Month: October 2020

Blog #9:  Bridge Jumping Into The Bay: A Jersey Shore Classic

Aidan Maguire Passion Blog, Uncategorized

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A Jersey Shore classic is bridge jumping.  Ask any homeowner or resident of a beach house at the Shore and nine times out of ten, they have probably been bridge-jumping.  Now I’m not talking about jumping off of super high bridges like the George Washington in NYC.  That would be a death sentence.  Rather, I’m talking about jumping off small local bridges into the bays.  These bridges have just enough clearance to allow for a safe and fun jumping experience.

Whether you trying to cool off from the intense heat or just want to have fun jumping into the bay is always a great experience.  Bridge jumping is done by the majority of young people, mostly in their teenage years.  I think this is because kids who aren’t teenagers are too scared to do it, although they want to and people who have passed their teenage years don’t want to risk getting injured.

My first bridge jumping experience happed when I turned thirteen and it’s an experience that I will always remember.  It was an unusually hot summer day in the middle of August and my friend who lived close to my beach house texted me asking if I wanted to come over.  Per usual, I said yes, got on my beach bike, and road over.  When I got to his house, he told me that we were going to take a boat ride, something we had done numerous times.  As we took the boat through the many bays, passing houses, some big, some small, some new, and some old, we saw a low wooden bridge.  We had heard about kids jumping from this bridge but never had before.  As we approached the bridge and went under it, we decided that we wanted to try it.  We anchored the boat, got onto the road and stood in the middle of the bridge.  The bridge had always felt so small but standing in the middle of it at that moment, I felt as if this bridge was hundreds of stories up.  My stomach did a little flip as the nerves began to kick in.  I looked over at my friend and I could tell her was experiencing the same emotions. As I looked over the edge, I cleared my head.  Not a single thought was going through my brain.  I just decided that I was going to jump and that’s what I did.  That was it.  I felt a rush as I swam up for air after jumping.  I felt as rush and I finally understood why people did this.

I’ve bridge jumped an innumerable amount since and it’s fun every time.  If you have the courage, find a bridge, and jump, safely of course.

Blog #6:

Aidan Maguire RCL

Source #1: https://www.lawforseniors.org/how-government-works/233-money-and-how-the-u-s-monetary-system-works

Source #2:  https://files.stlouisfed.org/files/htdocs/publications/review/91/09/Currency_Sep_Oct1991.pdf

Source #3:  https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/history-of-the-u-s-currency

Source #4:  https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/people-vs-banks

 

These are four examples of the sources I will be using in my Unit 2 project.  These sources discuss the creation of the monetary system in the United States.  Two of the sources discuss public opinion about its creation and these sources will especially helpful while I complete my project work.  These sources will allow me to divulge into the paradigm shift in both opinion on the bank itself and a paradigm shift on the impact its creation had and the ripple effect it had. I believe that using more primary sources will be more helpful in shaping the public opinion part of my paper.

Blog #8:  The Garden State Parkway: A Highway Turned Racetrack

Aidan Maguire Passion Blog

There’s truly not much in New Jersey that is scary.  I mean the only scary things I think of when I think of NJ is the Italian mob, the story of the New Jersey Devil, and that’s pretty much it.  Yet, nothing compares to the complete fear one fears when pulling onto the Garden State Parkway.

The Garden State Parkway is infamous for absolute driving craziness.  Jersey people call this highway in specific the racetrack, not a highway and it’s for good reason.  While the speed limit on the highway varies between 55-65 mph, I don’t think I have ever seen someone driving below 75 mph.  Even the people going 75 mph are considered slow drivers and your likely to see them being tailed by others crazy NJ drivers.

Now you might be wondering how a discussion of a highway fits in with my usual blog posts about the beach.  The reason I am discussing the Garden State Parkway is because it’s the main way I get to the shore.  I take the Parkway almost directly from my house in Northern Jersey to South Jersey.  It’s about an hour ride to and from both houses and each time the ride is complete madness.

Now I don’t know if you have heard the reputation about Jersey drivers, but if you haven’t, I’ll explain.  Jersey drivers are notorious for being extremely aggressive drivers.  They swerve in and out of lanes and are constantly speeding.  If you’re not driving as fast as they are, you’re going to be tailed by them and they’ll probably flip you off along the way.  Oh, and they also despise Pennsylvania drivers because they think they drive too slowly.  Now imagine giving these hyper-aggressive drivers a four-lane highway that is mostly straight.  It’s havoc.

I have to drive on the Garden State Parkway a lot, mostly to go to the Jersey Shore and every time I drive on the Parkway I watch near-accidents and have even seen my fair share of accidents happen real-time right in front of me.  In fact, I have been hit on the Parkway by an out-of-control driver.  Entering onto the Parkway is also madness because no one is nice enough to let anyone merge.  People swerve in and out of lanes, with the belief that their near-accident or death experience was worth it for the extra ten seconds shaved off their trip.

The Parkway is defiantly a place I would recommend avoiding but at the same time, driving on it is truly an experience.  It’s up to you if you want to risk you bodily safety for the experience, just know I do without opportunity almost every day.

Blog #5: TED Talk Analysis

Aidan Maguire RCL

TED Talks are always interesting and help bring a new perspective on to numerous topics and differing areas of research.  While I can strongly say that I enjoy almost every TED talk I watch, the one I most enjoy is the TED talk that discusses why helmets do not in fact prevent concussions.  This TED talks discusses one of the sports world’s most interesting questions.  CTE is an injury that plagues football players and inflicts huge amounts of struggle into the brains of players.  Consequently, many companies have been researching how to improve protection for players to reduce these injuries which at times can be fatal.  The presentation given by David Camarillo helps break down some of the most recent research and sheds light onto research that he and his own team have been completing.  Interestingly enough, Camarillo points out that helmets worn to prevent brain inflicted damage currently do very little.  These helmets only minorly reduce potential brain injury.  As a result, Camarillo and his team set about to find a new, safer helmet.  What he discovered along the way was that mouth guards in contact sports like football actually do more to reduce the risk of CTE than helmets do.  This is extremely groundbreaking and obliterates the research of so many people prior.  In addition, it puts emphasis on a new area which is mouth guards and the potential that they could have.  Camarillo’s work is promising and demonstrates that there is a bright future ahead of reducing head trauma and CTE risk.

For my research I would likely like to look at the paradigm shift in the monetary system in this country.  This would be historical research and would look at how the monetary system developed and why it developed in this country.  In addition, it would investigate changing perspectives during the time that caused a shift in opinion on why people originally did not want a monetary system and why all of a sudden, they did.  I would likely use primary sources as my main source of information to craft my argument that way I would have first person perspectives included in my research.

Blog #4: Civic Artifact Presentation Analysis

Aidan Maguire RCL

There were many positive and negative aspects of my civic artifact speech.  I recognized many of the positive and negative aspects while presenting and realized even more after watching other speeches and observing the styles in which others presented.

I will begin by discussing many of the positive aspects that I recognized from my speech and what others pointed out.  I recognized that the actual content of my speech was very solid and straightforward.  The content touched upon each and every aspect that was asked to be examined and therefore made the speech seem more well-rounded.  In addition, the opening statement and concluding statement were directly linked to each other so it allowed the presentation to have the full wrap-around effect.  This mostly benefitted the conclusion in which viewers could finally fully understand and grasp the opening lines.  Lastly, I had a good balance of hand motions and this allowed for me as a presenter to be more visual with what I was presenting.  All of these aspects were touched upon by the commentors on my presentation and were aspects that I noticed during my presentation and while watching it after.

There were also many negative aspects that could be improved upon for following presentations.  Most notably, my presentation speed was too fast.  This made it difficult to understand at times and also made it hard to follow the train of thought.  If I slowed down, my train of thought would be clearer, and my ideas would have been better communicated.  In addition, I needed a better opener to help bring the audience in.  Having a stronger opener would have gotten the students attention from the start and would have provided more interest in the presentation that was to follow.  These are two aspects that I also recognized in others speeches that made them so successful.  Therefore, for the following presentations I will put a focus on slowing my vocal tone and working on creating a stronger opener.  Doing this will help drastically improve my presentations.

Blog #7:  Winter At The Jersey Shore

Aidan Maguire Passion Blog

The summer climate and winter climate in New Jersey bring out two completely and uniquely different atmospheres.  The air, the people, the wildlife, and everything in between seems to shift between the months of August and December.

It’s as simple as it is; the winter at the Jersey Shore is not like Florida or California winters.  It doesn’t stay warm year-round and the water temperature drops a good thirty to forty degrees during the winter months.  To some, this shift may seem miserable and in extreme cases, some might cast the coast and coastal towns away during the winter months, seeing no value to them.  To me and many other locals however, the winter months are prime beach months.  The coast itself becomes somewhat of a playground for the locals as the hordes of day-trippers and renters who crowded the beaches, taking up valuable fishing spots and lookout points, are no longer there.  In addition, there are no lifeguards on duty so if you are confident in your swimming or surfing abilities, this becomes the best time to surf.  The winter also brings a change in swell to the Jersey Shore, creating bigger waves and brining fish closer to the coastline.  This is why wintertime fishing as well as surfing are so epitomized by the locals.  Anyone who is lucky enough to live at the Jersey shore is given the opportunity to surf bigger and better waves as well as catch more fish.

Yet, all the benefits the winter months bring for the locals also comes with the sadness of empty, desolate towns and closed businesses.  The majority of the communities that make up the Jersey shore are comprised of people who own second homes.  As a result, the once bustling homes during the months of May to August are left vacant and dark during the fall, winter, and spring.   This makes the towns feel somewhat like ghost towns with huge empty houses with an interspersed year-long Jersey shore resident.  Along with the vacated homes comes the vacated local businesses.  Most of the business that make up the shore economy only operate during the summer months as this is when they make enough money to operate and turn a profit.  For the majority of these businesses, the cost of staying open during the offseason is more than what they make.  This puts owners in the position to make the decision that saying closed during the winter months is more beneficial from a financial standpoint.  Therefore, the shore community only has a few businesses, mostly food stores and chains, open every couple of miles.

While the Jersey Shore seems to lose some of its personality during the winter months, its true beauty and uniqueness remain.

Blog #6:  Surf Taco, Rook Coffee, And Wawa: Jersey Shore Specials

Aidan Maguire Passion Blog

Every town or community has special elements that are unique just to them.  I’m not just talking about landmarks or historical facts, I’m talking about community defining restaurants These are the restaurants that people see as more than restaurants, it’s a gathering place that brings the family and friends together.  It’s the places that have become a weekly meal or a morning, afternoon, or late-night staple.

At the Jersey Shore, more specifically in the Point Pleasant region, these places are Surf Taco, Rook Coffee, and Wawa.  I’ll be the first to admit, I can’t actually consider these places 100% unique and one of a kind to the beach because they all have multiple locations and in the case of Wawa, can be found anywhere throughout the state.  Maybe it’s because of the salty air or the sound of seagulls, but every time I get food or coffee at these restaurants, I’m reminded of why I love the Jersey Shore.

I might as well start of talking about my personal favorite out of the three places I previously mentioned, Surf Taco.  The Surf Taco that I go in Point was the original Surf Taco and has the most beach-esque vibe.  The restaurant is adorned with surf boards, paintings of the beach, and beach music is always playing.  Whether it’s for lunch or dinner, Surf Taco hit’s different.  I enjoy everything from the Mahi taco’s or the typical burrito.  The food is always good and always tastes fresh.  Usually after going to the beach, I’ll take my beach bike and ride a few blocks down just to get my fix of Surf Taco.

I’ll move onto my next favorite which is Rook Coffee.  Rook Coffee is a cult favorite at the Jersey shore and the stickers of Rook Coffee with the black bird can be seen everywhere.  It can be found on street signs and on the backs of cars.  These stickers are just minor evidence of how pervasive the Rook Coffee cult is.  The coffee shop is very modern but the coffee itself is made in the old-fashioned way making it extremely good.  I can’t say I have ever had better coffee.  I’m not a big specialty coffee person so it’s hard to sway me on who has the best black coffee.  But when I say Rook has the best black coffee, the really do.  Everyone needs to try Rook.  I would be amazed if you thought it wasn’t the best coffee you ever had.

The last staple restaurant of the Jersey Shore is Wawa.  It’s really the Lavallette Wawa that I am talking about because it’s the only place to get food on the Island for many miles.  This Wawa had become famous for how many kids gather around it at night.  It’s become a sort of nightlife meeting spot.  The Wawa is open 24/7 and trust me when I say I have gone in at every hour of the day, I have.  Some of my discoveries about Wawa is that 2am hoagies taste better than mid-day hoagies and that 7am coffee is the best caffeine rush on Earth.  As a result of Wawa becoming the Lavallette nightlife meeting spot as well as being open 24/7, Wawa is a cultural staple at the Jersey Shore.

Try Surf Taco, Rook Coffee, and Wawa at the Jersey shore, and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed, otherwise your foods on me.