Yourperspective.org

So an old friend of mine visited me the other day. We talked about quite a bit and caught up and everything, but one thing that really caught my interest was yourperspective.org. It is a website that he, as a 16 year old, has created, and probably one of the best websites out there. As America's youth, it is pertinent that we are aware of the issues around us, and what we face with our political, social and economic issues. This website is designed for kids our age, or his smart friends, to post informative and fact-based information on the ten designated topics for the month. As I'm in the IB programme, it will be nice to have some place to go where I do not have to verify the source, and I know it will be keeping up with the latest and hottest issues. The articles are only to be a page or so long, and will be due monthly, so it's flexible, yet it keeps up with the times. If anyone feels like writing for this website, if you reach him via his contact information posted on the website, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to let you. I have a feeling it is going to be a huge success.

Christmas music and nostalgia!

Sorry these are a day late...

So there are plenty of things that strike nostalgia for me, just as I'm sure it is different for everyone else. Whether it be some old nintendo system such as Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo or Gameboy Color, or it be my Grandma's house on her birthday a few days before Christmas, Nostalgia always feels great. But something hits home even more for me, and that's my parents' Frank Sinatra CD of Christmas tunes. I love the CD, of course, and whenever I hear it, I just date back to the times of being a kid, where I could sit there, eat chocolates out of little dishes, and play video games while that CD played in the background. However, most Christmas music makes me think about when I was young, and how much I miss it. It is not like I don't like life how it is now, but there is something about that youthful, innocent and pure stage that is really enviable. Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra is the most nostalgic song for me on that CD, probably because as a family we never got through much of the CD, and that is the first song. As Christmas rolls around, it is always fun to share memories, so there is mine and what it means to me.

Forrest Gump

So I think this is one of the most intriguing ideas for a movie of all time. It is a classic, after all. It is really a movie about history, with some comical historical aspects to it, however, it is all seen through a person who is mentally retarded. It has Forrest who is mentally retarded. He meets a girl named Jenny who is sexually abused by her father. He goes to school with kids who are not mentally retarded because his mom sleeps with the principal. He only goes to college because he's good at football. He fights in WWII, and becomes a war hero. The movie mocks and reflects so many different aspects of different americans' lives, that it is really a worthwhile movie to watch. It also has comical scenes of Forrest telling the President he has to go to the bathroom, or him meeting Jenny in the reflecting pool by the washington monument in Washington D.C. Although it was about the twentieth time I have seen the movie in my life, I think it is one that is worth seeing for its individualistic characteristics.

New Moon

Yes, like every other teenager in the country, I saw this movie this weekend. Despite it being a total chick-flick, I totally enjoyed the movie. Perhaps I'm a sucker for those types of movies, but oh well. There was also quite a bit of action, and I thought it was scripted well. I think I have a valid opinion since I read the book last year as well. However, when one takes a step back and looks at the film, it really reflects society. It seems like everyone today wants someone unreal, like a vampire, Edward, to sweep them off of their feet. However, when that person leaves them for whatever reason, people want someone to be there for them, like Jacob was for Bella. Although Bella is completely bizarre in general for choosing to hang out with werewolves and vampires that are somehow able to function in everyday society, she still represents most people in american society. This leads back to english class last year, which was themed as "American literature reflects american society." Considering the movie broke the record for the number of tickets bought on opening day, I can safely say that it reflects society.

Pwnage or Epic Fail

That is how things seem to be nowadays. Everything is either "Oh, I pwn3d that!" or "Epic fail..." There is no in-between, no happy medium. Everything is all or nothing now, and quite frankly, I do not like it, especially considering the standards that I set for myself. I got an 85% on a research paper that I wrote last year, one that I was rather proud of. 85% is a B, which is above average. But of course, I took it as an epic fail, not an "Oh, I did rather well." I didn't want anything to do with a B. Had I gotten a 90%, however, I would have "pwn3d" the assignment. I think that as a society, we would do better to know that there is a grey area in the things that you do and accomplish, and it is okay to be in the grey area sometimes. Not everything needs to be all or nothing. I always feel obliged to do one or the other. I don't like to take on things if I'm not sure that I can whole-heartedly succeed at them. I can also conclude that as a society, we are afraid to fail, and therefore people do less, just so they do not "epic fail." I think to better ourselves as a society, we need to have a spectrum of ways to acknowledge things that are done, rather than have something be perfect, or worth crap.

Curriculum in school

And here is this topic. Now I'll be the first to admit it, I do not get perfect grades. I have never gotten perfect grades, and quite frankly, I don't think I will ever get perfect grades. There always seems to be a test that I'm just not ready for, or some project that I do not do well on. However, I do know that I learn something in school every day, regardless of test scores or perfect grades. If America is ranked seventeenth in math/science, then why not make it harder. I'm not in love with science or math (go english!), but I know that if the challenge was brought upon me, I could rise to the occasion. I would enjoy learning more in school, and having it be harder so I could learn more, and be more successful when I'm older, in any way that it may benefit me. There are things that I do in certain classes that take the entire class period, rather than maybe twenty minutes- how long it should take. Sometimes that is my fault, sometimes it is not. But I think that American standards of learning need to be raised so that Americans learn more in general. After all, that is why I did the IB Programme- I wanted a challenge.

Optimism and Pessimism... which somehow lead to the internet...

I think that the common view of society today is that, if unattended, it will screw itself over. I think that's why society is in such a demising state right now, though. I think we need to focus more on optimism, because our captiousness makes the world too strict to live in. Everyone feels the need to adhere to other's expectations, while if people were more optimistic, then I think society would run better. On the flip side, however, I believe that society has become heavily reliant upon the internet, and therefore technology in general. The internet is a great tool for information, yes, but it is also highly destructive. I will admit that I spend far too much time in front of the computer. I wish I went outside more, and played more games with more of my friends- but in theory, that takes up too much time. However, if I am sitting in my room doing homework. Checking out the latest news on my mac will only take five minutes, in theory. Yeah right. Between PerezHilton and Facebook, being online for a few hours is inevitable. So... maybe less homework is the cause of the internet being so commonly used? But then again, America is like seventeenth in science and math. I think we need harder curriculum's in school- but that's a topic for next week!

Giving- Church

So I was at church today, and the homily was about people giving to the poor. The story states that when Jesus was at an event of sorts, where people donated their money to the poor. Many rich men came in, and donated a large summation of money from their surplus of funds to the poor. Then, a widow came in and donated her last two coins to the poor. Jesus spoke out and said that the woman had give more money than any of the other men. He said this was proved by her giving everything, and the men had only given part of what they had. This gospel reading made me question today's society. I wonder if anyone would really be willing to give ALL that they have, especially for others that they do not even know. I do not like to have a lack of faith in humanity, because I believe that positivism is more effective than negativism, but I know I would not give all I have for the impoverished. Maybe I'm more selfish than the common man, but I do not think that the "common man" would give all they have for others either. This made me conclude that the society should work on fixing other's lives, rather than their own, and maybe things will fall into place.

All this work...

just ruins my inspiration to write. I love to write, and I love english. I love to create story ideas in my mind and put them on paper, and to dazzle people with words. It's something that I feel I have a real talent in, but hardly ever have any time to display it. It is hard to do that, however, when you work on a math portfolio for four hours. This weekend also included an eight hour quiz bowl tournament, halloween, church and quiz bowl practice. I also have friends that I want to see every once in a while. Something has to give, and unfortunately it is writing. I do not have any time to write on weekdays, because I spend almost every waking moment doing homework or studying. My parents are shocked at how much homework I have, all of the time. If I get an hour to myself on a weekday, it's been a great day. It sucks, but it is life right now. Sometimes I just want to turn it all off, but I don't wish for that. Wishing for small, lustful desires is a bad thing, since they often come true, and in the long run you do not want them too. I wish for inspiration. My lack of inspiration was inspiration for writing this journal entry. Theorize that.

Politics...

This is based off of an article that we read in TOK class. I don't know what it's called, but it talks about how America has become too extremist. It says that if you're not a republican, then you are a communist, and if you're not a liberal, than you're a fascist. I totally agree with this. There is no balance between the people who "take away your rights" and "take away your money." Sometimes a "happy medium" is a good thing. This doesn't bode to well for me, because I'm independent. In economic issues, I lean very far right. In social issues, I lean very far left. The expression, "If you are under thirty and are a republican, you do not have a heart, and if you are over thirty and are a liberal, you do not have a brain," sure applies to modern society. It seems like everyone I meet is so incredibly grounded in their views, there is little room for change. We need change to adapt and grow! Such stubborn attitudes are an effect of how personal disagreement seems. Disagreement is not personal, it is the other person defending what they believe. People need to learn how to debate, and walk away from it the same way they walked into it.