Posted in Politics

Do you know what the presidental canidates are going to with Tax cuts?

Posted on by AP Partner

Tax. It affects us all, and each candidate says they will cut taxes for us but what will really happen.

Well here id a chart

MCCAIN OBAMA
Income Avg. tax bill Avg. tax bill
Over $2.9M -$269,364 +$701,885
$603K and up -$45,361 +$115,974
$227K-$603K -$7,871 +$12
$161K-$227K -$4,380 -$2,789
$112K-$161K -$2,614 -$2,204
$66K-$112K -$1,009 -$1,290
$38K-$66K -$319 -$1,042
$19K-$38K -$113 -$892
Under $19K -$19 -$567

plus if you elect the republicans you will have to pay for Sarah Palin’s wardrobe

Posted in Sports

It’s October!!!

Posted on by Scarface

And you know (or atleast I hope you know) what that means, the World Series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The World Series is the championship series, best of seven games, between the two best teams from proffesional baseball (Major League Baseball), from their respective divisions. The AL is the American League, and the NL is the National League. The leagues aren’t split down the middle of the country or anything, there’s teams from both leagues in most US regions. Though inside each league the teams are split into their geographic regions, it’s fairly simple.

Starting with the NL, this year representing are the Philadelphia Phillies, a very old and historic franchise. They haven’t won the WS in quite a while, but they have a good team this year.

As for the AL, the Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series this year, barely beating the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. The Rays have never made it to the World Series before as a franchise, but their roster is looking good this year.

I’ll break things down by teams now.

Phillies: Philly is a great team this year, they have a very good lineup with one of the best power hitters in the league anchoring it, Ryan Howard. And infront of him is argueably the best power htting second baseman, Chase Utley. Their defense is pretty solid, Jimmy Rollins is a great shortstop and they great some speed. As for pitching, they have the best starting pitcher in the series in the young Cole Hamels, who has been nothing short of brilliant this postseason. And their bullpen is amazing, with Brad Lidge as their closer, a man who hasn’t blown a save all year! But as for the rest of their starting pitchers, they aren’t that deep.

Rays: The Rays are a very very young team, but with a lot of talent. They have the best power numbers in recent playoff history. B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria (my second favorite player) are the best consistently powerful duo in these playoffs, with a very powerful Carlos Pena in between them. They also have good pinch hitters for key situations. Defensively, they are GREAT! Longoria is soft handed with a cannon at third, Iwamura is very smooth at second, and they have one of the fastest center fielders in all of baseball in B.J. Upton. Their outfielders also have very strong arms, which could prove critical. They have better depth in terms of starting pitching, they have a very consistent rotation of four starters. Their bullpen may be problematic though, they have good pitchers but they’ve been throwing badly as of late.

So going off those stats, and my own personal interests, I pick by a narrow margin the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series this year! Who do you pick?

This is Scarface signing off.

Posted in Issues, Politics

Drugs…

Posted on by Godfather

Legalize or no?

Personally, I think we should legalize all drugs, the war on drugs is doing basically nothing and all it really resorts to is people on the street making money when legitimate businesses could be making that money and they could be taxed, getting more money for the government to pay for programs, and taking that money off the street. Making items illegal doesn’t stop them from being bought, it just forces the law enforcement to work harder. Look at alcohol (when banned, people who wanted it still got it illegally), guns (in D.C. they still have the highest crime rates, even with guns banned. This will just put arm dealers in control of guns), and abortions (they still happen when not legal, its just that people will self-perform them, making it ultimately more dangerous for the mother). Now, I hate drugs, I’ve made a 15 minute movie on how bad meth is, and 3 short commercials on smoking, but these videos won’t stop enough people to make a difference on the industry.

I’d like to hear your thoughts!

Posted in Issues

Background Info: Important or just a freakin’ waste of time?

Posted on by The Maker

I’m wondering something and I wonder what everyone else thinks.

Is it really important to know background information? Aren’t solid facts enough without reasoning, subtlety, and explanations? True, it’s nice to know, but is it really necessary? Do you really need to know every detail about combustion engines and the history of oil manufacture to drive a car? Obviously you do not, but there are less extreme cases. Consider Math. You can get by perfectly knowing that logarithm (log) can be used to determine y in 9^y=x with y =log5(x). You don’t need to know what log is, just how to use it to find y in the equation. Beyond finding it on your calculator, this is all you need, in your current situation, to know about logarithms, right?

So why are people so concerned with background info? Is it not enough to know that the Protestants fought the Catholics in the 30 years war without going into differences in dogma, which sprung from protestant reformation leaders, each with their own history that coalesced into their motives? Who cares? Who really needs to know about Zwingli or the Ursuline order of nuns or who attended Martin Luther’s trial? Correct me if I’m wrong, but NOBODY DOES!! NOBODY CARES!! True, some historians or socioligists might care, but 1) they aren’t us, who aspire to achieve something less boring, and 2) the past is past and doesn’t matter to us. Or maybe it really does matter.

Which brings another point. WHY do we have to study history at all? True, it tells us why things are the way they are, and sometimes we want to know that (but it’s more often with social interactions involving someone of the opposite sex) but we can get along perfectly without it. Do we need to know about particle physics and thermodynamics to build a hot air balloon? What’s wrong with knowing that hot air rises and leaving it at that?

Honestly, one could say ignorance is bliss as information builds shades of gray which are annoying. But it’s always nice to know things in case they come in handy. But that is for future necessity, not current need. And then one can say information breeds insight. But mostly it just causes confusion and hesitation, as one weighs the possibilities. So what do you think? I would love to know if I’m insightful or just totally conkers.

Posted in Movies

My Favorite Coen Brothers Films

Posted on by Godfather

After seeing most of their movies, I really doubt that these directors can ever make a bad movie. I don’t care how bad a trailer of theirs look because they have never disappointed me in any of their films. Their genres range from thriller, to dark comedy, to drama. Each of their films, to me, are special in their own way. Here are my top 5 of their movies.

5. Raising Arizona

If you like comedy, I really don’t see how anyone can not like this movie. Nicolas Cage stars as a criminal who marries a prison guard, but they can’t have kids. So when a furniture seller has 5 kids, they decide that that is plenty for one person, and they go ahead and take one for themselves. Filled with hilarious moments and some serious ones, it is one that I think that everyone could get something out of.

4. Blood Simple

Their first full length film was this dark thriller, and it really is very good. No comedy, but a very complicated story and scenes that will just give you the goosebumps make this one a great movie. Blood Simple is a raw, violent film that should be seen by those who liked No Country For Old Men, they are both very similar.

3. The Big Lebowski

This is really a love or hate movie, since the humor is on the R rated side. Drugs, violence, and sex are all used to get us to laugh, and it works well if you can find humor in these things. While Jeff Bridges plays a great part as “The Dude”, John Goodman stood out as the best character playing a Vietnam veteran who references it every time he’s on-screen.

2. Fargo

How could someone make a Coen Brothers list without mentioning Fargo? It’s a comedy, thriller, and drama all mixed into one crazy movie. Again, this is a dark comedy that makes you laugh when you normally wouldn’t in real life. While it can get very depressing, there are also some scenes that just can make your day. Fargo has everything that a good film needs, and all of it is done perfectly.

1. No Country For Old Men

Tense. This is what you feel when watching this classic story. Much like Blood Simple, No Country is raw violence, but everything happens in this movie for a reason. People hate the ending, but it definitely would be on my list for favorite endings. Just think about everything that happens, and know that the “main character” really isn’t what the story is about.

Posted in Blog

I even freaking reminded you

Posted on by Aardvarki

Grar. Webmistress is grumpy right now.

I’m taking a break from homework right now because I have a pounding headache and I noticed that our new admin, Shawn, has not posted a blog today. Me thinkies that he will be getting deleted… soon. I warned you.

It is eight o’clock at night, and I still have about two hours of homework left to do. Freaking speech and debate cases took two freaking hours, and freaking AP language persuasive letter took freaking one hour, and now freaking AP US History is taking freaking forever. 20 more vocab cards plus fifteen pages of notes on the most BORING ERA IN HISTORY.

The Industrial Revolution is the DEVIL. I do not CARE WHO INVENTED THE STEAMBOAT (Robert Fulton). I like all the political stuff and the presidential scandals and the religious stuff, but manufacturing makes me yawn. Plus, I had to learn about all this crap back in 8th grade. Granted, I like this class better, but STILL. AUGH.

We had a debate today in APUSH over whether or not Andrew was an accurate representative for the “common man”. I was on the negative side, because he so totally WASN’T.

Ack ack ack. Bad-ish day, I’m stressed beyond belief… ok, I’m going to go back to vocab cards.

Shawn, you’re getting deleted. I had hoped that you would be a little more committed to this and would actually put some effort into it. At least the FIRST FRICKING WEEK YOU HAD TO DO IT! Augh. I told you I wouldn’t miss you once astronomy ended. >:p

Posted in Sports

Kick it with your foot!!!

Posted on by Scarface

That’s about the smartest thing I say when I’m at a soccer game, I don’t completely understand the rules. So our boys soccer team just lost AGAIN, this time on senior night to our cross town rival. I went to a total of four games this year and our team did not score a single goal in any of them, unless you count the two we scored on ourselves one game. I kid you not, scored on ourselves not once, but TWICE in one game.

So since I’m a sports guy I pretty much can watch whatever sport and be entertained. I don’t know a lot of people who watch soccer or can even stomach it, but a lot of kids go just because it’s a school thing and the stadium is pretty sweet.

I’d have to admit the game is a little boring at times, there aren’t many goals normally. However, the game only stops once (half-time), so atleast the action is constant. In high school there are two 40 minute halves with a 10 minute half-time break, which is really needed.

But even though it can get boring, I can’t help but notice that it really does take a lot of skill to play. At a competitive level, you have to be conditioned like a beast in order to stay in the game. It may look easy, but kicking a ball with accuracy is really really difficult. Even pros, the best of the best, miss tons and tons of possible goals, it’s just not an easy thing to do. Not to mention goalies, they take a beating out there. My ex-girlfriend is a goalie and she told me how many hits she’s taken.

It’s also extremely team oriented, 11 players on a field is a lot. In order to score a goal the defense normally has to stop the other team and get control of the ball, which in itself could take four players. Then the ball has to be moved up the field without losing the ball, the ball gets stolen a lot. Then a PERFECT pass has to somehow be wedged into a tiny space, followed by a perfect kick or header into the goal. That’s a lot of things that need to all mesh together!

So I like soccer, it is the most popular sport in the world. Though I don’t think I could get into it like some people do, like at the World Cup… those people are nuts. If you like constant movement and don’t mind getting bored a little, soccer could be a good sport for you. It’s not on TV all that much in the US, so that’s problematic. But if there’s a soccer game for your school team, maybe go one time. You may find that you love it!

Posted in Music

You should be careful what you wish for!

Posted on by Bri

One thing I’ve noticed about music is that it’s really hard to imagine most people listening to it, unless they’re stereotypical indie types or boy-band loving preteens.

I remember once in middle school where I was once asked if I ever listened to music, not including Beethoven.

Ok, seriously? Do I really look like I listen to classical music? But since then, I’ve watched people closely (do I sound creepy enough yet?) and noticed the exact same thing. I can’t see any of these people listening to music. Even my friend Kelli (SROTS), who is a huge music lover that I’ve personally seen listening to music, and I STILL can’t see it. It’s so weird!

However, there are those people, like our new admin, Shawn, who I can definitely see kicking back with a retro cassette player listening to obscure bands that no one’s heard about. Shawn, like every other cliched (sorry, Shawn) indie rocker, is the kind of person who wears colorful, seizure-inducing graphic tee shirts and skinny jeans. He rocks the straight, shaggy blond hair that’s swept to the side over his eyes, the over-sized skater shoes, and the handmade beanies. (Has anyone else noticed this new trend… colorful hand made stocking caps? Or the fact that boys are learning to knit so they can make them themselves? No se…)

I can imagine Shawn rocking out on an actual guitar listening to bands like Run Kid Run, Metro Station, and INSERT NEEDLESSLY LONG OBSCURE INDIE BAND NAME HERE. Not to diss your music or your look, indie rockers, I like a lot of that stuff too. Red Jumpsuit Aparatus and Death Cab For Cutie are bands I regularly enjoy.

But really, can you actually imagine just some normal person listening to music? Everyone has their specific musical tastes, but not matter how much you understand that the cowgirl listens to country, can you actually imagine her, sitting in her room covered in pictures of her and her prize winning rodeo horses, rocking out to Keith Urban?

Posted in Movies

What are some of your favorite movies?

Posted on by Godfather

Ok, instead of a regular blog today, I just want to find out which movies everyone likes the best. I’m doing this so I can try to write blogs that are more to your interest. So, here’s my top ten (currently, it changes a lot since I watch a ton of movies).

1. Fight Club- Can’t find anything wrong with it, to me it’s a perfect piece of filmmaking.
2. Casino- Wonderful movie, after watching it a few times it does seem to be a bit long though.
3. Die Hard- Best action movie ever made, every guy NEEDS to see this one.
4. Gladiator- Everything is amazing in this movie, especially the acting an music.
5. Braveheart- A lot like Gladiator, they’re almost the same movie.
6. Rambo First Blood- Another great action movie, even without a lot of killing!
7. The Shawshank Redemption- Perfect ending to an emotional movie.
8. The Godfather- Classic, like Gladiator in respects of perfect music and acting.
9. No Country for Old Men- The ending is great, don’t listen to the idiots out there.
10. Memento- Very original piece of art by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight).

Posted in Issues, Politics

Three down, forty-seven to go…

Posted on by Aardvarki

Tell me: what do these three names have in common: “Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut.”
That’s right, folks: these are the names of the states in which gay marriage is now legal! The Connecticut Supreme Court today, in a 4-3 vote, decided that a ban on gay marriage constituted “cognizable harm” and infringed on a “fundamental right” of same-sex couples, and was, overall, unconstitutional. If you’d like to read a bit more about the ruling, copy this URL and paste it into your URL box: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4996BE20081011