Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Sorry blog readers more random thoughts

Here is an apology to those who come here to read something new and have got no love for the past two or three weeks. It has been so hectic lately managing a few different things in my life but a few of those things are finally starting to slow down. School is almost over, just one more eight page paper to write and I will have freedom again. I have had to drive up to O-town to visit my momma in the hospital and have been spending the night at the parentals lately to help out around the house, so I am sorry if I haven't been able to hang out with anyone in the SLC lately. It has been really hard to see my mom in the hospital luckily she will be back home soon. My parents have always been an example of strength in my life and it kills me to see my mom not fulfilling that role that I have known her in for my whole life. What it has shown me is how two people can be married for 27 years and still be really in love with eachother. My dad is there constantly for my mom rarely leaving her side and getting everything she needs. That has always been a big fear of mine when it comes to getting into relationships and the thought of ever getting married-how can two people be so completely devoted to one another to have it last for eternity- but my parents give me definate hope that it is possible, even for me. Between school, work, and driving to and from O-town it has been hard to do anything else. I think I also need to thank a few of my friends for always being completely stellar for me. Kriddy PG thanks for being someone that I can talk to about anything, you have no idea how much I needed our Park City trip. Missy also has been one of my great friends for such a long time. Jesse and Wes-they kind of go together as one group. They have made my living in salt lake experience great. Codye-you have probably saved me from making some stupid decisions and have been a total life saver there for me. Anyways it is late, there are a lot more of my friends I could thank- especially the A-Team- you know who you are, thanks, but it is getting really late and I need to get some much needed sleepage. So I will try to write once more before I go to Cali and then I will be gone for a week but when I come back there will be a stellar slide show and a ton of fun stories. So be prepared.

Tuesdays Top Ten....a few hours late

Here is a list of my top ten favorite songs at this time. This is definately subject to change but as of right now there are ten songs that I can listen to whenever and I won't get sick of listening to it. All of these songs follow a quote by Lauryn Hill, "Music is supposed to inspire." In order for a song to be a great song in my book it must make you feel, and all of these songs make me feel.
1. Lose Myself- by Lauryn Hill. This is kind of like a theme song for me right now and has been for a while. It has a good beat, some sweet rhymes, and the lyrics are stellar. In order for a song to be great it has to have those three things, and L Boogie has a way of doing that a lot.
2. Redemption Song- by Bob Marley. Wow, that is all I have to say about this song. Definately inspirational.
3. Let it Be and Hey Jude- by the Beatles. Again two song that makes you feel a lot. The Beatles were great and they are my favorite band of all time.
4. Why Do I Keep Counting- By the Killers. This song reminds me a lot of how I feel sometimes. I think that it is only human to doubt the existence of God or the plan that I know he has for me. I think that everyone does it from time to time. Whenever I wonder if God is really there and I wonder what my relationship is with Him I listen to this song. Here is just a part of the lyric that really strike a cord in me: "Help me get down, I can make it, help me get down. If I only knew the answer I wouldn't be bothering you, Father. Help me get down." Good stuff.
5. Good Riddance- By Greenday. This is just a classic song by a band that used to be great. It is just a good theme song to any good memory you have.
6. Like A Rolling Stone- By Bob Dylan. Dylan is just great and this is probably my favorite song by him.
7. Imagine- By John Lennon: He is probably the best song writer of all time. A perfect world summarized in a song. Great.
8. Tiny Dancer/Rocket Man- By Elton John: Old school Elton John is fantastic. These are my two favorite songs.
9. Everything I Own- by Bread: Bread is classic 70's pop rock. This is a song that the lead singer wrote about his dad who he got into a huge fight with and stopped speaking to him. After he learned his dad died he wrote this about how he would give everything he owns just to have him back again. Great song reminds me of countless family roadtrips.
10. Fire and Rain by James Taylor and Shoot the Moon by Norah Jones: Two songs that really make me think about friendship and how important my friends are to me.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Tuesday's Top Ten.....a day late. Sorry

Favorite Movies of 2007

  1. Juno: I just watched this for the first time last night and freaking love it. It is hilarious and has a really good message to it.
  2. Atonement: I know, I know, there are some who don't like it at all, but it was such a good show and deserves more credit than it is getting. Great.
  3. The Great Debaters: This was fantastic, it involved so many things that are so important to me, racially equality, politics, debate. It was full of amazing dialogue and told a really important story.
  4. Across The Universe: 4,5,6 are an all out tie, but I had to place them somewhere so I went in alphebetical order. Anyways this is a great show. It fueled my love for the Beatles and the greatness that was 60's rock. It also had characters that filled the role of Jimmi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The soundtrack is awesome and so is the film. It is really psychedelic all about the typical 60's drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Stellar.
  5. Lions for Lambs: First of all it is not anti-American. I know so many people have heard that it is. It shows so many different opinions on the war in Iraq from all sides. It was stellar with a lot of stellar performances.
  6. No Country for Old Men: This was a great show. It was suspensful and a little crazy but really good.
  7. 3:10 to Yuma: Finally a throwback to classic westerns but actually good. Good story, good acting, an all out great flick.
  8. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford: Great title for a movie and such a good show. Casey Affleck earns major props for his role in this show and redeems himself for Gone Baby Gone.
  9. Into The Wild: This was a very interesting show with a good story. It was very well done and the main actor in it was really good too.
  10. Superbad: As vulger as any movie can be but it was awesome. One of the funniest shows ever there are so many parts to it that make me laugh just thinking about it. Warning not for those who do not like vulgarity.

Other notable movies that were great: Bourne Ultimatum, Transformers, Zodiac, and Hot Fuzz. I did not see There will be blood, but from what I hear it is really good. I will let you know.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Tuesday's Top Ten

Yes it is finally back. My last post was of a serious tone, so this one won't be. This go around I am going to list my top ten favorite celebrity girlfriends. Lets face it I have had many highly publicized, mainly by me, romances with many different celebrities and here is a list of my top ten. For those of you who think I am dillusional, the previous sentence was a joke and meant to be read sarcastically. So here is a list of the top ten celebs I would like to have be my girlfriend.

10. Rachel Mcadams: You will recognize her from Mean Girls, where she is awesome, Wedding Crashers, also where she was awesom, and The Notebook, where for a chick flick, not too bad. She is hot with brown or blond hair, but for her I think she should keep it brown.



9. Lauren Conrad: You will probably only recognize her from The Hills, a semi-reality tv show on MTV or from every magazine cover in the supermarket. I basically have been in love with her for three seasons now.





8. Rihanna: You will know her best for being the new Beyonce. She sings Unfaithful, SOS, Breakin Dishes, Rehab, and Umbrella. Good voice and so hot. Also tied with Eva Longoria







7. Lauryn Hill: This is going to have to be Lauryn Hill back in 2000, because she is currently not looking as hot. I love L-Boogie, and have for a long, long, time. Songs you should know by her: Killing me Softly, That Thing, and Lose Yourself. Also tied for this spot Beyonce


6. Jessica Alba. Enough said. Mostly due to because of how hot she is, but also partially due to her lack of having anything really praiseworthy to talk about, other than how hot she is. Also tied, Jessica Biel





5. Carrie Underwood. Winner of American Idol and the hottest country singer ever. Her best song is I'll Stand By You. Other than that I really don't like country a whole lot, but she rocked Heart's Alone on American Idol, if only she would stop doing country, she would have a chance at moving up on the list.


4. Halle Berry: Me and my buddy Shane gave her the ranking as queen hottie....but that was three years ago, when there was no one hotter. It pains me to say it but she has been dethroned. But I still have a lotta love for her, even though she is supposed to be a little crazy. Also tied for this spot Jennifer Aniston




3. Kate Hudson: She has moved steadily up my list ever since she was first in Almost Famous, one of my favorite movies. She is in the best chick flick of all time, How to lose a guy, and as a general rule I hate chick flicks, but that one was good.



2. Eva Mendez: Most noticed in Hitch and We Own the Nights.......and I guess, unfortunately, Ghost Rider, she is hot and she actually has some real talent. She would just be a cool person to chill with.





And the new hottest on my list is.............................drumroll........................................................................................



1. Alicia Keys: This should come as no suprise to anyone who has ever had a conversation with me. She is epitome of everything that is the best. She sings amazing, and she writes her own music and lyrics, not very many do that anymore. She can also act and she models occasionally. The triple threat. That is why she is my girlfriend.

My Bleeding Heart.............bleeds for everyone.

This is a post that was meant to be written back in February but never was and I have been thinking about it a lot lately. Also here is an apology to all those that have been coming to my page to see something new but haven't for well over two weeks now....Sorry! My school work has been way too hectic lately but I finally have a minute to write a post. So here it goes. Warning this one involves political theory, and may be boring to some and very entertaining/irritating to others. Read at your own risk, I am very open to comments.


Back on Valentines Day my friend Christa sent me this E-Valentine Card:

Now this was meant to be a funny joke from the grand old party about the ridiculousness of liberal compassionism, but what is meant to be an insult, to me, is a compliment. Inside liberal compassionism you find the essence of the statement in the Preamble to the Constitution, "To promote the general welfare." This unique phrase is mentioned one more time in the Constitution in Article I Section 8, where it outlines the role of Congress. It says, "The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare." After saying that it outlines the duties and rights of Congress. Under this part of the Constitution it tells Congress that they are to provide for the general welfare of the country, and in my mind (which is generally always correct) the adage is and should be defined as securing the basic rights of the individuals who reside under the jurisdiction of the Constitution.

Now this is where the real debate comes in to play between conservatives and liberals, what basic rights should the government provide? I believe that the government should make sure that no child, being defined as anyone under the age of eighteen, should go without: clothing, food, shelter, healthcare, education, and the ability to achieve the Pursuit of Happiness. Children should not be held responsible for being victims of circumstance. No one chooses what circumstances that they are born into, if they did, Bill Gates would have many more children. Therefore in order to ensure that children have these basic human rights there are little things called welfare, medicaid, and social security that have been created to......well for lack of a better phrase, to promote the general welfare of the country. In order for this to happen the money, verizon card, etc. must go to the parent or guardian of that child. And I know that sometimes this will get abused. That is a risk that I am willing to take even at a personal cost to me. I believe that this should also apply to the elderly, the handicapped, and all those who cannot provide a suitable living for themselves with times of temporary assistance to those who have fallen into the depths of poverty.

Now in most debatable topics I discuss I generally think that my argument itself is compelling enough for all to fall in line with agreeance, but if not let us look at the Republican counterpart to liberal compassionism. Normally I would use a lambasting but somewhat funny word to describe the err that is Reaganomics or Trickle Down, but I think that calling it those two things does it well enough, without any sarcastic retort of my own. Through the counterpart to what I believe we have the tax cuts for the wealthy and to businesses. By granting them access to more money the theory believes they will invest it and expand businesses hence creating more jobs and more cash flow. There is one major default in this theory, it does not look at the naturalistic human trait of greed. Now I know that this can also be an argument against what I believe, so let me elaborate. I believe that there is a fundamental difference between the greed of those who have nothing versus the greed of those who have much. One comes from a sense of a need to survive whereas the other comes from the need to make him/herself better than those around him/her. To prove this point I will submit Enron, for validation. I am sure that the tax cuts granted to this company were put into great use.

For those who argue that it costs so much more to provide all of the governmental assistance programs, you are wrong. It is a fact that out of the last four presidents it is three Republicans who have put our country almost eight trillion dollars more into debt, compared to the one trillion under President Clinton. It is also important to note that Clinton's last year reported an actual surplus, not a deficict. Also after each of the three Reps the country sank into a recession........whereas the Clinton years-generally economic bliss.

As you can tell this is one issue that I am a little too zealous about, but don't worry my bleeding heart bleeds for everyone, conservatives included. That is the great thing about liberal compassionism it benifits everyone.......not just a few.