haha wussup

Brandon Reid
6th Period Religion
Music and art. These two subjects alone have had a grand effect on me and my personality. I feel educated when talking about these two things alone, and it seems like this is all I think about. My passion for music alone is very strong, and just recently art has become very influential to my life, especially my future. Its almost heartbreaking to hear that music and art will be cut from public schools, since they can greatly help and influence young minds, like they did for me.
Now, I wasn’t completely involved with music and art until a little before freshman year, specifically music. This was when me and my friends wanted to start a band. Around that time I had no idea about music theory or rhythm or tempo or anything, all I knew was that I wanted to created music and rock out! My main thing that I was influenced to play was bass. I never really had an interest in bass until I heard “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, then I became fascinated with it. My very first bass I ever bought was from a pawn shop in Bardstown. It was a black five-string Kona, and I thought I was in love with this thing. At the time I couldn’t afford an amp, which sucked because all I could hear was me picking at the strings. I remember one day I was tuning it and this is when I didn’t know anything about a bass or how to tune one. Well I tuned it way too high and I eventually wound up snapping one of my strings. One I had my new amp I quickly went to work with it, learning basslines from The White Stripes to The Beatles. I don’t have that bass anymore, but since then I’ve went through a number of guitars and amps and each have a little story that goes with it.
To this day I play my basses and I become so relaxed and relieved to just sit around and finger through the fret on my guitar. It seems like I’ll just sit there for hours, playing things I know and creating something new. I’m a self taught musician, and even though I cannot read music, I feel just as experienced as someone who does. Just because someone can play in a grand orchestra doesn’t make them any better than me, who plays metal and jazz. Music has influenced my behavior. I feel more calm than I use to in my younger years. I also feel more musically intellectual, due to all of my researching and playing. I’ve learned more through playing with my friends than I have just sitting in my room playing along with my stereo. This is just a common example of how my theories can be thrown into a real life situation, like playing live in front of a crowd of 1000+ people.
When people say art, mostly everyone assumes the standard, tradition paint a beach or draw a bird style art form. While those are good examples, there is a lot more to art than just painting an drawing. There are both physical and psychological aspects behind it. There’s a sense of completion and dedication when it comes to any type of art form, and this even includes music. Theirs is almost nothing that makes me happier than when I finish a painting that I have been working on for weeks or to finally get through just one song with my band. There’s just a huge sense of joy and accomplishment that fills the room, and this is what brings happiness to those who are dedicated enough to get through something like this, especially if it is of a great caliber (a 40 foot wall painting or even a 5 minute song). I believe this is the true reason why people paint and draw, not because its fun, but because of the shear satisfaction that comes along with it.
Music and arts are taking a huge blow this year. These programs are being cut from public schools due to a short of funds. I do not believe this one bit. I do not believe that we do not have enough money to supply these programs, I believe that our money is going to waste. It seems like roads that are in good condition are being blacktopped. Not too long ago I witnessed a gas station being blacktopped, and I wondered to myself, “Why are they doing that!?” The road/parking lot was in great condition and had absolutely no reason to need new asphalt smeared atop of the concrete surface. Gotta love the government.
It has been proven that children seem to be more intellectual when music and art programs are located within the school. I see absolutely no reason to suspend (if not diminish) these classes. I think it would be cool for me to be able to live through a new Hendrix or Michelangelo, and I strongly believe these programs will help. Until then, I guess I’ll just have to keep dreaming.


Leah Doan
Religion Paper
Mr. Masters
6th Period
The room is dingy and cold, dark stains cover the floor. He stands opposite his opponent, a crowd screaming and cheering behind him. He locks eyes with his adversary and sees only hatred and he knows that it is kill or be killed. He’s not fighting for money, fame, pride, or honor; he’s fighting to simply to save his own life.
While this sounds like a scene from the next summer blockbuster, however it’s a scene from real life. And these two opponents are not human, they are animals in a familiar scenario to those who participate in animal fighting.
Animal fighting is a horrendous act that countless people participate in all around the world, mostly for financial gain. The animals are pitted against each other until one of them is unable to continue of killed. If the animal is seriously injured it might be left to die a slow, painful death by its owner.
When most people think of animal fighting they think of dogfights. This is the most common and most brutal type in the United States, with as many as 40,000 professional dogfighters and as many as 100,000 street fighters in the US in 2007 (cnn. com). These fights are organized and can carry winnings of up to 100,000 dollars. The dogs used are most often pitbulls, tortured and transformed into bloodthirsty monsters.
There are many other types of animal fights, cockfights, hog-dog fights, bait fights, badger fights, stallion fights and the list goes on. These fights are usually not the only illegal activity going on. Children are used as runners for money, gambling is obviously a main part of this activity, and illegal firearms and drugs are almost always present. These events have a lot more criminal activity going on than just the blatant animal cruelty.
In light of a certain Atlanta Falcons quarterback being found guilty of participating in this terrible event, legislatures have stepped up the efforts to prevent animal fights from happening. It is a felony in 48 states and soon to be 49. The minimum sentence is now a 250,000 dollar fine and three years in jail, the old sentence was a minimal fine and a year in jail.
Animal fights, especially dogfights, are rapidly increasing all over the world. Records show that there was an increase from 16 reported dogfights in 2000 to 127 in 2006 (cnn. com). This is becoming a huge problem in the world.
Animal fighting is terrible for many reasons; the animals natural instincts are expolited and abused, the animals are killed or seriously injured, and it causes further criminal activity. It is hard to imagine that in a world so civilized and with so much to offer that these barbaric events still take place. It is unbelievable to think that people will actually pay to watch two living things brutalize and maim one another. It is sickening to think that they actually derive pleasure from watching these events. This just goes to show that we are a world of violence and cruelty. It is heartbreaking to read stories and see pictures of animals who were victims of these events. Many participators make the argument that it is their natural instinct to fight one another for territory or a mate or whatever the case might be. An animals natural instinct is not made by being tortured and terrorized to become this scared and ferocious creature. Maybe we should beat and torture and starve these ‘rofessionals’ and throw them in a ring for survival, then maybe we can decide what ‘natural instincts’ are.

whats up everybody??

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie.

OPENING CREDIT: Crying - Manic Drive
BIRTH: See You At The Show - Nickelback (i had a kickass birth)
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Just Feel Better - Santana
FALLING IN LOVE: My Generation - Hawk Nelson
FIGHT SONG: Baptize Me - The Exies
BREAKING UP: Shoulda - Hinder (prolly the only good Hinder song...)
PROM: Never Give Up - New Found Glory =]
LIFE: Forget My Name - New Found Glory =]]]
MENTAL BREAKDOWN: Wonderwall - The Gaia Corporation
DRIVING: I'm Not The One - Sum 41
FLASHBACK: Clocks - Coldplay
WEDDING: Grim Goodbye - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (well shit...)
BIRTH OF A CHILD: Despot - Pulse Ultra
FINAL BATTLE: Live-In Skin - Foo Fighters (thats fucking gay...)
DEATH SCENE : Little Things - Bush (even gayer)
FUNERAL: WHAT I GOT - SUBLIME fuck yes
ENDING CREDITS: White Unicorn - Wolfmother yay!

HEY EVERYONE!!!

its been a pretty long time since i've updated anything
so i made a new picture now that i had a little free time

ok

first off
the reason why i havent been on here as much
i've been spending a lot of time with Leah and i seriously couldnt be happier, and if i'm not at her house then i'm usually out at the skatepark
so i'm sorry if you guys are getting bored of me waiting to do something...its just then now when iget online i usually just talk to people then leave

i made a new picture!
i like it, and i hope you guys do too
that picture isnt directed towards anyone or anything
just a random idea
plus...i love the whole emo art scene
so there =]

well, just thought i should throw those things out there

so everyone tell me
whats up??