I finally watched the film The Social Network, which is all about the start-up of the Facebookwebsite/company. I found it to be a really interesting movie. I am wondering how much of the story is fiction vs. non-fiction considering how unfavorably the film portrayed Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.
What did you guys and gals think of the movie? I think my favorite part of the movie was the soundtrack featuring original music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The film score actually won an Academy Award this year. Here is my favorite song from the movie:
Also, below is a hilarious Saturday Night Live video which features the lead actor of The Social Network and also a surprise guest appearance by Mark Zuckerberg.
I was really excited to discover that the Dalai Lama has an official account on the Twitter website!
Some background info on the Dalai Lama for those who may be interested: The 14th Dalai Lama is a peace-loving, Tibetan Buddhist monk who considers himself merely to be "an ordinary person" despite his extraordinary circumstances and huge influence/impact he has on millions around the globe. His words of wisdom and compassion have been an inspiration to people of different backgrounds/walks of life.
On his own website, more can be found about the Dalai Lama:
"His Holiness is both the temporal and the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the welfare of the Tibetan people, focusing on the survival of their identity, culture and religion."
His Tweets, rooted in Buddhist philosophies/teachings, provide great advice and encouragement:
"Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others is the ultimate source of success in life."
"As well as restraining ourselves from negative thoughts and emotions, we need to cultivate and reinforce our positive qualities."
They are great snippets to read at the start of the day or when you may be feeling a little "down" and need a mood-lifter. They are also helpful in aiding in ones own thinking and self-reflection, and can be found here at this website:
I think it is great that Buddhist monks are utilizing social media such as blogs, various Internet websites, etc. to modernize Buddhist teachings and to help make Buddhism more "mainstream" while at the same time trying not to stray too far from their traditions.
I will continue to look for other interesting/inspirational people to follow on Twitter.
Also, for any of you interested, here is a short video of the Dalai Lama speaking at the Stanford University campus about the importance of compassion and respect:
I just re-watched the TED Talks video from last Wednesday featuring guest speaker Seth Godin. I find it to be quite inspiring, really! He talks about how anyone can be a leader and it only takes a small group of "true believers" to get a movement going, and I definitely agree with his statement. If you just find a few other people who believe passionately about what you believe in, they are bound to tell and recruit others into the group (or what Godin referred to as "tribe") as well. Godin mentioned electronics leaders Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, two people who were both successful in leading others. I really liked how at the end he urges all of us to get out there and be leaders, too. He asks us to start a movement because it only takes 24 hours to do so. Considering the power of Facebook, it is completely possible. Facebook started out as being designed for only a small niche of society (specifically college students), but slowly, more and more and more people became curious and interested in the site and more and more people wanted to be a part of this social media movement.
Taking this class has helped me realize just how big a part of social media really is in our modern society, and how one person's small idea can turn into something bigger than they could have ever imagined.
Here is a link to another really interesting TED Talks video by same presenter Seth Godin:
I still cannot even believe what happened in Japan. The damaging is so incredibly devastating. It is reported that almost 2,000 people have been confirmed dead, and it is possible for the death toll to rise to nearly 10,000 people. It is so sad that these kinds of events happen in life.
The country has dealt with so much in the past few days, it is hard for one to even fathom: a tsunami, earthquakes, and now concerns surrounding the nuclear power plants and possible meltdowns. It is reported that radiation is leaking from one of the reactors in Fukushima and it is advised that residents evacuate within the 20-mile radius of the plant. It is said that the radiation level is quite high, and that the leakage can actually cause very serious health problems. As of now, people are advised to stay indoors.
Luckily, I saw on the news that 69 countries (including us, the U.S.), have volunteered to help out with this tragedy.
Thankfully, with the use of Facebook, Twitter, and cell phones, people have been able to reassure others that they are safe and also to find missing loved ones and friends. This is one example of how important and crucial technology is today. Many lives have been saved because of this. Because of this modern means of communication, people in Japan were able to contact others in regards to where food, water, and shelters could be found.
Also, because of cell phone cameras, people in Japan were able to document first-hand the events which were happening.
Here is a link to an ABC News article which speaks of how social media is helping in the crises in Japan right now.
Here is another great article which talks more about amateur journalists and their documentation of the ongoing tragedies occurring in Japan right now:
Even celebrities are utilizing social media to help make a positive impact in the world. Here is a link to a $5 bracelet you can buy which pop star Lady Gaga herself helped designed; ALL proceeds go to the Tsunami Relief Efforts.
I recently went shopping at Target with my brother and my father. In the electronics section, I was stunned to see Facebook gift cards are now available for consumer purchase. There are some Facebook gift cards valued at $50!
Here is a link to a USA Today article which speaks of this in greater detail:
I think that Facebook is slowly becoming more and more about making money than about helping people to connect with others. Personally, I would much rather have a friend buy me a real cupcake, one which exists in real life that I can actually eat as opposed to receiving a virtual cupcake as a gift that exists only on my Facebook page.
I thought that the TED video we watched in class last Wednesday brought up some really great points regarding the changing media and how advertisers view people in society. I think that maybe because of Facebook and other social networking sites, advertisers will finally start seeing people as individuals and not just easy-to-predict and stereotypical. I think that it is great that personal taste is now being respected, like what Johanna Blakley was talking about. It is important for advertisers to realize that each person is different. Race, gender, class, age, etc. are things which do not necessarily determine what an individual person likes. Any person can like the "Twilight" series. I know guys who really liked the "Twilight Saga" movies. I know a lot of girls who really dislike the movies and think they are "lame" or "cheesey." Many women over 50 read the "Twilight" books. Same thing applies to everything else in life. I am a girl but I really enjoy listening to heavy metal and playing video games like Guitar Hero. I even play racing games sometimes! It just depends on my mood, and I think this applies to everyone. Each person is different with different, unique tastes and interests. I do not believe that people can be judged and predicted based solely on the idea of demographics. I really like the idea of "Taste Communities" in which people bond and connect over common interests like TV shows, sports hobbies, etc. But I think advertisers still are trying assume what people like by putting us into little boxes and specific categories. Luckily, with social media, hopefully views of gender, age, race, and economic background will change for the better. I really do believe this is a step in the right direction for our society. I agree that it is creepy that advertisers will "monitor" our tastes, but at least they will think of us as individuals and not judge us by our ethnic background, age, or in other incredibly discriminatory forms.
This online education discussion has been very intriguing to me. I really liked the video we watched in class last week from TED.com. Come to think of it, all of the videos we have watched so far in class have been really interesting! :) I think that some really great points were brought up by Sir Ken Robinson on the Ted Talks video. I really liked how he mentioned that "human communities depend on a diversity of talent." I interpreted this as meaning that we all work interdependently, and each profession is an important component of the whole system. Workers who help build highways are just as important as the dentist who fills your cavity. We are all needed, no matter how big or how small of a job we have in the community.
Most importantly, I agree with Robinson's main thesis: we really do need a revolution in education. The high school drop-out rate is way too high and there are too many kids who are uninterested in education.
I can relate, though, because I, myself, was not completely happy with my high school experience. I wish high school had been more like college. Here at Sacramento State, we have a lot of interactive courses consisting of online activities to help students stay engaged and encouraged to participate, as well as an incredibly wide range of classes to choose from to meet students' individual interests. My college experience has been way, way better than my high school experience. I feel as though because of the very specific requirements for high schools in the California area, most of us have to take subjects we are really not passionate about or good at. This could be why so many high school students drop out, because they are forced to take specific classes which are too hard or classes which bore them, which is why we definitely need a revolution in education: SOON!
One of the main ways we can help revolutionize education (as suggested by Robinson) is with technology. He says that we can utilize virtual communities to connect students together and get them interested/involved in education again.
My mom is a site coordinator for after school programs and I volunteered a few times at her work last year. I was able to witness a great example of online learning. Kids sitting in a single room were able to learn from a worker at a museum in another part of the world (I think it may have been Canada) all about dinosaur bones. The children were fascinated and engaged by this type of learning. They eagerly raised their hands and were jumping out of their seats in order to participate and interact with the lecturer. Seeing a screen and being on camera, I think that the kids were much more excited and interested in learning. This was a really cool experience to witness and I am wondering if online communities really could be the future of education?
