BITZER!!!!1!!one!

To my readers who are unaffiliated with my AP composition class (if you exist) feel free to ignore the contents of this note, and fear not if you don't get the arcane reference to the obscure rhetorician.

Fun

• lightening the mood,
• giving hope in bleak situations,
• humor unit,
• gaffe and faux pas,
• unintended puns,
• intended puns,
• arcane jokes,
• collective desire for,
• equal trade curve, see Work,
• sardonic humor,
• comical misanthropy,
• group quizzes,
• quasi-worship of George Orwell

Work

• see: sleep, lack thereof,
• trading curve with Sleep, Fun
• suppressed complaints of,
• brain frying, see sleep
• "what the f*** is rhetoric?"
• aching hand, see FreeWriting
• ponderous color and visuals,
• finding time to do,
• harder than exercise,
• headaches caused by,
• motherly concern for quality of,
• desire to rend, destroy

Blogging

• see Work,
• "who reads this anyway?"
• as a popular medium for presentation,
• colloquial language of,
• audience (or lack thereof),
• difficulty to write in presence of internet,
• wishes for popularity of,
• community / blog conglomerate,
• desire to fry server,
• allows for homework due on sundays,
• misunderstood humor,
• urge to sound intelligent

Presentations

• see Work,
• see Sleep, lack thereof,
• see Fun, gaffe and faux pas,
• see Blogging, popular presentation medium
• exhibition of skills, or lack thereof,
• see Work, "what the f*** is rhetoric?",
• see Sleep, dreams of flying A's,
• see Work, urge to sound intelligent,
• see Work, ponderous visuals and colors,
• see Fun, arcane jokes,
• see Work, motherly concern for quality of,
• see Work, desire to rend, destroy

Sleep

• lack thereof,
• see Work, equal trade curve,
• popular lust for,
• "is for the weak,"
• difficulty of extracting oneself from,
• dreams of flying A's,
• collapsing from brain frying

On "Outliers"

        Hello hello, reader reader. I'll be blunt; I'm writing a book review. I felt that you needed a warning to avoid reading this post if you (like me) aren't particularly entertained by this sort of thing. I did enjoy reading the book, which is why I dredged myself out of my apathetic muck to write about it. I'm certainly not a paid faculty member of a major newspaper, and my only ethos is that of a cynical, bored, quasi-philosophical high-school student, but to me my opinions are completely valid, and if I like a book I can recommend it with conviction to anyone I damn well please. Enough fluff, I'll talk about the book now.

        As you may have guessed, the title of the book is "Outliers." It explores the factors that contribute to the success of individuals, and what distinguishes those who go on to become famous/rich and those who are bound to more subdued fates. Such a work can easily become unwieldy, branching off into heavily abstract discussions and contrived connections, but the author (Malcolm Gladwell) does a marvelous job of making the average reader understand what's going on. His language isn't always simplistic, but the premises for his arguments are; he doesn't generalize, but points out patterns and says "hey, isn't that odd? Doesn't it seem reasonable that this common factor might have something to do with it? After all, X has this relationship with Y, which is related to Z" etc. I personally like that he keeps no undue certainty when discussing success and the factors that contribute to it; after all, success is a very subjective concept, and one can't easily pin down its meaning. 

        One truth that a reader can derive from Outliers is that life is far from fair. Like chaotic systems, the evolution of a person within our society, though highly unpredictable, is heavily dependent on initial conditions. Here is a very poignant example: in the early part of the book, Gladwell examines the correlation between birth date of Canadian hockey players and their successes in the game later on in life. What he found (and the reader derived from data)  was that those born earlier in the year, due to the age requirements for different leagues and training, were much more likely to do well than those born later. Most can agree that how hard someone works should be more important than their birth date in determining success, but again and again we found that those born within certain time ranges were much more likely to succeed than their unlucky counterparts. I was very impressed, because I hadn't yet seen a book that could convey that.

        I suppose I could leave you with a definite recommendation to read or eschew (that's me being wordy, aren't I cool?) the book, but I figured that I could leave you with my model for answering this question when I try to decide for myself whether or not to read a book. Question 1: Does it sound interesting? Question 2: Do I have any desire to read this book? Question 3: Do I have the time to read this book? Question 4: How difficult would it be to obtain this book? You can assign your own weight to these questions, and in the end decide whether or not to read the book. In the end, if the result of the test is ~80%, I personally decide to go out and read the damn thing, but you're free to choose your own interest threshold, of course. Despite my bias, having already read the book, I read my book review and decided that I would want to read Outliers, in case you were wondering. Fine, fine; I understand that you don't want to (and thus won't) go through that process. So here it is: I recommend, nay, DEMAND that you read this book, it will change your life and make you lose 30 lbs. Perhaps the weight-loss part is made up, but it is certainly possible that reading Outliers could have a profound effect on your psyche or world-view. Congratulations if you managed to wade through this paragraph, and I wish I could offer more but I doubt I could reasonably add more to this post.

The pseudo-intellectual manifesto; Or, a letter to my future self

        I'd say hello and ask nicely how you're doing, but since we're essentially the same entity I figured I could get away without shelling out that pleasantry. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be a two-way correspondence, and I could only guess the answers to the questions that I would ask. Under these circumstances, I only imagine that it would be possible to try and give you something useful, give you an epiphany, a blast from the past, etc. In that case, I would have to blindly guess which questions you might ask me, so pardon if you find some irrelevant information. Ironic, isn't it, that I'm writing this letter? What could your past self possibly give you but outdated information? In this letter I will attempt to form you into the perfect being, the one that I aspire to be; well rounded, kind, etc. This letter will be an additional pressure aiding your constant desire to achieve perfection. If I were a perfect being, then this letter would not be necessary; one, however, has to recognize their own faults, and I am no exception. I will remind you of the ideals that you once had, in an attempt to get you to conform to them. Perhaps this is not for your good but mine, but my current mindset has driven me to this path of action; I may not be as wise as you, but from here this is the best thing to do.
        Of course, right now, I am, or rather you were, a shame-less, flaming liberal. I would harbor no contempt if your rational reasoning drove you down a different path in the future, but know this: I would not allow you to compromise your utilitarian ideals. The greatest good for the greatest amount of people, the maxim goes. Don't let any perturbation of this infect your reasoning, know that pleasure and pains of different kind have weight, and that the greatest ideal is freedom to, though freedom from must not be forgotten. I have driven past the destitute, the poor disheveled masses, and the bankrupt all too often, and I have no doubt that I will continue to do so. Perhaps you will have more willpower than I, I suppose I can only hope for the sake of many that you will. It's easy enough for me to sit here preaching to you, I have to acknowledge my own shortcomings or else I won't be credible. But I ask you this: are you perfect?
        I sincerely hope that you haven't been driven to madness to the point where you could reasonably answer "yes." On the topic of madness; do not let any force, human, substance or otherwise, to cloud your mind or distort your reason. With the utmost clarity you can discern even the most elusive truths of this world. Sleep on all of your serious decisions where time is on your side. Above all, and I can't emphasize this enough, DON'T BE A DUMBASS. All of those people didn't call you a smartass for no reason. Let reason shine through your being, and at least be a mirror for the ideals that you're trying to stick to. There is a lot of distinction between you and all of the idiots in this world, and don't forget it. That's no excuse to lump everybody into that group; know that often others are guided by the same set of logics which you operate on. Never forget that there will always be more intelligent people than you, and use that as an inspiration to stomp every trifling barrier in your path to greatness. Know, also, that greatness is just a plus, and it should not be your ultimate goal.
        Know that you are just as much a human as that burger-flippin' 40 year old or the president o' the United Friggin States. You can believe that you're better than everyone, but you should never delude yourself into believing that you could logically show it, or even give anything other than weak evidence to support it. Know that everyone is at the focal point of their own universe, and that you can't force yourself into another's space. This is a central tenet of my philosophy, and I hope you see its value. This is one of the reasons why romances often go astray; humans are self-serving creatures. You should not judge anyone for following their own self interests, because at heart you are hoping to do so as well. Perhaps you will never find romance, but don't let disappointment cripple you. If you want something badly enough, go get it. Of course you shouldn't forget your morals, but I suppose that goes without saying. Oh the irony. Oh, and as a bonus favor for me, keep your love of satire and learn to take a joke or a personal attack with grace. Know that words are just such; they only carry meaning if you give it to them.
    Never let your value for human life be compromised. Know that to harm another is to harm yourself, albeit indirectly. Remember that it is only by pure chance that you were not born to be on the receiving end of a bad deal. When seeing a tragic event, remember the phrase "there, but for the grace of god, go I." You are the one you hurt, and the one you help. I don't believe in karma, but at least have some respect for the human condition. That homeless man once had pride, and you can be damn sure that he'll have it again if you get him back on his feet. You can only hope for someone to do the same for you, but if everyone lived by this philosophy it would be a given.
        I leave you with this note: know that you can always improve, and that every goal that you set, every material possession, and every other person on the face of this gloomy world has a weight that you give them. Moral equivalence cannot be proven, but remember that it cannot be refuted. You cannot avoid living your life selfishly, but know that it is better to act selfishly in the name of the human race rather than for yourself. You may believe that you're above the entirety of the human race, but never forget that you're a part of it. Take from this letter what you will, and go with my blessing.

An analysis of an aforementioned Video

        Greetings greetings viewer viewer. I figured each and every one (oh the irony) of you would be at least moderately interested in the process I used to create the video I posted earlier. So, without further ado, I begin.

        I was chose my base topic - rebellion - because I figured it would be the easiest topic that I could think of that I could create an argument for and relate to daily life, considering all the unrest in the Middle East as well as here at home in the US. Being the blatant liberal that I am, I generally view the protesters in a positive light, and this bias has inevitably shaped my presentation of the topic. I set out wanting to explain how the protests had shaped the world around them, but found that conveying how the protests were brought about was much easier to represent visually. Heaped with emotion as this piece is, I wanted to convey the energy and solidarity of the movement for Democracy in the Middle East, and I chose my images carefully around this wish.

        To begin, I chose a black and white image of racism in the US, and yes that effect was intentional.  First off, black and white photos are thought of like relics, pieces of a long-forgotten era. The color scheme is similar for the first group of photos: the point I was trying to get across was that oppression is an outdated method, something that belongs in a time before mass-freedom and democracy. There is another historical parallel; in the time of the US civil rights movement, the distinction between black and white people was much clearer, and it was much easier to consider them to be different. With the advent of the colorful images of those in the Middle East, the line is blurred, and people are seen more as equals than opposites. The reason why the images were of US happenings is that oppression comes in all societies, where the ruling class tries to maintain the status quo. The protesters in both of the series of photos were fighting the ruling class, and that is why they are side-by-side. Sometimes authority must be challenged, and in this video I argue that those in power are by no means infallible.

        Before the transition to color, there is an outline of a police officer beating a protester presumably. This is juxtaposed with the picture two places further, a colorful rendering of the community fighting back. The roles and the color are reversed, and a new vitality is given to the image of the protesters because it it. One outdated policeman comes up against the full force of the protective voice of a community which seeks to release the chains on its people. In the first two colored pictures, there is a central figure, with hand raised, indicating that they are the leaders of the rebellion. Seeing the protesters hurt and tied up earlier gives a sense of awe and reverence for these leaders; I hoped to convey my own reverence for them, after all.

         There are people of many skin colors in this video: resistance to oppression is not an isolated seed, but it has spread to every corner of the world, seeking to reproduce for the good of the people. The man without a shirt standing atop a car resembles a modern day jesus: leading his people toward freedom. He holds his hands out not violently but imploringly, as if asking for peace and justice. With this image I wanted to again convey the power, courage, and virtue of those leading these protests. A lone man raises his hand, while surrounded by police in a public area. This is not just a group effort, every individual has battles they must face, alone if necessary. Sometimes much must be risked to attain freedom. The picture of the crowd with the flag is meant to show that this is a popular movement, taken up by entire populaces to embrace ideals in places where they haven't gained much ground previously. Of course "Peace in the Middle East" (you can probably guess which picture I'm talking about) is meant to serve as a capstone for the peace, the crux of the revolution, and a common ideal which many strive for. The three-word phrase at the end solidifies the positive view of the protests.

        The music is at the start seems bleak and depressing, but it only begins so. As the images of oppression get more graphic, the beat rises to a crescendo until the public discontent boils over and the first colorful image arrives to signal that the status quo has gotta go. The most intense part of the piece is in the middle, with all of the photos of the protesters. The loudest part went along with the protesters because, again, I wished to convey their energy and passion through music. Towards the end, the music lowers, and nearly all is quiet when the text "JOIN THE REVOLUTION" comes into view, sometimes opposition need not be beefed up with fanfare.

        For the more technical among you, I have some bland rhetorical terms to hurl at you. In this video there are several claims: first off, the people in these protests are full of energy, and I use the loud music and the empathetic expressions on the faces of the protests, as well as the raised hands to show this. Secondly, the people leading the charge are brave souls: there is always someone at the forefront spearheading the effort and leading the group, despite the grim possibility of police abuse highlighted in the beginning. This is especially true for the man standing above the crowd, he occupies a unique and powerful position, and his height in the picture is meant to correlate with his virtue. Lastly, those in authority are not always right. I often hear stories, past and present, about police brutality when handling protesters, and the grotesque images are meant to show that the crimes that they are capable of committing are often horrendous. Authority is not infallible, and thus subject to change or replacement.  My warrants are that having energy and vitality indicated a love for life, the basic humanity, and thus freedom; after all, demagogues are often exuberant. Also, I assumed that being a leader of the people, as opposed to the ruling class alone, indicated virtue. Lastly, I assumed that being fallible indicates that replacement is fair.

That's all folks, hope you had at least a decent time reading through this dull description of my efforts in creating this video. Cheers, and have a nice day!

A visual argument, on the topic of Rebellion and the Arab Spring

        Hello hello reader reader. In my usual daily delirium, I decided to do something daring and do-able. Yes, I am aware that I cheated on that alliteration, but that's beside the point. For no particular reason at all, and certainly not to fulfill any required work for a certain AP Composition class, I decided to make a "Visual Essay" highlighting some key images of the Arab Spring and rebellion in general. The purpose of this was most definitely NOT to get me points in the aforementioned non-existent class, but rather to emphasize that authority can be abusive, and that authority being challenged can be very beneficial for those under it. I suppose I also wanted to emphasize the courage of those that spearheaded the protest and glorify them, but that's a secondary point. At any rate, for any interested party, here is the video which I have been droning on about: