Recently, the percentage of teens receiving drivers licenses is dropping drastically. From the year 1983-2011, the percentage of teens with drivers licenses has dropped 21%. But why are they doing this, what is their new form of transportation? It is biking. Many people realize that they can save their money and save the environment by not driving. It has become almost a fad to ride bike literally everywhere, it is considered "hip". According to Upfront Magazines article "The End of America's Car Culture", this has been proved to be an epidemic sweeping the nation.
Back in the early 1900's, the first affordable car was created and manufactured, the Model T by Ford. As time went by, both world wars, new highways were created, boosting the amount of car drivers by a lot. As gas prices began to go up, the need and want for a car had weakened and people finally realized the importance of saving the environment. I find this important because it show how pop culture and opinion has changed. At the end of the second sub-section, a quote is given about a 23 year old who's parents seem to remember the cars all of their friends used to drive, but nowadays teens and young adults don't even know what color their friends car's color is. This really shows the change in car driving and owning a license over the span of time where cars are used.
There is a quote: "The iPhone is the Ford Mustang of today". This means that people choose things like internet over things like cars. Therefore, useful gadgets such as the iPhone are deemed the better things to have. This shows that the way the Mustang is a very nice compared to cars the way that the iPhone is. So the iPhone is as important as a Mustang but an iPhone is better than the average car. The way that people think about important expensive objects is changing, less of a necessity.
Lastly, the car companies are struggling to bring the youth back to car driving. An example of this is that GMC went to MTV to try to help come up with ideas and names for the cars. The names weren't really important, it was how MTV responded. They said that more electric cars and hybrids should be made to interest them. But bike riders respond that they love their bikes and that they wouldn't let them go. Pop culture has really changed.
From this article, you can tell how the average american teen/young adult has changed. You can also tell how close they have become with repairing the world and preserving it. The same people also ride over 30 miles everyday, like as if it is really nothing anymore. This might really be the end of American car culture. Almost like it was a little speck in our existence.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
4 reasons why: Samuel Cohen Eckstein
Backstory:
It all started with my mom and his dads close friendship in law school. Because of this, Sammy and I would hang out very often. Throughout elementary school, we became closer because we both were at the same place at almost all of the day. As I would always walk into his house, I would see this little object by the top of his doorframe by the front door. It is called a mezuzah. I'm jewish and so is he but in elementary school, I didn't know what it was. Then later on, I figured out what they were: it is a piece of torah (jewish bible) that is hung up by a doorframe to remind you that god is one. He was faithful.
As middle school started for me at M.S. 51 and Brooklyn Prospect for him, our friendship was forgotten. We slowly drifted apart to the point that i wouldn't even say hi if i saw hi on the street. Then, the best thing happened. He transferred to M.S. 51 and he was in my homeroom. Suddenly memories came back. We became so close again.
Then, yesterday at 5:16, my dad was driving me and Davide Bianchi up to soccer practice and we saw normal people guiding traffic while they surrounded a limp, lifeless body. I thought it was him but my dad doubted it. The real deciding moment was at practice. Usually his team practices in the field next to mine. He wasn't there. Then later that night when i was coming back from hebrew school with a few friends, I saw cop cars surrounding the bottom of his block, not letting any cars up. People crowded around and watched.
Then the next morning, at 6, my dad had told me the news. At first i felt no emotion, just confusion. but when i got to school, I instantly felt all the bad emotions there are. I was crying and i couldn't stop. The 200 of us out there all felt the pain and as many more people came and we hugged, the bond between my friends and I grew stronger. All morning I stayed in the auditorium and then I went home at lunch with friends and we tried to distract ourselves from the trouble and hate for the world. I still right now at 5:03 pm can take in the fact that he is gone. It's too hard too take in. It happened to fast for me to get used to.
Reason 1: Faithful
Sammy would always touch the mezuzah, payback his friends and help to repair the world. I don't even think he would kill and animal and eat it if it would make his dreams come true, he was a dedicated vegetarian. Sammy would never be unfaithful. He was the perfect role model.
Reason 2: Kindness
I don't think I have ever seen him do anything wrong in his entire lifetime. He's never made fun of anything or disrespected anybody's decisions. He is the ultimate role model and you couldn't find a time he was mean.
Reason 3: Generosity
He always gave friends whatever they needed because of how much he care for them. Also, he was planning on donating half of his bar mitzvah money to charity. He was truly the most generous person I know.
Reason 4: Positivity
Sammy was never sad. He would always do a funny dance whenever he was very excited because of something he did right, and he never didn't believe in himself. He would always encourage me to follow my dreams and live life to the fullest.
Because of this, i hung up 2 more mezuzahs in my house in addition to the one i already have to honor his great life.
R.I.P. Ecky, Shmoo, Smartacus, Sammy, Samuel
It all started with my mom and his dads close friendship in law school. Because of this, Sammy and I would hang out very often. Throughout elementary school, we became closer because we both were at the same place at almost all of the day. As I would always walk into his house, I would see this little object by the top of his doorframe by the front door. It is called a mezuzah. I'm jewish and so is he but in elementary school, I didn't know what it was. Then later on, I figured out what they were: it is a piece of torah (jewish bible) that is hung up by a doorframe to remind you that god is one. He was faithful.
As middle school started for me at M.S. 51 and Brooklyn Prospect for him, our friendship was forgotten. We slowly drifted apart to the point that i wouldn't even say hi if i saw hi on the street. Then, the best thing happened. He transferred to M.S. 51 and he was in my homeroom. Suddenly memories came back. We became so close again.
Then, yesterday at 5:16, my dad was driving me and Davide Bianchi up to soccer practice and we saw normal people guiding traffic while they surrounded a limp, lifeless body. I thought it was him but my dad doubted it. The real deciding moment was at practice. Usually his team practices in the field next to mine. He wasn't there. Then later that night when i was coming back from hebrew school with a few friends, I saw cop cars surrounding the bottom of his block, not letting any cars up. People crowded around and watched.
Then the next morning, at 6, my dad had told me the news. At first i felt no emotion, just confusion. but when i got to school, I instantly felt all the bad emotions there are. I was crying and i couldn't stop. The 200 of us out there all felt the pain and as many more people came and we hugged, the bond between my friends and I grew stronger. All morning I stayed in the auditorium and then I went home at lunch with friends and we tried to distract ourselves from the trouble and hate for the world. I still right now at 5:03 pm can take in the fact that he is gone. It's too hard too take in. It happened to fast for me to get used to.
Reason 1: Faithful
Sammy would always touch the mezuzah, payback his friends and help to repair the world. I don't even think he would kill and animal and eat it if it would make his dreams come true, he was a dedicated vegetarian. Sammy would never be unfaithful. He was the perfect role model.
Reason 2: Kindness
I don't think I have ever seen him do anything wrong in his entire lifetime. He's never made fun of anything or disrespected anybody's decisions. He is the ultimate role model and you couldn't find a time he was mean.
Reason 3: Generosity
He always gave friends whatever they needed because of how much he care for them. Also, he was planning on donating half of his bar mitzvah money to charity. He was truly the most generous person I know.
Reason 4: Positivity
Sammy was never sad. He would always do a funny dance whenever he was very excited because of something he did right, and he never didn't believe in himself. He would always encourage me to follow my dreams and live life to the fullest.
Because of this, i hung up 2 more mezuzahs in my house in addition to the one i already have to honor his great life.
R.I.P. Ecky, Shmoo, Smartacus, Sammy, Samuel
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Tex: post its response
In the book Tex by S.E. Hinton, the main character (Tex) faces many problems. That includes addiction to drugs, loss, and big decisions that require him to do what is considered right. He is treated differently from how he would like to be treated but its how his brother and friends treat him because of his bad habits and tendencies and how every one wants them to stop. Issues in this book are treated the way Tex would treat them, ignoring the big problems and quickly passing over the small ones.
In the beginning, Tex isn't being treated very well by his older brother. His brother lives straight edge while Tex smokes pot and screws around with his friends. One day his brother gets so fed up with Tex's behavior that he beats him up and practically breaks a few of Tex bones because of his terrible behavior while he is high. Tex is quick to forgive but this reoccurs often and causes Tex to feel hostile around his brother. Tex faced his problems but tried his hardest to ignore it so he wouldn't have to face it again.
Later in the book, Tex gets caught with a hitchhiker who threatens him with a gun and forces Tex to drive him over the state border. Of course once the hitchhiker is caught, Tex grows popular, but he is a target, he doesn't let the popularity get to him. He tries to keep himself as safe as possible because he truly knows what trouble he has gotten into. He faces his problems of this size by trying to stay far away from them.
In the end, Tex is put on gun point, he is about to be shot when he fights back, and even when he is shot, his conscience speaks to him and tells him to keep on fighting and he does by disarming the shooter. This makes him very brave for fighting his problems finally in the end of the book. He has finally changed.
Tex finds different ways to face his problems but it is only until the very end that he can successfully do it and satisfy himself, his brother, his best friend, and his father. He just had to realize that working hard will cause good luck.
In the beginning, Tex isn't being treated very well by his older brother. His brother lives straight edge while Tex smokes pot and screws around with his friends. One day his brother gets so fed up with Tex's behavior that he beats him up and practically breaks a few of Tex bones because of his terrible behavior while he is high. Tex is quick to forgive but this reoccurs often and causes Tex to feel hostile around his brother. Tex faced his problems but tried his hardest to ignore it so he wouldn't have to face it again.
Later in the book, Tex gets caught with a hitchhiker who threatens him with a gun and forces Tex to drive him over the state border. Of course once the hitchhiker is caught, Tex grows popular, but he is a target, he doesn't let the popularity get to him. He tries to keep himself as safe as possible because he truly knows what trouble he has gotten into. He faces his problems of this size by trying to stay far away from them.
In the end, Tex is put on gun point, he is about to be shot when he fights back, and even when he is shot, his conscience speaks to him and tells him to keep on fighting and he does by disarming the shooter. This makes him very brave for fighting his problems finally in the end of the book. He has finally changed.
Tex finds different ways to face his problems but it is only until the very end that he can successfully do it and satisfy himself, his brother, his best friend, and his father. He just had to realize that working hard will cause good luck.
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