Shifting from a Culture of Excess to a Culture of Access

Shifting from a Culture of Excess to a Culture of Access There is a  Tosh.0 episode in which a faux-outraged Daniel Tosh decides to burn thousands of books during a mock protest. He takes to the streets, gasoline and matches in hand, and, in the skits anti-climactic zenith, he sets his Kindle aflame. Sure, it was silly gesture, but apropos in the context of todays techno-cultural landscape. There was a time, not long ago, when if we wanted immediate access to a large number of movies, we had to own hundreds of DVDs. If we wanted the ability to listen to a particular song on cue, our shelves needed to overflow with compact discs. And if we wanted to look smart, we needed a home library teeming with the oeuvres of all the most notable names in literature. Today, of course, we neednt own a single DVD or CD or print book to have access to essentially unlimited options. With the click of a button, we can view any movie ever made, listen to any song ever produced, or read any page thats ever been printed. Thats not to say that theres anything inherently wrong with the physical artifacts themselves. Its just that, like the record albums of yesteryear, we are able to own less in the deliberate pursuit of experiencing more. Much like a hipsters impressive vinyl collection, a well-curated bookshelf holds significantly more meaning than, say, clinging to a random collection of paperbacks just in case we might read them someday in some nonexistent future. The same can be said for DVDs and CDs and whats next? (Lets not even mention all those forgotten VHS and cassette tapes collecting dust in the basement.) These relics (movies, music, books) are just the beginning. Imagine all the possibilities we will unveil as we shift from a culture of ownershipâ€"a culture obsessed with personally owning every object we can get our hands onâ€"to a culture of access, in which every citizen has unlimited access to virtually everything virtually. You see, most of us never owned  private basketball courts, bowling alleys, or swimming pools as children. And yet we had access to these activities  by way of  our local communities (YMCA, public schools, parks). And now in todays culture,  access trumps ownership more than ever. With the rapid expansion of our sharing economy (Uber, Airbnb, Freecycle) were living in a world thats completely different from our Industrial Age predecessors. This is great news. But it doesnt mean that we must  eschew personal ownership. In fact, the opposite is true: with access to the non-physical world at our fingertips, the material things we own become more intentional, more deliberate, more meaningful. Its a  beautiful paradox. Technology has made this possible. No longer must we hoard. Rather, with fewer physical possessions but greater access to the things that matter most, we can worry less about consuming, more about  creating  and experiencing. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.

Study of Indian Human Development Index and - 873 Words

Study of Indian Human Development Index and Comparative Analysis of HDI of Indian States GURU PRASAD NIKKU 1226111217 Summary: Detailed analysis of HDI calculation and components involved in the calculation of HDI are presented in the report. The HDI of India at present and its development through several years is also discussed with necessary tables and graphs. India’s HDI in comparison to other countries is also presented. The HDI ranking for different Indian states is presented and a comparative analysis of the HDI of different states is done. The effect of good governance on HDI is also presented for different states of India. Introduction HDI: The Human†¦show more content†¦Fig: HDI and its dimensions: Indian states. Fig: Key indicators: States and All-India. REF: D Good governance and human development Fig:Charecteristics of good governance. Fig : Impacts of Good Governance on HDI. From the above table it is evident that there is a correlation of 97% brtween good governance and Human Development Index. Fig: The effect of goodgovernace on HDI of States. REF: A Conclusion: Though india is achieving good economic growth in recent years it is not able to perform well in HDI and it is even lagging behind many of the countries which are far behind India in respective of their economic development. This is due to the high inequalities in the state governmennts plans and schemes.as we have observed good governance leads to an improved HDI,Indian government must has to implement certain policies to enhance its HDI ranking. Measures must be taken immediately as india in next few decades is going to have a hude demographic dividend and if the government fails to provide basic things like education and health then their will be no economic development and the demographic dividend will turn into demographic liabilty. References: A : Good governance and human development: Evidence form Indian States. Journal of Social and Development Science Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 1-8, Feb 2011. B: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi/ C: Human Development Report 2011(Explanatory note on 2011 HDRShow MoreRelatedHuman Development,Family and Society Essay1650 Words   |  7 PagesHUMAN DEVELOPMENT, FAMILY AND SOCIETY Author: S.Aswathi – I MBA SSM School of Management, Komarapalayam. Co-Author: A.Pravinth – I MBA SSM School of Management, Komarapalayam. ABSTRACT This paper gives an overview of Human development, family and society from three angles via., biology, psychology and humanity. In biological terms, this entails growth from a one-celled zygote to an adult human being. 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Comparing the Tragic Hero in Things Fall Apart and Heart...

The Tragic Hero in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness A tragic hero could be considered a noble person with a fatal flaw or an opponent of society who is willing to take action that sensible people might applaud but never perform themselves. In Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conradss Heart of Darkness, two characters, Okonkwo and Kurtz, have some qualities which could categorize them as tragic heroes. However, only the readers interpretation of the characters actions will determine if they are tragic heroes or not. In his Ibo society, Okonkwo would certainly be considered a noble person. Not only has he worked his way up from poverty to become one of the leading men of Umuofia, but he has†¦show more content†¦But he was not the man to go about telling his neighbors that he was in error, (Achebe 31). Okonkwo has too much pride to admit to his mistake, which only reveals his insecurity. One of the most horrendous acts in the book Okonkwo committed re- sulted from his fear. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak, (Achebe 61). Ikemefuna, a boy who had become like a son to Okonkwo, was sentenced to be killed. Since Okonkwo did not want the other tribesmen to think he was weak and incapable of action, he killed the boy. Perhaps Okonkwos greatest sign of weakness occurs at his death. After killing a white messenger, he commits suicide. Now, people who commit sui- cide usually cannot cope with their world; they are too weak to handle their prob- lems. When Okonkwo killed himself, he had accepted his weakness as a flaw and punished himself. Before Okonkwo hanged himself, he voiced his disgust against the white people. He often talked of physically disbanding the white men from Umuofia. Many of the older and traditional folk of the clan agreed with him, while others joined the whites. When a town meeting was summoned to determine what to do with the white men, Okonkwo stated, I shall fight alone if I choose, (Achebe 201). If no- body would join him, Okonkwo would try to act so others might follow. Right after he killed the whiteShow MoreRelatedComparing The Novel Lord Of The Flies And Heart Of Darkness2292 Words   |  10 PagesTopic: Comparing behavior of two main characters from two different books Introduction There are both similarities and differences between the protagonists of the Novels Lord of the Flies† (Golding) and â€Å"Heart of Darkness† (Conrad). In each case we have the supposedly civilized individual(s) degenerating into savagery. As well, other characters are involved and highly influenced by the protagonist(s). 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The Barbie Birthday By Alison Townsend And Let Women Fight...

The two essays, The Barbie Birthday by Alison Townsend and Let Women Fight by Megan H. Mackenzie, talk about women and girls in today’s world. Both essays focus on the depiction of females, but at different points in their life. The Barbie Birthday talks about the author as a little girl and her excitement of receiving a Barbie from her future stepmother. The story is vague, which help account for the several prompts questioning the piece. The other essay, Let Women Fight, speaks of the restrictions placed on women serving in the U.S. Military. The piece is quite longer than The Barbie Birthday, but it still allows for the prompts to be answered. These prompts focus on what the essay has left out, which claims have no evidence, and what†¦show more content†¦She includes quotes from men and senators, but as an article that is meant to allocate women the right to fight, military women should have been referred to much more. While it is important to have the facts she li sted, actual, multiple first-hand experiences would have made the article stronger. In addition, the author leaves out the opinion of men currently in the military. As changing of the combat regulation will affect men as well, more military men should have been quoted. While the piece does a good job of getting across the point, a few extra sentences would have done a lot. Equally important to leaving information out, the essays sometimes put forward claims with no evidence. The story The Barbie Birthday has several of these instances. At one point the author mentions, â€Å"All Barbie had to do was glance back once and I followed, casting my lot with every girl on every block of America, signing on for life† (Townsend 265). While it may have only been a hyperbole, stating that every girl in America was obsessed with Barbie has no evidence and is clearly untrue. Also, the author also mentions how the Barbie lead her back into the world (Townsend 265). Alison Townsend failed to tell the readers how a lifeless doll had this impact and what she actually meant by that statement. Let Women Fight is also guilty of stating claims without evidence. At one point the author says, â€Å"To put it bluntly, there are physically fit, tough

Critical Appreciation Essay Example For Students

Critical Appreciation Essay The Explosion by Philip Larkin and Six Young Men by Ted Hughes Compare and contrast the evolution of the poets’ feelings in these poems, looking carefully at the language and poetic effects which communicate most effectively. The poems â€Å"The Explosion† by Philip Larkin and â€Å"Six Young Men† by Ted Hughes are both about death. Philip Larkin’s poem is about a mining explosion which occurred in 1969, and Ted Hughes deals with men killed during the Great War. We could as well say that â€Å"Six Young Men† is about war because the poet exposes the horrors of war in the way that the men died. Firstly, both poems also have a relevant title. Philip Larkin informs us immediately of the tragedy by giving â€Å"The Explosion† as a title to his poem and as well as by repeating it in the first line. Ted Hughes chose to adapt the title to the language of his poem, by using three monosyllabic words : â€Å"Six Young Men†. Secondly, as said previously, both of these poems have a main theme in common : death. However, they express it through completely opposite techniques. Indeed, â€Å"The Explosion† hasn’t any rhyming pattern and, as rhyme is usually used to show a flow of events or words, it can be seen as if the explosion actually interrupts this flow. On the contrary, â€Å"Six Young Men† is composed of rhymes and this brings structure and symmetry to the poem. The language in â€Å"The Explosion† is casual and conversational, whereas â€Å"Six Young Men† is rather based on rhythm, with its numerous monosyllabic and simple words. They are both regularly structured ; Ted Hughes wrote five stanzas all composed of nine verses, and Philip Larkin wrote eight stanzas each of them composed of three verses, except that he added a concluding line, by the way very significant : the fact that this last line is isolated highlights the positive image of â€Å"the eggs unbroken†, which emphasises the optimistic tone of the end. It offers hope, optimism for the future, and proves that life goes on. This last statement is actually the opposite of what Ted Hughes tells the reader through his poem. Indeed, its key object, the photograph, is a reminder of those who have died and that all of us will also die ; there isn’t any escape from that â€Å"horror†. The smiling from a photograph is the fearful image of what will be left of us. So this photograph is central to the poem because it generates the thoughts and feelings expressed. â€Å"The Explosion† is divided into two. The first five stanzas –which, by the way, are the only ones to end up with a full stop- talk about what happened, and the rest of the poem deals with what is currently happening. Ted Hughes chose to end each of his stanzas by a shocking and abrupt statement ; these lines always remind the fact, the reality : â€Å"Six months after this picture they were all dead.†, â€Å"Closer than their hope; all were killed.† are two of them. Another similarity between the poems is the reference to nature. In â€Å"The Explosion† there are the â€Å"lark’s eggs† or the sun dimmed as in a heat-haze for example, and in â€Å"Six Young Men† there is especially a contrast between human life and nature, with â€Å"that valley has not changed its sound†. This contrast emphasises the brevity of human life compared with the landscape. It also shows that the length of human life has no impact on nature. To conclude, these poems have a few similarities such as their relevant title, their main theme death, their regular structure and the imagery of nature, but also a striking difference, which is the message the poet communicates to the reader. Indeed, Philip Larkin’s message, through this elegy, is much more positive and gives hope for life, while Ted Hughes clearly states that we will all die and that there isn’t any escape from death.

Immortal Gods Essays - Greek Mythology, Discworld Gods,

Immortal Gods By Joshua Vukelich. In the immoral world of Ovid's The Metamorphoses the gods stand out like the characters of a western dime novel. A hero, usually is dressed with their purple robes held together with golden straps, that classifies them as the royal or hierarchical gods. On the other hand, you have the villain, who dresses in dark colored clothing. Also, the villain can appear dressed in white with purple clothing which exemplifies the royalty of their underworld. The gods meet each other on a day to day basis discussing the future of someone other than themselves in their muggy saloon of Olympus. Olympus to the gods is the pulse and heart beat of their world. At this saloon in Olympus the usual takes place, the gambling of moral souls, while speculating the beautiful female that they will posses that evening, and so on. Also, you have the local disputes between the commonly known of the gods over disputes of pride, or of land an possessions, which usually ends up in a speculative fighting event of curses and destruction. Some analogies may be disputed as to how and where they derived? I will try to place them as best as possible into the spotlight of the western period. Before I begin I like to bring out a formula that will disrupt my defense, which by the end I would like to modify and re-state is as an "what if the gods lived in the western period with their mythological power?" The Western formula, which tends to portray the frontier as the "meeting point between civilization and savagery," because the clash of civilization ("law and order") with savagery, whether represented by Indians or lawless outlaws, generates dramatic excitement and striking antithesis without raising basic questions about society or about life in general. In the perspective of moral and immoral beings that Ovid presents in a mythological poetic voice translates well in an analytical western perspective. The image that comes to mind when placing the immoral gods of Olympus in a western setting is as difficult but humorous. First, is the gods, that is where do you place them, and in what category? We need to distinguish from the hero to the villain, while justifying the accurate setting for their events. Second, we need to identify how we are going to place the gods the western setting. Since they all appear to constantly meet and challenge each other the proper placement would be a dirty saloon in a the famous city of Olympus. This saloon will represent Olympus, where the travelers and locals will converse, gamble with the lives of the mortals, and speculate the dancing show girls of immortal goddess. However, in the immortal saloon of gods the education and strategies of fighting will differ from that of the western formula. The gods are no uneducated savages nor villains of low IQ. No, our gods are like top level executives or politicians running our country to their best. The gods will fight out their battle with superior levels of sophisticated planning. Through their battles instead of the help of dragons, curses, swords, shield, and other earth related objects that will assist them in battle, a six-piece shooter can be supplemented. The doors of the saloon stand as a symbol, a gateway between the immortal and mortal world. This door is the fuel of conflicts where the furies and quarrels will meet on a daily basis. What would be the purpose of the west or the gods if they lived one day without some form of destruction or curse? Through the same doors the servants will bring them their daily sacrifices and festive meals that fuel their next move. Mortals feared the gods so therefore, sacrifices where necessary in pleasing the mighty and strong. Sacrifices of animals kept the gods content, as like it did for the local real estate tycoon, collecting royalties for being who he was, and the fear he instilled into the ranchers souls of losing their possessions and dignity. It is almost as if the mythology and western scenes portrayed themselves in a similar fashion of settings, except with and upgrade. You could describe the difference as in a traveler who needed a room, and two hotels where in the same vicinity and at the same price. However, one was the Hilton and the other was a Motel Six, they are both hotels, except one is of a finer upgraded class and quality of service, which means that the level of living would be

America And Romes Struggles essays

America And Rome's Struggles essays Compare the early Roman struggle for independence to that of colonial Americas. What similarities do you see in the Roman and colonist outlook on their future government? There are many similarities between America and Romes attempts at independence. First, a higher party oppressed both. For the Romans, it was the Etruscans, while it was the British for the colonists. Both also shape how Romans and Americans lived their lives. In the sixth century B.C., the Etruscans moved south across the Tiber River and conquered Rome. They set up a monarchy that lasted for more than a hundred years. The Etruscans had an enormous political, cultural, and social effect on early Roman culture. The Etruscans adopted many of their ideas from the Greeks, including the Phoenician alphabet, and incorporated many of the Olympian Gods into their religion. The Etruscans also taught the Romans how to the arch in the building and also how to set up forums. In 509 B.C., the Romans overthrew the Etruscan monarchy and developed a republic. In a republic, the citizens elected the representatives to run the government. The American Revolution (1775-1783) was the conflict between the 13 American Colonies and Great Britain. The first war between the two, the Revolutionary War, resulted in America gaining independence from its mother country, Britain. Then in 1787, the Constitution was laid out by the American government. This led to the formation of the representative democracy that is still used by our government today. The similarities between the two are fairly clear. Both Rome and the Colonies felt that they were being held down for too long under a monarchy and that they did not receive enough rights. They eventually gained enough support to lead a revolution against its oppressor. Once the English and Etruscans were defeated, the people set up governments that gave the average citizen a say in politic ...