Verbal Sherbhal. What Agreement?

When I arrived in Montreal this past September I was 18 and had no place to stay. I found an apartment on Craigslist, skyped with the guy a few times, and moved in barely a day before the first day of University started. It wasn't a scenario I was really fond of, but I went along with it anyways. My father had to go back to Connecticut the following day, and I did not want to prolong his visit any more than what was already required. When I first saw the apartment, I thought it was rather shabby and repelling. It took some rather harsh conversation outside for myself to be convinced otherwise. Now that I reflect on it, it's probably because I've always been used to the comforts of living at home: having a large home, having the company of my parents and brother, and having possessions relatively brand new. Here, the paint is chipping off the walls in some places, the bedroom is small, and the lighting leaves a lot to be desired. Best of all...my roommate is four years older than me, an experience quite weird and difficult to adapt to. Nevertheless, I have learned not to think of it too much. I pay my agreed upon amount of rent at the beginning of every month and use what has been offered to myself to full advantage: my bedroom, kitchen, washer and dryer, and all of the furniture and appliances.

This was the agreed upon deal. I have paid rent punctually for 7 months now, and have been an amenable person to live with, given the age difference. Upon moving into the apartment in September, I paid my rent for the first month and gave a $600 deposit. This is to make sure I fulfil my end of the deal and reside until the end of April. I have every intention of doing so and will. The conflict arises when my roommate begins demanding April rent. I say I am not paying an additional sum and am utilizing the deposit because any way one looks at the situation, I have paid my 8 months of dues. The deposit was to make sure I don't run off anywhere and skip out on the rent. I have not done that. The point is that any way one looks at the situation, there is no losing party. My roommate has received 8 months of rent, and I have received my 8 months of living quarters. Everyone should be happy. Unfortunately, that's not the case. According to "John," this is not acceptable, and I should also be responsible for 'cleaning maid' charges (because he cleaned the apartment a few times and I did not). My argument is simple: cleaning was not a part of our agreement. I cleaned every time I did because I wanted to, not because I had to. Done. Moreover, the dryer broke and he wanted me to chip in. I said sure, but now he has constantly been bringing that up. Not cool. It's important to note I have only used the dryer for 7 months (up to today) and that is barely a fraction of a washer's lifespan. I have no idea how much he paid for it, nor do I know how old it is. Seeing the paranoia yet?

It doesn't matter what argument I use, how much logic I have utilized, he is stubborn as a mule. He is constantly brining up the most random arguments: I don't do a good enough job cleaning. So, why bring it up now, and not before on the countless occasions this sort of criticism would have been more suitable and helpful? All I want is to live out the rest of my agreement, and move out before the conclusion of April like I said I would. I do not ask for anything but peace and quite. I have paid my 8 months of rent. I was to pay $4800, and I did just that, each month on time. What more can one ask from a tenant? I have no caused any damages nor have I interfered in his life. I separate my friendships from my living situation. If you ask me, I do believe I deserve at least 24 more days of having peace of mind..at least until exams are over.

From a Mellow Green to a Bloody Red

Saint Patrick's Day. It arrived in a fashionable way (like every year for that matter) and left before the eyes of a drunk Montreal population. To sum up the extravaganza in Larry David's words, it was "pretty pretty pretty good." Make sure to emphasize the good. Seriously. Regardless, as fun and joyous an occasion Saint Paddy's was, it appeared to leave a bad vibe with many of Quebec's youth. Suddenly, they all just developed this crazy tendency to protest and strike: police brutality, tuition hikes, you name it. Surprisingly there has been no unrest concerning there not being enough Nutella on the shelves at Provigo. Or maybe there was.

Coming from a small town in Connecticut, seeing a protest of 200,000 angry students was mindblowing. I've never seen a huge protest, and in comparison the Occupy Montreal movement was a joke in terms of size and audacity. Here, we should really emphasize the word 'mindblowing' for that was exactly what it was. To sum things up briefly, McGill has declared that it will raise tuition over the next few years. Quebec students don't like it. Most other people are indifferent to it. As far as I can see, paying less than $4000 per year to attend a fine institution like McGill should be embraced, not rebuffed. As much as I would love to pay only that much, I am more than sufficed with my international tuition rate, because it is still extremely cheaper than paying $55,000 per year to attend Boston University. Honestly, the best solution to this problem would be to stop admitting Quebec students. However, that doesn't seem too likely. They'll probably start protesting that too. So, it seems that whatever McGill does, Heather Munroe Blum is going to get heat for it. It seems that not many people realize just how little she can do in this situation. She cannot simply give a public announcement and say that that everyone else's tuition will be raised, whereas Quebec students will continue paying the same price as before. It's important to think of this in terms of common good. No one likes tuition hikes. BUT, if they are going for good reasons, then it's important to embrace them, because strikes don't seem to be working too well.

So, we have an interesting dilemma on our hands. Personally, I don't really care what the decision will be to this. I don't want to throw anyone under the bus, nor do I want anyone to have to suffer as a repercussion of these activist movements and strikes. It's all just being blown out of proportion. It's kind of like your girlfriend getting pissed at you for over a week because you agreed she looked chubby in a picture after being harrassed to agree for the past hour. It's like you can do whatever you want in regards to this situation...but it won't change anything. The situation itself has to subside, relax, and think things over. Thus, do you get the mildly uncreative metaphor? Things will be fine, just as long as everyone stops protesting and actually thinks of a reasonable way to deal with this issue. There have been worse issues before. If Greece can just go bankrupt and start from scratch, I'm sure McGillians can figure out this pickle.

Technology's Ugly Sister

I received my first cell phone at the age of thirteen, upon starting my freshman year of high school. It was a standard Nokia, offering the bare minimum in practicality and innovation, but as strong as a brick. Only after a few years of suffering with such a basic platform was I allowed to upgrade by my parents to an Iphone. Additionally, I was introduced to Facebook my sophomore year of high school, back in 2007. In essence, social media has been as epic and emotional of a roller coaster ride as any relationship in the life of a teenager. The rapid rise of Facebook to stardom made way for the inevitable decline and doom of MySpace, the original pioneer of a social media page designed for people to find their friends and interact with another. Users have the possibility of posting videos, photos, and comments on each other "walls," and thus interact with an enormous user base. Facebook now has over 500 million active users, which is more than the population of the United States, and only rivalled by that of China and India.

In essence though, the constant innovation of social media has made people forget about the beauty of life before it. I'm not saying that social media is bad. Social media, if used properly, can do unbelievable things, whether joining people together to support an amazing cause, or by raising awareness for events and important news. However, many people fail to utilize social media and all of it's vast potential. Rather, these such people simply constantly post annoying things that fulfil no purpose except leaving one with a raging headache. As difficult as it may be to grasp, no cares if, "you realized how difficult a long distance relationship is after your boyfriend went away for a weekend." Bullshit, shenanigans, call it whatever you want. If Facebook had a data cap, these such people would be prioritized as number 1 to block. Such people, for lack of a better description, are the eccentric forms of "Facebook whores." They embody complete emptiness and only desire the attention of strangers to console them and ask, "what's wrong dear friend?" Such people are a redudant echo of annoyance and fail to grasp the purpose of social media. Social media, like I already mentioned, has the proclivity to create beauty in a world that can never overdose on too much of it. Whether it's reaching out to foundations determined to help victims of environmental disasters, or to raise awareness of those living in captivity or in nefarious conditions, social media will always do the job right. It is up to us though, to hunt down those opportunities that we can become a part of, instead of simply being yet another warm body. That being said, we should all get off our asses and get back into the real world, the very same world that has been before our eyes since we were born. Yes, technology has changed, and the world has adopted. Regardless, people are still the same, and everyone should exhibit and execute a willingness and devotion to living life the way it was meant to be lived--freely, without regrets, and actively. All of these aspects are impossible to attain if one spends the majority of his or her time on Facebook.

I may not speak for everyone, but I sure as hell miss my childhood--the 90's This amazing decade was home to Nick At Night, Windows 95', and the GameBoy (Color). It was a time of beauty, that no kids can ever understand in today's time. My childhood experience concerning technology was one that does not come close to today's time, but all the same was the best one a kid could ask for. Cell phones were unexistent in my life. Facebook was a distant dream. The outdoors was where you would go to meet friends and catch up on the things. It was Carpe Dium to the fullest. This, is exactly what should be brought back into the lives of today's youth, and older generations. Social media is not a substitute for living life to the fullest. It is almost as pointless as trying to bring world peace to the world by sitting on your ass all day watching TV. It just doesn't work. Thus, I implore you to look at life the same way I did, as well as million of other 90's kids, did growing up. Life was magical, almost surreal. Problems consisted of one's Gameboy running out of batteries. Now, that problem is practically unheard of, even if it does carry with itself the real purpose of life--embrace what you have, and live life the way it was meant to be live.

KONY 2012: What Uganda do about it?

Four days ago, barely anyone had an idea what KONY 2012 was let alone who Joseph Kony is, and just how nefarious his actions are. I am no exception to that statement. Seeing a request on Facebook to join the cause was my initial introduction to this noble cause. Thus, a new day paved the path for the global emergence of Innocent Children, an organization dedicated to eradicating Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), in their mission to bring justice to Uganda. The charitable foundation has even released a brand new 30 minute video in which they shed light onto the remotely known grave issues that have been plaguing Uganda for over two decades. Invisible Children is led by an activist group of individuals determined to bring about reformative change into Uganda through social action as well as creative film. It appears that they are almost determined to bring a rapid end to this treachery through word of mouth, in hopes that somehow that enough inspired college students will be enough to make things right. In spite of their ambitious goals, Invisible Children Uganda (ICU) leaves a lot to be desired in terms of how they are allocating their resources, and just how they are trying to bring resolution to this world impacting matter. 

Awareness of something just means knowing it exists. Awareness groups do nothing but waste money when it comes to causes that everybody is already aware of. Everybody already knows that dictators, child soldiers, famine, etc. exists in Africa, just like everybody already knows that cancer exists. Awareness groups take much needed funding away from groups that actually do things to help the people being affected by these problems. People who support these groups absolutely have their heart in the right place, but almost never do research to see what their money is actually being used for. They just assume that all of the money will go directly to help the people (and in the case of disease, research) the cause is “raising” awareness for, but instead they just use that money to pay their own salaries and operating costs (which is reasonable) and use what is left over to start a new campaign and raise more awareness, which is absolutely pointless if everyone is already aware of the problem. Additionally, Invisible Children Uganda fails to address the issue that Joseph Kony has not had his presence known in Northern Uganda for over 5 years now. Also,  ICU has repeatedly supported the Ugandan Army over the years, even though they are as guilty of looting and raping women as Kony himself. The point being, as crucial as it is to capture Kony, it is wrong to support a hypocrite country, which requires considerable reformative action before it will be able to truly function on its own. 

In order to properly understand the nature of Invisible Children it is important to delve in deeper than just skimming the bare layer of the "About" tab on their website. Thus, it is imperative to take a look at their finances, which have been made public. Of the $8.9 million spent by them in 2011, only about $2.8 million (32%) went directly to charity. The rest of the finances were allocated to paying $1.7 million in salaries, $1.07 million in travel expenses, and $850,000 in Production costs. Such a dispersion is not what a charity should stand for. It does not matter how many "action kits" they may be able to shove down the throats of liberal college kids trying to make a difference. In the end, Joseph Kony will still be at large. If 100 trained American soldiers cannot train the Ugandan army to capture him, then surely the parading around of youth will not make any significant impact. I implore you to think before supporting this organization. At the very least, please know where Uganda is on the map. 

The Road to Hipsterdom

Every morning we wake up, we emerge in world more evolved than the day before. May it be that the difference is a minute one, it is still one that we fully embrace and benefit from. Whether it concerns iPhones or fruit, the world is constantly revolutionizing. No, not like the kind Che Guevara would have imagined. Rather, the world is immersing itself in a pool of  savviness and emerging from the pit of bottomless possibility as a champion unique like no other. Inevitably, simply looking back a few weeks into the past, one would see an altered world than the one that stands present before him or her now. 

http://www.psfk.com/2012/02/charge-iphone-breath.html

In essence, a "first world problem" that many people face nowadays is charging their Iphone. While it may appear to be a menial task not requiring much time or effort, it is still one that is met with a negative attitude by most people time after time. "I'm too lazy" is an excuse that is constantly reiterated throughout all generations, young, adults, and the elderly. Fear nothing cries out Joao Paolo Lammoglia! The Italian innovator denounces charging one's phone through "wind-powered and solar-powered gadgets." Rather, he introduces the incredible idea of charging one's Iphone through simply breathing into it. The user's breath is "converted into electricity via small wind turbines and the user wears the AIRE mask hooked up to an IOS device." Thus, this brings about a completely new dawn of how we look at the nuances of charging an Iphone. What's not to love about it? While not available yet for commercial sale, the device encourages physical activity and embraces an entirely new way of charging one's phone at the same time! Well hipsters...better line up now before even breathing becomes too mainstream for you to handle.

http://www.psfk.com/2012/02/edible-sticker-ripe-fruit.html

Charging one's Iphone often ends up being an emotionally and/or physically draining task. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can prescribe for the emotional issues, except maybe a healthy television session of Oprah. As far as the physical issue is concerned, however, there is nothing better than food. But don't you hate it when you bite into a fruit and only taste the absolute disappointment of it not being ripe slowly fill your taste buds much to your disgust? Luckily for you, people have enough time on their hands to develop endless solutions to the most ridiculous problems. No, I did not stutter. Scientists at Tufts University have developed  edible stickers that let you know when your fruit is ripe enough to eat. All you have to do is scan its surface with a smart phone, and BOOM, your verdict is right there in front of you. Say goodbye to the eternally unpleasant feeling of biting into a premature banana and having your day ruined in a single bite. Yes, while this may not necessarily be a first world problem, it is definitely one that deserves a solution. Without fail, it is yet another wonderful way to simplify our already simple lives. But hey, who's complaining? I sure ain't mad.

"Dude, where's my car?" It's everywhere.

No longer shall a person be heard saying, "Man, if only we had a way to get there" or "I wish I had some sort of magical transporting device to get from point A to point B." While renting out apartment spaces has surprisingly become a successful enterprise through Airbnb's actions, renting out one's car to a complete stranger is an up-and-coming idea. Many people would probably feel nervous at the thought of letting a complete stranger drive their car, and I am definitely no exception to that sentiment. The thought of seeing your beloved Volvo XC90 getting returned to you piece by piece is not in particular a pleasing thought. "Have no worry though!", cries out JustShareIt. Slowly emerging as an ambitious leader in the new market of peer-to-peer sharing of cars, the company feels it is on the right track. It is on a constant mission to reassure its car lenders that their vehicle will only be lent out to suitable customers, as full background checks are executed to make sure no one is guilty of any significant violations. In addition, the lenders may choose exactly who they lend their vehicle out too, by simply signing in through Facebook and browsing through the many potential suiters!

Why should anyone even participate in this though? It seems to make little sense to lend out a personal item like a car to a complete stranger, not knowing what deviant actions they may inflict on your precious baby. RelayRides, another peer-to-peer sharing car company, definitely feels it has taken care of this significant issue. At a personal cost of about $500, they install "hardware in each car to control the door locks. A smartcard reader is mounted behind the windshield, and the renter presses the card against the glass to gain entry." This allows for the loaner to be trouble free in terms of handing out keys each time the customer yearns to rent the vehicle, and for RelayRides to monitor the vehicle and where it goes each step of the way. To make the deal even sweeter for the loaners, they would receive about 2/3 of the profit for themselves. If one was to rent out his or her car for 10 hours/week, in the span of a year, he or she could make in excess of $3000. Not too bad ehh?

In essence, this is an idea that may completely revolutionize the way we look at traveling. While larger cities may have public transportation available to the people, smaller communities are not as fortunate. People who do not have access to buses or cars are often stranded and cannot do much, let alone anything, about their situations. Finances are frequently the towering blockade for people wishing to own their own vehicle, but simply cannot afford to drop a few grand on the car, and then redundant payments on annoyances such as insurance. Thus, by offering rental rates starting at $6-$8/hour, people have a whole new world open before them. They can now travel to places that were once infeasible for them, or at the very least little accessible to them. Having only to pay for gas, customers do not find their wallet constantly shrinking, and can enjoy the freedom and excitement of this new enterprise. Personally, I consider myself more than lucky that I have access to a car at home and do not have worry with such burdens as paying for gas and insurance. Fortunately, I have gracious parents who find it within them to help me out. Nevertheless, this definitely cannot be said about society as a whole. Sure, there are the select bunch who glisten in the same spectrum as I, but many find themselves fending for themselves in the world of transportation. It goes without saying that I share the vision of RelayRides and JustShareIt to make vehicles affordable and accessible to the outskirts of society, where it most desired, and seldom available. Perhaps, this vision will soon become reality, or it very well may be discarded into the black hole of over-ambitious ideas. All we can do now, is wait, and hope that Father Time allows for this amazing enterprise to extend its welcome for years to come in our everyday world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/technology/car-sharing-companies-link-owners-with-renters.html?ref=technology

Pinterest Making Interest off of Users

In a world mainly driven by monetary incentives, and the desire to become the best, not much comes as a surprise to us any more. Many practices are adhered to by businesses, some less ethical than others, in order to bring home a pay check at the end of the day. That being said, social networking is no exception to this rule. While it has been known for a while that Facebook profits off of its users by selling their information to companies to suffice their marketing hungers, word of Pinterest making money off of its users has exploded far past the havens of social networking walls only recently.

Having only emerged in 2010, Pinterest has gradually garnered plenty of attention, most notably in the past 6 months. It did not take long for it to capture the publics' eye, as it introduced an abundance of innovative and creative ideas to make social networking more appealing. The site allows its users to create online catalogues showcasing their respective inner vocations regarding travel, shopping and styles, ultimately abiding to Pinterest's motto, "organizing and sharing things they love." As much as people may love all of Pinterest's endless offerings, however, they have agreed to disagree on just how Pinterest makes money. While Pinterest's affiliation with Skimlinks (a marketing company)has been known from the start, the fact that Pinterest profits off of the links it has appended to Ebay, Target, and Amazon, for instance, has only recently been publicly known. Whenever people click on a link and make a purchase at these stores, Pinterest receives payment. This allows for Pinterest to generate sufficient revenue to upkeep its servers, pay its workers, and most importantly, make Pinterest FREE to the public. 

The problem does not revolve around the mere fact that Pinterest makes money off its users. Most people could not care less, since they are not affected in any way. The main issue  that people have with Pinterest's actions is that they have failed to notify their loyal users of just what they are doing. It is my utmost belief that if Pinterest notified everyone of their intentions, and left no transparency for poor interpretation, then this issue would not be as widely exposed to criticism as it is now. 

Nevertheless, the news of Pinterest's money making scheme should not be completely blown out of proportion. We all live in a world where any moderately skilled hacker has access to our most precious private information, and could easily attempt to steal our identities if he or she were to choose to do so. The point being, much of society is too sensitive towards such news and reacts too harshly to it as well. Instead of automatically scapegoating Pinterest as a Satanic figure of Social Networking, we should all stop and ask ourselves, "What would we do if we were in their place?" The most frequented answer would most likely coincide with exactly what Pinterest is doing. They have a fiduciary duty to accumulate revenue, and by linking with Skimlinks, they are doing just that in a manner that truly does not have a faulty affect on any of its users. 

Irrevocably, everyone has the right to end their relationship with Pinterest whenever they want. There is no need for awkwardness, let alone even a relapse between users and their beloved social network. Rather, what Pinterest should do is care for its users before they actually do decide to leave. No likes to feel left out and underappreciated. By notifying users of exactly what is going on Pinterest may risk losing a few users here or there. However, in the long run, it would be preserving a pristine image in the eyes of the social networking world, leaving no room for any unreasonable accusations or inaccurate interpretations of just who Pinterest is, and exactly what they stand for. By exemplifying an ethical solution to a currently minute issue, Pinterest would help act as a role model to other social networks in the quest to maintain a perfect balance of consumer orientation and monetary goals.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/10/technology/pinterest_affiliate_links/index.htm