My weekend

This weekend I did three important things. First, I went to the Basketball game where the Miners upset Bear River in the Shaft. Second, I watched Aladdin for the first time in over 10 years. Third, I skied both days it was really fun. That is all.

Stein the stinger

            With the 2012 elections coming to a close there is a small gap between Romney and Obama with who will get the cake. But the real candidate is the overlooked Jill Stein, who has a vision to fix the country’s most controversial topics. With ways to fix the  huge budget deficit, create a sound economic foundation that will help grow jobs, protect our consumers and prevent another financial crisis, and help eliminate the debate about our messed up health care plans.  If the U.S. ever wants to succeed and do well as a nation as a whole, we need to come together under the genius decisions of Jill stein.

Todays Budget deficit has reached over $11.4 trillion and we continue to dig our hole even bigger. If Jill were to be elected as president she would use the couple of tricks up her sleeve that Governor Romney and President Obama don’t. Jill will start off the budget reduction by restoring full employment, cutting bloated military budget, and cutting the health insurance waste. Next she has planned to takeaway any needless tax giveaways, Require full disclosure of corporate subsidies in the budget and quite disguising them in complicated tax code.  Once this is all done she will rewrite the entire tax code to be truly progressive with tax cuts for the middle and lower classes in society. While taxing the upper.  Another important step to lowering the country’s deficit is to relive the debt that is holding back our economy by reducing homeowner and student debts. All these specific steps will slowly fill that gaping hole that is incorporated with our  national debt.

Jill’s second plan would be to fix the financial reform, by breaking up oversized banks that seem to have too big of power to fail. Banks like Bank of America would be diminished and smaller federal, state and publicly owned banks that focus on really helping people, instead of helping themselves. This step would be backed by the rule that all banks will be required to have honest bookkeeping so that assets that slowly hurt the country can’t hide and continue to do so. Jill’s other part of fixing the financial reform of our country would be to have all pension funds controlled by the workers instead of having corporate management make all the decisions. these few small steps will create financial stability and have are economy back on track.

The final topic that is commonly argued about is our nations health care status. With so many attempts to fix the corruption there still hasn’t been a continuing solution. Stein’s plan can’t fail, by giving every American an affordable health care plan through a medicare-for-all insurance program. With this new program all reproductive and contraceptive care will be offered to the extent of full access.  Stein also plans to widen all women’s access to the morning after pill by lifting the ban that was placed down by the Obama administration.  Also with bulk purchasing agreements the overcharging for prescription will be ended. Stein’s healthcare plan as a whole is setup not to fail and will create a balance in the health community that will keep this country healthy and strong.

Overall Stein’s economic plan, budget deficits ideas and the recreation of the healthcare community as a whole will bring this country back to it’s feet. Once America has stood back up, then Stein will just continue to make her sturdier until we are completely back on track and won’t be able to fail. Jill Stein can’t fail, and that is why she should be leading our country. Stein for president 2012.

Marley and Me

Carson Dutkanych

Marley and Me

              "A person can learn a lot from a dog... Marley taught me to live each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following our hearts."(Grogan 232)  When  asked to read a non fiction book of my choice, I chose to read Marley and Me. The way John narrates the book with his colorful vocab and descriptions gets you thinking that you are the one with the world's worst dogs. The book begins with the writer himself John Grogan and his wife Jennifer when they move to Florida. Both of them are journalists for the local newspaper. In attempt to stop Jennifer's "biological clock", John gives her a puppy. As Time passes that puppy with no self discipline turns into a one hundred pound dog that reeks havoc with uncontrollable impulses. The Grogans who are very organized, and have to have everything in their lives planned out, begin to be in a little shock with their new burden. After having kids, and surprising getting pregnant with a third. Jennifer finally decides to end it, and live life off of what shows up instead of trying to have complete controll over it. The book ends in Pennsylvania where Marley's stomach flips, and are forced to put him down.

                Marley and me was very well written, being told through the eyes of his owner John Grogan. The book really expresses emotion and has you crying during the read. The way that he wrote the book, really helped pass two messages to live by. The first is the point when Jennifer becomes pregnant with the third child. At this moment, she changes her view on life from always having a plan, and being perfectly organized to the famous saying "if life gives you lemons, then make lemonade". You can't always control what goes on in life, and that is why it is such a fun experience. It is like a surprise party, at first you are shocked and feel stuck. but, as time goes on and you come to realization that you know what is happening, you grab a hold of yourself and begin to enjoy your self. The second rule, is sort of an effect to the first; during the period when Marley is at the vet for having his stomach turned to the point he has to be put down. The whole family starts to look back and really appreciate Marley as a dog and even though he was such a pain in the butt during most of his life, they still had their reasons to really cherish him and love him more than ever at the period. What I am trying to say, is that people, I in general really need to work on appreciating things while they have them. Because, when the moment comes that you are left without what ever it is, you always wish back to have given just that little more effort to the object or idea. I really would rather believe that I gave it everything I absolutely could have instead of having this empty gut wrenching feeling within myself. Marley and Me really taught me some valuable lessons to live off of.

             This book was mainly based off the subject of what really matters in life.  Being a one hundred pound panty stealer, that has the tendency to run through screen doors and excessively drool all over guest. The Grogans quickly discover that it is possible to find unconditional love that comes in many shapes and sizes. And that is what is so wonderful about the book, the overall message of of Marly and Me can be understood by anyone that is capable to read the book. He doesn't limit his writing to only adults, but to every audience possible. From children capable to read chapter books, all the way to those lying on their death bed, can pull certain messages that he is atempting to pass on with out any heavy logical thinking.

             Overall, I am overjoyed that I chose to read Marley and Me. I was a little hesitant at first but with all the new morals and life lessons that I derived from the clever mind of Grogan I'm overjoyed of the thought of reading this book. Just the way that he wrote so simply and understandably, but adding such unique vocabulary with loads of emotion to this piece truly puts me in awe. Marley and Me can go into my like category  and for someone like me, who finds reading to be somewhat of a choice rather than a journey that is very rare. I believe that the way he displays his life teachings into a book about a dog, that he actually was able to experience is truly extraordinary. I would recommend this book to someone that hasn't read it before solely for it's lessons, that are joined with magnificent writing style that explodes images into your head.

             

               

Reflective essay

Carson Dutkanych

3w

9/25/12

Potts

Reflective essay

I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell has really gained my title of favorite in all of the few literature I have read.  This book, what some people call tasteless and vile is just a way to connect with someone as horrendous as a lot of people but somehow are very successful doing that. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell is an autobiography of a graduate  student attending Law named Tucker Max. What most people call repulsive, and a womanizer, I call him genius. the book was introduced to me by my brother who is now in thailand studying abroad. He actually didn’t show it too me, I just picked it up off the back of his car one day and started reading. Instantly I was hooked, and wanted more. Unfortunately my mom hopped into the car after I read the first story “The Famous Sushi in the Pants Story”, so I was forced to retire. Well, about a year later, a pretty good friend of mine Martin, who also had an influential brother was introduced and told me about it. Martin brought it to me one day, and I instantly recognized it. I was so hyped about the book I went rummaging through my brothers car for the buried treasure. I had recovered it, and secretly took it to enjoy. To this day I am waiting for the chance to order the sequel, Assholes Finish First.

Though it had many memorable face cringing stories that would make people shun a person like this. The book really helped me connect to the author and help me understand what kind of a person he was. Though it sounds some what disgusting that a sixteen year old can relate to a sex driven alcoholic, it really isn’t. This book doesn’t have to be just for the pleasure of the readers, it can actually help open one’s mind and realize the world we life in isn’t so up tight, and unforgiving as we think, unless we do what Tucker Max succeeds to do. It almost has given me a great awakening about what is acceptable in society. Though people take it the bad way, and want to be like him. You can also take his mistakes as learning examples, and situations where we think should be outlawed is actually humorous.

A situation that would be taken as disrespectful, or a no-no in the society I grew up in could be explained in the charity auction story that is in the book. In this Story Tucker decides to get a bottle of White in one hand and a bottle of red in the opposite. Taking simultaneous swigs out of each bottle during a charity auction for his summer internship. Once He reached a point that he can’t control himself (Alcohol is the motivator to all his stories) He climbs on the stage and starts to “run” the auction. Blabbering into the microphone about what is being auctioned and screaming profusely at people to bid higher, he almost creates a comedy act. Instead of people being disgusted at him, they burst out in laughter and enjoy the show. What I am trying to reflect upon about this certain passage is that sometimes you need to have a good time. All work and no play makes jack a tall boy. Not saying that you should go out and get hammered off two separate wines, but know when to make something exciting and to get people more involved, though Tucker didn’t really understand what he was doing.

Another passage that can show you how messed up people can be in certain situations is titled “The Key West Trip.” So at a particular time of Tucker’s years at Duke law school, he was dating a girl that had so much family money that she didn’t know what to do with. Well, one weekend they decide to travel down to Key West, Florida on a  chartered plane and a limo meeting them when they landed, while they stayed at fancy hotel on Duval Street. While he was there Tucker had ordered the most expensive of everything and describes the girl to be too stupid for society, so she just went along with it. After the trip he ends up never calling her again. For a reflective note, that is just wrong. How could someone do this to a person, and not feel guilty about it at all. I feel that it has improved my respect towards people with wealth, and to always be modest though you have excess amounts of goods.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book. Through its sick raunchiness, there is some light that can be seen. Though it isn’t really a book that is supposed to teach one personal morals it somehow can. If you thoroughly read each story and pay attention to his actions and behaviors you can learn to be a better person by doing the opposite of what he does. Like in my two passage examples, I feel like I have respected peoples wealth more and learned to act goofy around certain higher powers that could feel that they want to not be so uptight. It helps them show you their real side. I would definitely recommend this book to someone that can withstand sickening, disrespectful as much as I can. Hopefully, in the near future I will be even a better morally fitted human being when I read the sequel Assholes Finish First.