Theories

Black Holes and stars: black holes are always present within a star and are a key component.

Rekei: A sham. All persons have the power to heal their own injuries without the aid of an outsider. I come to this because a requirement of the practice is for he being held to believe that rekei works which in turn gives the practitioner the power to heal.

Being rich: The worst thing that could ever happen to most people. It could cause someone to destroy themselves or become excessively bored.

Illiteracy and Employment in America

I find it surprising how so many people are illiterate. What is scary is how these same people manage to have money and many intelligent, literate people are unemployed. If one is unable to read, write, or comprehend, how are they employable?

Problems with the Campus

Through the last three weeks of the semester I have noticed how the majority of the students here at LAVC don't actually want to be here. I wonder why they even come at all. For example, I had my first exam for Environmental Science today and what seemed like a third of the class either opted to not buy a scantron and pencil before class or was oblivious to the fact that we even had an exam. I see students on the campus that are dressed as if they are going to some kind of nightclub. This is school right? You can leave the over-applied make up at home along with the high heels. A book bag might also be more useful than the gaudy over-sized knock off bag. Aside from aesthetic preferences, all I keep hearing about is what major people are studying along with them defining their selves by that major. It does not make any sense to me to have an umbrella title of courses define your actual academic interests. I initially chose the major of philosophy for example. Did I deem myself a philosopher? Did I plan on becoming one? No. Despite why I declared my major, people who would ask me about my major seemed to think I was some kind of delusional alien conspiracy theorist or something of the like. Why I chose philosophy is because I enjoy analyzing and I enjoy arguing. I like to learn why people do the things they do and think the way they think. I like to walk in other people's shoes to see how they fit. I like to leave my shoes for others to walk in as well. I would define myself as a social experimentist and a make-you-uncomfortablist long before I define myself as a philosopher. Above that, I love language. Without language we would have no ideas, without ideas there is nothing. Does that mean I have to major in linguistics too? While the students have some learning to do, the staff does not appear to be that great either.

Only one of my on campus professors is on time to his class and is an excellent instructor, granted he wears the same jeans, denim jacket, and USC hat everyday. The others I can expect to be at least ten minutes late for a sloppy and condescending lecture. Ironically, if one of us students are late to their classes they comment on it or lock us out. It's ridiculous! We pay them to show up to class on time, the least they can do is that. Hell, even the offices are dysfunctional. While admissions is usually overwhelmed at the beginning of a semester, the least they could do is have more than two people working in a five window booth when the line is out the building and around the corner. Another issue with admissions is the process of adding a course. With the internet readily available on and off campus and registration available online, students should be able to add a course online. In my previous college, if a student wanted to add a course and there was room, the professor gave the student a special add code they could enter online then immediately be added to the course. Here at LAVC however, we have to have the professor fill out a form, sign it, we sign it, stand in a long ass line to have admissions sign it, then return it to the teacher. I used to have to do that in middle school if I was absent. Here I am already paying for school, why are you wasting my time?

Los Angeles Valley College

I am now officially a student at LAVC. After waiting in the ridiculously long admissions and financial aid lines, I am in! The semester should be interesting. I am taking Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Environmental Science with lab, and a Critical Thinking English Class for a total of 16 units. While doing some of my math homework I noticed how dull my mind has gotten over the years that I didn't use it. Math used to come very easy to me, but now it is somewhat of a struggle. The formulas make sense, yet it takes me a while to apply them. I feel confused throughout the lecture, and do fine when I try the problems myself at a slower pace. I sure wish I had exercised my mind more.

First Post: An Introduction

Hello everybody!

This is my first serious blog post. By serious I mean using my actual identity and not a fictitious digital mask (and not a Tumblr post). Blogging is still relatively new to me, but hey there is no better way to start something than diving right in!

To start, here is some background on myself. I am 22 years old and currently a student in the Los Angeles Community College system. While there are better programs out there, I did not make the best choices while I was in high school. I graduated in 2007 with honors from Verdugo Hills High School in the small town of Tujunga, California, yet I did not fully understand what that meant. Before graduation it never crossed my mind to apply to universities or take my SAT's. I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was just happy to make it to the end of secondary school. This was not because it was challenging, but rather because it was mundane. At the same time, I had no plan for my future. No goals were set. After high school I worked ten (10) hours a day, five (5) days a week for minimum wage at a machine shop and only lasted 3 months before I quit. There was little challenge, a lot of time, and no reward. Once I saw what a high school diploma and no experience gets you, I opted for college. Community college was my first choice. At first I did not understand college. It seemed just like high school. The subjects were too easy. I was just completing task after task. I still lacked drive as well as a goal. I had some retail jobs in office supplies and fast food, but those did not last either. Brainlessness and coaxing people to make a sale simply does not work for me, nor make me feel good about myself. A couple semesters passed and I was coerced into attending culinary school. Boy was that a mistake! French culinary school is no place for a compassionate, passionate vegetarian. That only lasted about a month and few thousand dollars (for-profit schools are full of sharks). I then returned to community college with a desire to study philosophy. Through some course work, I became very fond of Eastern philosophy (Western thought never appealed to me) and never looked back.

After wasting what feels like a lot of time doing the wrong things and making the wrong choices, I decided to start making some right ones. I unexpectedly met a beautiful and loving woman, Brittany, who is now my fiancee and the mother of my soon-to-be-born daughter, Rikki. I could not be happier! Finances are lacking, but we as a family will be alright. Brittany, who too is inclined to Eastern thought, introduced me to Traditional Chinese Medicine, also called TCM, and naturopathy. She had shown me a book about natural Chinese cures through the use of herbs. I was very intrigued by the idea of curing ailments with something other than radiation and Western prescription pills, which I still hold a grudge against. I thought about it for a while and then realized that I had already been practicing a technique similar to this in my own life. No doctor or hospital had a remedy for my Crohn's disease, but once I adopted a vegetarian diet my symptoms and the pain disappeared. An intake of more nutritious and better quality food increased the quality of my health. These findings and introductions led me on a path to where I am today. Today I decided to pursue a degree and licensing in Traditional Chinese Medicine, namely Acupuncture.

I look forward to learning more about the trade of acupuncture including the traditions and history of the trade. Any information on schools or training in the United States is appreciated, as well as any experiences with acupuncture either as patient or a practitioner. Thank you for any information and thank you for reading!