The Genocide in Darfur

In my opinion, war and fighting is bad, and I think everyone else's should be the same on that. I also don't like having to pick who's the worst. Think of it this way: If all the groups got a nickel for every bad thing they did, and they had to stack on on top of the other, and then you got in airplane and looked down on their stacks of nickels, you would only be able to see the top one. So it's not a question of who's the baddest, it's who's bad and who's good. So my opinion on this is that everyone who is not trying to stop the fighting is the worst. So I think that pretty much includes everyone except the UN forces that are trying to achieve peace peacefully. Keep in mind that every group is trying to achieve peace for themselves or others. Just like everyone says, "It's not what you do that matters, it's how you do it."

RUSH

Last year, April 23, I was lucky enough to go hear the Canadian progessive rock band trio, Rush. I was a Wednesday night at the Frank Erwin Center, and building where several UT basketball games are hosted. They are known for playing 3 hour long concerts, and me and my friend ended up having to leave before it was over, at 11pm. The first time I heard them, it sounded like a goat yodeling over a bunch of lazer sound effects. The singer/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee has a voice that takes getting used to, but he makes up for that with his amazing bass lines and keyboard fills. The drummer, Neil Peart, is considered the greatest one in the world, and not even being a drummer, his playing gives me a tingling feeling everytime I hear his music. Finally there's the guitarist Alex Lifeson. I don't even know how to describe how awesome his playing is to me. He is a master at both acoutsic and electric guitar, and when he plays, everything sounds perfect. There first gig, with previous drummer John Rutsey (who was kicked out), was in 1968, so they're pretty old, late 60's and stuff, but they can definitely rock hard.

Free Topic - Guitars

I can go on forvever about guitars. I picked up my first one in kindergarten, and have been playing/taking lessons for close to 10 years now. It's a wonderful experience to be able to play music, as music is the primary way to express yourself when words come as no help. I have an acoustic one that is really good, and an electric one that is not the best, but it's usuable. I prefer acoustic ones, because I feel more at home playing it as opposed to electric ones. Like every single guy, I loathe shopping, yet I can spend a whole day at Guitar Center (heaven for guitar players). My music taste and my favorite bands change, but as of right now, my favorite guitarists are John Petrucci, Alex Lifeson, Tom Morello, Randy Rhoads, and Edgar Cruz.

Romeo and Juliet

In a brief overview of the extremely popular Shakespeare novel, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet and members of different families that are mortal enemies. Unfortunately, they fall in love, and to add, a nobleman also wants to marry Juliet, without Juliet's consent. Love is such an indescribeable(?) word. Originally it was a verb, to love, but has been adapted to be a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb. From my small knowledge of it, I would say it is better to learn to love than to fall in love. So many unexpected things happen falling in love. Now, I would like to quote one of my more philisophical friends, and his thoughts of love. "Love is interpreted in many ways though, and who is to say that one interpretation is correct, or if any are correct for that matter. Love could possibly be the sight of a fly landing on a wall - who is to say that the emotion we feel whenever we notice a fly on the wall is not love? I would daresay that everyone would dispute this theory, because everyone is seeking hope. Obviously the example of a fly landing on a wall as being love is obscure, but I use it purely because it is so ridiculous. Some would admit that love is in fact ridiculous, in that case, why couldn't a fly be the definition of love?"

Global Warming

Global warming is kind of a hot topic. haha. In my community, or even in Austin I guess, we have city transportation, like buses. My mom thinks that this is the best thing since the Beatles, so my whole family uses in as much as we can. I can't think of any eco-friendly, local groups off of the top of my head. There are Boy Scouts and Cub Scout groups, although I have no idea what the difference is..And same volunteer groups work and help clean up trash and other similar things.

Technology

These days, it's impossible to go anywhere without seeing people plugged into iPods or absorbed into their phones. Of course, technology does "improve" our life. It makes it easier to communicate, learn, and have fun. Technology has also improved travel, making it more accessible and enjoyable. They appear to make life in contemporary soceity easier to manage.

Diversity

Of course, as everyone knows, Texas is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. This means that there is a large population of Hispanics, and other people from that region. Also, being in the capital of Texas, Austin, it is known is the live music capital of the world, encouraging new music, and therefore increases the diverse races in the city that I live in. The University of Texas in located in Austin too, and so it having the largest student alumni population in the nation, many people come from across the globe to go to this amazing school. Everywhere you go in Austin, there is an astronomical amount of different cultural traditions. Being so diverse, Austin has shaped the culture and tradition of everyone, including those of us native to the U.S., and that change is for the better!