Bicyclists on the road

Myself of all people will be the first to tell you that I do not like bicyclists on the road. In fact, I HATE bicyclists on the road.
 
Now it is a little bit better or more tolerable because there are bicycle lanes on the side of the road.

But really, why would you ride a bike on the side of the road with cars that could KILL you whooshing by you with many people who do not pay attention when driving. Seriously why?! That is so unsafe.

It is unsafe for the driver but even more, it is unsafe for bicyclists. Use the freakin’ sidewalks!

The reason I am ranting about bicyclists on the road is because recently there has been an article that was reported of a driver hitting a bicyclist and the bicyclist was stuck in his car and he just kept driving.  Like what?! No matter how many times you read that last paragraph you are still mindblown. How could someone do that? The world may never know what is wrong with some people.

In Manitowac, Wisconsin, the man who was hit spoke out about the incident.

According to an article that can be found here:

http://news.msn.com/offbeat/cyclist-driver-didnt-see-me-stuck-in-windshield

“A Wisconsin man who became lodged in the windshield of a car that struck him said he turned to the driver and said, "Hello, I'm the guy you hit on the bicycle."

The driver did not respond, but continued on, running a stop sign and hitting another vehicle before he arrived home, the cyclist, Steven Gove, told HTR Media about the Saturday incident.

The man finally noticed Gove when he stopped the car outside his home.”

Still my mind goes what?!

How could someone hit someone and then continue to not notice?

What I want to know is was this man intoxicated? Really? Hitting someone on a bike, not noticing, running a stop sign and then hitting another car then getting home and realizing all of this?

This man had to be intoxicated.  Am I the only one that thinks this?

In another case similar to this in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a man was charged with fifteen years of prison time for hitting a bicyclist and driving home with the biker in their windshield. However in this case the biker was killed instantly.

Do you think this person should be charged the same? I do but I want to know what you think. 

Exorcism, are you serious?

Have you ever seen a scary movie? For example, one about exorcism? Those movies are scary!

If you don’t know what exorcism is, it can be defined as: the driving out of evil spirits: the use of prayers or religious rituals to drive out evil spirits believed to be possessing a person or place.

In the movies usually some sort of a religious leader comes in and says a bunch of gibberish prayers and the person who the exorcism is for makes all these weird body movements and behaves in an evil manner and the evil spirits are released this way and then they are fine. However, usually in the movies the evil spirit comes back.

I personally do not know exactly what a real exorcism looks like but it probably has to do with saying prayers and ridding your body of sins and the movie version of you acting evil and doing all these distortions with your body probably does not happen.

The reason I am talking about exorcism is because recently in the news it has been reported that two women killed children but claimed they were performing an exorcism and did not mean to harm the children.

Uhm.. what?!

The article on this can be found here:

 http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/psych-screening-for-women-held-in-kids-deaths

According to the article, “The women, 28-year-old Zakieya Latrice Avery and 21-year-old Monifa Denise Sanford, have told investigators that they believed evil spirits skipped successively between the bodies of the children and that an exorcism was needed to drive the demons out, said Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy.”

Seriously people? Did you watch too many scary movies or what?!

Another section of the article reads, “The women also reported to investigators that they saw the eyes of each of the children blackening and, after the intended exorcism, took a shower, cleaned up the bloody scene and "prepared the children to see God," McCarthy said. The children's two older siblings, a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, were also found injured with stab wounds.”

This obviously was a murder in my opinion. These women are delusional and told police they were apart of a group called “demon assassins”. Is this real life? LOL.

These women are psychotic and I’m not the only one who thinks so. They are both being forced to take a psych test.

I hope these women are charged with murder even if they are in fact proven to be psychotic because no one in this world should be out on the streets if they think they need to rid people from their demons this way.

The stresses of high school

Currently at school, registration for classes is just around the corner. Being in high school is stressful at times. You are always trying to figure out what to do next in life, for example, where you want to go to college, where you want to live, what you want to be, what job you want, what you want in your family, it’s pretty stressful to get to that next step in your life.

Right now being a junior in high school is quite stressful trying to figure out what things and classes I want to be a part of next year as my last year in high school. So many thoughts about what will prepare me for what I want to be and where I want to go for college. It gets pretty stressful.

With all this preparation and stress, how are you supposed to enjoy the “best four years of your life”? This is the question I want answers to. I want answers now. I wish life was just planned out for me so I would know if it was smart for me to pick to do this certain career path. It’s hard.

I know some people, including myself at times, that don’t know how to handle stress. So how are kids supposed to enjoy this time of high school and new beginnings with all this stress? What do kids do that don’t know how to deal with it?

I wish you could have a crystal ball and look into your future and see if that is the best fit for you.

All of this takes so much hard work and I think that’s why sometimes kids just don’t try in high school and give up on trying to be the best they can be in life.

There has to be an easier way for these people to carry on getting good grades, enjoying their activities and hanging out with friends. How come it is so hard to balance it all? Is this the part that prepares us for life?

I want answers. I want to know what’s the best for me. I want to know what’s the best college for me, the best career path, the best people to be around, the best way to study. Why aren’t these answers that just come to you?

Why do they have to be so hard to figure out?

I’m just ready for that next step once I get all these answers and I imagine many other students are with me on this one.

Is technology out of hand?

Recently there has been a lot of buzz in the news about the stock markets over social media. Twitter stocks are rising. I actually find this quite hilarious considering 10 years ago no one would have ever thought there would be stock in a social media website.

I think it’s very interesting how the world is evolving today. Everything is centered on social media and technology these days. Is this good or bad? What do you think?

I think it’s interesting how people from an older generation see it verses how people from my generation see it. Me, being a teenager, I think technology is a good thing.

And yes at times I am often addicted to my phone screen looking at twitter or texting my friends back. However, I do think its crazy how fast technology is advancing these days. I, also think it’s very interesting how technology is effecting world issues these days too.

Do you think our grandparents ever would’ve thought of putting stock into an app where people can “tweet” on “Twitter”? It’s almost ridiculous (though I am a Twitter user) that people have to post something to tell others their thoughts or what they are doing. I mean I guess that’s what this blog is too. So isn’t this kind of ridiculous as well?

I am a fan of technology however, I don’t know if I like the direction the world is heading in with all these social media apps and websites and all these ways to communicate with people 24/7. Do we ever get a break from it?

Even the President of the United States, Barack Obama took a “selfie” to post on social media during a celebration of the life of Nelson Mandela. Even our highest government official is letting social media be a part of his life.

Is this really necessary?

I want to know what you think.

Is technology out of hand? I do think it is. I want to argue with people about this but then I feel like I am a hypocrite because I enjoy my technology. I wish everyone in this world knew how to balance their time with technology. But to be honest, it overtakes our lives these days. I wish we all could figure out a balance.

So I encourage you and persuade you to put the phone down and talk face to face and to not get so absorbed by your technology devices. It's a challenge trust me but in the end you will be happy you did it.

Another weather rant

Cold weather, I hate it. It messes up a lot of things. Especially if snow comes with it. Many flights have been delayed recently, along with school cancellations and roads closing and many other activities have been postponed due to the cold or the winter weather.

So this is why I don’t get it when people say they like winter. Like really you like being cold and you like to have things rescheduled and you like to go to school to June? Really?

I just think that winter is ridiculous.

Weather, weather, weather. Seems to be all we ever think about anymore. Living in the Midwest during the winter sucks. It is beyond horrible. I hate cold weather. I absolutely hate icy roads. I just really enjoy being warm and wish I lived in Florida right now. But hey, I’m not the only one who hates it so I guess I better keep this rant short because I’m sure you have all heard it before about a million other times.

Today it is 35 degrees and that feels warm right now. That’s crazy! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. Did I mention I hate the cold weather? Because I do. It’s horrible.

I mean a few weeks ago we had temperatures in the negative 30s and that didn’t include the wind chill! What ever happened to global warming?

Many news outlets all they have been reporting on is school cancellations and cold weather and roads being closed. Who honestly enjoys winter?

I have already blogged about this but I feel like this is the only thing in the media lately. So since my blog is about current events and my stand on them, I think I’m making it clear what my stand is on this even if it is just a rant.

Another point to add to this rant is that when it was in the negative 30s in Indiana it was illegal to drive. That literally meant the entire state of Indiana was shut down because it was too cold to drive and that means it was for sure too cold to walk! That is ridiculous.

So tell me again why you like winter?!

I just want that Sunny and 75 weather. Is that really too much to ask for Mother Nature?!?!

Leave them alone!

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to grow up in a different home? Like maybe your friends house? Or trade lives with someone who has more money? Or trade with someone who lives in a warmer more tropical place?

What about growing up in the spotlight? Honestly, I don’t know if I would want that. That is more common now a days with reality tv and child actors/actresses and singers and models. I think part of this has to do with the effectiveness social media has with getting the word out in a quick way to literally anyone. Because whatever you post on the internet will be there forever for anyone to see.

Do you remember the show “Jon & Kate + Eight”? This was a reality show about family that had eight kids that included a set of twins and sextuplets (six babies at one time). Can you even imagine being pregnant with six babies at once?

Anyways, that show featured this family growing up in the craziness of eight kids in their everyday life. It was actually quite entertaining. However the show ended when parents, Jon and Kate, got divorced.

Then, it turned into “Kate + Eight”, however that show is over now as well.

But now the family is trying to live a normal life, however they are still in the spotlight. Media has harassed the family for years about the show effecting their lives and now that the two twins are teenagers they’ve decided to speak out with their mom.

So mom Kate, and thirteen year old twins Mady and Cara, have done a number of interviews recently to talk about growing up in the spotlight and how it has affected their lives.

This however, is seeming suspicious to some media outlets because the girls do not say as much as their mom does on the air during these interviews.

I personally don’t think that people in the media should be that critical of Kate talking a lot during these interviews. How many normal thirteen year olds are going to be perfectly okay with speaking out about their lives on tv in front of the whole country? Like really? They are doing a great job in my opinion and I think it’s great that they are speaking out and saying that being on reality tv has not hurt them and that people do not know their whole story.

In my opinion, people need to stop being so nosey and let them be. They are doing a great job living their lives so let them be!

An article on their interviews can be found here:

http://www.today.com/moms/kate-gosselin-twin-daughters-are-really-regular-teens-2D11940194

The Outback Bowl

Over the holiday break from school, a few Kennedy students traveled south to cheer on the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team in the Outback Bowl. I was fortunate enough to tag along with a friend to the game.

The University of Iowa Hawkeyes took on the Louisiana State University Tigers in the Outback Bowl that was held in Tampa Bay Florida on January 1, 2014. The game was played at Raymond James Stadium before a crowd of 51,296 fans.

The LSU Tigers won the game 21-14 but not without a fight. It stunk! If Iowa would’ve pulled it together in the first half we would’ve beat them!

Even though the Hawkeyes didn’t pull out the victory, the fans sure did. The University of Iowa sold 95 percent of their allotted ticket sales. This was more than any other college in a bowl game. This is amazing to me!

Louisiana is a heck of a lot closer to Florida than Iowa is. I will say though, going to the Iowa games over the years, Iowa football fans are pretty loyal to their team.

 

During the week of the bowl game there were many activities in order to get the teams and fans pumped up for the game.

There was the Outback Bowl Beach Party at Clearwater beach which hosted a battle of the bands and cheerleaders from both schools. There was also a New Year’s Eve Parade and Pep Rally. The parade had fifteen marching bands including the Hawkeyes and LSU bands.

Also the University of Iowa hosted an event called the “Hawkeye Huddle”, which was held on New Year’s Eve and featured a party for Iowa fans and had many televisions set up for fans to watch the Iowa Men’s Basketball team play. They had a huge TV, it was pretty cool to be around all those Iowa fans when watching the game!

This was a great experience for me despite Iowa loosing.

Some information on this can be found here:

http://www.outbackbowl.com/

If you are ever thinking about attending a Bowl game I wouldn’t hesitate to go!