BLUE STARS GUYS

Okay, so the prompt is to pick an article from this week that interests me and write about it, and there was this article about Blue Stars, which look totally sick, in case you were wondering. The article was about how Blue Stars prove the universe is only thousands of years vs. billions of years old, as Blue Stars apparently use a lot of fuel to burn like that, and should burn up within millions, not billions, of years, and whats wrong with the nebular theory and such. All that is totally boring though, because freaking Blue Stars guys.

The article doesn’t even hardly explain them, (lame) so I looked them up. They’re just like other stars, 74% hydrogen and 25% helium, 1% etc elements, except they’ve got a different temperature. So it seems red stars are the coolest, and blue are the hottest. Their temperatures vary depending on their mass, nothing else. Blue Stars have at least 3 times the mass of our Sun. They can get much, much bigger than that, but as long as they’ve got that minimum down, they will appear blue to us.

Rigel is an example of a Blue Star. It’s the 6^th brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the constellation Orion. It’s been calculated that Rigel is somewhere between 700-900 light-years away, but still is as bright as Sirius, which is approx. 8.3 light-years away. Rigel is about 11,000 degrees Kelvin, (19340.33 F;10726.85 C) versus the Sun’s 5,887 K (9940.73 F;5504.85 C).

As Blue Stars as so hot, they burn through fuel very quickly. “With 150 times the mass of the Sun, Eta Carinae has only been around for a few million years and it’s expected to detonate as a supernova within the next 100,000 years. Our Sun, in comparison, has been around for 4.5 billion years and is expected to live another 7 billion years.” –Blue Stars written by Fraser Cain Jan, 29^th, 2009,

http://www.universetoday.com/24362/blue-stars/

Abraham Lincoln

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Lincoln

Quite arguably one of the most influential Presidents, Abraham Lincoln made a huge impact on our nation, inspiring many with his rationality and charm. The sixteenth President of The United States and Prezzy during the Civil War, Lincoln will be remembered for centuries because of his efforts to disintegrate slavery in our country, for the Emancipation Proclamation, The Gettysburg Address, and for his reputation as ‘Honest Abe’.

Lincoln was born to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12^th, 1809. Thomas was a farmer who did fairly well for his family, but in 1817 they moved to Perry County, Illinois. When Abraham was 9, his mother died of tremetol, which was absolutely devastating. A few months after her death, Thomas married Sarah Bush Johnston, with whom Abraham quickly bonded with.

When Abraham was 22, the family was moving once again, this time to Coles County. Abraham didn’t go along. He instead moved to New Salem, where he worked as a post-master and a shopkeeper. It was here, by talking to all the different sorts of people who came in, that he picked up a knack for story telling and became quite popular in the town. When the Black Hawk War of 1832 began, the volunteers of that area elected Lincoln their captain. They saw no real fighting.

After the war, Lincoln began his political career. He was elected to the Illinois state legislature in 1834, as a member of the Whig party. The Whigs parties political stance formed Lincoln’s early views on slavery; he saw it not so much as immoral as he did an economical hindrance. Around this time, he decided to become a lawyer, self-teaching himself. After being admitted to the bar in 1837, he moved to Springfield, Illinois and began practicing law at the John T. Stuart law firm.

Lincoln served one term in The House of Reps., from 1847 to 1849. He was the only Whig from Illinois, and had a hard time finding political allies. He used his time in office to voice his distaste for the Mexican-American War and supported Zachary Taylor for Pres. In 1848. His critique made him unpopular back home, so he did not run for a second term but instead returned to Springfield to continue law.

In the 1850’s the railways were expanding, and Illinois became a popular place for new businesses. Lincoln found himself with many clients such as banks and insurance companies due to his previous succes in cases. He did some criminal cases, in one of which a witness claimed they could positively identify Lincolns client because of the light from the full moon on the night of the crime. Lincoln checked in an almanac, and proved that said night was to dark for the witness to have seen jack clearly. His client was acquitted. 😀

Lincoln got engaged to Mary Todd in 1840. Mary was a well-educated woman from Kentucky. In 1841 the engagement was broken off by Abraham. They met up again later at a social hoo-hah, and finally got married on November 4^th, 1842. They had four children, Robert Todd, Tad, William Wallace, and Edward Baker; Only Robert made it to adulthood.

In 1857, The Supreme Court issued its decision, Scott vs. Sanford, declaring that African- Americans were not citizens and had no inherent rights. An indignant Lincoln, who believed that the Founding Fathers built this country on the belief that all men a]had certain unalienable rights and needed to be treated with decency, challenged then US Senator Stephan Douglas for his seat. He gave a speech in which he criticized Douglas, The Supreme Court, and President Buchanan, and declared that “a house divided cannot stand”. The 1858 Senate campaign featured a series of seven debates, Lincoln vs. Douglas, with the primary issue being slavery. Douglas was elected, but this exposure gained Lincoln much popularity and national attention.

In 1860 the Republican National Convention chose Lincoln as their Presidential Candidate. Lincoln received about 40% of the popularity vote, and 180 votes of of 303, the other 123 being split between Douglas, John Breckinridge, and John Bell.

Before his inauguration in March 1861, seven states had seceded, and Fort Sumter was under attack. Lincoln pulled out all the stops; He dispersed two million dollars from the Treasury for war material, he called for 75,000 volunteers to join military service, and he arrested and imprisoned suspected Confederate sympathizers, all without an allotment from Congress, a declaration of war, or warrants. He used his power as President unlike any before him. He faced many various enemies, ranging from his generals and his Cabinet, to American citizens, right to the rebels.

The Union Army faced a great many defeats in the first year and a half, which made it difficult for Lincoln to gain any support, much less keep that which he had. But, with a hopeful victory for the Union at Antietam on Sept 22^nd, 1862, Lincoln felt he might be able to change his stance from the unification of the nation to the abolishment of slavery.On January 1^st, 1863, he issued The Emancipation Proclamation. All individuals who are slaves “henceforward shall be free”.

The North slowly began to do better in the war. Lincoln was challenged by George B. McClellan, former commander of the Army of Potomac, for the Presidential office. Lincoln won with 212 out of 243 Electoral votes and as re-elected in 1865. On April 9^th, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his forces to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, and the war was over.

Lincoln was assassinated on April 14^th, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He was taken from the theatre to the Petersen House across the street, where he lay in a coma for nine hours before dying that next morning. His body lay in the Capitol until a funeral train took his body back to Springfield, Illinois, his final resting place.

Abraham Lincoln accomplished many things through out his life time. He set people free. He moved a nation. He will be remembered for centuries. Da da da da da dah deh… dah da da da da dah…

Is most of what people buy totally unnecessary?

So, the prompt asks if everything-or at least most-of what we buy is unnecessary. Yes. It is. Even the things we consider ‘necessary’ aren’t needed. No matter what, we all die, and everything we have, need, or know will evaporate into nothingness. Oblivion is inevitable.

Food, water, and oxygen. That’s what is needed to stay alive. The only ‘necessary’ things in life. That said, there is absolutely no conceivable reason for anything else. Food grows out of the ground. It walks. We don’t need to create artificial foods; they aren’t necessary. Yet we make them. Why? Simple whim, I suppose.

No, you do not need that pink towel. You don’t even need a towel, period. You can air dry. You don’t need a non-stick pan, either. NOTHING is really needed. I cannot stress that enough. You will die. The people who know you will die. The only way to be remembered is to do something with your life, but have you done that? I doubt it. Not yet, at least. But even then, if you did something worthy of being remembered for, eventually, our whole world will be dead. Our sun will burn out. Zombie apocalypse. Aliens. Nobody knows how, but it will end someday. So, yeah, nothing we buy is necessary.

We may be an accidental speck in an enormous void, but stop focusing on that. Who gives a crap if its necessary? Why must it be useful?

Once, I was in the car with my grandma. A Weezer song was on, (I’m pretty sure that’s what it was) and they were singing this one sort of sound.. Like “Ah, ah, ah” or something, and my grandma changes the station. I happen to like this song, so I look at her and ask, “You don’t like Weezer?”. She says no, I don’t like them saying that same thing over and over. I mean, what’s the point of it?

What’s the point of anything? What’s the point of your excessive amount of potholders? What’s the point of all your work out videos that you don’t use? What’s the point in all the broken sewing machines you have? Huh? What. Is. The. Freaking. Point. ?

There is no point. But don’t focus on that. Focus on the fact that you have a consciousness. Focus on the fact that you can DO things. Focus on the fact that you have a will, that you can say you did something. Focus on people. Focus on people most of all.

I would like to disclose that I do not believe in religion. I think it’s dumb, it draws us apart, it creates invisible lines that when crossed causes war and hatred. Plus, scientifically it doesn’t make sense. I can’t wrap my head around it. But, if I had to have a religion, it would be people, because what is better to live for than what we really are?

People are freaking amazing. I mean, I can’t stand people. Too many warped ideas and rules and restrictions and societal molds to fit into and mean, rude, buttheads and labels and “I don’t like you because of a physical/mental/emotional/ differential variable thing that is stupid and I realize its stupid but people will judge me if I don’t judge you and that’s stupid too and everybody knows its stupid but it still happens”es. But put all that aside, people are great. People are what give people a point.

I read this book called ‘Evidence Of Things Not Seen’ by Lindsey Lane. This kid goes missing, and the whole book is the sheriff interviewing people in town about what they think happened to him. (theres other stuff too, but basically that‘s whats going on… its a really good book. You should read it) Anyways, this kid was always writing in this notebook, and throughout the book, bits of paper show up. One, at the beginning, says something along the lines of: We are each made up of tiny little particles, and every time we meet somebody, little particles of us stick to them and little particles of them stick to us and as we meet more people and do more and experience more, we get more and more particles, and in the end, that’s how we get whole. Something like that. I thought it was freaking beautiful.

No, most of the things we buy aren’t ‘necessary’, but I don’t care, you shouldn’t care. Stop caring about that. Care about something important, like music or paintings or puppies. Just care in general about good things and making sure they continue to happen. Quit asking why, and start asking why not.

My Favorite Type Of Music – English Essay

Okay, This is my essay for English. Its a bit shorter than 5 pages, but it is seriously killing me.

Throwing yourself down on the bed, angry. Sleepless nights spent crying. Repressed feelings of rage, regret and remorse. Sound familiar? How can anyone possibly deal with this? Listening to music.

Webster dictionary defines music as the “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity”. Technically, yes, yes it is. But not truly. Music is like the stars decided to spit out unicorns who carry the weak until they get stronger. Music is what feelings sound like. Music is our friend when everyone else leaves.

Choosing my favorite type of music is difficult. Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Blues, R&B, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Latino. Each one speaks to me, tugging at my heart a little more with each new song. Rock, though. Rock is my absolute favorite. Just in general, I couldn’t ever pick my favorite sub-genre.

Speaking of sub-genres, there are a lot. Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock, Folk Rock, Alternative Rock, Heavy Metal, Pop Rock, Punk Rock, Progressive Rock…. and so many more. Each of these spawned at least one hundred others, each growing off in different directions, with people putting their spin on it and making it their own.

Garage Rock bands include The White Stripes, The Black Keys, The Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys. Psychedelic Rocks bands, like the legendary Pink Floyd, are bands such as the The Bees, The Move, and The Dead. Examples of Blues Rock are The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton. Mumford and Sons, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young sing Folk Rock. Nirvana, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, and Green Day are all Alt. Rock. Heavy Metal is Metallica, Alice in Chains, Avenged Sevenfold, Ozzy Osbourne and Motley Crue. Pop Rock is more what you’d call soft or fruity or whichever adjective you wish, with Avril Lavigne, The Plain White Tees, Maroon 5, and OneRepublic(one of my favorites). Punk Rock has Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, Blink 182, and Dead Kennedys. Progressive Rock is like Yes, Genisis, and Gentle Giants.

If you were to ask me what my favorite band is, I’d have a terrible time trying to answer you. I love so many, and they all sing differently so its ridiculous to ask me a question like that. Hollywood Undead is a major yes, don’t say a word against them as my love is immense and I am liable to yell at you. If classified, they would be Rap Rock, like Linkin Park. Their most popular songs are probably Bullet and We Are, which are amazing songs. Dead In Ditches, City, and The Diary are some of favorites, but it is a threat to my health to actually choose. Their new song, Day of the Dead, is a gift to humanity, I promise you.

Another favorite of mine is Twenty One Pilots. Electronic/Punk, it’s made of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. They have a record deal with Fueled by Ramen, (Which, in case you didn’t know, is a pretty awesome company. They have deals with a lot of other good bands, like Paramore and Panic! At the Disco.) and they have one album with them, called Vessel, as well as two self-released albums. Car Radio is probably the one you’ve heard, if you listen to the right radio stations. Every single one of their songs makes me feel like “Hey, I’m not by myself”. I love Migraine, Guns for Hands, and Semi-Automatic. And Holding on to You. And Fake You Out, and Ode to Sleep. I believe you get the picture.

As I mentioned before, OneRepublic is one of my favorites. They are a Pop Rock band that has a following that includes people from all walks of life. The lead singer’s name is Ryan Tedder, and he founded the band in 2002. Mr.Tedder here is a soul-speaker. His voice is heaven, and I still haven’t heard a song of theirs I don’t like, although I prefer their older music to the new. Their most well known song is probably Secrets (In the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.!), but my favorite is All We Are.

I also have a thing for Pierce the Veil. Vic Fuentes, Mike Fuentes, Jaime Preciado, and Tony Perry are quite perfect looking. They released their debut album in 2007, called “A Flair for the Dramatic”. Everyone says King for a Day and Bulletproof Love are their best songs, but I disagree. Stay Away From My Friends is my favorite, because I get that. Mine. Don’t touch. I need them to carry me.

Recently, I’ve had an infatuation with The Red Hot Chili Peppers. I mean, I’ve always liked them, but in the past two week I’ve been listening to them a lot. Scar Tissue is an excellent song, and who hasn’t experienced the loneliness he speaks about? I really like Can’t Stop, and the video is sick. They are an old band, as they formed in 1983, but their music lives on. Their music still speaks to the kids of this generation, and I believe they will be one of those bandsthat are remembered for centuries.

Green Day, the Canadian band of guys who don’t want to be American idiots, is another wonderful band. Everyone seems to know at least one of their songs, and they get that life sucks, you lose people you care about, and that being in love can hurt. Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me Up When September Ends, and 21 Guns, if you were wondering. Fronted by Billy Joe Armstrong has fronted the band since the beginning in 1987, along with Mike Dirnt, the bassist. In 2012 Jason White became a full member after being a sub guitarist and playing while they were on tour for 13 years, and Tre Cool has been their drummer since 1990(He replaced John Kiffmeyer). They currently have 16 studio albums, nearly 300,000 subscribers on Youtube, and millions of people who love them entirely.

Blink 182 is another oldie, but I still love them a lot. The trio is made up of Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker, and the band formed 22 years ago. Their songs consist of many different elements. Their most popular song -ever- is All The Small Things, but I love After Midnight. It’s one of their new songs, and the video shows a boy and a girl sneaking around in their psychiatric ward after midnight. It’s really quite beautiful, and I still haven’t gotten tired of playing it. It’s on the album Neighborhoods, last of eight albums.

Everyone has their opinions about what genre of music is best. I suppose there isn’t a right answer, not for everyone. There are major differences in music genres, and then very very minor ones where they merge together. All types of music relate to one another, yet they can contrast drastically.

Country vs. Rock is a much debated subject, and I shall give you my reasons as to why Rock could beat Country up. First, rock artists tend to use more complicated music, with more complicated chord progressions, a more complicated melody, and a wider range of chords. While this isn’t true for all artists, as it could be vice versa, this tends to be the case. For example, if you were to try and learn to play a rock song vs. a country song, the country song would be easier to learn. Second, there is variety. It’s easier to distinguish rock artists from one another, while it’s harder to distinguish country artists. I do realize this isn’t true for all people, and I am able to tell who a lot of country artists are by their voice, but it’s much simpler in rock. Third, Rock music has more meaning. Popular country music is basically the same thing in every song; they want to hook up. Please see Girl In A Country Song by Maddie&Tae. Rock music speaks of feelings, raw emotion that needs to be expressed, and that people can relate to. Fourth, rock music is better to dance and party too.

Now as to Rock vs. Rap. I like rap, although I’m a bit picky about it. The majority of popular rap is about sex and drugs, but you can find plenty about touchier subjects. Eminem, for example, is one of the most well known rappers there is, and for a good reason. He can make the words flow effortlessly, and his words mean something. He can touch the heart of anyone, if he tried hard enough. Rap is great party music, but its more for dancing. You can head-bang to rock, you can get in the mosh pit and scream and merge with every other soul in the room. Rock tends to be more instrument based, with guitars, drums, and bass to express feelings through noise. Rap is more vocally centered, expressing it through words as a movement rather than basing a lot of it in the beat of the music.