The Prevalence of Partisanship.

It truly is a wonder that anything gets done in our government.

Extreme partisanship has been an increasingly prominent issue that I've been noticing lately. People are stubborn, that's human nature, and it is understandable that people want to maintain a point of view and fight to prove the value of that point of view. But it seems that for many, maintaining and defending that point of view has become more important that actually solving problems. The desire to be right, to fight for what you believe in, has become so powerful in our society that it seems like compromise is becoming more difficult that ever to achieve.

Our government is the prime example of this extreme partisanship in our society. Earlier this week a bill proposed by a democrat regarding repairing our degrading infrastructure was blocked. This bill called for $468 billion dollars to be spent on repairing infrastructure that desperately needs work. In order to offset this spending, the democrats planned on eliminating a number of tax breaks that allowed large companies to get out of paying certain taxes. Due to the elimination of tax breaks for big businesses, the Republicans quickly shut down this bill, and the bill was denied with votes following party lines.

The fact of the matter is that our deficit is out of control and tax reform is one of the most important steps to work towards solving this issue. Sometimes each party isn't going to get exactly what it wants, but living in a country that was built from compromise that should be expected. The problem is that compromise is becoming increasingly rare. By turning down this bill, and trying to find an alternative to limiting tax breaks for big business, the process of funding infrastructure repairs will be delayed that much longer, and I don't know about anyone else but I am sick and tired of weaving around potholes.

All jokes aside, the continued partisanship expressed by congress and people in general (myself included) is truly detrimental to progress. The key to success in anything involving a group is consideration. You may not like an opinion or even think it is worth your time to think about, but give it a try. Disliking an opinion simply because it doesn't follow your own will rarely end in a better situation, so let your opinions change, don't become a victim of partisanship or stubbornness in general.

There are times when you will be wrong, there are many times that I was so sure about something and I ended up being wrong. But the key is to accept that you're wrong and work towards making yourself right again. Don't respond to controversy with more controversy, respond with a solution, or do like Obama did and respond with a joke. But in the end of the day, stubbornness and partisanship will always exist and will likely remain extremely prevalent in both our government and society. The internet is a perfect breeding ground for a new generation of biased and ignorant people who will follow and believe whatever is trending on Twitter or popular on Tumblr. We just have to try our hardest to remain neutral, remain bipartisan, and not let one opinion or one point of view define us for life.

Then again, who knows? I could be wrong. After all this is simply an opinion; to each their own.

A lack of productivity

I've never been good at finishing things ahead of time. In fact, this very blog post is the perfect example of my increasingly common problem of procrastination. I was given an entire week to complete the relatively simple and straightforward task of writing 3 blog posts. It is now the night before the deadline and I'm still typing away, oh how ironic.

Procrastination never used to be a problem of mine. It always felt nice completing a task with plenty of time left wide open for me to do whatever I please. My parent's enforcement of this "work before play" rule was probably the main reason that I was so good at getting work done long before it was due. But eventually as I grew up and "matured" they stopped enforcing this rule, and soon after I stopped following it.

Ever since I began my life as a high school student, homework became a second thought that I would hold off on doing for as long as humanly possible. By no means did I stop completing work, I just didn't complete work as well and as efficiently as I should have and as  I was assigned more and more homework each night, my habits of procrastination remained an issue. Sleep was a luxury as I began staying up late to complete work that I should have started on many hours earlier, and this trend of procrastinating on just about every task given to me is still alive today.

I have a part of my mind that still is focused and wants to make rational decisions and get things done on time, but at the same time I have this instant gratification driven side of my mind that would rather be entertained now than be productive for later. So often I turn in an assignment wishing that I had put a little more time into it or started it a bit sooner to insure that I don't sell myself short but again and again the memory of how negative an impact procrastination has is overpowered by the urge to stay entertained.

But at the end of the day, procrastination is a unfortunate part of my that is here to stay, no matter how much I may want to eliminate it. I've tried many times to finish my homework as soon as I arrive home, but that oh so tempting laptop of mine always draws my attention long before a textbook will. The key to the issue of procrastination is finding a balance; allowing yourself to be entertained and have fun while not forgetting about the importance of completing work to the fullest of your ability, and I feel like I'm closer to achieving that balance than ever before.

Finally, my second Chronicle Assignment is complete and I've still got time to spare.

For those who like tech

I love technology. Ever since I got my first cell phone I've been fascinated by every aspect of it from each precise animation to the brilliant design of the devices. That's why when new technology is revealed,  I get excited.

No time of the year is more exciting for a techie like me than MWC (Mobile World Congress). This 5 day event takes place in Barcelona, Spain and is the home to some of the most incredible mobile technology in the world. Companies like Samsung, HTC, Sony, Microsoft, and LG unveil their latest and greatest devices, and this year was no exception.

After the remarkable success of the iPhone 6, Android competitors knew that the had to step up their game, and Samsung did just that. The South Korean tech giant's mobile division had been hit hard by the increased competition, especially on their home turf in Asia. So they decided to do something different, and this year's "Next Big Thing" was just that. The Samsung Galaxy s6 was not only totally redesigned with new higher quality materials, but took advantage of a new technology as well:

Photo of the Galaxy s6 Edge from cnet.com

the curve. The Galaxy s6 edge is a beautiful and surprisingly functional device with 2 curved edges along either side of the phone that allow for extra functionality such as better notification viewing and information scrolling.

Photo of the Huawei Watch from cnet.com

But a lot more than just phones were announced at this years MWC. Wearables are making another appearance as more and more companies are trying to get into the still very small and heavily saturated wearable market. Huawei, a Chinese mobile company, announced a watch with the looks of a classic wristwatch that also has the functionality of an Android Wear smart watch. The Huawei Watch rocks a stainless steel body and a sapphire glass display and can provide you with notifications, navigation, heart rate tracking, and much much more. The wearable market however, has really not taken off yet as a smart watch may not be the most appealing device to the average person. Only the release of the long awaited and hyped Apple Watch determine the future of the industry, as Apple always has been a trendsetter with new tech, regardless of who did it first or even who did it better.

Mobile World Congress 2015 was an incredible event to follow this year and could not be represented by a couple of the many products that were announced, but I feel that these two devices were a couple of the most interesting and appealing to me. MWC may not be talked about much, and in the mass media almost anything non-Apple gets very little attention. But for me, and many people like me, MWC is a major event and is the best showcase of new tech in the world. This years MWC ended today, but I already can't wait for the next one.

The perfect choice may not need to be perfect

I recently got my drivers license and after a brief period of excitement and celebration I realized that there was one crucial detail of the situation that I had overlooked: I could now legally drive but I didn't have a car to do the driving in.

Buying your first car is a very difficult task that requires a series of very difficult decisions, and this decision terrified me. I knew I wanted the perfect car but like many other teenagers looking for a car, I had no idea what I was looking for. Sure I had heard that "Japanese cars are reliable" and to "Be careful with American cars" but I didn't want a purchase as big as this to be decided by a few small testimonies. So I did what every other tech loving person would do, and went straight to the internet to do some research, and oh boy did I have a lot of research to do.

There was an army of cars in front of me and I hadn't the slightest idea where to start. So I started narrowing it down and after hours of careful selection, I was left with a short list of cars with a long list of differences. I never knew there were so many features in a car and choosing what was important to me at a price that was manageable was an excruciatingly tedious task. So I scoured the internet for every review and comparison available until I was practically an expert on each car and that was the thought that had been floating in the back of my mind finally hit me: does it really matter?

Why do I need a car with a touchscreen or a car with heated seats? Why do I need a car with 170 horsepower and 200 lbs. or torque? I lost sight of the real reason that a car is necessary: to get from point A to point B. This simple task doesn't require the nicest and newest of vehicles, just one that was reliable and can do what is needed of it.

So I summed up all of my research, chose what I thought was the best car for me, and went out and got it. No more stress, no more over thinking, no more indecisiveness, just a choice, and that choice ended up being perfect.

By no means am I suggesting that you go out and buy a car without first putting some time into your decision, after all it is a big purchase. Just don't let yourself get obsessed with making your decision. Don't forget about the real purpose of a car: transportation. Having the latest and greatest features may be nice, but sometimes something cool on paper may not be as practical in real life. But regardless of what you choose, you'll likely end up with a car that you love, just like I did.

I'm happy with the car I chose, now I just need to think of a name.