A School of Idiots? I Think "Yes".

Really, the sheer stupidity of some people never fail to astound me.

Just take a look at this video I very recently came across of students from the University of Oregon mercilessly pelting a former professor's car with snow, deliberately blocking him from leaving and throwing snow at him while he confronts some of the students responsible.

Really? These losers, who are supposed to be men, mind you, acting in such an immature manner? And these people are gonna be the future of America? I weep inside for the direction this country is heading if people with attitudes like that take prominent leadership positions in business and politics.

Don't get me wrong, they're young adults. I'm a young adult. There's no harm in having fun, especially during the college years. But this was no fun, a boundary was crossed when this little "snowball fight" turned into irrational mob mentality. And I sincerely do questions these individuals' judgment on anything.

If anyone from the University of Oregon who participated in this little "snow war" happens to come across this article and reads it, here's one thing I want to say to you:

You are a bona fide idiot and a certain loser, and you'll probably never amount to anything useful in your life if this is how you plan on acting. Please, feel free to respond if you're up to the challenge.

What does anybody else think here? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Cynicism and Why It Cramps My Attitude

Hey, everyone, sorry it's been a while...I've been entangled in multiple filmmaking projects. But, I got a bit of free time before I have to go back to it.

I'm gonna talk about a state of mind that most people have encountered in the downs of their life: cynicism. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, cynicism is defined as beliefs that people are generally selfish and dishonest. Wikipedia reiterates much of the same in more words: ...and attitude or state of mind characterized by a general distrust of others' apparent motives believing that they are selfish in nature and/or displaying that themselves.

Simply put: everyone's a selfish scumbag and there's no hope for the human race. It's basically a sub-feeling of skepticism, which is a general doubt in anything, be in people, philosophies or informational accuracy.

I myself have had to deal with periods where I've become cynical. There were days when I would just hate people and felt everyone was out to get me and undermine me somehow. I would always get these feelings after I felt someone special, like a best friend or a romantic interest, had hurt me in a significant way, leaving me vulnerable to many negative feelings.

I can relate one such instance that happened recently. There's a girl (who will remain unnamed) I was really good friends with. We had a close friendship that was physical, in the sense of hugging each other and whatnot. Me, being the young and naïve romantic that I am, I assumed her being overly nice to me was a clear sign from God that she felt something for me. I had never been in such a relationship with a girl before, which even to the most tried and true of romantics is understandable as to why I felt this way, as a neophyte of sorts. I essentially followed my feelings instead of following my common sense; I had followed these feelings before, and let's just say neither instance ended well.

But let's face it, who wants to follow logic when you're caught up in the belief that your significant other loves you just as much as you love them? I thought so.

So, I wanted to find out the truth myself, so I told her how I felt and asked her about how she felt. She was quiet for a minute as she thought about what she wanted to say. Simply put, she bat around the bush. She claimed that she wasn't interested in anyone. But then a month comes along...she finds herself a boyfriend in his mid-20s. And I found out in the absolute worst way possible: seeing a picture of them cuddling on Facebook.

I would be a pathological liar if I told you I wasn't pissed off. The broken heart, the sorrow, the rage-filled revenge fantasies...they were all there. I felt like she had ripped my heart out and stomped on it; she had ruined my life. And these were the feelings that triggered my bout with cynicism. This was coupled with past events where I was confronted with emotional pain, and it significantly brought down my opinion of people.

I felt everyone was selfish and using me for their own gains, casting me aside when they've had enough. It took a week, but then logic returned to my head. I asked myself, "Why do you keep focusing on this? You've got the rest of your life ahead of you to do great things!" I thought about what my purpose was; God had bigger plans in store for me, why was I sitting here sulking? And so began the slow healing process, and I eventually moved on from the instance. Today, I'm enjoying my studies and my friends, new and old, and I've never been happier.

So, for those of you who are going through a cynical period, here's something that I learned: continue to be trusting towards people. Give them the benefit of the doubt. It might seem hard to believe, but there are a ton of good people in this world. Some negative instances of the life I'm living had seriously damaged my trust in people, but my trust in God is the one that's always been unbreakable. And don't live a double life just to please people who you want to like you; take it from a guy who did that all throughout middle and high school. It's just a giant path that leads to many empty doors. Continue to be who you were made to be; there are people who were made for you as well, even if you might not see it in the short-term.

I've got a best friend of mine who's always happy and has a positive outlook on life. I asked him a couple times, "Man, how do you do it? How are you this happy?" His answer was simple: he didn't focus on the bad in people. He always searched for the good. And he was still kind and courteous to people, even if they were rude back. I think this is a great lesson we all can learn.

I hope you enjoyed reading today's article. Have any of you even faced cynicism in your lives? Share your stories in the comments and what the outcome was. Have a blessed day.

More Innocent Lives Taken From Us

Tragedy once again hits America in the form of a school shooting; as if we didn't already have enough of those.

According to an article on xfinity.com, a middle school student opened fire on a tranquil classroom in a school in Sparks, Nevada, hitting two students; one in the shoulder and the other in the abdomen, and killing the math teacher, Afghanistan war veteran Michael Landsberry. As of currently, the police have not determined the motive behind the middle school student's sudden and deadly action; according to Reno police chief Tom Robinson, it is unclear whether it was planned or indiscriminate.

In the wake of the devastating Sandy Hook school shootings that occurred in December of 2012, this recent atrocity adds more grief to a troubled America. Now, the pro-gun control supporters will have another banner to rally under, discussions on whether teachers should arm themselves will be frequent, and the government will decide on legislation to pass in regards to gun control.

First of all, how the child shooter obtained that gun should be scrutinized in the investigation. Obviously, the kid knew where it was and was able to retrieve it. On that inference, it's given that the gun wasn't hidden properly. You know those dangerous products with the "keep out of reach of children" messages on it? Parents can do that for shampoo or a box of matches, but they can't do it for a lethal weapon? Give me a break.

Gun control should not be the issue. As a right outlined in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution (which many in Congress should really pick up and actually look at, it's a good read), it states that American citizens have the "right to bear arms." Couldn't say that any more clearer than it is. Guns should be used for defense; defense of the family, defense of the home and, most importantly, for defense of this country. Remember the famous adage: "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." 

The gun, an inanimate contraption in and of itself, should not be regulated. People should be regulated. Criminals should be regulated. Run background checks on a customer before they are allowed to purchase a gun. Make sure citizens are properly trained to use guns only in the event that they are threatened with death or gross physical harm. And for the sake of humanity, please make freakin' sure that kids can't get to them!! If that were the case, we would have two healthy, unharmed kids and a beloved teacher and community man would still be alive today to tend to his family.

The Hipster the Internet Now Loves to Hate

I'm going to focus today's article on a very recent discovery I made; it deals with a creative young man that the Internet has now chosen to revile. What was the crime, you may ask?

Well, according to the online scumbags; to them, the young man looks like a hipster. To today's mainstream culture, the hipsters are the outsiders, the undesirables, the so-called "cork boards" upon which the problems and grudges of society are pinned. They are the rebels; those who question authority and try to find new answers for life.

Personally, for me, the hipsters are quite artsy folk and I enjoy their talents and what they have to offer for the world. Truthfully, I could use more hipster friends.

Anyway, the young man I've referenced here is Christopher "C.D." Hermelin (you can check out his web page or follow him on Twitter). He currently is involved in a project he has dubbed the "roving typist". He started out sitting in parks or public areas with a $10 typewriter and personally wrote handcrafted stories that he would sell to customers at any price they saw fit. The experiment proved to be a smashing success; so successful, in fact, that C.D. had to put people on hold because the demand for his stories were so great it was hard to keep up with. I, for one, think this idea amounts to a stroke of pure genius. Being a creative writer myself, I share in Christopher's passion of writing from the imagination.

You think to yourself; what could possibly go wrong here?

Well, this is where the trolls from the darkest nether-regions of the Internet decided to prey upon its latest star.

An unidentified person snapped a picture of C.D. at work and posted it to the forum website Reddit; the angle that the photo was taken at removed some crucial context of the scene. To many who saw the image, C.D. was just another example of a "greedy hipster" trying to draw attention to himself by using an outdated piece of technology. The trolls got to work; soon the image went viral as an internet meme, with captions such as this one:

The comments that followed were vitriolic, even with one user, named Illmatic707, replying with the following message: I have never wanted to fist fight someone so badly in my entire life.

I must say myself, I have never seen a more pathetic expression of irrational violent thought in my entire lifetime. Why do you wish to fist fight C.D., Illmatic, what has he done to you? Seems to me like you just wanna blow off steam or sound like a tough guy. Good luck with that illusion of yours.

Naturally, C.D. was and even now isn't going to let the Internet infamy slow him down. He still has quite a popular fanbase that's still growing. You can read his first hand account of reacting to the hipster hatred for yourself. Also, you can check out a secondhand account from PolicyMic.com.

What I can say is this: the Internet is a dangerous place, and no matter where you go, there will always be hungry trolls standing by waiting to screw with the most naïve of Internet users. It all stems back to the age-old problem of bullying. Sadly, there are terrible people in this world who derive their pleasure from the suffering of others. I know; I was the brunt of bullying during my elementary school years. I felt shunned in my high school years.

But I rose up from it all and moved on. Now, I've never been happier in my life, and I've learned to not let the haters damper your dreams. If you can face bullies in person, why shy away from a faceless nobody over the Internet? Why should their pitiful, empty words mean anything?

I would say the same to C.D., although it looks like he has it covered: don't listen to the trolls and the haters. If they call you a hipster, wear that label with pride. Keep using the typewriter, keep writing stories for people, keep standing out. Brave and creative men and women like you add some needed variety to this world.

What are your comments about the situation? Please respond in the comments below at your leisure.

Day 1 of the Government Shutdown; Obama's Address Blames the Republicans

I woke up this morning to find my Twitter abuzz with news about the shutdown of the federal government. I thought, "They're kidding, right?" I had read an article on CNN.com last Monday [now it's been updated] about a supposed shutdown, but didn't seriously think it would get this far.

Well, dear readers, today, October 1, 2013, the government has shut down.

A majority of the American people are up in arms about the "pathetic" action of closing the government, with the average approval ratings showing that 10% of the people approve of the shutdown, while 87% disapprove.

I've been keeping up with the coverage today in the news, and President Obama has made his response to the crisis, which was broadcast live on CNN.

"At midnight last night, for the first time in seventeen years, the Republicans chose to shut down the federal government. Let me be more specific: one faction in one House of Congress in one branch of government shut down major parts of the government, all because they didn't like one law. This Republican shutdown did not have to happen, but I want every American to understand why it did happen."

Alright, please tell us.

"Republicans in the House of Representatives refuse to fund the government unless we defunded, or dismantled, the Affordable Care Act. They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable heath insurance to millions of Americans. In other words, they demanded ransom just for doing their jobs."

I can't put my finger on it, but something tells me the Prez isn't happy with the GOP. Do you agree? (sarcasm)

"Many representatives, including an increasing number of Republicans, have made it clear that had they been allowed by speaker Boehner to take a simple up-or-down vote on keeping the government open, with no partisan strings attached, enough votes from both parties would've kept the American people's government open and operating."

The American people's government? According to the sentiments of "the people" in today's day and age, many might disagree with you on who actually has power and a voice in the government, Mr. President. Take that into account, why don't you.

"We may not know the full impact of this Republican shutdown for some time, it will depend on how long it lasts, but we do know a couple things. We know that the last time Republicans shut down the government in 1996, it hurt our economy. And unlike 1996, our economy is still recovering from the worst recession in generations. We know that certain services and benefits that America's seniors and veterans and business owners depend on must be put on hold. Certain offices, along with every national park and monument must be closed. And while last night I signed legislation to make sure our 1.4 million active duty military are paid through the shutdown, hundreds of thousands of civilian workers, many still on the job, many forced to stay home, aren't being paid, even if they have families to support and local businesses that rely on them. And we know that the longer this shutdown continues the worse the effects will be. More families will be hurt, more businesses will be harmed."

So, what do you suggest, Mr. President?

"So once again I urge House Republicans to re-open the government!" 

And basically he goes on to say the Republicans should not "hold the economy hostage" over "ideologies". He also went on to say how the shutdown will not stop the unstoppable juggernaut of Obamacare; in fact, it's "here to stay." He finished up his address by listing the benefits the healthcare plan will have on certain unfortunate Americans, evidenced by a few stories he told to the press crowd. Health insurance is now available to register for on the national healthcare.gov website or people can register through a given telephone hotline.

So, from the major gist of Obama's address, at least what I interpreted, is that the fault of the hurtful government shutdown and the tiring opposition to Obamacare lies squarely on the ridiculous "ideological battles" of the Republican party. Yet there are still a great majority of Americans, regardless of party, who are still against this legislature which is being considered "socialist."

Personally, I still have yet to develop a strong political base to accurately voice my opinion on this matter, but what I can say is this: to the members of Congress and in both parties: quit the bickering and get back to work! Put aside all these petty differences and figure out a compromise or a solution to overcome this problem and think of the American people! You're getting paid to work and do your job, so do your job!

My question is, what do you, as the public with a voice, believe about the fiasco of this day; this day that will surely go down in current history? Please, share your thoughts on this matter; remember, you as an American citizen have a voice and are allowed and encouraged to be heard.

Movies Adapted from Books...Always the Best?

Today, I'm going to talk about something that I think about when I talk movies: those movies that are based on best-selling books...is it always such a good idea? Overall, adapting a novel, short story or any form of literature to the silver screen is perfect and okay...the dilemma is who chooses to bring a story to the screen.

Let's start off with some good examples. New Zealand director Peter Jackson did a phenomenal job adapting J.R.R. Tolkein's beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy, a trilogy of novels that Tolkien himself considered, perhaps ironically, that these books were "unfilmable." But with hard work and strict adherence to the source material, they were able to create a trilogy of cinematic masterpieces.

Another good example would be director Ang Lee's surrealistically beautiful take on Yann Martel's 2001 novel Life of Pi. I had the good fortune to see the entire film recently, and I was blown away by it. I believe it really took the source material very well and managed to make it a living masterpiece along the way.

Another noteworthy example was 2003's Holes, based on the 1998 novel by Louis Sachar. Sachar himself was actually hired onto the team by writing the screenplay for the movie; plus, he has a little cameo part in the movie, see if you can spot him.

But alas, there are some projects that had great potential and then fell flat on their faces because the director and crew went about interpreting the story wrong.

For starters in this category, let's follow the career path of our old twist-obsessed pal M. Night Shyamalan. I'd consider 1999's The Sixth Sense to be the high point of his career. The Village was alright, as well; but after that things began to take a spiral down. But nothing was more tragic than seeing the beloved Nickelodeon cartoon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which meant so much to a lot of kids my age, transformed from its anime awesomeness into a reprehensible disaster-trip that almost made me walk out the theater mid-showing. I stayed only to see if this film would redeem itself; I found no such redemption.

I realize that I'm talking about a television show now and not a book, but nonetheless, it needs to be noted on my list of horrible adaptations. This is the one exception.

Another example I'm going to cite is the screen adaptation of the first book in Rick Riordian's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Lightning Thief. I'm very well fond of the book; it basically follows the story of the demigod, half-son of Zeus Percy Jackson as he tries to recover his "father's" all-powerful lightning bolt that's been stolen. I loved reading it; a lot of imagery stuck in my mind as I read. But the movie didn't cut it for me.

As an aspiring screenwriter myself, there are a ton of books that I love that I'd love to adapt to the screen. In adapting a book, I'd like to pattern myself after the legendary Stanley Kubrick; whose major body of films are based on books. Kubrick himself has stated various times that he found it better to adapt a book than to write an original screenplay. He very well adhered to the original source material while also added different surprises that divulged from the original story.

Now when it comes to me personally, adapting books are okay, but I'm a creator. I like to try and come up with original stories, with original characters that I can call my own. It's harder and it takes a lot longer than using an already-written book, but I find that it's much more special when you work with something that's your own. Don't get me wrong, adapting books are great and if I found one, I'd do it; but mostly I like to keep it original.

So overall, adapting a written story for the screen is great and it's turned out some great movies, but it depends on the vision of the director and how he or she interprets the material that makes the final product either good or bad.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Innocence?

My next topic to talk about is something that's been on my mind since it's happened. If any of you remember back in July of 2012, it was the major uproar in the Middle East due to the blasphemous nature of an obscure "film" titled Innocence of Muslims. The "film" in question was a simple 14-minute clip posted to YouTube that portrayed one of the holiest figurehead of the Islamic faith, the prophet Muhammad, as "a womanizer, child molester and killer." The widespread protests that exploded soon after resulted in the deaths of numerous people around the world.

Ever since viewing it on YouTube when the controversy first began, I was always trying to figure out how to say my feelings on it. I refrained from talking on Facebook or with anyone about it because of the huge sensitivity towards it at the time. But since it's been over a year and things have significantly died down, it entered into my mind again. I re-watched the clip (which has the YouTube "flagged content" warning before watching it), and still it continues to shock me. There is no overt violence or sexual content in the clip, but it is nonetheless heinous and censor-worthy.

As far as I'm concerned, this film has committed two major crimes: insulting the culture of an entire people and region, and insulting the fine art of film-making.

The fact that the "film-makers" had the gall to call this a "film" is beyond me; this was a defecating stain on the art of making a film, almost blasphemous itself, in that right. I could go into a lengthily list of every single little nit-pick I could find about the reprehensible editing, the feebly-constructed sets, the miscast actors and their horrible performances (although to their credit, we must forgive them for not knowing the true intentions behind what they were doing) and the atrociously-handled audio overdubs; I know the filmmakers were attempting to be subversive with the dialogue, but they didn't even bother to make it convincing? Go back to Propaganda 101, guys! (Complete sarcasm, don't actually do it...)

As far as my review goes in terms of the "film-making" and the story, this "film" is an absolute disaster in every sense of the word. But even that wasn't what shocked me. What shocked me was how the Islamic diaspora in the Middle East reacted to something, that I think, is so trivial it was unnecessary to arouse the reaction that it did. Is it really necessary to kill and vandalize just because they've been offended? However, I understand that in the Islamic religion and culture, blasphemy of the Prophet Muhammad or Allah is akin to the most serious treason imaginable and results in serious consequences (just take a look at the Rushdie Affair and that whole debacle). Also, any sort of depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, whether good or ill, is also strictly forbidden.

To most people on the earth, religion and culture are just as valuable as life itself, and some are willing to die in the name of religion. While such zeal can be admired, too much of it is ridiculous. And frankly, this is what I see amongst the extremist reactions in the Islamic diaspora to anything considered heinous. I believe that in today's modern times, it's important to show serious restraint. For example, I'm a Christian; I believe the Bible is 100% true, I believe God exists and has always existed with no beginning and no end, and that He is my Lord and Savior. It's granted that some people are not going to believe what I believe, or not even like me for what I believe. However, I'm not surprised, the Bible teaches that such reactions will occur. The Bible also instructs Christians to "live like Christ," that includes living out the instructions of Jesus, including peace and brotherhood. I can't tell you how many times I've seen and heard so many things I consider blasphemous to Christianity, Jesus and God the Father. And sure, I'm offended, I don't like it and I don't partake in it. But does that give me the right to smash stuff and take someone's life all because I've been offended? No, that's mob mentality and a ridiculous action; a complete, 180-degree opposite to what the Bible teaches. Yes, it's okay to be offended if someone or something takes a crack at your beliefs or morals, there's no crime against that...but if you (and I use "you" in the general sense) start committing irrational acts because of your offense, that's taking it too far.

Overall, this was a terrible "movie" and in no way, shape or form do I support it or its content. I hope you found my thoughts interesting; please comment if you wish. I only ask that you don't start attacking me or anyone who might say anything with vitriolic comments; if you want to have a discussion, do it in a civil and mature manner, please.

My Thoughts on Education Today

[Beginning note: My good friend Seth Byle gave me the kind permission to reference him by name; you can visit his Facebook page here or his YouTube channel here]

I had a rather interesting discussion with a friend of mine named Seth over Facebook. His original post stated about how he realized that the eighteen years he spent in school were much of a complete waste; most of the things he learned he'd never use in real life. He went on to say how ridiculous it was that people put so much emphasis on a high school diploma, a simple "slip of paper" that only holds importance because "idiots in society" imagine it to be so.

It was after a few comments that I decided to jump in; I have a very strong view of education and it was a subject I'm rather passionate of speaking about. A friend of Seth's made an interesting comment at the beginning of the discussion that caught my eye; it concerned the role of government in regulating an education curriculum. To quote him directly:

“...public schools are propaganda re-education camps. You graduate, then only to find yourself buried under student loans for college and then have a hard time finding a job. Welcome to 2013 my friend. What ever happened to plain, honest, hard work and getting a chance to prove yourself...paper is just that…paper...with dozens lined up right with you. I know how it all goes…times are rough...but keep your head up man...you have time to get where you want to be. Just remember…persistence alone is omnipotent.”

As far as the government's role in regulating education, I believe this should fall under the old "laissez-faire" interpretation; even though the term is generally associated with economics and describing how a capitalist society should function, the main principle of the "hands-off, let it be" government role should apply directly to educating future generations of Americans. I made my thoughts clear in my first post:

“I do agree that education should not in any way, shape or form be government-regulated. The government does not decide what society learns through institutions; it's the people who decide what should be taught and learned. That's the great thing about America; there's the freedom to learn whatever you like, to build your own philosophy and learn about what's important to the individual. That freedom is taken away only when the government decides to have its way with teaching generation of young people...”

That sums up my opposition directly. The responsibilities of educational institutions should fall not just on the individual States, but the people; the American people as a whole should have a say in what should be taught in the classrooms of pre-schools, kindergartens, elementary, middle, high schools and universities. We should push forth the freedom of choice, to decide individually what you want to learn for yourself.

Seth responded with a very interesting thought:

“It's not just public [school] vs. private [school], it's the whole form of education in general. The whole idea of kids spending hours a day locked in a prison, forced to do mind-numbing work is just a bad idea to me. I believe that the entire format/concept of school should be changed, and it shouldn't start so early in life, nor should it take up so much of your life. This is just inefficient. School should be just a spoke on the wheel, and not the whole bike.”

I agreed with his claims and clarified my thoughts on my view of how education should work in the post following the response:

"I believe the best school environment is this: it's very important to teach the core values of reading, writing and arithmetic; those come in handy throughout life, even if you don't realize it at the time. Once the children have that under control, then allow them to freely pursue any other interests they're passionate about. It makes learning more fun and hands-on. You're right; I think school is now reduced to a strict, by-the-book routine of 'sit in a classroom, take long notes, listen to a boring lecture, then go home and do five hours of homework.'"

I still hold truth to this belief. It's common knowledge to see that nobody wants to do what doesn't interest them. And from what I've seen, even in my private education upbringing, students are generally detached to learning because certain subjects don't interest them; yet, they still have to learn it. Many a time have I heard "Ugh, I hate this class!" or "Why is this important, I'm not gonna need to learn any of this!" This matter has two guilty parties: the instructors and the students. Yes, instructors can do a better job at making the material engaging and interesting, but it also takes motivation on the students' part to actually engage themselves. I addressed my sentiments at what I perceive as the lazy entitlement attitude amongst kids in the classroom:

“And I feel like there's no incentive to work in school anymore; teachers just keep giving out the answers, and it makes the students feel like they're entitled to get the answers easily and not have to work to find them. [Actually having students do the work themselves]; That instills the mindset to work to find and receive what you need, which is very important in everyday life. I think schools today are the breeding grounds for entitled kids.”

I've always worked hard for my grades in school. While I saw other kids copying and cheating off one another, I took the extra time to really look through and read the information and gain a comprehension of the information. Some kids thought I was crazy or stupid to do such a thing; to them, looking for the information was a waste of time when they could just get the answers from a friend or get the teacher to "tell" them. These very recent reports on student motivation from the Center on Education Policy really shed a light on how students are perceived as unmotivated.

Also as a great reference, another friend of mine (a very well-educated young man, might I say) posted a video on YouTube detailing problems he experiences in education and the inheriting and learning of information as it pertains to the current generation. In his own words, "my generation doesn't know a damn thing." Seeing those type of attitudes in action, I too feel a little bit entitled to bash the lazy attitudes persistent in the kids of my generation.

Now I refer back to my post about my views of education, just so I can clarify further. I believe in teaching the core principles of reading, writing and arithmetic; they're absolute necessities for having citizens in society function. All three core courses teach comprehension, logic, problem-solving and the training of motor skills. But once students have those core values instated, they should then be free to adapt their three R's of learning and pursue their interests and prepare for whatever career they desire. That freedom is part of the democratic republic that has made America what is has been since 1776.

This is why I am a big proponent of "hands-on" education; it efficiently trains you better for a career than a classroom environment does. The film school that I'm currently attending for college focuses their curriculum on this; there are hardly any classroom sessions where you sit and listen to a lesson for hours at a time. They teach you what you should know, but the rest of the learning is in your hands as the student, in this example, learning how to make a movie and setting out to make one. It's also teaching me about cooperating with other people of the same profession and working as a team in order to achieve a common end. This is where incentive, motivation and commitment come in on the students' part; teachers should not have to "baby" students and "hold their hands" (as one of my former high school teachers so eloquently put it). Students themselves should have the passion and the drive to take care of their own affairs and continue their education; they chose that path, now they have to walk it themselves. While the "hands-on" teaching/learning technique may differ by career or degree program, it is nonetheless vital to instilling important lessons into passionate students.

All in all, it was an interesting discussion and it's inspired me to share my thoughts on the education process in America, since it's still a current issue in debate around the nation. Please, leave any thoughtful comments; we can start a discussion in the comments section, if you'd like.

Have a blessed day.

The Wayne-gate Scandal

For my first post on my new blog, I'm going to address the furor going on amongst the youth community, especially the die-hard fanboys, about the casting choice of Ben Affleck in the role of Batman in the upcoming Batman-Superman movie. I've officially dubbed the "scandal" Wayne-gate.

Currently, my opinion is this: give ol' Ben a chance. I, personally, am quite shocked and, overall, tired at how this has somehow been made a big deal of. As far as Ben's acting track record goes, he hasn't disappointed yet. He's still riding high on the success of Argo; which, mind you, he wrote, directed and acted in the lead role. So, when it comes to diversity and multiple creativity in the entertainment industry, Ben can do what few have done (like Warren Beatty and Orson Welles, to name a couple.) I'm sure, as any committed actor would do, Ben will do his absolute best in bringing this Batman reincarnation to life on the screen.

I've seen The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, I believe that role was one of Christian Bale's absolute finest, he brought a human side to Batman and, also, a darker side. This movie series (including Batman Begins) provided a much-needed revamp for the Batman franchise, due to all the sub-par adaptations previously made. But Christian Bale isn't Batman in this new movie; that's a reality we're all going to have to accept and move on from.

So whether Affleck rises or falls as the new Batman remains to be seen when the movie comes out, but I think this whole uproar on the Internet is ridiculous. I like Ben and greatly respect his achievements in Hollywood. The only way we can judge whether he fits the role is to see the movie. So hold your tongues until then.

These are my final words to the die-hard haters who are so against Affleck's casting choice: do you honestly think your comments are going to make Ben drop the role? This article and this article beg to differ, my overly-obsessed friends.