Just finished watching the news. Not only is there a large manipulation of mass media today, but media violence have gotten absolutely out of control. (There are so many issues I want to mention, I feel as though I'm a bucket of ink getting ready to spill all over the place!)

How many of you have watched the news lately? Well, if you have, you've probably heard quite a bit about "the sniper". That's just one of the many mistakes in media today. First of all, if there's one thing that one shouldn't do to a madman it would be to provoke him, or to give him recognition in this case. By announcing every attack to the entire country, he's getting exactly what he wants - a reputation. Then he'll hopefully get locked up and away, most likely satisfied because his sick and twisted arse accomplished something - be it good or bad, he was renowned nation wide for it, and he's accomplished his goal already. What else does he have to do but break his own records. A few of you may be aware that a movie scheduled to release based on a man being stalked and watched by a deadly sniper is being postponed until the culprit is caught.

Violence is not just in the press though, but it's also in movies, on the streets, and constantly growing in the contemporary societies of modern man. Maybe it's some sort of coefficient to the equation of technology - as man learns more he becomes more ignorant . . . I wonder if that's an oxymoron. To give an example of a contemporary violent movie (not that this is hard to do . . .), Red Dragon is the perfect example of the sick and twisted members in society today. Two sides of the situation could be set foot of course, and one could claim that Hannibal Lecter was simply a man who enjoyed the meat of humans over that of the meat of chickens, or cows, or lambs. That opinion however is not the one upheld by the status quo, and things such as the disgusting nature of savage behaviors: cannibalization, rape, torture, etc. etc. are undoubtedly frowned upon.

Another source of corruption and violence in the world today is spawned from the outlet of human expression, poetry. Not just any sort of poetry though, a special kind of poetry. Poetry set to music, or as many of us would call them, lyrics. Lyrics have the power to subconsciously sway one's point of view. For example, studies show that people who listen to heavy metal have a tendency (notice the word tendency, so don't get offended), to become more depressed. Heavy metal attracts the depressed, and communicates the depressing or oppressing, and sympathizes with the targeted audience about certain issues. Different genres of music attract different kinds of people - as they saying goes, "whatever fits your fancy." One of the reasons I enjoy techno so much is because it has a lack of lyrical expression, and therefore no messages such as violence or depression are communicated, and the expression is put into the soul of dancer, and the way he moves is what the song becomes.

What was mentioned above also goes for all people. Statistically, the group of people that insults one most is his friends. The average person is insulted roughly 32 times a day. This is a contemporary, and accurate statistic. For example, this is the kind of futile profanity witnessed by me over a period of a few days.

"Hey Bob, you're wearing shorts. Ew, your legs are hairy." <Said in jest by my friend

"Damnnn Bob, your face is getting furry" <Said in jest by my friend

"Ahhhh! Oh no! Wolfman's coming to get me" <Said in jest by my friend

"Heh, Bob, you should shave those pubes that're growing on your face, they're grossing me out." <Said in jest by a friend, once again.

None of these things bothered me, however, I remember them. They're not psychologically damaging, and they don't really bother me, but the fact of the matter is that even though a person may be joking, what he says may not be taken in jest. So what if I want to be original. So many sheep of society go and shave their face the second a hair pops out because they feel all big and mighty now that Daddy's going to let them hold the razor. Not my style, I'll shave when I'm good and ready to shave, I might be a fur ball just to watch your reaction and witness human stupidity.

The best things in life are when you know you're absolutely joking but the other person doesn't. For example, a few kids that ride my bus - a pair of 5th graders - have a tendency to ask me if they can sit by me. They're brothers or something along those lines. I usually say sure, and scoot aside and let them sit by me. However, my name isn't Bob Wilson. I'm John Paul Pierre Altrievo III, son of John Paul Pierre Altrievo II, grandson of John Paul Pierre Altrievo. I'm a foreign exchange student. Good laughs at the misfortune of others. Now, I'm absolutely aware of what I just said, and let me remind you that the teasing and mocking I get from my peers is no better than the conning I do to the 5th graders and countless other people capable of being fooled on the bus. Tomorrow, I'll tell them my name is Bob Wilson, and I have no accent - what will be even more entertaining is I've managed to pull it off for a few months, and now I get to see the truthful reaction of everyone around me.

In the words of my wise Uncle, who I admire very much, "Do your teenage thing. Do it with all your being; it does not last long." He is a wise man, with wisdom far outnumbering his years. I'm going to take his advice.

My English teacher was kind enough to loan me a book on writing, I haven't even had a chance to touch it yet, so I'm going to go relax and read it for an hour or so.

Why are people so stupid. Why is the world so violent. Let's hope things change one day, for the better.