X-files

I'm a huge netflix watcher and I will pick a show old or new and watch it from beginning to end. I've recently picked the X-files.  I vaguely remember this show growing up. I had only watched a couple of episodes at the time, but I remember my mother watching it all the time. I do remember the movie and I thought the movie was really good. So when I finally sat down and dug into the show I really enjoyed it.  The characters were so well put together. As the series goes on it does get confusing but I've managed to keep up. I also find myself googling facts and questions cuz I just want to know right now. I'm in love with Scully. She is such a non-believer and so logical it seems impossible for her to explain things away so easily. But she sticks to her logic even when its unexplained. You don't see Scully characters in many shows anymore.  Alot of forums have also said to stop watching after the first season but I've been drawn in more since the 6th season.  I like how the writers are finally making a story and having complicated relationships between the characters.  Also it was really neat that they had a movie come out during the middle of the series and then tied it back into the show. If you haven't seen the show its a pretty good one, if you can handle the nine seasons. I can't wait until the end to actually find out what its all about.

Research paper

My research paper is not coming along very well. I do have a generalized topic but getting it all started has been a hassle. I have a lot of information but its too much!

Organize

Usually getting all my material takes me a while cuz I'm a huge procrastinator but once I have everything it all must be together and no where else. I have one folder that I will keep everything in and if there are books involved a bag specifically for the research paper. I did this in high school and I found it to be much easier to not forget things. And once I start writing the paper I have to have a large area whether it be the floor or a huge table. I then lay out everything in the area. If I'm looking at everything and it all has a spot I can gather my info better because most of the time I'm looking back at the source just to make sure I've got things right or for more of it.

Pop culture: Twilight

The end is near and I for one am indifferent about it all. I've never been a twilight fan but a few of my friends are. I never read the books but I watched ever movie just to say yeah I've seen them and I can have a good opinion about them. But kind of like Harry Potter an end comes to a piece of our past. I will be attending one of the showings of Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 and I'm hoping for the best. I'm excited to see Kristin Stewart as a vampire in this film maybe she'll unleash a better actress along with this role. I wonder who else will be going to see the finale?

Pop culture: American Horror Story

This October the new season of American Horror Story started and if you haven't seen it you must start watching now. The cool thing about this show I feel is that you don't have to see the first season to follow the second. They are two different seasons with completely different characters some of the same actors but none of the same characters. The first season was set in modern times in a house where a doctor's wife had killed him ad himself. But they never said the house was haunted and never told the new owners that there were more deaths in the house that followed the doctors death. The first season is full of twists and turns. It's a very well written show that'll keep you guessing until the very end. The second season is has started an begins with a couple who has just been married and for their honeymoon they are traveling to some of the most haunted places in America. They end up at the asylum and go over the abandoned building's story upon entering. The plot starts there and then jumps back to the past and tells the true story of how the place became haunted. The show also ties in social standards of the era which it is set, the 1960s. A lesbian reporter is held prisoner in the asylum because she wanted to write a story about the villain of the second season, Bloody Face. Another girl is placed in the asylum by her husband because he found that he was cheating on him so she is forced to stay there for being sexually promiscuous. The story also has the head nun who is secretly an evil woman swore to do "God's work" as she sees fit. And the mad scientist of course who tortures and mutilates some of the patiences. The show is a complete work of genius and I suggest it to anyone.

Citations

I've had a lot of experience with citations. I haven't done them in a while because I took a break from school but it's like riding a bike. Also there are so many websites that you can visit that will do it for you in any form. Even on the library website they have a cite button. I learned citations my junior year of high school from a teacher who told me that it's a must that we learn how to cite. So I learned and it wasn't that hard and when I came to college my first English class the professor asked who knew how to cite. I was very surprised that I was literally the only student who had ever done citation work. Citing isn't difficult it can be a pain in the ass though. I was only ever taught MLA citation and never another form. But I'm sure ill learn more later on in my schooling.

Pop culture: T. Swift

I've never been a huge fan of Taylor Swift. I listened to her music and such but never felt the need to buy a cd. Mainly because she targets a younger audience and you can tell by the lyrics it was for teen girls. Her new album "Red" drops Monday and I'm very much looking forward to it. Her first single was "Never getting back together" which I liked and couldn't get it out of my head. But still not enough to buy the album. She then had a new single come out entitled "Red" and this song still didn't do it for me. Her third single for the album was released "I knew you were trouble". The first listen was on Good Morning America. The song was very very good. Well written but so are all of her other songs. She of course is know more as a song writer than a singer. The song also had something very different music to it. It gave the song a dubstep feel. The country music star is trying to hit a different audience as she's getting older. So her music is changing and not a bad change. Taylor Swift had also changed her look dramatically the new album art has a 70s chic look. Her losing the cute sun dresses for a chic style that makes her look sophisticated and a lot more grown up. Which is about time considering she's 25. I personally can't wait for the album drop.

Pop culture: Breaking Amish

One of the best new shows on tv is breaking Amish. If you haven't seen it. It's on OnDemand get to it. It's about 5 Amish young adults well except one who is 32. But the reality show is basically about these 5 people leaving the Amish community for all different reasons. Abe who is 21 wants to leave because he is tired of his life being controlled by a bunch of people. He is ready to make his own decisions. And another is Kate who was the reverend daughter in her community. She wanted to leave cuz she always wanted to be a model and decided to finally try and pursue the career. All 5 people being a part of the reality show will live together in New York in a hotel in manhattan. Most of the young adults were kicked out of their Amish communities before they could even tell their parents their decision to leave. Because the Amish have such strict rules about how you live your life according to God. Most were kicked out when the parents found out they were being filmed. That is one of the many rules. I love the show cuz it's like seeing aliens these people don't know what anything is cuz they have always been cut off from the world. Some didn't know what texting was and a few didn't know the difference between Chinese food and mexican food. It's such a good show that shows that even in America we have very different cultures. Very interesting :)

the shadow scholar

I liked the shadow scholar. He had a passion and since he wasn't getting noticed by the people he wanted he took what he could get.  He wanted to write so he started.  By doing these papers for college students he does in a sense damage state education. Cuz these students are paying for college and college is a place to learn how to do things on your own. But also in the real world you could say money talks and part of all jobs is that you learn from on hands experience. And I seriously doubt that most of the students are english majors or any major having to do with writing. He's helping them reach a goal of obtaining a degree.  Some people are desperate and do what they can.  Many tools that I've picked up is to research and research. No information is too much information.  Google is my best friend and before google the library.  I remember in high school going through piles of books because I didn't have internet at home. I just copied pages with the copy machine and wrote down all information I needed for my research papers. I could weed out later what I did and did not need. Better to be over prepared than underprepared.

Iphone 5

This week the iphone 5 came out. Apple saying, "It's the biggest thing to happen to iphone since the iphone." I have been a big fan of the iphone since it came out. And I'm very upset that I don't have the new one just yet. I'm also even more upset that with the new iphone verzion (my network) has decided to take away unlimited data. I'm on my phone even more than my computer. Facebook, twitter, google, news, my bank account, etc. these are just a few apps that need data that I use every minute of everyday. They say because wifi is everywhere now that we don't need our unlimited data. I get that. But what about when I'm in my car or at work? My place of business doesn't provide free wifi.  I will have to switch networks in the long run sadly cuz i've always loved verizon. When you take away unlimited data and essentially have a cap on what data you can use before they start charging insane amounts of money and you're first born child. I can't live without unlimited data and know quite a few people who will be switching networks. I wish we can go back to the good old days of unlimited data and a set rate.

Pop Culture

This week my roommate and I were in the mood to watch something funny so we started flipping through our ondemand movies. As most of you know sometimes on demand will feature movies before they come to theaters or sometimes same day as theaters. Not too long back I saw a trailer for a movie called "Bachelorette". The trailer was funny and it had two actresses who I love, Kirsten Dunst and Lizzy Caplan. The movie itself got mediocre ratings from critics but pretty good ratings from viewers. Especially celebrities like Chelsea handler who said on her late night show that she loved it.
"Bachelorette" is about three friends who mocked and ridiculed this girl named Becky in high school. Now years later she's getting married and wants the girls to be part of it all and asks them to be bridesmaids. The girls
Regan(Kirsten Dunst), Gena(Lizzy Caplan), and Katie(Isla Fisher) want to give Becky a bachelorette party she'll never forget. But the girls accidentally rip her wedding dress while mocking Becky again behind her back. So now they must try and fix the dress in a short time. And the situation is is made worse since they've been snorting cocaine all night.
This movie was freaking hilarious! It's "Bridesmaids" with a coked-out twist. Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan play well with each other and keep you laughing right up until the end. But has a soft and emotional side that'll will touch your heart.
Another reason this movie is so funny is that you get to see actresses that you love play normal roles and do hardcore drugs which is just really hilarious. It gives it a "Hangover" feel.

First Drafts

Anne's advice in "Shitty First Drafts" is well thought out and good. Being that she is a writer herself and understands the struggle and stress when writing anything. I really like the advice of writing three separate pieces. I was taught early on to write three pieces of drafts, but the way she described them was interesting. All my drafts even the first one have to have a form to it. I can not help myself it comes out like that. I feel like I can't concentrate on it if it's not in some kind of standard form. I'm interested in trying the child's draft.
The student essay did well at arguing his point. He used modern day television shows that are very popular to make a valid point that tv does not make you smarter. I especially liked how he used "CSI" and "Hawthorne"to help establish his argument. Two shows that are not immoral or promiscuous, but depict intelligence and maturity.

Class Preparation

Preparing for class usually begins for me by reading the assigned texts. I know that we'll discuss the subject in class and I like to have a sense of what is going on. I don't generally like speaking in public or in large groups, especially if I don't know anyone that well. But if I'm interested or engaged I like to say a little, not much though. As for contributing I'm not sure i contribute a whole lot with my comments or answers. When I answer or comment it's usually more of a "yay me" kind of thing. Listening to others helps with my thought process. Everyone can contribute different to a discussion. Someone might have an idea that I haven't even thought of. Also its a little exciting when someone responds to your comment.

Watching tv makes you smarter....

Johnson's "Watching TV makes you smarter" argues that after decades of television shows we can now watch fictional shows and exercise our brain. His main evidence is that television now has complex stories with complex characters that over lap at given points so we must pay more attention. I completely agree with Johnson's theory only because I love television so much, but with all the reality shows on today I can see how someone would not agree. Being a fan of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" I can personally tell you the story line of every episode was very simple. Much unlike shows today with plot twists and cliff hangers. Even reality shows I mean there has to be a reason people keep watching.
Along with television the world has also changed. Television had to change because we have changed. The simple things way back when are not the simple things of our generation. We as a human race have become smarter, our minds have expanded to all corners of the world. So television shows had to expand. We have become a society of multi-taskers. If we can text, drive, order a movie ticket, and talk on the phone all at the same time then there is no way that the simplicity of shows like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" or "Starsky and Hutch"could keep our attention. We need "Grey's Anatomy"and "True Blood". If TV had not rolled with the punches we might not be glued to them all the time.

Skill

After much thought I've decided that I would have to say writing would be my skill. I'm not very good at all thing grammar nor do I write well when assigned a topic. I enjoy writing about characters that I've created. This skill I required after many, many years of filling notebooks of fictional stories. This skill of mine is also somewhat undiscovered in my mind. I write for me and me alone. I started when I was about 13 and reading Stephen King novels, he was my inspiration to start writing. Younger my friends were art kids who were perfectionists when it came to drawing and painting, and I couldn't even draw a straight line. My mother and grandmother are also creative artistically  and I was always envious of their talent. I wanted to be creative in my own way. So I started making characters up in my own stories. My brother was the first to read my writing and to tell me that I was good. I continued writing ever since. This is difficult even to this day because, much like artists, I'm a perfectionist and everything I write can be better.

Day 1

Hello, I'm Joanthon Williams. Most everyone I know knows me as Jonathon Cody even my facebook. The only people who know my last name, besides you guys, is my family and the government. I'm 23 and don't really act my age....
My pop culture interests are mainly tv shows ranging from United States of Tara to True Blood to Buffy. The usually read series books the last series I read was The Hunger Games. Which was extremely entertaining. I tried getting into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo but too much detailed writing for this kid. And much like underwear my taste in music changes on the daily. I'm interested in most things ficiton and paranormalish. This world is too real to not escape every once in a while.
I don't really know when I became interested in the unreal world of fiction, but I suppose it has something to do with Stephen King. Gotta blame someone I guess.
My history of research and argument has been my whole life just like everyone else I suppose. It's every single day I research: who is that actor/actress? I go to IMDB. I shazam almost everything. Also research what drag queen from Ru Paul's Drag Race will be performing at Play in the near future. Arguing comes natural to me I'm opininated sometimes loudly, but I've learned to keep thoughts to myself. Some things are better left unsaid or maybe worded differently.
Btw I have had to argue which vampire is sexier. It's Angel.