Wow, look at that afro.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
My how the mighty have fallen
I remember watching this on Saturday mornings. Seriously though, to go from having your own cartoon to getting sued for millions would suck.
Only the French!
Anyone remember this? And in related news, apparently his Dad took all his money and he was left with a couple thousand dollars.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Somewhere around 25 Bizarre becomes Immature: A List
The following is a list of activities that, although fun or amusing when you're 19-24, are not socially acceptable when you're 25:
- Talking about donkey punching, turkey slapping, and anything related to hitting, punching, etc. to the other person during sex. It may have been funny to think about at the time, but at 25 you should be gettting sex regularly, so entertaining thoughts of weird sex acts because you're not getting any should not be necessary.
- Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol Related Activities:
- Body shots. By the time you're 25 you should be drinking good liquor and pouring it all over somebody's body only to lick it off of them is a waste of good liquor.
- Shots. Again, related to the fact that you should be drinking good liquor. If you are a guy you should not be ordering anything less than whiskey or tequilla. That means the following shots are unacceptable: vodka, rum, any shot that includes anything that is not alcohol (i.e., grenadine, sour mix, juice, etc.--purple hooters, lemon drops, red headed sluts, etc. are all in this category), and anything that has whipped cream on it or in it (e.g., a blow job shot). Girls, if a guy you are with orders any of these shots you should a) question why you're with him or b) go home with the next nearest guy that is taking a real shot. Furthermore, short of a bachelorette party, there is no reason for a girl to take any of these shots either.
- Wine. Try it. There is far more alcohol out there besides beer and by now you should be smart enough to realize that wine has a higher percentage of alcohol and tastes better, especailly when paired with the right food.
- If you are 25 and still can't control your drinking and/or know when to cut yourself off you should not be drinking, so the following behaviors are no longer acceptable: punching, kicking, fighting, biting, or any other ridiculous physical behavior; one night stands or random hook-ups solely because you are 'drunk' and you 'don't know what you're doing'; passing out at bars or public places; boot 'n rally, puking and rallying, etc.; waking up with a stamp or mark on your face from the night before; going to work with a wrist band on; reaking of alcohol past noon the next day; smoking cigarettes only because you are drinking; uncontrollable emotional outbursts (i.e., getting angry for no reason, crying for no reason, etc.)
- Tricking out your car. Just because Vin Diesel and Paul Walker were in their 30s in Fast and the Furious, does not make it cool to 'mod', 'trick out', or 'pimp out' your ride. Instead of wasting thousands of dollars on an exhaust and some neon lighting, spend the money and buy a big person car because, let's be honest, what are the changes you're going to race a quarter mile with someone? If you are street racing, you should probably jerk the wheel into on coming traffic the next time you race.
- This brings up the point that racing people from red lights or stops signs should never ever be done after your 25th birthday.
- Dungeons and Dragons, Magic, and any sort of fantasy role-playing. At 25 you should be on your way to establishing some form of career and/or life, you should not need to find solace in pretending you're a wizard, troll, or whatever it is your weirdos pretend to be.
- Anal Sex. See explanation for #1. Furthermore, at this point you should have had the opportunity to have atleast tried it. If you chose not to then that was your choice, but if you have then you should have realized that it's really not that great and if you still think it is and you're a guy you should probably spend some time at a turkish bath house... you know... "to just see what it's all about and maybe experiment" because chances are that you have some deep rooted issues that are preventing you from truly 'being yourself'.
- Rollercoaster Relationships. Breaking up, getting back together again, and doing it all over again is something we do when we're in high school and college because we're learning about the dynamics of relationships. By this time, you should have at least one serious relationship under your belt and the period to learn how to break-up should be long past.
- When breaking up, things that should be avoided (and ultimately never enter your mind): seeking revenge (i.e., contacting your ex's family members, hooking up with friends of your ex, etc.). and name calling (break-ups happen, be a big boy and get over it).
- Racism, sexism, and any other form of ignorance. You have now been alive a quarter of a centrury and have spent enough time in this world to hopefully be exposed to all walks of life, if you still have prejudices based on ignorance, get out more, go meet some people and start being an adult.
- Not owning any dress clothes and/or the general inability to get dressed up. At this stage in the game, you and/or several people you know should be getting married. It is not acceptable to wear a clean pair of jeans or khakis and your Saturday golf polo to a wedding. Along these lines, it is no where near acceptable to wear a similar outfit to a job interview unless you are interviewing for a blue-collar job. Don't go drinking one weekend, take the money you saved, and buy yourself a respectable outfit.
- Sagging your pants. Why? No really, why? Why would you still be sagging your pants?
- Not knowing how to cook and/or do laundry. Although you could get away with eating McDonalds and wearing the same clothes for weeks on end in college, this behavior is no longer acceptable. I'm not saying everyone needs to know how to cook a 3 course meal but you should at least know how to boil some vegetables, cook a chicken and grill a steak. As for laundry: whites go with whites, colors go with colors, don't use bleach except for whites, and stick to using cold water (it's easier).
- Smoking Weed. This is something most people have at least tried and although there's no scientific evidence, I'm still convinced the majority of chronic pot smokers smoke to ease their anxiety of human interaction. If you are one of these people, they offer legal prescriptions to cure this. Smoking weed is something people do in high school and college because it is cheap and they don't know any better. And not that I condone drug use, but if you are 25 and still feel the need to experience some altered state of mind, then grow up and do some real drugs like coke.
- Okay, as much as it pains me to admit, dating a member of the opposite sex that is under the age of 21. The general rule is half your age plus 8 years (e.g., 25/2 = 12.5 + 8 = 20.5). Take it from someone who's been there before, dating people that cannot legally drink really limits the activities that you can partake in (thank god, mine had a fake I.D.). Aside from the whole limited social calendar is the issue of maturity and the heart of this entire list. There is a certain level of maturity you develop between 19 and 25, and as someone of relative maturity the activities that one would partake in at 19 should seem ridiculous at this point. Stay away from it. Find someone that you can do more than just sleep with.
- Decorating with Blacklights, Lava Lamps, and Glow-in-the Dark Anything. Sure this stuff was fascinating when you were a kid and it was trippy when you were drunk or stoned in college but if you're using any of these things to decorate your abode, you might as well just buy inflatable furniture (and no this is NOT cool)!!
Special thanks to Maggie, Manda, Sarah, Laura, and Moo for adding their 2 cents.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Emma's First Blog
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, vb bbvgn b bbbb ```````` JGFHCH0aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
An E-Mail from Obama
Five years ago today, President George W. Bush launched a war that should never have been authorized based on faulty premises and bad intelligence.
This war has now lasted longer than World War I, World War II, or the Civil War.
Nearly four thousand Americans have given their lives. Thousands more have been wounded. Even under the best-case scenarios, this war will cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars.
And where are we for all of this sacrifice?
We are less safe and less able to shape events abroad. We are divided at home, and our alliances around the world have been strained. The threats of a new century have roiled the waters of peace and stability, and yet America remains anchored in Iraq.
I am running for President because it's time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe.
That's what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And that's what I'll do as President of the United States.
Please take a few minutes to read my strategy for ending the war in Iraq and making America safer. I hope you will sign on and show your support:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsE/
Senator Clinton says that she and Senator McCain have passed a "Commander-in-Chief test" -- not because of the judgments they've made, but because of the years they've spent in Washington.
She made a similar argument when she said her vote for war was based on her experience at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
But here is the stark reality: there is a security gap in this country -- a gap between the rhetoric of those who claim to be tough on national security, and the reality of growing insecurity caused by their decisions.
It is time to have a debate with Senator McCain about the future of our national security. And the way to win that debate and keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast -- a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past.
Nowhere is that break more badly needed than in Iraq.
Join me in supporting an end to this war and a plan for a safer America:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsF/
The judgment that matters most on Iraq -- and on any decision to deploy military force -- is the judgment made first.
If you believe we are fighting the right war, then the problems we face are purely tactical in nature. That is what Senator McCain wants to discuss -- tactics. What he and the Administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future.
That's why this Administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Senator John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Senator McCain can argue -- as he did last year -- that we couldn't leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can't leave Iraq because violence is down.
When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success.
Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.
When I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden -- as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.
Show your support for a clear strategy to end the war in Iraq and focus our national security efforts on making America safer:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsC/
Here are the core elements of my strategy to address our critical national security challenges in the 21st century:
End the war in Iraq, removing our troops at a pace of 1 to 2 combat brigades per month;
Finally finish the fight against the Taliban, root out al Qaeda and invest in the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, while making aid to the Pakistani government conditional;
Act aggressively to stop nuclear proliferation and to secure all loose nuclear materials around the world;
Double our foreign assistance to cut extreme poverty in half;
Invest in a clean energy future to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil and to lead the world against the threat of global climate change;
Rebuild our military capability by increasing the number of soldiers, marines, and special forces troops, and insist on adequate training and time off between deployments;
Renew American diplomacy by talking to our adversaries as well as our friends; increasing the size of the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps; and creating an America's Voice Corps.
Please take a minute to show your support for this plan:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsD/
We are at a defining moment in our history.
This must be the election when America comes together behind a common purpose on behalf of our security and our values.
That is what we do as Americans. It's how we founded a republic based on freedom, and faced down fascism. It's how we defended democracy through a Cold War, and shined a light of hope bright enough to be seen in the darkest corners of the world.
When America leads with principle and pragmatism, hope can triumph over fear. It is time, once again, for America to lead.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
This war has now lasted longer than World War I, World War II, or the Civil War.
Nearly four thousand Americans have given their lives. Thousands more have been wounded. Even under the best-case scenarios, this war will cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars.
And where are we for all of this sacrifice?
We are less safe and less able to shape events abroad. We are divided at home, and our alliances around the world have been strained. The threats of a new century have roiled the waters of peace and stability, and yet America remains anchored in Iraq.
I am running for President because it's time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe.
That's what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And that's what I'll do as President of the United States.
Please take a few minutes to read my strategy for ending the war in Iraq and making America safer. I hope you will sign on and show your support:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsE/
Senator Clinton says that she and Senator McCain have passed a "Commander-in-Chief test" -- not because of the judgments they've made, but because of the years they've spent in Washington.
She made a similar argument when she said her vote for war was based on her experience at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
But here is the stark reality: there is a security gap in this country -- a gap between the rhetoric of those who claim to be tough on national security, and the reality of growing insecurity caused by their decisions.
It is time to have a debate with Senator McCain about the future of our national security. And the way to win that debate and keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast -- a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past.
Nowhere is that break more badly needed than in Iraq.
Join me in supporting an end to this war and a plan for a safer America:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsF/
The judgment that matters most on Iraq -- and on any decision to deploy military force -- is the judgment made first.
If you believe we are fighting the right war, then the problems we face are purely tactical in nature. That is what Senator McCain wants to discuss -- tactics. What he and the Administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future.
That's why this Administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Senator John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Senator McCain can argue -- as he did last year -- that we couldn't leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can't leave Iraq because violence is down.
When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success.
Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.
When I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden -- as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.
Show your support for a clear strategy to end the war in Iraq and focus our national security efforts on making America safer:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsC/
Here are the core elements of my strategy to address our critical national security challenges in the 21st century:
End the war in Iraq, removing our troops at a pace of 1 to 2 combat brigades per month;
Finally finish the fight against the Taliban, root out al Qaeda and invest in the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, while making aid to the Pakistani government conditional;
Act aggressively to stop nuclear proliferation and to secure all loose nuclear materials around the world;
Double our foreign assistance to cut extreme poverty in half;
Invest in a clean energy future to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil and to lead the world against the threat of global climate change;
Rebuild our military capability by increasing the number of soldiers, marines, and special forces troops, and insist on adequate training and time off between deployments;
Renew American diplomacy by talking to our adversaries as well as our friends; increasing the size of the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps; and creating an America's Voice Corps.
Please take a minute to show your support for this plan:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16eeee7695e8268/L0D1Fw/VEsD/
We are at a defining moment in our history.
This must be the election when America comes together behind a common purpose on behalf of our security and our values.
That is what we do as Americans. It's how we founded a republic based on freedom, and faced down fascism. It's how we defended democracy through a Cold War, and shined a light of hope bright enough to be seen in the darkest corners of the world.
When America leads with principle and pragmatism, hope can triumph over fear. It is time, once again, for America to lead.
Thank you,
Barack Obama
No good deed goes unpunished...
So, last night I got home from work and went to get my mail. On my way back up to my apartment, I stopped at my new neighbor's door to introduce myself and say hi, if you ever need a cup of sugar, you know where I live. (They moved in a week or so ago.) He answered his door, I gave my little speech but replaced "cup o sugar" with "if my music is ever too loud, feel free to let me know", seeing as how he isn't that cute. He said his name is Chris and thanks, good to meet you, yadda yadda, yadda.
I'm now sitting upstairs with my elastic waist pants on, eating cold mac-n-cheese from last night (gross I know, but I love it)and getting ready for Jeopardy when, all of a sudden, there is a knock at the door. I answer it and surprise! it's Chris. He says, "Sorry for bugging you but I have a weird question for you... does your car ever smell like cat pee when you park it in the garage?" "No", I say, "but I think there is a cat who hangs around there because I've seen paw prints on the hood of my car. That's weird though." He agrees, it gets awkward and I say "Ooookay, so good to meet you." He's like "Yeah" loiter, loiter, loiter... and finally I'm like "Ok so maybe we can grab a drink sometime or something." Well, he loves that idea and says "Great!" and gives me his #. I give him mine. Hey, Jeopardy is starting and I'm missing it because of this moron. I would have given him 5 bucks to go away.
Ok, so I settle back into my niche on the couch and then, oh good, my phone tells me that I have a text message. Guess who? Oh good, it's Chris because you know, it's been SO long since we last spoke. He apologizes if the second meeting was awkward and I say nope, not for me. End. Period. Then he tells me not once but twice that he thinks I'm cute. I start to get nervous right around this time. Then the texting doesn't stop until (which is weird because I'm answering closed-ended very time), and I'm serious, 9:54 pm. I ignore like the last 2 message and go to bed.
I woke up this morning and was getting ready to walk out the door and I happened to glance down at my phone, oh that's right. He texted me this morning at 7:54 to say "have a good day :). Few things annoy me less than men who use the "smiley". I hate it. He's not getting off to a good start here... right dude, the LAST thing that I want to do is get a drink with some freak who texts me before I even have time to put his # in my phone. Dream on, boner, dream on!
I'm now sitting upstairs with my elastic waist pants on, eating cold mac-n-cheese from last night (gross I know, but I love it)and getting ready for Jeopardy when, all of a sudden, there is a knock at the door. I answer it and surprise! it's Chris. He says, "Sorry for bugging you but I have a weird question for you... does your car ever smell like cat pee when you park it in the garage?" "No", I say, "but I think there is a cat who hangs around there because I've seen paw prints on the hood of my car. That's weird though." He agrees, it gets awkward and I say "Ooookay, so good to meet you." He's like "Yeah" loiter, loiter, loiter... and finally I'm like "Ok so maybe we can grab a drink sometime or something." Well, he loves that idea and says "Great!" and gives me his #. I give him mine. Hey, Jeopardy is starting and I'm missing it because of this moron. I would have given him 5 bucks to go away.
Ok, so I settle back into my niche on the couch and then, oh good, my phone tells me that I have a text message. Guess who? Oh good, it's Chris because you know, it's been SO long since we last spoke. He apologizes if the second meeting was awkward and I say nope, not for me. End. Period. Then he tells me not once but twice that he thinks I'm cute. I start to get nervous right around this time. Then the texting doesn't stop until (which is weird because I'm answering closed-ended very time), and I'm serious, 9:54 pm. I ignore like the last 2 message and go to bed.
I woke up this morning and was getting ready to walk out the door and I happened to glance down at my phone, oh that's right. He texted me this morning at 7:54 to say "have a good day :). Few things annoy me less than men who use the "smiley". I hate it. He's not getting off to a good start here... right dude, the LAST thing that I want to do is get a drink with some freak who texts me before I even have time to put his # in my phone. Dream on, boner, dream on!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Day for Stupid Articles on MSN.com
Here are 2 more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23578747 - Hazing is Prevalent in Colleges
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23579662 - 17% of 6th Graders have Tried Alcohol
Article 1: According to the researchers, we'll refer to them as Butch and Butcher (their picture was on the U. of Maine homepage, and I really did go look), hazing is prevalent on college campuses. Of course hazing, according to Butch and Butcher, hazing is anything that includes: atendance at a skit or roast where team members are humiliated; wearing clothing that is embarrassing; being yelled, screamed, or cursed at; acting as a personal servant; enduring harsh weather; drinking large amounts of a non-alcoholic beverage; drinking a large amount of alcohol to the point of passing out or getting sick; and watching live sex acts. Finally, their 'huge' surprising conclusion was that 9 of 10 people that reported experiencing one or more of these activities said they didn't feel like it was hazing. Butch and Butcher like to think that these results show that hazing is widespread and a serious concern that all universities should be concerned with. Moreover, they think that stricter laws and rules be implemented to combat this horrible act. Perhaps, if they would have put away their femi-nazi agendas and stopped to consider their results for a moment, they would realize that 9 out of 10 people didn't consider these activities to be hazing because they were, dare I say, having fun!! Obviously, some hazing does go too far, but singing and chanting... wearing embarrassing clothing... playing drinking games... It's college, and just because you spent your 4 years trying to come to grips with the fact that you like eating Snizz and getting fisted by a chick that looks like a dude, does not mean that the rest of the world is not allowed to experience anything 'fun' in college. Furthermore, people join a fraternity, sorority, sports team, club, etc. so they feel like a part of something. It is a proven psychological fact that things mean more when people have to work for them. When people go out to join these groups, most go in assuming that they will have to work in some way to get accepted. Those that don't are just naive. I guess what I'm trying to say is: Yes, hazing in which people die is something we should be concerned about but to define hazing to include singing, wearing clothes, having to associate with specific people as hazing is insane. The last time I checked no one died from singing or chanting in public, no one died from wearing embarrassing clothes, and no one died from hanging out with specific people. Articles like this really make me wonder just how many lines of research are started to find an answer to why bad things happen to certain people. Like the article I wrote about in which a researched found that teenage girls that hangout with boys are more likely to drink. Could this research simply exist because Butch and Butcher were embarrassed or made to feel bad in college and now they have some vendetta against anyone else feeling this way. Just because you had a poor experience in college doesn't mean you should ruin it for everyone else!! It's like if I were in a car accident and now I want to ban everyone from driving. People die in car accidents all the time, in fact the likelihood of dying in a car accident is much higher than dying from a hazing incident, does this mean we should work to ban driving? Maybe I should make that a dissertation topic.
Article 2: Read the article, a study that claims 17% of 6th graders have tried alcohol is trying to convince people that alcohol education should take place in elementary school. There are 3 issues I have with this article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23578747 - Hazing is Prevalent in Colleges
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23579662 - 17% of 6th Graders have Tried Alcohol
Article 1: According to the researchers, we'll refer to them as Butch and Butcher (their picture was on the U. of Maine homepage, and I really did go look), hazing is prevalent on college campuses. Of course hazing, according to Butch and Butcher, hazing is anything that includes: atendance at a skit or roast where team members are humiliated; wearing clothing that is embarrassing; being yelled, screamed, or cursed at; acting as a personal servant; enduring harsh weather; drinking large amounts of a non-alcoholic beverage; drinking a large amount of alcohol to the point of passing out or getting sick; and watching live sex acts. Finally, their 'huge' surprising conclusion was that 9 of 10 people that reported experiencing one or more of these activities said they didn't feel like it was hazing. Butch and Butcher like to think that these results show that hazing is widespread and a serious concern that all universities should be concerned with. Moreover, they think that stricter laws and rules be implemented to combat this horrible act. Perhaps, if they would have put away their femi-nazi agendas and stopped to consider their results for a moment, they would realize that 9 out of 10 people didn't consider these activities to be hazing because they were, dare I say, having fun!! Obviously, some hazing does go too far, but singing and chanting... wearing embarrassing clothing... playing drinking games... It's college, and just because you spent your 4 years trying to come to grips with the fact that you like eating Snizz and getting fisted by a chick that looks like a dude, does not mean that the rest of the world is not allowed to experience anything 'fun' in college. Furthermore, people join a fraternity, sorority, sports team, club, etc. so they feel like a part of something. It is a proven psychological fact that things mean more when people have to work for them. When people go out to join these groups, most go in assuming that they will have to work in some way to get accepted. Those that don't are just naive. I guess what I'm trying to say is: Yes, hazing in which people die is something we should be concerned about but to define hazing to include singing, wearing clothes, having to associate with specific people as hazing is insane. The last time I checked no one died from singing or chanting in public, no one died from wearing embarrassing clothes, and no one died from hanging out with specific people. Articles like this really make me wonder just how many lines of research are started to find an answer to why bad things happen to certain people. Like the article I wrote about in which a researched found that teenage girls that hangout with boys are more likely to drink. Could this research simply exist because Butch and Butcher were embarrassed or made to feel bad in college and now they have some vendetta against anyone else feeling this way. Just because you had a poor experience in college doesn't mean you should ruin it for everyone else!! It's like if I were in a car accident and now I want to ban everyone from driving. People die in car accidents all the time, in fact the likelihood of dying in a car accident is much higher than dying from a hazing incident, does this mean we should work to ban driving? Maybe I should make that a dissertation topic.
Article 2: Read the article, a study that claims 17% of 6th graders have tried alcohol is trying to convince people that alcohol education should take place in elementary school. There are 3 issues I have with this article:
- The sample is 4000 6th graders in Chicago, IL. I understand that most research studies are based on samples of college freshman and these are generalized to a larger population, however, 6th grade in 1 city is a little hard to generalize to all middle schoolers. My point is that college freshman from around the world is a much more homogenous group than 6th graders from around the world. Especially when the sample is from middle schools in a very large urban area. What about middle schoolers in rural areas? The south? All I'm saying is, it is a stretch to survey 4000 6th graders in 1 of the largest cities in the world and try to generalize it to all middle schoolers everywhere.
- The key term here is 'tried'. 'Tried'... at this point take A.I. rant about practice but replace 'practice' with 'tried'. Growing up, how many peoples' parents let them have a sip of their wine or beer. Better yet, how many people had that little thimble of wine at church? 'Tried' constitutes a sip or a taste. For all we know, they tried alcohol with their parent. Once again, trying to make a huge conclusion from a relatively meaningless result... something researchers do all the time to try and make a name for themselves.
- Introduce alcohol education in elementary school... I think that the older we get the more we forget how we thought as children or maybe these researchers don't have children or have little experience with children because from my experience, the more you tell a kid to not do something that millions of adults do, the more inclined they will be to want to try it. When I was in elementary school, alcohol was just something Dad drank. I spent as much time thinking about alcohol as I did thinking about a 401k. By introducing the idea of alcohol and that it's something kids should avoid, the more they will think about it and the more they think about it, the more likely they will be tempted to try it.
Here's a fascinating idea, don't introduce alcohol education classes to elementary students and don't try to create a big conclusion from a small sample, and more importantly a small sip. Instead, go home to your kids and be a mailto:F@$%5E&ing PARENT!!!!! It shouldn't be up to a 5th grade teacher to educate your son or daughter on why alcohol is bad, but it is your responsibility as a parent to know what the eff your kid is doing and be involved in their life. Middle schoolers can't drive and they can't hold jobs, so where and how are they acquiring alcohol? That is the question we should be answering. If more parents parented instead of point a finger at everyone and everything besides themselves for their kids' behavior, perhaps all these kids might grow up with some commonsense and be able to make good, informed decisions.
A day in the life of...
Bryan: new blog post
me: with emma?
Bryan: nope new one just posted
me: k
about what?\
Bryan: 1 in 4 teenage girls have an std, according to a 'new' study
from data in 2003
based on 838 girls
me: and the boys who gave them those stds?
Bryan: exactly
no mention
just read it
me: of course... i hate things. this is part of the reason i'm so jaded. no one takes fucking responsibility for anything! i blame society. this is why i can't handle things like this, porn, prostitution, etc. it literally makes me ill or irrationally angry to the point where it consumes me
and sorta makes me hate men. who wrote the article?
Bryan: simma down now
woman
me: i can't
i was thinking a lot about sex and sex related shit over the weekend and it really frustrates me. a lot.
who wrote it? a woman?
Bryan: the study was by a woman
article is just AP
me: how convenient.
Bryan: ok added a followup to it
me: fine
me: you know i can't read things like that. it'll ruin my day even more so than just knowing it's out there
Bryan: lol
orry
sorry
me: why is that funny?
rama and i are striking
Bryan: how much anger is in that little body of yours
me: because gas is 3.49
me: a lot... i mean, maybe you don't get it because you don't have a vagina but it's maddening. really, it is. and it's not the same for women. believe me, i'm not saying that we're all angels or anything but we in general we don't wanna pay for sex, oral or otherwise. and male strip clubs aren't that popular because again women don't wanna pay for it.
me: i don't have any real attachment to sex and maybe that's my own problem or lack of problem but i mean, think about this: what if your daughter or best friend or someone you really cared about starting stripping or putting out for money. how horrible? and then to have a man watch while you have sex or whatever with another man/ woman/ donkey, egging it on.... it's just unfathomable to me. Remember the scene is Requiem for a dream? And of course you can agrue that drug addicts will sell their soul for a fix and maybe that's true but they are still people.
Bryan: yeah, i agree for the most part
but i'm not sure i blame the person doing it as much as the person egging it on (paying money for it)
also keep in mind that most of the peopel that do it are screwed up to begin with
Bryan: i don't know if it's right to chastise all strippers, porn stars, etc.
they make really really good money, typically
me: they are basically one in the same, let's be honest here. if you're gonna pay for it, you're probably gonna egg it on and visa versa. i
so what
so do hitmen
Bryan: slow down your typing
me: what? why?
Bryan: "so do hit men"
??
me: yeah, make good money
they make good money
Bryan: oh got it
me: riiiight
Bryan: i don't know if you can generalize without knowing circumstance
belive me, i am the last person to say this
me: oh god... stop
Bryan: but i'm trying out this new thing sarah introduced me to called empathy
me: you do this everytime we talk about anything
and it's annoying
Bryan: so i should agree with you?
me: and my face is getting red and i'm sweating
Bryan: seriously, i think you're generalizing, maybe i'm missing the point of your argument which is very likely
me: you can agree disagree whatever but we are talking in glittering generalities here... that's all we have to go on
Bryan: but it seems like you're chastising strippers
me: do you know any strippers/ prostitutes that we can call and interview?
Bryan: no, but just because they take their clothes off for money makes them bad people?
me: when did i ever say anyone was a "bad person"?
like i said i blame society
Bryan: so are you just arguiong that the idea of it annoys you?
ahhhh
me: really and truely
Bryan: yeah, can agree with that
me: what?
Bryan: society as a whole is pretty sick
me: the idea of what?
me: whew!!!
rama says that you have to stop talking about things like this with me
me: there can be no supplier without a consumer and visa versa, i guess.
ok, i'm done. it's making me nuts!
me: also, i did in fact read the blog. Well done sir! Good form! Insightful and well written.
Bryan: thanks
assumptions and expectations... only lead to disappointment
i always questioned brad's theory on underpromising and overachieving but i'm seeing more and more merit in it.
me: i can understand the reasoning behind it but that's such a depressing outlook.
Bryan: no one ever gets in trouble for overachieving goals
but when people set too high of expectations or goals or people assume people will or are capable of something and they don't measure up, someone always gets hurt, upset, disappointed
so if you set your goals a step below what you know you can achieve then you can do nothing but overachieve
me: like i said, i understand the mechanics and the reasoning but still...
depresssing
Bryan: agreed
it's more of a CYA kinda-thing
Bryan: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23576671
wow, who are we to criticize someone's human rights record, when our pres. just vetoed a bill to ban waterboarding?
me: college young adult, cat yoke applesauce, co-ed you ass?
what is waterboarding?
as long as it's not wakeboarding, we're clear.
Bryan: wow and by torcher i mean torchor
on a happier note
guess what I'm getting after work!!
me: i'm so confused... talking about torches and a made up word and i have no idea what you're getting.
Bryan: waterboarding - where they strap a person onto a board and just drop water on their head until they talk
August Rush on blu-ray
me: i figured that out but wtf does torchor mean?
Bryan: dude i can't spell
i barely passed my verbal GRE
give me a break
jerk
me: i still don't know what you were going for... torture?
Bryan: heyyyy there yuou go
man i suck
how did i graduate anything
i'm a failure
me: well, I'm SO over this day.
Elliot is too and he said that he already smoked 1000 cigs AND ate a bacon-nator. you know it's a bad day when both of those things happen.
Bryan: wow i didn't know people actually ordered and ate those
me: i'm not gonna do either even though i want too
oh yeah
Bryan: Seriously though
august rush came out today
and no country for old men
man i just volunteered to come into work for an hour and a half on saturday
Bryan: dude the more i read articles on MSN the more annoyed i get
some writer wrote that prince harry should have stayed in afgahnistan
and that his deployment was a strict PR stunt
thoughts?
me: That's why there was a media embargo on that fact? i mean, it couldn't have been a PR stunt... the Australian mag that 1st broke the news didn't know about the embargo. What were they suppose to be promoting? war?
silly, silly, ignorant people.
we should just post this convo as a blog
Bryan: do it
with the headline
"A day in the life of..."
Sent at 3:45 PM on Tuesday
me: ok
Sent at 3:49 PM on Tuesday
me: with emma?
Bryan: nope new one just posted
me: k
about what?\
Bryan: 1 in 4 teenage girls have an std, according to a 'new' study
from data in 2003
based on 838 girls
me: and the boys who gave them those stds?
Bryan: exactly
no mention
just read it
me: of course... i hate things. this is part of the reason i'm so jaded. no one takes fucking responsibility for anything! i blame society. this is why i can't handle things like this, porn, prostitution, etc. it literally makes me ill or irrationally angry to the point where it consumes me
and sorta makes me hate men. who wrote the article?
Bryan: simma down now
woman
me: i can't
i was thinking a lot about sex and sex related shit over the weekend and it really frustrates me. a lot.
who wrote it? a woman?
Bryan: the study was by a woman
article is just AP
me: how convenient.
Bryan: ok added a followup to it
me: fine
me: you know i can't read things like that. it'll ruin my day even more so than just knowing it's out there
Bryan: lol
orry
sorry
me: why is that funny?
rama and i are striking
Bryan: how much anger is in that little body of yours
me: because gas is 3.49
me: a lot... i mean, maybe you don't get it because you don't have a vagina but it's maddening. really, it is. and it's not the same for women. believe me, i'm not saying that we're all angels or anything but we in general we don't wanna pay for sex, oral or otherwise. and male strip clubs aren't that popular because again women don't wanna pay for it.
me: i don't have any real attachment to sex and maybe that's my own problem or lack of problem but i mean, think about this: what if your daughter or best friend or someone you really cared about starting stripping or putting out for money. how horrible? and then to have a man watch while you have sex or whatever with another man/ woman/ donkey, egging it on.... it's just unfathomable to me. Remember the scene is Requiem for a dream? And of course you can agrue that drug addicts will sell their soul for a fix and maybe that's true but they are still people.
Bryan: yeah, i agree for the most part
but i'm not sure i blame the person doing it as much as the person egging it on (paying money for it)
also keep in mind that most of the peopel that do it are screwed up to begin with
Bryan: i don't know if it's right to chastise all strippers, porn stars, etc.
they make really really good money, typically
me: they are basically one in the same, let's be honest here. if you're gonna pay for it, you're probably gonna egg it on and visa versa. i
so what
so do hitmen
Bryan: slow down your typing
me: what? why?
Bryan: "so do hit men"
??
me: yeah, make good money
they make good money
Bryan: oh got it
me: riiiight
Bryan: i don't know if you can generalize without knowing circumstance
belive me, i am the last person to say this
me: oh god... stop
Bryan: but i'm trying out this new thing sarah introduced me to called empathy
me: you do this everytime we talk about anything
and it's annoying
Bryan: so i should agree with you?
me: and my face is getting red and i'm sweating
Bryan: seriously, i think you're generalizing, maybe i'm missing the point of your argument which is very likely
me: you can agree disagree whatever but we are talking in glittering generalities here... that's all we have to go on
Bryan: but it seems like you're chastising strippers
me: do you know any strippers/ prostitutes that we can call and interview?
Bryan: no, but just because they take their clothes off for money makes them bad people?
me: when did i ever say anyone was a "bad person"?
like i said i blame society
Bryan: so are you just arguiong that the idea of it annoys you?
ahhhh
me: really and truely
Bryan: yeah, can agree with that
me: what?
Bryan: society as a whole is pretty sick
me: the idea of what?
me: whew!!!
rama says that you have to stop talking about things like this with me
me: there can be no supplier without a consumer and visa versa, i guess.
ok, i'm done. it's making me nuts!
me: also, i did in fact read the blog. Well done sir! Good form! Insightful and well written.
Bryan: thanks
assumptions and expectations... only lead to disappointment
i always questioned brad's theory on underpromising and overachieving but i'm seeing more and more merit in it.
me: i can understand the reasoning behind it but that's such a depressing outlook.
Bryan: no one ever gets in trouble for overachieving goals
but when people set too high of expectations or goals or people assume people will or are capable of something and they don't measure up, someone always gets hurt, upset, disappointed
so if you set your goals a step below what you know you can achieve then you can do nothing but overachieve
me: like i said, i understand the mechanics and the reasoning but still...
depresssing
Bryan: agreed
it's more of a CYA kinda-thing
Bryan: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23576671
wow, who are we to criticize someone's human rights record, when our pres. just vetoed a bill to ban waterboarding?
me: college young adult, cat yoke applesauce, co-ed you ass?
what is waterboarding?
as long as it's not wakeboarding, we're clear.
Bryan: wow and by torcher i mean torchor
on a happier note
guess what I'm getting after work!!
me: i'm so confused... talking about torches and a made up word and i have no idea what you're getting.
Bryan: waterboarding - where they strap a person onto a board and just drop water on their head until they talk
August Rush on blu-ray
me: i figured that out but wtf does torchor mean?
Bryan: dude i can't spell
i barely passed my verbal GRE
give me a break
jerk
me: i still don't know what you were going for... torture?
Bryan: heyyyy there yuou go
man i suck
how did i graduate anything
i'm a failure
me: well, I'm SO over this day.
Elliot is too and he said that he already smoked 1000 cigs AND ate a bacon-nator. you know it's a bad day when both of those things happen.
Bryan: wow i didn't know people actually ordered and ate those
me: i'm not gonna do either even though i want too
oh yeah
Bryan: Seriously though
august rush came out today
and no country for old men
man i just volunteered to come into work for an hour and a half on saturday
Bryan: dude the more i read articles on MSN the more annoyed i get
some writer wrote that prince harry should have stayed in afgahnistan
and that his deployment was a strict PR stunt
thoughts?
me: That's why there was a media embargo on that fact? i mean, it couldn't have been a PR stunt... the Australian mag that 1st broke the news didn't know about the embargo. What were they suppose to be promoting? war?
silly, silly, ignorant people.
we should just post this convo as a blog
Bryan: do it
with the headline
"A day in the life of..."
Sent at 3:45 PM on Tuesday
me: ok
Sent at 3:49 PM on Tuesday
Research: Part 2
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23574940
1 in 4 teenage girls have an STD? While I don't find this statistic to be overly unbelievable, I do question it's validity. The study was based on 838 participants of a "nationally representative sample"... from 2003-2004. Maybe the research is like me and really slow when it comes to data analysis, but she was collecting survey data. How hard is it to analyze survey data? 4 years to analyze survey data? Something smells fishy and it's not the infected snizzes of the 838 participants. I love how news articles are published on these studies and only provide the "controversial" results. How were these girls selected for the survey? Is it from all over the nation or just given out at BGSU (Yeah, you all know what I'm getting at with that one... dirty, dirty school). For your study to hold weight or for an article to truly be important or worthwhile, publish some more information about the sample, and not just repeating the fact that 1 in 4 teenage girls have an STD. Also, where's the data on males? Why is it that studies keep popping up about teenage girls (see previous posts)? What about studies on teenage males? Could it be that these studies are mostly carried out and published to fulfill some alterior motive like promote abstinance or sell something like vaccines, medication, check-ups, etc.? How many parents are going to read this and freak out that their teenage daughter has an STD? I hate how this country uses "scare tactics" to get things done, and I hate even more how the general public falls for such things (Read: 9/11 and the Patriot Act/Iraq War)?
The point of all this... America has become lazy. We would rather take things at face value, than than try to research and learn the truth. More to come on this topic in a future post....
Follow-Up: I went to the CDC website (the agency 'responsible' for the study) and there's no mention of the study, no resource to be found, nothing. Yet somehow, it is a "Breaking News" study on MSN.com. Amazing.
1 in 4 teenage girls have an STD? While I don't find this statistic to be overly unbelievable, I do question it's validity. The study was based on 838 participants of a "nationally representative sample"... from 2003-2004. Maybe the research is like me and really slow when it comes to data analysis, but she was collecting survey data. How hard is it to analyze survey data? 4 years to analyze survey data? Something smells fishy and it's not the infected snizzes of the 838 participants. I love how news articles are published on these studies and only provide the "controversial" results. How were these girls selected for the survey? Is it from all over the nation or just given out at BGSU (Yeah, you all know what I'm getting at with that one... dirty, dirty school). For your study to hold weight or for an article to truly be important or worthwhile, publish some more information about the sample, and not just repeating the fact that 1 in 4 teenage girls have an STD. Also, where's the data on males? Why is it that studies keep popping up about teenage girls (see previous posts)? What about studies on teenage males? Could it be that these studies are mostly carried out and published to fulfill some alterior motive like promote abstinance or sell something like vaccines, medication, check-ups, etc.? How many parents are going to read this and freak out that their teenage daughter has an STD? I hate how this country uses "scare tactics" to get things done, and I hate even more how the general public falls for such things (Read: 9/11 and the Patriot Act/Iraq War)?
The point of all this... America has become lazy. We would rather take things at face value, than than try to research and learn the truth. More to come on this topic in a future post....
Follow-Up: I went to the CDC website (the agency 'responsible' for the study) and there's no mention of the study, no resource to be found, nothing. Yet somehow, it is a "Breaking News" study on MSN.com. Amazing.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Vote!
I think that it's really refreshing that young Americans are getting so into this election and man! what a race it's turned out to be, right? I didn't vote until last night at 7 and I had to drive across town to do it but it was something that I felt so strongly about and it was something that I REALLY wanted to do so it was worth it.
I, obviously, have my own opinions about who I would like to win this thing but I think as long as you go out and vote and make your voice count, then that's a great start. Let's face facts, we are dying for a change. We're almost borderline obsessed with it as a country! I think it's a wonderful thing and I hope that it happens.
I, obviously, have my own opinions about who I would like to win this thing but I think as long as you go out and vote and make your voice count, then that's a great start. Let's face facts, we are dying for a change. We're almost borderline obsessed with it as a country! I think it's a wonderful thing and I hope that it happens.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
On Obama's "Unpatriotism"
This is a comment to an article about the false chain email claiming Obama
didn't say the Pledge of Allegiance. It is a really well written response.
Please read:
didn't say the Pledge of Allegiance. It is a really well written response.
Please read:
After a little more research, one discovers that he did recite the pledge and that this wasn't some sort of ant-patriotic gesture at all; he just
merely didn't have his hand over his heart during the national anthem. Many
people do it without even thinking about it. I've done it. In fact, here's a
picture of Obama with his hand over his heart during the Star Spangled
Banner: http://graphics2.snopes.com/politics/graphics/anthem3.jpgMaybe
it was an accident.Moreover, I think that people who compose emails like
this and distribute them around the web to spread like wildfire (God save
SoCal) should re-evaluate their attitudes and conceptions about patriotism
and what is good for our nation. In the age of 99-cent yellow-ribbon
magnetic stickers and other perfunctory excuses for patriotism, our people
need to wake up and stop supporting patriotism. They need to actually be
patriots. Standing with your hand over your heart during a song about a
battle doesn't excuse you from going to the polls or supporting measures to
provide veterans with the resources they need. Flag pins and traditional
gestures are political passivism, not political activism.And another thing: So what if his name is Barack Hussein Obama? I didn't choose my name (not that there's anything wrong with it). The real issue here has nothing
to do with his name. The problem conservative Americans have with Obama is
that he isn't a middle-aged white man whose concerns lie in big business.Also, Obama is not and never was a Muslim. This is an idiotic fallacy most
likely based on his name. His father was raised Muslim but is a pronounced
atheist, and Barack himself is a member of the Church of Christ.
No, no, the fact of the matter is that Barack Obama is a reasonable man of integrity
who is concerned with the health of our public school systems, the
protections of basic health care for those who could not otherwise afford
it, initiatives to break dependence on oil, preventing telecommunications
companies from censoring the internet and demanding a fee for content, and
demanding that the Paris Hiltons of America still pay their estate taxes.
So I challenge anyone to tell me why Barack Obama is such an awful
candidate for president without spewing some ill-informed rhetoric stained
with party loyalty dogma for once. Because quite frankly, Obama has my vote
before any of the current Republican candidates. Maybe it's a good idea to
vote for a candidate in the presidential elections for reasons other than
their political party.
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