This was sent to me this morning :) Funny Stuff!!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Something a little lighter..
For all of you Model UNers (and former Model UNers) out there. This video is pretty hilarious
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
An American Tragedy
Mark Madoff, son of Bernie Madoff, committed suicide this past Saturday night. This story has popped up here and there in the media since then, but I can't get my mind off of it.
My Aunt Ruth has often told me that committing suicide is the biggest "F*ck You" someone can say to their loved ones. People who decide to take their life do so for a variety of reasons, but the reasons are ultimately selfish. Mark Madoff had a wife and kids, and likely a lot of other people in his life. Suicide creates a ripple effect-- it essentially takes the pain and chaos that one person is experiencing and transfers it onto an enormous amount of other people. So while he was saying F*ck you to his father, he also said it to his wife and children and everyone else who loved him, and everyone who loves them, and everyone who has been effected by suicide.
Suicide is never, ever the right answer to a person's problems. Anyone who accepts a line of reasoning behind this decision contributes to a justification of suicide, which in essence is an irrational act. It doesn't matter that he was Bernie Madoff's son. This fact does not justify the act. Countless other people live through situations that are just as painful (although likely a lot less publicized). It also was not Bernie Madoff's fault. He may be guilty of many things, but a person's decision to take his or her life is ultimately his or her own decision.
It also saddens me that many major "suicide" associations have not come forward to say anything about this suicide. Typically when a celebrity commits suicide, organizations (such as American Foundation to Prevent Suicide) will post notes on their Facebook and Twitter accounts to recognize and commemorate the person, and send their thoughts to the people effected. As I click through the Twitter accounts of several suicide prevention networks, I can't help but notice the absence of comments about Mark Madoff.
With that, my thoughts go out to the Madoff family.
My Aunt Ruth has often told me that committing suicide is the biggest "F*ck You" someone can say to their loved ones. People who decide to take their life do so for a variety of reasons, but the reasons are ultimately selfish. Mark Madoff had a wife and kids, and likely a lot of other people in his life. Suicide creates a ripple effect-- it essentially takes the pain and chaos that one person is experiencing and transfers it onto an enormous amount of other people. So while he was saying F*ck you to his father, he also said it to his wife and children and everyone else who loved him, and everyone who loves them, and everyone who has been effected by suicide.
Suicide is never, ever the right answer to a person's problems. Anyone who accepts a line of reasoning behind this decision contributes to a justification of suicide, which in essence is an irrational act. It doesn't matter that he was Bernie Madoff's son. This fact does not justify the act. Countless other people live through situations that are just as painful (although likely a lot less publicized). It also was not Bernie Madoff's fault. He may be guilty of many things, but a person's decision to take his or her life is ultimately his or her own decision.
It also saddens me that many major "suicide" associations have not come forward to say anything about this suicide. Typically when a celebrity commits suicide, organizations (such as American Foundation to Prevent Suicide) will post notes on their Facebook and Twitter accounts to recognize and commemorate the person, and send their thoughts to the people effected. As I click through the Twitter accounts of several suicide prevention networks, I can't help but notice the absence of comments about Mark Madoff.
With that, my thoughts go out to the Madoff family.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Lame Duck Dreams
Next week, the lame duck Congress will vote on passing the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (or DreamAct). If passed, the DreamAct will provide people who illegally entered the United States before age 16 with a path to citizenship. In order to qualify, a person must graduate from high school or attain a GED, and then either enroll at a four-year institution of higher learning or volunteer to serve in the military for two years.
When most people think about the DreamAct, they think of it as an immigration issue (which it is). The first thing I think about is its educational impact. I have worked with under-served high school students in New York City for the last three-and-a-half years. The most challenging college-admissions related problem I have faced so far is dealing with undocumented students. There are many talented and bright undocumented students living throughout the country who did not make the choice to come to the United States but now have established lives here. Undocumented students cannot legally receive any federally-funded student financial aid, including loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study programs. Most private scholarships also require that recipients be citizens as well.
This problem has people in the college-access community stumped. I have attended several education conferences, and this topic is continually addressed. It seems like at each conference a counselor tells a story about a dynamic and motivated student who has no real options for his or her educational future. I have my own story too--I work with an undocumented female student who recently graduated from Washington Irving High School. The student's mother sent her to the United States from Guyana when she was much younger because of an abusive situation at home. She has not seen her mother since she left the Guyana. By her senior year she discovered she would not be able to get any financial assistance to go to college because of her illegal status. Because she lives with a family that requires her to babysit to earn her "keep," she was unable to participate in many extracurricular and social activities during high school. Despite these obstacles, she is making the best of her situation and making her life in the United States work anyway she can. She has enrolled at a community college and is taking classes, and getting paid under the table to pay for it.
To top it all off, this girl is a sweetheart. She has made it her personal mission to help other struggling students at WIHS make their way to graduation and to college. She meets with students daily to check on their progress and identifies students that should be set up with mentors. Her work ethic and her character make me confident in her ability to thrive at a four year institution. Right now, it is unclear what will happen to her after she is done with her studies at the community college. Returning to Guyana would be devastating. Her life is here. Further, the expectations and rights of women in Guyana are far different than those in the United States. For her sake, I wish the DreamAct had been passed a long time ago.
She is not a rare case-- all over the country, young and motivated students face this challenge. In some areas of the country, the problem much is worse. In New York (and in nine other states), undocumented students can at least can qualify for in-state tuition. In other states, public universities charge undocumented students out-of-state tuition. In a world where college costs are rapidly increasing, this leaves many bright students in a very bad spot. The DreamAct would make undocumented students eligible for federal financial aid and in-state tuition.
US Immigration policy is far from perfect, but the DreamACT is one step in the right direction. There is still a lot of work to be done, but children should not be held responsible for their parents' illegal activities. Many students came here at such a young age that they consider the United States their home. I'm still hoping for the best, and I know thousands of undocumented students are too.
_________________________________________________________________________________
When I've discussed the DreamAct with friends, I have noticed that there is a lot of confusion and misconceptions about what the act entails. I've listed some information and links below for your benefit:
1) Children must have arrived to the United States before age 16 and have lived here for five years. Its not just anyone who has lived here for five years. These are children who came here through no choice of their own. At the time of it's enactment, people applying for a path to citizenship through the DreamAct must be under 30 years old.
2) The act does not provide citizenship, but does provide a path to citizenship. Students are granted legal residency status for six years. Within those six years, a person must complete four years at an institution of higher learning or spend two years serving in the military (and must receive an honorable discharge upon the two years completion).
3) They must have a "Good Moral Character." This means that rights given by the DreamAct can also be taken away.
For More Information on the Dream Act
When most people think about the DreamAct, they think of it as an immigration issue (which it is). The first thing I think about is its educational impact. I have worked with under-served high school students in New York City for the last three-and-a-half years. The most challenging college-admissions related problem I have faced so far is dealing with undocumented students. There are many talented and bright undocumented students living throughout the country who did not make the choice to come to the United States but now have established lives here. Undocumented students cannot legally receive any federally-funded student financial aid, including loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study programs. Most private scholarships also require that recipients be citizens as well.
This problem has people in the college-access community stumped. I have attended several education conferences, and this topic is continually addressed. It seems like at each conference a counselor tells a story about a dynamic and motivated student who has no real options for his or her educational future. I have my own story too--I work with an undocumented female student who recently graduated from Washington Irving High School. The student's mother sent her to the United States from Guyana when she was much younger because of an abusive situation at home. She has not seen her mother since she left the Guyana. By her senior year she discovered she would not be able to get any financial assistance to go to college because of her illegal status. Because she lives with a family that requires her to babysit to earn her "keep," she was unable to participate in many extracurricular and social activities during high school. Despite these obstacles, she is making the best of her situation and making her life in the United States work anyway she can. She has enrolled at a community college and is taking classes, and getting paid under the table to pay for it.
To top it all off, this girl is a sweetheart. She has made it her personal mission to help other struggling students at WIHS make their way to graduation and to college. She meets with students daily to check on their progress and identifies students that should be set up with mentors. Her work ethic and her character make me confident in her ability to thrive at a four year institution. Right now, it is unclear what will happen to her after she is done with her studies at the community college. Returning to Guyana would be devastating. Her life is here. Further, the expectations and rights of women in Guyana are far different than those in the United States. For her sake, I wish the DreamAct had been passed a long time ago.
She is not a rare case-- all over the country, young and motivated students face this challenge. In some areas of the country, the problem much is worse. In New York (and in nine other states), undocumented students can at least can qualify for in-state tuition. In other states, public universities charge undocumented students out-of-state tuition. In a world where college costs are rapidly increasing, this leaves many bright students in a very bad spot. The DreamAct would make undocumented students eligible for federal financial aid and in-state tuition.
US Immigration policy is far from perfect, but the DreamACT is one step in the right direction. There is still a lot of work to be done, but children should not be held responsible for their parents' illegal activities. Many students came here at such a young age that they consider the United States their home. I'm still hoping for the best, and I know thousands of undocumented students are too.
_________________________________________________________________________________
When I've discussed the DreamAct with friends, I have noticed that there is a lot of confusion and misconceptions about what the act entails. I've listed some information and links below for your benefit:
1) Children must have arrived to the United States before age 16 and have lived here for five years. Its not just anyone who has lived here for five years. These are children who came here through no choice of their own. At the time of it's enactment, people applying for a path to citizenship through the DreamAct must be under 30 years old.
2) The act does not provide citizenship, but does provide a path to citizenship. Students are granted legal residency status for six years. Within those six years, a person must complete four years at an institution of higher learning or spend two years serving in the military (and must receive an honorable discharge upon the two years completion).
3) They must have a "Good Moral Character." This means that rights given by the DreamAct can also be taken away.
For More Information on the Dream Act
- http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/12/dream_act_fact_sheet.html
- http://www.economist.com/node/17575113
- http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703572404575635202343271966.html?mod=wsj_share_twitter
- http://www.micevhill.com/home_december_2010.php#significant_changes_made_in_senate_to_dream_act
- http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/colin-powell-endorses-military-service-as-road-to-927357.html
- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/us/politics/01immig.html?_r=2&ref=education
Monday, November 8, 2010
What Does America Produce?
While I was in California visiting my brother on his show ControlTV, we took a tour of the Los Angeles area. During our tour, a few comments were made about what America 'produces' for the rest of the world. One producer argued that the US no longer produces the vast amount of tangible products that it used to-- a lot of that responsibility has been delegated to countries with massive populations like China, Indonesia, and India. The conversation turned to the idea that American entertainment was one of the last things the the United States produces for the rest of the world--and even Bollywood is threatening to usurp the popularity of Hollywood--Bollywood services the 1.2 billion people in India. There are only 300 million people in the US.
Initially, the conversation saddened me. It seemed to fit in with the media's apocalyptic forecasts of the United State's future. One of the most noticeable and prominent "products" America provides to the International community is Entertainment. My brother is a burgeoning starlet. I should be happy.
I think anyone would agree that they want to be part of a society that they believe has some sort of higher value beyond reality shows. We are operating in a huge deficit, where our debt is owned by Japan and China. Factory jobs have disappeared. So, are we making anything? What do we have to show for ourselves?
After some reflection and research, I have discovered that the this line of thinking (that America does not produce much beyond entertainment) is categorically incorrect. Hollywood is not the only major 'thing' being produced by America for the rest of the world. The United States is exporting more products than it ever has in the past. The illusion that we are no longer on top is created by the fact that most of product manufacturing has been mechanized. The more machines we have, the less people we need. Therefore we begin to believe that manufacturing in the US has subsided.
To this day, the United States still has the largest manufacturing output of any country in the world. A quick Wikipedia search tells me that "The United States is the world's largest manufacturer, with a 2007 industrial output of US$2.69 trillion. In 2008, its manufacturing output was greater than that of the manufacturing output of China, India, and Brazil combined, despite manufacturing being a very small portion of the entire US economy as compared to most other countries." Our agribusiness is huge-- we control half of the world's grain exports.
Additionally, the US's Medical and Technological innovations surpass every developed country.These ideas are exported throughout the world in the form of medicine for people with a host of illnesses, aerospace technology, and let's not forget--social networking websites.
Another important point--even though the United States delegated a lot of its production to other countries, the products are still inherently American. For example, Ralph Lauren produces its clothing in China, but Ralph Lauren is an American company. The fact that products are made elsewhere does not mean we don't have claim to take credit for the brand. There is no doubt that people around the world gravitate towards American clothing brands.
It is important to not confuse production with lack of jobs, trade deficits, and recessions. In terms of making "stuff", we are still leading the way. We don't exist only for entertainment's sake.
More Reading:
An interesting article on perceptions of the US in Europe:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124534162608828017.html
Initially, the conversation saddened me. It seemed to fit in with the media's apocalyptic forecasts of the United State's future. One of the most noticeable and prominent "products" America provides to the International community is Entertainment. My brother is a burgeoning starlet. I should be happy.
I think anyone would agree that they want to be part of a society that they believe has some sort of higher value beyond reality shows. We are operating in a huge deficit, where our debt is owned by Japan and China. Factory jobs have disappeared. So, are we making anything? What do we have to show for ourselves?
After some reflection and research, I have discovered that the this line of thinking (that America does not produce much beyond entertainment) is categorically incorrect. Hollywood is not the only major 'thing' being produced by America for the rest of the world. The United States is exporting more products than it ever has in the past. The illusion that we are no longer on top is created by the fact that most of product manufacturing has been mechanized. The more machines we have, the less people we need. Therefore we begin to believe that manufacturing in the US has subsided.
To this day, the United States still has the largest manufacturing output of any country in the world. A quick Wikipedia search tells me that "The United States is the world's largest manufacturer, with a 2007 industrial output of US$2.69 trillion. In 2008, its manufacturing output was greater than that of the manufacturing output of China, India, and Brazil combined, despite manufacturing being a very small portion of the entire US economy as compared to most other countries." Our agribusiness is huge-- we control half of the world's grain exports.
Additionally, the US's Medical and Technological innovations surpass every developed country.These ideas are exported throughout the world in the form of medicine for people with a host of illnesses, aerospace technology, and let's not forget--social networking websites.
Another important point--even though the United States delegated a lot of its production to other countries, the products are still inherently American. For example, Ralph Lauren produces its clothing in China, but Ralph Lauren is an American company. The fact that products are made elsewhere does not mean we don't have claim to take credit for the brand. There is no doubt that people around the world gravitate towards American clothing brands.
It is important to not confuse production with lack of jobs, trade deficits, and recessions. In terms of making "stuff", we are still leading the way. We don't exist only for entertainment's sake.
More Reading:
An interesting article on perceptions of the US in Europe:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124534162608828017.html
Sunday, November 7, 2010
How Real is Reality Televison?--By Josh Couvares
** This is a guest post from my brother Josh. This article was first published in October in The Harbinger, Manchester High School's student newspaper. Josh is 17 and a Senior at Manchester High School and the Forum Editor for the paper. These are his opinions, and not necessarily mine!**
Today's networks are dominated by reality television. Some families are even willing to create elaborate hoaxes about their six year old child in a hot air balloon just to be on a reality television show. But is reality television really as real as the viewers may think it is?
Most people would agree that it certainly doesn't realistically portray the rather dull and monotonous life that many of us feel we lead on a day to day basis. If the average person went to live in a house with seven strangers for several months, such as they do on they do on MTV's "the Real World," there probably wouldn't be too much excitement.
Ray Richmond, television critic for the Hollywood Reporter, in a comment about "The Real World," stated, "While 'The Real World' isn't fully scripted, participates have maintained that there was meddling by producers--denied by all involved -- to stir the pot and ratchet up soapy conflict." This only proves our suspicions about reality shows. Someone must be tampering with them because actual people don't actually act like the ones on some reality shows.
J. Rupert Thompson, the director and producer of "Big Brother" and "Fear Factor" among others, also believes that there is something very unreal in reality shows. "Certainly, reality TV is a very manipulated format where the basis of it that real people are put into unreal situations to create a story," Thompson explained.
My brother recently told me he was going to e on a reality show and I couldn't help but feel like he was making a big mistake. I was afraid that he might be manipulated and worked into a frenzy in order to make the show more dramatic, or that the show may give an unrealistic portrayal of his character. Luckily, this revolutionary show that he is the subject of, ControlTV , is nothing like any other reality show ever before. It may be the most real reality show.
On October 6th ControlTV created a brand new type of reality show that innovated the reality show genre and made it more realistic than ever before. On other reality shows, the audience may wonder what is happening off camera that they cannot see. However, there is no such concern about ControlTV. Unlike other show before it, where the contents of a week are edited down to half an hour, putting the editors in charge of showing what they want to show, this show is streamed live from the Internet 24 hours a day focusing on the life of one subject. The subject of ControlTV is Manchester High School alumnus, and my brother, Tristan Couvares. Because the show is streamed live every second of the day, except for the times it is experiencing technical difficulties, it gives a very realistic portray of the life of the subject, Tristan. There is no suspicion of producers meddling with his life because the audience can observe what is going on all the time.
What also makes this unique is that the audience can vote on aspects of Tristan's life. For example, the first vote on the show on the morning of October 6th was "How should we wake up Tristan?" The audience the voted from the three choices, crowning "Mariachi Band" as the winner. Then, and actual Mariachi Band entered Tristan's apartment and started playing.
There are down sides to this brand new show. A majority of the time viewers will find themselves watching Tristan doing mundane day to day activities, such as eating or sleeping. Nothing will make someone feel creepier than watching a man on the Internet sleeping. Also, Tristan is not allowed to go anywhere without a camera crew, which impedes his daily activities. Many time he cannot leave the house because the camera crew is unable to go with him.
Despite the bad qualities that the show possesses, it certainly is a very ambitious undertaking. For better or for worse, reality television will mark a new age of reality shows. Finally there will be actual "real" reality television, even to the point of monotony. For anyone who wished to see the show themselves, please visit www.controltv.com.
(Josh)
Today's networks are dominated by reality television. Some families are even willing to create elaborate hoaxes about their six year old child in a hot air balloon just to be on a reality television show. But is reality television really as real as the viewers may think it is?
Most people would agree that it certainly doesn't realistically portray the rather dull and monotonous life that many of us feel we lead on a day to day basis. If the average person went to live in a house with seven strangers for several months, such as they do on they do on MTV's "the Real World," there probably wouldn't be too much excitement.
Ray Richmond, television critic for the Hollywood Reporter, in a comment about "The Real World," stated, "While 'The Real World' isn't fully scripted, participates have maintained that there was meddling by producers--denied by all involved -- to stir the pot and ratchet up soapy conflict." This only proves our suspicions about reality shows. Someone must be tampering with them because actual people don't actually act like the ones on some reality shows.
J. Rupert Thompson, the director and producer of "Big Brother" and "Fear Factor" among others, also believes that there is something very unreal in reality shows. "Certainly, reality TV is a very manipulated format where the basis of it that real people are put into unreal situations to create a story," Thompson explained.
My brother recently told me he was going to e on a reality show and I couldn't help but feel like he was making a big mistake. I was afraid that he might be manipulated and worked into a frenzy in order to make the show more dramatic, or that the show may give an unrealistic portrayal of his character. Luckily, this revolutionary show that he is the subject of, ControlTV , is nothing like any other reality show ever before. It may be the most real reality show.
On October 6th ControlTV created a brand new type of reality show that innovated the reality show genre and made it more realistic than ever before. On other reality shows, the audience may wonder what is happening off camera that they cannot see. However, there is no such concern about ControlTV. Unlike other show before it, where the contents of a week are edited down to half an hour, putting the editors in charge of showing what they want to show, this show is streamed live from the Internet 24 hours a day focusing on the life of one subject. The subject of ControlTV is Manchester High School alumnus, and my brother, Tristan Couvares. Because the show is streamed live every second of the day, except for the times it is experiencing technical difficulties, it gives a very realistic portray of the life of the subject, Tristan. There is no suspicion of producers meddling with his life because the audience can observe what is going on all the time.
What also makes this unique is that the audience can vote on aspects of Tristan's life. For example, the first vote on the show on the morning of October 6th was "How should we wake up Tristan?" The audience the voted from the three choices, crowning "Mariachi Band" as the winner. Then, and actual Mariachi Band entered Tristan's apartment and started playing.
There are down sides to this brand new show. A majority of the time viewers will find themselves watching Tristan doing mundane day to day activities, such as eating or sleeping. Nothing will make someone feel creepier than watching a man on the Internet sleeping. Also, Tristan is not allowed to go anywhere without a camera crew, which impedes his daily activities. Many time he cannot leave the house because the camera crew is unable to go with him.
Despite the bad qualities that the show possesses, it certainly is a very ambitious undertaking. For better or for worse, reality television will mark a new age of reality shows. Finally there will be actual "real" reality television, even to the point of monotony. For anyone who wished to see the show themselves, please visit www.controltv.com.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Control
In the past week after ControlTV announced that my brother would be its star, I have been Googling and Twitter searching this topic obsessively. Tristan Couvares will be the focal point of an online social experiment where he'll be on air for the majority of the day and the audience will make his decisions for him (i.e., what he should eat, who he should date, what he should wear, etc). A lot of people think that the idea is crazy. They are afraid for my brother and think this is utterly foolish. They could never imagine being told what to do. It's just horrific, right? When my brother called me recently, he asked me on a scale of 1-10 how crazy he was. I gave him a 6.7, he gave himself a 9.5.
I think both my brother's concerns and people's concerns in general about being controlled are a bit overly dramatic. When you think about it, most of our lives are controlled in someway or another already. We are controlled by our jobs, our family obligations and our basic needs. Most of us do not consider on a daily basis how many decisions are already made for us. Even those of us with out any "real" obligations (ie, those of us who are old enough to be living on our own and still young enough to have no real responsibility-- or "20-somethings") are still held hostage by our fundamental needs. In America, we treasure the illusion of freedom. Everyday I get up and go to work. I work until around 5:30 or later, and I come home. A lot of people do this and more. If I don't do this, I can't pay my rent, I can't pay my student loans back, and I can't eat. There is very little choice in the matter of whether or not to go to work (at least on most days). There is not that much choice in what I eat or wear (it really depends on whats clean and what I have in the fridge). These daily choices are really not the existential crisis that some critics are making it out to be.
Just as I made a choice to take the job I have now (and made the choice to go to college, accumulate debt, and live in New York City), Tristan has voluntarily signed on to this social experiment. He placed himself in this framework. The difference between me and him, though, is that my daily choices are assumed and I don't really critically think about them. His "choices" will be more obviously be more pronounced. These major choices we make (our jobs, our relationships, etc.) dictate what we end up not actively choosing on a daily basis.
Tristan is certainly no stranger to life events that are beyond his control. In fact, his experiences have probably made him more willing to take control of his own life than most of us are willing to do. Yes, he'll have to do what the audience tells him for six weeks, but this isn't like he is entering into some sort of indentured servitude similar what they have in present day Pakistan and India or accidentally find himself the midst of a rape frenzy in the Congo. Anyone can read the news any day and find hundreds of examples of people with far less choices and control in life than Tristan. Many people do not have the same liberties we have, and I think it's important that we remember that. You'll be able to chose who he dates and what he eats, not whether or not he lives or dies.
Go here to see a short video of Tristan:
http://news.tubefilter.tv/2010/10/05/qa-seth-green-on-his-24-hour-live-interactive-reality-experiment-controltv/
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