Category Archives: Lifestyle changes

Relationships: Marriage redefined?

April 21, 2017COM 207 Intro Communication Studies, COM 207 Intro Human Communication, Communication styles, Cultural events, Lifestyle changes, UncategorizedManaged WordPress Migration User

By Terri Reddout

Finish reading this blog and increase your chances of staying married happily ever after

Is it because this blog has the secret for a happy marriage? No. If I knew the secret, you’d be paying to read this blog and I’d be making a ton of money.

The reason I can say your chances of staying married increase is based on statistics.

If you’re reading this, you’re working at getting a college degree. Couples with higher education tend to stay married. By the time you finish reading this blog you’ll be a few minutes older. Statistics say the older you are when you first get married, the better your chances of staying married. The other factor? Economic stability.

This picture is from my son and daughter-in-law’s wedding on the side of Mt Hood. (That’s Mt. Jefferson in the distance). They are bucking the odds. They both earned advanced degrees. Both are in their early 30s. They pull in a good income. He’s a lawyer. She’s in the medical field. They have a lot in common.

Oh, and they love each other; a lot.

Wait until you’re 25 to tie the knot (but it’s no guarantee)

Continue reading Relationships: Marriage redefined? →

Living in a Post-Gutenberg era

June 15, 2016COM 201 Media & Culture, Lifestyle changes, Mediatreddout

Question: What impact did the Gutenberg press have on society?

Answer: A lot. A whole bunch of a lot.

When Gutenberg invented the press in the mid-1400s, it made information accessible to the masses. The technology made sharing uncensored ideas with your neighbors, the village down the road, or even the world, possible.

Before the Gutenberg press, only the rich could afford books and manuscripts. In fact, books were so rare that your church probably did NOT have a copy of the Bible under its roof.

According to the University of Texas, which has a Gutenberg Bible, it’s estimated you could only find around 30,000 books in all of Europe before the Gutenberg press. Fifty years later, 10 to 12 million books circulated throughout Europe.

Yeah, I’d say the Gutenberg press had an impact.

Watch the following Xerox ad that first aired during the 1976 Super Bowl. It humorously represents the communication opportunities before the Gutenberg press and after. (Seriously, watch it. It’s only a minute of your time. Not only does it illustrate the importance of printing, it’s also a look at how commercials have changed over time.)

Continue reading →

You won’t need 3D glasses to see the impact of 3D printing

July 23, 2015COM 201 Media & Culture, Construction, Industry, Lifestyle changes, Media, Medicine, Pop culture, Uncategorizedtreddout

By Terri Reddout

I’ll admit it. The concept of 3D printing confused me. How on Earth does the printer that kicks out letters and photos possibly print something in 3D?

Turns out it’s easy. Once you get the right printer and the right type of “ink.”

When I first wrote this blog in 2015 you could but a pretty good 3D printer, like this CubeX, for your home for $999 – $2000. Sounds expensive. Especially if you’re only going to use it to print multicolored rocket ships.

I reminded my readers that the first microwaves cost thousands of dollars. (One source said that would be like spending over $10000 in today’s dollars.)

Now, you can pick one up at the local mega mart for under $100.

And, as I predicted, the same has happened with 3D printers. I just spotted this Flash Forge 3D printer on Amazon for $349 with free shipping!

So how does a 3D printer work? Well, let’s ask a scientist.

Continue reading You won’t need 3D glasses to see the impact of 3D printing →

Conflict is scary… but conflict can also be good for you

July 22, 2015COM 207 Intro Communication Studies, Conflict, Lifestyle changes, Uncategorizedtreddout

Written by Terri Reddout

Conflict.

It’s uncomfortable. It’s energy draining. It’s not fun.

The funny thing is… avoiding conflict is uncomfortable, energy draining and not fun.

Hummmm…

While dealing with conflict may not be one of your favorite things to do, understanding your conflict style and how others deal with conflict can make it easier and more productive.

Would you like a little KTI with your conflict?

KTI is the acronym for the Kilmann-Thomas Conflict Mode Instrument. It’s a way of determining what your mode for dealing with conflict is.

One side of the instrument considers how assertive you are. The other side of the instrument looks at your level of cooperativeness. Continue reading Conflict is scary… but conflict can also be good for you →

The future of television? Is it in your face?

July 18, 2015COM 201 Media & Culture, Cultural events, Lifestyle changes, Media, Pop culture, Uncategorizedtreddout

Your Assignment

Some of the earliest pictures my parents took of me have a television in the background.

So, television has been around as long as I have.

Well, in truth, the mechanics of TV has been around a lot longer than I have. I’m really a child of early television programming.

Philo sketch — Sketch drawn by Philo T. Farnsworth for his chemistry teacher in 1922. You can learn more about Farnsworth and his battles with RCA at http://philointhehall.com/

The TV mechanism was actually invented by an Utah boy named Philo T. Farnsworth. He first sketched the idea of the vacuum tube in his high school chemistry class. He went on to develop the first electric television set in the 1920s.

The Great Depression and World War II supply shortages stalled the spread of television. The research continued but at a slower rate because materials and man-power were needed for the war effort.

Continue reading →

“If you only knew…” Differences in Gender Communication

July 7, 2015COM 207 Intro Communication Studies, Communication styles, Gender, Lifestyle changes, Uncategorizedtreddout

Written by Terri Reddout

Do men and women communicate differently?

YES, THEY DO!

Experts researched how men and women communicate and found there are many differences between the genders. Now, these differences don’t apply to everyone but they do represents some generalities in the way each gender approaches communication.

Our friends from the TV show Friends give us an excellent example. (Watch the video. It’s only 1:02. It will make the rest of this blog easier to understand.)

As Phoebe, Rachel and Monica demonstrated, females tend to focus on details, the emotions, the thought process. As Chandler, Joey and Ross showed us, males tend to focus on facts. It’s just one of the many differences in gender communication styles.

Understanding these differences will make communicating with the opposite gender a lot easier and more effective (and make you popular with the other gender.) Continue reading “If you only knew…” Differences in Gender Communication →

Put a diamond ring on it… why not an emerald or a ruby?

July 1, 2015Advertising, COM 201 Media & Culture, Cultural events, Lifestyle changes, Pop culture, Uncategorizedtreddout

In the Single Ladies music video, Beyonce sings to her ex-boyfriend that he had three years to “put a ring on it” but didn’t.

My guess is Beyonce’s ex- in the song probably wished he had got down on one knee and offered her a diamond. Too late!

When Jay-Z slipped some bling to onto Beyonce’s engagement finger it came in the form of a 20 carat, $5 million rock of a diamond.

A diamond. It’s tradition to give the woman you love a diamond engagement ring. We’ve been doing it for centuries, right?

Wrong! Continue reading Put a diamond ring on it… why not an emerald or a ruby? →

Power and Communication

June 25, 2015COM 207 Intro Communication Studies, Lifestyle changes, Media, Uncategorizedtreddout

Power influences our communication

It defines much of our communication and why we do what we do. There may be many reasons why you and I show up for this class each class period. Some of those reasons deal with power.

You are reading this blog because I said it is part of an assignment where you can earn points toward a final grade
You are taking this class because someone paid your tuition and they expect you to show up for class in exchange
I show up because, if I don’t, the university will dock pay from my check or they may even fire me

What are some other reasons why you show up for class that deal with power? Continue reading Power and Communication →

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Category Archives: Lifestyle changes

Relationships: Marriage redefined?

Finish reading this blog and increase your chances of staying married happily ever after

Wait until you’re 25 to tie the knot (but it’s no guarantee)