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Pretty Lights' Filling Up the City Skies

If I was forced to live on a deserted island and had to listen to one album 24-7 I would choose Filling Up the City Skies by Pretty Lights, released in 2008. This album is beautiful, soft, calm, and expressive. I find myself listening to it for hours and it is one of the few albums I have come across that does not contain a single song I do not enjoy. I would find it easy to sleep, work, eat, and lounge to this album all the time. My favorite song on this album is Solamente, which is a beautiful, soulful song. None of the songs from Filling Up the City Skies have any lyrics, they are all classified as electronic music, and much like Skrillex, do not fit neatly into one subgenre. The music is slow-paced, and some of it has a sound of glitch-hop to it. I don't know if I could stand to listen to any other album for days on end and at every hour of the day and night. I would say I would want to hear Skrillex, but I would never want to ruin one of my favorite artist's albums for me. If I were to listen to Skrillex for hours on end, not only would I be unable to get any sleep but also the music itself would be ruined for me forever due to the constant repetition. If I have ever heard any album that would be soothing to listen to all hours of the day and night, it would definitely be Filling Up the City Skies by Pretty Lights.

Preventing Animal Abuse in America

In America today, there are an estimated 164.6 million cats and dogs owned as pets, and around 20,000 reported cases of animal cruelty each month. This statistic puts the number of animals abused in our country each year in the hundreds of thousands, not including cases that went unreported. I believe animals are God’s innocent creatures and that we are charged with their care and well-being, and that abusing an animal is one of the most heinous crimes one can commit. Despite increasing criminal penalties, animals continue to be abused and neglected in record numbers, suffering everything from dog fighting and beatings to starvation and filthy living conditions. Dealing with animal abuse and implementing a community-based system of prevention is essential to growth, health, and greatness of America.

Preventing animal abuse in America starts with creating awareness of animal cruelty and providing communities with the necessary tools to fight it. The timely reporting of animal cruelty cases to the authorities is essential to saving the lives of animals involved and bringing perpetrators to justice before any evidence disappears.  If an incentive were offered to crime stoppers and reporters of animal cruelty, more individuals would come forward with potentially life-saving information. Economic incentives to report crimes are an invaluable tool to police and the community. However, even an incentive as small as one’s name featured in the local paper would still encourage more people to come forward with reports of abuse.

Skrillex has Haters

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/nov/17/skrillex-review
Unfortunately for Skrillex, he has a decent amount of people who hate on his work. The reviewer claims that Skrillex's sound cannot really be classified as dubstep, and in that aspect he is absolutely right. Skrillex is not dubstep because he does not neatly fit into one subgenre of EDM. His varying rhythms, sounds, and BPMs of his songs are a mixture of electro-house, dubstep, drum and bass, and even the latin-inspired moombahton. Part of the reason so many people hate on Skrillex is because he came from absolute obscurity to world-wide famehood in just 2 years. Originally a member of the hardcore/emo band "From First to Last," Sonny Moore AKA Skrillex started his journey as a DJ in east Los Angeles where he would play at underground events. Just 1 year and thousands of followers later, international superstar DJ Deadmau5 signed Sonny Moore to his label, Mau5trap and Skrillex released his first EP entitled "My Name is Skrillex" which quickly rose to the top of the Beatport Top 10 list for EDM. Many people hate on Skrillex because his sound is unique, raw and un-classifiable  Others hate on Skrillex for being signed to the Mau5trap label. However, anyone with an eye for talent will see that Sonny Moore is an extremely gifted artist.

Eating Disorders

My best friend lay on the couch next to me, wilted and defeated looking, sobbing quietly into her hands.

                “I’ve been dealing with it for so long, it’s like a drug, it’s an addiction…”

Lost for words and clueless how to comfort her, I held and reassured her, promising that I would always be there, promising my shoulder to cry on and my unconditional love.

                “I just don’t understand,” I stammered, “you’re so beautiful, why? Why would you do this to yourself?”

My best friend that I’d had since I was 12 and the strongest, most resilient person I had ever known had just confessed to me that she was struggling with bulimia nervosa, a life-threatening disease that affects millions of young girls throughout the country. Bulimia is a diagnosable medical disorder which causes the sufferer to eat large quantities of food in a short period of time (known as “bingeing”) and then force herself to vomit (known as “purging”). Anorexia nervosa (commonly known as anorexia), another potentially life-threatening disorder, causes the sufferer to eat unhealthily small quantities of food and become obsessive and secretive about eating food. It has been estimated that more than 10 million young women struggle with eating disorders. Despite this information, research on eating disorders remains underfunded, insurance covering treatment remains sparse, and unhealthy body images among girls remain rampant.  Although the number of people with eating disorders is more than twice the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s research receives almost 54 times the amount of funding as does research on eating disorders. Anorexia is the most deadly psychiatric disorder, claiming nearly 15% of its victims within 12 years. For girls affected by this disease, their eating disorder becomes an addiction, and the road to recovery can be as long and painful as the reform process for drug addicts. 

Conspiracy Theories

I believe that the public loves conspiracy theories because they are used to explain phenomena that we may otherwise not understand. Conspiracy theories are fun to hear and read about, whether they are true or not. People tend to be superstitious which is why the 11-11-11 date garnered so much media attention. I believe that the existence of a powerful, wealthy group of individuals controlling the world is not impossible. However, if such a group exists and said group really does control the entire world, then no meaningful information connecting the group with world occurances would be readily available. I do not believe that the vast majority of what we are fed through the media and government accurately displays even half of what is going on in America and around the world. I also do not listen to the radio and watch TV only sparingly due to my disdain for commercialism, mainstream entertainment, and the media as a whole. I do occasionally get the feeling that such media often attempts to brainwash viewers into believing a set of beliefs without offering alternative viewpoints. I believe is is up to every individual to resist these forces and to become more educated about the world and their surroundings.

Selling One's Soul to the Devil

I do not believe that if you go to a crossroads late at night in the south and play your guitar, the devil will show up and offer guitar playing skills in exchange for your eternal soul. I do, however, believe that it is possible to sell your soul to the devil. One can have a conversation with the devil just as one would have a conversation with God through prayer. The devil can offer you power, money, talent, and social status in exchange for following his evil agenda and doing evils things. This, in my opinion, is how one would sell their soul to the devil. Whether or not Robert Johnson actually sold his soul to the devil is between him and God. A listener can usually tell whether or not a musician has soul their soul to the devil by listening to the lyrics of their songs. Songs that glorify pain, evil deeds, greed, money, power, etc are influenced by evil forces whereas songs that contain good messages are influenced by God and good forces. I also like to refer to an artist selling their soul to the devil as selling out, or abandoning personal integrity for musical fame and fortune. Unfortunately, most popular artists today have sold out, as is evident by their increasingly depraved and degrading lyrics. This is one of the reasons why I prefer to listen to underground music, music I find on the internet, and music from obscure artists. It actually tends to be better quality due to the fact that the artists have not watered-down their musical talent to conform with the mainstream.

EDM Genres and the Importance of Diversity

In electronic dance music, all genres sound better when played alongside other genres at shows and events. That way, the listener can see their relation to each other, how they compliment each other, and how they are made to affect the listener differently. Subgenres of EDM are all different and will affect the listener differently throughout the night and cause different emotional responses. When the listener is exposed to different genres in one night, trance music will elecit chills and goosebumps while uplifting the listener's mood, drum and bass will fill the listener with power, dubstep will twist and wobble the otherwise stable atmosphere of the event, electro has an electrifying, dizzying effect on the listener, breaks disrupt the listener's sense of rhythm and has a tendency to elicit feelings of wittiness and cockiness.
A real fan of EDM and someone who loves the entire rave scene, supports the rave scene as a whole, can see and appreciate the beauty of all the genres and see them as the many beautiful facets of our culture, rather than seeing them as a multiple choice question of which side are you on or not on. One genre could never support this entire culture. If only one genre's producers and DJs and parties are supported, then all the rest have to quit producing and DJing and promoting and have to drop out of the scene and get normal jobs. Then, when the dubstep fad subsides and everyone is off to the new hot radical little thing, so will go their producers and djs and promoters and then the scene will be empty and extinct. So in conclusion, support your local EDM DJ and all genres of electronic dance music.

Early American Music

Native Americans were the first inhabitants of America and brought with them the first music. Early European settlers also brought over new styles and instruments. African American slaves brought over their own unique music, and all of these musical influences were ingredients in the melting pot that is American music. Some of the first genres of American music were the blues, jazz, gospel, and folk music. Black musicians in the south gave birth to the earliest forms of uniquely American music, such as jazz, blues, and gospel. In addition to jazz,  country and bluegrass music was also a popular form of music in early American history and helped shape the history of music in America. Spirituals sang by African Americans as slaves were some of the earliest forms of purely American music. These spirituals spread across the country during the great spiritual awakening, and eventually evolved into jazz, blues, and ragtime music. In the Appalachian regions, hillbilly white people created jug bands, honky tonk and bluegrass styles of music, which helped shape the developing genres of country and rock and roll. Brass band marches were also very popular in America during its early history of music. American music has been influenced by people from cultures all over the world and, in this way, is like no other country's type of music.

The Tripping Dachshund Stories

These two articles present the same story: a couple ate acid, fed their dog acid, and all 3 ran outside to disastrous consequences. The poor dog was hit by a car and put down and the couple went to the hospital and then to jail. The first article has a more sad tone than the second article, and features a cute picture of a dachshund dog for visual effect and perhaps to evoke emotion from the reader. The second article features the two mugshots of the couple involved, and also mentions that the man was also charged with battery because he pulled the woman's hair, a detail that was not mentioned in the first article. The second article also mentions that if the dogs autopsy determines the dog was fed acid, the owners will be charged with animal cruelty. Both articles mention that the poor dog got hit by a car and then bit the owner's relatives. Neither articles report why the dog was put down, which could have been a result of its car crash injuries or its permanently damaged temperament because it was fed acid. However, the first article hints that the dog's injuries led it to be euthanized whereas the second article leaves this fact open to question. The mugshots included in the second article add to its accusatory and demonizing tone, whereas the dog picture in the first article attributes to its softer tone.

Desegregation of Public Schools in Commerce, GA

My dad grew up in the tiny GA town of Commerce during the 60's, when the public school system began to desegregate. He remembers one day in 6th grade, all white students, including himself, were required to attend a presentation at school the day before class officially started. He recalls the school’s principal announcing to all white students that black students would soon be attending classes with the white students the following day. The principal told the students before the conclusion of the presentation:

            “One day, General George Washington was reviewing his troops one night when he passed a black cook, who tipped his hat and saluted the president. The president then saluted and tipped his hat back to the cook. Later, one of the president’s officers asked him why he had shown the cook such great respect. The president replied: ‘Because, I would never be less polite than a n----r.’”

            This quote from a school principal spoken to a group of students is a reflection of the collective disdain from the white community about the desegregation of public schools, even eleven years after the Brown v. Board of Education court ruling. Ironically enough, due to the influx of black students attending the Commerce public school system, the word “n----r” was henceforth banned from being spoken by students or teachers at the school. 

Wealth Disparity in Atlanta

As a lifelong resident of the metro-Atlanta area, it is not news to me that there is a giant amount of wealth disparity in and around the city. We have Bankhead, which is famous nation-wide for being one of the filthiest, most ghetto, crime-ridden areas in the country. In Bankhead there is a considerable amount of housing projects and public housing, all of which are riddled with crime and poverty. Then on the opposite side of the spectrum, we have Buckhead, which is one of the nicest, richest and most extravagant areas in the Southeast. Buckhead is a small city in and of itself, which small sky-scrapers and its own downtown district just north of downtown Atlanta. Near downtown Buckhead is Westminster, which is the nicest (and most expensive) private school in Georgia. Around Buckhead is a large area of gigantic mansions, each more lavish and spacious than the one before. Our poor are extremely poor, and our rich are extremely rich. I believe that it is easy for the rich to become richer and almost impossible for the poor to gain any sort of meaningful wealth in America today. For these reasons, I support certain aspects of the Occupy Wall Street movement and believe that wealth disparity in Atlanta and all across America is an issue worth discussing.

The Abortion Debate

As a Christian, I believe that abortion is morally wrong. I myself would never get an abortion unless my life was in danger if I continued the pregnancy. However, I do not believe it is the function of the government to impose restrictions on abortions. This unsettling amendment would make the morning after pill illegal. It would also threaten the lives of women with deadly ectopic pregnancies and force victims of rape and incest to carry their abuser's baby to term. In my opinion, this amendment is a horrible piece of legislation and a horrible idea in general. I do not believe that this amendment is Christian or morally right because if voted into implementation, it has the capacity to threaten the lives of many women with potentially dangerous pregnancies. There are actually so many things wrong with this amendment that it would be very difficult for me to list them all. I believe that women's rights in our country has slipped backward since the reform movements of the 70's and 80's. If abortion is banned, we will see another influx of risky, back-alley and coat hanger abortions that could take the lives of the women involved. Worse, if morning-after pills are banned, we will see an great influx in unwanted pregnancies and teen pregnancies. And worse still, if procedures to save a woman's life during a dangerous pregnancy are banned, women will be forced to carry their dangerous pregnancy to term and slowly die because of it. In my opinion, there are few things less Christian than that.

Occupy Atlanta

 I believe that the Occupy Atlanta Protesters have a right to protest whenever they choose and for however long. I do not believe, however, that protesters have the right to squat on government-owned property for extended periods of time. In the past, protesters have marched to get their point across, not camped out in a public park. Although I do believe that park of Major Kasim Reed's reasoning for forcibly removing the Occupy Atlanta Protesters from the park is a political means to an end, I also believe that the protesters should not be allowed to squat in the city any more than homeless people have the right to live in the park. I agree with the protesters that the financial institutions and the bankers are in charge of Atlanta and not Mayor Reed. I also agree that the wealth disparity in our country is growing and is an issue worthy of attention and even protest. However, I believe the protesters are angry, provoking the police and the mayor, and do not have the right to squat in the park. Honestly, I am surprised that Mayor Kasim Reed has allowed the protesters to spend as much time in the park as they already have. In addition to squatting in the park being illegal, it is also unsanitary and already there have been reports of diseases spreading throughout the camps. This poses a public safety concern and should be addressed immediately by the City of Atlanta (which it already has).

The Trial of Senator Ted Stevens

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/opinion/woeful-cynical-misconduct.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
In this article published in the New York Times, the 2008 trial of Senator Ted Stevens is analyzed and criticized for prosecution misconduct. Apparently, the Justice Department helped intentionally conceal evidence that would have helped Senator Stevens prove his innocence. He was accused of failing to report a gift from an oil company executive and, as a result, lost his bid for re-election. Unfortunately, Senator Stevens died in a plane crash last year. Because of the controversy of the trial, one of the prosecutors committed suicide. I agree with the article in that I believe the Justice Department should seek to rectify the situation immediately as well as taking a closer look into evidence laws used in trial. In order for nothing like this trial to ever happen again, prosecutors should be required to turn in exculpatory evidence even if not order so by the judge. Unfortunately for many powerful figures and politicians, untrue accusations brought against them will not always be easily dispelled. In the case of Senator Ted Stevens, a great deal of injustice was done to him, his campaign, his career, and his reputation. It is unfortunate that Senator Stevens did not live to see this injustice be undone or corrected by the Justice Department.

The OWS Movement

The Occupy Wall Street Movement is unlike any political movement that has occurred in America in the past. It does not have a single, unified goal like the protests and marches of the 60's and 70's. Instead, the movement is scattered, un-unified, disorganized with multiple, often conflicting political goals. In a way, Occupy Wall Street is more like the internet than a book. Occupy Atlanta has 3 specific goals: rename the park "Troy Davis Park," a promise from Mayor Reed to not be kicked out or arrested, and for Mayor Reed to spend a night in the park. Unfortunately for the protesters, none of these things happened. I believe that in order for the Occupy Wall Street movement to be more effective, they need to have a few solid, unified goals and a step-by-step program for reaching those goals and bettering the community. Also, Occupy Wall Street protesters need to gain more knowledge of our country's policies and the true reasons behind wealth disparity in America and address those causes head on instead of flailing around in the dark. Protests are still an extremely viable source of change in the United States an always have been. However, if the American public along with the government and policy makers in our country are to take the Occupy Wall Street movement seriously, some serious changes must be made to the way the protesters are approaching their causes.

Parties pt. 1: The Jungle II

I am going to start a blog mini-series on parties. From now on, every time I am instructed to write about whatever I desire, I will discuss a party that I have been to and why I found it enjoyable. This week's party is:
The Jungle II @ Colab (South Atlanta)
This was, by far, the best party I've ever been to in my entire life. After driving through the ghetto for what seemed like forever, my friends and I finally arrived at a grassy parking lot fenced in by barbed wire. We followed others who were walking for a short bit until we arrived at the entrance to a massive, abandoned warehouse guarded by its owners who were diligently watching all who entered and kicking out kids that were unruly, too young, or who detracted from the atmosphere. The front of the warehouse had a wrap-around deck filled with kids who were chilling out and enjoying conversation. Upon entering the warehouse, there was a long hallway filled with vendors of glow sticks, paint, art, t-shirts, alcohol, etc. After rounding the corner there was a room with chill music playing and filled with beanbag chairs with people lounging and smoking giant hookahs. The next room we saw was medium-sized and pitch black except for black lights. This room had a DJ who was playing electro and trance music. As I continued on, I eventually wound up in the largest room in the warehouse: A massive pavilion with a 3-story high ceiling the size of a college basketball court. On one side of the room, the Disney movie The Jungle Book was being projected as high as a movie screen projection on the concrete wall with multiple couches, chairs, and beanbag chairs surrounding it. On the other side of the room was a DJ blasting a variety of electronic music genres with 2 subwoofers/speakers the size of smart cars blasting the music to a room filled with 300 dancing people. Accompanying the music was a spectacular light show, several small dancing stages, and glitter falling from the ceiling. As I continued through the warehouse I wandered into another room lit only by black lights. Everyone in the room was painting with neon colors, every wall of the room was covered in intricate designs, people were painting one another and throwing paint around, so basically paint was everywhere. Despite my best efforts, I got paint in my hair, on my clothes, and even in my car. After exploring the inside of the party, I wandered outside to the back deck, where there was a deck bar, several tables with chairs, and several people spinning fire staffs and other ablaze objects in perfect time to trance music. Upon leaving the deck I saw a small, half-globe shaped, enclosed, white tent and became curious as to what was going on inside the tent. My friend and I ventured inside to find a small projector was displaying color changing lights over the walls of the tent, resembling a planetarium. After enjoying every room and aspect of this party for several hours, the cops eventually shut everything down and took the owner away in handcuffs around 5am. Unfortunately this was the end of Colab and there has not been a party there since. :'(

Internet-Assisted Suicide

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201010/suicide-nurse-mark-drybrough-chatrooms-li-dao?printable=true
The article I chose to analyze is about how a middle-aged man from Minnesota urged several people to end their lives over the internet. The author of this article used creative and compelling anecdotes to appeal to the audience's sense of emotion while at the same time presenting a valid argument about internet crime in the 21st century. Although they can be just as appalling and physical crimes and ruin just as many lives, internet crimes tend to go unnoticed by authorities in many cases. What was most shocking to me about this article was general apathy shown by the authorities towards the beginning of the investigation of this man. I believe that if the authorities had been more diligent and had taken the initials claims more seriously, the man would have never had a chance to reach the second girl and perhaps she wouldn't have ended her own life. No one should ever underestimate the power of peer pressure in decision making, especially if the person being influenced is emotionally or mentally vulnerable, as was the case with both of this man's victims. I do not understand what would compel anyone to pressure others into killing themselves, especially a man with a house, a wife, and 2 children. Hopefully with the news of this story coupled with a more diligent police force investigating internet crimes, no one will ever have to suffer what these people suffered again.

My Identity

I am first and foremost someone who loves God and tries to live through Him, this is the largest part of my identity. This is solely a result of my own personal experiences and not the result of my upbringing; although my parents made an attempt to raise my as a Christian, it took God's hand interfering in my life before I actually became Christian. Although I am a Christian I do not follow a specific sect of Christianity as I believe that unity, not division is what Christ wanted his followers to practice. I try my hardest to not come off too boldly with my religious views or shove them down other people's throats because I definitely respect other people's spiritual beliefs. However, anyone in my life who has any sort of a real, deep closeness with me shares at the very least my love for God and Jesus. The second largest chunk of my identity is my involvement in and connection with horses, without which I would be a very miserable person. I made the decision to devote my entire life to horses when I was 13 yrs old, and since then I have realized that I will not be happy in my life doing anything else. My dream is to compete in the Olympics in equestrian show jumping, which is a sport in which men and women compete in the same event on horseback and the goal is to navigate the horse over a pre-determined course of various obstacles as quickly as possible without knocking any of them down. Another huge chunk of my identity are people who matter in my life, all of whom I have an undying love for. I cherish friends and family and consider myself to be extremely social. I become unhappy if I go for more than a day without any meaningful interaction with my friends, and extremely unhappy if I go an extended amount of time without partying. To party is, for me, an extremely important aspect of my social life and emotional health. I love to celebrate life with my friends and will become very depressed if consistently denied the chance to do so.

Factory Farms in my Backyard

The effects from factory farms are all around us in Georgia. Georgia is a mostly agrarian state and has been for almost its entire history. The recent influx of factory farms in our state is polluting our air, water, landscape, and the quality of the food being produced. I remember going to Lake Lanier one summer when I was younger and seeing the water with a brown, oily tinge to it and filled with garbage. As my family floated through the lake on our friend's boat, we saw a car tire coated in what looked like animal feces bobbing up and down in the water. I kept wondering why the lake had gone from blue and clean to filthy and brown in just one summer? After reading that article and watching Food, Inc., I believe that the reason why our state is becoming more and more polluted is because of factory farms in our backyards. The sewage being pumped into a small pond affects not only that pond but the surrounding environment and the small streams that stem from it. These streams will carry the pollution downstream and eventually end up in our major rivers (Chattahoochee) and our reservoirs (Lake Lanier, Lake Allatoona, etc). The fact that our environmental agencies have been doing little to nothing to prevent or correct this pollution is disturbing to me, but unfortunately not surprising.

Tomas Tranströmer

Tomas Tranströmer is a famous and talented Swedish Poet whose prose is unique, bold, often convoluted and difficult to understand, and fascinating to many people. His poems tend to have dark undertones and break ground on deep subjects including the mind's inner workings and the state of the world's politics. I read Tomas Tranströmer's poem "National Insecurity" and I was both intrigued and impressed by his work. I believe that the subject of the poem is the current state of world politics, how greed often takes precedent over what's best for the people and how a veil is placed over people's eyes as citizens and consumers. In this poem he vilifies the media when he says "the demon merges with the opened newspaper." He also makes an allusion to our planet being destroyed by human greed over resources when he says "so the demon merges with the opened newspaper." When Tranströmer says "The mother-turtle flees flying under the water," he is alluding to our planet and how it is being destroyed by human greed over resources. The title of the poem, "National Insecurity" is a social commentary on how vast miscarriages of justice, destruction of communities and the environment, and the general rotting of America is carried out under the guise of national security. I like this po because the reader has to read it several times before the full, complex meaning is absorbed. I also believe it is possible for this poem to have different meanings to different people which is perhaps why Tomas Tranströmer has become so popular.

Industrialized Food Industry

The first time I watched Food, Inc I was completely shocked by the reality of large scale food production. I believe that the industrialized food industry is contributing to the cause of obesity in America. Americans believe that fast food is cheap when in fact the food is expensive when one considers the health and environmental costs. Although organic meat is more expensive than industrially produced meat, this increase in price will cause consumers to buy and eat less meat if they choose to no longer eat fast food. I personally have made the life choice to no longer consume any fast food. I won't eat McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Stake n Shake, Sonic, KFC, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-a, or even Subway. I have cut back extensively on my intake of fatty, sugary, and salty foods. In addition, I'm am starting to only eat meat that is USDA-certified organic. As a result I feel healthier, look healthier, and have lost almost all of my body fat while maintaining stronger muscles and bones. I have even noticed changes in my mood and mental state. I am more frequently in a better mood and I tend to have a sharper memory. Even though I have an extensive history of endometriosis among the women in my family, I believe that due to my diet I have kept this disease at bay. I would not only highly recommend anyone and everyone to watch this wonderful documentary, I would also urge anyone who wants to become healthier to look more closely at their diet and to stop eating fast food.

Different Kinds of Jumps

I really sincerely hope anyone who reads this takes the time to read about different kinds of jumps. When I say jump, I mean an obstacle comprised of a horizontal pole held by standards used to jump horses over. There are different types of jumps used in horse jumping competitions, called horse shows, in order to test the horse's ability to bravely jump any type of obstacle. A jump with a single pair of standards holding poles with no other element is called a vertical. This I find amusing because the pole that the horse jumps over is actually horizontal. A jump with two sets of standards holding poles a few feet apart is called an oxer. An oxer creates depth in a jump instead of height only as is the case in a vertical jump. A liverpool jump is a vertical or oxer with a long, thin pool of water sitting directly underneath, slightly in front of or slightly behind the center of the jump. This type of jump tests a horse's bravery because many horses are afraid of jumping over water. A jump placed exactly 1-3 strides in front of another jump so as to be jumped as a pair is known as a combination. Combinations may be comprised of 2-4 jumps that can be verticals, oxers, or liverpools. A triple bar is a single jump that is comprised of 3 sets of standards holding poles placed a few feet from each other. The first pole is the lowest, the middle pole is medium height, and the pole on the end is the highest. This type of jump tests a horse's depth perception. An average show jumping course used in competition is comprised of 10-12 jumps or jump combinations to be jumped in a specific, pre-determined order. Whichever horse can jump all the jumps in order without refusing to jump or knocking over any obstacle the fastest wins the competition.

Weight Discrimination

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/07/opinion/puhl-christie-weight/index.html?hpt=op_t1
For today's op/ed assignment, I chose an article about how weight discrimination affects Americans running for political office, namely a potential presidential candidate named Chris Christie, who is overweight. The author presents the arguments that not only can you not necessarily tell a person's health by their body weight, but also body weight is in no way an indicator of a person's character or value. I absolutely agree with the author that body weight should not have as heavy and influence as it seems to have on people's opinions of each other. The fact that only one state in the country has a law protecting overweight and obese people from discrimination is shocking to me. If we have laws protecting people from discrimination based on gender, race, religion, disability, and veteran status by their employers, then why should we not have laws protecting overweight and obese people from discrimination by their employers? Harshly judging people for being overweight is not only cruel, it is often innefective at correctly judging someone's value, character and worth. The author cited a poll that showed that most people, but women especially, favor the creation of laws protecting people from weight discrimination in the workplace. I believe that women favor it more strongly because women are often more the subject of harassment based on weight than men due to our society's heavy placement of a woman's worth on her physical appearance. For this reason, I believe that the creation of weight discrimination in the workplace laws would benefit not only overweight employees, but society as large by addressing a social problem.

The Apocalypse

If a horrible disaster were to hit Atlanta rendering us all without food, supplies, or transportation, I would have an ace in the hole. My horse Atreyu is not only an awesome jumper, he is also brave and handy and unafraid of loud noises and scary situations. He listens to me extremely well and performs beautifully under pressure. Basically, he is the perfect horse to survive the apocalypse with. The first thing I would do is pack a few necessities in a backpack and start hiking down to the stable where my pony is located. I would then put on his endurance saddle (complete with saddle bags and a fleece seat cover), tack him up and ride him south to the ocean. There I would join a commune of survivors and we would work together in our small, communist society and protect each other from outside harm. We will get food by fishing and get around by horseback, living in huts made from brush and reeds on the beach. However, if the disaster is merely a disaster and not the end of the world, I'll just put on my hiking boots and hike up the interstate to my ex boyfriends house. His parents have a bomb shelter, their entire life savings, and a years supply of food and potable water below their house. This kid is extremely infatuated with me and would have no problem taking me into his bomb shelter should a natural disaster occur. The downside to this, of course, would be that I would be forced to spend extended amounts of time in a confined space with this kid. Perhaps survival would be worth it, though.

Riding Atreyu

My horse, Atreyu, isn't really crazy. I like to tell people he is because it's convenient way to describe his personality. But he isn't psychotic or dangerous as he may appear, it's just part of his personality, who he is. He gets extremely excited by the notion of jumping or galloping, sometimes so much so that he works himself up into a frenzy. This is all a part of his breeding (Morgan and Saddlebred blood) and his past training to be a high spirited, animated, fancy cart horse. He can pull carts quite well, just as he can lift his little pony legs in the perfect, snappy motion so desired by cart horse trainers. But what Atreyu is best at is jumping. He lives to jump. Circle, run, jump, turn, look for the next fence. Oxer, liverpool, triple-bar, combination. In fact, there is nothing he loves on this planet more than throwing himself over various objects as fast as he can. At first glance it may appear that my job is simply to hold on and point him to the next fence, but riding, especially riding Atreyu, is much more complicated. I train, guide, direct, and focus his energy. Using subtle movements of my hands and legs, shifts in my weight, soft vocal cues and my own energy, I tune into him. I understand him and his mood and quirks. I accept him fully for who he is and I work with his personality rather than against it. I control his speed, pace, rhythm, gait, bend, the way he holds his body, the amount of strides to a fence, and how he holds himself over a jump all at the same time. Riding Atreyu is about trusting him and expecting the same trust in return.

Occupy Wall Street

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/08/opinion/martin-occupy-wall-street/index.html?hpt=op_t1
For today's op/ed assignment, I chose an article explaining the motives and characters behind the recent and popular political movement called Occupy Wall Street, where thousands of Americans have gathered to protest in Wall Street. The author argues that even though one might disagree with the statements the protesters are making, no one has the right to criticize the protesters for gathering to criticize the government and corporations. Our country was founded on the principle that the people have the right to criticize their leaders and protest government policies. Without this fundamental right, America would not be as well off as it is today. It is through protest that the people enact change within our congressional system and throughout society at large. The author argues that the Wall Street occupiers are just in their cause, claiming that the favoring of corporations over individuals and families and the corporate greed in our country is not only obscene, but ripping the country apart. Our country seems to be returning to a point where a single elite class controls the entire system, a rapidly growing lower class is being trampled, and what's left of the middle class is slowly disappearing. Without people like the Wall Street occupiers willing to stand and say "enough," this system would not change. As long as the government continues to cut breaks to big companies that treat their workers and consumers with disrespect, there will be citizens willing to occupy Wall Street in protest.

The Pursuit of Happyness

My favorite movie of all time is The Pursuit of Happyness, starring Will Smith. The plot of the movie is about a troubled man living in the early 80's whose wife just left him due to financial issues. He is struggling to care for his son and keep both his young son and himself off the streets of New York City. The movie focuses on extremely mentally and emotionally trying difficulties in the man's life, including trying to care for his son, sell bulky and outdated medical equipment to prevent going homeless, repairing said equipment at a homeless shelter, and aggressively studying how to become a stock broker all at the same time. he finds himself frequently at the bottom of the totem pole, but never loses hope in himself or his family's future. The most touching scene in the movie is when his son is trying to play basketball and his annoyed father attempts to convince his son that he will never excel at the game. Disheartened, the son drops the basketball, at which point the father tells his son to never let anyone tell him he cannot do something, not even his own father. At the end of the movie, Will Smith's character wins a job as a stock broker and eventually becomes a millionaire. This movie embodies the American dream and is as charming as it is motivating, subtle, raw, and moving.

Livid Moon

The following is a poem I wrote about the moon. Every time I look up into the night sky and see the moon, I get a tingle down my spine. I could stare at the moon for hours, especially when the sunset reflects red and orange shades onto its surface, giving it an amber glow. Sometimes I feel like I have a special, spiritual connection with the moon, and the following poem is my attempt to capture this connection in writing.

Livid Moon

That ephemeral beauty on a chosen night

Lighting Earth with a purer light than found in day

Blacking out, blinding out envious stars, vain sprites

Bless those souls who dare kneel in wondrous awe and pray

Lighting Earth with a purer light than found in day

Creeping from behind the dark illusion of time

Bless those souls who dare kneel in wondrous awe and pray

Watch it grow and gain weight, screaming, white beams align

Creeping from behind the dark illusion of time

The last silver sphere on a sinister black wall

Watch it grow and gain weight, screaming white beams align

Breathing fire captured from the day onto the pall

The last silver sphere on a sinister black wall

The final white flame in a heart devoid of light

Breathing fire captured from the day onto the pall

That ephemeral beauty on a chosen night

Sarah Palin

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/06/opinion/granderson-palin-presidency/index.html?hpt=op_mid
For today's op/ed, I chose an article about Sarah Palin. This opinionated article argues that although many public figures and ordinary people like to criticize Sarah Palin's intelligence, she is, in fact, quite smart in her decision not to run for president. The author of the article makes some interesting points. Why would Sarah Palin go through the money, scrutiny, and mental and emotional hell of running for the presidency when she already has such a cushy job at home? Yes she is scrutinized, but nowhere near the extent she would be if she were running for president, much less elected. She is smart because she realized that she can influence important political decisions, elections, and legislation without having to run for president. Her position in the public eye is at the moment in the best interest of her, her family, and her followers. Sarah Palin does not have the desire to be thrown into the political fire any more than she has already, nor does she have the desire to tackle the most difficult job in the country during one of the most politically and economically tremulous states of our country in recent history. I applaud her for having the courage to step down and realize that she can have just as much influence on the sidelines as if she was actually playing the game.

The Athens Newspaper

As any Georgian would know, Athens is more known for its ridiculous parties and massive football games than for its semi-newsworthy events. This is why I find this particular Colbert clip ridiculous. I believe the intended message of this clip is that the classic American newspaper is in some parts of the country as old, outdated, and decrepit as the unfortunate subjects of this video. In this age of readily available information technology, most people receive their news over their phone, through the computer, or on the t.v. This video implies that the only people not receiving their news technologically are old, backwoods hicks and that it is through their efforts alone that the classic American local newspaper is kept alive. As for the image of this state, between backwards, sexist, and racist legislation, to horrific problems with our schools, to the recent, highly controversial execution, I believe this small clip will have little bearing on the already tarnished reputation of Georgia. However, I do believe that this Colbert clip paints an extremely unrealistic picture of Athens, GA, which every college student knows has the capacity to be an as lively, technologically advanced, exciting town as any other. In reality, Colbert could have chosen any small town in the country to do this parody on, but I believe he chose a town in Georgia because of this state's reputation for being backwards and stuck in the 1800's.

My Gift Shop Review

The documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop definitely caught me by surprise. What started out as a simple documentary about street art turned into a secretive view into the lives of street artists, how and why street art has become so popular, and an almost disturbing commentary on the commercialization of art. What I took away from Exit Through The Gift Shop was that art is quickly becoming about who you know and how much money you have as opposed to how much talent you possess. I believe that the documentary is a cleverly re-arranged collage of various videos that contains a different meaning and purpose than what the videos were originally intended for. I don't believe that the documentary was a complete fake, however, I do believe that Banksy created it for the purpose of enlightening the general public about what I'm sure he considers to be a disease in the art world and to attempt to preserve his personal ideals of art, the art world, and the motives behind the creation of art. Who decides what is and is not art? The art collectors with the most money to spend. It seems to me that a piece of work only becomes art if someone is willing to fork out big bucks for it. This documentary is about the commercialization, demoralization, and watering-down of the art world and how the elitist and consumerist aspects of our society have rubbed off onto the art world.

The Dying Post Office

What do I believe should be done about the post office? First off, although I do understand that email and social networking replaces the vast majority of mail, I also understand that there are some things that absolutely must be delivered by mail, such as a signed document or a check. I personally believe that our country still needs a postal service, even in this age of advanced technology. I also believe that it is not the government's job to bailout or save the post office. So how does it go about saving itself? First of all, there is no way the postal service will stay in business unless it lays off thousands of its employees. It needs to drastically shorten its days and hours of business to 3 or 4 days a week. Although this will bring inconvenience to millions of Americans, it would bring less inconvenience than if the entire United States Postal Service were to shut down altogether. The fact that our country is having this problem has brought global embarrassment, but it has also brought us an opportunity to see how other countries have organized their postal services and how they have kept their mail system from failing. Our country has been through worse and pulled through, so I'm sure that this problem with our postal service will be overcome and the United States Postal Service will recover.

My Horse is Crazy

My horse, Atreyu, is a very unorthodox jumper. About one year ago I picked him out of a girl's backyard in Tampa for only $4500, a very good price for a competitive show jumper competing at 1.10m (3'7"). Why you may ask was my horse so cheap? Because he is crazy. Yes, my horse is insane, psychotic, barely hanging on by a thread. The first time I got on him, I spent about 20 minutes trying to get him to walk quietly in a straight line. He seemed to have only 2 speeds: freaking out in place, and freaking out while bolting forward. However, his abilities and willingness as a show jumper captured my heart as a rider and challenged my abilities as a trainer. This horse has more heart than a Disney movie and talent to match, but is dealing with his chaotic craziness worth the effort? I puzzled myself with this question for a long time. Slowly but surely as he progresses in his training with me, he has calmed down. He now has 3 solid gaits in both directions, an ability to jump quietly, a flexible stride and a softer, more responsive demeanor. I wouldn't go so far as to say he is a pleasure to ride, he continues to challenge me on a daily basis. But if it weren't for his jaw dropping craziness, I wouldn't be half as accomplished a horse trainer as I am today. A common reaction I get from other competitors is "Wow, I can't believe you can ride that thing!" My reaction is always secretly "You should have seen him a year ago!" My hope is that a year from now, I can look back at the initial steps in his training and remember fondly the day I finally broke through to him and he became an extension of my body, two became one.

First of the Year (Equinox)

There are few things in this world that I love with the same intensity that I love Skrillex. From the first time I heard a Skrillex song, I was instantly in love with the intense, insane, twisted, unpredictable, unique, beautiful noise. Skrillex's songs have provided me with passion, power, and energy. They have carried me through and helped me out of some of the worst ruts in my life. You might even say that I am his biggest fan. So, of course, the music video I have chosen to analyze is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cXDgFwE13g&ob=av2e

The video begins with what is clearly a pedophile sitting on a bench and stalking children. The audience is made aware of the fact that this man is a pedophile from the sinister way he twirls a candy in his hand, the stereotypical trench coat, and the perverted stare in his eyes as he watched children play. As the upbeat, almost Jamaican-sounding music begins, a little girl is seen skipping down the road of a secluded alley with the pedophile in pursuit. The adorable innocence of the little girl is complimented by the cute, high-pitched, distorted vocals of the song and is contrasted by the evil of the stalking predator as he continues to follow her down a staircase into a dark, abandoned, underground warehouse. As the upbeat music continues, we see the predator filling a cloth with what is assumed to be chloroform, and we see the little girl standing with a somber look on her face while holding a phone. Just as the pedophile is about to strike, the girl screams into the phone "CALL 911 NOW!!!" synchronizing perfectly with the screaming vocals of the song. The phone then hits the ground with an unusually powerful thud, which sends the predator flying through the air, screaming. The music instantly turns dark and distorted as the girl is revealed to possess some sort of magical dubstep powers, tormenting her would-be molester to the rhythm of the screaming bass. The pedophile appears to be out cold and hallucinating that he is in a room with a number of creepy dolls. As the music returns to its former, less dark tune, you see the pedophile reach for the dolls longingly, symbolizing his perverted desire for children. A pair of dark, demonic hands then grab his face and drag him back to consciousness, where he awakes face down on the floor. He scrambles to find his phone, and screams "CALL 911 NOW!!!" yet again matching up perfectly with the screaming vocals of the song. The music once again plunges into darkness and distortion as plumes of smoke begin to shoot out from around the little girl. The audience then sees a giant, black, dubstep demon-monster rise from the smoke and join the little girl in torturing the pedophile in time with the pounding bass. It is implied at the end of the music video that the pedophile has been killed by the girl and the demon as she finger paints yet another black line on what is unmistakably a wall documenting the number of pedophiles fallen prey to the little girl.

Working at Hooters

Working at Hooters was the worst job I've ever had. The summer after graduation, my mom moved out west and my dad decided to cut me off. Because I not only had myself but also a horse I needed to support, I walked into Hooters one day and got the job. Being a Hooters Girl is no glamorous job. Aside from having to dress like an 80's gym teacher, a Hooters Girl must deal with rude and drunk customers, incompetent managers, and catty coworkers. Peeling the constantly running, thick pantyhose onto my legs was an aerobics routine. I would occasionally be called in for a mandatory staff meeting, during which I was shown an instructional video on how to respond to negative criticism of my job position. My fellow Hooters Girls would routinely make each other (including myself) cry as a result of some drama or fight. I found it shocking that my general manager would get high every day before work until I discovered that 2 of the girls I worked with would go behind the building and snort blow before their shifts. Frankly, I'm sure there were other drug and prostitution related debaucheries taking place at the Hooters I worked at that I will never know about, nor do I care to. All the other girls would laugh and scoff at the fact I spent most of my time outside of work training horses, except for one girl named Emily. She trained horses herself and was my only friend at work, and frequently the only other girl that would talk to me. We remain friends to this day.

One day, a man in his mid-fifties (about the age of my father) rolled up to Hooters in his imported concept Porsche, came inside and ordered beer and wings. It soon became apparent that this man was a regular and beloved by all the girls. As a new girl, it was obligatory that I introduce myself to him as he apparently had the desire to know every Hooters Girl that worked at this particular Hooters. After introducing myself and striking up a conversation, we talked for a good 20-30 minutes as he guzzled down beer after beer. The conversation began with where I went to college and the horses I trained and soon trailed off to my life ambitions and both of our bucket lists. I learned that this man was an overnight billionaire through the trade business who spent most of his time sailing and traveling to Europe to pick out his newest concept car. He learned that I was a college student struggling to pay for myself and my horse with dreams of one day competing in the Olympics and owning my own stable. At the end of our conversation, instead of asking to be my sugar daddy as I would have expected, he gave me a $50 bill and told me that I was too intelligent and ambitious to be a Hooters Girl. That was the last night I worked at Hooters, I found a waiting job at a Mexican restaurant the next week.

The New Underground

Because I can write about anything I want, I have chosen to write a post about a book I want to write, which I have entitled "The New Underground." The book is about 3 friends named Bryce, Mary Kate and Landon who are offered $10,000 to make a drug run from San Francisco to Atlanta. The following is a small excerpt from the book (in fact, the only paragraph I have written so far) which will set the tone of the entire work. I hope that this English class will help give me some basic direction to where this book is going in terms of style and structure.

Mary Kate entertained the possibility that the most unsettling thing is to watch something you love be demonized, something that has never brought you any demons. The talking heads judge and preach from the safety of their own ignorance. Underneath their misguided concern, skewed data and pretentious writing lies a more sinister and twisted motive. For all their infinite wisdom, they continuously fail to identify demons of their own. In a sense, you must pick your poison. Choose between condemnatory mob mentality or emotional and mental displacement from society. At first Mary Kate resisted this displacement, stuck in the endless struggle against conventional thought. However, she soon learned to embrace her new-found freedom from convention, a raw freedom to explore and dream and do anything and everything the world had to offer. Bryce and Landon also shared this ecstatic freedom; they were all three drinking from the fountain of life as it poured like a waterfall from the top of a cliff. None of them knew or even cared exactly how close they were to drowning. 

Test Grading

For this Friday's editorial analyzation, I have chosen the following article from the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/opinion/there-has-to-be-a-better-way-to-grade-tests.html?ref=opinion

The article is arguing that the way tests are graded in the state of New York has left the system vulnerable to cheating. Although I do believe the author's exigence is drawn from the recent scandal in my city, I also believe that the author's argument is valid. Requiring teachers to grade their own students' tests days before graduation is not the best course of action for a school district who's goal is to eradicate cheating. As the Atlanta scandal has shown, cheating can and will frequently occur when given the opportunity to, especially when a school's funding is on the line. Teachers and principals don't want their students to fail the Regents exam any more then the students want to not graduate, therefore if New York is serious about preventing cheating, a new system of grading tests must be established. However, any new innovation in the schools' systems of test grading will cost the state extra money, be it a new computer system for students to take tests on, a test scanner that sends the tests to a neutral location for grading, or physical transportation of tests to a neutral location. New York has bigger problems than the possibility of cheating on standardized tests in public schools, and I believe that if the state chooses to address this problem, it will at the very most be placed on the back burner. I suppose that for now, New York will have to rely on the personal integrity of students, teachers, and principals to keep the dangers of cheating at bay.

Forgetting Ron Paul

The Daily Show pointed out an interesting point: Ron Paul is being systematically overlooked by the media as a serious contender for the presidential race. While I am not one to religiously follow the politics surrounding the presidential race, even I found this puzzling. Why exactly does no one seem to care about Ron Paul? The easy answer is that the media is collectively trying to discredit him as a serious candidate, but I believe the real answer is more complicated. Ron Paul is a candidate who I believe could do very well in the primary, who sees himself as more accountable to the community and to the voters than to his political party, and therefore is a serious threat to other Republican candidates. However, instead of drawing more attention to Ron Paul in an attempt to discredit and make fun of him (as was done with Sarah Palin), some of the talking heads have decided simply ignoring Ron Paul will make him go away. This is not, however, a secret, organized effort by the collective media to remove Ron Paul from the spotlight as a contender to the race. I believe the ignoring of Ron Paul is almost a sort of unspoken rule among political reporters. Out of sight, out of mind. Therefore, Ron Paul is systematically ignored, not by conscience effort, but by coincidence due to like mindsets among media figures. Perhaps if this coincidence continues for much longer, eventually more figures than just The Daily Show will take notice and the elephant in the room will eventually be collectively discussed among the media and other contenders. My hope is that the grassroots movement surrounding Ron Paul's candidacy will continue to grow and he will earn more supporters and eventually more votes in the the race to become the next president.

First Post!!

Hey y'all this is Shannon. I'm from Marietta, GA in a part of town called East Cobb, which is comprised of shopping centers, upper-class subdivisions, and assorted public schools. I very much disliked living there and am very happy to live in the city now. I'm majoring in business economics. I love music and my favorite genres are alternative rock and EDM. My favorite movies are The Pursuit of Happyness, The Hangover and Kill Bill, and my favorite book is Harry Potter. I'm a member of the GA State Equestrian Team and I am always either taking lessons with the team or training my own horse, Atreyu. I also draw, write, sing opera, model, swim, and chill with my friends and my boyfriend, Hunter.