White Christmas

Yes my friends, it is indeed a White Christmas here. Some of you may be thinking that I'm crazy for being excited for a white Christmas, but it is a big deal to get snow here. Especially during Christmas. I had high expectations for this new system, but nothing like this. It started out with predictions of 3-4 inches, then this morning it was upgraded to 4-8 and now it is 6-12. We haven't got anything like this in some time. Right now we have over 5 inches, and I hope we get more!

I'm not a big fan of getting in the snow, but I think this time I will. Usually our snows are slushy and just cold rain, so it isn't fun at all. But I know this time it will be a ton of fun. So watch out, I may be sledding into your neighborhood!

Santa came to the house last night, ha ha. I was given a Xbox 360, while my sisters were given their favorite items as well. And throughout the day I have gotten many others items such as hot plaid shirts that I have been wanting to change my wardrobe. Also some iTunes cards, which I am using to buy an old Jim Verraros CD right now.

But the important thing about this day is because our lord and savior was born. And it also is a symbol of being among family and friends. Also something else; you see the good in some people, and the innocence in a child. Here are two stories I have that may bring tears to your eyes.

Both stories occured at work. The first one was just yesterday when I was running an activity in the building. And there was this cute little boy that was so excited to participate in the activity. I made sure to explain everything to the child with great detail so he could have the most fun. At the end, he said that he loved it, and the people around so so glad that he had fun. And here is the best part, as he starts to walk away, he says, "Will you be celebrating Christmas or Hannukah this year?" I said Christmas. And then he said, "Well then, Merry Christmas!" I thought it was so cute because a child of his age thought and respected the many different cultures that is among us.

This next one really brought a tear to my eye. At work, we had a Santa center and we had a table for children to write letters to "Santa". We had a mailbox and everything. And we would read then to see the many thing people asked for. Many were the usual iPod, American Girl doll requests. But there was one that stood out. It asked Santa to help their parents to stop fighting. It just broke my heart. That child could have asked for anything, and instead it asked for their parents to be on good terms. It's sad because kids should ask for others things from Santa.

But you know what? I feel that this Christmas was filled with many different miracles, and I feel that anything, including that child's situation, can turn around into a positive light.

I wish you all the best Christmas, and a wonderful snow day if you are in my same situation! I will talk to you all soon!

Merry Christmas!

-Tyler

Duel

Wow, it has been so long since my last post. I just don't seem to find the time to write anymore. But don't worry, I'll make up for it in this new post!

Winter has returned. And it is a messy one. Like most of the time, my town does not get all the pretty and flufy snow, it gets ice, sleet, and freezing rain. It only makes a slushy mess. But it still lets the kids out of school. And with two little sisters, I am constantly aware of how stupid the school system is. They called of school three times last week. The kids got excited, but they stopped smiling when they find out that the days are going to be made up during their Christmas break. Suprise!!

But they are calling for a huge snow here on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. 5-6 inches! This is something everybody is excited about, especially me! I think it has only snowed once here during Christmas, and it was when I was really little. Yes, my family has already thought of changing our trip plans, which I still don't know where we are going.

I have still been keeping up with my smallville episodes. I probably watch one every day, 4 if I'm really bored. I'm telling you, I am so addicted to that show, and it is really nice to just keep watching them instead of waiting each week for a new one like you would usually do.

Let's Duesl! Ha, that's been what I have wanted to do for some long now. Yes, I know that wanting to play Yugioh while 19 is a little childish, but I always enjoyed it. This month that Shonen Jump manga was giving a legal Winged Dragon of Ra game card. I always said I would buy that card when it became legal, so I got it! Sadly though, I don't know anybody that is still interested enough to use it! Oh well!

Work pretty much remains the same way. Some days are great, and some days I just want to walk out. I really hope it won't come to me walking out. And it's ironic, because I have been told that I am on of the best employees. I just wish that things would get better for a change. I mean come on, it's Christmas.

Well I think that will be all for now. I plan on doing a christmas post tomorrow so make sure to stay tuned!

-Tyler

Teeth

I am finally done with school for the next month, thank you Jesus! And I am proud to say that I am recieving a good grade in all of them. I was just done with it all and move on to being excited about Christmas and starting on my reading and writing. That hasn't happened yet, but as you can tell, I am working on it.

But there is one thing that is keeping me in my way from enjoying my break. The dentist office. This is for all of you that can't stand the dentist wherever you are. This is for you who feels that the dentist tries finds something wrong with you every time you go into that chair. Don't worry, because I am one of those people.

Last time I was there, they had me return for two fillings. Both were none of my fault, since they were wisdom teeth of course. But still, I feel like my dentist looks forward to finding something. I just pray that this time I'll have a good report, and I can have my break without this hanging over my head.

Now moving on, Michael Jackson's new album has just been released onto iTunes. I actually have high expectations for it, that is why I preordered it on sale with Barnes and Noble. Anyways, I predict that it will become #1 throughout the night, and will remain that way for some time. Yes, Jackson is long dead, but this album is a memior of his success, which is why it will be successfull.

"Hold My Hand", the first single of the album, featuring Akon, is a favorite of mine. I really like the song, and it may possibly be Akon's cleanest song ever. It has really got me hyped for the rest of the album. So far, there is already two pages of reviews, and the numbers will be growing by the hour! I am really looking forward to hearing the rest of the album, and what other people have to say about it as well!

-Tyler

Violated

Last night, at my shift at work, I experienced the most violating and creeped out experience of my life. I don't think I have ever felt that way before. I wanted to just run away and hide in a closet. And I think my co-workers felt the same way as well.

It all started when word was going around that a drunken or high couple was in the building. It was no big deal to me because lot of people that walk through our doors seems drunk or high. But things got interesting when the husband came our way. He asked my shift leader for a lighter, so she goes to look for one to stay away from him, leaving me to have to listen to his stories.

He was giving stories about the games that we had in the building, stories about his experience with paintball guns, and then he talked about his journey with the guitar. He said he once played in front of 1500 people, but did it for free to not, "Sell my soul to the devil". He then talked how he got an adrenaline rush from playing. "It's like when those guys jump off those planes for fun. I get a real high off of playing. A free high. It's addicting though. But it doesn't hurt anybody."

I was glad when he left. It took me forever to break away from the conversation. Sadly, he only left my station and wondered to other parts of the building. And the next thing I know, his wife comes around. She begs to use my cell phone, but I direct her to our company phone. She talks on it forever. When she gets done, she asks me how to hang up. And I go, "Uh, you put the phone back on the hook."

She then goes on the verge of tears and says that her best friend died. I was really sympathetic, and said, "Aw I'm sorry." My voice must have been a little higher than I wanted it to be when I said it because she told me to come closer to ask me a personal question, "Are you gay?" I was wowed by her honesty and not at all embarrassed by asking it. I told her I wasn't, but she said that it was the feminine and sensitive side that most guys don't have. And the only thing I thought of after that was, "Do I have a boob that I don't know about?"

She continued to make the situation awkward by asking me to shake her 4- fingered hand, and then see if I felt the pain that she feels when not having that finger. The random topics jumped from her loosing her finger and her 14 friends being murdered the same year. She also talked about her uncle molested her as a young child, and how she was on TV somehow. But what really stuck out to me was she said that she could read people's soul, and could tell if they were good or bad. She shaking my hand, she said that I had the soul of a heaven's angel. I haven't been able to get that one out of my head for so long after that.

I finally broke away from her as well, and was glad when security escorted both of them out. I have never been so creeped out like that before. After taking them home, our security officer said that they wanted to tell me that I was always welcome to go to their house, "To bring out the young child in me." Uh, no thanks. Have you ever seen a movie where old women get obsessed with young guys, so they are so nice to them and then they kidnap them and trap them in their basements for months and try to convince them that he is really her son? Yeah, that's how I felt I was gonna be.

I was glad when I got home and took a shower to feel clean. I really felt violated. But still, the angel thing that she told me stays in my mind. If I knew that neither of them touched drugs or alcohol, I would think she was profit or something. I'm wondering if I'll need an exit buddy to get to my car from work from now on.

-Tyler

Many Things

It is amazing how fast time flies when so many things are going on. And the thought of the holidays only speeds things up. And my thoughts has been so consumed in my work and school assignments. But school is starting to wind down, so it looks like I'll be writing more!

The work environment seems to be getting worse and worse. Every night I come home from work, I always seem to be complaining about something. And yes, every night something new has come up to make my blood churn. But something has brought light on the situation, something I really didn't expect.

Rumors have circulated that I have made employeeo of the month! I know that sounds so cheesy, but it means alot for some reason. I guess it shows that my work there is paying off, and people are noticing it. I have never expected recognition from my coworkers, because it really only matters that I do my job, and I know at the end of the day that I did it well. But when people come up to me, like they did last night and say, "Congrats, we are proud," it really means alot. So I'm hoping that this recent turn of events helps my attitude towards the sour environment there.

I'm wondering if you enjoyed Black Friday. Did you even go? I was disappointed to know that alot of people just slept in. For me, I was in the heat of battle getting any sales that I could get my hands on. At Walmart, there were items that were only supposed to be released at midnight. But there were so many people, that people were tearing off the plastic that was concealing the cheap DVDs and Wii games.

I took a moment and wondered if I wanted to play fair or dirty. If I played fair, I would get nothing good, and if I played dirty, I would get almost all I wanted. I played dirty, and yes, I got all I wanted. I fought for the cheap TV DVD sets, movies and got them all. I was also one of the crazy ones and waited five hours to get a Xbox 360. I probably will never do that again, but it was certainly worth it!

One of the prized that I got during that night was the first 2 seasons of Smallville. For those who are a fan of Birds of Prey, I was one that resented Smallville for it's success while BOP was on the chopping block. But I started watching it, and it was instantly my new drug. I went through the first season earlier this week, and now I'm halfway through the second season. And as a christmas present to myself, I ordered the other 6 seasons really cheap! I know, I'm addicted.

So as you can tell, alot has happened since my last real post. There is just so much that I wanted to write, that I couldn't fit it all in. But hopefully soon I will be able to give you more posts. So stay tuned!!

-Tyler

Heath Shuler

This is my 4th paper, and I actually think this one could cause a good effect on the nation. Take a read!

Dear Congressman Shuler:

I wanted to take a quick moment to bring a major issue to your attention. As you watch the recent news, there is more of a chance that you will run across news of a teen committing suicide or a teen being admitted into a treatment center because of constant bullying that they have experienced in their life. I want to describe how bullying acts can affect the life of a teenager, and to explain with a few examples that you probably may be familiar with.

While some think that teen bullying is simply stealing one’s lunch money, it is actually much worse, and more life threatening. According to teenhelp.com, 30% of American teenagers are victims of bullying. And statistics show that long-term effects of teen bullying include not feeling safe, skipping school to avoid bullies, acting in violent ways, and increased risk of depression, self abuse and suicide.

A well known example is the gay teen Tyler Clementi. He had a promising future, performing in the popular Rutgers University orchestra. His life was changed when his college roommate publicly “outed” him on the web, after his romantic encounter with another male. This occurred twice, one being filmed from a hidden camera. Via Twitter, Tyler’s roommate shown his opposition, and then invited his followers to view Tyler’s encounter live.

Humiliated by the event caused by his roommate, Tyler jumped off of the George Washington Bridge. Tyler is just one of the many gay teen suicides and bullying incidents that we have heard on the news lately, due to their sexuality being exposed, or being bullied because of their sexuality.
Another prime example is the Disney star Demi Lavato. She is the most recent case that we probably have heard of. As a little child, she was a star on Barney, and then moved to being a huge TV, music and movie star with Disney. But we have heard that she is now in a treatment facility because she has been dealing with self abuse such as cutting, and dealing with the eating disorder anorexia. She says that this is a result of bullying.

So Congressman Shuler, teen bullying is a very big problem in this country right now, and should be recognized on the national level. It is obvious that bringing no attention to this issue has possible deadly consequences. I feel that uniting the nation as a whole could help end this crisis. I hope that by writing to you, the nation can work together to end this type of behavior, and hopefully make the nation’s environment safer for bullied victims.

-Tyler

Fundraising Process Pt. 2

Fundraising Process Part 2

But, like all fundraisers, all of them have complications. And my complication occurred when I went to confirm the amount of food for the event. When I arrived there, the owner said they agreed to enough food for 20-30 people, when I assumed that they knew that my amount was for 200-300 people. When we both realized that there was an error in communication, we had to renegotiate the amount that they would donate. Luckily, they agreed to the full amount, with me having to receive a few food items donated, and a crisis was averted.

Asking for donations was very time consuming and very difficult. Those items were both for the decoration of the facility, and for the items in the silent auction. I wrote a very informative letter to businesses asking for any donations, whether an item or monetary gift. After sending close to one hundred letters, I asked businesses in person for another chance at receiving a donation. I received an amazing response with donations such as a plasma TV, jewelry, and a popular digital camera. The TV was so popular that we did a special raffle to help raise more money.

And then the time came when it was time to begin setting up for the event. On the day of the fundraiser, I spent twelve hours setting up all of the tables, signs and all of the donated items. Later on during the day, I ventured out to claim the food that we would be serving that night. After returning to the site, I immediately began letting servers serve the food and allowing guests to taking their chance at the silent auction.

Throughout the night, I also had the B*Naturals perform. The performance helped the guest feel comfortable, and helped them enjoy the night. At the end of the night, I saw my success as I realized I had exceeded my expectations. My expectations were $1500 and it was exceeded by $1700. It proved to me that my planning, organization and methods helped make the event a success.

So, if you were to decide on doing a fundraiser, you could try to follow the methods that I used and see if you are as successful. I talked to you about the first stage of planning, then I discussed on how to find the right places to hold the event. I also moved on to talk about the process of advertising and asking for donations. So with a good, organized plan, you can always make your attempts successful, especially in fundraising.

-Tyler

Fundraising Process

Here is my third paper from my expository writing class. Enjoy!

Fundraising Process

As a senior in high school, I was required to participate in a senior project. For that project, I chose organizing and hosting a fundraiser for a cause. It was a very challenging and worthwhile project that I will always remember. Today, I hope to describe the important process that made my fundraiser successful, including the many obstacles and tasks that were thrown my way.

My process began by organizing all of my thoughts. There were many different fundraising options that I could have taken. While some would decide to just do a dinner, a silent auction, or a concert, I decided my plan was to use all three. That decision paved the road to my future plans and helped me move on to the next step.

With the next step, I had to decide and book the location, the food, and entertainment for that night. The best options from the Franklin location led to booking the location at the First Methodist Church in Franklin, the food from Gondolas, and the entertainment from the B*Naturals choir group. Because this fundraiser was for a non-profit organization, I could only choose options that were donated. After receiving those three vital aspects to the fundraiser, I could begin the smaller planning and advertising.

The advertising became my next priority in order to help my other plans fall into place. I began by forming a flyer that would be passed throughout the town and schools. Since the event was taking place in the fall, I added a Halloween feel with fall orange and black colors with a stand-out template. I also added the information with an easy view for possible viewers. And throughout the rest of the organization process, I also was interviewed for the event in newspapers and on live radio.

To be continued...

-Tyler

P vs. I Pt.2

Political Persuasion vs. Political Informational Part 2

Some political advertising is not a bad thing though. Political advertising is also used to help inform citizens of many different impactful issues. Some leaders use a TV campaign to help bring awareness to a cause. The goal with informational advertising is to bring attention and awareness to big issues that need to be noticed on a national level.

Nicholas Valentino has said, “Exposure to political advertising is generally informative and may even reduce information gaps between the most and least aware in society.” He also goes to say that it also does not produce shifts with candidate preference (Impact). That means that when more people are fully aware of situations, they can make more accurate and informed opinions based on that topic. So just by stating the facts and not causing disputes between candidates could possibly encourage Americans to vote.

You never hear much informational advertisements though, because they are often run over by the number of persuasive advertisements. And some may also mistake an informational advertisement for a persuasive by the way the agenda is set and possibly the political party outlook that is sent out with this advertisement.

Which begs the question, “Are the two the same?” My opinion is that they are two separate types of advertisements. While it is possible to see both, political campaigns mainly focus on paying for the persuasive ads. That is why non-profit organizations take the slack that political leaders have left and try to get awareness out there.

So it is very clear that both types of advertisements are different in many ways. While one tries to convince the public to vote for a certain candidate, one tries to inform of causes going on that the government is trying to bring on a national level. And even sometimes people could confuse the two or refuse to accept the information because of its political origin.

Which one do I prefer? I prefer the informational advertisements. The informational advertisements appear more impactful and useful in my eyes towards the public. I feel that persuading advertising is spending of millions of dollars in attempts to destroy the careers of future leaders. And while they feel that persuading may help sway votes, I think that using that method will actually scare voters away.

So do you think that the two can coexist? Probably not. The two are so different and they both have different agendas when attempting to grab the public’s attention. And the two would never work together because one is portrayed on a negative view, while one is viewed in a good view. So my assumption is that it is impossible the two could be used together successfully.

-Tyler

Persuasion vs. Info

As I have told you before, I am currently in a expository writing class. It has really helped me out because I have learned different methods of writing a story or an article. It has also been fun writing many different things with different ways of writing them. In past posts, I have presented you my first paper, but that is only one of the five that I have written. So here is the first part of one of my papers. Enjoy! Also note that you will see the citations that I used for the paper.

Political Persuasion vs. Political Informational

We turn on the television, and we are instantly bombarded by the many commercials that involve politics and our current government. While we may not know it, our decisions and attitudes towards voting and government are influenced by these very same advertisements. There are two types of political advertisements that we are very familiar with. We have the persuasion advertisements that have a goal to commit you to a certain political party or figure. And we also have the informational advertisements that try to keep the American public informed about many governmental actions that is being done. And by the end of this essay, you will have the chance to ask, “Can the two peacefully coexist?”

According to Gregory Huber, he calls persuasive political advertising as, “deliberatively crafted to win votes by besmirching one’s opponent, or besmirching one’s opponent, or simply confusing voters with misleading “facts”. And from my observation, political leaders don’t just do it with political opponents, but also towards issues that they are opposed to such as gay marriage, abortion and the recent health care bill.

One thing that advertisers do is they set out to do while trying to persuade is influence citizens to have an emotional opinion towards a candidate or a cause (Presidential Advertising). While the advertisements could be civil and its agenda is simply to try to appeal to voters, they are used to cause great controversy and to put a negative light on their opponents. Shanto Iyengar has said that that negativity towards political campaigns are used to shrink the amount of voters and keeping possible voters from voting from the opposing side (Political Advertising).

To be continued...


-Tyler

Deathly Hallows

The beginning of the end has finally begun. Last weekend we saw the arrival of the new Harry Potter movie. The Deathly Hallows Part 1 brought in the most money out of any movie so far. Unfortunately, I didn't attend the midnight showing, but I did see it Saturday night. And since the book is split into two parts, I had high expectations. But when you read my review, you will tell that there was alot that could have been added and changed. Beware, for there will be tons of spoilers for people who have not read the book or watched the movie.

Before going to the movie, I asked one of my friends where the movie ended. Once I found that out, I gathered my book and looked for that location. And it was on page 500 out of 784, meaning that the majority of the 7th book is in the 1st part.

I was so excited to see the WB sign as it trasitioned into the film. The first change was they started the movie showing Harry, Herminone, and Ron instead of the Malfoy Mansion. And we quickly see the exit of the Dursleys, avoiding the emotional embrace by Dudley that is in the book. I really thought that was needed in the movie.

The film stays faithful until we reach the Burrow for the wedding. Harry's birthday is taken out of the movie, revealing that he turned 17 after the wedding disruption. But we do see the Minister come to read Dumbledore's will. It quickly moves into where the three are on the run, taking refuge at Sirius's former home. Unfortunately, not alot of time was spent in there compared to the book. We don't see the moments where Lupin comes, we also miss the search of Sirius's room, finding the letter by Lilly Potter.

Another thing that caught my eye was the scene at Godric's Hollow. This is where Ron has left the group and we see the fight between Harry and Nagini. It was pretty accurate up to the point where Hermione rescues Harry. In the book, Voldemort makes it to the scene right before the exit. I feel that having him there in the movie was needed because it helps show that Voldemort has failed time and time again to kill Harry, especially during this film.

One of the main things that stuck out to me is the part at the lake where Harry meets with Ron again and they recover the Sword of Gryfindor and destroy a Horcrux. What I really enjoyed was how they described the effects and illusions that the horcrux could create. If you have read the book, you know that the effect was to try and persuade Ron from destroying it. And creating a fake Harry and Hermione with a very revealing intimate moment was the Horcrux's choice. I was actually suprised how revealing the moment was. I actually had to shift from feeling awkward and uncomfortable.

Up to the end, the movie stays pretty accurate. The final scene with Harry is when he finishes the grave for Dobby, one of the saddest deaths during the movie. The scene then moves to an area near a big lake. We then realize that it is the area that Dumbledore is buried, and Voldemort breaks into the tomb and claims the Elder Wand. The problem I have with that is in the book, the tomb is located near the Hogwarts castle. The tomb may be located in the area, but it wasn't made clear. The movie then ends with Voldemort releasing ligtning with his new wand, the wand he thinks will destroy Harry.

Overall, I think it was a good movie. But what I really missed was having Hogwarts as the main setting. We really didn't have a main setting during this movie. But make no mistake, this next movie is going to be EPIC! Just wait. The finale is going to go with a bang!

-Tyler

Comment

I wanted to bring this to your attention. If you didn't read, my last post was about the Kanye West remarks that has gotten him in trouble in the past, and still is. I know by writing the article, I would be facing comments from both sides of the argument. But there was one comment that caught my eye, and I feel that putting it up on here will show divided this country is. It really makes me mad and sick. I have no problem puttin this up because the writer was anonymous:

"You're a fool dude. I am not a fan of Kanye West but for him to call Bush a racist was great for the world. It showed the rest of the world that America does not "bow down" to our puppet leaders (Bush, Obama, etc)."

To whoever wrote this, it is inaccurate and very biased. Yes, the results from Katrina was bad, and the lack of leadership shows in the faces of the victims that were stranded with no aid. But just because no aide was rushed to New Orleans after Katrina struck it, does not determine Bush's racial views. You also cannot say that the black community was the only victims. Black, white, and all ethnicities were affected, because this is America, and all groups live all over the country. So if you wanted to accuse Bush or any political leader of what happened, do not say it was because of race.

Thanks everybody for listening. I know this is a rather short post, but I wanted to make sure that this comment was exposed for the inaccurate content that it contained. But I'm just curious, how many others feel this way? Surely we are mostly past this racial boundary that was set decades ago. If not, then America is more lost than united.

-Tyler

Kanye's Rant

Last night I felt like I had a spiritual awakening. And I felt that my mind was being filled with a ton of understanding. And the best thing is because it was it all came from an unlikely place. I know this is really vague, but it had such an impact on me. You don't have to know what it all involves, but just know that I feel great and better than ever!

Wanna know who won't be feeling great? Well Kanye West won't after the media, and other blogs get ahold on him. As if his incident with Taylor Swift wasn't bad, his remarks to former President Bush are now coming to bite him in the ass. Bush has said that when West said that he hated black people, it was the lowest part of his presidency. And after a Today interview with Matt Lauer, West writes some very rude comments on Twitter:

"....but before I take off let me tell you how they did me at the Today show...

I went up there to express how I was empathetic to Bush because I labeled him a racist and years later I got labeled as a racist....

While I was trying to give the interview they started playing the "MTV" under me with audio!!!!!!!

I don't mess with Matt Lauer or the Today Show ... and that's a very nice way for me to put it!

HE TRIED TO FORCE MY ANSWERS. IT WAS VERY BRUTAL AND I CAME THERE WITH ONLY POSITIVE INTENT.

He played clips of Bush and asked me to look at his face while I was trying to talk to him. I wish Michael Jackson had twitter!!!!!!"

Believe me Kanye, you need more than Michael Jackson to help you out here. I mean seriously, you go and tell behind-the-scenes workers to be quiet so you could talk, and then you get on Matt's case because they always show clips of the topics discuss, with audio. The world does not stop so you can try and explain yourself for your constant reckless statements.

I really don't know how people are fans of him. He is the prime example of what President Obama calls a "jackass".

-Tyler

Music Craves

I am so excited about the results of the poll so far. If you haven't heard of it yet, it is to your right. I started it last week, and I wanted more accurate results so I make the poll last from last week to Dec. 30th. I also wanted to make it more balanced, and added a variety of artists from people to vote for. 3 Pop, 3 Country, and 3 Rock. And so far, 5 out of the nine have triple digit numbers! Some on the verge of 4 digits! The voting is wild right now and we have just gotten started!

I should be doing anything other than writing right now. I have papers to write, a class to prepare to teach, and prepare for a speech. And all I can think of doing right now is talking about all of my music craves.

Such new and great music is out or coming out right now. Everytime I go on the iTunes store, something new is there. Like my last post, I bought Tim Urban's new song, and I just in the moment and started buying like crazy.

Tim released another new song. Called "Wheels Touch Down" I believe. It's good, but it really didn't give hype like the first one did. I moved on through the store and saw that the Black Eyed Peas has a new song out, a remake with a mixture of their own work in it.

The Script finally released their single for their new album in the states today. "For the First Time" is very good, expressing hard times in this economy. I was so excited to see the preorder for the new album. But of course, I will be buying it cheaper on Barnes and Noble. Sorry iTunes.

"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry took a new turn when a male vocal sings it for the new episode of Glee. From what I have gathered, the song is to inspire Kurt, the gay member, by who I expect is the new boyfriend that Kurt is getting that we have heard about. I don't usually get songs that are very new, but this version of the song is really good, so I thought what the heck. I'm listening to it now, and hearing, "You think I'm pretty without any makeup on" from a guy is a little bit interesting. So moving along...

So I hear Joe Jonas is releasing his first solo album. I have to say that I am suprised that it took him this long. I figured that he would be the first one to break away and start on his own. But I hear it is going to have some pop/dance/electro feel to it. Knowing Joe, he probably will make it more wild than the innocent JoBros lyrics. Maybe I will be able to stand it more that way.

What makes me sad is that we haven't heard anything new from Delta Goodrem and Brian McFadden. Yes, today is Delta's birthday (LOVE YOU!), but no sign of a new single or a new album. What a bummer. And Brian's "Just Say So" single doesn't seem to be getting any more popular. I keep asking myself if the single is even being played on radio. Brian said it would be out Oct. 10th, but I haven't heard anything since. To be honest, if anyone was to release anything, I wish it would be these two great artists!

So you see? I have alot of craves right now. Do you have a crave that you cannot wait to be released? Comment and tell me what it is!

-Tyler

Urban's Return

I did a little bit of digging today. I do it often when I look for artists that I have shown intrests for in the past. I look to see if they have any new music out, or have plans on releasing anything new in the future. The 9th season cast of American Idol caught my attention, and I started looking for some of their work.

Tim Urban was the only one other than Lee DeWyze that was in the midst of releasing anything new. Actually, he just released his first single just a few minutes ago! "Heart of Me" is now on iTunes, and I gotta admit, it's pretty good.

Of course, you all can't forget that I gave him a hard time. I think I recall saying that he mainly was on because the "Tween Girls" wanted to keep him on. And some of his performances really turned me off. But this new single is fresh, original and from an evolved Urban.

I watched the live chat that he took part in with ainow.com. He had some interestings to say. You can read the entire chat here.  Some things were:

"I want people to hear each of them [EP Tracks] and know that I put myself in all of them.”

“I've been blown away by all the support that I realized that I didn't need to get signed to get something out to people.”

And talking about his future with music, he says, "I might just keep releasing a few songs at a time.”

So I am actually pumped about the song and his entire EP. It all sounds good, and I think it will make #1 before sunrise. Who's kiddin, it will. And sorry Tim for being hard on you. It looks like you are really doing well, and I know you will be a success.

Make sure to buy the single on iTunes!

-Tyler

Revolution

Day six, and I am still sick as a dog. It started with a sore throat, then moved to me not having a voice for two days, and has now moved to aches, shakes, and a massive headache. It doesn't seem to want to go away, but I better get better soon, because I am starting to loose my patience.

Well, goodbye political TV ads, because the 2010 election is now over! Those ads could drive someone to throw the TV right out the window! And throughout last night, people were talking like the Republicans were invading the capital last night. Yes, the Republicans took alot of seats last night. While I think that it wasn't good for the Democrats (which I'm a proud Dem. by the way), I think that having some Republican influence in the government right now will equal everything out. And hey, maybe all of the blame will stop being thrown on President Obama. It's about time that some people taking the blame now.

And to add to the political hype, the lovely Aimee Allen finally managed to put up her 'Ron Paul Revolution' song on iTunes. I first heard it back during the 2008 election, and it was very good upbeat song. It actually got me to be a supporter for Paul during that election. And now, we hear that he could be a big political figure during the 2012 election. So who knows. But if you want to buy the song, which is highly recommended, you can buy it here! Aimee, I wish you the best with the song now on iTunes, and I hope it gets #1.

So I won't go into all of the political results, because let's face it; there is just too much to cover. But Nikki Haley was one that caught my eye. Even though she will not be running North Carolina, I really wished that she didn't get it. I don't know, but I just see another Mark Sanford-type scandal in the state with her running. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong. But let me ask you, did you like the person that won your state in any position. Comment and let me know!!

-Tyler

Halloween

Happy early Halloween! I figured I would post this now since so many will be out trick or treating tonight. As for me, I will be at work, not dressed up, with no voice, trying to announce the latest game of Laser Tag til midnight. How wonderful.

What would I have been if I could have dressed up? I would have been Batman or Robin. I was going to go all out, but I really didn't want to pay for costumes like that. Plus I didn't know if I would have been able to dress up. And what do you know, I can't.

But for some, people are really going out of the box. Some are dressing up like this Snookie character, and some people just plan on throwing something on and saying they are Lady Gaga. I would pay big bucks to see someone dress up like a witch and having a "Hello, my name is Christine ODonnell." How ironic would that be? The View would have a feild day, that is for sure.

Well guys, just wanted to write a very quick message wishing you a very Happy Halloween! Make sure to drink milk, get lots of candy, hug a duck, and don't get in too dark of an alley!!

-Tyler

Unleashed II

As a late birthday gift to myself, I decided to buy the new The Force Unleashed II game that was released Oct. 26. I was very excited about this new game because the first game was what I would call one of the best games of all time, with one of the best storylines of the Star Wars Saga. I was so excited that I even decided to go and get it in between classes.

So, I rush home right after class and go to play it. It is amazing! The graphics are way better than the last game, the new force powers are great, and you get to weild two lightsabers! What can get better than that.

Just one little problem. The game and storyline was so short that I finished the game the day after I got it! I think it took me several weeks to beat the first game, which is telling you something. And don't say that I played it nonstop without blinking, because I didn't. I took long breaks in between playing it, and I still beat it with ease.

I keep looking to see that I have more to play, but I can't seem to find it. I even looked the game up, and sources say that the storyline is very short, which makes me believe that this is it. Which is sad, because I paid $50 for only a day of entertainment.

And the game leaves you on a cliffhanger. You think that the game is going to continue, but then if just stops out of the blue. That only tells me that there will be a third game. But with a short game like this, I think they could fit in a whole other game in there.

I hate to say it, but I give this game a 6/10 just because of how short it was. And based on this recent game, I wish they just had left it with just the first game. They made the first game so perfect, so why try to extend it? All I can say is that I hope they make the next game seriously long because I want more of a game than what I just played.

-Tyler

Breathe...

Attention all Delta Goodrem fans! We seem to have a new song with Delta in it! It's not her song, but she is heavely featured in this new song, along with Mark Masri. The song is called 'Breathe, Dreame, Pray, Love', and it is 5 star material!!

I stumbled among this song when I was checking on how well Delta's songs were going on iTunes. I tend to do this to get an idea if anyone is buying her songs. And there it was, a new thing on her page. The album called 'Home' by Jim Brickman. I was curious as to why it was on her page. It made me think that she helped write a song for him, and I clicked it. I was suprised to see that she was actually featured in one of the songs. I previewed it, and it instantly took my breath away.

I instantly bought it, and I have listened to it ever since. Delta sings for most of the song, which is a change from other duets and songs that she has recently been in. And she sings with Mark Masri, which sounds like a good artist as well! And in parts, you get goosebumps from the perfect harmony that they have together. Truly an inspirational song.

I posted the link of the song, and Delta fans went crazy over it. Many Delta twitter pages started putting in the link as well, and before you know it, people all knew about the song. People are calling it an amazing song, and hope that this is the direction Delta plans to go with her new album. I agree with that.

Here is a small lyric of the song:
"Breath like it is my last breath coming
dream like I am not awake
and pray like I know a new day is dawning
love like you love me"

So, if you haven't heard the song yet, I strongly encourage you to listen to it, and buy it as well! This is an amazing song and I think Delta fans are going to be talking about this for awhile.

Birthday Wishes

I am official 19!! Actually, it was a few days ago. But still, I am a year older than I was a few days ago!! Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. And I am looking forward to what the next 362 days has in store for me!!

This birthday was way better than my last. Last year, I worked from 8 AM to 7 PM with my dad on some god-forsaken mountain where there was no service whatsoever. And it was freezing. Oh it was freezing. And then when I return home, my mom was screaming in pain from her surgery that she recently undergone. So we were not able to go anywhere. So it really wasn't that great. All I wanted to do was go in my room, close the door, and read.

But this year was so much better. It was on a sunday, so no work for me! And I had a little party on both days with both of my families. The first birthday party was the day before, and I recieved my most wanted gift of the year; the iPad!!

And let me tell you, this iPad is amazing!! I feel like my life is in my hands! It does everything such as games, movies, TV shows, music videos, iPod capabilities, and mobile web!! Really something.

It really wasn't a suprise, since I went and picked out everything I wanted two days before. I had planned everything, all the way down to the iTunes card. But they wrapped everything up for me, which made it feel a little bit special.

Then the next day, on my official day, we went out of town for my cousin's debut cook book party. And I have to say that I haven't seen such a line for a book since the last Harry Potter book. People were everywhere, and I saw some people carrying out 12 cookbooks! So it was good to see her sell them, and to hear her story on what brought the idea on.

So why haven't I been on here lately? Well, with my iPad and all, I just haven't taken the time to write. Although, I got inspiration for a new story. I am in the midst of the first chapter, and it sounds really good so far. The ideas are flowing like water, and it isn't as hard to write the ideas down either. Sorry, nobody is reading it on here. You'll have to wait til it gets published.

Well that is all for now. Stay tuned to more exciting stuff!

-Tyler

Her Eyes Pt.2

Her Eyes- Part II

She was relieved to find out that his leg would be fine, but it would never be the same again. She then learned that he would be in a cast for some time, and would be returning home soon. When the word was out that he would be returning home, she and her family began making arrangements to accommodate his condition. They purchased a new recliner to help ease his leg, and a wheel chair. They also made a welcome home banner for his return.

The family realized quickly that he wouldn’t be able to get around much without a wheelchair. So the entire family came together and set out to build him a ramp up the steps of the house. She enjoyed projects like this that included the entire family. She realized that this was under different and more serious circumstances, but it comforted her to know that her family could still be able to come together in hard times. During the day of the construction, she rode with her mom to Lowes to pick out the wood. She always enjoyed venturing out in the building full of big tools.

She walked with her mother as the Lowe’s employee directed them to the wood. He was a short man, white hair, with no hair at the top of his head, and a thick white mustache. He also had eye glasses that made him look like a British political leader from War World II. He helped advice her mother the type of boards that would be needed for a project that they were planning. After picking out the boards, they also picked out tan paint to help match the color of the house. After paying, they headed out to the car, ready to start their project.

After a few more days passed, and after the ramp was successfully built, the hospital released her father. Since he could not return home in the family car, the hospital brought him home by driving him in an ambulance. She was in awe at the site of the big monster of a vehicle. Her other siblings were also astonished by this new thrill. When their father was carried out from the back, on a gurney, the family was in celebration. It had been so long since they have seen him that it felt like a hole in their heart was now refilled.

The ambulance men lowered the gurney to where it rested on the green earth. Her father laid on there with a simple sheet over him. On his left leg, she noticed that it was twice as big as his right. She realized that his leg was in a cast from the top of his leg to the bottom. He waved to everyone as he was rolled up closer to her. Tears streamed down her face in joy and gratefulness.

While one of the EMTs spoke with her mother and father about the new living arrangements that they would have to accommodate, the other one invited her and the other children to explore the ambulance. She and her siblings were freed of the strain and fear when they took the opportunity to explore the ambulance. While intrigued by all of the equipment before her eyes, she felt relieved to become a child again and not have to think about the reality around her for a moment. She didn’t know if it was because of the excitement of the ambulance or having her father back in her sights. But even though her father was back, there would be many obstacles ahead to make things feel normal.

The men from the hospital began rolling her father up to the house and were close to start rolling him up the ramp. The ambulance became an instant thought when she glanced at her father. Instant flashbacks flooded her brain. She remembered the dread of not being able to see him when he got hurt, and that she was unable to see him for weeks. She remembered how she finally let go, and shared her emotions with the assistant at school. She remembered the clock on the school wall, the paint slowly peeling around it. And she remembers that every time the clock ticked, it was a second without him. She returned back from her thoughts. That was no longer the case. Her father was now here, and that was all that mattered.

She hopped out of the ambulance and rushed towards the round crowd that circulated the ramp. The wind behind her seemed to push her there faster. But it took forever to reach her destination. When she made it to him, he reached out his hand to hold hers. She held on for dear life and yelled, “Daddy! I’ve missed you! Oh how I have missed you!”
He smiled and said, “I’ve missed you too, doll.”

Their connection broke when the gurney carried her dad up the ramp, then rolling him into the house, leaving her outside. She wiped a tiny tear from her face. The realization hit her that things would be difficult for awhile. Things would not be the same because he wouldn’t be able to do everything that he once was able to do. But that didn’t matter to her now. She walked up the ramp, following the group of family, the gurney, and her father. Right now she was just happy to have her father return, and that was all that mattered at the moment.

Her Eyes

Well I have been doing some writings for my writing class in school. And there are some writings that I have really enjoyed writing, and some that I have put alot of work into. So far, I have two, and I thought I would share them with you. This story, based off a real story from a classmate, will be presented in two parts. One today, and one tomorrow. Enjoy!

Her Eyes

She sat patiently on the bus and watched the many trees and houses pass by as her bus descended down the road. This was like any other day during her after school routine. After arriving at her house, she would do as usual and first drop her school belongings and then take a moment to fulfill her third grade imagination. The thought of her school work would be gone, until her mother ordered her to complete it.

The bus slowly stopped right next to her walkway. With joy, she jumps out, and rushes towards the house. Her TV was calling out to her, and she was not going to deny it. After shutting the door behind her, she dropped her bag in the place where she always did. She heard murmurs in the kitchen, and walked in with curiosity.

When she entered, she noticed that something was wrong. Her mother appeared in a frantic state, grabbing keys and in search for her purse. Her other siblings were also in a state of frazzled panic, trapped in their own world of shock and worry. She was not aware of what the situation was, but she was sure of one thing- someone was missing. It immediately caught her attention and brought it up in the chaos. “Where’s Daddy?”

Weeks passed, and every day she learned a little bit of her father’s condition. She learned on the first day that he fell from a construction site in Highlands. The next she learned that he fell several stories high, and landed in a half dirt, half cemented area. The leg that landed in the dirt remained unharmed. But the leg that landed in the cemented area did not fare well. She then learned that his leg was broken in at least eight different places.

The news then progressed where they feared that he would lose his leg. That frightened her more than anything. The possibility made her fear that nothing would be the same. Her fears that her father may not be able to give her rides on the back, or go running with her consumed her every free thought. The precious, simple moments that many daughters take for granted with their dads would be the thing that she feared of loosing.

Not being able to see him for weeks was already a horrible strain on her.
While she appeared strong in front of family, her emotions overcame her at school. Her mind became less focused on school, and more on the very slow, ticking clock on the wall. She stared at it so intently that she could even recognize the cake of dust that had been collected over the years. Her assistant teacher noticed her swift change in behavior, and asked her to come see her whenever she needed to.

Even though she didn’t want to open the gates that managed to control her uncontrollable anxiety and restlessness, she did feel that it would be nice to talk to someone about everything. Before any positive news arrived, she finally broke down and worked up the courage to speak with her. The teacher noticed her walking towards her and instantly gave her instant attention. She grabbed her hands and gave a soft, warm squeeze. “What is it, dear?”

The realization that she could finally be a child, a child that had every right to express her emotions and concern for her father made her feel comfortable and safe. She could feel the tears slowly emerging from her eyes. They felt warm against her face, lightly tickling her skin as they rode down her cheeks. Words were not needed to show how she was feeling.

To be continued...

-Tyler

Arrogant

For those living in a rock, the Chilean Miners have been freed! All 33 were rescued late last night, and the 6 rescuers were also returned. You could hear nations from all over the world rejoicing as they were all rescued. Something that you might not have known about the situation was that there was some scandal to it as well.

The 21st miner to come up might have had thoughts to stay down in that mine, as some people have said. He had the idea of inviting both his wife and his mistress of 10 years to the site when he was brought up. His wife didn't take it too well, and was not there when he arrived. Instead, his mistress was there, and she was all over him like they were married. Imagine the welcome home party.

So I must announce that a few minutes ago I was on the edge of my seat when I was watching today's episode of The View. If you didn't watch it, then I hope that you catch some replays on tonight's news and on Youtube. They invited Bill O'Reilly to the show due to the release of his new book. I think all of them, plus O'Reilly was in for a shock.

O'Reilly cut straight to the chase and got to the hot topics on his chest. Mainly he started with how the midterm elections are actually based on President Obama, and not the canidates running. He talked about how the President's approval rating was at a low, and that was due to him not being involved with the people.

He set the place on fire when he brought up the Mosque situation in New York. He told Joy to give him a chance to teach her something, which caused the audience to boo him, while she called him "pigheaded" and later "Arrogant". Whoopi took offense when he mentioned the muslims that were behind the 9/11 attacks, and she defended them by saying that 70 muslims were dead during the attacks.

More talks, including Whoopi saying a few bleeped words and O'Reilly degrading the Muslim culture even more caused both Joy and Whoopi to storm off of the stage. Barbera Walters tried to calm the audience by saying that Joy and Whoopi should not have walked out, and telling O'Reilly that he was going too far as well.

Joy and Whoopi rejoined the stage saying that O'Reilly apologized. They didn't have much to say after that though. Whoopi had murder in her eyes, and I think Joy was making notes on what she will say what she really thinks of him for her show tonight. And they ended his segment in a calm mood by promoting his new book.

You want my honest opinion? I think he went on that show with that type of attitude. People like that want to sling dirt and get people all hot and ready for a fight. I know from past knowledge of him that nobody can really have a nice thing to say about him because he is way too extreme about what he has to say.

If you asked me, I think Whoopi should have kicked his ass...

-Tyler

Rescued

Early this morning, the first Chilean Miner that has been trapped for over 70 days, made history as he emerged to the surface. It began the well planned out, and so far successful plan to get the other 32 miners out. Since then, 17 miners have been recovered, with all 33 to be expected to be out by the end of the day.

It is just incredible to see the entire world watch as they waited for the first miner to return. And tears of joy flooded the scene as the rescue process began. The miners have already shown their gratitude by bringing fools gold and starting chants after their return.

It is also amazing to find out how they survived this long. Surviving off of water and a spoon of tuna fish a day seems pretty impossible. But they seem to pull it off. Some miners have said that there was actually 34 people there, including God. They also say that the Devil was also in there, but God won.

And like Whoopi Goldberg said, when we watch all of this take place, we don't seem to be focused on war and terrorism and the nasty politics that seem to be going on right now. It is just a moment to really appreciate the sight of a person being reunited with their family and just being grateful to be alive. It is a lesson to all of us, and I think that is why so many people are paying attention right now.

They are considered heros of Chile right now, and I can see why. They have shown incredible strenght and courage to face the edge of death every day for 70 days. They have also shown how to stick with their brothers in times of trouble. They may only think that they're just simple miners still, but they are an international inspiration to everyone right now and their lives will be changed forever.

-Tyler

Eames

Well it is official! Kathryn Erbe is set to return with actor Vincent D'Onofrio for the final season of Law and Order: Criminal Intent. We all suspected that it was no-brainer after Vincent rejoined the show. We knew that Erbe and Vincent were very good actors together, so she would either rejoin, or have a very good reason for not returning. But she is, and that is all that matters!

If things had not changed in season 9, I truly believe that their season 10 would not be their last. If they had just stuck with the Goren/Eames-Nichols/Wheeler teams, then things would have worked a whole lot better. And the ratings would be alot higher.

And speaking of ratings, the returned cast has a lot of mess to clean up. They have to recover the fans that left last season, and add it on to the 2.5-2.9 million regular viewers. And may I correct myself on something. I said during my last LOCI post that season 8 had a total of 4.5 million viewers. That was very wrong. It had a total of 5.4 million. Totally different. So that means that this show could potentially bring back 2.4 million viewers. And heck, if they mangage to do that good of a job, there is always that window that Dick Wolf has left open, saying that this could just be the beginning of more Goren/Eames episodes.

It is a shame that Bogosian cannot return. It's possible, everybody can be written back somehow. They could write that Ross was shot with a bullet-proof vest, and disappeared after "the body" was disposed of. But who knows, maybe it is the end of the Ross team. And if that is the case, do you think that MEM will stay on? I really didn't like her as a captain, and I hope that Deakins or someone better will take her place.

OliviaFan29 wrote this possible storyline that could be on the show next season. There are so many right now, but I think this one is really good. See what you think:

" My idea is this:

They will write it as Eames just left the MCS and not the force (she being the Sargent or something of another squad.) Wheeler (they said other cast may return and they could write her in as just being on maternity leave) is back at MCS and catches a case one night that involves Donny! She calls Eames because she doesn't know how to get a hold of Goren (who is working for the FBI and so is able to still work on cases). Eames calls Goren (cause of course they stayed in touch!!!) and they help work the case with Wheeler. They do a great job and at the end of the episode Goren is offered his job back. As much as I want Eames to be his partner again I think it would also be an interesting idea if Goren and Wheeler worked together and Eames was the captin. We'd still get G/E dynamic but in a interesting new way."

This really makes me excited for the 2011 season. It MAY make it it's last season, but I know it will be great!! And I know millions of people are jumping up and down right now! Let's celebrate people, because our dream team is back, and better than ever!!

Every Thought

This weather is just gorgeous! It really gets me in a good mood. It isn't too hot, but its not to cold either. Although, it does get very cold in the night time. I just hope this winter will be cold enough where it snows here every other day. I know last year I didn't want it because I was gonna have to go to school til August. But now, I could care less if it came a huge blizzard in the middle of the night! That is always wishful thinking in this town of mine.

So my mind has currently been focused on this one little thought. Actually not little...but BIG. It hasn't really came to my attention until recently. Now it has become my every thought. I haven't been able to focus in school, and I haven't been able to escape the thought when I'm not busy. It's always there. What am I going to do about it? I have a plan. Will I tell you? Never, ha ha.

This week, my entire town has been effected alot. A teenager a little bit older than me died this week due to a car accident. This was a person that hundreds of people knew. He was up in sports and favorite among many. But he died because he wasn't able to really see the meaning of life. That life is fragile, and while you should live to the fullest, living dangerously has it's consequenses.

I am hesitant to describe what happened to him, but I think if people know what happens to people, they may change their life while they have the chance. He was riding with friends, both high off meth and drunk (according to sources). He was riding in the bed of the truck. And while going 80-100 mph on 35 mph, the truck went airborn, turned over twice, and pinned him. Long story short is that he was airlifted, and was presumed that he would be paralyzed for life. But he died shortly after.

I have always said that nothing good can come from drugs and alcohol. And sometimes people have to learn it the hard way. It's like what my friend said last night. Hopefully the only good thing that will happen is that people will realize what risky things can happen when you are involved in that stuff. If only he had realized it sooner...

-Tyler

Touched

I now feel that my voice is being heard in the world. My last post overall saw over 1400 views. That just proves that people really are opening their eyes to these things going on. People watching the things with Bishop Eddie Long and Tyler Clementi are now realizing that things need to change...and for the better.

Just a few short minutes ago, I saw a post on Yahoo talking about how people's opinion on gay marriage and gay rights have now changed. It used to be that America was 50/50 on the view. And on their poll, over 40,000 people voted, and 53% are now in favor, and 47% opposed. Opinions are now changing. Sadly, it takes very big issues such as Tyler Clementi's suicide to make people really think on these things.

Okay, moving on. I have told you that things are not so great with my job right now. Actually, it continues to get worse. Not my point though. My point is that yesterday I worked at our little "foam factory". It's where kids can come in and play with styrofoam balls. They love it. Yesterday we had a party in the building, and all of the kids came to play in the foam factory.

One of the kids belonged to my old english teacher. And this child has cerebral palsy. It just broke my heart to see him. It breaks my heart to see any child with a disability. They don't deserve to live a hard life. Anyways, he was very excited to come in. He started playing on the bottom floor. He comes up to me and asks where his brother is. I said I would help him.

After we find him, he decides he wants to go up the steps and go down the slides. His parents come in to help him, but I insisted that I had things under control. He made it up the steps, and I helped him get on the slide. After he knew he could make it from there, he pushed me away and said that he would see me at the bottom. So I rushed down to meet him, and I see him with a big smile as he came out. He insisted that he did it again and again, and I followed him every step of the way.

The thing that got me was that he wanted to go up to the very highest point of the structure. It is a tunnel that hangs over the entire things. I have never been able to cross it because I am terrified of heights. But he wanted to do it. I told I was not able to go across, but that I would see him on the other side. I go and he is almost there. I tell him that he did super well, alot better than what I could. And he said the thing that still waters my eyes, "I'm not afraid." I'm not even going to explain why it gets to me.

It is time for him to leave, and he says that he had so much fun. He parents are truly grateful. They say it was nice for me to give both him and them a moment to do their own thing. They said I had the most patience they have ever seen in a person, and that I should consider a degree in special education. And later, someone comes up to me and says, "I heard all of the great things you did for that boy." That entire experience touched me in more ways than one.

And that is why I work there. To give children the experience of a lifetime, and to make them feel that they are important. I know that things are bad now, but I have hope that things will get better.

Ha, I had alot to talk about today. I hope you all take a moment to think about the things I said today and apply it to your life tomorrow!

-Tyler

Sickened

Some people just really make me sick. I don't know why people are so cruel and uncompassionate towards people that do not share equal views, or do not openly share lifestyles because they fear that people will judge them for that reason. Whether it is about sexual orientation, political preference, ethnic groups, you name it. And the many different ways people treat them for those reasons are unconcievable.

For people who don't watch the news, tv of some sort, or read internet articles, a boy by the name of Tyler Clementi took his own life to escape the harsh treatment given by his roommate. A freshmen in college, attending Rutgers University, he really had his name out there. They say that he was a very accomplished musician through his school. I saw that he was featured in many school music videos on Youtube. And you know what, his life was changed forever because his roommate passed judgement on him.

Okay, I'm just going to get down to the nitty gritty. His roommate discovered that Tyler was making out with a guy from that same school. He tweeted about it (funny, but his twitter has now disappeared), talking sarcastically about what he knew.

Unknown to Tyler, this same roommate had a secret webcam in his room while engaging in sexual activities with this same guy. Get this though, the roommate streamed it live over the net, and tweeted for people to watch it. I'm not fully aware of the situation from there, but I assume that he found out and took his own life by jumping the George Washington bridge. Such a tragedy.

I don't know about you, but I am pretty mad about this. Not only did he expose this guy's privacy, but he also streamed it live in front of potentially millions of viewers. And you know that people get off of this type of public humiliation.

People like that give people and the internet a bad name. No wonder schools try to regulate everything we do. No wonder people are afraid to really express what they want to say or what they feel. Look at Bishop Eddie Long and other political leaders. They don't know this, but what they say impacts someone one way or another.

Now, I have already said that I support gay rights and everything that involves that. It's not something that I would do, but why should I pass judgment on someone for who they love or what they do? I know I would hate people passing judgement on me for something. And just imagine if we all could stop all of this bigotry and people could feel safe in what they want to do. The world would be such a better place to live in. Just something to think about. I'll be praying for Tyler Clementi and his family tonight. And I think we should all pray for the people that instigate this stuff to happen.

-Tyler

Toxic Glee

So who watched last night's Glee? Anybody who is anybody probably did. It was simply amazing. It was great for all of the wrong reasons. Of course, it had Britney Spears in it, so of course you would feel a little bit dirty after it.

It reminds you how wild Britney would make you. I remember the girls would take up her lead and dress up as the free school girl that Britney played. And then we see pythons as pets.

The Glee cast did an amazing job with this episode. They helped relive all of the good and wild moments by Britney down to a T. And we cannot forget their final song. 'Toxic' was simply amazing. I tend to not like to buy Glee songs, but I'm thinking I may have to make an exception for this song. It was so well-put together.

Probably my favorite part was when they all went to John Stamos' dentistry to get under anestesia to have their 'Britney Fantasy'. Each one had a new one, and each one was a Britney hit. What was also funny was that Kurt was the only one to first have the idea of a Britney performance. By the end of the episode, almost everyone wanted a Britney performance after visiting Stamos.

Another funny thing was during the 'Toxic' performance, Sue yelled, "Sexual Riot", and turned the fire alarm on. Everybody rushed out, and Sue had to have a neck brace on due to everyone trampling on her.

So, this episode was really funny. It had a little bit of everything. It just goes to show that Britney is truly a pop/sex icon, and she probably will never give up her crown. If only she would straighten up a bit, then she could make some really good music again!

-Tyler

Rebel

So you can probably tell now that I have alot of personal demons to deal with. I'm mainly talking about my last post. But you know what, I'm going to try and look ahead of all of this. I really don't know what I'm going to do about it, but it is really just a situation where you have to deal with it when it happens.

Moving on...I feel alot better about work. No, the situation is not better. But, knowing that pretty much every employee feels the same way that I do makes me feel a whole lot better. And even the 3 assistant managers feel the same way. Go figure.

But last night, our head manager finally unraveled the "Code of Conduct" that we knew was coming. It included such rules as parking a block away from the building so our cars don't inconvience customers. It also included the big rule, "No associating with co-workers". Yeah, good luck with that. Whatever happened to working as a team to getting things done. He doesn't understand that we all worked like dogs to get the jobs done everyday, and we even stayed hours after we were supposed to to get the place in tip-top shape.

It makes me laugh and nervous at the same time. I laugh because I know alot of the employees won't take it seriously. What makes me nervous is what he will do when he realizes that his policies are not taking full effect. And you know who get punished for it? Yes, me. My co-workers say I have nothing to worry about because I'm one of the best, but really, you have to stay on your toes. There may come a time soon when I will have to fight for the position that I currently hold. And yes, I will fight for it.

Well, that was a little rebellious thought. I don't have many of those, so this is suprising that I am writing this. My last thought is just remember to watch out for the new guys, because they are more than likely to screw things up for you! Have a wonderful day!

-Tyler

Addisons

Amazing! You have no idea how excited I was about the response from the last post. For those that don't follow me on Twitter and such, the last post drew in over 1,000 views into this blog. I looked all over and I could see other people posting my link in the web and talking about my views. I said that I didn't expect to get a huge crowd with it, but wow, you guys proved me wrong! Thank you so much! It really touched me to see that so many wanted to read what I had to say!

Alot of people mainly focused on what I had to say about Bishop Eddie Long. It was a prime example of my entire point. People were angered by him today as he stepped into the pulpit and denied the claims based on those 4 men. Some say he is guilty, but some say there isn't enough to prove. But one thing is for certain, which once again refers back to my las post, if he had just never spoken agains homosexuality, alot of people would have never paid attention to this. That's what you call taking more than you can chew!

But wow, I have no idea how I managed to put so many thoughts in my last post. How many was there? Too many for me to count. As you can tell, I had alot going through my head at the time. And you can tell I did not think about it long because it's all jumbled up. But seriously, I hope I made a point with it. Maybe some people will follow my lead.

To be truthful, my entire week has been rough. Sorry, maybe make that 2 weeks. School work continues to pile on itself. Work continues to get more complicated every day due to our new manager. My dad's recent health scare. Thankfully though, everything is fine. And another thing that has happened that may possibly bring my overall family together.

I can't say that I have taken a liking to my uncle the past few years. Not that he knows anything about this. I tend to keep my feelings toward him a secret. One side of my family just wants to keep the peace on some things. So why should I bring back old wounds? Not me, not I.

I won't go into the nitty gritty, because what happened is a soap opera in itself. Long story short, I was very close to him and vice versa. He got married, and eventually took actions based on accusations by her. I won't go into who it involved (it wasn't me personally) or what it involved, but his actions led me to loose respect and admiration in everything that he was and what he stood for. His actions also split that side of my family in half for 2 years because of it.

I had not seen him in person in over 2 years, nor did I want to. While it did not involve me, I felt just as betrayed and hurt. I also felt that it was so hipocritcal of him to act like that and in the 2 year hiatus, he becomes a very big figure in his church. While I am very religious, I felt that a confession in my front yard would have sufficed alot better.

They then proposed that we shared Christmas together after 2 long years. While the rest of my family agreed, I was dead set against it. But for my family's sake I agreed. Since then, I have put a fake front. The situation has improved some, but never will it be the same again.

Okay, to my point. Sunday he was rushed into the hospital for some known symptoms. Monday, he is diagnosed with Addisons disease. I really don't know how to really explain it, but I'll compare it to how your immune system is trashed after chemo. Apparently he has had this for some time, but just now diagnosed. He has been a basket case since then, along with my grandmother and who knows who else.

Now, don't say, "Wow, his cold heart really can bleed," when I say that I was really concerned about all of this. I wanted to go and be there for him during his hard time. But of course, school and work had a firm grip on me. He has since returned home, but his life will be altered forever.

So now I sit here with many emotions. And what kills me is that the entire time that I think of what horrible things he is going through, and all I want is to tell him how I feel that he betrayed me, my family, and how much I despise him for it.

Maybe I can make things better by continuing to be there for him during his health crisis. Hey, maybe even this will bring us closer, possibly. Or maybe my intention is to tell what I really want to say to get some closure...for the both of us.

All I know is that with everything going on right now, the only time I can escape reality is when I do my 6 minute commute to work, school and home every day.

-Tyler

Outrage

You know, I have never felt about writing about controversial topics before. I figured I would be smart and avoid the topics that alot of bloggers like to dig into. But today during a class, I realized that I actually enjoy getting into the middle of it all. I enjoyed voicing my opinion, and ready to oppose a statment when ready. I should have joined the debate team at school...

Today when I was thinking about what I wanted to write, my attention was to throw my outrage out and shove it in the faces of the American public, or whoever would read it. Some people are too conservative on some aspects, too liberal in others and flat outright cruel about others.

And I am talking about the hardcore topics too. I don't mess around with the petty disagreements that the society we live in deal with. I am talking about the debate with our hurt environment, abortion, evolution, gay treatment, and animal abuse.

So I guess I need to tell you right now what my stand is on these issues before people start making assumptions. I am a big environmentalist, and I have a hard time thinking that people could deny that our environment is hurting right now. I am a hardcore pro-life person up to the point where it comes down to the life-death threat that a mother and her child will face. I could really care less about the evolution issue because I live by my religion, but I won't trash the theories that science has to offer. I am in support of Gay marriage and fair treament towards the gay community. And I am dead set against animal cruelty and abuse. So there you go, that is my stand on things. I guess you could call me a traditional democrat, but I won't go on that road.

I really don't know what has gotten me to this point. Maybe it is because I feel that people think they can say whatever and not expect to get a counter-response. I know this blog may not reach every eye, nor am I expecting to drop everything and taking my lead, but I just want my voice to be heard. I usually just stand in the back and watch everything take place. But now I feel that it is my turn to speak what I feel.

Or maybe my anger is at the people slinging the mud, not the issue itself. You see these almighty respected individuals with so much influence, acting so harsh and conservative towards a certain subject, and then you hear reports that they are accused of the very same thing that they stand against. How hipocritical. And how two-faced.

Lets say for example this christian pastor in Atlanta. He has publically spoken against homosexuality, but now he is accused of same-sex relations with minors. Good luck with that one. And then there are so called "environmentalists", and you see them using more energy, fossil fuels, and less recycling than anyone. How funny.

It's so weird. I have no idea what purpose I have with this. It seems to be a mixture of everything wrong with society today. I know I can't do anything about it as one person, but I hope that people as a whole can eventually come together and overcome these obstacles that make these steryotypes and unfair environments.

But, I think we all must overcome our own self-demons in order to do this. Is it possible? Sure, actually, of course. But will it with the way people act today? Absolutely not.

Goren

Great news for Law and Order fans! Yes, if you haven't heard it already, Vincent D'Onofrio will be returning to the Law and Order Criminal Intent series for season 10. While the plan is to only have an 8 episode season, and that would end the series, they have left the door open to a possible further future if the show returns to a good standing. Many fans have already shown their support. Here is what I posted in the LOCI forum on USA (the quote was from previous posts):

When I got this news on my phone via twitter, I nearly flipped out.

Speaking of Twitter, I was wondering when USA would ever mention something about the show. Their last post about about Abram in the season finale. But anyways...

Yes, Yes, we can all now say I TOLD YOU SO. I think we are all very shocked to hear this bit of news. The though of Goren suddenly returning after 14 so episodes without him seems weird. And right now they are still negotiating with Erbe, meaning that Burrows is possibly still in the future, along with Mastrintonio.

Imagine how much money they had to pay Vincent. And imagine how much they will have to pay Erbe as well. But you know, I think Erbe will be a bit more easier to get on board with this since Vincent is now back.

Imagine the storyline that they will be making. They will need to make it big to gain back whatever fans that will be interested to see Goren and Eames return. Like myself and someone else on here have talked about, here is a possible storyline that I have thought up:

"One of my fantasy episodes of them returning would be if the Cheif of Ds' was in the midst of a scandal concerning many detectives getting fired for various reasons (Including Goren of course, and Eames quitting would only help raise suspicions).

They are brought back into the Major Case Squad undercover (Authorized by someone higher than the COD) to investigate. And then Goren and Eames will return publicly to the Squad after exposing the COD and revealing that firing Goren was not on legal grounds. The storyline could be so deep that they could bring it back up for the series finale (if they decide on the 8-episode season that people are talking about) and end the show with a very pretty bow on top."

And let us all agree that ratings will jump with Goren's return, despite the fact that not every single CI fan will return. I think the show can easily regain a million viewers that they lost, if not more. Lets see, the finale of season 8 was 4.5 million. I think they could end with a 4 million audience. Not bad a bad thought.

And to be honest, just because they say it is the finale season, doesn't mean that it will be the FINAL season. I think they want to see how many people will jump on this wagon and see how far they can go with it. 8 episodes may be the plan for now, but they may have plans for more if things go well.

So what do you think? This show is right now at the edge of it's end. Do you think Vincent and possibly Erbe can bring this show back to the way it once was? You be the judge, but I think great things will happen now.

Just Say So

Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem have both really been in the spotlight lately, both in the USA and in Australia. We saw Delta perform lovely in the 'Stand Up To Cancer' event, and quickly seeing her perform for the 10th anniversary of the Virgin Airlines. But at the same time Brian has gotten things done by releasing the 'Mistakes' music video, as well as release the single and planning on releasing 'Just Say So' in the USA next week.

First of all, the video. The video has gotten thousands of views and awesome reviews from all over the world. Not only is it for a good song, but the video is hot, funny and sexy. To see the hottest couple right now film a video like this is nothing short of genius.

And then of course there is the new single in Australia. Yes, he released the 'Mistakes' single. The cover is simply to die for, and the song continues the feeling. It is not that much different than the original album version, but it is worth the buy to Australian buyers because you get both the song and video for the price of one. Great deal!! And so far it is making it up the Itunes charts really fast. It's going to be the next big thing is Australia.

And now for the big news in the USA. Brian will be releasing his first hit single from the 'Wall of Soundz' album, 'Just Say So'. It is what many USA Brian fans have been waiting for. And if it makes as much of an impact that it did in Australia, it is going to be huge!! But remember, us fans have to stand together and make sure that the single makes it big. So make sure to start buing Itunes cards so you are able to buy it as soon as it is released! I will keep you all updated on how it charts and stuff.

I will talk to you all soon!

-Tyler

Performed

I really should be working on my Upton Sinclair paper. Not only that, but I should be starting on my other 4 page paper. But you know what, I would rather be writing here right now. So here I am.

Many of you probably tuned in on here to watch the Stand Up To Cancer event. The event was pretty huge. It aired on 17 networks, including the four major networks. And it was streaming live all over the net, reaching audiences up into the millions. I made sure I was right there watching it and looking forward to the talent that was scheduled to perform.

The entire hour was very emotional and uplifting at the same time. Some of the music wasn't the best in the world though. Stevie Wonder sounded like he was murdering his song, bless him. And then of course there is the final song that really made me mad.

The final song was the song that I was looking forward to. Delta Goodrem was performing in it. So immediately when the announcer only mentions her as "friend", I was pretty disappointed. Delta started the song and was very powerful and gorgeous as always. Following was Leona Lewis that was very weak in her start of the song. Together, they sounded very good. Others performing during the song was Heart and Natasha Bedingfield. And another disappointment was that they started rolling the credits before the song was even over. I wasn't happy at all.

But I eventually calmed down and started looking on the bright side. Delta was so excited to be apart of this amazing cause and to perform with other very popular musicians. And plus, her name is on the Itunes credits so she will get her credit in the end. I was so proud of her!

Speaking of Delta, Brian McFadden released his 'Mistakes' music video this week. And may I tell you that it is nothing short of amazing! The entire song worked well with the video. It was funny at times, and sometimes it was "I can't believe he/she just did that!" Already the video has gotten major views and positive reviews. I can't wait til America starts to see the talent Brian and Delta have together!!

Well I think I need to start of these papers. It's going to take me forever! I'll talk to you all soon!

-Tyler

SU2C

The site finally seems to be working again.  I don't know what the problem was, but right when I call my domain guy, things start working again.  Go figure.  Also, I have been so busy with school that I don't have the motivation to write at the end of the day.  But I figured that I would take some time now to write about our lovable Delta Goodrem. 

We all wondered when Delta would make another apperance in the USA.  And by gosh, we are going to get one soon.  A very big one.  She will be performing at the Stand Up to Cancer television event this Friday.  And not only will she be on one network that night, she will be on several.  NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX and many others will show her bright face in front of millions of viewers.  I will save myself some time and post what I posted from the Delta Goodrem Forum:

For Australian fans that do not know what this is; this is pretty huge. It is aired on all news stations such as NBC, Fox, ABC and CBS. Imagine the views that Delta will get with her performance. This will really get her booming in the USA! So Excited!!

How much of a performance Delta will do is still to be determined. One, possibly two of three things could happen. First, she could perform one of her songs or another version of a different song. I think 'Angels in the Room' and 'Believe Again' and 'Be Stong' are very good possiblities since the show features uplifting songs from a very sad place.

There are two other song choices that I think are possible. 'In This Life' is a possibility since she is most famous for it. Although, it really doesn't fit the tone of the event, so I'm not so sure. Another song is 'Breath In Breath Out'. I think that song is a very uplifting song.

The next thing is that she may be doing a duet. Her tweet makes me think that it a very likely thing to happen. It could be a very good thing, or a very bad thing. If she has equal parts with her partner, it could be a hit and send her up the charts. However, if she turns out to sing the song like she sings 'Mistakes', she won't get much coverage.

My favorite thought, but not likely to happen is if she performs a song from her new album. While performing is for a good cause, her label may be using it as a promotion tactic. But neither her nor Brian have hinted about this so let's just assume that she won't be doing this.

The best thing about this is that every song performed on that event will probably be on the front page of Itunes. So whatever song and who she sings with will be available for purchase by millions of customers.  Imagine how more popular her current album, 'Delta' will be if people really like her on the networks! Not to mention if the song is not on the album, and is a single, it could really get some attention. 

But like I have said in the past, it is way too soon to tell.  But you know what, any sort of apperance is good for Delta in the USA.  Especially while her new album is in the process of being released.  So many things could happen with this performance, and I look forward to watching it so badly.  Forget work, I will make sure that I am sitting in front of the TV screen, and every other tv in the house is recording it! 

I hope I helped you decide on what you're doing Friday night, because I expect all of you to be watching this event!  Watch out, Delta is coming back with a boom!

-Tyler

Thunder: The Final Chapter

Thunder: The Final Chapter


Everything was prepared. Lance and Katie had assembled the suit, and equipped it with all of the technical gadgets, and waiting outside was the grand motorcycle that was ready to race through Canton.

But the problem was that none of this was useful. Nothing had happened that caught their attention. It appeared that this drug dealer had walked off the face of the earth. Nobody had spotted him, reported him, nor did the media mention him.

But Lance spared no time. He knew that this person was still out there, and he needed to be ready for him. He knew that this person was more powerful than he was, and he could be taken out with one swift stroke.

Every night, until he nearly passed out with exhaustion, he would train, upgrading his martial art techniques. And he would also start training on new arts. He worked on Eskrima, Kung Fu, and Hapkido. It was really hard for him, but he knew that it would be worth it in the long run.

And while Lance was working on the physical work, Katie was working on the mental work. She spent countless hours uploading new content up on the computer. We eventually had to buy a larger hard drive to help the basic one keep up with all of the multitasking Katie was making it do. He knew that he would need to upgrade it to a better and more cut-in edge one. But he knew he had better not mention anymore of this to Bonnie.

Bonnie kept to herself up in the kitchen, then occasionally brought down her treats for them to keep giving her a reason to make more things. The thought that she was letting the pair of them do this near suicidal attempt made her feel guilty and in a way, grieving. In her eyes she already saw them dead.

She thought this because they were planning to take on the biggest drug lord since the days of the “Just say no” saying from Nancy Regan. They didn’t stand a chance, she thought. But her constant hinting that this was a bad idea didn’t even phase the hard workers. She had learned in the past that she was not able to control anyone but herself. So she knew that she needed to just let it go and what will be will be.

She walked in the now-secret room with fresh apple fritters and a selection of beverages. She knew that it didn’t matter what she brought down; it would all be used up quickly. She looked at the table before her in a semi-mused look. “Everything ready?”

It took Katie a minute to respond, thinking that Lance would answer the question for her. She didn’t even have to leave her trance on the computer.“It appears so. All there is to do now is to make all of our stuff better”.

“That’ll make me sleep better at night,” Bonnie sarcastically said. She headed in Lance’s direction and when she turned her head she realized that Katie had picked up on her sarcasm.

“Are you sure you are prepared for this Lance,” Bonnie asked him. She hoped that he would all of a sudden crawl into her arms and cry and say that he was scared. But she knew that she needed to prepare herself for her dreams to be shattered.

“Hope so,” he quickly said before adding in another punch, “Got to be at the top of my game.”

“Of course you do.”.......

Thunder: Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lance, Bonnie and Katie walked around the boxes in the center of Lance’s new control room. He decided that since he didn’t have a bat cave or a fortress, he decided to use the next best thing: His training room. The computer was already in there so it was perfect.


Lance and Bonnie looked at Katie ready to find out what all this stuff was. Katie noticed the gesture and started explaining. “Okay,” she said, picking up the first box that she could get.

She opened it and showed a security panel to them. “Due to the fact that this place is Thunder’s hideout, I thought that we needed some protection. So this will help.” She set the box down and picked another few up.

“Now these are the parts to your suit. The legs, the arms, the body, belt, the whole works.” She pulled them all out to show them. “It is state of the art. Bullet-proof, and everything.” She paused and pointed to the belt. “This will be equipped with a GPS chip so we will always know where you are.” She set it down and continued, “I didn’t get a cowl, unless you were going for the Batman look.”

“Actually I was going for the Robin look,” he popped up.

“You mean just the cover of the eyes,” Bonnie said.

“Yeah.”

Katie nodded her head. “I can do that,” then she went past several boxes. “Most of this stuff is the usual gadgetry. Grapple, smoke bombs.” Then she smiled and picked up a small box. “Since your whole symbol is lightning and thunder I found something that will work for you.”

She opened it and picked up a small, yellow ball. To Lance it looked like ammo for a paintball gun. “Take a look at this,” she said. She threw it on the floor. As soon as it cracked, a surge of electricity burst out and a gunshot-like sound entered that room.

Lance and Bonnie ducked and covered their ears. It ended as soon as it came. They came back up slowly to make sure that there was none left. “What the hell was that?” Bonnie yelled.

“It’s for the element of surprise,” Katie said, “And it will also be good for your calling card. And let’s just say that if anybody tries to get too close to you, they will be in for a shock!”

Lance laughed at this, but Bonnie didn’t return the same gesture. Katie noticed. “Sorry,” she said. She shrunk a little bit from the scolding by Bonnie. She then picked up the last and smallest box left on the table. “This will be an important asset to us,” she said. She opened it and rolled two little head pieces onto the table. “With this you and I will be able to have constant access to each other. That way while you are on the street I can be here gathering information and/or call for backup if needed.”

“Thanks Katie, but I don’t think I will need backup,” he replied.

“We will see,” she said.

After Bonnie was able to recover from the explosive sound she decided to mention something. “Not trying to rain on your parade or anything but do you know yet about your transportation?”

Lance was confused. “Transportation?”

“Well of course,” she said, “You certainly can’t walk when you’re on crime duty.”

Lance and Katie looked at each other in defeat. This was one obstacle that they overlooked. “Well I guess we will have to find something to use then.”

Katie quickly turned to the computer and started typing in searches. She kept mumbling words that Bonnie could barely make out, “…It’ll need to be yellow of course…Very fast…yes…that would do it.” She turned around and pointed her findings.

“It’s a motorcycle. It’s cost efficient, and will work well.”

Bonnie of course popped up with an objection, “But he has no license. It will be illegal.” But Katie was smarter than that. “We are already doing illegal things, this will be no different.” And Katie and Lance hudled together as Bonnie bit her lip until it bled.