So far, "Maria Full of Grace" has been an excellent movie.  In particular, I like how the director was able to make the audience sympathize with a drug mule.  On one hand I'm not sure whether I should feel hatred towards Maria because she is smuggling dangerous illegal drugs into my country, but on the other hand, she is a 17 year old pregnant Colombian girl who is so desperate for money that she has to smuggle drugs into the US.  Which brings up another point, she puts herself and her baby in danger by swallowing all of those pellets.

There was a lot of religious symbolism is the movie, the first of it can be noticed without watching the movie at all.  The title "Maria Full of Grace" is a play on the Hail Mary, a Christian prayer for the Virgin Mary.  In just about every scene that was shot in Colombia, some sort of religious symbol could be seen, such as a Cross, or a Crucifix.  Maria is also a metaphor for the Virgin Mary.  She is traveling to a far away land carrying a baby.  The difference is that Maria is not a virgin, we know so because it is implied that her boyfriend knocked her up early on in the movie.

And yes, this guy does look familiar.  If you read the article instead of just looking at the picture, it clearly states that Mr. Tobon plays a character based off of himself in the movie.  Tobon tries his best to help drug mules while staying out of the drug business.  He understands that mules are often desperate people just looking for a break.

I also found this picture which I find disturbing.  I also find it incredible that somebody could swallow so much volume.  You would think that drug mules would take up contest eating and become like Takeru Kobayashi.

Death of a Salesman

So today I finally got around to doing the blog for November 10th.  The instructions for this particular entry we to listen to one of several interviews of people who lived through the Great Depression.  There was a great variety of topics and interviewees ranging from auto-workers who were on strike to cleanup after the Oklahoma dust storms.  I chose the interview of a man named Howard Worthington who was a door to door salesman during the pressing times.

Howard has a deep voice that reminds me of Garrison Keillor from "Prairie Home Companion" on NPR.  He talks about how he would go door to door selling "gadgets."  One such gadget that he sold consisted of a box of charcoal that was to be put in the refrigerator to eliminate odors.  He would buy the gadgets for 50 cents then resell them for $1.  On one occasion, his wife spoiled a sale for him when a potential buyer asked if she had used the gadget.  She said the gadget got rid of the odors as promised, and continued to explain that her refrigerator smelled like a public toilet.  Another item that Howard sold was a type of degreaser.  It was a clear liquid that you put on any surface, and you could wash off anything that was put on top of it.  He uses the example of applying the substance to a wall, then drawing on it with a crayon, and simply wiping away the crayon with a damp cloth.  Upon receiving some cans of the chemical he tries to sell it to an auto garage.  Before he enters the shop he dipped his hands in the liquid.  He proceeds into the shop and dips his hands into the grease trap.  He goes to wash the grease off his hands with no success.  Like anyone else, he was quickly embarrassed and left as soon as possible.  Later, he realized that he had washed his hands after using the restroom, therefore washing off the protective liquid.

I enjoyed this interview because it sort of reminded me of Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" except it wasn't as sad.  The main character in the play is Willy Loman, who is a salesman who can no longer make a living from his job.  Listening to Howard gave me the same feeling as reading "Death of Salesman."

I think that a Democratic President will basically counter everything that Bush and the Republicans did during his eight years in office.  For most of his Presidency, George Bush has a Republican congress that, for the most part, agreed with his policies.  Several bills were passed because there was little debate between Bush and his Congress.  For example, funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also, since Bush's approval rating is  down to record lows, I would imagine that Obama has some "cleaning up" to do.  He will have to reverse everything that Bush did in order to get his approval rating up.  Now that he has a Democratic congress it should be easy for him to get that taken care of.

On a different note, I feel that people have high expectations for Obama.  Expectations that are so high that people are going to feel betrayed if he does something that goes against what they believe.  Not every President can hold true to their policies, but it's usually outside of their control.  Congress has half the say about what bills become laws.  High expectations is not what this country needs at the moment.

I just hope this whole thing doesn't become a ticking time bomb.  The following video, although satirical, does have to some truth built into it.  Now that Obama is elected, his most avid supporters have nothing to do anymore.

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Mafia.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my family got a new computer.  It was a sony VAIO desktop.  It had all the bells and whistles.  512MB of ram, 80GB hard drive (which was really a 30 and 50GB drive combined) a DVD burner and a firewire port.  This thing was top of the line.

In the years prior, my brothers and I had played lots of computer games such as Roller Coaster  Tycoon, Sonic R, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, and a couple games from the Test Drive series.  Since we got the new computer, I decided I was gonna get a new game.  And an amazing one at that.  I bought Mafia.  For those that have never played the game, imagine a 1930's mobster version of Grand Theft Auto.  The game introduces the player to the wonderful world of organized crime.  Everything from importing whiskey during prohibition, drive-by's, collecting protection money, bank heists, to assassination missions.  The game is tons of fun because it is played in an open city.  There is plenty of time to explore the vast city and commit various crime.

One of the most integral parts of the game (and my favorite) is the cars.  The game has over 50 made-up cars that are based on actual ones.  These things are works of art.  Every detail is realistic, including performance.  Some cars handle better than others, some are fast, some are slow, some are coupes or convertibles.  I am a fan of cars, so I was excited about that.

The developer of Mafia announced a sequel to the game in 2007.  Still under development, the game is set to take place in the 1940's and 1950's.  This means that there will be a whole new city to explore, newer and better selection of cars, and more weapons and characters.  And because the release date is going to be about 6 years after the original, the graphics are going to be waaaaay better than they already were.  I am excited about it.

Congo thing.

From what I can tell, this article contains information about the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  More specifically is about an aid convoy that reached a refugee camp, only to find that the camp was mostly empty.  The article goes on to explain what world leaders are doing to try to help the people of Goma and to put a stop to the war in the Congo.

According to wikipedia the war in the Congo is the world's deadliest conflict since WWII.  The dispute is over government power, as wars often are.  Two opposing groups are trying to win their way into government by means of violence.

No matter the outcome of this dispute, nobody is a winner.  5.4 million people are dead, and for what, so some fool can overthrow some other fool to control a small African country.  Some things I will never understand.

Construction downtown (or at least where I live) seems to be booming.  I live on the 11th floor of the university lofts and from my window I can see 2 construction sites.  One on the southeast corner of Piedmont and Edgewood, and the other on the opposite corner.  I find it very interesting to watch the construction and keep track of it's progress.  Because I am so high up, I can easily see over the barriers and have quite a pleasant view of both sites.

I have also taken up the hobby of recording time-lapse photography.  I have an Apple iSight camera that has a magnetic stand, so I can attach it to just about anything metal without having to use a tripod.  I am able to position the camera in such a way that I can view either construction site in its entirety.  I have experimented with different frame rates and playback settings, and here is what I have so far.

This video was recorded October 29th at 15 frames per second for around 9 hours.

Once the building actually begins I plan to record quite a bit more of the site.  It boring to watch bulldozers push dirt around all day, which is what they seem to be doing at the moment.

This all started with me using my laptop to record time lapse videos of me driving.  This video was recorded while I was driving to work when I lived in Florida.

RL Burnside

Is the man.  Check it out.

I really enjoy his music because he doesnt play the guitar in a conventional way.  He finds his inspiration from what he feels instead of melting together the sounds of other artists.  His rhythm is very catchy and makes you wanna tap your foot.  The tuning of his guitar has this sort of surreal sound that I find very satisfying.  After listening to his music, it is obvious that blue have inspired many great rock bands such as Led Zeppelin.

Here is "Traveling Riverside Blues" by Led Zeppelin.

You see me laughin.

So far I am really enjoying "You see me laughin'."  The film is filled with awesome and entertaining characters.  The documentary is about a record company in southern Mississippi that records local blues musicians.  In my opinion, the film has a sort of double meaning.  On one hand you have a couple of young entrepreneurs who are recording the dying art of blues music and spreading that message to a new generation of youth.  At the same time, the record label is making money off people who barely have 2 nickels to rub together.  Both scenarios are sad.

I thought the music in the film was very good.  I particularly enjoy the music of R.L. Burnside.  His music has so much emotion to it that it draws in his audience.  RL's music is genuinely from his creative side.  He has not heard of every blues musician who ever lived, he taught himself to play and plays from the heart.  He is not trying to imitate other artists, but rather play what he feels.

I also liked some of the stories the musicians tell in the film.  In particular the one about RL shooting a man in the back of the head in self defense.  I have been putting together a shopping cart of music that was featured in the film.  A lot of the artists are featured on iTunes.

Brandon's "Good Morning Vietnam"

I would have to agree with Brandon's review of "Good Morning Vietnam."  The film, starring Robin Williams, is very entertaining while making a statement about the Vietnam era.  I mostly enjoy the film because I think that Robin Williams is one of the most genuinely funny people I have ever seen.  He has ways of making people laugh that are unique.  

His role in "Good Morning Vietnam" is a military radio DJ who breaks the norms of the jobs and changes how people think of Vietnam.  Williams adds a bit of humor to a war which many people did not find very funny at all.  His character is a very high energy one and is exciting to watch. 

Overall, I enjoyed this movie very much.  One of my favorite lines is from when he goes on the air for the first time.  He begins to play a record, but the speed is too slow, then he speeds it up, then he 'plays it backwards' while saying "Freddy is the devil" in a creepy satanic reverse english kind of way.  This has become a popular phrase with a friend of mine.  Anytime we can't understand something we use this phrase to imply there is a hidden message.

BACK TO THE FUTURE.

Everybody has a favorite movie, or maybe even a few of them.  One of my favorites in the film "Back to the Future" starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson, and Tom Wilson.  The movie is a mix of several genres: sci-fi, drama, and comedy.

The plot is very complex.  After introducing the characters, Marty (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) meet up at the local mall parking lot so Doc can show off his latest experiment.  He pulls a Delorean out of a trailer, but this is no ordinary Delorean, this one can travel back in time.  Doc shows Marty how it all works with the time circuits, 88mph, Flux Capacitor and such.  Long story short, some pissed Libyans drive up in a VW van shooting at Doc and Marty.  Doc gets shot and Marty's only escape is in the Delorean back to 1955.  Once there he runs into his mother, played by Lea Thompson.  In 1955 she is in high school and is pretty hot.  She begins to fall in love with Marty, which means that she is not in love with Marty's father, George McFly.  If his mother does not fall in love with George McFly then Marty is never born in the future.  Marty is now in charge of hooking up his own parents while attending high school with them.  I don't wanna spoil the end, so I'm gonna stop there.

I enjoyed the movie for several reasons.  First of all, it is cool as hell.  Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are both awesome.  The characters they play are very developed and entertaining.  Doc Brown is a sort of mad scientist and totally plays up the part.  Also, the fact that Director Robert Zemeckis was able to come up with an time travel story for all age groups was impressive.  Both parents and children alike enjoy this movie.  The parents love the 1955 parts and the kids love fantasy of time travel.  That's completely rad.

There were also two sequels to the movie.  That means that there is a Back to the Future Trilogy.  There is one more reason to love the movie, who doesn't like to say "trilogy?"  The second and third movies were also excellent.  The second film is very tightly integrated into the first, using the same shots at some points.  It is almost as if the movies are one long film.  It is seamless.  

Nick, over and out.

A couple months back I was exploring the internet when I came across this series of videos featuring Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame.

He discusses how he has a creative projects folder.  His definition is of a creative projects folder is simply a folder that contains photos, videos, documents, and audio files that may interest me.  

After seeing this I was inspired.  Now, whenever I go on the internet and find something that interests me, I save it to a 'creative projects' folder that I created on my external hard drive.  I have been accumulating material for this folder since September 14th, 2008.  At that time, I was fascinated with NASA.  I was anticipating the launch of the STS-125 mission that was supposed to take place October 8th at 1:35 a.m. but was postponed due to equipment that hadn't arrived yet.  As of now, the launch is scheduled for February 17th, 2009.  Ugh that seems so far away.  Anyways, I came across a site that featured photos of the Space Shuttle in the vehicle assembly building at Cape Canaveral and was totally fascinated.  There were huge cranes that were there to lift the shuttle so they could attach it to the boosters and the whole process was simply awesome.  You can check out some of them here.

As time goes by, the more that is in the folder represents my interests.  At this moment my folder is almost 2GB.  It contains about 600 images of NASA stuff, trains, cars, art, geologic stuff.  There are 2 movies: one about H.H. Holmes, and the other a documentary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers recording their Blood Sugar Sex Magik album.  I plan on adding even more when I get a chance.  I am creating a library of my interests, and I like it.

There are lots and lots of events featured in this trailer.  In order, they are.

1)  A press conference.  This could be one of many hilarious press conferences held at the White House.  Lots of silly things happened.  My favorite was when the W. claimed that "human being and fish can coexist peacefully."  This claim can be argued with this video clip.  Those fish are organized and we had better prepare for the worst.

2)  There are several clips scattered throughout the trailer of W. partying in his pre-political years.  He got into a little bit of trouble over this, but still managed to become the leader of the free world.

3)  Next there are a few clips from the Invasion of Iraq in 2003.  We were looking for "weapons of mass destruction" and found Saddam Hussein in a hidey-hole.  Coincidence?  I think not.

4)  The next few shots show him on the lawn of the White House.  He appears to be playing with his dog.  This was a pivotal point in his presidency.  Also, a little clip of his wife Laura Bush appears.  She likes to read books to children.

5)  The trailer then shows those closest to Mr. Bush.  His mother Barbara, his wife Laura, Vice President/Marksman Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Colin Powell, and his broccoli-free father & former president George H. W. Bush.

6)  Shortly after introducing his H.W. there is a clip W. smacking the floor and a pretzel flying out of his mouth.  While watching a playoff game in 2002, George choked on a pretzel 90 minutes into the game.  He fell to the floor and briefly went unconscious.

7)  There are also clips of protest held against our popular president.  It is difficult to tell which protests are features because so many have been held.  Oh yeah, and flag burnings.

8)  There is a clip pointing out that he is not very well versed in history.  Talking about John Adams being president "like 300 years ago."  

9)  Karl Rove is featured.  He is famous for telling people things he shouldn't have, letting people go, and email scandals.  He is also Episcopalian.

10)  Condi!!!  Probably one of the smartest people in Washington.  She is also a concert pianist.

Now, just because I like it.  Here is a video.

And that's it.  That was fun.  How come there isn't an Andrew Jackson movie like this?  He did some interesting things and met some interesting people.

Bacon Rules

Bacon rules.  Everybody knows it.  I recently found a couple articles on some food websites about bacon and all of its magical glory.  Let's explore bacon shall we?

Bacon begins life in the form of a pig, also known as the wonder animal.  Wikipedia states that bacon is a cut of meat taken from the sides, belly, or back of a pig that has been cured, smoked, or both.  It is often enjoyed as a breakfast side dish typically accompanying any meal served at IHOP.

Some people enjoy their bacon crispy, others like it a little bit more pliable.  I like my bacon pliable, dipped in maple syrup.  MMMMM......  There are lots of different uses for bacon around the world.  A couple weeks ago I ran across this website that claims "Everything is Better Wrapped in Bacon."  The website seems to be pretty legit, at least their title is true.  They list some interesting sounding foods including "bacon-wrapped stuffed pork sausages" (pig wrapped in more pig), bacon-wrapped corn, bacon-wrapped hamburger, and my favorite, bacon-wrapped bacon (OMG).  While bacon-wrapped bacon seems pretty extreme, another degree of awesome could be added by sprinkling bacon bits on top.  

I am not the only one who loves bacon, comedian Jim Gaffigan also shares my passion.

Just incase you have ever wondered how bacon is made, here is a video. This video will not sit well with vegetarians or any other people who dont like seeing cut up animals.

So that's all for now. Until next time, keep eating bacon.  I know I will.

Well, I will start by saying that I have never seen the stupid chihuahua movie, so I don't know if it is any good or not.  Therefore, I will be judging a book by it's cover.  

People enjoy movies not just for entertainment value, but also because there is less thinking involved.  On top of that, people enjoy stupid movies.  The first stupid movie that I recall seeing was "Dude, Where's My Car?"  I believe that so many people saw it because it was so stupid that it was funny.  There are tons of movies like these, but why do people constantly go to see them?

One reason may be because somebody has seen every other movie out in theaters and watches the movie out of boredom.  There are people so boring that instead of living their own life, they go to the movies and design their life according to what happens on the big screen.  In the case of the chihuahua movie I don't think anyone would try to mimic it, but rather adapt it to their own lives.  

Another possibility is that people simply like chihuahuas.  I, on the other hand do not like them.  I think they are ugly.  If you like something, you are more likely to watch a movie about it.

To me, it appears that the movie is a doggy chick flick, and I will now use the phrase "bitch flick" in the rest of the entry.  This bitch flick features dogs that are owned by celebrities and live a much better life than most of the people watching the movie.  Not only that, but these dogs are in love.  A human type of love with an infatuation and all that mushy stuff.  From what I can imagine, the movie is similar to a doggy soap opera.

I will never truly understand people.  Especially ones that pay $10 to see some ugly dog love story musical.

So the other day, while exploring the internet net as I often do, I discovered this video.

I was very impressed.  This guy was doing stuff on his bike that I didn't even know was possible.  I thought that is said a lot about society.  Danny Macaskill was using his bike to perform what he thinks is art.  He used his bike as a tool to perform tricks on all kinds of landscapes.  He uses stairs, sculptures, and even everyday sidewalks.  Normal people would see these things and think nothing of it.  Danny, on the other hand, used them as his canvas.  I always found it impressive when people found uses for objects other than their intended purpose.  What Danny is doing is two-fold.  He is using his bike as a means of an extreme sport instead of a means of transportation, then he is using stairs as his stage.

Most people would frown upon his actions, arguing that he is being destructive and shows no respect for his environment.  I used to skateboard, so I would argue the other way.  Riding a bike is just another sport, all that has changed is where he is doing it.  Not to mention that to do what Danny is doing takes an incredible sense of balance and strength.

From my past experience of visiting Jamaica, I knew that most people there weren't very well off relative to the US.  While doing some research on my topic, I discovered some interesting statistics about Jamaican society and control of wealth.

I discovered that Jamaica is ranked #34 in the Human Poverty Index Rankings.  Compared to the United States, much of Europe and Japan that aren't even ranked.  Some organizations measure poverty as strictly a financial state, while others include factors such as poor drinking water, life expectancy, literacy rate, and underweight children.  Depending on how you measure poverty, about 15-20% of Jamaicans live in poverty.  

As far as social classes and the control of wealth goes, there is almost no middle class.  In Jamaica, either you have it, or you don't.  The highest %20 of Jamaicans with income control 44% of the wealth.  While the lowest 20% controls 7% of the wealth.  This is a huge spread.  This is also exactly what I saw when I was there.  Kingston, Jamaica is located in a bowl.  Around the rim of the bowl is where the wealthy live, with their houses perched above the city.  The lower class live in the middle of the bowl, as if trapped in their social status.

This provides some interesting insight as to why Jamaican society is so different from ours.

Things that Annoy Me 1

There are just some things that I find annoying, often super annoying.  Some of things I have never liked, others may have started as a good idea then turned sharply downhill.  Most of the items in the list are inconsiderate actions.  For example, and in no particular order:

1.  People who walk slowly in the middle of the sidewalk.  I can't tolerate this mostly because I think it is inconsiderate.  There are some common courtesies that I feel our society is missing.  Another similar one would be people not using interstate lanes how they are meant to be used.  (Slower drivers on the right, pass only the left.)  If people understood traffic flow highways would be less congested and I would not mumble curse words under my breath at people.

2.  Inappropriate cell phone use.  For one thing, people should hang up and drive.  Driving used to be an activity done in and of itself.  Now it seems like it is a secondary activity to get you somewhere while performing another task.  People already have way too many distractions in their cars like GPS units, fancy dashboards with way too many complicated buttons and gauges, children, and car stereos.  It is almost as if people are not aware they are even driving.  Whenever I see a bad driver, I do my best to ignore them, but only after mumbling curse words under my breath.  What did people do before cell phones?  Oh yeah, there was something called the pay phone.

3.  Social networking websites.  The internet seems to be making people less social, and in some cases, socially awkward.  I think it all started with email and the IM.  The IM made it possible to have entire conversations with people without having to speak to them.  I remember in middle school, I could be having 5 or 6 conversations at once.  Talking to people on the phone became too much of a hassle.  Why call somebody when I can site in front of my computer and converse with everybody I need to?  Also, the internet is slowing destroying the English language while creating a newer, shorthand version.  Phrases like LOL, GTG, STFU, LMAO, and PWNED are all understood on the internet as entire words or phrases.  No, you stfu.

4.  The "4D" experience at the World of Coca-Cola.  First of all, the 4th dimension is commonly used to represent time, where as the first 3 are used to represent space.  Therefore, no shit it's a 4D experience, your whole life is.  What would be really impressive is a "5D" show, where the audience is taken into alternate realities.  Not to mention, all that make it a '4d' show is the fact that air is sprayed at you, you get poked in the back (which actually hurts), and the chairs move.  

As I come up with more things that piss me off/annoy me I will post them in future updates.

That's all for now.

Memberships.

I always thought memberships were fantastic, especially for places you live nearby and are interested in.  Let me tell you why.

Because I live in a new city, I like to go out and see the sites, do the touristy stuff so I can say that I did it.  There are several reasons why I have a Coke membership and an Aquarium membership though.  The first being that I am a college student, with some free time now and then, with nothing else to do.  This spare time can be used having fun at the aquarium or drinking all the coke I want.  The second, I do not have a car, so any fun things to do that are more than 5 miles away from a Marta Transit Station is pretty much out of the question.  I can easily ride my bike the 1.5 miles on a whim.  The memberships also pay for themselves, usually after 2 of 3 visits.  For example, a day pass at the World of Coke is $15, and an annual pass is $30.  As long as I go twice within the year, that pass pays for itself.  The aquarium is a little more expensive though.  Day passes are $30, annual memberships are like $75 I think.  So as long as I go 3 times (which I definitely will) it pays for itself.  Not to mention that half of the aquarium pass was a gift.    Thank you Markwith Family  :)

The reason that I bring up the topic is because I have this Saturday off, and I plan on spending a good part of my day drifting in and out of The World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium as often as I please.  I also plan to look at all the fish I please, drink all the coke I please, then go back to look at more fish.  All I need now is an underwater camera for the touch tank.  That would be pretty wicked.

I'm not sure exactly what the worst thing I've ever done is, I may never know.  The worst thing that I think I have ever done still stands out in my mind.  

I forget exactly how old I was, probably around 13.  My family had a black mutt of a dog named "Kelly" who lived in our backyard.  We loved this dog and took good care of her.  At night, though, she would often bark at the darkness for no apparent reason, so we would always let her into the garage for the night.  That is where her bed was anyways.  One night when my parents were out, I went and opened the door, but Kelly just wouldn't stop barking.  She was very aggressive and sounded a bit in distress.  She was barking at an opossum.  The opossum had backed itself up against the fence.  I didn't want to try to separate them myself or get in the middle of their dispute.  Not knowing exactly what to do, I grabbed a shovel to defend myself.  Using the shovel I tried my best to get between Kelly and the beast.  Once in between them, I guess the adrenaline got to me, I went out of control and hit the opossum as hard as I could with the shovel.  But not just once, maybe 4 or 5 times, I honestly don't know how many times I hit that poor thing.  The opossum had stopped moving.  I picked it up with the shovel and threw it over the fence and took Kelly inside.

I felt terrible.  What had I done to this poor opossum.  It didn't do anything wrong.  It was just in the wrong place at the wrong time I guess.  I felt so disgusting that I took a shower.  It was one of those showers where you just stand there and think.  It was probably one of the longest showers I have ever taken.  Even after the shower, I still felt like shit.  I finally was able to fall asleep.

The next morning, the opossum incident was still all I could think about.  Did I kill the animal?  Curious, mostly for peace of mind, I went behind my fence to see if the opossum was still there.  It wasn't.  That made me feel better.  Looking back, I should have just tried to get Kelly under control and leave the poor scared opossum to itself.

That is probably the worst thing I have ever done.

Debate.

The debate to me seemed very one-sided.  This could be either because I'm biased or the debate was very one-sided.

Senator Obama seemed to be better at debating than Senator McCain.  First of all, I feel that Obama responded to the moderator's questions much more effectively, focusing on structuring his answer instead of rambling.  McCain, on the other hand, is a rambler.  Provided he had a few good points during the debate, he never made eye contact with Obama, even when Moderator Jim Lehrer insisted he speak directly to Obama.  Avoiding eye contact made it seem like McCain was trying to cop out of responses or even that he was scared of Obama.  Body language, as well as verbal language, speaks volumes.  Obama was very stable and still during the debate while McCain swayed back and forth at times.  Both candidates did smirk at times while the other was speaking, but I noticed that McCain did it much more often than Obama.  Also, McCain cracked some jokes, which I thought was inappropriate for a debate.

As far as the policies go, I do favor Obama's economic plan.  He plans to cut taxes for people making less that $250,000 annually.  Also, he plans to close loopholes in the corporate tax codes.  McCain seems to know what he is doing from a military standpoint, but he has very openly admitted he is not very strong economically, which is what our country needs at the moment.

In the end, the debate was very informative and boring.  Luckily, I did not have to be present at the debate or I would have been asleep.  Remind me when the next debate is so I can make other plans.

Youtube.

I love youtube. I love it for its wealth of information, misinformation, explosions, music videos, reviews, jackass stunts, talent, and just about anything else you could possible think of. For many people, youtube is a way to express themselves to the world. In doing so, some people have even become famous.

I spend more time than I should on youtube.com, often watching videos about stuff that interests me, as well as other stupid shit my brother emails me.  My favorite videos include; the Zelda theme on an 11-string bass, vader sessions, evil state of the union addresses, and possibly my favorite, a miniature working Ferrari 312 PB.

I find it amazing how so many people with so many different interests use youtube on a daily basis.  It has such a diverse group of videos, something for everybody.  Whether you are straight, gay, tall, short, fat, thin, republican, democrat, old, young, smart, dumb, hungry, not hungry, loud, quiet, or giraffe, it makes no difference.  I suppose the only people that wouldn't like youtube are people who: 1) don't like the internet 2) don't like videos 3) don't know what youtube is.

There are a couple things about youtube that I would change.  One would be that there are now ads when you watch videos.  I find ads extremely annoying, especially when they get in the way of me watching something.  It is like somebody I don't like standing in front of the TV whenever I try to watch it.  The other thing is corporate censorship.  Television networks often prevent people from posting their videos.  That is why you will never see a video from SNL or The Office on there.  Same goes for Robot Chicken, although some clips have slipped past.

Overall, I have spent way too much time on youtube since discovering it a couple years ago, but I am no worse for the wear.  If anything, I am better for it.  I learned how to tie a bow tie, blow things up with mentos and diet Coke, that cats don't work well in zero gravity, and how waves move across a water sphere in space.

For this entry I will go above and beyond.  A youtube video for your viewing pleasure.

During my senior year of high school my film class had a documentary assignment.  A couple classmates and I decided that this was going to be our big project for our senior year.  Jonathan Mitrick, one of the project partners, proposed that we document the life of people at an orphanage in Jamaica, trying to show how they get by day by day with what they have.  Who wouldn't like this idea?  Jamaica seems like a pretty awesome place with beaches and fancy resorts.  Well, that wasn't exactly the case.  The beaches and resorts are only seen by the tourists.  The citizens of Jamaica live a very different life.  Much of the country lives below the poverty line.  The particular home we were going to is supported by a church in Jacksonville, Florida, so they were a little better off than most folks.  Seeing how these people were so thankful for the little they had really gave me faith in mankind.  They lived a very simple life, no internet, no cell phones, minimal technology and almost no television, a warm shower was hard to come by.  The whole experience changed the way I define necessity.  I am much more thankful for my family and friends, the things that I have are not as important as having friendship.

Although my classmates never did post the video on youtube, some member of the church ripped it from our DVD without our permission and posted it.  So here it is.

This video makes me feel like crap about the future.  Not only did the makers of the video not know how to record in stereo, it made me wonder if anything positive is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the video, one guy said that he does not view Americans as human and will never respect us.  This is all the fault of the Americans, we are the ones to blame.  I really wish the military would get their act together.  It is a shame that people feel like this because of the American Military.  The opinion of these people will only spread over time.  They will tell their friends and family who will then spread it on to other generations.  Eventually, lots of people will feel that Americans are not friends of Islam.  I, for one, am definitely a friend of Islam.  

In this day and age people should be tolerant of other religions and viewpoints.  Although I was brought up Roman Catholic, their beliefs have not stayed with me over time.  One thing I never liked about Christianity is that it is a universalizing religion.  This means that followers try to convert people to Christianity because it is the only way to get to heaven.  I never have and never will respect anybody who tries to force their religion upon anybody else.  It actually makes me feel offended.  I believe that tolerance is the key.  One should respect the beliefs of others, just like you would want others to respect your beliefs.  As much as I disagree with those religious nuts that spew bible versus in Woodruff Park I never stop to argue or tell them they are wrong.

Relating that to the video, I have nothing against Islam personally and I don't think it is right for them to attack us for our beliefs.  They should practice some religious tolerance and keep their beliefs to themselves.

And the future right now looks like a steaming pile of doodoo.  Not to be too optimistic.

Stuff White People Like

I feel mixed about the list.  Parts of me think it is hilarious, stupid, hilariously stupid, entertaining, and offensive.  First of all, I would like to make it known that I feel many lists are overrated.  People make ways to many about really stupid things.

I find this particular list hilarious.  Mostly due to the reason that somebody (or several people) took the time to make this list.  Like I said in a previous entry about rich people buying dead zebras, do people not have anything better to do with their time.  Also some of the items on the list are a bit specific, such as Sarah Silverman and Wrigley Field.  Some of the items are inherently stupid though, like "knowing what's best for poor people" and "girls with bangs."  

This list is also sort of offensive to me.  Being a white person I don't like all of the things on the list.  Not only do I not like scarves and sushi, many other white people don't like them either.  I also don't understand why the list is only aimed at white people.  There are plenty of people with different skin colors who like divorce, marijuana (especially marijuana), traveling, and apologies.  The author of the list should have called their blog "I am white and this is what I like."  However, that would only work if the author were white, otherwise the blog is a racist generalization.

The blog tries to poke fun at white people, but I feel that it misses the mark.  While some of the items listed are funny and stereotypical, others just don't make sense and offend me as a white person.  Maybe I should start a blog "Stuff Black People Like" and satirize watermelon, fried chicken, and du rags.  Maybe not.

H.H. Holmes

For some reason people are always fascinated by serial killers (or maybe it's just me).  Earlier today I was reading an article on Cracked.com about the 6 most horrifying ways anyone ever got rich. (Not that I was trying to get any ideas)  Number two on the list is a man who went by H. H. Holmes.  He graduated from medical school at the University of Michigan and moved to Chicago where he began to murder people, strip them down to their bones, mount their skeletons and sell them to medical schools.  

It is assumed that he killed as many as 250 people, but only about 25 murders have been confirmed.  So how would one go about killing lots of people without looking suspicious?  A hotel is the perfect tool.  But the hotel Holmes built was not ordinary building.  Called "The Castle" by locals, the 2nd floor consisted of air tight rooms to suffocate guests, torture rooms, trap doors, sliding walls, doors that opened with brick walls behind them, and (my personal favorite) a greased body chute that led to the basement.  Once in the basement he would either do the skeleton thing or dispose of the body by cremation or dissolving in acid.  

So by now you're probably thinking, why am I so interested in this?  It fascinates me how people will take their fantasies to such an extreme that they will actually kill people.  Also, that nobody caught on to Holmes' scheme.  The "Castle" is the main thing that interests me.  I don't really think it's cool that so many people died such terrible deaths.  Apparently during the building of his "Castle" Holmes fired workers very frequently and went through several builders so only he would know the layout of the building.  Also, because he fired people so often, he didn't have to pay many of them.  A wise move by the Doctor, indeed.  I think it would be awesome to see the building and explore the death traps and see the logistics behind it all.

I know this makes me seem kind of morbid, but I bet you couldn't watch the documentary (65 minutes) and not be in awe of the terrible things this dude did.

This article speaks volumes about the difference between the rich and poor.  There are 2 arguments you could make about the rich though.

One side of me wants to say, "good for you, you can afford to buy an expensive dead zebra."  The other side wants to say, "couldn't you have done something better with your money?"

The rich folk are certainly much more privileged than middle and lower class, they afford nicer stuff, but there is a fuzzy line between what is luxurious and what is ridiculous.  For example, I would consider having a Bentley to be luxurious.  It is both functional and nice.  Owning a zebra that has been preserved in formaldehyde is kinda of ridiculous (a live zebra would be cooler anyways).  At what point do we look at the actions of the rich and criticize them for not making better choices with their money?  This is hard to say because we cannot put ourselves in their shoes.  It is easy tell people what they should do with their money, but when other people tell you what do with your money you are less inclined to listen.  After all, it is their money and they can spend it how they please.

Now that I have that out of the way, we can move on.  

In all honesty, we all know that there are people around the world who are in need.  There are people in 3rd world countries who lack the basic necessities.  Hell, I walk by homeless folks everyday who need help.  Instead of spending 2 million US dollars on a dead zebra, $2 million could buy a lot of food, build quite a few houses, and vaccinate thousands of people.

The money at the auction could have been spent more wisely, but we are in no position to tell others what to do with their money.  I don't like it when people tell me what to do with mine.

Paper clips are AWESOME.

I like paper clips so much more than staples.  Mostly for their non-destructive nature, but also for their other uses in life.

The paper clip a classic tool used to keep papers together.  They function in such a way that they do not puncture the paper, unlike their arch rival the staple.  Paper clips are also reusable.  This is very important since we live in such a polluted world, we should be reusing everything we possibly can.  Staples are one time deal, once you hear the click of a stapler, you just wasted a very tiny piece of metal.

Another cool thing about the paper clip is its' versatility.  Most of us have heard of MacGyver, the extremely resourceful secret agent.  For him, the paper clip was a very popular multi-tool often kept on him at all times.  There are a number of ways a paper clip can be used, including: zipper tab, cherry pit remover, fingernail cleaner, emergency corkscrew (for your emergency drinking needs), miniature catapult, and my favorite, let the air out of someone else's tires when he parks across multiple spaces.  Not to mention making chains.  Probably the most important use of the paper clip is saving lives.  It's a very serious business.

Overall, I firmly believe the paper clip is the wave of the future.  Next time you reach for that stapler, just think about how you are polluting and denying somebody the simple joy of letting the air out of someone else's tires.

Top 10 Albums.

If I were stuck on a desert island and could only have 10 music albums with me, they would be the following:

[Insert]  After I finished the list I realized the order is backwards.  My favorite is at the top, #1.

1.  How the West Was Won - Led Zeppelin.  Like any other person who loves rock music, I love Led Zeppelin.  My senior year of high school was the year of Zeppelin for me.  I downloaded every single one of their albums and listened to all of their songs on a regular basis and still know the lyrics to most of them.  It has always been a dream of mine to see Zeppelin in concert, but since Bonham (the drummer) died the band split up.  They have only done one reunion concert in London in 2007, and tickets were very expensive as you can imagine.  How the West Was Won is a 3 disc set that is a recording of some concerts put on in California.  The sound is so genuine I dont think any rock band could possibly recreate it.  BEST ALBUM EVER!!!

2.  Stadium Arcadium - The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  I loooooove the peppers.  I really started listening to them in the 10th grade, but have since become an avid fan.  Stadium Arcadium is a great album in full.  It is a double album, but no half is better than the other.  I like the Peppers because they have such a unique style.  They don't really care what other bands sound like, they just make music for themselves.  In particular, the lyrics of Anthony Keidis (lead singer) are very interesting, often using creative metaphors and word choice.  The album is wonderful to listen to, and according to iTunes, I listen to it a lot.

3.  Californication - The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Yet another great album from the Peppers.  Released in 1999 it contains one of their most famous songs, Californication.  The song is about how the world is adopting some of the strange views held by the folks who live in California.  It definitely says a lot about today's society.  One of my favorite tracks from the album is "Easily."  It has catchy lyrics and guitar riffs, a listening pleasure.

4.  By the Way - The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Are you really that surprised?  By the Way is really what got me hooked on the Peppers.  The songs "Dosed" and "Midnight" are probably my favorite out of the album.  I also like "The Bicycle Song" but most people havent heard of it because it was a bonus track.

5.  Curtains - John Frusciante.  Continuing on my Peppers streak, John Frusciante is the lead guitarist of the Peppers.  Just after the turn of the century Frusciante decided to do some solo work.  "Curtains" is his latest solo album and features mostly acoustic songs, and an occasional electric solo.  His song "Anne" is my favorite on the album.

6.  Led Zeppelin IV - The classic Zeppelin album.  Featuring "Stairway to Heaven," the most legendary rock song ever.  It has something for just about everyone.  The songs starts off with an innocent acoustic guitar, then wraps up after a face melting electric guitar solo.  The rest of the album is just as good.

7.  Rhythm of the Heart - Jim Stubblefield Group.  Breaking away from the rock streak I have my Spanish guitar interests.  I find this music extremely relaxing.  The rhythm is very catchy and relaxing.  The notes are played with such precision.  This is probably the most beautiful album on my list.

8.  Rodrigo y Gabriela.  Another Spanish guitar group.  They were born in Mexico and moved to Ireland for some reason.  Their music is an interesting mix of Spanish guitar and Irish rhythms.  There is a strong heart pounding beat with intricate guitar played over top.  They are also very influenced by rock bands that came before them.  They do an acoustic cover of "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, and "Orion" by Metallica.  Both are fantastic.

9.  Are You Ready to Rock? - Blue Oyster Cult.  The album that needs more cowbell.  Blue Oyster Cult is most famous for their song "Don't Fear the Reaper."  The whole album is a little more heavy than your typical Led Zeppelin album.  Once again, awesome rock lyrics and sweet solos.

10.  What Goes Up! -  Blood, Sweat, and Tears.  Easy listening jazz.  Although I like this music, I think that other people on the island with me would be driven crazy.  Check it out.

I don't think what happened to Mr. Seale is very fair.  Serving a prison term 44 years after the crime he supposedly committed took place is ridiculous.  That would be like me going to jail in 32 years for something I supposedly did in the 3rd grade, with a liar as a witness.  I do admit that I stole a kid’s pencil though.  Jerk.

I do not think that Mr. Seale’s relatives were very wise for claiming he was dead.  That’s not suspicious at all.

While I greatly respect the US legal system, this case makes it look quite silly.  The fact that the judge would even consider hearing a 44 year old case is just stupid, especially because of a lack of evidence.  44 years is a really long time for no legal action. 

I do sympathize with the brother of the victim, although after 44 years he should settle down, especially since the old man hasn't been doing anything illegal since the alleged crime (because he has supposedly been dead).  Maybe Seale saw the error of his ways and has since quit the Klan and joined a southern Baptist Afro-American congregation (Blues Brothers style).  By 2007 the brother could have gone through enough therapy to maybe even forgive the dude.  I guess for him vengeance is sweet.

However, I do understand how both people feel.  Seale is probably pissed that they found him and pressed charges 44 years later.  Moore is finally able to sleep at night, not to mention he is pleased that he "disrupted his life."  Moore should have been content with Seale's health condition and considered that punishment enough.  After all, how could you put an old man with bone growths in jail?

I want to ride my bicycle.

Today I feel like writing in Courier.  Hooray for fixed-width fonts.

Since moving to Atlanta I have been without a car, I have been using a bike exclusively.  Most people would see this as a disadvantage, but I would have to disagree.  While not having a car does have its negatives, the positives greatly outweigh them.

Probably the biggest advantage for me money.  When I lived in Florida I would easily spend $50 a week on gas.  My car used a gallon of gas each way to work.  I figured that 1 hour of working would pay for me to get there and back.  This, of course, sucks.  Also, no car means no car insurance.  Can you hear the $$$$ being saved?  Lastly my car was very expensive to keep up, but I LOVE MY CAR. (<---Click for photos)  

MARTA.  For somebody from Florida this sounds like a very scary thing, but it's not so bad.  My first experience on Marta was July 30th, 2008.  The trip went fairly well, but after riding it for a month I got used to it.  When you ride it so often you begin to see familiar faces and meet new people.  Not to mention you can bring a bike onto the train.  Having a bike allows me to go anywhere within a couple miles of a Marta Rail Station, which is a large area.  One of the biggest perks is that my company will pay for my MARTA pass if I use public transportation to get to and from work.  

All of this means that means I pay $0 per month on transportation.  Yeah, that's right, I went from paying over $200 a month to $0.  I also get paid more up here as an added bonus.  $$$$  You can see why this is a big deal to me.

So now, we get to talk about the bad parts.  You are exposed to the elements when riding a bike, therefore you are sweaty in the summer and fucking cold in the winter (which I am not really looking forward to).  Not to mention the hills are kicking my ass, there are obviously no hills in Florida.  The other down side is it is slow.  Before going on a trip you have to plan things out, its almost like going on a mini-vacation.  I have found Google Street View particularly helpful for this.  Carrying items is also very limited on a bike.  A backpack is about the extent of what you can take with you, although I have managed to balance 3 pizzas on my handlebars before.  

Anywho, not having a car is awesome.  Missing your car stinks.  :-(

Free writing

On Labor Day I went to visit my cousins in the Dunwoody area since school was not in session.  I always enjoy visiting them because they are a fun group to be around, plus my Uncle Tariq makes some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life.  While talking around the kitchen table with the fam, I would glance over at my Uncle every once in a while to see my uncle flipping something, measuring, adding a spice, or tasting some food.  After watching him cook for a while, then tasting his creation, I decided that I need to learn how to cook.

There are a few reasons for wanting to learn how to cook, the first has to do with a desire to not eat junk food for the rest of my life.  As of right now my metabolism is such that I can eat whatever I want and I don’t gain a pound.  My dad used to be the same way, so I know what is in store for me.  Being able to cook for myself would provide a healthy alternative to eating EasyMac until I die.

Cooking would also give me something to practice and perfect on a day to day basis.  I don’t like to do very much, but I like to be good at whatever it is that I do.  Cooking something everyday would give me lots of opportunities to practice the art of cooking.  It would give me a chance to perfect recipes and ingredients.  It would be kind of like that Pixar movie Ratatouille.  That was the one with the rat that cooked in a famous French restaurant.

I LOVE food.  If I have the option to eat at a restaurant I jump at the notion.  The only problem with eating out all the time is that is gets very very expensive.  Cooking for myself would save money and time.  I could then used that saved money to go on a vacation, buy a nicer car, house, or maybe even a luxury yacht.   

I could also use cooking to entertain.  Hosting parties and serving my delicious food for everybody to enjoy.  I could entertain guests on my luxury yacht and cook up something delicious and tropical as we make our way to the Bahamas.  

Overall, cooking can only improve my health, budget, and way of life that I don’t think anything else can.  I should probably get started, it is time for some lunch.....

If I had the option to know the date, time, and delivery of my death I would have to decline for a few reasons.

For starters, knowing about my death would make me extremely paranoid.  For example, we'll say that I was going to die in a car accident.  I would be extremely terrified of all cars, whether I was in one or not.  The same thing goes for just about any other object.  I would hate to live in that kind of fear.

Depression would also be a downside.  Knowing how long (or short) I have to live would be a major downer.  I would most likely become a hermit and hate the world, much like goth kids.  On the other hand, it could make me severely violent.  It would be sort of like, "if I can't live nobody can."  Taking this theory to an extreme, it's possible I would go on a murderous rampage.  Nobody wants this.  This is highly unlikely because I am a pretty laid back person.

There is only one good thing that could happen.  Knowing the date and time of my own death could give me enough time to tie up any loose ends.  Or, as people in life insurance commercials put it, "I would leave my family with and financial burden."  For a few minutes I considered the idea that knowing about my death would give me a chance to do something about it.  The only problem is that if I were to avoid the original death, a new one would generate without me knowing about it.

Overall, I would prefer not to be paranoid, avoid a killing rampage, and live life in ignorance.  As the famous saying goes, "ignorance is bliss."

I do feel that there is a significant difference in the P.O.Vs put forth by these two different news sites.  The guardian.co.uk seems to like the idea that Trump is willing to spend so much money to build a world class golf course.  The article spends much time describing the scene and how beautiful it would be.  At one point the author even says that "you have to feel sorry for Donald Trump."  What Trump plans on doing would, in a way, help the local economy according to Jenkins.  He says that it would create between 300 to 6,000 jobs.  There is no say if the local mom & pop stores would benefit.  The author makes it sound like a good idea, until towards the end when he proposes that other beautiful have been wrecked by quick commercial gain.  He says that in the end Scotland will probably regret the decision to allow Trump to build.

In the other corner, the first thing you see is a hilarious picture of Donald Trump's entertaining haircut.  I feel like this article starts off on the wrong foot, that photo of Trump automatically seems like they are trying to mock him.  ABC does argue the other side.  They also bring up the point that the resort would bring much needed jobs to the area, but they support the idea instead of proposing Scotland would regret it.  They even go so far as to say the Trump's development would stabilize the sand dunes and help the environment.

Overall, I think that the country of origin has much to do with the way the writers think.  The UK article is against Trump building in Scotland, while the American article is for it.  As for the video clip, greed is good when in the right hands.

News websites.

I honestly do not read a lot of news on the internet, and when I do it's mostly technology blogs like engadget.com or gizmodo.com.

One website what I find particularly reliable is snopes.com.  It is an urban legend website that determines whether or not farfetched stories and forwarded chain mail is true or false.  The editor, Barbara Mikkelson does research and cites her sources at the end of each story, and she also signs her name in a witty and ironic way.  For example, in an article about radiation from granite countertops, she signed her name "Barbara 'counter measures' Mikkelson."  I like the site because it helps to shed some light on what stories and pictures are real, and which are fake.

The second site that I have been looking at recently is the New York Times.  I do not read it much, but it is the site that my government professor gets quiz questions from.  Therefore, it is in my best interest to read the same material the quiz questions come from.  What I can tell from my brief time reading it is that the NYT has a sort of liberal bias.  Large amounts of this bias could be from Obama being more active in the media than McCain.  Either way, the NYT tells me what I need to know for class.

Finally, the site from which I get local news is news4jax.com.  I am from Jacksonville, Florida, and now that I can no longer watch their news broadcast, my last resort is to read their website.  The reason that I chose news4jax opposed to firstcoastnews.com is because it is not affiliated with a major broadcast network.  News4jax is an independent news station.  And that is how I get my news from the murder capital of the south.

Nope.

There are several differences between American media outlets and international outlets.  The major difference has to do with agenda.  American outlets present a more obvious bias for certain political parties and moral values than international outlets do.  For example, Fox News has an obvious conservative bias while CNN has a liberal bias.

The reason for this is that each outlet has an agenda or something it is trying to accomplish by supporting one view point instead of another.  The motivation for a viewpoint could be money, political support to attract a certain audience, or in Fox News' case, supporting one political party and not another.  When reporting on American news, international outlets do not have as much as a bias.  I do understand that everybody has a bias, so I am in no way saying they are fair and equal, but international outlets do a better job of being objective.  Being an international outlet, however, supporting a political party with better foreign policy would be in its best interest.

Both CNN and Fox News have gone under fire for being biased, the BBC has had its fair share of fingers pointed at it.  In recent news, the BBC was accused of promoting "left-wing views and anti-Christian sentiment."

In my critical thinking class we learned about "bullshit."   "Bullshit" is an argument without the concern of the truth of a belief.  What I am getting at is, no matter how fair and balanced something is (a.k.a. how true something is), there are always people that will argue (bullshit) the opposite point.

2008 Olympics

Believe it or not, this is not the first time this discussion has come up for me.  While watching the opening ceremony with my roommate who is from China, he provided me with some unique insight that only he could.  

After a couple days of watching the Olympics for myself and viewing the amazing facilities and show the Chinese were putting on for the world, I was impressed.  China has been a sort of social mystery for the past few decades due to government restrictions, so I was happy to see that the country had opened up to the world for an event as prestigious as the Olympics.  While reviewing the Opening Ceremony with my roommate "Yang", he said something that changed my opinion.  He said "I love my country, but I do not like my government."  After talking a bit, I came to the conclusion that while he had nothing against the Olympics, he did not care for the fact that the government spent so much money on the games.  He mentioned that the money (according to him was $400 billion) could have been spent more wisely helping the people of China instead of showing off by hosting the Olympic games.  For example, he said that most of rural China is not very wealthy and could use financial assistance, but instead, the government built a stadium.  To sum things up, China could have spent the money on a better cause.

China is a country with a rich history of over 5,000 years.  Several of the world's most important inventions have come from China, including paper and gun powder.  But, as Yang put it, there is a big difference between loving your country and loving your government.  I believe that the Chinese government has some responsibility to its people that it should have addressed before spending so much money to host the Olympics.  It is important to understand that the government did spend a considerable amount of money to clean up Beijing and make it more friendly to foreign visitors, but the improvements did not go far outside of Beijing.  For example, Beijing officials set up a hotline to properly translate many street signs, they also tried to lighten up the pollution by shutting down factories and taking cars off the road for the games.  Not to mention the simple fact that China would rather spend money to impress the world than to help its' own citizens.  At least in the US, the people are able to participate in government to have a say in what the country does.  If it were up to the people of China I believe that the 2008 Olympics would have been held elsewhere.

While I am still in awe of the Olympics and opening ceremony China performed, I do believe the government should have considered using the funds for a better cause.  You would think that after all the things the people of China do for their country, the government could pay them back in one way or another.  I do think that China is a great country with great people, but the government and infrastructure could use great improvement.