Should We Take a Selfie?

I believe in the old saying that everything happens for a reason. Behind all the events in the world, there is a purpose for each and every one of them. Today, we view #selfies as a detriment to society as it supposedly places less value in photographs; however, there is a greater significance behind the trend of #selfies. Selfies are clear tools of communication; while texts may provide for a textual form of communication, selfies provide for a quick, pictorial form of communication. One click of the middle button is a permanent remembrance of that one time in your life. Regardless if you're photogenic or not, it's a true representation of your own image.

While they may also be tools of vanity, its significance of conveying emotions through pictures cannot be forgotten. Texts are like puzzle pieces. Someone can text one thing, but mean something completely different. When we look at selfies, we can see a person's emotions and the facial features that help us make that assumption. Some people say that you will never have an accurate understanding of the picture itself unless you are there to experience the event first-hand. After all, it's not as if you are exchanging telepathic thoughts with the objects and people in the picture, right?! However, pictures are basically snapchats of one moment at one certain time; it is a permanent memory as you grow older and your memories in your brain begin to blur. With selfies, we can show our feelings and thoughts. Without these types of pictures, how can we visually see our histories and our pasts?

We must accept it. Our world has evolved with the social networking revolution. Like James Franco says, "As our social lives become more electronic, we become more adept at interpreting social media." It has become an effective form of communication in our society. It tells others of  what you're doing, where you are, and how you're feeling. Most importantly, it shows others who you truly are.

The Real Way to Fix the Problem

Poverty has been both a blessing and a curse from the beginning of human history. There's those who can explore the wilderness of the streets, and there's those who are stuck in their 8000 sq ft mansion. I think it is agreed by Republicans and Democrats that the prodigious number of those roaming the streets, or living in ramshackle shacks, in this beautiful world we live in a very great addition grievance; and therefore whoever could find the perfect simple method of making poverty vanish from the world would deserve so well of the public as to have his status set up for a preserver of the world.

It's extremely difficult to end poverty effectively, once and for all. There is just so many people to account for, and so many people that enjoy living in a world of poverty. After all, it is not possible to give to the poor without taking from the rich, and anyway, poverty has its uses. It keeps people in their place. It also helps to hold prices down by employing cheap labor.

Many other advantages might be enumerated. For example, poor children actually consume more meat than higher-income children consume, and their protein intake averages 100 percent above recommended levels. In fact, most poor children are super-nourished and grow up to be, on average, one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than the GIs who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II. Good thing many poor people fight our wars.

Supposing that 80% of poor people living in poverty in America will fight in the armed forces, that brings our poverty rate down 80% and increases our armed forces enroll rate by 40%. 46.2 million people live in poverty, but that's not a problem. 5.1% as America's highest poverty percentage, but that's not a problem. This just shows how many more people can enjoy your protein-filled meals and patriotism in the armed forces.

Therefore, let no man talk to me of other expedients: of raising the minimum wage laws: of providing greater welfare to the poor: of creating negative income tax systems: of providing direct goods and services: of helping the poor find jobs: of creating soup kitchens to feed the poor: of cleansing dirty water unfit for drinking: of building self-sufficient economies: of teaching the poor new job skills: of constructing new homes for the homeless; who if a resolution be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it.

Therefore I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients, til he hath at least some glimpse of hope that there will ever be some sincere attempt to put them in practice.

I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country, increasing efficiency of our economy, fattening the poor, and making the world go around. I have no companies by which I can propose to get a single penny; only me and a world of kindness and compassion.

~ Vincent Thieu ~
Super Credible Source
Economist in the Making

Only Time Will Tell

In “A Measure of Restraint," Chet Raymo expresses concern over the advancement of technological innovations and discoveries. While I do believe that scientific discovery is an essential component of human life, it is equally essential for humans to remain cautious of the possible repercussions. Only time will tell, the cliche says. However, if we hold ourselves to this cliche, it will be too late to stop the wave of genetic engineering before it grows like a cancer cell. We will succumb to the "fruitful promise of genetic engineering." As a result, it is important that we make ourselves of aware of the problems in seeking scientific discoveries. 

Raymo's thesis illustrates his skepticism towards human’s thirst for scientific discovery. He supports this through anecdotes of scientists like Marie and Pierre Curie who found new discoveries that seemed beneficial at first, but resulted in fatal consequences as a result of ignorant and carefree use of the innovations. What the world did not know was that this powerful blessing was actually a hazardous curse in disguise. Due to this overly optimistic faith in the "perfect element", people faced the severe effects of these innovations. Indeed, our new breakthroughs in medicine and genetic engineering have weaved themselves into human life globally. For example, we use medicine daily to treat our infections and diseases; without it, those with health problems would be left to die. Furthermore, we use genetic engineering in our foods to supply a greater amount of food. If we erased our innovations from the world, not only would the world be undoubtedly inconvenient, but also our world would be dumbfounded in the loss of our way of life. Our reliance on these discoveries demonstrates how the human species continue to evolve at a direct proportionality to scientific innovations. 

Nevertheless, what if our discoveries have a hidden flaw that we are unaware of? What if it results in a "Frankensteinian quality" that cannot be controlled? Its consequences would multiply at our demise, and we would be left in mercy to the unconquerable consequences. Let us not wait for time to tell us. Rather, let us make the first move in stabilizing this uncertain world of genetic engineering.

Women United

Hey, what do you know! March 8 is International Women’s Day! Today, we celebrate and respect (only in Asia and most parts of Europe is it an official holiday) women's economic, political, and social achievements. Once upon a time, the female American life did not consist of freedom, liberty, and equality; in fact, they had no right to vote, thus having little to no voice in American affairs and politics. As a result, some women advocated for more power in society in order to become a true citizen of the American community. In Florence Kelley's persuasive speech, she demonstrates strong command of rhetoric and compels the National American Woman Suffrage Association to join her effort in finding a new role for American women and pushing for new child labor laws. 

Through her argument, she connects the child labor cause with the women’s' rights cause. Like the children who are helpless in the waves of survival, the women are "powerless" to express themselves in society. During these times, finding someone who advocated so much for this cause was like finding pink elephants stomping through the urban roads of New York. However, Florence Kelley demonstrates her shining role as a reform leader in this powerful speech: she is a Jesus-like figure in the women's rights movement. While Jesus was one of the most influential people in human history, Florence Kelley was an influential reformer who advocated for women to be treated like everyone else. Not only did she advocate for women's power, but she also advocated for children to experience innocence in their youth and to have basic human rights.

Personally, I feel very thankful for the ability to go to school every day and learn new things rather than go to work in order to survive. Back then, children never had as much free time as we do today: no television, no video games, and no time to relax. While everyone in school seems to display annoyance and anger towards the school system, I feel gratified and appreciative of my opportunity to learn. Because of Florence Kelley, I have the ability to go to school and have leisure time rather than work simple jobs for endless hours. 

Not All Black People Are Thugs

Brent Staples, like many others, has experienced the prejudice and unfairness of society's stereotypes for his whole life. Although he is a graduate student in one of the world's most renowned universities, he has been classified, marked, and looked upon as a "mugger." Whether it be black stereotypes or Asian stereotypes, they all play a demeaning role in society.

Recently, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl in a dominating fashion, 43-8, with hard word and relentless offense and defense. A contributing factor to this run to the championship was because of this one standout player: Richard Sherman. Not only is he one of the best rookie cornerbacks in the NFL, he is also a black man who graduated from Stanford... with a 4.2 GPA to boot! Both Staples and Sherman are educated intellectuals that come from the most prestigious universities, yet they are still subject to these stereotypes. Many people would wonder, "Did this guy just say Stanford? He must be crazy!" That's an oxymoron, right? I mean, who ever heard of a black man going to Stanford? Well, at least that's what the public seems to think. People judge his actions based on his race without thinking twice. In fact, Richard Sherman was called a thug (a word now synonymous to the N-word) 625 times on television in ONE day after his passionate post-game interview. For that reason, it is unacceptable to judge a person by his/her race and skin color. Simply because of his skin color, Richard Sherman changed the public's perception of him, that is, altered public space. 

However, in reality, people are more than stereotypes. This man is inspiring. Living in the project homes with "thugs" hanging around every corner, he knows what it's like to live the unfortunate life. For those who cannot afford Christmas gifts, he uses his own money to buy gifts for those families who can't afford to experience the happiness and excitement of this holiday. For the young kids, he signs a contract with them: in return for improving their grades, making good attendance, and being good citizens, he’ll continue to help them with clothes and supplies. Behind these stereotypes lie unique individuals with unique roles in society. In the end, stereotypes will exist but people must continue to follow their dreams and do what they do best.

Daddy's Boy

Daddy's girl. Momma's boy. I don't know about you, but I can honestly say that I'm a Daddy's boy and a Momma's boy. However, since we've been discussing "Shooting Dad" and "Arm Wrestling with My Father", I'll dedicate this one to Pops! :)

My dad is a pretty easygoing guy. He moved to Canada from Vietnam in 9th Grade. If I ever had to think about the American Dream, I'd think of my dad except he went on to fulfill the Canadian dream. Starting from nothing, he worked in bagel shops, graduated from the 20th best university in the world (University of Toronto), and is now living a successful life with a happy family. That's why he pushes me so hard in my academics. His mentality is "If he can do it, so can I!" I usually ask my dad if I ever want to do something fun like hang out or sleepover. He understands what it's like to have fun with other guys. But if there's a test or a lot of homework, no way José he would say yes! However, he's a fair person and he's been through high school and university, so he knows what it's like to deal with all this stress.

If I had to choose between physical or emotional, I would lean towards the physical relationship. My dad might ask me about the girls now and then, but that's a rare occasion. When I think of a physical relationship with my dad, I think of all the times we would go downstairs and play hockey in our makeshift hockey rink! My dad kept part of it unfinished so we could go and play hockey. Sometimes, I would win. Sometimes (and truthfully, most of the times), I would lose. When we played, we played to win. Other dads might have gone easy on their little boy, but not my dad! It was all or nothing. If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. We would push and shove each other whenever the puck was near those brown cabinets as if they were the hockey rink's boards. Get slashed in the knee, and we'd still continue playing. Shoot the puck hard and hope it goes in! Our whole basement floor was covered in puck marks and hockey stick marks. Whenever I lost, I would cry and whine like a little baby. "It's not fair!" I would cry! I'd throw a tantrum and get mad at my dad, and my dad would just laugh and pretty much say "Sucks to suck!" Wow was I such a sore loser. Mind you though, this was when I was in my elementary and early middle school years!


Nowadays, I never have time to spend time with my family even though that's what I love to do. It always seems like I have some sort of homework or extracurricular activity. Other kids may be partying on a Friday night or on New Years Eve, but not me! I stay home with the ones I love most: my family.

A Snapshot in History

It is a long cold lonely night
The water pulls them backwards
Yet they continue to push forwards.
The frigid bitter ice surrounds them
The swirling glacial waters clash on the boat
Its icy soul slapping against the wood
The constant rhythmic sound of the waves
Two white men
One black man
One woman
One Indian
Together they row
Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!
Who would have thought
That these troops were to succeed?
Yet they continue to push forwards.

The sun shines through this ominous day
Piercing into the wispy sky of despair
Like a beacon of hope
For these straggled common soldiers.
The woman in a scarlet coat bleeding with grit
The black man dressed in all sorts of colors
The men's arms are cold and sore
Hours of continuous rowing
But they feel no pain

The man in the middle
The Hero of America
The Great General
He who carries the burden of America
He who leads to victory
He is George Washington
He sings for Freedom

Inch by inch, the shore creeps closer
His heart pounds
Louder and louder
Faster and faster
But no,
He must control himself
He is a man of no fear
Fear is futile.
His velvet cape flaps with the turbulent winds
The jaded handle of the sword,
A sword for only the elite
He is the one who will conquer.

He is not afraid to look into the eyes of Death himself
He has no time for petty doubts
It is he who must lead the charge
He who must carry his country to freedom.

Every man looks forward.
Forward
Never back
Never to the land of oppression
For they will succeed.

We Are Who We Are

Amy Tan is the kind of author that connects with your deep thoughts that you think of at night, during those long English or Biology assignments at 3 in the morning and you wonder, "What exactly am I doing with my life?" "Who am I really?" "What is life?" In Amy Tan's Fish Cheeks, she questions her own identity and finds conflicting problems with her culture. However, it is her mom that helps her to come to terms with her own identity and accept herself as who she is. One message that I interpreted from Fish Cheeks is that family plays a great influence on one's identity.

My mother, for example, is the best mother in the world. She loves me like no other: without her, I would be long dead by now. (Same goes with my father too!) She cooks me delicious foods to eat at lunch, leaving my friends envious of my mother's loving meals (Kunal I hope you see this). Sometimes, however, she really pushes me to do things that she wants and not necessarily that I may want because she believes that it is best for my interests. Yet, she's also not like one of those tiger moms from Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I guess she just cares for me so much that she wants to ensure that I don't choose the wrong path. For example, this morning, we had a discussion about my college future and my college choices. She urged me to go to University of Toronto even though University of Michigan is a much more suitable fit for me in terms of major, quality of education, and location. I think that this is part of Chinese culture, that is, to strongly care for your young and lead them down the right path.

When I look at my Western friends' parents, I feel like they have been brought up in a "do what you want and see for yourself" environment. For example, if an American kid got a B on their test (I'm talking middle school tests), parents would typically express disapproval but not a lot to make the child feel hurt. They would then blame the poor scoring on the teacher and the curriculum in general. However, if a Chinese child got a B (bless his/her soul), then he/she would get scolded because of his/her parents' higher standards for their child. Instead of blaming the school and its system, they would blame it on their child's lack of studying and practice. This is best exemplified from these statistics in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, in which Chua demonstrates the differences in Western culture and Chinese culture.

"In one study of 50 Western American mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of the Western mothers said either that “stressing academic success is not good for children” or that “parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun.” By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way. Instead, the vast majority of the Chinese mothers said that they believe their children can be “the best” students, that “academic achievement reflects successful parenting,” and that if children did not excel at school then there was a problem and parents were not doing their job (Chua)."

After reading Fish Cheeks and Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, I realize that identity can be perceived through different lens. Amy Chua's daughters were viewed with delight in the eyes of her piano instructors, whereas others viewed her with horror when they hear of her rigorous daily schedule.These two stories of the differences between Western and Chinese culture have helped me reflect on my differences and come to accept them as it is.

America is Black and White and Everything in Between

Today marks the first day of Black History Month. From the days of slavery, our current society has transformed black culture into one of respect and fairness. There is clearly much work to accomplish if we truly want full equality regardless of race. Whites encounter more opportunities compared to blacks; in addition, whites earn significantly greater than blacks do. The world we live in is not a perfect place, but we might as well try to strive to make it the best possibly can. To increase black awareness, it's important to learn from history's mistakes so that we don't make the same mistake in the future.

Morgan Freeman once said on 60 Minutes, "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." What he says is absolutely true; black history is and always will be an important piece of American history. The struggle for freedom and equality has been permanently etched into America and its past. However, I believe that it is essential to have a time for all of America to remember its history and reflect on its wrongdoings. Without a black history month, we lose an important highlight on one of America's proudest accomplishments: the eventual equality of races. However, the problem is that many still view black history as inferior to white history when they should be both fundamental and equal elements of American history.

Let me tell you a story. My cousin down in Texas told me that the school district refuses to call the third Monday of January MLK Day; rather, they simply call it a student holiday, thus taking away the impact of such a key figure in American history. However, not only did he revolutionize American society, but he also advocated for peaceful protesting to unite Americans, black and white alike, in a common goal to make the world better for the generations to come. By taking away this holiday, Texas demonstrates that they approve of white superiority over blacks in a country that supposedly advocates for equal opportunity and success. Obviously, it is extremely disturbing that Texas still lives in the past and refuses to view blacks on the same level as whites. Ultimately, we are all human beings, whether white or black or yellow or blue, and that's all that matters.