The High Price of Materialism

This piece written by Tim Kasser is meant to assess people on their personal values.  Kasser summarized his results from his studies by concluding that people who value wealth and are materialistic are generally reported to have a lower state of well-being than those who have different values.  Just as the famous saying states, “money can’t buy you happiness.”  Table 1 was used to evaluate materialistic value by measuring how important financial success, self-acceptance, affiliation, and community feeling are to the survey participants.  If a person is always concerned with what materialistic items they possess, they are not able to enjoy the intangible things in life; such as family, friends, and their community.  Results show people who are more materialistic have lower levels of vitality and higher levels of depression and anxiety.  Assessing not only college students, but also a wide range of 18 year olds with diverse life situations, further proves that materialism is unhealthy.  It was interesting to learn the results of how having certain values can affect your state of well-being.  However for the most part I found this piece of writing to be pretty boring to read.  I felt Tim Kasser sort of elongated his findings from his Aspiration Index and came off as repetitive at times.

Me Talk Pretty One Day

I feel as if the French teacher was a little too harsh on her students.  After all it was the first day of class and some students were nervous.  Her comments back to each student’s introduction were sort of rude and uncalled for.  The teacher obviously embarrassed the first Anna.   The teacher was kind of acting like a smartass to her students, which in my opinion is unprofessional and the wrong impression to make to the class.  I could relate to the part where David mentions when he assigned the wrong gender to both the floor waxer and the typewriter.  I took Spanish all four years in high school and determining the appropriate gender doesn’t always come easily.  It tends to get confusing and as David mentions, why should we assign a gender to an inanimate object?  It is strange and hard to decide which objects are what gender.  David resulted in feeling discouraged by his teacher’s criticism and also felt uncomfortable when it involved speaking to others.  Practice is really the one and only way to learn a new language.  David proves that this technique pays off when he mentions the sense of relief he feels after he is able to at least UNDERSTAND french. 

The Dog Ate My Disk and Other Tales of Woe

I caught myself laughing out loud a few times while reading this passage.  For example, when Segal said, pg. 353 “No one catches a cold anymore; everyone throws up blood.”  She continued to mention people throwing up blood throughout a few categories which made the comment even more comical.  It was very easy to relate to this piece because people really do try and pull some of these crazy excuses.  The most popular being the death of a family member or the “family emergency.”  Students have been using those excuses since back in middle school because as she mentions, teachers are not really in the position to question someone’s death.  Segal’s sarcastic tone throughout this piece was a great touch and really made the passage.  I find sarcasm to be hilarious because I am frequently sarcastic myself.  It lightens up the mood and makes this passage enjoyable to read in my opinion.  The only excuse under “The Evils of Technology” category that is legitimate is the printer wouldn’t print.  I had a wireless computer at home and constantly had problems with the connection to my laptop.  I made sure when I came to college to buy a printer that came with a USB cord so I could connect it to my laptop!  As for “The Totally Bizarre” category, I have no idea why any student would even try pulling off either of those excuses because they weren’t believable in any way shape or form.

Food Product Design

I found it interesting that the aroma of a food can be responsible for as much of 90 percent of its flavor.  I can see the truth in this because I am a very picky eater, and I do not eat certain foods because I do not like the smell of them.  I can’t stand the smell of hot dogs or meatballs; therefore I have never even tried them and do not plan on it anytime soon.  This piece mentions how children can learn to enjoy specific types of food depending on what the people around them eat.  In my case, this is not true because no one else in my family is picky like I am.  Another thing I found interesting is that food coloring serves the same purpose as makeup such as lipstick and mascara.  I never would have guessed that food coloring is often made from the same pigments as makeup.  Before reading this passage, I had no idea about some of the odd ingredients that are a part of food processing.  Smelling a grilled hamburger on a fragrance testing filter is something I didn’t know was possible.  Besides the few interesting facts I mentioned above, this passage came off as pretty boring to me.  I eat what I want, no matter if it’s healthy or not.  Therefore I am not too interested in how each and every type of food is made.

How to Say Nothing in 500 Words

In this piece, Paul Roberts made several valid points in which I would agree can be helpful to use when it comes to writing.  He was definitely right on target when he mentioned how teenagers have a way of procrastinating when it comes to schoolwork.  I can admit that procrastination is one of my worst habits, especially when it comes to homework.  I usually have the tendency to leave everything until last minute and try to cram in all the work before the deadline.  Avoiding the obvious content is a useful technique because instead of using general ideas that come to everyone’s mind, using your own ideas can make your paper more interesting.  I do not agree with Roberts point about possibly receiving a “C” or “D” depending on when the teacher reads your paper, and how many times he has read the same argument.  Just because you have similar opinions to your classmates on a certain subject, should not determine whether you receive a low grade or not.  I believe the use of “Colorful Words” does add some style and flavor to your paper.  Simply by using the word “obnoxiously” instead of “loudly”, can give more detail to your writing.

Horrible Jobs & Bosses!

As soon as I got to the second page of this passage it immediately reminded me of my previous nightmare of a job.  I worked at a hole in the wall pizza place called La Bella back in New Jersey for a short, but what seemed like a very long five months.  Barbara Ehrenreich talks about when an employee is assigned a certain chore, they try to complete it as slow as physically possible so that way it looks as if you are constantly doing something.  This was always the case with me when I was at work.  If for just one moment my boss caught me standing around, on my phone, or just zoning out, he would immediately assign me another tedious chore.  I would make sure to drag each task out in order to keep busy and pass the time faster.  She also mentions how managers are allowed to sit around for however long they want to and drug/alcohol issues occur within her workplace.  My manager would sit around while frequently getting drunk at work.  This occurred until there was an issue with him harassing a waitress and she threatened to press charges against him. He was “overly friendly” AKA creepy, and unprofessional, which is why I usually did my chores half-ass.  I did not care about busting my ass for a drunken, disgusting boss who just wanted to watch girls do work for him.  After all I only got 3 dollars an hour plus tips, which was way too low for all the work I was doing.  Also, the waitresses who smoked cigarettes were the only ones “entitled” to a break.  I do not smoke them, so always got stuck by myself at the front of the store balancing the register and waitressing the tables in the back.  The happiest of my days at La Bella was when I put my 2 weeks in.  In my opinion all restaurants have their behind the scene secrets.  This piece of writing really illustrates just how awful and shocking these secrets can be. 

Size 6

The saleslady in the American department store came off as incredibly cruel and judgmental.  Salespeople are supposed to be helpful and treat their customers with respect.  Seeing as the woman attempting to buy a cotton skirt is from Morocco, she is not familiar with the “image of beauty” in America.  Telling a customer she is too big is completely unnecessary and very offensive.  She refers to the sizes four and six as “the norm”, as if it is expected of all women to be either of those sizes.  This makes the Moroccan woman feel humiliated and self-conscious about her physical appearance.  The saleslady could have found less hurtful words to use to explain that the store only carries sizes four and six.  I do not completely see the relevance in Fatema Mernissi’s comparison between the image of beauty and Muslim women wearing a veil.  Muslim women are forced to wear veils, which has a physical and mental effect on them.  This is done to establish male domination.  Forcing women to do something messes with your emotions much more than if you can fit into a size 6 or not.  Designer brands do not intend on offending women by make their clothing certain sizes.  A person’s size and weight depends on that person and that person only.  No one is forcing women to be a certain size.  I feel these two situations are not similar enough to compare.

A Man Who Was Mean to His Dog

There is nothing more peaceful than lying on the beach in the sand, listening to the sound of the waves.  Anne Lamott’s metaphor on pg. 227 is right on point in my opinion; “The sound of the surf, the big washing machine of ocean, sometimes seems to rinse out my brain, or at any rate, it expands me and it slows me down.”  The beach is my number one favorite place to be.  The crashing sound of each wave on the shore is incredibly soothing and relaxing.  Everyone appears to be happy at the beach and there are no worries.  During her and Sam’s trip to the beach, her sense of relaxation was rudely interrupted by the violent dog abuser.  She was put in a tough position as a witness to this.  She wanted to raise her voice for the sake of the dog and Sam, but at the same time the man frightened her and she was unsure of what else he was capable of.  This is completely understandable because although she feels like a failure for not putting a stop to the animal violence, it is better to have made an attempt than to take it too far in the abuser’s eyes, which could have potentially put her and her son in extreme danger.

The Price We Pay

The way Adam Mayblum described his experience, was incredibly vivid.  I felt like I was reading a movie script of the terrorist attack.  Even though he mentioned they all remained calm, I could sense the feeling of nervousness and the fear for their lives.  However I feel they were able to remain calm because in a situation like this awful one, if you want to make it out alive, you need to have composure and act in an orderly fashion.  These men were smart and had quick reaction time, which is also necessary.  Adam narrated this tragedy so descriptively that I was able to paint a mental picture of each moment as I was reading it.  Once something this tragic happens to you, it’s almost impossible to forget each and every detail, no matter how much you may want to.  I’m sure he could have written this piece 2 years later, rather than the day after, and it would have still have been just as detailed.  I was shocked Adam was able to get in touch with his nanny at home, his parents, and also his friend Angel.  The last paragraph was probably one of the most moving paragraph’s I have ever read.  He couldn’t have put his feelings into words any better.  My favorite part is when he says, “The responsible ones are in hiding somewhere on this planet and damn them for making me feel like this. But they should know that they failed in terrorizing us.”  The men remain undefeated and there is no greater feeling than that because the terrorists’ were unsuccessful when it came to these two men.  They lived through it and are still able to pass their disastrous story on to others.

Reliving Memories

When you are missing something, go after it.  No matter how much trouble you may have to go through to get there, you will not regret it once you arrive.  Once you enable yourself to concentrate on past experiences, it makes it much easier to relive the memories.  As E.B. White mentions, I find it strange that at times we are capable of remembering such vivid memories from the past.  When I think back to certain stages of my life, it is like I have a photographic memory for the time being.  As soon as one detail is recalled, all of the sensory details from that specific moment start refreshing in my mind.  In my opinion the fact that this trip allowed White to realize “he is his own father”, and his boy is him as a child, makes the experience that much more meaningful.  I like the way White explained how some things never change.  “It was the arrival of this fly that convinced me beyond any doubt that everything was as it always had been, that the years were a mirage and there had been no years.” (pg. 403)  Throughout this piece I sensed a joyful tone.  E.B. White sounded happy and appreciative he was able to visit the lake with his son.  I enjoyed reading this besides the ending.  It was very random and bluntly put.  “As he buckled the swollen belt, suddenly my groin felt the chill of death.” (pg. 407)  I was expecting him to end this piece on a better note.   I am still not exactly sure what he meant by that sentence.

Anne Lamott

The first draft is the perfect time to record anything and everything that comes to mind.  No matter how crazy, foolish, or dreadful you find this draft to be, let the thoughts flow and keep writing.  The first draft is the root of creation to a beautiful piece of writing.  Writing is a time consuming process that needs to start somewhere.  It takes patience and persistence but a person with these characteristics is one who will end up successful.  It is very rare and in my opinion, unrealistic for a writer to finish a draft of perfection in one sitting. It is nearly impossible no matter how talented the writer may be, except maybe for the writer Anne claims we do not like very much.  It takes me a decent amount of time to write the opening paragraph, let alone a whole paper.  The act of writing multiple drafts is necessary if you want your work to improve.  After going back and reading over your first draft, you can decide what lines should stay and which should be eliminated from your piece.  If you want a line to stay, but you find it to be too wordy, you can simply rearrange the structure of the sentence.  All of these editing techniques in first, second, and final drafts, are the little improvements which can make a big difference in your writing.

Propaganda Technique's

Propaganda advertising is used on Americans day in and day out by techniques including infomercials, the newspaper, billboards, and the banners on public transportation buses, so on and so forth.  Don’t get me wrong I find advertising to be an intelligent technique in marketing.  It is effective on some people and gets the job done.  However at the same time, I find it conniving.  Advertisers are trying to attract us and as soon as they grab our attention, it is like they have locked you in and there is no turning back.  There are in fact some individuals which the “charming factor” is not successful on.  Some Americans stick to their ground and turn the advertisers down completely; others are easier to win over. 

Out of the seven basic propaganda techniques used, there are two methods I see more frequently than others.  The first is the use of the “weasel words” McClinktock referred to.  These weasel words fool some people and they end up giving in.  The most logical reasoning for this is because people believe what they see, and don’t do any extra research on the product being advertised.  The second is the use of celebrity’s as an icon in order to get their product to sell.  Propagandists feel if people admire a celebrity who uses their product, then people will also admire their product.  After watching infomercials or passing billboards while I am driving, I even admit to buying into the advertisement.  Propagandists feed off of the people who buy into their tricks.  Propaganda is everywhere but that does not necessarily mean people need to believe it.  If you fall into the trap, it is no one’s fault but your own.

Peter Elbow

Peter Elbow stresses the fact that freewriting is meant to be a non-stop exercise.  “There is a lesson here for writing: trying to get the beginning just right is a formula for failure – and probably a secret tactic to make yourself give up writing.  Make some words, whatever they are, and then grab hold of that line and reel in as hard as you can. (pg. 141)” This quote stood out to me because the hardest part about writing for me is the opening sentence or paragraph.  Before beginning a writing assignment, I find it helps to brainstorm ideas and then record them.  Simply by making a bulleted list, or jotting down ideas that run through my mind helps me to get a head start and also constructs a well-written paper.  By using this method, the paper will be very organized and will flow together nicely.  Free-writing gets your brain thinking and the ideas streaming.  When a writer records what is on their mind without stopping, one may be surprised how impressive the final product may be.

Elbow brings up a valid point while comparing the act of writing and editing, and how they go on at the same time.  This can cause some writer’s to run into trouble, because it almost feels as if more pressure is being put on the writer.  The pressure could break ones concentration and the ideas may stop flowing, AKA “writers block.”  The hesitations of the writer are not natural; therefore they can change the result of the writer’s work, which could quite possibly be a negative thing.  By making use of the freewriting exercise, or brainstorming beforehand, can only be to your advantage.

Mortimer Adler

Lauren Lavecchia                                                                                                         Comp. 1    8-23-11

The most beneficial way to read a book is to read between the lines.  If the reader just skims through the words of a novel, they will not be able to possess the full knowledge the book contains.  They must dig deeper than the surface, and read into the words.  The reader will then better understand the point the author is trying to get across.  In order to really absorb the information, an effective method I have personally used is highlighting quotes in the book which struck me as interesting or meant something to me.  I used this method while reading Life Safari over the summer.  I highlighted quite a few lines written by John P. Strelecky.  One of favorites includes, “If we are always worrying about what is coming next, we sacrifice the chance to interact with everything that is going on around us.  We can never get to the future, young Jack.  When we arrive there, it is no longer the future; it becomes the present.  So we can either enjoy life as it happens, or we can always be getting ready to enjoy it. (pg. 24)” This quote stuck out to me because Strelecky was able to put this thought into words so well, and I completely agree with him.  By highlighting this quote, I was able to better understand the knowledge John P. Strelecky was intending to convey to readers.  This quote is one of value when it comes to life lessons, and can be put to good use.  The book-marking methods mentioned by Mortimer Adler can only increase the information intended to be learned by the reader.  These methods allow you to connect with the author’s thinking process on a deeper level.