Ryan Murphy

Optimistic Nihilism Like most young adults and teenagers these days, I have spent countless hours on YouTube in my life. I spend a solid amount of this time watching the typical sports highlights and funny content, but another area I spend a ton of time in are philosophical videos. One idea in particular that hits me really hard is optimistic nihilism. For a little background, nihilism literally means “nothingism.” In other words, nihilists believe that nothing really matters. Earth is a speck of dust in the universe, and as some say, we’re all just dust in the wind. This can understandably be a pretty negative mindset to have, and the idea that nothing really matters can make some people anxious and depressed. But for others, this idea is empowering and freeing. Optimistic nihilism basically asserts that if we’re all just dust in the wind, then we may as well make the most of every moment and try to make the world a better place.    Personally, I remember one of the moments I...

I read   Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live Off the Land   by Kurt Timmermeister, and although this book is not for everyone, it turned out to be exactly what I hoped it would be. In our modern world of immediate gratification and seemingly never-ending sources of stress, I have found myself searching for a happier and more peaceful perspective on life. Paradoxically, I was drawn to this book due to its “boring” premise: how can someone from a big city in the 21st-century  move to an isolated farm, perform the dull duties of a farmer, and be happy with their life? Along with the wealth of agricultural wisdom he passes to his readers, Kurt answers that exact question. This is Kurt’s story about moving from a bustling life in downtown Seattle to rural life on a farm in Vashon, Washington. After discussing the decision and process of the move, Kurt spends the rest of the book diving into his experiences raising apple trees, bees, cows, sheep, and other trappings of a ty...

  Everyone Loves Free Money, Right? The Ins and Outs of Sports Betting, and Where It’s Going in the Modern World   Picture this: you’re hanging out with friends, having a drink or two, and you’re watching sports. But you and your friends aren’t just watching. You’re hooting and hollering for these teams that you normally wouldn’t care too much about. It’s not due to anyone being drunk or going crazy; it’s because you all have money on the line. This increased excitement from having “skin in the game” is just one part of why people love sports betting so much. Although many people imagine sports bettors just being young, immature males, the American Gaming Association's 2019 study shows that 39% of adult Americans are current or potential future sports bettors.    With the onset of more and more advanced technology, sports betting is experiencing rapid changes in the 21 st  century, and new states are legalizing online gambling every year. But as with any kind of...

I think it's safe to say that USC students are extremely motivated and goal-oriented. We have worked hard in school, sports, and extracurriculars our entire lives to get to where we are today. That's why a book like Growing a Farmer  is so fascinating to me. Instead of a story about overcoming the odds for financial gain or to move up the economic ladder, this is a story about overcoming the odds and leaving behind the rat race for a simpler, more fulfilling life. The author, Kurt Timmermeister, describes his move from his bustling life in downtown Seattle to start a farm on a sleepy, lonely property in Vashon, Washington. Kurt was so ingrained into the city lifestyle that he never learned to drive while he lived there (for the first 30 years of his life). This Seattle move is the exact reverse of what is happening in my own life, since I grew up in Duluth, GA, and will be moving to downtown Seattle next year.  I can relate to Kurt in how he "turned to reading early for di...