Darwin

In my week 13 text response blog, I will be responding to article by Ben Stein entitled Florida’s Darwinian interlude. The column is about how the state of Florida was suggesting passing a law mandating that only Darwinian type teachings could be taught in the schools. I personally believe that the suggestion of this is a bit absurd. I believe that is how the whole creationism versus evolution argument started in the first place. To suggest that only one type of scientific theory should be taught, limits the advancement of education. Darwin’s theories are not infallible, and science will always be making new discoveries. We have to believe that there are young scientists right now looking to do what Darwin did nearly 150 years ago. If we tell the scientific community that there are no other theories taught in the classroom, then that might be as close minded as simply teaching creationism. We must always be willing in our public schools to expand student’s minds. And to do that, we must have the ability to teach the most groundbreaking discoveries. Despite what you may think about Darwin, this is about the principle of education. Professors and teachers are on the front lines helping mold the next generation of physicists, engineers, and doctors. They must be allowed to be progressives and they cannot be held back by a group of bureaucrats.

Fired Up

For this week’s free choice blog, I am going to write about a local business that I experienced for the first time yesterday. First, I should mention that my daughter, Emily, is visiting from New Jersey this week, so we have been looking for activities to do. She is 7, and unfortunately all of the kids her age are in school this week because the Spring Break here was in mid-March. So, we were in Peoria, and decided to head over to Peoria Heights to check out a place called Fired Up. It’s a little shop that features ceramics that you can paint any way you like, and then they will fire in their kiln. There is a small sitting fee ($8 for adults and $5 for children), and you simply pay for the ceramic pieces that you choose to paint. Emily chose a large egg to decorate with paint, and I picked a coffee mug. I actually don’t drink coffee much, but I could always use it as a pencil holder or similar desk top item. In any event, it was a relaxing way to spend a Tuesday afternoon, or at least, as relaxing as you can get with a 7 year-old painting. There are plenty of paints to choose from, and the ladies at the shop can show you different techniques to decorate your art. There was even a cute little Birthday party for a little girl going on while we were there. To my surprise, the shop was actually a little busier than I thought that it would be considering it was Tuesday, therefore they said that they recommend reservations on the weekends. So if you are looking for a tranquil way to spend an afternoon or evening, consider a trip to the Heights and check out Fired Up.

Product Placement: who cares?

In my week #11 text response blog, I will examine the issue of product placement advertising in movies and television. In Chapter 14 of our text, they show a screencap from the TV show 30 Rock in which the characters are seen in a McDonalds. The producers claim that they were not paid for this appearance, but it looks as though it could be deliberate. It does beg the question: can the American TV viewer discern the difference between paid and unintentional product placement? And do they care?

We live in a branded world. Brands are everywhere. Some we are proud to display, some not so much. If someone had a camera on me right now, they would see that I am drinking a Coke Zero while clicking on my Toshiba laptop, and wearing a Reebok hoodie. Unfortunately, I am not being paid by any of these companies. However, in recent years product placement has begun to really invade movies and television, especially movies. Some are subtle, but some are obvious. For example, in the movie Castaway, Tom Hanks’ character works for Fed Ex, which has its image in many scenes of the movie. It seems to be a bit ironic product placement considering that a Fed Ex plane crashes in the movie.

My personal opinion is that subtle product placement is tolerable. It seems too contrived when every mention of a product is a fictional one. Sometimes, the brands will have to be shown. It is impossible to shoot a scene in Times Square without many brands shown in lights. So, the characters should be able to eat in a McDonalds without a high level of scrutiny. The Golden Arches are nearly impossible to avoid, and TV characters should be able to eat there if they want to seem believable.

 

 

Being a Cubs fan

As the warm weather approaches, it is time to begin another baseball season. In many cities across America, there is hope that the hometown team can possibly have a winning season and make a run deep into October. Unfortunately for Chicago Cubs fans, there is not as much optimism, at least for the 2014 season. I am one of those fans. And I will remain a Cubs fan for my entire life, because being a Cubs fans isn’t about championships (Thankfully!), it’s about loyalty and charm.

Even after reading in my Sports Illustrated Baseball preview issue that the Cubs are predicted to lose 100 games this season, I watched on Opening Day hoping to see a win. A 1-0 loss in 10 innings was the outcome, and I had to shake my head. This may be how this season goes. I hear that they have a good farm system in place, and maybe in 2015 or 2016, they could be contenders. Until then, I will still watch and cheer for my team. Because as a Cubs fan, you know, this is a lifetime commitment.

Loyalty runs deep in Chicago’s North side. Fans will still flock to Wrigley Field wearing their favorite jersey expecting to see a win. Add to that, one of the most charming seats in all of baseball. The charm of Wrigley Field has no bounds, and most sports fans agree that there is nothing like a sunny afternoon in the bleachers, holding a beer, and sitting right above the green ivy. Except maybe for a Cardinals fan.

The Cubs will always be my team, and even when I lived in New Jersey for 8 years, I had no problem telling everyone that I will always be a Cubs fan. I’m not going to suddenly start cheering for the stinkin’ Yankees or Mets. We went to see the Cubs whenever they were in Philadelphia, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how many Cubs fans were there. Even when spending the night in a Philly hotel one time after a Phillies/Cubs game, the entire hotel bar was filled with Cubs fans. There was even a good share of cars with Illinois license plates. This shows how well the loyal Cubs fans travel.

I know that this may not be our year, but I will still watch with enthusiasm. I will gripe when there is a bad call, and yell when they give up a homer. Maybe these young Cubs may be the start of something great. But, there is always next year.