My Night With the Police, Part Deux

We had to find a restroom. Where are restrooms when you are on the road? In the gas station, of course! We got to Casey's, and as I got out of the car to go in, I heard, "Wait." It was Officer Long. We got back in the car, and I didn't realize where we were going until we were almost there. Of course, when the poor officer had to pee, we got called back to Mommy and Man. This time Mommy had called in saying that Man had done something to hurt the daughter. Officer Long, having been on the job for 11 years, realized that Mommy probably just wanted Man out of the apartment. Guess what?! The woman was right, for when she got back in the car the second time, she told me that, once again, they told the couple that as officers, they can't force the man to leave his place of residence. (which the apartment was, because Mommy had let him live there for a time)

More importantly, though, we still had to pee. "Let's try this other gas station this time," Officer Long tells me. Guppy's On The Go was the name, and peeing was the game. Eventually, though, we left, with the addition of a Mountain Dew and some turkey bites to our party. She let me try some of the turkey, and it was actually pretty good, considering it came prepackaged from the cooler at a gas station. We then proceeded to see some of the flooded homes in the area. It was amazing how different one street was from the next. We would drive down one street, and see many houses that were rebuilt, and then turn the corner, and every house was still in ruins. The best flood house she showed me was one that was being worked on. The construction crew must have been doing something with the foundation, though, because it was jacked up about 15 feet in the air! It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen in my city. The house was sitting on four columns of wooden beams, and my jaw was sitting on the floor.

Then the fun started. Officer Long told me that she doesn't normally do traffic stops in the rain, but she would for me. How nice. So we waited near a four way stop. It wasn't really a fair game, though, because two of the four ways were blocked off, and the intersection was just an L instead of a +. Within a minute of us stopping there, someone drove by and barely stopped at the stop sign, but she decided not to pursue that one; we could easily have gotten ten if we wanted. Shortly after, some chick in a VW flew by, and went right through the intersection, stopping only enough to turn under control.

On went the lights! Down went the pedal! I have never been in a car that was as recklessly (but under control) driven as that police car was. We flew to catch up to the lady, who was going kind of fast. The funny thing was that when asked if she knew why she was pulled over, she said she was speeding. Well thanks for admitting that, too, but she really got pulled over for not stopping. Officer Long was nice, though, and let her off with a warning in spite of her poor driving record.
The rest of the night was good, fun, and educational, but not quite as exciting. I received a personal tour of the county jail and the city police station. It was very good, as a citizen of the two domains, to see what all of our money funds. All things considered, it was a very enjoyable night, and I wish I could do it again. Thank you Five Seasons Leadership, CRPD and Lt. Fitzpatrick, and Officer Long.

My Night With the Police

The other night, I got to go for a ride in a police car.


No, not because I was bad. If you know me, you know that I am not like that. As this kid from work would say, I am "One of those good juniors". Being a good junior was actually what got me the chance to do the ride along. I am part of this leadership group in the city, and they set up ride alongs for anyone who wanted to do it.

On Thursday, I arrived at the police station five minutes before 4:00, right when they told me to be there. Actually, I had to speed to get there in time. Luckily, no one asked about that, and I didn't tell. So I got there at 4:00, and filled out the sheet of paper that the receptionist gave me, and waited. Come 4:15, I was still waiting. Around rolled 4:30, and I'm still patiently sitting in the PD lobby, wondering if I will ever get to go for my ride. After all, I had homework to do that night!

Finally, Officer Long came out the door to get me. She told me that she was sorry, and that she had to make some phone calls, which was what made her late. Once we got in the car, I realized that this cop was cool, and I was going to enjoy being in her car. We pulled up to her normal car in order to get some papers. I waited to see which car she would go to. In the vicinity there were a couple choices: a pickup, a jeep, a minivan, and a bright orange mustang. Yeah, she chose the mustang. I would later realize that she is a dog lover and a football fan, as well as owned a cooler car than all the macho policemen.

Throughout the ride, she was extremely easy to get along with. She answered all of my questions, let me eat (when we stopped at McDonald's for a call, only to find the people had left), joked with me about the people, gave me one of her turkey bites, and even showed me some of the flood zone. Not only was I lucky to be able to go on the ride, but I was extremely lucky to get such a cool partner.

During the ride, we saw some...odd... people, and even heard about some cases that made us either roll our eyes or raise our eyebrows. To start the night off, we sat for about thirty minutes on the side of the interstate, in the middle of the most dangerous section that passes through downtown. In the rain. The only reason we stayed was to make sure no one "crunched" the car that we was to be towed. Basically, we were there to get hit, but we survived. Right away, we went to the McDonald's case. There was supposed to be a disturbance between a mother and daughter in the restaurant, but we got there and nobody was there. I got to get some food, and then we left for a domestic disturbance.

This case was the first one that made us just roll our eyes. The reason we were called there was because a girl had called saying that a man was pushing mommy. A very valid reason for the police to arrive, I would say. However, when the officers got back (two officers go because they don't know what to expect, and I waited in the car), I learned that the man was actually mommy's boyfriend, and they were breaking up. Mommy was jealous because he was with another woman. Oh yeah, Mommy was pregnant with the man's baby, as well. So the officers told them to figure it out, as they can't make him leave his place of residence.

At this point, Officer Long had to pee....

I Overrate Your Underestimation!

Recently, I have really thought that the college football polls have disrespected Iowa. The team has won every game this year, and against some tough opponents, yet was still ranked lower than teams that have losses! Some teams get preferential treatment in these polls, though. For example, whoever was good the previous year is automatically assumed to be amazing the following year. However, each year brings with it a brand new team. They might have the same system and style, but the dynamic usually changes. Some teams have managed to weather this storm of change and stay in the top echelon, like USC for this whole decade, Florida, and even Ohio State.

For the last few weeks, I have been disappointed that these teams have been so highly favored in the polls, because I believe each season should be a fresh start. As the season progresses, though, it is becoming more clear as to who is good this year. Iowa, now that they are one of the few teams to be 7-0, is finally in the top ten, where I believe they deserve to be. True, the victories haven't been pretty, by many small margins, but they've won. They won each and every game through sheer perserverance, and now, that has paid off in visible ways, with the poll voters giving them the credit they deserve. I underestimated the poll voters, but now, I realize that the season must unfold in order to discover who is the best, and now, halfway through the season, we are at that point. Shame on me for judging the poor sports writers.

Balloon Fun

Over the last few days, I'm sure you have heard something about the "Balloon Boy", or something about the story. (CNN Thursday Denver Post Saturday) To abbreviate, on Thursday, in Fort Collins, Colorado, a weather balloon of sorts took off from the Heene home, and traveled sixty miles. During the flight, the family called the police in fear that a son, Falcon, was in the balloon. After police chased the balloon for hours, it landed, and the boy was nowhere to be found other than in the Heene attic. He said that he was hiding there because his dad yelled at him, and that it was "for the show". Now, police are looking to file charges on Richard Heene, and there is much speculation that the whole fiasco was a publicity stunt. After all, the family has been on ABC's Wife Swap, and Richard has attempted to make several science based shows, similar to Bill Nye. The weather balloon was one of his experiments, but was only designed to lift twenty feet off the ground, but the rigging to hold it in place failed, releasing it, and the Heene family, to the world.

Today, the country sheriff, Jim Alderden confirmed that the event was a hoax, a publicity stunt to put the family in a better position to star in a reality show. CNN reports: "The parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met in a Hollywood acting school and 'put on a very good show for us,' Alderden said. Authorities know there was 'a conspiracy' between them, he added." The speculation started on Larry King Live, when the boy said the statement about it being, "for the show", and now, it is for certain. The parents met in acting school, and this whole event was probably planned, staged out in a way that they thought would be good for their family. Unfortunately, it has turned out badly. Their front has been revealed, and now, one of them could be going to jail.

What would push someone to commit such an unbelievable act? To commit a fake for personal benefit? I can't believe that they take people like the Heenes take these things lightly. Being on TV is probably all they think about, something they devote huge amounts of time to. You can see from their history that it is something they have tried, and been moderately successful at. They did make it on Wife Swap, but not much else. Richard's feeble attempts at educational science failed miserably, possibly forcing them to drastic measures, just like other fakers of deaths and missing persons.



Remember this face? She is the infamous "Run Away Bride" Jennifer Wilbanks from a few years ago. The woman just didn't want to marry, so she ran away four days before the wedding. She then called the fiancé three days later to falsely claim that she had been kidnapped and assaulted by a Hispanic man. Well, that was a lie, and she also was charged. She could have received up to five years in jail for her little adventure, but instead got two years probation, 120 hours community service, and $2,250 to the sheriff's department.

Only a few minutes ago, I was reading about how the brains of teenagers are not developed enough to make rational decisions. This is because the frontal lobes don't completely mature until around age 25. I'm not an expert, but as an attempt to explain their behavior, maybe the frontal lobes of the Heenes and Jennifer Wilbanks never finished developing. Their decisions and actions were clearly irrational. Some people might even think that their actions were very unwise, and not worthy of the consequences. But who knows? People in today's world do many irrational things. They may not be as publicized or as drastic, but they're still simply against the "normal" thinking of what is acceptable.

Cultural Comedy

Please, watch the following video before reading the rest of the post. Without viewing, the post will make no sense.






In the United States, we love our comedy. Nearly every night of the week and weekend, you can find a comedy program or two on the "big three" networks: ABC, NBC, and CBS. For those of us lucky enough to have cable or satellite, we even have a whole channel devoted to comedy! Comedy has in some ways, infiltrated our lives, with many people recieving news through the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and the late-night shows, because that's what people want to watch.



Throughout the years, American television has done some pretty crazy things to get people to laugh. Launched in 1989 with one Bob Saget hosting, America's Funniest Home Videos shows purely home videos of people doing really funny things. The show has since had 4 different hosts, and is still running. Twenty years' worth of funny home videos, and we still love it. Long, long, long before AFV, in 1947, there was a radio show called Candid Microphone. This program was the predecessor to the television show Candid Camera, which aired from 1948 until 2004. This show was also based on videos, but the people didn't know they were being taped, which made it so hilarious! For a few more recent years, the show Punk'd with Ashton Kutcher also featured videos of people, but with pranks being pulled on celebrities.



Today, our comedy show are varied, from AFV to talk shows to sitcoms. Some of the more daring shows have pushed people to the edge in order to make the audience laugh, like Punk'd and Candid Camera, but they still have limitations. In the US, we are incredibly worried about violating others' rights, trying to keep them happy. When we collectively decide that an action was unacceptable, we have no problem with raising hell. While our television isn't as censored as some countries', there are certain words that can't be said, and certain things that can't be done, and with the varied beliefs of our country, somebody will be offended no matter what is done.



The video of the Japanese prank show pushes the poor man nearly over the edge of fear. It's hard for me to say if this would, or could, be done in the US, due to the uproar that could come from it. I've seen fake robberies, but not anything as graphic as this prank. Just put yourself in that man's place. You go to an interview, just like a normal day. Suddenly, there are shots fired, and the people around you drop "dead", bleeding from their "gunshot wounds". I would have reacted exactly the same as the man in the video.



While I understand that the prank was all in good fun, the fun wasn't so good. If that man was a stranger, with the production crew having no information on how he might react, who knows what could have happened. He could have fainted, had a heart attack, a panic attack, or any number of stress reactions. That would not have been funny. At least not in the United States of America.



Never having been to Japan, I don't know their culture and what they find acceptable. Putting someone through stress like that in this country wouldn't be taken very lightly. I confess, I did laugh at first, but then I thought of what that must have been like, and then I felt bad for him, even angry at the people who staged it. The Japanese may have a different view, though, and that is just one simple (or not) example of how two cultures can be radically different.

88 Key Staircase

I just found this video, and I think it is amazing how easy it was to change people without them knowing it. It makes you wonder what we do everyday that is controlled by someone else?? Here it is, courtesy of Volkswagon via YouTube:




Isn't that just crazy? At the beginning of the video, the escalator is full to the point that no more people could possibly fit on it. After the stairs get done up to look, and more importantly, sound like a piano, nearly everyone takes the stairs.

Not only are there people who stop and look at the piano, take it all in, and then decide to try it out. There are also people who are presumably doing business, walking from place A to place B. These people might take the stairs normally (because the escalator is normally bursting with lazy people), but the fact that there are more people on the stairs may give them reason to expend the energy needed to traverse the stairs. Their thinking could be something like:

Wow, there are a lot of people on the stairs, and oh, the stairs look like a piano. Hey! I hear a piano. Oh, it's from the people walking on the piano stairs. I'll just take it and see what happens. What is there to lose?

If someone's really busy, not worrying about stairs v. escalator, they may not even realize that they're walking up a piano and that with every step, they play a C scale. These people are too preoccupied with their cell phone, and just see the people running up and down the stairs (attempting to play Chopin). Unconsciously, they decide that if they take the stairs, they will have fun, too.

That is why I think there are so many more people on the stairs at the end of the video. First, observant individuals are drawn to the piano, placed there by someone else. Then the non-observant, focused people are drawn to the stairs without even thinking about it, because someone else is having fun. It is almost a form of learning through observation. In one of my favorite videos (sans music), even though, there really is no string, most people step over it. Some of these people don't even look down, they just do it because they saw someone else do it.

To mix the two examples, I would like to see if people will skip a step if you color it differently and skip it? Let's try it! Unless you have other ideas... I'll take suggestions.

Stop. Think. Focus.

I try not to post too much about me, although I do use examples from my own life, because after all, it is the one I know best. Also, I refuse to write about blogging. I will do it right now, and never again, because it applies not only to writing, but to my life.

Thus far, my writing has been moderately unfocused. My goal from here on out is to narrow it down a little. The blog title is Oddities Humanus, and at the onset, I wanted to write about funny things that people do, and I would like to continue that, but I would like to add, or reiterate a focus of the writing. The question is: Why? Let's use the post Just For Laughs as an example. I do not want to simply discuss why these men would make dating videos, but is there a reason that makes them do it, only because they're human. Is there something present in all humans that would push us to do this?

Focus is also needed in my life and the lives of many people out there. Epidemic in high schools is the urge to get involved, which is awesome for many reasons. Incoming freshman don't know everyone who is in their class, and at a big school, they probably never will, but if they get involved in a ton of activities right away, they meet people. A wide variety of activities also helps one find things that they're good at and that they enjoy. After some time, though, kids get in a group and have friends. Most students at this point probably have a good idea of what they're good at and what they enjoy.

It is at this crossroads when one must decide (because you can't be good at everything), whether to continue involvement in a wide variety of activites, and not focus on some or all, or narrow the use of your time, and become your best at one or two. I'm not saying a student couldn't still be involved in multiple things. Instead, I am suggesting that people find what they need to be spending their time on, and focus. I think that everyone has the desire to be good at something, for their skills to be needed, and focusing our use of time helps us to fulfill that desire, and become the best we can be.

What people need, other than their job or focus activity (if in school), is a hobby. Some people build things, some people write songs, and some people excercise. I would consider a hobby anything that you spend considerable time on regularly outside of your day job. Hobbies help to be a release from the daily grind, and sometimes to release creativity that isn't used at work. Long story short, I think I need a hobby. I am involved in a lot of things, and I'm ok with that, but I would like something that I can do that I can call mine. In the meantime, I will try and keep my writing focused.

Luck

More left-brained people might say that luck doesn't exist, that everything is based on chance and events are only coincidence. Others, myself included, say that sometimes things just work out for some people, and can't be coincidence. Sometimes, unexplainable things happen, and sometimes in sequences that just shouldn't happen normally. People probably aren't predisposed to be lucky or not, but it sure does seem like some people just get everything to go the right way, if only for a period of time. If you think that you're in one of those phases where things happen to work the right way, thank somebody, and take advantage of it, because you never know if it will happen again.

Speak up, for everyone's sake!

Washing dishes isn't very much fun. This is a fact of life, as no one that I know enjoys washing dishes. Too bad for me, though, because it's my job if I like it or not. My problem though, and the problem of many people, is that I'm shy, at least in certain situations. I have wanted to express my feelings to my boss that I just don't want to wash dishes forever, and I am planning on doing just that very soon, but so far, I've been too shy to say anything. Alas, this is the plight of many people out there who have opinions, but are too shy or scared to do anything about it.

Everyone has opinions on everything, it's just the way we are as humans. Sometimes our opinions appear through our words and actions. Other times, and maybe more often, our thoughts aren't shared, because while we do have an emotional connection to them, there simply isn't a good enough reason to flaunt them, no current to take us over the waterfall. For example, my parents do a lot of stuff that annoys me, but it's so trivial that I don't say anything to them. Instead, I keep it inside and either let it eat at me, or decide that it's just too small to worry about and decide to laugh about it.

There are people that are not scared to express their beliefs in any situation. Sometimes, this can be a real benefit, because they feel satisfied that everyone has heard their opinion. After all, how many times have you kept something to yourself and regretted it later (an example of harmful shyness)? I know I've done it countless times. Other times, though, being too outspoken is dangerous, for people don't like the one who always has to defend their case, who never gives in. In this way, shyness can be good.

On the flip side, there is a way to be very non-outspoken. Some individuals don't speak up enough, therefore their thoughts don't get heard. What if their thinking was beneficial to the group as a whole? This is why I think it is good for everyone to be outspoken, but not over-spoken. It will never be balanced, though; the more outspoken people will be the leaders of the group, and a balance of opinions is reached.

Jitters Yield Rewards

I am a violinist. As a violinist, I have a wide array of performance opportunities for me to participate in. For the last eight I have been a soloist, and played in competitions solely for a grade. For the last six years I have been an orchestra member, allowing me to play different music in a large group. Two years ago, I was a quartet member, played a fun piece, and had a great time in the intimate setting that chamber music is. The last two months, though, I have been a part of something totally new and different.

Starting this summer, I have been a part of our fall musical, titled I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.

The show is awesome in many, many ways. First of all, it is downright hilarious. Even after seeing the whole show seemingly hundreds of times, I still laughed during the final show. Also, the way the show is written in a style that is very intimate with the actors and the audience. It is normally only a cast of four, but we used up to twelve in certain scenes.

As a musician, the music in the show is incredible. Written by Jimmy Roberts, the music varies from scene to scene. One scene may have a slow, dramatic sound, and the next may be a tango, for example. As a violinist, I love the fact that the orchestra consists of merely a piano and a violin. This means that I get to shine as the only violin, but I am not playing solo. In this show, I have been blessed with an amazing piano player that literally runs the show. She plays scene changes, decides the tempo, and generally coordinates the music.

This whole concept of show music and near-solo work is totally new to me, and is very exciting. In an orchestra, you have to blend, and don't get to play out to show your skills. As a soloist, you get to show your skills, but your mistakes are much more noticeable. I think that many people, especially performers, would agree that it is much better to be able to shine than to simply be assigned the same task as everyone else.

How does one then shine during performances? What do performers and people do to cope with the stress and excitement of the final presentation of their work? During our show, I saw the cast and crew dealing with the pressure with several different methods. One very popular way was to busy their selves with something to keep their mind off of the show. Some people brought laptops, some brought games, books, iPods, etc. Another method was to go at the performance head-on (apply directly to the forehead), by focusing on what they were going to be doing by practice and preparation. Rituals are another method of dealing with stress. Some people believe that doing something that worked when they succeeded will help them succeed again. Even though a performer may try to cope with the stress, rarely does it disappear entirely. The nerves show through when one paces, twiddles their thumbs, or bites their fingernails. It happens to everyone and is controllable, but incurable.

Why would humans feel stress when they are about to perform? Simple: we humans don't like to fail, and we especially don't like to be ridiculed for it. We would much rather succeed by incredible measures, and when we do, it gives us great pleasure. For me, it is the satisfaction that all the hard work I've done, the long hours I've put in, the sacrifices that I have made, all paid off in the end. I'm not one to show off very often, and I didn't even think of it before the show, but afterwards, many people came up to me and said that I was really good and that I was a huge part of the show. Some friends even told me that they didn't realize I was that good. These are the most valuable rewards for me. To hear someone tell me that they think I am good is nice, as they could be telling the truth, or they could just be saying that because it's customary. However, when a friend, someone who knows me, says that they didn't know I was that good, I feel like that are telling the truth, and I am very grateful.