CitizeNow

Citizen Media and My Campaign: A Learning Experience

2006-12-13T17:55:00.000-09:00

Four months ago, I walked into a Windows computer lab, not knowing what to expect. What did “Citizen Media” mean? Citizen media is more than just a class and a book title. It is a knowledge base. In this class, I learned more about my society than I have in any history class; I learned more about my abilities to recognize and understand societal movements like those of the modern, interactive media era; I learned a new language: html; I learned how to interact with a group to produce something truly special: a campaign to make our campus safer, a campaign to promote smarter decisions regarding late night transportation at IU.

At first I seemed skeptical of this campaign project. In high school, I had always been the type to hate group projects because I always had to do all the work, but not this time. Citizen Media was a truly unique learning environment in this way, which, in turn, fostered the production of a complex, multi-faceted campaign promoting the use of a bus called the “Midnight Special,” a bus that runs Thursday thru Saturday night from 11:00 pm until 4:00 am. The idea of having an open-ended project where we could formulate our own plan of action regarding how to reach out to IU students incited motivation and sparked our creativity.

Every member of my group contributed to all aspects of the campaign, a characteristic that made this experience exciting and opened my eyes to forming a system of equitable work distribution in the learning environment. As such, I think it is unfair to say “I did this” or “I did that” but accurate to say, “I contributed to this” and “I contributed to that.” For instance, I was a primary contributor to the “Hoosier News” skit, as I spent many hours over the course of two intense days working to edit the segment. I do, however, acknowledge that many of my group mates also contributed to this piece. I also contributed to the “Drunk Bus” commercial as I wrote the skit and offered my ideas to the film and editing crew when necessary or called upon for advice. So, while everyone else might be trying to remember what he or she specifically created, why not simply explain what I was a part of? I know I was a major contributor to the designing the “Drunk Bus” campaign, but I believe we all can say we were all a part of the whole.

P.S. Thom, I know you asked for suggestions, so here it goes. Start the campaigns early! Like the first week. I know you wanted to let us explore the media first, but there’s no time to wait. These projects take a long time and you should get your students started on the projects, then start teaching them about topics like html and flash. Perhaps in class, they can begin integrating these techniques into their campaigns. This way the Citizen Media students will have enough time to design well thought out, effective, and complete campaigns by the end of the semester that utilize all of the skills taught in this class.

Finals: Something More than a Two Hour Test

2006-12-05T21:23:00.000-09:00

I can’t wait until finals are over. I’ve been studying like there is no tomorrow and it is only Tuesday. I feel sort of worried. How is one ever supposed to know if he or she is prepared to take any given test? All writers will sat that when they "finish" their work, it was still a work in progress--a piece of art, like a clay model--moldable until the artist stops shaping. The same holds true for studying. It is, contrary to a few overealous jerks who probably have a "c" average, impossible to know and understand everything fully. I mean, people devote their entire lives to studying what I have spent a mere four months learning. As such it is impossible for any individual to know that they are done studying when there is a world of knowledge beckoning at their feet. Perhaps what someone means when they say, "I am done studying," is "I don't feel like studying any longer," or "I don't want to read another word." I think that this approach to understanding and studying is a juvenile, incomplete attempt to apply meaning to an endless world with endless oppurtunities and endless means by which we may lear. I do not know everything, and neither do you.

Excel: what you don't need to know for the final

2006-12-04T22:09:00.000-09:00

=SUMIF(the world, you and me, possibilities)
=VLOOKUP(25 years from now, Our life, 13, true)
=COUNTA(all the fun we are going to have)

I just wanted to teach you what I’ve learned in k201

P.S. if there was any doubt in your mind that I was a dork, I’m sure I have successfully managed to kill it.

Shaken, not assured

2006-12-03T20:54:00.000-09:00

With some of the recent economic numbers sending shockwaves through Wall Street, economists are still fairly optimistic about the future of our economy. The only trouble is, are they right? Economists are a lot like weatherman, bold in their assertions, yet sometimes flawed in there reasoning. The only problem is, nobody actually understands what they’re talking about half the time. My advice is this: when you hear one of them say something new, take it into careful consideration because, like weatherman, you will most likely be hearing that same assumption by a dozen more "experts" until one of them can finally come up with something new. As for the future of the economy, it's hard to say; however, a turn for the worse--a recession--would not necesarily surprise me. I suppose, only time will tell.

If only:

2006-12-02T15:14:00.000-09:00

If only life were easier
The world was fair
All diseases were curable
Man knew his own flaws
Everyone didn’t always think that he was right
The people you loved never had to leave your side
People would actually learn from history
There was no such thing as ‘shades of gray’
If only everything I said was true
If only people realized that none of these would make the world a better place.

Edit: 6:42 pm on Dec. 7, 2006

Awesome comment!

Motivation: My Revelation

2006-11-30T20:20:00.000-09:00

I have just finished reading a great article on motivation. It said that the best kind of motivation comes from within and that people can be motivated extrinsically, but those kinds of rewards are not always available in life. I would like to take this opportunity to add on my own personal twist on this article. Since I have been at college, I have evolved into a driven and highly motivated student. Not to say I wasn’t motivated before college; I just feel that recently, I have been given the chance to blossom and use more than just natural abilities to do well on tests. Over the last couple of months, I have been trying to come to terms with what has been force that has driven my new type A personally. Without taking too much credit I would have to reasonably conclude that the culprit is in fact—me. That’s right. Me. In order for someone to become highly motivated, he or she needs to fully believe that he or she is capable of everything they put their mind to. In highschool and at home, I never felt that I was capable of, well, anything. I wasn’t motivated and the work I failed to complete was merely done for me. (I’m not talking about school work; I’m merely speaking in generality). It was as if I had an army of angels who watched over me and would swoop down to take on daunting tasks I deemed less important than that Simpson’s episode I had already watched nine times. Soon, this laziness was reinforced as the tasks my angels would handle quickly grew. Fortunately, as the tides shifted and enrolled at IU, I found myself in a new environment. This is the point in my story were I will retract my pervious statement. The truth of the mater is that I can not fully take all the credit for my newfound motivation. There was one piece that I was missing all along—someone who believed in me. Maybe someday I will find that this story is micro representation of my life, but unfortunately, right now, I can not end this story on a high note. You see, once again, my team of angels has slowly begun to reappear. Enemies may change over time, but fears last a lifetime. My fear is simple, and by now, my fear should be as bright as day; I must never return to being complacent, even if the consequence entails loosing a beloved angel. I only hope, with all my heart, it doesn’t.

Event Data Recorders: A Hidden Secret

2006-11-29T00:48:00.000-09:00

Today CNN released a news story regarding a man who was sentenced to life in prison after inadvertantly killing two girls. This man was driving what according to a device in the car called an event data recorder (EDR) was 114 miles per hour when he hit another car backing out of a drveway. According to state accident reporters he was travelling between 60 and 80 miles per hour which exceeded the 30 mph speed limit but by much less. As for which is more reliable, it is unclear, though juries seem perfectly willing to accept EDRs as evidence. As for whether or not this is justice, I am not sure; however, I do believe that everyone should be made aware of the presence of EDRs in their cars. Today 2/3 of all cars are equipped with EDRs, but only cars made since 2004 say so in the owner's manual.

In case you're wondering EDRs are located behind the steering column. When the air bag goes off, they stop recording and the save the car's speed over the last 10 seconds.

PS3: Desirable or Defective?

2006-11-28T20:38:00.000-09:00

Has anyone even seen a PS3? The PS3 hit store shelves, sold out, and then was shipped back to Japan. That’s right, the futuristic gaming system has been marveled for its terrific graphics and its many state of the art—bugs? Yet, for some reason they are going for over a thousand on ebay. Why would anyone pay so much at the risk that they could be buying a defective product? I can’t realistically answer that question, but I can say one thing for sure; Sony has some of the most dedicated gaming fans in the entire world. That translates into bad news for Microsoft and bad news for Nintendo.

Shock: Media's Lover

2006-11-27T11:08:00.000-09:00

On CNN's homepage, there is a link to the "most popular" articles that are read or movie clips that are watched. What is popular seems to speak wonders to what society wants/feels/watches.

Today's top three viewed items are:

1. "Mayor: Cop Gunfire 'Unacceptable'"

2. "Soap's sex-changing character"

3. "Study: humpback whales have 'human' brain cells"

As such, it seems as though we live in a society thirsty for extremes: violence, sexual identity, and even the merging of the line between human and beast. By now, we all know that the media sells what's popular and promotes it and reports on it because that's ow they drive up profits. But no one ever wonders why those things are popular. Why does society demand to see violence, sex, and whale brains like our owns. I think the answer is simple: SHOCK. It is shocking to see violence, and we thrive to see justice served. It is shocking to hear about sex-changes, especially when we recognize the guy. Lastly, it is shocking, to hear about a whale's similarities to humans. especially in heir most powerful organ: the brains. Shocking.

Chicago Public Speaking Tutor

Zoe Madigan

Learn to be a Better Speaker with a Private Public Speaking Tutor, Zoe Madigan

Chicago Public Speaking Tutor

Zoe Madigan

Learn to be a Better Speaker with a Private Public Speaking Tutor, Zoe Madigan

Chicago Public Speaking Tutor

Zoe Madigan

Learn to be a Better Speaker with a Private Public Speaking Tutor, Zoe Madigan

The Media: Is it killing us?

2006-11-26T22:12:00.000-09:00

I Hope everyone had a happy turkey day!
When the media spends over a week covering e. coli contaminated spinach, which killed but a dozen people, the American people react with fear and astonishment. "How could that have happened?" we wonder. "Avoid spinach" we think. How crazy. We continue to buy our four hundred calorie muffins and Quick bake fries in a freezer bag but we don't touch the spinach. Then in the irony of all ironies, 700,000 Americans die each year from heart disease (Time) as a result of our consumption of cholesterol and calorie infested food. Why does the media do this? Do they have a moral obligation to report the real news? Or simply a dut to reach max. profits? Do they inadvertantly kill millions of Americans each year because they are left ignorant?

I have questions. Where are the answers?

A Second Post for A Sad Day

2006-11-16T15:46:00.000-09:00

I never do this, but I had to make a second post today. As you have probably noticed, I am very interested in economics. I study economics, sleep with economics, hell, some days I breath economics. And today, a personal hero and economic genius died: Milton Friedman. In memory, I have decided to briefly describe my favorite attributes of Milton Friedman.
Friedman was a text book capitalist in that he believed in a strict application of the tennants described in Adam Smith's, The Wealth of Nations. He however meshed well with contemporaries in that he, like me, believed in money supply control--an integral part of our nation's economic stability. His monetarist views and his discovery of economic components like stagflation (rising unemployment as inflation rises) brought him great recognition in the 1950's and eventually, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science in 1976.

A Step in the Right Direction: China goes Wiki

2006-11-16T15:10:00.000-09:00

China announced today that it would allow for Wikipedia to be "openly" viewed by its people. The government of China did sight, however, that some pages must be restricted as they pose a threat to the national law. Also against China's law is the spreading of anti-government believes, something that could easily be posted on a Wiki.
On a more possitive not, this does seem like one of many steps towards the liberalization of these people as companies like Google expand into the Chinese market. I find it sad, however, that the companies who expand into the Chinese market are forced by the government to edit and sensor what's available. I do however recognize this as a step in the right direction--a step towards more freedoms with their country.

TiVo Updated: A Symbol for the Technology of Tomorrow

2006-11-14T15:50:00.000-09:00

TiVo announced earlier this morning that it was going online. The new TiVo technology will be able to sink with the purchaser's computer and download movies such as those available on YouTube/Google Video or even myspace. This new digital recording box can then be played through a TV or save the videos for easy viewing later, even if the video is removed from the web. So, what are the long term implications of this new device? Well, TiVo is most likely the first of many--many technologies that can sink with the internet during use. As companies like Skype create online phone services, we see more evidence for this trend. Eventually we will probably communicate and work solely with technologies that can sink to the internet...maybe even our iPods will. Only time will tell, but this trend is not to be ignored.

Thanksgiving: What exactly are we celebrating?

2006-11-13T18:43:00.000-09:00

Who decided that we celebrate Thankgiving?

It is a great holiday in a modern context... that is, if we forget the origins of Thanksgiving. In middle school we reenacted the "original" Turkey-Day dinner by having a pot luck with lots of food. Half of the students were Native Americans and the other half, Pilgrims. First off, the Pilgrims were Puritans, and Puritans did not even speak to Native Americans unless forced to do so (perhaps for survival or economic reasons) let alone share their homes and meals with them. What an outrageous concept. Then there is the turkey dinner...how rediculous turkeys are a total pain to hunt because they move quickly and you can't get close to them. Thus, considering shooting a turkey with a high-powered, modern-day scope, it seems totally unlikely that these folks caught enough turkey for themselves and then had the kindness to share the prized posession with a group that they saw as inferiors. What a rediculous holiday. Labor day makes so much more sense.

Energy

2006-11-12T17:25:00.000-09:00

Ugh, I have been so sick these last few days. I try and post almost everyday/every other and this week was terrible...at least I'm feeling better. Anyways, back to business.....,

I feel like the whole world has forgotten about high energy costs. The problem with people is that they are very forgetful and they grow accustomed to a new price level very quickly. When gas went over $3 people were panicking, but when it goes back down to $2.30 people think gas is cheap. WELL GAS IS NOT CHEAP! I like to think that I am an economist, so I understand that the market will fix gas prices in the long run. But that’s not the point. We can’t afford to have the fuel that runs through American’s veins held by the most hostile nations on the planet. Politicians stop talking about energy independence the second gas prices drop, but that does help stop a dire emergency that could one day stall this great nation.

Politics: My Musings

2006-11-07T21:26:00.000-09:00

Were the Republicans drunk with power? I don’t really think so. But I do believe that the people have spoken. The problem is I’m not really sure what they’re trying to say. This election was won by the Democrats not by their message, but by the failures of the Republican Party. So what have the people said? They have said ‘they want change’. The people have spoken and now the Democrats will have a turn on stage; break a leg.

The Future of American Politics...at least until '08

2006-11-06T22:59:00.000-09:00

Ok, I have to make a predication before tomorrow’s elections. In the house I think the Democrats will gain between 23 and 31 seats and in the senate I think the Democrats will gain between 4 and 6 seats. With that said, why do I believe this will happen? One word: WAR! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Sing it again! (Sorry Springstein moment). Anyway, I think the Dems have a pretty good shot at the house, which is all they need to hault the Republican agenda...at least until '08! In two day's it's official: a lame duck will hold the power.

Quote of the Day

2006-11-05T23:05:00.000-09:00

Today I came across a quote by Mark Twain. He said, “I always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority offtheir guard and give you an opportunity to commit more” (1835-1910). Acknowledging one's faults lies at the core of successful academics, even a successful career. I plan to live by these words, no matter what vocation I go into. Understanding the faults of one's self and others enables the individual to better delegate their abilities in that the individual understands what he or she may do to better the whole, whether that be a group, company, or even a class room.

Mass Media on a More Massive Scale

2006-11-04T17:32:00.000-09:00

In the 1920’s the term “Mass Media” was first used to describe the nationalization of media presentation through radio networks and mass-circulation newspapers like the New York Times. Today however, mass media is a lot more massive. With the advent of the internet just a few decades ago, the world first embark on a massive migration away from the common room that housed the family TV or radio and into a more private sphere of internet surfing. Perhaps most significantly, the internet has brought us into the “information age” where nearly every question can be answered at the swipe of a few keys and the click of a button. Today media is massive—we know more about our surroundings as we open our email and see an anti-war “pop-up” or check our stock portfolios and see a side bar about Ben Bernanke’s next move. All this however is in addition to television and radio in that we still watch TV when we’re too tired to sit and read and we listen to the radio on our daily drive to class or work.

A Modern Media Paradigm Shift

2006-11-02T22:48:00.000-09:00

Before I entered high school, when I thought it was still “cool” to “hang out” with my parents, I used to watch the six o’clock news on a regular basis. At that time, my family gathered together in our “great room” and would watch NBC, MSNBC, or CNN. Today we would never do this—even if I was still in middle school. The members of my family, like most Americans are members of a large shift in media viewing in today’s society. Today Americans are not interested in serious, dry, relatively fact-driven news. Instead, we watch more humorous and satirical news. My parents love to watch Hardball and I love both the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.

Welcome to the Future

2006-11-01T23:07:00.000-09:00

Every so often an invention comes out where people stare at it in disbelief. Well, on the news yesterday they should the most realistic robot I’ve ever seen. Some Japanese company invented a robot that has extremely lifelike facial features. Such robots present society with a rather interesting ethical debate. Where do we distinguish what is human and what is not, in terms of AI and realistic machines programmed to look and act like people? Teenagers encounter primitive versions of these machines in their everyday lives through the video games that they play. Many teens interact with these virtual characters as if they were really people. This interaction will affect the youth of America as they grow up integrated with these virtual realities as they are forced to enter the working world and interact with real people more often. As for what will happen, only time will tell.

Nice

2006-10-31T22:37:00.000-09:00

When was the last time you’ve been nice to someone? I mean it. How long does it take you to recall your last good deed? I ask these questions because these are not usual question that people ask themselves on a day to day basis. But shouldn’t it be? We live in one of the most individualist societies in the entire world, but that doesn’t mean we’ve not allowed to be nice. If you have ever thought back to a situation that you regret not helping someone, then I ask you, don’t make that mistake again, and offer that person a hand.

What’s in a Google

2006-10-30T22:44:00.000-09:00

Googling one’s name can find many things. For starters you might find lots of people who might have your same name. Or you can find sites that have things about you, you might not have realized. But Googling others seems a bit more intrusive. It feels, almost violating to type in someone else’s name. And yet, isn’t that what humans long for? I mean, the only reason why we look at celebrities lives, or wonder about the latest gossips, is because we as humans are very curious creatures. But, when the very tool that we use every day can also be used to uncover various things in one’s life, one can only feel a sense of being little creped out and left wondering, if we can do this now, then what will it be like in ten years?

Privacy

2006-10-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

Privacy is one of our basic and most fundamental rights. In years past citizens were always worrying about their own government spying on them. Yet times of changed. No, I don’t mean people are not being spied upon, spires of changed. Companies are bridging the gap between what is right and what is legal. Companies need to collect information about their customers, in order to beat the competition. But when does that cross the line. I cannot answer this simply, but instead leave you with this—is the right for companies to be farming data from its customers with the intent to make a profit?

Rush Limbaugh

2006-10-25T22:42:00.000-08:00

A few days ago conservative talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh made fun of Michael J. Fox by saying he was faking his disease during a TV ad for senator. This is absurd. This kind of ignorance is the reason why my generation is being turned off towards conservativism. This kind of statement is outrageous and insulting. His lack of scientific knowledge and absolute ignorance on Parkinson’s disease hinders the entire conservative movement. Though this man is not a representative of all conservatives, it does make you think. If people like Rush Limbaugh are making our laws, does science even stand a chance?

Drunk Bus

2006-10-24T17:58:00.000-08:00

For our final project in citizen media we need is design a campaign. Our group is called the drunk bus. The drunk bus got its nickname because at night it drives around picking up drunk kids and driving them back to their dorms. Our campaign is to promote this bus. Our group presented today and I thought we looked pretty good. We just seem to be lacking one thing. We have no standalone great idea. I really hope inspiration hits us soon, because I really think we need really hit this project home. Some of the ideas we have now include, passing out cups and ping pong balls that say drunk bus on them. We’re also the going to construct a web sites dedicated to the promotion of the drunk bus. Our goal is to make kids are aware of this great service that the university offers and to promote being safe while having fun. If we succeed hopefully every kid on campus will know about the drunk bus and how to utilize this great resource.

The Fundamental Attribution Error

2006-10-23T20:10:00.000-08:00

One of the problems with people today is that people attribute other people’s setbacks to flaws in ones personality. The fundamental attribution error dictates that if something goes wrong, their excuses are merely situational. For example, if you didn’t do well on a test your excuse might be that the test was too hard or the teacher didn’t do a good job teaching. But, if you heard that your friend had done poorly in a test you might deduct that he or she didn’t study or might not be smart. This is the wrong way of thinking. It promotes laziness of ones self and doesn’t give others the same kind of respect that they deserve. We as a society need to be understanding and more open towards other people’s problems instead of taking the easy way out and blaming the victim.

Voice of the People

2006-10-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

Today on CNN I saw something I’ve never seen before. They had a new segment called: your voice. Basically they were video blogs sent in by real people. This was interesting. Instead of the usual journalism where some guy walks around with a microphone asking some random people on the street questions, this was an opportunity for people to from their homes to voice what they wanted to say. Unfortunately, the clip the clip was pretty awful. The guy made a complete jack ass of himself and his video stunk. But this was to be expected. After all he was no expert and had no degree in journalism. He was sure some regular guy who had an opinion, and a web cam. I hope many other news shows follow suit and request to see video blogs from their viewers. After all, the news isn’t about what the journalists have to say, it’s about many people’s thoughts and ideas.

Lucky

2006-10-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

What will our future in store? When it comes down to it people just want to live their lives in prosperity and happiness. Isn’t that what life is really about? Through my journey I’ve encountered many obstacles. Recently I’ve been trying to discover myself as a person and a human being. But what is life really the? People? Memories? Accomplishments? Is there no designated path that we must follow? There’s not one person on this earth that will have the same answer to these questions yet there are some of us that do believe we’ve found the answers, and those people of the luckiest of them all.

Midterm Elections

2006-10-18T22:31:00.000-08:00

Who will win the midterm elections? I’m here to argue that this upcoming midterm election will be one of the most shocking that we’ve seen in the last few decades. Many are saying that the Demarcates are going to win, but I’m not sure it matters. The point is that we need a shake up in our government and I believe that this November we will get one.

The End of the Radio as We Know It

2006-10-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

I always thought that my girlfriend’s mom was as far from techno savvy as the Royal Bengal Tiger is strong, but I just learned today that she has purchased an Apple Ipod. At face value, this purchase seems insignificant, but the meaning behind it runs much deeper. She, as well as myself, my girlfriend, my family, my neighbors, and my friends, are all changing the world. We no longer listen to the radio when we drive instead we listen to our Ipods. The success of the Ipod—apart from its sleek look—lies in its moldability. The Ipod is moldable in that I can choose what I listen to—commercial free. This movement away from MSM (Main Stream Media) and towards a more private, personalized audio experience will forever change media networks and their radio affiliates as the value of this sector of their profits drops off.

Vote or Die

2006-10-16T22:56:00.000-08:00

I suggest that if you haven’t yet thought about who you would vote for in your district, do so now. Voting is one of our most basic rights as a free democratic society that so many take for granted. The truth is, the government affects almost everything from how much you pay in taxes to whether or not you can gamble online (some more important than others) and by not voting you’re sending a clear message to the world that you simply don’t care. I have already called and requested an absent T-ballet so I can vote in my home district. For those of you who are fed up and feel the need to express yourself, please do—in a voting booth.

Midterm

2006-10-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is my math midterm. I hope I do well because whatever I get will replace my 1st exam grade. Not that my 1st exam grade was bad, I got B+, but it will give me an opportunity to hopefully increase my grade. Keep your fingers crossed.

9/11

2006-10-12T22:06:00.000-08:00

Even at the risk of sounding dumb I want to suggest that what if we don’t know the entire truth behind 9/11. Does this mean I think it was a government conspiracy? Not really. There are alterative answers out there that haven’t yet been explored. What if the government was really just covering up something that simply made them look bad? For example, what if a curse missal really did hit the pentagon, but it wasn’t a government conspiracy, but simple a rebel terrorist in who infiltrated military ranks. Maybe we don’t know the entire truth about 9/11, but how can we be so sure that the government does?

People

2006-10-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

There are two kinds of people in this world; people who are full of insecurities and problems, and people who know that people are full of insecurities and problems. I prefer to be the later. It’s just more fun. How could you go through life fearing a challenge or making an idiot of yourself if you know that you will never be worse off than anyone else? It’s hard, and I suggest to anyone else, that they try it too.

Campaign

2006-10-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

I just had a great idea for a campaign. I am sitting in the library now and every ten minutes or so someone’s cell phone rings. The most amazing thing about this is that they actually answer it. Now you can probably image how much one’s voice carries in a room where you can basically hear a pin drop. Well, this got me into thinking about a campaign called Citizens Against Rude (Cell) Phone Use, or CARPU. I started thinking about all the things we could do and just to name a few:
· Video tape people on the street, and public place, who exhibit annoying cell phone behavior. (don’t forget drivers)
· Use that to make a list of the top ten worst cell phone uses on campus.
· Recruit members and use them to do something every time the see an annoying cell phone user, or a CARPU. For example: they could shout CARPU, or something else.
· We can use our members to take videos or pictures via their cell phones and send them into us. The best pictures and videos along with a description will be posted on our site.

Great News

2006-10-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

Great, so North Korea is a nuclear power. Well, we already knew that anyway, didn’t we? The whole world knew that they had the bomb. So why did they even need to test it? Was it to scare the world? I don’t think so. I think they did it simply because they could; to show the world they can basically do whatever they feel like and no one can stop them. Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say: no one.

Just a Thought

2006-10-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

Anywhere in the world at this moment these is someone else thinking the same thing you are. The question is, where is this person and will you ever be able to find him/her. For the sack of humanity we need to all start to learn how to think of what others are thinking. Grave miscalculations are made because some people are unable to put themselves in other people’s shoes. If this concept was applied to, lets say, our foreign policy, we would be viewed significantly higher in the world of public opinion and might not be in the middle of one of the worst wars in American history.

Interactive News

2006-10-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

The problem with TV news is that it’s not interactive. Oh, sure, one can call in or write an e-mail, but is this truly interactive? To combat this problem, I suggest a new show that is entirely interactive. The audience votes on what stories they see fit as ‘news’ and then the news show is broken down by, lets say, top 5 choices. Then the show allocates the amount of time per story by how many votes it got. If you have ever since Countdown with Keith Olbermann, then you kind of know what I’m talking about—only this is much more interactive.

Online Gambling

2006-10-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Congress past new laws aimed at limiting online gambling. When debating this paralyzingly important bill one congressman after another talked about how online gambling does nothing more but hurt families and wipe out good credit ratings. Republications obviously took a stance on this issue because they intend on ending their final session with a pro family agenda and an attitude that will finally allow millions of parents to go sleep at night, rest assured, that their sons nor daughters will not be braking open their piggy banks and ruining their 12 year old credit. I mean, if you even begin to suggest that the millions of Casio lobbying dollars are having a profound effect on our laws and our way of life, I might just call you crazy. Simply put, what you leave in Vegas stays in Vegas, and now, thanks to Congress, our money will too.

2006-10-01T16:48:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn about a society, a good place to start is its advertisements. Think about the amount of pop culture that goes into each and every ad. In fact, when my history class was studding the 1930s, the first historical documents we looked at were ads. So, the next time you are watching TV commercials or reading a magazine, just try and think about the amount of time, planning, and most importantly, research that went into making that ad fit your culture. Then you might want laugh or ponder this little tid-bit of the society you live in.

New Age Power Source

2006-09-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

Recently I read an article about how some entrepreneurs from Texas invented a new way to store electricity. The article said that the ‘batter’ can charge up in as little as five minutes and store a substantial amount of power. They intend to use it to power an electric car. I think that if they succeed then this could one the greatest inventions since computer chip. Just imagine our dependence on foreign oil a thing of the past. Now that’s a future I can live with!

President of Pakistan

2006-09-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the President of Pakistan was on the Daily Show. CNN said it was the first active head of state to ever be on his show. They also said that he was given tea and Twinkies as a jester of hospitality. I admit, it was hilarious, but what does this mean about news shows? American Politicians have been going on TV and talk shows for years, to gain popularity. But, what does this mean about foreign diplomats? Are they trying to display a funnier and more personal side or are they trying to persuade Americans youth into becoming more understanding and open of their culture? If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that he has started a trend as more foreign diplomats follow suit.

Privacy

2006-09-25T10:21:00.000-08:00

I just saw a commercial for a website that sells background checks. The ad said that you can never be too careful with your family and who you trust. Does this service spread fear, or is this just another service that a company is trying to tell you, you need? Whatever you believe everyone now must come to terms with the fact that the word ‘privacy’ will soon only be limited to that of history textbooks.

2006-09-12T19:24:00.000-08:00

The scary thing about the PC age is that anyone can know anything about you. No, I’m not talking about anyone can read your blog, I’m talking about anyone can buy information about you. Nothing you do is private anymore. If you buy something at a store and use a credit card, odds are, more then just the people involved in the transactions know what you bought. Scary, huh.

2006-09-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today was the anniversary of 9/11, so we went around the room to hear where everyone was on that dreadful day. Then we had a moment of silence. You sometimes forget about that day, and I think that this anniversary was important because it has been a long time and the attacks are beginning to move into the backs of peoples’ minds. Well at least I will, never forget.

2006-09-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

With today’s apolitical youth our society is turning an entire generation into an uncaring and uninformed part of today’s small global society. With this nation stuck in a drought of position news coming from overseas in conjunction with an unpopular war, no one can afford to not have an opinion, let alone vote.

2006-09-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was voted governor of my floor. If you would have told me two days ago that I was going to be floor governor I would have called you crazy. The thing that surprised me was that I ran against the popular guy. The thing that I think made this different then some dumb school election is that a class president doesn’t really do anything, so people really don’t care. But, my floor had to come together to vote for someone they thought would be work hard, well in my opinion, they made the right choice.

2006-08-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

There is a very simple reason why the United States has such a low voter turnout. It’s quite simple really. The reason is because year after year we are stuck voting for the same two lousy candidates. Take the last election for example. How many of you actually liked who you were voting for? I’ve done a lot of research on this topic and it all comes down to our system of voting, that’s right, the district system. There was a French noble prize theorists (I know French, live with it) who said that the district system would eventually become a two party system. Well, there really is not way around it. We’re stuck like this until the end of time. There’s no way either party would ever make it easier for a third party candidate. Sorry green. The fact is that the way our system works is that people don’t actually vote for who they want. Let’s say, for some reason, you wanted to vote for Ralph Nader. Well you know he doesn’t stand a chance at winning, so you could vote for him or you can vote of the guy that might stand a chance because you’d rather him win then the third guy. This type of logic has been in voters’ minds for the last two hundred years and is the reason our system will always be a two party one.

2006-08-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

The problem with the media is that most likely I would have had to listen to the some boring expert on Fox or CNN that doesn’t even come close to representing the demographics of viewers. What I’m trying to say is that the new media is all about choice, choice to say what we want and choice to read what we want and most importantly the choice to formulate our own opinions and construct our own ideas instead of being force feed unimportant dibble.

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Online Gambling

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New Age Power Source

President of Pakistan

Privacy