The 5-0

Last night, I was driving down US 68 when I noticed something that made me a little sick to my stomach to be completely honest. Heading down the highway, I saw a couple of yellow lights off in the distance. As I got closer, I saw that it was a German Twp. cop, hiding behind a bridge with nothing but his yellow lights on. For a driver in the other lane, there would be no way to see him. Obviously, he was trying to catch people speeding down the highway. I was disgusted by the sight to say the least. As a cop, you really have nothing better to do than to try to hide to catch people speeding down the highway? And even then, you don't have the balls to sit in the middle of the highway with your headlights on like any other state highway patrolman? Cops are supposed to be there for protection, but when I see sights like that, I lose faith in cops. When cops like these only care about catching someone speeding down a highway instead of real criminals, do you really feel safe?

Cop car at night (photo courtesy of huffingtonpost.com)

PSA for Thanksgiving

As we all know, Thanksgiving is vastly approaching. Before we know it, we'll all be sitting at home with our families (hopefully) doing nothing at all. To me, Thanksgiving is the best holiday next to Christmas. It's a day when you can eat delicious (free) food and watch football all day long and not feel bad about it. You can be lazy and no one will judge you for it. But some people are missing the point of Thanksgiving. Instead of spending time with their family, some people would rather spend time shopping for good deals on Christmas gifts or just items for themselves. To skip quality family time on a HOLIDAY no less in favor of saving a little money on a material gift is appalling and sad. As a result, store workers are forced to give up their family time in order to work for their employers. This doesn't seem right to me at all. There should be a law forbidding any shopping or stores being open on Thanksgiving. So, I urge all of you: spend your Thanksgiving with your family because in the end, they're the only ones that matter. Material items can be bought, quality family time cannot.

A Blog About Blogs

Writing blogs for journalism has certainly changed my outlook on writing. They allow you to make a voice for yourself and really express your feelings while having the chance to get your writing out there to the general public. So far, the blogging process has been good, but one can only blog about so many things. Although most of the time I can find something to write about, other times I just cannot find something worth writing about. I don't want to BS blogs; I want them to be meaningful and something to be proud of, and sometimes, I just don't have anything to write about. Ultimately, I like the idea of writing blogs for class. I think they're fun and allow students to learn more about their classmates. I think that they should be offered to students in journalism classes in the future.

All is Alive and Well in "The Land"

Sunday, I was able to finally make it to a Browns game. And let me tell you, it certainly was entertaining. From the moment I stepped onto that Cleveland asphalt to the time I got back in the car to go back to Springfield, I felt so much pride in the city. The atmosphere certainly has changed for the better. Although I may be a little biased, I believe there is no fan base in the world as loyal and as die-hard as Cleveland fans. The Browns are winning, the Cavs are predicted to bring the first championship to Cleveland in 50 years, who would've thought Cleveland would be the sports capital of the world right now?

My seat from the game this past Sunday at First Energy Field

Anyways, this was my first Browns game I had gone to since I was in 8th grade so needless to say, it's been awhile. My dad had scored us seats that were 12 rows up from the field, which was pretty cool. I had never had seats below the upper deck at a Browns game, so it was an amazing view. The players warmed up in the end zone we were sitting in, so it was unbelievable to see the size of these guys. They were absolutely humongous. It's crazy to think about how much these guys eat on a daily basis! Once the game kicked off, you could feel the energy of the fans and the pride the players showed to be playing in Cleveland, which was really nice to see, because I always thought players didn't genuinely like playing in Cleveland, they just did because they were paid to play there. Seeing guys that actually appreciate the city of Cleveland like the fans do is a breath of fresh air.

Throughout the game, the fans became one cohesive unit. It didn't matter if you didn't know the person next to you or anyone around you for that matter. If the Browns scored, you high-fived or even hugged everyone around you. If something bad happened, you would join in and talk s**t with your fellow fans to either the Browns for playing badly or to opposing fans that were yelling in the vicinity. Being around those people showed me how passionate the Browns fan base really is when the team can use their energy in order to play well. Ultimately, the Browns came through with a win, but it certainly wasn't pretty. A win is a win, however, so I'm happy about it. I even got strep throat because of the climate and wind, but it was worth every minute of it. The Brownies are 5-3!!

Heeeere's Johnny!

After a tough loss to the winless Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer finds himself on the hotseat. With his 16 completions on 41 attempts and an interception, it's easy to blame Hoyer for the loss to a winless team. However, Hoyer isn't all to blame for the game. Yes, he played poorly. Because of that, the pressure for Hoyer to perform well this Sunday against another winless team, the Oakland Raiders, is at an all-time high, because Johnny is lurking through the door and into the hearts of many Browns fans everywhere.

Brian Hoyer
(photo courtesy of sportsrants.com)

Johnny Manziel on Draft Day
(photo courtesy of cleveland.com)

 Manziel was the Browns' first round selection in this past year's NFL Draft, and a team that drafts a quarterback in the first round usually means that the quarterback will take over the starting role somewhere in the future. That plan has since been put on the back burner, since Hoyer has been playing so well by not turning the ball over, and putting his team in the best chance to win football games. But, since he played poorly against a winless team, he must win this weekend in order to secure his job as the starting quarterback as well as a contract with the team for next season. Manziel has been notorious for his gutsy plays and success in college, and many hope to see the Heisman trophy winner in an NFL game soon. That all depends on this weekend. If Hoyer plays well, then Johnny and his supporters will have to continue to play the waiting game. If Hoyer doesn't play well, then Manziel Mania will finally become a reality in Cleveland.

Why Do Bands Change Their Sound?

Over the course of many, many decades, bands and artists have paved the way to what music is today. No matter what artists tell you in today's times, they always have their inspirations from musicians from the past, and in the future, artists will look at musicians of our time for inspiration, too. But, to many bands, too much of the same thing can be boring. Many of them abandon their initial sound in exchange for a different, sometimes better or worse, sound, most notably in the Rock n' Roll genre.

Metallica in the late 1980's
(photo courtesy of loudwire.com)

In the early 1980's when glam metal was the scene of music, Metallica was formed. Their intentions were to play the fastest, hardest, and the most badass way possible to "stick it to glam metal." Their popularity grew as the 80's went on, and pretty soon, they found themselves playing at the Grammy Awards in 1989. Until then, Metallica had always been known for playing fast and loud, but after their Grammys appearance, they realized their true potential. They abandoned their seven-minute speed songs for slower, more groove-oriented five-minute songs that eventually made up the "Black Album," one of the best selling rock albums in the world. Although it sounded great, many Metallica fans claimed that the band had abandoned their roots for mainstream success.

Metallica in the 1990's, during their mainstream success
(photo courtesy of tetrades.com)

Many bands do change their sound for mainstream success. Avenged Sevenfold abandoned their screaming vocals from their first two albums in favor of singing and is one of the most popular rock bands in the world right now. Linkin Park abandoned its nu metal roots for a more electronic rock sound. These bands change because they don't want to put the same music out over and over. It gets too boring and people begin to lose interest. The bands that change dramatically, however, receive mixed reactions from their most loyal fans, while attempting to gain new fans. There is a certain line that bands should not cross when altering the sound of their music. Sure, a small change stylistically here and there never hurt anyone. It's the large changes that rub fans the wrong way, and is ultimately why they quit listening to the bands that they loved.

The Age of Smartphones and How We're Missing Out on Life

Attending concerts, watching a game on tv, or going to a party. Those three things all have one big thing in common: Almost everyone there is on his or her phone. Whether it's recording their favorite band playing a live show or taking selfies with friends, our phones have begun to take over our lives. We smartphone users are missing out on important things in life because we're too busy updating our Facebook statuses or posting a picture from the party we're at on instagram. While we're busy doing those things, life seems to be passing us by.

I'm gonna tell a little story about my own personal realization that my phone was taking over my life. About a year ago, I went to a concert to go see one of my favorite bands. I couldn't believe that after so long of a time, I would actually be seeing them play in person. When they first came out on to the stage, I was freaking out. These guys are in the same building as me. Seeing these guys on tv wasn't even close to being as cool as seeing them in person. I immediately grabbed my phone to take a video of the first song, like everyone else in the crowd did. I became so obsessed with recording this concert that I wanted to get every song on my phone. I worried about my phone more than I actually paid attention to the concert.

(photo courtesy of theorange.co)

This past summer, I saw the same band again. This time, however, I realized that I didn't feel the need to record the whole concert again because they had played many of the same songs as when I saw them a year ago, give or take a few songs. I didn't take my phone out one time during that concert, but this time, I had one of the best nights of my life. I got an experience that I can't view on my phone because it's just not the same. So, next time you're thinking about reaching for that phone when something good happens, don't. Enjoy that experience and store it in your memory. Life is too short; don't miss out on it.