Chief Seattle

"The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?"
-Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle was a warrior, a leader, and an orator. I was very interested in Chief Seattle so I did some research, and really enjoyed it! He formed personal realationships with white settlers mainly to benefit and protect his people. The quote in the beginning of the blog is from a letter Chief Seattle wrote to the American Government in the 1800s. He uses the image of God to make a valid point to his arguments. He does not want to give up the land to the white settlers. To Chief Seattle and the Suquamish Indians, the land is holy to them. The ancestors of the indians shed their blood to protect the land. Chief Seattle finds it ridiculous for the US President to tromple over the land the indians have fought for.

I found Chief Seattle's letter a brilliant piece of work.

Reader and Kindle

Professor Moss posted an interesting blog about a new wireless reading device. There are some reading devices out on the market now, two of which are the Reader and Kindle. The growing technology is making it easier and easier everyday to obtain information. Having a small portable device to read a book or a newspaper is a very creative and innovative tool. I would consider getting a Kindle myself if the price goes down. I like the fact that Professor Moss added the comment about texture in her blog. I think it would be quite difficult to adjust to such a device. We were taught to hold a book in our hands and manually flip pages to continue reading. It will be interesting to see how I would be able to adapt to a Reader or Kindle. I am unsure if I rather have a book on paper or read a book through a wireless device. Most of my reading is done through the computer so having another wireless device to read information from will probably not be a major adjustment for me. I am curious to know what others think about a wireless reading device!

The Fork

When I think of a fork, art comes to mind. Besides using a fork as an eating utensil, people have opened their imaginations to create art. A fork has simple characteristics: sharp edges, plastic or metal, a handle, and prongs. Going beyond the obvious properties of a fork is what creates the art of a fork. Professor Moss and her love for forks and its impact gave me more insight in what a fork is all about. I browsed a few internet sites, and found these wonderful fork designs shown below. Enjoy!










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"http://www.jonco48.com/blog/fork_20art.jpg"






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The Impact of Technology

In class last week, we were asked to wander North Campus, at the UofM campus and interview people about technology. The questions asked were:
(1) Where do you go when you're seeking reliable information?
(2) Where do you get the news?
(3) Do you crosscheck information or make other effors to verify the information you recieve?
(4) Do your favorite news outlets give you a world perspective?
(5) Do you think we need more news sources than the ones we have already?

I interviewed 7 people and asked the questions I stated above. To generalize the overall response, the internet is the main avenue taken to obtain information. Why is the internet used so frequently? Are there other ways to obtain news and information more efficiently? The internet is growing exponentially, and many people find it very easy and quick to retrieve news and updates from the internet. A couple of responses to questions 1 and 2 were television. Many people said that they crosscheck information when researching on the internet. All seven people said that their news outlets can give them a world perspective or a local perspective. It depends on what you want to know, and what website or tv channel you wish to view. In today's day and age, we have many options in retrieving news and information. Everybody concluded by saying that we do not need any more news sources than the ones we have now. What sources do you use for obtaining news and information?

What The Internet is Offering

I stumbled upon a Time Magazine article involving DNA Testing. Websites are being made for people to get DNA tested and trace back ancestors. I think the creation of theses sites are great ways to find out information about you! The Internet is continuously growing and new creations like this are a great way to provide easier access to information. There is a fee to get DNA tested and to use the service, but of course people do have to make money. I think this is a great creation! What do you think?

Here is the article:
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1674623,00.html

Why is U of M so independent?

We discussed in class about posting class material and lectures for the public to use and learn from. Why is Michigan one of the schools who does not want information to be public. Our school is surrounded by intelligent minds, but it seems to me that many UofM students are here to achieve success for themselves and nobody else. Some top universities on the iTunes site are sharing lecture material and course material for the public to use, but Michigan is not! Why not make the ctools site public? Why not post lectures online for everyone to see? In my opinion, Michigan is very independent. I would love to see people share ideas and inventions so people can learn. The more information out there, the better!

Why do we blog?

A couple weeks ago Professor Moss was talking about why we blog, and why it is the main focus for the class. Once professor Moss told us how she thought blogging should be, the class was coming together, and it made sense to me. Posting blogs weekly or having a certain number of blogs per week is not the focus of the class. Trying to get the A grade in the class should not be the focus of your blogging and the ideas you come up with. When the class reaches its end, will blogging stop, and will you stop sharing ideas via blogging and other ways of communication? Professor Moss is trying to teach on how blogging and using all the technology we have will continue after the term passes. I have never blogged before I was enrolled in English 280, but now I ask myself will I ever stop blogging? I think this is a great way to share ideas to everybody who has access to the internet, and learn from others who blog as well.