Grand Theft Auto

The media these days is blaming almost all of the violence caused by children to be directly related to the violent video games that kids play these days, the movies they watch and the terrible music that is out there. I am here to tell you that this assumption is false and I will tell you why. In GTA (Grand Theft Auto), to steal a car, you simply walk up to any car on the street, open the door and get in. the car automatically has the keys in it and you drive away. If any kid thinks that doing this is even remotely possible, they have their own problems to deal with. When playing the game with my friends, we would laugh at all the dumb things that were possible in the game that would never happen in real life. Violent video games are there so you can let out your anger and kill as many computer life forms in one sitting as possible and not get into trouble for it. The media needs to back of the rappers too. They have blamed Eminem countless times for causing kids to shoot up schools. I’ve always liked Eminem because he addresses real problems in his songs and makes a very good point in one about this. He says “music can alter moods and talk to you, but can it load a gun and cock it too? Well if it can tell the judge it was my fault and I’ll get sued.” He makes a very good point in that he never made anyone shoot up a school yet he gets so much harsh criticism anyways. The media needs to look at the parents and how the child is being raised and not blame abstract things that talk about violence.

It can wait for tomorrow...

Senioritis. This was something that I always heard the seniors talk about but didn’t think that it was true. Now I’m sitting at home every night thinking of what I was assigned that day and what doesn’t actually need to be done. I am in my first AP class this trimester and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. In an AP class the teacher doesn’t assign work and then collect it. She gives you ten packets and says that they will help on the test and maybe she will collect one of ten in the future. With no dead line on anything, there is no way a senior is about to do those packets. This sort of thing happens in every class. I do the majority of my homework in school on the day it is due (in one particular class I do it in class on the day it is due, turn it in, and get full credit on it. But that’s 3rd hour). My point is that if you think senioritis is a myth, then you obviously haven’t been a senior.

Blackout

This is something new for the Detroit Lions this year. No, I don’t mean losing more games than they win (if they win any) but not selling out the stadium for home games. They have been blacked out by Fox for the last two home games because they didn’t sell enough tickets. This has never been a problem before but I am glad to see it. If Detroit decides that we are not going to pay to watch an awful football team, maybe Mr. Ford will do something to make it better. If he still makes money when the team is losing, why change anything? I know I wouldn’t change up the formula for making money hand over foot.

Hey, if you are not going to watch the Lions, how about stopping in to Joe Louis every once in awhile. You might be able to see a team win for once.

Penn State Loss Opens Rose Bowl "Door" for Michigan State

The Penn State Nittany Lions suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday to the Iowa Hawkeyes thanks to a last second 31 yard field goal by Iowa kicker Daniel Murray. Michigan State continued their best season in several years with a win over Purdue giving them a record of 9 wins and 2 losses including 6 wins and 1 loss in the Big Ten. The Big Ten championship was Penn State's to lose because they had beaten the other top teams in the conference, namely Ohio State and Michigan State. Penn State’s loss has opened the door for the Spartans to be selected for the Rose Bowl. In order for this to happen the Spartans need to beat the Nittany Lions on the road on November 22nd. If Penn State hadn’t lost and Michigan State beat them the Spartans would have only won a share of the Big Ten title and higher ranked Penn State would have gone on to the Rose Bowl. With two weeks to prepare for what may be Penn State Coach Joe Paterno’s last game in his legendary career I think the possibility of a win is very real.

Is Allen Iverson "the answer" to Detroit's questions?

The Detroit Pistons traded the face of their franchise, Chauncey Billups, to the Denver Nuggets earlier this week in exchange for Allen Iverson. Other Pistons players included in the trade were fan favorite Antonio McDyess and some guy named Cheikh Samb. However, the Nuggets are expected to release McDyess and he can rejoin the pistons in a month. When I first heard of the trade I thought it was a bad trade for the pistons because they had traded away arguably their best player. But then I listened to some analysts and they said it was a great trade for the Pistons because when Iverson and Rasheed Wallace become free agents this summer it gives them an extreme amount of cap flexibility which will allow them to go after the great players who are expected to become free agents in the next few years, most notably LeBron James. Meanwhile, they still have a chance to win the championship this year. After taking this deal in I have changed my mind and realize that it is another mastermind deal by the best general manager in the league, Joe Dumars.

NHL

Hockey season is here again, and better than ever. Team’s who didn’t have as much spark in their game last year are now off to a dominating pace. Teams like San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and the Carolina Hurricanes all have been very successful altering their game from the mistakes they made last year should make for an interesting very competitive year. Other big names teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple leafs, Calgary Flames, and the Philadelphia Flyers are all struggling to get some kind of chemistry going. So far, all the games I watched this season have been thrilling, fast pace, good smart hockey. The Detroit Red Wings are off to a phenomenal start with a record of (4-1-1). Power two-way-player Pavel Datsyuk currently tied in points with star Defenseman Brian Rifalski at seven points each so far. Our goal tending this year has been wonderful, Rookie Ty Conklin had a great game last night against the St. Louis Blues, and Osgood just needs time to adapt seeing as it’s still very early in the season. Watching an interview with Wings head Coach Mike Babcock this morning on the NHL network, Babcock made the good point that the wings need to stop giving other teams chances.

Too much PDA everyday

I hate to sound like all I do is complain a lot, but it makes it easier to write about stuff for these blogs. My issue now is PDA (Public Display of Affection) from one class to another every day I see it. The PDA supporters range from all kinds of students we have at groves, we have the overactive sexual band geeks, the couple who never stops holding/hugging/ almost making out in the hallways, and then the couples who think they’re going to spend the rest of their lives with each other, haha what a joke. People need to put a halt to this inappropriate display of behavior. That or Mayfield, and Lonze just need to start walking around with beating sticks and just give a small wack to the kid’s that we see doing this every day. Kids here at Groves need to get the fact that, that’s disgusting, and no one wants to see that at all. I feel any kind of PDA should result in some kind of public humiliation on the spot, and a call home to the parents for sure. Let these kids go home and tell their parents they can’t control their sexual edges in the hallway, that should make for a good conversation at the dinner table.

Foreign Cars

This morning on my way to school I was listening to 89x, and they were talking to a man asking his opinion on Chrysler, and Ford merged? I didn’t really get to hear much about his opinion because I was almost at school. One thing I did hear and took from the interview was the mans’ opinion on Foreign cars. I know at least ¾ people in our group drive foreign cars; we have Wehbe in a Lexus, Hurrite in an Acura, and myself driving a Toyota. The man from the radio said he hates foreign cars, and the people that drive/buy them. While hearing this I looked to see what kind of cars I saw that morning on my street, two BWM’S and a Volvo. More upsetting though, while I was trying to make the pain of a left hand turn from my street trying to go south on Southfield road, this man then said quote “I don’t let foreign cars in, in traffic”. Then I just made up my mind alright this guys’ an a-hole. I understand how buying American cars will help our economy, and all but, then again look at our line up here in the states. We have GM now only working their employees four days a week because they can’t afford more than that. Ford is always talking about going under, and Chrysler having problems left, and right. This man on the radio is making our roads more unsafe. It’s not a big deal, just let people in, I always do when I’m driving because I feel it’s no big deal, and it’s just another way to be safe. Don’t make people have to force their way in your lane. That’s doing nothing but making the roads/situation more dangerous. I also know for a fact the three guys I mentioned in our group have had no auto problems so far this year. Yeah, foreign cars must really suck then?

Political Signs

How do you feel about people expressing their political views out in public? I myself have the biggest democratic liberal for a mother, some times it makes me sick, and definatly get’s annoying. I can see politics from both sides, which is what makes our country a whole lot different, and stronger. You have a right to vote for different things that you believe in, and are not forced to support any specific form of government. However, During these passed few months seeing more and more presidential candidate bumper stickers, signs, pins, adds, you name it were seeing politics all over now. I often wonder to myself am I going to be that person with a sign in my front yard. Do I really need to let people know who im voting for? I feel it’s just a way of classifying yourself and making it totally public, and I don’t think I would want to do that. Does it make a difference to anything if I have a bumper sticker, or a sign in my front yard who im voting for? Are you changing someone else’s thoughts, or opinion, or even vote because you feel a need to let people surrounding you who you’re voting for?

It's up to you to make the right decisoin... (Detroit)

Super size me was a good film. But the one thing that I didn’t like was that I already knew most of that stuff. I know that fast food contains a lot of bad things for you and that eating it every day is very unhealthy. Most Americans do know this fact but still find themselves in these restaurants very frequently. Obesity is a very prevalent disease in our society. It is in part caused by the amount of fast food restaurants we have but it also caused by the lack of self control that Americans have. We just shovel this crap into our mouths while have a conversation about how bad it is for you. I understand that these places are not helping us but if you eat their food in moderation, then it’s okay. The other thing that angers me is these dumb girls who sued McDonalds for making them fat. That’s like suing a bar for getting you to drunk. You knew what you were doing and what you were getting yourself into. That is your choice, not the restaurants. They didn’t grab you and throw you into the establishment, you choose to walk in under your own power.

P.S. - Congrats to the D for becoming the fattest city in America. Just keep doin what ur doin Detroit.

Reality T.V. is junk

It seems like every time I turn on the television I see more crap. Just last week I saw three new reality TV shows coming that just made me think, you gotta be kidding me? I got sick of this kind of stuff once real world vs. Road rules was on. Now they have Paris Hiltons search for my new BFF, Celebrity Fit Club, From G’s to gents, I love money, I love new York, the Real world, Road rules, the one with Real and Chance from I love new York, and 50 cents new show, and “P. Diddy” will have some random one in there somewhere every few years too. Those are just a few I though of off the top of my head. The bottom line is it’s all such junk, the producers tell the cast their every move to keep ratings, and people interested. Now when Im flipping through the channels and see shows like these I laugh at how stupid they are, and it’s a joke that we as Americans are so into it. Everything is staged; through a bunch of people who don’t know each other in a house, is the one main ingredient. Add some drama, or maybe a fight. Then show people making alliances and talking behind peoples back, so there is a problem and people just have to see what happens after the commercial break. The other point I want to make is it just an ongoing pattern. The cast from all these shows all go on to have their own shows for the future. For examples both “White Boy”, Real and Chance, and Mr. Boston all from I love New York. It’s all just one cycle that won’t end until we start showing interests in other things on TV.

People need to Move in the Hallways..

Spending my last four years as a student here at Groves ever since my first day of freshman year one thing will always be for sure, the hall ways are ridiculous. There are so many things that occur in the halls that get under my skin. People who don’t move while walking towards you, and will not move over at all. Im 6’1 close to 200 pounds yet I’ve had people run into me before they consider moving over. I'm sick of always being the one who has to move, I’m a taller person, who doesn’t always see people around me in the halls due to the growing shrinking problem commonly found in our freshman, and sophomores at Groves. It’s seems if I don’t move for that person then were just going to bump into each other. I makes me so mad because when it happens I just want stop, and ask the person why didn’t you just move a little? There are worse things though. Another bad one is, when you walk by either someone, or a small group of kids being way too loud, yelling in the halls, or just making stupid comments that just make you so pissed off you almost say something but figure whatever, go on as if it never happened. Well now Im sick of it. We as the seniors now have more power and sonority over any other class here at school, yet we still move for underclassmen, or some kid half your size. Why is that?

Where are you going for lunch?

As seniors we have a school year’s worth of experience going out to lunch under our belt. It was exciting as a junior to go out in the real world and get lunch at a real restaurant instead of the cafeteria food which most people I’ve talked to hate it. The only good food options they have in my opinion are the cookies and the chicken fingers. As a junior I usually went to the same places such as Potbelly, Chipotle, Arby’s, Rio Wraps, Buddy’s, and Plum Market. As a senior I have tried to explore more options such as Quizno’s, White Castle, Honeybaked, and Qdoba. It allows you to take some responsibility upon yourself because if you are late to coming back into the building they will take away your lunch pass. If you are speeding in the parking lot they will take away your parking pass. Putting these responsibilities on yourself is a priceless test because the lessons you learn, apply in the real world and school is supposed to prepare you for the real world.

The Bucket

My fellow seniors and I feel we were cheated out of the bucket not once but twice in our high school careers which is unprecedented because the field day games are usually rigged so that the seniors win. Even if they don’t win with points from the events the judges just give them enough spirit points so that they finish first. On one hand, I don’t really care because the bucket isn’t really an honor to have in your possession. All winning gives you is bragging rights. One the other hand, I am mad that we lost because the judges didn’t give us enough spirit points to overcome the juniors. But the judges did give the seniors enough spirit points to win when we were sophomores and at the end of the events we were up by around 100 points. This year we only lost by 5 points which begs the question “They couldn’t give us 10 more points?” In conclusion, I know some people are heartbroken over this but I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.

The First BCS Rankings

The first BCS ranking came out today trying to put the 25 best college football teams in the nation in order to determine which bowl games each team should go to at the end of the season. The 20th ranked Michigan State Spartans dropped out of the top 25 after they got blown out by Ohio State on Saturday 45-7. That was the Spartans’ first Big Ten loss this season coupled with an out of conference loss to the University of California in their first game of the year. I feel the Spartans should still be ranked because Northwestern is ranked 22nd and Michigan State beat them by 17 last week. The wildcats were undefeated until Michigan State beat them at Northwestern. The Michigan Wolverines on the other hand followed up their loss to Toledo by getting blown out by 3rd ranked Penn State. The Wolverines are headed in the wrong direction and the season is nearing its end. Hopefully, first year Coach Rich Rodriguez will be able to recruit players that fit his system this offseason and try to get Michigan back on track next season.

Can The BoSox do it again?

The Boston Red Sox were down 7-0 in the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game 5 of the of American League Championship Series. Which in baseball means that if you have something to do the next day like school or work you should go to sleep because their not going to come back. But they did. The Sox beat the rays 8-7 in an epic comeback win. They also won game 6 versus the rays last night 4-2 putting the series at 3 games each with game 7 tonight. This is not out of the norm for the sox who always seem to be down and out in the ALCS but they get a signature comeback win and it starts a comeback for them in the series. In 2004 they were down 3 games to none to the New York Yankees in the ALCS and had a similar comeback win in game 4 which spurred them on to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a series. Last season they were down 3-1 against the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS and they pulled out another comeback win in game 5 which once again led them to another comeback series win. In 2004 they broke an 86 year curse on the franchise by going on to win the pennant and then won it again last season. I think with the inexperience of the Rays the Sox will win game 7 and go on to win the pennant versus the Philadelphia Phillies next week.

Homecoming 08

This year’s homecoming was the best Groves dance I have ever been too. It was too crowded to enforce the “Face to face, leave some space” rule so everybody got to dance however they wanted. Mrs. Hurley on the other hand was not so fond of this year’s dance calling it the “Worst dance to supervise ever.” When I heard that the dance was going to be in the hallway by the pool I thought this was going to be the worst dance because it was going to be so crowded but it ended up being the tightly packed crowd that made it the best. There were only two negative aspects for us were that it got so hot out on the dance floor and that if you went too far down the hall you couldn’t hear the music anymore. I am sure that they will be able to fix these two problems if they choose to have future dances in that hallway.

What is Mad?

There are people like the Chief who go crazy for any number of reasons, but one thing that remains true for all of these people is that they don't just sporadically go crazy for no reason.

Some experience trauma, some divorce, moving away, maybe their ability to be social has been crushed. But even more intriguing is the idea that they were right about something, and no one seemed to acknowledge, or even notice.

Nothing is harder than trying to stand up for what's right when there's nobody to back you up, or even tell you that you're right. Think of 1984; the main character, Winston saw that there was something wrong with the totalitarian society he lives in. The only problem was that he was the only one who noticed the flaw (even to the extent of having proof), yet there was no one to support him. The kind of loneliness induced by such circumstances makes people start to think irrationally: Who's right here? Is it me? Is it the rest of society? Is it just a different perspective, therefore making me wrong? Despite that the proof is right before your eyes, a time comes when you refuse to believe it.

Thoughts like these have led to insanity for countless people throughout history, and the Chief is no exception. After all, he was able not only to see that there was something wrong, but he was also in such a schizophrenic state of mind, that he was able to even "pretend" that he was deaf and a mute.

So there are varying levels of insanity, but they all seem to have something in common: the victim feels all alone, and you can believe me when I say that that is certainly NOT a walk in the park.

-Will Duffield

Adam "Not Pacman" Jones

When football player Adam Jones was reinstated to the NFL before this season everyone figured he had turned over a new leaf, apparently not. It is reported that he got into a fight with his own bodyguard. Before last season he was suspended for the whole season for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Since being drafted three years ago Jones has been entangled with law enforcement 10 times. I don't think he understands how lucky he is to be making that much money by playing football. He is living the life that kids all over the country can only dream about. He has been arrested for numerous fights usually in or around a nightclub. Last season, while in New York to appeal his season suspension by meeting with league commissioner Roger Goodell, he went to a he violated his suspension criteria by going to a nightclub. It just shows what a joke he thinks this whole thing is. Before being reinstated this season he was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Dallas Cowboys. He then held a press conference to tell the media that from now on he would like to be called Adam or Mr. Jones instead of his nickname “Pacman.” He said that when people called him “Pacman” he felt disrespected which is to be expected because of all the boneheaded mistakes he has made and this latest fight is just another example. I think he should be kicked out of the league for good.

College Shirts

My question to the seniors is an you wear a t-shirt/ any piece of clothing with a college logo or name on it and not be asked at least three times “Are you going to (insert college) next year?” I wore a Western Michigan University shirt on Monday and I had almost 10 people ask me if I was going there next year. As a senior you no longer can wear college logos without the question coming up. As juniors and every other grade no one asked you. They just assumed that you liked that college or you parents went there. It got really annoying by the end of the day. I was thinking to myself is it “wear your college shirt to school day” and no one told me about it? It just seemed like that considering the number of comments I got.

Just a thought….

<<< OR >>>

It’s as simple as this: you’re in a car, blindfolded. You can feel yourself moving because you know you have somewhere to go, but only the car’s in control. All you have to do is wait, wait for it to take you to your destination. But which way are you going, backward or forward? This analogy symbolizes in a lot of ways the meaning of life. Everyone starts somewhere, and ends up somewhere else. One never really knows why, they only know it’s necessary.

As everyone grows and matures, they change. It’s often said for the better, but at the same time, one seems to drift farther and farther away from the known, from themselves. Sure, it’s only natural, but why? We’re obviously exposed to the things we’re exposed to for a reason (to grow), but if one always seems to change, then are you in fact “you” anymore?

-Will Duffield

Me, Myself, I and Us?

Is there ever such thing as purely impartial? The fundamentals of life are always there, but we always seem to pull them toward our persona. Can anyone ever truly see what life’s all about in their first-person perspective? Now, we can jump out of our suit and see things from the eye of another no doubt, but even then we’re stuck with how we interpret it. Now with this in mind, what can (if anything) be considered universally selfish?

I mean, it’s not our fault that we’re moles: stuck in this form of “tunnel vision”, but is there a line where one can refrain themselves to only his or her “tunnels”, and be considered selfish? Again, seems like a matter of opinion than fact, but at the same time, is it even worth acknowledging and pondering? Like I said before, the fundamentals of life are unanimous, and because of that alone, we grow by learning through ourselves. So at the same time, can the word “selfish” even exist, for no matter how much we take in from outside, we’re still ourselves.

-Will Duffield

'x' Vs. 'y'

Alright, now HERE’S one to ponder! Groves and Seaholm are just one example of the traditional rivalry concept that has also existed since the beginning of time. But as always, one has to wonder why. Can there be any one reason? Is it to have pride in a group? Is it to show superiority? Is it only natural?

Well, like many deep questions, there’s probably not an answer, but there’s definitely evidence. We’re still animals, therefore we still have instincts like animals. Could that be the reason for such behavior? Is it that we just can’t stand others’ opinions? Do we even have control over it? Freud and many others have said that there are two primary aspects of our mind: the instinctive and the conscious. As you guessed, the instinctive reacts sometimes as simply and irrationally as a reflex, and then there’s what makes us different from the animals: our consciousness where we can make decisions and judgment calls. So, what I’m wondering is could the whole competitive spirit exist as a natural function for us to deal with as we choose because we’re human beings? Interesting...

-Will Duffield

One Life, Two Perspectives

In the recent weeks, we have watched two films, which involved two very similar characters. Both Cool Hand Luke and R.P. McMurphy started from "nothing" in their little microcosm, and eventually rose to iconic people who not only determined their own fate in the end, but also changed the people around them (their "followers") for the better. But from all of this, some very interesting questions come up, which primarily follow some of the very fundamental elements of humanity.

For one thing, there’s always been a pretty universal question in humanity: Just how right is this society I live in, and what do I do about it? Such people like McMurphy and Luke have adopted a similar view on the whole thing: Society is the enemy, no questions asked. And it’s true that people will live by that idea. But what I find even more interesting about humanity is how it has perceived such people throughout history, for in general, such people have been declared “insane”, “against God” and the like. At the same time, however, there’s something that crosses every such person’s mind: Who’s right, me or the rest of humanity? Even though things like this have been debated over countless millennia, there’s one simple solution that people tend to overlook: Certain people are meant for certain things, others for others. They’re simply varying philosophies, and with varying philosophies, there is no “right” or “wrong”.

-Will Duffield

Direct = Dignity

Many people agree that this new generation has its drawbacks. Now of course, which one doesn't? Yet people say that because of this new age of technology, we're becoming less and less 'human' every day.

First of all, what do they mean? Well I've heard a variety of theories, but I think that among all of the topics of interpretation, the biggest are the arrival of the internet and the ability to communicate with cell phones.

The internet: full of promise, prosperity, new means of expressing oneself, and also the biggest nightmare in some respects as well. The internet has a massive variety of benefits at you fingertips, no doubt, such as online encyclopedias or search engines. But, even search engines can ensure trouble. After all, there's a bad apple in every bunch.

Now more than ever can people exploit a unique kind of freedom that has never been available in previous history. People can be as mean as they want to others with chat rooms and online gaming, for example. New arrivals like Facebook and MySpace give people the choice to be as honest as they want about themselves, or completely lie. So as we continue to rely more and more heavily upon the internet to socialize, there really can't be any honesty; is your friend really telling you the truth? Is that other person in their class really a dweeb? Is that really your friend talking? Is there really any reason for him/her to tell you these things that he/she would otherwise never tell you, other than the obvious reason of making things up for attention? Is an online predator reading this same thing right now?

The internet is younger than all of us, yet it's already a veteran of promoting a strange kind of communication that leaves an ugly taste of suspicion always lurking in the background. Is there such thing as honesty? Parranoia? Humanity?

Part of being human is putting yourself out there and taking risks, especially in the social world. Do the words you read on the screen ever really reflect this person's true personality? Or did they have all the time they needed to word it "just right"? Are you thinking of me when you read this? For all you know, I could believe that the internet is the sole greatest thing in the world, but you don't.

In my opinion, the only way to truly know a person is to see them with your eyes and talk to them with you mouth. After all, that's why they're there right? Where's the fun in being social when you can't even guarantee it's even them you're talking to?! Imagine playing a game of Simon Says in a chat room. "Touch your toes!" And then, everyone says, "Nice try, but you didn't say 'Simon says'!" Simple words cannot be trusted. Speech is concrete.

Next, the cellular phone: another fabulous invention that's changed our culture forever. Now, cell phones have been around since the 1980s, but since then, there have been some dramatic changes to how our society works. It's no longer, "Hey! How are you? It's been so long! How've you been? What's new?" on every Christmas. Since the option of talking virtually nonstop has become exploitable, cellular companies have made a fortune, and it's not because of emergencies either (or at least real ones). Only a handfull of people actually use cell phones strictly for emergency calls, and the rest simply don't. Honestly, considering how many different people you call, would you really have time for all of them if you weren't calling, but talking in person?

The cell phone, much like it's computer counterpart, has also diminished what it truly means to be social. If it's not direct, it's not sincere. Simple as that. Have you ever seen a text message that uses complete sentences? Would you ever speak to someone in the same syntax?

The whole sense of vague and dishonest that these means of communicating have created is making communication between people all that much worse, believe it or not. There's no guarantee of honesty. There's no emotion in just words. There's no skill or intimidation involved in asking a cute girl out, or telling your friends how your day was. It's bland. It's colorless. It's the easy way out, which seems to be a common trend when people are given the appropriate choice. So if you want to really see someone for who they really are, don't trust their word, because for all you know...exactly, you don't.

-Will Duffield

Is it Really the Difference Between Men and Women?

Dave Barry made us laugh with The Difference Between Men and Women. Was it the alternating sizes of the paragraphs? The dialogue? Was it the names of the characters? Or was it because it showed some reality?

Intriguing questions, no doubt. I think it's a safe assumption that everyone can at least in some way relate to this story. Maybe you have friends like that, or maybe you've been there too. But I think there's one thing we can all agree on: Barry did give a message, a message about how the typical man and woman acts.

But then, what is typical? Did you feel that in some ways this story was unrealistic? Can one be general enough to say that that is simply the difference between men and women?

Frankly, I think this falls nicely into the stereotype category. Only two qualifications are necessary for something to be a stereotype:

1. It has to have some element of truth to it. For example, one can't say that certain people do certain things because of just one incident. It has to be evident that anyone who qualifies would live up to that drawn reputation.
   
2. It emphasizes generality, a people on the whole, but like with all stereotypes, there's always an exception (and that's no stereotype!).

What this means is that there are all kinds of people out there in each gender: selfish people, friendly people, popular people, naïve people, outgoing people, aloof people, rebellious people, the list goes on. In some way, we're all human beings, so do we all sort of fit in to this stereotypical relationship dilemma? The variety of ways, or just how accurate this is can range from person to person, and to some, it may not even qualify (these are the exceptions). For all one knows, there really is a man out there who thinks things in a variety of ways, much like the woman in Barry's story, or there could be a woman who doesn't give her relationship a second thought.

So from all of this, we have to ask ourselves, what did Barry mean by his case? Is that truly the difference? Is it just the stereotypical difference, or does it reflect a human part of ourselves that we can't control? Can a man and a woman ever truly understand one another? How about just two people?

-Will Duffield

The Reality Behind 'Tough Guise'

The film Tough Guise suggests that as a whole, it's become a man's obligation to get respect through power and abuse. Now like everything we see and hear it's open to interpretation, but I'd like to give you my speculation on the whole dilemma based on my own experiences to give it a fresh perspective.

Back in the 1990s when I was in elementary school, I was subjected to a lot of what was considered "cool" things or the idea that I have to "fit in". There were kids who always followed what was in fashion, or listened to certain music, etc., but they only hung out with other kids like them. This put me in a difficult situation a lot of the time because there was always the pressure to either go with the flow, or to remain an individual with one's own tastes.

Around this time, there were a variety of school shootings (Denver the most distinctive one), and it quickly dawned on me that this social Darwinism was going on everywhere and that it had been since the beginning of time for humanity.

In many many ways, Tough Guise hits the nail on the head. It only makes sense that boys and young men feel that fitting in is imperative. Again, the whole 'survival of the fittest' applies here, and because of it our society has created a dangerous situation that demands narrow-mindedness and no respect to think by oneself, to live, to breathe, to truly be human. Benjamin Franklin once said that "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety," and not only has this had an application here for countless generations, but it's become even worse because of things like the right to possess firearms and the always-increasingly unrealistic body or tough person image that the media draws as a frame of judgment.

So from all of this, some vital questions come up: How did this whole thing begin? Why would one be so inclined to sacrifice themself for the good of what society depicts as "cool"? What are motives behind shootings? Are these kids really bad, or do they have a valid point? Needless to say, all of these are a matter of perspective, and like many problems society runs into, there probably isn't a sure-fire solution.


From my personal experience I have to stress a few things that I feel have been ignored by people in general...

Can you say 'respect'? Everyone's entitled to his/her own opinion, and if you don't like it, tough. Sure, it's hard at times, but keep this in mind the next time you want to be selfish: everyone has to compensate. Respect has been ignored for far too long, and it's been among the primary reasons for all of these things like the school shootings. Remember Virginia Tech? How many more innocent lives? How many more people need to be hurt before the world realizes that it's not just the sporadic "kids gone bad"? They're all protesting, and until you at least consider why they'd feel trapped enough to do something like kill people, you're in no position to call them wrong.

They say that everyone's got something to hide (no 'me and my monkey' here), but only the real people will be willing to share these things, look for help, admit wrongness and be willing to learn and better themselves. Those are the people you should really admire rather than those who think that containing everything and drawing the illusion that they're 'perfect', 'honest', (you fill in the blank) is a good, worthwhile thing.

Never be pressured to do anything you don't want to do. So they'll make fun of you if you don't, call you a loser, make up stories about you, but just ask yourself one thing: Would you really want to be friends with these narrow-minded jerks?


Okay, so I was a little harsh, but the problem is really there, and it'll only get worse. So instead of being aggravated about how sarcastic I may have been, open your eyes and realize that if people (YOU!) weren't ignoring the problem, it wouldn't have come to this. And believe me, it can get worse.

-Will Duffield

The Ideal Presidential Candidate

The upcoming election is a classic one of a Republican versus a Democrat. A conservative, well-known senator from Arizona who bravely served his country and was a prisoner of war and a lesser known Illinois Senator whose depth of experience and young age raise a question in the minds of many regarding his ability to lead our country at this time of multiple challenges facing us. The ideal presidential candidate must be able to deal effectively with multiple issues facing the country. The threat of terrorism, the declining economy, and the war in Iraq are all key issues that the next president will face on day one.
The decision facing the American people has never been more clear- an older senator with more experience, more established conservative views and one who is likely to maintain the status quo or a younger more liberal senator with less experience but more likely to change the current environment/direction of our country. In a perfect world, the next president would be able to achieve our desired goals with as little sacrifice to our basic way of life as possible. The choice is an important one but certainly not an easy one.

Fire Millen

The Lions finally fired Matt Millen. The only thing is that this probably should have been done 3 or 4 years ago. The Lions are without a doubt the most dysfunctional franchise in sports. Millen was hired by William Clay Ford to take an at best mediocre team to a playoff team. But the only time the lions were in the playoffs during his tenure was in the preseason predictions almost every year. Instead, the lions are now the laughing stock of the sports world and if Detroit didn’t have three other teams that have reached the championship of their sport recently Detroit as a whole would be the laughing stock of the sports world. Now all of a sudden William Clay Ford Jr. makes a comment about how he would have fired Millen already and Mr. Ford makes his move immediately. It’s as if he had been asleep all these years not knowing his football team and his automotive company were in the toilet. He is trying to fix one of them, maybe he should learn to multitask and fix both at the same time. Meanwhile, i hope my dream will be fulfilled and an NFL team, which will probably end up being the lions, will run the table in reverse.

Red Wings going Back to Back?

Oh yes they are. They have the best line in the league in Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Holmstrom. One of the top 5 scorers in the league is on the second line. Osgood is a very solid goaltender and we have the best defensive crews in the league. Not to mention the 5 time Norris Trophy winner, Nick Lindstrom to lead the defense and the team. He was the only guy in the world that could have taken the C after Stevie left. Top all that off with the best front office in the league and that becomes a recipe for success.

---(Commenting on the Dress Code topic from another group)---

---(Commenting on the Dress Code topic from another group)---

I find this whole synopsis interesting, and even more so because Birmingham Public Schools doesn’t seem to have a solitary opinion on the whole issue. (For instance, Seaholm has a lot more leniency on the dress code than here at Groves.) But what I think that a lot of people don’t realize is that no matter what the rules were, even if they were completely bent in your favor, there would always be someone who’s unsatisfied. What it all seems to come down to is personal preference to the people in charge, which reminds me of when I was in elementary school…

Before I came to Birmingham Public Schools in sixth grade, I was in a private Catholic school which had mandatory uniforms. Sometimes, it even got as strict as the principal telling people to go to his office because of their reluctance to even tuck in their shirts. Now there were of course many students who hated the whole thing, but at the same time, the staff was able to boast having the best uniforms in the district. So as you can see, there’s always someone who likes the idea, and there’s always someone who’s opposed to it.

-Will Duffield

Fahrenheit 9/11

In his movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore tries to portray President Bush as the guy to put all the blame for the events of 9/11. On one hand it seems as though his evidence is true and Bush should have used the clues Moore points out in the movie. On the other hand, it seems as though Moore has a case of the "Monday Morning Quaterback Syndrome." This means that when you look back on something it is easy to see how you could have prevented it. But before the attacks there was no way for anyone to put the facts together and predict an attack. The fact that should worry us is that we let our guard down. The security in the most powerful country in the world should always be on alert because even though there may not be evidence or people may not be able to connect the dots there is always a chance of an attack.

Tell Me What You Think...

"Truth only exists with justice." -Anonymous

"In an unjust society, the only place for an unjust man is in jail." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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I picked these because I thought that they tie in somehow with what we've been discussing in class recently (particularly Fahrenheit 9/11), or because they would make for some interesting responses. So here's where I'd like your opinion. You can respond however you'd like, but consider these questions...
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Do you agree with these quotes? Why/why not?

Do you think these have an application to Fahrenheit 9/11 and Moore's depiction of the Bush Administration?

Do you think you can tie these into anything else? Anything about class? Society? Yourself?

Can you think of any other quotes along these lines?

Anything else about these quotes you'd like to say/ask?


-Will Duffield

9/11

The film On Native Soil has really showed me a different side of the 9/11 terrorists attacks. i did not know how badly the people who were involved in the airports and government reacted. i could not imaging how the people in the second tower reacted by telling their employees to go back to work. if i was there i would have ran away as fast as i could. they would not have been able to keep me there at all.

9/11