GOOD BYE AP COMP

AP Comp 115,135,258,365
      Anna 22,115,263
      Bitzer 33,256, 289
      Eating Babies 145, 235
      Frustration 269, 336
      Gossip 254-360
     
Author Study 130-136
     Chuck Klosterman 148
      Effort 256,275
      Lots of Hours 368, 425
      Satire (See footnote)
      Terrorists 159,227

Martin Luther King 227-235
      CRJ (see attachment)
      I Have a Dream 330
      Letter from Birmingham 225
      Summer Homework 118,126

Other 267,325

    Comic Sans 189

    David Foster Wallace 185, 223
    Free Writes 127,213
    Mini Postcard (see attachment)
    What should I write? 165, 189, 225
   

     


     

Apparently, we're all stupid

Mark Bauerlein, the author of The Dumbest Generation  is kind of an ass. Sorry. His whole book was a criticism of generation Y and how they are the dumbest generation. His writing style is this. Fact. Fact. Fact. Generation Y is dumb. Fact. Fact. Generation Y is REALLY dumb. Although his argument came off strong and was incredibly clear, he didn't leave much room for analysis and didn't explain why these facts were of any importance. Bauerlein is often incredibly dramatic in his predictions and over all assumptions. He thinks that just because our generation spends time on the internet that our whole world is gonna go down the toilet and basically, we are going to be the reason for the world ending.

I did not particularly enjoy his book. Although there were a few moments of  "Yeah I guess I agree with him" as a whole I did not find this book to be incredibly effective. Spewing out facts at a reader makes for a really boring book. If Bauerlein had thrown in a few anecdotes or personal stories it would have made his argument a lot more effective. Although his statistics are probably true, I felt like they were often times taken out of context. Since this is a book based on argument, Bauerlein had to be biased but to me he was too biased (if that's possible).

I don't know the quote exactly, but Hana Kassem brought up this one quote by Aristotle or Socrates or some ancient smart guy who basically insulting the generation that is younger than him. That is what Bauerlein was doing. Everybody is going to think that the generation that comes after them is a mess and doesn't know what the hell is going and will ruin society. I'm sure I will think that when my kids are young but that is a part of growing up. So, this proves that the argument that Bauerlein is presenting is old news. Everybody is worried that the young kids are going to screw up the world and if they do well, shit. It's a good thing that I won't be alive to see it. The world is evolving and we have to shape ourselves to fit this world. So, sorry Baurlein if I don't go to the library every single night to get a book. Lucky for me, I can download it on my Kindle. 

Solution to World Poverty

Poverty has and always will be an issue. That's just the way it's going to be. As much as I wish that everybody was equal in the world that is just not going to happen and I think it will be extremely difficult to get the wealthier countries to donate their goods and efforts to the poorer countries.

Pros:

• Equality
• Lower Mortality Rate (because countries will now have clean water, food, good healthcare etc.)
• Longer life expectancy because of all things mentioned above
• Less wars because of the equality 

Cons:

• It won't work

SORRY SINGER. It just won't work. Let's think smaller scale. Rich people don't want to pay higher taxes. What makes you think rich countries will want to help poor countries? They won't. So, although this idea is wonderful and the world would be a better place if this happened, it just isn't possible.

Hello 2014

New Year's Eve is my favorite holiday (if it's even considered a holiday). I love the whole spirit surrounding that day even more than the spirit of Christmas. In my family, New Year's Eve/Day is the big winter holiday. Russian people don't really celebrate Christmas on December 25th so NYE is the big hoorah. Santa (or Father Frost as he is referred to) comes and we open presents and have a big party and it's a blast. Since I come from a different culture it's fun to compare what Americans do for the New Year versus what Russian's do and I think resolutions is just an American think. My parent's have never once been like "OK. Time to sit down and brainstorm all the ways we are gonna be different next year". No. That just doesn't happen. So I think that this whole New Year, New Me nonsense is just in the U.S. although I might/probably am wrong. I think that the New Year is a symbol for change and that is why everyone is so quick to change. It's basically an excuse to completely change your personality over night. I think resolutions are cool and all and no matter how many times I have said, I'm gonna exercise or I'm gonna do my homework right away, it never happens. The people who can write and stick to resolutions? Kudos to them. I'm super jealous but I'm not one of those people. But basically, I think the whole idea of re-inventing yourself is cool and all but I doubt that many people follow through. 

HOOORAAAAY FOR 2014! 

yo

Sorry, laying in bed dying from the black plague. I will blog later. (maybe)

Reactions to School

1. You're annoyed because it takes up 7 hours of your day
2. Fury because your parents didn't tell you that it lasts 13 years
3. Anger because people don't know how to walk in the hallways
4. Annoyed again because you spent so much time at school yet you don't know how to pay bills or taxes or take out a loan, but I can graph a polynomial function!! 
5. Sometimes excited when you show up to class and your teacher has the word "Video" written up on the board
6. Hateful when you see the words "Test on Thursday" written on the board.
7. Stressed because you have 3 tests and 5 quizzes this week and you did absolutely nothing related to studying over the weekend
8. Jumping off the walls excited when your teacher says the test has been moved to next week (rarely)
9. Pissed because you have to wait 7 minutes in line to go to the bathroom 
10. Tired because it takes all of your energy to walk from Culinary to 4A
11. Calm because there are 3000 other people who suffer like you

Traditions!

I LOVE THANKSGIVING! I think it's a great holiday. Thanksgiving means it is now socially acceptable to blast Christmas music 24/7. Awesome. 

Ok. In my opinion, traditions are a great thing. I think they started (or at least in my family) because we wanted to remember something that somebody did. For example, my great grandma always made fish on Thrusday's, so now we all make fish for dinner on Thursday's. In the Gonikman house, Sunday is cleaning day (referred to as Sunday Fun-day). My grandma cleaned on Sunday's, my mom cleans on Sunday's which means that I clean on Sunday's. Although these aren't the super cool, super fun traditions like always putting up the tree on December 1st or making Turkey on Thanksgiving, they are still traditions. We do it because it's easy. We don't have to make up anything new, just do the same thing as last year. Although it can be boring sometimes, I don't think there is anything wrong with traditions and don't find them bizarre at all. It's just, I don't know, normal.

Happy Holidays!