Enough with Pokemon Go !

This evening, I spent  the day showing family from Texas some sights here in Southern California. We went to Downtown Disney, and right away I notice these people on their phones! They were looking for Pokemon. They weren't even paying attention to all these amazing sights and cool shops which saddened me. Later, we went to the Santa Monica Pier and in such a smaller environment, it was crowded with people on their phones playing Pokemon Go. What angered me was that all these people are in an amazing and beautiful place but yet, they were all just on their phones. I saw couples ignoring each other, people blocking off traffic (this was very dangerous, as they held up everyone on the pier just to catch a Pokemon).

I don't see anything wrong with this app by all means go ahead and play it (I play it on occasion), but don't be those people who are out with family and friends and just ignoring them to be on this app. Just as Postman said, technology is taking over our lives. So what are the opinions on this app and how it has taken over social lives?

I Couldn't Put It Down

A Brave New World was definitely a bizarre and distinct book compared to Where Good Ideas Come From and Amusing Ourselves to Death; in fact, the book was so unique from the others that I had to reread the first page of the book to make sure I was understanding that Huxley was describing a factory manufacturing human babies! As I read the book, I often stopped and thought about what I had read and how crazy the scene was. For example, the scenes of the "orgy porgy" and John whipping himself were startling. Huxley's description of society's moral and ethical beliefs and the plot line of the story were shocking. I began rooting for Bernard and John and often became sickened by Lenina and Huxley's futuristic society. Although his society had many differences to our current society like choosing to avoid the past and authors like Shakespeare, there were many similarities like desiring happiness. For these reasons, I found this novel to be my favorite and the most craziest of the three books. Because the novel was very weird and foreign to me, A Brave New World became a book I couldn't put down.

To be honest ... #NoFilter

What if we lived in a world where everyone was honest in every aspect no matter what? If someone asked you if they looked bad in what they were wearing, you would be honest and say what you thought. If someone robbed from a store and the police found the culprit and proceeded to ask the thief if he/she robbed, the answer would be yes. If the world functioned like this, policemen and other law enforcers' jobs might be easier, but what would happen in more serious situations? A mother would tell her children that their father left because he didn't love them, and vice versa. When watching television, our usual programs of beautiful people with flawless skin would be replaced with aging skin. I'm not saying that aging skin is something to be ashamed of; what I'm trying to get across is that it has become a natural instinct for us to hide our true selves in whatever we have at our disposal, be it a fake smile, an act of kindness disguised as a way to get attention, or a tummy tuck. If everyone was born naturally honest would our world become a tight-knit community that helps each other because we express how we truly feel, or would we become a selfish population that knows there are thousands of people  that are suffering and we know that we can help, but chooses to do nothing?  
This idea came to me when I first started reading Amusing Ourselves to Death, where Postman examines how entertainment has become a sort of filter to the serious things that happen around the globe. Do you believe that we are capable of being honest, but doing something good about it, or are we just evil leaches that only care for themselves deep down?

Noise & Error

After reading the fifth chapter of Where Good Ideas Come From, I really started to realize how much of an impact noise and error can make when it comes to innovation. Johnson explained how noise and error are two common factors that enhance the innovation process. I found it fascinating how he explained that noise and error are often mistaken as distractions, and these two factors can actually be more helpful rather than harmful in the innovative process. A sentence that stood out to me in the chapter was “The best innovation labs are always a little contaminated.” (142), which I definitely agree with.

This chapter made me curious as to what other people do to make them focused. For me, if I play classical or instrumental music when I do homework, I can concentrate better. Contrary, I know that others can listen to loud and upbeat music and still have a focused mindset. Then, there’s another group of people that need to work in silence because any sort of background noise is distracting. So my question is this: what makes you focused? Silence or sound?

Sexism and Hate Groups

"Hacking Tech Sexism in the Time of GamerGate" on Room for Debate reminded me of a similar incident involving sexism that occurred earlier this year. By early March, a vocal group of online commenters started protesting Nintendo's stance on American localization. They were upset about lackluster translations and the  removal of a few controversial game features that clash with American cultural values on sexualization.  They eventually made Nintendo employee Alison Rapp their scapegoat and started targeting her in online abuse and hackings. They dug up her history and tried to slander her name with an old college essay about Japan's views about sexuality and teens. The essay's already controversial content was used to call her a pedophile when she tried to defend Japan's culture of sexualization against western views. What followed was a series of death threats from people against censorship to people against child exploitation. Here's the kicker, Alison's job at Nintendo was in PR, not in localization or translation. In fact, she had absolutely no involvement in any localization changes whatsoever. The aftermath of this was that Alison was fired from Nintendo from unrelated causes, however, that did not stop her enemies from cheering victoriously. 

I bring this up to show how there is still sexism occurring in the tech industry a year and a half after the initial GamerGate controversy. Even in the face of many contradictions and flaws in logic, the campaign against her stood strong. Sexism was not the only hand at play here and we can thank mob mentality for that, but it is still very sad to see that the Internet as a whole has not progressed in a meaningful way. How do you guys see this? What do you think could have contributed to this mess? Do you agree or disagree that this is even about sexism?

Conditioning

After Aldous Huxley's novel, Brave New World, the book made me realize and really think about all the things I was conditioned to believe. The book itself was pretty strange in the beginning, but once I kept reading the book I found myself really enjoying the book. In Bernard's world, having fun and being happy is their way of life. On the other hand, John's world their way of life includes happiness and suffering. Both sides have different definitions of freedom, but what really struck me about both worlds is their ways of conditioning children to be well adept in the world they live in. Bernard's world conditions children at a very young to always be happy (i.e. drug use, polyamory, etc) and to always look a certain way. In John's world, children are conditioned to work hard and suffer in order to be truly happy.
Conditioning struck me the most, because my mom would tell me certain things and I would believe her as a child. Today I got my hair cut about shoulder length, and my mom told me that I looked better with long hair. Prior to getting my hair cut, my mom would always tell me that having long was pretty. As a result, my entire childhood consisted of me always having long hair.

Brave New Hell

Brave New World is a really strange dystopian future compared to most books. There is the caste system, which include the Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and Epsilons. From these, Alphas were the highest in the caste and were the smartest. Their society was significantly more advanced compared to what we think of and the people assume they live in happiness. The people were raised in hatchery centers and were genetically altered to fit in one of the 5 classes. The society became very patriarchal with the fact that women were treated as sex objects. There seems to be no pain and hate in this world that Huxley had created. The people do not see a problem in their society because they do not thing and they do not feel for others. It's sad to see this and even more so by the fact that when people are born, it is almost as if though their entire life has been written down on a paper and that is what they must do. There is no freedom in this type of world and in my opinion, I think Huxley is trying to warn us that we have to learn how to control technology before it is too late to save ourselves.

Welcome to Modern Education Postman!

In chapter 10 of Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman argues that television has turned education into a form of entertainment. He uses Sesame Street as an example to portray the problems with modern education. He says, "Sesame Street does not encourage children to love school or anything about school. It encourages them to love television," (144). He also thinks it is a distraction, he thinks children only focus on colors and images, but isn't that what they are suppose to do as children? Depending on what the situation is, I have to disagree with his statement because Sesame Street is known for it's educational purposes and the way this show teaches children is a way that is fun. Learning does not always have to be so serious. The only part that I agree with is yes, they do make education more entertaining. Especially in today's society, this generation was so built up on television and media, it's hard to get off of it. Imagine what the future generations will be like. Also, I am not saying to watch more tv just because Sesame Street is educational, I'm just saying there should be a balance in between, you don't want to go blind of course.

Jim Tankersley, from The Washington Post says, "Kids can learn as much from 'Sesame Street' as in preschool." This means that kids are getting the same education as they should in preschool. They are just "children" after all. They have a whole life ahead of them and what does Postman expect from these kids? What do you guys think? Do you agree with Postman?

Letting the Paint Dry

I don't know if any of you have painted an entire house inside and out but learning from personal experience this summer, I can say that it is not the most pleasant experience. Not only is it exhausting to do once, but then you have to go back and do it all over again once it dries to make sure no spots on the wall were missed.

While doing summer reading these past couple of weeks I realized that reading books such as the ones assigned is a lot like painting.You have to read a chapter and let it set in your mind for a while before you should go back and read it again to make sure no detail was missed. (A detail that could possibly ruin the whole thing for you) Much like a poorly painted room could make the whole house look off until it’s given another layer to bring the whole thing together.

On top of that, if you go back and paint a room without letting it set, the half-dried paint may stick to the fresh paint and peel the first layer away. This is very much similar to quickly rereading a chapter of a book, thinking about it too much and too quickly can ruin the original information stored in your brain.

The key to both of these processes is time and patience.

Thoughts on Brave New World

While I was reading Brave New World, written by Aldous Huxley, I thought that he was talking about a chicken egg hatchery, but in fact, it was a human egg hatchery. Everything began to make sense because, I was quite confused as of why the young men were attentively scribbling every word the Director said into their notebooks. So far I am enjoying this book because it appears to be a sort of sci-fi book, and I like these type of books.

Also, I have noticed that this book is kind of like The Giver. The books are similar in the sense that they are both set in a utopian society. The difference between Brave New World and The Giver so far are that one world, being the world in Brave New World, is focused on the breeding of people ,rather than trying to control every aspect of the people's lives.

Also I wonder why people are not just allowed to have children in the first place, then they would not have to worry about the stability of the population. I also wonder why is stabilizing the population such an issue in both books. In The Giver, it is so important that the amount of people entering this world must match the amount leaving; I guess it is all apart of the plan to keep the society trouble free.

Do looks matter?

I recently read a passage in Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death in which Postman exclaims that "[...] Americans no longer talk to each other, they entertain each other. They do not exchange ideas; they exchange images. They do not argue with propositions; they argue with good looks, celebrities and commercials." (92-93). He talks about how the age we are in is in Las Vegas now, where good looks and image is where it matters most. I didn't think much about this quote until it happened to me during a job interview. I recently applied to this company in which they told me that they will most likely hire me because "We only hire good looking people. We need good looking people to work here." After this experience, I realized that even though Postman likes to ramble off into things when he writes, most of the things he says are actually true. America has turned into an age of entertainment where looks mean everything because we humans would rather look at someone who is appealing. I don't think its right how people judge outside because of someone's looks before even checking and evaluating their skill sets needed for the job. Shouldn't we judge people by how hard they work, their work ethics, and just their personality to see if they would fit for the job? I guess not from how our age in America is going too because apparently looks do matter.

Does Hillary Clinton deserve any charges as Edward Snowden did?

After reading the Room for Debate article, “A Double Standard for Clinton, or the Right Standard for Prosecutors”, I thought about Edward Snowden who in 2013, leaked government information to the media about the NSA spying on millions of Americans’ calls.  After the leak of classified government information he was charged with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence (I found his charges at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23123964).  To avoid any charges and for his safety, Edward Snowden left the United States and went into hiding in Russia as he got permission to enter an temporary asylum and he cannot go back to the US because he has been exiled.  He viewed the doings of the NSA as harmful to American citizen’s privacy than what it was supposed to be used for.  Now think about the Hillary Clinton scandal with her using a private email instead of a government secured email when she was serving as the United States Secretary of State.  She violated the federal requirements of officials having to use a government email for security reason, yet James Comey, director of the FBI does not charge her for violating the law even though he calls Hillary "extremely careless" with classified information. What do you guys think? Does she deserve any charges or not?

Don't Judge a President by His Weight

While reading Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman writes, "the shape of a man's body is largely irrelevant to the shape of his ideas when he is addressing a public in writing or on the radio...but it is quite relevant on television" (7). He basically states that in today's society, a fat presidential candidate would not be possible, since their image would be overwhelming. I highly disagree with this statement. I may be the only one who believes this, but I don't think that having a heavier person running our country matters as long as he's doing his job right. Would people really disregard a person's speech based on how they look, even if they had spectacular ideas? I could see why people would have their doubts and become skeptical of the obese presidential candidate, but at the end of the day, the way he looks doesn't matter. It's the way he plans to run our country that matters.

In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Postman continues to discuss how people have gradually become obsessed with the printed word. As I was doing my APUSH homework, I came across the word nation state, and I watched a video on what exactly a nation state was. At the end of the video, it explained that the printing press in fact brought people closer together because news was allowed to be spread more efficiently, better connecting people. But if everyone were to go to meetings together, wouldn't that keep them connected as well.

Throughout the book so far, Postman seems to be displeased with the fact that, humans have to be able to read about something to grasp a concept. He says that before the establishment of the Printing Press, people would often get their information orally. He also goes into the fact that, people would sit for many hours and listen to debates that were on very complex topics. Mind you, this is before much of the general population was educated. I can agree with Postman that if these people could do  it, then we can as well. We don't have to get all of our information from television, newspapers, or magazines. We could all go to meetings in our city for information, but because we live in such a modern civilization, doing something like this would seem very silly, although it shouldn't.

Take a Different Path

While reading Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, I read a compelling statement made by the character Bernard Marx: "'It makes me feel as though...as though I were more me, if you see what I mean. More on my own, not so completely a part of something else. Not just a cell in the social body.'" (Huxley 90) I found this quote to be very intriguing because it made me think back to a previous English assignment about the Leopard Man. The Leopard Man separated himself from society and its problems so he can find his own happiness. Bernard Marx's desire is similar to Leopard Man's desire. Bernard does not want to be like everyone else and follow their strange ways. He is looked down upon in society because he is different, just like Leopard Man. Bernard and Leopard Man are examples of non-conformity in which they do not want to be one person in the crowd. They want to take a different path in life.    

Wikipedia

Something I found to be quite interesting in Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky was when Shirky talks about the formation of Wikipedia and how it grew to be as large as it is now. Through group collaboration, thousands upon thousands of articles were created on a site that everyone is free to participate in. What makes it appealing to the average person is that they do not have to be an expert in the matter to contribute. Others can look over what you write and edit it to see fit to eventually establish an article that is satisfactory. While I still would never use Wikipedia as a source for anything school related, I still think that the site is fairly useful for smaller things like checking the birth date of a certain actor or the release date of a product. The thing I like the most is how it brought so many people together to create something big. Those who contribute take pride in what they do and get upset when the pages get vandalized as a prank. Wikipedia is just one of the many examples Shirky gives where people who don't even know each other come together to do something with meaning, and it's all thanks to the ever growing internet that we can connect with one another easier than ever.  

Comment Sections-Good or Bad?

While reading "Have Comment Sections Failed?" on Room for Debate, I was reminded of the AP English Language Blog. The main issue in this discussion focuses on how the misuse of the comment section may have caused it to fail. One side argues that anonymity has caused people to harass those online who they dislike without being discovered. They feel the comment section has failed because people abuse commenting by attacking or picking on the person who made the post rather than commenting on the post. They also say comments should not exist for this reason. The other side believes that the comment section has not failed. They view the comment section as a place to read different point of views and a place for people to talk about how they feel towards a certain topic.  When I read this discussion, I understood why each side had their reasons for saying why or why not the comment section is successful. I agree that no one should be abused or harassed when commenting on a post. However, that shouldn't be a reason to get rid of the comment section because unfortunately there will always be people who misuse the comment section to hurt others. What is your opinion on this topic?

Artificial Intelligence is not ready for twitter trolls

With the victory of Alphago in the ancient board game of Go against the world champion, Lee Se-dol, many people became worry that Artificial Intelligence is getting way to smart that it can someday outperform us in daily objectives.  However they cannot outperform us in using social media websites such as Twitter or Facebook as demonstrated by Microsoft’s failed AI Tay.ai who became very racist after people took advantage of Tay’s learning capabilities.  For sure this was a sign of relief for people who were worried that a computer can someday take their job and for others was a funny prank that offended many people.  What I found very fascinating about Tay was her ability of being able to respond to people with a immediate response proving that AIs might have better chance of communicating with others, but does not have a filter that blocks any type of offensive language or hate.  What do you guys think about this AI?  Was she a success or a failure?

Idea Spill Over

While reading Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson, I came across an interesting statement: "This is not the wisdom of the crowd, but the wisdom of someone in the crowd." (Johnson 58) This statement is so fascinating because of how true it is. This sentence represents a liquid network. A liquid network is a network of good ideas produced by an environment that stands between stagnancy and chaos. When a good idea forms in someone's mind , the idea spills over and creates the illusion  the crowd has wisdom. However, it is actually the one person who came up with the idea that has wisdom. Due to the liquid network environment the idea spills over and the idea spreads to the people in the crowd. Do you agree with this statement? Do you think a liquid environment does not work in some cases? Are there any flaws of a liquid network?

Aldous Huxley, Hypocrite?

Up until today, I thought Aldous Huxley's Brave New World was a creation in which he did not want the world to exist as such. Where there is some truth in this, I just recently found out Huxley took drugs such as LSD. This is quite a shocker, especially from seeing how seemingly disproving Huxley is of drugs in the World State with the use of soma. Ironically, as we see in Brave New World how Linda dies while having large amounts of soma in her body, this type of death points to Huxley's death. Huxley was nearing death with his case of laryngeal cancer. On his deathbed, he asks his wife for 100 milligrams of LSD which she obliges with two doses with an hour in between. To me, this questions the validity of Huxley's works, particularly Brave New World in the sense that Huxley's views of the society at his time are questionable due to his lack of consistency.

If anyone is curious to see the letter from Huxley's wife after his death which states his use of LSD the link is right here: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/03/most-beautiful-death.html

Serving Justice

While reading Clay Shirkey's Here Comes Everybody, in Ivanna and Evan's theft story, I noticed a few interesting things. For one thing, Evan's persistent need to get the phone thief, Sasha, to get in trouble was pretty interesting. I say that because it wasn't his phone and he didn't even have to go through all the trouble of creating a blog and pressuring the NYPD. Also it's just a phone in the end and she got a new one. In my opinion this showed that because of Sasha's threats and refusal to return the phone to Ivanna, this made Evan upset and feeling the need to bring justice to his friend. However in the end I was confused when they didn't press charges. Wasn't taking her to jail a way to bring justice? Well, according to Shirky, his goal was to "publicly call out Sasha" (6). So to me that means that he really only wanted to make her feel bad and have others see the wrongs she did. Do you guys agree or disagree that Evan did all of this in order to right a wrong in his mind to leave him at ease?

The Adjacent Possible

I recently started reading Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson, and I was very intrigued with what the author was saying about the adjacent possible.  It never really occurred to me, that one idea leads to another like open doors.  The adjacent possible represents the many ways of how innovation can happen.  Therefore, when there is innovation, there are even more possible boundaries to cross while exploring that idea.  This made me realize that, through exploring an idea or establishment, there are endless possibilities sitting within our reach.  Steven Johnson also discusses how good ideas are shared through liquid networks.  He writes about how ones' environment can inspire new ideas, such as sitting at a conference table with other people.  Through having a social connection with other people, multiple, ideas are given leading to new ideas to happen subsequently.  The term "liquid network" is used to represent how we share ideas like a network, therefore, embedding ourselves in what the adjacent possible has in store for us.

Printed versus Electronic

When doing the summer homework, I realized that when I have to read something that's on a computer screen, a little spot in my mind goes Print it out. So I do, most of the time. I printed out the instructions for the summer homework so I could easily search through them and find what I was looking for, rather than strain my (already bad) eyes with the small type on a bright screen. I'm most definitely going to print out the articles when I get to that part of the homework, for sure.

So, I'd like to know what you prefer. Printed or electronic? Why do you prefer the one that you've chosen? Is it easier for you to read that one? Answer in any way you like, I'm just curious.

Repetition Can Be Annoying

While reading Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky, I noticed that he repeats the word aggregate multiple times throughout the book. Since I live with a parent who is, in  a way, a major English fanatic and notices when words are repeated in anything. I've slowly gotten this same thing that my mother has and I saw this. It bothered me immensely whenever aggregate was used.

There are so many synonyms for aggregate that Shirky could have used instead of aggregate. He could have used collection, assemblage, conglomerate, combined, composite and many others. For any other people who notice things like this, it may have bothered them as well.

The Age We Have Come To

After getting a late start on Amusing Ourselves to Death due to other homework assignments and  summer activities, I've gotten through part one of the book and have got to say I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm really intrigued by the different views Postman has on civilization as it has shifted from a world of typography to a world of television in his time and love his in depth explanations behind the claims he has. One thing that caught my attention was when Postman said he'd learned "the computer is the technology of the future"(78) and that "children [would] fail in school"(78) if they didn't know how to use a computer. This came as a shock to me because of how true Postman's prediction of the future became and how much more worse it has become since it happened. Not only has the computer become a technological advancement that is used every day, but it is something people rely on in order to succeed at something or gain information from. We now need computers to be able to type up assignments, print out pictures for projects, or even turn in assignments to teachers in order to succeed in classes given a certain situation. Additionally, because computers give people access to the internet, they use search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo to get quick, simple information for something rather than referencing a book or an encyclopedia. What's worse is that as technology keeps advancing, devices like phones, tablets, and watches are getting closer to doing what a computer can, so people are able to entertain themselves through social media or receive information anywhere they go. So, my questions to all are; Will computers and other devices like them continue to become more appealing than they already are in order for people to entertain themselves, have access to quick information, and do assignments or other pieces of work? Is it a good thing or a bad thing that they make tasks simpler for us and may become a necessity for students to succeed academically? Does anyone think all devices in general could potentially replace books or other written texts as a way to get information, similar to what Postman fears?  Please share your thoughts and ideas.

Over Use of the Internet

Today I read a few articles from the New York Times assignment and the last one I read was on the Over Use of Internet with teenagers, I found that I agreed with the author Danah Boyle. She says that teenagers are over using the internet because the teachers and parents are over working us and giving us unprecedented demands. I found it true as I have spent a lot of my time this summer doing my homework rather than having fun and enjoying my vacation, which has lead me to spend the little spare time I have on my laptop, phone, or gaming system trying to connect with my friends. I got so desperate to find a way to actually connect with my friends that I took up video games again, I find them quite boring and a waste of time but it is an easy way to connect with my friends after a long day of homework and other work I have.

I find a hint of irony as I was reading this article because this standpoint is against overworking teenagers, yet here we are doing multiple assignments for classes that hasn't even started yet.

Presidential election

            In Chapter 4 and 9,  In Amusing ourselves to Death, Postman talks about political candidates and how everything is an act to give us a good impression.This led me to reflect on our current  presidential election, and made me  wonder if the way the candidates portray themselves politically  is their true reality? Due to some of the things that have taken place in the election , I find it hard to believe that some of the stuff that our current nominees, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have said will take place is they're elected.Trump is a proud arrogant man  with no filter who attracts a lot of attention to himself on social media , right now he promises to build a wall , lower tax rates, ban foreigners , make abortions illegal, and etc. Doing all of this while  “making America great again.” Clinton, on the other hand, is an ambitious woman that is old fashion ,she promises to lower taxes , expand background checks to more gun sales,and offers citizenship to immigrants, which she claims will “make us stronger.” Both of the nominees have good expectations to change America , which is fantastic and makes them look good on television which gets back to us the audience. What a lot of people fail to do is question the promises they have  made , since  presidents before them had made some of the same ones , but got denied  by the system making them fail. The system being the house of representatives, not allowing all of the president's promises to be granted.  So I ask you this, how does one select a president  when we're not sure of what laws will be passed? 

Bloody Hollywood

I recently read an article on Room for Debates titled The Risk to Children in Violent, PG-13 Blockbusters and it was very interesting. It mentioned that many young children, younger than 13, are seeing these movies with blood and gore, but how is it affecting them? Many movies do not depict scenes as how they would really happen, and so is that making children believe what actually goes on? 

In my opinion, I think that children, and many teens are being desensitized by what goes on in TV and movies. After seeing so much violence, they may think there isn't enough! They may not cringe when someone is killed or when there is blood everywhere. For example, my own mother covers her eyes and screams when such things happen, but I myself do not. Is it because in her days there was never such violence on TV screens as there is today? Maybe it's just her but who knows. 

So now, what should we do with children and them being exposed to this kind of violence? Should parents restrict them, or will they just find ways around their rules and watch it anyway. Probably both will occur realistically, so what other solution is there? Should Hollywood make their movies more believable, or will it just make us more desensitized? 

AF: Procrastinators, take note

I am going on a roadtrip between August 11 - 17, and although I may have WIFI access from time to time, I will be cutting my technology use back significantly; in other words, I may read the blog, but I will not deal with blog requests or questions.  I will be on vacation, driving through Seattle, Portland, Bend, Ashland, Grass Valley, Sacramento, and Oxnard before heading home.

In addition, I will be teaching a 2-day workshop for teachers at Cal State Long Beach on August 9-10, so I will be completely absorbed with another facet of my work as an educator, and will not be working on the blog on those days either.

So if you need anything, you really have between now and August 8, and then a small window on August 18-19.  Just a heads up:  talking to me about the blog on the day before all posts are due is a pretty uncomfortable situation.

SSS- Summer School Syndrome

In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World there is a drug called Soma that from what I've gathered basically makes anyone forget all of their negative feelings and just feel happy.  Right now I REALLY wish that it was real because I am suffering from a severe case of SSS. Many students do not choose to take summer school and those who do either do it to make up lost credits or try to get ahead of the game. Regardless of their reasons, all students who enroll in summer school eventually become infected with a disease I like to call SSS or Summer School Syndrome. Common symptoms of SSS include drowsiness, lack of motivation, short attention span, inability to get up in the morning, headaches, and brain damage. These symptoms can be seen as early as the second week of school and in rare cases on the first day. The disease is not limited to students as some staff, though they try to hide it, also suffer from its effects. The average time that a person is infected with SSS is four weeks and many students will succumb to SSS and will drop their classes rather than suffer any longer. For the few who survive however, they now have gained some valuable knowledge for their trip on the road of life and also no longer have to take that class ever again. To all students currently suffering from SSS, two more days guys, stay strong!

Not So Brave After All

Before starting Brave New World, I was told by my brother that it’s a weird book.  After reading it it is pretty weird, but a really good weird.  Everything that has happened in this “brave new world” makes my jaw drop.  The people and everything in the society are designed artificially and they are taught by the illusion of always being happy.  They are shielded from all things negative, such as disease or loneliness (or at least most of them).  They even look down upon and disgrace having a family or being committed to one person. Everything that I see as happy, they see it as weird and unnecessary. Their not so brave world, would be a world I would not want to live in.

Their world is based on things created by science and technology, but so is ours.  But unlike their world, we don't let science and technology take over our lives.  We are not completely blinded and distracted from the reality we live in.  Instead of finding a permanent way out, we are taught to face the world and deal with problems ourselves.  We learn from our mistakes and we move forward. Our society wouldn’t be the same if we were hidden from things that are bad in the world, like this "brave" new world in the novel.  Sacrificing something that is joyful and brings true happiness in the world isn’t worth giving up for one thing that makes people unhappy.    

All and all, this book has made me appreciate the world and society we live in, good and bad.     

Artificial Intelligence Dangerous or Safe?

I began to read the news articles and I just finished the discussion on the new Alphago project by google and how it is able to complete a flawless run through of a game after various trials and errors. I began to think and realized that if this were implemented today this could cause many catastrophic events if the AI were to be used in jobs such as construction, power plants, etc. The trial and error setup it has could cause major damage and even cause death . This could also be taking away thousands of jobs that involve manual labor such as construction, machine operators, even doctors if the AI were to have a more precise and accurate knowledge of the human body. The AI system still has a long way to go if it is going to be used in the daily life of people around the world.

Screen "Addiction" Perhaps Not Really the Problem

        While reading "Is Internet Addiction a Health Threat for Teens?" in the Room for Debate portion of the summer assignment, I find myself agreeing with many of the arguments. As someone who uses a screen very often, I feel perhaps I am biased in this debate. However, I think what I have seen written in a few of the arguments about the type of time spent on a screen is rather important. For example, Brendesha Tynes mentioned middle school girls who spent hours on a screen creating something productive and useful to help a friend in need. If those girls had been restricted in their screen time, it would have taken longer to develop the app that they did. On the other hand, I think we all know someone who could use some time interacting with humans face to face as opposed to shooting people on a screen and talking to strangers in their ear all day. Screens and the Internet are not a bad thing, but like most inventions that can be incredibly useful, the Internet and screens can be very dangerous. Between video games promoting violence, cyber bullying, and illegal activity on the Internet, adults are understandably concerned about how access to these threats is affecting us. 
      Adults are rightly concerned about our safety and state of mind. Isn't that why we as children have been taught Internet safety since before I can remember? All those assemblies and awkward videos in elementary and middle school about being safe on the web, that's why right? Well, then shouldn't those of us intelligent enough to absorb the message have gotten it by now? Shouldn't teens be able to be smart enough to properly limit their screen time to productive or at least safe activities? I think by limiting screen time for those "addicted" to it our society is babying them. Allowing them to be seen as someone with a problem diagnosed by a professional instead of just a personal issue. Alcohol abuse is an addiction but until the alcoholic decides to admit they have a problem, they can't fix it. Shouldn't it be the same for screens? 

AF: Update on Summer Homework

The blog is pretty busy, but not as busy as it should be.  I processed the 90th request this morning, and still, we have just a small handful of people who are actually writing and talking to one another.

I went out to Turnitin to create the Huxley assignment, and noticed that there are only 21 of you signed up there.  That's a big difference!  One person has submitted Postman summaries thus far.  It's early, but I do appreciate being able to read the submission, comment and move on in July.  The workload you kids produce is crushing, so it's easier on me now than it will be later.  Of course, your due date is still August 19, and you have plenty of time.  I'm not pushing you; just saying thanks for being early.

Remember, two things will be submitted at Turnitin:  Three Huxley essays (just create one big document, one essay right after the other, please), and your Postman summaries.



I think I just finished my last "free reading" book of the summer; it's time to start focusing on work.  But the novel I just read was REALLY GOOD; it demanded a lot from me as a reader, which is something I like.

The novel is called Speak by Louisa Hall, (not to be confused with the Laurie Halse Anderson book) and features five (six, really) different narrators talking through history, reaching back into the 17th century and up through the year 2040, where engineer/CS genius Stephen Chinn is writing his memoirs from prison, serving a life sentence for creating robots who are "illegally lifelike".  The New York Times review suggested another title might have been "What We Talk about When we Talk About Computers" (a nod to Japanese writer Haruki Murakami), and it's a fascinating look at artificial  intelligence, an inquiry into what makes us human, and the boundary between the human being and the machine.

Soma in Today's World

     Recently, I finished reading Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and soma has been on my mind lately. In the fictional utopia, the purpose of soma is to control society. The product is distributed daily to all parts of society even Epsilons, allowing the government to keep people calm and happy by distracting them from the unhappiness in life. The soma paired with the conditioning of society forces people to conform to society and exhibit the society's motto- "Community, Identity, Stability".
     Although something soma-like has not been invented yet, alcohol and drugs play a similar role in today's society because they cause happiness. The difference between soma and alcohol is that soma only results in happiness; on the other hand, the consumption of alcohol results in happiness as well as consequences like hangovers and other conditions that affect the body. Drugs such as tobacco and marijuana also result in various health problems such as lung disease and cancer. Another difference is the government's role in these products. In Brave New World, the government regularly distributes soma and encourages its consumption. In reality, the use of alcohol and drugs is discouraged by the government, and some drugs are even banned due to their effects on the environment and health of society. Also, soma enforces people to conform to society while alcohol and drugs seem to promote individualism.
    The purpose of soma, alcohol, and drugs is to create happiness. Although alcohol and drugs cause various health problems and addiction, people continue to invest in these products in order to achieve happiness in life. With this in mind, would people prefer soma, alcohol, or drugs in the future? Is there some alternative? Should happiness be the most important value of society? If society continues to value happiness, we may turn to soma and embody the utopia of Brave New World.

Judging People's Ideas.

       In chapter 1: The Adjacent Possible , In the book Where good Ideas come From By: Steven Johnson I asked myself,“ Why are people not confident in their own ideas, but question other people’s  ideas?” I came up with the conclusion that in today’s world some people, feel the need  to have their opinion expressed because that’s the only time they feel valued.These types of people like to discourage others, since they have their own insecurities, which makes them put little effort into  anything they do. I feel that the main reason they judge people’s discussions is to make themselves feel confident, due to the  emptiness they are feeling for not having anything accomplished with their ideas or for receiving backlash. The author made me realize that if these types of people worked in groups together they would make more connections and discover good ideas that would make their group get noticed. Making them get so focused on their group that they would eventually, stop questioning other people's ideas since they would be  now focused on their own.

The Birthday Paradox

      So I'm really getting into my birthday book which is "Here Comes Everybody" by Clay Shirky. And the reason for that is it talks about the study of group organization, communication and structure. Now I know that isn't the most common topic to start a conversation but it interested me because I have been thinking a lot on how I can communicate with leaders and members in my marching band as a leader.
      What I found interesting was the Birthday Paradox. Let's say you're in a line of six people and you're comparing birthdays to see who shares the same one. Now if it's only two people comparing birthdays it's easy. However, a group consisting of more than two people can get complicated. Now in your group of six there's definitely a one in ten chance someone shares the same birthday as you. But what people are missing are the links between people meaning the number of chances someone has with another. For example, with four people there can be six comparisons; with five people there are ten comparisons and the math just keeps adding on! It's hard to explain this paradox but on page 27 of the novel there's an image demonstrating a clear visual of what was just explained.
     I just thought it was really interesting how the number of possibilities in a certain routine can rapidly double if not triple its size without noticing it! I reflected back on the birthday paradox and tried to apply it to my life. I remember setting up a movie date with my group of cousins. There were about ten of us and there were three movies in debate: one was action, comedy and a comedy romance. Many were voting on the action one but there was an imbalance vote on the comedy and comedy romance films. Until it came to the point where we nailed it to just the conedy and the action film but still a decision couldn't be made. This complexity in deciding which movie to watch wasn't easy as I expected it to be. But it made me realize how groups communicated and how communication gets much more complex as a group gets larger (the Birthday Paradox)

AF: Sherry Turkle, "Connected but alone?"

The "Problem" With Technology

Alright, so I just finished reading the AlphaGo Artificial Intelligence Room for Debate post on the New York Times. Alongside that, I read another article asking, "are robots becoming more human?" There's been a lot of talk recently about how we're losing our connection with each other because of social media and technology ruining social interactions. However, maybe it's not the apps and technology that are at fault. Now, I'm all for technology, and I don't believe that it's ruining our social interactions. Let me ask those who do believe that it is ruining our social interactions, "maybe it isn't the technology?"

For years, scientists have studied and attempted to make robot AI that was indistinguishable from human intelligence. Fictional works like I, Robot, starring Will Smith, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and MegaMan are also prime examples of AI becoming more human like, but "while we've focused on the machines, have we ignored changes to our own capabilities?" The problems we face with technology isn't in the machines, it's in the humans. The article I was reading states that maybe "instead of asking, "are robots becoming more human?" we need to ask "are humans becoming more robotic?"

Self Driving Cars

After reading Neil Postman's book, Amusing Ourselves To Death, I was really amazed in how accurate Postman's predictions were regarding technology. One prediction Postman had made regarding the computer was that it would be "the technology of the future" (78). This really amazed me because it's true the computer has really ingrained itself in today's society. In today's society, we rely on the computer for information and entertainment. Postman also states that children who are not "computer literate" would "fail in school and be left behind in life" (78). Which is true. Without the computer, I wouldn't be able to blog about this book nor do my summer homework. Because technology is advancing quite rapidly, I couldn't help but wonder what new form of technology might become "the technology of the future".

I know that Google has made a self driving car and that Tesla came out with a car that features auto-pilot. I predict that self-driving cars will become "the technology of the future" in a few years or so, just like the computer. I feel with self-driving cars there will also be an evident decrease in the number of car accidents. Will self-driving cars be the "norm" in a few years? What new forms of technology do you think will emerge?

Celebrity Upset with Fakes Decided to Add Himself to Social Media and is Pleasantly Surpised

On a page of yesterday's newspaper, an article talked about how performer "Weird Al" Yankovic (a personal favorite of mine) was returning to support an album he created. A small portion of the article talked about how Yankovic "... got dragged into social media almost against (his) will" due to the fact that there were people who were saying they were him all over social media. He joined the websites Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the app Instagram. He uses all of these media outlets to promote his music and received a massive amount of support. He began to enjoy using social media due to the fact that he could get results to things he says and posts almost instantaneously. Yankovic also found out he could "... keep in contact with people in his comedy and music circles."

It's quite interesting to see how a man who didn't exactly want to be on social media but turned out to enjoy being on it since he could keep in touch with friends and acquaintances much more than before. That's how it is with everyone, in a way. If a person loses touch with a friend they could find them again over the internet and reconnect or keep in touch with and/or know what someone who might have moved away was up to.

Going "Unplugged"

Recently, I had the opportunity to go camping and hiking for a few days with a group of other teenagers in my church. We all (except for some adult leaders, for practical reasons) left our phones and other such devices at home. This particular trip was a unique experience for being more "old fashioned" in activities than a standard camping trip, in that we didn't use much in the way of high-tech camping gear, and it was a lot of fun. Anyway, when I got back, I turned on my phone to make sure things at home got along well without me, particularly with my band responsibilities. It was a bit of a hassle to be in contact with multiple people simultaneously to get information I missed and a report of the one rehearsal I missed for the event. It got me thinking about how our daily lives are so interconnected since reconnecting was one of my first few priorities after taking a "technology break." This interconnection definitely has good and bad sides, many of which were discussed in our summer reading and on this blog. Postman says that technology is causing people to be oblivious to the world and disinterested in learning about it. Other arguments suggest that interconnectivity is keeping distant people close and actually helping people by giving them more opportunities to learn about the world. Personally, I agree with both arguments and neither by saying that in order to receive only the benefits of the technological and connected world we live in, we just need to be mindful of what we do and not take anything to extremes.

The Importance of Knowledge

In Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World, many different topics are explored and addressed, such as how religion may or may not be beneficial and what conformity can turn a society into, but one specific topic that stood out to me the most is the importance of knowledge. Knowledge, to the people that belong to the society in Brave New World, is gained mostly through memorization through what is called hypnopaedia, which is learning by hearing while asleep. This style of learning leads the people to know and think just as their creators want them to and causes them to not actually know what is happening around them. To truly learn, one must understand what it is they are learning and the purpose in doing so. By just memorizing something, it defeats the purpose and turns into pure memorization. This book teaches the true value in knowledge and what it really means to learn something.

Pokemon GO's benefits

So as we all know, Pokemon GO has come out a few weeks ago and I'm pretty sure more than half of us actually downloaded the game. As we know, it is a very fun game and we all go out everywhere. Now, I have heard of multiple incidents already about accidents and deaths from this game, but I'm not talking about that today,. Why not keep this blog spot positive and not negative? Pokemon GO is encouraging kids to go out and run around like the goofballs they are. This helps with the overweight and obesity issues across the world. People will also become more social as they meet while biking or walking around. Everyone will be friends with one another and there will be a sense of peace among society. So, I hatched two eggs and got Magikarps. What did you guys get and what do you guys think about Pokemon GO? Is it more beneficial to us or would it destroy us?

I like this book

Just a few days ago, I finished Amusing Ourselves To Death and the whole book gave me more interest of how media metaphors control the content of our culture.  I somewhat had a knowledge of this prior to reading the book, however, this book gave a great depth on technology and the Huxleyan and Orwellian point of view.  From the oralism era, typography era, and to the present  television era, Postman gave different perceptions of how each format divulged public discourse.  It really showed me that we have progressed greatly in the last few centuries.  I don't necessarily believe that our technology is negatively impacting us, if anything, its the most convenient resource we have.  In contrast though, we should at least be more conscious on the epistemology of media.  Therefore, we won't be so ignorant of the true ideology they are giving us.  Like Huxley said,  "[...] what afflicted people in Brave New World was not that they were laughing instead of thinking, but that they did not know what they were laughing about and why they had stopped thinking."

AF: A request

Lots of talk on the blog, and I like it.  But I'd like it better if I was seeing a little more discussion of the summer reading.

Also, there are 81 people who have asked for blog invites; probably about 70 who are actually signed on here and able to post.  Obviously, only a handful of you are actually posting.  So are all the rest of you kids going to wait and slam the blog during the last two weeks?

The spirit of the assignment is conversational, collegial...posting at the last minute subverts this spirit.

Stop The Hate

While on Twitter the other day I came across the Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and Taylor Swift drama. While I was reading about what was happening, I was disgusted with the story. This story feels so unnecessary and over-dramatized. Many people have taken sides on the story, and I simply will not pick a side. I will not pick a side because I do not support all of the hate surrounding this story. I feel that this issue could have been resolved with simple apologies and private conversations between the people involved.  Social media is a place for positivity,sharing memories, and fun not petty arguments and feuds. For once I would like to enter a social media app without seeing people insulting other people. I believe that in order for our society to advance we must start becoming nicer to each other. Many people preach about the importance of being kind to everyone but not many people are following that advice.

Privatized Education

Postman argues that Sesame Street undermines the traditional idea of school (page 143) and he compares and contrasts what he believes are the traditional ideas of school versus the type of education Sesame Street brings.  Postman points out that "attending school is a legal requirement, [whereas] watching television is an act of choice"(143).  He believes that forcing children to go to school is the traditional idea of what school should be.  However, the pursuit of knowledge should be voluntary, allowing children to receive benefits from their own choices instead of allowing them no choice at all.

Gaining an education is important in the U.S. today, but it contains many flaws.  Students are forced to go to school by the government.  This causes tension between some students and the school system.  Examples of this include students who ditch school often.

A solution to this problem would be to allow parents to choose whether or not their children should go to school.  Along with this, the government should eliminate their public schools and replace them with privatized schools.  The parents and students would better appreciate school because they would not want their money to go to waste.  Also, the kids that do not go to school would be able to begin their careers at an earlier age instead of wasting years of their lives learning useless algebra that they will never use in their entire life.

The Drama Outside the Poll Office

    So far, one can see it is pretty clear that the election has come down to Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton. In my opinion, both of the candidates seem to show both their strengths as well as their weaknesses in political relations and experiences in office. I personally think that both these candidates are unfit to fill in as our president due to the fact that both are crooked and conniving in their own personal ways. But the election drama really reveals itself outside Washington D.C. Liberals and conservatives are fighting each other every day just to support who they are voting for.
    What sick world do we live in where a man pepper sprays another man's daughter just because he was supporting Donald Trump? When did it become okay to use violence to show support for who you're voting for? As Americans we must stand against this ongoing division of our country over whoever 's going to be president. Right now, we are divided, and this is making our country weaker every day over this draining election between Trump and Clinton. Instead of using violence to show who your voting for, just talk about it in a civilized manner. Use this election to reflect on how Americans can be more tolerant for others opinions and ideals of a future in the United States. Words are better at showing who you're voting for than a weapon.

In Recent Events, ISIS

Earlier there was a post about the "Black Lives Matter" movement, so I thought to myself, "If we're discussing recent controversial topics, why not move onto ISIS and terrorism?" This month alone, there was an attack at an airport in Turkey, an attack on a German train by an ax wielding man, and a truck ramming into a crowd of people in France. All of these incidents resulted in the lost of life. All of these incidents were linked to ISIS.

Even though they claim to be Islamic, ISIS is a radical terrorist group that justifies their violence with their claimed religion. Now, whether you are religious or agnostic, this isn't a matter of race or religion. This is a matter of a terrorist group that has grown out of control and uses violence to achieve their goals. We are all humans, yet there is a group out there that is constantly killing and terrorizing us. We are one race, and we have to preserve and keep our race safe.

ISIS's aggression stems from being close minded and an inability to accept other races, religions, and ideas. It comes from an inability to accept other people's way of life. We are all one race, but does it really matter when we are unable to accept each other? We have to be able to accept other people's way of life without resorting to violence.

Brought a Smile to a Person's Face

Almost a week ago, a two friends of mine found a small dog wandering around the Lakewood mall all alone. They took her home and began uploading pictures and videos to the app Snapchat, talking about how they found her. That same night, they began posting pictures onto the app Instagram to try and find her owner. Pretty soon, many of the people who knew my friends began posting the same picture to their profiles, saying to contact Kamryn, one of my friends. I offered to help go around her neighborhood the next day to find the owner.
 
The next day, I went over to Kamryn's house and we walked around for a few hours before she got a message from a girl saying that the lost dog was hers. We went to Mayfair (since the girl was in summer school at the time) to wait for the dog's owner. Once the girl came out, she turned her head in the direction where we were sitting and covered her mouth, joy clearly spreading on her face. She came over and got her dog, thanking my friend multiple times before walking off.

Without the help of the social media apps, my friend may not have found the owner as fast as she did, if ever. While reading Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky, he states that one person can be the connection between others. Through social media, a wider range of people were connected to Kamryn. They were able let the owner know who had the dog and help Kamryn and the owner get in touch.

AF: I thought I'd share

First, let me admit that during the school year, there is no way I could be this artsy-fartsy, but I do like to set up pages in a quasi-graphic manner.  The layout is pretty basic.  I busted out my colored pencils because I knew I was going to take a photo of the page when I was done.  I don't normally color inside my notebook, but sometimes, if I have the time, I find it relaxing to add a few little details that brighten up the whole thing.

I read the chapter first, and then I went back and did the assignment.  Even though I had read the chapter, doing the assignment helped me understand the chapter more thoroughly.  The reading and the writing took about an hour in total.  With lots of days in front of me, this system will work out.

If you have not started your summer homework, let me urge you to begin.  Waiting creates stress.  I can always tell when somebody has rushed through the work, and I will drop students who turn in incomplete or inadequate notebooks.  Every part of the summer homework -- the notebook, the blog, the Postman summaries -- must be complete.  Also, I do not give automatic As just for finishing the work.  There will be As, Bs, Cs and Ds.  Well, I hope there are no Ds.  A "D" means, "You did enough work to survive, but this is nowhere near the performance expected in an AP class."

Groups vs. Alone

After reading Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson, I learned about the basic building blocks that most good ideas are made out of. For example, having groups or a network of people can help make an idea better by putting every point of view into account. However, it got me think about all the group projects I've ever been in. Personally I enjoy working in groups because projects that require creativity are open ended and can have many interpretations just from one person, so imagine with two or more other people. But I do know not everyone likes working in groups for a variety of reasons. What do you guy prefer?

I left some questions below to help you guys out, but you guys are of course free to take a spin on whatever you guys want! (Questions underlined are for groups, ones in red are against. The question with both is open for both sides.)

Pros for groups? (Please say something other than my reason)

Would you prefer any project (not creative) to be in groups?

Do you think working with your friends make it easier or more troublesome?

Cons for groups?

Do you have a bad experiences from group projects? Do tell!

Given the option, do you work alone? Why?

Black Lives Matter Movement

Since everyone is avoiding the subject, I'm going to bring it up. We have all seen the news last week where police brutality and shootings have sparked a nation wide outrage that has led to many protest marches. People are tired of white officers shooting black people because "they thought they had a gun" or "my life was in danger." Some have even taken it into their own hands to shoot back and target police officers as revenge for what they have done. But this isn't the answer, more violence against each other will just result in more killings and riots. What I wanted to discuss was how could we as a nation prevent these police shootings on people of color and work together to fix our racial issue here in America. How could we create and update our police force and justice system to protect everyone as an equal? All of these police officers who have shot these men were never given sentences to serve, they were given paid leave as the police department looked over the case. Even when there were clear evidence it was cold blood murder at the hands of these officers, still they got paid leave. How do we fix our system so the people are protected as equal to each other? Most importantly, how do we fix the major issue in our country, race. The crazy thing is there is only one race on Earth, the human race yet we human beings feel that we need to separate from each other because we feel superior over one another. Most police officers protect but there are that few that abuse their privilege and still believe in the old racial beliefs. We have to fix our system if we want to overcome everything that has happened in the last few weeks. We not only have to fix that, but we have to first overcome the racial barrier that is always avoided but is visibly there for everyone to see. We are all humans and therefore we are no better than the person next to us. We're one race, stop letting racial beliefs cloud that sight, because the day we can all let color stop bringing us down is the day we can take one step closer to having peace with one another.

Thinking Should Be Priority

Although I have already read Amusing Ourselves to Death, I am still interested about what Neil Postman had said. Postman gets right to the point and uses examples that further makes what he says interesting. He says television is only for entertainment and I agree with what he says, even though he said it very long ago and has no idea what our world has become as of today. Society has turn politics and other issues into more of entertainment and to promote certain campaigns and we, as the people, watch it in return and support these campaigns. We simply don't think further beyond what society says and just read or listen to words that are meaningless to us. I don't think we can't dig further into what the sentences say but rather we choose to not go too far into thought so we do not lose interest in things.

AF: We're Midway -- please read

July 18

We are at the halfway point today, with five weeks behind us, and five weeks to go.  We need to all ask ourselves:  are we halfway done with the things we need to do?  The things we want to do?  As I mentioned in the summer homework meeting, I hope you are giving time and energy to your own creative pursuits, whether that is your golf game (Mr. Eastham and I are playing this week), your fitness goals, or your personal masterpiece, whatever that may be.  As Bob Dylan said, "Everything is going to be different when I paint my masterpiece."  So launch yourself into action.  Get something done today.

"Postman is boring"

I love Neil Postman, so when someone bags on him, I mentally leap to his defense.  And every summer, there is someone on the blog who complains about Amusing Ourselves to Death.  

The summer homework is a litmus test.  By that I mean, can you do it?  Can you stick with it? Can you read something without a plot?  You are entering a new phase in your English education.  Posts to the blog that simply say that you did not enjoy Neil Postman at all, that you would rather read "a fiction book that will bring out your imagination" are not helpful, supportive, nor do they reveal the depth of your understanding.  If you finish Amusing Ourselves to Death, and all you can think of to say is that you weren't entertained, I hope at least that you appreciate the irony of that statement.  

My only response is this: read all the fiction you want.  I am!  I'm on my third novel this summer. There is nothing to stop you from reading all that you want.  And if Postman is just too much for you, please remember, you do not need to take an AP English class to get into a good college.  Advanced Placement is an all-volunteer program, so if you hate it, remember you have options.  When I assign reading, and when your college professors assign reading, your entertainment is not on our minds at all.  Reading for classes is really a different project than personal reading.

For and Against

Another bit of friendly advice is to embrace uncertainty, complexity and nuance.  None of the issues we are looking at are "Pro/Con" kinds of issues.  It is useless to say, "So are you for television, or against television?"  Television is.  Technology is.  These things exist.  Imagine for a moment what it would mean to "turn off the internet."  Television, technology -- we don't need to decide whether they are good or bad, because they are both.  Postman reminds us that technology already has plenty of apologists and cheerleaders, and it is not his intention to join the choir of those who sing songs of awe, praise and appreciation.  And as someone pointed out, WE ARE USING TECHNOLOGY TO COMPLETE OUR SUMMER HOMEWORK.  (Thank you, but the way, for pointing that out.  Maybe someone hadn't noticed.) 

Anyway, understanding how these forces shape us -- both personally, and as social beings -- this is what is interesting, and it deserves mindful analysis and discussion.  Let's talk about THAT.  From here on out, we live and work in the grey area between pro and con.

The Rule of 100

This platform -- Blogger -- has a limit of 100 registered users.  We are in the 70s now, and I expect that more people will contact me for blog clearance.  (I've had people ask for blog clearance on the very last day of summer work -- August 19, by the way.)  I'm not at this point yet, but if I get close to the limit,  and more people want to join, I will start to look for users who are registered and have been registered for weeks, but who have not written anything.  I send a "respond within 48-hours" email, and then I remove them to clear space. 

Be productive, and have fun.  Enjoy your summer and let yourself be challenged by your summer reading. 

Entertaining News

After hearing all the negative outcomes of what technology has done to our society from Neil Postman, I've realized how certain he is that humans are driven to misconception when watching television. One of the things I became aware of is how lightly we take the news. When people watch the news, they hardly realize how dangerous or devastating an event is. For example, if someone was to see a car accident take place on the freeway while watching the news, they probably wouldn't say much of it since it's something that happens daily and it's nothing new to many people. We hardly take into consideration of how worried the family members may be for their loved one who got seriously injured in the accident or how devastating it was for someone to have their life taken away by a drunk driver. Most of the news stories we hear and see are to inform people what is going on around them. However, what's the reason behind informing someone of a tragic event or devastating earthquake if the majority of those who are listening and watching are not going to help in the matter? Why do we continue watching news, if we know there's nothing we can do to help? If the issue on the news has nothing to do with us, why are we so interested to listen? As Postman says, it's most likely we enjoy the news because it brings entertainment to people. 

AF: Welcome, my new nerdy friends, to the blog stats for July 15

The blog has been viewed 4,273 times; yesterday, we got 197 views, but today we only got 48.  What's happening?  Is it because it is Friday?

"Artificial Intelligence" posted on July 11 by Jaymee Dela Cruz has been viewed 86 times, and generated 13 comments.  Wow.  Is it because of Pokemon GO, and all the hoopla it has generated?  Interesting, isn't it, that during the weirdest, scariest, most unsettling media summer in a long time (the upcoming election, the police shootings of young black men, the sniper in Dallas, the terrorist attack in France, the coup in Turkey) that Pokemon GO is the thing?  Care for a little shot of soma, anyone?

We have 73 people who have requested blog invites, and 64 have signed up.  To be fair, some of those unanswered blog invites are just a few minutes old.  I expect that at least 67 or 68 will be signed up by bedtime.

Of course, only a small percentage of that number is currently writing: posting, and commenting on the posts of others.  Bless you, Small Percentage.  You are the ones who give the blog value, and you are building something interesting and dare I hope... great?

Time to walk my spiritual advisor around the block, and then I'll get ready to go to Mrs. Williams' birthday party.  You remember your middle school science teacher, don't you?   It's her birthday, and it is my solemn responsibility to celebrate her life by eating cake.

AF: I'm back!

We went to King's Canyon National Park for a few days, and it was beautiful.  Evidence of drought everywhere, though.  If I thought about it too much, it made me nervous.

I had my phone off for three glorious days.  Andrew Postman -- in the introduction to the 25th anniversary edition of his dad's book -- recommends a 48-hour technology fast.  (Is it 48 hours?  I forget, and I don't have my book nearby.)  Anyway, do you think you could do it?

Now, this.

This is Hank, my spiritual advisor.  I thought you should meet him since I consult with him on all important matters.

Anyway, thank you for your patience with your questions and blog requests.  I have about 8-9 new blog invites to process, and I'm sitting down to do that right now.

Interesting Sentences

While reading the book that corresponds to our birthday, one of the the requirements is to write down a sentence or two from the book that you find interesting. I was wondering if you had to write the reason why you the sentence strikes you in some way or to just leave it as the sentences.

Conformity

In the society of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, everyone is expected to act a certain way and live their lives as it is, happily with no complaints. When a character does not act like this or does not follow the status quo, they are frowned upon and looked at differently, as if there was something wrong with their state of mind. In one instance, a non conformist is looked at like an animal in the zoo and is a source of entertainment for the citizens. They try to "fix" people like this by giving them drugs, so everyone can once again be happy. This reminds me, in a way, of our society. While it may not be quite as extreme, we still frown upon those who are different and label them as strange or freaks. It makes me wonder if one day our society will be this extreme to those who are different and how it will be dealt with.

Neil Postman's Argument

After completing Amusing Ourselves to Death, I noticed that the author, Neil Postman, had not just explained how television was affecting society and the world, but also seemed to be attacking multiple areas. At some points, he began to say television is nothing but illusions and that even educational channels are entertainment. Later, he seems to focus on society and argues that it is the people and society that is causing a new technological age to rise. He even begins to attack politicians , entertainers and celebrities on how they are using television to their own benefits. So, who is Neil Postman arguing against? I'm sure Postman had said whether or not he was attacking certain people or television, but what are your opinions on this matter? Is Postman trying to say that television is bad? Or is he saying that the people who use it are the ones who make it bad? What do you side with: for television or against television?

Technology Will Not Ruin Us!

               After finishing Amusing Ourselves to Death, I can honestly say I did not enjoy reading it.  Mostly because I'm not a big fan of nonfiction, but this book did not give me one ounce of enjoyment.  I would rather be reading a fiction book that can take me to another world or bring out my imagination. Something that is entertaining to me. Something that can take me away from reality. Kind of like how television or technology does for me and many other people.  Throughout the entire book, Postman mainly talks about how television and technology is a bad thing and humans are slowly being corrupted by it.  Many people on this blog seem to think that technology will somehow ruin our lives in the future too.   So what?  It takes us away from reality for a little bit so we can enjoy ourselves.  It's not like we will forget to live our lives and go out to have fun because of technology.  I know I won't.  Technology has more pros than cons.  I don't know about everybody else, but I learn a lot from watching a tv show or movie.  Whether it be a unique word or a life lesson.  I always find myself learning when technology is involved.  Sure, everywhere you go you see tons of people on their phones, but that doesn't make them automatically obsessed with their phone and technology.  Look where that person is, they are out doing something.  Doesn't that count for anything?  They may be on their phones for a bit, but at least they are out of the house and interacting somehow.  Technology isn't as bad as everybody is putting it out to be.  It just makes the world easier to live in.

Our Scary New World

I am almost done with Brave New World, and I have realized how scary similar our world today is compared to the world in the book. Our world is similar today because just like in Brave New World, our economy is ran by consumers, profit, and cheap ways to maximize how much goods can be produced while our society is ran from the promotion of drugs to help people stay happy, sex and how much bragging that goes with it, and technology that everyone relies on. "Ford" is mentioned throughout the entire book and praised by everyone because he was the one who perfected the assembly line and why their world is full of happiness and consumption. He is seen as a deity to society because he started their perfect utopia that is full of everything everyone has wished for. (most of things he brought is similar to what our world consist of today) I am scared how our future is going to look later on because based on the book right now; their world that is really similar to ours is full of humans who don't think for themselves and rely on the technology, drugs, and their perfect system that they think has made their life a paradise. Will our future be like that? Will we lose the ability to think for ourselves and act as an individual in the world? Will our world end up exactly like how a Brave New World is, with so much dependence on drugs and technology to keep people happy? From the path our world is taking, it wouldn't be surprising if we end up like their society later on when technology gets even more advanced and our lives become more dependent on it to be happy.

What do we trust?

In Amusing Ourselves To Death I asked myself a question while reading Chapter 2, Media As Epistemology: How can we find the truth if we cannot trust the media? Postman states that the television distracts you with entertainment not allowing people to find the real truth of events. Many television programs sway people a different way with opinions on particular subjects. Due to the numerous television commercials, we cannot contemplate the meaning of this specific program without being redirected towards something else. Postman believes that typography is the source for truth. However, there are little to no books on present day events such as our political candidates or today's economy. Also with the shift from the book era to the television era, people look to the televised news more often than not to find the answer to their question rather than books. If we cannot use books or the television for epistemology, what do we use? Do we look to public figures? How can we trust something that is said to be the truth by someone?

AF: Offline!

Hi Everybody:

I am going camping and will be offline until Friday.  I will send the most recent blog invitations before I get up from my desk today, and then I won't be back at the desk until Friday.

Be good.  :)  The blog is starting to gain some momentum, so thank you to everyone who has contributed thus far.

Simple Minds

Amusing Ourselves to Death  talks about, in certain parts of the book, how as media and technology progresses, we all decay intellectually. We decay intellectually in a sense that even though we become more technologically advanced, that technology is making us so simple minded. In the end, we'd rather be on our phone than actually have a conversation with the person next to us.

Postman uses and example in the book that stood out a lot. He compared Abraham Lincoln's debate against Douglas to modern debates. Postman says that citizens stood for hours listening to Lincoln and Douglas with so much interest, and now people can barely stand for an hour listening to two people debate. I think it makes sense that people of today can't bare to be in a room for hours just listening to people debating. Technology has become too advanced to the point where the world moves too fast and they only live for entertainment and pleasure. I think a book that's a good example of the world we live in today is Fahrenheit 451. The world in that story is not too different from ours. We live to pleasure ourselves, to entertain ourselves, and we hate being bored. Fahrenheit 451 is too accurate in predicting what our world has become (Aside from those firemen).

Postman offers solutions to the problems of which he calls the "Age of Show Business" times. However, even he says that his solutions are not ideal. I think, even if society has gotten lazier and simple minded, we should leave things as it is. As technology grows, we grow as a race. We have come so far because of the technology we developed and if our technology didn't grow and develop then we probably would be dead. Although, maybe the world would be a better place without us humans.

Artificial Intelligence

While reading the debate "Does AlphaGo Mean Artificial Intelligence Is the Real Deal?" I found myself not liking the idea of artificial intelligence and over advanced technology. I am not comfortable with the idea that robots and technology could overtake human interaction. In our lives today I fear that technology could take over our lives. On Saturday my family and I went to the mall and I found that many people were on their phones and not paying attention to their surroundings. An example in my own family I was having a conversation with my sister while we walling around she stopped because she said there was a "Charmander" near by on her "Pokemon Go" app and she had to catch him and was unable to continue our conversation. I am worried that the advancement of technology could interfere with human interaction. My point is that while technology is good in moderation too much could be harmful to humans. 

Typographic America

     I have started this summer by reading Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman.  At first, it was very hard to get 'into' this book, but as I read more and more, I am interested in Postman's argument on how people are affected by what they are presented.  In early America, there was a high literacy rate due to the settler's desire to read religious texts.  This soon evolved to the desire for other forms of literature.  With written word available to all classes and all kinds of people, "a thriving, classless reading culture developed".
     Due to this dominant typographic society, people had an "..extraordinary capacity to comprehend lengthy and complex sentences aurally" (45).  For instance, it is noted that people of this time could withstand a lengthy, complex-worded seven hour speech.  I do not know about you, but I cannot hear someone simply talk or argue for seven hours.  I would quickly fall asleep or get bored, especially with the complex language used.  This proves that people of what is nicknamed 'Typographic America' achieved an intellectual mind from simply reading.
     Postman continues to say that today, the media we are provided makes us dumber by the second. Although his argument is a bit strong at times, I agree with this.  Today, we are concerned on what the presidential candidates tweet, what the new snapchat filter is, and other foolish amusements.  As a result, we are left with a new generation with unfocused minds.

Society's Challenge

After finishing Amusing Ourselves to Death, the first thing I thought was that society today is still in the "Age of Show Business". Many people rely on technology even more so today than ever before. Everywhere I go, I see people on their phones, taking selfies, posting on social media, and ignoring the people around them. And when students have a question, they won't ask their teacher, they'll just Google the answer because it's more convenient than having an actual conversation with someone who may know a lot on the subject.

At the same time though, it's unrealistic to challenge society to use less of their technology.  People are going to use it no matter what others think or say about it and there's nothing to be done. We as a whole need to realize that technology isn't everything. In fact, it makes us more antisocial in most cases. A group of friends will watch t.v. instead of talk to each other. Social media forces us to ignore the people around us. And even music from phones and ipods causes us to not be able to pay attention to people who are trying to talk to us. But that is the way of our culture today.

Quotes Relating to my Life!

     I decided to start off my summer reading with Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky because I wanted to start filling up my English notebook. But I'm glad I made that decision because the first chapter already caught my attention as it started off with a story about a stolen Blackberry cellphone. It clearly demonstrated the convenience of technology and how humans used it to shape our society.
      A quote that I related to was: “If you want to organize the work of even dozens of individuals, you have to manage them. As organizations grow into the hundreds or thousands, you also have to manage the managers and eventually to manage the managers’ managers” (19). This statement came out to me because I saw it as another example of how marching bands are organized. Unlike managers, there are student leaders such as drum majors, captains and section leaders. I'm currently the assistant drum major in my band and I see how information is distributed amongst the leaders. It starts from the band director who gives the information to the drum majors who then send it out to captains and section leaders to give to their sections. It's all in the matter of organization and how the band director manages the main student leaders by cooperation. Which is what I believe is what Shirky is trying to convey in her  concepts about human cooperation making it possible for large groups to take action and achieve great accomplishments. In marching band for example, the leaders manage one hundred-fifty members to make sure everything runs smoothly so they can give outstanding performances!
      I figured by relating concepts and statements from novels into my life it makes it easier to further grasp the idea of what I'm reading and what the author is conveying to the reader.