Computer Phone

Cell phone seemed to be taken for granted these days. Kids beginning at age five (coming from personal experiences with children in my moms kindergarten class) sometimes possess the most high tech devices. Over Easter I was looking through one of my friends drawers in their office room, containing all the cell phones the family had owned over the years. While it was a very large number with their being three children, it was astounding to see how the makers, style, and overall appearance of the cell phone have drastically changed.

This past year for my birthday I asked for a new phone. Mine had taken its course with numerous drops, being used as a dog play toy by my brother, a few drops in water and missing a few of the numbers because they had been rubbed off. To my surprise, and at the time dismay and confusion I received a blackberry. I was overwhelmed to say the least. On my previous phone the screen was less than half the size, Internet was not an option and text messaging was a long ordeal. Instead of reading through the manual, being the very impatient person I am, I decided to go to the AT&T store for a tutorial and to help be set up “the computer” as it was referred to in the beginning. After leaving the store and learning the basics I was a little less intimidated to make a call. I spent days playing around trying to figure out the purpose of each application and tool. It sounds stupid, but this little 3.5 x 2 inch handheld contains the organized version of my life. My OCD planner, which was my old obsession with color coding, highlighting and decorating, is now in the bottom of my desk draw since my phone can record my daily activities while reminding me periodically what needs to be done that day. Instead of having to log into mybama to compose or read e-mail, I can do the same by clicking the “smart key” on the side of my phone.  I won’t even go into and embarrass myself on the amount of hours spent on Facebook mobile or the best game created thus far, Brick Breakers.

If technology has come this far in such a sort amount of time I can’t even begin to fathom what cell phones will have the power to do five, ten or twenty years from now. This new, technology based world we are living in is a scary thing, but after embracing it, I look forward to all the new gadgets to come. 

Firefox

Over the years, consumers have come to expect something new and exciting from computer manufacturers to be produced every year. Sleek and stylish seem to be an absolute necessity these days. As the computers get smaller, people also expect the software to become more user friendly. Systems such as windows and internet explorer have dominated the market. They are installed on just about every computer that you can buy at the store. But despite this dominance, people are starting to find better operating systems and software that's available for free.

One of these free downloads is an internet browser called firefox. This program is an alternative to internet explorer. What I love about firefox is that it is a lot safer than any of its counterparts. It has a bunch of security features so you don't have to worry about some hacker coming and stealing all of your information. There are also safe guards built into the software that make it very difficult for you to download an unwanted file or virus. Another thing that I really love about firefox is the ability for you to customize your internet browsing experience. Firfox has thousands of add-ons that you can download to make easier or enhance your internet experience. Some of the stuff that you can install on your browser include an add-on that gives your global weather updates. Another really cool tool that you can add is called Adblock Plus. Have you ever been annoyed by those ads on the side of web pages that take a really long time to load? Well, with this program all you have to do is right click those ads and they will never be downloadable again. This is a great way to get rid of all of those advertisements that none of us want to see.

Another great add-on that I really love is called Stumble Upon. Basically, when you download this application, it asks you what your hobbies, activities, and interests are. Then, based on this information, every time you click the stumble upon button, it will bring you to a new, random website. Most of the time these websites are very interesting and have information that you never knew about on them. The application also gives you the option to give the site a thumbs up or thumbs down, and based on this information, it will give you better results that reflects you interests. This application also keeps track of what websites you visit on a normal basis and gives you new websites based on this. I've discovered so many new websites by using this add-on, as well as other random facts about some of my subjects of interests that I had never known about before. These are only two of some of the really interesting and very useful add-ons that come with firefox. Firefox should be everyone's internet browser.

Online Movies

Over the weekend my friends and I had a movie marathon. For three consecutive nights we watched Saw II through Saw IV. On Saturday night, the Blockbuster we rented Saw III from accidentally put Saw II in the wrong box. It was past closing time and we couldn’t go exchange the movies. We were bent on watching the movie and didn’t know what to do. We asked neighbors and called friends to see if they had it, but had no success. Finally an idea popped into our heads. We had all heard of websites that had full movies posted on them for free, but had never really used them. We quickly called a friend for a recommendation of sites. We had a lengthy list of websites that offered illegal, free movies online to search for our movie. We had success with the very first website out of 7 we tried, and watched the entire movie, in amazing image quality, on a computer screen.

I couldn’t believe how easily we found an illegal online version of an entire film. I had never really visited a site that offered these, and I was surprised with how many movies were listed. It is very tempting to just watch these movies for free off the Internet instead of paying for them, but it brings up ethical questions. We all felt guilty for “stealing” this movie, and the next day we felt so guilty that we rented the next movie of the series. If there are so many movies available online, it is easy to see how movie companies are losing money. I would much rather watch movies for free online that pay to go see one in theatre or rent one. Being in college, we have a shortage of money and can’t always spend it on frivolous things such as movies. I have explored the websites and watched a few parts of movies. I know it is illegal and wrong, but at the same time I would rather watch it online than pay for it.

It is interesting to me that people risk legal ramifications to post these movies. While I watch these movies, I would never upload one myself. I can’t see what their motivation for uploading these are. I don’t think sharing a movie with many people is worth the potential punishment that can be given for spreading copyrighted material. It is too risky. We hear about people being sued every day for stealing movies and music, and I wouldn’t risk it.

I am also fascinated about the amazing quality of the movie we watched. It was almost as good as a real DVD. At times I even forgot we were watching it off the Internet. It fascinates me how advanced technology has gotten to be able to allow regular people to upload such lengthy and high quality movies. I have uploaded personal videos to YouTube, and it takes what seems like ages for them to upload. I can’t imagine how long it takes to upload a whole movie.

An interesting investment in technology came to me just last week as I was searching through Wikipedia’s large assortment of subjects for Wednesday’s homework assignment. A list of state mottos from America’s 50 unique states soon found its way to my computer screen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_slogans). “Sweet,” I thought, “I wonder what Alabama’s is…”. I didn’t have to look very far because the chart is in alphabetical order, and Alabama is # 1 on the list. Surprisingly, this captivating Southern state has three creative sayings, which are Share The Wonder, Alabama the beautiful, and Where America finds its voice. Alabama.

I thought this site was pretty cool, and I couldn’t help but skim my way through the many slogans listed by each state. I looked at states I hope to visit in the future. Places such as Maine, New York, and Rhode Island all grabbed my attention. The title that appears on the license plates of Mainelanders is Vacationland and New York’s is (of course) I Love New York. Rhode Island holds a relaxing, one-word slogan: Unwind.

So, I fear you’re sitting there and thinking, “Okayyyy….so what’s where does the excitement of technology fit in here?” Good question. I want to begin my answer by simply saying that I love the outdoors. I have yet to find an internet hookup in Oak Mountain’s forests of Alabama the or on banks of the Clarion River in Pennsylvania. This does not mean that internet access holds no importance to my outdoor explorations. In fact, it furthers my drive to explore and travel all over America. When I found this page on Wikipedia, the first thing I noticed were the few black and blue sentences above the chart. One of the sentences says the slogans listed below are used for “the promotion of tourism”. There are so many little things I do not know about this World, or even in these United States. The slogan listings cultivate aspirations of road trips and possible living quarters, and in the mean time, it is fun to learn of the different titles that have for so long labeled each providence.

Did you know that Idaho’s slogan, Famous Potatoes, has changed to Great Potatoes. Tasty Destinations.? Ever hear of the Louisiana slogan, Come as you are. Leave Different.? Or do you recall Mississippi being known as The South’s Warmest Welcome? Each of these state dedication phrases are completely new to me. I wish I had learned about them in Elementary school instead of having to memorize each state’s capital!

Anyway, if you’re ever sitting inside on a rainy day or are just in the mood to learn something enjoyable and interesting, I recommend checking out Wikipedia’s “List of U.S. state slogans”. Information such as this is so simple but yet so rewarding. Try starting up a conversation with the question, “Hey, do you know which state has the slogan, Seize the day off?”. If anyone guesses Maryland, then they either have been doing some state slogan browsing on the internet or they just had a really cool 5th grade teacher.

Hybrid Cars

As I’m sure most people know, a hybrid car is one that combines a traditional combustion engine with a rechargeable electric system in order to increase gas mileage and decrease harmful emissions. Hybrids are becoming more and more popular as gas prices continue to increase. While car-shopping over break, my mom and I talked with a salesperson about the Toyota Prius, and I was amazed at how far hybrid technology has come.

Premiering in Japan in 1997, The Toyota Prius was the first mass-produced hybrid car. Just over ten years later, the Prius is now the most fuel efficient car sold in the United States, and the best-selling hybrid model. Other popular hybrids include the Toyota Highlander, Honda Civic, Lexus RX 400, Ford Escape, and the Toyota Camry. From the introduction of hybrids to the U.S. market in 2000 to the year 2005, hybrid car sales increased by an amazing 2,200 percent! (www.edmunds.com list of best-selling hybrids)

Hybrid cars do not need to be plugged in like electric cars. Instead, the electric battery is recharged by capturing the kinetic energy released during braking. This is called “regenerative braking.” There are two types of hybrid cars: parallel and series. In a parallel hybrid, like the Prius, the gas engine and the electric motor work together to power the car. Alternatively, in a series hybrid the gas engine powers the electric motor, which then powers the car.

Hybrid cars also entail many environmental benefits through lower gas consumption (due to greater gas mileage) and lower emissions of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. In fact, hybrid cars produce about 90% less pollutants than similar non-hybrid cars (from www.hybrid-car.org). Hybrids produce less greenhouse gases—the gases which contribute to global warming. In a comparison of the greenhouse gas emissions of the most fuel-efficient mid-sized cars from 2004, the Chevrolet Malibu emissions totaled 8.1 tons per year, and the Nissan Altima had emissions of 7.5 tons per year, while the Toyota Prius came in at merely 3.5 tons per year (from hybrid-car.org).

Hybrids don’t only offer environmental savings, but financial savings, too. Hybrid cars maintain very low depreciation rates. A Prius with 100,000 miles on it is worth almost as much as its original price. In addition, several states have tax incentives in place to encourage people to buy hybrid cars. Many cities and states even offer benefits such as being able to use the carpool lane regardless of passenger requirements, and even free city parking! Factoring in tax incentives, lower gas consumption, and lower depreciation values, buying a more-expensive hybrid car may save you money in the long run. In fact, hybrid-car.org proposes the following scenario:

ACME Construction has a fleet of 10 work trucks that together drive 2500 miles a week, and guzzle $308 of gas a week. A new hybrid truck offered by a major manufacturer can save ACME Construction nearly $7000 per year, in gasoline costs alone.

And this was written in 2004, with gas prices around half of today’s cost—that means that “ACME Construction” could really save $14,000 per year in gas prices! Overall, the automotive trend toward hybrid cars is beneficial to both the environment and to the drivers’ pocketbooks. And, as the technology advances even more, hybrids should continue to become more and more affordable.

Cell Phone

On the for-front of technology that has been constantly changing for the past forty of so years have been the cell phone. When it was fist developed the personal cell phone was huge and looked more like holding a giant black box to your head compared to today’s sleek and technological beauties. But the truth is that cell phone are becoming so much more a staple of our lives and are filling so much more roles than that of the actually phone. For instance: I just bought my girlfriend a phone called a Blackberry made by Cingular. This PDA has phone at its basic structure but can tackle much more difficult feats. It has full internet access accessible wherever she can get a phone signal; it is a camera, a video-recorder, not to mention a full calendar planner. It seems that the cell phone is becoming a Swiss army knife in the sense of it is a jack of all trades. Recently, the incorporation of music and our phones has become increasing popular. Apple Company has come out with the I-phone which is entirely a touch screen basis where there are no numbers or buttons to use. To some this is a horrible step away from tradition but to most it is the first step in the direction for an entirely different cell phone/PDA. I almost forgot! The new Blackberry has the capability to dial into the AT and T satellite in order to have GPS or global position satellite. Never to be lost again, the cutting edge technology seems to be more of an extension of the body than a tool that we just utilize. In my house in Birmingham we still have an antique phone that still has to be wound to call the operator before the call can go through. It is ridiculous to see how far this simple piece of technology has come in one lifetime. It is rumored that new cell phone technology will be video calls; this is when you call a person the video will come along with the audio, you can see and hear the person. How far will cell phones go with their incorporation in our everyday lives? Is a good or bad thing that we depend on them every moment of the day, and we are almost helpless without them? The cell phone is constantly changing and adapting, as we are with it.

New Technology

Being far from the forefront of technology, I am unaware of new advances (apart from Apple releasing smaller and smaller iPods). However, Casey and I experimented with the popular imaging software, Photoshop. It was weirdly entertaining. The reason Casey and I were playing with Photoshop was to exploit the fake images it can create. While I tried to stay away from falling for the software, I learned to appreciate it for reducing uneven skin, making hair longer, and taking off love handles. I’m slightly partial, being a nineteen year old girl today and having been exposed to advertisements where skinny is the point at which ribs show. This program seemed to allow an easy way out for a diet in progress or a bad hair day, but only in pictures. Aside from Photoshop’s magic ability, the program has impressive functions that carry out the altering picture capabilities. There is an airbrush tool combined with a color sensing brush. It almost allows for a prediction of the picture appearing where the cursor covers the image. When we played around with the image we were able to even create a separate background. A special outlining tool allowed to select the image without a careful and long drag. Everyone knows in even simple programs like Paint on Windows, it becomes difficult to drag the mouse and select exactly what you want. Usually lines (or brush strokes) end up wiggly. Wiggly is no longer an issue to worry about as our technology is becoming more and more sophisticated.

Brainstorm for Essay 2

I am using this blog to free write and attempt to come up with my topic sketch for our second essay. I was introduced to The Internet Movie Database, better known as imdb.com when I was in high school and have been an avid groupie ever since. I stumbled upon this website by accident. After “Googling” Colin Firth following watching him portray Mr. Darcy in “Pride and Prejudice” I was led to this site that would soon be added to my favorites toolbar on Internet Explorer. This tool also led me to view all his other works and upcoming projects.

IMDB was got underway in October of 1990. However it wasn’t until amazon.com obtained it in 1994 that it became the mega hit website that it is today. This site had a role in my life. It helped solve so many of my questions and always provided entertainment. The most useful quality that I found of the site was that it got to the bottom of so many of my friends pet peeves. Whenever I watch a movie there is usually one character that looks so familiar but I just cannot place what movie I have seen them in before. IMDB resolved this pestering question. All it took was typing in the movie title to the search box. Instantly a list of characters appeared with links to all their other works, finally putting my mind to rest. When thinking of IMDB however it also made me think about free movie and music downloading sites similar to Watchtvsitcoms.com or Limewire and Kazaa. These brought upon a completely different issue, the growth of piracy and copyright infringement.

This serious crime that is taken so lightly is the unauthorized reproduction of music, a television show, movie or book. Children through adults download music and watch free movies online as if there was nothing wrong with it, and without any remorse for their actions. The reason that children do not know what they are doing is wrong is because they are not taught the severities of this crime. As kids we learn about the harm of crimes dealing with murder, stealing and drinking and driving so when we were told that downloading a song that usually costs $0.99 is illegal we kind of overlooked it. It wasn’t even until the movie previews for piracy that I knew what it was. This add “You wouldn’t steal a car” caught my attention, and that of many others in theaters all over America. This crime is serious and I would like to research it more and how it deals with technology. The main source of piracy is the Internet. I think it would be interesting to see what the actual punishments for the crime are. These penalties I know would scare me, and possibly others to the extent of others so that they will stop stealing movies, songs, CDs and more. It is not fair to the artists, producers, writers and managers so why does it seem so normal for us to take what is not ours for free? 

Entertainment Junkies

The World Wide Web has become an integral part of the American modern life since its creation less than a century ago. Every single day, millions of Americans will sit down at their personal computers and exchange some sort of information via the complex superbrain of knowledge that is our Internet. Even if they do not directly input to the system, every American uses the web. Be it at the grocery store when using a credit card, in a department store that uses telecheck, be it as you check out a library book or as you have your drivers license run by a police officer, the connection is inescapable.

The ability to connect to so many people at once is a powerful tool, but it is just that –a tool. A tool cannot work on its own; an outside force must operate it. The outside force is in control of the tool and any effectiveness or ineffectiveness of that tool will be the direct effect of the operator’s effort. In the case of our Internet, we the human beings are the operators, and it is up to us to induce any effects we wish to see. We choose how we manipulate the Internet and to what extent we use its information. We may use the web for good or bad, for knowledge or entertainment, and -as is usually the case in this realm of existence- we will reap the consequences of our actions.

It worries me, the ways we in America have used the Internet, the way we have neglected the full potential of such a tool of connection. I can feel the negativity of our situation, I can feel it turning in my gut, but I just know that there is potential for something better. All it takes is a change in operation.

It seems to me that our Internet has come to be viewed, by so many Americans, as just another means of entertainment. I am not anti-entertainment, I am however anti-apathy and anti-ignorance. I can enjoy the fellowship of watching a good movie amongst a good group of friends just as much as the next guy and I can definitely appreciate the plethora of feelings that I so easily conjure by listening to my music, but I feel that these pleasures are shallow in respect to the big picture of life and all of its complexities.

I feel that matters of entertainment should come secondary to matters of actual importance. Your friends, family, community and government deserve priority over the falsity and distractions of entertainment. As a nation we have become totally addicted to entertainment, it surrounds us everywhere we go and we soak it up like sponges. Instead of worrying about the health of a neighbor or the state of our nation, the average American is mostly concerned with who got voted off of their favorite “reality” show or what the latest comedic YouTube video is going to be. There are far too many real issues facing your nation today, far too many troubles in your state, your community, your home and within your own self to be concerned about imaginary characters and their imaginary conflicts. Take the time to become educated, participate actively in your own life, and then look to entertainment for relaxation if you must. Do not allow virtuality to consume your actuality. There is much more to life than entertainment.

Free Write

I am still deciding between topics for our next essay. I haven’t found a topic yet that I feel like I care enough about to write a substantial essay about. So far, the topics that are the frontrunners are political promotions on the Internet, and Internet homework sites.

I will admit that I am extremely behind in researching the presidential candidates and their views for this election. Politics overwhelm me and I usually like to steer clear from the subject. Now that I am actually old enough to vote for the president of this country, I feel like I have a certain obligation to vote. I feel like it’s an awesome privilege I should take advantage of. Sadly, there isn’t one candidate I feel strongly enough about to go vote for, mostly because I haven’t done much research on any of them.

While searching YouTube for presidential candidate related videos last week I began to learn a little more about some of them. I think the candidates are realizing how important the Internet is, and it is nice to see that they are utilizing sites such as YouTube to reach out to the masses. I found myself drawn to the more cinematic video promotions that drew me in with music and emotion such as Obama’s “Yes We Can” video. That video was very powerful to me as well as others I have talked to about it. It reaches out to many different types of people to show how Obama cares about everyone.

Other kinds of videos I find myself drawn to are the satirical videos such as the Mad Tv skit we watched in class. While these videos may seem to be completely for entertainment purposes, they are, in a way, sneaking in information without us even noticing sometimes. Especially when searching though video upon video of serious issues and speeches on YouTube, it is extremely nice to come across one that will make you laugh. I was extremely turned off to videos made by a candidate that was directly bashing their opponent. I saw one video of Hillary Clinton defending herself about things Obama said on one of his advertisements. There is nothing appealing about that to me. If the candidate’s beliefs and views are strong enough, they shouldn’t have to put down the other candidate and try to discredit them. This really turned me off to both Hillary and Obama.

While the topic of presidential promotion on the Internet is interesting, I don’t think I would be able to stretch it out to a full essay. I can barely talk about it enough for one post like this. Another subject I was thinking about is homework on the Internet. I hadn’t experienced this much until college, but so far it has had many positives and negatives. It is very convenient because, theoretically, you can do homework from almost anywhere, but it still has its bugs that should be fixed. I have been especially frustrated with the math software we are forced to use in some of the math classes at the University

Internet Natural

With the 2008 election off and running at full speed, it looks like this election is going to be one that affects the future of this country for a long time to come. Ads on TV, radio plugs, bumper stickers, everywhere you go you see people trying to sway the vote. As always, twenty four hour news channels thrive during this time. CNN is having its highest ratings ever because of the debates. All of these channels advertise the best all around election coverage, but how do you know that the information you are getting is unbiased? Fox News is generally known for leaning towards the conservatives, and MSNBC is known for being overly liberal in its coverage. And how can you ignore the mainstream media's love for Obama. Leave it to them to pick favorites and ignore the other candidates. Maybe this is why more people are turning towards a new medium to get all of their news and election information, the Internet.

Most candidates have official websites where voters can go and look at what issues the candidates say they support, but what they say they support can be totally different than what they did in the past. Voting records don't lie, and if there is one place where you can find anything about someone's voting record, it's the Internet. More popular websites such as politico.com let you compare candidates' viewpoints and records so you can see exactly where they stand on certain issues. Another thing on the web that the candidates seem to be taking advantage of is the ability to post videos. Sites like Youtube have skyrocketed in popularity and many people are taking advantage of that to gain access to the youth of the nation and to educate them and get them involved in the voting process. Not one person has done this better than Ron Paul.

Instead of talking about hope and change, Paul addresses the real issues that threaten our country. Social Security, National deficit, inflation, the war, Paul realizes that all of these issues could lead to the financial collapse of America. But the mainstream media doesn't pick up on his message because he doesn't resort to dumbed down talk. Instead, he likes to engage in more intelligent discussion that involves doing some research. This is why Ron Paul thrives on the internet. Whether you are looking at facebook supporters, myspace friends, or Youtube video views, Paul dominates them all. His supporters are some of the most dedicated out there. Everywhere you go you see his signs, even in some of the most obscure places, such as the interstate. His supporters set up a day in which everyone would donate money in order to set a fund raising goal, and it worked. As of right now, he currently holds the record for most money raised in a single day by a Republican. He's done other things too, but I'll talk about those in my topic sketch. It's really late right now.

Essay 2 Topic Sketch/Freewrite

For our second essay assignment, I think I am going to talk about web design. In one of my classes, we had a mock presidential debate a few weeks ago. Groups of students were assigned to each candidate, and each student researched that candidate’s stance on a major issue. The research did not have to be very lengthy and in-depth; it just needed to be a general overview of the candidate’s position. The first place I looked for my information was the candidate’s official website. I found a link that took me to a page listing major issues, each with a linking to a page with the candidate’s stance on that issue. However, the page detailing the candidate’s stance on the issue was just that—too detailed. Instead of a paragraph at the top of the page summarizing the candidate’s position, the site had pages and pages of quotes from people talking about his stance, dozens of statistics and voting records, and several paragraphs of long-winded narrative. I skimmed through the site and then read parts of it, but in the end I still wasn’t quite sure what his stance was. Although I realize that the candidate was probably not very involved with all of the details of how his website is designed, this site gave me a bad first impression of him. It almost seemed like he was hiding something—I couldn’t figure out what his stance was on an issue, and I was reading his own website!

As this example shows, web design can have a big effect on someone’s opinion of the person or organization represented by a website. So many aesthetic qualities of a website shape our opinions, whether we realize it or we simply take it in subconsciously. Would you take a presidential candidate as seriously if you visited his website and found that the web design had a pink, flower theme? Now picture that same website in a strong blue, or even in grays and reds resembling a power suit. These color schemes give you different impressions of the candidate, don’t they? Color can have a strong effect on your opinion of the candidate. Other qualities that effect your impressions are the efficiency of moving around within the site using links and the way information is presented. I am a big fan of bullet points. I am an analytical thinker and I like things to be in black and white. While I realize that politics is rarely black and white, I think that it helps to see a candidate’s view summarized using a few bullet points.

For our second essay, I am going to write about the criteria that make a good website (specifically a website for a presidential candidate), and then analyze one. I will discuss the things I like about his website, the things I don’t like, and what impression these features give me of the candidate represented by the website. I think I will try to explore which of these aspects are governed by opinion. For example, when I think of the presidential election and all of the candidates, I picture regal blues and blacks, while some people may be more impressed by reds, or even green. So many of these options in creating a webpage have the potential to either subliminally sway the reader toward the candidate or to push the viewer away.

Surfing Sites

With websites like YouTube, Wikipedia, Facebook, and the Google search engine it’s easy for other websites to fall behind. These power houses of the cyber world encounter countless visitors every day, as well as a faithful fan, myself. However, It is my mission to observe less popular sites (or at least according to me) in order to broaden my use of the Web and my time spent on it.

First the following websites fall into the three (well four) kinds of time that I spend on the Web; research (answers to my daily questions with inquiries like “cold remedies” or “Brad and Angelina + more babies”), leisure, and school work (and Facebook). School work and research are both satisfied by the search engine powers of Google. And Facebook time of course goes to the social networking site of Facebook. But left undeclared is my leisure time throughout the day and I make sure to spend it far away from sites like Bored.com and CollegeHumor.com. Nay, I choose to spend my time on the following four sites (judge if you will); DailyCandy.com, WatchTVsitcoms.com, and Overstock.com.

“DailyCandy” provides for my daily curiosity. Once signed up for the newsletter, daily installments of new and unheard of findings with clever and risqué articles alongside inform me of new inventions, say the strapless G-String (if that’s not too racy for our English class blog). DailyCandy also highlights new restaurants and boutiques, even travel depending on the issue you sign up for. The downfall of the daily emails is the loyalty, or the fact that it never ends leading to an overload of candy in your mailbox. The solution? Ditch the Daily emails and instead visit the site from time to time.

“WatchTVsitcoms” has sprung up recently at least in my circle of friends. While I’m still unsure of the legal rules guarding the website, it remains to show current movies and TV shows before they are released to DVD. Movies come in exceptional quality (for being bootlegs) and TV shows are easy to watch. It even boasts the ability to play music (and fast). Also atop the site’s toolbar sits the following features to blog, play games, view eBooks and up-to-date news.

Finally, I ask you to push aside the annoying commercials from Overstock and finally take a visit. If you aren’t intending on purchasing anything, then I encourage you to explore the site. Overstock.com provides great deals and I’m not sure why. Whatever the reason, it has become the norm for me to pass up fifty percent off sales only knowing that I will find better deals just a click away. Cruising through the site becomes interesting and sometimes almost a game, trying to find the biggest deals (fifty-two inch plasma TVs for under a thousand dollars) or most obscure items (wedding rings).

It is my hope that before you power the mainstream websites to look around and find some precious small and interesting website of your pleasing, maybe even entering my given choices into the address bar.

Gaming Addiction

In the year 2002 a teenage boy named Shawn went into a Sony store and bought the latest “MMO” (massive multiplayer online game) called Everquest. Only a few months into playing this game, his mother saw him “remove himself from society and quit his job to move back home to live a virtual life he found much more fulfilling” (Sony Everquest Connection). However, as Shawn’s addiction to gaming increased he developed epilepsy and even had multiple grand ma seizures. Shawn chose to continue playing this game against the doctor’s recommendation not too. A few weeks later Shawn’s mother found him dead in front of his computer, the music from Everquest was still playing; he had committed suicide. I, an avid gamer myself, have enjoyed electronic gaming since I was a child from your simple Tetris to the complex real-time games today. However, I have never been let my life become consumed to the point of its existence being determined by a video game. I have observed how over time games have become more and more realistic increasing the number of people falling into the trap. I want to explore the questions of: where has this new addiction come from, how will it be treated, and how will it affect society in the long run?
While I was surfing the web browsing through many articles about video game addiction I found one by the Aspen Educational Group dealing with the rapid increase in gaming participation and addiction especially in teenage boys. With further reading I learn that the Aspen Educational Group is a worldwide leader in helping adolescence addition’s as well as character development. However the part that shocks me the most is that the “participation in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG’s) has skyrocketed from less than a million subscribers in the late 1990’s to more than 13 million worldwide in 2006” (VGA). That reminds me of a very popular game many of my friends play called World of Warcraft. It is an extremely popular massive role playing online game where player’s can interact with each other from the four corners of the globe. I want to find out just how far WoW (World of Warcraft) has become the new crack cocaine. According to the credited gaming industry website WoW grossed over 60 million in profits last year and has over 6.5 million users worldwide. Completely astounded I wonder what the average player was like and how much an “addicted person” would usually play. I furthered my research of this topic discovering an article by a Stanford graduate student called Nick Yee who created an internet investigation called the Daedalus Project. His research indicates that the “average player is 26 years old; most hold full time jobs. Seventy percent have played for 10 hours straight at some point, and about half considered themselves addicted.” Both articles made it seem like video game addiction is becoming more common place and is a widespread epidemic. I start to disagree because I truly believe that addiction has much more to do with the individual person and their mentality. It is too rash and bold to pronounce video game addiction as a widespread epidemic. However, I begin to wonder if any credible sources feel the way that I do.

Red Blue America

The growing fad of the use of online blogging as a means of the communication of thoughts, opinions, and news has resulted in thousands upon thousands of blogs- some good, some bad. So what defines a “good blog”? A good blog is written in a highly structured manner which demonstrates clear insight behind the arguments being presented. The blog should contain minimal grammatical errors as well as varying diction and syntax to create a more interesting read. Though many blogs may meet such criteria, I find it hard to take many blogs seriously because their primary subject lacks true substance. Substantive blogs stand apart from the others in that they feed on important issues which cleverly invests and captivates its readers which brings me to my next point of criterion. In my opinion the most important point a blog must meet to be deemed “good” is to clearly establish an intended audience. The blog must successfully appeal to its projected audience by taking points into consideration such as the tone, subject, and organization of the writing. To see if a blog successfully meets such criteria, I not only look at the blog posts, but I also view the reader’s comments to see what type of feedback the site is receiving.

For this particular exercise, I chose to analyze a political blog called Red Blue America. The articles posted on this blog site are well written and highly organized. As a political blog, the article subjects are substantive and intellectually stimulating; the writers are obviously well versed on the subjects which they write. What I like about this blog site is that it incorporates reader involvement and feedback from various political stances. As it contains both conservative and liberal articles, this site makes it very easy for readers to view both sides of an argument in a very organized way. Because of such organization and variety, many readers regularly view the site as well as participate in it. While viewing the readers’ comments, it was apparently that a few of the people who responded had little or no knowledge of the subject they were commenting on. However, it seems that most of the readers and writers of this site have a real interest in and passion for the political subjects they read and write about. I noticed that readers of this site began to not only interact with the writers but also with the other readers of the site. While many used the site as a sort of combat zone in which they could easily find a debate to participate in, after finding another person who commented and voiced similar thoughts and beliefs, many then began to feed off of one another in an attempt to make their arguments stronger. I was very impressed by both the writers' and readers' knowledge and skills of debate. I view this political blog as being a “good” blog because though the readers' values and opinions may vastly differ, the blog demonstrates that its viewers share one common connection: a great passion for politics and in effect the well being of our political nation.

A Good Message

I am going to take this opportunity to present my topic sketch as well as do some free writing for the topic of my essay. After going over several options to write about, I finally found something that really just stuck in my mind. I decided, for this evaluative essay, to write about a website that has become a phenomenal platform for depression and addiction awareness. The site is called To Write Love On Her Arms. When I first came across this website, about a year ago, I did not really know what it was about. I had heard from friends that it was a band's website, but that was not the case.

To Write Love On Her Arms is a website dedicated to raising awareness about depression and addiction, but it also provides means of treatment for these problems. The organization is non-profit and all of the donations made from supporters are given directly to facilities that specialize in treating victims of depressiona nd addictions. Probably what stuck out to me the most was the website's message. It is a message of hope and relief for those affected by these illnesses and the way it is conveyed to viewers.

When arriving first time to the site, one might think it IS a band's website because there is photos of musicians on the front page, as well as there are tour dates posted. The musicians playing are wearing To Write Love On Her Arms t-shirts as a form of advertising for the organization. I have noticed that this is the program's main source of advertising. Everyone from famous musicians, to kids in highschools all over the country are wearing them. The tour dates are depicting when speakers from the organization will traveling. It's almost like the organization itself has achieved its primary goal: to become a movement.

I look foward to writing about the site because it really strikes a cord with me. I have had family members and close friends that have dealt with depression and addiction, and it is an issue that is close to my heart. I plan to elaborate more on the message and how information is conveyed on the actual site itself, as well as discuss what the program is doing as far as expanding its presence beyond the Internet.

Wake up America!

This episode of The Mark Show, an independently produced video log by Mark Reiley, addresses freely the ever pressing issues of media bias. Reiley approaches this topic in a manner that is both stimulating and thought provoking in its visual and auditory composition. In the video, entitled “#7 Media Bias and iPhone Home!”, Mr. Reiley uses the coming release date of Apple’s new Iphone (Friday, June 29th) as a clever lead in to a discussion of the day Friday and its significance to the modern press release. The video is used as well to address the effects of a big media on overall public perception and to poke fun at the stupidity of those topics which have commonly become a focal point of media interest.

Because of Friday’s fixed position on our weekly calendar, it is consistently realized as the last of our weekdays to fall before a seemingly less productive stretch of time known as the weekend. This cluster of days, which has been historically dedicated to the pursuit of total relaxation, is a time of repose in the process of American thought, according to Mark Reiley. He presents a notion, that those press releases of true controversy, the bits of knowledge which are most likely to instill anger against the establishment or induce political fervor in the hearts of our people, are intentionally given on a Friday instead of earlier in the week. He suggests that this choice of days is anything but coincidental and is in fact a tactic, used by those in power to better the chances of such pertinent and damning information going unnoticed by the public.

Reiley also points, by referencing the massive amounts of attention that is given to the trivial happenings of celebrity life in our media, to the way that Americans are currently distracted, disconnected from those matters which are of true importance to reality. A people who have become enchanted, paralyzed by the sorcery of advertising and coercion that is fed to them constantly.

This video log is a prime example of how use of the Internet as a publishing tool can surmount the overwhelming bias of a corrupt media. Because of the freedom of our Internet, Mark Rieley may present his ideas to the entire world without having first to run his convictions through a filter of power interest. This ability, this freedom, is what gives us now the power to change the condition of our people. With a muscle of independent mass publishing made available online, a citizen need not to rely on their accretion of knowledge being tied to a corrupt system of greed. The people may now instead, browse an extensive network of knowledge and analyze a broad range of perspective to form their own opinions.

The time has come and now more than ever our action is imperative. We must compel the people of our nation to turn off their televisions and pursue other forms of education. The tube has become little more than a vehicle of connection to the corrupt media establishment, a business which seeks only to increase its inflow of profit in whatever way possible. It has become an invasive and persuasive tool for implanting adulterated information into the minds of American citizens and misconstruing their perception of reality. This ignorance must be stopped America! Abandon your dependence on big media and leave your homes in pursuit of knowledge. Go out into the world and find truth for yourself, because that information you will gather independently is in fact the only information in which you can truly trust.

Critique: Ross Can

To be sure to not step on any other Super Cyber Writer's toes, I will critique my own blog on vlogs. I'd like to view the fact that I am able to forget things easily sometimes as a gift. I am far removed from this blog having not thought about it since writing it, except for the next few days of visiting the vlog I found. (Guilty; I enjoyed the vlogging world.) Now standing in an outsider's shoes (or trying as hard as I can) I will add a review to my previous post.

Combining the two worlds which would seem to never intersect, vlogs and celebrities, seems interesting, although I think that this is possible an introduction to dangerous territory. As an onlooker, I would like to see my favorite celebs, the ones I enjoy most watching and hearing about to have personal vlogs. But I am overlooking that which celebrities cherish most, that which they discuss most when being ironically interviewed and suffocated by paparazzi, their privacy.

The writer speaks highly of Ross Matthews, her research specimen more or less, perhaps she has seen his work on Jay Leno. I found it interesting that the writer argues both sides of Ross Matthews, the interesting and friendly side, and the side that can become annoying (while still being cute). Perhaps she is not clear on what to think of Ross, especially after seeing him in the vlog which is a more personal atmosphere. While to some his silly antics don’t roll in too much attention outside of the already popular late night talk show. Ross can be viewed as a struggling actor/TV personality (only based on his small appearances in shows; it’s easy to see he has a big personality). His vlogs give him a chance to appear to the public daily without the strict requirements of a day at the studio filming. In this, he becomes a natural figure, a friend. It’s possible that some “A-List” celebrities choose to stay away from the blog and vlog world as a way to maintain their status, unreachable to the everyday public, or anyone with a computer and an internet hook up. But exploring this option, what if my personal favorites, Jennifer Anniston, Kate Hudson, and, duh, Oprah began vlogging for the public. I can only assume that their sites would be slow running because of all the attention and faithful fans logging on daily.

The writer concludes with the confusion she is experiencing with the purpose of blogs and vlogs. I agree with her conclusion that they can only be meant for entertainment for both viewers and vloggers.

Technology's Effects on Writing

After reading the writing prompt for today’s blog (something of interest concerning writing and technology), I began to think about how technology effects our writing. Technology, computers, and the availability of the internet have drastically changed the writing experience. For starters, the physical aspects of writing have been greatly affected. When was the last time you wrote a paper actually by hand on paper? When was the last time you even used a typewriter? Computers and word processing programs have allowed us to write much more quickly and to edit our writing much easier. If I decide I don’t like my word choice in the first sentence, I just change it. I don’t have to get out a new sheet of paper and start all over again. If I am having trouble coming up with the perfect word (or I want to impress my readers with my expansive vocabulary) I simply right-click and I am presented with several synonyms I can use. I can even look up a word to make sure I know exactly what it means, and if I misuse or misspell a word, the computer will flag my mistake. Sometimes it will even automatically correct it for me! Technology has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we put our ideas to “paper.”

How do we get our ideas, and how do we find evidence to back them up? I remember in Elementary school writing a report about wallabies. I went to the library and searched through the books about animals. I found most of my information in the encyclopedia. Today, if I were writing a paper on wallabies, the first thing I would do would be to search Wikipedia for a page on the wallaby. Then I could find an online encyclopedia article (an official encyclopedia I could cite), and eventually I would probably google wallaby, being presented with over three million results. The availability of information has increased exponentially in the past few years, but it has complicated the problem of validating the information we find. It can be difficult to determine if a website presents true, well-researched information or if it is simply a well designed page presenting incorrect information.

Finally, technology has also transformed how writing gets to the reader. Long gone are the times when it took days for news to spread around the world. Now it barely takes seconds. Breaking news is text-messaged, emailed, posted online, and broadcast around the world in 5.1 surround sound. Surfing the web, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the multitude of information presented. Hundreds of thousands of blogs are updated daily. BarnesAndNoble.com provides a database of over one million books. I am able to use keywords to search for books of a certain topic or by a certain writer so that I can find the perfect book. Technology has definitely altered the writing process, but in the end, sometimes it can be refreshing to simply sit down and write your thoughts on paper—real paper. Sometimes the best books are ones you stumble upon in the corner of the library.

Post Secret Reflection

After reading everyone’s posts about blogs, I really think I like the one about the post secret video blog. I have actually been to the original post secret blog website several times before. One of my friends told me about it, and it sounded really interesting to me so I decided to check it out. I found the whole secretive and anonymous posts aspect of the site particularly intriguing. Once you discover this blog it can in a way become an entertainment addiction. Whenever I get really bored and can find nothing better to look at on the internet, often times I’ll just go to the website just to see what’s new. Once I do this it really is pretty hard to stop until I have successfully looked through all the new posts.

I found myself really drawn to experiencing the artistic aspect of this interactive blogging site as well. Though some post secret submissions are merely plain with a simple message, others go much deeper. Some posts are very creative looking. The collaborative cut and paste pieces are typically my favorites because it helps to express the personality of the submitter as well as the emotional inspiration behind the piece. It’s really cool that this blog site allows any and everyone to submit their secrets. I also like the fact that the secrets that the various people post on the website range from silly, light-hearted thoughts to what is perhaps someone’s deepest secret. The idea behind the creation of this website seems to be allowing people the freedom to finally say what they’ve been thinking and longing to say but just haven’t quite found the gumption to announce. Because post secret allows it’s submitters to post such secrets without anyone ever knowing who sent it, they feel more comfortable in sharing their secrets with the thousands upon thousands of active readers.

Although as I said I have known about this blog website for quite some time, I just recently learned of it’s newer video blogging posts. I found this out after reading a previous post on here about the very post secret web blog. The whole video aspect of post secret is a little foreign to me though. I don’t really understand how videos really work with the theme of the website. I searched for a few on YouTube earlier and found that while some of these video post secret submissions did, in fact, carry on the primary theme of secrecy in revealing one’s innermost thoughts and desires, a few showed the actual people in them or in some way gave hints to reveal who made the video. Though I did not like those revealing videos as much as the more secret ones or as much as the standard picture posts on the post secret website itself, I found that all the post secret submissions were alike in that they enabled people to let loose their thoughts and emotions in an artistic and often truly inspiring manor.

Vlog Addiction

One day, while surfing through YouTube in my boredom, I stumbled upon a Vlog that would bring hours of entertainment to my life. Andrew’s Blog follows Andrew Keenan-Bolger, a recently graduated actor from the University of Michigan. His vlog follows his adventures as he lives his life of an actor in New York City and on the road with a national tour of a Broadway show. He has seasons just like television shows, and when it is in season, there is a weekly vlog about life on the road. The most recent season has followed Andrew on tour with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.



This vlog is appealing because it is like a reality show for theatre kids. It’s fascinating to watch the life of someone living the dream we want to pursue. When an audience watches a touring show in a theatre, they only see what is going on on the stage, but they don’t get to see what goes on behind the curtain. With this vlog, the viewers can see how the actors live while touring the country, which is very fascinating to aspiring performers as well as the average person. He doesn’t take any kind of serious stance as far as topics, and it is obvious that a lot of the events in episodes are staged. It’s not the sort of vlog anyone would watch for deep intellectual analysis or news, but it is extremely entertaining. He’s a really funny guy. Most of the time he just carries around his video camera while hanging out with his friends and then edits the film down to a ten-minute video with a catchy opening song and a quirky title.



Vlogs seem like a very productive way to get ideas and thoughts out, whether they are deep musings about life, or just fun thoughts to mindlessly entertain people. A video blog is much more appealing to me than a written blog. A video blog allows for better expression of emotion. It is helpful to see the speaker to see how impassioned they are about their topic and see the little nuances that make them unique. There are some feelings that are better expressed through body language and tone, which are nearly impossible to express in written blogs. When viewing vlogs it is much easier to connect with the speaker. While in written blogs stream of consciousness can be lengthy and boring, in a video blog it may be easier to hold the viewer’s attention because they are actually watching the author. As evident by Lemonette, we are much more likely to watch someone ramble on about random subjects than read pages and pages of rambling. While I think it would be less effort to make a video blog rather than a written blog, I also think it takes a lot more courage. These video bloggers cannot hide behind their words and false user names. They are putting themselves out on the World Wide Web for everyone to view. I think that demands a certain respect no matter how you feel about their vlogs or opinions.

Corporate Drug Dealing In Public Schools- H.W. 1/28

Vlogging is an extremely effective medium of expression, especially in the current state of America, a place where the Television dominates a majority of our people’s time. Vlogging can be used for a wide array purposes. One can express his or her personal opinion, denounce that which they have found to be false information or they can even encourage the public to make a change. The addition of visual and auditory media to a thought bumps its significance to a whole new level. By adding these sensory stimuli, the possibility of reaching your audience is increased three fold from that which is offered by text alone.

This Vlog is a compilation of multiple news media sources and their coverage of the Teen Screen program. The Teen Screen program is an extremely controversial “diagnostic psychiatric service”, made possible by President George W. Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (sadly, it seems that the simple addition of a word like FREEDOM or PATRIOT is enough to confuse and distract the American public). The program asks predetermined questions to school age children and, based on their responses, provides a psychiatric analysis of the child as well as a referral for further treatment of any problem.

The program is supposedly aimed toward suicide prevention for youth, but in this there lies a problem. The program is targeting children and prescribing them to anti-depressants, anti-depressants were found, by the FDA in September of 2004, to spur “suicidal thoughts and actions” in minors. It seems very illogical to give children those same drugs, which induce the very effects they are marketed to prevent, in fact it seems very wrong. And it is.

Another problem with this program is its unethical approach to amassing student participation. Covert tactics are used to get these children evaluated; they are bribed with candy, pizza and gift cards for their participation. A document called a “Passive Permission Form” is sometimes used; this document assumes that when it is not returned to school the parent has consented to screening. This procedure is nonsensical and divisive, children have many ways to get rid of documents and are especially inclined to do so when they are being tempted with a prize. Why are these types of methods being employed? Why does the Teen Screen program feel it needs to use such coercion and deceit? If the intentions of Teen Screen are indeed so noble, why is all this needed?

One popular thought is that Teen Screen is nothing but a methodical drug rep., working within the school systems of America. Teen screen was one of two “model programs” included in President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Why, out of all the mental health programs in the nation, was Teen Screen chosen as a “model program”? Perhaps it had something to do with The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), who receives millions of dollars in funding from pharmaceutical companies every year. NAMI was found to be instrumental in the inclusion of Teen Screen in the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and continues to support the expansion and acceptance of the program in public schools.

This Vlog was created to spread an important message about health in America and to encourage counteraction. Because of the visual and auditory aspects of the presentation, the point was clearly represented and instilled within me was a desire to know more. The video encouraged me to look for other information about the Teen Screen Program and develop a better perspective of the issue. Though some of the images within the vlog were extremely simple in nature, they were still a great tool for maintaining my attention, and use of the vlog was enriching to my overall learning experience.

Bo Fo' Sho': "Word Smithsonian"

As I searched the web for an intriguing vlogger to write about, I was again reminded of a very funny video submitter on You Tube. His name is Bo Burnham, and he is a comedic genius. He is actually a year younger than I am, and while his submissions may not technically meet the requirements of the more formal and regular video blog that many others do, his posts do in a way serve as a creative lyrical journal.

Bo Burnham’s series of You Tube song posts have gained a great deal of popularity and acclaim. Though his primary audience consists of easily amused adolescents and his songs generally mock anyone and everyone he can think of, he is actually a very talented young songwriter as all of his postings are original song compositions on the guitar and keyboard. His numerous songs are considered sharp satires which encompass impressively witty lyrics about a broad range of topics. I actually feel a little guilty about finding humor in his music blog, and I cannot deny that his intellectual way of mocking life by use of his dry sense of humor have successfully drawn my attention many a time.

Whether his songs are about historical figures, women, or fictional characters in a rehab -center, there is one theme that remains constant throughout his work- his brilliantly mature diction. I suppose that is actually what I am most captivated by when it comes to his videos. Not only is he not even quite my age and able to compose numerous songs (which are well written and have rather catchy melodies), he is able to write highly clever lyrics to them which are a mere indication of his ability to creatively incorporate his vast vocabulary in everyday life. Though his observations of those he writes and sings of are perhaps a little too harshly accurate, such submissions do provide him with a way to practice and share his love of music.

I do believe this is a productive way for him to share his talent and get out his ideas, no matter how snide or crude they may be. As far as Bo Burnham is concerned, video blogging is a much better way for him to present his work. Merely posting his lyrics online would not result in the same entertainment success because what is perhaps one of the best parts about his blog submissions is that his performances cause his eccentric personality and contagious fervor to radiate even across the internet. I think that this remains true of most blogging. People often tend to be most true when rambling a seemingly incoherent stream of consciousness about a particular subject. It’s these raw, unedited, spur of the moment thoughts that allow us to truly delve deeply into our thoughts and allow us to accurately develop ideas and opinions about things without being overly concerned with how it sounds or what others may think.

Speaking up: A Vlog on Megan Meier 's Story

Youtube is a website that is widely used by on-liners because of its sometimes shocking, yet instantly gratifying contents. This website allows millions of viewers to see anything from music videos to full-length episodes of ‘Garfield and Friends’. The reason why I visit YouTube is usually for the music videos, but today I searched for video blogs – a.k.a. “vlogs”. After sitting through about two hours worth of these vlogs, I realized that I was never really going to find that “perfect” vlog : the one that grabbed my attention from the very start and kept me entertained and intrigued. Feeling guilty for wasting so much time on YouTube watching random people doing and/or saying random things, I had to finally put an end to my vlog-watching madness.

One vlogger, a girl whose membership title reads “CelesitalNM”, talked for five minutes and fifty-five seconds about the tragic case of Megan Meier. On October 17, 2006, Megan killed herself after being consistently harassed by a MySpace user named Josh Evans. Ironically, and CelestialNM gives a fast-paced, rather nervous scoop on this, Josh was not who he said he was. In reality, this Josh guy was a prank person created by some of Megan’s school friends. CelestialNM, even though she seems somewhat uncomfortable with her speech, does a good job of getting this issue to the public through the use of evidence, facts, and opinions. She has created this vlog to express her beliefs on how pathetic she believes Lori Drew is. Trust me, Celestial is very passionate about her feelings towards the entire ordeal. She describes Lori as the mother of one of the girls who costumed herself as Josh Evans. Lori knew that her daughter was participating in this horrible act, and Celestial wants people to know just how sad of a person Mrs. Drew is. She also mentions the danger of internet messages by describing a friend of hers who attempted the same act as Megan, for the same reasons.

Vlogs are a productive way to get messages out. They are captivating because most are obviously home-made, and people are drawn to real-life situations, especially if the situation is shocking, racy, or extremely tragic. I can see how vlogs can get people moving, and how they can cause them to become aware of the world they live in. Unfortunately, one has to sort through a wide variety of perversion and senselessness to get to videos containing matters of importance. What Celestial has done, and seems to still be doing (as seen by her ‘13 videos on YouTube’ status) shows me that individuals can be heard. Not everyone surfs through the YouTube vlog channels, but those who do can easily gain access to and comment on a large number of videos. In so doing, these people (including myself) open themselves up to new viewpoints, thoughts, ideas, and stories. Celestial touches on a sensitive issue, but judging by the majority of her comments, many people respect her for speaking out.

Ross Can

Through some obscure searching I came across a video blog of a celebrity (“celebrity” after widely-viewed segments on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and a season of the VH1 Celebreality show, “Celebrity Fit Club”), Ross Mathews. He presents his blog with both written and video-taped sections called “Talkys.” The Talkys are posted on MySpace, YouTube, and ImCooked (dubbed the “YouTube” for cooking fans) and then end up, where I found them, on Ross’s personal blog on NBC.com.

I found the video blogs to be much more entertaining than the written blogs, partly because of the speed. The down-fall of the videos is the noticeable lack of organization. In some cases, Ross seemed flustered as he was multitasking (making lunch, working in the office, chatting with other “blog buddies,” talking to his pets…etc.). I concluded that it’s easier to accomplish an organized thought in writing than talking into a webcam (at the expense of all of the entertainment Ross delivers in person). It’s interesting that he strikes a balance between presenting information and being personable and all the while being a gripping moving box on my computer. He transforms the blog into a conversation and unlike other more distant video blogs I stumbled upon, it is a conversation that you feel included in. Ross has a friendly relationship with his “blog buddies,” greeting them in each message and even apologizing for days where he can’t post.

Ross covers a wide range of topics and apparently everything but the kitchen sink. In one Talky, he apologizes for the previous day’s Talky about bowel movements. He speaks naturally and freely but never strays too far from the topic at hand. He grabs attention with jokes, different voices, and above all volume. He also is careful not to gossip. This made his Talkys more effective for me because… Watching only a few of his videos, I have yet to see Ross tackle any serious subjects. In his regular routine, an out of place serious subject would stand out like a sore thumb and would undeniably be a buzz kill to the overall light mood that he creates. Ross has a hilarious and outgoing personality appealing to mainly women, as I have seen quite a few boys scared away by Ross. Perhaps this is just because of his tweezed eye brows or high pitched voice, but I’ll say that they are overlooking a true comedian.

While I’m still on the rocks about the purpose of a blog or even a video blog, I think that in some cases, and especially Ross, they are essential for those who enjoy talking to let their thoughts escape into the virtual world where interested viewers can then handle them.

Video blogging in my opinion is an interesting behavior process. As viewers we watch as the blogger’s thoughts are forming and words are flowing out all the while striving to reach a thesis. However, Ross has proven that some blogs need no hidden theme or emotional underlying, and sometimes, even no subject!

Vlogging: A Window to Stardom

YouTube; its used for entertainment, business, search engine, and now is even a way to become discovered. Log in and prepare to be overwhelmed with the millions of video thrown in your face and addictiveness of searching for useless clips. I’ve watched clips of shows on this site before, but it wasn’t until recently I discovered homemade reality shows posted through this web vlog. Vlogging has been stunningly popular since around 2006 when videos came out about the “top vloggers of the year”.

 

Paducah, Kentucky’s own celebrity vlogger, William Sledd is entertaining viewers everywhere with his love, and hatred for others sense of fashion. His frequently viewed show first started off as an advice vlog titled “Ask a Gay Man” and has risen to become one of the most popular vlogs on YouTube with over 12 million hits. Sledd started working at the local Gap in Paducah but now has focused his life towards helping, and making fun of Kentucky locals. This style Guru has made it known to everyone what is and is not acceptable when going out in public. For example, no scrubs to the mall at any time, socks with flip-flops is never allowed, Uggs with sweatpants is never cute and overalls aren’t even ok for construction workers.  His latest entry is a mockery of fellow vlogger Chris Crocker. Crocker is famously known for defending scandalous Britney Spears in her moments of weakness to the extent of crying to the camera, pleading for fans and others to “leave Britney alone!” In response to Crocker, Sledd posted “Leave Crocs Alone!” Each post contains humorous information about different accessory items, shoes, or general clothing. With the sporadic guests including his mother, Christine Embersole, Perez Hilton, and personal friends it is never a dull moment on “Ask a Gay Guy”. Although these vlogs are made mostly for amusement, Sledd has also added in a hot topic; homosexuality. He is always honest and very open about who he is. His openness about his sexuality has opened doors for many others to express themselves through YouTube without being ashamed or scared of what other may think. So although this vlog has provided strangers with a person to watch, It has also helped other strangers in feeling safer in their own skin.

 

When William started his vlog, it was simply a secret video diary for himself. He did not tell anybody in his family about it because it was his own thing. Never did he think that his mom would discover his new hobby by receiving a phone call from the Tonight Show. Following his appearance on Jay Leno’s talk show, he went on to Rachel Ray, Paducah’s local news, and several mentions through “hot topics” on The View. Who would have thought that a video diary would lead to William Sledd’s discovery? Look for Sledd in his possible upcoming reality show on Bravo that is in the works. 

Vlogging: The new reality

Blogging used to be a simple matter of a person writing their ideas, everyday life, politics, down on a blog site for anyone to see. However, blogging has now evolved into vlogging. Vlogging is the new term used for people who use videos of anything and everything to express a thought or idea instead of just writing it down on a regular blog site. The obvious forerunners of the blogging industry are YouTube, Podcasts, Vodcasts, etc. I believe that this new attempt at blogging by video drastically changes the entire concept. It makes the process much more personally as a person can judge the blogger by their appearance or voice. People inherently judge at an instance taking in these certain aspects. Regardless, vlogging has become the next step.
One particular video blog that I found interesting is about British girl named Kate who tells funny stories about her life and what she does everyday. The thing that caught my attention to her blog however was the fact the she actually responded to people’s comments. In her first blog she half joking/kidding said that she did not expect any comments or posts to her video. However, her next video blog is the day after and she is so excited that she has over ten thousands views and hundreds of comments. Watching her intense excitement about her over the night popularity, has made me realize a new phenomenon these video blogs are starting to have. Untold numbers of people video blog random segments of their lives and hope for thousands of views because they want to feel excepted by the world. People are starting to find social acceptance through the web and internet based upon an ephemeral and non physical relationship.
Disturbingly enough, later in her video blogs she reveals her obsession and profession with video games. She lives in London, England and works at a local video game store. She claims that it is the love of her life and the best job a girl like her could hope for. In one brief scene it shows her rolling in a pile of her video games laughing like an insane crack head. Someone comments on this video and asks her if she damaged any of her games in her rolling fun. She video blogs back that only one of the cases was slightly bent and that the rest were perfectly fine. Kate tells the camera that she not only talks to her games she has a special relationship with her favorite two (I really do not want to ask how that works!) I realize that this girl has so saturated herself in a virtual world that she relational values video games on the same level as people. I find this not only pathetic but tragic because I really don’t think that she is kidding.
Katers 17, the alias that this CRAZY girl goes by, has a myspace page that reveals her entire life and has over twenty home made videos. Does Kate live her life and find her identity more through her vlogging than actual reality?

I have a secret...

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project which was begun by Frank Warren. People write a secret on one side of a homemade postcard and then mail it to him. The only rule: reveal anything you want, as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Frank has created 4 books, an ongoing Sunday blog, and a traveling exhibit with the 180,000 postcards he has received so far. In addition to these media forms, there are also several video blog compilations of the PostSecret project.

The idea that you are privy to someone else’s secret is what I think most people find intriguing about the PostSecret project. Reading these secrets from people all over the country provides insight into human nature. The contributors to PostSecret come from vastly different geographical, economical, and even cultural backgrounds, but at the same time, they are connected by their vulnerability and their courage. The PostSecret project reminds us that we are not alone; we are connected by our shared hopes, fears, and dreams. The secrets that people send in cover many topics. Some are beautiful, some are brave, some are funny, some are heart wrenching, some are enlightening, some are intimate, and all are interesting.

When I first discovered and started reading PostSecret, it was almost like an addiction. I spent several hours one day reading the entries on the website and watching PostSecret Videos on YouTube. The experience is a lot like watching a movie or reading a book; the secrets you read are funny, sad, and ultimately entertaining. Video blogs are often much more effective than writing at conveying emotion and meaning. Sometimes an author may write an article with a sarcastic tone, but the reader interprets it with a genuine tone and sees the writing as being harsh and mean, when in fact the writer had intended for it to be funny or ironic. The reader cannot hear the author’s tone. Video blogs, on the other hand, can help eliminate this confusion.

Video makes it much easier to portray a certain emotion or idea. Not only can the emotion be seen on a speaker’s face when viewing a video, but other tools can also be employed to shift the emotion of a message to make a blog more compelling or entertaining. Some of the PostSecret videos on YouTube show a slideshow of postcards while different voices (meant to portray the original writers of the secrets) read them. The use of voices has an interesting effect. Sometimes, hearing the secret from a certain gender or age read the secret with a particular tone or emotion in his or her voice can completely shift the sentiment in a secret. You may read a secret in which the writer reflects on his or her life and you picture an eighty year old man sitting in a rocking chair with a smile on his face. However, if you hear the secret read by a seven year old girl, you get a whole different feeling.

When watching one of the PostSecret videos, the background music can also make a big impact. In a video accompanied by The Fray’s “How to Save a Life,” one of the postcards tells a very tragic story, and coupling it with the emotional song nearly made me cry when I saw it. PostSecret almost exclusively uses pathos, an emotional appeal to the audience, to draw them into the work. Sharing the secrets in video format helps us to connect even more with the writer.

You can read or watch someone else’s secret by going to www.postsecretcommunity.com or by searching YouTube for “PostSecret.”

Crooks and Liars!

I absolutely adore this video blog. You can tell, right from the start, it’s about politics (Of course, Right?). The intriguing part about this video blog is its political basis without being particularly biased to a specific party or candidate. It offers a large assortment of video clips ranging from serious to humorous on important issues and “They said what??” topics. To keep the friendly debate atmosphere the Vlog offers several authors with different viewpoints.

Each topic seems well-researched and founded, offering several credible links to sources, giving information on the speaker or perpetrator. The authors and regular followers of the blog have varying degrees of political experience ranging from those that hold/held political office to the savvy regular Joe with an outstanding opinion.

Crooks and Liars has been around for some time now, and has become a staple in online political debate. You can browse for a minute and leave a comment on a single issue, get some furor off your chest, and walk away feeling like an accomplished politician. On the other hand, you can spend hours analyzing the debates of the moment and past and report back to your friends a well-educated professor of modern issues with a kick in your step. The information presented and overall layout of the blog is well done and simplistic enough that anyone can stumble in and immediately have their attention kidnapped by an onslaught of ideas and video clips. The website has an extensive cache of information and topics that would take days to unravel.

One of the many well-played amenities of the blog is the equal playing field on which you voice your opinion. No one cares you didn’t graduate from an Ivy League institution. You’re entitled to your opinion everywhere and Crooks and Liars advocates the input of personal opinions vehemently. People of every age group can converse there with the same desire: to be heard! Nothing strikes my fancy quite like arguing politics with middle aged contemporaries. It’s not uncommon for an older writer to be surprised when s/he learns the personality that just debated them into a hole was significantly younger. Still, the debates remain friendly for the most part and a general respect for differentiation is always present.

I think Vlogs are an exceptional alternative to the normal black and white method of delivering a message. Many people take in information much better from a visual display, while others walk away with more from the traditional written message. The video blog offers both. A person’s personal humors and tastes come out vibrantly in a video blog, and this ensures there’s never a lack of exciting content. Crooks and Liars stands out as one that did it right, and that’s probably the reason such a controversial-by-nature blog has managed to last.

-Brandon

HW: Vlogging vs. Blogging

One of the recent Internet crazes, "vlogging" has become quite an interesting subject of discussion. vlogging is blogging, except instead of writing, these users post videos. The development of vlogging exploded with the creation of the website, YouTube, which allows anyone with a video camera and Internet connection to post videos online for public viewing. YouTube has quickly become a topic of both ethical and legal debate. Copywriting, inappropriate videos, and privacy are some of the main issues YouTube users are experiencing. Where do you draw the line? Yes, Internet vlogging can be a useful and entertaining form of posting, but it can also lead to problems that online users have not previously been exposed to.

The vlog I chose to analyze was created by Chris Crocker. His online videos have become incredibly popular due to his outrageous behavior and crazy topics. His most famous vlog to date is, "Leave Britney Alone!". After this video was posted, Chris Crocker become the center of media attention. His videos have been viewed online by millions, and there was even talk of him getting his own television show. As insanely stupid as these videos are, his popularity has continued to rise. I have noticed that in some of Chris Crocker's videos, he attempts to address certain issues like homosexuality and racism, but his messages are overshadowed by his wacky appearance and ridiculous antics. I don't think the public can see a grown man dressed as a woman, and actually take them seriously. He obviously feels strongly about certain issues and tries to vocalize his opinions, but he is simply doing it in an inappropriate way. In reality, he is more than likely just trying to gain his "fifteen minutes of fame". The audience this man has targeted is a younger audience. Older aged people would probably not be as concerned with some of the topics he discusses, and would most likely not tolerate his audacious behavior shown in most of his videos. In my opinion, the only reason people watch these videos are because they are entertaining. As a society, we like to watch others publicly make fools out of the themselves. Hello, reality television anyone? Chris Crocker certainly knows this fact and has taken advantage of it, making him all the more popular.

Vlogging is an easy way to present your thoughts and ideas without ever having to write anything, but it can also create a smokescreen in front of the messages you are trying to convey. For example, as a class we watched the Lemonette videos. Though this woman was trying to get a point across, it was hard to look past all the distractions in the video and focus on what she was really trying to say. I think that is one of the major problems with vlogging that you don't have to worry about with blogging. Vlogging may be more entertaining and enjoyable to watch, but I think that blogging is definitely a better way to develop and publicize ideas.