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Income inequality in the united states the causes and effects
Materialism in today's society
Income inequality in the united states the causes and effects
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My first evening in New York City is one that I shall never forget. It was one of the most thrilling, memorable and horrifying experiences I have ever had. When I arrived in New York I was filled with enthusiasm and ready to explore the city that never sleeps. I conveyed this excitement to my Hotel Concierge, who advised me to visit Times Square. I began to walk from my hotel, which was located near Central Park to Times Square. As I drew closer, the sounds of the horse chariots were replaced with the buzzing sound of over 350,000 people who come to visit Times Square everyday (advertised in Time Square). I found myself emerged in the crowd of people and surrounded by larger-than-life television screens that display over 1.5 million advertisements daily (True Tales of Times Square). These advertisements were in bright colors and had famous actors and TV celebrities who promoted various cosmetic, clothing and food industry products.
This chaos was coupled with the voice of a man screaming “One time offer only, 50 percent off on all items” from inside the store. I instantly whipped out my wallet and bought a few clothing items, that would soon join an already overflowing closet. Other than the bright lights and sale offers, I also saw people sitting by the streets to have portraits of themselves painted, others were busy getting pictures clicked with actors dressed in Spiderman, Hulk and Statue of Liberty costumes.
After two hours in Times Square, I began my walk back to my hotel room during which a shocking realization hit me. I realized that while watching the thousands of visitors in Times Square, I missed noticing the homeless panhandlers that sit on the sidewalk asking for “a penny to spare”. I began to reflect on divers...
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Today's world is filled with both great tragedy and abundant joy. In a densely populated metropolis like New York City, on a quick walk down a street you encounter homeless people walking among the most prosperous. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten the prosperous person will trudge straight past the one in need without a second thought. A serious problem arises when this happens continually. The problem worsens when you enter a different neighborhood and the well-to-do are far from sight. Many neighborhoods are inhabited only by the most hopeless of poverty - ridden people while others downtown or across the park do not care, or are glad to be separated from them. Such is the problem in New York City today and in Mott Haven in Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace. I have lived in New York City all my life and I had no idea that these problems were going on so close to home. If I live about three miles away from Mott Haven and I am not aware of the situation there, then who is?
of “the dizzying hustle of Eighth Avenue” or the Empire State Building (4). We can
In 2013, just shy of my 17th birthday, I planned a day trip with two of my friends to see The Phantom of the Opera in New York. At this point in my life, I was entirely unaccustomed to large cities, such as New York City, and felt excited to experience the bustle I expected. While in the city, a woman informed me about methods to avoid the crime so intertwined with life in the city and introduced me to the concept that, just as New York City held many attractions for tourists, it also held some dangers as well. This idea takes pride of place in Edward Jones’ short story, “Young Lions” and its discussion of Caesar Matthews. As I learned a few years ago, the city truly contains amazement for those experiencing it, but, like all things in life,
Ellis, Edward Robb., and Jeanyee Wong. The Epic of New York City. New York, NY: Carroll & Graf, 2005. Print.
Of all the strange beasts that have come slouching into the 20th century, none has been more misunderstood, more criticized, and more important than materialism. Who but fools, toadies, hacks, and occasional loopy libertarians have ever risen to its defense? Yet the fact remains that while materialism may be the most shallow of the 20th century's various -isms, it has been the one that has ultimately triumphed. The world of commodities appears so antithetical to the world of ideas that it seems almost heresy to point out the obvious: most of the world most of the time spends most of its energy producing and consuming more and more stuff. The really interesting question may be not why we are so materialistic, but why we are so unwilling to acknowledge
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New York City is one of the most significant city in the world. It started out as a small Dutch city and grew to what it has become today. It didn’t “just happen” right away but instead, it took a long time to be called as “The Big Apple” or “The City that Never Sleeps.” The character of the place has gradually changed over time and really came to become a global power city during the early twentieth century. For example, 1783 to 1835 was also an important time period in the history of New York City that laid a strong foundation to become an industrialized city. However, considering the developments that happened from 1898 to 1945 to be more organized and effective, the most iconic and quintessential period was from 1898 to 1945 in the history of New York, which we haven’t reached it in our course so far.
OhioLink.com - a. Cincinnati. The. 13 Nov. 2008 http://ebooks.ohiolink.edu.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/xtf-ebc/view?docid=tei/abc/urban/urban.xml&chunk.id=urban.499&toc.depth=1&toc.id=urban.494&brand=default&query=manhattan#>. Your City, Your News." NY 1.
Sullivan, Deborah A. "Tightening the Bonds of Beauty." Cosmetic Surgery: The Cutting Edge of Commercial Medicine in America. N.p.: Rutgers UP, 2001. N. pag. Print.
Similarly, many of the goals and desires that the American Dream holds are not always what they seem to be. On the surface, they may seem to be what everyone wants, however below is the real truth about these desires and their consequen...
Parker, Kim. "Yes, the Rich Are Different." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. N.p., 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. .
When you associate anything with New York City it is usually the extraordinary buildings that pierce the sky or the congested sidewalks with people desperate to shop in the famous stores in which celebrities dwell. Even with my short visit there I found myself lost within the Big Apple. The voices of the never-ending attractions call out and envelop you in their awe. The streets are filled with an atmosphere that is like a young child on a shopping spree in a candy store. Although your feet swelter from the continuous walking, you find yourself pressing on with the yearning to discover the 'New York Experience'.
Without a doubt, Times Square in New York City is a unique experience, but the image created by TV and movies does not show the gloominess that accompanies the euphoria of being in the Big Apple. The atmosphere is so exhilarating and exciting, you don’t even know what to do for a few minutes, but it is tinged with the bitter reality that sadness and melancholy also trail closely behind the positive. With most, if not all, of your senses being stimulated – sometimes all at once – Times Square creates a memory that will surely be cherished, and haunt you for the rest of your life.