I was sent with the mission to find a non-fiction book about whatever I wanted and write a review on it. With a good amount of time I stumbled upon a book called Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That: A Modern Guide to Manners about etiquette. Henry Alford takes a trip to Japan and observes their culture and "politeness" of everyday life and has coaches teach him along with various other sources and learns about how to be polite.
My problem is how can I make this book seem more interesting to me? I have yet to find very many non-fiction books that are entertaining in any way. It seems when people would rather be distanced and vacant from the world simply whisked away into a fantasy realm. Also, it's very difficult to find any book very original, because many books use the same ideas and topics that the plot lines all seem so similar, they could have been written by the same author. This problem occurs with non-fiction at an even more severe rate. Non-fiction has a very small audience that each book targets. A military officer might be interested in a book dealing with a military sniper, but it isn't likely that he'd want to read cookbooks set for middle aged women. What I don't like is how rigid non-fiction has to be. Memoirs excluded, non-fiction is kind of boring in comparison to books like Harry Potter or the soon to be a movie Hunger Games. When there is so many interesting fantasies in the world today, reality seems so boring.
This is the reason that video games sell the way they do. Video games are no where near reality. The images and ideas that they can provoke set them aside, because reality is only exciting when it can beat fantasy and become a basis for it. Valkyrie was entertaining for a large part mainly because the extreme evil was Hitler and the organization that opposed him had a cool name. Even though this was based on truth, the scenes were over dramatized and the actors were very good. When you look at modern day books, find how many are about WW2 and you'll see that many are claimed to be non-fiction. This happens when people either write memoirs or amplify the facts of an important event that they found.
In today's book market, the demand is so low that people are only looking for a select few kinds if books that are non-fiction. I've observed that in modern book naming, the books have extrememly lengthy and un-nessacarily specific titles. This is that if you're looking for a book on lets say the military, googling Military non-fiction books gives you links that direct you to, Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam, Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, and others which we can all agree are very specific descriptions of the book itself. People in the world realize that non-fiction is second to the wild description and entertainment found in fictionous accounts.
My book that I choose is an example of what can't be described as a journey to an entertaining world throught the insight of a thought inspiring auther, but rather a book that can be stomached and regurgitated. Something that I can process and spit out on whim. Something that has no real way of making you think, because in the book, you don't think. The auther thinks for you and you have to think about what they are thinking, once again leading us to become bored as we are less engaged with the material.
Hopefully a new book will come out and force the reader to have his own philosophical moment and decide things for himself instead of just have a man or woman tell them a story that is alike to the stories that your friends and family talk of everyday. A part that goes into finding a book is that you would rather read something that you are comfortable with reading. It's easy to imagine Rush Limbaugh reading through Godless: The Church of Liberalism a book about why Chritianity and Judaism are outlawed in America, but I'm sure that he wouldn't ever even dare read a book on liberalism such as The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism. We all need to come out of our shells and read the books that oppose our views if we are to have a good time, but as of now the world will just walk past the books on a shelf set neglected presenting titles that fill up the whole book and ideas that we agree with.
April 02, 2012
March 18, 2012
Killing Bald Eagles
Apparently, The United States has in an attempt tried to practice freedom of religion for the Native American community in the recent court case allowing the Northern Arapaho Indian Tribe to kill two bald eagles for a ceremony. The NY Daily News reports that in 2005, A tribal member was arrested for killing a bald eagle and the whole tribe then entered the judicial system to protest the Government's action in what they think of being religious prosecution.
A few years ago, the bald eagle was taken off the endangered species list and has been seen in the wild again. It is still illegal for anyone to kill a bald eagle though until a few weeks ago, for the first time in United States history, a Native American Tribe has been given the right to kill 2 eagles. Many people see this as an event similar to burning the flag or threatening your congressman, but the tribe disagrees.
For many years, the US government holds pieces of bald eagles in a reserve for Native American usage but the tribes have grown impatient with this because they require a permit and have to give back the pieces undamaged. The leader of the Northern Arapaho Tribes expresses his discontent in how he says, “How would a non-Indian feel if they had to get their Bible from a repository?”
What truly amazes me is that people oppose this. Clearly this right is protected under numerous laws justifying religious sacrament and freedom and is quite sickening that people would like to take this right away from the people's whose land we took. These people have as much of a right to be here as us and they may be living in the US, but that doesn't mean that they can't continue their practices that aren't a traditional American's practices.
A few years ago, the bald eagle was taken off the endangered species list and has been seen in the wild again. It is still illegal for anyone to kill a bald eagle though until a few weeks ago, for the first time in United States history, a Native American Tribe has been given the right to kill 2 eagles. Many people see this as an event similar to burning the flag or threatening your congressman, but the tribe disagrees.
For many years, the US government holds pieces of bald eagles in a reserve for Native American usage but the tribes have grown impatient with this because they require a permit and have to give back the pieces undamaged. The leader of the Northern Arapaho Tribes expresses his discontent in how he says, “How would a non-Indian feel if they had to get their Bible from a repository?”
What truly amazes me is that people oppose this. Clearly this right is protected under numerous laws justifying religious sacrament and freedom and is quite sickening that people would like to take this right away from the people's whose land we took. These people have as much of a right to be here as us and they may be living in the US, but that doesn't mean that they can't continue their practices that aren't a traditional American's practices.
February 29, 2012
The Importance of Desire
I had a small talk today with a friend. She has recently converted to Buddhism and I'm a Christian. I won't say that I'm the absolute best Christian man, but I'm not a fake one either (which, truly is a large plague in our country). We were talking about how I wouldn't shove Jesus at her and she told me that she thinks that there are many paths that lead to an end of suffering. (This is where I readied myself, for I knew that I couldn't resist telling her what I thought). What I explained to her was that I didn't believe that suffering is real, but merely an illusion, a ploy, something that we subjugate on ourselves (I could have stopped here and tried to negotiate a peaceful means of ending this conversation, but I didn't do that). She told me that, that was what Buddhism is and that their faith holds that you need to be responsible for it and reject suffering.
Before I explain what I meant in my next response, I'd like to give you information on Buddhism. Buddhist doctrine holds that all life has suffering and that suffering is caused by desire. This desire is what Buddhist try to eliminate and therefore reach a state of Nirvana, or inner-peace and comprehension through a 8-fold path, which are steps to Nirvana, like a guide. Until they do that though, they are forced to repeat life until through reincarnation until they accomplish the feat of ending desire. Once they reach Nirvana and die, they will go to a heaven of their own.I was never taught what this heaven would be like, but what would be heaven if you didn't want anything?
Buddhism has been around for a long time and many people today follow the faith and I would like to politely say here that I am not try to make a mockery of your faith or your ideology, I am merely unable to believe your faith and these are my thoughts on the matter of what your faith means. I am not a trained converter or a minister or anything other than a church goer and a student, but hear my pleas so that you will be warned.
After she told me that their faith holds that you need to be responsible for suffering and reject it. I told her that, Christianity holds that suffering is caused by sin and if you don't commit sin, you won't suffer, not only that, but you'll be free, happy and content. Buddhism believes that desire causes suffering which is silly, because desire is what drives you. You can do bad, but you can also do good with it, but you'll not do nothing with it. Desire may cause some sin, but that is because you desire the wrong things. Desire can bring you closer to everything. If you were to have no desire, I would pity you, because even in the numb state of being that is pleasurable through how nice it is to be completely free of any want and not care what anyone wants, there is no purpose and you're an isolated, sad soul bent on becoming retracted from the world. You wish for nothing, so you can't wish for a heaven, because you're heaven can't fill your wants and desire because you have none, your heaven would be a disaster because it would be worthless to you as you do nothing there.
If you have no desire, you can't desire peace, you can't desire happiness, you can't feel alive but really just an illusion of what a person is, your soul is but an infant, because it has no want, it has no drive, no motivation, no focus, it just has nothingness. I feel sorry for those that buy this (again no offense). But when you can't desire happiness, joy and purpose, what meaning do you have? Are we all just here to come to the realization that it doesn't matter? Some will argue yes, but I will say that everything you do matters and if you leave the world with just one stone turned over, you've done something that is noticeable. The greatest lives are from those who have flipped numerous boulders and paved paths with the rubble of the mountains that they have crushed.
Buddhists are just afraid of wanting something, even if it is good. Where would we be without MLKJ or Helen Keller? They tried and made a deference, when you don't do anything to make the world better, you have wasted your life, just as much as those who desire the wrong things and make the world worse. Get up and do something with yourself, make something that will outlive you, do something that will make others happy for you and don't wallow in the conviction that you shouldn't do anything because it will cause suffering. Don't get caught up in worrying that you might cause pain, likely if you do it right, it will cause happiness. When you try to promote a form of nothingness, you are like a plague on the people you preach to. You tell them to do nothing and they do nothing, they beg for their food that they don't desire, but need, they are a reliant people that can't help anyone.
Don't be arrogant, you need training. You need to develop morals, not necessarily through Christianity, but it is a good start. Remember that human life is precious and fragile, that love is valuable and loyal and that you can do a lot with words. Your ethics determine you, and in the end, you need a conviction that oversees your life so that you wont end up worthless. Don't spend your whole time here on earth training, because even if it helps, it is only training and you don't train for anything just for the sake of training. You train so that you can be prepared and do something with the training that you receive.
I'm not sure if she will talk to me again, but I do hope that we can still be friends. I hope that she can overlook her childish thoughts on what is good and come to the realization that in the world, desire does great things for everybody. Desire to live, desire to love, desire to do something, anything that can help those who walk with you, behind you and in front of you.
-The Observer
Before I explain what I meant in my next response, I'd like to give you information on Buddhism. Buddhist doctrine holds that all life has suffering and that suffering is caused by desire. This desire is what Buddhist try to eliminate and therefore reach a state of Nirvana, or inner-peace and comprehension through a 8-fold path, which are steps to Nirvana, like a guide. Until they do that though, they are forced to repeat life until through reincarnation until they accomplish the feat of ending desire. Once they reach Nirvana and die, they will go to a heaven of their own.I was never taught what this heaven would be like, but what would be heaven if you didn't want anything?
Buddhism has been around for a long time and many people today follow the faith and I would like to politely say here that I am not try to make a mockery of your faith or your ideology, I am merely unable to believe your faith and these are my thoughts on the matter of what your faith means. I am not a trained converter or a minister or anything other than a church goer and a student, but hear my pleas so that you will be warned.
After she told me that their faith holds that you need to be responsible for suffering and reject it. I told her that, Christianity holds that suffering is caused by sin and if you don't commit sin, you won't suffer, not only that, but you'll be free, happy and content. Buddhism believes that desire causes suffering which is silly, because desire is what drives you. You can do bad, but you can also do good with it, but you'll not do nothing with it. Desire may cause some sin, but that is because you desire the wrong things. Desire can bring you closer to everything. If you were to have no desire, I would pity you, because even in the numb state of being that is pleasurable through how nice it is to be completely free of any want and not care what anyone wants, there is no purpose and you're an isolated, sad soul bent on becoming retracted from the world. You wish for nothing, so you can't wish for a heaven, because you're heaven can't fill your wants and desire because you have none, your heaven would be a disaster because it would be worthless to you as you do nothing there.
If you have no desire, you can't desire peace, you can't desire happiness, you can't feel alive but really just an illusion of what a person is, your soul is but an infant, because it has no want, it has no drive, no motivation, no focus, it just has nothingness. I feel sorry for those that buy this (again no offense). But when you can't desire happiness, joy and purpose, what meaning do you have? Are we all just here to come to the realization that it doesn't matter? Some will argue yes, but I will say that everything you do matters and if you leave the world with just one stone turned over, you've done something that is noticeable. The greatest lives are from those who have flipped numerous boulders and paved paths with the rubble of the mountains that they have crushed.
Buddhists are just afraid of wanting something, even if it is good. Where would we be without MLKJ or Helen Keller? They tried and made a deference, when you don't do anything to make the world better, you have wasted your life, just as much as those who desire the wrong things and make the world worse. Get up and do something with yourself, make something that will outlive you, do something that will make others happy for you and don't wallow in the conviction that you shouldn't do anything because it will cause suffering. Don't get caught up in worrying that you might cause pain, likely if you do it right, it will cause happiness. When you try to promote a form of nothingness, you are like a plague on the people you preach to. You tell them to do nothing and they do nothing, they beg for their food that they don't desire, but need, they are a reliant people that can't help anyone.
Don't be arrogant, you need training. You need to develop morals, not necessarily through Christianity, but it is a good start. Remember that human life is precious and fragile, that love is valuable and loyal and that you can do a lot with words. Your ethics determine you, and in the end, you need a conviction that oversees your life so that you wont end up worthless. Don't spend your whole time here on earth training, because even if it helps, it is only training and you don't train for anything just for the sake of training. You train so that you can be prepared and do something with the training that you receive.
I'm not sure if she will talk to me again, but I do hope that we can still be friends. I hope that she can overlook her childish thoughts on what is good and come to the realization that in the world, desire does great things for everybody. Desire to live, desire to love, desire to do something, anything that can help those who walk with you, behind you and in front of you.
-The Observer
February 28, 2012
Doors
The process of writing at the other blog proves to be quite challenging, so heres a small puicture of what we are writing about.
February 26, 2012
The History
This short video is a explaination of the whole english language and its uses. This humorous video is a great example of how interconnected english is and why it is a world power of language.
February 08, 2012
Last Post
| The interface of weebly is quite second rate in comparison to this interface, so I might just have side by side blogs, or might just end up destroying one of the blogs forever, but for now, I will just say that I prefer this site's interface if the posting process can get pretty messy and evil. I would like to say that I'm back and have for some reason a huge increase in following. Mostly for my post back in October on The infamous Black Dolphin Prison in Russia entitled "Russian Ideas." That post is so well received I might just end up writing more about the glorious Mother Russia and hope for more page visits. Until then, adios. |
February 02, 2012
The Taboo Topic
THE FORBIDDEN ISSUE
An epidemic is upon us that we are ashamed to admit. There is an addiction out in our lives that the majority of Americans commit. It destroys the user's life and they’re too embarrassed to get helped. It is not a recognized addiction and throughout the country it hurts marriages and individual lives. According to an interview by MSNBC, $12 billion is spent annually on the Adult Industry in America alone (2006). With the spread of the Internet, porn has become easy to reach. The biggest problem is not that it's easy to get to, but that it can act like a drug and hurt the user's life. Since you can be completely anonymous on the internet, no one knows of your serious problem. Porn addiction is not a documented or official addiction and therefore receives little research money. Many therapists and sexologists consider this to be a serious epidemic that is waiting for you where ever you go. The Internet is all around us, in our homes, our jobs and our schools. The experts both agree that pornography can have some serious side effects, whether it is causing you to lose a job or a family by just wasting your time in front of a computer screen, TV or other outlet for porn. There is always a constant urge to see a taboo substance David Foster Wallace, A commentator of the adult industry, writes on this, "The more acceptable in modern culture it becomes, the further porn will have to go to in order to preserve the sense of unacceptability that's so essential to its appeal," (1998, Wallace). Foster Wallace even goes on to say that now, a part of porn staying taboo lies in how it's becoming more and more "extreme" in nature, meaning degrading, painful and abusive to the female participants.
Experts consider porn to be a drug. Mary Anne Layden, Co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Therapy, reports that porn is the "most concerning thing to psychological health that I know of existing today," and that "The Internet is a perfect drug delivery system," (2004, Singel). She goes on to say that porn is even worse than cocaine, because cocaine addicts can get the drug out of their system, but porn addicts will have it in their minds for the rest of their lives. This is because porn as Jeffrey Satinover, a psychiatrist and adviser, puts it, "...it (porn) causes masturbation, which causes release of the naturally occurring opioids," (2004, Singel). Some would argue that if porn was a drug, it is more like Advil or Tylenol and isn’t that big of a problem, but like Advil and Tylenol, it should be regulated and controlled.
Porn is argued to be an addiction as strong as gambling or drinking and should be treated as such, but no limits have been placed on it. This is because porn is protected under the First Amendment. Pornography is considered to only be illegal if it is obscene. Obscenity has qualifications referred to as the Miller Test, where it has to meet 3 basic rules. "(a) whether "the average person, applying contemporary community standards" would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest, Roth, supra, at 489, (b) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law, and (c) whether the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value," (1973, Supreme Court). These laws have allowed the general public to overlook the First Amendment if it applied to those three principles. One of the Justices wrote a dissenting opinion mostly saying that the only reason he disagreed with the ruling is because it went against the First Amendment in that everything is free speech no matter the material. The problem with how the general public determines this is that the general public is always changing its opinion and will not stay the same. In the lawsuit, the Supreme Court didn't allow one community to determine the rules for the nation and therefore this test is rarely used and paraphernalia can almost never fit its rigid and strict set of rules which essentially makes the court case a useless waste of time.
Simon Louis Lajeuness, a postdoctoral student and professor says that porn has little to no effect on men and that in his study, "Those who could not live out their fantasy in real life with their partner, simple set aside the fantasy," (2009, Moore). This was a flawed study because it only had 20 participants and the testimonies could have been false and there is no way to really document how people’s relationships aren’t what they fantasize about or if their fantasies changed. This is argued against by Naomi Wolf, an author, political consultant and third wave feminist, who wrote in her essay that, "Porn has blurred the line between clothed and unclothes, decent and indecent," referring to how porn is helping people become more and more obscene in real life (2005, Wolf). She also claims in another essay that the younger generation are being desensitized to real human beings. In the exact opposite of Lajeuness, Wolf argues that porn causes unrest with their families when users prefer their fantasies over reality (2003, Wolf). She further relates that this causes women to think that they can't "compete with a cyber vision of perfection, downloadable and extinguishable at will, who comes, so to speak, utterly submissive and tailored to the consumer's least specification," she explains that this gives more power to men as women, seeking to please men have to do more and more, because porn will do more and more (2003, Wolf). This is truly troubling, because this has made people different than before. With porn literally at their finger tips, the users could just surf the net for hours fulfilling their sexual needs.
Statistics show that more men than women view porn and that almost all men do view porn at least once in their lives. There have been many reasons proposed for this and the scientist, Dr. Erick Janssen reported to PBS that men viewing porn is an evolutionary trait derived from the drive to spread your genes and have a much sex with as many different people as much as possible and thus, have your child inherit these desires (2002, Janssen). This would cause men to want to view porn in order to simulate the thought process that occurs when having sexual intercourse. In contradiction, sex therapist, Dr. Laura Berman, in a MSNBC interview purposes that maybe women are too ashamed and hide their activities because society has a harsher view against women viewing porn (2006). She relates that people comes to her a lot for an addiction to porn and that many couples are getting seriously hurt by this pandemic. She worries less about porn's existence, but like other experts on addiction, she advises rather that people use it in moderation and that it's only bad when, "...it's getting in the way of the intimacy in your relationship, it's getting in the way of a healthy sex life, and, in many cases, it's getting in the way of your ability to even hold down a job, or spend time with your family, or carry out your daily tasks," (2006). She explains that many people come to her complaining that their husband spends hours every night stuck in front of a screen, wasting their lives away.
Porn pulls a steady profit and helps our economy, but like tobacco and alcohol, it needs to be regulated so as not to cause harm. It's true that porn doesn't kill people, but it can do worse things than that like ruin your family and life. The obscenity law isn't enough and I won't argue against the First Amendment and try to censor the Internet, but the Government should fund more programs that help those with the addiction to porn and make young people aware of the programs that are available to them to learn how to sate their appetites or at least prevent their lives from spiraling down into the fearful predictions and terrible results that happen today.
1337 Words in this document (not including works cited).
Armstrong Moore, Elizabeth (2009, December 1). New research suggests porn is overly demonized. news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-10407102-247.html
Foster Wallace, David (2006). Big Red Son. Consider the Lobster
Janssen, Erick (2002). Why People Use Porn. www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/porn/special/why.html
MSNBC (2006, March 3). Porn Addiction on the Rise. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11640411/ns/msnbc_tv-rita_cosby_specials/t/porn- addiction-increases-across-country/#.TznZGoH9J94
Singel, Ryan (2004, November 19). Internet Porn: Worse than Crack? www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/11/65772
Supreme Court (1973, June 21). Miller v. California. http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0413_0015_ZS.html
Wolf, Naomi (2003, October 20). The Porn Myth. nymad.com/nymetro/news/trends/n_9437/
Wolf, Naomi (2005, May 21). Equal Wrongs. nymag.com/nymetro/news/politics/columns/n_10405/
Final Word Count: 1459 Words
January 29, 2012
My Thought on the Plauge of Acyronims
SOPA, ACTA and PIPA. Common terms for the internet at the moment. The thought is to give the United States law enforcement the ability to illegalize any websites that have any unauthorized streaming, counterfeit goods or copywritted material. Many people think of this as a "censoring of the internet" and are openly fighting the bills by attempting to hack the FBI and other government agencies. The main argument that the defense has is that it would help the entertainment industry by forcing people to buy the CD of that one artist of buying the DVD of that one awesome movie. Many people are outraged, because this is a sign of oppression by the government in a form of saying that they are supporting big business and hate the weak, poor man who can't even pay for his cable, but now he has to pay for his music too. The commonly shouted phrase is, that you don't get to destroy the internet because it doesn't fit the business model you want or that you need to find a new way to market the products that you're making. Unfortunately, this bill would spell the end for our favorite websites like Facebook and Youtube, and already Megaupload was taken down by the FBI and hackers retaliated taking down various government and music sites in protest. (whole story here)
Whatever happens, I'm pretty sure that SOPA, ACTA and PIPA will cause much more harm than any sort of benefits.
-The Observer
Whatever happens, I'm pretty sure that SOPA, ACTA and PIPA will cause much more harm than any sort of benefits.
-The Observer
Skill Set 8ish?
It's been awhile, but a new skill has come to me. In honor to the snows of winter, I'd like to pay a small tribute to the art of sledding.
Short Beginnings:
Sled where at first used by Native Americans to move heavy things long distances. These sleds where usually pulled by a team of dogs (like what the Natives used in Alaska) or pulled by humans. Most sleds today are for recreation, but some traditional races still exist for the original purpose such as the annual 1,100 mile Iditarod. The most famous sleds are used in the Olympics as bobsleds (referencing the bobbing motion that the runners take to increase their speed in the beginning of their race). These sleds usually feature an in-cased chassis and a steering system.
Skills:
There are many techniques to sledding, most importantly though, is not how you go down, but how you go up. Observe the slope, find the steepest part with the most bumps that is iced over. Find that place and keep it locked in your head. Head to the very beginning of the descent and wait.
With a traditional long rectangle shaped sled that has a great directional speed but no spin and little steering.
Method 1: The all original boring-man's position when you sit up right and slowly fall down the mountain. Preferably screaming like a girl and crying.
Method 2: "The Stack" is my personal favorite of any way of sledding. A great way to get many people down a hill quickly, you first get a sturdy, long sled and put the heaviest and strongest person on the bottom. Then you put more and more people on top of that person and ride down the hill. You will start off slow, but end up at speeds of at least mach 2. This is fun, because if only one person starts to wobble, the whole stack save the base will tumble and bail. Usually, a very awkward position too, because you're all laying on top of each other too... Also, beware base, it will hurt...
Method 3: "The Raft" is a move where you get many sleds of any kind and lock arms side by side for as wide as you can then all ride down, eventually, you will drift apart or fall off(depending on the hill), but it is a great way to sled, because it's like a show down to see who has the best dexterity.
Method 4: "The Train" is a popular sledding technique, where you all line up and connect legs to arms and create a mega-bobsled-type sled that acts like a snake or roller coaster that is always pushing behind you. The Train is good for big groups, because you all will do the same thing and have the same amount of fun.
Method 5: "The Couple" technique is sledding form, where one person sits in the back of the sled and faces forward with spread legs and the other sits at the front facing backward, wrapping each other's legs around each other. This is great, because neither of you know where you're going and neither of you can see anything but each other's face which is very fun, cause one of you will likely freak out, or if you're a Sir, have a polite conversation with each other in a heroic pose of understanding and depth.
Method 6: "Dare Devil" is the style of sledding in a reckless fashion, where you lay down on your back, head facing the front of the sled and you close your eyes. A dangerous way of sledding where anything could happen, you could hit the cute little 6 year old, painfully come down on your head after a jump, or accidentally bail and hit a tree. This Dare Devil sledding is a thrill that is hard to match and can be repeated by laying on your stomach facing backwards.
With a saucer sled that has absolutely no control of any kind and can get really fast.
Method 1: The traditional style of sitting upright and sliding down the slope at a very fast pace, likely spinning, turning and spitting blood when you hit the concrete of the street.
Method 2: "The Spinner" is a way of starting the decline. You first start up the initial momentum, then you start spinning yourself in a circle until you get to about 40 rpm. This is hard to not bail on, because you'll be dizzy and will likely do a barrel-roll to safety.
Method 3: "The Brothers" is when you get together your homies or bros or brahs or sisters or whoever and lock your guys' sleds together by having them grab your saucer and grabbing theirs. This intertwines you together and you fly down the hillside and end up somewhere, but together like bros.
Method 4: "The Scary Driver" can be performed by leaning on your lower back and spreadeagleding yourself so you have the best of both worlds, an intense workout and a fun slide.
These methods are great ways to have fun in the winter, but watch your surroundings, there are trees out there and there are drop offs. But most importantly, watch out for the concrete of streets and parking lots. If you don't, you'll end up like me yesterday, sliding down a hill in "The Couple" formation with my friend Jessie when we swerve off course and I, being in the front facing backwards, can only see her face screaming when we bail on the packed up snow shoveled away from the parking lot and end up sliding a little bit until I end up under her parked car and she ends up, luckily still on the snow.
Be careful and watch out, but remember to have fun. Winter only comes once a year.
PS. In character with the observer, likely you'll be using this to get away with your friend at the top of a mountain on a piece of plywood whilst a mad scientist is chasing you with a pack of dogs and a Glock.
-The Observer
Short Beginnings:
Sled where at first used by Native Americans to move heavy things long distances. These sleds where usually pulled by a team of dogs (like what the Natives used in Alaska) or pulled by humans. Most sleds today are for recreation, but some traditional races still exist for the original purpose such as the annual 1,100 mile Iditarod. The most famous sleds are used in the Olympics as bobsleds (referencing the bobbing motion that the runners take to increase their speed in the beginning of their race). These sleds usually feature an in-cased chassis and a steering system.
Skills:
There are many techniques to sledding, most importantly though, is not how you go down, but how you go up. Observe the slope, find the steepest part with the most bumps that is iced over. Find that place and keep it locked in your head. Head to the very beginning of the descent and wait.
With a traditional long rectangle shaped sled that has a great directional speed but no spin and little steering.
Method 1: The all original boring-man's position when you sit up right and slowly fall down the mountain. Preferably screaming like a girl and crying.
Method 2: "The Stack" is my personal favorite of any way of sledding. A great way to get many people down a hill quickly, you first get a sturdy, long sled and put the heaviest and strongest person on the bottom. Then you put more and more people on top of that person and ride down the hill. You will start off slow, but end up at speeds of at least mach 2. This is fun, because if only one person starts to wobble, the whole stack save the base will tumble and bail. Usually, a very awkward position too, because you're all laying on top of each other too... Also, beware base, it will hurt...
Method 3: "The Raft" is a move where you get many sleds of any kind and lock arms side by side for as wide as you can then all ride down, eventually, you will drift apart or fall off(depending on the hill), but it is a great way to sled, because it's like a show down to see who has the best dexterity.
Method 4: "The Train" is a popular sledding technique, where you all line up and connect legs to arms and create a mega-bobsled-type sled that acts like a snake or roller coaster that is always pushing behind you. The Train is good for big groups, because you all will do the same thing and have the same amount of fun.
Method 5: "The Couple" technique is sledding form, where one person sits in the back of the sled and faces forward with spread legs and the other sits at the front facing backward, wrapping each other's legs around each other. This is great, because neither of you know where you're going and neither of you can see anything but each other's face which is very fun, cause one of you will likely freak out, or if you're a Sir, have a polite conversation with each other in a heroic pose of understanding and depth.
Method 6: "Dare Devil" is the style of sledding in a reckless fashion, where you lay down on your back, head facing the front of the sled and you close your eyes. A dangerous way of sledding where anything could happen, you could hit the cute little 6 year old, painfully come down on your head after a jump, or accidentally bail and hit a tree. This Dare Devil sledding is a thrill that is hard to match and can be repeated by laying on your stomach facing backwards.
With a saucer sled that has absolutely no control of any kind and can get really fast.
Method 1: The traditional style of sitting upright and sliding down the slope at a very fast pace, likely spinning, turning and spitting blood when you hit the concrete of the street.
Method 2: "The Spinner" is a way of starting the decline. You first start up the initial momentum, then you start spinning yourself in a circle until you get to about 40 rpm. This is hard to not bail on, because you'll be dizzy and will likely do a barrel-roll to safety.
Method 3: "The Brothers" is when you get together your homies or bros or brahs or sisters or whoever and lock your guys' sleds together by having them grab your saucer and grabbing theirs. This intertwines you together and you fly down the hillside and end up somewhere, but together like bros.
Method 4: "The Scary Driver" can be performed by leaning on your lower back and spreadeagleding yourself so you have the best of both worlds, an intense workout and a fun slide.
These methods are great ways to have fun in the winter, but watch your surroundings, there are trees out there and there are drop offs. But most importantly, watch out for the concrete of streets and parking lots. If you don't, you'll end up like me yesterday, sliding down a hill in "The Couple" formation with my friend Jessie when we swerve off course and I, being in the front facing backwards, can only see her face screaming when we bail on the packed up snow shoveled away from the parking lot and end up sliding a little bit until I end up under her parked car and she ends up, luckily still on the snow.
Be careful and watch out, but remember to have fun. Winter only comes once a year.
PS. In character with the observer, likely you'll be using this to get away with your friend at the top of a mountain on a piece of plywood whilst a mad scientist is chasing you with a pack of dogs and a Glock.
-The Observer
January 26, 2012
A Little Pent Up Jealousy
You probably can't tell that of right now, I've only had 195 views on my blog. As you might be able to suspect, this isn't very much... Most blogs in my class have less then mine, some even breaking 100 as we speak, but a few have over 500 and in one of my friend's cases, over 2000. I think it's impressive and I won't whine, but I find it fusterating that I have so few. You could attribute it to how I'm not consistantly posting or how, some posts, I admit are basically garbage. The one friend that does have over 2000 says that he constant pings his blog, which would explain why he has so many, considering that search engines would lead directly to him.
It's interesting to see the statistics of blogger. For instance, out of my 200 views, over half of the view are made on internet explorer and the vast majority of the people who have ever seen my site, perfer windows in their computer company. Surprizingly, the next highest amount of viewers use an iPod. I don't know how, but out of the people who have seen my blog, most are from the USA, but a sizable portion hails from Russia and a few from Germany. I don't know what my appeal is to those countries, but I'm glad that it isn't all just Americans.
Hopefully if I can convince enough people to join blogs with me, we could have over 1,000!
-The Observer
It's interesting to see the statistics of blogger. For instance, out of my 200 views, over half of the view are made on internet explorer and the vast majority of the people who have ever seen my site, perfer windows in their computer company. Surprizingly, the next highest amount of viewers use an iPod. I don't know how, but out of the people who have seen my blog, most are from the USA, but a sizable portion hails from Russia and a few from Germany. I don't know what my appeal is to those countries, but I'm glad that it isn't all just Americans.
Hopefully if I can convince enough people to join blogs with me, we could have over 1,000!
-The Observer
January 22, 2012
Why did the Chicken Cross the Road?
Anti-Jokes turn jokes into statements making things that seem to obviously start of as a joke end up tragically, resulting in humor through the unexpected. Pulling on people's imaginations, overused jokes, prevalent racism, sexism and antisemitism, these jokes make people laugh at the unrealistic (for a joke) answers. Many are considered "crossing the line" but a good number are appropriate.
Some that are considered anti-jokes from anti-joke.com include, but are not limited by:
Your mama is so fat, diet and exercise would probably save her life.
How do you punish an electrician? Kill his family.
What happens when you step on a bear trap? A lot of pain.
What did the black guy say to the white guy? I'm black.
Why did the chicken commit suicide? To get to the otherside.
What do Chinese kids make for father's day? Shoes.
What's worse than finding a worm in your apple? The Holocaust.
An Irishman walks out of a bar.
Your friend is so gay that he has consensual sex with other men and enjoys it.
Some that are considered anti-jokes from anti-joke.com include, but are not limited by:
Your mama is so fat, diet and exercise would probably save her life.
How do you punish an electrician? Kill his family.
What happens when you step on a bear trap? A lot of pain.
What did the black guy say to the white guy? I'm black.
Why did the chicken commit suicide? To get to the otherside.
What do Chinese kids make for father's day? Shoes.
What's worse than finding a worm in your apple? The Holocaust.
An Irishman walks out of a bar.
Your friend is so gay that he has consensual sex with other men and enjoys it.
What would George Washington do if he were alive today? Scream and scratch at the top of his coffin.
What did the boy with no arms and no legs get for Christmas? Cancer.
How many Jews does it take to change a light bulb? Two, one to change it and the other to hold the ladder so the first man won't fall and hurt himself.
What did the homeless man get for Christmas? Nothing.
Demain, dès l'aube
The poem written by Victor Hugo of France back in the 1800's is considered the best poetry by the writer who also wrote the play, The Hunchback of Notredam.
From Gary Buchland's website, the text is both written in French and translated into English.
From Gary Buchland's website, the text is both written in French and translated into English.
Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.
J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.
Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,
Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,
Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,
Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.
Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,
Et quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.
J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.
Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,
Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,
Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,
Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.
Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,
Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,
Et quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombe
Un bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.
The translation reads,
Tomorrow, at dawn, at the hour when the countryside is alit,
I will leave. See here, you know what I must do.
I will go through the forest, I will go across the mountain.
I will not remain far from you for long.
I will trudge on with eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Without seeing what it outside of me, without hearing any noise,
Alone, unknown, bent, with crossed hands,
Sad, and the day will be for me as night.
I will not notice either the golden sunset as night falls,
Nor the distant mist which descends over Harfleur,
And when I arrive, I will place on your grave
A bouquet of holly and heather in bloom.
I will leave. See here, you know what I must do.
I will go through the forest, I will go across the mountain.
I will not remain far from you for long.
I will trudge on with eyes fixed on my thoughts,
Without seeing what it outside of me, without hearing any noise,
Alone, unknown, bent, with crossed hands,
Sad, and the day will be for me as night.
I will not notice either the golden sunset as night falls,
Nor the distant mist which descends over Harfleur,
And when I arrive, I will place on your grave
A bouquet of holly and heather in bloom.
This poem was originally made for his oldest daughter who died when she drowned after a boat captised. Her young husband also died when he tried to rescue her. Hugo wrote this in a grief for her that lives on today as inspiration for many musical arrangements and seen as his greatest work.
I find that this poem is something that I yearn to want to know. I'm unfortunate to have never been taught many languages and therefore it adds a mystery to the item itself when it is played, for is not the unknown an illusion that we create to bemuddle ourselves into thinking that gives us an unprecedented control of the aspects of false world we make for ourselves? Or more simply put, doesn't mystery allow us to view the world as we want?
This is why I was sad that I looked up the lyrics to this song when I wrote this, for what it could be was overshadowed by what it is and unlike us it cannot change itself.
January 19, 2012
New Blogs?
As you can read above, I might be starting a new collective blog with some fellow classmates. This would entail that we would have 2-6 people writing 3 posts a week but have everyone's posts show up side by side on a web page. If I were to do this, I'd first have to make a pact. I'd make everyone write down 2-5 topics and put them into a container of some kind, then every week, we would pull one of the topics out and each blogger would be required to write three blogs on the issue. This would prove advantageous, because, we could all designate a meeting place to come up up with ideas on what to write about. Also, this would be time efficient for us, because we would all have a set deadline and requirements, or else we would be liable to group discipline. On top of that, since we would have multiple contributors, there would be many posts every week. I would like to do this, but I don't know as to which of my peers would like to participate in this with me.
January 16, 2012
Is This Faith?
I'm a Christian. Easy enough to say, but I think that it's the hardest thing in the world to find a good church that I agree with. I won't write that I'm a perfect all-knowing man who understands his faith so well that it's bullet proof to change, but I will say that in the past few months, I've been going to many churches in a hope to find a church that I will support. I've sit in on many services at different churches, and through inspection, I can tell you that, all Houses of God are generally the same. Everybody is nice and thoughtful. Everyone is polite and respective to each other. Each place looks different, yes, but the amount of people of different age groups in each pew is about the same. Generally a good 40% of the churchgoers are between the ages of 35 and 55. Few people are into their old age and there is almost always only a few people that are 18 to 25 years of age. There is always a lot of kids and a sizable group my age, between the ages of 14 and 18.
Everybody will tell you their church is the best and that their views is always the right one. Each church will revolve around one of two defaults, either a very contemporary sermon with chanting and a silence while the Pastor explains deep thoughts on the world, or a sermon that is very new age with screaming and lessons on everyday problems that seem like you should already know this, but there is always a twist or a larger meaning. Many churches offer an open communion which, I don't necessarily disagree with, but I will if the pastor or ushers strongly imply that if you don't go up there you are wrong.
I've been searching for a good church for a while and I will tell you right now that if you go for the people in the congregation, you'll be stuck, because you'll feel like you'll offend the people you'll like. If you go for the words, you can rest assured that you can get along with the people. What amazes me, is that of all the places, only the people at one church understand my struggle for the search that I've set for myself. They wont guilt me into staying and won't argue with me, they just want to help and this is what makes me want to stay. As was at their alter, praying this Sunday and a man I know came up to me bowed his head and said quite loudly, "Lord, help him find his church." I know that I might just be pulling gold from a vat of manure, but it just feels right. I won't get lax and try to overlook the faults of the place, but I will say that the atmosphere feels great and I feel understood by more than just God. I'm glad for that place.
Everybody will tell you their church is the best and that their views is always the right one. Each church will revolve around one of two defaults, either a very contemporary sermon with chanting and a silence while the Pastor explains deep thoughts on the world, or a sermon that is very new age with screaming and lessons on everyday problems that seem like you should already know this, but there is always a twist or a larger meaning. Many churches offer an open communion which, I don't necessarily disagree with, but I will if the pastor or ushers strongly imply that if you don't go up there you are wrong.
I've been searching for a good church for a while and I will tell you right now that if you go for the people in the congregation, you'll be stuck, because you'll feel like you'll offend the people you'll like. If you go for the words, you can rest assured that you can get along with the people. What amazes me, is that of all the places, only the people at one church understand my struggle for the search that I've set for myself. They wont guilt me into staying and won't argue with me, they just want to help and this is what makes me want to stay. As was at their alter, praying this Sunday and a man I know came up to me bowed his head and said quite loudly, "Lord, help him find his church." I know that I might just be pulling gold from a vat of manure, but it just feels right. I won't get lax and try to overlook the faults of the place, but I will say that the atmosphere feels great and I feel understood by more than just God. I'm glad for that place.
Fyisa
Fyisa is a man from Africa. He moved here, to America, many years ago when he was young. He's a smart and wise man, who has realized many things about life that I couldn't at first understand. When I first met him, I was 14 and in a dorm room with three other guys. He ran through the door and told me the greatest Hendonist inspired realization that I've came to understand. He told me that we only live once and the one thing that we need to do from beginning to end is enjoy ourselves and worry less about the small things. That we need to get as many friends as we can and as few enemies as possible. Live for our own happiness through making others happy. We must wake up every morning and decide what needs to be done and do what we want with out another person trying to hurt our happiness. That we must learn to accept all those who are here and appease everyone.
His thoughts stay with me today and grow. Fyisa would always be singing and telling stories about himself and life in general. He proposed many theories and among them, my favorite is his thoughts on clothing. He told me one day that he wished everyone was naked all the time. I kinda just sat there in the class room a little dazed and asked him why. He told me that if everyone was naked, there would be nothing to hide and fetishes would become extinct and people could only judge each other on what's there, not by what is not, like makeup or flashy clothes. People couldn't judge others harshly on appearance, because their physical flaws were visible. At first, yes it would be uncomfortable but, with time, it wouldn't be that big of a deal as everyone walked around with out their self-conscience mind controlling them to be who they were not. With time, no one would care about each other's appearance and rather, just judge others mentally.
I thought that this made no sense what so ever. Why would being nude make men any less sex-oriented. How would that change anything? Wouldn't this just make it impossible for some people to be happy, because their flaws were right there seen by all? I didn't know what to think, but i just knew that he just said what he thought.
Recently, this point was made up again as my language class; favorite author, David Sedaris, wrote in his book, Naked, about when he visited a nudist colony for a week. My friend made me read this article and I was very nostalgic as Mr. Sedaris pulled my thoughts to his time spent naked with the elderly (mainly). It reminded me of the African I knew, whose ideology was remarkably the same as the people who lived at the colony. I found it odd, how a these two related.
Even as I wondered if he was just using the same words as David Sedaris, I realized that no, Fyisa's thoughts went deeper and explored a much larger view of humanity. He was not just the guy who wanted to be naked, he was the guy who wanted to make others happy and wanted to end secrecy and hate. To this day, I'm sure Fyisa is just living to be happy for others, which makes me happy, because, I know that through him, others are too.
His thoughts stay with me today and grow. Fyisa would always be singing and telling stories about himself and life in general. He proposed many theories and among them, my favorite is his thoughts on clothing. He told me one day that he wished everyone was naked all the time. I kinda just sat there in the class room a little dazed and asked him why. He told me that if everyone was naked, there would be nothing to hide and fetishes would become extinct and people could only judge each other on what's there, not by what is not, like makeup or flashy clothes. People couldn't judge others harshly on appearance, because their physical flaws were visible. At first, yes it would be uncomfortable but, with time, it wouldn't be that big of a deal as everyone walked around with out their self-conscience mind controlling them to be who they were not. With time, no one would care about each other's appearance and rather, just judge others mentally.
I thought that this made no sense what so ever. Why would being nude make men any less sex-oriented. How would that change anything? Wouldn't this just make it impossible for some people to be happy, because their flaws were right there seen by all? I didn't know what to think, but i just knew that he just said what he thought.
Recently, this point was made up again as my language class; favorite author, David Sedaris, wrote in his book, Naked, about when he visited a nudist colony for a week. My friend made me read this article and I was very nostalgic as Mr. Sedaris pulled my thoughts to his time spent naked with the elderly (mainly). It reminded me of the African I knew, whose ideology was remarkably the same as the people who lived at the colony. I found it odd, how a these two related.
Even as I wondered if he was just using the same words as David Sedaris, I realized that no, Fyisa's thoughts went deeper and explored a much larger view of humanity. He was not just the guy who wanted to be naked, he was the guy who wanted to make others happy and wanted to end secrecy and hate. To this day, I'm sure Fyisa is just living to be happy for others, which makes me happy, because, I know that through him, others are too.
January 11, 2012
Unnatural Aesthetics
Most people tell me that during the changing of the seasons, they smell the next thing coming. I think that that's weird. I smell nothing, I feel the seasons.
Spring feels like the pulse of a heart, pressure that escapes in rainy days and builds in the calm while everything grows. Every gust feels like the grass on the skin and most things are soft and light in the season, like a newborn.
Summer is a grueling time that feels wrong. the air is as damp and moist as the things you touch, your body feels trapped by a wall of wetness and heat that's inescapable. The air feels heavy and burdening.
Fall is like a cracked egg shell, the world seems fake and the atmosphere, brittle. The very ground seems to give way and the environment is dead.
Winter is a time of nothingness. Cold is something you can engage, unlike the other months, nothing is apparent, the world is fake and you feel like a speck of dust in a vacuum without boundaries. The void is piling around you as you wish for a new season will come, but the folds of the land and dunes, masses of snow, captivate your emotions and give you a hedonistic thrill where your eyes give you a sense of beauty from the despair you get from the white blindfold you suddenly are wearing. The unnatural aesthetics of what isn't or shouldn't, shouldn't amaze you, but as a rule, do. This blindfold is fought against, because white turns to yellow and yellow becomes black. A corruption of the curtain angers you, for the grit that was mixed into the mounds are much less appealing, yet necessary. You don't want to touch the surface of the mucky hilltops, you prefer the mountains of pale. You realize that, you are small in the ocean of walls and feel a happiness that you can't explain. Then it slips...
The purity of this world is broken as you welcome in a new era that passes the anguished beauty of the one before just as it becomes tolerable.
Spring feels like the pulse of a heart, pressure that escapes in rainy days and builds in the calm while everything grows. Every gust feels like the grass on the skin and most things are soft and light in the season, like a newborn.
Summer is a grueling time that feels wrong. the air is as damp and moist as the things you touch, your body feels trapped by a wall of wetness and heat that's inescapable. The air feels heavy and burdening.
Fall is like a cracked egg shell, the world seems fake and the atmosphere, brittle. The very ground seems to give way and the environment is dead.
Winter is a time of nothingness. Cold is something you can engage, unlike the other months, nothing is apparent, the world is fake and you feel like a speck of dust in a vacuum without boundaries. The void is piling around you as you wish for a new season will come, but the folds of the land and dunes, masses of snow, captivate your emotions and give you a hedonistic thrill where your eyes give you a sense of beauty from the despair you get from the white blindfold you suddenly are wearing. The unnatural aesthetics of what isn't or shouldn't, shouldn't amaze you, but as a rule, do. This blindfold is fought against, because white turns to yellow and yellow becomes black. A corruption of the curtain angers you, for the grit that was mixed into the mounds are much less appealing, yet necessary. You don't want to touch the surface of the mucky hilltops, you prefer the mountains of pale. You realize that, you are small in the ocean of walls and feel a happiness that you can't explain. Then it slips...
The purity of this world is broken as you welcome in a new era that passes the anguished beauty of the one before just as it becomes tolerable.
January 08, 2012
Doctor's Note
What the internet does to me is only frustrate me. When it takes me 6 hours of negotiating with a machine that's dealing with satellites and a internet company to write one blog post required, for school, it makes me wonder, what's the point? If I cannot do something in a reasonable time, why is it that I should fail. When I write on here, you may not see it, but the pure anger I establish for this website in itself is immense. Right now, these words will probably take me half of the night to say so that I can get a passing grade in a class that only applies to my GPA and not own interest.
The pressure that I get to go to college, which I'll say is inevitable for every single youth these days, is at a point that I know that I must compete with every single other person my age right now and that each mistake that I have ever made sense I was 5 is documented and debated for its significance. The college that I'm forced to buy myself into in a few short years will force me into debt just to get a job that I'll hate if I want money or one that I like, but get little to none. The biggest problem is that no matter what, I can not be taught what I love or what to love. Schools give us no chance to explore our ideas by mashing all the useless stuff together with what matters and saying to us that what we have no care for, whether it be history or math, is as important as the things we love.
I find that it's quite ironic that our greatest renown geniuses were terrible students. I'm led everyday to believe that it is because they understand the importance of education itself that is that we are to learn only what is important, not what isn't. People can live their whole lives not knowing Hitler if they know that it's wrong to believe they are better than others. What bothers me is the complexity of statements like that, that which we aren't taught.
We all know that we should compare ourselves to others, but can you really say that we are in the wrong if you know you're smarter than that cheater sitting next to you that has only learned one thing in school, charisma and how to hide paper. But then again, he's a genius in itself. He found out how to exploit the system so that he can get further in life. He's a man or woman that realized the end goal and took a step to place themselves in advantage with less work. I find it that in our schools, frustrated people are those who are honest, good people, but end up with less to show for it because the exploiter generation born in a climate of competition has outsmarted them. The working man is second to the working-less man because the working-less man realized that his life is controlled by what people look at as good, but can be easily faked.
The simplest fact that I can rest with is that our society thinks that those who make money are those who should be raised on a pedestal for being a great person, while those who make little money are happy with what they got, because they realize that the cliche, money is not happiness, is the truest thing that they know. They still have jobs because they understand the backside to that specific argument; that sometimes, others make us have money. I have a job, solely because if I didn't, my parents would have to pay for everything they are now, plus all the things I'm required to do, like drive to school. If I didn't, my things would become even more outdated. If I didn't, my life would be ruined, because those around me judge me for what I'm not. Since I do, I'm able to have a sensible life where I have what people expect me to and my parents can rest assured that I'll grow up like them.
Knowledge shouldn't define a man, but now, sense that's all people care about these days, it does. I know that when I go to college, I will be forced to take general education classes, where throughout lectures, I will learn meaningless facts about the proper placements of commas and the evolutionary history of mankind. Some will argue that a comma will determine many things and the evolutionary history of mankind proves that we are all the same, but I will argue that even if I don't know where to put a comma, I know how to talk, if i don't know our monkey ancestors, I still know that the only difference between me and another in Brazil is just our thoughts and identity that we cherish, like the white teenager down the street and all of us.
Schooling focuses on what it wishes from us, not what we want from ourselves and through this, a philosophy is developed that we are expected to try and help mankind, even if it means that we will be hapless souls on an unquenchable quest to end what it does to us. No matter what feminism did in the 20th century, there is still sexism and even if women start to earn more and more money, where does that leave men? Are we to be punished, or discriminated against because more and more things have been springing up to woman's aid, saying things like that they are better at cooperating, do better on tests, learn better and are less stressed to name a few (socyberty).
Complex issues require simple answers that attack a root problem. Schools don't say that. Sure they imply it, like in math when teaching how to solve equations and getting a simple/r solution. But this doesn't answer why the problem was there in the first place. Simple answers require creativity and creativity requires that we don't break our children into rationalizing everything. Let there be unknowns, because then we know that there is still a distance left to travel IF we choose to.
Ease of access is what my teacher is trying to do, and I know he will at least scam through this, so I'd like to apologize that I think that this blogging idea is a waste of time when: first, it's so unreasonably long that you either suffer in one class or the rest of them, or that the vagueness of the assignment gives us no real knowledge of our progression, mainly making us not know what to do, putting our minds into unease, because we can't think or a good thing to say. Our minds spin like the gears of a bicycle without a wheel to move us and what you do to provoke the thoughts you want make us pedal harder and go nowhere. Please, give us a wheel, a method, a topic, a hope, a want, an anything to allow us to pedal with results.
Sorry Doctor
-The Observer, a person grounded because of what the establishment thinks is important. 1212 words, 4 hours of trouble and 1 sleepy teen.
The pressure that I get to go to college, which I'll say is inevitable for every single youth these days, is at a point that I know that I must compete with every single other person my age right now and that each mistake that I have ever made sense I was 5 is documented and debated for its significance. The college that I'm forced to buy myself into in a few short years will force me into debt just to get a job that I'll hate if I want money or one that I like, but get little to none. The biggest problem is that no matter what, I can not be taught what I love or what to love. Schools give us no chance to explore our ideas by mashing all the useless stuff together with what matters and saying to us that what we have no care for, whether it be history or math, is as important as the things we love.
I find that it's quite ironic that our greatest renown geniuses were terrible students. I'm led everyday to believe that it is because they understand the importance of education itself that is that we are to learn only what is important, not what isn't. People can live their whole lives not knowing Hitler if they know that it's wrong to believe they are better than others. What bothers me is the complexity of statements like that, that which we aren't taught.
We all know that we should compare ourselves to others, but can you really say that we are in the wrong if you know you're smarter than that cheater sitting next to you that has only learned one thing in school, charisma and how to hide paper. But then again, he's a genius in itself. He found out how to exploit the system so that he can get further in life. He's a man or woman that realized the end goal and took a step to place themselves in advantage with less work. I find it that in our schools, frustrated people are those who are honest, good people, but end up with less to show for it because the exploiter generation born in a climate of competition has outsmarted them. The working man is second to the working-less man because the working-less man realized that his life is controlled by what people look at as good, but can be easily faked.
The simplest fact that I can rest with is that our society thinks that those who make money are those who should be raised on a pedestal for being a great person, while those who make little money are happy with what they got, because they realize that the cliche, money is not happiness, is the truest thing that they know. They still have jobs because they understand the backside to that specific argument; that sometimes, others make us have money. I have a job, solely because if I didn't, my parents would have to pay for everything they are now, plus all the things I'm required to do, like drive to school. If I didn't, my things would become even more outdated. If I didn't, my life would be ruined, because those around me judge me for what I'm not. Since I do, I'm able to have a sensible life where I have what people expect me to and my parents can rest assured that I'll grow up like them.
Knowledge shouldn't define a man, but now, sense that's all people care about these days, it does. I know that when I go to college, I will be forced to take general education classes, where throughout lectures, I will learn meaningless facts about the proper placements of commas and the evolutionary history of mankind. Some will argue that a comma will determine many things and the evolutionary history of mankind proves that we are all the same, but I will argue that even if I don't know where to put a comma, I know how to talk, if i don't know our monkey ancestors, I still know that the only difference between me and another in Brazil is just our thoughts and identity that we cherish, like the white teenager down the street and all of us.
Schooling focuses on what it wishes from us, not what we want from ourselves and through this, a philosophy is developed that we are expected to try and help mankind, even if it means that we will be hapless souls on an unquenchable quest to end what it does to us. No matter what feminism did in the 20th century, there is still sexism and even if women start to earn more and more money, where does that leave men? Are we to be punished, or discriminated against because more and more things have been springing up to woman's aid, saying things like that they are better at cooperating, do better on tests, learn better and are less stressed to name a few (socyberty).
Complex issues require simple answers that attack a root problem. Schools don't say that. Sure they imply it, like in math when teaching how to solve equations and getting a simple/r solution. But this doesn't answer why the problem was there in the first place. Simple answers require creativity and creativity requires that we don't break our children into rationalizing everything. Let there be unknowns, because then we know that there is still a distance left to travel IF we choose to.
Ease of access is what my teacher is trying to do, and I know he will at least scam through this, so I'd like to apologize that I think that this blogging idea is a waste of time when: first, it's so unreasonably long that you either suffer in one class or the rest of them, or that the vagueness of the assignment gives us no real knowledge of our progression, mainly making us not know what to do, putting our minds into unease, because we can't think or a good thing to say. Our minds spin like the gears of a bicycle without a wheel to move us and what you do to provoke the thoughts you want make us pedal harder and go nowhere. Please, give us a wheel, a method, a topic, a hope, a want, an anything to allow us to pedal with results.
Sorry Doctor
-The Observer, a person grounded because of what the establishment thinks is important. 1212 words, 4 hours of trouble and 1 sleepy teen.
What America Is
The fabled "Land of Opportunity" is near its end as Europe and China are catching up with us economically. People have little to no faith in their government here and many people assume the bad and hope for the utopian best.
In the short essay that William P. Meyers wrote called, America: Republic or Democracy? William describes a good portion of what are government is. He says that America is part Republic and part Democracy. Republic in that the president is elected through an electoral college and Supreme Court Justices are appointed, but Democratic in that the people choose who are in congress and many of who have to have part in the state legislature. Near the end he explains the most annoying concept that we have in our politics, that you have to have money to have power and that those in elections that use the most money are the most popular. What he doesn't say is that in America, those who sponsor the winner, they get preference over other companies and people, and during elections are a major consideration to the candidates because they can't say what they really think because it might cause their sponsors to withdraw their money.
Most people in America think that the government is corrupt and doesn't get things done. According to Infowars, If you state that you think that the US is corrupt or any iteration of this, in South Carolina, you can get some serious jail time. In this article, they quote our Declaration of Independence as the specific evidence against the “Subversive Activities Registration Act” being that this is what our country was based on.
...That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...
-Declaration of Independence
This article goes on to quote efoods which say that, "...federal and state authorities now consider the main terror threat to be from informed American citizens exercising their constitutional rights in opposition to the big government agenda they are being subjected to."
The corruption of America is explained as an analogy of a tree in TheTenCommandments.org. America was founded on unrighteous principles, so it's only logical that these principles have grown to new levels that anger people. I definitely don't agree with the parts he goes on to say about churches and conservatives, but his beginning is sound and is a great explanation of what America is. The problem with his idea is that in the late 1800's, people fought for rights in the work place against the government and big business. This age was labeled the Gilded Age in American History explained as a time of materialism and shallowness. The government was corrupt to big players in industry that paid them to help them strive.
On top of our internal problems, the rest of the world is about to become more powerful than us. It's kind of obvious that this scares us. As a superpower, it frighten us that a communist country is about to overpower us. On top of that, all of Europe is now close to passing us economically.
As we figure out how to help ourselves, I only hope it doesn't grow to war.
-The Observer
In the short essay that William P. Meyers wrote called, America: Republic or Democracy? William describes a good portion of what are government is. He says that America is part Republic and part Democracy. Republic in that the president is elected through an electoral college and Supreme Court Justices are appointed, but Democratic in that the people choose who are in congress and many of who have to have part in the state legislature. Near the end he explains the most annoying concept that we have in our politics, that you have to have money to have power and that those in elections that use the most money are the most popular. What he doesn't say is that in America, those who sponsor the winner, they get preference over other companies and people, and during elections are a major consideration to the candidates because they can't say what they really think because it might cause their sponsors to withdraw their money.
Most people in America think that the government is corrupt and doesn't get things done. According to Infowars, If you state that you think that the US is corrupt or any iteration of this, in South Carolina, you can get some serious jail time. In this article, they quote our Declaration of Independence as the specific evidence against the “Subversive Activities Registration Act” being that this is what our country was based on.
...That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...
-Declaration of Independence
This article goes on to quote efoods which say that, "...federal and state authorities now consider the main terror threat to be from informed American citizens exercising their constitutional rights in opposition to the big government agenda they are being subjected to."
 | |||
| This is a map of people's perception of the corruption of their government, RED signifies low percentages and DARK BLUE signifies high percentages of people resenting their government. |
The corruption of America is explained as an analogy of a tree in TheTenCommandments.org. America was founded on unrighteous principles, so it's only logical that these principles have grown to new levels that anger people. I definitely don't agree with the parts he goes on to say about churches and conservatives, but his beginning is sound and is a great explanation of what America is. The problem with his idea is that in the late 1800's, people fought for rights in the work place against the government and big business. This age was labeled the Gilded Age in American History explained as a time of materialism and shallowness. The government was corrupt to big players in industry that paid them to help them strive.
On top of our internal problems, the rest of the world is about to become more powerful than us. It's kind of obvious that this scares us. As a superpower, it frighten us that a communist country is about to overpower us. On top of that, all of Europe is now close to passing us economically.
As we figure out how to help ourselves, I only hope it doesn't grow to war.
-The Observer
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