Only the Good Die Young

In the midst of so many celebrity deaths (Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, etc.) a new study has come out to refute what parents have been lecturing on for so many years.  

As it turns out, according to this study the reason why many teens take part in risky behaviors is not because they think they are invincible.  According to this study's findings the reason why many teens take life threatening risks is because they are convinced that they will die young anyway.

This bit of news seems to goes heavily against common knowledge in many ways, but also seems to make more sense then the old idea.  

Personally when I heard this my thoughts went to something that my younger brother had said to this affect a few weeks back as we sat on the porch at 12 am trying to hash out what we are going to do in this next year.  He said that he doesn't expect to live to see a ripe old age.  Funny, I can't either.  Maybe its just the chronic nightmare.  I dunno...

My brother was the one who usually ignored whatever it was that "good boys" his age were supposed to be doing until I announced that I was "taking some time off from college."  Now he is doing what he is "supposed to" and applying for junior college.  An ironic choice of paths for someone with ADHD and authority issues.  I'm sure he can pull it off, but at what cost to his character?  He was considering the military before, but with me "misbehaving" I guess he decided to go for the path mom and dad have been pushing for.

I guess the study is a reflection of what happens to people at this age between 17 and 22.  We feel pressured to conform, and we either submit ourselves to the accepted path or say to hell with it and do our own thing.

I'm glad I opted out of what I'm supposed to be doing though.  While taking the path of least residence I got to feeling like Bilbo Baggins when his journeying days were coming to an end:

"I'm old, Gandalf. I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart. I feel... thin. Sort of stretched, like... butter scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday. A very long holiday. And I don't expect I shall return. In fact I mean not to."

On the other hand, now that I am attempting, though with no great success thus far, to do my own thing Thoreau comes to mind more often.

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." 

Maybe I'll succeed, maybe I'll fail, but at least no one will be able to say that I haven't tried.

Click here for Billy Joel.

Grading the First 100 Days

So, Obama has made it through his first 100 days in office, and everyone seems to be asking how he did.  Lets itemize it and see.

Foreign Policy, B- He got us out of Iraq, but now we're stuck in Pakistan. Again.

Domestic Policy, C  Whose idea was it to continue bailing out Wall St?  Debt is bad for a country.  He is delving into a few of the tougher areas though, so kudos for that.

Fiscal Policy, F I repeat: Debt is bad.

Media Relations, A+ This is by far his strong suit.  Congrats.

Promises, B+ I'm impressed in this area as far as follow through goes, but there is still a long way to go.

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Final Score: C+ Still room for improvement, but overall passable.

100 days down.  3 yrs. and some odd months left.  Lets bring those scores up Mr. President.