2040 What is Our Future?

At 7:10 on Monday morning, my alarm clock sounds coming from the walls of my apartment. I get out of bed having to turn off the alarm because the longer you wait to get up, the louder the alarm gets. Since the alarm is built into the walls, similar to a security system, you have a built in touch screen devise to turn off the alarm. Just before I make breakfast, I need to take a shower. The showers in 2040 are automatic and you press a button if you want a cold or warm shower. Once I’m finished getting dressed, I go to the refrigerator to get some milk to make cereal. However the refrigerator has a built in devise that lets you know what you need from the store that would need to be refrigerated, such as milk, eggs, meat, and salad. Before I get the milk, the touch screen device has milk on the “Groceries Needed” list. So I choose, instead, to make toast.
As I’m heading out the door I realize that I am running late to school. Instead of taking my regular car, I decide to take my flying car. Flying cars were a recent invention and you are able to go twice the speed of what a car normally drives in a 45 mph zone. In the air, you would be able to drive 90 mph. Even though a flying car helps you get to your destination faster, there are still cops and traffic lights in the air to avoid accidents. As I land into the school parking lot, I am worried I am going to miss my class. Luckily, once you enter the building of your class, the building automatically sends a message to the teacher as a partial attendance. You receive a full attendance grade once you enter the classroom. This new technological device has helped students to not feel worried about getting points off for being tardy. The college classes, in general, have not changed too much. More teachers are using clickers for quizzes and participation grades to make sure students are paying attention. Also, all classes are allowed to have computers, unless the teacher feels it is a distraction. One thing that has changed is that colleges worldwide are making more mandatory classes that the students need to take, such as environmental classes and economic classes. The schools felt it is important for kids to know how to save money, learn how to live more economically friendly, and to be informed of what activities harm the environment.
For the past fifty years, technology has dramatically changed and has helped make our lives easier. Without technology, we would not be able to get up in the morning on time, make emergency phone calls, keep in touch with our family members across the country, and to check how much money you have in your savings account. These are just a few examples on how technology has helped make our life easier. Forty years from now, our life is going to surround and rely on technology even more.

The Internet: A Clear and Present Danger?

The list Catherine Cleaver’s displayed in the beginning of her article, I believe, violates our civil liberties. We all have the right to browse the internet, have conversations through the internet, and buy items off of shops on the internet. Although we have these rights, there are some things that should be illegal in computer transmissions. Cleaver discusses how a man named Bob Guccione displays nude pictures of young teens on the internet. What people view on the internet is their own business, however, these pictures are inappropriate. The nude pictures of young adults are also considered child pornography, which should be illegal on the internet.
While this particular internet problem should be illegal, there are some circumstances where we violate our own rights that can get us into trouble. An example that Cleaver mentions on her list is about a young man who develops a relationship with a 12 year old girl named Jenny, who is actually a pedophile. The young boy wanted to meet this girl in person and they both had a day set. Luckily, the young boy’s mother went to the place before the boy went to find out that Jenny was actually a forty year old man. It would be difficult to make internet chats illegal because it is hard to catch someone who is actually a pedophile pretending to be a young girl, or boy. For this particular incident, parents should discuss with their children to never meet someone on the internet and then agree to meet them in person because it may not be the person they thought they were and, most importantly, it is not safe.
All in all, this list is a good, effective way to start the article because it gives a brief preview on what she is going to discuss. Cleaver mentions good and bad points on internet scams that happen daily that should be illegal. While most of Cleaver’s point were valid and had good reason on why something should be illegal on the internet, such as child pornography, there were other points that are not as simple to just make the problem illegal, such as tracking down pedophiles. In order for police to track down pedophiles through the internet, they would have to pretend they were a child, which is just as wrong to pretend they’re somebody they’re actually not. Overall though, I think the list was a good introduction to Cleaver’s article.

MOVIE TRAILER: Valentine’s Day

The Valentine’s Day comedy movie trailer is made of small clips from the movie that is filled with a large number of famous actors and actresses who will be staring in this movie. The movie is about how Valentine’s Day is affecting everyone and how it is a day filled with laughter and love, even anger and tears for some. The movie trailer has the song “I Gotta Feeling” by Black-Eyed Peas playing in the background as it shows the cast that will be staring in the movie. The Valentine’s Day clip also reveals the characters’ impute on what they think of Valentine’s Day and what is probably happening on their Valentine’s Day, such as a little boy who is ordering flowers for a his special Valentine from Ashton Kutcher. The background music is perfect for this movie because you can’t help feeling that this movie will be funny and have a happy ending because of all the stars that will be in it. This movie trailer does a good job of sharing the plot, without giving away what the ending will be.

Dear John: Movie Review

The most recent movie I have seen in theatres was Dear John, which is based on a bestselling novel by Nicholas Sparks. This story is about a tough, solider named John, (Channing Tatum), who meets a college student named Savannah, (Amanda Seyfriend), while on leave from the Army. Savannah met John when her bag fell into the ocean while she was standing on a dock with some of her friends. John jumps into the water to retrieve her bag for her; little did they know that this is where their journey would begin. Once Savannah and John met, they were inseparable. They spent every moment they could together because John does not have much time left on his leave and Savannah is only in town for spring break. After only knowing each other for two weeks, they both realize they have fallen in love. However, John has to go back to Germany for a year to serve for the Army before he can see her again. They agree to write letters to one another every chance they had. They believe their love is strong enough to overcome the hardships and time, but after September 11, 2001, John asks to extend his leave. Will John and Savannah continue their relationship? Or will the time and distance tear them apart?
Now I don’t want to give away the ending for those of you who have not seen this movie and want to, but I felt that the movie was not nearly as good as the book. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors of all time. I felt, while the movie did include most of the plot and emotional struggles, I felt the way the movie ended was too sad and unrealistic. Even though the movie was not as good as the book, I did not think the movie was terrible as some people thought it was. I am not a fan of movies that make me cry, Dear John was the fifth movie I cried in, but this movie was one of those “one time see” movies for me.

Less Privacy is Good for Us (and You) By: Amitai Etzioni

Make a list of the situations in which Etzioni believes that there are issues of public health and safety that justify the invasion of one’s privacy. In each situation that Etzioni discusses, indicate whether you agree or disagree with his points of view.
In Amitai Etzioni’s article, he discusses how although privacy is not mentioned in the constitution, it is a right that Americans have. The media discusses how our privacy is becoming more and more invaded until we will eventually have no privacy. However, this is unlikely. We will have some privacy, but when it concerns the health and safety of others, invasion of privacy is acceptable. I agree with Etzioni on how less privacy is good for us. The invasion of privacy, I think, is helping the community by ensuring the people their safety.
Etzioni mentions how babies who are born from mothers with HIV can prevent from getting HIV; however, it will invade the mother’s privacy. “Women who are pregnant are recommended to get tested for HIV as part of routine parental care.” (Etzioni par 7) Although mothers do not want to get tested because they are afraid that they will have the disease, it could help prevent their child from getting HIV. “Mother’s who are tested positive are drug addicts and do not show up to prenatal care are often more likely to have HIV.” (Etzioni par 7) If the woman does have HIV, they can prevent the baby form getting the disease by not breast feeding and making sure the baby is given AZT. I agree with Etzioni that if more women took the test, it will prevent babies from getting HIV and that it betters the child’s health. Women are too afraid to get tested, however, when it becomes a health issue, more women should be willing to get tested instead of worrying about their privacy being invaded.
Another example o f invasion of privacy that Etzioni mentions is the use of fake identities. “Wells Fargo is introducing a new device that allows a person to cash checks at its ATM machines because the machines recognize faces.” (Etzioni par 11) This device will be beneficial to public safety because there are many people who are getting away with false identities. “People hired to work in child care schools cannot be effectively screened to keep out child abusers and sex offenders, largely because when background checks are conducted, convicted criminals escape detections by using false identities.” (Etzioni par 14)False identities are costing the United States billions of dollars each year and it is harmful to the society’s safety to allow it to continue. I agree with Etzioni on how the device will help prevent not all, but some false identities being made and it will ensure the safety of others. Although it is an invasion of privacy for someone who wants to move to the United States from a different country that did not have the best record, if the person openly admits they made a mistake in the past and will use their real identity, they will then be allowed to live in the United States. Again, more devices that can be made to ensure the safety of others should allow people to be more supportive of the project because it can prevent someone from getting hurt.

Evolving Opportunities

In this video, there is more information about how Immokalee evolved throughout the century came into play. Immokalee survived the development of the casinos, a bomb training base was turned into an airport, the Deep Rail System was invented, and oil was introduced. The community was still very much involved in agriculture. The farmers not only had cattle ranching, but vegetable farming as well. Some farmers, like Percy Brown, decided to work in vegetable farming because it made more money. This video discussed the hard times in Immokalee, such as the high labor demands and the Freeze of 1989; however, the video also discussed how successful agriculture became. After Fidel Castro took over Cuba’s farming, Florida’s farming business grew and became more successful. Today, farmers believe that the agricultural industry isn’t the same because of the mechanical methods that have come into play, which is replacing the human workers. This is similar to where I grew up in Palm Harbor. Many people were being replaced by machines because the owners didn’t have to worry about paying another employee and work was getting done in half the time.
The Immokalee community represents the New American dream, which is to be able to have a job, to support one’s family, and to be able to accept change. The change that is occurring is the machines that are replacing human workers in the farming industry and it will continue to grow. Ranch owners are worried that they won’t make enough money to support themselves and their families, which is what many families worry about today. While other farmers are worried that they will be replaced by machines because fruit and vegetables can be picked in half the time. Ten years from now, I think more than half of the workers in the farming industry will be replaced due to the mechanical methods that are expanding in the farming industry. I think families, especially parents, worry about being able to support their families financially even more now because of the way the economy is. The New American Dream is to be able to get an education and a job, to be able to pay for necessities, and to be happy. The last part of the American Dream is hard because many people are not happy when they are worried about losing their jobs.

Outposts of Opportunity

Immokalee was once called Golfer Ridge. This area represents opportunities for people because of the variety of animals that live there and the dry land. The community was made up of farmers and the Seminole Indians. This area consisted of owning land, raising cattle, and growing crops. Some people were driven to Immokalee because their homes, like William Allen, were destroyed by a hurricane. Soon Immokalee became a popular location and slowly developed new changes such as the Railroad that was built for trading and transportation, which also helped start the timber industries. Sugar was a popular crop in which pioneers traded in exchange for gun power and clothes. To this day, Immokalee still takes pride in nature such as the wetlands and everglades. When Napoleon Brower became governor in 1905, he prevented the draining of the Everglades because it is an important factor in the economy.

Immokalee represents the Old American Dream because life was simple. Most of the people who lived there bought land, raised cattle, and sold crops. Their life surrounded the care of the environment and how it will provide necessities for their families. It is different from where I grew up because I lived in the suburbs. There wasn’t a lot of land for cattle, or crops, because of all of the new developments in housing, businesses, and highways. I think farming is Immokalee’s future because the area has taken care of the land, raising cattle, and selling crops. Eventually though, I think those who own their own land now will have to sell parts of it in the future because the population is growing. However, I also think Immokalee will be successful in the farming industry because of the weather. Florida has warm temperatures almost year round and, as the video mentioned, people from up north come down to Florida for the warm weather. The farming industry in Immokalee, therefore, has more time to grow and sell then the northern states do.

A Quilt of a Country: Out of Many, One?

Anna Quindlen discusses how America is similar to a quilt. The United States is made up of different cultures that are brought together and living on one land, or part of one quilt. Although America is known for its diverse religions, languages, and races, our country is filled with people who consider themselves better than others. Instead of being patriotic and embracing our countries differences, Americans complain about having immigrants as opposed to tolerating them. As much as we are different, we are also alike. Many immigrants are starting lives in America exactly how our ancestors did. Another message Quindlen discusses is how America will come together and unify after a tragedy, such as a war or the Terrorist attack on September 11th. Unfortunately, once time passes after a tragedy, Americans seem to separate into their own subdivided territories based on their diverse cultures.
I agree with Anna Quindlen because America is filled with different people, much like a quilt is filled with different patterns. However people still seem to judge others based on their culture, or background. When a tragedy occurs in our country it is almost a blessing because it brings us together and allows everyone to see and treat each other equally. Although this unity will not last long, our country doesn't completly separate themselves like they did before. Some communities become more patriotic. Unfortunatly, those communites who don't unify continue being prejudice and some women are still seen as housekeepers. Despite how different we are from one another, staying unified and not judging people based on their culture will truly make America a land where all men are created equal.

Body Ritual, Among the Nacirema

The Nacirema people have a completely different culture then the rest of society. Some cultures go to temples, or churches, to worship and have holy water, as the Nacirema people do. The people perform many rituals in order to keep the human body healthy. The Nacirema people perform rituals in a shrine, in which each house has at least one, and do this privately. However, the rituals they perform ultimately result in torturing themselves. Women bake their heads in an oven for an hour as part of their body ritual. People go to a Holy-Mouth-Man at least once a year to tell their fears. Once they reveal their fears, the Holy-Mouth-Man will use magical materials to rip out their teeth. They believe this will remove the evils from their mouth; however the Nacirema people are being tortured. There is also a ceremony, Latipso, where people go to the temples in order to recover from a serious illness. The medicine man will perform a ritual purification, but must first bring a gift to the custodian. Often times those who enter the temple do not survive and if they do, they were not healed from their illness.

In the houses, the Nacirema people also worship a box that contains charms and powerful potions. The medicine men are the only people who can receive these gifts because they are considered the most powerful practitioners. The medicine men will then write out the ingredients in a secret language, then place the charm back into the charm-box in the shrine. The medicine men don’t use the ingredients for their clients because understanding the ingredients provides another charm for the box. Although this box is overflowing, the Nacirema people believe that all the charms hold magical materials and are afraid to throw them away.

Due to lack of education and not being aware of the new technologies, the Nacirema people believe that these practices help them, even if it requires pain. These rituals are part of their culture that they were brought up to believe in. Therefore, it is not their fault for continuing the rituals even if they don’t work and even kill some of their people. If they were exposed to how others live to keep themselves healthy, it is possible they would no longer continue the rituals.