What would you do?

If you are driving along an empty road at night in the middle of nowhere and came to a stop light, would you stop and wait for the light to change?  When no one is around to catch you, do you follow the rules of the road or any rules for that matter?  Personally, I know that I still do.  I don't know if it is because I have been taught to always follow rules no matter what or because my luck doesn't always back me up if I do something wrong, but I feel that even though no one is watching, it is still breaking an enforced law.  My guilty conscience would nag at me for weeks.  Just because I don't get caught doesn't mean it is ok to do something.  It is the same concept as telling a murderer that it's ok if you kill someone as long as you don't get caught.  Rules are in place for a reason.  So, what would you do?

Vamanos!

Why does learning a new language come so easy for some, yet others may never master it?  I for one have taken Spanish for 6 and a half years and can't speak a lick.  I do improve when I am focused and try to speak it outside of class as well, but as soon as I stop, I tend to forget.  Research has shown that people who are bilingual, trilingual, etc. have a more active portion of their brain.  Are they born with a more advanced part of their brain or have they shaped it?  I'd love to research more on this topic - one day when I have extra time.  Currently though, I firmly believe that the best and fastest way to completely learn a language is to immerse yourself in it.  I would need to live in a Spanish-speaking environment for an extended amount of time.  If a person is forced to communicate with a different language, they are bound to learn and retain it.  Maybe one day this opportunity will present itself to me.  Til then however, I will just keep trying my best in my beginning Espanol courses.

Hardcore Has a New Look

This Honda Odyssey commercial had me laughing so hard I just had to blog about it.  Getting people to buy mini-vans has got to be one of the most challenging jobs.  The only people that end up buying them are big families that just need the space.  With Honda though, they show a middle-aged man attracted to a "hardcore" van.  As funny as it is, is it a plausible commercial?  Is some scruffy, 30-something, single guy really gonna see a flash of a black sex panther when he sees this van?  Probably not.  But Honda is trying something new and entertaining.  They are breaking from the normal car commercials and creating entertainment.  That's what sticks.  Their target market most likely won't change, but maybe it will make those new dads that want to be a sexy bachelor again be a little bit more OK with driving a mini-van.  Good luck Honda!

When I grow up I wanna be...

I work in the enrollment department of my school - basically I just file and put together packets for all my school's potential students.  It always reminds me of the days when I was applying to colleges.  Quite honestly, I wish I would have done a better job on my applications.  I remember how stressed I got at writing the endless entrance essays and how I just wished it was over already!  But when I really think about it, applying for a college is quite possibly the biggest decision of your life.  College is where you get your education which leads to your career.  How awesome a first job you score all depends on how good of a school you attend.  College is also where you meet some of your life-long friends.  It's where you start really growing into who you will be the rest of your life.  Decisions that you make in college affect your entire future.  How's all that laying on an 18 year-old high school senior's mind?

Also, I believe that seniors in high school need to be reminded that they still have a lot of learning and growing to do.  I know when I was told that I hated it.  Graduating high school seems like a big deal...until it's over.  There's so much left to life (and I know that there's a lot left to mine too!).  I feel that, coming from a public school system, schools need to emphasize life after high school a lot more.  They do make you take classes where you have to say what you want to be when you grow up, but how do you really know at 16 what you want to do?  I think that they should focus on growing and finding more out about oneself and one's beliefs.  By the time students graduate, they should have some direction, but what they really need is to understand themselves, their own needs and wants.  I realize that a lot of this may be wrong and maybe college only seems like the hugest thing in my life because I'm living it now (kind of like how high school felt really important).  We'll see!

Texting and Driving

Last week on my way to the library, I was shocked to see police blocking the road with flares.  There was obviously some type of accident, but there were no crashed cars in the area sectioned off.  I asked people about it walking in, yet everyone was just as confused as me.  Of course I was very curious as to what had happened on my campus.  Later, I realized that the accident had been one of the things that I am always worried will happen.  A car hit a pedestrian.  This link to the Daily Campus article explains it all: http://www.smudailycampus.com/news/student-struck-by-car-breaks-pelvis-1.1743035

A girl was hit a) because she didn't walk across the crosswalk and b) because the driver looked down to check her phone.  In all probability, the driver was texting and didn't see the girl walking across the street in the dark.  Now, I'm not saying that I'm innocent and never text while I drive, but I realize the dangers of it.  A girl was almost killed because of the drivers inattention to the road!  The other day one of my professors told the class that he read an article stating that texting is even worse than drunk driving.  What's wrong with us when we can't even take a break from our phones for ten minutes to drive?  We're putting our lives and the people around us at risk when we get behind the wheel.  Shouldn't we be a bit more careful?  Technology is a great thing, but their needs to be a limit.  Another thing: young people aren't the only culprits.  My mother is always texting on her phone, and when she is, you might as well be talking to a wall.  She is completely oblivious to the world around her.  I think that it is good that police are starting to crack down on texting and driving, especially with the "no phone usage around schools."  I can't imagine hitting someone all because I was texting something stupid to a friend.

Dogs Rule

Dogs vs. Cats

The big debate since....forever.  What are you?  A dog person or a cat person?  Obviously, I know what the answer to this question ought to be.  Dogs.  How can anyone choose a mean, scary, hairball coughing cat when they can have a fluffy, lovable, playful puppy?  They didn't come up with "mans best friend" over nothing.  Dogs are always happy to see you when you come home, they love to snuggle right up next to you, they love to play with you, and they are always just so darn adorable.  Cats on the other hand scratch up your skin, they require a litter box, they climb trees and get stuck, and they are just plain mean.  Who's always the bad guy in kid movies?  That's right - a cat.  Ever heard of a black cat?  What about the crazy cat lady?  So listen up cat people: you lose!  Dogs win.

I'm Nicole Hodges and I approve this message

http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=146834

This article plainly says what we all are thinking: political ads are out of control!  Each politician uses ads that bash on their competition, harshly saying what he or she promised yet didn't follow through with or what terrible thing he or she voted for.  It's overwhelming.  Personally, being new to this whole voting thing, I want to hear what each candidate stands for and how they promise to help their community.  I don't care if someone voted 20 years ago for something contradictory to what they say now.  Tell me your beliefs and let me decide for myself who comes out on top.  The overwhelming amount of commercials that badmouth politicians really only turns me away from voting at all.  I agree with this article and think that if in the future we could see some positive ads that described why someone should gain my vote and not why I should vote against them, then people would be a lot more willing to a) watch the ads and b) VOTE!  And it's not just commercials that are taking over.  Billboards, radio spots, those darn little signs on every corner and in every yard, etc. Please politicians: I know you want to get your name out, but let's try a new route.  Maybe then political advertising won't get such a bad rep.