How It All Began

Well, it is safe to say that I am a blend of many European backgrounds.  My heritage consists of being: Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Irish, and majority German.  I pride myself in having a broad spectrum of heritages. I have adopted skills from every culture and many of them I probably don't even realizing I am doing them.  Most of all, I respect the ambitious and entrepreneurial traits I have gained from them.  Moving to the United States only proves that I fit in with my family.

It was the late 1880's when my great grandparents from both sides moved to America.  My mother's side of the family hails from Scandinavian and Polish roots and moved to New York in hopes of making it big start a business or getting any type of job.  My father's side is mainly German and moved to Minnesota almost immediately after arriving in the United States.  

For many years my mother's family resided in New York, but soon moved to Minnesota in hopes of a fresh start.   Both families worked strenuous labor jobs working for the government and private contractors.  After having children (my grandparents), they all preceded to build the families in Minnesota.

Both of my grandfathers served time in the military and had very entrepreneurial mindsets.  Gerald Hodgin, my mother's father, opened and ran multiple concrete and construction businesses over twenty years.  He then received a job as a crane specialist at multiple refineries doing repairs to buildings and the equipment.

Joe Kellner, my father's father, was brought up in a very strict catholic household.  He was to attend church every Sunday and had to follow a strict regime within the household.  From his family and time in the military, he gained a very strong discipline for himself.  Did I mention he was extremely smart?  He decided to open up a franchise rental business in South Saint Paul, A-Z Rental, in 1967.  After four years of success, he branched away from the franchise and incorporated it into his own business, ABC Rentals. Forty-five years later and ABC Rentals is still going strong.  Like his father, my dad had a strong entrepreneurial mindset and took over the business full-time in the late 1990's.  In 2001, the world lost a great man, Joe Kellner.

Seeing my grandfathers succeed only drove me more to be a successful person.  And when both of my parents possess such positive traits, it was inevitable I would be lucky enough to acquire them as well.  One day I hope to own a business of my own.  I may not continue to run the family business, but I will take these skills I have been lucky enough to learn from family to help me be successful owning a business too.

Its funny to think my heritage is what has built me into the person I am today.  The traits and beliefs of each culture have been integrated into my everyday life.  Its inspiring to know how far my family has come throughout each generation, there is no reason why it has to stop now!

If you are in the need for party goods, lawn care, home construction tools and more then check out our website!  Or send me an email at: jkellner02@hamlineunivserity.edu and I will get you a deal!

http://www.abcrentalsinc.com/

All Eyes On You

One concept that carries over to any career or aspect of life is impression management.  In the textbook impression management is defined as the act of presenting a favorable public image of oneself so that others will form positive judgments (Newman, 175).  But their are many negative connotations associated with how people look.

I personally do not have any tattoos but very well could get one someday.  Tattoos are consider taboo in the professional world and carry a rebellious connotation.  But what would you do if you showed up and your doctor was covered in tattoos?  Most people would probably consider that as a lack of respect for their bodies and/or lacking the knowledge to make rational decisions that could effect their future.
Well this man may very well be your doctor:

A rapper has the connotation of being a trouble-making rebel.  One in particular smokes marijuana, was allegedly part of cocaine trafficking, and raps vulgar language in all of his albums.  But would you believe the same person gives a large sum of his time and money to help others out?  If he is such a bad person why does he use the money he earned to give back?  This rapper goes by Young Jeezy and every major holiday he goes around to less fortunate schools and organizations to give back.  Check out the awesome videos of how he brings a smile to kids and adults faces alike:

I hope these examples make you control your impression management better.  Just because someone portrays a negative image certainly doesn't mean that they have cruel intentions.  This is America and everyone has the opportunity to express themselves.  Next time you see a man filled with tattoos don't ASSUME that he is horrible person making irrational decisions with his life.  And if you happen to see a woman walking down the street in a short skirt don't ASSUME that she is scandalous woman with no respect for her body.  Not everyone wants to portray a positive impression, they just want to be unique.  Sometimes its the individuality that makes a person beautiful.  Just remember if you ASSUME it just makes and ASS out of U and ME.

Harmony and Life

There is always one thing that can turn my mood around.  The deep treble, the soothing voices, the creativity of each piece, and the messages that are shared for everyone to interpret in whatever way you like. Yes, I am talking about music.  Music may dovetail with sociology more than you believe.


Sociology of music is concerned with the function of music in society. Specifically in ways in which society influences the development of music. Music sociologists study such matters as patronage, direct and indirect, and its relationship to composition, and the ways in which music both reflects society and influences it. All kinds of music, popular and traditional as well as art music, fall within the scope of the discipline.


One concept sociologists use to analyze music is the production-of-culture approach. The production of culture perspective focuses on the ways in which the content of symbolic elements of culture are shaped by the systems within which they are created, distributed, evaluated, taught, and preserved.  One individual who seemed to integrate all aspects into his music was the one and only, Bob Marley.


From Jammin' to No Woman No Cry, Bob always found a way to influence society in a positive manner or give a creative new perspective to global problems.  A global issue that Bob Marley was a strong advocate for was spreading peace.  He wanted people to use music as a connection tool among cultures.  He had dreams and aspirations of one day seeing the world as one community connected through a common theme: Music.  It isn't hard to see how much of a social impact Mr. Marley had on our society, but the real interpretation comes from listening to his music.  I want people to listen to a few of his songs and make connections of how each song sends a message that influences change among our lives.


“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
― Bob Marley

The Parental Choice

One thing that may hit home for some people at Hamline, or any person in general, is having gay parents. In society it is normal for most people to have a father and a mother.  But what if your parents are gay?  Many people argue that having gay parents hinders success, creates social instability, and makes their children have problems defining their gender. I beg to differ.

I grew up in a so-called "normal" household with both an active influence on my life from my mother and father.  I had no problems distinguishing my gender and have lived a normal upbringing.  But one peer from high school grew up in a gay parental household.  She grew up with two mothers.  Openly lesbian, her parents had no problem raising a child.  I asked her if she saw a difference in how she was raised compared to her friends with a normal household and this was her answer.  "Not one bit.  Like most relationships, there was a dominant parent, but never once did I feel that I was raised any differently.  I am still successful and attending college.  My parents let me identify my gender without pressuring me to be lesbian or straight.  I want people to know that it wasn't weird or awkward having to mothers.  They still treated me with respect, but the only influence that my parents pressured me with was their liberal point of views.  And I thank for that because it has allowed me to open my eyes and accept everyone.  I understand every household is different and each culture has respective point of views on how you should live your life."

I wasn't surprised by this answer.  Having gay parents never made her depressed or pressured her into drugs.  The only thing she learned to deal with over time was the ridicule from other kids growing up.  They didn't know how accept her parents often made repulsive remarks about them. She quoted, "At first I didn't know what to do about this, but my parents taught me that everyone is entitled to their own opinion so let them think what they want."

I idolize her for this.  It has helped me accept the gay community which ultimately helped me fit in so well at Hamline.  I just want everyone to understand having gay parents might bring rude comments or misunderstandings, but it won't effect your future unless you allow it to.  Here is a great video backing up my argument:

"Live your life with eyes wide open and understand everyone is equal."  This is an inspirational quote from my father, and one people should follow for their entire life.

"Fat" America

One huge sociological problem that the world faces today is obesity.  To narrow this down a bit more we must look at the best of the best of obesity... The United States!  But is it true that we are the fattest country?  And if so, why do other countries seem to be "skinnier"?

Obesity- grossly fat or overweight; exceeding 30 or more on the BMI scale

First and foremost, lets take a look at the percentage of obesity among the individual states:

How do we know America is fat?  Well, as of 2010, not one single state had an obesity rating lower than 20%.  And the sad reality behind this is that it continues to climb from year to year.  But how does this compare to the rest of the world you might ask?

In relation to the rest of the world, we are "normal" with our rate of obesity, but still the number one in the world for fattest country.  Worldwide obesity has doubled (almost tripled) since 1980, with America being the primary cause.  Although we may think we are the only ones getting fat, we are wrong.  But yes, it is true, we are the ones to blame.  With our innovative ideas of food packaging and processing, we have implemented a fleet of "Westernized" foods to the rest of the world.  These foods contain high amounts of fat, oils, and preservatives which in turn are extremely unhealthy.

Statistically, the percent of obese men in the world went from 4.8% to 9.8% from 1980 to 2010.  And as for the women, they went from 7.9% to 13.8%.  So from this we can see that we are not the only country who fails to "watch what we eat."  Only eight countries worldwide didn't have a change in body mass index ratios.

Even with the weight loss programs, gym memberships, and catchy tv commercials promising weight loss it will be hard to change anything we do.  We keep making the fatty foods, eating McDonald's daily, and skipping workouts.  But many people are trying to attempt a healthier lifestyle.  Here are a few links if you want to start a new healthy path in your life!

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/10-tips-for-a-healthy-lifestyle-783833.html

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/04/50-ideas-for-healthy-lifestyle-that.html

http://healthylifestyletruth.com/blog/33-healthy-lifestyle-tips/

Not So Quiet Racism

I wanted to do a post on something that hits home.  Something that really effects me or someone close to me.  This is why I made a connection with the concept of quiet racism.  Quiet racism is lined to the traditional forms of personal racism by negative feelings toward certain groups.  The advantage I have with this social problem is that I am part of the majority so I see and notice the oppression of certain (or all) minorities.  Also, being able to grow up within a family business has also give me a whole different perspective on this issue.

First and foremost, I want to talk about a few examples of personal experiences of quiet racism.  In high school I had this friend named Chris (we are still friends).  Chris is an African-American and was the first generation of his family to be born in the United States.  He knew growing up in a split household that he would need to create his own success.  I idolize him for these traits, but one day he came to make and said something that made me take a different look at life.  He came to me and stated, "Man these people I keep meeting at job interviews and around town are racist."  Me being the curious man I am, asked him to explain what they said to him.  He followed by saying, "It isn't what they say.  It is how they act around me.  They might tell me the aren't racist or they try to be opened-minded, but I just know that they don't like me because I am black.  Why do people act that way?"  I didn't really have an answer for him, but I tried to reassure him that this was normal and that he probably got the wrong impression.

But did he really get the wrong impression?  Or was Chris right?  I will agree with Chris and go with the ladder of the two.  This is where quiet racism fell into place.  People might try to act like they aren't racist or that they are non-prejudice, but it is the look on their face and the attitude they portray that sells it.  After fully understanding this concept I watched as customers at work, friends, coaches, and teachers all did this.  Now, I am not implying EVERYONE does this, it is apparent that you can see it among certain people.  One of the causes of this in today's society is the thought that racism has disappeared.  It has certainly not, and by people not voicing their racial views vocally, they are doing it with nonverbal signals such as: tone of voice, eye contact, handshake (or lack of), and etc.  The said reality behind this is that many people do not believe they are in the wrong.  They have a false conscience telling them if the don't talk about racism then they aren't racist themselves.

This is something that has to change.  I want to see people quit using these subtle signs of racism.  It is almost as if many years of racial freedom fighting is being swept under the rug.  Ignorance will only make the racial issues worse.  People will always have their only perception on minority groups, but I think basing your racial beliefs off of stereotypes shows incompetence.  I want to see more information and classes available in grade schools and offices nationwide.

One prime example of quiet racism is the death of Treyvon Martin.  A man went use stereotype intuition and an innocent young child died because of it.  And the killers is essentially getting away with it scot free.  He claims he is not racist and racial prejudice had no influence on the outcome of the scenario.

Take a look at this article and tell me if you see how the quiet racism connection:

http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20120419/TEEN/304199995/-1/news?Title=Did-Zimmerman-act-out-of-fear-or-racism-

The question still has to be asked...  How close will we ever get to eliminating racism?  Will it always be the "white-perspective"?  Will you notice more quiet racists in society after reading this?  If you do, don't be afraid to question the scenario or demand respect for yourself or a friend.  

The only way to change something is to have the confidence and belief that you can do so!

Polygamy Marriages

One of the topics in our book caught my eye when I was watching TV the other day.  I watched a show where a man was happily married.  Seems normal right? Well, he wasn't just married to one woman but four women total.  With shows about hoarding, reality shows about getting drunk nightly, and cat whisperers, I wasn't too shocked to see that our society accepts (more so fascinated) polygamy.


Polygamy by definition is he practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. I wanted to figure out some of the history behind polygamy.  To me it has always been related to the Mormon religion and I knew very little about it...


Polygamy has never been accredited to one specific culture and has been seen in many cultures worldwide for thousands of years.  Poly gamos is literally translated in late Greek to "often married", but polygamy is broken down into three categories:

Polygyny- a man having multiple simultaneous wives

Polyandry- a woman having multiple simultaneous husbands

Group Marriage- multiple simultaneous husbands and wives

Most commonly practiced is polygyny, but some countries may restrict polygamy laws to only having one form of polygamy practiced instead of all three.  Currently, forty-nine countries acknowledge polygamy as part of their civil law, but the United States not being one of them.  Also, nearly ten religions ranging from Celtic Traditions to modern day Islam and Christianity all have separate beliefs about polygamy.  This is surprising considering most people only recognize multiple marriages as a part of the Mormon faith, myself included.


It is an interesting concept, one that I neither believe is wrong nor do I support it.  I never knew that there was actually three separate categories.  Although it is not accepted or followed much within the United States, our society is breaking the social norms and trying to put a positive light on the situation. 


Here is an article of how it is impacting us currently:
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-09-13/entertainment/27075123_1_19th-wife-polygamy-ann-eliza-young