Weird topic? Yes. I have been sitting in front of my computer for 10 minutes trying to decide what to write about. But I was checking my Facebook at the same time, so why not write about social networking? You have probably heard from someone, that is probably a lot older and lived life without the need to update whats on their mind every day to 642 friends that don't really care, that there is no need for social networking. I would disagree with that statement, but I also would have to somewhat understand their point of view. Let us start with the disagree portion of this 500 words or more essay.
I do not think anyone needs to have a Facebook or MySpace or Twitter or whatever the heck you have. Now, don't be all "But you have a Facebook, don't you Jack?" Yes, and I'll get to that later. Life should be lived as life, not staring at little pixles of light on a computer screen. And honestly? I couldn't really care less how your weekend was, I have no intrest to know that you and your dog love spending time together, and I don't want to hear your problems that have absolutly nothing to do with me. I heard a couple quotes the other day about Facebook, and I amused me. They are- "Facebook is like a jail, you listen to peoples problems, you all have a profile picture, and you get poked by people you don't really know." And- "It's called Facebook, not StalkingBook."
Because I keep bagging on social networks, I'll admit they can be useful. For example, Facebook can be used for keeping track of your close friends, helps you organize dates, and it's also a little fun. The reason people don't like social networks is because they are overused way too much. There are always those people that post every three hours, there are always those people who will add you when you don't really know them, and there will be those people who stalk someone for months at a time by what they've liked and their photos.
Now is the paragraph about what every teenager hates, but for some reason, starts it all. Drama. If anything, social networks are melting pot for all of the drama that has been going on and multiplies it by 6. Yes, 6. Because you are not talking to the person directly. It's like talking to someone behind their back, but to their computer screen, which spreads the gossip to the person. It is the perfect breeding ground for cyber-bullying, because you can upload embarrassing photos and write a mean status. It brings together everything bad happening between people, but it also brings friends together.
To conclude, I think that social networks are bad and useless in many many ways, but they are also good in some too. There are many times that I have almost deleated my Facebook just because I have gotten so sick of it, but I cannot bring myself to it. It's like a big party. You don't really know many people there, there is always drama and problems, but Hey, it's a party. It is a place for friends, but some people take it to the next level.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Dating
Lately, I have been seeing more and more of a continuous problem. Some of the youth today have stopped going on dates. There is no more calling someone up asking if they want to go to a movie and dinner, there is only hanging out at a friends house. You would think that this would not strike someone as a big deal, but for some reason I can't get around the fact that they are taking something great and taking it for granted. That just barely sounded super lame, but why pass an opportunity to spend time with the opposite gender?
OK, call me a little bit of a hopeless romantic, but I was excited to go on dates once I realized girls didn't have cooties. I have been excited to turn 16 so I can drive a date to a drive in movie or something like that. But then It's right around the corner and people are stopping! I've been hanging out with girls since I was 5. I want to be able to actually go on dates.
Now, with every problem, there's a solution. I plan on resurrecting the idea of dating. Even if dating stops completely. How will you do that Jack? That seems nearly impossible. My life is formed around impossible. I will take girls on dates every weekend, if necessary. It's a chore really, going out with girls every weekend, but I'm sure I can handle it.
Right now you are probably thinking, "He just wants to hang out with a bunch of girls." Considering I am 15 years old, that couldn't be more true. But I'm not just saying it for my benefit. You should learn to be as little awkward with the opposite gender as possible. You can't turn out like a 40 year old man with no idea how to talk to girls, and you'd be surprised how many people cannot. Some of my best friends are girls. There should be no barrier for friendship because of gender. Many times, at a junior high, you will hear a lot of drama about someone liking someone because they spend a lot of time together. But I don't know how or by whom but this rule has formed over many years. It's the "Guys and Girls can't be friends" rule. Now, I've never been one for rules, and this is no excuse. I think that this is a complete lie.
To conclude, I do think that dating should be THE main way to spend time with the opposite gender. I think that it helps get over the unreasonable awkwardness and confusion. There is this barrier that has been set up and it needs to be broken down. Now, if you find yourself kissing everyone in the opposite gender, then it may be time so slow down. I am not encouraging moving too fast, or even moving fast at all, because that could eventually become problematic. But I think that there should be no reason why people shouldn't go on dates and get to know each other.
OK, call me a little bit of a hopeless romantic, but I was excited to go on dates once I realized girls didn't have cooties. I have been excited to turn 16 so I can drive a date to a drive in movie or something like that. But then It's right around the corner and people are stopping! I've been hanging out with girls since I was 5. I want to be able to actually go on dates.
Now, with every problem, there's a solution. I plan on resurrecting the idea of dating. Even if dating stops completely. How will you do that Jack? That seems nearly impossible. My life is formed around impossible. I will take girls on dates every weekend, if necessary. It's a chore really, going out with girls every weekend, but I'm sure I can handle it.
Right now you are probably thinking, "He just wants to hang out with a bunch of girls." Considering I am 15 years old, that couldn't be more true. But I'm not just saying it for my benefit. You should learn to be as little awkward with the opposite gender as possible. You can't turn out like a 40 year old man with no idea how to talk to girls, and you'd be surprised how many people cannot. Some of my best friends are girls. There should be no barrier for friendship because of gender. Many times, at a junior high, you will hear a lot of drama about someone liking someone because they spend a lot of time together. But I don't know how or by whom but this rule has formed over many years. It's the "Guys and Girls can't be friends" rule. Now, I've never been one for rules, and this is no excuse. I think that this is a complete lie.
To conclude, I do think that dating should be THE main way to spend time with the opposite gender. I think that it helps get over the unreasonable awkwardness and confusion. There is this barrier that has been set up and it needs to be broken down. Now, if you find yourself kissing everyone in the opposite gender, then it may be time so slow down. I am not encouraging moving too fast, or even moving fast at all, because that could eventually become problematic. But I think that there should be no reason why people shouldn't go on dates and get to know each other.
Seasons
Yeah, I haven't posted for two weeks, but if your life was as busy as mine, you'd understand. Anyway, this week, I am choosing to write about the general topic of seasons. Yes, we all have favorites. I personally, love Summer. I don't have to waste 7 hours of my day in school. I can wake up every day at 2pm and not feel like I missed anything. I stay up past midnight every night with friends. And every day is like a Friday night.
Now, with every positive, there is a negative. I absolutely HATE cold. Which is really ironic, because I live in Utah. Sure, I love snowboarding, hot chocolate, curling next to a fire, or cuddling with a girl because your "cold". And don't get me wrong, I love those things. But it's the lack of color, the freezing temperature, and the depressing look of the sky that makes me not like winter- and let's not forget, I'm in school most of winter.
We can't leave the other seasons out either. That's unfair. Now we will talk a little bit about spring. I also have positive feelings about spring too. I love the new flowers, the way the air seems fresh, although we both know it isn't as fresh as we think. I like the way the sun finally looks like it has got over it's depression. But I still hate cold, and cold mixed with cold newly-melted snow is not what I would prefer to mix. There is always that little bit of snow left that you just want gone. It usually is by roads and it looks dirty and sad. I don't like thinking that summer is really close, when it snows the next day. Overall, the cons out way the pros.
We can't have only three seasons, now can we? What I like about fall is the sweatshirts, the pumpkins, the massive amount of turkey that my dad makes, and, and the way the leaves change color. I love color, so you would think that I am all for fall, right? Not exactly. You see, in Fall, It always snows earlier than you want it to. Everybody hates raking up leaves. You have to winterize your yard, and if you have a pool like me, It really sucks. The threat of winter is just around the corner, and there isn't really time to enjoy it. The whole season just seems skipped, and I don't like it.
Back to Summer. Yes, everything about summer is great. No school, no worries, no panicking. I enjoy the sunburns, the two months of school education that I'm losing while I play Call of Duty and hang out with the opposite gender. Now would be the time where I say something I don't like about summer, but there isn't one. I love everything about it. So yes, there are reasons I love all seasons, but there are also some reasons that I prefer it would be summer every day.
Now, with every positive, there is a negative. I absolutely HATE cold. Which is really ironic, because I live in Utah. Sure, I love snowboarding, hot chocolate, curling next to a fire, or cuddling with a girl because your "cold". And don't get me wrong, I love those things. But it's the lack of color, the freezing temperature, and the depressing look of the sky that makes me not like winter- and let's not forget, I'm in school most of winter.
We can't leave the other seasons out either. That's unfair. Now we will talk a little bit about spring. I also have positive feelings about spring too. I love the new flowers, the way the air seems fresh, although we both know it isn't as fresh as we think. I like the way the sun finally looks like it has got over it's depression. But I still hate cold, and cold mixed with cold newly-melted snow is not what I would prefer to mix. There is always that little bit of snow left that you just want gone. It usually is by roads and it looks dirty and sad. I don't like thinking that summer is really close, when it snows the next day. Overall, the cons out way the pros.
We can't have only three seasons, now can we? What I like about fall is the sweatshirts, the pumpkins, the massive amount of turkey that my dad makes, and, and the way the leaves change color. I love color, so you would think that I am all for fall, right? Not exactly. You see, in Fall, It always snows earlier than you want it to. Everybody hates raking up leaves. You have to winterize your yard, and if you have a pool like me, It really sucks. The threat of winter is just around the corner, and there isn't really time to enjoy it. The whole season just seems skipped, and I don't like it.
Back to Summer. Yes, everything about summer is great. No school, no worries, no panicking. I enjoy the sunburns, the two months of school education that I'm losing while I play Call of Duty and hang out with the opposite gender. Now would be the time where I say something I don't like about summer, but there isn't one. I love everything about it. So yes, there are reasons I love all seasons, but there are also some reasons that I prefer it would be summer every day.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The School System.
You see, the thing is, I'm a student. You can read as many articles and you can take as many tests and studies as your heart desires, but I live through the school system almost every day of my life. I am told to do homework, and I am told to follow directions, I am told exactly what I'm supposed to do in life and exactly how to do it. I am told to follow the system perfectly. But the thing is, I absolutely hate it. When did everyone become so uniform? When did everyone stop being original? I sometimes just look around and all I see is a perfect system. But the thing is, humans aren't perfect. We are supposed to be different. We are supposed to have opinions. We are supposed to be different, but the one thing I strongly dislike in school is the perfect shaped mold of a student that you are supposed to be. Call me a propagandist. Call me a rebel. But I believe that every student is different, and from experience, and I know that they don't teach you to be your own person in school.
First of all, I would like to talk about the everyday classroom. You're supposed to get to class exactly on time, you get the same assignments as 34 other students in that same class, and you are told to do it and turn it in within the exact standards that are set. We all have a set schedule. Every day we wake up at the same time, we all get to school the same way, we are told to do the same things in class. Now, because of my occasional lack of concentration, and my somewhat lack of interest on schoolwork (which I am not proud of), I notice this more and more every year. I am sick of following the standards that I have been following for the past nine years. I'm not saying that I want to drop out of school, or stop doing all my assignments, but I need a new way to do things, before I lose my mind.
Now, a special portion about SEOPs. Sure, they can be useful in some ways. They help me change my class schedule, and they get me a break from class occasionally. But one of the things that bugs me most, is the path that they show and the way they tell you to follow it. As we get older, we are always asked what we want to be when we grow up. Sure, it started off as somewhat of a game. Answers were similar to "Princess", "Vet", or in my case, "Astronaut". They soon became more serious. I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't know exactly what I'm going to be, and exactly how to get there. And I'm in 9th grade. Being preoccupied with your future takes away the joy of the present. Now is the time to make mistakes, and learn from them. It's the time to enjoy life as we know it, and we can't do that with the limitations that we are born to live by.
For the sake of time, I'll start to close. After reading this, I highly doubt you agree with me. You probably think of me as another "Against the System" teenager. But I believe that school is one of the most important thing for kids, and I never said that it should be terminated. But I do believe it needs to be fixed. Students are classified as just that. Students. There is no individuality in that word, and we aren't treated with any. The word is treated with an idea of a single structure. A mold we all are supposed to live by. But the thing is, none of us are the same. We all have ideas and thoughts, and we are taken for granted just because of our age. Young people are thought of as naive. But we all are different, and we need to stop being treated as the same.
First of all, I would like to talk about the everyday classroom. You're supposed to get to class exactly on time, you get the same assignments as 34 other students in that same class, and you are told to do it and turn it in within the exact standards that are set. We all have a set schedule. Every day we wake up at the same time, we all get to school the same way, we are told to do the same things in class. Now, because of my occasional lack of concentration, and my somewhat lack of interest on schoolwork (which I am not proud of), I notice this more and more every year. I am sick of following the standards that I have been following for the past nine years. I'm not saying that I want to drop out of school, or stop doing all my assignments, but I need a new way to do things, before I lose my mind.
Now, a special portion about SEOPs. Sure, they can be useful in some ways. They help me change my class schedule, and they get me a break from class occasionally. But one of the things that bugs me most, is the path that they show and the way they tell you to follow it. As we get older, we are always asked what we want to be when we grow up. Sure, it started off as somewhat of a game. Answers were similar to "Princess", "Vet", or in my case, "Astronaut". They soon became more serious. I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't know exactly what I'm going to be, and exactly how to get there. And I'm in 9th grade. Being preoccupied with your future takes away the joy of the present. Now is the time to make mistakes, and learn from them. It's the time to enjoy life as we know it, and we can't do that with the limitations that we are born to live by.
For the sake of time, I'll start to close. After reading this, I highly doubt you agree with me. You probably think of me as another "Against the System" teenager. But I believe that school is one of the most important thing for kids, and I never said that it should be terminated. But I do believe it needs to be fixed. Students are classified as just that. Students. There is no individuality in that word, and we aren't treated with any. The word is treated with an idea of a single structure. A mold we all are supposed to live by. But the thing is, none of us are the same. We all have ideas and thoughts, and we are taken for granted just because of our age. Young people are thought of as naive. But we all are different, and we need to stop being treated as the same.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Chosen book review.
I know, I know. I said that I would start posting short stories, but I need you to be patient. I've been super busy, and it is the end of the term, so I barley have enough time to get dressed in the morning. This week, I read the books The Chosen and I finished October Sky. It was a lot of reading, but I did it. A little lesson for the future, when you need to read two books for two different classes, don't procrastinate. So I wrote a summary for The Chosen, and I felt obliged to share it to you.
I thought this book was very interesting in many ways. The Chosen starts out in the neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York in the early summer of 1944 to fall, 1950 (the ending of World War 2). Reuven, our Jewish narrator, meets his unlikely friend at a softball game, where Reuven takes a line drive to the face after he pitches to Danny Saunders, and ends up in the hospital. There, he meets Tony Savo (a former boxer who had his eye removed), and Billy Merrit, who was blinded after a car accident. Danny comes to say he is sorry, and the two become friends and teach each other all sorts of lessons. For a time, Danny’s father, does not allow them to be friends, but then he after permits the friendship. The two finish high school together. Reuven finds out that Danny has been accepted to graduate programs in psychology, but his father Reb Saunders expects him to take over the ownership of his Hasidic community. Reuven finds out that Danny’s father does not talk to him directly (speaks to him through Reuven), and has raised his son in silence. Later Reb confronts Danny and tells him he did it to help him have a compassionate soul. Reuven and Danny graduate from Hirsch College; Danny goes on to Columbia University for graduate school, and the two say their goodbyes.
One of the main themes that I picked up in this story is the use of eyes and eyeglasses, which symbolizes the perception of the world and of oneself. After injuring his eye, Reuven gets a better thankfulness for his sight. At the beginning of their friendship, Danny works with Reuven to get him to have a better outlook on life and a better willingness to open his eyes to the world. This book also uses foreshadowing frequently throughout the book.
The characters in this book include Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders (our Jewish
friends), David Malter; an orthodox Jew, and Reuven’s father and mentor to Reuven and Danny. Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, who is a patriarch of the Hasidic dynasty, and who has raised his son in silence. Levi Saunders; Danny’s younger brother. Mr. Galanter, the gym instructor at Reuven’s school. There are many other characters worth mentioning, but I’ll leave it at that.
friends), David Malter; an orthodox Jew, and Reuven’s father and mentor to Reuven and Danny. Reb Saunders, Danny’s father, who is a patriarch of the Hasidic dynasty, and who has raised his son in silence. Levi Saunders; Danny’s younger brother. Mr. Galanter, the gym instructor at Reuven’s school. There are many other characters worth mentioning, but I’ll leave it at that.
This book was pretty interesting, I found it a little hard to get into and had some very confusing Jewish terms that I had to look up, but I am still glad I read it. I would recommend it to anyone who can appreciate a good piece of literature and isn’t afraid to read a book they normally wouldn’t.
Well, that's my review. I hoped you liked it. Yes, I know this book review is on goodreads, but why can't I use it for this also? Well, until next week, goodbye.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Movies
Yeah, I know, bad topic for this week considering my last entry was called "Music", But stay with me. Next week I plan on starting short stories, so chill. Anyway, back to the topic. I do like to consider myself as very cinamatically educated. I do love movies. I love being able to experience something out of the ordinary, even for a couple hours. I think that watching movies is a good way to spend time with friends and they're just plain fun. Yeah, some people may just think that you are just sitting around wasting your time, but I have to disagree. I think it is a great way to spend time with friends, educate yourself, and come on, its the perfect dating atmosphere.
Favorite movie time. I have spend a while pondering this, and I have never come to a complete answer, because I love different movies for different reasons. But I'll do my best. One of my all time favorite movies is Inception. I felt like society finally needed a movie that you actually needed to think in, and Inceptioin is that and then some. But I also have favorite movies for different genres. For comedy; I would have to choose Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs or Megamind, or Hot Rod. C'mon, you can't not love those movies. For Horror; I would choose Insidious. Mainly because it scared the crap out of me. I usually am not that scared of movies, but I was absolutely terrified of this one. And I love scary movies (As I said from my Halloween entry). I also loved The Kings Speech and 127 Hours, but I'm not sure what genre they are. I could go on and on, but I'm sure you're bored by now.
If you read my "Music" post, then you can recall me saying that picking a favorite is like picking a favorite child, which goes the same for movies. I love almost all genres- from Romantic Comedies to your latest vampire film. It is very hard for me to watch a movie and walk out thinking I hadn't seen it, because there isn't such a thing as a bad movie. There are times when I may dislike a movie with a deep fiery passion, but the thing is, it's still for your entertainment, even it makes you want to shove bamboo under your fingernails.
To conclude until next week, I would very much encourage to go to as many movies as humanly possible. I think it is a great way to have fun and a great way to spend time with friends/family/date. I would like you to be open to all movies, not just the new or best rated. I would also like to recommend the movie The Kings Speech. Just a little side thought there. Anyway, like I said, I do think I will start writing short stories for this blog. So until next week, I bid you farewell.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Music
Lately, I have been really busy in homework, schoolwork, SBO work, getting ready for basketball season, the upcoming school play, and many other things. I sometimes just want to stop doing it all and sit around all day drowning myself in mountain dew and playing Call of Duty (which I sometimes result to). But I have found somewhat of a solution. One of my only saving graces is music. I absolutely love it. And not just a certain kind, that's like picking a favorite child. No, I love almost all kinds of music from rock to classical. I do believe that music improves your life drastically.
One thing that may have striked you as weird in the last paragraph is my love for classical music. You would think that I'm not the kind of guy who would be into that kind of thing, but it's one of my favorite genres. I listen to it during homework, working out, and sometimes before sports. It helps me calm down and not to panic. Strange? Maybe a little. But it will always be some of my favorite music.
Now, there is one exception to my love of music. I really do not like Country. Every time I hear Brad Paisley or Kieth Urban it makes me want to throw my iPod out the window and punch a baby. You are now probably thinking "Then take it off your iPod, stupid". I have but one answer. It's too much work. My sister and I share the same music library, and she has stained all the playlists with this "Music". It would take me hours to fix all of them, so I just choose not to. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I hate every song that shares this same genre. There are a few exceptions, so don't think of me as a full Country hater.
If you have any questions, which I highly doubt because I bet the only person that would maybe read this is my English teacher, but if you do, I hope to answer them in this paragraph. Yes, I do love world, blues, rap, and electronic music also. No, I don't think Justin Bieber would actually count as music, so I left that out. I could rant for ages on that matter, but I'll save that for another day. And yes, I do listen to some Adele and Taylor Swift also. I call it "Music Sexism" when people don't listen to a certain kind of music just because of the gender of the singer.
So, to wrap things up a little, I would like to restate my love for music. I love almost every kind of music, and I listen to it whenever possible, even when it isn't allowed. I could go on about how I think that music should be allowed in the everyday school system, but that could be saved for another blog entry. I do wish that everyone could share the same love for music as myself, and I'm sure many do, and I strongly believe that music can change lives.
One thing that may have striked you as weird in the last paragraph is my love for classical music. You would think that I'm not the kind of guy who would be into that kind of thing, but it's one of my favorite genres. I listen to it during homework, working out, and sometimes before sports. It helps me calm down and not to panic. Strange? Maybe a little. But it will always be some of my favorite music.
Now, there is one exception to my love of music. I really do not like Country. Every time I hear Brad Paisley or Kieth Urban it makes me want to throw my iPod out the window and punch a baby. You are now probably thinking "Then take it off your iPod, stupid". I have but one answer. It's too much work. My sister and I share the same music library, and she has stained all the playlists with this "Music". It would take me hours to fix all of them, so I just choose not to. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I hate every song that shares this same genre. There are a few exceptions, so don't think of me as a full Country hater.
If you have any questions, which I highly doubt because I bet the only person that would maybe read this is my English teacher, but if you do, I hope to answer them in this paragraph. Yes, I do love world, blues, rap, and electronic music also. No, I don't think Justin Bieber would actually count as music, so I left that out. I could rant for ages on that matter, but I'll save that for another day. And yes, I do listen to some Adele and Taylor Swift also. I call it "Music Sexism" when people don't listen to a certain kind of music just because of the gender of the singer.
So, to wrap things up a little, I would like to restate my love for music. I love almost every kind of music, and I listen to it whenever possible, even when it isn't allowed. I could go on about how I think that music should be allowed in the everyday school system, but that could be saved for another blog entry. I do wish that everyone could share the same love for music as myself, and I'm sure many do, and I strongly believe that music can change lives.
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