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Just as you can see by my Title it seems as if everything is always defined by its title or what people see first.  Taking a look at my blog for today you would have more than likely skipped over it because it didn't have a title that caught you eye something that drew you in.  It's because many of people go by the saying of the Philosoraptor, "What you see is what you get" even though we have been taught all our lives not to judge a book by its cover.  The title or the front that someone puts on is seemingly as or more important that the contents of who they are.  Just like our class about Social Media, we were told that even through Facebook the each person's profile acts as an "empty profile".  Basically because they have the ability to put up whichever picture any information they so choose. This is normally the one that makes them look the best, so you can never truly discover who the person behind the profile is.  This may not be a bad thing because it allows people to have a different way the world looks at them but at the same time they are essentially putting out lies.

This was my Facebook profile picture at one point and if you didn't know me you would assume that this is who I am, although it really isn't

Dancing....More Than Just Moving to the Beat

Dancing, among other physical activities is something I doubt, I could live without.  Since I was a kid I've always found myself on the dance floor trying to boogie or get down in some shape or form.  Whether or not I was good at dancing is a question to be remained unanswered.  Nevertheless, I still dance till this day maybe not in classes or professionally but just for the fun of it.

When you see people dancing you take many different things from it.  This is why many people believe it to be and art form and a form of expression.  Many people use dancing to get away from it all and be carried away by their moves and the beat of the music, expressing themselves how they so choose.  They also may dance for others or just dance because it is what they want to do.  Never really thinking about who is watching, the "audience".  

When you dance you do it because a good beat catches you and you end up trying your best to move in a way that goes along with it.  In doing so you express how you interpret the music through the movements of your body.  Your "audience" or others that are watching may interpret your movements in a different way.  It is subject to an active audience who can take it and make it entirely different from what you originally had intended it to be.  For example, teenagers’ today dance in what many believe is provocative ways on the dance floor.  But it is simply two dancers moving to the beat.....really closely...  The meaning of the dance movements is not in themselves but the actual viewing of the dance.  Just like the meaning of a writing sample isn't in the text but in the reading of it.    This is why I believe dancing to be more than just moving to the beat but a whole different way to get an idea and your feelings out and showcase them to whoever wants to watch.  You cannot control who or what interprets it differently the audience has their own attitudes and beliefs and how the dance moves are construed is up to the active audience.  Thusly, allowing dancing to be much more than just moving to the rhythm of the sound.

Censorship...protecting or hiding, what is it really doing?

While watching Family Guy over the weekend I happened to see the episode about censorship.  This reminded me of our class about the FCC and the free radio movement.  Thinking about it brought up the idea of censorship.  My question is, the government with their power over keeping us safe in doing so are they actually hiding things from us? By all means I do not want to come off like some conspiracy coon but it seems as if they are hiding more than anything else.  It seems that both sides of the government see censorship or regulating media differently.  Due to this push and pull and deciding what is the right extent of censorship/regulation?  Through all this it seems that wanting the media to be diverse it can never be too sure of what gets through and what is being held back.   I know it's a reach but essentially what I am trying to say is that Media seems to be like a ball of clay that the government seems to be shaping any which way they want and we are just here to sit back and enjoy it.

Advergames? A New Type of Gaming Experience...

SIA Interactive - Advergames

Since 1993 this type of gaming has been memorizing people and helping companies out worldwide.  It has reached over 10 million people since then and is slowly becoming a not only a new way of gaming but a new way of advertising.  I know it sounds weird but it is not a video game about advertising but merely a new and possibly effective way of reaching out to consumers.  

According to the video, "A person's ability to memorize is 10 times higher when playing than when watching television.  A brand that is present in a game, then, it's recorded in one's memory more quickly and more profoundly than if it appears on a TV commercial."   Reaching all the way back to McLuhan, this represents what seems to be both a hot and cold medium, extending multiple senses in hi-definition.  In addition, this portrays how far the reaches of media or corporations can go to get their names out there.  Looking forward to our Monday class, money and profit drives media today so games like this push the envelope for advertising.  It also is a very effective way according to the given stats that we will probably seeing more of Advergames in the future.

 

The Refrigerator, when did it become the central hub of a family?

When you take a look at refrigerators in a common family home most are taken over by calendars, children's art, report cards and magnets.  It seems as if the refrigerator has become a central hub of communication for families.  There is information ranging from soccer games, practices appointments and emergency contact numbers.  It seems as if the refrigerator keep a family going.

 The thing is most families depicted in television shows and even some houses I have been to have the refrigerator stacked with information.  Is this because it is a easy place of access or is it due to after years of seeing it depicted as a place where you post the great report card and school pictures, that we have become accustomed to putting them there?  In class we discussed how media in the form of television can affect what we do as a society.  Take for instance sitcom families they have been portrayed as the "ideal" family.  So, after a while it that goes on to become accepted.  These "ideal" families have the "ideal" refrigerator and we go on to copy that same behavior.  I'm not saying everyone does it but it is hard to tell if the refrigerator due to the media has become more of a central hub and bulletin board or actual everyday appliance.

The Professional Athlete. . .A Medium All On Their Own

It was difficult thinking of something to post for this week because my mind was stuck on thinking about my upcoming track and field season.  Then a bolt popped into my head, no, not a lightning bolt but the fastest man alive at the 100m and 200m sprint events, Usain Bolt.  Although I don't run the same event as he does when you think about track and field he comes to mind.  Same ideas stands for other sports when you think basketball most think Micheal Jordan or Lebron James and Soccer, names like David Beckham and Lionel Messi are well known.



Nevertheless, the thing each of these athletes has in common is that they are great at what they do and because of this reason we adore, watch and aspire to be just like them.  I know it may seem silly but in this sense these athletes or sports icons in this day and age are media or mediums of their sports.  I know it may be difficult to comprehend but think of it this way they all convey how to participate in the sport properly and at a higher level.  Thusly, communicating a message to all followers and kids who want to be like them. As Mcluhan said a medium is "an extension of ourselves or man so these athletes are medium of the sport because they are extension of the sport.  This is both a good and bad thing because by being the extension of the sport their actions both positive and negative seem to portray what the sport is.  

The New Nano....Is Smaller Really Better?

           There are many sayings when it comes to describing big or small things. "It's not the size that matters but how you use It." or "Big things come in small packages" are two that automatically come to my head.  I'm sure it was the same thought when many saw the commercial for the new Nano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK2WulMuyDs&feature=fvsr  

When I first saw the commercial I was surprised that they would have taken the perfectly fine Ipod Nano and make it take on a smaller, old looking Ipod shuffle style.  I thought it was a poor decision on Apple’s part because in the commercial it seems as if they are promoting the portability and ease of use of the touch screen.  It seems to me like it would be very irksome and difficult to use the tiny touch screen and deal with the cut in storage size.  Also, with the touch screen I believe that it will just cause more problems because it makes the screen more vulnerable to falls, cracks, and glitches.  Some say that it is the right step for Apple but I believe it could just end up being a bust.  Only time and sales will tell the tale.

The new Ipod Nano takes on a little bit of both worlds.