My three most influentual books are...

    The first book is called Wings by Aprilyne Pike. In this book a teenage girl finds herself to be different from her peers. But as this book shows being different is not an entirely bad thing.She accepted her true self and didn't try to fit herself into the mold. And because of that she became the envy of everyone. This book influenced me to be appreciative of my differences.

    The next book is called Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater. This book spoke of both love and heartache. It influenced me to believe that rejection may close one door but ultimately another one will open.

    The last book that has had an influence on me is titled Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton. It is mainly about a princess who is fighting for the stone of the Unseelie Court. On her path towards the throne she meets numerous shady characters. This urban fantasy/mystery book influenced me to be wary of people and their intentions. In conclusion this book has influenced me to evaluate my own friends to see if their genuine or users.

McLuhan's Theory

        I am going to theorize about a technological development, using McLuhan's theory of "Technological Determinism", and its four effects. The technolgy I'm talking about is the famous Apple Ipod.

               

        *The Ipod enhances your ability to listen to thousands of songs that you have downloaded anytime, anywhere. Also, the extra storage space it possesses and video features allow you to download TV shows, movies, and audio books.

                
         *It reverses simple conversation with strangers, because with an Ipod playing in your ears you are in your own world. In a sense, out of touch with reality.            

                
         *It retrieves old music. Most people usually tried to keep up with purchasing the newest CDs. Now that have an Ipod, you can have your favorite "oldies but goodies" again.                  
         
          *The Ipod makes CDs obsolete. You now have the ability to only listen to the songs that interest you. Why spend money on a CD to find you only like three tracks out of the eighteen on it. No more wasting money!                            

                    

            "We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us."  -Marshall McLuhan

                               

Media Autobiography

    My relationship with the eight types of mass media being studied in my class.


    Let's start with books. Books, books, books... definately not a fan. I start by reading many books all at once, then quit halfway. I end up overwhelming myself and losing interest. Newspapers are much more interesting because it covers current issues of the world that we live in. I personally enjoy reading the fashion and local crime section. Once in a while, I will recognize a name in the local crime section, like an old classmate getting caught robbing a store. Magazines and newspapers are similar because they are written in a condensed, easy-to-read format. I happen to love magazines. I especially love the fashion magazines that exist today, such as Vogue, Elle, and Cosmopolitan, to name a few. Movies are excellent as well. I just don't believe all the propaganda that I hear. If I ever feel like listening to some old classics, I ask my grandparents to put on some of their old records. These recordings comes from the 50's, and the sound that is produced from the record is a full and rich sound that CDs can't quite duplicate. Whatever mood I'm in, I can always find a music station on the radio to satisfy me. Growing up in Hawai'i, the most popular radio stations played local Hawaiian music. If I was ever in the mood to listen to rap music, the television was my only option living on the island. MTV was great for keeping me up-to-date with the newest rap artists. Today, I enjoy watching BET, VH1 and MTV2 on television to keep current with all types of music. Television is the easiest way to stay connected with today's issues. It is also a great way to get a good laugh. The internet is my favorite type of mass media; life is so much easier with the internet. Doing research online is quicker and more efficient because of search engines like google.com. It reduces my time searching in the local library and looking up books that are usually outdated. The internet is also a great way to contact important people and connect with potential job employers. Shopping is also something I enjoy doing online. It's convenient and open 24 hours a day!