Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Almighty Blog

Deep down I would love to say I hated blogging. But all the alternatives would have been a lot worse so I guess I didn't mind it that much. I'm not really fond of doing blogs and this was my first time. But I found that I was more likely to complete these because I wasn't just writing about a boring topic with a length requirement to turn in the next class time. That's another thing, the topics made it more enjoyable. On most of them I felt like they were very open and we could at least find something somewhat interesting to write about.

Before we even began blogging I had a pretty negative opinion towards it. But after the first few I realized it wasn't that bad. I do think my first blog posts were better than my later ones just because I am starting to loose effort towards the end of the year and I didn't really get into them. But i would say that this definitely helped me to get out of the habit of typing like texting lingo, if you will. I think i enjoyed the enneagram blog the most just because I found it interesting how they can classify all of the unique personalities into like seven different categories. but that's just off the top of my head, there were a few others I didn't mind.

I wouldn't really say I learned much about web writing except for maybe that I now know how to create and manage a blog. highly doubtful, but who knows maybe ill get into blogging in the future. I don't really have anything to reflect about anyone elses' blog. the only time I ever really read any ones was to find out what i should include in mine. I don't think it really made much of a difference to me writing for an audience as opposed to turning it in. It just made it easier to get help on ideas if you had trouble getting started. Like I said earlier I don't think I will be getting into blogging but I guess you never know.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Summer

The week after school get out I am going to Seattle for vacation and partying with friends. The next week I am coming back to missoula and hanging out for a week until my lease in my new house starts. Therefore, I can just move my stuff in for next semester. I may stay for a couple more days, but shortly thereafter I will be flying back to Chicago. I am excited to go home for the summer. I plan to work alot and save money for next year along with, of course, partying with all the old friends. After summer, I will come back here for another crazy semester at the university. I am really looking forward to this summer as well as next year.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

T.V.

Seinfeld is by far one of my television shows. I don't really watch a lot of t.v. but when I do it is always the best when this show is on. This show premiered in the 90's on NBC and ran for nine seasons. It is about the crazy and comical lives of these four single friends who live in New York. The main character Jerry, obviously played by Jerry Seinfeld, is a stand up comedian and is always having to deal with off the wall issues. Whether it be with friends, family, or just another one of the just-not-right girlfriends. His childhood best friend, George Costanza (Jason Alexander) could be deemed the quintessential loser; he can never hold a job or keep a romance, although he has more than enough schemes to make either happen. Jerry's ex, Elaine Benes (Julia Loius-Dreyfus) offers the quirky quartet her own barrage of bad dates and worrisome workplace sagas. Then finally, my favorite character in the show, Kozmo Kramer (Michael Richards) rounds up the group as Jerry's over-the-top imaginative and sometimes mysterious neighbor; who has no visible means of support and an uncanny knack for opening doors to opportunities he has no business being near. Over the time of being aired Seinfeld won many awards as well as being very popular to this day. Seinfeld is my favorite t.v. show, can't get enough of it.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

3 Op-Ed's

1:http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/articles/article/the_mcquestion/931

I found interest in this article because it kind of took the whole obesity from fast foods aspect and showed it in a different light. While still being against how Americans consume fast food, it showed how all these foods can be so fattening as well as how fast food can appear to be cheaper but really isn't. I personally am to poor to afford fast food and although I do love it, I agree a change needs to be made. I liked the little quote in there saying, "vote with your fork."

2:http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/articles/article/the_modern_common_sense_of_things_screech_powers_and_the_dirty_sanchez/620
This op-ed was very funny. A good portion of it came as a surprise to me because I was oblivious to some of the information about Screech. I don't quite understand what the purpose of this article quite was. But it is a bit entertaining. I think it's funny how some actor may be known for their one major role but their actual personality is like the exact opposite.

3:http://www.montanakaimin.com/index.php/articles/article/braaten_spring_is_not_all_that_its_cracked_up_to_be/974
This author must spend all their time inside writing these articles. Spring is sweet. If this were a guy I'd have to assume he's a little fruity because spring brings out the like 50 million hibernating girls. But since its a girl i just think they must be extremely anti-social or something. Yeah I don't like the unpredictable weather either, but then again I have a life so I'm not going to sit inside and hate on spring for it. Although this person does bring up a good point about how in spring it rains so much that there isn't enough rain in the summer making it really dry. I would have to agree that that is a negative to spring. But other than that I have no clue where this person is coming from.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Research!

1: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ages001e/
This was a very helpful source. It had tons of information and really helped me get a feel for some of the going market prices of hemp products. Although the one problem is that the document is from 2000 and may be a little outdated.


2:http://www.venusproject.com/ethics_in_action/Real_Reason_Hemp_Illegal.html
This was not a reliable site. The first give away was the ".com" but you could feel the bias coming through on some of the material.


3:http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/473/ron_paul_introduces_hemp_bill_US_congress
This site was a reliable and had some useful information about the hemp bill and how it came about. It also gave good information about Congressman Ron Paul, who was the man that helped pass the bill.


4:http://www.alternet.org/environment/133055/hemp_is_not_pot:_it
I feel as though this article was legit. It is a more relevant article since it was posted in 2007. It is filled with lots of god information and quotes.


I also watched The Hemp Revolution on YouTube which gave me a hefty sum of knowledge but don't know how to site that in my paper.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

P.A.E.P.T.

Is there a single plant that could possibly save the world? Because of its adaptability, this plant can grow virtually anywhere and, was amongst the first plants to be cultivated by humans. It has been grown and cultivated by many cultures for thousands of years. Yet, today people are fined, or even jailed in the U.S. for growing this plant because it is illegal. Lawmakers fail to see that this sole plant probably has more uses than any other material on earth. This plant is hemp; and the potential it has to help sustain our environment and economy could be endless through legalization.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Calories

In a society where we face liquid temptations all day long- from the morning coffee, tea and juices, to afternoon sodas and energy drinks, to dinnertime drinks and alcoholic beverages. The number of high calorie drinks we consume as well as their sizes are growing steadily. Yet studies show that most of us do not reduce the number of calories we get from food to make up for the increasing amount received from our drinks. Today, beverages account for 21% of the calories that the average American consumes in a day.

Drinks have to many calories, for example, 10% juice and 140 calories in some juices are way to much. This is because most companies choose to use "high fructose corn syrup" instead of the basic cane sugar. Because of this change in some drinks it causes some health effects. Coca-Cola made in Mexico may taste better to some people because it is made with sugar cane. The higher caloric drinks that are consumed are done most of the time for a boost of energy. This boost of energy is created by caffeine which is the most addictive drug in the U.S. You can use, abuse, overuse, build a tolerance, and suffer from withdrawals just like any other drug. I think this is what creates the majority of the problems. with the drinks being high in calories and people in routine of having their drinks it only adds to the problem. The servings are too large, the intake is to easy, and the reliance is to high. I think something should be done about the amount of calories in drinks and their sizes.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Fructose_Corn_Syrup
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/sugar-and-obesity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Monday, February 15, 2010

Emergency Bullet in the Brain

I found both stories to be kind of interesting. Although, I liked the first one more because the second one was kind of confusing. Bullet in the Brain was so descriptive that it actually painted a very vivid picture in my head. Which is surprising to me for how short the story was. I thought the second story, Emergency, had more of a moral about it while still being a descriptive story. I just found that it was harder to follow, but I may have just not really payed enough attention to that one. I wasn't expecting the stories to be like these but I preferred the Bullet in the Brain story more. It was really interesting how the writer explained the final thought of the guy while he was being shot. His last thought were just about the most relaxed and peaceful times in his life, which almost gave death more of a tranquil feeling rather than a sad one. But it also made me get the impression that when it come down to it, all of the things which matter so much when were living and give us the most stress and problems just don't matter in the end because you are just put at peace. The part I think I liked most about the Bullet in the Brain story, as messed up as it sounds, was the part talking about the bullet entering, going though, and leaving the mans head. It was probably the most descriptive part and thats why it caught my attention. I would have to say the messages of these stories are something like remember the little things in life because those are the ones that matter most.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

10 again..

Just like the little boy in the story, I too enjoyed being outside when I was young. Full of imagination and roaming the neighborhood I had loads of fun. But there was one incident that scarred me for life, literally.

Michael Paolini was one of my friends and just so happened he was also my backyard neighbor. We would have loads of fun just doing our thing. From being destructive, to playing video games, to rounding up the neighborhood kids for whatever sport it may be. I recall one day after school I went over to Mike's and we went and jumped on the trampoline. Then the destructive part of my brain kicked in when I noticed this extremely dead willow tree in his yard. I had seen it many times before but this time I apparently just had enough of it. So I hopped off the trampoline and climbed up in the tree. Granted it wasn't full grown, probably only standing about 20- 25 feet high, but when i reached the top I began to rock it back and forth. Suddenly, I heard a loud crack. Thankfully I was smart enough to get down before the entire tree tipped over and I broke something. Once I got down I just pushed the trunk a little bit and the entire tree fell over. I looked over at Mike laughing and he was too. But then we both looked at the tree on the ground and thought damn. Because his parents would not be happy to come home from work and see their tree just lying in the middle of the yard. We decided our only choice was to chop it all up and just make it seem like wood in the burn pile. But before I went to get my ax I figured his parents probably wouldn't be to happy to come home and see us hacking at the tree with an ax. Mike ran up to his garage and came back with a two baseball bats. It didn't seem to smart at first, but after demolishing a few of the completely dead branches it was fun and getting the job done. Both of us just went to town on the branches. Until, I got to one that just wouldn't break. I had already batted the branch in half and it didn't appear to be any bigger than any of the other ones. So I wound up one more time and swung with all my might. Now, by this time Mike's twin sister and her friend were outside with us watching while they jumped on the trampoline. The bat came back off that branch like it had just hit a wall of rubber. It hit me right in the face, and I dropped to the ground cussing real loud. I remember hearing his sister and her friend laughing because they thought I was just being a joker like usual. Till I lifted my head. The immediately stopped laughing and I opened my eyes to see a pool of blood in my hands and blood dripping from my face. Then as I picked myself up I saw Mike practically running in circles yelling, "Get a Band-Aid! Get a Band-Aid!" Which is pretty humorous looking back on it. I proceeded to walk up to my house when I noticed my mom standing in the doorway with a look of horror on her face. She later explained to me that I looked like the girl Carrie from the exorcist, because my face was covered in blood and there was blood dripping from my hand and elbows. She sat me down inside and got a towel to start cleaning up my face and arms as well as an ice pack to ice my head. At this point it really didn't hurt that bad and i just really didn't want to go to the hospital. Which of course she insisted because the gash was too big for butterfly band-aids to close up. I remember looking down and seeing one perfect dime shaped drop of blood on my favorite pair of shorts and for some reason that was my main concern at that point. I was pissed. After getting cleaned up my mom made me go to the hospital to get stitches. I don't recall the wait to get in, I just know it was miserable just like every other doctor visit. I ended up getting nine stitches above my right eye. Luckily the scar is just above my eyebrow and isn't that noticeable. That was pretty much the end of that, but the funniest part is the trunk of the tree was laying in their yard for a few more weeks and Mike's parents didn't even notice or question it. I also saw his parents multiple times while i had the stitches in my head still and they didn't notice that either. I don't think i will ever forget this day of when i was a stupid little wild ten year old boy.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Blog 2- Enneagram Test

So after I took my personality test, it told me that I ranked mostly as a seven. I guess I kind of agree with it. The website says that sevens are optimistic thrill seekers that see life as an adventure. This constant zest of life can be inspiring. But once things loose their fun 7's are no longer interested; many projects go unfinished. 7's fear being overwhelmed by life's struggles. Now I agree with the site up to this constant zest of life can be inspiring. I disagree with the rest because most of the things I start get finished. It just isn't me to start something and just walk away. I think I feel more a sense of accomplishment, I guess, by completing projects. As far as being overwhelmed by life's struggles, well I'm just going to be real blunt. I know I'm not that old but I've dealt with plenty of shit. One, I don't think that life could throw me a curve big enough to suprise me. Two, I am just the kind of person who just goes with the flow as far as "life's struggles" go.

The site also had a chart of type behavior motivation. Some of the things that were listed on there about me were: I must be high and entertained to be happy. I must be caring and helpful to be happy. I must be perfect and good to be happy. I must be impressive and attractive to be happy. I must be strong and in charge to be happy. I must be knowledgeable and independent to be happy. I would say that I guess those are pretty accurate for the most part. But, I also think a lot of people would have the same results because of similar wants and needs. This website also mentioned that my variant is sexual. I don't really understand what that means but it sounds good right? ha ha. The site explains under that, overall you scored highest on the assertive traits (sexual variant [assertive, intense]). Followed by compliant traits (social variant [compliant, friendly]). And lowest on withdrawn traits (self preservation variant [withdrawn, security seeking]). I suppose I agree with this as well, but I really don't feel like this test can give a very accurate personality summary for all people. Simply because there are so many people and everyone is very unique in their personality. So, it just doesn't seem as though 130 questions can rate and properly group the billions of people. I think those two are meaty enough.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Blog 1

Hey fellow bloggers,
I think this is kind of weird. Is it just me? My name is Zachary James Krueger, but Zach works just fine. Let's see...I was born on August 14th, 1991 in the great city of Chicago. Around the first grade my parents moved out to a less industrialized suburban area, where my home still is to this day. My parents names are Mark and Londa. My dad is a State Farm Insurance agent, and is very successful. However, my mom does not work and she has been a stay home mom since my first sister came along. Which brings me to my siblings, I have two younger sisters McKenzie and Dallas. We are all three years apart and Dallas is the yougest. I went to high school at HDJ, Harry D. Jacobs High School. I didn't really do extra curriculars much; I was in the drumline until my senior year, and started playing frisbee my junior year which for some reason I was pretty good at. All I can really say is that im glad to be out of Jacobs. After graduating I came upon Montana. People always ask "What made you choose there?," and I don't really have a good reason. My usual response though is that I recived a brochure from the university and came and checked it out because it looked pretty legit. I liked it a lot when I visited so I applied and Montana was one of the first to accept me so I just decided to go because I really needed to get out of Chicago. I am majoring in business and really enjoy the college life here in Montana.

I don't really know what to put in my second paragraph, but I suppose Ill just keep talking about myself. Well as you already know I was a drummer and I played frisbee. I started drumming in the 5th grade and like I said before I quit my senior because my new director was a dbag. Really threw off my groove. haha I like playing frisbee alot although I havn't played for about half a year. I used to bmx alot, i was really into that for a while. Probably because I sucked at skatboarding, but I did blade before I got into biking which was around the 6th grade. I don't bike too much anymore but I really just enjoy being outdoors and doing sumthing recreational. I love water sports though. My grandpa has a cabin in Minnesota which is one of my favorite places in the world, but that is where I really got to have my fun. When I was little I was into the tubing and knee boarding and stuff. But, one summer my uncle taught me how to do the real fun stuff. In one day I learned how to ski, slollom, and wakeboard. Ever since I can never get enough of the water and wakeboarding. School has never really been my thing though, I'm alright at it but its totally lame. My favorite subjects are science and math, because I suck at history and dislike English. Nothing personal Molly. Uhh.. I'm a leo, I like pretty much any food, and I like to fiesta. My goals in life are to get filthy rich, retire young, and live the life.