Books, Books and More Books

Literacy is an appreciated subject. 

It is no surprise that even with the advent of the Internet, more formally, blog posting, e-mail, and e-readers like the Kindle, that literature published in book form is still wildly popular today. What makes books so consistently popular throughout the ages? 

To understand why books are so popular even today, you need to understand why the Internet, its collective predecessor in some of its functions, is so popular:

• With e-mail, you can send anyone a letter about any subject. Hence, spam advertisements.
• You can add a list of contacts for one-click e-mailing, and block troubling spammers and the like (see above).
• E-mail allows you to correct your own mistakes as you see them
• Typing is faster then writing by hand
• Fonts and sizes are usually readable in digital mail then by most people's handwriting
• You can format your e-mail and blogs for a smooth effect
• E-mail, as by its name, is almost instant communication between two or more parties; you would have to wait days, weeks or even months to receive a reply from a letter you sent to someone beforehand.

With e-mail as smooth and quick as it is then, we can easily see why people would prefer to use something as simple as e-mail for formal communication. Not only that, but you chat with someone (or more!) about whatever you want.

So-called "pen pals" as they've been termed over the last century or so, are no longer common place in the context the term is used: with e-mail, there is no use to write to someone formally. Hence the rise of "leetspeak", or, in one dialect of leetspeak, "13375p34k". E-mail is much quicker, so you spend less time trying to decipher what the other one is trying to say to you.

With the Internet though, all of a book's former uses and functions are usurped: taking books back to the only thing they were ever good for:  long and short-story fiction and non-fiction, poetry, and so forth. Why write a long-ass reply to someone in letter or book form when you can just e-mail or *shudders* "Tweet" them, right?

It is no surprise that with any popular medium then, that books cannot be overtaken in reading for pure enjoyment and, depending on what genre you prefer, exploring a world of science fiction, drama, mystery, or fantasy. We still see that books are still amazingly popular even with the rise of social networking in the past seven years with the popular Harry Potter series going up in sales when a new book was released. "The Deathly Hallows" sold 15 million copies in the first 24 hours within its release.

And it's not just Harry Potter helping children, teenagers and adults explore their fantasy worlds either. Book series like Twilight, Dan Brown's "Da Vinci" code and other books that have caused a cult following have also undoubtedly caused a rift in popular culture, with parodies, even more books, movies, parodies, blogs, and even whole websites dedicated to role-playing the characters in those books. Quite clearly, you can see that the Internet isn't the only medium with the power to change popular culture. Neither is music, incidentally.

But why are these books so popular? Why will they continue to be well into the next few decades, and perhaps centuries? It's all posited on a list of these prevailing factors:

• The introduction of books and other printed forms of communication into almost every society and culture. Books can be found literally [i]anywhere[/i] unlike the Internet.
• Books are cheap to reproduce for massive wholesale and mainstream marketing. (see above)
• Books employ a wide variety of literary perspectives, techniques, devices and genres that capture the reader's imagination, even in non-fiction type books, making the reader want more, if done well enough
• Books don't have to be limited to the broad categories of fiction or non-fiction. DIY books, recipe books, instruction manuals, handbooks, walk-through books for video-games and cheat-code books too.
• Books are small and tangible. Thus, they can be carried easily by the reader as a portable source of information (handbooks, recipe books, pamphlets, Bibles, etc.)
• No loading or wait times to see what happens next, of course
• Printed forms of communication, like books, are still popular in today's media. Newspapers, tabloids, magazines and other printed forms of communication are still popular for the above reasons, although one can argue that some of those forms of media are slowly being taken over by the Internet (not so much television).
• Books of all genres can be borrowed for free for a long period of time. All it takes is a small trip to the library. You have to pay to use the Internet for the same purposes, although it may still be seen as "cheap" to some (due to unlimited data plans for X dollars a month that ISP's offer. Regardless, you're still paying).
• The trees they are made from can be replanted and replanted to harvest more wood to convert into paper. There are trees that are replanted and harvested just for that purpose. See Dot 1. Although I imagine data is very cheap to produce on the Internet (purchase more data) considering the process is fairly simple.

Books have at least 6 of the characteristics that make it a book or another printed form of communication. The imagination is unlimited when aspiring to write a book or read a book for knowledge and/or entertainment, and the process towards producing and copying a book is very cheap for publishers. These two prevailing factors along with another 5 of the above points are what make books so popular today, in the face of emerging social media and other sources of information, and should continue well far into the future unless we experience a paper shortage (unlikely!).

As you can guess, I'm an avid reader of books (that I like to avidly read about). I almost never purchase my own books to read now. I borrow them from the library for 2-3 weeks for free. Not only that, but I can extend the amount of time I hold a book by renewing it, up to 3 times, for a grand total of 9 weeks, if there is no one else on the waiting list for that book. 9 weeks is more than enough to read any book unless you're reading and taking notes about the history of U.S. foreign relations (boring!).

If I'm ever late to return a book, I can choose to pay the fine now, or whenever the hell I want. Regardless, the fine is small. It usually never exceeds $2.00 for me (50 cents a day). So yeah, the library is awesome. I see no need to purchase a book unless its one I'll find myself reading over and over again in the future that also has people wanting to read it over and over in the future. With so much competition, instead of waiting weeks to months on end for a popular book, I think the best option is just to purchase that book online or from the bookstore and receive it overnight (and in mint condition!).

I always thought, before I had a library card, that you could only get the books you could see off the shelves. Was I wrong. Even local, publicly funded libraries like mine are a part of a network of other libraries that make up a municipal library system. This system can give you access to literally several tens of thousands of different books. You never borrow a book from exactly the same library if you are requesting it by computer. The book is found within its own shelves or borrowed from other libraries within that system.  Imagine a provincial or even national library system then!

As a bonus, this system can allow you to "hook up" your account to a wider range of books found in a network of university libraries - which give you plenty of material on advanced subjects instead of general information about a subject. If you yourself have a library card and actively borrow from the library myself, you probably know what I'm talking about and share my sentiments as well.

I find that I'm being quite an advocate for literacy and borrowing books to get information on subjects where you'd either have to pay online to read or order online to receive. Why wait to make money to purchase a book online, which in addition can take days or weeks to receive, when you can wait the same amount of time in a library system for the same book for free?! It's incredible! I appreciate some parts of the internet for getting my information, but in doing what they do, books can never really be beat. And by extension at that, libraries.

So yeah, books are awesome, and will always be here. Libraries are awesome and will always be here. Just my two cents on the whole thing.

Hope you enjoyed my insight...lol.

Remembering Our Fallen, Continuing Their Legacy

Two days ago, millions, if not tens of millions of people from around the world, have come together in remembrance of their respective country's fallen soldiers in World War I, II, The Korean War, Vietnam War, and current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For many, in all countries playing party to a war in some point of recent history, we have not come together as enemies borne from conflicting interests materialized in a war, but as people cut from the same cloth: expressing our sorrow over our loved and admired, awed over and appreciated, lost to us in a war.

One of the greatest honors we can think to even give our own boys (and girls) is our solemn remembrance of them.

For millions of Canadians outside their ranks, we too among us have an undying patriotism and valiance about  protecting our country for its own good. The motives behind each major war  after World War I involving us has been slightly different, but were fought for the collective interests of the Canadian people as a final defense and attack against oppression and persecution. As the United Kingdom granted us the ability to control our own foreign affairs after World War I, we could finally have a say in what we thought about defending our country.

To budding soldiers, the cause being fought for was not Canada, but rather the British Empire. Regardless, countless soldiers replied "Ready" after being called into combat. The primary goal of war may have been of an external entity, but the ulterior motive, our boys found, is for the protection of Canada as it was itself. This patriotism - not for protecting solely the interests of the British Empire but our own home and Native land, as we have come to term it, was the fuel for countless soldiers fighting for what they believed in: a safe, healthy and united Canada.

This goal was first met and evidently materialized in the valiant Canadian defense of Vimy Ridge on that fateful April day of 1917. This event marked the first time in which all four Canadian Corps fought together as one, cohesive unit drawn from troops from all over the country. That combined with the subsequent victory over the Germans, as a result of Canadian rendered battle tactics, gave us a huge source of burgeoning Canadian pride and won international respect for defeating such a strong enemy in our own right.

Even working together with British troops on that day, the vision was clear - we did not fight for some other countries interests, but for our own. Not only was our victory viewed as chiefly a Canadian achievement, it marked a turning point in the war - a tipping within our favor - for us Canadians - both on the battlefield and abroad in our homeland, where, to any patriotic Canadian, it is not enough for them to simply believe, but to affirm, "I fight!".

That day is when we considered ourselves to be truly independent from Britain, and helped us forge our unique identity - how we distinguish ourselves amongst others who have also shared similar interests.

Was our pending Statute that followed which gave us control over foreign affairs deserved at that point? A definite yes - an affirmation of international recognition for such a valiant effort fought on purely Canadian terms - and won by Canadians.

Time and time again, when we remember our fallen soldiers that helped won - not only our own war - but our independence from Britain in foreign affairs. When we remember not only our fallen, but the veterans today embedded in our memory - admired and a source of inspiration, we are ultimately accepting and forming what our first real victory over our enemies, now our friends - that the day so preciously symbolized: a united Canada.

Indeed, we do not come together as enemies split because of territorial differences, political beliefs or views, religious beliefs and background - but as a people who find it within themselves - to be human, and at that, a Canadian too - to celebrate our first real simultaneous achievement: Canadian unity and independence met on Canadian terms.

Even if you simply appreciate our achievements in protecting the good of the Canadian people at home and abroad, you see within yourself your own identity. To any "Canadian" then who feels this undying, sprouting sense of Patriotism here before, two days ago, today and long after our veterans die - you are undoubtedly a champion among your people. For you, it is not enough to say "I believe", but "I fight!" - however way you can to preserve the Canadian identity - the legacy forged from our boys - that form the "torch passed to us" from failing hands.

It is thus appropriate to replicate the honor and patriotism our soldiers had in fighting for our own country - as they were champions among their people - by - at the very least - dedicating a poppy in remembrance - by placing it on a grave of a loved one or wearing it solemnly over your heart - to whom you had knew and loved and had lost in war - or that whom you do not know personally, but have found a new feeling of admiration for their bravery and brilliance. Because for all Canadians, regardless of age, whether you yourself, or your family or friends that have experienced or knew someone who experienced war - you are remembering not only them, but what they died for.

They do not want you to sorrow only because they have died. Regardless of what anyone says, life is short. If this offers any comfort, take solace in the fact that our men and women died not to simply be mourned, but to help forge and preserve a legacy that is today cherished and appreciated by the Canadian people, and recognized internationally as part of our own Canadian identity - freedom and independence - not for what it is, but how we - our soldiers and our faith in them - achieved it for the Canadian people.

If you too today among you feel, or have always felt, and always will feel grateful that you are free to express your thoughts, your feelings, to choose to follow a religion or not, to move without inhibition, to not be persecuted, and to live on your terms - you too are a champion among your people. You are not worse, or any better than the soldiers who fought in the war for themselves, their family, their friends and ultimately, for their country and for their neighbors - ourselves. Even if you are not a native of this country, take solace in the fact that you can find yourself to appreciate our soldiers' valiant efforts then and today because they too have and have had ancestry abroad.

Thus take solace in the fact that by appreciating and remembering their ultimate legacy today, you shall not mourn - but have pride that rises you above your people and be ready to answer to Canada's call whenever possible, anyway you can, to preserve that legacy.

Take solace in the fact that by simply remembering, you are easily as doing as much for the memory of our soldiers and the soldiers themselves, as they have done for us - in any war, any venue, and of any rank - we are all the same when it comes down to who we consider our family and what we appreciate and cherish. 

Take solace that in proudly wearing that bright red poppy today, you are not only appreciating our soldiers - fallen and veteran, and currently fighting - but remembering and helping instill the values they fought for that make up who we are and what Canada is today.

We - the Canadian citizenry - are the legacy that our soldiers fought for then, now and will in the future anyway they can! Suffice it to say you will return the favor by supporting their efforts of preserving our interests and our people anyway you can! Such as the saying goes: if a person is remembered, they are never really dead.

You and I and our friends and family who appreciate what we Canadians stand for, are that legacy. We are the embodiment of the cause our soldier's fought for - freedom and unity, in coming together as one in remembering who and what we lost in all of our nation's strife and wars. We are the bearers of the torch that was passed on to us from failing hands.

And as we grow old, we will pass on that torch to our children and their friends, and on forth, they will pass it on until the old flame - our faith in our societal values - burns out. Here's to hoping that the flame shall never be extinguished, but burn brighter then ever before!

With every new Canadian welcomed into our arms feeling a new found appreciation for this country, the people within it and their identity, and the values holding it all together that make Canada what it is and who we are today, and forever into the future; the torch will inevitably change hands, but regardless, the flame continues to burn brighter with each new "Canadian" welcomed into our kind.

So today, and onwards - don't just remember our soldiers and loved ones. Never forget.

The State of the (High) School

 **The views presented in this article solely reflect the views of the author and not the views on his friends, teachers, classmates or school administration as a whole. Any shared view is coincidental and should not be considered a bearing on the writer's thought process by itself, even if it has merit to do so.

Leave it to high schools to set some of the worst examples for spending their budget - over priced subpar food, facilities barely kept up to health standards, uninviting guidance rooms and piss poor holiday "fun dances" - poor management or greediness?

You would need to define what "poor management" and "greediness" mean to classify the situation properly.

Poor management would indicate that poor planning and half-baked thought were invested into how the school should be run. Staffing, various facilities, classrooms, to some extent the student council - an arm of the school governing body - and access to standard technology are included in, but not limited to the utilities dependent on the varying decisions made to spend a seemingly subpar budget each year.

This isn't to say that every functional body is completely dependent on this one factor. That is an erroneous assumption, but the maintenance arm of the school - the staff and place around it - seems largely dependent on the budget considering the main problem for seems to be financial.

Maybe the problem is not primarily poor budget investment. School budgets in Ontario are decided and endowed to schools by the Ontario Provincial government, and are only given so much a year. Not to mention that schools in Ontario are publicly funded - paid for with taxpayer money. No wonder every couple of years or so you will see a school (or coalition thereof) rallying for tax raises on spending towards education.

It's easy to see why. A typical starting amount for a school is between $100,000 and $275,000 before expenses are incurred and profits earned. A typical high school can expect to make about $15,000 net income after other profits earned and expenses incurred. This income is rolled over to the next starting school year. This income is typically spent on mundane expenses like roof repairment, janitorial clean-up and extra part-time staffing.

Around half of the annual school budget is expended on the essentials, and around two thirds of that remaining on the teachers facilities themselves. Because they come first in a school setting, right?

The school, and school as the collective has no bearing on the fact that sub-standard facilities and maintenance of those facilities are due solely to a small budget, as it appears. A school of any venue can operate just fine if, as demonstrated by an Ontario school that makes $20,000 profit on a $110,000 budget - yearly.

My own school, I think does worse than that in profit and has a higher revenue.

Where is all this excess capital disappearing to then?! Certainly not to the students! Not with crappy five-dollar a ticket dances with cheesy songs that apparently need to be remixed by a DJ just to get an atmosphere of "excitement". Yeah, no. An expensive ticket for a crappy dance? Does not compute. <.<

It seems to me, logically following, that the reason for my school's sub-par, overpriced burgers and palm-sized, four dollar a serving salads are due to irresponsible school administrators - in other words, greed. You would think that with what they have been given each year, they would at least redirect certain assets to their focus...such as the student's needs actually being addressed. If I have to research an in-class report on a Phillips 2000 computer again, I think I'll drop out of school >_>

My conclusion - it certainly isn't poor management of school finances- don't get me wrong, the schools know what they're doing with my parent's money and my classmates' money - they just don't care. It's not spending due to poor decisions because of inexperience or incompetence, but the school's apparent greediness.

/rant and analysis