Get Organized: A Tribute to Aristotle

     Before I took on the gargantuan task of organizing my computer's desktop, I felt very afraid for the safety of my computer. My lovely clutter will soon be vanquished in the name of Humanities. All of my clickables and nick nacks would be wiped off the face of the planet in a hailstorm of cleanliness and new folders. However, like an episode of Hoarders on A&E, I knew it was time to clean up my mess.  

     During this process, I found myself actually enjoying the work. I sifted throughout all of my folders and tagged each item with either School, Games, Photography, Video, Audio, or The Abyss (Miscellaneous). I even went as far as putting them in organized folders that went inside my user folder! In my flurry of clean-sweeping, I went farther than I expected.

     After all was done within my technological desk, I was glad that I finally did this. Yes, there are pangs of regret and missing my old clutter, but I knew that in the long run, I would thank myself for simplifying my life. I changed my view on organization and this undertaking taught me to streamline things to make everything easier in the long run. Thank you Aristotle for your wonderful philosophies!

Change of Mind: Sophie's World

      A month ago, if you asked me what I thought about philosophy, I would tell you that it complicated and unappealing to me. However, in these past couple weeks that we've been reading Sophie's World, I've changed my opinion on philosophy.
     Let's tackle my change of thought on two different fronts: complexity and appeal. First, the complexity aspect of philosophy. I used to think that the number of philosophers and all of their varied ideas made the study of philosophy impossible. However, if you use a "connect the dots" strategy, they really aren't that different. A lot of philosophers build on the idea of the scholars who came before them. For instance, Descartes and Plato both share a similar ideology. Knowing that philosophy really isn't that complicated helped me change my mind about it.
     The second aspect of my philosophical conundrum was the appeal of philosophy. There were no tricks to fix this problem like the "connect the dots" approach. I just had to rethink my view of philosophy. As I learn more about it, the more interesting it gets in my mind. Thanks to Sophie's World, my view is completely different.

Captured Thought: Overcoming My Fear of Singing in Public

     Of the many things I do in this school, I have one major, nonacademic goal for the rest of my senior year. I want to get over my fear of singing in public. I've always been terrified of the thought of people hearing me sing, especially in a school with a music department that won a Grammy. However, the other day as we were learning the musical games in Comedy Sportz (which I initially dreaded), a thought hit me. Why am I so critical of myself?
     After my revolutionary question was proclaimed inside my head, my mental experts went to work on an answer. Needless to say, they didn't find any proper reasons why I am so critical of my singing. So, I took that thought and ran with it. During the 7:30 show, I sang in public for the first time. It wasn't even that nerve wracking because I didn't think about it. It was a huge step forward for me.
     Now that I am starting to control my fear, I feel more inclined to participate in things like battle of the bands. Seriously I signed up. Granted, Benjy Wax and I are only planning on doing a rap, but it's still a step in the right direction. I am no choir superstar, but I am on my way to accomplishing one of my goals for senior year.

Best of Today: Maya Lin

     I think the best thing I learned in class today came from watching the film that documented Maya Lin's creative thought process while designing the Civil Rights and Vietnam Memorials. Surprisingly, the idea that I will take away most from the film is not how she managed to incorporate water into her memorial or even how she made a piece of art have the ability to make people cry just by looking at it. What I learned most from Maya Lin was her constant humility. Most people would brag all day about the renown she has earned, but it barely even phased her (in a good way) that her name will be forever cemented in history because of her work on the two memorials.
     Taking this lesson into the real world is very practical. All you need to do is just scale it down a tad! In my every day life, it's easy to get wrapped up in the things I have accomplished and attained. However, I use the lesson taught by Maya Lin to never let my achievements in the past dampen my achievements of the future.

(I made that last sentence up on the spot! We should embroider that on a pillow...)

iMedia: The Smith Westerns

     In a world filled with chaos and stress, it's nice to find something that will always stay the same; a stable slice of tranquility that will always be waiting after a long, strenuous day. That's why I chose to write about the Smith Westerns' self titled debut album because no matter how crazy my day has been I always have them to lean on when I return home. 

     You may be thinking I'm being over-dramatic, but hear me out. The album as a whole keeps the same tone and feel throughout the entire 29 minute process. Still not convinced? All of the songs are around the same length (2:39-3:34) and each song reflects on the chaotic simplicity of teenage romance, much like the Beatles' early music. I know what you're thinking: "A Beatles reference? Pshhhhh. This guy's crazy." Once again, hear me out, you naysayer. Both bands focus on the romance and wanting to "hold your hand" (Quote from both a Beatles and Smith Westerns song). In the way, the Smith Westerns' music is an indie lo-fi, modern adaptation of the early 60s Beatles.

     The Smith Westerns, though relatively unknown at this point, deserve more recognition. I'm sure that my feelings about them are not uncommon and I would love to have more people listen to indie rock's greatest kept secret.

Examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na5pQGRu2mE "Boys are Fine" -The Smith Westerns

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibTLTidcXVQ "The Glam Goddess" -The Smith Westerns

Metacognition: The QE Essay

The Metacognition for the QE Essay was very different than my last Metacognition blog. For one thing, my normal 3 Step Plan was heavily affected by all of the wondrous in class time we got to do the QE Essay.

My first step in completing the essay was to synthesis all of the parts I've written into one. This step took the most time out of the whole process. I needed to make sure that all of the parts were coherent once they were put together. This involved removing redundant sentences, adding transitions, and adjusting the tone to flow more smoothly throughout the piece.

Step 2 of this plan was to add the details. By the details, I mean the title page and the Works Cited page. After I had completed both of these steps, I had a full on QE Essay ready to be turned in.

Blogging Around

Becca wrote about music and how she feels while listening to it. We connected on our mutual opinions on the power of music.
     I feel the exact same way about music. There are so many feelings that you can get from listening to an album. Certain songs can even inspire you to create something wonderful. I remember last year for my English final we had to write a huge paper about a journey, and the right music helped me breeze through what could have been a very painful experience.
  
    On top of opinion, I've read a few articles online that try to prove a scientific reasoning to music's powers over concentration. For instance, music that is too fast or loud will derail your progress, but songs with a consistent rhythm actual help you do better than if you were in absolute silence.


Kevin decided to write about his reflection on the 9/11 attacks. We shared very similar views, and I even learned that his dad was in New York that day.
     Wow that's a crazy story. I could never imagine how I would feel if my dad was in New York at the time. I was even scared for him to go downtown to Chicago. I'm sure I wasn't the only one, though.
     
     At the end of your post, you brought up a great point. Even though the attacks are almost a decade old, they still grab headlines day in and day out. In a way, this is a positive thing. It helps the United States as well as the rest of the world remember how horrible people can be. "Never forget" was the motto that was emblazoned on newspapers on the anniversary and I can definitely say that we will never forgot the horrors of that day.

Metacognition: The 3 Step Plan

There are many steps on the way to a perfect paper. For me, I follow the same formula every time and it has proven very successful thus far in my career. There are three simple steps I follow that lead me to a full, and well-written paper. I love my way of writing and I wouldn't change anything about it. I feel that I sometimes surprise myself with how quickly I can get a paper done if the correct procedure is taken.

Step 1: Set the mood.
     This is the most important step. Starting a paper is always the hardest thing to do. I need to find the write place to write my work, so depending on the assignment, I chose the venue. Analysis papers are done in my room, scripts and personal essays are done in the living room, and term/research papers are done in the basement. This decision making has to do with the environment that each place has. My room is painted with stripes which to me reflect a linear thinking. My living room is bright and colorful, so writing creatively make sense in there. And my basement is very scarcely decorated, which helps me focus on long, strenuous papers. This step also involves choosing the appropriate music for the writing process. Music that is less vocal oriented is ideal to help keep the focus on the paper, not someone else's voice.

Step 2: Write the paper.
     This part is easy once Step 1 is completed. However, this takes the most time. There's not much more explanation here. It's important for me to have a "command center" while I'm writing. A "command center" involves having my laptop, a glass of water, and whatever I am writing about around me. This is another pro-focus step. Surrounding myself with the material helps me immerse myself into the writing process.

Step 3: Edit and print my work.
     This is the most gratifying step in the process. Editing requires pace and precision, but nothing feels better to me than seeing a full paper come out of that printer tray. Not much else to say about this step except that precision is key.

So there is my 3 Step Process. So far, it has worked with every paper I have ever written. Who knows if my formula needs to be tweaked? Perhaps it does, because even the most time-tested procedures can be tweaked to become that much more efficient.

Best of Week: Good Things Take Time (LATE PASS)

    I know I sort of used the topic of "Good things take time" in my last post, but I still believe it is the best thing I learned this week.

     This motto can extend past writing essays of course too. For instance a movie like Avatar took over 10 years to make (I, for one, hated the movie, however). Despite my loathing of the film, the visuals were the most important leap in 3D technology since its creation. They could not have done this without two things: truckloads of money and more importantly, time. In the recipe of success, time makes up 50% of the process, with the other 50% being split between patience and talent. 

     Every medium of entertainment, whether it be books, movies, video games, or whatever, requires an immense amount of time to be successful. A few examples: The Harry Potter series took 10 years to reach its conclusion, Gran Turismo 5, which sports photo-realistic graphics and gameplay, was announced in 2004 and is still in development, and like I said earlier Avatar took over 10 years. 

     So what is the most important thing I learned this week? Take your time, because in the end your finished product will be exponentially greater than if you rushed it.

Connection: Writing a College Essay and The Antlers

     Today in class we talked about how to write a college essay. The process we described is one that took time and a whole lot of passion and creativity. It takes six weeks to write an outstanding essay, and this reminded me of the musical group The Antlers. Their album called Hospice was written by Peter Silberman. The band gained fame because of the heart-wrenching story it tells about a doctor in a hospice who falls in love with his dying patient. The process that Silberman took while writing this album is what made me draw the connection.
     Silberman decided that he wanted to write a concept album. However, he wanted to be 100% devoted to it, so he bought an apartment and locked himself inside, only leaving for food and other necessities, until the album was finished. No one knows how long it took him to write it, but rumors have cited months to even a year. In class we discussed that taking the college essay in small steps is the right thing to do, but Silberman made me realize that great works take time. I can't do my college essay in a night. It will take weeks for me to have a finished product that I am proud of.

(Here's a link to The Antlers website: http://www.myspace.com/theantlers. Check them out!)

What If?: The Creative Personality

     After reading the Creative Personality, I remember thinking one thing: There's no way someone could perfectly embody all of these traits. So I began to wonder what could someone accomplish if they were the perfect manifest of all of these things. The possibilities are endless, but I'd love to explore them.
     If this perfect specimen of creativity was a politician, imagine the good that would come from him. An individual with a balance such as he would be able to solve issues with solutions the world has never seen. Perhaps instead of high intelligence, our leaders such be of exceptional creativity.
     Perhaps this person is a musician. What if the works they created were so perfect that there were no negative aspects too it. Fans from across all genres would be able to appreciate this person's tastes. What if the ultimate creative musician held a concert that everyone wanted to attend. Imagine the size of the crowds that would gather to see this person.
     For my last "What If", imagine if this person was an artist. What if the art that he/she created was so breathtaking that countries adopted it as their flag? In turn, what if the whole world united under one flag that this person created. Hypothetically speaking, creativity could lead to world peace in all of these situations. What if all we needed was a creative way of seeing each others differences? The world may never know...