Meta-Post: Constructions and Greed

My favorite blog post of this year is my most recent one: "Get Rich Quick". It is my favorite blog post because the research I did before writing the blog post was really interesting to me. It was always difficult to find something to write about each week that interested me. An interest in the topic also made it a better blog post than the others I have written.

I also enjoyed looking at the subject of American greed from different angles. American Studies has taught me to look at the way things are constructed. I used this knowledge to view the episode of American Greed. I noticed how the narrator always portrayed the people who were scammed as victims and innocent. However, these people had the same ideas as the scammers just to a lesser degree. It seemed everyone just wanted to get rich quick.

Get Rich Quick

Over the weekend I watched "American Greed" for the first time. It is a show that runs on CNBC. The show tells of cases of scams and frauds that schemers create to make money fast. The episode I saw consisted of two scams. The first took place in the early 2000s in Colorado. The second was also placed in the early 2000s, however this was mostly in Hawaii and Washington.

Norman Schmidt first began Colorado Holdings LLC. in Denver. He claimed to investors that he had access to an elite group where he could make them millions. He promised a 10% return every month of whatever sum they initially paid him. He said that billionaires like George Bush Sr had made his fortune there. This group does not exist however. In the end it was 56 million dollar Ponzi scheme. Norman was characterized as moving from one "get-rich-quick" scheme to the next. But isn't that what we all hope for, some way to make it big with as little cost as possible. Isn't that the American dream? As Chuck Reinhardt, Chief Investigator of Colorado's Division of Securities, said "[the investment] may sound odd, but you really want to believe."

James Lull of Hawaii started out as a mortgage broker. He made is quick money by promising high returns to investors who create bridge deals. If a person with a low credit score were to step into his office and the loan was relatively simple (like a credit card loan) he used the investors' money to make the loan. The investors then received 12% interest on what they invested. Soon it spiraled out of control. Lull had more investors than he had people to loan to, so he used the money to finance his own rare collectables. He purchased rare coins and arrowheads. He loved opals and often bought opal and ivory encrusted billiard sticks. He also wanted more. 


The get-rich-quick desire is most prevalent in those who create the schemes and scams, but the investors and victims share a little of the same lust. To make money without having to work a minute, that seems to be the goal. What you have is never enough, you just want a little more. The original $25,000 Claire Mortimer invested in Lull's scheme wasn't enough, she wanted more. 

The "Ethos" of the Open Road

The automobile has made for itself a place in the American’s heart. As oil scholar Dan Peterson says, “there is a freedom that promotes adventure with the car”. Americans love the “freedom” of open road stretching ahead of them; they could go anywhere. 


As Don DeLillo said in his satirical novel on American culture, White Noise, it’s “the whole ethos of the road”(67). The “ethos” or spirit of the open road has enticed America for decades. Since the pilgrims we have had a "manifest destiny" to travel to undiscovered places. 
The automobile has opened routes for us that the pilgrims never even imagined. In almost every American's heart there is a desire to discover new and exciting things that lurk around the corner. 


What could possibly be a large enough force to stop Americans from driving, to force Americans to drive 100 billion fewer miles than the year before (Steiner, 29)? 

            It takes a lot to change a routine that is ingrained in the American way. Putting America back to work and Americans caring for the world around them created a gradual change to the automobile culture that exists in the United States. A sudden shift like the acute rise in gas prices proved to create a larger but shorter change. 

Public transportation is on the rise again though. Our dependency on gas to fuel our way of life has to change. Chris Steiner agrees, “people have to change the way they live” (Steiner 2012). As oil in the world diminishes American lives will encounter a major shift in their routine. Energy efficient modes of transportation will come, but will it be enough? 2008’s boom in public transportation showed that its possible for Americans to change routines that are deeply ingrained in American society.

Traffic Clogs Aren't Pressing

While some say that the public took mass transportation because of traffic, it was not a serious force behind the mass transit jump because policies like congestion pricing were not passed. While a study done in 2005 by the Texas Transportation Institute said that traffic caused “drivers 4.2 billion lost hours and 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel,” traffic has always been an issue since the rise of cars (Bellitteri, 51). The realization of lost fuel due to traffic along with 2008’s pricey gasoline may have pushed some commuters to mass transit, but traffic alone was not a serious causation of the spike in ridership. 


If traffic were a pressing issue, then policies like congestion pricing would have been passed to solve the traffic. Congestion pricing is the idea that people can be tolled more while driving on major highways during the busiest times of the day. Though some policy makers have pushed to have congestion pricing passed, it has more often failed than succeeded, which shows that traffic was not incredibly important to the people or more of the public would have pushed to have it implemented. 


Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City pushed to have congestion pricing. New York City, being the largest metropolis in the United States, has a lot of traffic. Bloomberg’s plan for congestion pricing failed, however (Neuman). If a policy such as congestion pricing fails in the largest city in America, traffic congestion must not be a pressing issue and thus not a large force behind the rise in public transit.


Has traffic pushed you to ride mass transit?

Gas Rationing of the 70s

Gas rationing in the 1970s created a similar public transportation boom to 2008 because fewer people were buying gas and took public transit instead. In the 70s, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries made an embargo on America because the United States backed Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Gas rationing of the 1970s is similar in “the ripple effect” it created (Crisp). First, fewer Americans could acquire gas, so then more people began to ride mass transit. 

As seen in the figure at the right, which shows the amount of riders from 1955 to 2010, the rationing caused a major spike in ridership during the mid 70s. However, there were some differences with the embargo of the 70s and the rising gas prices of 2008. The skyrocketing prices of gas in 2008 were from a large demand for oil. It was “billions more people…realizing their economic ambitions” (Steiner, 17). When these people pursued their “economic ambitions” they tended to need gas or oil to fuel their projects. Despite the different reasons for people taking the route away from the gas pump, it still resulted in a boom of mass transit. While jobs and environmental consciousness created an upturn, the high gas prices pushed millions more people to mass transit.


How is this similar to 2008's gas prices and jump in mass transit?

When Gas is Too Pricey

While the previous years’ increase in employment and interest in the environment set the stage, gas prices rising to 4 dollars a gallon created a boom in public transportation. As seen in the graph at the left, which depicts the rise and fall of gas prices over time, they rose steeply in 2008, reaching above 4 dollars at some points. As Chris Steiner said in a recent phone interview, “it’s very clear, when the price of gas goes up, especially in an acute fashion, you see spikes in ridership” (Steiner 2012). People were shocked when the price of gas jumped. It forced them to change their habits. 


Many looked to public transportation because it offered a way out of having to pay 50 dollars plus to fill up the gas tank. As Marie Montgomery, spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California said, “You add up the gas bills over the year, and even if it drops to $1 a gallon by the end of the year, you’ve probably paid more for gas this year than any other year” (Petix). Especially with the economy plummeting, Americans needed to save money. With gas prices skyrocketing, mass transit seemed like the most viable way to cut costs. A similar occurrence was in the 70s when gas was rationed.


This was the largest reason for people riding mass transit over driving.

Going "Green"

Environmental consciousness has been at the forefront of society for a while and it helped create the rise of use in public transit from 2003 to 2008. While the environmental movement isn’t new, it cannot be marginalized. Going "green" has been a term that I've heard since birth. The public of the 21^st century is definitely well aware of the benefits of mass transit towards the environment: “Transit has been sold as a way to solve…air quality and other environmental problems and make places more livable” says Genevieve Giuliano of University of Southern California’s School of Policy, Planning and Development (Bellitteri,52).  One of the ways mass transit is “sold” or advertised is to appeal towards people’s desire to be environmentally friendly. 

According to the APTA, each year transit cuts “4.2 billion gallons of gasoline and carbon dioxide emissions by 37 million metric tons” (19). This is over a year however. 20 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions can be trimmed by a single day of riding transit rather than driving (Bellitteri, 62). That’s a lot of pollution saved riding mass transit, not something easily pushed to the background. Thus, while environmental consciousness was not the largest force behind the mass transit boom in 2008, it is an important one. 

But, was going "green" a big enough push for people to move to mass transit?

Off To Work

The high employment rates of 2003 to 2007 set the upward trend in ridership of public transportation because the majority of riders on public transit are commuting to work. According to the American Public Transportation Association, or APTA, 59.2% of riders are going to work. Since the majority of riders are commuting to their job an increase of employment would create an increase in the amount of riders on public transportation and vice versa. Starting in July of 2003 unemployment rates began to decrease. The percentages stayed low until they began to increase at the introduction of 2008 (Unemployment Rate). This increase in employment created the upward slope in the use of public transit from 2003 to 2007. Starting in 2003, the number of riders was just under 9.75 million. The ridership increased to just less than 11 million in 2008 (Laskow). Spikes like that of 2008’s have been seen throughout history, namely the 1940s.

During World War II, there was a public transportation boom much like 2008’s; this boom was because unemployment rates dropped after the Great Depression. After the 30s, employment rose an incredible amount at the start of World War II in December of 1941: “Suddenly, America was back on the job, with factory workers boarding streetcars, subways, and buses to get to defense plants making bullets, ships and airplanes” (Bellitteri, 57). To get to the factories, workers used mass transit. Public transit rose steeply in the 40s, as seen in the figure at the right, which is a graph that depicts the ridership annually from 1917 to 2011. Transit ridership rose because it is tied to the rise and fall of employment seen in both 21^st century and the 40s. Part of the staggering rise in public transit also can be attributed to the fact that most people didn’t own cars yet, “even in the 1950s people didn’t own a lot of cars,” says Virginia Miller, an APTA spokeswoman. It wasn’t until the 60s that cars grew in numbers (Beutler). However, the 1940s spike in ridership shows the connection between employment and the amount of people riding public transportation.

How was there still a spike in ridership in 2008 if employment had begun to decrease?

A Jump in Transit (2008)

“Americans [drove] 100 billion fewer miles in 2008 than they did in 2007,” said Chris Steiner in his book, $20 Per Gallon (29). Normally, each year Americans drive more miles than the previous year. If you graphed the number of miles driven each year it would look somewhat like a staircase, always moving up. Since the invention of the automobile, America has turned into a car-obsessed nation. 


The automobile holds a promise to discover new places with the luxury the pilgrims never had. Instead of cloth-covered wagons we now have plush, leather boxes on wheels. Our new discoveries are done with style and comfort. The comfort of adventures in cars allows for more journeys to be taken. So why would automobile miles drop?

As automobile miles dropped, the amount of people riding public transportation spiked. Looking at the graph at the right, a graph that depicts mass transit ridership from 1995 to 2011, there was a steady incline from 2003 to 2007. In 2008, however, there was a large jump up to 10,407 billion riders (Beutler). Over the next month or so I will be delving into the nitty-gritty details of why people would drive 100 billion fewer miles and hop on to mass transit instead.


I believe the steady incline of ridership in public transportation from 2003 to 2007 is due to a decrease in unemployment and a deepening interest in the environment; this along with high gas prices created the dramatic spike in 2008. 
 

Why Rush?

We recently started Junior Theme in my American Studies class. Junior Theme is a research paper where we create an argument that responds to a current issue. I began Junior Theme with the broad topic of sororities. I have since changed my topic to the current issue of hazing. However, sororities is still an interesting topic to me. I was reading the book Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities by Alexandra Robbins and it made me wonder why girls join sororities.

Often you hear of the insane activities that occur to girls in sororities. I mean its around a hundred girls living in one house. That's insane! I myself have desired to join a sorority before. It just seemed like it was part of the college experience. However, sororities are known to have problems with binge drinking, eating disorders, drugs, and sexual assaults. That doesn't change the fact that hundreds of girls each year rush in the fall in order to be a part of a sorority. Why?


For me, I wanted to join a sorority because its a new family. There all "sisters" after all. You have a  group of friends already made for you. And as sororities often house girls that are much the same you are bound to get along with some. There is also the "cool" perk. Greek houses often times lead the party scene. If you are Greek, then you are then cool. There are also "cool" sororities and not as cool sororities. To be chosen for the top sorority would be a high honor. Some girls, like Brooke from Pledged, have sororities ingrained into society. In high school Brooke couldn't wait to get to college to rush and become an Eta Gamma. Once she was a part of the sorority, the reputation helped her even when she was far away from the campus grounds. "Even decades after you graduate, you're only accepted or not by what sorority you were in" (118). Brooke has found that her status as an EtaGam helped her slip into high social circles because it was a "top" sorority. Being able to take advantage of such a thing would be very useful in later life.

I also think that a large part of why girls join sororities is because of how they are portrayed in the media. Even when they are being condemned there is a hint that you should be one of them. Movies and shows often describe the sorority girls as "mean girls", yet still you find yourself wishing you were with that crowd. They were cool, everyone wanted to be there friend! Sure, they were mean, but not all of them were like that! To be a part of an elite and exclusive group would be a dream come true. You were specially picked out of hundreds because you were exactly what that elite group wanted. Who wouldn't want that honor?

Call Me Maybe

I'm sure everyone's heard it. The fairly recent song by Carly Rae Jepson. The song is "Call Me Maybe" and it's gone viral. However, the official music video hasn't gone viral...the home made video featuring Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale, and Big Time Rush is much more popular:



The video depicts the teenagers dancing to and lip syncing "Call Me Maybe". Their video has five times more views than the official music video. Bieber's has more than 25,000,000, while Carly Rae Jepson has a measly 5,000,000.

The song itself, though catchy, doesn't show any serious musical talent. It's just another peppy pop song. However, Bieber signed Carly to his record label, so he had a large interest in the song's success. He was able to use his and his friends' star power to create a chart busting single. Without this video, Carly's success would have been undeniably less, or at least the song would have gained popularity slower.

Celebrities in America have a huge influence on the media and people's lives. Stars are most often beautiful, in shape, and overall cool people. Most everyone wants to be like them. And the stars have a serious star power. It's everywhere you look. Celebrities are paid to wear certain clothes in order to sell them, and it works. Stars appear in certain ads and are "the face" of different companies in order to increase selling. Even in charity organizations stars wield a fierce influence. Invisible Children is using them in their Kony 2012 campaign so that people will donate and be aware of the problems in Uganda.

Where have you seen celebrities influence everyday life?

I'm Still a Guy

Today as I was riding home from hockey practice I heard the song "I'm Still a Guy" by Brad Paisley. The song made me think what it meant to be a guy. Some of the lyrics caught my attention. Here's the song if you haven't heard it:



He talks about how fighting, fishing, and hunting make him a man. And if you are "feminized" then you aren't a man anymore. The lyrics that especially caught my attention were "then turn right around and knock some jerk to the ground 'cause he copped a feel as you walked by." This stuck out to me because it reminded me of White Noise by Don DeLillo.

When Jack finds out that his wife, Babette, has cheated on him Babette refuses to give Jack the man's actually name because she believes that Jack will seek revenge and kill him: "We all know about men and their insane rage...Insane and violent jealousy. Homicidal rage" (214). It is a common stereotype to believe that men are filled with an anger that surfaces with every chance. All men are subjected to violent jealousy. I believe that it is the stereotype that forces men to believe they should be insanely jealous. Jack wasn't planning on hurting the man Babette cheated on him with, Willie Mink, until another of his friends also told Jack that men are filled with violent anger and that Jack should shoot Willie Mink.

Snoring Kills

The past few weeks as I am driving on the highway I have seen billboards for SnoringCenter.com. They are pretty shocking too. They immediately capture your attention with the large script that reads "Snoring Kills" and then below it in smaller script is something like "[happy marriages]"

This really caught my attention because we are currently reading White Noise by Don DeLillo in my American Studies class. The book is a satire on American culture. He brings attention to the influence of media and other large themes in American life. One of those themes is death. The characters are constantly thinking of their own death and how to prevent it. As Murray says "There was only one topic of conversation. Sex and death" (207). While Murray is commenting on the connection between sex and death he is also talking about how prevalent death is in our culture.

Putting "Snoring kills" on a billboard is bound to catch a lot of attention by passing motorists because people are almost always on the look out for things that will either kill them or prevent their inevitable death. It is much like the rumors that are spread of how cell phones and microwaves cause cancer. Our obsession with death fuels many of our activities. And obviously the media is using it against us.

What was your reaction to seeing this billboard?

TV Tokenism: White Collar

TV Tokenism is when a minority character is when a TV show has a "token" minority in the cast. In dramas they tend to be supporting roles like the sidekick or the boss. They are most often the best-dressed and follow the rule book. There is also the frequent case of the "mystical minority" where the minority character has a special power or is mysterious in some shape or form. 

White Collar is a drama that aired at 10/9c on the USA network. The show is in its third season so it is fairly mature. The show focuses on Neil Caffrey, a former art thief turned CI. Peter Burke is the CIA agent that watches over Caffrey and works with Caffrey. The two have the most screen time. Mozzie is Caffrey's best friend and con artist. Mozzie often helps Caffrey and the CIA "get the job done". 

The two of the cast who get little screen time are Clinton Jones and Diana Berrigan. Clinton Jones is a Harvard grad and is the lead man for many investigations. Peter Burke is his boss and Jones is often seen sitting at the truck during a steak out. Few episodes dive into his personal life. Diana is Burke's most trusted assistant. She is often seen working with Jones. We know little about her personal life besides that her girlfriend recently proposed to her. 

SOURCE

In the cast photo Neil Caffrey and Peter Burke get the largest profiles. They are the most prominent because of their size and placement. Caffrey is practically center and Burke is to the left, and when you scan things (like book) you look from left to right. Thus those two are the most obvious. It makes sense too because they get the most screen time.

Diana and Jones are the only two African Americans in the cast. Diana is a lesbian too. This is sort of a "two in one" deal. Jones is marginalized and placed in the back right, the last place your eyes focus on. Diana, though in the middle, is sitting down. It is almost as if she isn't at the same level as the men around her.

White Collar is a good example of TV Tokenism because Jones and Diana are both "token" minorities. They receive less screen time and are often accompanied by one of the lead roles. Their lines mostly state the obvious or provide background information for the audience so that the viewers can understand the drama to come. The show rarely talks about their personal lives outside of the CIA. They are relatively undeveloped characters. They provide the little diversity that the show needs in order to say that the show is diverse. 

Where have you seen TV Tokenism?

We Are Young

To continue on the theme of commercials and the messages they send, the new Chevy Sonic commercial makes a pull towards the younger generation. The commercial depicts the new Chevy Sonic doing various stunts, such as bungee jumping, kick flipping, and sky diving. The song playing for the duration of the commercial also calls to the younger generation, or those who wish they were still young.




The stunts are to attract young people who are always looking to test their physical limits with new and crazy activities. Apparently, the Sonic is too. The song, "We are Young" by Fun. also plays on that idea. The lyrics are mostly, "tonight, we are young. So let's set the world on fire. We can burn brighter than the sun." The song promotes youth and suggests wildness and brightness. Young people looking for a new car are sure to desire this wild and new car. It will fight right in with their crazy lifestyle.

The Next Big Thing

While flying home from Boston I saw a new commercial for the Samsung Galaxy S II phone. I did an earlier blog post on another commercial for this phone, "We All Aspire". This one, though touching on different American themes, is just as blog-worthy. In this new commercial it mocks those who wait hours and hours for the new Apple phones waiting for the "next big thing". However, it seems the next big thing is already here:





This new Samsung commercial tries to get consumers interested by telling them that the Galaxy S II is the "next big thing". Americans are always wanting something new. We will wait hours in line (as seen in the commercial) to be able to say that our phone is the newest. An especially interesting line is when they are discussing the impending new Apple phone, one man says, "if it looks the same how will people know I upgraded?" We are taught, most likely by commercials similar to this one, that the best thing is the newest thing. Whatever you've got, it has to be fresh. Companies, like Apple, thrive on our American thirst for the latest and greatest. Thus, these large companies attempt to exacerbate this idea so people will buy their products.

Subliminal Messaging on TV

In American Studies we were discussing the subliminal messaging in television shows. This made me think about the show 2 Broke Girls. It is a show on CBS that is about two girls who find themselves in an unlikely friendship...and broke. Both work as many jobs possible to make ends meet, like many Americans these days. However, they also start a small cupcake business together. The show sends an unconscious message that, one, when things look rough there's always light at the end of the tunnel, and, two,  it promotes creating small businesses.



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In these tough times, shows like this bring hope to people's homes. However, it also whispers a secret message, that no matter the talent (in 2 Broke Girls, Max has a talent for making cupcakes), it can probably spark the beginning to a small business. Who knows, maybe someday the girls' cupcake business will be known around the country like Georgetown cupcakes.

The "Green" Image

The other day in American Studies, we discussed the images that companies put forth in order to create a certain reputation that will boost sales. One company that was mentioned in particular was Bp. Bp's logo shows a flower-like object that is colored with white, yellow, and green. This object and its hues give off a natural glow. It is as if Bp is an environmentally friendly company!

However, when researching about Bp I found some data that greatly contradicts the green image the company attempts to promote. Bp was a nominee  for the Greenwash Awards in 2009 because they purposely exaggerated their environmental records. Greenwashing is the term given when companies claim to spend great amounts on being greener when in reality it is a very small portion of spending. For example, to Bp claims be environmentally friendly they only spend 4% on green investments and that was before they closed their London alternative energy headquarters. According to Greenpeace, Bp invested $20 billion in fossil fuels in 2008 and only $1.5 billion in alternative energy.


The thing is, most people don't know this about Bp. You would be surprised how many companies who put forth a certain image of themselves, actually contradicts the reputation entirely. It's all about the image. What people see and hear the most is what they believe. And if most of what they hear is from the company itself, then the consumers will believe in the fictitious reputation. As John Mayer said in "Waiting on the World To Change", "when you trust your your television, what you get is what you got". Americans trust in what they hear on the media, and most often its the company that's whispering the good things.

The Looking Glass: A Reflection Post

When looking back at my many blogs I've written since the beginning of the school year I noticed many reoccurring themes. For the first half of the year I talked a lot about the American dream, hard work, and competition. For the second quarter of my school year it was largely composed of a series on heroism. It was incredibly interesting looking back at the ideas I created from one week to the next. What I noticed in society often had the same underlying themes.

During the first quarter I often noticed how hard work and competition and the American dream interconnected to shape the world around me. As seen in the commercials I watched ("We All Aspire"), what my teachers asked about in class discussion ("Not Quite Conformity" and "Just Can't Resist Showing Off A Little"), and what my classmates discussed ("Patience and Hard Work"). I was soon to define that the American dream is most likely to be achieved through some serious hard work. I will have to defeat my competitors on the playing field and in the classroom. I must be number one. Though I'm not sure I agree with that idea, it's incredible how apparent it is in the area I live in. Where I am "nobody ever set their sights on second best" as seen in the commercial for the new Samsung phone mentioned in "We All Aspire" . That ideal, I have found, has been the motivation behind most of my activities for the majority of my life. It's always there, pushing me, in the classroom, in the boat at rowing practice, on the ice at hockey, and anywhere where there is somebody else who wants the same spot, who wants to win.

During my second half of this semester I have talked a lot about heroism and, more specifically, what makes a hero. I looked at multiple tales of heroism. I found so many reoccurring details. Always a group of bystanders save the day. None have any ties to the victim. But all believe that anything is worth saving the precious gift of life. I noticed in many of my posts that I asked the same question, what makes a hero? Probably aggravating to ask the same question five times in a row, but it was a pressing one. The answer looked so obvious-a hero risks his or her life to save another's. But then why don't firemen get put into the paper everyday? Why don't the soldiers who loose their lives to protect ours have the headline on every newspaper? There had to be something more to it than that. I realized it by the end. In my final post of the series ("Heroism: The Ordinary Being Extraordinary") I finally answered the question, what makes a hero? The people who saved the victim's life, were people just like you and me. It wasn't their job to save people like a fireman's or a soldier's. It was just in their nature to save someone else in need.

I really enjoyed re-evaluating my blog posts throughout the year. I didn't even realize the themes that had been playing in the background throughout every post I had written. Also, it made me smile because I could definitely tell what mood I was in when I wrote each post. I was either tired or upset when I wrote the ones that sounded bitter in my ears and I was having a pleasant day when I read the posts that had deep themes and happy endings. I'm incredibly exited to keep blogging for the rest of the year. There are many themes that I found that I want to develop further, like technology and speed and conformity or lack there of. So here's to an end of a blogging journey and the start of a new adventure!

A New Year's Resolution

It's that time of year again! Time to make a new year's resolution. While this is optional it is a common occurrence in American culture. But why do we make these goals. Goals that we are to meet by the next year. Perhaps its because we have a final deadline-365 days from January 1st. Or perhaps its a way for the non-religous folk to look back on their mistakes and set new goals and make a new beginning. Christians have lent and Jews have Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur to reflect on past mistakes. Perhaps it arose from the convenient new beginning. A new year, a new you.

Making goals is a popular activity in American culture, I've found. Its often said that if you want something done you have to set goals for yourself, make a plan. Maybe we are just an incredible organized people, but I doubt that's why. I think it more arose from the idea that if you want something you have to make it happen. Goals were an easy way to help make your desire come true. 

There are many tips and guidelines out there about setting goals and, more specifically, new year's resolutions. One can be found the article on CNN by Paul Ferguson: "Why bother with resolutions? Because failure inspires". Ferguson talks about how when he looked back at past resolutions he had made on New Year's Day, he found that many were unfulfilled. He then gives tips on how to make a successful resolution. They have to be within your reach, for sure. Setting goals too high, while it would be awesome if achieved, often result in a downtrodden spirit. 

For example, one year I told myself that, though I was going to take much harder classes than usual, I would receive all A's. It would have been incredible if I had achieved that, but it was really unrealistic. It resulted in a crushed spirit when I received my report card and saw that I had not received A's in all classes. Upon seeing that I had failed I almost wanted to give up and not try for the rest of the year. Afterall if the hard work I had put in before didn't result in an A, why bother?! But fortunately I was able to pick up my spirits and I didn't fail all of my classes. I failed because I didn't set a realistic goal for myself. Lesson is: don't set a goal you know you won't reach.

The Etiquette of Social Media

In the new age of technology photos are shared faster than ever. With phones carrying quality cameras along with access to the internet, it is easier to share moments than ever before. Social media cites like Facebook offer an easy way to share photos with friends and family...and a whole of bunch of people you don't know and might not want seeing the picture. Despite the dangers of being too "snap-happy" people are posting intimate moments more than ever on social media sites. Sometimes we forget to think before we post. You see, while you're sharing your latest and greatest moments with your friends or those who were there, you are also sharing them with people who you may not want to see the photos, like a boss or a college. Many people are starting to see the dangers that teens cannot and are creating an etiquette, for example Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, co-wrote "Emily Post's Etiquette 18th Edition: Manners for a New World". This book provides helpful tips and guidlines to live by when taking and posting photos to social media sites. Some of her helpful ideas are seen in CNN's article, "The etiquette of constant photos, Facebook".

But the question I would like to ask is what is the driving force behind the desire to take all of the photos. To, as Post puts it, take yourself out of the event in order to capture the moment. The moment you're not even a part of. Is it a desire to show others how much fun you're having? To incite jealousy? Or is it because you genuinely want to tell others that care about you, though are not with you, about your life? Facebook could just be considered an easier way to keep in touch with those you know, but cannot be with. I believe that is how it started, but now it has changed. I certainly don't know six hundred and thirty-six people. And I know that I don't need to keep in touch with all of them. So why is it so popular?

I think its a desire to, partly keep in touch with friends, but to also meet new people. However, at the same time it is there to create what seem like friendships with a whole bunch of people you don't know, or perhaps don't even like.

Heroism: The Ordinary Being Extraordinary

To wrap up the recent series on heroism, I would like to attempt to answer the question: what makes a hero? I've now told five stories that included countless heroes. Everyday people, like you and me, who saved a most precious gift, life. Many were compared to Angels. They were considered a blessing from God. What was so great about their acts that made them Divine?

The first story talked of eight bystanders who saved three children from the icy clutches of a river in Logan, Utah. These were random drivers who came to the aid of a distressed father. They saved the day with their fast action of rescuing the three children, two of whom seemed to have drowned.

The second tale was of many bystanders who rescued a motorcyclist trapped beneath a burning vehicle. The many people who happened to be walking around that road in Logan, Utah, were able to use the strength of numbers to lift the car up while another pulled the trapped boy from beneath the fiery automobile.

The third event was of a teenage girl whose car careened of the Florida interstate and into a canal. People driving by came to her rescue by flipping the car on its side and using a trailer hitch to break open the window and pull the girl to safety.

The fourth tale was of a mother and two children who were imprisoned in a burning car. The neighbors came to their aid by breaking open the windshield and rescuing them all. The two firefighters involved suffered burns to their hands and arms, but they would stop at nothing to save the last boy who was trapped inside.

The fifth tale was the greatest, I think. A man who witnessed a young man falling onto the Subway tracks risked his life by jumping in after him. He used quick thinking to push the young man into the gutter and cover him with his body.

In all the above stories, the bystanders who came to the rescue had no relation to the victims, no desire for recognition, and no super powers. They were everyday folk, like you and me. The only difference is they risked their lives to save another's. That's what makes them heroes. They are ordinary people who did extraordinary acts.

Heroism: The Subway Superhero

Near the beginning of the new year back in 2007, a man risked his life to save another's. In New York City, Wesley Autrey, a navy veteran, saved a young man from being hit by a subway. Autrey saw Cameron H having a siezure by the subway tracks. Cameron while trying to find support on a column fell onto the subway tracks. Autrey immediately took action by setting his two daughters with a nearby woman and jumping onto the tracks. With the train, though trying to stop, coming at him, he attempted to grab Cameron and get him off the tracks. Unfortunately there wasn't time. Thinking fast, Autrey pushed Cameron into the gutter and lay down on top of him to protect him from the subway. Autrey's heroic story was told by CNN's Randi Kaye:


Wesley Autrey wasn't looking for recognition when he saved Cameron's life. He was simply doing a good deed. This is another instance when a random bystander comes to the rescue of a helpless victim. He was dubbed the "Subway Superhero". But what makes him a hero? Was it the way he risked his life, or his quick thinking, or a combination? Though Autrey doesn't know if he was a hero, he knows that what's important is that "any life is worth saving." A powerful message, a heroic one even. Maybe its the preciousness of the life that is saved that makes the hero great. What does make a hero great?

Heroism: Fire is No Match

To continue with the theme of heroism another example is from the summer of 2009. A mother and her two children crashed their car into a tree. The car immediately ignited. Lucky for them the good samartans of the neighborhood saved the mother and her two children. There happened to be two firefighters in the crowd who risked their lives crawling into the burning car to save the four year old boy who was still trapped inside. A bystander was able to catch the whole event on video:



The video depicts the frantic bystanders running to save the family trapped in the car. They broke open the windshield and then had to cut the last boy free. The whole family survived due to the speed and helpfulness of their neighbors. These firefighters and the others who helped became heroes. Why? Their feat was great, but they are no different than you and me. Do we all contain the potential for great acts? Is it the completion of the great act that made all the difference? Perhaps we are all heroes that are waiting for the opportunity to present itself. These great citizens took the initiative to save a family without the hope of fame and fortune. Maybe that's what makes them heroes. What do you think?

Heroism: Break Free

A couple years ago another instance of heroism occurred in Florida. Jasmine Gonzalez's car flew off of the Florida Interstate and into the canal that bordered it. She thought for sure that she would drown. However, lucky for the seventeen year old girl, a couple who was driving by saved the day. Using the only tool they could find, a trailer hitch, they, and a few others, turned the car on its side and broke the window, pulling Jasmine to safety. An interview and explanation of the events can be seen in the interview with the couple:



 The two samaritans didn't even believe they were heroes. "It's just something you naturally do," they said. However, I believe that many would have to differ. Some would have driven by and figured the car was empty. What did those who stopped and saved Gonzalez have that others don't? What makes them a hero. This is another example of random strangers working together to save a victim, is that what makes them great?

Heroism: The Super Strength of Many

To continue on the subject of heroism, I found an article and video from CNN on a car crash from way back in September that also occurred in the Logan area. The crash was from a car pulling out in front of a motorcyclist. The man on the motorcycle tried to get out of the way but it resulted in a crash. The motorcycle spilled gasoline, which soon ignited. The motorcyclist was trapped under the BMW and the ignited motorcycle. However, all was not lost. Some good samaritans came to the rescue. These everyday people gathered all together to lift the BMW off of the poor man trapped beneath. For more information on the crash read CNN's article. A video captured the heroic acts of the bystanders:



The video depicts the courageousness of the many bystanders who came to the rescue of the motorcyclist. The policeman was originally going to get a jack to lift the BMW up, but then he realized that the citizens planned on using manual labor to lift and move the car. Keep in mind that the car was on fire. These are more examples of heroes. They don't have super suits or powers, yet they completed a super act-lifting a car off of an injured victim. Perhaps that's what makes them a hero, the fact that though they have no more capability than you and me they saved an innocent man from a horrible fate. So what is it that makes them heroes?

Heroism: The Eight Angels

This past Saturday in Logan bystanders came to the rescue of a family whose car had crashed into the a river. In the car was the father, one four-year old, and two nine-year olds. To avoid a crash with another vehicle the father put on the brakes. Unfortunately the car slid and rolled down the embankment and into the icy river below, according to KSL's article on the Logan crash. A video of the news was also included,

 The video tells the full story of the crash on Saturday. The heroic acts done by the bystanders made the father of the children exclaim, "I'm confident that there were angels watching over us from above. But I also know there were eight angels in the water with me."

What does it take for one to be considered a hero? Was it the fast action by the helpers. Or was it the fact that though they had no relation to family in the car they were willing to jump in to the river in the middle of winter to save them. Sitting here I believe that I would naturally have come to the rescue the people, but who knows? Do we all have potential to be a hero or are there few who are born to be heroes? Perhaps is what you are taught as you grow up. Instead of an "every man for himself" idea, theses bystanders believed in the value of "putting others before yourself".

"Free"dom of Speech

The other day while I was watching The Colbert Report, "The Word" caught my attention. Colbert was talking about how in Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has issued a new law that makes protestors pay "$50 per hour per Capitol Police Officer". This new law was issued in response to cost of a protest in February of last year. The protesters in Madison, Wisconsin we fighting against collective bargaining rights. Stephen Colbert takes a humourous view on the issue in "The Word-Let Them Buy Cake":

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He plays on the fact that almost everything seems to cost something. As he said, "Freedom isn't free, so it's logical that freedom of speech would cost money." This appears to severely contradict our right to protest. How will people get their thoughts and opinions known if they can't afford to say them. Now Colbert gives the idea that you can advertisements to pay for your right to protest, but realistically...how?  Is it real freedom if we can't afford to take part in it?