Blue Store or Red Box

It isn't a mystery to me that people are now wanting an easier, more efficient way to rent and watch movies, rather then going to the video store. Personally, I am a user of Netflix and RedBox. Before I left for college I would occasionally visit our local Blockbuster, but that was before it went out of business! I feel that Netflix and RedBox are more easily assessable to the public, even if it may not offer as wide of a variety. One thing that I noticed with my local Redbox is that sometimes the movie selection isn't very good and some of the movies that they offer I have never heard of. But the plus about it is that the rental is only a dollar a night if you remember to return it the following day. But my all time favorite would probably be Netflix, especially since I didn't have cable for the first 3 months of my freshman year this past semester. Not only does Netflix allow you to watch your favorite movies, it also gives you the option to catch up on your most beloved TV shows and series. Recently I have started watching the first season of Pretty Little Liars and I'm absolutely in love! Another thing I like about Netflix is that rather then paying for each movie, you become a member on the site and create a profile and all you have to do is go in and pay a monthly balance of like 10 measly bucks! Overall, I feel like its a great deal! So glad that I have it in my life! 

Old Time Radio Shows

I've never really been one to listen to the radio at all, not even to listen to music. I have always felt that they over play songs and make them not fun to listen to anymore. One thing that I have never really explored are radio shows...its actually very intriguing to me. After listening to a few on the website provided for us, my interest sparked and I began to listen to more and more. I think my favorite by far would be the mystery ones. I have always loved mysteries since I was a little girl, and I can remember reading Nancy Drew books for the longest time. I think that the the way the radio hosts voice sounds has some nostalgic quality about it, as if we are in a time machine or something. I absolutely love it! 

Napster or iTunes

I don't really use either iTunes or Napster to download my music. Instead I use websites like 321hiphop.com and hotnewhiphop.com Both of these websites allow you to download all music for free. The only downside to these websites is that they are strictly one genre and nothing else. The only time I ever use iTunes is if I need to update my iPhone or transfer music I've downloaded onto my computer. Personally, I have always been an iTunes user, but honestly after doing some research on Napster, it seems like it could possibly be a better choice. One feature that is really nice that comes along with Napster is the fact that it has a streaming online radio that not only plays your favorite music, but it also pulls songs from your playlists and creates stations just for you! iTunes has a similar feature called genius, but has no streaming radio. Just by having this feature, I am tempted to try on Napster!

The End of Paper

Do I think that newspapers will completely go away? No. There are still too many old-fashioned people out there that would still prefer to read a hard copy rather then going online to read an article they are interested in. But what I do think will happen is that newspaper companies will start to want to revamp their paper and try to come up with new ways to make it seems more updated for those who enjoy reading the paper but are also looking for a new way to take in information. There are some people out there that just prefer the feeling of flipping through the pages of a newspaper rather then clicking on a link that takes them straight to the article of choice. I feel like there will always be a certain demand for print but that inevitably companies like the New York times and others will continue to lose followers as well as revenue. 

Banning Books

I honestly feel like the whole topic of banning books is quite ridiculous. Especially those that are banned within school and library settings. I can understand the reason why some adult figures would want to ban some material that is being published, but in all reality, students and children these days are going to be exposed to the type of information that they are ultimately trying to protect them from, one way or another, whether it be through the web, the television, or other print. I was honestly appalled at some of the books on the banned list for 2012 because I had read or heard of most all of them! I also believe that a lot of the time, the reasons for books being banned are almost exaggerated and are made into a bigger deal then need be. For example, take the Twilight series. Yes the storyline is about fictional vampires and a young girl who falls madly in love with one of them, but all in all its an imaginative love story about two young teens and was a mega hit across the world! I think that people trying to ban books like these need to pull the stick out of their butt and lighten up a bit, not all literature out there is bad and needs to be banned, just my opinion.

Poor Richard

After exploring some of  Benjamin's work, I came across a musing that I really liked. Here it is: "Well done is better then well said." The way that I interpreted his thoughts was that rather then talking about doing something, why not just put yourself out there and do it. It is better to do this because then at the end of the day, no one can really hold it against you. I feel like there are a lot of people in our world today that are all about the talk, but then at the end of the day aren't willing to produce results and do what said they were going to. 

Social Interaction

In my opinion, I truly believe that the Internet isolates people from reality but also opens up a new line of communication that allows people to interact in a positive way. I think that depending on why you are using the Internet and the things it offers to people really can effect people in different ways. For example, if you are socially awkward or something along those lines, you may use an online dating website or online chatroom to try and meet your future husband or wife. In a situation like this, I feel like the Internet is inhibiting this person from having real life experiences felt with meeting others face to face and using people skills necessary for life. I think the Internet allows people to become too comfortable not dealing with difficult situations like this one because it allows them to hide behind a computer screen, rather then having to speak with someone in person. On the opposite end of the continuum, I also feel that the Internet has been a great advancement for having the opportunity to communicate with people they may not otherwise get to without it. For example, Facebook, Twitter, and Skype have closed the gap between nations and has allowed people from other countries connect with people in the States. It also allows men deployed talk with their loved ones while being away. I think that all in all, the positives of the Internet and human interaction outweigh the negatives.