Hello there.
This is a little blog that we've created collaboratively as a class of writing students at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The course was called Writing for Electronic Publications where we investigated digital rhetoric and the mediums possible with publishing using new technological avenues. We put together this group of articles that deal mainly with technology, our rapidly progressing culture, and everything in between. There are articles dealing with music, gaming, film and television, and various aspects of the web. Each student found their own niche for conveying what he or she understood to be an important aspect of the digital community. So read the articles. Think about the future. Enjoy this new medium.
The web is our new publishing forum.
Yours,
Jimmy Butts
Editor
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Healing Hearts with Viral Communication
For me, it started with Tyler McGrath. He was the eight year-old son of Vicky Talbot, a woman I’d only met online on various stock car racing discussion boards. Most of the time she wrote to praise Dale Earnhardt Jr., her favorite driver, or to diss Jeff Gordon (my favorite driver), and we had a lot of fun exchanging friendly insults in cyberspace. Then, just after Christmas 2001, she dropped a bombshell. Her eight year-old son Tyler had been diagnosed with leukemia. My father died of the disease and I have a background of working with hematology researchers, so I was very sympathetic to what she faced. At first the news was good, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation even arranged for Tyler to visit the Daytona 500. But he relapsed after that trip and was hospitalized, and an agonizing battle began. By June 2002 two kinds of leukemia had been diagnosed, and Vicki posted a simple request. “Hey guys,” she typed, “Tyler isn’t doing real well with his treatments right now. The hospital helped us set up a web page for him. Can u drop by and say hi to him?”
We were all shocked, and about a hundred race fans from the “That’s Racin’” board clicked on the URL she provided. It was my, and many other fans’, first introduction to CaringBridge, the web-based social network for families struggling with serious illness. The site provides free web space that families can update with information, pictures, and videos, as well as a guest book where visitors can leave messages of encouragement. It became our, and Vicki’s, lifeline as we followed his struggles, first at a hospital in Syracuse and later in New York City. And she and Tyler’s eleven year-old sister Morgan needed the support. "Our families have been through a lot these past few days," Vicki wrote at the end of June. "We are all in disbelief that there is a chance we may not keep him. I told him that hopefully someday, when we get better, I can take him to another race to see Dale Jr. and Mark Martin. He loves them both. .... I told him that he has a whole world cheering for him out there, and everyone wants to do nice things for him to cheer him on. With all the prayers out there for him, he has to make it."
After that day when Vicki posted the URL on two discussion boards, Tyler’s webpage experienced a viral explosion. Racing fans share news with each other electronically, and Vicki’s request spread from one board to another like lightning. It didn’t matter who the readers’ favorite drivers were; all of them united to try to cheer up a little race fan who was struggling. Between June 20 and the end of July, over 100,000 messages were left for the brave kid from New York. The posters ranged from anonymous “Grandma” and “DaleJrFan” to some of the biggest names in racing—drivers Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Jimmie Johnson, Johnny Benson, and Mike Skinner posted, as did Tony Stewart’s mother, Dale Jr’s sister Kelley Elledge, and team owners Larry McClure, Richard Childress, and Rick Hendrick. Dale Jarrett’s and Mark Martin’s fan clubs relayed messages from their drivers. Members of the New York Yankees and New York Jets also joined the visitors supporting Tyler. Many drivers arranged to send souvenirs, signed pictures, and memorabilia to the family, and when Tyler was transferred to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, his hero Derek Jeter even visited him there. But most of the visitors were strangers—people who had heard about Tyler from someone else in their network on the Web.
Sadly, Tyler’s leukemia was too virulent to be stopped, and he came home from Sloan-Kettering to Lowville, NY, to spend his last few days. He died on July 21, 2002, his ninth birthday. In a heartbroken post on his Caringbridge page, Vicki said that “Morgan and I are devastated, but in a sense relieved that he is no longer suffering. He went through so much and fought so hard.” Vicki kept the page up for almost fifteen months after Tyler’s death as she worked through the grieving process; when she finally said goodbye, there were over 250,000 messages in that guestbook.
The experience with Tyler and the viral explosion of the community who followed his struggle via the Web made me want to know more about CaringBridge. It was founded in 1997 by Sona Wehring, a web designer from Minnesota, in desperate necessity. “I was trying to have a garage sale, and my phone rang and two very good friends of mine who were expecting a baby were landed in the hospital. She had a life threatening condition, and I instantly became this person that had to let everybody know what’s going on. Daren, the husband called me and said, “Can you let everybody know what’s going on.” I thought why don’t I create a Website to let everybody know what’s going on, and so that’s what I did. The same night their Baby Bridget was born, the first CaringBridge site was born,” she told the podcast series All Together Now in 2005. Sadly, while that first baby didn’t survive, thousands more patients at hospitals all over the country now use the organization she started soon after for the same reason—to reach out to families, friends, and even strangers as they struggle with desperate health situations.
Caringbridge’s services are free to the families and supported entirely by donations; and it has been wildly successful, with over 35,000 sites and more than 200 million visits to them. The interface is very simple—users don’t need any “web expertise” and as a result, families can easily share information with their supporters. Mehring says CaringBridge helps families “better manage the sometimes overwhelming amount of communication necessary to satisfy the concerns of family and friends by giving them a free and private place on the Web to post updates on their condition and receive messages of hope and encouragement." Indeed, the sites provide opportunity for sharing some of the greatest joys and sorrows a family can feel, and for making new friendships across the gulf of cyberspace. Anyone can visit a Caringbridge page and leave a message of kindness and support—and many people do so on a regular basis, whether they know the family or not.
On May 31, 2007, as CaringBridge celebrated its tenth anniversary, Wehring was able to reflect on the success of her improvised solution for families in need. On her blog she wrote, “As CaringBridge turns 10 it is supporting more people in need than ever: every 13 minutes a new CaringBridge site is created; and every single minute 2.5 new visitors register to visit a CaringBridge site; and the last stat I love, every single day CaringBridge sends out 250,000 -- a quarter of a million --notifications -- letting someone know a CaringBridge site has been updated. That 250,000 are real connections being made --- what better use of technology than connecting people.” Whether they are families coping with illness or accident or soldiers coping with war-based injuries (Doonesbury’s B.D. had a site), CaringBridge has become the most frequently used social network among the ill.
In the five years I’ve been following new friends and old through Caringbridge, I’ve seen miracles happen—both in health care and in personal relationships. While many of the families I’ve met and supported have not had happy endings, I’ve also heard stories of incurable cancers going into remission, children in wheelchairs learning to walk again—and even the marriage of the widow of one Caringbridge user to a friend of another Caringbridge user (whom she met on a third Caringbridge family’s website). I’ve made lasting friendships and tenuous ones, held out a virtual hand to people I’ll never meet and been privileged to offer a shoulder to cry on to several families I have met (two here in Rock Hill). I’ve conducted poetry therapy workshops online for grieving families and friends and helped several Caringbridge poets find venues to publish their work. Though fortunately my family has been spared the kind of tragedy that has befallen Caringbridge users, I’ve been blessed to become part of a huge network I would never have known about were it not for Vicki and Tyler.
As Mehring told an interviewer some years ago, “I believe the Internet has a higher calling — helping bring people together at important times, facilitating love and support that is meaningful for all involved, wherever they may be.” The network she has created shows the power of social networking at its best—using the Internet to ease grief, soothe pain, and most importantly, heal hearts.
References
American Forces Press Services. “Fisher House Offers Free Web Sites for Hospital Patients.” 22 Nov. 2007 http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43572.
“Caring Bridge [sic].” St. Elizabeth’s (Lafayette, IN) Regional Health Center. 22 November 2007 http://www.ste.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=1123.
“CaringBridge: The Next Best Thing to Being There.” All Together Now. Cisco.com Podcast Network. 22 November 2007 www.podtech.net/home/2029/caringbridge-the-next-best-thing-to-being-there.
Cawley, Janet. “Women Working for Change: Sona Mehring, Founder and Executive Director of CaringBridge.” Lifestyle:MSN.com. 22 Nov. 2007 http://lifestyle.msn.com/%20MindBodyandSoul/WomenintheWorld/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=374628.
Mehring, Sona. “Founder’s Blog.” 31 May 2007. 22 November 2007 https://www.caringbridge.org/blog/founderblog.htm.
We were all shocked, and about a hundred race fans from the “That’s Racin’” board clicked on the URL she provided. It was my, and many other fans’, first introduction to CaringBridge, the web-based social network for families struggling with serious illness. The site provides free web space that families can update with information, pictures, and videos, as well as a guest book where visitors can leave messages of encouragement. It became our, and Vicki’s, lifeline as we followed his struggles, first at a hospital in Syracuse and later in New York City. And she and Tyler’s eleven year-old sister Morgan needed the support. "Our families have been through a lot these past few days," Vicki wrote at the end of June. "We are all in disbelief that there is a chance we may not keep him. I told him that hopefully someday, when we get better, I can take him to another race to see Dale Jr. and Mark Martin. He loves them both. .... I told him that he has a whole world cheering for him out there, and everyone wants to do nice things for him to cheer him on. With all the prayers out there for him, he has to make it."
After that day when Vicki posted the URL on two discussion boards, Tyler’s webpage experienced a viral explosion. Racing fans share news with each other electronically, and Vicki’s request spread from one board to another like lightning. It didn’t matter who the readers’ favorite drivers were; all of them united to try to cheer up a little race fan who was struggling. Between June 20 and the end of July, over 100,000 messages were left for the brave kid from New York. The posters ranged from anonymous “Grandma” and “DaleJrFan” to some of the biggest names in racing—drivers Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, Jimmie Johnson, Johnny Benson, and Mike Skinner posted, as did Tony Stewart’s mother, Dale Jr’s sister Kelley Elledge, and team owners Larry McClure, Richard Childress, and Rick Hendrick. Dale Jarrett’s and Mark Martin’s fan clubs relayed messages from their drivers. Members of the New York Yankees and New York Jets also joined the visitors supporting Tyler. Many drivers arranged to send souvenirs, signed pictures, and memorabilia to the family, and when Tyler was transferred to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, his hero Derek Jeter even visited him there. But most of the visitors were strangers—people who had heard about Tyler from someone else in their network on the Web.
Sadly, Tyler’s leukemia was too virulent to be stopped, and he came home from Sloan-Kettering to Lowville, NY, to spend his last few days. He died on July 21, 2002, his ninth birthday. In a heartbroken post on his Caringbridge page, Vicki said that “Morgan and I are devastated, but in a sense relieved that he is no longer suffering. He went through so much and fought so hard.” Vicki kept the page up for almost fifteen months after Tyler’s death as she worked through the grieving process; when she finally said goodbye, there were over 250,000 messages in that guestbook.
The experience with Tyler and the viral explosion of the community who followed his struggle via the Web made me want to know more about CaringBridge. It was founded in 1997 by Sona Wehring, a web designer from Minnesota, in desperate necessity. “I was trying to have a garage sale, and my phone rang and two very good friends of mine who were expecting a baby were landed in the hospital. She had a life threatening condition, and I instantly became this person that had to let everybody know what’s going on. Daren, the husband called me and said, “Can you let everybody know what’s going on.” I thought why don’t I create a Website to let everybody know what’s going on, and so that’s what I did. The same night their Baby Bridget was born, the first CaringBridge site was born,” she told the podcast series All Together Now in 2005. Sadly, while that first baby didn’t survive, thousands more patients at hospitals all over the country now use the organization she started soon after for the same reason—to reach out to families, friends, and even strangers as they struggle with desperate health situations.
Caringbridge’s services are free to the families and supported entirely by donations; and it has been wildly successful, with over 35,000 sites and more than 200 million visits to them. The interface is very simple—users don’t need any “web expertise” and as a result, families can easily share information with their supporters. Mehring says CaringBridge helps families “better manage the sometimes overwhelming amount of communication necessary to satisfy the concerns of family and friends by giving them a free and private place on the Web to post updates on their condition and receive messages of hope and encouragement." Indeed, the sites provide opportunity for sharing some of the greatest joys and sorrows a family can feel, and for making new friendships across the gulf of cyberspace. Anyone can visit a Caringbridge page and leave a message of kindness and support—and many people do so on a regular basis, whether they know the family or not.
On May 31, 2007, as CaringBridge celebrated its tenth anniversary, Wehring was able to reflect on the success of her improvised solution for families in need. On her blog she wrote, “As CaringBridge turns 10 it is supporting more people in need than ever: every 13 minutes a new CaringBridge site is created; and every single minute 2.5 new visitors register to visit a CaringBridge site; and the last stat I love, every single day CaringBridge sends out 250,000 -- a quarter of a million --notifications -- letting someone know a CaringBridge site has been updated. That 250,000 are real connections being made --- what better use of technology than connecting people.” Whether they are families coping with illness or accident or soldiers coping with war-based injuries (Doonesbury’s B.D. had a site), CaringBridge has become the most frequently used social network among the ill.
In the five years I’ve been following new friends and old through Caringbridge, I’ve seen miracles happen—both in health care and in personal relationships. While many of the families I’ve met and supported have not had happy endings, I’ve also heard stories of incurable cancers going into remission, children in wheelchairs learning to walk again—and even the marriage of the widow of one Caringbridge user to a friend of another Caringbridge user (whom she met on a third Caringbridge family’s website). I’ve made lasting friendships and tenuous ones, held out a virtual hand to people I’ll never meet and been privileged to offer a shoulder to cry on to several families I have met (two here in Rock Hill). I’ve conducted poetry therapy workshops online for grieving families and friends and helped several Caringbridge poets find venues to publish their work. Though fortunately my family has been spared the kind of tragedy that has befallen Caringbridge users, I’ve been blessed to become part of a huge network I would never have known about were it not for Vicki and Tyler.
As Mehring told an interviewer some years ago, “I believe the Internet has a higher calling — helping bring people together at important times, facilitating love and support that is meaningful for all involved, wherever they may be.” The network she has created shows the power of social networking at its best—using the Internet to ease grief, soothe pain, and most importantly, heal hearts.
References
American Forces Press Services. “Fisher House Offers Free Web Sites for Hospital Patients.” 22 Nov. 2007 http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43572.
“Caring Bridge [sic].” St. Elizabeth’s (Lafayette, IN) Regional Health Center. 22 November 2007 http://www.ste.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=1123.
“CaringBridge: The Next Best Thing to Being There.” All Together Now. Cisco.com Podcast Network. 22 November 2007 www.podtech.net/home/2029/caringbridge-the-next-best-thing-to-being-there.
Cawley, Janet. “Women Working for Change: Sona Mehring, Founder and Executive Director of CaringBridge.” Lifestyle:MSN.com. 22 Nov. 2007 http://lifestyle.msn.com/%20MindBodyandSoul/WomenintheWorld/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=374628.
Mehring, Sona. “Founder’s Blog.” 31 May 2007. 22 November 2007 https://www.caringbridge.org/blog/founderblog.htm.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Top 5 Gadgets for Males This Christmas
Top 5 Gifts for Males this Christmas
1. Harmony 1000 Remote
This remote will put the 7 remotes you currently have on your coffee table in a drawer somewhere. It controls up to 15 devices with a 3.5” color LCD Touch screen. It can also use Remote Frequency to deliver powerful, complete control of your home-entertainment system, including components hidden behind cabinets. Programming is done through the computer; all you need are the model numbers of your components.
This device retails for less than $30 and is one of the most seamless product add-ons I have ever used. Once you snap this keyboard onto your controller you would never think it was an add-on. The backlit keyboard works great and makes inviting and chatting to friends a snap. This gadget is highly recommended if your male gift-getter has an Xbox360.
3. A new cell phone: The iPhone or LG Voyager
Everybody loves a new cell phone. So how about one of these hot new phones for Christmas? If you have service with Cingular then look into consolidating a few of his gadgets like his camera, phone, and mp3 player into one with the iPhone. (Pictured on the right) Verizon’s answer to the iPhone is the new LG Voyager (pictured left)—a touch screen front that flips open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard.
4. TiVo Subscription
If he enjoys certain shows, but has to work or take you out to dinner when they are on then a TiVo subscription is a great present. You can get the box from $100 for a standard Dual Tuner unit or $300 for a High Definition Tivo. There is a monthly service fee, but they have been reduced for new customers until February. You can even prepay for a year and save some money. All he has to do is tell the TiVo what shows he wants it to record and the TiVo will actually record similar shows that he may enjoy as suggestions. Shows may also be transferred to a laptop so that he can watch them on business trips.
5.The Art of Shaving: Perfect Shave KitSince he has to shave everyday why not turn his morning routine into an easier more enjoyable experience? The Art of Shaving is a business in New York where straight razor shaves are given all day long. They have assembled their products on their website for singular purchases, but have combined what they call “The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave” into this one kit. It comes with a pre-shave oil, shaving cream, a badger hair brush, and after shave lotion. All he needs is the razor. They have a full kit and a sample kit for $40… need an extra little gift? Try the sample kit. I’ve used it and it truly is the best shave I have ever had.
Harmony 1000 photo courtesy of: Logitech.com
Xbox360 Chatpad photo courtesy of: Xboxn.com
LG Voyager photo courtesy of: us.lge.com
iPhone photo courtesy of: computershopper.com
Tivo photo courtesy of: krunker.com
Art of Shaving Kit photo courtesy of: theartofshaving.com
HDTV Buying Guide: Suggestions
Television Suggestions
I have made a quick list of televisions for each technology. I have separated them into “Good, Better, Best” categories to give you an idea of what may suit your needs based on what kind of quality you like to buy or invest in. I have put the model numbers and a description with links to that particular televisions spec sheet.
I have made a quick list of televisions for each technology. I have separated them into “Good, Better, Best” categories to give you an idea of what may suit your needs based on what kind of quality you like to buy or invest in. I have put the model numbers and a description with links to that particular televisions spec sheet.
| Quality | LCD | Plasma | Rear Projection |
| Good | |||
| Better | |||
| Best | LN-T5281F 1080p Samsung LCD with LED light engine Or the XBR5 Series from Sony | ||
| Justin’s Wildcard Pick |
Kanye West: Talking Politics
Some of the information placed on the internet is not always accurate. Many individuals have access to the internet so some of the information could be hurtful to West because it is someone’s opinion about his work. Should West incorporate the use of other promotion ideas or should he stick solely to the use of technology?
West is a big promoter of education in 2008. He can be seen in some of the upcoming ad campaigns. Besides using technology for his personal gains, he demonstrates to other individuals the importance of standing for a cause. His talents includes more than music, but an importance to make sure that the younger generation are educated in order to become better leaders in the future. Technology allows West to increase his awareness on certain issues and encourages others to get their ideas across through the same type of media in a positive way.
West is a big promoter of education in 2008. He can be seen in some of the upcoming ad campaigns. Besides using technology for his personal gains, he demonstrates to other individuals the importance of standing for a cause. His talents includes more than music, but an importance to make sure that the younger generation are educated in order to become better leaders in the future. Technology allows West to increase his awareness on certain issues and encourages others to get their ideas across through the same type of media in a positive way.
Video Animations: Graduation Album
Courtesy of Flickr
The addition of animation to his videos has kept the teenage population interested in his music. His video “Good Life” is a perfect example. The spray painted words with animation is different from videos other rappers use. West attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago; this could be the reason why he loves to incorporate art in his videos. He has experience and he understands the way certain concepts and ideas should be portrayed across the mainstream.
Jamie Johnson, a senior at Winthrop University states that his videos are different, and he is more original with his videos than most artists. Most videos demonstrate African-American women in a negative way so it was nice to see someone step on the scene that did not have to put females in his videos. His album was still successful and he made it to the top, which shows that you can be different and still make money.
The way that West incorporates technology is useful to the teenage and young adult population. Most individuals are working adults or are in college trying to pursue a better career opportunity. During the day, a majority of them are not home to look at television and see different comments about a lot of topics. West’s use of technology is one way individuals would be able to keep up with the current status of his music and other ideas West would like to create in the near future.
Kanye West
Image source: IMDB
Kanye West is one of the greatest rap stars and producers in the 21st century. He is a part of one of the best labels around, Roc-a-Fella, owned by rapper Jay-Z. His latest album Graduation sold 860, 000 copies in the first week of its release. Overcoming adversity and a number of struggles, West continues to strive for excellence in all of his endeavors.
West incorporates the use of technology to help promote his albums and in his videos. He has a page on myspace.com where individuals can go and view singles, videos, and upcoming tour events. He also has his own website, http://www.kanyeuniversecity.com/, which guides the individual to information about his fan club, blogs, videos, music, and his store in a timely manner. Some of his music videos from his latest album have incorporated animation throughout them. Does West overuse technology? Is the use of technology helpful now that most individuals are savvy in the area of technology?
Some individuals believe in the traditional ways of promoting your ideas. However, young adults and teenagers believe that the use of technology is a great way to promote the product that you are selling. Most individuals are on the internet for a number of hours buying items from the internet instead of in stores or by phone. This way they have everything that they need at their fingertips.
In a conversation with some teenagers, many of them stated that Kanye West has some good songs on his latest album. When asked how they viewed the content of his album, many of them answered through Myspace.com. Myspace is a popular website, where many artists can be located. The students surveyed listened to the songs before they bought the album. Dashawn Henry, a senior at Scott’s Branch High School, says that this is a good idea because it helps you determine if you want to purchase the album based upon what you hear in advance. Videos are also posted there so you are able to view it over and over to see the new style he has added or how much he has improved from videos in the past.
Why Did I Get Married: Demographic Groups
Courtesy of IMDB
Some of the language in the play Why did I Get Married, by Tyler Perry, represents slang, a popular term relevant to the African-American culture. Janet Jackson, one of the characters in the movie, referred to one of the couples as “y’all”, and she also told someone that they were “frontin'”. Is this language appropriate for the screen when teachers are trying to teach children the scholastic language of today’s society? Does this vernacular make it hard for people to follow?
In today’s society, we have become accustomed to shortened words when talking with friends and close family members. The use of these words in the movie, however, did not take away from the meaning being displayed. Danny Baldwin says that such words “always prove distracting and unnatural”. The use of this language in the film did not affect everyone, unless you have never heard this new slang. Even then it is not difficult to incorporate what the characters mean when they use certain words.
This new language does not pertain solely to Southern African-American demographic groups. There are other demographic groups who display this type of language as well. The comment by Danny Baldwin is an understatement. For most people, the language was not distracting at all. Most of them did not notice it until it was pointed out by the critics. I interviewed Jamie Johnson to get another person’s opinion. Jamie says that she was so caught up in the laughter that she did not recognize the slang language. It has become a part of everyday language especially in text message; most people do not notice the language.
Courtesy of IMDB
Most young adults enjoyed the movie, older adults did as well. Many of them are still talking about how successful the outcome of the movie has been over time. Some of them also said that they would pay money to go and see the movie again. The experience is different from the plays that Perry produces. In the movie, he is able to demonstrate his ideas within as himself. He does not have to put on make-up and play Madea. Self-expression is the best way for Perry to demonstrate how much he has grown throughout the years as a producer, writer, and actor. GROWTH is the best word to describe the changes that Perry has made, and he continues to make this journey down the path of success.
Rafe Telsch, a reviewer of the movie, states that some of the language used by the character Angela (Tasha Smith), “gets old really quick”. She is referring to the way Smith refers to her husband's “baby mama” and other female characters. Of course, this type of language kept the audience laughing! If this movie is PG-13 and it teenagers are allowed in the theater without supervision, should Perry use this language to get a message across? Most teenagers pick up the negative and not the positive information that a movie tries to display. Young adults (teenagers) learn by seeing and doing, so should Perry be careful with the way he promotes language within his movies and plays?
Telsch also states “I’ve never enjoyed Perry as Madea, his cross-dressed grandmotherly alter ego, but here he shines”. In their opinion, Perry does a better job when he portrays himself. Although the character Madea is hilarious, it is much better to see the type of talent Perry has with playing a role that he can relate with experiences in his life. Perry’s role as Madea is totally different from this role. He was more expressive with his emotions and he demonstrated the difficulty that marriages face when two partners have successful careers. Instead of being the character that loves to fight, he tool the situation to another level; he demonstrated a sense of frustration and disappointment with his wife. The concept of his story is appreciated by a lot of individuals, and the audience took notes!
This movie was filled with life lessons that relates to all generations. Although some people have their own opinion about the movie, for the most part, a majority of the people who watched this movie believes that it is superb. It demonstrates how married couples are supposed to communicate with their partners on a daily basis. You should not keep secrets from your partner because it could backfire when the truth is revealed. It makes you react on a level that denotes the content of their character.
HDTV Buying Guide: Features That Future Proof
Features that Future Proof
Now that you have been educated a bit about High Definition Televisions, you should be able to make an educated decision about what type of television is right for your needs. However, now that the basics are out of the way, here is a list of features that you may see on certain televisions that may influence you into buying a particular television.
1080p
1080p is the highest possible resolution that is out right now. It marketed as “full HD”. The screen resolution is 1900 x 1080 (number of horizontal scan lines). The “p” stands for progressive, which means that the images will be smoother upon playback because the lines scan faster. The only way to get 1080p is through a gaming console like the Xbox360 or Playstation 3 or through next generation DVD players like HD DVD or Blu-Ray Discs. Since there is not much out there that supports this resolution, buying a 1080p television is future proof, and it is more of an investment. Typically, they cost $500 more than a 720p (Normal High Definition) television of the same model and size. 1080p exists on LCDs, Plasma, and Rear Projections, but almost all LCDs 46” and up will be 1080p!
24fp
This is a new introduction to televisions this year and is specifically for movie playback on HD DVD and Blu-Ray players. Movies that are shot on film are recorded at 24 frames per second. A TV capable of displaying 24p can show the movie back in its original form. 24 frames per second material tends to look very fluid and “like butter”. It is a much smoother type of picture, though some people like it and others do not. Again, a television with this is future proof. Mostly on LCDs, but Plasmas and Rear Projections can have this technology.
120 Hertz
Found on LCDs, 120 Hertz refers to the televisions refresh rate. Since television is broadcasted in 60 frames a second, an HDTV with this feature basically refreshes twice as fast which eliminates much of the judder and motion trail that can be prominent in LCDs. The 69 and 71 series Samsung LCD’s have this as well as the Sony XBR line.
The next section is a collection of televisions that I would suggest to a buyer depending on quality and price. Continue to Part 6.
Why Did I Get Married: Critics Perspective
There were a number of critics who commented on the movie. The comments were interesting to the overview of the movie. Rafe Telsch, a reviewer of the movie, states that some of the language used by the character Angela (Tasha Smith) “gets old really quick”. She is referring to the way Smith refers to her husbands “baby mama” and other female characters. Of course, this type of language kept the audience laughing! If this movie is PG-13 and if teenagers are allowed in the theater without supervision, should Perry use this language to get a message across? Most teenagers pick up the negative and not the positive information that a movie tries to display. Young adults (teenagers) learn by seeing and doing, so should Perry be careful with the type of language that he displays in the movie.
Telsch also states “I’ve never enjoyed Perry as Madea, his cross-dressed grandmotherly alter ego, but here he shines”. In their opinion, Perry does a better job when he portrays himself. Although the character Madea is hilarious, it is much better to see the type of talent Perry has with playing a role that he can relate with experiences in his life. Perry’s role as Madea was totally different from this role. He was more expressive with his emotions and he demonstrated the difficulty that marriages face when two partners have successful careers. Instead of being the character that loves to fight and take the situation to another level; he demonstrated a sense of frustration and disappointment with his wife. The concept of his story was appreciated and a lot of individuals in the audience took notes!
One of the critics from Bucket Reviews, Danny Baldwin, says that “the movie only appeals to one type of demographic. It is good to see this demographic group presented a work (movie) that they are able to identify themselves with, but what about the other demographic groups”. In other words, what would have been a good way for
Perry to reach all demographic groups in the movie?
Telsch also states “I’ve never enjoyed Perry as Madea, his cross-dressed grandmotherly alter ego, but here he shines”. In their opinion, Perry does a better job when he portrays himself. Although the character Madea is hilarious, it is much better to see the type of talent Perry has with playing a role that he can relate with experiences in his life. Perry’s role as Madea was totally different from this role. He was more expressive with his emotions and he demonstrated the difficulty that marriages face when two partners have successful careers. Instead of being the character that loves to fight and take the situation to another level; he demonstrated a sense of frustration and disappointment with his wife. The concept of his story was appreciated and a lot of individuals in the audience took notes!
One of the critics from Bucket Reviews, Danny Baldwin, says that “the movie only appeals to one type of demographic. It is good to see this demographic group presented a work (movie) that they are able to identify themselves with, but what about the other demographic groups”. In other words, what would have been a good way for
Perry to reach all demographic groups in the movie?
HDTV Buying Guide: RPTV
Photo Couresy of: Engadget.com
Rear-Projection Televisions
These televisions are what people used to have to buy if they wanted a screen larger than 36 inches. However, these new rear-projection televisions are much lighter and clearer than their predecessors.
Pros
Typically, Rear Projections give you the biggest screen size for the cheapest price. A 56” RPTV can be had for the price of a 42” LCD. The smallest being 46” and the largest being 73”. These use micromirror devices such as Texas Instruments' DLP (Digital Light Processing), liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), or a transmissive technology such as LCD polysilicon panels.
Cons
Rear Projections also vary widely in overall quality, and many don't get especially bright. Depending on the microdisplay technology used, other image quality issues can creep up as well. Unlike flat panels, the viewing angle is not very wide. If a viewer of a rear projection sits more than 30 degrees off the center of the television the image will be significantly darker. The picture will continue to get darker the more you move to the left or right. These are also bulky; most have a depth of 16 to 22 inches, so don’t plan on mounting it on a wall. Since Rear Projections require a bulb to work, if the bulb goes out you must purchase another one. The life on these bulbs is about 3 to 5 years and cost about $200. If you replace two of these bulbs then the lifetime cost of this technology ends up being the same, if not more, than a flat panel.
Who buys a Rear Projection?
Someone who wants the biggest screen possible will purchase a Rear Projection television. Someone might also purchase Rear Projection because they want a high definition television but do not want to spend a lot of money or care about hanging it on a wall. The next section deals with features that may help you future proof your television. Continue to Part 5.
Why Did I Get Married: Viewers Perspective
Robert Gray, a United States Army Specialist, says that the movie is a depiction of friends who have remained close since college. For the most part, the story line categorizes different difficulties as a married couple. Despite the obstacles that come up in each relationship, the vacation is a time for them to share and receive feedback from one another. It is always important to seek advice from the ones you love. Each and every one character was straight forward with one another, even if the truth hurts. This movie taught me the value of a relationship. Communication is one of the keys that one must obtain in order to keep the flames in a relationship. I am getting married next year, and I learned that my fiancé and I should not allow our careers to determine the outcome of our happiness. We should be able to love each other in spite of the situation.
Courtesy of IMDB
Myiea Henry : Erica Sanders, what did you think about the Tyler Perry movie, Why Did I Get Married?
Erica Sanders: I think that Tyler Perry did an excellent job with the movie. I enjoyed the movie and the characters made the movie come to life.
Myiea Henry : What theme or part did you take from the movie and apply to everyday life?
Erica Sanders: The part of the movie that I remember the most is when Jill Scott’s character told her former husband about the 80/20 rule. This rule applies to most relationships. This made me reflect on past relationships because I was giving more than my boyfriend. This also reminds me of girls who are in relationships solely for gain. Most females should learn from this in order to save themselves if this were to ever happen to them.
Rascal Flatts: Still Feels Good...Still Sounds Great
Rascal Flatts
Still Feels Good
1. Take Me There
2. Here
3. Bob That Head
4. Help Me Remember
5. Still Feels Good
6. Winner At A Losing Game
7. No Reins
8. Every Day
9. Secret Smile
10. Better Now
11. She Goes All The Way
12. How Strong Are You Now?
13. It’s Not Supposed to Go Like That
Rascal Flatts is a country band that made their start in Nashville, TN, in 2000. The band consists of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. Still Feels Good is the band's fifth studio album within seven years.
This album is absolutely amazing if you like country music. And even if you are not a fan, this can still be a wonderful album to listen to. Like their previous four records (Rascal Flatts, Melt, Feels Like Today, Me and My Gang), these songs have a unique and individual sound all their own. The melodies range from slow and melancholy to upbeat. The songs tell a story, each one more different than the next. The words are catchy, and most seem to be relatable back to a person’s own life and experiences.
The actual CD comes with a DVD in the package. This DVD provides backstage views with the band and background information on the band, the men in the band, and the songs on the new album. To me, watching the disc that came with the CD made listening to the new music a much more personal experience.
The songs that stand out to me the most are She Goes All The Way (a duet with Jamie Foxx), Help Me Remember, Better Now, and How Strong Are You Now? These are all slower songs with a message about lost love and how to cope, except for She Goes All The Way. That song is about a perfect woman in a relationship and how he treasures everything she does for him. The other songs are relatable to anyone who has gone through a bad breakup or has lost someone that they love. The great thing about any of the songs on the album is that they can be listened to over and over again, and it seems that they do not get old quickly.
I would recommend this album to anyone who likes country music with a little bit of rock and roll in it. That is the easiest way to describe Rascal Flatts’ sound. It is soft and edgy at the same time.
Still Feels Good
1. Take Me There
2. Here
3. Bob That Head
4. Help Me Remember
5. Still Feels Good
6. Winner At A Losing Game
7. No Reins
8. Every Day
9. Secret Smile
10. Better Now
11. She Goes All The Way
12. How Strong Are You Now?
13. It’s Not Supposed to Go Like That
Rascal Flatts is a country band that made their start in Nashville, TN, in 2000. The band consists of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. Still Feels Good is the band's fifth studio album within seven years.
This album is absolutely amazing if you like country music. And even if you are not a fan, this can still be a wonderful album to listen to. Like their previous four records (Rascal Flatts, Melt, Feels Like Today, Me and My Gang), these songs have a unique and individual sound all their own. The melodies range from slow and melancholy to upbeat. The songs tell a story, each one more different than the next. The words are catchy, and most seem to be relatable back to a person’s own life and experiences.
The actual CD comes with a DVD in the package. This DVD provides backstage views with the band and background information on the band, the men in the band, and the songs on the new album. To me, watching the disc that came with the CD made listening to the new music a much more personal experience.
The songs that stand out to me the most are She Goes All The Way (a duet with Jamie Foxx), Help Me Remember, Better Now, and How Strong Are You Now? These are all slower songs with a message about lost love and how to cope, except for She Goes All The Way. That song is about a perfect woman in a relationship and how he treasures everything she does for him. The other songs are relatable to anyone who has gone through a bad breakup or has lost someone that they love. The great thing about any of the songs on the album is that they can be listened to over and over again, and it seems that they do not get old quickly.
I would recommend this album to anyone who likes country music with a little bit of rock and roll in it. That is the easiest way to describe Rascal Flatts’ sound. It is soft and edgy at the same time.
Usability of Social Networking Sites
While people rave all over the world about social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace, the technicalities of their site designs are far from ideal. Although changes to personal profiles can easily be made at the click of a button, the simplicity is not always practical.
Because many members of MySpace and Facebook have no prior knowledge of HTML coding, most of the sites do not meet the coding standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Why does that matter? Code that is not formatted correctly can cause major problems for internet users with disabilities who may need to use a screen reader or other type of device to access the internet. This means that for visually impaired users or even deaf users, the software used to access these pages may seriously malfunction and not be able to decipher anything that is on the page.
Also, since anyone can change the color of their page, sound effects of their page, or a number of other things at any time, other technical problems are created since the majority of the users are not skilled web designers. Since the coding is not always done correctly, when inexperienced users add files that are too large for the page’s unadjusted capacity, it can cause the browser along with any other programs that may be running to freeze. Pictures, animated graphics, and music are just a few of the files that cause the most problems when the file is too large for the page to handle without proper coding. Songs and other audio files are often programmed to play automatically upon the opening of a site not giving the page time to load properly. According to PC World, this is the main reason for MySpace receiving its number one listing in the twenty five worst websites ever. PC World also states that the bandwidth used on MySpace is too large for the type of coding that they have and has the potential to slow down servers for many users.
Also due to poor coding, Myspace has become a “hotbed” for spy ware according to MSNBC news. Because of the lack of coding approved as safe by the W3C, hackers can log into other users’ profiles with virtually no effort at all. Of course, this leads to a number of problems including personal identity being stolen, passwords being obtained, and private information ultimately getting into the wrong hands. Because the information is so easy to add and send, users do it without thinking. They assume that a site with such a large name and reputation would be safe. However, many profile owners are learning the hard way that other people have more access to their personal information than they think.
The purpose of this article is not to give social networking sites a bad name. They are certainly a wonderful idea and can be very useful networking tools when used correctly. However, for the positives to outweigh the negatives, some crucial changes must be made in order to ensure their ease of use and security for everyone.
Because many members of MySpace and Facebook have no prior knowledge of HTML coding, most of the sites do not meet the coding standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Why does that matter? Code that is not formatted correctly can cause major problems for internet users with disabilities who may need to use a screen reader or other type of device to access the internet. This means that for visually impaired users or even deaf users, the software used to access these pages may seriously malfunction and not be able to decipher anything that is on the page.
Also, since anyone can change the color of their page, sound effects of their page, or a number of other things at any time, other technical problems are created since the majority of the users are not skilled web designers. Since the coding is not always done correctly, when inexperienced users add files that are too large for the page’s unadjusted capacity, it can cause the browser along with any other programs that may be running to freeze. Pictures, animated graphics, and music are just a few of the files that cause the most problems when the file is too large for the page to handle without proper coding. Songs and other audio files are often programmed to play automatically upon the opening of a site not giving the page time to load properly. According to PC World, this is the main reason for MySpace receiving its number one listing in the twenty five worst websites ever. PC World also states that the bandwidth used on MySpace is too large for the type of coding that they have and has the potential to slow down servers for many users.
Also due to poor coding, Myspace has become a “hotbed” for spy ware according to MSNBC news. Because of the lack of coding approved as safe by the W3C, hackers can log into other users’ profiles with virtually no effort at all. Of course, this leads to a number of problems including personal identity being stolen, passwords being obtained, and private information ultimately getting into the wrong hands. Because the information is so easy to add and send, users do it without thinking. They assume that a site with such a large name and reputation would be safe. However, many profile owners are learning the hard way that other people have more access to their personal information than they think.
The purpose of this article is not to give social networking sites a bad name. They are certainly a wonderful idea and can be very useful networking tools when used correctly. However, for the positives to outweigh the negatives, some crucial changes must be made in order to ensure their ease of use and security for everyone.
Social Networking Sites
Just about everything can be done on the internet now. We should have known it would only be a matter of time before socializing, formerly achieved through personal contact, moved into the cyber region as well. Facebook and MySpace are two of the major social networking sites available online today; they provide instant access into the everyday lives of millions of people around the world and make getting to know someone (sometimes without their knowledge) that much easier. Social networking sites definitely offer a lot of advantages, especially for college students, but a certain level of awareness must be maintained in order to keep the number of advantages higher than the number of risks.
Facebook first began as a site only for students at Harvard University and was created by students Mark Zuckerburg and Chris Hughes. Modeled after the original paper “facebooks” that gave contact information of the incoming freshman class, this new site grew in popularity at an unexpected rate. It grew to include all of the Ivy League schools, and by 2004 had over 1 million registered users as its popularity and access spread to other universities all over the United States. It originally was only open to college students, grew to include some high schools, and now anyone with a valid email address can join. The site is known for its profile design featuring a main profile picture, interests, groups that users can affiliate themselves with, a “wall” similar to a message board, and lots of pictures. In fact, Facebook is the only social networking site that allows members to upload an unlimited number of pictures for no charge. MySpace has always been a much broader networking site allowing members as young as 13 to join ever since its creation in 2003. MySpace not only attracts individual users, many entertainers, bands, service organizations, and even businesses now have MySpace pages that allow internet users access to information about them any time of the day or night. MySpace offers many more creativity options in regards to page setup. Whereas Facebook has a standard format that only allows users to change text, MySpace users can be as creative as they like with patterns, colors, sound effects, and more. MySpace is actually one of the top ten internet sites in use today.
All types of people use social networking sites to stay connected with friends and family all around the world. As the world found out through email, it is much easier to sit down at a computer and check messages and photos than it is to actually take the time and money to make a long distance phone call, write a letter, or print out photos to mail. Students, in particular, connect with classmates over these sites in order to complete group projects, find someone to study with, or just to find out what’s going on the next weekend. Sites like Facebook and Myspace are a great way to keep in touch with friends who may be attending different universities or live far away, and they make it easier than ever to keep in touch with lots of people at one time instead of writing numerous individual emails.
The biggest problem that critics find with these sites and others of their sort is the fact that putting too much information online can create all sorts of safety risks and lead to privacy disputes. Users who are too young to join or even users who just don’t understand the risks involved with posting personal information on a public domain are finding themselves the victims of stalkers and identity theft all the time. Also, employers are now making use of all of the personal information available on these sites about their job candidates, often without the candidate even knowing. This has led to several privacy code disputes, but with social networking sites being a public site, employers have the same legal access to them as anyone else.
Even law enforcement has used these sites to their advantage in solving crime. Posted messages on profiles and pictures from “the night before” have served as a useful tool for law enforcement when trying to either solve a crime or prevent gatherings at common spots from getting out of control the following weekend. Once again, this sounds like a positive attribute, but others argue against it. Even though social networking sites are public, some people argue that the information viewed on them should not be used against them in any way without their consent.
Privacy features are available on both of these sites, and users can increase them as much as they like. Many options are available, including limiting all or some parts of one’s profile to only friends approved by the user. However, many people are not aware that they can control these privacy settings or either do not think about the consequences of making too much information available to the general public. If they are used properly, the sites’ benefits definitely outweigh the downfalls.
Overall, social networking sites are a recent phenomenon that won’t be going away anytime in the near future. They provide instant access to friends and family, and despite privacy issues, are a great way to share information with more than one person at a time. In and out of the classroom, these sites have become a way of life that is almost as common as an email address.
A deliberate attempt to control adequacy
I. Mission Control
ten
We start counting down the ways from ten
That we control every little thing around us
It controls us, no doubt, and we lie to ourselves
The remote becomes the comfort blanket
nine
when we see that the only comfort we can seek lies
in infomercials and blog spots
there is no way that we can ever clean them,
even if we add one to the other.
Billy Mays could sell a mac to a pc
and a windows to a linux.
eight
Running at optimum capacity
systems that run smooth. Fans and glass
replacing the wind and water
nothing natural. nothing natural
we see nothing outside of our monitors
and unfortunately for us, we are stuck thinking inside the box
seven
we speed up now. upon the monitor’s unblinking gaze we
see how the might and fury of flat-backed
hooligans, those internet ruffians deliver unto us the
true feel of love. Nothing ever sold so well as a
promise of complete happiness and bliss amongst peers.
Counting down. Ignition.
six
a silence. a silence.
and then, Crescendo! the hall fills with
the rising sound of sentient life! Fingers upon keys
The Brass Flares! The Woodwinds Whine!
The Strings swell and fill the hall with the indomitable and resolute
promise of violence and the digital hereafter!
five
sweat does drip and drip and rip and dip
all upon your face
when staring at your plasma screen,
on eBay buying lingerie and lace
to fill your house with trinkets and codswallop
and useless inane and asinine
front end-loaders and sour cream (but just a dollop)
but why stop there? Why stop there indeed?
We need more and more and more
Or how else will we plant the seed?
four
the spiral effect of dive-bombing doves and
pigeons know how to make your head grow
around that which you cannot live without
contemporary man has no need for the past; all he needs is to stand on the shoulders of those before him. Make him man. Make him god.
Those contributions, those technological contributions, those gadgets and gizmos
And new age mythos
Those letters from doctor Spock, hand free from needless spanking
It becomes clearer and clearer who gets the banking
rolls by using this automation and money back guarantees
(don’t worry; soon we’ll all be 100% human free!)
three
we wind ourselves down and up like a watch
whose function we have yet to figure out
who needs a calendar, stopwatch, laser pointer,
remote, garage opener, can opener, can recycler, nuclear fusion reactor,
decompression chamber, and automatic juicer in their watch?
Well, I suppose the juicer would be nice.
The degrees of separation are as various as our degrees
of killing ourselves with kindness.
two
This is our digital age. Our digital revolution
I had a gigapet when I was a child. When it came time to put it down
all that was required was that I put it down. Sometimes it’s easiest to pick
up a child’s toys in the morning.
meander to the desk. click. click. click. click. click. click.
this site makes me grumpy. So grumpy
but this one makes me happy. So happy
and this one makes me sleepy. So sleepy
and this one makes me dopey. So dopey
and this one makes me bashful. So bashful
and this one makes me sneezy. So sneezy
hmm, these symptoms certainly will send me to the doctor.
right Doc?
one
spiraling in a web, halcyon red and blues and whites and greens
it is so easy to find Lolcats and movie quotations, but what about
it is so easy to find ourselves wrapped in our technological bundle.
Do you sync?
Everything should sync.
In this world of digital mechanics
and analog components it is good to know
that when it comes to sync or swim, we can finally let ourselves sync.
One. By. One.
II. The Sheer Audacity
creak one leaky eye open on a Sunday morning
only to have a head full of throb and an ear
full of static
the music is too loud, I want to scream
the music is too loud
turning over into a puddle (was that there last night?)
a puddle not involving a girl with a pixie-cut and a man with a sweater-vest
the music is too loud
but wait…there is no music. Where does the infernal racket come from?
the television is on, but…where is the sound?
the computer is flashing, but…where is the sound?
Stumbling to the mirror it is easy to see that throughout the night you have been attached
to your source of pain.
two thin white cords spill from your ears
and in between them a small pillbox. Medicine, they say. Medicine.
One for the doctor and one for the patient
One for the soldier in the camp where he’s stationed
One for the sailor, on rolling seas
One for the pastor, ill at his ease
A jerk. A hard yank. Silence. Silence.
now the song that was playing over and over is launched into
digital orbit surrounding your bed
in one ear and out the other?
not in this lifetime, said the voice in your head.
Not for all of the tea in china, or on the hearts of those who implore
nor on the blackest of smiles lying on Poe’s Plutonian Shore
pull your boxers up, boyo
there’s much to be done today.
Put those hoses back to your ears and rest assured that you will encounter
things that will test your moral fiber and defibrillate your self-esteem
but the thin white noose hanging around your neck assures you
that the comradery and violence circling the outskirts of your own universe
will never be able to silence the decibels screaming inside your own head
III. The Old Man and the C:
what do we save? Where do the little little things in our lives
that we save to aesthetic memory go when we sleep?
children have the greatest knowledge of when to click and when to save
but their memories are short. shorter than their little legs and little fingers that
pry into the deep
recesses of the widest web. Social webs with little spiders crawling
and sprawling across your screen. The children keep
tabs open and browsers full of the things that most keep their attention.
But what does
grab and
nab and
poke and
pull
the attention of the little spiders, on the shores of the C:
eventually crashing the waves upon their little feet
Search and rescue bars for the children lost to
the generations between. Gen X? no. Gen Y? no.
Do they get into the surf, the digital surf, and find out fatefully the undertow?
Where do these children go when those waves come crashing on their feet?
A lot of candid paragraphs can be written, through the impersonal and lackluster
Films on the web, but where do these children go? Where do they, where do they go?
In a world where wireless supplants dial-up, the span
of time that it takes to grasp the children’s attention and run with it, run far away
until the only question left to ask is “where did they go? Where, where did they go?”
they compose their songs and play and cast their pods into the sea
the sea. the sea.
where did they go? Where, where did they go?
ten
We start counting down the ways from ten
That we control every little thing around us
It controls us, no doubt, and we lie to ourselves
The remote becomes the comfort blanket
nine
when we see that the only comfort we can seek lies
in infomercials and blog spots
there is no way that we can ever clean them,
even if we add one to the other.
Billy Mays could sell a mac to a pc
and a windows to a linux.
eight
Running at optimum capacity
systems that run smooth. Fans and glass
replacing the wind and water
nothing natural. nothing natural
we see nothing outside of our monitors
and unfortunately for us, we are stuck thinking inside the box
seven
we speed up now. upon the monitor’s unblinking gaze we
see how the might and fury of flat-backed
hooligans, those internet ruffians deliver unto us the
true feel of love. Nothing ever sold so well as a
promise of complete happiness and bliss amongst peers.
Counting down. Ignition.
six
a silence. a silence.
and then, Crescendo! the hall fills with
the rising sound of sentient life! Fingers upon keys
The Brass Flares! The Woodwinds Whine!
The Strings swell and fill the hall with the indomitable and resolute
promise of violence and the digital hereafter!
five
sweat does drip and drip and rip and dip
all upon your face
when staring at your plasma screen,
on eBay buying lingerie and lace
to fill your house with trinkets and codswallop
and useless inane and asinine
front end-loaders and sour cream (but just a dollop)
but why stop there? Why stop there indeed?
We need more and more and more
Or how else will we plant the seed?
four
the spiral effect of dive-bombing doves and
pigeons know how to make your head grow
around that which you cannot live without
contemporary man has no need for the past; all he needs is to stand on the shoulders of those before him. Make him man. Make him god.
Those contributions, those technological contributions, those gadgets and gizmos
And new age mythos
Those letters from doctor Spock, hand free from needless spanking
It becomes clearer and clearer who gets the banking
rolls by using this automation and money back guarantees
(don’t worry; soon we’ll all be 100% human free!)
three
we wind ourselves down and up like a watch
whose function we have yet to figure out
who needs a calendar, stopwatch, laser pointer,
remote, garage opener, can opener, can recycler, nuclear fusion reactor,
decompression chamber, and automatic juicer in their watch?
Well, I suppose the juicer would be nice.
The degrees of separation are as various as our degrees
of killing ourselves with kindness.
two
This is our digital age. Our digital revolution
I had a gigapet when I was a child. When it came time to put it down
all that was required was that I put it down. Sometimes it’s easiest to pick
up a child’s toys in the morning.
meander to the desk. click. click. click. click. click. click.
this site makes me grumpy. So grumpy
but this one makes me happy. So happy
and this one makes me sleepy. So sleepy
and this one makes me dopey. So dopey
and this one makes me bashful. So bashful
and this one makes me sneezy. So sneezy
hmm, these symptoms certainly will send me to the doctor.
right Doc?
one
spiraling in a web, halcyon red and blues and whites and greens
it is so easy to find Lolcats and movie quotations, but what about
it is so easy to find ourselves wrapped in our technological bundle.
Do you sync?
Everything should sync.
In this world of digital mechanics
and analog components it is good to know
that when it comes to sync or swim, we can finally let ourselves sync.
One. By. One.
II. The Sheer Audacity
creak one leaky eye open on a Sunday morning
only to have a head full of throb and an ear
full of static
the music is too loud, I want to scream
the music is too loud
turning over into a puddle (was that there last night?)
a puddle not involving a girl with a pixie-cut and a man with a sweater-vest
the music is too loud
but wait…there is no music. Where does the infernal racket come from?
the television is on, but…where is the sound?
the computer is flashing, but…where is the sound?
Stumbling to the mirror it is easy to see that throughout the night you have been attached
to your source of pain.
two thin white cords spill from your ears
and in between them a small pillbox. Medicine, they say. Medicine.
One for the doctor and one for the patient
One for the soldier in the camp where he’s stationed
One for the sailor, on rolling seas
One for the pastor, ill at his ease
A jerk. A hard yank. Silence. Silence.
now the song that was playing over and over is launched into
digital orbit surrounding your bed
in one ear and out the other?
not in this lifetime, said the voice in your head.
Not for all of the tea in china, or on the hearts of those who implore
nor on the blackest of smiles lying on Poe’s Plutonian Shore
pull your boxers up, boyo
there’s much to be done today.
Put those hoses back to your ears and rest assured that you will encounter
things that will test your moral fiber and defibrillate your self-esteem
but the thin white noose hanging around your neck assures you
that the comradery and violence circling the outskirts of your own universe
will never be able to silence the decibels screaming inside your own head
III. The Old Man and the C:
what do we save? Where do the little little things in our lives
that we save to aesthetic memory go when we sleep?
children have the greatest knowledge of when to click and when to save
but their memories are short. shorter than their little legs and little fingers that
pry into the deep
recesses of the widest web. Social webs with little spiders crawling
and sprawling across your screen. The children keep
tabs open and browsers full of the things that most keep their attention.
But what does
grab and
nab and
poke and
pull
the attention of the little spiders, on the shores of the C:
eventually crashing the waves upon their little feet
Search and rescue bars for the children lost to
the generations between. Gen X? no. Gen Y? no.
Do they get into the surf, the digital surf, and find out fatefully the undertow?
Where do these children go when those waves come crashing on their feet?
A lot of candid paragraphs can be written, through the impersonal and lackluster
Films on the web, but where do these children go? Where do they, where do they go?
In a world where wireless supplants dial-up, the span
of time that it takes to grasp the children’s attention and run with it, run far away
until the only question left to ask is “where did they go? Where, where did they go?”
they compose their songs and play and cast their pods into the sea
the sea. the sea.
where did they go? Where, where did they go?
HDTV Buying Guide: LCD
Photo Couresy of SonyXBR.com
LCD Panels (Liquid Crystal Displays)
LCD televisions have been around a little longer than plasmas. In essence, they are gigantic computer monitors. They come in a variety of sizes from 7 inches all the way up to about 63 inches. LCD’s offer a great value but with compromising picture quality.
Pros
These are the brightest displays, and that brightness, coupled with vivid colors and svelte shapes, make them very attractive to most buyers. With the varying degrees of sizes and qualities, an LCD can be found for any application. Most all LCDs have a Computer Monitor Input, which allows an LCD to double as a television and computer monitor. That way, you could hook your laptop up to an LCD and have a 46” high definition picture frame when having family get-togethers. LCDs use 1/3 less power than plasmas do, so they are much more Utility Bill Friendly. 1080p resolution on LCDs is very affordable. I will discuss this term later in the article. However, the most important reason someone buys an LCD over a Plasma or Rear-Projection television is the fact that LCDs do not have glare!!! It doesn’t matter if you have your blinds or curtains open, a bay window, or a spotlight throwing light onto the television. With glare and reflection never being an issue, LCDs are more attractive to people whose televisions are in sun rooms or living rooms, or if their television size ranges from 13" to 37".
Cons
LCDs have trouble rendering details in dark scenes, and black levels typically aren't as dark as those seen on plasmas. Often blacks look more like a dark navy blue than a true “black.” LCDs are also, on average, $200 more than a Plasma of the same size. As aforementioned, the refresh rates on LCDs are not as fast as a Plasma. Sometimes screen door effect can be prominent if the refresh rate and processor are slow. When watching TVs in a store like Best Buy make sure you catch some type of sports clip on it to see how well the television responds to fast movement. In addition to screen door effect, image trail can also occur. This still deals with the refresh rate and fast motion. The best way to demonstrate this would be to show you. I assume, you are at your computer. Take your mouse and move it quickly back and forth across the screen. Do you see how it looks like there are other cursors behind that one? Like it isn’t fluid? Like there is more than one of them? Well that is what image trail is. Who buys an LCD? Someone might buy an LCD because they are looking for a smaller television or are tired of having to close curtains just to block out the light to enjoy TV on the weekend. True representative picture quality might not be of utmost concern for the LCD buyer. They also may be buying an LCD because they will last longer than plasmas do. Rear Projection Televisions are the next display technology. Continue to Part 4.
Librivox: Listening to the Classics
If you are a student of English, you know how much time you spend reading books. But, if you’re into finding ways to be more productive, or if you like being read to, you should definitely look into librivox. Librivox is an online organization, founded by Hugh McGuire in 2005, that works to get audio copies of texts that have drifted into the public domain, which actually comprise a large part of an English major’s reading list. Librivox has audio copies of books like Moby Dick, Frankenstein, and even Robinson Crusoe. In fact, the online audio library has over 1000 titles in their collection and it continues to grow as volunteers record more of them. Their tagline is “acoustical liberation of books in the public domain,” which is precisely what Librivox does. They use volunteers to conduct a majority of their work and obtain most of their texts from the similar free literature project, Project Gutenberg, which offers text versions of public domain texts. They accept donations, but the best part is that the works that they offer to the public are free! They remain non-commercial, non-profit, and ad-free and their goal is, “To make all books in the public domain available, for free, in audio format on the internet.”
On their Frequently Asked Questions page, the answer to “Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?” is a good one. They write:
“We love reading, love books, love literature, think the public domain should be defended and enriched, we like free stuff, we like to hear people read to us, and we like reading to other people. It's fun, it's a great community, it's a rewarding public service to the world. And ‘nothing’ is in it for us, except the satisfaction of participating in a wonderful project.”
Imagine, doing your laundry and finishing the novel for next week’s class don’t have to be two separate chores any more, that is, as long as you have an iPod or similar device. Admittedly, usually an English student can read a novel much faster than he or she is able to listen to one, but for our modern, busy lifestyles, a student can always accomplish a little bit more work by doing two things at once. If the productivity side of the project doesn’t sell you, consider these texts as being open to people who wouldn’t read these works otherwise, like the blind community, or even folks who just don’t like to read that much at all. In any case, Librivox has a lot to offer and is breaking open new opportunities in the digital world for the literati. On your next break, try downloading and listening to a book that you’ve always wanted to read—but never had the time to. What can it hurt? It’s free.
On their Frequently Asked Questions page, the answer to “Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?” is a good one. They write:
“We love reading, love books, love literature, think the public domain should be defended and enriched, we like free stuff, we like to hear people read to us, and we like reading to other people. It's fun, it's a great community, it's a rewarding public service to the world. And ‘nothing’ is in it for us, except the satisfaction of participating in a wonderful project.”
Imagine, doing your laundry and finishing the novel for next week’s class don’t have to be two separate chores any more, that is, as long as you have an iPod or similar device. Admittedly, usually an English student can read a novel much faster than he or she is able to listen to one, but for our modern, busy lifestyles, a student can always accomplish a little bit more work by doing two things at once. If the productivity side of the project doesn’t sell you, consider these texts as being open to people who wouldn’t read these works otherwise, like the blind community, or even folks who just don’t like to read that much at all. In any case, Librivox has a lot to offer and is breaking open new opportunities in the digital world for the literati. On your next break, try downloading and listening to a book that you’ve always wanted to read—but never had the time to. What can it hurt? It’s free.
Lifehacking: A New Way Of Living Productively
If you are unsure of what it means to hack your life, you might assume that the act would be disturbingly violent. However, lifehacking, a term coined by Danny O’ Brien in 2004 during a technology talk, now means—at least by my best attempt at giving a definition—a method of improving a regular system in one’s life in order to allow that system to function more easily, simply, or quickly. It's a DIY-or Do-it-yourself kind of mindset. In other words, someone might set an egg timer so that he doesn’t spend 3 hours mindlessly surfing the internet. There are loads of websites popping up on a regular basis now devoted to offering lifehacking tips and tricks. One of the originals, though, is lifehacker.com, a blog edited by Gina Trapani, which presents new ways of improved life management tricks almost on an hourly basis. The first line of their about page reads, “Welcome to Lifehacker, an award-winning daily blog that features tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help you work and live smarter and more efficiently.”
Time did an article on lifehacking earlier this year that covers the new self-improvement-for-geeks phenomenon. The article by Jeremy Caplan begins, “Beneath the bits and bytes that shape the character of Silicon Valley, there's a booming digital subculture committed to the art of self-improvement, geek style. It's known as life hacking, and it's all about sweating out the best ways to crank through e-mail, sabotage spam, boost productivity and in general be happier.” Happier? Indeed. Maybe we could all take a tip from a techie—we might just get through all of those e-mails a bit more quickly.
Time did an article on lifehacking earlier this year that covers the new self-improvement-for-geeks phenomenon. The article by Jeremy Caplan begins, “Beneath the bits and bytes that shape the character of Silicon Valley, there's a booming digital subculture committed to the art of self-improvement, geek style. It's known as life hacking, and it's all about sweating out the best ways to crank through e-mail, sabotage spam, boost productivity and in general be happier.” Happier? Indeed. Maybe we could all take a tip from a techie—we might just get through all of those e-mails a bit more quickly.
American Gangster, Jay-Z: A Music Review
Track Listing: 1. Intro
2. Pray
3. American Dreamin’
4. Hello Brooklyn 2.0
5. No Hook
6. ROC Boys (And the Winner Is)…
7. Sweet
8. I Know
9. Party Life
10. Ignorant Sh*t
11. Say Hello
12. Success
13. Fallin’
2. Pray
3. American Dreamin’
4. Hello Brooklyn 2.0
5. No Hook
6. ROC Boys (And the Winner Is)…
7. Sweet
8. I Know
9. Party Life
10. Ignorant Sh*t
11. Say Hello
12. Success
13. Fallin’
14. Blue Magic
15. American Gangster
15. American Gangster
To follow-up my last post about Hip Hop, I’m providing you with a personal review of the newly release Jay-Z album, American Gangster.
The album opens up with the Intro providing listeners with the meaning and mentality of a gangster. With this understanding the listeners can better understand the songs that follow.
Pray, American Dreamin’, Hello Brooklyn 2.0, No Hook, Say Hello are songs that also provide a setting for the listeners , while also providing them insight to a day in the life of a hustler. Hello Brooklyn gives you a glance at the city through his eyes. This track is hot because he gives Brooklyn attributes of a woman; listeners would think he was talking about a woman how he describes “Brooklyn’s curves”. American Dreamin’ and No Hook provide listeners with the reason why he chose the life that he did. In American Dreamin’ he talks about thinking about going to college, but he can’t focus on that while people are around him starving. The life gangsters live is one of danger, but in Pray, he shows that gangsters need God to. In Pray, he prays to God for strength and protection.
ROC Boys and Party Life provide listeners with a glance of the good life. It shows when the hustlers at his peak; moneys good and how they celebrate in their high times. Fallin’ gives listeners a glimpse of the fall of the gangster if he continues with that lifestyle.
Overall it’s a great album. To get the full affect, one would have to listen to the entire album from start to finish for it’s a project. It’s not an album you would want to flip through; it’s well worth playing all the way through. I recommend this to everyone, especially people who don’t like hip hop. This album is a mirror of many peoples’ lives every day, and to better understand hip hop, it’s purpose, even appreciate it. This album will show you why you don’t have to necessarily like it, but because of its honesty we all have to respect its truth.
Pray, American Dreamin’, Hello Brooklyn 2.0, No Hook, Say Hello are songs that also provide a setting for the listeners , while also providing them insight to a day in the life of a hustler. Hello Brooklyn gives you a glance at the city through his eyes. This track is hot because he gives Brooklyn attributes of a woman; listeners would think he was talking about a woman how he describes “Brooklyn’s curves”. American Dreamin’ and No Hook provide listeners with the reason why he chose the life that he did. In American Dreamin’ he talks about thinking about going to college, but he can’t focus on that while people are around him starving. The life gangsters live is one of danger, but in Pray, he shows that gangsters need God to. In Pray, he prays to God for strength and protection.
ROC Boys and Party Life provide listeners with a glance of the good life. It shows when the hustlers at his peak; moneys good and how they celebrate in their high times. Fallin’ gives listeners a glimpse of the fall of the gangster if he continues with that lifestyle.
Overall it’s a great album. To get the full affect, one would have to listen to the entire album from start to finish for it’s a project. It’s not an album you would want to flip through; it’s well worth playing all the way through. I recommend this to everyone, especially people who don’t like hip hop. This album is a mirror of many peoples’ lives every day, and to better understand hip hop, it’s purpose, even appreciate it. This album will show you why you don’t have to necessarily like it, but because of its honesty we all have to respect its truth.
Image provided courtesy of CD Universe
Cory Doctorow Has A Posse
image source: Wikimedia Commons
Cory Doctorow has a posse. That’s right. He’s a blogger with a mission: to open up writing as a free, open-source medium—kind of like Linux without the software part. What does Doctorow do? He writes mainly. But he’s founded a web image that surpasses most other authors out there on the market—he’s allowed the internet to give him an identity with his audience. He’s helped make writers really, really cool again.
His website craphound.com contains all of his writings online, for free. He is an activist for open-source media, and has sought to break open the bounds of publishing. He is taking the science fiction genre and using it—as science fiction often does surprisingly well—to comment on the culture. For example, in one short story called, “Anda’s Game,” which borrows its title from the classic sci-fi novel, Ender’s Game, Doctorow writes about people in third world countries working in a kind of new world sweatshop, where poor people play videogames to mine gold for players in more wealthy countries.
Doctorow is also strangely fascinated with Disney. His first novel, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, received a lot of critical acclaim and allowed him to move to the forefront of digital publishing for fiction. He published it online for free, and still made money from it. He uses online ads, and believes that hardcopies of novels will never go away. With all that is going on in the digital publishing market, more authors like Doctorow will inevitably arrive on the scene, changing the face of “new authors,” as well as “new texts.”
Cell Phones
http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/artikelen/695/cell_phones.jpgTechnology is everywhere. It affects every aspect of our lives. Through television, iPods, CD players, MP3s, G.P.S., land-line telephones, and computers, we are in the middle of a technological revolution. One of the most popular pieces of technology is the cell phone. It seems like everyone on Earth has one. Cellular phones first become popular in the early 90s. Originally they were called car phones, because that is what they were designed for. I remember that my aunt had one that fit in a bag, such as a video camera would, and you would take it off the hook like a land line. It had a chord attached to the bag, and an antenna on your car that was key for its use. These car phones were then developed to where they were able to be mounted on the dashboard. Then, you were able to carry them out of the car, but they were huge. Phones now can fit it your back pocket, but these phones were very large. Towards the middle of the 90s, flip phones began to take over. They were still the same size, but now as you flipped it closed, it would end the call. This was revolutionary to cell phone owners at the time.
As time went by, phones seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, but their capability was steadily increasing. When I got into middle school, many of my peers were getting phones. A company, Cricket, had began to offer a plan where you could get a standard phone with call waiting and caller ID, free local calls, and a charger for a very low price. This, to parents, seemed like a good opportunity. With many children of this age being involved in extracurricular activities, the parents would maintain contact with their children. When the company took off, they started making phones that had covers that could be changed and customized. This was so neat to everyone, because your phone could now be personalized to your liking. Soon you could even change the antenna to where it would blink or be of a different color. This was the coolest thing in the world.
Over the years, technology has continued to advance and cell phones have become a necessity in everyone’s lives. There are many more companies that offer wireless service. Many of the larger companies, such as Verizon, Cingular (now AT&T), Sprint, and Nextel are constantly competing for your business. Cell phones are so advanced now. They have turned into mini computers. Anything that you can possiblly think of, you are now able to do on a cell phone.
Ten years ago you could simply see who was calling and receive two calls at once. Now you can do so much more. You can now personalize your phone with ring tones, “ring backs” (which the caller hears as the phone is ringing), pictures, and even voice recordings, which give you the ability to call someone just by saying their name. The internet is accessible through every phone, along with the capability to have conference calls and text messaging. There are games offered on phones as a demo, where you are able to sample certain games within certain levels. Cell phone technology has gotten a little crazy!
The newest bit of technology is the iPhone. This technology was developed by Apple and is offered only through AT&T. The iPOD, which is also a huge revolution in technology now, has been combined with a top-of-the-line cell phone that can make and receive calls, while storing and playing tons of music. This just goes to show how magnificent cell phones have become.
As time goes on, and this revolution continues, people have begun to get rid of their land lines, and are just using their cell phones instead. With society becoming as fast paced as it is, people are inconvenienced by using the phone at their house. Most phone plans now offer free long distance, text messaging packages, and every other amenity that one could think of.
It is crazy to think how a small phone can hold so much technology. What would Ben Franklin or even Alexander Graham Bell think if they could hold a cell phone? Science has come so far, and cell phones are one of the greatest examples of mankind’s accomplishments. Just like our great grandparents with the automobile and our grandparents with the television, my generation will probably be the last generation to remember what the world was like before the “cell phone era”. Now, although I think that the technology within a cell phone is a bit ridiculous, I have a cell phone with text messaging, customized ring tones and pictures, call waiting, caller ID, games, the internet, and so much more. It is practically glued to my head during the day. Although I could live without my cell phone, why would I want to?
New iTunes Digital Cards, A CD Killer?
Have you seen the new, shiny cards that look like CDs while waiting for your cappuccino in Starbucks? They’re pretty. They’re about the size of a piece of notebook paper folded in half. But what are they? And will they actually work as a new form of digital media distribution?
They are essentially the ten dollar gift card for iTunes that sold so well last Christmas—stuffed in stockings across the land—picked up alongside bigger purchases while waiting in Best Buy’s long lines. But, they’re marketing specific albums. And did I mention that they’re shiner? Artists like the up and coming KT Tunstall and the ever present Paul McCartney have put their newest albums on the market using this new means of distribution. Oh, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam has gone solo, and he’s doing it too. Eddie Vedder’s gone solo??? Nevermind. There is always a question with our nanosecond, forward thinking technology how long something will last, and how deeply a new form of technology will take hold of a buying public. The card simply replaces the actual CD as a physical way to sell music. Instead, buyers can download the album from iTunes using a hidden code on the back of the card which is underneath a scratch-off layer. According to the vice president of iTunes, Eddie Cue, the cards are "a way to leverage digital in the physical space."
This form, however, seems like a no brainer. But is it finally a CD killer? The compact disc arrived on the scene in 1982, surprisingly more long ago than I had thought, bringing with it a death blow to audio tapes. Those poor, cool tapes… with which you could just make a compilation of songs for someone you loved without worrying about Digital Rights Management software. However, due to the revolution of CDs, tapes stopped being sold in stores.
There was another potential CD killer out there for a time. It was called the MiniDisc. It was a small, enclosed CD that couldn’t be scratched and held more data. I still have a MiniDisc player lying around in my attic somewhere. So, I can empathize with folks who invest in technology that never takes off. I am talking to you Mark Twain.*
In any case, the CD has been on the shelves at Best Buy for too long, and while the .mp3 is a format that looks promising with record sales through iTunes and elsewhere, CDs can still hold mp3s really well. But then again, so can your computer. So selling you a cheap, but shiny, plastic card might be the new CD. It contains new marketing potential at least. I’ll just be interested about what’s on the shelves at “record” stores in 3 more years. Did I just say “record”? Don’t even get me started… but since you mentioned it, even with all our technological advances. Records are still the most accurate way to replicate sound.
*Mark Twain lost big when he invested in a printing technology that competed with the modern printing press.
They are essentially the ten dollar gift card for iTunes that sold so well last Christmas—stuffed in stockings across the land—picked up alongside bigger purchases while waiting in Best Buy’s long lines. But, they’re marketing specific albums. And did I mention that they’re shiner? Artists like the up and coming KT Tunstall and the ever present Paul McCartney have put their newest albums on the market using this new means of distribution. Oh, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam has gone solo, and he’s doing it too. Eddie Vedder’s gone solo??? Nevermind. There is always a question with our nanosecond, forward thinking technology how long something will last, and how deeply a new form of technology will take hold of a buying public. The card simply replaces the actual CD as a physical way to sell music. Instead, buyers can download the album from iTunes using a hidden code on the back of the card which is underneath a scratch-off layer. According to the vice president of iTunes, Eddie Cue, the cards are "a way to leverage digital in the physical space."
This form, however, seems like a no brainer. But is it finally a CD killer? The compact disc arrived on the scene in 1982, surprisingly more long ago than I had thought, bringing with it a death blow to audio tapes. Those poor, cool tapes… with which you could just make a compilation of songs for someone you loved without worrying about Digital Rights Management software. However, due to the revolution of CDs, tapes stopped being sold in stores.
There was another potential CD killer out there for a time. It was called the MiniDisc. It was a small, enclosed CD that couldn’t be scratched and held more data. I still have a MiniDisc player lying around in my attic somewhere. So, I can empathize with folks who invest in technology that never takes off. I am talking to you Mark Twain.*
In any case, the CD has been on the shelves at Best Buy for too long, and while the .mp3 is a format that looks promising with record sales through iTunes and elsewhere, CDs can still hold mp3s really well. But then again, so can your computer. So selling you a cheap, but shiny, plastic card might be the new CD. It contains new marketing potential at least. I’ll just be interested about what’s on the shelves at “record” stores in 3 more years. Did I just say “record”? Don’t even get me started… but since you mentioned it, even with all our technological advances. Records are still the most accurate way to replicate sound.
*Mark Twain lost big when he invested in a printing technology that competed with the modern printing press.
Our Expressions
For all of time, humans have expressed themselves through music. Music is everywhere!! There is no group that doesn’t listen to some type of music. Not only is music a nice way to express yourself, but it is the way we relate to others around the world, as well as within our own community.
The reason that there are so many genres of music is because there are many different types of people. We all express ourselves with different words, different beats, and with different stories. Many people, because of ignorance, only feel that their type of music is worth listening to because other types don’t relate directly to them.
Recently, there have been some major challenges to a particular genre of music: the Rap industry. Many advocates feel that this genre has a negative effect on society as a whole. Within “rap” there are many slang terms used, and the videos are at least PG-13 rated. Due to this recent disapproval of rap, a show has aired on BET called “Hip Hop v. America”. This is a great title, because it really is this genre being challenged by the world. Although, many will agree that the music is not intended for children, this type of music stands as an expression of one’s self just as every other type does. It is not fair to these artists to have restrictions on their expressions.
It seems to me, that my generation, now more than ever needs to use our music as a reflection of our experiences. This stands for everything that has impacted our lives. There are negative experiences, as well as positive ones. While rap is not very clean, and often seems to portray the artist and others in the industry, as negative people, it is still an expression of one’s life and the way they view their surroundings.
The hip- hop community is one of the younger ones within the different types of music, and is somewhat, on the other end of the spectrum from country and rock, but it should still be treated with the same standards and respect as any other type of music. How can anyone say that one type of music doesn’t deserve to be on TV or on the radio? If that is the way that the artist expresses themselves, and they have fans who relate to what they are saying, then haven’t they already achieved what they set out to do?
Throughout my education and life, I have heard many of my peers say that they feel we aren’t a very important generation; that we haven’t been able to contribute to the world as our parents and grandparents once did. For example, many other generations before have been through World Wars and other major political movements. We as a young demographic feel disrespected because we haven’t had a chance to really stand up and show the world what we are capable of doing.
Ages 18-25 have the lowest voting rate of any other demographic. This is because we feel that we have no voice in our country. Many people within this age feel that even if we do speak up on topics, that no one gives us the respect to listen. Music is the way that we share what we are feeling in our lives. It is the way that we show the world how we feel about everything. Music artist are getting younger with each year that goes by. We have thirteen year old girls emerging in music because they have something to give to the industry and the world.
Music is an art. Just like a painting, some viewers may like it, while others don’t, some may understand it, and others don’t, but who has the right to tell the artist what classifies as art and what doesn’t. Every things that is an expression of someone, deserves to be listened to, or looked at. And, although we cannot always relate to everyone, we do not stand alone in what we feel. We as a generation and as a world should view everyone’s opinion as equal and allow each other to express themselves freely.
The reason that there are so many genres of music is because there are many different types of people. We all express ourselves with different words, different beats, and with different stories. Many people, because of ignorance, only feel that their type of music is worth listening to because other types don’t relate directly to them.
Recently, there have been some major challenges to a particular genre of music: the Rap industry. Many advocates feel that this genre has a negative effect on society as a whole. Within “rap” there are many slang terms used, and the videos are at least PG-13 rated. Due to this recent disapproval of rap, a show has aired on BET called “Hip Hop v. America”. This is a great title, because it really is this genre being challenged by the world. Although, many will agree that the music is not intended for children, this type of music stands as an expression of one’s self just as every other type does. It is not fair to these artists to have restrictions on their expressions.
It seems to me, that my generation, now more than ever needs to use our music as a reflection of our experiences. This stands for everything that has impacted our lives. There are negative experiences, as well as positive ones. While rap is not very clean, and often seems to portray the artist and others in the industry, as negative people, it is still an expression of one’s life and the way they view their surroundings.
The hip- hop community is one of the younger ones within the different types of music, and is somewhat, on the other end of the spectrum from country and rock, but it should still be treated with the same standards and respect as any other type of music. How can anyone say that one type of music doesn’t deserve to be on TV or on the radio? If that is the way that the artist expresses themselves, and they have fans who relate to what they are saying, then haven’t they already achieved what they set out to do?
Throughout my education and life, I have heard many of my peers say that they feel we aren’t a very important generation; that we haven’t been able to contribute to the world as our parents and grandparents once did. For example, many other generations before have been through World Wars and other major political movements. We as a young demographic feel disrespected because we haven’t had a chance to really stand up and show the world what we are capable of doing.
Ages 18-25 have the lowest voting rate of any other demographic. This is because we feel that we have no voice in our country. Many people within this age feel that even if we do speak up on topics, that no one gives us the respect to listen. Music is the way that we share what we are feeling in our lives. It is the way that we show the world how we feel about everything. Music artist are getting younger with each year that goes by. We have thirteen year old girls emerging in music because they have something to give to the industry and the world.
Music is an art. Just like a painting, some viewers may like it, while others don’t, some may understand it, and others don’t, but who has the right to tell the artist what classifies as art and what doesn’t. Every things that is an expression of someone, deserves to be listened to, or looked at. And, although we cannot always relate to everyone, we do not stand alone in what we feel. We as a generation and as a world should view everyone’s opinion as equal and allow each other to express themselves freely.
Try Linux on for Size
In an era with the new Windows Vista (costing $230) and the even newer Leopard OSX for Macs (costing about $130), this might be a time to try out Linux. Is your computer old and out of date? Running slow? Have you had Windows XP, Service Pack 2, running now for 5 years? Have you ever heard of Linux?
Linux is known for being a free operating system, but it’s also known as being the operating system for nerds. If you aren’t a nerd, or even if you are but haven’t tried Linux, I would recommend trying out Ubuntu, a version of Linux whose tagline is “Linux for human beings” that is to say, not robot-ish nerds. And you don’t actually have to change anything on your computer! In addition, the "mascot" of sorts for Linux operating systems is this cute little penguin.
All it takes to try Linux on for size is a few simple steps:
Step 1: Get a copy of Linux.
Not so tough. Got a blank CD? Or even a large USB Key? Go to www.ubuntu.com and click download to save an .iso file—that’s the file extension for a boot up disk—of the latest Ubuntu version on your desktop.
Step 2: Copy your Copy to the CD
You’ll have to use special software, which can be found at www.nero.com or www.roxio.com, to burn an .iso image onto a CD, which is different from just copying the file because the .iso burned image allows the CD to work as a boot up disk. If you have trouble with these first two steps, you can always order a copy of the Ubuntu CD from their website for shipping costs alone.
Step 3: Put it in the CD-Rom drive and reboot
Here’s where the fun begins. Explore. Enjoy. Check out a new operating system.
It is a little different than Windows, but it keeps you from giving even more money to Bill Gates and Microsoft, which is always good for a strong individualistic type like yourself to do.
To go back to Windows, where you may just feel most at home, pop out the CD and reboot again. Back to normal, but what a cool experience.
Investigating Linux actually saved my hide once when I screwed up my parents’ computer. Their version of Windows wouldn’t boot, so I popped in my new Linux CD and they could at least surf the internet and my sister could work on her term papers using Open Office, which we should save for another article.
Linux is known for being a free operating system, but it’s also known as being the operating system for nerds. If you aren’t a nerd, or even if you are but haven’t tried Linux, I would recommend trying out Ubuntu, a version of Linux whose tagline is “Linux for human beings” that is to say, not robot-ish nerds. And you don’t actually have to change anything on your computer! In addition, the "mascot" of sorts for Linux operating systems is this cute little penguin.
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All it takes to try Linux on for size is a few simple steps:
Step 1: Get a copy of Linux.
Not so tough. Got a blank CD? Or even a large USB Key? Go to www.ubuntu.com and click download to save an .iso file—that’s the file extension for a boot up disk—of the latest Ubuntu version on your desktop.
Step 2: Copy your Copy to the CD
You’ll have to use special software, which can be found at www.nero.com or www.roxio.com, to burn an .iso image onto a CD, which is different from just copying the file because the .iso burned image allows the CD to work as a boot up disk. If you have trouble with these first two steps, you can always order a copy of the Ubuntu CD from their website for shipping costs alone.
Step 3: Put it in the CD-Rom drive and reboot
Here’s where the fun begins. Explore. Enjoy. Check out a new operating system.
It is a little different than Windows, but it keeps you from giving even more money to Bill Gates and Microsoft, which is always good for a strong individualistic type like yourself to do.
To go back to Windows, where you may just feel most at home, pop out the CD and reboot again. Back to normal, but what a cool experience.
Investigating Linux actually saved my hide once when I screwed up my parents’ computer. Their version of Windows wouldn’t boot, so I popped in my new Linux CD and they could at least surf the internet and my sister could work on her term papers using Open Office, which we should save for another article.
Revolution and Complacency
“Caroline, it’s your night to do the dishes!”
Helen’s black pump heels clicked across the tile floor as she cleared the table after dinner. Caroline sauntered in and took plates out of her mother’s hands.
“I e-mailed my application to Penn State today,” Caroline stated, smiling.
“That’s great, sweetie. Do you have to send them a hard copy too, or is the e-mail the only thing they need?”
“Just the e-mail.”
“Wow, that’s different. I never imagined we’d be sending everything over the internet. Next we’ll be making cell phone payments over the internet,” Helen said sarcastically.
Caroline looked at her, confused and smiled wryly.
“Mom, you can already do that.”
Car headlights beamed through the window of the house as the two finished the dishes.
********************************
Helen stepped out of her VW Bug and onto the concrete sidewalk of Valley Hill High School. She waved at two girls across the parking lot. A Beatles song blared from a Mustang across the lot. Let it be, let it be. She stepped into the brightly lit hallway of the school and into her classroom.
“Are you coming to the rally at Penn State today?” A blonde girl next to Helen asked.
“Of course!” she replied. “I got another letter from James yesterday, he’s even encouraging me to rally. Ever since he got drafted and went over there, he’s been sending me letters about how he can’t wait to come home. He says it’s worse over there than we think.”
“I can’t even imagine,” the blonde replied.
The bell rang as Helen took out her notebook and wrote the date on the top of her paper – “September 15, 1970.”
“I’ll see you at 5,” the blonde whispered, as the teacher started that day’s lecture.
**********************************
Helen and James stayed up to watch the news after the girls had gone to sleep. Same old, same old, Helen thought. Clinton and Lewinsky. Lame.
“So our girl’s going to Penn State,” James exclaimed proudly, pulling Helen away from the obviously boring newscast. “Your alma mater.”
“We don’t know that yet. Don’t jinx it.”
“She’ll get in. As long as they don’t find out her mother was one of the protestors on the campus all the time when I was in Vietnam.” James said, laughing.
“Very funny,” Helen replied sarcastically.
*********************************
At 4:45, Helen pulled up to the campus of Penn State and grabbed her “No war. Know peace” sign from the back of her tiny car. A rather large group of students were already assembled by the steps of the main auditorium, alongside about ten armed policemen and a couple men in uniforms who looked like National Guardsmen. As Helen approached the steps of the building with her sign, she spotted the blonde haired girl from English.
“Hey Helen!” she exclaimed. “Join in!”
They two held their signs up and began chanting along with the other young protestors.
“Tell us what we’re fighting for!” a student yelled.
“Bring home my father,” another student shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Helen remembered the letter she had gotten from James the day before, and she swelled with emotion: anger, righteousness, and utter sadness.
***********************************
“Turn it back to MTV,” Brittney said, grabbing the remote out of her older sister’s hand.
The latest NSYNC video appeared on the giant screen.
“Don’t you two get tired of all the boy bands?” Helen commented, walking into the den.
“Oh mom, you just don’t understand. We only watch them because they’re hot,” Brittney explained.
Helen sat down and took the remote, changing it to the local 6:00 news.
“MOM!” Caroline whined.
“You two really need to learn to care about something other than hot boys and cars. When I was in high school, all we watched was the news because we actually cared what was going on in the world.”
“Yeah and you guys didn’t even have MTV,” Brittney replied sarcastically.
“We care, mom. Really, we do.”
Both girls sauntered out of the den and into their rooms.
**************************************
Helen got home after the rally and got out a pen and a piece of paper.
James walked through the giant oak front door of the house. Brittney and Caroline were glued to the television once again.
“Hi, Dad,” they both said monotonously.
“Hi girls. Geez, do you two ever do homework?” James said.
“Did it,” Caroline replied, her gaze never shifting from the T.V.
“Don’t have any,” Brittney said, equally as zombie-like as her sister.
“What about the newspaper? Do you read that ever?”
“Only for the movie listings,” Caroline shot back. “Why read the newspaper when you can get on the internet?”
“Right. I always forget about that.”
“Did you know that our President just got impeached?”
“Dad, be quiet, I can’t hear the T.V.”
***************************************
Helen couldn’t sleep that night. Nightmares of James being in Vietnam kept replaying over and over again every time she closed her eyes. She sat up, as awake as ever and began writing in her diary.
Helen’s black pump heels clicked across the tile floor as she cleared the table after dinner. Caroline sauntered in and took plates out of her mother’s hands.
“I e-mailed my application to Penn State today,” Caroline stated, smiling.
“That’s great, sweetie. Do you have to send them a hard copy too, or is the e-mail the only thing they need?”
“Just the e-mail.”
“Wow, that’s different. I never imagined we’d be sending everything over the internet. Next we’ll be making cell phone payments over the internet,” Helen said sarcastically.
Caroline looked at her, confused and smiled wryly.
“Mom, you can already do that.”
Car headlights beamed through the window of the house as the two finished the dishes.
********************************
Helen stepped out of her VW Bug and onto the concrete sidewalk of Valley Hill High School. She waved at two girls across the parking lot. A Beatles song blared from a Mustang across the lot. Let it be, let it be. She stepped into the brightly lit hallway of the school and into her classroom.
“Are you coming to the rally at Penn State today?” A blonde girl next to Helen asked.
“Of course!” she replied. “I got another letter from James yesterday, he’s even encouraging me to rally. Ever since he got drafted and went over there, he’s been sending me letters about how he can’t wait to come home. He says it’s worse over there than we think.”
“I can’t even imagine,” the blonde replied.
The bell rang as Helen took out her notebook and wrote the date on the top of her paper – “September 15, 1970.”
“I’ll see you at 5,” the blonde whispered, as the teacher started that day’s lecture.
**********************************
Helen and James stayed up to watch the news after the girls had gone to sleep. Same old, same old, Helen thought. Clinton and Lewinsky. Lame.
“So our girl’s going to Penn State,” James exclaimed proudly, pulling Helen away from the obviously boring newscast. “Your alma mater.”
“We don’t know that yet. Don’t jinx it.”
“She’ll get in. As long as they don’t find out her mother was one of the protestors on the campus all the time when I was in Vietnam.” James said, laughing.
“Very funny,” Helen replied sarcastically.
*********************************
At 4:45, Helen pulled up to the campus of Penn State and grabbed her “No war. Know peace” sign from the back of her tiny car. A rather large group of students were already assembled by the steps of the main auditorium, alongside about ten armed policemen and a couple men in uniforms who looked like National Guardsmen. As Helen approached the steps of the building with her sign, she spotted the blonde haired girl from English.
“Hey Helen!” she exclaimed. “Join in!”
They two held their signs up and began chanting along with the other young protestors.
“Tell us what we’re fighting for!” a student yelled.
“Bring home my father,” another student shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Helen remembered the letter she had gotten from James the day before, and she swelled with emotion: anger, righteousness, and utter sadness.
***********************************
“Turn it back to MTV,” Brittney said, grabbing the remote out of her older sister’s hand.
The latest NSYNC video appeared on the giant screen.
“Don’t you two get tired of all the boy bands?” Helen commented, walking into the den.
“Oh mom, you just don’t understand. We only watch them because they’re hot,” Brittney explained.
Helen sat down and took the remote, changing it to the local 6:00 news.
“MOM!” Caroline whined.
“You two really need to learn to care about something other than hot boys and cars. When I was in high school, all we watched was the news because we actually cared what was going on in the world.”
“Yeah and you guys didn’t even have MTV,” Brittney replied sarcastically.
“We care, mom. Really, we do.”
Both girls sauntered out of the den and into their rooms.
**************************************
Helen got home after the rally and got out a pen and a piece of paper.
James, thank you so much for your letters. I miss you so much. I hope you are
doing okay over there. I think about you every day. I just got back from a
protest at Penn State, so I had to write you and tell you about it. It was
empowering. For the first time in a long time I feel like I’m actually doing
something with my life. Hundreds of people showed up. Every protest that I go to
reminds me of you. I’m protesting for you but I’m also protesting for me and for
my right as a person to know why we’re in this war. I just don’t understand it.
I don’t get why we’re even in Vietnam. I don’t get why there was a draft. I
don’t understand violence and I don’t understand war. I hope they send you home
soon. I miss you more and more every day and pray that you come home soon. Love, Helen
James walked through the giant oak front door of the house. Brittney and Caroline were glued to the television once again.
“Hi, Dad,” they both said monotonously.
“Hi girls. Geez, do you two ever do homework?” James said.
“Did it,” Caroline replied, her gaze never shifting from the T.V.
“Don’t have any,” Brittney said, equally as zombie-like as her sister.
“What about the newspaper? Do you read that ever?”
“Only for the movie listings,” Caroline shot back. “Why read the newspaper when you can get on the internet?”
“Right. I always forget about that.”
“Did you know that our President just got impeached?”
“Dad, be quiet, I can’t hear the T.V.”
***************************************
Helen couldn’t sleep that night. Nightmares of James being in Vietnam kept replaying over and over again every time she closed her eyes. She sat up, as awake as ever and began writing in her diary.
I can’t stop thinking about James being drafted. I know how brave he is, but I
can’t help but worry anyway. Who knows what might happen to him over there. I
went to an anti-war protest today and it was amazing. I’m so glad that there is
so much activism from people my age. It’s almost like the entire outcome of our
country rests on us. I feel like we’re really making a difference, and I’m
excited to see the outcome.
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