The Final Best Post

The school year is just about over, and it is time for one last best post of the quarter award. Fourth Quarters award goes to Technology in the World we Live in. This post wins the award because it combines a number of issues into one central theme. The ideas from American Studies Day, my Junior Theme, a previous post of mine, and a new phenomenon, The Konrath Effect, all have to do with how technology effects our world. In fact, this issue has become a new found interest of mine. Everywhere we look around us we see different forms of technology, and when I see a certain technologies I think to myself, what would the world be like if that did not exist? Overall, it has been a good year of blogging. My blogging from fourth quarter was not as productive as the third quarter, but it is nothing I am ashamed of.

New Facebook Privacy Settings

After repeated requests from users, Facebook has changed its privacy settings. To make the system more simple, now the user has three options of who to share their profile with: friends only, friends of friends, or with everyone. More information about the changes can be found by clicking on this link. This urge to change the settings came from concerns that information on Facebook was too easily accessible.

A total stranger can find out a great deal about someone by simply searching their name and clicking on their Facebook page. This ease of access is dangerous, there are people in the world who could do numerous horrible things with this information, one could only imagine what those things are. Facebook's new policy helps the problem, but does not completely get rid of it. To view someone's profile, they simply have to be added as a friend. Many people do not think whether they know the person or not before accepting a friend request.

This problem is not entirely Facebook's fault. The amount of information put out on a Facebook page is decided by the user. Personally, I no longer use Facebook, but almost everyone I know does. The advice I have for users is: be careful what you put on the internet because you never know who is looking at it.

Technology in the World we Live in

In light of the speakers at our recent American Studies day and the topic of my junior theme (social isolation), I have taken a new found interest in the effects of modern technology on our society. In this article, the Konrath effect is explained and analyzed. The Konrath effect is the negative effect of online publishing on talented authors. Now authors can directly publish their works online without editors or publishing companies, on sites such as Amazon. The traditional process of selling a book to an editor and publisher is becoming lost, and supposedly this process is what finds the true talented writers. Authors have to face rejection from companies, and perfect their work until it is ready to be published. Although this is true, this process, along with almost technologies, has both negative and positive effects. Authors that never before had a chance to publish their works because they were rejected now can reach audiences. On the other hand, as a reader it is hard to find talented authors on an online publishing site because there are so many authors, and many of the authors publish poor quality works that are not sent to an editor.

All across the country, technology is having negative side effects. I wrote my Junior Theme about how technology in America has increased the amount of people who are socially isolated. In my previous post, Oil Still Spilling, new oil rig technologies resulted in an oil spill that is destroying the environment. But without oil rigs such as the Deepwater Horizon there would not be enough oil to fuel our cars and our world. This is the way things work, most things do not have only positive or only negative effects. The question I have then is: How much technology is too much? What effects do technology have on our world?

Oil Still Spilling

34 days ago, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig owned by BP in the Gulf of Mexico caused oil to spill out of
The Deepwater Horizon Explosion

the ground. The oil is still continuously pouring out of the ground, causing damage to the ecosystem and killing animals. This video tracks the area the oil has covered. Around the clock efforts have not been able to stop the gushing oil or effectively clean up the large amount of oil already in the gulf. The incident is creating controversy across the nation and world.


An interesting quote i found in a CNN article about the oil spill:

"Either the Coast Guard has to side with its American citizens and protect its communities, or it has to side with a major world corporation named BP and betray American citizens in that process," St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro told reporters.

The issue has now become a matter of loyalty to the United States. In an effort to clean up the oil spill, either the coast guard can work with the innocent American citizens, or it can side with the enemy BP, the fourth largest company in the world. Personally, I see this controversy as an example of what is happening all over America in different ways. Large and powerful corporations are now often the enemy. For example, many small towns are against having a Wal-mart built in them because the towns small family owned businesses are destroyed. After all, many large corporations goal is to make money, not make the world a better place. How do you feel about large corporations in America?

An Answer to the Big Question

Today something happened that I thought would never happen. That is, I now have an idea of how I am going to answer my why question. I would not quite call it a thesis yet, but it is getting there. It focuses on Americans becoming more socially isolated because they are becoming spectators instead of doers due to advancing technology. For example, less Americans have been voting and would rather simply observe what is going on in politics. Another example is that Americans would rather watch sports on TV than actually play them. Television is now so entertaining and easy that Americans constantly and mindlessly sit on the couch. The problem is that people are missing out on social opportunities, and America is losing social capital. Internet sites such as facebook and myspace create a false sense of social connectivity. Humans are losing face to face contact and hiding behind their computers. Even though you may not think so, this topic relates to everyone, including high school students. What do you think? How is this issue a part of your life?

Finally a Topic

After a long time of research and frustration, I can finally announce that I have decided on a topic and why question. The question I chose to answer is: Why are Americans becoming more socially isolated?

What I am trying to figure out is why the average American is becoming more lonely. People now do things by themselves more often than doing things in groups of people. As a result people have fewer good friends and the sense of the community as whole is becoming lost. For example, adults spend most of their time working, and have no time for dinner parties with friends or family but instead eat fast food. Instead of spending family time, kids spend their time in their rooms playing video games alone.

What do you think about this topic? Any answers to the question or personal experiences would be great to share.

The Best Post

The award of the best post of the Third quarter goes to Obesity in America, which was published earlier this March. The reason it won the award is because it was a well rounded post. It covered a pressing topic, obesity, that relates to discussions we have had in class. An interesting graphic is displayed at the top of the page, and is explained in the post. Also, I used information and discuss an article from the New York Times. Then to finish it off I ask the readers a question. Disappointingly there were no comments.

The Junior Theme

When the topic of one's junior year of high school is discussed, it is almost always referred to as the most "important" and "hardest" year of high school. And supposedly the biggest part of junior year is the notorious Junior Theme. Personally, as a junior, this year has not been much different academically than the previous two. The fourth quarter has begun, and our American Studies class is only now starting the Junior Theme. Although the assignment varies from class to class, the JT is not nearly as scary as it is made out to be. It is not much more than the average paper, just given more attention. The essential question I ask then is, why is the Junior Theme built up to be such a big deal?

I know of one reason why the Junior Theme is thought to be so important. It is the name itself. The title "Junior Theme" suggests that the selected topic is the theme of our junior year. Also, there are few other assignments that every student in their junior year completes, and none with term "Junior" in the title. This is just one reason the Junior Theme is important, what are other reasons why the Junior Theme is such a big deal?

Time to Let It Go

As I was perusing through the news I found an article about the recently infaous Tiger Woods. Previously this year it had been revealed that Tiger was having multiple extramarital affairs. Tiger apologized last month for his actions. After a hiatus from golf, he announced recently that he will return for the Master's tournament. Just when everyone thought the whole thing would be over, one of Tiger's alleged former mistresses came forward to the public. Veronica Siwik-Daniels, a former pornography actress, released supposed text message conversations between her and Woods. Siwik-Daniels said, "I would be open to a telephoned apology from Tiger, but I really feel that I deserve to look at him in person, face-to-face, in his eyes, because I did not deserve this." I was surprised to read this line. What did she not "deserve"? She knew that she was having an affair with a married man.

Personally, I was hoping that this whole Tiger Woods scandal would be over. He is an extraordinary golfer and this is hurting his career. It is not the first time something like this has happened and will not be the last. Although I am posting about this subject, I am disgusted about the amount of information that is released about people's personal lives in our country. And how entertained and interested the public is in these matters. What do you think about Tiger Woods? How much privacy does a person deserve?

Advertising in America

Here in America, advertising is something that is part of our everyday lives. Whether we realize it or not, advertising is everywhere. Its on television, billboards, buses, trains, and even on people wearing t-shirts. This is nothing new, advertising has been a big part of America's history and has been around longer than you and I. In The Great Gatsby the giant eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg watch over the land of ashes from a billboard. Today, advertisements for Verizon Wireless and McDonalds can be seen a countless number of times while driving down the highway.

Recently I have been paying closer attention to advertising, and I have noticed that different companies target different crowds with advertisements. For example, beer companies often sponsor sporting events. I almost always see commercials for Budweiser or Miller Light while watching a football or baseball game. Why is this? It is because people watching sports generally drink more beer.

Although commercials can be entertaining, advertising can also be annoying. It is near impossible to go on the internet without seeing an ad on the side of the page, and ads often pop up on the screen in new windows. This gets on everyones nerves. Furthermore, my email inbox is always full of spam advertisement emails. Advertisements appear in daily life in a number of other ways. How does advertising affect you? What would a world be like without advertising?

The 17-year Old King

As juniors in high school, many of us are 17 years old. While we are busy focusing on homework, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba, who is also 17 years old, is the King of the Tooro Kingdom of Uganda. Oyo has been King since the age of three. Uganda has a president who is the main leader, but Oyo still has responsibilities and makes decisions that affect over 2 million people. He oversees efforts to raise money for health and education, and starts programs to increase cultural pride. Subjects give him cattle and kiss his feet while he is on the throne.

Despite all this, Oyo still manages to do things that other teenagers are doing. He plays video games, listens to rap music, and reads the Twilight book series. He hangs out with friends and watches his favorite socccer team, Arsenal. He goes to a private school, but has body guards following him around all day. Due to this it can be hard to fit in. Afterall, he is a king. But as I said before, he has been king since the age of three and had no choice in this decision. What do you think of Oyo? Would you want to have the responsibility of being King?

Article about King Oyo

Obesity in America

Often when I have an extra dollar laying around and I am driving in my car I go to the drive-thru at McDonald's or Burger King. There I can get a double cheeseburger for only one dollar. This, I realized, is the source of America's Obesity.

America's food system causes millions of Americans to be overweight. According to the Surgeon General, two out of every three Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity significantly increases the risk of other health problems and death. The reason for all these extra pounds is that healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food. For example, a salad costs more than a Big Mac, as shown in the graphic above. The government makes recommendations to eat healthy food such as vegetables, but spends the majority of its money for food production on meat and dairy, which are high in fat.

Healthy food can be found at grocery stores and upscale restaurants. The problem is that the food there is much more expensive than a fast food restaurant. As a result, the rate of obesity among poor people with low incomes is quite high. The poor neighborhood of South Bronx in New York has one of the highest obesity rates in the country, as talked about in this article from the New York Times. Poor people often work more jobs with longer hours, and do not have as much time to exercise or grocery shop. Furthermore, there are fewer grocery stores in poor neighborhoods. Even at the existing stores, organic food is significantly more expensive than processed and packaged food. In order for the health of our country to improve, the government has to educate Americans to make smart eating choices, and more importantly to have healthy food available. How do you think the problem of Obesity in America can be solved?

Womens Sports

We recently had a class discussion about women's vs. men's sports. The conclusion was that women's sports do not receive as much attention as men's because they are not as exciting. Well, fans got what they were asking for the other night in NCAA women's basketball. Baylor's Brittney Griner punched an opponent in the face. The video can be seen here. This incident created an outrage, no one expected women to be punching each other. On the other hand, men fight all the time in sports, and it is almost expected for fights to happen. Why is this the case?

It is because of the physical anatomy combined with society's views of men and women that cause women to be inferior in sports. Men are overall bigger and stronger than women, it is a known fact. This advantage of strength and size allows for men's games to be more competitive and entertaining. In addition, the focus of women as a whole in our society is not to be strong and athletic, but to be pretty and skinny. Until these obstacles are overcome, women's sports can not be compared to men's.

Cutting Back on Education

The recession is causing our nation to cut back on a lot of things, but there is one thing I thought would not face major budget cuts, something that is vital to the future of our country. This is education. It turns out that I was wrong. Schools have been affected nationwide, but California and the poor neighborhoods of Los Angeles have been hit especially hard. One L.A. School in Watts had to lay off half of its staff, with more to be laid off this summer. About 2,000 personnel have been laid off Districtwide. One class in this same school has had no less than ten different teachers throughout the year. Surely not much can be accomplished under these circumstances, how would you feel if every time a teacher was about to learn your name a new teacher came the next day? Due to these setbacks in the education budget, student's learning is limited.

Luckily, I am not the only person who thinks what is going on in these schools is wrong. While these L.A. students along with others suffer, not much has changed at New Trier. The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is trying to stop this unfair education. They filed a lawsuit, alleging that the teacher layoffs are a constitutional violation of these inner city students right to an education. The neighborhoods in which these schools lie are full of poverty and gang violence. Without the children of these areas receiving a proper education, there is little chance of the neighborhoods improving.

Liberal= Smarter?

Recently I read an article that suggests political, religious, and sexual behaviors are linked to intelligence. Liberalism, atheism, and male sexual exclusivity, it states, are associated with a higher IQ. The average person with these traits has a higher IQ of 6 to 11 points, which is significant but not drastic. At first I thought this was odd, because these are the opposite traits of our early ancestors. It turns out that this is exactly the reason why these things lead to a higher IQ. Intelligent human beings desire to be elite and superior than other human beings, and these beliefs set them apart from the crowd.

Traditionally human ancestors have cared most about the survival of their offspring and those closest to them. On the contrary, liberals are more concerned with total strangers. This goes against evolutionary patterns, showing that those who go against old ways are more likely to be intelligent.

Also, atheists contradict religion, a part of human life since ancient times. New studies suggest that religion does not help humans survive, but gives them a reason for their paranoia. Not being involved with any religion allows humans to further speculate on life, studies say.

Lastly, male humans historically have had many sexual partners to reproduce as much as possible. Again, having only one partner goes against what humans have historically done.

Although this general trend may be true, surely every liberal or atheist is not smarter than every conservative or religious person. Personally, I am Catholic and more conservative than liberal, but I can see why this study may be true. As the article states, "the data should not be used to stereotype or make assumptions about people," no matter what their views are.

Recent Devastation

A split building in Concepcion, Chile

Two large Earthquakes have struck the Earth since the beginning of the new year. Many Earthquakes occur every day, but most of them cannot be felt. First in Haiti and then in Chile, residents have very much felt the power of Mother Nature.

Saturday morning an 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale quake shook Chile, followed by a tsunami which did not turn our to be destructive. This earthquake was more than 500 times stronger than the 7.0 Earthquake in Haiti. Yet the damage is much less than that of Haiti, and Chile's death toll is exponentially smaller. So far there have been around 400 deaths in Chile, and over 200,000 in Haiti. So then you might ask, Why was the damage so much greater in Haiti if the Earthquake was weaker?

Chili was prepared. The government has mandated building earthquake proof structures. These buildings use more flexible materials such as rubber that will bend and sway during an earthquake instead of cracking and breaking. This building was required because Chile knew of the destruction that could be caused. In 1960, the largest earthquake known to man struck Chile, a 9.5 magnitude.

Also, Haiti was not prepared. The infrastructure there is very weak, and the economy very poor. Enough money was not available to build earthquake resistant buildings. So then, the lesson to learn from this is: preparing pays off, the danger of nature cannot be ignored.


More on the Chilean Earthquake

Over the Top Celebration?

After winning the gold medal in women's hockey, the Canadian team had quite a celebration. The team defeated the United States 2-0, and came back on to the ice 30 minutes later to celebrate. The women drank beer and champagne, and smoked cigars. In the picture above, players were pouring champagne in each others mouths. Marie-Philip Poulin, who scored both of the goals in the game, was seen holding a beer can. She is only 18, and the legal drinking age in British Columbia is 19. Inevitably, this event created controversy.

The IOC, or International Olympic Committee, is not happy with the Canadian women's actions. The IOC is going to "investigate" what happened, and then make the proper actions. Personally, I think this celebration went overboard, but serious punishment should not be given. I thought it was a poor showing of class and of Canada, but much disciplinary action is not necessary. Banning the team from the closing ceremonies would be going too far, the girls were just trying to have fun. After all, the team blew away all competition in women's hockey, they deserved to have a little fun.

But, what do you think? Did the women take their celebration too far?

The Giving Tree

In response to Mr. O'Connor's blog post on the American Studies blog, I have found messages in a book read to me when I was younger, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. These messages are secret because many children read the book for entertainment, and do not think deeply about it. The plot of the book is a relationship between a boy and a tree that can talk. The tree gives the boy everything he needs, acting like a parent. The boy as a child takes apples from the tree to eat, and branches for shade and to swing on. As the boy grows older he needs more and more, and eventually cuts the tree down to build a home. Then as an old man he comes back to the stump of the tree. He now wants a place to rest, and the tree tells him to sit on its stump, he does and the tree is happy.

After rereading it the main lesson I got out of the book is to be selfless: the more you give the happier you are. The tree keeps on giving and only becomes happier each time. Even when the tree has nothing left, it is still happy. This is trying to teach children to help others and to not worry about having things and they will be happy. Personally, I think this is a good message to be teaching our children. With all the advertisements and other media telling them to buy as much as they can, this is a way to fight it.

The book also shows the supposedly average life of an American. The boy is careless as a child, and is given what he wants. Then as an adult he becomes more stressed and needs to take care of bigger things. Then as an old man he is tired and just wants to sit down.
Although this is a picture book targeted mainly at children, it has many deeper messages. When I was learning to read, I was also learning how to live my life.

Are you in danger?

An issue for years has been the safety of meat. In 1906, Upton Sinclair wrote about the nauseating Chicago Slaughter houses and the meat packing industry. Then the government tried to fix the problem and start inspecting meat. The problem is not over though, as stated in this article along with many others. Diseases from meat still infect people each year. This has never bothered me, but it troubles some people to the extent of being vegetarians.

One company in particular, Beef Products Inc., has been producing meat that is contaminated. Their processed beef is used in McDonald's and Burger King's hambugers, along with 5.5 millions pounds a year in school lunches. In August two 27,000 pound batches were found to be contaminated before being released to the public. Imagine if they hadnt been caught.

So then, are you scared of what can be in your meat?

Can you train your brain?

I recently read an article in the New York Times titled: how to train the aging brain. I always throught that I got easily distracted from tasks and became forgetful of the details of the books we read in class, but studies show that with our aging population those in their 40s to 60s are becoming increasingly more forgetful. Aging brains fall into what is called "the default mode", during which the mind wanders off and begins daydreaming, causing middle aged people to forget that they were cooking pizza and get distracted, until the pizza is smoking and the fire alarm goes off.

The question that this article essentially brings up is: can you teach an old dog new tricks? The article then argues that yes, brains continue to develop through and after middle age. Personally, this makes sense to me. I have often heard of the "old wise man" and this argument confirms that he exists. While brains grow older they may lose small details, but they gain a greater depth of complexity and have an easier time seeing the big picture. After all, numbers and dates we learn in school might end up not mattering, but the bigger ideas do.