Postmans Closing Words

Postman made the distinction in his last sentence that the problem of our society today is not that we are too dependent on entertainment but that we are unaware of our dependence on entertainment. In the last paragraph, Postman uses the example of what Aldous Huxley said in Brave New World to help the reader better understand the reason that he wrote this book. He is trying to get the reader to understand that he wrote this book so that we can learn of our dependence on entertainment so that we are no longer ignorant of what we believe is important today. Postman uses this last paragraph of the book to inform the readers that we need to be aware of the issue that has formed in our society and we must try to not allow our entire lives to revolve around entertainment. The last sentence of this book is to help the reader understand that the issues are not formed because of our entertainment filled world, but because of our ignorance of the people of our society changing from thinkers to people focusing soley on entertainment.

Friday's Opportunity

On Friday, I found that the opportunity we were given to experience a day without talking was extremely difficult but not impossible. I had difficulties trying to have a conversation with my friends or with a teacher in class. One of the most difficult times was at lunch and no one at the table could talk. We were all drawing on white boards and no one could understand. It was also extremely difficult when someone who was not a part of the experiment was trying to figure out what I was doing. It was easy to explain that I was unable to talk because of an assignment, but it was very difficult to explain why we had the assignment. They understood that I could not talk but they were not understanding why. I learned that when you have to communicate in a different way than others around you it can be very hard but it is possible. It is hard to get the other person to understand completely what you are trying to say. The way that we communicate with each other affects if the message is understood or not.

Technology And Society

       In this interview with Neil Postman at Calvin College, he discusses that the human dilemma is that the "technological changes of this era have rendered irrelevant the wisdom of the ages". Hes saying that with all the advancements in technology that our society is making today, the knowledge acquired by past generations is becoming irrelevant. This statement relates to what Postman says in Amusing Ourselves to Death that "this change- over had dramatically irreversibly shifted the content and meaning of public discourse". In these two statements Postman is trying to convey that the changes that society today has gone through are completely changing what has been learned from past generations in how we act and speak to one another.
     Later in the interview Postman talks about how today people are okay with talking to telephone answering machines. He states that people adapt to what is going on around them and we "adapt ourselves to talking to machines rather than people, and we may end up preferring it". This statement relates to what Postman says in Amusing Ourselves to Death that 'he uses the word 'converstion' metaphorically to refer not only to speech but to all techniques and technologies" that are used to communicate today. These two statements relate in that Postman is trying to get the reader/hearer to understand that we are relying too much on technology today that we are losing communications through speech.

Metaphors, Civility, and Language Debate

1.   Chavez’ intent in the first six words of her column is to get the reader to understand that when anyone is speaking in the public eye it is essential to be courteous and polite concerning who you are talking to or about.

2. Chavez decided to use the word bellicose in her column because she is trying to point out that meanings behind many of the words used in any circumstance can have an alternate meaning. She uses the exact word bellicose to show that some words that are used in politics can have an inclination or eagerness to fight in their meanings. She shows this by explaining that the word “campaign” that is used today in politics refers to a battlefield or military decisions.

3. Chavez is attempting to persuade the reader into believing that the words themselves are not the real problem, but the intent behind the words that anyone chooses to use is actually the problem. The best example that Chavez uses to support her point is when she talks about changing the “n-word” in the novel Huckleberry Finn, and how it does not allow reader to learn of racism and the social moves of the past. She uses this example to point out to the reader that by changing this word into slave the children in schools today will be the ones who are affected.

4. I agree with Chavez because I think that it is important to think first but also to realize the intent behind the words used. The meaning behind the word is the real issue.

Conserve, Reuse, Recycle

The sentence that reveals Semrau's point is "medical school can make one useful, and it can also make on 'green'. Conserve, reuse and recycle are the key words here, but mostly the 'reuse'". The intent of the essay is helped by Semrau intentionally keeping information from the reader. By keeping information from the reader Semrau successfully got the reader to understand that after a long life, you can still be helpful in the 'green' movement. The intent of this essay is to convince the reader that there is still something that they can do to help the generations to come, and that they should truly "consider joining" him. Semrau's strategy of keeping information from the reader allows him to share parts of his life with the reader to get them understand that after his 75 years of living and working as an engineer, he can donate his body after he dies. Harvard Medical School can reuse his body to help those to come. Semrau would not have been as effective if he had just come out and told the reader what he was doing because they would not have gotten the chance to get Semrau's background and they would not have understood that they could still help after they die as Semrau is going to do.

"Savior of the Nations, Come"

In the hymn "Savior of the Nations, Come" Martin Luther uses diction to help show that Jesus came to earth and saved us all from our sins. Luther uses diction when he says  "Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child Of the Virgin undefiled!" with the word undefiled. This word reveals that Christ came into this world perfect, he was born of a virgin and did not have the same original sin that we are born with. Luther uses diction again when he says "Woman's Offspring, pure and fresh" with the word pure. This word also shows how Jesus came into this world full of sinners without sin to save us all through living a perfect life and death on the cross. Then when Luther says "Hast o'er sin the victory won", he uses diction with the word victory. By using the word victory Luther conveys that Jesus triumphed over the death and the devil, and saved us from the loss of eternal death that we would have deserved. Jesus’ victory allows all people to enter the kingdom of heaven through his sacrifice. Luther uses diction when he says “Ever and eternally” with the word eternally to show that through Jesus we will forever be with God in heaven.

Issues Etc.

1) IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII IIIII  (35)

2) Makes holy, slain, took sin, died, is, slain, lives again, died, rose, reigns, died, rose, make us alive, came, slain, reigns, died, lives

3) The theme of pastor Edwards sermon was that our day of mercy is now. He focused on our sins, and how we are going to hell because we sin and we can not keep God's laws. He was focusing on that we have an angry God, and we have no hope. While the theme of pastor Bourghardt's sermon was that yes we sin, but our day of mercy will come. He focused on how God sees us through Jesus's example. He said that we think that we are happy now, but we will be truly happy when we see God's face.