Possible "working claims" (Blog #9)

1) Possible Thesis #1: “Magazine ads and commercials can ultimately influence how women see themselves and how they behave and can lead to harmful behaviors such as eating disorders.”

2) Possible Thesis #2: Spray tanning, flippers, makeup and fake nails all at the age of two years old. Shows like Toddlers and Tiaras and dance moms have taken beauty and talent pageants/ competitions to the extreme. These shows held on national television have led young kids to believe it's ok to be "sexy" and grown up looking at a far to young age. 

3) Possible Thesis #3: T.V. advertisements, billboards and magazines are influencing sexual behavior in teenagers about how "sex sells" by the way products are marketed. 

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?" (Blog #8)

As I am finishing the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" by Nicholas Carr I found this reading to be extremely long but very true. Carr goes on and on and uses way to many examples in his article to make his main points. Carr talks about how Google is consuming our brain's to get information with the click of a button or by skimming a few words of a text. The internet has made complex research super "simple" for people to learn about certain things. My favorite analogy that Carr uses is when he says, "Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski." To me he is saying that before internet was available to people, someone would have to read in textbooks and books to find out information. The information would be in pages and pages of text. But today in society there are so many websites that give you all the answers to your questions and all the information that you are looking for. 

Although this article was long, I found it interesting to read all the examples Carr uses even though he could have eliminated a few. Its so true that in the days back when there was no technology to just feed you the info and answers, you actually had to search and read what it was that you needed to know. Today when you get on the internet and read articles from any site you get on, there are ads, pop up videos and pictures that detour the readers eyes off the page. Distractions take the readers attention off the text and they loose complete focus and attain nothing. Overall this article was enjoyable even though some stuff was hard to read and understand as Carr went on with some examples. 

Staying Close (Blog #7)

I chose to read "Staying Close" by Ginny Taylor, because I was drawn to the title in what I thought would be about sticking close to someone In listening to this article it was really about true love. These past few months I have really thought about what love truly means to me. Just recently my best friend got engaged and I have been doing some deep thinking to myself. What do the vows "I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

Taylor has a strong faith that during the toughest times in her life that love has the chance to grow deeper and stronger in a marriage. Being married to her husband Scott for 22 years, Taylor becomes very ill with Stevens Johnson syndrome. Being an independent women she quickly discovers how hopeless she felt after becoming very ill.  Stepping up to the plate Scott played the role of "mommy" and took his kids to and from school got groceries and became his wife's caregiver. Felling negative with her conditions she felt like she had hit "rock bottom." Scott was their to pull her along and tell her to keep pushing through each day. With Ginny having her husband their to help her she felt so consumed in love and never looked back.

This I believe article made me realize how love is not some word you throw around. On your wedding day you say the words "for better or for worse." Before you say the words I love you and before you tie the knot with a significant other... think about the vows and commitment you make to one another. After your wedding day life is not "pretty" every day. You have bills to pay, expenses to pay for, each other to care for when one is sick. Real life is not a step ford wife cooking and cleaning all day and the husband all masculine with a big job title. And I feel sorry for those who even think or live that way. Your not truly living in love and a true marriage until you go through the "tough" together. There is so much to the meaning of the four letter word "LOVE," so think about what it means to you before you decide to say it to your significant other(s). 

"Facebook In a Crowd" (Blog #6)

Facebook In a Crowd by Hal Niedzviecki, was a very interesting way to truthfully put modern day society. Hal talks about his Facebook and how many friends he has and how many are acquaintances and how many people he actually knows that he had "accepted" as a friend. He then tries a little experiment to see who really hides behind the computer and who knows how to still be social face to face. He attempts to use the "create an event" page on Facebook to see how many people would actually show up and get together with him at a bar for a little social event. Out off all the maybes and yes responses he got on Facebook... only one showed up.


This article makes me realize how a lot of people these days do not really want to meet up and hangout. Most people use sites like Facebook and their cell phones to text and "catch up" with people. To me it is actually pathetic and sad how poorly people make excuses to not make plans to hangout. How we communicate now days is done through technology devices. Sure, do not get me wrong for some still know how to handle their technology and smart phones and know how to be social in the real world (like me) but some people just need to learn or RE-learn how to navigate both.

I feel like some people hide behind Facebook and are totally not who they come across to be. Just this past few months every time I find the time to catch up with family and close friends I go in and delete people I could really not give a rats ass about and start to "delete the duds" as I like to call it! I really just use Facebook to keep up to date and talk to my close friends who live in different states and family who live all over the world.