If Anyone Is Out There...

I'm sure anyone who may have read this at one time has since forgotten about it - I know I have.  I guess I lost the inspiration to continue...however a reader contacted me recently to comment on something they had read from here so I figured...what the heck. 

It's interesting what a year can do.  It can be the trek forged to a better time and place where you look back on where you were and quietly admire how much progress you’ve made.  Or, it can be a despairing one to look back and feel like you have missed something or have been without.  I find myself somewhere in the middle.  In some regards, I have made giant leaps…I moved and changed jobs, forged many new friendships and cleaned up some of the proverbial rubbish in my life.  However, I do look back and wonder why certain things never came to fruition, why certain people have vanished from my life and whether or not next year will be better.  I’ve superstitiously always thought the even years were kinder…but it appears that is a figment of my imagination.  In any case, if you asked me to provide one word that would define where I am at in my life it would be, restless.

Like many in my age group – there is a constant pull, almost a compulsion, to always be in the pursuit of the next thing and be better at it than you were at the last.  Whether it is be more traveled, to go on to grad school, know what a Gastropub is, move on and forward and to New York and before you know it, you forgot what it was you started out to do.  In so creates restlessness from within…one which perhaps all generations feel.  However, I can only speak for a small percentage using the simple anecdotes from my own life.   

I recently stumbled upon a popular blog called the Thought Catalog.  It has been around for a while…but it had never come up on my radar until a few weeks ago.  Even a cursory glance at the content would suggest that it is authored by folks that are still coming of age...or the millennials so they (we) are fondly called  Of course, I did find myself reading a handful of the different articles – of which I found a similar sentiment of my own.  The majority of writers extrapolate on the struggles of isolation and how the uncertainties of life can manifest into many different maladies…most of them are all in our heads.  In a world driven by social media where you can be the star in your own show – and your audience is watching and waiting for the comedic gaff to come in the form of a break up, loss of a job or whatever… it is no wonder antidepressants are one of the most prescribed drugs given to young people.  How does anyone cope living in a self-produced fish bowl?  My suggestion, get a dog.  Nothing (except for maybe a kid) will humble, reward and teach you selflessness faster. Or, as my mom famously always says "simply don’t borrow trouble.”   In any case, I think the time has come to put the restlessness to good use…even if only for a couple of paragraphs.

Bait & Switch or Forgot to Read the Fine Print?

Recently, there has been yet another revelation brought to light by students who are pursuing the guild of higher education.  This one however focuses on law schools that present merit-based scholarships to worthy students in hopes of luring said students to attend their institution.  The catch being, the student must maintain certain academic standards in order to keep the scholarship for subsequent years of attendance.  Not surprising, as a merit scholarship is by very definition one that should not be given arbitrarily and certain conditions should be satisfied in order to maintain that merit.

Another caveat presented to these students is that they may be passing up higher ranked institutions in exchange for the free tuition, a decision which may prove to be quite deflating should they lose the scholarship.  At certain law institutions, there is a mandatory curve presented during the first year which has no resemblance to its undergraduate precursor. It is this curve that many students allege is the switch, as this curve makes it nearly impossible to maintain the required GPA to continue receiving the scholarship.  So, by the end of their first year, some first years will not only lose their scholarship…they will now be paying full sticker for an institution that was not their first choice and may hinder employment opportunities down the road.  The criticism is heavily being drawn on the fact that schools (and not just law schools) award merit based scholarships with the intention of only paying out a limited proportion of their total sum. 

I must say that this is the first I have heard of this practice.  However, it only serves to reinforce how I feel about the entire higher education system at the present.  Though, I do have to wonder…why are these prospective law students not catching on to this practice?  If these students plan on forging a career which requires them to analyze the substance and ambiguity of situations…shouldn’t they also be responsible for their own financial wellbeing?  Hard to say, but I have a feeling that this practice will only continue.

The College of No Reading Required

Kemba Walker, a guard who led his team, the University of Connecticut Huskies, to victory in the NCAA men's basketball championship recently made a statement that gives a lot of credence to the notion that higher education is failing some of its recipients.  In a Sports Illustrated Interview, Walker confirmed that he had just finished the one and only book he had ever (in his life) read cover to cover.  Oh, and you said you were a junior at the University of Connecticut?  Perhaps he was exaggerating (god I hope so). 

At first I hoped that this was just an expression of the misguided priorities at UConn, however, after reading some of the comments posted on the original article…it seems that this issue extends far beyond just UConn.    Here are a few:


          “I graduated with honors from a state university and didn't even buy the textbooks (I couldn't afford them).”

          “I have never read a school book cover to cover in my entire life. I am now in law school.  I am not saying this to brag in any way just to point out that reading in  school (for undergrads) is nearly irrelevant.”

          “I think if you are over 30, you are COMPLETELY out of touch with the reality of the education system in America. I've only read 2 books cover to cover in my entire life, which includes 4 years of college.”

Granted, a lot of reading is done electronically these days…I do seem to remember having many articles assigned that were internet based.  Nevertheless, it is rather troubling to think that students are shelling out thousands of dollars just to sit in a classroom and watch a PowerPoint blaze across the screen and are not actually learning anything of substance.  I hate to sound like a crusty old librarian, but there is something to be said about actually picking up a book and reading it from cover to cover. 

Maybe it was because I majored in the sciences…but I remember always being required to read the material.   In fact, one of my political theory classes actually tested us weekly on material from the assigned reading (usually some titillating Hobbesian, Ambien replacement). 

So has this been the general experience of college students today?  

In Defense of Rover

I am a news junkie…I will readily admit.  I read anything and everything so it takes very little to shock/disturb me. However, that all drastically changed when I picked up this week’s TIME magazine. It appears Iran has now declared war on dog ownership and is actually proposing to criminalize such an act.  The law is said to be an official tactic to strike back at the younger generation of Iranians who are adopting more Westernized attitudes and traditions.  So basically, because they cannot influence their citizens, they are punishing Rover.  Canines have had a pretty significant presence in Iranian history too…from royalty using them for hunting and companionship to farmers using herding dogs for their flocks. 

As most people know, I am a huge dog lover…so I find this issue to be extremely troubling.  Pertinent questions immediately arise such as “what will they do with all of these dogs” and “how will they even enforce such a law?” It also brings up many other implications about dog ownership and animal rights that exist here in the US.  As Gandhi famously said “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”  Yet here in the United States, approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized.  Animal cruelty laws are still archaic in some states…in Mississippi, for instance, the penalties for neglect and dog fighting are the same: a fine of between $10 and $100 or jail time for between 10 and 100 days. Someone who maliciously injures or kills a dog or cat cannot be fined more than $1,000 or imprisoned for more than six months. The only restitution required is the replacement value of the animal, plus the cost of any veterinary fees or other expenses incurred.  Yet, publically urinating will land you a fine for at least $500. 

So how did we get here you may ask?  Well the topic of animal rights can be traced back to the Old Testament where multiple laws set forth concerning the welfare of animals.  There are requirements that animals also rest on the Sabbath and that they be fed before feeding oneself.  Over the course of history, viewpoints have changed regarding the ethical treatment of animals and where they stand in civilized society.

I remember taking a required Philosophy course that dealt with the topic of human consciousness.  At first, I thought the class was a huge joke.  The professor that taught it was so utterly convinced that she was the reincarnation of Descartes himself that I didn’t really see the point of offering any counterpoints.  That was until we started to discuss the relativity of consciousness as it applies to human beings versus animals.  As one might foresee, this also led into a huge discussion about slaughtering animals for food.  A topic perhaps for another day, however, the question itself is one of great importance.  Do animals possess consciousness?  That is, are they capable of self-reflection and other conscious awareness (read- “I think, therefore I am”) normally attributed to human beings only?  In many societies, the rights and protections we give our animals are greatly based on this principle. 

Bubba & George: My 2 stowaways

Descartes was not of the belief that animals are truly conscious beings.  He also contended that they cannot feel pain nor empathy.  I tried to convince that to my dog George…that the pain of his bladder about to burst is not really pain at all and he should let me sleep in for just a little longer.  Needless to say, he didn’t go for it.  Descartes asserted that in order to have consciousness, one must possess language.  Obviously, he didn’t think that one through.  If we were to give rights based on that philosophy…than infants, the mentally challenged and comatose patients would be equated to animals.

All philosophical debates aside, I cannot imagine a world where having a dog would be illegal.  If this were to ever happen here, I would pack it up and leave a la Gonzalez style.  I wonder, even for those who are not huge dog fans…how do you feel about this? 

The Evolution of Laziness

A recent article in the Times, titled the “Psychology of Cheating” can be described as a social commentary responding to the recent "not guilty" verdict in the Barry Bonds steroid usage trial.  Instead of focusing on the legal implications of the verdict however, the author instead highlights the moral relativity that is now associated with cheating or cutting corners to get ahead.  He paints the phenomenon as a natural reaction to productivity in an ever-changing, fast-paced world.  Upon reading about this profound social discovery…it made me think of another lewd behavior that has become somewhat of a norm in society.  Cheating’s uglier cousin…laziness.  Also a deadly sin…sloth has often been considered less reprehensible than the others as it is a sin of omission, rather than commission.  However, isn’t it worse to consciously check out of responsibility than it is to simply be ignorant about it from the start?  A recent situation at work has recently called this notion into question.

As some of you may know, I am a corporate robot.  Working for a large corporation can be quite fulfilling as it generally tends to provide a lot of upward mobility and growth.  However, like most work environments, there are politics.  Recently, I have inherited a very tedious and time-consuming task from an individual outside of my department.  The individual is more than capable of completing this task…rather they saw an opening to get rid of the responsibility and they took it.  As it is, I don’t mind doing it.  However, it is the principle…that my already enormous workload just grew because someone else just didn’t feel like doing it.  The justification for this individual’s recycling of this responsibility is that they simply did not have enough time to get it done [and I do?].  Ok, that is fine.  Call it what you want.  It is not like anyone is going to readily admit that they are just LAZY.  

Laziness can be blamed for many of our current social problems. Take for instance, the infamous Ponzi scheme of 2008. Are all of the Bernie Madoff’s of the world innately evil?  Probably not. They saw an opportunity to make an easy buck and rather than work hard the old fashioned way to become successful, they jumped on the L train.   As with many charismatic individuals in history, Madoff built his wealth and empire off of the hard work of others.  When studying the animal kingdom, it is can be observed that extremely efficient predators have more free time and thus often appear more lazy than relatively inept predators that have little free time.   Perhaps this parallel allows individuals like Madoff to justify their behavior? 

Even more alarming is when laziness leads to tragedy.  In May of 2005, the popular news outlet “Newsweek” released a report alleging that officials at the prison in Guantanamo Bay had flushed a copy of the Koran down the toilet.  A week later, when newspapers in Afghanistan and Pakistan picked up the item, it sparked anti-American demonstrations in the Afghan city of Jalalabad in which four protesters were killed and more than 60 injured. About a dozen more protesters were killed in the following days when the demonstrations spread across Afghanistan and to Pakistan and other countries.  It was later found that the source used to write the article was wrong. The deadly consequences of the report, and its reliance on an unnamed and inaccurate source, could have easily been avoided if the reporter assigned to the case had done their due diligence and verified all of the facts.   

Like cheating, laziness is not a construct created by our generation.  Instead, it has only been fueled by the instant fulfillment culture that technology now provides us with.  It can actually be found disguised in many different names, languages and venues.  Senioritis is now a commonly accepted rite of passage among graduating college students.  If they only knew however, that your last semester in college is also the first page sitting in front of a campus recruiters would they still be as comfortable with letting a few slide?  Let’s not forget Larry Wall, infamous programmer who wrote The Programming Perl, which describes the three virtues of a successful programmer as laziness, impatience and hubris.  Perhaps it makes sense in context?

Maybe laziness is really in the eye of the beholder?  After spending time in Italy, I can confidently rebut the notion that the Italians are lazy, wine-drinking afternoon nappers…quite the opposite in fact.  The Italians have simply cultivated the air of relaxation. I guess that narrows down the criteria with which we can define laziness.  If someone works all day and comes home to unwind on the couch for the remainder of the evening…is that laziness?  Hardly.  Heck, I spent most of my Sunday afternoon planted in front of the TV watching the Criminal Minds marathon.  It seems that in order for laziness to truly be destructive, it must be coupled with another of the deadly sins.  Laziness plus greed = Enron.  Laziness plus gluttony = America’s Biggest Loser. 

So how does one avoid succumbing to perpetual laziness?  In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell discusses the characteristics of meaningful work: it is complex, it offers autonomy, and there is a relationship between effort and reward.  I think the last characteristic is probably the most important.  As evolved social creatures, we need fulfillment that extends beyond getting the job done so to speak.  Simply completing tasks is not enough…we need a system that responds back to our efforts.  That is not to say that situations such as Enron will ever be avoidable.  Clearly, when laziness is coupled with opportunism, all bets are off. On a smaller scale though, perhaps my work counterpart should start looking for a job that doesn’t require any actual work.     

ROI: Higher Education

The other day, I came across an article in the NYTimes that discussed the new reality of college students graduating in this day and age.  This topic is quite familiar to me and as some of you may know…I’ve contemplated the notion of going on to law school.  However, after being accepted into a few of the places that I had my heart set on…a very callous reality set in.  How in god’s name am I going to pay for it?  We are talking $35,000 per year in tuition…not including cost of living.  I can already hear the next question being asked…well how does one usually find the means to fund such an endeavor?  Well if you are lucky, you will get some hefty scholarships.  No, I was not one of the lucky ones.  The alternative option is to sell your soul to Sallie Mae. This article focuses on that second option…although from an undergraduate context.

To summarize the article, the author is essentially weighing the cost/benefit of attending a four year university.  The focus is specifically on private universities, where tuition can range anywhere from $20,000-$50,000 a year…yes you read that correctly…for your UNDERGRAD degree.  The idea behind going to a private school is often that such degrees lead to prestigious job opportunities and high salaries fresh out of school.  However, what many students don’t always consider are the limitations they may face when those loans first kick in.  Having been out in the workforce for a while, it is painfully obvious to me that my former freedom and mobility are now suffocated by a monthly payment to Uncle Sam.  If I want to pick up and go backpacking through Europe tomorrow…this payment may be the one thing to put the kibosh on that.  Even scarier, my job prospects are limited to positions that will pay the bills.  In other words, if you went to college and dreamed of being an investigative journalist but the only gigs available pay just about minimum wage…you have to consider how you will get by without obtaining secondary employment.  Ergo, your dreams may have to be put on hold. 

So where is the solution?  We instruct high school seniors to forget about college and just try their hand out in the workforce for a little while?  Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal seems to think so.  He is conducting his own “experiment” by giving $100K to bright and motivated students to fund their own startup company.  His premise is that either way they’ll be taking out the $100K…however, with his charge at least they’ll make a return on their investment.

Or maybe students will suddenly become aware of the harsh reality facing them when repayment begins and feasible employment never does. However, and as many other articles have already speculated, it won't stop them from going. What needs to happen is intervention and revolution. For example, the current scam blog movement pioneered by disgruntled attorneys who now, having graduated from a Tier 4 (or really anything outside of T10) school are taking paralegal jobs for $30K/yr and have a $1500 loan payment to make. All education is not created equally. Yet, it'll cost you just a little more to graduate from Harvard Law as it will Thomas Cooley (not even sure they are ABA approved) and you'll be lucky if you can get a gig as a document review associate.  Now comes the real travesty…these loans are not eligible for discharge in bankruptcy.  How is it that you can discharge a malicious tort judgment, copious amounts of credit card debt, oh and my favorite…gambling debt, but you cannot be forgiven for debt accumulated by years of seemingly hard work and dedication? 

Back to the solution…really, until the education system is reformed and the government stops handing our hard earned taxpayer dollars over to some of these diploma mills, this proverbial bubble will just continue to grow. In the meantime, I will say that I have no regrets over my education.  It has opened a lot of doors for me and continues to do so.  However, the cautionary tale remains that education, especially post-graduate education does not always guarantee you a cushy house in the ‘burbs...at least not by today's standards.  

Intro.

So I'm jumping on the blogwagon.  I know this will probably only be visited by my mom...and maybe a few of my good friends that will feel obligated.  However, I will still try to accomodate as many different interests as possible...hence the title...all thoughts considered.  First, I need to address why I feel the need to start publishing some of my thoughts.  One...I might start to internally combust with irritation over the lack of good discussion I've had while participating in other forums.  Second, I'm bored.  I'm bored with all of the usual articles that discuss the same tired topics over and over again.  Lastly, I have been indoctrinated into reading and writing predictable, legal mumbo jumbo for my job so I need another outlet.  So without further adieu...