lwalk89 October 23rd, 2007
As humans, we spend approximately a third of our life sleeping. We live in a “sleep-sick society” that relies on alarm clocks to get up and devalues sleep as unproductive and a waste of time. As a culture, we are indifferent to the subject of sleep since there is an abaence of knowledge on the subject in the general public, medical world, and literature. Though, all mammals display the act of sleep. Some animals can have unihemisopheric sleep, where one side of the brain is awake with an open eye and the other side is asleep, in order for them to be alert in case of danger. I find this article very interesting in how it shows the various sleeping habits of humans as well as animals. Marin states “When we are awake we all inhabit a common world, but when we sleep each of us occupies a world of our own”, showing how complex and much of a personal experience sleep is. Since sleep is a necessity, I think its important for society to study and learn more about the dangers of sleep deprivation and some how change our habits to get longer nights.
theAnnie October 22nd, 2007
I believe that today’s society is easily offended due to the fact that it overanalyzes everything. If someone is even a tad politically incorrect then their essay is sent to the publisher’s guillotine. Many thoughts and ideas are probably denied publication due to the fact that they offend other people. Think about how many ideas, unorthodox, funny, or insightful that may have been too different to publish. Different ideas are what keeps society moving ahead, but how can those ideas make it to the world if they’re censored?
xgravex October 22nd, 2007
The personal anecdotes Edward Peslman presents in his analysis paper “The Coming Apart of a Dorm Society” felt like something out of one of those over the top teen dramas. I did, however, enjoy the story about his effeminate floor mate Benjamin. The macho dudes in the dorm would always question his sexuality, but little did they know that he had a secret lady friend! It seems you can’t judge a book by its cover! The truth is sensitive guys always get the girls!
xgravex October 22nd, 2007
I think that Paulo Ludivici does a decent job in critiquing Derrick Jackson’s column on “Kids, TV and the Risk of Attention Disorder”. Jackson may have made an extreme comparison by comparing TV to Cocaine but I think Ludivici makes the mistake of believing that television has redeeming value. TV has become a cesspool for liberal biased rubbish and pornography. Just watch CNN news and Desperate Housewives! Utter filth.
xgravex October 22nd, 2007
All of these crazy documentation systems are driving me crazy! Why do we need fifty different documentation systems in order to cite sources for a paper? What is so wrong with having one universal system for all types of papers? These Documentation systems are way too complicated when it comes to in-text citation and works cited or references page. There are too many rules to remember and the rules change between the systems! And what is all this business about losing 10 points if I forget the “s” at the end of references?
xgravex October 22nd, 2007
People back in the day had the right ideas when it came to malls. For example, the Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851 was entirely walled and roofed in panels of crystal glass! Its design was like a giant garden complete with fountains and full-grown trees. People from all walks of life jostled through long aisles, entertained by passing parades and spectacles. Today’s malls, however, no longer hold such a high standard in beauty and entertainment. The mall by my house is a total blowout. The design is plain and there isn’t even an upstairs! On top of this, the most expensive store is the Banana Republic! How pathetic.
jorgitopm October 18th, 2007
This article focuses on the fact that America’s teens sleep less than they should. The article presents a series of statistics that sound very alarming. For example, 28% of high school students fall asleep in school while 22% falls asleep doing homework. Even worse, teen drivers are driving drowsy to school. According to the statistics, 15% of adolescent drivers in grades 10 thru 12 drive drowsy to school at least once a week. This sounds very true, taking into account that I have also gone thru the same situation.
jorgitopm October 18th, 2007
I learned that sleep is divided into two major phases. The first one is called quiet sleep. The second one is called dreaming sleep, which is also known as REM. During quiet sleep, most physiological activities and thinking slow down, but some body movement can still occur. On the other hand, during REM sleep the brain activities speed up and so does thinking and dreaming. In fact, while dreaming takes place the eyes start moving and rolling from side to side. For this reason, REM stands for “rapid eye movement.” REM sleep, of course, is the deepest sleep of both.
jorgitopm October 18th, 2007
I learned that humans spend a third of life sleeping. Is that my case? I am not really sure that I spend one third of my day asleep. In fact, I usually sleep less than four hours a night. I am just one more in this “sleep-sick society.” It is very true that our society has devalued the importance of sleep. What else can you expect from a society that spends most of its time seeking the fulfillment of its own ambitions that in anything else? What else can you say about a society where its people spend more time worried about tomorrow than living today? This is a fast society with a fast economy, to sleep less would imply that consequently the economy will also slow down. So, is it worth it? Yes, since “sleep”= “life”.
jorgitopm October 18th, 2007
In this article George Lewis deals with the issue of malls as community centers. The author argues that many people think of malls as community centers, yet people that usually go to malls spend more time shopping than in socializing with others. However, the author points out that for the elderly and for teens malls have become centers for the social life. I agree with the author since I have gone to malls to meet with other friends too. The large theaters and game centers (such as Dave and Buster’s) usually present in most major malls attract the youth. In my opinion, it’s better to go to a mall than to a club for example.
jorgitopm October 18th, 2007
In this article Kenneth Jackson recounts a “brief history of malls.” I really liked the article because I learned many historical facts which I ignored in the past. It is very interesting how malls have always been an important sector of the economy throughout history. The Jerusalem bazaar, for example, has been in existence for more than 2000 years. Another famous mall from ancient times is Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, which was a very important commercial site during the Ottoman Empire era. Although malls originated in Europe, it is in America that they have had the greatest impact. An unbelievable 38,966 shopping centers dotted the US map in 1992. In conclusion, malls are very important to the economy.
missrini October 17th, 2007
In his essay on ” A Brief History of Malls” Kenneth T. Jackson poses the mall as a premier symbol of American culture: “the perfect fusion of the profit motive and the egalitarian ideal”. He traces the origin of the mall as far back as the Middle Ages and from then enumerates the emergence of malls around the world. From the Jerusalem Bazaar to London’s Burlington Arcade to the Galleria Emanuele II in Milan, malls have long been established as a center of commercial interaction. The proliferation of underground malls, especially in Montreal and as far as Osaka, are also worth noting. Jackson emphasizes that though malls were essentially invented in Europe, in the United States they gained such unforeseen momentum that within a quarter-century malls transformed the ways in which Americans lived and worked. That by the 1970’s Americans spent the most time in malls after home and work emphasizes this fact. To deny the influence of the mall in American culture would be incorrect in light of the information the author provides in his essay, however, to say that the mall has gained the status of a sole representation of American culture, is too much of an extrapolation. There are plenty of other better symbols that could encapsulate American society; the “Big Apple”, for example, can be seen as a place where people from all over the world can pursue the “American dream”.
missrini October 17th, 2007
The National Sleep Foundation has illuminated the growing problem of sleep deprivation among young adults. Only 20% of teenagers are getting the recommended nine hours of sleep and nearly half are getting less than eight hours on school nights. As a college student, these findings are far from astounding: many of our friends only squeeze in a few hours a sleep each night, while others pull all-nighters to prepare for impending exams. Nonetheless, the NSP sheds light on the importance of getting a good night’s rest, on the awareness gap between parents and teenagers about sleep, and on how technology distracts one from sleep. Fortunately for the sleep deprived population of teens, the NSP provides various tips for improving our habits. These include keeping a consistent sleep schedule, staying away from caffeinated drinks after lunch, and relaxing before going bed. I find these suggestions to be highly idealized. With so many things going on in our lives, from school to work, it is very difficult to incorporate a regular nine hour sleep schedule while at the same time juggle the demands of everyday commitments.
lwalk89 October 16th, 2007
The National Sleep Foundation reports that adolescents are not getting the adequate amount of sleep they need each night. The recommended amount is nine hours of sleep a night, hardly what we are really getting. Our internal clocks, long periods of napping, inconsistent sleeping patterns, caffeine intake, use of electronic devices, and light exposure all influence the amount of sleep we get in a negative way. Letting parents know the insufficient amount of sleep you are getting and understanding the consequences of sleep deprivation will help teens to aviod it. I find it hard to go to sleep early and wake up at consistent times during the week especially with varying morning class schedules. Also, if our “internal clocks” make us stay up later as we become teenagers, why does our class times in high school get earlier? I don’t find it odd that so many teens are sleep deprived because of the way the school system is set up.
missrini October 15th, 2007
In his essay, James J. Farrell discusses the ways in which malls encapsulate American culture; he uses the mall as a premier symbol which captures the capitalistic ideals of our society. Though it may seem surprising that of all places Farrell designates the mall to represent our society, his argument makes sense if we consider how the fundamental workings of capitalism are at play in such an everyday place. The pursuit of individualism can be seen as people purchase clothing which reflect their own sense of style and stores are constructed to cater to different types of people. The exchange of value for value, money for clothing, in this case, also underlines the basic notions of capitalism. On another level the mall gives a cultural understanding of our society, providing us with information through ads, mannequins, clothes, logos, and sexuality. Farrell pays homage to the mall as he realizes the complexity of such an institution–”the intricate coordination needed to produce each day’s consumption”. Though Farrel poses a convincing argument, to portray a commercial enterprise as a main representation of America is still a bit of a stretch.
ale3005 October 12th, 2007
In this article, James J. Farrell, describes malls as an American cultural phenomenon. He argues that shopping centers are indeed a mere symbol of the American culture and that by looking at the complex relations and habits of people at the mall you can learn a great deal about the consumer culture and people’s identities. I mostly agree with the author of the article because he expresses that malls do represent how shopping and consumerism is the focus of life in the United States where consumer spending is usually higher than in other countries. I also agree with him in the saying that malls represent a big part of the economic stability of the country and how are these structures build and organize in some way that attracts more and more people.
ale3005 October 12th, 2007
In this research, Philip G. Zimbardo, makes an experiment known as the Stanford Prison experiment where he raises troubling questions about the ability of individuals to resists authoritarian or obedient roles, if the social setting requires these roles. Zimbardo planned to study the process by which prisoners and guards become compliant and authoritarian by recreating a “jail environment” where a group of college students had to act as prisoners and guards respectively. It is interesting to see how these young and educated individuals who acted as guards could turn into authoritarian and sadist men that would exert too much power over the prisoners putting them in humiliating and cruel situations. On the other hand, prisoners became depressed and a sense of hopelessness invade them as the cruelties against them continue, some of them had to be taken out of the mock prison due to emotional damage. It is really amazing and at the same time freighting to see how people can change and become corrupt in such a short amount of time, when power is given to them, and how surroundings can shape a person’s identity and personality.
alexh07 October 12th, 2007
One can tell just by reading the title of this article that its purpose is to attack the pathos, or emothion, of a viewer in order to delusion him into purchasing a Ford vehicle. With three different women standing around a Ford car admiring it, the audience can only assume that it is through this wanted attention that should intrigue a man to buy one. Clearly, one should be thinking, “why wouldn’t I buy one if this is how the women react to its exterior?” Though it is good-looking on the outside, this should not fool a person to buy it based on this quality. It is what’s inside that is most important, as corny as that may sound.
alexh07 October 12th, 2007
The article begins with portraying the “shopping mall” as the monument of America, over-emphasizing it be a “symbol” of American culture. Though, this may be true on some aspects, I do not believe that the shopping center should be the first thing that comes to mind when outsiders think of the United States, which is how the author, Kenneth T. Jackson, makes it seem to be. The history of the evolution from the times of the 19th century in England, Greece, and Italy is intriguing and informative and perhaps the best part of the article. It explains how malls have basically taken over the world, literally. It also informs the reader of the prominence of under-ground malls throughout Europe and how dependent society has become on them. The second part of the article proved to be more un-interesting than the first because of the large amount of detail incorporated into it on the history of the malls in America. Overall, one can find this article to be quite interesting, but not as interesting as it is enlightening.
ale3005 October 11th, 2007
Stanley Milgram, a Yale psychologist conducted a research study on obedience. He designed an experiment that forced participants either to violate their conscience by obeying immoral demands of an authority figure or to refuse those demands. The levels of obedience found in each of the experiments was relatively higher than expected and it is amazing to see how each person that was being tested reacted to the experiment even though what they were asking of them implied hurting others. Milgram concludes that obedience is a basic element in the structure of social life, but I cannot see this as a conclusion because there are no ethics involved. Is obedience more important than ethics? I think that when obedience to an authority involves the lack of ethics and morals it can definitely interfere with the social structure and become aggressively dangerous.
ale3005 October 11th, 2007
In his essay “A brief History of Malls”, Kenneth T. Jackson, tries to explain how shopping centers have in come into existence and with this tries to explain what may have been the causes of its proliferation across countries, especially in the United States. He writes that malls are “the perfect fusion of the profit motive and the egalitarian ideal” and describes these malls as the perfect symbol s of abundance in the US. He claims that the US citizens have shaped their lives around these shopping centers and consequently have institutionalized these areas as symbols of the American society. I agree with his claims, and consider his arguments valid and interesting because it is clear that many Americans consume and spend most of their money and time at the mall than at any other place other than home or work.
lwalk89 October 9th, 2007
In the passage, Jackson describes the history and importance of malls to our country. He claims that malls are the “best symbols of our abundance” in America. His claim is somewhat valid, showing how our country has become revolved around a consumer based economy. While I find his intitial claim interesting, the rest of the passage is not. It is merely a combination of pointless facts leading to the assumption that America has taken the idea of the shopping mall from various places, and made it a social phenomenon among us. Jackson states that Americans spend large amounts of time at the mall, showing our lives have been transformed by these shopping centers.
sarah930 October 7th, 2007
Kenneth T. Jackson’s article about how the history of shopping malls came into existence is very informative. I would have to agree with his article, which is about how shopping malls have become the center of American society and the different societies of the world. In my opinion Americans are consumed in the clothes they where and the money they spend. This would explain why shopping malls are so important to today’s society and why people help with the way that they expand and become more popular. The excerpt explains that shopping malls have been around “longer than you might imagine”, in other countries before the United States. People have always been consumed in money and spending it, this is why shopping malls have become so widespread and popular. I think when Jackson says, “they are the common denominator of our national life, the best symbols of our abundance”, he hits the point exactly. He sums up the point that helps explain the truth behind the history and the present of shopping malls.
bj21 October 6th, 2007
This is has been a very interseting experiment. I think its incredible how quickly the mind can master its role in any given situation. The purpose of having this paricular prison experiment was to see in many ways how an individual take on their role in a psychological study. Many vounteered with little or no experience at all to become guards or prisoners. The fact that the guards were in authority only led them to become more powerful and demanding. The prisoners noticed the gaurds taking serious action and realized that there were no chance of rebellin once again. The prisoners became dehumanized and depressed. As freedom was taken away, they soon realized that prison is the last place they ever want to go.
ptomaszewski October 5th, 2007
Although many people believe that the traditional “proper” English is more effective in communicating ideas, I contend that the American use of slang helps our society to communicate. We may change the meanings of words but this change is not necessarily a bad thing. Our flexibility in language allows us to adapt and more succinctly get points across. It may not be as pleasing to the ears but it still gets the point across.
