Taco Bell

Why is fast food so bad for you? It's really not fair. There are so many advantages to fast food chains. I think that someone should introduce a healthy fast food restaurant.

First of all, even though we don't like to admit it, we all love fast food. The food is fast (duh- just look at the title), the food tastes good, and there is a lot of variety. I have tried to cut back on unhealthy eating habits since I have moved away from home, but sometimes it seems impossible.

Fast food chains are everywhere, and they are open late. That is an advantage here in Mequon where nothing seems to be open past 8. Another bonus is that the food is cheap which is great for a poor college student like me.

I think that a healthy fastfood restaurant would be a great investment. I realize that many fast food chains now are trying to be healthier- but let's face it- who actually goes to McDonald's to order a salad? The sad truth is that they are failing miserably. I think that if a fast food restaurant opened that was known for it's healthy, tasty, cheap food that business would be great.

The Upcoming Summer

It is hard for me to believe that it is already May. I think that it's because this is the first spring that I have spent away from home and the weather on the lake is much cooler than in my hometown. I can't wait to pack up and go home for the summer though!

I feel so ready to be done with school that it is hard for me to remember what it was like in high school at this time, knowing that I had another full month of school left. However, that last month was always full of fun, especially senior year. There was prom to look forward to, graduation, graduation parties, and skip days to Cedar Point.

I'm looking forward to this summer as usual, but I know it won't be as fun as past summers. I will be spending most of my time at Dairy Queen (unfortunately I couldn't find a better job in Macomb County's struggling economy) and in class- calculus actually. Sounds fun, right? I also won't be skating this summer like I have for the last 14 years which will be tough on me, but I had to quit when I moved away for school.

I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer though. I am definitely looking forward to reconnecting with friends and co-workers that I haven't seen this year. I can't wait for the warm weather and our annual family vacation. And i am definitely looking forward to visiting my friends that I have met here this year!

Saving Lives By Driving Safely

In the United States of America, a person is killed every thirteen minutes in a car accident. In the year 2005 alone, 42,643 people died in collisions, and 2.9 million more were seriously injured (car-accidents.com). Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading preventable causes of death. The number of deaths and injuries due to car accidents would be drastically reduced if reckless driving were eliminated. Drivers need to be attentive, responsible, and calm on the road to save and protect lives.

Many states are wisely banning the use of cell phones while behind the wheel. According to TMJ4, a Milwaukee news channel, “Someone talking on a phone is four times as likely to be involved in an auto accident. In fact, studies have shown that talking on a cell phone while driving is just as hazardous as driving under the influence of alcohol”. Texting has also become a major issue on the roads. Many teens, including myself, are guilty for sneaking a quick peek at their phones to check for new texts. Luckily I have not been in any accidents because of my phone, but I need to leave it alone when I am behind the wheel.

Another leading cause of vehicle crashes in the United States is “road rage”. Road rage is certainly not an uncommon occurrence on local interstates. Every time I drive through Chicago to get back home, I witness some form of road rage on I-94. Many of these incidents lead to collisions, or near-collisions. The road rage I see usually involves overly-aggressive driving, deliberately cutting off another car or preventing them from merging, honking the horn in a loud and repetitive fashion, rude gestures (such as the finger), and verbal abuse in the form of obscenities and threats. Road rage is an unnecessary and dangerous practice. To ensure safe transportation for everyone, drivers need to remain calm and polite at all times.

Today, driving is the most popular form of transportation in the United States. Most of us have had our licenses for several years and own cars. We take driving for granted and often put ourselves on auto-pilot when we get behind the wheel. However, this should not be our attitude towards driving. Drivers need to remain focused, stay responsible, and remain calm while driving. If we eliminate distractions, follow traffic laws for the areas we live in, and have patience while we are trying to travel somewhere, we could protect ourselves and others on the road driving close to us. Car accidents are one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States. By driving safely and sensibly, thousands of lives would be saved every year.

the weekend

This weekend was the nicest weekend we have had since the past fall. It reached almost 70 degrees on Saturday away from the lake. Since I'm not from the area, I didn't really know where I should go on such a nice weekend day. Luckily my good friend Kim who is from Grafton showed a group of us around.
First, my friend took us to downtown Cedarburg. I have been there one time before, but it was to see John McCain, so I didn't really see a whole lot except the line to get in. Kim first took us to a park where we could enjoy the sunshine and the nice weather. We walked to Fiddlehead's- her favorite coffee place, and drank some delicious coffee. After that, we walked around downtown Cedarburg and checked out some of the shops. We ate lunch at Sal's pizza, which had delicious garlic knots. Finally, we walked around the old mill and the stores there too.

After we walked around downtown Cedarburg, Kim drove us to the bluffs in Grafton. The view was gorgeous, especially since the sun was shining and the weather was warm. We took some pictures down by the water, skipped stones, and had a good time climbing around on the bluffs.

I was so glad that I bummed around outside. I didn't know that any of these places existed until Kim took us there. Even though I love sleeping in and just relaxing over the weekends, I was so glad to get off campus and be in the real world. It was great to finally go outside without seven layers on too! If you haven't checked out any of these local hangouts, you should- it's a lot of fun!

The Lottery

I am watching a show on TLC right now about a couple who won the lottery. They were average, middle class people, and the husband was a blue collar worker. Looking at their new house and lifestyle made me wonder what I would do with 250 million dollars.

If I won 250 million dollars, or even just one million I would want to spend it wisely. I think that I would try to invest it and keep most of it in the bank. First I would pay off any of my debts left over from school, my mortgage (if I'm in a house), and I would want to help my parents and my brother out with debt and bills. I would set aside some for a college fund for my kids. Mainly, I hope that the money wouldn't change who I am. I definitely don't want to lose my morals or my faith.

I would want to do something nice for my parents. They have always given me what they can, and wanted the best for me. I definitely can't place a monetary value on what my parents have given me through love and support, but I would want to show them how much I appreciate them. Maybe I would set up a family vacation somewhere overseas because my family loves to travel together, and I know my mom would love to visit Europe.

Of course, I would want to splurge some too. If I was comfortable with my house, I wouldn't move. I would probably just fix it up a little. I would definitely buy a nice sports car though. The car that I have now is my first car. It used to be my dad's, but he told me that if I learned how to drive it, I could keep it (it's a stick shift). Since I first learned how to drive a car with a standard transmission I have wanted a sweet muscle car. I would have a tough time choosing what kind- probably an old camaro. Maybe a '68. I would also use the money to travel, and I would buy a ridiculous number of movies and books. Unfortunately, I don't play the lottery, so I'm pretty sure I won't win!

Easter

Why has every holiday been commercialized? I guess I can understand Valentine's Day, and Halloween, and maybe even Christmas with Santa Clause. However I can't understand why Easter became a Hallmark holiday.

Easter is a celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. He died on the cross to save us from our sins. Every passion week, we remember the pain and the suffering that he went through to give us eternal life. Then on Easter morning, we celebrate his resurrection.

Where did the Easter bunny come from? Seriously... Who was crazy enough to invent a giant rabbit that hops from house to house delivering eggs to small children. And what is the point of decorating eggs? I seriously don't understand.

I don't have any problems with these Easter traditions- my family celebrated them every year. I think that decorating eggs was always fun, and the anticipation of looking for my easter basket was exciting too. I just don't understand how these seemingly random traditions have come to replace the real meaning of Easter.

Michigan State

In case you weren't aware, march madness is dominating the media. Game after game has been played in hopes of winning the NCAA championship. Sadly, I have seen every Big 10 conference team be eliminated from the bracket. That is, all except for my favorite team of all time- MSU!

Cheering for Michigan State is a way of life at my house in Fraser, Michigan. Both my parents went there, and so did my grandma. Our family has always been supportive of the Big 10 (well, not University of Michigan but that's a different story entirely). Since birth, I have had the words to the MSU fight song pounded into my head. I have a state shirt for every occasion. My family makes yearly trips to the campus to walk around and hear stories from my parents' college days. My favorite color is green (what a shock). And yeah, if it weren't for the pharmacy program here, I would be cheering my head off in East Lansing right about now after watching the Spartans crush number one seed Louisville.

Watching the Spartans work their way to the final four reminds me of the tournament in 2000, when they won the competition. I remember begging my parents to let me stay up to watch the final game, and absolutely refusing to go to bed until I heard the score. I also remember seeing the "Izzo for President" bumper stickers plastered everywhere. Sadly, Bush won the election instead.

I don't pretend to know much about sports in general, especially college basketball. But I think that MSU's past and recent success in basketball is due largely to Izzo's coaching abilities. He has been the coach as long as I can remember, and I think he does an excellent job with his players. I wish I had filled out a bracket because I always put state in the final four- that just shows how much I actually pay attention to sports. And I hope against all hope that they can play just as well against Connecticut as they did today against Louisville. Go MSU!!!!!!!

Spring Break

Why am I already back at school? It feels like just yesterday I was packing up my clothes and loading the car to head back home. The 8 hour drive home felt like an absolute eternity, but then the 9 days I spent there was gone in the blink of an eye.

I think spring break needs to be longer. I barely had enough time to finish my ridiculous homework load, let alone catch up on my sleep. If spring break were 2 weeks instead of just one, I would be in a much better frame of mind right now.

We should take a page out of Valparaiso University's book. They have a two week spring break. They have time to sleep, do homework, go on vacation, and work over break if they want. I wish I was still at home right now eating my mother's homecooked meals and sleeping in my glorious bed that I don't have to climb up a ladder to get into.

So I guess this blog has turned into a venting session- sorry about that to anybody who could possibly be reading this. I just want to be back in Michigan where my family is, where good restaurants are located, where stores are open later than 5pm everyday, and where my life is totally stress-free. Instead, I am going to stay up too late trying to cram in homework that is due later in the week, and then set my alarm for a time that no one should be awake at so that I can suffer through a class that doesn't pertain to my major.

Coffee Mugs

I am not a morning person. I never have been, and I never will be. Coffee is the only motivation I have to get out of bed before 10am. Even still, I'm not usually pleasant to be around until about eleven or noon. It's an issue.

I was recently looking around a Barnes and Noble store with my friends when we discovered a rack of coffee mugs for sale at the Starbucks cafe inside the store. Each of these mugs had a famous, inspirational saying printed on it. One example is a famous quote from Thoreau, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined".

This probably makes me sound like a terrible and pessimistic person, but that is NOT what I want to see at seven in the morning. Don't get me wrong- I think this is an excellent quote with a good message. However, when I read something this "sappy" before I've had my morning coffee, it makes me want to chuck the mug up against the wall.

Instead, I think coffee mugs with the sarcastic phrases are much more appropriate for my mornings. I would much rather read something like "Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation" or "No questions until I’ve had my second cup of coffee!" This is way more likely to make me smile than the previous quote. When I read inspirational expressions in the morning, I feel like crawling into bed. It's too much to demand of me in the morning!

Sonic

Sonic: possibly the tastiest fast food Milwaukee has ever seen. I'm sure you've all watched the funny commercials with the couple arguing in the front of a mini van while the Sonic happy hour prices flash across the screen. But how many of us have actually tasted these delicious slushies advertised so often on tv? Great news- Sonic is finally here!

Friday, February 27th saw the long-awaited arrival of Wisconsin's second Sonic. The only other location is in Madison. I had the privilege of eating at the Miller Parkway site tonight. The line was wrapped around an entire strip mall and the parking lot. But it was well worth the wait.

Sonic certainly isn't going to struggle for business here in the Milwaukee-area. Even though it's freezing outside, crowds are flooding to 2080 Miller Parkway for slushies, smoothies, and other frozen treats. Why is business unbelievably great for Sonic even though the economy is suffering? My friends and I have a theory. The Sonic commercials were being played on tv in Wisconsin waaaaaaaay before one was built here. The commercials are funny, upbeat, and make all the food and drinks look amazing. Pretty soon, everyone who sees them is wondering why there aren't any Sonics in Wisconsin. When a Sonic finally does open in Wisconsin, everyone rushes to try out the food that they've seen advertised on tv for so long. It's simple.

My friends and I were quite satisfied with both the food and the service at Sonic. In fact, we're going back tomorrow and trying a whole new set of food from the menu. Have you gone yet?

Legal Drinking Age

In 1984, the United States’ Congress passed The 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The act prohibits persons under the age of twenty-one from purchasing and publicly possessing alcoholic beverages. Since the act was passed, legal drinking age has become a largely controversial topic in the United States, especially among high school and college students. The legal drinking age of the United States needs to remain twenty-one, and not be lowered to the age of eighteen.

Congress passed this act mainly to minimize motor vehicle accidents caused by drunk driving. Previously, the minimum drinking age had been eighteen in many states. By the age of eighteen, most American teenagers have been driving for two years or longer. The drinking age was set at twenty-one to teach teens the importance of driving soberly.

The minimum drinking age should not be lowered, due to medical reasons. It has been scientifically proven that alcohol is detrimental to teens’ brain development. Not only does alcohol negatively affect teens in behavioral ways, it changes the way they develop. If a young teen begins to drink alcohol before the age of twenty or twenty-one it will negatively influence his or her health for the rest of his or her life.

Personally I think that instead of lowering the drinking age to eighteen, the government should raise the "adult" age. What I mean by this is that a person should have to be twenty-one to buy cigarettes and tobacco, go to war, vote, etc. A big argument is that if eighteen year olds are considered adults legally, then why can't they drink alcohol legally. I think a better solution is to make the age of responsibility twenty-one.

Ping Pong

Webster defines ping pong as a game of tabble tennis. I define ping pong as my favorite way to waste time and avoid doing my homework. Prime example: as I type this blog, I am watching an intense match between two of Regents' finest on the second floor. The ball, in fact, just hit my computer because of a serve gone awry.

Although ping pong is a popular pastime among Americans, and people all over the world, I personally had never even touched a paddle until last week. Many of my friends played ping pong all first semester whenever they were bored- which was pretty often, apparently. I used to hear all about the games they played as they kept running scores amongst each other. Whenever arguments took place about scoring and other aspects of the game, I just laughed and thought they were crazy for taking it so seriously. But now they have me hooked on it. I have become a ping pong addict.

I blame my recent addiction to ping pong on several factors. Number one: the utter lack of entertainment and places to hang out on campus after midnight. Number two: peer pressure. Sometimes if I want to see my friends, I have to play ping pong otherwise sit alone in my room and watch tv. However, I am by no means complaining. I find the game a lot of fun, a good way to improve hand-eye coordination, and an excellent way to relieve stress and blow off some steam. It's much more stimulating than sitting on the futon and watching movies all night. On top of everything else, it is a great way to meet new people.

Ping pong is very popular here on CUW's campus. However, there is no ping pong club or intramural (not that I know of anyways). My friends and I think a ping pong club would generate a lot of interest. Tournaments would be a lot of fun, especially if the bracket had a large number of people. We are going to try to start a club for both fun and competition. Anyone interested?