I dislike it when stores try to sell look-a-like PS1

Above is the actual Proenza Schouler PS1 Medium Leather Satchel in Teal.

A little bit about the bag:

• Made by Proenza Schouler
• Comes in all sizes and colors
• Priced at $1,595

Below are some similar ones (seeing these on racks and in stores irritates me):

1. Forever 21 Blue Leatherette Messenger Bag
2. Juicy Couture Black Star Shoulder Bag
3. Joie Pepper Leather Messenger Bag


4. Del Cesca "Working Girl" Crossbody Shoulder Strap Satchel
5. Romeo & Juliet "Victoria" Satchel
6. Steve Madden Urban Utility Messenger Bag
7. Melie Bianco Top Handle Messenger
8. ASOS Leather Twist Lock Vintage Style Satchel

Some may say that these bags don't look very similar or that copying designs happens all the time or that buying these bags would be thrifty/a good deal, but in my opinion, don't buy a fake. Buy the real thing.

School is starting soon

1. For me, school starts back up again, officially, on Thursday, August 25th. Some people have been saying that's late. This one lady at the bank said her nephew in Indianapolis has to start school on the 9th. That is quite early.
2. I have a decent amount of summer homework still
   to get done, so why am I making a blog post and wasting valuable time? Nevermind that. I finished reading the two books for English: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Both books were really phenomenal and pleasures to read. After
3. reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I felt inspired, and I thoroughly enjoyed In Cold Blood because it was a true story but told in a way that made it seem like fiction.
4. I still have to finish my AP Biology homework. It is such a ridiculous amount of work that I can't even keep track of it all. I'll probably get to class and realize I forgot something and the packet specifically states that no late summer work will be accepted. On top of that, I'll be going on vacation in less than a week and getting home the day before school starts, so I want to get everything done before I go.
5. Here is a picture of Antarctica:

Is Hell Dead?

Is Hell Dead?

A fresh, interesting article about a pastor in Michigan, Rob Bell, who has a more fluid, more open approach to Christianity. He also recently published a bestseller, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.

Locavore

"a person who attempts to eat only foods grown locally"

I understand the benefits of eating locally, but I don't think I'd be able to do it.
I like to eat fruits and vegetables in the winter.
Although, it would be a worthwhile quest to try eating locally over the summer.
Especially since I consider myself an environmentalist.

Similarly, I find myself unable to buy and eat only organic foods. By organic, I'm referring to foods grown without pesticides which sounds pretty solid in theory, but the use of pesticides is something I'm willing to compromise on in the name of perfect-looking fruit.

Is it a problem that I'm only willing to eat apples that aren't bruised? Yes, but as of right now, I don't see that problem being solved anytime soon.

A few weeks ago, I asked a person sitting next to me who was eating an apple if he had washed that apple and reminded him that apples were basically doused in pesticides. To which he responded in the following manner:

1.) an angry glare

2.) a statement along the lines of, "This apple is locally grown and organic."

I don't understand why people hate me so much; I was just trying to be helpful. Furthermore, simply because an apple is organic and locally grown doesn't mean you don't have to wash it. The apple is still dirty, and I'm sorry I'm pointing out your insecurities?

So, that story doesn't necessarily support or refute my opinion, but merely points out the inability of some people to answer questions.

Generation Gap

Hardworking Americans

Every generation has its defining features. They way we live our lives will probably be a lot different from the way our parents did, but that is not always a good thing. As the world is advancing technologically, and businesses are seeking to grow on a global scale, America is quickly becoming very different from what our parents or grandparents may have experienced. As a result of America changing, Americans are also changing, specifically the new generation of Americans. The way America has been changing actually negatively affects our growth and development. In fact, our generation is worse of than that of our parents because our work ethic is just not the same as our parents’ work ethic.

The new generation of Americans is no longer willing to do the tiring, time-consuming, manual labor that our consumerist ways require. During the recent recession, many jobs were lost, and will be gone forever. “Some of those lost jobs will go to someone in another country for less pay. U.S. workers are competing with an increasingly global work force in a "flat" world.” (Thomas). Americans are outraged at companies shipping jobs overseas, but in all honesty, we can no longer compete with those workers in other countries. “Even highly educated tech and service professionals hav[e] to compete against legions of hungry college grads in India, China, and the Philippines willing to work twice as hard for one-fifth the pay.” (The Future of Outsourcing). Even if these low-paying factory jobs came back to the United States, I know that personally, I would not be willing to sit and shell crab for 14 hours a day, six days a week with no bathroom breaks and only a short lunch break. There is a reason that companies are shipping jobs overseas, Americans are changing their behavior and work ethic. With our generation becoming less and less willing to do hard work, the U.S. is losing jobs and thus making us worse off than our parents.

The new generation of Americans was raised differently than our parents’ generation, and this difference contributes to the difference in work ethic. My mom, even though she did not grow up in the States, she is still part of an earlier generation. When she was a child in school, she was brought to a clothing factory and taught by the factory workers to do various tasks. These days, kids and teens, on average, spend up to four hours a day in front of the TV. (How TV Affects…). Having a different upbringing and no exposure to the real world working environment, the younger generation is bound to have a work ethic that is not as good as that of our parents. Instead of being out and being productive, we kids are plagued by TV and computer screens inviting them to be lazy. Kids should be allowed to enjoy their childhood, but hours and hours of television and computer games are negatively impacting our work ethic.

Some may claim that the new generation just works differently than the previous generation, and that, in the end, they get the job done. However, that is absolutely not the case, and that fact is easy to see when comparing test scores around the globe. “In global testing, Shanghai and other parts of Asia left the U.S. in the dust.” (Paul). In light of that, “President Obama noted in response that the U.S. has arrived at… the humbling realization that another country is pulling ahead in a contest we’d become used to winning.” (Paul). These test score results clearly exhibit the startling truth that Americans and particularly, American students are not getting the job done. Overall, students in the U.S. lack the work ethic to even be able to compete with students around the world. The fact of the matter is that American kids think they are the best and the brightest, but this has changed mainly due to the fact that American work ethic has changed.

Our generation has to face many adversities, as all generations do, and the only way we can overcome these is by changing our work ethic. If we do not change, then American jobs will be lost to countries with a hardworking younger generation. Furthermore, we need to spend less time lazing around and more time being productive so as to improve our skills and stay competitive. All in all, our generation is worse off than that of our parents because we lack the work ethic that they had.

Works Cited

"The Future Of Outsourcing." BusinessWeek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. 30 Jan. 2006. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. .

"How TV Affects Your Child." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. .

Murphy Paul, Annie. "The Tiger Mom Manifesto." Time 31 Jan. 2011: 34-40. Print.

Thomas, Jason. "Many Jobs Are Gone Forever: What Now?" CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Cable News Network, 8 Dec. 2010. Web. 23 Jan. 2011. .

Back to the point

I haven't posted about foie gras in a while ...

How does it taste?

Honestly, I can't imagine it tastes good. The idea of any type of animal liver makes me a bit queasy

Also, I think I might be depressed.

Facebook

I'm starting a trend:

Getting off Facebook.

I've already deactivated my Facebook account as of Monday night, and, although I'd like to say I'm doing fine without it, it's actually quite the opposite, I find myself thinking about Facebook all the time. Are these withdrawal symptoms? I think so.

I'm not really sure why I chose to deactivate my Facebook. I know I'm not doing it for attention. It's probably because my dad told me that I spend too much time on the interwebs, and I decided at that moment that deactivating my Facebook would be a good idea. I always try to think of ways to spite him, but they always end up sounding like good ideas. You know? They start off being mean-spirited, but when I take a step back, these ideas turn out to be quite beneficial in theory.

For example, deactivating my Facebook.

Anyways, I'll keep you posted (probably not) about my time away from the site.

Btw, if this turns into anything big:

1.) YES! Don't forget, I started this!

2.) Sorry Mark Zuckerberg