Blog-Scribner’s “Literacy in Three Metaphors”

In her article, Scribner describes literacy as more than the ability to read. She believes that, although America once only wanted children to succeed in school up to fourth grade, literacy was important in having the ability to understand confusing topics like democracy, government, and communication. Without literacy, people would not be able to understand the simple, yet complex, workings of our government.

Adaptation, Power, and State of Grace. Scribner organizes her paper almost as a list which makes it easy for everyone to understand when they read it. The concepts are a bit confusing and require someone to be socially, mentally, and physically literate in order to understand the paper. By doing so, Scribner proves her point in why she believes literacy is so important.

Blog Eleven: Boob Tube vs. You Tube

In the article, the main problem addressed is which is more popular/has a greater impact on the culture of the United States: You Tube or TV. I think if this question would have been raised years ago, the answer would have been simple, TV.  Today, with the impact of computers and technology, the culture is changing and You Tube is much more popular. People like Justin Beiber and Rebecca Black are becoming famous just based on the number of You Tube hits they receive. It’s amazing, but the country has changed, and TV is beginning to fade away.

Blog Ten: Television (Beavis and Butt-Head)

1.) Beavis and Butt-Head never have, and after reading this article, still do not have anything in their life that appeals to me.

2.) Although they do not represent anyone specific, I can see how people could connect to them because of their way of life: watching TV all of the time, making fun of people, and being gross! It almost reminds me of teenage boys in their “awkward” phase!

3.) I would illustrate my generation with “Jersey Shore.” Although it may or not be fictional, you can begin to see how people model after the people on the show. Guys like to sleep with as many girls as possible, and girls dress very skankily in order to commend attention from men.

4.) The 50s are definitely representative of Elvis, the 2000s reflect “real people” like Jersey Shore, the Real Housewives, and other reality television.

Blog Nine: Films (Disney’s Dolls)

1.) The first Disney movie I can remember watching was Cinderella. I think I connected to her at first because of our matching blonde hair. I was around five years old when I first watched it.

2.) When I was younger, it seemed like such a true story that would happen to me. I dreamed that some day a prince would come along and sweep me off of my feet. Little did I realize, that fairy tale is far from true. I think if I watched it today, I would question how people, even when they were little, could believe something so “fantasy-like” could happen in real life.

3.) To be honest, when I was younger, although I did watch Disney movies, I always preferred scary movies because I wanted to feel older. I liked when my parents would give me the ok to watch them because I felt like an adult. My favorite movie was Jurassic Park, and I remember first watching it when I was three. As soon as I turned five, it became scary, and I always had to sleep in my sister’s bed. The movie was definitely geared towards boys because it had monsters, but I was a tom-boy child, so I enjoyed it!

Blog Eight: “On Reading a Video Text”

1.) The video was of an African American man making a close call during a baseball game. As soon as he makes the call, it flashes back to him at a bar, watching the game, and drinking a Budweiser. The commercial represents and says, although not straight-forwardly, that this man, because it was made in 1992, is still trying to make it in a world of racism. We demonstrate the culture of the time because of the racism and also the American popularity of baseball.

2.) “We root for the ump because we want the system to work, not just baseball but the whole thing: America”

Proves that we want everyone to be considered “American” no matter the color of his or her skin.

Blog Seven: Ch. 7 Readings

“Within You, Without You”

1.) Although I would not consider myself a very religious person, I am very open to different types of “religions” that are more spiritual or not based on a belief in a certain person. For example, I love to meditate, and I usually use some type of musical selection that calms me down and helps me meditate. I also have certain musical selections that I use in order to calm down whenever I feel the pressure of a hectic day. I call the selections my “relaxation” mix, and they include songs like “Bittersweet Symphony” and “Hands.”

2.) Music is definitely become apart of my popular culture because artists have now begun to express present problems and issues through music. Eminem, one of my favorite artists, does a great job describing his problems and problems in the rest of the world through his popular raps. I also feel like I fit into the “in” things of the world when I know the most popular songs on the radio, the top most 50 listened to songs, and have the ability to sing every verse.

Blog Six: In-Class Music Analysis

1.) Elvis Presley- “Heartbreak Hotel”

-The song reflected a new style of music at the time. He was writing his music in a time of change in America. Although some people are not willing to accept change, many people are looking for some type of change at the time. He is singing about the change in time, and about looking at love in a light manner than most people considered it. The audience is mostly made up of young women who are attracted to the young, “hot” Elvis. Even the movements that he is using, the hip thrusts, grabs the attention of the audience as you can hear them screaming in the background.

2.) Aretha Franklin- “RESPECT”

-This song is performed by an African American artist in a time of white supremacy. She is writing lyrics and trying to tell everyone in  American that people, no matter their race or gender, need to be treated equally. I think her hope through the song and the lyrics is that people will realize that no one is different and we all need to be treated the same. You can tell how passionate she is about the lyrics because she puts her whole heart and soul into performing this song.

3.) The Buggles- “Video Killed the Radio Star”

-This song was performed during the change of generations and the movement in technology in regards to music. The song is performed and written for younger generations who are apart of the shift of music being played only on radios to music being performed on TV, and, more specifically, MTV. This was the first music video produced and shown on TV, and it proved that there was a movement happening in the music industry.

4.) Arrested Development- “Tennessee”

-This song was written for people questioning their roles in life. The singer is obviously confused about his or her reasoning on Earth, and they want God to tell him or her what to do. They are also in a confusing situation and want to be taken home. The audience can relate to this song if they are also confused about religion, life, and home. This song was harder to analyze because I had never heard it before, and also because the lyrics are somewhat confusing.

 

Blog Five: MLA Format

Book:

Cornish, Edward. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future. Bethesda: World Future

Society, 2004.

Magazine Article:

Ulrich, Carmen W. “Stop Stressing Over Money-Now!” Health Apr. 2006: 126-28.

Journal:

Greiner, Markus, Olaf Mandel, Tilman Esslinger, Theodor W. Hansch, and Immanuel

Bloch. “Quantum Phase Transition from a Superfluid to a Mott Insulator in a Gas of

Ultracold Atoms.” Nature 415.6867 (2002): 39-44.

Website:

“Children’s Alliance: Child Obesity.” Children’s Alliance. Web. 8 Feb. 2011.

<http://www.childrensalliance.org/childfacts/childhood-obesity.cfm&gt;.

Works Cited

“Children’s Alliance: Child Obesity.” Children’s Alliance. Web. 8 Feb. 2011.

<http://www.childrensalliance.org/childfacts/childhood-obesity.cfm&gt;.

Cornish, Edward. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future. Bethesda: World Future

Society, 2004.

Greiner, Markus, Olaf Mandel, Tilman Esslinger, Theodor W. Hansch, and Immanuel

Bloch. “Quantum Phase Transition from a Superfluid to a Mott Insulator in a Gas of

Ultracold Atoms.” Nature 415.6867 (2002): 39-44.

Ulrich, Carmen W. “Stop Stressing Over Money-Now!” Health Apr. 2006: 126-28.

 

 

 

 

Blog Four: Ch. 6 Readings-“Hitler did fine, I can do better”

1.) My major passion is scuba-diving. After becoming certified in seventh grade, I have not been able to get enough of it. On family vacations, school breaks, and anytime I do not have anything to do, I think of a place my family and I could travel to in order to dive. There is something unexplainable about the moment you jump off of a ship, take your last breath of air, and sink to the unknown. It’s like its your own world down below, and the only thing I hear is the bubbling of my own breath within my dive tank. It developed after watching a movie about the ocean. Although I had always been interested in the sea, the movie made me really want to become a professional diver so that, I too, could experience the world below the blue horizon.

2.) Two out of three members in my family also scuba dive along side myself. My friends, on the other hand, do not dive at all so they really cannot understand the love I feel for the thrilling sport. Although they can watch movies, see pictures, and hear my stories, until you are down below the water yourself, there is no way to get the full experience. The understand my interest; however, no one has made any effort to get their own certification because of the time and energy it takes to become certified. In my opinion, they are just missing out on one of the World’s greatest mysteries!

Blog Three: Project II Ideas and Questions

For my second project, I really hope to take on a different “persona,” and then I would like to walk around campus for a few hours to see what it is like. I think it is very interesting to be able to experience a different, culture, sex, race, etc., when, for our whole lives, we are stuck in just one category. I haven’t decided what “role” I will take on for the project, but I plan to make it completely different then what I am now.

I am a little confused about the project in terms of what to do if I do not decide to take on a different “role” for my paper. How is the project organized by this object? If I do choose a cultural artifact, how to I write the paper in order to illustrate how it affects me personally?