Ellen

I thought the article written by Ellen condemning certain forms of useless technology was very entertaining and funny. A lot of the points she said did make a lot of sense, like are we really that lazy these days that we can't crank a window shut and we need a button? I really liked her whole rant on go-gurt. I think it's really good for kids in school to pack in their lunches because kids can be pretty messy when it comes to food, and it's a healthy option for them. Then again, I don't see any other reason for it. If I'm going to eat yogurt, I'd most-likely be while I'm at home, where my spoons and my fridge are.

Hip Hop Life

This story from DeSean Robinson Walker was really touching. Growing up with hip hop music, whether it be listening to it or actually creating the beats himself, Desean fell in love with the music. His goal was to send messages to those who lived in poverty or were troubled in some other similar way. I appreciated how he could see past all the new trends- the stereotypical clothes that define 'hip hop', to the person behind all of it. DeSean works hard to touch the hearts of others and gives them something to hold onto- his music.

Entertainment

I think that entertainment is actually a distraction that can be good or bad. Stress is something that everyone experiences every day or even every night. A lot of times, people are not really sure how to cope with it- so they turn to entertainment as a distraction. For me, when I'm feeling stressed out or anxious, I find distraction in entertainment by blasting country music or going to the gym or maybe watching a movie. However, entertainment can also pose as a bad distraction. Video games can cause distractions from completing homework assignments or studying for an exam. Television shows or magazines can cause distractions for a babysitter, for example, and keep us from doing everyday necessary activities like sleeping.

In reading "MySpace Outage Leaves Millions Friendless," I was rather shocked. I hadn't previously known that people relied so heavily upon this type of technology. Some of the things that people said when questioned on their opinions of the outage seemed a little over the top. Marco Imbrescia, for example, said that, "Without an 'About Me' section, I've lost all sense of self." He no longer knew who he was and what he valued, or what he expected for the future.That's a little ridiculous if you ask me. I think social networking is important because it allows us yet another way to develop social relationships, but i don't think that peoples' entire lives and sense of self should rely on this one aspect of communication.

You can assume absolutely anything you want to about a community based on the appearance of its people, but that won't do you any good. It's not until you really take the time to observe how people interact and get to know their routines and their beliefs and exactly what thoughts are behind their actions, that you really get to know a community. I think  a good place to observe how people in a community is at the gym. Generally, no more than one person can use a treadmill or another machine at the same time, but that doesn't mean people aren't interacting elsewhere around the gym. Another good place to observe would be a coffee shop. It would be interesting to see how customers interact with each other. I also think a sports team would be a good community to observe. When I played soccer in high school, we were all family. A different kind of friendship takes place within a sports team community.

The reading about Alter Egos: Avatars and Their Creators really made me think about how people represent themselves in virtual worlds. In fact, these games are similar to life itself in some aspects. As Julian Dibbell states, "We fall in love there. We lust for power and wealth..We say they're only games, these little worlds, but often we end up devoting more time to them than to any other realm of our existence, until it starts to make less sense to think of our avatars as fictional characters than as second selves." Many times people will create an avatar completely unlike themselves to escape reality. When making their avatars, they consider what kind of person they dream of being and how they want others to judge them. Some people have severe physical disabilities and enjoy playing as an avatar because they can do things that they couldn't normally do in their own life. And some people are unhappy about who they are and are embarrassed about their hobbies and interests. Avatars can help a person express who they are, who they want to be, or who they are not.

My relationships with my family members and my friends is very important to me and, largely, a part of what makes me who i am. I have a twin brother whom I love more than anything, and after going to the same school for eighteen years, college was a challenge. It was strange to think that he wouldn't be driving with me to school. I miss him very much, but the bond we have is strong. My best friends and my mom are the people in my life who know me the best, and without them I couldn't ever imagine standing where I am today. They encourage me to follow my heart and stay strong in my beliefs.