R.I.P.

Here's one to get you started. A lot of early American authors wrote about the changes they saw happening in the new republic, the growing pains associated with the building of a nation. Irving is famous for this. Both "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Devil and Tom Walker" reflect a concern over the general direction of the country. It seems like Irving was worried that some quality of life was slowly diminishing. I'm wondering how applicable that is to our society today. RVW seems to show that as society moves ahead quickly, some human quality is left behind -- and some might argue that this is the general pattern of modernity. Every advancement is accompanied by some kind of loss, and what's lost usually involves a quality of life issue. If we look at this in a modern context, we might consider any one of a number of technological advancements that have "improved" society. Take, for instance, cell phones. Most would agree that they have improved certain aspects of daily living in a very noticeable way. But at what price? What is lost? Do you feel like the advantages of cell phones (or any other technological advancement... television, computers, internet) outweigh any collateral damage they might do? Feel free to rant and rave, shoot from the hip, tell stories, speculate wildly, or otherwise sort out your thoughts in writing.

test for period 7

hellooooo out there.