Friday 8/29

Blog Post of the Day:
Read this small newspaper clipping and then write a blog post about it. What are your thoughts? How does it make you feel? Do you agree? Disagree? Explain yourself.

This newspaper clipping is a bit over-bearing. What does this guy have against teenagers anyway? I understand that there are more important things to be doing in your life than playing video games and being lazy, but what's the harm? I agree that everyone should strive to be productive members of society, but this isn't 1984. This author tells teens to "develop a backbone not a wishbone", which sounds fine out of context but isn't this guy also wishing a lot with his view of what teens should really be doing in their free time? Teens have a lot on their plate already; they're still developing. 

Tuesday 8/26

Blog Post of the Day:
What is a Public Service Announcement? If you don't know what it is, Google it. In your own words, now tell me what it is? What are they used for? Can you recall an example of a PSA you've seen before?

     A Public Service Announcement is an important message that is used to inform or warn the public of something. For example, when you are watching TV and the weather is horrible outside and that loud beeping sound interrupts your American Idol marathon to inform you that there's a chance of a flash flood. With that giant weather map and big text showing with counties  "in danger", how are you supposed to enjoy your favorite contestant use their god-given pipes? Public Service Announcements can also be less obnoxious though, and can be important. Occasionally, PSAs show the dangers of things like drinking and driving or texting while driving. These have good messages and are helpful at reminding people, or scaring them, into making the right choices.

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Monday 8/25

Blog Post of the Day:
After watching the short clip of Ashton Kutcher's acceptance speech what did you take away from his advice? What does this quote mean to you -"Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you, and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use."

     To me, this quote is a call to action. It's meant to shift the paradigm that we have lived in for as long as we can remember. It calls attention to one of the greatest questions of all: what is life about? The first part of the quote is much more interesting to think about. Society has been crafted by average human beings since man first used a club to defend themselves from dinosaurs (and yes, that is accurate). No higher power set the rules on society that humans would live by forever; the way we live is influenced every day, and with each experience. "Life" is constantly changing as new ideas, new products, and new conflicts force us to adapt and change the way we live our lives. The latter half of the quote is what I referred to earlier as the call to action. Now that our eyes have been opened to the impressionable world we live in, Kutcher encourages people to leave their own mark. People should strive to improve the world they live in both for themselves and the people around them. So go out and act. You can make a difference.

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Who Am I? Presentation