Americans are Never Satisfied May 21, 2009

Whether fleeing religious persecution, economic oppression, or ravages of war immigrants from all over the world poured into the United States. This endeavor was initiated by the idea of the American Dream, which many hoped would be the solution to their discontent. Due to requirements of human satisfaction, the tainted American Dream has shifted from the pursuit of personal happiness to the pursuit of abundant wealth, justifying that all Americans have their moments of dissatisfaction.

Even before “the American Dream” was first coined in 1913 by James Adams, this powerful phrase had already lured many nations to our American shores. The pursuit began in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence stated, “all men . . . are endowed by their Creator with . . . Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (Source B).” The Declaration of Independence, along with the American Dream, supported that everyone had the opportunity to achieve greater prosperity without the restrictions of class, religion, race, or ethnic group. The Founding Fathers apparently agreed that happiness and satisfaction is a right that everyone is entitled to. Source C suggests that as time went by “a being of higher faculties [began to require] more to make him happy.” Even though America was a land in which one’s prospects in life were endless, many allowed themselves to be defined by materialistic objects. Citizens nationwide began to feel the incessant need to obtain worldly goods. Without even realizing it, Americans were tuning away from freedom and throwing themselves into bondage where materialism was the master.

After being fully enslaved by materialism the American Dream was rearranged so that it revolved around excessive fortune. Statistics from Source E proved, “the average working woman plays with her children forty minutes a week – and shops six hours.” Unfortunately, this is a common scenario in our society today which is hard-core proof that people now place possessions on a higher pedestal than family values. People, such as the stereotypical working woman, are trying to buy happiness from store shelves. The time of compulsive consumerism we are living in is based on the foundation “that ‘just a little bit more’ will finally buy happiness (Source E).” People today are surrounded by tons of things, yet they still feel incomplete. This dissatisfaction could be represented by the principle of searching for something more in all the wrong places. As result of this reformation, the American Dream has been distorted by the same people it gave freedom and hope to in the 1700’s.

Opposing views question the validity of the original American Dream and all of the hopes associated with it. Source G argues, “Without wealth there can be no Maecenas.” If this is true then how did Picasso and Van Gogh flourish to become internationally known artists? These two men along with more modern day stars, such as Oprah and Tom Cruise, have inspired several generations with their rags to riches storylines. Source G also says, “The conditions of human life have not only been changed, but revolutionized, within the past few hundred years.” While we have experienced positive developments in technology and education, we have also suffered negative transformations in our economy and political system. For the past year American debt has been increasing at a terrifying rate, currently reaching $57 trillion, and has been heightened even more by our political leader Barrack Obama who spent more money campaigning than his opponent John McCain did. Source G furthermore claims, “This change, however, is not to be deplored, but welcomed as highly beneficial.” How can this modification be beneficial when our current generation is becoming increasingly inconsequential? As asserted by Source E, “Ninety-three percent of teenage girls list shopping as their favorite pastime.” Even though many Americans continue their indiscretion towards the American society and the American Dream, hope remains for the few but apt realists.

Even though expectations for the future have been buried by mounds of infectious ideas, the American Dream continues on, stronger than ever, to remain as a constant throughout the lives of unsatisfied citizens.

Who Do You Believe? February 20, 2009

There are many different people who share the opinion that spanking is not a negative form of discipline. In fact, a study in Ohio show that “70% of 800 family physicians and 59% of 400 pediatricians supported spanking.”(SSRN) If  people such as physicians and pediatricians, who have spent years at colleges studying human development and such, support this – then why don’t we? In addition to this a psychiatrist also supported spanking because after interviewing numerous kids he found that “they were far more upset by being yelled at by an adult out of control than they had been by being spanked by an adult in control and as a logical consequence of misbehavior.”(Academy) This same certified pyhchatrist interviewed over a hundred children in this study. Notwithstanding be ye sure of this: anti-spankers need to listen up because that is coming straight from the mouths of babes.

Pro-Spanking February 20, 2009

Sometimes the only way to learn right from wrong is through experience. Nonabusive spanking is an effective form of discipline that instills morals and values in children.

Some argue that spanking can damage a child’s mental state, but for the most part they would be wrong. According to a TIME magazine article Robert Larzelere, who is a psychologist, concluded that “nonabusive spanking reduced misbehavior without harmful effects” and that spanking not only works but it makes children “more apt to respond without spanking the next time.”(TIME) That statement collaborated with a study that Larzelere performed which dealt with numerous mothers with children around 3 to 3 years old. Many other people will argue that all the statistics they find support not spanking because of the supposed facts, but researchers from the National Institute of Healthcare Research said “83 percent of the 132 identified articles published in clinical and psychosocial journals were merely opinion-driven editorials, reviews or commentaries, devoid of new empirical findings.”(Pro-Spanking) So how can you trust all the information that can be found if they are just opinionated blogs? Both of these hard-core pieces of evidence show that nonabusive spanking will not produce bad effects, even if some statistics say so.

No Spanking February 20, 2009

In most cases, a parent steps over the boundary when it comes to spanking. The best decision for many people is to just avoid spanking altogether as a form of discipline.

Many parents challenge the notion that they can spank in a calm, planned manner. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimated that “85% of parents expressed moderate to high anger, remorse, and agitation while punishing their children.”(stopspanking) Assuming this information is true, especially since its a specialized committee on psychological aspects of child and family health, the idea that a parent can control themselves while discipling a child can be questioned. Most people find it difficult to put a lid on their emotions when they are anrgy. In many cases, this anger can lead to harsh punishment.In fact, the US department of Health and Human services reported that “142,000 children are seriously injured from Corporal punishment every year in this country.” (NTAC) This group is known for their reports on the damaging consequences of violence and trama. They even went on the say that many times these injuries lead to permanent disabilies. How can a child so young and in the eve of life have such horrible experiences.

Feeding America October 20, 2008

Anderson’s futuristic foreshadowing in Feed perfectly depicts the ominous possibilities of a culture that is dominated by corporations and the media. The indictment portrayed will not be a pretty one if we don’t think in new ways, experience new things, and live in a new frame of mind.

Scientific American July 24, 2008

     Although I really enjoyed the other two feeds that I have been reading the past few weeks, I have to admit that the Scientific American was my favorite blogging site.  I was fascinated by this blog because I really enjoy science and the way that this website published the news concerning science and the earth. 

Important International Issues July 21, 2008

    The Times is one of the most widely read newspapers, magazines, and websites in the world. Even though The Times existed before my parents, grandparents, and possibly great grandparents, I have just recently been introduced to it.

Come to The Salon! July 18, 2008

    What does the average person think of when hearing the word salon?  Personally, I picture random women in a pink beauty shop who are sitting in plastic chairs and gossiping.  In reality The Salon is a popular blog with over 50,000 subscribers, including myself.

The Evaluation of a Blog’s Personality June 26, 2008

After blogs are created, they develop their own personality. A blog will reap benefits by organizing information in an easy-to-find format. The way a blog is made and the way colors are used also makes up a big part of a blog. While both of those skills are important for a blog, the blog’s content is even more important. By combining all of these useful skills, a successful and attractive blog can be easily created.

Extreme Effects of Child Abuse May 16, 2008

     All child abuse is wrong, especially neglectful abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.  However, a person shouldn’t let their past experiences of child abuse control their life or determine their future.  In Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, B.C. Forbes explained this best by saying, “The most notable winners usually encountered heart-breaking obstacles before they triumphed.   They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.” (Canfield, J., Hansen, M., Hansen, P., and Dunlap, I., 1996)