Blog #10- Finding a Controversial Topic

1. The Body Image Presented by the Media Promotes Disordered Eating
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010003228&mode=view


"The Body Image Presented by the Media Promotes Disordered Eating" by Jennifer Derenne and Eugene Beresin. Anorexia. Stefan Kiesbye, Ed. At Issue Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Jennifer Derenne and Eugene Beresin, "Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorder," Academic Psychiatry, May-June 2006. Copyright © 2006 Academic Psychiatry. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission.


Through time, the ideal body image type has altered greatly.  Women used to be wholesome and natural, never too thin.  What we see defined as beautiful in the media is often how we aspire to look ourselves.  Unfortunately, the media often features models and actors who are extremely thin.  Then, magazines often airbrush the celebrities featured to make them seem even more perfect.  Even dolls like Barbies, which are played with by young children, have a "perfectly" formed body. The idea of beauty portrayed in the media is causing a downfall of health, including eating disorders.  My stance is that i feel as though media influence and the idea of being perfect is stirring a lot of controversy and i don't think it is fair to portray beauty in a particular way.




2. Children and Divorce
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1991060700&type=hitlist&num=2


Jost, K., & Robinson, M. (1991, June 7). Children and divorce. CQ Researcher, 1, 349-368. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/


The divorce rate has increased and continues to increase through time.  It obviously causes distress on the parents, but children have strong negative side effects to the split as well.  I feel sternly about this topic because my parents are divorced, so i understand how it feels to be a child and witness the heartbreak of it all.  However, both of my parents are both much happier now, so i argue that divorce can have a good influence on children.  By seeing my parents happy and being able to spend time with them separately, i have grown closer to each of them.  Also, it has turned me into a more independent person and teaches me that people can not force themselves to stay married to decrease the chance of turmoil in a family.  If the parents are happy, it diffuses through everyone.  Therefore, despite the beliefs that parents should stay together for kids because of the negative psychological and behavioral effects it will have on the children, i have an argument against it.


3. College Costs Gone Wild
http://www.lexisnexis.com/hottopics/lnacademic/?shr=t&csi=224239&sr=HLEAD(College+costs+gone+wild)+and+date+is+May,%202011


(05/16/2011). "College costs gone wild". Investmentnews (New York, N.Y.) (1098-1837), 15 (20).


College costs keep rising, which will cause a significant debt among students from their student loans.  I think the idea of college costing more and more is unfair.  As an out of state student at a public university, I currently have to pay at least double the price that in-state students do.  On top of that, to get accepted to a state school when coming from out of state is a much more competitive process.  I think this process is extremely unfair.  Students come to college to gain success and hope to retrieve a career upon graduation.  However, no money will be made if the tuitions continue to rise because we will simply be paying off our debts instead. 

Blog #9: Compare/Contrast

Life Water vs. Vitamin Water

Both of these drinks are healthy alternatives to soda, and have a variety of colors and flavors.  But how does the design make them different?

Life water- Life water gives more of a animalistic feel.  With a lizard practically crawling up the bottle, it almost feels as though when you drink it you will be part of "life" or part of nature; hence, the name of the drink.  The bottle has curves in it, with the design like a twist.  This design almost gives the bottle a better grip-format, making the person drink more comfortably.  The colors on the drink look almost tie-dye and make the bottle look fun.  This bottle has a colorful, fun, innovative design.  The outside appearance of the drink covers the actual liquid itself so you can not see through the bottle.  There are many different elements to the bottle keeping the person drinking it interested.  The title of Life water is written across, with "life" bolded.

Vitamin Water- The design of Vitamin Water is extremely structured and simple.  With a wide shape it keeps a somewhat geometrical appearance.  Also, there is only three colors ever included in the design.   Usually it is black, white, and the color that matches the color of the drink.  The drink can be seen through the bottle, and that is where most of the color is shown, it is translucent unlike Life Water.  For newer zero calorie type of Vitamin Water, the colors vary.  Yet, the design is still simple.  Unlike the Life water, the colors are in one place and do not blend into a tie-dye form.  The text is easy to read and structured, and actually includes a humorous story.  Each flavor represents a part of health and the story goes along with that, keeping the person drinking it occupied and possibly laughing.  Also, opposite of Life Water, Vitamin Water is written up the side, with "vitamin" bolded.

Blog #8- Establishing merit and criteria for evaluations

Blackberry

1.     For my critical review I chose to evaluate a product.  I am evaluating the blackberry device/software.  It merits evaluation because it was a big phenomenon throughout my school, and the popularity remains on the Penn State community. The advanced technology of blackberry made it revolutionary, which also grants it merit.  With built in applications, and a soft-ware that appeals to both young adults and businessmen alike.  Also, new models of the device, as well as new software updates are coming out constantly which keep the product new.  However, I, and many other blackberry owners, are unhappy with he product as it constantly seems to freeze and have issues. Therefore, blackberries could also be classified as controversial.  For these reasons, blackberry gains merit for evaluation. 

2.     The category that this product falls in is a cell-phone device.  It is functional and valuable.  It is not cheap and it is even more expensive due to the media/network plans that are required to have with a phone.  I will compare it to an iPhone, because it is another big contender as a phone, and it is the top competitor in my opinion to a blackberry.  A droid is also another option for comparison.  Almost everyone I know that has had a blackberry now has an iPhone and has so many less issues.   I personally want to make the switch from blackberry to iPhone.

3.     Criteria:

a.     Is the messaging software good?  Bbm- Blackberry messenger is an application that seems interesting, yet it has issues.  Owners of this device can chat in an exclusive way by sharing one another’s pins.  However, many users don’t even use this application because its only slightly different than texting.  So many blackberry users have changed their phones too, leaving you with no bbm contacts.  People often times steal one another’s phones and send broadcast messages- which means they are sent to all contacts- and they are unnecessary and stupid.  Other times, they are fake warnings about the system shutting down or something.  Then everyone gets afraid and the warning message goes viral through blackberries.  Another issue with bbm is how it freezes easily due to the slow server. 

b.     Can it be used easily?  Frozen, overload of applications- I constantly have issues with my blackberry freezing. When locking my phone I used to have a password.  There were so many times I couldn’t even get into my phone without having to take the battery out and reload my phone.  Turning the phone on and off takes forever and I constantly have to do it.  Other times, my phone just freezes while I’m in the middle of doing something and it is extremely frustrating.

c.      Is it durable?  Easily broken- This past summer, my phone broke extremely easily.  It fell off a shelf and shattered, and then it didn’t turn back on.  I lost all of my contacts and had to get a new phone.  Another friend of mine who owns a blackberry had hers break because she walked with it in the rain.  The rain completely caused it to stop raining.  It seems like those who own blackberries have more than one because they are always having issues.

d.     Does it have extra applications that make it more worth the value?  Applications- The Blackberry has horoscope applications, music applications, and other random applications for our enjoyment, but they do not match well with the iPhone’s.  The iPhone now has more advanced technology and applications, allowing us to video call people from our phone or print something wirelessly from the phone.  These applications are compatible with those of a mac or an ipod, which also make them more useful in daily activities.  Blackberry applications do not have much use and they often times cost money.

e.     How does the appearance add to the phone?  Small screen- with all of the things to look at while using the phone internet, it is really difficult to accomplish these things on a small screen.  Blackberry users constantly have to scroll and zoom in order to see they’re entire message or page they are looking at.  

Blog #7- Blog Design

I would describe my original blog design as serene and peaceful.  This is the type of mood i like to give off when i write.  The blog is a great way to express our writing in a public journal, so it is important that the tone is set in a comfortable way for both me and my audience.  However, I don't think this is an ideal design for a blog.  When making it, i was exploring blogger for the first time and wanted a feminine, somewhat plain design.  I think though, that the font is a bit too light, which makes it difficult to read, and my design should stand-out more, yet stay professional and appeal to both genders.  The font has also changed throughout my blog entries which has angered me a bit and ruins the organizational flow.  It is definitely appropriate for a college student and a college class, but it does not define me.  As a writer, I see myself as a creative, emotional, and detailed story-teller.  Therefore, my design should be fun and unique to reflect who I am as a writer.   Currently, it accomplishes the purpose of adding “a bit of Morgan” to each story, along with setting a peaceful tone to the readers of each blog entry.  The purpose of my blog is to express myself within the assignments English 15 instructs us to do.  I express literary knowledge, insight, and opinions on each blog.  All of those elements are a huge component of who I am as a writer.  I love to write and I plan on improving my blog design to make it appeal to both my audience and me more than it currently does. 

I was a nerd in middle school.  I was known as a “xanga queen”.  That is another blogging website, and I was a queen because not only did I blog frequently, but I also made layouts.  I have always had a keen eye for design, but at the same time I do not consider myself to be an artistic person.  Nonetheless, I somehow knew how to use the html to design my own “layout.”  On this website I had no idea how to do that, so I just used a template and designed it with my favorite type of style: vintage/floral.  Inspired by Lily Pulitzer and her website along with the freepeople website.  Both websites are inviting in their own way, and as retail stores, they display their taste from the minute the page loads. Both of the websites have warm colors and a girly look, and I did the same thing with my redesigned page.  I was inspired by those two websites and my own personal style, to use a simple and floral layout with darker colors highlighting the important text.  This way, everything seems more organized and easier to read.  The changes I made will help others read it in a more organized way, and the website as a whole will be more inviting to its audience.  By going on my blog, “Diary of a Penn Stater” you can learn about me just based on the appearance.  Showing who I am before anyone gets to read I think will prove that I’m letting people into my world in a way.  My English 15 blog will be enhanced because it will seem like more of a public diary than a blog.  Hopefully people will enjoy reading what I have to share more now because of my new design. 

(before redesign)