As much as I try not to let this become an excuse for a dreary lifestyle, AP classes are taking over my life! So, in order to regain my sanity, I drove to the library.
Before the school year started, as usual, I was completing the Summer Reading program, which requires that I read eight books. I could have just picked up my usual fix of Harry Potter, but then what would I read for the last book requirement? Instead, I attempted to come up with an alternative resource for all eight of the books.
Despite the controversy that now surrounds the Twilight Saga, I have a guilty confession: I was hooked. Maybe not last summer, but definitely two summers ago, when I first read Twilight. So, naturally, I own all for books, so I grabbed one of them and started reading. Maybe the fact that I have seen too many parodies of both the novels and the movies caused what happened next: I did not enjoy the book at all. All of the pull that was there once upon a time was gone, replaced by a new emptiness in each of those eight blanks I still had left to fill.
When in doubt, go to the library. So that's what I did. They rearranged the entire set up of the library, so that now the teen section sits in the far back of the library (despite my original annoyance at this location, I began to appreciate the comfortable chairs the county had thought to provide exclusively to the teen section). As I went through aisle after aisle of books, I realized I had no idea what I was looking for.
You know the saying "Never judge a book by its cover"? I guess I have to apologize to whichever wise man came up with that one, because the only reason I picked out the books I picked were because the spines looked pretty. So I guess I didn't really judge based on the cover... unless the spine counts, in which case, sorry, old wise man!
The books I picked out varied. I surprised myself by just how much I liked the books that were not a part of any series. Lately, I have been hooked to fantasy, where most novels have at least one sequel to them. The fiction books I picked out this time were almost non-fiction -- only there were no boring historical articles that gave me a daily breakdown of an upper class plantation wife of the South.
It was with books like these, books without any sequels, and not-so-famous authors, that I completed the Summer Reading Program of 2010. I enjoyed the change from the constant hunt for sequels and prequels.
Thoughts? Favorite books? Least Favorite books? Leave comments!
Until next time.
12/3/10
10/19/10
Do we really pave the paths of our lives?
Do we? As soon as most of us are born, we're thrown into the hectic schedules of everyday "normal" life. We get potty-trained, we learn to speak, and we go to school. We see people in almost every single movie who find their own way, and discover who they are. They defy the norms, and are ultimately successful. But is it really possible for an average person to "change their stars"?
It is extremely unlikely that people who stray off the beaten path will become successful. Of course, that depends on what a person's idea of successful is. My idea of being successful: ending up at 60, and being able to say that I am happy with my life. Though it may be considered superficial, I want to have luxurious life with ample money. For that to be realized, I either need to become a SUPER creative person (which is unlikely considering my current inability to come up with ideas for even a science fair project), or I need to have a good job. Good jobs do not just drop out of the sky. They are achieved through hard work and conformity. I need a degree of higher level education to have a shot at making the kind of money I want to make, and to get that degree, I need to stay in school for quite a while. I do not have the resources to drop out and still be successful. If I try to make a wholly independent life away from the social and economical norms, the odds are that I will fail.
Which brings me back to my original question: Does an average individual have the power to make his life his own? Tomorrow, I may decide I want to move to Japan. But is that really feasible? No. First off, I don't speak Japanese. Secondly, there is no way I could afford to go live there. Lastly, I can't hope to make an ideal life in Japan. While I may enjoy the technologies available to me there, I will not be able to afford them for a sustained period of time because I will lack the ability to make the money I need to do so.
Money seems to be the central issue here. Granted, the human race can't eradicate the need for money. Without it, people would inevitably become lazy. Don't deny it. How many times have you heard this conversation: "Ugh, I hate my job!" "Then quit!" "I can't! I need the money for rent." It's all about the money. If every single person did their jobs without being offered money, society would be perfect. But this is an unattainable goal, since there are plenty of jobs that people just don't want to do; they will have no reason for doing them if they don't need the money. If goods were just handed out for no charge, members of society would not take the initiative to work, to create, to invent, or to produce. The consumers would overrun the producers, and ultimately society would fail because people would run out of goods. So, in short, money's important. It keeps the world moving.
Unfortunately, money is also a hindering factor from the ultimate goal of pursuing our dreams. I don't think it is possible for us to shape our lives the way we want them to be. It's actually pretty unreasonable. The odds for failure are extremely high, just as economic pressures are. The ideal is a nice dream, but it is ultimately unrealizable for the average person.
It is extremely unlikely that people who stray off the beaten path will become successful. Of course, that depends on what a person's idea of successful is. My idea of being successful: ending up at 60, and being able to say that I am happy with my life. Though it may be considered superficial, I want to have luxurious life with ample money. For that to be realized, I either need to become a SUPER creative person (which is unlikely considering my current inability to come up with ideas for even a science fair project), or I need to have a good job. Good jobs do not just drop out of the sky. They are achieved through hard work and conformity. I need a degree of higher level education to have a shot at making the kind of money I want to make, and to get that degree, I need to stay in school for quite a while. I do not have the resources to drop out and still be successful. If I try to make a wholly independent life away from the social and economical norms, the odds are that I will fail.
Which brings me back to my original question: Does an average individual have the power to make his life his own? Tomorrow, I may decide I want to move to Japan. But is that really feasible? No. First off, I don't speak Japanese. Secondly, there is no way I could afford to go live there. Lastly, I can't hope to make an ideal life in Japan. While I may enjoy the technologies available to me there, I will not be able to afford them for a sustained period of time because I will lack the ability to make the money I need to do so.
Money seems to be the central issue here. Granted, the human race can't eradicate the need for money. Without it, people would inevitably become lazy. Don't deny it. How many times have you heard this conversation: "Ugh, I hate my job!" "Then quit!" "I can't! I need the money for rent." It's all about the money. If every single person did their jobs without being offered money, society would be perfect. But this is an unattainable goal, since there are plenty of jobs that people just don't want to do; they will have no reason for doing them if they don't need the money. If goods were just handed out for no charge, members of society would not take the initiative to work, to create, to invent, or to produce. The consumers would overrun the producers, and ultimately society would fail because people would run out of goods. So, in short, money's important. It keeps the world moving.
Unfortunately, money is also a hindering factor from the ultimate goal of pursuing our dreams. I don't think it is possible for us to shape our lives the way we want them to be. It's actually pretty unreasonable. The odds for failure are extremely high, just as economic pressures are. The ideal is a nice dream, but it is ultimately unrealizable for the average person.
4/28/09
Procrastination
Yes, I am a procrastinor. Yes, I know it's terrible. Yes, my New Year's Resolution (along with others) for the past three years has been to stop procrastinating. Yes, every new school year I say to myself that I will stop procrastinating. Yes, my years of attempts have been futile.
On the positive side, I know I'm not alone. In fact, this year, although my procrastination has gotten worse, I see my peers who are far worse than I am. It may not be the best thing to do, but I feel less pressure knowing that although I'm behind, there's someone behind me.
So why do people procrastinate? (Feel free to comment on this)
I know why I procrastinate.... it's LAZINESS, and my lack of willpower.
When I'm in class and I get a new assignment, my brain starts whirring ahead to the rest of my day, carefully planning it so that I won't be awake at 3 AM trying to finish up my homework. While going home, my brain is still determined. Then I step into the house, and the first thing (sorta) that I see is that beautiful 5- inch screen, beckoning to me. Well, there goes my willpower to not stay up until 3 AM.
And it's gotten even worse since we got a DVR. Now, there doesn't have to be something on live TV; I just go to the recorded stuff and watch it. IT'S INSANE!
Anyways, now I have the laptop (which I'm using now) near the TV too, so it's double distraction! Admittedly, it's my fault for having a double magnet in this place, but in my defense: It was the weekend when I brought the laptop here...
It should be something I can control, but it's just so hard with the whole world wide web and DVR waiting to be explored.
4/22/09
I, Wall-E
So many of you guys have seen I, Robot and Wall-E. In both movies, the similarity is the use of robots for everyday life, to help out. In Wall-E, they are used so much, it's...well, insane. People became so lazy just because they had an easier way to go about. The became ignorant of their surroundings; the captain didn't even know what "earth" was.
That brings me to the question -- are humans using technology too much?
Think about it. I've seen math students completely relying on a calculator for their homework. Seriously, like adding 100+260, and even 369 + 1. That. Is. A. Problem.
I love calculators, I really do, but there has to be a limit. The sky is too far of a limit in many cases.
I also love technology. I use it everyday -- as I am now. Currently, I have Facebook, Gmail, and Microsoft Word open. I'm also using spell check to make sure I don't make any goofy typos like tihs. Technology came around to make life easy, but it shouldn't be taken to the extent that people become lazy, fat people who don't even know there's a pool in the 3 sq. miles in which they reside. From the discovery of a rock and its uses to the invention of the iTouch, technology has helped humans everyday since they first came around.
So in my parting, I'd like to give this advice -- don't be an idiot (how you know you're an idiot -- you use the calculator to add 2,000,000 + 1) and use your common sense. AND DON'T BE A COUCH POTATO/ LAZY BUTT!!
Until next time! :)
That brings me to the question -- are humans using technology too much?
Think about it. I've seen math students completely relying on a calculator for their homework. Seriously, like adding 100+260, and even 369 + 1. That. Is. A. Problem.
I love calculators, I really do, but there has to be a limit. The sky is too far of a limit in many cases.
I also love technology. I use it everyday -- as I am now. Currently, I have Facebook, Gmail, and Microsoft Word open. I'm also using spell check to make sure I don't make any goofy typos like tihs. Technology came around to make life easy, but it shouldn't be taken to the extent that people become lazy, fat people who don't even know there's a pool in the 3 sq. miles in which they reside. From the discovery of a rock and its uses to the invention of the iTouch, technology has helped humans everyday since they first came around.
So in my parting, I'd like to give this advice -- don't be an idiot (how you know you're an idiot -- you use the calculator to add 2,000,000 + 1) and use your common sense. AND DON'T BE A COUCH POTATO/ LAZY BUTT!!
Until next time! :)
4/15/09
Love at First Sight
Hey!
So this is my first blog and I'm writing this because about a month ago, a friend of mine had a writing assignment about whether her peers believed in love at first sight, and the question just keeps popping up at random times.
The answer, if you're wondering, is no, I don't. In my opinion, falling in love at first sight is just shallow. You couldn't possibly know the person. It's like walking down a hallway and suddenly, your eyes meet another's. Fireworks go off. Spotlights fall on the two of you. GET REAL!
That never happens.
The only way to find someone you love is to get to know another person. The fireworks should go off after you've had a proper conversation with that person, not before you make a single facial expression.
Of course, this doesn't apply to you if you're a werewolf, as many of us are aware that werewolf's have a habit of Imprinting on the girl as soon as they lay eyes on her. But as far as I am aware, werewolves are fictional, therefore none of you are werewolves.
Going away from Twilight and back to love at first sight, there really isn't anything that can make you fall in love with a person as soon as you lay eyes on them. I'm not going to sit here and give you love advice, because honestly, I have none.
Especially for teens, the teen agnst might take over, deluding kids into thinking they're in love with that guy/girl they just saw walk into their math class, but that just doesn't happen. Let me rephrase: It happens once in a blue moon.
So this was a kick-off for my blogs. I have absolutely no idea how often I'll be blogging, but I guarantee that when something I want to express my opinion on comes to mind, and my computer' nearby, I'll write about it.
Until next time!
So this is my first blog and I'm writing this because about a month ago, a friend of mine had a writing assignment about whether her peers believed in love at first sight, and the question just keeps popping up at random times.
The answer, if you're wondering, is no, I don't. In my opinion, falling in love at first sight is just shallow. You couldn't possibly know the person. It's like walking down a hallway and suddenly, your eyes meet another's. Fireworks go off. Spotlights fall on the two of you. GET REAL!
That never happens.
The only way to find someone you love is to get to know another person. The fireworks should go off after you've had a proper conversation with that person, not before you make a single facial expression.
Of course, this doesn't apply to you if you're a werewolf, as many of us are aware that werewolf's have a habit of Imprinting on the girl as soon as they lay eyes on her. But as far as I am aware, werewolves are fictional, therefore none of you are werewolves.
Going away from Twilight and back to love at first sight, there really isn't anything that can make you fall in love with a person as soon as you lay eyes on them. I'm not going to sit here and give you love advice, because honestly, I have none.
Especially for teens, the teen agnst might take over, deluding kids into thinking they're in love with that guy/girl they just saw walk into their math class, but that just doesn't happen. Let me rephrase: It happens once in a blue moon.
So this was a kick-off for my blogs. I have absolutely no idea how often I'll be blogging, but I guarantee that when something I want to express my opinion on comes to mind, and my computer' nearby, I'll write about it.
Until next time!
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