Media Control Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive TV Ads Essays

Media Control In the United States, most of us probably feel that we live in a relatively free environment. We are proud to live in a country in which we are supposedly given the freedom of choice. We are proud of our freedom to voice our opinions. We feel no pressure to conform, but we do every day in ways that we are completely unaware of. We are oblivious to the messages we are constantly receiving from the media, messages that tell us how we should think, feel, and act, and this oblivion makes us all the more vulnerable. In the U.S., the average person sees 25,000 commercials a year. These commercials are not just advertising a product. They are also advertising the values and lifestyles that surround it. Take, for example, our countries burst of patriotism after the September 11th attacks. Soon after the attacks, the cover model of Vogue appeared on the November issue wearing an American flag T-shirt, and a page of the magazine was dedicated to advertising the new style of â€Å"chic, patriotic† clothing. Television commercials as well have taken a turn towards patriotism, some in very subtle ways. It seems that many ads now emphasize families, comfort, sentimentality, and security, things that are desired by many U.S. citizens after the attacks. Through indirect messages, ads not only promise these things to those who purchase their products, they also promote these desires and feelings, wrapping us all up in warm, patriotic comfort instead of encouraging any kind of critical thinking or exa mination of the issue at hand. Few of us are safe exempt from receiving these messages, as 98% of all homes in America own a TV set, and the average person spends four hours a day watching it. Unfortunately, it isn’t just the c... ...dcasters, which is paramount†. By law television broadcasters are obligated to â€Å"serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity† and broadcast programs that inform communities on local, national, and global issues from diverse perspectives. The ideal media would reflect the interest of the entire population, not just an elite few. There are already many independent news sources though they reach a significantly smaller audience than the mainstream media. If we could turn the media so that it works for the people it could be an amazingly useful tool for informing and educating the public on vitally important issues that do not currently receive enough attention. As Lester Brown, author of the State of the World book series says, â€Å"The communications industry is the only instrument that has the capacity to educate on a scale that is needed in the time available.†

Are Human Innately Evil Essay

Humans are not born innately good or evil; they are born without knowledge of good or evil but with an innate need for survival. If you look at babies, they are innately very selfish, that is their nature. They have survival instincts, and all they care about is getting as much food as they can so they can survive. But does that make them evil? No. Most kids grow to be innately good adults, and it’s a small minority who grow into being â€Å"evil† adults. I would argue that it is most likely something that happens in a child’s development that causes them to be â€Å"evil† and that no one is born â€Å"evil. Humans are born blank slates but with an innate need for survival. In the short story â€Å"The Metaphor† by Budge Wilson Miss Hancock and Charlotte were shaped by society. Miss Hancock was overenthusiastic and flamboyant natured teacher who was loved by her class. She is an innately good adult. She was shaped by society to be a good and fun loving person. Charlotte was in Miss Hancock’s class, and she was a bright student who was not afraid to express her opinion because of the friendly environment her class had. Charlotte also had a mother who you could say is innately evil. Charlotte could have been an evil person too if it was not for Miss Hancock who influenced Charlotte to become good. This shows us that’s humans are born as blank slates and it is their surroundings that shape them into becoming who they are. Charlotte is a prime example of this. Charlotte was born as a blank slate and could have become good or evil. In conclusion this shows that humans can be influenced to become good or evil. In the short story â€Å"The Portable Phonograph† by Walter Van Tilburg Clark Dr.  Jenkins is shaped by the world war that has destroyed much of the earth’s habitat and killed many people. Dr. Jenkins feels the need to protect everything he has because they are the last of their kind in this world. Throughout the story the musician seemed very intrigued by the phonograph. Dr. Jenkins believed that the musician would try to steal the phonograph and Dr. Jenkins then becomes a defensive man. When all the men leave Dr. Jenkins hears a coughing sound outside his house. â€Å"He heard what he had been listening for, a sound of suppressed coughing. † This causes Dr. Jenkins to hide the phonograph and sleep with a lead pipe in his bed to protect himself and the phonograph. Dr. Jenkins changes from a kind, generous man who is trying to spread hope, to a defensive man, who is relying on one of his most primitive instincts; protectiveness. Dr. Jenkins was born as a blank slate, as all humans are, and likely being raised in a good environment during his childhood made him an innately good adult. Then after the war he changed into a defensive man. He was not necessarily evil as he did not want to hurt the musician but only wanted to protect his belongings. This story showed us that there are many things that can change you; however your main characteristics that you develop through your childhood stand out the most. From being born as a neutral human your childhood is where you become good or evil. In the short story the â€Å"Possibility of evil† by Shirley Jackson Miss Strangeworth was born a blank slate, but to keep evil out of her town she was forced to become â€Å"evil†. It was her surroundings that changed her from being neutral or being good to becoming â€Å"evil. She had to write poison pen letters to warn people and these letters sometimes ended up hurting people. From our point of view she was evil but from Miss Strangeworth’s point of view she was good. She was trying to get rid of evil in her town and trying to help others. â€Å"Mr. Lewis would have never imagined for a minute that his grandson might be lifting petty cash from the store register if he had not had one of Miss Strangeworth’s letters. † Miss Strangeworth was not innately evil or innately good she was neutral until her surroundings made her evil. She was a product of her surroundings.

Whitman’s I Sing the Body Electric

Was it doubted that those who corrupt their own bodies conceal themselves;† Whitman's use of an interrogative tone here shows that he believes any corruption of the body is to cover up a deeper issue. Eating disorders are about deeper issues, not actually having much to do with food or weight; those things are merely a distraction from the issues buried under disordered behaviors. Other types of corruption during Whitman's time might have been premarital sex leading to pregnancy, sexual encounters with the same sex, and alcoholism. All of these are ways to have a â€Å"voice† without actually speaking.I believe that Whitman recognized using the body as an instrument of communication was a popular technique utilized by many, including himself. Whitman had a long term affair with a man, and to some he thus corrupted his body. As shown by the letters during a presentation in class, he concealed this relationship to anyone who inquired about his sexuality. The following line s speak just as strongly as the first. In my treatment center we learned that without proper care of the body, all other parts of one's being cease to exist entirely.Indeed â€Å"if the body [is] not the soul, what is the soul? † is a question I asked myself in many forms, many times. The body is the temple in which the soul, chakras, mind, intelligence, emotions, and lifeblood reside. No soul is unattached to the body. I believe that as a writer Whitman connected with his soul on a different level through his words. I have felt this connection myself when writing poetry regarding my eating disorder. Whitman's ability to write allowed him to see his body as neither male nor female , thus allowing him to see what the body is truly capable of.The body is simply a vessel that moves, breathes, eats, and sleeps. However, in Whitman's words, the body is the soul; it is something that can be corrupted or worshiped. â€Å"All things please the soul, but [the contact and odor of men and women] please the soul well. † The treatment ot a body as neither male nor temale is what is g tor the soul, according to Whitman. A body is not worthy of treating well because it has the anatomy of a male or the anatomy of a female; if the body is the soul, as Whitman says, then the body is deserving of being treated well, period.The treatment of the ody is something that is holistic, not Just a matter of treating the body with food or treating the soul with meditation. My recovery is not Just about eating the proper amount of fruits, vegetables, starches, proteins, and fats. It is also about doing what is good for my soul, and that is what Whitman means by that line. Any corruption of the body, whether it malnourishment, sexual exploitation, or anything else capable of corrupting the vessel itself, must be cured holistically. Overall, Whitman makes a claim about the body that is indeed pertinent to the present.The body is â€Å"electric† in all that it contains. T he body is more than Just skin and bone. In the words of Whitman, â€Å"O I these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of the soul,] O I say now these are the soul! † He concludes with his notion that the body is the soul. I believe that I agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment; without acknowledging my soul, the recovery of my body would have never been possible to discontinue corrupting my body, thus discontinuing concealing myself. Recognizing my soul as intertwined with the body helped me have the most holistic recovery possible.

Asexual Propagation Lab Report essays

Asexual Propagation Lab Report essays Most people are unaware, but there is a way to actually produce a virtually identical twin of a plant without reproduction and without purchase of seeds or another plant. The process is know as Asexual Propagation and can be used to manipulate your garden or greenhouse. The process involves the use of cuttings from the original plant in order to propagate another plant asexually, or without the use of reproduction. There are certain materials that are necessary in order to complete Asexual Propagation. These materials are one plastic flat, potting media, hand clippers, a ruler, peat cups, and the following plants: Hibiscus/Hibiscus roseus (1 tip, 1 stem), Vicks Plant/Plectranthus tomentosa (1 tip, 1 stem), Spider Plant/Chlorophytum comosum (1 cutting), Umbrella Plant/Cyperus alternifolius (2 cuttings), Snake Plant/Sansevieria trifasciata (6 cuttings), Peperomia/Peperomia obtusifolia (1 cutting), Jade/Crassula argentea (2 stem, 1 leaf), Weeping Fig/Ficus benjamina (1 tip, 1 stem), Mother of Thousands/Byrophyllum spp. (1 plantlet), Lantana/Lantana camerii (1 tip, 1 stem), Wandering Traveler/Zebrina pendula (2 tips, 2 stems), Begonia/Begonia semperflorens (1 tip, 1 stem), Swedish Ivy/Plectranthus australis (1 tip, 1 stem). *Note: Tip cuttings were taken below any node of a section that still contained and apical meristem; whereas, the stem cuttings were taken below a node of a section that no longer contained an apical meristem. Leaf cuttings were taken at the point at which the petiole joins the stem, and plantlets There were a number of methods that were taken during the Asexual Propagation experiment. First of all, we took the appropriate cuttings of the aforementioned plants using the hand clippers. Secondly, we prepared the potting media inside the plastic flat. Next, we planted the cuttings inside the flat. Three of the Snake Plant cuttings were planted upside down, and one of the Umbrella plant cuttings was also...

Boys Dont Cry1 essays

Boys Dont Cry1 essays During ones existence, new discoveries about ones self tend to occur. One of these discoveries is identity: who we are and what we really want to be. Teena Brandon, a.k.a. Brandon Teena, goes through this tough time in the movie Boys Dont Cry. As you will see, self-identity is not an easy thing to figure out. In the movie Boys Dont Cry, Teena Brandon was born a girl. As she grew older she changed. She felt as if she was really to be a guy. She proceeded to make herself look like a male by cutting her hair shorter, wrapping an ace bandage tightly around her breasts, and putting a sock in her groin area. Everyone she met saw and believed she was a guy. No one knew the truth. She then got mixed in with a new group of people and fell in love with a female named Lana. She gets very close to Lana. During this John and Tom, who are friends of Lana and her mother discover who Brandon really was. They proceeded to rape and beat her. Then they later killed her after they found out she reported the rape to the police. The movie does a very good job of exploring identity. It does it by showing how difficult it is for some people to figure out what and who they are and the pain they go through. For instance, Brandon got along with John, Tom, Candace and Lanas mom in the beginning. They accepted her when they thought she was a he. When they found out that he was really a she, they despised her and called her a lesbian and a freak. It also does a good job of showing how Lana was also confused about who she was. Lana became very attached to Brandon. Even after she found out that Brandon was a girl, she still felt the same love. This is why many people who are confused about their identity keep it inside because theyre scared of what people will think and what people will do to them. It is a very frustrating but at the same time helpful process. Identity can be a struggle for not only th...

9 Ways To Avoid Being The Office Jerk

9 Ways To Avoid Being The Office Jerk We all have crazy coworkers- and that’s not even counting the guys going AWOL on the printer in an abandoned field. But you don’t have to be the office psycho to make an enemy of yourself at work. Here are nine things not to do on the job- or really ever.1. Don’t lieEven if it’s a little white lie with good intentions, it can easily get out of hand. Getting caught up in a lie, however, will only make it harder for your coworkers to trust you†¦ and for you to respect yourself.2. Don’t gossipBut†¦ work is dull, and that secret is just so juicy Still,  hold on to your schadenfreude and keep quiet about your coworkers’ misery. You won’t hurt anybody’s feelings, and no one will think you’re a spiteful grump.3. Don’t  be a downerEverybody hates their job a little- at least once in a while. But don’t be the one who’s constantly complaining. It’s a bummer and will bring the whole group do wn, plus it will make you look like a total downer. Remember how replaceable you are!4. Don’t ExplodeNo, seriously. We all want to go AWOL on the printer. Or occasionally even our boss. Before you pick up that stapler to hurl it at your coworker, remember: it might make you feel better, but it’s really just an easy way to get fired. Once you become the office crazy person, there’s no coming back.5. Don’t  hog all the creditEven if you feel you did the lion’s share, taking credit for someone else’s work or ideas is just a jerk move, plain and simple. Keep it classy, and focus on what you can accomplish.6. Don’t bragPlaying it cool is the strongest possible move when you’ve done something excellent. Give the impression that you’re that good all the time, rather than crowing about every small success.7. Don’t  backstabBe sensitive to the climate you work in, and the hierarchy. Don’t go over anybody’ s head or talk about anyone behind their back. (And just hope your coworkers do you the same courtesy.)8. Don’t  eat gross stuffNo, really. That leftover flounder your boyfriend made you is just going to stink up the microwave, the kitchenette, your cubicle, and the entire office. Don’t be the one who brings in smelly leftovers and makes everybody nauseous. If you wouldn’t eat it on an airplane, don’t bring it into work.9. Don’t burn bridgesEven if you do have to peace out, resist the urge to do it in dramatic fashion. You’re invariably hurting your coworkers more than your boss, and you never know when you might need the connections you have made.These sound like outrageous behaviors, but it’s quite easy to be driven to them gradually. So check your ego, stay calm, and make sure to keep your head above the fray.

Biological basis of schizophrenia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biological basis of schizophrenia - Essay Example This paper will discuss the biological basis of schizophrenia and what has led to that belief. Schizophrenia is a complex debilitating psychotic disorder that involves a disconnection between thought and language. It affects, thoughts, feeling, perceptions, and overall behavior. The usual onset is age 17 to 25. 90% of those that are being treated are 15-55. Onset before 10 and after 60 is rare (Porth & Matfin, 2008). Recent research and data present a complex image of a brain dysfunction with alterations in anatomic structures as well as protein synthesis and functional disturbances. Some of the manifestations include incomprehensible speech, delusions, hallucinations, and sometimes catatonic behavior. It is thought that sounds and color are more vivid and louder to these patients (Porth, et.al., 2008). There is paranoia as they believe people are watching them or out to get them. Though the studies following show some research into the neurophysiology of schizophrenic symptoms, it is still virtually unknown what the pathogenesis is. It is known from the imaging techniques being used that there are abnormalities in the construction of the brain but how do those abnormalities relate to the psychological issues. This is still unknown. It will be important to discern at what age this disease begins to manifest itself. One of the studies noted leads the researcher to believe that it may be a manifestation of development in uterus and not occur post partum. Young children are not often scanned so it is not known for sure (Porth, 2008). It is known, however, that adolescents who have a strong family history and who have been scanned do have the larger ventricles shown in a parental scan. Treatment at this time has not changed much though future study may change that. Presently the goal of treatment is still to attempt to induce remission, and improve behavior and c ognitive function. Outcomes from the illness are improved and some