Response

Responses:

Music Mania Downloads - http://ccynthiatseng.blogspot.com/
Halo 3 Be Thy Name - http://paulenesaw.blogspot.com/
Your Footpring - http://samfendermonkey.blogspot.com/
Big Questions (BigThink) - http://academikz.blogspot.com/
Facebook and Education - http://manohwell.blogspot.com/
Are you a right click or an iBook flippa? - http://shiiinee.blogspot.com/

Are You a Right Clicka or an iBook Flippa?

Are You a Right Clicka or an iBook Flippa?

I think that PCs are better than Macs. They are more versatile and user-friendly. Mac is better to use for graphic designing, but other than that, PCs are much better. You can take them apart or start from scratch and build one on your own. Also, it its much harder to find accessories for a Mac. Most computer accessories you find in stores are made for PCs, and the Mac compatible accessories are very limited. There is so much hype over Macs, which is one of the main reasons why people seem to love them so much. Commercials are constantly being shown on TV, advertising mostly asethetics and rarely ever actual facts on the Mac. When Apple stores started showing up in local shopping malls, most students rushed over only to use the Mac's Photobooth application. It was the only thing they were interested in. Everything else seemed way too confusing. Even the mouse seemed extremely awkward to use. Moreover, Macs seem overpriced compared to PCs. PCs are just as sufficient for my needs, so I would much rather pay the cheaper price. Recently, the MacBook Air was released. Its sleek and slim look gained the attention of computer users over the world, but unfortunately, it came with many cons. They found that it had limited connectivity, and it was slower than other notebooks. The SSD hard-drive was also overpriced, and the battery could not be replaced. Although PCs are much less pretentious than any Mac, they are more reliable and efficient.

Facebook and Education ... a New Partnership?

Facebook and Education ... a New Partnership?

I think the university blew the situation out of proportion. Chris Avenir was not trying to do any harm by creating the group. He was merely trying to help his fellow students out. Students were not copying and pasting, plaigirisng other peoples work. They were just seeking extra help. The university should be congratulating the students for taking initiative with their studies, rather than punishing them. People have study groups at the library and at the comfort of their own homes, so an online study group on Facebook is no different. If anything, it makes things easier and more efficient. It gives more students a chance to share ideas and gain new insights on topics they would have not thought of on their own or without the online study group. I think Chris was right and the university was wrong. I'm sure they already realized that Facebook quickly became a ubiquitous tool for virtually every student in North America, and many other places around the world. It has and endless variety of applications, from pictures to notes to event calanders. It seemed inevitable that it would seep into campuses and schools one way or another.

Bigthink.com: Conversations about the BIG questions

Moby - What advice do you have for young artists?
http://www.bigthink.com/arts-culture/music/426
In this video, Moby talks about what it takes to be a musician. He says that you should be passionate about what you do, and to make music because you have an honest love of music. As easy as that may sound, I think many people struggle in life because they do not do what they really want to do. From the very beginning, we feel the pressure to succeed in life as a doctor or a lawyer or something practical and realistic. Lifestyles in music and the arts are hardly ever recognized or encouraged, because it is such a rare thing to succeed in. Moby says that even if you spend all your life making music but don't succeed, at least you lived your life doing something you love. The more you persist at it, the better you get, and the higher the chances of succeeding. Hard work and dilligence pay off. As a musician and aritst, you should not let yourself fall in to that stereotype of "sex, drugs, and rock n' roll". Musicians are also very educated people. He advises young artists to develop their knowledge on music history, because the more versatile your insight on different styles of music is, the more you can grow as a musician.
I think the concept of BigThink is a revolutionary thing to the Internet. People look at the Internet and websites such as YouTube just as something to have fun and play games, but with BigThink, people are becoming more educated and learning more about issues that concern themselves and the world around them.

Halo 3 By Thy Name

I think that video games are more entertaining than movies. I mostly believe that because video games are interactive, and allow the player to take control. Before, most video games used to be geared toward boys, with games such as Counter Strike and Grand Theft Auto. But now, the gaming industry has become more versatile, introducing games that cover a broad spectrum of interests. They have taken every day situations and turned them into video games. One of my favourite games, Cooking Mama, is based on one simple task: follow the instructions to cook your meal. You crack eggs, cut vegetables, and more, just like you would in real life. Even though this may seem to appeal to females only, it has been overwhelmingly accepted by both genders. Aside from games pertaining to cooking, there has been a tremendous demand in games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. People young and old have a chance to rock out to their favourite songs without even knowing how to play a real instrument. In addition to being an extremely fun game, it also sharpens your hand-eye coordination. Personally, I have a hard time keeping my focus on movies. Especially in movie theatres, the dark lights and comfortable chairs usually jsut make me want to go to sleep. Wi-fi tehnology also enhances the gaming experience. It enables you to play against people all around the world. With all of these features available in the gaming world, the entertainment seems to surpass that of any movies out there.

Music Mania Downloads

I feel that downloading anything you want generally should be acceptable. Most of the media I own was obtained through illegal downloading. Whether it's movies, songs, or software, you can be sure that I've downloaded it by violating some law. Even an artist's entire catalogue can be downloaded with a simple click. Although this may seem unfair to the artist or publisher, I believe that we have the right to do so. If we can easily go to the library and photocopy pages from a book, what makes downloading files so bad? After all, those movies and music were INTENDED for the fans to view/listen. Some artists are even promoting trading files amongst fellow fans. Radiohead recently released an album online, but instead of listing the price, they wanted the BUYER to decide how much they would pay. It seems ludicrous, but it's 100% real. Whether it's a few pennies or a few hundred bucks, you could obtain your copy of the album at any price. It seemed as though they were mocking the music industry and how they are making such a big deal out of illegal downloading. If Radiohead could release a whole album for the fraction of the price of a SINGLE song on iTunes ($.99), then why is it that the music industry cannot handle the other mp3s downloaded off the internet? Every time I hear a report on how the music industry is suffering from the negative effects of illegal downloading, it seems like a pity story trying to make people such as myself stop downloading. They put us to shame and make us seem like the bad guys. The music industry also carries some of that blame. If they feel ripped off by the way we take advantage of our resources, how do they think we, the fans, feel when we decide to go see our favourite band at a concert, only to find out that tickets are selling for $120+ EACH! I don't know about you, but $120 for 80 minutes of entertainment seems ridiculous to me. No wonder we are so hesitant to shell out the money for all of those songs and albums; we're bankrupt from all the cash we spent on concert tickets! Even the merchandise at the concerts is overpriced. With all of these marketing scams, it seems only fair that we should be able to download the music for free.

As for downloading software, I feel that we often have no other choice but to opt for illegal downloading. Very few of us have jobs and cannot afford the hundreds of dollars for software such as Photoshop/Illustrator for graphic design or FL Studio or Cubase for music recording/editing. I think that anyone complaining about the amount of money being lost due to illegal downloading should have seen this coming. Honestly, they are making customers pay way too much money for products. I'm sure we've all seen an interview of some humbling artist claiming "it's all about the music...it's all about the fans...!" Well, if it really is all about the music and fans, then there is nothing to worry about. The fans seem pretty content with the new downloading trend. It's a win-win for us and the music biz.

Your Footprint

My ecological footprint is 9. It is slightly above the average number in Canada. According to the quiz, if everyone lived like me, we would need 5 planets. That shocks me, because it shows that most Canadians, including myself, are taking advantage of the environment and its resources. It is evident that the Earth is suffering from the harmful actions of man. Pollution harms the ozone layer, and we tend to take advantage of all of the technological advances that over-use energy. Although we are aware of this problem, we don't do much to help. If I could change one thing about the way I live, it would be for my family to switch cars. We drive a Chevrolet Avalanche, which is half pick-up truck, half SUV. It's what you would call a "gas guzzler". Our second vehicle is also a pick-up truck and consumes a large amount of gas. In addition to being extremely pricey, the large amounts of gas being used are also damaging the Earth's ozone layer. Instead of driving two heavy duty vehicles, I think we could opt for a more eco-friendly car. For a family of 4, a small car would suffice as opposed to a giant truck. I think that the website is very helpful for bringing awareness on the Earth's dwindling environment because even though people are somewhat aware of how the Earth is being damaged, many are completely oblivious to the extent of the damage. If Canada's ecological footprint is really about 9, then it's obvious we do not have the 5 planets to accommodate our needs. If we continue to live the way we do, it won’t be soon before the Earth, and all of mankind, die out. Therefore, we must take drastic action to improve our faulty habits and fix the damage already done.