Alone

I am an only child. In our society, this is probably the situation that is most closely related to loneliness. I have wished that I wasn't an only child and, at other times, have been quite happy that I don't have any siblings. I'd say that the happy and not-so-happy times cancel out, for the most part. I don't really think about it too much anymore, as I've come to terms with my situation. As busy as I've been with college decisions and visits and regular work in and out of school, I really don't find too much time to be sitting around wishing that I had siblings. Besides, the family that I have is great, no matter how small it is. I have two first cousins who have been like brother and sister to me, as long as I can remember. One is a few months older than me, and the other is a week younger. I grew up very close to each of them and I still regard them as close enough to be brother and sister. My Father really has been great, in that he kind of picked up the slack of me being an only child. Most of the time, he acts more like a brother than a Dad, which can be funny and sometimes a bit annoying (of course, he is Dad when he needs to be). To say it simply, other family members of mine have been like siblings to me, which is why I never really became sad about not actually having a brother or sister. In fact, I don't think that I ever had a real problem with being a loner. I chose golf as my sport of choice, and no other sport is as individual a sport than golf. Sure, there a golf teams but, at the end of the day, golf is a one-man sport. There are some things that just aren't meant to be, and I suppose me having siblings is one of those things. I've made the best of it, and I don't think that I would change anything, even if I could.

Save the Earth, Do This!

With the idea of a withering planet filling our heads, we all ,at one time or another, think of ways with which we could reduce our carbon footprint. Even if we find the smallest ways to reduce our energy consumption, we can help extend the life of our planet. One of the best examples of energy-saving technology and methods lies on Chicago's Southside, at the famous Museum of Science and Industry. It has been dubbed "The Smart Home", because it is a practical, aesthetically pleasing home that gives its owners peace of mind about how they might be impacting the Earth. There are many features of the house that lead to its ability not only to have low energy consumption, but also to throw energy back to the grid. By way of a personal wind turbine and solar cell technology, the energy produced by the home can, at times, outweigh how much energy is actually needed. Some other impressive features of the home include bamboo flooring, an inductance surface in the kitchen, and the fact that the entire hose is modular. The house is actually several components that were put together with cranes. This opens up the idea that houses could be mass-produced and shipped to their future owners. But, if you don't feel like ordering a house right now, there are simple things that you can do to reduce energy consumption. Such things include, unplugging any electronics that pull power from the outlet, even when they're not in use. These items include all kids of chargers, coffee pots, game systems, or anything that uses a standby light, really. Also, by recycling water, one can start to reduce their impact on Earth. Rainwater or any water that has been used throughout the house (except toilet of course) can be used to water plants in the garden. There are many ways to reduce how much energy we use up; it's up to us to decide how active we'll be in this initiative.

MSI's Smart Home 

Invisible

As a black male in America, it is easy to feel that I am invisible at times. Sometimes the evidence of strangers' thoughts can be obvious and at other times, not quite so easy to detect. Stereotypes of black men cause people to think things about me that aren't necessarily true, especially before they even know me. Of course, there is no way for everyone to get to know me, but it would be nice if people wouldn't pass judgment without any kind of evidence except appearance. It is important that people recognize the personality and potential of each and every person they meet. Even if one has a bad experience with one person from a certain race, there is no reason to assume that the next person that one meets from that race will have the same behavior. We are all individuals with widely different views, goals, and aspirations. Personally, I have chosen to focus intently on the academic part of my life. Sure, I have participated in several different activities throughout my life, but I have felt for a long time that taking my education seriously would take me where I want to go. When I see people in stores or just walking down the sidewalk, I feel that they are thinking about the stereotype that black men don't care about education and would rather be on the streets, instead of just seeing me as a young man that is in school and moving forward in his life. I realize that everybody that seems like they are thinking something may not be, but I'm quite certain that I have been a victim of certain stereotypes.

Book Review

One of the most interesting books that I've ever read is Freakonomics. The authors, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, combine their talents to enlighten readers about economic oddities that most people don't ever think about. The book is composed of seemingly random stories, which include economic anecdotes about school teachers, real estate agents, sumo wrestlers, and drug dealers. This mix of unrelated people are unified by the fact that they all have a basic economic incentive, no matter what their respective "profession" is. The other interesting aspect of the book is that the authors come from completely different walks of education, but found a way to work together, in harmony, to produce a best-selling book. Levitt is theoretically the "brains" of the operation, as he is the one who is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago. Not to say that the other author does not contribute much. In fact, without him, the book probably wouldn't have been created. Dubner is the writing half of the operation. He is an award-winning author and journalist, and the one who takes the ideas of Levitt and puts them into words that laypeople can understand and relate to. I read the book a while ago, so I only remember the big ideas of the book. I do remember that the book give great insight into some of the economic activities that a lot of people don't know about or about which many people have major misconceptions. It's a creation that gets people a little bit closer to finding out more about somewhat secretive activities and I recommend for everyone to read it.

Movie Review

Galdiator, featuring Russell Crowe, is just about my favorite movie of all time, with Inception as a close runner-up. The movie has great action, as well as an excellent plot. The general is named to become the next emperor of Rome, but the emperor's son isn't having it. He's so angry that he kills his own Father so that he would become the emperor immediately. This shows the viewer that the son is a coward and does not really have the bravery to lead Rome. The general, who should have become the emperor is taken into slavery, which means that he becomes a gladiator. Because he is such an advanced fighter, he gains the attention of the son, who is not yet aware that the excellent gladiator is the former general. I don't quite remember if the emperor finds out that the gladiator is the general before or after the emperor had killed the general's family, but this was another act that showed how cowardly the emperor really was. I suppose I really like this movie because it shows that those who fight with valor and with purpose eventually win the battle. The emperor was able to lead Rome for a short period of time, until the emperor and the gladiator had to face off. Even before the match, the emperor had the gladiator constrained and he stabbed him. The gladiator wins of course, despite being injured prior to the match. By the end of the movie, the Senate and other politicians realize what the son really was and they glorify the gladiator after he has died. They leave the emperor in the middle of the Coliseum and carry the gladiator away to salute the "true emperor of Rome". While it's sad that the gladiator had to die, it is a happy ending because his greatest wish after his family is killed is to join them in the "after-life". Great movie, with excellent action, and an equally tremendous story.

Art review

Just as the street art in the movie, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" was an example of great art, the movie itself was a great piece of art. Therefore, I will review the movie. I loved the style of the movie,  especially how it was like a home video. The travels and "adventures" of Thierry Guetta were exciting and it was very cool to see the best street artists doing their work in the middle of the night. The mysterious encounters with Banksy throughout the movie were both mysterious and comical. The voice change and the mask may have been a bit over the top, but this showed how much Banksy cared about his street art and the message that it was sending. Some of my favorite works by Banksy include his painting of the girl having her crayon house boarded up by a worker. I really enjoy how the detailed drawings of the people contrast with the rudimentary drawings of the house and the flowers. Another piece of street art that follows these lines is the work that shows what appears to be a Vietnamese child with a huge machine gun, with crayons hanging out of it instead of bullets. I also really like the funny tags of the British police officers, mainly the one that displays an officer with a balloon dog on a leash. Again, this is a contrasting picture because of the seriousness of the officer and the lighthearted mood that the balloon animal adds to the scene. Another one of my favorite pieces by Banksy is the vulture in the middle of nowhere with a gas pump nozzle for a head. Here are a few of the pieces that I have talked about.

We Have the Right

We all have the equal right to express ourselves in creative ways. I don't think that we should be able to put our creations anywhere because we must respect each other's individual space. I am still on the fence about whether street artists should be able to put their art in public spaces, but I am leaning towards them being able to. If the artists are actually contributing to the beauty of the city, I believe that they should be able to add their pieces. Pieces that are controversial and tarnish the property of others' (Mickey and Minnie billboard) really shouldn't go up, even though they convey a strong message and raise awareness about certain issues in society. Thierry, on the other hand, really shouldn't be putting up street art anywhere! He is only doing it because he envies the adventures of the street artists who he had followed with a video camera. At the end of the day, this is his main motivation, which means that he isn't really adding any beauty to any of the walls where he puts up his work. Banksy actually plans out his work so that it makes a statement and also looks great. People also have the right to interpret art how they want to see it. At banksy's art show, the reporters say that PETA was worried about the painted elephant, which was ironic because the media missed the big point, which is also known as the "elephant in the room". Not only was the piece extremely creative, but was practically a slap in the face to anybody that didn't really see the point of the art.