Cartoon Analysis Compare & Contrast

I found this cartoon on the inernet and I am comparing and contrasting it to the cartoon on page 172 of "What Materrs in America" in which I could not find online to display. Both of the cartoons are media and technology related. This cartoon expreses how teens are so addicted to facebook and social netorks and a broader idea, media. In the other cartoon, it's expressing how violence in the media affects people, and how it adds "fear" to peoples lives. Both of the comics were done by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman based on the comic Zits, and shows how media has an impact on peoples lives in a negative way.

Book Review

The novel I read, "Starry, Starry Night," by Lurlene McDaniel, was published on september 13, 2011 by Random House Digital, Inc and contains 272 pages. The novel is a three story book that gives you a touching experience,  and you feel the struggle these young teens go through and how they overcome them.  In the opening story, "Christmas Child," 15-year-old Melanie feels cheated when her baby sister, born during the holidays, lives only a few hours. But the baby's brief life shows Melanie the lasting value of love. Brenda struggles between noble intentions and earthier desires when she becomes a dying boy's final chance for happiness in "Last Dance." In my favorite story, the closing story, "Kathy's Life," presents a 16-year-old who appears to have it all. Kathy is beautiful, intelligent, and has the perfect job as a live-in caretaker for a couple's baby boy. But not everything is as perfect as it seems. Kathy gives up the one person she loves most in the world, her child Christian to a couple that wants to adopt. This was my favorite story because it shows the struggles a teen mom has to go through in order to make the right decision for her baby. I couldn't imagine having to give up my child, especially at a young age. " Christian can have a wonderful life now. I love him but I am just not at the time in my life where I can raise a baby. He will forever be in my heart." Says Kathy. This quote really shows the maturity Kathy has and the love she has for her baby, Christian. She is willing to do anything to make sure her child has a good life, even if it means spending it with someone else. You will be inspired, enlightened, and comforted by these moving stories that depict the many kinds of love in the world. I highly reccomend this book because every novel that the author, Lurlene McDaniel has wrote, I have absolutely loved! Her books have a way of keeping you in intrested throughout the whole book, and leaves you wanting more. If you love romantic, adventurous, touching novels, this author and book is the one for you!!!

Does Money= Happiness?

I personally don't think that money equals happiness. Does money relieve alot financial stress from people's lives? ....ofcourse, but when you get the meaning of true happiness it has nothing to do with money. You could be a billionarie and still be lacking happiness. Alot of people who are famous have tons of money, but still have no happiness. Happiness comes from the heart, and to me family and the joy of love brings the greatest happiness. Growing up, I never really had alot of money in my family, but my dad did the best he could, and brought me so much joy to my life that money never really mattered because we had eachother. So money isn't everything. It's more of a want than a need, and yes, is nice to have, but we people over look the finer things in life when it comes to happiness. Money does not equal happiness. Love is the greatest treasure we hold when it comes to happiness, we just have to find it.

You Decide

When my partner, Devin A, and I worked together to decide whether or not the video game image should be the homepage image, it wasn't very difficult at all. We both strongly agreed that specific images are targeted to a general audience and ones maturity level is highly influenced by what a person considers to be right and wrong. If an image is there to support the advertisement of a game, it is okay because their intentions are to portray a visual idea of the game for use of entertainment, not to represent acts of violence being okay.

        We believe video games are definitely a form of entertainment. The video game image in our opinion had nothing violent about it. It looked more Sci- Fi if anything.  We agreed that the video game image would be appropriate to have on their homepage.  On the other hand, we argue that video games that involve violence are not going to put a psychological hold on the gamer to act out in violence. Video games like all media that has inappropriate images for young viewers,  have ratings. If you're a parent and you have a 6 year old who wants Call of Duty, and is rated M for mature, it would be in your best interest as a parent, to not buy that for your child. Kids at that age aren't mature enough to understand the difference between using your imagination to be aggressive in the game,  and  knowing that it's not ok in real life. It's definitely all about the audience and viewer. You need to know who is going to be the audience in order to judge whether or not the image or game would be appropriate.

PBS Culture Shock

  Me and my partner Devin A have decided that video games are a form of art because their visuals are created to entertain.  We did not find the video game image to be offensive or objectionable. The images were graphic but were not offensive, because I am at the maturity level to get the concept of the images. Would these images disturb a younger audience yes, because they are not at a maturity level to understand the material. Its all about the audience.  It wasn't difficult at all trying to figure out whether or not the image should be on the homepage, because the image showed no signs of violence to us. It looked more Sci-Fi to Devin and I, and we both agreed that it would be appropriate to have on the homepage.   Some of the quotes from the site did try and sway our decision.  They really do try and change your mind to feel strongly aginst the image, but they weren't strong enough to change Devin and I's opinion. No we don't believe that violent video games is an outlet for our aggression, because if anything it would antagonize the situation or their state of mind. We believe that their way of balancing violence in games is a way to entertain. Should little kids be playing violence games? No because they game organizations have and limits to gamers by ratings, and it is the people's responsibility to abide by those rules. 

Working as a group

Working as a group always has its pros and cons. The pros are you get different creative ideas and you get to know other students and connect with them on an educated level. The cons are its hard for most people to meet up togther, and some people end up sending information at the last minute so it can be frustrating. But overall, the pros over power the cons and it can be a really great experience.