So I saw this picture on a news app. I think it speaks very different things at the same time. When I first saw this, I thought, "why are these kids posing like they are in an Urban Outfitters advertisement?" I had major mixed emotions about this. I think its wonderful that these kids and other kids around the nation are protesting things that they believe in.  Freedom of speech is powerful, and it's great we live in a country where they can do this. However, why does it have to be advertised in a way that actually looks like the Urban Outfitters models' advertisements? These kids have just lived through a complete tragedy with first hand experience of what had happened. Which is devastating, but because of that, celebrities and other billionaires backing these kids are tossing them out there, slapping them on advertisements, and hiding behind them like human shields. Organizers of the anti-gun march are the same organizers for other common marches that we see on Washington as well. With that being said, yes, these kids have founded their own group but in order to get that group in the media and to have their own march, they needed other famous activists to organize this, sponsor this, fund this. So with that, these organizers will be writing their speeches, telling them what to say and how to say it. One of the students at Stoneman Douglas High School actually said he wouldn't go on national tv about the situation because he did not want to have to read off of a script given to him. Should they really be using these kids to push their agendas on the rest of us? Should these kids be slapped on advertisements for major networks to hide behind? Activists and other networks don't want to have a debate so the most reasonable thing to do is throw these kids out there, saying to the rest of us- be quiet and listen.  Again, I think it is wonderful that these marches are being done; everyone has that right because this is America. But, I think America should not be treated like children, should not be so gullible, and should look deeper into things.

Most Oddly Satisfying Video short story response

I'll be completely honest, I really have no idea what this article was about. i understand it is all about how a gelatin sphere gave one woman in particular relief from a hard day of being fired, and that she uses this gelatin sphere for all other attempts to relieve herself. However, the thumbnail portions completely confused me. I didn't understand the importance of the thumbnail. I took more interest when the author talked about people she sees everyday that are very similar to her to the point of her thinking that these people ARE here. I had to giggle when she called her therapist and asked to speak her but the receptionist said that she was with someone so the author just sighed and said, "ah, well played, other me." that does sound like something i would say. I see many people everyday where I see glimpses of myself in them. I think what it would be like if I was that person and that person was me, switched places. Then I get a weird feeling inside and come back to reality. I also liked the whole "that was another me," concept. I think we all are reminded of things that we did in the past and may be ashamed, embarrassed, or even reminiscent about those times and just say "yeah, but that was a different/another me." I am 100% guilty of thinking this! So while I was confused by some of this article, I definitely found myself relating to this author in author ways.

Brad Paisley-a different kind of cowboy before 'Accidental Racist'?: EBSCOhost

Brad Paisley-a different kind of cowboy before 'Accidental Racist'?: EBSCOhost



If there's one thing that has described me since I was 5, it's that I am a huge country music fan. From Hank Williams and Alabama, to George Strait and Garth Brooks, to modern day guys like Thomas Rhett, I love them all. I've never really had the opportunity to do a project about it, so I thought I would research some topics this time. It's a very broad topic to search so I wasn't sure what I was going to come up with. I didn't even know if this would work since I really had no direction in the topic. However, scrolling through the many pages, I found a really interesting and recent article on one of my favorite country artists who I actually just saw in concert- Brad Paisley. Brad Paisley is known for his dry sense of humor heard in his songs that can be viewed as satire, and his amazing guitar skills. He's well known in other music genres as seen by his collaborations with pop artist Demi Lovato as well as with rock and roll legend Mick Jagger. Country music is very different compared to many other genres and I think everyone knows this which is why people tend to either hate it or love it. Although, there are some fair weather fans, who literally only listen to it when the weather is good and their car windows are rolled down. While country music is seen as this "feel good" genre, there is so much depth within in the music that is not always so "feel good". Though it is always not this "Sunny and 75" type of music (pun intended- that is a name of a country song), country music tells a story that is more than the 3 minute song length. That is what this article is about. This article dives into some of the depth that Brad Paisley has wrote about. In particular, Paisley wrote two songs that this article really analyzes- "Those Crazy Christians" and "Accidental Racist." Paisley sings about two very controversial topics that usually catches everyone attention- racism and religion. While these songs do have some provocative lyrics, I think it is important to realize that there are SO many other genres that do this to an extreme. I don't mean to stereotype but I think rap is one of these genres. Listening to one rap song says all you need to know about the genre. It's all about drugs, guns, strippers; these VERY provocative terms used to describe all the above makes me wonder why Paisley's tracks were seen as so controversial. I learned a lot from this article and even though country may not be for everyone, these two songs are a good listen, and listeners can learn so much from them. It's a different outlook on racism and religion that is not always seen in the media.