Class Review....

The final blog I am going to publish for is class is going to be focused on my own format of a critique on the class over the course of the semester. I will first give my own personal feelings on how this portion of the class work made me feel before I started blogging. Then I will focus on how I felt once I started the blogging assignment. Next I will be rating the blogging and how I felt about other the course work required in this class. And I will close with my final thoughts of the course and my overall assessment of everything.
In the beginning, I really had no idea what blogging was like. I knew that blogging was a popular thing that some people I knew to be extremely nerdy, in my opinion.  I had thought that the blogging component of the class was going to be a complete waste of time. I felt that this assignment was a band aid to the fact that there was no real way that this instructor could assign work out of the textbook. Then I started to blog.

The aggravation of starting the blog is still with me. I do not know if perhaps some of it was due to my computer, using the wrong Internet browser to do the assignment, or just potentially my incompetence with computers finally being realized. Making the sight stuff happen was difficult it seems, but ended up being really fun once I learned to not take the instructions literally word for word and to make it work out of sequence in some spots. Before I even realized it, the blog site was set up. I felt like I had truly accomplished something that I had never done before. The only thing I can truly say that baffled me was figuring out who was in my class and how to go about finding/adding all of my classmates.  Once I figured it out, thanks to my teacher, I knew what to do.

The class work in itself was a decent balance of work to help ensure that I was able to learn without being overwhelmed. I did not see myself asking a lot of questions, but merely turning in the coursework as I needed to. The work overall in itself made me feel that I needed to keep up with the readings and not to procrastinate, or else my grade was at risk of being below what I wanted it to be. Long story short, in order to do well I actually had to stay on top of things in order to do well, rather then procrastinate throughout the week and wait until the assignments were due at the last second before I decided to even open the book or come up with a blog on the fly.

In closing, I felt that the class was set up to ensure that I learned more of the course work then some of the other classes I have taken in the past semesters. The blogging was a lot of fun, but also a highly valuable way of ensuring that I was somewhat familiar with running my own web account. I enjoyed the teacher encouraging us to blog about miscellaneous ramblings as well as giving us an idea to blog about if we could not think of anything to talk about.  I had a lot of fun overall and did learn more then I thought I would from this class.

My Bucket List....

The topic of the week is what I want to do before I die, or a bucket list as it is called. A grim topic to think of, but one that also has the potential of guiding my life’s actions towards an end I may feel more prepared to meet. There are so many things I have not yet managed to do. I have my son to think of as well, so whatever it is I would want to do, I would need it to be something that he also would enjoy to do.
              

 The first thing I would like to do would be to see my son through the course of his entire education. Whether it is merely a general high school diploma, technical school, trade school, or college I want to see him succeed and do whatever it is that would make him happy. I want to see him meet the right woman and start his own family. It is one of my goals to ensure that my son’s life is prosperous and to do everything that I possibly can for him to make it to that point in his life.               

 Another thing that I have recently wanted to make a part of my life is to take up artwork as a hobby. I was looking around my home and noticed that I wanted some more decorations to brighten up the atmosphere of my living room and kitchen. I went out decoration shopping one Saturday afternoon and did not find anything that matched my home that I actually liked, unless I wanted to re-paint my entire home. That, plus the cost of some decorations did not really seem completely worth the quality of most of the stuff you seem to find lately. So I was at first considering asking somebody to create some decorations for me, than thought it would be more fun if I could take up some classes to create my own. 

I would definitely have to re-connect with my sister. She is married to a guy in the Air force and he is presently stationed in England, where she lives at this time. We Skype regularly and she constantly tells me that she would love for me to fly overseas with Jacob so that she can finally meet him. Once I have more of my affairs in order and Jacob is a little older I do plan on going to see my sister. Furthermore, I have always wanted to travel and see different parts of the world, so for now England will suffice. In the long run I would absolutely love to be able to travel to a new place once a year. It has always been a dream of mine to travel, so one day I will.

In conclusion, there are so many things that I want to do in my life that I cannot merely list them in a specific five paragraphs. I want to read more books, see more movies, listen to more music, try new foods, and make more friends. I want to finish college, obtain my degree, and set my career on a better track in life. I would like to go out and have fun with my friends whenever I am free. I am hoping to eventually find another man in my life that is decent and somebody that I can settle down with. I do not entirely want to think of a bucket list to have when the end closes in, but instead I just want to think of my life as being a path to fulfillment. Despite whether or not I achieve all of my goals and dreams in life, I know that with the right attitude and an open heart that I cannot go wrong.

Media Influences...........

This week’s blog topic is pretty much an open forum, so the topic I have decided to blog about is the degree of control our post modernistic media puts into our minds within television. I do not intend to do any more then rant about topics I feel personally engrossed with. Other then traditional feedback from followers, the catch this week I would like from my blog followers though is rather than receive feedback saying good job and what not. This week I would like to hear open thoughts stating whether or not you agree with me and why in a short response to my blog. Another possible reply I would be open to hear from you all is an example of your own if you would like about how media influences your perception on things so that I can possibly learn something new.

 The first area of media I would like to focus on is the most present and dominant form of media in our world, which (for now) is television, though the internet is on its way to replacing television. The view that television really concerns me is in children’s (pre-teen age) programs. In television I remember watching when I was a child we saw traditional families and more appropriate ideals for children to follow, however now the majority of television seems to encourage far too many adult themes into the minds of children. It is good that children grow up being independent and make these decisions when they feel capable and prepared to, but when so many shows and programs follow the same general themes and patterns of message portrayal I feel that this leads to an increased social pressure for children to make adult-like decisions that they may make a decision that they may not completely want to at far too early of an age.

  Another area of concern that television has made me feel lately is the increase in advertising. Usually commercials don’t bother me because they make excellent bathroom breaks,  chances to check on something I am cooking, or any kind of miniature break from television to do whatever else I need to do. But in the last ten years I have noticed that advertisement has increased in both number of commercials and duration of them too. Most shows are now becoming a few minutes shorter then they were as I was growing up. A newer idea in advertising that has been maximized lately is the idea of product placement in television programs. The best example of product placement would be taken from the television show “Two and a half men”, a show that I used to absolutely love until that moron Chuck Lorre ticked off Charlie Sheen into quitting, then to replace him with a not so good actor but better looking Ashton Kutcher and then start to make episodes that just suck in comparison to the original format rather than just come up with a new television show altogether. From the kind of beer in Charlie Sheen’s hand to the cars the characters are seen driving, to even the most mundane and subtle little detail of the fast food the fat kid in that show has in hand when walking into the scene, these are the most subtle and subliminally influential kinds of ways to steer the audience in that general direction. The demographic research that these industries do now tells them everything necessary to send a message that may be more influential to that audience. The usual followers of a television show are then regularly influenced without even realizing it. This bothers me because in one sense it is influencing me to make unnecessary decisions, but the underlying premise of this is the subtle manipulation of advertising that is being placed into my mind subliminally and against my will. Does any small urge I may have to eat, whether or not I am even really hungry, truly require me to follow an instant impulse to go out to Taco Bell or McDonalds simply because I am watching a certain television show? I am being coerced mentally to do something that I do not entirely want to do.

  Another component of media influence that I have noticed and dislike is the ever-growing influence of politics in media. The general themes that we notice in media and politics re based off of biased research into public perceptions, which is then put into parameters to be edited for television set to lead people to draw inaccurate/incomplete conclusions about issues in our everyday lives. This is mostly accomplished through the news. As we are upon elections soon, we will see snippets of candidates propositions and beliefs on issues portrayed as if what is displayed in the news are completely accurate and honest entire portrayals of what each candidate is about. The realistic nature of media is to capitalize the television time as best as possible. The influence that media has on everyday people has actually been partial basis to the US Supreme Court’s intention to influence a political monopoly on media through elections of certain officials (the underlying is some of the basis of this is in a 100+ page 2010 US Supreme Court case called Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission) within 30-60 days of elections political figures are more restricted now. Hillary Clinton at one time in the 2008 election had nearly gotten in trouble for being shown on either HBO or Showtime hour long appearance of some kind, but due to the law the appearance was not allowed, the basis being the potential for influencing people to her cause in a disproportionate manner. Things like news appearances are acceptable because the news is supposed to be a neutral portrayal of entire perspectives, but for a political figure to abuse potential connections for a monopoly of influence that other candidates may not have the same connections is not considered legal. Though this does borderline violating the 1^st amendment rights to free speech and press and may have contributed to the Republicans 2008 presidential election, there is clearly a connection with how dominant the media is used to influence our minds. And for television corporations to have the power to influence the regiments of our governments is an entirely scary power to leave completely unhindered to being without any kind of control or limitations.

 In conclusion, my feelings on media are generally that media clearly has the potential to dominate the decisions that most people can make. I am not entirely against television, I am a person who wants to be in control of making my own decisions on my own accord. The influence that media is growing to have more of by the day could easily one day borderline complete mind control if we allow ourselves to become controlled by the media. The media conglomerates are not to blame for the influence though, it is all of the pressure our society places on selling that leads to such a need for research to learn how to more effectively influence people. A direct consequence of increased desire to influence is driven by corporations to maximize on one part of the market alone. A consequence now is that since it has worked for one, there is potential for anybody to have even more influence people in the same general method. Though I worry that the internet has more potential, I also know that it is also far more limited to our control of what we want to be viewing. That is why I plan to be buying TV through Netflix, www.netflix.com, Hulu, www.hulu.com, and the other many forms of digital television that are available. While there is the same potential for influence, there are far less commercials as well as actually having a more diverse and unrestricted choice in what I can watch at a far less price than satellite and cable offer on a yearly basis.

My favorite childhood memory!!!

        One of my most favorite childhood memories had to be the year I spent at summer camp. I was 13 years old at that time. The camp I went to for one week was called the Wilds (http://www.wilds.org/). The camp was in Brevard, North Carolina. I never had such a great week during a summer vacation in my life, and it rivals many of the vacations I have been around time.

        My father took me up to North Carolina. On the way there I was nervous because I had never been to a summer camp before and had not spent more then a few days away from my family. The scenery was really awesome, though the drive felt like it took forever since I had not been eager to go in the beginning. I remember when my father left, the shellshock of being alone for the first few minutes. Then I started to meet new people.

        The first person that I opened up to was a girl named Alicia. She was a girl from West Point, Mississippi that I knew through church, though until summer camp had no interest in being friends with her. We started talking when all of the kids at the camp were allowed to go white water rafting. What an exciting way to get to know somebody as you are being tossed around in a fast flowing river! We started talking to alleviate fear, found out that we had a lot in common, and have been good friends ever since. Even one of my most intense memories came from camp, bungie jumping! To fall without anything expectedly underneath you has to be the most liberating and free feeling one could ever experience and one I am happy to have been allowed to experience.

        Not only did I make a good lifelong friend, but I also grew closer to God in such a way I felt as though I could feel God change things in my life in such a way that my pulse only continued because He wanted it to. I had a lot of pent up emotions that came to surface, that God amazingly cured at a campfire one night. What I can only describe as an open confessional one night, I told one of my most dark secrets in my life at that time, that I deliberately disobeyed God by hating my mother. From that point I was given advice to help me with dealing with my negative feelings. God was burdening my heart so much that I was saved that night as well. What an awesome feeling knowing that when I die, I will be going to Heaven!!

        By the end of that week I had learned a lot of things about the outdoors, made a lot of friends, grew closer to God, and grew as an individual person. I was also able to talk to my mother and we dealt with the issues that I had been dealing with at summer camp. I attribute much of my everyday life that goes well to being simply achieved because of the time I spent at summer camp. I went back the following year, though I did not get to see the same people as I would have liked to. Whenever I feel any negative feelings in my life I usually tend to think about that week at camp and remember that if I can bungee jump then I can face anything I have never done before!