Category: DudeInTheBack

Visual Rewrite- DudeInTheBack

https://youtu.be/VGEDdPxzv68

Second: 00:01

This video begins with a middle aged woman climbing up what I assume to be a mountain full of tobacco. It is brown, and detailed with lumps of tobacco all over. This could be a visual metaphor for overcoming tobacco use, since she is on her way to the top of the mountain of tobacco. Since this is an Ad for lung cancer screenings, and tobacco is usually associated with lung cancer, the metaphor could also mean that getting a lung cancer screening is the first step to overcoming tobacco use. The shot is very far out and It definitely was not shot on an actual mound of tobacco. It looks photo shopped,  and almost cartoonish.

At first glimpse, to start out a video with a woman climbing up a mountain makes me want to keep watching the video to see why she is doing it, or what she is doing. The Photoshop job looks very fake, and you can tell that it is not real. The shot kind of gives a cartoonish look, since she is oddly proportioned on the mountain. You would think she would be much smaller, since the shot of the mountains so far back. The mountain looks huge.

00:02

The video only shows the woman taking two steps on the mountain as she reaches to the top. What they failed to include was how she got on this mountain. Oddly placing her about 78% up the mountain. The viewer can assume that she climbed up the mountain base before the camera started rolling, rather than her randomly falling onto the top, or jumping up there. The woman gets on top with long strides, and looks like she is putting in some effort. This could add to the metaphoric meaning behind the video of overcoming tobacco as hard.

Luckily, since the camera view is far out, we can see some of the background which seems to be other piles, or mounds of presumably tobacco. This gives the viewer a sense of the environment she is in, and he depth of the shot. the sky is very foggy, which gives the atmosphere a dirty look. This is definitely what the director/editor of the video wanted to make it seem like. Having the fog represents smoke, portraying the image of what your lungs will have in it from smoking tobacco.

00:03

As the camera pans out, the shot moves farther, and farther away from the woman. This shot fully shows the depth of the setting, and how big the mound is. As I look closer into the mounds, It looks more like a pile of cigarettes, rather than tobacco. The editor of the video should have made the animation clearer on the mountain to make viewers not second guess their analysis. The woman is smiling, assuring the viewer that once you are at the top, the struggle, and hardship is over. The top of the mountain could represent the ling cancer screening, or overcoming tobacco use.

The message is unclear of why she is climbing the mountain. It obviously is a metaphor though, since this is a very metaphorical situation. I don’t believe their to be any actual mounds, let alone mountains of cigarettes anywhere in real life.

00:04 – 00:07

The video ends with a visual of the lung screener, along with the company’s website, associations, and sponsors. The main point of the ad is to promote their company, and this is made very clear by after showing the cool visual, they transition to a magazine picturesque visual.

The background is all white, making sure there is no background distraction from the important information. This use of a white background, and basic add quality gives this ending proof of the main reason for this commercial; to promote their company’s lung screening. What makes this feel more like an ad, and rather than a short film, is the popping up of the “Ad Council” logo in the bottom right corner appearing at the last second.

 

Definition Argument- DudeInTheBack

Addiction is debilitating. When your body and brain are physically dependent on something, the addiction runs everything in your life. especially when you have been prescribed a drug for your entire life, all you know is that drug, and without it, functioning seems abnormal. This is the case for people who have been prescribed Adderall since a young age. A drug that gives ADHD patients the magical ability to function normally, making a child grow up thinking they need the drug to function.

Forty Years ago ADHD was not a diagnosis, but rather simply children who could not stay focused in class and had trouble retaining information. They were believed to just be unteachable, and their disruptions in class were not tolerated. So, In return Adderall was prescribed to all of these ADHD classified children. Not paying attention in class, and being disruptive seems like a big issue. In fact, It is big enough to prescribe mind altering drugs to children who do not realize the full power of these drugs.

Now I’m not saying that these drugs are ineffective. Adderall definitely does the job of making you wired. Basically, all of the symptoms involved with ADHD, like inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, lack of focus, disorganization, fidgeting, excessive talking, or frequent interrupting, are controlled. In an article titled, “Adderall vs. Ritalin: What’s the Difference?” it is stated that, “..work by increasing the availability of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine in your CNS connections. This speeds up your brain activity.” speeding up brain activity, and also causing you to believe that you are preforming superhumanly, or better than you would sounds perfectly fine. in that case, it would seem perfectly fine to take this miracle pill every day, whenever you need that superhuman boost.

This is where the problem starts, depending on the drug to make you perform, rather than relying on what you are normally equipped with to perform. The purpose for the pill is being put into effect, but what happens if the pill is not there? An article titled, “Adderall Addiction and Abuse” posted by the Addiction center states, “The brain of an addicted person is dependent on Adderall to stimulate alertness and productivity. Without Adderall, addicted people often feel tired and mentally foggy. These are symptoms of Adderall withdrawal, a strong sign of an addiction.” Someone who relies on this artificial performance, after receiving the skills they have obtained through the drug, can act like a bubble pop when the drug is taken away. It becomes a way of life. You take that pill everyday because the doctor prescribed it, and now you are reliant on that pill to succeed. Take coffee as an example, I’m sure many people insist that coffee is what gets hem through the day. without this coffee, they would be useless.

Its simple, the prescription of Adderall to a minor should be prohibited. It is a drug that makes you feel smarter than you actually are, and growing up thinking this can lead to a lifetime of addiction.

 

 

 

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adderall-vs-ritalin

https://www.addictioncenter.com/stimulants/adderall/

Stone Money- DudeInTheBack

P1. To list all of the effects money has on our world would be impossible simply because money is what keeps the world working. It’s true, without some form of monetized systems for trading, who would want to work, and why would they do it? Because of moneys value, and the way we (as a society) view currency, we work almost purposefully for the money. The motivation for “gettin’ the money” can fully be credited to what we can do with the money. A piece of papper, coin, or rock (currency) acts like a sort of value placeholder. Through these past classes, and extending work outside the classroom learning about different histories of moneys worth has been fascinating to me just because of its knottiness.

P2. Money is the most basic, yet convoluted unit of measurement to determine the degree of what someone, or something is worth. I say measurement now, (and probably would not have even thought of money being a measurement a couple weeks ago) because it really is a measurement. money measures things like wealth, or any asset with substantial value. For example, if you have a big cow, somehow you acquired this big cow. Two likely scenarios predating this acquisition could potentially be: You were granted through time and breeding this big cow, and now you want to sell it. The other being you just bartered something else with what the previous cow owner thought was of equal value. Without this rudimentary measurement of worth, how would one be able to justify what one owns? This value, in todays society, is expressed through currency. having money backing everything gives everything a tradable value.

P3. These questions of why money has value, or how we assigned the job of having value to an object, can only be answered by examples of how monetary value has been used/how it is used today. Thorough my somewhat extensive research on all of the unfathomable ways money has been used. After all of it, I have come to the conclusion that money is not a real thing. What! how could this be? Relax. It’s a real tangible thing if you consider object currency, but money is a concept. A sort of placeholder for an imaginary unit. After reading about the Island of Yap, located in the Pacific ocean, my thoughts on how abstract money can get began to develop. Picture this, huge limestone carved disks with holes in the middle of them weighing in at about seven or eight metric tons. In the island, these stones, or “Fei” was used as a currency. Massive stone coins that sat where everyone could see them, and everyone just knew who they belonged to. In an essay by Friedman on the concept of stone money, he explains, “… it is not necessary for its owner to reduce it to possession.” The owners of the stone, and the wealth of having the stone did not even need to have possession of this stone. If it was “there” it was recognized as being there. A very abstract concept, but surprisingly effective and efficient for the island. A parallel to this currency of Fei, is our modern day checks, and even bank accounts in general. How much money in your bank account are you actually physically touching? None. Its just some digital number that gives you some sort of worth. Its the same thing as having the stone. People just recognize your wealth by having a big stone, or a big number in your bank account.

P4. My new view on money and how I have come to the realization that it is fake also comes from a story in Brazil. After listening to the NPR broadcast “How Fake Money Saved Brazil”  I have gained a deeper confusion on how the money system works. Chana Joffe-Walt, the narrator of the podcast in act one says that, “in 1990 inflation in Brazil was 80 percent a month…” Having such high inflation rates, the Government was at a loss for solutions. A group of colleagues were called in to find a solution, coming up with a virtual currency named, “Unit of Real Value” (URV’s). The government along with the four heroic alumni called in made the decision to lie to the citizens. One of the people on the podcast saying, “… they wanted to change people themselves… people had to be tricked into thinking money had value.” (Joffe-Walt). Persuading them that their money actually had value was the only way to save the economy, and the value of their currency. “The idea was that people would start thinking in URVs – and stop expecting prices to always go up.” (Joffe-Walt). Brazil lived with high inflation rates for decades, if this problem could be solved so easily by making up what seemed like a lie to get them out seems counterintuitive. Who would think that would work? Well, It did, and that’s what saved Brazils economy.

P5. Today, we have a new complicated currency called Bitcoin. In 2009, Bitcoin software was made available to the public for the first time. Although Bitcoin was the first established cryptocurrency, there were others… but they did not blow up like Bitcoin.  Bernard Marr, said in his article called, ”A Short History Of Bitcoin And Crypto Currency Everyone Should Read” said ”As it had never been traded, only mined, it was impossible to assign a monetary value to the units of the emerging cryptocurrency.” (Bernard Marr) Mining was a long process where your bitcoin could grow, but still, no real monetary value. Supply and demand began to grow for bitcoin. Where in 2010 bitcoin was practically worth nothing, to skyrocketing into being worth millions.

P6. I have learned a lot about money these past couple weeks, and I find all of this information very interesting. currency has gone through so many stages, and adaptations to new society’s. Not a lot of people are familiar with things liken the island of stone money, and I certainly was never taught it. History has presented us with many crazy currencies… which brings me to the question, “whats next”? What new currency, or value of something will go up/down? We will never know until we get there.

Work Cited

White Paper 2—dudeintheback

Proposal- I am trying to build the information to prove my hypothesis of Adderall being the same thing as methamphetamine. my research so far gives me examples of how it is, but I need more explaining why it is. I am trying to find the line of discussion. either I can talk about how it has meth like qualities, or I can talk about how it shoud not be prescribed in the first place.

Hypothesis-   Adderall should be viewed as a dangerous prescription

  1. Methamphetamine vs. Adderall | Science Says They’re Almost Identical

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/meth-addiction/methamphetamine-vs-adderall/#gref

What Is the source?: this source is an article both describing what adderal is, and also in less depth describes what meth is. also giving practical examples of how Adderall is used, and how meth is used.

What will this source do?: this source explains how both of these drugs have very similar chemical makeups. only meth has a ” have more of something called methyl, which is important in this discussion because it lets the drug cross the blood-brain barrier more quickly. This leads to a more powerful effect.” showing that the only thing separating, and clarifying both to be different is one molecule that makes the effect instantaneous

2.  Adderall VS Crystal Methamphetamine – is meth really the more dangerous and addictive drug?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS8VjdF86vE

What is this source?: this source is a youtube video of a former meth addict explaining the differences in Adderall and in meth. this is a youtuber named Cg Kid, who makes videos on drug awareness, and addiction. having taken both drugs, and researching about the drugs, Cg has an extensive knowledge on the topic.

What will it prove?: the account of someone describing their view of the two drugs. explaining how Adderall is just a smaller dose of the same effect in a pill. describes the different ways of taking both drugs and how they work how they do. also saying one pipe/smoke/hit of methamphetamine will give you the same effect of taking 8 Adderall. saying how people are only addicted to meth because its cheapness, and instant results.

3. The Similarities of Adderall & Amphetamines

https://www.bewellbuzz.com/wellness-buzz/crystal-meth-and-adderall-are-same/

Meth-or-Adderallwhat is this source?: a picture of both chemical makeups of Adderall and meth

What does it prove?: that the chemical makeups of adderall and meth are almost identical… the article this picture is from also describes how we feel about meth because of the anti drug campaign.

4. Meth & Adderall are the same drug & other drug facts

What is this source?: youtube video interviewing Carl Hart talk about drugs and drug hysteria. Carl is a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Columbia University. Hart is known for his research in drug abuse and drug addiction .

What does it prove?: carl describes that Adderall and meth are virtually the same drug, and describes meth as the “new crack”

also describes the same issue in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOCsIyIGNls  explains how they produce the same effects.

5. The Surprising History Of Adderall

https://www.attn.com/stories/2000/history-amphetamines-united-states

What is this source?: article describing the history of amphetamine, then going in to history of Adderall

What does it prove?: proves the first origins of the uses of methamphetamines. one being the on the Nazis for extremely long marches.

6. Is Adderall Safe? | Safe for Adults and Children?

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/adderall/adderall-safe/#gref

website article by the recovery village, which specializes in addiction awareness/education

this source describes Adderall’s effect in kids, and adults. also talks about how much of it is safe, and if its safe in general.

“It’s not meant to be a long-term treatment because symptoms of ADHD often get better in children as they get older.”

also says how for adults there are options to help reduce symptoms of ADHD, such as therapy.

“When someone takes a stimulant drug like Adderall, it changes their brain chemistry, and it also impacts their motivation and reward pathways. This changes how people feel emotions and pleasure, and if Adderall is taken over the long-term, these changes and this brain rewiring can become permanent.”

using these quotes will help me describe how getting people hooked to Adderall, and reliant on using Adderall because its something they have been programmed to keep doing will effect them in the long term

7. The real effects of Adderall: a personal testimony

https://search.proquest.com/docview/1715703263?pq-origsite=summon

Publication: The Washburn Review, Washburn University, Topeka KS.

this article gives a first person experience on what Adderall did for her. it talks about her addiction, and why she was addicted. also how she knew she did not have ADHD.

”Evans compared taking Adderall to “being superwoman.” She could get all of her homework done, write papers longer than the required length, clean her house until it was spotless and still pick up extra hours at work. No one knew she was staying up three days in a row to get all of her work done.”

”As time went on, Evans started accomplishing less at school and work and shifted her main focus to finding more pills. This disrupted both her studies and home life.”

this article gives a look at the terrible addiction path someone can go down. being addicted changes everything a person does in their lives by making their lives revolve around their addiction. talks about how she was taking more than 10 times the highest prescribed dosage of amphetamines per day

8. ADHD drugs are as dangerous as street meth – and Americans are getting hooked
Alexander Zaitchik

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/25/adhd-dangerous-street-meth-americans-are-getting-hooked

”new-gen daily regimen speeds”

article describing how more and more people are starting to get addicted to medications like vyvans, and Adderall. describes his first times using speed and how he and all the people around him used it. also saying how these medication drugs have turned away from their use to treat adhd, but rather to help people in classrooms, party longer and harder, and all of the uses that makes it seem like a street drug.

”During our recent industry-guided speed renaissance, “speed” has been turned into “meds”, reflecting the idea that amphetamine for most people remains some kind of safe treatment or routine performance-booster, rather than a highly addictive drug with some nasty talons in its tail.”

9.

in this youtube video, Dr. Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus describes the connotation an illness or disease has now. He believes that any disease cannot be not based on behavior, its something in the body that malfunctions. the stigma and connotation ADHD has around it is socially constructed. by diagnosing a child with ADHD and classifying it as a disease, or disorder stigmatizes a child, and puts them in a category that they should not be in. children are precious, and should not be exposed to prescription drugs. parents should not think that their kid has an ilnesss based on behavior, and should not jump to try to treat it.

10. Psychiatrists Are Drug-pushers

http://behaviorismandmentalhealth.com/2011/03/16/psychiatrists-are-drug-pushers/

this article explains how easy it is to get a prescription, and the many ways why it is so easy. the diagnosis and prescription of medicine is what people see psychologists for nowadays.  psychiatrists no longer engage in talk therapy anywhere near how they used to. instead, they prescribe medication to alternte behavior. the pills become what keeps the person going throught her day as if it was a normal day, just drug induced. gives the example of A psychiatrist can earn $150 for three 15-minute medication visits compared with $90 for a 45-minute talk therapy session to show why a psych might just resort to a prescription, and getting paid for it. a dentist doesn’t make his money by having a patient with healthy teeth.

“You have to have a diagnosis to get paid,” he said with a shrug. “I play the game.”

“I don’t need a half-hour or an hour to talk,” said a stone mason who has panic attacks and depression and is prescribed an antidepressant. “Just give me some medication, and that’s it. I’m O.K.”

 

My Hypothesis — dudeintheback

  1. Adderall use for children
  2. prescribing Adderall to children
  3. The effect of prescribing Adderall to children, making them addicted in the future
  4. prescribing Adderal to a child will cause addiction to the medication in the future
  5. the prescription of Adderall to children will strengthen the chances of addiction in later years
  6. Eliminating the prescription of Adderall to children will eliminate the chances of addiction to methamphetamines