[RE] Current Events and us

This segment stoof out to me from Lina Savage's post

"I would have never found out about important events, from the conflict in Libya to the hurricanes in the East Coast. "

I feel as if events around the world, that are actually rather substantial are a bit hidden from a majority of the younger population. Personally I feel that if you want to learn about the happenings of the world you must actively seek out whats happening. It's hard for teenagers to be involved with current events while we have active social lives accompanied with heavy school work.

If current events were more prevalent in our day to day lives, then I strongly feel like when you ask someones opinions on whats happening they wouldn't reply with just a shrug and an indifferent ehhh. People would have more solid opinions instead of taking in whatever their favorite teacher says without actually knowing what they are agreeing with. There's a dark notion within the back of my mind that my generation only care about something once their freedoms or pleasures are impeded on. Empathy is becoming harder to spread around.

I'm not sure how to entice others to pay attention when I, myself, am hardly keeping track of what happens in the world. I rely on my teachers to talk about it with the class, which i find to be incredibly insightful. While I dont always participate in class discussion I get so much from hearing my teacher talk about whats going on and other students inputs. Hopefully something big...but not too big happens to us so we become more aware of our neighbors, other humans around the world.

[FR] Onegai Sensei

So today I met a new guy named Jeff. He's a very interesting person, who surprisingly shares a lot of interests as I do. We both like to bike, watch anime, and geek out over things. The kicker, to me, was when i found out he was 30 years old!! He had a wife and a two year old daughter, who would shank and stomp on him, yet he looked to be of early 20's or even late teens! I found this to be incredible.

I've always wanted myself to be the "cool" kind of adult. I've even thought about being a teacher every now and then because it looked so FUN to be out there and molding minds and what not. But then i realize a lot of people my age seem to blow off older people, who aren't even that old (25-40ish). They knock them off as too old, and that they wouldn't understand. I hear students say some snarky remark thinking they're outsmarting a teacher, but it's so incredibly obvious by context of what it is that they are implying. The way students run around thinking they are so much better than teachers, who are there to help them out, irks me to no end.

To understand that we all live in the same world, to actually think of each other as equals instead of one always being the other is what society should push for, no matter how unrealistic is something that should always be sought after.

[CE] Words in Bullets out

Human beings. How I am torn with our decisions over conflict. War, an action to move political messages. To get more oil, to secure relations, and for some other reasons that I am not aware of or can remember are the main reasons for US to be in Afghanistan. I think it's despicable to make our soldiers fight battles in which they are not fully aware of their main reason. I believe in very strongly that if you are able to get worked over an issue to the point that you would send troops somewhere to settle things, that you should be the one fighting, or at the very least you should be leading the fight on the front lines. Sadly, this is not the case. Those who have "high" rank jobs, for whatever reason, need to be protected at home instead of actually defending their opinions.

In this video clip I have a tremendous amount of respect for these medics who fly around in hot zones rescuing people. What I love and hate is that they try their best to heal friendlies and enemies alike. It takes so much gal to fly a helicopter into the middle of a battle while bullets whiz by and strike your craft. No matter how much protection you have there will always be the chance of an rpg speeding on by towards your craft. Putting your own safety away to tend to those who have already been injured is an amazing human trait that is found less often in people. Now to heal the injured of others is something that I love because it shows human compassion, that we are all one species, one type of animal and that we care for one another severely. I hate it at the same time because what is even the point of war if we are just reviving everyone(not literally)? It prolongs battles to unnecessary lengths and makes it hard to win. To prevent unnecessary pain and death I feel like the people/companies who help spark these wars figure it out between themselves, and to save our forces for defense instead of invasion. A news crew went to Afghanistan with a picture of the twin towers burning, and most of the people asked had no idea what the picture was of. Which means that a great number of people in Afghanistan have no justification for American troops to be living within their borders.

Just my two cents

[BC] Ohai UC's

I've spent my entire life using electronics and other technology on a regular basis. My peers and I were always quick at adapting to new toys or tools that would be placed in front of us. As I grew older, better and faster electronics were being pushed out into the market. Noticing this steep incline of advancing technology I began to realize that I had no idea how the things I used worked.

To suddenly be self-aware, to mentally realize that I've been living the "ignorance is bliss" lifestyle truly upset me. My hunger for knowledge of the how and why grew insatiable. At an early stage of my life the world of Science was revealing itself to me, and I graciously allowed it to become a part of my life. To understand, not just use, became my drive for performing well in school, especially in the sciences.

As I continued to age and mature I became aware of how my family was actually quite involved in the science community. My grandfather Alfred Redfield, who used to work with horseshoe crabs, but now with some sort of magnets, has really inspired me to pursue this dream of mine. To discover amazing secrets that our Universe, and our minds, hold. Ever since I was a child I found it hard to talk to my grandfather, but whenever I am in his presence I am continuously awed by his intelligence and demeanor. See my grandfather's prowess makes me yearn to be as apt in my own field.

Humans are a species that fascinate me like no other. For quite awhile in my life I wanted to study the human brain along with human behavior. We are very complicated animals that act in a manner unlike those of other animals in nature. To understand why that was possible eluded my young mind. However, since entering high school my aspirations have changed from understanding human brains to understanding what we actually make. Things that we have made, and are capable of making, simply leave me dumbfounded. What truly interests me is the amazing electronics we make, specifically computers.

Computers seem so much more powerful and faster than humans who have created it. From "simple" calculators to the blazingly high speed computers that our military uses, each one was designed then programmed by humans. I'm astounded by the incredible things we can accomplish using computers, so much so that I am doing everything within my power to obtain more knowledge on the subject. I want to know how this thing, that people rely on everyday, operates and functions. I feel my human obligation to advance our technology and improve a device that's already evolving to new levels monthly. I feel the drive to create a computer or program so mind boggling that it will, in itself, inspire a whole new generation to ask the questions, how and why.

[RE] Give a hoot!

While snooping around Justin's blog, he said something that really caught my eye.

Not really worrying about the future consequences. I'm not saying over think everything, but sometimes give yourself a wake up call. I feel like some people don't really think before they do...

 It really irks me when people do stuff without the ability to do something without cause. I hate watching people go up to the garbage bins at school and constantly put stuff in the wrong bin. I have to get up and talk about it to them, but it seems like less and less people care.
Some of my close friends have been doing this and when I confronted them, about destroying the Earth and all the environmental stuff I love, they replied back to me, "I won't be alive I don't care" I get so upset when i hear that response.
I don't like this ignorance is bliss ordeal that people get into so easily. Why would you not want to know the facts about anything you can. To mentally choose to block out stuff that bothers you about the world really cuts you off as a person, at least in my book. Many Americans seem to be almost proud that they don't know things. "Pfft I dont know!" is something that is very common to hear. Rarely is there a , " Explain" I think it is either because people become so prideful, or because they just don't care.
What makes people care though? Based off of the refusal to give a hoot, I'm starting to believe that people only care about a specific world (or local) issue once, and only once it involves the individual in subject. Self promotion, without instant gratification people will rarely step up and do something for the common good.
I sincerely believe that the more knowledge you collect on your journey of life, the more choices you will be able to choose from. Choices are what makes our lives eventful and humane.

[FR] Refleccion

It's amazing how people change over 4 quick years. I'm sure I've changed in almost every aspect, no matter how much I want to tell myself that I am the same old Adam. Only recently have I thought that it's okay to change and not retain the same "you". I used to hold this pride in the fact that I could see everyone else change before my eyes, yet in my own biased opinion I was relatively the same. Stepping out of my ego for a moment I've come to terms with the severity of my own being which has, hopefully, matured.
Something that I constantly think that I have a sure foothold on is my goals in life. Now that I take the time to sit and think about goals, I'm starting to think that my goals may have been something that's been the most unstable of my... personality(?)
Something, that I think, know for sure is that  I want a career with nature (enviro science) or with technology (comp sci) . Now these are two very conflicting choices for me, as the two are nowhere in the same field as the other. So in college I can't just so easily switch to the other if something comes up. I sincerely care for the Earth and the pursuit to gain and spread knowledge of our amazing Earth. I think it's amazingly irresponsible of us to know more about the moon, a satellite orbiting our planet, instead of our oceans, which could contain incredible secrets to help us progress as a species.
Then there are computers, amazing man made machines that have the potential to surpass the human brain! (some would argue it already has). Any advancement of technology I am fully behind (that is relatively eco friendly). Unlike many people I am all in for human/robotic fusion, upon consent. I am a strong believer of the right to do to your own body as you wish, and i for one would love to to activities my human nature restricts. More on this later~

[CE] Protest

This report brings about familiar feelings within me. I'm not going to lie and spout that I came up with the phrase, "All these countries are rising up, fighting for their education, but when are we going to?" I've been clearly brainwashed by Mr. Sutherland, but in all honesty I have done nothing to show my concern for the turns my educational future seem to be taking. 

As a student, I'm jumping through all of these hoops that I'm being told to jump through. I believe because I havn't been fully exposed to it. Currently I am trying to make the most of what I have. At this point in my life  I see that focusing on school work, which takes up much more time then others would assume, gives instant rewards( ie good grades).

I feel like Protesting is the main things someone like me would be able to do, and at this point I don't see how I could muster up the time and effort needed to be behind that. When I've asked a couple of my friends how they would feel to protest with me, they told that they felt as if they wouldn't make a difference. This constant reply has really brought my spirits down, and sadly I'm starting to agree with them. Unless we can muster up a nations worth of action, I feel as if my efforts will be easily squandered.

While I believe education is something that needs serious reforming, I am lost as to what I can do, without hindering my own educational competitiveness, to change our educational system for the better.