>_< Postponing College?

Take a look at this kid. If you've been anywhere around the internet, you'll know that this upstanding college freshman is also a meme. He can be found with the classic meme text on the top and bottom of his picture with phrases such as " 'I'm finally free from my parents'.... goes home every weekend." and "'Finals week is going to kill me' ... has 2 finals." and a personal favorite "Setting up dorm room .... speakers face out the window." All of which are no doubt accredited to the naive species we know as the college freshman. There is a female version too, but that one has since become NSFW (with such phrases as "never had sex before college ... does anal.") Super tangents aside, I came across an article on Forbes entitled Why You Should Postpone College. After reading this, I neither agree nor disagree. However, it does offer suggestions that I feel I should at least comment on, and maybe we'll actually get some substance from this post.

Author Brett Nelson ingeniously leads off with a well known fact about college/university debt in the US, and it's a staggering $1 TRILLION (read it again to make sure you got the number right). That doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't go to college, but looking at the US as a whole, it just shows that perhaps most of us just arent ready. Now I have been blessed with a great family and mind to take full advantage of this countries educational system. I'm part of the handful of straight-outta-college student to get a full time job. Mr. Nelson suggests that postponing college would be a good way to figure out your life before wasting 30-60 grand. Asking yourself "am I really ready for college?" will most likely set you up on the right path.

Now, everyone learns, adapts, and figures out what they want to do in life in very different periods of time. Whether it take a year or seven, everyone has their own pace depending on how they were raised. I went straight to college (though a last minute decision [which i also regret sometimes] as to where) becasue it was just another path to adult hood. It was the next step, the right step. I never thought about taking some time off tho figure something out. I can't stress how many times I've head "college is where you figure out what you want to do." So tell me why the pressure to decide on a major when applying? I got into University undeclared and during the orientation a basically decided to major in Chemistry. In the blink of an eye my mind and therefore my destiny was set.

Others were born, raised, and introduced to the hardships in life, and soon realizing that a college degree in (insert degree of interest here) was the only way to succeed. Consider those few lucky. On the other side of the spectrum you hear the horror stories (from parents who are in debt) of those who spend years in college switching around figuring out what to do. Without dropping names, I've heard 3 years business then switched to art. Also, 2 years in theology switched to a year of math switched to 2 years in business and then never finishing. I've heard 3 years fashion studies then switched to aquatic and marine sciences. The stories get crazier. But if I had to estimate the amount of money "wasted" based on a $35K school and a 4 yr degree, then you've got about $350K down the drain. So Mr. Nelson, what do you propose?

"Specifically: six months spent working in a factory, six in a restaurant, six on a farm, and six in the military or performing another public service such as building houses, teaching algebra, or changing bedpans."

He calls it "grown-up training." It isn't a formal conscription, and it acts like a prerequisite. If you don't do it, don't even bother applying. He goes on to say that some countries require their high school to college students to serve in their military for about 1 or 2 years. It'll remind students everywhere why they wanted to go to college in the first place, what an oppurtunity colloge really is and a better notion of who they WANT to be when they grow up. What do you think about this idea? Mr. Nelson himself started business school at 35 after a degree in mechanical engineering, so we're led to believe that if he had done some "grown-up training" he could probably have some time and money back in his probably fat wallet.

I mentioned before that some may say college is a time to find yourself. But for those completely lost in the dark about what they want to do, this grown-up training could really set people in the right direction. Heck, I might even consider it. I believe a huge part of the future crop of wealth creators really need to take a step back and see how important making this decision is. Society has molded our next generation (a good portion of it at least) into spoiled, stuck up, punk ass kids. I firmly believe that the choice that sets their future in motion is based on where the best parties are, or "where da' bitches at," and by the time they get there and most importantly down $30G's, it's already too late.

In Conclusion: maybe back then it was ok to delay your choices. The way things are now, there really isn't any time to waste. Grown-up training may not be for everyone, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't help.

>_< eBooks... E-Books? Electronic Books.

A continuation of sorts from the previous post. Another form of technology has taken the world by storm. Over the past few years, the invention/idea of an "electronic book" (e-book) has won over millions of tech savvy Americans. It LITERALly put the fun back in reaFUNding. (cwatididthar?) The google image to the right is a rather old example of what an e-book really is. Sure they have been around for a little longer than I've made it out, but it was only recently that they have giving actual books a run for the money. Where do I sit on the e-book train? Well let's first look at some positives and negatives... at least the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

E-books will save the rainforest. Not as literaly as you may think, but if you imagine for a second a local library you go to, and think about how many trees it took to make all those books. Now image that same library, as a data file nested comfortably in a bed of circuitry. See what I'm getting at? As data becomes easier to store in a large quantity, e-books will become the Savior the rainforest (or wherever it is the paper comes from).

I've had my own experiences with e-books. All the iPads, Kindles, Nooks, Sony eReaders, etc. have their own strengths when it comes to "eReading." What I like about some of them is the screens. Not a lot of glare, and it makes me feel like you're reading some kind of futuristic newspaper. Those are only found on the eReaders whose sole purpose is to... eRead. iPads and Kindles no longer apply. That's just another positive about eBooks. Very convenient. Saves some strain on the back, shoulder, etc. Kinda makes you look like a pretentious know it all when you're using one at Starbucks. All good things. Though here is where i'm going to steer a little off course. I know I do it a lot but at least I'm aware of it and at least I'm letting you know.

My short term memory is on fire today, and I'm not quite sure if I mentioned Books in my previous post of things that are going to disappear (although now I'm quite sure it wasn't because books aren't so much of a "technology"). I imagine for a quick minute a life completely void of books and a pure eLibrary. Where is there nostalgia in books? Well I can name a few. How bout that new book smell? That crisp crackling of the bindings as you pull the cover back? That sweet smell of fresh paper with a hint of ink... nothing gets you prepared to read more. Now I haven't tried it, but eBooks probably smell terrible. What about marking a page where you last left off? Folding the corner as small or as big as you want? Or maybe a fancy bookmark you want to show off? Its fun to see the sides of the books you once read to see how much of the book you read at the time becasue the creases you left make little tiny holes no matter how much power you squeeze the pages together. Lastly, that satisfying "thump" you get when you finish reading a good book. You know what i'm talking about. You can probably hear it in your head right now. THUMP. There, finished book. Big sigh of satisfaction and a smile not really directed towards anyone but yourself. That's good reading. Theres no satisfaction in "marking a bookmark" or turning off an eReader once you're done. Just thinking about it makes me... well do nothing, and that's the problem.

So I guess I accidently hit a negative on the eBook there without realizing it, but I want to go into one more thing before concluding. Textbooks should not turn into eBooks. I've always been a huge fan of taking notes oldschool. I feel like if textbooks start to become - in some way shape or form - an eBook, then this whole world is going down th estupid brain. I shouldn't speak for everyone here, but it's hard not to think that studying can be successful through hard note taking rather than highligting certain parts of the text with your finger or however else you do it. Coming from a chemistry major and math minor, I see a lot of frustration flipping back and forth to practice problems and text on an eReader. It's no way to study. The only exception are for textbooks on history, psycology, and the like. Textbooks that don't really need switching back and forth to. Again, this is probably just a sign of a generation switch. The "back in my day" syndrome. I'm sure the new generation and technology will eventually find something that takesall my complaints about eTextbooks and throws them down the drain. For now, I think you earn grades nose deep in a textbook and handwritten notes, not on a screen - no matter how high def it is.

If I could pose another question, how well do you actually study with technology sitting in front of your face? I can't cite this fact but i do remember seeing a statistic that said during finals week, a majority of college student will turn their phones, tv, and computers off while studying. Now imagine if an eReader were the only way to study. I don't know about you, but I'd be playing temple run all night long.

In conclusion: eBooks are great for novels and can save a lot of paper, but keep them away from textbooks. Our next generation is already screwed as it is.

ta ta kids

>_< Extinct Technology and Healthy Nostalgia

Recently (and by recently I mean yesterday at work) I stumbled upon an article entitled "Technology: What's next on the extinction list?" and it really got me nostalgic about some of the things I missed, will miss, and look forward to missing. So in this article, the number one peice of tech that will become extinct within the next year or so is - THE LANDLINE TELEPHONE. I completely agree. I mean lets face it - unless you're working somewhere that involves calling home phone numbers, or at a corporation where the phones are connected via extensions like me, its probably been a long time since you've heard a dial tone. And most likely in the next two generations, that sound will cease to exist as we know it. Just like the Dial-up noise. OH MAN, I really hit you hard with that one didn't I? (I'm hearing it in my head now... dee dooo dee dooo PSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) but I digress.

Futurist and writer Mark Pesce said this:

"The landline is going away. The mobile is good enough for most people, most of the time. A lot of people have a landline in their house if they have Foxtel or DSL, but then you're not using it for phone calls you're only using it for those things. "

He's right. Sadly, with the death of the dial tone, so too will come the death of the number button sounds. Surely playing Ode to Joy and other classics during mid phone call to impress the other end will be nothing more than a distant memory. Slowly but surely the rest will come: recording funny answering machine messages with your family, the uncustomizable two tone shrill or ring, finding and charging that darn cordless phone, and the like. Rest In Peace Landline telephone.

That wasn't the only peice of tech on that list either. The next one mentioned was - THE CHEAP POINT AND SHOOT CAMERA. I'm on the border on this one. It's all because of that one word, cheap. Now I'm all about point and shoot cameras, I personally think they'll be around for another decade or so. The article states that since mobile phones are becoming better equipped with cameras, the higher end lines (with the fancy lenses and such) will be placed more on the focus (see what I did there?). I just think that cameras on phones these days just are focused too much on the phone, since you know... it's a phone. But even with the cheap point and shoot cameras, you still get the cheesy color isolation effects, color replacement effects, better zoom, and that surprisingly pleasing "beep beep" right before the camera takes the picture and momentarily blinds you. I just hink for now, phones just aren't focused enough on the picture aspect. But how 'bout those new Nikons, AMIRITE?

That kind of reminds me, I never really had the pleasure of ever taking a picture with a polaroid. You know, the whole picture prints out immediately and you have to shake it like an idiot? Maybe once, but the ones my parents had broke by the time I was old enough to use one. The days of having a roll of film are definately dead. I'll miss heading over to store X, popping the back of my camera, and giving someone a roll of film. I'll also miss stretching out a little bit of the new film and setting the camera back up, closing the camera door and hearing those gears wind up for the next roll. Gives me chills. So let's move on.

Next up - RADIOS. Now, I was never into AM radio. I always thought it was a dimension better suited for old people. Honestly, the only AM station I ever knew of was AM 1560. That's right - RADIO DISNEY. But for 99.9% of my life, I've been on the FM. Now with the XM bouncing up and odwn in the markets, I don't totally agree with this one either. Radio is great as long as there are still interesting enough morning shows, and it's also a good way for news to spread, traffic and weather conditions during a commute... the list goes one. The only aspect of radio that will die is the music. Mainstream radio is terrible. We'll save that idea for another entry. Nowadays I find myself plugging my mp3 in whenever music plays between talk shows. The article states that the future is pdcasting. Let's be serious. It's not.

As for nostalgia, since the radio isn't quite dead, nor do I think it will be anytime soon... there isn't that much to reminsce about except the "scan button." During long road trips where all the local radio stations would change, the scan button did wonders when tying to find music. I'll miss hearing static for 5 seconds and then talking, then random spanish music, then classical music, then good music, then not realizing it was good music so I have to scan all the way around again. I miss watching the numbers go from 108 or so back down to 87... and that's pretty much it. Moving on.

I'll only blurb about this one real quick because I disagree with it entirely. SCANNERS AND PROJECTORS. The article states that Projectors will soon be built into phones and aren't really useful unless one wants a certain effect. For one, I've only seen like 1 or 2 phones with projectors inside them, and most business still use them for presentations. Scanners? Sure I haven't used one in awhile... but I would if I could. I feel the only other alternative is taking a picture of something and uploading to a computer. That's just stilly.

Finally, the last peice of tech on this list is- THE DVD PLAYER. This is a 50/50 for me. I get that the evolution of the Blu-ray player and the conveniece of Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and the like, are big players in the death of the DVD player. But unless Blu-ray discs drop down to like $5, I'm sticking with my DVD player. I'm not a big yearner of HD. I think its pretty good when other people have it, but I only think it's a necessity for video games and newer TVs. I had a heavy box TV for the longest time before I bought my own HDTV, and I was completely content with the quality of my DVDs. Also, why buy a bluray player when you can get a PS3 - I mean I still use a PS2 for DVDs...?

As for a nostalgia factor, talking about DVD players takes my back to the VHS days. I can confidently say I was well aware of the death of VHS tapes... I was there. But the new generation will never know what it's like to put a tape into a VCR... that moment when you've pushed it in just far enough the VHS player just takes it all on and loads it up. Then you hear th motors working and the film turning inside the machine as the movie starts. I miss the fuzzy lines as my tv "tracks" and noticing how funny movies can be when you play them backwards in real time. I'll miss getting charged $2.50 for not rewinding a rented tape. Or the satisfying click when the tape rewinder was done. If that article is correct though, all the things about DVD players will be gone too, the machine sound of the disc drive opening and closing, the spinning sound of the discs as it loads... and again I digress. DVD players aren't dead just yet.

In conclusion: there are a lot of things i'm going to miss. I'm sure hearing the scratch on a rcord, or turning the handle on a record player was it's own kind of thrill. For now we need to look onto the future too see what nostalgia waits for us there. Reminiscing about the past isn't so bad either.

ta ta kids.

>_< And Grow Up I Did... Sort Of.

There comes a time, and trust me there will be a time, where eventually you'll have to start throwing bits and pieces of your chilhood away or at the very least tuck them away in the back of your mind for a good amount of time. I for one think I am approaching, if not already, that age. It's been awhile since I've posted something on this blog and I find it both childish and somewhat grown up to be able to talk about certain issues such as these openly and to a general public of who knows how many. But the topic today is growing up, how it all relates to myself, and everyone else. So lets ask the question: What does it mean to grow up?

Of course you can approach this question in many different ways. Mentally speaking, growing up means you become fully aware of your possibilities, limits, resources, goals, your situation in comparison to others, and your responsibilities. Biologically, growing up may refer to the time when puberty has finally done its job, and the "growing" itself will probably stop. This means, no more checking if you grew a couple inches on the doorframe, no more replacement teeth from the tooth fairy, and so on. Females tend to reach this age at 18 - as they begin earlier than males. Males will reach this age typically at age 21. Theres a whole slew of details and facts about this topic and as much as I would LOVE to lecture you all, htis isn't what this blog is supposed to do. So let's get interesting... well, more interesting. I guess.

Socially speaking, growing up could refer to having a full time job. Living on your own and chasing that American dream. Not having to rely on anyone else but the paycheck salary you earn bi-weekly. (See what I did there?) Now, where I am currently at - and this is where my opinion of being "grown up" changes - is full time job. I'm not living on my own (though I could if I wanted to), nor am I chasing that American dream. Most importantly I'm not relying on just myself. I believe that being grown up, one accepts the fact that sometimes everyone needs help and therefore aren't afraid to ask for it, and also receive it. Yes, I do earn my keep, but I'm proud to admit that I'm still living with my parents, eating my moms food, and still more or less being a kid. Technically I'm just a kid with money. (BTW deja vu just now for some reason) ANYWAY. Though I'm not a fully realised grown up, I feel like the extra step I'm missing is earning and maintaing a salary, which would require a better degree in my situation. But even still, I wouldn't be too ashamed going back under the roof my parents practically built for my sister and I. It's home. It's where I could see myself for a really long time. It's safe. Society has it figured out that if you're 30-40ish years old you should have "flown the coop" by now and I feel that I only agree if you've got a family to take care of. But if you're working or unemployed and you aren't really involved with anyone then by all means take the free housing. This is kind of where my opinion and society's opinion starts blending.

In order to seem grown up to other people, because of what society has done to us, one must be stable by his/herself. That's why I mentioned earlier that it isn't at all deterimental to be living with your parents as long as certain conditions are met, especially if you aren't looking to settle down. Whether or not this is fact, mates will seek other mates that show independence and stability. The thought of being involved with someone who hasn't left the parents house isn't really ideal. So if you relaly want to show someone you can settle down and start a family, please show that you can do it yourself first.

Another thing I want to touch up on is growing up on a mature level. Now this is something that worries and irks me. This generational and technological shift has made it exponentially harder to mature. I don't want to sound like my parents at all but BACK IN MY DAY we didn't have all these fancy things we do today. Sure there were video games and early computers but I worry that the technology today will cause our youth to take a much longer time to "grow up." Statistics show that about a decade ago, the average person living by his/herself was 18-21 years old. This means that straight out of college or even in college you should have been living by yourself already. Nowadays I believe the numbers are close to 25-30 years old. Whether or not this has to do with technology or the economy, the numbers are a bit worrysome. I know that this whole idea is everywhere right now, but I need to take a brief aside for a second.

A couple days prior to this post, my mother and I were talking about the new hires she had at work, and how they were doing such a terrible job. The key point here is that they weren't working independently and therefore asking a plethora of questions in order to get the job done. Now I understand that with nursing, it doesn't hurt to double check with the seniors to see if what your doing is right. The big picture here is that presently, new employees in the field have absrobed less from their education than ever before. Even I am somewhat guilty to that statement. Taking my mom's new hires for example. Yes, there are some procedures that asking questions or verifying methods is a good thing to do. But if you need to ask how to check blood pressure, or how to draw blood, STRAIGHT out of nursing school? You didn't pay enough attention and you should probably go back to school. As an employee, you need to be able to take pride in your knowledge (for which you are probably in debt for) and be more independent in the workplace to succeed. Aside over.

And sadly that brief aside was enough to forget the point I was making before. But let's continue on anyway as this is getting to be a little winded. Though I don't consider myself a "grown up" just yet, I can hold my chin up and say I'm "grown." Because I still watch cartoons, I still play video games, and very much so I'm still a kid. And until the morning comes and I don't want to watch Spongebob, I'll put on a suit and head to work.

In conclusion: Grow up when you need to. But don't take too long or society will bite you in the butt.