12 and up?

The recent class on 'advertising & social responsibility' really brought up some interesting points: beyond obligation, moral myopia, moral muteness... but more than anything, I was personally interested in one of the many controversies currently surrounding the industry: should advertising be banned for children 12 years old and younger? While there are many firm believers in this, and while I respect everyone's opinions, from a practical point of view, this is simply one thing... ridiculous!! 

By no means am I some media expert (in fact, my current grade definitely supports that...), but how is it at all possible for advertisers to know EXACTLY who is watching their commercials? Are viewers supposed to type in their social security number before watching a program? Absolutely not. Then how would this law actually be implemented? I realize this is simply a suggestion, and I am sure numerous experts have the same question as I do, but if they don't, it just seems naive to think that a few kids will not be sneaking in to their living rooms, watching TV and being "exposed" to ads.

Boom-De-Yada

There are many people today, who don't have much of an interest in the world we live in, nothing wrong with that. I too, tend to have similar feelings when it comes to nature and "outdoorsy" activities, but after watching this ad for the Discovery Channel, this beautiful compilation of everything our Planet has to offer, makes me want to explore. It makes me want to see some of the most unique parts of nature, and really appreciate all the world has to offer.

Learning DIFFERENCE, not disability

This past Friday, I was on a panel of students who were talking to parents of children with learning differences. It got me thinking about a lot of things, but mainly, when did the whole idea of a learning 'disability' come into play? Surely this is a relatively new phenomenon, and as a student diagnosed with visual/spatial disability, this topic is near and dear to my heart. However, my rather cynical cousin brought up a good point: if it is politically incorrect to say learning 'disability', and more socially acceptable to say learning 'difference', don't all people have a learning difference? After all, we all learn differently, correct?

This was a difficult concept to argue, because I do agree with my cousin; people do all learn differently. So what is it that merits extended time for students or taking an exam in a testing center? As an advocate for those with learning differences, I feel it is important to be able to explain why it is only CERTAIN individuals who have these accommodations.  

Flags

BOOOORINGGGG

Ever since I was a little kid, I was always interested in various cultures: food, climates, people, but something which I was always particularly fond of was the flag. A flag is the first and easiest thing to associate a nation with. The United Kingdom's Union Jack, Germany's bold red, yellow and black, and of course, the United States 50 stars and 13 colonies. Surely, all nations should pride themselves on their flags, as it is not only a national, but an international symbol. Saying all this, no flag ever got me as frustrated as the Libyan flag. Obviously there are reasons behind its boring design (hopefully at least), but why have absolutely NO design? As a kid, this would frustrate and puzzle me, and even though I wanted to travel to every country in the world, I swore I would NEVER go to Libya... simply because of its flag. Obviously, as I grew up, I realized there are political and social differences in each country, but it just humors me to think how just the color green can be the insignia of an entire nation.

And I don't even like football

The first time I saw this commercial, I sat there in awe. I actually got goosebumps... while sitting in class. As an extra credit question in my advertising research class, we watched this video and had to construct a "core value pyramid". Disregarding the assignment for a moment, I just thought to myself "wow", this makes me want to go out and kick some ass while wearing Nike Pro. And you know what the crazy part is? I don't even like Nike!! Growing up, one of my best friend's dad was the CMO of Adidas, so obviously I had my allegiance set to that brand. While I've always acknowledged Nike and admired the "Just Do It" slogan, Adidas has been my preference... until I saw this ad. Being a prospective member of the advertising industry, I do have brand loyalties, but the artistic beauty of this commercial (at least to me), which creates a sense of triumph, just makes me admire Nike so much more. I guess what I'm trying to say is next time I enter a Sports Authority, I won't mind strolling down the aisle with the big "swoosh" on top...

Colors we haven't even seen

"Oh that's not blue, that's more of a magenta!" My response to comments of this are along the lines of "sure, whatever you say...", but this got me thinking, are there colors out there which humans haven't seen before? Can we even comprehend such an idea (according to some of my friends, we definitely cannot)? Essentially, all shades that are visible to the human eye are based of the rainbow colors, but can we create something out of nothing? Surely individuals in the creative industry would say yes, but in reality, everything we create has SOME reference point, so being able to see something which has never existed in any form... that is just pure crazyness!!

 

Acting: talent or disguise?

Each year, the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and other award shoes attract millions of viewers around the world. This is an important time for advertising, and media decisions are critical. But why? Why are we as a society so impressed and in awe of those who stand in front of a camera, essentially pretending to be something they are not? Don't get me wrong, I have enormous respect for actors and actresses, and I realize this is not at all an easy way of making a living, but what makes people so good? Why do millions, perhaps billions of people all over the world want to 'act'. 

As children, the most common games involve pretending to be something you're not: a firefighter, a ballerina, a soccer player. Why, even from such a young age, do we disguise ourselves? Is there a human subconscious ashamed of admitting who we are, which forces us to mimic others? I'm not really sure, but an interesting point to think about is this: are actors truly talented or do they simply want to hide behind who they truly are, and put on a fake image for the rest of the world to see? 

We just butt heads a lot

NOTE: For the sake of keeping two of my very good friend's identity safe, the characters in this story are "Girl 1" and "Girl 2"

Me: "So are you living with *Girl 2* next year?" 

Girl 1: "Yea I think so, I'm just really afraid..."

Me: "Why? Aren't you best friends??"

Girl 1: "I don't know, we just butt heads a lot, it's not easy"

I could continue this conversation all day, but I'd rather not! In a nutshell, it just amazes and confuses me how despite being 'best friends' girls (tend) to treat friendships like light switches: turn them off and on whenever they want. Obviously this is just a generalization, but the other night when I asked one of my friends, who I consider to be one of the easy going people I know, if she is living with her best friend next yea (who I ALSO consider to be extremely easy going), there was so much hesitance. But why?? Is this environmental or genetic? I know I'm probably sounding like a sexist, but this is a common characteristic in almost all female friends I have. Why are my male friends not like this? In my limited experience, it seems like when guys have a falling out, it develops over time, however with girls there is so much boiling pressure underneath that it all just eventually explodes. Anyways, I just felt like throwing out the idea, and trying to comprehend why exactly this happens. One thing is for sure, no matter how hard I try to, I will never understand the complexity of female relationships!!

Where in the world has my money been?

When the friendly cashier says "thanks and have a great day!", giving you an old dollar bill, ever wonder the journey that the face of Mr. Washington has undergone? Was this bill ever stolen? Was it ever found on the street? What about change? What countries has it traveled through? Ever been fished out of a wishing fountain? How many filthy hands have touched this note (not a pleasant thought, but this is why my mom told me to ALWAYS wash my hands after I touch money)?  

I guess the cool invention would be tracking each coin or bill. While I'm not naive enough to think the government would ever spend money making such a device, it's an interesting thought to sit there and think where in the world has this quarter been??

Old school research, gross...

Many of my peers might be thinking "what the hell is this??" The answer is 'an encyclopedia'. While this may seem pretty obvious to oldies, I think I speak for Generation Y, when I admit that I haven't used a physical encyclopedia since elementary school (and that's because I used to live in England and India, where old school practices are still hanging on for their lives). 

That's right, despite writing numerous Political Science and Anthropology research papers, I have NEVER opened a densely packed, thousand page long encyclopedia. Although it scares me just to imagine, the wonderful world of google, wikipedia, and more hasn't always existed. How did our parents cope?? How were generations before us left with the daunting task of actually FLIPPING through pages? Just the thought gives me shivers...

Adidas: An underrated advertiser

The Adidas "Impossible is Nothing" campaign is one of my favorite ad campaigns ever. Obviously I am biased because a) I love Adidas b) I love soccer and c) I love sports, but despite these interests of mine, I feel this is such an underrated and under-publicized campaign. The Dove "Real Beauty" campaign has made headlines all across the industry, and for good merit as well, but why hasn't Adidas?

The target audience for both campaigns are similar; young children and particularly those facing external pressure from society. Whether it is looking aesthetically pleasing or being a sports superstar, the message both Adidas and Dove try to communicate with its audience is "be proud of who you are". So why ignore the famous 'All Day I Dream About Sports'?

Talk about bad advertising

Where do we start? Stereotypes? Absolutely no creative flair? Potentially embarrassing and insulting for certain ethnicities (including my own). Well, whichever point is addressed, this PennyTalk commercial has disgusting advertising written all over it. While the product and its attributes are well stated, this is a perfect example of an ad that crosses the fine line of cheesy and cute, into the boundary of stupid and ignorant.

I mean come on... depictions of a Mexican kid who likes to play soccer? And an old Indian woman who likes to gossip? I think anyone with half a brain who spends more than five minutes in any culture could easily write the script behind this pathetic excuse for an 'ad'. Then again, maybe it IS PennyTalk's mission to create such blatantly bad advertising. Maybe they realize through this they will create brand awareness, and along with mediocre brand attributes that are indeed highlighted, they will elevate sales. But if THIS is what people associate with advertising, then our industry has a long, long way to go...

Warm Thanksgiving... what???

Only a few weeks away from my favorite holiday of all time: Thanksgiving. Despite no presents or luxurious vacations, Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. Being with family and friends, having excellent food, and really being "thankful" (as cliche as this is), really means more to me than vigorously unwrapping presents or waiting in line to check into a Mexican resort.

A few days ago, I was explaining to a friend about the post-Thanksgiving tradition in my Chicago suburb. She seemed relatively bored up until I said "and then it looks so nice in the snow". All of a sudden that caught her attention. "Snow? During Thanksgiving?? What?!?" This Arizona native seemed so confused with the thought, but then I realized something. Without snow, Thanksgiving would have a completely different meaning. Without the sub 30 degree weather, staying indoors with warm food just wouldn't be the same.

At least not to me...

Meet the Jetsons!

I remember watching the show as a child, and just being glued to the television set. There's not much I remember about the program (apart from the ridiculously fast way Mr. Jetson would get ready in the morning, with the assistance of all the high tech gadgets), but what I DO remember is it was categorized as a "21st century family". It seems to strange but, here we are, nine years in to the new century, and I wonder... did people in the 60s, 70s or even 80s think life would be like the Jetsons in the upcoming century? If so, I certainly wish I had the awesome luxuries shown in one of my favorite childhood cartoons!

Language

Living with a French kid who has spent the last 10 years in Houston and a British guy whose mom remarried a good old fashion Texan man, my roommates and I all have interesting views on language and differences in various dialects. The three of us have had intense debates  about the evolution of language, beautiful languages vs ugly languages, easy accents to understand, bilingual cultures, and all sorts of other 'deep' conversations regarding language (clearly there is a nerdy side to us). Yet a dilemma the three of us agree on is whether languages shapes the way we view the world or whether the way we view the world determines language? For instance, in hot African nations, do they even have a word for "snowball"?

For advertising, understanding language and its connotations is especially important. In order to communicate a message effectively and appropriately, there has to be a deep appreciation and understanding for cultures. With the industry becoming cross-cultural, and with American agencies taking on prestigious international accounts, the importance of this cannot be underestimated. Anyyyyways, just some interesting food for thought (or for future account planners) : )

Grown men playing a child's game

Whether it is catching a ball, kicking a ball, jumping, splashing around in water or running as fast as you can, essentially all sports are silly, they just children's games. I mean, think about it. Besides a professional level, those who TRULY enjoy sports and the entertainment which they provide, more than anyone else, are children. Children who are oblivious to the pressure which the sport brings to so many people's lives. Essentially, sports were created as recreational activities in one's leisure time. To think that over the past few centuries, we have created these GAMES into professions (which pay a lottt of money too), is well... quite bizarre.

He's got a good heart

I'm sure we've all heard this expression, but being the equivalent of Ted from How I Met Your Mother (one of the best shows out there, FYI), I always find it funny when colloquial phrases used figuratively also have a literal meaning. I once made a rather inappropriate joke about my friend's brother who has a heart problem (nobody was really offended since it was just my friends, including the brother with this condition, but I did get some awkward glances). I said "Oh Julien's a bad hearted person". I forgot the exact context behind why I said this, but to defend myself from the glaring stares, I said "Guys, he does... he's got a heart condition". Hahaha I know, not very funny... but at the time it seemed like it. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that what I said was literally COMPLETELY true. Sometimes the phrases in our language just confuse me!

Soccer hooliganism

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup approaching, fans around the world are getting excited, since this is the biggest sporting event in the world (that's right, bigger than the Olympics). An event which unites nations, forgetting political and social tensions, as a showcase of sport and talent, the World Cup possesses everything a great spectacle should. 

The only concern, especially among fans from less intense soccer nations, is hooliganism. Throughout history, particularly in the 70s and 80s, soccer showed the world its ugly side. Unnecessary brawls between fans before, after and even during matches lead to scenes we don't want to see. Passion is one thing, but violence is another. When a man is stabbed to death for wearing a rival team's jersey in the wrong pub (pertaining to England), or a little boy is beaten up for wearing red instead of blue (unfortunately, pertaining to most of Europe and South America), this makes me think, "are we really turning supporting a team into stupid excuses for gang violence?"  

Alone in the world

Imagine waking up on a lazy Saturday morning and notice you're home alone. Puzzled, you stretch out and decide to sleep for a few more hours. After a solid snooze, you get out of bed and go downstairs. Nobody is home... strange. Assuming everything is fine, you turn on the TV as you eat your breakfast (or by this time, probably an early lunch). You call your best friend to see if he wants to do something today. No answer... strange. Whatever, you can just call someone else. No answer, no answer, no answer. Wow, this is really weird. Ok, I might as well call my mom and see where she is. No answer. Ok, this shit is just scary!! 

You run outside, ignoring the subzero temperatures and notice a particularly eerie silence. Where is everyone?  Now the rest of this could turn into a very odd and rather depressing short story, but the other day when I was in the library, I overheard a conversation between an obnoxiously loud man and an annoying girl. I tried blocking out everything they were saying, but this prompt stuck with me, "what would you do if you woke up one morning and were alone in the ENTIRE world?" Gives me the chills just to think about...

Pump up music

Everyone has a song that gets them going. Whether its for working out, playing a sport, writing an essay, or even preparing for battle, there are always tunes that get our blood flowing and get our neck hairs up. But my question as often said in this blog, is why? And how? How is it that despite some people being visual learners and kinesthetic learners, it is always sounds (music particularly) that has a common trend of motivating people? I realize there are several ways of motivating, but if you go to almost ANY locker room across the country, watch almost ANY impressive/motivating/inspiring video, and there is always music to introduce the spectacle. 

Reading vs. storytelling

Growing up in an Indian household, since we are children, we are told that reading books will make us smarter. Almost as though this is like a medicine: take it and you will be okay, if you don't you will get sick. The correlation seemed frighteningly positive, so there was no choice but to read and lose ourselves in the wonderful world of novels, autobiographies, journals, newspapers and whatever else can be deemed as educational. But why were we not encouraged to tell stories to one another? 

In the olden days (by olden days, I mean centuries ago) the concept of written text was rare, and story telling was the common form of both learning and entertainment. While taking this creative course, this idea has popped into my mind several times: the battle between reading vs. storytelling. Of course there are pros and cons to both, and of course I am happy that I have learned to read, and along with my health, consider this my deepest privilege and ability, but wonder what life would be like without that ability. 

Obscure talents?

Why is a talent considered a talent? I realize the wording off that sounds off, but why? Sure, there are socially acceptable "skills" that people have including singing, dancing, drawing, sports or anything else crazy. But what makes some of them socially acceptable and others not? For instance, why is someone who can urinate 20 times in an hour not a talent? Well despite the anatomical mystery there, probably because it isn't appealing to the eye. But for that matter, is art? Or is singing always appealing to the ear? Or is throwing a 95 mph fast ball?  

Again, I just wan to re-iterate that I have great admiration for people with these 'talents', but I still wonder WHY? What is so impressive that makes me, along with millions and billions of others, become awe-struck and often coughed up, by such acts? 

You wake up the next morning, tired from the game the day before, go to the kitchen for some breakfast and stop and think: holy shit, I just won one of the most prestigious trophies in English Football (soccer).

 I'm not sure if this is exactly what goes through sports players' minds the day after such a big milestone, but after my 5th grade team won a tournament in Barcelona, my freshman team won a tournament in London and my Varsity team won our region, the feeling took a while to sink in, so I can't quite imagine what it would be like to wake up the next morning.

I know I would certainly be thinking, was it all a dream?

Just a few inches away from glory

John Terry wins the Champions League for Chelsea! The captain, the heart and soul of the team, has lead Chelsea to their first ever European Cup triumph! 

Unfortunately, none of this was said.

With just one kick of the ball, Terry went from what could have been the happiest moment of his illustrious career to the lowest of lows. The idea I'm trying to get at here, is that the importance of inches, seconds and any other segments we may consider miniscule, cannot be underestimated. After all, these are what determine the best from... well, the second best. 

Service begins at home

When I lived in Poland, my mom was heavily involved in an organization whose mission was to help children with Cancer. Having no previous experience in volunteering, she became very passionate and a big advocate for these children, since in the mid 90s, the concept of volunteering in Poland was almost non-existent. But according to my Grandfather's beliefs, this was seen as "time wasted" when she should have been at home taking care of her own children. 

My brother was four, my sister was a few months old, and I was seven, but never once did my brother or I complain about what our mom was doing. We never had this idea, even at such a young age, that she was doing us a disservice by helping other children. In fact, it was during this time in my childhood where I realized the importance of helping others and being so grateful for what I have in my life. 

So while I agree with the fact that service begins at home, I also feel that by helping those in need, this sets a good example at home for the rest of your family.

"Imagination and fiction make up more than three quarters of our real life."-- Anonymous 

Every now and then when I'm feeling down or just have one of those "what am I really doing" moments, I'll google quotes. As corny as this habit may be, I happen to stumble across a few that I really do like and that really do get me going. While this quote is not one that truly motivates me as much as the others, the first time I saw it, it definitely did make me think. 

This summer when I interned at Draftfcb, my account was Boeing, obviously a little different from your mainstream every-day consumer products. With Boeing, what was so impressive and what really stuck out to me, is their constant innovation in all aspects of their business. For some reason, when I saw this quote, I instantly thought, this is Boeing. One of their main slogans is "Shaping and re-defining the future of aerospace", which after extensive research on the company, was all done because of innovators who looked 'beyond the horizon' (another Boeing phrase) to come up with what many regard as impossible. 

Oh Churchill, not the Prime Minister, but...

...The cat

After visiting my friend in DC this weekend, and seeing him take care of his pathetic, but very cute kitten, Churchill (shown above), I thought to myself, what is the point of pets??

I mean, if we really think about it, we are not really shaping the future of humanity or the future of the world by brining these cuddly creatures into our homes. I'm not a hater, definitely not, I have a dog at home who I would die for, but if we really get to the core of the idea... what is the point??

When did this whole phenomenon of "pets" start? Definitely an ecological process that has domesticated these animals to be as timid and sheltered as well... humans. Where would they be without the millions of loving homes scattered across the country, and around the world? Wouldn't they be in danger?!?! Well, my thought is probably not.

Sorry pet lovers, but I'm sure they'd be okay out in the wild. After all, they poop in the wild, they sleep on the floor and have no quarrels about the weather. Seems to me like it would be an easy transition. 

Networking over the years

Between MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and the zillion other social media websites, which I don't even know about, the world is becoming a smaller and smaller place. Having travelled and lived in countries scattered across the globe, it is comforting, but almost scary to think that just by remembering someone's name, with one click of the mouse, I can easily "find them on facebook". 

It is crazy to think how technology has evolved not only over decades but even in my short 20 year life span. From sending letters to long distant phone calls to e-mails to "facebook stalking", re-connecting with people continues to become easier. But what if none of this was possible? In fact, what did businesses operate like prior to e-mail? Last week I was pondering whether I should call or e-mail a lady in HR at the agency I interned at this summer. Imagine if you met someone and they said "sorry, I don't have an e-mail"-- we would look at them as if they were crazy! 

This brings me to the idea of networking. How was it conducted prior to internet technology? Without convenient websites and laminated business cards with various e-mail addresses, it seems as though nothing could happen. This is probably just the Generation Y in me talking, and I'm sure 20 years from, my children will be wondering the same thing.

How to prevent brain drain

New York! Chicago! LA! Miami! Lights! Glamor! Fashion! Opportunity! Sure, all these words represent some of the nation's 'finest' cities, but here's my question: is it always good to promote these cities in small towns? Isn't this fastest and easiest way to cause 'brain drain'. I know, certainly on an international basis, this has proven to be the case. We look at the Asian powers of China and India and the wave of immigrants that fled west in order to seize more opportunities and make a better life for themselves and their families. 

However, what is important to note is that after realizing these dreams can also be acquired in their home land, these innovators are staying back, helping China and India boom at exponential rates, making the United States fear them more and more. 

So why not have this on a local basis? Why shouldn't we, as a society, promote the development of towns rather than flee to what may appeal to the Creative Class? Why not make our "brain drain" towns into those that after years of development, will be seen as the "place to be". This may sound strange as someone who has lived in London, New York and Chicago, but without decades, even centuries of development, these cities too may have become just a regular old town in fear of becoming "dead". 

Evolution of tattoos

After the horrific incidents of the Holocaust in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the world is certainly a new place. There is far more sensitivity towards religion, ethnicity and creed, and I believe it was after this tragedy (along with perhaps the years of slavery) that in middle schools across the country we hear the mantra "we learn history so that we do not repeat it". 

However, something which I have always wondered is the concept of tattoos. While artists argue that these are freedom of personal expression, and while my best friend has 15 various tattoos spread across his body, does nobody remember the significance of Jewish Holocaust tattoos? As far as I know, these were NOT self expression and certainly not insignias which these people wanted engraved on their bodies. However, decades later, we parade ourselves with symbols across our bodies. Again, I am not completely against tattoos, however, my personal link is always the Holocaust, and I wish to honor the millions of victims by not instilling something on myself which reminds them of nightmares from the past. 

Race, an interesting phenomenon

For my literature class we have been reading a rather depressing, but extremely interesting book. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. While reading this book, and even before, my roommates and I had an interesting and 'deep' talk one night. It was about race, but in particular, skin color. Why do we have skin colors? Scientists will go off on me and explain this in terms of biology or evolution, but really, I want to know WHY?

I agree that with different skin colors this makes us a more unique species, and we can certainly argue that this is a key element of diversity, but sometimes I wonder what the world would be like if we were all... blue?? Or green? You get the idea. Bottom line, what would a society be like where we all have the same exterior features? Same skin color, same hair, same eyes, even the same height? What if the only distinguishing factor was males and females, just so that we could procreate? When people say race doesn't matter, I think this is sadly a rather utopian idea, because if we picture life the way I just described, I'm sure things would be very different, meaning, that, well... unfortunately, race/skin color/exterior features really do matter (at least on a societal level). 

Celebrity status

We shave our heads, we spend ridiculous amounts of money, we basically sell our souls. This is essentially what we, as a society, tend to do over the rich and famous. I have been completely guilty of this as well, but why? At the end of the day, they're just regular people who happen to be better known than you and I. Just like my sociology professor said to me last year when I told him one of the best days of my life was meeting my favorite soccer player on my 13th birthday, "calm down now... he's just as human as you are". It seems silly, but before then, I NEVER thought of 'celebs' from that perspective: human. I looked deep into the mirror and thought, wow. Am I that shallow that meeting a regular person who breathes, eats and sleeps just like me, is that exciting? I certainly hope not... 

Roller coasters

Even looking at this image scares me a little bit. Perhaps it is my insane phobia of heights, or perhaps it is the fact that it looks like you are about to go over 50 mph down to the end of your life... I'm guessing it's a combination of both. We all know people who go on roller coasters and say something like "oh of course I was scared, but that's what makes it so fun!!!" My response to that is "what?!??!?!" Scared? Fun? In the same sentence? Having been tricked on to the tallest roller coaster at the Six Flags in Chicago, I can assure you that despite me almost having peed my pants, "fun" never entered the equation. I'm all for "living life on the edge", and that doing things out of your comfort zone definitely make a stronger character, but why do something that makes you literally scream as though you were about to die? Not my cup of tea...

If we could pick our dreams...

This morning, just like any other morning after eating a lot of cottage cheese (I don't know why, but it's true... after indulging in my late night cottage cheese, I always have the most vivid dreams), I woke up thinking "wow, that was a crazy dream!". Wouldn't it be cool if we were able to PICK our own dreams.

I don't mean we would write the entire script (because that in itself would take more time than the required 8 hours of sleep), but essentially pick a category, a place, characters (fictional or real) and then off we go!

This would have so many positive benefits:

- Kids would WANT to go to sleep, knowing that an entire adventure awaits them

- There would be no frustration in trying to remember a dream (I know for me, this happens many times)

- Most importantly, our society would be more productive and cheerful because people would wake up with positive attitudes and refreshed from a world of their own

What a cute kid

Aww... look at that blond hair, face paint, over sized jersey, but wait... is that the MIDDLE finger? It can't be! 

For most European soccer fans, this picture is a familiar sight, but no matter how many times I see this, I find it funny to think what this devilish little soccer fan could possibly be saying.

Here are some possibilities:

"Screw you ref!!"

"Hey I need to go to the bathroom so quiet down!"

"Ok Dad, now that I flicked the other team off can I please get my soda?"

"It's my turn to play with the ball asshole!" 

These are just a few of the many inferences you can make out of such an odd, but in my opinion, rather amusing picture. What do you think? 

Gamer reality show

If people could see the way my roommate and some of his friends talk about "gaming", it would be one of the most entertaining reality shows out there. After a long day at work, school, the gym, or anything else which makes you tired, there would be no better way to relax than watching D$ (my affectionate nickname for my roommate) and his friends either discuss or play video games.

As a complete "non-gamer", I find it amusing myself, and it definitely cheers me up if I'm in a sullen mood. If only I could pitch this to MTV or VH1 or some other network craving a crappy, low-budget show just to fill up their slots, this would be perfect.

Talent or Work ethic?

This weekend I witnessed some classic soccer games. They had everything: a local rivalry, a pre-match war of words from the managers, beautiful goals, but most importantly, a lot of talent and work ethic on display... which prevails?

From the time we are kids, coaches, parents and mentors tell us it is the work ethic that counts and that talent can only take us so far. But I want to challenge proponents of this argument, and have them explain to me that when Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney or Didier Drogba (arguably some of the world's best soccer players) dazzle millions of spectators, talent takes a back seat to their work ethic. 

There are hundreds of players that work hard and give 110% every time they perform, but still fall short to the cutting edge some other players possess. I am definitely no expert, and have varied opinions, but one thing is for sure: the way Didier Drogba runs past defenders or the way Cristiano Ronaldo takes free kicks, is something very magical. 

Like mother, like son

Mom on the left, sister on the right (I guess there's no pictures of us together!)

It's my third year in college (scary!) and after being away from home for  a few years, my level of independence has certainly increased each year. But the craziest part of it all is thinking how much I've become like my parents, especially my mom. Obviously I'm biased, because I don't think I can ever love anyone in this world as much as I love my mom, but I really do consider her "Super Woman". She works out for two hours a day, she is an extremely talented interior designer, great wife, amazing mom and I know for a fact that her friends see her as someone they can come to at any time. Overall, my mom is unbelievable.. definitely not how I would regard myself! But there are certain qualities of hers that have rubbed off on me that make me step back and say "wow, did I seriously just do that?" All I can say is that if I'm on the track of being a person like my mom, life will be good.

If I had any superpower it would be...

When interviewing candidates for my Business Fraternity, this was one of the questions on our grand list.  As we threw this at confused and nervous potential members, I started thinking of my own answer. If I had any superpower, it would be the ability to prevent evil from occurring. I know this sounds so lame, and it probably is, considering the extravagant answers most would give, and though evil is a subjective view, I wish I had the power to gage on this on a global basis. You could say this is an extremely naive ask, and I certainly agree that it is, but if I could have any superpower, this is what it would be, plain and simple. 

Talwaria

Talwaria... I like the ring to it. If I could create my own country, this is the name I would give it.

What an awesome concept... starting your OWN nation. I realize I'm a little bit of a political/sociological geek, but imagine creating a state with everything derived all from you: type of government, religion, social norms, currency, infrastructural patterns, natural resources, and the list continues (not to mention where you would place your country geographically)

If I were a middle or high school Government teacher, this would be my first assignment for my students. So many people complain about negative aspects in the United States, not realizing how lucky we truly are, so I want to challenge these people: create your own country. Develop rules that you think would be perfect, and then explain how this would lead to national harmony.

Obviously this is not an easy answer, and I'm sure dissertations could be written on this complex idea, but it is interesting to think about none the less...

Anyways, off to class, but this idea just popped in my head so I had to write it down!