Erin Ponder

Jack White released his tour schedule this summer.  For the first time ever he was going to be in Omaha, Nebraska. Tickets were only $50, and Omaha isn’t far from where I live. Jack White is one of the greatest musicians, right up there with Bob Dylan. I needed to go to this concert.

I bought the tickets out of impulse, it was final I was going. Convincing my parents would be the hardest part of the journey.

“Erin, you never drive anywhere. How are you going to drive to Omaha?” My mom said in a fierce tone.

“Mom! I can do it! Or I can just have Zach drive.”

“Who is Zach? Why have I never met him? Are the two of you dating?” My mom kept bombarding me with questions. I shouldn’t have even told her that I was going. Staying the night at a friend’s house would have been a much better excuse to tell her why I wouldn’t be home for dinner that night.

“Zach is a friend from work. He thinks we’re going, because we already bought the tickets. So I can’t really get out of it now.”

She had no response.  I was ready to pull out the “I’m 20 mom, I can handle this.” Card. Finally, I convinced my parents that going to Omaha by myself isn’t as dangerous as it sounds.

So Zach and I made our way to Omaha. The air conditioner in my car stopped working a week prior. The entire drive there was sticky hot, Jay Z was on the radio rapping about his love of New York.  I couldn’t stand the heat much longer. As we passed a sign stating “Omaha 10 miles,” I became extremely antsy. I just wanted to get to the hotel, in air conditioning.

“Who this guy that were meeting for dinner?”

“Oh, his name is Sean, I’m really good friends with him. He graduated from Morningside this summer. We’re going to an Indian food restaurant. I hope you like curry.” I informed Zach. That was the longest conversation we had the entire car ride.

We had finally gotten to the hotel, after we took a wrong turn and ended up going through a low-income neighborhood. I called Sean to inform him of our arrival. We met Sean for dinner at an Indian Cuisine place. The Naan bread was to die for. I kept checking my phone for the time. Jack White would be on stage in two hours. I hurried dinner along, and Zach and I left for the venue that was miles away from where we were staying.

The streets were packed with people. Hipsters, teenagers, and middle aged couples.  Parking wasn’t as big of a problem as I thought it was going to be.  Zach and I made our way to the door. Getting inside was more hectic than going through airport security.  Stopping at four different people that needed to see our tickets.  Cops lined the walls,  people were packed into the lobby.  The main floor seating tickets was the greatest purchase I have ever bought.  The lights dimmed, a group of two woman and one man came out on stage. They sang their folk songs that went on what felt like hours.  “Thank you ladies and gentlemen! Jack will be out in a minute!” the man  said as he gathered his guitar and banjo.  I sat down in my seat and observed the people that were around me. To my left, a mother and son. This must have been his first concert.  A group of four teenagers sat a row in front of us. Two girls that were wearing striper heels and very short dresses sat directly in front of me. The smell of Marijuana lingered in the air.  The groups of teenagers were passing a pipe back and forth. They obviously didn’t care about getting caught.

The crowed started an uproar of clapping and screaming, a group of men sat down at their designated instruments.  Jack didn’t come out until a minute later. When he did, my life was complete. He picked up his guitar and did the opening cords to “Hello Operator.” Zach looked at me and just started screaming. I looked on with owe. I still couldn’t believe that I was actually seeing Jack White live. The White Stripes, Raconteur’s, and The Dead Weather’s songs were all played over the course of two hours. Never have I ever seen someone play the guitar quite like Jack did.

The concert came to an end. I didn’t want it to. I wanted to stay and watch Jack preform forever. It felt like I was in a state of Nirvana. Nothing else mattered in the world except for the music that was pouring out of the speakers.  People started leaving their seats. Zach reached for my hand, and pulled along out to the open air.  I didn’t look at him the entire time while we were inside.  I gave him a look of pure happiness. He smiled back, and led me to the car.  Zach managed to find the way back to the hotel with out my navigation.

The entire concert kept replaying in my head. I couldn’t have imagined a better day. Good company, good food , and a wonderful way to end the summer. Seeing Jack White in concert was one of the greatest things I have ever done.

Today on Good Morning America they had the “bullied grandmother” on to do a follow-up interview to see how she was coping with the hurtful words. Karen Klein was harassed by students on the bus she was monitoring.  A student took a video of the harassment that was going on and posted it on Youtube. Karen received several apology letters from the students who poked fun at her. I’m not sure how or whom gave Karen money, as a sort of compensation for the emotional distress that she had to go through. The money that she did receive is going towards an anti-bulling movement. I get that bulling is a serious issue that needs to be addressed in high school and middle school. This viral video also indicates that bulling doesn’t stop after you graduate from high school it’s in the real world as well.

One thing that annoyed me while I was watching this segment was they kept referring to Karen as the “bullied grandmother.” The word “grandmother” just pulls at some heart strings of people to get more sympathy. Bulling is a really hot issue in the world of teens. Last year it was gay marriage this year the anti bulling movement.

Amanda Bynes, must be the new Lindsey Lohan. Over the past couple of months Amanda has had several DUI’s and hit and run incidents. Amanda released a statement saying that she is doing “just fine,” but her recent behavior proves otherwise. Bynes retired from acting after her last film, Easy A, with Emma Stone. She didn’t go much into detail as to why she retired. Bynes has stayed out of the public’s eye for a while until a couple of months ago. Could this be Amanda’s down fall as an actor? Her trying to relive her lost childhood? Let’s hope she’ll clean up her act and doesn’t harm anyone if she decides to drink and drive again.

Wondering around the third floor of Lewis Hall looking for some mischief to get myself into. When I made awkward eye contact with the woman in the PR department. I noticed she had cookies on her desk. I was really hungry and I really wanted a cookie. I wondered in the office and stated that I was doing an assignment for my journalism class and needed to find out someone’s pet peeve. As she stared back at me and responds “oh gosh, where do I begin?” She started rambling on and on about all the things that annoy her. The two that I thought were actually kind of funny were bad drivers, and when smokers pack their cigarettes. I laughed with her for a while about all the silliness that she was saying. I looked at her name label, I never knew her name, I’ve walked past her office for years and never once had spoken to her. Shelli Rasmussen, she’s a wonderful lady.

Shelli yelled into a door way “hey Dave! Come here for a second!” and a older balding man walked into the office where Shelli and I were. “What’s your pet peeve? She needs to know.” Shelli explained. Without hesitation Dave replies “slow drivers.” He had a serious look on his face, “you must really hate slow drivers,” I said to fill an awkward silence. Dave just responds with a smile and walks back into his office. I thank Shelli for her time, she offers me a cookie and I walked down the hall and back to class. Wondering what my own pet peeves are.

Lead Exercise Erin Ponder

The anonymous donator has been revealed. The late Robert T. F. Ho of Quick Stop Laundry located 390 Fifth Avenue donated $11,000 to build a playground. The parks and recreation of Sioux City have confirmed the building of the park today. The rides are going to be educational. The play ground will consist of a Hanging Gate where children can climb inside and be pushed around; there will also be a SuperSlide for the younger children.  The SuperSlide will have a shorter ladder so the tiny boppers won’t have to climb the very tall slide and risk falling off.

“Robert always enjoyed watching the kids play in the park across the street. He felt sorry for the kids who had to wait to use the equipment, especially the little ones.” Said Mrs. Ho on her husband’s donation. Mrs. Ho approved his name be revealed to the public after his death, which was two days ago.

A robbery occurred at BJ’s Drug, 450 Stanley Street, last night around 8:30. Two men parked a car outside the store, leaving the motor running. The men were wearing ski mask and demanded money. While one of the men held the owner, Barney Joseph Jr., 43, 1625 11^th Ave., at gun point while the other masked man took roughly three hundred dollars from the cash register. The robbery took less than a minute and a half to complete.

Joseph called the police right after the men had left. This year marks the 25^th anniversary of his father’s death. Barney Joseph Sr. who was shot while his store was being robbed. “Yes, Dad resisted, I guess.” Joseph Jr. recalls on his father’s death. “They found him shot to death, his own gun in his hand, and a bullet in the store’s ceiling. I’d rather part with my money that my life.” Joseph Jr. did have a gun under the counter at the time but thought of his father’s passing and decided to let the money go.

Erin Ponder

Description Essay

I sat in Starbucks one evening enjoying my Pumpkin Spice latte with soy.  Sitting in the very uncomfortable metal chairs a group of Somalian men walked in. “Hey guys how are you doing this evening?” Said the overly friendly barista.

I hated the fact that she was so happy. It was like she is required to take an adrenalin shot straight to the heart before her shift.

The men stood around and ordered five Grande black coffees. They spoke in hushed tones. I couldn’t understand their language. The men seemed to be regulars here. They walked out to a table on the patio and sat around talking about who knows what. The wonders of the universe perhaps?

The chairs were hard, it’s as if they don’t want you to stay long. The environment in general is cold. “Get your coffee and get out” is the vibe I got this evening. But I refused the vibe. I continued to stay.

People keep filtering in and out once they get their bags of coffee. Old western music starts playing through the speakers and the lights dim. An all-new vibe settles in, a welcoming vibe. “Come, stay a while, tell me about your day.”

More and more regulars started to come in. “Hey, Matt! How are you today? Tall black coffee with two shots of espresso right?” The barista asked. Her whole attitude changed. This Matt nodded silently.  He went onto the patio and sat in a chair that fitted perfectly to his body. He took out a crossword puzzle and a box of Camels. This Matt lit the cigarette. I could almost taste the first drag of nicotine as he inhales. This man was very interesting.

I began to think about all of the different types customer they serve. The businessmen and woman in the morning, stay at home moms and elderly people in the late morning. The couples who met for coffee in the afternoon, friends, and loner college students who appear to be doing their homework until the evening all of them flocked to this chain coffee shop.

It almost appeared as a small town bar. Where everybody knows everyone and their life story.

Donna Summers played over the speakers. A more bluesy type of feel filled the lobby. It was almost like a real coffee house now. All they needed was a stage and a barstool in the center with a spot light shinning down upon the empty stool. If only there was a barstool, it would fulfill all the requirements of a cliché coffee house.

“Can I get you a refill miss?” A man asked. I didn’t realize he was asking me until he asked again. “Miss?” I came out of my trance of my computer screen. “Oh, sure. Pumpkin Spice Latte, with soy please.” I respond with a smile.  I handed the barista my member card. At that moment I realized that I am a regular. Just like this Matt man who came in earlier. Who must’ve been on his third or forth cigarette. I’m one of those people who get mad at the people who don’t understand how to order, or say the words correctly. I like it.

I really could improve on my spelling and punctuation. I do regret not paying enough attention in middle school English class. Another thing I really need to improve on is getting all of my thoughts down on the paper and having them make sense. I struggle with either incomplete sentences or having my sentences be never ending.

Whenever I ask someone to read my writing and ask for their opinion  I often get mad when they say that they didn’t get something. I really should be more open to constructive criticism. I’m going to get it for the rest of my life. Another thing I should work on is I tend to go off  topic.

Punctuation is another thing I struggle greatly on. I tend  to throw commas in whenever I think they need to be there. All of my struggles can be easily fixed with a little confidence and just asking how I could become better at spelling and punctuation.

I was listing to the radio in my mother’s car on Tuesday. Sean Henity of course like she always listens to. I became very angry by a comment a caller made about 9/11. The woman on the phone who was going on about how she is a New Yorker and she is still very sad about the terrorist attacks that occurred 11 years ago. That isn’t what upset me. She began to go on about how no one really takes time out of their day to remember all of the victims of 9/11. She also thinks that September 11th needs to be made a federal holiday. Why? I understand many people are still hurt about the terrorist attacks but I don’t think that we need to have a federal holiday to remember the lives that were lost. Pearl Harbor isn’t a federal holiday, it does however have a remembrance day. That should be enough.

On Good Morning America that Tuesday morning they had a man that lived through the Twin Towers attacks. Pasquale Buzzelli was an engineer who worked on one of the top floors of the World Trade Towers. When the towers were collapsing he surfed down on a piece of debris and woke up looking at the sky. Buzzelli didn’t talk about his survival story to anyone but his family, friends, and small town media. 11 years later he came out on Good Morning America telling his story. Why would he wait 11 years to tell people that he survived? The anniversary is hard for a lot of people, it may have given some people comfort knowing that someone survived. I do consider this news. People would want to know about a happy ending  after a  tragedy.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/09/10/man-survived-11-attacks-on-twin-towers-by-surfing-debris-22-floors-as-his/

I sat in Starbucks one evening enjoying my Pumpkin Spice latte with soy.  Sitting in the very uncomfortable metal chairs, a group of Somalian men walked in. “Hey guys how are you doing this evening?” Said the overly friendly barista.

I hated the fact that she was so happy. It was like she is required to take an adrenalin shot straight to the heart before her shift.

The men stood around and ordered five Grande black coffees. They spoke in hushed tones. I couldn’t understand their language. The men seemed to be regulars here, they walked out to a table on the patio and sat around talking about who knows what. The wonders of the universe perhaps?

The chairs were hard, it’s as if they don’t want you to stay long. The environment in general is cold. “Get your coffee and get out” is the vibe I got this evening. But I refused the vibe. I continued to stay.

People keep filtering in and out once they get their bags of coffee. Old western music starts playing through the speakers and the lights dim. An all-new vibe settles in, a welcoming vibe. “Come, stay a while, tell me about your day.”

More and more regulars started to come in. “Hey, Matt! How are you today? Tall black coffee with two shots of espresso right?” The barista asked. Her whole attitude changed. This Matt nodded silently.  He went onto the patio and sat in a chair that fitted perfectly to his body. He took out a crossword puzzle and a box of Camels. This Matt lit the cigarette. I could almost taste the first drag of nicotine as he inhales. This man was very interesting.

I began to think about all of the different types customer they serve. The businessmen and woman in the morning, stay at home moms and elderly people in the late morning. The couples who met for coffee in the afternoon, friends, and loner college students who appear to be doing their homework until the evening all of them flocked to this chain coffee shop.

It almost appeared as a small town bar. Where everybody knows everyone and their life story.

Donna Summers played over the speakers. A more bluesy type of feel filled the lobby. It was almost like a real coffee house now. All they needed was a stage and a barstool in the center with a spot light shinning down upon the empty stool. If only there was a barstool, it would fulfill all the requirements of a cliché coffee house.

“Can I get you a refill miss?” A man asked. I didn’t realize he was asking me until he asked again. “Miss?” I came out of my trance of my computer screen. “Oh, sure. Pumpkin Spice Latte, with soy please.” I respond with a smile.  I handed the barista my member card. At that moment,

I realized that I am a regular. Just like this Matt man who came in earlier. Who must’ve been on his third or forth cigarette. I’m one of those people who get mad at the people who don’t understand how to order, or say the words correctly.

I was browsing NPR’s website when I saw an article that caught my eye. Mc Donald’s in India has gone vegetarian.  The country of India has many vegetarians, just about 20 to 40 percent of the population doesn’t consume meat. Two of India’s major religions are Muslim and Hindu. Muslims don’t eat pork and Hindus don’t eat meat. So the fact that a Mc Donald’s went vegetarian to gain more customers by catering to their needs.There is only one all vegetarian restaurant so far. But if the all vegetarian goes well we could see more “animal friendly” Mc Donald’s popping up in more areas.

I think that this idea Mc Donald’s has is a great idea. More healthier options for people could help the struggle on obesity in the United States. Not only is it a good idea for getting more healthy, but it is a great move in a marketing. More people would go an eat at Mc Donald’s making more money for the company. Only time will tell, if this specific restaurant in India takes off then, hopefully more of them can open up for other vegetarians and vegans can enjoy as well.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/04/160543754/mcdonalds-goes-vegetarian-in-india