Addicted To Distraction

I can completely relate to this article. As much as I love reading (and I do). I haven't been as diligent as I once was. I am constantly on my phone, watching TV shows online, checking my email, and I have even started playing online arcade games ( I don't know how I could've stooped so low 8/ ). I don't know how I have digressed so far from reading books every night before bed. It is appalling.

I can honestly say that I have at least 30 books piled on top of my desk waiting to be read (some are even 4 years old). This is not to say that I don't read, but I haven't been reading as often as I used to. This is also the result of my book buying habit. Even though I have more than enough reading material at home, I continue to buy more books in the unrealistic hope that I will read for a month and get all of my books cleared away and have nothing to read unless I buy this book right now.

My point being that I have severely reduced the amount of time I read because of the fact that I am constantly online or on my phone. It must've started sometime in middle school when I finally had access to freedom in what I watched on TV and when I could go to bed. With the freedom of middle school came the relentless pull of binge watching. Catching up on every cool show that had aired that I missed while still an "innocent child". At this point in time, my calendar is filled with atleast 35 shows that I watch WEEKLY. Even I know this is insane, but I can't stop now, I have to watch them all to the end!!!

Yes, I know that I should cut back, I know that I should make more time to read and make a dent in the pile of books on my desk, but the pull of the internet is just too strong. I live in the age of technology, and I fully admit, I am addicted to distraction!

Wrong Answer

Nicholson Baker is an American writer of fiction and non-fiction. He wrote an article titled Wrong Answer: The Case Against Algebra II. The main concept of this piece was to pose the question of whether Algebra II should be a required course or an elective given to high school students. Students are not pawns in a political chess game, despite what others may think. Students are being pushed to their limits and beyond, forced to accomplish unrealistic goals, and ultimately end up failing; and the ones holding the power to release them of this unnecessary stress are sitting on top their high horses reaping the benefits. Nicholson Baker investigates this ongoing problem and talks to many individuals to gain their opinions on this subject. Baker shows both sides of the story and reveals to us his own opinions, but when one steps back to analyze all the evidence, it is abundantly clear that there is only one true answer, even though many would like to remain under the impression that it is in fact, the wrong answer. Algebra II should not be a required course for high school students, instead it should be listed as an elective because not every student needs to know Algebra II to advance into their career of choice.
I do agree with Nicholson Baker’s opinion on Algebra II. It doesn’t do anybody any good if you are putting a kid through the hardest class of his life and he doesn’t even need it for his future endeavors. Some may say that completing Algebra II will double your chance of getting into college, but that is not true if you end up failing the course.
Government officials now say that they want everyone to be “above average” in their math test scoring. So their solution is to give us new books, that don’t even have their facts straight, and new tests that are harder than the ones before to help us succeed in math. But, I have some questions for you. How is a new book and a new test going to help me understand Algebra II better? Is it going to somehow rewire my brain to think like a mathematician, because that is the only way some students will ever understand math. And, lets say that we somehow end up getting better scores. That “above average” you were telling us to get, has now become average again because we are ALL “above average”, which creates a NEW average! One last question. When will this cycle end? Michael Wiener, a former math teacher that is currently an english teacher, comments, “These people in charge, they think that just because they raise the standards, the kids are going to level themselves up. And I have news for them. A kid that can meet the standards is going to meet the standards, but a kid that can’t, won’t. It’s as simple as that.” And really, it is as simple as that. There is no other way to put it. We are who we are.
Nicholson Baker’s solution is this, “Tell them how great it is, but don’t force them to climb until their arms go numb and they fall. Then turn the rest of Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry into elective courses…” It’s so simple it might just work. Make it optional for the students who have the natural ability to solve math problems. Let them decide if they want to have a career in math or science. But, don’t force it down everyone’s throat. Those who don’t have that ability can simply opt out. Make Algebra II and elective and not required. Everyone wins, no harm done.

Free Blog 1 (senior year)

Reading is a blessed thing. I am so glad that I was taught to read, because without it I don't know what I would do! When my family drags me on long trips and when we are waiting for our food at a restaurant, or when I am waiting for anything to happen really, you will find me reading.

I can not tell you how many times I have been grateful to have a book with me. Especially when you are trying to ignore someone, its almost as good as pretending to be on a phone call.

Reading keeps you occupied when you can't do anything else. It passes the time wonderfully. It gives you someplace to go when you have to stay where you are. It gives our mind a chance to escape reality.

So at this time I would like to thank books for giving me something to occupy my mind. You have always been there for me, and when I dragged you along everywhere I went, you always came willingly. I would also like to thank my mind for retaining the skills I need to keep reading, you are magnificent! And most of all I would like to thank my mother for teaching me how to read in the first place; without her, none of this would be possible! Thank you all!

The Stranger

          In Camus' The Stranger, Mersault is an atheist in a world of religious believers. Since this story takes place when World War 2 was happening, Camus wanted to focus on the atheistic branch of existentialism. This emphasized that humans have an innate need to find meaning and that meaning was non-existent, this is also known as the theory of "the absurd". In this book, Camus wanted to get his point across and in doing so he created a character that in his view (and mine) could be admirable.
          As Ron Carter explains in his article about The Stranger, "Mersault realizes that he is not being condemned for taking a human life but for refusing to accept the illusions society promotes to protect itself from having to acknowledge the absurdity of the human condition." This is completely true and one of the reasons why Mersault is so admirable. He refused to change his beliefs just because society wanted him to, event in the face of death. It is a rare thing for someone to stick to their beliefs if they know that they will die because of it; it is rare because it takes true courage and bravery to stay true to yourself if you know that compromising your beliefs could save your life. This is extremely admirable. Mersault is honest and doesn't play the game society wants him to and he gains strength from that. Ron Carter writes, " When Mersualt, instead of repenting and seeking solace in some transcendent reality, refuses to acknowledge the possibility of anything beyond the immediate facts of his situation, the heroism of his attitude is made clear." If staying true to yourself is not and admirable and heroic quality, than I don't know what is.
          Sure, Mersault does have his bad moments but in the end he does accept the punishment for the crime he committed and he doesn't take the easy way out. He accepts that the world is indifferent and he is indifferent to the world.

South Carolina Student

Recently in South Carolina there was a student using her phone in class and would not stop. She was asked repeatedly by the teacher, the principal and the resource officer to stop the disruption in class, but she would not comply. The Officer in question then took it upon himself to drag her out of the her chair and handcuff her. This may seem all well and good and that everything was under control, but when you see the video of what actually happened, it will shock you.
The student was causing a huge disruption in class once she refused to put her phone away and made the teacher have to stop teaching to handle the situation. Once the principal was called in and told the student to stop, and the action still continued, they called in the officer to remove her from the classroom. The student in question had multiple opportunities to fix the situation and it did not have to come to the fact that an officer was involved or even a principal.
I completely agreed that the student was in the wrong and they had to get her out of the classroom to continue with class, but that does not excuse the lengths to which the officer had to go through to get her out of her chair. There are protocols that officers have to follow. There were other ways to diffuse the situation that did not involve and student being flipped upside down and dragged across the floor, all because of a cell phone being used.
Both the officer and the student are at fault for what occurred in South Carolina that day, but lets talk about the fact of why we are hearing about this story all across the country. Over the past year at least, there have been incidents involving African Americans and the police. Because of the fact that all of the events happened within a close time span, the media has been having a field day running with all of the race motivated stories going on around the country. To be blunt, the only reason I am hearing about this story is because a white cop assaulted a black girl. I am not making any excuses for what happened, but I will say that if this happened to a white guy, it would not have gone as public, or public at all. Not only is this a race issue, but it is also a sex issue. The fact that a man assaulted a woman is partially why the media was attracted to this story as well.
I completely agree that this is an outrageous situation and both are at fault, but I have to be realistic about this situation and say that there is no doubt that this is so widely known because of the fact that there is a race issue. I am not saying that the cop was racially motivated at the time, but I am saying that this issue has been blown way out of the water. It should not have this much media attention and the fact that the FBI are now involved in completely insane to me.
So, basically...I understand both sides and I can see how both sides are wrong, but the cop is more wrong because there were other ways that he could've handled the situation.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/sheriff-says-third-video-shows-south-carolina-student-punching-officer-n452481