togetherville

http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/23/disney-acquires-social-network-for-kids-togetherville/

Disney acquired Togetherville, a new social network for kids 10 years old and younger. It is similar to social network sites like Facebook but appropriate for this age group. It is monitored by parents in a safe, secure environment where they can approve their child’s friends and connect with other parents. Kids will be able to talk to friends, play games, watch videos, and create art.

Personally I do not believe this a good idea. Children at this young age do not need to be introduced to social networking sites. They should be able to socialize with other friends and family in real life, not on a website similar to Facebook. Even in a technology driven, social media world, there is no need for a young child to stare at a computer screen all day long. There is also the issue with parents not monitoring their child’s website that often or thoroughly and the child could probably find a way around the parental guidelines. There are enough creeps on Facebook, how many people are going to move to Togetherville?


I researched this for another class and realized this applies to what we have been discussing in class. Social media is everywhere. We feel the need to be connected 24/7. Facebook started out as a website for just college students and now you can find your parents and younger siblings on it. Now that Togetherville is getting started, young children will be introduced to a technology driven world and the constant need to be in contact with one another. The new generations will never know what it is like to be a “typical” kid enjoying life outside rather than stuck in a room attached to a computer. They will never know what life was like when you couldn’t contact someone by cell phone and you actually had to use a landline or write a handwritten letter sent by the USPS. They only know the life of iPhones, blackberries, and Macbooks. I am so incredibly thankful I grew up in the 90s. New technology was being developed but it was not the focus of my life.

The Cosby Show

In 1984, Bill Cosby started a tv show called the The Cosby Show. It was the first time that black americans were represented as an upper middle class family on tv. From its inception it was tremendously popular. Not just with black people but all types of races, and not only here in the united states but worldwide. For its first five seasons it was the highest in ratings, averaging over 50 million viewers at its height. Bill Cosby's talent for comedic timing was a big part of its success but its core family values is what really drove in its wide appeal.
The cosby show focused on the children as much as it focused on the parents. It was an atmosphere in which each complimented the other. The children weren't neglected by the parents, they talked out there problems and never had to feel completely isolated. Every episode had moral message but it was fun, exciting and it brought a familiarity that you could identify with in some way. It wasn't just as if it were a BLACK FAMILY but just a family. This was Bill Cosby's mission from the beginning and it very much lasted till the last episode which was Theo's graduation. Symbolically, it couldn't have been a much more appropriate occasion. After graduation you should go on to bigger and better things, a beginning to a bright future. This show made way for other family based shows like family matters and the fresh prince of bel-air, where once again we saw how important the concept of family is. But as we know the dynamic has changed.
All of this talk about family has me thinking about where the core values of family has gone. I understand that these were tv shows but I look around and see so many families torn apart. Parents that don't talk to their kids, or even worse don't even know where their kids are. The divorce rate is up at an all time high. The single parent used to be something of a rarity but now it isn't uncommon for it at all.The Cosby family is an ideal view of what I think family should be and I'm starting to think that the majority no longer believe in that type of family, which I feel is a shame.

The world with internet

It's not long day - everyday everywhere on internet! When I was young - just 9 or more younger - i was dreaming about the world can watch tv all day long on the car(especially go somewhere). That moments, I thought it can't possible to realize but we're live in that dreams come true! These days we can use internet everywhere! We can see many people on the bus or somewhere who carrid smart phone or something- 80% of them are using internet!

Nevertheless, facebook and twitter are not famous in Korea now, but it's more spread with smartphone. People want to share a moment what they feel, what they thought, who they met, where they are.......anything!! There are no privacy...maybe ... What i really surprise about facebook in USA, is many american has facebook friends more than 1000...!! In Korea we have cyworld what is like kind of facebook, but korean don't have friends like that much.

In this moment, we have to think about our privacy and our real life..... Because everytime we can access internet and check other's life- we lose our time for spending ourselves. Maybe we have to think about ourselves rather than download drama, movie or something. Also, in fact, we don't have to reveal our whole life to all of my friends. Especially, we don't have so much 'real friends' like 1000! Maybe..we just have 3 or 4... real friends. :)

Charlie Sheen

"I'm tired of pretending I'm not special. I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total bitchin' rock star from Mars."

“I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body." – Charlie Sheen

It is incredibly sad and disturbing to see the media exploit Charlie Sheen. He clearly needs help yet networks only care about booking him for an interview so they could bring in money. Lady Gaga recently said in an interview with Anderson Cooper that people want to see her fail. “They want to see me fail. They want to see me fall on stage. They want to see me vomiting out of a nightclub. Isn’t that the age we live in?” They will build her up and make her feel like the greatest person on earth who can do no wrong. Once she slips up, the media will destroy her. The media hasn’t just done this with Charlie Sheen or Lady Gaga. The media constantly rips on people like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. These are people who have serious issues yet everyone finds enjoyment in making fun of them. They have serious addictions to drugs and alcohol and mental issues but the media does not care. Living in Hollywood is not doing them any favors.

Charlie Sheen is not in the right state of mind and has stated many times he is going to embrace this “rock star life.” If he does not attempt to get clean, he will end up dead. The media will then talk about how terrible it was that he never completely got sober and feel sorry for him and his family, yet the media contributed to his downfall. They are the ones that are encouraging him to do interviews. They are the ones who are building him up and are waiting for that notice that he lost his battle with drugs and alcohol.

I attached these videos of Craig Ferguson talking about Britney Spears a few years ago and Charlie Sheen Monday night. Craig Ferguson himself personally struggled with his addictions to drugs and alcohol and was actually going to commit suicide but went to a bar before hand to have a drink. He got so drunk that he forgot to kill himself. He has been sober ever since then and has gone on to be incredibly successful.

Blue Monday

Especially, many people feel more tiresome on Monday. In wikipedia, Blue Monday is a name given to a date stated, as part of a publicity campaign by Sky Travel, to be the most depressing day of the year.

This date was published in a press release under the name of Cliff Arnall, at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, a Further Education centre attached toCardiff University. Guardian columnist Dr. Ben Goldacre reported that the press release was delivered substantially pre-written to a number of academics by public relations agency Porter Novelli, who offered them money to put their names to it.^[1] The Guardian later printed a statement from Cardiff University distancing themselves from Arnall: "Cardiff University has asked us to point out that Cliff Arnall... was a former part-time tutor at the university but left in February."^[2]

Anyway, what is written in wikipidia, it's really happen on Monday. I believe that many people feel more happy on Friday night than Sunday night. It's very similar that many students feel more happy on before vacation than end of vacation day. Every monday on stonybrook, it's always rainy outside. It's little weird blue monday connected with rainy monday, but still, i believe it has relevance more than a 5 percentage:)

Oneday, I had heard about friday weather like ; it's always rainy or cloudy; but i'm totally forgot about that. The theory was relavance with people's movement; people always move busy and busy on monday to friday so that make more dust in the air so usually on weekends ; there are bad weather! I'm not sure about this theory but...true or not- blue monday is really happend to all of us!

It's AMAZING!!!!!!

This is my first time to use max/msp in my computer!!!
How it's cool and amazing!!!
American Decameron takes place in Italy, Florence, and the time is 15 century.
Therefore, I chose Renaissance Italian music.

For the project, American Decameron, our team will use this amazing technology to make combination with actors, musicians, and the space!!!
I was sooooooo exited today!!!!

Different between Korea and America

This semster is first and last for me in USA. I'm already senior in my university, but in Stony Brook it's little difficult for enrollment, health insurance, etc. It's like i'm go back when i was freshman 2008. Stony brook university system is little different with ours.

In Ewha womans university there's just a few pre-requsite course. For example we can enroll sophomore course prior to freshman course. That is totally sutdent's choice! Maybe there are some trouble for the student who choose difficult course, but it's all students' handle with. I believe that it is more convenient for student. In Stony brook university we have a lot of course all pre-requiste like domino. If we haven't attend freshman course, we can't access next course. In some perspective, it is right , but there are always exceptional.

If a student already know about 'Korean language' , she or he doesn't have to take 'basic elementary' course. But in Stony brook system. the student have to enroll first class. Of course, there are some ways she can handle it, if she visit administration center or center of college, but it's such a burden! Moreover, if other sutdents enroll that course, so that the course is full, she can't enroll what she wants to take!