Breakfast in Bed

I entered this in a contest. I didn't win, but I wanted to share this. I don't have these thoughts too often anymore. Not because I am cured of my craziness. I'm just too depressed or work too much to have time to think about things like this. I miss the days when I could afford to be worried about what others thought and ponder the afterlife. Oh well. Here's what the words "Breakfast in Bed" make me think about.

Breakfast in Bed. A flood of nausea rushes to my stomach when I think about this. Breakfast in bed is romantic. I never serve my wife breakfast in bed. It's not because I don't love my wife, I just have so much going on that I often don't even realize I have a chance to be romantic. I work every other weekend and she works every week day. That means I have a chance to be cute every 12 days. When our days off line up, I just want to lay in bed. My tired mind craves rest and won't think about grasping the chance to show her how I love her with any kind of breakfast gestures. I love my wife. I could ramble off all of the things that I do for her to show this, but I realize that it wouldn't matter. This isn't about me proving my love for my wife. This is me struggling with insecurity. Breakfast in bed is just a trigger for my insecurities. It could have been any phrase like "speak in front of the class" or "order a pizza." I am a ball of insecurity and I have to cope with that every day. Other people feel this way as well. If everybody feels this way, we should all be able to relate. One day, I hope we all are able to be understanding and then maybe we will be able to serve other people Breakfast in Bed.

Elf on the Panopticon

I recently read an article called "Who's the Boss" by Dr. Laura Elizabeth Pinto and Dr. Selena Nemorin. The gist of the article is that by introducing the Elf on the Shelf into your home, you are normalizing a surveillance figure for your child. I agree with this statement. The elf is supposed to always be watching you and is not able to be touched. This teaches the child two things. First, you must do what the elf deems right. Second, don't challenge the elf. The elf must not be touched and touching the elf is a challenge to his power.

I don't believe that this a new development, but just the next evolution in this line of thinking. I grew up with the threat that Santa was watching and I wouldn't receive my presents if I was bad. I don't think this is as intrusive as the elf because the elf is a physical representation of  this surveillance, but it is the same concept as Santa watching me as a child.

Another example comes from Western religions and that example is God. God sees all and will punish those that don't follow whatever set of rules your religion follows. Many children learn this in Sunday school. This is a fundamental belief that many people have and it is an example of how something can be introduced to a child in fun way and will grow to be not only accepted, but expected.

As I stated earlier, I was told that Santa watched me and I had to be a good boy to receive my presents at Christmas time. I argue that I still find the idea of being under surveillance disgusting. Once I figured out that Santa Claus wasn't real, I knew that I was never being watched. I know the stories that warn against "Big Brother" like Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. The resources are out there for children to read, watch, and learn different view points, but it is becoming harder for children to have easy access to these resources.. If you educate yourself and still think that a surveillance stance is what's best for society, I will disagree with you all day, but I will respect that you did your research.

In conclusion, I don't think the makers of the Elf on the Shelf are part of a conspiracy to brainwash kids, but I do believe there are unintended consequences when the elf is introduced. The normalization of the authority figure in the home could bring positive feelings to the very notion of surveillance or it could just bring good memories of the elf once the magic is gone. I myself have multiple Santa decorations in my Christmas decorations because I love Santa, but I hate the notion of surveillance.

Time Travel, Best In The World, Late Night Thoughts

Philosophy, Time Travel, and Changing What's Possible

I have become a person that thinks that anything is possible in life. I used to bash religion and I still think it is ridiculous to blindly follow something that was written thousands of years ago. I, however, don't rule out any legitimacy to a god. I find it highly unlikely and find many inconsistencies with organized religion, but I am open to the possibility of a higher power. 

At the same time, I don't limit my thinking and explanation of the world to just science. Science is constantly changing. Any good scientist will acknowledge that. I also believe that when you label and define something, you put limitations on what you can discover. Science doesn't often deal in subjects of morality or something like a human soul. Does that mean they don't exist? I don't think that is something that can be concluded and I feel that we are hindered by labeling things science and religion. 

I think that this is why I enjoy philosophy so much. In philosophy, you take information from science, information from religion, and what other information you need and then you form your own theory of everything. I acknowledge that you may not be right, but I think that philosophy gives you the freedom to incorporate all information available to determine the truth about the way the world works. 

I think the discussion of the Blank Slate Theory is a good example of scientists and psychologists changing the way they think and an example of science tackling a subject that religion has always discussed. 

According to Helpingpsychology.com, 

The Blank Slate theory states, in essence, that people are born with minds empty of ideas. Knowledge and ideas are only formed after gaining exposure to the outside world. Basically, it states that everyone starts as a ‘blank slate,’ only to have their minds formed through personal experience. More complex human knowledge is then created through a combination of the more simple ideas.

Within the past couple of years, scientist have been conducting experiments to determine if babies have an innate sense of morality. 60 Minutes did a story on these experiments and called them Baby Labs. Essentially what these experiments seem to show evidence for is that we are born with an innate sense of right and wrong. 

I applaud these experiments because they abandon the traditional scientific thought of what we can experiment with to find the truth about our universe. 

I am also excited for future developments by scientists due to our ever improving technology. Currently Scientists Have Worked Out How To Make Matter From Light and Have Simulated Time Travel With A Light Particle. I know that people often associate time travel with science fiction, but it seems that more and more things are becoming more science and less fiction as technology improves and we expand our minds with what's possible. 

Best In The World

Now for something less heavy. Tonight was Ring of Honor's Best in the World and I was thoroughly impressed with the show. It was their first live pay per view and if you like professional wrestling and missed the show, find a way to watch it. 

There wasn't a match I didn't like on the card. I vaguely follow ROH, but I was able to figure out what was happening due to their recap videos and just clear cut characters. I also found the commentators and overall presentation of the show to be refreshing. This was a huge show for ROH and if I'm not mistaken, Best in the World is their big show every year. The passion was there from all in attendance, the wrestling was top notch, the finishes were definite and while the outcomes of the matches were too shocking, they were able to trick the audience in the main event with an excellent false finish. 

I especially enjoyed seeing Jay Lethal again as I haven't seen him since he left TNA and I was pleasantly surprised he was with Truth Martini who I enjoy from the little of ROH that I've seen. I was really impressed with reDRagon. I had never seen one of their matches before and I am going to make it a point to see more. Tag team wrestling is awesome. Speaking of tag team wrestling, the Briscoe Brothers participated in an awesome brawl and I hope ROH gets bigger if only for the fact that I wish tag teams like reDRagon and the Briscoes could reach a larger audience. The submission match between Roderick Strong and Cedric Alexander was probably my favorite match. The story of Alexander trying for revenge and utilizing submission moves that he normally doesn't use to adapt and over come the challenge was good. The finish was impressive and logical. I thoroughly enjoyed that match. 

Late Night Thoughts

I have spent probably an hour writing this post and I have gone through a couple playlists and it has me thinking about people and their diversity in music. I don't understand how people only one or two types of music. I need diversity in my music. I can't listen to just one type of music. I need to follow up some TITAN with some Immortal Technique maybe followed by Flight of the Conchords. I think this is a good way to approach life in general. You should incorporate as many viewpoints and life experiences into your way of thinking. That way you can approach any situation with the best possible solution. 

Well, if you found this and read it and have an opinion then leave a comment. Give me some bands to listen to. Show me some different points of view. Link me to some wrestling matches. Just help me expand my view point if I helped you at all with my ramblings. 

How do you sooth your soul?

I often stay up at night, like most people do I assume, thinking. I think about my schedule for the next day. I think about my future. I think about philosophical ideas that happened to stick with me. I often find myself scrolling through my Facebook news feed. Last night my Facebook browsing lead me to a personality test.

I normally don't put much faith in free internet quizzes and I certainly don't think this one is an infallible, super test, but it did hit home on a few points for me. One point in particular was that I worry too much. I began reflecting on this statement and I realized that it is indeed a fact. I worry entirely too much about things that I can't control. I worry about things like "how do people perceive me?" and "what will death be like?" I realized that I often think of these things and that they constantly shape my attitude. In fact, as I write this, both of those questions have me sick to my stomach. As I laid in my bed last night with this new found realization that I am indeed too worrisome, I felt crazy thinking of these questions.

 "Wow! It is amazing how fucking crazy I really am!" - Brad Pitt, SE7EN

That quote ran through my head last night. I am crazy for worrying over things that I have no control over. I often let it affect my behavior and how i perceive things in this world. I fear not living life to the fullest, but I am equally afraid, if not more so of leaving my comfortable bubble and being judged. I know that I am capable of breaking out of my bubble and experiencing life. That is a conscious decision that I must make. In the meantime, I must put my soul at ease. Their are two things that allow me to do this, Music and Philosophy.

I fell in love with philosophy in college. I wish there was a job outside of teaching for a philosophy major, because I would have switched my major in a heartbeat. The idea that I am not the only person that has struggled with the idea of death immediately puts me at ease. I am still in the process of flushing out a complete philosophy for myself. My agnosticism keeps me from definitely declaring anything, but I enjoy reading other people's thoughts and contemplating how I feel about them.

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,                                                            flight to the imagination and life to everything.” - Plato

I have loved music from the time I was little. There is something about the way that a song can just change everything about the situation that you are in. Right now, I am able to listen to ambient/downtempo artists to soothe me. Tomorrow it may be rap or metal, but it doesn't matter the type of music. Music will always be able to sooth my soul.

I don't have answers to questions that plague me. I probably won't be able to stop myself from feeling anxious around people. I can however make up my mind and push myself forward into life and hopefully that will allow me to be brave when I face death. In the meantime, I will work on being crazy by soothing my soul with music and philosophy.

The Job Hunt

My goal is to get a job. I would like to get a job writing for a news organization. I like certain subjects over other ones, but with my lack of professional experience, I will take whatever I can get. I recently applied to a local newspaper and I felt good about my chances. I'm not the most impressive candidate, but it was for high school sports. I'm not downplaying the position or the subject of sports, but the writer isn't covering the president or anything nearly as important and I figured that I could begin my career there without too much of a repercussion if it didn't work out. It's almost been a week since I applied to this position and after a month of not receiving replies from other jobs that I applied to, this silence from this possible employment opportunity has me feeling low.

I have realized that with a journalism degree, experience is just as important, if not more important, than the degree that one receives from school. I was a hard worker in college. I worked as close to full time as I could get with a full time class schedule and had to pay bills while the whole time. I'm not asking for pity because I know life happens and to get through school is tough for everybody. I just wish somebody would have sat me down and said, "You need to find time for The Buchtelite." Then I would have more than just two clips to try to convince a potential boss that I am worth hiring.

To any college student that stumbles across this post, get involved. Get experience for your major. I am now finding out that experience is crucial for a journalist and I wish I would have worked harder to get it when I was in school. I have also learned to have a short memory when applying for jobs. I may be feeling down about the past jobs, but feeling sorry for myself isn't going to get me a job. I will continue to apply for jobs because eventually somebody has to take a chance on this hardworking, aspiring journalist.

Welcome to My Blog

I have recently graduated from the University of Akron cum lade with a bachelor's degree in news with a minor in philosophy and while I am proud of that accomplishment, I am now left with an abundance of free time. I am currently in the process of looking for a job and am looking for a job within the journalism field. In the mean time, I plan writing this blog in an attempt to improve my writing, keep my self busy and fight the urge to become even lazier than I already am. So if you enjoy what you read here then share it with the world. If you have a job open for a writer/copy editor then hire me! Either way just enjoy what I write and respond to me if you want to. I'm open to all inquiries.

¡MAYDAY! - Believers Review

In this digital age where everything can be downloaded for free and many people only buy singles to catchy songs, producing an album that is worth buying is quite an accomplishment. I found out about ¡MAYDAY! when they signed to Tech N9ne's Strange Music. Their Strange Music debut, Take Me To Your Leader, is still one of my favorite albums, but their latest release, Believers, is quickly claiming a spot in my favorite albums list. Believers was released July 16th 2013, but I just got around to listening to it. I am ashamed it took me so long to listen to it because it is a great album. The sound is bigger this time around. Many of the songs have more of a bluesy rock sound. It is different than Take Me To Your Leader, but it is just as good. The difference between the two albums is good because you don't want the same sound on record after record right?

 Favorite Songs:

Believers
On That Jack
Last One Standing
Marathon Man


¡MAYDAY! — Believers