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Do I Have Worth?

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We are worth so much to God! We are precious beings, worthy of His love and adoration. We are worthy of His infinite affection. We are worthy of His infinite forgiveness. Sin does not separate us from God once we become part of God’s family. It took me personally a very long time to comprehend that I am worthy in the eyes of the Lord Almighty. Personally I felt as though I didn’t deserve forgiveness, mercy or love. I felt ashamed of my sins. Then I heard a speaker at a conference called Districts. Jennifer Strickland was a model who was recruited to move to Europe because she was (and is) beautiful. While abroad she was homesick, lonely, lost and without God. She endured being anorexic and weighing 110 pounds, despite being a tall woman, all for the sake of “beauty”. One lonely, dark night she found God and he forgave all her past mistakes.
Do I Have Worth?
Jennifer’s message is a powerful one. Her message is that there are many lies that Satan tells us. He (Satan) tells us our worth is found in a man and in the mirror.  The deceiver says you are only as good as the man in front of you says you are. If he says you are worthless, you are. If he says you are beautiful, you are. This is not true because your worth and value does not change because a man decides to change his opinion of you.  God’s opinion of you is the only one that matters. Letting human beings define us can shatter our hearts. We are beloved daughters of the King, making us princesses. We deserve to be in a relationship with a pure, loving man. Nevertheless, remember, man cannot fill that empty void in your heart, only God can (Strickland, 1).
Your worth is not found in the mirror. The mirror is always changing and never satisfied. Your looks may fade but true beauty is on the inside, not the outside. Our outside is temporary and not a reflection of our beauty and value. The mirror never says you are perfect and is never satisfied. It is exhausting to be a slave to the mirror. You need to stop thinking to yourself; maybe if I’m thinner he will like me. That number on the scale does not define you. You do not need to search for imperfections because you are a beautiful, valued child of God.  Feed your inner beauty by feasting on the word of God. Always remember that you are worthy of God’s love and forgiveness. Jennifer has written several books about self-worth. I highly encourage you to read them if you so choose (Strickland, 1). 

Who Am I?

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“Who are you, really?
 You are not a name, a height, or a weight, or a gender.
 You are not an age, and you are not where you are from.
You are your favorite books and the songs stuck in your head.
 You are your thoughts and what you eat for breakfast on Saturday mornings.
You are a thousand things but everyone chooses to see the million things you are not.
You are not where you are from. You ARE where you’re going, and I’d like to go there too.”     
By M.K. 
Who Am I?
          We love this quote here at “Think Up Magazine”.  It shows the reality of the world and how judgmental of a place it can be, but we, as part of society, have the ability to change this cultural norm. What you need to realize is that what people think of you isn’t necessarily who you are, nor how you think of other people isn't necessarily who they are. “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged” (Mathew 7:1).


           We are many things. God says we are made in His image to be like Him (Genesis 1:27).  We are beautifully, fearfully, and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). God also says we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old is gone and the new has come. In God we find ourselves washed away from our past mistakes, pure and holy in His eyes.  He sees our past as nonexistent because he accepts us for what and who WE are. We are our favorite books, drawings, and paintings. Everything that is created by us is a part of us in one way or another. We call it self-expression for a reason. They are expressions from inside our very being. You are creating something unique from nothing but your imagination. How absolutely wondrous is that? 

The Lakers are bad: What to do with Kobe

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The Lakers are bad: What to do with Kobe
So was anyone really expecting it to be this bad? Becasue I sure as heck wasn't. The Los Angeles Lakers are off to the worst ten-game start in francise history with a 1-9 record, and a 136-115 loss to the Warriors on Sunday night was the proverbial icing on the cake. LA is in shambles, and not even the resurgence of the Clippers can shine light on the city that has seen its share of highs inside of Staples Center. The franchise that has 16 NBA Championships, is now the bottom feeder of the NBA. The only difference between the Lakers and the lowly Philadelphia 76ers is that the Sixers are trying to lose and be horrid, the Lakers just are. The folks in "Laker Land" still have false hope that they're supposed to be apart of the NBA's elite, just ask Jeanie Buss. Mitch Kupchak and crew thought it would be genius to ink the aging Kobe Bryant to a two year extension paying the "Black Mamba" over 24 million annually over the life of the contract. Good idea, dude! Now the Lakers not only suck, but they're stuck treading water. There's no room for improvement when you're overpaying an NBA legend on the down slope of his career, who still believes that he's still the same player he was ten years ago. Is this post a Kobe bashing? No, far from it actually. This is about trying to find a way to get Kobe help, or mostly get Kobe out. 
Kobe scored 44 points in the Sunday night loss the Warriors, but despite the good scoring numbers, the Lakers offense looked awful. Point guard Jeremy Lin complained after the game about players being selfish and what not, so clearly the team is starting to get frustrated with how things are rolling along. It's been made very clear that Kobe can still score, he's averaging 27.3 points per game this season, but he's also made it clear that he can't be "the guy" on a contending team anymore. That's no jab at the "Black Mamba," the dude is one of the best shooting guards of all-time, not to mention one of my favorite players. I just hate to see him jack up shots just to keep his team in the game. He referenced the need for his high volume shooting after the Warriors loss. 

"They came out and knocked down shots and put us in a hole pretty quick," Bryant said, per The Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "... I'd rather get guys involved early. That's always the intent. But when you go down 10-12 points in the hole, man, I've got to try to keep us in the ballgame at some point.”
Kobe really does make a great point, because if he's not scoring, who else will? Jeremy Lin ? Carlos Boozer ? ROBERT FREAKING SACRE ??
We know that this can't be an enjoyable ride for Kobe, and I hate to see his Hall-of-Fame career end in such a pathetic way. The Lakers tried but failed to land a top free-agent such as Carmelo Anthony in the summer, but the purple and gold whiffed the same way they did a year before while trying to re-sign Dwight Howard. So now there's only one other option for Kobe if he would like to end his career on a high note, and that's to abandon ship and get out of town as fast as you can! 
Now you may be asking, what team would take on such an awful contract? The answer is simple, and somewhat of a no-brainer: the New York Knicks, duh! Of course it's the only other team in the NBA that spends money more carelessly that the Lakers! I first heard Grantland's Jalen Rose with the suggestion, and it actually sounds like an alright idea. Supposedly Phil Jackson is on board to take on Kobe's contract this upcoming offseason, and Jackson would then try to sign another big name to play along Kobe and Melo. Now who in there right mind would willingly sign up to play with high volume shooters such as Melo and Kobe? Who better than to-be free agent Marc Gasol?! The Spanish big-man would thrive as the center in a triangle offense, while we already know that Marc's older brother Pau Gasol was one of Kobe's favorite teammates. Of course this idea would only work if Kobe agreed to take a back-seat and be a third option, but if he did, Kobe would be set up nicely for success. The Lakers would be losing the Franchise's cornerstone, but if they truly want the best for their superstar and for their franchise, then they'll at least listen to offers. It would be a teary goodbye, but it's something that needs to happen. 

Dark Souls Review

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Dark Souls is developer From Software’s spiritual successor to 2009’s Demon Souls, which was released exclusively to Sony. If there is one things the souls games are known for, it is their difficulty, with the slogan for Dark Souls being, “Prepare to Die.” Dark Souls ushered itself into the hardcore gaming scene promising difficulty, frustration, and plenty of rage quits; and did it deliver, often being cited as one of the most challenging and rewarding games of the decade.
Presentation: Dark Souls opens with a beautiful cinematic, that gives the player an idea of what is taking place in Lordran, while not divulging too much information. The main idea you are left with is that the world has fallen under a deep and dark curse, leaving humanity unable to live, but also unable to die and they are slowly becoming more “hollow” after each death. The only thing keeping this curse from consuming all of humanity is Lord Gwyn, who has sacrificed himself to stave off the darkness, however, Lord Gwyn’s power is fading, and a chosen undead may yet replace him
















        After picking your class and customizing the character chosen, you are ushered into the world, and the most likely thing you will first feel is that you are alone on this endeavor. This is not a game that will hold your hand with tutorials, maps, and checkpoints; Dark Souls has none of it because it believes that the player can make discoveries on their own, and that gives you a foreign but welcome feeling of empowerment. In fact the only piece of advice you are given is about an hour into the game, when a soldier sitting at a bonfire tells you that there are two bells; one above and one below, and if you ring them both something might happen. The absence of direction in this game means that the player may spend hours in a part of the world that their character isn’t ready for, but it also means that you are free to explore Lordran for yourself and make your own decisions without the game guiding you or having to help an NPC (non-player character) find something they lost in a cave, simply to keep the story moving. This format serves to help the story, as your character is a lost undead wandering the landscape for some unknown destiny, much like the player is wandering and searching for the unknown objective of the game.

        The environments in Dark Souls are truly something to behold. Every new location has amazing verticality and stunning landscapes. This also serves to compliment the level design, which is intricate and fairly genius. Often times you will leave one area to discover it was just above another location your character previously journeyed, allowing you to look and see that castle you just came from in the distance.. Everything is woven and connected together brilliantly, and it give the player a sense of position. The level design also helps orient the player through other means. Areas that are juxtapositioned below their lofty counterparts are darker and more forlorn, whereas middle grounds tend to have more of an earthy feel, and areas of higher verticality are bright and effervescent in how they feel and look.
















Gameplay: Every element of fighting in Dark Souls is weighty and precise. The movements are fluid and you get this feeling that the decisions you make in combat matter, because one misstep could mean the death of your character. Each enemy has certain attack patterns, and it is up to the player to find a chink in their opponent's armor. This game is hard and feels impossible at times, but it never plays unfairly. Each death, you know the mistake made that ended in defeat, and it spurs you on to get it right the next time. The only time frustrated me was due to glitches, where enemies would seemingly teleport to me, or hit me through walls and barriers.
  I remember one time playing Dark Souls for five hours just trying to defeat a boss; frustrated beyond belief that Nito, Lord of the Undead had kept continually foiling my plans for victory. Staying patient and looking for some sort of weakness, I discovered that he was exceptionally weak to fire, and that if his army of skeletons were felled before they became an issue, I might be able to secure a victory. Trying again, I prevailed with a sense of victory and satisfaction that no other game has ever given me, because the game didn’t tell me what to do, it had been teaching me how to fend for myself since the beginning.


















 Multiplayer: Every meta interaction that a player has with Dark Souls, has an in game connection with the story. For example when you die and respawn, because in the game your character is an undead cursed with not being able to die. Messages to other players in the game are created by using an “orange soapstone”, and you can be summoned to other worlds with a “white soapstone” to help other players on their quests. This helps to prolong immersion in the game, because the player never has to think of a certain action as being something apart from the game.
There is this idea of a shared world in Dark Souls, where you can silently have experiences with other players without leaving your own playthrough. Bloodstains can be interacted with to show the player a ghost of another person and how they died, messages can be laid down to give advice to others such as, “boss ahead” or “treasure below”, and whenever a player rings the first bell in the cathedral, a resounding noise can be heard across many players worlds. It gives the player a sense of community and common struggle, and motivated me throughout the entire forty hour journey.

Final Thoughts: Dark Souls is a game for gamers, meaning that it could easily put off people who are not well versed in games of its stature. However it still serves to be an increasingly rewarding game due to brilliant environments and level design, fantastic game mechanics, and a well realized universe. It is sure to be a genre defining title in the years to come.

"Areas of higher verticality are bright and effervescent in how they feel and look."

Prepare to Die - A Dark Souls Review
By Tyler Thompson

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The tray held six little, green cabbage plants growing out of it. Turning the tray carefully upside down he gently squeezed the bottom part of one of the plants until it slid from its tray and landed in his hand.
Daddy handed that one to Mary and directed her where to drop it on the ground underneath the string. Roene and Jo pressed in for their turn, and so began our annual garden planting. I knelt down and felt the ground with my right hand. It had rained recently, but the ground was still hard and 
unforgiving. This was going to be harder than I thought. I bit my lip and plunged in. Cupping my right hand, I held the plant in my left, stiffening my fingers I pushed them three inches into the ground. I scooped the dirt back to make about a three inch hole and dropped the plant in gently. Carefully, I mushed the dirt back up around it and patted it down, then moved on to the next one. Donny came along with a pail of water and dipped a bit out with an old sour cream container and poured it over the new plant. We continued in this way until the garden was finished about an hour and a half later.
When we finished, our little garden boasted two thick rows of green beans, twenty-five tomato plants, two zucchini plants, three cucumber plants, one row of cabbage and one row of cauliflower. It was a good little garden, and it had gone quickly and been fun with all the hands helping, even though it was painful to the fingers.

Diversity In Gaming

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Diversity in Gaming  
 There exists a problem in today’s video-game cultre. Go to your  localgame store, close your eyes, and pluck from the wall any sealed plastic rectangle; chances are it has a middle-aged white male protagonist that you will be playing as for the whole eight-hour experience. Some people might ask why this is a problem; as long as the gameplay can be fun for everyone, what’s the big deal? In reality, the answer is as simple as this; the gaming population houses much more variety than just white twenty-something males. For example, with 48% of gamers being female to start. Our world is full of different people, and it’s time we appreciated that fact (Entertainment Software Association).  

        There is such importance in diversity. Not only is it important to everyone to be able to identify in some way with a character in a game, or even a movie; it is detrimental to society that we experience, on a daily basis, the viewpoints of other people. Imagine if every one of our games, we only played them from the view of one identity, again two things would happen; the alienation of everyone who did not fit the bill of our one-sided characters, and the distorted view of our misrepresented culture. I happen to fall under the description of the young white male; so it is important to me that there are some characters that I can identify with, and that if character-customization is an option, I have the ability to make someone that represents myself. However, I want to play as different characters! I want to play as powerful women, who are not just used as decorations in the background. I want to play as the thirty-something homosexual guy from Spain, as long as the characters are interesting. If a game developer can make a strong and dynamic cast of characters that the player can sympathize with, they should be successful regardless of the identity of those characters.












       If we take a look at how games represent diversity today, we can see games that get it right, and games that get it wrong. There are two paths to take when trying to make a game cater to anyone who might pick it up. The first is to have complete customization of the character, allowing the player to truly be anyone they want. So if players want to be a six-foot-seven, androgynous, blue-skinned person; they got it! These games typically tend to have less of the narrative focused on the player themselves, and more on the events taking place around them. Games such as Dark Souls, The Sims, and Skyrim come to mind when thinking about this approach, and they all have something in common; the focal point of the story is on the events in the world around them, rather than the player. This is because you can’t write a story specific to a character who has a million different customization options, while bestowing upon them a rich backstory that does not feel completely generic.

      The other strategy is to throw customization out the window, and replace it with a dynamic cast of characters. One of the best examples of this would have to be the Borderlands series. At the start of Borderlands 2 the player is given a choice between four very different characters: A short-statured Latino male, with a passion for all things guns, a well-built black male with an imposing voice and figure, a faceless assassin clad in black, and a bad-ass looking female “siren” or magic user. These are all fully realized characters with strengths and weaknesses that make them interesting. The game also includes a hilarious running dialogue seemingly satirizing the lack of diversity in this medium.
 What about gender-equality in video games. With over half the gaming population housing the female audience, do games treat both genders equally? The short answer is no, but we are getting there. The problem currently tends to be a lack of strong female protagonists and characters in games; whereas the problem used to be anti-women tropes in video games. Think back to the original Mario or The Legend of Zelda games. The theme of both of these games, is that a woman you care about is repeatedly being stolen and no one but the male hero can save her; also referred to as the “damsel in distress trope”. I remember playing these games and being frustrated because I wanted Peach or Zelda to fight back and do something about the situation, instead of just waiting for their rescuer. These games were revolutionary and fun to play but even without the arguably sexist themes, you knew that the story arch would be the same in the next one; the love interest would be stolen, and you would save them. It made for a weak story and a bit of frustration.
















      Now, today, we see a different problem; games where you can only play as a man, the cast of characters are mainly men, and if there are women, they are the love interests of the men and nothing more than set pieces. Games like Assassins Creed and Call of Duty are notorious for this. In fact, when asked by fans why there were no female options for online multiplayer or any women included in the main cast of Assassin’s Creed Unity, game director Alex Amancio said that it would simply be too much work and stated, "It's double the animations, it's double the voices, all that stuff and double the visual assets. Especially because we have customizable assassins. It was really a lot of extra production work." However the former Assassin’s Creed designer Jonathan Cooper later stated, "In my educated opinion, I would estimate this to be a day or two's work. Not a replacement of 8,000 animations" (Farokhmanesh). This seems to be just sheer laziness on the side of developer Ubisoft, and rather disrespectful to the gaming population as a whole.
     There are some serious issues plaguing diversity in gaming today, but there are/have been games that give us hope of a promising, exciting, and equal gaming future. Our world is full of interesting people, and it’s about time we started showing it in this medium

- By Tyler Thompson

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About The Author:
   If you’re interested in todays top news in the MLB, you’re in the right place. Find out what’s going on in Major League Baseball inside this content packed magazine. My name is Wyatt Muff, I’m 18, and live in St.Cloud/Alexandria Minnesota. My hobbies are being with friends as much as possible, or spending my night being tied up in a TV Series on Netflix, preferably “Psych”. I also have a horrible habit of going to the Casino even if I win money I still hate going there, but somehow I find myself there way to much. I also enjoy the outdoors when its not 40 below zero or pouring rain, which is very rare considering that Minnesota has the worst weather in the world. I am not big into sports unless its baseball or Playoff hockey if the Minnesota Wild are in it. I’m writing this magazine to inform and entertain readers about what’s happening in the MLB today! 

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                                                               Change How You Think         

 I am tired of hearing the same old assumptions that other races are taking away all of the one race men or women. I would like to let you know something today; men or women who chose to date another race does not mean that they still are not cheaters. It is important that you understand that whether a man or women chooses to date any race or someone with nice assets, they still will cheat.  I promise you it is not about how he or she may look, but it is about the confidence and the excitement at the time of the whole discretion.  To be honest ladies, a man is going to be a man; have you ever notice that men will look at any woman who has a nice ass or breast whether black, white or hispanic? If she has a feature on her body that is nice, the man will look. I have not seen in my lifetime one man who has not seen a woman of any race that has a nice body and does not look at her ass.  A man will be with the love of his life, and if he sees a nice bottom, he will sneak a peek and maybe continue to look when he can. I just want to let you know ladies; this is a normal reaction and unfortunately is something that you can not change.           
        
             Lets talk about the highly paid professional man who could live amongst the most successful individuals, they will still find themselves committing the sin of lust once they see a nice figure around.  Most women believed that if I keep my man from going to some places I do not have to worry. To be honest, this is not true! Most of these women with the figures and pretty faces are usually working with these men, or they are sometimes seen  while he is riding home from his journey to or from work.  If you feel you need to protect your man from places, this is because he may not be that faithful man you would want him to be.      

          My point to all of this is a man will surprise you just as a woman will. Most men and women would be amazed of the conversations your partner has with their friends or co-workers when you are not around.  I tend to see often women and men angered after finding out things that were done inappropriately, which eventually was relayed back by a good friend of what their partner got caught doing the night before. This is why it is very important to make sure before rushing into dating or marriage that you truly learn your partner.  If you take your time, you may find that the person you originally thought was right for you is not.  One thing I hate to see is someone who is hurt and stressed from bad relationships. If we learn how to be patient and focus on what we feel we need in our lives before anyone else is a part of it,  I honestly can say that we would most definitely be better off.         
         After talking to many couples about relationships, I found that there were plenty of couples who shared the story of moving fast into a marriage without knowing who they were marrying.  This situation is quite disturbing to talk about especially when you learn that most couples who were married remained in a terrible marriage so they would not be an embarrassment to the family.  This is always a big problem when mom and dad has so much input in your marriage that you feel the decisions you make are based on them. For years, daters have had the problems of going and telling their parents everything that goes on between them and their partners. In result, they wonder why their relationships do not workout. It is none of anyone’s business of who says what in a marriage unless you are being abused.  I just hate when couples fight and they find a need to run and tell the parents about their personal problems. I mean it goes to show that they are spoiled, still want to be a child and does not know how to grow up and be a man or a woman in their household.  When you are dating or married, your personal business stays with you and your partner. Work on handling your issues keep others out and then you may see that you will have a healthier relationship.

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The fist step is deciding what type of feeling to incorporate into the room. Is the goal to spice it up and have it be a lively hub filled with conversation or is it turning the mood down into a relaxation destination? Using the desired mood, select a warm or cool color. With the wide variety of color hues and mixtures, it can be difficult to choose the right one. To get thinking, we have come up with some color schemes that best suit the moods of a couple generic rooms.
Kitchens are often like a busy bee’s hive with the constant flow of people walking in and out along with the continuous work that goes on in there to feed the hole family. If this best describes your kitchen or what you want the kitchen to become, try a warm vibrant color that will evoke energy. Different shades of reds and yellows are perfect for bringing this effect to the kitchen. Many restaurants have a basic color scheme including red. Red not only stimulates conversation but also increases your appetite ("Using Color Psychology to Create an Emotionally Healthy Home").
Bedrooms are often a place looked at as one’s get away from life’s stresses. A place to forget about what tomorrow brings and clears the head for tranquil rest. To bring on this feeling of ease, look at a cool pallet. Blues, greens, and purples are all great choices. If you tend to ponder on questions, consider going green. Green is a very relaxing color for the eyes and enables people to hold their concentration longer ("Room Color and How It Affects Your Mood").
The bathroom is a place to literally scrub the dirt of the world off in hopes that feelings of purity and relief will follow. Use a cool color such as turquois due to its rising popularity; however, this is a place where many other colors are suitable. White is a desirable color for bathrooms because it is the color of purity, which is ultimately the goal when leaving a bathroom. Another consideration is what color is most flattering. Would you ever wear this color? This is the place where people spend most their time preparing themself for the day. Have a color that starts the day off right leaving a happy and confident feeling. A little self-confidence goes a long way in this tough world.

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Painting the Mood
 The color chosen for a room sets the mood. Color is a form of nonverbal communication that subtly affects peoples’ emotions and behavior. Color affects blood pressure and metabolism. Both hold a great deal of power when it comes to creating moods and influencing emotions. Although experiences create certain preferences to specific colors, subconsciously colors change the way a person feels.
 First, let’s establish how to classify colors. There are two main groups that colors can be broken into, either warm or cool. The warm group contains the colors at the red end of the color spectrum containing red, orange, and yellow. These colors often correspond with very passionate feelings that range from love and comfort to rage and enmity. Cool colors are on the exact opposite side of the color spectrum. Its colors include blue, green, and purple, which usually correspond with, relaxed feelings but at the same time associate with sorrow. The hue of colors also affects the emotional strength. Dark hues of any color give off deeper and stronger emotions while light misty hues lend a more soothing feel ("Can Color Really Change How You Feel and Act?").
A few colors do not fall under the basic categories of the warm cool color spectrum such as white, brown, gray, and black. Each of these colors holds their own affect each one with some good and bad. With these colors, take extra caution for they each hold their own beauty but the key to this beauty is in moderation. The way people view white is usually based off its proportion. With the right amount, white can make a room seem more spacious and give off a feeling of pureness; however, if it is over used it quickly transcends into a cold icy feeling. If used in moderation, brown is a powerful earthy color that carries the feeling of warmth in its many different shades. Grey is a very practical color that often makes a good counterpart to other colors. Do make sure to avoid overusing it because the room will then appear dull and depressing. Black is one of the trickiest colors when it comes to painting due to its bold appearance. When using black, there is a fine line between looking sleekly sophisticated and looking spookily evil. Typically, these colors not found on the color spectrum make a great accent to the other warm and cool colors ("The Psychology of Color - How Color Affects Human Behavior").

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Jimi and Jimmy
Many have debated who the best guitar player in history is. The debates about his topic are usually all just opinion due to the fact that every guitar player has a different way of playing, even though two guitarists may play the same genre of music. Every guitarist has their own voice in guitar, just like singers all have a different voice. It can be debated who has the better voice, but it would all just be opinion. Some guitarists obviously have more skill than others, but when comparing two masters of guitar, it would mostly just be opinion.
Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix were two guitar players from the same era and that played with a similar style. Jimi Hendrix is the better known of the two, while Jimmy Page is less known. Some do not even know who Jimmy Page is.

Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page, known as Jimmy Page, was born January 9, 1944, in Heston, England. He took up the guitar at the age of 13 after being inspired by the famous musician Elvis Presley. In 1965 he was asked to join the band The Yardbirds. He turned down the offer, recommending the guitarist Jeff Beck. The next year The Yardbirds sought him out again, and he finally agreed to join. For a while the band had two lead guitarists. Beck left in 1966 due to poor health and a possible nervous breakdown.
The band fizzled out in 1968, and Page formed a new band to play some remaining Yardbirds concert dates. They originally called themselves The New Yardbirds. The band consisted of John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards, John Bonham on drums, Jimmy Page on guitar, and Robert Plant on lead vocals (“James Patrick Page”).
In 2003, Rolling Stones magazine rated Jimmy Page as the ninth best guitarist in all of history. They stated that Jimmy Page was best known as the “Fire-slinging riffmaster that helped Led Zepplin to hard-rock dominance in the 1970s.”
Led Zepplin toured the U. S. in early 1969, opening for the band Vanilla Fudge. They released their first album in February; within months it had reached Billboard’s Top 10. Led Zeppelin II, their second album, reached Number One , only two months after its release, and since then every album of new material has gone platinum; five of the group's albums have reached Number One (Serpick).
In September 1980, John Bonham died at Jimmy Page’s house after heavily drinking and chocking on his own vomit. After the event Page could not bring himself to pick up the guitar again for months. The band decided that they could not continue without Bonham. Led Zepplin broke up that year.
In 1982, Page returned as a music composer and penned the score to the Charles Bronson film Deathwish II. Page reunited with John Paul Jones and Robert Plant in 1985, to play the international benefit concert Live Aid. They were joined on stage by drummers Tony Thompson and Phil Collins. They played together again in 1988, for the special concert held in honor of Atlantic Records 25th anniversary. This time, however, Jason Bonham, son of the late John Bonham, filled in on drums. Page helped revive Led Zeppelin in 2007, for a special benefit show for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. Led Zepplin had been dead for 19 years which resulted in the show very quickly selling out. Everyone was shocked by how Jimmy Page, at the age of 63, had not diminished in skill with the pass of time.

Jimi Hendrix
Johnny Allen Hendrix (later changed to James Marshall), known as Jimi Hendrix, was born on November 27, 1942, in Seattle, Washington. He was first inspired by Elvis Presley when he was 14 years old and took up the guitar at the age of 15. Jimi Hendrix dropped out of high school in 1959. He worked odd jobs while pursuing his musical aspirations. Hendrix enlisted in the United States Army in 1961 and trained to become a paratrooper at Fort Ord in California. He found time for music even as a soldier, creating a band named The King Casuals. Hendrix served in the army until 1962 when he was discharged due to an injury.
After being discharged, Jimi chased his musical dreams whole heartedly, becoming a session musician. He played backup for performers such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and the Isley Brothers. He also formed a band of his own called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, which played shows around the New York City area.
In 1966 Hendrix met Chas Chandler who became his manager. Chandler convinced Hendrix to go to London where he joined forces with musicians Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell to create The Jimi Hendrix Experience. There he built up a great following among England’s rock royalty; members of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and Eric Clapton were all great admirers of Hendrix's work.
All three of the albums released by The Jimi Hendrix Experience were instant hits. Their final album, “Electric Ladyland,” was released in 1968 and featured the hit "All Along the Watchtower," which was written by Bob Dylan. The band then broke up in 1969 (“James Marshall Hendrix”).
Rolling Stones Magazine hailed Jimi Hendrix as the best guitar player of all time. They described him as, “One of the biggest cultural figures of the Sixties, a psychedelic voodoo child who spewed clouds of distortion and pot smoke.” He pioneered the use of the instrument as an electronic sound source. Players before Hendrix had experimented with feedback and distortion, but he turned those effects and others into a controlled, fluid vocabulary (Kemp).
Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, due to drug-related complications. Even though he was only 27 when he died, Jimi Hendrix had a huge impact on the world of rock, and on the whole realm of guitar. One journalist wrote, "Jimi Hendrix could get more out of an electric guitar than anyone else. He was the ultimate guitar player." ("James Marshall Hendrix").
Determining who the better guitar player was would be hard to say due to the fact that Jimmy Page is still alive and playing guitar to this day, and that Jimi Hendrix is long since passed away. We can look at their lives and see that in the short 27 years he lived, Jimi Hendrix had a huge impact; whereas Jimmy Page did not have such a great impact. Jimi Hendrix was more influential in the area of guitar, but, on the contrast Led Zepplin had more hits and lasted longer than The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Jimi Hendrix wins when looking at the more influential guitar player and guitar icon.
 As stated in the beginning of this article, comparing two masters of guitar all comes down to, for the most part, one’s opinion. Both Page and Hendrix brought something to the table, Hendrix just brought a little more for the little time he was alive. That is not to say Jimmy Page did not have a large impact on the music realm; they both were masters of guitar and they both had a huge impact on music, and they both helped form it into what it is today. We will always have both of them to thank for helping mold guitar, and music in general, into what it is today.


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Knowing K-Love didn’t want to be in Minnesota, trading him was the most logical solution for the organization. If the T-Wolves waited another year to trade K-Love and let him play out his contract, after the season he would become a free agent and the T-Wolves would not have gotten anything out of that situation. Instead, the T-Wolves invested their resources to currently make up a team with high experienced players that have played for the T-Wolves in previous years like Nikola Pekovic (17.5 pts. per game, 8.7 rebounds per game) and Ricky Rubio (9.5 pts. per game, 8.6 ast. per game), with low experienced, but with hype and high expectations, players like Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett, but also with the highly experienced players that have played for other teams like Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia, 17.9 pts per game, 6 rebounds per game) and Mo Williams (Portland, 9.7 pts per game, 4.3 ast. per game, Mo Williams, Nikola Pekovic, Ricky Rubio, Thaddeus Young). 

A huge part of the trade was a little bit of a gamble. Trading K-Love away for Andrew Wiggins, a freshman at Kansas, who only played one year at the college level but averaged 17.1 points per game along with 5.9 rebounds per game (Sports Reference), Anthony Bennett, and Thaddeus Young, could be a risky move. Wiggins standing at 6 foot 8 inches, put up “All American” numbers at Kansas, but the T-Wolf community doesn’t exactly know what to expect from him as a player. Also another reason why this could be a risky move on the Wiggins side of things, is that he has only one year of college basketball under his belt, which for some players is enough time to develop as a player, but for most, not enough time. Andrew Wiggins won’t have Michael-Jordan-like-expectations, but he is expected to contribute to the organization since K-Love is gone. Not only that, but the team as a whole will need to and have to pick up the slack and some players will need to step into new roles now that the face of the franchise is in Cleveland.

To find a 6 foot 8 inch, 200 lbs. guard in the NCAA with the amount of talent that Andrew Wiggins owns is very rare. To find a guard of his stature with the amount of potential that he wields is in an even broader aspect. T hough in his ball handling arsenal he doesn’t have an Allen-Iverson-like-crossover nor a highly consistent shot from the outside, but he has tremendous athletic ability, he is quick and strong, along with a solid mid-range and inside game which makes him quite a deadly threat on offense. Also adding in his defensive ability and his quickness, makes him an “above average rookie” with a tremendous amount of still un-harvested talent.  

Well Worth it Gamble


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There are many schools of thought that can describe this coming season for the Timber wolves up in Minnesota, poor moves in the off season, a “we’ll see what happens” kind of season, and maybe, just maybe a little bit of excitement. After Kevin Love was traded to the Cavilers, in a 3 team trade, for high-prized number 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins, last year’s number 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett (staggered playing time last year with the Cavs’ due to knee and shoulder injuries along with asthma and conditioning problems), and Philadelphia 76ers’ high scorer Thaddeus Young (17.9 pts. per game last season) leaves the T-Wolves without their long loved All-Star and face of the franchise (“Thaddeus Young”). Kevin Love was an absolute monster for the T-Wolves in previous seasons scoring 26.1 points per game and snagging 12.2 rebounds a game last season, (career high in points per game) being hailed as one of the most diverse big men in the game. With that talent traded away, the T-Wolves as a team, not just one player, have huge shoes to fill (NBA.com).


Who is to blame for the trade? Rick Adelman or Flip Saunders? The General Manager? Player conflicts? Neither, Kevin Love wanted to be traded, the T-Wolves wanted to keep him. In the summer of 2014, Kevin Love, “made it clear to the Timberwolves that he intends to become an unrestricted free agent after next season and has no interest in a contract extension to stay in Minnesota” (Stein and Shelburne, ESPN) he didn’t want anything to do with the organization. But the organization played the scenario perfectly. If the T-Wolves were to keep K-Love for another season, knowing fully well that their All-star doesn’t want to play or be in Minnesota, then why let him? If the T-Wolves would have kept K-Love he would not have produced the same numbers in the past because of his lack of interest in the organization. The T-Wolves played it beautifully.

What are the Expectations for the T-Wolves

Making the Best Decision in the Worst Situation


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“Modesty isn’t about covering our bodies because their bad, modesty isn’t about hiding ourselves…it’s about revealing our dignity” (Ray).
The pressures to be beautiful are higher than ever in today’s world. Unfortunately, many woman turn to dressing provocatively to try and suppress those pressures-yes, it is nice to be noticed by men, but what do we really want to be noticed for? Dressing attractively and modestly is possible.
Why is dressing modestly so important? First we have to think about what kind of message we want to convey to others, because like it or not people judge by looks much faster than most of us think. Modest dress shows purity and honor. It emphasizes our inner beauty instead of our outward appearance. Being beautiful on the outside should be enjoyed, and taking care of ourselves is a must. Being modest does not equal dressing ugly. It equals self respect and displays inner qualities that gain the appropriate attention from others. It shows the values of a woman instead of sex appeal. (Stevens)

“Dear girls, Dressing immodestly is like rolling around in manure, yes you’ll get attention, but from pigs” (Orchant). 
Being provocatively dressed shows insecurities and a lack of self respect. It says our worth is in our sex appeal. That is a weak foundation to build our self esteem and self worth. One day wrinkles will show and the outward beauty will fade. Where will our self esteem and self worth come from when that happens? Some people think that these things can come from looks. In reality though, that can leave a person in a lonely state. Ultimately everybody wants to be wanted for who they are, valued and loved for our hearts. Dressing modestly can help a woman express her desire to want to be loved for the right reasons and valued for her heart (Stevens).
Being modest goes beyond just the way we dress. Although a way a person dresses, expresses a lot about who they are, being modest in our actions in our day to day life is important as well. It is not easy to maintain if we think of it as limiting, but if we can keep thinking about all the rewards from being modest-self respect, purity, self worth, honor- it is much to high of price not to be modest (Stevens).
The way we dress is important, and we all want to be seen as beautiful, but what does that really mean? Some women will go to extremes so they can look pretty or beautiful. The pressures to be thinner, prettier, and more perfect, weigh on women (Nelson). Colbie Caillat is a singer song writer who wrote a song called Try. She was interviewed about the story behind the song. This was her response,
“I felt like people were trying to change me in the industry. I was getting so tired of how exhausting it is being a woman, trying to look sexy and wear tons of makeup on TV. And if you don’t people think you look weird or awkward.” She explained that when she went back in the studio with Grammy winning Producer Babyface and her long time co-writers and friends Jason Reeves and Tony, she vetted these frustrations. They responded simply, “You don’t have to try. You need to go against what they are saying.” She conceded, “We wrote ‘Try’ that moment.” (Tuin).
 Not wanting to take away the importance or sincerity of the lyrics, this is just a part of the song.
Put your make-up on
Get your nails done
Curl your hair
Run the extra mile
Keep it slim so they like you, do they like you?
Get your sexy on
Don't be shy, girl
Take it off
This is what you want, to belong, so they like you
Do you like you?
You don't have to try so hard
You don't have to, give it all away
You just have to get up, get up, get up, get up
You don't have to change a single thing (Try Lyrics).
The music video for the song shows women at the beginning with their make up on and their skin looking perfect from all the editing. Their hair was done flawlessly as well, later on in the video it shows the women taking off all their makeup and letting their hair down. The editing of the video goes away and it shows the woman in their natural beauty. The song and music video is so empowering and inspiring to woman to just be themselves and realize that they are beautiful just the way they are, without all the glitz and glam.
Being beautiful goes way beyond looks. It is about attitude, character, morals, values, and the way you make other people feel. Being genuine and honest in a caring way displays inner beauty. When inner beauty is displayed outer beauty shows, which is what everyone wants right? We should be focused on becoming a beautiful person inside, and then naturally our outer beauty will shine through. Beauty is something that cannot be bought. Being beautiful doesn’t have a specific height, weight, skin color, hair color, or eyes (Nelson). Don’t be afraid to just be you, be the kind of woman that others look up to, that is real beauty.

Modesty is Beautiful

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Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is one of the top female country music artists. She has won many awards as well as a Grammy (Cunningham). She grew up with her dad as a mentor for her and has been inspired by people like Merle Haggard and Guy Clark. She first made a name for herself on a TV show called Nashville star. Today’s country radio is dominated by males. Miranda Lambert has not let that affect her and never ceases to deliver her fans chart topping country music. She is country music’s most well respected young artists (Miranda Lambert – Profile).
 
 Lambert was born and raised in Lindale Texas, a small town. She was around music her whole life. When she was five years old she made an appearance on a show called Johnny High Country Music Review. This show helped LeAnn Rimes’ music career. Lamberts father was one of her biggest influencers, being a country music singer himself as well as a police officer always encouraged her to pursue her dream as well as her passion for music. He also bought her a guitar when she was 14 years old but she didn’t have any interest in learning it at the time (Miranda Lambert-Profile).
 When Lambert was 16, she entered her first talent show, after that she committed to learning the guitar. She played and sang at bars, songs that she wrote herself. During this time her parents ran a private detective service and sometimes took in abused women into their home. Some of her songs we inspired by some of those women’s stories. She graduated high school early to pursue a music career in Nashville (Miranda Lambert-Profile).
 Her parents helped her finance her first album that was self titled and recorded in 2001. Two short years later Lambert auditioned on the show Nashville. She ended up placing third, but said that she was glad she didn’t win because the winner had to record music following immediately after the show was over, and she didn’t feel like she was ready for that. She was signed to a contract anyways regardless of getting third place. In 2004, she released her first single titled “Me and Charlie Talking”. Following her single she came out with her first album Kerosene. Her sassy songs about cheating drinking and bad break ups took listeners. Her album sold over 900,000 copies. Kerosene also caught the attention of critics including Rolling stone and New Yorker magazine. She was also nominated for many awards that year including top new female artist. The next year she did win that award (Miranda Lambert Biography).
 Her next album she recorded is called Crazy Ex-girlfriend. She wrote the majority of the songs on that album herself, including the hot singles from that album. The album had many hit songs that climbed up the charts. “Gun Powder and Lead” was among those hit songs and the record sold more than one million copies. She earned her first ACM award for album of the year (Cunningham).
Even with all her success thus far she still had not fully came out as a country music star until 2009 after she released her album called Revolution. Her song the house that built be won her a Grammy award as well as many other nominations in 2010. Also, this song hit the top of the country music charts. This album was a change of pace for Lambert. Her fans getting to see a softer side to her singing and less about revenge and cheating. Although her sass hasn’t gone away completely, she is still able to incorporate her spit fire spirit, but just goes about it in a different way with her songs in this album(Cunningham).  
 2011 was a big year in Miranda Lambert’s life. She was married to Blake Shelton who is also a country singer as well as a coach on NBC’s hit show The Voice. This led to people calling them Nashville’s power couple. The debut of the Pistol Annie’s was also during this year, which consisted of Miranda Lambert, Ashely Monroe, and Angaleena Presley. The tro’s most well-known song is Hell on Heels. Which was quickly followed by Miranda Lamberts own album, Four the Record came out with the hit single Over You. She wrote this song with her husband Blake Shelton. The song was inspired by the death of Shelton’s brother. This song gives an angelic feel to the listener and can touch a lot of people through the music and lyrics (Cunningham).
 In 2013 The Pistol Annie’s came out with a new song titled Annie up, and four years in a row Lambert collected both ACM and CMA awards. Male country singers have seemed to take over country radio but Miranda Lambert is one of the few female country singers who never ceases to be right up there with all the boys. She is one of country music’s most talented writers and some would even argue that she is one of the most talented writes in all of music(Cunningham).
 On her most current album Platinum, we get to see a more sensitive side of Lambert. Not the crazy spit fire songs that we are all used to hearing from her, but a more soft, sensitive and vulnerable kind of songs. During an interview she explains that she is thirty now and that she everything that happens in her life she wants to sing about it because she has nothing to hid. Everything that she did in her twenties she said she worked hard as well as play hard. Once she reached thirty she said that she feels like she has to own up to everything and hold herself more accountable. The reason she wants to write about everything that is going on in her life is because, there is somebody out there going through the same thing. Although her songs are more vulnerable and soft she still finds a way to incorporate her spitfire spirit, because that is part of who she is (About Miranda Lambert).
 Miranda Lambert is an inspiration to all female artists, to just keep writing songs without changing the person you are. For the up and coming female country singers she gives them hope and motivation to keep on fighting for their dreams. She always tries to stay true to herself and others and doesn’t fall to the pressures around her. Miranda is a female voice that country music will be hearing for a while longer. Her career has just started and she is continuing to write and record music that will wow her fans and country music.


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I couldn’t keep the smile from my face as I watched them. Mary and Roene were much faster than Jo, but that didn’t deter him from running right along with them on his short little legs. Dad turned to me then and said, “Marie, you’d better go with them to make sure the plants actually get there.” He smiled and winked at me and I giggled, “Ok! They’ll get there.” 
After much jostling of plant trays and “who was going to carry what,” we were finally over by the garden with the plants still intact. Mother came from the house with baby Andy in a sling on her front and a camera in her hand. 
   “Oh! It is so nice out! Can you smell the rain?” Mother shifted her body to the west to take in the full force of the wind on
her face. 
Her black hair, now sprinkled with white, was blowing in little curls around her face and I was struck again at my mother’s beauty. 
   “Ok, let’s get this garden planted.” Dad called. Dave had found a wooden stake, some string and a hammer and brought them to Dad. With Dad at one end of the garden and Dave at the other, they pulled the string strait and tight until it showed a nice little row.
  “Let’s plant cabbage first. Mary, bring the flat of cabbage.”
  “Here it is, Daddy!” Mary set it down in front of her daddy and stood ready for more direction.
Dad took a small, black plastic, tray out of the
flat.

College Budgeting

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College Budgeting
How to spend your money wisely! Satisfy your needs and wants.

 Setting a budget is crucial for pursuing a college career. As a college student, living away from home for the first time, managing finances is a tricky job. Remember that amazing pair of running shoes on the display, the ones that were calling your name, the feeling that you just had to have them? How about when it’s the end of the month, the realization that you are in fact running low on cash for groceries. As if an education isn't already enough of a financial burden to worry about, now deciphering how to pay for it all comes into play as well. Here are some great tips to guide those interested in managing their spending and help feel less stressed about money!

Write it down.
Keep track of your spending for a month. Write it down, save receipts, log it into your phone. Whatever method you choose, review your purchases at the end of the month to see where your money is going. Be very specific by logging how you spent your money, for example; groceries, bills, entertainment, etc. Going out to eat is different than buying food at the store, because one is a luxury and the other is a necessity. While looking at this list, decide if you are comfortable with what you are spending. Do you need to cut back in some areas so that there is more money to spend elsewhere? Is the current lifestyle in which you're accustomed practical, or is there a need to prioritize? Often times we don’t realize what we are spending if it is part of our everyday routines. This is a great tool to helping you to create a realistic well-balanced budget.

Income and expenses.
Spending cannot exceed your income. Expenditures would be all your variable expenses, fixed expenses, emergencies, loans, credit cards, etc. Variable expenses change from time to time, they are the daily expenses depending upon consumption of products or services. Fixed expenses are things like utility bills, rent, and insurance. When looking at a budget it is typically easier to cut some of the variable expenses because they are unnecessary. The Caribou you grab every other morning on the way to eight o’ clock classes certainly does help, but it would be so much cheaper to fill up a travelers mug with coffee from home. Income is all the money accumulated or earned in one month. A credit card is not a form of income, it will actually work against you by charging interest, and in the end it will only cost more than it would have to just pay for thing immediately. Sometimes credit cards are needed, if used wisely it is an effective tool in financing. The goal in creating a budget is making the expenses equal to the monthly income, or even better, making them less so there is room for comfort or to expand savings.

Creating a budget.
We have elaborated all the expenses and what your income is, now it is essential to incorporate a budget. Categorizing a budget breaks expenses into smaller, more maintainable, groups to manage. First, the two main areas are fixed expenses and variable expenses. Smaller groups would include: charity, savings, housing, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, medical, insurance, personal, recreation, and debt. Incorporating debt into a monthly budget, such as future student loans, is preventative in order to keep from falling behind on payments and set you on the right track and become debt free. Calculate the spending you have logged for a month into these categories, which are listed on most basic budgeting templates. Start by allocating your budget with the fixed categories because they tend to not be flexible. Add in the variable expenses afterwards, since these are flexible, they will differ from month to month. To prevent overspending in any specific variable expense,, set a limit that will cover what you need. After incorporating all expenses into a budget the total amount must be subtracted from grossed income. Whether the number is positive or negative will determine the amount of alterations you need to establish a budget. If the number is positive, perhaps cut yourself some slack in some areas, and spend some money going out with your friends. A knowledgeable decision, would be taking that extra money and putting it in to savings or investments. The money is still there if you need it, with the added bonus of possibly making more money by leaving it there. If the number was negative, cut back in some areas or eliminate them from your budget completely. Being wise when spending, this will leave room to still get what you want and pay less. Coupons, discounts, and sales are always great ways to help save a little extra money. Do not forget leave some extra money to spend on entertainment! Fun is an essential and if you do not allow yourself to have any it is possible to hate budgeting because it keeps you from being happy.

Revisiting your budget.
Once a budget has been established, it does not mean the current budget will be indefinite. Revisiting your budget each month is a smart way to stay up to date with prices and expenses that may change or disappear over time. Debts may be paid off, gas prices may rise, and unexpected expenditures may occur. Revisit your budget and make changes as needed, and don’t forget to make sure that expenses are still less than your income.

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Austin’s Journal
Day 1
I thought I’d experience DC a little bit so I walked around all the memorials and monuments. That’s some of the most beautiful artwork in this nation I can promise you that. I can also promise you that I think I’m going insane.
Day 2
I was woke up early from the man who brought me here, I was scared. He told me who the assassination attempt was on and me being the perfect illuminati hating person I was the right person for the job. He then explained to that I can change the world in just 5 days.
Day 3
I was handed my weapon for my assassination attempt the first time the weapon of choice for this mission was something I never expected.
Day 4
Practicing with needles all day I am so tired of it, but the one thing I want the most is to stop the illuminati from continuing to sabotage our country. The president has a formal dinner at the white house in 3 days and guess who got me in to do my job, obviously the guy that gave me the weapon who shall remain anonymous.
Day 5
Done with my training all there to do is wait for this formal dinner I hope they have good food.
Day 6
The nerves are starting to kick in, I almost thinking about backing out but I can’t. I can’t because I know too much already I am a political threat to the United States of America.
Day 7
Today I learned something about myself. I learned I am responsible for the death of a president who could’ve been one of the greatest all time. I also learned that the president wasn’t in on the illuminati, I was so insane on the illuminati they got me good. They were the ones who made me do this I should’ve known all along. They promised me my life will never be the same again, and that don’t be surprised if I’m found dead in a “car crash” somewhere and never heard of again. I’m glad I was able to keep this journal away from the beast to share my story. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain everything with detail you have to understand who I was dealing with, I hope one day this journal of mine will be found and exposed to the whole world. At this moment I wish I just thought I’d know the truth instead of the truth actually being reality. I wish I was at the Denver Airport just watching planes fly in and out. I wish a lot of things but my wish is for my name not be forgotten and this story not be forgotten.
Sincerely, Austin