TED talks

Honest Review: Prince of Thorns <Prince of Thorns> is a maverick in the world of Science Fiction and Fantasy community. It is a story filled with bloody and stark portrayals of a world at war. It questions what is acceptable for readers to like and enjoy. Most importantly, it provides its very own take on a story of revenge and redemption. The prince of thorns is a 13 year old boy named Jorg Ancarath, first of his name, crown prince of Ancarath, one of the hundred kingdoms vying for control in a broken empire. Jorg leads his own band of bloodthirsty marauders burning and pillaging a slew of villages in the countryside. Jorg is a sociopath, a man with a vision to reunite the broken empire with a baptism of fire. Readers are given a front-line seat through Jorg’s odyssey in his broken eyes. He does not feel empathy for his enemies. He does not care that he raped farm girls and set them on fire. He cares for revenge, and the world will burn as he cheats and battles his way...

“ You’re worried about what-ifs. Well, what if you stopped worrying?” ― Shannon Celebi, Driving Off Bridges What if I get sick? What if I mess up my presentation? What if I had done something else, would it have been better? People are plagued with “What if?” s all the time. They worry about commonplace issues like health, finance, up to the most bizarre like drowning, falling pianos. I remember an acquaintance (whose name shall not revealed) who always carried a deluge of pills, antidotes, and medicine to combat the various dangers he saw in everyday life. Humans are sentient, intelligent beings. As such, we sometimes are unreasonably concerned with what would happen. “What if”s that we think about usually have negative consequences than positives. Think about when we were children. Did we worry about getting scraped up swinging from the monkey bars, or about the dangers of trying new, stupid things? Far less than now, to be sure. As we grow older, humans become conser...

“This is insane!” Kevin shouted as he followed April, his coworker and best friend, struggling to catch up to her. “Listen to me goddamnit.” From the very moment I was walking on dark-hided street, smelling like piles of garbage of fish' I could see some features shivering with tears and doing something. April turned her dazzling blue eyes at Kevin. Sapphire blue, with just a hint of emerald green. Like the oceans in the Caribbean, he had thought to himself. Those eyes were the reason why he had agreed to this madness. A data chip containing all of Transtar’s experiments, and he was too stupid to see what she wanted to do…. “Why should I listen to you ?” April replied, her voice dripping with contempt. “You knew all along. You knew that Transtar was using Russian convicts for human experiments. And to think… I trusted you, Kevin.” She reached her office, angrily shoving aside a startled technician fixing the lights, while trying to find her keycard from her purse. Kevin wa...

Dear Sarah Hello, Sarah. You probably would not recognize my name. I wanted to thank you for creating Imgur, and the joy it has brought me for the past few years. Imgur has given me so much, not just the memes, but also the chance to experience being a part of something huge. The community is surprisingly mature, with the accompanying gaggle of news, call-outs for charity, and frequent posts where people actually converse meaningfully. The posts fulfilled with joy, happiness, and satisfaction. It's time I found a oasis in the middle of the desert. When I first saw your memorable face on the memes, it made me so delighted I gave a squeal of joy. You wouldn't remember, but we've met before. Since when I got to know you and became a passionate fan of yours, I always wanted to meet you face-to-face. Don't be angry for this-but I searched all your schedules. I think you will understand my desperate mind. During my teenage years, Imgur is my idol. It sometimes helps me t...

Carlos doesn’t Remember           Carlos is a one-in-a-thousand kind of genius, but he faced numerous obstacles in his way to success. Malcolm Gladwell discusses how the college admissions officers grossly underestimate the number of poor, prodigal students in America, and that many kids like Carlos grow up without ever given the chance to show their intellectual skills. I believe that the problem is much more severe in Korea.           The private education industry in Korea is one of the largest in the world. Entire districts in Seoul are dedicated to private academies, or hagwons , and literally thousands of tutors visit middle-class kids to give exclusive lessons and tips. I don’t deny that the education craze in Korea has some benefits, namely the high levels of literacy and knowledge that Korean students possess. The great human capital is the powerhouse that drives the Korean economy, a...

Bowdoin or Vassar?           Don’t get me wrong, they are both great schools. But Malcolm Gladwell seems to disagree. He flat out says, “Don’t go to Bowdoin, go to Vassar instead.” Bowdoin serves great food, but Vassar trades food to give more students financial support. Bowdoin has a huge capital base to fall back on if things turn bad, but Vassar can’t afford to lose even 10 students paying full university fees. Gladwell believes that social equality, the opportunity give more students the chance of advanced education is more important than luxuries. On a broader scope, I agree. Universities, as the ivory tower devoted to knowledge and social advancement, should always try to pursue the virtues of equality and social justice. But sacrificing quality for quantity is something I do not believe in.           Vassar is something of a special case. It accepts far more students requiring financial...

Malcolm Gladwell discusses the effects of moral licensing, focusing on women’s rights in predominately male areas such as the Royal Academy of Art, and the politics in Australia. In both cases, women are faced with severe resistance after initially being lauded for their savviness. Gladwell explains, in the context of moral licensing that men find themselves vindicated because they have adopted an open, progressive view. Thus, they return to their prejudiced ways and stop women from achieving equal status.            I was fascinated by the prevalence of moral licensing. Even Park Geun-hye, the president of South Korea, could be interpreted as a case of moral licensing. Korean politics has always been dominated by men, and Park Geun-hye is the first female president of Korea. But was she really the best candidate for the job? Now, I am not sure. Many now argue that she became president because of her familial connections and her gende...