Searching for the Why of Buy

Searching for the Why of Buy:
'We are embedded in an enormous sea of cultural messages, the neural influences of which we poorly understand,' said neuroscientist Read Montague, director of the Human Neuroimaging Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. 'We don't understand the way in which messages can gain control over our behavior.'

"Children are exposed to 40,000 commercials every year. By the age of 18 months, they can recognize logos. By 10, they have memorized 300 to 400 brands, according to Boston College sociologist Juliet B. Schor. The average adult can recognize thousands."

'America's high schools are obsolete'

Agree or disagree?

(And, hey I know that guy!)

Governors Work to Improve H.S. Education: "'America's high schools are obsolete,' Gates said. 'By obsolete, I don't just mean that they're broken, flawed or underfunded, though a case could be made for every one of those points. By obsolete, I mean our high schools _ even when they're working as designed _ cannot teach all our students what they need to know today.'"

Teens Religious, But Unknowledgeable

Do you think this an accurate portrayal of teens? Any fallacies here?

FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Study: Teens Religious, But Unknowledgeable: "Many were so detached from the traditions of their faith, says the report, that they're virtually following a different creed in which an undemanding God exists mostly to solve problems and make people feel good. Truth in any absolute, theological sense, takes a back seat. 'God is something like a combination Divine Butler and Cosmic Therapist' who's on call as needed, Smith writes. "

Chris Rock - The William F-ing Buckley of stand-up. By John Swansburg

Thought this was interesting... it ties in with BFC in a way, based on the Rock clip and the fact that it appears in BFC, would you guess that Rock is pro- or anti- gun control?

Again, with this kind of thing, it's a context issue. If you don't see it in context, you walk away thinking something different than what was originally intended.

Chris Rock - The William F-ing Buckley of stand-up. By John Swansburg

Gender Issues

Yahoo! News - Boys, Girls Are Faring Equally, Study Finds

Salon.com Life | Mommy madness

BFC: Companion Reading

Ok... take a look at some of what people have said regarding "Bowling for Columbine" (BFC).

Here are some of the critics sites:

BOWLING FOR TRUTH - Archive of Michael Moore lies

Bowling for Columbine

Spinsanity - Viewer beware: In "Bowling for Columbine," Michael Moore once again puts distortions and contradictions before the truth

Spinsanity - Countering rhetoric with reason

Moore Responds:
Michael Moore.com : Michael Moore responds to the wacko attackos...: "How to Deal with the Lies and the Lying Liars When They Lie about 'Bowling for Columbine'"

Here's a interesting discussion forum on BFC:
Bowling For Truth -- Viewer Mail

Here's Moore's "Wonderful World Montage"...
Bowling for Columbine : Library : What a Wonderful World
To be honest, I'm not sure I know enough about the events he refers to to comment. (But that's different then taking what he says at face value) More research needed.

The Fallacy That Is “Roger and Me”, also the logic take home...

Here's a blog I found on "Roger and Me":
The Fallacy That Is "Roger and Me"

And some of you have begun asking about the Fallacy takehome.

My advice start reading op ed pieces/ letters to editors/ political writing, advertisements, etc., places where persuasion is being used. Read it with an eye towards fallacies.

For example, here's one that parallels "Roger and Me". Are there any fallacies being used? If so, use your notes and book as a kind of field guide to help identify them.

Economic morality counts, too | ajc.com

Between Truth and Lies, An Unprintable Ubiquity

The New York Times > Books > Between Truth and Lies, An Unprintable Ubiquity: "'One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much [bull]. Everyone knows this. Each of us contributes his share. But we tend to take the situation for granted. Most people are rather confident of their ability to recognize [bull] and to avoid being taken in by it. So the phenomenon has not aroused much deliberate concern, nor attracted much sustained inquiry.'"

Rejection Hotline Real Popular in Detroit

Thoughts?

Good idea? Bad idea? Are they consqeuences to a service of this nature (intended or unintended?)
What about the age restriction? At what age is something like this not appropriate?

My Way News: "Rejection Hotline Real Popular in Detroit"

RejectionHotline.com Home Page: "The Rejection Hotline Phenomenon"

AntiMagnet: We Support the guy in china who sells these idiotic magnets

Patriotic or Unpatriotic?

American or Unamerican?

AntiMagnet: We Support the guy in china who sells these idiotic magnets

'Ficus For Congress' Takes Root In 24 Congressional Campaigns

Did some digging re: Moore's ficus 2000
(pun intended)

"Among the House campaigns, 21 target Republicans. Another is against Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia, who switched his affiliation from Democrat to independent. The other is for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Thomas Bliley, R-Va."

That's the 5th and 7th districts... (the 7th is ours...)

But again, was it real or something Moore has artfully crafted to look like reality?

'Ficus For Congress' Takes Root In 24 Congressional Campaigns

Sunday Miscellaneous...

Saw this in the paper this morning... ties in with our traditional vs. novelty discussion re:women in our culture.
TimesDispatch.com | At U.Va., a reversal on roles

Lots of political talk over Bush's push on Social Security reform...

Factcheck.org analyzes the pesuasive tactics being used on both sides so that we may deabte this issue with intelligence discussion rather than rhetoric,
FactCheck.org - Annenberg Political Fact Check

Saw Hotel Rwanda this weekend...
Hotel Rwanda
Very moving and powerful film that raises many worthwhile ethical issues with regard to the role of the UN, the politics of genocide and Western intervention, value conflicts of family vs. community, etc. I already have a documentary for later in the year called "Ghosts of Rwanda" that examines the true events that this movie is based on. (Period 4, reminds me of our "Is war humane?" discussion. But more on that later...)

Stealing vs. Infringing

Which deserves more punishment?

Off The Shelf -- Website by Now Interactive Solutions

To "Drink the Kool-Aid"

Here's the modern usage and origin:

The Word Spy - drink the Kool-Aid

Careful. This website can be addicting.

Frazz Thursday

Math is weird!

Yahoo! News - Frazz

After Death, a Struggle for Their Digital Memories (washingtonpost.com)

Privacy vs. the rights of the family:

After Death, a Struggle for Their Digital Memories (washingtonpost.com)

For the Worst of Us, the Diagnosis May Be 'Evil'

Is Evil something beyond a moral judgment? Can it be classified or qualified?

The New York Times > Health > Mental Health & Behavior > For the Worst of Us, the Diagnosis May Be 'Evil'

Greetings from NASA Langley!

See my post over on my Physics Blog.

Email me if you guys have any questions regarding tomorrow's assignment.

Thanks!!

CNN.com - Girls sued for delivering cookies - Feb 4, 2005

CNN.com - Girls sued for delivering cookies - Feb 4, 2005

On Blog Posts...

Message from Mr. Couillard:

In the future, please try to make your posts as complete and coherent as possible. Exhibit A: "Is suicide ethical..." While there are obviously some ethical issues involved here, a single one line blurb about suicide is more apt to cause concern (on the part of yours truly) than elicit a fruitful discussion on the ethical issues.

If there are any issues that you feel like discussing, please do not hesitate to let me know. That's why we do this job. It's not what we teach (though that part of its pretty cool too), but rather who we teach that matters most. You guys are the reason I can't wait to get to school in the mornings. And why all the time we put in doesn't seem to matter.

I know high school can be a rough time for some of you. (Personally, I think the "these are the best days of your life" line is merely marketing. You can be pretty hard on each other and on yourselves because that's the one thing in your life that you do have control over. And there is a world of stuff that seems of great importance now, that will be of little consequence in just a few years. But you have to get through this part to get to the good stuff. I know, because I was just as mixed up and confused when I was in your shoes. And this one thing I'd tell my "high school self" now if I could, was that that kid has no idea what the world holds for him. It's exciting, but he had no idea. And neither do you. None of us can say with certainty, what comes next or where our choices in life will take us. But if you trust yourself, and follow your bliss (more on this later), you don't have to worry. You guys are good kids, you are smart kids, and... if you guys stick together and depend on one another as we all must, you're going to be just fine.

Ok, that was more than I really meant to say, but maybe it was something that some of you out there might need to hear.

PS: Here's the article and the pictures from Karl Linn's military funeral at Culpeper National Cemetery.

Marine laid to rest

Pictures (See bottom of the page)

Links--Tuesday

CU Professor Who Suggested 9/11 Attacks Were Justified Stirs Protest
"While I personally find his views offensive, I also must support his right as an American citizen to hold and express his views, no matter how repugnant, as guaranteed by the First Amendment."


What would it take for people to change their minds?
"But after watching Sunday's election in Iraq and seeing the first clear sign that freedom really may mean something to the Iraqi people, you have to be asking yourself: What if it turns out Bush was right, and we were wrong?"

Are SpongeBob's Pants Really Square?
"And, so, those in the media will continue to discuss a speech they did not attend regarding materials they have not examined in order to have a good snicker, while repeating statements that were never uttered."


Release the prisoners of the toy gets it.
Real or Hoax?

Iraqi Militants take Toy Hostage?