Not sure if this counts as a blog...

but I decided to write a lil' bit of poetry for the class! Hope you guys can find some relation to it :)

This is the decree of the young and able
A gentle march towards a familiar fable
Differentiating the distances we travel
This is not a test, but a question
Our footwork easing along the loose gravel
A kindred kind of static confession.
Our words are blank slates through telephone wires.
Condensing while collapsing our feeble bones.
The striking symbols of all the earth's choirs.
Ending with a fade of the dial tone.
We hold this solemn question to our hearts with fire.
Asking you a fourth, and a fifth time for a response.
Waiting for all the built-up guilt to transpire.
We stand before you today not in fear but in focus
This fire we behold is bold,
and you are more than allowed to stoke us.
When we declare ourselves as God's children,
do not be fooled or bewildered.
We were born of our fathers and mothers.
And we hold up our hands against one anothers
to tell of a time when we were all sisters and brothers.
Do not condemn or condone us,
we only breed from the stems of our personas.
We require your utmost appreciation,
for the subtle cells that compose this corroding confrontation.
Divided we are just as strong as the shoes in our galoshes.
Weighing us down until the fisherman have forgot us.
Stereotyping letters to the masses.
Voiding ourselves of past doctrine digresses.
Evolving through time and space,
making ourselves aware we should pull apart the outward face.
We will put forth the adequate hesitation
to flicker through the disjointed television stations.
We like our coffee strong and our cocaine stronger.

I couldn't really finish that one? Please post some a few lines to help me!

And a little bit more....

and the dancers in their raincoats
alone on the stagecoach all night
whisper
'my contacts seem to have gone dry'
and the doormen with their top hats
tremendous day
oh, thanks for that
my soul is but a doormat to December sky
the vessels in the harbor
are the sheep i need to sheer
along the brim of those alleyways
their whistles i can hear
at the station they will always stay
find me with the dancers and their dears

Women

I don't understand some of the men nowadays. This isn't an argument against guys not being chivalrous enough per say, because that's a completely different topic and one I could write about for hours. This is an argument against all the men that seem to have lost their manhood with the turn of the century.

I'm not sure if it had something to do with sexual revolution in the 70's, or the recent newfound sexual independence that women engage in, but somewhere along the way men have lost what makes them attractive to women.

First off, why are men such wimps right now? Hopefully some of you ladies can vouch for this, but if you're interested in a girl and want to engage her in conversation, DO IT WITH CONFIDENCE! I've seen so many men lately that have so much anxiety built up from the anticipation of approaching a woman that it blows my mind. She's a human being! She enjoys a good conversation just as much as you probably do. And you can bet that she's going to sense your nervous, awkward behavior right off the bat and write you off as someone she probably wouldn't want to be around anyways. Here's some hints guys: be sincere, talk to her without any ulterior motives, and do it with confidence. Just imagine yourself in the same situation; You're probably sitting around with several friends and a woman approaches you but doesn't do so with confidence and cannot carry on a conversation with you because she's too nervous, this in turn makes her appear to be less interesting than I'm sure she is. Don't get me wrong, it's a different situation when women approach men, and I realize some girls are shy too which is ok, I'm just trying to use a somewhat proper analogy here.

A lot of men are plain terrified of women even once they have been dating a woman for some time. Some act as if they are inferior to her and are constantly amazed at how they ended up with her, and this disallows them from stimulating a woman intellectually because they are constantly tip-toeing on edge trying to please them.

Keep your individuality intact men, don't try to be something you aren't. Be honest and be the person you are when you're talking to a girl, otherwise, she won't stick around. Women will like you for being sincere, and to have your own opinion. I know several of my male friends that let their girlfriends make every single decision. If they are trying to go out one night, the guy will be like, "Whatever you want to do baby." I'll tell you this right now, that's not going to fly with her. Tell her what you want to do, and make the decisions sometime. It's all about balancing out the decisions in the relationship and being equal. It's unattractive to me when a woman always says things like "Whatever you want to do baby." I want her input. How am I supposed to get to know her if she always agrees with me? Don't always agree with women, men. I promise you they will be more into you if speak your mind, share your hopes and dreams, and have personal drive.

If you're looking for apartments, look at The Plaza...

I currently have been living here at The Plaza in Joplin for 10 months, and I've loved every minute of it. It's located on Rex Avenue right behind Academy and Wal-Mart.

The best part about The Plaza is the luxury factor. One glimpse at the courtyard/pool area will make you think you're at a resort. There's a pool that is located in the middle of the complex that is open all year long from 10:00 a.m.-12.00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m. on the weekends. They're pretty lenient about letting you stay out later if you aren't making noise and causing trouble. There's also an awesome hot tub out by the pool that can hold 15 people.

During the day, you'll find lots of individuals and families hanging out by the pool tanning and having fun. There's also tennis courts, a basketball court, and sand volleyball court available to all residents. There's several barbeque grills that are free to use down by the pool. Residents are able to rent out the pool and clubhouse for events they'd like to hold for free. It's a great amenity and one most of the residents take advantage of.

Speaking of the clubhouse, it's expertly decorated and holds several areas of amenities. There's a gym that has exceptional equipment that is open 24 hours with two tv's, a full bar and refrigerator, a lounge area, and a movie theater room with theater style seats. The clubhouse is definitely something to take advantage of.

The interiors of the apartment are above-average for Joplin apartments. Each apartment has a balcony, living room, and a kitchen with a complimentary refrigerator, oven, and microwave.

A one-bedroom apartment at The Plaza will run you $550 plus utilities. A two-bedroom is $725plus utilities. And a three-bedroom is $775 plus utilities. While the rent may seem expensive, you get what you pay for here. The prices are comparable to Terrace Green on 7th street.

Apart from the actually apartments, most of the tenants that live here are very friendly and well-rounded people. It's easy to meet knew people on an average day out by the pool. The staff is also top-notch, and will take care of any problems you have while you're here. The maintenance crew is great at their job, and they'll fix something within the next day if they can't that day.

Also, if you have pets, there's a building that specifically allows them.

Another great aspect of The Plaza is it's location right off Rangeline. There's several fantastic restaurants nearby, such as Mythos. Wal-Mart is literally a short walk away, and there's gas stations nearby.

If you're considering a new living arrangement, check The Plaza out!

Reasons to Visit Chicago

I've been to a lot of major cities in the U.S., and Chicago is by far my favorite. I may be biased because all my family is from there, but I don't care. Here's my top ten reasons to visit Chicago!

1. Friendly People: You'll have a hard time finding a city this big that has so many genuine people. You can ask for directions from random strangers or just start off a friendly conversation without feeling intimidated.

2. Great Restaurants: The food in Chicago is amazing, and there's a wide range of cuisine all over the city. Of course, they are known for their Italian food. For every fine-dining restaurant, there is an exceptional food joint that specializes in things such as roast beef sandwiches, pizza, or hot dogs. My personal favorite restaurant in the city is called Cite, and it’s located on the 72^nd floor of Waterfront Towers. Another favorite of mine is Giordanos pizza, it’s easily the best pizza in town and has a great family atmosphere. The wait will usually be long for this place, but it’s worth it. Lastly, if you’re a sushi fanatic, try out Sushisamba for an outstanding menu that’s conveniently located downtown.

3. Attractions: The best place to start off at is the top of the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears tower). It used to be the tallest skyscraper in the world. You’ll get a fantastic view of the city. Next, head on over to the Hancock Building and go to the restaurant on the top floor (I’ll spare you the nickname due to the explicit nature). After that, it’s a necessity to visit Navy Pier. The pier has a ton of great restaurants and tourist attractions such as a ferris wheel, bike rides, and boat rides. Millennium Park is a great places for families, as it holds lots of innovative art and attractions.

4. Michigan Street: Some of the best shopping on the country is located downtown on Michigan Street. You can start out on one side of the street and make your way through Nordstrom, Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel, etc., and then come back on the other side through a huge Apple store, Guess, and a signature Sharper Image store.

5. The Suburbs: The finest communities are located outside the inner-city. You’ll find little family restaurants that find their own unique niche within the suburbs. Family-friendly parks are littered across these areas.

6. Sports: Whether you have your own favorite sports team or not, Chicago is a great place to be for sporting events. Wrigley Field would be my personal first stop, as the atmosphere rivals that of any other major league stadium. Chicago Cubs fans don’t mess around. Next, I would go see a Chicago Bulls game for a hint of nostalgia and also for entertainment because they’ve been doing good lately.

Bands I Recommend

Here's another recommendation list of my favorite music...

mewithoutYou: I'm not the biggest religious fanatic, and it's a stretch to put this band in that category. They started off with an experimental grunge sound and have ended up with a folk-feel to them. The best aspect of the band is their lyrics; Adam Weiss has always written some of the best musical poetry I've ever heard. Their first couple of albums were drenched in poetic angst, and now they are solemn, slow ballads that anyone can enjoy. I would recommend them to fans of indie rock, and mainstream listeners should stay away. Listen to the songs 'In A Sweater Poorly Knit' and 'The King Beetle on the Coconut Estate.'

Brand New: In the same genre as the previous band, Brand New elevates themselves above others with sheer honesty in their lyrics and they aren't afraid to experiment with their sound to create something exciting. They grew from being just an ordinary punk-rock band into a solid rock band that is anything but ordinary. The leader singer and songwriter, Jesse Lacey, has original lyrics that are so honest it my push some people away. I'd recommend them to anyone who appreciates honesty in their music. Download 'Jesus Christ' and 'Degausser'.

Metric: They have always been a very independent group, but with their latest cd, Metric went even further off the beaten path than they ever have before. Emily Haines, the lead singer and songwriter, went to Argentia for several months to write the album and spent almost all of her time in a secluded cabin. Normally, she has extremely intricate lyrics, but with this album she wanted to go as basic as possible in order to appeal to ones emotions better. The album is titled Fantasies, which is a good indication of what you're going to be getting out of it. Definitely download the single 'Help I'm Alive' and 'Twilight Galaxy'.

Circa Survive: This band is experimental to the bone. The main attraction here is the lead singers vocals, Anthony Green. His voice is indescribable, but it's either a love or hate kind of thing. The first album they released had very abstract lyrics and synths that was different, but most didn't think they'd get anywhere with it. Their second album did a great job of combining their previous style with catchy choruses and versus. Now their third album was a giant leap as the band crosses over to a much more rock-oriented band. Anthony stretches his voice into more of a yell. The instruments are phenomenally implemented into the songs and his lyrics are much simpler than anything he's ever done before, but they end up feeling amazing. Definitely download 'The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the Dosage" and "Your Friends Are Gone"

So I figured for todays blog I'd recommend some of my favorite movies, what people would like them, and reasons people don't like them....

Fight Club: This movie is simply a male-classic. If you're a guy and you haven't seen this movie, go out and BUY it right now. You will not disappointed. First and foremost, it's filled with action and bloody brawls. But the real catch here is how many guys can relate to the content. The narrator (main character) is your typical 30-something male living in the city with a boring job who is trying to resort to his primality. It's a lot deeper of a movie than you'd expect, and the end will probably blow your mind if you don't know the twist already. Most women and children probably shouldn't watch this movie for obvious reasons.

Garden State: This movie just made me feel good about the world around me, plain and simple. Zach Braff and Natalie Portman play their characters real down to earth and the script is phenomenal. It deals with the pressures of life's unexpected turns and show's relationships in many different lights. The soundtrack is also phenomenal. I would recommend this movie to anyone except the elderly.

Requiem For a Dream: An instant cult-classic, Requiem deals with different levels of drugs and different people's addictions to them. It's more of an underground film...you won't see any special effects or high-profile actors. However, you will see a film that tears into your heart with realistic views on addiction. I'm sure you've heard the theme music, as many movies have borrowed it. I'd recommend this movie to any adult. If you have a problem yourself, you probably won't like what you see.

Seven Pounds: This movie didn't really get the best ratings from the critics, and normally that'll stop me from seeing a film. However, I went ahead and watched Seven Pounds and was amazed at how much of a tear-jerking emotional movie it was. Granted, the first half of the movie the audience is left slightly in the dark and the pieces don't really come together until the finale, but it's definitely worth it when they do. I'd recommend this movie to drama fans. If you aren't really into the sad movies, don't see it.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Personally, I can't stand Jim Carrey's movies anymore. His comedy routine is old and worn out. Yet, somehow he managed to put out this gem of a movie and pull off a dramatic role for a change. Some people describe it as incoherent, but I feel it's meant to be that way to get the point of the story across. It's a romance at heart, and will really dig into your personal values of what it means to have a relationship with the opposite sex. Did I mention Kate Winslet is in it? I'd recommend this movie to drama and romance fans. If you're a linear type of person, you probably won't like it.

Freedom of Censorship

I believe that all media outlets should be free of government censorship. If this happened, our society would ultimately be more insightful, well-rounded, and dare I say 'tolerant'.

My main gripe with censorship comes in the form of music. If there's a song on the radio that has curse words in it, they should be allowed to be said because that's the way the artist intended for it to be heard. It really all comes down to art, in my opinion. Music, movies, novels, and actual pieces of art should not be bound by restrictions because some people may not adhere to the message they are relaying. Art would not have evolved in past centuries if artists weren't allowed to reveal their experimental art with the general public.

It's an insult to creative minds across America when their ideas are 'bleeped-out' or banned. It's a direct message to our citizens that the government is still in control of more of our speech than is necessary. It's a message that creativity may produce something good, but it isn't accepted by the so-called 'majority' of America.

The FCC is responsible for the censorship of radio and television, and also helps regulate communications. The Communications Act of 1934 created the FCC, and there haven't been any major overhauls in the system since then (minus the development of computers). If anyones the culprit of wrongful censorship, it's the FCC.

Most of the reasoning behind censorship is that certain words, ideas, and images offend people in our society. While this may be more of a conservative view than I normally have, I feel if you don't want to hear a certain song on the radio or watch a specific show on television because it offends you, simply don't watch it or listen. The decision to turn to a radio station or purchase a cable package is that of the individual. Don't bring the rest of us down for believing in freedom of speech a little more than you do. I want to be exposed to all kinds of different things. I think violent video games, curse words, and images of sex and violence in the media is perfectly acceptable. The youth of today is exposed to all of these things in school and every day life, don't blame the media for your child's aggressive behavior or overuse of the f word, blame yourself for raising him to not know the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

This isn't a matter of liberalism vs. conservatism, it's a matter of living free lives and being able to expose ourselves to things we want. Whenever I hear about a book being banned from a school library or a word bleeped out on the radio it makes me sick, because I feel that someone in a position of authority is telling me that I can't. A perfect example of this is the show South Park. In an episode that aired in April, there was originally an image of Muhammad, the Muslim prophet. Comedy Central censored the image before airing it due to a website called RevolutionMuslim made a threat against the shows creators showing the image. Now I know that's not an example of government censorship, but that's totally ridiculous! It literally blows my mind that a show cannot show an image of Muhammad without the producers fearing for their lives. Call me crazy.

Gay Marriage

First of all, I'm straight (just to clear the air). I don't understand why people get some up-in-arms about gay marriage, and I never will.

My biggest question I ask people who are so against it is, "What negative impact does it have on you exactly?" Normally, I get responses such as the person just being irritated by the sight of affection between homosexuals. The thing that I can never get through my how this irritates people if they're comfortable with their own sexuality. It simply does not bother me to see two gay people holding hands, because I know what I like and I understand what other people like. At the end of the day, I go home with my own sexual orientation and they go home with theirs.

The major contribution to the anti-gay movie is undoubtably Christianity (along with a few other religions), and I hate to say it, but that will probably never change and end up being the biggest obstacle homosexuals need to overcome. I'm a Christian, and I have no problem with it. I've been in numerous situations where a straight person has told a gay person they are going to hell. In my opinion, under no circumstance should anyone ever be told this. If people are so concerned with the literal translation of the Bible, then they might as well go stone their wives if they commit adultery and tell children they are going to hell for being molested because those are also translations in the Bible. It is a sin just like any other, and I just loathe how many modern Christians love to point the finger at anyone else but themselves.

While I can understand the concept of anti-gay protestors to want to protect the sanctity of marriage, as marriage is a religious ritual rather than being solely a symbol of two human beings loving one another, I frankly just don't care enough whether two homosexuals are married or not. I'm old fashioned in the sense that I believe everyone is on my good side unless proven otherwise, and I have never meet a homosexual that hasn't been nice to me. Nor has any homosexual group ever inflicted upon my rights.

It also comes down to the fact that this is America. It was founded on the principles of freedom to practice whatever lifestyle an individual chooses. How can anyone argue that? And who has the right to tell someone else how to live their life? For anyone to declare a specific sexual orientation unnatural is just plain wrong.

Don't misunderstand me, I believe the other side has good points. However, I refuse to participate in arguments with people who are anti-gay who's opinion has been fueled by hate rather than logic.

The hard fact is that gay marriage will inevitably be legal in the majority of the United States. Six states have already made it legal: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. Iowa was a huge surprise to me, and leads me to believe that Missouri will someday be in the mix. Whether people agree with it or not, homosexuals will soon have the rights I feel they deserve.

Rave at Riverside

There is a going to be a late night party at Riverside campground July 9th, which is a Friday. The place is located off Schifferdecker here in Joplin, right before the bridge on your left. It's normally a pretty fun place to be during the day.

It costs $10 for admission, which I personally think is kind of pricey seeing as how it's BYOB. However, there's going to be live bands and DJ's up on stage all night, fire spinners, glow stick wars, floating, dancing, and BBQ available.

Also, later on the night, I hear there will be a bus available that makes trips every hour to Vibe nightclub. I'm not a big fan of Vibe, but I'm sure the younger crowd will be pleased. Rockstar photography will be there taking pictures of the event.

I'm not sure how exciting the event will be, but it's something to do on a Friday night if you have nothing else to do. Maybe I'll see some of you there.

New iPhone 4

So, I had my iPhone preordered for the June 24th release date. I went in at 7:00 a.m. like I was told to and they told me mine wouldn't arrive until 3:00 p.m. Once I went in and got it and went through the activation and everything, I got to bring it home and play around with it.

The exterior design is pretty sexy, not gonna lie. It feels a lot more luxurious in your hands than the past models. It also feels like it would be a lot less easy to damage. However, these guys ran a drop test on it and the screen was shattered after 4 low drops. Not perfect, but still above average.

My favorite new feature of the iPhone 4 is by far FaceTime. It's Apple's version of streaming video-chat between two iPhone 4 users. I've only been able to try it on two different occasions so far, and it is limited to WiFi, but each time it felt like Apple was onto something. The program isn't flawless, but I'm excited to see what happens with it.

Multitasking is a welcomed feature to the new OS and iPhone 4. It's very easy to use on-the-fly and makes the phone much more productive. Definitely one of the biggest additions to the OS thus far.

I still have a lot more features to take advantage of, but so far it looks like I made a good purchase.

Bad Call U.S.-Slovenia

If anyone was watching the World Cup match this morning, I'm sure you're as upset as I am. The U.S. didn't come out strong the first half but they definitely picked it up in the second. The score was tied 2-2 and Edu volleyed off of Donovan's free kick and scored a goal...except the ref's whistle went off before so it didn't count. There was no reason for the ref to blow his whistle on the U.S., as the only apparent fouls in the replay were actually on Slovenia. The game ended in a 2-2 tie due to this horrible call.

The ref's name is Koman Coulibaly and he's from Mali. He was highly biased in the last African Cup, and in my opinion ended up giving the final game to Egypt. The African confederation headquarters are located in Cairo, and they decided which referees go to the World Cup. It seems ironic to me that the ref who swayed the outcome of the African cup is the one they send to the World Cup.

If you want more information, hit up this article.

Two New Hip-Hop Albums Worthy of Mention

I once thought of hip-hop as a mindless excuse for music, but in the past few years it has grown on me as an excellent expression of emotions from individuals in the industry. Granted, there are artists in the genre that will never reach that point due to the mainstream slump they find themselves in.

The latest hip-hop album I've fallen in love with is 'Thank Me Later' by Drake. If you're unaware of this artist, he released his first mixtape in 2009 titled 'So Far Gone' that elevated itself above many of the year's hip-hop albums. His new album was just released Tuesday, and it's definitely not the 'I made up, **** you' album many expected it to be. Instead, it's something bigger. It's a personal outcry against his newly found fame, and how uncomfortable he is with it. The album is fresh, and I'd suggest downloading the songs Over, Miss Me, and Fireworks to get a feel for it and see if it's worth purchasing. Here's the album on iTunes.

The second album that I would highly recommend is Eminem's new album titled 'Recovery.' If you heard his Relapse album from last year, you could probably peg it as being nothing more than a catchy-comeback album that is slightly radio friendly. This album is much more real, there's no gimmicks. I'd suggest listening to the single Not Afraid, as that will probably get you hooked. The album doesn't release until the 21st, but you can preorder here.

I hope some of you can get enjoyment out of these albums!

Hola!

Hi everyone, my name is Michael. I'm going to be a sophomore at MSSU this fall semester. I was born and raised in Lamar, MO (about 30 min from Joplin) and recently moved here to Joplin for school. I start work at The Buckle at Northpark Mall June 14th, so come by and see me sometime!

Here are some things I enjoy:

-Wakeboarding

-Snowboarding

-Watching Sportscenter

-Exercising

-Politics

-Writing (mainly poetry)

-Sushi (I'm a fanatic)

-Women

-Partying

I hope to get to know everyone through their blogging over the summer.

Sincerely,

Michael