First Semester

So the semester is coming to a close huh? Having been my first semester in college, I think it went pretty well. I learned a lot about how things work, like actually studying for tests, not saving work till the last minute, and attending class regularly. I guess you could say I was somewhat of a slacker all through high school, but I've come the the harsh realization that it doesn't fly in college. One of my biggest obstacles has been procrastination, and due to my laziness, I have had to pull a few all-nighters. I'm trying to avoid that though, considering I don't work as well and I walk around like a zombie the next day. The bottom line is I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm not saying I have stopped procrastinating completely, I've just gotten a little better with time management and hope to improve even more in the future.

This Town

As I mentioned before, I wrote about 90% of the lyrics in my band, which was great experience for writing in general. Writing music will always be a passion of mine and I like to think I've gotten pretty good at it. Here are the lyrics to one of our most popular songs back in the day called This Town.

This Town

Chorus:
Something about the changin' seasons
Bright skies provide good times, no rhyme no reason
Well I can feel the love in the air
Why don't you sit back, relax, let down your hair
Well its about that time of year
Not a cloud, not a dime, just a lime and a couple beers
We wont leave the beach till the sun goes down
And then we'll tear apart this town

Verse:
Lazy days, catchin' rays
Layin' in the sand I'm watchin' waves
Gettin' blazed on week-long stays
I've countin' days till the month of May
Pretty girls, lots of pretty girls
But I know that there ain't one in the world
Like the one I got, always in my thoughts
Who loves the summer just as much as me

Verse:
Blowin' rings between the songs I sing
About the sun on my back, and the ice in my drink
One less thought for every fish that I caught
Sittin' with my bowl and the bag I just bought

My Old Band

So I played in this reggae/punk rock band for a few years in high school with my buddies Cameron and Jeff. It just started out as us jamming for fun, but much to our surprise we started booking shows and selling tickets. We all shared a passion for reggae music, so we instantly had a connection and were able to write some (in our opinion) really chill songs. I learned a lot about music in my band through experimenting with bass and guitar and writing lyrics. Eventually, we decided to break it off with college approaching and everyone going their separate ways, but all in all it was a really cool experience. I had a blast and don't regret a minute of it. I'm still writing my own music and would love to someday play in reggae band again, maybe even with Jeff and Cameron.

www.myspace.com/justplainridiculousmd

These recordings are a little rough, but those were some of the songs we played. I wrote all of them and I sing in the second two. Check em out!

Siblings and Relationships

http://www.essortment.com/all/firstbornchild_rsod.htm

I read this article and thought it was interesting that the youngest sibling of one family is very likely to marry the oldest sibling of another family. This is because the youngest sibling is used to being taken care of, and therefore needs to take care of someone themselves. In contrast, the oldest sibling is used to taking care of others, and therefore needs someone to take care of them. I thought this was especially interesting because this is the exact situation between me and my girlfriend. She is the youngest of 3 and I am the oldest of 5. What are you thoughts on either the only child syndrome, or this youngest-oldest sibling relation ship?

Police Stereotyping

I absolutely 100% think that cops stereotype younger people. I believe it has more to do with age than race. I'm 18 and I'm white, and I've had a few ridiculous run-ins with the cops. I don't consider myself a "sketchy" person, but I guess I just fit the profile of what a "young delinquent" must look like. Cops just target younger people and try to confuse them and/or force a confession (sometimes false) out of them. Its been to the point where I was temporarily detained by an undercover cop at a Home Depot for attempted shoplifting. I was buying mulch for my dad's girlfriend and a can of spray paint to touch up minor paint chips on her car. I was told that I was suspiciously walking through the garden center and was obviously trying to steal the spray paint. I was promptly searched. I was never told my rights. I was arrested and taken to the police department without ever leaving the store with any stolen merchandise. My only advice is KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! I learned a lot of valuable information from this documentary entitled: Busted: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters.

Longboarding

There is nothing more exhilarating than cruising down a hill reaching speeds of 15-20mph on a long plank of wood. I'm talking about long boarding. Skating has always been a passion of mine, but long boarding is a whole new take on the skateboard. I remember back in the day, fumbling around with a skateboard, trying to learn tricks and sometimes make them up myself. Skating ramps and grinding curbs and rails is fun, but lacks that essence of freedom and most importantly, speed. Rather than focusing on tricks, long boarding is basically going down a big hill really really fast. It may sound kind of simple, but its a bit more complicated than that. It involves carving down the hill, bending your body in the most aerodynamic shape, and sometimes even sliding around sharp corners. Long boards are built differently too. Obviously, they're longer than a normal skateboard. They are also thicker with wide trucks and bigger wheels for improved stability. The trucks are generally looser so you can carve smoothly down the hill, but not so loose that you get speed wobbles. The last thing you want is to crash face-first into the pavement traveling at speeds rivaling the cars on the same road. Long boarding can be dangerous, but it is fun and I definitely recommend trying it. There is a whole long boarding community and many skate companies make long boards such as Sector 9 shown above. I have a Sector 9 board and I am honestly in love with it. Boards are generally cheap and in my opinion, easier to ride than a normal skate deck. The bottom line is long boarding is pretty crucial. I love it and do it all the time. I think everyone should try it.

Watching vs. Thinking

After looking over Friday's assigned readings, I've come to the conclusion that I could easily agree and disagree with both of the author's opinions. I'm sort of on the fence when it comes to what is appropriate television content and a reasonable amount one should watch TV. Johnson makes a good point that shows that more complex story lines stimulate viewers minds and really make them have to think to put the pieces together. What he calls the "Sleeper Curve," is present in most prime-time dramas as well as other shows. I agree when he says they "enhance our cognitive faculties, not dumb them down." However, Stevens brings up some strong points as well. While this cognitive stimulation may be present, television has always been the most effective venue for advertising, especially to children. Stevens shows this well in the article, referring to children as "fresh meat for the advertising industry." Also, many Americans watch way too much TV. I like how Stevens puts it when she says we should "judge our own doses," as if television itself is some sort of drug. The bottom line is both these authors have pros and cons to their opinions. While some programs are cognitively stimulating, people must make the choice not to fall victim to intense advertising and most importantly, not to spend too much time on the couch.