Bodelicious

I always found that phrase "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees" to be very comedic and ironically serious at the same time. Every time you ask for you're pay check, to borrow money, or even just mention the economy that is the first phrase that comes out of someone's mouth "Money Doesn't Grow on Trees". The sad part is, they're right.

I immediately think of paper when I hear the word money. Paper contrasts well with silver, nickel, etc. However, money isn't actually made out of paper. Money is made out of Cotton. 

Not that this has any evidential value to the phrase but it's been something that's been lingering in my head for the last few days. I saw an episode of Pawn Stars on TV and I also watched a movie called the "Inside Man". Both brought up interesting facts about the dollar.

So, I'm actually pretty upset right now. I was preparing for the upcoming semester over at College of Dupage only to find out the classes I had registered for couldn't be taken. I apparently didn't meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress requires that a student takes at least 6 credit hours in order to receive their financial aid. It also requires that a student competes at least a 2.0 GPA. The same student is required to have completed at least 67 percent of attempted credit hours finished. Two semesters ago I had to file for an appeal in order to receive the financial aid that I needed (actually it was about 3 semesters ago now) and the committee that read it saw it in their hearts to approve my aid. I was extremely grateful and decided to put forth all effort in my classes.

I registered for math 0481, English Comp 1, as well as a theater class and an Anatomy class. All of which I passed with flying colors all but the anatomy class.  I should have looked at www.ratemyproffessor.com because apparently it wasn't completely my fault.

The teacher (Mr.Ozarowski) always came to class unprepared. He would fiddle through folders and documents trying to figure out where to start. He would eventually remember that he posted something on blackboard (usually five or so minutes before that class started and everyone was pretty much unprepared) and we would begin. I thought I could keep up and with a catch up day nearing the end of the semester I struggled to contact him to find what I needed. No response. No success.

The financial aid department at the college told me that I needed to take another class to make up for what I missed and that I could try again next semester. I took two and had approximately a 3.0 grade point average by the end of the following semester. This helped me get to where I needed to be and in 2013 I began going to school full time at College of Dupage.

I was finally doing successfully. I had an two A's and two B's with one Math0482NET that I struggled with. So I desired to drop the class before any negative consequences occurred. At the end of the semester I had passed Theater 1121 with an A, Biology 1100 with a C and English Comp 2 with a B as well as an Improv Class with a B. This met their "2.0 GPA" requirement as well as the 68 percent term hour completion rate (actually 68 percent is what I had. You only needed 67 percent).

Now, I go online today to check my SAP status only to find out I got a DN. Meaning I will be denied financial aid for this semester which makes absolutely no sense because in the long run I'm the one who has to pay it back. I mean does that make sense? I reviewed their file requirements and apparently if you  take the came class and receive a grade of B or better it wont apply to financial aid requirement. This sucks for theater majors.

As an actor when you're selected for a show you are required to sign up for the class. The class is theater 1100 for the first two shows and once you complete that class you have to sign up for theater 1121. I've been in 6 shows at College of Dupage. So, I signed up for the same class 2 more times that average. I was required to do paperwork for these classes (Character Analysis of 5 pages as well as a Reflective Journal).

Even with this in mind the college desires to deny me the right for assistance. They take away what I need only because I've taken the same class more than once but I've far beyond met their requirements. However I'm just going to look at this as an opportunity to improve. This isn't a failure to go to classes full time but rather an opportunity to grow in understanding of development. So, when I come back full time next semester I can come back swinging.

The governor signed a law into act in mid august of 2013 making it legal for the people of Illinois to be prescribed medical marijuana as long as they have one of 33 debilitating conditions. Apparently the reason why he signed this was because he saw that many people were coming back from the war injured, some people suffering from other diseases such as chrones disease, as well as tourettes syndrome. This is a great step forward in turning marijuana into a legal supplement for those who need it. The name of the law is the compassionate care act.

The compassionate care act is a four year pilot program to see the effects of marijuana on medical patients and to help end the war on marijuana. Since the act was signed people have been getting ready to get their medical needs met by learning more about the law. Just recently a company (that was originally from Michigan) came out to the Chicago land area and set up the first physician-patient consultation center.

Unfortunately, some people didn't see this as a positive and decided to risk legal threats against the company. Good Intentions apparently didn't prescribe any marijuana during the time frame but nearly 25000 people had contacted them for information about the status of the compassionate care act. From what it sounds like,  Good Intentions provided solid data that could help grow the understanding of distribution of medicinal marijuana. Good Intentions set up shop primarily to just get to know patients one on one. They had no plan to start distributing until everything had come to, for lack of a better phrase, flourish.

From the way the law is read, and media outlets made it sound, the Illinois law makers, health providers and other officials had from the time that the law was signed to the date that the law was to begin, to design a program to service those with medical needs that medicinal marijuana could fufill. The law was supposed to start on Janurary 1st. Nearly a week into the new year were being told that  the Illinois government is actually being allowed until May to develop laws to control the "substance" and to develop ways of packaging, distributing it, etc. 

This is disturbing. People that use the drug have seriously debilitating conditions from physical to mental (tourettes) and that they need it. If you did research on it, it would be highly likely that a large amount of people have gone to the Illinois department of health on January 1 to get their cards and begin purchasing to help ease their symptoms only to be denied because the law hadn't been fully developed yet. What were you doing from August to January, Illlinois?

What we should do is look at other states that have already made medicinal marijuana legal as well as recreational marijuana legal (Colorado and California) and  learn from them. It's highly likely that companies are willing to discuss with entrepreneurs from Illinois interested in cultivating and selling just how they got their business off the ground in these states. It would be a good idea to get some of the people that work in these states to transfer out to Illinois and help a developing state grow, so we no longer see the "dangers" in the "drug" but rather we see the "positives" of an alternate health motive.

Your Drunk Dial Gets Animated

A couple of weeks ago I watched a web series about a semi pro bodybuilder that goes by the name "Bostin" (I think it's his last name. I would suggest watching this series on Youtube sometime when you get the chance.

During the last couple of years he has hired personal trainers to help him grow as an athlete. He has gone from being pretty small to pretty lean and bulky. He is only in his early twenties as well.

During this web series he talks about different supplements he used. He also goes on to talk about different steroids he would take prior to the show and how he would flush his body of carbs and what not. He also talks about Testosterone and Estrogen Blockers. He recommends getting them legally however because it is something we all want to talk about but know nothing about where to start.

However, during one of these videos he is talking about his living experience. He talks about how he rents a room from somebody and he has to store all of his testosterone boosters, estrogen blockers, and insulin in a refrigerator that is as small as a medium sized box. While he is doing this he constantly talks about how he is taking and over the counter insulin shot that you can get from a pharmacy at Walgreens or Walmart or CVS or what not.

Now the reason for writing this is not to encourage you to watch this guy (although I did earlier). It's only because I find it funny that every dude that is doing this stuff has an excuse to why they are the way they are. While he  is talking about the insulin shots he looks a little bloated and every time he walks to his fridge he say "I'm normally not this big. Its just an insulin bloat". It's so stupid that people are obsessed with their image and they way they appear to people that constantly have to have some dumb excuse as to why they appear that way.

So, my personal opinion is this. If you want to do something do it because you enjoy it. Don't do it because other people want to see if you can or because it's what society tells you to do because that's just a lot of excess pressure you have to put on yourself. In the long run it's that pressure that can destroy you. However, to me, I am going to go with Bostin on this one and every time I go to fridge to grab a sugary snack (AKA Insulin) and I feel bloated after wards I'm just going to looks at someone with my classic deadpan face and say "It's just an insulin bloat".