Politics

Over the past few years I have become quite a bit more informed about politics, but I still don't feel like I know enough. I suppose I probably will never know as much as I'd like. Learning the in's and out's about everything politics seems to be an impossible task. With the 2008 Presidential Election quickly approaching, I am hearing, what seems like, infinitely more people saying they're not going to vote because they don't feel informed about the candidates. With all of the forms of media accessible to us, how could someone not be informed? Even before television or internet people seemed well informed about Presidential candidates. There are multiple websites to learn about candidates. One great website to check out is OnTheIssues.org.

Another thing I have came across lately on the issue of politics is the Independent vote. If a person doesn't like either the Democratic or Republican candidate, should they vote at all? There is a couple of ways you can look at it. I feel like a person should exercise their right to vote regardless of which party he/she is going to vote. There have been numerous studies done showing that a candidate will never win the Presidency if he/she is running as an Independent. So if a person votes Independent, while knowing that their vote isn't really going to "count" (in terms of electing the person he/she is voting for), does that mean that person's vote is a wasted vote? Does that mean that person should have just not voted at all? I don't necessarily think so. A vote should not be cast as if it were a bet. I feel a person should be voting for the person who he/she thinks is the best candidate, not candidate he/she thinks the majority of voters will choose.

But there is always the other side to the argument. The other side views the Independent vote as one that if the voter would pick the lesser of the two evils (Democrat/Republican), it could change the results of a close election. This yielded true when Al Gore was running for President against George W. Bush. Independent voters were voting heavily for Ralph Nader, and this changed the election outcome. If those voters would've voted for Al Gore, the United States would've had a different President.

As you can see there are some very interesting things that take place in politics, and as always there are two sides. This Presidential Election is a very important one with some major issues such as the economy and foreign policy. Therefore, I urge you to get informed so you are able to make your own informed decisions.

VOTE!

Cat Nap

After having a post about my dog, Jake, I only felt it was right to have a post about my cat, Stripes. So here she is, in all of her 18 year old glory. I snapped this picture right as she was apparently opening her eyes from a summer nap, which seems to be about all she does during the day. (Duotone adjustment, Contrast/Brightness)

Hot Air Balloons

On the way to The Melting Pot in St. Louis I came across these hot air balloons launching from Forest Park. (Curve Adjustment, Brightness/Contrast Adjustment)

The Graduate

I Survived


The Graduate from Springfield, IL. If you like this song I would recommend you buy their CD called "Anhedonia". It's only $7.99 on Itunes (click the link), and I promise you will not be disappointed.

The Google Phone

Google has released details on its first phone that will be released through T-Mobile. Technically I guess it is not a Google phone, but it is powered by Android software, which was developed by Google. Android Developer Challenge was created by Google, and by doing this they came up with a software to be used in a mobile phone. The phone will incorporate Google Maps(including Street View), Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube, and the ability to purchase any mp3 from Amazon.com's collection. For more information click here and here.

Love Lockdown

After a VMA performance and a few rough-mix versions of the song released on his own blog, Kanye West has released the album version of "Love Lockdown" on Itunes. This is definitely a new direction for Kanye considering he doesn't rap at all throughout the entire song. His new album is set for release on December 16, 2008, and it will be titled "808's and Heartbreaks." After hearing this song, I'm really curious how the rest of the album is going to shape up.

If you would like to hear a clip or buy the song on Itunes click here.

Meet Jake

Meet my dog, Jake. He's a half-lab, half-beagle mix. (Food for thought: Think how a lab and a beagle would look making babies!) If you say the word "walk" or "squirrel" within his earshot, he will get really excited. Also, Jake loves to push the flowers (like those in the left of the picture) with his nose, and then eat the bees that fly off of them.

Senior Design Project

I am a civil engineering major, and for my senior design project I am retro-fitting and re-designing the heating and cooling plant on SIUE's campus. I was in the building taking some pictures when I came across these oil drums in the basement. I thought they looked interesting with the indian heads on them. Once again, I used Photoshop to edit the picture because of the nerd that I am. (Curve adjustment, Brightness/Contrast adjustment, Lens blur)

Ace Enders @ Phillies Game

Ace Enders was the lead singer of the band The Early November, and he also worked on a solo project called I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business. Now he is moved on to a new solo project called Ace Enders and A Million Different People. If you have never heard of any of these bands/project be sure to give them a listen. He writes some really catchy tunes, and in my opinion is really talented. Here's a video of Ace Enders singing "God Bless America" at the Phillies Game over the weekend. Hope you enjoy!

Fujiyama Steakhouse

This week Katie and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary since our first date. To celebrate we decided to stick to tradition by going out to eat. This year we chose Fujiyama Steakhouse located in Carbondale, Illinois. It is a steakhouse where 8 people sit around a grill and a chef comes out and cooks your food right in front of you. While the chef prepares your food, he/she sings, throws utensils in the air, and even throws food at you. (He threw rice at every person at our table and tried to get us to catch it in our mouths) If you get the chance to go to one of these restaurants take advantage of it! Here's a few pics from the dinner.

All of the food after it was put on the grill

Our chef cooking the food

My plate of food, which consisted of salmon, pork fried rice, shrimp, and an assortment of vegetables.

Photoshop

I'm a Photoshop addict. Here are a few pictures that I took and then edited with Photoshop:

Starting Over

Thanks for checking out my new blog. The plan is to post pictures that I take, talk about what's going on with my life, and post news stories that I think you might find interesting. I'm hoping to update a few times a week, so be sure to check back often.