Romanticism...in 3D!

Recently, I saw a commercial for the upcoming "Jonas Brothers 3D concert experience." The title alone is romanticized. It claims that a concert movie, a mindless form of entertainment, can be considered an experience.

The commercial began dramatically, with the words "The concert that had you screaming...is burnin' up the big screen" in a bold, silver font, complete with suspenseful sound effects. The trailer also claims this movie is "an all new 3D experience...like you've never seen them before." Again, this commercial tries to convince viewers that their movie is so great, it cannot even be considered a movie, it is an experience. Usually, the term "experience" is used to describe personal aspects of ones life, like the experience of backpacking in the wilderness, or the experience of attending New Trier High School. I have never heard watching a movie about someone else described as an esperience.

The most overdramatic statement of all was that "this film will take you where no fan has gone before." I have seen other 3D concert movies, and they have been entertaining, but definitely not taken me to a place I have never gone before. It is comical how this commercial portrays the movie to be a life-changing experience. Nick Jonas even claims that "in this movie, we want to invite you into the family." I highly doubt that by watching the Jonas Brothers perform in 3D, I will feel like I am a new part of their family.

After watching this commercial, I just might see the movie, to see if it lives up to the romanticized expectations of an "experience that will take me where I have never gone before AND let me become part of the family." Who knows, it may change my life forever.

Hyperbolic Peanut Butter

Recently, the newspapers have reported a "peanut butter salmonella outbreak." When I was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at lunch, my friend told me, "stop eating that right now! You could get salmonella!" I was curious how big this outbreak really was, so I did some research. One article said that the only types of peanut butter containing salmonella were King Nut and Parnell's pride brands. Even more specifically, the exact jars of peanut butter containing salmonella were "distributed only through food service providers in Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, Idaho, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Florida. The peanut butter was not sold directly to consumers." The article also says that the FDA ran tests and it is still unclear whether or not the salmonella cases came directly from peanut butter, because there is a possibility of cross-contamination from another source.

After doing my research, I realized that dramatic headlines like "Huge Salmonella Outbreak" are very hyperbolic. They are grossly exaggerating an issue that is actually very small. Six people died from peanut butter salmonella, which is sad, but certainly not enough to be considered an "outbreak." I think the news should not use such grossly exaggerated headlines, especially not when it comes to health issues, because it makes people overreact and panic. The contaminated peanut butter was not even distrubuted to Illinois, yet I heard numerous conversations at school about how people should avoid all brands of peanut butter.

The hyperbole is a good literary tool, but it must be used in the right context. Mark Twain used it very well to provide satire in "Huckleberry Finn." However, hyperboles should not be used in non-fiction works, like the news, because it can stir up innaccurate gossip. People rely on the news to provide them with facts about current issues. In this case, a hyperbole misinformed people about a current health issue and made them panic for no reason. The news should provide us with the important facts and not use hyperboles to try to make it seem more interesting or exciting.

Nature Vs. Nusiance

Recently, I came across an article in the New York Times titled "Nature, Nusiance, or Worse?" In this article, a young woman from Berkely, California saw a turkey on her roof and "was initially charmed. Turkeys! In Berkeley! How quaint! How colonial!" However, she later realized that the Turkeys would become a nusiance if they arrived in large quantities. During mating season, male turkeys become very vicious, and will attack anything that moves with the sharp spikes on their legs. The author then went on to reference other animals that have been a nusiance in urban areas, such as "a deer who ate $300 worth of landscaping and a racoon who took a marshmallow from her neighbor." Her husband jokingly suggested that if a the turkeys became a nuisance, she should shoot them. And the woman actually took his suggestion seriously!

If Emerson were to meet this woman, he would probably tell her that the turkeys are actually doing a favor by letting her experience nature, something that doesn't often happen to people living in urban areas. "In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in the streets or villages," Emerson wrote in "Nature." These turkeys could help the woman discover something more "dear or connate" than her daily life in Berkeley.

In my opinion, the turkeys, deer, and racoons who "destroyed" components of urban life can help remind people what is really important. Is it really necessary to have a $300 landscaped yard? Does one marshmallow really matter? According to Walden, these trivial items do not fall under the essentials of life, which are "Food, Clothing, Shelter, and Fuel." By wanting to shoot the turkeys, Emerson and Thoreau would say that this woman is placing more importance on urban luxuries than nature and wildlife. Nature is something that is greater than us, part of the "bigger picture," while marshmallows and expensive landscaping are extremely insignificant.

Dear Santa

I came across an article in the Chicago Tribune about childrens' letters to Santa being reflective of the current economic crisis. The writers of the article went to the post office and looked at letters from several very poor children from the south side of Chicago. "Officials believe the nation's financial turmoil prompted the spike, as traditionally optimistic requests for video games and bikes are often supplanted by pleas for basic necessities such as pajamas and socks." Children whose parents have lost their jobs are realizing the basic necessities of life. "A 10-year-old boy is sure Santa will bring diapers for his baby sister. A girl in 3rd grade asks for slippers to keep her feet warm. Two brothers say their mom needs help making the rent."

This article instantly reminded me of the chapter "Economy" in Walden. Thoreau writes, "Some things are really necessaries of life in some circles, the most helpless and diseased, which in others are luxuries merely, and in others are entirely unkown." (pg 6). People from the North Shore "circle" would never even consider asking for diapers for Christmas, much less diapers for someone other than themself. Diapers are something that are already there in most homes, and are taken for granted. Reading Walden made me realize how lucky I am to enjoy so many luxuries, and this article made me want to do something to help those who are less fortunate during the Christmas season.

Taylor Swift- A Self Made Woman?

Taylor Swift is currently my favorite artist. I have been following her music since 2006, when I came across her song "Stay Beautiful" on iTunes. I have liked her long before she became popular, had songs on the radio and went "mainstream." I personally love all of her songs because they are unique, written by herself, and from the heart. Unlike many current popular artists who hire songwriters, Taylor writes all of her songs herself. I consider this to be a very self-made woman characteristic. It is much easier to hire a songwriter to do the work for you, but do the songs really have any meaning? I consider Taylor Swift's songs to be very meaningful, they are about real problems that teenagers experience and real life situations. She uses specific peoples names from her life, referencing a boy named Drew in "Teardrops on my Guitar," Corey in "Stay Beautiful" and Stephen in the song "Hey Stephen." Often, artists who use other peoples' lyrics have very vague and general songs, which I find hard to connect with because they dont mention any specifics.

Since I consider Taylor Swift to be such an inspiring artist through her songs alone, I did some research to find out if she truly was a self-made woman. I found a detailed biography of her life on her website. Taylor was brought up in a house with musical influence; her grandmother was a famous opera singer. Taylor started singing at the age of 10 for local karaoke contests, and sung at a basketball game at age 11. She started writing her own songs at age 12 with the guitar. She recalls "playing four hours today until my fingers were bleeding." Sincer her family was familiar with the music business, they took her to record labels all throughout Tenessee until she was signed.

So, is Taylor Swift a self made woman? I think she is. She genuinely loved composing music and singing when she was very young, it was not a dream forced upon her by anyone else. This is apparent in her music, especially seeing her play live. I saw her in concert this summer, and it was apparent that she loved being onstage and singing to the audience. Other artists I have seen in concert have a bored air while playing on stage. Taylor Swift was the complete opposite, she enjoyed performing, which was apparent in her smiling, dancing, and interacting with the audience. Writing all of her own songs and playing the guitar herself (instead of hiring another person to do it for her) shows that she is a self made artist. Even if she did not come from a poor background, like many of the self made men we talked about in class, she did have to work hard for success. Although her family's connections in the music business certainly helped Taylor's musical career, it was her dedication and passion for music that elevated her to the platinum-album sucess that she is today.

Listen to Taylor Swift's new song "Fearless" (the entire album was released just last week!)

Is Txting Bad 4 U?

It seems like every time I am texting in front of my parents, they are always telling me how bad it is. They say things like "Your going to get carpal tunnel from all that texting." and "your poor thumbs, how can you do that all the time?" I decided to research if texting really was bad for your hands. I came across a very well written article on a health website. It said that texting, along with video games, ipods/mp3 players, and portable game systems can cause injury to hands and arms if used repeatedly. "The small, definite, repetitive movements used to manoeuvre controls on these tiny handsets can begin to cause pain over time. The thumb, while good for gripping, is not a very dextrous digit and is particularly susceptible to injury", explained chartered physiotherapist, Bronwyn Clifford. The article also gave tips for people who do enjoy texting on how to still text while minimizing injury to your hands. Some of these tips which I found helpful were taking breaks during texting, using both hands, and massaging your arms if they are sore.

Personally, I find that my hands only hurt if I am texting continuously, which is not very often. I mostly use texting when I am in a place where I cannot talk on the phone, or when I need to send a short message to a group of people. I find video games to be more painful to my hands and fingers. The video games I play last about 5-10 minutes, wheras sending a text takes under a minute. Also, many video games are played aggresively, and I find I need to apply force to win them. I rarely play video games because I find my hands are too sore after them and it is not worth it. I appreciate the author offering tips to the texters and gamers of America to prevent them from experiencing perilous hand problems.

Uniting the Americans

When I watched John McCain's concession speech on Tuesday night, I immediately thought of our first unit in class: what does it mean to be an American? Looking back on my notes, I had written the question "do American values demonstrate individualism or community?" I believe that John McCain completely addressed the value that the community is greater than the individual. He did this in convincing his supporters that even if they disagree with some of his policies, they should still respect him because he is going to be our president, and the leader of the American community for the next four years. "These are difficult times for our country, and I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the challenges we face. I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together." The words "come together" show that McCain is putting aside his personal loss of the election to embrace the value of community during the difficult (perilous) times.


"Tonight more than any night I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens. Whether they supported me or senator Obama, I wish godspeed to the man who is my former opponent and will be my president." At this point when watching the speech, I felt incredibly inspired by his words and started crying. Losing is never an easy thing, but McCain was able to not only lose graciously, but inspire all the Americans watching his speech to become united.