Iowa Basketball

This is brutal. I don't know what else to say. Iowa is a horror show after halftime once again, and the Hawkeyes drop to 8-4 after losing 56-44 to Northern Iowa. Iowa was completely discombobulated for most of the second half, not reaching double digits on the scoreboard until four minutes and change were left in the game. Iowa didn't get an assist in the second half. Like, none at all. Of course, the Hawkeyes only shot 3-23 in the entire half, so it's not as if there were plenty of opportunities to begin with. UNI never looked good on offense, but the Panthers were able to force turnovers with relative ease and with that Iowa was never in rhythm—or, thus, contention. Wes Washpun's stat line was relatively light—seven points, two rebounds, two assists—but he was the best player on the floor. He outhustled the Hawkeyes to loose balls, locked down Anthony Clemmons and Mike Gesell (Gesell, in particular, was a world-class mess after an early hot start) and was a sparkplug for the Panthers, who had a listless first half of their own. Washpun even denied Jarrod Uthoff in the post and blocked Aaron White on a layup in the closing minutes. Washpun is eight inches shorter than White. Yeah. But really, the story here is the full-blown crisis that is Iowa coming out of the halftime break. I don't know what does or doesn't happen in that locker room, whether it's poor planning or a (yet another) mental block bedeviling these guys, but Iowa looks awful when its opponent isn't a cupcake. Fran McCaffery has already all but thrown his hands up in frustration trying to figure out why this happens, and surprisingly "I don't know" doesn't fix the problem. The jarring lack of on-court leadership doesn't help matters either. I'm really at a loss, just like everybody else. If the answer were obvious the fix would be in place. Unless and until this gets rectified, though, Iowa doesn't stand a chance against any of the numerous tourney teams in the Big Ten. That's a shame. It's not fun to watch. I feel bad for the Iowa fans that were there at the Well tonight. Rest assured it sucked on TV too. (411)

2014 Forest Hills Dr.

J. Cole recently dropped his latest album entitled "2014 Forest Hills Dr." This album was hugely anticipated and in my opinion did not disappoint. The album was named after the address of his childhood home in North Carolina and features multiple songs making reference to his childhood, mother, and growing up. The album features no other artists. I think that was mainly because J. Cole wanted this to be one of those personal and conceptual albums. As far as my favorite songs from the album I think my favorite by far is track number nine, "No Role Modelz" this song starts out with him talking about his Uncle Phil who passed away but was the closest thing J. Cole had to a father, and from there goes into talking about which girls really are there for people and which aren't. The reason I appreciate this song this much I think is the production and the message Cole is trying to send. My second favorite would have to be a tie between either "Apparently" or "Wet Dreamz". "Apparently" talks about J. Cole's faith, dreams, and the times his mother struggled to pay the bills and he did nothing to help. Through listening to this album I learned some pretty interesting facts about J. Cole like the fact he was actually born in Germany but raised in North Carolina. He also graduated with good enough grades in high school that he earned a college scholarship but knew his real dream was in hip-hop so he packed up his things and moved to New York City to accomplish those goals. If you are looking to get into a new type of music or are just looking for something different to listen to I definitely recommend J. Cole. When you think of rap and hip-hop a lot of people just assume it's all about girls, partying, and violence but that's not true at all. J. Cole is not like that at all. Whether rapping about his father being absent from his childhood, or his mother struggling to pay the bills, or trying to achieve his goal and dreams J. Cole does it all with grace and humility that a lot of other rappers lack. So over this break whether you're just bored and want something to listen to or are actually out looking for music I definitely recommend you give "2014 Forest Hills Dr." a listen. (402)

Christmas Lights

If you're reading this post while bored on a cold dark night before the Christmas season ends I have idea for something to do. Go outside, warm up the car, bring your phone and aux cord and drive around Cedar Rapids. Every year tons of people spend thousands of dollars putting up huge displays just for their own and other people's enjoyment. It's a family tradition for the Sheeley's that for one night over the Christmas break we pile into the car and drive around admiring the best lights that our city has to offer. From fire trucks being covered rim to rim, to huge houses with elaborately timed lights and music, there are a lot of really neat lights out there. When I'm old enough to own a house and have a good paying job with my wife and kids I definitely plan on putting up lights every year. I don't know about a huge display with music blaring all through the night and moving parts everywhere. But I do think that it is a good bonding activity for kids to put up lights with their parents. I can't picture myself being like the couple from the commercials putting up thousands of dollars of lights but a nice quaint set up would be nice. One thing that I find very interesting that I learned earlier this week NASA can actually see everyone's Christmas lights from space! Using a satellite that orbits the Earth pictures of the glowing lights have been sent back down to the U.S. Usually I don't find space things very interesting but whether it's just me being in the Christmas spirit or some new found admiration for NASA I think this is actually really cool. (420)

Card Games

I feel like nowadays with everyone's smartphones, laptops, and elaborate gaming systems, one really fun thing that people have somewhat forgotten about are card games. Yuker, Slap Jack, 5 Card Draw, Go Fish, Solitaire, Hearts, Crazy Eights, Texas Hold-Em, are all classic super fun games but because of technology and everyone's busy schedules they have somewhat fallen off. Back in the 40's, 50's and 60's this was the best way for people to kick back and have fun without a controller or telephone in their hand. I personally feel like if more people played cards and conversed with one another in person without a screen or microphone in the way our society would be a lot more close knit. In addition to that most people would have more social skills and better be able to enjoy their friends and families company in a competitive and fun way. Today's society with it's advanced technology may have lost some of enjoyment and social skills that generations before us have been able to master. I'm sure if you remember some of your most delightful times have been in the company of your close friends and family. Interacting, laughing, conversing, and sharing life lessons are all doors opened up by just simply sitting down and playing a card game. Keep in mind card games can not only be a good way to bond, but also be addictive as a form of gambling and or a source of income if you are in fact a good gambler. Every year millions of dollars are won and lost at casino's all over the country. My father in particular is an excellent gambler. His favorite game is Blackjack because he understands that the odds are always in the favor of the player not the dealer. He also understands that gambling is nothing more than entertainment and knowing when to cut your losses. He purely plays for fun. Unfortunately, some people neglect their priorities and hope to supplement their income by cards. Just because you see the world series of poker on ESPN and it looks easy does not mean you should go and bet your life savings at the casino. Many marriages and families have suffered and ultimately fallen apart due to serious gambling addictions. My goal with this post is to help and assist any gambling addicts that have fallen into a deep spiral of losing. If you or someone you love has any issues feel free to comment below. (413)

Reality TV Stars

I wake up and thank God practically everyday that I am not a reality TV star. From being constantly filmed to having everyone all over the world knowing exactly what is going in your life it just seems like an awful time. To make things even worse you frequently see these stars suffer from substance abuse issues. In my opinion a big reason for those troubles result from constant scrutiny under the microscope of millions of judgmental people, (I'm not going to lie, I'm one of those people.) Everyone from your former classmates to your employers and distant relatives would have access to every little facet of your life and that is just something I would not be very comfortable with. One particular family stands out in particular in my mind when thinking about this topic. The Kardashians. To be completely honest I have no idea what first made this family so popular and famous. I hardly ever watch the channel "E!" but it should probably just change it's name to the Kardashian channel because every time I am flipping through channel looking for something to watch and I get to "E!" there is something about the Kardashian's or some spin-off TV about everyday in the life of a Kardashian. In the very rare times I've stuck around to watch I've learned some pretty interesting things like Scott's issues with alcoholism so I can't even fathom what kinds of things a very avid watcher knows about the family. The only positive things that I can think about that would come from being a reality TV star would be the money. These stars make an incredible amount of money for just letting us as viewers into their lives, but to me I still don't believe that it's worth it. Along with the TV deals many stars also come out with various clothing lines and endorsement deals. I guess for me personally it would sort of be like selling your soul to the devil. I'm sure for a short time the money would be really nice but in the very long run I just don't think it would be worth it. But to each his own, as they say. (367)

Christmas Gift Ideas

Practically any magazine or newspaper you pick up lately most likely had something in it about great gift ideas. A lot of magazines do have really good ideas but I think my rules when it comes to buying gifts may be the best. Rule 1: When in doubt go with a gift card. If you really have no idea what someone would like, or for some reason got stuck in a gift raffle with a co-worker or person you don't know very well in my eyes it's always smart to go with a gift card. No matter who this person is or what they like they could always find something they like if you just give a gift card to Dick's or Victoria's Secret. Rule 2: Don't buy someone clothes unless you know their exact size. Nothing can be more insulting to a person than receiving pants or a shirt that are a size too small. Another big problem with buying clothes is that just because you love Obey sweatshirts doesn't mean your grandma will. Rule 3: Be cautious of who you are buying for. My grandparents have lived on the same farm for over 40 years with no internet, no cable tv, and no cell phones. So when on their 50th wedding anniversary an aunt of mine bought them a brand new thousand dollar computer I was shocked. "What the hell are they going to do with that?" I immediately thought and sure enough as soon as all of the extended family left my grandparents had no idea what to do with it and to this day it is still in the box. Rule 4: Unless the person has specifically requested it or you know them very well, don't just only give cash. Giving someone just straight up cash while it may seem really good to you can occasionally come off as a bit un-thoughtful or rushed at the last second. Rule 5: This is my last and most important rule. The price of your gift is not what matters the most and if anyone ever tells you that than they are a very selfish materialistic person. Some of the best gifts I have ever received were things that my dad handed down to me that his dad handed down to him. As cliché as it sounds the thought in your gift really is what counts. (397)

Christmas Movies

Every year around this time people get super super excited for Christmas movies. Not me. I am not a fan of Christmas movies one bit. To me all the plots are basically the same drawn out situations depending on some Santa Claus dilemma or some evil character trying to end Christmas for all of the little children. I think one reason I'm just not a fan anymore is the fact I have somewhat grown out of it. At this point the only thing that excites me about this time of year is giving presents. I personally love the feeling of seeing someones face light up when you give them just the gift that they wanted. Notable Christmas movie blunders: "The Grinch", people all over the world love the movie "The Grinch". But ever since I was a small child I absolutely hated it. Call me crazy but I always found the movie to be extremely fake and just a waste of two hours all together. "The Santa Clause", this particular movie I also found extremely boring and did not put me in the Christmas spirit whatsoever. "Bad Santa", this movie is constantly played over Comedy Central every year during the Christmas season and I still to this day have not been able to get myself to laugh once during the whole sequence of events that occurs. Christmas movies I actually enjoyed: "Elf", I really think that Elf was the very first Christmas movie that I fell in love with. Still to this day I own the movie and enjoy watching it every year around Christmas and getting a good laugh. "Home Alone", this movie was had always been able to get a good laugh out of me in all of its quirky and unpredictable situations. Lastly this is by far my favorite Christmas movie of all time and probably the only Christmas movie I can stand to watch more than once a year. A Christmas Story. Every year since I was probably six my dad has had me watch and laugh at Ralphie and all of the troubles he has in the Christmas season. As much as it pains me to admit I do find "A Christmas Story" to be really really good. (373)

Kentucky Basketball and NCAA Rules

This year the Kentucky basketball team is doing something that has been in the works for quite some time. And is going to make them in my opinion scary good. Usually in a very good basketball program a team has 8 to 9 players that play a majority of the minutes and then the rest of the team usually just warms the bench, gets water, and goes nuts over a dunk or three pointer. But what John Calipari is doing this year with incredible talent in Kentucky is something I've never seen before. Two groups of 5 players that he calls platoons rather than substitutions. This is simply because of the incredible talent his team has. Practically every year I watch ESPN before the college basketball season starts I see sports analysts constantly arguing over whether or not the NCAA should create a new rule that forces players to stay and get a college education for more than one year. And the main reason for this is Kentucky basketball. Just about every year I watch Kentucky has 3 to 4 to 5 of the most talented freshman in the entire world playing on the floor, and then the next year there are 3 to 4 to 5 brand new freshman. In my opinion I firmly believe that there should not be a rule that forces college basketball players to stay for more than one year and my reasoning for this is simple. You see a lot of these super talented young phenoms traveling all over the country wearing the newest Nike jumpsuits and the brand new name brand shoes after they get to college, but when you really look at some of their background and upbringings you could be shocked. From awful living conditions and being dirt broke to having the opportunity to take their talents to the NBA and make millions playing the game they live while also being able to support their loved ones and family is something I don't think the NCAA should be able to force a student to delay any longer than they have to. A lot of supporters of having a rule in place that keeps players in college for more than one year argue that if players stay in college that they have more time to develop their talent, but my counterargument to that is looking at people like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Both of these NBA superstars came straight out of high school and were dominant before a one year college rule was in place. (424)

State Cup

As a big sports fan over the course of my life I have primarily followed the three main sports in the United States of baseball, basketball, and football. And just as I have watched the sports I have also played all three. Being by far the most successful in basketball. But recently I went to an event for the first time that honestly shocked me at the vast number of players, teams, and fans. The Iowa State Cup. This huge soccer tournament for ultimate bragging rights among the youth soccer players from all over the state. To be perfectly honest I would have never ever gone to or known about the State Cup if it weren't for my girlfriend's soccer team who has had quite of bit of success over the past few years at the event, winning 3 of the past 5 years. This year's she wasn't quite as lucky sadly and ended up losing in the championship game to a team they had beaten on the first day. She is still a little bit mad about this so I hope she doesn't end up reading this. But as I went to watch the first soccer game I have been to in probably over two years, I was expecting to see some boring soccer game at a small field with a bunch of parents and yelling coaches around me. In all actuality I was shocked when I arrived. Hundreds of cars parked back to back to back cramped in a huge parking lot as well as over 30 soccer fields with games being played on each and every one. In my life I have been to some pretty big basketball tournaments all over the midwest but his soccer tournament by far takes the cake as the largest tournament. The format is set up so that it takes place over 4 weekends from start to finals and hundreds of teams from all different age ranges from all over the state come to compete. I have never found soccer particularly fun to watch but in this environment and with as close as some of the games end up being it's actually a great time. The complex is only 10 to 15 minute drive depending on where you live in Cedar Rapids and is really worth the time. If you have never been to a State Cup soccer game I really do recommend going and taking in the whole atmosphere. You won't regret it. (412)

Skizzy Mars Concert Review

In my very first blog of the school year I wrote about an up and coming rapper from New York. Skizzy Mars, who is by far my favorite musician, and on October 1st I was lucky enough to see him in concert. The concert was at the Blue Moose which is a bar in Iowa City but the concert was open to people of all ages. To be perfectly honest I did expect a much bigger crowd, but his performance itself did not disappoint. The opening performer was a rapper who was actually from Iowa City and he was mediocre. He had some nice lines but for the most part I couldn't understand a lot of what he said and he was super duper hyped for no apparent reason. Next came out the Miniature Tigers. They were kind of an Indy-Rock type band who were actually on tour with Skizzy. Before the show I had never really listened to any of the Miniature Tigers music and wasn't quite sure what to expect. When they began performing to put it best their music was not really for me. They have kind of a slow nostalgic sound that I didn't particularly enjoy. While I wasn't very fond of their music I will admit that the Miniature Tigers did steal the show when they did one particular thing that left everybody talking when we left. With about one song left in their set the lead singer of the group (who was a male) went over the keyboardist (also a male) and they began making out in front of everybody at the show. After I got over the shock of what had just happened I was finally ready for Skizzy to come on. Before the show I was a little bit apprehensive that perhaps he wouldn't sound quite as good in person as he does in his produced songs. But after the first song all that fear went away. In my opinion he was even better in person and had an amazing stage presence about him as well as personality. He performed around 15 of his best songs some of which he changed up performed different live. After his performance he was even kind enough to agree to a meet and greet with the fans. That concert just reassured my belief in what a cool and nice guy Skizzy Mars is and I will probably always be a fan no matter where life takes him. (411)

800 Million Dollar Check

As I was searching the Internet for entertainment news that seemed interesting to me I came across one that jumped out to me on the HuffingtonPost.com the article read that reportedly the lead singer of Led Zeppelin was offered a $800 million check to reunite with the band and go on a tour to which he ripped up the contract and check. My first thought when reading this was "WHAT?!? Who in their right mind would ever rip up a check for that amount of money even if they were already wealthy?" But then I really got to thinking about it and I truly don't think that this rumor is real. If there is anything that the internet has taught me it's that you can't believe everything you read. Whether it's from some fake news source or just a case of miscommunication a lot of what I come across on the internet I take like a grain of salt. But just for fun let's pretend that this article is 100 percent true and the lead singer of Led Zeppelin really did rip up a check for 800 million dollars. I suppose there could be a couple of reasons for him doing this. First off for being the lead singer of an incredibly successful and popular band like Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant must have quite a bit of money saved up. But even if money isn't an issue for the former musician there had to be another reason. I honestly have never been a fan of Led Zeppelin and couldn't tell you much about the band itself, but something I do know is that a ton of bands don't last because of fighting. Whether it's over who gets more recognition or who gets paid the most there always has to be a level of competition among band members. Even if the band did fall out over constant arguing or bickering among the guys I can't help but think you would be able to get along enough for just a month's worth of shows for a paycheck that fat. I guess it is kind of different for someone like me who could never dream about that amount of money let alone see a check for it. (374)

America's Pastime

If you were to ask someone of my grandfather's generation, "What was America's past time?" I think the answer would be quick and simple, "Baseball." From the time my 84 year old grandfather was a small boy living on his parents farm in rural Iowa he had priorities. First came taking care of the farm chores, second came school, and third came playing baseball with his brother. Whether it was just a regular season game or a big playoff game my grandfather's father always had the radio on listening to the Cardinals games rooting on his favorite team. But as time and people have shifted we have seen a change. Away from the grace and elegance of baseball, and more to the power and destruction of football. If you ask that same question today I believe a lot if not most kids would say football. But why has America's attention shifted? From the sophisticated ways of people like Mickey Mantle and Satchel Paige to the bone crushing high speed hits. I think it is a need for violence that for some reason we as people enjoy watching. But as America's new past time becomes more and more popular it also faces more and more scrutiny for the way it's players are forced to live after their careers. Research done in the past few years on the subject of concussions and lawsuits from previous NFL players has in my eyes started the end of football. Just this year I have seen on Sportscenter that two highschool football players have died from hard hits on the field. Today during a conversation with one of my teachers she brought up that she believed that within the next ten years football will no longer be a highschool sport. I think that 10 years is a bit quick but in my opinion I truly believe that within the next 20 years highschool football will no longer be a thing. You may ask well what will be America's next new past time? My answer to this is easy, basketball. Basketball combines both the grace and elegance of baseball with the some of the power that is displayed in football. It is a fast paced game that people all over the world as well as country can play and enjoy. I truly believe within the next 20 years all of the love and media attention that follows football right now will slowly transition to the game of basketball. (411)

College Football's New Playoff Format

College football has always been a big part of every Saturday in the Sheeley household for as long as I can remember. It has a type of excitement and predictableness about it that you can't find anywhere else. Whether actually at a game or just watching on tv nothing really seems to hold on to my attention quite like it. So this year when it was announced that for the first time the NCAA was going to implement a playoff system in which the top four teams at the end of the year would play until there is only one champion I got super excited. Up until this point in college football for a lot of the years I can remember there has always been a certain amount of debate going into the championship game, whether it was if a team deserved to play in it or if someone believed that a better team had gotten left out. This playoff system should shush a lot of those argument and criticism. Now of course I'm sure there will still be people arguing on whether or not the best four teams were involved in the playoff but for the most part this is the best solution I can see available. So far we are 12 weeks into the football season with only a few more games to be played by each team. Right now if I had to pick the four teams that I predict will end up playing in the playoff picture I would say Mississippi State, Florida State, TCU, and Arizona State. Arizona State is a bit of a sleeper but if they are able to knock off Oregon in the Pac 12 championship I think they have a great argument as for why they should make the playoff. As for my prediction on who will win the whole thing I would have to go with Mississippi State. They have an excellent quarterback who is big enough to truck people yet still has the footwork and can throw like a quarterback who sits in the pocket. As for whether or not my predictions will end up correct I have no idea but either way I am super excited for the outcome of these next few weeks. With the huge amount of talent we currently have in college football and the huge fan support this bowl season is sure to be one to remember. (403)

Chicago Gang's Have Big Influence on Today's Rap Music

When people think about rap music they often times think of very violent, provocative, inappropriate music. And one particular rap beef in Chicago is producing just this. Chicago has a history of a lot of gang violence and now that this gang violence is also coming out in popular songs a lot of people are listening. Rival gangs Black Disciples "BD" and Gangster Disciples "BDK" have recently took to the sound booth with their issues and these issues are often times spreading to the streets. When a Gangster Disciple leader that went by the rap name Lil Jojo decided to come out with a huge song named "BDK" which stands for Black Disciple Killer, the Black Disciples decided it was only a matter of time before Lil Jojo was going to be killed. So when Jojo decided to tweet his location a couple weeks later it was to no ones surprise that we was shot down hours later for being in the "wrong neighborhood". Lil Jay was the successor to Lil Jojo's movement and has been a target ever since. The Gangster Disciple rappers RondoNumberNine and Edai have both taken in songs for Lil Jay being shot over 21 times. Miraculously despite being shot 21 times Lil Jay is still alive and is on record as saying "I can't die." The main question that runs through my mind when I am constantly hearing about these murders and crimes in songs is why. Why are these people risking their lives just for the slim chance of fame? And why is one person saying one thing on a song worth taking someone's life? I guess it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me as to why so many lives have been lost in Chicago because of gang life and the music industry. Not only are these kid of things affecting the lives of people living and working in Chicago but all over the Midwest. As we see more and more shootings, robberies, and stabbings on the south east side of Cedar Rapids. Just a little over two weeks ago a gas station that I commonly fill my car up at just down the street from Kennedy was shot up by a young kid looking to get back at somebody. I can only wonder if these types of crimes are related to the music. (394) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/06/lil-jojo-dead-teen-chicag_n_1861326.html

Twitter

One question that I often ask my self is when will Twitter become a thing of the past? As more and more people join I can't help but feel like at some point it will become yet another Facebook or MySpace. Virtual words that gain rapid popularity and are around for a minute then quickly go extinct. I'm in no way trying to imply that Facebook is in any way "extinct" but if you just go around the halls of Kennedy and ask kids if they still use Facebook I would be willing to bet you that a majority of the kids here no longer either have a Facebook or actually log onto Facebook less than once a month. I think some of the reasons less and less kids are on Facebook is because of adults. As bad as it sounds a lot of kids got on Facebook as a way to be away from their parents and socialize with their friends without constant supervision. And as more and more parents caught on to this and started making Facebook's of their own more and more kids felt as though they were under constant supervision and scrutiny for the thing's they posted. I just wany to be clear that I am in no way condoning posting dumb things to social media and I'm fully aware of the repercussions of things that can happen. But as teens we have some type of desire to make our own decisions and say what is truly on our minds without dealing with our parents. What I am getting at is that I truly believe as more and more parents begin to join Twitter and look more and more into what their kids are posting less and less kids will use Twitter. My prediction is that at some point within the next years Twitter will be just like Facebook in that a majority of young people will no longer use it. The big question is what will the new social media frenzy be over? Will some new website or app become wildly popular just like Facebook and Twitter and what will this new site contain? If I were somehow able to come up with a new source for people to spend countless hours reading through people's ideas, thoughts, and goals I could make millions. I just really need one good idea that could spark a revolution. (400)

Annabelle Review

It is now that time of the year where every time I turn on the tv it feels like I am bombarded with commercials either bashing some political candidate or advertising a new horror movie coming out for Halloween. Oujia, Joni Ernst, Bruce Braley, and the Dorm are all names I have become more and more familiar with over the past couple weeks. One of these movies that many kids and adults alike are excited to go see is Annabelle. Last weekend a group of friends and I decided to go see how scary this Halloween thriller really is. If you haven't heard of or seen commercials for this movie here you go http://youtu.be/paFgQNPGlsg. I'm not going to lie upon entering the movie I had no fears and thought that some stupid movie about a doll that haunted people was going to frankly be a waste of 10 dollars and my time. But as the movie started I became increasingly drawn into the plot and story line as group of cereal killers who related themselves to Charles Manson tried murdering this family and ended up putting some curse on a doll. It seemed like just about every ten minutes I wanted to cover my eyes or look away as much as it pains me to admit. Just like every scary movie the main characters do some type of stupid mistake that leaves you scratching your head but I have pretty much come to expect that from Halloween movies. But as far as scary movies go I have seen more than my share of completely unrealistic drawn out dumb ones because of my younger brothers love for Syfy. This movie on the other hand was completely different the actors were on point and the doll seemed to take on an actually believable life of it's own as it terrorized this family. As to where this movie ranks on my all time favorites I wouldn't put in the top ten. Don't get me wrong if you are bored and in the mood for a good scare then this would be the movie for you. But one major problem I did have was that it felt really short. The movie says it's supposed to be 99 minutes but after 10 minutes of credits and 5 minutes to get started it really leaves you with a good hour and ten minute scare. If I had to rate it out of 5 stars I would probably give it a solid 3. (416)

The Cost Of Sports

Many people spend a lot of their free time watching sports and supporting their favorite teams. A lot of the time families take vacations and usually go to a baseball game or two while they're there. Other times families may buy tickets to watch their favorite football teams play live. Yes it would be a great experience and a very memorable time, but how much would all of that cost? Would people rather watch their favorite sports at home or live at the stadiums? I would personally rather stay home and watch the game than to go out to the stadium and watch my favorite team play. Lets say you're a Cubs fan, and you want to go to a home game at Wrigley field. That's a 5 or 6 hour drive, so you do the math on gas prices. I would expect that I would buy over priced food like an $8 hot dog and $6 bottle of water, and then multiply that cost by the entire family plus the cost of tickets and the cost of the hotel if you weren't planning on driving back right afterwards. That's hundreds of dollars spent just to watch a few minutes of actual baseball. Not to mention you'd be sitting outside in the summer heat sweating. The experience and overall atmosphere can be nice but the convenience and price of sporting events is too much money for the average family to afford several times per year. If I stayed at home with my family and watched the same game at a sports bar like Buffalo Wild Wings or something, I'd only be spending a fraction of the money and driving only 6 minutes instead of 6 hours. The food is probably about the same price but you get more food for your money. A fully meal versus a single item at the stadium. When it comes to sports and entertainment, it's probably better to only go to a football game or baseball game one or two times a year and save your money for something better like a bigger TV to watch future games on. (354)

Haunted Houses

Now that it's October, that means that Halloween is going to be here pretty soon. A lot of kids like going to haunted houses in October to get a thrill. I like going with my friends to Scream Acres, a haunted house with 3 parts to it. Sometimes the themes change but the first part usually has something to do with clowns. Last year it was a funhouse clown theme. The second haunted house that you go to is a slaughter house theme. It's in an old barn with a few levels of stairs and twists and turns. My favorite part is a tunnel you walk into with an illusion that makes it seem like you're spinning around. It's really cool and confusing because it seems like you really are spinning but you have to keep walking across the platform to make it out. The third part to Scream Acres is a haunted corn maze that leads you around the farm in the tall stalks of corn with lots of creepy people in costumes. At the end a guy with a chainsaw chases you out. A lot of bigger towns probably have a lot more haunted houses that are scarier and better themed but sometimes they can be a bit too much. I've heard of some haunted house in Chicago or somewhere like that where you are required to sign a waiver for your personal safety. This haunted house takes place in some abandoned building that has multiple floors. You pay a really expensive price but your money gets reimbursed as you make it to the higher levels. The levels get more intense as you go and they use real snakes and spiders and stuff. It sounds pretty cool. Other haunted houses you could go to aren't really haunted houses that people think of as your traditional haunted house. There are old places that nobody really hears about like the Villisca Axe Murder House. You can pay to stay in the same house that 7 children and 2 adults were murdered in over 100 years ago. This house is said to be haunted so it's available to rent out at night for paranormal investigations and things like that. October is a month for all things scary and thrilling and there are some great places to go so hopefully I can get out and go to some haunted houses this year. (400)

Ebola

Ebola is a popular topic being brought up in the news just about every single day. Ebola has recently hit the United States in Texas and could very easily spread across the entire country. A lot of mixed messages and facts have been put out there about Ebola. What is Ebola? Ebola is virus that is transmitted from animals to the human population. The death rate of Ebola is pretty high so if you get Ebola you might not ever recover. Of course early detection helps the patient get better before they have the full blown virus. At this point, there is no known or definite cure for Ebola. The most current outbreak of Ebola is happening in West Africa where this area of disease has had more cases and deaths from Ebola then all other outbreaks put together since it's start in 1976. Ebola is contracted through bodily fluids like blood and materials that have been contaminated with those fluids. You have to be experiencing the symptoms of Ebola to actually spread the virus. Some symptoms don't show for 2-21 days after exposure to the virus although the average is 8 to 10 days. The signs of Ebola are a high fever, muscle weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Ebola was officially confirmed to be in the United States earlier this week on Tuesday. A man traveling from West Africa to Texas showed signs of Ebola 5 days after he got to Texas. The CDC is now monitoring everybody he has had come in contact with that may develop Ebola. Since Ebola has been in the media so often lately, it's been getting a lot of negative attention. Some people who don't know that it's not exactly as easy to get as the common cold, are taking things to the extreme. Others are making jokes about Ebola and some still don't know if Ebola is a virus or a person... Hopefully Ebola can be stopped and prevented before it spreads across the country or other countries. I'm sure the CDC and hospitals are doing the best they can to treat and prevent patients. It's a serious issue but I feel like it's been overexposed to the media at this point, reporting on everything that happens with anybody involved in the case here in Texas. (383) Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/united-states-imported-case.html

Kanye West and His Ego

Kanye West's name is known internationally. Not only because his name has been out there for years now, but because of his talent and success. He knows he has talent, and he knows he's popular. And so does everyone else. His name is constantly being thrown around in the news and being brought up or referenced in the media. Naturally, he has a big ego. Fame has without a doubt added to his ego over time. If I were an international rap superstar, I would be too. I have a lot of respect for Kanye West and his work. It's just that his arrogance and egotistical attitude is really entertaining. If you don't know what I'm talking about when I say Kanye has a big ego, let me throw out a few examples of the things that come out of his mouth. When being asked about history, his response was "I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it". He's also said "I still think I'm the greatest." And " "I am the number one human being in music. That means any person that's living or breathing is number two." (He said this on a talk show in 2007, even back then before the 'Yeezus' era he was saying this type of stuff) There's a link below to the top 20 most 'Jaw Dropping Quotes' from Kanye if you want to read the rest of them; this is where I got the above quote from. Remeber at the MTV VMA's when Kanye ran up on stage to crash Taylor Swift's music video award acceptance speech? That was really arrogant, needless t say. It was funny though so I'll give him that. Kanye also has a clothing line called A.P.C. Kanye. This line features a plain denim shirt priced at $265. A Kanye Beanie will cost you $120 and the most expensive thing I see on the very first page of his clothing is a "parka with fur" for $2,865. What about a plain white T? Yeah that's $90. For a plain t-shirt. Those prices pretty much validate and support all of his arrogant quotes. His clothes do actually sell. I have no idea who would pay that for clothes but he's making money and that's all that really matters. Kanye's ego has since been fabricated even more since his involvement with Kim Kardashian started. The entire family supports him and his behavior. Kanye does support or has some kind of involvement in 19 charities and organizations to date. I just thought I should mention something positive about where some of his fortune goes to. Kanye West is a great artist who writes a lot of great music. His persona is harsh at times but it's entertainment. It sells. It's what makes Kanye, well, Kanye. (468) Sources: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/kanye-wests-20-jaw-dropping-558376#3-number-one http://usonline.apc.fr/kanye

The Super Bowl

First comes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, then comes the Super Bowl. It happens every year. Two teams compete for the ultimate bragging rights of saying they won the Super Bowl. Each previous year gets one upped by the next. The media and nation go crazy every year. The media follows the game and players so closely it feels like they write new articles every hour about the big game. The nation and fans get crazy involved by throwing parties and buying apparel to support their favorite teams regardless of the fact that you don’t even like either team in the game, you just bandwagon in hopes that you win the bet you made with your friend about the winning team. Sometimes the Super Bowl isn’t even defined by football. It’s defined by Doritos commercials and Beyonce. Lets be honest here, you chances are you don’t actually watch the Super Bowl for the touchdowns and stats on how many total yards run in each play or how many turnovers the team makes. It’s about the Go Daddy and Taco Bell commercials. It’s about that cheeseburger dip that Dad makes. The Super Bowl is about getting together with all of your friends and having a good time. The reason why the Super Bowl has gotten so popular and entertaining is because it’s become such huge social event across the entire country. There’s something in it for everyone. Moms and usually like the commercials the best, Dads like the football and food. Teens probably like a little bit of everything (but mostly food and Beyonce to be honest). The halftime show has been a favorite among almost everybody because of the multiple performers all mashed together in one short period of time. A lot of performers, current and older, seem to make an appearance at halftime at some point. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Spice Girls, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Nelly, and Madonna just to name a few. Some years are better than others but I guess that really just depends on what kind of music you like best. The Super Bowl is only getting bigger and better and I am looking forward to this years game. I don’t have any predictions as far as which teams will make it since it’s super early in the season but whoever makes it there will have to earn it. “All earned. None given”, right? (409)

Morgan Freeman

The man with the iconic voice. You know who I’m talking about. That deep voiced narrator in the Disney documentaries.The man who’s starred in more than 90 movies and TV shows in the last 50 years. Morgan Freeman. One of the greatest actors that I know of. Morgan Freeman first started acting in 1971 and he is still active today. Morgan Freeman is 77 years old now. It impresses me that he’s still making movies at such an old age. Besides his appearance you wouldn't be able to tell his age at all. The way he acts on and off the screen is something that I really admire. Morgan Freeman has played such a wide variety of roles in movies and TV shows his career making him one of the most respected and well known actors of our generation. A few of my favorite roles that he’s played in past movies are God in Bruce Almighty, Carter in The Bucket List, Nelson Mandela in Invictus and Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me. His diversity in roles is what makes Morgan Freeman such a great actor. He adds a special touch to his roles that nobody else could. Aside from acting, Morgan Freeman is extremely well known for his wise and calm character. Morgan Freeman thinks the answer to racism is to stop talking about it. He takes Black History Month as a grain of salt. He doesn’t think Black History Month should be an event because “Black History is American history" and “there is no ‘White History month’”. Morgan Freeman was and advocate for President Obama’s 2008 campaign, but never joined the campaign. He has also appeared along Bill Clinton in the past. Morgan Freeman is also known for his involvement with charity work and donations. Morgan Freeman is a pretty cool guy and I’m a big fan of his work and I’ll definitely be sad the day he stops making movies and working. (334)

Neflix Takes Over

Over the past few years, more and more video stores have been closing and more online streaming has become more popular among people. Online video streaming such as Netflix and Hulu have taken over the industry. Netflix's popularity has soared over the past couple of years. Almost everbody I know has a Neftlix account an if they don't, then they wish they had one. Netflix is so popular because it's convenient and there is no driving the the movie store to rent movies. Netflix has a giant variety of TV shows and even a children's section. There is really something on Netflix that everyone can enjoy. Grandparents (such as mine) can enjoy old war documentaries, kids can watch cartoons, Mom's and teenage girls can watch cheesy romantic comedies and us guys can watch the funny movies such as "Super Bad" (great movie if you haven't seen it) Netflix is growing rapidly and is changing the whole entertainment industry. Block Buster went bankrupt a few years back and now Family Video is soon to be tanking. People just aren't interested in renting movies like they used to. It's too much work to remember to drive back and return your rentals if you can stream the exact movie instantly online. Movie stores and rental kiosks are irrelevant to today's society. People like fast and instant results. Netflix is even impacting cable providers. Several people I know are even getting rid of cable and just keep a Netflix account as their main source of streaming. It's a good way to save money because it's easily affordable. Netflix can also be streamed almost anywhere in the world. In airports, long car rides, cruise ships, anywhere that wifi or data can connect to. Netflix is making it's mark on the today's technology because of it's popularity and major impact on the entertainment industry. Netflix is constantly releasing new movies and shows including several this month such as New Girl and School Of Rock. The only downside to Netflix is that they sign contracts with companies to only feature their movie or show for a short length of time, so when that time is up, the movie is no longer on Netflix. This has happened to an old childhood favorite, the TV show Drake and Josh and a few other shows in the past. Netflix is a great invention and will hopefully continue to evolve into something even better in the future. (406)

NFL Getting Out OF Hand: Part 2

As I previously said in my last post, the NFL has been getting a lot of attention from the media, Ray Rice being the most heard of recently. This week another well known player had gotten him into some trouble. Also still dealing with the topic of abuse, apparently running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings has been accused of child abuse. He apparently whipped his 4 year old son until he was bleeding. Statements are being made by fans saying "It's a cultural thing" or "It's how he was raised". Similarly to Ray Rice's case, child abuse is still not okay. This was no simple spanking. Adrian Peterson whipped his own child 10-15 times leaving blood and cuts. The worst part about this case is that Adrian Peterson isn't even sorry for his actions. He doesn't think that he is in the wrong. Since when is legit child abuse the way to discipline a child? Even if Adrian Peterson was spanked as child by his parents as a form of punishment, it clearly does not mean that you need to parent and discipline your kid the exact same way. Adrian Peterson said this: "To be honest with you, I feel very confident with my actions because I know my intent." What was his intent exactly? To do harm to your child? Adrian Peterson seems to be getting a lot more sympathy than Ray Rice due to his large fan base and other attention from the media earlier in the year but I think both of them need to be put in their place. Being a celebrity doesn't give you the right to act out and get away with a slap on the wrist. It's sick and the NFL only seems to care if it hurts their marketing or fan base. Since the Adrian Peterson incident, all endorsment deals with affilates have been called off. Nike even took action. This is a step in the right direction. I find it ironic that Nike is against child abuse when everybody knows that they have little kids in sweat shops somewhere in the world making their clothes. The NFL has had an extremely bad past few weeks, and maybe they can move forward and take the right approach for their players' actions and try to pick up the pieces again. In the future, I hope the NFL can be represented with men who are role models for the little kids who wear their jerseys. (412)

NFL Getting Out Of Hand?

Recently the NFL has been getting a lot of attention and negative publicity this week. It has been said to be "The worst week of NFL history". I can agree with that for many reasons. First one being what we've all been hearing about in the news lately dealing with the Raven's player Ray Rice. For those who are still unaware of the story, a security tape of footage from an elevator in a hotel that Ray Rice and his then fiancee were stay at was released. On this tape Ray Rice was seen assaulting and hitting his fiancee unconscious and then dragging her out, feet first, of the elevator. The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodall has claimed that he had not seen the full video of the entire assault prior to TMZ's release of the security footage. At that point, Ray Rice had only been faced with a minor punishment. When the full tape was released to the public, millions of people had a lot to say about the footage and the NFL took further action to 'indefinitley' suspend Ray Rice. Rice and his wife have since then made several statements speaking out against the criticism of the entirety of the nation saying that we need to "respect their privacy" and that his wife will "Stand behind him because I love him". To me, this is wrong on so many different levels. It's not okay to beat a woman let alone stay with your abuser. What Ray Rice did was wrong and I feel that he is not being punished nearly enough for his actions. He deserves the criticism and hate for what he did. Knocking your wife out and dragging her out of an elevator like she's luggage is never okay to do to anybody and Ray Rice shouldn't be let off the hook easily just because he's in the NFL. What are your views on the NFL's actions? Do you really believe that Roger Goodall hadn't seen the video prior to it's release or do you believe he's had a copy of it this whole time? Did he just turn the other cheek to avoid the hot seat? More than 40 NFL players have been arrested this year alone. Is the NFL going in the wrong direction? In my next post I will share thoughts and opinons about Adrian Peterson and the attention from the media he has recieved this week. (402)

U2 Gives Out New Album Free on Itunes

Sometime last week the band U2 that many kids of my generation have probably never even heard of tried a very interesting marketing ploy. Rather than sell their music on iTunes at outrageous prices like most artists they gave away their new album for free. To some loyal apple users this was a very pleasant surprise, and to some people who had the album automatically synced to their device without knowing it was very frustrating. To be honest I didn't even know about the whole situation until sometime last week when I checked twitter and saw multiple rage tweets from kids my age about the fact this unwelcomed music was now on their device. This sparks an interesting debate. Was it a smart idea for U2 to just give out a new album for absolutely no cost? On one side I could see why someone would say yes. Giving out an album for free on iTunes would allow people of all new ranges and demographics to hear their music and possibly enjoy it. Then in turn going and purchasing other U2 albums on Itunes. On the other side of the coin quite a few people that I personally know were quite upset about iTunes giving out the album for free. When they went to sinc their ipod or iphone the album automatically was synced onto their device giving them quite a bit of frustration as they struggled to delete it. Many people just want iTunes to stick to the basics, them find, listen to, and download the music that the owner of the device WANTS to listen to. Rather than have old fashioned monotonous music forced onto them. Whether it was a smart marketing ploy or not U2 has done it and now all we as apple users are forced to live with it.(305)

Jack Black

Jack Black, probably one of the most unfunny comedic actors Hollywood has ever seen and not to mention also a very bad musician. One of the few over weight actors that I don't find hilarious. For example, a younger Jonah Hill. Who has now lost a lot of weight which I give him respect for that but frankly isn't as funny now as he was back in his mens extra large days. The last movie I saw on him I believe was Year One which is a comedy that is supposed to be set back in the prehistoric days of Earth when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. In this movie he goes through his trials and tribulations along with attempting to bring a funny approach to it. Personally I found it very unfunny and rather monotonous as I tried not to fall asleep while watching it. School of Rock, a movie I watched for the last time probably around the sixth grade. This is a movie I actually enjoyed about a group of private school children who's teacher breaks their leg so Jack Black comes in to substitute teach for these kids. But, instead of teaching these kids their grammar, science, math, and reading he teaches them how to become rockers as they try and win the local battle of the bands. Winning the battle of the bands would eventually give Jack a big pay check to help him get out of debt from his nagging landlord who is also a former rocker. If I watched that at my age now I would probably find some of his stupid jokes very cheesy and not nearly as appealing as I saw it before. Now, the only thing possibly worse than his ridiculous movie making is his actually serious rock music that he so dearly loves making. HIs band name is Tenacious D which in my opinion, is bad enough in the first place. The only song I can stand listening to is the one that I've been playing on Guitar Hero the video game since I was a young kid. He's made lots of albums and songs that apparently people have actually enjoyed listening to, I guess it is just not my sort of thing. To be fair to him I am not a rock and roll fan myself, I personally enjoy more modern hip hop with a bit quicker beats that rappers quickly put rhymes to. (405)

Up and Coming Artist Skizzy Mars

For my first blog post of this school year I have decided to write about an up and coming artist who is very special to me because of the way I have seen him drastically grow in popularity. Miles Mills aka "Skizzy Mars" is an up and coming hip hop artist from Manhattan, New York City. I first heard about Skizzy Mars while at a basketball tournament two summers ago in Minneapolis and from the first song I heard I was hooked.  As soon as I got home I downloaded his first mixtape "Phases" and followed him on twitter.  The day I followed Skizzy he had a little over 5,000 followers and now that number has exploded to 59,100.
 I think what makes him different than all the other rappers that most kids listen to are definitely his lyrics.  He is probably the most relatable rapper I have ever come across. No matter what he is talking or rapping about he has a very strong opinion on it and won't change that for anyone, which I think is very admirable today as you see a lot of rappers saying one thing and then doing another. In a lot of his songs he is talking about real issues that young people are coming across whether that be with a friend or girlfriend or anything.  At the young age of 20 Skizzy Mars is already building a loyal fan base that stretches all the way from his home town in New York City that he is always mentioning in songs to kids in the Midwest where he is touring this next month. 
One strange thing about Skizzy is the fact that in the past two years I have listened to him while other artists have gone on countless tours making a lot of money and gaining countless fans Skizzy has refrained from going on tour.  Until earlier this month when Skizzy announced his latest plans to go on a 9 show tour over the Midwest one of these shows being on October 1st in Iowa City. When he announced his tour he tweeted "the goal was never to avoid the "mainstream" why not broaden your audience? our goal is to change what the mainstream is" to me this is a big reason why I like Skizzy Mars he doesn't just want to fit in, and he doesn't really get offended if people aren't a fan.  On October 2nd I will be sure to write a review over the concert. (417)