What's up kids? Fall 08 has finally arrived and I am thrilled to death. A chance to reconnect with friends absent because of Summer Vacation, meet new people, and bug the hell out of my teachers. It's amazing! I am almost 34 years old and I STILL bug the hell out of my teachers. LOL, that's great.
To anyone reading this blog, I wish you much success and happiness this semester, now, get the hell out of here and go the f*** to class. :)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Consolidation May Not Be The Key...
Smart City Memphis blog writer and Memphis Magazine columnist, Tom Jones, came to the University of Memphis to speak today about the topic of consolidation between the City of Memphis and Shelby County Governments.
He told the crowd that one of the biggest myths about government consolidation is that it saves a great deal of money. Jones said this simply isn't true for the most part. He did say that if any money is saved, it is at the administration level, but that it wouldn't be enough to make a difference. He pointed to Louisville, KY having a successful consolidation and that Nashville also successfully consolidated its city and county governments. For Nashville, however, that was about 45 years ago that they consolidated and that it has taken most of that time for improvements to show. Heavy proponents for city and county consolidation may be looking at it as a "quick fix" to the city's and county's budget problems.
Under Tennessee state law, for consolidation to pass and become a reality, it must be voted in with a dual majority, meaning that it must pass within the City of Memphis as well as pass outside the city. Also, when or if the governments consolidate, state law likewise says that the school systems must merge. Some within the Shelby County School system are vehemently opposed to that idea.
Jones offered a suggestion that could be seen as a compromise to consolidation. Memphis City Government would be responsible for services that are inclusive to the upkeep of the city, i.e. Fire Services, Police Services, and Waste Management Services, while Shelby County Government would be responsible for all other services.
Another topic discussed was school consolidation in which Jones revealed a great idea, from Mayor Herenton of all people. The idea is to split the very large school district of 150,000 students into 5 smaller sub-districts of about 30,000 students each. Each sub-district will be appointed a superintendent and these 5 superintendents will report to the school board and an elected "Grand Poohbah" superintendent. Actually a VERY good idea. Maybe this idea will come to fruition even if Herenton is not appointed superintendent of Memphis City Schools.
Learned a lot about this topic today. Wendy, are you sure I can't change my topic?
He told the crowd that one of the biggest myths about government consolidation is that it saves a great deal of money. Jones said this simply isn't true for the most part. He did say that if any money is saved, it is at the administration level, but that it wouldn't be enough to make a difference. He pointed to Louisville, KY having a successful consolidation and that Nashville also successfully consolidated its city and county governments. For Nashville, however, that was about 45 years ago that they consolidated and that it has taken most of that time for improvements to show. Heavy proponents for city and county consolidation may be looking at it as a "quick fix" to the city's and county's budget problems.
Under Tennessee state law, for consolidation to pass and become a reality, it must be voted in with a dual majority, meaning that it must pass within the City of Memphis as well as pass outside the city. Also, when or if the governments consolidate, state law likewise says that the school systems must merge. Some within the Shelby County School system are vehemently opposed to that idea.
Jones offered a suggestion that could be seen as a compromise to consolidation. Memphis City Government would be responsible for services that are inclusive to the upkeep of the city, i.e. Fire Services, Police Services, and Waste Management Services, while Shelby County Government would be responsible for all other services.
Another topic discussed was school consolidation in which Jones revealed a great idea, from Mayor Herenton of all people. The idea is to split the very large school district of 150,000 students into 5 smaller sub-districts of about 30,000 students each. Each sub-district will be appointed a superintendent and these 5 superintendents will report to the school board and an elected "Grand Poohbah" superintendent. Actually a VERY good idea. Maybe this idea will come to fruition even if Herenton is not appointed superintendent of Memphis City Schools.
Learned a lot about this topic today. Wendy, are you sure I can't change my topic?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Summer Movie Blowout (Part 2)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the theater...2008 will unveil some of the coolest movies and will drop some of the biggest BOMBS! Ha ha. Previously, I talked about summer blockbusters and comedies. Now, I will cover the Animated movies, horror, and thrillers that will make your kids laugh and make you cry.
Animated Movies: Your Kids Will Bug You To Death
Wall*E (from Disney and PIXAR), Kung Fu Panda (from Dreamworks), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (this belongs in 2 categories...animation and comedy), Space Chimps, and Batman:Gotham Knight (straight to DVD).
Horror and Thriller Movies: Speaking of Death! Don't spill your popcorn on me!
One Missed Call (Warner Bros.), Diary of the Dead, The Signal (POP Films), Shutter (Fox), The Ruins (Paramount), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal), The Changeling (Universal), and Day of the Dead (remake).
Animated Movies: Your Kids Will Bug You To Death
Wall*E (from Disney and PIXAR), Kung Fu Panda (from Dreamworks), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (this belongs in 2 categories...animation and comedy), Space Chimps, and Batman:Gotham Knight (straight to DVD).
Horror and Thriller Movies: Speaking of Death! Don't spill your popcorn on me!
One Missed Call (Warner Bros.), Diary of the Dead, The Signal (POP Films), Shutter (Fox), The Ruins (Paramount), Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal), The Changeling (Universal), and Day of the Dead (remake).
Summer Movie Blowout
There is no shortage of Summer blockbusters, romantic comedies, horror films, animated movies and thrillers. A varitable cornucopia of cinematic goodies will be unveiled during the upcoming summer months. Here is a category-by-category list of what's coming out; I didn't even know some of these ideas were even in the works:
Summer Blockbusters: The Superheroes are taking over!!
Iron Man, The Dark Knight(sequel to Batman Begins), The Incredible Hulk (a remake of the remake), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Jesus, Harrison, enough already!), The X Files: I Want to Believe (The Truth Is Out There, Again), Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emporer.
Comedies:
War, Inc., Baby Mama, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Made of Honor, and my personal favorite...SEX AND THE CITY. Whew! About damn time girls.
...More movies to come ;)
Summer Blockbusters: The Superheroes are taking over!!
Iron Man, The Dark Knight(sequel to Batman Begins), The Incredible Hulk (a remake of the remake), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Jesus, Harrison, enough already!), The X Files: I Want to Believe (The Truth Is Out There, Again), Speed Racer, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Mummy: Tomb of The Dragon Emporer.
Comedies:
War, Inc., Baby Mama, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, Made of Honor, and my personal favorite...SEX AND THE CITY. Whew! About damn time girls.
...More movies to come ;)
Spring Has Sprung
The semester is almost over and we are down to the wire. I have a couple classes left and then we head into finals. Grades are holding steady and I should be able to pull at least a B+/A- from every class for this semester. I was worried coming back from being out of school for so long that I wouldn't be able to cut it and hold my own with college life. But then again my perspective is slightly altered. I am coming back with career goals in mind. I know exactly what I want, whereas most students come in not having a clue what they want to do or where they're headed. Of course, I won't be attending the summer, but that won't be a vacation for me either. I plan on working all throughout the summer so I can take it easy, financially, during the fall.
I have actually enjoyed all of my classes, especially my writing classes, English and Media Writing. Psychology was not as hard as I thought it might have been. And Algebra, well, I have always done well in my math classes. It is the ONLY class that I actually have a final exam in. That bad boy is a comprehensive final exam that is worth 150 points. Two ways to look at it: 1. either there is a lot of material I might forget, which will make me mess up the final; or 2. there are a lot of problems that I will answer right and that some of the problems I am not sure on, I can leave blank and not worry. Either way, I have gotten a bunch of my general education requirements out of the way and can focus on my foreign languages, history classes, and major core classes from here on out. Hopefuully, I will continue to see all of you around campus. Have a killer summer and Go Tigers!
I have actually enjoyed all of my classes, especially my writing classes, English and Media Writing. Psychology was not as hard as I thought it might have been. And Algebra, well, I have always done well in my math classes. It is the ONLY class that I actually have a final exam in. That bad boy is a comprehensive final exam that is worth 150 points. Two ways to look at it: 1. either there is a lot of material I might forget, which will make me mess up the final; or 2. there are a lot of problems that I will answer right and that some of the problems I am not sure on, I can leave blank and not worry. Either way, I have gotten a bunch of my general education requirements out of the way and can focus on my foreign languages, history classes, and major core classes from here on out. Hopefuully, I will continue to see all of you around campus. Have a killer summer and Go Tigers!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Summer Time is Comin'
I am looking forward to the summer break. Some guys and gals I know will be taking courses during the summer, but not I. I will be focused on working all summer long, perhaps getting a second job. My goal is to go on leave from my job during the Fall 08 semester. Save up enough money so that I will be ok during that time. And in the event of a financial crunch or emergency during the Fall semester, I can simply return to work. I would love to find one job making really good money rather than taking on 2 jobs that make ok or slightly less than ok money. And I know me. I will horde money the whole summer and when the Fall semester comes, I will walk into my manager's office and hand her a leave of absence form. But still, I am a little jealous of all those who will be going to exotic places during the summer, like Hawaii, Amsterdam and Chicago. Ok, not so much jealous of the Chicago-bound person.
I will probably take a few days off during the summer and go to South Beach in Florida. I will ejoy walking along the beaches and maybe I will see a celebrity or two. And if I don't, oh well, no biggie. I just want to have some fun this summer. Hopefully some of my college friends will be able to get together if they aren't off all over the country during the summer. Maybe I'll have a John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John "summer lovin" moment this summer. Either way, I wish you all to have the most wonderful summer and come back safely so I can see you punks in the Fall. \m/ >.< \m/
I will probably take a few days off during the summer and go to South Beach in Florida. I will ejoy walking along the beaches and maybe I will see a celebrity or two. And if I don't, oh well, no biggie. I just want to have some fun this summer. Hopefully some of my college friends will be able to get together if they aren't off all over the country during the summer. Maybe I'll have a John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John "summer lovin" moment this summer. Either way, I wish you all to have the most wonderful summer and come back safely so I can see you punks in the Fall. \m/ >.< \m/
The Debate Still Rages...Stem Cell Research
My friend Jarron is doing his argumentative research paper on the benefits of stem cell research. Not much has been said about stem cell research within the last seven years. When Bush took office, you know when his approval ratings were high, he condemned stem cell research. Stem cells are seen by many researchers as having virtually unlimited application in the treatment and cure of many human diseases and disorders including Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, strokes, etc. Stem cells come in two general types:
1. Embryonic stem cells
2. Adult stem cells
Many pro-lifers believe that human life begins at the time of fertilization and that killing an embryo in order to extract its stem cells is a form of homicide. Usually, they are adamantly opposed to such research. Others disagree. They believe that an embryo has the potential to develop into a person, but is not a person itself. They say that an embryo is not sentient; it has no brain, sensory organs, ability to think, awareness of its surroundings, consciousness, internal organs, arms, legs, head, etc. They feel that research using stem cells derived from embryos is ethical.
Whichever side of the debate you happen to be on, you cannot deny the vast potential held within the use of embryonic and adult stem cells. Since the main issue in the debate is whether or not an embryo is actual human life or is a blank slate on which human life is drawn, the first step in stem cell research would seem to be to settle this portion of the debate, if it is not already settled.
1. Embryonic stem cells
2. Adult stem cells
Many pro-lifers believe that human life begins at the time of fertilization and that killing an embryo in order to extract its stem cells is a form of homicide. Usually, they are adamantly opposed to such research. Others disagree. They believe that an embryo has the potential to develop into a person, but is not a person itself. They say that an embryo is not sentient; it has no brain, sensory organs, ability to think, awareness of its surroundings, consciousness, internal organs, arms, legs, head, etc. They feel that research using stem cells derived from embryos is ethical.
Whichever side of the debate you happen to be on, you cannot deny the vast potential held within the use of embryonic and adult stem cells. Since the main issue in the debate is whether or not an embryo is actual human life or is a blank slate on which human life is drawn, the first step in stem cell research would seem to be to settle this portion of the debate, if it is not already settled.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
