Spring Break

Of course we all know Spring Break is coming up next week. Where us 1.5 million college students nationwide will spend 1 billion dollars collectively. On average students have ten drinks a day during Spring Break, compared to the average of 6 drinks though out a school week.

Spring Break is one of the most hyped up events for college students, from the month before when everyone is trying to get that perfect beach body to going out drinking as much as possible each night. Spring Break comes in the perfect time, just as everyone is starting to feel the dread of the semester. It is a week to blow off some steam, celebrate the end of the winter, and brace yourself for the long haul of the end of the year.

Spring Break is also a time where a lot of people make some very poor decisions. Drunk driving being the worst of them all. Every year about 1,800 college students die due to alcohol related car accidents. With
Spring Break clearly being the time of the most college drinking it is obvious that students are at a higher risk during this time.

My questions to you are: What do you think of all the Spring Break hype? What causes it? Also are you concered for your safety over Spring Break? And do you have any cool plans for Spring Break.


Sources: http://didisworld.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/spring-break-by-the-numbers/
              http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/statssummaries/snapshot.aspx

So Many Unanswered Questions!

So it’s the end of the world in about 9 months. What are you going to do for the next 9 months of your life? Maybe take a trip to Rome or quit your job and quit school to lie on the beach and live a carefree rest of your life and do whatever you want. It would really suck to work this hard all the way through high school and college and then have the earth be destroyed right when everything starts to get good. It really makes us think about what our purpose in life is. Why are we here? Are we just little puppets entertaining some higher being? Is there really a God? There are so many questions that we just can’t answer as humans. For all those religious people out there: is this so called end of the world, the second coming of Jesus? IS THIS JUDGEMENT DAY?? It sucks so much not knowing these things. On December 21, 2012, everything that we know and love will be “coming to an end”. The cities we have built, the progress we have made as a nation, and everything we have worked so hard for will be destroyed. The Mayans were a civilization in Central America who predicted that the end of the world would be in 2012. Then again what do those savages know? They weren’t evolved and as smart as we humans are today. We definitely would have seen this coming. Then how did they build their civilization and how were they right about everything else before? Well crap… now what are we going to do?

Have you ever thought of what’s out there? Space is so vast and intimidating and we as humans have only explored what’s around us. Something out there, according to the Mayans is coming for us. Whether it’s a natural disaster and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it or if it’s something way bigger and more important than us, were hopeless. What can we do or how can we prevent this? A man walked on the moon; big deal! We sent a rover to mars, yeah and what is that going to prove; that sustainability is possible on a planet that is red rock and completely unappealing? We haven’t even invented the technology to space travel farther than a planet away. How can we prevent our Earthy home from perishing from an astrological doomsday?
Then again this could all be a bunch of bullshit (I hope). Yeah I’m scared to know the date of my death. I couldn’t imagine the feeling that I was about to die, or knowing the exact date I’m going to die. It’s too much to handle. And what if you just want to get it over with? Kill yourself now and not have to deal with the anticipation. Reality is harsh, right? Then if this was a bunch of crap how will you ever know if the world was really ending; you’re dead you killed yourself for nothing.

Questions to think about: Do you believe that the world is coming to an end? If so why or can you really be sure? If not, explain why you think this is a bunch of crap.


Sources:
http://www.issues.cc/complaints/the-end-of-the-world/understanding-the-end-of-time

Taking a Look at the Past

As students, we are given countless of books to read each year. Many of which we immediately hate,and others that might have a good impact on us. I am somewhat of a history buff
and do enjoy reading about history. I think it is important to learn about history as you are simultaneously enhancing your reading and writing skills. I believe one of the best ways to
learn about history is to make it relevant through literature. I don’t
particularly like reading the books that are assigned except those that have a
historical aspect to it. Out of the many books I had to read for high school I
think The Great Gatsby, Romeo and Juliet, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
and Night are my favorite. I could read an entire textbook about American
History and be okay with it. However, I bet for those people that don’t like
history, textbooks would be the worst way to be taught. I consider one of the
best ways to learn about history is to make it relevant through literature. As
we talked about in class, the setting and historical aspect have a huge meaning
on a novel and it is important for us as the audience to appreciate it. Also, I
think it is difficult for textbooks to achieve understanding. I think it allows
the reader to grasp more of the everyday life of the time period. In textbooks,
it is mostly just facts and important events, whereas in literature there is an
actual story and potential for others to understand and/or relate to in a
deeper level. Overall, people would agree that they don’t like reading for
classes, especially those that they don’t have a particular interest for.

The Great Gatsby, and the movie Midnight in Paris, both set in the 1920s
gave me an insight not only on how their everyday lives were, but how
interesting it would have been to live during that time period. Owen Wilson,
the main actor in the movie gets a chance to make his dream come true on a trip
to Paris. As he wanders the streets of Paris alone at midnight he gets picked up by an old-time motorcar that offers to give him a lift. As he gets in, he suddenly ends up partying with F. Scott
Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. As he slowly
realizes that he’s somehow been transported back to the Paris of the 1920s, he has
the rare opportunity to talk to his literary heroes about his book. I agree with his idea that the past seems so more vivid and substantial, than the present, but it
vanishes as soon as the cold touch of reality hits. Perhaps the reason why the
good old days are so alluring is because we were not around, however much we
wish we were.

Even though historical novels may be mainly fiction
and the movies don’t exactly envision the real setting and or historical
background, I think it is still cool to see how easily we can be pulled towards
perhaps envisioning ourselves in that time. Or maybe I’m the only who feels
this way.

Help me out guys, my questions for you are, first,
would you rather learn about history through a textbook or through literature? Additionally,
is there any historical time period that you particularly enjoy reading about? Why
might this be? If you could choose any era to live in or just visit which would
it be and why? Is there any particular movie, book, music, fashion that draws
you to that time period? For example any decade in the twentieth century,
Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, or it could even be more like Harry Potter, the
age of dinosaurs, or the future.

Image Source:http://shelbyhistory.tripod.com/id81.html

Keep Ads In or Out of Books?

I recently read an article by Murray L. Bob titled “Keep Ads Out of Books: Paid Advertisements in Books Will Undermine Our Freest Vehicle of Expression”. This article is about a controversy concerning whether or not advertisements should be placed in books. The world is becoming so consumed with the idea that money is everything. The author of the article says “it is a shame to take a chance on compromising a book in order to make a buck”. I have to say that I agree with Bob on this. I do not believe it is worth compromising our books with advertisements. We already have magazines and television for that.

Although I disagree with this, there are people who agree. Some people view ads in books as a step up. Meaning, they believe that it is a strategic way for companies to earn money. Major companies also find it beneficial because with books being sold with their advertisements in them, people will want whatever product is being advertised, and they will earn money. Maybe to some people this is not an issue because what is one extra page in a book that can be skipped over? I on the other had do not think that ads should be placed in books. Books are one of the few things left that are not as involved in the consumerist society that we live in.

I read this in a class and there were a lot of views from both sides. Many people thought it was a good way to introduce readers to new things and get their attention on important things. There were also a lot of people who completely disagreed, and as you can tell I am one of those people. People thought that a book’s integrity should not be compromised because of advertisements. Although it is pretty evident how I feel on the matter I am curious to see where other people stand on the issue, so my question to everyone is what do you think of putting advertisements in books? Do you think it’s a good idea or a bad one?

How tone effects our view on a character's plausibility.

Whenever I watch a television show or a movie I always become engaged in the tone that the director or writer uses to portray the characters. I would always seem more captivated into a show or movie that had slightly more plausible outcomes and character development. This is where I came in touch with the most controversial animated show in Japan, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Where the show did technically have many parts that are not realistic, there are many aspects in the show where the tone creates such an impact on the characters and the viewers of this classic.

     The show is basically about a young boy named Shinji Ikari who is forced to pilot these humanoid robots called Eva units. The whole story is about fighting off gigantic alien creatures known as angels and the only way to defeat them is to have fourteen year old kids use the Evas against them. The reason why they can only use kids is because of the mental strength they have that connects to the Eva units. The creator of the show Hideaki Anno was in a deep state of depression at the time he created the series. This is the one key factor that creates the tone of the story to be more realistic that the story itself. For the first half of the series the show focuses on the big picture where the humans must annihilate the angels before they can destroy the Earth.

     After the twelfth episode Anno's depression became more and more scarring and thus the show became what many see as a psychological and dark reality. Within the last half of the series the show's overall tone became more about the minds and emotions of the characters rather than destroying a common enemy. Each main character had a key trigger that set them in a psychological battle with themselves and reality making their emotions and actions seem more realistic to those who watched the show. In the last two episodes of the series the show completely changes their style and focuses on the psyche of the characters, each having their own perspective on reality and each having their own unique issues they are trying to cover up. This tone changed the way many viewed the series as a whole completely forgetting about the villains and the plot and becoming attracted to the horrific and descriptive imagery the characters face.

    When the series ended in 1996 many were completely bewildered at the way it had ended so abruptly. The show ended in the way Anno did not expect because the studio was behind on payments and their budget ran out before they finished the last two episodes. This is how the show's last two episodes are how many people became split on whether it was good or bad that it ended on a more "realistic" note. Soon after in 1997 Gainax studios finished the television series the way they wanted to by releasing a full length cinematic release called "The End of Evangelion". This was the way Anno wanted the series to end, giving a more "dark and gruesome" tone than what the last two episodes were. This, no doubt, is what caused so many fans of the show to become so enraged at the sudden change in tone that many sent “death threats” to Anno saying that the show was ruined thanks to the movie, but there are also those who praised Anno for the movie release saying that this has a more “realistic tone” of people and their actions than the original ending had.

My questions for everyone are, what movies or television shows are the most impacting to you based on the tone? Why is it that a tone can split many people’s reactions to the show as a whole, and How do shows that seems more plausible in real life effect our emotions in regards to the character and the tone of the overall story?

Politeness A Thing of the Past?

I was really struggling with what
to write for this blog entry until I went shopping at the Prime Outlets with my
mom this weekend. We had a nice dinner and then decided to go to the Nike store
to look for some running shorts; the place was packed with people looking to take
advantage of the sales and the staff was equally as busy trying to keep all of
the merchandise neat and the customers happy. A young guy, probably in his mid-twenties,
asked us if we needed help and we happily politely replied that we were fine
and thanked him for asking. We started
to walk away but he stopped us and thanked us for being so polite and actually
answering him when he spoke to us then proceeding to tell us if we needed anything
at all, he would be more than happy to help us.
We thanked Alex again for being so nice and promised him that if we
needed anything, we would be sure to find him. The next day my mom and I went
for a run on a trail in my town which is frequented by triathletes who train at
the National Training Center five minutes from my house. My mom competes in triathlons
and is friends with many of the people we see running or biking on the trail
who wave and greet us as we pass. Even if we don’t know the athlete passing by,
we still wave, smile, and say hello because that is the polite thing to do. Apparently the three younger men running the
trail weren’t aware of the unspoken rule of greeting someone when you pass
because they completely ignored our greeting and smiles. I’m not exactly sure
why but this frustrated me. I know they heard us, they didn’t have iPods in and
I know they weren’t blind OBVIOUSLY. So why didn’t they return our greeting?
Why were customers so rude to Alex in the Nike outlet? Have we as a society
lost the ability to use common courtesy? I was raised in what some people may call a
strict household, I wasn’t allowed to leave the table unless I asked to be
excused, and if “please” wasn’t used when asking for something then I didn’t
get it. If I did not say “thank you”, well that was just extremely rude! I was
also taught that if someone spoke to me, I was to answer them, especially my
parents. If I ignored one of them when they spoke to me, I would definitely be
in trouble.
So here’s what I think, younger
generations are not as courteous and polite as older generations because simple
principles are not taught at home anymore. Think about the older people you run
into in the store and how nice they can be and then think about the twenty year
old who bagged your groceries and hardly made eye contact with you when you
asked him a question. Do you think people are missing their manners? Or am I
just imagining things? Tell me why!

What makes you want to learn?

Essay number two has us choosing a topic that we want to learn more about. This is more than likely a topic that you have a particular interest in. Most people have a certain topic that they enjoy learning about whether you are reading, researching, or just talking about the subject with someone. This topic for me has been cars, boats, and pretty much anything that is mechanically intriguing since before I can remember. Everyone has a hobby or an interest that they want to learn more about so I want to know what your special interest is. What can you stay up reading about until you fall asleep on your keyboard because you just can’t get enough of it. What makes you want to keep reading? This can be anything from shopping to sports.

Ever since I was thirteen I’ve been building and working on cars, engines, and boats with my dad. We built my first car together starting when I was fourteen. I spent most of my weekends at our buddies race shop working on my car and helping out around the shop on other projects. It was just what I loved to doing. When I wasn’t at the shop working I was at home doing research reading up on other people working no their projects. Obviously I made time for friends as well but from time to time I got a little carried away with my projects. I loved learning about cars and engines and got to spend quality time with my dad while I did it. Not to mention it kept me out of trouble.

My first car.

Before:

After:

The next big project we started was a 1990 “foxbody” mustang that we turned into a drag car. We built the engine together, as well as the car. It was a blast and I learned a bunch while doing it.

The last big project that my dad and I built before I left for FSU was an airboat. I have been brought up around airboats all my life and have hunted since I was ten. So it wasn’t out of the ‘norm’ but we had never built an airboat by ourselves before. We wanted this boat to be like a racecar compared to the other airboat we have so we made the decision to build a certain style hull and started making phone calls to get the material. Once we got the material it started to come together piece by piece on the weekends and a few weeknights. Once the hull was done we worked with a guy to help us with the rest of the boat. From the beginning of the project until we finished it it took about 11 months. It came out better than my dad and I could have ever hoped and we went on to win the Palm Beach Airboat show with it.

My airboat:

My car and airboat are my pride and joy and the lessons that I learned while building both of them could never be replaced. These projects and my father have inspired me to open up my own shop building cars and engines after college.

So I want to know what inspires you? What can you read about for hours at end and still be completely consumed in the topic? Who got you interested in this topic and how?

Writing in Movies and Television Shows

One of the key characteristics for any good movie or show is good writing. Writing is critical for shows and movies because they develop the idea of the movie or show, and how they write it will determine the direction the show or movie takes and its emotional impact on the audience. The idea of the project has to attract viewers, and the script has the keep them interested. A lot of times, writing also gives actors screen direction, so they can know what they will need to be doing while they are delivering their lines. Kristin Thompson, a film theorist describes quality television as, "...a quality pedigree, a large ensemble cast, a series memory, creation of a new genre through recombination of older ones, self-consciousness, and pronounced tendencies toward the controversial and the realistic." Writing doesn't only mean the script; it is also the idea of the show and the storyline. For example, Inception is a movie with a great story line and truly unique ideas that the creator and writers of the movie were able to bring to life.

            

Arrested Development is an example of a show with great writing in the script and in the storyline of the show. This show is about a dysfunctional wealthy family that runs into legal troubles, and loses their fortune. The hardworking son is then forced to clean up the corrupt company while keeping his family together. This show was canceled because it didn't have a lot of viewers, but that is does not mean it wasn't a hilarious show. Every episode had an elaborate storyline following multiple characters and the show was filled with inside jokes, so probably wouldn't be very interesting if you were someone who just happened to change channels to it. It is hard to follow or enjoy if you haven't started it from the beginning. The characters were hilarious and the script was always filled with innuendos that can't all be caught with one viewing. Each time you watch an episode again you can appreciate it that much more because you can catch even more meanings to what the characters are saying, and see jokes that you missed the first time you watch it. Arrested Development is a brilliant show and I highly recommend it.

           

Another one of my favorite shows is Psych. This is a murder mystery show about a fake psychic detective and his best friend working with the police to solve crimes. I love this show because not only is the script of the show great, but Psych also has great actors who deliver the lines extremely well. Their timing and tone brings out the best in the writing and it makes the show very captivating. The laid back psychic detective and his control freak best friend are a hilarious buddy team/dynamic duo with witty banter that keeps the viewers entertained. The rest of the characters have great personalities, and the show keeps you guessing who the murderer is the whole show. What more could you ask for?

Another thing I love is when shows reference outside things in their show. For example, the writers of Psych love referencing 70's and 80's movies. Almost every script of the show holds several allusions to movies, and sometimes entire episodes are based off of movies. One episode "Tuesday the 17th" was obviously a reference to "Friday the 13th", and the episode followed the fake psychic detectives Shawn and Gus investigating suspicious occurrences at a campsite that was about to be opened to the public. 

My questions for the class are: What are your favorite television shows or movies that also have great writing? What are you favorite aspects of this show? Also, can you think of any other shows like Psych that make references to things outside of the show?

Creative Writing vs. Technical Writing

As we know, creative writing and technical writing are very different. One explores a more artistic way of thinking and the other a more analytical. As students, we are expected to write in both styles in order to benefit from each. But what if we had a choice?

I am a firm believer that the difference between creative and technical writing is the same as the difference between art and science. It is a matter of right brain vs. left brain; with creative writing activating the right side of the brain and technical writing activating the left. Recently, in our class we are making the transition from our Snapshot Essay to a Featured Article; two very different styles of writing. While I agree enjoyment can be found in both styles of writing, in my opinion, I can never seem to find enjoyment in technical writing. Even on a subject that I am interested in or have a strong opinion about, I find it very difficult to put together factual information. Even now I am having a bit of trouble forming words and sentences to create an informative blog. To me, short stories and poems are much more enjoyable to write.

Creative writing is all in the mind; it has no guidelines and no rules. You have the ability to stretch your mind as far as it will go and create something that no one has created before. With technical writing, you are restricted. You are writing of a basis of rules that requires external researching and analyzing and targeting specific audiences. Think of it like this: you can find so many articles and books discussing the same topic. Sure, they all may take a different angle, but in the end, it’s still the same topic. With creative writing you can write something that no one has ever heard or dreamed of before. When you are writing about a topic you are limited to what the topic has to offer. Creative writing is limitless.

Again, it boils down to whether you are right brained or left brained; whether you find it easier to gather information or create your own information. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy reading non-fiction books and newspaper articles. I am focusing specifically on the writing aspect.

My question for the class is, do you consider yourself to be more right brained or left brained? If you had the choice between a creative writing assignment and a technical writing assignment, which one would you chose? Why?

Sources:

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/c/creative_writing.asp

“I nevr Lrned How 2 Speel”

Lately, I have come across multiple music videos on YouTube with titles such as “You Da One,” or “We R Who We R.” As you can see, artists are spelling words that do not even exist. They are using the incorrect spelling of words in the titles of their songs, and for what purpose? I have analyzed the same question over and over again, but I can’t find an answer to it. The only thing I can conclude is that artists’ poor spelling of words is a negative influence on the people watching these videos online, especially the young ones.

It cannot be denied that most of us idolize either an artist, or an athlete. By nature, we tend to like everything they do, but what happens when they are doing wrong things, and at the same time influence us to imitate them? It is irresponsible for an artist to misspell the title of a song knowing that they have young fans that are in the process of learning how to spell. Kids learn many of the things they see, and poor spelling is one of the things they’re learning all thanks to artists’ “creativity.”

I understand if it’s slang that’s being used in the title, such as: “Ain’t That a Shame,” or “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad,” because we sometimes speak like that. What I do not accept is purposely misspelling words in the titles of their songs, such as: “Cum on Feel the Noize, Mahgeetah(My guitar), Sk8er Boi, Hot In Herre, I wanna B Ur Lovr, or I would die 4 u.”

This misusage of words is clearly reflecting in our society. Lifestyle News states that “according to a study conducted by the London-based Spelling Society, 62 percent of the people find it hard to spell "embarrassed" correctly…The study also showed that nearly 78 percent of the men surveyed were unable to spell ‘friend’.” Is this not a sad story? I don’t find it hard to believe that 78 percent of the surveyed men weren’t able to spell “friend” because I see it everywhere. It’s on social network Facebook, text messages I receive, and emails. The saddest part is that people are unaware of how ridiculous they look when they misspell words. And if they’re posting text on Facebook, it’s obvious that they have access to the internet, so why not look up the correct spelling of words before they publish it on the web?

My questions to the class are: do you think it’s acceptable for an artist to purposely misspell the words of their song titles and do you think they are negative influencing our society? To what extent is misspelling acceptable? What is your overall opinion on this subject?

Sources:
50% Americans Can't Spell Simple Words...Can You? | MedIndia http://www.medindia.net/news/50-Americans-Cant-Spell-Simple-WordsCan-You-47389-1.htm#ixzz1lXGFh300

More pictures at:
http://www.happyplace.com/3645/the-best-obnoxious-responses-to-misspellings-on-facebook/page/1

The Evolution of Media

I decided to write my blog the evolution of media and how its plays a role in the classroom. Over the past twenty years the evolution of media changed drastically. According to todays terms the original form of media or ‘old media’ is defined as books, newspapers, and magazines. If you think about what defines old media it is still current form of information we use; it’s just not as popular as the Internet or television. Since students have become more technology efficient, teachers are discovering new ways to combine all forms of media to bring into the classroom. Although, teachers are trying harder than ever to get students involved in the classroom it’s becoming extremely difficult to incorporate old media. Old media is holding back the potential success of students; it limits working with other students and teamwork within the classroom setting. Not allowing students to use new media does not enable them to take full advantages of the current resources available. I think that limiting the amount of new media students are allowed to use is holding them back from the information technology communication revolution going on in todays society. Restricting students also does not allow them to advance with the changes in the industry that will be required in the global marketplace.

Although by now I’m sure you can guess my opinion on the media revolution and its role in the classroom, I do want you to be aware of both the pros and cons. Newer media such as the Internet allows students unlimited amount of resources of all kinds and brings about opportunities for students to participate in different types of online educational programs and discussion boards. Students have the ability to access information for research paper without the hassle of going to the library to check out a resource book because of today’s media industry almost everything is available online. I feel that FSU being a media friendly school makes everything easier. Blackboard is my savior; everything is organized by class and then by content, allowing navigating the site to be very easy. From my experience, I absolutely love it both my math and microeconomics teachers use online resources and it makes everything a million times easier to do the work in one organized place and ask a specific question if I am having trouble on something. As well, students with disabilities have access to tools that help them reach their educational goals. The few disadvantages that are occurring in today’s classrooms are that there is not ready access to computers for students in the classroom or the teacher does not have the appropriate training for a specific application.

One way educators are attempting to move towards more technology friendly atmosphere is having them incorporate social media into their curriculum. Social media is enormously popular among todays young generation. “Social media are web-based technologies that transform and broadcast media monologues into social media dialogues.” They allow the integration of current technology and social communication. As well, this encourages student to become involved with their peers and learn how to interact with one another. It becomes exciting for educators to give their student a challenge of interacting with their peers by using a form of technology they are familiar with. Some social media examples are Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. However, this can arouse problems for the teachers since many of the sites are blocked because of a filter from the school district. School districts deem the sites as inappropriate for children and want to sensor what they can access in school.

With today’s current society being extremely technology efficient, teachers requiring old media resources poses a challenge to many students. Should old media resources still be required as a mandatory resource? Or should it be all technology friendly sources? Do you think incorporating old media is holding back today’s current students? Should we make the move to only new media? Should we still incorporate old media within the class?

Source

http://eps415socialmedia.pbworks.com/w/page/28135328/Evolution%20of%20Media%20in%20the%20Classroom%20Setting

Pictures

http://www.createdebate.com/debate/show/Physical_books_or_e_books

http://www.ikeepsafe.org/socialnetworking/social-media-in-the-classroom-not-a-discussion-for-the-emotional/