Tourism studies – because they think they would be able to travel to Hawaii or the Maldives for work

Design – because they are lazy and want to make things even lazier for themselves

Engineering – because they think they would be able build a Lightsaber

Management -because they want to get a job and earn money while sitting on their butts while telling people what to do

Accounting -because they want to do math but are still struggling with adding and subtracting

Finance – because they want money, lots of money

Computer science and information systems -because they watched the movie hackers, or because they think were good with computers thanks to daily uses of Facebook or MSN

Medicine – because they want to save the world and be rich and respected

Dentistry – because they want to be rich and respected

Physical therapy -because they could not get into medicine

Optometry – because they think the job is easy and makes them rich and respected

Nursing – because they are wanting to go to medicine or wants a job straight after graduating

Veterinary Science – because they want to be rich and respected but hate dealing with patients that can complain

Pharmacy – because they love drugs and they can get more drugs and make more drugs and consume more drugs. Oh and the money is pretty good too.

Public health – because they think they can save the world and thinks doing it one person at a time is too slow

Medical and health sciences – because they think they can get into medicine if they get a high enough GPA from this program

Kinesiology – because they are bullies and want to beat you at all sports

Architecture – because they want to build a building by sitting on their butts

Languages (any) – because they want to meet that cute girl or guy that speaks (insert language here)

Biology – because they think they can get into medicine if they get a high GPA in this program

Divinity and theology – because they have a calling (for little boys)

Religious Studies – because when they were little they saw something and is determined to find out what it was.

Linguistics – because they want to learn to speak

Film and television – because they watch too much film and television

Journalism – because they have lots to say about others

Literature – because they have too much to say about so someone told them to write a book

Library science -because they like collecting books but don’t really like to read

Music – because they think they could be the next famous musician

Music education – because they couldn’t be famous musicians

Drama – because they want to be the next Brad Pitt or Natalie Portman

Mortuary Science – because they are creeps

Philosophy – because they want to just sit, think, BS, be witty and sound smart while doing it

Psychology – because they think they can mess with people’s minds

Education – because they want to make other kids go through what they went through

Science with education – because they want to make other kids go through what they went through with hydrochloric acid

Forestry and agriculture – because mom and dad were farmers or lumberjacks

Political sciences – because they think they can become they next Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama

Economics – because they think they can learn about business with this major

Sociology – because they want to “people watch” for a job

Social work – because they want to help that hobo relative of theirs

Law -because they want to be a professional argue-person

Mathematics – because gambling becomes a lot more profitable

Urban and regional planning – because the government job deal sounds great and the thought of playing Sim City in real life is pretty awesome

Physics – because they think dungeons and dragons got boring

Chemistry – because they think making things go boom is fun

General – because they don’t know what to take

Yes, crime may be rampant in the streets, gangs and drug dealers may be selling their goods on every corner in town, but let’s get those criminal five-year-olds before their library book overdue crime spree gets out of hand.

Five-Year-Old Al Capones?

This little episode took place in the town of Charlton, Massachusetts – a place not often known as a hotbed for crime. But, apparently that’s not what the local gendarmes think.  After all, today’s five-year-old library thief could be the next Al Capone.  The two police officers demanded the books be immediately returned or be paid for or it was handcuffs and a ride in their police cruiser, mug shots and who knows what else.

Faced with a crying five-year-old and a distraught mother, the cops still did their duty although they admitted they were not to happy about being “low men on the totem pole” when their chief issued the order to go get the book thieves forthwith.

What Next?  Bust the Lemonade Stands?

Now, with the book hoarders having been given due notice – albeit with a five-year old as the unlucky poster child – what can be expected next.  Jaywalking grandmothers doing the “perp walk” in front of city hall?  Maybe we’ll have the police laying in wait at the local grocery store for the shopper who squeezes the toilet paper rolls a little too hard.  And then there’s that crime spree, better known as the kids’ lemonade stands that populate lots of neighborhoods, but who fail to pay any taxes on their ill-gotten gains.

Yes, crime is everywhere and the good citizens of Charlton may have struck on a sure fire way to cut their crime rate.  If you put all the kids in jail they won’t be able to move up to bigger crimes like chewing their fingernails.

We can all rest east now, can’t we?

Click here for more articles by The Writin’ Cowboy.

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Ganges Brahmaputra Area – India and Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and among the poorest nations.  As such, many of the children are living on the streets or unable to attend school because their parents need them to help support the family.  Many under aged children are working in factories to support themselves.  Many of the parents are migrant workers, which makes it difficult to send children to school, as they take the children with them when they find jobs in other areas.

Whenever natural disasters do occur, the schools and libraries and other buildings suffer significant damage, including loss of their books and important documents.  Therefore, several of the schools and libraries are now located boats which also offer students access to the Internet.   These boats are interestingly powered by solar panels.

These boats can be found floating on the rivers, with anywhere from one to ten boats on each river, servicing over ninety thousand children, most of them third and fifth graders, who have access to over one thousand five hundred books.

For the children having parents who are migrant workers, there are buses which follow them from place to place where they can have an education while the parents are working.  The teachers keep records on the children in the event that they are forced to drop out of school for a time.  When they return they can resume their studies.

These two projects offer a unique solution to an area which is prone to monsoons and where children are not able to secure an education.  Many of the children were abandoned during the monsoon seasons or neglected because the parents are unable to attend to their needs due to the stresses involved in trying to secure and maintain employment.

Young girls in particular have very few opportunities to secure an education because they become involved in prostitution at a very young age.  They engage in this profession to help the family and many of the parents are ignorant of the fact that their children are involved in this activity.  However, these programs are making it possible for girls to secure an education, as well as the boys

Abul Hasanat Mohammed Rezwan, the founder of Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, was the architect who developed the idea for the floating boats. He has plans to develop floating hospitals, houses, and gardens.   His organization is a nonprofit which is working on more solutions to this problem with flooding.

La Biblioteca Legion Americana, located in a Northwest Antigua Guatemala neighborhood, is a real find for book lovers of all kinds.

Packed inside narrow centuries-old walls at 7a Avenida Norte #49, this English-language book lending library has been run by American Legion volunteers for over 12 years now.  All proceed go toward supporting children and their families in two nearby pueblos: San Antonio Aguas Calientes Guatemala and Santa Maria de Jesus Guatemala.

Yolkobsens fell upon this piece of heaven while scouting used bookstores in town. This is not a store; it’s a real library where you will find 30,000 books, meticulously organized on board and brick shelving. All of the books have been donated by local expats and Guatemalans.

This 12-by-40-foot library contains a compact span of titles and subject matter. Selections include:  popular fiction; literary classics; history; philosophy; biography; religion; cooking; how-to books; poetry; travel guides for a variety of countries; Spanish and other language tomes; and even a film collection, featuring 200 videos.

Library service is available to anyone who wants to become a member.  They even stamp your books with a due date like an old fashioned library. For 100Q a year (about $12.50 US) you can become a member. Of course, membership has its privileges.  This membership allows you to borrow up to four books every two weeks.  There’s a 1Q fine for every day a book is overdue and this policy is strictly enforced.  Take heed you two-headed demimondaines from the evil Galaxy Overdue.  (Okay, they also have a small science fiction selection too).

Mrs. Y immediately handed over her 100Q and was sure glad she did.  In the language section she found a Spanish verb primer, which would have cost her about $25 new at the tourist book shop across from the Parque Central.  Ditto the fabulous and extremely helpful Spanish grammar review and practice lexicon I found.  I can also renew these and others as I go.

Most of La Biblioteca’s proceeds go toward supporting children and their families in San Antonio Aguas Calientes Guatemala, a highland pueblo about 9 kms southeast of Antigua Guatemala.   Projects include: providing 300 children with a nourishing breakfast during the school year at Hermano Pedro School; and establishing a clean water source at the school and in the students’ family homes.

As well, La Biblioteca has provided funds so that 13 students have been able to stay in school for 9 years.  Cost per student for a 9-year public school education is $2,600 US, well beyond the reach of almost all pueblo families.  There are currently 3 students from the pueblo who are attending university thanks to La Biblioteca.

A new project in Santa Maria de Jesus Guatemala  has brought clean water to 30 local families.  More water sources are planned.

La Biblioteca’s foundation is namesaked for one of the library’s founders.  Stephen Skelton was a volunteer who started the project with 200 books in his Antigua Guatemala home a little over 12 years ago.  His vision has since turned books into positive outcomes for so many.

So if you sign up as a member you’re doing yourself a big favour if you love books.  Also, you’ll be helping children and their families get clean water, school nourishment and education.

The library is always looking for volunteers to help out with book tending and lending duties.  Drop by, sign up for membership, help families and children and volunteer.  More volunteers mean the library can be open longer hours.

La Biblioteca is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 days a week.

Memorialization of Knowledge

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The phrase “higher education” is a simple title to a community that involves a plethora of subjects, years of history, and is the epitome of an intellectual life. World renowned universities revolve around some kind of center of knowledge, in many cases a library. But the development of research and how we do research has evolved many places like a library, and its purpose. At the University of Southern California one of the most prominent buildings that erects from the center court yard is the Doheny Memorial Library. It is a center of knowledge for the intellectually savvy, and a getaway for the avid reader. Doheny Library and its Romanesque atmosphere is an inspiring sight, but as the years have progressed, since its inauguration in 1932, it has since turned from a place of study to a commemorative monument. While Doheny Library has served as a second home to intellectuals, over the years it has transformed into a memorialization of archaic learning mannerisms and values; this is because of its acute detail to traditional collegiate design and its competition with other modern systems that provide knowledge.

The history of Doheny Library comes from an unexpected incident which gave birth to one of the most prominent establishments of knowledge in its decade. Edward L. Doheny Jr. was a USC graduate and later elected to the Board of Trustees and President of the Alumni Association. Needless to say, Edward L. (Ned) Doheny Jr. had roots that ran deep in the university. Early in his life tragedy struck, when he was assassinated in his Beverly Hills home in February of 1929. (University of Southern California)The death of Edward L. Doheny Jr. did not go unrecognized by the Dohenys. After losing his son’s mother to suicide, the Dohenys decided that their son’s name was to be remembered in a fashion that no one could match. Edward L. Doheny Sr. tied his son’s name to one of the most admired libraries in the history of the “Great Depression”. A contribution of one-million dollars was made to the University of Southern California for the construction of such a facility. The Dohenys saw to it that the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library became a landmark building in Southern California as one of the most advanced libraries ever built.

From tragedy and death one of the most beautiful sights was born in the Los Angeles area. A place with a wealth of knowledge and advanced systems of its time was shining light to new scholars and aiding the experienced to new discoveries. During its construction the amount of detail that was put into making the superficial attributes of the library resembled the activities taking place within its walls. With its Italian Romanesque architecture, ornate windows, elegant chandeliers, arches, and high ceilings, the library evoked passion in the arts, literature, and sciences. This facility bears its resemblance with cathedral design only to venerate the practice of many forms of study. From its dedication on September 12th, 1930, Doheny Library epitomized the meaning of research. All of the pupils of the university were quick to embrace the abundant study halls of its interiors.

Although the two hundred and seventy foot tall building remained standing against the adversity of the crisis of “The Great Depression”, it was able to empower young minds to develop themselves as knowledgeable individuals. Doheny Library might have served its purpose back in the day, but in its present state it is near impossible to tell what the purpose of the building is. The practice of truth seeking is a never ending process, yet Doheny closes after hours. Unintentionally, Doheny carries the resemblance of many cathedrals, but also the intendance. Visiting Doheny during its hours of operation is like walking in to a cathedral in the middle of the day; only a sparing few kneeling and praying, or in this case sitting and studying. If one were to have the curiosity of exploring Doheny past ten at night, one would find itself staring up at a large heavy door, which looms over you as if it were protecting precious information within its walls. Accessibility is not a prevailing theme of Doheny Memorial Library.

USC’s first freestanding library still stands for the prestige of higher education, but it does not embody the same type of atmosphere that its interiors provided many years ago. As the years have progressed Doheny Library has turned into a building that serves more as a memorial. As time has progressed an anomaly has occurred within the walls of Doheny. This anomaly is solitude. Its detachment from the academic discourse community has been an ignored occurrence. There is no immediate explanation as to why this has happened, but we can be sure that a revolutionary idea is in our presence. As technology has advanced we have relied less and less in places such as Doheny. Gradually, Doheny has left the paradigm of libraries, as places that serve as primary sources of information, to a paradigm of a memorial, which revolves around the preservation of values.

The thought of Doheny Library as part of a paradigm of a memorial involves concepts which have nothing to do with its role as a library. Needless to say, there is and always will be individuals who hold up Doheny as their main source of information. The role that Doheny plays in today’s world is much more fitting to a paradigm of a memorial. A memorial has a concept of preservation and its purpose isn’t teaching, its acknowledgement. Doheny now harbors and protects main USC values, namely The Role and Mission of the University of Southern California. Specifically, Doheny Library now embodies this quote from the first paragraph of the mission statement, “The development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit.” It symbolizes this creed by the aforementioned descriptions of Doheny’s visual components. These visual components are what inform new comers about USC’s determination for excellence in higher education.

Places such as The Coliseum and Von Kleinsmid Center Library for International and Public Affairs also serve as good examples that work in harmony, along with Doheny, in the paradigm of memorialization. The Coliseum as any true Trojan would know is a place where excellence in athletics is celebrated. Along with that, the Von Kleinsmid Center and its tower, with a globe hovering over us, serves as memorial to how diverse USC is and how we all come together as one academic community.

Doheny’s paradigm shift reflects a worldly view of higher education today. It is important to note that the definition of higher education and its practices have evolved with time. With this said, Doheny Library and its shift in paradigms functions as a standing metaphor for the transformation of higher education today. With the development of new technologies and studies, higher education is not even remotely similar to what its counterpart was 18 decades ago. In terms of a paradigm, the tools that we use have changed over time, and the questions we ask have changed over time. Doheny which used to serve as a tool back in the day has transformed into a relic which admires the olden days but keeps alive its values. It is no longer a prominent tool. Doheny‘s transformation as a metaphor provides a good understanding of what higher education entails in today’s society. Not only is higher education evolving as the days go by, but also the tools that we use in order to attain knowledge also evolve. If Doheny library could magically evolve as higher education evolves it would look a lot like Leavey Library. When juxtaposing the two libraries, both give off different vibes of what they are trying to accomplish. Leavey library is not lavish and ominous as Doheny is; rather it represents the cutting edge society that we are stumbling into day by day. The rooms are filled with all sorts of technology, internet access, and cubicles that provide privacy. The ceilings are not high and the interior of the building bleeds modernization. Both libraries are mirror images of each other. The only difference is that Doheny library is stuck on the past side of the mirror, and Leavey is on the present side of the mirror.

Higher education has evolved with the development of numerous technological advances, and studies; Doheny Library serves as a reminder of the values that don’t change in higher education. The transformation into a paradigm of memorialization reflects the detachment of higher education from materialistic means (books, encyclopedias, articles). Doheny Memorial Library serves as a reminder of the traditional importance of education by its preservation of timeless beauty in the physical features of Doheny Library that instill awe.  

Works Cited

University of Southern California. “USC Libraries.” n.d. Univeristy of Southern California. 6 September 2011 <http://www.usc.edu/libraries/locations/doheny/history/>.

USC Board of Trustees. “The Role and Mission of the University of Southern California.” February 1993. University of Southern Califonia. 7 September 2011 <http://www.usc.edu/private/factbook/USCRole_and_Mission_Statement_1993.pdf>.

At first, I did not enjoy working there. A lot of the children had no respect for the teachers and volunteers working there. Not only did they not do their work, they also distracted other students from finishing their homework. In the beginning, I had to put up with these types of children, but after a few times volunteering at the library, I was finally introduced to a group of students who were willing for me to teach them. After having spent a considerable amount of time with the children, I realized that I was slowly beginning to grow fond of them. Week after week, I actually looked forward to seeing them and helping them with their homework. I grew close to them and some of the kids and I became good friends. I do believe I provided meaningful service at this Homework Help Center because I taught children useful things. Even though I will probably never see my friends again, I will never forget teaching them.

I also learned quite a lot while I was volunteering for the Homework Help Center. I learned how to cooperate and deal with the children’s needs. Sometimes they would want to take a break from their homework and play for a bit. I would make an agreement with them that if they finish their work, they will be able to rest at the end of the day. Another thing I learned is to control my anger when a child is trying to distract other people. I would not let the misbehaving children’s behavior get to me and I learned to ignore them when they tried to disturb my teaching.

                                                            English Students in Algeria

     The majority of English students of Bachelor’s Degree don’t bother themselves to make the slightest effort to improve their skills. They just rely on the teacher and the daily lesson. Even the dictionary is not a tool of learning for them.

     Not only did they review their lessons at the eve of the exams, but they also cheat on the teachers during the exams. I have witnessed this phenomenon many times, and hopefully for them they get good marks, sometimes the best ones.

     Furthermore, only few of them do use the internet resources to practise and to acquire knowledge. They get more and more used to the spoon-feeded manner of studying.

Concerning the library of the university, it is shared with other departments, and the lending services are very restricted; students are allowed to borrow books on one day and return them back on another day of the week. That is to say that the access to the library is limited to once a week.

In brief we continue to be the victims of our thoughts. Algerian people are always complaining of the lack of means and money whereas our sources of problems are ourselves and our mindset.

The stock market is rebounding in very small steps and the prediction of a double dip recession is real to all of us. We are looking at going into a severe economic depression that will be worse than the first great depression America survived. Now is the time to begin preparing for harder times.

Over the next six months it is predicted that food prices are going to increase and in the next two years gas prices are going to rise again. For those who bought homes when the market dropped for a low price are already upside down for the value of the home. Refinancing, home save through mortgage programs and trying to pay ahead are becoming a losing battle.

What can you do now? Make a new plan for times creating a third world country. The everyday family is going to be hit the hardest. So many are already out of work and have no income. Employment benefits have run out and homes have been lost. It is simply survival for most people and soon it will be daily survival for a lot more.

There will be many people living out of the cars, tents, rentals, or with family. The street people and homeless are a lot more common than in the past and trying to help them is hard when the people who provide the most help are in trouble themselves. We have to find ways to take care of ourselves and family in the most economical way possible.

First, food and shelter are the number one concern of everyone, especially families that have children to protect. If you live in a home now, make a decision if it is wise to stay or leave. If it is going to be less for you to leave the high payments behind and seek less expensive shelter, then do it now. If you are going to lose the home and there is another option, then save the money you can while you are living there to invest in another living arrangement.

If you are stable at the moment, but concerned about the future it is a good time to invest in a trailer or motor home your family can live in. Either one can plug into electricity at another home or will run on simple propane. If you must live without electricity, there are generators you can use for short periods of time. It is a lot more cost efficient than trying to live in a large home.

Find a family that is having a hard time and offer to pay utilities plus a small amount to park in their yard and use the electricity to run your own trailer. This provides them with a way to keep the utilities on without having to pay the high cost and enough to cover one more bill or help with their mortgage payment. For families in a situation of losing their home because there is not enough income, consider hosting one of the families that must live in a trailer.

Stock up on basic food now. The price is going to rise and your dollars will buy less and less. Stock up on canned vegetables, soup mixes, instant potatoes, spices from the dollar store, canned fruit and coffee. They are the basic of what you can use to cook with. If you are a bread person, then invest in flour or baking mixes.

Keep meals simple. Use a crock pot for a basic, low cost meal. Cheap cut beef, potatoes, carrots and a few spices. That is it. This will make a tasty and cheap meal to fill the stomach and feed the soul. Everyone loves their comfort food, but us it as a treat, not as a meal. Canned goods and coffee are the two items that will increase in price to the point of hurting the budget, because they are the most common and desired items.

Cook only enough to feed everyone at one meal. It slows down the waste of food that gets thrown out. If you can find food from a food bank, then get what you can and use it for the meals instead of your food stock. Learn to cook a few good meals that do not involve meat for times when meat is too expensive to purchase for every meal.

Save every cent you can. Even if you save only a few dollars a week it will pay off over the long run. You are going to have an emergency fund that will pay for another tank of gas, not six months worth of living expenses. Spend wisely or do not spend at all. Learn to say no or learn how to turn what you have into something you want or extra cash.

Start saving those aluminum cans for recycling. Take a walk to help with the stress of being homeless, in debt or in need of a little more cash. Three garbage bags of semi crushed can are about 18 pounds and depending on where you live, this can bring a few gallons of gas or pay for a doctors bill. It will help when you need to purchase medicine, buy another meal for the day or just feel good to hang on to for a few days.

Learn to trade services or skills for food, money or items you need. Cleaning homes for food or money, yard work for a place to park, volunteer work for a good meal, home care in exchange for room and board or general labor for just about anything you can use or need. Offer to help harvest a garden for a small portion of the produce. You can use it for your own family or share with others in need.

If you live in an area where hunting or fishing is common, take up a collection for enough to buy one person a fishing or hunting license. This can help to feed a lot of people or families. Deer, elk, fish and any other animal common for food use can be eaten fresh, canned or dried into jerky for easy storage and later use.

Check with local truck stops or health clubs for a one day pay or monthly investment to use the facilities. Sometimes it is much cheaper than a house payment and you will have a place to shower and clean up every day. You can have a good work out, relax for a while out of the weather, hand wash a few items, go swimming or watch TV.

Use your local library for relaxation and reading or use the computer for communication or learning a new skill. Volunteer at the local hospital to get out of the weather and help others. You may even be able to work your way into a few days of pay to help with cost for food and shelter.

It is going to be hard to survive in the next few years, but as a nation and as a community we will pull together to survive from day to day. Keep your options open, keep positive, seek help and offer help.

The best thing about the Fourth of July has always been spending it with family and friends- those people who are the most important in our lives.  It’s a celebration of the rights we’ve been given as a result of many discussions, battles, men and women lost to war, disabled veterans trying to make sense of what they’ve witnessed, and much time and energy spent in other parts of the world.  This is our protection and our cause.  The people in our lives must be able to walk freely down the street, drive from state to state without showing documents at guard stations, choose where to live, decide their life’s work, and have the family dynamics they so desire.  Many other countries do not have what we have and the people want it.  They crave freedom like we crave ice cream.

Those of us in St. George were treated to a very different fireworks show this year.  Normally, I spend my Fourth in Richfield, because they put on a really well planned, thoughtful show.  Since I didn’t get to go up there this year, I decided to go down to the city center parks here in St. George and watch the fireworks with my sister-in-law, my niece, and my little nephew.  At first, I thought that the city center park, which is located behind the library in the same block as the Tabernacle and the water park.  The new carousel has also been placed at this location and was busy from the time we arrived, about nine o’clock in the evening, until the fireworks began. 

Although there are many well established, tall trees in the area, all of the star-spangled explosions could be viewed easily from our vantage point.  It went off like the “Dueling Banjos”, with a few minutes from The Sun Bowl on Flood Street and then a quick change and a few minutes of wondrous lights and sounds from Dixie Hill on the scenic drive above town.  Seeing each outburst and watching the reactions of not only the children around us, but also those of the adults (including myself) brought a smile to my heart.  It never ceases to amaze me that there is a child in everyone, no matter their age, no matter their career, lifestyle or station in life.  

When the finale had concluded, we all milled around for just a few moments, probably to make sure that it truly was the finale.  It was a spectacular evening, with a slight breeze and cooler temperatures than we’d been having for several days before.  Even though our fears of many challenging flare ups in back yards or surrounding drier areas were confirmed by the sounds of fire engines and rescue vehicles every few minutes, it truly was a night of celebration and family fun.  Clapping, laughter and the sounds of true enjoyment from the crowd gave a real sense of joy- the very reason our forefathers met to sign The Declaration of Independence on that day so long ago.  Enjoy your freedom!

While today’s youngsters manage to spend hours on social networking sites playing games like Farmville, posting messages and birthday wishes to hundreds of their e-friends, or play on their Xbox and PlayStation consoles, they lack the time and patience to go through a book.

Let alone books, people today do not have the patience to go through a newspaper. They prefer ‘skimming’ through the headlines of an e-paper. They are not bothered about the analysis, causes and effects of any news. All they care is to be ‘aware’ of world events.

Proponents of the Internet argue that when something can easily be found by searching on Google or by typing Ctrl+f on any online document, why should they waste time reading through a book?? While such an approach can solve immediate tasks, it can be detrimental in the long run. For instance, if one tries to read a line from the middle of a passage, they risk comprehending it completely out of context and come up with a conclusion which has nothing to do with the matter of the text. Here’s an example, consider reading a passage from a journal which dates back to the 16th century AD:

“Alex was finally promoted to the post of Captain of the Spanish Army. He couldn’t hold back his emotions. Years of hard work had paid off. He had strived to keep his wife and children happy. He had never let them down. He decided to throw a party and invited all his family and friends. He was a contended man. He was gay. Life couldn’t be any better for him.”

Now if someone [in 2010] read the last 3 lines without reading through the entire paragraph, they would conclude that ‘someone’ has a homosexual tendency [They wouldn’t even be able to recall the name of the person as it appears only once at the beginning of the quoted text].

It is well known that reading a book is the best approach to improve one’s vocabulary. Every new word learnt every new idea explored widens the knowledge of a person. Today, youngsters, especially those preparing for competitive exams, spend a lot of time going through word lists and word memorization techniques. This is surely a sign of their lax approach towards regular reading. Great importance is given to reading comprehension in schools and most competitive exams simply because it gives a good assessment of a person’s capability to comprehend and derive conclusions from them.

The Internet might have eased our access to the world of information, but it has also given rise to a new set of problems which need to be addressed exigently.