[Odin]

Yes, it's me again with my assignments. I haven't been here a couple days and first I wanna say WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE WEIRD CHARACTERS FLOWING AROUND THE FORUM????? But I assume that's been raised a thousand times so I won't get into that.

Second, a big thank to Onix, joe and raymand, couldn't have done the last project without you guys. I will be posting my mark here (if it's decent enough

), but unfortunately I handed it in kinda late, so a huge percentage is being deduced.

Well, I know I worked hard in it and I learned a lot, I think that's all it matters.

Also, about a month ago I said that I bought the new Sharp MD player and an extensive review will be here soon.....Well unfortunately it's not completed so I'll just listen to it a little more.

Now back to what's due tomorrow, I'll be staying all night tonight. I have to write a speech, free topic, it has to be persuasive and it has to follow the traditional method (whatever that it). I've chose my topic as "Conformaty" since, that kinda would get on the nerves of everyone. And here's my first draft, comments, suggestions, changes, mistakes, tell me about it! I don't really have a beginning and concluding sentence yet.

What's funnier than most of the teenage demography likes to pretend that they are unique, original beherian and have refined taste in everything? It drives me crazy when people go on and on about how important it is to be original in the way you dress and think and not care about what people think about you at the same time. Just because they're not conforming to the mainstream culture doesn't mena, by any stretch, that they're being their own person. They'll say that it's stupid to care abou twhat other's think, then they'll spend 5 hours getting ready to go out at night and they'll ask a million times "How do I look, really?" or "you like my shirt?" Give me a friggin break! See, conforming into non-conformity is STILL conforming. Changing the way you are to be special doesn't make you special. Conformity exist in a society that thinks too lowly of itself, if we think highly of ourselves there would be no more need to fit into a particular moulded image. If we Canadians really think highly to ourselves we won't need a commercials every 30 seconds to say "I AM CANADIAN!!!" Big deal. We don't need another commericial saying "Canadian ROCKS" That's why we have to conform into the American culture. Face it, do we really like the Canucks? Or just because we're from Vancouver. Do we really like hockey, or is it just because we're Canadians and society pigeon-holes (can't think of another word) us in believing that we do?

 

[cajunchrist]

Quote:

WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE WEIRD CHARACTERS FLOWING AROUND THE FORUM?????

We had a number of users in China come on the board recently, and most browsers, even with the Chinese characters plug-in, can't make sense of them. DanG has closed those threads and asked that users communicate in English.

As to the subject of your essay, young people are attempting to define themselves, and in that search it's typical that you first define what you DON'T want to be like. Then, some kids go as far in the opposite direction of what they don't like as they can, thinking that this is what they want to be. Over time, as you learn more about yourself and what kind of a person you really are, generally you stop resisting for the sake of resisting.

I think when people say 'conforming to non-conformity' they generally mean conforming to a non-mainstream style, in that search for yourself outside of conventional society. In the end, we are social beings and cannot exist in a vaccuum. Instead of seeing this as a weakness on the part of the 'conforming non-conformists' I take this as a comforting sign that in our hearts, we really aren't all that different. I mean, what is a hair style? What is a particular type of music? A particular kind of food? Just matters of taste, which are really fairly small distinctions.

About the only thing that really gets my goat is when anyone speaks in absolutes (this is the best, that's the worst). Anybody with enough years and enough common sense understands that all human distinction between acceptable and unacceptable is just a matter of taste, a different point of view.

So, wear that white make-up and black hair. Fly that freak flag. Be yourself. But remember that we all need love, and each other.

 

[Odin]

Thanks cajunchrist, I totally agree with you. We cannot exist in vacuum we cannot avoid to be moulded by our society, that's what makes who we are. Basically everything that exist in this world are just opinions and assumptions. We all see things differently, so how can actually say that the moon is round? What if I see a triangle or I don't even see the existence of moon? Maybe using Americans compare to Canadians is a bad idea, since Americans ALSO think lowly of itself. But taking perspective of a facist or communist society, the people would think highly of themselves, that's because they're less influenced by the outside world. They truly believe what they have is the best they can get, so they're happy with themselves. Well, I can go on this for all day and not even sticking to the topic. My main objective is to a) Persuade people that we're conforming and b) get on everyone's nerves.

 

[cajunchrist]

Quote:

get on everyone's nerves.

That job is taken. Step off, little man.

 

[BenG]

I would narrow your scope to teenagers or other sub-groups of of the population, Canadians, headphone users maybe?

Just keep the focus narrow or you'll end up tackling way too much.

I don't know what kind of structure your teacher wants you to follow. But I would organize your speech with an intro, thesis, body, and conclusion. Start with a brain storm cluster, then a thesis, etc. And use specific evidence.

 

[becomethemould]

<-- become the mould

i guess i've gone through this phase a couple of years ago. trying not to be one subgroup, but ending up being in another subgroup.. but i guess i dont care as much now, like i dont care what subgroup i 'belong' to coz there is no such thing as "be yourself". conform to whatever is most practical

oh my friend who i've been shaped pretty good from had a good quote 2 years ago. something like "the drive to perfection leads to imperfection". have you read brave new world? that's a good novel about conformity i reckon. i should re-read all these modern classics i've sped read through.

ahh some memories coming back

"i am who you perceive me to be"

high and dry in the bends by radiohead is a good song.

 

[Odin]

Thanks everyone, the speech was great. I don't know my mark though, but I DID get on everyone's nerves, some said it was bad, other held me at lunch to continue my discussion. It's nothing personally really, all I said was no one in this world is unique, and we're just becoming the mould instead of becoming ourselves, since ourselves don't even exist, it's a bits and pieces of society that makes who we are, so non of us is really special. And I relate this to conformity, about how people in the first world country would force themselves on conforming into a different entity that society wants them to, and it's inevitable. And I used Canada as an example. That's my thesis.

 

[sapphiremodena]

Sounds very in-depth. I should've come over the bridge from my school and sat through the speech, I would have found it very interesting. (Interesting in a good way)

 

[sapphiremodena]

Quote:

Originally posted by sapphiremodena I should've come over the bridge from my school and sat through the speech...

The way I wrote that makes it seem like our schools are separated by a bridge.

PS. I know you're a fan of MGB. Do you happen to be a member of the APA forum at www.runningforhome.net ? Because lots of the points you suggested were ones that I head read in one of the threads over their, about conformity, and the points had kind of stuck in my head for a while. I'll find the link if I can...

Oh and plus your signature was a quote brought up in the convo. One of the most memorable quotes to me.

 

[Odin]

Quote:

Originally posted by sapphiremodena The way I wrote that makes it seem like our schools are separated by a bridge. PS. I know you're a fan of MGB. Do you happen to be a member of the APA forum at www.runningforhome.net ? Because lots of the points you suggested were ones that I head read in one of the threads over their, about conformity, and the points had kind of stuck in my head for a while. I'll find the link if I can... Oh and plus your signature was a quote brought up in the convo. One of the most memorable quotes to me.

Yes, in fact I got the whole idea from the APA forum, you can even say that I copied their idea. I should have given them credits for my speech in class, but since most of my fellow classmates like Nickelback, so it won't be a good idea to say that I got this from a MGB forum.