge' and the third is 'Welcome to the Black Parade'. My favorite album of there's is Welcome to the Black Parade but the song 'Ghost of You' if from their second album, 'Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge'. My Chemical Romance has grown tremendously over the past few years and have a large fan base. Even though their music can be classified as "emo" music, I don't see them that way. I just love the songs they sing. They are very original and no one else out there sounds anything like them.

Back in the Game: The Second Coming of Tom

2007-10-21T19:13:00.000-05:00

I Love Pearl

2007-10-14T16:34:00.001-05:00

Warning! This video contains the use of vulgar language!

Okay, I am not gonna lie. I think it is horrible that they make this little girl do this but she is so cute and I guess if she never repeats what she is saying there I guess there is no problem with it. I think it is hilarious to watch this little girl do all that. She will definitely have some interesting things to look at when she gets older and since she knows Will Ferrell I bet when we are old we will be seeing her on the big screen. It is crazy to have this little girl do this. I bet it would take forever to shoot some of those movies though. I watch the outtakes for one and it took them a long time to get her to look at the camera and say the line. It's funny though and I also think it is funny to see how many people have watched this video. This video came out April 17, 2007 and a week after it was posted online over three million people had watched it. The first I had heard about it was through a facebook group called I Love Pearl. On that site there is more links to some other videos Will Ferrell has made. After seeing her in the video called The Landlord, I had to watch more. These videos are just so addicting. It is hard not to watch and she is just such a cute little girl, and come on, it's Will Ferrell. He's hilarious too. I am not sure if what they are doing to this little girl is wrong or not. I am not sure if I really like it, but I know for sure that it is funny and I will definitely watch more.

NU Football: OSU Shatters Nebraska

2007-10-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

We are all disappointed in the Huskers. It's sad and devastating to watch our team get crushed the last two weeks in a row. And I feel sorry for the players who have to take all the scrutiny, but seriously, could you do much better? These guys work their asses off every day in practice. Callahan is trying too. Why should we fire a guy that has been doing so well the last few years. I think it is sad that we haven't won a national championship in ten years but the team still needs our support. Yes, the blackshirts have not done so well the last three games in a row, but what do you expect when they are younger players. This is a rebuilding year for the Huskers. Sometimes you just have a season where things don't go your way. All you have to keep doing is put your head up high and try your best. And that is what the Huskers are trying to do. But it really sucks when your fans start to lose faith in you. It makes me angry to see people coming up with groups on facebook that say "Fire Bill Callahan" or "We officially change the Blackshirts name to the Pinkshirts." Bill Callahan can only do so much. Then it is left up to the players. He can only coach so well, but if the players can't pull it off then why do we have to blame him. Do you seriously think you could coach any better. I would actually like to see that. All those people that complain that Callahan is horrible and that they could do such a better job. I would like to give them that job for a day and see how well they do. It will only be a matter of time before Nebraska is back on top again. Just give it time. We are just going through one of those phases.

The Sunken Gardens

2007-09-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8422216534208189660

The Sunken Gardens started out as a Depression Era project. It is located in the former bend of Antelope Creek and a neighborhood dumpsite, right off of 27^th and Capitol. It is adjacent to Antelope Park and is dedicated to long time Lincoln families. The original design was created by Fred Goebel and his son, Henry.

The Sunken Gardens is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. It’s hard to imagine that this used to be a dump; a person used to put their trash here and now it has come to life. As soon as you drive up you can see all the green stemming from the gardens. When I walked up, the first thing I noticed was a paved stairway cutting through green hedges and at the top was a statue of a girl holding a stick in her mouth that was pointed at the sky. Around her lay a bed of white flowers and in front of the flowers is a pathway. Green grass is everywhere, in it grows large trees, so tall they look like they touch the sky. As you walk along the brick laid path you come to another stairway leading down into the true heart of The Sunken Gardens. Standing at the top of that stairway looking out over the gardens all the color from the flowers pop out against the green. You can see the reds, pinks, purples, yellows, and blues. The pond; it looks so serene. There are no disturbances in the water even though the wind is blowing like crazy, shaking the tree leaves. The rustling of the tree leaves deafens the silence that the presence of the garden gives.

As I walk down the steps, big elephant ear plants that are green and purple stretch out over the railings. I have never seen leaves so big in my life. As I continue down onto the brick pathway I see children running and playing. A child’s laughter fills the air. “Mommy, look at this one!” one little boy says to his mother. A couple is taking lots of pictures of the flowers and a photographer is taking pictures of a girl, which I believe is for her senior pictures.

Leading further into the gardens the aromas from the flowers reach my nose. I love the smell of flowers, they always seems to make me smile. It definitely sets the feeling of the moment; to be in such a beautiful place and to have such a good feeling come over me. It is so relaxing to be here. Even though there are quite a few people here the gardens are actually really silent. Of course, I can hear the rustle of the tree leaves and people from time to time but just sitting here, relaxing is so nice. It’s nice to get out and get away for a while. Getting of campus is so helpful. It helps me get rid of all the stresses of the week. It is also great being outdoors, especially on a wonderful day like today. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing, so it is not too warm.

Running water fills my ears as I pass by a small waterfall. There is an opening of two stairways that go up opposite sides of each other and meet at the top and also there is a pathway that connects them across the middle. In the center, between the two stairways there are rocks, large gray, red, and black rocks. There are also some small trees in the rocks and in the water that the water falls into there are some more of the purple and green elephant ear plants and some rocks that surround the pond. At the top of the two stairways there is another statue. It is a girl who is dumping out a pail of water.

The ponds look so peaceful and so beautiful; flowers all along the outsides: purple flowers and greenish yellow grass surrounds the outsides of the two ponds. On the water, there sits dark green lily pads and stemming off from them are purple and white flowers. The purple flower, I think, is my favorite flower in the entire garden. The flower sits on four dark violet petals; the petals of the flower are light purple. In the center there is a ring of yellow and in the center of the ring is more light purple. It is such a sight to see. Under the lily pads are little gold fish growing in size up to large white fish with black and gold spots. I have never seen fish of this sort before; swimming around, in and out of the lily pads.

My favorite scene from The Sunken Gardens is the one where you can see The Bicentennial Cascade Fountain in the background. The water falls down over these rectangles blocks and it looks like it is falling directly onto the green bushes. Trees fill up the rest of the background while pink and purple flowers fill up the middle ground and big elephant ear leaves fill up the foreground.

The dome can be seen from anywhere in the gardens. It has white pillars with a copper/brown top. The dome itself has outlines of leaves along with cut outs of leaves. It is the main part of the gardens. Around the inside of the dome there is a saying “I expect to make this spot the most beautiful place in the city, either in or out of the parks. The ground leads itself to the making of a sunken garden at the same time a spot rich in beauty.” E.M. Bair said that in November of 1930, just before construction of the garden started. The ground is brick and so are the walls on one side of the dome. Engraved in the bricks on the ground are the names of donors and also there are names in the bricks on the wall of more generous donors. Off to the side there is a large computer set into the wall. It can tell you information about The Sunken Gardens; the history, what types of flowers are in the garden, and how you can donate to the gardens. It is interesting to me that there is this large computer off to the side. Everything now is connected with technology, even nature. You are never truly alone in the world anymore. Unless you completely give up technology, someone is always going to be able to reach you. Of course, this computer wasn’t always here and I like that they added it. It gives the people who come to the park a chance to learn about it. What history it has and even what types of plants are in the garden. It also adds another dimension to the park, instead of just the gardens being used as an observing site it could also be used as a place for learning. A Botany class could come and try and identify plants and instead of looking them up in the book they can use the computer.

I think this place is a big part of Lincoln. Whether you have been there once or a hundred times, I think it can be enjoyed as much as you did the very first time you went there. It is a very peaceful, relaxing place. Somewhere you can walk around and clear your mind. I feel this place suggests that the society of Lincoln wants to have a beautiful city, one that is well taken care of that people want to look at and want to visit. People want something to be proud of to say “Yes, that’s in my town,” when tourist ask about it or visit and I think that people just like to have a nice place to go on a beautiful day.

This has to be the most gorgeous place in Nebraska that I have ever visited and it makes me sad that I have never heard of this place before I moved here. I think they should advertise it more. There are many things that I have never heard of that are in the state of Nebraska. Maybe if they advertised more, more people would want to donate and visit the gardens more often. I would encourage everyone to go and visit The Sunken Gardens. If even for five minutes, it is such a beautiful sight to see. I think it will change people’s perspective especially since it is getting closer winter and there won’t be much life in the plants and the trees around us. It’s a last look at nature’s beauty before the winter cold takes it away. I think people will walk away in a better mood after seeing the gardens too. I know that after we left that day I was in a great mood. It’s almost as nature gives you a high, a release of endorphins that just make you happy. But I just love nature. Being outside, especially during summer and fall is one of my favorite things to do. It calms me, makes me feel happier. It’s a time for me to reflect and think about everything that has been going on in my life and nature just allows me to process that and figure out what I want to do and being at the Sunken Gardens gives me that opportunity. Being in place like this and seeing the beauty it holds also gives me a sense of hope. Everywhere around towns are expanding, buildings are being built, parking lots are being built for that building and slowly nature’s beauty is being taken away little by little. It’s nice to know that people still appreciate the small things in life and that some do still want to stop and smell the roses.

FREE HUGS

2007-09-23T16:09:00.001-05:00

The song in the video matched perfectly. "I will take you for you who are if you take me for everything." The video gave me a sad feeling at first . It seemed like no one was around and no one wanted to give him a hug. Also, I think the black and white tones gave it more of a sad, dreary feeling. But the mood the song gave off really connected in with the whole video, especially when people started coming up and hugging him. My favorite seen was when the girl ran up to him and hugged him and he twirled her around. It reminds of cute movies where the boy and girl haven't seen each other for a long time and then when they do see each other the run up to each other and the guy always twirls her around just before they kiss. It's a nice video though. People showing love in the world. It makes me happy. Hugs are always nice to receive and give. Especially if you have been stressed out or had a hard day. I loved the scenery in the video too. Downtown Lincoln is really pretty, especially by the stadium and UNL's campus. I think it really set the mood nicely.

Observational Piece

2007-09-19T14:02:00.000-05:00

The smell of clean clothes waves through your nose as you slide open the heavy door. A quite clam comes over you as the only break of the silence you hear is the ever turning of the fan. The room is chilled, but vibrant. Various posters and pictures of friends and family are scattered along the walls. A student lives here, rows of books line the shelves: Calculus, German, History and a wide variety of reading material. On the desk sits a fishbowl; insides is a lively, blue/redish colored fish. He swims in between the pillars and around the white weeds. Blue and white rocks cover the bottom of the bowl. Looking onto the floor; it is pretty well kept. A few bags are strewn over the place. A water bottle or two lies on the shaggy, black rug. The unwatched TV haunts from the corner, daring someone to watch it. The couch and chair are full, but remain empty of human existence. Atop of the small fridge sits a wide variety of food: soup, vitamin water, snack packs, chips, candy, and twinkies. On the opposite side of the room, sits a very messy, unorganized desk. Books, water bottles, and varies hair products lay across the entire desk; along with paper, pens, and other school materials. The beds, however, match the previous desk. Both unmade and unkempt; blankets and sheets are trying to crawl down over the railings and down the steps. One bed even has a sock peeking out between the mattress and the railing. This room, good as it may smell, needs some tiding up.

Memorial Stadium

2007-09-17T16:05:00.001-05:00

I don't think you can grow up in Nebraska and never see Memorial Stadium. I have only ever been to one Husker game in my entire life but every time I watch a game the feeling that you get when you are in the stadium comes back to me. To hear the roar of the crowd, see the sea of red, and feel the excitement in the air makes everything come alive. It's amazing to see the devotion of the Nebraska fans. No matter how badly they lose, how bad the season was, or how bad of plays Callahan called everyone is always behind them one hundred percent.
To see the stadium gave me chills. To know that history is made in side those walls. To see the structure of the building and know that there is nothing greater than a Husker and God in the state of Nebraska. I love watching the Husker games. I love the excitement I get when the Huskers score a touchdown. Being around friends and family during a Husker game is just a way of life.
When I see the stadium it's hard not to think about some 80,000 fans screaming in the stands. When I went to see the stadium Sunday night it was eerie to think that the night before Nebraska played USC and although they did lose, I still love them. They are still my team and I still support them. It was so much fun seeing Memorial Stadium, standing in the front with the statues of the football players, looking at when they won national championships and knowing that Nebraska fans are the greatest fans in college football.

Victim of Beating is Fighting for His Life

2007-09-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

What is wrong with people our age today? Since when did it become cool to be so tough? I read the article in the Omaha World Herald about a father being almost beaten to death by his sons rivals from Weeping Water. He had no idea what he was walking into when he stepped outside the door to tell those kids to leave. It's sad to see people my age today making stupid mistakes, thinking that they are the shit. They didn't even take the time to notice that they weren't even beating up the right person. Teenagers today don't care today. They don't care that we are the laziest generation and it really makes me mad. We have all this new technology, all this good we could accomplish and we could invent so much to help people; but no, everything has to be taken for granted. Nowadays, life is expected to be handed to you on a silver platter. Parents are considered horrible if they don't buy their child a car for their sixteenth birthday. Teens don't care about life beyond their own two feet. All they care about is the latest thing. What's new, what's hot. Anything that will affect their lives is all they care about.
What is so horrible about this story is that they came back with bats. They had the intention to hurt someone very badly. Even though they had already had a fight they felt the need to come back and beat the crap out of them. How could something like this get started. Why do people have to let drama get in the way of everything? I just want to be like who cares, why does it matter anyway. Why do people let this stuff affect them like this? I wish people would learn that it's not all about themselves, other people matter to.

National Museum of Roller Skating

2007-09-10T21:31:00.000-05:00

As a kid I used to roller skate with my friends all the time so visiting the National Museum of Roller Skating was an intriguing experience. I learned that skating was more than just a hobby; it was an actual sport where people competed. It was so much fun to see all the different types of roller skating competitions. You could compete in figure skating, speed skating, and off-road skating.

I think my favorite part of the exhibit was the figure skating exhibit. In fact, I never knew that there was any other types of figure skating than ice skating. It was really cool to see the different types of costumes and the skaters. Even Tara Lipinski was a roller skater before she was an ice skater. She was my favorite ice skater in the Olympics when I was younger.

Seeing how the roller skate was invented was really cool. To see the evolution of the wheel and the how it was made was probably my second favorite part of the exhibit. Roller skates were invented by Joseph Merlin in 1760. He wore them to a party where he crashed into an expensive mirror. After that he did not have much interest in roller skates but other inventors produce roller skate models. And by 1990 in-line skating and in-line hockey were the two most popular sports in America.

The roller skating museum was such a fun place to visit and see how big roller skating used to be. I don’t think it is as popular as it once was but my friends and I had a fun trip down memory lane seeing all those old advertisements, toys and even some skates that looked like the ones we had when we were kids. It was definitely an enjoyably visit that I will remember.

Post I: Discourse Surrounding the Essay

2007-09-03T22:27:00.000-05:00

- Justin Kaplan in "What Is an Essay?"

What is an essay, and what, if anything, is it about? "Formal" and "informal", "personal", "familiar", "review-essay", "article-essay", "critical essay", essays literary, biographical, polemic, and historical- the standard litcrit lexicon and similar attempts at a genre definition and subclassification in the end simply tell you how like an eel this essay creature is. It wriggles between narcissism and detachment, opinion and fact, the private party and the public meeting...

Kaplan states that an essay is like an eel in how it wriggles its way through many subjects. Write an essay about yourself or a personal experience. What about a historical essay or even a scientific one? Got opinions, write about it. Let the world know about what kind of facts and statistics are out there. This, I believe is completely true. An essay is not poetry or fiction. It is cold, hard facts. Whether it is formal, personal, scientific or opinionated, it is all about the truth.
To answer his question: “What is an essay, and what, if anything, is it about?” I say an essay is a piece of writing about any factual or truthful subject. It allows a writer to express themselves with very little restrictions; and as Kaplan describes an essay is very complex, yet simple. It has no genre classification, but anyone can write an essay. Poetry, on the other hand, limits a writer on how many syllables or words it can contain. A poem will not allow a full explanation of the truth. And yet an essay’s only restriction is that it can not expand the world of reason. It must contain truth and only truth; if not an essay then becomes fiction, a short story. Kaplan’s listings of what people will identify with when writing an essay is outstanding. There are no rules when it comes to what an essay’s subject can be about. From a person who has written many essays in my time I find that essays are the easiest form of writing. There is no length or preference to what it can contain and as my teacher once told me; an essay is like a skirt, it should be long enough to keep it covered yet short enough to keep it interesting.

Post 01: Test Post

2007-08-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

First Post.