Hw 25- Nice Stories People! + The Pattern of Boxes

To Sandy:

Werd! What happened? I really like it though. From this I could tell that your character is a nice person and she doesn't like to burden others with her problem(s).

By your ending I could kind of tell that she is hesitant to believe that good things can happen to her, and when they do she questions them.

This was really nice, I liked how you got the character down in about a paragraph.

To Yazmin P (12):

Hello, this was nice. Basically a list of awesome qualities that would be nice to possess. I liked that you basically gave your definition of cool and what it means to be cool.

Do you think that all those qualities can actually mix? What does society say about a mixing of those qualities?

All in all this was interesting.

To Esther:

Hey, I agree with Sandy this reminds me of you alot. I like how the character says goodbye to both of his parents and that the conflict was getting to school on time. This was really nice.

To Gavin:

I really liked your story. It reminds me alot of you. I don't know if this is related to something that actually happened but you made it easy for me to visualize this scene. But I must say it isn't cool to smoke.

To Mo:

Hey Mo, I really liked your story. It sounds like the attitude that alot of kinds have today. Its realistic and I can see the character being in a real highschool.

Part 2

I feel like in general there are only a very small amount of "cool" stories that one can write. There story would have to be generally stereotypical and very straightforward in a way. The trends were: perfect cool, class clown cool, popular cool, beautiful cool, timid cool, mysterious cool, sarcastic cool, down to earth cool. Basically the stories were really cookie cut. Its kind of cool to see which types of cool that people chose to write about. I think in a way it reflects them or at least who they want to become.

Why is it that the way we see "cool" in a way reflects us? Or how come we only see cool inside little boxes? Its as if it becomes a little awkward to see the popular jock in to the nerdy girl who sits at home with grandma on the weekends. But even something that doesn't mix generally has been done before. So if someone says "I'm unique because I'm the cool girl who likes the bookworm" I'm sure that someone has made that statement before. We can't really escape the boxes, we can't even make new ones. The only thing that does exist is hand-me downs.

Hw 24 - Don't Make A BIG DEAL Out Of Everything

It was a daily routine, walk to the train station, put in headphones and enjoy the somewhat calming ride to school. The train came to a soft stop when it reached the station which was unusual, but didn't bother her. Monica walked in to the train and made her way to the middle of the car as quickly as possible.

She held the pole and closed her eyes as an Eisley song came on. The man in front of her had got up and Monica, was a little bit surprised to get a seat so early in the ride. She had prepared herself to sit, but she decided to turn and glance to see if someone else needed to seat.

Monica saw a woman who looked to be about 50, she glanced down at the seat "Would you like to sit?" the woman smiled in return and made her way to the seat in front of Monica. Monica looked up at the digital clock on the train, 8:17. The train stopped at 86th street, the train had quickly filled with more people that it had the capacity to hold.

Monica didn't seem to mind, she scrolled through her songs and clicked on Tegan and Sara. A man to her left had fit himself in to a non-existent space. Monica watched as the man attempted to set down the large bag he was carrying. She didn't want to cause a scene, so she placed her ipod in her pocket and tapped the man with her now free hand. He looked at her, "Sir maybe next time you should consider a smaller bag, or possibly and earlier train?" Monica smiled at the man then turned up her music and waited for her stop.

Hw 23 - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Cool [kool] - [kewl] Adjective, derived from the ancient idiots.

1. Marsha seemed cool as she deeply inhaled her blunt.
2. John thought to himself how cool he looked with Marsha holding his hand.
3. John didn't think it was cool that Marsha's breath smelt of smoke.
4. Becky felt cool as she stood atop the pyramid of identical dressed girls.


You see where I'm going with this. Cool makes its own definition, why should we even care? When I think about what cool means I think of society's version of what it means. I think of the head cheerleader and the captain of the football team. Cool is one of those stereotypical words, meaning it already has a well known picture to go with it.

When I think of cool in that way I think that everyone wants to desperately be seen, to be known. All we want is some attention. Now the ways in which we seek it may differ but in the end we all want to be seen. We want to be cool in our own ways, and we know it. Just admitting it makes it a teensie bit difficult.

What I don't get, is why we care about being cool. How come it isn't enough to just be seen by the people that actually mean something to us? Why can't we be happy? Why is there always a need for more? How come the people that see "cool" as something that is insignificant get talked about and ridiculed?

I believe that if I made a list of the coolest people I know, it would be my friends, family, then maybe one or two "celebs". I could list the "well known" people in school but how the hell does that make them cool? No one knows, and if they say they do then they really mean that they don't. I've only met a handful of cool people in my life and I know that meeting people like that isn't an easy task. So if your "cool list" is overflowing something is wrong.

The different types of cool, wow.

1. Cutting school
2. Class clown
3. Bookworm
4. Music fiend
5. Movie fiend
6. Drug fiend
7. MVP
8. Sex fiend
9. Food fiend
10. Ethnicity fiend

That's all that I care to list right now. Yes, I used the word 'fiend' alot. Its because I think that most people see cool = popularity, so most people become popular by excelling at one thing more than other people, thus being a fiend in one subject or another. People think that person is cool because they can't do whatever the cool person is excelling at.

I think that in different cliques, there are different cool people. But that would mean that everyone is cool... Is that true?

Its like being cool only proves how well you can please others, and nothing more.

Hw 21- Who Says Music Cant Be Art?

If the playlist is not working, try this: http://www.playlist.com/playlist/18408908043

I was unsure about what kind of “art” project to do. This idea might seem a little weird but it’s worth a shot.

I picked 7 songs that I liked and I thought about the parts of the songs that had lyrics that could be interpreted to connect to "being digital"

I've figured that alot of people have a compulsive "I NEED MY DIGITAL" syndrome. And in turn have forged a type of dependant relationship on them. I've provided lyrics for the songs I've chosen (at least the most important lyrics). And I'll explain what they mean to me in the "digital sense".

Song 1. Love's Not A Competition (But I'm Winning) By Kaiser Chiefs
For full lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kaiserchiefs/lovesnotacompetitionbutimwinning.html

"I won't be the one to disappoint you anymore...
The trick is getting you to think that all this was your idea.
And that this was everything you've ever wanted out of here"

When I think of those lines and how dependant we are on our digital things and vice-versa it makes alot of sense. I'd like to believe that our digital toys don't want to let us down, and we depend on our phones, ipods and TV's to work for us all the time. What we don't realize is that these products are designed to keep our interest and our attention. Our products trick us in to thinking that we need them to have a life and to have fun.

Song 2. In One Ear By Cage The Elephant
For full lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/cagetheelephant/inoneear.html

" So it goes in one ear and right out the other
People talking s**t but you know I never bother"

This song kind of makes me think about Feed. The lead singer is talking about being a kid, and having people look down on him because he is young. He says people basically keep talking but it doesn't bother him. I would imagine that the people talking about him are adults who look down on his style of lyrics or clothes etc. It makes me think of Titus and the attitude that he took with most of the book, "in one ear and out the other".

Song 3. You And I By Anarbor
For full lyrics: http://www.6lyrics.com/music/anarbor/lyrics/you_and_i36.aspx

"We're always stuck in repeat day by day
Watching time drift away as we burn away"

I feel like that's a great line for alot of teens today. No matter what new things come out and what new shiny things are invented we are always and forever moving in a circle. I think we live very routine lives, we may try and mix it up every now and then but in reality we aren't really doing anything new.

Song 4. Consoulers Of The Lonely
For full lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/raconteurs/consolerofthelonely.html

"Haven't seen the sun in weeks
My skin is getting pale
Haven't got a mind left to speak
And I'm skinny as a rail.....

Conversations getting dull
There's a constant buzzing in my ears
Sense of humor's void and numb
And I'm bored to tears"


These lyrics are very interesting. The singer is admitting that he lives his life on the inside. Which when it comes to digital matters alot of us do retreat in to our bubbles, forgetting to think, blink and as he says eat. When he says "conversations getting dull" that reminds me of Feed too. Because there weren't any conversations in the book that were about anything important or meaningful except for when violet was around.

Song 5. Blue Light By Bloc Party
For full lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/blocparty/bluelight.html

"If that's way it is
Then that's the way it is"

This like makes me think of the truth about how things are with teens today. We are addicted to our gadgets. Its like no one can change the way that we think and the way that teens today operate. There have been books, new reports and articles on how the teens today are being lost to the screens. But as you can see nothing is really happening.

Song 6. Maintain Consciousness
For full lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/relientk/maintainconsciousness.html


"Our concentration it contains a deadly flaw
our conversations change from words to blah, blah blah"

This song is pretty simple and pretty straight forward. He's singing about how he and he his friends can't concentrate on anything. he goes on to say that since he was 17 he's been living in routine, that nothing has changed except the fact that he can't pay attention.

Song 7. Make Out Kinds By Motion City Soundtrack
For full lyrics: http://www.plyrics.com/lyrics/motioncitysoundtrack/makeoutkids.html

"Hooray for the madness, we are better by design"

I think this line is very fitting. Some would call this digital overflow and our constant dependency on screens madness. This line reminds me of praising the chaos. "We are better by design" makes me think of how alot of teens would fight the people who are against them, by saying that they are "more advanced"

Questions

1. I think that this is more like a mirror because it reflects the "truth". I feel like a hammer is more threating and to me I think a piece of art that connects to a hammer would have to wake people up. I don't think that these songs are going to wake anyone up I think that they will just reflect what people see in themselves already.

2. These songs make me feel okay. I don't really see a problem in the way that I use the digital things in my life. I don't really want to make an impact on anyone's digital life right now. I really love music and I try to get out of it what I can. These songs don't wake me up, they just help me to understand and to agree.

3. The most interesting thing about this project was actually finding the right songs that I could use. It was harder than I thought it would be. I think the hardest thing was finding the right lyrics and the right site to use. It was interesting to actually look up the lyrics to these songs, since I rarely have to look up lyrics to songs.

I Was Just Thinking...

I have been thinking about why this stuff matters as a closer to the whole digital thing. I think I've been really morbid about this whole thing and I think it makes me see it a little clearer. With the whole "thinking about life" thing going on in Manley's class I've figured something like being digital strikes me as insignificant and I think its silly now to discuss it further because people will sit here and talk about how bad digital things and and blah blah blah shame on you, but they won't do anything abut it. Its like knowledge going down the drain and it seems like a major waste of time.

Of all things to talk about, why this? No one is going to change, everyone is going to absorb...maybe.

Hw 20- Additions, But Still Pretty Solid To Me

I think my paper is okay. I liked it and I was being honest in all my arguments. There weren't any comments and I didn't think it was necessary to chase people down. I think the only thing I needed to work on was this part.

Opposing View Johnson (Incomplete)

Technology is not bad, it is something that is looked down upon. But it is possible that it is good for us. What if technology was here first would there be a whole new view on how much time is spent in front of screen?

I feel like Johnson in a way mostly agrees with Anderson but he is saying "you could also look at it this way" Its like Johnson is the nice uncle that all the kids run to when all the other adults are being jerks. But when the kids go to sleep he complains to all the other adults about the kids whining.

When it comes to all that Johnson said I feel like we [teens] can't really take all that he says to heart. I feel like if i agree with him it makes me feel even more stupid, I feel like I'm saying something like "OOOOh see look, we aren't stupid after all!" All of this makes me think that when it comes to being digital there isn't another side to it there is only truth. We are dependant on the things that should not be significant.

I just realized that after all of this it has only made me aware of how much time i spend on my gadgets, I don't really care what it says about me.

I honestly don't care anymore about the image.

For full paper see hw 18 please, thank you

Hw 19- Let Me Help You Out

Comment to Ian, Paper


Hopefully I can offer some help. So I'm assuming your thesis is:

"The digitilization has become a major tool to further change our values to make us better fatter more complacent cattle"

I love that, but I think that you should remove 'The' and just start with digitilation. Also I think that you should include something taht connects to cattle in the thesis as well. Maybe something like:

"Digitization has become a major tool that makes us much like animals, corporate media is slowly changing our values to make us better fatter cattle"

Its just an idea :]

I like how you start your paragraph here, talking about how we are tuaght that everything is supply and demand and everything is about buying and selling and making profit!


What i'm getting is that being digital is making it eaiser for us to be the puppets that are controlled by corporate media?

Great point i completely agree. Maybe a posible out line could be:

1. You explaining how we are already born being taught that we need to buy and sell to make a living
2. How corporate pours their lies in to our pockets to get the money out of our wallets.
3. How we continue to beocme more and more obiedent since we constantly depend on corporate to invent new toys
4. Tie in how we are fed garbage, thus making us animals and you can connect finally how the cattle metaphor works.

I hope I helped. Let me know. I'm really excited to read your paper!


To Sarah:

Sorry I took so long. I liked your paper alot.

I feel like you have a bunch of information everywhere and you just throw it in wherever you see fit.

I'm assuming that the question "What over looked damage is the obsession of technology leading to?" is the question you are trying to answer.

I think its very interesting but I was unable to find a thesis of some sort that you can connect all your info to.

Something like : Many may see technology as advancement but in reality it's setting us back.

And from there you can incorporate all of your ideas which seem to be:

1. Health problems
2. Connecting to yourself
3. Global problems
4. History
5. Conclusion

I think thats how your paper flows. Which is great.

I think you should divi up the paragraph where you talk about yourself. Maybe you want to connect yourself to other parts of your paper?
All in all Sarah, this is a very interesting paper and its backed up by tons of evidence.

Maybe you should think about making it a little more personal, because it sounds really general. Just an idea.