Body Swapping

Many conflicts in the world are the results of simple misunderstandings. With body swapping possible, this would no longer be an issue. I would have the ability to swap bodies with any person at any time. Language barriers and foreign conflicts would be no problem with the new kind of interpreter I would become. With the ability to view every experience stored in the body I freshly occupied. I would gain a greater understanding of why people act the way they do, what future plans they have and every thought in their head at a given moment. Imagine the world's hunger problems solved. That could be the case with the millions of dollars I would win with my new "poker face". In addition, my new found "investigation" skills could be put to use in many scenarios including crime investigations, business deals and tending to the needs of newborn babies. Who needs invincibility when you have the ability to see your opponent's every move before it happens? Who needs psychic abilities when you have the ability to see thoughts AND experiences AND events of the future? With the ability to swap bodies with anyone at anytime, why would any other superpower be necessary?

Cliche

It had been a darky and stormy night and I hadn't slept a wink. Day in and day out I rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn and most of the time it was as easy as pie. Today however, I had missed my alarm and awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Seeing the time on the clock, it only took a hop, skip, and a jump until I was out of bed. I suppose I could have called in sick but when the going gets tough, the tough get going and I was out the door quick as a bunny. With no time to beat around the bush, I ran to work quick as a flash, eager to bring home the bacon. Finally, I arrived. Better late than never!

The Road Less Traveled

"Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love (David McCullough)." According to Psychology Today, the average person spends 90 000 hours at work in their lifetime. That equates to 3750 days spent in either blissful engagement or pure unhappiness. In your career it is not only important to make a living, but to live life as well. A teacher once told me that out of all the time spent at her job, only 10% of it is work. This shows dedication and pure enjoyment in her chosen career, something that is extremely important when taking into consideration the portion of your life this accounts for. For her, dealing with kids and the futures of others is something she looks at with desire; to help, to inspire and to change. Every one of her students that walks across that stage is a reminder of why she does what she does. Another reason that passion is important in the workplace is that jobs are done thoroughly and with better attention to detail when you are enthusiastic, not wasting time banging your head against the nearest wall.  Take the young man who is often seen outside Little Caesars with his "Hot 'N Ready" sign, his blonde locks flying through the wind and sign flailing to the beat coming from the nearest car stereo. For many it would be a mundane job taken only out of necessity. For him it may not be the best situation, but with passion it becomes fun! With career choice also comes sacrifice. A strong example in my own family is a relative of mine who took time off from her career to raise her family and be there to see her children grow up. However, once those children were growing up and independent enough to not need the full time care they once required, she was too far behind in her chosen career to land a position she was truly passionate about. With the bills becoming more demanding as those children move on to high school sports and university degrees she is stuck working a retail job encountering situations that try her patience every day.  

My view on the rest of my life can only be compared to jumping off a cliff in the dark. I can only embark on what will hopefully be a successful path and pray that I will not hit too many snags along the way. With so many choices that lay in front of us as teenagers it is a rarity to come across an individual who knows precisely what it is they plan to do with their life. My journey on discovering my career path started when I signed up to take part in a humanitarian trip to Tanzania in March. Through various research, fundraisers and peoples experiences I have become passionate about pursuing a career in international relations, focusing mainly on humanitarian work. I plan to get there by gaining valuable volunteer experiences in my own community as well as in Tanzania and then going to university to further my education in political science or international relations. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be the face of the United Nations seen on the evening news.

Journal #1 The Book Thief

"You don't always get what you wish for (Zusak196)."

Max's thoughts in "The Book Theif", by Markus Zusak, can relate directly to the imbalance in the world's wealth today. From starving children in Kenya, to middle class families living in the suburbs, to CEO's, people of every status exist in our society. It is particularly evident at this time of year just how significant this imbalance is. While many teens in our society are simply itching for the hottest new piece of technology to be sitting under their tree, another percentile is merely hoping for food on the table. This quote relates to "The Book Theif " because the Jews had no say in the circumstances they were placed in much similarly to the impoverished people around the world. In many cases, it was just something they were born in to. It shows a deeper meaning in the book by giving me a taste of the bitterness and resentment that Jewish people had towards people who were not only watching them be targeted by Hitler, but doing nothing to stop him much like the many people in our own comunities who refuse to see the need in their society and can only think about their own well being.

I can also relate this to Abby's blog because often impoverished people will do whatever it means to survive. Whether it is stealing, taking handouts, or eating out of trash cans, when survival is at stake people are most likely to put their dignity aside and do what is vital for their lives.

Public Displays of Disaffection

"Public Displays of Disaffection" by Anne Kingston, exposes the negative effects of social media devices such as cell phones on day to day human encounters. She states that through "displaying distracted behavior (Kingston)," "expressing 'cell-fishness' (Kingston), " and putting "personal and business relationships [...] at risk (Kingston)," cell phones are drastically damaging the way that members of society interact with each other. As a member of a younger generation whose peers are plagued by cell phone addictions, I must agree with Kingston. Cell phone use in class is a strong example of the distracted behavior that is often associated with the use of cell phones. It is a common sight to walk into a class room mid-lesson to many not-so sly students frantically twitching their thumbs on the screen of the newest touch screen device. This behavior is not only damaging to the students whose lack of attention impales their ability to retain information but also to the teachers who are constantly and rudely distracted or forced to intervene. Adding to the overall negative connation that is applied to cell phones is the user's " 'cell-fishness' (Kingston)." It is a regular occurence to be shoved into or thoughtlessly ignored when face to face with a keen cell phone user. The devices are incredibly attention seeking, making it hard for the user to pull away, in fear of missing that shared photo on Facebook or the latest cyber fight taking place via Twitter. Perhaps the most severe consequence of this technological obsession is the lack of real human encounters. Where older generations would simply thank one another by picking up the phone of delivering a handwritten note, in this day and age it is far simpler to "send a thank-you note via email (Kingston)." What is to happen when our generation reaches the age where public speaking and personal interactions can not be avoided? Where will the skills be developed to grow the relationships required to thrive in a business environment? Despite their flaws I still believe that there are times and places where cell phones use is acceptable. Although their use in class can be a drawback, it can be useful to look up information and statistics for school based assignments. Texting can also be a fantastic way to instantly contact someone such as a parent or friend. However the use of cell phones in restaurants and throughout personal conversations is nothing but blatantly rude and obnoxious. I do not believe that cell phone jammers should be used in schools for reasons such as emergencies or utilization of internet resources. However, I would agree with banners being put in movie theatres to prevent the annoyance of cell phone interruptions and pirating of movies using cell phones.

Katherine And Carly's Glog

http://www.glogster.com/cbeecroft/liesel/g-6l3r68t0r9lh0b2rpapp6a0