The College Experience

The College Experience – Trend-Setter or Non-Sequitur?
by George A. Miu

Modern society dictates that aspiring young professionals attend college and earn a degree in order to maximize their prospects and the likelihood of succeeding in an increasingly complex and moderately disoriented world. After nearly four years of reasonably rigorous schooling, and mere months before my completion of a BA in Philosophy and a BS in Mathematics, I have cautiously entered the job market in search of a career-starting position at one company or another. My discoveries, and the inferences I can draw from them, are listed below:

1. On College Majors
The precise nature of the college major is not overly important, so long as it can reasonably be assumed that it prepares you adequately for the position. For instance, my math degree is good for a great number of economics related jobs, most of which require on-the-job training, and merely ask candidates to be comfortable in data-intensive environments. Now – don’t expect to get a job in the financial world with a Criminal Justice degree. It doesn’t quite work out that way. But, if you can show that your background is suitable for the tasks that will be required of you, your foot is already in the door (and a good resume will help you achieve this).

2. On Grade Point Averages
It seems to me that GPA calculations and re-calculations occur on a near-daily basis for some of us more concerned college students. However, it has occurred to me that the difference between, say, a 3.4 and a 3.7 is nowhere near as significant as previous job experience and/or honors and distinctions attained in the past. Indeed, the greater vast majority of job postings have no specified requirement, and a 3.3 or above is generally considered to be a plus in your application, based on my understanding of things.

3. On Work Experience
Obviously, most of us are going in looking for our first true full-time job. So this section of our resumes will not be very substantial. Nevertheless, I encourage all of the younger college students to try their hand at office jobs and positions that grant you a fair degree of independence. This bodes well for prospective employees who can demonstrate some sort of knowledge of the inner workings of an office and the deadlines and pressures associated with it.

4. On Communication Skills
Virtually every employer out there wants its workers to be eloquent, well-spoken and (especially) well-written. There is nothing more important that knowing how to get your point across in simple-but-classy terminology. So try emulating your professors in how you talk (assuming, of course, that your professors are good speakers and/or writers). It may seem pompous and needless at first, but with a bit of refining, it will put you in a prime position to impress when it comes to cover letters and interviews.

5. On Job Fairs & Career Services
Every college has some sort of office whose sole purpose it is to facilitate interactions between graduating students and employers. Use these to your advantage – go and talk to companies and their representatives and always have your resume handy. The worst that can possibly happen is that you won’t get a call back; but the learning experience is priceless. Remember – most of us have no idea as to what’s out there and what’s waiting for us beyond graduation. The more you acquaint yourself with these unknowns, the better your chances are at picking a good job for yourself that you will enjoy and (hopefully) flourish in for many years to come!

Excessive Salaries of Athletes: A Dual Analysis

Money Never Sleeps
by Neal R. Karski

As it is commonly known [such that I am not informing our dear readers of anything new], athletes in the United States make enormous sums. Their pockets are full of money earned from their teams, clubs, appearances, endorsements, entertainment bargains, and such. We know this.

But have we come to take a closer look at those particular salaries and the reasoning behind them? I believe most of us haven’t. And it has recently hit George and I to share our thoughts with you on the stated matter, because we feel necessitated to address issues of economic prosperity [or lack thereof], inequality, injustice, social well-being, media, etc.

Take, for an example, the matter of social role. Yes, pardon me, but I am referring to the utilitarian perspective in this case. What social roles do athletes have in our society? What responsibilities do they carry along with their names, clubs, brands, etc.? Lastly, we should ask ourselves if those high-paid athletes fulfill their social roles and their responsibilities, proportionally to the salaries they are paid? For the list of highest paid athletes, please visit http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/.

What social roles do athletes have in our society? I’m saddened to say there are very few. Indeed, they serve us heroes and motivators for our little children who want to become superstar athletes, or even obtain college education through following their examples. But, what if those athletes disappoint (i.e. steroids, rape, unethical behavior, and many more)? There may be no recovery from that. Athletes are icons of the world of sports; they represent themselves and their teams. At times, they endorse consumerist products, which do not benefit the society. At times, they also promote non-for-profit organizations and their goals, even though they still collect immense bonuses for such good will acts. Let’s look at this on a brighter note. There are many athletes that have contributed their wealth to the betterment of education, health, local business, and other positive foci. We are not familiar with the exact amounts and percentages; we can only hope they did it to genuinely help and serve as models, not out of crucial and quintessential publicity. Unfortunately, most of the extremely well-off athletes are overcompensated for their “ESPN-worthy skills” and talents that only act as a means of entertainment for the general public.

Take into consideration the following example.

According to Les Leopold’s article “Wall Street’s Ten Biggest Lies for 2010,” 25 hedge fund managers are worth 658,000 teachers. Now, we must ask ourselves if the economic prosperity of 25 hedge fund managers [and their clients] is worth the education provided by 658,000 teachers and the knowledge, skill and preparation for life received by millions and millions of children and young adults. What is your stance on this issue?

The sum earned by those 25 hedge fund managers is not much bigger than the total amount of money earned by the top 50 athletes in the United States. Therefore, by the means of the transitive property and the correlative comparison, we can, at this point, ask ourselves whether the salaries of the 50 richest athletes in this country are justified in regard to the paychecks of hard working teachers who commit their lives to sharing their knowledge and preparing youngsters to grow, foster values and lead. Or… speaking from a solely economic outlook… do we pay athletes millions [or hundreds of millions] of dollars to keep our economy content (even though it’s in not-that-good of a shape) or do we promote the progress of education and technology (which would then help our economy expand)? Today, it’s our time to decide.

What responsibilities to our society do athletes carry? The truth is… they carry none. They’re bound by contracts of their respected clubs and endorsement firms that generate economic revenue for their talents, skills, appearances, apparel, and such. They are paid millions of dollars, yet they do not owe society anything. And quite frankly, they probably don’t care to do so, being so well-off.

A bitter-sweet piece, with cynical elements. Hope you enjoyed.

God Bless.

The Paradox of Excessive Salaries – a Study on Sportspeople
by George A. Miu

Recently, the economic climate of the United States (and, indeed, the whole world, with very few exceptions) has been such that many have been driven to complain about relatively low salaries and high living costs. This suffering, so to speak, has been shared by most of us of the working classes and some of the more privileged, as well. However, there is one industry where salaries are almost unanimously on the rise – namely, in the world of sports.

For the purposes of today’s analysis, I will be looking at the four major leagues in the USA. Commencing with football, it is first of all noteworthy that the NFL did not even have a salary cap this year, leading many teams to sign players they could not otherwise have afforded. Furthermore, the signing bonuses of unproven rookies have been at an all-time high. Don’t believe me? Check the figures – and navigate to any sport, team, or player that you might desire on the same webpage:

http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/nfl/salaries/team

While it is true that average salaries and median salaries, league-wide, have undergone a slight decrease, this has more to do with the lack of new, long-term contracts offered to non-rookies on teams. This means that fewer players were given signing bonuses, which have the capacity to seriously skew the data. The reason for this? The impending lockout (and thus cessation) of the NFL over the 2011 season – the owners and NFLPA still have not reached an agreement on the salary caps and exact division of the overall income that teams will have over the next few years. Both the players and the owners are holding out for more money! Ironic, isn’t it, that people who are in the top 0.001% of the income bracket in the USA would risk making nothing just to earn an extra few hundred thousand dollars?

The NBA paints an even more disproportionate picture. Over the past three years, the total payrolls of teams have gone up by an average of roughly 15%. This growth is clearly not seen in our economy, or pretty much anywhere else, except in the major leagues, who seem untouched by the economic crisis.

MLB payrolls, average salaries and all have been steady over the past few years. This, however, is more surprising than either the NBA or the NFL, considering how baseball attendances, TV ratings and merchandise sales have been decreasing! Don’t get me wrong – baseball is still huge here, but not at the same level as before the recession. With the exception of a few reliable markets, such as NY, Chicago and LA, even the good baseball teams (such as the Tampa Bay Rays) have been experiencing some difficulty putting butts in seats. Everyone complains about how Wall Street still pays out bonuses whether or not the economy does well – but baseball does the exact same thing!

The NHL has experienced marginal increases, too. However, these are somewhat more justified in light of the record TV ratings and attendances league-wide.

Even this justification sounds weak to my ears, unfortunately. Sports are wonderful – they inspire people and societies, they provide us with dynamic, action-packed entertainment and countless unlikely stories. But sports do not cure cancer. They do not advance society in any significant way. They will not prevent wars, or cast an eye into the murky seeds of the future to tell us which grain will grow and which will not. Sports remain an amusing past-time – a sideshow, designed exclusively to distract.

I am of the opinion that professional sportspeople work very hard to earn their money. They are oftentimes uniquely talented, and their abilities do not stretch beyond a certain age. As such, they ought to be paid more than your average worker, and have the financial independence to retire at, say, 30 or 35 or 40 – for good. But this does not equate to having a major league salary of roughly 2 million dollars a year in a lagging economy. This does not equate to an average major league career bringing in slightly over 10 million dollars. That’s around five and a half times the average lifetime income of a United States citizen. The fast cars, opulent houses and ridiculous vacations can wait. The service to humanity of professional sportspeople is not quite that high.

No doubt – many professional sportspeople are philanthropists and give back. No doubt – some of my figures or percentages may be slightly off. But I do not intend to deceive, or to pretend that the picture I paint is the be-all and the end-all. I simply illustrate a slightly worrying trend. And the people who make it all possible? Us.

We pay top dollar to go and see games. We walk around with jerseys on our backs. Ultimately, it is our money that goes into the deep pockets I spent all this time discussing. And so, the blame shifts focus from them to us. After all, I would do the exact same if I were in the position of Alex Rodriguez or Kobe Bryant or Albert Haynesworth. The people love me? They demand more of me? Well, I don’t come cheap.

The above trend is okay, so long as we understand that we are spending money that fuels a social discrepancy. But if we continue to watch, to be entertained, and to pay top dollar for it, then we cannot turn around and wag the finger at the steering while as we drive back home, flat broke.

Fashion & its Impact on Society & Individuals, Part II

The Trend is Dead; Long Live the Trend!
by George A. Miu

For a society that is materialistic and, for the most part, highly deconstructionist, we appear to ignore our modern inclinations when it comes to assessing the overall character of other human beings with regard to appearance. It is one of the few aspects of life in which we seek to understand in general terms, rather than in particulars. In other words, we no longer care about the internal processes and the causality that brought about the external factors that account for the umbrella term “fashion”.

Those around us, as per social norm, are clothed. They style their hair (or maybe not), wear a variety of artificial scents and substances and, depending on personal preference, are liable to cover (or not) specific parts of the anatomy (just think turtlenecks or cleavage).

Since we have been mass-producing clothing for a fair chunk of time, our trends have evolved in several different directions; consequently, unanimous agreement within the parameters of “good” and “bad” fashion taste is as rare as a non-scandalous Lady Gaga outfit.

So we have cliques, offshoots, rebellious movements and a lot of hilarity. There are really only very few distinct standards of universal fashion – things like color matching, for instance. But for the most part, we are free to dress however we like without incurring the wrath of society as a whole.

Note carefully: that we are free to do something (and not get crucified for it) does not mean that it will necessarily engender any admiration. Au contraire – outside the workplace (and formal occasions), a suit draws question marks as to intent, dressy-shirts bring about glances and baggy outfits do not exist. Just kidding – we only wish they didn’t. Yet, having clothes that fit well and are carefully arranged in an ensemble will, most likely, bring about good things, irrespective of the newest, red-hottest trend.

Seasons come and go; popularity is, by definition, short lived. Perhaps the most secure way of expressing oneself is not through threads, but rather through the content of character. I mean – if you think Lil Wayne is the Second Coming, and that the hood holds miraculous depths that society is not yet ready to understand – that’s fantastic. Really. But it would be substantially more rewarding if I could get this message in a more sublime way than through how you dress. The same goes for those who believe that Queen Victoria, or maybe even Casanova, or whoever else you so choose, was the aforementioned Second Coming.

My advice is to be neutral. Dress well, and by all means accentuate your blandness with small-but-noticeable items that are seen by the acute and astute investigator. But to overdo it is to simplify, dilute and overstate your message about life and society. Then, you lose your individuality and become the symbol of a caricaturized notion that most of us don’t really care about, anyway.

Fashion & its Impact on Society & Individuals

Fashion is a virtue yet to be discovered.
by Neal R. Karski

It would be undeniably difficult to exert any sort of judgment of a person or group of people that we meet without taking into consideration his, her or their outfits. Our clothing has virtually become a part of our appearance – the way we look and present ourselves. It may complement our physical appearance or take away from it and it is up to every individual to make a decision for him or herself [of course, only if the individual cares to do so]. Although many motivational speakers say “Feel comfortable in your own skin,” the fashion trends have become the numerous different skins we put on – either because we are attracted to the trend, want to satisfy ourselves or others, or plainly because we’ve been brainwashed by the immensely-budgeted marketing and advertising campaigns. In any case, we’ve come out of the comfort zone and taken on an ideal image of the “good look”.

But fashion in itself does not come as a freebie. It’s largely dependent on the incomes of individuals and the prices of the markets of stores, boutiques, designers and big corporates. Here is an example. A person with high expenses, a median income, and a taste for high fashion faces a conflict of financial management – a person has to make a choice between fashion and obligation. On the other hand, a person with a very low income and a keen interest in fashion cannot possibly further develop that interest into a daily activity of dressing up in desired clothing and apparel. So has fashion become for the rich and the famous? Or can we rid ourselves of the financial restraints and explore fashion on its pure level of individuality and uniqueness?

No one can disregard the fact that being fashionable (whatever that may mean nowadays) brings other’s attentiveness and admiration [or critique] to the overall presence of the individual. People, especially in the United States, are drawn to appearance, as it is the major component of first impression, which overlooks the intelligence of the individual and focuses on the visual aspect more intently. But… it’s true. I’ve always told my friends that the way they dress and look will matter in a variety of environments (social, educational, occupational, etc.). And thus, they took some time to improve certain elements of their “fashions,” and progressed.

Although fashion brings artificiality, social class divergence and not-always-so-beneficial marketing schemes, it is a way for all people to express themselves – in a way that their finances permit them to. Some say “You look good, you feel good.” This statement is very subjective. Try and explore your own fashion, and see what satisfies you and those around you the most… because fashion is a virtue yet to be discovered.

God Bless.

Antihero

Candles in the Shadow – Why the Antihero Fascinates
by George A. Miu

Traditional heroes are difficult to embrace in a modern world that is filled with oft-conflicting motivations and complex social structures. We have difficulty understanding the knight in shining armor, who is almost never beset by moral uncertainty or self-doubt, and would much rather relate to the intrinsically-flawed-yet-well-intentioned protagonist. Such a character, most often dubbed an “antihero”, is faced with the very human task of meandering through their destiny while winning over the affection of the grand impartial observer (namely – the reader).

Yet, one must not limit one’s perception to the realm of good; antiheroes can be evil, too. Whether or not this is their defining feature is up to the environment in which they reside and the actions they choose to execute. But all antiheroes are fundamentally tainted creatures, whether it be by virtue of a murky past or characteristics such as bitterness, sarcasm or cynicism (or, if you’re lucky, all of the above). The point is that, in becoming acquainted with an antihero, we begin to sympathize with the cruel nature of reality, where nothing is proclaimed to be “wholly good” or “wholly evil” without eliciting a myriad of “what if” scenarios.

The murky-past facet is arguably more powerful, due to its instantaneous ability to provoke soul-searching and reflection in those who are subjected to its portrayal. We are naturally drawn to ponder sudden deaths, lost loves or traumatic events while others around us are doing the same; but when we are faced with the prospect of spending the entirety of a book or movie with a brooding, bitter hero, the game changes. Their losses become ours, and the syndrome is reciprocated when we associate the antihero with our own failures and tribulations.

Lo and behold, the antihero becomes a dyad of sorts, where the incontrovertible fact in our lives is merged with the mystery and drama of the rigid, fictionalized past. Slowly, as the story proceeds, the epicenter of this strange fusion becomes increasingly blurred, until we become the antihero, and the antihero becomes us. And then, something miraculous happens…

At what should, in all honesty, be the most depressing point of our empathetic experience, we begin to feel relief. Our shortcomings are no longer ours alone to bear, and we feel a sense of camaraderie with another soul that, previously, had exacted our pity. We are simultaneously accompanied on a journey of our weaknesses, and give our invaluable companionship in return. Suddenly, it does not matter that the antihero never existed, and that their fate was set in stone long before we were made aware of it. The audience and the flawed character partake in the abstract exchange of experiences, which all conscious minds can then translate into concrete, palpable virtues and actions.

All of this is testament to our ability to detach from the constraints of our own condition, and inhabit a hypothetical plane. All of this is therefore testament to our humanity.

Reality

Reality: A Personal Case Study
by Neal R. Karski

Thus, I shall what I’ve started with the first personal case study of destiny. In this piece, Part 2, I will provide you, keen observers, with my analysis of the concept of reality. Note that this post reflects the thoughts of an individual, that is myself, and does not represent any absolute truths or proven facts [just to clear things up].

Every day, we take the steps we haven’t pursued before. We look carefully in the mirror at the inherent face, the clothes we wear and we attempt to describe the feelings and emotions we experience. And every day, they are different. We hear the chirping birds, glance at the blooming plants and talk to our close ones. But is everything that we do real? Or does your imagination play a part in our perception: creating what we see, hear, feel. Does the adjective of “real” even relate to reality?

I often question reality; its existence, laws, complexity. One way, I can say that I, myself, have the power to create what’s real through the works of my mind. But the other way, every person that manages to think and take footsteps on this planet has a right to dispute my statement and say that he or she is the one that creates reality. So therefore, is reality split? Is it an individual concept that belongs to each and every human being? Or is reality a universal notion that transcends beyond our understanding? At times, it seems to me that we’re trapped in a world, where everything appears apparent, but the underlying laws works in mysterious ways to alter this equilibrium and our perception of the continuing reality. That’s when we lose touch. We ask ourselves – Is this real?

Questions. Questions. Questions. I pardon each and every one of you, as this post is filled with them, yet like many of you I seek the answers [whether through writing or other means]. I’m a curious learner of the unexplainable, the sought after, the forbidden.

Now, we must ask ourselves… if it’s not real, then is it unreal, surreal or fake? What is the opposite of reality? And does it exist? I am not capable of fully comprehending the realm beyond reality where world is like a dream, or my imagination. Wait! Dreams, imagination and engendered thoughts. It may seem to us that those elements are the elements beyond reality, thus we would label anti-reality as something that is shared commonly by human beings, where more than one person can experience the event or interaction and take away from it. So does reality urge experience? And the surreal is purely an individual concept? I guess we’ll never know, eh?

God Bless.

The Inherent Racism

The Inherent Racism
by George A. Miu

NOTE: This is not a racist piece. It is a tongue-in-cheek piece. If you think being offended on behalf of these issues makes you more humane and upstanding, do not read on! If you are often the last to laugh, or cannot elicit a chuckle to save your life, please shut down your browser. Thanks.

It’s about time we admitted it. Certain prejudices are wired into the human brain; it is widely considered abnormal to lack any sort of a bias towards one race or another, the article I have attached to the end of the post suggests.

Here’s my little game: give a young girl or boy two pictures: one of a black boy, the other of a white one. Ask them: “Who is the naughty boy?” and watch them point to the child that does not belong to their race. According to my little article, the overwhelming majority of children seem to think more highly of their race.

Well that’s a relief. We have scoured the psychological terrain in young’uns and discovered that, on a deep, existential level, blacks and whites consistently accuse one another of being naughty. I could’ve gotten my favorite Chicago panhandler (a fine gentleman by the name of Jake, who opens doors for cab passengers by the Metra LaSalle Street Station) to attest to the same thing. Of course, Jake puts it a little differently:

“They look at me like I got some … infectious disease,” he tells me wisely.

In all honesty, you’re more likely to catch something terrible off those filthy hand-rails you so religiously use at all the CTA stops. But it doesn’t stop people from giving the African-American Jake a huge detour. In his turn, Jake accuses the white man of unthinkable crimes with every other breath. So it goes.

On a more troubling note, I must confess that I have seen many of my friends utter a lot of racially-charged nonsense, only to go out the next day and pretend to treat everyone the same, irrespective of skin color. The real problem is that children overhear and subconsciously understand the biases of their elders without necessarily being exposed to unprintable language. That, in addition to the natural tendency to profile by race, results in an incorrigible attitude that will not fade with time.

The Earth spins on its axis, still. White people will still fear nameless, faceless, very very black people are out to steal their stereos (or iPods, more appropriately). Black people will still assume that the corporate suit-clad white man is secretly supportive of the KKK and against affirmative action, while Hispanics will entertain the notion that blacks and whites alike are conspiring to build a wall around this country. Of course, all of these people will drop these phantasms as soon as they walk out of their front doors, only to revisit them late at night, before drifting into the eventual half-remembered dream.

http://www.livescience.com/culture/sexism-racism-social-stereotypes-100412.html

Destiny

Personal Case Study: Destiny
by Neal R. Karski

I was really intrigued by the two recent films “Shutter Island” and “Inception,” in which Leonardo DiCaprio showed masterful acting skills and presented to us many questions that we ask ourselves every day. I managed to dig up a couple of the underlying themes from those movies, both very captivating and at times perplexing. The following piece will address my personal case study of destiny, whereas Part II will entail the matter of reality. Take a quick read.

Destiny is a concept driven by each and every human being. Therefore, it is subjective. One may believe that he or she is does have full control of his or her destiny, or rather share this belief with the moral perspective of God’s omnipotence. Whatever the case, the concept is puzzling to philosophers, theologians and professionals in the health sciences, because it protrudes many layers of core questions. Destiny may or may not be. For some of us, destiny may not exist – it happens to be the present moment that really counts. But how do we formulate what really counts in our lives and relate it to the notion of where we are destined to go… or end up?

I often question destiny when the times are bad or my life has taken on a temporarily-declining direction. I ask myself and God: “Is this a part of my destiny?” – the necessary piece or component of where I’m headed or the person I’m going to become one day. Humans change, largely influenced by other people with whom they interact or cross paths with, and they are significantly affected by plethora of events. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that at every step [of change] our destiny is liable to change, as well. This can be negated if our destiny has been pre-determined, whether by a higher intelligence, such as God, or unconsciously, ourselves. The latter I’ve managed to think about quite thoroughly. It is possible, yet vague, that in our neonate development and childhood we condition ourselves to take certain paths… who knows. The moral outlook also brings up questions such as: Under what conditions has my destiny been pre-determined? Can I change my destiny in any ways? How do I reach salvation? Can destiny be affected by the steps of change? And the most difficult question… What really is destiny?

Since this is my personal case study of the notion of destiny, I will put forth my own definition.

Destiny is a concept that cannot be fully conceived by any human being. We can ask questions and seek answers, but certainty cannot be reached [until we have perished, and maybe not even then]. Destiny is a feeling of my own presence at the point of location and time, and assurance that I’m going forward; I’m progressing toward a more wise, more successful, happier I. I don’t know whether it is my intrinsic destiny, but that feeling leads me to believe [even if foolishly] that I am destined to do outstanding things for myself and altruistically for others. We are all destined to live the life we have, and if everything happens for a reason, the past, the present and the future will collide.

The Decline of Literature in the 21st Century

The Decline of Literature – Case Study: Twilight
by George A. Miu

The world is full of e-books, Kindles and good old-fashioned tomes; everywhere you turn, it seems the advertising realm is alight with means to improving one’s connection with the act of reading. Ironically, the quality of published literature is decreasing, and books no longer have the captivating power that propels societies and inspires generations.

Now that we got the incendiary, generic introduction out of the way, yours truly needs to silence Twilight fans. Okay. Twilight is not high-quality. It does not propel our society; it degrades it. It does not inspire generations. It deludes them. A morbid love-triangle between a vampire, a werewolf and a girl that is eerily reminiscent of the author’s own character is uninspired at best.

Do not call it fantasy. We don’t want JRR Tolkien rolling in his grave.
Do not call it gothic. Edgar Allan Poe is gonna need a drink from his next adventure if you do.
Do not call it a modern novel. Joyce Carol Oates might shift uncomfortably on the couch she’s inhabited for the past two decades.

Twilight has come to symbolize all of the things that we do not want to happen. It is a mere product of the hype machines that dominate our consciousness; it is aimed primarily at an audience too young or too uneducated to distinguish good literature from bad literature. Twilight, as a saga, is an incoherent cacophony of clichés, repeated ad absurdum. Oh – and don’t think I haven’t read the books, because I have (ashamed though I am of it). But if I ever hear anyone talk about Edward’s Adonis-like physique or tortured warm brown eyes … I’ll defecate a brick.

Back to literature, now. The problem we are facing these days is that we have no concrete, well-understood, systematic method of classifying today’s works, in terms of schools of literature. I mean – let’s face it. Modernism was great. Postmodernism was a little unoriginal, but interesting. Post-postmodernism is a joke. You’re telling me that the most talented minds in prose and poetry have not figured out a new major movement
since the late 19^th century? All we get is offshoots. But you can’t feed absurdist pieces to the masses forever, unless you want anarchy to reign. And if it did, the anarchists would be the first to get eaten, anyway.

Oops – I digress yet again. This particular piece has no structure or continuity. Isn’t it annoying? If it is, then that’s because I wrote it in such way so as to reflect the sheer nonsense of post-postmodernism. If you are a literary critic, and happen to be reading this, tell your fellow well-read drinking buddies to get to work coming up with a movement that is not called post-post-postmodernism, and might actually provide a halfway decent guideline for the upcoming generations to abide by. If you are reading this and are not a literary critic (as is most likely), then go off and read some James Joyce or something. There’s nothing to see here in 2010.

The Power of Positive Thinking

The Power of Positive Thinking
by Neal R. Karski

I have read a substantial amount of literature in the last few months that generally spoke about the matter of positive thinking in daily activities, relationships, business and other challenges we face in our lives. Positive thinking has said to be a powerful force in progressing, moving on, succeeding and conclusively, being happy. It’s the factor that triggers the connection we develop with our dreams, goals, people and objects of desire. In the book “Secret,” the authors described the mind and its engulfed thoughts as the most helpful tools to achieve one’s plans of being financially independent or having a loving marriage, when fully utilized and targeted. Many millionaires and billionaires have also stressed the importance of focusing one’s internal wavelengths in the direction of the path one hopes to take with his or her life. Then, we face the issue of alignment. Alignment particularly applies to matching up one’s thoughts with his or her beliefs, values, characteristics, habits, etc. to establish a compatible and continuous pattern [which is said to bring more balance into one’s existence].

Let’s not exclude two very significant elements that allow one to exercise the power of positive thinking. Those are imagination and optimism.

Imagination is the source of one’s ingenuity and creativity. It’s what motivates one to go above and beyond, “up and high in the sky,” and even farther. This element engenders motivation, which consequently also acts as the driver for positive thinking in a specific task or idea-in-works. The authors of the books from which I’ve gathered my knowledge about this subject insisted that one should and must dream and imagine better living conditions, a pleasant vacation or simply a well-paying job at a higher position. Imagination will provide you with ideas you want to pursue and positive thinking will link you to them; all you have to do is act upon it.

Optimism stems from one’s inner ability to perceive positively, with taking into consideration a logical analysis of the circumstances. Optimism also acts as the supporter of the motivational force that is created by imagination and executed with positive thinking. Sometimes, instead of taking a cynical approach, one ought to look on the brighter side (Half Full vs. Half Empty) to see the positive end of the spectrum and learn lessons that can, with time, improve the mood, overall well being and decision making. Optimism is the critical element of positive thinking, because without such thinking would solely remain stagnant… or negative.

Stay Tuned. God Bless.

A Poem

The Recesses of My Consciousness
by George A. Miu

A barrier,
Breached in the night by whispers of a promise
Can never be recovered.

Men and women,
They cannot know what is forbidden – merely pleasant
That is why we fell, after all.

Secretively,
I become the interest and the interested,
My patterns change, and torturous early mornings –
they become blissful as the furtive glances
exchanged over the candlelight.

Fear infects me:
for what has passed and is to come,
for my ambitions and desires.
I fear that I will fall, after all.

The present cycles through stress and relief
I cannot make up my own mind and
I dig deep, dissecting words and motions
awaiting with dread the next unknowable cycle
the stress, relief, then stress again.

External view
accounts for little; I appear cool, detached
and they gaze at their facades in the tint
that protrudes from my own masquerade.
Inside I melt.

I am determined, certain there will be a way,
a reconciliation that solves the amalgam of obstacles
that sneer at me from farther away than I can see.

I pick up my pen to pen a poem:
“My mind springs forth a sweet aroma,
Its recollection uncontested,
Substantially permitting me to roam
A memory of the soul well-rested.

Reclining and lethargic,
I look to speak with her adistant,
Provocative, laconic and
Madly reminiscent.

Tenderly, we make ourselves so very insecure
Precarious, excited, outlandish and demure.
But I find the words within…”

… I try to find the words within.
But I cannot – I am affected. Is that why I will fall?
No, say I resoundingly; tomorrow I will be a king.

To be happy, my friends, is to allow your barriers to be breached in the night,
engulfed in the whispers of a promise.

Personality Types

Day and Night
by Neal R. Karski

As I am a big fanatic of the psychological realm, I decided to write a short piece in which I would compare the two sides of the personality spectrum. Most of my knowledge about this particular field comes from self education, books and personal experiences; the latter which really inspired me to talk about the Type A and Type B classifications. Personally, I find it quite intriguing and at times miraculous how divergent from each other these specific types can become. I happen to fall into the A category: hyperactive, dynamic, “go-go” (seriously), yet my brother, whose personality resembles the passive and introspective model, quite often may be just the exact polar opposite of me (seriously, again).

Thus, I will attempt to portray both personality types in a manner I find suitable for both myself and the readers.

TYPE A

Have you ever found yourself rushing, pacing and sometimes losing focus? But then, that sometimes would transform into a daily occurrence and embark itself as part of your lifestyle – of who you are. Restless, busy, occupied, dynamic, curious. These are just a few adjectives describing the type to which you could relate to. Have you woken up one morning and felt like there was so much in life to explore, to learn, to talk about? But then, there were never enough hours in a day for that, and there were not enough accessible means of transportation to all the places you wanted to see, and you were not satisfying your curiosity cravings up to your par. Type As are hungry for life. They are hunters for thought, idea, entertainment or results. They reject the status quo and wish to progress at a fast, sometimes inconceivable pace. The everlasting driving force keeps them out of their homes, desiring to socialize with others, and interact in many countless activities that can be difficult to manage.

TYPE B

If Type A is the day, then what is Type B? Night! Yes, you’ve guessed correctly. Although the scale on which I’m making this contrast may not present such a drastic differential, frequently it’s a close call. Type Bs tend to be like night… calmer, more peaceful, situated, quieter, still (you get the point), but their introspection allows them to explore individual issues on a deeper level. Relatively, it also directs their attention to a particular task or idea, rather than splitting their stream of consciousness into a multi-dimensional wave of thoughts. Have you ever found yourself acceptant of your current financial, social, occupational, or academic situation? And change wasn’t necessary. Have you ever found yourself comfortable with a small circle of friends rather than being concerned about a popularity trend? And those friends were simply enough. Type Bs like to conduct their lives at a slower pace, and in their own ways. They are lurkers of the quiet sphere; explorers of their own emotions, tied to artistic interests or specific hobbies, unwilling to take a huge leap or make a substantial difference… and usually quite amicable.

Depression, Part II

Pariah – A Personal Story of Treatment
by George A. Miu

In my last post, I wrote about how I feel depression is a human calculation that needs to be resolved. Unfortunately, modern society is ill-equipped to handle the rigorous arithmetic that this human calculation entails. In my own experience with depression, the greater vast majority of my friends harped on and on about how my “Trigger” was trivial and therefore not a legitimate cause of my internal commotion. Expressions such as “drama queen”, “attention seeker” and “nobody cares” circulated, which (one can imagine) did not sit particularly well with me. That was okay, I told myself. All of my friends are mere products of a system that disregards depression, and most were not suited to hypothesize about its causes and symptoms.

A month into the whole fiasco, and people began to avoid me. Soon enough, nobody would listen to my litany of concerns, except for a couple of homeless chaps that roamed the nearby intersections. Driven to desperation, I acted in the only way that I thought would yield improvement – I went into therapy.

For weeks, my therapist and I painstakingly combed through my past and present, scoping out the minutest details in an over-arching process of learning and understanding. Medication was brought up, but not directly recommended by any of the involved parties, and I was not inclined to ask for it, despite its elevated chances of success. My task, as I saw it, was to gain the skills necessary to combat depression in the future, and to undo the effects of the initial trauma that had kept me at its precipice for so long.

Improvement, as a goal, will only ever come gradually. There are no “a-ha” moments, no simple instances of the mind reversing its condition instantaneously. For a while, depression may even get worse during treatment. The only thing that matters is that your vision of the future is corrected, and you are capable of living life as you once did. To me, counseling and force of will were natural solutions, while medication was artificial.

Most importantly, nobody can beat depression without help; some may suppress it for a while, but it invariably returns. I won my mental war because help came at the right moment, from the right people and in all the right ways, not because I am somehow special.

A year later, I have made progress on all fronts – academic, professional, social, emotional – to beyond pre-depression levels. By all accounts, I’m doing better than ever. Still, most of my old friends never came back. Society considers any affliction of the mind to be highly embarrassing. Thus, individuals do not fully understand depression. Consequently, people laugh at it. What they do not know is that therapy helps the multiple aspects of the individual – addresses far more than just their depression. Hence, people emerge from the darkness with abilities they did not previously possess. This is the ultimate vindictive reward of a post-depression life: you, the “drama queen” or “attention seeker”, get the last laugh.

Depression, Part I

A Word on Depression: The Rocky Road to Closure
by George A. Miu

Depression. It emerges from the depths of the mind, latching on to our memories and eventually infesting our present with an outlook that is pessimistic and skewed, never truly permitting us to operate with the efficiency we had always taken for granted.

As depression is becoming more and more prevalent, we have a whole host of doctors, professors and distinguished misters who tell us that the problem evolves from chemical imbalances in the brain. Being a veteran of the mental war that is depression, I find that I disagree with this assessment. If depression was, indeed, a chemical anomaly with no external causes, its rates would never rise or dip beyond a negligible point – namely, the percentage of brains in which the aforementioned anomaly is likely.

My experiences indicate otherwise, at least insofar as I am able to decipher them. Depression is first and foremost a disorder that must be associated with sentiment, as opposed to concrete physiological function. The order runs thus:

One. Genesis: We are traumatized.

Two. Dormancy: We live with the trauma that has not been fully processed.

Three. Trigger: We undergo an experience in which we realize that we are affected deeply by the initial trauma.

Four. Depression: We spiral downwards because we automatically identify all situations in which the previous trauma, as well as the “Trigger”, obstruct us from operating.

Okay. So I’m no psychologist. I know next to nothing about the intricacies of the brain. But I know well enough that a suspended brain can never be in a state of depression, no matter what its chemical composition tells us about it. For the disorder to occur, sentiment is requisite. Yes – there are chemical imbalances that are observed in individuals suffering from depression; these are natural side-effects of sentiment, not primary causes. I did not become depressed because my brain went gaga, but rather because I met my “Trigger”. Only then did my mind go haywire.

I urge all readers who are depressed: Do not look at your condition as a medical calculation to be solved. Look at it as a human calculation that needs to be resolved. Don’t regard yourself as a finite-combination puzzle. Instead, seek out closure so that you can learn to live with your perception of the past, your understanding of the present and your vision for the future. Then, decide on a reasonable way to treat it – more on this in Part II, I promise.

On a closing note, I would like to reason as to why I believe that counseling is necessary for depression treatment, while medication is not. Consider this analogy: sufficient pain medication for a ruptured appendix will cure all symptomatic elements therein. It will make even the most agonized human being believe they will be okay. But it does not eliminate the origin of the potentially-lethal condition. Similarly, medication may cure the chemical imbalance and shift the overall outlook towards the more positive end of the spectrum. Yet, it fails to address the reason it happened in the first-place: an intrinsic dissatisfaction. Of course, medication may be recommended, or even necessary, given the precise nature and gravity of depression. Nevertheless, careful introspection is the only way that a natural catharsis can come into existence.

Part II is on its way tomorrow.

15 Reasons Why the Recession Happened

15 Reasons Why the Recession Happened
by Neal R. Karski

A little bitter, a little sweet. Enjoy.

1. Eminem’s CDs stopped selling.

2. Lil Wayne’s sales and popularity went up… then he went to jail. Let’s not forget Miley.

3. Jersey Shore. Can’t explain what exactly happened there, but it did affect the economy.

4. Apple, and no, not the one at your local fruit market.

5. Welfare and employment played chess. Welfare won.

6. Facebook came out with the policy that does not permit any one to have more than 5000 friends. (Sad face)

7. Lots of homes; not enough landlords.

8. Chat Roulette?!?!

9. Tuitions rose up; IQs did not.

10. The big corporates took nice vacation trips and claimed that Santa did not visit the house on Christmas Eve with tax payers’ money.

11. The biggest “donations” went to the government funds.

12. Savings account and 401ks became unpopular.

13. What is a small business?

14. Kim Kardashian went shopping.

15. Business cycles… life.

Changes in the Music Industry over the Last 50 Years

How the Tune Changes – 50 Years of Music in Retrospect
by George A. Miu

The year is 1960. The Beatles are playing in some dodgy Hamburg nightclub without a clue of their impending worldwide success. Elvis is off making dreadful movies in Hollywood. Buddy Holly is not yet cold in his grave. Vietnam hasn’t started. The Summer of Love is unthinkable at this point.

The year is 2010. The Beatles are still selling million of records, even though they haven’t played a show in more than 40 years. The anniversary of Buddy’s passing still brings out mourners each year. Even Elvis’s movies are loved (which is a remarkable thing, indeed). And the music industry grosses billions upon billions of dollars – kids from LA to Vladivostok are singing Ke$ha’s new song, or googling Eminem. What in the world happened in this last half-century to catalyze such a shift in the importance of music?

Well, for starters, musicians upped the ante. The Beatles broke up in 1970; they played their last concert in 1966. History thus tells us that one of the greatest bands of all time did not perform live for over a third of its immensely productive career. I mean – Vanilla Ice still goes on tour with the same tired song time and again; why couldn’t the Beatles get it together on stage? Anyway – the point here is that, by playing more shows and doing a tour with every new album, modern artists enter the public consciousness a lot more easily.

Also, artists are increasingly built to target a specific audience; for example – Justin Bieber for the tweens, Michael Bublé for the modern Sinatra-lovers and the late, great Johnny Cash for the all-around hard-assed. They then cross-over into general audiences, but always have a specific fanbase, as opposed to the more willy-nilly marketing tactics of ages past.

Similarly, people are more responsive to music. Cliques begin forming around artistic tastes more than anything, and this, in turn, spreads the appeal of various genres to perceptive by-standers.

These three factors weighed in heavily from the 70’s onwards, and created memorable musical movements whose impact is still widely felt today. It also set the stage for technology to come to the rescue – from iPods to iTunes, music is now easy to obtain and to listen to. No more mammoth gramophones, bulky walkmen and chunky CD players. A laptop and small portable device are all you need to access pretty much all the music anyone would ever want.

All of these developments, and many more, contributed to the radical transformation that the music industry has undergone in the past fifty years. I have to wonder, now – what will the next five decades bring?

Relationships and Dating in the US

The Game
by Neal R. Karski

The subject of relationships in the United States is one that I find very interesting and worth exploring in depth. Having lived in Europe, in the Southeastern and Midwestern parts of the US, I happened to acquire a lot of knowledge about the way in which social associations develop and fall apart. This knowledge was derived from a variety of unique experiences of my own and others in my surroundings, as well as the keen observations I’ve managed to store and ponder in my mind.

Let’s begin.

Relationships, whether it be a commitment between a girlfriend and a boyfriend or a friendship between two people, are what I like to call The Game. The Game implies that the process of dating [which used to be referred to as “courting”] has now become much more complex and at times perplexing for either or both parties involved. The simplicity-and-value ridden system of rules that guides the couples in their endeavors exerts a very unstable groundwork. *Think of the quote by Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers about dating. Social media certainly doesn’t make it any less difficult to maintain good relations with a friend or a significant other. Every day, we’re exposed to stories, movies and TV shows that display unfruitful relationships and compulsive issues that can impact our perception and even diminish hope.

Originally, I planned to compare the situation of the matter which I’m addressing in terms of the United States and Europe, but I will postpone this analysis in a form of a future post.

The Game is my own personal theory and does not constitute for the views of anyone but mine. Therefore, imagine yourself on a date with a beautiful or handsome person that you are pursuing. Great locations and meal choices, interesting and ongoing conversation, plus there is a positive tension. Now, be careful – Red Tape [or more closely known as Bureaucracy] kicks in when you haven’t realized it. Multiple complications arise at different corners, you or the other person is not capable of accepting something they do not approve of, this is going too fast, feelings, physical attraction, should I impress him [or her], where will this connection go, am I ready? Houston, we have a problem – the field of gravity is a bit “shaky.” Now, instead of pinpointing the significant values of the potential or existing relationship, we’re focused on what can be possibly wrong? Disvalues, not values, play the major role in this movie.

And we see that not every casual dating couple ends up together. Not every relationship [by all means] is a fairy tale we see in the movies – the good ‘ole “Hey-Climax-Rough Times-Love” kind of event flow. Pause for a second and think… Maybe we, ourselves, make dating and the relationships we have to complex and over think the meaning behind why we are here with this person and not another. Who knows… for some this way may be preferable.

Today’s Reality: Game Over.

The Realm of Romance
by George A. Miu

Everyone is looking for that special someone. Even after finding a good enough partner for the long haul, we continually assess and reassess one another in terms of compatibility, emotional security, physical attraction factors and a plethora of other categories.

In the USA, as far as I can tell, there are two major stages in this process: that of dating (i.e. being on the lookout for a romantic partner) and that of marriage/life partnerships (i.e. making the commitment to be with someone for the rest of one’s life, barring certain circumstances). Various individuals progress through these at various points at different speeds, or maybe even not at all. The important thing is that we have carefully defined social patterns that indicate, both to ourselves and to our significant others, certain levels of development in a relationship. For example, it is considered taboo to talk about, say, children’s names, on a first date.

What distinguishes modern times from ages past, however, is that the average childbearing age has risen by almost six years over the past three decades. This trend affects our romantic endeavors, as progressively fewer people are prepared to start families at young ages, thus lengthening the dating stage in the above process. In theory, this should mean that there are fewer divorces, since the maturity levels increase at the time of marriage. Yet, this is clearly not so, seeing as the divorce rate revolves around the 50 percent mark in the USA.

We can conclude that something is broken in the realm of romance. The way I see it, the major culprit is the modern job competitiveness. Most people have to go to college to make a good living, and that is no easy feat. It puts off having a family until at least 22-23 years of age. I mean, they call it a Bachelor’s Degree for a reason, people. Furthermore, the instability that follows graduation creates an unsuitable environment for a young family.

Women, too, are a resurgent and critical force in these times. Increasing numbers are postponing motherhood in order to pursue careers – and who can blame them? So, by the time we are ripe for matrimony, the social and economic stress levels are so high that disagreements are liable to take place between spouses, leading to our elevated divorce rates.

Don’t get me wrong: I’d be chuffed to the bollocks if everything could revert back to the old-fashioned ideal American family. But doing so would be causing a great disservice to our economy, to women and, ultimately, to our free will to pursue whatever we so choose. There is no quick fix to whatever is broken in the romantic world. It’s simply a necessary consequence of the times.