Blog 6

1. What three things would you save from your house if it was on fire?
2. Where would you go if you could go anywhere in the world?
3. Are we alone?
 I am choosing to answer prompt 3.
To ask a person "Are we alone?" is a good way to find out some different things about who they are. This is because people will answer according to what they choose to believe in. Some people will tell you a flat out yes, we are alone. These are the people who look at outer space as just that, space, a place that goes on forever, yet contains nothing. And, there is nothing wrong with having that opinion, it just seems a bit boring. Others will tell you a definite no. These are the people who are bored with the possible, and seek out the impossible. People who would rather believe in aliens than be alone in an empty universe. As for me, I tend to fall in the latter half of people. I would like to believe that all of the interest and thought put into the possibility of far away neighbors in this universe by our human race has not been in vain. So, if you ask me if we are alone, my answer will always be no, because that is what I choose to believe.

Assignment #6: Create your own adventure

1. If you could swap lives with anyone alive today, who would it be and why?
2. If you could travel through time once what year would you travel to and why? Future or past.
3. What's wrong with you? How do you plan on fixing it?

2) The year 321 BCE is the most fascinating time to me and The year I would travel to. If I recall correctly this was the first year that Alexander the Great went out in his adventures, discovering the world for the Greeks, even though he was Macedonian. Alexander was an incredibly brave person. He stood above all of his men, often having to convince them that the ground ahead was real even though he himself did not know if it would hold or not. This kind of courage is what I admire most, next to honesty, in a person. I find Alexander the Great to be one of the most courageous people in history; which is why I would love to travel back in time and discover the world with him!

Llegamos a Cartagena!

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

2. Three things you could never live without. 

3. Recreate your favorite childhood memory. 

Not even half an hour into the trip we were anxious to get there, asking if we were almost there. My mom would call from the front, "Ya casi." Almost there. Then after two hours of singing and playing our version of I Spy, we began to see the familiar roads that led to our Tutis' house and the chant starts: "Llegamos a Cartagena! Llegamos a Cartagena! Llegamos a Cartagena!" Except it wasn't Cartagena, it was Carmen de Apicalá. But it was our Cartagena, it was our paradise. 

When we finally pulled up, Toby rushed out of the house, greeting each of us with a great slobbery kiss. Everyone except me. Abuelito Gabriel came out of the house, holding back Toby so I could get out of the car. Tutis came out behind him, embracing each of her grandchildren and then pulling her own children to her. They towered over her and she disappeared in the midst of their hugs.
 All six of us kids giggled and ran into the house. My big sister was the oldest of the six. She led the way to the room we all share. Four bunk beds were spaced out in the room. I headed straight for the one closest to the window and climbed to the top bunk. The mattress felt cool against my skin. Everything seemed to calm down.
It didn't last though. It wasn't long before my Tio Jaime came to look for us. He picked up Sofi, his youngest, and the rest of us followed him out of the room. The large house felt empty and silent. It wasn't until we passed the kitchen that we all knew where he was taking us. We hurried past him, out the back door. We all jumped up and down at the sight. Abuelito Gabriel had finished the pool. I could smell the chlorine. We could go to the pool anytime we wanted now! There was a pool! A pool!
That day was spent in the new pool, all of us together. The kids took turns rocking on Abuelito's legs on the side of the pool and laughed every time he pretended to drop us. Music played loudly and it filled the entire backyard. Some of the adults danced and laughed out by the pool. Dad and Tio Jaime made frijoles con carne for us. And they tasted delicious. 

Create Your Own Adventure

Doing this blog, I found it kind of difficult and time consuming to try to figure out what intrigues me
1. Do you believe that strict dress codes are effective or ineffective?
2. Your house is on fire. You, your family and your pets have time to escape, but you also only have time to save one item from your house. Which item would you save, and why (or, why wouldn't you save anything)?
3. What is fashion?

Responding to Prompt #2, I believe that strict dress codes are bad because they are ineffective and hinder someone's personality from coming out as much. The reasons some school administrations have for dress codes and uniforms are to enhance education or to stop bullying and judgement. The educational point is pretty invalid, because students learn if they have the motive to. Being told to wear a certain type of clothing will only make getting ready in the morning easier, and not make learning easier. And, with a dress code, bullying will still happen, unfortunately, even if it has nothing to do with clothes.

An Adventure Through The Pages

Seeing as how the life of a junior in high school tends to be centered around the stressful topic of college, my 3 prompts that I came up with are based on previous college application essays.

          1. Celebrate your nerdy side.
          2. You've just written a 300-page sutobiography. Share page 217.
          3. So where is Waldo, really?

The prompt I find most intriguing is the last. I would like to think that, right at this very moment, Waldo is on an African Safari. No, better yet roaming the streets of London. Wait, even better, meditating with monks in Thailand. We grew up looking for Waldo - he was part of our childhood and surely he will continue to be part of our lives as he is passed down from generation to generation. We followed him to exotic locations and spent ages looking for his signature striped shirt and hat amongst the culture on the large and brightly printed glossy pictures of his books. Waldo is an extension of all those kids and adults that choose to accompany him on his travels. Anyplace we could have ever imagined, he was bound to have visited it already or would be soon (as in a  "soon, in a local store near you!" kind  of way). That is why I like to think that he's out there - in Africa, London, Thailand, Everywhere!- seeing the world that I am currently incapable of seeing. At least that way, we can read about it when he gets back.

assignment 6

Reading this prompt, different questions came to mind. What should I write about? What am I interested in? Why can’t he just tell me what to write about? Why is this so difficult?! Then I realized, choices. I could do my blog about my hatred of them.

In life, we are given hundreds of choices to make every day. What to wear, what to eat, where to go, what to do. For the most part, I hate choices. When given too many, it becomes stressful. How do you know if you are making the right choice? What if you miss out on an opportunity by making the wrong one? Being an American, our whole culture is about the opportunity of making your own choices about everything. Sometimes, I think it just makes everything a whole lot more difficult. Give me three things to choose from and I’ll be good. Give me a whole world of possibilities and a little war between the choices starts in my mind, left with none of them winning. And I, left staring at a blank piece of paper, am clueless about what to do. I like to be told, it makes things simple, less complicated, easy.

Assignment 6:Create Your Own Adventure

What interests you? What is your point of exigence?

This week, create the three writing prompts that you find most intriguing. Then, choose one prompt and respond to it.

Ready...

Go!

Due Sunday, October 7 at 11:59 pm

Coffee & TV

I watch TV to escape the real world and be somewhere else for half an hour or an hour. When I watch TV I don't go brain dead, I am always trying to look for clues and details as to what could be the outcome of the show. I try and see what is coming next and no it doesn't ruin watching for me it makes it more exciting and entertaining.
I also watch TV to laugh. I am not a big fan of drama series but the few I am a fan of have puzzles in them to distract my mind.
I also really enjoy learning a little, every Sunday my mom and I watch 60 minutes, well when it is something we are interested in. I also try and watch Jeopardy every day. Those shows I choose to watch, they intrigue me!
My top 10(not in order of course) are:
-Psych- I love this for the laughs and that I can try and predict the outcome!
-Law and Order: SVU
-How I Met Your Mother
-Cupcake Wars
-SNL- My all time favorite show since I was 8 years old. I can never get enough.
-Modern Family
-Jeopardy
-60 Minutes
-The Amazing Race
-House

I do also have some guilty pleasure ones:
-Americas Next Top Model. Everyone in my family makes fun of me for watching but if there is nothing else on, I can be extremely entertained.
-Wipeout. I really do love this show. I try and watch it when I can, not when I'm bored. The commentators are the best part, hilarious!

I don't like tv. I love it.

I love television. Just about everyone can tell you that. In the last two days I have watched 13 episodes of a 40 minute show I average 2-3 hours of tv a night. I don't like tv. Tv is not a good thing. I love it but it an astounding waste of time. Television is amazing in that it allows you to read without the mental activity. It is a drug and an addictive one at that. Not addictive in that you have withdrawal symptoms of headache but in that you have a unreasonable desire to watch the next episode, the next season, next show, get that next dose, and it is always there. I love the show Leverage. It is on hbo in the summer. I hate Lost. I hate it because it makes you keep watching because once you start you can't stop and you can't skip ahead without losing important story pieces. The entire show is a drug and you have to get your fix in an interval or run the risk of a spoiler for the next episode ruining the interest of the show.
As for the Nobel Prizes I feel that while they are amazing and always look for them myself n the news, they get the publicity of what the average person cares. Let's be honest how many people care about television not the Prizes. I am not saying this is a good thing just that is what it is. People do what is the most rewarding especially in the short term. If most had to choose watch half an hour of their favorite show or read about some guy who is way smarter than them, which are they going to choose? I think everyone knows the answer to this, however the better question is,  "is that a good thing?". I dont know and I don't think anyone else has factual evidence either way the common person will probably say that it doesn't matter, the large corporation that tv is what fits the market and when you get down to it the brightest minds realize the world is what it is and stopping its function is a moot point.

for the love of television

it's not necessarily that i love television, but more that i love the shows i watch. this past summer i was in florida during the two tropical storms that went through, needless to say there was a constant down pour for the majority of the end of my visit. to cure my boredom i began watching the television series of  Gossip Girl on netflix, i quickly became infatuated and would spend most of my day with my eyes glued to the television screen (i finished all four seasons in two weeks if this gives you any inclination to how bored/obsessed i was.)  with these endless hours of t.v. watching i began to live vicariously through the characters of Gossip Girl, when i reached the end of the fourth season i was unreasonably upset and now i cannot wait for the new season to start! one week! when i finished Gossip Girl i just had to start a new series, so i chose Grey's Anatomy... even though i have already seen every episode. but in the middle of season three a character leaves and starts her own practice, to my convenience they made another show about it. and its not like i could just ignore that so i began watching Private Practice. 

without television, i would be quite bored quite often. it is apart of my daily routine: come home, change into comfy clothes, lay in bed, watch tv, take a nap, wake up, watch tv, eat, do my homework, watch tv, go to sleep. television can really be a distraction for just about anything, homework, emotions, ect. and without it i would have to find a whole new distraction and thats just really too much work for me right now. 

there are a lot of things i feel that i have learned from television. for example from watching hours of Grey's Anatomy i can say with full confidence that i know how to do surgery (that was a joke.) however, i could carry on a somewhat educated conversation with a surgeon about surgery. all joking aside, i do not believe that all television just rots your brain, spongebob yes, but most programs on air are not. such as the food network, husbands and children all over America with wives that watch this channel are thankful for it without even knowing it. television as a whole is a great thing that benefits many people including myself, if not for anything other that pure enjoyment.

For the Love of Television

If there's one thing that I'm sure of in my life, it's that I absolutely love television. I've grown up always watching shows ranging anywhere from Barney to Cold Case. Usually, I watch TV for multiple hours every day, including in the early morning and late at night. Tonight, I had to sacrifice watching a couple of new TV shows because I had a lot of studying to do (but don't worry, I obviously recorded them on my DVR). TV has become very important to me and it has become somewhat of an instinct to press the "ON" button on the remote when I'm sitting in my living room. Many people say that watching too much TV is bad for people, especially teenagers and children, but I kind of disagree. This may be because watching so much of it has brainwashed me, but I believe that watching TV is a good thing in my life. I watch TV not only because it entertains me, but because it allows me to get placed into a world that could be completely different than what I experience in my personal life. Many of the shows that I watch are comedies or dramas that follow the lives of a few specific characters with whom I often find myself identifying with. I can get lost in the conflicts and emotions that the characters experience and learn things about life, people, and myself that I wouldn't be able to if it wasn't for the big black box that sits in the center of my entertainment center. I don't let TV control my life, though. I have the mental strength to be able to turn off the TV and focus on other areas of my life that are far more important than a new episode of Parks and Rec. So, I am not ashamed to say that I watch A LOT of TV and that I don't think this is a bad thing.

A few of my favorite shows include:

• Friends
• Modern Family
• SNL
• The Amazing Race
• Survivor
• The Walking Dead
• The Big Bang Theory
• LOST
• Gilmore Girls (great show. no shame.)

TV (Blog #5)

Television is something that I once watched when I was younger, but I do not anymore. To be quite frank, the idea of television is becoming quite antiquated due to several new developments in our ability to view media such as Hulu and Netflix. However, none of that applies to me because I honestly not interested in television programs as a whole anymore. I have found that I gain much more entertainment from interactive experiences such as video games than other forms of media. I have come to realize that being able to interact with the characters and setting in a story is much more stimulating than simply watching how the writer would make the protagonist act. That's not to say that many television programs don't have compelling stories, but I have yet to find any that honestly appeal to me. Even the genres of anime that once appealed to me I am beginning to find cliche and stagnant. Now, I would not say that watching TV is a complete waste of time... depending on the programming. Television has the potential to influence any person, whether they be young or old, and there are many directors that use this to communicate positive messages to their audience. Although it is often parodied, many programs do teach viewers moral lessons while still being entertaining, and I think that alone makes it worthwhile to invest your time into watching those programs. Honestly, I wish I could say more on the subject, but television has changed quite a bit in the two or three years that I have stopped regularly watching it, so any personal experience I have with it is quite outdated.

A New Addiction

Television has evolved over time into not only being a part of one's life, but being involved in every part of one's life. I too have succumbed to the powerful urge of television. Why do I watch television? I watch it to be informed along with entertained, although there are other ways to do such things. Television has become an addiction. We tell ourselves we have reasoning behind watching it, but the truth is that it is completely unneeded and is only a distraction in our already distracted lives. To be a tad more lighthearted, my favorite shows include SNL, The Daily Show, The Office, Modern Family, 30 Rock, and The Walking Dead. Though these shows are mainly for entertainment, SNL and The Daily Show are also informative by providing the news to the viewers in a comical way.

assignment 5: 1 &2

Yes, like many Americans, I do watch TV. Not all the time, but when there’s nothing better to do, why not? My favorite show is How I Met Your Mother. It’s always on and probably the funniest thing I have ever seen. I hate the “reality” shows on MTV. The channel was named for its original purpose, to show music. Not to have idiotic people act even more insane to make it exciting and have it called reality, which it clearly is not.

When saying TV is a good form of entertainment, there’s a couple different ways one could take that. I think tv is good at being entertaining, but not a good form of entertainment. Tv is a bad form of entertainment. It sucks the viewer in, keeping them from other activities or exercise. Wasting hours staring at a screen without even noticing a minutes gone by. This might not be true for all, but for the majority, that’s how it goes. But all of that does happen to people because it is good at being entertaining.

TV post

I watch TV for a lot of reasons. Lots of times I want to stay up to date with my favorite sports teams, or with my favorite characters in different shows. No matter why I am watching TV at that time, it always is truly to be entertained at a convenient location for a convenient amount of time. For example, one of my favorite shows is called, How I Met Your Mother. And, this show essentially is based on funny adventures that a average group of friends goes on on a daily basis. There is no lasting story or plot, but instead it is thirty minutes of a brand new adventure every single week. The reason I like this show so much is because it never ceases to entertain me. So, I can just sit on the couch after a long day of school and watch a few reruns until its time to do homework. Its quick, easy and convenient. That is why I watch TV, some easy entertainment while im  bored at home, and that serves a bigger role in my life than I would like to admit.

Yes, I do watch television. Yes, I do enjoy television. TV provides an opportunity to appreciate, absorb, and get caught up in an imaginary world. I personally find TV incredibly amusing, and love watching stories develop. I find enjoyment in watching characters and relationships build, and deal with situations. I do not want to make the argument that TV can be educational, or good for children because it really just is not at all. TV teaches our youth about things they should not know about at their young age ie: sex, drugs, ect. I do not think that TV is good for anything besides entertainment, I am not really a supporter of TV, but I guess I contribute to it due to the fact that I am an avid viewer. #SpectorRoss2012

My Love Affair with TV

I love television. It helps me do what I am best at... procrastinate. In all serious I watch television primarily for the entertainment it provides and occasionally to learn from it. I usually try not to watch local news when learning, however, because it is so negative and depressing. Primetime national news usually yields decent intellectual stories which I can lose myself in. A program like 60 Minutes is an example of a show that will always captivate me. Speaking of shows that captivate me, ESPN's 30 for 30. This is a documentary series on my favorite network, ESPN, which looks into the stories that may not have reached the national scale but still have that ethical dilemma which will always draw me in. 30 for 30 is actually a perfect transition because it is a mix of the two reasons why I watch tv. The moral theme is the learning part I enjoy, but sports is the entertainment. I am fascinated by sports. They are the most appealing form of entertainment for me. From sports we move into what I define as pure entertainment. One thing I love on tv is comedy so naturally shows like 30 Rock, the Office, Parks and Recreation, Community, Modern Family, Tosh.0, and Saturday Night Live are all shows I love. Yet, I my enjoyment is not limited to comedy. I also love love love the show Suits on USA network. I think I love it so much because it has dynamic characters, attractive women, whit, and it reflects what I hope to be when I grow up. Of course, I wouldn't want so many lies and secrets in my life, but being a big time lawyer in a place like New York City would be a dream come true.

Having said that I love television, I must make it clear that reality tv, stupid game shows, tmz-esque shows, and "Judge _______" shows disgust me. I hate them with a passion. It encourages being moronic. I already am displeased with the intellectual direction of society, and to see these on primetime television with millions of people watching makes me sick. I would rather watch paint dry on television than TMZ.

So, yes I love tv. I will probably watch it for the rest of my life, but I do believe that some tv is ridiculous and should be taken off the air.

I watch television because, compared to other forms of entertainment and ways to waste time, it's a relatively cheap way to spend an hour or twenty (especially when you're not the one paying for it).  It's another way to connect with people and to learn and understand more about yourself.  It can be educational.  It's a really good way to distract the kids I babysit when I don't want to go outside or when I have to clean up a mess they made.  Sometimes I really love relaxing on the couch with a cold cup of green tea and a bag of pretzels and a whole season of Gilmore Girls.

I love television because of the plots, the characters, the dialogue in a well-written show.  I love watching relationships bloom or fizzle out.  I love living through fictional people in fictional worlds that are ultimately just parallel universes to ours.  They allow us to have more than one life at a time and to explore options unknown to us beforehand.

I hate television because of the stereotypes and the social schemas they drive into our heads.  Recently TV has been trying to veer away from such things by popularizing the nerdy kid or showing a stereotypically popular person as being unhappy with her life, silently coveting the simplicity of the life of the girl next door.  Sometimes the head honchos decide to make a public statement with their show about a real-life issue, like an eating disorder, or abuse.  While that may not necessarily be a bad thing, it complicates the true objective of the show - to make money.  My feelings on this are complex, and even I don't fully understand them.

I love a lot of shows on CBS and USA.  I watch those two networks almost constantly.  TNT also has some enjoyable shows, as does TLC (I'm a sucker for Say Yes to the Dress) and SyFy.
I like:

• Warehouse 13
• Rizzoli and Isles
• The Big Bang Theory
• Psych
• Necessary Roughness
• Covert Affairs
• Castle
• How I Met Your Mother
• Suits
• White Collar
• Grey's Anatomy
• other cop shows
• other spy shows.

For the Love of Television

Millions of people tuned in to watch the Emmy awards one week ago, and I was one of them. I find no problem in watching television for relatively mindless pleasure and “ooh-ing” and “awing” at the pomp and circumstance of Hollywood award shows. But, a dark shadow is cast when you realize that people seem to care more about who wins best comedy actress than who wins this years Noble Prize in chemistry. This is a clear reflection on the priorities of our culture. It is not just through these award ceremonies that I see this strange prioritization. Why is it that online there is a countdown clock to Kim Kardashian’s birthday on October 21, but not to Alfred Nobel’s, who shared the same date of birth? I will not say that I do not watch television, and I will not say that I wait for the awarding of the Nobel Prize’s every year, but just as an observation I find it very interesting where my priorities and those of many others are. Maybe I need to change my ways, but then again, how can I survive not knowing if Downton Abbey won best drama?
           

Definitely The Love Part

I won't pretend to have some super cool explanation for my obsession with the tv. Tv shows are my escape, they tell stories that couldn't happen in real life. That's why I love watching the tv: it's alike reading, only much more passive. If that makes me lazy, then okay, I'll take that. I wouldn't say that my love of tv shows has to do with being lazy, though I doubt I'd pay as much attention if it did have some sort of required exercises to go along with watching tv. My love of tv comes from intricate plot lines and character depth, and the way they can make you feel for characters who aren't real and who will never be real.

It's pretty lame but I get really excited at the prospect of even telling people what my favorite tv shows are. I've always loved cartoons, though I have several non-cartoon shows that I enjoy as well. All of my favorites from my childhood still matter to me, like Avatar or the new Avatar series, The Legend of Korra. I also like Phineas and Ferb and I was in the middle of watching Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes but I just sort of stopped watching it. Now, to prove that I'm not entirely immature, I have other shows that I tend to obsess over more. Who can resist falling in love with Sherlock (I mean the show, the character, as lovable as I find him, is a jerk) for its intense storylines and amazing characters? While I also like humorous shows such as Modern Family, The Office, Parks and Rec, and Community, my favorites tend to be the type of overly melodramatic stuff that...well...is just that. The original Star Trek series might give some people headaches from how silly it is, but I love it for what it intended (though I do laugh at some of the cheesy lines sometimes.) I've also liked anime since I was little, and only recently have begun moving away from those as my main favorites. And lastly, Dominik has recently made me start watching Doctor Who (which I already knew I should watch, he just gave me the final push) and I've fallen in love with the story and the characters as well.