The First Technology

Peter F. Drucker poses the question, "[d]oes the story of the irrigation civilization show man to be determined by his technical achievements, in thrall to them, coerced by them? Or does it show him capable of using technology to his own, to human ends, and of being the master of the tools of his own devising", in his writing in Technology and Culture. In today’s astonishing world of new technological advancement the cell phone has become a device that roughly 8 out of 10 people own in the U.S. today. In this case I believe that technological advances with cell phones aid greatly not only in the aspect of rapid communication, but also with the possibly ability to use the internet wherever you may be. This opens a wide window of possible knowledge to those who own cell phones that have the ability to connect to the Internet.
With new innovations to the cell phones we use on a daily basis, it is hard to keep up in a world of such technological intelligence. When you buy a phone for instance in January lets say, and use the phone for a year, you will most likely be surprised to find that your next cell phone will be extraordinarily better than the last. The innovations that are made to the cell phone each year make browsing the web faster, phone calls clearer and signal connection stronger. Society as a whole benefits from this device because of the ability of staying connected.
As we enter the second decade of the new millennium we are trapped in the idea of never ending innovations to technological devices, some of which benefit society and some that could potentially harm the World and existence of man. Cell phones are becoming more and more like a pocket computer each year. So to put it into perspective think of all the things that a computer allows us to do today, and then take into account all of those possibilities and put them into the palm of your hand and you will have the cell phones of tomorrow. The concept is exciting but if this advanced technology falls into the wrong hands it could potentially prove to be disastrous for the entire world, which is something that needs to be taken into account.

Favorite American Vacation Destinations

The American Leisure website has two videos that captured my interest. The one that I found most interesting was the Yale vs. Princeton football game where there were 50,000 people attending. The style of play displayed in the video seems abnormal compared to the more organized style of play today where a variety of different formations are used. In this aged video from the early 1900’s shows the football teams playing in a similar style as the sport of rugby. Which is in fact how the sport of football originated in 1879 with similar rules and regulations instituted by a man named Walter Camp, known as “the father of American football”, who was both a respectable player and coach at Yale University.
The second video that was of interest to me was titled “The Ball Game”, where two teams seemed to be scrimmaging but the video footage is not clear or specific because of old age. However the sport of baseball has not changed much and has remained part of “America’s Pastime” for centuries.
The tourists in the Disneyland video are venturing through the park exploring the different lands that create this “dreamland” in its entirety. They are busy fulfilling their exciting experiences while being entertained by the different musician groups parading up and down the streets.
I have only been to Disneyland a couple of times with my cousins who live in Southern California, and to them, it is just another walk in an entertaining festive park. To my cousins, this entire thrilling atmosphere is mundane. But to the new traveler who is an amateur to this paradise, such as my brother and I, every sight around every corner offers a new adventure.
Main Street in Disneyland is the entrance into this world where excitement and fun fill the mind and where the feeling of “being a kid again” is something everyone can feel as they venture down this historical route.
The history of Main Street at Disneyland is more than just a gateway to the world-renowned adventure land in Southern California. It holds the title as “The Happiest Place on Earth” and with all the people that come to visit for this reason in search of a leisurely family vacation, the reputation of Disneyland and every part about it, including Main Street, respectfully grows amongst the public.

Why We Travel

Many people travel for different reasons. Personal joyful travel, or travel for business, whatever the reason for travel, our experiences along the way can strengthen who we are as individuals, how we perceive ourselves and how we want others to perceive us. I travel in order to experience the world and different cultures. I find joy and excitement in this and love learning of new places and cultures, one of the most enjoyable things for me is trying to break the cultural barrier and communicate with some of the locals wherever I may be traveling. I do not feel shy while doing this because of my ambition for learning about the world around me and how my culture differentiates with the other cultures. My mother has had the opportunity to travel the Mediterranean and I have questioned her about her adventures. One of the places she said was most appealing to her in Italy was the Vatican, more specifically the Sistine Chapel. She said the artwork was phenomenal and the locals were open to discussion about where the “best place for a home cooked Italian meal” was and where the best wines could be tasted. This strengthens my desire to one day travel to Italy and experience all of this for myself so I can one day make my own interpretations of such a trip and inspire someone else to travel.
While traveling I have seen many amazing and astounding things that have had me at a loss for words. I can recall a trip with my family to Yosemite National Park where it was early dawn and I was awoken by a loud grumbling and a crash coming from a campsite that was approximately one city block away. As I emerged from my tent I could see my friends and family staring a monstrous bear tipping a dumpster over in order to get to her bear cub that was too small to get out by itself. I had never seen a bear in person before. This excitement captured my ardor for camping and fulfilled my camping trip experience.
In Pico Ayer’s article explaining his beliefs on “Why We Travel”, he states “Travel is the best way we have of rescuing the humanity of places, and saving them from abstraction and ideology”, which is not particularly true for myself. When I travel somewhere I do try to communicate with others and enjoy the different cultures however “saving them from abstraction and ideology” is something I do not stray into. For this could cause potential conflict if I try to inflict my westernized ways of living upon a different culture. Because of this, I would only share the array of different hobbies and possibly add in a few fixed intervals of business into the conversation.
I do consider anonymity to be an important part of the entire traveling experience because without it, personal encounters would not be as exciting. When I am traveling I do in fact imagine the place in my mind to the fullest extent. For example, when I go camping in a new location I imagine everything in detail. From what the lake will look like as the warm sun shines on the undulated murky water, to the granite mountains surrounding the lake announcing their decorum of beauty of the entirety of the place. Upon arrival I think of how my campsite will appear to me as well as how I would like it to be. As I drive through whatever environment I am venturing into I feel like a voyager who is merely out on a quest in search of relaxation. Once I arrive to the campsite, to my dismay it is not how I appeared it to be. However being and optimist and one who is open to newfangled ideas, I accept this newly found vacationland and rather than suffering from a slight case of neurosis from the entangled vision I once had of this place I on my quest in search of relaxing satisfaction.