Sources

http://www.published-articles.com/Art/73727/370/Racism-in-Today-s-Society.html

http://race.eserver.org/fight-against-racism-today.html

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980453,00.html

Mascot Response

The potential research question that the author most likely started prior to this research was “Are mascots that represent Native American tribes offensive to their culture and ethnicity?”  This article talks about how Native American mascots at various colleges bring up a controversial issue because a lot of times the schools don’t know the history or origin of the tribe, they just use it as their mascot name.  The purpose of this article is to address this problem and to bring up the point so that it will make people think about it.  His research helps him to back up his point because he has a lot of good points and it really makes the reader think about the issue.  A lot of people would have never even thought twice about a mascot posing a problem but the research he uses to back up his claims really helps to make the reader think about the problem and consider their stand on the issue.  I really found it interesting reading about the class that Florida State offers about the history of the Seminoles.  The questions that the teacher says that he brings up in class such as “What is it inside of us that makes us identify ourselves one way or another?” or “What external factors play into identity?” really help to reinstate the author’s point that this is something that we really should think about.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

No, I do not think the Internet is making us stupid.  Carr’s main argument is that our society has deviated from reading books and we are relying too much on the Internet to get information.  As he states on page three of the text, "our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged."  This statement is one which I feel can be easily contradicted.  What Carr is not taking into consideration here is the fact that not everyone reads books and finds pleasure in making connections with literature. Communicating with others is one of the best ways that a person can engage and learn.  Books aren’t necessary to learn many of the key things we need to know in life.  Carr needs to realize that times have changed-the Internet is actually a sign of our intelligence, and shouldn’t we be allowed to use this resource?  Google is definitely not making us stupid. What Google and the Internet are doing is helping us reclaim our natural human instinct of learning through a rapid exchange of ideas in a social setting. Talking with others and engaging in communication is so much more beneficial than sitting down by yourself and reading a book.  The Internet is just another way of accomplishing this human need of conversation.  Google is really just making us smarter because it is helping us discover new ways of learning.  

Joy Response

1.    This article addresses the primary concern that as technology continues to advance, our world will soon be taken over by robots that will have minds of their own and be able to make decisions for themselves.  This will therefore mean that there will no longer be a need for humans.  Joy creates an overall negative view for the future in his writing. 

2.    Joy uses an ethical standpoint to back up some of his arguments.  Joy claims that the growth and development of nanotechnology has the potential to create some dangerous outcomes.  He claims that if we do not consider the ethical issue of nanotechnology then there is a “risk that we might destroy the biosphere on which all life depends.”  Obviously he is trying to create an emotional appeal to the reader here since no one wants the biosphere to be destroyed.  Joy points out that the development of genetic technologies has already caused ethical issues in our society.  As he states, “the general public is aware of, and uneasy about genetically modified foods, and seems to be rejecting the notion that such foods should be permitted to be unlabeled.”  Joy goes farther with the point and proposes his concern being that genetic engineering may ultimately unintentionally create a “white plague,” which is a disaster where a particular group of people is selectively destroyed due to genetic manipulation.  Through genetic technology, humans may be able to develop the means to reengineer themselves into different species, which could lead to many problems in society.  Joy also brings up his concern with artificial intelligence.  If robots become capable of thinking and making decisions for themselves, they will eventually be able to self-replicate and become superior to humans.  Joy’s use of examples are effective because he is able to back up a lot of his arguments with concrete points that people can relate to.  Also, his uses of ethical and emotional appeals are really effective because the concern for human existence is something that every member of society is going to be concerned with.  Most likely, no one is going to argue against the fact that a human being destroyed is something we must avoid at all costs. 

3.    I would say that these issues have become more relevant since this article was written because there have been many new technological advances since 2000.  I would say that for the most part, our technologies have been positive ones and have allowed our society to advance.  Therefore, I disagree with Joy’s overall pessimistic view of the future of technology.  I don’t think we have to worry about these things that Joy speaks of actually becoming a problem.  The technologies we have developed over the last 11 years have allowed for many advances in fields such as medicine, prosthetics, and analytics. I don’t foresee that the technologies of the future will cause robots to take over the world.  I feel that for the most part technology isn’t abused and is used to make positive advancements in our world.       

  

    

proposal ideas

1. Source: USA Today for Friday March 18, 2011
Title: "The search for a new way to test school kids" The problem addressed is the fact that the standardized testing system in the US is causing cheating incidents and narrowed school curriculums.  This is an important issue because students are the future of this country and it is what they learn in school that is going to get them where they need to go in life.  Cheating and not gaining a well rounded education is not going to get these kids anywhere.

2. Source: USA Today for Friday March 18, 2011
Title: "Hunger, despair for millions" The problem addressed is the rise in food prices which has caused 44 million people to descent into extreme poverty and hunger.  This is a problem because these rising rates of poverty are a form of inequality and social injustice.  This is a serious problem that cannot simply be ignored.

3. Source: USA Today for Friday March 18, 2011
Title: "Female soldiers' suicide rate triples when at war"
This article talked about how the suicide rate for women who go to war has tripled.  This is a concern because researchers and psychiatrists are trying to find the causes of these increased rates with the hope of finding a way to stop this from continuing to happen.

4. Source: The Daily Collegian for Friday MArch 18, 2011
Title: "Wi-Fi necessary, but at the right time"
This article was about how Penn State needs to get wi-fi in its dorms, however right now money is tight so this huge expense may not be practical just yet.  This is important because wi-fi in the dorms would be much more convenient and practical then Ethernet cords and it's definitely something with the University should install.

Modest Proposal Blog Entry

1.) The initial problem that is addressed at the beginning of this piece is the fact that women and children are out on the streets begging for food.  Swift proposes the idea that anyone who could figure out a way to get these children off the streets and turn them into productive members of society would be doing a great service to the nation.  Basically, his proposal is that by fattening up these malnourished children and feeding them to the rich landowners of the country, this would allow the economy to thrive and ultimately just create a better nation.

Another problem that Swift proposes a solution to is the fact that there is a shortage of deer in the country.  Swift’s solution is to use teenage boys and girls as an alternative and butcher them for meat.  Because so many of these teenagers are already unemployed and malnourished, he doesn’t see a problem with this.  However, Swift kind of eases up on this solution because he realizes that this sounds totally absurd and cannibalistic to the point that no one is actually going to buy it.  A third problem that Swift brings up is the fact that poor families who have a lot of children are often in a significant amount of debt.  If they sell off their children as meat to rich families, then this could be a solution to paying off their debt.  This would also cause parents to be less likely to abuse their children and would “spur healthy competition among parents as to who can bring the fattest Child to the Market.”

I think that the satirical mode helps Swift to get his point across.  His sarcasm definitely adds to the piece and allows some of the things he says to be slightly less ridiculous and he actually does form some logical arguments through his satire.  The satirical mode also makes the piece entertaining to the reader so that you will keep reading to eventually find out what his true exigence is in writing this piece.  I think that Swift’s true purpose in writing this was to make people aware of the state of the nation and to realize that something had to be done.  He makes his point by talking all about these appalling and immoral solutions with the point of drawing the reader’s attention to who is to truly blame for the state of the country’s economy.  I think that Swift is really trying to point out that the upper class is to blame.  The true point behind this essay is that the lower class needs help and it is the upper class that needs to step up and stop this oppression.    

2.) In our modern society, cell phones are a big deal.  So how is it that people should expect us to wait to answer text messages when we are driving in the car?  I mean for us teenagers, texts are always important.  It’s not like we’re ever texting about things that don’t matter.  Every text is crucial and should not be delayed.  But for some reason adults think that texting while driving is dangerous- they think it causes accidents.  So, to make them happy why don’t we just get our cell phones surgically implanted into our arms.  That way they are never out of reach and we can always have that piece of mind that our best friend is right there by our side.  This solution would allow for us to be able to text, make phone calls and browse the web all while still being able to drive with two hands on the wheel.  During phone calls, we would no longer be having the phone glued to our ears, allowing us to be fully aware of the sounds around us.  This will all add up to safe driving without having to give up a crucial part of daily life.

Review of Lil Wayne

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/10/lil-wayne-i-am-not-human-being

I chose to talk about a review of Lil Wayne’s most recent CD titled “I Am Not a Human Being.”  This review primarily focuses on the fact that despite a previous album disappointment (Rebirth), Lil Wayne has come back strong with this one.  I agree completely with the evaluation when it states that his new album highlights the thing that Wayne is most famous for- his clever lyrics which never cease to amaze the crowd.  Lil Wayne is a rapper who is full of originality and creativity.  He has a true gift for delivering laugh-out-loud punch lines such as his new coined verb “Bill Gatin,” which is used to describe his status of success.  I don’t necessarily agree with the evaluation when it states that each song seems to follow the same formula and the tracks seem flat and too much dominated by Wayne’s ranting.  This album was intended to have a loose-limbed feel more like a mixtape.  After all it was not even intended to be a full album originally.  I feel that in the album, Wayne does a great job with varying beats from being power-cord-packed rock rap to sultry hip-hop/doo-wop.  He has a knack for making virtuosity sound casual.  I agree that Wayne did a good job incorporating his Young Money crew, but this final line of the review is completely inaccurate.  Lil Wayne’s protégés are in no way outshining him.  Sure Wayne’s jail time has given Nicki Minaj and Drake a chance to shine in the spotlight, but the spotlight was never taken off of Lil Wayne.  He still remains the greatest rapper alive and his imprisonment has had no effect on that.  Despite this fact however, I feel that this review overall did a nice job of giving people a feel for the album as well as a little glimpse of this very talented rap genius.     

Definition Essay Topic Proposal

1) What word are you going to be defining?

I am going to be defining the genre of music rap.

2) Define it briefly.

Rap is a bold style of music that causes a very wide variety of reactions and it either loved or hated by its listeners

3) Why are you defining this word? What importance does it have? (exigence)

I am defining this word because I personally think that rap is a very controversial genre that has many contradicting viewpoints.  There are many different ways in which people define rap and I think that it will make an interesting word to dissect and describe. 

4) What is the goal/purpose of the paper?

My goal in this paper is to prove that rap is very much a worthy genre of music that should be appreciated.  I hope to present a new way of thinking about rap through this paper that goes beyond the typical stereotypes of the word.

5) What is the audience you'll be writing to?

I will be writing to people who appreciate music.  This essay is not targeted only at people who like rap music, but also at people who prefer other genres of music.  This is because my goal in this essay is to teach the readers something new and maybe give them a new perspective.

Blog #2

1) How does Oswalt define the terms geek, nerd, and otaku? Why is he defining these terms--that is, what is the point of this essay? What is his larger point about society? What do you think about his point? Has geekiness become normal?

Oswalt defines these terms as being your own person and kind of going against the grain of mainstream society.  Oswalt claims that back when he was growing up these terms were much more meaningful, and that in modern society they have lost their true identities and are now just stereotypes for cliques.  His whole thesis is the fact that these terms have lost their true meaning because now individualism is becoming less and less common.  It’s much harder in our modern technological society to stand out as being dramatically different.  There are so many ways to express yourself that too many people can access certain trends or behaviors and therefore individualism in essentially lost.  We live in a society in which communication is quick and word spreads like wildfire.  It’s hard to stay different for very long.  Our society is so fast paced that people don’t stick to one thing for very long and this is why less and less people can express themselves and truly embrace their inner geek.  I see value in what Oswalt has to say.  I agree that geekiness has become somewhat normal because in our modern society many things are accepted that would have probably been rejected thirty years ago.  But I don’t necessarily think that this is a bad thing that we’re “coated in topsoil.”  I think it’s a great thing that people can find their own avenues of interest and share common grounds with other people.  The fact that our society accepts geekiness or diversity in my opinion is an awesome thing and I don’t think that this should be altered in any way.   

2) What is Supermarket Pastoral? Why is Pollan talking about it? What does it say about the culture of "organic" agriculture?

Supermarket Pastoral is a literary form that helps to set a scene for a narrative in which the agribusinessmen are the bad guys and the American family farmer the good guy.  The author describes supermarket pastoral as being a seductive form of literature because it persuades consumers to buy organic foods and pay the extra penny for a higher quality of product that you can feel good about.  Basically, the author is talking about this because he sees this topic as a positive movement towards a healthier and more natural lifestyle.  The whole idea behind this culture of “organic” agriculture is the idea that people will come together and go back to the origin.  Choosing organic is choosing to embrace our past heritage and relive it in our world today.  We are now capable of having the best of both worlds- the simplicity of nature and the creativity and innovation of modern society. 

First Topic Proposal

* What is the specific instance(s)/event(s) that the narrative will describe?

The event that this narrative will describe is the first time I stepped on the court during the state tennis tournament my freshman year of high school.

* What is the exigence for this story (why does it matter to you? Why now?)

This matters to me because tennis has been a huge part of my life and my first time playing in the state tournament is something that I will never forget.

* What is the purpose for the narrative (remember the four we did in class today? It should be one of those--but elaborate it. Don't just say "set a mood," tell me what mood you want to set.)

My purpose is to provide an example of how working hard pays off in the end and that if you set your mind to something you can achieve it. 

* Who is the audience in mind for this story?

The audience in mind for this story is other athletes who understand the intensity and excitement of playing sports at a competitive level.  It can also be for any athlete that aspires to achieve big goals and great accomplishments.  

First Blog Assignment

Burke looks at Mein Kampf from a rhetorical perspective because he is aiming to portray what Hitler was communicating through this piece of writing. Hitler’s approach in this writing is to bring up the problem of the Jewish population in society with the hopes that through his language he can resolve what he believes to be a major societal issue. He aims to show the Germans that the Jews need to be eliminated because they pose a threat to society. One appeal that Burke identifies is the fact that Hitler identifies the Aryan race as being the most superior and ideal race while other races including the Jews are dubbed inferior. This suits the audience because in this case the audience is intended to be the German population, in particular those who are non Jewish and who can be convinced to think that they are superior to the Jews. Another appeal that Burke identifies is the materialization of an international “devil,” the Jews. Hitler exemplifies the Jews as being the enemy. Hitler uses sexual symbolism to prove that the Aryans are being “seduced” by the Jews, therefore intermingling with them and poisoning the pure Aryan blood. As Burke points out, the key to Hitler’s success is his repetition. He really drills on the same points over and over with the hopes of convincing the German people that the Jews are the enemy and need to be eliminated.

The multicolored Obama poster with the word “change” in big letters is a popular piece of propaganda that I don’t necessarily like. You see these posters all over the place, and the reason these are popular is because there are many democrats who believe that Obama is making big, positive changes towards improving our government. The exigence that this poster represents is the fact that Bush left our country in ruins and Obama is here to create change and transform our country into a better place for Americans. These posters most likely appeal to democrats who disliked our previous Republican dominated government and therefore seek reform and believe that this can only come through a democrat such as Obama.