1. My view of media has changed because I now recognize the broader sense that media encompasses.
2. I basically defined media as tv, radio, newspapers, and the internet.
3. I pretty much now define media as anything that is getting a message across.
4. The strong points of the class was the class discussion and the content of those discussions. I enjoy classes that involve communication throughout the whole class. You can learn just as much from the students in a class as you can from the teachers.
5. Yes, I would suggest this class for others, in fact I have.
6. The weak point was probably just the organization factor. Sometimes the class felt a little unfocused, this is not that bad though because it was still entertaining.
7. Yeah I think that I am more likely to question what I see, hear and read. I did before the class, but I think that I would question things more extensively now.
8. I can't really think of anything that I would have liked to cover more. Maybe a little more political focus... I don't know.
9. I never thought of myself and my teachers as the media before this class. Now I recognize the capacity of media in everybody.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Hilderbrand lecture blog
I do not agree with Dr. Hilderbrand's definition of cowardice. While I do believe that a person needs to stand up for what he/she believes in I do not think that you are a coward if you bend a little to conform. Sometimes it is necessary to do things you don't want to. Does that make one a coward? In his time, and what he was up against, it was in his best interest to join the military when he was called upon. It probably had a significant impact on who he is today. It either changed or enhanced his perceptions. Let's face it, if he were a conscious observer in Cambodia during that time he would have had his head skewered on a stake. Sometimes bending is necessary.
I do believe that the media's main focus should be the truth. I don't believe that they achieve that objective for the most part. I don't believe that they are close to being objective, again, for the most part.
I can see Dr. Hilderbrand's point that they actually believe that they are reporting the truth, but I also believe that they know better. When I as a lay person can see that the media is not being objective, the ones closest to the source should also realize that. I think that the media wants to report objectively but they don't have access to all the information. Because that information is not readily available, they don't take the time to properly research the subject. Deadlines and political hurdles don't allow for objective reporting. I would like to see the major "news" programs try to make a concerted effort to be objective and leave the rhetoric to "Inside Edition".
I do believe that the media's main focus should be the truth. I don't believe that they achieve that objective for the most part. I don't believe that they are close to being objective, again, for the most part.
I can see Dr. Hilderbrand's point that they actually believe that they are reporting the truth, but I also believe that they know better. When I as a lay person can see that the media is not being objective, the ones closest to the source should also realize that. I think that the media wants to report objectively but they don't have access to all the information. Because that information is not readily available, they don't take the time to properly research the subject. Deadlines and political hurdles don't allow for objective reporting. I would like to see the major "news" programs try to make a concerted effort to be objective and leave the rhetoric to "Inside Edition".
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Week 12 Blog
For the newsoftheweird.com site I clicked on the "news" tab and read the initial page that came up. I will write about an article posted under "Compelling Explanations". The first quip is about a guy who had documents on his computer that pertained to a business matter involved in a lawsuit. He deleted the files on accident. He claimed that he had only intended to delete the massive pornography files that existed on his hard drive.
I chose this article because I thought that it was hilarious. A lot of the articles I thought were funny, but this one made me laugh out loud, what an incriminating statement, "I thought I was deleting porn." It just makes me laugh.
I really don't know why this made the news. Maybe it was a high-profile white-collar crime case. Possibly it made the news because of the idiocy of this guy. I really don't know.
For darwinawards.com I will report on this article. This shit is hilarious (punny). The article is about a zoo keeper who, while trying to relieve one of the zoo's elephants of constipation, died of suffocation under 200 lbs of "poop". Apparently he was giving the elephant an enema of olive oil when the tragedy occurred.
I chose this article because I kept clicking the "random" tab until I found an article that gave me great pleasure. Not that I don't feel bad for the man and his family, it's just that I find that method of death rather amusing. However, a part of me believes that that is a very honorable way to go.
Once again I am not sure why this made the news. I could see it showing up in the obituaries, yet I think that whoever wrote it would be a little more tactful.
You assigned this because you want us to question the quality of the news we read, to recognize and challenge the source of our information, and so you could read anything humorous that you may have missed during your own search of weird news.
America is obsessed with this type of media because it is an escape. People are able to relate their position in society through others (that may be good or bad). When someone has a bad day they can read this stuff and recognize that it could be worse. Another reason why it may be considered news is because of demented individuals like myself who really get a kick out other peoples idiocy. That would be strictly for entertainment.
I don't honestly feel that these articles are objectively reported. Some of them are completely cynical, and there maybe a better way of reporting that "news". However, some of the stories themselves lead to biased articles. When people put themselves in really odd predicaments it would be hard to be objective while writing an article.
I chose this article because I thought that it was hilarious. A lot of the articles I thought were funny, but this one made me laugh out loud, what an incriminating statement, "I thought I was deleting porn." It just makes me laugh.
I really don't know why this made the news. Maybe it was a high-profile white-collar crime case. Possibly it made the news because of the idiocy of this guy. I really don't know.
For darwinawards.com I will report on this article. This shit is hilarious (punny). The article is about a zoo keeper who, while trying to relieve one of the zoo's elephants of constipation, died of suffocation under 200 lbs of "poop". Apparently he was giving the elephant an enema of olive oil when the tragedy occurred.
I chose this article because I kept clicking the "random" tab until I found an article that gave me great pleasure. Not that I don't feel bad for the man and his family, it's just that I find that method of death rather amusing. However, a part of me believes that that is a very honorable way to go.
Once again I am not sure why this made the news. I could see it showing up in the obituaries, yet I think that whoever wrote it would be a little more tactful.
You assigned this because you want us to question the quality of the news we read, to recognize and challenge the source of our information, and so you could read anything humorous that you may have missed during your own search of weird news.
America is obsessed with this type of media because it is an escape. People are able to relate their position in society through others (that may be good or bad). When someone has a bad day they can read this stuff and recognize that it could be worse. Another reason why it may be considered news is because of demented individuals like myself who really get a kick out other peoples idiocy. That would be strictly for entertainment.
I don't honestly feel that these articles are objectively reported. Some of them are completely cynical, and there maybe a better way of reporting that "news". However, some of the stories themselves lead to biased articles. When people put themselves in really odd predicaments it would be hard to be objective while writing an article.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Week 11 Blog Assignment
1. What is the game? The game is "Call to Duty 3".
2. Why did you pick it? I thought it fit the topic of peace and conflict better than "Tiger Woods 2007", or "Madden 2006".
3. How is it media? It is media because it portrays the Germans v. the Americans in a combat situation. The Americans are the good guys and the Germans are bad.
4. What messages does it send to the player? That Americans are good and Germans are bad.
5. Are these messages positive or negative? Mostly negative on the German side, however I don't think there is much of a positive message about about war in general. Are there both types of messages or just one or the other? Mostly it is based on the American side of WWII, however I did feel bad when I killed a German in hand-to-hand combat.
6. Why did you assign this? Once again, I believe the reason for this assignment is to think outside the box. The purpose of this assignment is to get us to realize that media is an influence throughout our everyday lives. Mo matter what we do and how we go about our business, we are influenced by the media.
2. Why did you pick it? I thought it fit the topic of peace and conflict better than "Tiger Woods 2007", or "Madden 2006".
3. How is it media? It is media because it portrays the Germans v. the Americans in a combat situation. The Americans are the good guys and the Germans are bad.
4. What messages does it send to the player? That Americans are good and Germans are bad.
5. Are these messages positive or negative? Mostly negative on the German side, however I don't think there is much of a positive message about about war in general. Are there both types of messages or just one or the other? Mostly it is based on the American side of WWII, however I did feel bad when I killed a German in hand-to-hand combat.
6. Why did you assign this? Once again, I believe the reason for this assignment is to think outside the box. The purpose of this assignment is to get us to realize that media is an influence throughout our everyday lives. Mo matter what we do and how we go about our business, we are influenced by the media.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Blog Assignment Week 10: I am the Piano Man
The song that I chose for this blog is the song "Dear God" by XTC (take the name as you will). The link to the lyrics are here
How does this song seek to influence the listener? Their main objective is for the listener to see the contradictions in religion, especially monotheistic religions. A second objective of the song is to question the existence of God. There are so many negative aspects about the world we live in now, and they point out these aspects, and they ask why? The main argument they make in the song is contradiction. The music also does the song justice, at points; very intense and convincing.
Is the song positive or not? Hell no, this song is not positive. It is very bleak and there is a feeling of abandonment. The suggestion that we made up God is not well received, yet may very well be true (I don't have a clue).
Does the band have a lot of songs like this? I don't know a lot of other tunes by the band. From the 1 album I have they are pretty political, however they don't focus on religion throughout the album.
Is this song being serious? Absolutely they are being serious. They really portray that throughout the song, through the intensity and the lyrics themselves.
Which bands do I think put thought into the messages of their songs? Pretty much any band that writes their own songs. I may not agree with what all the different bands stand behind, but I do believe that they have the right to express their opinions.
Bands that are prefabricated crap? Anyone who doesn't write their owns songs, music and lyrics. To record something that someone else wrote and claim it as your own is just wrong. Look at American Idol, that is the pure definition of crap.
Which ones are out to only boost their record sales? All that prefabricated shit.
Does it matter? I won't buy their songs, or for that matter I won't even pirate them.
Does it change whether I will listen to them or not? I have already answered that question.
Are there any other songs that are worth exploring in this regard? Pick one, most all musicians has a point behind their music (at least the ones who write their own).
Why did you assign this? Partly for entertainment, and partly for information. It is always fun to see what other people listen to. On the other hand, you may be bored with your own musical choices and looking for something different. Yet, a part of me believes that the reason for this assignment is to get people to think about what they listen to and how it influences them.
How does this song seek to influence the listener? Their main objective is for the listener to see the contradictions in religion, especially monotheistic religions. A second objective of the song is to question the existence of God. There are so many negative aspects about the world we live in now, and they point out these aspects, and they ask why? The main argument they make in the song is contradiction. The music also does the song justice, at points; very intense and convincing.
Is the song positive or not? Hell no, this song is not positive. It is very bleak and there is a feeling of abandonment. The suggestion that we made up God is not well received, yet may very well be true (I don't have a clue).
Does the band have a lot of songs like this? I don't know a lot of other tunes by the band. From the 1 album I have they are pretty political, however they don't focus on religion throughout the album.
Is this song being serious? Absolutely they are being serious. They really portray that throughout the song, through the intensity and the lyrics themselves.
Which bands do I think put thought into the messages of their songs? Pretty much any band that writes their own songs. I may not agree with what all the different bands stand behind, but I do believe that they have the right to express their opinions.
Bands that are prefabricated crap? Anyone who doesn't write their owns songs, music and lyrics. To record something that someone else wrote and claim it as your own is just wrong. Look at American Idol, that is the pure definition of crap.
Which ones are out to only boost their record sales? All that prefabricated shit.
Does it matter? I won't buy their songs, or for that matter I won't even pirate them.
Does it change whether I will listen to them or not? I have already answered that question.
Are there any other songs that are worth exploring in this regard? Pick one, most all musicians has a point behind their music (at least the ones who write their own).
Why did you assign this? Partly for entertainment, and partly for information. It is always fun to see what other people listen to. On the other hand, you may be bored with your own musical choices and looking for something different. Yet, a part of me believes that the reason for this assignment is to get people to think about what they listen to and how it influences them.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Blog Assignment Week 8: Commercials
Ahhh....I love football game commercials, and football games.
Commercial One
1. Southwest Airlines
2. They show a young man at a dance club, and the dude is jamming out in order to impress his babe. He goes for the sure dance move that would truly impress her, the head and shoulder spin. On his first spin to the rear he kicks over the mixing table. The music stops and the girl has an unimpressed look on her face. A voice comes on and says, "Wanna get away?" Then the camera pans to a jet airliner flying serenely through the clouds.
3. The commercial wants me to purchase tickets from Southwest Airlines and fly away whenever anything doesn't go the way I plan.
4. No, the commercial does not work. While I find the fact that the idiot kicked over the mixing table entertaining, it doesn't effect whether or not I would fly Southwest. Besides, I can't afford airline tickets, if I could it would be cheap tickets through Expedia.com or another site like that.
Commercial Two
1. Pontiac automobiles
2. The commercial is in all black and white except for the Pontiac symbol on the vehicles and the tail lights. It shows the cars driving through a black and white city, with water around. At the end of the commercial it has some quotes like "Faster than a Porsche".....blah, blah, blah
3. Buy a Pontiac
4. No, I do not want to buy a Pontiac. In the first place I own a minivan, and you know what they say; once you go minivan you never go back. On top of that I about fell asleep during the commercial and that's hard to do in 30 seconds.
Commercial Three
1. The Olive Garden
2. The commercial shows extended family and friends sitting around laughing and having a wonderful time while consuming great quantities of delectable delights. They obviously enjoy their company and the food. There are such wonderful delights like; chicken tuscany, fetticine alfredo, and shrimp scampi. Then they show their recent specials, and they conclude with their infamous motto; You're family here.
3. They want me to go spend money and eat at the Olive Garden.
4. Like all the others; no the commercial didn't work for me. In the first place, I just polished off about a rack and a half of ribs. I wouldn't touch a plate of pasta right now. In the second place, I can make better pasta at home than the Olive Garden, on top of that if I were to go out for pasta I would find a better place than the Olive Garden, unless of course they could offer me the same great time all those beautiful and happy people were having.
Commercial One
1. Southwest Airlines
2. They show a young man at a dance club, and the dude is jamming out in order to impress his babe. He goes for the sure dance move that would truly impress her, the head and shoulder spin. On his first spin to the rear he kicks over the mixing table. The music stops and the girl has an unimpressed look on her face. A voice comes on and says, "Wanna get away?" Then the camera pans to a jet airliner flying serenely through the clouds.
3. The commercial wants me to purchase tickets from Southwest Airlines and fly away whenever anything doesn't go the way I plan.
4. No, the commercial does not work. While I find the fact that the idiot kicked over the mixing table entertaining, it doesn't effect whether or not I would fly Southwest. Besides, I can't afford airline tickets, if I could it would be cheap tickets through Expedia.com or another site like that.
Commercial Two
1. Pontiac automobiles
2. The commercial is in all black and white except for the Pontiac symbol on the vehicles and the tail lights. It shows the cars driving through a black and white city, with water around. At the end of the commercial it has some quotes like "Faster than a Porsche".....blah, blah, blah
3. Buy a Pontiac
4. No, I do not want to buy a Pontiac. In the first place I own a minivan, and you know what they say; once you go minivan you never go back. On top of that I about fell asleep during the commercial and that's hard to do in 30 seconds.
Commercial Three
1. The Olive Garden
2. The commercial shows extended family and friends sitting around laughing and having a wonderful time while consuming great quantities of delectable delights. They obviously enjoy their company and the food. There are such wonderful delights like; chicken tuscany, fetticine alfredo, and shrimp scampi. Then they show their recent specials, and they conclude with their infamous motto; You're family here.
3. They want me to go spend money and eat at the Olive Garden.
4. Like all the others; no the commercial didn't work for me. In the first place, I just polished off about a rack and a half of ribs. I wouldn't touch a plate of pasta right now. In the second place, I can make better pasta at home than the Olive Garden, on top of that if I were to go out for pasta I would find a better place than the Olive Garden, unless of course they could offer me the same great time all those beautiful and happy people were having.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Week 7 Blog Assignment
1. The debate I watched was the opening of the 1992 presidential debate among Ross Perot, George Bush and Bill Clinton. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-W4GWjN2kg
2. I picked this debate because I remember watching these three debate a couple of times back then. I also watched for a few other reasons they are; Ross Perot is hilarious, Bill Clinton was a stud at public speaking, and I wanted to see where Dubbya got his intelligence from.
3. Because it was the first part of the debate they only touched on introductory issues. "What separates you from the other candidates." Perot went first and he talked about the American people getting him on the ballot without being a member of either party. Clinton was second and he discussed how America needed change and he could provide. Bush went third and said you don't need to change just for change sake.
4. I got the impression that they discussed different things and they did have opposing views on the issues.
5. At least Clinton and Perot discussed the issues. Clinton talked about the low wages in America and the need for reform in education. Perot made a hilarious quip about experience raising the country's debt to over $4 trillion. Bush didn't really talk about any issues, just said that he had a plan.
6. Bush used a lot of rhetoric without saying anything, Clinton and Perot say a few things that are not rhetorical.
7. Clinton won the opening of the debate in my eyes, followed closely by Perot, Bush was a distant third.
8. I would have liked to see Bush tackle even a single issue.
9. Sometimes I watch the debates. It would usually depend on who was debating and what issues they were going to debate about.
2. I picked this debate because I remember watching these three debate a couple of times back then. I also watched for a few other reasons they are; Ross Perot is hilarious, Bill Clinton was a stud at public speaking, and I wanted to see where Dubbya got his intelligence from.
3. Because it was the first part of the debate they only touched on introductory issues. "What separates you from the other candidates." Perot went first and he talked about the American people getting him on the ballot without being a member of either party. Clinton was second and he discussed how America needed change and he could provide. Bush went third and said you don't need to change just for change sake.
4. I got the impression that they discussed different things and they did have opposing views on the issues.
5. At least Clinton and Perot discussed the issues. Clinton talked about the low wages in America and the need for reform in education. Perot made a hilarious quip about experience raising the country's debt to over $4 trillion. Bush didn't really talk about any issues, just said that he had a plan.
6. Bush used a lot of rhetoric without saying anything, Clinton and Perot say a few things that are not rhetorical.
7. Clinton won the opening of the debate in my eyes, followed closely by Perot, Bush was a distant third.
8. I would have liked to see Bush tackle even a single issue.
9. Sometimes I watch the debates. It would usually depend on who was debating and what issues they were going to debate about.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Week 6 Blog assignment
Saturday night deadlines are hard to remember. Even though there is a chance that I will get a zero on this assignment because it is late, I still feel obligated to complete the assignment.
The first site I looked at was Azzaman, the Iragi paper. In answer to the second question about objective reporting, I say no. One of the lines in the article I read the author expressed his desire to have Pres. Bush electrocuted. While I don't whole-heartedly support that concept, I still think the idea has it's merits, it is not objective reporting.
The stories covered in the paper are similar to the stories published by CNN, FOX, etc. because they are focused on the situation in Irag. However, I actually think that the Iraqi paper may be more biased that our own publications.
I did find that kind of blatant bias appealing in the paper. It is basically an opinionated paper, and they advertise that. In that respect they should report how they feel about their current situation.
The second site I looked at was the Islamic Republic News Agency, from Iran. I actually went to this site to read some more biased coverage, but was relatively disappointed. One of the articles I read was about the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, saying that the U.S. and the occupiers are responsible for all of the catastrophes in Iraq. The author of the article only sited what was said and never offered his own opinion in the article.
Some of the stories they were covering were very similar to what is being covered by our own news agencies. Most of the stories related to things that were happening throughout the world, such as the India/U.S. nuclear agreement.
I found this site to be appealing because of the lack of biased reporting. As I stated earlier, I was surprised by the objective reporting. I assumed that the Iranians would jump on any opportunity to bash the U.S., and they didn't.
The third site I looked at was South Africa's the Star. I felt like the news was being reported objectively throughout the paper. The authors of the articles didn't relay their opinions, and appeared to only report facts. Most of the articles were about local stories, mostly South African stories.
The stories in this paper are not front page headlines in our news sources. If you want to find similar articles in American papers, you would really have to dig. There may be a blurb somewhere in the world section of our papers, but that would be the extent of it.
I found this paper to be appealing because of the fact that they are not reported on in our papers. It gave me a perspective on what was happening in South Africa, but not many other places in the world. If you want to find out what is going on in another country in the world, it is better to go to their local papers.
Go Vikings.......Kick the Bears' collective ass!
The first site I looked at was Azzaman, the Iragi paper. In answer to the second question about objective reporting, I say no. One of the lines in the article I read the author expressed his desire to have Pres. Bush electrocuted. While I don't whole-heartedly support that concept, I still think the idea has it's merits, it is not objective reporting.
The stories covered in the paper are similar to the stories published by CNN, FOX, etc. because they are focused on the situation in Irag. However, I actually think that the Iraqi paper may be more biased that our own publications.
I did find that kind of blatant bias appealing in the paper. It is basically an opinionated paper, and they advertise that. In that respect they should report how they feel about their current situation.
The second site I looked at was the Islamic Republic News Agency, from Iran. I actually went to this site to read some more biased coverage, but was relatively disappointed. One of the articles I read was about the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, saying that the U.S. and the occupiers are responsible for all of the catastrophes in Iraq. The author of the article only sited what was said and never offered his own opinion in the article.
Some of the stories they were covering were very similar to what is being covered by our own news agencies. Most of the stories related to things that were happening throughout the world, such as the India/U.S. nuclear agreement.
I found this site to be appealing because of the lack of biased reporting. As I stated earlier, I was surprised by the objective reporting. I assumed that the Iranians would jump on any opportunity to bash the U.S., and they didn't.
The third site I looked at was South Africa's the Star. I felt like the news was being reported objectively throughout the paper. The authors of the articles didn't relay their opinions, and appeared to only report facts. Most of the articles were about local stories, mostly South African stories.
The stories in this paper are not front page headlines in our news sources. If you want to find similar articles in American papers, you would really have to dig. There may be a blurb somewhere in the world section of our papers, but that would be the extent of it.
I found this paper to be appealing because of the fact that they are not reported on in our papers. It gave me a perspective on what was happening in South Africa, but not many other places in the world. If you want to find out what is going on in another country in the world, it is better to go to their local papers.
Go Vikings.......Kick the Bears' collective ass!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Blog Assignment: Vietnam
Whoops....long weekend......forgot!
Video 1: Vietnam War Through the Things They Carried
That was a hard video to watch at times. There was a picture of a Vietnamese women with a gun pointed to her head. Another picture was of one Vietnamese soldier shooting another Vietnamese soldier, I believe that was the picture that was the one discussed in class, the one that turned the Americans against the war. The picture that I thought said the most was the one of the soldier standing at the Vietnam Memorial with the flag in his hand and he was leaning up against the wall, it says a lot about the experience of the war.
Some of the stats also caught my attention. I was unaware of two of them for sure. The first was that I was unaware that there were over 9,000,000 Americans on active duty during the time. The second was that the total cost of the war was over 2 billion, all for a war that was never declared.
Video 2: Dear America; Parts 1 and 2
After watching the first video I felt it was unnecessary to watch the second. The first video was about a letter from a soldier to his parents. It was about the death of one of his friends in Vietnam and how he had a hard time coping with it. The symbolism of it raining all day was quite dramatic, it was like he said, the sky cried for him.
Part 2 was a letter from a mother to her son fifteen years after his death in Vietnam. I found this video hard to watch without getting choked up. I can't stand listening to someone cry. The whole video was set to the backdrop of the Memorial, images of soldiers appeared on the wall. One thing I must see in this lifetime is the Wall, I can't imagine the profound effect it must have on people who see it.
Video 3: All's Fair in Love and Police Actions
When you post a link to a video and express that it may be the most offensive thing you have seen, I can't help but to watch it, in fact twice! I have to say that I should go watch Oprah or something to get back in touch with the part of me that cares. That was truly offensive, yet quite amusing. I love it when he offers Timmy a smoke, and Timmy responds by saying only if he can pay for it, he doesn't need a fucking handout....oh my god! Some of the other things said in the video I can't repeat with a good conscience. I do feel that often sarcasm is needed to get a point across, and the point was not lost in this video. That said I feel like I should go take a shower after viewing it.
Video 1: Vietnam War Through the Things They Carried
That was a hard video to watch at times. There was a picture of a Vietnamese women with a gun pointed to her head. Another picture was of one Vietnamese soldier shooting another Vietnamese soldier, I believe that was the picture that was the one discussed in class, the one that turned the Americans against the war. The picture that I thought said the most was the one of the soldier standing at the Vietnam Memorial with the flag in his hand and he was leaning up against the wall, it says a lot about the experience of the war.
Some of the stats also caught my attention. I was unaware of two of them for sure. The first was that I was unaware that there were over 9,000,000 Americans on active duty during the time. The second was that the total cost of the war was over 2 billion, all for a war that was never declared.
Video 2: Dear America; Parts 1 and 2
After watching the first video I felt it was unnecessary to watch the second. The first video was about a letter from a soldier to his parents. It was about the death of one of his friends in Vietnam and how he had a hard time coping with it. The symbolism of it raining all day was quite dramatic, it was like he said, the sky cried for him.
Part 2 was a letter from a mother to her son fifteen years after his death in Vietnam. I found this video hard to watch without getting choked up. I can't stand listening to someone cry. The whole video was set to the backdrop of the Memorial, images of soldiers appeared on the wall. One thing I must see in this lifetime is the Wall, I can't imagine the profound effect it must have on people who see it.
Video 3: All's Fair in Love and Police Actions
When you post a link to a video and express that it may be the most offensive thing you have seen, I can't help but to watch it, in fact twice! I have to say that I should go watch Oprah or something to get back in touch with the part of me that cares. That was truly offensive, yet quite amusing. I love it when he offers Timmy a smoke, and Timmy responds by saying only if he can pay for it, he doesn't need a fucking handout....oh my god! Some of the other things said in the video I can't repeat with a good conscience. I do feel that often sarcasm is needed to get a point across, and the point was not lost in this video. That said I feel like I should go take a shower after viewing it.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Crazy Man Loves the Vikings
Date: Sunday, September 23, 2007. Time: Sometime before noon. Place: Yankton, SD
Sunday morning, you noticed him if you drove on Broadway . Maybe your kids yelled from the backseat, "Who is that, Mommy." Maybe you thought to yourself... there's another release from the Human Services Center. He was there, just as he is every Sunday. To locals he is known "Viking Phil". To message board users he is know as "#1VikingFanGaryAndersonSucks". His real name is Philip R. Vega.
Philip devotes his Sunday morning routine to the Minnesota Vikings football team. He loves the Vikings so much that at 8:00 a.m. he completely abandons his trailer and 47 cats (all named after Vikings players), to "get his buzz on." He is out of bed at six, showers, and prepares "football feasts", usually while still intoxicated from the night before. Phil then makes his way to the closest convenience store to buy his beer. After that he gets dressed.
His dress attire consists of big fur boots, a heavy fur coat, and a helmet made of real leather, fur, and horns. It is after he is fully prepared to be a fan that he walks to Broadway, with wagon in tow. The wagon carries his food, drinks, and props. The props vary from week to week, but there is the one prop that remains the same, that is the Vikings horn. Phil proceeds to march up and down Broadway bellowing on the horn, singing "Skol, Vikings," and yelling various football statements. Through eye witness statements most of Phil's expressions consist of; "First down, Cris Carter", "Touchdown, Ahmad Rashad", "What a run by Chuck Foreman!", and "Carl Eller with another sack!".
At 11:30 he heads off for his friends house. His friend refused an interview for this article and wished to remain anonymous. Only saying, "You leave Phil alone, he's had a hard life." I was able to run into Phil leaving his friends house after the Vikings 13-10 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. I asked Phil about the game while he sat on the curbside leaning to one-side, one eye closed, and trying to light a cigarette with a very unsteady hand. Phil told me the Vikings had won the game 48-3. He then attempted to get to his feet, he was successful on his third attempt. When he regained his balance he began to yell at the top of his lungs while jumping and stumbling around,"Vikings Win! Vikings Win!" It was when the neighbors started to appear outside their houses that I walked away from the scene.
After later investigation I was able to find out that Phil had spent that evening in the drunk tank at the Police Station. Seems to me like that is a harsh punishment for someone who was just expressing his love for his favorite football team. I mean isn't it punishment enough just being a Vikings fan? Next time you are driving down Broadway on a Sunday morning keep your eye at for Phil, if you see him honk.
Sunday morning, you noticed him if you drove on Broadway . Maybe your kids yelled from the backseat, "Who is that, Mommy." Maybe you thought to yourself... there's another release from the Human Services Center. He was there, just as he is every Sunday. To locals he is known "Viking Phil". To message board users he is know as "#1VikingFanGaryAndersonSucks". His real name is Philip R. Vega.
Philip devotes his Sunday morning routine to the Minnesota Vikings football team. He loves the Vikings so much that at 8:00 a.m. he completely abandons his trailer and 47 cats (all named after Vikings players), to "get his buzz on." He is out of bed at six, showers, and prepares "football feasts", usually while still intoxicated from the night before. Phil then makes his way to the closest convenience store to buy his beer. After that he gets dressed.
His dress attire consists of big fur boots, a heavy fur coat, and a helmet made of real leather, fur, and horns. It is after he is fully prepared to be a fan that he walks to Broadway, with wagon in tow. The wagon carries his food, drinks, and props. The props vary from week to week, but there is the one prop that remains the same, that is the Vikings horn. Phil proceeds to march up and down Broadway bellowing on the horn, singing "Skol, Vikings," and yelling various football statements. Through eye witness statements most of Phil's expressions consist of; "First down, Cris Carter", "Touchdown, Ahmad Rashad", "What a run by Chuck Foreman!", and "Carl Eller with another sack!".
At 11:30 he heads off for his friends house. His friend refused an interview for this article and wished to remain anonymous. Only saying, "You leave Phil alone, he's had a hard life." I was able to run into Phil leaving his friends house after the Vikings 13-10 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. I asked Phil about the game while he sat on the curbside leaning to one-side, one eye closed, and trying to light a cigarette with a very unsteady hand. Phil told me the Vikings had won the game 48-3. He then attempted to get to his feet, he was successful on his third attempt. When he regained his balance he began to yell at the top of his lungs while jumping and stumbling around,"Vikings Win! Vikings Win!" It was when the neighbors started to appear outside their houses that I walked away from the scene.
After later investigation I was able to find out that Phil had spent that evening in the drunk tank at the Police Station. Seems to me like that is a harsh punishment for someone who was just expressing his love for his favorite football team. I mean isn't it punishment enough just being a Vikings fan? Next time you are driving down Broadway on a Sunday morning keep your eye at for Phil, if you see him honk.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Blog assignment 2
God damnit, the Hawkeyes lost. It was a good game,and should be a moral victory for a young Iowa team. They had their chances. Wisconsin is a tough place to play and they are a ranked opponent, The Hawks played them down to the wire. On the other hand, I did go see the Coyotes today with my six-year old son. Now, that's a team that can put some points on the board in a hurry. I regress, this blog is not supposed to be about football, it's supposed to be about our recent guest speaker.
I really did enjoy the lecture that Abhinav Aima presented to the class. As far as the first question of the assignment, I do believe that it takes someone within the media to have the balls to stand up to the government before others will follow. He cited 4 books that all made reference to that topic. Walter Cronkite, during the Vietnam War, shortly after the Tet Offensive, did just that. He came out and spoke about the fact that the U.S. was not winning the war. Just as Mr. Aima said, the media goes with the flow of American opinion. Someone has to be able to stand up and be unpopular, but usually public opinion starts to agree with the original unpopular thought. Unpopular thoughts and messages don't usually sell.
Which brings me to my answer of question 2....
I remember hearing during a lecture in a government class that there are five corporations in the country that control all the media. I think that is a sad state. It does not allow for a lot of unpopular reporting or opinion. If an author of a well written and documented report can get fired or reprimanded for writing unpopular facts and opinion, it takes away from our ability to get information from all sides of an issue. That is crucial in our attempts to become informed citizens.
Question number three.....
Because Sgt. Atwater will be unable to make it for his guest lecture, I think we could advance to the next topic of Micheal Moore and the current day events. You could possibly bring in a speaker from the media department again, or you could contact the on-campus ROTC and bring in someone who has been to Iraq or Afghanistan to make their comments to the class. Either or, it is too bad that he has been deployed, I wish him a safe return.
I really did enjoy the lecture that Abhinav Aima presented to the class. As far as the first question of the assignment, I do believe that it takes someone within the media to have the balls to stand up to the government before others will follow. He cited 4 books that all made reference to that topic. Walter Cronkite, during the Vietnam War, shortly after the Tet Offensive, did just that. He came out and spoke about the fact that the U.S. was not winning the war. Just as Mr. Aima said, the media goes with the flow of American opinion. Someone has to be able to stand up and be unpopular, but usually public opinion starts to agree with the original unpopular thought. Unpopular thoughts and messages don't usually sell.
Which brings me to my answer of question 2....
I remember hearing during a lecture in a government class that there are five corporations in the country that control all the media. I think that is a sad state. It does not allow for a lot of unpopular reporting or opinion. If an author of a well written and documented report can get fired or reprimanded for writing unpopular facts and opinion, it takes away from our ability to get information from all sides of an issue. That is crucial in our attempts to become informed citizens.
Question number three.....
Because Sgt. Atwater will be unable to make it for his guest lecture, I think we could advance to the next topic of Micheal Moore and the current day events. You could possibly bring in a speaker from the media department again, or you could contact the on-campus ROTC and bring in someone who has been to Iraq or Afghanistan to make their comments to the class. Either or, it is too bad that he has been deployed, I wish him a safe return.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
September 11 2001, video 2
The second video I viewed was a tribute video. It was done to Jewel's "My hands are small." I just typed in September 11 in the YouTube search box and it was the one with the most hits. I am commenting on this one because I had watched other tribute videos that were better.
This video had a lot of quotes from President Bush in it. Here is where I rant. Bush didn't plot and probably didn't know about 9/11, however, he played it. He saw the situation from the get go as his meal ticket to executive privilege. He abused his power. I feel it is a shame to use such a tragedy and a really pretty song to give him credit.
Therefore, I damn the maker of that video to hell (because I am going to abuse my privilege, of which I have none).
Just my thoughts.....
This video had a lot of quotes from President Bush in it. Here is where I rant. Bush didn't plot and probably didn't know about 9/11, however, he played it. He saw the situation from the get go as his meal ticket to executive privilege. He abused his power. I feel it is a shame to use such a tragedy and a really pretty song to give him credit.
Therefore, I damn the maker of that video to hell (because I am going to abuse my privilege, of which I have none).
Just my thoughts.....
September 11, 2001, video 1
The first video I viewed on Youtube was one that was called "creepy facts of september 11" (he couldn't even capitalize it).
The video starts with pictures of the WTC on fire. It then shows a picture of a man on a balcony with a plane appearing to be ready to collide with the building. The video proceeds to show pictures of "Satan" in the clouds of smoke from the fire. I think that you can superimpose whatever the hell you please, I wasn't impressed with this "fact." As it happens I also saw a picture of a unicorn in the clouds of smoke....whatever.
The next part of the video is infatuated with the number 11. New York City has 11 letters in it.
Afghanistan has 11 letters in it.
Ramsin Yuseh (the person who plotted the first Trade Center Bombing) has 11 letters in it.
Bill Clinton has 11 letters in it.
Creepy or not?...I don't know...James Sabata has 11 letters in his name.
The video ends with the flight number of one of the planes that hit the WTC.
The number was Q33 NY, apparently you can enter that in all CAPS on a Word program, change the font to wingding, and it shows you pictures. The first picture is of an airplane, the next two are pictures that appear to me to be drawings of regular writing paper (I suppose they could look like buildings, but remember I see unicorns in smoke and clouds). The next picture is the traditional skull-n-crossbones. The last picture is of the Star of David. So when I interpret that I see " Plane, paper, paper, poison, Star of David." That doesn't mean much to me, and can anyone tell me what wingdings font really is?
I guess what I really took out of that video is that people can all sorts of stupid facts in anything tragic, and then believe there was a great big conspiracy theory. What the hell do all the facts in that video point to? Does it tell us in the video how we should have been pre-warned or how to find Osama? If anyone can answer this, contact me.
The video starts with pictures of the WTC on fire. It then shows a picture of a man on a balcony with a plane appearing to be ready to collide with the building. The video proceeds to show pictures of "Satan" in the clouds of smoke from the fire. I think that you can superimpose whatever the hell you please, I wasn't impressed with this "fact." As it happens I also saw a picture of a unicorn in the clouds of smoke....whatever.
The next part of the video is infatuated with the number 11. New York City has 11 letters in it.
Afghanistan has 11 letters in it.
Ramsin Yuseh (the person who plotted the first Trade Center Bombing) has 11 letters in it.
Bill Clinton has 11 letters in it.
Creepy or not?...I don't know...James Sabata has 11 letters in his name.
The video ends with the flight number of one of the planes that hit the WTC.
The number was Q33 NY, apparently you can enter that in all CAPS on a Word program, change the font to wingding, and it shows you pictures. The first picture is of an airplane, the next two are pictures that appear to me to be drawings of regular writing paper (I suppose they could look like buildings, but remember I see unicorns in smoke and clouds). The next picture is the traditional skull-n-crossbones. The last picture is of the Star of David. So when I interpret that I see " Plane, paper, paper, poison, Star of David." That doesn't mean much to me, and can anyone tell me what wingdings font really is?
I guess what I really took out of that video is that people can all sorts of stupid facts in anything tragic, and then believe there was a great big conspiracy theory. What the hell do all the facts in that video point to? Does it tell us in the video how we should have been pre-warned or how to find Osama? If anyone can answer this, contact me.
September 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001 I was at work when I heard about the first plane that hit the World Trade Center. I was giving another person a ride to pick up a vehicle, and (if I remember correctly) the clock in my car read 8:17 when the news came over the radio about the first plane hitting. My first reaction was that it was simply an accident. There weren't exact details so I thought the plane was a little Cessna, and it was pilot error. I went back to work, where we didn't listen to the radio very often. My father owns a small trucking company and I was working for him at the time. I lived in Storm Lake, Ia with my wife and my seven month old son. My wife called me at work shortly after I had gotten back. She told me that a second plane hit the other tower and another one hit the Pentagon. I was shocked, America was under attack! I told everybody in the shop about it and we stopped what we were doing and turned on the radio. It was then we had heard about another plane possibly heading for the White House.
Because I worked for my dad at the time, I had a lot of leeway to come and go, I left to go be with my family for a little bit. I was at my house watching the events unfold with my wife when the first tower collapsed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when the tower collapsed, the loss of lives and the countless injured others was unfathomable to me. I sat with my wife and son for a while and after they had grounded all flights in the U.S. and the final plane crashed in PA, I returned to work. We resumed listening to the radio.
I watched everything I could during my lunch hour and listened to as much as I could throughout the rest of the day. During that evening I sat with my wife and son and watched a ton of coverage. The coverage that disturbed me the most was the live taping segments that happened when the towers collapsed. It really bothered me when you could hear the alarms going off from the air packs of the firefighters. I was a member of the volunteer fire department at that time and that sound just sends shivers down a fire fighter's spine.
It was reported that this was the work of Osamo bin Laden and Al Quida. That evening I began to get pissed off about the whole thing, I was ready to watch those that did that to us suffer. I seriously thought about joining the military to enact revenge. If I hadn't been a new daddy I probably would have, now I'm glad I didn't. The end of the day I gave my son a large hug and a kiss, I did the same with my wife. Eventually, I fell asleep.
Because I worked for my dad at the time, I had a lot of leeway to come and go, I left to go be with my family for a little bit. I was at my house watching the events unfold with my wife when the first tower collapsed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when the tower collapsed, the loss of lives and the countless injured others was unfathomable to me. I sat with my wife and son for a while and after they had grounded all flights in the U.S. and the final plane crashed in PA, I returned to work. We resumed listening to the radio.
I watched everything I could during my lunch hour and listened to as much as I could throughout the rest of the day. During that evening I sat with my wife and son and watched a ton of coverage. The coverage that disturbed me the most was the live taping segments that happened when the towers collapsed. It really bothered me when you could hear the alarms going off from the air packs of the firefighters. I was a member of the volunteer fire department at that time and that sound just sends shivers down a fire fighter's spine.
It was reported that this was the work of Osamo bin Laden and Al Quida. That evening I began to get pissed off about the whole thing, I was ready to watch those that did that to us suffer. I seriously thought about joining the military to enact revenge. If I hadn't been a new daddy I probably would have, now I'm glad I didn't. The end of the day I gave my son a large hug and a kiss, I did the same with my wife. Eventually, I fell asleep.
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