So long as you do not stop...

A Case Above the Clouds

I have dreams of living in a castle beyond the sky
It is most high and most intangible.
It is most beautiful, most romantic, most perfect in all its components.
In the daze of the day, It can appear shy
Hidden under layers of long thought like prayers
But even these duck and hide
for the fear of its ultimate demise.

Sometimes, I sit and sigh… 
What is good of a dream if it is so high?
Is it the height of Good that seems so desirable to I?
Or could it just be the substance which lies beneath
what can be seen by the eye.

I must believe that Good cannot be seen
That it grows like imagination, and a dream.
One day in hopes to be put to life
To take action
replacing dark with light.
But is Good, truly good without the opposing?
Would light be so bright if it didn’t have its opponent?

I guess, what is left, 
is only contained in my belief
because much like this castle
it dwells in my dreams.

Sometimes, I sit and sigh,
In utter awe and impatience
for ultimate revelation 
to pass by.

Behind the #’s, A brief explanation

In accountancy for 5 very long, and quite possibly very boring blog post, you might have wondered; What’s behind the numbers? The numbered blog post are just rushed half baked essays I wrote for my Composition 1 class. I think in total we wrote somewhere around 10 essays, including a research paper. So that would mean half of them I posted on here, the five in the other half where either A. Too boring B. I didn’t feel like they were worth all the typing, or C. My insanely long research paper. If you actually made it through reading them you’ll notice many grammatical errors, overuse and misuse of words/wording and maybe some not-so-valid points. Do not fear, I am fully aware of this. I figured actually having to reread, type out, and attempt to make them sound somewhat cool would help me for next semester in 1102. So hopefully it results in success.

Something, Something, Something about Fads #5

Fads are  ever changing. They come and go by the seasons. Present in vibrant colors, angular shapes, and repetitious ways, someone can always look forward to a new “it” thing. Sometimes, fads are inconspicuous, so much that a person might not even know they they’ve become one with it. And although fads are continuous among groups of people, they always provide the win-win situation. Fads serve as a safe haven for the undaring (in the most non-radical way of course). People feel more comfortable with change as a whole; therefore, fads always end in mainstream media. They undergo a process of deliberation, a point where a majority will uncertainly go in pursuit only because they all are doing it. That is the irony in fading; one likes it because everyone else does, and that somehow translates into some personal preference of self.

In a rush of time, it seems as if fads have a mind of their own. They are almost like the mad scientist in a cliche kids movie, always in disposition to try and conquer the world by some evil standard. Fads are genius in the sense that they begin a self pursuing revolution. The creator of a fad may not even believe in the fad itself, but in the power to make people move.

In fading change is constant, which disputes an infinite result. Almost every fad will go around, around, and around. Always making its way back to point A in a new, modern, innovative way. The circulation of fads is what makes it easy to disguise. By some ingenious formula, they continue to renovate under the peoples noses. It is the ‘vicarity’ of opinion and media which allows fads to thrive. The living and breathing “cool” has to be put into action.

In mainstream media and everyday life, fads are mad a point. They present themselves in magazines, on the television, public advertisement, and other sources of information. Media feeds off of fads and many companies make profit in recreation and accordance to what is cool. Since fads take such a high stance in society and it’s opinion, it makes it hard to depict what may be fad, and what is truth.

Fads, I believe, are a distortion of what is real. A separation from the normal only to bring it back where it originally began. I could go on to say that fads are a delusion of the mind, a mental truth, that they can only exist as a mental concept, and are not a reality. But that would just be wrong, you know… in the ironic sense of the word.

We Chose These Halls, they didn’t choose us. #4

In college, most students who attend have made a choice to further their education. They go to school with the notion that this could make some positive contribution to their own, individual future. Or, to say the least, a college education might lead them in the right direction. Still, even with the reality of this fact (that everyone in college has, in some way or another, made a choice to be there) you still encounter the variance in approach. Much like high school, the college classroom setting includes a variety of learners, and although everyone feels this will do something for them, and that they are willfully there; there still exist that very wide gap in classroom ethic. Classroom ethic can stretch across a broad spectrum of people, all inquiring different ways of learning. Despite cultural differences and/or social perspective, the student approach to handling class can -like many other things in life- be categorized and sub-categorized.

The first type of student you might encounter in a classroom setting would be what some would call the “Over-Intellectual”. This type of student is easy to point out, mostly because he (or she) is almost always the first to ask an over simplified question. This is the student who is fearless when an answer is needed, and doesn’t hesitate to voice an opinion. Characteristics include promptness in due dates, assignments and 110% effort. In life, there exist some hidden motivation for this smart-aleck, or “Over-Intellectual”; one that no one else can really seem to understand.

The second student we find in a college classroom setting would be what one could call “The Interactive”. Much like the Over Intellectual student, The Interactive does not hesitate to answer a question and be vocal. The difference arises when opinion is combined. The Interactive student tends to be more selective with wording, being sure not to offend anyone, yet still not afraid to speak. The interactive student creates kind of an oxymoron of his classroom existence, appearing to be far more intelligent than he may actually be. They are quite wordy, in a fabricated, unoriginal way. You find these students to be good friends with the teacher, and most of the time, punctual. And though they might not pull through every single time, 98% seems to be enough.

As the development in student classroom ethic progresses (or should I say, regresses) you will find that student activity tends to dwindle. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the level of interest has become less appealing, but that the reality of motivation is that it varies. The next type of student one may come across would be “The Lethargic One”. Often poetic (hence the exaggeration in the word ‘one’), the lethargic has many philosophical things to say, but does not care enough to say them. These students show up to class with a half hearted spirit, partially daydreaming, and has a mind that runs a mile a minute. The Lethargic One has good intentions, but weak follow through. They are inconsistent, hard to take note of, and still, brilliant. They are the bend in the rules and it is for them that the great transition in campus variation exist.

The last type of student needs little explaining. It all comes with the name, every classroom has one and subconsciously everyone takes note of this type of student. It is “The Sleeper” the student that, without fail, is always uninterested and asleep. The sleeper may wish to be a good student, but the reality is that class ends for them when the snoozing starts (which is usually far to early in the game). The Sleeper is the least motivated, and usually cannot figure out the cause. It is through their hazy vision that they accept below average, and live under par.

In these descriptions of college classroom etiquette we find revelations of behavior and personality. While all college students have in common the fact that they have made the choice to be there; they still encounter the difference in motivation. While some factors, some intentions, are very much the same - one size does not fit all. Classrooms are made tailored to the success of a certain type of student, but even though the approach to classroom ethic may not be socially right… Does that make it individually wrong?

Social Media: To Be or Not to Be? #3

In today’s day and age advancements in technology are continuous and rapidly increasing on a weekly basis. These advancements in technology allow for many practical, everyday things to be done at ease. With access to a computer, someone can connect across a broad spectrum of the world and complete task like bill paying, appointment set ups, and even homework, all in the ease of their own home. Not only does computer access prove to be beneficial (or so to say) in professional aspects of life, social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Myspace, have made people relations virtual, and that is when a problem arises.

In teen life there are numerous distractions from the needed. Among them may be friends, relationships, and consequently, social networks. More than half of students in high schools and colleges around the world admit to having profiles on social networking sites. More so than that, a great percentage of those students admit to logging on for hours a day on these social networks. Social networking makes friendships and networking easier and while this proves helpful in many aspects of teen life, they also provide and excuse to spend hours on things other than priorities. While the overuse of procrastination may suffice without any help from outside sources, social networking sites have to be the master of disguise when serving as a distraction from homework.

Society has a set of rules, stereotypes to an extent, which paradoxically determine a persons status quo. In social media, those societal problems and stereotypes are publicized and reaffirmed. Many teens use social media as an outlet to friends, consistently uploading photos, and status updates, altering opinions to the according; to prove they’re worthy. In the case of influence, beyond anything virtual, it would still exist; but, if at the click of a button, someone could find a way to make people like them more, Would that not threaten ones individuality? Social media is criminal when expressing an ideal, and while that ideal may not align with a personal view, a push of influence is all it can take.

Not only does social networking serve as a distraction from priorities, threaten ones individuality, and enforce social standard of “good and bad”, it can be the root of health problems. Having daily activities which may otherwise take action and calorie burn to complete, to be done within arms reach has to somehow be hazardous to health. In weight gain and physical activity (or lack thereof) social networking is a great companion. People make it less of a goal to meet up and walk at the park when they are able to talk about the same things via webcam. 

Similar to texting, virtual chatting is the supreme of awkward when put face to face. If social networking makes virtual communication so easy, then it must take a toll on real communication skills. Everyone has that group of people on either Facebook, or Twitter. The ones that they may see everyday, that they are virtually “friends” with, yet have never shared a spoken word. Social networking makes that okay, and that, without a doubt, depletes person to person skill.

Social networking sites threaten the genuine likes of human race, often fabricating things like communication and providing an outlet for which people aimlessly spend time that could be beneficial. In social media, there is an existence of positives. A list of benefits which could go on and on. Yet still, when in an cause and effect relationship with the negatives of social networking, they could very well be out weighed. So to the final question; When given the option of brawl between our virtual lives and reality… which would you choose?