My "Feelings" about blogging

This blog is going to be another vent session.  Of course I find myself at a loss of things to talk about, and once again frustrated.  I am going to take this time to discuss my feelings about blogging and why I do not like it.

This is no attack to anyone; blogging is just not for me.  I never had a diary, kept a journal, and to be honest expressed many of my feelings.  Coming up with something to talk about every week has been beyond frustrating.  On top of all of the other things I have going on between school, soccer, and two jobs I find this a little inconvenient. 

I understand the part of making us continually write and practice practice practice.  I can understand that point.  Maybe I should have taken English in class, I am sure it is hard to come up with online assignments to do for English.  I am just not a fan of this assignment.  But I meet the requirements and do it every week with a smile on my face. 

Every time I am writing a blog about what is going on in my life or my “feelings” all I can think about are the million other productive things I could be doing besides complaining.  I hate complaining and believe me or not have never been pinned as one to complain.  This blog has really brought my complaining and negative side out.  Not a good attribute to have, so I do not blame you if you skip ove my blog every time.  I would too.

On a more positive note, I have received a benefit from blogging.  I do not fully mind the blogs where we have to find something going on in the world or locally and write about that.  It forces me to take time out of my day and catch up with what is going on in the world.  Not only do I catch up I actually learn more in-depth details about important events taking place.  It has given me topic of conversations to have outside of this blog and for that I am happy.

I do not fully mind having to comment on other people’s blogs.  Although most of my responses are short and bland I do read them.  I understand it makes us bloggers feel that people are actually reading our blogs and it is making us read other peoples thoughts and interests. 

So maybe, in my ideal blogging world I would just have to write one blog a week about something going on in the world.  I can do that.  That would not seem so unproductive or a waste of time by any means.  I would stay caught up in the world, have topics of conversation, and practice my writing skills.  I would also only have to comment on blogs about events occurring in the world.  This would help me not only learn about my topic but also other people’s topics that they chose without having to do a ton of research.

NYC Smoking Ban

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/New-Outdoor-Smoking-Ban-Raises-Concerns-116567458.html

I wrote a blog a few weeks ago about smoking in bars being banned in my home town.  Of course I was excited about this.  I am not against people that smoke by any means, just the lingering smell that comes with it.  The smell that sticks to my clothes and I get a whole new whiff of it when I shower.  

My main reason for supporting smoking bans really does not have much to do with the lingering disgusting smell.  I have a lot of extended family members that smoke.  I have been trying to get them to quit for a very long time now.  It is not easy to see someone you care about do something so harmful to their body.  My cousins have smoked ever since they were fifteen, and I can only imagine the extensive damage they have done to themselves.  No t to mention the amount of money they have wasted only to ensure expensive medical bills down the road. 

Watching all these new bands originated, I can only hope that this will lead many to quit the abusive habit.  The once convenient almost social activity is quickly becoming an inconvenience to smokers.  When they used to be able to pull a cigarette out and light one up right away, they must now plan when and where their next smoke break will be.  The only place that allows smoking may be blocks away, is this now a big enough inconvenience to maybe skip this smoke break?  Down the road will the inconvenience overcome the addicting habit? I can only hope.

Residents in New York City are awaiting the Mayor’s decision on the new smoking ban in parks, beaches, and plazas.  Some say they are being treated like criminals, and that now it is getting “personal”.  I do not honestly think that these smokers that feel like they are now being affected by their habit ever realized or thought about the fact that they themselves and their habits were affecting many people around them.  As a nonsmoker, I know how inconvenient it can be to be minding your own business when suddenly you are engulfed in smoke.  Why should I have to move because of someone else’s actions?  I do not want to smoke, so most likely I do not want to smell it.  I do not think that smoking should be banned everywhere, I mean we are in America.  Do what you want, smoke if you wanna smoke, but I am glad they are starting to tend to the needs of non smokers. 

All in all I hope these bans keep coming.  I am sure smokers are annoyed by all these bans, and I am sure I would be too, but I am hoping that these bans will reduce the number of smokers.  The reduction of smokers will eventually reduce the number of cancer patients and illnesses that come from smoking.  So keep the bans coming, and keep making this harmful habit inconvenient!

Born and LIVING with out a cerebellum!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356516/Chase-Britton-Boy-3-born-brain-baffles-doctors-learning-walk.html

On Monday my Anatomy and Physiology teacher showed us this video on Chase Britton.  It correlated very well with our topic that day, the brain.  We were learning the anatomy and functions of the parts of the brain.  This story really attracted my attention.  The class before we were told that the cerebellum controls motor skills and balance.  We also learned that the pons of the brain stem controls the breathing and sleep cycles.  You would assume that without either of these crawling, walking, basic motor functions would be impossible.  Before this video I would have gone far enough to say that without a cerebellum or pons the chance of living would be slim to none. 

Mrs. Britton’s pregnancy had complications and tracing back to the MRI taken before Chase was born showed that he, at one time, had a cerebellum. Question is, where did it go?  An MRI taken after he was one year old showed no cerebellum or pons on the brain stem.  There was just fluid where these two structures should be. 

His story has resurfaced in the past week because he has astonished the medical community by being able to walk.  He has a frame for support, but he is still functioning out the movements of walking. 

The fact that Chase Britton is being able to do this must make the scientists rethink what the cerebellum actually controls.  Does the cerebellum play a role in balance? 

This story plays right along with what we are learning in our class.  It has really caught my attention and I have stayed updated on his daily progressions.  This story has made me realize that I chose the right major.  I am so interested in the functions of the body, how and why they work. 

I am interested in how the scientists tackle this new information.  Will they change the functions of the brain?  How will they find the new functions of the brain and be able to convince people again that this is the exact function. 

One of my main questions I have is, is this just a freak accident? That he is acting by some form of miracle and that any other child would not be able to have had the progression that he has?

I believe in miracles, but I do not know how much I believe in defying the laws of science.  I may have to make another blog in the weeks to come about this evolving story!

My life this week

This blog is going to be dedicated to my exciting/busy week.  I am running out of things to talk about so I guess I will just explain what I will be doing. 

In the past week I applied for Lady Foot Locker.  I had one interview last week and luckily made it to the second interview with the manager.  Wahoo.  That went just great, and yesterday I received a phone call informing me that I got the job.  Exciting!!

Along with that job, I also received a job to score keep intramural games at the student center during the week.  I found out yesterday that I will be starting tonight.

Along with these two jobs spring season for soccer has started where we have weights three times a week, fitness three times and individuals twice a week.  This will go on for a while until we are allowed to practice as a team and then we will have practice every day of the week, games, and continue with weights three times a week.

Last week on the uneven icy roads I popped my tire.  This tire I recently purchased over Thanksgiving break.  In order to receive my warranty I am going to have to travel home on a tiny donut at 35mph to show the dealership my popped tire and receive my new one. 

Today is my best friends 21^st birthday.  She goes to school at Mizzou and this weekend I was planning on visiting to celebrate with her!

Now with this entire random background information let me put together my week for you.

 Today I had class from 9-11, a tiny break for lunch, and of course to write this blog.  I have another class at 1 and then I will go straight to Lady foot locker to pick up papers to fill out before training.  At 5:15pm I have fitness with my team.  Straight from there I will run over to the student center to score keep until around 8:30pm.  I will then head home, pick up and energy drink on the way and engage in my night time studying. 

Tomorrow is the best of them all.  I have class from 9 to 10, I will run straight over to Legit and Platt for 10am individuals, weights at 11, lunch at 12, and class at 1.  I have lab from 2-4:50.  Straight from there I will run back over to legit and platt for fitness at 5:15.  After fitness I have to baby sit at 6:30-??. 

Thursday I have class till 11, individuals at 11, and then off to lady foot locker for my first day of training.  I have fitness at 5:15 and score keeping that night.  I will then race home, pick up an energy drink on the way and study for my first A&P II lecture exam. 

Friday morning I will wake up at 6am for 7am weights.  After weights I will finish cramming until my test at 9am.  Directly from my test I will pack my car and head to Mizzou.  Wake up at 6am Saturday morning and head back to Joplin where I will work my first day from 12-9:30pm! What a week and I cannot be more excited for it.  I wouldn’t want it any other way!

Where is Albert headed?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/604983-pujols-to-giants-giants-should-go-all-in-to-acquire-soon-to-be-free-agent

This may be a random blog of different ideas coming from all different directions.  Being from St. Louis I am an avid Cardinals fan.  More times than not, Cardinals fans usually have their favorite player.  In most cases Albert Pujols is that guy.  Albert is a great role model, phenomenal athlete, and an even better person off the field.  What are the Cardinals willing to go through to keep him around?  What exactly is too much to go through, and what should other teams sacrifice to get the “wanted” Albert Pujols.  Along with these questions comes with what is this world coming to where we are signing people to play baseball for 30 million dollars for just one year!!! Most importantly, the latest trend is that these already multi-millionaires are complaining over their “lack” of pay and refusing to sign contracts for anything less.  What happened to for the love of the game? Trust me I feel they should get paid a good amount so that they can lead a comfortable life along with their family, but in no way is it hard to live comfortable with 30 million a year.  Let’s get real here!

The current offer that Pujols has that the Cardinals are hesitant to agree with is 10 years for 300 million.  I can so both sides to their hesitation.  Signing a player for ten years who is already in his thirties seems a little far-fetched that he will be as good and worth that amount ten years down the road.  Why not five years 150 million, then renegotiate based on his performance then? On the other hand what Pujols brings to St. Louis and the Cardinals is worth more than his contract.  Albert Pujols brings a great fan base, flawless image, unlimited market potential, and most importantly the best all around baseball player currently playing.  Is all this worth the risk of his performance 10 years down the line, or will Albert Pujols no matter his performance always be a fan favorite? 

Other teams interested in signing Pujols are San Francisco Giants.  The Giants just came off of a surprisingly successful season, winning the World Series.  To what extreme should the Giants go to in order to insure Pujol’s arrival? The answer for that is hard for me to say.  The Giants have a great team, outstanding pitchers, but not much in the way of a role model or one person that truly holds a place in the hearts of Giants fans.  After Barry Bonds left, the Giants have been missing that “it” factor that really makes a baseball team all around successful.  In my opinion, the Giants should do what it takes to get Albert on their team.

Albert Pujols is a wanted man in the baseball industry and franchises should do what it takes to get or keep him on their team.  I would hate to see Pujols leave the Cardinals and I hope and feel that when it is all said and done Pujols will still be wearing that number 5 jersey belonging to my beloved St. Louis Cardinals!

Valentine's Day

February 14, the day of love, known as Valentine’s Day, will soon be here. The only reason I know this is because of the number of advertisements played on the radio, television, and Internet. My question is, why do people need a specific day to show their loved ones how much they care? Honestly, you almost have to do something, show in some way that this person in your life is so special to you, because if you do not, it’s almost certain an argument will start. Which in turn will make the couple resent each other on the day where love supposedly knows no end. In my opinion, if Valentine’s Day were to disappear I do not think I would mind. I would much rather be surprised with a bouquet of roses, on a random day, where the intent of the gesture is 100% genuine and out of love. Not to say that no one has that same gesture on that day, I’m sure most people do. This day, Valentine’s Day, has become so commercialized, it is almost too much to handle. I received an email a couple of days ago advertising red and pink shoes for that “special someone.” Really? All I could do was laugh. Think about it, a couple goes out to a extravagant restaurant, dim lights, very romantic setting, everything a girl could ask for on Valentine’s Day night. Her man gets on one knee confesses his unconditional love for her, and then pulls out a pink pair of tennis shoes. I am shoe fanatic, and even I would be a little confused with the gift. Why would someone ever think that shoes would be an object of value on the day where most woman are expecting jewelry, or flowers. Why do you have give flowers, or jewelry to someone on that day anyway though? People spend their entire lives looking for someone to fill this empty, lonely feeling, a feeling no one should have, and it’s scary to think about. What if I don’t find that person I cannot live without? What if I end up in a mediocre relationship just so I’m not alone? So once you’ve met someone that takes your breath away, why not show it as much as you can? Why not take advantage of what you have? On the other hand, once a person has found what they feel is their soul mate, a special day might be nice to have. Realistically, a comfort zone is found between two people that are in love, I wouldn’t say things get boring, but I’m sure a pattern or consistency starts to form in the relationship, not at all saying that it’s bad. Personally, I think it’s great to feel totally comfortable around someone. Looking at this holiday from another perspective, I could see where couples would enjoy it, but this day just is not for me. I just don’t think I need a certain day to tell the person I love the most that I, do in fact, love them. I’ll make sure to do that the other 364 days of the year.

What is going on in Egypt?

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/02/2045961_p2/for-egypts-leader-the-end-is-near.html#

http://start.toshiba.com/news/read.php?rip_id=%3CD9L6000G0%40news.ap.org%3E&ps=1012\

Basically the "President", Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, has been in power for 30 years, and people are calling him a dictator not a President. There are hundreds of thousands of protestors taking to the streets. The "pres" shut off the internet in Egypt. I know what you’re thinking, and no I did not know that was possible either. Some reports say the police have disappeared and other reports say the police are looting houses. Neighborhoods literally have all able bodied men out to defend their property with whatever means they have, sticks, rocks, etc. Egypt is a huge ally to the US in the Middle East because it is a "democracy" and is largely Muslim. But Isreal is also our ally, and if protestors take over, then the Muslims will truly run Egypt and it could be dangerous for Isreal.  Supporters of this Muslim take over include Obama, Clinton, Boehner, and everyone else in the U.S. political spectrum.  The U.S. is in a sticky spot, and it is kind of insane. Read Al-jazeera, they have the scoop in Egypt. They're the number one news station for Arab nations, and they've actually been banned from broadcasting in Egypt because they are telling the truth. Al-jazeera means "the island" in English. 

Journalists are being attacked for simply taking pictures of the event and trying to relay the events outside of the country.  Hillary Clinton has insisted that they allow the journalists to report the events to other people within Egypt and the rest of the world.  Right now there is so much hear say because of the instilled fear journalists have to relay any information.  Many anti-government protestors have formed.  Mubarak appointed vice president Omar Suleiman, the former intelligence chief.  This appointment only caused for more riots and division within the country.

After reading and hearing about everything going on I realize just how lucky I am to live in America.  The fears that I have are in no way comparable to what the civilians are dealing with in Egypt.  Having to stand outside your home and defend it with any random object you can find is a thought I cannot even comprehend.  The people that are in place to protect civilians are M.I.A. and the country is basically split and left to defend them-selves when riots break out.

Not only is the violence surprising and disturbing the fact that the news is not being circulated very well and in some cases it is being conveyed falsely is mind boggling.  At any point in time I can get on the internet or turn the TV on and have immediate access to any events occurring in the world.  Being shut off from a serious disaster in your own country would be very unnerving.

Al-jazeera has a live streaming video updating the most recent events, well at least until that gets cut off too.  It has shown video clips of some of the rioting going on.  The violence that I have seen leaves me speechless, and yet again, feeling lucky.  In the twenty years that I have been alive I have NEVER feared being attacked by rioters or gang members.   The attacks caught on video are pretty violent and a little disturbing.  I could not imagine being a part of it.

Joplin's Road Crews

Time to rant.  I am not much of a complainer or someone that goes on long tangents about things.  I try not to get worked about too many things.  But considering I have nothing else to write about I am going to master the art of ranting this semester. Starting NOW!

This is the second snow storm I have witnessed this semester in Joplin.  My freshman and sophomore year I lived on campus so snow storms never really fazed me.  I never left campus so I did not get to experience what the roads were like.  I would just walk to the cafeteria and back to the dorms.  I would be snowed in at the dorms along with almost two hundred other people in East hall.  I never had to worry about driving out to see anybody. 

This year I live off campus.  When I heard the storm was coming I decided to head to the dorms to get snowed in there.  The thought of being snowed in was much more fun than actually being “snowed” in.  I thought I would be stuck there Monday and Tuesday night and that by Wednesday they would have the roads cleared up and driving would not be as treacherous.  Boy was I wrong. 

I am not underestimating the snow storm at all.  It was definitely a lot of snow and ice and for the first 24 hours it was probably very important that no one drove in the weather.  I do feel as though Joplin is not the best at preparing the roads before the storm hits or cleaning them up very well after all is said and done. 

I finally left the dorms when I road over to my friend’s in a truck off of 7^th street Thursday night.  I immediately noticed that the roads were still in poor condition.  There was compacted snow on every road we drove on, including range line.  This would NEVER happen in St. Louis. (Where I am from) I called my Mom Wednesday as she was on her way to work.  I asked her how the roads were there. (Mind you they received almost 6 inches more snow than Joplin). She explained that she could see the pavement on every major road in our town and that the roads were not bad at all.  Every snow storm I have experienced in St. Louis the road crews have had the roads back up and safe to travel on within 24 hours.

 As we reach the third day since the snow storm the fact that the roads are still not the safest for a small sports car like mine I am not impressed with Joplin.  Ha Ha.  I am not complaining or necessarily even going on a long rant, more just comparing good ole STL with Joplin. 

I really have no room to complain because I have loved every second of these snow days and once again am happy to have non-traditional students that attend Missouri Southern.  So bring on the snow and forget about STL’s road crew.  I’ll take the snow days!