Joplin is an odd little city tucked away in the southwest corner of the state of Missouri. It has many perks; the big buildings and traffic of a large city, and the quaint charm of a small town. I am going to run down a list of the things that make Joplin what it is. It varies in climate, population and weather. Each has their pros and cons; I personally like it here for the most part, but there are a few things that I would like to have changed around bit. Let's start out with Joplin's variable, and rather unpredictable climate.

There is a saying that they say around here: if you don't like the weather around here, wait ten minutes. The city has a "dome" around it. Where the city is positioned makes it difficult for storms to hit. When storms do hit though, boy howdy is it a big impact! The summers are dry and brutal; the humidity is most always between 85% and 100%, so heat indices are up there too. July and August temperatures hover around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter is also dry for the most part. We get snow, but we also get wind and that makes it incredibly cold. Winter temperatures are around 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter isn't too god awful bad, but summer is horrible!

We get a below-average precipitation rating, but flowers and vegetables manage to blossom just fine. As a matter of fact, my mother usually plants tomatoes, peppers, radishes, and herbs every year and they manage to blossom into beautiful, and tasty, plants. She didn't get around to planting them this , but her herbs came up from last year and they turned out just fine! She even grew carrots last year. They didn't turn out so hot, but she gave it her best shot. She harvests and saves parsley and basil and some other herbs which I don't know of every year. From the soil to the freezer they go. Boy they sure do make her food taste a hell of a lot better. In fact, I just can't imagine her food without her herbs.

Transportation in this town is a hoot. You have three options for public transportation. You have the bus, the trolley and the cab. The bus is horrible. You have to call about 24 hours in advance and they charge you 4 dollars each way you go. The trolley, which is what I use, is the best out of the three choices. You have to meet them at a designated stop. The drivers are idiots and keep the A/C off and doors open half the time. They even miss your stops, which can be bad if you are on your way to work! It one dollar each way, two if you have them come to you, 50 cents if you have a disability card, and free with a prepaid pass. The pass is $30/month ($15 for disability). The cab is just that, a cab. It costs $15 to go across town, gg.

There are good parts to the transportation dilemma. It is a pain the ass to walk across town in the summer heat. Say you don't have a standing bus order, call a trolley deviation! Not near a trolley station or don't feel like walking, choke out some cash and call a cab! Say you are at a trolley stop, wait for the trolley to stop by and shell out a dollar for a cool, refreshing ride across town. Even if you don't want to take a cab or don't feel like walking, call in a deviation for the trolley and pay two dollars. Still less money and you won't die in the heat. I know people in Texas and Arizona deal with greater heat, you have to take into consideration we are only lacking in a few degrees from you.

The last part about Joplin I want to tell everyone about is the population. Joplin has a huge population, that's what gives it the big city charm. There is a bad side, though. With such a diverse population, you are bound to have assholes lurking around. They range into people cutting you off on the road, yelling at you while you're walking, giving you glares, and just plain flipping you off. Yes it is very easy to get frustrated and just downright pissed off in this city. You will run into the person who likes to bump into your shoulder in attempt to move you. Usually they stay away from me because I am muscular, but there is always the exception. Why do they insist on being asshats? I have not the faintest idea...

There are good citizens in town, too. There are those that make way for you. There are ones that wave and say, "Hello!" I am one of those. If I make eye contact with someone, I almost always say, "Hi," or "Hello." Just today I made three female friends by introducing myself; it seems that my shyness is gone! I made two friends at the mall and one on the trolley ride home. While I was at the mall, someone helped me shop for shirts. While I did not buy anything today, I know what I should buy when I go back to Hot Topic. Speaking of shirts, my Dad bought me a nice olive-green polo shirt today. It fits and breathes easy. It didn't cost much, so I don't feel all that guilty for him buying it.

On another subject...anime! I found a more recent anime to watch and review. It is called Viper's Creed. I think that it was released in 2008. It is supposed to be in the same genre as Ghost in the Shell. It is short, only l2 episodes, so I should get it done farily quickly. I will start on it tomorrow . One last matter...there is a special event that is going to take place on July 21st. I will post details on the 20th and set it off on the 21st. I will post again when something comes up. Until then, stay happy~