Internet

I remember when my teachers would tell me when I was way younger about how the Internet was going to completely change the world as we know it. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I see what they were trying to tell me. There is this massive global communication network that exists like a living breathing thing these days. You practically don't even have to leave your house anymore. The net is a rapidly evolving tool that has already changed the way we learn, do business and talk to each other. Social networking sites make it simple to communicate, for free, with many many people with almost no effort. Music is cheap and easy to obtain via downloads. If you understand how to use it, anyone can start a business or any type of organization with little effort. The net is a powerful organizing tool. I can only dream about five years from now.

Video Games

Videogames can be fun, but they are even worse than television as far as being able to waste countless hours doing it without actually accomplishing nothing. I remember playing "NBA Jams" on my Super Nintendo. I remember when the original Playstation came out. Look how far games have come today. XBOX 360, Playstation 3, and the Nintendo Wii. It's a whole new world compared to the good old days. I can barely keep up with the industry anymore. I haven't been a regular gamer for some time now, but the Nintendo Wii is pretty cool in my opinion. Something totally different that's for sure. I am pretty amazed with the broad demographic that video games appeal to these days. I never would have imagined that video games would come to the level that they are at today.

Group Presentaion

Doing research on Rolling Stone magazine was interesting. It was most interesting to see how much the magazine has changed over the years. It began as a rock and roll magazine and became a symbol of the counterculture. It has stuck to the same tried and true cover design for years. When you see a Rolling Stone today it is unmistakable. A pretty durable design. I don't read the magazine as much these days because it has gotten increasingly trendy but I used to love reading it when I was a kid. I still pick one up now and then because sometimes there is still a really good article in there from time to time. Sometimes I just see a cover that is great and I still can't resist. The "Rolling Stone Interview" is also a trademark of the magazine. Though it is primarily for entertainment, the magazine offers really good insight into the lives of some very interesting people. One perk of the project was that we did it during a presidential election cycle. The magazine also seems to have established itself as an important tool for reaching the younger generation. There were several covers that included one of the candidates or both. More Obama than McCain admittedly. Whatever it's shortcommings today, the magazine has established itself as one of our cultural institutions. That alone makes it something worth studying a little.

Television

The mass comm chapter about television was interesting because of how the medium evolved. Radio built the model that television was originally built on. Even so, I like how each medium has adapted and both exist these days. Television is crazy these days. I see stuff on t.v. that I never would see when I was a kid. I wonder what someone from the 1050's would think. They would probably faint. As much as I hate to admit it I really like watching t.v. sometimes. It's pretty entertaining and serves a very real purpose. It's great for lazy Saturday afternoons when you just want to relax. However, sometimes it can really get in the way. Sometimes you sit down to watch one show and three hour later your thinking "where did the day go?" I like t.v. but have to be careful that it doesn't get in the way of other things you want to do.

Radio

The chapter on Radio in the mass comm textbook was interesting. It seem to me that the radio listeners in my generation are few. Conventional radio I mean, not including Sirius or XM, though those are radio. I still like listening to the radio. I am a big fan of classic rock and in Durango there is a great radio station on 96.9 FM. It's great to listen to when you're driving. Plus they broadcast the syndicated show "Alice Cooper Nights" from 7 p.m. till midnight on weekdays. It's a great show if you like classic rock, not to mention that Alice Cooper is a pretty funny guy in my opinion. On the topic of Sirius and the like, it is good to see that radio is still popular. It is nice to listen to music you like and not know what's going to play next. It's great when a song you really like, or a good song that you've never heard before for that matter, comes on and you can't help but turn the radio up at lest a few notches. I hope radio lives long and prospers. That's all I can say about such a cool medium.