Hobbies
Playing UD
Playing Pokemon Cards
Reading
Playing Pokemon (game)
Interests
Clay Work
Wood Work
Major Purchases
Concert tickets for the Minneapolis Streetlight Manifesto show
Books for Tomas
New stuff
N/A
Questions
Where am I going
Will I have enough Money for School
Why is school so expensive
Why am I Captializing everything?
Local Problems
Bad roads
Too many pawnshops/casinos
Global Problems
Black Holes
Hunger
Racism
NY Times issue
N/A
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Output PROMPTS; Input REFLECTIVE ANSWERS
1.I made a pact with God that I would read the Bible every night I was in college if I made it in. I really had to struggle to make it here and couldn’t have done it without him. I haven’t really been keeping up with it. I can’t lie and say that it’s because I’m too busy, I just find something else to do instead. I’m trying to figure out a way where I can set aside a time each day to do it that way it’s scheduled. Breaking a promise is bad enough but I don’t doubt breaking a promise with God is a lot worse.
2. I’m an insomniac so I often look very tired. I wear slippers and a hoody from Tijuana that looks like a rainbow threw up on it. I’ve got shaggy hair and I look rather scruffy. I could easily pass for a hobo if sat in a refrigerator box in an alley. Because of how I look a number of people think I’m a drug user. Contrary to this misconception I have never used any substance or have had alcohol and I happen to be very opposed to drug use and underage drinking. I’ve always been this way but about a year ago my feelings on the subject increased dramatically when I found out my hero, Frank Zappa, was adamantly opposed to the same things. So considering my appearance my views tend to surprise people but as Zappa once said "The idea of people sticking things up their nose in order to be groovy is really repulsive.”
3. I need to become more organized. I really feel that I would be so much better off if I would just take care of things in a timely and organized fashion. My work area is always a mess and I don’t schedule a specific homework time. I do it when I get the chance and then if I get sidetracked I make little to no effort to get back on track. If I could just set myself with a slightly flexible schedule to abide by I would do much better on all of my home work since I would get it done right away instead of twenty minutes before class. Oh and just in case you’re wondering I did about eighty percent of this last night so it’s not like I put it off like most of my assignments.
4. Most people would be surprised to find out I suffer(ed) from depression. I’ve been on suicide watch twice and used to take medication for it. I feel I’ve overcome the horrors of such things and the need for medication. It’s an extremely crippling condition; it affects you physically in addition to the mental effects. You’re tired all day, there’s muscle soreness and you can’t focus. I finally overcame it through self therapy. And I’m so much better for it.
5. I think our society commonly uses the word hero as a means of saying a person who’s done something extraordinary or has had some sort of deep impact on a person’s life. I like to think of it as the latter. There’s a Chinese proverb “Listen to all, plucking a feather from every passing goose, but, follow no one absolutely.” I really love this proverb and feel when a particularly important “goose” comes into your life you should pluck many “feathers”. A hero is the person who had the most feathers taken from them by you. If we were going to go by that route I would have to say my father is my hero. I get my mannerisms, ideology, looks and many other things from him. He has had the deepest impact on my life.
6. I honestly can’t think of a point in my life where I forgave someone and it made me feel wonderful. I don’t tend to make a big deal out of such things. I also cannot recall being forgiven for some huge mistake or occurrence. I don’t think those kinds of things happen to normal people. And even if it did it seems people today never really forgive anyone. They either shrug it off or hold a grudge. Life isn’t a big episode of Dawson’s creek for me.
7. "The most important thing to do in your life, is to not interfere with somebody else's life.”-Frank Zappa. This is one of the most important quotes in my life It’s what made me decide to become a pacifist. I like to think that I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t infringe on the rights of others. I can freely swing my fists but when it comes into contact with your face I have violated your rights. So I try to be calm with people and not start arguments. And while I would never condone my spouse or significant other having an abortion I would vote to keep it around.
2. I’m an insomniac so I often look very tired. I wear slippers and a hoody from Tijuana that looks like a rainbow threw up on it. I’ve got shaggy hair and I look rather scruffy. I could easily pass for a hobo if sat in a refrigerator box in an alley. Because of how I look a number of people think I’m a drug user. Contrary to this misconception I have never used any substance or have had alcohol and I happen to be very opposed to drug use and underage drinking. I’ve always been this way but about a year ago my feelings on the subject increased dramatically when I found out my hero, Frank Zappa, was adamantly opposed to the same things. So considering my appearance my views tend to surprise people but as Zappa once said "The idea of people sticking things up their nose in order to be groovy is really repulsive.”
3. I need to become more organized. I really feel that I would be so much better off if I would just take care of things in a timely and organized fashion. My work area is always a mess and I don’t schedule a specific homework time. I do it when I get the chance and then if I get sidetracked I make little to no effort to get back on track. If I could just set myself with a slightly flexible schedule to abide by I would do much better on all of my home work since I would get it done right away instead of twenty minutes before class. Oh and just in case you’re wondering I did about eighty percent of this last night so it’s not like I put it off like most of my assignments.
4. Most people would be surprised to find out I suffer(ed) from depression. I’ve been on suicide watch twice and used to take medication for it. I feel I’ve overcome the horrors of such things and the need for medication. It’s an extremely crippling condition; it affects you physically in addition to the mental effects. You’re tired all day, there’s muscle soreness and you can’t focus. I finally overcame it through self therapy. And I’m so much better for it.
5. I think our society commonly uses the word hero as a means of saying a person who’s done something extraordinary or has had some sort of deep impact on a person’s life. I like to think of it as the latter. There’s a Chinese proverb “Listen to all, plucking a feather from every passing goose, but, follow no one absolutely.” I really love this proverb and feel when a particularly important “goose” comes into your life you should pluck many “feathers”. A hero is the person who had the most feathers taken from them by you. If we were going to go by that route I would have to say my father is my hero. I get my mannerisms, ideology, looks and many other things from him. He has had the deepest impact on my life.
6. I honestly can’t think of a point in my life where I forgave someone and it made me feel wonderful. I don’t tend to make a big deal out of such things. I also cannot recall being forgiven for some huge mistake or occurrence. I don’t think those kinds of things happen to normal people. And even if it did it seems people today never really forgive anyone. They either shrug it off or hold a grudge. Life isn’t a big episode of Dawson’s creek for me.
7. "The most important thing to do in your life, is to not interfere with somebody else's life.”-Frank Zappa. This is one of the most important quotes in my life It’s what made me decide to become a pacifist. I like to think that I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t infringe on the rights of others. I can freely swing my fists but when it comes into contact with your face I have violated your rights. So I try to be calm with people and not start arguments. And while I would never condone my spouse or significant other having an abortion I would vote to keep it around.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The public man needs to keep his eye on the ball not the scoreboard.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4555422
Harry Truman talks about how the public man (more often than not a man/woman in office) needs to think about the decision as it will affect the public at that point in time and in the near future as opposed to thinking about how it will make them look in the History books.
Reminded me of the Bush administration. Not that I'm saying Bush is acting like a hero and avoiding criticism to maintain profesionalism. But considering how consistent he is when he faces such scrutiny by the media, the country and the textbook writers. I thought it was interesting that something from the fifties is still pertinent.
Harry Truman talks about how the public man (more often than not a man/woman in office) needs to think about the decision as it will affect the public at that point in time and in the near future as opposed to thinking about how it will make them look in the History books.
Reminded me of the Bush administration. Not that I'm saying Bush is acting like a hero and avoiding criticism to maintain profesionalism. But considering how consistent he is when he faces such scrutiny by the media, the country and the textbook writers. I thought it was interesting that something from the fifties is still pertinent.
Don't touch that burner Johnny, it's emanating conventionality!
Paul McHenry Roberts while charming fails to realize how ultimately difficult it becomes for people to defy their conventional thought process. His suggestions on the whole are incredibly useful and that must be the test of a true writer: The ability to go against their own mind. Eventually the way I understand the way things are supposed to be handled comes down to retraining your brain. Jumping all over the first idea that comes in your head is comforting and easy but the mind needs to be trained to think conventionality as a burner on a stove, avoid it at all costs. BSing your way through something easily transparent to the reader Roberts states not to assume the reader is naïve and the reader will know when they’re being taken for a ride.
How to write a summary in 150 words.
Paul McHenry Roberts’ essay, How to Say Nothing in 500 Words isn’t the slacker’s manifesto I had expected. Instead of teaching students to fluff up their essays he says to cut down on extraneous and repetitive content. In order to make the most of a writing assignment he suggest to throw out all the conventional thoughts that come to mind after reading the prompt and to play the devil’s advocate because of how much more interesting a prompt will be if it sounds like no one else’s. He suggests to avoid any usage of generalities whatsoever and to forgo hollow colorless words like “what’s left” for more powerful words like “residual”. He points out loaded words can bring interesting effect to the paper. In essence he has, instead of telling one how to craft the pinnacle of essays, pointed out ninety percent of what makes reading a paper as desirable as eating tofu.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Age discrimination
Recently Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger enacted a law in the state of California that would ban teen use of cell phones, laptops or other electronic devices while driving. How can such a blatant use of age discrimination make it into legislation? If California wants to reduce the number of accidents caused by cell phone usage why would they target teens alone? Adults are equally incapable of driving while using a cell phone.
Banning 27-43 year old women from applying mascara in the car should be the next proposed law. I wasn’t aware enacting a law that conflicts with another law was possible. Considering age discrimination is a crime on par with gender and race discrimination it seems preposterous that this law could even take effect.
The law should be rewritten to encompass all ages. Are seatbelts only mandatory for 1-12 year olds? This was hardly an adequate use of government time and money.
Banning 27-43 year old women from applying mascara in the car should be the next proposed law. I wasn’t aware enacting a law that conflicts with another law was possible. Considering age discrimination is a crime on par with gender and race discrimination it seems preposterous that this law could even take effect.
The law should be rewritten to encompass all ages. Are seatbelts only mandatory for 1-12 year olds? This was hardly an adequate use of government time and money.
Finally
Recently Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger enacted a law in the state of California that would ban teen use of cell phones, laptops or other electronic devices while driving. I’m pleased to see someone has finally decided to put a stop to this madness. Your skills as a driver are drastically decreased when you’re trying to maintain even the most mundane conversations over a phone. It seems you’ll find someone forgetting to put a turn signal on while they’re busy chatting away about the movie they’re going to see in less than eight minutes while trying to find a parking spot
Etiquette seems to have died in the age of the cell phone, while probably not the root of the problem, definitely does its fair share of contributing. On the par with putting make up on while driving, cell phone usage is such a huge distraction to drivers. Teenagers don’t seem to know or care that they’re endangering their lives and the lives of others. Schwarzenegger has done a service to us all by banning teenagers from using these distracting devices. And by lumping in “Other electronic devices” it pretty much prevents teens from finding a loophole in the law and saying they aren’t using a phone but an iPod or a PDA.
I am glad this law has been passed and I foresee a slew of positive feedback. Hopefully this will cut back on accidents and possibly even deaths.
Etiquette seems to have died in the age of the cell phone, while probably not the root of the problem, definitely does its fair share of contributing. On the par with putting make up on while driving, cell phone usage is such a huge distraction to drivers. Teenagers don’t seem to know or care that they’re endangering their lives and the lives of others. Schwarzenegger has done a service to us all by banning teenagers from using these distracting devices. And by lumping in “Other electronic devices” it pretty much prevents teens from finding a loophole in the law and saying they aren’t using a phone but an iPod or a PDA.
I am glad this law has been passed and I foresee a slew of positive feedback. Hopefully this will cut back on accidents and possibly even deaths.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)