On this date: Lucy Wan

On October 4th, 1957, 10:29 PM Moscow time, the Space Age would officially begin. Sputnik, the world's first automatic satellite, was launched from the Tyuratam launch base in the Kazakh Republic. As Sputnik sent back radio transmissions, many radio operators listened in awe as the satellite passed over. The U.S. was caught completely off-guard. Sputnik was 10 times bigger than the first planned U.S. satellite which was not scheduled to be launched until the next year. As the U.S. struggled to catch up with the Soviet Union in the 'space race', the Russian space program went on to set a series of firsts: first man in space, first woman, first three men, first space walk, first spacecraft to impact the moon, first to orbit the moon, first to impact Venus, and first craft to soft-land on the moon. 

Through the launch of Sputnik to the present day, our everlasting quest into space has yielded valuable information about the universe we live in. Sputnik represented a move into the modern space age; it's launch signified a shift into a new era of technology and information. Not only was the event an incredible achievement for the Soviet Union, it also spurred the U.S. into further development of it's own space program. Without the 'space race' it is certain that our own deviation into space technology would have come at a much slower, less advanced pace.

I truly believe that this is an important event in our world's history. The launch of Sputnik was the catalyst for a new age of exploration; it was a stepping-stone to our greatest achievements as a collective human race. October 4th, 1957 was undeniably an impactful day in history.

Assignment 7: On This Date Karl Werner

 Around today's date, September 30th, in 1492, the world changed forever. Mr. Johannes Gutenberg printed a Bible. And what was so peculiar about this Bible? This Bible was the first book ever published (by today's standard of the word). After inventing his famous movable-type printer, Gutenberg proceeded to print this Bible on it, making it the first major book in history to be printed with movable type over here in the West. Now one of the most valuable books in the world, this Bible was the first step in a world-altering change.
This event, and more broadly the invention of movable type printers, set history on the course it took to reach contemporary times.  Movable print allowed books to be put into circulation at rates unparalleled in human history. No longer did the books need to painstaking;y copied by the hand of monks and scholars. This drastically lowered the rarity and price of books, making them available to the common man. This new development led directly to the Renaissance, which pulled the floundering West out of the Dark Ages and into a bright new era of human understanding and arts.
Today, illiteracy is as rare as a hand-printed book. Humanity has prospered and evolved culturally as reading and writing spread more widely than ever before thanks to movable type. Myself an avid reader, I owe countless hours of my filled free time to this groundbreaking achievement. I cannot praise  Mr. Gutenberg enough. He changed the world, one printer at a time. This miraculously journey took its first breath 521 years ago, when out popped the first major movable print book ever. And the rest...is history.

#5

Television is an outlet for literally any kind of information. Perhaps not to the same extent as the internet, but still its various waves of drama, action, mystery, HBO, HGTV, MTV, etc. permeate the minds of even the most bookish Americans. Is that a good thing? I think not.
Television has its appeals and strengths--the ability to bring breaking news to quite literally everyone across nations; the ability to introduce new ideas to the public on a grand scale in a small period of time; and the ability to make people laugh and cry from stories which would take them weeks to read in a book.
Unfortunately, people take it too far.
Television has now become an area, at least for Americans, where we begin to look fickle and weak. Today, international news is broadcast 24/7, which means that people are completely unaware, and therefore inactive, in their local societies. Not only that, but this constant influx of "news" is almost always another tragic or frightening tale. Broadcast networks know that people will be glued to a screen full of disaster, and so that's what they provide. And when all this tragedy is being ceaselessly hurled at Americans, they become paranoid, and a single accident somewhere in backwoods Virginia can make an entire nation pessimistic. And this pattern is not only found in news, but in sitcoms, reality TV, etc. Emotional relationships between characters are exaggerated and unrealistic, and the values and lifestyles of characters on TV don't reflect anything that should be ordinary. Sure, this may be good for entertainment, but people growing up eating dinner in front of the tube every night end up having a tough time understanding how life really is outside of the house den.
The negative affects don't stop with the minds of Americans, either. In an age where daytime television stretches far and wide, so does the American waistband.
Too much time watching television as an individual kills brain cells, increases depression, and (likely as an effect of depression) encourages overeating. But and worst of all, watching television has a very negative influence on society as a whole, fueling unrealistic ideas and unreasonable pessimism into the minds of the elders in charge, as well as the rising youth. As a youth of a nation that (according to the BLS) watches an average of 2.8 hours of television a day, I'm crossing my fingers.

Blog #6 Zach Wolfe

Prompt 1: Social media plays a large part in our lives nowadays with the internet wing as big as it is. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram make it easy to connect with our friends and view each other's lives. What social media do you take part in? What role does it play in your life? What are your likes and dislikes about social media?
Prompt 2: Books have always been a part of human history. Whether they tell stories of ancient rulers such as the scrolls of Ancient Egypt, are made up stories of magic that we wish were true like Harry Potter, or are the basis of religion like the Bible. Books were around thousands of years ago, and will be around thousands of years later. What is your favorite book and why? What genre of books do you like the most?
Prompt 3: Sports are big business in America and around the world. Sports are now bigger than ever in the entertainment industry. What is your favorite sport? What do you like about it? What do you dislike?

Answer to prompt 3:
My favorite sport is soccer. It's famous aroun the world and known as the world's most popular sport. I like it because it's exciting and takes lots of skill. This is shown in the low scores of most soccer games. It takes incredible skill to be able to score with your feet or head against a big goalkeeper who can use any part of his body, including his hands, to stop you. I also like that there is never a stoppage of play. The action continues to go on for 90 minutes, only stopping for halftime. This also means no commercials during professional games! The only thing I dislike is that flopping is becoming huge in the game and referees are dishing out punishments to defenders who have done nothing wrong. Attacking players will just fall on the ground if a defender even gets close to them. It's making a mockery of the game.

Sydney Smith: Blog #6 (Create Your Own Adventure)

1.) What is the best piece of advice you've ever received? How did it change your life to receive this advice?
2.) Describe your room. Is it messy/ neat? Is there a certain logic/ scheme to the organization? What makes it uniquely "you"?
3.) Did your parents ever make home videos of you and your siblings when you were younger? If so, which is your favorite? What sort of memories do these videos bring back?



2. My room is my sanctum sanctorum, the point around which my day-to-day life revolves. It is where I feel safe, where I retreat after a long, hard day. Its organization is comforting; when I glance around its walls, I feel like my whole life is under control.  Its every minuscule detail is planned out, every 'i' dotted, every 't' crossed.

Circled around the upper border of my wall is taped a collection of my favorite awards and certificates, two rows thick. Scattered around under that are various bulletin boards and calendars, my favorite part of the room. On these bulletin boards, I keep all my favorite memories: old pictures, movie stubs, race numbers, acceptance letters, letters from friends, and old playbills. My calendars are meticulously organized and color coordinated. My bedside table contains an alarm clock that never wakes me up and my Bible, falling apart and binding collapsed due to its never- ending use. More pictures of my favorite memories are taped to the walls, next to my schedules and community service log. Gobs of medals that I don't even remember winning decorate my dresser: they hang from either side of my mirror in such a way that I can hardly see my reflection. My bookshelf is practically exploding with the number of books crammed onto its shelves. Used shooting targets hang on my doors, reminding me of the days I've spent endlessly firing bullets into them.

Yes, my room is my sanctum sanctorum. It comforts me. It cradles me as I fall asleep. And I hope it never changes. Because it is the one thing that remains constant.

Assignment 7: On This Date

September 29th through October 11th. Those are the dates for your blog entry this week.

Pick one of the dates this week and look up historical events happened on that date. Choose the event of your liking and answer the following:

What happened? Was this good or bad?

What influence did this have on the world? A nation? A city? Your existence?

Do you appreciate this event? Do you loathe it?

Continue to editorialize as you see fit.

Due Sunday, October 12th at 11:59 pm

#6 Alexander Reese

What are your opinions on video games?

What is your favorite sport and why?

Describe your dream house.

      Video games have been somewhat of a villain for a long time now. Mostly in the fact that they are a "waste of time" for you. I would argue otherwise. Take for example, my favorite game, League of Legends. It is a ten player, five versus five, strategy game. Each player, or summoner as the game refers to them, picks a champion (character) to use for the entire match. You are matched with four other random people on your team or you can play with your friends. There are several typical positions: attack damage carry, support, mid, top, and jungle. In addition to this every character has attack damage, ability power, movement speed, magic resist, armor, attack speed and critical hit chance. Every champion has three abilities. It's probably sounding like a lot of work to play it already, but that isn't all. As mentioned earlier, you have four teammates. This is not some mindless first person shooter (although I do enjoy a good one every now and then), this is strategy. It's a live action chess almost. Much like chess it requires a lot of forethought and skill. Because of the amount of thought, skill, and memorization involved in playing League, I think it is not a waste of my time.

Hans Stromberg- Create your own adventure

1. If you were to have any material object you could have, what would it be? Why?

2. What makes golf so hard and interesting? Why do you do what you do?

3. If you could have a face to face meeting with anybody that ever lived, who would it be? What would you ask them?

Prompt #2

Golf. Some people love it, others hate it, and yet most people don't care. Most people say, "all you have to do is hit a motionless ball into a cup, what's so hard about that?" This question urks me because it is obvious to see that the person has never tried to hit a golf ball. If they did, they probably would start crying because they couldn't even hit the ball over 10 yards. (I would be laughing in the background.) Golf is truly a humbling sport, even one of the greatest athletes of our time, Michael Phelps, said that "Golf is the hardest sport I have ever tried." If you asked him he will also tell you that he as never been so frustrates in his life. So what makes this seemingly easy game so hard? Well, mostly because it's just you, your mind and your golf ball. Bobby Jones once said, "Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course... the space between your ears." Everything is mental, in other sports, raw physical people dominate just because they have raw skill, but in golf your mind is the key to playing well. For this reason, I play golf because you have to test your patience and your mind to play well.

Create your own adventure: Lucy Wan

1. What pressures do you have in terms of the future? (i.e. college, grades, career etc.)
2. What is the perception of beauty among different societies?
3. What are the challenges females face as they become more active in the male-centric world of gaming?

2. Growing up as an Asian-American in a predominately Caucasian community, I've never quite been able to fit in. Though I identify myself as primarily American, the truth of the matter is that my race will always stand out. While I would never want to change who I am, I've often struggled with self-confidence and body-image issues. Coming from two different cultures with extremely different perceptions of beauty has changed what I think of myself in many ways.

This summer when I visited China, I had never felt so out-of-place. In America, the mix of races is commonplace; every school is diverse, ever neighborhood unique. However, in China, there is no mix of ethnicities; every person comes from one race. Because of this lack of diversity, the features that are considered 'beautiful' are very specific. Pale skin. Large eyes. Double-eyelids. High cheekbones. Thin noses. Skinny bodies. These features are the ideal for a woman in China. While I'm considered generically pretty in terms of my body type and facial features, everywhere I went the tanned tone of my skin was commented on. I was told to stay out of the sun, that I shouldn't go outside so much. What is considered normal and even enviable in America was a taboo in China.

Yet, even in the U.S. I certainly do not fit the beauty standards. My eyes are too small. My hair is too rough. My skin has too much acne. My nose is too wide. My thighs are too large. With each society comes a different perception of beauty. And as a member of both societies, I find it hard to believe in just one ideal. While coexisting between the Chinese and American cultures, I have found that I don't fit in to either place. The perception of beauty is certainly fascinating. Why do we find some features more attractive over others? Why do different societies have different beauty ideals? And lastly, what is beauty?

#6 Create Your Own Adventure-Erin Holbrook

1.) What do you keep on your nightstand? A pile of books? A bag of cough drops? Nothing but a clock? Describe what this says about you.

2.) In many books the author bends logic to create a world that is more interesting, though not necessarily any better than our own. If you could redesign the world, ignoring every law of nature, how would it be different from our own? How would it be similar?

3.) If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why? What would you do there?

The world we live in seems boring sometimes. There is no magic nor alien invaders. Animals do not hold philosophical discussions with humans over tea. The laws of nature constrain us like shackles, making even the simplest time machine scientifically impossible-at least if you plan on coming back.

Take out these laws, and things get chaotic. In a world without science to define it, ghosts and witches come out to play. Multiple intelligent species vie for power, and sights exist beyond out wildest beliefs.

In this world, with a purple moon and three suns, everything seems different. Every person is unique and wonderful, but still the same. No matter how much the substance of the universe changes, human nature remains the same. Rome will still ruthlessly destroy Carthage, even if it is using magic to do so. The same ambitions, desires, and conflicts exist in every world, simply dressed in a different costume.

Create Your Own Adventure Jania Stevenson

1) If you had a time machine, what would you use it for? Why?
2) What was your favorite childhood book, movie, or TV show?
3) If you were to become famous in the future, what would you be famous for?

I read a lot as a kid, and so so many books come to mind when I think about my favorite. Out of all of those I would have to say my favorite book was Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. It was about a mouse who's parents named her after a flower. She loved her name and thought it was perfect until she started elementary school. Everyone made fun of her because her name was different. I loved this book when I was younger because I really understood Chrysanthemum's problem. My name is pretty different too. I also thought Chrysanthemum was a really pretty name and I was determined to name my daughter that if I ever had one. I obviously changed my mind when I got older. I also loved the pictures in the book. Each one had so any different colors in it, which made the book even more fun to read. I also got to go see the play at the children's theater in 1st grade, which was so exciting for me at the time. I still read this book every once in a while just to reminisce about my childhood.

#6 Choose your own adventure-Rachel Hart

Writing prompts-
1.Describe a daily routine or tradition of yours that may seem ordinary to others but holds special meaning for you.
2.If you future was based on what you spent yesterday doing, what would your future hold?
3.It's the year 2043, and a  director has decided to make a movie about you. What is the title and what is it about? Is it completely true or stretching of the truth?


Writing prompt 2:
If my future was based on what I did yesterday, I would have a pretty wonderful future. I would spend each day sleeping in until 10 am and having a wonderful breakfast. I would stay in my pajamas and surf the web until a quarter to noon. This would allow me to get the necessary amount of sleep so that I’m not always exhausted. Then I would go shopping for the next three hours to get new clothes and craft supplies. This part may get a little boring because stores only restock every three to five days, which means that new stuff may become hard to find. After a busy day of shopping and hurting feet, I would meet my lovely family to eat. We would have wonderful dinners with friends and family each night. Then after surviving a massive food coma, I would return home each day and get my dog ready to go practice with a wonderful team of friends. Together, we would practice for a little over two hours and I would retire to my house for light reading and off to bed. I think this life would be livable but may require some changes so that it doesn’t get boring.

Create Your Own Adventure- Chelsea Southworth

1) What has been the happiest moment of your life so far?
2) What's your greatest accomplishment so far?
3) What's your favorite book series?

My favorite book series is without a doubt A Song of Ice and Fire (commonly known as Game of Thrones, but that usually refers to the TV show). If I could make the entire world read these books, I would. Almost any genre you could ever want is in this series, from action and romance to suspense, political intrigue, and fantasy. Yet how you classify the series isn't as important as the two major components of any book: character and plot.
The characters of this book are exquisite. Every single one is realistic (no White Knights or Evil Overlords here), and even the ones that you hate you sympathize with. The characters are as diverse as they are delightful, featuring male and female leads with all kinds of personalities and backgrounds. And worst, yet perhaps best, of all, anyone can die. While it does rip your heart out when your favorite character is stabbed in the back or has his head cut off, it makes you so emotionally invested to know that any character, not just the minor ones, can die; you never expect it, and you're always kept on your toes.
The plot too is marvelous. From the prologue of the very first book he already begins to set up his overarching plot, and throughout all of the books he sprinkles in foreshadowing about events to come. Even with all of the subtle hints, you never see what happens coming. This is very true with the deaths of major characters, but there some events, like the especially notable moment of awesome at the end of book one, that are so thrilling to read mostly because you never thought they'd happen.
Your life will not be complete unless you read these books; I could go on for pages and pages about why they're so perfect, but you'll have to trust me. Just read them.

Create Your Own Adventure- Cassie Adams

1. What worries you most about the future?

2. What's on your bucket list? 

3. Describe a random object (or two) in your room. What is the significance behind this object? 

 

Prompt 2: 

I've always liked the idea of having a bucket list. A list of things you would like to do, some so ridiculous that you wouldn't believe you could accomplish in your wildest dreams and others so commonplace that you wonder why you hadn't done them already. And so a while ago, mostly out of bordom, I opened a new "note" on my iPhone and started to compile a running list of things I'd like to do in the future. It currently is composed of 27 things, but is by no means complete. A lot of them have to do with traveling. Number 3 reads, "Visit all 50 states." I don't know why this idea is so appealing to me, especially considering it would require that I visit all the random and assumingly boring states that no one ever talks about like Kansas or something. But I think that in every state there will be some interesting experience to be had. Another, number 15, is to speak fluent Spanish. I've taken Spanish for 5 years now and I'd like to get to the point where I can travel to Spain or Chile or Argentina or any other Spanish-speaking country and be able to communicate with ease. So far, I've only completed two of the things on my bucket list. One being that I saw Ed Sheeran in concert last April, which was a fantastic experience. The other, "be tweeted by someone famous," was checked off my list when I was tweeted by Hoodie Allen, a muscian to you may or may not know. (I still have the screenshot saved to my phone, in case you were wondering.) 

Create Your Own Adventure-Jack Humphries

1) If you could know EVERYTHING would you want to?

2) Would you choose immortality.

3) What do you make of "This this statement is a lie"

Although both prompts 1 and 2 challenge the fundamental logic of humanity, I feel the age old paradox of prompt number 3 is much more intriguing. 

This literary monkey wrench has thwarted many philosophers who have attempt to clarify its paradoxical nature. But from it's first iteration (coming from the clever Cretan Epimendes who proclaimed "All Cretans are liars") up to present day versions like "This this statement is a lie" , no philosopher has successfully come to terms with the Liar paradox.

"Who cares?" you may ask, well I assure you this paradox is much more significant than the trivial nuisance many see it for. Fundamentally, the heart of the problem lies in the phrase's universal taboo: Self-awareness. If I knew nothing about myself, and only could perceive the action of others then I would be completely incapable of producing the Liar paradox. In other words by gaining self awareness, I gain the ability to contradict my self. This tricky trait isn't just found in humans though, it is also found in the world of Mathematics.

During the early 1900's mathematicians were hard at work trying to "fix" math. What was the problem with math? Well a mathematical form of the liars paradox kept on surfacing which had mathematicians convinced that the system of mathematics they had been using was broken. In 1910 an ironclad system of math was released called Principia Mathematica. The founders of this new system claimed that they had removed the pesky problem of self awareness, and thus removed the Liars paradox from math. Sadly they were wrong, and a brilliant Austrian mathematician named Gödel proved the new system was flawed. In fact Gödel proved that in any system of mathematics complex enough to be useful would contain some element of self reference and therefore the liars paradox. Thus from this one "trivial" statement we have learned that we can not know everything, and that no matter how hard we try some paradoxes are unsolvable.

Create Your Own Adventure: Jasa Harris

You were just given your own talk show, what makes yours different from all the others?

Would you rather have beauty, brains or bucks? Why is that one better to have than the others?

If you were a force of nature which would you be and why?

If I was given a talk show mine would actually be entertaining. I don’t know how different it would be, but I would try to make it more accessible and just better. First, I would try and be more youthful, all the talk shows now are geared toward older people, I would make mine aimed at the younger audience. I would try to heavily involve the public. I would travel the country and tape the shows in different cities and not always in the same areas so the people outside of Los Angeles, New York and Chicago could come and be a part of the show without having to do a lot of traveling, especially because they’re younger and don’t always have that option. Also, I would have many giveaways because that’s always fun- who didn’t like Oprah’s big giveaways. The giveaways would consist of things that people my age would want like new cars, new technological items, scholarship money and shopping sprees. I would try and get many relevant celebrity guests for the show and have nice entertainment each episode that caters to a young audience. I would like to play games with the guests much like Ellen because her show is always great. I might do some interviews, but I would be a little more original in my questions, and not ask the same questions that they always get asked. But I would mostly just try and interact with the crowd and incorporate them as much as possible because I think that’s what will make a good show, a show that’s for the public so they want to actually watch every day. Also, it would not come on in the morning because a lot of people are in school and can’t watch it, so I would want it to come on at like 7:00 in the evening when nothing else good really comes on. Finally, I would want to move around the studio and not just be in a single chair the whole show, so I would definitely try to use every space too. Overall my talk show would be more youthful and hopefully entertaining. 

Good vs. Evil #3 Rhoman James

People cannot be good or evil, they can only go good and evil things. They cannot be labeled good or evil, but only describe as good and evil. The only thing that differs these two words is the intentions and mindset of the people. These terms are subject to very many interpretations. Differentiating views on who is good and evil is the root of all conflict. This is why countries go to war. Each country thinks that their view is correct and they are forced to fight it out. Most causes of good and evil are created by people who are not very open minded. Overall, I think good and evil should be seen as interpretations instead of labels.

My Adventures-Zac Byrd

Where is your dream vacation spot? What makes this the perfect spot for you? How can this dream become a reality?

Why is swimming the hardest sport?

Are the arts underappreciated?  What can be done to make them appreciated more than they are

Swimming is the toughest sport to succeed at.  As a swimmer, I know how taxing this sport is on an athlete’s body.  Swimmers work all the muscles of their body and all the different energy systems in the body during training.  This sports demands every second of the athele’s attention as well as the majority of their free time.  Swimming is the most physically/mentally demanding and time consuming sport in the world.

As a sports geek I have attempted a few sports, yet none have compared to swimming. Just look at Prince Fielder to see how in shape a baseball player has to be.  In Bowling the ball gets rolled back to you at arms level.  And in golf, you have a caddie carry your equipment for you.  Swimming is all conditioning.  Nobody ever says” I play swimming” because it isn’t a game where you keep score. Every swimmer has to be in exceptional physical shape to succeed at a high level.   They have to be mentally focused at all practices. That means that when we wake up at 4:30 to go to a 5 AM morning practice, we have to immediately focus on our technique even though we are still half asleep.

Yes, 5 AM morning practices are a real thing.  They take away much needed sleep and instead leave you exhausted until your next practice that night.  So while a football player practices for three hours after school, swimmers are too.  And we continue to get ready for the upcoming morning by packing our bags and sleeping.  Swimming doesn’t only require that you be at 9 practices a week.  It requires that you get enough rest during the week to train well at these practices.  What sport can match this training regime combined with the demands of the sport itself?   Swimming is the toughest sport.  And even if you still disagree with me, try naming 10 well-known swimmers.  Swimming is the hardest sport to succeed at.

For the Love and Hate of Television-Will Atkins

          You want to know the real purpose of TV? It's not to sell us dumb products (though advertisers do), it's not to let the government brainwash us, it's this. America is fat, and TV lets America be entertained and fat at the same time. You want to know how I know that? Because the TV dinner was rated one of the top 100 inventions of the 20th century.

          People like entertainment. America likes food. It's a match made in heaven. It is because the best way to eat your quarter-pounder with cheese is by mindlessly watching How I Met Your Mother while you're doing it. How do I know this? Because I do it on the daily! Do you know how much less I would be enjoying my fatty meals if I had an ACTIVE source of entertainment. "Hey Jack pass me the ball after I take this bite!" How awful would that be? You eat, you be active, you cramp up, you throw up, and then you rinse and repeat.

          If it were not for TV's mesmerizing glare that kills your vision over time what would we be doing while we're eating? Talking to our loved ones? That's ridiculous unless we're talking about how bad the new Two and a Half Men is.

          So there's the purpose of TV. To keep America fat, happy, and the maker of TV dinners in business.

Will Atkins-A World in Pictures

         



  

Where are you sleeping tonight? Where are your parents? Who can help you?

          I bet you know the answers to all of these questions. Unfortunately, the people in this photograph might now know the answers to these questions. Think about that for a second. All of this occurred in the matter of a few minutes. A few minutes to turn your life upside down. A few minutes to destroy everything you love.

          This is what occurred when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 rocked Chala, Peru, all the way to the ground. What were you doing at 11:42 a.m. on September 25? Were you eating? Doing some class work? Because in Chala, they were watching their houses crumble to the ground. All in the matter of a few minutes.

Will Atkins-Come to the Dark Side

          The smell of blood. That's all that sharks need. That's all that is needed to turn a somewhat docile creature into the most feared monster of the seven seas. Haven't you ever seen Finding Nemo? Do you remember Brucie the friendly great white shark? "Fish are friends, not food," was his favorite phrase. That is, until he smelled blood.

          This is how sharks and humans are not just similar, but exactly the same. This is due to the fact that while both of these creatures are naturally good no one is good as soon as they smell the blood.

          Humans? Smell Blood? What is Will talking about? Trust me. Everyone is good until they are bad.

          Until they smell the blood.

          The only difference between good and bad people is that good people haven't felt what the bad people have felt. If Obi Wan had felt that power that Anakin Skywalker had felt he would have joined the dark side as well. Just saying.

          And that's the blood to humans. Power, money, that special feeling. That's the blood and most of the human race is feeling it.

         So don't talk about good and evil being a gray area. There is no gray. Only red.

#4 1000 words Rhoman James

In this picture a man who was at the Boston Marathon and was affected by the bombing. His leg was blown off by the impact of the bomb and it is obvious that he was in total shock. This was a tragic event that was totally random and affected our country in a great way. The whole scene was in chaos and everything was out of control. Almost the whole world was watching on the news for the pursuit of tracking the bomber and it was a very dramatic week. It is crazy that things like this can happen randomly and it can affect so many people. This was a true tragedy that will affect many people for the rest of their lives and this picture tells it all.

Will Atkins-6-Create Your Own Adventure

1. What gets you up in the morning?

2. What are your political views on important topics?

3. What irks you the most?

3- What irks you the most? That is a terrible question. Who would even ask that? Ugh. To respond not-so-politely, my everyday life irks me. Whether it's my mother's untreated insanity that I think is so bad she should be put in a mental asylum, or it's my father's inability to admit that he's wrong, something irks me. ALL THE TIME. Why has that teacher not put in that grade yet? What is going to be on that quiz? Is the academy worth it? All of these questions blitz through my mind at 100 mph and they never stop coming. This causes me to rant out my thoughts and feelings as if I'm running the audio blog of someone who is on crack, meth, and five hour energy combined. This is why I love to rant though, it gives me the ability to just say whatever I want, not thinking about the last word I've said and not knowing what I'm going to say next. I regress, what irks me is life because you always hope the day before that the next day is going to be shiny and beautiful and it's going to work out exactly as you planned. GUESS WHAT. It never works out that way. While, "expect the unexpected," is a bull crap and overused phrase, it is true in some ways. It is true in the way that you have no god dang clue what's going to happen next, so you might as well just give up. So to answer my original question, "What irks you the most?" My answer would have to be my life and rants. And I'll throw hypocrites in there as well.

Until the next time I remember to do my post, Will Atkins 

#6 Create Your Own Adventure

#1 What do you want to possibly study in college? Why? What are you leadt likely to study?

#2 If you could have one thing in the world (a material object), what would it be? Would you rather have it or everything you have now?

#3 What are the main problems you see in the world? What could people do to change them?

#1
You are asked what you want to be when you grow as soon as you start school. It usually is a rockstar, a princess, an astronaut, or a professional athlete. As you grow up you realize what interests you and what you want to do with your life. What interests me is health and nutrition. It is amazing what food and nature can do for you and your body. I love learning new nutrition facts like what vitamins do, and the benefits of eating different things. Not only does it catch my interest, it is important for every person in the world to know how to live a healthy life. The subject I am least likely to study would most likely be english (sorry!!). It is difficult for me to find and analyze all the details in a piece of writing. When I read for entertainment I do not focus on figurative language, but rather the plot of the story. Also, I am not a very good writer. Although I am aiming to get better at these things this year, it is hard for me to grasp. I am more of a fan of facts.

Assignment #6 Create Your Own Adventure- Karl Werner

1) If you could go back and change one thing in your past, what would it be? How would it affect your life today?

2) The future of humanity: extinction, space colonization, alien enslavement....what do you think will happen? Why?

3) What video game character would you switch places with and why? What would you do after the switch? Would the character take over your life, and how would he/she handle that?

Chosen prompt: #3

I would switch places with any of the characters from the new Grand Theft Auto (GTA 5). They live in an immense sandbox world, where the only thing shorter than the cops' memory is the load time. You can go anywhere and do anything. Steal a car. Buy some milk. Fly a jet. Rob a bank. Parachute. Drive a tank. Drive the backwards on the sidewalk. People will yell, but consequences are minimal and easily escaped. It is a world where you can literally do anything you want without thinking twice. Plus, the dialogue is hilarious. i would love to interact with all the brilliant NPCs (non-playable characters). Oh, and you get to perform elaborate heists. With immense payouts. And, let me reiterate, ZERO CONSEQUENCES.  The statue of limitations in this world is about one minute.

If one of the main characters took my place in this world, he would be in prison in under a day. In the real world, laws are laws, rules are rules, and murders aren't forgotten because you had your car repainted. Unused to laws being enforced, the character would commit some heinous crime (or crimes) and immediately be slapped with 25 to life. His new existence would be brief and unhappy. No re-spawns and semi-respectable law enforcement = the end for a criminal from a world with no limits.

Assignment 6:Create Your Own Adventure

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

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

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

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

Ready...

Go!

Due Sunday, September 29th at 11:59 pm

For the Love and Hate of Television- Lucy Wan

Let me start off by saying TV is one of the most mindless, brain-draining, useless experiences that exists in our world.

And I love it.

Television is one of the staples of our culture. Just like food to the French, or dance to the Latin Americans, TV is a cultural sensation in the US. It is a part of who we are; we watch it all the time, we countdown the days to season finales, we keep track of what airs next at 9:30 on Tuesdays. Television has truly become an integral part of the fabric of our lives. But why? Why is it that we laugh, scream, and maybe even cry along with our favorite characters? Why do we feel the need to be like "Oh honey, you can do so much better than her" to a fictional being?

In a way, television provides an escape. While watching, we are transported to a different world, a place where the only things we have to worry about are who's dating who and whether Roshanda and the other sassy girl really got into a fight (and if they did, was it about the guy they're both dating?). There's no stressing about college exams, no studying, no fighting with your parents about pointless things. There's only a fantasy world, or worlds, that covers everything in your imagination and more. And yes, you'll sit in front of the T.V. and completely zone out until you're a mindless zombie, but that's okay. Because we all deserve a little bit of zombie brain syndrome in our lives.

Assignment #5-Cassie Adams

When I read the assignment for this blog entry, the first thing I thought of was a lyric from one of my favorite songs, Lost Generation by Rizzle Kicks. The song goes, "Reality TV is morphene. Give me that now, let me ease the pain." I think that for a lot of people this statement is true. We use television as an escape from reality, a sort of "morphene". It allows us to forget about the stress of own lives and focus on someone else's, whether they be real or fictional. 

By no means am I trying to portray television as something entirely bad. I watch more television than I would care to admit. There are a number of shows that I follow without missing a single episode. I have countless episodes of Supernatural recorded on my DVR and I was practically counting down the days until the season premiere of Bones. But there is a point where television becomes more of a distraction than a simple form of entertainment. There have been many nights where I have put off my homework just to watch one episode of Friends or Big Bang Theory that turned into two or three or four. It's easy to justify procrastinating when you're able to say, "Oh it's only 30 minutes" or, "But I don't want to miss the new episode." Sometimes television can get in the way of more important things. So, I think that when it comes to TV, we have to set our priorites straight. Do the actions of a fictional character in a fictional world really outweigh what is happening in our own lives? 

#5 The Main Distraction

TV is the biggest distraction of our time. What other product that is found in almost every household that can make you sit on a couch with a blank stare for hours upon hours with no human contact?  I don't think a radio would do the trick. These attention boxes have done their jobs very well and have made a lot of people a lot of money. They have also wasted millions of hours of time that, before the addiction of the TV came to place, would have been spent outside playing or spending time with family. I read an article last year that described TV as an addictive drug. Some points of his were well supported but the difference between an addictive drug and television for me is the lack of true entertainment it gives you! When you think about it, you've spent so many hours ghostly staring at a TV show or movie that made you feel no certain way on the inside. People who are addicted to TV must not have very interesting lives because there are thousands of things more entertaining than watching a random show on CBS.

For the Love and Hate of Television Jania Stevenson

I love watching TV. It's something that can entertain me for hours and it is fairly cheap. There are quite a few types of shows I like to watch, but I'm a sucker for comedies. I just love having a good laugh. I usually watch New Girl, Wild n' Out, or Guy Code if I want to watch something funny but there are so many other funny shows that I watch too. I also really like reality television and dramas. Scandal, Dance Moms, and Duck Dynasty are just a few. Television is for more than just shows though. It also lets you watch movies without all the hassle and money of renting them, buying them, or seeing them in theaters. Plus they play them over and over so you can watch it multiple times. With that being said, TV can also cause some problems. It can become a huge distraction, especially when you need to do something important. I know sometimes it takes me awhile to do my homework because I've been watching TV, but if you're smart about it, TV can be a really good thing

TV- Hans Stromberg

What would we do without our precious television? I know I wouldn't last very long without seeing every UK football and basketball game. Although TV consumes about one hour of my day, I think it is time well spent unwinding from a tough day at the office. Some days it is hard to find time for TV because I golf after school and I have to do homework. TV offers me a time to relax, and on some days a type of reward or incentive. If I have completed all my homework I sometimes reward myself with a couple hours of watching golf or football. The main reason you find me sitting in front of the tube is because there is some type of sporting action going on; I watch Golf channel and ESPN more than any other station by far. My favorite shows that aren't sports related are Psych, Suits, and Modern Family. As you can see, I like to keep a nice mix of sports, dramas, and comedies. I don't really have any shows that I hate because I don't have much time to watch new shows. As I'm writing this blog, I'm missing Sunday Night Football, so it's time to go.

For the Love and Hate of TV- Chelsea Southworth

I don't watch some TV because, let's face it, it sucks. There are definitely better ways to spend my time than watching toddlers be brats or bearded men do whatever it is they do on Duck Dynasty. Reality TV is made for the mindless masses and a complete oxymoron, as there is nothing real about it at all. However, there is some TV that I will devote months to catching up on, and then tear my hair out because the new episodes just don't come out fast enough. What's the difference here? Four words explain it all: Plot character actors community.
All the shows I love (Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Sherlock, and Supernatural, to name the big ones) have interesting and intriguing plots that actually make you think. There is no way to passively watch one of these shows; you're either intently trying to guess what's next, figuring out the meaning and foreshadowing of certain scenes, or you're utterly confused and just want to know what's happening. These shows make you participate.
These shows also have beautifully flawed characters who are as complex as they are original. The characters are people who want to know more about, whether you love them or love to hate them. The actors themselves are key as well. You already know some of the actors, but others you get to know and come to love; take Game of Thrones, where it's awesome to see Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean in action, and then you discover the perfection that is Emilia Clarke and Kit Harrington. Every actor on these shows is excellent, and many feature famous guest stars.
The community, too, is beautiful; there's nothing like connecting with people, in real life and on the Internet, through shared interest. There's just so much to discuss, and it's truly wonderful to be able to express all of your emotion (ie feels) to someone who knows what you're going through.
That is why I watch TV.

For the Love and Hate of Television-Rachel Hart

I watch TV purely for entertainment. If something isn’t entertaining or keeping my interest I switch the channel or turn it off. I find no need to bore myself with something that isn’t entertaining. Usually I turn on the TV because there is nothing else to do.  I enjoy watching shows on Food Network, TLC, Animal Planet and ABC Family. I love watching The Fosters, Duck Dynasty, Too Cute: Puppies and Switched at Birth. I hate watching usually anything my brother watches; Dinners, Drive In and Dives; and Hoarders. I do think the TV does provide an adequate form of entertainment. Though I think there are many other forms of entertainment that are better ways to receive entertainment. I don’t understand why some parents believe that it’s good to use the TV as a form of a babysitter when they could entertain their children with so other activities like coloring or playing outside.  Companies realize that parents do this and target those children through their commercials because it is an easy way to reach a lot of people

#5. TV Dumbs it Down

Technically, there isn't anything wrong with watching Television. I do it, you do it, and the majority of people in the United States are right there with us. Television is a cheap form of entertainment. It brings families together on Pizza-Movie night. Many cartoons teach proper morals to young children. After a long day of work, a half-hour comedy is not a bad way to relax. Beyond that some shows can have inspiring and incredibly complicated plots.

This being said, a society where too much emphasis is placed on television-bad television especially-is not a good thing. It didn't take long after the advent of the television for producers to discover that they didn't have to make good TV to make money. In fact, they found that the more ludicrous a show the more money they could make. Constantly I see shows such as "Duck Dynasty" or "Idiot Abroad" taking over a channel. The latter is literally a show in which a complete imbecile is plucked off the street and sent around the world so that he may offend people of other cultures. Television today isn't considered something relaxing to be watched in moderation. Instead it is something lazy, meant to require the least possible amount of brain cells to process, and watched at hours at a time.

The allure of television is a strong one. To be flipping channels and find something so ridiculous, but so real, how could one not be curious? It's so tempting to say, "just a few more minutes, just until I find out what happens to this character. Okay, maybe one more episode..." After all, what is there to get back to? More boredom? More work? More plain old boring reality?

And so its easy to let one's addiction to TV escalate, until it seems that the plight of one's favorite characters and the actors who play them is more important than anything else. It's more interesting to see the reaction of your favorite actor, who just won an award, than to hear about another scientist doing another experiment you hardly understand. It's easy to forget to keep up with intellectually stimulating news, and to forget knowledge once acquired. Some TV shows even make fun of this, such as a popular online show "Why We Hate America". In this show random pedestrians are put on the spot to answer basic questions, such as pointing to a country on a map. One man, asked to point to North Korea, pointed to France and said that we should "blow it up."

The dumbing down of America may be a problem, but what are we to do about it? Television is not the only problem. Inadequate education systems is a much bigger worry, along with rewarding adequate behavior and making a decent education completely out of the price range of anyone who can't afford to get by without it. The most we can do is remember that learning is a positive thing. It is something that can be as entertaining and stimulating as Television. We remember to read good books and to not settle for bad TV, as much as we can.

Television: Alexander Reese

    The majority of people in the US have a television. I happen to fall into that majority. However, with the recent developments in online entertainment I rarely watch TV on a TV. I choose instead to use programs such as Netflix and Hulu because they have far fewer ads and offer significantly more choice in what to watch. In addition, it's nice to be able to stop whenever you want and pick up where you left off at a later time (but let's face it, most of us just watch the whole series in one sitting). Television programs have also fallen a bit flat in my opinion as of late. Almost all of them seem to be reality shows featuring people making fools of themselves and generally dumbing down America. With the likes of Honey Boo Boo on our televisions, it's no wonder other countries make fun of us. One of my favorite shows right now is Archer. I'd recommend it to people who enjoy comedies and James Bond mixed together. Another great show is Video Game High School (although it's a web series), which is probably my favorite show simply because of how much I can identify with the main character.

Sydney Smith: Blog #5 (For the Love and Hate of TV)

Television is almost a staple in modern American culture. The average household has three televisions, and the average American drains several hours a day sitting in front of it. Talk about essential- our lives practically revolve around those bright little boxes!

I don't like watching TV, which I guess makes me different from the rest of my peers. Something about the idea of wasting so much time just repels me. I guess it runs in the family- none of my family members like to watch TV, either. We have never had cable at our house; we have never needed it. We don't have Netflix, either. The Smith family therefore saves a lot of time that other families might spend in front of the television. We go for family walks, have Bible studies, have dinner as a family, visit family and friends, and finish all of our work. Not watching TV had been especially useful for getting all of my homework and studying done.

Though it seems to be such an integral part of society nowadays, I am glad that I don't watch a lot of TV. When I have a family of my own someday, I think I'm going to encourage the same thing.

Aaron Dupont: For the Love and Hate of Television

It says a lot about our society that we spend hours of our time watching the Emmy's which is just a bunch of celebrities being handed awards for something they are already making millions for. Why do people even watch it. It's just a bunch of celebrities dressed up and paparazzi in order for advertising companies to way overpay for TV spots in order to get their product out there. So, all it really comes down to is money. They do the Emmy's so a lot  of people will tune in so that companies will pay more for spots so that they make more money. It's all about money. The Emmy's and other similar awards shows is just an inane waste of time. Why would we want to sit on our coach for hours just to watch people get awards for doing things that have no real benefit to our society. The Nobel prize should get a lot more attention in our news because the Nobel prize is something that someone has done that has a huge impact on our world or society or something that greatly benefits society as a whole. These Nobel Prize winners should get a lot more recognition than those stupid celebrities and their paparazzi.

Fridays-Zac Byrd

Sitting on the couch, eating a canister of Pringles, sipping on a cold cherry coke, watching television is a typical Friday night for myself.  It allows my mind to rest from a long strenuous week of homework, tests, swimming, and music.  Television is an escape.  I can look into a screen and become immersed in whatever show or game is in front of me.  Even if in the game Kentucky is losing to Western Kentucky.

But I don’t need to be so immersed in TV twenty-four hours,  seven days a week.  I do have my couple of favorite shows, The Big Bang Theory and Elementary, that I enjoy watching to get a few laughs and ease my mind. But I don’t let it soak up all my time.  I just need that little break during the day where I don’t worry about anything else and can let information slip in one ear and slide out the other.   That’s why I only watch TV occasionally.  I have other tasks to complete in my busy schedule and TV isn’t a necessity.

Ignoring the Nobel:Jack Humphries

"Everybody’s got values . . . The thing that frightens me is the way that an eroding public school system . . . and television on all over the place is leading to a steady dumbing down of the American public and a corrosion of basic critical thinking in the population."
-- Jamie Raskin, American University law professor, November 2004 on the Democracy Now! radio program

Jamie Raskin's observation that Television is slowly but surely dumbing us down, is unpopularly truthful. Not only is TV turning our minds into mush, in exposing us to the distorted worlds of our favorite shows/programs, it is altering our perception of reality. For example, every year various awards ceremonies are held to honor the people/projects that are chosen as being particularly worthy of attention. Almost every aspect of society has some prestigious award. The field of mathematics has the fields metal, and millennium prize problems. The field of science has Nobel Prizes, and the various media mediums each have their own awards ceremony ( Oscars for good movies, Grammys for Music, and Emmys for T.V shows). The amazing thing is that T.V has changed what award cerimonies we view as important, and by extension what things we see as important.

A rational culture should value the realm of academia over the fickle world of celebrity gossip, pompous performances, and ephemeral drama. The culture of T.V America is by no means rational though. With dozens of mindless reality T.V shows, overly coincidental murder T.V dramas, and comedy programs so cheesy they have to pay people to laugh, there is no room for rationality. Thus is why in the overly dramatic entertainment awards draw in much larger crowds than the formal academic ceremonies.

To a much larger extent, the more submerged in the fast and exciting world of T.V drama we become, the less engaged we become with the real world. Instead of focusing on real world issues like Syria's chemical weapons, we end up obsessing over our favorite meth cooking chemistry teacher in Breaking Bad. When we could be rejoicing about the developments of new cancer treatment methods, the majority of us are lamenting that "so and so
" didn't become Americas next top Idol. 

The sad fact of the matter is that T.V is just too entertaining. Its most appealing characteristic is not in its ability to bring us the world news, or the latest academic breakthroughs. No, Its greatest allure comes from its ability to let us escape from the real world. T.V's emotionally turbulent programs are addicting because they give the viewer experiences he/she would not normally experience in his/ her daily life. But as we become more and more inundated with dramatically saturated T.V programs, like like the Emmys; We care less and less about programs that are less dramatically stimulating, such as the Nobel Ceremonies. Thus is the way T.V has changed our worldly perception.

For the Love and Hate of Television: Jasa Harris

I love TV. It’s a very convenient way to get a good laugh or watch something emotional or powerful. There’s just so much in one little box. I mostly watch TV just for entertainment purposes, sometimes I watch the news to see the weather or if something interesting makes headlines, but for the most part I stick to dramas like Scandal and Prison Break or reality shows like Big Brother and Bridezillas. However, I do think that TV can sometimes get in the way of getting things accomplished, which can make TV a distraction. If the TV is on when I’m trying to do homework I become distracted and an assignment that should have taken 15 minutes ends up taking an hour. But TV does do more good than harm, in my opinion, it spreads news and current events, it provides entertainment and it allows businesses to get their products out to the public. Having cable is very commonplace these days which just says a lot about this technological life we live in.

With that said, I don’t necessarily see it as a problem that people seem to pay more attention to the Emmy’s than they do the Nobel Prizes. Since the Emmy’s are broadcasted on a big TV network they are just more accessible and get more exposure. I don’t think that people don’t care about the Nobel Prizes they just aren't exposed to them and therefore aren't aware of them. 

#5 For the Love and Hate of Television

TV serves many functions in our society today, and I watch it for most of them. It provides news and communication very quickly, informs you of new products through ads, and entertains by playing shows. Although I don't watch the news very often, when I hear about a popular or well-known event, I may check in with the news to get more updates and learn more information about what is happening in the world around me. I also watch the ads in the commercials for two reasons. One so I can see if there are any new products that may benefit me to buy, and two, because they can be entertaining whether they are comedic, interesting, or just plain weird. Ads can become annoying if you have to watch more than the show you are actually trying to watch. That brings me to the last reason, which is getting entertainment through the shows. There are so many to choose from and they can appeal to just about anyone. One of my favorite shows is Gossip Girl, because something interesting is always happening and you never know what to expect. I also love to watch HGTV because I think it is amazing how a living area can be transformed, and something about it makes me want to watch it. Overall, I don't tend to watch TV too much, but I enjoy it when I do because it is an entertaining way to spend my time, as long as I don't do it too much.

#4 A World In Pictures

This is a picture of the devastating earthquake that took place in Haiti in 2010. This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0, reaching catastrophic measures, and an estimated 3 million people were affected by the event. Many countries sent people to help immediately, whether they were providing medical assistance or going to help clean up, but many also sent funds to help pay for the damage Haiti had experienced. When these kind of things happen, the effects are very negative, but it is also neat to be able to watch different parts of the world work together for a certain cause and provide the help each other needs. By no means would we want these disasters to happen, but the aftermath can bring some positives along with many negatives. The people in the photograph are probably feeling lost and uneasy about the future or sad about deaths of their loved ones, but with the aid of other nations, the effects may not be as bad as they thought.

A world in Pictures: Hans Stromberg

April 15th, 2013, what seemed like your yearly Boston marathon turned into disaster. Two bombs shocked a great city. One of America's finest tests of endurance, the Boston marathon was stopped short because of two pressure cooked bombs near the finish line. The people in this particular photo are in great shock of what has just happened. You can see the smoke and an even bigger cloud of smoke in the distance. The people are running and taking cover and chaos is breaking lose. You can see police officers springing into action to help the injured and protect the people of Boston.

This picture makes me think about how a city pulls together after a catastrophic event. Obviously, the photo has nothing to do with what happened afterwards, but what did happen afterwards is something that makes you proud to be an American. After the smoke settled, spectators and marathoners alike stopped to help their fellow citizens. They cared for the injured and got help for those who needed help. Afterwards, the city of Boston held strong, they came together and mourned the lost and prayed for the injured and started right way to collect money for those who were injured. Even to this day, people in Boston are still recovering from this terrible act, but they are recovering as individuals and as a city.

Assignment #5: For the Love and Hate of Television Karl Werner

A TV is more than just an electronic box with pictures on it. A TV is a magical device that allows us to transcend reality. When we turn on our TV, we leave behind our worldly concerns and issues for a utopia of mindless enjoyment (at least until the commercial break). TVs allow us to live out our fantasies, feel better about ourselves by mocking others, escape our own struggles, and experience all the emotions we could ever want without leaving the safety of the couch. These are the reasons I watch TV. To be more specific, I am an avid television viewer for two reasons: to laugh and to forget about homework. My favorite shows are clever comedies such as The Office, The League, Wilfred, and South Park (Okay, perhaps not so clever). I also enjoy dramas along the lines of Breaking Bad and Prison Break. Sci-fi shows like Firefly and on-again/off-again Doctor Who. I despise any show attached to the Disney label in post-Suite Life of Zach and Cody era. Dog with a Blog? Are you kidding me? I fervently hate anything that aired on Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon after 2005. Shows like Fan Boy and Chum Chum and people wonder why the rest of the world hates us Americans....

A World in Pictures- Lucy Wan

On June 4th, 1989 Chinese troops opened fire on unarmed citizens in Tiananmen Square, resulting in the massacre of possibly thousands of civilians. "Tank Man" is an iconic image from the event; a lone student stands in front of a line of tanks charging into the center of Beijing. The protests that led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre were triggered by the death of Hu Yaobang, a liberal reformer who was deposed. University students marched and gathered in Tiananmen Square to mourn his death and voice grievances against inflation, freedom of the press and speech, and government accountability. A student-led hunger strike created support for the movement and protests soon spread to 400 cities. However, the government resolved to use force and 300,000 troops were moved to Beijing and cracked down on the protest.

Too often we see protests end in violence initiated by governments. With the Tiananmen Square protests, thousands of unarmed student protesters were fired upon by tanks and assault rifles. What makes the 1989 protests startling is the blatant cover-up by the Chinese government. To this day, the government denies that anyone died in the protests. Discussion and remembrance of the events in 1989 are also prohibited. To see such a significant event downplayed so much is really eye-opening in terms of the power of the government. Compared to the technology age of today where every protest is documented real-time on twitter and other social media, the Tiananmen Square protests do not get the same recognition and spread of information as protests today.

Sydney Smith (Blog #4- A World in Pictures)

The Kennedy assassination was a tragedy in and of itself, but also played a big role in shaping the tragic outcome of the next decade. It was certainly shocking for the nation to lose a beloved man and President so suddenly. But the murder of the President and of his suspected killer sparked a plethora of conspiracy theories, which blamed the Russians, the Cubans, the Mafia, and even the Vice President. These conspiracy theories led to much mistrust and violence in the coming decade. The next decade brought government lies about the Vietnam War and exposed the Watergate Scandal, which then caused the people to be deeply skeptical about the government. Todd Gitlin summed it up best when he said, "Something else was operating to discredit [the Warren Commission Report]: a huge cultural disbelief that an event so traumatic and vast in its consequence could be accounted for by a petty assassin."

Assignment 5: For the Love and Hate of Television

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out these sites for more information:

Turn off your TV

Television and Health

Positive Benefits of TV on Toddlers and Children

Due Sunday September 22nd at 11:59 pm 

A World In Pictures #4

This is a picture of Hiroshima, Japan in 1942.  This was the sight of the first ever atomic bomb drop. The atomic bomb was the worlds very first "weapon of mass destruction". The bomb killed thousands along with obliterating an entire city. The bomb was also responsible for plenty of deaths years after it was dropped due to radiation-related issues such as different types of cancer that developed in a number of survivors. This picture makes you think of the amount of destruction that the human race is able to cause. If every country dropped every bomb that they currently have manufactured, Earth could be blown out of existence. This one bomb had the capability of wiping small islands off the map. If we had tried to mass produce this bomb, Japan would no longer exist. The first atomic bomb killed 80,000 people instantly and another 60,000 from post-drop effects. That's bigger than most towns and cities in Kentucky. It's about half the population of Lexington. But in 1942, it would've been all of Lexington. None of us would be living here if one of those bombs had been dropped in central Kentucky. Some of us wouldn't be alive due to our ancestors living here and then being killed by the blast. All of this could have happened, and the atomic bomb isn't even the most powerful explosive that mankind has engineered.