Emotions

Emotions are something that’s both good and bad for humans.  It can get us into trouble but at the same time it’s what makes us human.  Any time there’s someone oppressing people they constantly try to suppress emotions.  A life without emotions is no life at all.  Sometimes they can ruin people but without them what is life all about?  They make us do things that don’t necessarily make sense but we do it because we feel that’s important and what we need to do.  The book 1984 by George Orwell portrays emotions very well.  The protagonist, Winston Smith, falls in love with a girl named Julia and they become lovers in the state of Oceania where any and all emotion is oppressed to make people less human.  They both know that their actions and feelings will get them into terrible trouble if they’re caught but they do it anyways because it makes them feel alive.  One of the major themes of the story is oppression of emotion.  Emotions cause us to do things that don’t make sense and in extreme cases can kill us, but it’s what makes us human.  Emotions are the difference between humans and machines.  We can’t make sense of how we feel or why we feel sometimes but that’s okay, because then we know we’re only human.

Motivation

Motivation is one of those things where everybody knows it exists but not everybody has it.  People with motivation to complete their goals are a force to be reckoned with.  While many people think that motivation is something like getting up in the morning, and while they’re not entirely wrong it generally has more of a bigger picture kind of tone.  Motivation is wanting to use the skill set and gifts you’ve acquired in your life to do something meaningful, it’s what stands between success and failure.  A good many men have been motivated to complete their goals for better or for worse.  Mahatma Gandhi had an indomitable will because he was motivated to make the world a better place through peace, not through hate and violence.  Adolf Hitler on the other hand was motivated to kill millions of people by using his voice and ruthlessness.  A motivated person can do whatever they want.

“What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?”

Frankenstein Shelley 9

Victor Frankenstein was motivated to make life from death and he succeeded, for better or for worse.  He made a literal monster and it changed his life.  Frankenstein had his motivation to create something from nothing, to play God.  He bridged the gap between God and Man, with the creature being in the middle of it.  His motivation and determination were something of a legend, if he hadn’t been so invested and obsessed with his work would he have been able to create life?  Although he did this, it also begs the question of whether he was motivated or obsessed.  There is a fine line between motivation/determination and obsession.  Obsession means there’s no line that’s too far, that completing the goal at whatever the cost is normal.  Motivation means there are lines that can be crossed and morals are still intact.  Victor was the product of motivation going too far, becoming his life, rather than a goal.

Fate vs. Destiny

There’s always been a fight over philosophers whether we have a fate or destiny.  Whether we’re on a set path of things that will happen no matter what we do or if we shape our own future and we do it with no knowledge of our future.  Many people in the Christian faith believe that God has a set path for us and there’s not much we can do because He’s an all powerful being with omniscience and omnipresence so there’s no way to change the future because He knows the future.  There’s also people in the Buddhist religion that believe our actions directly influence our future and rebirth.  The movie Forrest Gump tackles this idea in a unique way by portraying the ideals within two characters.  The famous, “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get,” line spoken by Mrs. Gump (Forrest’s mother) takes her view that nothing is set before you, you just have to use what’s given to you.  Lieutenant Dan Taylor was Forrest Gump’s commanding officer in the Vietnam War and has his legs severely injured then requiring amputation from the knee down.  There’s a scene where he pulls Forrest down in the middle of the night yelling at him saying “we all have a destiny, nothing just happens, it’s all part of a plan!”  Lieutenant Dan believes that every man has a set plan of things.  He realized that his plan was not to die with his men but instead to remain alive.

One of the most heart wrenching scenes in the movie are when Forrest looks down upon Jenny’s grave and has a monologue about which person’s ideal was correct.  He decides it’s a little bit of both.  There are set events but you’re still able to change some things in your future.  There will always be debates about which idea is correct but nobody will ever know.  It’s only which one gives you the most solace in life and makes the most sense.

How to Pay for College

College debt is a very serious issue in America.  Education can cost mountains of money and it can make it very hard for families and the student.  However, there is one solution: bank robbery.  Bank robbery is an effective and harmless way to get money for college.  If you’re willing to put in the effort to rob a bank then you could effectively pay for most of you or your child’s education and maybe have a little extra money for yourself.  The key to success is to rob the bank then return into the shadows and lead a normal life.  Robbing banks have about a 46% success rate, unless you follow our lead.  All you need to rob a bank is just follow these 5 easy steps:

1. Scout the place beforehand to see the security and good enter/exit points.
2. Find the proper time to engage.  
3. Acquire the proper tools.  
4. Get a good and trustworthy team.  
5. Then pull the heist.  

Benjamin Franklin once said, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail” and there is no exception in bank robbery.  Finding proper enter and exit points is crucial along with knowing how the police respond to a robbery is crucial in your planning phase.  It will dictate the best way to perform the robbery and what kind of crew is needed.  

Although finding a proper time to engage can be part of scouting but it is actually it’s own step.  Whether you’re going to rob a bank, seize an armored car, or steal jewelry finding the right time to strike is absolutely vital in having a successful heist.  

Acquiring the proper tools can be somewhat problematic for some items, namely weapons.  The list that will be given in this article will be purposefully vague because each heist is different and will need it’s own specific tools.  

1. Vehicle
   1. The vehicle should be something relatively quick if outrunning the police is necessary but it shouldn’t draw attention.  Try to stick with a more neutral color and a quieter and less obvious vehicle.  
2. Bags
   1. This is relatively simple but it should be some form of waterproof on the inside in the case an ink pouch explodes it won’t get any on the crew or vehicle.  
3. Masks
   1. Simple is better, ski masks or matching halloween masks will suffice just fine.  Look organized and it will strike fear into your enemies.  
4. Weapons
   1. It can be dangerous to bring weapons because of the charges involved if you are caught.  Using a smaller caliber weapon and one that’s untraceable is preferable.  
5. Accessories
   1. Accessories can range from bombs to tape.  Accessories are whatever the job specifically requires

Getting a good team is the difference between success and failure.  It needs to be people you trust, people that have similar goals as you, and somebody that’s not too expensive.  Paying a good crew member is something you really shouldn’t get cheaply.  This is the difference between college being paid for and jail time.  Also remember to get people with the right skills (safe cracking, driving, enforcement, and laundering).  

Pulling the heist is what it all comes down to, this is where all of your planning and time spent on the heist comes to fruition in either success or failure.  This is where you realize if you’ve covered all your bases and will complete the task at hand.  The important part of this task is that it’s necessary to be precise, blunt, and make sure everybody knows exactly what to do.  

After the job is finished, you should have enough money to pay for college for yourself or another.  The reason bank robbery is necessary is because normal things like student loans, scholarships, and grants do just about nothing.  Even if you work hard and try your best you’ll still be stuck in mountains of debt and no hope of ever getting to the peak.  Bank robbery is just about the only thing to do because the other help doesn’t do anything.  Even FAFSA doesn’t do anything to help people with college, so why work hard for years to pay for yourself and possibly a child when you can just take it from other people?  Hopefully this guide has helped you achieve the necessary skills and planning to help yourself pay for college.  

Maturity

What can measure someone’s maturity? Maturity is something that can show how people act when making decisions or how many risks they take.  Are they more impulsive or do they take time to make a well-informed decision?  Many experts need to measure maturity for use in legal circumstances such as sentencing.  March 1st, 2005 the Supreme Court ruled that anybody given the death sentence for a crime they committed under the age of 18 would be pardoned of that sentence due to lack of maturity.  Many experts use questionnaires that people must answer to show how much they think before they act.  The real question is how do regular people measure maturity?  Most people base it on how responsible a person is, how they treat other people, and how they act.  It is generally related to someone’s age.  While this can give someone an idea of how mature another is, the best and only way is to get to know someone yourself.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2005/03/how_do_shrinks_measure_maturity.html

Hamlet: Crazy or Poser?

Throughout Shakespeare’s Hamlet the young prince struggles with his sanity and eventually gets eaten up by his own act of madness.  During the beginning of the play he wishes that he could cease to exist because of his depression.  He witnesses other actors being very passionate about their roles and wonders why he is not so passionate about his acting.  Throughout the play Hamlet exhibits signs of manic depression by expressing suicidal thoughts then being very energetic and happy.  

Hamlet has a very important soliloquy in the beginning of act one, scene two spoken by Hamlet himself.  King Hamlet had passed, “But two months dead-nay, not so much, two” (1.2 139) ago and the death was still very much affecting the young prince.  After his mother and uncle/father had been lecturing him putting down his sadness he was toying with the idea of suicide in the way, “that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew” (1.2 129).  Needless to say, “depression carries a high risk of suicide,” (WebMD Depression Guide) and Hamlet very much displays thoughts of suicide.  Hamlet displays these signs of depression but also has some very manic moments throughout the play.  

Shakespeare’s Hamlet has some very interesting scenes displaying Hamlet’s energetic, clever, and loud personality (very well displayed by Kenneth Branagh).  He has certain scenes where he seems almost too happy, he acts as if the best things in the world are happening.  Hamlet often talks to Polonius in a way that’s very energetic.  While it’s hard to see this while reading script, the movie directed by Kenneth Branagh in 1996 shows his manic episodes very well.  Hamlet is often characterized as being full of emotion and always having some little remark directed at someone.  

After Hamlet decides to act crazy in the beginning of the play he hears of some actors called the Players are coming to his kingdom.  He asks one of the more elder actors to perform a scene about King Priam’s murder.  The player acts on how Priam’s wife, Hecuba was paralyzed with fear and wonders how he had, “a broken voice and his whole function suiting,” (2.2 515) about something that he didn’t actually care about beyond the play.  Hamlet was deeply affected by the fact that this actor could show so much emotion over something that doesn’t matter at all while he couldn’t really even get it up and step up to the plate.  He was struggling with his insanity from the first act of Hamlet and this scene puts the thought into his head that he needs to be crazy to act crazy.  Hamlet realized he was much like, “a whore, unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing,” (2.2 548-549).  

The main thing this play reminds me of is the AMC show Breaking Bad, about a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with cancer that starts cooking meth to help his family but gets carried away and eventually a lot of people die.  Hamlet is much like this in the way that he tries to do something good for the world and himself, ends up getting carried away and almost everybody dies.  Hamlet, of course, gets carried away in his “acts.”  Hamlet definitely had signs of bipolar disorder but still showed he had a clear head at times which begs the question: was he acting or actually crazy?  

Friendship

Friendship is a very important aspect of any persons life.  It keeps us sane and makes sure we do the right thing, usually.  Having friends and maintaining friendship is by no means easy, but worth it.  I know I’ve had many friendships fall through, die out, or be cut off for whatever reason and it’s tragic, but sometimes needed.  While having friends that help you and care about you is a big deal, they may be holding you back.  Friendships are very important do not get me wrong, but nothing is more important than my own well being.  There have been some tough times that I would not have been able to get through had it not been for my friends.  If you think about it, all great stories have some aspect of friendship.  Star Wars has Han, Luke, and Lea, Lord of the Rings has Frodo and Sam, and last but not least, Star Trek has Kirk, Spock, and Bones.  All of those hero successes are because they had their friends undying loyalty to the end.

Replacement

Hamlet is a story written by William Shakespeare a long, long time ago.  It starts out with the titular protagonist Hamlet at his mother and uncle’s wedding.  Hamlet’s father had passed away not even 2 months before this wedding and he was severely distraught from the death of his father.  So much so, that he would openly wear black at a wedding and be openly rude to his uncle/step father.  He later went on to compare his father to a god and his step father to an animal.  Hamlet couldn’t see anybody replace his father, ever.  There may have been people to come close to his father’s rule, but no one can truly replace him.  Similar to replacing loved ones.  There’s plenty of fish in the sea and plenty of people to choose from but no one is exactly the same.  There’s no such thing as truly replacing a person.  You can always get a replacement phone or car or object, but never a person.  There isn’t really a push for people to realize this either.  I consistently see stuff on the internet of people trying to make everything meaningful but not very often someone saying to treasure the ones close to you even though it can feel weird.  I can guarantee they will be happy you were kind to them.  It would be a rewarding experience.

Overconfidence

Overconfidence is one of the biggest flaws of humans.  We always manage to think we are better than we are based on our possessions or accomplishments.  Failing to realize you’re just a fragile human that can be killed or hurt just like everybody else can do the most harm to people.  Most of the time when you see a powerful person beaten by someone of lesser or equal power the loser was overconfident in their abilities.  There can be times when a small burst of overconfidence in certain situations can be a good thing.  Being overconfident in social settings can be a plus in conversations with others.  Leaders that are overconfident often lose their power and/or subjects due to being stupid.  If more people gave half a second to think realistically about what they do and say the world would be a better place.  Nobody likes a really cocky guy that thinks he’s better than everyone else.  It’s a tragic flaw in most stories.  Even the stories with protagonist that are overconfident they usually die.  Take Walter White from the AMC show Breaking Bad for example, he was an old high school chemistry teacher dying of lung cancer.  Not exactly a confidence boost.  Eventually he gets what’s coming to him by being overconfident in his relationships with others and his genius.  He is a frail old man with no physical attributes yet he somehow has confidence that he will win.  This ends up being his downfall.  A similar situation takes place in the Shakespearian story Macbeth.  Macbeth is told that nobody born of a woman can kill him and that he won’t die until the forest comes to his castle.  He later finds out the prophecies are shams and he made some very bad decisions by thinking he couldn’t die.  Overall, overconfidence is definitely a bad thing in most situations and should be avoided at all costs.

Goals

I finished a book called The Great Gatsby the other day and it was simply fantastic.  It shows how love can screw you up and also how everybody has their problems with life.  There was one quote where Jay Gatsby looked at Daisy Buchanan and then knew that if he were to kiss her then all of his dreams would be consumed and “by her perishable breath.”  I believe this quote is just so great in the way that if you make a person your everything (and by everything I mean EVERYTHING) that it can ruin your whole life.  Gatsby spent the last five years of his life getting rich and smart for the one sole purpose of making Daisy his own.  He had become a bootlegger (and obviously became very wealthy from it) to make Daisy his girl.  This is simply insane to me that he would go through the trouble of breaking the law and lying about himself just fora woman he met once.  (Spoiler) Towards the end of the book after Gatsby had died, Gatsby’s father handed the narrator, Nick Carroway, a book that Gatsby had kept on his person that outlined his whole day.  He woke up at 6 am and would spend the whole day making his mind and body better.  He truly cared about making his mark on the world and making it a better place but he threw all of that away for Daisy.  Everybody has heard the phrase “love makes people do crazy things,” but I never really grasped how true that was until I had read this book.  

I also realized this book outlines how nobody is perfect.  Nick is the only person in the whole book that even seemed remotely close to being “normal” and you realized at the end of the book he’s an alcoholic in a mental hospital.  Everybody in the book has some very substantial flaws.  Gatsby was a criminal and a liar, Daisy didn’t care about anything, Tom was an abusive cheater, Myrtle was a cheater and a liar, Nick was an alcoholic, Mr. Wilson was driven mad, and almost everybody else was some sort of criminal, liar, and/or alcoholic.  I believe this is a very important piece of information from the book because in most stories there’s people that have strengths that can overpower their flaws while in this book it touches the reality that everybody has their flaws and they aren’t always outweighed by their goodness.  It also shows that in the roaring 20s that everything was surreal and yet at the same time as realistic as it gets.  Maybe the reason it seems so surreal in this book is because this book touches on reality so well that we et overwhelmed with reality setting into our minds.