School

School.... What is it good for?

It's hard for me to talk about this topic without stressing that I am in no way an exceptional student. It could be due to my lack of hard work in my younger years or just the sheer fact that I am a sub-par test taker. Be what it may, all in all I am not a model student... now, that's not to say that I am not an intellectual, but rather I'm a student of life not a student of the education system.  

In a society that puts such a huge importance on GPA's and test scores, I feel as though I might as well call myself a failure. But why do we put so much importance on scores? Why don't we see the importance of discussion or creativity? I've been tossing this question around in my head and just can't seem to discover the reason. So, I turned to the internet and I guess I'm not the only one who has questioned the educational system. The question that seemed to come up the most, is "Do Employers really care about grades?", this question sparked a huge debate on Harvard's campus when the question "Do inflated grades help students get jobs?" was posted in Harvard's famous newspaper "The Crimson". In short, the answer was yes, grades do matter, and I see no reason why they would not be. They are (according to social norms)the measure of one's intelligence or by definition "a particular level of rank, quality, proficiency, intensity, or value". 

However, in 2013 Forbes Magazine published an article with a somewhat different perspective. In this article (see link below),Susan Adams talks to many school officials about their opinions on grades and the workforce. Trudy Steinfeld, Head of Career Services at NYU, states, "The companies that care the most about grades are investment banks, professional service firms like Ernst & Young and pharmaceutical companies".  All of this is completely understandable because the need for a veritable understanding of these fields is extremely necessary. Unlike pharmaceuticals, where if you don't know what is right and wrong (In terms of doses) you can take someone's life, investment banking is an entirely different game. My father has been on Wall Street for a little over 20 years and recently told me a story about a kid out of Harvard with a Double Major in Business who came in for an interview. The Harvard grad came in and sat down for an interview with my father and almost immediately my father knew Mr. Harvard was not cut out for the job. Sure, he was extremely qualified for the job intellectually, but he lacked the social skills to make it in the field of sales. My father got his undergraduate degree from the New York State University of Albany and a Law degree from Hofstra University and has become one of the most successful High yield bond salesmen on Wall street. This not to say that he was not a tremendous student, but his alma mater are not the most prestigious institutions.

I want to go back and take a little time to talk about my main concern with grades and the educational system: the common correlation with grades and intelligence. We, as Americans, put an extreme amount of importance on intelligence and its correlation to success. It's become common ground to believe that a student from Harvard will be much more successful than someone from Oregon University. Why is that? Why is it that we believe that someone that goes to a more advance higher education institution is going to become more successful? Is it because we think they are more intelligent (Possible), is it because we find them to be hardworking (Another great point), or is it just because we know we did not have the grades to get into that school and therefore they are smarter? Whatever the reason may be, we as humans believe that there is an intrinsic value in education and its role in shaping minds and intellectuals. 


I see this differently and I hope many of you do too. I recently stumbled upon a few interesting takes on the educational system and intelligence. One was a group of Ted talks with a Man named Ken Robinson (I won't try to explan them... they are really worth checking out... I'll add a link) and a Woman by the name of Beeban Kidron (I'll add her too). And then I came across a picture that changed my perception of everything and that is this    

Vital looks at Intelligence through a new lenses, unlike the social norm that says grades are the most tried and true from of knowing ones intelligence, he See intelligence as something entirely unique to each person. With each person being Intelligent in their own personal way. This is a beautiful way of looking at things, it allows for Intelligence to be seen at an entirely new and beautiful level. I might not be the smartest person in the world, but I don't need a paper telling me my intelligence level and I hope no one else does either. Never let anyone tell you your not good enough or smart enough, just go do you everyday. 

Signing off and always... 

"Family First"

LINK:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/12/06/do-employers-really-care-about-your-college-grades/ 

http://www.ted.com/speakers/sir_ken_robinson  

https://www.ted.com/talks/beeban_kidron_the_shared_wonder_of_film 

And the Winner is... Film!

So the Oscars were just under 2 weeks ago and I think it's a perfect time for a new post. The Oscars are one of my favorite nights of the year. It's a celebration of Hollywood, as the world outside of Hollywood perceives it. It's the one night where Hollywood is the center of the world. But I'm not here to talk about that (if you want to hear about that I recommend "And the Oscar Goes to"... It's on Netflix and it's exceptionally interesting). No, now it's time for me to let you into a part of my life that I've yet to delve into: my love for film.

We as a species have always told stories. From the cave paintings to the epic poems of Homer and so many more, stories have shaped how we as human beings express ourselves. But film is more then just stories, they are dreams, they are lessons, they are Art.

Films allow a person to free themselves from their inner thoughts for just a little amount of time. It's allows us to see into someone else's mind, to bring to life their dreams and visions. It can tell a story of a man who can't make new memories, or even a schizophrenic insomniac rebellion leader. Films have become the most cutting-edge and imperative way of story telling. I recently watched, for the 2nd time, Steven Spielberg's Holocaust epic, Schindler's List, a film many believe to be the most important film ever made. This film, unlike anything I've ever encountered, made me understand the pain and misery that millions of people had to go through. This is what drew me to film; the ability, through story telling, to elicit emotions that someone can either relate to or empathize with.    

There are a few films that have impacted my life in such a way. Some have made me realize that my calling is film, while others have taught me life lessons. They taught me how to act on a date, or in a big meeting. They taught me how to be ok with myself and that sometimes life is not so easy. Film has been my best friend, my teacher, and most of all it has been my storyteller.

So the Oscars goes to...... Hollywood (Now take Bow) 

Valentines Day

What's Love Got To Do With it?

I always found Valentine's Day to be one of those truly unnecessary 'holidays'. Now, this might not come as a shock to you, but on this particular Valentine's Day I happen to find myself alone(so I might be just a bit biased), But nevertheless I've never found Valentine's Day to be a true representation of what we think of as love.

Now I know you all have heard the term "Hallmark holiday" and, really, is that not exactly what Valentine's Day is? There's no history behind this day,there is no reason for the 14th of February to be a special day or a day of love but every year when February 14th hits we all seem to scramble around finding flowers and chocolates to make not only the one we care about feel wanted, but, to also make ourselves feel like a good person, ammiright? Now This might only be me, but Valentine's Day is a cheap way of showing love. See I'm the type of guy who goes out and pick up flowers for a Tuesday night date with this girl i've been seeing for a few weeks, Some may find that weird or out of the norm, but flowers are a great way to express you're interested in somebody. Girls remember flowers, I don't know what it is about them, honestly they may my eyes tear and nose itch, but all girls Will remember a guy that gives them flowers (Trust me). 

Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Valentine's Day, I don't find it to be dumb in any way, but cliché? Yes. Love is a beautiful everlasting bond and to take only one day to celebrate it isn't love. Loves swells and shrinks every day it's like a wild roller coaster and you know what, sometimes you might just get sick of it, but there are those rare few occasions when you just come out of that corkscrew and you feel butterflies in your stomach and you feel smile on your face and you know that's a ride worth staying on. 

My family is unique breed of people, we all just seem to not be completely....there, we have flaws and we embrace them and at the day we're perfectly imperfect and we accept each other for that. That's love. being able to, against all odds, love somebody for being imperfect, rather than for the flowers or chocolates they got you.

So I'm going to leave you with a request: go to your contacts right now, and stroll through till you find a name of someone who you think knows you best, the person whose seen not only the best side of you, but also the worst. When you find that person give them a call.

So let me just take a minute to thank my Family. You're everything in the world to me and more, your my past my present and my future and I'm thankful everyday for that. I Love You Guys. Happy Valentines Day.

Sunglasses

Sunglass Nut:

Sunglasses. From Hipsters to High Society, from Athletes to Assholes, there are sunglasses for everyone on the spectrum. I;m not going to talk about real proscription glasses (I'll have that for another day) but I'm going to lay down some rules for Sunglasses:

1. Face Shape is everything in making your choice: Glasses fit a face shape and you should find out yours before you go out to scoop up a pair: (Try http://www.evo.com/how-to-find-the-sunglasses-style-fit-your-face-shape.aspx ) 

2. Big Brands are big for a reason... They make great stuff, but don't be afraid to try something new and off brand (Check out http://www.asos.com/men/sunglasses/cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=6519&via=top)

3. In the words of Larry David, "Only two types of two people wear sunglasses inside blind people and assholes" Now i'm not going to say that I am completely without guilt sometimes my friend Jack Daniels can be a real bitch in the morning. But do whatever you can  to avoid wearing glasses inside. Unless your Marcello Mastroianni.

4. Marcello Mastroianni is the perfect illustration Glasses are an extension of a person, while also being a reflection of their personalty,  

5. Now the age old question of "Can I wear my sunglasses at night" (Shout out to Corey Hart),Similar to 'inside situation' (see above), sunglasses are an accessory, although, they should be only worn in the daylight.Wearing glasses at night is not the end of the world (although, you might get some shitty looks)… sometimes you just gotta block out those haters.

So I'll leave y'all with this in mind, Sunglasses are always a great addition to a look, But the difference between the right ones and the wrong ones go a really long way. So follow these rules and wear them with pride cause at the end of the day you get what you put out. 

My First Post

Suit Game:



Always wanted to start my own blog and really I'm shocked it took so long. There's no time like the present eh? 

So I thought I'd start with one of my favorite things in the entire world: Suits (No not the show).


From Day-wear to formal ware and everywhere in between, Suits are a must. They give you a swagger boast like no other type of clothing can really come close to. Now I'm not going to give you types for  to wear or anything like that (I'll leave that to GQ), but I will give you my little spiel about them.

Here is a perfect example of why "Boys" are so hesitant to to throw on a suit. I say Boys because I really believe you don't become a man till you can wake up and decide to throw on a suit for an 11:30 lecture or that Saturday early dinner/late lunch (dunce one may say)with that girl you've been trying too spend some time with these past 6 months and not feel like you need to rationalize why you chose to do so. Now by no means am I saying you should wear a suit everyday, but a suit once every week or two does not hurt anyone.

Now I know people are going to say "Suits don't grow on trees ya know" To which I'll say "Thanks Dad, but there are plenty of ways to find a suit on the cheep side". Now I know a Giorgio Armani Suit is beautiful, but lets keep that for these formal or "Blue Moon" nights. What is hot right now is the vintage look; Elbow patches and Overalls is the trick and where else is better for that classic look then a thrift shop or resale rack? 

Last week I was feeling a bit down in the dumps, and I'm a firm believer that when you look good you feel good, so I thought I'd run to my nearest Resale location a see what I can find. After a few unsuccessful attempts with some overalls, I spotted the suit section, and there staring me in the face was a charcoal tweed jacket with elbow patches.... JACKPOT! I hurried over and checked the size, I was in luck, I look at the price tag $12, I think to myself "Well that's Reasonable", so I scoop it up, but not before I throw on the pants and see how they look. I zip up tuck in and take a look.... Beautiful! I cop, I head out and I'm feeling great. So why did why tell this story, cause honestly there's always a place and a price to get you Swagger down pat. 

So I'm going to leave you with this -- a suit is never out of style, and I know you might get a funny look or two, but keep you eyes forward cause a good suit can take you a long way. So dress like you'll meet the love of your life and know that "Haters Gonna hate".