This is it . . . for now

I have come to the end of my blogging experience for the semester, and I have learned a lot. I always wanted to start a blog, but I never really had a reason to do it. This class gave me the opportunity to write and have my work read by anyone that comes across this page. It is a little scary to send something out to the world to see what they think about it, but its also exciting. I realize that no one really reads this other than the people in our class, but I still feel like I have broken out into a new world of writing.

I am planning on keeping up my blog in the future, but it will most likely take a slant towards politics, as that is the one subject that I never run out of opinions for. I am going to take a break for a little while, and come back refreshed and ready to spew my opinions. I warn you, if you aren't at least somewhat liberal-minded when it comes to politics, you may not want to read this blog. I have a tendency to be overly liberal, and while I respect the opinions of others, I don't always act like it. Who knows, maybe I will have a future in blogging about politics . . . I doubt it, but I can dream, can't I?

So Close!

I can't believe that the semester is almost over. Today was really strange knowing that it was the last day of blogging. It made me think about the things I still have to finish, and how I can't wait to get it all over with. I always wish that the semester will be over right after it starts, but by the time summer vacation is over I am also always ready to go back. Going back after a break is always nice, because you get to see everyone again and it feels like you are making progress towards getting out of school. Now that I am so close to graduating, I feel mixed about summer vacation. While I am excited to sleep in and not worry about homework for most of the summer, I am kinda bummed that I can't keep plugging away at my classes. I want to be out of college, but summer vacation only adds three months to the wait time.

Things I Learned in High School

I love this weather!

I know that many people like having sunny, warm weather all the time, but I have really been enjoying the weather that Nebraska has been experiencing lately. I love sunny weather, but I also really like rain and thunderstorms. I like having rain, sun, and thunderstorms all in the same day. This creates a variety that is characteristic of Nebraska weather. I am not a fan of this variety during the winter, when we can be teased with above freezing temperatures one minute, and then have a blizzard with below-zero temperatures. I have also been enjoying the weather lately because I can wear winter and spring clothes at the same time. I am not someone that likes wearing heavy coats, so its nice to be able to wear a jacket instead of something heavier.

This spring has also been much more enjoyable for me because it has had above average precipitation. I have really bad allergies, and usually spend the month of April sneezing and rubbing my eyes. This has not been the case this spring. I have been able to spend time outside without spending the next four days laying around with hay fever. The next time you think about complaining about the weather we are having this spring, think about the allergy sufferers that are receiving a well deserved break from seasonal allergy symptoms. This break has also helped my bank account, as I don't have to spend as much money on allergy medication.

Comedy Central has been castrated

Yesterday I wrote about how the creators of South Park had received death threats from a Muslim extremist group, and had altered this weeks episode to bleep out all mentions of Muhammad. This morning I read that the episode was not censored by the creators of South Park, but by Comedy Central itself.

Matt and Trey, the creators of South Park, made a statement that they were unhappy with how Comedy Central handled the situation. I have to agree with their point of view. It seems ridiculous to me that the network would censor the show against the wishes of the people who created it. Trey and Matt were the people who were directly threatened by the Muslim extremists, not Comedy Central. I would understand if the people threatened would want to give in to the wishes of the group, but I really don't think it was Comedy Central's place to censor the episode for them.

I have always liked the fact that Comedy Central was unafraid to ruffle the feathers of it's viewers, but this all changed today. I am extremely disappointed in the network. There are many times when I am offended by the nature of their programming, but that doesn't keep me from watching. I understand the concept of the network, and I don't go off the deep end when they make fun of things that hit close to home for me. I guess the terrorists really have won. I used to think that Comedy Central had balls, but I guess the terrorists chopped them off.

What the bleep?

It is no secret that many people feel offended by the characters and events portrayed on South Park, but most people know not to take the show seriously. This is obviously not true of Muslim extremist groups. I was watching CNN yesterday afternoon when they were talking about death threats that had been made to the creators of South Park due to their depiction of the prophet Muhammad on last weeks 200th episode.

When I saw this, I wasn't surprised, but I was very surprised when I watched South Park last night. The creators of the show have never worried about what people think about their depiction of different cultures, but this time it seems to have caused them to think twice. When I watched last night, all mentions of Muhammad in the episode were bleeped out. There was also a large portion of the end of the show that was bleeped due to what can only be assumed as anti-Muslim remarks. Although it must have been somewhat frightening to receive death threats from a group of Muslim extremists, I am surprised that it caused the creators of the show to censor themselves.

This led me to wonder whether the censorship was intentional on the part of South Park. When watching the episode, the bleeping actually makes the viewer more aware of the comments, which is what I think the creators were going for. They are fighting back by technically giving in to the demands of the people threatening them while making sure that the public is well aware of the comments the characters in the show are making. If the bleeps were intentional on the part of South Park, and not a result of the death threats, I think they should be applauded for their creativity. If not, I am a little disappointed that they gave in to people who are dumb enough to let themselves get angry about a cartoon completely based on nonsense.

How does she do it? - Final Draft

I have used many different words to refer to my mom over the years, but negative has never been one of them. I have never met someone that could be more positive than my mom, to the point of being downright annoying at times.

When I asked why she was so positive all the time, my mom responded by asking me what complaining really did for my daily life. She mentioned that the only thing complaining has ever done is made things worse, so she prefers to look on the bright side of things. She takes on the role of motivator in our family, because both my dad and I spend a large amount of time whining about our lives instead of trying to make them better. I asked her the other day how she stayed positive when she was around the two of us, and she said sometimes she fakes it. She admitted that there are days when listening to our problems makes her want to scream, but she knows that we need someone to vent to.

My mom never vents to anyone, and the reason for this is that she really doesn’t have anything to vent about. My mom doesn’t let things get to her like most people do. I worked at the same store as her when I was in high school, and I often witnessed her handling difficult customers with an ease that baffled me. Someone could be incredibly rude to her and my mom would still walk away with a smile on her face. She insists that people who try to bring you down to their own level of negativity aren’t worth your time or energy. This doesn’t mean she avoids them, but she refuses to let negative people get a reaction out of her.

Having a great attitude comes naturally to my mom, and she attracts people to her like a magnet. When she finally convinced me to create a Facebook page for her, my mom added more friends in a week than I did in over a year. She now spends part of her day looking through her friends’ pages and ‘liking’ their status updates. This may seem like a waste of time to some people, but making others feel appreciated is something that my mom takes very seriously. Every card or gift she receives causes my mom to go into a long round of “thank-yous” and “you shouldn’t haves.” My mom believes that people who know you appreciate them are more likely to be positive about life, which makes being around them a more pleasant experience.

The one piece of advice that my mom gave me about staying positive is the use of body language. She believes that if you keep a smile on your face at all times people will be more likely to smile back, which improves your mood, even if you weren’t really happy in the first place. Learning all of these things about my mom makes me wonder how often she really is happy, and how often she fakes it. In the long run it really doesn’t matter, because faking it leads to the real deal.

We can all take an example from my mom and others like her. There is always someone else on Earth that is going through something ten times worse than we are, and instead of feeling bad for ourselves, we should try to create a positive atmosphere that doesn’t allow negative feelings to develop. So the next time you are annoyed by someone you think is overly happy, think about how you can be more like them instead of how crazy you think they are.

Mom knows her stuff

I was talking to my mom the other day about being more positive, and she gave me some great advice. I asked her about positivity because she has always been the one person that I could count on to have a great attitude. There has never been a situation that my mom didn't seem able to handle, and she always keeps her cool under pressure. This can't be said for my dad, who is one of the most pessimistic people I know. I think I received equal amounts of the positive and pessimist genes, because it all depends on the day of the week in my case.

My mom talked about how she has always been so positive, and I was surprised by what she said. She mentioned that when she was growing up, her family didn't have a lot. Her mom died when she was only four, and she was forced to grow up quickly. Her lack of a childhood would make many people bitter, but my mom doesn't look back on it with a negative attitude. She instead mentioned that never having something makes it impossible to miss having it. She doesn't really remember anything about her mom, so she never had something to miss. She accepted the situation that was placed in front of her and made the best of it. I am not sure that I would have done the same thing in her situation.

I think my mom was given a special personality, because she is able to deal with extremely difficult situations and people without becoming negative. Two of these people are myself and my dad. I was most certainly not the model child, and I continue to challenge her patience. I think that my dad is actually taking my place as the child, because he seems to always have something going on that my mom has to deal with. He would be the last person to admit it, but he relies heavily on my mom to be the positive influence in his life. I also still rely on my mom to give me advice and listen to my ramblings. Thanks, Mom!

The Power of Positivity

There is something to be said about people who are constantly positive. I have never been one of these people, but I have noticed that they seem to be happier in general. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it, because they don't let the little things in life get them down. I have always been someone that claims to be positive until something difficult comes along, and then I think its better to complain about it than try to solve it.

My current situation is one that shows me how much a positive attitude could really do for me. I have a lot of stuff left to complete before the end of the semester, which I constantly think and complain about. What I should really do is have a good attitude and try to get it all done and think about how soon I will be free for a few months. It just seems much easier to complain and put the work off as long as possible.

I hate looking on Facebook and seeing that one person that updates their status about getting all of their homework done for the rest of the semester. Am I the only one that wants to punch them in the face? Maybe you are really on top of things, but don't rub it in my face. Being prepared doesn't make you any better than me . . . Ok, maybe it does, but you don't have to be all smug about it.

I prefer to use my Facebook status for talking about how stressed I am, or how much work I still have to do before class the next day. Just let me have my pity party in peace without having to see you brag about being on top of things.

I just went off on a rant about how much I hate people that do this, but what I should really be doing is attempting to be more like them. If I was positive about things and focused on getting the job done, I would already be bragging on Facebook and waiting for the semester to end peacefully. I don't know if there is hope for me becoming a more positive person, but I think the area of homework is a good place for me to start.

Go Away, Bieber!

I can remember my parents thinking that the music that I listened to when I was in middle and high school was strange, but I like to think that it was better than the stuff that adolescents are listening to now. I work with kids on a regular basis, and I hear them talk about the new songs that they like to listen to. Some of them are absolutely awful.

I fail to see how people can like Justin Bieber. I think he sounds like an 8 year-old with speech issues. I have never heard of another Canadian that talks like he grew up in inner-city Detroit. As soon as I heard him say shawty for the first time I knew he was going on my list of least favorite singers. My friend Katie was talking to me about him the other night, and brought up how complex his lyrics are . . . not. If you can repeat the word baby 1,000 times in a song and make it a hit, I guess young people really are dumber than I thought.

When I think about it, I guess I feel sorry for Justin Bieber. What is he going to do when he finally goes through puberty and loses his 8 year-old voice? He will have the same fate as groups like Hanson, who were no longer popular once they grew up. I can only hope this is what happens to Bieber. I guess there is one thing good about Justin Bieber . . . I really like watching people make fun of him, like they do in this video parody.

Pothole Problem

Winter in Nebraska is a time of constant weather change. It can be almost 50 degrees one day, and a blizzard with below zero temperatures the next. This takes a toll on our roads, and leaves us with huge craters in the streets by the time spring arrives. The roads department is usually fairly quick about getting out and filling these potholes, but I am sure there are many reasons that they may not get to them immediately. They have coffee break, for instance, or they need to take a vacation day . . . I understand.

When driving around Kearney I noticed several potholes on major roads, but there was nothing that I couldn't easily dodge around. This was not the case when I went to see my parents in Grand Island. There are so many potholes on the roads in GI that it was almost impossible not to hit at least one on each street. The streets in GI have always been crap, but I think this year is one for the record books. While driving through the sycamore street underpass, I tried to avoid a pothole that looked at least a foot deep and two feet wide, but there was no way I could without hitting the side of the underpass or sideswiping another car. This caused me to slam into the pothole, and possibly do damage to my car. I know the street department is busy, but for crying out loud, if there is a hole in a place that makes it unavoidable to hit, please fix it.

The City of Grand Island has never ceased to amaze me with their ingenious way of investing absolutely no money or effort into the roads. I remember a few years ago when instead of filling in potholes on one of the main roads near my parents house, they simply laid a giant piece of plywood on top of them. While this may have made the road a little smother, I think we should just embrace the crappy roads and take an example from the cartoon posted above. Fishing, anyone?

The Asian Whitney Houston??

I came across this video on YouTube and I was instantly amazed. This 10 year-old boy from Taiwan sounds exactly like Whitney Houston. I didn't know whether to applaud or wet myself laughing. Ok . . . I laughed . . . hysterically. There is just something about an Asian boy singing Whitney that gets to me. I think he sings this song better than Whitney could nowadays. This makes me hate American Idol even more than I have lately. I wish America had some overweight Asian children to sing power ballads on Idol instead of the crap that has been coming out of the contestants mouths the past few weeks.

Competing for attention - Final Draft

The Nebraska Baseball season is in full swing, but unfortunately the lack of swinging bats has caused a drop in public interest as well. This change is a complete contrast to the enthusiasm that the people of Nebraska had for the potential of the team a few years ago. This drop in support has been seen in a number of sports over the years, and is characteristic of the way most Nebraskans view all sports other than football.

I started following Nebraska Baseball in 2005, just as they were beginning to be noticed on the national stage. They went to the College World Series that year but were unable to advance far in the tournament. The following two years were successful for the Huskers. They made it to regional play both seasons, and the public responded to this success by creating a buzz about the sport and packing Haymarket Park for nearly every home game.

2008 and 2009 proved to be very difficult for the Huskers, and they failed to qualify for regional play last season. This was disappointing as a Husker fan, but a period of success is usually followed by a few years of rebuilding. The talent of the players has not been on the same level as it was a few years ago, which has led to fewer wins.

No one likes to lose, but sometimes there just isn’t a lot you can do to stop it. Over the past few years I have watched as the hardworking players have given their all only to lose game after game. This hard work should be applauded, but the opposite is happening. Most fans have either turned their back on the sport, or are calling for Coach Mike Anderson to resign.

It is unfortunate that so many fans are willing to stop going to games and supporting the team just because they aren’t winning the majority of their games like they have in past seasons. It makes you wonder what made Nebraska Football stay so popular even when they had several lackluster seasons under Bill Callahan.

I think the main factor in the prominence of Nebraska Football is its long winning tradition. The other sports are left to compete for the small amount of enthusiasm left over from the football season. Right now the sport of choice seems to be Women’s Basketball, but this was not the case in the past. Volleyball has also been a fan favorite over the past few years. This can change at the drop of a hat, or at the drop of a winning season. Nebraskans don’t like to lose, but they are much more patient with the football team than with other sports. I am also guilty of this double standard.

While many were extremely upset with the direction the football team was heading under Callahan, they stuck with the team due to their attachment to the sport. This attachment hasn’t occurred with other sports, because there has never been enough attention focused on them. This needs to change. We need to show all athletes that what they are doing is just as important as the quarterback of the football team.

I understand how disappointing it is to go to a game and watch the team you are cheering for lose, but does that mean you should stop cheering? It seems to me that the team needs to know that the public supports them in a rough time like this more than ever. That’s why I will be listening or watching every game that the Huskers play this season. When Nebraska wins the College World Series I want to be able to say that I was a fan before they were great.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 22nd birthday. I am not a big birthday person, but it is nice to have one day when you are the center of attention. I do have to admit that I was excited to have a birthday that wasn't a major milestone. It seems like there are so many milestone years when you are growing up, but once you pass the 21 year mark there just isn't anything to celebrate. You then only have the birthdays that make you feel older and older to look forward to.

I had a lot of fun on my birthday last year, but this year its nice to just kick back and enter the boring stage of my 20s. I like that there is nothing special about this birthday. Being a twenty-something means that I am no longer a child, but I can still act like one from time to time. I have all of the perks of being an adult without having to be completely mature. I'm not sure if I will ever really be mature, but I don't know if thats really a bad thing. I think that people get so wrapped up in adult life that they forget about all of the things that they used to get joy out of as kids.

Aging brings with it aches and pains, but it also brings distance between who you currently are and who you once were. I think that we should hold on to who we used to be, even if it wasn't ideal. It is important to remember where we came from, because without the past there is no future. As I look back at my younger years I have no regrets, but I also have many things that I want to do in the future. Right now I think I will just kick back and enjoy being a lazy 22 college student for a while longer. Before I know it I will be celebrating my 30th birthday.