Procrastination At Its Finest

For a good number of High School students, first semester is coming to a screeching halt. And with that comes a frenzy, yes, I'm referring to the scrambling to finish all of those assignments you pushed off so you can trudge across the finish line on both feet. In shorter terms, procrastination.

Take these blogs for example: it's an assignment for my American Studies class. Once a week we are instructed to sit down, think about the world critically, and publish it for the world to see. Doesn't seem too hard right? Well these blogs are due tomorrow. Over the past 24 hours, a plethora of blogposts have appeared from many of my classmates on my class's American Studies webpage (including myself). And as I was thinking about good material for the last hurrah of my first semester posts, I thought about what was so hard about this assignment that made it impossible to keep up.

Psychology Today stated that, "procrastinators are not born. Procrastination is learned in the family milieu." It's become like a disease in that sense. Once you catch it, you become a perpetual slacker. That may be a bit extreme, but it does become a nasty habit. James Surowiecki wrote in The New Yorker that the time you spend pushing off your work to watch your favorite shows (or any of the examples in the pie chart above) you are in fact, "actually engaging in a practice that illuminates the fluidity of human identity and the complicated relationship that humans have to time." In other words, it has become a human impulse.

I don't know if it's the thrill of living on the edge that makes us wait until the last minute, or just the overwhelming amount of other priorities we have. But I think that we value our free time to the point where we will put almost anything ahead of schoolwork until it's absolutely imperative. And I'm very interested to see what my fellow classmates are thinking, as we all stumble to the end of the fickle beast that is first semester.

What We Have In Store For Sochi

The Olympics may be the greatest spectacle known to man. It is a time when all citizens of humanity can stop and appreciate competition from some of the greatest athletes on the planet, all of whom are giving their all to represent their country in a way they see fit. There aren't many bad things you could say about the olympics.... Or are there?

Sochi was an interesting destination to pick from the get go. Being the "Summer capital of Russia," Sochi never before bothered to cut ski slopes into the surrounding Caucasus Mountains. Sochi has been transformed from "head to toe to soul," said Andrea Sachs in the Washington Post. But aside from that, Sochi has had its fair share of doubters given the recent events.

Several terrorist attacks near the city have left questions regarding the safety of the athletes. But no need to worry, after all, "the Olympic Games are about bringing people... together to overcome our differences in a peaceful way," according to International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach. Alright, you got me, that was a tad sarcastic. Two bombings and 32 dead less than 2 months in the city host to elites from most every nation in the world seems to require a response that is a bit more serious than just a reassurance and description of what the Olympics are supposed to do. 

I do appreciate what Bach is saying though, because it's true. Once every 2 years the World and its people forget differences, and learn to coexist. This reality makes it very difficult to even consider postponing the games, which seemed like a halfway decent idea in December. The situation seems to be under better control now. And I have all of the confidence in the world that the Olympics will prove to be everything they are supposed to be, and most importantly, the athletes will all remain safe. But let me ask you something. What if something does happen? How will the world react? Will it turn into an "I told you so moment" where questions like, "was this the smartest thing to do" arise? Or will it just be mourned briefly and pushed aside?

How Far Does Popularity Get You In Sports?

The NBA all star game, a sports spectacle home to some of the greatest games in history. Just kidding, most of it is a laugh riot. But every person selected feels that it is a great honor to represent their team, conference, and the NBA as a whole as one of the best players of that season. But it seems more and more like the same game over and over again. Maybe it's because year in and year out, the same exact players are the most productive. Or maybe it's rigged. No I'm not talking about a conspiracy by the NBA to exclude certain players. But, rather a stubbornness by the voters, the diligent fans of the game of basketball. 

Let's take a look at Kobe Bryant shall we? Most everybody who knows anything about sports is familiar with him. He's one of the greatest basketball players of all time, earns nearly hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsements each season. His production up to the age of 34 was impecable. This year, however, Bryant's production has been extremely limited due to injuries, having played in only 6 games, he is averaging 13.8 points per game. Which is 12 points lower than his career mark. Despite this, Bryant has received more votes than almost every player in the Western Conference. It's certainly not because his opponents aren't talented and worthy. In fact, in a recent interview, Bryant pleaded, "my advice would be to vote for some of these younger players," coining Portland's guard Damian Lillard several times, who is a more than deserving candidate.

There are many players who get snubbed from the all-star game, and I believe that American values plays a major role in who gets this kind of exposure. Many factors could play into this, like where the team is located. If it isn't a major market, it's more difficult to be discovered by the American public. Even salary could play a part. If you aren't even the highest paid player on your team, then how could you be one of the best players in the league? It has turned into a popularity contest. The most famous players will always find a way in, even if they are undeserving.