Bottled Water

when was the last time you had a bottle of water? yesterday , the day before, today, an hour ago? I won't lie; I'm as guilty as the next. I had a bottle of Aquafian this morning. why isn't government regaled controls for drinking water good enough for us? we think this water is better than the water that comes right of the tap, that's why!
growing up, bottled water seems only a blurb, barley memorable. if you were thirsty you went to the sink, and got a drink, of cool refreshing WATER. the only reason one would buy water from the store, was for laundry. that's right, distilled water for your iron. why else would you spend hard earned cash on something that was available seemingly for free? Americans would rather pay for a resource that is offered free? as it is 28.9% of all beverages sold in the united states is battles water. (wiki, 2009)
even during these hard economic times, it seems Americans are wealthy enough to have the best of the best. Honestly regular old tap water will do for me. for some it won't. are some people afraid to drink from a drinking fountain? after all that's, isn't that what made Rome famous? drinking water for the masses. to me it seems a fad. when everything is all said and done, people will return to tap water. at the same time though; I hope America remains so prosperous that we can continue to purchase drinking water for a buck, when we can get it for free from any tap!
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_water

1-3

Assignment 1-3
Introduction
Holding Out for a Hero: Reaganism, Comic Book Vigilantes, and Captain America is a very interesting article that discusses the heroes of the 1980's. This article is intended for a general audience. No type of specialized vocabulary is used, only a few large multi syllable words are utilized. The author explains why the need for heroes in the 1980's was so important. The previous decade had been particularly rough for the United States. America, land of plenty experienced a debilitating gas shortage, Americans were kidnapped from the U.S. embassy in Iran, and inflation was extremely high during the 1970's. With all of this muck, America need heroes more than ever. It is then, that it is explained how popular culture of the time dictated characteristics of this eras heroes. Four heroes were evaluated, Ronald Reagan, Batman, Ozymandias, and Captain America. What made these heroes is their ability to "do good" and not be for or against the "system" but to be above the "system". By "system" I mean government or the established power.
Ronald Reagan
The first of the four heroes was Ronald Reagan. In this section of the article it is explained that President Reagan thought he was the hero Americans needed to make them believe in themselves again. President Reagan personified himself as a hero by portraying himself a cowboy, a classic American hero icon, a role he played many times during his acting career. He also put forth the image of being a political outsider. This is a very important point the author wanted to make. It was this cowboy/outsider image that Reagan used to "blur" the public's view of him as a politician. He was for the people, and not the government. While in actuality he was great politician, and lead in a way not seen before. He was the leader of the United States, but not part of the government, he was above it.
Batman
Before we continue any further I have to define some terms used in the article. They were not necessary in the discussion of Ronald Reagan, but are for the remaining heroes. Politics and morals are widely used in the consideration of these heroes, and their ability to transcend the powers that be. Vigilante and police vigilante are terms used quite a bit throughout the remainder of this article. A vigilante is someone to takes matters into their own hands, operating on their own accord. Vigilantes step on the toes of the established power, because they are an example of their inadequacy. A police vigilante is a vigilante but operates to the will of the established power.
The Batman used in this article is "The Dark Night Returns". At the beginning of the book Batman is a vigilante. He uses his own judgment to determine right and wrong and sets out to correct it as he sees fit. Also in this book is Superman, who is a police vigilante, because he takes orders directly from the government. In either case the author indicates that neither is a hero at this point. The two are pitted against each other, because the government can't be undermined. After a long battle Batman retires. He becomes Bruce Wayne again, and becomes a hero at this point. He no longer fights crime, but trains an army of crime fighters. He does not fight the government, nor does he work for it. He is totally separate from it, setting out to do good, and that is what makes him a hero.
Ozymandias
I found this part of the article hard to grasp. Ozymadias is a hero by default in the novel called the "Watchmen". He is established the hero, because like Batman he establishes an entity separate from the government that is neither for or against the it. Instead it is a new establishment making him the hero. At the beginning of this section it would be thought that Ozymandias is the villain, also, the supposed hero (Rorschach)is merely a vigilante. On the outset Rorschach is investigating the murder of The Comedian, who is another costumed superhero, like himself and all the other characters in the novel. Rorschach discovers that Ozymandias murdered The Comedian. Rorschach and his posse of other superheroes stumble upon Ozymandias plan to unite the USA and the USSR, for the greater good of mankind by staging a fake alien attack on earth. The plan worked, and a new world order was established.
Captain America
In this article Captain America has to deal directly with the changing times. He was frozen in a block of ice for 20 years. When he came back everything was different, and he had to adapt to remain viable. When Captain America first came out he was a soldier, he had a clear conviction of what was right and wrong. In the 80's things weren't black and white anymore. He soon began to tolerate other ideas, but would be called to action if someone tried to impose their ideals on others. In the end Captain America is declared a hero, because he sets himself apart from the government. He realized the government can be wrong, and change the rules to suit its own purpose.
Conclusion
This article depicts the turmoil surrounding the U.S. in the 1980's, and Americas need for new heroes. Things were no longer just black and white. Americas heroes couldn't be a mere vigilante, setting off to right wrongs as they see fit. Nor could they be a police vigilante, admitting the system was flawed. Still trying to good, but outside the established rules of the system. The Heroes of the 80's had to be above and beyond the system. They had to be moral, and not part of anything that imposed its will on others.




References

Dubose, M. (2007)Holding Out for a Hero: Reaganism, Comic Book Vigilantes, and Captain America. Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 40, Issue 6, 915-935. Retrieved April 12, 2009. from Ohiolink.

Designer dogs
Have you ever seen a celebrity holding some cute little dog, and thought what kind of dog is that? Chances are it is a designer dog. What is a designer dog you ask? It is a dog that is the product of two different purebred dogs. For example a pomapoo, it is a cross between a Pomeranian and a toy poodle. Designer dogs are becoming a popular trend.
Most everybody likes dogs, Americans own approximately 73 million dogs.[petplace] for some people any old dog will do. For some only a pure bred dog is acceptable. That is a dog that is certified and has a documented lineage. While some have taken it a step even further with a designer dog. People cross breed two purebred dogs based on a desired outcome, and presto you have a designer dog. It is rumored that Paris Hilton has 17 of the little burgers.[Gornstein] Paris likes the little variety she can carry around in her purse, and attract media attention. Those aren't the only type of designer dog, there are large breeds too. Take for instance a labradoodle, which is a cross between Labrador Retriever and a poodle. Why have a regular dog when you can design your own? It seems as if people's desire to have the latest greatest thing has spilled over into pet ownership.
Since dogs first became domesticated, mankind has bred them to bring out desired traits. Purebred dogs have pedigrees that can be traced back literally for over a century depending on the breed. However I do not think designer dogs fit into the same mold. These dogs are bred and sold seemingly so the owners can say "look at what I got". Owning these dogs is fashionable, and that's why they are part of popular culture.
Http://netscape.compuserve.com/homerealestate/feature.jsp?Story=rainingcatsanddogs
Http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/ask_the_answer_bitch/b69633_how_many_designer_dogs_does_paris.html

Dancing with the stars
What's your favorite television show? Chances are it's dancing with the stars. According to the Nielsen ratings dancing with the stars has about 24.1 million viewers.[Nielsen] that is pretty impressive! Dancing with the stars is a reality television show that pairs a celebrities with professional dancers. Each week dancers compete to stay in the game. Each performance is rated by three judges. The dance pair with the lowest score is removed from the show. I am curious why this show is so popular?
I think the most important aspect of the answer is that dancing with the stars is a reality show. People are tired of the cliché television has become. Scripted television shows have become too predictable. People want watch something that they don't already know how it is going to end. ("and they all lived happily ever after")
Another reason for the show's popularity is the fact that celebrities are on the show. Even better the celebrities are thrown into a situation outside of their comfort zone. (like a fish out of water) the question "why do people watch dancing with the stars" was asked on yahoo answers. The best response chosen by the asker was:" they like seeing celebrity or famous people do things they are not used to... Like a football player doing ballroom dancing."
I really just think people are tired of the same old stuff. They want to see something new and interesting. Television has become quite boring. Reality shows and sporting events are what people are watching the most. So my question to you is why do you like to watch dancing with the stars?
Http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/public/menuitem.43afce2fac27e890311ba0a347a062a0/?Vgnextoid=9e4df9669fa14010vgnvcm100000880a260arcrd
Http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090407200700aamg7zx





http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/public/menuitem.43afce2fac27e890311ba0a347a062a0/?vgnextoid=9e4df9669fa14010vgnvcm100000880a260arcrd

HUMN431-H4WW 2-1

State Quarters
do you ever think much about the change in your pocket? No one ever really did until the U. S. mint roll out its state quarter program in 1999. before then change was just change, and a quarter was no big deal. then in 1999 something changed. the U. S. mint introduced the state quarter program. People began to take notice of the change in their pocket. it seemed every time you turned around there was a new look on the face of the $0.25 piece. For the first time in a long while everybody was very interested in the new quarters.
The state quarter program ran from 1999 until 2008. the state quarters were released in the order that states came into the union. usually four or five quarters were released a year, and public demand for the quarters was through the roof. "during the ten years of issue (1999-2008) the U. S. mint more than 140 million American were collecting the 50 state quarter dollars. And in its conclusion in 2008, the series was hailed as the most successful coinage campaign in the history of the U. S. mint."(Deisher, unknown)
before 1999 no thought was given to the quarters that were inserted into a vending machine. with the introduction of the state quarter program Americans became interested in collecting coins, many for the first time. Many different types of books were marketed to hold one of each of the new state quarters. some had a map of the United States, and some were more traditional. how many books did you fill with these quarters?

References
Deisher, B. (unknown). Washington 50 States : Coin World. Retrieved April 15, 2009. from http://www.coinworldonline.com/search.aspx?st=state%20quarters&cat=cw

The three icons I chose are Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, and Warren Buffett. Icons do not necessarily have to be people, although the three I chose are. Icons are the are the epitome of things that are believed to sacred.
Barack Obama is an icon perhaps for a couple of reasons. He is the president of the United States, the leader of the free world. The United states is the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. Despite the fact that the United States may be unpopular right now, other countries aspire to achieve our greatness. President Obama is also the first African American to become president. He will forever be remembered for doing so. I do not necessarily agree with his politics, but he seems to have good character.
When you think of golf and the PGA one name comes to mind, Tiger Woods. He is destined to be the greatest golfer of all time. Simply put, he symbolizes the game of golf. If you were to assign religious values the game of golf, Tiger would be Jesus. I am a hack at best, a good game for me is under 100 strokes. To me it unbelievable that he can constantly play at the level he does.
Warren Buffett is the richest man to ever walk the face of this planet. He is the symbol of wealth. He is regarded as the most successful investor of all time. I'm not sure I need or want to be as rich as Warren Buffett, I'm sure all that wealth has cost him time with his family. Given the opportunity I'm not sure I would take it.

The internet has become a part of most every one's life. It has come a long way since the early 90's. Unless you live in a cave you have probably heard about myspace. Myspace is a very popular place to visit on the internet. By taking a few simple steps one can open an account , for free, and share aspects of your life with any one you choose to call a friend. Myspace allows people to do many things, and is a great example of popular culture.
on myspace people can do something everyone likes to do, talk about themselves! On myspace you can share all kinds of things about yourself. After you open you're myspace account you are free to set up you're page as you see fit. This is where all the fun begins. You can choose the background for your page, or design one with your own pictures. You can upload pictures you have saved on your computer to share with family and friends, and even make slide shows with them. You can pretty much download and display any image you want, and use it how you see fit on your myspace page. Users may also have a music player on their myspace page, and share their favorite songs. There any all kinds of different applications available for use on myspace. Users can display their current moods or feelings. You can send comments to your friends on myspace, in which you can send the a virtual kiss, drink, a cute or funny picture, or cartoon.
myspace is a website on the internet, which is a part of popular culture. It lets users display many different examples of popular culture such as images and music, to be shared with family and friends. I think the internet is the epitome of popular culture and myspace is a very close second.