Scarcity & Shortage unlimited demands, limited supply/ temporary demand greater than supply
Factors of production anything that goes into the production of g&s Land natural resources/raw materials Labor workers/effort Physical+Human capital anything man made used to produce something else/knowledge and kills workers brig or gain through education, training, experience Entrepreneurship willingness to take risk, most important attribute
3 Economic Qs what should be produced? How it should be produced? For whom?
Opportunity Cost/Benefit what you give up, next best alternative
Thinking at Margin making decisions based adding/subtrc ONE unit
Marginal Cost/Benefit cost of producing one more unit of a good
Technology change in this brings economic growth
Underutilization not using resources to full potential
Efficiency maximize resources
Production Possibilities Curve/Frontier/Graph alternate way to use economy resources, trade-off/line
Shifting Curves left/right right=growth, left=decline
Guns v Butter produce military or consumer goods
Traditional Economy relies on habit, custom (agriculture)
Command or Centrally Planned when government controls economy
Adam Smith “Wealth of Nations” economist, came up with idea of free market
Profit Motive people take risks for profit
Specialization choose one thing to do well on
Competition rivalry among sellers to attract customers
Invisible Hand theory gov doesnt have to tell business to fix themselves (problem will correct itself)
Laissez Faire gov should not intervene in market place
Standard of Living level of economic prosperity
Externalities negative result of business (pollution)
Market or Free Economy decisions based on voluntary exchange in market, by people
Wage v. Salary hourly/contract (usually by year)
Circular Flow of Business Firms- Gov – House (how money travels)
Mixed Economies communism, capitalism, democratic
Transitional Economies working away from centrally planned toward free market
Socialism v Communism mixed economy, elected gov create greater equality/strive for economic & political equality
Law of Demand price ^ demand v; price v demand ^
Substitute goods/effect alternative goods (new car v used car), good elastic if there are substitutes
Complementary goods/effect used at the same time, if 1 good ^ in price complement suffers
Market + Individual curves/schedule market represents all producers, ind is one household
Normal v Inferior Goods good consumers demand more of when income increases; good consumers demand less of when income increases
Elastic, Inelastic, Unitary very sensitive to change in price, demand doesn’t change no matter price, demand change is equal in price change (1)
Equilibrium/Market Price pt quantity demanded and quantity supplied is equal/price of g+s at which this occurs
Luxury v Necessity what is comfortable/elastic (nice car, designer clothes) and what is needed/inelastic (milk)
Law of Supply suppliers offer more of a good at a higher price
Elasticity of Supply measure of way quantity supplied reacts to change in price
Supply Shock sudden shortage of a good
Business cycle period of macroeconomic expansion followed by period of contraction
Expansion, peak, contraction, trough economic growth/highest pt/economic decline/lowest point
Recession prolonged economic contraction (3 months)
Depression long and severe recession
Great Crash stock market collapse 1912
Private v Public Sector portion of economy controlled by household/firms, portion controlled by gov
Social Security FDR 1935, retirement fund
Medicare med insurance for elderly and disabled
Medicaid med insurance for poor
Rationing system allocating scarce goods and services using criteria other than price (WWII)
Safety Net gov way of taking care of its citizens
Fringe Benefit payment not in form of $$ (health care, company benefits, etc)
Eminent Domain gov seizes person’s property for public use (build roads, etc), it must fairly compensate that person
Privatization gov sells its assets/factors production, command to free market
Nationalization when gov takes/seizes property, free market to command
Deregulation removal of gov restrictions on business
Public Goods good supplied by gov, paid through taxes
Economies of Scale factors that cause producers average cost per unit to fall as output rises
Diminishing Marginal Return level of production in which marginal product of labor decreases as number of workers increases
Disequilibrium describes any price or quantity not at equilibrium
Price Ceiling max price that can be legally charged for good or service
Price Floor minimum price for a good or service
Minimum Wage lowest pay per hour allowed in state, ex of price floor
Rent Control price ceiling on rent
Black Market market in which goods are sold illegally
Sole Proprietorships business owned + managed by single individual
Partnerships business or organization owned by 2 or more persons who agree on specific division of responsibilities and profits
Corporations legal entity owned by individual stockholders
Closely held v Public Corporations issues stock to only few people, family/sells stocks on open market
Non-profit organizations doesn’t operate with purpose of generating profit
Perfect or pure Competition market structure which a large number of firms produce same product
Fixed & Variable costs cost doesn’t change, no matter how much of good produced (rent, salaries, taxes); cost rises or falls depending on how much is produced (raw materials, wages, electricity)
Total Revenue total amount of money firm receives by selling g&s
Profit financial gain
Monopolistic competition many companies sell products that are similar but not identical
Monopoly market dominated by a single seller (prescription drugs)
Price Discrimination division of customers into groups based on how much they will pay for a good
Natural monopolies market runs more efficiently when one large firm supplies output (public water)
Oligopoly market structure in which few large firms dominate the market (four)
Sheran antitrust Act outlaws mergers and monopolies that limit trade between states, 1890
Celler-Kefauver Act allows gov to stop mergers that could hurt competition
Merger combination of 2 or more companies
Horizontal Merger combination of 2 or more firms competing in same market w same g+s
Vertical Merger combination of 2 or more firms in different stages of producing same g+s
Conglomerate business combination merging more than 3 businesses that make unrelated products
Patent license that gives inventor exclusive rights to sell it for a period of time
Copyright grants author exclusive rights to publish/sell their work
Trademark brand
Franchise right to sell a good or service within an exclusive market
Royalties share of earnings given as payment
Labor Force nonmilitary people who are employed/unemployed
Wage discrimination people get paid less due to gender/age/ethnicity etc
Glass ceiling invisible barrier that prevents women/minorities from advancing in business world
Blue collar/white collar industrial job, wage/professional job, salary
Labor unions better working conditions, better hours, better pay
Collective bargaining right of labor union to represent all workers in a given firm when negotiating with employer over issues
Arbitration meet, court ordered or both sides consent, final decision legally enforceable
Mediation meet, neutral 3rd party, recommendations not binding
Strike organized work stoppage, force employer to address union demands
Injunction formal command
Lockout company close for period of time to break union, the longer close the harder on workers, workers return for lower wages, union usually abandoned
Black list list of troublemakers between companies (kept “problem” workers from getting hired)
Temporary /Contingent employment part-time/temporary job (usually white collar)
Unskilled, semiskilled, skilled, professional no special training/skill, lot supply short demand, low wage (cashiers)/some training, lot supply moderate demand, moderate wage (truck driver)/special training, less supply more demand, good pay (electrician)/advanced train/skill, low supply high demand, very good pay (doctor)
Barter system exchange g+s of equal value, old system, not convenient
6 characteristics of money durable (withstand wear and tear) portable (easy to carry) divisibility (can you make change) uniformity (must look same, recognizable) limited supply (the more exists, value goes down) acceptability (someone takes it)
Commodity money $$ that has value (ex. Cocoa beans, tobacco in Georgia )
Representative money piece of paper that stands for something else
Fiat money money that isn’t backed by gov says it has value
Inflation decrease in value of $$
Deflation increase in value of $$
Banks institution for receiving, keeping, and lending money
Liquidity ability to be converted to cash
Federal Reserve System first central bank, bank for banks
Reserve Requirements % banks must hold on to
Monetary Policy 1.raise or lower interest rate 2.increase/decrease $ supply 3.increase/decrease reserve requirement
M1 and M2 m1 money easily accessible, liquidity; m2 near money
Simple interest principal x rate as dec x # years
Compound interest principal x 1.int rate ^ # years
Effect of compounding more you compound, more money you make
Diversification when you invest in different areas
Blue chip stocks well established companies, pay dividends, gradual growth, safe
Income stocks pays regular dividend
Growth stock sell to make profit
Preferred stock stated dividend
Common stock gives holder right to vote
Portfolio collection of assets
Prospectus how a bond or stock has done in the past 5 years
Capital gain or loss total financial gain/loss
Stock split stock gets expensive, so it gets split
Bull or bear market steady rise in stock market/steady drop in stock markt
Moody’s/S&P Aaa-high, D-low / AAA, safe BB-, bankrupt C, default D
Dividend profits paid out to stockholders
Risk & Liquidity affect on return bonds safe= low interest; risky= high interest; more liquid, lower interest rate, less liquid=higher interest
Savings bonds low denomination bonds issued by the US government, and have no risk of default. The money from these bonds is used for public works projects.
Municipal bond bonds issued by a state or local government to finance improvements such as highways, schools, parks, etc
T Bill/T Note/T Bond less than 1 yr/2yrs-10yrs/10-30 yrs
Junk bond low rated and potentially higher-paying bonds. There is a higher risk involving buying these bonds (it is probable they will default), but the rewards are much greater
Durable /Non durable goods last for long time (cars, fridge)/ don’t last long
Depreciation decline in value of an asset over time
Excise Tax tax on production or sale of a good
GDP gross domestic product, total value of g&s produces in one year c+i+g+(x-m)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Pet Peeves....
Now, while I constantly keep saying that this blog is just another way to talk to myself, I do have hopes that maybe someday, some person other than myself will read this. Not for the attention, mind you, but for the simple fact that if people were more aware of what was so annoying about them, the world may be a better place.
Maybe.
Anyway, I hate...
1) When people have greasy hair and oily skin. Or when they have a bunch of gross acne. No, it is not something you can't help you unhygienic idiot, all it takes is washing your face every night and morning and perhaps taking a shower every now and then. And please... please put on some deodorant.
2) When people try to tell you what you should have done in a situation, or how stupid you were by making a certain decision. Hello, I KNOW I screwed up. I don't need you telling me that again. Also, there is a big difference between mentioning ways I could avoid unpleasant situations again and telling me that I SHOULD have taken a right instead of a left.
3) People that end an argument by saying they agree with you, but implying they think you're the biggest freaking idiot on the planet
4) Angry and demanding costumers that treat employees like shit because their fucking McDonald's Happy Meal came with honey mustard instead of barbecue sauce. Those people deserve to have the stuffing beaten out of them. You are not the most important person in the world, and your need to have barbecue sauce so you can stuff your fat face with greasy food is not more important than exhibiting some manners or being considerate of other people.
5) People who don't have manners. Oh my god is it SO HARD to say "please" and "thank you"? Or, you know, not chew with your mouth open when you're talking to me? Hold the door open for the people behind you for a change, and LEARN to at least say excuse me whenever you have to pass a person (in close proximity)/invade their personal space to reach for something/accidentally bump into them.
6) When people ask for a favor and then get angry at you if you don't do it "right" (translation: the way they want it done). Fucking do it yourself then, you ungrateful bitch.
7) Those who don't know the difference between "they're" "their" and "there" or "you're" "your" or "effect" and "affect" or "where" "were" and "we're" or "here" and "hear". Oh. My. God. Go read a fucking book and STOP watching Flavor of Love reruns. Or at least learn to write a freakin sentence.
8) When I am obviously having trouble with something, and people suggest the most obvious fucking answer. "This document isn't printing!" "Did you go to file then print?" OF COURSE I DID YOU MORON. This is even worse when, should I choose to grace them with an answer, they come back with a "Are you sure?" I will punch you in the face.
16) Lastly, I hate whiny people who complain every two seconds. If you don't like how long this line is, either suck it up or come back some other time. Don't loudly exclaim how this is taking such a long time and cause a scene. I may be a bit of a coward, but I WILL pay a $100 if I see a person punch one of these whiny bastards.
I'll probably think of more later, but that's it for now.
Maybe.
Anyway, I hate...
1) When people have greasy hair and oily skin. Or when they have a bunch of gross acne. No, it is not something you can't help you unhygienic idiot, all it takes is washing your face every night and morning and perhaps taking a shower every now and then. And please... please put on some deodorant.
2) When people try to tell you what you should have done in a situation, or how stupid you were by making a certain decision. Hello, I KNOW I screwed up. I don't need you telling me that again. Also, there is a big difference between mentioning ways I could avoid unpleasant situations again and telling me that I SHOULD have taken a right instead of a left.
3) People that end an argument by saying they agree with you, but implying they think you're the biggest freaking idiot on the planet
4) Angry and demanding costumers that treat employees like shit because their fucking McDonald's Happy Meal came with honey mustard instead of barbecue sauce. Those people deserve to have the stuffing beaten out of them. You are not the most important person in the world, and your need to have barbecue sauce so you can stuff your fat face with greasy food is not more important than exhibiting some manners or being considerate of other people.
5) People who don't have manners. Oh my god is it SO HARD to say "please" and "thank you"? Or, you know, not chew with your mouth open when you're talking to me? Hold the door open for the people behind you for a change, and LEARN to at least say excuse me whenever you have to pass a person (in close proximity)/invade their personal space to reach for something/accidentally bump into them.
6) When people ask for a favor and then get angry at you if you don't do it "right" (translation: the way they want it done). Fucking do it yourself then, you ungrateful bitch.
7) Those who don't know the difference between "they're" "their" and "there" or "you're" "your" or "effect" and "affect" or "where" "were" and "we're" or "here" and "hear". Oh. My. God. Go read a fucking book and STOP watching Flavor of Love reruns. Or at least learn to write a freakin sentence.
8) When I am obviously having trouble with something, and people suggest the most obvious fucking answer. "This document isn't printing!" "Did you go to file then print?" OF COURSE I DID YOU MORON. This is even worse when, should I choose to grace them with an answer, they come back with a "Are you sure?" I will punch you in the face.
9) People who don't get sarcasm.
10) While on that note, people who don't have even the slightest sense of humor. No, I do not care if you are naturally serious. At least take a joke with a smile and don't fucking ruin everyone else's day by flipping out. I understand the people who get angry when someone plays a particularly nasty practical joke on them, but if you get mad because I made fun of the fact you just put your sweater on inside out, you have issues.
11) People that tell you you are being ridiculous for wanting something, or that a dream of goal of yours is unachievable. "It's going to take a lot of hard work to get into Harvard" is acceptable, "You'll never get in, it's IMPOSSIBLE!" is not. Fuck you.
12) Fat people who complain about being overweight and/or make up excuses as to why they are fat. "I don't have enough time to exercise" or "It's a disease"... give me a freakin' break. You know damn well you spend your afternoons stuffing your face with Doritos watching Wheel of Fortune and the Real World. Be fat for all I care, but don't try to fish a compliment out of me or expect me to feel sorry for you. I don't you lazy bastard
13) Those who ride your ass when you're going the speed limit. God forbid I slow down in a curvy and bumpy road because I don't want to risk my life! On that note, I hate impatient drivers in general. If you are in a rush, it's your fucking fault for leaving late in the first place. And if you are naturally that impatient and just can't STAND the thought of fully stopping at a Stop sign, then get off the fucking road and stop forcing the rest of us to pay higher taxes when you finally get into an accident. As much as I hate the DMV, they let people get off wayyy too easily. It's one thing to put your life in danger by driving like a maniac, but other people are at risk as well. Think of your family, at the very least.
14) When ignorant people try to give their opinion on a subject they know nothing about. I lose all respect for you if you say "Politics are stupid" and when asked why, you answer with a "I don't know, I just don't like them". It amazes me how such dumb fucks are allowed to plague the world. I may hate you for insulting the Yankees, but if you are able to present an argument, then I will respect you for it. "Yankees suck"just makes you sound like every other Beantown drunk moron. (I do actually like Boston though)
16) Lastly, I hate whiny people who complain every two seconds. If you don't like how long this line is, either suck it up or come back some other time. Don't loudly exclaim how this is taking such a long time and cause a scene. I may be a bit of a coward, but I WILL pay a $100 if I see a person punch one of these whiny bastards.
I'll probably think of more later, but that's it for now.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Attention is like a DRUG... one that makes people act like whiny, intolerable brats
So I am kind of addicted to chat programs. No, not the type where you go into chat rooms and meet creepy 30 year old guys looking for a "good time", but things like AIM and MSN Messenger. I'm actually kind of a hypocrite, because I think its ridiculous how much more easily people converse online instead of face to face... but that's another rant for another day. Today, I am going to complain about those whiny people who always want the attention to be on THEM.
My friends and I often make chat rooms and spend the day talking to each other that way. We cover topics from the Englis test that's coming up to what we plan to do during the weekend. If we're bored, we start getting random or send each other link of funny pictures and pass lazy Saturday afternoons that way. Now, it's not like we never go out. In fact, my group of friends is one of the most active ones I know... but anyway. Sometimes, people are invited into the chatroom that I don't really know that well or don't talk to that much, but for some reason or another they get dragged into the conversation.
Today, a girl that I've never had any problems graced us with her presence. I'm actually friendly with her, and while I am nice and conversational whenever we see each other in school, I wouldn't really want her as a close and personal friend. For one, she thinks her opinion is always the right one. She gets offended really easily, and, well... she's a bit weird sometimes. These are traits that aren't really in your face, so they're relatively easy to ignore, especially when she's being funny. So, I do like her. However... there is one thing I cannot STAND and that is her constant need for attention.
I seriously felt like driving over to her house and breaking her neck.
It all started with a "I'm not really in a good mood today". While that is sort of asking for attention, it's passable. Normal, even, especially when around friends. We all asked her what was up and she told us how she got into a fight with her boyfriend blah blah blah, I lost interest rather quickly. But it didn't end there. Throughout the whole day, she kept making random comments here and there how she just wasn't in a good MOOD and how she didn't FEEL good and please excuse her snappiness because she was going through a hard time. Just earlier when we were discussing proper nutrition (what did you think, that I hang out with a bunch of airheads who can only talk about how hot Nick Jonas is and the color they want to paint their nails?), he literally FLIPPED when we all sort of agreed she didn't have the best habits. Then she proceeded to SIGH and say she's having a tough time. Whenever we so much as threatened to FORGET about her (god forbid) she would add in the occasional "I just sent him a text telling him I don't like the music he listens to... heh"
THAT WILL SHOW HIM!
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people nowadays? Is everyone so freakin' full of themselves that they believe every little detail of their lives is interesting enough for other people to hear about? Can anyone ever STAND the thought of someone having different opinions than them, or take every comment made against them as a personal attack on their character? It fucking ridiculous. It's not just this girl that annoys me, it's every single person out there who FORCES their problems on other people, not really seeking for good advice or even a different viewpoint, but sympathy and assurance that what they are doing is the RIGHT thing to do? I'm sorry, but who died and made you the center of the universe?
I have so many different thoughts and opinions on this topic that I am actually having trouble typing them all. Much less keep them straight... but gah! It just frustrates me how some people have the audacity to believe their problems are so fucking important they must be addressed NOW. All the attention always has to be on THEM. Since fucking when? Whenever I'm having a bad day, I don't try to show it. I hate the idea of wasting someone else's time talking about how the boy I liked didn't say hi to me this morning and how that has me feeling so down. It may be a little pathetic, and I may not WANT to feel that way... but even if I do, I. Don't. Let. Other. People. See. It. Plain and simple. I put on a smile and just go about my everyday business. Now, it's not my fault that I have good friends that actually do notice my slight change in behavior and ask me. No, not because I constantly sigh heavily and purposely bring attention to the fact I'm pouting. That is also another pathetic antic to drive people to roll their eyes and ask "what is it NOW?"
I can't picture ever wanting THAT kind of attention.
Even when it's good news, I don't try to rub it in people's faces. Even when I'm particularly happy, I may share the news once and let it go. I don't randomly clap excitedly and exclaim "oh my god this is the best day ever!" every two seconds because I just can't seem to understand why not everyone at my lunch table constantly keep commenting on how awesome it is I got a new car. It has been 5 minutes since you've complimented my shiny new Acura! Talk about how it has leather seats now! TELL ME YOU'RE JEALOUS!! TELL me that it's the NICEST car you've seen!
FUCKING TELL ME YOUR LIFE WOULD BE DEVOID OF MEANING WITHOUT MY NEW CAR!!
Give me a fucking break. If there is anything worse than that, is the person who wants to bring everybody down with them. "My cat died today, so I may be a little down." Is okay. Hell, I'll give you a hug. I'll tell you that your cat was super cute (even if I thought it was kind of ugly) and comfort you any way that I can. But I will not tolerate you mentioning every five fucking seconds how this song reminds you of Mittens, and two minutes later commenting on how the way I said "blue" reminded you of this particularly awesome saturday morning you spent cuddling in the couch. I do not want you to sigh whenever the conversation shifts away from your cat and mention how much you miss him.
This is not mourning. I don't care what anyone says. Call it bitchy but all that is IS A CRY FOR ATTENTION. Attention, attention, attention. That is everything half the world ever wants. Especially us Americans, who have been led to believe we are so incredibly superior that every single little detail of our measly lives is SO FREAKING IMPORTANT that everyone MUST want to hear about it. And not just once! Oh no, Every minute of every day because we are just that interesting.
Well, I am sorry you're not happy. I truly am, but I have a right to not be depressed with you. I may even feel sorry and want to comfort you, but I may not want to mention it every five fucking seconds. Or, I'm glad for you that you're having a good day! I'll jump up and down and cheer with you.... but not every two minutes. Your good news may be super important to you, and I'm glad for that, but it doesn't phase me enough to change my whole freakin' day around. So why can't people just ever take the "I'm happy for you" or "I'm sorry you're going through that" and end it there? WHY oh WHY must everyone insist on having the spotlight on them until they decide it's no longer necessary... at which point they come up with a brand new issue for people to talk about that is all about them! And if god forbid the attention shifts to someone else, then they find a way to RELATE to it and make it all about them again!
Or maybe I'm just a bitch? Who knows. But if this country is plagued with people who can't stand sharing the spotlight for even half a second, then no wonder America is so hated by the rest of the world.
My friends and I often make chat rooms and spend the day talking to each other that way. We cover topics from the Englis test that's coming up to what we plan to do during the weekend. If we're bored, we start getting random or send each other link of funny pictures and pass lazy Saturday afternoons that way. Now, it's not like we never go out. In fact, my group of friends is one of the most active ones I know... but anyway. Sometimes, people are invited into the chatroom that I don't really know that well or don't talk to that much, but for some reason or another they get dragged into the conversation.
Today, a girl that I've never had any problems graced us with her presence. I'm actually friendly with her, and while I am nice and conversational whenever we see each other in school, I wouldn't really want her as a close and personal friend. For one, she thinks her opinion is always the right one. She gets offended really easily, and, well... she's a bit weird sometimes. These are traits that aren't really in your face, so they're relatively easy to ignore, especially when she's being funny. So, I do like her. However... there is one thing I cannot STAND and that is her constant need for attention.
I seriously felt like driving over to her house and breaking her neck.
It all started with a "I'm not really in a good mood today". While that is sort of asking for attention, it's passable. Normal, even, especially when around friends. We all asked her what was up and she told us how she got into a fight with her boyfriend blah blah blah, I lost interest rather quickly. But it didn't end there. Throughout the whole day, she kept making random comments here and there how she just wasn't in a good MOOD and how she didn't FEEL good and please excuse her snappiness because she was going through a hard time. Just earlier when we were discussing proper nutrition (what did you think, that I hang out with a bunch of airheads who can only talk about how hot Nick Jonas is and the color they want to paint their nails?), he literally FLIPPED when we all sort of agreed she didn't have the best habits. Then she proceeded to SIGH and say she's having a tough time. Whenever we so much as threatened to FORGET about her (god forbid) she would add in the occasional "I just sent him a text telling him I don't like the music he listens to... heh"
THAT WILL SHOW HIM!
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people nowadays? Is everyone so freakin' full of themselves that they believe every little detail of their lives is interesting enough for other people to hear about? Can anyone ever STAND the thought of someone having different opinions than them, or take every comment made against them as a personal attack on their character? It fucking ridiculous. It's not just this girl that annoys me, it's every single person out there who FORCES their problems on other people, not really seeking for good advice or even a different viewpoint, but sympathy and assurance that what they are doing is the RIGHT thing to do? I'm sorry, but who died and made you the center of the universe?
I have so many different thoughts and opinions on this topic that I am actually having trouble typing them all. Much less keep them straight... but gah! It just frustrates me how some people have the audacity to believe their problems are so fucking important they must be addressed NOW. All the attention always has to be on THEM. Since fucking when? Whenever I'm having a bad day, I don't try to show it. I hate the idea of wasting someone else's time talking about how the boy I liked didn't say hi to me this morning and how that has me feeling so down. It may be a little pathetic, and I may not WANT to feel that way... but even if I do, I. Don't. Let. Other. People. See. It. Plain and simple. I put on a smile and just go about my everyday business. Now, it's not my fault that I have good friends that actually do notice my slight change in behavior and ask me. No, not because I constantly sigh heavily and purposely bring attention to the fact I'm pouting. That is also another pathetic antic to drive people to roll their eyes and ask "what is it NOW?"
I can't picture ever wanting THAT kind of attention.
Even when it's good news, I don't try to rub it in people's faces. Even when I'm particularly happy, I may share the news once and let it go. I don't randomly clap excitedly and exclaim "oh my god this is the best day ever!" every two seconds because I just can't seem to understand why not everyone at my lunch table constantly keep commenting on how awesome it is I got a new car. It has been 5 minutes since you've complimented my shiny new Acura! Talk about how it has leather seats now! TELL ME YOU'RE JEALOUS!! TELL me that it's the NICEST car you've seen!
FUCKING TELL ME YOUR LIFE WOULD BE DEVOID OF MEANING WITHOUT MY NEW CAR!!
Give me a fucking break. If there is anything worse than that, is the person who wants to bring everybody down with them. "My cat died today, so I may be a little down." Is okay. Hell, I'll give you a hug. I'll tell you that your cat was super cute (even if I thought it was kind of ugly) and comfort you any way that I can. But I will not tolerate you mentioning every five fucking seconds how this song reminds you of Mittens, and two minutes later commenting on how the way I said "blue" reminded you of this particularly awesome saturday morning you spent cuddling in the couch. I do not want you to sigh whenever the conversation shifts away from your cat and mention how much you miss him.
This is not mourning. I don't care what anyone says. Call it bitchy but all that is IS A CRY FOR ATTENTION. Attention, attention, attention. That is everything half the world ever wants. Especially us Americans, who have been led to believe we are so incredibly superior that every single little detail of our measly lives is SO FREAKING IMPORTANT that everyone MUST want to hear about it. And not just once! Oh no, Every minute of every day because we are just that interesting.
Well, I am sorry you're not happy. I truly am, but I have a right to not be depressed with you. I may even feel sorry and want to comfort you, but I may not want to mention it every five fucking seconds. Or, I'm glad for you that you're having a good day! I'll jump up and down and cheer with you.... but not every two minutes. Your good news may be super important to you, and I'm glad for that, but it doesn't phase me enough to change my whole freakin' day around. So why can't people just ever take the "I'm happy for you" or "I'm sorry you're going through that" and end it there? WHY oh WHY must everyone insist on having the spotlight on them until they decide it's no longer necessary... at which point they come up with a brand new issue for people to talk about that is all about them! And if god forbid the attention shifts to someone else, then they find a way to RELATE to it and make it all about them again!
Or maybe I'm just a bitch? Who knows. But if this country is plagued with people who can't stand sharing the spotlight for even half a second, then no wonder America is so hated by the rest of the world.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Word about schools, homework... and maybe an extra thing or two
I'm switching over to blogger site because I like it better than the previous site I was using for blogging. I... don't know why I'm writing this, considering I have no readers and I simply use blogs to complain about society, but hey, it's fun for me. And funny too.
But anyway, I'm gonna be copying over some of my posts from before so this doesn't feel as empty. If I have anything new to write, I'll add it on.
(a post from January 5th)
Consider this: A public school needs money just as much as any local business does. They do not want to lose the source of that money. Imagine your parents give you and your siblings $20 allowance per week (you're fucking spoiled if they do, but anyway). If they were suddenly to say, oh, all of you must maintain a 3.0 grade average or else we take everyone's allowance away, wouldn't you force your brothers and sisters to study their little hearts out every night? Wouldn't you ride their ass to make sure their homework was done on time, that they passed in all their projects, that they finished the english book they were supposed to be reading? You need the money. You need to have a social life. You will not allow your lazy 13 year old brother get in the way of that.
Pretty shitty example, but it gets the point across. Schools are then forced to try and make their students smarter in some way, and pressure teachers into fitting extra nitty gritty bullshit into a curriculum that probably wasn't even flawed in the first place. I'm not saying all schools fall victims to the preys of the scary government claws, nor that all teachers are perfect and don't need to be pushed in the right direction... but this is just a general statement. A general statement that pisses me off every time I think about it because I'm a victim of it.
And don't even get me started about college expectations. I could write for days.
I'm actually a decent student. No, in fact, I'm more than that. I don't think my GPA has gone below 3.5 in my 11 years of schooling (that's a B, B- average). Actually, a 3.5 is pretty low for my standards. If it gets anywhere near that, or if I'm miscalculating and it has ever been below, rest assured I raise it back up. But does that necessarily mean I'm smart? Fuck no. It means I was (am) a goody two shoes that memorizes the names of all the alkaline earth metals and can derive a page long formula because I learned it by heart. Does knowing this make me a good person? Does it guarantee I will go out in the world and will contribute to society and the economy in a positive way? Does it mean I will do my country, family, and friends proud? No, it doesn't.
I read and hear people everywhere complain about the stupidity of this nation. Yeah, most of it is filled with fucking idiots who don't know who the second president of the US was but could telh you all the names of the girls in Rock of Love charm school. I don't want to point any fingers, because I'm stepping a bit out of my element here, but what the hell? I am willing to bet a thousand dollars that if half the people in this country actually learned to learn something in school, not just memorize it in time for a test, there wouldn't be as many ignorant fools running around.
Teachers, on average, get a good 30 minutes of teaching time a day. Thing discussed in those 30 minutes may be interesting things, relevant things, or it may just be a waste of my time... but hey, I have to learn it. I can accept that. What ticks me off though is that when certain lessons that could be applied to the real world and are actually relevant have to be cut short, or when similar topics aren't discussed enough or are once but are never mentioned again because we need to stick to the curriculum. We have to be taught crap we will forget by next year. What is worse, when testing time arrives, I try to take all those things I've learned during multiple 30 minute lessons and memorize it so I can pass the class. It doesn't matter how annoying it is. The material was covered, so therefore it's fair game. The next day I'm so frustrated I've forgotten everything but maybe a few details here and there.
I would rather learn ONE thing per class per day instead of be forced to remember a bunch of material so the state can test me on it an the school can be supported by the government. I don't want to be an information robot. I actually want to LEARN things that will be useful to me once I graduate High School. It doesn't matter to me if it's the atomic weight of Nitrogen, but I'd rather be taught one little teeny little detail every 30 minutend I would rather learn it WELL. I'm not saying that my school should lower it's expectations so much that students will be given a month just to learn how to add and subtract. However, when will it become too much? Is it worth going through the entire history of the united states in about 6 months time, only to find out after summer break you can barely remember that conflict in the 60s (what country were we disputing with again? Was communism a big deal?). Is it really really worth learning trigonometry in one month so you can be tested about it and never think of it again? What about all the studies regarding molecular biology, and what the cell 3 cm deep into the fourth muscle of your arm is called? Unless you plan to go into that field of studies, WHEN WILL YOU EVER NEED THAT INFORMATION? I hate how thorough and complex science and mathematics classes have become nowadays. I understand that some things just have to be covered, but do you see every adult in the united states working a graphing calculator, trying to figure out what the fucking asymptote of a random parabola in the middle of nowhere is? No, I don't think so. I understand even bringing those things up in class, to instill some sort of curiosity and encourage those interested to investigate further if they wish, but what about the rest of us who don't really want to know what the atomic mass of boron is?
Of course all that stuff is important. The world would be a pretty shitty place if no one knew that kind of stuff. But must we, 16-17 year olds be subjected to months, even years, of stress just to relieve some wacko paranoia adults have about us turning out like them? Screw that. I'd rather be learning about politics, at least I can see how that's relevant to my everyday life at the moment. And I don't even like politics that much. If somewhere along the line I decide I want to be a rocket scientist, then bring on the three page math problems and logarithms! However, I don't want to spend a good 2 hours of my life doing repetitive math problems on trigonometric graphs about angles that define other angles just because some congressman somewhere voted that we must be tested on a plethora of ridiculous stuff in about a month's time just so they can find an excuse not to fund my school. Heck, I wouldn't even MIND doing the repetitive problems on cosine graphs and their absolute value if I wasn't being forced to know the material by friday. And in no way to I blame my ridiculously awesome teacher for that.
What happened to the days in elementary school where teachers explained something so thoroughly and so carefully that you soon knew the material like you knew your name and your birthday. In fifth grade we spent about a week on prepositions. Guess what? I fucking know them all and could recite them in a heartbeat, and I actually know how and why they're used. Ask me what the hell it was that we learned in calculus in october and I will give you a blank stare.
Sure I’ve learned to deal. I’ll be in college in less than 2 years and will be studying about something I actually give a birds flip about… but when it’s my freakin’ 17th birthday, and I have to turn down dinner invitations from a guy I like because I have to sit at home and figure out how many molecules of water supposedly go together with a fuckin’ hydride ion, that’s when I get seriously pissed off. People everywhere are wasting valuable time memorizing things that won’t be relevant in the long run. In a years time, it won’t even matter if I did this assignment or not. I would have benefited more from picking up a guitar and strumming aimlessly at it than losing a couple of hairs cause I don’t understand the material that’s being thrown in a rush at me. I go to school to LEARN, not to stress myself out and try to cram a week's worth of material into my brain so I can get an A on a test and be considered a good student so I can go to college and actually get somewhere in life. No one is gonna get nowhere like that. No wonder the economy is in the shitter.
But anyway, I'm gonna be copying over some of my posts from before so this doesn't feel as empty. If I have anything new to write, I'll add it on.
(a post from January 5th)
I can't believe it took a random discussion in English class to make me realize how fucking pathetic I've been acting lately. I've gone through some tough shit this past year, but so what? Everyone does. I can't believe I though the world should stop just because I was going through a crappy time, and I honestly can't believe I was just waiting for "it to get better". I seriously was under the impression that the moment "it got better", I would move on with my life with "the experience" and be a happy, carefree person.
Fuck that. And fuck whoever just sits there waiting for a revelation to happen. News flash: it won't until you make it happen. Your life won't change until you say it should. Expecting other people to change it for you, either be it by their actions or the way they treat you, is just idiotic. My days of feeling sorry for myself are over. It's time to just move and and live life. I'm still a bitch, but hey, at least I can admit I am one instead of making up excuses. Also, I can't believe I don't update my blog more often. I bitch and moan in my mind, but it's so relieving to put it out there. I don't care if anyone reads it, I just want a way to let it all out. It's better than keeping all these thoughts in my head. It may be crap no one cares about, but the thought that someone may read this someday amuses and intrigues me for some reason. I hope they don't like it. I like pissing other people off.
But anyway- on to the real reason why I started writing here in the first place.
Whoever came up with standardized testing and decided that the only way to get Americans to stop being such stupid retards is to cram as much into their brains during their high school years needs to take whatever it is that's up their ass and smack themselves with it. Now, I'm all for better education and better opportunity blah blah blah. It's all beneficial for the country and society as a whole, yes, I get it. What I don't appreciate is tight-ass curriculums. Does the government honestly think that everything they try to instill into our wandering minds will stay there forever. Are they THAT obsessed with raising the nations IQ that they decide it's okay to cram a year's worth of information into a student's head in 3, 4 months? Normally, I would be all for this. I really would... if it weren't for the fact schools get punished if they don't score high enough on those annoying scantron exams we have to take once a year, give or take.
Consider this: A public school needs money just as much as any local business does. They do not want to lose the source of that money. Imagine your parents give you and your siblings $20 allowance per week (you're fucking spoiled if they do, but anyway). If they were suddenly to say, oh, all of you must maintain a 3.0 grade average or else we take everyone's allowance away, wouldn't you force your brothers and sisters to study their little hearts out every night? Wouldn't you ride their ass to make sure their homework was done on time, that they passed in all their projects, that they finished the english book they were supposed to be reading? You need the money. You need to have a social life. You will not allow your lazy 13 year old brother get in the way of that.
Pretty shitty example, but it gets the point across. Schools are then forced to try and make their students smarter in some way, and pressure teachers into fitting extra nitty gritty bullshit into a curriculum that probably wasn't even flawed in the first place. I'm not saying all schools fall victims to the preys of the scary government claws, nor that all teachers are perfect and don't need to be pushed in the right direction... but this is just a general statement. A general statement that pisses me off every time I think about it because I'm a victim of it.
And don't even get me started about college expectations. I could write for days.
I'm actually a decent student. No, in fact, I'm more than that. I don't think my GPA has gone below 3.5 in my 11 years of schooling (that's a B, B- average). Actually, a 3.5 is pretty low for my standards. If it gets anywhere near that, or if I'm miscalculating and it has ever been below, rest assured I raise it back up. But does that necessarily mean I'm smart? Fuck no. It means I was (am) a goody two shoes that memorizes the names of all the alkaline earth metals and can derive a page long formula because I learned it by heart. Does knowing this make me a good person? Does it guarantee I will go out in the world and will contribute to society and the economy in a positive way? Does it mean I will do my country, family, and friends proud? No, it doesn't.
I read and hear people everywhere complain about the stupidity of this nation. Yeah, most of it is filled with fucking idiots who don't know who the second president of the US was but could telh you all the names of the girls in Rock of Love charm school. I don't want to point any fingers, because I'm stepping a bit out of my element here, but what the hell? I am willing to bet a thousand dollars that if half the people in this country actually learned to learn something in school, not just memorize it in time for a test, there wouldn't be as many ignorant fools running around.
Teachers, on average, get a good 30 minutes of teaching time a day. Thing discussed in those 30 minutes may be interesting things, relevant things, or it may just be a waste of my time... but hey, I have to learn it. I can accept that. What ticks me off though is that when certain lessons that could be applied to the real world and are actually relevant have to be cut short, or when similar topics aren't discussed enough or are once but are never mentioned again because we need to stick to the curriculum. We have to be taught crap we will forget by next year. What is worse, when testing time arrives, I try to take all those things I've learned during multiple 30 minute lessons and memorize it so I can pass the class. It doesn't matter how annoying it is. The material was covered, so therefore it's fair game. The next day I'm so frustrated I've forgotten everything but maybe a few details here and there.
I would rather learn ONE thing per class per day instead of be forced to remember a bunch of material so the state can test me on it an the school can be supported by the government. I don't want to be an information robot. I actually want to LEARN things that will be useful to me once I graduate High School. It doesn't matter to me if it's the atomic weight of Nitrogen, but I'd rather be taught one little teeny little detail every 30 minutend I would rather learn it WELL. I'm not saying that my school should lower it's expectations so much that students will be given a month just to learn how to add and subtract. However, when will it become too much? Is it worth going through the entire history of the united states in about 6 months time, only to find out after summer break you can barely remember that conflict in the 60s (what country were we disputing with again? Was communism a big deal?). Is it really really worth learning trigonometry in one month so you can be tested about it and never think of it again? What about all the studies regarding molecular biology, and what the cell 3 cm deep into the fourth muscle of your arm is called? Unless you plan to go into that field of studies, WHEN WILL YOU EVER NEED THAT INFORMATION? I hate how thorough and complex science and mathematics classes have become nowadays. I understand that some things just have to be covered, but do you see every adult in the united states working a graphing calculator, trying to figure out what the fucking asymptote of a random parabola in the middle of nowhere is? No, I don't think so. I understand even bringing those things up in class, to instill some sort of curiosity and encourage those interested to investigate further if they wish, but what about the rest of us who don't really want to know what the atomic mass of boron is?
Of course all that stuff is important. The world would be a pretty shitty place if no one knew that kind of stuff. But must we, 16-17 year olds be subjected to months, even years, of stress just to relieve some wacko paranoia adults have about us turning out like them? Screw that. I'd rather be learning about politics, at least I can see how that's relevant to my everyday life at the moment. And I don't even like politics that much. If somewhere along the line I decide I want to be a rocket scientist, then bring on the three page math problems and logarithms! However, I don't want to spend a good 2 hours of my life doing repetitive math problems on trigonometric graphs about angles that define other angles just because some congressman somewhere voted that we must be tested on a plethora of ridiculous stuff in about a month's time just so they can find an excuse not to fund my school. Heck, I wouldn't even MIND doing the repetitive problems on cosine graphs and their absolute value if I wasn't being forced to know the material by friday. And in no way to I blame my ridiculously awesome teacher for that.
What happened to the days in elementary school where teachers explained something so thoroughly and so carefully that you soon knew the material like you knew your name and your birthday. In fifth grade we spent about a week on prepositions. Guess what? I fucking know them all and could recite them in a heartbeat, and I actually know how and why they're used. Ask me what the hell it was that we learned in calculus in october and I will give you a blank stare.
Sure I’ve learned to deal. I’ll be in college in less than 2 years and will be studying about something I actually give a birds flip about… but when it’s my freakin’ 17th birthday, and I have to turn down dinner invitations from a guy I like because I have to sit at home and figure out how many molecules of water supposedly go together with a fuckin’ hydride ion, that’s when I get seriously pissed off. People everywhere are wasting valuable time memorizing things that won’t be relevant in the long run. In a years time, it won’t even matter if I did this assignment or not. I would have benefited more from picking up a guitar and strumming aimlessly at it than losing a couple of hairs cause I don’t understand the material that’s being thrown in a rush at me. I go to school to LEARN, not to stress myself out and try to cram a week's worth of material into my brain so I can get an A on a test and be considered a good student so I can go to college and actually get somewhere in life. No one is gonna get nowhere like that. No wonder the economy is in the shitter.
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