Cynicism

Cynicism. What is it's purpose in our modern society? It can be both good and bad, but only in excess.  I have many people in my life that are cynical to the point of absurdity. There must be a balance, for everyone hates an optimist, but everyone hates a pessimist. 

Cynicism can be good.  In a day and age where so many things are faulty, such as invalid internet sources and facts, it is good to be a little cynical. It can save you a lot of time on research, or even save your life. In science, it's always very good to be cynical. In philosophy, there is also a place for cynicism.  But it's not necessarily called cynicism, but more of a questioning view on everything.  I think cynical people are halfway there, being that they question lots of things.  The problem is, they question, but look for the negative answer.  They need to think and live more objectively from negativity.  

Cynicism can also be very bad.  For starters, it can make you come across as a dick. If you're always questioning what people say or think, and assuming the worst, people are going to be annoyed, and you'll be trying to bring them down.  I know some very close people who are quite cynical.  Although these things can be overlooked, it can be hard to even hold a simple conversation with them. They come off as judgemental and very pessimistic.  

I do not think that I am a cynical person.  I'm actually a very cheerful person.  I do question lots of things, but I don't necessarily look for the negative answer. I like to think that everything has a positive outcome, but I'm also reasonable to understand that this isn't always the case.  I think if people understood this difference, it would make everyone a lot more pleasant to be around.

Black Friday on a Thursday?

The first large break of the school year, Thanksgiving, is always a special time for me. I typically eat Turkey and spend time at home catching up on sleep. Sometimes my uncle comes over, but for the most part it's very quite. We normally have one very large party with friends. One specific part of Thanksgiving as grown on me over the years, Black Friday. However, I feel like the concept of Black Friday has changed quite a bit over the years. 

When I first knew about Black Friday, Black Friday was actually on a Friday, as its name implies. The one big buy from black Friday that I've used is the current TV in the living room of my house. Although I don't remember the specific numbers, a lot of money was saved. However, now, prices have been dropping like crazy. A 4K TV with an even larger screen can be bought for the same price now. Back them, the idea of buying online for Black Friday was just emerging. My parents decided to order it online so they wouldn't have to wake up early in the morning or sleep over night. However, it turns out that even at 10AM, the TV we wanted was still in stock at the local Best Buy. For the next following years, Black Friday didn't play large part in my Thanksgiving. Last year, Black Friday was just a time to get clothing, specifically jackets and hoodies. 

This year, Black Friday has become a bigger part of my Thanksgiving. Contrary to it's name, Black Friday now starts on a Thursday, specifically around dinner time. And it ends on Saturday for some stores. This appears to take away some of the excitement and experience of sleeping over night or waking up super early for a product. However, for places like Hanover, I can see this as a reasonable change. Here, it can be far too cold at night for people to be spending hours waiting outside in the cold. Buying deals online also seems to be more popular now. Many of the deals found in stores can also be found online, which can reduce the rush and "panic." It reduces the stress while making the experience more enjoyable for those who want to go to stores. Many of the deals I saw can save a lot of money. This year I went to look around on Thursday evening, and I was surprised by how many people there were. The parking lot and stores were completely packed. And I've never seen paying lines so long. For the most part it was an enjoyable experience. I saw and talked with several friends there while looking around the store.

I have watched Black Friday evolve over the last several years. There are drawbacks and benefits to the recent changes. For the most part, I think the stores are just trying to change to the needs of the people to maximize profit. It's still a fun event, and I know I'll be looking forward to see what the coming Black Fridays have to offer.

Why Hoops

Basketball. A sport watched my millions of fans. I first get interested in basketball in 8th grade. Though seemly simply, it can actually be very complex. Not only is it a sport that I love to play, it’s also love to watch. I mainly focus on the nba, the greatest basketball association in the world.

There are multiple reasons why I love the sport of basketball (over others). Like many other sports, it’s a team sport. But because there are only five players per team at a time, I feel that each person has a greater role. Team chemistry plays a very large role in a successful team. There’s also plenty of action. A game can be picked up anytime and watch, but every second of the game is important. One can be doing other things and watching basketball in the background. It’s a fast paced game, unlike many other sports where scoring a goal times multiple minutes and sometimes hours. Each team also plays multiple games a year, 82 exactly. Because there are 30 teams in the nba, there are multiple games per day. If one follows multiple teams, nearly everyday will have a game that one is interested in. The play-offs are also really exciting, because there are multiple games per series, up to seven as a matter of fact. The great part about having multiple games and being fast paced is that there is always a chance for redemption. Even if a team is down 20, there is always a chance for the team to come back and win. If a team isn’t starting a season well, there are still many more games to make up. If a team is down a series, there are still several games to come back. One of the greatest games I watched was game 6 of the series between the Spurs and Heat in 2013 of the nba finals. Even though the Heat were down 6 with about 24 seconds to go in what would mean a loss for the series, they were able to come back in the mast few seconds and eventually win the series and title. You can never count a team out or game over unless it’s really over.

Although, each player as shared responsibilities, each person can still have individual jobs. To make a team great, each player has to do well in offense and defense. One can’t just switch out players every possession or stay on only one side of the court. Each person will either be praised or punished for their lack of skills on one side of the court. Within the five people on the court, each person plays a different position. Generally a taller, stronger players are on the inside getting rebounds and closer buckers, while smaller, more agile players are on the outside shooting the long ball or setting up shots for teammates. Every person has a specific role he/she plays on the team.

I also like basketball, because the people on the court for the most part have respectable lives. Most of them aren’t getting into large trouble or put in jail. The nba is very strong against these acts. They for the most part respect the rules. Even bad words put on twitter or complains about a referee, can cause a suspension. Thus I feel that nba players can solve as great role models for younger kids. Many players have great families and spend whatever time with their kids as they can. They do plenty of community service and don't just waste their money. To think that someone like LeBron James would use his money to help provide free scholarships to over 1000 people for college in the state he grew up in is incredible (especially considering that he had a very rough upbringing and probably would not have been able to afford college). Not only do nba players care about their responsibilities on the court, but they also pay attention to their life off the court.

Not only do I love the fast-paced team style of basketball, but I also greatly respect the on court and off court lives of players, acting as role models for children of the future. This is why I believe that basketball is a growing sport that will continue and greatly spread in the future.