7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making you Miserable

That's a nice little collar you have there, buddy.

Here is the link to the article.

     If every person were to read this article, I feel the world would be a better place. Yes, it is on Cracked, but why does that mean it has to be a stupid, tasteless joke? In writing this, I am 100% sincere. Except for the caption up there. There is so much to say about this.

     To start, David Wong raises mostly valid points, all of which I have never consciously pondered but always observed. The first thing that comes to mind is "raging" as depicted in number six. I know someone who got so mad at Call of Duty that he threw his whole Xbox at a wall. Coincidentally, the only things that broke were his actual game (still inside the console) and his temper. I will say this now: Fall Out Boy is a fine band. Watch this if you think otherwise. Specifically, something that I desperately agree with, meaning I wish that it could be changed, is the fact that our news differs so much. I have seen different broadcasts conveying polar messages myself. I have never really put any thought into it.

     That brings me to my next point: this article is a giant meta-cognition. Wong thought about why people all over the internet are thinking. Here is my challenge to you, reader. Do the same. Perform a meta-cognition like Wong, finding your own reasons why the 21 Century is trash. Or maybe you reach a conclusion that it is, in fact, treasure. Gather your own evidence to support it, meaning personal experiences. Don't get anything about it off the internet, and we will see what spectacular conclusions arise.

     I have another challenge: take the naked photo test. Okay, I lied, that was another joke. This actually goes back to my psychopath post. There are some people out there who just don't give a rat's fart. These people are the ones to whom the test would not matter, because they won't even acknowledge that they have a nude out there because of their lack of care. Bo McDermott always makes fun of me for my indifference, and I think I now know exactly what he means. But, anyhow, I have several people I would trust with a naked photo of myself. Also, I can count them on my hands; I don't (or won't?) go around handing out pictures of myself. I think I tend to trust people too much with really big things, and too little with the trivial bits. I don't know if this is the reason why, but I think this is it. In music, one must completely trust their band mates or else you crash and burn. I feel like performing, especially in jazz, has led me to trust more people. The reason why America is so miserable at the moment is because we have lost sight of art. We are happy so sit in our rooms and play some stupid, mind-rotting video game of someone else's design, aiming only to capture your money. If we could only put down the lap-tops, remotes, and iPhones, so much more could and would be accomplished. Not to say that everyone rots their brains, but that we need that to become the norm. Pick up an instrument, write a short story, or paint a picture. Do something that you can brand yourself with and take pride in! Changing your emblem in Black Ops does not count as expressing yourself.

     I have been without a cell phone for over a month now. I got my first and only phone (pre-paid) for Christmas freshman year. From then to now, there was seldom a day that I didn't check it. I went without it for about a month once, but then I took a trip by myself and had to use it. Anyway, I haven't put any money on it for about a month. The reason why? I am perfectly happy without it. Sure, it may be a little harder to get in touch with my friends, but I can always call their houses. I have found that the cell phone is a hindrance. I have more money to spend and save, I can actually pay attention to my life and thoughts, and I can finally stop talking to people. I've had three-day conversations with people before. Looking back on it, it is embarrassing. I never even said anything useful or inspiring (or hateful...Tim), it was just blank conversation. Like a man from UNT once said, "I was living to die." Not that a cell phone determines whether or not I accomplish anything, but the way us teenagers use them is certainly a major factor. The ones who are glued to their phone(s) are the ones who will live mediocre, mainstream lives. Again, I am not a hipster, but I just want something more than a white fence and green lawn.

     Final notes may include that I am currently going to get my guitar to write a song, practice for SEMSBA, and build a house. Oh, wait, I did that last summer in Mississippi for a person who lost everything in Katrina.  I won;t even begin to tell you how good it felt. We only did a small part of the construction, but it was crucial, and I feel like I did a good job to help a guy out. I bid you good luck with the challenge, and as soon as you've finished, don't hesitate to tell me or send me it. Have fun, and go do something with your life!

Turning the World Upside-Down part Deux

     Something I like about this magazine is the fact that there is no crap. They leave out the BS that comes along with something like the Times.  It's why I keep coming back here. I think that these articles inform their readers of things of importance. I do not care about politics, war, social media (oh yeah, to follow up on a previous post, I cleaned my Facebook friends lists significantly). I do not believe in "America's Freedom". Sure, you can say whatever you want, as long as it isn't blasphemy or considered offensive. Oh, and if you say anything that someone doesn't like, they can sue you for all you're worth. Right. You can practice any religion you want, but you will be ridiculed by much of society if you're not Christian. Say, for instance, you are a Muslim. You can't even build a mosque to practice in without a massive stir in the media. You cannot simultaneously acknowledge a right and insist that your government suppress it. We are a country composed of filthy hypocrites. But back to the subject: SA is a magazine that leaves all that crapola at the door. Their writers are unbiased scientist/journalism double majors (probably), and that is how I think a person should write. And I decided to take the title of a different yet related post because I find it so fitting.

     Anyway, I find the fact that the South Pole can move so much...sort of boring now that I've just ranted about that. Basically, it moves a whole lot, some guys are trying to pinpoint its movements, and it's cool and stuff. I completely lost interest in writing about it. Oh well. Moving on!

If you're actually interested, here is the link. Knock yourself out.

Reader Response Blog: Bless Me, Ultima 3

     To start, I enjoyed the scene about the play. It was a nice break from a very solemn read. I think that Anaya did this intentionally. When the reader feels like this book is too heavy for them, he throws in something nice and light to brighten the mood. However, it is straight back into the action, launching us into the scene where Tenorio kills Narciso. I actually thought this segment was well written for a change. I haven't enjoyed pretty much everything about this book thus far, and I actually did like the way he handled this. The fact that Tenorio tried to kill Antonio as well shows a lot about his character. Antonio is only a child! He was just in a Christmas Pageant! And while I don't think he's the brightest bulb out there, he certainly means well. Uncool man.
     Also, Antonio, I like your outlook on life, but I dislike the fact that you think God should reward everyone no matter what. I think it is immature to think that even though every person is a sinner, every person is perfect. I think that you should stop making such a big deal about minor mishaps and start to focus on punishing those who actually commit crimes, say, killing someone. You will live a more productive life and actually accomplish something (that is not a guarantee). Anyway, I know he is a kid, but he is too early to be questioning every single person's actions and his own beliefs. Plus, as I said previously, I'm sick of hearing about it. He is such a whiner.
     To sum up my current opinions of the book, I will admit it has become more tolerable. I still do not like it for the same reasons, but I'm past the whole Spanish thing. I will never learn that language though. I really dislike the way it sounds and reads. I give this portion of the book a C+ because I found the plot much more interesting, though there were plenty of dull points.

Death Penalty In California

Here is the link to the article.

     I have never met a person who endorses the death penalty. Call me a philanthropist, but I believe that nobody deserves to die. If I was placed on Death Row, I would rather kill myself than let someone else murder me. I think that the reason that the Death Penalty is still around is nobody has the confidence to stand up to a murderer. Who would? It is crazy and they would probably convict you of heresy and kill you. It is a frightening thing to talk about because of the gravity of the situations these people who are scheduled for execution are put in. A man is a man. If you kill a person, I do not believe you should be killed. I think that everyone should leave people alone. Everybody is good. Given a second chance, a person could do great things. Of course, you could argue that they will just screw up and do whatever it is they did again, but I still think that they should be given the opportunity. I would also rather see a person thrown in jail for life with the option to take their own life than to see them killed without consent. There are a lot of crazy people out there (in Texas), and hopefully they will somehow read this and although I don't think it will, it will change their mind.

Suicide Cells

Here is the link to the article.

     I have a little bit of a problem with this article. The only people tested were schizophrenics and people with bipolar disorder. I think, before any conclusions can be reached, study on healthy humans must be conducted. Also, they only tested nine victims. We need more evidence here! For the sake of the rest of the article, let us assume that this is paralleled with healthy humans. This seems like great news because since the source has been identified. New and more effective medicines can be created to help ease people suffering with depression. The world can feel good again, all because we know the source of the sadness. Or should we? Is it natural to create happiness in a lab? Should we abandon nature? Should we live on Tranquillity Lane? I think that working out problems without the use of powerful (and new, probably not tested enough) anti-depressants in anti-human. It decimates the chance to be human in my opinion. It is the Human Cost.

     As with the majority of SA articles, I didn't like any of the language. I feel like a broken-record. I think it's just that I haven't found anyone that I can really say, "Wow! I read that for the experience!" in this magazine yet. I read efferently more than aesthetically. There is very little of any part of Aristotle's triangle in the article. It is to inform, and inform it does. Not a bad read; I found the article very interesting.

Reader Response Blog: Bless Me, Ultima 2

     There is something that is eating away at me again. I have come to hate the people of the story because of the crazy amount of superstition in their lives. They can't go a page without saying that God will smite them for killing the carp or really doing anything at all. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but I really dislike people of false faiths. No man was ever turned into a carp. And don't tell me it is just part of a rich culture because there is NOTHING even remotely interesting about any of these beliefs. I have always hated studying religions because I find it uninteresting and it is a waste of my time. I am not going to rant on religion again and I don't care if you're offended or not, I just don't want to hear you whine about how something is against your religion. As for the crazy amount of symbols in the book, I do not buy into most of them. The carp is nothing special, the mermaid is kind of weird, and the dolls are cliché. Yes Tim, I am a hater. I hate this book. It isn't doing anything to make me want to read the next page. Unfortunately, I must press on to finish the other two blogs. I would have dropped this book so long ago if I was reading it outside of school.
     The Spanish still bugs me. However, there is nothing I can do about it, so I still sit with a translator. The phrases still amuse me. It seems like nothing has changed or progressed. However, I do not find any of the English particularly insightful or moving. When we were handed the books, I read the back and it said something about the book having gorgeous prose. It does not have anything that would confirm those claims. However, I haven't noticed anything poor (again, minus the Spanish) about the style of writing. It certainly fits the story, and for this I give Anaya props. I don't find Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya interesting in the slightest, and since it takes such a long time to read, I strongly dislike the book and would not recommend it to anyone.

‘Like’ Facebook? Count Them Out

Here is the link to the article.

     Actually, this compilation raises a few surprising points. Sure, Facebook has some advantages, as outlined in the article and anything else that doesn't need saying. However, I will agree with the article that FB brings about more drama, hatefulness, and cyber bullying than any other website. It is sad; what was meant to be a way to reconnect with friends has turned into a battle-royale of popularity. It makes me infuriated to see anything negative on any website. Another thing that really grinds my gears is when people post rap lyrics constantly. For every Lil' Wayne lyric I see, I remove one Facebook friend. One thing about Facebook that puzzles me (because I do it too) is the tendency to add people who aren't even your friends. I'll say "Oh, that person is a couple years older than me and I saw them in the hall once. Add!" I've actually been meaning to clean out my friends list, but here is the thing: it's not even worth it. I don't care about having them on my friends list or not. It is what it is, and I don't care a bit about the majority of my 400 Facebook friends. It goes against the theory posed by Dunbar. I really just don't get it, and I'm guilty of it myself.

     There is little value to the article language-wise. I didn't get anything of substance out of it. It did, however, further solidify my theory that college students feel the need to try to prove they are smarter than everyone else, and thus they become arrogant and a certain adjective I cannot write on a school blog that begins with a "d". An average article, it makes me think about how so many hours are wasted on social media when they could be doing something productive, such as an instrument or reading a book, or maybe even homework.

How to Act Like a Psychopath Without Really Trying

     The first person I thought of for this was Captain Nemo of  Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. This is probably because I recently finished it, but either way, he is a shining example of the perfect psychopath. He actively abandoned the society that for so long he called home to destroy it and seek his revenge. This qualifies Nemo as a loony. He is remote but chooses to show himself when and where he pleases. He is a genius, has read his entire library, and has a museum aboard his purely electrically powered submarine which he designed. What an animal. Oh yeah, he kills people. He attacks them mercilessly with his submarine. They don't stand a chance, and he lives for it. How unfortunate; he seemed like such a nice guy. He is one of the rare people who are truly psychopaths. He also fits the claims that extreme wealth isolates people. Anyhow, that was the first thing that came to my mind, and it was all I could think about the whole time I was reading it.
     I had little to gripe about linguistically in the article. I thought the author did a fine job conveying their message. I notice a large amount of logos was used. Since I've been looking for it, I have only found logos as the dominant corner of the triangle in this magazine. In fairness, it is a science magazine. Overall, an interesting read for all.

Link to the article.

Reader Response Blog: Bless Me, Ultima 1

I hate french. I am terrible at it; I work my butt off for it, and I still have never gotten an A in Mrs. Corbett's class. It's not that she's a bad teacher either. I think she's great, but foreign languages just don't click with me, and for this reason I hate them.Spanish is no different. This is English class. I speak only English and music. I live in the USA, where we have freedom of speech. I believe they should restrict that to "freedom of speech in English". The Spanish is absolutely killing me in this book, so much so that I cannot appreciate it. Every time I type a little español into Google Translate, I end up looking at it and laughing because there is some funny word. For example, the phrase "una mujer con un diente, que llama a toda gente" (Anaya 34) contains the word llama. It translates to a woman with one tooth who calls all people, and this makes me forget how serious the book actually is. I read things like that and I think of Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite. Vota por Pedro! Thus far, I intensely dislike the language of Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya.
A little fun fact: I named my clarinet Anaya.
I think that the actual story of Bless Me, Ultima is fairly interesting. I love the contemplation of Lupito's soul, as well has Antonio's father. "Did God listen? Would he hear? Had he seen my father on the bridge? And where was Lupito's soul winging to, or was it washing down the river to the fertile valley of my uncles' farms?" (Anaya 23). A strong question of ethos is posed in this quote. The reader would think that Lupito is crazy after the war, but in actuality he did kill someone, and since he was still armed, he was considered dangerous. Of course, "He was shooting to draw their fire," (Anaya 22), but does that mean it is okay to kill the man? Antonio realized that he was doing this, so why didn't they? Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is am interesting book in the sense that I want to love the plot, but I cannot because of the language.

Rhythms Flow as Aging Pianist Finds New Audience

Wow, I'm going to have so much fun with this post.

Here is the link to the article.


     "Life kept time to a nursing home’s beat." What a fantastic sentence. I bet this man has an incredible amount of knowledge. He lived through the golden age of jazz, when gurus such as Miles, 'Trane, Byrd, Goodman, Hawkins, Zawinul, Adderley, Rich, and an infinite amount of others. If I could only talk to him. I would of course need endless amount of things to ask, and I'm sure he could talk forever. This is one of the things I wish to do before I die: talk to an experienced old time jazz musician who was not famous or maybe never gigged at all. I am saddened that I will not meet this man. I want to know his best and worst times and everything in between because as a musician, having a man like this to instruct would be invaluable.
     I thought the article was well-written, which is odd because thus far I haven't found anything in the Times that I thought worth mentioning. However, I believe the author shares my want to hear this man play (live, not in the video), to play with him, and to learn a little too. The author clearly enjoyed writing the article, which I think is all that matters most. Forget rhetoric, forget Everyday Use, just write out of passion. I thought it a fine specimen, and it is worth reading, even for non-musicians.

The Eight Wonders of the Solar System

Here is the link to the article.

     Expect many more posts from this magazine! I've been reading from here all day because it is all compelling. I need to stop and actually write a bit about at least one of these outstanding science articles. I chose this one because it had a catchy title and I figured that since they are "of the Solar System," I would see something new. Also, the format was quite refreshing. It was an interactive exploration. It would give you a background picture, a description of what the wonder was, and a video elaborating it. It was quite interesting, so I decided to blog it.
     My favorite wonder is Mariner Valley, found on Venus. It is the largest canyon in the Solar System. It is as deep as Everest. I absolutely love the question the author poses in describing it: "People have been known to fall to their knees and weep at the sight of Arizona's Grand Canyon. One wonders what the first traveler to the Mariner Valley will do when gazing into this canyon." If I were to visit someday, I would marvel for days on end and start worshiping it. It would cause me to reconsider my life and existence. I am convinced I would determine the meaning of life. Anything would be possible, much like anything is possible in the expanse of space. The writer uses mainly pathos, making the reader yearn to venture into the final frontier and see it with their own eyes. If I got the chance to experience any of the wonders, I would consider my life a success.

Long Lines and Scalpers: Rock Star? No, Leonardo

     This is great. Absolutely outstanding. It is wonderful to know that in today's society, there are people who would actually like to educate themselves. I know right! It completely caught me my surprise too! Anyway, this fantastic. Leonardo da Vinci's life and work should be preserved this way. Now, I can't even doodle correctly, but that doesn't mean I dislike Leonardo. "The Last Supper" is phenomenal, as well as the "Mona Lisa". I am just surprised that these tickets (marketed responsibly) are selling the way they are described. I have a quick thought though, what if the truck/van/car/vehicle crashed with all the paintings in it? What would happen to the driver and the museums? Just think about it.
     I was unimpressed with the language of the article. Nothing jumped out at me except an error in the second paragraph, which left out quotations around "Mona Lisa". Carol Vogel seems heartily indifferent about da Vinci and it reminded me of an advertisement. The pro-da Vinci bias seemed like it was selling him, which is the opposite of what the topic's theme is: there are people out there who wish to appreciate art, and not to say that they do. So basically, if you are a big Leo fan, go scalp some tickets.

Scheduling Issues Still Exist at HHS

I'm sure you all know who wrote this, but here is the link to the article on Wicked Local.

     As a student at Hanover, I am embarrassed. My peers and I agree that there are numerous educational problems withing the school. The students who actually want to learn are suffering and the ones who don't aren't getting the valuable lessons the average high school has to offer. In September, I was triple-booked between AP Language and Composition, a new course being offered, AP Music Theory, and Honors Physics. I went with English (hence this blog), and I am disappointed. A short, off-topic rant. I am satisfied with the course, but it is not what I love. My favorite thing in the world is music; I'm pretty sure there hasn't been an essay thus far that I haven't tied to it. I am sad that I wasn't given the chance to take it my junior year for two reasons. The first is if I choose to pursue music for a living, I will not be nearly as prepared when auditioning for colleges. Second, I will not be able to apply the knowledge I would've gained during my senior year. I'm one of the geeks who practices for three hours a day every day, and it's a shame I don't get to learn about what I love really every day. Not that I don't like writing, it's just I hate reading. I don't find any of the books we read in school entertaining at all, and every second I waste reading one of the absolute crap books, such as Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, could be spent bettering my musicianship. I am disappointed.
     The administration has done an incurable wrong. They have destroyed my schedule for both junior and senior year. I had my high school career planned out, and now I am left with almost nothing. Honors physics to AP, put AP Theory to use, two AP Englishes. Not only did I waste an entire summer on AP Music Theory work, but I will never be able to follow the path that I wanted because of my lack of strength in my schedule as a result of poor planning withing the high school administration. I feel cheated, put down, and unimportant to my community, and my parents pay their goddamn taxes. As Kelly said, I am far from the only one that got screwed up schedules. My solution? Stop sitting around and fire those responsible. Kick them to the curb like they did to me. Fair is fair. The Peter Principle certainly applies here, as it seems some of the higher-ups neglect their jobs and screw over the people who actually are going to matter some day. I am infuriated still.
     Kelly deserves a round of applause. She had the audacity to publish this daring article and dangle it right in front of Doctor Nash's nose. And what can she do about it? Freedom of speech, right? The very next time she slips up (again off-topic, but remember her speech at graduation? Embarrassing...) there will be another bashful article in the paper signed Jim Calabro, HHS Class of 2013. Geddes uses logos, ethos, and pathos effectively, writing a very distinct article that convinces easily and wholly. The one suggestion I have is to get an actual statistic instead of saying, "I cannot name a single person who did not have some sort of scheduling issue," (Geddes) Kelly presents a serious problem: how can any of us take pride in this school when we have such incompetent people failing to educate us?