February 1, 2006
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MAJOR: Communications 101
COURSE: Communicating ideas about society through blogs
ASSIGNMENT: Most people have short attention spans, and little patience. If they’re not entertained, they go elsewhere. In that spirit, create blog content that attracts readers, and makes them want to listen to what you have to say.
I recently received feedback that my blogs are too long, complicated, “preachy.” So…in order to keep those readers who feel that way, and to continue to provoke thought in those who read every word I write…I offer the following new format.
-Attended an event at the New School last night. There were 3 major speakers, including Paul Krugman, who is famous for writing op-eds in the New York Times. The topic was the widening income gap in America. What was most interesting to me, was the idea that it’s the super-rich, the top 1%, those people who make mega-millions, more than 99% of the country (you and I), who us 99% of America (you and I) need to be concerned with. It got me thinking, if the Democrats could propose one issue clearly that could potentially improve America greatly, it would be to put a sizable tax on those making multi-millions, which would affect only 1% of Americans, and use that tax money to fund Social Security, grants for higher education, universal health insurance, rebuilding New Orleans, increase teacher pay…
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
-I’ve always been the type of person to take a step back and analyze things from a broader perspective. This book I’m reading, “American Higher Education: A History,” has brought me back into contact w/ material I haven’t been exposed to since high school or before…I’m talking about Ancient Greek and Roman civilization. While human knowledge has developed immensely in the last 2500 years in science, technology, the humanities, business, etc., it seems that in many ways the general public has become less interested in critical thought and understanding society, as people in the day of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were concerned with. In his State of the Union, Pres. Bush made a call to bring more people into teaching science and math. To me, the fact that our national education initiatives focus on math and science, but ignore a call for building a nation that is literate, conversant, and able to critically examine politics and social issues, reveals that we have failed to build on the human discoveries before us…
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Jeromse Bettis, the running back for the Pittsburgh Stealers, is a native of Detroit, where the Super Bowl is being held. He was recently given the “key to the city,” by the mayor, to show their appreciation for the local hero. I’ve been thinking recently about the relative importance of things…for example, concerning ourselves with poverty is “more important” than concerning ourselves with the Super Bowl, however, the Super Bowl is still “important.” As my friend put it, “one person’s success does not necessarily equal another person’s failure.” In that light, the fact that thinking about and working to address societal ills is “important,” does not mean that all other things are un-important. What I’ve also been thinking about, is how if we addressed all societal ills (no more hunger, poverty, war, disease, etc), the only things that would be important would be those things that seem un-important, such as watching the Super Bowl (or travel, leisure, food, friends, etc). As a society, I think we need to embrace all the important things in life…the deeper important things of making life better for us now and those that will come after us, as well as enjoying those shallow things we also find important. In order to address the deeper things in life, those societal ills, people need to equate and blend those things (politics, protest, voting, social action, volunteerism) with those shallow things we enjoy (good conversation, time with friends and family, lifelong love of learning, helping people, travel). A pool with both deep and shallow ends…
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
-dan
Learning about perseverance by rowing “PERSEVERANCE” down in S. Africa
Comments (5)
To placate the readers who get lost in the complicated, preacy posts, perhaps you need another blog that deals less with complex societal issues and more with the very basic essence of “Dan”. You know: I had six burritos for lunch, my apartment smells like liliac and guano, my club foot is acting up again, I hate American Idol…trite shit like that. Some people dig that stuff too.
The only complaint I can raise is the frequency with which you update this site. It takes me a while to formulate a response to some of the issues you raise here, and often by the time I have my wool gathered, the pertinent post is no longer the most recent.
But don’t slow down on my account.
I’ll tell you WHAT I THINK about those three issues later. After I’ve had a while to author my opinions.
I made it all the way to the end… and I enjoyed the reading! I think you have brought up some very interesting situations and pose some very good questions that takes some deep thought to contemplate. I agree with Kregg regarding slow responses. I have to have a bit of time before putting my thoughts & feelings into print. I’m just not that gifted with words. But I do feel what your talking about.
Here’s my quick responses to “WHAT DO YOU THINK?” (keep in mind that my intent is not to sound deep or scholarly):
1. Robin Hood has always been one of my favorite hero’s. I just love everything he stands for! So, I agree, lets tax the richest 1% so the rest of us can have a better life. But HOW can we make this happen? Do you think Robin Hood will ever run for president? I thought John Kerry was a close match. What do you think about that?
2. I actually took a step back after reading your second comment and realized how true your words ring. I had not considered this before. I was in full agreement with Bush last night about needing more focus on math and science. But you have made me second guess that. I used to think it was just a certain personality type that “philosophied” over political and social issues. (I always try to engage in deeper coversations and sometimes feel a bit out of my element unless I’ve had a few beers) Those of us that do not naturally engage in higher social thought should be taught to do so! I know for myself that it’s in me.. I just have trouble letting it out.
3. Can I go swimming in your pool? I might need a life jacket in the deep end but I’m sure it would be fun!
for the sake of kregg…i’ll slow down on new posts, but will spend more time commenting to individuals who comment to me, and will add my random thoughts down here for those who are into reading comment boxes:
i’m getting ambitious again…as in, i’m having grand ideas for things i’d like to take on as challenges, and hopefully to accomplish.
i vividly recall when i first told a friend that i simply had to write a book about this whole college thing, and one year later, i had written, self-published, promoted, and sold a number of books. this is basically from fall of ’03, to winter of ’04
i vividly recall in that winter of ’05, as my efforts at bookselling came to an end, feeling as though i knew 0 about history and politics, and didn’t really know how to understand the relationships between politics, history, economics, society, education…i knew they were somehow all related, but hadn’t figured it out yet. now…in the winter of ’06, i feel as though all the pieces fit nicely together.
so…since the fall of ’03, the season after i graduated from college, i have accomplished 2 major things in 2 years time. i have figured out that college does indeed have some severe flaws, and i’ve come to understand the role of politics and economics in shaping our society.
with those tools, i now aim high again. while i’ll continue to muddle through my mundane life, in the background i am brewing a side-project. right now, it looks like another book, but…with the hopes of reaching a bigger network.
The focus i see now, is to address the effects of education on mental health, economic health, and poiltical health. In what ways does our current school system fail to meet all 3? How is it that we fail to look at all 3, and what is the significance of this? In what ways are progressive schools helping students to be mentally healthy, prepared for financial success, and civically active?
Was that cartoon there the other day? I don’t remember it… But seeing it now makes me want to quit college! I mean, OMG!, why am I going? I’m already gainfully employed! Do I really need to change directions at my age?
Your new book endeavor sounds interesting. One thing I’ve learned at college is that I hate writing! I wish I was good at it.
“Was that cartoon there the other day? I don’t remember it… But seeing it now makes me want to quit college! I mean, OMG!, why am I going? I’m already gainfully employed! Do I really need to change directions at my age?”
i just found the picture after reading this article:
http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2005/07/does_college_ma.html
The big big big big question i’m dealing with, is “does going to college matter,” but more importantly, “does GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE MATTER.” In many ways, going to college is supposed to benefit people and society in many ways, but ultimately, the reason most people support going to college is because “GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE IMPROVES YOUR CHANCES FOR GETTING A BETTER JOB, AND MAKING MORE MONEY.” So…I want to know, does it really?
Statistics all say that the avg. salary of someone w/ a college degree is higher than someone w/out one. But, that’s just a statistic, just a bunch of numbers…what do they mean? Just because the majority of the time a person with a college degree will have a better chance to find work and to find higher paying, does not mean that in any individual circumstance, someone should say, “I WANT TO PURSUE A COLLEGE DEGREE BECAUSE IT WILL INCREASE MY ODDS OF FINDING A JOB AND FINDING A HIGH PAYING JOB,”
I say that, because in many cases a person will end up saying:
“I JUST WENT TO COLLEGE, AND GOT A COLLEGE DEGREE, AND I STILL CAN’T FIND WORK AND I’M NOT MAKING A LOT OF MONEY,”
or,
I JUST WENT TO COLLEGE, AND NOW I’M WORKING THE PERFECT JOB AND MAKING A LOT OF MONEY, BUT I COULD HAVE GOTTEN HERE WITHOUT HAVING MY COLLEGE DEGREE.”
At least…that’s what I think, and I’m trying to see in what cases I’m right, and in what cases I’m wrong.
“Your new book endeavor sounds interesting. One thing I’ve learned at college is that I hate writing! I wish I was good at it.”
College has taught you things you haven’t realized. First, it turns out you do love writing, otherwise you wouldn’t write a blog. College has taught you that writing for a grade or a class is important, and writing for yourself and for others, is not important. College has also taught you that good writing is writing that your professors like, when in reality, good writing is any writing that you think is good. But…probably the biggest lesson to be learned from college, is that school makes people hate the very things they’re trying to teach (in your case…writing). Now that you’ve learned that lesson, keep on writing!
-dan