Farewell!

Good day everyone! Wow! Has it really been 2 years since I last wrote on here? I suppose so. I know I am writing to a following that hardly exists any longer. I know that, like me, most of us have stopped writing. But why leave something that I loved so much with such a cliffhanger ending? It needs a proper finish, and I suppose this can be the epilogue, but that doesn't mean there won't be more books in the series!

First I would like to say how incredibly appreciative I am of everyone who helped contribute to this blog. It wouldn't have amounted to hardly anything at all if it weren't for you! Even though this was just some website, and everything I wrote and read was just philosophical inquiries and musings, it all had a lasting and tangible repercussions within my life. I can honestly say I would not be the person I am today had I not had this blog. I would especially like to say thank you to James, Mariposa, Terrin, and most of all, the Philosopher King, Benji Rafe Pacheco. What an amazing run we had. We took a crack at changing the world, fixing it, becoming the saviors of it all, and in the end I think the greatest progress we made was in progressing ourselves. I still think it is incredible how much we accomplished, and it makes me happy to know that this is just a small bit of what we will achieve in the remainder of our lives. My future always seems a little bit brighter because I know of the brilliance and the passion that is out there in us individuals.

I would also like to give a small update on my life. I say small and I already know it is a lie, I always like to overexaggerate. I will begin by satisfying one of the greatest mysteries that may be on your mind if you happen to chance by this blog again.. Why I stopped blogging in the first place.

My last blog was February 23, 2009. At the time I was somewhat in the middle of a relationship with this girl. I say "this girl" but she has played such a lasting impact on me. We first started dating freshmen year, she lives down the street from me. I fell for her very, very hard. We really loved each other, and the longer it went on, the more obsessed I became. Under the surface though, there were issues. We doubted each other, to an extent, at least I doubted her. I think when you are so passionate about another human being, its becomes almost impossible for you to show it. I think we feared each other, there was so much feeling, we were afraid to just love each other for fear of how vulnerable we became. This fear is what created the blog in the first place. I think that "thought" is really an extension of flight-or-fight mode, and I was constantly afraid, so my mind was always working. I am not nearly as smart now as I was when I was writing this blog. "Jaerixon" was finally getting underway when I discovered she had cheated on me in November 2008. It was nothing too severe, but enough to seriously hurt me. Yet in the face of everything, I couldn't leave her. We tried for months to fix our relationship, I was waiting, so was she.

Inside I was slipping. Nothing made any sense to me, all I could think was to try and control everything, do whatever it takes to gain power over the entire world so that I could never be hurt. Following the last blog entry, something happen between me and my girl, and I snapped. I seriously turned inside out after this, it was awful. I had never really known heartbreak, and it hit me like a freight train of rusty nails. I had never been in more emotional pain in all my life. This is when and why I stopped blogging. I expected that someday when I was better I would go back, but I realized that the blog was a manifest of my fear and cruelty. I almost thought of "Jaerixon" as my alter ego, I smart, cruel, efficient form of me. I blamed him for my relationship falling apart. So I stopped.

In recent years, I have worked on the other end of the spectrum. At the end of sophomore year, I had straight A's in every class. At the end of junior year, I had nearly failed every class. Sophomore year I had already planned where I was going to go to college, what I was going to major in, and what career I was going to go to. Junior year I planned not to attend college, I wanted life to by a mystery. You see, I had been running from my fears for so long, trying to use my grades and my philosophy as a means of protecting myself from the turmoil of life, I had never confronted any of it. Junior year that all changed. I confronted everything. Alcohol, drugs, school, the order of things. It was one of the most thereaputic movements I think I have ever done, because now, I wasn't afraid. I could see clearly. I could relax.

Now I am a senior. My high school experience has been wild to say the least. I am a leader now, or at least I try to be. I am generally happy. I was runner-up for Homecoming King. I will be attending the University of Central Florida in the fall, and I am going on a 6 week trip to Europe for my senior trip in the summer. I live to grow, to feel excitement, to put a smile on my face. At the end of it all I have no regrets. I know someday, I will make something of myself, perhaps not in the eyes of the world, but definitely in the eyes of my own heart.

This is the end of this blog. I will make no more posts on here. I'm hoping to start another soon, one of much different character. Thanks again to all of you!!!

and yes, there is somebody listening!

GOODBYE! ;)

Steven Erickson :)

Actions and Consequences

"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

-Isaac Newton, Principia

I am beginning to see more and more often that the relationship between the laws of science and the laws of physics directly relate to those of the intangible world. I once wrote about the idea that when two things do not flow in harmony there is conflict. Both science and life equally share this rule. Today, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon another realization which relates to this law. The above quote by Isaac Newton refers to the law in physics that whenever a force is exerted, there is an equal and opposite return of force. Today, I realized that this simple principle exists in people too. The main idea came to me as a result of witnessing wars. I had already come to realize that pain and pleasure were two opposites, who were directly related. When a troubled man is in pain, he looks for pleasure to soothe his ailment. This is unhealthy however, as these pleasures, such as drugs, sex, and alcohol, treat the symptoms of our pain, and prevent us from finding a cure. Regardless, everyone looks for pleasure to soothe the many pains of life, whether it is simply going out on a Friday night, or watching the game on T.V. Yet, these pleasures do not compare to the methods many war torn soldiers resort to upon their return. I am referring to one specific war in particular, the Vietnam War. This war was the cause of many of our social problems today, as the poor soldiers often times resulted to excessive drugs and alcohol. These soldiers created a number of detrimental repercussions, which have violently reverberated throughout our people. But how does this relate to Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion? And how do we apply it to our lives?

In that war, our country was the first to exert the force. We killed, savagely and without mercy. Our men and women committed a number of crimes, which was a force, a strong force. This force resulted in an even greater return force, which led to another force, and another return force, and so on and so forth. I have noticed that no great and powerful and dramatic force goes without an equal and opposite consequence. People are the same way. The amount of consequence you feel depends on two key factors, the severity of the force, and the flexibility of the other.

Let’s say you have two friends, one who is an extremely dedicated Christian, and the other is your best friend, but also a Christian, though not as extreme. You ask both people to abandon their religion. Which will cause the more severe repercussion? Which will cause you to experience a more severe consequence? The extremely dedicated Christian is like a rock that will not budge, and you experience 100% of the return force, with less protection. Your best friend does not budge either, but he is willing to move himself for you, change a little, maybe refine some of his thoughts, sharing the burden of the force, while at the same time, gradually and gently returning the force, so you do not feel all 100%.

When dealing with anything, person, people, ideas, wars, consider this idea. I have observed, as a result of many consequences, that if I try to budge an immovable object, or my force is too severe, I often times feel more pain than my target…




I write in hopes that you will gain wisdom through my experiences, and I know that my ideas are not always right, and that I sometimes stray from the path of righteousness, but know that I care about you, all of you, every reader great and small, whether you read my post tonight or in 100 years, know that there was a person out there who struggled and fought and suffered to try and create a better world for you.



With love,
Jaerixon

Key to Happiness

Recently, I have talked a lot with a good friend of mine about life, its meaning, and the reasons to live it. I must say, it is challenging. Nearly every proposition I suggested was able to be counteracted, or a flaw was noticed, and everything he suggested I did the same. However, we did somewhat come to conclusion, which we feel may be the best guidelines for living a happy, successful life.

Life is a game ladies and gentleman, a competition, which unless you know how to play, you won’t win. However, if you discover the certain rules and strategies of the game, and know how to use them, how to apply them, you will be the one who comes out on top and dominates the game. Now, these rules and strategies, are simple, they are the universal truths. Truths that are prevalent everywhere in our existence, from the basics, to the extremely complicated, from politics to economics to combat, these laws of human existence bind us. Even if you were to leave society, and live on an abandoned island for the rest of your life alone, you would still be bound by these truths and this competition to survive. Let me provide a few examples of universal truths.

“Nothing in excess, everything in moderation”

“When things flow together, there is harmony, but when they do not flow, there is conflict”

These are only two of the mass amount of universal truths present in our life. I am sincere when I say, adopting these principles and guidelines into my life has made me a profoundly happier person. These ideas have shown me how to control my emotions and my actions, and I look at things not as day to day sequences, but as simply steps toward my ultimate goal of living a life of purpose. When I get forced into a difficult situation, I try my best to think of it not as an additional burden but simply as a challenge and an opportunity to become stronger. The better you understand the game, and know how to use them, the more successful you will be in the game, and the happier you will become.

There are many universal truths out there, but they are hidden. However, finding them will reward you with a much greater prize than any other material treasure. You will have found the key to happiness, and that ladies and gentleman, is far greater than words can describe.

Wisdom and Knowledge

Wisdom and knowledge, two different trains of thoughts, two different goals to reach, yet still so seemingly similar. I have witnessed with disdain as the masses confuse the two as being one in the same, when this is not true. But where does their difference lie and why is distinguishing between the two important? I will attempt to answer these questions, as once again, I try to understand the natural laws which constrain us, constantly elude us all, but are so constantly there, right before our eyes, so coy and mysterious with us, waiting for us to figure it out in hope that we can learn to live our lives harmoniously with it.

I live a life tormented by uncertainty. It tears at me, and I struggle vigilantly day upon burdened day to understand the secrets and questions, so that I may finally be at peace. Lately, I have been especially distressed by these two things, wisdom and knowledge, not by their existence or essence, but by the ambiguity of their importance. Should I be wise or knowledgeable? Should I be a man of fact of man of theory? Well, to illustrate and elaborate upon the pros and cons. Knowledge shows you what to do, but wisdom shows you why to do. It takes a combination of both to execute the how. So, in a world where the “why” is becoming less and less important, it will be the man of knowledge who will get ahead in this world. He is the man who takes action, the man who takes but also gets taken from. I see myself pursuing that career and ending up as a large, rich, successful man, who will be known, but not remembered. On the other end of the spectrum, there is wisdom.

Wisdom, as I stated before, is why you approach something more or less. Wisdom is slower in its execution, as wise men are patient and resist temptation and desire. They take little, but also get taken little from. They are the exception to a world where common sense is not very common. In my own interpretation, the people who pursue knowledge will be the ones who get straight A’s, always doing well in school, but very short term, and lacking common sense. He will be the one who memorizes the facts about a famous individual, and will do well on the test and answer the questions given in class. But the wise man will sit. Quiet and patient, you will find him not on the pedestal, not memorizing the facts and concentrating only on the short term goal. Wise men are reflectors, absorbing information and thinking, freely, passionately, about the things they see and hear.

The knowledgeable man will take shortcuts, take from others, and for some, they will come out on top. However, the wise man will be neither on the top or the bottom. He will be a thinker, a reflector, the one who takes the safe, wise route. He concentrates only on the things he deems important. History has shown me a large scale example of this. The knowledgeable people are normally the business leaders, politicians, etc. whereas the wise thinkers, or scientists, or philosophers, linger in the back. Their ideas significantly influence the men of knowledge but receive little or no credit for them. In the span of a lifetime, most wise men do not receive the rewards they deserve, but in the length of history, they are remembered and with generosity. Both are necessary, as the men of knowledge preserve the present, whereas the men of wisdom preserve the future.

I do not know what path I should take, I am still thinking about it.

And for you, my humble reader, I suggest you do the same.

Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the most influential and controversial plants known to mankind. The Cannabis plant has been around since before prehistory, and has been used by cultures all around the world, not as a psychoactive drug, but for its strong fibers and versatility in being able to grow in a wide variety of environments. Hemp was one of the first crops to be made into fibers, primarily by the Chinese, who then crafted it into clothing, paper, and rope. In India and Africa hemp was being used for religious ceremonies and rituals. In France, artists of the highest echelon associated themselves with “hashish parties”. Near the 18th century, knowledge about the potential medicinal capabilities of the drug began to spread throughout France, England, and the U.S. It was shown to alleviate headaches, restore appetites, and assist with sleeping disorders and anxiety, plus many more. It also served its role as an “excellent analgesic” and was used throughout the developed countries of the world until around the 1930’s when knowledge about the potential abuse and proceeding consequences began to surface. Citizens began to fear the influence of this intoxicating drug on their youth and society, and in 1937 the Marijuana Tax Act was passed. This was the beginning of federal illegalization of any form of Cannabis plant, whether it be hashish, marijuana, or hemp. In my opinion this was a result of the Christian conservatives, but regardless, marijuana is still a highly discussed and relevant issue. Efforts to enforce illegal growing and importing have been unsuccessful time and time again, and the high rate of illegal consumption has led society to discuss and rethink the legal status of Marijuana and the impact it may have on society.

Marijuana, drugs, and alcohol is a HUGE problem at my school. Many kids practice it, and many kids do not. Consequently, this has led the issue of drugs to become one of the more frequently and avidly discussed topics. Feeling the necessity to be somewhat educated about the topic, I did a little research. Marijuana has a number of health issues. One “joint”, or a Marijuana cigarette, is as harmful to your lungs as an entire pack of tobacco cigarettes. This can lead to diseases such as tuberculosis and other lung infections, along with lung cancers and tumors. The chemical substance which produces the “high” is called THC (tetrahydrocannibinol). THC relaxes the blood vessels and increases the heart beat up to almost 140 beats per minute, almost twice the normal rate. The relaxation of blood vessels and increase of heart beat results in a extremely large amount of oxygen, resulting in the “high”. Marijuana causes this and much more, but all together, the health risks are not that bad. It’s not addictive, and if simply “harmful for your health” was enough to make something illegal, they might as well pull McDonalds, as well as alcohol, cigarettes, and many other food and medicinal related products off the shelf. All in all the direct health complications are not a real issue. However, many people attribute drug use, particularly marijuana, with laziness and a habit of doing nothing. So why is it illegal? Should it be illegal? Well, I discovered after lots of research and thought, that there is one key element behind marijuana. It is the connection between all the good things, and all the bad things. It is why artists use it to open their minds and people see it as corrupting of their youth, the sole characteristic that binds all these traits together

Marijuana relieves stress.

Headaches, anxiety, sleep and eating disorders, all of these are the results of stress. I have realized time and time again that it is stress and worry and fear which prevents creative thinking, so it makes sense that artists would hold a drug that relieves stress in high esteem. Stress is a good thing at times, as most of you know. If you worry about a test, or a homework assignment or a chore, it highly increases your chances of doing it. So when children and students take a drug which relieves stress, it makes sense that they tend to slack off and be lazy. So what is my verdict on this highly controversial drug?

Marijuana could do a great deal of good in the medical community, and I think it is foolish not to utilize it. Being a stress reliever and non addictive, I think it should be allowed for use as a recreational drug, but taken in moderation as with everything else. If you drink in excess you will experience the physical consequences, marijuana will be the same. Now for my more iffy and opinionated justifications, I think if it were more prevalent, awareness about health issues would naturally lower use among minors, and that is the important thing. Additionally, we can tax it.

What is Love?

What is love? Well I really don't know, I don't know if anyone does, and its been talked about so much, there's no way I can say my opinion is right or wrong. However, I'll give you my opinion as best I can, maybe it will get you thinking. I cannot say what love is, but I can describe what it does, and why I think it happens. Love is desire, no doubt, but "what" you desire differs from person to person. You can love your family. You can love your husband/wife. You can love your God. You can love a game. You can love a place. You can love an idea, or a song, or anything. All of these are different forms of love, but at the same time, have basic similarities. So what is love? It is a bond, not an equal bond, in which you give and take and receive, but a bond in which you are simply enhanced. Love is a bond in which you simply receive. Now, that's not to say you can't give, it simply means, in order for you to love something, you must receive from it. For instance, most of the people who have blogs here, love to write, or else they wouldn't be doing it. I feel enhanced by writing. I like it and its fun to me. Others probably feel the same. Most teenage guys mistake love for the sex as love for their girl. Most teenage girls mistake love for a friend as love for their man. Most people say you should live for love, but to me, that is foolish. You can love a place, or the moon on a starry night, or the wind in your face, or a pretty girl to call your own, or a friend to be there when your upset, but it will not always last. Places change, clouds block out the sky, the wind comes and goes and can be cold and brutal. No person in reality can give without receiving, and no person is capable of giving love forever. Love is prevalent when it is easy to give. It is easy to give love to someone who is good looking, or is impressive to others, or has money, but is it so easy when those things change and fade? That's why, I believe that you cannot love without being ignorant. To go into a relationship, and to say you "love" someone, compels you to live up to a standard which no human being can. You cannot constantly put out to others, unless your Jesus, and others will not always support you. You will meet disappointment and suffering, it is inevitable, yet people "love" anyways. So why love? It is so tempting, so amazing to see from the outside. I look at people who are in "love" and they just seem so happy. People everywhere, just like me, look at these people and envy them. They envy their happiness and they want it. They want to receive, they want to be supported, but it is an unhealthy illusion, because love, can never exist, and to desire it, would be like chasing rainbows. Ignorance is bliss, love is ignorance, people who love are happy. Now, some would argue, "What is the problem with that? If being ignorant is what it takes to be happy, I am wiling to make the sacrifice." Here is the problem, you can ignore reality all you want, but someday, you will eventually meet it. The people you trust will betray you, the people you love will deceive you. It will happen, whether it be great or small, and on that day when your ignorant illusion smashes against reality, it will hurt, and you will feel it. Look at couples who moved too fast, fell in love too soon. Their illusion and reality clash together and they both end up feeling miserable. Long-term relationships that fall through often times end really bad, because there was too much ignorance, too much of an illusion. So unless you are ignorant, to live for love, will only lead to misery and suffering. People always say that the trend of men and women is that men want sex, and women want love. In that respect, I would say love is simply biological. Women look for a man as if he were to be the father of their child. They look for someone who is strong and smart, someone who will be there to support and protect. Society say men are foolish for pursuing sex and not love, but in my opinion, they are no different than women. Men are also pursuing their biological instructions, to go out and reproduce. Love is everywhere, it is tricky, it is amazing, it is inspiring, it is degrading, it is joy, it is pain, it is a bond, a desire. What you love, how you love, why you love, that, is up to you.

The Meaning of Life

A while ago I was reading through James blog when I stumbled upon his post about the meaning of life. Though I do not fully agree with his idea, I do give him credit for getting my brain flowing on the subject. True, I have seen it many times in many places, but I have never really thought about it. I suppose I always thought that it was a silly question, because no one can really know. Nevertheless, James' post encouraged me to conjure my own theory on the meaning of life. I began thinking and came to a depressing conclusion. From a scientific standpoint, all we really are is small links in the great chain of human existence, simply born to reproduce and advance the human race. The instant I wrote that down it came to me. It was my simple conclusion that led to my grand conclusion. To advance the human race, that is our purpose. Look at history, who are the people who have survived the test of time, who are the people that were remembered? Aristotle, Plato, Leonardo Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Galileo, George Washington, Jesus, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Einstein why do we know these people? Why do we admire them? Why are they all so great? They all advanced the human race. They came into this world and changed it for the better. These people truly lived. Why? Because they fulfilled life's meaning, to advance the human race. So when you go about your daily activities, when you work in school or at home, remember the goal. Remember what your purpose is, and work towards, and at the end of your life, you will feel the relief in your heart that you had truly lived.



Jaerixon
Saturday, December 28, 2008, 3:26 PM EST

Jaerixon is Back

As you may or may not have noticed, it has been a little over half a month since I have as much as commented, let alone write a post. I had mid-term exams, end of the nine weeks tests, and notebooks due, and my mind was so overloaded, all I felt capable of doing was coming home and playing my Xbox for hours on end. I apologize, I slacked off. But today, I actually was able to think. I stood in the shower and put everything aside and just thought, in an attempt to find out, what went wrong. I realized today what my problems were. Near the end of last school year, I had my epiphany, my eureka on life, and over the course of the summer, I started writing, reading, debating, learning, advancing, progressing as a result of this revelation. I had come to comprehend, that my suffering, and my pain were a result of being dependent and being weak. I was dependent on others at school. I would let myself fall into these pits of agony and suffering, and like a disease it began to tear and wretch at me, yet even in the time when I needed to cure it, I did not. All I did was treat the symptoms, come home and play, and sleep, and instead of working, I indulged myself. What a fool I was! I realized last summer, that I had no one to blame but myself for my suffering, and never again would I let it happen. I was determined to be strong and independent and alert. I constantly thought and fought my ideas with anyone, in an attempt to reform them and improve them. I finished the first 9 weeks with all A’s without an ounce of help from anyone else, maybe the first time since elementary school. I thought I had succeeded, and again, what a fool I was! I thought I was steady and independent like a rock, a rock which is so strong, it forces the weak, movable, indulgent sand to bend around it. It stands on top of the sand, extending to the sky. I believed that I was not like the sand, like what I once was, but over these last weeks, I had slipped back into my old habits. I was too cocky, too proud to realize that I was falling back into agony once again. I had become blind! Ignorant! Things I had sworn never to let happen again! And now as the semester finished, I had to work and suffer, barely struggling to get by. This morning I realized where I went wrong. I thought it was enough to simply be a stone, a steady, strong, independent stone. I was close-minded and weak and foolish. The pebble topples the sand, the stone topples the pebble, the rock topples the stone, the boulder topples the rock, and the mountain topples the boulder! In a sea of sand and pebbles, what am I? Can I be a stone? Can I be a rock!? No! In a sea of sand and pebble, I must be a mountain! A strong, steady, immovable object that can take the blows of the wind and the rain and the snow and still stand! In the same way, my friends, my allies, we must all be mountains. School? It is a child’s game! Sheltered and protected, we think it is okay to be sand, but when the War of Life comes at us, what then will we do? We cannot run, we cannot hide, we must be mountains! Because it is all part of the war, life is the battle. We are competing and struggling against everyone to survive, and those who train and work now will be the ones who come out on top. Let the fear of losing drive you, keep your mind on the fear that you will die a worthless, meaningless life, and let it drive you to the top! Do not give in to your childish desires, because it only treats the symptoms while the disease grows stronger in you. Strength through wisdom, my friends, remember what you are fighting for, where you are going, and you will never falter, you will never fail, you, will not lose!



Jaerixon
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 5:42 PM EST

Misunderstandings of Personal Beliefs

I think we all know the problems that can be caused as a result of poor communication. Misunderstanding, misinterpretations, errors, mix-ups, when it comes to communicating, all these hold the potential for lots of stress and conflict. On a larger scale, wars have been fought over misunderstandings; men have died because of misunderstandings. I think the majority of my readers understand this.

But, what if misunderstandings were not just limited to communication?

For instance, foods, we have grown up eating foods like pancakes, cereal, burgers, hot dogs, etc. Those are foods which the majority of Americans like to eat. I remember as a small kid, I went to spend the night at a friend’s house. When I woke up the next morning, they were making oatmeal, but not the oatmeal I was used to, not the oatmeal I had eaten my entire life, not the oatmeal I had always seen people eat. It was a different kind. When they served it to me, I tried it but didn’t like it. My friend couldn’t understand why I didn’t like it, neither did his parents, and when I told them I didn’t like it, they thought that was absurd, and that I was just trying to waste food. I got put in time-out, all because of a misunderstanding about food preference. This same thing happens in life everywhere.

Another example, many people see ghetto kids and instantly thing they are going to cause trouble. My opinion on ghetto kids is a different matter entirely, and though not all ghetto kids cause problems, a majority of them do, or at least from what I have experienced. Now, most people assume they are bad. They assume those ghetto kids are for whatever reason just out to degrade society. Here is where the misunderstanding comes into play. We assume that what our belief of what is good and what is bad is the same belief that those ghetto kids have, and they just choose to be bad. This is where so many people falter. Kids that grow up under different circumstances and have a different set of life experiences have different beliefs about what is right and what is wrong. Most educated middle-class people believe that as kids, we should be focusing on school and trying to get into college, whereas these ghetto kids believe that their goal is to get a wife, or find a way to get money without having to work in school. Is it their fault? I’m not saying they should not be punished, or they should not be corrected, but should we label them as “bad” when they are doing what they believe is correct?

Here is the crux of my point. It is important that we always try to understand different beliefs. You cannot make the assumption that other people have the same beliefs as you, or else this will result in a misunderstanding, and a conflict. You must take into consideration things like, differences in family, differences in income, race, and gender. All of these contribute to what is their life experience. Once you understand that, you will be able to answer what their beliefs are and why they have them.



Jaerixon
Sunday, November 30, 2008, 12:18 PM EST

Why We Experience Peace From Nature

I have recently come to realize that we humans have a deep and undeniable connection with nature. Look around your house and you will most likely find plates with fruits on them, drapes and rugs with leaves and vines, napkins and tissue boxes with flowers. Some of you probably have wood cabinets and dressers. You will find references to nature everywhere. Look out you window and you most likely have some sort of landscaping. Your family pays money to plant and maintain trees, grass, bushes, mulch, rocks, all of which are different forms of nature. Now why is this? Why do we have this connection with nature? How are we connected? Why? Initially I thought that it might be a connection with plants, and that the answer was more scientific than psychological and philosophical. I thought that since we needed plants to live, and they needed us, we had developed a sort of underlying attraction. But then I began to have second thoughts as I realized we were attracted to more than just plants. Why do some restaurants put fish tanks in their lobbies when they don’t want fish? Why do some hotels have small waterfalls, fountains, and decorative pools? Things like the ocean, clouds, the sky, the sound of insects, rain, thunder, waterfalls, fish, birds, the sun, the moon, the stars, all aspects of nature, all things we are attracted to, and have incorporated into our society and our culture. Why? Why is it that we have such an appreciation and love for the beauty of nature?
From a poetic artistic approach, I would say that those things possess the one element of life we desire most, peace and harmony, that all of nature flows together seamlessly without conflict, and we envy it. Unlike us humans who seem to spread and consume everything of value, animals balance themselves. Animals never reproduce more than their environment can sustain, and they make know graduated effort to expand. Plants all function together, along with water, in perfect harmony, never in conflict with each other. Is that why we have made them such a large part of our society?
From a historic approach I would say our attraction to nature is a remnant of our ancestors, who continually lived in interaction with nature, and were constantly aware of how dependant upon nature they were. I would say that today, our incorporation of nature is simply left over from past years, and in reality it is declining, as is exhibited by the large amount of deforestation, disrespect for plant life, and increased harvesting of fish and other animals. So could we say that as we progress, interaction with plants will regress?
From a scientific perspective I would say that our brains have programmed us to desire nature so that we will live in close proximity with plants around us, because there are necessary for life. It is the same thing with water, we think lakes and rivers are appealing, but could that be a result of biological adaptation to insure that we seek out fresh water?
These are all potential possibilities. Each theory has an essence of truth. From a philosophical standpoint, they are equally important in understanding why we need and want nature. These theories combined comprise the answer of what nature is to us. However, I thought, “What I have identified is correct, however, something is wrong, if we need nature so much, why do we destroy it? If we need it so much, how have we coped with the lack of it?” This is why nature is so prevalent in our art and architecture. Like being hungry for food, we are hungry for nature. Our brains tell us that we need it, but we have destroyed it, so what have we done to cope with this craving? We have created a pseudo nature. The brain sees the reincarnation of plants and nature in our plates, and landscaping, and drapes, and pictures, and pottery, and it fulfills our craving. This is why we feel relaxation and harmony and peace when we experience nature. We are so hungry, we have that constant irritation, but when we experience it, our hunger goes away. No longer are we struggling and fighting. We feel the flow of living with nature, of fulfilling our craving.
I understand that this may be a bit confusing, because I am very tired as I write this, but I needed to write it down. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I will be happy to answer them.



Jaerixon
Sunday, November 23, 2008, 1:36 EST

What is Art?

Art. What is art? What is creativity? What does it mean to find something to be "creative"? Why do we enjoy it? These questions, always there, always lingering, wanting to be answered. The craving is always there like an itch, waiting to be satisfied. I shall search, dig, explore these questions until I understand, and even then the itch will not go away. Now, to explain my results…



Above you just read my sad attempt to be "artistic". To write with vivid descriptions, and to have it flow, not just, to explain a few facts, but to make it into something that pulls at your emotions, that is a story. I remember wondering, why is it that we prefer story books over textbooks? What is it about books that turn us into crazy, obsessed fans, more passionate than you ever could be with any movie? How are they so much more effective at conveying morals, ideas, and beliefs than textbooks? I pondered this. First I had to identify the core difference between novels and textbooks. That was simple. Novels are creative and "artistic" whereas textbooks are all fact. So then I thought, "Why do we like art?" Now this was a question, something I could really learn from. For some reason it didn't take me long, to realize that the reason we enjoy novels is again, emotions. As most of you know, probably the most important part of any good book is the beginning, most often referred to as the "hook". They call it a "hook" because it hooks your emotions. It introduces the characters, and what this allows is for the reader to find similarities between the character and who the reader is or who they wish they were. Now, when something happens to a character, the reader feels it, because they have that connection. This surge of emotion is something that does not often happen in reality, and that is why we love it. Like some drug, we love the stimulation. Every kind of art, is almost the same way, give or take a few differences. Painting, sculpting, music, writing, they are all similar in that they connect with your emotions. Like a beautiful girl, the beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. After realizing this, I also discovered what I was missing in my own writing. My writing needs more art. My ideas are only as good as they are able to be communicated. I cannot just write words, they must be crafted together. My words must flow through the minds of my readers with more than just ideas, because today, that simply isn't good enough. So which is more important, what I say or how I say it? How do I keep from giving into the ability to spin a perfectly woven lie, something that is more illusion than fact? I must think some more.



- Jaerixon

"It Ought To Be a Law" Suggestions...

A club I'm in at school is participating in a contest called, "It ought to be a law" where you propose a law for a political figure to take into consideration. If you have any suggestions please let me know. I'm leaning towards education requirements...

Illusions

I have recently begun reading a book called Siddhartha. The book is about a young man’s quest for happiness, not happiness as in lots of money, but happiness as in escape from suffering. I was reading a certain section of the book in which he leaves his family to join a group of people called the Samanas. The Samanas are (as defined by SparkNotes) “a group of traveling ascetics who believe that a life of deprivation and wandering is the path to self-actualization.” I remember initially reading of how Siddhartha would go weeks without food, and he would stand for days without sleep or water, and sit in thorn bushes. I remember thinking why on earth is he doing this? What satisfaction does he seek to achieve through this suffering? Then it hit me. He experienced pain, suffering, and sadness through the physical world. These things are what keep our minds tied to our bodies. They perpetuate our suffering. So, by enduring the pain, and rejecting the desire for food, sleep, pleasure, he was somehow overcoming the suffering. He was trying to escape it. He said there were many times in his meditation where he would put his mind in the body of a flying heron, a dead jackal by the sea, a tree, a stone, all these things. I wondered, why? What is the purpose? It again goes back to the common goal of fasting. Like I said before, suffering is experienced through the physical body. That is what ties us to mortality. Yet Siddhartha, when he meditated, put his mind not in his body, but in everything else. He tried to separate his mind from his body, and by doing so he would not experience suffering. Yet his plan was flawed. I came to predict it even before Siddhartha did. The flaw with his plan is this. He sought to escape reality because in the true reality, pain and suffering are everywhere. Through his conflict with pain, he sought to escape it. Escape the need for food, water, sleep. Ignorance is bliss, knowledge is pain. But Siddhartha could never escape reality. Sure he escaped the need for food for a few days or weeks, but he would always lose and be forced to eat. Sure he was able to separate his mind from his body, but only for a little while. This is because we can never escape reality.
Now, your thinking, “Well what is the point? I am obviously never going to fast for weeks on end, how does this apply to me?” Blissful ignorance is everywhere. Kids in school try to separate themselves from the pain of reality by saying, “that D in biology isn’t that bad” or “I don’t need to do my homework tonight” or simply “who cares”. They try to escape the reality, that their grades does matter, that every choice they make matters. How different is this from those who try to escape reality through drugs, sex, and alcohol?
Why is this so bad? Why can’t we simply slip back and forth between reality and illusion? It goes back to what I have said about emotion versus logic, things that do not flow have conflict, and hardship breeds strength. Our emotions lose control in the illusion. We like it and we want more, but our logic tells us we shouldn’t. If any of you have ever thought “I really need to stop playing this video game” but you don’t, you are feeling the conflict between your emotional desires and your logical intuition. As I have said before, when things do not flow in the same directions, you feel suffering. When your false reality comes into conflict with the true reality, you experience suffering. For instance, little children who believe in Santa Clause, that is a false reality. If they suddenly realize that Santa isn’t real, their two realties clash, and there is suffering. A man who discovers his girlfriend is cheating on him experiences a clash between his false reality, one in which his girlfriend loves him, and the true reality, in which she does not. In my opinion, this is why people, who become addicted to drugs, alcohol, and sex, end up experiencing so much suffering. As their desire to be taken out of the true reality grows more and more, their illusions and the truth clash with an even greater traumatic effect, thus they experience more and more suffering. The more suffering they feel, the more longing they have for an illusion, thus an addiction is born. Those addicts have never experienced the challenge of living to be able to go about their lives happily and effectively. So what must we do to fix this? How can we change this habit?
Because of our emotions, most of us are biased towards one thing or another. Our emotions put us in a false reality, from which we cannot make an effective decision. So how do we eradicate this dilemma? We must separate our minds from our bodies, because that is where the emotion lies. Many of you are probably thinking, “What is he talking about?” but let me explain. From your point of view, your emotion becomes a factor. To counteract this, you must look at situations not from your perspective, but simply from an unbiased perspective. You must take into consideration both the factors affecting you and the factors affecting the other person or problem you are encountering. Once you have removed emotion from your decision making, you will have no doubt in your choices, because they will be the right ones.


"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Music

Music is one of the most common components of every society in the world. Every society, from the high upper class of countries like the U.S. and the U.K. to third world countries such as Sudan and Haiti, has a form of music that they enjoy. But what is music anyhow? Why do we like it? Why do people like different kinds of music? These questions of have sought the answer to for a very long time, and know I believe I have finally come to a solution.

There is a universal truth which I have mentioned many times throughout my writings. It is the universal truth that when things flow together in harmony, there is peace, but when things do not flow together, there is conflict. This, as I have said before, is prevalent in everything, ranging from philosophy to science. But how does this relate to music? First, let us identify some of the common places we see music. Music is in the radios of our car, it is in movies, documentaries, TV shows, dances, clubs, parties, elevators, malls, stores, theme parks, airplanes, and airports, just to name a few. The familiar factor between all of these things is that music is added to change the mood, and thus change your emotion to something more desired. When you’re stuck in traffic, you will turn on the radio, and if the songs you like are playing, the traffic isn’t so bad. When you are working and tired, you turn on some music to help you cope with your work. Elevators play music to keep you calm while you wait. Most stores in malls, especially cloth stores, play music to set the atmosphere for buying their clothes. Malls play music to keep you in a peaceful mood, so you don’t worry about spending too much money. Now, how does music do this? How is music so effective at changing our mood?

It is a result of the universal truth I stated before. Music is a collaboration of noises that flow together in harmony, creating peaceful and calming sounds, as compared to the random and often inharmonic sounds of the world. Music, in a way, changes your chaotic reality by filling in the gaps with something peaceful, therefore changing your perspective on reality to something that flows. Often times when you are out at the mall or in a store, your emotions are in a neutral state, and the music played in the store often times changes your emotions so that the reality of you buying clothes there flows without conflict. When people are mad or upset, they tend to listen to music which reflects their emotions because it helps their emotions to flow. When you go to a party, or a dance, or a club, the music helps your thoughts and actions to flow. For example, dance is an action which is extremely closely tied to music because dance could not happen without music helping it flow. Songs often have an underlying beat. This beat sets a sort of template for our movement. It channels random, chaotic, uncoordinated movement into a set of actions which flow. But then why have different cultures, people, and societies developed different forms of music to help them flow with reality? Why do some people prefer Country over Rap, Rap over Rock and Rock over Classical?

In order to identify the differences in music preferences, we must first identify the underlying principles causing these differences in people. The primary cause for difference in music preference is the difference in what individuals desire. For instance, one major difference in desires are those created by geography. Civilizations in Africa developed different forms of music as compared to Europeans because they developed with different resources and a different set of priorities to live. They had different desires. Therefore the music required to create a peaceful reality that flows for the individual must be different, and it must reflect different emotions. People of same levels of intelligence often have the same desires; therefore many believe that the type of music you listen to reflects your level of intelligence. For instance, many people of lower social class and less intelligence tend to listen to Rap, whereas those who have very high intelligences listen to Classical. Although this often holds true, there are exceptions. There are some people who are very smart who like Rap, and there are those of lesser intelligence who enjoy Classical (though I have yet to meet any). This is because different types of music are better at fulfilling certain individual’s desires. For instance, when I sit down to work on homework or write an essay I don’t turn on Beethoven, I listen to Heavy Metal or Rock. Why? Because the aggressive mood presented in Heavy Metal and Rock helps me create a desire to be successful and get good grades. Music preference is a result of an individual’s background and their desires, what they want and how they know best to get it.

There are still many aspects of music I have yet to comprehend. It is so mysterious yet we see it all the time. Although I have realized much while writing this, there are many things that could be redone better, many more things to learn. Maybe if I listen to the right music, I will gain the change in emotion to change my perspective of my reality, and I will be able to fulfill my desire to understand the concept of Music.

The Importance of Failure

I was reading around yesterday when suddenly I came across an article about “helicopter parents”. “Helicopter parents” is a term used to describe parents who pay extremely close attention to their children, and many times fight their children’s battles for them. Their child will be struggling with their homework, and the “helicopter parent” will do it for them. The parents will clean their children’s rooms, wake them up in the morning, and do all the hard things for them. However, what these parents create are children who are spoiled, weak, inexperienced, and lazy, who have little to offer society. Now, I wondered “How is it that these children, who experienced so much love, comfort, care, and guidance became so disturbed? What happened?” After careful consideration, I realized that the reason they fell victim to so many problems, was that they never experienced them as children, and were never able to adjust and learn how to deal with them.
When we are first born into this world, we are given a series of shots to protect us from disease. Inside that shot is a tiny portion of the disease, and by exposing our little bodies to a safe amount that we can handle, our immune system adapts and learns how best to fight it off in the future. In this same way, most people are given a small dosage of everyday issues as children, and with their parents there to make sure they don’t become overloaded and “ill”, they become stronger and adapt to living without the help of anyone else. But how do we learn from experience? What is it about first hand experience that teaches us so much? I finally comprehended that it was our mistakes which led to our adaptation of reality. We learned from the consequences of our mistakes. With this idea in mind, so many things became clear to me. When our parents punish us for not cleaning our rooms, what do we do the next time? We clean it. When we fail a test in school, what do we do the next time? Pay attention in class and study harder. We learn from our mistakes, we learn from our failures. So now, I have a friend who is extremely prude. She totally and completely ignores the “bad” things in the world, and when it comes to boys she wants no part of them, yet when she becomes an adult, she expects to start dating and looking for a husband. After my little epiphany, I understood that without any prior experience and failure, she would be unprepared and ill-equipped for dating when the time came. My friend would have no idea what to look for, and while the rest of the population her age would know what to look for in a relationship and what to avoid, she would not.
This is why it is so important to understand the benefits of failure. Too many people look at defeat and simply leave it at that, yet every failure is a potential for adaptation and improvement. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. I argue with my friends all the time because every time I throw my ideas out there, they always tell me what is wrong. Then I can change and improve it. I can make it better than it ever was before.

Nothing in Excess, All in Moderation

Near the beginning of this school year, I tried not to care what anyone else thought about me. I thought that it was better to not need acceptance from society. I thought that when it came to looks, I didn’t need to meet the expectations of my peers or my mentors, because the only thing that mattered was my internal characteristics. If I didn’t want people to “judge the book by its cover” I would have to be the example. However, I realized that I was wrong. Regardless of whether it’s wrong or right, people do “judge the book by its cover”. For instance, when you go to find a book or watch a movie, the first thing you do is look at the title. If you like the title you look at the cover, then the summary on the back, then the reviews, and then if it meets your qualifications, you read it or watch it. However, if you don’t like the title, or the cover, or the summary on the back, or the reviews, you don’t read or watch it. It may be the best movie in the world, but if people don’t get a good first-impression about it, they aren’t going to watch it. I realized that if I didn’t make a good first impression on people, they would never take the time to listen to my ideas and discover who I really am at my heart.

Now, I see all these people with Mohawks, and their hair dyed in weird colors, and they think that people will still listen to their ideas without any emotional bias. They think that people aren’t going to care about what music they listen to, or where they come from. Sadly, they are wrong. People do care, they do “judge the book by its cover”. That is why I try to remain, for the most part, anonymous. I want people to read and think about my ideas, not because of who they come from, or where they come from, but simply because of what they are. I want people to be without emotional bias, and to judge my ideas free of factors such as race, gender, religion, ethnicity, social class, etc.

However, most battles of the mind take place not on a computer screen, but face to face, and most of us will encounter many different opponents of different backgrounds and different opinions. So how do we adjust to meet the first impressions of all these different people? Nothing in excess, all in moderation. Look at our politicians; they all have relatively nice clothes, not something big, showy, and flashy like celebrities, but nice clothes that still look good. Their haircuts are not top of the line “cool” but it still looks acceptable to everyone. They keep everything about them in moderation. This same principle you must adopt if you wish to gain a good first impression from a wide range of opponents. That doesn’t mean this is the only way, or the best way, as I have seen in some cases that I am more likely to get the person to listen to me by liking the things they like, or changing my opinions for a little while, if only to initially gain their trust.

If you can do this, people will be more likely to take the time to hear your ideas and think about them. It is at this stage in the development of your relationship that you can break away from dullness of moderation and expand into the excess, but always keep your head. There have been numerous occasions where my out-of-control excessiveness got the better of me and I drove the person away. I have learned from this and realized that if I had been more moderate, I may have had a better chance of winning them over. I still debate whether it is better to spend time trying to win them over moderately, or to fight quickly and vigorously in excess. The only thing I have been able to conclude is that it depends on the situation, so my advice to you is, keep your head, try to realize whether the situation favors moderation or excessiveness, then act upon your judgments.

If you adopt these principles, I believe that you will be a much more powerful debater, and much more capable of changing the world.

The Effects of an Emotional Foundation

There has always been something funny about little kids. We laugh when we see them put a banana peel on their head, and when they play in the dirt, or when they stick weird things in their mouth. We look at little kids who turn all grumpy after being punished by their parents and laugh when we hear them say things like, “I’m running away tonight” or “I’m never talking to you again”, because we know that they will never do it. Their actions are based on their sudden burst of emotion, and once that emotion goes away, their desire to execute that action dies. We find it funny when they do things that any grown person would never do, because it’s so foolish, and we are so much smarter and in control than those children. However, regardless of our years of schooling and experience, our understanding and control of our emotions remains relatively the same. We still let our emotions control us and our actions, instead of our minds controlling it, and that is why we have so many social issues today.
In modern America, 45% of marriages end in divorce. This statistic is sadly at one of the highest points it has ever been in the history of our society. “Why?” I asked myself. Why do I see all my friends going out and dating just to end up heartbroken a short while later? Why do people say “I love you” then act like jerk a second later? I realized that their actions were based on something that could change. These ideas they seemed so initially passionate about were founded on some mentality that was not constant. The culprit behind this vile fluctuation is none other than, our changing emotions. This may seem like such an obvious statement, but how often do you consider the notion that your decisions are based on your emotions and not on your head? The main cause of divorce is that couples build their relationships on something that is uncertain. They marry for the money, or they marry for the sex, or they marry simply because they see the other person as valuable to them. They marry for what they see of their emotions, not for what their constant personality is. Then things change. They make less money, they get tired of sex, they become less valuable in the eyes of the beholder, their emotions change. When you rely on something that is uncertain to hold true, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. For some people, they would rather work to keep the emotions of their partner on the good side and deal with it when it isn’t than be without them, be alone. For some people, that perfect relationship just seems unattainable and beyond reach, and they would rather take the safe route and stick with what they have rather than aspiring for something that appears to be out of range. Beggars can’t be choosers. However, if you choose this path, you owe it to rest of society to understand the depth of your decision. Don’t bring a child into this world so he can watch you and your spouse argue. Don’t sacrifice your family and your friends, the ones who have always been there for your, to please your “love”. Be a team, not competitors, and work to be a positive influence on the world, rather than degrade it.

Acts of Selfishness

For the majority of my life, I tried to put others before myself. My sisters, for example, would always want things from me, candy, food, the TV, this game, that toy, you name it. Every time I gave them what they wanted. I thought I was so nice, sacrificing myself for my sisters and anyone else who gave me the opportunity to show off my “generosity”. Then my sisters and I grew up. My younger sister is pretty much spoiled (though when I realized this, I began to try and fix it and things are better now) and my sister who is only 2 years younger seems to have grown in a manner to be like me (which is not a good thing most of the time because I have made some bad decisions to try and get attention in my younger years). I saw what had become of my sisters and I couldn’t understand what happened, didn’t I do everything right? When other kids bullied their sisters, I was always the one who didn’t. How is it that these actions of love created these two individuals who were so far off the path they should have been on? I explored this dilemma relentlessly because it caused me so much grief. I realized that my actions had to have been wrong, that what I did that was so different from everyone else was the reason why they had become so different from everyone else. I explored my feelings and realized I felt guilty. “But of all things, why ‘guilty’?” I pondered. It took me a while, but I finally realized that the reason I felt so guilty, the reason I was so filled with grief over something that wasn’t even that bad, was that I had been selfish. Instead of suffering and making them learn that life didn’t give them everything they wanted, I had been nice to them so that they would be nice to me back. I did the same thing with my friends. I even worked to please my parents, or my teachers, or any other authoritative adult. I was selfish. I didn’t consider what was best for others; I only considered what was best for me. Today, I see people all over the place who think that they are selfless. They donate to this, they give to that. When someone looks weird, they lie to make them feel happy and tell them they look great. When someone is doing poorly in school, they tell them not to worry, they will be able to fix it and make it up later. They lie and say that things will be fine. In truth, these actions are selfish aspirations. People donate to look charitable and generous, they desire that recognition. Instead of suffering and giving others a hard time about how grim reality is, they take the easy, selfish way out and leave their friends to discover their flaws for themselves. They would act selfishly to avoid a conflict. We all act like this everyday. We worry only about ourselves. For example, the teachers who were hated the most were the hard, cruel ones. Kids always hated whoever gave the most homework or whoever was most without mercy. Conversely, we as children loved the easy teachers. We never got in fights with them; we never gave them a hard time. We were happy, they were happy, life was happy. But now, I understand how much I benefitted from those cruel teachers. I am a smarter, stronger human being because of the suffering they put me through. Most will never feel the comfort of my gratitude, they will never have a box full of gifts from their students, and they will never feel that happiness. But their martyrdom will be remembered. Years from their days in the classroom, when they are old and dying, and their students are off changing the world, they will be remembered for their deeds of selflessness. They will be remembered not for being nice, not for taking the easy route, but for sacrificing themselves for their students.

My friends, we are a selfish people. We simply are not strong enough to save our world from destruction, but the time of change is now. I ask that you be different, that you be the ones that sacrifice yourself for others. I plead, with the deepest desire, that you be the martyrs that can save this planet. Become the people no one else can be, and together, maybe we can escape the tragedy that lies ahead of us.

Your Opportunity

Thousands of years ago the powerful Greek nation clashed against one of the most powerful city-states of the time, Troy. They all knew this battle would be of epic proportions. They knew this war would be remembered for all time, and that the men who fought gloriously would be hailed for all eternity. This intriguing proposition led to recruitment of many legendary warriors such as Odysseus, Ajax, and Achilles, all of whom were remember for their role in the Trojan War.
In the next 50 to 100 years, our race will begin to face some of the greatest challenges in human history. Overpopulation will lead to lack of fresh water, lack of food, and lack of land, and as a result, war is inevitable. Natural resources such as oil will begin to run scarcely thin, and agreements between the more developed countries such as the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Russia will begin to deteriorate. Globalization will continue to cause violent conflict in Middle Eastern countries as they will fight to maintain their cultural identity. Globalization will also allow diseases to spread more and more rapidly to the populous areas of the globe, killing millions. Today’s pollution will begin to exact its consequences on the planet, global climate will increase, and we all know that’s not good. Our $10 trillion debt will eventually lead to a consequence we most likely are not preparing for enough. These issues are all predicted to clash at once in the next 50 to 100 years, and my best guess is, it’s gonna be bad. However, this hopeless situation will be the greatest opportunity for fame and glory this planet has had in centuries. Those who dedicate their lives to the prevention/repair of these problems will be hailed, and they will be remembered for their great deeds. Very rarely do I see anyone today concerned, and willing to make the commitment to be the hero we need, they are all too busy with their lives and going out and making money to fill their retirement fund.
Now I ask you, will you lead the fate of our planet up to chance, or will you do something about it? Will you act to carry our people out of this bottomless pit? I want you to ask yourself, are you willing to be a hero for the sake of humanity?

A Sickly Situation

In 1918 the flu pandemic known as the Spanish Flu (or H1N1) was estimated at killing 20-100 million people worldwide. The human body's immune system came nowhere close to being able to combat it. People woke up in the morning perfectly healthy and by the end of the day they were dead. It was bad. H5N1 (bird flu) is version 5.0 of that virus, and in today's modern world, it would be devastating. Geographers have a term called space-time compression, which is the term that labels how the time it takes to travel from one place on the globe to another is taking less time, making the world, in a sense, smaller. Let me provide you with an example series of events of what would happen if H5N1 transferred to humans, keep in mind the Spanish flu is thought to have originated in rural Kansas.

A farmer from southern Georgia is taking a trip up to see his relatives in New York City. He and his family are the only people contaminated with this new virus. He arrives at the airport and boards his plane. He develops a mild cough and he coughs into a napkin, which the flight attendant picks up. She gets contaminated. Then she hands out peanuts to all the passengers. They all get contaminated. The farmer arrives in New York but has to wait to get picked up, so he goes to buy a snack. He exchanges money with the girl at the cash register making her contaminated. All the food and people who buy food get contaminated. All the passengers of the plane do the same at different restaurants and stores. Pretty soon everyone in the airport carries the disease. Then they all board planes going to all the major cities throughout the globe repeating the process. Get my point?

Disease is a serious threat and it should not be taken lightly. I ask you to please, spread the word about the situation we are in. I request that you highly advocate the use of sanitation, as it might be the only thing that could save us. If not, let’s just hope we don’t get caught in the mess.

Dependent and Independent Relationships

I am aware that this post will most likely hold a lot of typos so if you see any just let me know and I will change it. Please let your family and friends know about my blog, as I have all these ideas I want to share with the world, yet now one reads them :'(. Anyhow

I came across an idea when writing my, “Every Relationship is a Gamble” article and I thought I had explained it in that article, but I realized that I barely even mentioned it. So now for your benefit and mine I will attempt to explain dependent and independent relationships.
The world is a tough and brutal place, but most of the people reading this have never experienced its full ferocity. Generally, the population in developed countries such as the US and the UK are weak, as compared to past populations and populations of third world countries. We have grown up with so many people “holding our hands” that we have never really faced any challenges on our own, or learned how to face a situation without someone else’s help. For the most part, we are all dependent on another person or thing and we rely on that person or thing for a number of different reasons. Some people depend on others to protect them, some, as I said in my “Every Relationship is a Gamble” article, depend on others for love. Some depend on an idea so that their blissful reality (cough cough religion) remains the same. In today’s society we have grown up so closely enter twined with and dependent on other people that we can barely function without them. For instance, the hunter/gatherer tribes that chased wooly mammoths for food so long ago were very close to being dependent on no one other than themselves, as they could live and provide for their family solely on their individual skills and abilities. Today, we panic if our electricity goes out. We are dependent on the grocery store to have food, the gas station to have gas, the outlet to have electricity, the telephone to ring, the government to protect us, its ridiculous, and for the most part, we do not even realize it. And why is that? Well, our dependencies are spread out over such a large amount of people and things, we do not feel or notice how dramatically dependent we are. Now to tune it down to something most can relate to, there are those who are dependent on others to establish their self-worth. In schools for instance, the kids who seem to always make an effort to have a lot of friends, the guy who sits next to you and everyday asks if he can borrow a pencil, the girls who cakes layers of make-up onto their faces so that they can fit in, the girls who make fun of anyone who isn’t “cool”. In each of these cases, the individuals are dependent on others, whether they are relying on them to have the materials needed to complete their schoolwork, or they need the appreciation of others to feel happy, or they only build relationships with those they deem as “valuable”, each needs another person to survive. This system seems like a shortcut to happiness for many. They think that it is easier to simply borrow a pencil from someone then make the conscious effort to get one yourself, and it is certainly easier to love yourself when you feel loved by everyone else. However, as in everything, there is a catch. These people leave themselves vulnerable to disappointment. You expect your neighbor to lend you a pencil then all of a sudden they don’t. You expect that if you work hard to be good looking and cool that people will love you then they don’t. This is why some people become independent, and build independent relationships.
Independent relationships are much different from dependent ones. Independent is in a sense, the harder path to take. You only rely on yourself; you can only depend on yourself. You risk not experiencing exceptional love with the hope that you will not experience exceptional pain. This path may be harder but to some its long term rewards are definitely worth it. You very rarely meet disappointment, and you keep everything in moderation. Independent people must be strong to take on the world by themselves, and they must be passionate and strong-willed to stick to their resolve. For me I have taken to the independent side, but it is not for everyone, as some would rather risk great disappointment for the faint possibly of love.

So now ask yourself a simple question, how dependent are you?

Our Dire Situation

Our world is in bad shape. It seems like everyday when I turn on the TV or the radio I hear of another problem, or another issue, and all anyone does is say “We should do this,” or “We should do that,”, but no one ever does anything. People think they are helping the environment because they decide to throw their trash away. People think they are making a difference when they hold their little peace rallies, or when they wear a shirt saying to “go green”. What these individuals need to realize, is they aren’t helping the world at all. If anything, they are simply making things worse. They may raise awareness, but the general public will view these people and think everything is taken care of, that those people who wear shirts saying to “go green” are going to fix the environment and they don’t have to worry about anything. I am so tired of watching people think that they can just wear some dumb t-shirt and change the world. We need to realize that if we are to really do something about today’s issue, if we really want to help prevent future suffering and pain, we must dedicate ourselves to the cause, and go 100% to avert world-wide terror.
Many think that our politicians will handle everything. If we simply vote for one person, or advocate them to our friends, that will fix everything. Do not be lured into this blissful lie. Politicians tell the public what will make them happy. They will tell the public that we have nothing to worry about or that they will fix everything. These politicians will tell you what will get your vote. This is what’s ruining our country. Our leaders act in the short-term and do not prepare for the long term. For instance, our national debt, past leaders have known that if they build some big fancy monument or construct some big shiny bridge, they have a better chance of getting re-elected. Now look at us, we have a $10 trillion debt. That’s insane. Illegal immigrants used to just come over to America for a short-while and work and then go back to Mexico. This was allowed by politicians because big companies could get cheap labor. But the lower class citizens were getting upset because they were losing jobs. But instead of choosing one side or the other, our leaders simply stayed in the middle, making stricter laws, but not enforcing it 100%. Now, they come over here to stay permanently and they bring their whole family Their numbers continue to rise and it is starting to have a serious effect on our economy. Deforestation has been going on for a while, but now it is really taking a major toll on our climate, something that is developing into a real threat. All of these things could have been prevented if our elected leaders had done what needed to be done and not just worried about getting re-elected. So now we must ask who do we have to blame? Yes the politicians messed up, but did we not allow it? So whose fault is it? Ours. We are responsible for these problems, and because it is our fault, we are responsible for fixing them.
So what do we do? Right now there are so many issues, overpopulation, failing economy, poverty and social inequality, lack of food, lack of arable land, lack of fresh water, deforestation, dramatic climate change, disease, it seems like there is nothing we can do. This situation seems so far out of our control, that if it can be fixed, our authorities will fix it, and if it can’t, why worry, there is nothing we can do. The world’s people need to know, that there is something we can do, that only we can do. The world needs to know that even one individual can make a difference, not by wearing some t-shirt, but by action. Through dedication, passion, and commitment, we can get people to understand, that only we have the power to save ourselves and escape this tragedy which seems so close and inevitable. So I am not suggesting your cooperation, I am not saying “We should do this”, I am begging you, to please, think, ponder, brood over the situation we are in and realize that you do have the potential to save the world. You can make a difference, and you can be the one who pulls us out of this hole. I want you to realize how grim our future looks, and that if you do not do something, if you do not act to protect our planet, you, not your children, not your grandchildren, you, will be the victim, and you will come to realize how horrible and traumatizing death and war really are.

Opinion on how we should fix our failing government

Over hundreds of years ago, the Greek civilization was the first society to introduce the idea of democracy. The Greek city-state of Athens in particular exemplified this system of government more than any other. They had a system where all the citizens would debate and discuss the many issues and together they would reach a decision. In this society, every free male citizen not only had the opportunity to participate in government, they were expected to. After this civilization was conquered, democracy lay dormant, that is until, the United States of America became a nation. Now, one of my biggest opinions was that this system was flawed, as everyone had the same say in our government through voting. I thought, if a grown man was put in a classroom full of kindergartners and they could decide whether to go to school or not based on a majority vote what would happen? The grown man would understand the long term benefits of education (hopefully) and would vote his way, though the kindergartners would simply want to play all day. In the end the kindergartners would win because they were the majority, regardless of the fact that they were not best suited to make the decision. Now, if I was living in New Orleans when Katrina was on its way, lets say we followed democracy and we were all to take a vote as to whether we would stay or not. My educated choice to leave the city would be compromised by those who do not understand the dangerous potential of the storm. How often does this happen today in voting for politicians and laws? How many times have the uneducated held the majority in voting? In response to this many will argue that that is why we have a representative democracy. Those who are better suited for the job will make the best decisions on the peoples behalf. But how many people illogically base their votes on wrong facts, initial judgment, and biased opinions? Why should illiterate citizens and people without high school diplomas be able to make the decisions for me and my family? Parents force their children to go to school against their wishes because they know what is better for the child. Should we not adopt the same policy for our government? Going back to Greece, the reason why their democratic system was able to flourish was that their citizens loved knowledge. Most were educated and enjoyed debating and acquiring respect and honor for their minds. However, here in America, the first thing that suffers from budget cuts is schools. They are suffering and we are producing dumber, weaker citizens to run our country. We cannot allow this flaw to continue in our government any longer. As advocates of higher thinking, it is not simply our responsibility to act, but an obligation. We must fix this. We must make things so that no one must suffer because of the decisions of those not fit for job.

Every relationship is a gamble

We humans are social creatures. We create bonds with our family and friends. But I wondered, why? Why do we create these bonds? Why do we make the conscious effort to go out and put ourselves on the line to make bonds with other people even when people can be hurtful? Finally, I understood that there are two potential outcomes when one builds a relationship, two possible reactions. One is what many people hope for, love. Love is in a sense, an emotionally generated dream. Love allows us to forget and ignore all the wrongs and frustrations and complications of living. We humans are addicted to it, and so we build relationships in search of love. The other possible outcome of a relationship is rejection, misery, emptiness, all bad feelings that lead to loneliness and pessimism. We feel this when what we expect and what we desire from an individual does not hold true. When you find out your best friend cheated on you with your girlfriend/boyfriend, you are devastated, because based on past experiences that should not have happened. That is where my next point comes in. Past experiences give us the information to make an effective decision on whether to develop a relationship with someone or not. Relationship are, in a sense, almost like a probability, you take the number of times the specific person has put out love under certain circumstances and compare it to the number of times they have rejected it under certain circumstances, and you take an educated guess on the persons outcome, you place your bet on the horse expected to win. Only problem is, most often times, these assessments of individuals are not always true. For the most part, they are opinions, opinions based on past experiences stretching back since birth. For instance when you are learning about an individual, you judge that person based on your previous experiences with their specific age, gender, race, social class, culture, etc. After that, you base your judgments on what you have discerned from people you are already in a reliable relationship with, your family and friends for instance. And lastly, you make your judgments on personal experience. These 3 levels of judgment are prevalent in every first encounter, and each level has its own level of influence. Race, gender, age, etc, is the initial stage, but the least influential in deciding whether a relationship can be built. After that are friends and family, then personal experience. But for the most part, everyone has met betrayal many times in everyone of these categories, so how do they compensate for it? Trust. Trust allows peoples to confront their past experiences and determine that these individuals are different. Trust is either respected or betrayed. People who are betrayed to many times often times simply do not engage in relationships at all. They take the safer route because although they do not receive any love, they don't receive pain either. On the other side of the spectrum, people who aren't conflicted with enough betrayals become too trustworthy and open. The do not have the past experiences to protect them from harmful individuals. This has become a big problem for modern day children and those children who are coming of age today. As a result of their helicopter parents who protected and shielded them from all betrayals and disappointment, they have become weak. They are too dependent on others and if ever this were compromised, they would be hopeless. So every relationship is a gamble, a choice to go all or nothing, love or rejection. For me, I prefer the safe route, but some cannot exist without love. It is definitely hard. However, if we can make the proper assessments, we can learn to be emotionally strong individuals capable of both receiving love and dealing with rejection.

Radical thinking to change the world?

I've been thinking about today's society and that things for us are spiraling downward. Our planet is becoming over populated, our nations debt is going through the roof, global warming is melting the ice caps, pollution is ruining our ecosystem, gas prices, wars, everything is going to hell. And I've been thinking, the only way anyone ever responds to one of these problems is when a catastrophe happens and we fear we may truly be in danger. So my friends, the idea I have conceived, is that the only way to save ourselves and others, is to do something radical that will push everyone out of their comfort zone, and into fear, for it is the only way for us to fix these problems before it is too late. Before you start jotting down your condescending words, think about how often fear is used to convey a message. Mothers tell their children that if they don't brush their teeth, they will all fall out and no one will like them. They set punishments to teach them to be good rather than bad. The list goes on and on. Is this any different? The only difference is that it is on a larger scale and affects a greater number of people, but it will keep them safe. Of course, we would be hated for it, but that is also prevalent throughout society. I child will ask his mother if he can see a PG-13 movie with his friends when he is young, and she will say no because it has too much adult content. Sure, he will hate her for it, but in the end, he benefits from it. Teachers are disliked when they assign homework and force their students to do work, but do their students not benefit from it in the end? This is the same idea, the same radical principal that is necessary to save this country, no, this planet, from its inevitable oblivion. The American colonies, Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., all did things that were against conventional thinking, and though most were hated at the time, their martyrdom was hailed in later years, for their radical thoughts and actions, changed the world. That is the goal we must strive for. We must learn to sacrifice ourselves as martyrs to deliver us all from destruction, and put in place radical actions to convey radical thoughts and change the world.

Do People Really Change?

Middle School and High School has shown me the best and the worst of people's character and many times, either through my own experiences or those of my friends, the idea of whether or not people change has perturbed greats amounts of thought. From what I have seen, our character never changes, in only comes in conflicts with our desires. Desires and character seem to always be battling each other. From what I've seen the only time when people "change" is when either one of desires become greater than what their character is telling them or one of their desires becomes greater than their previous desire. If you don't believe me apply it to an alcoholic in rehab, or the last guy you dated who all of a sudden broke up with you. With all of these cases you will find that this method applies. And so I have concluded that people never change, but their desires can be unpredictable.

Why people lie about who they are

I remember when I first started middle school at a new school I judged everyone by first impressions and perceived them by the way they acted or the way they dressed or what their interests were. But as the years progressed, I began to grow closer to people. I started to understand who they really were and it got me thinking about why people try to hide who they really are. I realized that people hide who they really are because exposing their true selves would make them vulnerable to the cruelness of the modern world. They create fake images of themselves like shields to protect them. One large example of this would be homosexuals. As much as I disagree with it, homosexuals are looked down on today. For the most part, they are ridiculed and rejected. So to prevent this, many lie, they say they are straight, and try to do straight things. Why? They would rather have to endure doing things they hate than to be treated like crap by everyone else. Everyone does this in one way or another. It is human nature to adjust and survive. That is why people lie about who they are. To protect themselves from everyone else.

My ideas on how America became a world power in less than 100 years

Hardship breeds strength and power. That is an idea that I have just realized and it has answered many things which are questionable in this world. For instance, a child who is made fun of constantly will grow up to be less sensitive because he has been forced to become stronger. I know from personal experience, athletes who practice with those much more skilled than they are will get better faster. The "hardship breeds strength and power" idea applies to everything. Plants, animals, and humans are all affected by this idea. But an indirect revelation of this idea, is America's rise to power. For many years I have pondered how it was possible for America, a sad struggling group of rebellious farmers and other common folk, were able to defeat the most powerful military on the planet. After this idea arouse, the answer was simple. While Britain, though intelligent and born from years of experience had definitely earned their prestige and respect, were creating a weaker citizens, who were enjoying the fruits of their ancestors’ labor for much too long. Americans on the other hand were constantly being tested and challenged to face new obstacles. They were forced to adapt to a harsher environment and as a result, created smarted, stronger citizens. After the revolution and establishing our independence, we were faced with more obstacles, such as designing our own government and satisfying all the desires of the states. The states were what really brought us to a world power. Constantly arguing and competing with each other, they realized that the only way to overcome the other states was to get a better economy and have better ideas and beliefs. The civil was the greatest obstacle we had to overcome, and afterwards, we were stronger and more united than ever before. It is our constant competition with each other that has made America so powerful. Hardship made strength.

Head vs. Heart

For the longest time, I have always felt this idea, but I only recently have I fully grasped it mentally. It is the idea that emotions and logic are always contradicting each other. Soldiers in war who see a comrade fall out in the open of gunfire must decide whether to do the logical thing and stay where it’s safe, or go with their emotions and run out to try and save him. Young couples who are so overwhelmed with emotions tend to stop thinking about anything else at all. But is there a right and a wrong? As you may have seen in movies most people who are very smart tend to be without much emotion, as they view everything, including people, from a logical standpoint. Which in most cases is a good thing because sometimes, good decisions can only be made when all emotion is removed and everything is viewed for the pros and cons. But emotion on the other hand, when channeled properly, can lead to some amazing things to. It is why athletes listen to music before a big competition. To get them pumped, to get their emotions flowing towards a goal. It’s why you see in movies and life, the person with more emotion, the one who has the more desire to win, often does win. He is able to see past all logical deductions to do whatever it takes to win, no matter what the cost. So my conclusion? It takes logic to make good decisions and emotion to do things that are illogical. But if you can channel all emotion into logical decisions, there is no goal that cannot be achieved.

My ideas on religion

I was raised a Baptist. My parents taught me to believe in the "Almighty Lord" and I went to a Christian school for most of my life. But around 13 I started to question my teachings. As I learned more and more about the world around me, I started to base my beliefs on logic and reason more than anything else. This was the basis of my battle with religion. I thought for many years of the how to justify one side or the other and my decision, though not perfect, has made it evident to me that "God" and other "supreme beings" do not exist. From the beginning of time, the Jews in Israel, the Romans and Italy, the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans of South America, have all assigned gods to explain the natural phenomenon around them. The Greeks created Zeus for lightning, Poseidon for waves and earthquakes, and many other gods to explain everything else they had no explanation for. In today’s society however, we have found those answers through science and we no longer need “gods” to explain the things we don’t understand. Religious fanatics would argue, “The Bible and the ten commandments are perfect, there laws are what everyone should live by. Therefore our gods must exist.” This is true in some respects. I agree that the ten commandments and most of the statements in the Bible are true and the world would be a much better place if we all lived by them, but these are simply wise sayings written down by wise men. The Bible, and other religious texts, though wise, do not in anyway justify “supreme deities”. And with that I conclude, religion is simply highly respected lie.

Fear Controls Everybody

Lately I’ve come to terms with how prevalent fear is in today’s society and how much people are controlled by it. One large example is religion. People believe in religion because they fear the afterlife, they fear going to “Hell”, they fear what they do not know. So they take up religion because it gives them safety and comfort that they will be safe in the next life. Ignorance is bliss. Telling yourself lies about how you have a safe haven after you die is comforting to people. It is also why religious people are so intolerant to listen to anything else. They don’t want to imagine a reality where they are wrong and not safe. But that is only one example. Why do people wear clothes that they think are “cool”? Because they fear being rejected by society. They fear being different. Why are people nice to each other? No matter what bullshit people say about why they treat each other nicely there are only two reasons they do. One is that they want something from the person and two is that they fear the consequences of being mean to that person. Fear is why boys in middle school always act so shyly around girls. Its why they act so polite and try to control what is really on their mind (sex). They fear pissing the girl off. Girls use make up and worry about how the look because they fear not being “pretty enough”. Advertisers use fear to convince people to buy their products. Governments use fear saying that they are the only ones who can protect people from oppression and dictatorship. Fear is everywhere. It controls us. It controls our thoughts. It controls our actions. It is only when we get the courage to rebuke our fears that we can be free to make our own decisions and think our own thoughts. That is true freedom.

My ideas

This sole purpose and intent of this blog is to share my views and ideas.