How many of you out there know what is going on right now in the world? Can you tell me in detail what the occupy Wallstreeet is about and what people are doing for/against it? Would you be able to tell me what is happening now in Kim Kardashians divorce against Kris Humphries? Could you tell me where Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber were spotted on vacation this past week?
If you only know the answers to the last two questions then your are among many others out there that don't read or watch the news. Don't worry your not the only one who knows more about celebrity gossip then world events. I myself know more about the current celebrity gossip then i do about the current world events. But there should be a balance in what news we do read everyday. First of all lets ask ourselves this, what news would benefit us the most to know? When would we ever really need to know the specifics of Kim Kardashians divorce?If we were honest with ourselves, it would be pretty much never. Yet the news about the Europe debt crisis is something that most people should know since it does effect many other countries and continents since we rely on them economically.
Some of you may argue that the news is boring to watch and most stories don't interest you or have nothing to do with you. But, no one said that you have to watch the whole news, you are able to pick and choose what you want to watch. I know hearing about how someone was killed or about the earthquake that hit that country is depressing and sad to hear about but you don't need to watch those if you don't want to. One of the best ways to impress someone is with your knowledge of the world. When your co-workers are engaging in a conversation on the current Europe crisis you don't want to jump in with your information on Kim Kardashian do you? You also are not left out of the conversation because you wont know about what they are talking about, and can contribute your own thoughts and feelings on the subject. If you still love to read up on the latest news gossip you can still do both! You can watch CBC news at 6 with latest breaking news and Entertainment Tonight at 7 or 8 for the latest celebrity gossip. Being informed does not mean it has to be boring but it can benefit you in the long run then someone else that just likes to watch celebrity gossip.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Communication [In]cite
When we think of reaching someone today we mostly think about our main sources that we use for communicating with someone: our cellphone or the Internet. Most times we like to text, write something on someones Facebook wall or even tweet them a message on Twitter. What most of us today don't think about is how communication has changed throughout the years. To us it does not seem very important to know how people could communicate before we just think about the next new cool gadget that will be available to us. But i think it is important to look back at how we used to communicate so we could at least see how we have evolved since the beginning of the communication age.
If you ask your parents about their first cellphones they would probably tell you that it was this big chunky thing that had very bad reception and you could only talk on it, no texting or facetime. Yet if you take your phone out of your pocket you see this nice sleek smaller compact phone probably a Blackberry, iPhone or Android. Phones today contain a world of different apps and services that you can get to do just about anything. Some different applications that can be found in our pockets are: thousands of different games, Facebook, Twitter, the Internet, calculators, video chat, on line shopping, live coverage of events, Word documents to go, Bluetooth, GPS, etc. From our smart phones we are able to do virtually everything from on line banking, to booking your flight ticket to even turning your car on and off and unlocking the doors. If you ask me that is pretty cool and amazing when you think of all the things you can do on your phone that most people could not do six years ago.
Do you remember those big old bulky TVs we used to watch cartoons on when we were little? Most of you probably do but haven't seen one in many years since most people these days have plasma flat screen TVs. The TV has also come quite a long way since its early days- when you look at the aesthetic of TVs today they are much thinner then what they used to be. Just this year we got rid of the old analog receiver and now have high definition viewing of our favourite TVs shows.
The Telephone/ Cellphone:
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| Two of the world`s most popular phones today. |
The TV:
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| Panasonic commercial for their 3D TV. |
The Computer:
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| The all important question: are you a Mac or a PC? |
Computers have changed significantly in the last 5 years then they have since they were first invented. We have sleeker, thinner screens, hard drives that have the capacity to store up to 64 GB of memory space and more. We has the invention of various programs for the computer like Word documents, presentation documents, the ability to edit videos and photos, make movies, record songs, etc. We now have web cams that allow us to video chat with anybody, at anytime, anywhere in the world. Now that is cool.The possibilities are endless and with people trying to invent newer programs who knows what we will be able to do in the next 5 years with the computer!
The Internet:
One of the most used Internet cites today are search engines. they allow us the ability to ask a question or find a solution to a problem and receive the answer in a matter of seconds. You can find how to fix a car, how to bake a cake, you could even find out how to perform open heart surgery! The possibilities are endless for what you can search on line and are growing more and more each day. There is another global phenomenon that is sweeping the world in a faster rate then it takes to get to your nearest Tim Horton's for a large double double (I'm craving a coffee right now as you can guess), it is the birth of social media. Social media always people on a international scale to connect and share ideas anytime, anywhere. It always people to stay connected and get up to date information in seconds without having to leave your house. Many people are using social media to get their businesses going, celebrities are able to connect with fans, even politicians use social media as a way to get there platforms across and voters to vote. The biggest social media sites include Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and Linkedin, but there are more then 100 different social media websites out there today! Below you will find a video of the Social Media Revolution.
Copyright and All Right Reserved:
Pictures:
Phone- http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/citigroup-and-bank-of-america-defecting-from-blackberry/
Monday, October 17, 2011
Trend [In]cite
First off here is the actual dictionary definition of trendy curtsy of Google.
trend·y/ˈtrendē/
| Adjective: |
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| Noun: |
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| Synonyms: | fashionable - modish - smart - stylish | |
Now i have no idea why but for some strange reason i always associated trendy as just being another noun used to describe someones style and not actually as following trends to be considered stylish. Anyway i thought it is a good idea that we first know the actual intended meaning of trendy.
On the class list trend assessment which we did in class it showed that I follow seven of the forty-six trends; these trends are: Guess bags, cardigans, braids, yoga pants, Nike, Campus Crew, and cross jewellery. This means that I follow 16% of current popular trends at Orchard Park Secondary school. Going through this whole process has really opened up my eyes to the fact that most people follow trends around them and not even realize it. If one person was to consider themselves trendy then they should have a least more than half the list, probably even more toward seventy five percent of it. The reason being is that if a person is trendy they should then be following most if not all current and popular trends that apply to their age group and gender.
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| From the Guess Fall 2011 Line. I so want this bag, it is so cute. |
I believe that there are a lot of people out there that follow trends ‘accidentally′ since most people get presents from other people to certain stores that you may not even shop in but still use since it was a gift and you do not want to seem ungrateful. That being said I also think that some people will follow trends accidentally because they actually like that trend and would continue to like and wear it even after it is out of style. Some trends that I follow accidentally are Nike shoes, I bought them originally because I liked them and they fit me really well compared to some of the others I tried on and not because everyone else had them. Another trend that I wear accidentally is Guess bags; I own a wallet and bag my Guess which was given to me as my 15 birthday present. But I even if I did not get them as a present I would still buy them from Guess since I like the style of their bags and it is long lasting.
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| Sleek, easy, and pretty. |
The trends I hold most importantly to me are well I guess most of them. The one I hold very tightly to me are braids: I like to wear braids in my hair because they look nice for any sort of occasion, whether that being a wedding, school, work, etc. They are easy to do and do not take much time, there are also different types of braids that you can do like the waterfall braid, and you can style if differently based on where you are going, like the one in the front for your bangs or the one that goes around your head like a Greek goddess. Cardigans to me are basically sweaters; I wear them to keep me warm but not to warm and they look nice on me. I could most definitely stop wearing cardigans if I had to since they do not matter to me the most out of all the others, I could just as easily get another sweater to wear or use another shirt over top what I wear. Guess bags I think I could let go of if I found something else that looked really nice and was of good quality, to me it is not so much the brand but whether it looks good or not. Yoga pants I love to wear and would still wear them even after they are out of style, the reason being that they are very comfortable and look good on me. I mostly wear yoga pants when I am doing something physical or need to put on something quick that will look good and also whenever I want to feel more comfortable like when I go to my aunt’s house for thanksgiving to make room for her famous stuffing. Nike I do not care too much about since for me it is about finding a shoe that does what it is suppose to. I only own one campus crew sweater and that is because it is very comfortable and warm, it is perfect for a cold winter day or if I want to go for a walk at night when it is cold. If I was told to stop wearing it I could do so easily since I do not wear it for its style or name but because it is warm and comfy. Now the reason I wear a cross is because of my religion and not because it is cool, I have worn the same cross pretty much every day of my life for the past like six years or so. I would not give up wearing it because it has now become a part of who I am.
I do not know the origins of any of the trends that I follow, all I know is that they are very popular and I see them on many people at my school and public. I do believe though that braids came back in style once celebrities started wearing them in the front to keep back their bangs which started the whole braids trend. Most trends when you research them you have a hard time finding out where they originally came from since most are as old as time like the braid and the cross while some newer trends are easily traced back.
There was no one specific person that influenced me to wear the trends that I do today but one reason why I like Guess bags so much is I think because my sister has them and she influenced me to wear them in a way. I do consider my sister very stylish and when I was younger would always copy her but now that I am older I kind of want to establish my own sense of style and not follow my sisters. I believe that a lot of people follow trends that their older siblings wear or their friends wear and just do not admit it or even realize it.
Copyright and All Rights Reserved,
Guess picture:
Copyright and All Rights Reserved,
Guess picture:
Rachel McAdam's braid picture:
http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=braids&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=1600&bih=606&tbm=isch&tbnid=lqD2bPwVwdpcAM:&imgrefurl=http://wahasweden.blogspot.com/&docid=vx-Y9osHEcS8KM&imgurl=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WN-KXUy-Xf0/Sq8O3xcj96I/AAAAAAAAAq8/P5zDHKsUQS4/s400/rachel-mcadams-braids-hg-de.jpg&w=325&h=325&ei=EMqcTqS4LfLOiALIsZngCQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=508&sig=115178709918332526819&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=127&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&tx=79&ty=87
Google definition: http://www.google.ca/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=define:+trendy&pbx=1&oq=define:+trendy&aq=f&aqi=g1g-v3&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1019l5214l0l7286l14l13l0l0l0l0l294l3112l0.3.10l13l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=d71a31046d0e7ef3&biw=1600&bih=606
Google definition: http://www.google.ca/#sclient=psy-ab&hl=en&source=hp&q=define:+trendy&pbx=1&oq=define:+trendy&aq=f&aqi=g1g-v3&aql=1&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1019l5214l0l7286l14l13l0l0l0l0l294l3112l0.3.10l13l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=d71a31046d0e7ef3&biw=1600&bih=606
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Advertising [In]cite
To start out i want to say that this is my Grade 11 Media Studies blog, here I will post my comments on new things that I shall learn in class. In my Media Studies class we learn the skills to be able to recognize media techniques and to be able to apply them effectively in today's world of media.
Here is the link to the story i read on it: http://cocoperez.com/2011-09-28-reebok-25-million-refund-federal-trade-commission-easytone-runtone-false-advertising
Another thing we learned which had me asking myself why did i not think of that before too, was advertising claims. First off i didn't even know there could be that many but again, i was wrong. The main claim is the weasel claims which are words that are used to advertise products. The biggest weasel word is 'help' which got me thinking "Hey, ads never ACTUALLY state that they get rid of acne or dandruff or anything like that." Wow this really opened my eyes wide and clear.
Before I took this class i thought i was relatively aware of advertising. Boy was i wrong! I learned a lot of new things in the first few weeks of class then i have ever learned in my whole life. To expand one of the new things we learned was the media 'language' used by marketers to get you to buy there products. This blew my mind and made me wonder why i never thought of it before, but most times the media just gives you something that does not require you to think about it very much. For example we all have seen ads that advertise that their products are the 'best' well that just means its EQUAL to the other products out there! This really blew my mind since i always assumed that if it said best it meant best not equal to, i can actually just see all the products i have that claimedwhen i bought them that they are the 'best' and to think they are just as good as the ones that are cheaper. If you want something that works better then you have to have to look for ads that claim that they are 'better' but you have to prove that they do. Just recently Reebok was charged for claiming their Easytone shoes tone 'better' then the any others out there, well now they are getting sued for their false claim.
Here is the link to the story i read on it: http://cocoperez.com/2011-09-28-reebok-25-million-refund-federal-trade-commission-easytone-runtone-false-advertising
Another thing we learned which had me asking myself why did i not think of that before too, was advertising claims. First off i didn't even know there could be that many but again, i was wrong. The main claim is the weasel claims which are words that are used to advertise products. The biggest weasel word is 'help' which got me thinking "Hey, ads never ACTUALLY state that they get rid of acne or dandruff or anything like that." Wow this really opened my eyes wide and clear.
Here is an ad for head and shoulders shampoo for dandruff control, now i use one because i have a scalp condition and i obviously want to get it under control. When i look at the ad now after my teacher has explained the various ways in which marketers advertise to us i am able to piece it apart to better understand it. First it stakes that it "takes care" of dandruff not removes or gets rid of it, so i immediately know i am not gonna run out and buy it thinking its a miracle and is gonna get ride of dandruff. It also states that it "smells gorgeous" now i don't know about you but how can something smell gorgeous? Gorgeous is used to describe something visual not a shampoo, they could have used words like heavenly or wonderful, but do they? No. When i really think about it does it matter if your shampoo smells like a perfume should? After i take a shower i cant even detect the smell of the shampoo i used, neither could my sister or mom when i asked them. I want to buy i shampoo that is supposed to work for what it says it does not for its smell of roses and flowers. If you want to smell nice buy perfume or body spray, shampoo is to clean your hair not fragrance it. Now if we took this ad and put it in magazine, which gender do you think is more likely to take a second look at the ad while skimming the ad? If you guessed men you are correct! Why? Because it uses a women in a sexy nurse like outfit to advertise a shampoo which plays on men's hormones since it is referencing one of the most commonly used sexual fantasies. Does it not make you wonder why they would use a sexy nurse to advertise shampoo? This helps me to better understand the ads target audience which definitely involves men since most women when they see this just see shampoo and don't care too much for the women in it.
There are many other different other types of ad claims out there that more people should know. Next time you pass an ad really take a good look at it and question it, are they stating something obvious to all other products out there, are they best or better, it gives you more what, can they prove their claim? This course has already opened my eyes to advertising, now saying that it does not mean that that i will never buy anything advertised, and all advertising is fake, it means i will think about what they are selling me and if after that whether the product is worth me buying it. Knowing more can save you money.
All things mentioned in my blog are not to be taken as bashing or offencive, this is merely supposed to reveal what i have learned and how it can be applied. Thanks for reading and i will be posting again soon.
Copyright and all rights reserved: Head and shoulders ad http://www.jillgreenberg.com/Commissions/photos/advertising-one#/1
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