My Life, Part II: Second Chances

“If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” In this case, being my life, if I had continued to do what I had been doing, I might not have been here today to share this story. For this essay, I will inform all my readers of how my brother, John, literally saved my life. In being a “lifesaver”, he has changed my life forever. “Hey, Eric. I have got some great news. You have grown three inches since the last time I saw you.” “Wow, that is great Doc, any other good news?” “ Well, over the same period, you have managed to put on thirty pounds to your weight.” Hi, my name is Eric Edwin Eggan. I am an incoming Freshman at Lake Forest High School. I am currently 5’9” tall, and weight 225 pounds. By all means, laugh, drop your jaw, shake your head in awe, because that is exactly how I feel right now. That moment, in all honesty, scared the crap out of me. All my life I had been criticized about my weight, but never had I been told that I was so quote on quote “obese” that my life was at risk. On my way home, I knew that in order to save my life, I had to change my life. Fortunately and surprising, my hero came in the form of someone very close to me, my brother. I would have never guess that John would be my savior. He pulled me aside, and told me that he would help me as best he could to get some weight off of me. Reluctantly, I said ok to him. I was hesitant because I didn’t know if it would work, if I would like it, or if I would be up to the challenge. Easing me into the process of weightlifting, John got me going on basic principles and exercises that he believed would help me with my epidemic. Over the course of the following year, the nightmare that is my next doctor’s appointment pushed me to continue spending hours upon hours in the gym every day, trying to attain my goal, and save my life. Walking through the front door of that hospital, feet shaking, perspiration running down my face, hands fidgeting, I couldn’t help but think about what my pediatrician would say this time. Hi, my name is Eric Eggan. I am an incoming Sophomore at Lake Forest High School. I am currently 5’9 1/2” tall and weight 197 pounds. Every day I thank my brother for what he has done to my life. Without him, I would still be living an unhealthy life. Bodybuilding has become one of the most important aspects of my life. From the lifting, the way I eat, the way I conduct myself, and even the way I think, John has truly turned my life around and made me a completely different person.

My brother is my SUPERMAN

What The Hell is Wrong With Us?

How could people just stand around and WATCH...

Knock Knock

So, this blog is fairly straightforward. As you might be able to decipher from the title as well as the image above, I am someone who likes to have a good time. Unless I am surrounded by company who commands or deserves it respect, in school, or at work, I hate being serious. I am a young man who absolutely loves to have fun in his life. I dislike having real serious conversations unless they are completely necessary. If they aren't, I prefer to joke around and have a great time with whoever I am around.

Separate But Equal

Not much to say for this post. I just wanted to let all of you know an interesting similarity between these two songs. In case you didn't know the basic information: the first song is "Through the Glass" by Stone Sour, and the second song is "Psychosocial" by Slipknot. Now, beyond the basic facts of these two songs, is the intriguing aspect that the singers are one in the same. Corey Taylor is the lead singer for both of these two bands, pretty cool right? Two very distinct styles of music, just shows the talent this guy has.

Dean's List

My ultimate goal for this semester is to make the University’s Dean List. I strive to be the absolute best that I can be when it comes to academic performance. Whether it is a five point assignment, or a final exam for a class towards my degree, I always put forth my entire mental fortitude in hopes that it will help me reach my educational goals. Through Junior High School and High School, I was on either Honor Roll or High Honor Roll every single trimester & semester of school. I have always been a strong academic performer. The two times my brother received Dean’s List recognition, not only was I very proud of him, but in a sense I idolized him. He has never been a real academic person, but it was amazing that he was able to gain such prowess. I want to be able to say that I retained such recognition while at school. In addition, I would love to be able to say that I achieved one of my major goals as a freshman here at Iowa State University. Furthermore, if I do that well in school, I received a monetary scholarship of at least five hundred dollars per semester from my Fraternity, and hey, who doesn’t love a little extra money in their pocket. All in all, I truly do hope that I attain a spot on ISU’s Dean’s List this semester. It would make all the work I put in all the more worth it.

Ready, Set... Vote!

This upcoming weekend is election weekend at my fraternity. During this time, 11 different positions will be voted upon at chapter. These 11 new officials will facilitate the smooth function of my chapter’s house, as well as serve on the Executive Board which oversees all major decisions for the Gamma Upsilon Chapter. For this year’s election, I was nominated for Secretary, Scholarship Chair, and Risk Management Chair. I respectfully declined the position of Secretary & House Management chair, simply because those positions don’t quite fit my personality. My true calling in regards to giving back to my house comes in the form of Scholarship chair. Academics are at the forefront of my priorities. I spend the vast majority of my time during each day working on my schoolwork, as I truly realize the importance of succeeding in college. In a dream world, I will win this executive position in the house. My goal is simple, see to it that all my brothers achieve academic success by working as hard as is necessary to fulfill such wishes. If my dream comes to fruition, then my house’s overall Grade Point Average will be above a 3.0 for the year, thus aiding my fraternity’s ultimate goal of receiving another True Merit award this year.

Da Bears

I am a huge Chicago Bears fan. It makes sense since I am from Chicago, but nonetheless, I love them. Sunday afternoons are devoted to sitting down and watching them play. I went to one of their games last year at Soldier field, which was one of the greatest afternoons of my life. My dad surprised me with tickets to the Bears vs. 49ers game, with the final score being 49-14 respectively. My parents are pretty die-hard fans as well, and it is apparent they passed their passion for the Bears down to my brother and I.

Color Spectrum

I love this time of year. It is absolutely beautiful. The hues of the leaves take my breath away as I walk by them on campus. The weather is perfect for me, not too not, nor too cold. For one of the rare time throughout the course of the year, I can walk around outside for more than five minutes without breaking a sweat. In addition, another thing that comes along with the fall is the glorious sport that is collegiate and professional football. I enjoy watching football over the weekends. I always try to get all my homework done either Friday evening after my last class or Saturday morning before 11:00am kickoff time. Sitting back and watching the game is one of my favorite things to do over the weekend; unfortunately, with the amount of work I have that does not happen very often.

America's Next Top Model

Not much to say here. This is Brittany "McKey" Sullivan: she just currently won this years America's Next Top Model. I am telling you all this because this girl went to my high school. She is one year older than I am, but I actually had her in my math class junior year. I know this isn't the most epic of posts, but when I found out she won, I thought it was interesting and intriguing to know that I helped a model with math one :)

Another one in the books

So today isn't my real birthday (it is next saturday - 12/6), but my family and I decided to celebrate it because they will not be able to visit me next weekend on the actual date. We didn't do anything too special, just went out to dinner at Wildfire with my grandparents. As for presents, I haven't asked for anything since God knows when. I feel that just spending time with my family is a present in itself, and being to see everyone makes me happy enough. I don't feel the need to necessarily celebrate my birthday, as I am just getting older, nothing more. On the other hand, I did receive gifts today. I got a fleece jacket, some winter gloves, a some money (which is always appreciated). Anyway, happy early birthday to me I suppose, so here's to another year...

Next!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, bring on the Christmas season! All the shopping, cheerful people, snow angels, and memories that are a part of this wonderful time of year make this time unlike any other. Although, just like Thanksgiving, Christmas involves a lot of food consumption as well. Furthermore, and perhaps the BEST aspect of Christmas, is the three-week Winter Break that we get from school. The second your last final ends, you are a free man or woman for the next month. With absolutely no academic troubles to worry about, this grace period is among the best days of your life! This year is going to be a pretty typical Christmas with the family. We haven’t presents for the last two or three years, upon request from my brother and me (we simply no longer want anything). My brother and I are very similar in the mindset that if we don’t actually NEED something, we don’t splurge on the luxuries of Christmas or materialism. We both accept and embrace the things we have, and only consume what is necessary. With all that said, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

White Men Can't Jump

These guys are simply ridiculous. Throughout my life I have always been a huge basketball fan as well as player. I played competitive league basketball from Kindergarten through senior year of High School. Growing up I always had a fascination with streetball, and even incorporated it in to my regulation play. Here are some guys that just blow me away in terms of athleticism and creativeness when it comes to high flying threw the air. Their ability to leap and hang in the air for an eternity gives them the opportunity to perform some of the world’s best and most difficult dunks.

Enjoy.

Where did he come from?

Ronnie Coleman? NO
Jay Cutler? NO
Dexter Jackson? YES…WHAT!?

Nobody expected or even imagined that Dexter Jackson would win this years Mr. Olympia title. For the past 10 years, the winner has either been Ronnie Coleman (eight in a row) or Jay Cutler (the previous two years). Don’t get me wrong, Dexter Jackson is a very good bodybuilder, who has two-dozen professional wins under his belt (small pun intended), but he gives up forty pounds to Jay cutler and almost one hundred pounds to Ronnie Coleman. How someone so much smaller could beat out the big guns is remarkable. Congratulations to Mr. Jackson, he can boast that he is the world’s best bodybuilder for one year!

Still Fly vs. Still Fly

These two videos are of the same exact one, although they are miles apart from one another. The first one, is the original version created by the rap group Big Tymers, whereas the second video is a version done by the punk metal band Devil Wears Prada. I am currently at a crossroads regarding which version I enjoy more. Hands down I like the chorus better in the version done by Devil Wears Prada, but due to a substandard yelling voice, I enjoy the verses in the rap edition. Anyways, I thought you all might enjoy seeing the same video sung in two very different manners, I know I sure enjoy it.

Pitch Black Progress

This is my favorite song out there at the moment. I am absolutely addicted to the section lasting from 2:00 – 2:27. The combination of the guitar, percussion, as well as his higher pitched scream gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. Let me also tell you that this song is an amazing pre-workout piece to get your mind right before you go lift some heavy weight.

Beauty Unlike Any Other

Welcome to my three favorite homes on earth: Fallingwater, Hearst Castle, and the Biltmore Estate. Before entering college, my parents took me on three annual trips to places of my choice. Being the avid architecture fan that I am, I chose the three most spectacular works of art that I know of. All three of these households contain aspects that I absolutely love. Fallingwater, it’s easy, I love how the house is built over the waterfall. Hearst Castle, I love the fact that from anywhere on the property you can see the Pacific Ocean, and the lot of land it is on is priceless. Biltmore Estate is known for its sheer size. At 430,000 sq. ft., it is the largest privately owned home in America, and it sits on a 125,000-acre tract of land. I could write all day about my experiences at each of these homes, but I simply wanted to show all of you a little bit more of the passion I have for architecture, and three tremendous examples of perfection.

Happy Thanksgiving: Part II

I just plopped down in my computer chair after getting back home from my grandparent’s house for our annual Thanksgiving dinner festival. I wish I could express the way I feel in words to you all, but I simply can’t. Now, the picture above is representative of a small timeline. The child on the left is what I looked like before I went out to dinner this evening, and the one on the right…well say hello to the new me. Slightly larger, I literally feel like I am going to implode. I have gotten to the point whereas I cannot breathe in, now I am not a doctor, but I am not sure that is the healthiest state to be in. Now you may be wondering why on earth I would do this to myself, and I would respond with two different answers. First of all, all this pain is well worth it because the caliber of food that my grandma provides on nights like this simply cannot be matched. The other reason, I know that with all this food I will have an outstanding lift tomorrow, as my body’s performance has a positive correlation with the amount of food I eat the day/night before.

The Book of Life

Facebook. Phew, I really don’t know where to begin. It has swept across this nation quicker than a plague, and I’ll be honest, I am infected. It allows millions of people to interact with one another once friendship becomes mutual (upon request). You can write to people on the wall, or in a message, and I think this is where I will spend the remainder of my focus for this post. What is the difference you say? Well, let me tell you what makes posting on someone’s wall different from writing him or her a message.

Posting on someone’s wall: this form of writing is typically informal and impersonal, although there are always some exceptions. But think about this, posting on the wall reveals who said what at exactly what time. There is no anonymity involved. Everyone who goes onto that person’s profile will see what has been posted. As the person who is posting on a wall, you have to take into account that the person you are writing to will not be the only individual to read your comments, thus, some discretion is usually upheld while posting on the wall. All in all, I believe what you would say in a Hallmark car is the kind of material expected to be seen on someone’s wall.

Sending someone a Message: here is where we move away from greeting cards and delve deep into the personal & private subject matters involving two people. Feelings, emotions, and all else people don’t want random others to see are what is sent via messaging.

In conclusion, this epic site allows people to communicate with one another and share their personalities in a way quicker and more efficient than previous methods.

Prohibition

This post is not going to be about what you might think. I am not going to sit here and preach positively or negatively about the prohibition movement that tried to sweep through America in the earlier 20th century. Rather, I used the term prohibition as a “different” title that I could use to describe the role alcohol plays on my own life. I suppose in a weird analogy my body could represent the United States in the early 1900s, in that if you haven’t guessed it by now, I do not drink alcohol. It is a personal choice that I have made and stuck to over the years, and it is influenced by several big factors. First of all, I despise the smell of alcohol, as well as the taste (I tried a drink a few years ago in case you were wondering). Furthermore, I see how alcohol can influence people to behave in ways they would never even dream of if they were sober, and I hate that side effect of drinking. Moreover, I head a lot of people say that it is a great catalyst to having more fun at a party; I feel that I have plenty of fun and am sufficiently happy enough without alcohol. Perhaps most influential on my decision is involved with my serious dedication to bodybuilding. Alcohol drastically spikes your estrogen levels and decreases your testosterone, and in the world of bodybuilding, if you cannot product sufficient amounts of testosterone, you won’t get anywhere. On the other hand, I truly believe that alcohol consumption is morally wrong. I don’t really know how to explain why I feel this way, but I just believe that it is wrong you put toxins in to your body just “for kicks.”

Focal Point

Currently, I am sitting downstairs at the family room computer trying to focus on something to write about. Sadly, nothing is coming to my head. I just woke up from a very unproductive two-hour nap, and my mind is still in a fog. Perhaps my mind is still napping, as I feel I could go back to bed for another hour or so. I really don’t know why I am so tired all of a sudden. The past couple of days I have found that the second I lie down on a sofa, sit in a chair, or lie down in bed, I am usually passed out within fifteen minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving: Part I

It is currently 9:45 am and I just finished breakfast here on this lovely November 24th morning. I actually decided to eat a little bit today before the epic feast later on this evening. I chose to have two slices of toast with peanut butter and a bowl of cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats – Just Bunches). I am no longer able to eat for the rest of the day as I have to starve my tummy so it is ready for battle tonight. Every Thanksgiving my family goes to my grandparent’s house because my grandma cooks dinner for us. Last year, my sickness reached a whole new scale. Most years, after dinner, I go into the family room and lie on my stomach so I can shift the food around and relieve some of the pressure. Last year, however, I went to lie down, and I simply toppled over to my side.

I cannot wait for tonight, although I am going to try and take it easy this year.

Padiddle

Rules may include:
1. Daytime running light padiddle counts times 3.
2. Only headlights count. No tail lights.
3. Headlights are called with the traditional "padiddle" while taillights are called with "padonkle."
4. If the driver sees a Padiddle in the rear window, he can call it, while passengers can't. This is known as the "driver's handicap", as they have to pay attention to driving.
5. If someone is seen driving with their indicator still on, that counts as a Padiddle.
6. Calling a false Padiddle will incur a penalty of one point, item of clothing, etc (for aggressive games, players lose all points).
7. If a Padiddle is called which no one else can see (eg. through a median, fence or trees), then it can be challenged within 3 seconds for dismissal. If no one challenges it, then it counts.
8. If there is a tie at the end of the night, the rule states, that the driver, if involved, always wins. Like in blackjack, dealer always wins. Driver reserves the right to throw anyone out of the car.
9. If you find special vehicles with one light out, (emergency vehicles, semi traliers etc), they are special and double the reward.
10. An additional rule to Padiddle (not noted above), is that if somebody in the car sees a car with no headlights then that person shouts 'suicide' and hits the roof. the last person to shout suicide and hit the roof must remove all articles of clothing.
11. If one doesn't want to follow the rules, they can ask to owe a certain amount of 'padiddles' or 'suicides' next time the game is played
12. 'Permanent' Padiddles are padiddles that occur when the vehicle has been crashed at the headlight, rendering the headlight house unable to hold a replacement headlight. These padiddles can be called during daylight hours.
13. Players may modify the word "padiddle" using the type of vehicle in question, ie. "bus-diddle" or "truck-diddle". This is only to occur with rare vehicles and must never be used for "car-diddles".

Padiddle is the king when it comes to car games. No other traveling sporting event is quite as fun or focus oriented. As a passenger, you have a slight advantage over the driver as you don’t have to worry about the actual process of driving as you play this game. The rules of this game are listed above, but I will not be going into further detail about HOW to play the game. Every day I play with my brother as we drive to Gold’s Gym and back. I would say that on average we encounter eight padiddles per round trip. I’m usually not one to brag or be confident about myself, but I feel as though I could hold my own against pretty much anyone when it comes to battling in this epic event. Unfortunately, I came home this break a little rusty as nobody here at ISU (at least that I have driven with) plays the game. Anyway, if you haven’t played, the rules are a listed above…game on!

Becca Grace Wagner

Becca Grace Wagner. She is my new little God-Sister. Becca is the cutest little girl that I have ever seen in my life. In all honesty, she was kind of a oops baby, but nonetheless, the greatest oops I have ever seen! She has two sisters, Brianna and Bailey, who are twenty-two and eighteen respectively. Although I was not able to go to the hospital on the day of her birth, I have known this little eight wonder of the world since she was born. I love her and would do anything for her. She is an amazingly bright and astute young girl. She began to WALK before she was a year old. She has the greatest smile that I have ever seen, and it is truly contagious, for when you see this girl’s little smile, your face has absolutely no other choice than to smile right back at her. Seeing her usually brightens my day, as her personality is incredible as well. If you ever get to meet her, she will make you realize the true magic of life.

This Friday I will get to see her again for the first time since before the summer, so I am quite anxious to spend some time with my little sis!

The Punisher

The Punisher is an emotionally gripping film. At the beginning of the movie, we see a man reunited with his wife and son after being away for a long period of time due to his military duties. Shortly after, during a family reunion at a beautiful beach house, his entire family is brutally murdered by a group of men. These men followed the orders of their boss’ wife, who ordered the execution of his family because of an illegitimate reason. After his entire family has been killed, the man is shot multiple times, beat up, and left for dead on a burning boat dock.

Shockingly, the man survives this grotesque series of events. After recovering and becoming stronger than he was before (with a newly acquainted passion for redemption), he is determined to punish those who destroyed his life forever.

Thus, for the duration of the film is a depiction of the preparation and methods that Frank Castle (the husband) uses to kill off those who were involved.

E-Trade Commercials = Genius

While in psychology earlier this semester, I learned many different things regarding methods advertising companies use in order to get the attention of the consumers. In one of the lectures, my professor discussed several very specific ways that advertisements force their audience to remember the product/commercial. One such tool, which is clearly evident in all three of these E-Trade commercials, (at least in my immature opinion) is the utilization of humor in each advertisement. By using humor in an effort to make each viewer react by laughing, we are subconsciously storing that ad in to our brain because of our strong connection/reaction to the comical rhetoric. All three of these visual modes of communication are hilarious, and even after several months of not seeing them, I am still able to recite them from memory due to the strong influence/impact it had on me the first time I saw it on television. No matter what the product is, if advertisements simply have the power to make people REMEMBER them vividly, then that company’s product sales will increase dramatically as opposed to a weaker, dryer commercial advertisement.

Hypothetical Situation

I frequently find myself asking what I would be like right now if I had decided to go to Georgia Tech University in Atlanta, Georgia, as opposed to Iowa State. In case you were wondering, when it came down to my final decision as to where I would attend college, it was between ISU & GT. I eventually chose Iowa State University for a simple reason, although its campus was inferior to that of Georgia Tech’s campus, it had a superior architecture program; thus, ISU was the school for me, right? Again, you may be wondering why this is even being brought up right now, but in case you haven’t read that far back in my blog, I am no longer pursuing architecture here at Iowa State. The program here took the fun/pleasure/enjoyment out of the profession in my perspective, and it destroyed my dream of becoming an architect. I am not angry, but rather curious, if I had chosen GT, would I still be the world’s greatest architect-to-be? I know for a fact not all programs are alike, so the question stands, where would I be right now if I were in Atlanta? It makes me a little upset because I still remember the desire I once had for architecture, and the passion that once brewed inside me, and I just feel like I “quit” or failed my life, so my intentions/decisions are unresolved in my heart.

Flipping Out: Candid Camera

So right now I am watching the television show Flipping Out on the Bravo network. In a quick summary of the show, it shows the daily event/struggles/activities of a company who specializes in ‘flipping’ homes. The essence of ‘flipping’ a household involve purchasing a home in poor condition, renovating it to a state better than before, and then quickly putting it back on the market to make a profound profit. This business, if done properly, can be very lucrative.

Okay, beyond the synopsis of the show itself, this particular episode is quite disturbing in regards to disloyalty towards one’s boss/friend.

In this episode, we see an employee of the boss (named Jeff), Chris, lie to the boss about what he spends his days at the house doing. For the past couple weeks, Chris has been put to work to oversee the well-being of Jeff’s household, Jeff’s dogs, and anything dealing with the general upkeep of the property. As suspicion began to arise in Jeff’s mind that Chris was not doing a proper job with the tasks, Jeff secretly bought and instantly a hidden camera in his office (which is forbidden in itself, but Jeff thought Chris had been breaking that rule as well). Shockingly, Jeff was incredibly correct in his assumptions. The videotape revealed that Chris was simply NOT doing what he was being asked to do. From going into the office, to using his boss’ computer, to shuffling through his financial records, Chris was breaking every rule imaginable.

After Jeff confronted Chris with his viable evidence, Chris was fired.

Mockingbird

Simply put, this video discusses the fallicies of Eminem's parenting of his daughter as she grew up. I don't want to spend a lot of time analyzing, maybe I will later, but LISTEN to the words of this song, it is beautiful.




Yeah
I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now
But hey, what daddy always tell you?
Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
whatchu crying about?
You got me.

[ Verse 1 ]

Hailie, I know u miss your mom
And I know u miss your dad when I’m gone
But I’m tryin' to give u the life that I never had
I can see you sad
Even when you smile
Even when you laugh
I can see it in your eyes
Deep inside you wanna cry
Cuz you're scared
I ain’t there,
Daddy’s with you in your prayers
No more cryin'
Wipe them tears
Daddy’s here
No more nightmares
We gonna pull together through it
We gonna do it
Lainie's uncle’s crazy ain’t he,yeah
But he loves you girl and you better know it
We’re all we got in this world
When it spins
When it swirls
When it whirls
When it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Lookin' puzzled, in a daze
I know it’s confusing you
Daddy’s always on the move
Mama’s always on the news
I try to keep you sheltered from it
But somehow it seems, the harder that I try to do that
The more it backfires on me
All the things, growin' up
As daddy, daddy had to see
Daddy don’t want you to see
But you see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way,
Your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don’t see us ever being
Together ever again
Like we used to be like when we was teenagers
But then of course
Everything always happen for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be
But it’s just something
We have no control over
And that’s what destiny is
But no more worries
Rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we’ll wake up
And this will all just be a dream


[ Chorus ]

Now hush little baby don’t u cry
Everything's gonna be all right
Stiffin' that upper lip up little lady I told ya
Daddy’s here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy’s not here right now and we don’t know why
We fear how we feel inside, it may seem a little crazy
Pretty baby but I promise, Mama’s gon' be alright

[ Verse two ]

It’s funny,
I remember back one year when daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree
And said some of 'em were from me,
Cuz daddy couldn’t buy ‘em
I’ll never forget that Christmas
I sat up the whole night crying
cuz daddy felt like a bum,
See daddy had a job But his job
Was to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed or shot up on the block
And your mom, was saving money for you in a jar
Tryna to start a piggy bank for you
So you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars
Till someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your mamma’s heart
And it seemed like everything was just starting to fall apart
Mom and dad was arguing a lot
So mama moved back on to Chalmers in a flat
One bedroom apartment
And dad moved back to the other side of 8 mile on Novara
And that’s when daddy went to California with his CD
And met Dr. Dre and flew you and Mama out to see me,
But daddy had to work, you and mama had to leave me,
Then you started seeing daddy on the TV
And mama didn’t like it
And you and Lainnie were too young to understand
Papa was a rollin stone, mama developed a habit
And it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it
I’m just sorry you were there and had to witness it firsthand
Cuz all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I’m sittin’ in this empty house,
Just reminiscing Looking at your baby pictures it just TRIPS me out
To see how much you both have grown it’s almost like you're sisters now
Wow, guess you pretty much are and daddy’s still here
Lainnie I’m talking to you too daddy’s still here
I like the sound of that, yeah
It’s got a ring to it don’t it
Shhh, mama’s only gone for the moment


[ Chorus ]

Now hush little baby don’t you cry
Everythings gonna be all right
Stiffin' that upper lip up little lady I told ya
Daddy’s here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy’s not here right now and we don’t know why
We fear how we feel inside, it may seem a little crazy
Pretty baby but I promise, mama’s gon' be alright

[ End chorus]

And if you ask me to, daddy’s gonna buy you a mocking bird
Ima' give you the world, Ima' buy a diamond ring for you,
Ima sing for you, I’ll do anything for u to see u smile
And if that Mocking Bird don’t sing and that ring don’t shine
I’ma break that birdie’s neck, I’ll go back to the Jeweler
Who sold it to ya
And make him eat every carat
Don’t fuck with dad.
haha

Stranger Than Fiction

“You’re born alone/ you die alone/ the rest is yours to fill the gap.”

This is one of the opening lines of the song “Stranger Than Fiction,” by Five Finger Death Punch. Quite frankly, I love this line. I first listened (not to be mistaken with heard) this lyrical phrase on my way home today from St. Louis, when I was just resting in the car with my iPod on.

The context that comes with line is interesting to think about. “You’re born alone/ you die alone/ the rest is yours to fill to fill the gap,” first and foremost in its literal form, implies that as a human being you enter and leave this world by yourself, with the accompaniment of no one else beside you. By telling the audience “the rest is yours to fill the gap,” Five Finger Death Punch is simply telling us to go out and live your life to the way you intend. You do not have to follow any guidelines, but rather, spend the time you have on this earth by making memories you’ll never forget and creating relationships you will never break.

Free Association

Free Association is a therapeautic tactic used by many psychologists. What happens in this circumstance is the doctor will present their patient with a word, and the patient’s responsibility is to respond with the first word that comes to their mind. What most people don’t realize, is that along with this Freudian Psychoanalytical method to getting to the deeper meaning of emotional problems, many patients and doctors are switching over to Internet blogs as a way to treat people. The medical significance that blogging can have is profound as well as well supported. This issue first came to my attention as I was working on my annotated bibliography. I never really thought about this issue, but the more and more I read about it, the more it made sense as a legitimate medicinal option. Think about what blogs can provide to people willing to express their thoughts. It provides an audience who is willing to listen as well as respond to the content in an effort to resolve the issue; a reasonable option to reveal emotional/social/psychological issues that the patient is going through; as well as provide a certain level of anonymity if the blogger is wishing to keep themselves less vulnerable and open to critique. All in all, blogging is able to serve as a very liable method to relieve people of their burdens by acting as an online version of a discussion group.

Seven Versus Eight

Right before your eyes are the two greatest professional bodybuilders to ever walk this earth. On one side you have Arnold “The Oak” Schwarzenegger, 6’2” tall and weighing in at two hundred and fifty pounds (off season weight). On the other side, you have Ronnie “Mr. O” Coleman, 5’11” tall and weighing in at three hundred and thirty pounds (off season weight). Between the two of these colossal men are a staggering fifteen Mr. Olympia titles, 7 of them by Arnold, and the other 8 by Ronnie. The Mr. Olympia competition is the most prestigious annual professional bodybuilding event in the world. Bodybuilders from dozens of countries come to Las Vegas, NV to compete for the chance to hold up this trophy and be called the “best bodybuilder in the world.”

Surprise?

Earlier this week I decided to surprise my family by showing up at an unexpected time for my Thanksgiving Break. On Tuesday, when my mother called me to find out what time I would get home so she could coordinate her daily activities so that she could be home when I arrived, I told her that I would not be leaving Iowa State University until two-three in the afternoon on Friday. What she didn’t know, was that I had already made the plans to leave the campus around seven in the morning, so that I could make it home for lunch time and surprise my entire clan.

Now all of that sounds like a great idea, right? However, what I didn’t realize is that when I got home earlier today, my ENTIRE family would not be at home to welcome me back for the week! To say the least, this is not what I was expecting at all for my first visit back home for over three months.

So, after getting dropped off at my house, I was forced to get inside via the back door, yet another surprise for me. With my free time, I just perused through my home, walking from room to room while reacquainting myself with my surroundings that I had missed so much since coming to Iowa State.

It was not until I had laid down in my bed to take a nap that my family finally arrived back at the house, where my EXPECTED family reunion carried on.

Wall-E

You might be wondering what an eighteen year old college student with a newly cut mohawk hair cut is doing writing about a Disney Pixar film. Well, I am hear to tell you that the film Wall-E might be one of the most intelligently created films that I have ever seen in my life. What I am trying to get to here, is that I am truly amazed by the caliber of movie it turned out to be with as little of actual dialogues there actually is within the piece. I believe that this movie quite possibly could be one of the best examples of rhetoric recent cinematic productions. How it is able to reach such levels of humor while still be able to contain a quality story behind the animation astonishes me.

Through methods of background music to set a general tone and the producer’s knowledge of an audience’s probably reaction, this movie reaches new levels of effectiveness with regard to presenting a plot to its viewers.

Another tool that is used in incredible fashion is the utilization of grunts and general noises and overall body language from the robots to convey their emotions and or thoughts to the audience. Such examples include moaning while exerting energy, sighing with relief, slouching of the robot’s actual structure when lamenting, and the quickened movement when in distress. In general, the creators of this film did a remarkable job while making critical rhetorical decisions for this film.

Moving Day

This morning at seven o’ clock, I left one home in pursuit for the other. I left the Alpha Tau Omega’s Gamma Upsilon chapter house for Thanksgiving break, and started to head back home to small town Knollwood, Illinois (thirty minutes North of Chicago). The entire drive, which is roughly six hours in length, my body wasse as I anxiously awaited my arrival.

Let me tell you, driving through the Midwest for six hours was right up there on my list of “Most-Boring-Things-To-Do” list. The scenery never changed as I was constantly bombarded with flat farmland as I made my way across the states. Occasionally, if you are one of the lucky ones, you might drive over a hill, but other than that, don’t expect an exciting visual experience as you make your way home.

As I was driving, I couldn’t help but recall all the things that I had been missing about my home. From my family, the desk in my room where I do homework, to the sight of my house itself was enough to make me want to break every speeding law known to mankind. However, I was able to contain myself, so no worries in that regard.

The hardest part of the drive is that it truly was a war of attrition. After the first few hours in the car, a headache began to brew in my head, and I began to lose all feeling in my gluteus maximus. All in all, the physical toll of the drive made me crazy.

The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I would eventually reach my destination, and that my family would be there…

Spreading the Christmas Cheer

In the early 17th and 18th centuries, Christmas would create pleasant times where the table would literally be turned in the terms of social hierarchy; however, on some instances the order of events would be ignored, which lead to a vandalistic series of events.

During the Christmas season, “[T]he Lord of the Manor let the peasants in and feasted them. In return, the peasants offered something of true value in a paternalistic society - their goodwill.” In this time, the masters of the house and the town’s laborers would share the night as if they were of the same social status. During this time, food, gifts, money, and especially alcohol would be passed from master to servant. Another way that roles of society were flipped were in a sense of the instigation of this exchange. It was not the masters who coordinated and planned for the servants to come visit their homes; but rather, it was the servant’s responsibility and doing that began these ceremonies. Even though we are unaware of the attitudes that were shared among these evenings, we are at least informed enough to know that during the Christmas season, the typical societal roles were switched.

On the other hand, we never know how positive of this experience this was. We are told in the book that the masters had to keep an “open house;” thus, they couldn’t turn people away. In events such as this, whether or not the time was truly a memorable occasion is unknown. One fact that brings a positive note to the experience is that fact that singing was involved in the ritualistic behavior. Not always, but in most cases, singing implies a gleeful attitude full of good times and enjoyment. Luckily, in this book we are notified of the mood of the lyrics. We are told that they were “aggressive” and were “often an explicit threat - concerning the unpleasant consequences to follow if the beggars demands were not met.” So although the times spent together were mean to be a good experience, they almost seem as though they were forced to be pleasant, and if they weren’t, the masters would truly regret it.

In Battle for Christmas, we are informed of one such occasion where things went very wrong. This example took place in Massachusetts in 1679, to a man named John Rowden, his wife Mary, and apprentice Daniel. On this evening, four men came into the home of Mr. Rowden, sang their Christmas ballad, but were refused perry from John Rowden. After asking Rowden again, and being refused again, they left. However, after about fifteen minutes they returned, only to be turned down yet again. Finally, on their third time coming back, they began to taunt and tease the Rowden family. In an account of what happened, we learn that the four men “threw stones, bones, and other things at Poole in the doorway and against the house. They beat down much of the daubing in several places and continued to throw stones for an hour and a half... broke down about a pole and a half of fence.” This is just one prime instance where things went very wrong in the evening ceremonies, and the aftermath of such an event.

Saw

Let me start off by saying that I LOVE these Movies. I have not seen Saw V; however, the other 4 are among my favorite movies currently on DVD. On the other hand, I misguided you again as I don't really enjoy watching Saw II very much.

The first time I saw Saw, I was terrified. I was not able to fall asleep that evening. I walked around the house saying "I love my life" over and over again just to make sure that damn doll on the tricycle didn't roll around the corner and start a 'game' with me.

The basis of these movies is simple: appreciate/respect/love/cherish your life. If you do not act and live as though you are happy and appreciating the mere gift of life, then you will be punished in such a way that you will learn how to love the life you have. If you are someone who does cherish your life and the gift God has given you, then you are perfectly safe from the man that is Jigsaw.

The punishments in these movies are all created in order to give the victim a second chance at life, and teach them of the luxury that being alive truly is.

Sing For The Moment

These ideas are nightmares for white parents

Whose worst fear is a child with dyed hair and who likes earrings

Like whatever they say has no bearing

Its so scary in a house that allows no swearing

To see him walking around with his headphones blaring

Alone in his own zone, cold and he dont care

He's a problem child, what bothers him all comes out

When he talks about his fuckin' dad walkin out

Cos he hates him so bad that he blocks him out

But if he ever saw him again, he'd prolly knock him out

His thoughts are whacked, he's mad so he's talkin' back

Talkin black, brainwashed from rock and rap

He sags his pants, 2 rags and a stocking cap

His step-father hit him so he socked him back

And broke his nose, this house is a broken home

There's no control, he just lets his emotions go

Come on...

In this verse, we learn of the troubles that 'rebels' are put through during their relationship with their parents. Eminem depicts the life that a child who doesn't conform would experience, and how his parents are not able to accept him because of all that he stands for. As this kid with hearings walks around the house blasting his music while being "brainwashed from rock and rap", we are informed of how his father got so upset with his child that he hit him. However, there was so much mutual anger between the two that the child decided to hit his father back, and eventually speak his truth.

They say music can alter moods and talk to you

But can it load a gun for you and cock it too?

Well if it can, then the next time you assault a dude

Just tell the judge it was my fault, and i'll get sued

See what these kids do, is hear about us toting pistols

And they want to get one, cos they think the shit's cool

Not knowin' we're really just protectin' ourselves

We're entertainers, of course this shit's affecting our sales

You ignoramus. but music is reflection of self

We just explain it, and then we get our cheques in the mail

It's fucked up ain't it, how we can come from practically nothin'

To bein' able to have any fuckin' thing that we wanted

It's why we sing for these kids that don't have a thing

Except for a dream and a fucking rap magazine

Who post pinup pictures on their walls all day long

Idolise their favourite rappers and know all they songs

Or for anyone who's ever been through shit in they lives

So they sit and they cry at night, wishing they die

Till they throw on a rap record, and they sit and they vibe

We're nothing to you, but we're the fuckin' shit in their eyes

That's why we sieze the moment, and try to freeze it and own it

Squeeze it and hold it, 'cos we consider these minutes golden

And maybe they'll admit it when we're gone

Just let our spirits live on, through out lyrics that you hear in our songs

And we can

In this verse, Eminem shows his understanding of the blame and guilt that the entertainment industry has on them for corrupting the minds of future generations with derogative lyrics and nasty material. He realizes that parents perhaps don't like what he and the music industry are all about. Parents blame the industry for altering their kid's minds and for changing the way of the future. Eminem states "Just tell the judge it was my fault, and i'll get sued," because he realizes the power music has, and how parents would likely want to point their finger at him, which would inevitably put him at fault for something he actually didn't do.

The power behind Eminem's "Sing for the Moment" is incredible. Eminem's lyrics are oustanding as they raise many levels of awareness and show the authority music has as a mode of rhetoric to explain faults in today's culture.