Last One

At first when I heard we had to write blogs, I really did not want to. First of all, we already had a lot of writing to do and, putting a blog each week on top of that seemed a bit too much. I also thought that a blog was a lot like a journal and I would not like it. However, once we started writing them, I started to like them; especially some of the topics. I am actually really glad that we did the blogs because they turned out to be my favorite part of the class. I did not mind writing a blog about what is going on in my life, especially compared to the papers we had to write.
During this blog I learned that writing them is a lot of fun. Everyone likes talking about themselves so why not write about it too. But on a serious note, I think the blog actually opens you up and allows you to write what you are thinking and not just what the teacher wants to hear. Hopefully I will get the initiative to continue blogs even though I doubt it. I would definitely suggest blogs because although they seem like they would be a pain, they are actually kind of enjoyable. As for advice, I would say write in the blogs as if no one else is reading them. If you open up and do not hold back, it is usually more interesting and real. I would also suggest picking topics you have a lot of knowledge about. This way you will be able to meet the word requirement and you will not be boring.

Normal Normal

The town of Normal is not bad. A lot of people think that it is crappy but from my experience, there is plenty to do and a lot to see. My only discretion with Normal, Il is that it is anti-college if u will. My reasoning behind this is the laws that they have set. One being that you cannot transport a keg after ten or ten-thirty. Another being that to get into bars you have to be 21 unless it is rented out by a frat. This makes sense but in most college towns like Champagn and Carbondale, they lowered the age to 19. This being said, I like the town of Normal and there is a lot to stay busy.
My first suggestion for someone visiting the area would be to go to the movie theatre in uptown Normal. It’s an old fashioned movie theatre with crazy lights and just one room. Beverages and popcorn are only a dollar and with a student I.D. addmission is only $5.50. The theatre only shows old movies and documentaries so you are always getting a piece of history or some sort of information. The theatre also briefly talk about the history of the theatre and show a cartoon before the film. I saw Winchester ’73 which was an awesome western fil and they showed Salamity Sam and Bugs Bunny before it. Another suggestion I would have for someone visiting Normal is to go to Brewhaus for lunch. A burger basket is only $2.50 and it’s a great burger. You have to go for lunch though because the kitchen closes at six. For dinner I would suggest going to Pub II or go to Bloomington and eat at Meatheads which has awesome burgers and fries but is a little more pricey and more of a fastfood restaurant. For the outdoor experience, I would suggest going to Lake Bloomington and walking around and fishing, or to Comlara Park which is right across highway 39. If you want some exercise I would take a jog on Constitution Trail or just run a round campus. I would also suggest heading over to the Bloomington mall and doing some shopping if that is what you like to do. I would not, however, suggest going to Chicago. The two towns are very hard to compare because they are so different and there is so much to see in both of them that I would make separate trips for them.

Thanks God for the Summertime

There are only about 6 or so weeks left of school and I am looking forward to summer a lot. I have a lot of plans for this summer and I hope that I can accomplish all of them but with work it may be hard. This summer, I will continue my job as a truck driver and helicopter loader for a crop dusting company in Dekalb, Il. The only difference this year is that I will start in the spring, late May, by spraying gypsy moth in their larvae stage in the suburbs. I will also be building a new truck by welding new tanks on and getting all of the pumps hooked up and working. The normal spraying season starts around the fourth of July.

I will also be going on many vacations this summer in between the spraying seasons. Right when school gets out I will go on the usual vacation down to St. Petersburg, FL to my friend’s vacation house. We’ll go there for about a week to get all the stress of school off and get a nice tan to start off the summer. I am also planning a road trip with the same group of friends that I normally go to Florida with. Our plans are to spend a few days driving to California and then staying there a few nights at one of my friend’s cousin’s house in San Francisco. On the long journey to Cali we will stop a few times to camp in tents wherever we want. We’ll shower at truck stops and live on the road. I think this should be really fun since we’ve never done anything like it before.

I am also going to South Dakota with my dad to go prairie dog hunting. We have done this three times already but this year we will be going to the black hills in the southwest corner of South Dakota which is a lot different than the barren northern tip that we are used to seeing. We are also going to a different guide than normal and we will be staying in cabins rather than a motel. The cabins do not have bathrooms but there is a lounge with one and that is where all of our meals will be eaten and hunters can hang out and exchange stories. There is also a campfire every night by the cabins so hunters can have fun. I am looking forward to this summer a lot and I can’t wait for sun, the ocean, bonfires, cooking out, boating, and having a good time.

Environmental Illinois

Since I am new to Illinois State University this semester, I felt like I should try to get involved so that I could meet people since most people met right away last semester because no one knew anyone else. Since I am a renewable energy major, I decided that it would be a good idea to attend a speech about the environment put on by an organization called Environmental Illinois. I thought the speech would go over strategies to help the environment and give interesting ideas on what can be done, however, all the speech did was talk about the problems with the environment. I was very disappointed with it because most people already know there is a problem with the environment and that’s why they would attend a speech like that one.
There were five speakers and all of them said basically the same thing. One of them worked at a Bloomington, IL solar energy company but she did not really give enough information about it and I was looking forward to learning more about it. Another speaker was actually taught by Al Gore to give a speech about his movie An Inconvenient Truth which I thought was very interesting even though I disagree with much of the movie and do not like Al Gore, however, she did not actually give the speech, instead she talked about the fact that that’s what she does.
Although I was fairly disappointed in the content of the speeches, I think that gatherings and environmental organizations like that are important and all of the speakers do good for the environment. Everyone was also very friendly, with greeters at the door, and very casual and friendly speakers. The overall mood was very bright with joking from the speakers, even though they were talking about the problems with the environment. I did not actually meet any people, which was disappointing, but it was worth a shot. I hope to continue to go to speeches like this and hopefully the future ones will give more information, and I will be able to meet some people with similar views.

Spring Break

In the past, I have gone to St. Petersburg, Florida for Spring Break since my freshman year of high school.  This year, however, my dad asked me to go to Missouri with him to hunt snow geese for the second time.  Since I had just gone to Florida over Christmas Break, I figured I should go with my dad because it was more important.  So my dad and I drove six and a half hours to St. Joseph, Missouri.  This was much different than most places we stayed on hunting trip because it was actually a city, and not just a town with only a gas station, maybe.  Most people shoot around a hundred snow geese in this special season because they are migrating and they are overpopulated and there is no limit.  However, this was not the case for us.  Last year we did not fire our gun once and this year we only shot fifteen geese.  We may sound like bad hunters but that does not have anything to do with it. It is all about the weather and it was not in our favor.  The second day of our trip we got stormed out and drove forty-five minutes to Kansas City, Kansas to a Cabelas.  It was actually nice to sleep in because the other two days we woke up at 4:30 AM to go to the field and meet our guide. 

I got back from the trip on Tuesday, February 10^th.  It was good to be home and see the rest of my family but it was short lived because I went to Dubuque, IA the next day, to visit my friends at Loras College, which is where I went last semester.  I had a really good time visiting them and it was very odd to be back but after a while it was as if I had never left.  My friends convinced me to stay two nights and I am glad that I did because I miss them a lot.  Then I went home to finish out my eventful Spring Break and I relaxed for a few days and took care of everything I needed to get ready for college.  My mom drove me back to ISU last night and was finally able to see my dorm and go out to dinner with me.  It was a good Spring Break and I cannot wait for Summer in 8 short weeks.

Blog 8 Without College

If I had the $60,000 that it will most likely cost for college, I would most likely use it as a down payment for a plot of land in the woods that connect with the land that my family owns.  It would be nice to buy land that connects with the woods that I live in now because if I ever inherited the land, I would already own a piece and it would be even larger.  I love the area that I live in now because it is beautiful woods and prairies and that is what I miss the most when I am away at college in a city.

Then I would most likely work for my dad doing construction or driving a semi for my stepmom’s trucking company.  I would live at home so I could raise enough money to pay off the land and have a nice truck and also be able to eventually build a house on that land.  Working for the trucking company would not be very difficult because I already have my Commercial Drivers License (CDL).  However, being a trucker would be very boring and is not a job for someone that is young to do all the time.

I would also get a dog.  I really wanted to get a hunting dog last summer but I was unable to because I was going away to college in the fall and my mom would have to assume the responsibilities of a puppy when she already has 2 dogs to take care of.  So if I were not at college, I would have a dog, most likely a wirehaired German Pointer, because I think they are cool looking and they are pointers.  They look a lot like a mutt of some kind.

With all of this said, there are a lot of things that I would have liked to do but was unable to because of college.  I will also have a large amount of debt, but in the long run, the education is completely worth it.  When I get out of school I will hopefully get to do all of the things I mentioned and more because, hopefully, I will have a good job in Renewable Energy.  I also feel that most people are not ready for the real world when they get out of high school and college is a good transition and a time to mature.

Incoming Freshman

            Surviving college is very simple.  The first thing that you should know about college is that it is much harder than high school.  You have a lot of free time, which is great, but you have to manage it well with the large amount of studying and homework you have.  General education is completely pointless and its renaissance belief is completely outdated and used as an excuse for universities to suck more money out of you.  However, gen eds are still very important because they make up the start of your GPA and are what determine whether or not you get into your major.   Try as hard as you can to suffer through them and get to your major classes that actually matter.

Another thing you should know is that getting involved is important.  Getting involved makes time management easier because rather than sitting around all day playing halo and then studying right before you go to bed, you will have set times that you have to do your activities and then in your spare time you will be more likely to spend it doing something productive rather than just sitting around doing nothing.  Getting involved also makes it so that you do not go insane from just studying all the time.  It also allows you to meet people with similar interests.

There is also a stigma at ISU and campuses all over the United States that drinking is a huge problem and everyone in college is an alcoholic.  This stigma should be broken because the town of Normal has many laws and law enforcement that keeps parties somewhat under control.  Another thing to consider is that not everyone drinks and there are PLENTY of things to do to stay out of trouble on the weekends. 

Exercise is also very important.  Exercising also gives you something to do in your spare-time and makes up for the unhealthy cafeteria food that is easy to give in to.  Exercise is also important because most people did sports in high school but do not in college.  This makes a big difference in your metabolism.  Exercise also makes you feel better about yourself, sleep better, and essentially get better grades.

There are a lot of things to know before going to college.  Some of these things I was told, and some of them I had to learn on my own.  You too will learn a lot in the first few months.  Good luck.

MTV's The Real World

My favorite T.V. show is the Real World on MTV.  This show is a reality show as the title infers and most people have heard of the show because it has been on air since 1992 and is usually popular with a younger audience.  The purpose of the show is to document six selected people that do not know each other before the show, as they are put in a house in a major city.  This situation usually creates a lot of drama that people can enjoy because most of the roommate’s time is spent in the enormous house without a T.V. or cell phones.   Their only means of communication is one telephone and one computer.  When the roommates are not in the room, they are usually out at bars, which also creates a lot of drama and entertainment for the viewers to enjoy.  Alcohol usually creates a lot of the unnecessary drama and I am sure it is provided by the producers and MTV to make the show more interesting. 

The reason I enjoy watching this show is because of all of the stupidity that is displayed.  It is very entertaining to watch these people make fools of themselves.  I think it is also entertaining because they choose people to create awkward situations.  For example, they will have a deeply religious person in the same house as a homosexual.  Most of the roommates have differing opinions which makes things interesting.  Another appealing aspect is that they usually choose attractive people.  Sometimes these people have relationships before they go on the show and they almost never succeed in making it the six months.

The Real World is currently in a season that takes place in Boston.  The roommates include: a Mormon, an African American conservative, an Iraq war veteran, a model, a dancer, a Latin homosexual, a transsexual, and another girl that does not have anything extraordinary other than a tattoo sleeve.  This is a very interesting combination of people and provides a lot of entertainment.  The four guys are constantly pulling pranks on the girls such as buying a rat and putting it in two of the girl’s beds.  There are a lot of conflicting interests and lifestyles that make this season very interesting to watch.  The show is on every Wednesday at 9 P.M. and you can start watching the show at anytime throughout the season since there is no plot.  I highly suggest watching this show for some good entertainment on a weekday. 

Corona Commercial

The commercial that sticks out in my mind is very simple.  It is an advertisement for Corona.  The commercial takes place on a beach, as most of them do, and all it is, is a Corona sitting, by itself, on a table in between two beach chairs, with a lime sticking out of the top.  There is no one around.  No one is even in the commercial.  This allows the person viewing the commercial to feel like they are actually there and it is their beer.  The creators of the commercial possibly wanted the viewer to think that having a Corona is the same feeling as sitting on the serene beach.  The commercial just gives a feeling of relaxation and serenity.  There is nothing that stands out, which in turn makes it stand out.  I remember seeing it the first time and being confused.  That’s why it stuck out in my mind; it was so simple that it was different from other commercials.  It most likely also stands out in my mind because I can relate to the feeling and emotion that the commercial is trying to evoke.  I go to Florida a few times a year, and it is very similar to the scene produced.  There is nothing but the sound of waves, seagulls, and pelicans with the exception of a few people walking or running by on the pure white sand.  This commercial does a good job of name recognition with the label displayed toward the camera and it seems to be a well made commercial, even though it is very simple, so people watching would recognize Corona as a high quality beer.  Although I am not of age yet, I can see how this commercial would make its viewers want to purchase this product.

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

The book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is about an egocentric young guy that goes on drunken adventures and documents them as entertainment for everyone.  He started documenting these adventures on his website tuckermax.com and after he got so much publicity he wrote this book.  The man is completely utterly insane and yet I find myself unable to put the book down.  The book keeps the reader very interested in what moron things his friends and he will do next. 

            My best friend, Cameron, introduced me to this book while we were down at his Florida house over Christmas Break.  His older sister gave it to him.  She reads about a novel a day.  She basically reads like it’s her job, and she somehow heard about this guys website and book and decided to figure out what it was all about.  She read the book and for some reason thought that it was a good thing for her little brother to read.  I borrowed the book while we were down in Florida and I would read it anywhere I could, in the boat, on the dock, or on the beach.  I almost finished the book before the trip was over but when I got back to dreary Illinois, I saw that a revised and expanded version came out so I purchased the book for sixteen bucks at Barnes and Noble. 

            A quick overview of the book is that it’s about Tucker Max, a son of an incredibly wealthy attorney.  Tucker went to University of Chicago for undergraduate school and then to Duke Law School.  He is an insane genius.  After breezing his way through law school he realizes he hates law and loves writing.  This was after he started the website.  So now he makes millions of dollars by telling his drunken adventures of debauchery and promiscuousness.  I would highly recommend the book to any guy in college.  There is no way that you will not enjoy it.  The book is easily related to, either you will relate to it, or you will be able to relate a moron friend to it.

UFC

For those that do not know what UFC is, it is mixed martial arts fighting inside of an octagon-shaped, fighting area that is enclosed by about six feet of fence.  Mixed martial arts is a combination of kickboxing, judo, karate, wrestling, and any form of fighting mixed into one big fight.  There are a few ways that a fighter wins; they can submit someone which means that they tap out to stop themselves from breaking a bone or passing out; knocking someone out by kicks, punches, flying knees; technical knockouts, which is when a doctor stops the fight to prevent permanent damage to a fighter; or by decision which means that judges that are all around the cage give scores based on the number of landed punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and other factors.

This weekend, Saturday January 31, 2009, there is going to be a title fight between George St. Pierre (GSP) and BJ Penn.  GSP is the Welterweight Champion of UFC because he beat the former champion, Matt Serra, almost easily.  He is a naturally fit, French-Canadian.  His opponent, Penn is the Lightweight Champion of UFC and is from Hawaii.  He does not appear to be very fit but he is clearly a very good fighter and is also a very natural fighter.  He gained weight so that he could face GSP so that he can prove himself as a fighter, and maybe partly because he will get paid more to have another title fight.  Welterweight fighters are 156-170 pounds while Lightweight fighters are 146-155 pounds and Penn is a normally a big Lightweight and GSP is a big Welterweight.  This is a much-anticipated fight among UFC enthusiasts.   These fights are only available on  Pay-Per-View and are $40 to purchase, however, they are usually shown at sports bars or restaurants such as Hooters or Buffalo Wilwings.

 

Inauguration

The inauguration of President Obama is truly history.  That cannot be disputed.  Being the first African American to become president is obviously a gigantic accomplishment and is also a big step for our country with a past of racism and segregation just thirty years ago and some continuing today.  This being said, I did not view the inauguration of President Obama as something to be compared to the time JFK died or the September 11^th attacks.  I do not think that people will look at this moment in history with such remembrance, simply because aside from becoming president, he has not done anything good enough to be revered so much.  This moment in history does not deserve to be classified with such enormous moments in history.  His resume is not impressive enough for me to be excited yet.  This also being said, I hope that President Obama proves me wrong and does an exceptional job as president and most importantly with our economy.

   This inauguration, I was not able to watch at first because of class, however, I looked the event up on the Internet shortly after class because my friend called me and told me to watch the Oath of Office because Obama messed it up.  I immediately uploaded the video on CNN.com to see what he was talking about.  Obama did in fact mess up because he forgot what he was supposed to repeat, but the Chief Justice also messed up when he tried to repeat what he said to Obama.  So the mess up was, in part, both of their faults, even though it is pretty bad that he forgot a simple line.  Other than that I was not able to watch much of the inauguration.  I watched clips of the Youth Ball on MTV.com.  I watched his speech, which was all about the youth, obviously, and how much they impacted the election, which I very true.  I also watched his dance with the first lady and some interviews with celebrities such as Usher.  I also watched the performances of Kanye West and Young Jeezy.  The performances were very good and even though I doubt Young Jeezy actually wrote the song, I am impressed that a song came out about the president so fast. 

                 

  This inauguration was in fact, a moment in history, however, I don’t think that it was that significant.  Every inauguration has been a huge even and I do not feel that this was any exception.  Journalists were saying how they have never seen such a turnout at an inauguration because people were turned away because they did not have enough room for all the tickets sold, but they must not have ever gone to one in the past because someone from the Inauguration Board was getting interviewed and said that this has happened at every inauguration ceremony.  I think that Obama is blown up to be something a lot bigger than he actually is, yet, but I hope that he lives up to it and does something exceptional for our country.   

Introduction Blog #1

I have been born and raised in a small town in Illinois called Monroe Center. It is a town of 500 people and I live a few miles outside of it. Many people think that it would suck to live out in the country so far, but I love it and would never want to live in the city. It is also enjoyable because Rockford, IL, which is the second largest city in Illinois, is only fifteen minutes away so it is very accessible for jobs and recreation. I have five sisters, three of them are 25, they are fraternal triplets, the other sister is 23 and then I have a half sister that is almost seven.  My parents divorced when I was five years old and my mom, five sisters, and I moved out to a small house which was also in the country. My mom and dad both got remarried a few years later and my mom and her new husband built a new house, when I was in third grade, on the land that he owned. This is where I currently live. The new house is in 100 acres of woods and is very scenic. The country is where I am meant to be because of all of the activities that I can do outdoors and enjoy God’s creation. I also like not having to deal with neighbors and not having to worry about anything. I went to a small school that is two towns west of where I live. My high school was only 640 people and I had a class of 140. I was incredibly active in high school and enjoyed it a lot. I played football and rugby and was in chorus, FFA, Renaissance Team, PEACE group, and Student Council. I have also been in seven high school plays since I was in fourth grade. In my spare time I like going to movies a lot with my friends and/or girlfriend and going out to dinner. I also like doing things outdoors, as mentioned before, such as hunting with my dad, tubing, badminton, biking, hiking, 4-wheeling,riding my motorcycle, and a lot of other outdoor activities. My friend’s family purchased a house in Florida when we were freshman in high school and we go there a few times a year. I like vacationing and seeing new things a lot.