Are West Virginia's Senators working for us? Spoiler: Only if you're straight

In recent months, our West Virginia State Congress has tried to push through some very questionable bills. One of the most recent of these absurd bills is Senate Joint Resolution 13, which is a bill designed to essentially "nullify all local LGBT rights ordinances." Basically, this bill would prohibit cities and towns in West Virginia from adopting their own ordinances that would extend protection to the LGBT community.

Now, last time I checked, we are living in the year 2016, and our lawmakers were elected to represent and protect everyone's rights, regardless of race, religion, sex, and yes, sexuality. The sheer fact that we we even have to have this discussion in the year 2016 is a great disappointment to me, and it's especially disappointing that lawmakers in our own state are attempting to create loopholes to allow discrimination. The LGBT community is an important part of the greater West Virginia community, and for our lawmakers to attempt to take away their right to be protected from unlawful discrimination is beyond shameful.

This may sound harsh, but I do not believe Senator C. Blair deserves to hold office if he feels that his job as our state senator is to create loopholes for certain groups of people he dislikes to be at a greater risk for discrimination. He is doing quite literally the opposite of what he is supposed to do as a state senator, and Craig Blair should be ashamed of himself for misusing his legislative power. The LGBT community of West Virginia are our neighbors, teachers, professors, babysitters, and everything else in between, and they deserve to have their rights protected just as much as any straight WV resident. And I, for one, am damn tired of the stupidity in Charleston.

I am posting this link for you all to read for yourselves so you don't have to take my word for it. If any of you are as upset as I am (and honestly, you should be), comment below and I can link you to a website that lists his office number so you can call and tell him to drop this bill.
http://www.joemygod.com/2016/02/23/west-virginia-state-sen-craig-blair-introduces-bill-to-nullify-all-local-lgbt-rights-ordinances/

Mr. Eyeborg

Recently I saw a video from Insider about a Film-maker's camera for an eye and even though I think that this is a very cool technological milestone, I'm also worried. My worry stems from the fact that now this man can take photographs really without people knowing it, and this reminded me of the NSA scandal where our government can have access to our phones and servers. This also reminded me of Google Glass and how people began to question the involvement of smartphones as being in the form of something other than a phone (like a pair of glasses).

 Now clearly this man can only take pictures with this camera eye, but what if someone chose to hack into his eye? They could see everything that he sees and he would lose his privacy without ever really knowing it. I'm still rather conflicted about what I think of this newer technology, but I can see the positives and negatives of having a camera for an eye.

Technology Lowering Our Attention Span?

I would not have thought that using technology would lower people’s attention span. I was surprised to learn quite the opposite, after reading this article. Matt Richtel, the author of the New York Times article, wrote “teenagers ages 8 to 18 has grown so fast that they on average spend twice as much time with screens each year as they spend in school.” The amount of time this generation has spent staring at a screen, whether it be a cellphone, laptop, television, or video game screen, is absolutely astonishing. If I could count how many times I glance at my phone screen or see how much time I spend looking at social media, I would definitely see how spending so much time could have a negative impact. In the article, teachers themselves are saying that students’ attention span has been drastically reduced and that teachers have to work much harder to get their students attention. I’m surprised to see such a widespread negative effect from something so useful. 

LLAMAS

Okay, I wasn't really sure at all what I wanted to write about this week, so I started to browse around on the Internet to try to find some inspiration. Eventually I came to this. Please, I beg of you, to take the time to read the entire article.

I've never particularly liked "pointless" news stories, but this is amazing. Through technology, I was able to watch this video and laugh (for an embarrassingly long time) at llamas making human lives hell. Not only was it popular for an afternoon or so, but it's freaking anniversary was recognized. The two llamas' story went viral overnight and ended up becoming entirely too (yet necessarily) popular. Gifs and tweets and ridiculous photos have been made of them over their time of fame. They even have a dang fanbase.

There are definitely lots of downfalls of technology, but this is not one of them.

Long Distance Can Work

Long distance relationships are something that works differently for every couple. Sometimes it works out and other times it doesn't. One thing that is true about it is that the relationship really does rely on technology, for the most part, to keep them connected. My sister met her husband in college and he was a couple years ahead of her in school. He's originally from England and came over to the US for a soccer scholarship. In their case if they wanted to stay together they had to make long distance dating work, and it was even harder for them because of the time difference.

I had always been skeptical of long distance dating, but seeing it actually work out first hand made me rethink my opinion. Long distance relationships are hard but they aren’t impossible. I think that if the couple truly makes an effort in the relationship that it has a great chance of working out. Technology play a key role in the relationship whether they want it to or not. It helps couples stay in touch and see each other, no matter how large the distance is.

"Bad Texting"

I wonder if anyone else has this problem? You are texting someone and their texts are just a little short. So you start thinking, what if they are mad or upset. Well, i hate to say it, but I am the person on the other side. I have been told I am a "bad texter." Now the reason I am like this is not that I have something against a person when texting. I cannot get into texting that well. I either try to give my all in a conversation and state something wrong and my message is received badly, or I do not put that effort in and then people think that I am being short with them, or that I am upset. This has always been my problem. My reason for  why I am a "bad texter" is that I cannot portray the emotion and feelings that come with verbal or face-to-face communication. I use my hands and I articulate many points that I would miss if I just type it. Just a thought, what are your opinions?

The Stuff People Post on the internet...

How can you really tell if something on the internet is true? I find myself questioning this issue a lot. As I was on the phone with my parents the other night I was also scrolling through my twitter feed. I came across this account about Donald Trump. The information on this account was funny, but how could I tell if it was true. So I read this "news paper" article to my parents and asked them for their opinion's. My Dad said, "Yeah, that's bull s***". My Mom's response was, " Well Trump is an a**. He probably pissed off his family members." So, after hearing their opinion's, I continued by asking my roommate for her opinion. She said, "there's no way that's true, but it is funny". At this point I was thinking about the different responses from my parents and my roommate. I honestly think that people have a selective perception to what they find on the internet. Based on their feelings towards the subject (Trump) I believe that they determine in their own mind if this thing is real or fake just by their own opinion on the subject. However, logically thinking. Would there really be curse words posted in a news paper article? No, I doubt it. But how can you be sure. Just like the sarcastic saying "everything that you read on the internet is true" shows how potentially dangerous the internet can be, due to the fact that NOT everything is true, and it is NOT so easy to determine if something is true or fake.

How Technology Made My Life Worse This Week

Previously, whenever any of my friends that live in my hall wanted to order pizza (which was usually three or four times a week), they would ask me to call dominoes and order everything for them because they hate talking on the phone. This was an awesome gig because since I ordered the pizza, I would always get a slice or two without having to put any money in. This week my friends discovered the Dominoes app where you can text your order to them and they deliver it without you having to do any talking. Now they just text Dominoes whenever they want pizza, and if I want any I actually have to put money in. My days of getting free pizza are now over thanks to the Dominoes app.

“Long Distance”

Aziz Anzari’s book Modern Romance, chapter six, “Old Issues, New Forms: Sexting, Cheating, Snooping, and Breaking Up” discusses how technology makes it easy to keep up long distance relationships, which is a concept that has stayed with me since I read chapter six, three days ago. In the past, when the only means of communication was by phone call, it was sort of an “out of sight, out of mind” phenomena, because, in the past, couples didn’t constantly have their phones on them, so they had to rely on a set time and date to contact their significant others. Sometimes people would forget to call their significant other, or maybe they would just be busy, but in the end they would miss whatever call time they had set up.

In current times, we have our cellphones on us 24/7. We have the option to immediately contact our significant other and get a response back almost as fast as we sent a text or message. Even though we can now make long distance relationships work better than ever, are we limiting our contact with others who could be our potential partners? I’ve met some people who love their long distance relationships because, whenever their significant other is right next to them, they are always fighting, yet when all they have to communicate is a screen in front of them, they are the picture perfect couple. Does this mean Turkle is right when she says we are limiting the scope of face-to-face interaction, just to make a relationship work?

Phone Confusion

As I have mentioned before on this blog, my parents are more than sufficient with technology. I never saw them have issues with any new gadget they get for themselves, until last week. My dad is always looking for the best and fastest in technology, and decided that our family needed to change phone carriers to reach that goal. Our previous phone carrier lagged whenever we were loading anything and dropped numerous calls. The new carrier gave us a good offer for new phones, specifically iPhones. My parents were never fans of Apple, but the deal for the iPhones was better than the one for Samsung Galaxies. Much to my parents' dismay, we all got iPhones. My sister and I easily set up our phones because we have had iPhones before. My parents, on the other hand, kept on asking us for help with their phones. I found this quite amusing that for once my parents were finally showing their age. Unfortunately, my parents caught on how to use their iPhones rapidly. Do your parents have issues with technology, or do they understand it like mine?

Catfishing?

For my movie paper I am focusing on "Catfish". Not the kind you catch out of water but the kind that play on your emotions online. This is a huge phenomena that happens everyday. Cat fishing is when you go online and make a fake profile and start talking to people. Sometimes, a romantic relationship comes out of the mix. I think it is crazy that someone would make a fake profile like that. What if the person who you stole pictures from to make your profile found that you were using them?
I can remember one time in my life, I was probably around thirteen and my brother was around ten. Someone had taken my brothers profile pictures, friended most of my brothers friends, and even tried to friend me. I guess they were trying to gain credibility I mean obviously it was a kid around my brothers age, but why would you friend the person who is most likely out of anyone to realize it is a fake account? Throughout the days we kept an eye on the profile and the person started posting mean comments to people which is nothing like my brother to do. So, we took it to our dad who messaged the person and within two hours the profile was taken down. Even though this person never tried to "talk" to anyone while using the account, they still stole my brothers information. So while you think your information could never be taken even something as little as photo of you, it can be. It is never a bad idea to google your name or google image search your photos. I know I wouldn't want a picture of me to have a negative connotation because of someone else.

"I stopped texting for a week..."

I ran across this column this morning and thought you might find it interesting!

Technology of Romance

From my experiences with relationships (both platonic and romantic), technology has either hindered the connection between the two or reinforced the connection. I think that in today's modern age we see more broken relationships over 'cheating' on social media than actual face-to-face issues with couples, but keep in mind I'm not trying to say that social media is the cause of a broken relationship. However, more trust and privacy issues come into play with having a smartphone than back in the day where most interactions were in person or verbally over the phone. Many a vine or meme mentions that in a relationship 'getting the passcode' to a partners telephone is a true sign of faithfulness, but what I see is an extreme lack of trust in the relationship. A phone is a very private connection for people, and I think it is ridiculous that so many couples expect complete access to passwords for social media to looking at text conversations with other people. A truly faithful person would never give you any reason to believe that they are talking or flirting with another, and if they do then sometimes you have to wonder if you (yourself) are the one with the trust issues. That's my perspective on how technology has decreased trust in relationships, but I also acknowledge that it can strengthen them as well.

Formal Dates and Hanging Out

After our discussion today in class, I realized that I have been on both sides of the point Anzari made in the article. Breakups for me have been in person as well as over a text message, and I have been asked on a date (after some informal "hanging out get to know each other" time) as well as just brushed off to the side in a message stream. Personally, the relationships went way better when technology wasn't as involved. I suppose that technology has made it entirely easy for guys to escape from a girl that they don't want anything to do with, and vice versa. If the conversation isn't going well, they can stop replying without any real consequences. Because of this happening more often in our society, girls find it charming and attractive when a guy shows real interest and confidence. Although some girls are okay with the informality of being asked on a date over text; standards have severely lowered since the time when, to take a girl on a date, you had to come to the front door, meet the parents, open the car door for her, and buy her dinner. Not that I expect any of that from anyone, but when it does happen, the date seems almost unreal/over the top. Technology, in my opinion, has allowed for lots of informality to weave its way into young adult relationships. 

(Please don't think I'm some stuck up girl that wants prince charming to show up at my door. I think my comments about liking cats more than people proves that to be pretty untrue, though. Just some ideas for you guys to (hopefully) expand on!) 

Trying a Different Kind of Dating

I recently downloaded the app Tinder on my phone, half as a joke and half because I genuinely want to meet new people. A few days ago I "matched up" with a girl from Shepherd, got her number, and began to text her and get to know her. Just a few minutes ago i returned from my first face-to-face meeting with her, and it actually went really well. Before today, I had never started a relationship texting someone and then met them in person. I always met them in person, got their phone number, and then started texting them. Getting Tinder opened up a whole new strategy for dating, and it was odd for me at first, but today I realized that how you meet someone does not really matter at all as long as you feel a connection to them. Tinder is just another way to make friends and potentially find people to date. It takes some getting used to, but in the end it can result in some great new relationships.

Ifunny gets Serious: How Technology isn’t the only Antisocial Medium

Due to the fact that our class is so focused on the use of technology in society, this post grabbed my attention. The meme reminded me of the picture from Tim Cushing’s “Technology Doesn't Make Us Less Social; It Just Changes the Way We Socialize.” In his article, Cushing posted a picture of a long line of people waiting for the bus who were on their cell phones instead of socializing with one another. This “epidemic” of technology pushing us away from each other isn’t a new phenomenon; books and newspapers have the same effect of pushing each other away as cell phones. I say this because my grandfather reads the newspaper every morning at the breakfast table and refuses to even interact with us before he gets his news. Also, before I even got a cell phone, I pushed people away by reading books on the bus, walking through the hallways (by the time I was ten, I had mastered the art of walking and reading at the same time), even when I was in the living room with my family. I used the books as a way to avoid social interactions with others, and I’m not the only one. I’m not implying that cell phones don’t push people away, but I am saying that it’s not the only medium people can use to do so.

Sleep No More

Recently, I started a new job. I started on Wednesday and was required to get at least 15 hours of work done by Friday at 5pm. The hours I am allowed to work are between 7am and 5pm, while still going to class and rehearsal. With my classes, work, and rehearsals, I have little opportunity to sleep. For example, yesterday I woke up at 5am, in order to get gas before work, worked from 7am to 10am, headed to class, which lasted from 11am to 12pm, got back to work by 1pm to leave at 4pm, had another class from 5pm to 6 pm, and then had rehearsal from 7pm until 11:30pm. I had to wake up this morning at 6am today for work. This issue I have with sleep reminded me of a Doctor Who episode "Sleep No More," in which there is a machine created that allows a person to get 8 hours worth of sleep within minutes. I thought the machine was ridiculous, but now I understand the appeal of such machine. I wonder if we will ever become that technologically advanced to create a machine that shortens our sleep span.
(Sorry about the slight rant. This is really the only thing on my mind right now because I am exhausted physically and mentally.)

Do We Live Around Technology?

Technology seems to literally be the thing that wakes me up in the morning. The alarm on my phone is the only thing that will wake me up, and my phone is the only way I can tell time. Watches have become more of a fashion statement than a device to tell time, as many people prefer to glance at a phone screen instead. Many watches also have a digital display, making it even easier for people to look at the time. Do we save time from simplistic inventions such as a digital watch screen or are we dumbing ourselves down? Either could be the answer depending on perspective, but we are indeed spending more time on technology regardless of the pros and cons. This blog says that “every piece of technology in our possession…takes up precious time.” It goes on to name three big culprits that take up time, being smartphones, computers, and tablets. I have spent many hours on all of these devices, as many other people do, however I am hoping that we can learn to use our time more efficiently than what we do now. 

Library Hours and Quiet Time

I belong to the Delta Zeta sorority, and I am required to complete ten hours of study time a week. Usually when I go to the library I enjoy going to the "quiet section" of the library where no one is allowed to talk. However, I have noticed that talking is not the issue in the quiet room. The real problem is loud music being played behind headphones and another cell phone disruption. Not only do cell phone ring tones go off in the quiet area, but the vibration from cell phones is way more distracting. People inconveniently place their cell phones on top of the wooden tables, so that when they get a text message the table vibrates and can be heard from five tables down. I am outraged at the insincerity of people and how ignorant they are. Pay attention to the people around you, be courteous. Using your phone to watch loud video's or listen to loud music in public is basically the same thing as taking a cell phone call in public. It's rude and it makes it really hard to concentrate in a place where "quiet" is a rule. This is one thing about cell phones and technology that I cannot stand, and I know Turkle would agree with me.

A Reflection on Hypocrisy

I’ve noticed recently how much I annoyed I become at the negativity I hear around me from friends, classmates, coworkers and family members. Then today, someone had a complaint about a professor I also complain about, and I thought to myself, "God, please shut up." When I realized that I also often complain about that same professor, I was uncomfortable with the thought that I might (gasp) be a hypocrite. Why do I reject negativity in others but find an excuse as to why my negative comments are justified?

This uncomfortable realization that I am a hypocrite made me wonder why others also have this tendency to dislike negativity in others, but excuse it in themselves. Many of my friends talk about how much they try to avoid negativity, when the reality is, they tend to dwell on negativity, too. Why do we condemn negativity and complaining in everyone else, but excuse it in ourselves? Furthermore, why do we tend to seek out negativity ourselves if it's not shoved in our faces by someone else?

How Technology Makes Us Look

During the last project "Alone Together," most of you know that I was probably silently observing you on your phones. While I did not take pictures of the class for my multimodal project, I did take a photo of some of our classmates in the library. 

I don't know how sneaky I was about this picture, but let's take a look at this photo. In this photo there are four visible students on some type of technology, be it a phone or a laptop. There is the guy to the left of the photo who is on his phone, for the majority of his time spent there was listening to music. The girl in the middle with the pink backpack pulled a book out of her bag and started reading the book for about five minutes and then pulled out her phone and started sending texts. The guy in the far corner was latched to his laptop the entire time I was observing these students. The girl on the right hand side with the pink laptop who is partially cut off from the picture, was alternating back and forth between her laptop and her phone for the entire duration I was in the library. The man in the middle with the hat and black jacket was on a laptop doing what looked like to me a computer game. Then there is me. I have my laptop bag which tells you I was on my laptop and I took this photo using my phone.

So, I believe it is safe to say that technology is running our worlds. There are seven out of seven people observed using technology for one reason or another. They could be contacting someone they know, writing a paper, playing a game, or surfing social media. It doesn't matter the reason because regardless of what we could be doing, technology is apart of our lives. Just to prove this point I had to be apart of the problem. This is the way society is moving and we should learn to accept it. Technology is a wonderful thing and can be used for the betterment of our everyday lives. I think we should stop shaming people who use technology and start engaging in the use of technology more often.

Augmented Hearing?

Technology is expanding more and more every day. According to this link, Noah Kraft, co-founder of Doppler Labs, thinks that the future may hold “super computers that can fit in the ears.” If you are familiar with The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, you have probably seen the alien-worm creature that lets the protagonists hear other languages. This article said that they created Here Earbuds that will one day translate a person speaking another language in real-time. Currently these earbuds have the ability to “turn off your nagging mother or the dog barking,” according to Hans Zimmer. The Here Earbuds intensify the power of our ears and give a whole new meaning to selective hearing. If humans naturally had the power to control their ears to that extent, we’d already be super humans. This is just another example of how technology is endlessly more useful than it is a problem in our society. 

LAN Party

Growing up I was quite spoiled when it came to technology. I didn't have to worry about getting off of the computer in order for someone to answer the phone for as long as most people did. I grew up in a tech savvy household. One thing I enjoyed vastly was when my dad had a LAN (local area network) party at our house. One year I even got to join in for a little bit.
LAN parties are when a bunch of PC gamers get together in one house and all join in on multiplayer games, primarily RTSs (real time strategy) or FPSs (first person shooter). LAN parties aren't common because of the amount of bandwidth used during one and the lag that can happen from too many people using the network within one house. My favorite part was seeing the different kind of computers. My dad spends a decent amount of time building new towers, or computers. Each one becomes more extravagant then the last. His current tower lights up and has an amazing cooling system, I believe it is a water cooling system. Many PC gamers develop complex computers in order for the edge it puts on their gaming. Special computer mouses, mice? are made just for making gaming easier. Now they even make keyboards that have the W, A, S, and D keys slightly raised in order to make gaming easier because those are the primary keys for gaming. Computers have developed vastly because of this subculture.

Unwritten rules

The biggest problem I have with technology today is there are too many unwritten rules of when and where you can and cannot use technology. Like in some situations it is completely acceptable, but if you are talking to the wrong person it is one of the worse things you can do to them. This would be fine if the rules would be across the board, but they are all subjective to the individual. Like for example i have a friend that is always on his phone, he finds that fine and not disrespectful, but my other friend finds that completely rude and finds him overall mean for that. So all of these are opinions and are not across the board. This would make this easier for some, because they would mot be put in my situation, where I do not know when it is fine so I just never use my phone.  I hate this too, but there is really no authority when it comes to this because, if someone says it is okay. Someone can just say no it is not. I just do not know, does anyone else have this problem.

Boredom: Can you really blame them?

Recently Dr. Hanharan showed me and interesting post on Buzzfeed on the Iowa Caucuses and the kids who were 'forced' to spend hours there so that their parents could vote. I found it kind of funny how some people would perceive some of the pictures of children playing games on tablets or on phones. Most older adults would scoff and say that children these days don't go outside enough or know how to play without a phone or tablet, but I disagree. If you are stuck for hours on end just waiting for people to vote for a president and you have to be more quiet, I can't really fault the parents for letting the kids play on a tablet or phone. That being said, I would say that some forethought should have been exercised and the kids should either be reading or coloring, or some other quiet activity that parents have kids do when they're busy. I can agree to a point that children nowadays don't often entertain themselves without technology, but I think the fault lies more with the parents than it does with the kids--we have to keep in mind that children are the products of parenting, so if the child cannot play without a tablet than it is the fault of the parent, not the child.

I feel pretty strongly about this, and this past weekend I went out to dinner with my parents and two other couples--one with a girl about my age and the other with a boy around seven or eight. Both myself and the other older teen had no problem conversing with people at the table and not being absorbed in their phones. The boy on the other hand, had a tablet in front of him almost the entire time he was at dinner. When he didn't have it he talked to everyone and he was a really nice kid, but once he said something embarrassing about the mom (it was funny as hell), she quickly gave him the tablet to shut him up. I didn't say anything, it is very clearly none of my business, but needless to say I wasn't exactly giving off an approving aura to the parents during the rest of the dinner.

Thoughts? Should I have maybe joked about it?

How Soon Will "Terminator" Happen?

It would be crazy to think that the exact events that happened in the movie Terminator will actually happen in real life, but when I watched the movie the other day it got me thinking. I found myself wondering when will we consider technology too advanced? When will our technology stop catering to our every whim and taking orders from humans and decide that it wants to do its own thing? When will our technology become too intelligent? I do not think that we will get to a point where robots are sending killing machines back in time to murder our ancestors, but there could possibly be a point where we make our technology so intelligent that it realizes that it does not have to listen to us anymore. Making our devices smarter and smarter and making super intelligent robots could be like playing with fire; if we let it get out of hand, it could consume everything. All these new developments regarding technology are very cool and helpful, but humanity has to make sure that we are controlling these machines. They are not controlling us. What do you all think?

Technological Advancements Lowering Our Patience

Nowadays, our technology allows us to find anything within seconds. That's exactly how I found something to write about this week. I went to BBC's website, which loaded in nanoseconds, and read a few articles that loaded just as quickly. But an article I found made me realize how much the speed of our technology is lowering everyone's patience...

There's a new app that is like Uber but for groceries. (http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35424248) People can select the different products they want and have it delivered way quicker than it would take them to go to the store themselves. Now going to the store for food is something everyone has to do, and it is typically done without even thinking much about it. It's just very strange for me to think that people have begun to rely on technology for something so simple as getting their weekly groceries.

The points I'm trying to reach is, how far are people willing to let technology invade their lives? How lazy will technology allow us to get? Do people really think they should be able to order their groceries from an app, have them arrive within ten minutes, and the order to be entirely perfect?

Do you guys think you would ever use this app? (I understand that there are probably some practical purposes with this app, but populations have survived without it since the beginning of time so why do we need it now?) (I also understand that we don't need any technology, but it certainly eases up daily tasks.)

On the Progression of Cell Phones

I watched an older movie, about two days ago, where one of the background characters had one of those huge, clunky phones. The kind of phone I used to see Zach, from Saved by the Bell, use. I began thinking about how technology today has advanced so rapidly during such a short time period. So, like everyone who wants to know more about something, I turned to Google. I came across this image:

The idea of cell phones has been around for a long time. In the early 1900s Reginald Fessenden made the first wireless telephone call. It wasn’t until 1973 that a man named Martin Cooper and his associates developed the first portable mobile phone. But the idea of the cell phones go further back to Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone in 1876, because without the regular, household phone, we’d never want a portable one. Even if we stick with the first portable phone’s date, it’s still crazy to think that, in only forty-three years, we went from that huge, clunky cell phone, to the sleek, black, touchscreen I can slide into my back packet.

Work Cited

Strickland, Johnathan. "Who Invented the Cell Phone?" HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com.

Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

Shepherdstown's Feeling the Bern

Tonight, I attended an Organizing Rally for Bernie Sanders at the Town Run Brewery in Shepherdstown. And honestly, it was pretty damn awesome. There were over 243 people who had RSVP’d as “attending” on Facebook, and while I’m not sure of the exact number of attendees, I can safely say there were definitely well over 200 people there tonight. The place was totally packed (the Town Run Brewery is the biggest space in Shepherdstown that isn’t on campus, by the way) and the energy was pretty insane.

After that, I went to the Debate Watch Party at the Opera House to cheer on my candidate, which was also a really fun time, despite the lack of a decent turnout. Basically, the whole point of this post is that I had a pretty inspiring night. While politics isn’t everyone’s “thing,” I think everyone likes and appreciates the idea that we actually have a say in what happens in our government, and going to Bernie’s Organizing Rally made me feel like I have a say in this election. It has been said that elections are scheduled, controlled revolutions, and I agree that some elections can definitely be like periodic, civilized revolutions. There was a time not too long ago when voting was a privilege reserved for the white, property-owning males, and the idea that it was a fundamental right of all citizens despite their race, religion, gender, or class status was a radical idea. Keeping that in mind, I will definitely be participating in our next scheduled revolution by casting my vote, and even if the elections don’t go as I had hoped, at least I can say that I took full advantage of my fundamental right to vote.

Also, here are some pictures of tonight's organizing rally.

Old times vs. New times

I was reading The Great Gatsby the other day while I was snowed in, and as I was reading Tom one of the characters got up during dinner to answer the home phone. The time setting of this book was before there were cell phones. There were only home phones with cords that attached into the wall. I realized something while reading this part of the book. Phones have always been a disruption. Telephones have always made a ringing sound to alert when a call was coming in, and in instinct, anyone would get up to answer the call. It's basically the same thing as a doorbell. Someone rings the doorbell, so you get up to see who is there. Old home phones interrupted life probably just as much as cell phones do today. They aren't really that different when you think about it. Adults and older generation complain so much about technology and cell phones, when really there have always been distractions like cell phones. Just as some people read constantly, people like to text and talk constantly. These are the same concepts just in different forms. I was wondering what other people thought? Are your parents opposed to phones? What about your grandparents? I was thinking about video games along with cell phone usage. Has anyone experienced anything in the past that they wouldn't mind sharing?

Interactions with an OS

Going back to a point I brought up in class this week…

In Her, Theo falls in love with an OS and Amy becomes best friends with one. I am curious as to whether men and women differ in how they become connected to technology. Finding an answer to this curiosity would be immensely difficult, for so many people would have to be observed. And on top of that, technology such as the OS doesn’t exist quite yet. The movie provides us with some instances we could use to make assumptions; even though Amy is going through a divorce just as Theo is, she finds friendship in her OS rather than love interest. Would this be the case with most males and females?

I have not particularly observed many people as they interact with technology. I feel that this is the case because the advancements in technology are so second hand to our generation that we don’t even notice what a prevalent part of our lives it is.

How do you guys feel about gender connections with technology? Not just how males or females would react with an OS, but with the technology currently present as well?

Skyrocketing into the Future

One thing I was thinking about this week was how rapidly technology has changed over the years, specifically Facebook. I never really thought about how quickly it all has changed until recently. Facebook was once only a site for Harvard students, but it quickly developed into something more quickly. The site used to require a college email to create an account, but now anyone can create one. The once unheard of website managed to skyrocket, same as many other apps or sites. Also, Facebook has managed to update its look and format. I wonder what else in the world of technology is going to skyrocket in our future.

Does Hillary Clinton have your vote?

It’s no secret that Hillary Clinton has flip-flopped on a vast amount of issues, from same-sex marriage, to single-payer healthcare, to immigration reform. She’s not the first politician to do so, of course; almost all politicians are in the business of pandering to whoever they think is paying attention to them and potentially supporting them at the time. The biggest issue with the fact that Hillary Clinton has flip-flopped so much on such hot issues, however, is the fact that although she’s done this repeatedly throughout her political career, she continues to brand herself as one of the most genuine politicians out there. She repeatedly claims her track record reflects the opinions she voices, but the reality is, she has completely reversed her opinion of mass incarcerations and private prisons, the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade act, and immigration reform in the past year alone (Shafer, Jack.).

Again, although almost all politicians have a habit of pandering to whoever they think is currently supporting them or considering supporting them, it is especially problematic for Hillary Clinton to do so, and then claim she’s a genuine candidate with solid opinions. Now, it is perfectly understandable for politicians to truly change their mind on certain issues after learning more information about it (as Hillary is claiming is the case). But when Hillary launches her candidacy for the presidency for the second time (after losing the first time), and within a handful of months she changes her stance on almost every currently hot issue, how can she truthfully claim that she has always stayed true to her steadfast opinions?

Personally, I just can’t put my faith in a candidate who changes his or her opinion according to the status quo. I want a candidate who I can at least believe is telling the truth when talking about stances on policy issues, without having to wonder who’s giving that candidate money or favors behind close doors to claim a particular stance, or wonder which group of people the candidate is trying to temporarily win over for the sake of votes. That being said, despite being a registered Democrat, I can’t put my faith in Hillary Clinton, and therefore, I can’t place my vote on Hillary.

P.S. #Bernie2016

Sources: Shafer, Jack. “The Hole in Hillary’s Flip-flop Excuse.” 10/14/2015. Politico. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/democratic-debate-hillary-clinton-flip-flop-213247

My Thoughts on "Her"

I had seen the film Her many times before we were required to watch it for class, and each time I got something different out of it. The first time I watched the film I almost didn’t finish it because of how strange everything in the movie seemed. I watched it the second time with more of an open mind because I knew I wouldn’t be surprised by anything that time. When I recently watched it for class I was completely blown away by the film. I realized just how beautiful Theodore and Samantha’s relationship was and I noticed a lot more of the smaller details that I had previously missed. While the concept of a relationship with an operating system is still something I get hung up on occasionally, I think the content of their relationship is what really mattered. They were completely happy and in love with each other and that’s all that should matter. 

I was also really impressed with the use of color in the film. It seemed to follow the pattern of their relationship and Theodore's life. For example, the flashbacks of Theodore and his ex-wife were extremely bright, almost blinding, and it made them hard to watch. I noticed when Theodore got upset or seemed depressed the color would fade. Overall, there were a lot of factors in this movie that make it something everyone should see, and the relationship between Theodore and Samantha is just one part of that.

Why I Thought "Her" was Beautiful

I cannot deny that there were many issues that were brought to light in the movie Her. Despite all of the cultural and gender issues that were touched on, I could not bring myself to look past the amazing relationship between Samantha and Theodore. Everyone else that I have talked to about it says that their relationship was "weird" or "not real," but I completely disagree. The scene where Samantha and Theodore first have "sex" is extremely beautiful. It's so deep and real, and nothing needs to be shown because there is nothing to show. She makes him so incredibly happy throughout the movie, and she does not even need a body to do it. Their relationship is built completely on their feelings for each other. How can a relationship be weird or wrong when it causes such complete happiness for the people in it? I think that a big thing we can all take from Her is that we should all focus on being happy and making our relationships healthy instead of worrying about other people's relationships.

We are falling in love with technology, now is that a bad thing

Is technology so for ahead that it can now be that piece that fills hole in our lives? I do think so, but I also think that it is because it is a new thing, it is fresh and still a little mysterious. I believe that both robotics is new, and that technology has surpassed the wants that we have. Technology, as I have mentioned in my other pieces, has expanded to do so many things that we would find burdens. Technology has also gave us a sense of privilege and dependence. It does so by constantly be around us and alway doing what we say. If we give our phone something to do than it will do that thing. We are also always around technology. It is always present and when we have something to do or need to look up something then our phone will be there to help us. Humans need a dependent factor in our lives. This means that with how much time we spend on our phones or just around them, we are actually growing attached in the same way as though you would with people. Have you seen the reactions of younger people when you take away their phones. They get upset and react as though they lost some important. Now that thing is we have had this attachment for a while now, but would it change with how fast robotics is expanding. So now we could have robots instead of our phones. Would that change anything or bring in more powerful feelings? I think it would because, we would most likely design the robots to have the same body, therefore making the actually physical attachment easier, because would be living something that is similar to what we already love. We are falling in love with technology. My question is, is that a bad thing?

Is technology changing us?

Throughout this project I've been doing some of my own research. I've gotten some data recorded, however, I don't want to go into detail about that. In short, I've seen a lot of people on their phones. I think it's something we're so used to having it's almost a part of us, like we don't even know we have it. I am guilty of this as well. There are times I will be on my phone talking to my friends and start frantically trying to find my phone while the entire time it's in my hand.
The sad thing is, most of us just laugh it off and make a joke about how dumb we are for forgetting we had to use it to make the phone call. I don't think this should be a joke. I think it's pretty bad that we don't see technology as something that is optional... its almost demanded.
Teachers now require papers to be typed, powerpoint for presentations, and emails to notify you of things. I mean think about it. When is the last time you or someone you know gave a presentation off the trifold boards or gave you a letter to remind you class was cancelled?
Technology has changed the way we communicate with teachers, friends, and family. It's like a habit to keep up with everyone. It's like our phones are at our hip or in our pockets. So much so that we don't even see it as extra.

Her and the Development of Modern Technology

I thoroughly enjoyed the film Her, which amazed me at every turn. I was shocked at how Theodore and his Operating System, Samantha, developed quite the relationship, but is that the direction our society is heading in? In the film, Theodore almost has more interactions between computers and software than actual people. People today seem very similar, spending hours staring at phone screens rather than talking to people face to face. What if I told you that people are finding a way to use the resources of a phone without having to carry one? People are already creating devices that allow you to control machines with your mind and project a screen onto any flat surface for you to check your email or play video games. Take a look here! With the technological advances that we are seeing today, the movie Her may not be too far off from the actual future. 

Alone Together: What I Think

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be “Alone Together” because the meme I created for class tries to answer this question. I think being alone together is an acceptable behavior in some scenarios. Like yesterday me and my friend, Karmann, went to the gym to get do out triweekly workout. I noticed, as we moved from machine to machine, that most of the people in the gym ignored each other, creating an atmosphere where they were together in the room, yet alone, because they distanced themselves by shoving headphones into their ears. Apparently the gym is one place where people can be on their phones without judgement because it’s universally accepted that you have to listen to music when you work out.

This observation lead me to thinking of times when it’s acceptable to be this way. It’s acceptable to be on your phone if you’re alone on a bus, or alone walking down the street, or alone in the library studying, or even when you’re eating lunch alone. But usually it’s only accepted when the person on the phone is alone (when their friends aren’t there to talk to them). It’s just weird to me that our society is fine with the use of cellphones in public places, as long as the person using them doesn’t have friends to talk to.

Because if there are friends to keep conversation going, and then someone pulls out a phone, bystanders judge whoever pulled out the phone in the middle of the conversation. Yet those same bystanders judging the person for taking their phone out in the middle of conversation, could just as easily go talk to that person if they were alone, and using their phone in an acceptable way. Maybe if we didn’t have such an acceptance with the use of phones when alone, then we wouldn’t have a problem with cellphones to begin with.