After this past Saturday there has been plenty of stir up in the NHL about hitting and what a clean hit is. David Booth, who plays for the Florida Panthers, was hit on the blue line when he made a dangerous cross pass. Booth was elbowed to the head by Mike Richards who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers. Booth was taken off the ice by a stretcher. He has a major concussion and will be out for an unknown amount of weeks. Richards did not get suspended for this open ice hit. Hitting is permitted in the game of hockey and happens in every game but sometimes it goes too far. Players get seriously hurt and their job is at risk.
Richards’s side of the story was that it was a clean hit and where Booth was skating was a high risk area of getting hit and he should have been expecting it. Richards has stated that he had no intent to hurt Booth and has respect for the game and other players. Hockey is a physical sport and every player knows the risks involved. Reviewing the tape Richards did not jump and he was not in the wrong for the hit. Booth had the puck and his head down. That is a minor hockey mistake and hockey players at the NHL level should know that playing with the puck at the blue line, head down will put you at risk of being hit.
Looking from Booth’s perspective, Richards did put his elbow up higher and did hit him in the head. Richards could see that Booth’s head was down and that he was going to take a brutal hit, Richard’s should of let up and not put so much behind the check. Richards still should of hit Booth but he could of controlled the hit a lot better.
http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/the-morning-skate-nhl-ducks-on-headshots/
Richard’s did not face a suspension and will not be missing any games. Booth will be out for at least a couple weeks. Is it far that Booth is missing games and Richard’s isn’t?
Meggie McNabb
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Facebook: Good or Evil
Nearly everyone has Facebook these days. This relatively new form of communication brings new problems into our social culture. Problems such as, who do I “friends”, how do I contact this person, When do I change my status from single to in a relationship without freaking out my new partner. These unwritten rules of Facebook have the ability to cause an abundance of confusion among the online social networking population.
With the ever growing popularity of Facebook I am finding that a lot of older people have given in to this trend. People like my boyfriend’s mother, my aunt, and my friend’s grandmother have felt the need to join Facebook. I had no problem adding my boyfriend’s mother and my friend had no problem adding her grandmother. I was slightly reluctant though to add my aunt. After adding her I had to always double check when commenting or posting something on my siblings walls (they also added her, she will be able to see what I post) as well as when I updated my status. I was worried that my aunt would take something the wrong way and report it to my mother. I have known people to avoid this problem by either making their profile completely unavailable to strangers (or in this case unavailable to people they do not wish to add) or by convincing their mother that Facebook keeps deleting her from their friends list. People have also been known to change their profile name so that people will not know who that person is unless the individual chooses to tell them.
Another person that people have to worry about finding them on Facebook is their boss. If you call in sick and then change your status to say “Awesome shopping trip!” and then your boss sees it chances are you will be in trouble for lying to them about being sick. People have been fired over this and also for joining hate groups against their company or boss.
Even if you have nothing to hide and you add your boss, mother, or mother-in-law to your Facebook there is still the chance that you will get tagged in pictures that you may not want them to see. You might be at a party and a little tipsy, someone could take a suggestive picture of you and post it on their Facebook and tag you. Unfortunately you do not have any control over who posts pictures of you on Facebook. The best you can do is un-tag yourself and pray that no one saw them.
Another unfortunate thing about Facebook is finding out that your friends are annoying. For example, you may have friends who tag you in unflattering pictures or friends who feel the need to update their status every time they do something. People who post too many things can get annoying because it floods the news feed and then you cannot see what anyone else is up to.
These are just some of the many problems people encounter with Facebook. Yes it lets you communicate easily with people we wish to keep in touch with. However, now some individuals do not check their e-mail, MSN, text messages, or phone messages. This causes you to have no clue about how to get in touch with someone. We all know Facebook has made a part of our lives a little easier but when you look at all the other problems it is associated with is it really worth it? Do you need to know every detail of your friend’s lives or feel rejected when someone deletes you? Yes, I use Facebook, I wish I didn’t but I need it to communicate with people who can’t or don’t feel the need to pick up their phone or answer their e-mail.
- Elizabeth Williams (Posting for week 7)
With the ever growing popularity of Facebook I am finding that a lot of older people have given in to this trend. People like my boyfriend’s mother, my aunt, and my friend’s grandmother have felt the need to join Facebook. I had no problem adding my boyfriend’s mother and my friend had no problem adding her grandmother. I was slightly reluctant though to add my aunt. After adding her I had to always double check when commenting or posting something on my siblings walls (they also added her, she will be able to see what I post) as well as when I updated my status. I was worried that my aunt would take something the wrong way and report it to my mother. I have known people to avoid this problem by either making their profile completely unavailable to strangers (or in this case unavailable to people they do not wish to add) or by convincing their mother that Facebook keeps deleting her from their friends list. People have also been known to change their profile name so that people will not know who that person is unless the individual chooses to tell them.
Another person that people have to worry about finding them on Facebook is their boss. If you call in sick and then change your status to say “Awesome shopping trip!” and then your boss sees it chances are you will be in trouble for lying to them about being sick. People have been fired over this and also for joining hate groups against their company or boss.
Even if you have nothing to hide and you add your boss, mother, or mother-in-law to your Facebook there is still the chance that you will get tagged in pictures that you may not want them to see. You might be at a party and a little tipsy, someone could take a suggestive picture of you and post it on their Facebook and tag you. Unfortunately you do not have any control over who posts pictures of you on Facebook. The best you can do is un-tag yourself and pray that no one saw them.
Another unfortunate thing about Facebook is finding out that your friends are annoying. For example, you may have friends who tag you in unflattering pictures or friends who feel the need to update their status every time they do something. People who post too many things can get annoying because it floods the news feed and then you cannot see what anyone else is up to.
These are just some of the many problems people encounter with Facebook. Yes it lets you communicate easily with people we wish to keep in touch with. However, now some individuals do not check their e-mail, MSN, text messages, or phone messages. This causes you to have no clue about how to get in touch with someone. We all know Facebook has made a part of our lives a little easier but when you look at all the other problems it is associated with is it really worth it? Do you need to know every detail of your friend’s lives or feel rejected when someone deletes you? Yes, I use Facebook, I wish I didn’t but I need it to communicate with people who can’t or don’t feel the need to pick up their phone or answer their e-mail.
- Elizabeth Williams (Posting for week 7)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Lol, Dramatic politics - Global Warming
(This is for my 8th week post)
Everyone knows that carbon emissions from cars and factories cause global warming, right? Eveeerryone knows thaaat. It’s time for a news flash – what EVERYONE says isn’t always the truth. The apparent expert consensus of the human carbon emissions contributing to global warming theory is slowly starting to dissolve, as more opposing evidence is accumulated. In addition, it is time for us to see how the government and organizations take advantage of our environmental sensitivity, to further their plans for profit and world market control.
How does this relate to our cultural studies course? Once again, I'm going back to my ritual model of communication. As a culture starts to confirm each others beliefs, they shun other opinions and arguments, simply because it is not of a consensus. This results in the birth of a generation of people, who have closed their eyes on the world, and is being fed whatever information they are given, listening to the next voice telling them what to do. Once again, just like my Christianity post, people need to open up their eyes, and see different perspectives. Even if it challenges the very fundamental aspects of our existence, the truth will set us free. Our culture has always been focused on being right, instead of focusing on learning the TRUTH. Being wrong isn't a bad thing, it simply elevates a person to a higher level of understanding. I thought global warming emission theory was absolutely, undeniably true - until last month.
First, let’s discuss the apparent flaw in the theory of human carbon emission contributing to global warming. Global warming is real, but it is not as extreme as you are told it is, as that version of instant global warming is nothing more than a hoax. Earth has never experienced stable temperature, and it changes from time to time, as it is a natural process. Carbon dioxide levels do contribute somewhat to the amount of heat in our atmosphere since it is a green house gas, but the idea that our human emissions from mere fossil fuel consumption can affect atmospheric temperature to that extent is unlikely. In addition, there are different forms of green house gas, including sulfur, methane, nitrous oxide, and even water vapor. Were there any attention paid to those? No. In fact, recent MIT report actually finds an increase of methane level that directly contradicts human carbon emission contributing to global warming.
Here are the devil's advocates.
http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-39973-113.html
http://www.paulmacrae.com/
http://freenet-homepage.de/klima/indexe.htm
http://climatechange1.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/the-gaping-hole-in-greenhouse-theory/
This is only one of the videos explaining the phenomenon.
Watch the damn video >: O
I am not a scientist; however, by examining the writings that present evidence of human contribution to global warming, I find that the provided information are mostly speculation, and pseudoscience, which have reached a consensus in the scientific field without proper testing and research. Too much discussion has been based upon the exponential increase of the carbon emissions, instead of the direct impact of the resulting emissions in direct correlation to global warming. The consensus was focused upon Carbon dioxide emissions, instead of the other possibilities that may contribute to global warming (e.g. natural process, sun spots, other green house gases, ozone holes, etc.).
So who fed us these messages? The Mass Media, the government, schools, environmentalists, and ourselves. We need to realize that there is a difference between the truth, and what everyone else believes. Even if human carbon dioxide emission global warming theory is true, we need to critically examine this fact and look for evidence, instead of getting consensus from hot headed political leaders such as Al Gore, and Green Peace, which is one of the silliest non-profit organizations in the world. There’s actually been a deliberate withholding of information, and restriction of information created by this phenomenon, due to the fact that talking about alternate causes of global warming seems to be blasphemous. Scientists could lose their jobs if they talked about opposing ideas for global warming, when they fail to realize that science is ever expanding, and old theories will be replaced, always. Also, remember WWII? Hitler and his scientific consensus made everyone in Germany believe that the Aryan race had a much powerful brain capacity as compared to every other race. No-one asked questions, and those that asked would be shunned from society, and taken “away”.
So why does this matter to us? The government is already trying to take advantage of this false consensus as a way to tax the public. This is called the carbon tax, and carbon police. Carbon tax will allow the government to charge a citizen (not just businesses), for carbon emissions. They will bill you for their search (like a car check up fee), and also bill you for the carbon fine. Making barbecued ribs will eventually result in a fine. This is beginning to be implemented in the United States, and it will limit how people live their lives, and basically tax people for literally – living. You’d think Canada is far from this effect, but I bet none of you remembered when Stephen Dion had said something about implementing a carbon tax in his campaign. Are we really that far away from this?
Oh and B.C. Just implemented a carbon tax. Yay!
It’s just gas consumption now, but the possibilities for scamming is most definitely evident.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ecea1487-507c-43ef-ab88-5a972898e0b7
I don’t want you to say “OH GLOBAL WARMING IS FAKE”. I’m simply asking you to question knowledge we take for granted. What’s real today may not be real tomorrow, because reality is a human interpretation, and our interpretations are subject to corruption and false-hood. Question your surroundings, and keep your mind open, but not so open that your brain falls out.
I encourage anyone to comment and argue for their point of view, if they disagree with I said here. I’d like to hear the arguments of anyone that would want to talk about this topic. Make sure your arguments come from realistic scientific evidence, instead of a mere consensus of logic and statistics provided by government or organizations such as Green Peace, who are not experts on the subject.
Posted by Henry Huang
_________________________
Everyone knows that carbon emissions from cars and factories cause global warming, right? Eveeerryone knows thaaat. It’s time for a news flash – what EVERYONE says isn’t always the truth. The apparent expert consensus of the human carbon emissions contributing to global warming theory is slowly starting to dissolve, as more opposing evidence is accumulated. In addition, it is time for us to see how the government and organizations take advantage of our environmental sensitivity, to further their plans for profit and world market control.
How does this relate to our cultural studies course? Once again, I'm going back to my ritual model of communication. As a culture starts to confirm each others beliefs, they shun other opinions and arguments, simply because it is not of a consensus. This results in the birth of a generation of people, who have closed their eyes on the world, and is being fed whatever information they are given, listening to the next voice telling them what to do. Once again, just like my Christianity post, people need to open up their eyes, and see different perspectives. Even if it challenges the very fundamental aspects of our existence, the truth will set us free. Our culture has always been focused on being right, instead of focusing on learning the TRUTH. Being wrong isn't a bad thing, it simply elevates a person to a higher level of understanding. I thought global warming emission theory was absolutely, undeniably true - until last month.
First, let’s discuss the apparent flaw in the theory of human carbon emission contributing to global warming. Global warming is real, but it is not as extreme as you are told it is, as that version of instant global warming is nothing more than a hoax. Earth has never experienced stable temperature, and it changes from time to time, as it is a natural process. Carbon dioxide levels do contribute somewhat to the amount of heat in our atmosphere since it is a green house gas, but the idea that our human emissions from mere fossil fuel consumption can affect atmospheric temperature to that extent is unlikely. In addition, there are different forms of green house gas, including sulfur, methane, nitrous oxide, and even water vapor. Were there any attention paid to those? No. In fact, recent MIT report actually finds an increase of methane level that directly contradicts human carbon emission contributing to global warming.
Here are the devil's advocates.
http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-39973-113.html
http://www.paulmacrae.com/
http://freenet-homepage.de/klima/indexe.htm
http://climatechange1.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/the-gaping-hole-in-greenhouse-theory/
This is only one of the videos explaining the phenomenon.
Watch the damn video >: O
I am not a scientist; however, by examining the writings that present evidence of human contribution to global warming, I find that the provided information are mostly speculation, and pseudoscience, which have reached a consensus in the scientific field without proper testing and research. Too much discussion has been based upon the exponential increase of the carbon emissions, instead of the direct impact of the resulting emissions in direct correlation to global warming. The consensus was focused upon Carbon dioxide emissions, instead of the other possibilities that may contribute to global warming (e.g. natural process, sun spots, other green house gases, ozone holes, etc.).
So who fed us these messages? The Mass Media, the government, schools, environmentalists, and ourselves. We need to realize that there is a difference between the truth, and what everyone else believes. Even if human carbon dioxide emission global warming theory is true, we need to critically examine this fact and look for evidence, instead of getting consensus from hot headed political leaders such as Al Gore, and Green Peace, which is one of the silliest non-profit organizations in the world. There’s actually been a deliberate withholding of information, and restriction of information created by this phenomenon, due to the fact that talking about alternate causes of global warming seems to be blasphemous. Scientists could lose their jobs if they talked about opposing ideas for global warming, when they fail to realize that science is ever expanding, and old theories will be replaced, always. Also, remember WWII? Hitler and his scientific consensus made everyone in Germany believe that the Aryan race had a much powerful brain capacity as compared to every other race. No-one asked questions, and those that asked would be shunned from society, and taken “away”.
So why does this matter to us? The government is already trying to take advantage of this false consensus as a way to tax the public. This is called the carbon tax, and carbon police. Carbon tax will allow the government to charge a citizen (not just businesses), for carbon emissions. They will bill you for their search (like a car check up fee), and also bill you for the carbon fine. Making barbecued ribs will eventually result in a fine. This is beginning to be implemented in the United States, and it will limit how people live their lives, and basically tax people for literally – living. You’d think Canada is far from this effect, but I bet none of you remembered when Stephen Dion had said something about implementing a carbon tax in his campaign. Are we really that far away from this?
Oh and B.C. Just implemented a carbon tax. Yay!
It’s just gas consumption now, but the possibilities for scamming is most definitely evident.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ecea1487-507c-43ef-ab88-5a972898e0b7
I don’t want you to say “OH GLOBAL WARMING IS FAKE”. I’m simply asking you to question knowledge we take for granted. What’s real today may not be real tomorrow, because reality is a human interpretation, and our interpretations are subject to corruption and false-hood. Question your surroundings, and keep your mind open, but not so open that your brain falls out.
I encourage anyone to comment and argue for their point of view, if they disagree with I said here. I’d like to hear the arguments of anyone that would want to talk about this topic. Make sure your arguments come from realistic scientific evidence, instead of a mere consensus of logic and statistics provided by government or organizations such as Green Peace, who are not experts on the subject.
Posted by Henry Huang
_________________________
The World of Disney
Disney represents a world of magic – a world of imagination. For many children, Disney is the ultimate source for entertainment and enhancing their creativity. Being introduced to this world at increasingly young ages, children seem to be swept away in thoughts of fairy tales and unlikely heroes in a world far away from the one they may know. It can create an escape of sorts from the everyday reality and provide a plateau for imaginary ideals to run free. All of this is great and really, what kinds of escape do young children need, right? Well that’s the kind of thinking that is damaging to the Disney franchise, and the kind that they will spend big money trying to fight off. As long as the idealistic concept of Disney is alive in the hearts and minds of its fan base, the company will continue to thrive – this is why Disney does not only focus on creating materials suitable for young children, but they focus on entertaining all age levels so as not to alienate a prospective market. For example, Abilash brought up a good point about Disney corrupting the masses via sexual issues with their products i.e. inappropriate words written in the night sky in the Lion King or a sexual image incorporated into one of the Little Mermaid’s poster cover on the movie packaging. Perhaps these are minor gaffs on part of individual animators, but it starts one thinking about ‘what if it wasn’t a mistake’ – what could it be then? Could it really be intentional on Disney’s part? How much interest was generated in the young adult market when these issues became newsworthy? Enough to keep Disney in the limelight, and that’s what was really important. The movies I watched when I was younger seem so much more entertaining if I watch them at this stage in my life– there are so many more jokes and innuendos that I could not pick up on before but I do understand now. Recently, Disney acquired Marvel Inc. – the ultimate superhero franchise. This will allow them to further capitalize on the interests of teens and adults that seem to feed off the hero theme. Many people thought that this would hurt the comic franchise but I think Disney will do well with it – after all, they are in this for the long haul and with this new development, will have the capability to appeal to different ages, different interests and different stages of an ever-changing market.
I grew up with many children’s movies and cartoons but it was only when I moved to Canada that Disney really took over the competition. I think that has changed now, with Disney representing childhood around the globe, with its competitors struggling to keep up. In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how Disney keeps its current audience and is able to develop its adult audience into followers as well.
- Kelly Ragoobar
I grew up with many children’s movies and cartoons but it was only when I moved to Canada that Disney really took over the competition. I think that has changed now, with Disney representing childhood around the globe, with its competitors struggling to keep up. In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how Disney keeps its current audience and is able to develop its adult audience into followers as well.
- Kelly Ragoobar
Monday, October 26, 2009
"The Disney Corruption"
According to the YouTube video “How and why Walt Disney is trying to corrupt you and your children”, subliminal messages work. Disney movies use many forms of subliminal messages such as Satanism and pornography which you will not notice but your subconscious mind will.
An artist drawing for Disney would create a subliminal message in a cartoon by using certain techniques which you will not notice unless you actually analyze the cartoon. The artist would start the cartoon by drawing a sex symbol then concealing it in with the rest of the drawing. Your conscious mind would have a hard time seeing the sex symbol(s) but you subconscious mind will see the drawing.
These sex symbols are put into children’s minds through these Disney movies. How this works is that the television screen flickers through our conscious mind and we are not aware of the sex symbols, but our subconscious mind can see the drawings. How will this affect a child in the future? As the child grows older, certain events in their life will trigger these subconscious memories. This works just like how certain smells remind people of their past, the subconscious mind keeps record. These sexual images can remind people of sexual feelings as well.
Now, people may be wondering why Disney would be doing this. According to the video, it is because a corrupt society is easier to control. Many forms of entertainment contain subliminal images and messages. These images and messages will affect the way a person thinks and manipulate their perspective on things in general.
YouTube Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3BNJOEvdeI
-Abilash Sriskandarajah
An artist drawing for Disney would create a subliminal message in a cartoon by using certain techniques which you will not notice unless you actually analyze the cartoon. The artist would start the cartoon by drawing a sex symbol then concealing it in with the rest of the drawing. Your conscious mind would have a hard time seeing the sex symbol(s) but you subconscious mind will see the drawing.
These sex symbols are put into children’s minds through these Disney movies. How this works is that the television screen flickers through our conscious mind and we are not aware of the sex symbols, but our subconscious mind can see the drawings. How will this affect a child in the future? As the child grows older, certain events in their life will trigger these subconscious memories. This works just like how certain smells remind people of their past, the subconscious mind keeps record. These sexual images can remind people of sexual feelings as well.
Now, people may be wondering why Disney would be doing this. According to the video, it is because a corrupt society is easier to control. Many forms of entertainment contain subliminal images and messages. These images and messages will affect the way a person thinks and manipulate their perspective on things in general.
YouTube Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3BNJOEvdeI
-Abilash Sriskandarajah
Life Lessons From an Ad Man
Recently being exposed to this video, I have viewed it numerous times. “Life lessons from an ad man” was a presentation, done by Rory Sutherland, speaking on advertising and the affect it has on people. Under his jokes and comedic references, he reveals interesting concepts and ideas about advertising.
A major concept brought up in this video is the use of perceptions, in consumer, that advertisers use. Rory Sutherland explains how advertising in our new age and culture, relies on changing consumer perceptions on existing products/services. Whether the product is the same or a minor innovation has occurred, it is clear that this advertising practice is very success. This can be seen in numerous industries, including entertainment, mobile devices, food and etc.
For others who are interested in the advertising field, or would like a laugh, check this video out; definitely some good stuff here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=audakxABYUc
-T.Bayley
A major concept brought up in this video is the use of perceptions, in consumer, that advertisers use. Rory Sutherland explains how advertising in our new age and culture, relies on changing consumer perceptions on existing products/services. Whether the product is the same or a minor innovation has occurred, it is clear that this advertising practice is very success. This can be seen in numerous industries, including entertainment, mobile devices, food and etc.
For others who are interested in the advertising field, or would like a laugh, check this video out; definitely some good stuff here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=audakxABYUc
-T.Bayley
Perezhilton.com
A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the website, "perezhilton.com". Perezhilton.com is a celebrity gossip blog written by, the one and only, Perez Hilton. If you want to know what the latest gossip is about your favourite celeb, this website is the place to go.
For a while, I was obsessed with this website. I checked it everyday so that I could be caught up on the latest scandals in Hollywood. Even now, I check it every once in a while.
Millions of people go onto Perez Hilton daily. The website has become the number one gossip website in North America, and the most hated website in Hollywood. Although this is such a popular website, I have come to realize how rediculous it is. Perez Hilton makes tons of money off of this website, and all he does is write about other people. Depending on if he likes the celeb he is writing about or not, his blogs can be very insulting, or gratifying- which makes him a bit bias.
Celebrities hate him, and teens love him. Modern culture focuses on hero worship and false idols, and sites like perezhilton.com propegate this trend. Teens rely on him to update them on their favourite celebrity. However if you really think about it, it is all just gossip, and Perez is making a living off of this.
It is also unfair to celebrities for Perez to be making money off of writing about their flaws and personal lives when it is really no ones business. People get glued to this website to find out what's going on in the lives of famous people, making what Perez does seen as culturally acceptable. Things like satire have always been acceptable (such as the Daily Show or Colbert Report)...but Perez just insults celebrities without any sort of cultural value. How do you feel about this website? Would you like it if someone were to post blogs and gossip about you whehter it was true or not?
Blog posted by, Krystal Knopf
For a while, I was obsessed with this website. I checked it everyday so that I could be caught up on the latest scandals in Hollywood. Even now, I check it every once in a while.
Millions of people go onto Perez Hilton daily. The website has become the number one gossip website in North America, and the most hated website in Hollywood. Although this is such a popular website, I have come to realize how rediculous it is. Perez Hilton makes tons of money off of this website, and all he does is write about other people. Depending on if he likes the celeb he is writing about or not, his blogs can be very insulting, or gratifying- which makes him a bit bias.
Celebrities hate him, and teens love him. Modern culture focuses on hero worship and false idols, and sites like perezhilton.com propegate this trend. Teens rely on him to update them on their favourite celebrity. However if you really think about it, it is all just gossip, and Perez is making a living off of this.
It is also unfair to celebrities for Perez to be making money off of writing about their flaws and personal lives when it is really no ones business. People get glued to this website to find out what's going on in the lives of famous people, making what Perez does seen as culturally acceptable. Things like satire have always been acceptable (such as the Daily Show or Colbert Report)...but Perez just insults celebrities without any sort of cultural value. How do you feel about this website? Would you like it if someone were to post blogs and gossip about you whehter it was true or not?
Blog posted by, Krystal Knopf
Friday, October 23, 2009
Music Culture and the IPod
There is many new and improved technologies dealing with the music industry that are impacting our culture in so many different ways. Our culture today is being bombarded with new forms of technology in order to improve on other products or make something obsolete. Music first began with the basic record then improved to the CD, then the MP3 players and this leads us to the hottest product on the market right now which is the IPod. Even the IPod has upgraded since it was first released and technology is still coming up with ideas to improve the music culture. So this leaves us with the questions, “what’s next?” What technological idea will make the IPod obsolete and have everyone wanting the coolest item on the market?
The IPod is still considered the hottest music toy on the market today and the company is still coming out with new ideas for the IPod, such as the most recent video application. This new idea is more than just for the music culture this allows our IPod to also act as a camera. “When is enough, enough?” A lot of people wonder if it is really necessary to have video added to our IPod, since everyone has cameras anyways. But others see it as being easier and more efficient, with everything being held in one music machine. The IPod has done a lot of the music culture over the past years and is still the top seller on the market. The IPod has become an extension of the human body and has affected a lot of different senses. The IPod is an extension of the ears, the eyes since there is a screen on most IPods and also your fingers or hands when dealing with changing songs. Even though the newer IPods are sill affecting and contributing to our society today, the original IPod also had many applications in order to stay busy. There is a lot more than just listening to music. You can play games, set alarms, tell the time and share photos. Unfortunately, this was not enough for the music culture and the IPod is being improved and advancing music to much more.
Overall, since our society is still changing and technology is still being enhanced all over the world, it will continue to affect us and the environment we live in. The IPod is a prime example of how the music culture has impacted our lives and has upgraded with better applications in order to keep customers satisfied and stay number one on the market. The question still remains, “what’s next?” What will be invented that is better than the IPod and will become the next hottest product in the music industry? How will this affect our society and will there always continue to be enhanced or new products being invented?
-Vanessa
The IPod is still considered the hottest music toy on the market today and the company is still coming out with new ideas for the IPod, such as the most recent video application. This new idea is more than just for the music culture this allows our IPod to also act as a camera. “When is enough, enough?” A lot of people wonder if it is really necessary to have video added to our IPod, since everyone has cameras anyways. But others see it as being easier and more efficient, with everything being held in one music machine. The IPod has done a lot of the music culture over the past years and is still the top seller on the market. The IPod has become an extension of the human body and has affected a lot of different senses. The IPod is an extension of the ears, the eyes since there is a screen on most IPods and also your fingers or hands when dealing with changing songs. Even though the newer IPods are sill affecting and contributing to our society today, the original IPod also had many applications in order to stay busy. There is a lot more than just listening to music. You can play games, set alarms, tell the time and share photos. Unfortunately, this was not enough for the music culture and the IPod is being improved and advancing music to much more.
Overall, since our society is still changing and technology is still being enhanced all over the world, it will continue to affect us and the environment we live in. The IPod is a prime example of how the music culture has impacted our lives and has upgraded with better applications in order to keep customers satisfied and stay number one on the market. The question still remains, “what’s next?” What will be invented that is better than the IPod and will become the next hottest product in the music industry? How will this affect our society and will there always continue to be enhanced or new products being invented?
-Vanessa
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fox News and Egregiosity
Fox News is one of the largest and most powerful news agencies in the world. They have a wide presence across many different media and in many different areas, most specifically in the United States. The Fox News network holds a largely conservative viewpoint, though they claim not to have any particular bias. Their motto is "Fair and Balanced."
Why then, do we always hear stories of Bill O'Reilly and his explosive temper going off on liberals? Well, a news organization is permitted to have a political viewpoint. Ok, that's fair. Distorting truth is to be expected of huge corporations such as Fox.
But, Fox News on occasion even goes as far as blatantly lying. At the end of this posting you will find a link to "The Ten Most Egregious Fox News Distortions". They range from choosing video clips that deliberately portray the opposite of someone's point, plagiarizing reports from political party releases, reporting statistics that are completely made up, and even likening a gesture made by President Obama to a "terrorist fist bump".
How can this be allowed in a society which claims to value truth and fairness? This is mere propaganda, for individual gain and power. Corporate ownership of media has turned Fox News into a monster capable even of influencing the politics of the most powerful nation in the world. As Abilash stated previously, television is indeed a cold media because there is such a passive audience. That is the reason that Fox News has been continually allowed to make such outrageous mistakes with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/the-ten-most-egregious-fo_n_327140.html
Ben Biel
Why then, do we always hear stories of Bill O'Reilly and his explosive temper going off on liberals? Well, a news organization is permitted to have a political viewpoint. Ok, that's fair. Distorting truth is to be expected of huge corporations such as Fox.
But, Fox News on occasion even goes as far as blatantly lying. At the end of this posting you will find a link to "The Ten Most Egregious Fox News Distortions". They range from choosing video clips that deliberately portray the opposite of someone's point, plagiarizing reports from political party releases, reporting statistics that are completely made up, and even likening a gesture made by President Obama to a "terrorist fist bump".
How can this be allowed in a society which claims to value truth and fairness? This is mere propaganda, for individual gain and power. Corporate ownership of media has turned Fox News into a monster capable even of influencing the politics of the most powerful nation in the world. As Abilash stated previously, television is indeed a cold media because there is such a passive audience. That is the reason that Fox News has been continually allowed to make such outrageous mistakes with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/the-ten-most-egregious-fo_n_327140.html
Ben Biel
Monday, October 19, 2009
Jessica Yellin’s Experience with Corporate Media in Modern Democracy
Jessica Yellin is currently an American political reporter for CNN. On the popular primetime news show, Anderson Cooper 360, Jessica Yellin admitted to being pressured by corporate executives to present positive stories during the run up to the Iraq war on May 28th, 2008. MSNBC, who was her employer at the time, told her to avoid negative reporting about the government and to report favorably on the war in Iraq.
This is a transcript of the interview that took place between Anderson Cooper and Jessica:
Cooper: “Jessica, McClellan took press to task for not upholding their reputation. He writes: "The National Press Corps was probably too deferential to the White House and to the administration in regard to the most important decision facing the nation during my years in Washington, the choice over whether to go to war in Iraq. The 'liberal media' -- in quotes -- didn't live up to its reputation. If it had, the country would have been better served." Dan Bartlett, former Bush adviser, called the allegation "total crap." What is your take? Did the press corps drop the ball?”
Yellin: “I wouldn't go that far. I think the press corps dropped the ball at the beginning. When the lead-up to the war began, the press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war that was presented in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president's high approval ratings.
And my own experience at the White House was that, the higher the president's approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives -- and I was not at this network at the time -- but the more pressure I had from news executives to put on positive stories about the president. I think, over time...”
Cooper:”You had pressure from news executives to put on positive stories about the president?”
Yellin: “Not in that exact -- they wouldn't say it in that way, but they would edit my pieces. They would push me in different directions. They would turn down stories that were more critical and try to put on pieces that were more positive, yes. That was my experience.”
As one can see, the role of corporate media in modern democracy is a large one as this interview demonstrates. Marshall McLuhan’s phrase “the medium is the message” effectively defines the relationship of the corporate media in modern democracy because the medium, which in this case is MSNBC, has directly affected the society’s minds by brainwashing them into believing that there was nothing negative going on in Iraq. A television news network would be a great example of a “cool” medium because of the fact it engages the minds of viewers. If the government tells or pays a news network to say something incorrect to the public, it would have a mass effect on the minds of all the viewers irrespective of the fact that it is of a negative nature.
By: Abilash Sriskandarajah
Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULw0tfYvxhU
The Cultural Identity of Leafs Nation
Despite being considered the NHL’s worst franchise the Toronto Maple Leafs have the largest fan base in the NHL known simply as Leafs Nation. Despite the teams popularity Leafs Nation is possibly the most hated fan base’s in the NHL and one that is heavily scrutinized.
This is where being a part of Leafs Nation is like being a part of a culture. People who are not Leafs fans cannot understand why fans are willing to pay so much and cheer for a team that has not won a championship in 42 years and has not made the playoffs in 5. Unlike many other sports franchises Leafs fans are not people who simply cheer for the best or popular team at the time. If you are a Leafs fan you cheer for them because you love the team and the history the team has. Many of Toronto’s fans are born into becoming a Leafs fan. Much like myself many people cheer for the Leafs because their parents cheered for the Leafs, and being a Leaf fan was almost forced upon them. Colliers dictionary defines culture as the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group. Leafs Nation is a culture of people who shared attitudes towards the Leafs characterizes them as Leafs Nation.
I chose to write about Leafs Nation as a culture because I believe Leafs Nation is one of the most dedicated and spirited fan bases in all of sports. Despite waiting 42 years for Stanley Cup and not making the playoffs for the last 5 years, Leafs fans continue to cheer for and attend Leafs games. Despite many people calling Leafs fans “idiots” or “Losers” fans continue to show up to games and cheer on possibly the worst team in the league. For me being a Leafs fan is not only a culture, being a Leafs fan is a part of my life. Since I was born I have watched almost every Leafs game played, today I continue to watch every game. There is nothing like going to the bar and watching the Leafs game while enjoying a nice beer with some friends. At family functions or on family vacations there is no family time like sitting down and watching the Leafs play (usually watching them lose). The Leafs have brought my family together, and in some cases torn us apart. The Leafs have been more than a team to me, and too many other Leafs fans.
Being a Leafs fan means being a part of a culture that is accustomed to losing, but cheering for a team despite its losing ways is what makes Leafs fans the greatest fans in all of sports, because it’s “the passion that unites us all.”
-Curtis Thompson
Here is a quick you tube video on Leafs Nation!
"Plugola" in the Media. .. .
The term plugola expresses the, advertising or publicity that is intended for self-promotion and not paid for or underwritten by and independent sponsor. It is also known as, payment or favour given to people in media or motion pictures for favourable mention or display of a particular product or brand name.
As most of us know, many celebrities get paid money to advertise for certain companies on TV. A popular example is Jessica Simpson, who does Proactive commercials even though it is said that she doesn’t actually use the product herself. There are many celebrities who are paid large sums of money by companies to “say” that they use certain products even though they don’t.
The same theory applies to articles of clothing. Many celebrities sport different brands of shoes, shirts, skirts, tee’s and sweats; just because a company is paying them to do so. As we have previously discussed, we are bombarded with different forms of advertising every single day. We as a society are so caught up in looking like celebrities (i.e. dressing how they dress) that it is very easy to miss the undercover business that really goes on. Plugola is very common and even though many people are aware, it doesn’t seem to ever disrupt the message being sent out to all the consumers.
NG~
As most of us know, many celebrities get paid money to advertise for certain companies on TV. A popular example is Jessica Simpson, who does Proactive commercials even though it is said that she doesn’t actually use the product herself. There are many celebrities who are paid large sums of money by companies to “say” that they use certain products even though they don’t.
The same theory applies to articles of clothing. Many celebrities sport different brands of shoes, shirts, skirts, tee’s and sweats; just because a company is paying them to do so. As we have previously discussed, we are bombarded with different forms of advertising every single day. We as a society are so caught up in looking like celebrities (i.e. dressing how they dress) that it is very easy to miss the undercover business that really goes on. Plugola is very common and even though many people are aware, it doesn’t seem to ever disrupt the message being sent out to all the consumers.
NG~
Hilarious Enemy to the Usual Corporate Media
We all know that most of the media we consume on a daily basis is heavily 'guarded' and regulated by the bodies which facilitate its release. Most of these facilitators are large-scale corporation with one thing -power. So who might you ask is the hilarious enemy to these firms, well his name is Michael Moore.
If you are unaware, Moore is the famous director, producer and writer of documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and my current favourite, Sicko. Although, once I get to see Capitalism: A Love Story...my favourite might change.
This film- Sicko (who has reached millions) is a hilarious expose on the American health care system and a documentation of a quest to find a way to right the wrongs. The film starts off with heart-breaking & real stories about Americans struggling to communicate with their HMO's. One man was denied payment of treatment of a malignant cancer due to its "experimental' nature even though it was used successfully on several other patients at the same hospital. Another woman lost her young daughter to heart failure because she was told by her HMO to transfer her by CAR (not via ambulance) to another hospital where it had contracts. And finally one woman speaks out about how the cost of her ambulance ride (from the site of an EMERGENCY where she was UNCONSCIOUS)was not covered because the cost was pre-approved. These are all examples of stories which may not have made the news due any degree of media control to protect the face of the insurance companies.
Moore then travels to places with an apparent 'socialist' view towards health care such as Canada, the UK and France. Upon interview with the recipients of health care from such places, Moore received laughter at the fact that Americans had to 'pay' for their children before leaving the hospital. It was also widely agreed that residents were satisfied with the service they received from this universal care. Again, much of this coverage may not have been aired on regular programming as to 'shelter' Americans from information which may lead them to change their opinion.
However the BEST part by far is when Moore takes three 9/11 heroes (who were denied payment to care needed due to injuries suffered in hero-type duty) to the only place in 'America' with universal care - Guantanamo Bay. The inmates here all receive fast and free care as needed. Moore boats up to the gates and uses his megaphone to exclaim "I have heroes from 9/11 here who need some health care. We only want as much as the terrorists, not more." He gets no response other than the sound of wailing alarms. I am positive the government loved that this was shown to millions via movie theatre, DVD and Internet. Sucks for you.
Ashley Rickards
If you are unaware, Moore is the famous director, producer and writer of documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11 and my current favourite, Sicko. Although, once I get to see Capitalism: A Love Story...my favourite might change.
This film- Sicko (who has reached millions) is a hilarious expose on the American health care system and a documentation of a quest to find a way to right the wrongs. The film starts off with heart-breaking & real stories about Americans struggling to communicate with their HMO's. One man was denied payment of treatment of a malignant cancer due to its "experimental' nature even though it was used successfully on several other patients at the same hospital. Another woman lost her young daughter to heart failure because she was told by her HMO to transfer her by CAR (not via ambulance) to another hospital where it had contracts. And finally one woman speaks out about how the cost of her ambulance ride (from the site of an EMERGENCY where she was UNCONSCIOUS)was not covered because the cost was pre-approved. These are all examples of stories which may not have made the news due any degree of media control to protect the face of the insurance companies.
Moore then travels to places with an apparent 'socialist' view towards health care such as Canada, the UK and France. Upon interview with the recipients of health care from such places, Moore received laughter at the fact that Americans had to 'pay' for their children before leaving the hospital. It was also widely agreed that residents were satisfied with the service they received from this universal care. Again, much of this coverage may not have been aired on regular programming as to 'shelter' Americans from information which may lead them to change their opinion.
However the BEST part by far is when Moore takes three 9/11 heroes (who were denied payment to care needed due to injuries suffered in hero-type duty) to the only place in 'America' with universal care - Guantanamo Bay. The inmates here all receive fast and free care as needed. Moore boats up to the gates and uses his megaphone to exclaim "I have heroes from 9/11 here who need some health care. We only want as much as the terrorists, not more." He gets no response other than the sound of wailing alarms. I am positive the government loved that this was shown to millions via movie theatre, DVD and Internet. Sucks for you.
Ashley Rickards
Impact of Movie Culture
This week’s article ‘Media Concentration and Culture: The Movie and Music Industries’ states that most of our news about the movie industry comes from celebrity gossip columns and film reviews. Although this may be true, I do believe that what has become really important is to be able to realize how these movies are affecting each of us individually. Sure Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie adopted their 10th kid-- but what is crucial to analyze is how Brad Pitt’s character in the last film you watched made you feel. When you sit back and think about your favorite movie, what emotions stir up inside of you? It is a rather difficult task to try to describe the strong sentiments aroused by viewing your most appreciated film.
There is no doubt that movies have become an integral part of our lives and culture. As we look back at previous decades, we are able to recognize the improvements in movie making and how the delivery to the audience has changed. Although movies are one popular culture among many, they may hold a greater symbolic meaning than the rest. For instance a person’s favorite movie can say more about themselves then their favorite sports team, food, song or even TV show.
The Change of Scale theory that was reviewed in class deals with the change in the way of doing things. It is the message of any medium or technology and the change of scale or pace or pattern that is introduced into human affairs. The Change of Scale when dealing with movie culture introduces us to the development of presenting storied dramas. Although movies are just over one hundred years old, Ancient epics, Classical dramas, Morality plays, Renaissance comedies and Tragedies have all become established genres. Traditional performing arts were well known for its delivery of moral lessons throughout its presentations. Although many movies still carry a moral message (some good, some bad) movies in today’s society tend to emphasize the effects of movie making (sights and sounds) at the expense of content. Due to the large focus on extra effects, we are losing the importance of understanding the moral lessons that are being conveyed across the screen.
The way in which we view movies has changed dramatically as well. Projectors, surround sound, the big screen etc. I know that personally, I am a lot more affected by a film when I go to see it in theatres. First off, I just paid $11.00 to get in (so it’s crucial I pay attention to get my money’s worth) and secondly, the surround sound and large screen make it almost impossible to miss a beat. We also mentioned in class that movies and books are a part of ‘Hot’ media where as TV and telephones are considered ‘Cool’ media. With Hot media, our minds become inundated with informational content. Without any real form of consent, these producers are filling our heads with whatever information they like.
Although most movie news is attributed to celebrity gossip columns and film reviews, it is crucial that each of us recognize the impact of these messages specifically on ourselves. Have you ever realized yourself taking movie dialogue and using it as your own? It’s something that happens subconsciously-- we take in the information we watch and transform it into our own lives. The impact of film on our society is extremely powerful and will only continue to grow stronger. With new technologies and the constant flow of new movie releases, it is important to draw the line as to what we let influence our opinions and attitudes. It is up to each individual to decipher their own views on what they believe is good or bad and to decide what they will or will not let affect them.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Smart Phones
Over the past few years, the advancement in cell phone technology has greatly grown. Cell phones started off very basic, with the features of calling and texting. Today the “smart phone” has become an all in one tool that every human being needs at all times.
One of the main smart phones today is the iPhone. With it’s easy to use touch screen interface, you can do almost anything! Surf the net, check your email, and use GPS all while listening to music. You can also download tons of different applications that just make life a little easier. For example, Apple has created an application that gives you a list of all the closest Tim Hortons to your current location; which has saved me the trouble of driving around searching for somewhere to get a coffee. These phones are becoming the new thing that everybody wants.
In an article I read, someone was complaining about how smart phones are allowing adolescents to have too much communication. But isn’t that what a phone is for, to communicate? The smart phones allow us to communicate with multiple people in more ways than one. You can send out an email to someone at anytime you want. You don’t need a computer; the phone already has its own internet connection. These phones are just showing us how much technology has changed, and how much technology has changed us. As humans, we need to communicate and in our society today people have become dependent on their cell phone. It isn’t a bad thing; it is just the way of communication this day in age.
Smart phones were created to benefit us, and they will only become better and better. Check out the Pomegranate phone on this YouTube video. I guarantee that if you had it, you would never put it down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K05mi7G3jIk
One of the main smart phones today is the iPhone. With it’s easy to use touch screen interface, you can do almost anything! Surf the net, check your email, and use GPS all while listening to music. You can also download tons of different applications that just make life a little easier. For example, Apple has created an application that gives you a list of all the closest Tim Hortons to your current location; which has saved me the trouble of driving around searching for somewhere to get a coffee. These phones are becoming the new thing that everybody wants.
In an article I read, someone was complaining about how smart phones are allowing adolescents to have too much communication. But isn’t that what a phone is for, to communicate? The smart phones allow us to communicate with multiple people in more ways than one. You can send out an email to someone at anytime you want. You don’t need a computer; the phone already has its own internet connection. These phones are just showing us how much technology has changed, and how much technology has changed us. As humans, we need to communicate and in our society today people have become dependent on their cell phone. It isn’t a bad thing; it is just the way of communication this day in age.
Smart phones were created to benefit us, and they will only become better and better. Check out the Pomegranate phone on this YouTube video. I guarantee that if you had it, you would never put it down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K05mi7G3jIk
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Privacy and Social Networking
Computer networks, social networks and social engagement in a community are all very important aspects of our lives.
Today, social networking and the issue of privacy is a growing concern with the development of Facebook, Twitter and other popular social networks. People of all ages are joining social networks for many reasons, most popularly to connect with friends. The issue is that these people are unaware of how much of their personal information they are revealing and where their personal information is being used. Social networking sites allow any individual to create online profiles revealing their personal information to friends, family, and unknown number of strangers. These social networking sites are not always informing the users about who sees their information and, Facebook, for example, not taking proper steps to protect user privacy.
So, why is this a problem for Canadians? Well, in an article, Family and Relationships from the Globe and Mail, it stated that dating as not been the same since the arrival of Facebook five years ago. Facebook is revealing so much information about individuals that jealously is evolving as well as issues of trust, even when a couple feels confident in eachother. Yes, people do apply high privacy settings to their Facebook, however this does not always stop other people from acheiving information from their profile. Social network sites are providing vast amounts of information about individuals which is leading them to experience inadequacies in both their social and personal lives.
From what we were once told and the previous generations' advice of "not talking to strangers" no longer makes any sense.
By Heather Gingell
Today, social networking and the issue of privacy is a growing concern with the development of Facebook, Twitter and other popular social networks. People of all ages are joining social networks for many reasons, most popularly to connect with friends. The issue is that these people are unaware of how much of their personal information they are revealing and where their personal information is being used. Social networking sites allow any individual to create online profiles revealing their personal information to friends, family, and unknown number of strangers. These social networking sites are not always informing the users about who sees their information and, Facebook, for example, not taking proper steps to protect user privacy.
So, why is this a problem for Canadians? Well, in an article, Family and Relationships from the Globe and Mail, it stated that dating as not been the same since the arrival of Facebook five years ago. Facebook is revealing so much information about individuals that jealously is evolving as well as issues of trust, even when a couple feels confident in eachother. Yes, people do apply high privacy settings to their Facebook, however this does not always stop other people from acheiving information from their profile. Social network sites are providing vast amounts of information about individuals which is leading them to experience inadequacies in both their social and personal lives.
From what we were once told and the previous generations' advice of "not talking to strangers" no longer makes any sense.
By Heather Gingell
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Culture of Retail Blogging
By Mary Laird
Obviously we have all been shopping for new clothes and we know how exciting it is when we buy something new, but what if a day later you realize the quality is bad or the product has a really itchy material?
We buy what we want and usually never speak of the event again. BUT, to so many others, shopping is an art; something we thrive on. Something we are proud to do and proud to accomplish. It could be a fix for an emotional day or something we do when we are bored or simply something we do because we LOVE it! Through our experiences of “talented” shopping, those of us who are deeply in love with the process, also learn about not only what is fashionable that season perhaps, but we learn about the value and quality of the things we are seeking to buy.
This sometimes leads us shoppers to join the culture of, “Retail Blogging”. I have never exactly posted a retail blog myself, but I have read many and have learned about the products that I am looking at to buy through this action of blogging. I can honestly say that am more than grateful to have experienced this culture. These blogs have helped me decide whether or not to buy a certain product, or it answers questions that I may have about a product, most of all it has saved me a great amount of money that probably would have gone to waste.
Basically, “Retail Blogging” is a comment or blog post, usually on a stores website or even on independent websites. They are comments about a product that might highlight things such as material quality, length, depth, roughness, softness, if the product is overall a waste of money or if it’s completely worth every penny to purchase.
It is a culture of people who communicate retail quality; shopper to shopper we help each other out. It is a loyal culture that communicates not only negatives qualities but positive qualities as well and it really does save a person time and effort when they looking at an item to buy.
This is the culture of Retail Blogging. I highly recommend all of you to experience this culture and even become a part of it yourselves.
Check out this link for the example of Retail Blogging.
It is called “reviews” on this website. It is the “Silence and Noise Open Shoulder Blazer”, and right below it to the right of the star ratings you will find “reviews” in brackets. You can click there for an example of Retail Blogging.
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=10&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16812315&parentid=W_APP_JACKETS_JACKETS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=12&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_JACKETS_JACKETS&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=
By Mary Laird
By Mary Laird
Obviously we have all been shopping for new clothes and we know how exciting it is when we buy something new, but what if a day later you realize the quality is bad or the product has a really itchy material?
We buy what we want and usually never speak of the event again. BUT, to so many others, shopping is an art; something we thrive on. Something we are proud to do and proud to accomplish. It could be a fix for an emotional day or something we do when we are bored or simply something we do because we LOVE it! Through our experiences of “talented” shopping, those of us who are deeply in love with the process, also learn about not only what is fashionable that season perhaps, but we learn about the value and quality of the things we are seeking to buy.
This sometimes leads us shoppers to join the culture of, “Retail Blogging”. I have never exactly posted a retail blog myself, but I have read many and have learned about the products that I am looking at to buy through this action of blogging. I can honestly say that am more than grateful to have experienced this culture. These blogs have helped me decide whether or not to buy a certain product, or it answers questions that I may have about a product, most of all it has saved me a great amount of money that probably would have gone to waste.
Basically, “Retail Blogging” is a comment or blog post, usually on a stores website or even on independent websites. They are comments about a product that might highlight things such as material quality, length, depth, roughness, softness, if the product is overall a waste of money or if it’s completely worth every penny to purchase.
It is a culture of people who communicate retail quality; shopper to shopper we help each other out. It is a loyal culture that communicates not only negatives qualities but positive qualities as well and it really does save a person time and effort when they looking at an item to buy.
This is the culture of Retail Blogging. I highly recommend all of you to experience this culture and even become a part of it yourselves.
Check out this link for the example of Retail Blogging.
It is called “reviews” on this website. It is the “Silence and Noise Open Shoulder Blazer”, and right below it to the right of the star ratings you will find “reviews” in brackets. You can click there for an example of Retail Blogging.
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?itemdescription=true&itemCount=10&startValue=1&selectedProductColor=&sortby=&id=16812315&parentid=W_APP_JACKETS_JACKETS&sortProperties=+subCategoryPosition,+product.marketingPriority,-product.startDate&navCount=12&navAction=poppushpush&color=&pushId=W_APP_JACKETS_JACKETS&popId=WOMENS_APPAREL&prepushId=
By Mary Laird
The World of the BB by RIM
So whats the BB by RIM?
Well I'm pretty sure almost EVERYone in our class can figure that one out. The Blackberry created by Research in Motion has become a communication culture of its own. Those who own BB's belong to this culture and can communicate to other BB users in various ways, that those without can't even understand.
So why blog about the BB. Well easy, I just got one, and only know do I really understand what this culture is all about. Prior to actually owning one, I had no clue as to all off the things that a BB actually offers. I used to have a phone that had a touch screen and had all these different communication features including, MSN, e-mail and txting, so I thought I was getting the best of both worlds. I was soo wrong!
With a BB users can literally do just about anything they want to. The different communication aspects include anything from, SMS (txting), BBM, (free Blackberry messenger), e-mail, Internet and of course the traditional phone calling capabilities. With all of these available a user can contact anyone, at anytime, with the simple easy of a button or two. Not only can users communicate they can work and play. Blackberry's allow users to work on business documents with Microsoft Word and Excel, and has games like Brick Breaker and Sudoku. Blackberry's are literally like a mini computer, allowing everything to happen.
So how does this affect Canadians. Well, RIM - Research In Motion, is a Canadian based and founded company. They are considered one of the "leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market." Millions of Canadians own Blackberry's many by choice and many forced through work. One of the Companies I work for has now provided every single Manager with a Blackberry, so that they can access work from home.
The BB is slowly taking over the mobile communications world. So whats next?
-A.Rau
Well I'm pretty sure almost EVERYone in our class can figure that one out. The Blackberry created by Research in Motion has become a communication culture of its own. Those who own BB's belong to this culture and can communicate to other BB users in various ways, that those without can't even understand.
So why blog about the BB. Well easy, I just got one, and only know do I really understand what this culture is all about. Prior to actually owning one, I had no clue as to all off the things that a BB actually offers. I used to have a phone that had a touch screen and had all these different communication features including, MSN, e-mail and txting, so I thought I was getting the best of both worlds. I was soo wrong!
With a BB users can literally do just about anything they want to. The different communication aspects include anything from, SMS (txting), BBM, (free Blackberry messenger), e-mail, Internet and of course the traditional phone calling capabilities. With all of these available a user can contact anyone, at anytime, with the simple easy of a button or two. Not only can users communicate they can work and play. Blackberry's allow users to work on business documents with Microsoft Word and Excel, and has games like Brick Breaker and Sudoku. Blackberry's are literally like a mini computer, allowing everything to happen.
So how does this affect Canadians. Well, RIM - Research In Motion, is a Canadian based and founded company. They are considered one of the "leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market." Millions of Canadians own Blackberry's many by choice and many forced through work. One of the Companies I work for has now provided every single Manager with a Blackberry, so that they can access work from home.
The BB is slowly taking over the mobile communications world. So whats next?
-A.Rau
Christmas in North America: Connecting or Dividing Us?
Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas! Is it really a Merry Christmas when we are being manipulated into overspending and indulging in our selfish desires with resources that we don't even have?
Our culture has become saturated with advertisements and promotions during the holidays within print, online and television media forms. In an article on their website, WOAI, a NBC affiliate, discusses the actions of one of the world's largest retailers to lure in shoppers into focusing on Christmas shopping. Because of the recent downturn in the global economy, Walmart has adjusted their marketing strategy to convince the everyday customer to begin investing in gifts for their loved ones now. This comes as strange news due to the fact that the norm is to turn one's attention towards Christmas after Halloween at the earliest. According to the article, Walmart has made about one hundred toys available for ten dollars at this time versus beginning Christmas promotions after the American thanksgiving.
Here in Canada, others have followed suit with stores like Zellers putting out their Christmas related merchandise two weeks before Thanksgiving. Such action is mind boggling because when people are forced to view such promotions, they are eventually to spend money that they do not have. On the second page of the most recent flyer from Zellers online and in print, there is a Christmas tree already being made available. I find such action disturbing and it leads me to agree with the first myth discussed in "The Problem of the Media" reading. This myth is that the media does not shape society, it just reflects it. The Canadian masses are not a self-absorbed people but the media is pushing its people to move past its honourable efforts to think otherwise. With a constant outpouring of advertising directed towards the purchase of Christmas-related merchandise, the Canadian society at large is forced to believe that there is a need to buy these items in order to find happiness and bliss. The main message of the Christmas holiday is one of love, unity and appreciation, with the gifts serving as a secondary element of the celebration. With the turn in focus towards the pleasantries, how is the next generation of Canadians going to carry on the Christmas tradition in a way that effectively combines giving and sharing with the aforementioned positive ideals of unity, love and appreciation?
The WOAI article can be found here: http://www.woai.com/business/story/In-a-sign-of-the-times-Wal-Mart-pushes-Christmas/uj-znDc4JEemEWSDaSyg-w.cspx
2008 Walmart Christmas Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7QKsTmE7jY
-Sammy Kyereme
Our culture has become saturated with advertisements and promotions during the holidays within print, online and television media forms. In an article on their website, WOAI, a NBC affiliate, discusses the actions of one of the world's largest retailers to lure in shoppers into focusing on Christmas shopping. Because of the recent downturn in the global economy, Walmart has adjusted their marketing strategy to convince the everyday customer to begin investing in gifts for their loved ones now. This comes as strange news due to the fact that the norm is to turn one's attention towards Christmas after Halloween at the earliest. According to the article, Walmart has made about one hundred toys available for ten dollars at this time versus beginning Christmas promotions after the American thanksgiving.
Here in Canada, others have followed suit with stores like Zellers putting out their Christmas related merchandise two weeks before Thanksgiving. Such action is mind boggling because when people are forced to view such promotions, they are eventually to spend money that they do not have. On the second page of the most recent flyer from Zellers online and in print, there is a Christmas tree already being made available. I find such action disturbing and it leads me to agree with the first myth discussed in "The Problem of the Media" reading. This myth is that the media does not shape society, it just reflects it. The Canadian masses are not a self-absorbed people but the media is pushing its people to move past its honourable efforts to think otherwise. With a constant outpouring of advertising directed towards the purchase of Christmas-related merchandise, the Canadian society at large is forced to believe that there is a need to buy these items in order to find happiness and bliss. The main message of the Christmas holiday is one of love, unity and appreciation, with the gifts serving as a secondary element of the celebration. With the turn in focus towards the pleasantries, how is the next generation of Canadians going to carry on the Christmas tradition in a way that effectively combines giving and sharing with the aforementioned positive ideals of unity, love and appreciation?
The WOAI article can be found here: http://www.woai.com/business/story/In-a-sign-of-the-times-Wal-Mart-pushes-Christmas/uj-znDc4JEemEWSDaSyg-w.cspx
2008 Walmart Christmas Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7QKsTmE7jY
-Sammy Kyereme
Saturday, October 10, 2009
PostSecret Culture
"PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.'
I'm not sure if any of you are aware of the PostSecret books or the PostSecret blog, but the thought crossed my mind a few days ago to discuss how these publications have had a cultural effect on society and the way we communicate in general.
I discovered the PostSecret books about a year ago when my friend was showing me a copy of the book which her mother gave her as a gift. I was fascinated by the secrets, confessions, and art work encapsulated in the book and I was tempted to read more.
Currently, I own three of the books. The more I read the books, the more I am fascinated with the stories contained within them. And then it hit me, the person who compiled these books, Frank Warren, is not only a genius but is conducting what could be described as a culturally unethical phenomena.
Although the secrets contained in the books and in the blog are sent in by readers and secret holders world wide, can we say that it is culturally and ethically acceptable for Frank Warren to profit off of other people's secrets?
I feel the books and the blog have created a culture in themselves which allows secret holders and readers to feel connected to others' sense of fear, misery, joy, confusion and concern.
How do you feel about secrets becoming a domain of public identity? How do you think PostSecret books and the blog have had an effect of what is culturally acceptable in society? Do you think the books and the blog have changed people's idea of secrecy all together?
Check out the PostSecret blog at http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/ and share your thoughts on PostSecret as a culture.
Taylor Short
I'm not sure if any of you are aware of the PostSecret books or the PostSecret blog, but the thought crossed my mind a few days ago to discuss how these publications have had a cultural effect on society and the way we communicate in general.
I discovered the PostSecret books about a year ago when my friend was showing me a copy of the book which her mother gave her as a gift. I was fascinated by the secrets, confessions, and art work encapsulated in the book and I was tempted to read more.
Currently, I own three of the books. The more I read the books, the more I am fascinated with the stories contained within them. And then it hit me, the person who compiled these books, Frank Warren, is not only a genius but is conducting what could be described as a culturally unethical phenomena.
Although the secrets contained in the books and in the blog are sent in by readers and secret holders world wide, can we say that it is culturally and ethically acceptable for Frank Warren to profit off of other people's secrets?
I feel the books and the blog have created a culture in themselves which allows secret holders and readers to feel connected to others' sense of fear, misery, joy, confusion and concern.
How do you feel about secrets becoming a domain of public identity? How do you think PostSecret books and the blog have had an effect of what is culturally acceptable in society? Do you think the books and the blog have changed people's idea of secrecy all together?
Check out the PostSecret blog at http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/ and share your thoughts on PostSecret as a culture.
Taylor Short
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Ritual Communication as manipulation - Christianity
For some reason, I feel compelled to write something about the Bible, because it has been on my mind. Since Christianity and other religions relate to ritual communications, I will discuss how ritual communication can be used as a form of manipulation, and how it has affected Christianity.
First of all, ritual communication involves the practice of communication as a community, engaging in daily activities and routines which do not necessarily develop culture, but sustain it. This can be compared to Christianity, and other religions, because it is a constant perpetuation of the same biblical text, and the same biblical phrases, which are recited over and over. A lie told many times, will become the truth, and this has happened with Christianity.
Christianity was used by powerful men to control others. In earlier years of Christianity, it performed violent crusades, and tortured those that did not want to believe in the religion. Many of the scholars in that time were pressured to write religious texts, and forced to provide evidence for Christianity. Christianity has even destroyed evidence of other Pagan religions, which pre-dates Jesus. By preserving evidence and destroying others, the future generations of religious people are bound to believe in the same texts. This form of self-preservation leads to the development of an entire community of people that are taming themselves. It can be compared to domestic sheeps and cows.
As technology develops, and as people become smarter and more informed, more and more evidence accumulates, which suggests that Christianity has been nothing more than a hoax. Recent evidence suggests that all religions are related in some way, and ultimately traces back to Ancient Egypt. Christianity, especially the deity Jesus, shares many relationship to other religious deities, (e.g. Mithra) such as the day they were born, virgin birth, the three kings, etc. The new theory behind religion is that they all share an astrological origin. The original deity of worship, which spawned other religious figures, was actually the Sun. Of course, this is a new and controversial theory, which many religious scholars denies to be the truth. But being in the perpetuated community of ritual practices, they cannot break free of their biblical teachings, and cannot imagine life without it. Therefore they fight to preserve it, because this ritual practice defines their culture, and their community. Christianity, with a pure incentive in the beginning, as a worship of the sun, eventually grew into a method of manipulation, and self-preservation, which has caused much pain and misery.
More about the astrological theories defined in this paragraph, you can read about it here:
http://www.truthbeknown.com/origins.htm
Here's a video explaining the new theory of religion. It is taken from a part of the movie: Zeitgeist, a controversial film depicting religion, economy, and social problems. Kinda like a Michael Moore film but much, much more serious. There are three parts if you wish to watch them all, but just give it a watch. It's pretty interesting.
Relating it back to ritual communication model, ritual communication can be used as a good way to preserve culture, but it can sometimes limit people as well. Those that are so enveloped in the ritual community of Christianity refuses to accept information that may challenge their beliefs. This would challenge their way of life, and their purpose. We have to realize that ritual communication can be a good method forming a community, however, we cannot allow it to limit our thoughts.
Posted by: Henry Huang
First of all, ritual communication involves the practice of communication as a community, engaging in daily activities and routines which do not necessarily develop culture, but sustain it. This can be compared to Christianity, and other religions, because it is a constant perpetuation of the same biblical text, and the same biblical phrases, which are recited over and over. A lie told many times, will become the truth, and this has happened with Christianity.
Christianity was used by powerful men to control others. In earlier years of Christianity, it performed violent crusades, and tortured those that did not want to believe in the religion. Many of the scholars in that time were pressured to write religious texts, and forced to provide evidence for Christianity. Christianity has even destroyed evidence of other Pagan religions, which pre-dates Jesus. By preserving evidence and destroying others, the future generations of religious people are bound to believe in the same texts. This form of self-preservation leads to the development of an entire community of people that are taming themselves. It can be compared to domestic sheeps and cows.
As technology develops, and as people become smarter and more informed, more and more evidence accumulates, which suggests that Christianity has been nothing more than a hoax. Recent evidence suggests that all religions are related in some way, and ultimately traces back to Ancient Egypt. Christianity, especially the deity Jesus, shares many relationship to other religious deities, (e.g. Mithra) such as the day they were born, virgin birth, the three kings, etc. The new theory behind religion is that they all share an astrological origin. The original deity of worship, which spawned other religious figures, was actually the Sun. Of course, this is a new and controversial theory, which many religious scholars denies to be the truth. But being in the perpetuated community of ritual practices, they cannot break free of their biblical teachings, and cannot imagine life without it. Therefore they fight to preserve it, because this ritual practice defines their culture, and their community. Christianity, with a pure incentive in the beginning, as a worship of the sun, eventually grew into a method of manipulation, and self-preservation, which has caused much pain and misery.
More about the astrological theories defined in this paragraph, you can read about it here:
http://www.truthbeknown.com/origins.htm
Here's a video explaining the new theory of religion. It is taken from a part of the movie: Zeitgeist, a controversial film depicting religion, economy, and social problems. Kinda like a Michael Moore film but much, much more serious. There are three parts if you wish to watch them all, but just give it a watch. It's pretty interesting.
Relating it back to ritual communication model, ritual communication can be used as a good way to preserve culture, but it can sometimes limit people as well. Those that are so enveloped in the ritual community of Christianity refuses to accept information that may challenge their beliefs. This would challenge their way of life, and their purpose. We have to realize that ritual communication can be a good method forming a community, however, we cannot allow it to limit our thoughts.
Posted by: Henry Huang
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Check The Guide by Carolyn Gregory
| While considering television programming, it can be argued many of our `choices` of programs become limited as station vie for revenue and number of viewers. The mass (viewers) determine the programming for all. Television is a market to advertise and sell. While considering television, primetime television is defined based on the availability of viewers watching television during that time. This also determines the cultural experience for viewers at these times. The author of The Centrality of Media Economics, Douglas Gomery, states that one media industry is focused on but in reality there are many businesses competing for customers in these programs and advertisements. The competition for these programs is based on the number of viewers and time of their viewing and therefore creates an increased value of these timeslots. As a result the advertising companies placing ads between and during these programs can be charged more by the network. Because of the value of these times, networks air programming based on viewers irrespective of the quality of programming or moral implications (for example Family Guy, The Simpsons, or reality television) that is being distributed. The viewership of these programs also determines the times and availability of these programs at specified times. The different timeslots create competition between clients from the television programs and advertisers that are fighting for the same time within the networks slots. Television is an advertisement-supported media; therefore the client chooses the advertisements rather than the viewer. Within these programs and advertisements, culture is greatly affected. The product placement impacts things we buy, how we act, or how other places or people are portrayed and perceived. These products can result in a culture shift or change of different areas in different people. Trends are also greatly affected by the television that networks choose to be viewed at certain times. During primetime, the most viewers are watching, and a lot of reality television is being shown. These reality shows can change the ways people dress, the language used, and even the perceptions of other places and people. Although not perfect, Canada has created via the CRTC, the CBC network. This requires Canadian content and allows for a better diversity of programming. What the population wants to see shows a good example of the majority influencing the minority based on the viewership numbers and revenue that will be received by the network. |
Tag... You're it!
I’m sure there has been a photo of you doing something embarrassing posted on Facebook. Maybe it’s a photo of you at a party after you had a few too many drinks, or a video of you singing your favorite Billy Ray Cyrus song. Although these memories are your property, as soon as a picture or video is posted on Facebook and you are tagged in it, it soon becomes everyone’s memory.
The last lecture we had in Professor Aziz Douai class, we examined how communication technologies enable individuals to transcend space and time. It’s is only through technology we can capture a memory and relieve it the same way it happened. This would not be possible if it weren’t for the invention of the camera, video camera, or voice recorder. But happens when a moment of your life is captured when you didn’t necessarily want it captured? How do you dispose of these incriminating videos or photos after they have been posted on Facebook and a large majority of your friends, family, or colleagues have already seen it?
On the social networking website Facebook, users are able to upload videos, photos, or voice recordings, and tag whoever is in that media without their consent. Now this may get a little cumbersome so bare with me. Yes, Facebook does notify the user they have been tagged; however, the media they have been tagged in is now visible to all of their friends. This person must untag themselves in order for that media to not be visible to their friends, but this does not solve the problem. The photo that has been untagged by the “tagee” is still on Facebook. To actually dispose of the media, the tagee has to ask their friend to delete the media or a formal complaint has to be filed to Facebook, Inc. to dispose of the media.
This scenario seems almost frightening, but how many people can say yes to this happening to themselves. Has it become acceptable in our culture that our most private moments can be captured and displayed for the whole world to see without our consent? Personally, I think our culture has accepted this; however, some of these memories may not show us in the best of light. Therefore the process of posting photos/videos and tagging people on Facebook, without their consent, may paint a fictitious portrait of the tagee and pose more harm than good to their image. It almost appears like we have to censor our behavior in public in fear of it being posted on Facebook. Wow, seems a little ridiculous.
With this in mind, do you think all Facebook users should have the power to post and tag whoever they want in a photo or video, or should it be more regulated? I would like to read your thoughts.
The last lecture we had in Professor Aziz Douai class, we examined how communication technologies enable individuals to transcend space and time. It’s is only through technology we can capture a memory and relieve it the same way it happened. This would not be possible if it weren’t for the invention of the camera, video camera, or voice recorder. But happens when a moment of your life is captured when you didn’t necessarily want it captured? How do you dispose of these incriminating videos or photos after they have been posted on Facebook and a large majority of your friends, family, or colleagues have already seen it?
On the social networking website Facebook, users are able to upload videos, photos, or voice recordings, and tag whoever is in that media without their consent. Now this may get a little cumbersome so bare with me. Yes, Facebook does notify the user they have been tagged; however, the media they have been tagged in is now visible to all of their friends. This person must untag themselves in order for that media to not be visible to their friends, but this does not solve the problem. The photo that has been untagged by the “tagee” is still on Facebook. To actually dispose of the media, the tagee has to ask their friend to delete the media or a formal complaint has to be filed to Facebook, Inc. to dispose of the media.
This scenario seems almost frightening, but how many people can say yes to this happening to themselves. Has it become acceptable in our culture that our most private moments can be captured and displayed for the whole world to see without our consent? Personally, I think our culture has accepted this; however, some of these memories may not show us in the best of light. Therefore the process of posting photos/videos and tagging people on Facebook, without their consent, may paint a fictitious portrait of the tagee and pose more harm than good to their image. It almost appears like we have to censor our behavior in public in fear of it being posted on Facebook. Wow, seems a little ridiculous.
With this in mind, do you think all Facebook users should have the power to post and tag whoever they want in a photo or video, or should it be more regulated? I would like to read your thoughts.
Infinite Culture
As Communication technologies get more and more efficient, the term culture is being more frequently used. Culture is usually thought of in terms of groups connected through location, but culture is not that simple to pin down. There are infinite cultures existing on Earth today and every one of us is part of many of them. The culture you are in at the moment drives the way you think, act, feel and communicate and as you go about your day you pass through countless different cultures, whether it is your house, your neighborhood, your class, your school…every one of those is its own culture with sub-cultures running through it. The vast scope of how many different cultures exist is difficult to comprehend, there are infinite things that affect culture and therefore there are infinite cultures.
This concept is not what I was originally planning to write about for this post, my original plan was to write about the culture I observed while working in a factory in Markham. I began by listing the different aspects that existed in that culture and the reasons those behaviors developed such as the way we would verbally communicate because of the noise level within the factory. After writing down several aspects and potential reasons I realized that while we were on lunch break the culture completely changed. Suddenly it was no longer loud, there was air conditioning, we were not working but relaxing, the culture had completely changed and along with it, our behavior, yet we were still in the same building with the same people.
It was at this point that I realized just how many cultures we smoothly transitioned through in a single work day. Our culture changed with the time of day, when the bosses were around, when we were busy, when we were not… The quantity of factors and resulting cultures in only 8 hours was staggering to comprehend.
I am writing about this now simply because I find it to be extremely interesting and I believe others will as well. Every person shifts through infinite cultures every day, changing their behavior along with them without even being aware it is happening, it is an excellent way to exhibit the amazing power of the human mind.
-Kevin Johnson
This concept is not what I was originally planning to write about for this post, my original plan was to write about the culture I observed while working in a factory in Markham. I began by listing the different aspects that existed in that culture and the reasons those behaviors developed such as the way we would verbally communicate because of the noise level within the factory. After writing down several aspects and potential reasons I realized that while we were on lunch break the culture completely changed. Suddenly it was no longer loud, there was air conditioning, we were not working but relaxing, the culture had completely changed and along with it, our behavior, yet we were still in the same building with the same people.
It was at this point that I realized just how many cultures we smoothly transitioned through in a single work day. Our culture changed with the time of day, when the bosses were around, when we were busy, when we were not… The quantity of factors and resulting cultures in only 8 hours was staggering to comprehend.
I am writing about this now simply because I find it to be extremely interesting and I believe others will as well. Every person shifts through infinite cultures every day, changing their behavior along with them without even being aware it is happening, it is an excellent way to exhibit the amazing power of the human mind.
-Kevin Johnson
Monday, October 5, 2009
Newspapers
Douglas Gomery's article, The Centrality of Media Economics, discussed the economics of the various mass media industries, like newspapers, the radio, and television. However, this article was written in 1993. If it were written in 2009, would it be similar? Would it discuss newspapers in the same way, 16 years later?
I don't believe it would. Unfortunately, in today's technology-driven world, the old medium of newspapers is not holding up very well. Circulation is down for even major newspapers like the New York Times. (See the New York Times article "Drop in Newspaper Circulation Accelerates" for more information at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/business/media/28paper.html). Now, what we might call "old-fashioned" mediums like newspapers are being forced to find other ways to stay afloat as circulation drops and advertising money is lost. Thus, they are turning towards the internet. The New York Times Company, which owns 18 newspapers including, of course, the New York Times, also happens to own more than 50 websites (New York Times Company, 2009). There are NY Times widgets, applications for the iPhone, and even a social networking application on the newspaper's website.
This makes me wonder if there is even room in today's world for the monopolistic marketing structure that Gomery mentioned on page 193 of his article. He used the example of a local cable television company - if you don't like what they offer, "then the choices are to either not subscribe or to move" (Gomery, 1993, p. 193). Does that exist in 2009? Now, the choices would be to subscribe to a satellite service, move, or watch your favorite shows online, instead.
There are so many options today that it is no wonder simple mediums like newspapers aren't exactly flourishing. No longer are we forced to pay subscription fees to buy newspapers, as Gomery's article mentioned. Now, newspapers are available for free, online. One of Gomery's suggestions was that "media industries ought to distribute their products and services to rich, poor, and all those in betweem" (Gomery, 1993, p. 195). Well, the newspaper industries have certainly done that. They have done that by essentially following another piece of advice that Gomery offered - the idea that "media industries ought to bring new technologies to the marketplace as quickly as possible" (Gomery, 1993, p. 195).
So the newspaper industry has followed Gomery's advice in order to improve media performance. But has this been at the expense of the classic ink-and-paper medium everyone is used to? Only time will tell whether or not the internet leaves room for vintage mediums, or if it has simply taken over.
References:
Gomery, Douglas. (1993). The centrality of media economics. Journal of Communication, 43 (1993), pp. 190-98.
New York Times Company. (n.d). Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.nytco.com/company/business_units/index.html.
By: Natalie Dallaire
I don't believe it would. Unfortunately, in today's technology-driven world, the old medium of newspapers is not holding up very well. Circulation is down for even major newspapers like the New York Times. (See the New York Times article "Drop in Newspaper Circulation Accelerates" for more information at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/business/media/28paper.html). Now, what we might call "old-fashioned" mediums like newspapers are being forced to find other ways to stay afloat as circulation drops and advertising money is lost. Thus, they are turning towards the internet. The New York Times Company, which owns 18 newspapers including, of course, the New York Times, also happens to own more than 50 websites (New York Times Company, 2009). There are NY Times widgets, applications for the iPhone, and even a social networking application on the newspaper's website.
This makes me wonder if there is even room in today's world for the monopolistic marketing structure that Gomery mentioned on page 193 of his article. He used the example of a local cable television company - if you don't like what they offer, "then the choices are to either not subscribe or to move" (Gomery, 1993, p. 193). Does that exist in 2009? Now, the choices would be to subscribe to a satellite service, move, or watch your favorite shows online, instead.
There are so many options today that it is no wonder simple mediums like newspapers aren't exactly flourishing. No longer are we forced to pay subscription fees to buy newspapers, as Gomery's article mentioned. Now, newspapers are available for free, online. One of Gomery's suggestions was that "media industries ought to distribute their products and services to rich, poor, and all those in betweem" (Gomery, 1993, p. 195). Well, the newspaper industries have certainly done that. They have done that by essentially following another piece of advice that Gomery offered - the idea that "media industries ought to bring new technologies to the marketplace as quickly as possible" (Gomery, 1993, p. 195).
So the newspaper industry has followed Gomery's advice in order to improve media performance. But has this been at the expense of the classic ink-and-paper medium everyone is used to? Only time will tell whether or not the internet leaves room for vintage mediums, or if it has simply taken over.
References:
Gomery, Douglas. (1993). The centrality of media economics. Journal of Communication, 43 (1993), pp. 190-98.
New York Times Company. (n.d). Retrieved October 1, 2009 from http://www.nytco.com/company/business_units/index.html.
By: Natalie Dallaire
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Dancing with the stars by Ciara Finnegan
Dancing with the stars is a primetime ABC show that can be credited with doing two main things for Western culture: reintroducing them to lost celebrity figures and reviving the interest of the masses in dancing. Since its beginning in 2005, this show has continually grown and become a part of the weekly schedule of many families all over the United States and Canada. The whole premise of the show is to pair up “inexperienced” celebrities with professional dancers and allow the viewers to watch them grow into proficient forces on the dance floor as the season progresses. This show brings out many genres of dancing like ballroom, the cha-cha, the meringue, salsa, and the tango among many others to a population that is usually unaware that these forms of dancing even exist. Coupled with popular music performed live by the “Dancing with the stars Band,” the viewers are engaged by the growing chemistry between the different partners and the stifling competition between the celebrities to win. In the end, all of this embodies McLuhan’s view of television as a “cool” media as it engages more than one sense. One’s eyes and ears are engaged by the dancing and music that guides the tempo and movements of the dancers while our psyches are also engaged because many people consider taking dance classes or learning the moves after seeing them performed. The television now acts as an extension of our minds and our desires because although one may want to get directly involved in dance on the level of the contestants, they may never get the chance; so when they take a seat at their couch on a Wednesday night to watch their favorite celebrity dance their heart out, they are connected and some go as far as picking up the phone to call in and vote for that celebrity. I think it’s pretty clear to see that Dancing with the stars is one positive part of popular culture. It reconnects forgotten athletes, singers, actors & actresses and performers with their devoted fans while making new ones. This hour of movement allows society to witness the joy, growth and sometimes heartbreak felt by the contestants when they are voted off or move on to the next week in the show. Lastly, Dancing with the Stars sticks to its roots and just gives us dance in its purest form: a man and a woman together leaving it out there with true passion.
http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars
http://abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Mobile Phone Banking in Kenya: To the rural Kenyan, Mpesa is the message
Digital divide, the concept that focuses on the world communication connectedness, has identified Africa as the one area that will lag behind in development unless more resources are put into communication technologies. Marshall McLuhan was right, “The media is the message.” The information the West may want to share with Africa is very important, don’t mistake me here. But the fact that Africa cannot afford to buy the technologies necessary for that communication exchange means that the value of cell phones, laptops, modems, fibre optic cable etc. surpass that of the information content.
In this blog piece, I discuss the rather recent evolution of mobile phone banking in Kenya and its effects on society in terms of communication habits and financial freedom. In Kenya, mobile phones were introduced in the year 2000 by Vodaphone Inc. through a subsidiary company called Safaricom. The year 2000 in Kenya was not just a Millennium year, but is remembered as the year that most Kenyans dumped the landline in favour of hand-held mobile telephones at a price they could afford.
Cell phones came with an added facility called “instant messaging.” I, personally, cannot remember anything that I appreciated much better than IM because at the cost of 25 cents, I could send my mother a simple text message from Australia instructing her to collect a few hundred dollars from the local Western Union. Kenyans were so overwhelmed with IM that Safaricom had to increase bandwidth periodically to cope with the demand. Instant Messaging enabled the Mpesa innovation in 2007.
Mpesa is a social banking system that is operated by Safaricom, the largest cell phone company in Kenya. As a cell-phone operated banking system, Mpesa is just one of the features in the cell phone, and is accessible to anyone within the network. The choice of brand name was excellent as “M” stands for Mobile while “pesa” is money in a language called Kiswahili, widely spoken in Kenya. Here, in Canada, one can equate Mpesa ‘s convenience to that of Western Union, but Mpesa takes this convenience a notch higher because its customers do not need to do anything outside their cell phones. All one needs to open a “social bank account” in Mpesa is an account with Safaricom.
What can one do with Mpesa within seconds on a cell phone?
1. Parents can pay school fees for their kids directly into the School Mpesa Account.
2. One can buy groceries in the local store and pay into the store Mpesa account.
3. One can pay employees directly into their Mpesa accounts and the employees can choose to cash or keep the credit to transact business elsewhere.
4. I can send money to my mother’s Mpesa account via a facility recently developed by Vodafone in conjunction with Western Union.
Since 2008, Mpesa has changed from a commercial venture to a social phenomenon. It has become part of the daily lives for most Kenyans. Its effect on Kenyans and the diaspora is the “message” to agree with marshall McLuhan. And in a country where banks charged “an arm and a leg” to open and maintain an account, the trend is changing.
This you tube documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQo4VoLyHe0&feature=fvw
will show you how Mpesa works from the sender to the receiver and how communities are responding to it. If this is the first time you are watching anything African, brace yourself for culture shock.
Victor Karanja
In this blog piece, I discuss the rather recent evolution of mobile phone banking in Kenya and its effects on society in terms of communication habits and financial freedom. In Kenya, mobile phones were introduced in the year 2000 by Vodaphone Inc. through a subsidiary company called Safaricom. The year 2000 in Kenya was not just a Millennium year, but is remembered as the year that most Kenyans dumped the landline in favour of hand-held mobile telephones at a price they could afford.
Cell phones came with an added facility called “instant messaging.” I, personally, cannot remember anything that I appreciated much better than IM because at the cost of 25 cents, I could send my mother a simple text message from Australia instructing her to collect a few hundred dollars from the local Western Union. Kenyans were so overwhelmed with IM that Safaricom had to increase bandwidth periodically to cope with the demand. Instant Messaging enabled the Mpesa innovation in 2007.
Mpesa is a social banking system that is operated by Safaricom, the largest cell phone company in Kenya. As a cell-phone operated banking system, Mpesa is just one of the features in the cell phone, and is accessible to anyone within the network. The choice of brand name was excellent as “M” stands for Mobile while “pesa” is money in a language called Kiswahili, widely spoken in Kenya. Here, in Canada, one can equate Mpesa ‘s convenience to that of Western Union, but Mpesa takes this convenience a notch higher because its customers do not need to do anything outside their cell phones. All one needs to open a “social bank account” in Mpesa is an account with Safaricom.
What can one do with Mpesa within seconds on a cell phone?
1. Parents can pay school fees for their kids directly into the School Mpesa Account.
2. One can buy groceries in the local store and pay into the store Mpesa account.
3. One can pay employees directly into their Mpesa accounts and the employees can choose to cash or keep the credit to transact business elsewhere.
4. I can send money to my mother’s Mpesa account via a facility recently developed by Vodafone in conjunction with Western Union.
Since 2008, Mpesa has changed from a commercial venture to a social phenomenon. It has become part of the daily lives for most Kenyans. Its effect on Kenyans and the diaspora is the “message” to agree with marshall McLuhan. And in a country where banks charged “an arm and a leg” to open and maintain an account, the trend is changing.
This you tube documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQo4VoLyHe0&feature=fvw
will show you how Mpesa works from the sender to the receiver and how communities are responding to it. If this is the first time you are watching anything African, brace yourself for culture shock.
Victor Karanja
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