World Peace

I do not think true, 100% world peace is possible. It is in human nature to ignite conflict. Since the beginning of time, mankind has always been in some sort of conflict, whether it be person vs person, self, or the world at large. This is evident in literature, as all stories revolve around conflict. There are things we can do to bring about greater peace, but widespread peace will never be achieved. Social stratification and conflict is the greatest barrier, as it is out of social constructs and differences that war most often results. Promoting the acceptance of different cultures and ideals is a good way to promote peace. Countries can work to promote diplomatic relations among one another to increase peace as well.

To promote peace, I think people should learn better conflict resolution. World peace is not possible, but promoting constructive ways to solve conflict is a good step in the right direction. The world population is increasing at a rapid rate, and saying that zero conflict is achievable is a bit out there. By teaching young people constructive ways to solve conflict, increased peace tomorrow is possible. But there is always going to be conflict.

Caine's Arcade

Caine Monroy is a little boy who built his own arcade out of cardboard. He built it over summer in his dad's shop. He waited the whole summer for a customer. One day, a directer came in the shop and changed his world. He made a short documentary about the arcade, and spread awareness of the arcade by creating a sort of "flash mob" event at the arcade. Overnight, Caine's arcade had tons of visitors. People in different states knew about his arcade and were talking about it. The internet spread his idea, and with that knowledge of him. By becoming connected on the internet, Caine was able to spread awareness of his idea. Being connected to the right people is key in getting a message seen by the right people. By meeting the director, Caine's life was changed. The internet is a great tool to further one's brand, because it allows information to be disseminated to copious amounts of people. The internet is a great tool to utilize in order to get your idea sent out to the world. Social network sites are a good way to come into contact with people in your field.

The website for Caine's Arcade is: www.cainesarcade.com

All Your Devices Can Be Hacked

I thought this video was very informing. It shined a light on all of the potential dangers of today's "smart" world. Avi Rubin provided a variety of experiments in which hackers were able to infiltrate devices we thought were secure. One thing I found most alarming is the fact that hackers were able to take over a car's internal system. This can be very dangerous if other people found out how to do it. The future ramifications of this are severe, as more and more people are buying smart devices, and newer cars. If people can teach themselves how to do this, it will be hard to remain safe. With such a dependence on technology, our society is in for a big wake up call.

Here is the link for the video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/avi_rubin_all_your_devices_can_be_hacked.html

Buying Followers is Wrong

Buying followers for social media accounts is unethical. The basis for buying followers is to give yourself legitimacy, but this practice of buying legitimacy is unethical. Even the companies, like Twitter, think this is wrong. The purpose of these social media networks is to promote yourself, your company, your brand, or your ideas. If you boost your follower account to attract others, it takes away from the legitimacy of whatever you're promoting. Buying followers provides a quick fix, as many people don't want to put the work and time into slowly gathering real followers. The purpose of networks is for professional people spreading and communicating their ideas, and reaching a distant audience. Sure, I can't tell someone what to do, but in my opinion, buying followers is unethical and wrong.

Speech Hook

How many of you have ever wished you could go back in time? To relive past memories, or maybe have a do-over? I've come in possession of a special time machine that each of us possesses, but frequently overlooks. This time machine is a photograph. To where does this time machine take me? To my days of infancy, in which I can find my father.

Songs That Inspire Me

"Up Up and Away"- Kid Cudi
This song holds meaning to me for a couple of reasons. I listen to it every morning because it helps me wake up, and puts me in a good mood. It has a happy, upbeat tune and catchy lyrics. It has meaning to me because it speaks to the issues that a lot of teenagers face today, including me. I often recite the lyrics throughout my day to give myself inspiration.

"Crawl"- Chris Brown
This song inspires me because its lyrics have the ability to lift me up when I'm feeling really down. When I'm sad, it can make me feel better because it gives me the feeling of knowing I'm not alone. I always feel uplifted after listening to this song. If I'm having a rough day, the song helps to remind me that things will get better. It helps me by giving me strength to hold on.

"Never Forget You"- Lupe Fiasco
This song holds a lot of meaning for me. I can really relate to its lyrics because I lost my father. Whenever I feel sad about his death, I listen to this song. It gives me hope that he's never truly gone, and that he lives on through everything he left behind. It brings me comfort in times of loneliness or sadness. Whenever I feel a loss of control over losing my dad, I listen to this song, and it brings instant relief. The meaning of the song is important to me because I can really relate to it.

"Clique"- Kanye West
This song has meaning to me because it always brings to mind good times I've had with my best friends. We always listen to this song before we go out, and it's often in my head when I'm having a good time. Just listening to the beat of the song brings to mind countless great times. The song describes my group of friends perfectly, and it holds meaning because I cherish that group of people.

"Glitter in the Air"- Pink
This song holds meaning for me because it reminds me of my mother. It's her favorite song, and she is always singing it. I love my mother dearly, and every time I hear the song, I think of her. It has beautiful lyrics as well. I draw meaning from the song because to me it represents the most important person in my life.

Young, Wild and Free- Wiz Khalifa
This song holds meaning for me because its lyrics relate to my life in a lot of ways. It helps me relax and let go of stress after a hard day. I listen to it every weekend when I'm with my friends. Its a fun, upbeat song that can put me in a great mood.

Artifact

To me, this photo represents much more than a kodak moment. This picture provides me with a link to my past- a past I have little recollection of, but strong attachment to. It is a picture of me and my father at my grandmother's house in New York. This picture is so important to me because I don't get to see my father anymore, as he is deceased. That being said, I still love him with all my heart, which is why this picture is so important to me. It provides me with a haven in the past, a moment of joy with someone that I don't get to see. I don't have many remnants of my father, so I cherish this photo.