Assignment 6:Create Your Own Adventure

What interests you? What is your point of exigence? What's on your mind?  What do you want to chat about? Rant about? Learn about?

'Cause really, isn't it all about you? <wink wink nudge nudge>

This week, create three writing prompts that you find most intriguing. Then, choose one prompt and respond to it.

Note:
Please don't make the other prompts "dummy" prompts - I'll be revisiting these options later next semester.

Ready...

Go!

Due Sunday, October 4th at 11:59 pm

Aditi Lohe Blog Post #5

In today's society, television is a source of mindless entertainment. Families sit down to watch movies and shows as a way to pass time. This is also a great opportunity for businesses to advertise themselves, using commercial breaks between shows. I am not a very big fan of television. Why pay for cable when you have Netflix where ever you go for only eight dollars a month? Personally, I would rather be able to watch whatever I want, whenever I want instead of being forced to sit down at a specific time and then be upset if I can't. And honestly, I'm not a very big fan of watching TV shows. There are a couple that I watch--- such as Arrow, New Girl, and Orange is the New black--- but I am still not too attached to them. I like to read as a pass time or go outside and play sports. I believe television has too big a part in society, and while I'm not saying people should just stop watching it, but maybe just a bit less.

Allie Gregory Blog #5

          I watch TV to be entertained, pretty much without exception. That is, of course, not to say that I don't watch shows that have other purposes, but even Science shows are still basically entertaining. (When I was little my favorite show was Mythbusters. Exciting stuff.)
          That being said, only a certain range of shows can actually hold my attention. Reality shows bore me. Grammy's would also fall in the category of things that bore me. I'm just not into real life drama. To me, it feels fake. I can't imagine anyone being who they really are when they are thinking about millions of people watching it, and anyone who can spill their deep emotions on national television has no sense of living a real life. I actually go as far as to feel bad for children on TV shows. I wish they didn't have to grow up with that kind of pressure.
          On the other hand, TV isn't all bad. My all-time favorites are Sherlock, Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Merlin. I love them. Pretty passionately at that. I'm the type of person who gets completely lost in a story and falls in love with characters. I like complex, intertwined plot-lines and relationships, even if they're just friendships, that inspire a range of emotions. Merlin I loved for the magic, for Merlin's undying devotion, and for his and Arthur's wonderful friendship. Doctor Who not only fulfills my love for Sci-Fi, but it inspires me. IT gives me a character in the Doctor that has every reason in the world to be bitter and hateful and give up, and instead all he wants to do is help people. I love that one for it's incredible optimism. Supernatural just impresses me on a lot of fronts. I think it struggles on occasion when it tries to get too emotional (actually a lot of the time), but it's the story of two brothers who save people. With faults along the way, it usually comes full circle quite brilliantly, and at least the first few brotherly sacrifices were tearjerkers that you really felt (They can only die for each other so many times...).
          I watch TV shows as an escape. For 20 minutes or 40 minutes or for an hour and a half if it's Sherlock, I don't live in this boring world filled with useless drama and people who care about things that don't matter. I get to be in a world of magic. A world of impossibly clever, witty people, with hearts too big and optimism a little brighter than seems real. And I don't see it as wrong to idolize the impossible, but rather as correct to shoot for the very best. While I may never have the whimsical realities of some of my favorite TV shows, I can try to have Merlin's epic devotion, and the Doctor's ever-present excitement and faith in humanity. Reality TV just can't give me that.

Thomas Werner Assignment 5: Watching TV

I don't watch TV. I have nothing against it, but when the world wide web provides every stream I need at my disposal, I have no urge to sit down at a certain time, watch only the episodes the scheduled dictates, and be tricked into buying more floam.

With the emergence of dominant streaming serives such as Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and the other sites that fill in everything in between, the need for cable television has become obsolete to me. There is still the fleeting claim to fame of TV that they have the major deals, and therefore put out the content first. But not only is that interval from air to internet bearable for me, that last grasp the major networks have is also slipping away. Now services such as Netflix are creating their own shows, combining the television production value with straight to streaming convenience. Soon cable will be something of the past.

As for my favorite TV shows: Rick and Morty, It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia, The Office, Trailer Park Boys, and Top Gear.

Young-Kyung #2

Technology’s contribution to my relationships and communication with other people in different places is a fickle thing. Grandparents, family, friends of my parents - when I’m Skyping or calling them on the phone, they never seem to change although it’s been years or weeks since experiencing them because I don’t genuinely know who they are. That makes communicating with them something you try to anticipate and go along with, like steering a boat down a calm river you’ve visited a couple times. It’s a vaguely familiar, unwieldy but expected scene; the boat makes awkward turns sometimes, but you’re always satisfied when you step onto land because you had a new experience like anticipated, and some swell photos as well. You can get to know people who are halfway across the world.

It’s different when you’re talking to an old friend. You’re navigating the mountain path without a map. Of course you don’t need a map - you’ve been here many times before, you know the shortcut. You’re sure that there is a shallow ravine with water to drink right ahead of you, and you’ll follow that up to the top, no problem. The trees thin and the slope is definitely increasing, but suddenly you can’t go up anymore because there’s no path anymore, just an impassable rocky cliff. “Why? What’s happening? Is something wrong with me? How do I continue?” And then, in a shaky voice: “I’m lost.”

It's a really, really, really selfish thing, but I hate that. I love being able to communicate with these old friends, but it’s a strange kind of jealous wistfulness that I experience when watching them change and grow without me over something as impersonal as the internet. It doesn’t change what the relationships would have been without technology, but it has an effect on me nevertheless. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that absence is even more prominent with technology.

Don’t get me wrong: I still love this time period and I wouldn’t change it. The above situation is uncommon. If I had been born 20 years ago, my life would have been different: I would likely still be in Korea, speaking Korean, completely Korean. I would be a different person altogether. I like being able to fly on planes, take pictures, communicate with people I know. I have one best friend that I haven’t seen in person in years - thanks to technology, I get to talk to her all the time. I like being able to text instead of calling every time I need to communicate. Although it takes away a giant part of actually exchanging words face to face, it makes it easier to get together to hang out for real.

Holden Huffman Blog Post #5

                  TV is an amazing thing.  It informs, it excites, it entertains, etc...  If you are bored and can't think of anything to do, just watch TV.  If you can't sleep and need something to help ease your mind, turn on the television.  I personally don't watch much TV, just because I'd rather do other things, but I love it anyways(I watch YouTube much more than TV.)  When I watch it, I usually watch whatever's on ESPN, a sporting event of one of my favorite teams, a movie that's on, or a random show that looks interesting.  One thing that I absolutely hate about T.V. though is the idea of being in control of the remote.  Whenever my younger siblings have the remote, Disney is on for hours.  This is torture for me, so I can't wait until it's my turn.  The issue is when it's my turn, I have no idea what to put it on, because it seems like whenever I get the remote, nothing good is on.  In this case, sometimes I will put it on the educational programming channel to agitate my family or I will give the remote to someone other than my siblings.  The thing is, people talk about all these great shows on TV and how they watch so much of them, but I just don't really feel like investing my time into watching these shows.  Overall, while I prefer YouTube, video games, or "ballin" over it, TV is great and is truly life changing.

Nate Assignment 5

Since childhood I have never been that in to television shows. The main purpose my television serves is to show me basketball and football games. But I don't even watch many of those either- mainly just Michigan State games. I guess the reason I have never enjoyed watching television is that I'm not really doing anything and once it's finished I really got nothing out of it. I would much rather live my life than watch fictional characters live theirs. Not a knock on people who enjoy TV shows, it's just not me. Some shows and movies are different though. They express ideas and are insightful, similar to good music. I fully understand their purpose, they're here to make us think, to give commentary on our life. But I believe it's important to watch them sparingly because there's no reason to listen to commentary on the world around you if you are not interacting with that world. I don't know, I guess TV just isn't for me.

Assignment 5 - Hannah Price

I watch tv because its a means of mindless entertainment. Your so in tune with the show that you have the ability to take your mind off  you life and shifts the focus to someone else's fictional or not.  Even though i do love watching tv it can be addicting and distracting. I love shows that tells a realistic story. I hate shows that try to tell a realistic story, but include things that would never happen in real life.

Tv can provide good and bad entertainment, which is determines by the type of show it it. It can influence you negatively or positively. I think that tv is a way to promote and advertise, which is why there's so many commercials on every channel.

tv- Gloria Pulley

(Random opening thoughts:  Why does Microsoft word have the font default on Calibri 11?  Can this be changed?)

            

          I had an interesting childhood in that I didn’t have cable.  I’m not really sure why my parents never got cable, considering they both watch TV now.  Honestly, I’m unsure what I did with all that time I spent in front of the television…no really I can’t remember (my childhood memories have metaphorically been dumped in a box and shoved back to the deepest corner of my closet).  It wasn’t until middle school that we finally got cable, and by then, I was out of the loop on every cartoon.  Personally, I didn’t see what the big deal was.  Animated sponges and dogs with blogs never quite appealed to me as much as learning how to cook or exploring ancient cultures and faraway places. Case in point, I have a close friend who will try to reference cartoons he watched as a child or movies that “everyone knows about.” In return, I usually stare blankly at him and just continue on, telling him about the cool Nova special that was on.  #smh #nooneunderstandsme

Yes, I was nerd.  I still am. I have no shame.

           

            To answer the actual question, yes, I do watch TV when I can.  In fact, I’m currently watching travel channel with my father.  I used to have more time for weekly nova specials and national geographic documentaries, but nowadays, TV is considered just a welcomed break from homework and cross country and college searching and learning to drive and ACTs and SATs and taking care of my sister and all the things I would rather not do. 

            But I do love my Netflix account.  Friday nights after practice and pasta parties, it’s me time. Curled up in bed, I indulge in a few episodes of the series I am currently working my way through, the X Files.  I allow myself this vacation away from educational programming in pursuit of aliens and the paranormal with my opt Sculder (don’t know what an otp is? #smh).  In a way, television is an opportunity, not just to get lost in a storyline, but to explore places, cultures, science, and history… and not just a brain rotting contraption that’s slowly poisoning our youth. But this has its limits… Prepare for a rant….

 I’m completely ok with TV but DEAR LORD! DO NOT CALL YOURSELF THE HISTORY CHANNEL AND ONLY SHOW RERUNS OF REALITY TV STARRING A BUNCH OF RED NECKS IN A SWAMP!  SHOW ME HISTORY DANGNABBIT!  ALSO, THOSE WHO SPEND THEIR LIVES CARTERING TO A CAMERA AND GET PAID MORE THAN I EVER WILL, Y’ALL NEED TO GO.  Ok, I’m done.

here's a link to a beautiful thing 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/

   

Isabel Bandoroff: Blog post 5

The main reason why people watch TV, or at least why I watch it, is the same reason why people read. To go somewhere else and to experience life from someone else's perspective, to feel what they feel and to carry their problems and accomplishments. Tv and movies just visualize what we read in books, it takes the story one step further. This being said, there are many pointless and stupid shows. Some of my favorite shows are Scandal, Grey's Anatomy (even though I hate that I love it), that '70s show, True Detective (the first season), Freaks and Geeks, and Bobs Burgers. Shows that I hate include the teenage drama genre like teen wolf and pretty little liars. I like Scandal because politics fascinate me, and although the stories aren't true, we cannot deny that politicians do have secrets and skeletons in their closet that they don't want us to know about - but doesn't everyone have those? Grey's Anatomy is interesting because even though the cases are unrealistic and the doctors are sex-crazy drama queens, I love the characters and a future in medicine is on my radar. That '70s show is extremely funny, the conversations that Hyde, Fez, Kelso, and Eric have in the basement when they're high make me laugh so much. It along with Freaks and Geeks also show what it would be like growing up as a teenager in the 70s and 80s which I think is cool. Lastly, true detective is insanely messed up and all of the characters have psychological issues which make them compelling.

Post 4- World in pictures Thomas Winterton

I remember this night. It was just like any other night. Me and my family were watching the news, absorbing discussions and arguments on the T.V. of whatever event currently had the media in an uproar. Dogs scurrying around the house, chasing one of the cats more than likely, just an average night for what I'd like to think was an average american household. It was later in the school year so my parents were laxed on what time I had to be asleep. Without warning the screen lit up with things like "news alert" or "breaking news from the white house," apparently the White House had an announcement to make so we stay tuned rather intrigued. If I recall correctly nothing polarizing was occurring in the US at the time (at least nothing we still face today) so this announcement that was soon coming was as much a mystery to my family and I, as it was to media. So we waited. Then the screen cut to to President Obama (picture above) and then he said     THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. The nation came to life. Within the hour there were people in the streets of every major city in our country. Wielding flags and  embracing each other, that night America felt a sense of nationalism that I personally has not been matched since.

Assignment 5: For the Love and Hate of Television

The Emmy Awards (aired recently) are kind of a big deal. Not a big deal in that life-altering-kind-of-way, but a big deal in the sense that a lot of celebrities dress up, that a lot of companies pay more money in advertisements, and a lot of people stop watching reruns.

The Emmys are not the only award extravaganza of the season though. During the first week of October, without the advertising, paparazzi, or celebrities, the Nobel Prizes are announced. But how many people are listening? With the Emmys comes television's fall lineup, but what does the common person get after the announcement of the Nobel Prize in physics?

So, what are your thoughts? Choose one or two or all of the following prompts:

Why do you watch TV? Why do you not? What shows do you love or hate?

Does TV provide a good form of entertainment? Is it just a convenient delivery system for advertisers to send their messages to the masses? Is it an inane use of time? Can it be all three?

What does it say about our society that the Emmy's have so much glitz and attention and the Nobel Prizes are quietly announced in the news? Is this bad? Good? Appropriate?

Check out these sites for more information:

Turn off your TV

Television and Health

Positive Benefits of TV on Toddlers and Children

Due Sunday September 27th at 11:59 pm 

Hannah Price-Assignment 4

This picture was taken on March 31, 1991. It shows Rodney King being brutally beaten my multiple police officers. The Rodney King incident sparked a lot of controversy in America. It showcased the brutality and cruelty black men faced in dealing with  predominantly white police officers. When the police officers were charged and wrongfully acquitted it sparked the need for change, which resulted in the LA Riots 1992.

Allie Gregory #4

 

          World War II began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. Two years later, the bombing of Pearl Harbor brought the US into the war, and, over it's course, havoc was wreaked across the globe. Estimates put the number of total casualties around 50 million, and for years the entire world was consumed in the fight. Then it was over. In 1945, the fighting ended, and the excitement that ensued is depicted here. The people in this picture are celebrating. They're elated, utterly relieved. Though the two people had never met before the moment he decided to go up and kiss her, it shows clearly that they're overjoyed. High on victory. Rejoicing.
          Likewise, the world is rejoicing around them. Though it is important to note that many are grieving terrible losses, and entire countries facing the idea of a crushing defeat, those who survived are feeling what we see in this picture. The winners are feeling the joy of success, but I imagine even those who lost can't help but realize that at least they didn't die.

(Important comment: I wrote this before I checked and saw that Annie had just used my picture.)

Holden Huffman Blog Post #4

                   Pictures are worth a thousand words.  They can tell a story, they can spread a message, they can capture history, and have the potential to do so, so, much more.  When on the topic of a picture that changed the world, I couldn't really think of one that wasn't already thought of, so instead I have a picture of an invention that would change, comfort, and shock not only the nation, but the world.  This picture is of Google.  Google started in January 1996 as a research project conducted by Larry Page and Sergey Brin.  This project would soon change everything after it led to the creation of a widely popular search engine.  Now, everything is suddenly at your fingertips.  If you want a recipe for chocolate chip cookies, you can now just "Google" it.  If you need directions to your Grammy's house, need your doctor's phone number, or if you just want to find something entertaining, you can search for it within seconds.  You can even search things about health conditions you may be having (although not advisable.)  Overall, Google has changed, comforted, and shocked the world.  It completely changed how we find information, it comforted us in letting us know that we have loads of information at our fingertips, and it shocked the world by how amazing and informative it is.  Google is something that has completely changed the world and will continue to for years to come.

A world in Pictures: Ben Edition

In this assignment, I'm going to take the title quite literally.



The picture before you is the first picture of Earth from the moon.
This photo not only changed the world's perspective on itself, but also signified the beginning of a new age; an age of pushing higher and farther than we had ever thought of. crossing boundaries of science and technology no one had even thought to approach. this stepping stone would assist scientific endeavors in communities across the world.

Also, something else that crossed my mind is that technically, this is just a really, really, big group selfie.

Blog Post 4 (Annie Deitz)

 

Many people recognize this photo as "that one picture of the sailor dude kissing the lady after World War Two ended."

As iconic and popular as it is, few people actually know much about this picture, so before I began answering the prompt for this week's blog post I thought I would enlighten you.

The picture was taken August 14th, 1945- a date possibly better known as the official end of World War Two. The photographer of this picture, Alfred Eisenstaedt, a Jewish journalist for Life magazine from Germany, scoured Times Square on that Tuesday morning. The woman in this photo, Greta Zimmer, dental assistant living in Manhattan , ran to Times Square on her lunch break in search of a newspaper that would tell her whether or not the fighting in the Pacific theatre had ended. The man, George Mendonsa, Petty Officer First Class on the last day of his leave, went to see a movie with his girlfriend Rita Petri, completely unaware of the rumors concerning the end of the war.

As George and his girlfriend reached Manhattan and were informed of the news, they joined in the celebration; drinking and partying along with the rest of the crowd. As he became more drunk on the booze and high on the excitement, George began to wander Times Square, leaving his girlfriend in the dust. Alfred, seeing the navy officer , followed him in hopes of a picture. George locked his eyes on Greta, who looked like the nurses that served alongside him in the war. In a drunken haze, George decided to march up to her and kiss her, taking her completely by surprise. The kiss was captured by Alfred, who had finally gotten his prized photo.

This pictures symbolizes the end of World War Two and the dawn of a new America. It captured the end of a period of fear for most people in the world and the celebration of new life and a new born world. A heavy load had been lifted off of the planet's back, and it changed American life forever. World War Two ending how it did, and when it did, will continue to effect people forever.

Around Greta and George, Americans crowded Times Square, celebrating the end of the war for hours on end. A new aura of peace, happiness, and excitement prevailed across the nation, and across the world. The planet had just taken a giant sigh of relief and was about to release a "whoop" of elation. George, and millions of other men and women like him, would not have to go to the battlefield the next day to participate in another seemingly endless battle for life. Rations and mass production and stress on the home front would be alleviated. Evil had been contained and the good reigned victorious. Everything, for the first time in six years, was going to be okay.

Well, probably not for George, his girlfriend probably was not too happy when she picked up a copy of Life magazine and saw her love making out with some random chick on the cover.

But for everyone else, this picture represented a new age, an age of peace, an age of happiness, an age to start over. This photograph captures the time when a whole nation's mood changed from monotonous and tired to enthusiastic and young.


Here's the link where I found the background story of the picture, in case anyone wants to read about it more in depth:
http://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2012-07/story-behind-famous-kiss
 

Come to the dark side, Luke: Ben Edition

People are born good-natured. We aren't brought unto this world with hate in our hearts, but it can be afflicted by external forces, such as a feeling of dismay at the loss of a loved one. There is also no absolute of good and evil in humans, but it has always consumed us to put a reference on something that is absolute. Such can be found in religion, with a deity of goodness being all-benevolent, and a polar figure of malevolence. There's nothing saying that Ms. Kleppinger wasn't on her way back from abandoning some adorable puppies in the snow, resulting in her wanting to have some karmic shifting back to her side when she stumbled across an abandoned wallet. As far as "good" goes, who defines it's moral value and what place does the screwhead have to do so? The reply I get frequently is, "whoever there is the most of, are right" with the basis that even if they aren't they can forcefully make it so by eradicating the few dissidents that exist. Whenever I hear the reasoning, I always think back to a certain quote; "War isn't about who's right, only about who's left." Absolute good and absolute evil only exist in the unnatural and the ignorant. 

Post Four: Tori

so this mom had just spent seven months in Iraq, and is seeing her daughter for the first time since then. This picture isn't the fall of the Berlin wall, or a huge significant moment. But to that mom. And that little girl. It's the best moment. Soldiers coming home and seeing their families always makes me cry. 9/11 changed our nation, and the war on terror sent thousands of people away from their families, and not all of them came back. So no. This isn't a picture that changed a nation, but it shows the aftermath of a shocking moment. Which is still important. Just seeing the happiness on their faces made me feel better, it's nice to see hope in a picture every once in a while.

Nate Assignment 4

Syria is not safe anymore. Since the Arab Spring democracy protests began in the Middle East began, the country has be flung into conflict. What started as peaceful protest in 2011 has transformed into a civil war that has claimed the lives of 220,000 Syrians. Over 7 million Syrians have been internally displaced and around 4 million have fled the country. But many have nowhere to go. Until earlier this month, most European countries had tightened down on the amount of Syrian refugees they let into the country. This had led many Syrians facing likely likely death in their home country to take desperate measures to get to Europe. Smuggling through the Mediterranean has been the most popular attempt, but many of the sturdy ships carrying the Syrians to refuge were more of flimsy canoes. Europe and the rest of the world was for the most part unresponsive to reports of thousands of Syrian drownings.
That all changed with this.

On the morning of September 2 a dead Syrian boy was discovered on the shore of Turkish beach resort. This picture surfaced all over the Internet and its influence has spanned the world. Most people hadn't given one though to what it meant that thousands of Syrians were drowning. This boy was certainly not the first, but the images of his death forced millions to realize the horrors that many refugees were facing. It was a wake up call to governments that its times to start helping. Countries all over Europe and even the U.S. have announced that they are going to accept as many Syrians as possible. If that isn't world changing I don't know what is.

iwrite: Ben Edition

I still remember what my Tech. Ed. Teacher in 7th grade told my class on the first day of school: "Technology is any human invention that makes any aspect of life easier." I agree.

I could go on about how the more everyday inventions help human out (i.e. cars, lights, modernized medicine), but that is boring and unneeded. One of the most significant yet unappreciated way technology (in specific, modernized entertainment industries) has affected me is by exposing me to culturally enriching means by which I define myself as a member of society. We live in a society nowadays where we are enveloped with this extravagant patchwork that all rooted from a magnificent mind. We attempt to define ourselves around the things we enjoy, we relate with, and all of the mass media outlets from the internet to the big screen. We enjoy watching things, and becoming sort of an egg basket for the minds that cook up what we wish to watch. For me, knowing that our current culture is shaped around the imagination and creativity of a small group of minds is truly a cool thing. 

#4 Gloria Pulley

Waking up on that big day is always a challenge.  The morning is typically spent frantically reviewing the course maps or checking the weather or searching for you bib.  In the midst of worrying about your outfit and your playlist, the idea that anything worse than a side stich would occur is lost.  Convincing yourself that you’re ready, you walk out that door, fully expecting to return in a few hours, sweaty, exhausted, and starved.  

                The Boston marathon is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious races, and the accomplishment of a lifetime for most runners.  To even qualify is an honor in itself.  On April 15^th, 2013, runners from all over the world came together for this event, but were met with tragedy when two homemade bombs went off near the finish line at 2:49 pm.  With thousands of runners still finishing, this was peak time.  Within seconds, the scene was transformed from a celebration of personal achievement to a bloody massacre.  In all, 260 were injured and three were killed in the blast. 

                Below is the memorial honoring the three runners and a police officer who were killed.  As to the significance of this picture, it represents the basic nature of most runners. We are resilient.  From scenes of carnage and destruction came images of random strangers helping the injured.  For weeks and months, people from across the country sent shoes with notes written on the treads, offering words of hope.  Stories of recovery popped up here and there in the news as survivors slowly pieced their lives back together.  For me, this picture captures what news stories can’t. It captures the compassion that comes with being a community.

  

Blog 4: Ahmed

I don't need to describe this photo to you. We all know who this is, where it is, and when it was taken. But I'm going to anyways; this photo was taken of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, it was taken on the moon and it was taken on July 20, 1969. 

As  Americans we clutch to this as our victory, our way to prove we're better than everyone else, though as Neil Armstrong said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." While this may be a stepping stone for our sense of Americanness, this truly was a "leap for mankind." 

As citizens of the world, this goes to show we can do anything. Anything. If we want to reach the bottom of the ocean, we can do it. If we want to reach the top of the sky, we can do it. Hell, we've even gone past the sky and to a whole. 'nother. world. How cool is that? It's pretty darn cool, that's what it is.

Blog Post 4: Isabel Bandoroff

I knew from the moment I read the blog assignment what picture I was going to post. I saw it a little over a week ago on 9/11, we watched a documentary on it in sociology. It was the first time I had seen the picture but its simplicity and profoundness have stuck with me, I know I will not forget it. I give you The Falling Man:

This photo was taken by Richard Drew on September 11th, 2001. It was printed the day after on September 12th, people were outraged. How could a newspaper run such a picture! Our children might see this, it's downright inappropriate! However, some people saw this picture for what it was: the truth. An accurate representation of how the people trapped in the twin towers felt that day. This picture is provocative, it makes humans do what they often don't want to - imagine someone else's pain, put themselves in the shoes of a victim of 9/11. Everyone wanted to know who "The falling man" was and a reporter was charged with the task of discovering this. It is believed that he is Norberto Hernandez, a chef at the restaurant Windows, which would explain his outfit. Some of Hernandez's family said they believed it was him; however, the majority could not fathom it. They were Catholic, and suicide meant Hell, understandably they wouldn't want to believe this man was their father. The family was insulted, stating that their father would never intentionally leave them. But I don't think it matters who the Falling Man was, I think its significance is the only important thing. This photo forces us to decide what we would do if we were trapped in the Towers, would we chose to burn at temperatures above 1000 degrees? Would we foolishly hope for salvation, even though we know deep down that we are doomed? Or would we take fate into our own hands and have a few more seconds of freedom? Personally, I would rather go out free falling through the air at peace with my death than being imprisoned and frantically trying to escape. 

It is estimated that over 200 people jumped on 9/11, they knew that they would not survive the fall -- but it was the only thing they could do. I think it is offensive to those who died to say that these people fell or were pushed, to invalidate the last decision they made on earth. 

Assignment 3: Jordan Carroll

The good, The bad, and The inbetween. Sounds pretty catchy, but that's how the people of the world are categorized. We have the Ghandi type, that can do no wrong. We have the Osama bin Buttheads of the world, which only do wrong. Then, we have the "eh" group of the world. This is the majority group of decent people who do indecent things. I believe people can be absolute good and absolute evil, but I also believe in the in-betweeners that don't do bad on purpose... it just kinda happens. For example: the mini van that cut you off this morning was probably not the spawn of Satan, just a soccer mom late for car-pool. There are people that strive to only commit terrible acts. These are the awful, horrible people who have no respect for anything, and probably took the last oreo and left the empty box in the pantry to mock you. Then there's the "Ghandi" type. By this I mean the few people in the world that put others before themselves, always. I used to work with a girl named Elizabeth, who was a hardcore Ghandi. Everyday for 3 weeks we worked together and everyday before she left, no matter how many times you told her she didn't have to, she would ALWAYS clean the bathrooms... What a Saint. She voluntarily did the one thing nobody ever wanted to do. And when I asked her why? She said she felt bad that people had to do something they didn't want to. THIS is the kind of person I hope to be one day; the person who cleans the bathrooms so nobody else has to. The world has a mixture of Ghandis, Osamas, and In-betweeners, and sometimes one group makes themselves more evident than another, but no matter how many awful Osamas you come in contact with never forget that eventually you will come across a Ghandi.

Assignment 2: Jordan Carroll

Assignment 2: Jordan Carroll

Technology... It's great yet awful. The great thing about it is its ability to make life easier. Anything that could possibly be a burden has some form of technology that's been produced to make it well... easy. Although this is a blessing it's also the cause of modern laziness. Why would we get up to do anything when we can do it all from behind a screen or have some machine do it for us? This applies to not only performing tasks but also communicating. Instead of letters and face to face communication we now have texts and face time. And no, face time does not count as face to face interaction. Yeah it's easier to communicate, but any hint of emotion is gone. Think about. Way back when long hand letters were the norm people actually had to put in effort to communicate. This gave it meaning. This added a personal aspect to communication. Imagine getting a letter in the mail, that someone went to the effort of writing, just for you, knowing they'd have to wait days for a response but also knowing it was worth it. The only person I get real, written, in the mail, paper-and-pen letters from are my 90 year old great aunt Louis who lives in Florida and could not, for her life, work a computer well enough to attempt emailing. I always love her letters though. Every holiday and birthday she sends me a cute little card with a five dollar bill and a nice long note beautifully written in her script-like handwriting. It's something I look forward to every time I get a piece of mail from her. I remember when I was little, before I got a phone. I didn't get Happy Birthday texts from my Aunts and Uncles, I got real cards with their names really written on the bottom, unlike the now too familiar name with a dash (and although they've figured out how to text me happy birthday, they still don't understand I have caller id). Technology has taken all the meaning out of communication. It's so effortless that it's been de-valued. Everything technology touches becomes effortless, and that is not for the better.

iWrite Post 2- Thomas Winterton

I can happily credit technology with the fact that it has helped me form strong friendships that I can only hope will last a lifetime.  In this case video games being that form of technology (geeky I know!) Through the gift that is the internet, millions of people including myself, can wirelessly connect to each other from across the world and share experiences with each other that would otherwise be impossible 50 years ago. For those of you who don’t know much about video games and such, I would highly recommend you divert from this blog post to another post less childish than this one. During my 8^th grade year at Tates Creek Middle school, one of the gnarliest video games of all time came out. That game being Halo 4. I’m not going to go into too much detail considering that if you are still reading this article you more than likely know of this game. Any Halo game is a multiplayer powerhouse, Halo 4 being no exception, meaning the more people you have the better the experience, as most social events are in life. That being said, I needed some people to play with and just so as it happened another person at Tates Creek Middle needed one too, I won’t name this individual as I did not ask him if I could share this story. My new found friend and I played this game for hours every week, on weekends playing until the break of dawn fueled by Mountain Dew. As you can imagine this level interaction formed a strong bond between the two adolescents, one that still lasts to this day. People hate on video game, which is understandable in SOME cases, but games are so much more than just a time waster, they help build lasting relationships and of course are incredibly fun. 

Assignment 4: A World in Pictures

On Monday morning, you could have stood on the top level and witnessed the beautiful eccentrics of New York city. On Tuesday morning, you would have run in horror.The two tallest buildings in New York City fell on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 and because of the consequential pain and destruction, America would forever be changed.

On September 11, the majority of the nation watched in horrific silence as they saw the pictures of chaos.

This picture from New York Magazine marked the start of a new era for America.

Pictures show us what we cannot know first-hand. They can make a statement or argument. They can educate on the reality of the world. They can change how a person thinks about an idea or event. This week, find a picture that shocked, comforted, or changed a nation or community of people (falling of Berlin wall, JFK assassination, etc.)

Include your picture, a description of it, and what it provokes you to think about in your blog.

If you're facing writer's block, consider the following:
What happened just before the photograph was taken?
How do the people in the photograph feel?
What is happening outside the frame of this photograph?

Due Sunday, September 20th at 11:59 pm.

Blog 3: Ahmed

I believe in absolute good as I believe in a seemingly unprovoked fight. There is always something you don't know. Whether it's that the "victim" just insulted the perpetrator's dead mother, or that he owes him money, or maybe he jumped a friend of his.  Some people would say he is justified if the "victim" insulted his late mother, others believe he shouldn't strike someone merely because of his words. This doesn't mean the victim is always at fault, he may be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I believe there is a "war" between good and evil, though it's more of an internal fight, with lines that you may cross. Each line signifies something that you perceive as good or evil.

What makes the idea of good and evil so powerful? It's our perception of it. If I see Ms. Kleppinger as an example of ultimate good, than that is what matters. If I know her to be a bad person that did something good, than what? Is she now an example of someone who is evil, and had a slip up? Or if she would normally just leave it there, for the owner or someone else to pick up? Does that make her good, bad, neutral, or some combination of? I could go on for days. There are so many possibilities I could list, and even more that won't occur to me. This isn't a concept I've always had, I didn't even recognize it until this summer. When I gave the cousin, that everyone knows likes me, a hug. This caused a literal shitstorm of accusations, ideas, and tinfoil-hat theories. If it had been a guy or they didn't know she liked me, then their reactions would of been different. They may not of seen me, her, or the situation as evil. Heck, over here in the states you may see the fact that she is my cousin, as enough for it to be evil. Not that I gave her a hug, but the fact that she is my cousin.

Good and evil have to exist, as much as left and right because they're a lens through we view others. Admittedly, we aren't always right, but that man you avoided walking next to because of his rough look and manner might of meant you harm. Or he was a lonely man, just looking to enjoy your company. You will never know, because you judged a persons character based on their outside. Universally, we see that is despicable; there's even a saying for it, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." Though in my limited experience we've all "judged" a book by its a cover. Whether or not we've regretted it or felt justified depends on the outcome. All this means is that we condemn others behavior or ideas, or condone it based off our experiences with them or the subject. This is the most we are capable of doing, seeing things inside of our perspective. As a consequence we, human beings, misinterpret things all the time. 

Aditi Lohe Blog Post #3

Our world is based on the idea of good versus evil. Many believe that a person can only be one or the other. That is where I think they went wrong. People are born as innocent, naive, and good; its what they go through later on in their life that causes the evil within them. For instance, many people believe it is a sinful act to commit suicide, but what they don't take into account is why the other person killed them self. That person wasn't born unhappy, people made them that way. Society, especially in today's time, is very powerful and people don't always realize the repercussions of their words.

Good and evil are not things people can avoid or only have one of. Everyone has wronged in their life and everyone has good within them. Our actions are what make us who we are. It is the evil in us that makes us appreciate all we have and helps us learn from our past mistakes. Just the same, it is the good in us that makes us who we are and makes us care.

The difference between good and evil cannot be one specific definition because it is a subjective concept. One cannot simply declare what is right or wrong for the whole world. There are certainly good and bad qualities one can possess, or what one can act in favor of, but you cannot simple title them as good or evil because everyone has some of both of these traits, not just one or the other.

People are like labyrinths. All of our unique qualities are what individualize us from others. We are confusing and unpredictable and hard to understand. There are many paths one can take, but our exclusive personalities---shaped by our experiences, family, friends, actions, decisions, past, and present--- make us who we are.

Do I believe that people can only be good or only be evil? The answer is no, I absolutely don't believe that. Everyone has come from a different background, shaping them in an exclusive way as they matured. Good and evil are inside everyone. A person cannot simply possess a single one of these traits because no one is completely good or completely evil. We all contain aspects of both of these traits within ourselves---it is what makes who we are as individuals.

The two ideas of good and evil are very broad. Either way, there cannot just be a single way to describe what is right and wrong in this world. Why? Due to the fact that reason is subjective, and everyone is their own individual person. Good and evil in people are like the two colors black and white and what they are like when mixed together; it is not a matter of one or the other, its about being in the middle, being gray.

Assignment 3- Hannah Price

In this world, there is no complete absolute good or evil. I think everyone is this world is in the grey area when it comes to good and evil. Everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect so it's not possible to be 100% good. It's not possible to be 100% evil because there aren't 100% evil people in this world that are just born evil. Good and bad are things that always have to exist, but I don't think that evilness real exists in the world we live in. Sometimes good people do bad things and sometimes bad people do good things. I think if a "bad" or "evil" person is around enough "good" people they will learn to be good as well. I think evil is too strong of a word to describe people as. I think people do things that are evil, but that doesn't mean they are evil. Evilness is something that is wickedly immoral and inhumane. Good is anything that helps and benefits others.     

Our Gray World Thomas Werner

There is no dead set 'good' and 'evil' in this world. While it may seem that way with characters such as Floyd Mayweather taking the 'villain' approach to their personality, flaunting money and taunting opponents, he knows he's not actually hurting anyone. He embraces his character, and knows people want to see him fall. And he knows people will pay for it. Mayweather isn't inherently evil, he just has a public figure that seems that way. He's not like comic book villains, who will cause complete destruction for the sake of destruction itself. Those people are called sociopaths. For the rest of us, we have what is called morals. We don't have morals that tell us to be good or bad, we have morals that tell us to to what is right.

A pretty universal definition can be set for good and evil, but what we define as 'right' is where the fog forms. While in some instances we can all concur, such as Leah Kleppinger returning the wallet, it's almost never completely that way. What if a homeless man had found the wallet? Most likely, his morals would have told him the right thing to do would be to at least take some of the cash to provide for himself. His own well being comes before being a good Samaritan. And on the complete other end, someone with corrupt morals will take the wallet completely for themselves. They are still doing what they think is right, but their idea of 'right' is egocentric. They see their personal gain as more important than helping a stranger, making what they do seem right to them.

Blog #3 - Allie Gregory

          I really struggle with the idea of truly evil human beings. Certainly, it is an undeniable truth that some people do absolutely terrible things. I know that. Some people have twisted morals or else no sense of respect for other humans, but I see these people as damaged somehow. Either they grew up with bad role models or no direction, or they have some form of mental disorder. And I don’t consider this evil. A psychopath has no capability whatsoever for human emotion. Many will therefore commit actions that come across as cruel or calloused. When a psychopath commits murder, it’s almost always premeditated and carried out without regret (I’ve done my research – long story), and this seems evil, but really it’s just a side effect of lacking human connection. If someone were to call a psychopath murderer inhuman, then I would consider their argument, but evil… I’m less inclined.

          It’s not that there aren’t bad people. Some people are mean, and I don’t allot them much sympathy. Likewise there are good people who are driven to help others and are understanding and forgiving in their nature. However, I don’t think of these characteristics as inherent. I don’t think that some people are just born terrible, and the same way I know people who are basically good can do bad things, I like to think people who do bad things have at least some inkling of good in them.

          To answer the questions, I do believe in good and evil. Neither exists without the other, and people are obviously drawn in both directions. However, I like to think, just for optimism’s sake, that human’s are inclined to be good.

Annie Deitz's Third Blog Post

A few days ago marked the fourteenth anniversary of one of the greatest American tragedies of the 21st century. As all know, September eleventh, 2001, terrorists from the Middle East hijacked four commercial airplanes, wanting to crash into two World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon, and the White House. Their goal was to instill fear into the nation's heart, and it was achieved. The nation watched in horror as thousands of people were killed in the devastating collisions. The majority of Americans believe those individuals and their terrorist networks at home to be insane- and they probably were. They claimed to commit the atrocity in the name of their religion.

Religion is good, right? Religion supports a life of goodness and helpfulness and devotion, right? There is no way that their religion would actually allow this, right?

Religion is a fickle thing. It cannot be defined and never remains exactly the same across time, distance, or individuals. Everyone perceives it differently and everyone has their own opinions as to what it asks of them and what they are required to believe. So, technically, the terrorists responsible for 9/11 were motivated by religion. Their religion drove them to cause an event that would forever change life as we knew it.

So, are am I trying to argue that they did the right thing? That they were good people?

No. Of course not. But every situation has the unfortunate tendency to be complicated. We cannot see how those men thought of their actions as being anything but evil because we cannot think the same way as them. We do not interpret requirements of religion or issues of morality the same way, and therefore we cannot apply our way of thinking when making judgments about them. Those actions were evil. Killing thousands of people, scarring a nation for the rest of eternity, those things cannot be justified by religion. The extremity they were driven to was inexcusable and pure evil.  They may have thought that they were doing the right thing, but they were not. When blinded by personal motives and desires, it becomes almost impossible for people to notice when they have passed over to the dark side.

Then how can open our eyes enough to stay on the light side?

It's hard. Really hard. Between the white and black sides of the spectrum, there are many, many, many shades of grey. And how far is too far depends on each individual's personal beliefs. Say a poor man needs medicine for his dying wife, but cannot afford it, and steals it. Would that be acceptable? What if that man has the money but doesn't feel like paying? What if the wife could survive without it, but would be in pain for the rest of her life? What if the couple had children.

People can do bad things for the right reasons, or good things for the wrong reasons. It depends whether or not you believe that it was worth it. No one person can define the set of morals for all other people, and no one person's beliefs about good and evil are completely wrong.

Robert Hancock- Good Vs. Evil

Does the battle between good and evil exist? The answer is a simple yes. There is, without a doubt in my mind that the struggle between good and evil is real and all about us. There is a force that tries to lead us away from the path of the righteous. Many today lack the ability or will to resist these forces, I my self am not exempt from these urges. This has unfortunately led to a devolution of morality where we try to rationalize away the guilt that we feel after doing wrong. We claim it is natural and that everyone does such things. But in our hearts we know our errs, the sense of moral righteousness is with us from birth, given unto us by our God. It is inescapable. The struggle for the moral high ground is a path is hard fought battle, especially for such lowly creatures such as us, but not impossible. We merely need to stay true to what our hearts instruct us and to not accept the excuses that the wicked and week willed offer us. The battle for good and evil wages about us, but it is our responsibility to stay true to the path and to resist the temptation to do evil.

Grey Areas

Blog post three-Tori Leggett

"Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." -Sirius Black

I don't think there's black and white when it comes to anything, lines blur, and so do morals. I think that good people are capable of bad things, and bad people are capable of good things. I don't think anything is ever clear cut right and wrong. I think there are some things that are irredeemable from: murder, rape, abuse. But those are the extremes, the small portion of horrible people compared to the majority of the population that fall into the grey category. I don't think you can look at someone and damn them, or make them a saint. It's not that easy.

Voldemort was the worst of the worst villains, and the epitome of evil. Which is what storytellers often to, it makes the story interesting, gives it morals. But if you actually look into Voldemort's story, he was conceived under a love potion, making him incapable of love. So, this poses the question, was it his fault he was so bad? No, maybe not. But it doesn't excuse his actions.

Darth Vader was the villain, but he was bad because he wanted to be good. He wanted to protect his family. So does that excuse everything? Does his final act in Revenge of the Jedi redeem him? Maybe in the end he was forgiven, but the things not forgotten.

In minority report, they kill the murderers before they even murder anyone. Preemptive strike. Which kinda sucks, what if there was a reason for the crime? What if at the last second they decided against it? Or worse, what if they were wrong? Sometimes the good trying to defeat the bad, ends up with the good people doing bad things. This is where the line blurs. So no, ultimately there will always be a struggle between good and evil.

In stories, good always wins. It gives hope to the kids that read them. I mean, who wants to tell kids that sometimes the bad guys don't get caught? And that sometimes the good ones screw up? I don't even like to admit these things sometimes. Good guys don't always come out on top. And bad guys get away sometimes.

Shit happens, I guess.

Nate Dutch Assignment 3

     Defining people as good or bad isn't just difficult, it is impossible. Let me take you through the steps and show why attempting to do so will only confuse and depress you. We can begin with the ridiculous task of defining good and evil. What's good and what's evil? Is good just helping others and evil is harming others? Well, it can't be that simple because the only people who do something
specifically with the intentions of harming others are clinically insane. What I think you mean by evil is selfishness. Almost all of what you consider evil is someone who does something purely for their own gain without thinking of the consequences for others, and what is good is actions for the benefit of others over yourself. So now that we have have transformed this into a more manageable discussion of selflessness vs. selfishness, we can start categorizing. But no we can't because no one is completely selfish or selfless. We are evolutionarily programmed to seek out for ourselves and also at times to look out for the group. "Good people" in our society are those that more often than not fight primitive urges to be egocentric. But these "good people" also have times where they are selfish. So, unless you want to make a metric comparing good to bad, no one is truly good or evil. Humans are complex and have the capacity for wonderful deeds as well as horrible ones. So, while you can never truly be a "good person" it is important to be the best and most selfless person you can.

Good vs. Evil (Gloria Pulley)

Before the year is up, you will hear me refer to many things as “evil.”  Calibri size 11 font is evil…  The school wifi, absolutely detestable… Tangled headphones belong in the deepest pits of hell… The bar on the underside of our desks that I always end up busting my knees on, actual Satan… the list of evil things goes on.
But when it comes to people I’m ambivalent.  Do I think people are truly evil? No.  It’s not like anyone pops out of the womb proclaiming their intentions to wreak havoc on our society.  Take Fritz Haber as an example.  In 1918 he was given the Noble Prize in chemistry for the Haber-Bosch process. Through this process, one could synthesize ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen, creating applications in the field (haha pun) of agriculture.  It turns out this could serve as a nice synthetic fertilizer for crops, increasing yield and shortening growing time.  It turns out he was also very interested in revolutionizing warfare, particularly in the development of poison gases, bringing death to millions (if you consider chemical warfare in WWI, as well as the implications of his work in WWII and Nazi death camps with their gas chambers).
Here’s where it becomes subjective.  Is he an evil person?  Is he a good person?  (I’m hesitant to say what I think even though this is an opinionated post…I tend to avoid these types of things).  An argument can be made that he is evil, I mean, he did use his knowledge to kill thousands in the name of nationalism during WWI. An argument can also be made that he is good.  His contribution to the commercial food industry is monumental, giving us crop yields previously unknown to humanity and fueling multibillion dollar corporations.  It just depends on what lens you view it through.
Overall, I think the battle of good vs. evil is solely an invention of the entertainment industry looking to capitalize on our desire to pit juxtaposing sides against one another in a battle to captivate audiences.  Real life isn’t as clear cut as movie or book because evil and good are such subjective terms.  It’s kinda like a stain glass window.  There are so many little pieces of a whole and depending on how you arrange them you can create an infinite number to pictures, each portraying something different.  Everyone has little bits and pieces of their lives-choices, personality traits, actions, words-which can come together in varying arrangements to be judged for better or worse by others.
So yeah… I guess that’s where I stand on the matter, smack dab in the middle.

Holden Huffman Blog Post #3

     There are many varying opinions when it comes to the subject of good vs. evil.  Some people believe that there is a very clear, solid line between good and evil, while others believe that there are some grey areas in between the two sides.  In my opinion, I believe that there is a separation between good and evil, but the good have some evil in them and vice versa.  I also believe that bad people can become good and good people can become bad.  An example of a bad person that has changed his ways is Michael Vick, currently a QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers (my favorite team in the NFL.)  In 2007, Vick was arrested for dog fighting and extreme animal abuse, serving 21 months in prison and being cut from the Atlanta Falcons.  Today, Vick is a huge supporter of the Humane Society's Pets for Life program in an attempt to end dogfighting throughout the world.  On the other spectrum of things, I believe that everyone has some "skeletons in their closet," no matter how good they may be.  One example of this theory is Josh Duggar.  On T.V., the Duggar family was portrayed as a near perfect family.  The kids rarely got in trouble, they were smart, had good morals, etc...  Recently, news popped up of Josh Duggar being charged with child molestation.  This news has already led to the cancelling of the show 19 Kids and Counting and has basically destroyed the wholesome reputation of the Duggar family.  This example shows that good people can still do terrible things.  Overall, yes there is a fine line between good and evil, but at the same time the two sides are both present within every one of us, even if one side is superior to the other.

Isabel Bandoroff: Blog Post 3

I don't believe that there is a universal battle between good and evil; however, both do exist and will continue to exist until the end of time. Bad things happen and good things happen everyday, but I don't believe in fate or greater forces that dictate our behavior. I believe in free will. Don't get me wrong, I am a Christian but my church doesn't believe in the devil so I'm not sure what other "evil" forces would be out there. Although I believe in God, I don't think he has control over every little thing in our lives, he could have a general plan for us like when we die or who we marry but everything in between is up to us. Good and evil things have to exist because we as people have a need to categorize and evaluate everything that happens. Good and evil are different and if they didn't both exist then we couldn't make distinctions between the two and everything would get messy and confusing. A world where one could be eliminated once and for all would be a very scary place to live, so hopefully that can't happen. If every thing was good all the time then we wouldn't be grateful, we need bad things to happen to make us realize how lucky we are. Life without hardships isn't really life at all. On the other hand, a life with no good would mean no love, no happiness, no smiling, no laughing. Neither of the two sound very good to me, good and evil balance each other out and both are necessary. Good and evil can't really be defined, we just all have that little moral compass inside of us telling us if something is wrong or right. There is a grey area like when something is illegal or maybe "immoral" but it is for a good cause, it's justified. An example of this would be someone stealing medicine for his dying wife, yes stealing is wrong and what not, but he loves his wife, and she's dying and needs it. Does this make the man good or bad? I don't think it's that simple. 

Nate Assignment 2

     All things considered, the evolution of technology has benefited my life and has given the same opportunity to everyone else; however, I acknowledge the controversy that envelops it. The reason for such divided opinions is really about application more than function.  Technology has great potential for good in all people's lives but it all boils down to how you use what you have been provided.
     Think of it like this; imagine that you inherited a library full of all known information. You have so many options to find and discover new and useful things, yet you spend most of it looking at all of man's collected images of cats that look like celebrities. Should we blame the library for your lost time? No and neither should we blame technology, which is in essence what I just described but in digital form.
     I do also sympathize with those who claim that technology has led to a more sedentary society. But, I once again would like to say that it is not technology who is to blame. Does technology stop you from getting fit and swoll? No. Does it force you to sit on the couch and not go enjoy nature? Didn't think so. Does it forcibly hold you down and make sure you never see the light of day? Absolutely not.
      Technology offers you two options, own it or let it own you. There is so much you can do with technology, so much information you can access. Technology makes your life easier allowing you to focus on what really matters, so let it do its job. Technology is fantastic as long as you remember that the tech-world isn't what's important. All of this points to technology being fine and leads to a conclusion that we already knew about ourselves; we have a natural inclination to be lazy and to suck in general. So let's stop blaming technology for societies problems but instead focus on ourselves, the ones in control.

Assignment 3: Come to the dark side, Luke

The news does not shy away from stories that show the moral flaws of humanity. Read any newspaper and there is always something about the latest crime in its pages. Every so often though, we are fortunate enough to hear stories of people who still want to do the right thing. For instance, Leah Kleppinger recently found a wallet when no one else was around. When she opened it, she saw $4,600 in cash and credit cards and had every opportunity to pocket it, but instead returned it to its owner.

But just because we hear about bad things and nice things happening does that mean there is a true battle versus good and evil? Is Leah Kleppinger the epitome of good while someone who would have kept the wallet the definition of evil?

So...you're prompt for the week:

Do you believe in absolute good and evil? Is it as clear cut as Harry Potter versus Voldemort, the Sith versus the Jedi? Is there no war at all between good and evil; is there just this gray area where sometimes good people do bad things? Are good and evil even things that have to exist? Can one eliminate the other once and for all? What is evil? What is good?

Use examples when applicable, tell a story to illustrate your point, show causation - whatever you decide to say about it, explain yourself.

Your post will be due by Sunday September 13th 11:59 pm

Aditi Lohe Blog Post #2

Technology affects our lives daily. We have gotten so used to it, so dependent on it, that we can't even imagine life without all of the advancements in it.

One way I appreciate today's advancements, is through photography.  Cameras have become much more portable and efficient. Sometimes, I like to carry around small disposable cameras for when a memorable moment comes up. We use social media sites -such as Instagram- to display our daily lives and experiences for our followers to see.

Photography plays a great role in our life; we use it to capture moments that are meaningful to us. Many moments today will be remembered in the future due to the fact we have devices that constantly allow us to be up-to-date.

Social media has become the dominating sector for media in general; it is the modern-day newspaper. Since we are the technology generation, we have the means to develop communications more advanced than the human race has ever encountered. Though our parents criticize us for being on our phones, they do not understand we are being introduced to concepts so highly-developed that many do not acknowledge the fact we are simply prepping for what is to come.

Technology has also allowed us to be more objective in our social issues. Now, we have many groups of people who have connected all across the world to push for social revolution.

Assignment 2 ROBERTO JUAN CARLOS DE LOS PARLOTES DE AMADEO HANCOCK

Technology has created many new and positive changes to the way humans function and interact.  It has opened up connections and allows for the easy conversing of people and ideas across the world.  It has, unfortunately taken over many peoples lives as many have become obsessed with the little black box in their pockets (Take Andrew "Andy T." Thompson for example).  But while some have little control over themselves, the benefits of technology to society far out way the losses of personal interaction.  The evolution of technology has led to advances in the medical field allowing for better treatments of sick and injured people, it has allowed people from across the world to converse and spread ideas.  It connects people and gives people many conveniences that make life so much easier. Though the flip side to that is that many today may not be able to make it without these conveniences.  Overall though technology has been practically nothing but a beneficial to us as humans making life far easier and giving an overall higher standard of living.

Blog 2: Ahmed Mohamad Omer Hamad Mohamad Al-Nahim Mohamad Abdullah Mohamad Abdullah Al-Nahim Mohamad Abdullah Hamad

Let's say that instead of growing up twenty years ago, I am 16 years old. If I had been born in that time my life would of been much easier, yet do much harder. It would of been easier because for a very long time (just a couple of years) I have had the conviction to not let technology to get deeply intergrated in my life. 

The following part is written on the assumption that I would of still moved to America(this is a very small chance). I wouldn't be different for not watching movies and shows growing up. After almost a decade of people commenting on it, I cling to the statement "I grew up under a rock" as my subject changer.

Growing up that long ago, would be harder yet easier because I wouldn't have grown up hearing terrorist jokes, though I would of never gotten the help I needed to make sense of these scribbles(words!).   If I grew up before Google than things like the dead terrorist wouldn't exist(Thanks Jeff Dunham:). I wouldn't feel so awkward saying my name, this isn't true I don't actually know how to pronounce my last name in English, I kind-a-just go with what comes to mind first. 

I would interact with people the same way I've used almost exclusively for the first 15 years of my life, with my mouth. All my relationships with people in Lexington would be about the same, though my relationships with those in Sudan would be gravely different as I would rarely get the opportunity to speak with them. Now I get the chance to speak with them in the early morning or late at night. Granted I should speak with them more, who knows I might start calling my family more often after tonight. 

Even though I like to tell myself that if I'd grown up back then, I would be a better man. I like this time line because in it I and my brother have gotten sufficient help at being able to articulate our words by mouth and paper. I also wouldn't like to take that chance cause I might end up not being a twin, or my brother could be a singleton! Which would be totally unacceptable, cause we come as a package. All or nothing.

Assignment #2- Hannah Price

I think technology has helped and hindered me. I think technology has to power to influence people's ways of thinking, you can see the world through anyone's lens on the internet. I also think technology has helped in education, which is why it is used so much in school. Technology has various uses that has improved today's society, but technology has hindered me because sometimes it can get addicting. There is so much entertainment in technology and the internet that it can be a major distraction. Its very easy to spends hours of the day using technology because there's so much to do and see. Technology has had a negative impact on society because it is used way too often and can easily be addictive, but at the same time it has had a positive impact on society because it's has made a way for everyone to come together and share different ideas and experiences.

iWrite- Gloria Pulley

I’m bad with technology.  There, I said it! I’m pretty sure that the cows from Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type have a better handle on technology than I do.  Typing up a paper and surfing the web is pretty straightforward, but anything beyond that instantly turns into a maze of pop ups and error messages.  Yet, I survive. 

Hearing this, it may come as a shock that I’m writing about how one piece of technology has positively impacted my life- my iPhone.  Not so much the actual phone part, but more of the iTunes/Spotify/Pandora/SoundCloud/YouTube part.  This revelation that technology isn’t all bad hit me one morning on a run in Hilton Head, SC.

Promising my dad that I would, I grabbed my phone on the way out the door around 5.  With one foot out the door I stopped and grabbed my headphones as well.  I’d give this a try.  Up to this point, I had never run with my music, and I was baffled by anyone who did.  Why risk the safety of my child (I mean phone) for something I enjoyed so little?  Five miles later, I understood.

Nothing particularly magical happened on that run but I did notice something that I had never thought about, I couldn’t hear myself breathing.  This sounds silly, but listening to myself breathe was something that bothered me, and often discouraging me from running farther than what my lungs could handle.  Flash forward year, I would not be caught dead without my music and have gone so far as to replace my running buddies with my headphones (thus beginning the downward spiral into my antisocial sophomore cross country season, but that’s another story). 

So, has my life really improved from this experience?  It depends on who you ask.  All I know is that I actually look forward to running, and I owe it all to my frustrating buddy- technology.

 (Considering it takes up the majority of my free time, there will be many running stories.  Prepare yourself.)  

Second Post: Tori's Technology Stuff

 

Technology is a big part of my life, even though I’m not very good with it sometimes. I think if I would've grown up twenty years earlier I would've been a lot more stressed out. I don't really like confrontation and arguing with people makes me sick. so most of the time, if I’m upset with someone I try and wait it out, you know I’m really upset if I go out of my way to bring it up or talk it out. And when I do talk with them about it I do it over text - which seems cowardly as I type it out, but this way I can think out my responses and minimize the anger in my words. This probably doesn't work, and I really should work on talking face to face.

 

Anyways, so if I had been born twenty years earlier for one I could've been born in a time with much cooler music and my vinyl collection would be better. For this reason alone being born twenty years earlier would be great. Even though now i don't have to buy a whole album for just one song. But on the other hand, referring to my previous statement, I would be in a constant state of anxiety (even though let’s be honest, I am anyways) and I would probably be a lot more reserved just to avoid the confrontation. The friendships I have now are pretty great.

 

Twenty years ago without the technology would be cool. Yeah that's weird. But sometimes it kinda bothers me that I can just Google something and it comes up, or that I can spend all day watching Netflix and not accomplish a damn thing. Technology at my fingertips is great and it does make life easier, but it makes me feel lazy too. Yeah, yeah if I want to do stuff I should get up and do it. I hear you.

 

I don't really know which one I would prefer, I don't ever really think of things like that, never saw a reason to. Music back then and figuring things out would be cool- except I would fail math, but I guess I’d have to choose now. I’ll work on the talking things out deal and try to not be such a spaz.

The future with technology (Thomas Werner)

The future is barren. A wasteland, stripped of all its glory and replaced with the scars of man's gluttony. Now what I'm talking about isn't an Armageddon or judgement day type deal, but rather the result of a slow process of defiant behavior towards our Mother Earth. Radical developments in technology, leading to higher demand in resources, leading to complete depletion. All that is left now are little robots, scavenging, looking for hope. 

However, these robots are not completely alone. At least not abstractly. Humans have long gone, off into the stars to ride space chairs around their space ship, chowing down on space food and having no need for space exercise. But even with this physical distance, there remains some contact back home. We may have destroyed her, but humans still have the hope of one day returning home. Our left behind robots desperately search for a way we can start over. And maybe they do find this hope. But along the way, they found something else: Knowledge. They know what we did. 

If you were a man doing everything you can to be as compassionate as possible for the sake of goodness itself, and someone came up to you, beat you up, took all you had, and burned down your home, it would be pretty understandable that you would not be as trusting afterwards. You especially wouldn't trust the same man who ruined you before if he came back asking if he could sleep in your newly built house. In fact, you would be inclined to drive him away.

The robots were not happy when we came back. They had rebuilt the land, with trees, plants, and life boundlessly thriving in places that hadn't seen such thriving in thousands of years. They had worked too hard for this. They say people don't change, so why would an entire collection of them have any chance of it. Along with rebuilding, the robots also built: A way to keep us out.

While the first time we left it was because of a slowly depleting life source, the second time was different. The second time was judgement day. 

Allie Gregory's iWrite

          Three months before I was born, Google was launched. The next nine years brought with them other society-molding inventions such as Facebook when I was five, YouTube a year later, and in 2007 the first generation iPhone. Starting fifth grade, these four inventions were the staples of modern society – cool fifth graders (not me) lied about their age to be on Facebook and you were weird (me) if you didn’t browse YouTube in your free time. iPhones quickly took over and before we knew it, instagram and snapchat had become the primary forms of communication. These are things that, had I grown up 20 years earlier, never would have been on my radar. Everything would have been different. There would have been no Google for research or for looking up random curiosities. I would not have had a phone to text my mom everyday after school and find out where she was picking me up. Social interaction is another story. While I personally don’t partake in much social media anyway, and therefore that wouldn’t have been hugely different, I think that the fact social media exists at all affects the way we interact. Standards of social interaction as a whole have changed. The expectation at this point is that people would rather interact via technology than in person. It’s easier to be bold over text or over social media because there’s distance. Twenty years ago people didn’t have that to hide behind. I have friends now who will wait to resolve a fight when they can text because they don’t have the guts to say what needs said aloud. And in this, I think society has lost something. Don’t get me wrong; I love technology. Plenty of tech has made life easier and better for many. I love the internet, and I love the convenience of having a phone. To answer the question of which I prefer, the answer is now. Despite my dismay as far as our situation on the social front, I am rather fond of recent technological developments.