Friday, February 25, 2011

Blog #6

I have never heard our society be described as Orwellian. I guess what those people are referring to is the amount of control the government seems to have over us and our privacy. Maybe its the governments ability to tap into our phone calls, see what books we've checked out, and even find out all the things we've googled that makes these people uneasy. I dont have too much to hide so if the government wants to dig up dirt on me or listen to my phone calls then so be it. I think the way our country is set up today is fine and needs few, if any, changes as far as privacy goes. If you want to check out some bomb cook-books or say certain things on the phone that draws attention to you no one is stopping you, though there are probably some consequences that come with that. I think that by passing legislation like the PATRIOT thing the gov't is able to sift through the people that are serious national threats from those who arent..making the overall process of maintaining national security more efficient. The way they use the information today doesnt bother me so long as its use for security purposes only.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

No Technology: Day 5

Five days into this challenge I'm beginning to adjust to not using technology. In the first days I would do some school work, then with the time I would normally use going on the internet or play video games, I'd be moping around looking for something to do or I'd be fighting off the temptation of playing some FIFA which almost made me something something. I am more organized now as I've begun using a planner, since I'm not using D2L to check what assignments I have due, and I've even cleaned up most of my apartment (minus dishes). To kill time, I'm reading ahead in several classes and I've also begun taking longer to do several daily activities such as eating and showering; however, I have yet to find anything to replace all the hours I previously spent on the internet. For the most part this has been a manageable change in lifestyle though there are a few inconveniences. For one, I feel that I am out of the loop when it comes to family, friends, and the news, though I could probably find a newspaper somewhere. I also find it annoying that I cant reference stuff on wikipedia or even listen to a song that pops into my head. In our society, technology has become such an intricate part of our lives that purposefully choosing to be without it for a week, not to mention an entire year, would be difficult for anyone.

By the way:
I used my phone on thursday to call campus police and walmart because I thought I lost my wallet in their parking lot or somewhere on campus..found it in sweat pants I was going to wear that day but changed right before going to class, yea i know....

Friday, February 11, 2011

Blog #4

Emerson said imitation is suicide, meaning that by imitating others we lose our sense of individuality. I think this saying is broad to the extent that everyone can be considered an imitator. From the clothes we wear, to the things we say, to even some of the things we think of can all be considered imitation. There are so many people in this world that surely theres someone out there you havent met that has thought the same idea or even has the same opinion as you,  now is that considered some form of accidental imitation? Though people may share these same ideas, opinions, likes, or even dislikes, there aren't, at least I dont think, any two people that are entirely the same. Emerson chooses to believe that imitation is suicide, I actually think its not as bad as he makes it out to be; in fact, I think its wonderful that when we take all the little things we've "imitated" from what we've seen, heard, and experienced and we piece them all together, you get a completely unique person..you get you! Rather than concerning ourselves with where we got this style or taste from we should just let certain things be because in the end we r who we r  right?!!!hahahah

Friday, February 4, 2011

Blog #3

Being called the dumbest generation absolutely infuri8s me (>_<)  jkjkjk truth is it doesn’t bother me, every generation has its share of both critics and supporters, our generation being no different. What does grind my gears though is that some people insist on indoctrinating others with their ideas, ideas that are purposefully created to draw attention to issues that are minuscule compared to other problems in this world. These people write books that criticize generations for using the internet too much rather than shinning light on those people who don’t have it or for that matter people that don’t have running electricity and looking at it more in tune, people that cant even meet the basic needs. Yes everyone is entitled to have and express their own opinion regarding any issue but I believe that before we go out and publicize them, we should first think of the more important issues that need to be addressed.