Monday, June 8, 2009

Leverage ( Great for Entertainment, Bad for the Sleeper Curve)


Leverage
is a show of comedy, suspense, drama, romance, sarcasm, tactics and wit. The show provides entertainment to a more mature crowd because of some of the content within the show. However, all around the show I feel is great and entertaining, because you can just watch it and not have a care in the world. Leverage does at a lot of things as far as media is concern, but the idea behind the concept of the show does not support Johnson’s argument of the Sleeper Curve.


The show that I am following is no doubt a very ingenious show, because it supports the idea that in order to do good one must do bad. However it does not challenge the mind, and go along with Johnsons’ idea of the Sleeper Curve. In this show it is more of a how we do what is done opposed to the typical show where one is trying to figure out the motive of a person. There is no typical “whodunit” it, or mystery or suspense that has you thinking each turns of the movie and just when you think that you have figured it out there is a twist to it. The show is pretty much based the same way each time something is stolen or lost and it is up to this team to go in and retrieve it.


Leverage is the modern day version of the show the A-team, it is based on an ex-insurance investigator named Nathan, who is wrongfully done by his insurance company (that he works for), when his dying son needs surgery, but the same company refuses to provide coverage for it. Nathan soon leaves the company to; and is connected and leads a team of vigilantes, doing good deeds for people all across the world, after the government refuses to help them. The motto of the team is they provide, leverage (a push to get over the top) when no one else is there to help to them. What makes this show interesting is that each one of the characters has a different trait to add to the benefit of the team. You have: Elliot which is the muscles of the team, Parker is the sneaky one, she can get in and out of an environment without no one even knowing, Hardison the computer whiz if it has a something to do with computers he can work with it, Sophie is the actor she poses as the undercover person to infiltrate what it is they need to, and last is Nathan he the brains behind the operation he provides the plan for the teams so mission to go as smooth as possible.


Johnsons’ idea of the Sleeper Curve is that the media as well as technology is actually making us smarter opposed to the present day stereotype: That the media and technology is hindering us from fulfilling our full potential as well as making us dumber, because the things that we are doing are taking little if no energy at all. Johnson's argument that today’s pop culture is making us smarter, I feel is indeed correct, but I feel that in order for that statement to be true the mind has to be challenged to new heights and that is what today’s pop culture is doing. Over time popular culture has made a tremendous transition it went from the media being a useless waste of time to becoming a new era of learning. Technology is the founding father of that idea; things that we use in our everyday life such as: television, video games, the internet, cell phones, etc. are shaping our minds into becoming a more influential and smarter society. This idea is the “Sleeper Curve”.


Leverage
does take technology to new heights, because of the types of equipment that the characters use to help them succeed, but it does not support the argument of the Sleeper Curve, because the idea behind the show is not challenging. The basis of the show is someone usually of a richer background comes to the leverage team with a substantial amount of money in exchange for a retrieval of something very valuable to that person. There it is, you know exactly who took whatever it is that needs to get back, and you also know there motive for taking it (usually for money or some other type of personal gain). After those things are spoon fed to you the only thing to do, is just to watch the show and see exactly how the tactics that they use to get back whatever it is they need to. The show is very entertaining and it shines light to these actions, but unfortunately it does completely oppose the idea of the sleeper curve. Leverage is more of modern genre of shows that were set back in the fifties, where no one wanted a challenge when watching television they just wanted to be lazy and watch something on television.


Although Leverage is not the typical Law and Order, or C.S.I type of show that absolutely supports the Sleeper Curve it does support Johnson in other manners. In the book Everything Bad is Good for You, Johnson mention phrases in that exist in modern pop culture he mentions Multi-threading, and Flashing Arrows as well as character mapping. These ideas go into Johnson's argument of the sleeper curve.


Johnson talks about Multi-threading- a series of stories going on inside of the big story itself. Leverage provides a lot of these in throughout the episodes. One complex things about multi-threading is that it can go on during at the same episodes through the same scenes even at the same time and they can continue over a period of episodes; this usually leads to joke or inside humor in a later show. Johnson argues that multi-threading is “the most acclaimed structural convention of modern television programming”. According to Johnson multi-threading started with the show Hill Street Blues, 1981 and has increased over time to a multiple story plotline show such as The Sopranos. Although this show has multiple threads, one might argue that it does support Johnson’s argument; I however do not feel that way because the idea behind Johnson’s argument is that these ideas challenge our mind but in my opinion this rule causes for an exception.


Flashing Arrows are another thing that Johnson brings up in the book. A flashing arrow is a symbol that alerts us when something bad or very dramatic is about to happen, this idea helps shape the Sleeper Curve because the fewer flashing arrows the better because in a sense they help us think about what could possibly happen next. Leverage fails to make these apart of the show because of the story plot line. The Flashing Arrows are very subtle and one usually could not notice them. This makes it hard for one to put together the fact something is about to happen.


Even though my show does provides one these two huge components of Johnson's argument I feel it is still none the less not a very good argument of the Sleeper Curve. My show supports modern society ideas that television just makes us lazy because there is no thinking or effort in to watching someone do something and all you have to do is stand there and watch.


I do agree with the whole idea of the Sleeper Curve but not with the idea that Leverage supports it. The show is fun to watch at the times of being lazy or not feeling up to the idea of putting your mind to use, but what does that get us? Johnson's argument is not to get us to use more media but simply justify the fact that a lot of present day pop culture media is making is improving our intelligence, but as far as supporting Johnson’s argument unfortunately my show does not.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Last of a Dying Breed

Besides instant messaging, blogging is the most essential way to communicate through the web. Blogging is one of many tools that some just picks up by surfing on the web. In my case blogging is something I just walked into by attending college.


Over the course of my winter quarter my English class was asked to do something that most of us has never done - -blogging. I never knew what blogging was, meant, or its purpose until this quarter. When we were asked to blog it was about anything we wanted, but the catch was that we had to stick to only one subject. Blogging alone seemed difficult but sticking to one topic seemed impossible, especially for someone who has never blogged before.


A lot of people don’t understand the true meaning of online communication; besides e-mail, facebook, and MySpace many people have never did real online communication. That is what blogging is here blogging fills that gap between just gossiping online and actually writing something meaningful online.


Have you ever had so much to say and you just wanted a place to say it all without being interrupted? Are you the type, to always hold your tongue even when it’s something you really want to say? Or are you the type that feels lonely and unhappy. Blogging helps with a lot of these problems; it brings you out of a comfort zone and lets you step into a zone of comfort with other people that feel the same way you do.


There are millions of things to blog about from every day topics such as what should I wear, to bigger issues such as should I sell my house. Many feel that blogging is better than a journal that you can write down because more people are skeptical about letting other people read their most inner thoughts, but with blogging there is not to fear because you know that there are other people just like you. Sharing ideas helpful suggestions is one of the most affective aspects blogging; it gives feed back to a person that does not know exactly how to feel about a situation.

Take for instance blog Things That Piss Me Off. This is a blog that was posted by another college student. The author of this blog obviously had things bottled up amongst themselves that they felt they needed to get out. This blog posted by J Dent journeys us through a guy who sets out to tell us things that really gets under his skin. Although the blog is made for humor J Dent still informs us of things that are going in society; things that wrongfully done to someone, and how it just does not sit well with him.


Another example is from NYPrincess88. The blog titled Everyday Stress In My Life has a post called The Big Move tells us about a young girl from New York who has to move to Ohio and her transition is not a good one. She continues to tell us that she has been depressed and unhappy living in Columbus because it is not home, she further tells us that she feels lonely and unwanted. The author of this blog had no friends but blogging helped her express herself better than anything else could. Blogging is the silent friend that you can tell anything you want to and they will always be there to listen. Due to blogging the author of this blog is soon starting to get over her depression and starting to accept her new home.


My experience alone with blogging was better than I thought it would be. I myself learned things that I did not know. My grades and school have always been an important part of me. Though my transition from High School to College was rocky I thought I could manage it, I guess fate had a different objective for me. My grades began to slip and I began to fall behind in school; I was embarrassed about the whole a situation, and felt I could not tell anyone about it. Blogging was the only way I felt I could tell I felt and get it off my chest, so that I can proceed to do better in school.


Blogging has done things for me that people could not do, I always keep things bottled inside of me, but I learned that doing that hurts no one but me. It is a big stress reliever to blog (sort of like squeezing that toy and the eyes pop out), you discover a new hobby. Although blogging does not have to be about serious issues, sometimes people just want to talk about little things; regardless it is still helpful , fun and educational; three things of which I never thought I could have learned from this - -but I am glad that I did.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Guest Blogging response

My experience with guest blogging was pretty fun. It allowed me to step out of my zone and experience someone else’s just for fun. I don’t usually have a lot of trust in people to take control of my things especially a personal zone such as my blog but it gave me a different outlook about how people feel my blog could go.

When I was assigned to Ethan's blog I was wondering what the hell is a Post Secret. I tried looking at his old blog and getting clues from it…that didn’t work than I tried asking some of my friends…then I tried good ol’ goggle and it told me everything I need to know. (I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me before POST SECRETS…duh what was I thinking). When I started the blog it was easy I just searched for one that I could have the most fun and BAM! There it was: THE CHRIS BROWN AND RIHANNA STORY- did he really do it. That was golden I did not know what else to write so I just had fun with that one.

I like leaving my zone to allow someone else to come in for a short while and I like having new ideas whether they get used or not they are just little helpful hints that can get you by. Until next time…..GOOD DAY

"It was fun"

My experience with guest blogging was pretty fun. It allowed me to step out of my zone and experience someone else’s just for fun. I don’t usually have a lot of trust in people to take control of my things especially a personal zone such as my blog but it gave me a different outlook about how people feel my blog could go.

When I was assigned to Ethan's blog I was wondering what the hell is a Post Secret. I tried looking at his old blog and getting clues from it…that didn’t work than I tried asking some of my friends…then I tried good ol’ goggle and it told me everything I need to know. (I don’t know why it didn’t dawn on me before POST SECRETS…duh what was I thinking). When I started the blog it was easy I just searched for one that I could have the most fun and BAM! There it was: THE CHRIS BROWN AND RIHANNA STORY- did he really do it. That was golden I did not know what else to write so I just had fun with that one.

I like leaving my zone to allow someone else to come in for a short while and I like having new ideas whether they get used or not they are just little helpful hints that can get you by. Until next time…..GOOD DAY

Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Guest Blogging Experiment

It’s hard to believe this quarter is coming to an end quickly. Many of my fellow classmates have already scheduled for there classes for next quarter. We are about to be on our final week of scheduled classes then after that it’s finals week.

This week I am working to make sure I maintain my grades and getting ready for finals. We have to have forty five college credits to be considered a sophomore, so unlike high school I will have to study for my final exams. For finals week, I have two finals, one on Monday and one on Tuesday, leaving Wednesday and the rest of the week for me to have nothing to do. After finals week what many college students look forward to is spring break. So after Tuesday I will have nearly a week and a half to keep my mind off of school.

Many college students try to think of something to do during spring break such as going on a trip, partying or just relaxing. My grandmother haven’t seen her sister for a few years so my during spring break week my family was planning to go to Virginia, but my aunts house (where my family would have been staying) has just become occupied by her freeloading, nearly thirty year old daughter (who my aunt barely gets along with). So it looks like that trip will be canceled since my aunt’s daughter has no plans on going anywhere soon. So now I’m thinking of things I can do during spring break.

Friday, February 27, 2009

I made it

Man for the last (I would say about) two months I have been trying out for the baseball team here at Newark. A lot of people say i dont look like a baseball player; well guess what I am. Every tuesday and thursday i go to practice and play baseball. I like doing it cause it something to thats fun and take your mind off of school even though you are still doing it for school. and some of the best things are that I get 2 college credits for playing Hell Yeah I am in there. I also get my own jersey with my name in the back and every thing and if we win a championship i am getting one of them big rings that is going to stop and make everybody look oh yeah the good life.
Yesterday was finally the big day if we found if we made the team i aint going to lie i was nevervous as hell;but he finally told me that i made the team i was too geeked. Part of me had no doubt that i was going to make it but another part of me had a big doubt that i was going to make it but it doesn't matter because i went to practice and worked my ass off...and you know what "I made it BITCHES" ....LMAO. j/p(just playing) but 'til next time.

Friday, February 20, 2009

My response

In Christian's Blog he talks about how he as an audio project due soon and he just finished a major part in that. Now to him it may seem just as another project but to me that is cool I like and and enjoy stuff like that because of the simple fact that things like that are new to me; and I can enjoy new things.

He also goes and talks about how he is getting his job back which is always good for one thing: MONEY! Who doesnt love money, but I dont know too much about golf except that i am no good lol but I would still go out and try. I also personally think that is one of the best jobs to work outside in the sun and sometimes if he is lucky gets to drive the little go carts around i think they look fun in my opinion.

Last but not least he raises one of the legititmate points I have heard yet and that it is friday. Who doesn't love a good friday and I can think of one great thing about it NO DERECK lmao just playing, but until next time .