Pop Culture #5

So this past weekend, my cellphone was stolen from me! :(  I literally felt like crying; I had already been having a bad day and that was just the cherry on top of a big, sloppy sundae. I feel lost, my phone was my lifeline. My gps, passwords, bank account, class schedules, and ect. was in there. I find myself feeling kind of lonely and constantly looking for it then I realize oh wait, I don't have it anymore. This just goes to show how much technology has shaped us and how much we depend on it for almost everything.

Topic for 9/25

This is my first year experiencing the "college life" and I've learned so much by just not having a teacher to look over my shoulder and help me. I have to figure out how to solve my problem on my own. In writing, the They Say, I Say articles are so helpful; I wish I would have had them my senior year in 1010 to look to for advice. I have also learned to manage my time between all my classes. That is when I do my homework so I can refresh my memory before  class; and on the weekends instead of being lazy and unproductive, I am putting my time into my papers. Making sure they are in correct format, gramatically correct, etc ..

Pop Culture #4

Last night I attended the musical "Guys & Dolls" at the Tucker Theatre. To sum it up, it was about a gambler who has been engaged for 14 years; his fionce was ready to get married but all he was worried about was finding a place for his poker game. Overall, I enjoyed it; it was really interesting to watch and think that people used to dress and go about their business like that. I honestly think I was born in the wrong century; I absolutely love the 80's. The music, clothing, dancing, etc., it all just woohs me! What's even greater is that everything from then is coming back now.

Johnson Vs. Stevens

     From the time I first read Johnson's claim, I thought it was utterly ridiculous! I disagree that just by simply watching tv you are getting smarter. Yes, some shows make us use our brain to keep up with all the different interactions and plots but I do not feel like we gain intelligience by doing so.
     In Steven's, Thinking Outside the Idiot Box, she argues against Johnson in every way possible. She states, "As far as I can tell, his thesis is that television shows have slowly grown more and more complicated over the last two decades..." I see this point also; all Johnson really does is compare the complexity of the plots from todays televison to the past ones. Stevens finds humor in looking at the graphs that Johnson provided to try and enhance his argument. She also went about by saying, "If watching TV really makes you smarter...then I guess I need to watch a lot more of it, because try as I might, I could not make sense of Johnson's piece."  Stevens does not force her opinion upon you, she is just sharing hers and saying if you would like to test what Johnson says then participate in the TV Turnoff Week and see if you dumb down a little.
In Johnson's article he says that children, as well as adults, should filter what they watch. Stevens says that adults are smart enough to choose what and how much of a show to engage in. I agree with her argument all the way through.

Pop Culture #3

I have literally been bored out of my mind today and I still haven't completely figured out all the television channels but I managed to find Spongebob so that's what I've been watching all day. It brought back many childhood memories and I laughed like I did when I was 5, but it is also ridiculous how many adult jokes are in there that I've never caught on to as a kid. Television has changed so much over the years, I remember when it was looked down upon to even say a cuss word and now people just freely blurt out in the most uneccessary situations. I think everyone should take a step back and truly see what this world has come to. I miss how things use to be when I was younger, now it seems like everything happens so fast.

"Shitty First Drafts"

I absolutely loved what Anne Lamott had to say in her article; I can completely relate to it. Even though it's just my first draft, I always feel like it's not complete or that the teacher will just laugh in my face and throw it back at me. Now that I know that even some of the best writers have "shitty first drafts" and get easily side-tracked like myself, I can try to not put as much pressure on myself. I have never been big for pre-writing techniques so I normally just throw stuff together anyway and rearrange it until it sounds almost reasonable. After reading what she had to say, I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

When I first read Studend A's sample essay I had a little trouble deciphering  as to if he was for or against what Johnson had to say in his "Watching TV Makes You Smarter". Student A provided many examples of TV shows that supported his argument in his essay which made me more interested in seeing how he ended this. He more clearly clarified that he was against what Johnson had to say; however, I do disagree with how the student implies that it is alright for adults to watch certain television shows simply because they are older and it does not affect their bringing up. Bad is bad no matter the age of the audience.

Pop Culture #2

My popular culture experience this week has to do with music! I went home this week specifically to visit my grandpa and for us to go car shopping. I pull up at his house to get him and at the time "Gone to the Moon" by Future was playing on my Ipod. He gets in, greets me, then starts bobbing his head along with the music. All I could do at this point was laugh because he was severely off beat! Then he busts out and starts rapping along with it not missing a single word! My mind has officially been blown. I mean no, he's not that old, but still ? I remember when I was just entering junior high and my grandparents despised the type of music that my sister and I listened to; they would always call it noise. Now, their radio station stays on K97! It's unbelievable how todays' music is reaching older generations; very hilarious though if I might add.

Class Discussion

For this class, it's kind of hard to prepare for. Our discussions take different turns and twists .. I just make sure that I read the material assigned. I am not a fan for class discussions because I'm pretty sure I'm the youngest one in there. I've noticed that some of  the older (no offense) students seem to have a more complex way of putting their thoughts into words. It's not that I don't want to participate but most of the time I'm trying to recollect my thoughts into a more mature manner that everyone else can relate to; however, by the time I get to this point, discussion is over. I also like to listen and catch up on to how everyone else take in the readings so that I can try it from this angle and see how much more I pick up. A couple of things have confused me a little bit, but someone always seems to explain it in discussion. Overall, I am very greatful that we have the time to analyze our readings deeper and get a clear understanding.

Run in with Pop Culture #1

This may be shocking, but I love to shop. It's my own personal comfort. I spent this past weekend in Nashville with one of my close friends; and of course, we lived at the mall! I bought THE CUTEST pair of shoes ever! They're kind of like tap shoes but without the heel and  a shade of beige coloring. I will be sure to wear them to class for you guys. But to the point, my mother had a flight out of Nashville Saturday morning so she took me to dinner and we caught up and all the good stuff the night before. Me just being me, I had to show off my new shoes. It completely caught me off guard when she said she used to have a pair just like them when she was my age! I know right, having the same fashion sense as your 38 year old mom? Completely just uncalled for! It's crazy to think about how fashion trends kind of just loop back around. I see all the girls walking around campus with the cut-off Levi's that literally come waist high and all I can think about is how those are my grandmothers' favorite brand to wear. Seriously, she has a pair for every day of the year. I suppose it's a good thing that me and her are the exact same size because instead of paying for them, I can just get some of hers, put a few rips and tears in places, and BAM, I'm in style!

        In Johnson's 'Watching TV Makes You Smarter', he basically states that you gain intelligence in this day and time if you actually pay attention to what is happening in the show. I agree with the statement that television has changed over the years and that now you must use a great deal more of your thinking skills to keep up with all that is occuring because shows have become more complex; however, I also disagree with what he is saying to an extent. The disagreement comes in because of the types of shows he is referring to. I believe that 'The Discovery Channel' or 'Food Network' would have been far more beneficial to his arguement because they were made particularly for the reason to teach the viewers.
       With this being said, those who watch educational televison .. Claps on the back for you because you are retaining what you watch.
    

My Skill

A  skill that I have aquired over my years is to never let failure get me down. I have played sports since basically the time I could walk and everyone knows that you cannot win every game. I went entire weekends playing in softball tournaments. Game after game and so on .. After a lost, some of my teammates would let it get the best of them and it would affect their attitudes and level of effort for the days to follow and we would end the tournaments very poorly. I noticed that when I stayed positive and in a good mood, so did the other girls. Attitude is contagious! Since then, I have never let anyone or anything put me in bad mood. I keep my head up and continue doing what needs to be done.
I believe that this skill can help me in my writing because even if I receive a bad grade, I will keep my head up, consider the changes that were suggested to me, and create an even better paper instead of giving up.