Like The SOUP

Progress?

2009-06-01T11:16:00.004-05:00

I see a SUV laughing at a hybrid car in the past,

Too bad this trend won’t last,

Now I see a little finger mocking the SUV,

Because now going green is the key.

I think a change is underway,

Hybrid cars are here to stay,

The past and present show a lot of change,

But in reality these two generations have similar range.

Forever cars have been markers of class,

Now the best ones are the ones that haul (expletive).

I wonder why we always have to point fingers,

While this terrifying economical crisis still lingers.

This was a"creative" poem I tried to show progress in the US. Back in the day, SUV were far superior to a hybrid. Hybrids were known to be nerdy, and inefficient. Now that has turned 180 degrees. Many people are switching to hybrid cars not only because it is more cost efficient but also because they believe that it really helps the environment. In reality, we would have to do a lot more than drive hybrid cars to save out planet. I really believe that a hybrid car is trying to inference a social status. It is not saying "I have tons of money" but rather "look at me, I care about the environment. That's why I think the US is repeating itself. As we have learned from the Great Gatsby, cars are a sign of social class. When Jay and Daisy are in the car together and they drive past Jay, they are showing a sign of upper class. Back in the 1920s cars were just hitting the market, and only the wealthy. Even though Tom is very wealthy himself, Jay and Daisy feel are trying to show that they are higher than Tom because they are riding a car together. In todays world, cars are true symbols of social class. With so many different car companies and products, it is very easy to say something about your class. Someone with a Ferrari is definently trying to say something about how much money you have. the US has not changed a whole lot because we still use cars as status symbols.

Do you believe in Miracles?

2009-05-31T13:00:00.004-05:00

I know I recite lines or reference the movie Miracle quite often in class and it is time i bring it up again. It is playoff season for baseball and all other spring sports. That means improbable upsets occur. One enormous upset presented itself when #3 Brother Rice lost to unranked Andrew high school in baseball. This was a colossal upset because many "experts" had Brother Rice winning the state title. the game was not even close; Andrew beat Brother Rice by a score of 12-0. Patrick Gannon, Purdue bound pitcher for BR, was shelled on Saturday, letting up five runs in the first inning. if he had won hte game he would have become the winningest pitcher in Brother Rice history with 28 career varsity wins. Now he is stuck at 27 and tied with the record. This was not the only upset of the weekend. This next one did not occur on the diamond, it happened on clay... clay tennis court that is. Only a few hours ago, Robin Soderling, the 23 seed, beat the worlds number one player, Rafael Nadal. Okay, so what a number one seed lost a match, thats not the half of it. Rafael Nadal had Never lost a match in the French Open until today. He was a career 32-0 on the clay courts of the French Open. These two upsets show anyone can win on any given day and Yes miracles do exist.

Articles on Brother Rice loss
Nadal loss

Junioritis

2009-05-25T16:18:00.002-05:00

Its that time again where nobody, and I mean nobody wants to be in school. (except for Adam Gutman). Now that the seniors are gone school just won't feel the same. I'm not talking about how us juniors are now the oldest on campus but it should be summer time and not study time. Last year i felt this way too. I know a bunch of seniors and whenever they get the chance they tell me how they are going to be sleeping in, going out, and not having a care in life. All I can think is how i will be studying for finals over the weekend when I really should be chilling and playing baseball. Next year we will be the ones getting out early and loving life. Next year is a long time ago and I want to be done right now. Finals are going to be killer for me. It seems like my grades are border line in every class and finals never really help your grade so I am expecting the worst. All I'm saying is these last two weeks are going to be two of the toughest of my life.

It's All a Game

2009-05-10T17:52:00.003-05:00

For our American flag assignment, I thought about all the American flag themed things I have in my house. At first I was going to take a picture of a picture but it wasn't original. So I thought of something else. I didn't think of it until Saturday morning while playing baseball. I took out my baseball glove and began to play catch when the thought came into my head. On my glove I have an embroidered American flag. Then I thought what it meant to have a flag on a glove. I came up with: baseball is very tightly knit to America. It is called our National Pastime for a reason. That reason is because it is an American game. It was founded in America, it was played solely in America for many years, and it is a our oldest professional sport. I think the flag embroidered on the mitt is supposed to resemble how close America is to baseball. Baseball is a game of struggle and failure. A person who gets a hit three out of ten times is considered successful. America is a lot like that. To separate from England and to get where we are now took struggle and time. Although the US is the most powerful country in the world, there were and are many struggles Americans have had to face. We had to struggle for our freedom, equality of races and religion, and peace in other countries and even our own. baseball and America are very similar because you may lose a battle but you can still win the war.

What 09' Brings Us: May Edition

2009-05-07T22:24:00.002-05:00

Its our last full month as Juniors at good ole New Trier. It is starting to become crunch time now which means, Final Exams, End of the year projects and tests in pretty much every subject and of course the return of our Junior Theme. School work is one of the primary things to focus on this month along with: the ending of regular season for New Trier spring sports, Blackhawks playoff run, and the on-going quest of trying to find alternative sources of energy.
This month is a very heavy month school work wise. All the teachers are assigning the last minute work in the last three weeks of school. In the next three weeks I have to read three books, do two projects, take four or five quizzes, and study for finals. This will all be happening in the last few weeks of the regular season for Spring sports. For baseball, I don't get home until 8:00pm some days and that puts me in a tough spot to do all my homework and watch my favorite shows (depending on the day). It is very easy to get caught watching tv and lose all energy before the homework is completed. Then I have to rush in advisory, during free periods, or even at the end of Gourmet class. I'm just letting you know that these next three weeks will be very hectic.
Sports are a very prominent subject right now where ever you go. Major league baseball has started up, playoffs for Hockey and Basketball are in progress, and high school sports are coming to a close. About an hour ago, I watched to Blackhawks errupt the United Center with a shocking 2-1 victory in overtime against the Vancover Canucks. About three hours before that the New Trier baseball teams demolished the Evanston Wildkits 11-1 in five innings after being destroyed by them on Tuesday. A little revenge was on our minds today and we stuck it to the Wildkits with 8 runs in the fifth inning to complete the slaughter. I don't know how any other sports went today but it is New Trier so we probably won...no offense to any non-Trevian viewers. With school work piling up and sports fever rising these next few weeks will be very tough.
Also, I thought it would be a good idea to bring issues from other classes into the American Studies horizon. In Geoscience we just watched a documentary on global warming and what is happening to our environment. What I came out with was that we, humans, are comsuming more energy and products than the earth can produce. This has resulted in the deliberate change in climate in the polar ice caps and many other places around to globe. I was actually kind of scared after watching the film because it made it very clear what will happen because of actions. One thing I really remember from the film was that if we keep living that way we do, the earth will end up like mars, a rocky, cold planet, with no life. It was also interesting how if the history of earth was put into a calender for one year, humans would be only around for fifteen minutes of earth so far. And since our stint on earth, we have put some incredible strain on our planet which is threatening millions of different species, including our own, every day. I thought this is a very interesting topic and I know it won't be solved in a month but any advances in finding alternative energy sources would be very encouraging for me.
That is my preview for the month of May and look for my June edition, which could be my last preview sadly.

Stay classy North Shore

El Fin

2009-05-03T21:31:00.002-05:00

Finally at 9:30 I have made my final edits for my Junior Theme. I am still not done though, because I have to finish my bibliography and make sure I get all of my drafts together. Looking back on the Junior Theme process, it really wasn't all that bad. I think I was just afraid from the connotation of Junior Theme than the actual process. While working on my research and paper, I was interested in what I was learning because I got to choose what to research. on the otherhand I am still glad to have it done with. Tomorrow I will give it to the writing center and and then make my final final edits and turn it in on Tuesday. Overall, I would have to say it was not all that bad...For now. A good grade on it would really top of the whole thing so Mr. O'Connor or Bolos if you are reading this just remember what I am saying...Just kidding...but seriously.

I'm a Lucky Guy

2009-04-19T14:25:00.002-05:00

I thought I would blog about something other than Junior Theme for a change. It was just yesterday afternoon in Orland Park, IL when I realized how lucky I am. I was in Orland Park for baseball game against Sandburg High School. They were ranked 8th in the state and we were 17th. We ended up slaughtering them 12-1 in 5 innings. It wasn't the game that made me feel lucky, but it was during the national anthem when it struck me. I was lined up on the 1st base lie with my team listening to the song we call our national anthem and I looked down the line of my teammates and saw a bunch of lucky guys playing the sport they love. The best part of it all is that we are able to play for New Trier, the program with them most wins in the state of Illinois. I am so lucky to live in the community I do, have the friends I have, and the opportunities I am given in this school. It all came to me at that moment when I finally realized there are a bunch of people who don't have a percent of what I have and they still live their lives to the fullest. It really shocked me to think about teenagers in third world countries and even in Illinois who live under the poverty line and still live each day. I am going to continue to think about what privileges I am given and also, if I am having a bad day I can just tell myself it's not so bad and stop feeling sorry for myself.

Junior Theme, Over and Over again

2009-04-16T09:12:00.004-05:00

It's another day in the library and again working on the big JT. My junior theme is starting to get its wheels turning. I have around 7 sources so far and I am starting think about my body paragraphs. I still have some reading to do in my book Forty Million Dollars Slaves. I first read the chapter that directly correlates to MLB. Now I am reading about black players in the NFL and NBA. this book is very interesting; it discusses the early creation and integration of black athletes in these other sports. I have to continue to read my book and other articles about my topic. I will continue to update the status of my Junior Theme.

Stay class North Shore.

What 09' Brings Us: April Edition

2009-04-08T09:19:00.003-05:00

Another month, another preview. I only have two more months until school is over. This month should be a great month for many reasons besides temperatures rising. I know I am a little late on this edition but a few days never hurt anyone. I am going to focus on the GM issue, MLB starts up, and of course Junior Theme. The current debacle with GM is very interesting to me. With Obama firing the president of GM and hiring another man is kind of crazy. Even though I am an Obama fan, I wasn't sure about this decision because it made him seem like he had too much power. I want to see how this new guy does in his first month as a Pres. of GM. My next topic is the MLB. The time for too high of expectations, rain-outs, and hopes for greatness. Just two games in to the regular season and we've already seen uncharacteristic offense and pitching from certain teams. As for the Cubs, we have seen solid pitching but no the dominant line-up we North Siders were hoping for. Kosuke Fukudome is terrible. I wasn't expecting anything else. Last year he had a solid start offensively and now he just can't hit. Like i said before, we can't form too many opinions because we are only two games into the year. Last but definitely not least, the JUNIOR THEME. On April 2nd I was handed a sheet of paper that explained my Junior Theme. Former students of New Trier have all gone through this rigorous process. If you read my previous post then you know all about my topic. I am excited for this because I get to write about baseball, which I am passionate about. It is only a month long so It is not like my whole year is down the tubes. I have to buckle down and get work done. I have to leave you all now and start working on that. Hope you all have a good April and a great 09'.
Stay classy North Shore.

Where'd You Go?

2009-04-06T08:17:00.004-05:00

As a sports enthusiast, I wanted to do my Junior Theme on a sports relevant topic. That was the easy part. The harder part was figuring out which sport I wanted to write about. The first topic I wanted to investigate the 1980 Winter Olympics, specifically the hockey team. Miracle is my favorite movie and I wanted to learn more about that improbable gold medal for the hockey team. Once Doc OC denied me from that topic I moved to Baseball. I immediately switched to the serious decline in black American ball players. I am currently studying this topic and I have read numerous articles, Forty Million Dollar Slaves, and have listened to a NPR podcast. In all of these forms of media, they have all said that the decline of these black baseball players is from economic standpoint. It has been noticed that less and less black athletes are playing baseball past the age of 12. These athletes are ending their baseball careers because many of these boys are from lower class areas and money is an issue. With money being an issue, college is always a tough monetary hit. Scholarships are always wanted by these athletes, but baseball is very strict on giving out scholarships. Unlike football and basketball which dish out scholarships to kids like Bill Gates does to charities. Inner city kids have noticed that and masses of them have dropped baseball and focused on basketball or football. Another reason for this decline is the availability of fields in comparison to basketball. for basketball all you need is a hoop and a ball, unlike baseball where you need a bat, multiple balls, at least 9 guys and the hardest to get, a field. These two reason have been very influencial in the decline of black Americans in the MLB.
More information on the way...

Is Technology Fooling Us?

2009-03-27T13:21:00.004-05:00

In these last ten years, advances in technology have been through the roof. Every month some new gadget comes out that is better than the prior one. No gadget has improved more than the cell phone. I remember when I was 10 and my mom had a Nokia 3315 cell phone. It was a brick. It didn't have a color screen, couldn't text message, and the only game she had was snake (which was actually pretty fun). I'm guessing the price of it was around $50. Looking in today's world the cheapest phones are selling for $150. It is insane how these cell phone companies can sell these products for over $300 and have people buy them. The iphone has created a new level of cell phones. AT&T has put themselves as the leader and making other companies create similar products to the iphone so they can keep their business. The main change in cell phones as of late has been the switch from flip, key pad phones to touch screens. Everybody wants a touch screen phone. The new blackberry is even a touch screen. Hell, my phone is a touch screen. But, I think Americans have been brainwashed into buying the phones with the extra gadgets. For example, the iphone can obviously play music, real web browsing, but the phenom is games for the iphone. Everyone is buying these games off the internet for $3 a month. Some people have over 10 games on their phones. At New Trier, if you have an iphone or itouch and don't have these games you are considered less than or not as cool. Everyone who doesn't have an iphone wants to play these dumb games too. The thing is...So do I. These games are intriguing and make you want to play again. Why can't we go back to the normal phones where they were used for calling people not MP3 players, video games, or a source for the internet?

Its Madness

2009-03-15T19:47:00.003-05:00

It's March Madness, the time where every sportsfan, including myself, put money into pools and never see that money again. It is also the time for ultimate surprise, enjoyment, fury, and astonishment. These next two weeks are a true testament of who has good luck in their blood. That is what wins the money, complete luck. I have thought myself to be a lucky guy, but not when it comes to March Madness pools. Last year i sadly finished 3rd to last out of 29 people. That is all going to change this year. Many of the experts keep saying this is the year where any team can win for a 1 seed to a 7 seed. I respectivly disagree, I think this is a year when the top seeds do shine. Just because the top seed can lose at anytime doesn't mean the lower seeds can lose as well. My final four is a compilation of 1 seeds with one 2 seed sneaking in. This is what is looks like:
Louisville (1) Pittsburgh (1)
vs. vs.
Memphis (2) North Carolina (1)
My championship consists of
Louisville (1) vs. North Carolina (1)
AND MY WINNER IS...
North Carolina.
Ty Lawson battled a toe injury during the ACC tournament which was a momumental reason why they didn't survive against Florida State. Dick Vital called a North Carolina minus Ty Lawson a Beautiful Rolls Royce without an engine. Lawson will be back for the tournament and i think he will be the player that holds their team together and leads them to their 5th NCAA Championship. I maybe alone on my choice of having three number 1 seeds in my final four but that is what opinions are all about. I will track my success as the tournament goes on. Hopefully win a few hundred dollars.

What 09' Brings Us: March Edition

2009-03-04T08:29:00.002-06:00

This is the month of spring sports but it doesn't feel so much like spring. With the majority of spring sports having their try outs this week it creates tired, stressed, and anxious students. The last three days i have had baseball tryouts at 5:45 every morning. this sets up a long and tiring day. But it all pays off if you hear the 1 word everybody wants to hear, "Congratulations." Sports isn't only exciting at the high school level but also college. March Madness begins which means people lose their money, try to pick the 5 vs. 12 upset and one man goes home happy with some major dough. This has been a crazy year for college basketball because we have yet to see a true standout team. When the tournament rolls around I'm going to put my fake money on North Carolina, as will Doc Oc i imagine. Also March will hopefully have some mercy on the economy. Its not looking good so far but even if the market stagnates then I think that would be a success. Those are my three things to watch in March and good luck to everyone in their respected sports.

What's so Secret About it?

2009-03-03T19:32:00.004-06:00

In class last week we were given the opportunity to look at arguably the most confidential document in New Trier. This article was the letter of concerned parents and their attempt to ban The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For some odd reason this document is not allowed to be distributed or copied under any circumstances. All I want to know is why? We are allowed to look at it, we are allowed to copy it down if we wanted, and we are allowed to write back to the NT board about this insane banishment of Huck Finn. I think it is just stupid that a letter to the Principal of New Trier wrote 30 some odd years ago is still prohibited from student eyes. Luckily my sly and deceitful teachers have gotten around the rules and let us look at the document. That's not the point. My point is that 31 or so year old document is still not visible to students and even teachers. I think it would be a very interesting paper on why NT has hid this document and why they still hide it. After reading it I have come to a conclusion that by no means is it an offensive letter but also it is not a informal, friendly letter. It makes a strong point why HF should be banned. I don't totally agree with it but I see where they come from. I think it is time for the school to let go and not keep it so ostracized from the rest of the faculty and student body.

It's Oscar Night!

2009-02-22T14:29:00.004-06:00

Tonight is one of the most watched award shows in the entire world, the Oscars. This year many brilliant movies have come out and have challenged others for the top prize of Best Picture. In this post I will predict the winners of the 5 biggest awards tonight. The awards I will be predicting are Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. I have to warn you I haven't seen many of these films but I will give it my best shot.

Here are the nominees for Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams 'Doubt'
Penelope Cruz 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'
Viola Davis 'Doubt'
Taraji P. Henson 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Marisa Tomei 'The Wrestler'

And the Oscar goes to...

Penelope Cruz. Some may say she is the favorite in this catagory and I will have to agree with them. Personally, I don't think either of the 'Doubt' women will win becasue I don't think they would take two women from the same movie and choose one.

Here are the nominees for Best Supporting Actor:

Josh Brolin 'Milk'

Robert Downey Jr. 'Tropic Thunder'

Philip Seymour Hoffman 'Doubt'

Heath Ledger "The Dark Knight'

Michael Shannon 'Revolutionary Road'

And the Oscar goes to...

Heath Ledger. The sympathy card is the one being played not the Joker. I believe Heath Ledger is getting the sympathy vote for this one. Yes, he did an outstanding job in 'The Dark Knight' but I still think that now he is dead more people are voting for him just to make it a great story. He is very qualified for the nominee and deserves it but I think he's getting votes he shouldn't be getting.

Here are the nominees for Best Actress:

Anne Hathaway 'Rachel Getting Married'

Angelina Jolie 'Changling'

Melissa Leo 'Frozen River'
Meryl Streep 'Doubt'

Kate Winslet 'The Reader'

And the Oscar goes to...

Meryl Streep. She is an Underdog unlike the last two winners. Some believe she is the most deserving for this award while others believe Kate Winslet will be crowned with an Oscar. This should be an exciting one to watch and another reason I have her winning is because I don't have 'Doubt' winning another big award.

Here are the nominees for Best Actor:

Richard Jenkins 'The Visitor'

Frank Lengella 'Frost/Nixon'

Sean Penn 'Milk'

Brad Pitt 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

Mikey Rourke 'The Wrestler'

And the Oscar goes to...
Sean Penn. Another favorite gets the Oscar. I have been a big fan of Sean Penn and I am not surprised he is the favorite. Even though I have not seen 'Milk', I have heard tremendous things about his performance and I think that will show tonight.

Now the one you have all been waiting for

Here are the nominees for Best Picture:

'Slumdog Millionare'

'Milk'

'Frost/Nixon'

'The Reader'

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

And the Oscar goes to...

'Slumdog Millionare'. Who else? This movie is maybe one of the best movies I have seen. The way it is put together is just amazing. I hope it wins. It is the favorite in about every poll and I am not surprised one bit.

There are your 5 Oscar winner and Congrats to all and we will see how I fare after tonight.

What 09' Brings Us: Februray Edition

2009-02-09T17:12:00.006-06:00

For all you long time viewers you know that at the beginning of every month i like to review each month and highlight certain events or days in a month to look out for. January was a pretty intense month with all the presidential stuff going around so some might say February will be a slow month. I have to disaggree. The 1st of February was an exciting day because arguably the one of the greatest Super Bowls was played. That game set the bar high for Feb. Feb 21, a New Trier favorite, Turnabout. In my opinion Turnabout is the best dance at NT. Not because of I don't have to gain the courage to ask a girl but the overall dance segment is always better. It also seems that the girls do a much better job planning and organizing the nights opposed to the guys who settle everything a week before Homecoming. Also Valentine's Day. Everyone and their loved ones get to share a day of chocolate and flowers. I personally don't have anyone to celebrate with but no biggie. The other important event to watch is Obama's Stimulus Plan. His plan to create 4 million jobs is not the most believeable idea to come accross the White House. These three events or days are on my watch in February. Even though it is the shortest month of the year it certaintly isn't the least exciting

Very Superstitious

2009-02-03T21:00:00.002-06:00

Superstitions have sculpted the lives or almost every person to ever live. Superstitions can be found in athletics, academics, and many other aspects of life. Athletics and academics came to my mind first because I have superstitions for both. For me in sports, I am very superstitious. In night league, if i score a bunch of points or play well a certain night, I will make sure to wear the exact same thing the next week. Last week I scored a career high 25 points in my game. I was wearing my, sorry Doc Oc but, maryland basketball jersey, black new trier baseball shorts, a black nike head band, which was upside down, white nike high socks, a sleeveless white undershirt, and Adidas basketball shoes. Tomorrow, sad to say, I will wear the exact same thing as last time. Even the upside down headband. Many professional athletes have these weird superstitions in all kinds of sports. Today in class we talked about Troy Polamalu crossing his chest every play of the Super Bowl. I'm not sure if he was actually praying to God every play or if he just had a mean case of Tourettes Syndrome. He by no means has the weirdest supersition. From getting slapped as hard as you can before each game to wearing a pair of your opposing team to sleep; here are the ten craziest sports superstitions according to Ethan Trek another blogger. In school i also have superstitions. these aren't as crazy as my night league rituals but they are a little goofy. For example, when i have to take a test, I can't sit in a wobbly chair, I have to use a mechanical pencil or pen when i write, and maybe my quirkiest one is that on every scantron sheet I use, I write the date in the period box and write the period in the date box (don't as why). to make my point clear i just wanted to show that many people have insane superstitions and you are not alone because I bet someone out there has a much crazier ritual than you.

Witnessing History

2009-01-25T21:04:00.003-06:00

This past 7 days may have been some of the most historic days in our nations almost 233 year old lifetime. On Tuesday January 20th we saw 2 million plus people gather in the heart of D.C. to witness the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It was during 4th period when the world heard Barack Obama take his "shaky" oath to become the President of the United States of America. I was in the Gaffney Auditorium when President Obama was sworn in. If you have seen this weeks edition of the Winnetka Talk or Wilmette Life you can see the back of my head on the front page, where it shows students gathering in Gaffney to watch Obama. It was truly a remarkable experience. Listening to the roars and chants on the television and also from inside the auditorium was stunning. When I was watching the oath and listening to him stuble a bit, I thought about how much pressure Barack Obama is under. He has to revive our country from it's second worst economic state ever. He is thrown into wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also he will be the stepping stone for future African American's and the dreams of becoming a president. If Obama doesn't excel in his time as president, many people will stereotype African Americans as not being successful presidents and might hurt that race in the long run. I hope Obama does bring our country from some of its greatest depths and really CHANGE this country forever.

What is the Big Deal about Finals?

2009-01-11T20:43:00.003-06:00

Finals. What does finals week really mean? For some it means house arrest by their parents, others a free week of doing nothing, and for some it is somewhere in between. I am one of those kids who settle in the middle. I have a very dedicated mother when it comes to my academic well being. Then i have a dad who also cares but would rather talk to me about sports. I tend to stay near my dad during the weekend prior and the week of finals. As for me, I know I need to study and put forth a lot of effort towards these few exams, but somehow I can never just focus for more than an hour at a time. I get pretty decent grades but it is always the case where I am at the border of 2 grades like a B- and a C+ or a B+ or an A-. I keep telling myself, "I'm going to study, I'm gonna do it." But then I always find myself in front of my TV frozen to the screen until my mom comes into the room and yells at me for not getting to work. Me personally, I don't think finals are all that bad. Except for the 5 hours a day spent on the weekend and may 2 hours during the week it is a free week of school. The best part of Finals is once you finish that last test on Friday and a full weekend is ahead of you. That sigh of relief once you put the pencil down on Friday morning is one of the best feelings in the world. So really I don't think Finals week is all that terrible.

Tokenism: Is It Really Real?

2009-01-05T20:17:00.002-06:00

Today in class we started to talk about Tokenism in drama television shows and other types of entertainment. Right when the brilliant Mr. Bolos asked if tokenism was for real I immediatly thought in my head, "of course". I wrote down in my notebook all the stereotypes tokenism brings into television. After we said a black man will always play the "sidekick" or a "wingman" but never really gets the spotlight. Unless you watch BET where the races flip flop. But I also thought about CSI and the different criminals they have. In CSI Miami i don't think I have seen a black man in any episode ever besides of the black female doctor. The most predominent race in Miami is Latino. In CSI Las Vegas the only black figure in the show is Warrick a secondary forensic agent. Rich white men are the primary basis of Vegas. In CSI New York i haven't really watched that show a lot but from what I remember there aren't a whole lot of minorities. And in the NY branch I am too busy reciting Jim Craig lines from Miracle because Eddie Cahill who plays Jim Craig is in CSI NY. But the main point of my post was to show that Movies also have this "Token black guy" stereotype. In the movie "Not Another Teen Movie" there is a character who is the "Token Black Guy". In one specific scene Malik (the TBG) comes to a party and walks into the kitchen and sees another black guy and is very startled by this "abnormal" sight. He walks up to the other black guy and they have this conversation.

Malik: "What are you doing here?"

Other guy: "What do you mean?"

Malik: "I am supposed to be the only black guy at this party."

Other guy: "Oh, damn."

Malik: "I know, I know."

Together: "It's whack."

In this little confrontation it shows that this movie is trying to poke fun at past movies and tv shows because Malik freaks out and is startled by another person who is black as well. It makes it seem Malik has never seen another black man. They also throw in the "it's whack" statement to try to mock how in other movies black men only know a small amount of words and can only use slang or "gang talk." I thought it was kind of funny how a movie can make fun of other movies and be so right on. If i can i will post a video of Malik and the other guys confrontation.

What 09' brings us: January Edition

2009-01-02T14:24:00.005-06:00

On New Years day I was thinking about our blogs and I wanted to do a post about what is expected in 2009 as a whole. The more I kept thinking about it I thought that it would be more fun to have a monthly preview in all of 09'. So at the beginning of every month I will preview what is going to happen and some predictions of what that certain month will bring us. These predictions and news stories can be anywhere from food, politics, school, or sports. Here is my January edition of What 09' Brings US.
I am going to go out on a limb and say the biggest day in 2009 will only be 20 days into the new year. Yes, Obama's inaugural speech and ceremony. This will be the most historical day since JFK's assassination. This will not be historical because of Obama being the first black president but also because this inauguration will show how far the African American race have come. If you just look back to the 20th century and see how this race was treated and look where they are now. It is amazing and I am looking forward to January 20th.

The next thing is Rob Blagojevich and the man he appointed to replace him as Governor. Personally from what I've heard is that the government will not be able to do much in the rejection of Roland Burris. Burris has been criticized and questioned about his character. Even the slightest questioning of character for an Illinois Governor is the last thing this politically corrupt state needs. This is an interesting subject to watch over the next month and see if anything is changed or altered in this current situation.

The last event is the College Football BCS National Championship. January 8th the Florida Gators will play the Oklahoma Sooners for the national championship. This has become one of the most hyped championship games in college history. Florida and Oklahoma are both very strong programs and have both won championships recently. The most intriging match-up is the QBs. Tim Tebow a junior quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy last year and Sam Bradford the Oklahoma quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy this year. These two QBs are phenominal. I am also very interested in this game because for Christmas my family got a new flat screen HD tv. This is our family's first HD TV and I am very excited to watch this game on my new screen.
These are my 3 events to watch for this month and February will be here in no time.

Christmas: The Aftermath

2008-12-21T17:26:00.002-06:00

Two days ago one of my favorite days of the year finally presented itselft. When kids are asked what is their favorite part of Christmas, most of them say the opening of presents. As for me, I am very similar but I have a one that comes just before it. I know what is better than presents, well i have the answer. Trivial Pursuit. Every Christmas night i go to my aunts house in Northfield and three families are there every year. We all have do a gift exchange and eat a magnificent dinner, All 15 of us. Then it is after dinner when my favorite part of Christmas happens. Every year we play Trivial Pursuit and it gets very competative. We played for maybe 2 hours and there was non-stop laughter and yelling. The reason this is my favorite part of the holiday is because when I am playing I forget about all the presents I have gotten, the food I've eaten or the things I am going to do tomorrow with my presents. I am just truely happy to be with family and I think that is what the Christmas Spirit is all about.

Wait We're in a Recession???

2008-12-04T19:07:00.005-06:00

For the last 12 months our nation has been at an all time low economically since 1980. But for some reason even though our nation hasn't seen it this bad in almost 30 years it seems as if we weren't in a recession at all. I was inspired by Adam "Gutty" Gutman's post about the meaning of Thanksgiving when i realized how much high school kids in the North Shore are really effected by this so called recession. These past months the news of the economic crisis has been chaotic and plentiful. The news keeps saying the Dow was down 600 points today and mortgages have been at an all time low but in the North Shore i haven't seen a huge difference in my way of life this year than in past years. In February i got my driver's license and that was right before gas prices began to rise. When i saw the gas prices soar over $4 a gallon i thought i was feeling the economic crisis pretty bad. Now these last 3 months the price for gas has been way down and i feel as if I'm in no prediciment at all. My main point is that living in the North Shore creates a blanket over the so called crisis. Obviously the crisis is hitting our parents more than we think. All i hear in New Trier's hallways is "God my dad didn't buy me the new Blackberry Storm. Oh ya do you like my new UGGS." That sentence right there just totally cotradicts what is going on in our world right now. Parents are buying kids unnecessary gifts just to please their kids. In the rest of the country families are cutting back so much that actual necessities are being put by the way side. In closing, the North Shore is blinding us, high school students, and may hurt in the long run because it is sheltering us from the "real" world.

Is it Civil to take away our Liberties?

2008-11-20T16:25:00.003-06:00

The limitation of civil liberties has been the hot topic in class this past week. Starting off with the the election of 1800 and now with our class presentations of America's wars. The limitation of civil liberties is an interesting topic. Arresting people for not agreeing with America's decisions is ludicrous. Taking away the rights of people during perilous times is exactly what u shouldn't do. If people get their rights taken away then they will freak out. America is a nation of regularity, once something goes a little skew everyone will freak out. For example, The stock market, even though it has been down for a significant period of time now, it seems as if everyone loses it when the Dow is down 600 points. It is the same for their rights. If i lost my freedom to press then I would be furious and scared. If i new that i could be arrested for saying 'America is wrong' then i wouldn't say anything at all. If i had all my rights then i wouldn't feel so paranoid about what i'm saying. America should have never suspended Habeas Corpus, Freedom of Speech and Press.

Sorry Walt

2008-11-04T22:40:00.004-06:00

It was just about 10 o'clock and I was sitting with my dad watching the same screen for the past 3 hours. All of the sudden a screen on the television popped up and said that Barack Obama was publicly announced as the winner of the 2008 Presidential election. During this election season i have witnessed many things but nothing compared to the fluctuation of the view's of my parents and my sister. in the 1st primary my Sister voted for McCain, my dad voted for Obama, and my mom voted Hilary. When it came time to vote only 1 of them stuck with their original vote and this person has only been 18 for 6 months. Yes, my sister stayed with McCain and my mom and dad both jumped on the bandwagon. I was most surprised with my dads vote swing to McCain. Earlier in the 2008 year my dad volunteered for Obama's campaign but didn't even end up voting for him. Another interesting statistic on my family's election process was that my dad, mom, and sister were the only one's in my entire family to vote McCain. my aunt, uncle and three cousins all from Connecticut voted Obama. My aunt and uncle from Georgia also voted Obama. Even my Grandparents both voted Obama. I thought it was kind of funny to hear that the only people in my entire family to go McCain lived in Illinois. All in all tonight was a very exciting night for myself and millions of Americans across the Nation. Walt, I know you probably aren't too excited about this blowout of an outcome but hey look on the bright side at least it hasn't been 100 years since your team won an election.
Here's a link to see how the entire country voted for their respected candidate Yahoo Political Map

In the words of Adam Gutman (just changed slightly due to the circumstances), "I can't wait to see reserve lineman Walt Lyon cry as Barack Obama stares him down after he wins by almost 200 electoral votes"

Walty you just gotta wait 4 more years maybe...

Safe Rides a Safe Bet?

2008-10-26T18:35:00.003-05:00

Safe Rides is soon going to be up an running. This very popular school program is also a controversial one. Many parents, faculty, and students believe that Safe Rides shouldn't be around. Then on the other side there is also parents, faculty, and students that believe this is an essential program because it keeps kids out of danger. People believe Safe Rides is a bad thing because it gives kids who have been drinking alcohol a free ride home so they don't have to worry about driving drunk. This is a valid point because if there is a party where drinking is occurring then these kids just need a ride to the party, get drunk and then call Safe Rides to pick them up with no consequences. This is a high school kids dream. The make things fair, this program is very important to the safety of the students and other drivers in the area. If Safe Rides wasn't around then it might force kids to drive home drunk and put their lives and everyone else on the road at stake. Safe Rides is also a very strict on who they give rides to. Safe Rides doesn't start until 10:00 in the evening which means kids can't call safe rides just because they don't have a ride or need some place to go. I believe this student run program is a helpful resource for our high school and will save lives by getting drunk drivers off our roads. Last year there was no Safe Rides due to change in the law about driving age, curfew, and number of passengers allowed a car at once. This year it is back into the swing of things and will be making an impact of NT students like prior years.
If you would like to read the bill Senator Shoenberg passed to reinstate Safe Rides here is the link.
Schoenberg “Safe-Rides” Bill Passes Senate

If you are ever drunk and aren't able to drive or just need a ride home always call Safe Rides

Head of State

2008-10-14T22:21:00.006-05:00

This past Sunday night I was in a hotel room because I was on my way home from Hartford, CT after visiting my sister at Trinity College. Sunday night I turned on the TV and the movie Head of State was airing on TBS. I haven't seen that movie in a long time but i forgot how funny it was. That humor wasn't really what got me. I was really surprised that they would air a movie like this during election season. Mays Gilliam played by Chris Rock is a black man who came from a tough neighborhood and doesn't have any political experience. This character is very easily associated with Barack Obama especially when the man Mays Gilliam is running against is an older white man who has been apart of the government for many years. This man resembles John McCain. Showing this movie, I think really showed that TBS or the Turner Family is for Obama. In the movie Mays Gilliam comes out of nowhere and ends up winning this election. There is a scene where Gilliam and the other candidate, Brian Lewis are in a political debate. Gilliam totally obliterated Lewis in the debate. I think by showing this movie was shown to help advocate Barack Obama. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing but I was just surprised that politics were now taking place in movies. Here is the political debate that Gilliam and Lewis had.

Tonight's Debate Not so Political

2008-10-07T20:50:00.007-05:00

Tonight is the second time Obama and McCain with face head to head in a presidential debate. I personally haven't follow this election season as closely as possible, but I do know some stuff. I didn't watch the first presidential debate or the vice-presidential debate. In this debate I was shocked at how much each candidate "subtly" bashes the other. It is coming from both sides. If I wasn't trying to listen to the political issues I would be hearing two men just insulting each other. I guess I'm just naive and didn't know how many insults were used to bash the other opponent. Getting back to the political standpoint of the debate...While I am listening I have heard the word "Healthcare" a ton. Even though these candidates are talking about healthcare most of the talk is just about what the other candidate is or isn't doing. Obama and McCain haven't really been specific in what they want to change but just that they are going to make change. I will continue to watch the debate but so far I am unsatisfied because of the lack of specifics. I am also following the debate by live updates from another blog. This blog is simply stating the facts of what the candidates said for each question. I am surprised how unbiased this blog is but it still effectively states the facts. I will keep going back to the blog during the night. You can follow this blog by this link Think Progress: Presidential Debate.
Oct 21/08- It has almost been a week since the third debate and looking back on the third one now I noticed that the second and third debates were very similar in their "insultiness" if you know what I mean. The only thing I observed is that the third debate, the insults were much less subtle than the last debate. I could tell McCain was very frustrated in how the debate was going so he started to lash out on Obama. McCain wasn't the only one using insults though. Unlike the second debate though, I did hear more specifics in each of their plans to help revive our nation from these "perilous times". Just as an added note, while watching the debate i personally thought McCain did better overall but once it ended and I heard analists' points of view, my view on the debate was the exact opposite from the analists. They all said Obama won the debate and I didn't agree with them. Reporting on this now I don't remember really why I thought McCain won but I felt like he did. Overall i was very surprised on how many public bashes each candidate used on eachoter and I guess I never really understood the "dog eat dogginess" election season was until these past few weeks.

Another 100 Years?

2008-10-02T22:29:00.007-05:00

Currently I am not watching the abismal CUBS get dusted by Manny Ramirez and his dredlocks. I am huge Cubs fan but right now i am beyond disgusted. Where is a Lou Pinella flip out? That could be the only way the Cubs stop thinking about 1908 and actually get a hit. Chad Billingsly? Who is this guy? He's making my home team look like Mr. O'Connor after he slid into second...Broken. I'm not really sure why the Cubs, who scored 56 more runs than any team in the N.L. can't scrap more than 2 runs in a game. If you fans can remember all the way back to last year's NLDS agianst the D'Backs and you are watching this series there should be one thing in our minds.. Déjà vu. This team was predicted to win the World Series is now trailing 2-0 in a best of 5 series. By watching this mockery of what we call Baseball I have learned one thing, never bet on the Cubs. The only bet I would think about making with the Cubs would be that I'd bet my life that the Cubs will win a World Series before I die. I will end it like this...200 years?

Boo Weekly Riding the Bull

2008-09-22T19:11:00.004-05:00

Original Video- More videos at TinyPic

Boo Weekley holds the title for most amusing act in the Ryder Cup with his bull dance on the 1st tee. This was a catalyst for the US crowd's energy the entire day.

The Cup's Back on Our Side

2008-09-22T18:43:00.007-05:00

This past weekend is a very special one for my family. It is special for 1 reason and that is the Ryder Cup. Since I have been 10 years old my dad and I have played numerous rounds of golf. As time has past I have gotten much better and have very close matches with my dad. These rounds of golf means nothing compared to the competition of the Ryder Cup. For the last 6 years i have watched the Ryder Cup with my dad on both Saturday and Sunday. My dad is a huge golf junkie and when Ryder Cup season rolls around he goes into his own world. This weekend i watched the heavy underdogs, the United States of America, shock the world with their upset against Europe. With Tiger Woods injured it seemed that there was no chance of US victory. Paul Azinger (man holding cup at top of screen), the US captain, had complete confidence in his players and never doubted them one bit. This US team was filled with 6 rookies to the Ryder Cup. On this team there was no standout MVP, but in reality it was the quintessential team effort. Winless since 1999 the US was desperate for a "W". As the weekend progressed the thought of the US winning became greater and greater. On the final sunday as all the matches were in progress the score was almost even and fluctuating constantly. It wasn't over until the very end when I knew the US would hoist the cup for the 1st time in 9 years.

Looking Back on 9/11

2008-09-11T18:58:00.004-05:00

It was a Tuesday morning and I was sitting in Ms. Curran's 4th grade class. I remember I was sitting next to one of my best friends from Sunset Ridge Trey Surpless. It was a normal morning, since it was only 4th grade not too much was going on. Then all of the sudden my Principal came onto the intercom. I remember it him saying, "Hello this is Dr. B and I have some horrific news. Today around 8 am New York time, an airplane flew into the side of one of the World Trade Center towers. Only fifteen minutes later another plane flew into the other tower. I will keep updating you all throughout the course of the day." granted it was 7 years ago some of this could be a little off. After I heard my Principal say this i wasn't really sure to think because i had no idea what the World Trade Center was or the significance it had on our nation. My 4th grade as a hole didn't have a real knowledge of the situation so the day was all in a blur. When I got home from school that day I saw my dad sitting in front of my television. This was very confusing to me because it was much too early for him to be home. My dad and I talked about what had happened for a little. I was most frightened when my dad told me that Chicago was theorized to be a potential target. My dad, at the time, worked in the 3rd tallest building in Chicago. He said told me all of Chicago had been evacuated for every one's safety. Just the mere thought of my dad being in danger scared me. I was just happy to see him home. That's the most of what I remember of this historic day. What really got me today was when I was on my way home from school today I passed the Northfield Fire station. They had the ladder one of their fire trucks stretched out with a big American flag attached on the end.

The flag waved in the wind right over the road. While I drove under the flag goose bumps appeared on my arm. At that moment I really felt like I understood the patriotism and pride in our great nation. The anguish and horror America felt 7 years ago finally set in to me. At that moment I was truly proud to be an American.

Which Gordie is Better?

2008-09-05T08:17:00.009-05:00

Howe or Campbell that is the real question. Though I might have a slight favoritism for myself, i have to make it a fair contest. Mr. Hockey is known to be one of the best players to ever lace up a pair of skates. I am a little different, I am know for my 4th of July egg toss championships. I'm going to compare Howe's accomplishments against mine. Mr. Hockey has scored the second most points in the history of the NHL. He averaged more than 1 point a game. For all you non-sport fanatics a point is either credited as a goal or as an assist. So he made his presence felt in every game. My hockey claim to fame is scoring the most goals in the 3rd grade house league with a total 36 goals. I give the edge to Howe in the Hockey portion of this contest. I win the non-important sports contest. I have been a 4th of July egg toss champion 3 out of the last 4 years. I have yet to find any egg toss wins for Mr. Howe. The contest is tied at 1-1 and it all comes down to this contest. LOOKS. I'll break down the looks. We both have a full head of hair. I have fewer wrinkles but he has more facial hair sadly. He is 6 ft, I am only 5'10''. It is very close but this catergory will decide the winner...My nose is smaller so I win! Sorry Mr. Howe you might be a better hockey player, but I am better looking.