Both blogs that I’m following are very similar, so this should be very simple. For the last few das I have been looking at Daily Kos, and AmericaBlog. Both basically have the same purpose, which is to spread liberal views to everyone. Both blogs talk mostly about politics, actually that’s the only topic I’ve come across; I just say ‘mostly’ in case I missed something. For the last few days the main topic has been heath care reform. If you are in anyway surprised by this please go crawl in a little hole and stay there, forever. It will be a nice change from the rock you’ve been staying under lately. Although another topic that has come up, I would say it’s second next to health care, is the ‘battle’ between the white house and Fox ‘news’. I put news in quotes because I don’t like Fox. That’s all I’ll say about that but just so you know I could go on for quite a while. Back to the real point I’m trying to make. The thing that interested me about this topic, is that I first heard about it on the New York Times. It was really interesting to get the basic story, and then follow it with the opinions on the blog.
Authors for both: On Daily Kos there seems to be about 7-10 regular writers, and on AmericaBlog there are 5. Right now I can’t tell too much difference in each author’s style, but I think the more I read them the better I will be at figuring out who wrote what without looking at the byline.
Audience: again the audience for both are the same. Liberals who like to make fun of republicans. I did notice on AmericaBlog that they have a bunch of stuff dedicated to gay rights, so I think that’s part of the audience they cater heavily to as well.
Layout: shocker, they are both laid out the same; Posts on the left side, hyperlink features and advertisements on the right side. They have different color schemes though. AmericaBlog is blue and Daily Kos is orange. I don’t know about AmericaBlog yet, but I think the orange has importance on Daily Kos. I can’t find it now to quote it, but earlier today I read something on thee about orange. It was like the nation in orange, or the news in orange, or the truth in orange, or the orange machine, something like that. It made me think about what we talked about in class reguarding different jargon used in blogs. I have also noticed that AmericaBlog put up a lot of videos. Instead of just quoting someone they put a video up. I think this has a greater effect for the points they try to make.
I think that’s all I have to say. I’m not sure how to end this so I’m just going to stop.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How Come None of the Saints of English 105 are Women?
This is the first time that I actually read everyone’s posts word for word. Normally, I have to be honest; I just skim them a bit. It took me a long time to read them all too, I think I’ll go back to skimming. But now to what I found out. Are you ready for this? Are you sure? You might be surprised. The faint of heart should stop reading now. This is my last warning. You think you can handle this? OK, cue dramatic drum roll please… It turns out, we’re all different! Who knew? Why would 18 people have completely different views on where they get news? Ha ha, views and news rhyme, views and news views and news. It’s one in the morning, in case you couldn't tell.
Anyway, everyone is different. We get our news from different combinations of the following; people (consisting of friends, family, parents, boyfriends who watch comedies, and grandmothers who watch CBS), television (lots of CNN, Fox, and a PBS), radio (both fun stations and NPR), magazines, actual newspapers, and that wonderful thing, the internet (Google, Huffington Post, New York Times, and even facebook) See I really did read everyone’s post. I might have let one or two slip the cracks though, like I said, lots of variation.
Lots of these sources showed up in a lot of people’s blogs (I thought about tallying up how often things showed up but then again it’s one in the morning and that would involve more work, at one in the morning, wait it’s actually closer to two in the morning now. Basically it didn’t happen.) Even though some people got their news from similar sources, they still seemed different. I can’t explain this right now very well, (I want to sleep) so I’m going to finish this in the morning.
Much better now. So what I mean is that every one ad different confidence levels on their news intake. Some people were perfectly fine with the amount of news they were getting, while others didn’t feel as self-assured. Some people said that they were glad that the unit would force them to get more news. No one actually said they were unhappy about the topic of the unit, but that isn’t something one would actually put up so I’m sure one of us feels that way.
Now, to what those three would say about our posts. We should give them nicknames, like the English 105 Tribunal or something. Wait that doesn’t work, we need to include Harris. How come Harris wasn’t in the prompt? Do we not care what he thinks? Maybe we could refer to them as the Saints of English 105, used to attain guidance in our quest of knowledge regarding civic literacy.
Hedges: His who thing is that we aren’t getting news, but obviously we are, so he would probably find something else to complain about. Like that we’re spending t much time inside attaining news that we’re not getting our vitamin D requirement.
Carr: Without actually making a strong point, he would look at our habits at different angles, and see how he can twist the fact t make it look like we’re turning into robots. (Although he has his work cut out for him because, as I said before, all our habits are different and show our individuality.)
Sullivan: I’m not sure about him. He would definitely look at everything analytically, but I’m not sure what he would say. Although it will probably be more positive then Hedges or Carr.
(I know the title has nothing to do with my post, it’s just a thought I’m throwing out there)
Anyway, everyone is different. We get our news from different combinations of the following; people (consisting of friends, family, parents, boyfriends who watch comedies, and grandmothers who watch CBS), television (lots of CNN, Fox, and a PBS), radio (both fun stations and NPR), magazines, actual newspapers, and that wonderful thing, the internet (Google, Huffington Post, New York Times, and even facebook) See I really did read everyone’s post. I might have let one or two slip the cracks though, like I said, lots of variation.
Lots of these sources showed up in a lot of people’s blogs (I thought about tallying up how often things showed up but then again it’s one in the morning and that would involve more work, at one in the morning, wait it’s actually closer to two in the morning now. Basically it didn’t happen.) Even though some people got their news from similar sources, they still seemed different. I can’t explain this right now very well, (I want to sleep) so I’m going to finish this in the morning.
Much better now. So what I mean is that every one ad different confidence levels on their news intake. Some people were perfectly fine with the amount of news they were getting, while others didn’t feel as self-assured. Some people said that they were glad that the unit would force them to get more news. No one actually said they were unhappy about the topic of the unit, but that isn’t something one would actually put up so I’m sure one of us feels that way.
Now, to what those three would say about our posts. We should give them nicknames, like the English 105 Tribunal or something. Wait that doesn’t work, we need to include Harris. How come Harris wasn’t in the prompt? Do we not care what he thinks? Maybe we could refer to them as the Saints of English 105, used to attain guidance in our quest of knowledge regarding civic literacy.
Hedges: His who thing is that we aren’t getting news, but obviously we are, so he would probably find something else to complain about. Like that we’re spending t much time inside attaining news that we’re not getting our vitamin D requirement.
Carr: Without actually making a strong point, he would look at our habits at different angles, and see how he can twist the fact t make it look like we’re turning into robots. (Although he has his work cut out for him because, as I said before, all our habits are different and show our individuality.)
Sullivan: I’m not sure about him. He would definitely look at everything analytically, but I’m not sure what he would say. Although it will probably be more positive then Hedges or Carr.
(I know the title has nothing to do with my post, it’s just a thought I’m throwing out there)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Blogs to Follow
Daily Kos
and
AmericaBlog
I'd like to say that I did lots of looking around to find blogs, but I didn't. These were towards the top, and I liked them so I figured why look any more? I thought about picking one liberal blog and on conservative one, but I decided against it when I thought about having to read things I don't like on a regular basis. Yea, not going to happen. (Sorry it's so late, I had a some problems with my Internet)
and
AmericaBlog
I'd like to say that I did lots of looking around to find blogs, but I didn't. These were towards the top, and I liked them so I figured why look any more? I thought about picking one liberal blog and on conservative one, but I decided against it when I thought about having to read things I don't like on a regular basis. Yea, not going to happen. (Sorry it's so late, I had a some problems with my Internet)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
New Unit, Same Blog
Where does my knowledge of what’s going on come from? As embarrassing as it sounds, most of it comes from my mother. There are few current events that my mother doesn’t know about. While she doesn’t read the newspaper, she flips through the news stations every couple of hours to see what’s going on. She also checks their websites when she’s online. I mean she actually listens to NPR. No one does that. Then she just tells me all the important and interesting stuff.
Lately it seems that I have been getting a lot of my information from the radio. I listen to t in the morning to get traffic info, and I end up getting the news stories as well.
Not so much now, but when I was younger most of my information came from watching Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. For some reason I don’t watch it much anymore.
Of course, I get information through conversations with people, but I think that’s the same with everyone.
Ok, I’ll admit it. When it comes to getting information, I’m what most people would call ‘lazy’. Mostly I just wait for things to come to me. I never really go out and seek information, it’s more like if it’s around I’ll pay attention. Although I don’t really consider myself to be ‘lazy’. I prefer the term low maintenance. (Side note: I’ve literally spent the last five minutes trying to figure out how to spell that word and I’m not sure if I got it right, so I apologize if it’s wrong.)
I’m really not an informed person. It’s kind of sad, I’ve never really noticed before. Oh well, no biggie maybe it will change one day.
Lately it seems that I have been getting a lot of my information from the radio. I listen to t in the morning to get traffic info, and I end up getting the news stories as well.
Not so much now, but when I was younger most of my information came from watching Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. For some reason I don’t watch it much anymore.
Of course, I get information through conversations with people, but I think that’s the same with everyone.
Ok, I’ll admit it. When it comes to getting information, I’m what most people would call ‘lazy’. Mostly I just wait for things to come to me. I never really go out and seek information, it’s more like if it’s around I’ll pay attention. Although I don’t really consider myself to be ‘lazy’. I prefer the term low maintenance. (Side note: I’ve literally spent the last five minutes trying to figure out how to spell that word and I’m not sure if I got it right, so I apologize if it’s wrong.)
I’m really not an informed person. It’s kind of sad, I’ve never really noticed before. Oh well, no biggie maybe it will change one day.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Good Times, Good Times
My blogging experience so far has been mostly what I expected it to be. The only surprise was that I didn’t think I would write as much as I did on my posts. Normally I’m not a very wordy person. However in this case I find it’s pretty easy to just keep going once you get started and the 250 limit isn’t a problem at all. Of course some were easier to write than others, it all depended on the reading that went with it. I found it was much easier to write about the stuff I didn’t like as opposed to the stuff that I did. It’s a lot easier to complain then to complement. Plus let’s face it, reading something that’s one fact after another isn’t as entertaining as when someone writes based off emotion.
Having our blogs due 24 hours before was kind of an inconvenience. Personally I think 18 hours before would be enough time.
Overall in this experience I think I’ve learned how bogging is easy in some ways and hard in others. It’s easy because it’s so informal and someone could easily just type away. The hard part for me is making the decision to finally click publish post; because once I click it, there’s no going back. Sometimes right after I click it I think of something that I wanted to add or delete. I know that technically you can go back and change it, but to me that seems a little wrong. I can’t explain it exactly, but I just feel that it’s wrong to put something out there and then go never mind.
I’ve really enjoyed reading my peer’s blogs. I like hearing about other people’s opinions even if they differ from my own. Most of the time, someone will bring up a point that I would never have thought of.
Having our blogs due 24 hours before was kind of an inconvenience. Personally I think 18 hours before would be enough time.
Overall in this experience I think I’ve learned how bogging is easy in some ways and hard in others. It’s easy because it’s so informal and someone could easily just type away. The hard part for me is making the decision to finally click publish post; because once I click it, there’s no going back. Sometimes right after I click it I think of something that I wanted to add or delete. I know that technically you can go back and change it, but to me that seems a little wrong. I can’t explain it exactly, but I just feel that it’s wrong to put something out there and then go never mind.
I’ve really enjoyed reading my peer’s blogs. I like hearing about other people’s opinions even if they differ from my own. Most of the time, someone will bring up a point that I would never have thought of.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Corporations Raping the Nation till it's an Ideological Ghetto, While George W. Bush Plays the Fiddle
As I was reading the Hedges’ article I found certain mocking thoughts come to me. It got so bad that I had to start writing them in the margin of the paper. So for this post I think I’ll just put quotes followed by my inner thoughts.
“This year alone… some 6000 journalists nationwide have lost their jobs.” Yes because in 2008 nobody lost their jobs and everyone was hiring.
“Net advertising amounts to $21 billion a year, that amount is actually relatively small.” If that’s small then the hundreds of millions that Obama spent on campaigning must be like change. Maybe if we gather it up we can go taco bell and order from pretty pictures.
“[newspapers] give a voice to those who, without the press, have no voice.” If that’s true then who’s writing all the blogs.
“They keep citizens engaged with their cultural, civic and political life.” I thought that politics were corrupt? Why would citizens want to be engaged in that?
“Nearly all reporting-I would guess at least 80 percent- is done by newspapers.” You ‘guess’ 80 percent. While I ‘guess’ that 80 percent of the population goes to McDonalds because of the health benefits, not to order from the pictures. See how much fun it is to ‘guess’!
“Those who rely on the internet gravitate to sites that reinforce their belief.” Um, that’s true, but it’s true for a lot of sources besides the internet, like all of them.
“Reporting, which is time consuming and expensive.” Wait a second; didn’t he say earlier that newspapers were losing money by using the internet?
“We are left awash in a sea in propaganda.” Ok, newspapers are infamous for propaganda, take a history class, they’ll tell you.
“Facts, for many bloggers, are interchangeable with opinions.” If anyone would know about confusing facts with opinions, it would be you. Is hypocrite in that big advance vocabulary of yours?
“Time Warner, Disney, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., General Electric and Viacom control nearly everything we read, watch, and ultimately think.” You forgot the fast food places with all those pictures!
“A democracy survives when its citizens have access to trustworthy and impartial sources of information, when it can discern lies from truth.” Is there such a thing of ‘impartial sources of information’?
“Ideological ghettos.” I just think this phrase is funny.
“And the citizens in these degraded societies, he warned always end up ruled by a despot, a Nero or a George W. Bush.” I bet Cicero knew all about Bush, and besides, Bush is nothing like Nero, there is no way Bush has the talent to learn to fiddle.
I don’t have that much to say about the Thompson piece. It’s not as much fun writing about something that you agree with.
Remember when Chris Hedges was talking about how real journalists spend all this time researching, and gathering information to make newspapers descent sources of factual information? I think the Thompson piece fits this description, except that this piece was found on the evil internet.
“This year alone… some 6000 journalists nationwide have lost their jobs.” Yes because in 2008 nobody lost their jobs and everyone was hiring.
“Net advertising amounts to $21 billion a year, that amount is actually relatively small.” If that’s small then the hundreds of millions that Obama spent on campaigning must be like change. Maybe if we gather it up we can go taco bell and order from pretty pictures.
“[newspapers] give a voice to those who, without the press, have no voice.” If that’s true then who’s writing all the blogs.
“They keep citizens engaged with their cultural, civic and political life.” I thought that politics were corrupt? Why would citizens want to be engaged in that?
“Nearly all reporting-I would guess at least 80 percent- is done by newspapers.” You ‘guess’ 80 percent. While I ‘guess’ that 80 percent of the population goes to McDonalds because of the health benefits, not to order from the pictures. See how much fun it is to ‘guess’!
“Those who rely on the internet gravitate to sites that reinforce their belief.” Um, that’s true, but it’s true for a lot of sources besides the internet, like all of them.
“Reporting, which is time consuming and expensive.” Wait a second; didn’t he say earlier that newspapers were losing money by using the internet?
“We are left awash in a sea in propaganda.” Ok, newspapers are infamous for propaganda, take a history class, they’ll tell you.
“Facts, for many bloggers, are interchangeable with opinions.” If anyone would know about confusing facts with opinions, it would be you. Is hypocrite in that big advance vocabulary of yours?
“Time Warner, Disney, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., General Electric and Viacom control nearly everything we read, watch, and ultimately think.” You forgot the fast food places with all those pictures!
“A democracy survives when its citizens have access to trustworthy and impartial sources of information, when it can discern lies from truth.” Is there such a thing of ‘impartial sources of information’?
“Ideological ghettos.” I just think this phrase is funny.
“And the citizens in these degraded societies, he warned always end up ruled by a despot, a Nero or a George W. Bush.” I bet Cicero knew all about Bush, and besides, Bush is nothing like Nero, there is no way Bush has the talent to learn to fiddle.
I don’t have that much to say about the Thompson piece. It’s not as much fun writing about something that you agree with.
Remember when Chris Hedges was talking about how real journalists spend all this time researching, and gathering information to make newspapers descent sources of factual information? I think the Thompson piece fits this description, except that this piece was found on the evil internet.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Can You Read?
As I’m reading this article by Hedges, the first thing that comes to mind is that one third of America is not going to get his message. Of course his audience isn’t really for that one third; it’s the other two thirds, to scare them about what’s going on in America. My question is why isn’t he addressing the one third? He clearly stats the problem, and gives ample evidence to support it, but he doesn’t give anything on how to solve the problem.
Another thing I notice is that he complains about the vocabulary level of past presidential candidate, but his vocabulary isn’t that impressive. This could be because he doesn’t think his audience can handle a more advance vocabulary. And if this is the case, they why doesn’t he tell his audience to work on their own vocabulary? With the amount of time he spent researching this topic, you’d think he wanted to fix it.
I don’t think it does an good to give a problem without even the beginnings of a plan to fix it. With this problem I think the answer is in the schools. They spend too much time worrying about their test score stats; they need to focus on teaching the kids.
I think Hedges defines literacy as not only the ability to read and write, but to read and write at a semi-advanced level. It’s not good enough to be able to recognize the symbols on the page, but you have to be able to think about them critically, and use those same words in your every day speech.
The main difference between this article and the one by Carr is that this focuses on something that has already happened, and Carr is worried about the future. I think that makes this one more significant. Carr’s point may or may not (more towards the not) happen. Hedges’ issue is already here.
Another thing I notice is that he complains about the vocabulary level of past presidential candidate, but his vocabulary isn’t that impressive. This could be because he doesn’t think his audience can handle a more advance vocabulary. And if this is the case, they why doesn’t he tell his audience to work on their own vocabulary? With the amount of time he spent researching this topic, you’d think he wanted to fix it.
I don’t think it does an good to give a problem without even the beginnings of a plan to fix it. With this problem I think the answer is in the schools. They spend too much time worrying about their test score stats; they need to focus on teaching the kids.
I think Hedges defines literacy as not only the ability to read and write, but to read and write at a semi-advanced level. It’s not good enough to be able to recognize the symbols on the page, but you have to be able to think about them critically, and use those same words in your every day speech.
The main difference between this article and the one by Carr is that this focuses on something that has already happened, and Carr is worried about the future. I think that makes this one more significant. Carr’s point may or may not (more towards the not) happen. Hedges’ issue is already here.
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