Kids Again

I loved having our homework assignments on Blogger.  I enjoyed reading other posts and especially like that almost everyone gets to read my work and not just the teacher.  It aids me in my future writing when I receive feedback, ideas, etc.  I found this old poem that was written by me over four years ago.  Then I decided that it should be my final post. However I just want you to know that it’s full to the brim with angst.


Kids Again

The bottle goes fast
And so do our clothes.

Like the clouds block sun
The alcohol numbs my conscious.

Nature defeats nurture.

FOOD: The Cure for Cancer

I'm having the hardest time deciding what I should recommend or push onto the people of Writ 101.  Hence the fact that I’m just now typing it up.  I haven’t been influenced by much more than deadlines and Indian Pale Ale paired with an evening shower. Let us get to the point.

Does anyone know who Max Gerson is?  I’d rather you find out for yourself but he was a 19^th century physician who discovered a diet therapy that would cure cancer.  His daughter is still alive and spreading the word about her father’s miracle diet.  There are books that describe his theory in detail and include stories of true cancer survivors (that used his diet).  There are also movies that summarize the advantages of healthy eating.  Two you should see are: “The Beautiful Truth” and “Food Matters.” 

Well I hope someone is interested and will take a couple hours to watch one of those films.  Remember the leading cause for colon and stomach cancer is frozen and processed foods.  Let's cross "Hot Pockets" off of the grocery list, ok?

The Beautiful Truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4XZzhJfHFE
Food Matters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss

TWO WEEKS

I am stressed out!  Although sometimes I tend to stress about stressing so maybe my judgment of myself is a little skewed.  I really need to focus on the next 2.5 weeks.

We’re so close to the end, yet it seems so far.  I have the opportunity to be a proctor for Psych 100 next semester and I need to get a 3.0 to be eligible.  As of now I’m fine but I’m trying my best to get an even better GPA.

I most definitely started out in the swing of things this semester but now I’m hardly rocking.  It went by so very fast for me.

Now that the snow has fallen I feel the urge to be riding (snowboarding) everyday but I know that I just need to concentrate on school for two more weeks.  I have all of winter break to ride.  I need to balance out my work and play.  I’m holding on to one rule: “Find a happy medium”.

Her hair blocked most of her face.  I could just see her eye lashes fluttering; they were intrigued by the lecture.  The coat she wore had wrinkles and hair was everything but perfect.  This wasn't an issue for she was very abnormally gorgeous (I had hoped no one else would notice her beauty for I wanted to enjoy her through my eyes only) and I would have done immoral things to have her.  She had been sitting in the front of the room everyday sense I can remember.  She must have just wanted to face her back to everyone.  "How sexy," I said to myself.

The next day I sit.  She walks in and sits also.  I start to in vision her with less clothes on (I guess I just got bored with what I could physically "see").  She didn't seem to mind at all.  The professor asks me a question that I cannot answer.  Maybe had I been paying attention at all this could have been avoided.  Thank god; only three mins left for today.  I wait for her. We leave together.

Raymond Carver

It was a gloomy winter night.  She had just picked me up from somewhere.  It's not important.  She and I were contributing to an irritating silence.  The car was dirty.  It had a floor of trash instead of carpet.  She asked. "What is wrong?"  "Nothing." I said.

We do this to ourselves from time to time.  Maybe it thrills us.  I really couldn't say. You can make your own assumption.  I got the pipe and loaded a bowl from her bag.  This hardly helps the situation.  Yet it makes everything better.  We don't have to talk.  She said nothing.  I did the same.

The rest of the night was kind of a blur.  Not from the marijuana. I just can't stand to recollect my feelings.  The basement was my home.  Not much of a home; it was my friends basement.  At least we had our own bathroom.  The blankets pulled us into bed.  We didn't speak a word.  I turned my back to her.  She began to whimper. 

I got out of bed and poured a drink.

Halloween

This Halloween was so much different from any "normal" Halloween of mine.  The usual Halloween consists of me dressing up in a dumb and certainly uncomfortable outfit and getting black out drunk like an idiot. 

I hardly ever taste the sweetness of candy anymore.  That was the good old times when candy was just as much a part of Halloween as the booze is now.  I felt extra anti-social this year and did the complete opposite of what I would have usually done.  Every night this weekend I sat on the couch and watched movies, ate pizza, and drank beers with my lady.  Some were scary and some were drunken mistakes.  They were later noticed after the beer had run dry. 

I guess the fact that I had to work at seven in the morning on Sunday morning didn't help my reclusiveness.  This definitely played a part in my decision to stay back and not hang around with all the inch worms in downtown Missoula.

Do I feel like I missed out?  With the money I made and the money I saved I'd say "yeah" this Halloween totally sucked and I wish I could do it over.  I'd dress up as a crazy PETA activist and raise hell.

1.  THE HELL WITH IT:  Don't dwell or stress about what to write.  Just write until you can't feel your finger tips anymore.  At this point you'll most likely have enough written to next sit down and read through what you've come up with.  It's easy! Now just do some editing and revising and the hard part is over.

2.  PICK THAT BOOK UP:  How will you ever be a good writer if you don't read?  What you write can only be interpreted by readying so get on it.  I'm willing to bet all the greats were big readers so follow in their footsteps and become an amazing writer too.

3.  GET OFF THE COUCH:  Try not to get into a routine with your writing.  If you usually write sitting on your couch or at the same coffee shop then try a new place.  Let the outside world inspire your work. Then your article, paper, or poem will reflect on your new positive environment.  This will also help with the repetitiveness of writing a piece your not so interested in.

4.  SLEEPY NOTES:  Always have a pen and paper by your bed so when you think of an idea or have a crazy dream you can write something about it.  This will keep your joints and mind well oiled.  Plus dreams make for some pretty cool stories or poems!

5.  BUILD IT:  Structure is one of the most important aspects of writing.  Don't let this get the best of you though.  After you have your quick write or rough draft read it over and over until you can piece the structure of you work together.  With unstructured work your audience won't feel the full effects of your writing.  And remember that your audience is also on the list of most important aspects of writing.

Two Truths and a Lie

1.  Last year I moved to Missoula from LA.  It was a easy transition as far as the city life goes.  The vibe is defiantly smaller and more laid back.  Although its a beautiful place to live I miss the music scene terribly.  I hardly ever see good shows up here.

2.  I have been vegetarian off and on sense seventeen years old.  As of today it's been just under a year sense I last consumed any meat.  I've also been vegan for a few months of my life.  It's super healthy and believe it or not, very tasty!

3.  When I was growing up my father raced and built custom cars.  I wasn't ever into it but my little brother followed in his foot steps.  Thus, now I'm the odd one in the family who likes music(a little to much) and tattoos(way too much).

awkward much? Thank you Dwight.

I have the worst anxiety sometimes when I'm put in awkward situations.  This has got be a factor in why I feel that The Office is such a good television show.  I can enjoy the uncomfortable feelings that would usually overwhelm me.  If you've never seen the show before it can take a few episodes to get into but this is true of most TV shows in general.  Steve Carell is a well known actor and plays the branch manager in The Office.  I find his character along with Jim and Dwight to be most hilarious.  Another six or so characters make up the rest of the cast.  They are all equally as important in delivering the laughs that make forget to think.  I basically think most everyone has seen an episode and if not I really do recommend it.  I don't have cable so as soon as the season comes out on dvd I watch every episode (usually in a row) on Netflix.  Oh, what a wonderful invention for the laziness of future generations.

op eds yeah!

How awkward would you feel if someone said "hey, lets look at your Facebook page"?  We escape from our "real" worlds into this almost second life state of mind.  I can be anyone I want to be and see anyone I want to see. It's very creepy but I'll say that sometimes I wonder if people are peeping my profile.  I totally agree with the writers point of view about Facebook.  The power of writing about Facebook or other social networking sites is pretty immense.  Who car argue with the obvious?  The number of us whom are addicted to these sites is rising.  Did you ever think the day would come when your friend request turns out to be your mother or father?

facebook-relationship-its-complicated

Im glad I'm not the only one who feels so overwhelmed by the amazingly beautiful and untouchable girl I see every so often but never have the urge to say "hello".  My friend Chance Petek wrote an article explaining how we all feel this way and I'd glad to say I agree with him.  Although he claims you could potently take a girl up to the guest room and do the "nasty" the same night you say hi to this person has some logical fallacies.  Everyone is so different it would be a little stereotypical to say that this is true.  However I do agree with the article and it has made me release that we are all the same.  No matter how out of your league you think she is... she could be thinking the same thing about you.

the-morning-after-the-first-glance

Why in the world would you genetically modify vegetables to taste different?  If you someone doesn't like a certain vegetable then don't eat it.  I do not agree with this articles views.  Where is the logos in this piece?  I enjoy my vegetables the way they are.  If I went to the store and got an apple that tasted like a banana then I would be thoroughly confused and disappointed. I understand they are doing research and thats great but this energy could be used otherwise. Not impressed right now.  Please stop trying to change my taste buds response to foods I quite enjoy.

the-things-i-think-i-think-you-say-tomato-i-say-taste-bud-changer

person. person. test.

The enneagram results put me in category 3 which is otherwise known as image focused.  I also scored higher with withdrawn traits.  I totally agree with the test results I received.  It's neat how we can disguise  our inner feeling with our outside appearance.  Although I do have this character trait the fact that I'm somewhat withdrawn from society and the world is very odd.  On the inside I'm thoroughly confused as far as my life goes.  A lot of the time I'm scared or have horrid anxiety but I cover this up with my appearance.  I like to seem confident as if I could care less what anyone honestly thinks.  The truth is, that's actually the opposite of how I really feel.  I care far to much about what you think.  This is due partly to the fact that I want to know if how I feel is how I'm portrayed.

I've been a musician for the past seven years and played numerous shows in Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.  This has done nothing but boost my ego.  Oh how much I enjoy the feel of being in the spotlight!  Arriving at the show only to see people waiting around to watch me play is such a uplifting feeling.  Maybe this has effected me in a negative way and maybe not.  My girlfriend tells me time and time again that I'm pretty much an asshole.  At first I would beg to differ but when it really comes down to it maybe the truth is I am an asshole.  Do you really believe the truth shall set you free?  I don't see how this would aid in setting me free at the least.  

Believer

As I take the garbage out and see a huge blue dumpster full week after week I can't ignore the problem we have with waste.  Yet we try our best to not think about it.  Maybe it's because the trash doesn't effect you on a personal level but it could very well be that you choose to ignore the problem all together.  There is obviously a larger trash problem in a city like Seattle compared to our little town of Missoula, MT but one day this wasteful, fast paced lifestyle will have greater effects on us.  The question is: how long will we choose to ignore this problem that seems to be burying us alive?


"Every single thing you see is future trash. Everything. So we are surrounded by ephemera, but we can’t acknowledge that, because it’s kind of scary, because I think ultimately it points to our own temporariness." believermag.com


Think about the environment and our future children or friends future children.  We need to be recycling as much as possible.  Maybe recycling isn't the answer but NOT recycling is very pointless.  I admittedly contribute to being a wasteful american but at least I'm aware of it and try my best to recycle and reuse whenever possible.

Research Question

Initially I thought a good research topic could be the effects of vegetarianism and non vegetarianism on agriculture but that was too broad.  As I watched this show on vegans I realized that meat eaters may have a bigger effect on agriculture than non meat eaters.  Now I think more about the effects of meat production on the environment and how that could be the best direction to go with this paper.

I'm most definitely having issues deciding which way to go with this whole thing.  Maybe I should concentrate on the health issues that go along with these vegetarian topics?

One time I read a statistic saying that meat consumption is up 40% compared to fifty years ago.  And I know that other countries eat a lot less meat than Americans do.  This is also an interesting aspect of environmental and health sustainability.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Organic

Organic foods contain an average of 50% more vitamins, nutrients and minerals than non organic foods. organicfoodinfo.net/  When you eat an apple from a farm that uses over 30 chemicals to grow that apple you are not only eating the apple but all 30 chemicals used to grow it too. This means you have to jeopardize your health by consuming more fruit with more chemicals just to get your daily nutrients. 

Produce is one thing but meat is a whole different world. Cows and chickens that are not organically raised are pumped full of anti-biotics and hormones to make them grow fast and stay "healthy" until the slaughter.     Cows are vegetarian animals but to save money the big meat producers are now feeding them ground up parts of other cows.  This can cause mad cow disease in the cows themselves which is then eaten by humans... I think you get the point. care2.com/

Most people just don't care where it came from or even how but I think that shows ignorance and a lack of care for your body and health.  So, just think twice before you eat a "chicken nugget" because chances are it's hardly chicken.

who am I?

Hey my name is Justin and I'm 22 years of age.  This is my first semester at the U of M.  Sense high school ended I found myself working at Snowbowl and turning into a full blown snow bum!  Also I focus a lot of my energy on playing guitar for a local band called The Lion The Tamer.  We can't wait for spring break, were going to be on our second tour as a band!  Other than that I really enjoy riding my bike and trying to keep healthy.

Over the last couple years finding time to read has been tough but I managed to finish a couple books that were very enjoyable.  Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk was definitely one of my favorites. My favorite writer is Charles Bukowski though! No matter my mood reading Bukowski would by my number one choice.  This class seems like my cup of tea! Gosh... I really hate cleches.