I share too much information

So at first I wanted to talk about weird college courses and when I found the article I immediately post it on Facebook, along with the other blogs I wrote and what I did earlier this morning. Then I thought to myself who the hell cares and why do I want to share. It's no ones business what I'm doing in my classes. They're not giving me a grade and I'm 99% sure they won't even read the damn thing.

Social networking is narcissism in its purest form because everyone does it! It doesn't just take the role of celebrities but kids, adults, grannies, companies, activist etc. You're dammed if you have a page and post nothing and you're dammed if you have a page and post everything. I have over 100 photos of myself posted on facebook...I know I'm cute but geesh that's a lot.

As Americans we defend and try to protect our privacy as much as possible but turn around and share everything on Facebook! I don't think I've gone one day without checking my Facebook status. Maybe when I was on a cruise and couldn't but it's become part of my daily routine just like showering and eating. My name is Akesha and I'm a narcissist!

Female MC's

SO...I guess I'm on a feminist tip today which is a little unusual for me. So while I'm catching up as if I'm in high school, I have VH1 Soul playing in the background and Salt-N-Pepa is on. Oh how I miss the late 80s early 90s of hip-hop. The female rappers were on FIYA! We had Salt-N-Pepa, Yo-Yo, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and of course the one hit wonders like 357, Tigra and Bunny, & Monie Love. Those were the days. Now who do we have? Whack ass Nicki Minaj. I believe that if she had some competition she wouldn't be as popular.

I know Lil Kim is trying her best to stay alive but I think the cosmetic surgeries and the fact that she hasn't changed puts her at a disadvantage. I mean you're in your 30s still portraying the whore role. You're image hasn't evolved at all. To those who were there when you originated you're old news. To the those that may be new to your music you're seen as a has been.

Other female hip-hop artist evolved out of hip-hop. We all know Queen Latifah has branded and diversified herself well beyond hip-hop. MC Lyte had a recurring role on sitcoms and I've heard her distinct NY accent being used as a voice over plenty of times. Unlike, there male counterparts, female hip-hop artist aren't replaced. Once they move on other rappers aren't available to take their place. Hopefully female rap artist won't just fade to black.

Women and sports

This has been a bad week for me and apparently I have some catching up. Although I've been under the weather this week with a sinus attack from hell that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy my Sunday football. Interesting enough my mind starting wandering off about minorities in football but specifically women.

Picture it, Sunday football over my brother's house the Browns vs. Ravens and I notice the Brown's quarterback is a Black man. My response, "Oh, I didn't know the Brown's had a Black qb!" As soon as I made the statement me and my brother looked at each other in a  'that's not a big deal anymore' way, we both shrugged and continued watching the game.

Now, I don't expect to see a woman quarterback playing in the NFL but what about a coach? It's not as if you have to be a former player to coach a team. Most NFL coaches are drafted from the college level. Of course I did a little research and there are no female coaches in college football--not even as an assistant coach. Other than the initial eye-candy in the locker room I can't see why a woman can't lead a football team. I know I've held my own during football conversations with my male friends.

Women in the NFL are pacified and treated "girly" or as sex objects. They're allowed to report on the sideline but NEVER in the booth or pre-post game shows. Time has a theory which seems to lean toward a woman's role at home. I don't even hear it being addressed by feminist groups and activist. Is the NFL the one place where it's okay to exclude women?

Content, Navigation, and Graphic Design

Content: This was the hard part. As a self-proclaimed non-writer I had to think of something that would interest me enough to write. SO I thought about my life and what I'm good at doing. The first thing I thought of was graphic design but I already have a graphic design site Vivid Designs and I didn't want to do anything predictable. SO I thought about my lifestyle. I like to say I'm broke and fabulous, hood rich, ghetto bourgeois, etc. My content will focus on living a "real" life on a "real" budget. Eating, shopping, and traveling cheap.

Navigation: I subscribe to the K.I.S.S. of doing things so the navigation will be nice and simple and I may through some navigational links within my content if/when I reference another page.

Graphic Design: I think my design should posh but not over the type. I want to give the impression of a discount diva without going overboard either way. I'm a clean line and bright color fan so it'll be simple, classy, and very girly.

Inspiration

Okay, okay, okay....soooo I know what I said about not "getting" blogging but I actually think I would blog more if I didn't know my entire class could read my deep inner thoughts. Or at least the impression of me having deep inner thoughts. Anywho I watched Julie vs. Julia and got a little inspired to write but I'm sure once I realize that I'm talking to myself I'll sto

Homework 9/13

Cool Writer's Site:
One site I really enjoy is The Anti 9 to 5 Guide by author Michelle Goodman. I don't think the design of the site is great =but I enjoy the way she delivers her message. She's a professional copywriter with a great sense of humor. When I started freelance designing full-time she was one of the many books I purchased as a guide. It is also the ONLY freelance/entrepreneur book that I've completed. Her writing style is easy to follow and engaging which is also reflective in her blog.







Online Literary Journal:

I'm not too familiar with Literary Journals so I had to do some exploring. It was interesting to see that a lot of online journals are cluttered. I liked Archipelago  site the best. I thought it was extremely clean. I loved the typography used as well as the colors and organization. The organization of the site impressed me the most. The information is far from overwhelming and intimidating. Once you click on an article you're taken the page and it appears as a magazine article would appear. The copy is clear and very easy to read. I think one of the biggest issues an online journal is faced with is how to make the information appear as legible and readable as a hard copy.

Being completely honest there isn't anything I don't like about the site.


Hypertext Narrative:
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a hypertext narrative but I thought this was cool despite its brevity. Its called Carrie, and there isn't much to it at all. It actually seems incomplete but the concept is really good. What I like about it is the the photo switch. Dragging the arrow over to reveal stages of this furnace is a great idea. The site definitely needs meat but I like the concept.

I definitely think this site fits the hypertext narrative description but it's kinda all over the place. It's called, Fright Bytes and I think it's geared toward youth. The graphics are horrible! As a designer, the site is annoying for me to be on. I don't know what's worst the sound effects or the cluttered background. I do like that there's a variety of stories to choose from. It is very interacting and entertaining if you can stand the clutter.


Interesting Online Project:

While I was searching the web for a hypertext site I found the Curfew Game. I think this site is awesome for several reasons. First, it's a call to action. Anytime you can entertain, involve, and ask your audience to do something you've conquered a huge challenge in the advocacy world. Second, the site is well designed and organized. Third, it's fun! I think a project like this would be a great collaboration amongst the UB Arts and Sciences disciplines. From creative writing to the integrated arts programs. I do think the site could use more instruction for users but I think it would be fun to produce.



Terrible Writer's Site:

Alice Walker's site is horrible and very unexpected. It is extremely amateur and screams "my friend, relative, or neighbor did my site for free." Considering her talent and reputation I definitely expected a refined site. The red background is extremely distracting. The navigation is too small and the electric blue color is hard on the eyes. The pages are unorganized and the type is too small to read especially against the red. The photos and videos are outdated and should also be organized. The site is just bad, bad, bad. Her blog looks better but she needs an online makeover.