Papal Pride?

This is it. This is the last blog. I feel like I’m losing a friend. Oh well. Today I am going to talk about the Pope’s first visit to America.
This is ridiculous. What can this man possibly think of our country? On his first visit…Well, I have a quote for you that pretty much explains it all. “Thank you, You Holiness. Awesome speech.” That was our very own George Bush. How can you possibly be so congenial with someone who has such authority? I guess Bush isn’t used to seeing someone who has more influence than himself.
W hat about the merchandise that these vendors are selling? Pope on a rope? I can only assume that’s Papal soap on a rope. God bless my German Shepherd. Yeah let’s compare His Holiness to a dog. That’s a sure ticket to heaven. My favorite, by far, has to be Pope my ride. This is simply a shirt that has a picture of the Pope mobile on it. Today he is giving a mass at Yankee stadium. Yes, baseball is a great game, but it is by no means holy. Besides. The Yankees suck. Everyone knows that the Red Sox rule the World.

J.P. Orlewicz

ONLY TWO BLOGS LEFT! Well, actually there will only be one left after this, I guess. It’s a real shame since I really have nothing to say today. I had something cool to talk about yesterday. Not cool, but at least it was interesting. I’ll try but this is going to be a stretch.
Has anyone heard of this J.P. Orlewicz kid? He is some 18 year old kid who killed a 26 year old, apparently just for the hell of it. He slit his throat(from behind) and stabbed him a few times. After that, he and a friend, decapitated the body, burned the torso, and left the head in a river. I know. Horrible, right?
Anyway he was just found guilty of first degree murder. His friend was found guilty of second degree. I have to admit, that I don’t feel sorry for the guy. He killed a man, in cold blood, for no reason. He faces life in prison, possibly with no chance of parol.
He looked normal, but when you hear the way he talked to his parents, you could tell that there was something wrong with him. He doesn’t seem insane, just a little mentally disturbed.

VT: We Remember

How is everyone doing today? Good, I hope. So, today is the one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre. I think that massacre is the right word. It is defined as an indiscriminant killing of a large number of human beings. Thirty two is a pretty big number for just one man to have killed by himself.
It doesn’t seem like it’s been a year. It seems like it was just a few months ago. Perhaps big events tend to stay better in the long our long term memories. For instance. Does it seem like it’s been eight years since September 11?
I guess that I really have no reason for talking about this other than just to have something to write about. I wonder what possesses a person to commit such a heinous act against humanity. As far as I saw, there was no basis for the attack, other than the fact that the guy was more than just a little strange. Did you read any of his literary exploits? They definitely reflected the thoughts of a disturbed individual.
Anyways. There is a day of mourning at VT today. They got the day off and all that stuff.

Hey GUYZ!

There is a discussion. Just listen to my rant first.
I am both very happy and very sad at the same time. I have just taken my last actual test of the year. Now all I have is a few papers and some exams. Unfortunately, I believe that I pretty much bombed both of my tests today and that makes me sad. I really don’t want to think about it anymore so on to the discussion for today.
I am watching the Daily Show With John Stuart and he is talking about Hilary’s comment about Obama being “elitist.” An elitist is basically someone who believes that they are better. What’s the problem with that? A president should be better. That’s why they get their faces carved into things. As much as I dislike Obama, I just can’t agree with Hilary’s statement. An elitist is not a bad thing to be. Sure it separates you from the people, but that makes you an objective leader. I think that’s exactly what we need right now. The rightwing conservative thing isn’t working out so great. Bill Clinton was too concerned with what we would think about he and Monica, so he lied. That got him in bigger trouble. We put these people in place so that they can lead us, not so we can bully and judge them. Unless they fuck up terribly, say like going to war with a country who did nothing to us, then leave them alone and let them work.

Hysteria

Yawn. I am TIRED! It’s about 10:36 in the P.M. and I have been at it all day. Between the calculus and my final chemistry lab, it’s been a real bitch. I figured that I should probably go ahead and get done with my blog since we are supposed to do one every night. I have yet to complete my final draft of part four. Not to mention that I have a chemistry test tomorrow, which I have not studied for yet. Let’s see. What can I talk about?
Have you guys seen that video of the girl getting the crap beaten out of her by six other girls. It’s sick. How could you do that to someone. Not to mention that they had two people guys keeping watch outside. They are being tried as adults. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this. True, they committed a premeditated act of violence against another person, but they are just kids. Whenever I see the video, I feel like they should be tried as adults. However, when I am thinking about it at other points, I think about how group mentality can force people to do some really stupid things. There is the Holocaust. Then there is the fact that George Bush got re-elected. You can’t tell me that peer pressure had nothing to do with any of these things.

Death of a Blog

Hey guys. What’s up? So I have been thinking about my blog. I am wondering if I will keep doing it or not. Chances are that you guys are the only ones that read it, and most of you probably won’t keep yours up either. I believe that my poor blog will just fall into oblivion. It’s a shame really. I have put so much time and effort into it, but there will really be no incentive to keep it going. It will just be wasted words on a wasted page. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
Unfortunately the end of the semester is approaching. This is good for every reason but homework. There is so much of it. My math teacher gave us three homework assignments this weekend. They are so ridiculously time consuming. I guess that’s what my weekend will be devoted to. Well, that and studying for chemistry. BOO CHEMISTRY!
On the bright side, I definitely owned my engineering test today. I made those 4 pieces of paper my bitch.
Okay I’m tired of writing now, so I will sign off now. Perhaps my blogs next week will be more vibrant and interesting. I may even throw a story or two in there.

HIGH SCHOOL PROM!!

So, as most of you may or may not know. I AM IN COLLEGE!!! So why is it then that I have to go to a high school prom? My girlfriend is being completely ridiculous about this. She has already been to three proms. One with her ex and two with me. Why does she need to go to another one? They are all the exact same. You go. You dance badly. There is a fight at some point. Maybe you get lucky at the end of the night. Basically I don’t see what the big deal is. Can someone please explain to me why I have to pay like 300 dollars three years in a row? I just feel as though the effort and the cost involved are not really worth the benefits that may come out of it. And another thing. Why can’t you girls wear the same dress more than one time? They cost hundreds of dollars and you wear them once. That seems pretty stupid if you ask me. It’s even worse for us guys. We don’t even own the outfit that we spend lots of money on. It’s just a rental. High school is so dumb.

Money and College

As the year comes to a close, I can’t help but feel a bit scared. My grades are really scaring me. It’s bizarre. I have never once worried about a grade, and I probably would not be now except for the fact that I have scholarships to protect. Damn their money! I will definitely not be able to afford college without that money. It would be so much easier if secondary education was socialized. That way, there would be no need for any sort of scholarships. Everything would simply be based on who got the best grades. This may not seem fair to some people. After all, the best students would get into the best colleges. However, what if the best student can’t afford a good college? He has to settle for something lesser or work his ass off to get money that some stupid trust fund baby gets from his father ( George W. Bush). Sometimes I wish that I lived somewhere other than America, but these are the cards that I drew. I guess that I may just have to work hard for once. Public education did not prepare me for college. I was lazy in high school and got straight A’s in my honors classes. I wish I could still do that.

Vamos Los Tigres!

Despite yesterday’s enthusiastic blog, our beloved Tigers still managed to lose. It was so unfortunate. It was so cheap. It was so…anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong. They definitely should have won, but when it went to overtime, I knew it was over. However, and this is going to sound defensive, it wasn’t really our fault. It was, as my friend’s neighbor put it, “the cock-sucking officiating bullshit.” Somehow we managed to get a million fouls called on us while Kansas kept it to a minimum. I don’t know what game the officials were watching, but it wasn’t the same one that I was. Seriously, that was probably the most biased game I’ve ever watched, in terms of calls. When Dorsey “fouled out” that was the end for us. We need our big man, baby. It’s as simple as that. We need the big man. They knew that and he was gone.
The people that I blame the most are the commentators on ESPN. If they had just said that we were going to lose, the game would’ve been in the bag for us. However, that was not the case. We were favored and therefore lost incentive.
Despite the loss I’m still really proud of those guys. Two losses in a whole season?! That’s unheard of. GO TIGERS!

When I say GO! You say TIGERS!

I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaad I go to U of M. I’m sooo glaaaad I go to U of M. Singin’ glory hallelujah. I’m soooo glad.

<( '-' )> <----It's Kirby again!!

What is up with this rain, people? It was nice at first, but now it’s ridiculous. I always sleep better when it rains, but lately I’ve been dreading the walk to class I the morning. Not only that, but I take a lot of shortcuts through the grass. Needless to say, I did not take them today.
I forgot my umbrella this morning and decided not to go back for it. After all, it looked and felt nice enough outside. After calculus, it was raining a bit harder, but it was still nothing to worry about. By the time I got out of engineering, it was pouring. I looked like a drowned rat by the time I got back to my dorm room. It was pretty sexy if I do say so, myself.
This weekend should be alright as far as work goes. I have to study for chem., write a paper and start on another one. That’s it. Oh yeah and I have a little calculus too. I am also going to see the Ruins. I read the book and it was great. The movie doesn’ look all that great, but I’m gunna see it anyway. The last movie that I saw,21, didn’t look all that great either, but it wasn’t bad. Hopefully, this will be equally good. At least it’ll be gorey. J

<('-'<) <-----It's Kirby

What a bitch of a day it’s been. I only got like 3 hours of sleep, so I was beat today in class. I was lucid enough to throw a few opinions into the conversation in Wendy’s class. This was mainly because I was up waiting for a friend to bring me a screwdriver, and he took forever. I needed the screwdriver in order to take my phone apart. It hasn’t been charging lately. Maybe it’s because it got run over by a car, but I digress.
Anyway, it took him forever because he had to go to the police station with another friend because he thought his car was stolen. It turns out that it wasn’t. He had forgotten that he had driven it to another parking lot. He only realized this after he had filled out the police report. So he then had to march back to the police station and basically tell them that he was an idiot.
It was definitely worth the lack of sleep to hear that whole story. However, it ruined the rest of my day. I was falling asleep in my first two classes and passed out when I got to the dorm. As a result I didn’t get to study for chemistry. Luckily there was no quiz.

The problem with racism is...

So, tonight I went to hear Dr. Angela Davis speak. I’m not sure exactly what she is a doctor of, but that’s the way she wan introduced. Anyways, she is a former member of the Black Panthers. She was part of the non-militant branch, I assume, since she was preaching nonviolence throughout the entire lecture. She was really cool and she made a lot of good points. I actually went to see her as part of my UNHP class. We have to go to outside events. The only real thing that I didn’t like is what she said about Don Imus. Now, I know that he’s a conservative, but c’mon you can’t help but like the guy. He said one off color thing. Who cares? Leave the guy alone. He has said much worse about white people, but he doesn’t lose his job for that.
It almost seems as if there is a double standard in this country. White people are fair game, but every other race is off limits. How is that the least bit fair. I think the problem with racism is that people can’t talk openly about it. We should be able to make fun of each races stereotypes without fear of bodily harm. So here it goes.
White people are uptight and think they are better than everybody else is. Black people are all angry and loud. Mexicans are lazy. Middle-easterners are terrorists. Asians are all fucking rocket scientists.
There I think that I offended everybody in the class. I hope that covers everyone. I hope that you will not be angry with me, but I rather hope that you are. If you are then that’s fine, but how about you actually look at this and evaluate it a little. Maybe then, you’ll realize how stupid it is to be mad about these things.

Fond Memories: Past and Present

TODAY WAS EPIC! APRIL FOOLS! Seriously though, it was pretty uneventful. I had a calc test that I failed. Hopefully she gives a little extra credit. I’m not really too worried. I have a B in there and we still have a presentation that should boost my grade a little. I skipped UNHP again and went to Rhodes to visit a friend and play pool. That was nice. Then I took a nap. It was the first real break that I’d had in the last two weeks.
What I really want to talk about is Southern Comfort. No, not the alcohol, the jazz orchestra. My friend had to go see them for his music class, and I tagged along. They were really good. It helped that one of the girls singing in the jazz choir was a cute redhead. She was wearing this tight black dress with a slit and…that’s not important. What is important is the way that the band made me feel. It wasn’t because their music was extra special. It was because that was the first time I’d ever watched an orchestra and not been in band, myself. It really made me realize how important band was to me. I realize now that, when I decided not to pursue band in college, I left a big part of my life behind. I’d give anything to go back on one band trip with my high school band. I really miss them.

Wonderwall

“Today is gunna be the day when their gunna throw it back to you. By now you shoulda somehow realized what you’re gunna do. I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now.” Those are some of the lyrics to my favorite Oasis song, “Wonderwall.” I’ve really been on a 90s music kick. It’s great. I get that awesome, slightly sad, but nonetheless awesome nostalgic feeling that comes with thinking about days gone past. It’s truly beautiful.
I realize that my blogs have had no purpose lately, but I like to write about nothing. It makes me feel like Larry David, the co-creator of Seinfeld. That’s not true at all, but it sounds good. This weekend was ridunk. SO MUCH WORK!! It’s done now, but I’ve spent all day studying for a calculus test. Actually, as soon as I’m done with this, I’m going to finish studying.
So, who is happy about the fast approaching end of the year? I can definitely say that I am. It’s not as though I dislike school. It’s just that I like sleep more. Plus I’m super pumped about next year. My schedule is so easy and I’m still taking all the required classes. It does seem a little soon to be ending my senior year, but what are you going to do?

Weekends

I’m sitting here listening to the band, Lit, and their song “My Own Worst Enemy,” but I can’t really think of anything to write. It’s been a very hectic week. It is really going to be a hectic weekend. I have two big things to do. I have to study for a big calculus test and write a lab report for engineering. Neither will be that hard, hopefully, but they will both be rather time consuming, and that’s the real bitch of it. I like to be lazy on the weekends. Oh well. Sometime this weekend, I have to wash my car and take care of my mom’s lawn. I also have to finish a lab for Chem II.
Really the only thing that I am looking forward to is going on a date tonight. My girlfriend and I made a bet. If I won, she’d cook something for me. If she won, I had to take her out to dinner and a movie. It’s fine either way, but I hate losing. At least this isn’t much of a punishment. Unfortunately, we have to go see 21. Generally I like movies with numbers as titles. I love Seven and The Number 23 wasn’t too bad, but this looks like an Italian Job, but without the action. At least there is Kevin Spacey. He’s a great actor.

Final outside event

Christine Kenneally
This woman was really cool. She is a native of Melbourne, Australia. She wrote about the evolution of language. In her readings, she compared the evolution of language to the evolution of the ichthyosaur. It was once small and unimpressive, but it grew into a behemoth of a creature. She came off as being very heartfelt about her chosen expertise. The effect rubbed off. For a little while, I actually cared about the evolution of language.
So, dolphins are really cool. They have the ability to mimic responses. As we know, mimicry is the first step in the learning process. They also possess the ability to generalize.
The last thing is that the alarm call are not considered to be a language.
By the way. That accent is HOTT!!


Joshua Prager
He is a new writer from New York, NY. He periodically writes for the Wall Street Journal. His work tends to focus mainly on lives that turned in one instant, secrets that have been revealed, or well known things.
His latest work focuses on the 1951 National League Pennant game. This game is often referenced in the collective American Memory. It is the only constant. This book exposes the fact that the Giants actually cheated in order to win the game. It was the best kept secret in sports.



Stacy Sullivan
She seemed to be the most down to earth of all three of the writers. However, she had the coolest topic.
Her book focused on an ethnic Albanian living as a roofer in Brooklyn. He supplied the Albanians of Kosovo with armor, weapons, and other stuff to aid in their resistance against the Serbians. Floren is the man’s name. Unfortunately his cousin, one of the founders of the KLA, the Kosovo Liberation Army, died shortly after the resistance started. More than 30,000 people showed up to his funeral. He became the “poster-child” for the KLA.

Choices made

Two boys stood on the hot tar roof. One of them begging “Please don’t. You don’t have to do this. You don’t hav---” He fell silent. It was futile to argue and he knew it. That’s how it was here. One day you could be carefree and the next, you could have a gun in your face.
The sound of the Glock 9mm cut through air. Once. Twice. Three times it rang. Blood pooled around the dead boys face and torso. Just another life cut short.
A gun dropped and a boy ran, fearing the police and the obvious ramifications that were to come. He had killed a person. What was he to do? Why did he do it? What was he going to do now? He ran home, packed some stuff (clothes mostly). Where was he going to go? He didn’t know.
In his confusion, he had forgotten all about the gun. He had a rap sheet. It was mostly for small things. Graffiti here. Assault there. Harassing an officer of the law. Breaking and entering. These were crimes, yes, but none were murder. Regardless, his finger prints were in the system.
The police arrived less than ten minutes after the incident on the roof. A gun lay in the pooling blood.
Two lives thrown away.

Ryan is tired

What a day! English was cool. Math was cool. I definitely skipped that stupid UNHP class. So, basically everything was good until chemistry. I definitely thought that I was prepared for an extra credit quiz in there. I made a 15 out of 25 on it, but that 25 sounds so much better. At least I have a B in the class now. All I have to do is keep it like that.
Before I went to chemistry, I began my part three for English. It’s hard to give a good argument when you can’t give examples of how it is better elsewhere. Oh well, I’ll get it done somehow. However, I am going to blame Wendy for my grade on that quiz. Thanks a lot Wendy. I’m not serious, but still.
I just have to really strain and keep my grade in Calculus and my grade in chemistry up. Hopefully, my other grades don’t suffer. I really need to actually keep my scholarships.
My Thursday is going to be insanely busy. After I get out of chemistry I have to race over to the reading for English. No offense or anything, but I’m not really looking forward to it at all. I just have so much to do and so little time to do it.
216 words

The Deepest Cut

Did anyone else read the article that Wendy posted on the 1020? It is one of the most interesting things that I have ever read and I've read quite a lot. It is about the medical procedure known as a hemispherectomy. This is where one of the hemispheres of the brain is completely or mostly removed. Apparently if one side of the brain is taken out in one sitting (such as a fourteen hour surgery), the other half of the brain, with time, takes over most of the processes that the removed hemisphere controlled.
Besides giving recent examples, it talks about the history of this radical surgery. The first one was preformed on a dog way back in the 1800s. The dog recovered fully and exhibited only slight mental retardation. I guess that means he was more playful or something. I dunno.
Wendy's link said that the woman who wrote this article is being sued. I don't know what for. It seems like it was just an article about how cool the brain is. I'm sure that Wendy will talk more about that in class.

I hate to change the topic, but Herenton needs to make up his damn mind. I don't think that he should be able to renig on his resignation. Give him the damn schoolboard. It's already F.U.B.A.R. It can't get any worse. We need to turn this city around and we can't do that while he remains in office.

Outside Event No. 3

Today i went to hear Mrs. Irma Russell speak. She is an environmental activist from the University of Tulsa.
I must say that she is a very nice woman, but she has a tendency to rant a lot. Her powerpoint was not working properly. Consequently, she had to wing it. As a result, the discussion veered off into several directions, namely toward the different definition of rhetoric.
I do feel that i gained something though. She proposed the statement that it is impossible to truly know everything about anything. This is undeniably a true statement. If you try to learn everything then you end up wasting all of your time thinking and none of it acting. So, nothing gets done.
The conversation finally turned back to the environment. We discussed sustainability, which is, in this topic at least, the ability to sustain life. Companies are now preaching this term to try and stay afloat in this dog eat dog world.
She then used a term which I was not familiar with: intergenerational equity. This term was defined by Mrs. Russell as preseving this world for our progeny. It's a beautiful term and should be used quite a bit more in the world when talking about our environment.

We the People...

Today has actually been a great day (one of the few this semester). I actually woke up on time this morning so I wasn’t in a terrible rush. Then I got to English class and got to be vice president. I must say that Yasir and I presented ourselves quite well…even with that China comment. Anyway, Taylor’s group did pretty well also. April did okay for a little while until she was talked into a corner. However, I must say that Krystal did pretty bad. It’s unfortunate really, but it’s true. Then there was the press core. They all did pretty good except for one…you know who it is if you were in the class. This was another great exercise presented by Wendy. I’ve never had such an interactive class.
Besides the fact that it was fun, it was also a learning experience. The goal, in my opinion at least, was to teach us how to connect two arguments. It also taught us, well some of us, how to defend and tear down an argument. It is actually really helpful when you get thrust right into the midst of an argument, especially when someone tell you which position to defend.

Outside Event No. 2

It’s so weird to think of Floyd Skloot as having severe brain damage. He is so articulate when he speaks. It does become slightly more obvious as he answers questions with longer and longer answers. He answers the questions well, but does not seem to recollect exactly what the question is.
His writing process, so he says, has changed somewhat since his illness. He now carries a notepad around with him wherever he goes because he will not remember what he wants to write otherwise. Also, he has slowed down when he writes. It’s not just about getting the work published anymore, it’s about getting “good” work published. This is better in a way. He may not make as much off of his writings, but he seems very fulfilled when he talks of the more recent works that he has written. He even has people proofread his work now. Nothing leaves the house without his wife’s seal of approval.
Though he has become somewhat of a spokesperson for traumatic brain injuries, this was never his goal. He was thrust into the position when he wrote a book detailing his own experiences. It inspired people to work through their disability.
I really wish that I could’ve gone to his reading or even just stayed a little while longer for his interview, but class and drunk friends come first, I guess.

DEBATES DEBATES DEBATES

Class was quite interesting today. WE GOT TO DEBATE! I absolutely love to argue, so when the assignment is to simply state and defend an argument, I’m all over that. I thought that the other two teams that were arguing didn’t really have all that much to say. They just had a lot of fluff. I shouldn’t say that about both teams. The team that put forth the argument did not seem to plan very well. The group tearing their argument apart did an excellent job.
As for me and my group, I thought we did pretty good. We defended ourselves relatively well even despite the fact that the team against us got us off subject a few times. They were holding their own until I mentioned the piss-poor graduation rate at Bartlett High School.
All in all, I’d say that the experience was a good one. I would really like it if we could repeat the assignment again sometime. It sort of breaks up the monotony of the day.
I hope that I am not the only one who held this opinion. After all, it would be nice to have a debate every once in a while, even if it’s just to let off a little steam. The best part about this whole thing is the fact that it can’t end in a fist fight like so many other arguments.

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!!!

I hope that everyone out there has a happy and a safe St. Patty's Day. As for myself, I will be having a sober one.
There is nothing as great as having an Irish heritage. Take it from me. There's the rich background, the history, and the awesome accent (which I fake very well). However, there is nothing as awkward as being Irish and not drinking. Think about it. The Irish are known as being drunkards. They have a history of drunken rages and random fights.
I don't drink. It's true that I feel left out at a party or on a day like today, but I have a long history of alcoholism in my family. Basically, I am scared that I will like the booze just a little too much if you know what I mean. I have had alcohol, but I have never been "drunk". I've watched drunk people. They look like they are having fun, but they never seem to realize how stupid they are being. People are laughing at them.
The things that keeps me from drinking the most is the thought of ending up like my uncle. He drinks and drinks and drinks. he does awful things and then he refuses to take any sort of responsibility for them. Anyone who has put his family through as much grief as he has isn't really worth thinking about. I would really hate to be like that. He's probably getting loaded right now.
That's enough of my shitty family. I hope that you all have a happy St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully, you don't party too hard (especially you, Wendy).

Outside Event No. 1

Today I had the privilege of getting to see Andrew Couch speak. Going in, I expected that he would be some droning old man. What I got was an intellectual, charismatic, and somewhat quirky man, who drives a ’96 Nissan, which he lovingly named “Terdlet.” Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
Andrew is a member an, from what I can tell, the primary spokesperson for the West Tennessee Clean Cities Coalition. Their main goal is to spread knowledge about alternative fuels and their uses. They track legislative activity, provide grant assistance, help market development, help develop alternative fuel gas stations, and provide education about alternative fuels.
Though the coalition began in fuels, they have since moved on to stationary energy. This involves different building structures and different thought processes when it comes to structural development.
They have plenty of sponsors. As Andrew put it “ We’ll take money from anyone.” This may seem somewhat greedy, but certain sacrifices must be made when things are changing. If a petroleum company wants to fund something that could potentially put them out of business, then so be it.
People need to realize that there is an actual problem with the current way that things are run. Biodiesel is in its beginning stages and is receiving a lot of criticism, but, as Andrew pointed out, so did the computer. Don’t count it out just yet.

Help me, please. I'm spent.

For anyone who is wondering whether or not Jeff got into Stanford, or any other school for that matter, the decision is up to you. I honestly didn't know how to complete that story so I decided that it should be like a cliffhanger on the last episode of a show that got cancelled. However you want to finish the story is up to you. It's like one of those books where you can choos a different ending based on what page you flip to.
I am sorry to say that my creative muse has left me somewhat wanting today. It really sucks because I feel like writing something amazing, but there is absolutely nothing that springs to mind. The worse part is that my day was uneventful, so there is nothing interesting to talk about on that topic either.
I have an idea. Why don't some of you send me a comment or something that gives me a story idea. That way I'll have something to write about and you'll get to fell like part of an actual writing brainstorm session. I would really like to getb some of your ideas. It doesn't have to be anything fictional. You could ask for advice. You could give a subject for debate. Criticism works too of course, but I have to warn you. When it comes to my fiction writing i don't really take any sort of criticism to heart. if you don't like it don't read it.

Baseball in the Park

Today was awesome. I went to the park today. It wasn't for a workout or a run or anything like that. I went there with a friend and played baseball. Well, actually we just threw it around, but it was still fun. Both of us used to play when we were younger. I quit when I was around ten and he quit when he was like fourteen. He was a pitcher so he kept wanting to throw fastballs to me. I declined when he asked, but he sneaked a few in there. Needless to say that my hand hurt pretty bad.
As for myself; I played outfield for the most part. It's been so long since I played that i had trouble getting the distance at first, but it got there. My elbow started to hurt a little, but if you have ever played baseball after any sort of hiatus, then you know what that's like.
It brought back some really good memories and made me wish that I hadn't ever quit. Hindsight's 20/20 I guess. I love that nostalgic feeling. It seems like I'm too young to feel nostalgia, but hey, it is what it is.

Oh, High School!

It was his senior year. It was almost over. FINALLY! Jeff had waited so long to get out of the placidity that was his hometown and get off to college. He had made sure that he could get as far away as possible by assuring his place as valedictorian, by trying for all the scholarships he could, and by applying to every major school in America. He had the all: Harvard, Penn State, Boston University, and Stanford. He had also applied to state as a safety school.
Weeks passed and graduation was over with and done. Jeff had delivered a wonderful speech which received a somewhat unusual standing ovation. Letters from most the different schools had come through his mail slot. All of them were unopened. Jeff decided that he wanted a sort of ceremony in which he would open all of them at once and celebrate. This way all of the joy would flood him at once. Then the day arrived. His letter from Penn State arrived. This completed his collection. He and his parents sat down in the living room. They were all quite unprepared for what was to come.
Denied. Rejected. Not what we are looking for. We regret to in form you…Accepted…to State. Jeff thought he was about to cry. His whole life had depended on what was in those letters. There must have been some sort of mistake. He bolted out of the house and toward his school. “The faculty was still on hand, right,” Jeff thought as he ran. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn’t hear the truck coming right at him as he crossed the road. By the time he looked up, it was too late and…
Jeff awoke in a cold sweat. Had it all been just a dream? The relief was like a hundred pound weight being pulled off his chest. He looked at the calendar. It was the last weekend before graduation. He got dressed and ran downstairs. A letter from Stanford had come for him. He opened it… … …

Spring Break: Part Deux

Have you ever noticed that Americans are geared towards being lazy? It seems like everything is made too easy. Have you ever looked at an alarm clock? The biggest button on the damn thing is the snooze button. You set the alarm for the time that you want it. Why not just get up at that time? Or how about this. You could set the alarm for the time that the snooze goes off at. There is no point in getting up just to go back to sleep.
Now that that little rant is over, I can tell you about my spring break. It was actually pretty uneventful for the most part. I went to McMinnville to visit my cousin who goes to school out that way. It was pretty cool. We took a tour of Cumberland Caverns, hiked a mountain and just hung out in general. It was nice to catch up since we hadn't really hung out in about a year. So, yeah that was nice. The rest of the break was spent trying to catch up on exercise and with friends. Very little homework was done, save for the English stuff. The couch became a pretty good friend of mine. I renewed my drawing and actually came up with some pretty good stuff.
The highlight of the whole thing was when i got FRIGGIN SNOWED IN! I suppose that i could've driven home, but it didn't seem safe at the time. So i spent the night at his house, which was cool i guess. Yeah so that was my spring break.

Healthcare: A History

Ryan Manning

Wendy Sumner

English 1020

3/11/08

Healthcare: A History

The healthcare industry has a long and sorted past. How is it that something meant to help and protect the citizens of the United States could be the root of evil? There are man varied opinions on the subject and in order to form your own, you must the history and options for healthcare. And so it begins.

Frustrated by its failure to keep pace with European countries on social issues, the government formed the American Medical Association in the late 1800s. It was not until the early 1900s that the AMA became a major force in American healthcare. By 1910, over half of the physicians in America belonged to the AMA. This meant that, in most cases, medical procedures were no longer free of charge. Basically the AMA is a type of medical union.

Prior to 1910, American hospitals were dirty and crawling with uncontrolled disease. After the AMA established itself as a major organization, hospitals cleaned up and became pillars of health. Due to the reforms that hospitals made, medical procedures became more expensive. The rise in the price of a procedure was necessary in order to keep the hospitals sanitary and in business. As a result, many people could not afford to go to the hospital. Many laborers were sick and could not work. So, the American Association for Labor Legislation organized a nation conference on what was known as social insurance. Despite opposition by American physicians, the health

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insurance movement began to gain momentum. Unfortunately, the advent of the First World War distracted the nation from any such social reform.

Health insurance was largely a forgotten topic until the 1930s. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as a part of his social reform program during the Depression, brought it back into the public spotlight. He wanted to offer it in his Social Security plan, but it was eventually omitted. Thus, private companies began to offer health insurance. The first of these private companies was the Blue Cross organization.

During the Second World War, companies competed for workers by trying to offer better health insurance than the competition. During this same period, Roosevelt asked congress to pass a bill that would express the right to adequate medical care. Later, Truman proposed a plan to promote social healthcare. His plans are deemed to be Communist and un-American by a house subcommittee.

In the 1950s the rising healthcare costs are overshadowed by the outbreak of war in Korea. The fact that a full 4.5 percent of the GNP is now made up of healthcare costs holds no precedence when compared with the lives of American soldiers on a foreign land.

In the 1960s over 700 companies now offered health insurance. All of these companies had their own rates and their own terms. Americans that were unemployed, many of which were senior citizens, were having trouble affording any kind of health insurance. As a result, President Johnson signed the Medicare and Medicaid into existence. These programs diverted some of the tax money into a fund that provided for some of the medical expenses of those in need.

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Richard Nixon renamed the prepaid health programs as health maintenance organizations or HMOs. This provided for federal assistance for the healthcare programs. In effect, this meant that the government now had a stake in the healthcare programs and their profits.

Under the Reagan Administration, healthcare coverage was changed from payment by treatment to payment by diagnosis. The effects of this were misdiagnoses which meant a refusal to pay by the insurance companies. Unfortunately, for many Americans, this meant that if the insurance companies did not feel like paying out, their doctors could just say that there was no real medical emergency.

In the 1990s, inflation caused healthcare rates to skyrocket once again, healthcare reform bills were rejected by Congress, and over 16 percent of the American population had no form of healthcare whatsoever.

Now Americans have plenty of choices for their healthcare needs. There are over forty well know health insurance companies, including the still standing Blue Cross. There are government subsidized healthcare options. These include national organizations such as Medicare and Medicaid, whose futures do not look so steady, as well as local and state subsidized. A good example of local would be the TennCare program. On January 1, 1994, Tennessee denounced the Medicare program and formed its own subsidized medical program. It was meant to provide for the health of poorer citizens of the state of Tennessee if by some chance the Medicare program failed.

None of these programs is perfect of even near it. They all have flaws and they are all subject to different forms of corruption. However, for the time-being, they are the

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options that we as Americans have. We just have to deal with it and accept the fact that change comes slowly. Perhaps it will be better one day or perhaps greed will get the better of us once again. It is up to us to look to the past and decide if the way that things were then is the way that things should be now.

*All information pertaining to healthcare history came from http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/history.htm.

*All TennCare information came from http://www.state.tn.us/tenncare/news-about.html.

SPRIN BREAK!!!

You guys had better wish me some luck. I am driving over to McMinnville, TN in order to visit some family. This will be the longest I’ve ever driven while solo. I’m a little nervous, but I think that I found a way to avoid Nashville, so that is always a plus. I’m so glad that spring break is finally here. Hopefully, when I come back I will be able to raise my GPA quite a bit. Right now, I’m pretty sure that I have a C in both calculus and chemistry. That’s no good. I have an A in everything else though…I hope. I’m glad that we no longer get report cards because my mom would be pissed off if she saw those two C’s.
I think that I’m going to be able to get recouped this week. I don’t know what’s going on with me. I have never done this bad in school. I really don’t want to have to take CHEM II over again. I think that I’d cry if I had to.
I hope that everyone has an awesome spring break. Stay safe, everybody. Don’t drink and drive. Remember. Friends don’t let friends do drugs…without them. Just kidding. Seriously though. Everyone have a good time and don’t get hurt.

Kill me. Kill me now.

It has been the most hectic day ever! There is no exaggeration in that sentence whatsoever. I have never had school day this hard. I woke up at like six thirty and then had to get to school from Bartlett. I spent the night there because I was studying late. So anyways, I’m late to school. There was SO much traffic this morning. On the bright side, I did skip my UNHP class. That was a nice break.
After all that, I started studying for a chemistry test. I walked in to class and was
very confident. I BOMBED THAT TEST! It was unequivocally hard. I was completely unprepared. After I finished that disaster at around seven, I had to go to the library to a study group for calculus. I have a test in that tomorrow. If it wasn’t for the fact that spring break was so close, I think that I would go crazy.
Anyhoo. That’s all about my day. You guys should all get caught up on my story about Paris. I would like to point out that it’s not fiction. It is a completely true story. Only the names have been changed, so as to prevent jail time.

Solace of a Broken Heart

This is for the 2/25/08 prompt.

They had been seeing each other for about four months now. Everything was good. He seemed to be quite the gentleman and she loved him for it. He took her out to eat, opened doors for her, and always paid for her. Yes, this relationship seemed perfect. Maybe he was the one. It was a little too early to be thinking like that, but she couldn’t help herself. She had never felt like this about anyone in her life.

Let’s backtrack a bit. It was four months earlier and Cindy was walking through campus. She was a pretty girl: about five-six and one hundred and twenty pounds. She had a nice figure and a great personality. As she was walking, she tripped in one of the patches of upturned concrete, which were so prevalent around the school. The papers she was carrying flew everywhere. A passer-by noticed and stopped to help her. His name was Jake. He was quite handsome, standing about 6’1” with a muscular build. She thanked him and started to walk off, but he caught her by the arm. He asked her name and they began to talk a bit. Eventually, phone numbers were exchanged and they promised to call one another.

A few days passed and Cindy received a call. They went on a beautiful date and had an amazing time. That’s how it began.

Now, we return to the present. Cindy was still a virgin and was saving herself for “that special someone.” On this particular night, she felt that Jake was “the one.” They shared a blissful night and both fell asleep in her bed. The next morning, Cindy awoke to a note on her pillow. “Thanks for a great time, babe. You were definitely the best of the month. Give me a call if you’re ‘lonely’ sometime.” She couldn’t believe it. Memories of the time they had spent flooded her mind. Silence roared through her room. She broke

down.

Cindy committed suicide that night. Her best friend found her alone in the blood soaked sheets. Two slits and a broken heart were all it took to end a once vibrant life.

Paradigm

A paradigm is defined as anything that serves as a model or as an example. How does this definition tie into the essay, “No Country for Young Men?” Well, today Wendy spoke of a shifting of the general paradigm. Perhaps it means that the entirety of America is entering a new phase.
America used to be a symbol for vitality and hope. Its booming economy and its growing population fueled this. However, since the baby boomers are entering their geriatric years, America seems to have taken a slight detour on its road toward vitality.
Due to this gravitation toward the elderly, a change is occurring. Health care services are flourishing. Social security reserves are being used at a somewhat alarming rate. America is dying, both figuratively and literally. Stocks are at a plateau because of sales to finance retirement.
It is reported that seniors are more qualified for customer service jobs than are the younger people. Despite the fact that they are old and somewhat of a burden on the economy, the boomers seem to be generally happy with the world that they have come to dominate. The kids are gone. They have a little money saved up. They have free time to do whatever they want to do. They have the good life, and it is up to us to bear their burden.

Frosty, my boy!

Well, i just finished a marathon writing session. I had to write a ten page paper. I started it today and just now finished it. Needless to say...i am completely spent. It wouldn't have been that bad except for the fact that it was for my damn UNHP class. So basically the paper was about nothing. It really is quite hard to bullshit for a whole ten pages. However, i must say that the transition from bullshit to actual fact is really quite seemless, if i do say so myself. Whatever. It's done now and that's that.

Now on to the presented prompt. I would first like to say that i absolutely love Robert Frost. He is one of the best poets of all time. This is coming from a guy who is not really all that fond of poetry.
It is essential to look at things from a broad perspective once you enter college. There are so many different people and classes, it is impossible to approach things from the same perspective you had in high school. You are essentially beginning a new chapter in your life. Why not change the way that you approach it?
Another big change is the fact that material is no longer " spoon fed" to you. You actually have to listen to the lectures and study the information presented. It really is quite a difference.

Chapter 3:Hate Blows a Bubble of Despair

Sorry Wendy. I wasn’t really feeling that glamour prompt. So, instead, I’m going to write the next part to the Paris saga.



Chapter 3: Hate Blows a Bubble of Despair
So when we left off, Paris and Elle had pretty much broken off all ties. There was some slandering. Someone may or may not have thrown someone out of a moving vehicle. I find that a little hard to believe seeing how there was not so much as a scratch on Elle.
Though they saw each other from time to time, Elle and Paris hadn’t really made up. Elle started to drink and smoke more. She also, from my understanding, slept around a bit. It was hard on her.
Paris got on with his life pretty well. He played some shows. The band was doing pretty well. Life was good. Then came Clyde.
One night, after a show, Clyde’s mother, Jezebel, introduced Paris to Clyde. Clyde was a beautiful temptress. She was everything that a woman should be: smart, witty, beautiful, and most of all, conniving. Also, she was quite a bit younger than Paris. They began to see more and more of each other, and it was strictly platonic. Well, it was that way for Paris. Clyde made advances toward Paris at every chance. What sort of man could possibly resist that sort of attention repeatedly? Finally, Paris gave in and the consummated their love for each other. Little did Paris know of the real motive of Jezebel when she introduced Clyde and Paris.

Parents Suck at Raising Kids

First, I would like to thank Wendy for the prompt, although it is somewhat uninteresting.
Whose fault is it that the public school system is in the tubes? Personally, I blame society as a whole. Look at the things that kids are emulating as they grow up. There are countless rap videos depicting various acts that are less than reputable. There are a million violent video games that have the potential to warp childrens’ minds. Also, look
at the movies that are coming out. There is the movie, Hostel. It’s just porn and gore.
However, I don’t blame a single one of these things for the downfall of public schools. I blame the parents. No matter what else is in the world, kids take in the most input from their parents.
Girls are getting pregnant at younger and younger ages. How can we expect a baby to raise a baby? It’s not her fault though. It’s her parents’ fault. They didn’t seem to push the subject of protected sex very well. “Protecting” kids from sex just means that they are not prepared when they finally do the deed, as it were.
Parents need to teach kids the difference between fiction and reality. No kid would think that it’s okay to imitate the actions in a violent video game unless they had a really screwed up childhood.
It’s the parents’ fault and no one else’s. Place the blame where it belongs and actually do something about it.

Ass Fx

It seems like there are too many medicines on the market that do the exact same thing. Think about it. There are like a million headache medicines. There are another million for heartburn and heartburn’s retarded cousin, acid reflux. My mom’s doctor says she has that. I’m not going to argue with him. After all, he’s a doctor. I’m just saying that it seems like it’s a little overblown.
Anyways, the point I am trying to make is that there are too many overpriced medications that seem to do the exact same thing. For instance, I just saw a commercial that prompted this blog. It was for another acid reflux medicine called AcipHex, pronounced “ass fx.” Is that not the dumbest name for any product that you’ve ever heard? I wonder what the production meeting for that product was like. There was definitely no one under thirty there.
Regardless of all the names and everything, I figure that they at least drive the prices down due to competition. So, that’s one good thing. It still kind of sucks it takes an hour to pick out an over the counter medication. Like I said before, at least it’ll be somewhat inexpensive.

Chapter 2: Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town

Chapter 2: Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town

After my deep-seeded hatred of Paris subsided, everything was once again copasetic. The summer was now upon us. I had never really had all that great of a summer. I'd had fun of course, but I'd never had a summer like waht i thought summer should be. I grew up watching shows like the Wonder Years. That's the kind of summer that i wanted. You know the kind: Me and some friends hanging out at someone's house because we're too broke to be able to afford anything better.
One day we found some sidewalk chalk in my girlfriend's garage. All of us, Paris, Rose(my girlfriend), Elle(her sister and his girlfriend), and myself went down to the street and bgan to draw. At first, our drawings were scattered and random. Slowly, they began to culminate into one mass mural. At its center was a giant eye. The eye seemed to gaze out into forever. The mural, long washed away by the rains, is survived only by a few photos, and remebered only by by the few of us who participated in its birth.
That summer seemed to go on forever. I was never going to end, or, at least, that was the thought. However, like the mural, that summer also faded into nothing but a memory.
School began again. Classes were once again filled by listless kids just trying to make it through.
Life was back to normal. What is normal, but monotonous activities.
Paris and i still saw quite a bit of each other during the weekends or whenever we both happened to be at Rose's house. That was cool. Then Paris stopped coming around. I learned from Rose that he and Elle had had quite a falling out. This was the beginning of all the trouble that Paris would eventually get himself into.

Walmart saves lives

Well it seems a if i will be writing two blogs a day for a while until i am done with the story of Paris. Right now i need to talk about healthcare.
Walmart has just announced that it will open four hundred medical clinics at its store locations. It already has clinics in seventy seven stores around the country. The decision to expand their clinics came when they signed a letter of intent with local hospital and RediClinic that states that they would open co-branded clinics in 200 supercenters. Another letter of intent was signed with St. Vincent Health System, which will open four clinics in the Little Rock area.
Walmart says that they plan to have all four hundred clinics opened by 2010.The goal is that these walk-in clinics will have a great impact on the American Healthcare System. Walmart is known for offering the same items for less money, so it is with their generic medicine. They have recently begun offering four dollar prescriptions on some of their generic medicine brands.
As much as I dislike Walmart, this is a really good idea. I like the fact that this seems like a step towards universal healthcare. Hopefully one day other people will, and I hate to say this, learn from Walmart. Until then people can get their medicine a little bit cheaper at Walmart. Thanks Walmart.

So as it Semed Me

Introduction
How is it that people seem to lay waste to their seemingly happy lives? It’s scary how fast

life can plummet into a downward spiral. This is the story of one such person and the

culminations circumstances by which his life took such a turn. All of the characters in this story

are completely true, but their names have been changed due to the acts that they have

committed. So begins the story of Paris as it was told to me. I am not Paris; I am just someone

trying to convey an interesting story.
Chapter 1: So as it Semed Me

I first met Paris at the Bartlett Christmas Parade. I must admit that I had preconceptions

of him due to the descriptions that friends of mine had given me. They described him as a

straight-up greaser right out of the fifties. And so it was that this was my first impression as

well. Obviously, they had never taken the time to talk to him or, like my girlfriend, had made up

their minds and gave him no second thought.

The first thing he ever said to me was “Do you know who that is?” This was in reference to

a button that I was wearing that had a picture of Che Guevara on it. “Yes,” I replied and then

went on to give a brief description on the escapades of Ernesto “Che” Guevara. This was the

beginning of our friendship.

I regret using the word friendship due to the fact that I really didn’t like him all that

much at the time or for some time afterward. It seemed as if he was just some punk trying to be

different. For all of you who know me and for those of you who don’t, I hate posers of any kind.

Paris was my girlfriend’s sister’s boyfriend. As a result, we saw a lot of each

other. At first, it was okay. Then it was pretty fun. Last, it was terrible. I began to have this

irrational hatred of Paris for absolutely no reason whatsoever. How this came about, I do not

know or just can’t remember. Perhaps two people with an Irish heritage need to have disputes

from time to time, even if they are jus one-sided.

This was Paris and that was the beginning of the long chain of events to which I was privy.

* Comeback tomorrow if you want to know another section of the story. It will

start to get good. I promise. It’ll be your favorite soap opera.

Snow In San Diego

It’s so nice to have hot water in the dorm again. It has been out since Sunday. Seems like it’s just one thing after the other lately.
I woke up this morning and turned to CNN Headline and I see a nice aerial shot of my birthplace, San Diego, California. Though I didn’t live there long, I have been back a lot of times and it holds a very special place in my heart. Anyways, they were showing a nice shot of the bay and PETCO Stadium (Chargers home field). Then they switch to a
current aerial shot of the same area and it’s getting pounded with snow. Now, if you know nothing about the geography of California, San Diego is in the southern part right next to the Mexican border. IT DOES NOT EVER SNOW THERE! This is a very freak weather occurrence. Perhaps global warming is taking place faster than we could have anticipated. I don’t know exactly what caused it, but I do know that it really isn’t supposed to happen.
In other news, there was a shooting at NIU. The gunman opened fire in an auditorium. He killed six people and then took his own life. I wonder what could possess a person to do something like that. The strange thing is that there was apparently no prior provocation. Maybe he was trying to copy the VT guy.
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Valentine's Day...Sort of

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody. Well, I guess technically it’s the day after, but I just got done with all my homework. WHAT A DAY! Instead of spending the day with my girlfriend, I had to go to chemistry. Then I had to do this stupid paper for my engineering class. If you are thinking about becoming an engineer and haven’t already invested time in the first semester, stop thinking about it. This sounds like it will be a fun profession, but the school for it sucks ass.
So, my girlfriend and I are celebrating tomorrow, or today, or whatever it is. I don’t even care anymore. I am so glad that Friday is approaching. I only have two
classes and usually no homework. Sleep is calling, but I’m not done with the requirement yet.
The discussion in class today was interesting. Zachary seems like a pretty cool guy but did anyone else notice that he seemed like he was about to have an anxiety attack? He was swaying back and forth the entire class period. It was weird. Oh well.
I know that this is going to sound very cynical of me, but I don’t see the point to Valentine’s Day. It seems like an excuse to sell cards, candy, and flowers. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t celebrate it. However, I have a girlfriend, so it’s sort of an obligation.

Stupidity Wins Landslide Election

Ryan Manning

Stupidity Wins Landslide Election

As I first began to read the article, I felt that if I didn’t vote then I’d be a menace to society. I mean the man opens up with some pretty strong phrases. I don’t want to be scorned or face possible jail time if I don’t vote. If these were the consequences, then I’d be afraid not to vote. And that is exactly what the man in this article is saying.

The man writing this article seems to be of the Democratic Party. Perhaps he is unaffiliated, but he doesn’t seem neutral enough for that. For instance, he seems to criticize the Republicans for using neutral organizations, such a girl scouts, to sway the vote towards their side. In his mind, this is not a good idea at all. Voting just to vote is not intelligent and it may sway the vote towards a “boob” of a candidate. I completely agree with this, which makes me think that he is probably trying to communicate with the younger generation of his time. He wants to curtail useless voting and encourage voters to make a more informed decision when they vote. After all, older generations tend to be more set in their ways, so it seems unintelligent to try and convince them to change.

This “get out the vote” thing seems very similar to the “vote or die” campaign that MTV ran during the last election. They also used neutrals, like Justin Timberlake, not to sway to a certain party, but just to get people to vote. I hated this with a fiery passion. It was not the blatant use of star power that annoyed me; it was the fact that the idea of making an intelligent vote was never stressed. People can go vote all day, but what does it matter if they don’t know who they’re voting for? It is necessary to research candidates. Look at the president we have now. Bush may have seemed like a good choice once upon a time (like eight years ago), but why was he re-elected over someone who was obviously more qualified. It is because people have a tendency to fall in to patterns in life. I do it, you do it, we all do it. It is just human nature to “fear” change. However, sometimes change is necessary. If you’re in a war that has been failing since day one, then why would you continue to stay in it? Isn’t a war scarier than change? Apparently it isn’t. This is somewhat scary in itself. If people fear change that much then what is to stop a president from doing an FDR. Yeah there is that amendment to the Constitution, but amendments can be amended. Could you imagine four or more terms of Bush-Cheney? I don’t even want to begin to think about it.

This article was written in 1955. It is more than likely that this man lived through the terms of FDR. This is not to say that FDR was not a good president, it just means that he may have overstayed his welcome a bit. It stands to reason that the author of the article would agree with me. He probably saw many people go and vote for FDR just because he was FDR. “He was president during the war and the depression Well, the depression is over, so he must be the man for the job. Let’s keep him in.” (I’m not sure if that should be in quotes, but it is and it’s going to stay that way. I just made it up on the spot.) It’s the same thing with Bush-Cheney, except we’re not winning the war. Apparently our mission has been accomplished, but we are just visiting now.

The last question posed is if this undermines any current cultural ideas. Yes, it does, but they are the same ideas as in 1955. Change is bad. It’s apparently worse than war. Instead of acknowledging that something is bad, we’ll just pretend everything is just dandy and it’ll work itself out. These are the kinds of ideas that need to be challenged. If they aren’t then this country is doomed to repeat past mistakes. This statement has

already come to fruition. The Vietnam Conflict and the War on Terror seem to be

somewhat similar in both purpose and execution. I mean that they’re both cluster-fucks.

The sooner that we realize the error of our ways (cliché but still effective), the sooner we can begin to see things in a different light. Maybe one day voting will feel like something we should do. Right now it feels like something that we have to do. It did then and it does now.

In conclusion, get out the vote, but please…please make an informed decision. Don’t do it just because someone tells you it’s your duty.

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Book review on a movie?

Tonight I am going to begin on my movie reviews. I suppose I could read a book, but a book on healthcare doesn’t seem as though it would be even remotely interesting. I have decided to do both Sicko and An Inconvenient Truth. The latter, I chose because I am flat broke and already own it. So, that means that all I have to do is watch that tonight and then watch Sicko tomorrow. I will probably just write the papers as I am watching each. Maybe I’ll just take notes as I am watching them. First, I have to read the notes on how to write a book review since it has been quite a while.
As strange as it may sound, I’m looking forward to this assignment. I absolutely hate writing because I have yet to watch An Inconvenient Truth, and I really like Sicko.
I think that in order to write the review, I will just use the non-fiction template on eCourseware. They are both non-fiction after all, and that seems like the best solution.
So, on another note…I can’t wait for spring break! I’m soooo tired all the time and it will be a good chance to rest up. Is anyone else looking forward to the break?
That was rhetorical by the way.

Book review on a movie?

Tonight I am going to begin on my movie reviews. I suppose I could read a book, but a book on healthcare doesn’t seem as though it would be even remotely interesting. I have decided to do both Sicko and An Inconvenient Truth. The latter, I chose because I am flat broke and already own it. So, that means that all I have to do is watch that tonight and then watch Sicko tomorrow. I will probably just write the papers as I am watching each. Maybe I’ll just take notes as I am watching them. First, I have to read the notes on how to write a book review since it has been quite a while.
As strange as it may sound, I’m looking forward to this assignment. I absolutely hate writing because I have yet to watch An Inconvenient Truth, and I really like Sicko.
I think that in order to write the review, I will just use the non-fiction template on eCourseware. They are both non-fiction after all, and that seems like the best solution.
So, on another note…I can’t wait for spring break! I’m soooo tired all the time and it will be a good chance to rest up. Is anyone else looking forward to the break?
That was rhetorical by the way.

Don't watch the movie, Perth

Is everyone excited to be back at school? Yeah me neither. Do we get a three-day weekend this week for President’s Day? If so, can someone please tell me?
So, I didn’t go see that play that Daniel was talking about. It’s not that I didn’t want to. It’s just that I had so much to do this weekend. So, I have yet to attend any outside event. I may be a little behind. I don’t know. I heard it was good though.
My dad got back in town on Saturday. I haven’t seen him in like six months, so it was nice to get to hang out with him on Sunday. Sorry to all of the thespians out there. We went down to Beale Street and ate at the Hard Rock. Unfortunately, the reunion was not all happy and sunny. I learned that people, whom I’ve known since I was little, are not all doing so well. One is a meth addict now. Another is going broke because of his real estate investments. And the last one starting smoking and is having a mid-life crisis. Oh yeah! My dad’s work partner had a stroke and may not be able to work for a while. Seems like thing are going down he hill for the older generation.
What should I get my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day? Any suggestions, girls?

Nothing to Say

I’m so tired today. I would kill just to be able to take a nap. However, I must push on, for I have things to do. It’s been a very hectic week, with the storms and work and all. It seems like this weekend took forever to get here.
So as I sit here listening to Flogging Molly, I feel incomplete somehow. Oh well I’ll get over it I’m sure. It’s probably just because I’m tire from this incredibly long week.
I guess that I should get to work on those movie reviews for class. I’m going to watch Sicko for class? I can’t believe it. I love Michael Moore. He tends to blow things a little bit out of proportion, but for the most part, he is an excellent documentary filmmaker. This is quite possibly the most interesting English class that I’ve ever had. That doesn’t mean that I like the work, but I don’t mind it as much as I have past English classes.
Well, since I really have nothing to say today, I’m going to go ahead and sign off now. I hope that everybody has a nice weekend and I’ll see you all next week. Bye.

Does anyone care about health?

Is anyone else finding it hard to find their piece of propaganda. I know I am. I found one thing that I thought was pretty good. It was video of a commercial that John Edwards had when he was still campaigning. It was promoting John’s universal healthcare program. In it, he says that universal healthcare is needed in America today. I completely agree with that statement. However, he goes on to say that he would take the legislations healthcare away if they wouldn’t pass his bill. This is obviously outlandish. He redeems himself by the end of the commercial by saying that its not fair that some people should have healthcare when many others don’t.
I believe that socialized healthcare would be a great institution in American society(that’s for you, Wendy). We are the only major nation that has no sort of universal healthcare. Canada has it. England has it. France has it. Even Cuba has it for fucks sake. CUBA HAS IT! They have virtually no money, yet they seem to be able to afford this monster that is universal healthcare.
Another thing that I hate about the American healthcare system is how the major companies, like Pfizer, feel the need to monopolize all the medicine sales. Generic medicines are far less expensive, yet we can’t get them here. It’s ridiculous. This country’s government cares more about revenue than it does about its own people.
236 words

Tuesday's over

Well, Super Tuesday is finally over. Even though I didn’t get to actually vote, I feel like my candidate still did pretty good. That’s right my candidate is that “cold, heartless, bitch,” Hillary. I don’t know why, but I like her. Maybe it’s just a residual feeling because I liked her husband so much. Though Obama actually won more states, it seems as though Hillary is still holding her own. It looks like, seemingly as with the Republicans, it is going to come down to the Democratic National Convention to decide who will be the Democratic candidate. So, c’mon guys. Let’s all pull for Hillary.
It’s not that I don’t like Obama. It’s just that I feel as if he will break under all the pressure if he is put up as candidate. I mean the man stammers constantly during debates. True, he does deliver a prepared speech very well, but he hasn’t won a single debate. It seems like he has trouble thinking on the spot. What happens if he becomes president and fucks up because he doesn’t think quick enough?
So, in other news, the cause of Heath Ledger’s death has been finally been determined. It was ruled as accidental suicide by an unlikely combination of different medications. It’s sad that he’s gone, but it’s good that he did not intentionally take his own life.

Yay for destruction

Thanks to the storm today, I have no chemistry. Unfortunately, the air is really

quite heavy, so it is also ungodly hot outside. Fortunately for me, my mom live in

Bartlett. So I am going to write this, then I am going to her house. Yay air conditioning!!!

Well today is Super Tuesday and I can't vote dammit. I applied for my card but it

hasn't come yet, so i guess that I am not an official voting citizen yet. Woe is me.

I was so looking foward to standing in a hot line with a bunch of sweaty people who are

just as uncomfortable as me. Really and truly though, I do want to vote. I want my voice

to be heard.

I paused and lost my political train of thought. Oh well, I'm tired of politics. Isn't

there somnething else that i camn bitch about? Well, let's see. The cable in my

dorm decided that it wants to be stupid, but since everything is closing at 2:30, i'll

just report it tomorrow i suppose.

Wow, I really have nothing to say today. I guess that the day has just gone to well

for me to be mad about anything. Up until recently, the weather has been nice, and so has

my day. That little weather siren thing sure is creepy sounding. Sorry for anyone who

habitually reads my blog. Nothing interesting today.

I am calmer today

Yes, it is unfortunate that the Patriots lost their perfect season, but I'm going to try and move on, though the pain is so intense. If you read my blog for 2-4-08, then just disregard it. I was mad and needed a scape goat. It wasn't all Brady's fault. The Giants' defensive line was really quite incredible and Eli, for all it's worth, played a really great game.
Last night people kept trying to tell me that there is always next year. Well next year is next year. The chances of my team pulling out another perfect regular season are somewhat unlikely, but it IS possible. I guess that i will just have to wait and see.
Seriously though, I've never yelled so much at an inanimate object. I guess I'm a little high strung when it comes to my boys.
Last night, after House, i was thinking about the game. What if i had watched it at my own house instead of at my friends? Would it have been like a butterfly effect? Am I the one who is truly to blame for the defeat of the Patriots? I certainly hope not, but i suppose anything is possible. I mean the New York Giants DID beat the Patriots after all.

FUCK TOM BRADY

What the hell was that sorry fucking excuse for a game? What the hell was Brady doing the whole night? Did he think that this was practice? I'm so pissed right now. Why wouldn't you just put Cassel in the game, Bill!

Fuck Cassel. I could've done better than that. I've been a Patriots fan since i was like six. Well, when they play like that, it's even hard for me to watch them. I shouldn't say they. It was Tom who lost the game. He played like a damn rookie. It's a shame because I was just starting to like him. Oh well. He'll never be Bledsoe.

In It To Lose It

I am really glad that there are other people, like Left Wing Cracker, and West TN Liberal, who realize that the Democrats have completely screwed themselves in the ’08 election. TN Liberal makes an outstanding point in his latest blog. It looks as though John McCain is going to get the Republican nomination due to his win in Florida. This means big trouble for the liberals and Democrats. It means that if he wins, this country has to put up with another four lame years of Republican policies and politics. This country is in real trouble. John Edwards was the last hope. If Hillary gets the nomination, I don’t think she’ll win. She’s a woman. I have nothing against women, but you know that some people, including other women, do. Some fat ass rednecks who have not voted since they were eighteen are going to tear themselves away from their beer and daytime TV to go out and purposely see to it that a woman never becomes president.
It is just as unlikely that Obama won’t get it either. After all he “has no experience.” What are politics? They are mainly debates and squabbling. Well, judging from his campaign against Hillary, he has plenty of experience.
Whatever. I’m sick of it. This is the first year that I’ll get to vote and I already don’t want to. At least I’ll get to see the greatest football team in history take down one of the Manning brothers this weekend. There’s always a bright side.

Everything Zen

No politics tonight! I am truly sorry. I’m sure that all of you wanted to read my
bitching about candidates and about how childish they all are. However, that will not be the topic of tonight’s blog. No. Tonight you will all hear about something much more important. ME! I am now the proud resident of room 329 of Richardson Towers South. This means that I no longer have my own room, but it also means that I no longer have to wait on the slow ass elevator that is most likely broken. I haven’t had a roommate in a pretty long time so I hope that I can adjust to it. Abteen, my new roommate, and some of his friends helped me move all my crap down. That was nice considering that I don’t know any of them all that well.

Unfortunately, due to the moving process, I ended up missing LOST. I had been anticipating this for some months now, and, stupid me, I completely spaced it. Oh well, that’s what the internet is for, right?

On a happier note, I decided what to get my girlfriend for her birthday. I’m going to get her a nice digital camera. Her other one broke, so she’s been without for some time.

On yet another happy note, the weather service is saying possible bad weather tomorrow. Could it mean no school? Probably not, but keep you hopes up.

Crybaby in the Whitehouse

Well, Edwards finally gave up the good fight. This really sucks. Out of all the Democratic candidates, he was my favorite. It is a real shame that he wasn’t as rich as the other two candidates. He just could not afford the same level of campaigning as the Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama. What really gets me is that he hardly got any media coverage during the entirety of his campaign. While there was a story about Hillary or Obama on the news almost every day, there was virtually nothing about my man, Edwards.

While Hillary and Obama were busy squabbling about who was blacker, and who had a better health care program, Edwards mainly focused on the issues. He did slip once, but it was only to stop one of many quarrels between Hillary and Obama at one of the Democratic debates.

I didn’t know that Edwards had dropped out until I read Left Wing Cracker’s latest blog. Now the only hope for the Democrats is one of two adults who squabble as if they were young children. Hey! Hillary! Obama! Come off it already! You are senators for Christ’s sake. At least try to act respectful in front of the nation.

Separation of Church and Stupidity

I was reading LeftWingCracker’s blog about religion in politics. It almost made me physically ill. It is just pitiful that people feel the need to quote the Bible when they are choosing a president.

In his blog, Cracker talks about a woman who is very very…well, stupid when it comes to politics. She says that her vote will be for Obama in the primaries. That’s fine. It’s what she says after that that is so insensibly close-minded. She says that she would have voted for Hillary, but she didn’t feel that Hillary would be an effective leader. Hillary would just “run to a man” if she got in trouble. This is the kicker. She said that, in the Bible, it says that men should be saying this. THIS IS A WOMAN SAYING THIS! You all have to stick together. If all women thought this way, they still wouldn’t be allowed to vote. So, why don’t you women support each other. The fact is that no Republican is better suited than Hillary is. If you vote republican just because a woman gets the Democratic nomination, then you should just stay over on that right wing. You seem better suited for that side anyways.

By the way. Forgive any misspellings or other mistakes. It’s ten o’clock. The power is out in Richardson Towers. I had to drive home to write this and, last but not least, I didn’t get out of class until 7 p.m.

This Weekend

How did everyone’s weekend go? Mine actually went quite swimmingly. I watched some movies. All of them were pretty good. One stood out above the rest. It was a movie called The Hunting Party. It stars Richard Gere and Terrence Howard as two journalists who were in the midst of the Bosnian Civil War. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but you should definitely see this movie.
Apart from the movies, I spent my weekend doing calculus homework. It was pretty hard, so I didn’t finish it. Now I have the answer manual so I can figure out what I need to do to complete the problems. I’m going to take a look at that a little later.
The highlight of my weekend was definitely getting to drive a Golf GTI. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s a sporty little Volkswagen hatchback. It was a manual, so I had a bit of a time trying to get used to it. First gear is not a good friend of mine. “Just hit the accelerator and let off the clutch.” That’s what I kept telling myself. The only bad was that my friends made me drive it home. I stalled once on the way, but besides that, it wasn’t too bad. I hope that everyone else’s weekend went well, and I’ll be seeing you all tomorrow.

Friday and Japanese Horror

Thank god (Christian or otherwise. I’m not picky) that it’s Friday. It’s a real shame that I have homework this weekend, but what are you going to do? Luckily I only had two classes today, so it wasn’t that bad. This weekend will hopefully be pretty uneventful. I’m not really in the mood to do all that much. I think I’ll probably get my homework out of the way today, then I’ll just chill out the rest of the weekend. Maybe I’ll rent some movies. There’s this one that is always out. Its called Casshern. Anyone ever heard of it? Oh well. I’m also in the mood for some gore. I might get Saw IV. I heard it was bad but blood is always a plus. If not, maybe a trip to Black Lodge Video would be warranted. They’re always good for a bloody Asian movie. Something by Takashi Miike sounds good. No one probably knows who he is, but you should check out his work if you want a cool movie. I’d recommend Ichi the Killer. By no means get the movie, Visitor Q, if you have not been prepared for it. It’s not really for the faint of heart. It spans a wide range of taboos from incest to necrophilia.

Regardless of what I do this weekend, it won’t be stressful. The week has been way too hard for that kind of stuff. I actually hope that there is no winter weather this weekend. That’s just a waste. If there’s no of not going to school, then what is the point of winter weather. See you guys next week. Later days.

Random Ponderings

Have you ever noticed the beauty of a tree? I was walking back to the dorm today after a particularly disappointing UNHP class. It wouldn’t have been bad except for the fact that no one participates. I can tell that professor Safa is really trying to get us involved. I felt sorry for him so I chimed in a few times, as did some really well spoken guy in the front of the room. So at least Safa didn’t feel like he was talking to himself the whole time. So that was my good deed for the day. Also, it kept me from falling asleep.
Now, on to the trees. As I was walking to Richardson I noticed all the dead trees. There is something hauntingly beautiful about their unsymmetrical build. It’s organized chaos. Just look at the trees. They grow out and out only to die each year and start anew during the following spring.
The beauty of a tree was first brought to my attention during my senior year of high school. I was walking into economics and a stoner friend of mine, Kirk, grabbed me and told me to look out the window at this tree swaying in the wind. The thing that intrigued him about it was that as it swayed the leaves turned over and changed the color of the tree for that one instant. It was simply beautiful. From then on, whenever I didn’t feel like listening to something about interest rates or whatever boring topic that Mrs. Hager was talking about, I would sit and look at the tree. Sometimes I would draw it. I would’ve talked to my friends, but Hager did not allow talking. The tree was my only escape from the boredom that was economics.
Since then I have had a definite appreciation for the beauty and serenity of a tree, with or without leaves. There’s just something serene and calming about a tree. Look around and try to notice it sometimes.

The Legal Alternative

So, I was looking for blogs to comment on yesterday when I found one that I liked. This month marks the 35th anniversary of the landmark court case, Roe vs. Wade. For those of you who don’t know, this was the case that established the legality of abortions. I know that this is a very controversial subject, but I want to chime in anyways. Abortions within the legal time zone are not murder people. Cells don’t feel pain or even feel anything for that matter. That’s what the nervous system is for, and they don’t have one yet. They aren’t thinking organisms yet. Now, I am not condoning “back-alley” clothes hanger abortions. I’m just saying that I believe if there is a legitimate medical
reason, or even if the mother feels as though she could not take care of a baby, then an abortion may be the right way to go.
What sickens me is that the government feels the need to get involved. It’s none of their business. It makes me wonder what they would do if their little girl, God forbid, was raped. She is not going to want to keep that baby in most cases. Most likely the child is just going to be a reminder of that terrible loss of innocence. True, she could have the baby and put it up for adoption, but no matter what the circumstances are, there is a bond between child and mother. Sometimes an abortion is the lesser of two evils. On one hand, that person will never exist, but on the other hand, the mother will be spared a lot of pain and anguish.
I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone. If you think different then I have no choice but to respect your opinion, but please try and do the same for mine.

My Slightly Less Than Amazing Day :)

So, here it is. This is my first blog ever for a class. In writing that last sentence, I realized that the word “blog” is not in the glossary of my version of Microsoft Word. It seems strange since I have the 2003 edition and blogs have been around longer than that. Oh well. Enough rambling. I do not really know what to talk about, so I will tell you about my day and then myself.
My name is Ryan. I am nineteen and somewhere in the neighborhood of 5’7”. I hate being short. My basketball game suffers due to my severe height disadvantage, but I think that I would make an excellent Roman-Greco wrestler. Maybe I am not stocky enough for that though. So anyways. Back to me. I love music (listening to it, not playing it. However, I am taking an intro guitar class next semester). I have an extensive CD collection that spans over fifty years of music. I like everything from country to rap. If you do not believe me, just look. I have Hank Williams next to Immortal Technique. My real passion is folk music. Give me some Cat Stevens or some Decemberists any day. I also like art. I am not such a big fan of paintings but I love anything in pencil. That is not to say that there are no amazing paintings, color just is not my thing. I am relatively cynical, but I love to laugh and have fun. If you asked my friends what they thought of me, they would probably say that I am a sarcastic asshole. This is true for the most part, but I have many close friends, so I must be doing something right. I think that I am relatively intelligent. I ranked twenty-third of around 450 students. That is not that great, but it is not terrible either. I have two dogs, a wonderful, though quite pissy, mother, and a girlfriend that I love dearly. I am a freshman at the University of Memphis. This is my second semester. It is not bad, but I did not think it would be quite this hard. So that is me. Stalkers, you know where to find me and what I look like now. Seriously. Do not stalk me
That is just creepy. Thanks for the admiration though.
Now onto my day. I HATE CHEMISTRY! Even worse than the class, itself, is the fact that it is a night class taught by the most boring person I have ever met. Chemistry is bad enough already, but when you put a lazy kid in a night class with a boring teacher, you are just asking for sleep. I have managed to avoid it thus far, but I can feel its comfortable tentacles grasping at me. English makes me even madder. By all accounts, I should hate this class. It is at eight in the morning and about as far from my dorm as you can get, but I cannot bring myself to dislike it. Today I finally met the famous/infamous Wendy Sumner, and I must say that the class sounds interesting to say the least. After English, I have Calculus I, which is the number one most failed or dropped class in the United States. I think that it is easy, but it will probably get harder. We got to do a driving lab to get information about velocity today. Then I had a short break, which was subsequently followed by a class that I absolutely loathe. It is called UNHP. It is like a sociology class, but not even relatively interesting. Honestly, I have no idea what the class is meant to teach us. It has something to do with globalization being the evil spawn of the Satan that is America. It is depressing to say the least. Then I am done…for four hours. Then we have already talked about my least favorite class. Therefore, that was my day. It had its ups and its downs.
After the actual class day, I ate some dinner with a friend/ex-girlfriend, who I have not seen in months. She is pretty cool, so it was good to play catch-up.
It feels good to just sit back, vent to my computer screen, and watch some TV. It would almost be a break if it were not for this blog. The great thing is that tomorrow, I only have two classes and I am done at 11:15 A.M.
I realize that I sound mean and bitter about my day, but all in all, it was not that bad. There was even one good aspect to chemistry. I aced a pop quiz, which I rather excited about.

The Glorious Manifesto of the United States of Manning

The Glorious Manifesto of the

United States of Manning

A manifesto is a public declaration of intentions, objectives and motives. In this manifesto, one will find the guidelines for a newly created nation. This is, of course, the United States of Manning. Thanks to the influences of the Communist Manifesto, people will be the focus and the main power in the new government. Thanks to influences from The Declaration of Independence, a new system of government will be established. Strict guidelines will be set for politicians. Law enforcement will be more manageable and more effective. The problem of unemployment and poverty will be addressed in an appropriate manner. Last, but not least, guidelines will be set up to address the issue of immigration. This is essentially a template for government. It is open to interpretation and revisal; however, nothing may be added which is contradictory to the already established principles. It is the belief of the writers and of the people that this manifesto will stand as a strong symbol of our unity and our power as a people.

First, let me start by saying that the government is a corrupt organization as well as a major influencing factor. It is my sincerest belief that if people played a more vital role in major politics then they would cease to be as corrupt. This is not to say that all politicians are bad people. It means that the government as a whole has become a corrupting influence that may turn once good people into corrupt mad men and women on a devious power trip.

How can this be remedied? The simple answer would be to eliminate government altogether. However, this would be a step toward the devastation of the nation. Simply stated, make the people a vital part of the national government. For example, do away with the Electoral College. By doing so, the need for gerrymandering will be eliminated as well. Neither of these implements is good for the general population. By doing this, all votes are counted equally. Therefore, elected officials are fairly elected.

The head of the government will not be a single person. It will be a parliamentary-like body. They will vote on topics of interest. If these topics pose an immediate impact on the citizens, then they will have the chance to vote on it as well. No longer will the government be the supreme law-making body. The people will have the power.

Next is the issue of the impeachment of a national official. This will work much the same way as it does on a state level. If a member of the national congress commits a crime or violation of this manifesto, the people have the right to vote him out of office.

By limiting the power of a single person, their ability to corrupt the government lessens greatly. This is a far better system of checks and balances than, say, the American Government has.

Now we go on to the topic of law enforcement for the general population. Police will be one single body. Jurisdiction lines will be abolished within states. This way, technicalities with which the supposed offender can get off will be lessened to a degree. Lethal enforcement will be strictly abolished. In fact, new gun laws will essentially ban the trafficking of any and all non-sporting guns. In the case that a violent crime does break out, special task teams, with highly specialized training, will be dispatched to take down or eliminate the threat. This would only be a last resort effort.

Poverty is a problem in any large country. This is why extra emphasis will be place on education. The abandonment of an education will be viewed as one of the countries highest crimes. The law will be as follows: At the minimum a high school education is mandatory. After that, people are free to do what they please, as long as it is productive. The only valid reason for unemployment will be that of injury of chronic

sickness.

Those who fail to complete their mandatory education will be faced with a prison sentence in which the remainder of their education will be completed. As far as higher education goes, there will be a cap on the tuition charges of universities and technical schools. This will increase the number of college attendees in the nation.

Immigration and emigration will be open, providing that all those immigrating into the country have prospective job offers and at least some secondary education. This will eliminate the problem of overcrowding. Unless someone has a definite job, their request for a Visa will be denied. Therefore, the development of slums and ghettos will not be an issue.

Hopefully, with Manning leading the way, change and social reform will soon follow. This is not just reform for the people of Manning, but hopefully for the world as a whole. They will have no choice but to acknowledge the fact that the people of Manning are happier because they have trust in their government as well as hope for the future.