Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama

Last Blog- hope this makes you laugh

So here’s the final blog. I had a hard time thinking of something to wrap up the year. Honestly, I haven’t done much outside of studying this past week and that didn’t seem like a very strong way to end this blog. As I thought, I noticed that some of my fellow class bloggers had posted some videos and remembered a classic video, which related to Mobile, Alabama.

Many of you may have already seen this but honestly it really is worth another watching. I certainly enjoyed my second look. So I could get the video on the post but didn't know how to get it into my writing section. Its above and this is the caption so just combine these two posts.

I enjoyed the theme of this class and was glad to have an extra incentive to explore the local Tuscaloosa area. In addition, the ideas of eating locally and better environmental choices have always been interesting to me but seem to be a more tangible goal now. Hope everyone has a good summer.

Downtown Northport

Recently I wandered once again into downtown Northport. My first adventure into this area was for the Kentuck festival earlier in the year. It’s an art festival in a park with music and food. It was really cool and you should defiantly keep your eye out for it next year.

Anyway, this time I went to eat at City Café. It serves home cooked meals where basically you pick out a meat and a couple of vegetable, or just vegetables and its only like $4. Considering this price, the food was amazing and well worth the escape to eat real food as apposed to the dining halls. It wasn’t anything healthy or fancy, but it was good home cooked southern food.

Behind the restaurant and off to the side there is also a little bakery called Mary’s bakery. It is really tiny and mainly makes cakes and other things I believe, but they do serve some lunch and have the most amazing pastries. Also they make homemade gelato fresh everyday. Downtown Northport is defiantly worth the visit and for college kids City Café and Mary’s bakery are a nice retreat from the usual food of living on campus.

Mythical Dead Week

Mythical dead week. Something the University created, from what I understand, as a week of for students before finals. At some point, this changed however, and now it’s supposed to be a week where students still go to class but don’t really do anything. First, this doesn’t make any sense. If I’m going to go to class, why would I just go to sit there, I wouldn’t. Secondly, what are the teachers supposed to do during this dead space, just review for their final? Well, what if they don’t have a final, as many of my classes this semester don’t.

Basically, the teachers have solved the answers to these questions. I don’t have a single teacher who is honoring the rules of dead week by giving absolutely no assignments. In fact, I’ve had more papers, tests, and quizzes this week than I have in the past. Why? Because it’s the last week of the semester and we still haven’t finished all of what we need to learn to pass the final.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry at my teachers for giving me something to do during this useless period of time set forth by the University, I just wish someone would make up their minds. Either refer to the week as dead week and give me the week off or just accept that we no longer have the mythical creature on campus.

Why not just have a last week of the semester. The library could still be open ungodly hours so that we can study for everything thrown at us this last week and it can be more properly described. Dead week no longer exists and the term is used almost as a false hope to students who are ready to be out of school.

Bottle Tree

On Saturday night, I got a call from my friend asking if I wanted to join her and a couple others on a trip to Birmingham. At first this seemed like a not so great idea, then she explained that her and her band mates had gotten free tickets to a music festival at Bottle Tree and there were supposed to be some really great bands playing. Of course, this led me to question, “Well that’s great for you, how much is it going to cost me to get it in.” The answer was $20. Obviously I still wasn’t sold on this adventure despite the fact that I had heard a lot about this new venue in Birmingham and what a cool place it was. I, of course, gave in and we set off to Birmingham for the night.

If I was 21, the $20 would have been more than reasonable. That $20 not only got you in but also a nice glass, t-shirt and free beer for the night. Sadly, I feel like much of my money went to things I wasn’t allowed to enjoy; however, I did get a cool t-shirt and a glass. Anyway, this little music festival was called the Raindrop Festival and turned out it supported the Hulsey Little River Trust. It was more than worth the trip and anyone who gets a chance to go to Bottle Tree should. It’s an artsy little restaurant/bar and sports a menu with limited meat and lots of vegan options. What really makes it special is that the people who work there are really nice and don’t present you with the snooty side of the artsy world. Finally, anyone who goes there has to talk to the guy, named Chris, at the front door. He is this awesome old many with great stories and an eye tattooed in his bald spot amongst his long gray curly hair. Possibly one of this nicest, coolest guys I’ve ever met.

Convenience

Recently I went home and looked around at how many things had changed in the small amount of time I’d been away. A couple of years ago they put in a new strip mall that was supposed to be just like the Summit. In theory this sounded great and everyone anticipated its opening. Now, as both neighborhoods and generally all business has traveled to the side of town where this mall is located, businesses in the rest of town are slowly shutting down and relocating.

One side of town is completely empty with a mall and soon to be shopping center that are abandoned. In addition, the shops in another shopping center just down the way have now begun building in this amazing all in one center. It seems like it today’s fast, ever convenient society, people seem to forget the consequences of their buying actions. If you place every shop that you might need into one convenient location, how is the business in the rest of town supposed to function.

This idea of super convenience dominates so much of our society and its consequences are slowly being seen. Fast food, the ultimate in convenience, is just now being renounced as its health effects culminate. Town businesses are dying as Wal-marts pop up everywhere. It makes me wonder to what extent convenience will come to control and alter our lives as time goes on.

4-20 on the Quad

In case anyone didn’t know, Tuesday was earth day, and last Sunday the University had an earth fest wonderfully advertised as 4/20 on the quad. It was possibly the most beautiful day I have experienced yet in Tuscaloosa and lying on the quad for hours was the perfect action to take in response to such a magnificent day. They had bands play from around 12 until 8, many of which were good if not very entertaining. Also, the sierra club was there giving out free grocery bags that you keep. You know like Publix and Target have been selling lately except with sierra club on the outside. But anyway, the outside wasn’t the exciting part, it was what lied within.

What was this you ask?...

I’m sure your enthralled right now.

Energy efficient light bulbs and press on tattoos with earth friendly slogans. Basically, since I don’t really change the light bulbs in my door, I was ecstatic about the tattoos. I sadly don’t have them or I would post some of their awesomeness up on the blog.

Anyways, the whole event was really successful and I don’t know the exact details of it but there was an article I noticed in the CW but I have yet to read it. Here However is the link where you can find the article and some of the pictures that they took. There was an excellent turn out and seemed to be a lot of support which resulted in people becoming more informed about helping the environment with all the little information tables they had set up.