July 2010 Archives

The Medium Is the Medium ~ David Brooks - The New York Times - July 2010

In this op-ed article, famous writer and columnist, David Brooks, provides new arguments for why the act of reading books is superior to internet reading.  He refers to a philanthropist who puts it like this, '"It's not the physical presence of the books that produces the biggest impact," she suggested. "It's the change in the way the students see themselves as they build a home library. They see themselves as readers, as members of a different group."'

Attention Whole Foods Shoppers ~ Robert Paarlberg - Foreign Policy

In this article, published in June 2010, Robert Paarlberg, Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College, argues against the assumption that organic foods are better for the planet and for the world's population. He writes, "In Europe and the United States, a new line of thinking has emerged in elite circles that opposes bringing improved seeds and fertilizers to traditional farmers and opposes linking those farmers more closely to international markets. Influential food writers, advocates, and celebrity restaurant owners are repeating the mantra that "sustainable food" in the future must be organic, local, and slow. But guess what: Rural Africa already has such a system, and it doesn't work." Does Paalberg raise some good points? How convincing is Paalberg's argument, in your opinion?  

This Time Is Different ~ Thomas Friedman - The New York Times

Who is really to blame for the largest oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?  Columnist and well known author, Thomas Friedman, turns to his friend, Mark Mykleby, for the answer. Mykleby writes, "This isn't BP's or Transocean's fault. It's not the government's fault. It's my fault. I'm the one to blame and I'm sorry. It's my fault because I haven't digested the world's in-your-face hints that maybe I ought to think about the future and change the unsustainable way I live my life." Does Mykleby make a good point, in your opinion? Read more in Friedman's June 11^th, 2010 op-  ed piece.  

Can We Talk ~ A condensed excerpt from Deborah Tannen's book, You Just Don't Understand - Women and Men in Conversation

In this excerpt, Tannen taps into the source of communication problems between men and women. She writes, "As a specialist in linguistics, I have studied how the conversational styles of men and women differ. We cannot lump all men or all women into fixed categories. But the seemingly senseless misunderstandings that haunt our relationships can in part be explained by the different conversational rules by which men and women play."

Why Our Campuses are NOT safer without Concealed Handguns

According to their website, "Students for Concealed Carry on Campus [SCCC] is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization composed of more than 43,000 college students, professors, college employees, parents of college students, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else." In this article, the SCCC provides a point by point refutation to the arguments put forth by an anti-gun rights student organization called Students for Gun Free Schools (SGFS).

Why We Must Ration Health Care  ~ Peter Singer - The New York Times Magazine

Famous ethicist, Peter Singer, begins his argument on rationing health care like this, "You have advanced kidney cancer. It will kill you, probably in the next year or two. A drug called Sutent slows the spread of the cancer and may give you an extra six months, but at a cost of $54,000. Is a few more months worth that much?"

Singer continues, "If you can afford it, you probably would pay that much, or more, to live longer, even if your quality of life wasn't going to be good. But suppose it's not you with the cancer but a stranger covered by your health-insurance fund. If the insurer provides this man -- and everyone else like him -- with Sutent, your premiums will increase. Do you still think the drug is a good value? Suppose the treatment cost a million dollars. Would it be worth it then? Ten million? Is there any limit to how much you would want your insurer to pay for a drug that adds six months to someone's life? If there is any point at which you say, 'No, an extra six months isn't worth that much,' then you think that health care should be rationed."

'The Dumbest Generation' by Mark Bauerlein - Los Angeles Times

Bauerlin writes, "In the four minutes it probably takes to read this review, you will have logged exactly half the time the average 15- to 24-year-old now spends reading each day. That is, if you even bother to finish. If you are perusing this on the Internet, the big block of text below probably seems daunting, maybe even boring. Who has the time? Besides, one of your Facebook friends might have just posted a status update!"

Marry Him! The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough ~Lori Gottlieb - The Atlantic

In this extremely controversial article, Lori Gottlieb writes, "My advice is this: Settle! That's right. Don't worry about passion or intense connection. Don't nix a guy based on his annoying habit of yelling "Bravo!" in movie theaters. Overlook his halitosis or abysmal sense of aesthetics. Because if you want to have the infrastructure in place to have a family, settling is the way to go. Based on my observations, in fact, settling will probably make you happier in the long run, since many of those who marry with great expectations become more disillusioned with each passing year. (It's hard to maintain that level of zing when the conversation morphs into discussions about who's changing the diapers or balancing the checkbook.)"

Child Man in the Promised Land ~Kay Hymowitz - City Journal 

In this humorous, yet critical commentary on the lifestyle choices of today's young males, Hymowitz argues that men in their 20's and 30's drift within a state of eternal boyhood. While our popular culture has embraced and promoted this lifestyle, Hymowitz suggests that it is ultimately an unsatisfying way of life. She writes, "Not so long ago, the average mid-twentysomething had achieved most of adulthood's milestones--high school degree, financial independence, marriage, and children. These days, he lingers--happily--in a new hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible self-reliance. Decades in unfolding, this limbo may not seem like news to many, but in fact it is to the early twenty-first century what adolescence was to the early twentieth: a momentous sociological development of profound economic and cultural import. Some call this new period "emerging adulthood," others "extended adolescence"; David Brooks recently took a stab with the "Odyssey Years," a "decade of wandering."

"But while we grapple with the name, it's time to state what is now obvious to legions of frustrated young women: the limbo doesn't bring out the best in young men."