Assignment 9-1 Great Depression II

Since the announcement of the declining United States economy and the second Great Depression Americans have been on edge. The downward spiral that is occurring in our nation is due to the irresponsible spending habits of both consumers and government. When I questioned why we had to learn history in school, I was told that in order to prevent the same events from occurring again we must know how they happened before. In my opinion, we are watching history repeat itself due to many of the same reasons as during the first Great Depression.
During the height of the Great Depression the United States was involved in World War II. The crash of the stock market was due to a drastic change in supply and demand. Mass layoffs in industry jobs forced millions to struggle for survival. The economic downturn that was experienced during the late 1920’s is very similar to what we are living today. Every day the news broadcasts the nationwide struggle. New clips of people standing in mile long lines outside the unemployment departments, the declining stock market, and corporations pleading for bailouts are seen daily. What is the cause for this? First, the expenditures that are being incurred because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan cost the United States billions of dollars a month. Corruptions of corporate executives which force large corporations into bankruptcy loose trillions in consumer’s money are also a source of the problem. Irresponsible lending practices were adopted by banks and independent lending institutions allowed unqualified individuals to receive loans for homes and cars that they could not afford.
All of these things contribute to the current depression that the United States is in. Another big factor is the United States dependence on foreign oil. Our dependence on foreign goods is a contributing factor to the decline in available jobs. It has become cheaper for many companies to produce goods outside of the United States. How can this problem be fixed? That is question that many ask every day, but the answer is still unknown. Banks must start lending the billions in bailout money they received from government to responsible qualified consumers. Consumers must spend money realistically and act more responsibly for their decisions. All aspects of business must reassess their production processes in order to achieve maximum efficiency. Once consumers have restored faith in the stability of the economy they will return to spending money. This increase in spending will increase the demand for products which will increase the number of jobs. Americans and businesses need to stop turning to government with their hand out and find the independence to survive with what they have.

Assignment 7-1 Weekly Blog-Home schooling

Home schooling is becoming increasingly popular today. There are advantages and disadvantages of home schooling. Home schooling has been under the microscope due to people who oppose this type of learning. In my opinion, the decision to home school requires not only a commitment of the student, but also the parents. Child development habits must also be considered because they will not experience the same type of socialization that public school children do.
Parents are given a curriculum at the beginning of each school year that outlines the various courses that must be covered over a period of time. Parents are then responsible for adopting teaching mechanisms that will help their child learn. The course curriculum that home schooling organizations offer is far more comprehensive and diverse than classes that are taught in regular school. For example, my sister is in kindergarten and is currently being taught history, simple math, reading comprehension, foreign language, science, art, and music. In comparison to kindergarten children that are taught in public schools are not expected to complete such an intensive curriculum.
Public school does introduce children to socialization as early as preschool. Children are taught social skills through interactions during class, lunch, and recess. The social skills that are acquired throughout public school prepare children handling and responding to adult situations. These situations may be related to work, relationships, friendships, and general communication. Children that are home schooled are not subject to the same socialization as those that are publicly schooled. Home schooled children are not sitting in a “typical” classroom environment. They are more commonly in their house where they complete exercises after a lesson from the parent. This is where the parental responsibility part of the equation comes in. Parents that home school their children need to also ensure that they are involved in extracurricular activities. Various charter schools have regular gatherings which assist in the lacking socialization skills.
While home schooling is becoming increasingly popular, the fundamentals instilled in public school must be preserved. The debates between which education system is better will undoubtedly continue for a long time. People must remember that the true goal of education is to instill a good foundation of knowledge and skills to help children grow into productive members of society. While home schooling has many checks and balances that monitor the progression of children in comparison to publicly schooled children, ultimately the parents are responsible for the education their children receive. This experience may prove to be either positive or negative, which relates to the individual child and their learning skills.

Assignment 5-1 Weekly Analysis-Doodling

Doodling is something that I have done throughout my life. Typically, I doodled while I listened to lectures in school or while I talked on the phone. According to HealthDay, researchers in the UK found that doodlers had recalled information better than those who did not. It was refreshing to hear this information because my instructors always frowned on me for doodling. I remember a teacher in high school calling my parents because I was unable to pay attention during class because I was more focused on my drawings. My parents punished me because of this; however, my grades were always “A”’s. I continued doodling regardless of what they said.
How many of you doodle while listening to a dry instructor cover a new topic? The reason why it is now considered better to doodle is because if you focus on a bland lecture or conversation naturally your mind starts to wonder. The wondering of the mind is called daydreaming. Daydreaming is more distracting because if breaks your focus on the task at hand. Daydreaming is a more complex task. Doodling is a simple task which helps to stop daydreaming which does not distract you from the main task at hand.
A two-and-a-half minute recording of people’s names and places were played for the participants. Only certain participants were asked to shade in shapes while the recording played, however, they were told not to pay attention to the neatness of their shadings. Once the recording concluded the participants were asked to name the eight places and names from the recording. “Those asked to doodle wrote down, on average, 7.5 names and places, while those who didn’t doodle listed only 5.8.” (Healthday, 2009)
While doodling is something that is currently not viewed as “socially acceptable” is a learning environment, maybe instructors will become more lenient in the practice of punishing students. I wish that I could have shown this article to my high school instructor and to my parents when I was punished unnecessarily. To those parents that choose to read this, I hope that you consider this if you ever experience this same situation with your children.

HealthDay. (2009). Take Note: Doodling Can Help Memory. Retrieved from MSN.com on February 27, 2009. http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/takenoteDoodling canhelpmemory.html

Assignment 1-3 Journal Article Analysis

In Popular Culture today there is not argument that the media contributes to the popularity of people, consumer able items, and cultural beliefs. The media also contributes to the shaping of various stereotypes, general opinions, and beliefs that individuals possess. One area that the media persuades individual interpretations is disability. Many people are born with disabilities of various natures and the severity of each is determined by the type of disability. The article,”Media Representations of Attention Deficit Disorder: Portrayals of Skepticism in Popular Media”, examines the effect that movies and television has on the stereotypes about individuals that have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Attention Deficit Disorder was not recognized as a disability until 1980. (Englandkennedy, 2008) There are several types of Attention Deficit Disorder which include: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Attention Deficit Disorder without Hyperactivity, and Residual Type. Prior to 1987 ADD was believed to be a condition that only affected children. Individuals with this disability characterized by their inability to remain focused on a task, unable to follow instruction, fidgety, excessive talking, and disruptive behavior. The only treatment for ADD is a medicine called Ritalin. This drug is a Methylphenidate which stimulates the central nervous system by a dopamine imbalance. In recent years, abuse of Ritalin has been all too familiar in teenagers and young adults.
Television shows and movies are typically based around fictional stories, however, in many instances individuals are able to connect to the characters experiences or feelings. The images that represent the disabled across the world are not being portrayed accurately. Unfortunately, Attention Deficit Disorder is one of the disabilities that falls into this category. The article explores several instances in popular television shows such as “The Simpsons”, “King of the Hill”, and “South Park”. All of these shows, in my opinion, are animated show intended for young adults’ and adults’ entertainment purposes. These shows are based around events that occur in everyday life, however, they expose the hard truth behind popular beliefs and opinions.
For example, the “South Park” episode describes a scenario when a group of young children find out their friend “Tweek” is diagnosed with ADD. Their friend is a fidgety little boy that is unable to pay attention and contain verbal outbursts in school. Tweek’s parents are an all too common example of the parents with a child who is believed to have ADD. They have no regard for typical parental rules such as, no caffeine. Tweek was diagnosed with ADD because of his behavior, never was it mentioned as to whether the parents tried to stop giving him coffee. The parents just blindly accepted the diagnosis and fell into the routine of feeding Ritalin to their child. The other children were also diagnosed with ADD because they found out that there is no homework when you have this disability. The children are treated with the same drug as Tweek and they exhibit side effects common in this drug. This is only one example of a show that contributes to the cultural belief that individuals are unable to live self-satisfying lives without disturbing or burdening others.
Individuals with disabilities should not be immediately written off or segregated because they are different from the socially accepted “norm”. The media’s dramatic impact on the views that society adopts should be used in a positive manner. The media needs to redefine the way that people think about someone with a disability. They should consider them no indifferent than themselves, rather the a helpless burden. Parents should not just accept and follow the regimen set in place to treat Attention Deficit Disorder. This article did an excellent job of exposing the inaccurate views that individuals maintain, in part due to the media’s ability to influence their perceptions and beliefs.
References
ENGLANDKENNEDY, E. L. I. Z. A. B. E. T. H. (2008). Media Representations of Attention Deficit Disorder: Portrayals of Cultural Skepticism in Popular Media. Journal of Popular Culture, 41(1), 91-117.

Assignment 3-1

Valentine’s Day is a holiday for lovers across the world. This holiday one in which couples celebrate their love for one another; shown by enjoying presents, romantic dinners, and romantic getaways. This is a very profitable time of the year for card store like Hallmark which sells cards that express the feelings of love. Many florists and jewelry stores are also very prosperous during this time of year. It is rather unknown how this popular holiday originated, however to me Valentine’s Day has purely become the Hallmark holiday.
Why do people feel the need to express their love purely because it is a holiday? I do not understand the logic behind this. If you love someone do you only do something nice once a year? If you truly love someone you should do special things with them and for them without the required holiday. A day for celebration is your wedding anniversary, or the day you established your relationship. Valentine’s Day as a holiday has become yet another method for “Corporate America” to persuade consumers into carelessly wasting money to show their appreciation for a loved one.
Now, I may sound like one of the Valentine’s Day haters, but I am the exact opposite. I am not one of the single people you see either sulking or waiting for “the one” to walk through the door. I am also not one of those people who enjoys showing everyone around we are so in love that it makes you nauseas. People around the world focus so much of their attention of this holiday that it almost seems to take away from the true meaning of love. Love is a deep spiritual connection between two people. Those who are lucky enough to find true love should honor and cherish this sacred gift on a daily basis. It is not something that requires meaningless gifts. When I repeated my wedding vows, nowhere in it mentioned showing affection and appreciation on Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day lovebirds! I hope that you enjoyed your special day. Just remember that every day you get to love someone is precious, and you should express that more than once a year.

Icons-Obama, Britney, and Spider-Man

Three popular culture icons for me are Barack Obama, Britney Spears, and Spider-Man. All of these icons are a symbol of independence. These serve as good examples because they have persuaded the way people think indirectly. Persuasion, however, does not imply that it was for a good reason or righteous cause. These icons will be remembered for a long time to come and have had an impact on me.
Barack Obama is the first African American president. This event to me is an immense accomplishment. Who would have thought that we would come this far? Barack Obama’s campaign increased the number of voters between the ages of 18 and 24. His words promised hope for an unsteady economy. I have not agreed with a lot of the choices made under George Bush, so it was refreshing to follow a candidate that shared many of my personal views. I think that Obama is taking a different approach to the presidency. While he is still fairly new in office, his press conferences express his dedication to truly solving the economic crisis faced by Americans.
Spider-Man is a superhero that has “spider senses” that allow him to stick to walls, and shoot spider-webs from his hands to evade and defeat his enemies. Spider-Man started as a teenager faced with typical teenage problems and grew into an adult juggling a family and adult responsibilities. He teaches himself how to use his special gift and handle the responsibility that coincides with his power. Spider-Man has become so popular that there are comic strips and movies. He has also been integrated into the New Avengers superhero group. Spider-Man presents a common ground for teenagers, but serves as an example that quitting gets you nowhere.
Britney Spears has been a focus of the spotlight for almost ten years. When she first left her mark in Hollywood she was an idol for teenage girls across the world. As she grew into an adult she continued to excel in her career. However, since 2004 Britney has been on an apparent downward spiral continually ridiculed by the media. Britney Spears has grown up in the spotlight and much like typical teenagers and young adults not all of their mistakes are plastered on the cover of magazines, and internet sites around the world. Britney Spears proves to people that celebrities are real people and they still experience hardships like any other person. The lesson to be learned is that all people deserve some privacy regardless of their popularity status.

Assignment 1-2: Popular Culture

Popular culture to me affects the person that I have come to be. Popular culture influences every decision that we make for example, how one chooses to dress, certain food one consumes, and what type of activities one does. The media contributed to how I physically valued myself at a young age. Every teenage girl thinks about whether they are pretty and if they are well liked. I dreamed about what it would be like to be one of them, the “beautiful people” in the magazines, perfect makeup, hair, clothes, and accessories. What I did not know at the time was how much of an impact this would have on what type of person I would become.
As time passes, I am noticing a change in the way information is presented to children and adolescence. Our children are being exposed to information with a very adult content which is causes our children to grow up faster. My opinion on this matter was confirmed an article about a sixteen year old actress caught my attention. What is the world coming to when teenagers assume the role of parents? A teenage is had not had an adequate amount of time to be able to react rationally to these types of situations. I then pondered the kind of message that young followers of the celebrity Jamie Lynn Spears would receive. Jamie Lynn Spears is the lead role in the popular television show “Zoey 101” on Nickelodeon. She is also the younger sister to the popular singer Britney Spears, who has also been scrutinized by the media and paparazzi.
Jamie Lynne Spears confirmed her pregnancy to “OK” magazine on December 19, 2007. This announcement only fueled the media attention that Jamie Lynn would receive over the next several months. A young group of student from Massachusetts made the news across the country. The girls were believed to make a pact in which they would all get pregnant together. Not to my surprise, they accomplished this goal. It is thought these decisions were made in reaction to the public acceptance of Jamie Lynn Spear’s situation. The same situation occurs daily across the world as it becomes more and more popular. Parents have an obvious responsibility to teach their children how decisions will affect their lives. The media should not be placing blame on her; instead they should be focusing the attention on poor parenting. Popular culture has taught me that while I may read the articles in these magazines, I should not base my own assumptions and decisions based on the contents of the pages. This does not mean that a lesson is not learned. As I continually grow into my aspiring role of parenthood, I will monitor the information available to my future children. I think that many parents need to reassess what they let their children be exposed to. Parents are responsible for preparing their children for independent living. Popular culture will inevitably continue to influence adolescence children, but with proper guidance children will be better able to reach reasonable conclusion about this information.



References
Orzeck, K. (2007, December). Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney’s Sister, Is Pregant. Ok Magazine. Retrieved February 1, 2009, from http://www.mtv.com/news/articles /1576746 /20071218/spears_britney.jhtml.

Assignment 1-4: Nintendo Wii

Technology is a seemingly endless window of opportunity. The release of the Nintendo Wii has taken the nation by storm and changed the way consumers’ view video gaming. Prior to the release of the Wii, playing a video game consisted of either a corded or wireless remote control that had buttons and a direction pad which when pressed in certain sequences caused the characters to respond accordingly. Playing video games in this fashion promotes “couch potato” syndrome. The Wii is the first gaming unit that had a remote control that caused character action to be based around user motions that make the characters respond. The days of sitting in the same spot “button mashing” to win a game are over.

The Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii are the three major video game units available to consumers. All three units offer various types of games that are suitable for all ages, online game play, internet search options, and mass storage devices. The Playstation 3 differs from the X-Box 360 and the Wii because it has blue-ray player, which explains the considerably higher price tag of $499.00. The graphics of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are considerably better than the graphics of the Wii. The Wii, at a cost of $250.00, however, includes games that promote healthy activity.

The games that set the Wii on a completely separate platform than the other two units are the Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Shaun White Snowboarding, and Need for Speed Underground. The Wii Fit is a game that is based around several types of exercises including balancing activities, yoga, strength training, and aerobics. The exercises assist in accomplishing individual goals established by the user. Wii Sports includes games such as table tennis, baseball, bowling, boxing, and golf all which mimic the actual body movements used in the activities. In Shaun White snowboarding you use the Wii balance board like just like an actual snowboard. Need for Speed Underground is controlled by a steering wheel to navigate your car through various courses. The Wii’s interactive gaming has proven to be positive in other environments outside of the personal residence.

The Wii has been introduced to retirement homes in order offer a productive pass time that gives the patients a chance to stay physically active, which is otherwise rather challenging. The Wii is also being used in children’s hospitals across the nation not only as a form of entertainment, but also a constructive way that gets children to participate in physical therapy treatments with less resistance. Physical therapists are also using the Wii as a way to build patient self-esteem and range of motion based on the simulated movements required to be involved in the game play. The Wii was not created for these purposes specifically, but the ingenious concept behind the creation has proven helpful in more than one industry.

About ten years ago, playing a video game meant using a controller with a three foot cord and using several buttons and a direction pad to cause character response. These days are now only a distant memory with the creation of the Wii. I remember my mother yelling at me to stop playing video games while I sat idly on the couch for hours. The Wii has changed the overall views that consumers’ have of the video game industry. Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 creators will be forced to succumb to the ways of the Wii in order to remain competitive in this consumer driven market. What will the next generation of video game units going to bring? For the time being, the Nintendo Wii has created a positive outlook on the concept of video gaming.