Instructiondiscussion 1: In "A Faint Green Sell: Advertising and the Natural World," starting on page 209, Julia B. Corbett discusses how advertisers utilize the environment in service of selling a product. Why does Corbett claim, "commodification of what are essentially public resources --like milky blue waters--encourages us to think of resources as private and possessible: (para. 30)? Why does she think such commodification is problematic? How does the image above speak to some of the issues Corbett raises? discussion 2 :Look over the readings, discussions, and your essay addressing semiotics and adverstising. What do you takeaway from your analysis of how advertisers try to sell things to Americans? What key terms help you articulate this critique? How does your essay show your understanding of these issues? What tools do you know have and can apply in the future? discussion 3: Barbara Ehrenreich in "Bright-Sided" discusses why optimism is such a strong part of American culture (page 523). What is the relationship, in Ehrenreich's view, between positive thinking and capitalism? How according to Ehrenreich, has positive thinking contributed to recent and current American problems and catastrophes? discussion 4: George Packer explores why celebrities are such a big part of American culture and how their presence seems to only be increasing in "Celebrating Inequality"(page 539). How did celebrities become such a big part of American culture? What does Packer mean when he asserts that today a celebrity "evolves into a persona, then a brand. then and empire, with the business imperative of grow or die" (para. 6)? discussion 5: "The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts" page (543) by Alfred Lumbrano looks at the effects of college on first-in-family college students. Are you the first in your family to go to college? If so, do your experiences match up with what Lubrano is saying? Why or why not? What does Richard Rodriguez mean by saying, "There's a brutality to education" (para. 6)? discussion 6 : In "How An Angry National Mood is Reflected in Pop Culture" (page 531) Jeffrey Fleishman sees a connection between the current anger and division in the American mindset and popular culture. What differences does Fleishman find between the anger expressed in 1960s popular culture and that of today, and how does he explain those differences? How can Americans be both "bright-sided" as Ehrenreich says in her essay, and bursting with anger at the same time?