Austin Kodra's Blog
RSS
Apr.10.2009
If you have not seen the movie, I suggest you do so and more than once. Please do not read this before watching, as one cannot begin to fully discuss this movie without delving into the quarry that is its plot.
For those of you who have experienced Memento (because you do not simply watch a movie...
Continue Reading »
Apr.04.2009
I felt so alone last night. I shouldn't have felt that way, as I had spent the better part of the previous three hours being unusually social with people I did not know. Almost as quickly as the night had become fun, it became perhaps the loneliest time of my life.
I was at a typical college party...
Continue Reading »
1 comment
Apr.03.2009
Barack Obama's action-heavy beginning to his presidency has not been without its controversy. His decision to continuosly bail out banks while sanctioning auto companies (and even personally firing GMs CEO) has left many wondering how vast the future discretion of this administration will be in...
Continue Reading »
Mar.25.2009
One tenant of Buddhist philosophy holds that taking sides and administering blame in conflict is detrimental to the welfare of all parties involved. This principle can be applied at individual, group and societal levels, as conflict is inevitable at all phases of life and all institutions of...
Continue Reading »
Mar.24.2009
The brevity of attention we pay to humanity around us is astounding considering the impact and depth of each woman, man and child on the Earth. The next time you are walking down the street, sitting in a restaurant or just meandering in public, look at another person you have not met. An innocuous...
Continue Reading »
1 comment
Mar.23.2009
Ah, The County Commission. The closest organization we as Americans have to the democracy we promote around the world. We directly elect these people, some of whom are our neighbors, friends and family and expect these people to not only serve our community's best interests but also be aware and...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
These days, progress is often interpreted as a political term. Seeking progress is often associated with a liberal mentality while refraining from it constitutes a conservative philosophy. Those supporting progress are caricatured as bleeding-heart liberals while those opposed to progress are...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
I read something fascinating several days ago that has helped and inspired me immensely. In a book by Buddhist philosopher Thich Nhat Hanh, Hanh uses the example of a tangerine to illustrate the connectedness and beauty of the world we all are so fortunate to inhabit together.
He states that "...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
So said Heidi Comfort, an 8-year-old with Williams Syndrome, to Dr. Oliver Sacks, an acclaimed neurologist and bestselling author.
Williams Syndrome is a congenital disorder resulting in a bizarre combination of intellectual deficiencies and proficiencies. Often, people who have this syndrome have...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
Much has been said in the news in recent days about the elegance of President-Elect Barack Obama's Inaguration celebration. Estimates have placed a price tag of more than $150 million on the ceremony for the first African-American president-elect in the history of the United States. Some might...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
I realized a frightening thing yesterday as I was riding home. My father and I were passing the Turkey Creek area when it hit me that nearly every single car was on the road because of money, one way or another. They were driving either to spend money, make money, or save money. I immediately felt...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
Beyond the Presidential race, no other election in 2008 garnered more national attention than the vote on Proposition 8 in California, which effectively reversed the state Supreme Court's ruling that allowed same-sex marriage. Behind this citizen-led initiative rests pure, ignorant discrimination...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
It's hard to believe in the interconnectedness of the human race. Especially when each true connection you thought you had with someone turned out to be only a longing on your part. I'm not talking about the biological relation or connection with your parents or close relatives. I'm talking about...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
As a foreword, I would like to present these two facts: New York Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez ($22 million) out-earned the entire Tampa Bay Devil Rays' roster ($19.6 million) in 2003. The New York Yankees team payroll that year was $100 million dollars higher than that of the lowly Florida...
Continue Reading »
Mar.22.2009
I know what you're thinking; when has professional golf ever been intriguing? Well, ever since Tiger Woods entered the pro ranks all the way back in 1996, the game of golf has literally exploded onto the global sports scene, attracting younger players from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic...
Continue Reading »
About Austin
My name is Austin. I love to write, and if you do too, we should talk. I see myself as an idealistic romantic obsessed with peace and equality. Like most 20-year-old kids, I'm really not sure where I'm headed in my life, and I have no qualm with that. I don't...
Austin’s Favorite Books
Harry Potter series, The Hobbit, The Catcher in the Rye, I Am America and So Can You, Mr. Tickle (with his extraordinarily long arms), 1984, The Adventures of...