For those interested

Again with the China bit, it consumes me all apologies. I've come back with an idea and a calling out of assistance. Along my travel through all the in's and out's of the land of the far east i will be on the move constantly, that's the static goal anyway. while out, as i've said, i want to engage in conversation with many new people, get to know the local a bit. this is going to be possible, but at times on night trains or alone, my ipod will become my sole companion. because of this, i am cleaning it out, and filling it with a soundtrack for this time abroad. this is where suggestions are needed. music across a wide plain will be needed for an outing like mine, samples from all genres.

Notes on Fowl Reading

Come August, I will be setting sail once again onto my longest adventure. I will be China bound for the semester, a chance of a lifetime. Recent unforeseen events seemed to be set to spoil such an opportunity, but the clouds have begun to clear, and it seems China is a Go. In preparation, i've taken to reading Riding the Iron Rooster by acclaimed travel writer Paul Theroux. Basically it's his story of traveling across China using nothing but train to get around. Although I'm only mid-way through, my enthusiasm for my own travel has been resparked. I expect to be able to experience many similar events he has described. With a people that have come through so much, and now look to become contenders for world titles, the Chinese have something to say. I hope to hear that and dig into their inner-opinions. This book was written 20+ years ago, so these conversations I've been hearing from Paul may not be identical to the chats i dive into during my own excursion. What is true though is these people will introduce me to thoughts i've never pondered. In my fraction of experience as a world traveler, i've traveled with no set companions. Arrival to my destinations, i've always managed to rope someone into a friendship though. China will be the same, i have no personal connection with anyone traveling to study other than the mutual choice of UNK. This is how the fowl trip unfolded and continues to be thus far. And now in direct relation, there seems to be raising a impulse about me, one not of the nervous uncertainty, but of the unending drive and anticipation to begin.

Procrastination

Contrary to New Theories-Final # Three Yo!

Parents, scientists, and social theorists have it wrong. Well, at least not right anyway.

Today we are hearing more and more about the negative effects of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook have on the young sponges of society. Twitter is melting their minds down to mush, rendering them useless for higher learning or positive choices later in life. What are these new technologies? Programs developed for communication or the newest high off the street slowly pulling us all in as addicts?

Neuroscientist and psychologists have always preached to parents that some new technology is corrupting their youngsters. Provocative television, violence in movies, subliminal lyrics etc. the list goes on and on. Its true, many of these outlets youth turn to can have negative effects on them, but rarely to the degree they warn.

Case in point, in 1985 James Vance and his buddy Ray Belknap shot themselves in the face with a 12 gage shotgun. The cause? Their mothers blamed the heavy metal music they listened to. They attempted to sue Judas Priest for the damages caused. The result? They lost. What was neglected to be mentioned was their homes were intertwined with gambling and alcohol addictions and the boys were stoned drunk and hyped up on illegal drugs. A bit outdated and a drastic case, but the media they consumed was blamed for their problems.

Today, the internet takes the blunt of the blame for the problems of the youth. It is said to be causing shorter attention spans, a decline in real contact social abilities, and even rewiring the brain to that compared to an infant. A little far don’t ya think, considering the Web hasn’t even been able to sweepingly affect minds until the early to mid 1990’s.

Cell phones too, hold the responsibility for our mentally deficient youngins. Texting has replaced talking, meaning no child can now competently carry on a conversation using common English. Or, we have seen the development of a new form of short-hand, comparable to what is used in note-taking, now in simple conversations. Shortened phrases, symbols replacing words, readable to those who know the “language”. . . I would categorize that as short-hand writing.

What experts in their respected fields don’t warn the masses about are the extraordinarily positive effects the internet has on youth and adults alike. We are now easily able to contact and keep in contact with friends and relatives like no other generation could imagine. Information on any subject is now at the touch of a button, a millisecond away. Products and goods can now be found, bought, and brought to your doorstep without the hassle of lines and shortages.

The scientists do have something right, though. We are developing an on demand attitude. Good or bad, we want what we want, now. This is probably due to our advancing technologies or our evolving world. The chicken or the egg question. Whichever, cell phones now outnumber watches, lap-tops are an essential in every coffee shop, and ear buds are more fashionable than ear rings. Who’s to say this is a bad thing?

Scientists and parents are just scared of the advancing world, one dependent on technology. If the entire infrastructure of the internet collapses, cellular towers crumble, and heaven forbid TV frequencies become lost in endlessness of space, then what will we ever do? Be catapulted back into the stone-age, with no foundation to base society on is my guess. Or we could all relax, take a step back, teach our kids to reason and write, and continue through the daily grind.

New thoughts, no go

facebook, twitter? rotting your brain from the inside out? no way brotha, its expanding your capabilities like you never would have known. Think about it, you can chat with a friend in Argentina, buy shiz in Egypt, and watch the going-on's in Alabama. Is that a downfall? Limiting what a person becomes? I think not. For a young person or an old dogg, social networking, and the internet is actually taking what you can and want to do, and blowin that into space and beyond. It is not, like experts want to say, slowing your abilities, making you an ADHA crazy, or boiling your brain to gravy. Nada yo's, nada!

Network

After recently viewing the critically acclaimed film Network, and by recently I mean last week, I was pretty impressed. It was compelling, dramatic, humorous at times, all in all a complete film. It does seem to be most interesting because of how timeless it is. Being made it 1976, it can still be compared to our current media situation. For example, the littlest things such as when the Diana character is spewing what the newspapers are containing, things haven't changed much. Wars between small militia groups over territory or religion, oil prices skyrocketing, etc. Opening today's newspapers would be quite similar. If we dive further, and look at the techniques they were using to become the top network, nothing has changed, and in fact that could be the scariest part. They wanted their network to have the highest rating, and how? By having the most sensational program at any cost. Beale was a rambling idiot, making some sense, but really just loony with a camera on him, and he was put on air because people were watching. He wasn't put there because of the message he was conveying to the American people, he was making money. The same was true with the programs Diana was expecting for the new season, something that would almost disgust people, but keep them tuned in. This was the train wreck theory, terrible, horrible, catastrophic event that no one wants to see, but yet when its covered, no one can turn away.

Who are you?

With the World Affairs Conference earlier this week, I had the chance to hear from people from across our social spectrum. These people gave us a view of a different life. Their stories began a thought process of my own, who we are and how we get to where we’re going.
Life changing experiences, we all have them. Learning to walk, making friends, getting a car, first days of school and graduations, weddings and funerals. All of these shape us into what we become. Some place so emphasis on learning or working, striving to be smarter, stronger, richer, or just greater. Experiences open to those quick out of the gates, and close to those dragging their feet, regardless though, these experiences help make us, us.
What people forget along their road of experiences isn’t the life changers, but the life definers. Instances in our being where we make a decision that shows who we are, not what we are. Decisions such as these are critical, and become elements of that individual. These arise before all of us, each person gaining their uniqueness one choice at a time. When are these moments? One doesn’t know until they’re over, looking back and seeing the affects. For me, a choice of definition came upon my first travel abroad.
I was a senior in high school, had little experience outside Nebraska’s border states, never been on a plane, and I went to Germany for three weeks with a group of strangers. From take off, I was hooked. A fire had been lit, and has continually burned since. To this day, I’ve returned to Europe twice, once for vacation and another as a study abroad. That initial defining moment began an unending addiction to see, taste, try and experience anything and everything.
And the addiction continues, I’ve applied for another study abroad, to China now. This opportunity grabbed hold of me because of what possibilities will arise from it. I will be able to be completely immersed into a culture and people that is far from normal to me. This is what drives me the most, a chance to break free from my “comfort zone.” China, I imagine, will be another defining moment for me.
And what China is to me, is what I imagine is needed by everyone. Times where the world is turned upside down, times that throw you spinning, times that truly define the individual. It’s here that people are able to really see who they are, and what they’re made of. One doesn’t have to fly around the world to see themselves, but they need to be in a place with no safety lines or life jackets, where the true you emerges. For me, its these adventures that pull me out to sea, and I am able to let go and take the ride.
So for those out there, comfortably strolling through life, stop. Take a look at what you’ve done and seen, do you know who you are and not what you’re becoming? I have little knowledge on this when compared to the many speakers heard this past week, but I do know this world doesn’t wait. Now is the time for you to make that choice, something that identifies you. An adventure abroad or just a step out of your everyday norm, something that you can take away with a new image of yourself. Life changes in an instant, but in the big picture, what defines you?