Monday, October 22, 2007
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Lions 'close to extinction'
BBC NEWS Science/Nature Lions 'close to extinction': "The wild dog population has fallen to between 3,500 and 5,000 and there are now fewer than 15,000 cheetahs. 'People know about elephants, gorillas and rhinos, but they seem blissfully unaware that these large carnivores are nearing the brink,' he says. Dr Frank blamed the decline in predator numbers on people killing them to protect livestock. 'People have always killed predators,' he says. 'But there's only so much damage you can do with spears and shields.' 'Now everyone has got rifles and poisons.' The wild dog population has fallen to between 3,500 and 5,000 and there are now fewer than 15,000 cheetahs. 'People know about elephants, gorillas and rhinos, but they seem blissfully unaware that these large carnivores are nearing the brink,' he says. Dr Frank blamed the decline in predator numbers on people killing them to protect livestock. 'People have always killed predators,' he says. 'But there's only so much damage you can do with spears and shields.' 'Now everyone has got rifles and poisons.' "
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Equal Time For The Underdog!
Initial Post:
The only reference point that we as individuals have in our worldview is the one they are brought up with when we were young.
I state this possibly subtle, or maybe obvious idea here because it is worthwhile to try to understand another person's pespective.
For example: There is no doubt in my mind that the influence of television on the way we view our world has a profound effect which often may not be of the highest value.
The other day I attended a local event to celebrate a couples pending wedding (I know there is a better word for an orthodox wedding, but I just do not know how to spell it). I was having a conversation with a fellow Bal Tshuva (some one who became frum- or orthodox jewish at some point other than when they were born). A person had mentioned that they were from Chicago. I told him that "every time I hear the word Chicago, the association in my brain is "Chicago Illinois 60609.
" Why is that" you may ask , the simple answer is because that phrase was drilled into my head along with the voice that announced it, as I sat in front my television set during my early formative years. I believe the television show was "Lets Make A Deal" and Monty Hall was the MC. Every time some of the fantastic prizes were shown, a model stood in front of the prize, and the man who was doing the voice over, it may have been Bill Pardo, would say something to the effect that this prize could be purchased via the Spiegal Catalogue, and that company was located in Chicago Illinois, 60609.
I can imagine the thoughts of one of my blog readers who perhaps never even heard of this television show, thinking, hmmm all those words just to make the one isignificant point! We'll okay maybe but is that truly so insignificant. Think of it every time I hear the word Chicago, the little of Chicago Illinois 60609, goes through my head.
I enjoy a good laugh as much as the next guy, but think about it, there exists in our brains these dialogues, associations, and primary reference points to what might be thought simply as useless information running through our brains.
The question I asked of someone at that party, was if he had the read the book Brave New World, by Alduous Huxley. Every time one of the main characters came across an associated word, even while in conversation, say toothpaste for example, he would have the little ditty- the commercial, go through his head along with it's associated delivery method for it, hypnopaedia 12,800 repetitions. The character in the classic novel I believe his name was Bernard, happened to work in the division that was responsible for the "brain washing...or mind control of the various classes of people were not even born, but were decanted in a lab.
It was as if A.Huxley, had a crystal ball, and see clearly into today's society. For example have you noticed that items in you e-mail sometimes get highlighter, for no apparent reason.
How many such associations are we carrying around in our brains today. One can easily see that there are very sound reasons for not allowing children unlimited access to television. In fact as shocking as this may sound to a secular reader, in many orthodox fomes, there is no television at all.
So you can see for my small example, that the long term influence of telivision particularly on children, can have long lasting and possibly negative effects. If we consider how much we expect children to learn over their childhood, why we we want them having their memories and thought formed around concepts put forward in telivision commercials.
(to be continued)
Readers (if there are any) please feel free to include your comments...
AM
The only reference point that we as individuals have in our worldview is the one they are brought up with when we were young.
I state this possibly subtle, or maybe obvious idea here because it is worthwhile to try to understand another person's pespective.
For example: There is no doubt in my mind that the influence of television on the way we view our world has a profound effect which often may not be of the highest value.
The other day I attended a local event to celebrate a couples pending wedding (I know there is a better word for an orthodox wedding, but I just do not know how to spell it). I was having a conversation with a fellow Bal Tshuva (some one who became frum- or orthodox jewish at some point other than when they were born). A person had mentioned that they were from Chicago. I told him that "every time I hear the word Chicago, the association in my brain is "Chicago Illinois 60609.
" Why is that" you may ask , the simple answer is because that phrase was drilled into my head along with the voice that announced it, as I sat in front my television set during my early formative years. I believe the television show was "Lets Make A Deal" and Monty Hall was the MC. Every time some of the fantastic prizes were shown, a model stood in front of the prize, and the man who was doing the voice over, it may have been Bill Pardo, would say something to the effect that this prize could be purchased via the Spiegal Catalogue, and that company was located in Chicago Illinois, 60609.
I can imagine the thoughts of one of my blog readers who perhaps never even heard of this television show, thinking, hmmm all those words just to make the one isignificant point! We'll okay maybe but is that truly so insignificant. Think of it every time I hear the word Chicago, the little of Chicago Illinois 60609, goes through my head.
I enjoy a good laugh as much as the next guy, but think about it, there exists in our brains these dialogues, associations, and primary reference points to what might be thought simply as useless information running through our brains.
The question I asked of someone at that party, was if he had the read the book Brave New World, by Alduous Huxley. Every time one of the main characters came across an associated word, even while in conversation, say toothpaste for example, he would have the little ditty- the commercial, go through his head along with it's associated delivery method for it, hypnopaedia 12,800 repetitions. The character in the classic novel I believe his name was Bernard, happened to work in the division that was responsible for the "brain washing...or mind control of the various classes of people were not even born, but were decanted in a lab.
It was as if A.Huxley, had a crystal ball, and see clearly into today's society. For example have you noticed that items in you e-mail sometimes get highlighter, for no apparent reason.
How many such associations are we carrying around in our brains today. One can easily see that there are very sound reasons for not allowing children unlimited access to television. In fact as shocking as this may sound to a secular reader, in many orthodox fomes, there is no television at all.
So you can see for my small example, that the long term influence of telivision particularly on children, can have long lasting and possibly negative effects. If we consider how much we expect children to learn over their childhood, why we we want them having their memories and thought formed around concepts put forward in telivision commercials.
(to be continued)
Readers (if there are any) please feel free to include your comments...
AM
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