What It's Just a Lexus....Part II

So this plan may sound unrealistic, expensive, and containing a high possibility for failure, but I think it's a good idea nevertheless. Upon review of my biology notes on cellular respiration and photosynthesis, coupled with a PBS documentary on Global Climate Change, I began to ponder an organic solution to this impending crisis which would be more than a stop-gap measure. What if we were able to devise cars, machines, and factories that ran off of the natural energy-converting systems found in photosynthesis, by that I mean, what if we were able to design cars that took in sunlight, water, and CO2 and then converted these products into usable mechanical energy? Far-fetched, sure. But, don't we owe it to ourselves to try something like this which would reduce the CO2 level in the atmosphere and at the same time allow for continued and further development? Nature has the answer, we just have to unlock it. Thus I propose that the United States' government begin immediate and large-scale funding of plans to make our current technology more organic; we can spend 1.4 trillion on a stupid war, yet we can barely spend a fraction of this on research to maintain our way of life. What? We are the country that built the Hoover Dam, put a man on the Moon, and designed the Space Shuttle; I think that we could, with the right funding, brilliant and international minds, and just a little bit of luck, save the planet. At least, I hope so.

More later,
taylor

I Mean It's Just a Lexus....

So this post was suppose to be an insightful and well-rounded discussion on the current (bad) state of our environment with an emphasis on climate change. However, it's getting late and I don't want this to just be another crazy rant that appears nonsensical because global environmental problems deserve a full and honorable post. So I'm just going to say this and blindly steal-and-tweak Daniel Webster's famous "Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable" quote and say "Environment and Humanity, now and forever, one and inseparable". Thanks Mr. Webster!

taylor

Are They Dating? They're Brother and Sister.

Some days, such as Friday, Country Day and South Charlotte seem like the greatest places in the world. Advisory lunch at P.F. Changs was an amazingly fun experience given the eclectic composition of our advisory (yay Arutyunyan!), but we all share the similar trait of slight insanity :-). Days like Friday remind me of how much I'm going to actually miss this place and these people when I graduate and go to college; for good or bad, Country Day and the Class of 2008 have had tremendous influences on my life. I think those influences tend towards the good side. So as first semester ends, I'm going to take the time to say that I'm gonna miss y'all.

In other news...I read an interesting article in this month's issue of The Atlantic concerning a partitioning of the Middle East and South West Asia along ethnic and religious lines; it was a good elaboration on a similar article Vanity Fair ran two months ago. Also, the risk map graphic is one of the best I've ever seen, but then again I'm a map dork.
I've noticed that I've started reading magazines more now than I used to; I'm not sure if I've started growing tired of long novels (and thus prefer things which can be read and absorbed in one sitting), or if a lack of time coupled with my desire to read has made me want to learn the most that I can as quickly as I can. Also, setting The New York Times as my homepage was one of the best computer-related decisions that I've ever made - not only do I know what is going on, but my Facebook quiz score went up...and really isn't that what's most important?
However, I wish that The Times would cover international news as thoroughly as the BBC does, and by that I mean that I wish it would run it as headline stories on the front page, and not bury it back in section A. I know that both are aimed at different audiences, and that America's election is what matters most to the majority of The Times' readers right now, but still I feel as if I'm slowly losing my grasp on international news, something I had down in December. I could just go check BBC after I check The Times, but then again....Facebook is really temping.... But given all of this, The Charlotte Observer still sucks....no really...Parade Magazine?! Oh, and editorial writers from yesterday's Observer, y'all were a little harsh....I mean say what you want about John McCain's politics, but don't insult his military service record, that's just uncalled for.

Okay, that's all I can think of for now - except, where's my damn snow? - I'll hopefully blog more later today.

taylor

Grr

This blog would be a lot better if I updated it regularly....damn you facebook....damn you....

also I'm thinking that if I become an academic....will my dad consider that the waste of a half-million dollar education....?

The Phony War

To not insult those who fought in the Winter of 1939-1940, I have decided that my life has become a waiting game....waiting on college, waiting on friends and other people, and just generally waiting on life. This time period is suppose to be one spent in reflection of the past 4 (13) years...but I don't want to reflect and I don't want to wait. I want to know where I'm going to college, I want to know how things are going to turn out, and I want to close this stage in my life. Country Day has been good to me, but it's time for a change. Also, maybe I'm just tired of waiting and ready to move on because I haven't really moved on and I think a sudden separation would be the best way. Over the past few weeks I've tried to process what Country Day has meant to me, but it's hard to reflect on something so ingrained into my psyche...so hard to separate desire from loathing, truth from fiction, actuality from memory....I keep getting drawn back to what Aerosmith sang in Jaded: "it'll always be what I've loved and hated"

taylor

.....

This will be updated as soon as I figure out what exactly I want to say.
Sorry for any inconvenience

Just quotoables:

Me: "So how scandalous is this book?"
A friend: "I mean it's not hardcore pornography or anything....I was a little disappointed. Hey do y'all know if the last chapter has a good sex scene?"
Another friend: "It doesn't."
First friend: "Damn."

So Beyond Ready....

Hey all,
Today was our first day back at country day after 19 days of Christmas Break....I am so ready to graduate and leave the safe, little bubble-world of South Charlotte. Don't get me wrong, I love CDS and many things about Charlotte, but I'm ready for somewhere new and being back at school really clarified that today.

In the words of Augustana: "I think I want to go to [insert college town of college I'm applying to]...I want to start a new life..."

Quotables:

Teacher: "Did you have a good break"
Kid: "Well it was a lot of family time"
Teacher: "Was that good?"
Kid: "No."

You don't need your SUV

This is my rant of the day:

Dear Little Country Day Mom (also CCDS Dads, the majority of the people I go to school with, half of South Charlotte, and really anyone in general who isn't hauling something or has a big family),
You don't need a car meant to carry eight people when it's just you. Also please don't run into me and stop using up our natural resources and ruining our air.

Thanks,
Taylor

Basically I almost got run into while driving home today by 6 (I kid you not!) of the same exact SUVs. How many were driven by a single driver (for a car that could have carried all six)? I think 5 out of the 6, and the sixth had like 3 people in it. You don't need the SUV. We live in a city....it has good roads...when are you going to take your Land Rover off-road? Seriously....seriously!

Rant over - I'm tired so I can't think of more SUV-related insults right now, but I'll work on it....

America as an Idea

So this will be another politicalesque (yes I know it's not a real word either) post so sorry - I'll try to make my posts more exciting, but I also don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by posting drama on here....

Recently I've been reading the November 2007 issue of The Atlantic which discusses "The American Idea" from various viewpoints written by several famous politicians, writers, philosophers, and professors, along with drawings and photographs representing the idea from famous, contemporary, international artists. This reminded my of Tanderson's class last year and got me to thinking about my own understanding of "The American Idea".

I'm going to start off by saying that I believe in American Exceptionalism (not the philosophy in which America is the world's best country that was used to justify early 20th century imperialism), but the belief that America is a unique place given its geographic separation from the "Old World" and history of immigration and democracy (even if it has not always truly been a real democracy).

So what is America to me? America is at first my birthplace, my home and native land, and though I don't always agree with her actions and policies and though I love traveling to distant shores and I hope one day to live abroad, America will always be my home. But more than that, America represents for me those things which I think that she should stand for: 1. personal freedom; 2. the right to openly question anyone at any time; 3. a democracy based on merit not wealth, status, or might; 4. a place in which others are openly accepted for who they are not what society (if such a unified group could ever be defined) wants them to be; and finally 5. (and I'll probably regret this later since it could be taken in many wrong ways) a beacon of the above virtues for the entire world.

But what has become of my America? The world tears itself apart yet we stand aloof, or when we do intervene it is executed poorly and in the wrong place. All politics and national interests aside, how can we support the regime in Saudi Arabia while condemning Iran? I know that it is too much to expect perfection and strict adherence to the ideal in any facet of life, but honestly I am able to understand why the man in the street of Damascus or Havana or Rangoon appears to hate us; we are hypocrites; we have failed them. America cannot be the world's policeman, but she can be her torchbearer.

Also, our nation is strong because of its history of dissent and dissent can only thrive in heterogeneous societies. We are a nation of immigrants, and yet we now turn those who desperately want to be Americans away from our borders. You say they are illegal, but were my ancestors who so proudly tamed the wilderness of this virginal land any better? They had no passports and no visas; indeed one could say that they were far worse, bringing with them genocide, war, slavery, and racism. But they also brought the idea of liberty, of equality, and of justice. And this idea did not die in the fields of South Carolina as it cannot die today along the fences of Arizona! Welcome the immigrants with open arms, our culture can only be made richer for it. History moves like water; nothing can hold back the waves and drops will become torrents when attempts are made to control them.

And so I say to my fellow Americans, my countrymen, and my schoolmates: this is a dark hour, but there have been many dark hours before it. Do not allow the threat of terrorism to turn us away from our core values, but at the same time be weary of those who try to tell you that our core values are anything but liberty, freedom, justice, and democracy for all. Do not embrace fundamentalism from either side. When the men of Athens all those centuries ago stood up and proclaimed that they were free and equal to all other men, they lit a spark that has waxed and waned throughout Western civilization since that time. That spark has been buried, yes it must be said, behind slavery, racism, intolerance, and oppression, but in every generation there are those few brave souls that seek to liberate that spark and to use it to ignite the world. I do not believe that we shall all dance as brothers and sisters in front of the tree of equality in this generation, but if a few more chains can be broken, if that spark can be used to light a few more candles, if that dream of America can become even closer to a reality (for I do not believe we are just chasing after the green light), then I shall think that my generation has done its part. And so I say on this cold night in early 2008, a presidential election year, a precarious year in which much of contemporary world history hangs in the balance, go forth Americans who agree with me (and even those who don't for as I said dissent is the basis of our freedom) and show me and the world that my hope is not misplaced; show me that "The American Idea" really does live on to inspire, defend, and uplift all of mankind.

I'm Not a Caffeine Whore Part II

First off, let me just say Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2008 is much better than 2007 because let's face it....2007 sucked for the most part. Anyways here are my resolutions: 1. Go to the gym 3 times a week; 2. Stop drinking so much coffee; 3. Make the right decision on where to go for college; 4. Spend quality time with friends (home, college, and GSW); and 5. Not completely lose contact with people when I graduate. Let's see how many of those I'll actually keep...

So I've decided that my body hates me - I went for a run today and almost died...no really I felt like I was having a stroke...and I figure that that's not a good thing. This is weird because usually I'm a decent endurance jogger so I'm going to blame it on several weeks of not jogging plus not eating plus drinking coffee an hour before I went running. Damn you coffee.

Also I need to stop waking up at 2-3pm, but it's hard because I go to bed at 2 am. Also why does 10 pm to 2 am fly by? Why do these four hours feel so much shorter than all the others? I blame the internet...damn you internet.

Finally here is the quote of the day:
Friend: "If I had a friend like that I'd strangle myself! Thank God she's my enemy." - oh Country Day drama....

I wish everyone the best of luck in 2008 and I hope I'll see all of you soon!
Taylor