Fear to Lose

Hello all!  I realize that there has been an abnormal gap in blog posts, but I’ve been a bit busy of late.  I was even working on a completely different post, but this caught my eye/attention more.  Plus I think it’s more of an interesting subject.  I know it really made my mind think and reflect on the past. Here’s to hoping that it does the same for you.

First off, I was just looking through social media when I stumbled across this picture. (I take no credit, not sure who originally posted it! I’m just showing it…again, not taking any credit, just talking about what it made me think of):

Just let this hit ya folks…

My first thoughts weren’t very deep to be honest.  But then I read the last comment, and my heart broke for that person.  You can physically feel their words, and how much pain they carry… This individuals comment provoked me to think about my recent relationship. To be exact, my though was, “So that’s why I have 155 pictures of my dog and only 10 or so of him…” And, in that relationship, it went both ways.

I challenge you all to analyze your camera roll and determine what you are most scared of loosing.

Of course, when I told one of my besties, she responded with, “Well I take a lot of selfies so…” and we laughed it off.  But then I got to thinking, and decided that this isn’t such a negative thing.

Pictures help us capture & remember a moment in time, a person’s face/expression, and so on.  Perhaps people who take lots of selfies are afraid of loosing themselves in this world. That feeling of being free and young and beautiful.  Feeling accomplished, silly, excited, sassy, etc.  The point is, instead of being self-absorbed (which could also be the case, just sayin’) having lots of pics of you could show that one cares about their state of mind, or wanting to remember that point in time.

What did this provoke you to think about? Do you agree with me?  Whatever your thoughts/opinions, don’t be afraid to share!

Hope this reaches you all in good health (both mentally and physically).  Until next time, ~V

Returning to the Web

Hello all!

I’m not sure if anyone is even still reading this blog, or if this is your first time on my website, but welcome! Please look around and leave a comment if you’ve got something you wish to say.

I know it’s been quite a while since I posted any blogs or other components, but I’m gonna strive to keep up with the blog this semester.  However, since I am no longer in the class that started this whole website, the blogs will be slightly different.  Which means that I’ll most likely be bringing light to my observations of the day.  So here goes nothing!

Okay, today’s thought from the middle of nowhere: a stranger’s kindness.

Earlier in the day I was in line to get my coffee (early classes require caffination) with my earbuds in, when out of the corner of my eye, a girl stopped beside me and asked me a question.  Now normally when my earbuds are in, I am jamming and tune everyone else out.  However, something about her made me pause my music and remove BOTH of my earbuds…  Y’all ready for what she said?

“What’s good here?”

To be frank, I was surprised she was talking to me.  I’m being completely serious, as I have been told many times that I’m not the most approachable.  A less polite way to say that is that I have a case of the resting b**** face.  Here’s a video that explains it.  Nevertheless, we began to converse and names were exchanged.  Fast-forwarding through all the “boring” details, I spent my hour break talking with a complete stranger, learning all about her.

During that hour we talked about why we chose our college, our majors, and even our high school experiences.  It didn’t matter that she was a sorority girl and me a Gosh Darn Independent (meaning I would not be in a sorority).  Heck, we even discussed boys and how approachable the other seemed.  I think this stemmed from a comment of mine containing surprise that she’d spoke to me, because normally people ignore me.

All in all, the conversation with her really boosted my self-confidence and I found my mood improved as I went to my next class.

—

Flashback to yesterday with me for a minute please.  Picture this: full lecture hall and the professor is talking ninety-to-nothing at the board.  There is a guy in a light blue shirt (LBS) on my left who is sound asleep, and has been for at least 15 minutes.  And since I am – or try to be – a good person, I nudged his foot so that he’d wake up and could get the notes (but also the professor had been looking our way for some time…)  LBS wakes up, glares at me, and then proceeds TO GO BACK TO SLEEP!  Honestly at this point, I was really hoping he’d get in trouble because that was a rude butt thing to do. Plus he was a frat guy, so he wasn’t helping their image in my eyes…

—

The reason I bring up yesterday, is that you never know how your actions – i.e. kindness – is going to be perceived.  Still, I believe we should all try to be more kind, or at least pause and think before we assume (because that makes an “ass out of you”).  My hope is that you have far more experiences like I did today, and less like the one yesterday.  Regardless, I hope this found you well and in good health.

As always, ~V

Remixing Learning

The American schooling system is one hot mess.  Instructors encourage independence but conformity is essential for success.  Standardized test scores are used to determine the amount of state funding a school may receive as well as a student’s progress.  But to reign myself back in, tests, by themselves, are not an adequate way to show how much one has learned.

It is a proven fact that people learn differently.  According to researchers, there are three ways in which people learn: auditory (hear), visual (see), and kinesthetic (touch).  As a personal example, my Mom is an example of a visual learner.  She often says, “See one, do one, teach one” when describing her learning process.  For me, I am unsure of which is my dominant learning type.  During a test, I am often able to picture exactly where the information is in my notes or remember the professor talking about the topic.  I suppose that makes me a visual learner as well.  However people learn in a combination of all three ways but have a preferred way of taking in information and/or skills.

People also test differently.  We all know that person that doesn’t do jack, but will ace the exam.  And, hopefully, we are not the opposite – the one that knows the material but cannot pass the exam.  Anxiety kicks in and even though you know you should not worry, you do.

Source: https://breakthestandard.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/testing-3/

Secondly, human error comes into play.  I cannot believe the amount of math exams I have taken that had no real solutions to the problems (but they were supposed to, the teachers did not check to see if the numbers worked).

What is your guy’s opinion on testing as a remix of how we learn? Let me know. ~V

Texting Lingo

With all the new technologies changing or influencing (remixing) our language, it is creating a problem in classrooms and even in the real world.  Teachers are upset that their students abbreviate simple words or use makeup words as if they were real.  Employers are upset that the people they are looking to hire cannot communicate effectively.  The root of this problem? Texting language.

This new form of language affects all people in society.  Whether one actively engages in it or not, one sees and hears the language every day.  And the constant exposure to the texting slang will ease itself into ones normal conversations/messages.

Now texting isn’t all bad, it’s just that the negative side effects are more noticeable/prominent.  I’ve briefly mentioned these earlier, so I will move onto the positives.  While there are positives to texting, they are often skipped over in favor of the negative.  One positive is: the suggestions that some devices have.  When you are texting, there may be a bar with suggested words or words that your phone predicts you are trying to type.  This can be helpful because it exposes one to different words, and a wide variety too.  Another positive to texting is the ingenuity that people have had to come up with the abbreviations.  My neighbor back home says it always pays to be lazy, because you create change. (Or something along those lines.  I’ve had to edit the story a bit.)  If you think about it, ‘lol,’ ‘jk,’ ‘brb,’ and ‘lmao’ are all shortcuts to longer phrases.  However, after a while they are beyond annoying and I personally don’t like it when people use them excessively.

So all in all, texting carries a negative connotation because of all the criticism by people in professional careers.  The bottom line is that texting does affect people’s vocabularies, but the person determines if texting is a negative or positive. ~V

Picture credits:

https://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/a/abbreviations.asp

Permission or Forgiveness

Today I’m asked to determine if there is a difference between stealing an idea and being inspired by it.  Specifically for when it comes to music remixes.  Now, there is a difference between outright stealing the song and taking inspiration from it.  The difference comes with how much the remix resembles the original song.  If the remix has no purpose, then I find I am most likely to categorize it as a knock-off of the original.  However, if the remix takes the originals idea and builds upon it, the remix now becomes valid.  Meaning that if the remix is a satire or builds upon the work it is fine and no feelings should be hurt.

For all that I’ve said, I also consider imitation a form of flattery.  If someone likes a lyric, beat, melody, bass line, whatever! and cannot think of a better way to phrase it, that is a high compliment.  Because out of all the words that compromise the English language, they felt yours conveyed the idea or theme they wanted.  I suppose there could be a comparison to a research essay and a direct quote from a source.  No one gets in trouble if the quote is cited correctly, the situation is relatable to other forms of media.

So, in the world of recording contracts and restrictions on lyrics, be careful which ideas you pull find inspiration from.  In my humble opinion, people are too uptight about their work.  They worry about losing money to other artists, or something else unnecessary.  Maybe I’m wrong but I’ve always heard that imitation is the best form of flattery.  Who knows… ~V

Picture credit:  http://www.gagbay.com/gag/funny_web_comics_you_should_see_the_sheet_music_for_skrillex_remixes-572651/

Specifically Music

Happy Thursday!!  Now that the formalities are out of the way, today’s blog is going to revolve around an assumption.  Now normally I don’t make a habit of assuming things, but for the sake of today’s prompt, let’s play this game.  As my readers, you know that remix is applicable to all forms of media and life, but most assume that remix is specific to music.  Because of this, it is safe to say that music is the most popular form of remix.

Perhaps this is because movies become outdated quicker than music does.  Think about it.  You may buy the movie and watch it, maybe 5 times, the rest of your life, but music!  Oh, music is everywhere!  Those songs will still be on your iPod or phone, unless you take the time to remove them.  Plus with the way our brains are wired, once we hear a song, we associate memories with it.  Years later when that song comes back on, the memories resurface.  Music also is quick to keep up with pop culture and trends, this lends music to be the most common recognizable form of remix.

My personal favorite musical remixes are: “Heartless,” “Holding Out For A Hero,” “House of the Rising Sun,” “Low,” “Wizard of Ahhhs,” and lastly, “Crowns & Thorns (Oceans).”  These aren’t even close to being all of them, but this is a vast range of remixes.  Feel free to click on the titles and see which ones you like, or don’t like.  Oh! Also, “Beethoven’s 5^th/Secrets” is a favorite for me while I am studying.

What are some of your favorite musical remixes? Let me know! Until next time, ~V

The ‘I’ in ‘Team’

Today, we are asked to think about how changing one player on a team affects the overall success of the team.  We’re also to take into consideration the various All-Star Games, what with bringing all the best players together and pitting them against each other.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010 — Bristol, CT — Studio A — SportsCenter on the Clock

First off, theoretically, one player should not make or break a team, but that isn’t the reality.  I think of the drafts as the checks and balances of the sports world.  Any who, teams become families.  Being constantly together creates a special type of bond, regardless of how you feel about them outside of the sport.  The team, when first put together, has to learn how everyone plays and what each is capable of.  Once this is established, the team functions as one.  However, when this is disturbed, say a player or two are traded, the whole system goes off line so to speak.  Here is where some teams are hurt and some are relatively unscathed.  The whole process of integrating styles of play has to take place again, or the new members have to adapt to the established system.  This can take time, which can hurt a team in the beginning of a season.

As far as the All-Star games go, these are just teams of the best of the best pitted against one another for the sake of entertainment.  And maybe to see who really is the most talented.  When the various players are brought together, they have to switch from being against them to thinking of them as teammates.  This can be quite the challenge, and results in a remix of those players thoughts and actions.  Plus the all the competing playing styles have to be combined.

That’s all I can think of for this prompt.  Hopefully, it was enough to answer the question and inspire thoughts. Until next time, ~V

Picture credits:

http://awfulannouncing.com/2012-articles/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-from-espns-1st-round-nfl-draft-coverage.html

http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/194758002013/_MLS_All-Star_Game/2013/Primary_Logo

Building A-New

Hmm…. A building that has been re-purposed or REMIXED…. I think I’ve got this. Back home there is this place called Union Station. Some of you know what I’m talking about. Some don’t. Look it up. It is an old train station in the heart of downtown Kansas City. On the Missouri side y’all.

Source: http://make48.com/speakers/

Union Station used to be this, well, train station when the rails were real popular. Part of the station still functions as such, but the majority of it is now a museum. It is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been!! The inside is every bit as decadent as Central Station in New York, but the feeling you get inside is completely different.

Lobby of station. Source: http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=224872

As I mentioned, most of the expansive building has been converted to museum rooms or rooms that hold traveling exhibits. Depending on the time of year, one can find something they want to see. For a while the Pirates, Cleopatra, King Tut, Dinosaurs, and numerous other exhibits made an appearance. Personally, I’ve been to the Pirates exhibit and it was way neat! Actors were walking around in period dress and talking in broken tongue. Oh! And the Princess Diana exhibit was there too. I didn’t get to go to see it, I’m still a little bummed.

Source: http://www.ksw1.50megs.com/photo_12.html

Also there is a place called Science City that is a giant playground in the basement. This is the only place that made science interesting to me. You can dig for dinosaur fossils, ride a sky-bike, land an airplane, and so much more. Science City is constantly being updated and is a must for any school field trip.

Do y’all know of any revamped buildings that are interesting to you?! Let me know if ya do! Until later, ~V

Religious Remix

Continuing with this course of questions that ask you to talk about yourself, today we are asked how religion has shaped us. Specifically, when religion remixes, how are we consequently remixed? However, a broader question is posed, so I will choose to answer that one: How has religion remixed itself?

It is my personal belief that religion continues to change. Just look at the current Pope and compare him to past Popes. At one point, religion was a big blanket that everyone was told to believe in. But gradually people began to decide for themselves what they believed. Thus the Church of England split, and now there were Catholics and Protestants! Isn’t that a nice little history lesson! And this line between faiths is still here today causing much conflict in countries like Ireland… Even the religious texts have been remixed to suit the specific branch of faith’s needs. Take for example, the Book of Mormon. The Mormons read/believe both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Plus, there are multiple versions of the Bible, for example the King James version and then the not-King James version. For some reason the King James version is the only one that comes to mind right now. But know that there are other versions.

Source:
http://www.christianuniversitiesonline.org/the-bible/

Sorry guys, I tried to make the picture bigger so you could read all the abbreviations, but it just keeps getting blurry. Here is the hyperlink to the picture if you are curious. It seems to me that religion has been remixed to suit ones needs. *Cough cough* at the King who split the Church of England so he could divorce his wife… And that religion has become more of a business and status symbol than I think it was intended to be.

All this effects me because it opens a whole world of possibilities where we have religions for everything you could possibly believe in. That leaves it up to me to figure out where I stand (if indeed I do stand somewhere in that grand scheme.) As with you, readers. If you’ve found where you stand great! If you haven’t….great! I think this answers the prompt… Until next week, ~V

On The Flip Side

Since my last post was about how my closest people have influenced me, today’s question is: How has my geography changed/influenced me? Hmm…. Well let’s start from the beginning. 

Source: http://www.scoop.it/t/ap-human-geography-by-christopher-l-story/p/4041818274/2015/04/20/scale-taught-in-comics

My roots are in a small pocket of Kansas City, Missouri (KSMO). This little area is sandwiched in between some of the wealthier areas, however holds its own. Full of hills and steep streets, the city somehow carved out room for fairly nice walking/running/biking trails. I can remember many trips on the trials (that spanned the city) with my mom and our dog. Especially to a certain ice-cream place, which is still my favorite! Looking back, I think this is where I get my love of being outside everyday, if even for a couple of minutes. I also think that smaller towns appeal to me because of having lived in that area of the big city. However, I also think that the Kansas terrain has affected me in equal parts.

Kansas is not flat. Can I just put that on the record? Geographically, our part of Kansas is full of hills and the consequent curvy roads. Which are equally as beautiful as straight roads. Can’t go having their feelings hurt! The open fields around our new town called to my need to escape, and often my windows were rolled down to catch the breeze even if there was a possibility of snow. The cold doesn’t affect me too much; I’d rather be cold than hot. I tend to need a space where I can go when I feel like I am drowning in work, problems, or drama. Natural spaces keep me grounded – keep me from feeling like a bug trapped under a microscope – which Kansas generously provided me.

As far as my college town changing me, that remains to be seen. Although I will say, the geography of the town did influence my decision to come here. And if I dig a little deeper, the open and wild lands were also motivation to join a club that was outdoors. I’m referring to how shotgun club is an outside activity and WWAAYY out in the country. “Country comfort” is an actual thing people. Until later, ~V