Shire Time Session 13
Last Blog :’(
Well this is the last blog in The Shire. So let’s just make it a bunch of random thoughts:
I’m about to go to the beach for Easter so I’m sitting here listening to Jimmy Buffett, reminiscing about his concert in Raleigh two nights ago, which was awesome.
I need to go to 2 jazz concerts and write reviews by Wednesday for my MUSC 145 class, which if you’re looking for a VP credit it’s a pretty cool class. Difficult though.
Im up to 88 words, now 94, now 95, hahaha ohhhh that’s just funny.
Over the summer I’ll be a waiter at Tripp’s in Greensboro in New Garden, so if you in the area stop by for an awesome steak and tip me big ;)
The weather was soo awesome but today it’s looking a little rainy/ partly cloudy and a high of 73.
Interesting fact: I want a fancy smancy phone like everyone else with internet and coolio apps and stuff.
I’m supposed to be leaving for the beach now but I’m running a little and not packed yet…ut ohh Logan said she’s gonna kill me. I wish we had class again so I could tell you guys to call 911 if I didn’t show up but no I’m just doomed.
iPod is syncing for the trip.
226 words now, struggling but this helped a bit. Now I’m at 238.
I can’t decide whether I would want to eat a rotten egg or green ham? Quite a conundrum.
Do you think that if you switched brains with someone, you could think the same way or do people have completely different ways of thinking?
If we evolved from apes, why haven’t the apes evolved?
Did Adam (as in Adam and Eve) have a belly button because he was just created so there was no need for an umbilical cord but he was created in the image of us so he should have one? And Eve too because she was born out of a rib from Adam?
That’s kinda funny that men came before women and women came solely from man’s rib.
If we are at peak oil, why isn’t there more of a rush to find new energy sources?
Why can’t we develop a ray gun if we can clone sheep, if would be much more helpful.
Finally, why can’t it just be summer already?
Thanks
Thursday, April 21, 2011
GTA
Shire Time Session 12:
Grand Theft Auto
What is a fun game to play in the Shire? Tag, Red Rover, I Spy…nope Grand Theft Auto hahaha its funny because its sarcasm. How would crazy GTA things have anything to do with the natural beauty of a Shire?
So I was in a friend’s room this afternoon and he had just come home from Greensboro. He stole some more games from his brother because all we have played all year is Fifa 10 and then Fifa 11. (great timing on when to get new games Veazey, 2 weeks before we leave). One of the games he brought back was Grand Theft Auto IV, which if you haven’t ever played is full of guns, drugs, theft, murder, fighting, prostitution, crazy Russian mobsters…so basically its everything fun balled up into one.
My friend and I were talking and he said that 2 of our friends in middle schools stole some drinks from a gas station and when they got caught they said they did it because of Grand Theft Auto haha. But anyway, then they didn’t even get trouble; all that happened was that their GTA was taken so they couldn’t play. (real good parenting there).
This story got me thinking about the debate of whether Grand Theft Auto and similar games are too harsh. I still feel the same I always have about things like this; there’s no way a video game would ever make me more prone to murder or theft or something like that. Some people are just way too uptight and need to chill out and let their kids play some videogames.
However, with that being said I think there is definitely an age limit that needs to be enforced. I believe that 18 is fine because that really means like 15 or 16 and I think by 15 or 16 kids have a solid moral sense. Hopefully but times are changing I guess, getting more and more crime ridden. Parents just don’t raise us like they used to. No more paddling in school, well actually my elementary school in Alabama still paddled. It was intense and I’m glad I was never paddled.
I think we need to let kids be kids but then lay down the law when they cross the line.
Grand Theft Auto
What is a fun game to play in the Shire? Tag, Red Rover, I Spy…nope Grand Theft Auto hahaha its funny because its sarcasm. How would crazy GTA things have anything to do with the natural beauty of a Shire?
So I was in a friend’s room this afternoon and he had just come home from Greensboro. He stole some more games from his brother because all we have played all year is Fifa 10 and then Fifa 11. (great timing on when to get new games Veazey, 2 weeks before we leave). One of the games he brought back was Grand Theft Auto IV, which if you haven’t ever played is full of guns, drugs, theft, murder, fighting, prostitution, crazy Russian mobsters…so basically its everything fun balled up into one.
My friend and I were talking and he said that 2 of our friends in middle schools stole some drinks from a gas station and when they got caught they said they did it because of Grand Theft Auto haha. But anyway, then they didn’t even get trouble; all that happened was that their GTA was taken so they couldn’t play. (real good parenting there).
This story got me thinking about the debate of whether Grand Theft Auto and similar games are too harsh. I still feel the same I always have about things like this; there’s no way a video game would ever make me more prone to murder or theft or something like that. Some people are just way too uptight and need to chill out and let their kids play some videogames.
However, with that being said I think there is definitely an age limit that needs to be enforced. I believe that 18 is fine because that really means like 15 or 16 and I think by 15 or 16 kids have a solid moral sense. Hopefully but times are changing I guess, getting more and more crime ridden. Parents just don’t raise us like they used to. No more paddling in school, well actually my elementary school in Alabama still paddled. It was intense and I’m glad I was never paddled.
I think we need to let kids be kids but then lay down the law when they cross the line.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tiny Wings vs. Angry Birds
Tiny Wings vs. Angry Birds Another Great Debate?
By Staff Writer Evan Brown
What is The Shire always full of? Birds…duhhh
And iPods so we need to decide what app is better. The iPod App Team has a newcomer called Tiny Wings, while he is a young new recruit, his skills are already shining through. There is some tension within iPod App Team between the newcomer and the last year’s MVA (Most Valuable App) Angry Birds.
Angry Birds quoted 4 days ago saying, “Well personally I believe that [Tiny Wings] has a lot of growing up to do and while he does have the skills be a star, he doesn’t have the mental capacity to be a iPod App Team leader.” This rather harsh statement from Angry Birds sparked quite the response from Tiny wings.
Tiny Wings tweeted this two days later—“F**k Angry Birds. He is just an old grumpy man who isn’t comfortable with a new upcoming stud like me breathing down his neck. #toosicktocare #tiredofoldpeople #whohellisangrybirds #goaheadandretirebrettfarve.” This retaliation is sure to ignite even more tension between the two teammates. The future of iPod App Team is shaky at best.
The root of this debate is the stark success of Tiny Wings. In one week, he shot to the Number 1 Spot on Apple’s Top App List. February 18, 2011 it was announced and soon after Angry Birds retaliated by getting some new clothes and moving to Rio. His new version Angry Birds Rio was released a few weeks later.
This slick move by Angry Birds’ agent Rovio Mobile Ltd. shot Angry Birds back up to the top with style. The newly modified Angry Birds Rio said in an interview, “Recent events have just proven who is boss and that is me. [Tiny Wings] needs to accept defeat and realize that he gets boring way too fast.”
As of this morning Angry Birds is still above Tiny Wings; however, a newbie nautical bird-game named Air Penguin joined the team and slipped into the prized Number 1 position during Angry Bird and Tiny Wing’s feud. They were both simultaneously quoted as saying, “I don’t even have to worry [Air Penguin]; he’s got nothing on me. Give it a week he’ll be gone.”
Will the veterans be forced to retire cold turkey? We shall see in coming weeks.
Evan Brown
Staff Writer
WXXIVS News
Thursday, April 14, 2011
My Mom of the Subject of Eagles
What is better than wildlife in the Shire? Here is a guest post from my mother:
Put away your hiking boots; don’t worry about the weather forecast and stop looking for your binoculars and bug spray. Those items used to be a necessity if you wanted to experience the world of bird watching. I have been invading the privacy of an American bald eagle couple for about 3 weeks right from my own home thanks to a link a friend of mine sent me.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
The Raptor Resource Project is a non-profit group that specializes in preserving eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and ospreys. The group has positioned 2 live cams attached right next to the nest showing different angles that you can view 24/7. At night an infrared light (not visible to the eagles) comes on so we can still view them in the darkness while they are curled up protecting their young. These eagles have been together since 2007 and have raised 11 eaglets (including the 3 that have recently hatched). They live in Decorah, Iowa 80 feet up in a cottonwood tree overlooking a fish hatchery. The nest is over 6 feet long, 4 feet deep and weighs about 1000 pounds. Their first egg hatched on 4/2/11, the second on 4/3/11 and third on 4/5/11. You can watch inches away as both parents take turn sitting on the eggs before they hatched to witnessing the babies crack through their shells to now as both parents taking turns to bring food back to the nest such as squirrels, rabbits and fish. It is unbelievable to watch the adult come swooping down in the nest carrying the next meal. A microphone is also attached so you can hear doves coo, the wind blow and the rain fall. You listen as the eaglets chirp when they are hungry and hear the parents tear away at meat and bones from their prey. These raptors are huge with a wing span of 7 feet and are 3 ½ feet tall but to watch them take the meat in their beaks and so delicately put it in their babies’ mouth is amazing to watch……….and you wouldn’t be able to if you were walking on the ground with all the other birdwatchers with their binoculars. As I am writing this, I have the website pulled up and am watching both parents bring in more branches and twigs possibly to expand their already 6 foot long home to accommodate the lightening speed growth of their babies. The three siblings will stay with mom and dad for about three months while they mimic the survival skills of their parents preparing to start a life on their own.
So turn your computer on. Go sit outside with your laptop if you feel the need to breathe the fresh air. You can’t experience anything I’ve described by walking through the woods, marshlands or fields looking for birds while you swat mosquitoes.
Put away your hiking boots; don’t worry about the weather forecast and stop looking for your binoculars and bug spray. Those items used to be a necessity if you wanted to experience the world of bird watching. I have been invading the privacy of an American bald eagle couple for about 3 weeks right from my own home thanks to a link a friend of mine sent me.
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
The Raptor Resource Project is a non-profit group that specializes in preserving eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and ospreys. The group has positioned 2 live cams attached right next to the nest showing different angles that you can view 24/7. At night an infrared light (not visible to the eagles) comes on so we can still view them in the darkness while they are curled up protecting their young. These eagles have been together since 2007 and have raised 11 eaglets (including the 3 that have recently hatched). They live in Decorah, Iowa 80 feet up in a cottonwood tree overlooking a fish hatchery. The nest is over 6 feet long, 4 feet deep and weighs about 1000 pounds. Their first egg hatched on 4/2/11, the second on 4/3/11 and third on 4/5/11. You can watch inches away as both parents take turn sitting on the eggs before they hatched to witnessing the babies crack through their shells to now as both parents taking turns to bring food back to the nest such as squirrels, rabbits and fish. It is unbelievable to watch the adult come swooping down in the nest carrying the next meal. A microphone is also attached so you can hear doves coo, the wind blow and the rain fall. You listen as the eaglets chirp when they are hungry and hear the parents tear away at meat and bones from their prey. These raptors are huge with a wing span of 7 feet and are 3 ½ feet tall but to watch them take the meat in their beaks and so delicately put it in their babies’ mouth is amazing to watch……….and you wouldn’t be able to if you were walking on the ground with all the other birdwatchers with their binoculars. As I am writing this, I have the website pulled up and am watching both parents bring in more branches and twigs possibly to expand their already 6 foot long home to accommodate the lightening speed growth of their babies. The three siblings will stay with mom and dad for about three months while they mimic the survival skills of their parents preparing to start a life on their own.
So turn your computer on. Go sit outside with your laptop if you feel the need to breathe the fresh air. You can’t experience anything I’ve described by walking through the woods, marshlands or fields looking for birds while you swat mosquitoes.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Charlie Sheen
Shire Times Session 8
Charlie Sheen
The man, the myth, the lunatic genius:
· “I’m not Thomas Jefferson. He was a pussy.”
· “If you borrowed my brain for five seconds, you’d be like, ‘Dude! Can’t handle it, unplug this bastard!’ "It fires in a way that’s maybe not from, uh… this terrestrial realm.”
- "I was banging seven-gram rocks, because that’s how I roll. I have one speed, I have one gear: Go."
- "I am on a drug, it's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body."
- "I'm bi-winning."
- “I’m sorry man, I got magic and I’ve got poetry in my fingertips, you know, most of the time, and this includes naps."
- "I will not believe that if I do something then I have to follow a certain path because it was written for normal people. People who aren’t special. People who don’t have tiger blood and Adonis DNA."
- "The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards, all of them look like droopy-eyed armless children."
- "You can’t process me with a normal brain."
· “Winning”
I was just wondering why I haven’t blogged about Charlie Sheen yet; everyone else has and everyone has an opinion on him. If you haven’t been on the internet or watched TV in 2 weeks I’ll catch you up real fast. Charlie Sheen had an interview with CBS and basically said ridiculous stuff like the quotes I just wrote. He and his wife got a divorce and she got custody of the kids, now he lives with two porn stars, aka “The Goddesses.” Now the debate within me is whether he had a meltdown or epiphany.
He has made staggering amounts of money from Two and a Half Men, which reportedly paid him $1 million an episode. This is more than enough money but what is he doing now? Now Sheen is tweeting company names for money and is even in higher demand for endorsements; he is also webcasting with his “Goddesses” for a ridiculous amount of money. The work to money ratio has shifted drastically. Now he makes a million per Tweet, not per shoot.
So has Charlie Sheen gone insane or is this train wreck just an idea he thought would make him famous his addictions without doing a thing except Tweet 2 words?
Saturday, March 12, 2011
ACC vs. SEC
Shire Time Session 8…
ACC vs. SEC
While the battle of the conferences is one of physical geography for the most part, this battle is an internal one for me. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up in the sticks and boonies of Bama, a town called Smith’s Station. It was right on the Eastern and Central time change line which brought about tons of problems. Half the town was Eastern Time and half the town was Central Time. What the hell? Why would they do that? My intermediate school was on one time while my sister’s middle school was the other time. It was a huge mess every day and you think after years on this you would get used to it but you don’t.
Anyway, back to the discussion, so I was an Alabama fan from before I can remember and I honestly don’t know why. My dad and grandpa are die hard Tennessee fans; older sister and uncle are for Auburn; I was the only Bama fan until my dad got remarried. Therefore, the earlier years of my life were straight SEC but this soon changed.
5th grade I moved to Chapel Hill and in 7th grade I moved to Greensboro. I got a lot closer with my mom’s side of the family and a special area of my heart became ACC also. My mom’s entire family is from this area. My uncle is die hard Carolina, grandpa is die hard Wake, aunt and cousins die hard Dook. My problems and tension between the two conferences run deep. When I was deciding where to go to school I basically had to decide which side of my family I liked more, which sport I liked more basketball or football, which climate I liked more sizzling hot summers or snowy winters, which music I like more country or rap, which colors I like more…it was tough. I went ACC, cold, and Carolina blue and white; but I can’t deny that I still like football more and like both sides of the family in their own unique ways.
Also there was the issue of rivalries. Alabama-Auburn or Carolina-Duke? Although I chose the ACC. SEC will always rule in rivalries. There is something about the south and the steaming heat mixed with beer, shirtless rednecks, and football that just brings out the intensity of the rivalries. Carolina Duke is an awesome rivalry too but the conditions just aren’t right. We kill them in football and it’s not even close to a rivalry, then when Basketball season rolls around its cold and there aren’t are many rednecks ready to fight…it just isn’t the same intensity.
ACC vs. SEC
While the battle of the conferences is one of physical geography for the most part, this battle is an internal one for me. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama and grew up in the sticks and boonies of Bama, a town called Smith’s Station. It was right on the Eastern and Central time change line which brought about tons of problems. Half the town was Eastern Time and half the town was Central Time. What the hell? Why would they do that? My intermediate school was on one time while my sister’s middle school was the other time. It was a huge mess every day and you think after years on this you would get used to it but you don’t.
Anyway, back to the discussion, so I was an Alabama fan from before I can remember and I honestly don’t know why. My dad and grandpa are die hard Tennessee fans; older sister and uncle are for Auburn; I was the only Bama fan until my dad got remarried. Therefore, the earlier years of my life were straight SEC but this soon changed.
5th grade I moved to Chapel Hill and in 7th grade I moved to Greensboro. I got a lot closer with my mom’s side of the family and a special area of my heart became ACC also. My mom’s entire family is from this area. My uncle is die hard Carolina, grandpa is die hard Wake, aunt and cousins die hard Dook. My problems and tension between the two conferences run deep. When I was deciding where to go to school I basically had to decide which side of my family I liked more, which sport I liked more basketball or football, which climate I liked more sizzling hot summers or snowy winters, which music I like more country or rap, which colors I like more…it was tough. I went ACC, cold, and Carolina blue and white; but I can’t deny that I still like football more and like both sides of the family in their own unique ways.
Also there was the issue of rivalries. Alabama-Auburn or Carolina-Duke? Although I chose the ACC. SEC will always rule in rivalries. There is something about the south and the steaming heat mixed with beer, shirtless rednecks, and football that just brings out the intensity of the rivalries. Carolina Duke is an awesome rivalry too but the conditions just aren’t right. We kill them in football and it’s not even close to a rivalry, then when Basketball season rolls around its cold and there aren’t are many rednecks ready to fight…it just isn’t the same intensity.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Summer Projects
Shire Time Session 7…
Summer Projects--What does every Shire need? Some landscaping and furniture!
So I’m contemplating what to do in my spare time over the summer and I have some solid possibilities; but I don’t know if I have the motivation to do everything but I’ll try. There are 2 possible projects: build a fire pit and re-landscape my girlfriend’s back yard and build a nightstand and bookshelf for my apartment next year. The trick to both of these is to do them for almost no money because I don’t want to spend any, nor has college left me with any.
This is a basic aerial paint picture of my girlfriend’s backyard. The white is the house, light grey is the patio, and the green is the yard and brown the woods. I want to add a the red fire pit with the dark grey stone surrounding and the yellow hammock with the light grey stone path and the flowers around the borders.
It might sound weird working on my girlfriend’s backyard but I like doing stuff like this and it never hurts getting in better with the girlfriend’s parents, duh. Anyway, I think it would look good and shouldn’t be too expensive if I can find the materials cheap (although I’m not paying for this they don’t want to spend much either). I’m thinking instead of buying a fire pit stone kit, I will just buy random stones and piece them together with concrete. Also, I want to add the flowers around the border of the house and patio because it’s just dull now. After this I think it will look pretty cool and I’ll want to sit outside there more.
Next year I am living in an apartment and it’s not furnished and I don’t want to spend money on furniture so I’m trying to think outside the box. I’m going to get those big wire spools that construction companies and people use and mess around with them. I’ll sand them down and add sealant then a big spool is now a medium sized table. I want to also cut a big one in half vertically so that it is a semicircle and sand, finish, seal that so that is can be put against a wall and be a cool like hall table or something.
Then I want to build a bookshelf. I can’t decide between one that is traditional and stands by itself or one that doesn’t actually come away from the wall for a couple feet so it can go over a bed. I’m not sure but either way it’ll be interesting to make.
Nothing like a little TLC to make the Shire a better place!
Summer Projects--What does every Shire need? Some landscaping and furniture!
So I’m contemplating what to do in my spare time over the summer and I have some solid possibilities; but I don’t know if I have the motivation to do everything but I’ll try. There are 2 possible projects: build a fire pit and re-landscape my girlfriend’s back yard and build a nightstand and bookshelf for my apartment next year. The trick to both of these is to do them for almost no money because I don’t want to spend any, nor has college left me with any.
It might sound weird working on my girlfriend’s backyard but I like doing stuff like this and it never hurts getting in better with the girlfriend’s parents, duh. Anyway, I think it would look good and shouldn’t be too expensive if I can find the materials cheap (although I’m not paying for this they don’t want to spend much either). I’m thinking instead of buying a fire pit stone kit, I will just buy random stones and piece them together with concrete. Also, I want to add the flowers around the border of the house and patio because it’s just dull now. After this I think it will look pretty cool and I’ll want to sit outside there more.
Next year I am living in an apartment and it’s not furnished and I don’t want to spend money on furniture so I’m trying to think outside the box. I’m going to get those big wire spools that construction companies and people use and mess around with them. I’ll sand them down and add sealant then a big spool is now a medium sized table. I want to also cut a big one in half vertically so that it is a semicircle and sand, finish, seal that so that is can be put against a wall and be a cool like hall table or something.
Then I want to build a bookshelf. I can’t decide between one that is traditional and stands by itself or one that doesn’t actually come away from the wall for a couple feet so it can go over a bed. I’m not sure but either way it’ll be interesting to make.
Nothing like a little TLC to make the Shire a better place!
“The Adjustment Bureau”
Shire Time Session 6…
“The Adjustment Bureau” Movie Review
What if your whole life was planned out and you were just fulfilling that plan? You had the ability to make small choices like what you want to drink and eat or what flavor toothpaste you want but the major life decisions weren’t decided by you. What if there was a team of overseers, or “The Adjustment Bureau”, that looked over the whole world and manipulated certain people so they unknowingly made a better decision for the future of the world. This Adjustment Bureau was made up of “angels” that were more like case workers for the big man upstairs. They made sure that his plan was carried out so that the world could continue to grow and exist.
But what if you accidentally met the girl of your dreams that you were never suppose to meet? If you were told that by being with the woman you truly love, you would destroy both of your dreams, what would you do?
This is the basic concept of “The Adjustment Bureau.” While it sounds like a love story, which it is, it is more of an action/thriller with a big dose of philosophy tossed in. This is just my type of movie, something that makes me want more or have more drive in my own life. Obviously the main character, played by Matt Damon, decides to go after the girl; otherwise, there would be no point to the movie. He shows such determination and drive that I was left with many feelings: first, I want to have as much drive for something as grand as his in this movie; second, I want to have something happen to seriously test my drive in an action packed way; third, I want to have the ability to teleport by opening doors; and forth, I want to be in an action packed chase for something I truly believe in through the streets of New York City.
Matt Damon, George Clooney, Sean Connery, and Clint Eastwood are my favorite actors in that order; so obviously, I had to go see this movie. Matt Damon is an extremely talented actor in my opinion. Even in dud movies his acting is still great, such as in “Hereafter.” So I was interested to see if he could keep it up—he did. He was great in this movie and it just pushed him higher up on my list of top actors.
“The Adjustment Bureau” Movie Review
What if your whole life was planned out and you were just fulfilling that plan? You had the ability to make small choices like what you want to drink and eat or what flavor toothpaste you want but the major life decisions weren’t decided by you. What if there was a team of overseers, or “The Adjustment Bureau”, that looked over the whole world and manipulated certain people so they unknowingly made a better decision for the future of the world. This Adjustment Bureau was made up of “angels” that were more like case workers for the big man upstairs. They made sure that his plan was carried out so that the world could continue to grow and exist.
But what if you accidentally met the girl of your dreams that you were never suppose to meet? If you were told that by being with the woman you truly love, you would destroy both of your dreams, what would you do?
This is the basic concept of “The Adjustment Bureau.” While it sounds like a love story, which it is, it is more of an action/thriller with a big dose of philosophy tossed in. This is just my type of movie, something that makes me want more or have more drive in my own life. Obviously the main character, played by Matt Damon, decides to go after the girl; otherwise, there would be no point to the movie. He shows such determination and drive that I was left with many feelings: first, I want to have as much drive for something as grand as his in this movie; second, I want to have something happen to seriously test my drive in an action packed way; third, I want to have the ability to teleport by opening doors; and forth, I want to be in an action packed chase for something I truly believe in through the streets of New York City.
Matt Damon, George Clooney, Sean Connery, and Clint Eastwood are my favorite actors in that order; so obviously, I had to go see this movie. Matt Damon is an extremely talented actor in my opinion. Even in dud movies his acting is still great, such as in “Hereafter.” So I was interested to see if he could keep it up—he did. He was great in this movie and it just pushed him higher up on my list of top actors.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Legalization of a Special Plant that is Currently Illegal in Most States
Shire Time Session 5…
What do you think Gandalf and Bilbo were smoking in their pipe? This was an intense discussion me and my roommate had the other night. I thought it was just pipe tobacco but then Jamie, my roommate, had an exceedingly interesting point—Gandalf smokes his pipe when he wants to calm down and get a better perspective on his current situation. “So what?” you might ask, “tobacco can calm you down and clear your thoughts; yes it can but then why does Gandalf walk away from other people when he smokes his pipe? It is almost like it is shunned upon in society. I don’t know… you take your choice but I’m gonna agree with Jamie; I think he is smoking marijuana. Also he always seems to smoke in different towns, sometimes in Rohan, other times it’s the Elvin bud. While this is all just in some books and movies, there is a real debate going on over the legalization of weed.
Proposition 19 is an initiative that had high hopes for legalizing cannabis in California; however, it failed to pass a couple months ago. The debate of Proposition 19 brought up a lot of thoughts and emotions on the topic. Personally, I think it should have passed and I believe it will pass in 3 or 4 years. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks; our economy and society would prosper from this. Economically, the sale of cannabis would stimulate the economy and provide tons of tax money for the government. The sales of weed, weed smoking devices, and probably even grocery store sales, due to the munchies, would bring vast amounts of money into California.
The opponents of this proposition claim that crime rates would increase and everyone would basically turn into pot heads; this just isn’t true. The crime would actually probably lower after an initial upswing. Once local businesses start producing weed, no criminals will smuggle anymore in because it is produced locally now and is a lot cheaper. Although more people will smoke, the increase in number of weed smokers that these opponents suggest won’t cause “pot heads.” Weed is so easy to come by that if someone had potential to be a pot head, they would regardless of the law. In the end I believe this proposition would stimulate the economy and only slight changes would occur to the crime rate.
What do you think Gandalf and Bilbo were smoking in their pipe? This was an intense discussion me and my roommate had the other night. I thought it was just pipe tobacco but then Jamie, my roommate, had an exceedingly interesting point—Gandalf smokes his pipe when he wants to calm down and get a better perspective on his current situation. “So what?” you might ask, “tobacco can calm you down and clear your thoughts; yes it can but then why does Gandalf walk away from other people when he smokes his pipe? It is almost like it is shunned upon in society. I don’t know… you take your choice but I’m gonna agree with Jamie; I think he is smoking marijuana. Also he always seems to smoke in different towns, sometimes in Rohan, other times it’s the Elvin bud. While this is all just in some books and movies, there is a real debate going on over the legalization of weed.
Proposition 19 is an initiative that had high hopes for legalizing cannabis in California; however, it failed to pass a couple months ago. The debate of Proposition 19 brought up a lot of thoughts and emotions on the topic. Personally, I think it should have passed and I believe it will pass in 3 or 4 years. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks; our economy and society would prosper from this. Economically, the sale of cannabis would stimulate the economy and provide tons of tax money for the government. The sales of weed, weed smoking devices, and probably even grocery store sales, due to the munchies, would bring vast amounts of money into California.
The opponents of this proposition claim that crime rates would increase and everyone would basically turn into pot heads; this just isn’t true. The crime would actually probably lower after an initial upswing. Once local businesses start producing weed, no criminals will smuggle anymore in because it is produced locally now and is a lot cheaper. Although more people will smoke, the increase in number of weed smokers that these opponents suggest won’t cause “pot heads.” Weed is so easy to come by that if someone had potential to be a pot head, they would regardless of the law. In the end I believe this proposition would stimulate the economy and only slight changes would occur to the crime rate.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Shire Time Session 4...
Shire Time Session 4…Picking a major
I am in quite a pickle. What do I want to do with my life? What should I major in to make enough money to be happy and still have fun working? My main problem isn’t that I can’t find a job or profession that will make me happy; my problem is that pretty much everything would make me happy. I have a tough time making choices because I would be happy doing anything. When people ask me where I want to go to dinner, I literally just can’t decide because the possibilities are endless and I would to eat anywhere. Some people are picky and know exactly what they have to do to be happy and I am simply not one of those people.
Possibilities I have considered up until now include Architect, Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Engineer, and now I am leaning towards something in the environmental field. After I got over wanting to be a plane, not a pilot, an actual plane, I realized I needed to have a real job in life. Then I thought about architecture. I always loved drawing house plans and thinking about how my house could be better; however, then I thought where the future in this profession is? Millions of house plans have been developed and there is really no way to be consistently innovative and I didn’t like that. After this I thought about Biomedical Engineering because it is a relatively new major at Chapel Hill and seems really innovative and fun to do every day for my life; however, I don’t want to be in a lab all day with like 2 other people. I enjoy being outdoors way more than indoors. So this faded into environmental engineering, which would be fun but Carolina doesn’t have this major so when I came here I kicked that out. Finally that faded into something in the environmental field in general. It would be really interesting to do something with green technology or sustainability, either practices or laws.
This is where I stand right now but I could see myself doing anything. I wouldn’t mind being a lawyer, doctor, businessman, or I have even considered being a pilot quite a few times because I love traveling. Whatever I do I better be able to travel a lot.
So job requirements:
• Mix with people frequently
• Outside frequently
• Decent money because I want to be able to travel and be comfortable
• No more than like 8 years of school; I couldn’t handle 12 years of extra schooling like some people do.
• Fun
If like 4 of these 5 are met I will be super happy but I am so lost when it comes to picking a major. Anyone have advise?
I am in quite a pickle. What do I want to do with my life? What should I major in to make enough money to be happy and still have fun working? My main problem isn’t that I can’t find a job or profession that will make me happy; my problem is that pretty much everything would make me happy. I have a tough time making choices because I would be happy doing anything. When people ask me where I want to go to dinner, I literally just can’t decide because the possibilities are endless and I would to eat anywhere. Some people are picky and know exactly what they have to do to be happy and I am simply not one of those people.
Possibilities I have considered up until now include Architect, Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Engineer, and now I am leaning towards something in the environmental field. After I got over wanting to be a plane, not a pilot, an actual plane, I realized I needed to have a real job in life. Then I thought about architecture. I always loved drawing house plans and thinking about how my house could be better; however, then I thought where the future in this profession is? Millions of house plans have been developed and there is really no way to be consistently innovative and I didn’t like that. After this I thought about Biomedical Engineering because it is a relatively new major at Chapel Hill and seems really innovative and fun to do every day for my life; however, I don’t want to be in a lab all day with like 2 other people. I enjoy being outdoors way more than indoors. So this faded into environmental engineering, which would be fun but Carolina doesn’t have this major so when I came here I kicked that out. Finally that faded into something in the environmental field in general. It would be really interesting to do something with green technology or sustainability, either practices or laws.
This is where I stand right now but I could see myself doing anything. I wouldn’t mind being a lawyer, doctor, businessman, or I have even considered being a pilot quite a few times because I love traveling. Whatever I do I better be able to travel a lot.
So job requirements:
• Mix with people frequently
• Outside frequently
• Decent money because I want to be able to travel and be comfortable
• No more than like 8 years of school; I couldn’t handle 12 years of extra schooling like some people do.
• Fun
If like 4 of these 5 are met I will be super happy but I am so lost when it comes to picking a major. Anyone have advise?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Shire Time Session 3...
Shire Time Session 3…
China
For my sophomore and junior year in high school I had this teacher, Fro, who graduated from college then taught in China for a year. She then came back to America to teach in NC and pay her teaching fellows scholarship. She only taught English in America for 2 years and I had her both years she taught. She always hated teaching Americans because most of my didn’t do anything and didn’t give a shit about school and the Chinese students were always pumped to work. So she moved back to China my senior year and told me and my girlfriend we could come whenever. Yeah right, our parents would let the two of us go to China together, no way…way.
Okay so the Christmas break of my senior year in high school, me and my girlfriend ended up going to Shanghai, China. Don’t ask me how our parents let us because I don’t know. We were staying with our old teacher (which is odd by itself) and it was an awesome opportunity; and there is no way I explain this to prove that it wasn’t weird staying with my old teacher for 9 days. The concept is really strange and weird but in actuality it wasn’t at all! I promise.
Wellll it was the best 9 days of my entire life, hands down. After a super sweet 15 hour plane ride, we had a 3 hour layover in Japan and just hanging out in the Tokyo Narita Airport for 3 hours was insanely cool. Then we had a short flight into Shanghai. We got off the plane and walked to meet Fro at the baggage claim. It was right then I knew we were completely on the other side of the world; walking around the corner it was hundreds of Asian people and one white woman. The whole time I was there I only saw maybe 10 other non-Asian people, and only spoke to 3 Chinese people who knew English well enough to converse.
One of the crowning moments of the trip and my life was sitting in a restaurant on the top floor of the Jin Mao Tower, the really tall building on the right, drinking a scotch on the rocks. It was sooo insane. That along with about 100 other remarkable experiences made up my trip. Even small miniscule daily activities were exciting there, like riding the metro, walking around, and ordering food when no one speaks English. I could seriously have an entire blog dedicated to this trip. It’s really frustrating not being able to say everything that was so memorable but since there is only one negative thing I’ll say that—fish. NEVER have fish in China! Period. It was soo bad; all the other food was delectable but the fish was horrible. We were in a nice restaurant too, it was a splurge night; but the fish was completely boned and everything. They didn’t do anything to it; it was just an entire fish on a plate with some red slimy sauce.
All in all, even the negative was a memorable experience and I seriously advise every single one of you to go to Shanghai or somewhere in China at least once in your life.
China
For my sophomore and junior year in high school I had this teacher, Fro, who graduated from college then taught in China for a year. She then came back to America to teach in NC and pay her teaching fellows scholarship. She only taught English in America for 2 years and I had her both years she taught. She always hated teaching Americans because most of my didn’t do anything and didn’t give a shit about school and the Chinese students were always pumped to work. So she moved back to China my senior year and told me and my girlfriend we could come whenever. Yeah right, our parents would let the two of us go to China together, no way…way.
Okay so the Christmas break of my senior year in high school, me and my girlfriend ended up going to Shanghai, China. Don’t ask me how our parents let us because I don’t know. We were staying with our old teacher (which is odd by itself) and it was an awesome opportunity; and there is no way I explain this to prove that it wasn’t weird staying with my old teacher for 9 days. The concept is really strange and weird but in actuality it wasn’t at all! I promise.
Wellll it was the best 9 days of my entire life, hands down. After a super sweet 15 hour plane ride, we had a 3 hour layover in Japan and just hanging out in the Tokyo Narita Airport for 3 hours was insanely cool. Then we had a short flight into Shanghai. We got off the plane and walked to meet Fro at the baggage claim. It was right then I knew we were completely on the other side of the world; walking around the corner it was hundreds of Asian people and one white woman. The whole time I was there I only saw maybe 10 other non-Asian people, and only spoke to 3 Chinese people who knew English well enough to converse.
One of the crowning moments of the trip and my life was sitting in a restaurant on the top floor of the Jin Mao Tower, the really tall building on the right, drinking a scotch on the rocks. It was sooo insane. That along with about 100 other remarkable experiences made up my trip. Even small miniscule daily activities were exciting there, like riding the metro, walking around, and ordering food when no one speaks English. I could seriously have an entire blog dedicated to this trip. It’s really frustrating not being able to say everything that was so memorable but since there is only one negative thing I’ll say that—fish. NEVER have fish in China! Period. It was soo bad; all the other food was delectable but the fish was horrible. We were in a nice restaurant too, it was a splurge night; but the fish was completely boned and everything. They didn’t do anything to it; it was just an entire fish on a plate with some red slimy sauce.
All in all, even the negative was a memorable experience and I seriously advise every single one of you to go to Shanghai or somewhere in China at least once in your life.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Shire Time Session 2
Shire Time Session 2…
The second installment of the Shire Time Sessions is here.
What goes great some New Zealand backpacking and pipe smoking with Gandalf? ...Music of course.
Music is a major part of my life and it goes great with everything…homework, walking around, chores, running, driving around, napping, and sports. Especially baseball…
Side note: that’s a Good Neighbor Stuff video and they are all awesome and everyone should watch them.
The controversy over the ability to download music online is one which many people debate over; personally, I think it is more important to the music industry than most people know. The majority of music that is downloaded on the internet today is from new artists or the current popular artists. What do they have to lose? The ability to people to get their music for free online just increases their popularity and spreads their name. Most of the new music I find is online, not on iTunes or in a record store. I’m not going to pay for a song when I have even heard the whole track. Websites like www.hypem.com are an accumulation of a ton of online music blogs. It is kind of like an RSS Reader website and just posts every song that music blogs blog about. This allows for new artists to get their entire song out there and create a fan base.
Most of the money artists and bands make is from shows. Whenever you go to a concert it is usually $20 or more and the venue can hold at least a couple hundred and as much as 60,000 or higher. So even in the smallest show you would go to, the band would bring in about $4,000-$8,000 and keep most of it. New artists understand this and don’t really complain too much about the online music debate. The ones who complain are the popular artists who already have millions of dollars so who cares, they are just whining, and the older artists who don’t really perform anymore.
When it comes to the older artists, I still don’t believe they have anything to worry about. Most people want to buy their music because they want all of it, not just a couple of songs you can get for free. When the Beatles finally let their music be sold on iTunes, people went crazy and it was at the top of just about every chart. Other less popular old artists you can’t even find online, so they have nothing to worry about.
I like what The Glitch Mod did with their songs. They released one song for free online and went on tour and made tons of money and gained a huge fan base, just proving that the music sales aren’t where the big money is. Also other artists like Pretty Lights, Ratatat, and many other upcoming artists just give their albums out for free online. I really enjoy how the music industry is now starting to conform to the situation and has generally stopped complaining.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Shire Time Session One
This is Shire Time Session 1…
I’ll start off my first post with the reasoning behind the title. If you haven’t seen Lord of the Rings, and I’m talking about all three, your life isn’t complete; so go do it. If you want to be bold try and watch all three the same day; if not, one a day is decent I guess.
For those of you have seen at least one Lord of the Rings, how insanely awesome are those movies? I mean backpacking through the majestic New Zealand landscape and killing Orcs, what isn’t to love?
Anyway, the night I had to decide on a title for this journal blog, my roommate Jamie and I played the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King videogame for an hour and watched the first movie until 3:30 in the morning. After this we decided the title had to be related to Lord of the Rings; it was only right. We then began our research: googling key chapters in the movie, remembering names and places, and racking our brains for the best name. Then it happening; a moment of epiphany was upon us—The Shire. It was the only word that captured the brotherhood, love, compassion, ferocity, beauty, and journey that these movies in captured. Who wouldn’t love to go the Shire and smoke a pipe with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf while looking at dragon fireworks exploding in the sky? No one.
Now that you know why I had to name my journal blog The Shire, you need to know what Shire Time will entail: anything. It won’t have to be related to Lord of the Rings but I will toss in thoughts about travel and journeys quite a bit because it’s pretty amazing how grand and divine our world is, and it should be traveled by everyone who wants to lead a complete life.
…just take a moment of silence for that picture…really take it in…make sure to see the snowy peaks, grassy plains, and steep cliffs…one more moment…
I guess throughout this blog, I can only talk about what I know and what I feel about what I know. I know that’s a beautiful mountain and I know that I want to journey through New Zealand or teleport into Lord of the Rings. Either one will do, I’m also not a hard guy to please.
I hope the idea of my journal blog sounds interesting and I hope everyone enjoys it. Just remember it’s never too late to go to The Shire.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)