Love and Hate

The Boys of Summer

2010-04-27T17:41:00.002-05:00

John Mayer---Battle Studies

2010-04-26T18:15:00.002-05:00

There is a good chance condoning John Mayer as a great musician as a male fan will get the homo card pulled but like my not-so-secret love for Harry Potter at this point I don't care. John Mayer's new album "Battle Studies" is pure genius. To preface my allegiance, I have every album, live and recorded that John Mayer has ever made and I like it all. His music and lyrics alike are top notch. "Battle Studies" is a similar yet more mature sound from Mr. Mayer. The lyrics from "Battle Studies" are very identifiable for younger people and the battle ensued during young relationships. It is all about love and not-so-much love interaction and how it affects us as people. Mayer used a lot of experience and emotion from what some might say his several past relationships. His viewpoint comes from a musician that is on the older end of his prime and has been a lot of places and loved and lost in many diverse ways. He is getting to the point where the pressure of a must have love bares down on him in the form of social acceptance. Besides the past and present Mayer remarks about how he is "perfectly lonely" and in the future he knows love is important but there is no use rushing it because we have no control. Mayer has written about a lot of things but his focus on love as a battle and the identification as experiences as "studies" is brilliant. I like all of the songs on the damn thing but "Heartbreak Warfare" is a great song that supports the idea of "Battle Studies" as the title. Many of the songs fit with this theme. I suggest you check it out, you won't regret it, or you will call me a big homo but that is fine. Though the Harry Potter love doesn't help my case, it could be worse than John Mayer support. (Coldplay support)

Losing A Family Member: Something I Couldn't Do

2010-04-26T18:05:00.002-05:00

I recently heard of a colleague of mine that lost a family member very close to them. Though at the age of 21 this isn't the first time I have heard of death happening but it further reminds me how lucky I have been and how hard it is going to be for me to lose a close relative or friend. Honestly the only family I have lost would be great grandparents. I've only been to 4 or 5 funerals in my life and that is a lot less than most can say. The moral of the story is I don't know how to grieve and it isn't going to be pretty the first time I have to do it. It hurts me to hear of people, even people I don't know very well to have lost a love one because I can't imagine it. At this point I know it would take a lot of help from other people to get through it. There are people that have lost a lot of people but I doubt it gets easier. I doubt people "get the hold of" funerals. Though losing those close to us never gets easier, the first one for me is going to be really hard because I honestly don't know what it feels like. The thought of it makes me want to jump out a window. I'm on the second floor. Knowing this tells me I need to be their for those around me that lose someone and hope and pray to god that I have people their for me when it happens to me. Most importantly I hope my luck continues and that day is farther away than closer. It is hard for me to accept that it will happen because I don't want to admit it. I just hope I can make it through it.

End of the Year at College

2010-04-18T23:50:00.002-05:00

Boy all tell you what! At this point in the college year it gets pretty rough for students and teachers a like. It seems like their is this breaking point where professors go "O Shit! We need to pile it on and get everything done!" All the tests, quizzes and presentations, seemed to all overlap. It all hits at once like a thunderstorm that you don't see coming. It is hard to feel sorry for yourself because it seems to hit everyone equally. It is one of those things that may not happen on purpose but in the long run it prepares us for the piling on that the work place will create for us. I told my dad the other day "if I make it through the month I will live to be a hundred" and he laughed and said "I have been telling myself that every month for about 25 years Andy!" It just tells me that this isn't a new thing and it isn't going to stop here after college. It is just one of those things that it takes to be successful in a working enviornment, you have to be able to handle a rigourous work load. I can't say I like the stack I have on my desk right now but I do believe that work feeds the soul and this will all pay off someday: hopefully.

Closing Time:Nebraska Passes State Law to Increase Bar Time by an Hour------Final Draft

2010-04-18T23:39:00.001-05:00

Legislative Bill 262 was passed as an amendment in the Nebraska Legislative Unicameral to make the closing time for beer and liquor sales to 2 a.m.

On the legislative floor issues involving economic benefits, relieving tax increases and safety issues were discussed. The largest Nebraskan city Omaha was the topic of much discussion as it boarders the Iowa city of Council Bluffs that remains open until 2 a.m.

I think a lot of the motive behind this bill was drawn from Omaha. For good reason as the restaurant and bar scene there has brought a lot of money into the state and has a lot of potential for further growth. It is obvious to business owners and customers a like that patrons have consistently left early from Nebraska bars to go over to Iowa to finish off the night. Often times leaving earlier than the 1 a.m. closing time to settle in Iowa earlier.

Besides the economic issue this provides for Nebraska it also pauses a safety issue with drunk drivers that head across the board after several drinks rather than heading home. By adding an hour to Nebraska’s closing time and equalizing Iowa’s cutoff time it will minimize the drunken boarder hopers that increase travel distance from there Nebraskan homes. This bill could not only keep customers in Nebraska but also reduce drunken driving risks on the interstate roadways.

Moving west of Omaha to the 2^nd largest Nebraska city of Lincoln there are a lot of benefits that this bill create for our capital city. One of the main Lincoln effects would be the extra income on the University of Nebraska Cornhusker football Saturdays that bring almost 86,000 to the stadium every home game and aside from the after-gamers it will cater to the thousands of other unlucky fans that didn’t get a ticket on account of the record 304 game sellout that leaves many left to head to O street to restaurants and bars to watch the game on TV, many times on pay-per-view. The financial benefit from after game and during game customers would be remarkable by adding an hour.

Besides the football Saturdays there are several large events at the Lied Center, Devaney Sports Complex, Pershing Coliseum and UNL campus that bring large numbers to the downtown area. Naming all those venues, leads to the most important opportunity to fill a new need for restaurant and bar owners that will be coming soon as the Lincoln city council addresses a financial plan that will increase a 2% occupational tax to Lincoln restaurants and bars to pay for a new sports arena in the area, if approved. Many believe that adding the extra hour would really help alleviate the thousands of dollars in taxes that Lincoln businesses will very likely encounter to put in yet another new arena.

As Omaha is a growing business leader in a border war with Iowa and Lincoln builds more venues to continue to become a leading place of interest, other college towns like Kearney, Chadron and Wayne could see great economic benefit as well. Not to be forgotten are the small town Nebraska bars that usually make up one of the only if not the only source of entertainment and food and drink in these towns.

The big cities and the small town waterholes and eateries alike will benefit from this bill economically and it can help ease some other issues of tax increases and safety issues. As Nebraska would benefit from end to end this extension of the last call is a legislative good call and an opportunity to be taken advantage of.

An Answer to True Love and Relationships

2010-04-12T00:32:00.004-05:00

I'm not gonna bullshit you and say I have it all figured out but I have learned a lot from my relationships both good and bad. The relationship I am in now is great. I am in love and I feel like I have developed a relationship with my girlfriend that works for both of us and makes it so it never gets old. I have had girls that I thought I loved that crushed my balls and I have had girls that loved me so much it freaked me out and/or got boring and I moved on. This little idea I have come up with will not magically make your love life bliss but it is an idea that you can check yourself with to see if your relationship is the real deal. It may seem simple but when you apply it and look at your relationship it really can help a ton, and it is how I check myself and my girl friend.

First and for most, yes this is one idea but it can apply to every. That is because rule number one is "everyone is different, and everyone wants different things" In a relationship sense, this means everyone has different expectations. These expectations in the simplest sense are looks, humor, interests and all that other bullshit you fill out on an eHarmony profile. The real shit, the stuff that is the difference between love and one party totally fooling themselves, is your flaws, your body language, and how you communicate. In other words, the stuff that longtime married people understand, ya know it makes sense.

You have to figure out what you want and those are your expectations. You don't have to write down a list on a piece of paper but you have to know what you expect and you have to learn from your partner. Your expectations can change but eventually they will set themselves. You have to know what you want, before someone else can. Everyone has different expectations. They also vary from person to person. The expectations I had for my high school girl friend are very different from my college girlfriend. In fact I have had different expectations for every girlfriend I have ever had. That is why relationships are so hard. You have to find someone that has expectations that fit with yours and it is a two way street.

When people say "communication is everything in relationships" they are absolutely right. But they leave out the next step. The difference between like and love is being able to talk about anything. If you keep anything from each other, or if you have something you couldn't tell your bf or gf, they probably aren't the one. When you figure out what your expectations are you need to make sure your partner knows. Continuing to communicate them is what makes relationships last. With time expectations change, when they change, if you don't adjust accordingly that is when relationships fade out. By "updating" eachothers expectations, you will in a sense re-ignite the flame between you and it sure won't get boring.

People can have high expectations, low expectations or just plain regular middle of the road expectations. It actually doesn't matter which, any of these can still be good, lasting relationships. Once the expecations are known and shared, and if they are continually updated as need, there is only one more piece of the puzzle and it is the hardest. No matter if you have low, medium or high expectations there is only one way to make a relationship work with these expectations and it involves your partner not you. Each of these senarios is from experience.

1.) Obviously, if the expectations aren't met its not going to work. Whether that means they didn't meet your low expetations of a phone call in the morning and I will see you tonight or if the high expectations of texting you all day and hanging out as much as possible aren't met its not going to work if someone doesn't compromise.
2.) If some goes above and beyond and reaches far above your expectations it won't work either. Some people like this and say they wouldn't have it any other way but the truth is it gets boring and it can also be really creepy. If I was a betting man I would say this is one of the highest situations for cheaters. They get bored with the "super gf or wife" and they do someone else and expect to still get super wife in the end. Everybody likes to be called out on their bullshit once in awhile, it is really annoying to have someone agree with you all the time and worship the ground you walk on, its sad but true.
3.) The Winner, is to do the best you can to meet eachothers expectations and compromise with eachother. Don't over do it, just do it. If they are expectations you can't meet or you don't think you should have to, it's not for you.

The moral of the story is when you find that person that meets the expectations you have communicated with them and you can meet theirs they have for you, with compromises benefiting both parties, that is the ultimate. Love is communication. Love is comprimise. Love is flexible.

This is an idea I have created based off experience and studying relationships all around me. I would like to believe anybody with experience could identify with this and people without experience could learn from this. If you have conflicting views I would appreciating hearing about it. True love is always a work in progress.

Low Self Asteem and Relationships

2010-04-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

It happens everyday. In my 21 years I have seen several types of relationships. I have been in several different relationships but my least favorite I am afraid is becoming quite common. It has also plagues someone I really care about. In a nutshell it would be relationship where one party is "owned" by the other. I personally have been owned but it really didn't take long for me to figure out it wasn't healthy. Its always hard and everybody should probably experience a crush that they really want but can't have. The one that got away if you will. Just because it didn't workout means that is bad, in fact, it might be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

The rundown: someone that is very close to me continues to suffer through a long distance relationship that incorporates a ball-less dork that doesn't know how to treat a woman. Her expectations for the dude are lower than low and he still can't meet them. She is lying to herself and her friends and family to defend this guy when he really has no worth and provides no positive benefit to her life but still she sticks up for this guy because it is her "first love". Their love consists of facebook chatting, skyping, texts and random after bar hook-ups that occur when he comes to town and she finds our about it and catches him. Even if at one point if this dude would have been a good boyfriend (which he hasn't) he is done and she needs to move the hell on. She continues to defend him, lie to herself and deteriorate the little self esteem she has left and if she doesn't leave this dude she will continue to suffer and she will lose the little support she has left from her family and friends because she won't listen to them. Do yourself a favor and if you ever find someone that you know you shouldn't be with and your friends and family agree, though it might seem difficult at the time, turn and run the other way. If you do, you will save yourself further heartache and you will not destroy your self esteem.

This Week in Sports: Duke and Phil

2010-04-11T23:26:00.003-05:00

This week was in sports their two very exciting events: the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship between Duke and Butler and the Masters golf tournament. To me, both had very similar feels to them. First of all, I watched every minute of both and I thoroughly enjoyed doing so. The experience was great and it was a very entertaining and competitive spectacle but when always said and done a small part of me was depressed. In comparison between the two events Duke was Phil Mickelson and Butler was kind of anybody else. There was a lot of side stories and hoopla for both. Butler was a small school from a no-name conference with a young coach and no one expected them to be able to keep up with big bad Duke and Coach K or to most "coach god". I think it is safe to say there were a lot of people out there that cheered for Duke. In fact, I think there are a lot of people out there that only like Duke because it has come cool to do so. I also would bet you that those same tools in Duke garb were cheering for Phil at the Masters, both examples are easy to love. They represent a symbol of hope for underachieving white dudes that live vicariously through them. Both have become a stereotype for those dorky white boys to follow creepily and people expect that from these tools, its OK. As a non-tool, it was hard to see both Duke and Phil win. To me it was scripted and too easy, it was what was "supposed to happen", and that isn't fun. It was boring. It is probably unfair to take away from any of their accomplishments because they both got the ring and the jacket but I felt like even though they played well, things worked out because of luck and timing. I don't think the best players won on either behalf. I felt like their were teams that lost in the NCAA tourney on bush league situations that Duke didn't have to deal with. They actually had the easiest bracket by far and just ended up playing an undersized and under-represented team for a championship. Phil got lucky. Tiger choked when he normally wouldn't, Kim ran out of holes and K.J. Choi and Lee Westwood practically gave him the jacket. But when the opportunity was presented they both took advantage so a wins a win. But still in the back of my brain I feel like after an amazing performance during and how great it felt to watch afterwards it was a bitter taste and I was left thinking something was missing. So congratulations Duke and Phil loving dorks but the you have one more benefactor that is missing from the equation. Your boys the Cubs still aren't going to win a World Series and its the longest season their is so enjoy the 163 game season of mediocrity and underachievement because I know you will wear the blue hat with the red C proud and people will know, he is that guy that says "this is our year" and for a century has been wrong.

New Family

2010-04-04T23:13:00.005-05:00

There are a lot of changes young people go through when they are growing up but some are tougher than others. The toughest thing I have found is transitioning into my new family situation. I have been dating the girl of my dreams for an amazing year and a half and I have a very good feeling it will continue for quite some time. I have gotten to know her family as if they were my own and I am starting to look at them as my new family. They live only an hour up the road and luckily I see them a lot so it has been easy to get to know them. My "old family" has been and will continue to be my everything. I don't know what I would do without them. My girlfriend feels the same way about them as I do her family, its pretty amazing how it has worked out. The thing is my family lives 10 hours away and I don't get to see them nearly enough. It is very hard for me and I have no doubt it is hard for my parents not to be able to see me, my siblings and my girlfriend more than they do. It is only going to get harder. I will never grow apart from my family but it seems I continue to get closer with my new family. I am excited because both families I have been blessed with are very similar and they both mean a lot to me. I guess what at first glance is an issue is a blessing in disguise. My family will never be replaced but I now have one great big family and I couldn't be happier. If I can't get them both together at the same time I will definitely spend as much time with both and either way for me it will be a win-win situation. I hope someday we can all get together that would be ideal.

Family

2010-04-04T21:44:00.001-05:00

During my Easter break I got the chance to get together with my very diverse family. Just like anyone else could say about their family, my family is very different. We have different political views, we dress different, we are from completely different eras and we have spent time in several different geographical areas. This has made for some different holiday experiences, some have gone smoother than others. This year went smoother than ever before and I think I know why. For me it was better because of how I perceived my family and our time together. This year I have matured a great deal and I perceived things very differently. Just talking to my aunt and uncle I really enjoyed seeing them and I embraced our differences. I think when you get older you appreciate your family and the time you have with them more because you know it is limited. Talking to my 93 year old great grandmother really help me understand. She cherished every moment we had together and for the first time I did too. When I was younger I never understood. She talked about her old memories and she would have given anything to have that time back when we were all together. I will never take my time with family for granted again, and I will continue to embrace our differences and learn from them every chance I get. In fact, I am going to schedule time this summer to go visit and you should call your family and do the same. Yes we have holidays but honestly with as fast as time goes that really isn't enough and someday you will wish you would have done more with your family.

A New Social Acceptance: When Will Bullying Be Stopped-----Final Draft

2010-04-03T13:11:00.001-05:00

In January of this year a 15 year old girl killed herself after enduring months of verbal harassment and physical abuse at her school. Bullying is not a new thing but progressively it has grown to new levels every year. Thanks to new media and the continuing inactivity by parents, teachers and administrators, verbal abuse and harassment have climbed to an unacceptable level. When will enough be enough? Phoebe Prince killed herself because she didn’t want to go to school anymore and continue to be humiliated. She was victim to several students that continually went out of their way to verbally and even physically abuse her. Investigation following Prince’s death uncovered information that could have saved her life if it had been addressed earlier. The abuse Prince was going through at school was not a secret. Students and faculty had even been present during prior concerns and they viewed it as nothing out of the ordinary. A popular quote I have heard regarding the topic of bullying is the disguise of what is deemed “socially acceptable.” Students and supervisors alike say that roasting each other is a part of the culture of our youth, saying everyone does it. That defense doesn’t hold up when Prince was called an “Irish Slut” in the middle of a classroom for all to hear, when a teacher overheard a student making a threatening remark about her and when she had an energy-drink thrown at her when she was walking home. The mindset of “Kids will be kids” and even more commonly “We all had bullies when we were kids and just like us our kids have to deal with it” needs to stop. That mindset is killing kids. It also creates an idea in kids’ heads that bullying is alright. It is not alright. Especially when the victims don’t think help will ever come. The administration has continued to defend themselves in saying that Prince was a very private person and they were unaware of the bullying until it was too late. “She didn't reveal to people what she was being subjected to and, unfortunately, until January 7, we were not aware of what she was being subjected to, so [there was] very little way we could have intervened in the bullying” the Superintendent of Prince’s School Gus Sayer said. On January 7, they became aware and defend that they disciplined some students regarding malice towards Prince. Prince killed herself on January 14^th. That is 7 days of “not intervening”. I wouldn’t exactly expect anyone to create the world in those 7 days and I wouldn’t expect them to foresee her suicide but this tells me the school, knowing of the incident, had a duty to monitor the situation and especially talk to Prince and they didn’t do that. They gave a slap on the wrist to the students and sent them right back into the classroom. As administrators I would like to see more holding students accountable for their actions and less sweeping problems under the rug and hoping they go away. If you are like the many administrators that share in the optimism of “It won’t happen to us. Not here” you are a big part of the problem. Just because kids at your school aren’t committing suicide doesn’t mean something shouldn’t change. Only increased communication and taking responsibility as administrators can help this situation. I would defend any administrator that held their students to higher standards than what has become the “social norm” because it would mean respect would be expected for all.

I'm Sick of the Cheating

2010-03-29T00:06:00.002-05:00

Tiger Woods is off the hook with me because we have already used and abused his adulterous stupidity, but I keep hearing more an more men cheating on their wives. Ya girls do it to but as a dude I'm addressing the dudes. I'm currently in the longest relationship of my life and it is still as good as the first day. We have been through a lot of tough times but I could never cheat on my girlfriend. When I see the show "Cheaters" all I can think is, 1.) This really isn't a big deal to the cheaters 2.) How often does this shit really go down in the world? The people on "Cheaters" are scarcely attractive and usually quite ignorant so I am not going to further that example. However, when I hear about the "Best Actress Curse" I lose hope for my gender. Apparently in the last several years, the "Best Actress" Winner has either been divorced or cheated on or had their relationship fall apart some how. Most recently was Sandra Bullock who was cheated on with more than one other female. To me the "Best Actress" category, Bullock included, represents very sexy, powerful and fantastic women. The kind you don't cheat on or even think about cheating on. What were these dudes thinking? The most amazing woman of the year and noticed by millions as just a hot slice of sex pie and it's not good enough for her husband? (who just happens to be a tatted up douche that wears his hat like a dorky child) What is the world coming to? Well sirs around the world that are trading in a shot at love with these high class 10's that love you for a maximum of 12 minutes with some skank that makes you feel like a stud by suffering through an ackward adventure of something that is supposed to mean more than the physical experience, good for you guys! But the truth is the other girl doesn't love you, in fact she doesn't even like you and she will soon, like everyone else find out how big of a douche you are, and she will leave you in the dust. You will be like an infectious disease that nobody wants anything to do with. You will lose friends, family, money, etc. I hope it was worth it dude, I bet you felt really, really cool and didn't even care if you got caught but just remember, the cheater always loses. Even Tiger Woods, he may come back to win some majors, and his wife may take him back, but she has his balls in a firm grip for the rest of his like and what she says goes because she can always say "remember that one time" and so can everybody else. The guys that win are the guys that don't have that "one time" but sadly they are becoming more rare everyday. I hate cheaters!

My New Diet

2010-03-28T23:55:00.002-05:00

I'm not fat. But I am unhealthy. I knew I needed to do something to help myself not die young. If you google diets there is a good chance you will find unlimited tabs with some very reasonable ideas and some very unreasonable ideas also, probably more of the latter. I am here to tell you, that no matter who you are, I have the perfect solution to obesity and any other physical imperfection you feel other than genetic and accident caused issues of course. Watch what you eat, and exercise. I know right? When I see commercials for a belt you put on your stomach or pills that help you shed fat I can't help but notice the small print underneath the newly skinny male or female. "A good diet and regular exercise recommended for results" Weird. That's the moral of the story: If you want good results, it is going to take some hard work. Anything worthwhile does not come easy. It will be difficult but if you want to be healthy and look good, it's the only answer.

Network: The Movie That Fortold the Future in 1976

2010-03-28T23:22:00.002-05:00

The 1976 movie "Network" scares me! Not just because of the strong acting that is scarce to find today but because of the satire that 34 years later has become true. "Network" is over the top, it presents a strong message but it hits the nail on the head of what news has become. It isn't even news anymore but entertainment. Ratings and viewers are more inportant than real, wholesome journalism. It is easy to point fingers at characters from the movie (Faye Dunaway's Diana Christiensen and Robert Duval's Frank Hackett, just to name a few) that portray the corporate-like news executives that push the station into it's transformation. Just like it is easy to say that Nancy Grace and Glenn Beck fuel the fire of dramatic and theatrical news analysis today. "Network" shows how the inner workings of the problem of news as entertainment is but they very subtly mention the root of the problem. It is us! The viewers don't want to see good, wholsome journalism! Good, wholesome journalism doesn't get watched, read or even talked about. Good, wholesome journalists don't get the air time! Whoever has the craziest, scariest, most dangerous story, and whoever can present those stories as not an intellectual person but a magician or showman are the journalists. In fact, they aren't even called journalist anymore they are called news analysts. They aren't presenting a "journal" of fact based news anymore, they are analizing all the things that are shitty and scary in this world and appealing to the masses. But if I hear another person say "O my God, the news is so negative. I can barely watch it anymore!" I am going to slap them. The News station with all the good stuff doesn't exist and it won't if somebody else is "reporting" on the negative/scary yet entertaining stuff that goes on in the world. Don't blame the news station, blame the people that continue to tune in to them. I don't hate today's news stations, I hate the people that love them, or at least watch them!

Bracket Bust

2010-03-21T22:06:00.002-05:00

I will never fill out a march madness bracket ever again! Many argue it makes it fun and interesting, several would probably say it is their favorite part about the NCAA basketball championships, but not for me. This year the bracket I filled out was in no way shape or form correct and I felt like an idiot. The best part about the tournament is the upsets and amazing games. I didn't enjoy them because I didn't call them. I was so bitter that might bracket was wrong I didn't enjoy the moments. Next year I am not filling out a bracket. I will sit and enjoy the games and not dwell on the extra crap. This year has been one of the most amazing years and the games have been brilliant. There are a lot of smaller, unappreciated schools playing some great basketball and I haven't been able to enjoy that, but never again. Next year I will print off a blank bracket, study the teams and appreciate the upsets, the talents and the battles to the finish. That is just me but after how this years bracket has gone I will give the many of you who won't agree and love the bracket challenge, win, lose or draw, some advice that your best odds next year are to blow up a huge bracket and throw darts at it to determine winners because those rankings and stats mean nothing. Thats what I love about it, it is honestly and truly unpredictable. The March Madness bracket is the best evidence I picked the career that is right for me. Working in sports I will not get bored ever. Anyone can win, any given day. They play the games no matter what the spread. That kind of unpredictabiliy is refreshing especially when most things good lead down the road of, "I coulda called that!" Until games are fixed which should be never, we really will never know the outcomes. Unless you are Biff and McFly and go back in time and get the 1950-2000 sports almanac of course. (Back to the Future II reference for the idiots, I love BTTF by the way)

Home Again......Now That I'm Grown

2010-03-21T21:52:00.002-05:00

Things are really different now when I return home. I am 21 now and my parents live 10 hours away so I rarely get home. Things haven't changed a heck of a lot until now. When I returned for this spring break things were quite different. The house I've known wasn't there. Having my family their was enough for me but a house that was meant for 5 was now built mainly for 2. I don't blame my empty-nester parents but it was just a harsh reality. I had a fantastic week at home and it really made me remember that their really is no place like home. It is strange as a young adult to share mature conversation, share a few drinks, talk about the near future, insurance, money, and jobs with your parents. It is a real eye opener and a great way to acknowledge that I am on my own now and I am staring my future straight in the eyes. It is exciting and scary at the same time just like they say it is. When I was younger I laughed when my mom cried every time us kids leave but I definitely understand now. Time flies. My parents see us kids growing so fast and it is as new to them as it is to us. Just as exciting and just as scary. That leads me to believe I am in for a train ride that will go fast and last for a very long time. As much as we want the train to stop or slow down, it is a lot more important to just enjoy the ride and don't trade the memories for anything.

Casinos and Gambling

2010-03-21T21:22:00.002-05:00

I had the delicious opportunity to do some gambling no in Vegas but the Indian reservation casinos of Oklahoma. I learned a few things: 1.) Old People like to gamble 2.) Casinos, big and small, make a ton of money 3.) Gambling is bad

I have mild experience in non-Vegas casinos but I am definitely no regular. That is a lot more than can be said about many of my co-customers in the Riverwind Casino just outside of Norman, Oklahoma. In this particular casino you it is 18 or older to gamble so I brought a 19 year old comrade with me to teach him a lesson on how gambling is bad. We step into the castle-like building and immediately hear the sounds of dinging and beeping and see the several flashing lights. It is enough to make you dizzy. They are smoke free so it has a large cloud of smoke near the ceiling and everyone their seems like they are on Medicare and arrived on a large bus. They fact of the matter is most of them did. I did the dumbest thing possible and pumped dollars into a slot machine and blew 10 bucks quick. I then tried the blackjack tables and got up about $100 only to have a new dealer come over and take everything from me. After talking to a dealer that has seen it all he told me some rules that everyone should follow.

He said:

1.) Never even walk into a casino without at least $200

2.) Never play slots, Stick to card games, roulette and craps

3.) Set a number to hit where you walk away with those winnings, no if's, and's or but's.

4.) Most importantly, don't gamble. I work for the place and I am supposed to say those first 3, Don't GAMBLE.

If the dealer from there, off the record, tells me not to gamble, I really shouldn't gamble. It's just so much fun. I have never left a casino without winning but I still get a little itch whenever I pass a casino. It is entertainment. It is a really profitable business and it always will be. As much as I think I am going to hit it big someday, I have to remember, the house always wins!

Legal Aspects of Gay Marriage-----Final Draft

2010-03-12T19:06:00.000-06:00

Gay marriage is never an issue I desire to talk about. I am a Christian and I believe in the bible but I have gay friends. It is a huge conflict of interest for me. No matter how I twist it I either abandon a piece of my beliefs or I place unnecessary judgment and legal risk on my gay friends. So for obvious reasons I choose not to address the moral issue of gay marriage. However, moral issue aside there is another side of it, the legal side. A very good friend of my families, who is a gay female, recently used artificial insemination to conceive a child with her partner. They had a beautiful, healthy little girl. The challenge of the situation is they live in Texas, where gay marriage is not recognized legally. My friend works for the government and has great insurance but cannot share this with her partner. After they had their daughter, she adopted her and now has proper insurance and healthcare coverage for her. The problem is her partner cannot be covered and is left without the same legal protection as the rest of her family. As I interpret the legal aspect of gay marriage I do it understanding the legal rights guaranteed to all Americans. I also acknowledge that there is a separation of church and state which invalidates any Christian beliefs I might have and sets those aside for the current argument. God forgive me but this isn’t about me. The only justification against gay marriage I can find is a moral one based on my Christian beliefs but that type of bias should have no bearing on state issues. Legislators need to understand gay citizens deserve the same rights as straight citizens. In the situation of my friend, the fact that they have to provide 2 forms of insurance to cover their family and that the birthmother of the child cannot be on the same plan is wrong. It is an extra expense and a liability that shouldn’t be acceptable given gay citizens equal rights as taxpayers. My friend always pays her taxes; she works diligently for the government, and follows the rules as an upstanding citizen but still the government denies her of equal opportunities. My father who works in a conservative Texas City government said it best, “I don’t care if gay people get married! How does that affect me?” He being a conservative politician and Christian man gave a surprising answer I didn’t expect. It made me think that there isn’t any legitimate reason keeping gay marriage from being a reasonable option. I think it is honestly the religious naysayers that are keeping it from happening. I do know that there is an obvious bias in our lawmaker’s heads that is keeping them from legalizing gay marriage but I think the right thing to do would be to put their beliefs aside just like I did and represent all citizens fairly, not just the straight ones. Like my dad said what would it hurt? If you have any attempt at justification I know it will be moral and most likely religion based. If gay marriage was legalized in the entirety of the United States I assure you it would have no moral effect on you and your family and it would cause no adverse effects on your ability to exercise your religious beliefs opposing gay relationships or not. Just like you are free to believe whatever you want and live the way you morally want, gay people should be free to get married.

My Blue is going to Suck......I think

2010-03-11T19:08:00.005-06:00

Almost all of my professors this week have reminded me of the upcoming advising appointment and registration for next semesters classes. They also mentioned that for next semester we will be using a new student "enterprise resource planning system" entitled MyBlue and it was imperative that I print off a degree audit that shows all the classes I have taken because it is likely they won't be able to access them. My advisor was obviously not excited for the change and it seemed quite worried it was going to be a frustration. I knew as a junior who is right at the turning point and going into my last year it would be very important to learn the MyBlue system and document everything I had on WebEasi. They got me worried and scared so I decided to do some homework.

MyBlue is UNK's specific system in a new campaign that the entire University System of Nebraska is undergoing. It will provide a lot easier link between campuses and make things easier to keep track of students and keep data, easily accessible. That is the type of answer you get from an administrator or in a press release which is exactly where I got it. So it was obviously a sugarcoated sales pitch, and at first I didn't buy it. Next I got on MyBlue and very easily created a new password and updated my information for the universities records. After that I just checked out the operating system and saw how things would work for adding and dropping classes. I did find record of my old classes, it wasn't quite as organized as webeasi's degree audit but it would definitely work. I was very surprised to see what I had found despite all the negativity I head from students and faculty alike. I do think it will be a little bit more frustrating this semester signing up for classes and I think it will obviously take some getting used to especially because it won't be fully operational until August. The freshman won't even notice because they never worked with webeasi and I think in the long run it will be a nice program and I hope make stuff easy using it's functionality. The future students will probably benefit so us current students should just ignore the horror stories, grumpy professors and deal with it for now. I don't hate MyBlue

Around the World in......Never

2010-03-11T19:05:00.002-06:00

Having the speaker in class the other day that had been to over 50 countries was a real inspiration to me. It has always been a dream of mine to see the world. I felt compelled to do a smaller version of what he did and save up and make a plan to just take off to somewhere anywhere for awhile. I am dead serious and I have made a promise to myself that despite any obstacles I will see 10 different countries that are not in North America before I die. I have a great life here so I will probably wait until the timing is right for me but someday it will definitely happen. I have a very support family and girlfriend so I decided to see how they would react to my plan to see some of the world. When I told them they didn't take me very seriously. It really upset me. They basically didn't like the idea of going anywhere because they like it here and they didn't want me to go because they didn't want me to be away from them, they were scared. I told them it was just something I had to do for me and it would be something they had to live with. I was serious and they couldn't change my mind. If I never leave this landlocked capitalism of fear and never see what else is out there I will not be able to rest in peace. I realize my life is really about to accelerate here pretty soon and it will be nearly impossible for me to go on my adventure but I will definitely find a way, I don't know when, how or any of that but I am think not too long after I graduate. I hope everyone back here understands but it is just something I have to do.

My Philosophy.............Class

2010-03-11T19:04:00.001-06:00

My philosophy class does its just and more. It makes me think. Not just think but deeply think about life and what it means. It has been a great experience for me and it has really opened my eyes. The biggest thing it has done is really make me look at who I am and what my role is in society. I really like who I am and I am happy but I did have a really hard day in class because I wanted to be honest with myself and others in the class and it made me feel like a villain. In our class we have a very diverse group of students and a lot of them are very smart and opinionated so we have great discussions. The question we were discussing was do we go to our classes to get A's or do we go to them strictly to learn and the grades are not important. I said that I want to learn as much as possible and situations are different but I like 99% of my peers are here to get A's. A majority of my class disagreed. They said they didn't care about grades as long as they learned something. I called their bullshit. In this society we have to jump through a lot of hoops and I see students do it everyday. We learn things when we can but honestly some prerequisite courses are taught by idiots that don't teach. Students may say that they are strictly here to learn but that isn't true at all. We as humans always want to do well even if that means doing everything professor idiot says to get an A. We get the A we get out and move in to the Philosophy class and our major classes that we really learn something and we use that. We do get to learn a lot and if you learn you will get an A but don't bullshit me and say you aren't going to jump through the hoops. This is America people. I hate the blind people, be honest with yourself.

Shutter Island and my bad dream

2010-03-07T20:27:00.004-06:00

I'm not sure if it was because I went to the late show and ate a bucket of highly buttered popcorn right before I went to sleep or if it was Martin Scorsese's psychological roller coaster that was Shutter Island that led to the most intense nightmare I have every had. The feelings I experienced throughout the cinematic adventure were hard to explain. At first I was deep in thought, then I started to like the film, then I started to bisect it even further. By the end of the movie I had created a reality that I was psycho. Mr. Scorsese by way of Leonardo Dicaprio convinced me, the guy that paid $8 to see his movie, that I, quite possibly could be a psycho, but I just don't know it yet. I then left the theater about a quarter past midnight to a dark parking lot and couldn't help but feel uneasy. I felt fine about the movie, I enjoyed the twist ending and I thought the parallel realities of the film reminded me of "A Beautiful Mind" which is another highly acclaimed psychological thriller. The difference is, Shutter Island was so real, it tickled the right spot of my brain that made me question my snap factor. I immediately disregarded the idea of me being a psycho and went home and went to bed. I tossed and turned all night in the worst nightmare I have ever had. I was a child again, in a family that wasn't my own and I fell victim to a violent alcoholic parent that chopped up my siblings and then came after me. The whole dream was very clear, violent and uncensored. I had never had a dream like this before. I don't think I am actually psycho, I don't think it was the popcorn but I do think MS came up with a movie that really stirs some emotions and makes you a temporary psycho.

John Hughes Tribute

2010-03-07T20:22:00.001-06:00

The Oscars tribute to John Hughes was amazing. Starting off with Mathew Broderick and Molly Ringwald to announce the award was perfect. Then after showing a montage of all of the amazing movies he created they brought a few of the other young stars he worked with and had then do a brief thank you and say some nice things about him and what it was like to work with him. They talked about how though they were young people at the time they worked together, he treated them like adults and like professionals. He was a true inspiration as a person that capture youth and used his own personal feelings that he remembered from when he was a kid. He treated his young casts the way he wanted to be treated and as many of the teen angst filled characters his movies portrayed. Every movie this guy has made I have loved. He has created movies we can all identify with. He owns the decade of the 80's and 90's because he defined them with his films. When you think of those years you think of his movies. Just watching the video they played of all of his work and interviews with him, you can tell John Hughes is an amazing person. It pleases me that during the middle of the biggest most glamorous and upidy night of the year, they can pay tribute to a very down to earth and real person that even George Clooney and James Cameron have to bow down too. Thank you John Hughes, Thank You!

82nd Annual Oscars

2010-03-07T20:21:00.002-06:00

The Oscars this year was fantastic. Being that this was a breakthrough year for cinema, it was important that the 82nd Annual Oscars had to be a breakthrough as well. There was an opening music number to announce the co-hosts from none other than Neil Patrick Harris. The Co-hosting of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin really worked. Their humor and the humor of the entire evening was really nice. They poked fun at everybody. Ben Stiller introduced the best make-up award dressed as an avatar which due to its computer animation was not even a nominee. Our favorite characters from the teen angst filled 80's and 90's movies were in attendance to pay tribute to John Hughes. Many new ideas were present one of my favorites being having friends and coworkers of the best actor and actresses nominees sing their praises before the announcing of the awards. I liked this as it showed the importance of being a nominee. We heard a lot of really nice things from amazing people about amazing people. Having the last years winners of these awards doing the announcing of the opposite sex honors was a nice touch but I had no idea what sean penn was talking about until he read off Sandra Bullocks name who was very deserving. I didn't expect her to win but I am very pleased that she won. She gave a humble and heart warming acceptance speech that further showed she was deserving. On the other side you have to love Jeff Bridges. He is the coolest hippy I have ever heard of. I need to see his new movie. The Big Lebowski still stands out to me as his best work. The first female director was interesting to me. Personally I hated The Hurt Locker but I know the academy loves firsts. It's amazing after all these years that a female won this great award. Very ironic it was James Cameron's wife during the Avatar year. This further shows that the academy might have chosen her for the gender first of it. Their were a lot of amazing directors with her so she should feel quite lucky. Pretty epic year being that the last time 10 motion pictures were nominated for best picture the winner was Casablanca in 1943. I think that the fact that Hurt Locker won is bull shit. I did not like this film. The academy must have really looked into the art of this independent piece of un-entertaining crap, because I don't find it very deserving. The fact that Hurt Locker won best picture and best director ruins the entire Oscars for me. Love or Hate Avatar and James Cameron because of the money spent on it, it is untouchable. But I now know that the academy is looking for independent and underrated artsy numbers and despise the money spenders and technological advancement of cinematography. They are scared of the future and are safe with the harsh reality of now. I hate the academy.

Verizon, AT&T and the Stupid Maps

2010-02-28T23:53:00.002-06:00

Luke Wilson is a Tool and those map commercials suck. Don't get me wrong he is still the godfather from Old School and I can't take that away from him but he has been ruined for me with the commercial after commercial for AT&T. Both Verizon and AT&T have benefits and struggles. Honestly I think the biggest difference for people is coverage area. That is why we see so many maps in there commercials. Verizon has a much better coverage area, hence the better map. Anyone that doesn't live in a highly populated area should be with verizon. No Commercial should sway that fact. However for those in the highly populated areas: you have a choice because both companies cover the major populated areas. Many say that AT&T has better phones and the fastest 3G network, or at least thats what Mr. Wilson says. If that is true, AT&T should sweet the metropolis. Recent news speculates that after AT&T''s contract is about up with the Apple IPHONE and that could really mix things up. I think it would be a HUGE hit for AT&T to lose the Iphone but I don't think it would be completely dead without it. AT&T will continue to be the big city phone company and Verizon will rock the rest of their red map. It will be interesting to see all of the rural folks rocking iphones won't it?

UNK'S Budget Availability............or Lack There of

2010-02-28T22:35:00.002-06:00

The information I have is public knowledge. Anyone, especially those who pay tuition dollars to UNK should be able to look up its total fiscal budget easily and as often as they please . However, now that I have this information, after the task it was to obtain, I feel if I tell anyone, I will be an informant and a spy. The first place I chose to look was an obvious one: the internet. I thought it would be a simple google search with a little bit of navigation. Couldn't find what I needed. I wasn't asking for much, just the total number of spending in the form of a budget. One. Basic. Number. Couldn't find that on the internet. The next place I was going to look was in the Universities own library, where I was assured there would be a copy of the entire UNK budget breakdown. I asked both the circulation and the reference desk and they both helped, very willingly, to locate the Budget. It was no where to have been found. So they even helped me call the business office and see if they had one. The reference assistant in the library talked to someone in the business office and argued with them on the phone for a long time. He was getting extremely upset because he thought it shouldn't be this hard to get it. They asked him to look in the library for the one copy of the budget we couldn't find. Him, being a reference librarian wasn't very happy. To make a long story short, he instructed me to call the business office and after a nice game of phone tag I finally got a hold of the UNK Director of Budget and she was very helpful. She gave me a link that led right to the budgets for all of the University of Nebraska Campuses. I don't think the administration is trying to hide this information but I do think it should be easier to access. Maybe no one asks for it often enough for it to be a priority. With the possibility of growing budget cuts and the fundraiser Campaign for Nebraska bring funding for all of the University of Nebraska campuses, students should be aware of where their money is going. Maybe if more students asked for a copy of the budget, they would be easier to get.

Hey! Don’t Forget About Us: University of Nebraska Foundation Funding for Kearney-Final Draft

2010-02-26T16:55:00.003-06:00

It’s hard to be the little brother. Watching our older, bigger siblings reap all of the benefits that we believe should be shared. All day, every day we try our very best to get better and do the best with what we have, wondering when our time will come and we will rightfully get what we have waited and worked so hard for.

When it comes to the University of Nebraska system, the Kearney campus is being treated like little brother. The University of Nebraska Foundation, that supports all 4 of the Nebraska universities, is currently undergoing a fundraiser that is projecting to raise $1.2 billion. The University of Nebraska Kearney is allocated to receive $50 million. That may be a lot to you and me, but when it comes to supporting an entire university 4.2% of the entire foundation allocation shouldn’t sit right with us as administrators, students, faculty, staff and alumni.

We sit in the heart of this great state and cater to each border, representing citizens from every Nebraskan county, 47 states and 44 countries. This year a UNK Professor got U.S. Professor of the Year from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. We maintain an average class size of 24 students and 73% of our professors have a terminal degree and 98% of our classes are taught by those professors. We also have the highest placement percentage of undergraduate students into medical school in the University System. Our enrollment has maintained steady growth and our retention rate is higher than it has been in years.

Despite UNK’s ability to hold its own as a university in this state, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the substantial and expensive plans that our sister schools envision with their much larger portions of money:

“…The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for instance, could soon be home to a Center for Life Science Innovation and a Global Water Institute…” and “…The University of Nebraska Medical Center has plans for a "cancer campus" where researchers would focus on breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer, and an eye institute for studies on conditions like glaucoma and blindness…” but finally “…The University of Nebraska at Omaha hopes to redevelop and expand its College of Education and add a center for community engagement.”

I can’t imagine that there would be much left over for “little bro” after such improvements. These projects just don’t match up as the “…leaders at the University of Nebraska at Kearney are planning increased support for first-generation students and professorships to recruit and retain top faculty…” We are happy to “support”,” recruit” and “retain”, but we should be able to do that and “redevelop” “expand” and “build” like our kinfolk out east.

Maybe there is a formula that justifies such lopsided funding but whatever it is I would love to hear it. UNK has been a very quiet, patient and understanding family member, that’s why I feel we are being taken advantage of. I want to know what qualifies the other 3 schools to be able to split 95.8% of the foundations finances because I think UNK deserves more. If not now, when? Without the proper funding it will make it very difficult to continue growth. It’s time to roll up the sleeves and demand a higher allowance. If we don’t want to stay the” little brother” anymore it’s time we started getting a better seat at the dinner table.

An Extra Year of College, That's NOT My Fault

2010-02-21T23:41:00.005-06:00

Last week I heard two situations from two different students that extended their college careers and there was really nothing they could do about it. In both situations their was opportunities to help them out but they were on the receiving end of "tough luck". The first situation was a transfer student that had completely all of the general studies and prerequisites to graduate with a sports administration major. Throughout the course material students create a facilities drawing, a budget, a research paper just to name a few and had to have them all compiled into a portfolio so their internship so they can graduate. This transfer student hadn't know that their portfolio had to have all of those things and when their computer contracted a virus lost everything. When it came to understanding and help for the student and/or an alternative possibility to make the work up it was a your screwed type of situation. The student was forced to completely change majors to a choice that didn't need the aforementioned portfolio, extending their college career by a year. I could understand if the student wasn't a transfer student and didn't have a complete computer failure. Even if it entitled a little more work from the student something should have been done that wouldn't have changed their entire life and cost them a lot of money. This is a lesson to us all to keep everything, twice.

The second example was a pair of nursing students that were due to complete their pre-nursing majors in two and a half years, like many before them had done, and then they would apply for the UNMC nursing program that is offered right here on UNK's campus. However with one semester left of undergraduate work and 2 weeks after the application for this semesters nursing program they received a email that stated their was no longer an option for students to enter the nursing program in the spring semester. So even though after this semester they will have the required prerequisites to enter the nursing program they will have a semester of nothing until they can apply. Inconvenience? O yes! I think for this last group of nursing students who planned on joining for the spring semester next year and the notice was very late they should make one final exception but the administration does not agree. They rule is effective immediately and will require the nursing students to take a semester off or take at least 4 completely arbitrary classes and pay for them.

My least favorite philosophy is no exceptions because someone always gets totally screwed. Called me situational or call me biased but I think some things have justifiable need for some sympathy, with good evidence.

University of Nebraska Funding

2010-02-21T23:39:00.004-06:00

Their are 4 schools as a part of the University of Nebraska: UNL, UNO, UNMC and UNK. The University of Nebraska Foundation has a plan to raise $1.2 Billion for the University of Nebraska system by 2014. That is a great idea and will really be beneficial to the campuses receiving funds. My issue is the imbalance of funding. Of the $1.2 billion the University of Nebraska at Kearney would be receiving $50 million. Never mind who is raising these funds but why such a small chunk for the centralized school that services a public higher education for a large amount of the communities. Though the campus is smaller and the enrollment is not as large, I think that 4.2% of the entire funding is just plain disrespectful. I understand that their are a lot of extensive needs at UNO, UNL, and UNMC that require a lot of funding but UNK is very deserving of more than 1/24th of the entire pot. They have proved themselves in the few years that they have been a part of the University system they they can do a lot of big things with very little. I feel like due to these amazing efforts they are being taken advantage of. The possibilities of what UNK could become and the improvements that could be made with more money are unbelievable. UNK has the highest placement of undergraduate students into medical school of the schools in the university system. This year a UNK Professor got U.S. Professor of the Year from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. We maintain an average class size of 24 students and 73% of our professors have a terminal degree and 98% of our classes are taught by those professors. It is far time that UNK gets the respect that it deserves and in this case, for UNK to stay on top the UN foundation needs to "show us the money." If they want to continue to see good results and further growth it is going to take some dollars to enhance this college. If the other 3 schools in the system are going to receive 95.8% of the funding that is going to be an unfair advantage for them. Its like saying, "Good Job UNK! Now work harder with less to work with!" Knowing what UNK is capable of I acknowledge that even if this number stays the same and UNK doesn't receive the money it deserves UNK will still produce but I also see what UNK could be and further dollars could create a really great University right here in the heart of Nebraska. Sometimes I think people forget their is more to Nebraska than Omaha and Lincoln. I can assure you there are a lot of us out west here and its about time people really see what we are capable of.

In-vitro Stem Cell Research on UNK Campus

2010-02-21T23:37:00.001-06:00

Arriving at a regular UNK Student Senate meeting I looked at the agenda expecting to see the usual resolutions in support of an organization on campus or a successful sports team we want to show support for but a few weeks ago it was different. We were proposed a resolution that would show our support for a bill to permit in-vitro stem cell research(research involving fetus' that are to be disposed of). The board of regents had it planned for their upcoming agenda and needed our support as students. Their is of course a moral issue but we as 20 somethings had to decide if the benefits of the possibility of breakthrough research outweighed the moral issues some might have. When it comes down to it there was a lot of pressure for us to pass this resolution but in the end we had to decide what was best for our campus and what our students would want. We passed the resolution with full support. The biggest thinq we discussed was the terms of the in-vitro process. It meant that the fetus' we would use for research would be fetus' that would just be waist if we didn't use them. We thought this would be better than not having them go to a possible greater good. I am interested to see how this will affect our campus and if any negative publicity or public actions will occur.

Olympic LUGE Death

2010-02-14T16:34:00.007-06:00

What a sad and tragic event that happened with the death of Georgian Ice Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice run the day before the opening ceremony. While it has left a chilling and shocking effect on the 2010 Winter Olympics as a whole, it has had a mixed and severe effect on the sport of Ice Luging. While of course the lugers as a whole are saddened and upset to hear of the death of a friend and fellow athlete, some believe that the event isn't the same in other ways. The course that was designed to be the fastest in the world has undergone adjustments for safety and to decrease total speed. A wall was erected at the final turn where the accident occurred and the ice was chipped away to keep the lugers from going to high on the wall. The course was shorted by 4 turns as the lugers are now starting from the womens starting point. The speed is an obvious change as the lugers are now tracked at an average under 90 mph when originally the track was running around 95 mph. After such an event as the tragic loss of an athlete these seem like very reasonable changes. The remaining competitors have mixed emotions about the changes. "It's slow," said Austria's Manuel Pfister, who was clocked at almost 96 mph on Thursday. "It's completely different. Yesterday, I was able to slide with the medal ranks, today it's another race. It's difficult for me. Maybe it's now too easy." It is a very hard situation. No one wants to be insensitive and disrespectful but many of the athletes have put a lot of time into learning the other track and this kind of erases all that. I understand because they were all expecting the fastest course and now they have something completely different and many say easier. The first luger to slide down the hill after the accident, when the 1st round took place was American Tony Benshoof who very diplomatically stated "The changes that they made were positive," he said. "I didn't notice them going down the track itself. Of course, now, with a lowered start, it's significantly slower, significantly easier and significantly safer. Personally, I'd rather go from up top because that's kind of my personality and my driving style.

"But I think generally speaking, it was a good decision."

Eight Miles from the Allstars

2010-02-14T16:26:00.007-06:00

This years NBA All-star game was HUGE! It was in a huge venue and had a huge record breaking crowd. The newest and most state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas housed 108,000 fans for what was the most people to ever view a basketball game. If it weren't for the largest HD television in the world, which Cowboys Stadium happens to have, many of the viewers would have had trouble seeing the game. It's nice that people will pay the insane ticket prices to watch a basketball game on a huge TV, that doesn't even matter. The All-Star Game is a joke as it is but it is fantastic they took it to the next level in Jerry Jones' commercialism palace. It was a great opportunity for the celebrities to all get together and watch some of the most highly paid athletes in the world play a defenseless 141-139 offensive free-for-all. If that wasn't enough, Shakira was one of the main headliners and was dressed in a large furry bear or wolf like outfit. The tough part is though it was a highly commercialized flaunt of riches and yuppyhood if you would of offered me tickets, I would have gone. Is it because I myself am a yuppy fool? Is it because I buy in to the commercial propaganda? Is it because I am bored and this is something very new and different? It is hard to say but I'm not the only one. This game set the record for the highest attendance to a basketball game ever and doubled the record for an All-Star Game. I hate to say it but this new state-of-the-art venue could be the future of live sporting events as we know it. Now that this stadium is one of the biggest venues, has the biggest jumbotron screen, and has really pushed the envelope with suite and club seating square footage, everyone is going to want to move in that direction. Next years Super Bowl will be in the new Stadium along with next years Final Four for NCAA basketball, along with random college, high school games and concerts. And o ya, the Dallas Cowboys there. With all the success and opportunities this palace has had, its not too long to other venues will being following suit. Just you wait.

Saints Superbowl Win Prevents Katrina Part II

2010-02-13T13:52:00.001-06:00

If you don’t believe an inch can change everything I’m going to have Peyton Manning come punch you in the face because he, as arguably one of the best quarterbacks of all time stood on the sidelines and watched an inch change everything. A gutsy call? Yes. Lucky? Maybe. Fate? Drew Brees thinks so. The onside kick at halftime of Super Bowl XLIV will go down in history as one of the most pivotal and momentum shifting events of all time. It was the first stone thrown by David that eventually took down Galiath. What would have happened if that ball would have ended up in a blue jerseys hands? When I look back and rewind time it makes me think that the on-side kick recovery that happened out of the gate of halftime may have prevented severe heartbreak in Louisiana and throughout the bandwagon network. The tears that would have produced from Saints fans and the gutsy head coach that called such a play could have caused high water similar to Katrina and evacuations would have been scheduled. Drew Brees wouldn't have been named MVP and had such a beautiful moment with his one year old son, comments would be more on a good effort from the Saints and discussions of Manning as a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Saints Head Coach Sean Payton wouldn’t be looked at as a gutsy genius but an ignorant fool like a child with firecrackers. It would have changed everything.

What an amazing inspiration the Super Bowl XLIV Champion New Orleans Saints have been. Beating a team and quarterback that many thought they couldn't and under an intense amount of pressure. It was like another day at the office for Peyton Manning, who has been a football nerd since anyone cares to remember. The Saints, however, had no rings until this year because this was actually their first Super Bowl appearance. Just like with any other Super Bowl many jumped on the bandwagon especially to cheer against the aforementioned "golden boy" but the main pressure came from Louisiana or anyone that knows someone who went to book club with someone who has a cousin that lived in Louisiana two years before Katrina hit. So needless to say the claimed fan base was quite large and put a lot on the player’s shoulders.

Whether it was luck or destiny I think justice was served and the ball bounced where it was supposed to. It is scary to think that that kick was inches from landing in the hands of Manning who we are already tired of anyways and he will probably be back next year. Good for Drew Brees, good for Sean Payton, and good for New Orleans and the victims of Hurricane Katrina as this is evidence that something as simple as sports can change the world. In this case sports provided happiness, reason to celebrate, hope and an ironic symbolism that even when all is lost and no one really believes in you, as long as you believe in you, that is all that really matters.

Funeral Protest Legislation: Protection for the Deceased and their Families or an Unconstitutional Restriction FINAL Draft (Cut Version)

2010-02-12T15:17:00.008-06:00

Don’t be so quick to say that we can’t learn from idiots. Nebraska, along with 40 other states did this very thing. This enlightenment came from a group known as the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. They aren’t what you think. They’re actually what most would identify as a hate group that opposes the protection and acceptance of gay people and freedom of religion in America, just to name a few, and they are very vocal about it. Their website says they have performed “41,226 peaceful demonstrations to this date”. These demonstrations have included school and church visits where they have exhibited signs reading “God Hates You!” “God Hates Fags!” and “Thank God for 9/11 and the War in Iraq”. The WBC actually views soldier’s deaths as vengeance from god for America “harboring gays”. Besides churches and schools their favorite forum for protest is funerals, especially American soldier’s funerals. The “peaceful demonstrations” they speak of, have created many lawsuits concerning the 1^st amendment, constitutionality of funeral protest restrictions, and invasion of privacy on the rights of the families of the deceased. As a result of these WBC protests, Nebraska Legislative bodies have had to decide: should we protect these funerals or is that a violation of the 1^st amendment?

Nebraska, being next door neighbors to the WBC in Topeka, Kansas has been and continues to be a frequent forum for protest concerning many offensive issues. Forty-one states, including Nebraska have passed laws that restrict protestors from funerals and their processions regarding time and distance from the ceremonies. Nebraska Legislative Bill 287 states that protests “within 300 feet of a cemetery, funeral home, church or other place of worship” is unlawful protest between one hour prior to the start of a funeral or memorial service until two hours after it has started.

These restrictions have had astounding support. A few however maintain that these types of laws are too restricting of the 1^stamendment and are unconstitutional. “The rationale behind these laws is to stop an offensive type of expression (most people would agree this is offensive),” says Robert D. Richards, director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment, “but that’s the very type of expression the First Amendment continues to protect.” When weighing the aspects of these types of legislation, many of us agree that protecting the families and loved ones of these fallen soldiers and regular citizens while maintaining the 1^st amendment is critical. “Certainly the Commonwealth has an interest in showing respect and compassion for the deceased and for their families, but we cannot allow lawmakers to trample upon the First Amendment in the process,” said ACLU of Kentucky staff attorney Lili Lutgens in a news release.

LB 287 is a good bill that enacts fair restrictions that protect the rights of funeral parties and “recognizes that individuals have a constitutional right to free speech”. The WBC has every right according to the U.S. Constitution to protest in Nebraska, but the families and loved ones also have the right to bury the deceased privately and without further emotional distress from protest. In LB 287 both rights were protected.

State Funeral Protest Legislation: Protection for the Deceased and their Families or an Unconstitutional Restriction Rough Draft

2010-02-10T23:42:00.011-06:00

Don’t be so quick to say that we don’t learn from our mistakes. Nebraska along with 40 other states did this very thing. This good came from a very unexpected situation. Many states in this country have seen this issue first hand and some have seen it from the sidelines and knew immediately it had to be addressed. The answers came from a question asked by a group known as the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. They aren’t what you think. They are actually a hate group that believes what America is doing, is wrong. They argue that the same freedoms and liberties that keep them alive are causing god to hate America. They oppose gay people and freedom of religion (they think theirs is the only right one), just to name a few, and they are very vocal about it. Their website says they have performed “41,226 peaceful demonstrations to this date”. Many of these demonstrations have included school and church visits but their favorite forum for protest is funerals, especially American soldiers. The “peaceful demonstrations” they speak of, have created many lawsuits concerning the 1^st amendment, constitutionality of funeral protest restrictions, and many others. Legislative bodies have had to decide: should we protect these funerals or is that a violation of the 1^st amendment?

Forty-one states including Nebraska have passed laws that restrict protestors from funerals and their processions regarding time and distance from the ceremonies. Each state and some communities, with the support of the federal government (see Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act), have formulated their own laws each a little bit different. Each presents a range in time frame of a few hours before and after funerals, and a distance of 100 to 500 feet that demonstrations cannot take place. The passing of these laws have brought mixed emotions but a vast majority has shown astounding support. A few however maintain that these type of laws are too restricting of the 1^stamendment and are unconstitutional. “The rationale behind these laws is to stop an offensive type of expression (most people would agree this is offensive),” says Robert D. Richards, director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment, “but that’s the very type of expression the First Amendment continues to protect.” When weighing the aspects of these types of legislation, many of us agree that protecting the families and loved ones of these fallen soldiers and regular citizens while maintaining the 1^st amendment is critical. “Certainly the Commonwealth has an interest in showing respect and compassion for the deceased and for their families, but we cannot allow lawmakers to trample upon the First Amendment in the process,” said ACLU of Kentucky staff attorney Lili Lutgens in a news release.

Legislators understand the importance of addressing this issue and maintaining the 1^st amendment right. Oklahoma Republican state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft said it best in an October 2005 news release: “I am not regulating content of speech. Citizens are afforded various places at numerous times to picket, protest and fully exercise their First Amendment rights — precious rights that I have defended as a combat veteran, but a funeral is not such a place or time. Grieving families have rights, too.” By creating the proper restrictions on funeral protests but not prohibiting the actual protests, we humor both of these positions. Many of the legislation passed has basically moved the forum for demonstrations to where citizens can exhibit their freedom of speech but at the same time separate the demonstrations from the families and loved ones of the deceased.

Nebraska, being next door neighbors to the WBC in Topeka, Kansas has been and continues to be a frequent forum for protest concerning many very mature issues. If you haven’t experienced the exercises of the WBC, you can simply find them on youtube or just by searching them, in fact they are kind of hard to avoid. They do, for the most part, obey the laws and attempt to assemble peaceably, although they can be profane and aggressive verbally. The restriction laws for funerals appear as a godsend to those receiving the protection of the legislation and seem to be a constitutional way to protect those in need and leave freedom of speech unhindered in a content neutral fashion. The next forum that needs to be restricted is educational facilities. These protests affect the ability for students to learn. You think that sounds like too much now but after doing a little research on the Westboro Baptist Church you might find it even reasonable to continue restricting demonstrations until the only forum for demonstration is a forest somewhere in Wyoming.

Highway Speeds in Nebraska

2010-02-08T15:25:00.006-06:00

Posted at the state line of Nebraska one can read the large sign that says "Nebraska: "...the good life..." Great sign. Soon after that you will see the two lane highway speed limit that drops down to 55 mph and I tend to ask myself, "Is this really the good life?" Sammy Hagar would say no sir! Just to make matters worse I constantly am greeted by friendly little Nebraskan towns that force me to reduce my speed even further. As a frequent traveler heading south, I am forced to use Nebraska highways to get there as so many others do. As if Nebraska isn't a boring enough drive, try watching the flat terrain in slow motion. Many travelers take the Interstate 80 to York and head south on the Nebraska Highway 81 and it is a hindrance to get off of the 75 mph interstate and drop it down 20 mph for almost 2 hours until you get to Kansas. If you can make people want to be in Kansas you know you are doing something wrong, not to mention people are ok paying the $1.90 toll as long as Kansas lets them go 70 mph. The fact remains that though many people still reluctantly use Nebraska's southbound highway via the interstate, there would be a lot more travelers on the interstate and highway if we increased the speed limit and kept up with the rest of the southbound trail. It would increase business along the aforementioned routes for people wanting to travel north or south, help Nebraskans travel easier/ faster and instill the idea that this is indeed the good life.

Traveling through is a big issue but also within Nebraska, citizens have become too reliant on the interstate because it is the only reasonable means for getting around efficiently. The Nebraska State Patrol is doing a lot of studies to determine if the speed limits on 2 lane highways can be increased to 65 mph. I think this is very reasonable compared to our 75 mph interstate system and compared to many other highway state systems. Nebraskans will be able to travel from major cities easier and faster, especially in those geographical areas where the highways connect them. Besides all the benefits of spreading out travelers and increasing business, we are just due to increase the highway speed limits because we are behind the game and everyone is driving 65 at least anyways. I love Nebraska and the good life but I hate driving 55 mph once I get back to her.

Westboro Baptist Church

2010-02-08T15:06:00.004-06:00

I absolutely positively hate the Westboro Baptist Church (or so they call themselves) of Topeka, Kansas. This statement may shock you if you don't know anything about the bastards, but I assure you they are the worst. The bad news is they are back in Nebraska. Last remembered from 2007 where they protested a soldiers funeral and one of the leaders of the church was cited for allowing her very young son to step on an American Flag in protest of the war.

The Westboro Baptist Church has taken it upon themselves to exercise the first amendment on many issues. The problem is how they are going about it. Sporting signs in protest that read, "God Hates Fags" "God created aids to kill the gays" "You are going to hell" and worse. Claiming they are good Christians that want to spread love and save people from what is wrong. They are your average Christian elitists i guess but boy have they gone full speed into the forefront. I witnessed them live at a church that had ties to a known homosexual pastor. They really didn't like that. It is really hard to take these people. They have studied the rule book and have exercised every right they believe they have. It has turned into a moral right and wrong as they aren't technically breaking laws with their freedom of speech and the worst part is they don't think what they are doing is morally wrong and they are teaching their children the same.

Make sure to checkout their website godhatesfags.com (sounds like a church to me) and their youtube videos of their demonstrations (they have a lot of fans). You are sure to find several severe misinterpretations of the bible, a lot of hate, links to other hate filled sites and their upcoming picketing schedule. One of their next stops will be right here in good old Nebraska at Creighton Prep High School, Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Omaha. Nebraska isn't hurting anyone but that is usually the people that are doing a lot more good than bad. Such as soldiers and their families, churches, schools and many quiet street corners. I know they think they are just exercising their legal rights but in attacking good people with what they believe to be true Christianity filled with hate, they are asking for one day some one to exercise an ass wooping to the entire group. I'm not saying everyone should be Christian and I'm not saying I am a perfect one at that, but I know that no matter what your religion, the way these people are acting is not acceptable. So I take it back, I don't hate the Westboro Baptist Church, I hate what they are doing, and I pray they spare the good people of this country and focus on fighting the actual evils, just like the rest of us, because their is plenty to go around.

Omaha Bar Closing Time

2010-02-08T15:05:00.007-06:00

As a statewide law bars and restaurants that sell alcohol are to close at 1 a.m. Recently a bill was presented to the Nebraska Senate to make the bars in Douglas County, home of Nebraska's biggest city Omaha, able to stay open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The reason Sen. Kent Rogert said he presented this bill was as a result of the "revenue being lost to Iowa bars that are open later." Council Bluffs, Iowa just being over the Missouri River is not a long drive and could potentially take a lot of business. Already having later open hours and casinos with not only gambling but drinking and smoking, Iowa is a harsh competitor. Adding an extra hour on the weekends would definitely help get a little bit of that business back. It would be a less than liberal move for the conservative Nebraska that won't be opening casinos any time soon. As for the problems this could possibly provide, there may be a spike in DUI's and other issues for a little bit but I think after the law settles it will not create a problem that shows much of a difference from 1 a.m. closings. Many other cities similar in size and economic stature, some bigger and some smaller have their bars open until 2 a.m. and they don't seem to be having excessive issues. I think this, like the highway speed limits, are just due to be updated. Not only should Douglas County acclimate this but also Lancaster and eventually Buffalo County. I think Buffalo County would benefit the most from this idea. The amount of business that would be done here would be amazing between 1 and 2 a.m. Lets be honest this is a very boring area, there isn't much to do. The implementation of the alcohol sales on Sundays in Kearney have increased a lot of business, this would be a very similar idea that could have very positive numbers on revenue in the county. I love the idea of bars opened until 2 a.m. more socialization and less boredom.

Apple Has Changed the World.......

2010-01-26T00:08:00.008-06:00

Damn it am I excited to get my hands on one of these Ipad Tablets by Apple. It seems Steve Jobs has done it again. Perfect for this blog this is one of those brands and products you either hate it or love it. I started as not a hater but just someone that didn't care about Apple. It seemed sac-religious as a youth that learned how to use computers on the first Macintosh (remember the one that was two feet deep and weighed approx. 80 lbs. monitor alone). Slowly but surely I was brought over to the light by one simple thing: Getting my hands on Apple products and seeing what they could do, and how well they worked. I started off with the ipod nano, upgraded to a classic 32 GB and now I have worked with Apple Computers and I really think they are a cut above the rest. The most recent activity of their's that has caught my eye is how glued to the Iphone that my father has become. As he gave me his own rendition of a tutorial of all it can accomplish all I could think was. "Touche Steve, Touche." I guess you can say like many I have evolved in the same generation as Apple. It has come to the point that Apple has found a way to cater to the yuppy idiots and help the liberal rebels of yuppy bliss to like Apple so much they are bypassing the usual angst because they are that good. I never thought I would see the day that yuppy's and liberals alike sat at the same Starbucks' and enjoy their new Apple toys together. It's some powerful stuff. So powerful in fact there are alot of consumers out there of all types saving their money for this next journey that Apple is providing for us (which just happens to be cheaper than we thought). Many a Ipad will fly off the shelve to give the addicted a fix. Though I can wait for the next model which hopefully have the bugs all worked out, there will be a little piece if my brain that longs to at least hold an Ipad. Hopefully one of my friends gets one or I will be the creepy guy at best buy that won't put it down. I love Apple, and I don't even really know why.

American Ignorance to War

2010-01-25T22:50:00.005-06:00

When assigned to read the editorial written in 1939 by Ronald G. Callvert entitled "My Country 'Tis of Thee..." it really made me think about not only how lucky we are not to have war fought on our homeland but also how ignorant we are to what is really going on over there. I don't blame us for not being more knowledgeable because unless you frequent a military base you really aren't going to have much for knowledge about even the basics of military that can be found in America. I think it is a good problem to have that we don't have uniformed officers patrolling our streets and being a natural everyday part of our lives. Most of us only have movies like Saving Private Ryan and the most recent Hurt Locker to paint a picture for us. Not to knock on either for their accuracy but those are not exactly the best ways of understanding wartime. This war really is not a glamorized movement but a unanswered question. I understand the importance of not scaring citizens with unwanted news or graphic war material but I think we need to create awareness out of respect for our military and to teach our future generations ways to avoid war. It's time we start asking questions. I hate to argue that our politicians are pro-war but hell they aren't over there, they are as ignorant to this war as you and me. So in an attempt to defeat political pro-war propaganda, I don't think it would hurt to inform the facts. The who, what, when, where, why, how's. Whether we use veterans and soldiers to do it, or documentaries if we have to but I don't think it would be wrong to do something that supports this war why we are in it and also informs with the intent to reduce wartime in the future.

There was a lot more patriotism for World War II because of Pearl Harbor and, despite the lack of information due to less technology, we kind of knew what we were up against and what we were fighting for. Today, I think for a lot of us back here in the states we still don't know why we are still fighting this war with Iraq. We keep hearing "we can't pull out now or everything will be for nothing." Not wanting to be anti-patriots we nod our head and say ok! I think it's time we start asking why we can't pull out and get some facts. What is going on over there besides us just keeping the peace and how long is it going to require us to put our young mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters in harms way. I think we should ask now before I am sending my kids over there to serve 20 years from now and we find out this whole war was over the access to oil. That is why I want to ask someone that won't give me the politically written military answer, but the truth. So if it isn't oil or some other economic or political gain, it is about time we are given something to be patriotic about. Something we want to support and something we know won't be our unjustified, adopted problem forever. I love my country but I hate to think we are in this war for the wrong reasons.

UnALIENable Rights: A City doing America's Job

2010-01-24T23:39:00.028-06:00

Farmers Branch, Texas has taken on a big role in the last couple of years. This interior suburb of Dallas has used its city council to address an issue that does not usually find a mayor's desk. However, you may have heard this topic in the past few United States Presidential Elections known widely as IMMIGRATION. Illegal immigration to be exact. The city council passed and had a "second chance" revision ordinance that directly addressed the negative effects of illegal aliens in Farmers Branch. The original bill Ordinance 2903 was passed by the council but after being overturned by the district court a new ordinance was established with a few corrections.

City of Farmers Branch Ordinance 2952 simply states that its intention is not to "alter, supplant, disrupt, or interfere with federal immigration law" in any way shape or form. In fact it is doing the opposite, it is applying the federal laws that have as of late gotten little attention from Washington D.C. Title 8 of the United States Code acknowledges illegal aliens, that have “unlawfully gained presence in the U.S.” and makes them unable to gain advantages given by the state. Among these advantages, Ordinance 2952 highlights one of these options as licenses.

In order to apply and uphold Title 8 as it best fits Farmers Branch, the ordinance prohibits any landlords or property owners from renting property out to illegal aliens.

It basically would help cut down illegal aliens from making Farmers Branch their home. That makes sense to me. The Farmers Branch city council understood what this ordinance would mean for their community. They could see that upwards from 20% of the occupants in the Farmers Branch Jail were illegal aliens. Hospitals, schools, and the DMV were all becoming victim of identity fraud and/or were forced to provide service to illegal aliens that were unable to prove identification and/or present insurance. These issues affect tax dollars, healthcare affordability, driver’s license accessibility and the rights of the tax payers in Farmers Branch as a whole. I give kudos to the City Council for addressing this issue, before it gets worse and hopefully it helps get the federal government involved in this issue.

I understand that it is hard to see this issue from the District of Columbia which of course has a much smaller number of illegal aliens and illegal alien issues than the border state of Texas, but as someone who has been to Farmers Branch and seen the effects illegal aliens have had first hand, this writer encourages you to put yourself in the shoes of this community and ask yourself what you would do to fix this issue. The citizens of Farmers Branch understand and support this ordinance as it had full support after voting and got a majority vote to pass it from the community.

There are very few people this ordinance doesn’t affect but the most directly affected are illegal aliens and property owners. Originally when this ordinance was presented it focused directly on the regulation of property owners but with the help of the media and community members that opposed this ordinance its true colors of immigration came out. No matter what anyone says the goal of this ordinance was to decrease the number of illegal aliens that reside in Farmers Branch. By banning the legality of illegal aliens renting property and by making harsher regulations regarding tenants, the ordinance would make it a lot harder for illegal aliens to rent property. As a suburb of Dallas, Farmers Branch is surrounded on all sides by communities very similar in many ways. This ordinance would more likely send a lot of illegal aliens to those other suburbs in an effort to avoid having to form a fraudulent way to reside in Farmers Branch. Some might argue that would help the property markets around Farmers Branch and hurt it internally. The opposite is true as Farmers Branch is very nice growing community and has great property value. Not to mention there are a lot of people that would love to live in a community that supports its taxpayers and enforces the rules set in place against illegal aliens.

Aside from the immigration issue this ordinance creates it raises a big question about how we as legal American citizens are affected and approach illegal aliens. This ordinance directly views the landlords and property owners. They are taking advantage of not only illegal aliens and their willingness to pay but also creating a competitive bidding war that not many lower class citizens that pay taxes can compete with. The same issue arises with contractors that hire illegal aliens at extremely low wages. The diminishing wages may be good for a contractor and his business but it is detrimental to the lower class and our economy overall. Many of these lower class citizens that are negatively affected are legal immigrants, people that came in and agree to pay taxes and follow the rules before they can reap the benefits of this great country. Illegal aliens gain an unfair advantage over these people and challenge the benefits they deserve. That being said, this isn’t a racial issue it is a moral issue. It is an issue of citizens and non-citizens choosing to do the harder right, instead of the easier wrong. Farmers Branch is simple sticking up for its taxpaying citizens and protecting its lower class people from unfair property owners and wage garnishment.

Farmers Branch isn't the only one noticing the negative effects and trying to do something about it. A similar ordinance has come up in Hazelton, Pennsylvania and some states are starting to address it statewide (i.e. New Mexico, Colorado). Unfortunately all of the above can't accomplish anything because of all the lawsuits. It’s time for the federal government to step up and apply the federal immigration laws that are already in place. I would like to think that the rights and well being of the tax payers are more important than whatever benefits the federal government believes illegal aliens provide. (The social security being collected from the illegal workers using false identities and the extreme bending on wages that illegal aliens produce and help business owners)

One of the states that continue to be affected and hopes for governmental action is Colorado. Waldo Benavidez wrote on the “Defend Colorado Now” website that he understands the effects that the health care, education and law enforcement systems are having but he acknowledges that the biggest concern for him is how much harder it makes things for lower income Americans.

“The competition for low income housing is a primary example of how those that advocate for immigrants ignore the working families that cannot compete for the high rents landlords are demanding for their rental units. Whereas a family of four with one bread winner has a difficult time meeting the inflated rents being asked for housing, often substandard, plus the high cost of energy bills plus feed and clothe the family on seven, eight or nine dollars per hour. Immigrants can pay whatever is asked by landlords because they pack four and five, often times more working individuals into the unit and by pooling their resources easily manage rent,” wrote Benavidez.

Benavidez goes beyond the basic aforementioned problems and gives great detail in showing the growing problems that may not be as obvious but happen every day. Benavidez goes on to address those people that defend illegal aliens by saying they aren't hurting anyone. He understands that the competitive low income housing market and the even more competitive low income job market is hard enough without illegal aliens working for cheaper and paying less for housing. Tax payers cannot afford to compete with aliens with nothing to lose. If that isn't enough for you to understand the negative effects of illegal aliens, I advise you to have sympathy for not the illegal alien but the low income tax payers that are trying to follow the rules. If after that you still aren't convinced I would love to hear you’re so called moral justification because I will match it every time. Illegal immigration should have no justification and especially no protection.

The moral of the story? I hate what illegal immigration does to America. It affects the rights and the natural living conditions that make America what it is. Illegal aliens affect upper, middle and lower class tax payers. Whether it is by raising health care costs by receiving service without insurance, driving without insurance, filling jails and schools, diminishing wages or filling low income housing, all of these are true examples of the negative effects of illegal aliens in cities like Farmers Branch. The tax payers see it and they look to their elected council members to help them when the state and federal government neglect to address this problem. Good for Farmers Branch for doing the harder right, when the alternative was a lot easier. It’s actually refreshing to see politicians protecting the rights of the people and keeping them unALIENable.

MIP's in Buffalo County

2010-01-24T22:27:00.011-06:00

The "minor in possession" punishment for a first time offender in Buffalo County is ridiculous. Our mother's and father's days of the drinking age being 19 and the police officers pouring out beer and saying "you kids get home" are over. Don't think I don't watch the news and that I don't know that times have drastically changed. Alcohol related deaths and citations have sky rocketed in the last ten years and something needs to be done to help reduce and prevent that but I ask for some rationality in doing so. Many communities are addressing underage drinking and taking preventative steps to keep this problem from getting worse. For instance, Nebraska has enacted laws that enable counties to be very strict on "Minors in Possession" charges. A minor in possession in Nebraska is considered a class 3 misdemeanor which is punishable with up to a $500 fine and up to 3 months in jail. Excessive? I think so. Luckily few counties have resulted to the full extent of the class 3 misdemeanor and most have diversion programs for first time offenders but what about the ones that don't? Take the county I live in for instance, a minor in Buffalo County, NE that gets charged with MIP, whether it be blowing a .01 or higher when administered a Breathalyzer test or just having a beer in hand, they are charged and most face a large fine, probation, a required alcohol class and 48 hours in the COUNTY JAIL. I don't travel much but I have never really heard of sending a kid to jail for being in possession of alcohol. What I HAVE heard of, however, is a kid that has had 4 (count em), 4 MIP's in this state (3 counties, none of which are in MY county) and they were all dropped from his record after paying a hefty fine and taking an alcohol management class. I'm not saying that makes it right but I think this brings up a situational aspect that needs to be addressed. First time offenders should have a similar opportunity to my "multiple mip" friend. I think it is ridiculous that after 4 citations he never served time and had a squeaky clean record. If that individual had one here, they would have served and had it on their record. I don't want to even address 4 in this county but let's just say they would have had some real issues. Call it a way for the county to stay busy and/ or a wasted use of taxpayers money to suit up our youth in bright orange jumpsuits, if you want but by holding this area to such high regard they aren't eliminating or even reducing minors possessing alcohol but filling their jails with youth, occupying officers with tomfoolery, increasing defiance toward the law and helping many college kids from other counties shout, "WHAT?" when they find themselves on the receiving end.

Oh did I not mention it was a college town? According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), 44% of students attending 4-year colleges drink alcohol at the binge level or greater. This statistic is growing and Kearney and Buffalo county, housing a growing university, need to understand this. Most students in 4 year colleges don't turn 21 until their 3rd year. HELLO MIP's!

A diversion program is an alternative idea that would be a good change from the program they are implementing now. Kalamazoo, Michigan Chief District judge Richard Santoni says that "a (deversion program) addresses a bad choice in a positive way." He also goes on to say, "We are able to provide kids with a substantial amount of alcohol education. It's part of the program. If I give a kid a fine and say don't do this anymore, what have we taught them?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGKRkk-0YEo

That judge in the video seemed quite strict but I NEVER heard him use the word JAIL in there anywhere.

The bottom line is when addressing the problem of underage drinking, education is more important than throwing kids in jail. A lot more could get accomplished if offenders go through a process rather than 1.) Paying a fine and they are done and 2.) paying a fine, taking a class, and going to jail, THEN being done. A several step EDUCATION program that helps offenders not repeat these crimes is the key. First time offenders should have a chance to clear their record if they abide by the steps of the process. Second time offenders could be and SHOULD be dealt with much like the way Buffalo county first time MIP offenders are addressed now, but for first time offenders these young people learn nothing and become angry and defiant when they serve jail time. Honestly, for Buffalo County's sake it is an easy fix. I HATE the current program for MIP's in Buffalo County and you should too!

Kenny Mayne: A sports analyst I love

2010-01-18T20:04:00.010-06:00

I think a lot of sports readers would agree with me Kenny Mayne is top notch when it comes to entertainment and reporting. His latest work "Mayne Event: Favre's Secret Weapon" is the next chapter in a series of parody reporting stories he has done for Sunday NFL Countdown. This story features teammates of the Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre making fun of his endorsement with Wrangler Jeans. Some may argue he has developed a journalistic approach that is hardly that, journalistic and I would argue that, that is half right. Hell, he even pokes fun at himself using the same logic by naming his book "An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sports." He is a great example of a broadcaster that has worked his way up over the course of a long career. He has used dedication (staying with ESPN for over 10 years now) and pure talent (Sportscenter, "Mayne Event", and "Mayne Street" just to name a few examples) to become a sports icon and a front running veteran on the nations leading sports network (ESPN). The talent that he has and the fact that he has paid his dues, creates more opportunities for him to be creative and that is exactly what he does. While some of his stories may sacrifice the norm of news reporting who, what, when, where, why and how's, Mayne practices a random portrayal of "Why Not?" to present a combination of pop culture, humor and interesting ideas and characters to create a must watch parody. Mayne knows what is popular with sports fans and viewers to the point that he is very identifiable.

It provides an entertaining enlightenment and refreshing relief from the norm of sportscasters and sports reporters that have gotten close to zombie-like.

On many fronts sportscasters have taken an interesting and exciting news element, sports, and drifted swiftly into the calm of regular "talking heads" that can be viewed on Fox News and CNN (No offense guys, its news). Kenny Mayne has refused to do that ever since he took the desk at ESPN in 1994 and I'm sure far earlier than that as he has a personality that is inescapable, even for him. I think Mayne has used a mixture of what he brings to the table and the freedom he has been given by ESPN to do what he does. ESPN was smart enough to discover his talent AND even smarter to let him use it and be in control of it. The half truth aforementioned by the non-believer that notices the lack of typical journalist news reporting is right when viewing the parody material Mayne publishes but if they see him as an anchor on SportsCenter, his stand-up on-scene news reporting at major sporting events, or his blogging and writing on ESPN.com they will see he knows his stuff. If that isn't enough, checkout his bio and you will see he doesn't just know sports and sports fans but also broadcasting. As a graduate of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas he went on to work for a local news station doing reporting and news writing before he got to ESPN.

All in all I think the moral of the story is Kenny Mayne is a dangerous mixture of talent, ideas, experience and guts that offers a sports reporting product that no one else has been able to duplicate.

I advise you to check out his book ("An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sports"), his blog and anything on ESPN.com with his name on it. This is just a brief look at why I love Kenny Mayne and you should too!

Hello World

2010-01-16T14:00:00.000-06:00

Hello World