Anheuser Busch/ The Loop
4/4/15
I get the opportunity to work as a Tour Guide at the Anheuser Busch this summer, and I thought it would be a good idea to take the free tour myself just to get a feel of what I would be doing before the orientation.
The Biergarten was very cool. At the end of the tour, each person over 21 received a free AB drink of their choice.
This is the ultimate frat picture. A buddy of mine wishing he could chug beer from this chiller in one part of the tour.
Everything about this building is awesome. Color scheme. Detail. Clock. Flag. Everything. It is a beautiful piece of architecture.
Not really sure why I love this photograph so much, but I do. The Loop is a fun place.
As soon as I took this, I instantly thought of the Beatles (minus 2 people). After this was taken, we went into that Vintage Vinyl store to look for some old records, but there was some band in there that we did not know that was signing autographs.
Perspective
We don't realize the way things look when they are right in front of us. People often look ahead at what's in the distance, rather than what is in front of their faces.
Summer of slushies? Absolutely. Lots of exploring will calls for lots of slushies. S/O to QT.
Finals week was rough. Thankfully the on-campus cafe, Kaldi's, was there to comfort me with coffee.
Pulled an all nighter on this day. I took this at the beginning before I got very hyper and focused from multiple cups of coffee. If you can tell, I was actually working on a previous blog post.
I could not express my excitement when BK brought back the famous chicken fries. S/O to Burger King, keep doing your thing.
Sometimes it is hard to focus in class. If I am not on social media or texting, I am often taking pictures because why not? (Watch game strong.)
Crimson Red Nike Superfly's
(Time span of 3 days before they ripped)
As excited as I was to try out my first pair of Superfly's, the very last thing I was expecting was for them to rip, in a spot that I did not even kick with but maybe once or twice, after only using them 3 times at kick-around's for a few hours a piece.
I am a huge fan of the way my cleats look. My motto (sometimes): Look good, feel good, play good.
New cleats always get a top spot on my shoe rack, right next to the shoes I wear the most (except for a pair of Kobe's that I copped).
I love the way these cleats look. I am not a fan of neon colors on my cleats, so this bright red and blue do the trick nicely.
Although I am terribly upset that I only got to use them for a short time, I still admire their design in terms of colors, not the way they connected the sole to the upper boot.
I will never buy a pair of Superfly's again because of this incident. I always had an image in my head that they were phenomenal boots. However, in my case, I was sadly mistaken. They do look pretty great in front of a sunset like this though. Thank you Nike for assuring me to not buy this type of Nike boot ever again.
CASTLEWOOD PARK, ROUND 2.
4/29/15
This place will be explored multiple times this summer. More pictures to come.
Had the opportunity to visit this beautiful park with a good friend. Logs along the sandy river are also cool.
The panorama effect on iPhone's is one that I utilize very often, especially for a landscape like this.
Taking a photograph of someone taking a photograph is awesome, especially while atop a bunch of fallen trees such as these.
The fallen trees (as mentioned in the previous photograph) fell in a way that allowed us to climb to a pretty good height.
This split-path was located at the end of our excursion. They led to the same ending point, but I admired that they built the path this way purely to save the trees that were in the way.
Can We Change the World Just by Changing
Our Own Actions?
A Look at
Littering
Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100
million people. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV.
In 1975, the National Academy of Sciences estimated that ocean-based
sources, such as cargo ships and cruise liners had dumped 14 billion pounds of
garbage into the ocean. Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every
year.
Recycling and composting prevented 85 million tons of material away
from being disposed of in 2010, up from 18 million tons in 1980.
Human activities contaminate ecosystems around the world,
from pole to pole, from the highest mountains to the ocean deep.
Toxic chemicals can be found in pristine forests and the blood of
Arctic animals. Litter floats beneath the surface of oceans miles away from
land. Even excess noise and light are interrupting natural patterns and
disrupting the lives of animals and people.
When toxic chemicals and metals enter the environment, organisms may
absorb them through their skin or ingest them in their food or water. Animals
higher in the food chain accumulate these toxins in higher and higher
concentrations, a process called biomagnification.
Top predators—including fish, birds, and mammals—can have much higher
levels of these toxins in their bodies, making them more likely to experience
the diseases, birth defects, genetic mutations, and other deleterious effects
of these poisons.
Increasingly, there is particular concern lately about three
types of chemicals: chemicals that persist in the environment and accumulate in
the bodies of wildlife and people, endocrine disruptors that can interfere with
hormones, and chemicals that cause cancer or damage DNA.
Changing a societal norm like littering begins with each of us. Each
person must accept responsibility for their actions and influence the actions
of others around them at home, at school, in your place of business, and in the
community at large.
Littering is an individual behavioral problem or a business problem
that can become a problem for your community. By modeling proper trash and waste
disposal, you will cause others to consider changing their behaviors and
embodying appropriate actions, too.
HOMELESS SHELTER
4/20/15
A homeless shelter was not something I expected myself to ever photograph. It was definitely a neat experience compared to all of the other trips we have taken, but I think it was good that we got to photograph a different type of place then we are used to.
This was a room for newborns in the facility, or very young children. The baby toys and books looked fairly new and in good condition which made me feel positive about the things they were providing the children and families.
A playroom was designed for younger kids to play with each other. It was very safe and child-oriented. The room had a cozy feeling to it which I am sure was very good for the children.
This playground was kept very clean, as was the rest of the facility. It looked like it was recently put in as well. I particularly loved the amount of activities they had for children to do.
Their mission statement was something that stuck out to me when a representative was talking to us about their program. I love how much they want to help people get back on their feet. It is very admirable in my opinion.
They had a room dedicated to holding gifts they were planning on auctioning off at an event soon. They also had a few blankets hanging on the wall and a piano. I am assuming this room was used for gatherings, meals, or just storage in general.
Botanical Gardens
4/15/15
I had not visited the Botanical Gardens since a field trip in 5th grade. I do not remember it being anything like it is now. It is so much bigger, and there are so many more cool features. Now that I know how much it has changed and how beautiful it is, I will definitely be visiting it again soon.
This gazebo had a tiny pond inside of it but it was not filled with any water. I was disappointed about that, but everything that surrounded it created such an incredible background for it.
There was a tower along a path in the garden that we went on top of. Once on top, the view was breathtaking because we could see so much of the garden, including all of the blooming plants and trees since winter is over.
At a part of this large pond, there was a tiny dock on the water surrounded by these logs. There was a great view of the rest of the pond looking off of this. The sky was incredibly blue that day and the clouds provide a good contrast for that.
On the large pond, there was a waterfall that cascaded down one side and was surrounded by an array of multi-colored plants and trees.
This was one of the most abstract, unique, and awesome bridges I have ever seen. It was very well crafted, and I loved how they put tiny flower beds at every corner in the water.
LITTLE ITALY
4/13/15
I had never been to Little Italy before, but I had always heard cool things about it and how amazing the food is. I was excited to explore it for myself and see what the hype was about!
This tulip was truly breathtaking. I had never seen anything like it, and they were everywhere. The light rain coated the flowers in such a beautiful way as well.
This part of Little Italy was so mysterious to me, and I was instantly intrigued. The chains looked new, so I was wondering if there was anything going on behind there or if they were just blocking it off.
This was the most beautiful part of the city in my opinion because it was secluded from everything else. From atop this degrading bridge I saw the tops of a few buildings and a tower along with the slightly cloudy sky.
This bright pink/purple tree accented the plain white house very well. They both stood out because of the contrast. I also admired the immense detail of the deck.
This metal dog fountain immediately caught my eye as soon as I saw it. It had a bright red collar around it and consisted of a background having bright tulips. I love the way the water was coming out of it.
The brick work on this wall was perfectly done. It was only customary to have an Italian fountain in Little Italy as well. The fountain was very detailed and had 2 little houses along with a light at the top, and an Italian-colored water wheel.
LUMIERE PARK
4/3/15
The Lumiere Sculpture Park was very unique. I had never been there before, and some of the art I saw inspired me and brought about different emotions.
I am most attracted to the abstract art around the park, and naturally I was drawn to this piece. It was a maroon color and was made of bent metal. The bright grass provides great contrast.
This piece was simple, but stood out because of its bright orange color. This sculpture gave me a calm feeling. It was smooth, organized, and stable.
This sculpture was one of my favorites. Even though it was black, it gave me a happier feeling than some of the others because it looks bubbly and active. It contrasted very well with all of its surroundings.
This is another angle of the simple, orange sculpture. It is weird when you realize how something can completely change your attitude or feelings if you look at it from a different angle. Instead of seeing a smooth stable sculpture, from this angle I saw a pointy, dangerous, and random piece.
This piece caught my eye immediately in the park. It made me think about how things in life can get intertwined and become confusing. However, this piece is so simple at the same time. It brings order to complexity, and that is what I love about it.
