Even before I stumbled upon this video I knew that being schizophrenic would be a dark and lonely place. After hearing this it made me seriously think about what it would be like to be stuck with an illness such as this. A few friends and I decided we would try to go a whole day listening to it while going about our daily routine, most of us did not make it past an hour. Can you imagine waking up everyday to this? Going to bed to this? Trying to live a normal everyday life with thoughts like these racing through your mind? When society looks at someone with a mental illness it is perceived as a negative, which essentially it is,  but the person with the illness is not a weird or bad person. Frowning upon someone with depression or schizophrenia or any other mental illness would be like thinking poorly of someone with cancer. Society as a whole needs to step up and learn how to embrace and help these sick people instead of just letting them fall through the cracks.


-Michele F

The Man Who Sells the Moon

In this New York Times clip we will meet the realtor of the moon. Dennis Hope, a Nevada man who has made a living "selling" plots of land on the moon. He bases his business on honesty and to date has sold over 600 million acres on the moon at $24.00 per property. The loop hole that he believes gives him the right to sell land on the moon is the use of the word nation instead of individual in article 2 of the 1967 outer space treaty, no nation by appropriation shall have sovereignty or control over any of the satellite bodies. Most experts refuse to acknowledge him as a legitimate owner of the moon. What do you think? Is he a genius, or a scam artist?

-Ras M.

 It might just be the pessimist in me speaking but lets face it Graduation Sucks! Don't get me wrong the celebrations are nothing short of Legendary but what comes next? In a perfect world the answer would be a stable job with attractive coworkers, a beautiful house with an island in the kitchen, couple kids who do not rebel and a dog who can give you a high five (low paw technically). Hate to burst your bubble but reality is that life that you promised yourself will have to be postponed for about 13 years, ya  student debt can be a you know what. From where I'm standing graduating is full of expectations that are unsatisfiable and jobs you are over qualified for. It doesn't hit you when your throwing those hats up in the air but every single one of those hats must come down. and when your spending your Saturday nights watching inappropriate television and your Tuesday nights at a pub where all the bartenders know you by name you find yourself saying to yourself "my how much i miss college", and I,  am here arrogantly looking forward to the next 3 years of my life finding more and more reasons to enjoy it that much more.

-Mike D.

An Artist

 

There are many superstitions about mirrors. They  are related to the reflective properties. They say that mirrors in a place where somebody recently died must be covered because a dead’s person soul can be trapped in it. Or by looking in a mirror in a dark room where there is only candlelight, a person might be able to see the entities inhabiting their home. Until now there is no scientific evidence that any of these superstitions or beliefs in the magical power of mirrors exist, so let us make a little analysis of where they came from. In a house where somebody recently died, the members of the family are experiencing high levels of stress because of their loss and little things like a blurry reflection of something seen for only a few seconds can cause menacing interpretations. Or what can really be seen in a reflection of a mirror in a dark room where there is only candlelight? Nothing clear, maybe some shades or shadows, and a human mind playing imagination games interpreting those shades in a most unexpected way. The less a person hears, sees, and feels the more space there is for an amazing artist - brain to play. A human brain fills in the missing pieces and adjusts the information received according to the person’s imagination, experience, expectations, and perception. It knows what you are afraid of the most, what you love, and what you want to see. It will give you exactly these kind of emotions that will touch you in some way. Maybe that is why a picture can evoke more emotions than an entire movie; a single phrase might make a person think and analyze things deeper and longer than a novel; one gesture of a hand might be more elegant and beautiful than a dance. 

Dilfuza S. 

 
P.S. - Inspired by the picture of a crying girl making a shot. 

Motivation

From the movie, Pursuit of Happiness, this quote has always helped me through adversity. Adversity comes in many forms, but still has to be overcome. So it's always served as a good reminder in tough situations. In the movie, Will Smith was going through adversity and he yelled at his son. After he realized what he said, he responded with this quote. I believe he was saying, don't ever give up on your dreams even though people will try to bring you down to their level.                                                             -- Jonathan B

Why?--->How?--->What?

I find this speech very inspiring, and I'm sure some of you will feel the same.

You can find more interesting and informative videos at www.ted.com. 

---Posted by Bilguun. B (ENG 112)