Susan Cain: The power of introverts

          In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

          Our world prizes extroverts -- but Susan Cain makes a case for the quiet and contemplative. She gives the story of the time she went to camp and was asked to be "r-o-w-d-i-e". She explains how she couldn't bring herself to it. She was so accustomed to being a quiet person. Her family was accustomed to reading books and being "mellow" so she continues to live up to what she was taught.

Steve Jobs: How to live before you die

          At his Stanford University commencement speech, Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, urges us to pursue our dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks -- including death itself. He explains what some consider failure, actually turned out to benefit him. He gave a touching recount of his mother's story about him at birth. He gave examples that helped the audience understand where he was coming from and where he was going with each statement. I was able to become fully engaged because I could tell that he was speaking from the heart and not trying to be typical or cliche. His delivery was basic and dull but the words and meaning behind them made up for it.

Ten Tips to Save Time

          David Pogue shares 10 simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users. And while yes, I knew a few of them already there were a few I had never heard of. I think that both teens and older adults can use the video to learn things about technology. It helps show the benefits and advancements of the tech world. I argue that all the tips can make it a little easy for you to navigate using less time and energy. 

Tony Robbins: Why We Do What We Do.

    

Tony Robbins takes his time to explain why we as people do what we do. He first explains how people always say they do things they love, because emotions are the essential driving force of all decisions and actions. He goes on to explain that many people actually work in self interest.

Robbins goes on to explain the Art of Fulfillment, which simply put is just appreciation and contribution. Robbins view is that when you appreciate something someone does for you, you have no other choice but to contribute to another person. He gives his own example of how when he was younger someone gave him something during a holiday and as a result he now donates to families in need. I agree in the sense that everyone needs someone to help them in life and without knowing so that help you give will be the foundation of something great in a persons' life.

Raghava KK: My 5 lives as an artist

     "With endearing honesty and vulnerability, Raghava KK tells the colorful tale of how art has taken his life to new places, and how life experiences in turn have driven his multiple reincarnations as an artist -- from cartoonist to painter, media darling to social outcast, and son to father." Raghava explains not only his trials and tribulations as an artist, but also his triumphs. Raghava explains the importances of art in his life and informs his audience of the many different results his has gotten from his art. 

Raghava KK: Shake up your story

     "Artist Raghava KK demos his new children's book for iPad with a fun feature: when you shake it, the story -- and your perspective -- changes. In this charming short talk, he invites all of us to shake up our perspective a little bit." Raghava's idea for the book is one that many people should take. When you think about society and now books are written and how society talks they always speak as if all homes are the same. Raghava has an understanding of how the world is changing and he shows how books and artwork needs to change as well. 

Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter ...

"If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she's gonna call me Point B, so she'll know she can always come back to me." Sarah Kay's poem is touching and intriguing the entire time. She explains the power of poetry and the importance of a relationship with a mother and daughter. It was brilliantly wrote. 

10 Things I Know To Be True

1. Forgiveness Is Hard To Give
2. Love Does Conquer All
3. Fear Only Conquers If You Let It
4. If You Don't Believe In Yourself No One Else Can
5. You'll Never Be Perfect
6. No One Is Perfect
7. If You Have An Ounce Of Doubt, You'll Fail
8. Anyone Can Be Manipulated
9. There Is An Art To Bullshitting
10. Everyone Makes Mistakes

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

Changing Education Paradigms? That was the topic of discussion during this presentation. At first the only thing intriguing was the actually presentation. I couldn't follow what the presenter himself was trying to tell me until half way through the video. The writing and drawings were a creative way to present all the information and keep the audience intrigued. 

When I was finally able to catch on I began to understand the pictures and where he was going with the presentation. Sir Ken Robinson believes that the medications doctors are giving children is not helping but hindering the children of the world. He also believes that the way education is being provided is actually taking away from the creative and thinking of children. Robinson explains that in a study that was done it showed how children began less intelligent after numerous years in school because of being told there is only one correct answer to a question. Robinson believes the only way to change the system is to change education from being like an assembly line, and I agree.  

32 Questions

The Joy Luck Quiz

The Art of Bullshitting Part II

The Art of Bullshitting Presentation

TEDxTeen - Tavi Gevinson: Still Figuring it Out

     In Tavi's presentation she explains how she's still trying to figure it out. From my own point of view I assume she's still trying to figure out women and teenagers. She expresses that women are complex and not because they are women but because they are humans and humans are complex. She goes on to explain how she's a feminist and how society portray women in a certain light that they perceive to be good, when in actuality it is not.
     While Tavi's presentation had numerous points that had value, she had so many points that it began to cause confusion. During some parts, I was unaware of the topic, how'd she got on the topic, and where she was going with the topic. Not only was the speech uninteresting at points she didn't move or change her voice which also lead me to snooze-ville.

The Art of Bullshitting

          Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I would like to not only welcome you, but I would also like to thank each of you for coming to class today. Now that that’s out of the way, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jasmine Grayson; I am a teenage girl with the ability to manipulate people into believing what I want them to. Many of you wonder how that’s possible. It’s called the art of bullshitting.

The art of bullshitting is so simple that it tends to seem so complex to so many people. Many believe that the concept is easy and all that is required of you is to lie, however there is more to making people believe you. Bullshitting someone requires only three things of you: 1) understand what the person wants to hear, 2) tell them what they want to hear, and 3) some ability to act. Bullshitting is based upon one’s own perception, not so much as how good of an actress/actor you are.

Allow me to further explain the three mechanisms of bullshitting. To understand what a person wants to hear you have to analyze their statements as well as their actions. Sometimes both coincide with one another and other times they do not. In the case of a contradiction, always go off what is being done because words can be deterred while actions follow the heart.

The second tool to bullshitting someone is telling someone what he or she wants to hear. This step in relatively easy as long as you’re able to do #1 which is to be able to understand what it is they want to hear. Once they believe that you actually agree with them their mind is open for manipulation. Another trick to making one think they have heard what they wanted to hear is talking in so many circles that they get confused into questioning themselves, thus creating manipulation of the mind.

The final and somewhat crucial role to bullshitting is how well you can deliver. Many people can grasp the concept of the other two tools but lack the ability to act. If you are able to look sincere, honest, in love, etc. you can make a person believe anything you are saying.

But before I close I would like to recap and explain the three mechanisms of bullshitting: 1) understand what the person wants to hear, 2) tell them what they want to hear, and 3) some ability to act. With those three tools you can make people do and believe almost anything you say unless they are better at bullshitting than you.

For those of you in the audience who believe that you are good at bullshitting people there are numerous jobs that require your services. The most common include doctors, lawyers, and politicians. If you believe that you are among some of the best I beg of you to get a college degree and do what you do best. Thank you for listening goodbye.

TED Talk Ideas

1. Teen Living With Depression
2. Teen Living With Bi-Polar
3. The Art of Tattoos
4. Best Buddies
5. Teen Love
6. Positivity
7. Dreams
8. Hope
9. 18 & Published
10. Working Full-Time
11. Finding Yourself
12. Controlling Your Dreams
13. Dedication
14. The Success of Defeat
15. Take The Curved Path
16. The Downside To Being Honest
17. How To Go Unnoticed
18. Hot To Get People To Do What You Want
19. How To Color Inside The Lines
20. How To Apply Make-up

The Fringe Benefits of FAILURE!

     “Now, I am not going to stand here and tell you that failure is fun. That period of my life was a dark one, and I had no idea that there was going to be what the press has since represented as a kind of fairy tale resolution.” J.K. Rowling’s speech on the benefits of failure was nothing less than insightful. She spoke of how she herself had a fear of failure like some many do today, but eventually found that her failures were what brought her to not only the place she’s in today but into the person she is.

     A famous quote by Winston Churchill states, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” The underlying theme from the quote and Rowling’s speak is that no one should fear failure because failure is what makes one become determined. The benefits of failure will outweigh the benefits of continuous success, because with continuous success, one will never know what it means to have to work harder and they will never strive to be better.  

Does Racism Still Exist?

            Throughout history it has been argued and stated that African Americans were inferior to whites, causing whites to denigrate African Americans. During slavery African Americans were the property of whites and had no rights and when slavery ended those rights were still revoked. Years after slavery African Americans began to earn their rights to do ordinary things such as voting, going to school, and marriage. In time the treatment of African Americans began to change, but the mindset about African Americans hasn’t, proving that racism still exist today in America.

 An unanswered question still racking the minds of so many people in America today is whether or not racism still exists. While racism has a broader covering, today we’ll focus on racism towards African Americans. Society's belief is since African Americans and whites befriend each other, get married, go to schools and churches together that racism has ended; it’s quite the contrary actually. People such as Derrick Bell believed, “Equality for blacks will be found just around the corner (Greenhouse).” The corner that Bell spoke of apparently was a great distance because that article was written in 1992. 

In the previous months displays of racism have been plastered on social media websites. The most memorable act was the picture that had been circulated around of a life-sized doll of President Obama hanging from a noose (Borlik). There is no doubt about the message being sent here and this is a clear example of racism. The noose was originally used to lynch blacks during a time when racism was undeniable.  This was a clear and deliberate act of racism. As a result of the hanging doll African Americans took a stand and boycotted Shell gas stations. 

Another act was on a college campus, Oberlin College; classes were suspended after students were sighted in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan-type hooded robes. The irony of the situation is that Oberlin was one of the first universities to admit African Americans (Sheeran). It could be argues that it was a joke or a mere coincidence, but all African American people as a whole would not find it amusing. They would think of it as an attack and a threat to their well-being. No one could argue that these two acts were just mere coincidences. They were thought out attempts to put fear back in African Americans like there had been at one point in history. 

Although we’ve entered a time where interracial couples are seen in public and are happy, spectators frown upon their relationship. Mrs. Tamera Mowry-Housley is an actress, who recently was brought under scrutiny due to her decision to marry a white man. Many of her “fans” took to Internet blogs to bash her about her decision. It is the thought of so many that beings should not cross out of their race zones, this however isn't just a thought of whites but some African Americans feel this way too.
          Many argue how whites are racist towards African Americans but no one takes the time to reflect on how African Americans themselves can be racist to not only whites but people of their own race. African Americans also frown upon interracial relationships. Discussions are held in African American community about the loyalty women and men need to have to their own race. African American families have been known to disown "mix-breeds", a person half black and half white, because of their connection to the white world.
          African Americans out of anger or maybe even out of fear avoid whites and speak of them in derogatory ways. Just as stereotypes about African Americans are made by whites, African Americans make stereotypes about whites. African Americans repeat history everyday by violating or assaulting a white person, just as whites did over a century ago to their ancestors. There is a constant drive to want to play the victim so African Americans scream racism when they'll benefit. Even though racism still exist, it shouldn't constantly bring African Americans down it should be used as a motivational tool.
           

Work Cited

Greenhouse, Linda. "The End of Racism, and Other Fables." New York Times 20 Sept. 1992. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

"Hanging Obama doll angers North Carolina, Hampton Roads residents." Writ. Joe Borlik. My Fox 8. WGHP, 4 Nov. 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

Sheeran, Thomas J. "Racial Episodes Shake Ohio's Oberlin College." Associated Press 5 Mar. 2013 [Oberlin, OH] . Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

Top Three Innovations & The Lowest Three Innovations

The latest bizarre techs have released some ideas for new innovations. The innovations vary in their targeted audiences. Based on the trends and necessities of today’s world, the innovations were ranked by the top three and the lowest three. The top three are devices that people believe will thrive and be very useful; the lowest three are devices that people feel should be reexamined.

The number one pick: A photovoltaic allows someone to charge their phone in the sun or even indoors via ambient light. Many would agree that this would be one of the greater inventions because of the world’s dependency on technology. A photovoltaic allows people to charge their phone without the hassle of remembering to bring your charger.

The Olloclip is the iPhone photographer's dream gadget. The device is a quick-connect lens for the iPhone and iPod touch that includes fisheye, wide-angle and macro lenses in one. The thought process behind this innovation was impeccable. Many photographs do not always wish to lug around all their equipment but with this handy little lens, they’ll have a professional camera in seconds. Many people would argue that it only being available for the iPhone is not good for business, but in fact, there is a large number of people who have iPhones which still merit great sells.    

The water-resistant Ascend D2 smartphone is self-explanatory. There are numerous times people drop their phone in a substance and have to buy a new device. The device would sell high with different audiences making it a great sell. The device could sell well with people who enjoy being underwater and like to take pictures or people who are prone to dropping their phone in water.

After looking at the list, the remainders were believed to be the bottom three of the innovations. Fujitsu's Generation walking stick would be the top of the bottom three simply because it targets only the older audience. The problem with targeting the older audience is that they are not tech-savvy so they won’t like using the device. The stick also tracks and monitors where the person is which could cause the buyer to feel an invasion of privacy, which may cause them to shy away from buying it.

YotaPhone features both a color touch screen and a screen using low-power monochome e-ink. While the phone does allow for its owner to use to different screens, it isn’t necessary. Having two screens when you can only view one screen at a time is an unnecessary amenity. A user will pay an excessive amount of money for two screens, when they’ll only be able to use one screen. An improvement might be if the phone had two screens that were able to be used simultaneously by two different people.

The lowest ranking innovation of all twenty-two had to be Spheron's robotic balls. While the robotic balls can be controlled by Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices they don’t serve a primary purpose. They weren’t invented for a direct purpose which will have some effect on their ability to sell.

               

The Worst Parts About Being A Teenager

Throughout any teenagers’ life they will have highs and lows that will determine whether or not they feel they have the worst life possible or the best life possible.  An online discussion began last week where many high school teens discussed the best, worst, and most interesting parts of being a teenager. With the help of these individuals an arguments has been created about the worst parts of being a teenager.

According to Matthew Scott, 18-year-old man, “The worst part about being a teenager is being treated like a child, when you have already grown up.” Matt has an excellent point, teenagers grow into adulthood yet, their parents are afraid to let them go, treating them as a child. When parents refuse to let their child go they are forcing their child to be dependent on them for the remainder of their life, something they will regret tremendously.

An example of teenagers being treated like a child is when parents have their child call and check-in with them every time they decide to go somewhere. Some parents’ arguments are that they are protecting their child and making sure they are safe. While parents believe that this is healthy for their teen, it builds resentment because they will feel as if they are being smothered and treated as a child.

Brian Scheff, a junior in high schools, argues, “The worst part about being a teenager is not knowing what you want in the future yet having to plan for it.” Brian’s argument is one that so many youth today have to deal with. Growing up a child will change what they want to be in life a multitude of times before they even graduate high school. Even with entering college and picking a major, an adult won’t be certain of what it is they want out of life, so why should a teen have to choose?

People like Jasmine Grayson, a high school senior, have admitted how planning for the future is a hard task when you do not know exactly what you want in life. Jasmine originally wanted to be a veterinarian, then a cardiologist, then a cardio-vascular thoracic surgeon, then a physical trainer, then an occupational therapist, and then a Naval Officer. Planning for a future is more complicated than people imagine because of some many things in the environment that can affect a teen’s decision on what they want out of life.

In Erinn Fong’s, a Whitney Young High School Senior, opinion “The worst part of being a teenager is knowing that it doesn’t last forever.” While teens hanker for the chance to be an adult, internally they love the opportunity to live rent-free without any major cares in the world. In the early years of being a teen, the thought of growing up doesn’t tend to cross the youth’s mind but as the final years before adulthood strikes youth tend to either dive in head first or streak away in fear. Either path the youth chooses they still understand that their youth is now gone.

Teens don’t look at aging as getting closer to not being a teen, they look at the growing number as a journey to being able to do more things. The connection is never made that once you become able to do all the things you wanted, you are no longer a teen. Teens miss out on so many chances because they are striving and longing for the chance to be a certain number.

Theresa Manney, a former teenager, now looks back over her teen years and realizes had she known then that it was only temporary she would have done better as a teen. No one realizes how important their teen years are until they are gone and that is one of the reason that many people look back over those years with the thoughts that they could have done so many things differently.

In the words of Taylor Embry, a teenager close to adulthood, “the worst part about being a teenager is being surrounded by other teenagers that know just as little about life as you do.” The problem with being surrounded by people who know just as little as the next person is that one will actually believe they are smarter than the other. While there are people who are quite knowledgeable about certain things, no one person is an expert on life itself. When one begins to think they understand life completely and hand out advice, a curve ball is thrown and the foundation of their belief is cracked and falls through.

According to Jay Rehak, a former teenager, “the worst part about being a teenager was the mood swings I felt.” Having mood swings in high school doesn’t imply that the teen is depressed or mentally unstable it’s merely inevitable for teens. Teens believe that every adult is against them pushing him or her into a rant. Teens do not learn how to look for the good in situations, so when good news comes but only with the accompaniment of bad news, the teen focuses on the bad causing a mood swing.

Some parents and some adults do not believe that teens have anything to worry about because of their age; teens everywhere beg to differ. Teens tend to shy away from conversation that involve them having to discuss their beliefs on life out of fear of rejection or belittlement. Being treated like a child, being unsure of your future, realizing being a teen doesn’t last forever, being surrounded by people who know so little about life, mood swings, rejection and fear of belittlement are all some of the worst parts about being a teenager. The purpose of this writing is to help adults peek into the brain of teens and see what they believe are the worst parts about being a teenager.