What I Deserve In This Class

As you have realized by now, logically I deserve a "B". My work has been my best effort, but apparently, "above average" is all I am going to get. I have gotten "B"s in your intro and online classes as well so at least I am consistent. I did the work, although most of my blogs were weeks late. Even so, I did learn how to properly blog about topics that I otherwise wouldn't have approached. I took on topics such as politics, religion, the economy, and even Nazis. Those controversial topics I would have steered clear from at the risk of offending someone. Now, with having completed this class, I have learned to tactfully handle those topics as well as a plethora of others.

With this in mind, the grade I would LOVE to have at the end of this class is an "A". I have only missed one class the entire semester which shows my effort. Along with this I did my best which, as our parents always tell us growing up, is all that matters. Also, because this my last semester and even more than that, my last final ever, I would like to think you have a heart and would give me an "A" as...a graduation present. If nothing else, consider that my overall GPA will be a 2.99 with a "B" in this class but I will have the satisfaction of graduating with over a 3.00 if I earn/get an "A".

Whether I achieve an "A" or more likely, a "B", I will leave here with the satisfaction of knowing that I learned many things in this class. I have learned about blogs and hyperlinks and my knowledge will be put to the test this summer as a web intern for South Magazine. It has been fun getting to learn about the side of journalism that, until now, has seemed like a relatively easy type of writing. In fact, it takes research and hard work to form an educated opinion and back up your facts. Although in blog writing you do not have to be fair and balanced, you do need to know what the other side represents in order to discuss what factors you disagree with.

Thank you for teaching me the lessons I learned here and I hope you had as much fun as I did.

80's [Flash]dance party!

I have always loved things from the 1980s: 80s fashion, 80s movies, and 80s music. When we were given this assignment to pick a CD I naturally went for the one from my favorite decades. Although some songs I really enjoyed, the majority of them were not my favorites. I like 80s pop songs and artists: all Jon Bon Jovi songs, DJ Bobo's "What a Feeing", "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurithmics, and Kenny Loggins' greatest hits all grace my iPod.

The CD created by Geoff Carr did have a few gems I had never heard before. I am pleased to say these will fit right it with Rick Springfield.

1) Pere Ubu's "Breath" was easily my favorite on the album. It had the cheesy, upbeat music that I love most about the 80s. The message is also pretty cute. It's about a couple spending the last moments together before she leaves. The boy in the song is showing her around his town and it's really touching. The only downside is Pere Ubu's thrashing about on the stage.

2) I enjoyed Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" as well. It vaguely reminded me of something by Duran Duran. The lyrics are a kind of nonsense that only the 80s could provide. Even so, the song is so quintessentially 1980s that I have no choice but to love it. There's not much to write about it other than I feel like I should get my legwarmers on and dance.

Most of the other songs were a little to...rock for my liking. Although they may have been popular in the 80s, they weren't my cup of tea. Then again, who am I to judge? I only was alive for 2 years of the 80s.

Daredevil

The film Daredevil features the secret life of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen. Murdock meets and falls in love with Electra, the daughter of a wealthy politician? In both his personal and professional life, Murdock is thriving; however, Kingpin, the man who killed Matt Murdock’s father when he was 12 is still on the loose and still the mastermind behind many crimes. Kingpin has hired Bullseye, an evil man with a killer shot, to do his dirty work.

At this point, the reader may be curious how a blind man can pass as a superhero. Matt Murdock has compensated for the loss of his sight by developing keen hearing. He uses sound waves to “see” much like how bats use sonar. Rain helps him see the best because “each raindrop hitting a surface makes a sound”. This whole idea, along with the graphics available in 2003, seems, well, cheesy. The entire idea of this is difficult to believe.

In addition, it seems as though the director or producer obtained several of their ideas from pre-existing superheros. Now, I have never read the comic book so I am not sure if these were present before the film, but in the movie it seems as though they borrowed powers from Spiderman and Batman. Matt Murdock’s seeing-eye cane has many of the same powers as Batman’s belt and he uses a wire that shoots from his stick to swing through the air much like Spiderman. Because this movie came out in 2003, it proceeded the Batman Begins franchise, but Spiderman came out in 2002.

Besides the terrible graphics, the improbability of Murdock’s way of seeing, and the borrowed powers, my one other problem is the acting. This has nothing to do with the storyline, but Ben Affleck’s monotone voice is the worst I’ve seen him in any movie…including Mallrats. My one other question; in this film

*SPOILIER ALERT* Electra, Murdock’s girlfriend, is killed by Bullseye, but doesn’t she have an entire spinoff movie based on her life? It is possible that is a prequel, but still. Either way, this movie is a disappointment in regards to superhero movies. The only one it is better than is the Eric Bana version of “The Incredible Hulk”.

Disney Princesses (Free Topic)

As a little girl I loved Disney movies more than anything. The princesses were my heroes: I idolized them. They were beautiful, had beautiful voices, cool pets, and best of all, men that adored them. But that has gotten me thinking, what about them appeals to me now?

First: it is important to note there are two types of Disney princesses. First, there are the main six: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, and Jasmine. There are also other Disney princesses that are well known, but don't have the type of following as the main six. Disney princesses such as Pocahantas, Mulan, and Meg fall into this category.

One thing they all have in common is they are strong, beautiful women. On the other hand, they are each in need of one thing: a man to make them happy. Even Belle, the most "independent" of the Disney six is told to "look for a man" and her father tries to set her up with Gaston, the handsome, but wicked, man of the town. She is also seen as "odd" and "peculiar" by other townspeople because of her lack of a man. Mulan begins the movie by looking for a man, then goes off to war and defends her country but doesn't bring honor to her family until she finds a man at the end.

Disney's perception of females and what should be important to them hasn't changed much since Snow White appeared in the 1930s. Even still, we have to wonder if it's what Disney and the corporation find important or what American little girls dream about. It's far more common for little girls to play house and dolls than soldier and cowboys. With this in mind, some little girls do go the "tomboy" route, but there are movies like Cars for them.

Bottom line, the Disney Princesses may be sexist and anti-feminine, but they are a small piece of nostalgia and innocence from my childhood that is still around. Little girls don't understand the sub-text of the storyline. They are much more concerned with the songs and the singing animals. Let them watch their movie with joy instead of trying to inform them that they should be happy scrubbing floors.

Is It Okay To Break the Law?

Such a complex question can really only be thought of on a case to case basis. Is it okay to pull a gun on someone because they cut you in line at the supermarket? Not so much. But there are other, more plausible examples, of times when breaking the law is okay.

One fairly common example is using marijuana to treat chemotherapy side effects or glaucoma. Technically using marijuana is a misdemeanor ;however, using it in the case above is legal if you have a doctor's permission. This isn't necessarily breaking the law, but it is bending it slightly.

A story recently caught my eye that trends on this topic. Aaron Vargas, 32, had been molested and stalked by Darrell McNeill, 63, for the greater part of his life. Vargas, who was first molested by McNeill on a fishing trip, finally snapped and shot the man who had made his life "hell". Vargas' family said that he had gone through a lifetime of punishment and was only doing what he felt was the only way to escape his situation. Even McNeill's wife said that Vargas shouldn't be punished. At the time of this article, the charges had gone from "murder" to "voluntary manslaughter". This means he can get anywhere from probation to 10 years in prison.

In the case of Vargas although I don't condone killing, if he felt there was absolutely no other way then I can see how it's justified. It was reported Vargas had filed restraining orders and moved states but McNeill continued to haunt him. In this situation, if I were the judge, I would be more lenient but still punish him. It was still a crime, but it wasn't unprovoked.
Aaron Vargas

Philosophy of Buddhism

Philosophy is defined as "the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct"

Buddhism, an east Asian, uses their teachings and methodology to become teachings for its followers.

Legend goes that Siddhartha Gautama was a prince in 556 BC. Those around him in the palace shielded him from the horrors of the outside world such as death and pain. One day, he went over the palace walls and saw the truth. He escaped the palace to find out the truth and in doing so, reached enlightenment.


They're four main teachings are:
1) Desire is the root of all suffering
2) Ending desire ends suffering
3) Life is suffering and pain
4) Believers should follow the eight-fold path.

The eight-fold path is:
1) Know and understand the Four Noble Truths
2)Give up all worldly things and don't harm others
3)Tell the truth, don't gossip, and don't talk badly about others
4)Don't commit evil acts, like killing, stealing, or live an unclean life
5)Do rewarding work
6)Work for good and oppose evil
7)Make sure your mind keeps your senses under control
8)Practice meditation as a way of understanding reality

Buddhists practice discipline and self control. They use these methods in their everyday life and truly believe it is the way to holiness. This is why it qualifies as a philosophy.

FAMOUS BUDDHISTS:
-Richard Gere
-Goldie Hawn
-Kate Bosworth
-Tiger Woods
-Jet Li

*start at 10 min in*

The Visit

On Friday, April 9, I had the pleasure of going to see the Georgia Southern production of "The Visit". In this play, a wealthy former resident returns to her hometown. The town, which has recently fallen on some financial hardships, is hoping the wealthy benefactress will bestow upon them a monetary gift of some kind. Claire, the wealthy woman, agrees to this but only if her former boyfriend, Anton Shill is killed. When they were younger, Claire became pregnant by Shill, but he denied paternity. This caused Claire to have her reputation destroyed and was forced to become a prostitute.

The townspeople of Gullen, led by their Bergomaster (or Mayor-like person) deny they will ever succumb to her stipulations. Suddenly, townspeople begin buying things on credit and purchasing things that aren't a necessity, like new shoes. Anton Shill becomes suspicious and eventually he relents and allows the town to kill him for the money.

This play, though very interesting, was about an hour too long. At three hours running time, an hour of the story could have been cut out purely for times sake. This being said, the story was captivating and morbid. The audience wants to find out whether or not the town will rise up and kill the man and if so, why was Claire so dead set against him being killed.

My one wish is that the actors would have gotten into character more. The play takes place in Germany, yet only the character of the Bergermaster, played by Geoff Carr, is the only one who attempts a German accent. I did enjoy the costumes and how they depicted the period of the play.

My favorite characters were the two blind men who follow Claire around. They dress in identical suspender outfits and repeat everything they say. They offer comic relief in an otherwise depressing play.

Overall, I enjoyed the play and was grateful for the chance to see it. It was a fun event to enrich my last semester at Georgia Southern.

Sweet Summertime

This summer will be filled with possibilities. There are so many things I am looking forward to that I don't even know where to begin. I guess the first exciting thing is that I will not be returning to school in the fall. With this in mind, I will approach this summer as a new beginning to my life. There will be no anticipation of what classes I have to take next semester or worry about summer school. When this summer begins, I will be a college graduate.

With this in mind, I have a summer internship at South Magazine. As of right now, I am unsure of when I start or how much I will be getting paid. I do know that I will be a web intern meaning I will be writing stories specifically for the web and uploading blogs and videos to their website. Although it is not a real "job" it is a start and it also provides me something to do while I am looking for a real career. I figure one of two things can happen upon completion of my internship.

1) I could be hired at South Magazine and continue there
or
2) I could make connections and obtain more experience so when I am finished with my internship, I will be able to find a job.

I suppose the last and most trivial thing I am looking forward to about the summer is finally moving on with my life. I am planning on finally moving in with my boyfriend of 3 years and hopefully soon after, we can get a dog. I know this sounds trivial and unimportant but I am very much looking forward to it. It will be an exciting next step in my road to becoming a "grown up".

NA NA NA NA BATMAN

Favorite superhero? Now that's easy: Batman! He's the only one who doesn't cheat. Superman was born with his powers and his weakness is a glowing green rock. Spiderman cheats because he was bit by a spider...BOOORING. The Incredible Hulk turns superhuman sized which can't be a fair advantage. Batman, on the other hand, is a regular guy with a genuine desire to help the people of Gotham City. He was just an ordinary guy with no real superpowers, unless you count being super rich. He used his wealth to create an outfit and gadgets. He doesn't cheat: he just rocks.

Favorite villian is slightly more complicated. Although he's not a technical SUPER-VILLAIN I'm going to have to go with Hades from Disney's Hercules . He's funny but still tries to kill Hercules. His humor makes him likable, but his anger ant hatred make him a villain. In his defense, he does have some of the best lines in the entire movie such as "is this an audience or a mosaic?" and "Memo to me... Memo to me: Maim you after my meeting."

My name is Allison Brenner and I approve this message

Is it pretentious to say that I should be hired? Probably, but it's true. I think I would be an asset to every company that needs someone to write/edit/do PR/ or marketing.

I have experience in writing with all of my classes as well as the current internship I am completing. In this internship, I have been writing articles, as well as editing and practicing the layout of the newspaper itself. In addition, working in a real newspaper has given me opportunities to work with deadlines and interview people.

Also through my internship I have gained leadership experience. I organized and carried out a softball game for charity and a free food festival to inform Georgia Southern students about their first amendment rights. I am also organizing a banquet in which I have had to arrange catering, order awards, and create certificates.

I also have wonderful people skills and am not afraid to speak to anyone. I am outgoing and very persuasive. I would get compliments when I worked at McAlisters Deli for upselling items. This means that I could usually talk a customer into dessert or an appetizer, even if they didn't think they wanted one when they came into the restaurant.

Because of my experience, people skills, and desire to work hard, I think I would be an asset to any company and deserve to be hired.

Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Benefits are the payments made by the Government to individuals who are unemployed due to no fault of their own. One way to think of it is like an individual bailout. When a person no longer has an income coming in, they need some way to continue to pay for rent and food while they look for a new job or recover from their injury.

Unemployment Benefits

• Regular benefits are paid for a maximum of 26 weeks in most states.
• Additional weeks of benefits are be available during times of high unemployment.
• In many states, the compensation will be half you earnings, up to a maximum amount. For example, in New York State you're entitled to collect up to a maximum of $405, which is half the state's average weekly wage. While in Arizona, the highest benefit rate is $205.
• Benefits are subject to Federal income taxes and must be reported on your Federal income tax return.

So who pays for unemployment benefits?

"employers pay federal unemployment taxes of 6.2 percent on the first $7,000 earned by each of their employees during a calendar year. These federal taxes are used to cover the costs of administering the UC programs in all states"

• All federal and state administrative costs associated with UC programs;

• The federal share of benefits paid under the federal-state Extended Unemployment

Compensation Act of 1970

To file for unemployment click here

Economic History

Everyone is familiar with coin money. As a child, it was exciting to have a bag full of pennies. As we get older, we realize pennies are pretty much useless because, lets face it, you can't even put them in a vending machine. Nickels, Dimes, Quarters, half dollars, and even the dollar coins are all a common place in everyday life.

There are some coins that are rarer than others though.

1) The most expensive coin is the gold capped bust dollar coin from 1796-1807. This coin was made in a time when $2.50 was a good weeks wage. Because of this, very few of the coins were made. The coin changed designs several times including adding and retracting stars, adding "The United States of America", and one version had Martha Washington's face. Of the original 1797 version, only 20 are thought to still be in existence. This makes the selling price for one of these coins from $85,000-$100,000 at auction.

2) Another discontinued coin, though not as rare or expensive but still cool, is the Wheat Penny. It is also known as the Strawpenny, Wheatback, Wheatie, or Wheat Head. These were made from 1909-1958. The designer of the penny, Victor David Brenner, was so proud of his work that he displayed his initial on each penny. Some wheat pennies are worth around $8,000 depending on when they were made, where they were made, and what material they were made out of. The later ones are far less rare and not worth much at all.

Pennies are some of the more fascinating monies because although they are pretty much useless, their designs have changed so much.

These were for Abe Lincoln's 200th Birthday

This is the 2010 penny. It represents the United States being a whole and being United.

3) There are also "novelty dollars". For example, this one has Santa on it. I have read these are legal tender because they are real dollar bills with Santa's face on them but the only source I could find about them is not credible. Either way they're cute and fun to have.

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

My favorite work of art has to be "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat. In my 6 years of French lessons I had to do projects about impressionist artists three times and twice I picked Georges Seurat, specifically so I could talk about this painting.

The actual painting itself is interesting. It depicts people (and a random monkey) enjoying an afternoon in the park. The painting, created in 1884, was inspired by Seurat's visit to the island in 1881. The clothing on the women is beautifully done and the sailboats off in the distance make it seem like it would be a beautiful day to be outside. I like the non-detailed faces of the subjects because it makes it seem like they could be anyone: not just the people Seurat saw in the park.

The absolute coolest thing, in my opinion, about this painting is that it is done in pointillism. Pointillism is a form of painting invented by Seurat in which the painting is actually made up of millions of individual dots instead of brush strokes. To the viewers eye, it appears like one cohesive picture but if one looks really carefully, you can see the individual dots. Because of this painstaking process, the painting took 2 years to create.

Passion...or Obsession?

So I've already written one post about it but in fact I am so passionate about this I feel it deserves a second blog post. That's right...I'm talking about GLEE! It's very difficult for me to find a show that I get genuinely excited about. Sure there are shows I like: Royal Pains, Kendra, and any countdown show ever, but I haven't liked a show to this extent since probably ninth grade when American Dreams was on.

So what is Glee? It's a show about a, you guessed it, high school glee club at fictional William McKinley High School in Ohio. The characters are colorful and very talented.

• Rachel-a slighly neurotic diva who is the best singer at the school and she knows it. Oh and she's in love with star quarterback Finn.
• Quinn-a cheerleader and president of the celibacy club. Did I mention she's pregnant with not her boyfriend Finn's baby, but his best friend's-Bad Boy Puck
• Finn- star quarterback and All-American boy. Also the object of lust for 2 girls and 1 boy
• Puck- the mohawked bad boy and football stud. In one episode he makes "special brownies" for the glee bake sale.
  
• Kurt-the overly flamboyant and fashionable one of the group who happens to also be in love with Finn. Every glee club needs the gay stereotype and he's it.
• Mercedes- a girl who's talent is as big as her attitude. Best line ever: I'm a Beyonce I ain't no Kelly Rowland.
• Artie-the weelchair bound nerd with a deep singing voice that doesn't match his personality at all!
• Tina- the Asian girl who fakes a stutter so she doesn't get called on in class.

There's also Mr. Shue, the devoted instructor, and Sue Sylvester, coach of the Cheerios and an all around B***H!

I'm not the only one gaga for this show. They won many awards this past season and just last weekend sang at the Presidental Easter Egg Roll. And just in case my description (and the video below) get you interested, season 2 starts April 13 at 10:30 :-)

SPRING BREAK RECAP

What is there to say about Spring Break 2K10? For some it was a joyous occasion spent frolicking on the beach. For others it was a time for going out on River Street and getting so schwasted they don't know which way is up. For me...I went up to ATL to spend time with family. Awesome right?

So what did I do in Marietta? The usual really...went shopping, spent time with family, and helped my grandpa get settled in his new apartment. I also did 2 fun things I suppose are worth noting. I went to a Hawks game with my dad (my very first professional basketball game!) where we saw the Hawks beat the Pistons 112-99. I even saw a man propose to his girlfriend on the court which I'd never seen in real life; only on TV.


I also went to my mom's school on St. Patricks Day and got to be the leperchaun. I destroyed their room by flipping over chairs and spraying confetti everywehere. We even found the leperchaun's underwear! The kids ate rainbow cupcakes and sorted lucky charms' marshmallows. Overall a fun day, for them and me!

It's a small world after all...

Disneyland Paris (or Euro Disney as it was originally called) opened in 1992 in a suburb of Paris. The concept is simple: bringing the magic of Disney to Europe. There are many similarities between Euro Disney and its American counterparts: Disneyland in California and Disney World in Orlando. For instance: the parks in Euro Disney are much like the sub-sections of Magic Kingdom in WDW. They have: Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland, and Discoveryland. In contrast, WDW has those and Mickey's Toon Town Adventure, Liberty Square, and Tomorrowland.

They also have "Walt Disney Studio Park" which is comparable to "Disney's Hollywood Studio" in Orlando. At the Euro Disney Park they have 4 lots: Toon Studio, Backlot, Front Lot, and Production Courtyard. Disney's hollywood studio has only one lot, but it has different attractions.

Random facts:

• Both Disneyland Paris and Disneyland in California have Sleeping Beauty's castle whereas Disneyworld in Orlando has Cinderella's Castle.
• Euro Disney has roughly 12,000 employees
• The park usually has around 55,000 visitors per day (compared to 17 million visits in 2007 by WDW)
• Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney said "As Americans, the word ‘Euro’ is believed to mean glamorous or exciting. For Europeans it turned out to be a term they associated with business, currency, and commerce. Renaming the park ‘Disneyland Paris’ was a way of identifying it with one of the most romantic and exciting cities in the world" about the name change.

Editorial Cartoons

Cartoon number 1 This comic, for me, represents the Average American's lack of knowledge of what's going on in the world as well as our own pre-occupation with ourselves and our lives. More people voted for the American Idol than the President...kind of depressing.
Cartoon number 2 The elephant is against homosexuality because most conservatives vote against gay marriage. The donkey, being liberal, is for homosexuality. Although it may not be stressing those points, it's kind of funny anyways.

Cartoon number 3 With the economy the way it is, even the cost of protesting the economy is going up. The person in the plaid is looking like he wants to make a difference and impact the world, but he feels like he can't because of circumstances. He also doesn't have a mouth which looks like he doesn't have a voice.


Cartoon number 4 I know they are only referencing Obama in this, but I find it interesting to see how one man's actions can make things we wouldn't normally care about, relevant. Normally white people would not understand the fist bump, but because of Obama, they too think that the "fist bump" is cool.

Cartoon number 5 This article isn't funny, rather it's ironic. In 1955 Rosa Parks was arrested simply for sitting in the front of the bus and 53 years later, a black man holds the most respected office in the world and has his own limo. This cartoon, for me, signifys not only how far black people have come in 50 years, but how far America has come. We used to not let them share a bathroom with white people and now, we trust them to make the most important decisions regarding our country's welfare. This comic is beautiful and powerful. Though it is not funny, it does resonate with the reader.

Cutting Budgets Cutting Hopes

The idea of the budget cuts, although necessary, is tragic. Georgia Southern was discussing eliminating all temporary teachers, the ROTC, the nursing program, and many upper division classes. If this occurs, the success and notoriety Georgia Southern has worked for will be gone. "Large Scale, Small Feel" will soon be "Small Scale, Small Feel." If these cuts occur, may Georgia Southern students will be robbed of a quality education and many professors will have to find other jobs.

I read that if these happen, it will take the average GSU student six years to graduate based off the limited professors and the lack of upper division courses. These cuts will hurt everyone in the university system, not just GSU students. Schools all over Georgia will be hurt by the limited funding.

I feel very lucky that I am getting out of school here when I am. I am completing my education in four years and my college memories will be of a Georgia Southern that had money and classes. The GSU I will remember had funding for concerts and dance shows. I was offered a complete, fun educational experience and was able to leave before things went down the tube.

The Nazi Party

Although America fought Japan in World War Two it is impossible to think of that period of our nation's history without thinking of Germany and the Nazi Party. The Nazi Party didn't begin in the 1940s, rather they had been developing their ideas and solidifying their beliefs for a long time before that.

The German Worker's Party, which eventually became the Nazi Party, was founded by Anton Drexler in 1919. 1921 was when Adolf Hitler became leader of the Party and it began to pick up steam as well as supporters. Just nine years later, Hitler had helped the party go from having 14 seats in parliament to 107.

In 1923, however, Hitler attempted to lead the Nazi Party in a coup against the Weimar Republic. This attempt failed and the Nazi Party was temporarily disbanded and Hitler went to prison.

With the onset of the great depression support for the Nazi Party began to wane. This being said, they were still receiving 33% of the vote. In 1931, Hitler ran for presidency against Paul Von Hindenberg and won. On July 14, 1933, his government declared the Nazi Party to be the only political party in Germany.

Nazi Party Beliefs:

No more than Nature desires the mating of weaker with stronger individuals, even less does she desire the blending of a higher with a lower race, since, if she did, her whole work of higher breeding, over perhaps hundreds of thousands of years, night be ruined with one blow. Historical experience offers countless proofs of this. It shows with terrifying clarity that in every mingling of Aryan blood with that of lower peoples the result was the end of the cultured people. North America, whose population consists in by far the largest part of Germanic elements who mixed but little with the lower colored peoples, shows a different humanity and culture from Central and South America, where the predominantly Latin immigrants often mixed with the aborigines on a large scale. By this one example, we can clearly and distinctly recognize the effect of racial mixture. The Germanic inhabitant of the American continent, who has remained racially pure and unmixed, rose to be master of the continent; he will remain the master as long as he does not fall a victim to defilement of the blood. The result of all racial crossing is therefore in brief always the following: Lowering of the level of the higher race; Physical and intellectual regression and hence the beginning of a slowly but surely progressing sickness.

Although the German Nazi Party was banned in 1945, the party still has supporters.

Dear Editor:

While reading your article regarding the 5K to support organ donation I was deeply moved. So often we read articles concerning the things our generation is not doing well enough or not caring about.

Reading Taryn Mason's personal story about how her father donated a kidney to her brother was touching. The added story of the Don Coreleone's employee on dialysis also hit home because it made me realize that we really don't know what everyone is going through.

Being in college, I can say for myself that a lot of times I can be very selfish. I am more concerned with my weekend plans or how I did on my last test than worrying about what I personally can do to help better the lives of those around me. With Taryn's story and what she is doing for the community, I can see that she is selflessly trying to aid others.

Taryn's story has made me rethink what is important in life and made me realize that just one person, even a college student at Georgia Southern, can do something to make a difference.

Sincerely,
Alli Brenner

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

Monarchies are the stuff of legend. Kings, Queens, Princesses, and Princes have been idolized and pictured in books, movies, and television. But what are monarchies?

There are four types of monarchies:

1. Absolute Monarchy: monarch has absolute power over government
2. Limited Monarchy: transition to constitutional monarchy but the new government is not fully formed
3. Constitutional Monarchy: monarch is merely a figurehead and there is usually a parliament or other type of constitutional government also in place
4. Elective Monarchy: Monarchs are not born in to power rather they are elected

Monarchy Facts:

• 44 countries recognize the Queen of England as their ruler
• Japan is the world's oldest monarchy beginning in 660 B.C.
• The Windsor's are the most well known monarchy in the world
• You can relinquish your right to the throne in order to marry someone of a different religion or caliber
• The succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute

Help our children learn geography!

It has been well documented that the American education system...shall we say lacks in comparison to other countries. That's not to say we haven't tried to educate our children early so we don't have another Miss South Carolina situation on our hands. A report out in 2006 showed nearly two-thirds of Americans aged 18 to 24 still cannot find Iraq on a map. With shows like Sesame Street, as well as shows from our generation, such as Animaniacs and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, there is hope for future generations.

The Animaniacs

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Sesame Street

Bong Hits 4 Jesus

If you think the Supreme Court is a bunch of stuffy men in black robes discussing boring old cases this one might make you think again.  Joseph Fredrick,  18, decided to skip school one day and stand across the street to watch the 2002 Olympic torch go by.  While the procession passed, Fredrick held up  a sign saying "Bong hits 4 Jesus".  The school suspended him and Fredrick claimed the school violated his first ammendment rights.

This Is My Generation...

Television hasn't been around that long, but some of America's most important times have been spent sitting around it watching worldwide historic events. TV producers recognized the television's importance and made an effort to portray the "every day American family".

"American Dreams", a television show airing from 2002-2005, depicted the everyday 1960s family. Although I didn't live through that time period, I fell in love with the family depicted on the show and, according to my Mother, the accuracy of the time portrayed. The dad is the head of the household. He is kind, but firm with his family. The mother is a housewife, typical of women then, but she feels restless. She did eventually go to college for some courses. There are four children in the Pryor household. JJ, the oldest, is a football star but he eventually gets drafted for the Vietnam War. Meg, the center of the show, is struggling to find her own identity. She dances on American Bandstand. Patty is a genius and youngest brother Will was stricken with Polio as an infant and now walks with braces.

This show captures the innocence of the time, but also the private battles going on inside the home. This was the time before hippies, rebellion, and where father really did know best. This show was good wholesome television that taught me about what I wanted to be like. They dealt with issues like drugs, drinking, school, and disobeying adults but in an appropriate way. It was a drama so not every show was cleaned up all neat and tidy at the end of the hour, but yet the audience was always left with a happy feeling.

This show didn't depict my generation, but I feel it's the most accurate description of America by a television show.

"I'm like the Lady Gaga of the Ice"

Legend has it I was only one week old when I first saw the winter Olympics. Okay that's a little bit of exaggeration...my mom watched them while she was up with me in the middle of the night when I was only a week old. Anyways, when I was 10 my real appreciation for the winter Olympics began. I sat in my den, fixated on the screen where Tara Lipinski won the gold in figure skating.

Since then I have favored the winter Olympics and the athleticism that goes with it: The grace of figure skating, speed of speed skating, the danger of skeleton, and the pure athleticism of snowboarding. Not to mention watching people literally fly during ski jumping.

This year my eyes are focused on Johnny Weir, an American figure skater. Overall, he placed 6th but he was number 1 in my heart. For the man that wears sparkles and feathers and said he wanted to make Lady Gaga proud with his costumes, I salute you!

Writing this article I decided to do a little research about the pinnacle in winter sports. Did you know summer and winter games occurred the same year until 1994 when they began alternating every other even year?

As I write this the USA is winning the medal count with 30 and Germany is next in line with 26 so go team America!

Playing Ketchup...Why Fast Food Goes to Your Waistline Fast

We as a culture want everything fast. The internet can get us any information we need fast. Cell phones and text messages allow us to contact anyone, anywhere, anytime. We want our food just as fast. It used to be people used meals as a time to sit down and bond over good conversation with those they care about. Now, it's something you buy in your car and scarf down on your way to somewhere else.

Not only is this food fast, but it's FATTENING! It's been studied that men and women should eat roughly 2,000 calories a day: less for women and more for men. A McDonalds big mac has 590 calories! That's over 1/4 of the daily calorie intake for the average American.

Not only do we eat like this and not even think twice about it, but we're PROUD OF IT! We have websites bragging about the obscene amount of food we intake and show it off. No wonder why the world hates us.

Proofedding nd whey its imprtont

We all know the embarrassment of getting a paper back and seeing misspelled words or sentence fragments circled in red pen.  These are easy things we could catch if we just had bothered to re-read our work.  It may sound like a simple thing but I can tell you first hand that I've gotten many an essay back where something....even just one word...was misspelled.  

What Goes Up....

Let’s say you're five years old at lunch time and the person next to you has a Dunkaroos. You really want his Dunkaroos so you offer to trade him your Fruitopia. The person on the other side of him offers they're Lunchables and an Oreo for the Dunkaroos. This little boy with the ideal dessert has the upper hand because he has what everyone wants so he can demand whatever he wants for it....

THAT is supply and demand.

Technically The law of demand states that, if all other factors remain equal, the higher the price of a good, the less people will demand that good. In other words, the higher the price, the lower the quantity demanded. Like the law of demand, the law of supply demonstrates the quantities that will be sold at a certain price. But unlike the law of demand, the supply relationship shows an upward slope. This means that the higher the price, the higher the quantity supplied.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE (besides the lunch table)

The show "Pawn Stars" on History Channel offers perfect examples of this. They acquire old or rare things which are already valuable. They also are on television which makes people want their products. These factors lead to the owners of the shop being able to sell their products for even higher escalated prices. The most expensive item in the shop is a 2001 Super Bowl Ring which is being sold for $60,000. The ring itself is hard to earn and even harder to buy (let's face it...anyone that gets a Super Bowl ring would be dumb to part with it) so when there is one for sale, people will pay out the nose for it.

They also use demand when it comes to how much they will pay for an item. They think of it in terms of how much someone will pay them for it; after all, they are in a business to make a profit. Someone may come in with a rare painting and demand $50,000 for it but if they are only going to sell it for that much, they will only offer $30,000 for it. In this case there is not enough demand for the product so the price needs to be lowered.

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is just that....horrible

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, a 2008 movie, stars Neil Patrick Harris as shy, love-sick Billy who leads a double life as mad scientist/superhero Dr. Horrible. As Billy, he secretly longs for Penny, the auburn haired beauty who does her laundry beside him every Tuesday and Thursday. His double life consists of building freeze rays and death rays and battling his nemesis Captain Hammer.

One day, Billy/Dr. Horrible is attempting to remote control a car in order to get a critical piece to his invention. In a bizarre turn of events, this is the exact same moment Penny finally approaches him requesting signatures for her petition to get a house for the homeless. Because of his distraction the car gets away from him and almost hits Penny! Thankfully someone else steps in and pushes her out of the way; unfortunately for Dr. Horrible that person is Captain Hammer.

The movie progresses from there dealing with feelings of despair, anger, and love all while breaking out into random, harmonic melodies. The songs are catchy and upbeat (for the most part) but very random.

This movie is too unbelievable for me. As a fan of musicals I held high hopes which were dashed at the first song. Besides the random choruses of mustached mariachi singers, called “The Bad Horse Chorus”, the songs were thrown together almost like an afterthought.

The dialog also seemed forced and unnatural. Overacting seemed to play a large part in the qualifications for the actors. They spoke loudly and with strange contorted facial expressions. There were funny bits of dialogue here and there but it was usually the actor’s comedic timing or the inflection of the voice that made the moment humorous.

Another problem is the lack of chemistry between both Penny and Dr. Horrible as well as the absence of chemistry between Penny and Captain Hammer. Captain Hammer is in love with himself entirely too much to ever consider loving someone else and Penny just seems….awkward the whole time. Not to mention the fact that in real life Neil Patrick Harris is gay so seeing him “in love” with a woman is just weird.

Overall, this is not on my list of top movie musicals. Give me Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, or even The Wizard of Oz any day. It was a good try, but like Dr. Horrible’s original freeze ray, it failed.

Worldwide Fashion!

Look around the room and its easy to see what fashions are popular here in America. Jeans and tee shirts are the casual staple. Sperrys and flip flops adorn our feet. Northface keeps us warm and baseball caps of our favorite American teams featuring America's favorite past time are on our heads. But what about the rest of the world? What is fashionable to them?

Lets start with an easy one: France. Chanel, Dior, and YSL are all very famous, and very expensive, French brands. French fashion is world famous Even the Champs Elysees, the place where French people buy their clothing, is famous. And contrary to popular belief, French people do not wear stripes and berets.

Another well known face on the fashion market is the Harajuku style out of Japan. Mixing eclectic patterns with cute animated characters, the style is distinct and reflects the wearers creative style. It was popularized in America by Gwen Stefani and her harajuku girls. It references an area around the Harajuku train station and it often mimics anime, or manga, characters.

Lastly, I'd like to focus on Indian style. Although we in the West may think of Indians in boring clothes, the truth is that although much of their fashion is traditional, it is far from boring. Typically Indian women wear a Sari, a long traditional outfit. These Saris, however, are elaborate and beautiful. Usually containing bright colors and embellished with flowers and beads, they make a statement. Also interesting fact, Indian brides wear red. White is actually the color they wear at funerals.

Holier Than Thou

I'm used to religion being an uncomfortable topic to talk about. As I am usually the "token Jew" around, especially here in Statesboro, I have been told I am going to hell more times than one should ever hear.

According to a statistic there are 78.4% of American adults that consider themselves Christian versus 1.7% that claim to be Jewish. Consider that number when you also think that 16.1% of American adults call themselves "unaffiliated". This means there are more American adults without a religion rather than those who are Jewish.

So as if there aren't few enough of us in the world, we have a number of those who disagree with the Jewish religion angry enough to verbally attack us. "Anti-Semitism" is a big enough problem to have its own name, have multiple groups that us (Nazis and the KKK anyone?) and fuel a world war.

Celebrities have even gotten in on the Anti-Semitic trend. Mel Gibson famously went on a drunken rant in 2006 telling a reporter that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world and asked the cop if he was a Jew. Soon after Gibson met with Rabbis and members of the Jewish faith and "payed reparations."

Then this week Gibson was asked about the incident on a news show. He proceeded to curse and get angry at the reporter saying "That's almost four years ago, dude. I mean, I've moved on. I guess you haven't."

You may have moved on and gotten over it Mel Gibson, but when I look at you that's the first think I think of. I'm glad he has a movie career and a family life, but I personally am still not a fan. Sure he's apologized, but as an actor he's supposed to be a role model. As much as I judge Kanye West for saying that George Bush doesn't care about black people, I also judge Mel Gibson for not caring about us Jews.