Journal 2: And the Number One Genre Is…

                Movies fall into many different genres, including comedy, action, drama, and a few others. Out of all them, horror is my favorite genre. Horror movies make you jump out of your seat and cause your heart to pound within your chest. Throughout a great movie, you hide your face behind a pillow, blanket, your hand, or whatever else you have nearby. By the end of the movie, you find yourself leaving lights on in your house and checking around every corner to make sure nothing is there. The realistic graphics, phenomenal sound effects, and a great story plot are the key behind making a mediocre horror movie into a successful one.  “The Grudge” is a great example of a horror movie that leaves you a little more paranoid at night. The sound that the Grudge makes is unforgettable, and causes your hearing to be sharper, as you listen for it in your house. Also, the appearance of the Grudge, a distorted figure with long black hair, haunts the images in your head, and makes you feel like it’s lurking in every shadow. The adrenaline from the thrill and fear you feel after you watch a horror movie is what I love about it. It is amazing how just a movie can cause you to be afraid of the dark as if you were a child again, even if “it’s only a movie”.

Journal 1: The Bizarre Call

In his article “Winning Actually Isn’t the Only Thing”, David Maraniss explains a deeper meaning to Monday, September 24^th’s Packers vs. Seahawks game. Though he believes the replacement referees made a horrible call giving the Seattle Seahawks a touchdown instead of the obvious interception by the Green Bay Packers, he was more concerned and bothered by the reaction of Roger Goodell, Pete Carroll, the Seahawk’s coach, and Russell Wilson, the Seahawk’s quarterback. Goodell only thought about helping his “wealthy ownership clique”, making him hypocritical against his “for the good of the game” mantra. Maraniss is one of thousands of Packer and Badger fans, but feels if the Packers would have won the way the Seahawks did, they would have said something about the unfair call and, also, would not have acted as though they “pulled off a heroic feat”, as the Seahawks made it to be. 

                I absolutely agree with David Maraniss. I am no expert on football, but I could clearly tell that Jennings had intercepted the ball. When the refs announced the play as a touchdown for the Seahawks, I was enraged and in utter disbelief. The call was completely horrible and ridiculous. The Packers were so offended that they quickly left the field, and I don’t blame them; though if it were me, I would not have come back on the field. Even though I am a Packers fan, I am not bias. If the tables were turned and it was the Seahawks who were getting cheated, I would still believe the call to be unfair.

The Believing Game Part B

Different ways to communicate have been popping up left to right- instant messaging, texting, and now social networking. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with friends, as well as meet new ones. It allows people to communicate on their own time within their busy schedule, which makes it easier than sitting waiting for text messages or finding shared free-time to have a phone conversation web cam chat. This can strengthen relationships because people are able to talk to or keep in touch with others they normally would not or who are far away. The social networking site also, brings people together and allows you to meet new people, whether you meet from having common interests or from being a friend of a friend. So, if you need a better way to communicate and keep in touch with friends, or you just want to come across new people, Facebook is a great way of doing so.

The Believing Game Part A

The popularity of Facebook has sky rocketed in only a few years and now millions of people have an account on the social networking site. Between updating statuses, tagging others' pages, and obtaining hundreds of friends, whether they are “actually” a friend or not, Facebook has become one of the top ways to communicate. Unfortunately, the communication is not always the greatest. Not everyone you meet or are “friends” with may be who they really are. People, like sex offenders, have claimed many victims by making false accounts and hiding their true identity. Also, cyber bullying has become a big problem on the social networking site. By making a Facebook account, one is putting themselves out there in public. This could cause people to judge you, and, if they do not like what they see, start drama by name-calling and spreading rumors; especially between teenagers. So, why make yourself vulnerable and risk being a victim of bullying or online predators, when you can just call or text your “real” friends instead?