Saturday, December 11, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
For years the telephone has been the main source of communication. the main problem has always been white noise or what is known as interference. Sometimes important messages don't get relayed because the lost of translation. Another problem that people face is loss of hearing. The older we get the harder it is to hear messages on the phone. For the elderly it can be really difficult for them to hear phone conversations. Recently there has been an invention that fixes all these common problems. CapTel is a revolutionary way of having phone conversations. while in loud areas it can be very difficult to hear what is being said but with CapTel all that is fixed. While one person is talking the person at home or the office that has CapTel is comfortably listening to the conversation and reading it as well. Trying to listen to someone and not being able to hear them can be very frustrating but with CapTel all those problems are solved.
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Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Movie Theatres Going Green?
While browsing through the AOL news I came across an interesting article that I thought fit well with our past class discussions. There seems to be a mobile movie theatre circulating around England and is known as Sol Cinema. This movie theatre is actually set up in a tiny trailer and runs completely on solar energy. The article explains that although the U.K. is not famous for sunny days, it still manages to get enough sun to run the entire trailer and all its necessary appliances. The company never has a utility bill to pay and basically has the ability to perform anywhere and at anytime.
Although the theatre is not very large due to its housing it has played 400 films since its debut this year. It uses an LED projector, powered by solar energy. The theatre shows a wide variety of genres and tends to show more independent films rather than "Hollywood" films as they call them. They also do not show anything too mainstream or anything that encourages violence. It unfortunately only has seating for eight, but it has already won awards. One of the advantages of being housed in a trailer, they have the ability to move around and go to different places. With that said, the founders have planned a tour schedule throughout Europe and may be coming nearby to Los Angeles in the upcoming year.
Being that we have been discussing movies for the last few classes I saw this to be fit for a blog discussion. I think the idea is great, it just goes to show you that you can go green and keep the environment healthy without having to give up things you enjoy doing on a daily basis. It seems to be not only environmentally friendly but also economically friendly. Who doesn't love to save some money every now and then? With the expenses that movie theatres put into showing films based on electric and things of that sort it seems obvious why movie tickets have risen to such high prices, well besides the greedy factor in many people today. But, it makes me wonder, if all movie theatres found a way to go green, I am sure they would be able to lower the prices of their tickets. With all the money they would be saving without having to pay an electric bill every month it would be simple for them to lower their prices a few bucks. I think this would result in happier customers as well as owners.
With this small trailer becoming more and more popular and word reaching us here in the U.S. maybe it is possible we will see some more of these popping up. I think it is an interesting idea for major movie theatres to consider and I think it would result in positive outcomes all around!
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Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Army Recruitment Via Video Games?
Taking a step back to the PBS video we watched in class, I found the new recruitment technique that the army has began to use very interesting. They have recently opened an army experience center where people are able to come and experiment with the war-like simulator as well as play video games, such as Call of Duty. Through this center the army hopes to encourage young people to sign up.
However, a problem has arose from this new center. Some parents have expressed concern with this action that the army has taken and personally I can not help but agree. It almost seems as though these young children, mostly boys, are being somewhat tricked. Sure these children love to play these video games and are certainly not being forced to attend these centers and play these games but is it ethical? These children enjoy these games mostly for the challenge of fighting off the enemy, but can an eight or ten year old boy or girl really tell the difference between a video game and reality? In a video game if you are shot and killed you have other lives or you can restart the game, however, this is clearly not the case when it comes to war and the army. Once you are shot and killed at war there are no do-overs or extra lives and certainly no restart button. This seems like a very important aspect that these young children may not fully be aware of. I am almost certain to say that no one at these centers are making the attempt to even try and explain the difference between these video games and actual war.
These centers have recruiters which are constantly walking around telling these children how well they are playing and that they are the "best" player they have seen yet. From here they may be encouraged to try the simulator to see how good they might be in an actual war-like situation. After trying this, they may be told the same thing as before, that they were very good at it and would make an excellent candidate for the army. If they are not told again, they may just start to believe it on there own with all the encouragement they have been getting up to this point. It is only natural for one to want to continue doing something they are good at and especially when you have someone watching and cheering you on. How can these young children be expected to know the difference between these innocent video games and the danger and reality of actual war?
I can not help but agree with these parents that have expressed concern. If I were a mother, I would not want my young child going to these centers and being told every day how great of a soldier they would make. Of course we need soldiers to fight for our country and defend us and we always will, but I think it is best to let those people decide on their own. The experience of war and killing another human being is not something that someone should be pressured or manipulated into. I do not think it would work out well for anyone mentally or even physically.
Don't get me wrong, I think this center is a great place for people to attend to learn more about the army. However, I think it is a great place for those who are already interested in joining or have questions about it. The simulator seems like a great idea for people who may be entertaining the idea of signing up for the army. It provides a better idea of what you will be likely to experience and maybe figure out if it is something that is really right for you. This is just another example of the many technological advances our world is experiencing today.
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However, a problem has arose from this new center. Some parents have expressed concern with this action that the army has taken and personally I can not help but agree. It almost seems as though these young children, mostly boys, are being somewhat tricked. Sure these children love to play these video games and are certainly not being forced to attend these centers and play these games but is it ethical? These children enjoy these games mostly for the challenge of fighting off the enemy, but can an eight or ten year old boy or girl really tell the difference between a video game and reality? In a video game if you are shot and killed you have other lives or you can restart the game, however, this is clearly not the case when it comes to war and the army. Once you are shot and killed at war there are no do-overs or extra lives and certainly no restart button. This seems like a very important aspect that these young children may not fully be aware of. I am almost certain to say that no one at these centers are making the attempt to even try and explain the difference between these video games and actual war.
These centers have recruiters which are constantly walking around telling these children how well they are playing and that they are the "best" player they have seen yet. From here they may be encouraged to try the simulator to see how good they might be in an actual war-like situation. After trying this, they may be told the same thing as before, that they were very good at it and would make an excellent candidate for the army. If they are not told again, they may just start to believe it on there own with all the encouragement they have been getting up to this point. It is only natural for one to want to continue doing something they are good at and especially when you have someone watching and cheering you on. How can these young children be expected to know the difference between these innocent video games and the danger and reality of actual war?
I can not help but agree with these parents that have expressed concern. If I were a mother, I would not want my young child going to these centers and being told every day how great of a soldier they would make. Of course we need soldiers to fight for our country and defend us and we always will, but I think it is best to let those people decide on their own. The experience of war and killing another human being is not something that someone should be pressured or manipulated into. I do not think it would work out well for anyone mentally or even physically.
Don't get me wrong, I think this center is a great place for people to attend to learn more about the army. However, I think it is a great place for those who are already interested in joining or have questions about it. The simulator seems like a great idea for people who may be entertaining the idea of signing up for the army. It provides a better idea of what you will be likely to experience and maybe figure out if it is something that is really right for you. This is just another example of the many technological advances our world is experiencing today.
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Thursday, December 2, 2010
FAME
Her meat dress was pretty disgusting and her justification a little far-fetched, but nothing less is expected from the Media Queen that is Lady Gaga.
Some people call her crazy, weird, insane, "out there," and just simply living on another planet, but there is something that screams "genius" about her. She manages to keep herself in the media at all times and by whatever means necessary. She absolutely uses the media to her advantage and clearly has no shame. She's been in every form of media one way or another: newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, and yes, even books (biographies). She is able to stay in the public eye by doing, saying, and wearing bizarre things.
Lady Gaga has a huge following consisting of her "Little Monsters," she being the "Mother Monster," who would do just about anything for her. In South Carolina, a 48 year old man claims to be of her millions of "Little Monsters." He has traveled the world to see her perform more than 28 times; he met her 5 times; and he owns 300 copies of her record on vinyl. He also runs a Lady Gaga fan site. But what is even more baffling is that this man is a professor at the University of South Carolina at Columbia and he has created an entire course devoted to Lady Gaga and her fame. The class is titled: "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame." He hopes that she will pay his class a visit...I wouldn't be surprised if she did.
Her Monster Ball continues into next year, making at stop at Nassau Coliseum on April 23rd...who's going? Tweet
Some people call her crazy, weird, insane, "out there," and just simply living on another planet, but there is something that screams "genius" about her. She manages to keep herself in the media at all times and by whatever means necessary. She absolutely uses the media to her advantage and clearly has no shame. She's been in every form of media one way or another: newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, and yes, even books (biographies). She is able to stay in the public eye by doing, saying, and wearing bizarre things.
Lady Gaga has a huge following consisting of her "Little Monsters," she being the "Mother Monster," who would do just about anything for her. In South Carolina, a 48 year old man claims to be of her millions of "Little Monsters." He has traveled the world to see her perform more than 28 times; he met her 5 times; and he owns 300 copies of her record on vinyl. He also runs a Lady Gaga fan site. But what is even more baffling is that this man is a professor at the University of South Carolina at Columbia and he has created an entire course devoted to Lady Gaga and her fame. The class is titled: "Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame." He hopes that she will pay his class a visit...I wouldn't be surprised if she did.
Her Monster Ball continues into next year, making at stop at Nassau Coliseum on April 23rd...who's going? Tweet
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