Christmas Time

This is my favorite season of all, everyone just seems so happy and friendly. I believe it to be a season of friendship and forgiveness, for people to put aside their issues for a few weeks, and just be happy. I think at least one day by a fireplace is essential, not to mention all the hot chocolate/tea/coffee (depending on your preference). My step family is Jewish, so we do have both celebrations in the house. It means twice the gifts for me, so I can't complain. It's interesting how we changed a holiday about Jesus into gift giving and Santa Claus, I am completely for this change. It's a drag that there are random parents in the nation who are just so against Christmas or Hanukkah that they have to restrict schools from supporting it. I remember as a kid we didn't have those issues, and it was nice. I watched south park since about 5th grade, and I'll admit, it was a bad idea, but no one stopped me. Aside from the raw humor and interesting vocabulary, I matured due to it. Every christmas I watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, doesn't really matter which version, it just seems right. I remember one year I saw it while my family was out eating chinese, for some reason that moment has stuck in my head. Anyways I wish everyone a Happy Holiday, and to enjoy whatever it is you celebrate.

Warmth

I never really realized how much I enjoy being warm. This winter has definitely been harsh, I wear two hoodies and a coat now. I don't know if I became more sensitive to the cold or not, because it seems like as a kid it didn't bother me at all, I would go sledding for hours. Now, I do what I can to stay inside. I've definitely been watching more movies with friends and playing video games. My friends and I don't go out for coffee as much, and I'm pretty sure "hippie drum circle" isn't happening til spring time. I'll explain that one later. Hopefully we start going out at random ours of the night for coffee, it sounds like such a warm feeling right now. The snow we had didn't really last, and it makes it very hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner. Being single around Christmas time is new for me, definitely a money saver, but on the other side, I don't get free dinner at a random house this year.

Technology

It seems like everything around me is constantly evolving when it comes to technology. When looking at phones, over the last decade we had flip phones, then keyboard, sliding, sliding keyboard, touch screen, and now sliding touching screen keyboard phones. It's just very interesting to me how people think of these ideas, and what will be the next invention? I honestly can't think of anything else they can do to a phone to make it more popular, they're basically computers. My question is, is all this really necessary? I've got a phone with a keyboard, and that comes in very handy, but that is all I really need. If I want to play games, there are consoles and computers for that, email and internet can be accessed with a laptop. Phone calls and texting seems to be enough for a phone, sure they add mp3 players into the phone, but with the very limited space on the phone, it cannot hold many songs, and that simply adds to the battery draining. Battery power is a serious issue for me, I don't like that feeling when my phone only has one bar left, knowing it would die at any moment and prevent me from calling who I need to. Same goes with Ipods. It's hard to live without music for me, it has become a dependency.

Everyday

It's been getting harder and harder to wake up everyday on time. I blame part of it on Christmas break coming up. I used to love sleeping in, but now if I'm late for a class it's a terrible feeling. My presentation for Composition makes me a bit nervous, I'm considering just staying up all night, that way I wouldn't have to worry about waking up! On a side note, I've notice I always have my phone on me. All the time. It's an interesting feeling when realizing that I'm basically tethered to it. In today's society there's always a need for a phone, and if I don't answer it, I tend to get very angry replies. Makes me wish I could go back to the good old days before texting, where everyone simply called and hung out, had the occasional AIM conversation. But times change, and the only choice we have is to adapt.

Sonic

Working at Sonic has been interesting. Overall, I've never liked working with food and people, and that has been the basis of every one of my jobs since I was 15. Truly ironic. I got used to the fast paced environment, terrible customers, and working til two in the morning. The people I work with are really cool overall, the managers do their job well. The schedule seems to be a big problem though. When it first opened, everyone got 30+ hours a week, and it was good to make money, sometimes a bit overwhelming. Now that things have slowed down, a lot of hours have been cut, and now people are lucky to get over 15 hours. It's been very sporadic in my case, and this week I've been give zero hours. Definitely not a good thing. Searching for a new job is something I have to consider, but I really don't like filling out applications.

My first Final

Today, I took my first final, sadly, no one told me I had. Walking into class five minutes before it started, everyone was vigorously studying. I had to sprint half a mile to buy a blue book, sprint back, and just make it in time to take the final. Needless to say, I don't think I did very well. If it was math I'd have a pretty good chance at an A, sadly this was Medieval History, and it was all written. Multiple choice could have saved the day. My savior will be the essay that I turned in a few days ago for it.

Classes?

So I never got the memo to go register for class, and so by the time I figured out it was my turn, most of the spots have been filled. I was still able to pick the time schedule I needed, but the class I was wait-listed for never really responded, and the people at the desk didn't help. I guess I need to find a new class to register for... So far I've got Comp 2, calc 2, and history of music. I'll be sure to take care of things early the next time registration season comes.

My Car

So, I drive a '97 Honda Odyssey. Definitely not what I envisioned myself driving. It's a minivan, thankfully the seats fold into the car, and there's actually a lot of room on the inside. I've been driving to school for about half an hour the last two years, and now it's become almost an hour drive. Needless to say, this car has been through a lot. It has almost 270 thousand miles on it, and it's still truckin'. I've invested in a better sounds system, by splicing a few wires, there are now some really nice speakers inside, and a great radio. I do admit it may look a bit lame, but it's all I've got for now. Hopefully in the future I invest in a car that's not as big. I am grateful to have a car, but it seems that it will die on me any moment now, and I'll have to go separate ways with my first car.

CD's

Whatever happen to CD's? It might just be me, but everyone has mp3 players and just downloads music.I guess it's nice to save money through the internet, but the artists deserve their credit/money! I really don't know how the cd sales are still high, just about any music album can be found online a week before it is released in stores. It seems a bit unfair to me, but if people use their resources wisely then who am I to tell them otherwise? My ipod is no longer anywhere near the greatness of the new models, I've got a 2gb original nano, which over the years has just been bothersome. On the bright side I just installed a new radio in my car, it plays CD's and I can hook up my ipod, so there are more choices for me!

Finals!

Well finals are right around the corner, everyone I know is doing their best to cram study and finish up their papers. I think I'm going to try studying in college, I didn't have to last year, but now school seems harder. This massive Composition project is definitely going to take up a lot of time, in addition to all the other classes fitting in a last test before the exam. On the bright side I'm only working one day this week, so I will have plenty of time to get ready. I find it hard to pick a topic for this research paper, I understand that it's due in less than a week for me, but there are always distractions. Hopefully I'll settle on a topic soon, because finding at least ten sources won't be easy. Maybe I just won't sleep for a few days and finish everything, I mean Christmas break will last a while, so why not just take one of those days to sleep. seems like a great plan to me!

Thanksgiving Season

Well it seems that the semester is flying by, and before we know it, our portfolios will be done and it will be good timese with the family. America has gotten ahead of itself, with Christmas music being played since November 1st, everyone is just ready to move on to the day of gift giving. This may be a cliche topic, but honestly, is it the people to blame for this, or the corporate companies? The advertisements are all over television and the radio, where it's beyond important to get all the gifts early, and with Walmart constantly cutting it's prices, other stores are having difficulty competing. I support competition, but when a store is purposefully trying to to undermine other people and their business, it seems unfair. Thanksgiving has lost it's touch, now it's more about food than anything else, but on the bright side it gives families another reason to be together. I don't know if we should be proud of persecuting the Native Americans, taking their land, and bring new disease into their territory, but I guess it's too late to fight it now, and all we can do is celebrate.

Ram's Horn

My restaurant of choice was the Ram’s Horn located in Livonia, Michigan on Joy road and Middlebelt Rd. I have been to other restaurants like it in different areas, but this one caught my eye. A very important part of any dining experience is the atmosphere, and this was covered very well by Ram’s Horn. It has plant-life and a very welcoming architecture. The wait staff treated my company and I the same as everyone else, unlike many other situations I have been where my age is the sole factor of the type of service I receive. Being greeted by smiles and a welcome, we chose our booth and looked over the menu. The prices were surprisingly high, because even though it was a family restaurant, the typical lunch dish began at $6.95, and the prices only went up from there, especially if you wanted a side of fries or coleslaw. I chose the bacon cheeseburger, with a side of fries and coleslaw. The coleslaw was excessively green and did not appeal at all, but the side was more than made up for with the burger. This burger looked like it was prepared masterfully, and the taste was absolutely amazing! The fries were mediocre and did not stand out to me through taste; they were just thicker than the average McDonald’s fries. Overall I was satisfied with this meal, but it still seemed like far too expensive. We simply did not enough money to eat dessert and leave a good tip, but a recommendation is the Gino’s Hot fudge Cake.

A very excellent quality of this restaurant is that there are free refills on coffee, which my friends and I took advantage of. We soon came to find out that this place was open 24 hours a day, every day, and so we sat from 11pm to 5am having conversations and eating. After speaking to several waitresses, it turns out that many people come here and spend hours doing things such as reading, rolling cigarettes, and knitting. They did not mind us at all, because the local high school students always come there and it was nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone is welcome, and it turned out that the busiest time was around 2am that day, which astonished us because we did not expect so many people to be awake and eating at this time. It is more of a social vicinity than a family restaurant, but it maintains the prestige of a restaurant with presentation and quality. The restaurant has a smoking and a non smoking section which appeals to the public, because they have the choice of smoking, or avoiding secondhand smoke. There were no visual prejudices, and it is not ethnical dominated by a single culture, the atmosphere was very friendly.

My overall experience would have to be rated at four stars, because even though the surrounds, food, and staff were superb, the prices were too high. I would not suggest college students to come here on a daily basis, but once a week or so is definitely worth it. My expectations were low for Ram’s Horn, but it turned out to be a great experience, and I hope to go there again soon.

Fall

It's finally looking like fall. Even smells like it! or maybe that's just me, but seasons have a certain scent. Anyways i was looking forward to Halloween, but no i am scheduled to work, so there won't be much celebrating on my part. I don't think it matters how old someone is; if you feel like dressing up and being a part of the holiday, then go for it! Costumes are way too expensive to buy, so my friends and I usually think of something and go to the thrift store. its a great way to save money! Raking leaves is not something i am looking forward to doing, but i know it will happen eventually. Which reminds me of shoveling snow, not something I like doing, but it's good exercise.

Midterm Blog

So apparently it is already halfway through the semester, and it seems like time flew. So far the class has been great, and I'm still trying to get a hang of this blogging thing. Keeping up isn't easy for me because I get distracted easily, and there are internet issues at my house. Blogging isn't so bad anymore, and I've been more comfortable with writing about... random thoughts and sometimes assignments. I am very relieved that we can re-write our essays, because I need the best grades that I can get. I'm a bit intimidated by this large project due at the end of the semester, but for now I have another essay to take care of by Teusday. I probably should have taken the other Composition 105 class, because writing about my community is not something I enjoy, but I guess learning to write on any subject and style is crucial to becoming a true writer.

Tattoos

So I've been debating, but I have no idea on what to get. definitely not something lame like those friends who get a skull, or something. a personal favorite is this kid who got a large eagle playing a bass guitar. seriously it looked awful, but I'm too nice to say that, so I just say its cool. I haven't really found something. Words are cool, quotes are something that have to be personal. maybe something original. Someone once said "time heals all wounds". I like that quote, don't know who its by, doesn't really matter. i can relate to it. But then there's the whole placement thing. I still feel like looking professional so it wont be arms or visible. but somewhere. Hopefully i'll decide soon, my lack of money helps me from making bad decisions :D (that is a happy face). Getting a band name seems too cliche, sure its something you love, but come on, what if they come out with a terrible album or just become sell outs. not something I would enjoy representing.

Experiences

So from a personal viewpoint, words don't mean much. You're parents or friends tell you and try to help with life lessons, but it doesn't mean much. People say don't smoke or drink, and it might get through to people. But those who have lost relatives or had terrible experiences are the ones that learn. Someone might say don't speed when its raining, you say sure, then one day, you are running late, decide its fine, and then hydroplane off the freeway into a massive accident. (not a personal experience). Same goes for just about anything in life, until you live through it, you don't understand what is important. I've recently made friends with people through pure chance. one was at a party that was a last moment decision, another was at the mall. anyways the point being, they are people who like me, have been through alot, and value life. No offense to anyone reading this, but I dont enjoy spoiled people. those that have everything handed to them by parents or inheritance. People who fight to live and worked night and day just to get by dont complain that their parents bought them the wrong car, or that they dont have enough jewelery. My blogs seem to be all over place, one day i'll have a constant train of thought.

Friends?

So friendship is a great thing these days. But it sometimes leads to problems. Always nice to have a person to count on. I feel like most of the people i know are acquaintances who simply like to get together and have fun. having true genuine friends is hard to come by. Examples are everywhere, but there are people who just call you to do stuff once and a while, and there are people who call once in a while to see how things are going. I guess it's time that decides how life will go.

Sitting In my Room

Just sitting procrastinating from studying for a philosophy exam tomorrow. Decided being productive is a great idea. So lets talk about music. Recently I've gotten back into the metal scene, ska, and techno. But quality stuff. I'm so distracted that I will continue this later. Today's society has me all over the place. I've got an AIM conversation, Facebook nonsense, and two people texting me. I am not a fan of this. I love conversations, but in person is much better. easier to see emotion and help people out. I find it easy to understand people's expressions and what not physically, its a psychological thing. Too late to change that now, unless we find a way to travel back in time, that would be interesting.

The weekend!

I am so excited for the weekend. After working almost everyday this week, I haven't had time for the little things that I enjoy in life. Last night was pretty nice because after work I was invited to a Halloween party. There one of my friends dressed up as pikachu, while another person, completely unplanned, was Ash, from Pokemon. It was an interesting coincidence. overall it was a great night. I'm off to possibly see the movie Paranormal Activity.

Another Blog

So life has been interesting these past few weeks. We ended up spending $50 on pizza, which was kind of staggering because thats Work has given me less hours, but it seems to be taking up my life because i go there about 4 days a week. College has been a fun experience, and I'm getting into the groove of things. Went to a birthday party thing this weekend, and had alot of fun. I made questionable choices but overall it was a great night. College life is great!

Page 264 Topic A

The debate that anyone who advocates a war should be willing to participate in it is not much of an argument. The politicians are the ones who decide if there will be war, but they never realize how much of an emotion toll it is on the people. If the people that declare war would fight in it, they would realize how important it is to use diplomacy rather than firearms. If the people see their leader fighting for their own country and rights, they would be more likely to support it.

Chapter 1

The first chapter of the textbook Reading and Writing for Civic Literacy explains how a college student writes. The main point was that I will writing using rhetoric, which is known as the art of persuasion. In doing so I will begin to express my viewpoint on topics. The government has demagogues, who are political figures that try to take control of everything, and example is Hitler. The demagogues will try to imply that other nations and leader are doing the wrong thing and must be stopped. These figures use propaganda, which is falsified information sent to the masses in hopes of controlling their ideals. The term ideology is a person's beliefs and thoughts on the world.

The Four Freedoms

The posters that I saw on thursday were very informative and creative. Each had its own way of showing how the artists feels it is correct to represent the ideas. The posters that only have words were not as impressive as the the visual work. Overall it was a very interesting display.

First Post

This is the first of many blogs that I am to write this fall semester. Most will probably be pointless and uninformative because I do not enjoy the idea of blogging. If one was to write for pleasure, it should be something of literary merit, not about random things that happen in their day that most people don't really care about. Since I have never blogged I will keep an open mind.