On the lovely campus of the University of Oklahoma, much like many other campuses around the country, students are able to sell back their books to the book stores and make some money. It sounds like a great idea at first, selling back the books your parents paid for then pocketing the money. However, its a freakin rip. Earlier today my roommate and I went to sell our books back. I had a book that was 200$ when I bought it. The University has used the same book for the last 5 years and are going to continue to use it. When I asked how much I could get for it, they said 24$. I then laughed and said its worth more than that in fire wood. My roommate laughed at me until he found out that the book he bought for 150 was only good for 30. Just a little frustrating in the freshman college experience. I guess not much is going to change in the next 4 years.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Selling Back Your Books
On the lovely campus of the University of Oklahoma, much like many other campuses around the country, students are able to sell back their books to the book stores and make some money. It sounds like a great idea at first, selling back the books your parents paid for then pocketing the money. However, its a freakin rip. Earlier today my roommate and I went to sell our books back. I had a book that was 200$ when I bought it. The University has used the same book for the last 5 years and are going to continue to use it. When I asked how much I could get for it, they said 24$. I then laughed and said its worth more than that in fire wood. My roommate laughed at me until he found out that the book he bought for 150 was only good for 30. Just a little frustrating in the freshman college experience. I guess not much is going to change in the next 4 years.
Roethlisberger, Tiger and, Lawrence Taylor
What the hell are these guys thinking? I know what they are thinking in the moment, but what are they thinking will be the long term effects? 
; Has won 2 Superbowl rings and is responsible for possibly the greatest play in Superbowl history with his TD pass to Santonio Holmes with seconds left in last years game. He is one of the youngest players of all time to win two Superbowls. He is quarterback for the Steelers, one other the or possibly the greatest football franchise at all times. And to top it off, in 2008 he signed an 8 year, 102 million dollar contract, and he likes to rape girls in bathrooms.
Taylor; has been retired for several years. Was one of the most feared defensive players of all time, was introduced into the hall of fame in 1999, was a 10 time pro bowler, 8 time 1st team all big pro, and likes to sleep with 16 year old girls.
Tiger: oh Tiger, It took him only 42 weeks to become the number one golfer in the world since he announced he was turning pro, he has won 14 majors-2nd all time to Jack Nickolas, he has won 71 tourneys on the tour-3rd all time, he signed a 40 million$ contract with Nike at the age of 19-placing him as the highest paid golfer ever at the time, and he makes 100 million$ a year. Not to mention he is the greatest golfer of all time. He is married to arguably one of the most beautiful women in the world. Only downside, he like to have sex with women, lots of them.http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/tiger_woods/index.html
; Has won 2 Superbowl rings and is responsible for possibly the greatest play in Superbowl history with his TD pass to Santonio Holmes with seconds left in last years game. He is one of the youngest players of all time to win two Superbowls. He is quarterback for the Steelers, one other the or possibly the greatest football franchise at all times. And to top it off, in 2008 he signed an 8 year, 102 million dollar contract, and he likes to rape girls in bathrooms. Taylor; has been retired for several years. Was one of the most feared defensive players of all time, was introduced into the hall of fame in 1999, was a 10 time pro bowler, 8 time 1st team all big pro, and likes to sleep with 16 year old girls. Tiger: oh Tiger, It took him only 42 weeks to become the number one golfer in the world since he announced he was turning pro, he has won 14 majors-2nd all time to Jack Nickolas, he has won 71 tourneys on the tour-3rd all time, he signed a 40 million$ contract with Nike at the age of 19-placing him as the highest paid golfer ever at the time, and he makes 100 million$ a year. Not to mention he is the greatest golfer of all time. He is married to arguably one of the most beautiful women in the world. Only downside, he like to have sex with women, lots of them.http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/w/tiger_woods/index.htmlThese three men have really really messed up. All three have achieved their goals and dreams as athletes then they had to go and do stuff like this. Ben is on track to being one of the greats, Taylor, already is one of the greats, and Tiger IS the great. It doesn't seem to be quite enough. You would think these guys would realize, "hey, if I don't get in trouble, I've got a lot of things going for me". But I guess that doesn't cross their mind. You all have heard their stories and controversies so I'm not going to go into that. I would love to sit down with them and get an honest answer from them on if they thought they really weren't going to get caught.
A Week without Technology
Once a year during the first full week of June, all of the guys in my family go on a fishing trip to Canada. The park we camp in is called Atticocan National Forrest. To get to the National Forrest is the tricky part. First we drive 20 hours north to the Canadian Border, then drive 2 more once were across. We then meet the wife of the owner of the outfitter at a local breakfast place, one of the ones that the same locals go to everyday of their life and each person either has lung cancer, or will soon from the amount smoke in the place. From there we follow her to the airport, get on a float plane, land, hike 7 miles to the border of the park. Then canoe 4 more miles to our camping spot. The national park doesn't allow motors, so for the week we are there we are either hiking or paddling to get around. For that week in June, I don't have access to a single piece of technology. There aren't any cell phone towers, there is no electricity, and there is no running water, no nothing. We camp on a two acre island that has nothing but pine trees and a chipmunk. For that week, we are living off of the land. For clean water, we boil water until the bad stuff dies and for food we catch what we eat. If we don't catch anything, we don't eat. And for keeping up with the news, what news? The only news we are worried about for the week is who catches the biggest fish.
whole idea that the world couldn't survive without technology is wrong. Before the 1900's there were no computers, no cell phones, and no internet. Life wasn't as easy as it is now but people survived. During that week without technology, life goes on. I can spend more time focusing on the great outdoors and less time checking my phone to see if I have gotten a text. I don't have withdrawals when I'm there and I don't think that I wish that I could have it when I don't. The only part of that week that is that much different is the lack of music. Before I went on that trip, I didn't realize how much I listen to music everyday. Whether it be a commercial background, or a song on the radio, I am surrounded by music everyday. I could take my Ipod and listen to it until the battery ran out, but that would take away from the whole experience. 
The first week in June is the best week of the year, maybe as a result of the 700+ fish we catch during the week, or maybe for the stunning views in nature, but I've got a hunch that a big factor is that for that week we live the natural way, without technology. Sunday, February 14, 2010
Rhetorical Analysis
This is a famous painting painted by Jacob van Ruisdael. Ruisdael was born in either 1628 or 1629, historians are unclear of his birth year, much less his birth datehttp://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=517 . It is also unclear on the date the painting was created, as one would guess, the inspiration Ruisdael had to create this masterpiece is unknown as well. In a since, that is something that makes the painting even more intriguing. I guess that feeling comes from the whole, "Mystery of the unknown", idea. The lack of knowledge on the painting allows the reader to interpret the painting for themselves. Its kind of like reading a book with no pictures, allowing the reader to imagine the setting and the characters for themselves.
The idea that a painting from the 1600's has anything in common with a 19 year old in 2010 is a little farfetched; however, it's true. Take the three little girls on the right side of the picture for instance. In this picture, I view them as a way to symbolize youth. The girls and I both have that in common. The youth is in my life just as much as it is theirs. They all seem to be under the age of 16; and I am a freshman in college. In both situations, the girls and I are both faced with the world ahead of us. There's no doubt in my mind that the girls in this picture have the same unsettling feeling in their stomachs when they think about their future and how much of it is unknown to them. Perhaps that's what they are talking about in this picture as well.
The direction the girls are facing is too significant to be accidental. If you notice, the right side of the painting is dark and gloomy, with the left being bright and hopeful. My best guess is that Ruisdael chose to face the girls to the left to give the observer a since of hope. Everyone is aware of the saying, "the grass is greener on the other side", no exemption, this is true for this picture as well. It's possible that the purpose of the color scheme of the picture was meant to symbolize just that. Running hand in hand, could be a since of optimism. My whole life I have viewed each situation I'm the best possible way. I take my optimism to a level way past the "glass is half full mind set". I've found that if you choose to look at the dark side of the picture all the time, your life begins to get darker as a whole. Say for instance the darkness was cut completely out of the picture like so.
Rhetorical analysis continued..
Much like a positive outlook on life, the simple cropping of this ever famous painting completely changes the attitude of it.
The windmill in the picture stood out to me, in a weird sort of way, to have many of the same similarities as God does. Not in a earthy idol kind of way but more a symbolic approach. In the little girls world, the light tower is always there. Every morning when they wake up and every evening when they go to bed. Whether they chose to acknowledge it or not, God is the same way to everyone who is not cursed with having to live in a painting. The windmill is also much larger than the little girls. One thing that I think everyone would agree on, no matter what denomination you are, everyone acknowledges that God is BIG. The windmill is also the girls provider. In present day windmills create energy a much cleaner and more sustainable way than any other means of energy. In the 1600's there was no energy. Most likely the windmill in this community is used to pump water out of the body of water that is close by. Just as the girls can rely on the windmill, I rely on God. My whole life I have gone to church. Every Sunday and Wednesday for as long as I can remember has been set aside for church. My parents have raised me, to the best of their ability, to keep me in church and to stay close to my beliefs. To this day, God continues to be a big portion of my life and I have no intention of changing the way I carry out what my parents taught me.
In 16somethin Ruisdael painted this picture for a reason unknown. No one even knows when the guy was born for goodness sake. And now, in present day 2010 some 400 years later, a 19 year old student is finding out how much they have in common with the painting. Its a little crazy to think that the two are so closely related. However, I can honestly say, that if I had to pick one work of art to represent me as a person, it would be this one.
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