The Bum-Bot

In Atlanta, Georgia, there was a neighborhood, where it was nice and safe during the day, however homeless people, drug dealers, prostitutes and other people that citizens don't feel safe around walk the streets at night. This was a major concern for Atlanta citizens, until the "Bum-Bot" was created. Rufus Terrill, an Atlanta bar owner, thought that he had the solution to the problem by creating the Bum-Bot; a robot that scares homeless people and people involved in illegal activities from the neighborhood. How does the robot do this? By spraying people with water from a water cannon the robot is equipped with. (Terrill wanted the robot to have a taser, but police wouldn't allow it.) He controls the robot with remote, and has even wired a walkie-talkie to a home alarm speaker so that he can speak warnings to people through the robot. When I first heard of the "Bum-Bot story", I thought to myself, This sounds like something out of The Simpsons. I could picture the character Moe, the local bar owner in Springfield thinking of this exact scheme himself, just for publicity and fame. The Bum-Bot's purpose was much like that. A sign in front of Terrill's bar reads "Home of the Bum-Bot." He's even started selling "Bum-Bot beer." When I heard that, I was fed up. How could the police let some local Bar-Owner spray people with water? I also thought it deeply disturbing and unfair that he actually sprays homeless people with water, not just suspected criminals. When I checked on Comcast.net to hear their interpretation of the whole robot story, Fox News was practically celebrating Terrill and his Bum-Bot, saying things like, "Is this guy a genius or what?" and one reporter also mentioned that by spraying loitering homeless people with water, it was both frightening them and cleaning them at the same time. Cleaning them?! I will never ever hear FOX's opinion on anything ever again, I thought to myself. Do you think that the Bum-Bot is just a publicity stunt, or a good way to prevent crime?

Pennsylvania Primary: Why is it such a big deal for the Democrats?

Probably because it has a lot of delegates, and because it could determine Hillary Clinton's campaign. If Obama wins this, he could be the Democrat nominee, but so far Clinton has the lead. Her lead, however has dropped dramatically in just six weeks. What used to be a 20 delegate lead is now what could possibly be a five delegate lead. The media is already putting a lot of pressure on Clinton to drop out of the race, which means that the Pennsylvania primary is one that Clinton is trying hard to win. The media is also playing a big role in how people vote today. Obama's comments about how "Middle Americans in economically depressed small towns are bitter and cling to guns, religion, and antipathy to people who aren't like them." These remarks were thought of by many news stations, Hillary Clinton, and the media to be "elitist." This of course, wasn't true because Obama clearly wasn't trying to say that all people from small towns are bitter, and he wasn't even speaking at a rally, or giving a public speech. The fact that he was speaking at a private San Fransisco fundraiser, is something the media doesn't fully understand. Also, when Obama scratched his head for a second, an MSNBC reporter mistook him just scratching his head for giving Clinton the finger. Who could possibly think that Obama would flip off Clinton? Why is the media trying to sound stupid just to influence voters? As people in Pennsylvania cast their votes, will the media have an affect on how they vote? Who will win Pennsylvania: Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama?

Just A Poem I Wrote

(based on the painting Chop Suey by Edward Hopper)
1.

A Lady In Green

I walk inside Chop Suey for the first time with my friend.

We take a seat by the dirty windows as a siren in the distance
Goes off.

A man at a table far from ours peers down at his plate,
Oblivious of the woman across from him.

The clear sky, with no rain, no clouds, is just the weather
My friend has dreamed of.

The couple far from us tries to decide their order, but
Their waiter has not shown up for an hour now.

Ours hasn’t either.

Come to think of it, that couple, and my friend and I are the only
People in the restaurant.

Perhaps the bright, red-gold-blue sign reading “Chop Suey”
Wasn’t bright enough for a sleepless city like ours.

Where has everyone gone?

Where do people go on Sunday afternoons?

I think of my cousin and her daughter laughing in Central
Park, tasting the colors, bright green, yellow, pear, grey-as-fog.

And of my father, alone in his home. The rough walls, the sound of
Silence in his ears, tasting the orange of the glowing fire he has lit.

I shall try to get my friend to see a picture at the theatre;
She always did have a fondness for movies.

I am lost, deep in thought. The waiter still has not come.

At times, even a city as busy and bright as New York can seem
As alone and isolated as a Chinese Restaurant, with dirty windows.

And waiters who abandon you.

Is John McCain as moderate as people belive?

For a while now, the media has been portraying Republican nominee John McCain as a moderate. This is not true, because he has been making decisions throughout his campaign that show he is a very conservative Republican. For one thing, he is pro-life, and pro-gun control, and "His reputation is built on opposition to torture, but McCain vetoed against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban." He has done and said many things that the news isn't covering, and that prove him to be very right-wing, since he has also "Voted against establishing a holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." and has "Continued to oppose key civil rights laws." He and his family own eight homes, and is one of the richest people in a senate filled with millionaires, however he says that the solution to the housing crisis is to "Get a second job" and "skip their vacations." People are losing their homes, yet are working very hard under minimum wage, and the solution is not to take vacations? Could they even afford vacations? Many people in my school, in my neighborhood, or maybe just about anywhere believe that McCain's views are moderate and fair. Why is the media portraying McCain as a moderate? Will McCain supporters agree with his views if they find out the truth?

The source for this is on a link list to the right of my blog, and I will post it here as well:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/?id=12407-7680910-vrD83B&t=231http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/?id=12407-7680910-vrD83B&t=231

The importance of Hip-Hop

When you think of hip-hop, you might think of drugs, or jail, or murder. You might think that there's no real lyrics to a rap song, just some catchy beat with a bunch of rhymes mixed in. Hip Hop is about way more than the assumptions people have about the popular music style, because though there are some rappers who think that adding a few words about sex into a song will make it popular, there are also rappers who are actually saying something. They use rap music to express politics, and their views on life, and what they feel matters to them. Rap that actually reflects life and what needs to be changed, or just send a message to the listener is what I think of when I hear the word "Rap." There are Hip Hop songs about clubs, and parties that are good as well. Those types of songs can be good if the artist cares about the lyrics, and takes time to think them through, and these can either show a light side, or a dark side to parties and the streets. Whether it's about heavy issues, or lighter aspects of life, Hip Hop is something that reflects a person, and their thoughts and feelings on life.

Here are some Rap songs I recommend:

1. Stan---By Eminem and Dido

2. Wake Up---By Missy Elliott

3. Sing for the moment---By Eminem

4. Good morning---By Kanye West

5. Square Dance---By Eminem

6. Back in the day---By Missy Elliott

7. Shallow Days----By Blackalicious