iPhone 4s

I recently got the chance to hold and somewhat use the iPhone 4s thanks to a friend.  I am very intrigued by Siri.  I believe that the iPhone is slowly advancing an idea about connectivity, and our ability to perform.  The problems with the ideas behind Apple lies not in their products, but in the users.  If people were able to focus, move on past their little insufficiencies, the world that Steve Jobs envisioned where a technology company provides clean, simple, easy to use and effective gadgets for aiding life, both in work and in play would come to fruition.  However, we are left with people not quite sure of the potential that their lives offer, because they are wrapped up in so many trivial and menial pieces of life.  If everything were perfect, as in a non ever-expanding population that will deplete the world of it's resources and beauty unless we successfully implement living n other planets or somehow manage to start farming off-world, Steve Jobs would indeed have created the perfect concept of devices for aiding us in our everyday life.  It is nearly impossible to have a perfect world however - because people aren't perfect.  I guess we all have to accept that, no matter how much we hate to.

This is the video for the new iPhone 4s.  Some people I know think that I'm just following the "bandwagon" of the tech world.  A world where we go all goo-goo over a pretty new device and buy it right up just because we can.  Is the the case?  Or is it that I see a better world through owning an Apple product?  Maybe I envision myself being able to live better, more productively and efficiently through a device like this?  Whatever you believe, whether you feel that Apple is continuing to create some of the best widgets and gadgets out there, or that they are merely a bunch of cult-like, mindless people following a trend because things are "shiny" or because we just can...  Apple has been grossing some of the biggest numbers in the tech industry on all of their devices.  Bandwagon?  I'm inclined to think it's more about success...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf0EgDHG8FQ

Legend of dancing? I'm in... Now to find some funding.

This is a performance happening next year.  I'm extremely intrigued to go to it - and it excites me that I might go.  I will have to check my competition schedule though, because the time of year this happens is the same time of year practicing and competing is most intense for ballroom dancing.

http://www.dancelegends.com/

Here's a post

Because I haven't made one in a little while...  I found this quite amusing.  This is a Shakespeare insult kit...

On media use

It's amazing just how much time we spend utilizing various different media channels.  For my electronic media class, we were given an assignment that required us to journal our media usage.  Here are the graphs from my project.

I surprised myself with these statistics, though I also feel that somehow I didn't get all of my radio hours clocked due to being in the tractor a lot on the particular week I was graphing.  This was the week we harvested our corn with the silage chopper.

It was an intriguing assingment.  It made me think and wonder - how do other people, who may or may not be less active or less busy.  And, how many people break up there work day on the internet, spending time on facebook, or some other social media sites?  I am not sure yet whether to be worried or optimistic about the answers to these questions.  I'm currently doing research for another presentation in this class, focusing on the effects of social media on society.  I already have read a lot about how video games affect the youth of today - violence, sexuality exploitation, changing social norms.  And in my media class we are discussing how it's all about the advertising or selling dollar.  It's all about making the consumer think they have wanted the product, as my econ class is telling me.  The movie Middle Men did a good job of demonstrating how a multi-billion dollar industry can revolutionize and take over a technology, and how it's turned around the world in different ways.  If you take the fact that it was adult entertainment out of the equation, it really was impressive the way a few people revolutionized an industry, and have now set the standard for selling non-pornographic material.  Amazon, Ebay, very nearly every dot com website out there - has everything they now owe to that industry.  Not only do companies benefit, but consumers have benefited not only from anonymity, but also the ease of ordering.  And who can forget that Fedex and UPS have benefitted too!  It's sadly all about the physical materials, the books and the toys, the nooks and the traveling joys!  We can venture around the world and purchase what we need thanks to the credit card.  We can also complete transactions back home while we explore new lands, mobilize armies with the push of the button - it's all very big, in so many ways.  And it touches us all in so many ways.  The thing to think about is not how it will positively or negatively impact our world, though.  I think these are important things to consider and talk about and discuss, however - what we have to do is to use these new ways of living to our advantage, and to make the world a better place.  We have to come to these resolutions and move past wondering if we are doing the right thing by using the internet.  We already have it embedded in our everyday life.  Now we have to use it for good, to transmit knowledge that will help us live more economically and environmentally soundly.  Today there is a need to pay attention to all the different happenings in the world, to be up on the news, to advocate people to express their intelligent opinions and ideas that they have.  Only now, with our super-connectivity can we truly begin to have a global world where people can convene and come together sharing the best of the best.  "when an elderly scientist says that something is possible, it most likely is.  When that scientist says something is impossible, he probably is wrong."  This paraphrasing comes from the first chapter of "Physics of the Impossible," a book that presents in a scientific fashion the science behind star trek and other science fiction movies and television shows.  I feel that this statement covers what I have just stated so well.  While we have many people telling us what is possible, with the internet we now have the chance to make the impossible, possible.

Something anyone can tell about me is that I'm a big fan of dancing - specifically, ballroom dance.  Ballroom dance has numerous attributes going for it that makes if my favorite dances to do either socially or competitively - socially, because there is so many different genres of music that can be played and still be danced to in some fashion.  Surprising, some of the styles that match to the music.  Many modern pop songs are latin (usually cha cha cha or samba) dances, and for this reason those dances are some of my favorite to do.  However, due to the flexibility of the West Coast swing, it too can be danced to these songs and has become my favorite social dance to go "out on the town" doing.  As I have gained freedom and mobility through owning a car, a new world has been opened up for me in the past two years with my dancing.  Now able to experience the freedom of driving around and dancing wherever and whenever I can (time permitting), I have gained much understanding of myself and life through dancing.  There are some things about dancing that teach you how to be a better person.  To lead a woman, or anyone for that matter - but only after they have been consented to being led.  Many politicians could do wisely from learning to gain the trust of the people before they attempt to lead them.

In recent years, happily for me and many of my fellow collegiate competitors, ballroom dancing has been popularized through the use of the media.  Television shows such as American Idol, where the object is to find someone unknown and see that they have actual talent through auditions.  Shows for dancing, such as So You Think You Can Dance which is built upon the same premise.  Fun fact, my cousin is very close to a top ten finalist on said show.  Another show now on the scene for a long-running 13 seasons - Dancing with the Stars (or among those who know and love the show as I do and will throughout this post, DWTS).  It is a show in which stars volunteer to be dancers competing against one another with trained and experienced professionals whose median age is below 30.  These professionals have been champion dancers, having won competitions all over in ballroom dancing.  Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_with_the_Stars_(U.S._TV_series)

for more information.  To watch the latest showing, go to http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars and watch the latest episode.  These competitions have happily brought ballroom into the public eye as the amazing show and art that it is.

My personal commentary on this show is this - not only has it achieved great success for those running and sponsoring the show, it has taken advantage of the modern reality tv show to a different level.  Since DWTS came out, at least one other show that I know of based on the same idea - Skating with the Stars (doing ice skating) has come out.  This particular show sounds slightly more dangerous than DWTS, however a few have pulled muscles and various bodily tissues through the course of 13 seasons.  However, injury isn't the focus of the show.  Demonstrating character, being an actor, being an athlete - as with all ballroom dancing, that's what this show is about.  Doing the best that you can, and rising from the bottom out of all odds.  It is a bit sad, however, that one couple gets eliminated right away.  It would be fairer if they had a performance, gained a baseline both with the audience and the judges, and went from there.  This way, everyone would have an equal chance to improve.

From a spectator stand-point, it is a very easy show to watch.  Sadly, like all shows today there are commercial breaks every few minutes, however this does allow the cast to set up and prepare before each show, making even live performances seem perfectly done despite the few mistakes and bungles that the stars often make.  I feel that more people should watch this show, not because I want the advertising dollars to be important, rather this show is, if one has to watch tv, better than others.  The television has taken over the lives of many today, and yet few programs that play not only too the modern media's viewership, and to old-fashioned sensibilities of respect, non-violence, and athletic ability as well.  These few attributes are what makes watching Dancing With The Stars at least somewhat worthwhile.

And for those of you

Who are asking what on Earth the reason to have high-waisted, form fitting pants is - they're comfortable, and for competition they help make your legs seem longer.  Also they define the technique of the dancer better by fitting well and looking good.  Now, I'm not saying I want this fashion to be in everyday style - it would loose its panache.  However, please don't think we are wearing these pants because we are gay - few ballroom dancers are gay.  Well.  relatively speaking...

http://marisawright.hubpages.com/hub/Mens-Dancewear-Ballroom

This link helps understand these things a little better.

Latin pants - they're cool. And you know it.

Just what ^ that says :D

Get in shape USA!

http://ballroomdanceronline.com/how-to-get-in-shape-with-ballroom-dancing.html


So people.  Get in shape.  Learn something new.  And become motivated to meet new people, see new places, open new worlds, and most importantly - find your inner self.  Anyone can dance, it's just that we don't always know what dance it is we can do...

Just found another good video

Of professional dancers.  This one includes some impressive action to the music of Michael Jackson, automatically making it cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j-eUGgD42A&feature=related

Please watch this.  You will be amazed.  And see where I only wish I could be one day...  If only I had more time in my life...

A word about connection

Connection is something that dancers know well.  It is how the man and woman keep from crashing into other dancers.  Connection is what keeps a couple moving sharply and together - to the music!  But what is this connection's importance in the non-ballroom floor.  I feel it is important for people to connect both emotionally and physically in many ways.  Have you ever been having a bad day, and someone gives you a hug?  Or you have a really good conversation with someone who knows you and who cares about you?  You will feel better about yourself and your day.  This I feel comes from the personal value of connection. A bond with someone is powerful, and potentially dangerous depending on the situation.  But it's very important that we have those relationships, that we have those ties to someone else.  It helps to keep us moving, motivated, and encouraged about our own lives.  Without a connection to someone, anyone, we truly have no purpose to our lives.  Our actions won't mean anything unless other people take note, and to have someone to support us and talk to us  that knows us is even more important.  We could be Ghandi, but unless we have someone that not only cares about us and looks to us as we look to them - our grand actions will mean very little.  It is the respect and love we have for one another as humans that helps encourage us through out lives.  Think about you life.  Now I leave you with this question, to encourage you to be friends to someone, to have you care about them whatever and whoever they are.  Remember that it doesn't matter who they are or what they do.   As long as you believe them to be a good person inside, you can be there friend.  Being their friend doesn't mean that you hang out with them for everything that you or they do - sometimes that's not what your friendship needs to be about.  But certainly, talk to them get to know them, and be there friend and support them.  Hopefully you choose your friends such that they support you too.  But think of this - if you were the only person in the world, as the biblical story of Adam depicts.  Would you want to live without any other person around?  For example, if you just woke up and everyone was gone.  Would you try to search for someone out there?  Or would you give up and off yourself?  Or maybe - you'd make do with what was left in hope of them returning.  Whatever the answer to these questions, remember that tomorrow you may be gone - or those you love might be gone.  So keep that in mind when you turn someone down to play a video game or something else that probably doesn't need to be done.  Pay attention to those around you.  Don't let them become invisible.  And remember that sometimes you have to take some effort to get somewhere in life, whether for a job or to establish a link with someone that you feel a connection too.

Hahahahahaha.... DANCE.

As I go through life, I seem to be happily meeting people - new people to talk to, to learn new things from and about.  One way I often meet people anymore is through my dancing.  As I intend to head up to Boston MA this weekend, I hope to meet a few more people through dancing.  Recently I had the privilege of meeting someone new.  Hopefully a lasting dance partner, unlike those from previous times who have parted my company on the ballroom floor for one reason or another.  This young lady is currently studying in Baltimore at one of the many colleges in Towson, MD.  Appearing rather late in the latin class at the John's Hopkins University ballroom team's tuesday night intermediate and advanced lessons, she came in with confidence and quite the technique level.  I have now happily since then practiced with her over the weekend, and optimistic about this partnership.  We have fairly good floor chemistry, with her strong connection and my strong lead.  This is promising :)

Haha...

http://tosh.comedycentral.com/blog/2011/10/03/behind-every-great-woman/

If I had an older sister I would have been this same kid.