[RP] The unchanging curriculum in schools

I've got to say, I agree almost 100% with Terrace's post.
.  Our school curriculum is based a lot on text, and books, which is ironic because humans process and remember information a lot more accurately from what they see visually and or from media.  Without the actors, commentators, or feelings the feelings and settings of of say an informational tv show or news program, our minds have less trigger points or highlights to help us remember what we learned in the past.  A lot of the time we remember things not because we remember the exact thing that happened, but because we can link other triggers such as the reporter or the circumstance that the information was given in order to get to the subject that you are forgetful of.  The fact that visual media is so much more effective and proportionately favored in schools, I feel that it is unnecessary to continue to teach from textbooks and old curriculum.  Textbooks are expensive, cannot accurately relate to the student in most cases, and are a burden to obtain.  Media via the web or videos are much easier to access, are practically free, and are much more appealing to students.

Many conservative people want to keep the textbooks as a cultural preservative, but I feel like when it comes down to the effectiveness of teaching and learning, we must adopt whatever gets the job done best. 

A lot of curriculum taught in school is considered "unnecessary" and unhelpful in ones future.  There is a lot of truth in this, and the fact that our futures depend on our ability to accurately repeat and apply old theories is a little sketchy.  A lot of things we learn, we will never refer to again in life, and I feel the time spent memorizing a formula in math on how to find the derivative of something can be better spent in other ways.  School's focus on health and well being has taken a downturn as standards have risen and workloads doubled, as well as the pressure to succeed. 

The fact that another student worked his/her ass off studying for the SAT and lost out on sleep and fun, and you spent your time hanging with friends, playing sports, getting a good nights rest, exersizing, etc. and the other student is rewarded, diverges from the common perception that a "balanced" individual is what everyone should strive to be.  But instead we spend 8 or more hours at school, only to do more schoolwork at home, and be given assignments over the weekend, during holidays, and even when we don't even have school (summer).  I mean I know this is "supposed" to be a competitive world, but holy shit!  Some people cannot successfully prioritize their lives to fit in family, friend, and enrichment time, and that's a shame that these people have to go through so much crap.  I don't mean to sound too cynical, but what the hell kind of system do we live in?  But whatever you happy.  haha I really just want to be a rich hippie and spend my life enriching myself and others, and not having to abide by a rigid educational system to gain the money to make it possible. 

[FP] A new way to deal with our waste problems

I've been doing my bill for mock congress this weekend and have tapped into a relatively new technology called Plasma Incineration. 

In plasma incineration, municipal wastes of all kinds are heated to an access of 27,000 degrees Fahrenheit (hotter than the surface of the sun) and broken down into very simple bi products (each of the byproducts have lucrative economic value- syngas used in construction, and the liquid and gases are used in for fuel and energy-can be used in gas engines and hydrogen fuel cells).  They're are zero emissions into the atmosphere, and the economical cost of this process is now less than dumping waste in a landfill!  The actual cost of using this plasma incineration is 0$ per kw of energy compared to traditional incineration's 150$ per kw.  It's priceless because of the by products and their commercial value.


As much as critics want to complain that incineration is not the solution to our waste problem, and how recycling should be the new fad (which it is increasingly now a days), it is unethical to think this way.  Big business, as well as normal Americans, along with the  poorer population will not have the resources or the time to manage their waste ideally (or have been educated on how to do so).  Businesses waste because its economical, and so do regular people.  With exponential rises in waste, we can no longer store it in our earth or pollute the environment by burning it traditionally.  It's time we finally put our new technologies to use and ditch old traditions with municipal waste. 

Plasma incineration has been adopted in numerous foreign countries with much success, but has yet to be adopted considerably in the U.S.  Like with other emerging technologies, funding is a problem and at this point in our time, the focus of our government on jobs, healthcare, and foreign relations, the environment and waste management has been put in the background.  Which is more important at this point?  I'm not sure, but If I were an investor, I'd get busy on the whole Plasma Incineration thing cause the pros heavily outweigh the cons (if any).

[CE] Occupy (Oakland)

Okay I know this isn't Al Jazeera, but I hope its cool cause this movement is very relevant and could have a strong personal affect on local, hopefully national policies and progress.  I took this video off of Mr. Sutherland's most recent post.

Seeing this Occupy ____ movement is quite liberating.  A variety of people from various backgrounds, with different hopes for the movement and specific focuses, both give the activism a sense of communal quality, wholeness, and down to earth sentiments.  However, these widespread visions may also prove detrimental to compromise with the government and policy makers.  Ideally, most successful protests are set on a common objective and gain supporters through this common interest.  However, with the O.O. and other Occupy____ campaigns, there is the possibility that all of the messages (anti-corporate greed, pro green energy, etc.) are becoming inhibitors of concrete progress.  Although the various campaigns attract a wider variety of supporters, there may be some people who support one goal of the movement but not another which had been brought on as a part of the Occupy ___ movement.  Also, our government, being a bi-partisan, slow moving and nit-picking system, will not be able to meet all of these demands at once, and may be overwhelmed and maybe even doubtful of a movement of such a mix of opinions. 

I constantly refer to Michael Moore and other cynics but whatever it's cool as long as you don't take what their saying for granted...but Moore said in a film about health care (in this particular part, regarding France's success in universal health care and overall happiness) that the "Government is afraid of the people" and not the "people afraid of the governement".  He goes on to say how this promotes the success of protests and supports the frequency of protest.  This I believe to be one of the many problems of American government.  Like Sutherland's spot on joke about "how the drug dealer doesn't care about what the drug addict wants", this can partly be related to our government and how we are many times ignored unless it is of course campaign season. 

I am very aware that joining such a movement can prove costly to the attendee as well.  Corporate doesn't take to kindly the senses of union or uprising, as clearly proven by Jan and Michael from the show The Office.  Many people are taking a risk by becoming dedicated members to such a campaign, and many others are scared or hindered by their jobs or sacrifices they may need to make to join such a movement.  I say, in order to get such a large message across, as the movement does have a monumental message, its an all or nothing kinda deal.  If corporations and our government begin to see their economy hinder on the participation and uprising of these campaigns, then maybe we will have some hope in progress (liberal progress that is).  Hoping for the best though.

[FP] My dream

Beginning in middle school with Mr. Dodge's (RIP) insightful and eye-opening approach to teaching science and about how it affects the world around us, I became interested in environmental sciences and also medical/biological sciences.  With a realization of the great amount of suffering around the world, both in third world countries and developing countries where people had no way of recieving adequate care or resources, I formulated somewhat of an aspiration from both personal goals and from the heart to keep me motivated in my study of the sciences.

In the past few years, I have been inspired by doctors from different backgrounds, moving to foreign countries and helping those in need there, becoming sometimes the only doctor in the area, and making such a profound impact.  This is very similar to my dream.  I would love to become either a pediatrician or some type of medical doctor, live in the city and develop my practice, then move to a foreign country in which I help those in need and set up a free clinic.  I would sponsor and hire students from all over the world- high school, college, etc. to work as somewhat of a internship, or perhaps to just experience something new while following their passions.  From this, I could open people's eyes to the world outside of theirs and give them an unforgettable experience from which they may build off of, help people that need my help, perhaps create a foundation for these clinics, and learn a lot from the people myself.  This dream sounds sooo ideal to me, as it reflects who I am as a person and what I would like to do with the time I have on this Earth.

This dream however will require a lot of hard work and sacrifice.  I would like to believe that I am capable of such a task, and that I will have the spiritual and physical endurance to take on my dreams and aspirations, as I am not only doing it for myself, but for many others as well.

[RP] For suure

This is a response to Brenda's Post regarding her, and undoubtedly every seniors wishes and anticipatory feelings about senior year.

Seriously though, I feel the same way Brenda does.  4 years in high school, academically, seems like a butt load of material and work.  The fact that this work intrudes on all aspects of your personal life is depressing, but a seemingly important part of higher education.  Whatever I'm doing, there's always or most of the time, the thought of upcoming tests or assignments, or even college apps in my head.  Schoolwork really has become a part of my life, and on those rare occasions when I literally have nothing possibly to do for school, I sometimes blank out and waste a day either because I'm so worn out or don't react fast enough to bang out some activities with the bros.  However, socially, high school is a frikn bullet train.  Though a lot has changed, it seems that the things in your life that you are most passionate about and have a fun time being around, slip through your hands like sand as you progress through education.  I mean, I can't imagine not seeing my friends again after high school, I mean some of them are about to be across the country and only coming home for holidays and maybe an occasional summer week or something.  It's crazy how close I've become with my closest group of friends, and I know I'm gonna have to make an effort to keep in touch in person, not just over facebook.

But hell yea I know what Brenda is talking about when she says "the summer-a summer free ofsummer assignments and studying for upcoming tests, such as SATs or ridiculousand unnecessary tests on the first day of school".  I mean I haven't had an assignment-free summer since...7th grade or something im guessing?  Maybe 8th grade?  And coincidentally those have been some of my best summers in my life.  I mean these past few summers were decent but it seems like the events happened in huge bursts, followed by a few days of inactivity or limited days of fun with friends either due to sports, or other commitments including summer homework.  The feeling of having days where when you wake up, you think of what your about to do with friends or family, instead of how your going to schedual and plan out your day around your homework n stuff is the best feeling. 


This summer is going to be so sweet, and I'm trying, like a lot of other seniors, to bang out some good grades so I look good to colleges so I can stop stressin and start enjoying my hard work from highschool

[BW] Going for the Look

     Everywhere we look, there are people wearing name brand, trendy clothing.  The various styles are usually worn by people with similarities to the brand, or the company's workers.  For example, skaters usually wear brands like Billabong and DC; both companies hire people who skate or maybe just look like skaters to run the floors of their stores.  Though this they have created an affective advertising business.  Cohen explains the increasing competitiveness in the retail world today, and of companies' need for effective advertising and representation.  Coming up with a well liked, distinguishable model for their company is key to attracting new customers, and keeping their brand genuine in what they are advertising.  Nearly every retail store uses this method of advertisement, and it has proved quite successful in captivating the attention of people of all ages and tastes.

     Cohen is spot on by saying that "hiring by image" is "necessary and smart" in the eyes of retailers.  The influence of media, fashion models, and advertising as a whole these days remains very high, especially with the the younger crowd.  I am not sure whether I agree with Cohen's claim that "methods have changed for capturing the consumers awareness of your brand", but I rather believe that the practice of hiring people that represent your company's look well has always been a very important aspect of advertising.  For example, models and celebrities such as Marylin Monroe were constantly being pain by retail advertisers to wear, drive, and eat a variety of things from the latest boots to the new cigarette.  When people saw this, they also began following these trends as people looked up to these stars.  The consumers often grouped themselves with a certain style or lifestyle that they admired, and therefore bought clothes and other goods from the companies that represented this.  This is why it is so important, as Cohen describes, "to find a brand enhancer...a walking billboard".  This, as it has been in the past, IS advertising.  Sometimes people don't know what they like until you show it to them.

     For as long as retail businesses have been around, stores have always decorated according to the styles they represented.  Accordingly stores hire people that fit into this type of environment, and represent the style well.  Good looks, no matter what the style or target of the business, are almost always a factor in selecting who is hired by the stores.  The same way Tommy Bahama hires middle aged, clean cut, relaxed looking people at their stores, Hollister hires young attractive and energetic people in their stores.  Giving the people hired by both stores equal opportunity to work for either store would seem irrational as the two brands/stores are not too similar.  This is why retailers usually hire a certain type of person to work and represent their products.  In addition, sex appeal plays a big role in how retail stores hire.  People are more likely to be influenced to buy a product due to the attractive people working there or a compliment by an attractive salesperson.  Many times, my friends and I have gone int a store only on the basis that there were attractive girls either shopping in or working at the store.  I would like to add onto Cohen by saying that advertisement is the majority of the battle, and the real product is less important.

     Examples of hiring for look, or buying for the look are everywhere in our society.  We choose our lawyers and financial advisers not only on the basis that they have a good track record, but also on their looks.  Most people don't want someone too old because old age usually means less energy and less passion.  If they are too young, they may be easily distracted and might not have enough experience.  What people do want, is a happy medium; someone who dresses nice, but not too nice, someone who is down to earth yet is not trying to be your friend, and someone who give you the feeling that they know what they are doing and can help you.  Though many people deny it, especially in the business world, people have natural inclinations to hire or even do things/favor people that are physically attractive.  Consumers as well have this inclination, so if a business were to hire people who are attractive, the consumers would be inclined to buy or do things that the attractive model or salesperson says or asks for. 

     On a personal note, I have recently bought a pair of clippers.  At first I was daunted by the sheer number of brands and models, but after a while through word of mouth and reviews and advertisements on YouTube, I decided to get a pair of Andis Masters.  Now there are equally good brands out there, but the Andis, along with the Wahls seemed to have the most hype and best advertisement strategies and advertisers.  Not to mention the people who reviewed them seemed to be all barbers, and not so much just a mom who cuts her son's hair or some amateur.  Andis in particular hired a man by the name of Ivan Zoot, a world record holding hair cutter, as their advertisement director.  He does dozens of commercials and demonstrations, and attracts a lot of attention and also trust from the consumer society because they trust someone who holds world records and seems like he would be being honest about the quality of the product.  This advertisement strategy convinced me, as well as millions of other Andis customers to buy clippers from that company, all on the basis of who was in the videos, and what the hype was pertaining to the company.  People want to buy from people who look like they know what their doing.  In the same way that women buy beauty produts from attractive ladies at Sephora, I bought clippers from a man who seemed to know what he was talking about, and who looked like he knew how to cut hair.

     All in all, the importance of image in a store is undeniable.  It prompts people to make decisions based not on the product but by the appearance of the people and of the store, and also gets people to be long-term customers by having them affiliate/define their style with the one advertised.  Just like with anything else, humans are driven by impulse, and big companies take advantage of this to maximize their number of customers.  Hiring people who "look the part" is a part of business, and business is not always fair. 

[CE] Hope for Korea(s)

Many can recall or at least knows about the unification of Eastern and Western Berlin, Germany via the taking down of the Berlin wall.  A Unified Germany now stands in its place.  A somewhat similar occurrence may be underway in the upcoming/distant years as North Korea and South Korea conjecture about their plausible unification.  South Korea wants to be careful to avoid any civil unrest and social problems as there was a consierable amount following the fall of the Berlin wall.  Also, North Korea continues to be suspicious of South Korea and of he idea of unification, as it holds is *communist government and ideals very close to heart (at least the dictator does).  North Korea's extremist leader, Kim Jong Il and his son have been a large barrier between peaceful negotiations.  The nuclear arms race, cultural differences, leadership, and safety are the main problems at this point and need to be dealt with in order to have a successful unification of Korea (N+S).

I remember a story my grandmother told me about how she went on a trip to the boarder of North and South Korea as part of a tour-type of deal, and how a Japanese lady disobeyed the rules and went on an early morning walk the wall's elevated pathway (where tours were taking place the day before).  A North/Southern Korean soldier shouted to her to halt in Korean, but given that she did not understand or seem to notice him, the lady was shot and killed on her walk.  It goes to show how serious the problems are between North and South Korea, not to mention the disparities in wealth, food, etc.  I'm curious to know what the "real" opinions are of the Northern Koreans without having such heavy censorship.

Like numerous other countries, political ideologies, religion, and cultural values will continue to rip communities apart and will continue to do so as long as there are differences in opinion and the unwillingness to compromise.

[FP] A different movie...

During my...I think sophomore year i saw this movie..





This is by far one the best movies, along with another one like it where 4 tribesmen from I think it was another part in Africa were hosted in a number of American family homes and immersed into the American culture with a variety of host families from ranchers, to NY upper class, and a California home.  Both the movie in the video and the one I forgot the name of have been real eye openers to me and to some of the members of my family I introduced it to. 

The sheer differences between cultures are so interesting and the histories of how people came to be who they are today is just fascinating.  The Sudanese "lost boys" have endured so much, yet do not hold grudges or hate anyone for what has happened to their families.  Their view on life is quite inspiring, and their interpretations of American materialism and attitudes are very humbling and heartwarming. 

I enjoy watching the big movies out in the theatres a lot no doubt, but mixing in documentaries, short films, and artsy like movies that arent advertised on tv have proven to be really beneficial to me. 

[RP] "just" college?

College related posts have obviously been quite popular this year.  Adam's post about his plans for college and some of his concerns are very down to earth and easy to relate to as I'm sure only a small percentage of students are verbally committed or have been accepted to a college so far.

Here's something to lighten the mood, it's part of a show by Pen and Teller called bullshit; this one pertains to college



Though Pen and Teller shouldn't really be taken 100% seriously, they make really interesting points (often cynical) about how society influences the choices we make greatly.  College, while being study oriented, is 50% give or take social.  College is the buffer between real life in the business world as a young adult, and school.  Americans these days have seen college as a necessity for success and practically everything we do from day one of kindergarten to the last day of our senior years in high school, build up to who we are in the eyes of our employers, or those who admit us into certain institutions, in this case, college.

Though UC's and other Universities have been the subject of awe and necessity for most students, what really seems to be left out in terms of benefits and equality of education and social campus life are the other colleges like community, state, private, charter, etc.  There are people who know about this, but these are the people who look into it.  UC's however are put right into our line of sight as a personal goal, and often people feel distressed or just down that they might not have a good chance to get into one of these schools.  No matter what your circumstance, there is most often a college or higher education opportunity for you somewhere.  Chances are that most are better off going to a smaller school, paying less tuition, enjoying a more close-knit community, and coming out of college less in debt, than other people who feel its completely necessary to get into the best school/University possible.  Sometimes big colleges don't have your area of interest, and joining a college just because of the name or prestige that comes with it is not necessarily a key to success.



On a personal note, we at AHS are (I believe to be) very well educated as a whole.  The schools in our area have proportionately high standards, and the things we have been exposed to, living here in the bay may be considered by some to be quite different than other students throughout the state/country.  I have heard Adam talk in class and have gotten to get a feel for what hes thinking somewhat in class discussions and I know hes a smart dude, so I am hoping the best for him in his college application process...of which I myself am yet to start unfortunately.

[FP] Fat America...what would happen if food was free?

This post is in no way expressing any liberal or communist viewpoint, but instead I am curious about the tendencies and morality of the Average American when it comes to food and ultimately their health.

Here is the question...."If food in America were to be free, as in communal (restaurants would be free despite level of quality, price, etc.) would America's obesity problem/weight go down or rise?"

 You always hear about these books and movies on how bad fast food is, and how the price of fast food (it seems that the prices aren't as cheap as they used to be) prompts the poor to buy it to save money, and sometimes because its simply the easiest way (not to mention people hooked on its taste).  BUT what would happen if healthier foods were available to these overweight, possibly lower class Americans?  Would they make the "right" choice and begin to eat a healthier, more nutritious diet?...or would they pig out?  Would America benefit from free communal food (I realize that free food is an impossibility for a whole nation of our consumptive tendencies)? 

I feel like our society marginalizes those who are obese or eat unhealthy foods regularly due to their circumstances.  Obesity really is a growing problem in America, and will only rise.  I feel that Americans are unwilling to sacrifice their own health for others, and often label each other due to their social class, occupation, and among many other things, their diets.  Im just curious about whether those who depend on low cost, fast food, or what have you, have the drive to eat better, but cannot because of the price of healthier foods, or the time and preparation needed to go to the grocery store and cook yourself.