Testing

Test. That one word can send a teenager into an instant frenzy. There is so much weight leaning on one test. It could dramatically lower a grade if poorly done, but only slightly raise it if done well. Many teachers weight their grades so that test are over 30% of your final grade. That, is ridiculous.

Those tests are just the ones taken in the classroom during the school day. Lets think about the ones taken that decide our future. The ACT and SAT decide what funding we get for college,what colleges will accept us, and can define who we are in the educational realm of things. One four hour time period of testing could change our future, and it all lies on a bubble sheet....that's a crazy thought.

I do well on tests, but that doesn't mean I like them. I hate tests because I lose sleep, miss football, and they takeaway from my social life. But mostly because I lose sleep. I think I should be defined more by tests PLUS what I do. I have a lot of qualities that can't show up on a bubble sheet; I'm responsible, a leader, and respectful, but there is no bubble for that. That's something I think a college would want, rather than a really smart but snotty kid. Another thing that really irritates me about the importance if tests, is that some days people just have an off day, a day where nothing is going right, a day where we just don't function right, and a day where we don't have the ability to take a test while producing accurate results.

The reason I'm saying this is because I know someone who is extremely intelligent, very kind, and is just an all around great person, but they struggle on tests. They suffer from test anxiety and just never do well on tests. It is too bad because they have the potential to go far in life. But because their ACT score doesn't reflect them accurately, who knows what will happen. If only their was a supplemental exam to the ACT that reflected who a person was rather how it they performed on tests.

Aside from those standardized test, I want to come back to school tests. We do some extra work to offset the bad test scores, but I wish tests were a less influential part of our grade. I get that they are needed to keep students to attentive and so they don't just stop trying, but do they really need to be over half of our final grade? I don't think so. I think they should be the same percentage as everything else. No special weighing, just straight up points. (WC 450)

It's Time

It is tradition for my friend Ben, his dad, my dad, and me to go to one Hawkeye away game each year. We are trying to get to every Big Ten stadium and then rank them in order of liking, taking multiple factors into account. This year, the only stadium we haven't been to that is on our schedule is Memorial Stadium in Indiana.

After the Hawkeyes poor effort the past two weeks, the game we thought would be a sure win might not come so easily. With Iowa's offense just painful to watch, the defense struggling, and our quarterback not showing up, we have a long way to come. It would be very nice if for just once this year, the Hawks could blow a team out, that team being the Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers, although last in our division, are a strong football team. They have put up a fight against the always powerful Ohio State Buckeyes, and have shown some signs of soon being a dominant force.

With Iowa struggling a lot, and the Hoosiers showing good signs, this will be a very very very tough game. There is nothing I hate worse than driving a long ways, to a mediocre stadium, and losing. It is the worst feeling in the world, a waste of time, and waste of money. When going to a less than desirable stadium such as Memorial Stadium, it is expected that the Hawks win big, that way the drive home is a bit more fun.

Last year we went to the other Memorial Stadium in Nebraska. With Iowa having a poor offensive performance against Nebraska in the game last year, it was disappointing, but because it is a cool stadium, it didn't feel like as much of a waste as it could have. One year we drive all the way to Penn State University the year after we ruined their Rose Bowl hopes. It was a very hostile environment and we won. It was a heroic performance and that was the best feeling in the world.

So pretty much what I am saying is that the Hawkeyes better turn their selves around, and put together a great game for us to watch next week. I am tired of watching the games and being embarrassed. If we are going to save the season, the time is now. Beat Indiana and use that momentum to finish the season strong. We can do it, we just have to believe. Lets go hawks! (WC 417)

Teams to Watch

Now that the NFL is coming up on week 8, it is okay to begin to decide which teams are “for real” and which ones just got lucky at the beginning. After next Monday night we will be half way through the regular season, which is extremely hard to believe! With 9 games remaining, anything could happen, but now is when teams begin to either fall further back, or start to creep up.

The team I am most impressed with this year is the bears. Actually I’m not impressed with the whole team, just the defense. The Bears defense is one of the absolute best in the league and consistently holds opponents to very few points. Last night the Bears help the lines to 0 until the final seconds of the game, that’s a sign of a stealthy defense. The offense on the other hand isn’t as impressive. Jay Cutler in my opinion is one of the better quarterbacks in the league, but only sometimes. He has is glory games, but he also has some awful ones as well. However, their defense doesn’t need to be as p[proficient when their defense holds so well.

A team that I feel has just gotten lucky is the Minnesota Vikings. They only have two losses, and do keep putting up a fair number of points, but their schedule hasn’t been difficult at all, with the exception of one or two games.  The Vikings play a rougher schedule the second half of the season including two games against the Packers in the final 5 weeks of the season.

The Houston Texans are a team that I feel will begin to expand on their lead in the AFC west. With only one loss to the Packers, they rebounded from that game and had a remarkable game this past week. I would be surprise to see Matt Schaub and his offense continue to put up points against strong defenses and continue to win. I think they might make it two the playoffs with 3 or fewer losses. They are a strong team on both sides of the ball.

Lastly, I want to talk about the Packers. They got off two a really rough start losing three times the games they lost last year. But after theses past two weeks, I think there is a different team on the field. Aaron Rodgers has been completely lights out the past two weeks throwing a combined total of 9 touchdowns, and is looking like, if not better than he did last year. I think with an offense as proficient as they have been, they Pack roles into the playoffs on a high note. They play five divisional games to end their season and that very well could make or break their road to the Super Bowl. (WC 467)

Another Political Call

I am getting so sick of all of these political ads, as is most everyone as I can imagine. By this time of year most everyone has decided who they are going to vote for. One measly call at 9pm is not going to change many people votes. The biggest way to sway voters in your favor are the debates. The debates show us who you are under pressure, who you are when criticized, and how you fire back. Debates, although facts may be not totally credible, are in my opinion the best way to gain more support.

     Last week I took a tally of how many people called asking for my vote. Thirty three. That is thirty three more phone calls than I care to answer. Every time the phone rings I have made it known I will answer. I simply answer in the driest tone possible, they ask me who I am voting for if the election were held today, and I respond, "I am not of age to vote." I would think that would end the conversation; it never does. So then the next question they ask is usually around the lines of, if you could vote, who would you vote for. Once again, trying to be difficult I respond,"due to the fact that I am ineligible to fill out a ballot I do not feel I am an accurate representation of the nation's vote." They then ask me if I consider myself an independent. For the third time, trying to be a smart Alec, I respond, "I am not a registered voter, I do not consider myself independent, democrat, republican, or Whig. Good bye and God bless 'Murica."

     The reactions I get vary but the ones I love are the people who still try and get an answer from me. To be honest I start to not like the candidate who does the most negative campaigning, who has the most ads, and who calls me the most. Oh and by the way campaign volunteers...my last name is pronounced (Guy-ger) not (Gee-ger). Thank you. (WC 350)

Kennedy Advances to Playoffs

What a crappy day to be a hawk fan. I’m not even going to blog about the game, the score speaks for itself and if you don’t know the score, look it up…enough said. On the other hand Kennedy is in the Playoffs! With a final regular season record of 4-5 the Cougars advance to post season play Wednesday vs. Muscatine.

                If the Cougar defense holds its own as it has the second half of the season, they should have a good chance to go deep into the playoffs. Kennedy has had a pretty solid defense this season, especially prominent against the Iowa City Little Hawks, where they had just over 40 yards of offense…impressive. The offense on the other hand has also undergone major improvement! Senior quarterback, Riley Fergus, is showing more athleticism since game one where the Cougars had an AWFUL day completing 3 of 27 passes. His right hand man, Alex Hillyer, has also pulled more than his weight this season. Hillyer broke Kennedy’s single season rushing yards record, and is always a dominant force on the field. This last game against the Little Hawks was a great representation of what he can do, rushing for over 200 yards.

                Overall I would say the Cougars didn’t live up to their expectations, or their potential for that matter. They came in to the season expecting to run their division; they did anything but. Starting out 0-4 with little to brag about, the Cougs then real in their first win against, you guessed it, Jefferson. Since then the cougars have gone undefeated. It seems as though the sleeping giant has awoken and the cougars are back!

                It is hard to tell how far Kennedy will make it in the playoffs this year. With a possibly 5 more games, that is if they go to the championship game, players, and the coaching staff begin to fatigue. A team that just snuck into the playoffs has a lot of work to do to become state champions. I have a feeling the Cougar football team has some things in their playbook we have yet to see, and that could be the little spark we need to keep this streak alive. As I was once told, “It’s not about who has the better team, but who has the greater determination.” If Kennedy has the drive and determination to make it to the UNI Dome, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Go Cougars! (WC 407)

Yet Another Phone Tabusted

One thing that I cannot stand is when my phone malfunctions. For the fourth time in a year it has decided to not work properly and turn off whenever I slide it open. This problem seems to only happen to me and no one else in my family. I just don’t quite understand why the same thing happens over, and over, and over again.

Each time this happens I have to go to the cell phone store, they look at it, determine it is an interior (Manufacturer) problem. After that they send me a new phone of the same model and I send the messed up phone to the company. If they prove I didn’t do anything to it, the replacement is free. If for some reason they prove I did do something to cause that problem, it costs me 200 dollars. The past three times it has been the phones fault and I am positive the same is true this time.

The reason it is so annoying, is because it takes forever at the phone store for them to tell me what I already know. It also takes about five days to get a new phone so meanwhile I’m either stuck with a crappy loaner, or my malfunctioning one. Not having a phone isn’t the end of the world for me, but it is really irritating especially when I am trying to contact people or get a hold of my parents.

Usually when this interior system problem occurs, I just text people off of my iPad because it is a lot easier than trying to learn the keyboard of a new (loaner) phone. I guarantee you that when I go to the phone store today the sales associate will tell me the same thing they always do, “it looks like you are in need of a new phone.’’ I will politely respond, “Nope, I just need a new one because this one seems to have a system malfunction.” They always try and deny that that is the problem, but after a few times of me telling them that it’s not my fault, my dad will jump in, sternly speak with the salesperson, and from there we are sent to the technician.

The Technician will take one look at it, tell me it is my touch display connector piece that is doing something funky and I will be sent a new phone in 3-5 business days. If it were up to me, I would get a different phone because this same model has failed me four times now. However, if I do that I am out 300 bucks. So until my two year agreement is up I will continue to endure the irritation of a phone that breaks down very quickly. (WC 461)

Defense is Key for Packers

     There is nothing better on a rainy Sunday than kicking back laying on the couch and watching football, at least in my opinion. Days like these are my absolute favorite. Homework mostly done, and lots of good games on tv.

     I am getting pumped for the Packer vs Texan game tonight. The Texans are undefeated and that could very well continue tonight. With a beat up and discouraged Packer team, no one really knows what might happen. Obviously I am a bit bias toward the pack, but I do feel they might squeak away with a victory late this evening.n

     Although the Packers are discouraged, they also have heads full of steam and are ready to destroy anything in their way. If the Packers can convert on 3rd down and move the ball efficiently, I would be happy. That has been something they have struggled with and is very irritating for me. I would also like to see our defense step it up, force turnovers and ultimately win the ball game.

     The Packer defense has struggled the past couple of weeks and needs a big game to get their confidence up. I believe tonight might be the game that happens. Knowing that the defense needs to be on top of their game is concerning for me, but it is bound to happen one of these days...right?! I'm a very optimistic kind of guy so I am really thinking the Packers will come away with three huge turnovers this evening.

     If Houston has a bit of a lull tonight, and the Packers decide to turn things around, it could, just possibly, get nasty in Houston. I'm very hopeful for a win and am confident the Packers will come through tonight. Like I said earlier, I'm very optimistic, so I am going to predict a 35-24 Green Bay Packer victory. From here the Packers will get the confidence they need to boost their level of play. That is the very bold prediction of the day, that I hope come true. Go Pack Go!!! (WC 345)

Oh Politics

     Politics. That is the word many of us cringe at when used. Especially in this time of the year the word, "politics" has a different meaning. If you want to get in to an argument all you really have to do is start talking nonsense about the government, and it will set someone off...guaranteed.

     It seems that no matter what any candidate says, someone takes it way to far and blows the true words out of proportion. We smack talk the President and republican nominee way to much. Even tho not all of us may agree with President Obamas policies, but we have to have to utmost respect for the man. He has run this country, kept us safe, and been through tremendous stress to keep America going. Even tho some of us feel Barack was a sub par president, he certainly did a better job than you or I could have done, so we owe him one.

     On the flip side, Governor Romney needs our respect as well. As his views differ from Obamas in most areas, we tend to form a strong opinion of one man over the other. As some people may bash Romney for some of his policies we have to understand that he is in the spotlight 24/7. It is so hard for an individual to say everything without flaw for months and not be criticized. He is bound to slip up, just as we would, so we need to stop criticizing Romney for every little mishap of his. Keep in mind he may be running the country in a few months, and he deserves our respect, as we would expect if we were in either candidates position.

     We tend to think of these two fine men less as people and more as targets. Nothing will ever get done if we can't get along! Republican or democrat we are all people of god, and people of the USA and we have to embrace that and get along despite political differences. Just because Romney is republican and your a democrat doesn't mean you have to disagree with all of his policies. There may be some you like, so support it. And same goes with President Obama. Yes he's a democrat, and if your a republican it is ok to agree with the man. All I am trying to say is I think politics separate us way to much. I feel a lot more would get done properly if we could get along as one, rule as one, and not be so separated by the words, "republican" and, "democrat."(WC 434)

Pssht Who Needs a Job?!

I am currently unemployed, yet I make more money than most people who do have jobs! I do this by utilizing my skills, and helping others. This weekend I made $200 in 2 hours. All I had to do was sit up in a tech booth and run the lights, sound, and projection for a wedding. I do this about once every other month and it is totally worth it! 

                Beyond that I, as well as my friend, David can repair toilets. As stupid as that sounds, it is true, and it pays well. This past summer we probably fixed 4 toilets or so and made $240. That is one of those tasks where we can charge high because a plumber cost a whole lot more, and no one wants to do it themselves. You may be wondering how we got into this biz. Well it is kind of a boring story, but pretty much my upstairs toilet was leaking, and we wanted to fix it before my parents go home, so we uninstalled it, repaired the wax ring, put it back in, and it to this day works like a charm. My parents eventually found out, thought it was pretty impressive, and now tell the story everywhere they go. Which helps us out because then people call us needing a repair.

                Aside from those tasks which are rather sporadic, I often times have to watch my neighbors until their mom gets home from work. It is super easy (because I really don’t do anything but give them a snack) yet I get paid pretty well. I also gave baseball lessons to a 3^rd grader this summer, and he ended up making the better travel team this year! So that paid off in more ways than one.

One last job that I really don’t need to get paid for, but do anyway is dog/house sitting. Recently I house sat for some friends of our family and David and I just watch the dogs, eat their food, and use their electricity. It’s a rather sweet deal because really all they would need to do is stock the fridge and I would be set, however they still pay us pretty well on top of that!

Just because I don’t have a job doesn’t classify me as a lazy teenager that doesn’t do anything. I do lots of things at random times for large amounts of cash. It’s been paying for my expenses so for. For all that I am concerned; getting a job would be a waste of time. I am perfectly content with my current financial situation. (WC 434)

Yet Another Game Lost

Earlier today the Packers suffered their third loss of the 2012 season. As the Packers went into halftime with a 21-3 lead over the Indianapolis Colts they were feeling pretty confident about the game. Not so fast. The colts came out firing the second half and ended up taking the lead with 5 minutes left.

The packers marched right down the field to score yet another touchdown. At this time the Packers are now up 5 with two minutes remaining. The Colts answer scoring another touchdown making the game a difference of three points. With 35 seconds left, Aaron Rodgers does what he does best and moves the ball down to the Colt 35 yard line. With 8 seconds on the clock the Packers intend to run one more play, call a timeout, and kick a field goal to hopefully tie the game. Well as the story goes, the Packers had a miscommunication at the line of scrimmage and were forced to take their last  timeout and making the field goal just a bit trickier. The Packers had no choice but to kick the 52 yard field goal in an attempt to tie the game. Mason Crosby, one of the most respected kickers in the league comes out fully expecting to send this game into overtime. FLOP. The kick goes way wide left and the Packers lose yet another nail bitter.

With a 2-3 record, the Packers must make some major adjustments. These adjustments need to be in the defense. Green Bay’s defense allowed Indianapolis to convert too many crucial downs, and wasn’t able to hold them in the end. When an offense puts up 37 points, your defense needs to be able to hold the opposing team! Another area the Packers struggled was in catching the ball…on defense. I counted at least 5 times where a Green Bay defender had both hands on the ball and had a great opportunity to come away big. If the Green Bay D would have just picked one of those drops off, it would have been a different game. There were 2 plays in the Colt’s final drive where the ball was right in a Packer defenders hand, yet we wouldn’t get the interceptions. If the Packers want to make it to the Play-offs, something needs to change and it needs to happen now.  

-Irritated Packer Fan (WC 395)

Gone but Never Forgotten

     As Charles Dickens once said "It was the worst of times, it was the best of times..." This could not be more true this past month when my great aunt, Judy past away. Judy had suffered a severe stroke last month and was hospitalized for a week before she was taken to heaven. As my mom and grandparents were in Colorado for the duration, cleaning out the condo, spending final moments with Judy, and reminiscing the life of such an interesting woman, we were at home praying, hoping, and remembering.
     While cleaning out the condo they found many pictures and documents reminding them of just how interesting of a woman she was. They realized that that she was a collage dean, she was in the very first group of the Gold Singers at the University of Iowa, she was in a play with Harrison Ford, and she sang in the University of Iowa choir with Simon Estes. However that's is all stuff my mom and grandparents remembered or found out, I on the other hand remember some other things about aunt Judy.
     I remember receiving cards always in her cursive writing that was near impossible to deceiver, every time either talking about the Broncos, Packers, Hawkeyes, Cubs, or Rockies. Her passion for sports was something i admired and she was always interested in what I thought about the teams, and always up on the latest news. I won't forget her love and passion for the game of golf and and her little bank in the condo reading "green fees."
     As hard of a loss this might be, it really brings people together to celebrate the life and achievements of an accomplished lady. The visitation was filled with laughter and great memories and stories were told. As we mourn the unexpected loss of a fairly young loved one, we will never forget the Christmases spent at grandma's house, the birthdays with great gram Russ, the trip out to her condo on our way to Estes Park and her chest high waist line.
     Through the days after her passing, the visitation, and the funeral, there were many very sad times; but all in all it is a time filled with laughter and joy as we look back, remember, and celebrate her life. There is nothing that can replace her presence, but the memories will live on forever. Rest in peace aunt Judy; you will be missed. (WC 406) 

When Mom Leaves, So Does Sanity

We always can be so short tempered with our parents and not really realize all that they do for us. This past month I happen to gain a lot of respect for my mom. As we received a phone call from the Colorado hospital, we were informed that my great aunt had just had a horrible stroke. At this moment my mom, as well as my grandparents, hopped in the car and left for Denver, Colorado. My mom promised us they would be home Monday (they left on a Thursday).  Four days without home cooked meals and house cleaning wouldn’t be so bad, I thought. I have been home alone for a week before, and been completely fine. However that wasn’t the case, with my dad and sister also home, stuff got out of hand very very quickly.

It all started when my mom called and told us that they doubt Aunt Judy would survive and they would have to stay a day longer. It had only been tree days so far and I was sick and tired of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. On top of that, laundry was piling up and the house was a mess. I decided Tuesday night I would take matters into my own hands and make dinner, well that didn’t work so well. So once again I am back to PB and J.

On Monday my mom called and said that she won’t be home anytime soon, for me the only issue was I was sick of sandwiches, but for my sister it was more. My sister only being 11 started bawling and that lasted the evening. My dad was stressed out at work, my sister is upset, and I am just hungry…great. That next day my dad decided we would go out to eat, which was a fantastic idea, until we realized that there were heaps of laundry that hadn’t been done yet so we had to stay home and sort, wash, fold, and sort more laundry…it was a fantastic time as you can imagine.

It is now Thursday and my mom has left Colorado, due to be home on Friday. As relieving as this was, we needed to do a ton of cleaning. The house had gotten so out of hand that it took two full evenings of hardcore cleaning to restore it to its default settings. Finally on Friday evening my mom arrived at home and asked the question she regrets asking, “How did the week go?” As we all spill out different things that happened and went wrong, and she simply responded, “So next time you get mad at me because your favorite shirt isn’t washed yet, why don’t you think back to this week.” Touché mom, touché. (WC 458)